Your waist is quite slender too.
Lu Hexu had never tried this sort of thing before.
He had originally detested this kind of thing.
The summer breeze was gentle, and the bundle of osmanthus branches placed in the room gave off a faint, lingering fragrance.
A full moon hung in the night sky. The woman tilted her head back slightly, her face catching the moonlight. The moonlight, like frost and clouds, cascaded down, covering her face.
Lu Hexu raised his hand. His expression was cold, and his fingertips were cold as well.
He slowly and deliberately caressed Su Zhenzhen's damp eyes and brows, sliding his fingers down along her cheeks.
He also hated tonight's moon, but the Mid-Autumn moon was always so round and bright, making it impossible to ignore.
Lu Hexu opened his mouth and took the woman's upturned jaw between his lips, as if swallowing that layer of moonlight along with it.
He felt as though he could taste the cold, ethereal moonlight.
Su Zhenzhen opened her eyes and looked down, meeting the youth's soft, fair face. A dark red tongue licked across her jaw, and his black eyes turned upward, watching her quietly.
Su Zhenzhen could hear her own ragged breathing, her heart feeling as if it would leap out of her throat.
She reached out, slipping her fingertips into the youth's soft hair, and then untied his hairband.
The youth's long hair cascaded down. His face, bathed in the moonlight, exuded a bewitching beauty.
Su Zhenzhen's fingertips tangled in his hair, slowly clenching into a fist.
The long black hair entwined around her pale white fingers, creating a striking contrast.
The sensation of his hair being pulled transmitted from his scalp, and a strange flush rose on Lu Hexu's cold, pale skin.
Su Zhenzhen heard the youth's muffled groan. His lips, which were holding her jaw, tightened slightly, sending a faint twinge of pain.
The youth's arms around her waist tightened even more.
His strength was already immense to begin with.
Su Zhenzhen felt as if her waist was about to snap.
Wait, wait a minute... Su Zhenzhen mumbled indistinctly, trying to get up.
Lu Hexu let out a low sigh.
No, she breaks too easily.
He relaxed his grip and placed a soothing kiss on the woman's lips.
Su Zhenzhen was forced to calm down, but she still felt a lingering sense of unease.
Lu Hexu panted softly, holding the woman's waist and rubbing gently against her.
Su Zhenzhen's consciousness was consumed by alcohol. She did not know what was happening as the youth started kissing her clingily again.
Su Zhenzhen half-closed her eyes and saw a crimson flush rising on the youth's pale cheeks, like a gradient pink blush settling on his face. It gathered especially under his eyes, making his gaze look both innocent and intensely lustful.
Looking at the youth's beautiful, flushed face, Su Zhenzhen's physical pleasure overcame her psychological unease.
She pulled even tighter on the youth's black hair, even turning her head to bite down on a strand as they entangled fiercely.
The hands gripping her waist suddenly tightened, then loosened.
It felt like something wet was beneath her skirt.
Lu Hexu lay there, his gaze sweeping over the woman's face. He stared at her, his eyes filled with the calm that follows release.
Su Zhenzhen, eyes bleary, touched something with her fingertips.
She raised her hand, sniffed it, and frowned. What is this? It's so dirty...
Lu Hexu picked up the woman in his arms and placed her on the bed.
The woman was already fast asleep. A patch of her skirt was wet; in such weather, it would dry quickly.
Lu Hexu stared at that spot for a moment. He walked over to the wardrobe and opened it, as if popping an inflated balloon.
Bundles of clothes spilled out from inside, piling up in a wrinkled heap at his feet.
Lu Hexu, nearly buried in the clothes, stood quietly for a moment. He raised his hand to remove a garment draped over his head, then bent down, randomly picked out a piece of clothing from the pile, and walked back to change Su Zhenzhen into it.
It was only the outer skirt that had gotten dirty.
Casually tossing the dirty skirt into the courtyard pond to soak, Lu Hexu walked three steps away before turning back. He stared at the skirt for a while, then reached out and began to wash it.
The light, thin skirt was thrown over a bamboo pole, dripping wet.
He went back inside holding a handkerchief. First, he wiped Su Zhenzhen's face, and then he wiped the substance off her hands.
Before leaving, Lu Hexu noticed the bundle of osmanthus branches in the room.
He reached out, pulled one out, and held it beneath his nose.
So fragrant.
The youth's pale, slender fingers gripped the thin, brown osmanthus branch. With a gentle snap, the osmanthus flower's head drooped.
Lu Hexu slightly lowered his eyes. The restlessness in his heart had not yet faded, and the lingering afterglow tormented him, but he could not continue.
Su Zhenzhen broke too easily.
She was scared of seeing dead people.
She was scared of hearing about murder.
She was scared of being locked in the imperial prison.
Even when held in his arms, she was still scared.
So delicate.
Why was she so hard to keep?
Moonlight flooded the ground. Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, but Wei Heng no longer had a family. After his entire clan was condemned years ago, he was the only one who had managed to survive in disgrace.
In the past, Han Shuo would have invited him over for a small gathering. The two unmarried men would sit together, drink some osmanthus wine, peel crabs, share a mooncake, and then argue over whether red bean paste or mixed nut mooncakes tasted better.
But now, something had happened to Han Shuo.
The city patrol guards were detaining him and refused to hand him over.
The person guarding the government office was none other than the Marquis of Ningyuan, Zhao Lingyun, who had a terrible relationship with Han Shuo.
The criminal's case file has not been closed, and by law, all visitations are forbidden. This is the law of the state and absolutely cannot be violated. Zhao Lingyun, dressed in plain clothes with a white mourning sash tied around his waist, stood gloomily blocking Wei Heng's path, carrying a faint scent of blood.
Wei Heng returned without success. After rushing all this way, he had not even managed to catch a single glimpse of Han Shuo.
Wearing a thin cloak, he hurriedly dismounted and returned to the Qingliang Palace.
A young eunuch nearby came forward to take the cloak from his hands.
Wei Heng asked in a low voice, Has His Majesty returned?
The young eunuch, who had been guarding the entrance of the Qingliang Hall, replied, He just got back.
Mhm. Wei Heng gave a low response. He first went to the adjacent side room to tidy his clothes and hat, then turned and left the room, heading toward the main hall.
The hall was still covered with reed blinds, which were only half-rolled up at night to reveal the pale moonlight.
However, today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and according to His Majesty's habits, he would be displeased on Mid-Autumn days as well.
The reed blinds shouldn't have been rolled up today at all; the new young eunuch was simply too ignorant of the rules.
The words on the tip of Wei Heng's tongue stopped instantly. He stood there, nervously raising his eyes to look at Lu Hexu, who was sitting behind the imperial desk.
The youth had changed into casual attire. The bright imperial colors he wore only accentuated his youthful vigor. But this was merely a facade. Once you met this emperor's eyes, you would sense the hostility hidden beneath that bright and beautiful exterior.
This was a capricious and unpredictable tyrant.
No one could fathom him.
Even Wei Heng, who had served Lu Hexu for so many years, had never understood what was on His Majesty's mind.
Wei Heng took a silent breath, stepped forward softly, and carefully untied the cords holding the reed blinds.
The half-rolled reed blinds fell downward.
Lu Hexu raised his eyes, glanced at it, and said, The moonlight is nice.
Wei Heng's hands paused. He stared at the reed blinds in front of him for a moment. Because his back was turned to the young emperor, he wasn't sure if this was a genuine compliment or not.
Fine beads of sweat trickled down Wei Heng's forehead. With trembling fingertips, he rolled the reed blinds back up.
The moonlight spilled in once again, illuminating his pale face.
With no movement behind him, Wei Heng stood there slightly bowed, finally confirming that the words just spoken were true.
Because His Majesty hated the Mid-Autumn Festival, the traditionally grand Mid-Autumn banquet in the palace had been canceled according to the rules.
The usual ceaseless singing, feasting, and aroma of wine had vanished today.
In the entire Qingliang Palace, only a bright moon remained to declare today's joy.
Wei Heng thought that a child who had never felt the joy of the Mid-Autumn Festival, yet was forced to watch others enjoy it, would certainly dislike it.
Although children grow up, the void in their hearts does not heal with time; instead, they become more acutely aware of their childhood fears, desires, and unattainability.
What do you think, Wei Heng?
Wei Heng turned around and bowed to Lu Hexu. Yes, the moonlight is beautiful today.
Wei Heng pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth to keep his voice from trembling.
Is there something the matter? Lu Hexu sat behind the imperial desk, playing with an osmanthus flower in his hand, seemingly in a very good mood.
Wei Heng took a step forward and cupped his hands. Your Majesty, tonight, Han Shuo was arrested.
Why? Lu Hexu brought the osmanthus to his nose, sniffing it with extreme leisure.
It is said he killed a dancer who was accompanying him for drinks.
Wei Heng had always known that Han Shuo liked to drink at brothels, and there was no explicit rule in the court forbidding officials from visiting entertainment venues. After all, in the Great Zhou dynasty, brothels were legitimate businesses.
They had originally agreed to enjoy the moon and drink together when Han Shuo returned tonight, but unexpectedly, Wei Heng received news of his arrest instead.
Wei Heng bowed and knelt down. Han Shuo can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Although he has a quick temper, he is not someone who kills indiscriminately. Your Majesty, there must be a hidden truth behind this matter.
Lu Hexu rested his chin on one hand. Let the Dali Court investigate.
Wei Heng knew that the Minister of the Dali Court, Song Jiangshen, did not pander to the powerful and cared for the people. If Han Shuo was truly innocent, leaving it in his hands would be reassuring.
Wei Heng let out a long breath of relief. Thank you, Your Majesty.
Besides this, Wei Heng had another matter.
Your Majesty, the autumn sacrifice at the Imperial Temple is approaching. You should prepare.
According to custom, the Emperor would choose an auspicious day in autumn to visit the Imperial Temple for sacrifices, praying for the ancestors to bless the Great Zhou with favorable weather and the people with peace and prosperity.
Hangover.
Su Zhenzhen propped herself up. The moment she opened her eyelids, she squinted against the bright sun outside.
So bright.
She felt as if she had just had a beautiful spring dream.
Although she could not remember the details, the face of the young man in her dream was dazzlingly beautiful.
Su Zhenzhen lifted her skirt and got out of bed, suddenly realizing that the dress she was wearing seemed to have been changed.
She was not wearing this one yesterday, was she?
The window was half-open, and the dress in the courtyard was already half-dry in the sun.
Su Zhenzhen was stunned.
Was she this diligent when drunk?
Thinking of this, Su Zhenzhen turned to look at the wide-open wardrobe; the clothes had also been hung up piece by piece.
It seemed she could drink more often in the future.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the temperature began to drop, and the tyrant was finally going to leave Qingliang Mountain and return to Jinling.
Before that, there was an autumn sacrifice event at the Imperial Temple that needed to be completed.
During the autumn sacrifice, besides offering sacrifices to heaven, earth, and ancestors, the Emperor would personally use a hoe to harvest grain in the fields. This action was meant to convey to the people that the Emperor cared for all his subjects.
Before leaving, Su Zhenzhen went to the Temple of the Medicine King and finished copying the last remaining stone tablet.
She saw a fresh jasmine flower on the enlightenment desk in the side hall.
Su Zhenzhen had not been here for a long time. Such a fresh jasmine flower was obviously replaced recently.
She picked up the note on the desk and found that her pen pal had written a lot to her.
Most of it was about his daily life, such as his teacher being obsessed with divination and recently getting out of control, looking like a madman.
Or that he was going to the Imperial Temple and wondered if she would go along.
There was also a small square box on the enlightenment desk, which her pen pal said was a gift for her.
Su Zhenzhen opened the box and found half a jade pendant inside.
Su Zhenzhen wrote down that she would accompany the trip to the Imperial Temple. After accepting the half jade pendant, she left a few bottles of soothing pills she had made herself.
Sitting in the departing carriage, Su Zhenzhen felt a bit reluctant to leave that small courtyard.
Can we still go back? she turned and asked the young man leaning against the carriage wall.
Because the autumn heat was fierce, Lu Hexu lost his energy as soon as he got into the carriage.
Holding Su Zhenzhen's bamboo wife, he lay there resting with his eyes closed and lazily said, Next year.
Next year?
That was worth waiting for.
By the way, have you heard the news that the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was arrested and taken to the Dali Court? Su Zhenzhen leaned over and spoke close to the young man's ear.
The light, warm breath exhaled by the woman as she spoke inexplicably reminded Lu Hexu of her wet skirt hem from that day.
Lu Hexu pressed the bamboo wife under him, his voice mixed with something else. Mm.
Just before Su Zhenzhen got into the carriage, she had seen from afar the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Li Jinhuai, riding on a tall horse, guarding the imperial procession.
Because the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Han Shuo, was still locked up in the Dali Court, the Vice Commander, Li Jinhuai, temporarily replaced him to protect the Emperor's safety on the way to the Imperial Temple this time.
Su Zhenzhen's memory of the original novel was not coherent; most of the time, she would only recall a certain plot point because of a specific person or event.
For example, this Li Jinhuai reminded Su Zhenzhen of the abdication incident at the Imperial Temple.
The original novel stated that although Wang Ji had taken over the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he had always been at odds with Commander Han Shuo, so he schemed to replace Han Shuo with Li Jinhuai.
Li Jinhuai had his weakness exploited by Shen Yanci. Originally, he did not have the guts to participate in the assassination of the tyrant, but he had no choice; if he disobeyed, he would lose his life.
In the original novel, Han Shuo was framed for the murder of a dancer and sent to the Dali Court, so Li Jinhuai took his place.
Subsequently, the tyrant went to the Imperial Temple for the autumn sacrifice.
Following Shen Yanci's orders, Li Jinhuai replaced more than half of the Embroidered Uniform Guard with men from Zhao Lingyun's patrol camp.
All these replacements were Zhao Lingyun's trusted subordinates.
When the time came, Zhao Lingyun would lead the patrol camp to surround the Imperial Temple under the guise of protecting the Emperor, and then coordinate with the people inside. The entire Imperial Temple would then be completely under his control.
Although many of the previous original plots had not progressed according to the original novel, Su Zhenzhen was very confident about the plot development this time.
She could see no flaws in this scheme.
Therefore, Su Zhenzhen pressed close to the young man's ear and whispered again, The tyrant is going to die.
Lu Hexu's closed eyes slowly opened.
His body did not move; his pupils merely shifted, and he leaned slightly toward Su Zhenzhen's direction.
Why? Lu Hexu asked.
Because he just had to die.
In the original novel's plot, that tyrant died right at the Imperial Temple.
Wang Ji controlled the inner palace.
Zhou Changfeng controlled the army.
Zhao Lingyun controlled Jinling.
And these three men were all firmly under the control of Shen Yanci.
The entirety of the Great Zhou, inside and out, was under Shen Yanci's influence. Even without ascending to the throne, he had already become the secret ruler of the Great Zhou, completely stripping the tyrant of his power.
The reason Shen Yanci hadn't yet reached out to take that position was that he still needed a justifiable opportunity.
At that time, the tyrant's reputation among the common people was already terrible.
During this Autumn Festival, the vegetation around the altar would suddenly wither, and the main hall of the imperial temple would catch fire. Such an ominous event was seen as a sign of great disaster.
When this matter spread to the commoners, a folk religion called the Qingxu Taixuan Society, which had already gathered many believers, heavily publicized it. They brought up the affairs of the previous dynasty, declaring that the late Emperor of the Great Zhou had obtained the throne illegitimately, which was why this disaster had been brought upon them.
In truth, the common people didn't care about these matters at all; all they cared about was whether they could live a good life. It didn't matter to them who became the emperor.
They were told that all their current hardships were caused by that tyrant.
At the same time, the Daoist master of the Qingxu Taixuan Society pointed out that the Crown Prince left behind by the Emperor of the previous Great Yan dynasty was the orthodox ruler ordained by heaven, and he would surely save the people from their suffering.
Rumors spread everywhere, and the people began to rally around the former Crown Prince.
Only then did Shen Yanci's identity slowly reveal itself to the public.
Although there were dissenters, faced with Shen Yanci's powerful faction in the court, they no longer had the strength to resist.
Inside the imperial temple, right in front of the late Emperor of the Great Zhou, Shen Yanci personally wrote an edict of abdication for himself.
This was his revenge.
He insisted on doing this personally in front of the memorial tablet of the late Emperor of the Great Zhou.
The empire of his Great Yan ultimately still belonged to him, Shen Yanci.
"That tyrant will be hacked into pieces, impossible to piece back together."
That tyrant was a madman to begin with. The original novel mentioned that he would be besieged by Zhao Lingyun leading the patrol camp.
It was said that during the siege, he killed many people.
In the end, he lay in a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, dying in madness, his body hacked into pieces.
Ah, she couldn't think about it anymore.
Su Zhenzhen hugged Sushan in her arms, petting the cat to soothe the goosebumps all over her body, while remembering that she had also brought a small piece of ice out with her.
It was mainly because after her last trip to the streets, she realized how expensive ice was outside. Therefore, when she left, Su Zhenzhen couldn't bear to part with that piece of ice. She wrapped it in a thicker towel and brought it onto the carriage, and wasn't it coming in handy now?
Su Zhenzhen took the ice block out of the bamboo basket. When she tilted her head and saw the young man, a thought crossed her mind.
Lu Hexu felt a chill washing over the top of his head.
He opened his eyes, reached out his hand, and touched something.
"Don't move, it's an ice block wrapped in a towel. Apply it for a little while; once it melts later, you won't be able to use it."
Su Zhenzhen advised with a serious face, then reached out to adjust the position of the ice towel for him.
[So cute, so cute, so cute.]
The autumn heatwave was no less powerful than the peak of summer, draining all of Lu Hexu's energy. The ice block on his head gave him a brief burst of vitality.
He watched the woman with her back to him, stealthily taking out a hand mirror.
It was a commercial good brought in from overseas, very expensive. Su Zhenzhen had traded several bottles of medicine with a female official to get it.
The mirror's design was similar to a modern handheld makeup mirror. The top part was a round, palm-sized piece of glass with carved copper patterns, and it had a handle at the bottom.
The clarity of the mirror was astonishing; although not as clear as modern ones, it was much clearer than the blurry bronze mirror she used before.
Su Zhenzhen sneakily used it to look at Mu Dan.
In the mirror, the young man was lying there askew, hugging her bamboo wife in his arms, with the ice block resting on his head.
Two corners of the towel wrapping the ice block were pulled out, standing up like cat ears.
It looked just like he was wearing cat ears.
While Su Zhenzhen was secretly admiring the sight, she unexpectedly met the young man's gaze in the mirror.
She quickly pretended to be looking at herself in the mirror, and then held it up for Sushan to look into.
"Meow~"
Lu Hexu's gaze moved from the mirror to Su Zhenzhen's back.
Perhaps because she had been eating well in the Qingliang Palace, last year's autumn clothes were already a bit tight.
The thin fabric clung to her body, highlighting her feminine curves.
The original owner of the body had a rather slender figure with excellent proportions.
Sloping shoulders, a narrow waist, and warm jade-like skin made her particularly suited for wearing dresses in colors like pale pink, light green, and sky blue.
Today, Su Zhenzhen was wearing a light green autumn shirt, revealing a hint of the warm skin hidden underneath.
Lu Hexu reached out his hand, his fingertips sliding down the woman's spine.
Su Zhenzhen instinctively straightened her back, her whole face involuntarily flushing red.
[Wh-what...]
[It tickles...]
"Mm..." Su Zhenzhen dodged forward.
The carriage was narrow, and she shrank into the corner, which actually made it more convenient for Lu Hexu.
Lu Hexu grabbed her waist from behind with one hand, his thumb rubbing across it. Through the thin layer of gauze dress, the soft, fair skin underneath was visible. Because she was bending over to hold the cat, her slender sash was pulled tight, pressing against the delicate curves and soft flesh of her back.
"Your waist is also very thin."
-
The imperial temple was located at the border of Gusu and Jinling, having been relocated there over a decade ago.
The late Emperor was constantly plagued by nightmares, and the State Preceptor claimed there was a problem with the imperial temple.
The imperial temple was the ancestral tomb of the royal family. Usually, when something went wrong for the living, they would consider moving the ancestral tomb.
For a common family, moving an ancestral tomb meant finding a place with beautiful scenery and hiring a few people to relocate it.
But this was the imperial temple.
It wasn't just some random little dirt mound.
According to the State Preceptor's instructions, the late Emperor prepared to rebuild an imperial temple on a carefully selected auspicious site.
He built the imperial temple from the ground up.
At that time, the late Emperor undertook massive construction projects, causing widespread dissatisfaction among the people. In order to build the imperial temple perfectly as the State Preceptor dictated, he even emptied the national treasury at one point. With no money left in the treasury, they naturally had to find a way to get more, so the higher-ups came up with various exorbitant taxes and levies. The commoners rioted for a while, but there was nothing they could do.
After the late Emperor relocated the imperial temple according to the State Preceptor's wishes, the frequency of his nightmares indeed decreased significantly. From then on, the late Emperor completely trusted this State Preceptor. Whether it was major court affairs, harem matters, or even issues concerning his heirs, he would consult the State Preceptor.
It was said that even the choice of the Crown Prince at that time was determined by this State Preceptor.
The imperial temple wasn't a place just anyone could enter. Even someone as noble as the Emperor had to enter within designated times. Therefore, a palace maid like Su Zhenzhen definitely couldn't enter the temple; they had to temporarily stay in the makeshift tents set up on the outskirts of the imperial temple.
Although the conditions here couldn't compare to the Qingliang Palace, Su Zhenzhen still managed to get a small tent, thanks to Mu Dan.
This actually felt a bit like camping.
Because it was said that it would rain in the coming days, the temporary tents were built on higher ground.
Su Zhenzhen stood on a small dirt mound and saw a small grove of persimmon trees not far ahead.
Su Zhenzhen felt a little greedy.
She wondered if the persimmons were ripe this season?
-
The imperial temple hadn't been built for long. It covered tens of thousands of square meters, exhausting the nation and its people, all just to enshrine a few memorial tablets.
Lu Hexu stood in the main hall, facing the memorial tablets of a hundred emperors enshrined before him.
His gaze swept over the memorial tablets one by one, then he turned and headed toward the eastern side hall.
Wei Heng followed behind Lu Hexu, hesitating to speak.
Before the sacrificial ceremony began, even the Emperor was not allowed to enter the imperial temple.
Yet this living ancestor had walked right in.
In the darkness, the black glazed tiles of the eastern side hall's hip-and-gable roof loomed in the moonlight.
Lu Hexu raised his hand and pushed open the hall doors.
The eastern and western side halls housed the memorial tablets of meritorious officials and famous generals.
Lu Hexu's gaze swept over them quickly. It was not there.
He turned and continued toward the western hall.
A moment later, Lu Hexu emerged from the western hall, stood outside, and looked up at the full moon overhead.
Even though the Mid-Autumn Festival had passed, the moon remained dazzlingly round.
Lu Hexu's gaze returned to the main hall once more.
He turned and went back into the main hall.
The main hall was brightly lit with candles. In front of the tiered stands for the memorial tablets sat an incense altar table, holding sacrificial vessels like censers, candlesticks, and incense tubes. Heavy bright yellow curtains hung on both sides, and every tablet had been wiped spotlessly clean.
Expressionless, Lu Hexu stepped forward, swept the items off the altar table with one hand, and then vaulted onto the stand.
Half of the shrines up there were also knocked down by him.
Wei Heng knelt behind this unruly master. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, only shuffling forward on his knees to right the fallen candlesticks on the floor.
Tablelets scattered across the floor, but Lu Hexu did not care in the slightest. He casually kicked away a row of tablets in front of him, his eyes patrolling the back row.
Finally, he found it in the corner.
That tablet was hidden by the bright yellow curtain. During a normal ceremony, even the Emperor would not notice any changes to the tablets.
After all, who would dare tamper with the imperial temple?
Lu Hexu's robes brushed past the surrounding tablets as he walked over to this last one. He squatted down, tilted his head to look at it for a while, then picked it up with one hand and tossed it in front of Wei Heng.
The gold-painted nanmu wood tablet was not easily broken, landing on the jade bricks with a loud clatter.
Wei Heng knelt there with his head bowed, not daring to look up.
Lu Hexu squatted on the tablet stand, resting his cheek in one hand. The Great Ming's Emperor Anzong, Fengtian Ludao Cilian Gongmin Zhangwenyi.
Wei Heng, do we have this emperor?
Wei Heng paused, raising his head slightly as his gaze fell upon this seemingly brand-new tablet.
He stared at the tablet in confusion. No.
Lu Hexu stepped down from the stand step by step. The candlelight flickered in the hall, casting mottled, overlapping shadows over him. Right? We don't.
The young man squatted in front of him, tilting his head and leaning close to his face.
It was Wei Heng's first time seeing Lu Hexu's face from such a close distance.
Slender eyelashes, fair skin, an emperor who had yet to shed his youthful appearance, but the sinister ruthlessness in his eyes could not be concealed.
Did you place it here?
A hand rested on his shoulder, and Wei Heng felt a heavy force bearing down on his shoulder blade, as if trying to crush it.
No... it wasn't this servant...
Cold sweat beaded on Wei Heng's forehead, and his kneeling body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Finally, the force lifted from his shoulder.
So it really wasn't you. But besides you, who else knows? They're all dead... Oh, there's one more person still alive.
Lu Hexu stood up unhurriedly and kicked over the altar table.
The incense burner toppled, and the offerings scattered. Lu Hexu raised his eyes to look at this incomparably magnificent main hall of the imperial temple, bent down to pick up the candlestick Wei Heng had set on the floor, and hurled it forward.
Su Zhenzhen was awakened by the sound of gongs being struck.
She sat up in a daze and heard people running past outside, shouting, The main hall of the imperial temple is on fire!
Because entry to the imperial temple was currently forbidden, there was no one inside.
The nearby fire brigade immediately assembled to put out the fire, and the on-duty Brocade Guards joined in to assist. The fire was quickly brought under control, but she heard that more than half of the main hall had already burned down. The memorial tablets inside were all blackened by smoke, and the sacrificial ceremony had to be postponed.
Su Zhenzhen watched the commotion for a while, though she could not actually see much. She could only see the brightly lit area around the imperial temple in the distance, figuring they were probably trying to decide what to do.
Su Zhenzhen let out a yawn, carried her gauze lantern back to her small tent, and went back to sleep. Just as she lay down and drifted into a hazy slumber, she felt something touching her face.
It was so cold and wet.
Su Zhenzhen forced her eyes open and saw the young man standing by her bed, holding a glazed lantern. His beautiful knuckles were pinching her cheeks, squeezing them like a stress-relief toy.
She was simply too sleepy.
Su Zhenzhen's resistance proved futile. The young man continued to pinch her unhurriedly, his body carrying the scent of damp moisture mixed with a faint burnt smell.
Su Zhenzhen fell completely asleep.
Having finished setting the fire, he had returned to check on the person he was raising.
