Chapter 67 It's hard to say whether His Majesty did it on purpose, or...
Yuan Chaolu only slowly turned her gaze back after Qingheng disappeared at the end of the corridor with Lu Changli.
Xiao Zhuo said, "Let's go. I still need to take the Empress to see someone tonight."
When Yuan Chaolu asked who she wanted to see, Xiao Zhuo did not answer directly. Instead, he led her onto a rainbow-like path that stretched across the sky, saying, "When we arrive, the Empress will naturally know."
However, someone whom the emperor would specially take to see must be no ordinary person.
On the high building, Yuan Chaolu met that noble person—Princess Zhenning.
The man was slender and stood by the railing of the building, dressed only in a plain blue robe. The sleeves of his robe were fluttering in the evening breeze, as if he were about to ride the wind and return home at any moment.
Hearing footsteps, she slowly turned around. Her face was unadorned, yet it took one's breath away at first glance.
Yuan Chaolu glanced at the man beside her. She had previously thought that His Majesty looked very much like the Empress Dowager, but the woman in front of her had features that were exactly like His Majesty's.
It's not surprising that a nephew and aunt look alike.
The Lu family has many sons and daughters, all of whom are of good appearance. I heard that this Princess Zhenning was once the most beautiful woman in the capital. Although the years have added some marks to her appearance, it is still impossible to hide her unparalleled beauty.
Behind the princess, the county princess of Yiyang emerged from the shadows, her eyes meeting Yuan Chaolu's before quickly looking away.
The princess was also scrutinizing Yuan Chaolu. From the moment she first saw Yuan Chaolu, her gaze never left her. After a long while, she finally looked at the emperor beside her and asked, "Your Majesty has brought the Empress?"
Xiao Zhuo nodded: "We should have brought her to visit yesterday, but it was raining heavily in the mountains and it was inconvenient to travel. We thought that with Runlan's wedding banquet today, we would have a chance to meet."
Yuan Chaolu stepped forward softly and called out, "Aunt."
Lu Zhenning nodded, praising the Empress's outstanding appearance and elegant temperament with a smile. However, for some reason, Yuan Chaolu always felt that there was a layer between her smile and the rest of her face, and that she was somewhat arrogant.
Princess Zhenning's aura was as cold as snow. Her aloofness and polite tone were almost identical to the emperor's cold demeanor, making her seem like a Buddha without joy or sorrow.
After spending a short while, the princess said, "It's getting late. Your Majesty and the Empress should return to the palace soon. Please go ahead."
The fact that Yuan Chaolu so hastily proposed a meeting and his cold attitude still surprised him slightly.
Just as the Emperor and Empress were about to leave, the Princess called out again, "Wait—"
The princess raised her hand and pointed to the faint red mark on the emperor's neck. "What happened to Your Majesty's neck? Is it injured?"
Before leaving the palace, the emperor used the empress's rouge and face powder to cover his neck in an attempt to conceal the mark. However, now much of the rouge has been rubbed off, and the exposed area looks remarkably like a rope mark.
Only now did Yuan Chaolu notice a hint of worry on the princess's face.
Xiao Zhuo raised his hand to touch his neck, a faint smile on his lips, "It's just a mosquito bite, no need to worry."
Yuan Chaolu replied, "Don't worry, Aunt, I will apply the ointment for His Majesty when I return."
Princess Zhenning breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
Before leaving, Yuan Chaolu looked at Lu Fu again. Lu Fu's breath hitched, and then he bowed slightly to the Emperor and Empress.
This county princess, who had relentlessly pursued the emperor on the night of his wedding, was unusually calm today, almost abnormally so. Her gaze towards the emperor did not reveal even a trace of romantic affection.
Clearly, Yuan Chaolu's words at Chanxu Temple had moved her, and Lu Fu had made her decision.
After the person left, Princess Zhenning's icy expression melted away as she looked at the person beside her, "Afu, are you really determined not to enter the palace?"
Lu Fu held the princess's hand. "Mother, my mind is made up. I was indeed infatuated with His Majesty before, but now that I have resolved my inner conflict, entering the palace may not necessarily lead to a good future."
Seeing Lu Fu's expression, the princess asked, "When the Empress summoned you yesterday, did she say anything harsh to you?"
This adopted daughter had a turbulent past. Since being fostered by the princess, she had always been obedient and docile. However, when it came to marriage, she had been deeply in love with the third son of the Xiao family since she was young and vowed to marry no one but him. The princess couldn't bear to see her heartbroken, so she mentioned this matter to the late emperor and requested an imperial decree to send her to the palace in the future.
How could someone who has admired another for years change their mind in just one day?
The princess said, "This morning I received a message from His Majesty saying that when the late emperor made his will, it was not with His Majesty's permission, so it could not be considered a marriage decree at that time. Now he asks me not to make things difficult for the empress. He is indeed considering the empress's well-being. Who would have thought that you yourself would not want to enter the palace? Is there really no hidden reason behind this?"
Lu Fu laughed and said, "Mother, really not."
She helped the princess down from the high building. "After returning from your cultivation trip to Zhongnan Mountain, my mindset has changed. Seeing the Emperor and Empress's wedding, where they were so loving, and with the Empress's advice, I suddenly realized that I really don't want to enter the palace."
The figures of the mother and daughter blended into the light, and their voices dissipated in the evening breeze.
"That's excellent."
"I just didn't expect that the new empress would be able to persuade you..."
Meanwhile, as the mother and daughter whispered to each other, the emperor and empress descended from the high building and walked hand in hand in the garden of Helan Mansion.
Yuan Chaolu said, "Your Majesty and Princess Zhenning seem to have a very good relationship?"
Xiao Zhuo looked at the artificial hill in front of him and said, "When I was young, I was greatly taken care of by the princess. I was closest to her in the Lu family."
This was the first time the emperor had mentioned family matters to her.
Xiao Zhuo suddenly stopped and raised his hand to touch his neck.
Yuan Chaolu was puzzled, and her gaze fell on the red mark. Seeing his fingertips repeatedly rubbing it, she took a step closer and whispered, "The carriage was so dark yesterday, and I was not careful. If Your Majesty does not like it next time, I will not do it again."
Yuan Chaolu never expected that when her skirt sash wrapped around the man's neck, and he looked up at her from below with that untamed and fierce gaze, she would feel an uncontrollable sense of conquest.
It is said that men can also be considered to have the looks of a femme fatale, and the person in front of me clearly does so when we are in bed.
Yuan Chaolu took out a handkerchief to wipe the rouge stains on his collar, but was suddenly grabbed by the man's hand, which moved his palm upwards and covered his neck.
Beneath her palm, the man's Adam's apple slid up and down gently, the raised texture constantly rubbing against her palm, causing her fingertips to tremble and involuntarily curl slightly.
This is a symbol representing male physical characteristics. It's hard to say whether it was intentional or unintentional.
"I do not dislike it."
He lowered his head, letting her cup his face completely in her hands, her eyes looking at him like a fox.
His voice was low and hoarse: "If the Empress still wishes, she can try again next time and see if I like it."
Yuan Chaolu's world suddenly fell silent at this moment, leaving only her and him, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest.
He continued to gently rub his cheek against her palm, his gaze like a hook, as if a cunning beast had discovered her weakness. This action made her wrist go weak, and she could barely support his cheek.
Fortunately, the night was thick, and her already bright red ears were not visible.
The sounds of guests talking drifted from afar. Yuan Chaolu, remembering that she was still at Helan's house, slowly loosened her grip. She lowered her face, not wanting the man to see the blush on her cheeks.
But her heart felt as if it were wrapped in honey, and all she could hear was the man's slow, magnetic voice. She was moved by his gaze.
Just as Xiao Zhuo was about to pull her out, his empress turned around, her wide sleeves wrapping around him and pushing him towards the rockery. Only when they hit the rocks did she stand on tiptoe and place a kiss on his lips.
It was a fleeting kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water, a light touch followed by a sudden release.
Yuan Chaolu felt a fever in his head, and only when the evening breeze gently blew him away did he realize what he had done.
She avoided his gaze and leaned against him. After a long while, she heard the person above her chuckle softly.
"This is the Helan family home. The Empress couldn't help but kiss me. Did my words truly move her so much?"
Yuan Chaolu felt the vibration in the man's chest and heard his voice in her ear. She felt even more ashamed and could only hug him tighter.
Xiao Zhuo leaned against the artificial hill, gently patted her back, and looked at the bright moonlight above. He wanted to wait for the person in his arms to catch her breath, but after a long while, he looked down and saw that she was still unable to calm down.
**
Upon leaving the artificial hill, Yuan Chaolu suddenly remembered that Qingheng had followed Lu Changli away for a long time and had not yet returned, so she summoned someone to inquire about it.
In a side room of the Helan Mansion, Lu Changli sat by a table, watching the woman in front of him carefully administer acupuncture.
When she finished administering the acupuncture and removed the needles from his wrist one by one, Lu Changli could feel a sharp stinging sensation traveling up his arm.
Qingheng put the silver needles back into the box, stood up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said apologetically, "My lord's hand ailment is something I cannot help with due to my limited medical skills."
"Enough. This hand ailment of mine is something that even your Imperial Medical Bureau has been unable to cure. You are not the only one with it."
Lu Changli did not make things difficult for him, and lowered his eyes to look at his left wrist.
The female doctor spoke, her voice hoarse: "The acupuncture I just performed can only barely relieve Lord Lu's pain temporarily, but I have some unique pain-relieving ointment. Once we return to the Imperial Medical Bureau, I will send someone to deliver it to Lord Lu's residence tomorrow morning."
Lu Changli remained noncommittal.
Qingheng packed her medicine box: "By the way, the female doctor that Lord Lu mentioned who cured your hand ailment must be a person who is well-versed in pharmacology and has profound medical knowledge. I am truly curious and admire her. May I ask where she is and if you could introduce me to her?"
"Or perhaps, Your Excellency could recall the details of her acupuncture treatment so that I may ponder it and study the method further upon returning home."
Lu Changli chuckled, raised his hand to lift the wine cup beside him, slowly brought it to his lips, and then looked at the person in front of him.
The woman stood quietly, her eyes lowered, her expression gentle and graceful, her temperament as bright as the moon.
He suddenly said, "Take off your veil and let me see you."
Qingheng was stunned: "Sir?"
Lu Changli's gaze was intense, as if trying to pierce through that face. He took another swig of strong liquor, stood up, and said, "Didn't you understand what I said?"
Qingheng looked flustered, muttering things like "I am the imperial physician," before reluctantly raising his hand and slowly lifting his veil.
The woman's eyes were striking when she wore a veil, but they appeared quite ordinary once the veil was removed...
Lu Changli narrowed his eyes, his hand gripping the wine cup turned white, and he exhaled a breath of hot air.
Lu Changli has always had a fondness for exquisite handicrafts, which must be masterfully crafted and without a single flaw. For example, the Jingming Pagoda he built for the Empress Dowager was constructed from countless piles of gold sand, a masterpiece to which he poured his heart and soul.
This scarred face, bearing no resemblance to her whatsoever, would have been something he would never have glanced at before, yet it evoked a sense of familiarity in him upon first seeing it.
At the beginning of the year in Jiangnan, when he was serving as the head of the canal transport, his sister led that woman to him, hoping that he would act in a play with her and then stop after obtaining her secret medical book.
She stood quietly before him, her eyes lowered, her gaze gentle and unwavering. Her eyes were like autumn waves, as if a misty rain was falling in Jiangnan. She claimed to be desperate and begged him for help.
Lu Changli agreed.
His internal organs were burning, and the alcohol blurred his consciousness, but he still couldn't forget her face.
It wasn't the woman in front of me.
Qingheng was startled by his actions, her body trembling slightly. She picked up the medicine box, at a loss. Just then, footsteps came from outside the door.
A guard's voice rang out: "Lord Lu, Her Majesty the Empress has sent someone to urge Imperial Physician Qingheng to accompany you."
Lu Changli waved his hand and said, "Go."
The figure carrying the medicine box left, and Lu Changli stared at the dark window for a long time without moving until the candle went out.
A shadow crept up his face, making his expression look dark and somewhat distorted.
In the darkness, he murmured, his voice incredibly suppressed—
"A Zhao."
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