The wicked imperial concubine is courting death again; the comments section teaches her how to win w

Qi Yitang and Xie Ling are in the Star-Picking Tower.

This is the tallest building on the west side of the entire palace, with nine stories, flying eaves and brackets, red railings and green tiles. After climbing to the top, you can overlook the entire imperial city and the distant green mountains.

The banquet was just a show for outsiders, meant to create a lively and festive atmosphere.

In fact, that morning, the two quietly changed into their everyday clothes and left the palace. They took an inconspicuous little carriage to Wangjiang Pavilion and Tingyu Pavilion outside the city, and finally wandered around Qizhen Pavilion, picking up a few strange and unusual trinkets.

Qi Yitang ate, drank, and strolled along the way, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

When they returned to the palace in the evening, Xie Ling led her to the foot of the Star-Picking Tower.

Qi Yitang knew this was one of the surprises he had prepared, but looking up at the spiraling wooden stairs, she immediately felt lazy.

Nine floors? Do we really have to climb that high?

My calves are starting to ache.

Finally, Xie Ling carried the person on his back, walking up step by step.

Upon reaching the top floor, a warm feeling enveloped us. Charcoal fires and incense burners had already been set up, and the incense burners were filled with agarwood, creating a world apart from the outside.

Qi Yitang casually took off his cloak, pushed open a carved wooden window, and could see the night view of the imperial city.

The lights were dazzling, and the palace attendants were like stars dotting the landscape. The sprawling palaces unfolded in the night, both solemn and gentle.

Xie Ling bent down and gently wrapped her arms around Qi Yitang's waist from behind. At the same time, something was handed to her in front of her.

Qi Yitang looked over, and her eyes immediately lit up. "Wow!"

It was a colorful glass lantern with eight sides, each side inlaid with a small painting.

From a five- or six-year-old girl with her hair in two buns, to a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old young woman just coming of age, and now to a noble concubine adorned in magnificent robes...

Every aspect of her is her.

The lanterns spun in circles, their eight sides reflecting light and shadow in succession, as if someone stood outside of time, meticulously depicting all those years of her life.

"Do you like it?" Xie Ling's voice fell into her ear.

Qi Yitang held the lantern, her fingertips gently tracing the paintings. Her nose tingled, and her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

"I love it! I really love it!"

He had given her many things today—food, drinks, toys, jewelry—a dazzling array, but this lamp, this sentiment, was her favorite.

Qi Yitang turned around, "Did you make this yourself?"

Xie Ling nodded, "Mm."

It's not easy to make glass, let alone such an exquisite eight-sided lamp. Qi Yitang had no idea how much effort he had put in.

"Yanzhi, you're so kind..." Her eyelashes were a little wet.

"It's your birthday today, Tangtang can't cry here. Save your tears for tonight." Xie Ling led her to the rosewood table upstairs. "There's something more important."

There was a brocade box on the table. It was there when they came up, and he had been keeping it a secret from her. Now he was finally opening it himself.

—It was a brand new imperial edict, establishing her as empress.

Qi Yitang was stunned. This was not unfamiliar to her; he had given it to her once last year, but at the time she felt it was an apology after being humiliated, which she found extremely unbearable.

But now, looking at this imperial edict again, my feelings are completely different.

"The inkstone..."

"Tangtang rejected me last year," Xie Ling said, feigning sarcasm. "Is she going to reject me again this year?"

"Anyone who refuses is a fool!" Qi Yitang's lips curled up in a wide smile.

Although the Imperial Concubine was also very good, as she was the most powerful woman in the palace and could command the wind and rain, ultimately, the Empress was the Emperor's legal wife, and only she could be buried in the same mausoleum after death.

She thought for a moment, then added, "Last year is last year, and this year is this year. Now that I'm a year older, I'm more 'sensible'."

Xie Ling was amused. He took Qi Yitang's hand and guided her to carefully affix the emperor's seal to the end of the imperial edict.

"Slap—" The vermilion inkpad landed on the bright yellow silk, bright and solemn.

What couldn't be accomplished last year has finally been settled this year.

[How romantic! Waaah, I really want to meet a high-ranking, love-struck man like that. So sweet!]

May the Yantang couple live happily ever after, and I also wish myself a speedy return to shore.

[Hey, don't make wishes everywhere!]

Qi Yitang felt that this was the most meaningful birthday she had in recent years.

She was thrilled, wrapped her arms around Xie Ling's neck, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

Xie Ling leaned slightly in response, their lips mingling with the sweet aroma of osmanthus cake and warm wine.

Normally, things would have gotten out of control once they reached this point, but today he was unusually restrained. He only kissed her deeply once before letting go, his forehead pressed against hers, his breath slightly unsteady as he brushed against her cheek.

"Tangtang, I have something else to show you." With that, he draped the silver-threaded fox fur over Qi Yitang again and led her over the window.

Qi Yitang's heart jumped into her throat.

As the saying goes, "A perilous tower rises a hundred feet high, and one can almost pluck the stars from its height."

The Star-Picking Tower is nine stories high. Standing on top and looking down, the palace walls and lights appear extremely small. Although she doesn't have a fear of heights, even just glancing down makes her feel dizzy and weak in the limbs.

The wind whistled past my ears, as cold as knives.

Qi Yitang's voice trembled, "Yanzhi, why did you bring me to the rooftop?"

If it falls, it'll smash into a pile of pieces, which would be a terrible sight. Besides, today is her birthday, and she doesn't want next year to be her death anniversary.

Xie Ling personally brought her up, so naturally she wouldn't let her fall.

He reached out and pulled up the hood of her fox fur coat, tightening the collar tie. The two sat side by side on the roof ridge, Qi Yitang tucking her knees together, the fox fur coat making her look like a fluffy ball.

"Look." Xie Ling raised her chin.

Qi Yitang followed his gaze and her breath caught in her throat.

At first, it was just a faint light that illuminated the upturned eaves around the rooftop. Later, one after another, the eternal lamps slowly rose up, like an inverted galaxy, like a vast expanse of swimming fish, with light flowing across the sky.

A lamp drifted closer, and Qi Yitang could see it clearly—the strokes on it were sharp and powerful; it was Xie Ling's calligraphy.

【Tangtang and I, for all eternity, will be bound together in heart and soul.】

It was the wish she made at Baohua Temple.

The ever-burning lamp continued to rise, merging into the thousands of points of light, until it was impossible to distinguish which one it was.

Qi Yitang remained silent for a long time, just watching quietly, the light in her eyes brighter than a lamp.

After a long while, she spoke softly, her voice slightly blurred by the wind, "So beautiful..."

[Of course it's good! The female supporting character's emotional response is based on Li Degui and his men directing the lighting of the lanterns while they're having sex down below.]

Honestly, it's unreasonable not to give the villains a raise.

Qi Yitang was looking at the lanterns, but Xie Ling was looking at her.

His profile was as white as porcelain, bathed in warm light, with shimmering light reflected in his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Ling seemed to see them decades later. Perhaps by then they would all be old, wrinkled, and with white hair, but Tangtang would still be as sincere as ever.

Xie Ling suddenly spoke up, "Tangtang, when we get old, you must die before me."

"?" The romantic atmosphere in front of Qi Yitang instantly shattered.

Who wants to hear about death on their birthday? Isn't that just bad luck?

She frowned, sat up from Xie Ling's arms, and snorted, "What does Your Majesty mean by this? Can't you bear to see me live a peaceful life?"

When she's unhappy, she likes to use distant terms like "Your Majesty" or "Your Majesty, Your ...."

Xie Ling pulled the person back into his arms and chuckled, "Of course not, I'm just afraid you'll be bullied..."

Although Tangtang had a very difficult life in her previous life, he will definitely protect her in this new life.

—The premise is that he did not die young like in his previous life.

Most importantly, his uncle rebelled, his mother hated him to the extreme, and his maternal grandparents were forced to their deaths by him... He was also a terrible emperor, and in the end, he couldn't even find someone to entrust his orphan to.

Xie Ling suppressed her smile and spoke seriously.

"In the future, you will die before me. After I have settled my affairs after my death, I will slit my throat and go down to find you."