Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Before long, Crown Prince Yinreng, along with Yinzhi, Yinzhi, and others, filed in and knelt on the ground in unison: "Your subjects pay their respects to Father Emperor."

Kangxi cleared his throat, suppressing a smile, and his tone regained its usual authority: "Rise, all of you. What brings you here?"

Crown Prince Yinreng was the first to rise and bow, saying, "Your Majesty, we have come to report on the recent lectures at the Imperial Academy and the selection of the chief examiners for the autumn imperial examinations. We would like to ask Your Majesty for a decision."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yinzhi stepped forward and said, "Father, I believe that the autumn examination is a grand ceremony for selecting talents, and the chief examiner should be judged on both virtue and knowledge. Mr. Zhang Ying, the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy, has a good reputation and is suitable for this position."

Emperor Kangxi tapped his fingertips lightly on the imperial desk, his gaze sweeping over his sons.

"Zhang Ying is indeed a suitable candidate; we will discuss this matter later. Yinzhi, how is the progress of your proofreading of the *Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books* at the bookstore?"

Yin Zhi quickly replied, his words clear and logical.

Emperor Kangxi listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

Kangxi paused, his eyes darkening.

"Father Emperor?" Yinzhi called out when he saw that Kangxi had not spoken for a long time.

Kangxi snapped out of his reverie, cleared his throat, and refocused his attention on his sons.

"Yinzhi's proofreading is commendable. However, the Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books is a vast work, requiring utmost care and attention. We must not lose our rigor in our haste to finish it."

"Your subject will remember your teachings, Father Emperor," Yinzhi replied, bowing.

Emperor Kangxi paused slightly in his hand holding the vermilion brush, and a drop of ink spread out on the memorial, creating a small blot.

He took a slight breath, maintaining his composure.

The vermilion brush on the emperor's desk made a soft "thud" and almost rolled off.

"Father?" The Crown Prince, noticing his father's unusual behavior, looked up with concern. "Are you alright?"

Emperor Kangxi's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

"It's alright, perhaps he didn't rest well last night." His voice was slightly deep as he glanced at the princes.

"I am aware of the matters you have reported. The selection of the chief examiners for the autumn imperial examinations will be discussed again at tomorrow's morning court. Yinreng, now that you are in charge of the Imperial Academy, you must pay close attention to the teaching and learning, and not slack off."

The Crown Prince quickly bowed and replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Yinreng was completely baffled; strangely, he felt that this scene was also very familiar.

Yinzhi and the others dared not ask any further questions, assuming that the emperor was indeed suffering from fatigue due to the strain of state affairs.

A thin layer of sweat almost imperceptibly seeped from Kangxi's forehead, and his thin lips were tightly pursed.

He then said in a deep voice, "If there's nothing else, you may leave. I'm feeling a bit tired."

"Your subject takes his leave." Although the princes had doubts, they dared not linger and bowed in unison before leaving.

As soon as the palace doors closed, Li Dequan couldn't help but steal a glance at Kangxi.

Wow, is it that exciting?

Emperor Kangxi closed his eyes tightly and supported his forehead with one hand.

Liu Yunshu wrapped her arms around his neck along his shoulders and gently breathed into his ear.

"Sanlang~ You don't dare to open your eyes and look at me. If you did, I don't believe your eyes are empty~"

Kangxi chuckled softly, turned around and pulled her into his arms, opening his eyes to look at her deeply.

"Why are you like this today..." His Adam's apple bobbed as he caressed her rosy lips, his voice low and indulgent.

"Sanlang doesn't like it?" Liu Yunshu gently tapped his chest with her fingertip.

Kangxi's low chuckle deepened, and he gently pinched her cheek with his fingertips, his stern gaze softening completely: "I like her. I like Yunshu no matter what she looks like."

Li Dequan quietly stepped back, silently chanting in his heart, "You can't see me, you can't see me."

The atmosphere in the imperial study was sickeningly sweet; it was hardly a place for a servant like him to stand.

He retreated into the shadows beside the palace gate, focusing his gaze on his nose and his mind, even his breathing became shallow.

All that could be faintly heard was Kangxi's low, hoarse laughter, mixed with the soft murmurs of a woman, and the occasional rustling of fabric.

After a long while, Kangxi's voice finally came from inside, carrying a hint of languor as if he had just been soothed: "Li Dequan."

Li Dequan quickly responded, bowed, and stepped forward, but only dared to stare at the ground: "This servant is here."

"Go to the Imperial Kitchen and issue an order to bring back the fresh lychees that were presented as tribute from Jiangnan yesterday, and also to make a few sweet desserts that Yunshu likes."

Kangxi's voice still carried a hint of amusement, "Furthermore, no one is allowed to disturb us."

"Yes, sir," Li Dequan replied respectfully.

Li Dequan carried the food box back to the Imperial Study, where the warm fragrance inside was even stronger than before.

He carefully placed the white jade plates from the food box onto the imperial desk, then bowed and withdrew.

Liu Yunshu leaned against Kangxi's chest, her black hair flowing like a waterfall, her fair skin half-covered by a thin shirt.

Kangxi wrapped one arm around her slender waist and gently combed her sweat-dampened hair with the other.

"Tired?"

Liu Yunshu's eyelashes trembled slightly as she picked up a glistening, translucent fruit with her delicate hand and brought it to Kangxi's lips. "Sanlang, have a taste~"

Emperor Kangxi did not rush to eat it, but first examined the lychee in Liu Yunshu's hand.

"No other fruit in the world can compare, its jade-like skin veiled in crimson gauze." Kangxi put a lychee into his mouth, the sweet juice melting on his tongue, but his gaze remained fixed on Liu Yunshu's smiling eyes. "Indeed, it is full of juice, sweet and refreshing."

Liu Yunshu also picked up a piece of fruit, put it in her mouth, and narrowed her eyes slightly, "Just as Sanlang said."

Kangxi took her damp fingertips into his mouth. She struggled slightly, but Kangxi held them even tighter. His tongue gently brushed against her fingertips, carrying the sweet scent of lychees he had just eaten. His smile was so deep it couldn't be more genuine: "Sweeter than lychees."

Liu Yunshu's cheeks flushed, and she reached out to push his chest, her voice as soft as honey: "Sanlang is teasing me again."

Kangxi chuckled softly, pulling her closer to his chest so she could lean more comfortably against his shoulder.

"How about I teach you how to paint peonies in the Imperial Study today?"

Liu Yunshu said "Oh," and became interested. "How do you draw it?"

Emperor Kangxi chuckled and swept the memorial to the ground.

The air in the Imperial Study was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and the large desk instantly became a temporary haven.

Kangxi reached out and took the cinnabar inkstick from the table, dipped his fingertip in a little cinnabar, and gently dabbed it on Liu Yunshu's smooth shoulder.

That vibrant red stood out strikingly against her fair skin, like a red plum blossom blooming in the snow.

"Draw it like this." His voice was low and husky. He held her wrist with his other hand and guided her hand to stroke the Xuan paper on the table.

With a light touch of the brush, a pale vermilion hue spreads, perfectly capturing the outline of a peony in its first bloom.

"This is the flower bud, which I will personally depict for you."

His voice, warm and scalding, whispered in her ear, "As for the petals..."

Kangxi tightened his grip on her wrist slightly, and his fingertips, dipped in cinnabar, slowly moved downwards.

Xiao Ba silently squatted on the roof beam, watching Kangxi teach his host to paint peonies.

Wow, that's a serious peony painting, truly amazing! Emperor Kangxi personally taught me! So worth it!

"Are you ticklish?"

"No, I didn't."

The sandalwood incense from the imperial study mingled with the ambergris on his body, forming a fine, dense net around his nose.

Kangxi chuckled softly, loosening his grip on her wrist. He then lightly traced the outline of the peony on the rice paper with the tip of his brush.

He put down his brush, reached into the vase, took the peony from it, and sniffed it. "Yun Shu, what do you think of my painting of peonies?"

"I only knew that Saburo was a master at governing the country, but now I know that his painting skills are also so exquisite."

Liu Yunshu tilted her head to look at the peony on the Xuan paper, which was gradually showing its beauty. Her eyes curved into a smile, and her tone was full of admiration.

A pleased smile appeared on Kangxi's lips.

"This Xuan paper is a royal tribute, a one-of-a-kind gift for me. Yunshu, how does it feel to paint on?"

"What Sanlang uses is naturally of the highest quality."

"Yun Shu, what do you think of this peony? How does it compare to the one I painted?"

Liu Yunshu glanced at the flowers in Kangxi's hand, then at the lifelike peonies on the Xuan paper.

"Is Sanlang testing me?"

Kangxi chuckled softly and gently touched her lips with the red peony in his hand.

The morning dew on the petals tinged with her lips, making them appear even more vibrant and alluring: "What do you think?"

Liu Yunshu gave him a reproachful look, "Sanlang's peony painting is so beautiful it seems to exude fragrance on the paper; but even the most beautiful real flower can't compare to..."

She paused, then added, "Not as vivid and lifelike as Sanlang's paintings."

"Fragrance on paper? Does the peony I painted for you have the fragrance of a real peony?"

Liu Yunshu looked up at Kangxi and said, "If we're comparing fragrance, each has its own, but real flowers have one more use than this painting."

"What?"

Didn't the Song Dynasty have a romantic "flower-themed event"?

"Planting flowers, appreciating flowers, savoring flowers, painting flowers, giving flowers as gifts..."

Kangxi continued speaking with tacit understanding.

"Sanlang also knows?"

Kangxi's smile deepened. "I not only know this, but I also know that 'appreciating flowers' is only truly romantic when done with a beloved. Today, let's follow the example of the ancients and use flowers as a medium to savor this simple joy of life."

Liu Yunshu lightly touched the petals with her fingertips, a smile playing at the corners of her eyes: "What new tricks has Sanlang come up with this time?"

Emperor Kangxi chuckled softly, reached for the candied fruit dish on the table, picked up a glistening amber peach kernel, and gently placed it in the center of a peony petal.

"This is the 'sweetness hidden in the heart of the flower.' In ancient times, people appreciated flowers mainly for their shape and fragrance. Today, we're going to taste the 'flavor within the flower.'"

As he spoke, he raised his hand, took off the petal that held the peach kernel, and offered it to Liu Yunshu's lips.

Liu Yunshu opened her mouth slightly, the sweetness of the petals mixed with the mellow aroma of peach kernels spreading on her tongue, her eyelashes fluttering slightly: "It really is a fresh taste."

Seeing this, Kangxi took another lychee and peeled out the flesh.

Carefully place it on another peony petal, bite off half of it yourself, and then use the remaining half to support it as you hand it over.

"Try this 'Lychee Fragrance Wrapped in Beauty' again; it's more elegant than simply eating lychee."

The two of them took turns piecing together petals, and before long they had broken the red peony down to just the stem.