Only men with weak cores will derive a sense of superiority from women who are inferior to them and who flatter them.
The truly strong admire strength even more.
If he hadn't been on his routine patrol and happened to be here, he probably wouldn't have seen her acting so seductively.
It's hard to say whether she did it on purpose.
If it was intentional...
Zhang Yong's heart pounded and constricted rapidly.
Immense pain struck.
He's just a eunuch... what merit does he have?
What is even more unsettling and disturbing is that this pain is accompanied by immense pleasure.
It is a kind of fulfillment that is recognized and appreciated.
As a man, as a male, to be recognized by the most noble and beautiful woman of the opposite sex.
Ultimately, he was just an ordinary man with normal emotions and desires.
Who's there?
A quiet male voice suddenly came from behind Su Wanwan.
A simple sentence made Su Wanwan freeze, and her drunkenness instantly dissipated by more than half.
It is Lu Xingjian.
How did he end up here?
The air was cold and stiff.
Su Wanwan tried her best to remain calm and turned around unsteadily.
As long as you're not embarrassed, it's others who will feel awkward.
Just as she was about to lose her balance, Zhang Yong reached out and steadied her:
"Your Majesty, be careful."
Su Wanwan was greatly surprised and couldn't help but look up at Zhang Yong.
Zhang Yong's face was solemn and calm, revealing no emotion.
In her memory, Zhang Yong was a cold and ruthless person.
Her repeated attempts to win her over were like throwing good money after bad—gone and gone.
This act of helping and reminding him was completely out of character for him.
However, it was somewhat out of place.
After regaining her balance, Su Wanwan took two steps back to create some distance and sincerely thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Zhang Daban."
Zhang Yong withdrew his hand and performed a fist-and-palm salute: "Respectfully seeing Your Majesty back to the palace."
Su Wanwan didn't notice that he no longer referred to himself as a servant.
He Ying rushed over at this moment, stepped forward to help Su Wanwan up, and asked with concern:
"Your Highness, are you feeling dizzy?"
Lu Xingjian stood not far away, quietly watching this scene, only issuing a command in a calm tone:
"Help the Empress back."
He Ying helped Su Wanwan walk ahead, leaving two men on the snow, their swords drawn.
The other attendants had long since kept their distance.
Lu Xingjian looked Zhang Yong up and down, his eyes cold and icy.
"Thinking about women?"
Zhang Yong was silent for a few moments before explaining, "Your Majesty, what happened just now was merely..."
Lu Xingjian remained expressionless, his tone light and casual, yet carrying a hidden thunderous force, directly interrupting him.
"The Empress, how dare you even dream of her?"
Zhang Yong helped Su Wanwan up in front of him, seemingly unintentionally, but he understood all too well the subtle provocation in it.
Zhang Yong remained calm, bowed, and said:
"Your Majesty is too kind. The Empress was simply drunk and feeling sad. I happened to be patrolling here when I encountered her."
His tone shifted, taking on a more admonitory tone:
"Your Majesty, you don't need to take your anger out on the Empress regarding Miss Ma's matter."
"If you distance yourself from and make things difficult for the Empress, people inside and outside the palace will take advantage of her misfortune, and her life will only become more and more difficult."
He looked up at Lu Xingjian, his tone sincere:
"Her Majesty the Empress is proud and unwilling to bow her head, just like the plum blossom in the snow, solitary and resilient. She should be cherished and valued."
Women like Maggie are beautiful but pretentious and affected; to compare them to the Empress would be disrespectful.
However, he actually preferred to see the Emperor favor Ma Ji or other women.
Lu Xingjian's jawline tightened, his tone cold and sarcastic.
"My Empress, you've gone to so much trouble."
It was clear that Zhang Yong hadn't heeded his warning at all last time.
Zhang Yong bowed and said, "When the Emperor and Empress are in harmony, the country is stable, which is exactly what everyone hopes for. It is my duty as a humble subject."
What a duty!
They talk a good game, but they sing a better game.
Lu Xingjian gave a cold laugh, his eyes growing even colder, and then turned and left.
He entered the inner court through the Kunning Gate, his gaze lingering briefly on the three snowmen at the entrance of the Kunning Palace.
Su Wanwan had already fallen asleep under He Ying's care.
When Lu Xingjian entered, feeling a chill, Heying was leading the palace maids to tidy up basins and handkerchiefs. Upon seeing Lu Xingjian, they hurriedly retreated.
Lu Xingjian sat down silently on the edge of the bed.
Su Wanwan pretended to be asleep, not wanting to argue with him.
But her long eyelashes still fluttered occasionally, like butterflies about to take flight.
The bedside lamp cast a soft, indistinct light, leaving a faint shadow on her face from her eyelashes.
Tranquil and beautiful.
Lu Xingjian looked at her quietly, trying to calm the anger in his heart.
Finally, he took a small item out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Su Wanwan finally opened her eyes and looked at the thing in her hand.
This is a small wooden figurine.
The workmanship is rough, but the outline of the human figure is roughly clear.
She was a woman dressed in palace attire, with gentle eyebrows and eyes, slender shoulders and a slim waist; her overall appearance was very similar to Su Wanwan.
The doll was hollow, and there was a note inside.
Two words were written crookedly on it: Mother.
Su Wanwan burst into tears instantly, pressing the doll to her chest as if she were holding her little baby.
Her voice was choked and weak: "You saw him?"
"Um."
The air quieted down again.
Lu Xingjian spoke, his voice slightly hoarse:
"We ate steamed buns together and built a snowman."
In order to hug his son, he had to hug Qian Ning's son and godson one by one.
He wasn't actually a person who liked children that much.
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
