Zhou Cangyan wrapped his arms around the person in his embrace. Her fra was small; he felt as if the slightest pressure would break her bones.
His thoughts drifted back to that night in the wooden cabin.
Halfway up the mountain, on a stormy night, with no one else in sight.
She had been like a delicate, shattered flower, her petals roughly crushed into a sticky nectar.
Zhou Cangyan could still rember the feeling of that nectar coating his hands...
His eyes suddenly turned dark and inscrutable.
Once Song Lianhe ca to her senses, she imdiately tried to pull away. "Many thanks, Prince Qing."
In front of the Empress, she had to maintain perfect etiquette.
Zhou Cangyan just grunted in acknowledgnt, but the large hand supporting the small of her back didn’t move. The heat of his palm seeped through two layers of fabric, a constant warmth that felt like it would burn right through her.
The sight of the two of them standing together was surprisingly pleasing to the eye.
Empress Chun De chuckled lightly. "That was an oversight on my part." She then gestured for a seat to be brought for Song Lianhe, acting as if she hadn’t noticed the ambiguous atmosphere between the two at all.
Song Lianhe used the opportunity of bowing her thanks to quickly escape Zhou Cangyan’s presence.
She didn’t know what was wrong with her. It was as if she’d been afflicted by a Gu. With every breath she took, she inhaled his scent and the unique, faint sll of blood that clung to him, and her heart began to pound with panic.
Zhou Cangyan also returned to his original seat, once again crossing his legs and casting a lazy gaze in her direction.
Song Lianhe sat with her back ramrod straight, but she felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles.
’I never expected the man himself to show up. How am I supposed to explain this situation?’
"Er..."
After much hesitation, she braced herself and spoke up. "I was just making small talk with the Empress. The Prince would surely not be interested."
"Oh? What did you talk about? Tell ."
"Hehe, it was nothing much," Empress Chun De said with a broad smile. "We were just discussing her admiration for Biwu."
As she spoke, she raised a handkerchief to cover her laugh. "My, she praised you so much, saying there’s no one like you in heaven or on earth. Even I was moved listening to her. It shows how deep her feelings for you are."
Zhou Cangyan slowly turned his gaze, the corners of his lips lifting. "Oh?"
Song Lianhe: "..."
’Hah. Just let it all burn!’
There was no clearing her na now. No matter what she said, she would offend soone—either the Empress or King Qing. She couldn’t afford to provoke either of them, so she decided to play dumb and stay silent.
In the eyes of Empress Chun De and Aunt Fang, this simply ant the young lady was thin-skinned and shy.
At that mont, Empress Chun De glanced at Fang Xiu.
Fang Xiu understood imdiately. She took a step forward and said, "Your Majesty, Miss Song’s feelings for His Highness run so deep. You must help her."
Song Lianhe was startled.
’What does she an?’
’Help with what?’
Empress Chun De smiled faintly, her expression dignified yet gentle. "I love nothing more than helping others fulfill their wishes, and I hope that all lovers in the world end up together." With that, she looked at Song Lianhe.
How could she not understand what this ant?
Song Lianhe’s legs went weak, and she knelt again. "Your Majesty! What I said just now was rely a thought in my heart. I dare not aspire to be with Prince Qing!"
The man, who had appeared indifferent to everything, hadn’t reacted at all even when Fang Xiu’s matchmaking intentions were so obvious. But after hearing her words, his cool gaze swept over her.
Zhou Cangyan rely curled his thin lips into a sneer. "Is it that you don’t dare, or that you don’t want to?"
’Of course I don’t want to!’
But she had just "confessed her feelings" to the Empress. There was no way she could say that out loud.
"Biwu, you’re scaring her," Empress Chun De said softly. "I will help you."
"Your Majesty, it’s just that... I am not worthy of the Prince!"
Zhou Cangyan suddenly rose and ca to stand before her. As she looked up at him, he raised a hand to lift her chin. His thumb, rough with calluses, casually stroked her smooth skin. "You’re not worthy of , but you’re worthy of Prince Ling?"
He slowly squatted down in front of her. He was tall and long-limbed, so even crouching, he was still much taller than she was. Song Lianhe had to tilt her head back to look at him.
"My Prince..."
He slowly leaned in, cutting off her next words. His hot breath brushed against her ear as he spoke in a volu only the two of them could hear, "If you say another word, even I won’t be able to help you."
Song Lianhe’s eyes went wide, and she instinctively looked toward the Empress.
The smile on Empress Chun De’s face had faded considerably. Her eyelids were lowered, exuding the kind of indifference unique to those in high positions.
Song Lianhe realized in an instant that no matter how benevolent Empress Chun De was, she was still the Empress of a nation. Moreover, Zhou Cangyan was a junior she doted on. The consequences of deceiving her were easy to imagine.
In that mont, Song Lianhe lost her nerve.
She obediently shut her mouth.
Zhou Cangyan narrowed his light-colored eyes, which reflected her pitiful expression as she stared at him helplessly. A faint smile flickered across his lips.
He released her chin, as if he had suddenly made a decision. A strange, excited aura began to emanate from him, like a long-dormant beast slowly awakening.
Seeing him like this, the hairs on Song Lianhe’s body inexplicably stood on end.
But he didn’t make any move. Instead, he turned and said, "Imperial Sister-in-law, Biwu has urgent matters to attend to and must take his leave."
Empress Chun De watched him quietly, then smiled. "Go on."
But Song Lianhe was stunned.
’He’s... just leaving?’
’How could he just leave like that?!’
She frantically blinked at him, but Zhou Cangyan paid her no mind, striding past her with his characteristic intimidating presence.
Song Lianhe: "..."
"Song Lianhe."
Empress Chun De suddenly called her na.
"Yes," she answered quickly.
Empress Chun De rose to her feet, and Fang Xiu stepped forward to offer a supporting arm. She walked over to Song Lianhe. "Since you are in love with Biwu, I will act on your behalf and request a royal decree of marriage for you two from the Holy Emperor."
After leaving Kunyi Palace, Zhou Cangyan went to Xianglin Pavilion.
In the vast Book Collection Pavilion, soone was already there.
"It hasn’t rained in Sui Bei for over a month." Cao Jin placed the book in his hand back on the shelf and turned around.
The man was clad in armor. The morning light enveloped his golden armor, casting a soft, golden sheen over it. Although it wasn’t the heavy type of armor worn on the battlefield, it still made him look heroic, wise, and outstanding.
The autumn harvest was in two months. Sui Bei already had a dry climate with little rain, but this year, not a single drop had fallen since the sumr solstice. A drought would be a major blow to Sui Ning City.
Zhou Cangyan stood a short distance away, watching him. "That is precisely why I ca to find you today."
Cao Jin’s expression was calm, as if he had expected this, yet his brow furrowed slightly.
Just then, a figure darted in.
Compared to Zhou Cangyan, Cao Jin’s reaction was slightly more pronounced. He was first taken aback, then stared fixedly in the direction of the entrance.
Xuan i approached, not even sparing Cao Jin a glance, and went straight to Zhou Cangyan. "The Empress has gone to Chongzheng Hall to see the Holy Emperor."
Zhou Cangyan lowered his gaze, his eyes perfectly calm.
Even though this was the outco he himself had orchestrated.
It was Cao Jin, however, who seed to twitch the corner of his mouth. He shot a aningful glance in Zhou Cangyan’s direction and, for once, said a few more words than usual.
"The Empress rarely goes to Chongzheng Hall, unless it is for a major, urgent matter."
Zhou Cangyan casually picked up a scroll on military strategy. His tone of voice was still unreadable, but his light-colored eyes held a faint glimr of amusent. "Who could say otherwise?"
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