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Not knowing how long had passed, the eunuch kneeling far outside the water mist finally ventured a soft inquiry, "Your Majesty... have you finished bathing so the servants can come over to dress you? The night is deep and the dew is heavy, lest you catch a cold."

"No need. My heart has been warmed all the way through by someone today, a little cold breeze like this is not worth mentioning." The man in the water mist raised his voice and replied.

"Understood. Then in which palace's Mother will Your Majesty lodge tonight?"

"..."

After a brief silence, the man in the water mist was seen bending down to pick up a pebble, flicking his finger to toss it into the warm spring. Sweeping his sleeve, he simply rose and nudged the lazy cat at his feet. "Same old rules, listen to Imperial Noble Consort."

"...Understood."

The group of eunuchs respectfully got up, stepping back to clear the corridors on both sides. The cat, which had just been acting lazy, licked its whiskers and stood up, nimbly jumping down from the corridor chair. As if it already had an idea in mind, it spread its short little legs and sprinted briskly out of the corridor. The head eunuch understood tacitly, following right behind the cat that was deciding the emperor's favor for the night, and hurried away.

As if unconcerned about who he would be destined to spend the night with, the man by the water mist gazed abstractedly at the calm, ripple-free warm spring.

Before long, ripples spread across the mirror-like warm spring. He raised his brows slightly, just in time to hear messages passed mouth-to-mouth by palace attendants and eunuchs gradually drawing closer from outside the corridor.

"The Emperor is making a progress to Yaohua Palace."

*"The