Along the way, Yu Tianlong and Qian Renxue also saw quite a few consorts and the like out enjoying themselves.
Seeing the crown prince with a little boy, they could not help stealing a few extra looks.
Some of the bolder ones even came up to tease Yu Tianlong, wanting to build a good relationship with the crown prince!
Yu Tianlong was utterly speechless. These women really were treating him like a child.
For some reason, seeing Yu Tianlong like this left Qian Renxue feeling a little displeased too.
It was not romantic affection. After all, Yu Tianlong was still so young. It was more like she did not want other people touching something that belonged to her.
With that thought, Qian Renxue decided she absolutely had to find time to tell Emperor Xue Ye to keep these women in line!
They were utterly shameless!
Fortunately, Qian Renxue could not stand watching anymore and stepped in to rescue Yu Tianlong, finally allowing him to escape!
Although he knew how liberal the customs in Douluo were, this was Yu Tianlong's first time experiencing them!
Surrounded by that crowd of consorts, Yu Tianlong had only one impression: surging waves and difficulty breathing!
Remembering Emperor Xue Ye's sickly appearance later in the original story, Yu Tianlong suddenly felt that even without Qian Renxue poisoning him, Emperor Xue Ye would not have lived much longer.
With so many women, who could take it!
As these strange thoughts ran through Yu Tianlong's mind, he and Qian Renxue soon arrived at an imposing palace. When the maid at the entrance saw Qian Renxue, she did not stop them.
She merely gave Yu Tianlong a puzzled look.
A male entering the imperial harem-even if he looked like nothing more than a little boy, that seemed a little wrong no matter how she thought about it!
Still, these matters were not for a lowly maid like her to concern herself with!
"Your Majesty!"
"His Highness the crown prince is here!"
At the same time, a languid voice came from inside.
"Is that Qinghe? Come right in!"
Without hesitation, Qian Renxue pulled Yu Tianlong, who was standing rooted at the entrance, along and pushed the door open.
But the moment Yu Tianlong entered, he was dumbstruck.
Qian Renxue's mother wore sheer gauze, her figure tantalizingly visible beneath it, alluring in the extreme. Having already become a mother, she possessed an even richer mature charm!
Qian Renxue was stunned by the sight too and hurriedly covered Yu Tianlong's eyes.
"Be good. You shouldn't look at this!"
Yu Tianlong wanted to curse. His good brother was actually keeping the feast all to himself!
It's not like she's your real mother!!!
Sensing the resentment pouring off Yu Tianlong, Qian Renxue called out:
"Mother, hurry and get dressed!"
Only then did Xue Ke's mother react.
She saw her son standing at the entrance, covering a child's eyes.
Her heart jolted!
How did I get so muddleheaded from sleeping? And why did Qinghe bring a male into the imperial harem?!
Although those thoughts ran through her mind, her hands did not slow in the slightest as she quickly put on her clothes.
Only once she had finished straightening herself up did the hand covering Yu Tianlong's eyes drop away.
"Xue Qinghe" also lowered his head, looking as though he had done something wrong.
"Why are you still so rash? If your father found out, both of us would be in trouble!"
Yu Tianlong found this side of Qian Renxue rather amusing.
This woman really knows how to put on an act!
Still, the empress really does have a fine figure!
"Xue Qinghe" gave an awkward smile, then offered an explanation.
"Mother, I didn't mean to. I only wanted to bring the younger brother I'd just taken under my wing for you to see. I didn't expect you to be the one getting seen!"
At those words, Empress Zhou Kexin shuddered and grew a little angry, scolding him in a coquettish voice:
"You still dare say that!"
But Zhou Kexin also caught the key word in what he had said.
Younger brother?
Why would her son possibly take someone as his younger brother? Someone who could become empress was naturally no fool, and she soon thought of the hidden intricacies.
Though she was not certain, the fact that he could come to this place already spoke volumes.
This little boy definitely possessed real ability. His talent might even have exceeded his imagination!
At that thought, a smile immediately appeared on Zhou Kexin's face.
"So you're the younger brother Qinghe has taken under his wing. What a handsome boy!"
Yu Tianlong smiled awkwardly.
"You flatter me, Your Majesty!"
In truth, Yu Tianlong was very puzzled about why Qian Renxue had brought him to a place like this.
But soon, Qian Renxue demonstrated her reason for bringing him here through her actions.
Qian Renxue walked over to Zhou Kexin, then leaned down and recounted everything about Yu Tianlong in her ear, even placing particular emphasis on how highly Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi regarded him.
Upon learning that her son had saved the life of such a monstrous talent, who was even highly regarded by two powerful figures, Zhou Kexin understood at once.
Her eyes immediately lit up, and as she looked at Yu Tianlong's handsome face, her whole manner unconsciously softened.
She also placed her hands over her lower abdomen, folding them together.
She looked incomparably dignified!
"Sit down, sit down. It's all Qinghe's fault for being thoughtless and not sending word before coming. Don't take offense, Xiaolong!"
Yu Tianlong shook his head, indicating that he did not mind.
Who knew Emperor Xue Ye had such good taste!
The woman before me looks like she'd be good at bearing children!
It's just that, at this point, he probably doesn't have that ability anymore.
After all, Qian Renxue's plan has been underway for so long now!
The poison has long since spread throughout Emperor Xue Ye's body!
It's just that the title of a friend's mother sounds a little strange.
After chatting with Yu Tianlong for a while, Zhou Kexin also gave him a Storage Soul Tool.
"Xiaolong, since this is our first meeting, let Auntie give you a little something. Don't refuse!"
After Yu Tianlong accepted the gift, Qian Renxue decided it was about time, found an excuse, and dragged Yu Tianlong away!
Seeing Yu Tianlong's puzzled gaze, Qian Renxue said:
"I was afraid something would happen if you stayed any longer!"
"After all, that so-called 'mother' of mine isn't a good person!"
Indeed, when Yu Tianlong thought back carefully, the way Zhou Kexin had looked at him during that time had grown increasingly strange!
So Qian Renxue had chosen to take emergency evasive action!
She had taken Yu Tianlong and fled!
After all, she had only wanted to bring Yu Tianlong here to fleece her a little, not throw Yu Tianlong into the bargain!
After hearing Qian Renxue's words, Yu Tianlong nodded thoughtfully.
There really was no need. After all, she was merely an inconsequential fringe character. And to put it bluntly, what decent mother let her son enter her bedroom while she was wearing sheer gauze!
If an outsider like him had not been there, who knew what might have happened!
"Hiss-"
"Eugh-"
Seeing Yu Tianlong's expression, Qian Renxue was speechless. He was making it seem as though she were that sort of person.
"Let's go. I'll take you somewhere else!"
Hearing Qian Renxue say that, Yu Tianlong immediately grew interested.
This trip to the imperial palace had truly filled his pots and bowls to the brim.
Just now, he had even used his Soul Power to sense the contents of the Storage Soul Tool.
Gold Soul Coins aside, it contained every kind of rare material he could ask for. Yu Tianlong had even spotted two hundred-year Soul Bones inside the Soul Tool.
So now, Yu Tianlong was looking forward immensely to wherever Qian Renxue was taking him!