bookrandom Chapter 228 I Want to Leave the Palace
Chapter 228 I Want to Leave the Palace
A man's deep, chuckling voice drifted slowly from outside the door.
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin was startled and quickly peeked out.
By the dim candlelight, she could see the man's tall figure standing in the doorway. A chill enveloped him as he entered, but it did not diminish the surprise that suddenly appeared in her eyes.
"Your Majesty! What brings you here?"
She looked delighted and was about to get up to greet him.
Pei Yuanling stepped forward, placed his hand on her shoulder, and said softly, "Since there are no outsiders, let's not stand on ceremony."
As he spoke, he took off his fox fur cloak and gently covered Chu Qingyin with it.
The fox fur cloak still carried the warmth of the man's body, slightly dispelling the chill around Chu Qingyin.
"I know you are sensitive to the cold and must not be able to sleep well in the poorly furnished Baohua Temple, so I came to keep you company."
The man's voice was deep and sounded especially gentle in the quiet night.
In a Buddhist sanctuary, men and women should not be in the same room, but Pei Yuanling disregarded this rule.
He knew that Chu Qingyin was always cold-sensitive, especially in winter when her hands and feet were particularly cold.
He took off his coat and lay down on the bed.
The man's body radiated warmth, like a large furnace.
Chu Qingyin subconsciously leaned closer to him and muttered softly, "If Your Majesty comes over in the middle of the night and someone with ulterior motives finds out, it might cause gossip."
"I am the ruler of this land, why should I fear those idle gossips?"
Pei Yuanling gently stroked her hair, completely unconcerned: "In my heart, you are far more important than those formalities and baseless gossip."
After saying that, he tightened his arms slightly, holding Chu Qingyin even closer.
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin feigned gratitude, yet harbored a hint of worry: "But Baohua Temple is a sacred Buddhist site; what we are doing... is ultimately inappropriate."
Pei Yuanling chuckled lightly, "I know you've always been kind-hearted and concerned about what others think. But I've come here today to put your mind at ease. If Buddha has a spirit, he should understand my intentions towards you."
The two spoke softly, and Chu Qingyin unconsciously relaxed her tense nerves.
Before I knew it, weariness was creeping in.
Pei Yuanling saw her eyelids starting to droop and gently coaxed her, "With me here, you can sleep peacefully."
Chu Qingyin nodded groggily, "Mmm..."
She twisted her waist, found a comfortable position in the man's strong arms, and slowly closed her eyes.
Outside the meditation room, a fierce snowstorm raged, but she slept soundly all night.
The next day, when she woke up, the young emperor was no longer by her side, but the warm breath on the bed reminded her that he had not been gone for long.
"Your Majesty, you're awake."
Xianglan carried a basin of hot water, wrung out a towel for her, and said, "His Majesty has important business to attend to and must take his leave first."
"Mm." Chu Qingyin nodded, tidied up briefly, and then a young novice monk brought her breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of a simple bowl of vegetarian noodles, two plates of stir-fried vegetables, and a plate of vegetarian steamed buns. Although it was light, the taste was quite good.
After having breakfast and resting for a while, Chu Qingyin led Xianglan towards the front hall.
The main purpose of my trip to Baohua Temple, besides relaxing, was to pray for the country.
Since Empress Wang did not come, all matters naturally fell to Consort Qin.
When Chu Qingyin arrived, all the concubines had already gathered inside the Great Buddha Hall.
Qiao Qingling was speaking to Minister Qiao, who had come with her.
Now that both sisters have been promoted, Qiao Gongquan's status has also risen accordingly, and he has become more accommodating to Qiao Qingling.
Since it was a major event for praying for blessings, no one dared to cause any trouble at this time, and the ceremony went very smoothly.
By the time everything was finished, it was nearly noon.
Seeing that it was still early, Consort Qin suggested, "Your Majesty, I've heard that the plum blossoms on the back mountain of Baohua Temple are in full bloom. Why don't we go and admire them together with my sisters?"
She mentioned it once, and the others immediately chimed in.
Seeing that everyone was in high spirits, Pei Yuanling agreed to the matter.
After resting briefly in the side hall, everyone went to the back mountain together.
The back mountain of Baohua Temple is planted with a large plum grove. A few days ago, the mountain was covered in snow that has not yet melted. As far as the eye can see, the mountain is covered in silver, with only a few red plum blossoms standing out.
The sea of flowers is dotted with concubines dressed in gorgeous attire, creating a scene resembling a fairyland.
Today, Chu Qingyin wore a light pink palace dress, with a bright red cloak covering her entire body. The hem of her dress was adorned with several butterflies, creating distinct layers and making them lifelike.
"It's rare to see Yinyin dressed so youthfully; it's quite a sight for me."
Pei Yuanling smiled and reached out his hand to Chu Qingyin.
Perhaps it was the tranquility of Baohua Temple that allowed the man to relax his usually tense emotions, and the smile on his lips became more genuine.
Chu Qingyin smiled slightly, a hint of shyness showing in her eyes.
She parted her lips slightly and replied softly, "Your Majesty flatters me. I just feel that the plum blossoms are in full bloom, such a beautiful scene should be matched with them, so as not to waste this wonderful scenery."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanling nodded and smiled, then took Chu Qingyin's hand and said, "Walk with me for a while."
The two walked side by side.
Seeing this, the concubines all backed down. Although they wore appropriate smiles on their faces, they were very dissatisfied with Chu Qingyin monopolizing His Majesty.
The wind was biting cold. After walking for a while, Chu Qingyin stopped.
She frowned, looked down, and said shyly, "Your Majesty, my shoes and socks are wet. Please allow me to change first."
Pei Yuanling, worried that she might catch a cold, nodded and said, "Go ahead."
Chu Qingyin curtsied and took her leave.
Seeing this, the other concubines were tempted to step forward and try to sneak away, but Pei Yuanling didn't want to wander around with others, so he simply found a pavilion and waited for her to return.
Although the other concubines were resentful, they dared not show it and could only wait patiently in the cold wind.
Chu Qingyin left the plum grove with Xianglan.
Once they had gone some distance, she had Xianglan wait outside while she quietly walked behind a rockery.
"How did Consort Liang know I was here?"
Lu Zhiheng crossed his arms in front of his chest, leaning against the artificial hill, his gaze calmly sweeping over Chu Qingyin.
Chu Qingyin glared at him, annoyed.
She saw Lu Zhiheng's men give her a signal just now, otherwise why would she have come?
However, she did not expect that Lu Zhiheng would choose such a position.
“The people at Baohua Temple are all Pei Yuanling’s men. Aren’t you afraid he’ll find out?”
Chu Qingyin looked him up and down: "Meeting with a concubine in secret is a serious crime."
She had said those things to Qinglan earlier, naturally wanting to meet him, but she hadn't said it so openly.
Lu Zhiheng scoffed indifferently, "You said it was a private meeting, how could I let him find out?"
These words left Chu Qingyin speechless.
Realizing that she didn't have much time left, she suppressed her smile and said seriously, "Lu Zhiheng, I want to leave the palace."