Chapter 021 Peeping
The royal heir grew up in the palace and naturally had his own palace.
Qin Zhaoyue stayed in the palace and went to Lanzhixuan where she used to live.
The empress has been avoiding having children for many years, and these palaces have not been used for any other purpose and have been preserved in their original appearance.
Qin Zhaoyue has memories of it, but he has never actually lived there, so he doesn't have any nostalgic feelings.
Lanzhixuan has three courtyards, a main hall and two west side halls. As the sixth one, its location and structure are just average.
The three characters "Lanzhixuan" on the gilded plaque were covered with a layer of dust as thick as a cicada's wing. Two bronze sparrows were squatting on the eaves, and the bronze bells hanging between their beaks were wrapped by purple wisteria into a green and fluffy cocoon.
After all, no one lives there, so it's normal for the palace maids who clean the house to be a little lazy.
Passing through the screen wall with swastika patterns, the heat was suddenly split open.
Fragments of gold floated in the half-acre square lotus pond, and a small green frog squatted on a half-withered Victoria lily leaf.
The original body's favorite Xiangfei bamboo curtain was half rolled up, and the light that leaked in formed ripples on the blue bricks.
As soon as you step into the small green-tiled building deep inside, you can smell the scent of camphor.
The maids who had received the news at the last minute were still working hard. When they saw the man, they hurried forward and saluted, "Your Highness."
Qin Zhaoyue waved her hand and let them go about their business.
Anyway, it's just a temporary stay for one night, so there's no need to be too particular.
The original person had been a rebel since childhood, or rather, he deliberately became rebellious in order to attract more attention from the Queen Mother.
I was a bit naive and used the wrong method.
She was impatient with the tedious rules and preaching of the old maids in the palace. When she left the palace to set up her own residence, she brought a maid with her, but she was sent back not long after.
So now there is not even an older person around her, and the maids Taoyao and Yingnuo are both young and inexperienced, and are becoming more and more reckless.
This is actually a good thing for Qin Zhaoyue, as she can't stand those rules.
The bamboo couch under the corridor must have been newly cleaned, it looks shiny and cool.
It was inevitable that he had to wear complicated clothes for an audience, and after lying down he still felt a little hot, so he asked someone to bring a basin of ice and put it in the corner.
She entered the palace without the two maids, and her reputation was not good, so none of Lan Zhixuan's maids or nannies dared to approach her.
For a moment, she was alone, guarding the courtyard.
This was the scene Sui Mo saw when he arrived.
No fuss, no play, just quiet. Four words suddenly flashed through her mind: The years are quiet and good.
The draft swept across the twelve plain gauze screens, the ice in the mirror melted into water, and the wet marks meandered across the tiles that formed an orchid pattern, like a faint tear stain.
The old pear tree in the southeast corner is the most aware of the seasons. Although it is clearly not autumn yet, it has already shed a few yellow leaves.
At some point, Qin Zhaoyue fell into a hazy sleep with even breathing.
Suimo: This person really has a lot of dreams...
The setting sun fell over the eaves, startling fireflies all over the garden, and the faint green light fell into the lotus pond.
Three sounds of cloud boards were heard in the distance, and it was time for each palace to light the lamps. The sheep horn lamps in Lan Zhixuan also lit up one after another.
Qin Zhaoyue opened her eyes, her gaze gradually focused, and she saw the man standing quietly not far away, "Tsk."
Broken Ink: ...
The Qingluan Guards have a special status. When they walk outside, they represent the face of His Majesty. Even princes and nobles do not need to kneel.
But at this moment, she knelt on one knee and said, "Your subordinate Sui Mo pays homage to His Highness."
Regardless of the true situation, His Majesty did indeed assign her to the Sixth Princess, so one must always maintain an attitude.
Qin Zhaoyue raised his head, lowered his eyes and glanced at her with an unfriendly look.
"You had to enter the palace, right? You took me away by taking off my clothes, right? You kidnapped me and took me away, right? You used breakfast to seduce me, right? Hehehe..."
Broken Ink: ...
"Don't worry, I'm not a stingy person. You'll definitely be in trouble."
Broken Ink: ...
Is it too late to go back and ask His Majesty for help now?
"Get up."
"yes!"
"Do you have to wear a mask when you follow me?"
The Qingluan Guards are special and need to wear masks on a daily basis.
But if it continues like this in the future, wouldn’t it be obvious to others who I am?
Sui Mo hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took off the mask.
Her cheekbones were like sword ridges, the ends of her eyebrows slanted into her temples, and there was an old scar about an inch long, which cut off the tenderness of her daughter.
Years of armor made her skin look cold, glazed blue, and her lips were extremely pale, looking like two newly sharpened blades when she pursed them.
He has a heroic air when he has no expression on his face, but overall he looks average.
Qin Zhaoyue knew the rules of the Qingluan Guards wearing face masks, and he made this request with the intention of testing them.
Seeing that she was decisive, he felt a little more at ease. Maybe... maybe... maybe it really would be given to her?
"Speaking of which, you should be very familiar with the imperial kitchen. I'll leave dinner to you. Your Highness wants to eat something delicious."
Sui Mo understood what this meant. It was referring to the incident that day when he used food to lure her awake in the side hall of Huangji.
Without making any excuses, he bowed and left.
The palace is also a world of its own, with countless twists and turns.
Qin Zhaoyue has a bad reputation and he is only staying for one night, so the imperial kitchen might just mess things up.
She ordered Sui Mo to do this because she didn't want to suffer any injustice and didn't want to pay any money, and on the other hand, it was to test him again.
After a cup of tea, she returned with a lunch box.
Open the gilded food box with twined branches, and the food will be spread out in front of you.
Qingfeng Rice, fresh glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed, with tender water chestnuts, chicken head rice, and three mandarin fish mince carved into lotus pods, topped with mint dew for a cooler taste;
Ice Cup Golden Fish is sea bass sashimi, with thin slices of fish covered in crushed ice, served with green plum sauce and shredded ginger sprouts;
Gyokuro balls filled with lotus seeds and cheese; Xuexia soup with hibiscus petals and tofu; Shanjia three crisps with young bamboo shoots, wolfberry sprouts, and fragrant mushrooms;
Finally, there is Leng Yuanzi, which is kudzu starch balls soaked in plum juice, with fine water droplets condensed on the outside of the glass bowl.
There are six in total, and to be honest, they are just so-so, not as rich as the ones in her mansion, especially now that there are serious floods and everything has been reduced.
That's why Qin Zhaoyue said that the empress was pitiful, as she couldn't even have the meals she wanted.
It’s not so bad in the summer, as most of the food is cold, so a delay won’t have much impact;
When winter comes, after a poison test, it will be warm at best when you put it in your mouth. How much taste will be left?
In any case, this is a real imperial meal.
In his previous life, he would never have dared to imagine that Qin Zhaoyue was very happy eating, mainly because he ate for the emotional value.
Seeing her eating with relish, Sui Mo was very surprised.
You've lived in the palace for so long, what tricks have you not seen?
I thought that going to get dinner was just the beginning and that they would use this as an excuse to negotiate repeatedly, but I didn't expect that he would let me go so easily.
This reminded Sui Mo of what the Imperial Study had said to the Sixth Princess.
Judging from what we have observed so far, it seems that she just has a bad mouth, is a little lazy and sleepy, and is a little greedy for food and enjoyment. She is not as bad as the rumors say.
After having a good meal and tea, Qin Zhaoyue got up. He had slept enough before, so now was a good time to take a walk to digest the food. Suimo held a palace lantern to provide light.
"You will follow me from now on. Will you follow me out of the palace after the court session tomorrow?"
"yes."
"Okay, go to the imperial kitchen and pack some cakes tomorrow morning."
Just now when I was having a meal, I somehow thought of Ping An.
Even if I'm not at home, I should be able to have enough to eat, right?
That's why I thought of this and packed some pastries that can be stored and brought them back for him to try.
Well... there's no need to keep it. Anyway, when I bring it back to him, he will just have a quick taste and there won't be enough left for a second meal.
"Pack more. If you need money, you can advance it and withdraw it when you return home."
Oh, on the first day of painless motherhood, the old mother was really worried.
"I understand."
Lanzhixuan faces Jinghu Lake, which looks a bit eerie at night.
However, with a captain of the Qingluan Guards guarding him, Qin Zhaoyue did not feel scared and walked around the lake freely.
Suddenly, Sui Mo took a step forward and stood in front of him, looking to the right with sharp eyes.
The wind rustles the willow branches, making the place even more peaceful.
Sui Mo frowned, clearly sensing a gaze watching him, but after looking carefully he could find no clues.
A fifth-grade warrior's hearing and eyesight far surpass those of ordinary people, so he should not make mistakes.
But after sensing for a while, he didn't find anything unusual.
Qin Zhaoyue was startled by the sudden action, but not stupid enough to ask.
She was secretly alert to her surroundings, but did not notice that the three words "Merit Book" on the cover of the booklet in her sea of consciousness suddenly dimmed to the extreme, as if it had fallen into silence.
After waiting for about twenty or thirty breaths without any results, Sui Mo finally gave way.
"Your Highness, perhaps I was mistaken."
"What's wrong?"
Sui Mo did not hide anything and repeated the fleeting feeling that had just occurred to him.
Qin Zhaoyue's heart was pounding. Could he really be coming for her?
That shouldn't be the case. Even if they wanted to use her as a breakthrough point to deal with the Princess Group, they couldn't do it in the palace.
Qin Zhaoyue suddenly lost interest in taking a walk and returned directly to Lanzhixuan under Suimo's protection.
After a long time, a figure walked out from behind the willow trees by the lake. It was Chu Xinglan, the official of Ziweitai.
There was no emotion on his cold face. He looked back at the star chart in his hand and saw no chaos.
Did you guess wrong?
The empress would not ask about "telepathy" on a whim, and apart from the floods recently, only the Sixth Princess was unusual.
And... since when did the Qingluan Guards start providing personal protection for other members of the royal family?
However, during the observation just now, the Sixth Princess's spirit was stable and there was nothing abnormal, and the astrolabe did not give any revelation.
Chu Xinglan couldn't help but wonder if he had really guessed wrong.
I stood by the lake, lost in thought. The night breeze blew gently. I didn't know when she disappeared...
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