The flowing clouds obscured the silver moon, and the courtyard of the residence with white walls and blue tiles dimmed.
All the female family members in the inner courtyard had already gone to bed. Only in the courtyard of the Western Wing could faint voices still be heard.
"Yao Ji, come here."
"Ji?"
"What are you 'ji'-ing about? Should I call you Yi Tong instead?"
"Jiji ji."
In the main courtyard, inside the elegant boudoir, the curtains were drawn down, and Pei Xiangjun was lying on her side on the pillow, sound asleep.
Since it was the height of summer, the thin quilt was only slightly draped around her waist. She was wearing a triangular bellyband made of Shuiyun brocade on her upper body. Below her gourd-like waist, she was dressed very lightly.
After returning from the fight near the East Market, Pei Xiangjun took her medicine and went to bed early. According to her usual habit, she should naturally wake up in the early morning.
But she didn't know what time it was when she woke up. In a hazy state, she felt that something was wrong, and then she opened her eyes.
Suo suo~
Pei Xiangjun turned over on the bed, lifted the curtain, and looked at the imperial concubine couch in the outer room. The seductive woman who had been lying there reading a book was gone.
Pei Xiangjun blinked her eyes, feeling that something was amiss. She quietly sat up, draped a thin skirt over herself, slightly closed the front of her clothes, and then came to the window, straining her ears to listen.
Luo Ning was temporarily staying in the Pei family's residence. Due to her special status, Pei Xiangjun couldn't arrange for her to stay in the guest room in the outer courtyard. But it was also impossible for her to share the same bed with the seductive woman. The place arranged for her was the side room next to the main room, which was only dozens of steps away.
Listening carefully, the room was quiet without any words, but there were some faint noises, which were indescribable.
Was this seductive woman here?
Or had Jingtang come back?!
Pei Xiangjun's eyes were full of suspicion. After thinking for a while, she silently jumped out of the window, followed the corridor, and came to the window of the side room. The sound became a bit clearer:
She still couldn't figure out what they were doing.
Pei Xiangjun hesitated for a moment, leaned against the edge of the window, licked her finger with the tip of her tongue, and carefully made a small hole in the window paper to peek inside:
The room was clean and tidy. The candle lamp was placed on the dressing table, emitting a dim yellow light.
The usually cold and aloof wife of the cult leader was wearing a black hollow-out bellyband.
!
When Pei Xiangjun saw this genuine little garment, a flash of surprise passed through her eyes. She didn't expect that the seemingly conservative and arrogant wife of the cult leader was so coquettish in private.
Looking more closely.
Between the curtains, the cold and extraordinary Jingtang was leaning steadily against the head of the bed. His broad chest and abdominal muscles were clearly visible, making him look like a master.
And the usually fierce and overbearing woman at home wasn't fierce at all at this moment.
!
When Pei Xiangjun saw this scene, she thought that Jingtang had privately bullied and coerced the girl. But upon closer inspection.
This woman was pretending to be wronged.
It was the first time she had seen such a scene, and the impact was really quite great. Pei Xiangjun stared blankly. Before she could recover, she found that Jingtang, who was leaning against the head of the bed, raised his eyes and looked towards the window.
!
Pei Xiangjun's face changed slightly, and she hid back in the room. And faint voices also came from the next door:
"Did the Third Miss wake up?"
"It doesn't sound like it."
"Oh, little thief~ Are you done?"
"Hehe."
Pei Xiangjun sat alone on the edge of the canopy bed, looking at the empty room. Inevitably, she thought of the experience of being robbed of someone at the door last time and then being completely defeated and ending up like this. Her eyes gradually became sour.
She didn't know how long she was feeling dejected when suddenly there was a noise outside.
Zhi ya~
Pei Xiangjun immediately came back to her senses. She originally wanted to get up and see what the two of them were doing again, but the footsteps were getting closer and closer and directly came to the door.
Dong dong.
Pei Xiangjun's eyes were slightly startled. She quickly lay down and pretended to be sleepy:
"Who is it?"
"It's me. Is the Third Miss asleep?"
Pei Xiangjun felt that Jingtang had come to confirm the matter of her peeking just now. Her eyes were a bit flustered. After a moment of hesitation:
"I was just woken up by the knock on the door. If you have something to say, come in and talk."
The door opened.
Yejingtang was neatly dressed and walked in from the door. He came to the inner room. When he saw that the Third Miss was dressed, he lifted the bead curtain.
Pei Xiangjun sat up, her eyes a bit evasive, pretending that nothing had happened:
"Did you just come back? Have you finished the matters outside?"
Yejingtang definitely wasn't just back. He knew that the Third Miss had just run outside the window and came over because he was afraid that the Third Miss would feel wronged for half the night.
Yejingtang came up and sat down on the dressing stool. He held her wrist and carefully checked her pulse:
It's not finished yet, but I probably don't need to go out tonight. The matters in the yamen have been really busy these two days. The Third Miss has an injury on her back, and I haven't come to see you. Today, I even made the Third Miss go into battle with an injury.
Pei Xiangjun blinked her almond eyes. Seeing that Yejingtang didn't seem to have noticed that she had peeked just now, she secretly let out a sigh of relief. Then she said resentfully:
"Your Ning'er is useless. She can only be fierce at home. For the matters of fighting outside, if I don't help you, who will?"
Yejingtang smiled: "I know that the Third Miss is capable. Not only are the businesses in good order, but your spear technique is also superb. However, Ning'er is still very powerful. It's just that her fighting style is more stable. In the future, when the Third Miss fights with others, you should prioritize your own safety and not be so reckless."
"Hmph."
Pei Xiangjun felt warm in her heart. She glanced at Yejingtang and then said:
"I found a house for you, right above Tianshui Bridge..."
"The Third Miss is familiar with the capital. It's naturally the best if you can help me choose a house when you have time. But I'll pay for it myself. The Third Miss, please don't directly pay for it..."
"You are the young master of Honghua Building. After handling so many matters, the branch should give you rewards according to the gang rules. If you don't accept it, in the future, all the disciples will follow your example as the young master. Who will be willing to work hard for the gang? This matter will be recorded in the public account. I'm not giving you a red envelope with my private money."
When Yejingtang heard the Third Miss mention the allusion of "Zi Gong Redeeming a Slave", he naturally didn't decline anymore:
"Then the Third Miss can arrange it as you see fit."
"Alright. Waking me up in the middle of the night to comfort me. I don't know what you were thinking. Go to bed. I'm sleepy."
"The Third Miss, get some rest early."
Soon, Yejingtang got up and left the bedroom.
Pei Xiangjun fell back on the pillow, gently bit her lower lip, and looked at the closed door. She felt much better than before.
On the other side, in the imperial palace.
There was a problem in Fushou Palace. The craftsmen were reinforcing and dredging the tunnel overnight. To prevent disturbing the palace people, it had been sealed off. The Empress Dowager had moved to Changle Palace to stay temporarily.
It was late at night. It was already past the time to turn off the lights in the palace, but there was still a faint light in Cheng'an Hall.
The empress of the Great Wei Dynasty, wearing a red sheer nightgown, was lying on her side on the dragon bed. Her proud figure was faintly visible under the sheer fabric. Although she was wearing a nightgown, it was like a thin layer of mist, and it was almost the same as not wearing anything.
The Empress Dowager was a bit more conservative. She was wearing a dark red nightgown and leaning against the head of the bed. She was holding a book in her hand and reading intently by the lamp at night.
When she read the plot in the book where the male protagonist risked his life to sneak into the imperial mausoleum, opened the coffin, and reunited with the Empress Dowager and they hugged each other and wept with joy, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but gently bite her red lips, and her eyes showed a hint of sparkle.
The book wasn't thick. Reading one chapter meant one less chapter. The Empress Dowager was a bit reluctant to read it, so she closed the book and asked:
"Your Majesty, what happened to the heir apparent of the Prince of Liang during the reign of Empress Dowager Xuanyang in the previous dynasty?"
The empress of the Great Wei Dynasty had her eyes closed and seemed to be asleep. However, when the Empress Dowager asked the question, she still opened her lips slightly and said:
"There's no such story. After inheriting the throne, he was lecherous and had countless wives and concubines. He had more than seventy children alone."
"Ah."
The Empress Dowager slid down a bit and lay in front of the empress. She was a bit disbelieving:
"Can't be. According to what's written in the book, he was romantic, talented, and should have made some achievements..."
Even with her eyes closed, the empress of the Great Wei Dynasty could feel the helplessness on her face:
"Unofficial books can't be regarded as official history. Even if Empress Dowager Xuanyang had an affair with the heir apparent of the vassal prince, it was the heir apparent who fawned on her deliberately. With the power of Empress Dowager Xuanyang listening to government affairs behind a screen and suppressing all the civil and military officials in the court, how could she be like in the book, being seduced by a few words from a man and acting like a lovesick woman?"
The Empress Dowager retorted: "You can't say for sure. No matter how powerful a woman is, she's still a woman. Your Majesty, think about it. If that heir apparent of the Prince of Liang looked like Yejingtang, but was more proactive and lecherous than Yejingtang, and was full of sweet words and good at coaxing people, how many women in the world could resist him?"
The empress of the Great Wei Dynasty thought for a moment: "That's true. Liren used to have such a tough personality. I even thought she didn't like men. But look at how long it's been. Now she's chasing after Yejingtang all day long and has almost forgotten about me, her elder sister."
"There's nothing we can do about it. Yejingtang is really capable and also loyal. If Your Majesty had met him first, who knows, maybe you would have been 'from then on, the emperor didn't attend morning court'."
The empress of the Great Wei Dynasty opened her eyes and found it a bit funny:
"Then, is it actually a fortunate thing for the Great Wei that Liren has taken advantage for herself?"
The Empress Dowager was afraid that talking about this would affect the relationship between the empress and her sister, so she stopped the conversation in time:
"I was just joking. Fate is determined by heaven. The future Empress En of Your Majesty will surely be no less outstanding in appearance and talent than Yejingtang."
The empress of the Great Wei Dynasty secretly shook her head and didn't respond.
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and then remembered something. She said in a low voice:
"Speaking of Your Majesty's marriage, it's really not easy to handle. The crown prince is the foundation of the country. Without an heir, the people below will be uneasy. If there is an heir and he is established as the crown prince, the Great Wei will change its surname, and the vassal princes will surely rebel. The Green Bandits are bent on assassinating Liren precisely because Your Majesty only has Liren as an heir. If something happens to you two, the vassal princes won't even need to fight to inherit the throne..."
The empress of the Great Wei Dynasty knew that ascending the throne as a woman would inevitably face this deadlock. Either she had to strip the vassal princes of their military power so that no one in the world could disobey her orders anymore; or she had to have a same-surname marriage and compromise with the vassal princes of the imperial clan.
The empress' throne was won by her own ability, not given by the imperial clan. Ten years ago, she could make the eldest prince of the emperor take off his dragon robe and shout long live in front of the palace hall. How could she care about the vassal princes' attitudes in the future?
However, these things couldn't be said in front of the simple-minded Empress Dowager. The empress just said calmly:
"Let's take it one step at a time. We'll talk about these things later."
The Empress Dowager knew that this matter was difficult to handle. She let out a long sigh and didn't say anything more.
Rumble.
Just as the sky was breaking dawn, a muffled thunderclap sounded outside the window.
In the elegant and spacious side room, the curtains were drawn down, and it was completely quiet without any sound.
Yejingtang's eyelashes twitched, and then he opened his eyes. He found that it was already dawn and wanted to turn over and get up, but he felt a warmth on his arm.
He turned his head to look and saw the cold and beautiful woman who had changed back into her Kongshan Yuanyue underwear lying peacefully on his side. Her hands were folded on her waist, and her sleeping posture was very proper. Her picturesque eyebrows and eyes were just inches away, and her eyes moved slightly, looking as if she was still dreaming.
Yejingtang was slightly taken aback, and then a look of being flattered flashed through his eyes.
After all, they had slept together so many times. In the past, Ning'er would always run away quickly after it was over. This was the first time in his life that she was still by his side when he woke up in the morning.
Luo Ning had wanted to adjust his body yesterday and didn't want to tire him out after a day's work. Basically, she took the initiative from start to finish. It was impossible not to be tired. She was sleeping soundly and steadily and showed no sign of waking up at all.
Yejingtang looked at her for a long time and found that Ning'er's sleeping posture was really proper. Although he was reluctant to wake up the cold and beautiful female knight beside him, the trouble in the yamen hadn't been resolved yet. It definitely wasn't possible to stay in the tender embrace any longer. So he wanted to shake Ning'er awake.
But as soon as his fingers moved, Yejingtang felt that this way wasn't like that of a husband and wife. After thinking for a moment, he carefully leaned in front of her and gave her a good morning kiss.
Bo~
Luo Ning was lying flat and having a dream. The dream wasn't a shameful scene but that she was caught red-handed by the leader of the Pingtian Sect who suddenly came to the door. Zhe Yunli was also staring at her angrily, and she was protecting the little thief and trying to explain. It could be considered a nightmare.
Before she could explain clearly in the dream, Luo Ning found that the little thief in the dream had gone crazy and started to eat the rouge of her, the wife of the cult leader, in front of the leader of the Pingtian Sect, making the leader of the Pingtian Sect's face turn green...
"En~"
Luo Ning's eyelashes twitched, and she woke up. She was a bit dazed. Then the clear touch on her lips made her confirm that this wasn't a dream. She was so startled that she trembled slightly and quickly looked around to find the leader of the Pingtian Sect and Zhe Yunli. Then she reacted, and a look of murderous intent appeared in her eyes.
Plop.
Yejingtang, who was full of affection, had thought that Ning'er would look at him shyly when she woke up. As a result, he found that he had really thought too much.
The moment Luo Ning woke up in a start, she pressed Yejingtang down beside her and reached for the soft sword at her waist. When she found that she wasn't wearing a skirt, she looked around for it again:
"You little thief, today I..."
Yejingtang quickly raised his hand and sat up:
"It's already dawn. Get up quickly. The maid will come later."
As he spoke, he put on his robe with lightning speed.
Luo Ning held the three-foot green sword. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of shame and anger. She really wanted to beat this little thief a few times, but she was afraid that the Third Miss nearby would hear it, so she finally gave up.
The Third Miss knew that Yejingtang had worked hard yesterday, and the seductive woman was probably also very tired. She was very considerate. She had already taken Xiuhe to the courtyard of the eldest aunt early in the morning to avoid disturbing Yejingtang's rest. She also asked the kitchen to prepare breakfast in advance.
However, it was obvious that the matter of bringing the breakfast to the room to serve the young mistress was impossible. If they wanted to eat, they had to go and get it themselves.
After Yejingtang washed up and had breakfast, Luo Ning still hadn't finished dressing up. Maybe she was afraid of being encounter and was too embarrassed to come out together. He didn't stay for long.