C5

"Then where does the emperor want to go now?" Yuwen Lingxi said coquettishly as she touched Lu Zhang's chest with her finger and started to draw circles as if no one was around.

"Take care of Xihe Palace." After Lu Zhang instructed the servant beside him, he immediately grabbed Yuwen Lingxi's waist and said, "We have nothing better to do in the afternoon, so naturally, I will be accompanying Noble Consort."

As the two of them passed by Yuwen Lingmin, the corners of Yuwen Lingxi's mouth slightly curled up.

He didn't dare to say anything. Very good.

After exiting Zhaoyang Palace, another stretch of road to the left led to the Jade Lake District. This lake might not be big, but it was like a fairyland filled with a faint fragrance all year round. It was a unique sight within the palace.

After saying goodbye to the bystanders, Yuwen Lingxi came out of Lu Zhang's embrace. She stretched lazily, turned her head and smiled, "You must have had some troubles this time. The harem has three thousand beauties, but none of them are good people."

Lu Zhang: "Then I'll be asking Noble Consort to help me with the teaching."

"I owe it to Your Highness to entrust me with this task."

Yuwen Lingxi teased him for a while. Seeing that no one was around, she turned serious once more. She then took out a note from her sleeve and handed it over.

"As expected, that old man is already starting to get restless."

Lu Zhang couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the note, "Being impatient to send your daughter to the palace, you really hit the nail when the iron is hot. In this way, there will be an opportunity for him to work in tandem with others. In the imperial court, in the imperial harem and in the marketplace, there will be spies for the Prime Minister. Truly, he has his own considerations. "

"True." Yuwen Lingxi responded. She picked up a peony from a tree by Yao Ting's side and played with it. "Seeing Yuwen Lingmin's appearance, I have a plan."

"Tell me about it." Lu Zhang was suddenly interested.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from the west. Yuwen Lingxi threw down the flowers in her hands and naturally fell into Lu Zhang's arms. She whispered into his ear, "Recruit her into the palace. We'll play slowly."

It was a palace maid. When she saw how intimate Noble Consort and the Emperor were acting, she lowered her head even more.

"Greetings to Your Majesty, Lady Noble Consort."

"What is it?" Lu Zhang, who was interrupted, looked very unhappy and immediately frowned.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Zhaohe and County King have entered the palace and are waiting in the royal study."

Hearing that it was Lu Zhaohe, Lu Zhang' expression relaxed. Seeing this, Yuwen Lingxi gently got up from his body and said, "Your majesty, please go back to work. Zhaohe and County King rarely enter the palace. Your majesty should go there."

"I'm going to have dinner with Love Consort tonight. Remember to leave the door open for me."

"Naturally." Yuwen Lingxi turned her body and smiled sweetly.

When Lu Zhang left, Yuwen Lingxi felt a headache coming on as more or less of the servants came to accompany him.

"Let's all go down first. We can leave Qian Ning here by herself."

Qian Ning was the little girl that Yuwen Lingxi brought out from the Linglong Pavilion, who was also the right-hand woman for the Linglong Pavilion. He was extremely cautious and intelligent, and didn't like to talk too much. He was both a teacher and a friend to Yuwen Lingxi.

Yuwen Lingxi played with the handkerchief in her hand as she turned her head to the side and asked, "Is there a letter from Linglong Pavilion side recently?"

"Reporting to Pavilion Master, recently, the State of Western Yue has suddenly produced a Illusory Spirit Palace. It is very arrogant. "What the Left Envoy means is that we should send someone to investigate."

"There's no need for now." Yuwen Lingxi continued, "If we alert the enemy, it will not be good. Besides, it will be inconvenient for me to leave the palace. I will keep an eye out for now."

Qian Ning was about to open her mouth again, but then she suddenly quivered.

He saw a group of people walking over from the opposite side of the lake. The woman in the lead wore a pink-colored dress. She looked pretty and charming at the same time.

"It's her again." Yuwen Lingxi narrowed her eyes.

When that group of people came closer, they saw the ceremony that was taking place outside and slowly came in to say their goodbyes.

"This subject greets Lady Noble Consort." Yuwen Lingmin felt slightly blessed.

"What a coincidence." Yuwen Lingxi replied with a smile as she leaned against Noble Consort's bed. "But the palace's rearing mama doesn't fulfill her duties. As the Prime Minister's beloved daughter, why is it that she's so practiced her etiquette within the palace?"

At this moment, Qian Ning and the pretty girl standing beside Yuwen Lingmin, Zhang Xiuxiang, came forward and knelt down courteously before Yuwen Lingxi. They then lowered their heads and said in unison, "This servant greets Madame Zhou and the Empress Jin An."

After the two stood up, Yuwen Lingxi stroked her hairpin and lazily said, "Miss Yuwen, we understand now."

"You …"

Yuwen Lingmin's hands could not help but tighten slightly. Before she entered the palace, she knew that the Emperor had taken in Noble Consort, the daughter of the restaurant, as his daily favorite.

She had always been full of confidence. Ever since she was young, she had been the prettiest girl in the capital. Judging from her family background, how could she be inferior to others?

However, Noble Consort and this Zhaoyang Palace incident today was enough to embarrass her.

How could Yuwen Lingmin swallow her anger when she was told to kneel down and kowtow nine times to a woman with high morals?

"Aiya, looks like I'll have to seek a new agreement from the Ministry of Rites about the list of names for this Hall's selection." Yuwen Lingxi shot a glance at the woman in front of her. "The etiquette is not up to standard. How can you serve the emperor properly?"

As soon as she said that, all the pretty girls who were originally following behind Yuwen Lingmin watching the show hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.

Suddenly, the sound of hairpins ringing could be heard. Yuwen Lingmin's face had turned purple. In the end, she did as she was told.

"That's more like it." Yuwen Lingxi stood up slightly but didn't say anything to get them to their feet. She reprimanded them as usual, "As the imperial concubine, etiquette is of the utmost importance. "If people like you on the market don't know the rules, then I won't be able to tolerate you."

Having said so, she brought Zhang Xiuxiang and Qian Ning out of the Jade Court in small strides.

The girls all knelt there dumbfoundedly. After this morning's incident, no one dared to casually get up.

After about half an incense's time, Yuwen Lingxi sent a eunuch by her side to pass on a message. These people were finally able to stand up and return to their own residences.

"Pavilion Master has truly taken care of this matter every day for a few years."

Qian Ning had been used to seeing all sorts of things in Yuwen Lingxi's management pavilion since she was young. She had long since gotten used to her methods.

"These people are too arrogant. If we don't sharpen our edges and corners, when we enter the palace in the future, wouldn't that mean that the gates of my Xihe Palace will be torn open?" She paused for a moment and continued, "Especially that Yuwen Lingmin. After not seeing her for a few years, this Fourth Sister of mine has become even more powerful."

That's right, when Yuwen Lingxi was born, she was treated as a bane star by a daoist, and was then thrown into a faraway place in the countryside by Prime Minister's Estate. It was announced to the outside world that she was born weak, so she had to be sent to a quiet place to recuperate.

If it wasn't for his master's illness and the emperor's arranged marriage, he would probably never be able to return to the capital.

This was also the reason for the fickle nature of the world. Who would have known that she, the 'bane of the world', would also have her current situation?

Hmph hmph, since Yuwen Mansion owes her, sooner or later, she will have to get it back from them.

Yuwen Lingxi sipped her tea and turned her head to look at Qian Ning. "Right, where are those people?"

"To reply esteemed Empress, I've already gone back, but …" Qian Ning could not help but chuckle. "Miss Yuwen had only knelt for half an incense stick of time before she nearly fainted. It was only with the help of a servant girl that she was able to return to her room."

"This is great, I am now sitting on the crime of being extremely pampered and arrogant." Yuwen Lingxi curled her lips. "Is the emperor and County King still in discussion?"

"It should be. If the Empress is tired, why don't we return to the palace to rest?"

Yuwen Lingxi's long eyes were filled with a mischievous smile as she said, "No need. Sitting in the palace all day long is boring. Let's go to the Elegant Cherry Stage."

Qian Ning said, "I've long heard that the Liuying Platform is a good place in the palace. There are chairs made of white jade on the stage, and a cool summer day is the most comfortable place. "It's a pity that I've never seen it before. I wonder if the rumors were true."

"Then I'll take you to see the world." Yuwen Lingxi walked with her hands behind her back. Her emotions couldn't help but fluctuate due to the heat and the summer heat. Furthermore, he was accompanied by a group of people, making him feel extremely uneasy.

The two of them crossed a bamboo forest. Just as they were about to continue onward, they suddenly heard a burst of voices.