The night was as deep and still as water.
The entire palace fell into silence, with only the occasional crisp clanging of the armor of the patrolling imperial guards in the distance.
Inside Kunning Palace, it was unusually quiet. Ever since the news spread during the day that the Empress was "heartbroken and bedridden," this place had become a "cold palace" that everyone avoided, and apart from a few trusted palace maids, there was not a sound of human voices.
However, under the cover of this deathly silence, a slender black shadow, as nimble as a cat, silently slipped out from the side door of the bedchamber.
It was Lin Wanwan.
She bypassed all the visible and hidden sentries and arrived at the study with practiced ease. This was the entrance to the secret passage she had agreed upon with Xiao Che.
She gently turned an inconspicuous celadon vase on the bookshelf, and with a soft "click," the entire huge bookshelf slid silently to one side, revealing a dark entrance just wide enough for one person to pass through.
This was a secret passage known only to emperors and empresses throughout history, leading directly to the central hub of imperial power—the Imperial Study.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Wanwan, carrying a small lantern, slipped inside. Behind her, the bookshelf slowly and quietly closed, leaving not a trace.
The passageway was cold and narrow, with the achievements of past emperors carved on the walls, exuding a heavy and oppressive sense of history. With each step, one could almost hear the echoes of time.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead.
When Lin Wanwan pushed open the hidden door disguised as a wall at the end of the passage, a familiar, warm scent mixed with the fragrance of ink and ambergris wafted towards her.
We've arrived at the Imperial Study.
In the vast imperial study, only a few candles were lit, casting a dim, yellowish light on the piles of memorials.
Her emperor, Xiao Che, did not sit behind the dragon throne that symbolized supreme power.
He simply stood quietly by the window, hands behind his back, gazing at the clear, cold moon outside, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Hearing the noise behind him, he slowly turned around.
Their eyes met, and the tension of the daytime scene in the imperial palace vanished, along with the monarch's majesty and the grievance of the "abandoned empress."
What they shared was the purest, unspoken understanding and tenderness that belonged only to the two of them.
"You're here." Xiao Che's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible amusement.
Lin Wanwan nodded, and was about to say something when he took a step forward and, without saying a word, pulled her into his arms.
The hug was firm and warm, with an irresistible domineering force that instantly dispelled all the chill in her body.
"Let me see," Xiao Che pulled her slightly away from his embrace and, by the candlelight, carefully examined her face. When he saw her eyes, still swollen and red like peaches, he couldn't help but feel both heartache and amusement.
He raised his hand and, with his warm fingertips, gently and carefully wiped away the dried "tear stains" on her face, which had been faked with ginger juice.
"You've worked so hard, Your Majesty the Empress," he said, his voice filled with indulgent teasing. "Your acting was so convincing that even I almost believed it. Tomorrow, I should issue a decree to bestow upon you the title of 'Best Actress'."
Lin Wanwan burst out laughing at his words. All the fatigue from acting during the day vanished in his gentle gestures and teasing.
“Likewise,” she retorted, not to be outdone. “Your Majesty’s performance in court today was also a display of overwhelming power and majesty. Especially that last line, ‘flicking your sleeves and leaving,’ I was on tenterhooks behind the screen, afraid that you would use too much force and throw off your dragon robe.”
"You..." Xiao Che was taken aback by her playful remark, and could only helplessly and affectionately gently stroke the tip of her nose.
The two smiled at each other, and all the tension and repression transformed into the sweetest warmth in this private space that belonged only to them.
After the laughter subsided, Xiao Che's expression turned serious again. He took Lin Wanwan's hand and led her behind the dragon throne, pressing her down onto the large dragon chair, while he himself casually sat on the armrest beside it.
"Let's get down to business," he said in a deep voice, "our plan has succeeded."
His eyes gleamed with wisdom and calculation.
"After today's court session, the Empress Dowager and Uncle Wang have completely believed the pretense of our discord."
"I just received a secret report that this afternoon, several core officials from the Regent's faction secretly visited the Prince's residence. My informants in the residence reported that they talked in the study for a full hour. Although I couldn't hear the specific content, judging from their smug and triumphant expressions when they left, our fish have been completely hooked."
He paused, a cold smile creeping into his voice: "My good uncle is probably already plotting how to use you, this 'disfavored and abandoned empress,' to deliver a fatal blow to me."
Lin Wanwan felt relieved upon hearing this news.
She also recounted all the "achievements" she had made during the day.
"It's the same on my side," she said with a smile. "The trusted nanny sent by the Empress Dowager has already been fooled by me. She has probably already gone back to report to the Empress Dowager that I have not only been heartbroken by His Majesty, but have even started to complain that His Majesty 'listened to slander'."
"Oh? Slander?" Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
“Yes,” Lin Wanwan winked slyly, “I deliberately let it slip, making them think that there was a gossipmonger among us. This way, it would both make our breakup seem more real and divert their attention to finding this non-existent gossipmonger, buying us more time.”
"Not only that," Lin Wanwan's eyes gleamed with a smug, fox-like smugness, "I also wrote a heartfelt 'letter of complaint' and sent it back to my family home by fast horse."
"What?!" Xiao Che was slightly startled upon hearing this.
"Don't worry," Lin Wanwan reassured her, "I wrote the letter myself. The contents are half true and half false, every word is filled with tears and grievances, but it will not reveal any substantial information. Moreover, I had already anticipated that the messenger would be 'intercepted' by the Regent's men on the way."
Looking at Xiao Che's suddenly enlightened expression, she smiled and concluded, "Now, in the eyes of the Regent and the Empress Dowager, I have probably become a love-struck, harmless woman who can be easily won over and used... a resentful woman."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
After hearing Lin Wanwan's intricately planned scheme, Xiao Che could no longer contain himself and burst into hearty laughter!
His laughter echoed in the spacious imperial study, filled with delight and appreciation!
"Good! What a 'complaint letter'! What a 'fallen empress'!" He looked at his empress, his eyes filled with undisguised pride. "My empress is indeed unparalleled in wisdom and strategy!"
The two shared their "victories" and analyzed the enemy's next move, their laughter filling the entire imperial study.
By day, they were an emperor and empress who were at odds and had openly broken ties.
At night, however, they were at the very heart of this imperial power, having a sweet "date," the closest comrades and partners who had worked together to devise a plan.
The thrill and sweetness of this "secret relationship" brought the two of them closer together.
After the laughter subsided, Xiao Che suddenly stopped smiling, crossed his arms, and looked at Lin Wanwan with a accusing expression.
He leaned down slightly, encircling her between the dragon throne and his embrace, and complained in a tone tinged with grievance and dissatisfaction:
"However, speaking of which, Her Majesty the Empress made me... unable to back down in court today."
“When I rebuked you, you remained silent. When I convicted you, you offered no complaints. You left me to perform a one-man show, and now… my back is aching.”
As he spoke, he even pounded his lower back in a serious manner.
Lin Wanwan was both amused and annoyed by his shameless behavior.
She looked at the words "Come and comfort me" written clearly on his handsome face, and then secretly glanced at the emoji area above his head.
There, a cute, aggrieved little emperor was squatting in a corner, hugging his knees and drawing circles, with a series of large, glittering golden characters above his head:
[Baby is feeling wronged, but won't say anything, just wants kisses, hugs, and to be lifted up high by his wife.jpg]
Lin Wanwan couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing.
She knew that this thrilling drama had only just begun.
With this man by her side, she was fearless no matter how treacherous the road ahead.
She reached out, hooked her arm around his neck, and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.
"Alright, Your Majesty, you've worked hard." She said with a smile, "Then, Your Majesty, shall I give you a good... back massage tonight?"
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