After handing the tired child over to the wet nurse, Liu Heng and Lin Yuqiao washed up and then lay in bed talking.
"So, it's actually someone outside the palace manipulating things behind the scenes? Which prince?"
Although Liu Heng only told her about the case he had uncovered and about Bai Mo and Xiang'er who were involved, without mentioning the suspected mastermind, Lin Yuqiao quickly extracted the main issues from the series of information.
"clever."
Liu Heng chuckled approvingly, lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. He was somewhat surprised that she had a vision and perspective far superior to the women in the harem. Her keen insight and ability to see the big picture from small details were very similar to Lou Qi's. They were indeed siblings.
"That's natural."
Lin Yuqiao felt relieved after learning the truth and accepted his praise without hesitation.
He tapped her brow with his index finger, then his fingers couldn't help but linger along her face, following her eyebrows and eyes. Despite being a mother, the woman before him was still lively, beautiful, and radiant.
However, in his heart, Lin was far more than just a beautiful and pitiful woman. After experiencing many things, she became more and more indispensable as time went by.
Where she is, it's like a paradise unlike any other place in the world, a place of gentleness and joy. He can indulge himself for a moment, catch his breath, and then face all the storms again.
Often, he had to shoulder everything alone, from the imperial court to the vast, picturesque land, all requiring his leadership. Although this was his long-held pursuit, and he devoted himself to it willingly, he still occasionally felt burdened and exhausted.
No one could truly understand him or share his burdens, yet she could miraculously soothe his emotions. In her world, he was always just himself, and she could open her heart to him, allowing him to confront his most authentic self.
For this reason alone, Lin was irreplaceable in his life.
"Qiao Qiao".
When their eyes met, Liu Heng's eyes were filled with an inexplicable light. His gentle, deep voice brushed past Lin Yuqiao's ear, and her cheeks quickly flushed.
Because Liu Heng only called her Qiaoqiao during certain sports activities, over time, those two words became like a sexual innuendo, and whenever she heard them, she would unconsciously think about sex.
Feeling that he had led her astray, Lin Yuqiao bit his neck with a soft bite, feeling his intense pulse beneath her tongue.
Her hands slipped under his shirt and wandered across his chest, causing Liu Heng to breathe heavily. Then, as usual, Liu Heng grabbed her waist with both hands, rolled over, and pinned her down.
"Don't move."
Lin Yuqiao pushed his arm away, climbed back up, spread her legs, and sat on his waist. Liu Heng had always been very traditional in this area, and after a while, she felt he was a little lacking. Lin Yuqiao thought it was time to help him open the door to a new world.
Seeing Liu Heng's lips slightly parted in confusion as he was interrupted, yet his gaze was intense and deep as he looked at her, Lin Yuqiao felt that at this moment he was so handsome that she wanted to scream; she wouldn't trade him for ten Daniel Wus.
Her eyes sparkled. She first lowered her head and kissed his lips, kissing him haphazardly for a while before she managed to calm her intense emotions.
"Let's try something different today, a test of endurance. Don't move!"
After instructing Liu Heng, Lin Yuqiao felt something pressing harder against her lower abdomen. She smiled wickedly and licked her upper lip. Then, under his gaze, she slowly unbuttoned her half-undone clothes one by one.
When she unhooked her shirt, she gave it a rather unrestrained flick, and her two white, plump breasts popped out. She saw Liu Heng's Adam's apple begin to move up and down.
After removing her underpants, Lin Yuqiao leaned down and pressed herself against his chest again, using her mouth to bite open the buttons on his shirt, revealing a bare chest.
She began her journey down her neck, her tongue tracing the skin, leaving damp marks. Reaching her nipples, she playfully teased them, gently biting them. Finally, her lip traces trailed down to her lower abdomen, lingering there hesitantly.
Liu Heng's forehead was covered in sweat, and there were faint blue veins on his temples. His lower body was throbbing with discomfort.
"Not bad."
Lin Yuqiao helped Liu Heng pull off his underwear as well. The object that had been restrained rose up aggressively, making her feel that the air was thin and her breathing was rapid.
Lin Yuqiao rubbed her soft inner thigh against his thigh. After being completely naked with Liu Heng, she covered his body again, her soft breasts pressed against his sweaty body, challenging his endurance.
She kissed Liu Heng's Adam's apple and neck, her hands sliding back and forth across his firm abdomen. Each time she was about to reach the forbidden zone, she would stop there.
After enduring to the extreme, Liu Heng's sweat began to trickle down his back. He was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, and his hands gripped the sheets tightly.
After lingering for a while, and feeling herself getting wet, Lin Yuqiao gave him a provocative smile, "Very good, you win."
Then, she knelt beside his waist and sat down, aiming at his protrusion.
After spending so much time, all she wanted was to be on top, looking down at him as he galloped about.
After her body was filled, Lin Yuqiao couldn't help but let out a soft moan, and she also felt Liu Heng's expression tighten instantly.
"you……"
Unexpectedly, things took an unexpected turn. Liu Heng was being manipulated by her, experiencing both pain and pleasure. Two snow rabbits hopped arrogantly in front of him, and in the end, he snatched them into his mouth.
Unable to bear her incessant interruptions any longer, Liu Heng used his strength to push her down again and began to take matters into his own hands.
The next morning, Liu Heng unusually waited until Li Silai called him three times before waking up.
"The rooster has crowed, and the morning is full."
Waking up as well, Lin Yuqiao rolled over and hugged Liu Heng's waist, smiling sweetly. They had both been up to something crazy last night, but now he had to go to court before dawn, while she could still sleep until her turn to pay her respects.
"The crowing of a rooster is the sound of a fly."
Liu Heng rubbed his eyes, kissed her forehead, and began to answer her questions with great interest.
The sweet good morning kiss warmed Lin Yuqiao's heart. Seeing Liu Heng, who was usually so well-behaved, reveal this side of himself, she was charmed once again.
"The East is bright, and the dynasty is prosperous."
"The East is bright, and the moon shines."
...
The two finished reciting the poem from the Book of Songs before Liu Heng got up. Time was of the essence from then on, and he spent his first busy and stressful morning after ascending the throne.
Liu Heng was in a good mood until the end of the court session.
In the afternoon, in the Imperial Study, Liu Heng heard the results of the secret guards' investigation.
When they visited Jill's hometown, they learned that Jill's family had all been burned to death in a recent fire. According to neighbors, four years before the incident, Jill's family suddenly received a windfall, and Jill's mother told the villagers that Jill had made a fortune and sent it to her.
This person also recalled that four years ago, a distinguished person had indeed visited Jill's family in a carriage. The person in the lead had a red birthmark on his left side.
News also came from the people buried in the Prince of Xinyang's mansion that, after inquiring, the chief clerk of the mansion did indeed have a red birthmark on his hand.
Although the Prince of Xinyang was very discreet, he was still discovered. He had secretly made connections with Sheng Yanshi, the Left General of the Imperial Guard, and the Prince of Luyang was also secretly raising strong men in his fiefdom.
According to investigations, after Liu Heng ascended the throne, he returned to his fiefdom as the Prince of Luyang, and consulted a fortune teller in his own territory, asking, "I look like the late emperor. The late emperor ascended the throne at the age of twenty-six, and I am also twenty-six years old. Can I start a rebellion?"
Although the fortune teller claimed to be able to tell the truth in front of the Prince of Xinyang, he was actually afraid. He fled from the Prince of Xinyang's fiefdom within two days and even told his friends about it. When the secret guards found out, they arrested him.
When the secret guards reported what the fortune teller had said to Liu Heng, Liu Heng was so angry he laughed. The ambition of the Prince of Luyang was obvious, but the fact that he had to ask a fortune teller about whether to raise an army made Liu Heng despise him.
Now that he knew exactly what his brothers were doing, Liu Heng had made up his mind to annihilate them all before the Fengchan ceremony.
Regarding the widely discussed rumors about ants and the death of Consort Lü, Liu Heng had the Empress announce the results. To avoid alerting the suspects and to end the case as quickly as possible, he implied to the Empress that all the blame should be placed on Consort Zhen, Consort Ji, and Consort Baili.
The mastermind, Ji Cairen, is dead. Zhen Cairen and Baili Zhaoyi have both been banished to the cold palace and given a cup of poisoned wine.
Under the Empress's control, the people in the harem calmed down, and the various rumors circulating among the common people about the Third Prince also subsided.
"Bai Li finally brought about his own demise."
In Fushou Palace, Consort Chen and Consort Han discussed the recently concluded events in the harem. The Empress said the case had been concluded, and the masterminds were two concubines and Consort Baili. It was them, and whether the truth was true or not was no longer important.
"Hey, you can't live without accepting your fate."
Peeling tea cakes, Han Ronghua popped them into her mouth while sighing. She had already resigned herself to her fate, content to live a peaceful life within the Western Six Palaces, refusing to meddle in other matters, merely observing the spectacle.
After thinking things through, Han Ronghua felt more at ease and also gained weight.
Chen Xiaoyi agreed inwardly and started peeling and eating sunflower seeds. The consequence of refusing to accept one's fate is like that of Baili Shi—what's the point?
Hearing that both talented women had encountered trouble, the old lady of the Wang family sent another petition to the palace.
"Your Majesty, is there something wrong with the two concubines?"
Chen was filled with unease, unable to understand what the two concubines had done to be suddenly banished to the cold palace.
Of course, there was something wrong with it, a great deal of wrong. Remembering that Zhen'er and Ji'er were originally given to her by her mother, Chen, the Empress couldn't help but complain. But seeing the graying temples of Chen, she held back.
What's the use of complaining now that this has already happened?
"Mother, don't worry about it. Just go back and keep the family in check so they don't cause trouble for me and the Crown Prince."
The Empress suppressed her impatience and did not explain in detail to Chen, but simply asked her to pass on a message to her family.
"You child, now that you're an empress, do you look down on your own mother? I was just worried about you."
Sensing the Empress's perfunctory attitude, Lady Chen also became unhappy.
"No, no."
After giving a hasty reply to Chen, the Empress felt exhausted.
"Now that His Majesty is not holding a selection of concubines, and Zhen'er and Ji'er have both passed away, the Imperial Concubine is the only one in power in the harem. You should be prepared. Your father's idea is that you bring your cousin Wan Chen into the palace and try to introduce her to His Majesty. If Wan Chen gains favor, she can also help you."
After being angry for a while, Chen remembered that there was another matter that had come today, so she pulled the Empress aside to talk about it.
Hearing her mother bring this up again, the Empress could no longer contain her anger.
"Impossible! Didn't I say last time that it's impossible? Go back and tell Father not to even think about it. I won't recommend my cousin! The Wang family is already incredibly lucky to have produced an Empress and a Crown Prince. How could he possibly dare to dream of such things?"
"I'm doing this for your own good, aren't I? With Wanchen here, the Imperial Concubine won't be able to act so arrogantly anymore. Wanchen is the most beautiful of all the girls of marriageable age in our family, and she's definitely no less beautiful than the Imperial Concubine."
"Do you think the Emperor can just take a fancy to anyone? Even if the Emperor favors someone else one day, it won't be a member of the Wang family anymore."
The Empress was too tired to explain to her mother anymore. She glanced at her, left one last sentence, and told Granny Zhou to see the guest out.
Why don't they understand that the Emperor is no longer satisfied with her? Considering their more than ten years of marriage, he will give her face, but even if she does something else unnecessary, the Emperor will not appreciate it and will instead blame her for meddling.
Even if she agreed to introduce Wan Chen, the Emperor wouldn't take a liking to her. Wasn't the Emperor's reprimand of her that day simply to tell her not to do anything unnecessary?
Looking at the sparse fallen leaves outside, the Empress felt a deep sense of desolation.
If she can't rely on her husband or family, who else can understand her suffering from her perspective?
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