The emperor sighed softly, "Xue'er, you are too kind that you have been troubled by that incident for more than ten years. This is not your responsibility. You should blame me..."
Before the emperor finished speaking, he saw tears falling from the corners of Empress Xiao's eyes.
He wiped her tears with heartache, "Is Xue'er awake?"
Empress Xiao opened her eyes, held his hand and choked up, "Your Majesty, is Qingge and the child here to take my life? I regret not going to pick her up that night."
That day, Empress Xiao had just come out of confinement and received a blood letter from her sister Qingge.
It said that she should plead with the emperor to spare King Huan's life.
Empress Xiao went to Xuanzheng Hall, but the emperor did not open the door and did not see her.
"Your Majesty, please open the door and spare the life of King Huan."
The eunuch advised her, "Your Majesty, you have just come out of confinement and your body is still weak. His Majesty asked you to go back and rest."
When she returned to the bedroom, she did not learn until the next morning that King Huan had been sentenced to death and that the wife of King Huan had committed suicide by burning herself with the prince.
Empress Xiao fainted immediately and did not get out of bed for a whole month.
She knew that the emperor had blocked the news. In fact, King Huan was sentenced to death at night, and Qingge and the prince committed suicide by burning themselves after learning the news in the middle of the night.
For a year after that, Empress Xiao was depressed and avoided meeting the emperor.
However, the emperor changed his previous coldness and cared for her very much. He even sent his favorite concubine to the cold palace and dismissed three thousand beauties from the harem.
As Shi Yan grew up, Empress Xiao gradually forgave the emperor.
------
"Your Majesty, I know you did what an emperor should do. I only blame myself for not going to Prince Huan's mansion to comfort Qingge."
The emperor hugged her tightly, "Xue'er, it's not your fault, it's my fault. If there is retribution, let me bear it. I hope you can forget your worries and be happy every day." The emperor looked at
the empress, his heart full of pity.
Patting the back of her hand gently, he comforted her: "Xue'er, the past can't be changed. The departure of Prince Huan's family is the pain of my life. The dead are gone,"
"Yan'er is smart and clever, and has become more stable recently. He will definitely do something in the future. We must train him well and let him become a wise ruler." Empress Xiao
nodded slightly.
At noon, Shi Yan was assigned to work in Zichen Palace.
While Shi Jun was away, he sneaked in to check carefully to see if there was anything wrong.
The familiar palace, the familiar furnishings, seemed to be exactly the same as when he was there, even the books on the bookshelf were not messed up.
Who is the person pretending to be him?
He actually knows him so well, Shi Yan felt a chill on his back, the power behind him must have spies in the whole palace to know all the details of his life without omission.
In Penglai Palace.
It has been two hours, and the two of them were staring at each other.
Xu Mian sat on the man's lap, his face expressionless. He
wanted to get up, but his waist was tied, "My legs are numb..."
Xu Mian twisted his body, trying to break free from the man's restraints.
The man hugged her tighter, lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "Don't move."
His voice was low and had a hint of danger.
Xu Mian stopped moving, feeling the man's breath blowing on her neck, itching.
Her heartbeat accelerated involuntarily, and a blush appeared on her face.
"Your Highness...are you not going back?" Xu Mian asked, biting her lip.
The man uttered a muffled sound, and Xu Mian couldn't tell whether he was laughing or feeling something else.
"Crown Princess, let's consummate our marriage tonight." As he spoke, his hands began to wander over Xu Mian's body.
Xu Mian was so nervous that she twisted her body into a knot. "No! No!"
The man's eyes became deeper and more fierce. "Mian Mian, what are you holding back? Do you really like Pei Yu?"
Xu Mian was panicked, afraid that he would go crazy again, and shook her head like a garlic.
"Didn't you... say that we can't be together..."
Shi Jun turned her chin, held her lips and bit them lightly, "I want to be with you, really together."
"But I..." As
soon as she said this, she was picked up by the man and taken to the inner hall. Help.
"Your Highness... I want to... take a bath first... take a nice bath..."
After hearing this, Shi Jun slowly put her on the ground, and Xu Mian ran out of the inner hall like she was escaping for her life.
Seeing how scared she was, Shi Jun curled his lips and smiled. He was suffocated by the pressure of entering the palace for the first time and wanted to release the pressure.
In the side hall of Penglai Palace, Xu Mian was soaking in the mahogany bathtub, her heart still pounding.
She patted her cheeks hard to make herself more awake.
Xuelian and the maid added rose bath cream for her.
"Crown Princess, don't be afraid. Didn't you sleep with me last time?"
Xu Mian pouted. It was impossible. She looked down at the surging curve in front of her, and the scene of the Xu Mansion's private room that day immediately appeared in her mind.
And the kiss in Zichen Palace, although they were in the same place, it felt completely different.
Scooping water on the snow-white arm, smiling sweetly, Shi Yan is quite changeable, so just overcome it. Didn't the doctor say that if you can successfully consummate the marriage and overcome the shadow, maybe you can get rid of your stuttering.
"Xue Lian, you are right, I should be braver."
"Crown Princess is right to think so. We can see that His Highness likes you very much. Since you came back this time, His Highness has never paid attention to Concubine Lan again. How great!"
Xu Mian thought about it and smiled with pursed lips.
The maid added many more petals, "This way, the Crown Princess will have a seductive fragrance, and His Highness will definitely like you more."
Xu Mian covered her face and smiled shyly.
At night, in the Zichen Palace, Shi Yan heard footsteps and walked out immediately.
Wei Xin asked him suspiciously, "What are you doing in there?"
Shi Yan calmed down and said, "The weather is hot, so I brought two buckets of ice to your Highness to add to the ice box."
Wei Xin saw that he was indeed carrying two buckets and no longer doubted it.
"In the future, you cannot enter the palace without the order of His Highness, do you understand?"
"I understand." Shi Yan
came out of the main hall and met the guard on duty. He smiled and said, "I have nothing to do tonight, I will keep watch with you."
The two stood at the corridor.
Shi Yan asked, "Where is His Highness? He hasn't come back yet so late."
The guard whispered, "His Highness went to Penglai Palace to accompany the Crown Princess
. They are getting very excited now!" When Shi Yan heard this, he clenched his fists and his eyes were bloodthirsty. He was so busy checking the Zichen Palace today that he forgot that the fake prince was holding Mianmian's hand. They have been in Penglai Palace until now?
Shi Yan felt that he was about to be angry, and he swung his fists at the wall vigorously.
The guard asked in confusion, "Afu, are you okay?"
Shi Yan stroked his bleeding hand and frowned, "Nothing."
No, he must trick the fake prince out of Penglai Palace. How can he stay there all the time? Isn't it dangerous for Mian Mian?
He can't even think of touching my lonely little white rabbit!
Inside Penglai Palace.
After taking a bath, Xu Mian took a deep breath, then slowly opened the bathroom door and walked out.
She was wearing a thin gauze dress. The transparent material made her skin looming, exuding a charming charm.
The long black hair hung wetly behind her like a waterfall.
Her eyes were like bright stars, flashing bright light, which made people fall for her.
The neck is slender and elegant, revealing a beautiful collarbone, which makes her look sexy and mysterious.
The skin is white and flawless, like white jade, emitting a faint luster.
The lips are slightly opened, revealing an alluring pink.
At this moment, Shi Jun was sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, staring at her intently.
His eyes were full of desire and expectation, as if he wanted to devour the beauty in front of him. His
breathing became rapid, and his heartbeat accelerated involuntarily.
Xu Mian walked to Shi Jun anxiously, holding the corners of her clothes tightly with both hands.
Shi Jun saw her uneasy look, and a surge of pity surged in his heart.
"Mian Mian, I want you, I want you to belong to me completely."