Qing Luo said confidently, “This humble concubine is afraid of the heat, so I specifically found a good place to cool off. Your Majesty handles a myriad of affairs every day and worries about state matters. It is normal not to know about such trivial things.”
“Since that is the case, Beloved Consort, walk with Us and let Us experience how cool this place is.”
Emperor Zhangping had spoken, so what else could Qing Luo do?
Besides, she herself wanted to stay a bit longer, so she agreed readily.
“Your Majesty, This humble concubine’s eyes are not very good. Could I hold Your Majesty’s hand as we walk?”
It was already late, and only a few palace lanterns provided light, making it far less bright than during the day.
The little Concubine’s face was filled with anticipation.
Emperor Zhangping nodded, “You may.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Qing Luo reached out and held Emperor Zhangping’s hand.
Qing Luo’s hand was soft, very delicate and smooth.
Holding her fragrant hand, ripples unknowingly spread through Emperor Zhangping’s heart.
“There is a pavilion ahead. This humble concubine thinks it is the coolest spot, a perfect place to escape the heat. Would Your Majesty like to come and see it with This humble concubine?”
“You may.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Emperor Zhangping notice the Little Concubine couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes curved, smiling like a cat that had stolen a fish.
Is she that happy?
Is Little Concubine this happy because she gets to spend time with Us?
If Little Concubine hadn’t met Us here just now, Little Concubine might have cried.
It seems that although Little Concubine doesn’t say it aloud, in her heart, Our importance is quite substantial.
If Qing Luo knew what Emperor Zhangping was thinking at the moment, her face would be covered in black lines.
She was happy purely because she could go cool off again, and it had absolutely nothing to do with loving Emperor Zhangping.
Thus, their thought processes were not on the same frequency, yet they were both happy in their own ways.
Emperor Zhangping sat down in the pavilion, with Qing Luo chattering beside him.
Little Concubine was truly fond of talking, like a little sparrow.
Although she spoke only of trivial matters, he didn’t find it annoying to listen.
“Your Majesty, This humble concubine ate a dish today. The soup tasted very similar to buddha jumps over the wall. The chefs in the Imperial Kitchen truly have excellent skills; they can make even the simplest ingredients taste extremely delicious.”
As Qing Luo spoke, she couldn’t help but swallow, realizing she was craving food again.
“buddha jumps over the wall? What dish is that?” Emperor Zhangping asked.
He had never heard of the dish buddha jumps over the wall. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Qing Luo blinked her eyes.
Was there no buddha jumps over the wall here?
Alright, a fictionalized era cannot be entirely understood by comparing it to ancient Huaxia; there were still some differences.
Since Emperor Zhangping asked, Qing Luo recounted the story she knew about the origin of buddha jumps over the wall.
“‘When the jar is opened, the fragrance wafts to the neighbors; the Buddha smells it, abandons meditation, and jumps over the wall.’ That sounds interesting. We wonder if such a delicacy truly exists in this world, or if Beloved Consort is just making things up?”
Seeing the little Concubine speaking with such enthusiasm, Emperor Zhangping was already convinced that the dish buddha jumps over the wall was real.
However, he deliberately wanted to tease Qing Luo, hoping to see her expression become a little more lively.
“Of course it exists.” Qing Luo felt she was being doubted, and her cheeks involuntarily puffed up, making her look like a little pufferfish about to explode with anger.
She was a genuine foodie.
While other people’s childhood dreams were to become scientists or astronauts, she was different; her greatest ambition was simply to eat all the delicacies in the world.
She had eaten buddha jumps over the wall before.
Given her family’s financial situation, they could afford to eat buddha jumps over the wall.
“Could it be that Beloved Consort has eaten it?” Emperor Zhangping said again, a smile gradually spreading in his eyes.
The little Concubine looked quite adorable when she was huffing and puffing in annoyance.
“I have.”
Qing Luo blurted it out subconsciously, and then added, “I ate it in a dream.”
She had to conform to her current persona.
The sea cucumber and abalone in buddha jumps over the wall were quite expensive.
It would be too extravagant for the family of a seventh-rank official to eat it like that, and it was said that Father Pei was a very practical and honest official.
Hearing that she had eaten it in a dream, Emperor Zhangping couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“So Beloved Consort do not only likes counting silver but is also a Little Glutton.”
No wonder Little Concubine couldn’t play chess.
Being so fond of food and money, where would she find the time to learn any arts or skills?
Emperor Zhangping suddenly recalled that when the Little Concubine first entered the palace, her skills in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting were all mediocre; only her appearance was exceptionally outstanding, allowing her to stand out among the other maidens.
“This humble concubine is not a Little Glutton, I am a Big Glutton, I can eat a lot.” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Qing Luo felt that Emperor Zhangping truly underestimated her.
If circumstances allowed, she would definitely have few rivals in eating her way across the world.
The little Concubine’s proud expression when she declared herself a Big Glutton was so vivid, as if she were truly a ravenous cat baring its claws and teeth.
Emperor Zhangping couldn’t help but laugh out loud again, thinking that Qing Luo was quite an interesting and wonderful person.
Whenever he was with her, he always felt the urge to smile.
As an Emperor, Emperor Zhangping’s most frequent expression was blank.
Even when he smiled, most of the time it was just for show, a symbolic smile, and a genuine laughter was rare.
Emperor Zhangping was already handsome, and when he smiled, the solemnity and majesty between his brows dissolved.
He lost some of his unapproachable coldness and gained a measure of warmth.
Qing Luo was instantly mesmerized, her mind repeating only the words: so handsome, so good-looking.
As she stared blankly, Qing Luo couldn’t help but murmur, “Your Majesty, you are truly handsome.”
If it had been any other consort, Emperor Zhangping would likely have been displeased.
Who in this world dared to comment on his appearance?
But when it was said by Qing Luo Emperor Zhangping felt quite pleased.
He considered himself a rare handsome man in the current court, yet his name never appeared on that darm Handsome Men List, while some ugly fellows were named every time.
The key was that Qing Luo genuinely felt this way, with no flattery or pretense involved.
That single word, “genuine,” made Emperor Zhangping feel tolerant towards her.
Authenticity was the hardest thing for Emperor Zhangping to see and obtain in his current position, as few people stood before him without wearing a mask.
“If We had an ugly face, We wouldn’t have been able to satisfy Beloved Consort back then, either,” Emperor Zhangping joked.
Qing Luo snapped out of her infatuation, recalling the first time she saw Emperor Zhangping in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Her small face instantly turned red.
“Your Majesty, please forgive This humble concubine for having just overstepped my boundarys.”
She thought, “I am truly pathetic. It’s not the first day I’ve known Emperor Zhangping is a great handsome man. I’ve seen him several times, so how can I still be utterly mesmerized?”
“This is unacceptable! Beauty, beauty—the character for lust holds a knife above its head!”
But she couldn’t change it; she was a face-con to the core.
“What crime has Beloved Consort committed? You were merely stating the truth.”
Judging by his tone, Emperor Zhangping was quite pleased, clearly not upset about Qing Luo’s recent transgression.
Hearing this, Qing Luo couldn’t help but complain inwardly, thinking that Emperor Zhangping was quite confident—handsome and aware of it, knowing he was an handsome man.