Inside the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, a warm fragrance wafted, shielding the room from the chill of late autumn. Lianxing, dressed in an elegant moon-white brocade palace gown, her black hair loosely tied up and adorned only with a single jade hairpin, accentuated her strikingly similar face, making her appear even more refined and ethereal. She knelt on a soft cushion, her slender hands focused intently on preparing tea for Xi Linghao. On the small red clay stove, spring water began to boil, emitting a soft, bubbling sound. Her movements were fluid and graceful—taking the tea leaves, warming the cups, pouring water, and serving the tea—each step possessing a pleasing rhythm, quiet and beautiful.
"Your Majesty, autumn is dry. This is made by mixing chrysanthemum stamens picked this morning with aged Pu'er tea and a little honey. It's very refreshing and helps relieve dryness. Would you like to try some?" Lianxing presented a cup of clear, golden tea to Xi Linghao, her voice as gentle as pearls falling onto a plate. She slightly raised her eyes, her eyes, so similar to A Yuan's birth mother's, filled with pure admiration and a touch of just the right amount of shyness.
Xi Linghao took the teacup, gazing at the gentle and graceful beauty before him. Savoring the perfectly balanced, warm, and sweet flavor, a long-lost sense of comfort rose from the depths of his heart. The weariness from reviewing memorials and the anxieties of court intrigue seemed to dissipate in her quiet company and this cup of tea.
He couldn't help but reach out and gently brush a stray strand of hair from Lianxing's temple, sighing, "My beloved consort is so clever. This tea... is excellent. With you by my side, I feel much warmer in this late autumn."
Lianxing's cheeks flushed crimson, and she gently rested her head on Xi Linghao's lap, her voice tinged with dependence: "To be by Your Majesty's side, to share your burdens and ease your weariness, is a blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes." Unlike other concubines who vied for favor and flattery, she would only gently massage Xi Linghao's temples when he was tired; play a melodious tune on the zither when he was troubled; and recite a soothing poem before he fell asleep. Her gentle care, like a silent drizzle, quietly nourished Xi Linghao's increasingly parched heart, making him feel as if he had returned to his youth, regaining some vitality and peace.
Inside Kunning Palace, the atmosphere was completely different. Empress Lin leaned against a chaise longue covered with thick brocade, a warm fox fur blanket draped over her, one hand gently stroking her still-flat stomach. Her eyes were closed, seemingly resting, but there was no trace of the languid joy of pregnancy in her expression, only a deep, gloomy look.
Xi Yu stood respectfully to the side, not daring to breathe. She looked at the faint throbbing at the temples beneath the Empress's calm face, and the inexplicable fear in her heart caused by the Lin Mama incident and the Empress's pregnancy clung to her like vines.
"Is there any movement from Qiwu Palace?" Empress Lin suddenly asked, her voice low but carrying a chilling, penetrating quality.
Xi Yu was startled and quickly bowed, replying, "Your Majesty, the Princess has been busy assisting His Majesty in handling the memorials on the salt tax reform in the southern border, while Prince Kang is organizing ancient medical books and prescriptions at the Imperial Hospital. There has been no...no special action. It seems that many of the Shadow Guards have also been withdrawn."
"Hmph," Empress Lin's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile, "It's all just a facade. That little fox, Xiao Chengkang, would he really let his guard down? He's just using a more covert method to keep an eye on me." She opened her eyes, a cold glint in them. "The calmer they seem, the more it shows they're plotting something. Keep a close eye on them. Xiyu, you're my personal maid." Suddenly, her tone shifted, her gaze piercing Xiyu like a knife. "Especially those people 'she's' has been in contact with, everything they've said—report it all down without missing a single word!"
Xi Yu's heart pounded wildly. She knelt down with a thud, her voice trembling, "Your Majesty, please see the truth! This servant is utterly loyal to Your Majesty and has no other intentions!"
Empress Lin looked at her terrified expression, a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes, but her tone remained icy: "Loyalty isn't determined by words. Rise. I'm tired, you may leave."
The drizzle felt like a reprieve, and she hurriedly rose and retreated from the palace. Only when she stepped into the cold air of the corridor did she dare to breathe heavily; her back was already soaked with cold sweat. Looking at the tightly closed vermilion gates of Kunning Palace, she felt as if a venomous beast lurked within, ready to devour her at any moment. She touched a small, cheap jade clasp hidden in her sleeve, engraved with the word "Peace," the only keepsake of her younger brother, with whom she had depended for survival. A chill ran through her heart.
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