After Du Jieyu left, Qingying saw that Wei Huaixu was still sitting there without moving, so she cupped her face and stared at him without blinking.
"Is there something on my face?" He raised an eyebrow.
This was a rare display of his roguishness in front of others.
Qingying asked in confusion, "Your unborn child is gone, but why can't I sense any sadness from you?"
“Because…” He lowered his eyelids, his expression becoming indifferent: “I am the Son of Heaven, and naturally I will not allow myself to lose my composure in front of others.”
"Is that so?" Qingying remained skeptical.
Wei Huaixu's calm demeanor regarding this matter was excessive; even as an emperor, he shouldn't have acted this way, as if he were completely detached from it.
Rather than saying he was good at pretending, it would be more accurate to say he was cold-blooded and heartless.
Qingying sighed inwardly: Wei Huaixu, how many secrets are you hiding? When all the truth is revealed, will we still be able to talk face to face so calmly?
She didn't know. But she understood that her time was limited and she needed to bring some things to a close as soon as possible.
——
After nightfall, only three oil lamps were lit in Fengqi Palace, making the light dim.
All the palace servants in the hall were dismissed, leaving only a young eunuch playing the zither. After bathing, Liu Shushu would often lie on the couch in only a single garment, drinking alone.
The zither music was faint and melodious, like a mountain spring winding its way from a secluded valley, flowing slowly and perfectly complementing the tranquil night.
Liu Shushu drank half a pot of fine wine, her face already flushed with a slight intoxication, her eyes half-dazed and half-misty, and the fragrant aroma wafting from the incense burner beside her seemed like a lover gently caressing her face.
She felt she was a little drunk, otherwise why would she see Wei Huaixu here?
Hadn't he already stayed overnight at Baoyi Palace?
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he had stepped into Fengqi Palace. A month? Two months? She could hardly remember how long it had been. She only knew that she had to face the beauties in the harem every day. Looking at those delicate, flower-like faces, she would occasionally feel resentment.
According to regulations, the Emperor should visit Fengqi Palace at least once a month, and even if he doesn't stay overnight, he should still have a meal with her.
However, Wei Huaixu, or rather Yin Shuli, was not someone who was willing to follow the rules. Since he ascended the throne, he had been extremely domineering and autocratic in his administration, not to mention in the harem, where almost no one dared to make demands of him, including Liu Shushu.
He was unwilling to come to Fengqi Palace, and she couldn't force him. The inner palace was already buzzing with gossip, with many people mocking her behind her back. Her dignity and prestige seemed to have vanished, leaving only the shell of an empress.
Wei Huaixu snatched the wine glass from her hand, and she finally came to her senses. She prepared to get up and bow, but was pressed down on her shoulders and made to lie back down.
"Shushu, you're drunk."
Liu Shushu was taken aback, frowned and looked closely at the person in front of her, and found that he was becoming more and more unlike Wei Huaixu. She tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, why have you come?"
"Shushu, I'm your older brother."
The figure before her gradually became clearer from its blurry state, and Liu Chengfeng's face appeared before her.
No wonder, Wei Huaixu hasn't called her "Shushu" in a long time; he now only addresses her as Empress.
Seeing the obvious disappointment on her face, Liu Chengfeng felt a pang of pain in his heart. He squatted down, trying to look her in the eye, and said softly, "Just now, I ran into Xiqiu when I came out of the Hall of Diligent Governance. She said that you have been drinking to drown your sorrows lately and asked me to give you some advice."
Liu Shushu smiled faintly, "Brother, look at this wine. It's the finest Nine-Brewed Jade Dew. Ordinary people would never even see it in their entire lives."
"No matter how good the wine is, drinking too much will harm your health."
She frowned sadly, saying, "But what else can I do in this long night if I don't drink?"
Seeing her like this, Liu Chengfeng felt heartbroken and reached out to touch her face, but stopped just before touching her and pulled back as if he had been electrocuted. "Shushu, you can drink today, and your brother can keep you company, but you shouldn't drink so often in the future. You are the Empress, and you shouldn't let anyone find fault with you."
"Empress?" She pondered the word carefully, then suddenly burst out laughing. "What kind of empress acts like me? She would have become a laughingstock for the whole world long ago."
"Sparse!"
"Alright, alright." She waved her hand impatiently. "If you're here to lecture me, then go back now. I'm tired today."
How could Liu Chengfeng possibly continue saying anything? He was afraid of saying something unpleasant that might further upset her.
He sat down on a chair nearby and said, "Alright, I'll stay here and wait until you've rested before I leave."
Liu Shushu didn't chase them away anymore. She lay lazily on her side and said to the little eunuch playing the zither, "Change to another piece, like... the one you played last time, 'The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate'."
"Yes." The little eunuch stopped playing the zither, adjusted his movements, and quickly plucked the strings again, and beautiful music poured out from his slender white fingers.
Liu Shushu poured a cup of wine for Liu Chengfeng and said, "Brother, please try this fine wine. It is a tribute from Beiyue, and there is only one pot of it in the harem."
Although Wei Huaixu rarely visited her, he never skimped on gifts. She always provided her with more than the empress's due, never shortchanging her. In particular, the treasures presented as tribute from abroad were usually the ones she chose first, which were then distributed to the other palaces.
Liu Chengfeng picked up the glass wine cup and glanced at it. Even though the light in the hall was dim, the wine cup still shone faintly. The clear wine inside was free of any impurities, and its mellow aroma was extremely tempting. He felt intoxicated even before taking a sip.
He downed the drink in one gulp and couldn't help but exclaim, "This is truly fine wine!"
Liu Shushu smiled gently, "I knew it, brother would like it once he tried it."
Liu Chengfeng neither agreed nor disagreed.
The brother and sister drank together to the accompaniment of the zither music. After finishing one pot of wine, they poured another. Liu Shushu was already quite drunk.
She actually got off the couch, barefoot, and began to dance gracefully with a wine pot in her hand. In the flickering lamplight, her thin clothes almost outlined her beautiful figure, exquisite and beautiful.
Liu Chengfeng was also a little drunk, and he propped his chin up, squinting at her with a dazed look.
The woman danced gracefully, her back to him. Her clothes slipped down, revealing one of her delicate, jade-like shoulders. She tilted her head slightly, her swan-like neck long and beautiful. She raised her hand, as white as lotus root, and elegantly poured the wine from the pot into her mouth. The wine overflowed from her lips, slid down her delicate chin and neck, and finally disappeared into her clothes, flowing into the slightly raised cleavage.
As Liu Chengfeng watched, he couldn't help but feel hot all over, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his mouth went dry.
Suddenly, the beauty swayed and fell to the ground.
He quickly stepped forward, reached out and caught her soft, boneless body, gently pulling her into his arms.
Their eyes met, and Liu Shushu's eyes shimmered like rippling blue waves, captivating his soul. Her slender, boneless hands hooked around his neck, and she tiptoed up to him, her soft, sweet voice close to his ear: "A-Shu, don't leave me..."
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