You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

An hour later, in the bedroom of the Wang residence, the red silk curtains were warm.

A lingering, enchanting scent filled the air, a blend of the woman's sweet fragrance and a faint aftertaste of ambergris.

Chen Yurou was only wearing a lotus-colored nightgown, her black hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall, with a few strands of sweat-dampened hair sticking to her rosy cheeks.

Her eyes were even more radiant and captivating than before, exuding a seductive charm that seemed to overflow from the corners of her eyes and brows.

She lay on her side amidst the disheveled brocade quilt, looking at Lu Zuo sitting on the edge of the bed, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up.

Seeing that Lu Zuo was about to get up, Chen Yurou quickly sat up as well, put her feet down barefoot, and knelt obediently at Lu Zuo's feet: "Your Majesty, let your humble servant serve you."

Her movements were delicate, her fingertips occasionally brushing unintentionally against Lu Zuo's ankle, with a teasing undertone.

He thought to himself, "This kind of servant work, I'm strangely finding it quite enjoyable now..."

After helping him put on his boots and socks, she got up and took his regular clothes to put on him.

"His Majesty."

As she straightened Lu Zuo's clothes, she said softly, "The manor has prepared some wine and dishes. Although they are not as exquisite as the imperial cuisine, they are still refreshing."

"Your Majesty has worked hard and must be hungry by now, so perhaps..."

"Shall we leave our lunch here?"

Her eyes were filled with expectation. At this moment, she kept him around not entirely to secure his favor or to plead for the master, but more out of a selfish desire to spend a little more time with him.

Lu Zuo looked down at the stunningly beautiful woman with eyes full of spring water, a stark contrast to her panicked yet composed demeanor an hour ago.

He reached out and lifted her chin, his fingertips tracing her delicate skin, and nodded: "Okay."

Chen Yurou's face immediately lit up with a smile, as if she had received some great favor. She quickly called out, "Chuntao, bring the wine and dishes prepared in the small kitchen directly to the bedroom!"

Before long, several obsequious maids filed in, set out wine and dishes on the round sandalwood table in the bedroom, and then quickly and silently withdrew, not daring to raise their heads the entire time.

The dishes were indeed exquisite, and the wine was a fine vintage aged for many years.

Chen Yurou personally poured wine for Lu Zuo, filled her own glass, and sat down next to him.

After a few cups of warm wine, her blush deepened, and she grew bolder. She leaned softly against Lu Zuo, holding a peeled crystal grape between her fingers, and offered it to his lips, her breath sweet as orchids: "Your Majesty, try this. Is it sweet?"

Lu Zuo ate from her hand and casually put his arm around her slender waist.

Chen Yurou chuckled, her eyes sparkling: "Your Majesty is so naughty... You tormented me like that just now, and my legs are still weak."

"Oh? Your Majesty seems to be in very good spirits."

"That was because I was overjoyed to see His Majesty..."

Chen Yurou pressed her face against Lu Zuo's shoulder, her voice soft and gentle, full of affection.

......

At this moment, at the gate of the Wang residence, Wang Boyan, dressed in an official robe, hurriedly alighted from his sedan chair, his forehead covered with fine sweat from his hurried journey.

He had just heard his trusted servant rushing in at the yamen to report that "the Emperor has arrived at the mansion," and he was terrified. He immediately asked for leave and rushed back.

"Master!" The old servant at the door hurriedly came forward.

"What's going on? Why did His Majesty suddenly come to the manor?" Wang Boyan asked anxiously, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

His Majesty has disliked those who advocate peace these past few days, and his sudden visit is certainly not a good thing.

Could it be that one of the impeachment memorials has taken effect? ​​Or has there been a flaw in the audit of the accounts?

The old servant looked strange and stammered, "Master, I don't quite know either... After His Majesty came in, Madam went to greet him."

"Later...later His Majesty and his wife went together to the inner courtyard...to the wife's bedroom..."

"Went to the bedroom?" Wang Boyan's voice suddenly rose, his eyes widening. "How long were you gone?!"

"It's been...it's been over an hour, and he still hasn't come out. His Majesty's guards and eunuchs are all stationed outside the courtyard, not allowing anyone else to approach." The old servant lowered his head, not daring to look at his master's instantly ashen face.

boom!

Wang Boyan felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and his ears were ringing.

He dared not think any further; his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an icy hand, both painful and suffocating.

Wang Boyan could no longer care about anything else. He lifted the hem of his official robe and staggered toward his bedroom in the inner courtyard.

His mind was in complete turmoil the whole way.

It's a misunderstanding, it must be a misunderstanding!

Perhaps His Majesty is simply tired and looking for a place to rest?

Perhaps they are asking about some confidential matter?

He rushed to the moon gate of the courtyard where the bedroom was located, and as expected, he was stopped by two expressionless guards with their hands on the hilts of their swords.

"Stop!"

"Gentlemen, I am Wang Boyan. This is my residence. I heard that His Majesty is inside, so I came to pay my respects..." Wang Boyan forced a smile and cupped his hands in greeting.

"His Majesty has ordered that he is drinking and conversing in his room, and no one is to disturb him." The guard's voice was cold and firm, brooking no argument.

Drinking and chatting?

Drinking and talking in the bedroom?

Wang Boyan's smile froze, and his blood surged again.

He tried to peek inside, but the guard blocked his view completely with his sword sheath.

Just as he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, yet dared not force his way in, faint sounds came from inside the bedroom.

That tone, that content, was definitely not something an ordinary ruler and his subject, or guest and host should have!

Wang Boyan felt a sweet taste in his throat, a metallic taste rose in his mouth, and his vision went black.

it is true!

Damn it!

He trembled violently, his fists clenched tightly beneath his official robes, his nails digging deep into his palms, yet he felt no pain.

Boundless humiliation, anger, and a sense of utter humiliation, like ice water mixed with flames, overwhelmed him.

He wanted to rush in, to roar, to question...

But that's the emperor!

He is a monarch who holds the power of life and death!

What can he do inside?

Are we going to our deaths?

Will the entire Wang family be wiped out along with them?

His feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch.

Going in would be a dead end, leading to the downfall of the entire family.

If he didn't go in, he would have to endure this utter disgrace. He could hear his wife's flirtatious laughter and conversation with another man coming from inside the room.

Wang Boyan's face turned from green to white, then from white to red, and finally turned ashen.

He turned around abruptly, no longer daring to listen or look at the tightly closed door. He staggered unsteadily toward the courtyard, his back hunched, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

It's over, it's over...

All that remained in his heart was a chilling emptiness and a desperate lament.

……

Two full hours passed.

Lu Zuocai, with Chen Yurou's reluctant support, walked out of the bedroom.

At this moment, Chen Yurou's pretty face was still flushed, and her eyes were full of spring-like charm, exuding a lazy and satisfied style.

She clung tightly to Lu Zuo, almost leaning half her body against his arm, her voice so soft and sweet it could drip water:

"Your Majesty... will you come again tomorrow?"

Before Lu Zuo could answer, he caught a glimpse of a figure hunched over like a frostbitten eggplant under the sycamore tree in the courtyard. It was Wang Boyan, whose face was ashen and whose eyes were empty.

He had clearly been standing there for quite some time, and probably heard about 70-80% of what was happening inside the house later.

Upon seeing Lu Zuo emerge, Wang Boyan trembled as if whipped, and hurriedly staggered forward, falling to his knees with a thud: "Your subject..."

"Your subject, Wang Boyan, pays his respects to Your Majesty..."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

His heart was already filled with humiliation, anger, and fear, as if it were being fried in oil and on fire.

In broad daylight, in my mansion, in my bedroom!

It lasted for more than two hours!

But what could he do? Before him stood the emperor, the Son of Heaven who could easily decide his life, death, honor, and disgrace!

He could only kneel and bow, swallowing this humiliation whole!

"Rise," Lu Zuo said in a flat tone, as if he were just passing by and giving a greeting.

"Thank you... thank you, Your Majesty..."

Wang Boyan struggled to his feet, stood to the side with his head bowed, not daring to look at Lu Zuo, much less at his wife who now had a spring in her eyes and was completely different from her usual dignified self.

Lu Zuo's gaze swept over Wang Boyan's body, which was trying hard to suppress but still couldn't control the slight trembling, and then glanced at Chen Yurou beside him, whose eyes were full of seductive charm, and said:

"Wang Qing, ...very good."

He paused deliberately, then added meaningfully, "From now on, treat him well and do not let my 'good intentions' go to waste."

boom!

These words struck Wang Boyan like a thunderbolt!

very nice?

Treat them well?

His Majesty is telling him that his wife has been chosen, that he should be sensible, and that he should even be grateful!

Wang Boyan felt his blood rushing backward, his vision went black, and a metallic taste rose in his throat again, almost making him vomit blood on the spot.

He clenched his teeth, his nails digging deep into his palms, barely managing to steady himself before squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth: "Your subject... Your subject will obey Your Majesty's decree..."

Lu Zuo stopped looking at him and let Chen Yurou take his arm as they walked out of the mansion.

She escorted Lu Zuo all the way to the gate of the mansion, watching him walk away with bated breath, before turning back to the mansion with a sense of loss. When she passed by Wang Boyan, whose face was ashen, she didn't even spare him a glance.

.....

Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Study in the palace.

Li Qingzhao put down the last document she had reviewed, rubbed her throbbing temples, and let out a long sigh of relief.

It's finally over. This secretary's job was ten times more arduous than I had anticipated.

Is Your Majesty treating me like three people?

She had just picked up her teacup, which had long since gone cold, and was about to rest for a moment when she heard the door being pushed open.

Looking up, she saw the familiar old eunuch directing two younger eunuchs to carry a thick stack of documents, almost like a small mountain, and shakily place them on the already overburdened desk next to her.

"Secretary Li."

"His Majesty has issued an edict that these are summaries of urgent matters newly submitted from various regions, as well as some draft edicts to be prepared. Secretary Li is requested to complete these tasks tonight."

"His Majesty has instructed that if you are tired, a warm pavilion next to the Imperial Study is ready for you to rest. There is no need for you to travel back and forth."

Li Qingzhao stared at the stack of documents that could practically bury her, her hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air, and her pretty face instantly fell.

Your Majesty! Are you trying to exhaust me?

A wave of despair washed over her. If she had known this was how a 'secretary' would operate, she would have preferred to...

What would be better?

It seems there's no other choice...

She reluctantly put down her teacup, resignedly picked up the top document, dipped her brush in ink, and silently complained:

His Majesty is incredibly ruthless when it comes to employing people... He's even more ruthless than a common landlord!

......

Qin Hui's residence.

Qin Hui dismissed his attendants, leaving only a trusted steward.

......

Qin Hui's residence.

Qin Hui dismissed his attendants, leaving only a trusted steward.

He took a sip of tea, a sinister glint in his eyes: "This woman is both beautiful and talented. If I could get my hands on her, it would be a good move."

"Now that she is all alone and helpless, it is the perfect time to put pressure on her and force her to comply."

"As long as she is willing to lower her head and I 'recommend' her to enter the palace, the credit will be mine."

"Go find a few people and cause her some 'trouble'."

"For example, what if those boxes of rubbings of inscriptions on metal and stone, and fragments of ancient books that she cherishes as her lifeblood, were mysteriously stolen or flooded..."

"She's a frail woman, all alone and helpless. Faced with such a calamity, who else could she turn to but for help?"

"Yes, Your Excellency, I understand. I will handle it neatly and cleanly, as if it were an accident." The steward understood and bowed as he withdrew.

The study returned to silence.

Qin Hui walked to the window, looked at the deep night outside, and a mocking sneer appeared on his face.

Li Qingzhao, oh Li Qingzhao, no matter how talented you are, or how lofty your ambitions, in this Yingtian Prefecture, you are rootless and without foundation, just like a rootless duckweed.

I'd like to see how long your pride as a talented woman can last.

When you're at your wit's end, you'll naturally understand that relying on me is your only way to survive.

When the time comes, wouldn't it be a great achievement to present you to His Majesty?

……

One hour later.

"Master, master."

The trusted steward, who had left earlier to receive the order, returned now, his steps even more hurried than before, and exclaimed urgently, "Something has happened, sir!"

Qin Hui was leisurely sipping his freshly brewed tea by the candlelight, imagining the wonderful scene of Li Qingzhao coming to him in a panic.

Startled by the butler's words, his hand trembled slightly, and the tea almost spilled.

He frowned, displeased, and said, "What's the matter that you're so flustered? Didn't I send you to do something?"

The butler, panting heavily, his face showing disbelief and lingering fear, said urgently in a low voice, "Master, it...it can't be done!"

"When I led my men to the alley where Madam Li lived, we found that her courtyard gate was tightly closed and locked."

"I sensed something was wrong, so I pretended to be looking for someone and asked an old woman next door who was taking out the night soil."

He swallowed hard and continued, "The old woman said that yesterday evening a group of people came to the Li family's door. They were dressed in a grand manner, with bright armor and dazzling swords and spears. The neighbors were too scared to look at them for long."

"They helped Lady Li into a carriage, and then escorted her towards the capital."

"Since then, no one from the Li family has come or gone."

"Yesterday evening? The armor was clearly visible? From the direction of the Imperial City?"

Qin Hui paused slightly in his teacup, his leisurely expression slowly faded, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

Imperial Guards?

Is it...

A thought popped into his head, making his heart tighten slightly.

If Li Qingzhao has indeed been taken into His Majesty's household, even if she has not yet been given a title, she is still a woman whom the Emperor has been intimate with.

What would happen if His Majesty heard about his coercive "recruitment" yesterday and the "trouble" that he failed to carry out today?

Qin Hui's heart sank slightly. But he was, after all, a man of great composure, and quickly regained his composure.

"Right now, take my calling card and prepare a 'proper' and generous gift, and go to the palace to find Eunuch Wang Defu, the Deputy Chief of the Inner Palace."

"Make sure to find out exactly whether any Imperial Guards were ordered to leave the palace to pick someone up yesterday evening, and who that person was."

"Where are they now? What is their condition?"

"Yes, sir, I understand!"

The butler understood and quickly bowed and withdrew, carefully preparing for the event.

Inside the study, the candlelight crackled.

Qin Hui lost all interest in tea and unconsciously tapped his fingers on the table.

.....

Time passed slowly as they waited, until nearly midnight when there was a gentle knock on the study door.

The butler entered, exuding a chill. His previous confusion had vanished, replaced by an expression of disbelief.

"Have you found out?" Qin Hui asked immediately, his gaze fixed on the butler.

"Sir, you have asked clearly."

"It was Eunuch Wang who revealed this privately; Lady Li did not enter the harem."

"However, His Majesty issued a special decree, appointing her as 'Imperial Secretary,' a fifth-rank official!"

"From this day forward, you will be stationed in the Imperial Study to assist His Majesty in handling official documents and confidential matters!"

"Eunuch Wang also said that some of the official documents sent to the Imperial Study today were specifically designated for Secretary Li to handle!"

Imperial Secretary?

A fifth-rank official?

Walking around the Imperial Study?

Qin Hui suddenly stood up, almost knocking over the teacup beside him. His composure shattered instantly, replaced by immense astonishment.

This was not a simple favor, but an exceptional grant of a powerful official position, making him a close advisor and confidant of the emperor!

Since ancient times, has any woman ever received such an honor and assumed such an important position?

Oops!

Qin Hui felt a buzzing in his head, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Li Qingzhao became a close advisor to the emperor, holding an official position and having direct access to the emperor's ears!

This means that she is no longer Li Qingzhao, a commoner who can be manipulated at will, but a court official, a secretary who can speak in front of the emperor!

His condescending and threatening solicitation yesterday now seems incredibly foolish and dangerous!

Did they coerce or bribe His Majesty's newly appointed Imperial Secretary?

If Li Qingzhao held a grudge against this, or if she let slip a hint of it to His Majesty...

"Frame-ups, coercion of court officials, spying on the emperor's inner circle"...

Any one of those points would be enough to make him regret it!