Dissatisfied, Su Yushan complained softly, "Aren't you tired after two days of carriage travel?"
After saying this, she immediately covered her mouth, secretly cursing herself for saying the wrong thing again.
After she had already spoken, she suddenly realized that she shouldn't ask a man if he was tired, otherwise he would demonstrate just how energetic he really was!
In truth, Hongli hadn't thought much of it, only grasping the literal meaning. It was her covering her lips that reminded him, prompting him to consider the deeper meaning. A slight smile curved his lips as he gazed at her.
"How could I possibly be tired? My imperial carriage is very comfortable, you know that."
Speaking of this, she actually knows.
Originally, only the emperor and empress could sit on the imperial carriage, but Hongli and the empress had a strained relationship, so he refused to sit with her and arranged a separate carriage for her. The two imperial concubines also had their own separate carriages.
Su Yushan was prone to motion sickness. She rarely rode in a carriage, but every time she did, she felt unwell, dizzy, nauseous, and unable to eat.
Knowing of her quirk, not long after leaving the city, during a rest stop of the procession, he ordered someone to invite Su Yushan to his imperial carriage.
After resting for a quarter of an hour, the group prepared to set off again. Su Yushan was about to get off the carriage and return to her own when he grabbed her wrist.
"The imperial carriage is heavy and stable, with very little bumping during the journey. You should feel more comfortable sitting here."
"But that's against the rules." After all, there were too many people traveling with them, and many eyes were watching! Su Yushan couldn't help but feel a little guilty and didn't want to cause him trouble or attract gossip.
Hongli, however, remained fearless, saying, "Haven't I done enough improper things for you? All the people of the land know that the current emperor dotes solely on Consort Chun. Therefore, it is only right that you ride in the imperial carriage."
Although his reasoning was flawed, it seemed to make some sense. Since he insisted that she stay, Su Yushan turned around and sat down, no longer agonizing over it.
And so, she rode in the imperial carriage all the way to the Summer Palace. The Empress was displeased, but she didn't dare to reason with the Emperor. The Empress Dowager did say a few words to Hongli, but Hongli continued to do as he pleased. The Empress Dowager had no choice but to turn a blind eye and stop interfering, as she couldn't argue with the Emperor in public.
She had to admit that the dragon carriage was indeed very stable. It was so spacious that she could lie down without any problem. After she got off the dragon carriage, she didn't feel dizzy at all. She also ate some food in the evening and didn't feel nauseous.
At this moment, Hongli said he wasn't tired, and in fact Su Yushan was also fine, without feeling exhausted. However, she lied and said she wasn't feeling well and wanted to rest early in order to avoid intimacy.
However, he argued illogically, "You want to sleep but can't, I'd be happy to help you..."
Su Yushan glanced at him with a wise glint in her eyes, as if she had seen through everything, and said sarcastically, "Your Majesty, you are truly kind-hearted and helpful!"
"Being helpful is selective. Whether others can sleep or not is none of my business. I just want you to get a good night's sleep." As he spoke, Hongli moved closer to her side, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and asked in a low voice,
"It's been several days since we've been intimate. Don't you miss it at all?"
In the days leading up to his departure, Hongli was busy with palace affairs. Every time he finished, she was already asleep. Seeing how soundly she was sleeping, he couldn't bear to disturb her, so he didn't tease her. These past few days, he had been on the road, which was inconvenient. Counting the days, it had been four or five days since he had eaten meat.
Did she think about it? Maybe she would think about it occasionally! But that feeling was fleeting and didn't affect her much. She thought she wouldn't be tempted by romance, but when Hongli got close to her and smelled his familiar and refreshing scent, she actually started to feel distracted, her mind wandered, and her face turned red.
Since she had such thoughts, she followed her heart's desire. Su Yushan slowly closed her watery eyes, tacitly agreeing to his ill-intentioned help...
As Hongli said, this trick was very effective. After each time they were intimate, she could fall asleep quickly. It was unclear whether she was really tired or trying to avoid his pursuit.
At this moment, she lay on her side with her eyes closed, her slender fingers resting on the pillow, her lips, which he had just nourished, were even more rosy. Whenever he saw this scene, Hongli's heart would soften like a cloud.
Since she had fallen asleep, Hongli stopped disturbing her and lay down contentedly.
She slept soundly through the night, and when she woke up the next day, Hongli had already gotten up and gone to handle government affairs.
As the sun slowly rose, its golden light spread out, and her view opened up, finally allowing her to clearly see the beautiful scenery of Huanbi Island.
Although it was already summer, the Mountain Resort was not sweltering. After breakfast, the children went to study as usual, since their studies were more important and could not be neglected.
Su Yushan led Yongzhang on a stroll around the island. As far as the eye could see, there were picturesque scenes all around, each with its own unique charm. The surrounding area was covered with lush green grass, swaying willows, and fragrant flowers.
Since she was new to the Summer Palace and unfamiliar with the place, and Hongli was busy with government affairs during the day and could not accompany her all the time, Hongli specially arranged for a palace maid who stayed at the Summer Palace year-round to serve Su Yushan. With the palace maid leading the way, Yushan could enjoy the scenery in peace.
This palace maid's name is Xia Rou. She is thirty-five years old this year. She has long reached the age to leave the palace, but she has no intention of getting married, so she continues to serve the royal family.
Because she was older, everyone called her Aunt Xia. Aunt Xia was very perceptive; before Consort Chun could ask, she took the initiative to explain.
"Huanbi Island is connected to Ruyi Island and Moonlit River Sound. To the east, the willows by the Water Pavilion are like a screen, and to the south, the pines rustle in the valleys. The location is excellent. Your Majesty is very thoughtful to have chosen such a good place for the Empress!"
Originally, Su Yushan knew nothing about this place. After listening to Aunt Xia's explanation, she realized her approximate location. Looking across the water, she saw palaces nestled among the lush green trees in the distance. Every corner was a picturesque scene, breathtakingly beautiful.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
