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"In reply to Your Majesty, it's Lord Zhu of Dongxu Mansion."

"So His Majesty has summoned Lord Zhu and the Prime Minister's Young Master?" Consort Qi nodded.

"No. Lord Zhu came alone to seek an audience with His Majesty."

Consort Qi's expression faltered slightly. She nodded again, then turned to the beauty behind her. "Since His Majesty is busy with affairs of state, I'm afraid Miss Liu must wait a while longer in Bright Sun Hall. Once His Majesty has finished discussing business with Lord Zhu, I'll send someone to invite him to join you. Would that be all right?"

Liu Rongrong raised her lightly brushed brows but stood silent. Her lustrous lip color and flawless, jade-white skin showed how carefully she had prepared, only to be stopped at the door. She cast a meaningful glance up the stone steps toward the tightly shut doors of the Imperial Study. Faint sounds of laughter and teasing drifted out.

"Your Majesty, don't you want to go in and see whether His Majesty is handling state affairs or playing with puppies and kittens?" A faint smile curved Liu Rongrong's sharply defined lips. Though her status was still uncertain and the difference in their ranks remained, she spoke to Consort Qi without the slightest hesitation.

Consort Qi heard the barb in her words but brushed it aside with a soft laugh. "His Majesty is terribly busy. We imperial concubines should be grateful for the grace of seeing him even once. If Miss Liu grows jealous merely because he's discussing affairs of state with a minister, whatever will happen later?"

"...A minister?" Liu Rongrong narrowed her eyes. "If he were an ordinary minister, of course it wouldn't matter. But I fear certain people with ulterior motives might wear a minister's robes while carrying on more