"That is because I have come to understand. Previously, I was unable to accept what happened to our Chu family, which led me to offend Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me." Xiao Wenqiang had already found an excuse for the change in her personality.
"How could I be angry? I know you must be very sad about the Chu family's affairs. It is not your fault!" Situ Chuanqiong expressed his understanding.
The two of them went back and forth, their conversation more pleasant than the tea. While they were wasting time, the imperial kitchen finally delivered the newly prepared dinner.
Because Situ Chuanqiong was also present, the dishes were even more abundant.
As Xiao Wenqiang ate, she also busied herself serving Situ Chuanqiong. Relying on her understanding of the Emperor from the original host Chu Yulan's memories, they ate and chatted, rediscovering a long-lost closeness.
By the time they finished dinner, it was already very late. Situ Chuanqiong looked at Chu Yulan and said, "Lan'er, I still have some memorials to attend to. You should rest first!"
Xiao Wenqiang nodded obediently. She hadn't intended to stay overnight with Situ Chuanqiong tonight anyway; the progress was too fast.
Situ Chuanqiong left the cold palace, but instead of returning to his imperial study to handle memorials as he had said, he secretly went alone to Leng Yuanxiang's "Jin Le Palace."
Leng Yuanxiang was already lying in bed resting, though not asleep. For a modern person, without the internet and mobile phones at night, nightlife certainly had less fun. However, she was accustomed to a late bedtime, and was still very alert.
Therefore, when Situ Chuanqiong entered, Leng Yuanxiang had already heard the surprised greetings of the young palace maid on night duty at the door.
However, at this moment, she didn't want to pay attention to this man. Instead, she deliberately turned away from him and remained silent.
It wasn't until there was a slight movement on the bed that a familiar embrace came from behind, and Situ Chuanqiong's magnetic voice sounded behind Leng Yuanxiang's neck, "What's wrong, my little Xiang'er? Why aren't you talking to me!"
Since they had officially gotten together, Situ Chuanqiong, when interacting with Leng Yuanxiang in private, had called himself "I" according to her preference. This was because his little Xiang'er had once said she disliked hearing him use "Zhen" or "Guaren," disliking the sense of distance.
"You know how to come back? I thought you were staying overnight with that one in the cold palace tonight!" Leng Yuanxiang said in a wronged tone.
"How could that be? Zhen... I promised you that from now on, I will only favor you." Situ Chuanqiong's hands began to get restless.
Leng Yuanxiang stopped his mischievous hands, "Don't move yet, I haven't finished speaking!"
She turned around, "I heard that the one in the cold palace caused a scene in the imperial kitchen today! Did something happen?"
Situ Chuanqiong casually explained, "It's not her fault. Those servants in the imperial kitchen were too much. She is still my Empress. They actually gave her leftovers that others had eaten. It's no wonder she got angry."
"That is indeed too much," Leng Yuanxiang also agreed casually, but her attention was not on this. "You just said she is your Empress, and you are constantly making excuses for her. Do you still have feelings for her in your heart!"
Situ Chuanqiong frowned slightly with displeasure, but Leng Yuanxiang, in the darkness, did not see it. "How could that be? Little Xiang'er, in my eyes and heart, there is only you now."
"I don't believe you! You even ate with her today. We had already agreed you would spend it with me," Leng Yuanxiang continued to press.
"She is still my Empress after all, and she has just suffered so much. Me accompanying her for a while will prevent people from gossiping." Situ Chuanqiong's hands started to move again. "Do you want everyone to know that I favor you exclusively now? I am also afraid that you will be subjected to jealousy from other consorts!"
Leng Yuanxiang fell silent again. She was also afraid that Situ Chuanqiong being too high-profile would bring her disaster. With the Empress in the cold palace as a shield, the eyes of other women in the palace would not be on her. Moreover, this man had also said he only loved her, so it would be quite good for her to reap the benefits.
However, when she didn't love him before, she didn't feel it. Now, she was truly devoted to Situ Chuanqiong, both physically and emotionally. Therefore, seeing him pretend to be kind to other women, Leng Yuanxiang still felt uncomfortable.
But before she could sort out her thoughts, she was soon unable to think any further, and could only follow the man's rhythm, sinking into the ocean of desire.
Xiao Wenqiang had already seen from the locator that Situ Chuanqiong had gone to Leng Yuanxiang's palace. However, she would not be as sad and heartbroken as the original host. Covering herself with the quilt, in the cold palace with the brazier, she slept beautifully for her first night in this world.
The next morning, Xiao Wenqiang woke up feeling refreshed. She summoned Chu Li to find a neat set of clothes to wear and went outside the cold palace. She then borrowed a large saber from a patrolling guard. Relying on the muscle memory of the original host Chu Yulan, she brandished the saber with a "swish, swish, swish."
After perfectly sheathing the saber and stopping, Xiao Wenqiang wiped the sweat from her forehead and thought, "This body of Chu Yulan hasn't had time to practice martial arts personally since entering the palace. Now her physical fitness is less than half of what it was in the military camp."
Suddenly, a round of applause broke the silence beside her, shattering her thoughts.
Xiao Wenqiang looked back and saw Situ Zixian, Situ Chuanqiong's only full brother.
The late Emperor had a total of twelve princes and eight princesses. Situ Chuanqiong and Situ Zixian ranked third and ninth respectively, both born to Consort Zhou.
The Crown Prince back then was born to the Empress, but he was killed by Situ Chuanqiong during the struggle for succession. The other brothers and sisters were either exiled or married off. Those who were lucky enough to receive a fiefdom would never be able to set foot in the capital in their lifetime. Those who were unlucky had their bones rot.
Only this ninth prince, Situ Zixian, because he shared the same mother and had always stood with Situ Chuanqiong during the succession struggle, was allowed by him to remain in the capital. He was enfeoffed as the Ninth Prince and was granted his own princely mansion.
On the surface, Situ Zixian was a leisurely Ninth Prince, but in reality, he was the head of Situ Chuanqiong's secret guards. He commanded a group of very skilled secret guards. Those things that Situ Chuanqiong could not do openly, those people he could not kill openly, were all handled by Situ Zixian's subordinates.
At this moment, Situ Zixian was smiling brilliantly and praising, "Imperial sister-in-law, your skills are as sharp as ever. You are still as heroic and spirited when wielding a saber!"
Xiao Wenqiang knew that this Situ Zixian was not simple. After all, the original host had gone through the same period with him, and often saw him and Situ Chuanqiong plotting together.
However, the original Chu Yulan instinctively disliked this person. Although he often appeared harmless with a smiling face, she could feel the coldness in his bones. Therefore, they had little contact on weekdays.