Shang Xian smiled faintly: "I merely played a tune; I have no other request."
She's just playing an empress; all she needs to do is be domineering and know her place.
This prompted Dugu Qianchen to burst into laughter: "The Empress is indeed the Empress!"
"And what about Consort Ning?" he asked again.
"If Her Majesty the Empress doesn't want anything, then naturally I don't want anything either." These words, spoken by him, showed no intention of competing with the Empress; on the contrary, they were for the Emperor's sake.
Dugu Qianchen was very satisfied with her answer. He nodded, his mind racing with his own calculations.
They all knew that the Emperor was paving the way for that woman, and Lan Ning was the shield; she was about to become the most powerful woman in the harem, second only to the Empress.
Rong Ling and Yu Hanzhi were fine, but Dugu Lianbai felt a little disappointed. This was the second time he had seen Lan Ning, and each time they met, he had a different feeling.
The state banquet was in full swing, and the women chatted in twos and threes. Shang Xian sat gracefully and dignifiedly beside Dugu Qianchen.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She quietly approached Dugu Qianchen and whispered, "Your Majesty, when will this end?"
Dugu Qianchen glanced at her in surprise and noticed that she was smiling stiffly.
Ah Ling said Ning Jiu'er didn't want to enter the palace, and now she's blinking at him, trying to please him so he'll let her leave.
Moreover, she has always been lukewarm, but now she seems like a different person. Has she figured things out or has her true nature been revealed?
Seeing his absent-minded look, Shang Xian sighed and turned her face away.
"Then you go first..."
He had only uttered three words when Shang Xian immediately replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
She had barely finished speaking when she caught up with her footsteps, lifting her skirt and running off.
Since no one pays attention to her anyway, she doesn't need to pretend to be dignified.
However, two men were watching her the whole time, and Rong Ling couldn't help but laugh when she left.
Dugu Lianbai looked at him and Yu Hanzhi strangely, then at Shang Xian who had already disappeared.
"You two know each other?" Dugu Lianbai asked Rong Ling.
Rong Ling nearly choked on her own words, but quickly regained her composure: "Didn't you apologize last time? Her Majesty the Empress is indeed amusing."
His gaze deepened, which was quite intriguing...
Yu Hanzhi patted his clothes and walked outside, completely disregarding the stares of others.
"Han Zhi, where are you going?" Dugu Lianbai asked, but all he could see was his back.
"I'll go take a look," Rong Ling said, using the excuse of going to see Yu Hanzhi to visit Shang Xian, though he was also afraid that Hanzhi might cause trouble.
Dugu Lianbai was also worried, so he went with Rong Ling.
In the blink of an eye, Dugu Qianchen and the others had all disappeared?
——
Shang Xian stopped on the path leading to Chang Le Palace, and even the twilight couldn't understand what she was going to do.
"Empress"
A male voice came from behind him. Shang Xian turned around and saw that it was Yu Hanzhi.
She called out distantly, "Your Excellency, Prime Minister"
These four words felt like a needle piercing his heart.
He remained silent, pursing his lips, until Shang Xian spoke up: "Does the Prime Minister have anything else to say?"
Can we talk?
Shang Xian didn't know how to answer for a moment, but patiently asked, "Isn't the Prime Minister afraid that the Emperor will see this?"
"Is it alright?" He had completely lost his aloof and cold demeanor as the prime minister; he was pleading with her.
"There's a pavilion up ahead, let's go sit down," Shang Xian said, walking ahead, followed by Yu Hanzhi, with Mu Se standing beside them.
Ever since Yu Hanzhi said he wanted to talk to the Empress, Mu Se had been feeling uneasy. After all, she was just a maid, and it wasn't appropriate for her to remind her mistress while she was speaking.
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