Inside Yaohua Palace, the morning light had yet to penetrate the heavy curtains when Quan Minghe awoke.
He frowned slightly, gazing at the woman still sound asleep in his arms, and couldn’t help but ponder.
Every time he came to Yaohua Palace, it seemed he always ended up staying the night unintentionally. He wondered if she did it on purpose.
Last night, waiting for her to change her dress alone took a long time.
Then there was watching her dance—a performance of “The Meiren Drunk” so dreamlike and enchanting that he was completely captivated.
He also painted for her at her request.
And in the end, he couldn’t restrain himself from indulging in mischief with her.
Entwined like phoenixes, lost in the clouds and rain of Mount Wu, the hibiscus-curtained bed warm with passion.
By the time their frolicking ended, it was almost the hour of Yin.
In less than two hours, it would be time for the morning court session.
Quan Minghe had no intention of returning to Weiyang Palace to sleep.
But Shen Yuling, having never been taught palace etiquette, always clung to him in her sleep.
At this moment, Quan Minghe felt a tingling numbness in his shoulder.
His dark eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully studied the woman sleeping peacefully beside him. Her serene sleeping face appeared especially delicate and charming in the hazy morning light.
Though he felt a sense of helplessness, he endured it and did not wake her.
Pulling back the bed curtains, he rose from the bed, draped an outer robe over himself, and walked out.
“Li Ming.”
As soon as Quan Minghe left the bedchamber, he called softly.
Li Ming hurried forward and bowed respectfully. “Your Majesty, may you be at peace.”
Quan Minghe paused. He had intended to order Li Ming to find a matron to teach Shen Yuling etiquette, but the words lingered on his lips before he swallowed them back.
Pressing his lips together, his expression stern, he weighed the matter in his heart.
Forget it. Her current status was already special. If he rashly arranged for a matron now and word somehow leaked out, it might lead to unnecessary complications.
Although it wouldn’t be difficult to silence the rumors if they were truly discovered, how could a delicate woman like her withstand the palace’s gossip and slander?
What if, because of this, her youthful beauty turned to withered bones? Then all the effort he had spent on her recently would have been in vain.
Very well, he would wait another three months.
Li Ming stood quietly nearby, awaiting His Majesty’s orders. But after waiting and waiting, he only heard His Majesty utter two words: “Nothing.”
“Help me change.”
“Yes.”
Sunlight filtered through the carved window lattice, casting dappled shadows.
By the time Shen Yuling awoke, the light had shifted across most of the room—it was almost noon.
Lan Ying was bustling about in the outer chamber when she heard movement from the bedchamber and walked over.
She gently hung the bed curtains on either side, then extended a hand to help her mistress rise.
Leaning closer to the bed, Lan Ying inadvertently took a light sniff. The bed was filled with the faint, elegant fragrance unique to her mistress.
Subtle and refined, it lingered in the air, exceptionally pleasant.
No wonder her mistress was so favored by His Majesty—even His Majesty was willing to stay overnight at Yaohua Palace for her sake.
Thinking this, Lan Ying felt increasingly delighted.
“Mistress, lunch will be delivered soon. This servant will attend to your washing and dressing now,” Lan Ying said softly, her tone brimming with eagerness.
Shen Yuling nodded slightly, placing her jade-like hand on Lan Ying’s as she followed her to wash and change.
Her body ached all over—Quan Minghe had truly been too rough last night.
But since she had agreed to accompany him to the end, she had to grit her teeth and endure it.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to wake up as early as Quan Minghe today to return to the Junwang Residence.
Since Feng Moheng had been dispatched by Quan Minghe to inspect a county town outside Qian Capital, he would not return until tomorrow.
Moreover, the Prince’s residence had even arranged for a maid with a voice similar to Shen Yuling’s, likely another of Quan Minghe’s schemes.
Every detail was meticulously arranged—truly befitting an emperor.
After finishing her makeup, Shen Yuling gracefully walked over and sat down at the rosewood gilded dining table.
She glanced at the exquisite dishes spread across the table, then looked up at Lan Ying beside her.
Softly, she asked, “Lan Ying, will His Majesty not be joining for lunch today?”
Lan Ying was slightly taken aback.
She hadn’t expected her mistress to suddenly inquire about the emperor.
Wasn’t it perfectly normal for the emperor not to dine with the Imperial Consort?
“Your Highness, His Majesty’s attendants did not mention that he would be coming for lunch today.”
Shen Yuling frowned slightly.
She wondered whether she should ask if she could invite him to dine together.
But after hesitating, she ultimately kept silent.
Never mind, he was an emperor.
He was not a boyfriend who could indulge in romance, coax her, or keep her company—Shen Yuling was well aware of this.
She picked up her chopsticks and began dining alone.
Shen Yuling actually disliked this feeling of loneliness.
After being reborn into the Shen family, she had gradually developed deep bonds with her adoptive parents, and with Xi Tong always by her side, her days were lively and filled with warmth, leaving no room for loneliness.
But now, in the palace, Xi Tong was no longer with her.
In this vast palace, there was no one to amuse or entertain her.
In her modern life, she would either dine with her manager and assistants, gather with her few friends, or attend various social gatherings—rarely did she eat alone.
It was precisely for this reason that she had once wished for a system to accompany her as a maid. After all, a modern soul in ancient times longed for someone who could understand her seemingly nonsensical words.
Shen Yuling picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.
Suddenly, she seemed to finally understand the sorrow of the women in the inner palace she had seen in television dramas.
My world revolves only around you, but in your world, anyone could replace me.
A tear involuntarily fell from Shen Yuling’s eye.
Lan Ying, who had been watching her closely, was startled by this.
She hurriedly stepped forward and asked, “Your Highness, what’s wrong?”
“Are you missing His Majesty?”
“His Majesty is occupied with state affairs during the day and rarely visits the inner palace.”
Shen Yuling remained expressionless, merely raising her left hand to casually wipe away the tear.
As if nothing had happened, she picked up a tender piece of fish and placed it in her bowl.
Calmly, she said, “I’m fine. It’s just that my empathy is too strong. Whenever I think of something slightly sad, tears flow uncontrollably.”
Back in her modern life as an actress, several directors had praised her as a natural-born performer.
It was because her tears were almost beyond her control.
Lan Ying listened, but her face showed confusion. She didn’t quite understand what her mistress meant by “empathy,” assuming it was merely an excuse for missing the emperor.
In the afternoon.
After finishing his lunch, Quan Minghe casually flipped through a copy of The Emperor’s Annals, holding it in his hand.
He treated this as a rare moment of rest.
Li Ming stood nearby, his mind troubled by whether he should report the matter from Yaohua Palace to His Majesty.
Your Majesty had previously stated that matters of the inner palace need not be specially reported as long as they did not involve the imperial heirs or concern court affairs.
Yet, considering the Emperor’s unusual and special treatment of Consort Shen, Li Ming ultimately decided to speak up.
“Your Majesty, today during the midday meal, Consort Shen seemed… to have cried,” Li Ming said cautiously.
Quan Minghe frowned, looking at Li Ming with a hint of displeasure in his expression.
He asked, “Did you fail to serve her properly?”
Li Ming felt a pang in his heart.
The people he had selected to serve Consort Shen were all carefully chosen—how could they possibly fail to serve their mistress well!
“Perhaps Consort Shen wished for Your Majesty’s company?” Li Ming quickly explained in a soft voice.
“I spent the entire night with her at Yaohua Palace last night.”
Quan Minghe’s expression remained indifferent, his gaze calm.
Li Ming paused for a moment.
He then truthfully reported to the Emperor everything that Lan Ying had informed him earlier that day.
After listening, Quan Minghe’s brows tightened.
Had he been too indulgent with her?
When she was still unaware of his identity, her somewhat willful behavior could be overlooked.
The first time she entered the palace, she raised her hand to strike him, yet he handled the matter lightly and did not hold it against her.
The second time she entered the palace, he not only watched her dance but also painted for her, even allowing her to inscribe a poem on the painting.
Could it be that these actions had made her rely on his favor and become arrogant, leading her to believe that he should accompany her at all times?
Quan Minghe’s gaze involuntarily turned a few degrees colder.
“Once Consort Shen has rested, send her back to the Prince’s residence.”
“As you command.”
Li Ming promptly acknowledged the order before turning to leave.
As he walked away, he sighed inwardly.
Indeed, the Emperor’s thoughts were not something that servants like them could easily decipher.
He had originally believed that Consort Shen held a somewhat special place in the Emperor’s heart, yet today, when she cried, the Emperor did not appear particularly distressed.
He did not even visit Yaohua Palace to see her, instead sending her away so easily.