That Was All the Emperor Acting on His Own-It Had Nothing to Do with Us! (Please Subscribe and Vote with Monthly Tickets)
After court adjourned, Li Chen returned to the imperial harem.
Imperial Consort Zhu Zhuying had already been waiting outside the hall for some time. When she saw the Dragon Carriage arrive, she hastily straightened her clothes and stood respectfully before the doors of the Bedchamber Palace.
"Your consort requests an audience, Your Majesty," she announced softly, her voice as pleasant as a clear spring.
"Come in," Li Chen's voice rang out from inside the hall.
Zhu Zhuying stepped carefully inside, stealing glances at Li Chen's expression as she walked.
Only when she saw him leisurely sipping tea, his expression tranquil, did she breathe a little easier.
The imperial consort had a graceful figure. Her pale-purple Palace Dress traced her perfect curves, its hem swaying gently as she walked, like a violet in full bloom.
With light, lotus-like steps, she moved behind Li Chen and rested her slender, jade-like hands on his shoulders. "Your Majesty, is this pressure comfortable?" she asked softly.
"You have skilled hands, my beloved consort." Li Chen closed his eyes to enjoy it. "But surely you didn't come just to give me a massage?"
Zhu Zhuying's heart trembled. She hurried around to face him and gracefully sank to her knees.
She knelt elegantly, her back straight, making the proud curves of her chest all the more prominent. A trace of apprehension showed on her delicate, oval face.
"Your Majesty, your consort has an important matter to discuss."
Li Chen raised his eyes to glance at her. "Speak."
"The small kingdom your consort comes from never intended to offend Your Majesty's heavenly authority. That emperor acted entirely on his own," Zhu Zhuying said softly, though a note of urgency colored her voice.
Through her explanation, Li Chen gained a general understanding of the situation in the Starfall Kingdom.