NFBE Chapter 93 Years in the Palace 1
Chapter 93 Years in the Palace 1
"Mother, it's time to take medicine."
"Hmm, leave it for now. I'll drink it in a bit. You may all leave now. I want some peace and quiet. Chuchun, please stay."
"Yes."
The palace servants retreated like a tide, leaving only the two of them in the hall.
Chu Chun waited respectfully to the side and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, is there anything you need?"
Liu Xingxing looked at her very seriously, then suddenly grabbed her hand and smiled warmly, "Chuchun, how long have you been following me?"
Chu Chun's expression suddenly turned to shock. She hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, replying tremblingly, "Your Majesty, I have been with you since you were a young girl. You brought me from your household to the palace, and it has been more than fifteen years now..."
"Oh dear, I'm just asking, what's the panic? Get up, get up, it's been so long already..."
That must be extremely loyal, otherwise why would they have served you for so long?
She looks quite young, so she must have been with them since she was a child. I can barely trust her.
Liu Xingxing pulled her to sit down next to her, and Chu Chun panicked again: "Your Majesty, this is unacceptable!"
"I will ask you to sit down."
Liu Xingxing forcefully pulled her to sit down. Chu Chun still looked uneasy. The Empress's behavior today was really different. Although she usually behaved very outrageously, she had never made people so uneasy as she had today.
"In early spring, what do you think of me from before?"
Liu Xingxing stared intently at her, not missing a single minute detail.
"My lady..."
"If you speak sincerely, I will forgive you."
Chu Chun looked somewhat embarrassed: "Your Majesty, then... please forgive this servant for speaking frankly."
"Your Majesty, when you were still a daughter of an official, you were a role model in the capital, an exemplar among young ladies. Back then, so many girls envied you. You even helped relieve the refugees in the eastern suburbs. Many people praised you as a living bodhisattva descended to earth, but..."
"However, ever since you came of age and married Prince Ping as a concubine, who is now the Emperor, you have become a completely different person. You have become... frightening to me. And after moving into the harem, you have become even more... worse than before."
"But, but this servant knows that something must have happened to make you look like this, Your Majesty. I have always known and seen how kind-hearted you were before. Your Majesty must have had a reason!"
As Chu Chun spoke, she knelt down and kowtowed again, tears streaming down her face.
Liu Xingxing remained silent for a long time after hearing what she said.
No wonder I had a strange feeling when I saw that emperor earlier, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
Whenever I see him, I always have this inexplicable urge, a literal urge, that is, I want to stick to him, to stick to him all the time, and I can't see anyone else in his eyes, like a brainless "tool".
If it weren't for the striking resemblance between that face and Yan Zhi's that diminished her feelings, Liu Xingxing wouldn't have noticed any of this at all, and would have thought it was just the body's instinctive reaction of loving someone too much.
But after Chu Chun said that, Liu Xingxing realized these strange things.
Don't forget, this is just an illusion, not some ordinary mortal realm, where all sorts of demons and monsters exist.
It will be several years before the illusion ends. Although it's just a moment in the outside world, here we are truly living each moment to the fullest, and she doesn't want anything to happen to her body.
Liu Xingxing pulled Chu Chun up from the ground again and said solemnly, "Chu Chun, I need you to do something for me. This matter must not be known to a third person in the palace, understand?"
Chu Chun didn't know what she was going to do, but as long as she listened and carried it out strictly, that would be fine.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will definitely handle it properly. But I wonder what Your Majesty requires this servant to do?"
Liu Xingxing smiled slightly and whispered instructions in her ear.
After a while, Liu Xingxing finished giving her instructions, while Chu Chun looked puzzled and confused.
"Your Highness, shall I go now?"
"Yes, this matter cannot be delayed. Go immediately and wait for me once it's done."
"How is Your Highness...?"
Liu Xingxing smiled slyly: "I have my own way."
"Yes."
Chu Chun retreated with a solemn expression.
Liu Xingxing strolled around her palace at ease. She needed to find a quiet place to start her new business, since she would be living there for several years. However, with her delicate body, she wouldn't survive long in this ruthless place.
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.
The main hall was still brightly lit, and Jing Yanzhi was still reviewing government affairs all night. The eunuchs and palace maids waiting beside him were also tired early on. However, they dared not slack off in front of the emperor, but they couldn't help but doze off quietly.
Cao Sheng, the chief steward, remained as energetic as ever, occasionally grinding ink for the emperor and handing him notes. The entire hall was quiet, with only the faint crackling of burning candles.
They thought the peace would continue until dawn, but the quiet footsteps of the young eunuch guarding the gate, hurrying in from outside the palace, shattered the tranquility.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine requests an audience, saying she has come to deliver a late-night snack to Your Majesty."
"Oh?"
Jing Yanzhi put down his pen, looking somewhat surprised. He glanced at Cao Sheng beside him, who was also puzzled.
Although Liu Baiyi liked to cling to him, she rarely came to the Qin Zheng Hall. She said that she had never liked the smell of books and ink here, and there was never a single book in her palace.
It's strange that her father, a civil official who loves literature, doesn't like it at all. But Jing Yanzhi always indulges her, giving her whatever she wants.
"Quick pass."
Jing Yanzhi put down his pen and ink, got up and washed his hands in the washbasin, smiling as he waited for someone to come.
Liu Baiyi specially wore a simpler outfit this time, a departure from her usual preference for bright and colorful clothes, which was quite refreshing.
"Bless your Majesty."
Liu Xingxing held a plate of pastries and a bowl of stew in her hands, gave a proper bow, and put on a polite smile.
Jing Yanzhi hurried over to help her up: "Yi'er, please don't stand on ceremony. What brings you here today?"
"Your Majesty, a new chef joined the kitchen today, and his pastries are quite delicious. I was thinking of you, so I quickly brought them over for you to try. Your Majesty is busy with official duties, so please take care of your health and don't overwork yourself. I also brought over some black chicken soup, which has been simmering for most of the day and is very tasty."
That's right, the new chef Liu has been working on it for quite a while now. You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub.
However, she discovered something else. Since entering this place, she no longer had the urge to cling to someone like she did during the day. Instead, she felt inexplicably nauseous.
I had a strong urge to seduce, and I almost lost control of my facial expression.
"Yi'er still has a headache today, why didn't she rest properly and instead got up to work so hard?"
Jing Yanzhi, her face full of worry, led the group back and sat down together. She casually put the things she was carrying aside, showing how genuinely concerned she was about Liu Baiyi.
"It's alright. After taking the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician, I'm much better. There was nothing seriously wrong to begin with. It's just that Chu Chun was too easily startled."
Thinking of the medicine that had already been used to water the flowers, Liu Xingxing smiled quite calmly.
Busy with preparations, she brought the bowl of soup to Jing Yanzhi and said with a smile, "It won't taste good if it gets cold, Your Majesty, please try it."
Jing Yanzhi took it without hesitation, picked up the spoon, and took a small sip. However, his expression clearly paused for a moment when the chicken soup entered his mouth, and a hint of something unclear flashed in his eyes.
"How about it?"
Liu Xingxing looked at him confidently, thinking, "Little brat, you've never had a drink before, have you? This won't stop you!"
Jing Yanzhi took a couple more sips without rushing, but didn't show any particular liking for it: "It's really good."
Liu Xingxing twitched the corner of her mouth and picked up another piece of green pastry, holding it to his lips: "Your Majesty, try this one too."
Jing Yanzhi glanced at her thoughtfully, then smiled warmly: "Alright, if Yi'er feeds me, I naturally can't refuse."
It opened its mouth and took the whole piece of green candied ice cream in one bite.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, his lips brushed against Liu Baiyi's fingertips as he received the pastry, like a cat scratching at an itch.
Liu Xingxing almost burst out laughing, but she calmly and unhurriedly withdrew her hand. However, the smile that froze on her face for a moment betrayed her.
Calm down, calm down, he's not Master, he's not Master, he's not Master! I'll endure it (￣??￣?)!
That bastard definitely did it on purpose!!!
"Hehe, Your Majesty, I haven't seen my family members in the palace for a very, very long time. Recently, I don't know why I keep thinking about them, and it's gotten to the point that I almost had a headache."
"Your Majesty, may I leave the palace to visit my family? I miss them terribly, and I won't stay long outside the palace, just three to five days will suffice, Your Majesty~"