Bai Lingxi didn't know how many times she fainted last night, but every time she woke up, she was always faced with Zhou Jin's liar's face.
I always lied to her and said it was the last time, but...
After tossing and turning all night, I finally managed to fall asleep.
The next morning, the charcoal brazier burning in the room gradually lost its heat, and cold air entered the room as well.
In her dream, Bai Lingxi felt as if she were in a snowy field, and even her dreams were filled with a desolate, icy landscape.
Bai Lingxi hid in what she perceived as a giant furnace, constantly shrinking her small body and snuggling into Zhou Jin's arms.
Zhou Jin had only been asleep for a short while when he felt a small head constantly nudging and rubbing against his chest, like a little piglet.
Zhou Jin patted her back reassuringly, then pulled her tightly into his arms. When he opened his eyes, he saw that she had indeed kicked away all the thick blankets.
Zhou Jin smiled helplessly. Back in the palace, Bai Lingxi was a restless sleeper who would kick off the covers. He was always the one who had to help her pull the covers back on.
This time, it really did feel a bit like the old days.
He gazed quietly at the sleeping face of the person in his arms, so serene and beautiful. He looked at her again and again, yet he felt he could never get enough of her.
However, after sleeping quietly for a short while, Bai Lingxi cried out again, "Cold—"
Because of her fiery spirit and martial arts skills, Zhou Jin was naturally more resistant to the cold than Bai Lingxi. So, she didn't even notice that the charcoal brazier had gone out after all this time.
Fortunately, this time, because he was worried about Bai Lingxi in his arms, he ruled out the cause being Bai Lingxi herself and finally discovered that the charcoal brazier in the room was short of charcoal.
"Anwu!" Zhou Jin called out to the air, and the little maid who usually served Bai Lingxi came in.
Upon seeing Zhou Jin, An Qi immediately knelt down and obeyed: "Your subordinate is here."
"Add some charcoal. Also, how did things go last night?" Zhou Jin thought about his signal flare, which was exclusive to the Dark Guard Camp and might expose his whereabouts.
“Those beasts in the courtyard have all been killed. Some of the women who were violated have returned home, while others have been given some travel expenses. As for where they went, I do not know.”
As a woman herself, Anwu naturally knew the injustices the world showed to women. With Lord Anying escorting her home, there was no problem for the women who chose to go home.
Those two women were naturally pampered at home, so they could survive after returning home.
As for the other women, their families were not a way out. They could find a place to live in anonymity and make a living together, which was not difficult.
Zhou Jin nodded, then remembered something else: "Besides you, were there any other people at that time?"
An Qi shook his head. Zhou Jin got the answer he wanted and sent An Qi away.
After the charcoal brazier was replaced and the room regained its temperature, Bai Lingxi's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, which made Zhou Jin feel much more at ease.
Then, Zhou Jin held Bai Lingxi in his arms and they both fell into a deep sleep, their heads close together, their hearts gradually drawing closer.
A gentle warmth enveloped the two, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere.
Peaceful and serene.
...
The Imperial Palace.
Zhou Changling has been back in the palace for three days. In the past few days, he has listened to the reports from the secret guards so many times that his ears are almost calloused, but there is still no news about Bai Lingxi.
Li Lin waited cautiously. Heaven knows, on the day the emperor returned, he almost committed suicide by swallowing medicine, because he was afraid of being punished by the emperor.
However, he thought that it was his own dereliction of duty, and he would not be able to rest in peace until the Empress was found, so he begged the Emperor to spare his life.
When the Empress is found, he will surely atone with his death.
Li Lin still remembers that Zhou Changling looked at him that day as if he were looking at a dead man, his gaze icy and chilling.
The previous two days were also very peaceful, because when Zhou Changling returned, the Vice Minister of Revenue impeached the Minister of Revenue, Bai, and his son, accusing them of corruption and perverting the law.
On the spot, Zhou Changling dispatched his imperial guards to surround the two houses and sent people to search them.
As a result, the Bai family father and son were fine; they received their normal salaries, as well as the rewards bestowed upon them by the late emperor.
In contrast, a considerable amount of gold and silver jewelry was found in the home of the Vice Minister of Revenue, and even some disaster relief grain distributed by the court in the previous two years.
With both witnesses and physical evidence gathered, the entire family of the Vice Minister of Revenue was executed in the street, not even sparing the young children. This action shocked the entire court and the public.
But they only dared to be shocked in their hearts. No one expected that Zhou Changling's methods would become increasingly brutal, and there was even a sense that he was getting out of control.
After all, no one wants to be remembered as a tyrant after death. It was by understanding this mindset that the ministers were able to challenge the emperor, betting that the emperor wouldn't dare to kill them directly.
But now it seems that Zhou Changling not only doesn't care about his posthumous reputation, but also his reputation while in power. The ministers are all afraid of death and dare not disobey the emperor.
Therefore, they were always cautious when attending court each day, and they would finish speaking as quickly as possible without uttering a single unnecessary word, making the morning court exceptionally efficient.
In fact, the ministers were also speculating about what had caused Zhou Changling's drastic change in temperament.
Only Li Lin knew the inside story, of course, because the Empress had disappeared!
Not a single word escaped from the inner palace. Li Lin had managed the inner palace like an impregnable fortress, so the ministers of the previous dynasty did not hear any rumors and thus did not run into Zhou Changlin's trap.
Li Lin was still vaguely worried, but something that had been progressing without any progress before suddenly had new information today!
After the guards reported what they had seen and heard yesterday to Zhou Changling, they waited for a long time without receiving a response, and couldn't help but secretly peek at Zhou Changling's expression.
However, Zhou Changling's expression was ambiguous, making it impossible to tell whether he was happy or sad.
After a long pause, Zhou Changling spoke again, asking, "You mean, that person had the Royal Guard's special signal? And those wounds on those men were also inflicted by the Royal Guard?"
"Yes, your subordinate dares not conceal anything." Faced with Zhou Changling's unfathomable gaze, the guard dared not look directly at the emperor's face and answered under immense pressure.
"What do you think?" Zhou Changling tapped his slender fingers on the dragon table, making a "tap-tap" sound that made the listeners' hearts pound.
"In my opinion, only members of the royal family can command the royal guards." The guard gritted his teeth and finally voiced his guess.
As everyone knows, the imperial line of the Dasheng Dynasty is dwindling, with only the current emperor being an adult prince. Could it be that the late emperor had other descendants who had been lost to the world?
Moreover, the royal guards only serve the emperors of each generation, unless the previous emperor personally assigned the guards to the prince who was living in exile before his death.
But that's almost impossible. Everyone knows that the late emperor once assigned secret guards to Consort Rong, who is now Empress Bai, but they were later personally dismissed by the emperor.
After eliminating all other possibilities, only one remains:
unless--
The late emperor is not dead!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com