The fragrance in Lanyue Pavilion seemed stronger than elsewhere, carrying a sweet and alluring quality.
Lianxing leaned lazily against the soft couch by the window, her fingertips unconsciously idly idly playing with a brightly blooming red plum blossom. Outside the window was the bleakness of deep winter, but inside the palace, it was warm and cozy, making one's bones feel soft and numb.
She looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror; her face was still beautiful, but a hint of anxiety was still visible. Xi Linghao's health was deteriorating, and he summoned her less and less often. Even when he did come, he would only talk for a while. The imperial majesty that had once captivated her was now nothing but a decaying aura.
She needs a new support, someone young, strong, and capable of protecting her in crucial moments. Obviously, the weak-willed, painting-obsessed Second Prince Xi Lingche is not someone she can rely on.
However, Zhao Zheng, the commander of the palace guards responsible for the safety of the emperor, empress, and important palaces, was like a magnet exuding masculine energy, firmly attracting her eager gaze. Although she failed the first time, Lianxing saw the slightest crack in his defenses.
"Zhao Zheng, hmph... he'll be mine in a few days, he'll never escape my grasp!" Lianxing was always looking for the right opportunity to take down Zhao Zheng in one fell swoop, but things just didn't go as planned.
That night, amidst a blizzard, Zhao Zheng made his routine night patrol to the vicinity of Lan Yue Pavilion. The palace maid on night duty inside the pavilion "coincidentally" had been sent to retrieve something. The palace door was ajar, and suppressed, painful groans could be heard coming from inside.
"Who...who's outside? Help...help me..." Lianxing's weak and helpless voice was exceptionally clear in the silent snowy night. Zhao Zheng paused; duty called, and he couldn't ignore it. He cautiously pushed open the door and entered, saying in a deep voice, "Madam? What is it?"
The inner chamber's beaded curtain was half-rolled up, revealing Lianxing sitting slumped on the carpet, dressed only in a thin, gossamer-thin gauze nightgown. One hand clutched her ankle, her delicate brows furrowed, tears glistening in her eyes, looking utterly pitiful. In the candlelight, her graceful curves were faintly visible.
“Commander Zhao…” Lianxing raised her tearful eyes, like a startled fawn, “I…I got up to close the window, but I twisted my ankle…it hurts terribly…” She tried to stand up, but cried out in pain and fell back down. Her gauze dress slipped down, revealing a large expanse of her snow-white shoulders and neck.
Zhao Zheng's eyes narrowed, and he immediately looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing. He forced himself to remain calm: "Please wait a moment, Madam. I will go and fetch the female physician."
"No...no!" Lianxing grabbed the corner of his cloak as he turned away, her cold fingers touching his warm wrist, sending a shiver down her spine. "It's the middle of the night, disturbing others...there might be gossip...Commander Zhao, could you...could you help me up?" She looked up, her eyes filled with pleading and helplessness, her red lips slightly parted.
Zhao Zheng's body stiffened, a surge of heat rushing to his head. He took a deep breath, abruptly pulled his hand back, and said in a cold, hard voice, "Madam, please have some self-respect! This humble general is on duty and cannot stay any longer! The female physician will be here shortly!" After saying that, he practically fled out of the hall, slamming the door shut behind him. He leaned against the cold palace wall, his heart pounding and cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Inside the palace, Lianxing looked at the tightly closed doors, a hint of shame and annoyance flashing in her eyes, which then transformed into a deeper determination to succeed.
A few days later, Lianxing used the excuse of "praying for His Majesty and calming her mind" to copy scriptures in an unused warm pavilion in a secluded corner of the Imperial Garden.
She "accidentally" spilled ink, staining her sleeves, dismissed her maids, and left only a guard arranged by Zhao Zheng to stand watch outside the door.
她隔着门，声音带着哭腔:“这位侍卫大哥，能否麻烦赵统领...替我去寻一身干净的宫女衣裳来？我这样...实在无法面圣...”
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