Lu Zhao pinned her to the bed, his strong hands gripping her soft, slender waist tightly, as if he could break her with the slightest pressure. But he couldn't bear to hurt her, and could only vent all his anger and resentment in this kiss.
In the darkness where nothing can be seen, the sound of lips and teeth entwining is especially clear.
Gu Chaoxi was momentarily stunned and his tongue invaded her mouth, entwining between her lips and teeth. When she came to her senses, she turned her head and struggled, clenching her fists and pounding them against Lu Zhao's broad back.
Her strength was negligible to Lu Zhao, who let her hit him, holding down her thrashing head with one hand and her struggling legs with the other, his hot breath still chasing after her.
Gu Chaoxi almost suffocated from the kiss. She bit down hard on the man's lips, the taste of blood filling their mouths. Lu Zhao finally stopped, raising his head slightly to gaze at the silhouette in the darkness, his warm breath still lingering above him.
Her tongue was numb and the base of her tongue was sore; Gu Chaoxi didn't need to look in a mirror to know that her lips must be swollen and red. She glared fiercely at the man in front of her.
Realizing the other person couldn't see her, she instead punched them hard with her fist.
"You're shameless! We have nothing to do with each other, and if you keep this up, I'm going to call for help!"
"Get out of here right now! I never want to see you again!"
Hearing the young girl's words, which so ruthlessly distanced herself from him, Lu Zhao felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
Gu Chaoxi was unwilling to let him take responsibility back then, but he himself fell for her. Now, what's wrong with her choosing to marry the emperor?
It was all just wishful thinking on his part from beginning to end.
Maybe it's time to let go. Continuing to pester her will only make her hate him more.
After a long silence, Lu Zhao managed to utter a single word, "Okay."
Hearing the choked voice, Gu Chaoxi wondered if he was crying.
Before she could examine it closely, Lu Zhao got up and left.
Gu Chaoxi rubbed her swollen lips, cursing the old man in her heart for being too rude, and lay down to close her eyes again.
A pair of eyes outside the window stared intently at the inner room for a long time, even though nothing could be seen through the curtains. The man didn't leave until dawn was breaking.
...
As was customary, Lu Zhao would enter the palace every five days to teach the emperor. The next day was the day he was to enter the palace to teach, and Lu Zhao entered the palace as usual.
The emperor immediately noticed the dark circles under Lu Zhao's eyes and his less-than-usual appearance, and asked curiously, "Uncle, have you encountered some trouble? Did you not sleep well last night?"
Lu Zhao pressed his temples, suppressing the urge to turn around and leave. "It's nothing."
Facing the emperor, Lu Zhao no longer possessed his former patience. In the past, even knowing the emperor was wary of him and might even send assassins to kill him, he could remain calm, as if nothing had happened. But now, knowing the emperor intended to take Gu Chaoxi as a concubine, Lu Zhao didn't even want to say a word to him.
Lu Zhao's indifference could not suppress the emperor's excitement.
He said impatiently, "Uncle, you did not agree to my marrying Gu Chaoxi as empress, but yesterday I expressed my feelings to her and found out that she also loved me. I also considered that having two daughters of the Gu family enter the palace and making one of them empress would cause dissatisfaction among the court officials, so I only gave her the title of Consort."
"Yesterday was rushed. I was so happy to learn of Xi'er's feelings that I didn't have time to discuss it with my uncle. I thought that my uncle would not object to me taking a concubine. I hope my uncle won't blame me for not telling you beforehand?"
Lu Zhao put down the policy document he was holding and had to restrain himself several times to avoid losing his composure.
Her gaze turned icy as she looked at the emperor. “Since Your Majesty has brought her into the palace, then treat her well. The eldest daughter of the Gu family is gentle and virtuous, and is fit for the position of empress. Find an opportunity to make her empress in the future.”
The emperor was completely oblivious to Lu Zhao's gaze. "I had the same idea. Once she gives birth to a prince, I will grant her the title of empress!"
The emperor was about to speak again when Lu Zhao interrupted him, "Your Majesty, listen to the lesson!"
The Emperor said, "Very well, Uncle, please tell me quickly. I also plan to invite Xi'er out for a stroll today."
Lu Zhao picked up the book and patiently read it to him.
Today's lecture lasted longer than usual, extending the class by an hour, and twice the usual amount of homework was assigned. By the end, the emperor had lost interest and had neither the time nor the energy to invite his concubine out for fun.
...
Gu Chaoxi woke up feeling refreshed. She asked Qiushuang to get some ice to reduce the swelling in her lips, and then took some needles, thread, and fine fabric to start sewing.
Qiu Shuang watched curiously from the side, "What is the young lady embroidering?"
Gu Chaoxi, "Sachet."
Seeing Gu Chaoxi's clumsy movements, Qiu Shuang advised, "Miss, let me help you embroider."
Qiu Shuang had a pretty good idea of her daughter's needlework skills; she had never seen her embroider anything on her own initiative before.
Gu Chaoxi shook her head and said, "No need, this is a gift, I'll embroider it myself."
Qiu Shuang guessed that it was embroidered for the emperor, so she said no more.
Time flew by, and soon it was time for Gu Chaoxi to enter the palace.
During this time, Gu Chaoxi ate and slept well, occasionally dealing with the emperor in the palace, and embroidering sachets and handkerchiefs in her spare time. As for Lu Zhao, she had never even met him once, and as for the man who sneaked into her room every night to secretly watch her, Gu Chaoxi pretended not to know.
The day before entering the palace, early in the morning, Gu Chaoxi handed over the sachets and handkerchiefs she had made over this period of time to Qiushuang.
"Qiushuang, take these things and bury them in the yard."
"Buried?" Qiu Shuang asked, puzzled. "These were all embroidered by you, Miss, every day! Weren't they meant to be given away?"
Flipping through the handkerchief and sachet in her hand, Qiu Shuang was shocked to find that the character "诏" (imperial edict) was embroidered on all of them.
The emperor's name does not contain the character for "edict," so these things were clearly not intended for the emperor by the young woman. It is only possible that the young woman had someone else in her heart and was forced to enter the palace.
Thinking of how the young lady had painstakingly embroidered these handkerchiefs and sachets every day, and now that she was going to bury them in the palace, Qiu Shuang couldn't help but tear up.
"Don't come to the palace with me tomorrow. The palace maids will take care of you. Just wait at home," Gu Chaoxi instructed.
According to etiquette, Qiu Shuang was not allowed to accompany Gu Chaoxi. She could only wait until Gu Chaoxi entered the palace before sending someone to fetch her.
Qiu Shuang nodded, then, clutching the handkerchiefs and sachets in her arms, found a tree in the yard, dug a hole, and buried the items.
This scene was witnessed by the guards of the Regent's Palace who were hiding in the shadows. No sooner had Qiu Shuang left than the things in the pit were dug out.
An hour later, a pile of colorful handkerchiefs and sachets mixed with mud was placed on the desk in the Regent's study, standing out from the surrounding memorials and books.
"Your Highness, this is what Miss Gu had her maid bury in the courtyard today. I found it strange, so I dug it up and brought it back to you."
Lu Zhao picked up a dark green sachet. He couldn't make out what was embroidered on it, but the character "诏" (Zhao) was clearly visible.
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