The next morning, Sheng Xiyan woke up in a daze. A ray of morning light came in from the red window and sprinkled on the dragon bed.
She pushed Xuan Ling and said softly, "Your Majesty, it's time to go to the morning court."
Xuan Ling closed his eyes, hugged her tightly in his arms, and said lazily, "Be good, I will accompany you today."
Sheng Xiyan raised her head, pinched his neck with her fingers, and said with a bit of coquettishness: "Aren't you going to the morning court? That's not good, right?"
Xuan Ling opened his eyes slightly, lowered his head and kissed the top of her head, and asked in a low voice: "Is Yanyan afraid that the court officials will talk about it again?"
Sheng Xiyan muttered, "How can I not be afraid? I just put the rumors to rest, and I don't want to be labeled a demon concubine again."
Xuan Ling chuckled and hugged her tighter:
"It's okay. After noon, while you take your nap, I'll have them report to the Imperial Gate next door. Are you relieved? It's rare for me to take a nap with you. Be good and close your eyes. You need sleep and rest the most right now."
Sheng Xiyan was coaxed into softening her heart by him, and obediently closed her eyes and leaned in his arms.
Xuan Ling's fingers gently ran through her soft hair, feeling her even breathing.
The two of them slept until they woke up naturally. Xuan Ling picked up Sheng Xiyan and let her lean on the cushion.
She took the wet handkerchief presented by the palace maid and said softly, "I will personally wash the concubine."
He smeared the paste on her face gently, just like wiping a kitten's face.
Sheng Xiyan was amused by his clumsy movements, but seeing his serious expression, she felt warm in her heart.
Xuan Ling took the glass bottle again, poured some beauty oil into the palm of his hand, and smeared it all over her face without any method.
Sheng Xiyan cried out, "Oh, my eyes! There's oil in them!"
Xuan Ling quickly stopped what he was doing and chuckled, "I'm sorry, I'm clumsy."
He leaned in close and blew gently on her eyes, "Baby, your skin is so tender, I made it red, blow on it for me."
His warm breath brushed across her cheek, and Sheng Xiyan's eyes became hot and tears welled up in her eyes.
Seeing this, Xuan Ling asked anxiously, "Did almond oil get into your eyes? Does it hurt? What should I do? Should I wash my eyes?"
Sheng Xiyan blinked and said softly, "It's okay."
She didn't know why her eyes were filled with tears, perhaps because she was moved by his gentleness.
Xuan Ling picked up the white jade peony comb and gently combed her hair, saying lovingly, "Yanyan's hair is so soft, shiny and black. How come it grows so long?"
Um?
Sheng Xiyan's face flushed red from his praise, as if she was the most precious treasure in the world.
Looking up at him: "Xuan Lang, am I really your baby?"
Xuan Ling lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his tone low and firm: "Of course, you are better than anything in the world. I am afraid that you will melt if I hold you in my mouth, and break if I hold you in my hands. Tell me how precious you are."
Sheng Xiyan felt warm in her heart, raised her head and kissed his chin: "Lingling, you are also my baby, I will love you very much."
Xuan Ling picked up a auspicious cloud peony phoenix hairpin from the plate, gently wrapped it around her long hair, and pinned it with the golden hairpin: "Don't wear a bun anymore. Just take off the phoenix hairpin when you go to bed."
Sheng Xiyan touched her bun and asked in surprise, "How did you do that?"
"I learned it from combing Jiangjiang's hair."
After applying the decoction, Xuan Ling pulled up the quilt and said gently, "Let me see if there's still bleeding."
When Sheng Xiyan heard this, she shyly covered herself with the quilt and said, "I don't feel any bleeding... There's no need to look."
Xuan Ling saw her cheeks flushed, and he chuckled, gently biting Bai Run's earlobe. "You're thinking about how I'm going to examine you? ... I want to see your cloud satin pants."
Sheng Xiyan was annoyed that she had thought too much, so she stretched out her little fist and punched him hard: "Annoying!"
Xuan Ling held her hand and coaxed her, "Don't move. Protect the baby. Be good."
He carefully picked her up, checked her pink satin pants were clean, and breathed a sigh of relief: "So, it's okay."
He gently put her down and warned her, "Next time the Queen asks you to do something, don't go. Just say I don't let you go."
Sheng Xiyan muttered, "Yesterday I wanted to see Sister Gao and Sister Lin. I haven't seen them for half a year and I missed them terribly. I've seen that Tibetan Mastiff in the palace before. It was very docile. Why did it suddenly go crazy?"
Xuan Ling's eyes darkened, and his tone became colder: "You'll know after noon. Don't worry, I will take care of it."
At noon, while Sheng Xiyan was taking a nap, Xuan Ling was listening to reports in the palace next door.
An hour later, the other ministers knelt in respect, and Commander Xue came in to report, "Your Majesty, after an autopsy of the Tibetan Mastiff, some undigested dried meat laced with stimulants was found in its stomach."
Xuan Ling said coldly, "So someone fed the mastiff the jerky meat that made it attack the imperial concubine? Have you found out who it was?"
Commander Xue shook his head: "I and the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department have checked the palace servants, but there is still no news."
Xuan Ling slapped his knees, his brow furrowed. "The Mandarin Fish Cloth Strips and the fire in the Buddhist Hall were both man-made, and there's still no evidence."
He thought for a long time, then said sternly, "Go and get rid of this person... Also, send all the animals in the palace without owners out. There can't be any dangerous creatures in the palace."
Commander Xue bowed and said, "I obey your command."
At noon, in Jingren Palace, Empress Duan was in a rare good mood and played tangram with Le Wen.
With a smile on her lips, she taught him, "Le Wen, your mother will teach you a lesson—some things require you to strike first before you can gain the upper hand."
Le Wen looked up at her and asked innocently, "Mother, what do you mean?"
Empress Duan touched her head and said softly, "When you grow up, you will understand."
The palace maids outside the palace rushed in and said in panic, "Your Majesty, this is terrible!"
Empress Duan said unhappily, "What happened? Why are you so panicked?"
"Aunt Qingdai went to the Imperial Household Department today and was caught by the Imperial Guards. She is now being beaten with a stick."
"What?"
Empress Duan was greatly alarmed and hurriedly got up and left Jingren Palace.
On the Phoenix Chariot, she urged anxiously, "Hurry up!"
Qingdai has helped her do more than one thing, so don't let her be tortured into confessing.
As soon as I arrived at the door of the Jingshifang, I heard a woman's sharp scream.
Empress Duan hurried in and saw Qingdai was beaten to death. The guards shouted "Seventy-eight!" and hit her with the board again.
"Stop!" Queen Duan stepped forward, and Qingdai said weakly, "Your Majesty, save this servant..."
Empress Duan demanded, "Commander Xue, how dare you touch my people? You're so bold!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Eunuch Fu walked out of the house, scaring Empress Duan. Could this be an order from Emperor Xuanwu?
As expected, Eunuch Fu bowed and said, "Empress, the execution of Qingdai by caning is the Emperor's decree."
Empress Duan asked in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty? I wonder what crime Qingdai has committed?"
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