The time it takes to burn half an incense stick is nothing to Qiao Qiu; she simply doesn't want to stay in Yangfu Palace. The Emperor doesn't have a good impression of the Empress Dowager, and she doesn't have a good impression of this old lady either.
She's spent half her life scheming against people, and even with one foot in the grave, she's still unwilling to accept her fate and keeps causing trouble. If it weren't for her advanced age and the fact that she's too lazy to bother with her, she wouldn't have let her off the hook for making things difficult for her today.
A few days passed peacefully. The Emperor neither summoned her nor any other concubines to his bedchamber. Qiao Qiu's health gradually recovered, and her fingers were almost healed.
That night, Qiao Qiu was admiring the moon by the window when suddenly a dark figure flashed into Ronghua Palace. She noticed it almost immediately and turned her head, but she didn't hear any sound.
Just as Qiao Qiu was about to get up to check, a eunuch's voice came from outside the bedchamber, announcing, "The Emperor has arrived!"
Why did she come at this hour? It seems someone is trying to frame her tonight.
Qiao Qiu flicked her sleeve and quickly disappeared by the window.
"My beloved concubine, where is my beloved concubine? Look what good things I've brought you!" The emperor called out to Qiao Qiu as soon as he entered Ronghua Palace, with a smile on his face.
Tonight, Qiao Qiu forbade anyone to go in and disturb her, so Hong Lan and the others waited outside the gate. When they saw the Emperor arrive, there was no movement inside. Hong Lan couldn't go in to call Qiao Qiu, so she was anxious but had no choice but to lead the palace maids and eunuchs to greet him first.
"This servant kowtows to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
"Rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Where is my beloved concubine?
"Your Majesty!" As soon as the emperor finished speaking, Qiao Qiu walked out with a smile. Her long, beautiful black hair was draped behind her. She was wearing loose white pajamas underneath, and had only had time to put on a cloak over it. The ties were not tied properly, and it looked like it might fall to the ground at any moment.
The emperor retied the knot, then held her in his arms, warming her body with his own. "My beloved concubine went to sleep early, without even waiting for me."
Qiao Qiu laughed for a while and said, "I didn't expect Your Majesty to come. Actually, I didn't sleep either. Seeing that it was getting late, I thought no one would come, so I simply took off my complicated clothes and removed the hairpins from my hair. Wearing only this much, I sat on the soft couch, reading and eating fruit."
"My beloved concubine certainly knows how to enjoy life," the emperor said, gently pinching her nose.
Qiao Qiu lowered her head and smiled, rubbing her nose. A dark glint flashed in her black eyes. She had already changed her clothes, but the headdress was something she had taken off at the last minute.
"My beloved consort, guess what I brought you?"
Qiao Qiu tilted her head and smiled, "I can't guess."
"What a lazybones," the emperor chuckled, then beckoned to Xiao Shunzi, who brought the instrument over. "This is a glass zither presented as tribute from the Xin Kingdom. Upon seeing it, I immediately thought of my beloved concubine, so I kept it for her. Let's see if she likes it."
The glass zither was in its case. Honglan helped open it, and a blue glass zither immediately appeared before their eyes.
The glass zither has a greenish-blue top layer and a transparent white bottom layer. The body of the zither is also carved with many beautiful patterns. The strings are made of some unknown material. The whole zither is very beautiful.
Qiao Qiu reached out and touched the strings, then plucked a note with her finger, producing a beautiful vibrato. She took a deep breath, completely captivated.
"Your Majesty, this..."
"I'm glad my beloved concubine is happy. Xiao Shunzi, carry her inside."
"yes."
"My beloved concubine, come inside with me."
"Um."
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