si-mexico Chapter 91 Western Hill Palace
Chapter 91 Western Hill Palace
The next morning, Kang Luhai learned that Pei Yuanling had returned to Zichen Palace after court, so he hurriedly returned to Feixue Palace to report back.
Upon learning this, Chu Qingyin called to Xianglan, and together they took the pastries she had made herself and headed towards the Zichen Palace.
Upon seeing her, Chen Zhongliang's eyes were filled with undisguised joy. "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. This servant will go and inform her immediately."
"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Chen."
"No need for that, no need for that. His Majesty will surely be pleased to know you are coming," Chen Zhongliang said, and then strode into the hall.
Before long, he returned from inside the hall and greeted Chu Qingyin with a smile.
Chu Qingyin carried a lacquered red carved food box. As soon as she entered the house, before she saw Pei Yuanling, she first saw that familiar vermilion official robe with crane patterns.
It is Lu Zhiheng.
Chu Qingyin frowned. If she had known this annoying guy was here, she would have come at a different time.
Lu Zhiheng had obviously seen her too, and upon noticing the melancholy she hadn't yet managed to conceal, he pursed his thin lips slightly.
She still hated him as much as ever.
Noticing the man's gaze lingering on her, and fearing he would see through her, Chu Qingyin immediately lowered her eyes and composed herself.
"What are you doing here?" Pei Yuanling's deep and authoritative voice came from above.
Chu Qingyin looked up and saw him sitting upright in front of the desk, wearing a black robe with gold dragon patterns. Half of his face was covered by the memorials, and his handsome eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if he was in a bad mood.
"Your Majesty, I greet you." Chu Qingyin stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and then explained with a smile, "I am grateful for Your Majesty's hard work, so I specially cooked some pastries for you to try and relieve your fatigue."
As she spoke, she glanced at Pei Yuanling's expression. Seeing that he did not stop her, she then stepped forward with the food box.
She opened the food box, took out a plate of delicate pastries, and placed them in the empty space on the table.
A sweet floral fragrance wafted into Pei Yuanling's nostrils, and he couldn't help but lower his eyes to look at the plate of pastries.
"Your Majesty, please try it. I put in a lot of effort." Chu Qingyin's voice was charming, with obvious coquetry and flattery. "I almost hurt my hand."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanling put down the memorial in his hand and quickly took her hand, saying, "Where are you hurt? Let me see."
His concerned expression made Chu Qingyin's lips curl into a slight smile; she knew he wasn't truly angry with her.
"Right here..."
Just as she was about to point it out to Pei Yuanling, she heard a cold, mocking laugh coming from below, "Consort Qiao truly has deep affection for His Majesty. Look at how exquisite and delicate these pastries are; they must have taken a lot of effort."
Chu Qingyin understood perfectly well that this scoundrel was not praising her at all; he was blatantly mocking her.
"Lord Lu, you should also settle down and marry a virtuous wife who will cook for you every day. Then you won't have to envy His Majesty and me for our loving relationship."
As she spoke, she paused, turned to look at him, and her eyebrows held a provocation visible only to her and Lu Zhiheng: "By the way, I've heard that Miss Wang has been in love with Lord Lu for a long time. I wonder when I'll be able to taste your wedding cakes?"
Hearing the obvious sarcasm in the woman's tone, and the undisguised provocation in her eyes, Lu Zhiheng couldn't help but smile. This woman was truly getting bolder and bolder; was she no longer afraid of him?
Just as Lu Zhiheng was about to reply, he felt a cold gaze fall upon him.
It's Pei Yuanling.
He immediately composed himself and calmly replied as if nothing had happened, "This is a matter of my family, so there is no need for Your Highness to concern yourself with it."
The two people in front of them were clearly arguing back and forth.
When did they become so familiar with each other?
Pei Yuanling frowned slightly, and his tone became more serious: "Minister Lu, you are not young anymore, and it is indeed time to consider marriage. The Wang family has been prominent for generations, and their daughter is not unworthy of you."
These words were clearly a test of his relationship with the Wang family.
Lu Zhiheng immediately lowered his eyes and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am not familiar with Miss Wang. Moreover, I am currently only concerned with serving the country and have no interest in children. I am afraid that I would delay Miss Wang's prime years."
"As expected of my trusted minister, with Minister Lu assisting me, my empire will surely be secure."
Pei Yuanling was smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Chu Qingyin watched from the side. After being married for many years, she naturally understood Pei Yuanling's wariness of the Wang family.
But why does he seem to distrust Lu Zhiheng, this trusted advisor, as much as one might imagine?
Previously, he admired this civil official whom he had personally promoted the most, and the scene of the emperor and his minister joining forces to kick the Chu family out of the court was still vivid in his mind.
Why is their trust suddenly so precarious?
Regardless, this might become an opportunity for her to bring down Lu Zhiheng in the future.
"Your Majesty, the pastries are getting cold. Please try them quickly, lest you disappoint your concubine."
Chu Qingyin pretended not to notice the speculation and probing between the two, and took the initiative to pick up a piece of pastry and considerately offered it to Pei Yuanling's lips.
Pei Yuanling lowered his head, took the pastry into his mouth, and his moist lips inadvertently brushed against her fingertips.
Chu Qingyin immediately withdrew her hand, her cheeks flushing red, like a newly blossoming peach blossom, shy yet captivating.
Lu Zhiheng watched quietly, his face calm and expressionless, but his heart was churning with emotions.
However, the emotion was peculiar, unpredictable, and unprecedented, which made him somewhat irritable.
"Your Majesty, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."
"Yes, you may leave."
Having received Pei Yuanling's approval, Lu Zhiheng bowed and then turned to leave.
As he turned to the side, he caught a glimpse of Pei Yuanling pulling the woman into his arms.
The woman smiled brightly, her sleeves fluttering, and she slightly raised her fair wrist to encircle the man's arm, her voice sweet and charming: "Your Majesty, are there other people here?"
Lu Zhiheng felt even more agitated. He withdrew his gaze and, without further hesitation, turned and left.
Chu Qingyin glanced at Lu Zhiheng's departing figure out of the corner of her eye, a sense of doubt rising in her heart.
Was he spying on her just now?
"Yinyin, you seem to be paying a lot of attention to Lu Zhiheng?" Pei Yuanling took in her every move, a half-smile on his face.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't wrongly accuse me..."
Chu Qingyin gave a coquettish laugh, then leaned down and quickly placed a kiss on the man's tightly pursed lips: "In my eyes and heart, the only one I love is Your Majesty."
Then she stopped what she was doing, looking smug like she had just stolen a treasure.
Seeing the cunning look in her eyes, Pei Yuanling's heart stirred. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, pulled her into his arms, and then lowered his head to kiss her lips.
The force with which he gripped her wrist was terrifying, as if he were asserting his dominance and proving something. He sucked and bit her lips forcefully.
Chu Qingyin was initially welcoming, but soon the air around her nose began to thin.
She felt as if she had fallen into a pond and was about to drown.
"Fool, do I have to teach you how to breathe?"
Pei Yuanling stopped what he was doing, gently stroked the tip of her nose, and spoke with a doting tone.
Chu Qingyin was slightly out of breath. Looking at the man's ambiguous gaze, her eyes reddened, and she said in a wronged tone, "In front of Your Majesty, I am nothing but a fool."
"That day, His Majesty left suddenly, and I didn't even know what I had done wrong. I spent several days in fear and anxiety." The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became, and crystal tears slowly slid down her face.
Her originally delicate and charming face was suddenly covered in tears, making her even more endearing.
Pei Yuanling was secretly annoyed. How could he forget that Yinyin no longer had any memories of their past love and affection? How could she understand the depression in his heart?
He raised his hand to wipe away her tears, saying, "Yinyin, don't be upset. I won't do it again in the future."
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin knew that the matter was over.
The two nestled together quietly for a while.
After a long silence, Pei Yuanling suddenly spoke: "It's already May, and the weather is getting hotter. How about I take Yinyin to the Western Hills Palace to escape the heat at the end of this month?"