Chapter 308: Intensification
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Empress Dowager Min targeted the Great Empress Dowager’s illness, and the fact that the Great Empress Dowager had an illness was something strictly forbidden to be mentioned by the Great Empress Dowager herself. She specifically instructed Mingzhu not to tell Yuwen Chu.
If she said it, she would break her promise to the Great Empress Dowager, but if she didn’t, she would be deceiving Yuwen Chu. Mingzhu was extremely conflicted. After hesitating for a while, she decided that everything had its order, and since she had promised the Great Empress Dowager first, she couldn’t break her promise. So she said, “It’s nothing. She’s just looking for trouble. She’s deliberately looking for my faults, and she can find any excuse.” Then she found another excuse, “Hasn’t Your Highness been avoiding official business these days? Just staying home with me?”
“Yes. Are you happy?” Yuwen Chu’s gaze flickered, and he smiled gently, glossing over the matter.
Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief. She was genuinely happy. “Then let’s think of something fun.”
Yuwen Chu raised an eyebrow, “What fun thing do you want to do?”
Mingzhu instructed Su Lan, “Take out the drawing I made a few days ago from the second drawer of my desk.”
Su Lan obeyed and went to fetch the drawing. Yuwen Chu was curious, “What drawing did you make this time?”
Mingzhu winked at him mischievously, “Your Highness will know when you see it.”
Su Lan returned with the drawing, and Yuwen Chu unfolded it, laughing. It depicted what looked like a pot, round and short, with patterns drawn on it, giving it a sturdy appearance. However, there was a lid on top resembling a tall hat, pointed and long, like a peaked cap but thinner and taller, and nothing else could accurately describe it.
Yuwen Chu looked at the drawing and asked with a smile, “What is this?”
“It’s the Dewdrop Pot,” Mingzhu gestured to show him, “Look, this is the pot body, and this is the pot lid. From the lid to the body, doesn’t it look like a dewdrop about to fall?”
Yuwen Chu looked at it for a while, flipping it over, and said, “I don’t see it. Dewdrops are clear and light, beautiful. Your pot, on the other hand, is solid and heavy, and it’s just a pot for cooking, with smoke and fire. It’s far from that artistic conception.”
There was no one more adept at dampening enthusiasm than him. Shouldn’t he be eagerly asking her what the pot was for? Mingzhu glared at Yuwen Chu, “Your Highness, you’re really too much.”
Yuwen Chu was deliberately teasing her. Seeing her angry, he laughed along, “Alright, alright, it’s a really good pot, an exceptional pot. What does the wise Wangfei plan to do with it?”
“Your Highness, don’t be in a hurry. Help me find a suitable place to quietly make this pot, and then I’ll let Your Highness see its wonders with your own eyes. It must be kept secret, absolutely cannot be leaked,” Mingzhu mystifiedly handed the rolled-up drawing to Yuwen Chu, praising him, “Although I can find someone else to do it, but no one can do it as well as Your Highness.”
“Is it that important?” Yuwen Chu found it strange. It was just a pot. Even if it looked novel, it was still just a pot for cooking. But since Mingzhu solemnly urged him like this, he took it seriously. Knowing Mingzhu’s temperament, she couldn’t help but reveal the secret soon.
Yuwen Chu carefully put away the drawing and chatted with Mingzhu for a while. Just then, a steward came to invite him, so he instructed Mingzhu, “Since you’re recuperating, just relax, lie down comfortably, eat when you need to, and play as you like, just don’t overdo it.”
Mingzhu guessed that he knew she intended to reorganize the concubines and beauties of the northern garden, and form a silk and bamboo dance troupe. She hugged his neck and acted coquettishly, “They eat and sleep all day with nothing to do, causing trouble when they’re bored. Why not give them something to do? We can also have some fun. Isn’t that good?”
Yuwen Chu tapped her nose, “When Ruyi Platform is ready, you’ll be busy. I’ll go first.” Just as he turned to leave, Mingzhu grabbed his sleeve, and when he turned back, he saw Mingzhu looking at him expectantly without saying a word, so he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Mingzhu shook her head lightly, smiling at him.
Yuwen Chu stared at her for a while, seeing her bright watery eyes and delicate rosy cheeks, a mixture of nervousness, anticipation, and a bit of shyness. Suddenly understanding, his heart trembled slightly, and he raised the corners of his lips, embracing Mingzhu and kissed her tenderly on her smooth forehead, whispering softly, “Can’t bear to part with me?”
Mingzhu neither confirmed nor denied it, half-closing her eyes, smiling as she leaned against his neck, clinging to him. It was the first time Yuwen Chu had seen such an affectionate and shy look. Half of his soul was already taken away, forgetting that there were still stewards waiting outside. He looked back and saw that the maid had already quietly left. He immediately waved his hand, lowered the curtain, and pressed Mingzhu down onto the bed.
Before he could take the initiative, Mingzhu had already hugged his head and kissed his lips. Yuwen Chu was busy but happy, cursing the autumn chill. They were wearing layers of clothes, and it was too troublesome to take them off. He cursed himself for being a shallow and lazy person who forgot his duties and responsibilities. There were so many people and things outside waiting for him to handle. Here, Mingzhu lightly pulled his sleeve, glanced at him, and he couldn’t resist.
After scolding himself for a while, he looked down at Mingzhu’s watery eyes and delicate fair skin, couldn’t help but bite her, and heard her tenderly cry out in pain, but her soft limbs wrapped around him like vines. Most of his soul was lost again, leaving only a trace of clarity in his mind, fiercely scolding himself, “This trouble-making thing, really makes people miserable.”
But despite his scolding, his actions didn’t slow down at all. He just wanted to crush the person in his arms, blend her into his bones, so that from now on, they would be inseparable.
After a long time, a satisfied sigh came from behind the scarlet curtain, and Mingzhu cried out softly, “You’re too much. My whole body is falling apart…”
“You took advantage of me, but now pretending to be obedient.” Yuwen Chu wanted to say that he was the tired one, but he couldn’t admit it in front of Mingzhu, so he bravely and spiritedly dressed himself and went out, ignoring the fact that he was tired.
In these past few days, there have been too many significant events in the court, and the officials were eagerly awaiting, so when he finally arrived, they crowded around him, bombarding him with questions. You see, this Ying Wang is a very punctual person; he wouldn’t be late without good reason.
Yuwen Chu’s face was stern as he said, “The Wangfei suddenly fell seriously ill, so I arrived a bit late.”
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