"Xu Tianran?"
Surprise crossed Jiang Yi's face. He immediately sent his spiritual power outward and sensed Little Xu outside.
Beyond the great hall, the moon shone bright among scattered stars.
Beneath the sparse moonlight, Xu Tianran sat outside the hall in dragon robes, his expression grim, a sandalwood table set before him.
He said nothing, merely drinking cup after cup of warm wine served by the eunuch beside him, his gaze unfathomable.
"How long has the Empress been inside?"
Xu Tianran suddenly spoke, his eyes fixed quietly on the hall ahead.
"Your Majesty! Just half an incense stick!"
Eunuch Tang answered respectfully, his head lowered, not daring to look anywhere.
Serving a sovereign was like keeping company with a tiger, especially when it involved a secret that undermined the imperial family's dignity. He wished he could pierce his own ears deaf.
"Mm."
Xu Tianran nodded, betraying neither joy nor anger, but his deep eyes could not help staring at the hall.
It was very quiet inside...
Xu Tianran inwardly mocked himself.
He loved Ju Zi. From the moment she had risked her life to save him, the young woman had occupied his heart.
But after that attack, he had become a broken man.
That was why he had never been intimate with Ju Zi, lest he invite humiliation and constantly remind himself that he was a broken man.
And now, he had to personally force his beloved Empress to bear the bloodline of another of his brothers.
This was a humiliation, but he had no choice but to come. He had to ensure that the child Ju Zi conceived carried the blood of the Sun Moon Imperial Family.
"Bring today's memorials here. I will keep the Empress company."
Xu Tianran spoke with perfect composure. The road to kingship was lonely,