Chapter 285: Chapter 282: ManipulationWhat in the world is all this?

    Is this something he should be listening to?

    However, the Emperor really does have quite the imagination!

    How could he possibly not do well?

    The archives in Jingshi Palace for the Empress’ attendance to the Emperor’s sleep are nearly overflowing.

    The Emperor often toils until the third period of night, completely disregarding his own health.

    The Chief Eunuch of Jingshi Palace has told him several times, "Your Majesty should exercise restraint. Continuing in this manner will harm your dragon’s body."

    On several occasions, he even ran to the window of Qingning Palace and shouted, "Your Majesty, it’s time."

    This shout would "scare" the Empress.

    The next day, the Emperor would fiercely punish the man.

    Now, no one dares to provoke the Emperor’s ire.

    Lost in such wild thoughts, he suddenly heard—

    "You have someone keep watch and see what exactly the Empress has said to them."

    "...Yes."

    Pei Muyang left the Imperial Study, summoned a little eunuch, and sent him to Qingning Palace to take a look.

    Not just the Emperor sent someone, but Yuesang Palace did as well.

    Sang Ruoshui sent Xiang Ying, and through her, she learned of Luo Shan’s identity.

    "How could an Empress be so close with a courtesan, even allowing a courtesan to enter the palace as an official? She really is behaving abominably!"

    She clutched the handkerchief, lying listlessly and sideways on the soft couch.

    Lover’s Sleep was still burning even during the day.

    Wisps of white smoke wafted out from the incense burner.

    Very close to the couch.

    Almost directly drifting towards her nose.

    She had become unable to live without Lover’s Sleep.

    At this moment, inhaling the fragrance in a half-awake, half-dream state, her emotions were extremely unstable: "How laughable! Is she, as an Empress, sharing her heart with a courtesan out of commiseration for similar plights?"

    She chuckled, striking the pillow under her neck harshly, then asked, "How do you know this? Is the information reliable?"

    Xiang Ying didn’t know if it was reliable or not, but Guard Xing had said it with utter conviction, so it should be trustworthy.

    Thinking so, she nodded and responded, "Hmm. Of course, it’s reliable. Guard Xing said so."

    Sang Ruoshui heard this, nodded, closed her eyes, and seemed to fall into a dream.

    But after a quarter of an hour, she suddenly opened her eyes as if awakening from a dream: "How does he know?"

    Xiang Ying: "..."

    Indeed.

    How did Xing Ce know?

    She had asked at the time, only to be met with a forceful push against the wall, and her lips were sealed with a kiss.

    He was so forceful, like a wolf, ambitiously devouring, nibbling until her lips felt numb.

    After that kiss, her legs were so weak that she couldn’t stand, and how could she remember what she wanted to ask?

    Thinking back on it now, her heart still trembled, and her lips seemed to retain that tingling pain.

    He’s such a bad person.

    She touched her lips, starting to think about that bad person again.

    "Hmm?"

    Sang Ruoshui was still waiting for her answer: "Xiang Ying?"

    Xiang Ying snapped back to reality, shivered in fright, and hurriedly said, "Lady, this servant will go and ask him right away."

    Sang Ruoshui didn’t respond.

    Close of her eyes, she seemed to drift back to sleep.

    These days, she was always in deep sleep, her appetite diminished, and she had become emaciated and pale. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    She didn’t know how long it had been since she last looked in a mirror.

    Xiang Ying hurried out of Yuesang Palace.

    She was looking for Guard Xing.

    Guard Xing was looking for Nanny Hu.

    They spoke in a secluded part of the Cold Palace.

    Nanny Hu told him, "I’ve gathered all the information, the woman’s name is Luo Shan, a courtesan from a brothel in Luozhou. She came to the Capital City to find her husband. Who knows what luck she had, but she encountered Emperor Da He’s convoy on the way. Since she was being robbed by bandits, the Empress intervened and allowed her to follow the convoy to the Capital City. The husband she’s looking for is actually the legitimate son of Cui Shao, the Minister of Rites. How could the son of such a family acknowledge a courtesan as his wife? She was abandoned, and when the Empress learned of it, she took pity on her, allowed her into the palace as a female doctor, and also arranged for the former Consort Xuan, Xuanrao, who had been sent out of the palace, to take extra care of her."

    At this point, her expression grew serious, and her gaze turned fierce, "To be so concerned about a courtesan, it’s hard not to think about what the Empress experienced after being captured."

    Guard Xing’s eyes lit up, "Nanny, what do you mean?"

    Nanny Hu said, "Our master wants us to stop this wedding, and this provides a very good excuse."

    Guard Xing bowed with his hands folded, "Thank you for the guidance, Nanny. I know what to do now."

    He needed to get this information out of the palace.

    By then, there would naturally be people to push it forward.

    An Empress associated with a courtesan can be accused of being tainted by association, a reason enough for those ministers to impeach her!

    Moreover, she valued the courtesan so greatly, even allowing her into the palace as a doctor, their sympathetic kinship became the second reason to impeach her.

    "You know what’s best."

    Nanny Hu glanced at the sky, as dusk had already fallen, and prepared to leave; but after taking a few steps, she stopped and turned to ask him, "How are things with Princess Consort Sang?"

    Guard Xing replied, "Don’t worry, Nanny. Princess Consort Sang is now fully dependent on ’Lover’s Sleep.’"

    Did that pitiable and laughable woman know that excessive exposure to ’Lover’s Sleep’ could bewitch her mind and even control her body?

    "I suppose she will become our favorable wind before the Emperor and Empress’s grand wedding."

    "That’s good."

    Nanny Hu smiled with relief, but her smile soon faded.

    She thought about how their master had gone through so much trouble to find them and sent them to replace the original servants to come to He Palace, all to snatch that woman away, and felt it was not worth it.

    "The woman our master wants has been in another man’s arms for far too long."

    She couldn’t understand their master’s feelings, "Don’t men value a woman’s chastity? She has been entertaining Emperor Da He for so long; doesn’t he mind at all? How can a mighty ruler of a nation fall in love with a married woman and act as if he cannot wed anyone else?"

    Questioning the master like this was a grave disrespect.

    Guard Xing, even though he was in Capital City of He Country, maintained his silence.

    Seeing that he didn’t respond, Nanny Hu found it boring and no longer spoke, turning to leave.

    Guard Xing watched her departing figure, thinking to himself: Men indeed care about a woman’s purity. But who a woman belongs to is also a matter of status, a thrill. Emperor Da He’s woman, especially his most beloved beautiful woman, who wouldn’t want a touch of that?

    Contemplating, he slowly made his way back to Yuesang Palace.

    Then, on his way back to Yuesang Palace, he ran into Xiang Ying.

    Seeing him, Xiang Ying immediately grabbed his collar and demanded, "Where have you been?"

    She had been looking for him for a long time and couldn’t find him.

    Now that he was serving in Yuesang Palace, he should not be absent from his post.

    And to be gone for so long.

    Where had he been?

    Could it be he was fooling around with another palace maid?

    At this thought, jealousy surged in her heart, and she leaned in to sniff him.

    With that sniff, she indeed faintly smelled the scent of another woman’s perfume.

    "Where have you been? What have you been doing?"

    She asked angrily.

    Guard Xing found it difficult to reply and instead grabbed her, pushed her against the wall, and kissed her.

    For stupid women, kissing is the fastest way to shut them up.

    Xiang Ying had not expected him to do this, and overwhelmed by his passionate kiss, her senses quickly dispersed. Though she was pushing against his chest, trying to keep her wits, "No, no, don’t do this, you’re trying, trying to change the subject. Guard Xing, are you, are you hiding something from me? Are you with, with another, another woman..."

    "No. Don’t think nonsense. I, I only have you," he said, panting heavily.

    Yet in his mind: What woman isn’t as easily deceived as she is?