"Master, the Lord will definitely return safely, let's go back."
Xiang Ling sees that the big army has already gone far away, gently pulls Nuo Yao's sleeves and whispers comfort.
"Let's go back."
Nuo Yao puts down the carriage curtain and sits back into the carriage.
The carriage turned around and started to head back.
Not long, they entered the city and finally stopped at the entrance of Qin Palace.
Nuo Yao lifts the curtain to get off the carriage, while Xiang Ling carefully supports her on the side.
As the two stepped over the threshold of Qin Palace.
As they walked into Qin Palace, they saw Xuan Yuansui sitting by the stone table in the courtyard, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe embroidered with five-clawed gold dragons, lifelike.
His expression was sad and he seemed to be thinking about something.
Nuo Yao saw Xuan Yuansui and was startled in her heart, quickly bowed respectfully: "Your Concubine greets the Emperor, may Your Majesty enjoy eternal happiness and health."
She squatted slightly, with a graceful posture, and her beautiful face was even more moving in the interplay of light and shadow. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn water, her cherry lips slightly open, and her long hair, like a waterfall, gently moved. It was like a masterpiece.
Xuan Yuansui was so amazed that he was lost in his thoughts. He blinked a few times and was still in a daze for a long time.
Xiang Ling was also startled, and after regaining her composure, she quickly followed suit, bowing: "Disciple greets the Emperor, may Your Majesty enjoy eternal happiness and health."
The prince has already gone to the Western Regions, why did the Emperor come to the Qin Palace?
Could it be for the sake of appreciating the scenery?
Nuo Yao furrowed her brow, she could feel the gaze of Xuan Yuansui on her face for a long time. She bowed again: "Your Concubine greets the Emperor, may Your Majesty enjoy eternal happiness and health."
Xuan Yuansui woke up from a dream, slightly lifted his hand: "Don't bow. Sit down next to me."
Nuo Yao furrowed her brow, she didn't know what Xuan Yuansui wanted to do. As the woman of King Qin, was it appropriate for her to sit down in the past?
But she dare not disobey, for who would dare to defy the man before her who is the emperor.
She went over carefully, trying to maintain a distance as she sat down.
Xuan Yuansui's gaze fell on her face. Seeing her posture was stiff, and she sat so far away, he smiled faintly, "What's the matter? I'm not a tiger, and I won't eat you."
Nuo Yao's face flushed with embarrassment, but she also relaxed a lot, respectfully said: "The Emperor is definitely not a tiger, but the Emperor is the True Dragon Son of Heaven, the Dragon's power is vast, this Concubine naturally scared."
"Haha... You really know how to speak, no wonder King Qin is so fond of you."
Xuan Yuansui was amused by her words and his mood improved.
Nuo Yao's face flushed slightly red, but she only sat there with a dignified posture and did not speak.
Xuan Yuansui did not expect her to answer, thinking about the injury she suffered recently, he couldn't help but ask: "I heard that you were injured by an arrow for King Qin, have you fully recovered now?"
His gaze kept falling on her face, with a few restrained expressions.
Nuo Yao showed a timely expression of gratitude, bowing respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I have fully recovered. It was my fortune to shield the prince from the arrow, and I am willing and grateful for it."
Xuan Yuansui listened to her words of willing and accepting, his eyes flicked with a hint of jealousy, but he didn't show it. Inside, he felt a bit uncomfortable, but didn't reveal it.
Instead, he showed appreciation and praised, "You shielded King Qin from the arrow, your loyalty is commendable and worthy of admiration."
He paused for a moment, his gaze complex, with a hint of jealousy, he said: "King Qin is indeed fortunate to have you, who loves him so deeply. However, in the future, there will also be a queen to enter the Qin Palace. At that time, what will you do?"
Nuo Yao furrowed her brow slightly, she was startled in her heart, and quickly said: "Your Concubine dares not have any unwarranted thoughts. She only wishes to serve King Qin with all her heart."
Xuan Yuansui's eyes were filled with even more jealousy, but he did not continue to trouble her.
"Now that King Qin is campaigning in the Western Regions, as a woman from the Western Regions, do you have any thoughts on this?"
He stared at her face, his gaze complex, as if he was trying to find something from her answer.
Nuo Yao's brow tightened slightly, subtly unnoticeable, fully aware that this question was very sensitive.
She paused for a moment, and slowly said: "Your Majesty, although I am a woman from the Western Regions, I have now been married into the Qin Palace. I only hope that King Qin's campaign will be successful and that Your Lordship can treat the people of the Western Regions with benevolence. As long as Your Lordship can ensure the Western Regions' people live a stable life, I will have no other objections. After all, the pain caused by war has been too great. I only hope for more peace and tranquility in the future."
Xuan Yuansui thought deeply and gazed at her, his mood becoming more and more melancholy, "You are heart and soul dedicated to King Qin."
Nuo Yao hurriedly knelt down, her expression filled with fear, "Your Concubine dares not have two minds; I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Xuan Yuansui sighed and wanted to reach out and pull her up, but considering their status, he felt it was inappropriate and stopped himself from doing so.
"Get up, see how scared you are. I was just asking out loud. I know your deep affection for King Qin, but this battle is unpredictable. Are you prepared in your heart?"
Nuo Yao stood up, bowed her head, and replied, "Your Concubine only wishes to pray day and night for King Qin's safe return."
Xuan Yuansui lowered his eyes, and there was an emotion that was hard to understand. When he looked up again, he continued to ask, "If King Qin is able to achieve a great victory and return, what will you do?"
Nuo Yao smiled slightly, her eyes shone with hope, "Then Your Concubine will surely be grateful to heaven. She only wishes to live a peaceful and stable life with King Qin."
Xuan Yuansui was silent for a moment, his eyes flashed with a hint of melancholy, and he said, "Alright then, I also hope that King Qin will return safely."
Nuo Yao lowered her head and twisted her fingers, not saying anything.
Xuan Yuansui chatted a few more sentences about trivial matters in the palace, then got up and left.
"Farewell, Your Majesty."
Nuo Yao stood up to greet Xuan Yuansui's departure.
In the breeze, she watched Xuan Yuansui's receding figure, her mind brimming with thoughts.
Xiang Ling walked out from the shadows, came to Nuo Yao's side, and asked in confusion, "Master, why did the Emperor come to the Qin Palace? King Qin has already gone to war."
Nuo Yao's eyebrows furrowed slightly, her gaze revealing a hint of confusion. She shook her head slightly and said, "I also don't know. The Emperor's visit this time is truly hard to understand."
Who knows what Xuan Yuansui was doing running to the Qin Palace?
Xiang Ling blinked her eyes, suddenly had a bold idea, "Master, might it not be that the Emperor……"
Nuo Yao's face turned serious, as if she knew what Xiang Ling was thinking, she shouted, "Xiang Ling, do not speak rashly. If these words spread out, both our master and servant will not be able to live anymore."
Xiang Ling was scared and covered her mouth, her face pale and her eyes filled with fear.
Nuo Yao glanced at the direction where Xuan Yuansui had left, then turned back to her gaze and walked in the direction of the rear courtyard.
"The prince is on the battlefield, and we need to be careful in our words and deeds when we act within the palace."
She kept reminding as she walked.
Xiang Ling also knew that she had said the wrong thing, and she quickly nodded, speaking in a trembling voice, "Master, Xiang Ling has remembered."
She also lifted her foot and followed.
Nuo Yao said no more, and the two of them went back to the Mingxi courtyard together.
The Forbidden City, Fengyi Palace.
The empress was enraged and jealous when she heard that Xuan Yuansui had gone to the Qin Palace.
"Slap!"
A delicate porcelain was thrown on the ground by her, shattering into a million pieces.
"The prince has already gone to war, and the emperor goes to the Qin Palace at this time, isn't it to look at that whore?"
The queen said through gritted teeth, her beautiful face distorted by anger.
The maid by the side quickly knelt down and tremblingly said, "Madam, please restrain your anger, don't hurt your body. Perhaps the emperor is just performing official duties."
The empress's face turned dark, and she mocked, "Performing official duties? The prince has already gone to the Western Regions, what else can there be? It must be that fox-bitch using some means to seduce the emperor."
Enraged, her chest heaved violently, she walked to the maid and said urgently, "Maid, you must think of something for me quickly. We can't let that slut have it easy."
Since the failure of the last operation, many beautiful women have suddenly appeared in the palace.
Besides the first and fifteenth, the emperor has never stepped into her Fengyi Palace again. Even when he came, he only covered himself with a quilt and slept soundly.
Instead, he spends his days with those beauties in their palaces.
It's not clear if it was King Qin's work, but the fact that the emperor still remembers that seductive woman in the Qin Palace, despite having so many other beautiful women, makes the empress even more angry.
The maid got up and went over to the empress, speaking in a sinister tone, "Madam, Nuo Concubine is a woman from the Western Regions. Now that King Qin has gone to the Western Regions, we can do something about it. If we spread the news that Nuo Concubine is in cahoots with the West and intends to do harm to our court at this time, what would His Majesty do?"
Upon hearing this, the empress smiled and her eyes fixated on the maid, "Go on."
The maid also laughed and continued, "Nuo Concubine is pregnant, and we need to spread rumors that her child's identity is unclear, perhaps a spawn of a Western spy."
The empress's lips curved into a malicious smile, "This is a wonderful scheme, Maid. It will definitely prevent that whore from ever rising again."
"Madam, you're exactly right."
The maid smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Leave this matter to you to handle. You must be careful in your actions and under no circumstances let it be discovered, do you understand?"
The empress's eyes locked onto the maid, her expression serious as she issued her command.
"Yes, your servant understands."
The maid's smile disappeared, and she responded respectfully before withdrawing.
