Reborn into the palace, she seduces the emperor's heart, driving the chief minister to madness!

Chapter 48 The Emperor's Tenderness

"His Majesty……"

Chu Qingyin's eyelashes trembled slightly, like a butterfly fluttering its wings, ready to take flight.

A fleeting moment of confusion crossed her eyes upon waking, before her gaze gradually focused, settling on the man's concerned face. Her voice was weak and hoarse, tinged with uncertainty, "What are you doing here?"

Pei Yuanling was taken aback. When he lowered his eyes and saw that she was really awake, his scarlet eyes were instantly replaced by surprise: "Yinyin, you're awake!"

Before Chu Qingyin could react, her delicate body was firmly embraced by the man's strong arms.

The man held her extremely tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones. Chu Qingyin felt uncomfortable and tried to break free, but only found herself in an even tighter embrace.

What's wrong with him? Chu Qingyin wondered.

"Yinyin, please don't leave me again, okay?" Pei Yuanling's voice came from beside her ear, with an undeniable and forceful tone, and a hint of pleading in his deep voice.

What did Pei Yuanling mean by those words?

Chu Qingyin's eyes were filled with even more doubt, but fortunately Pei Yuanling couldn't see her expression at the moment.

She slowly reached out and embraced Pei Yuanling, her fair hand gently resting on his back as if to comfort him: "Your Majesty, what you say is true. Now that I have entered the palace, I am yours, so how could I leave you?"

The rhythmic patting from behind finally made Pei Yuanling feel that the person in his arms was alive, and when he heard Chu Qingyin's assurance, his tense nerves finally relaxed a bit.

He released his hold on Chu Qingyin, helped her lie down again, tucked her in, and then spoke gently, "Yinyin, how are you feeling now? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Although Chu Qingyin was surprised by his gentleness and thoughtfulness, she did not show it on her face. She just smiled and shook her head, looking at Pei Yuanling with gentle eyes: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am fine."

Pei Yuanling stared at Chu Qingyin's still slightly pale face, worried that she might leave him again at any moment, and said softly, "Let the imperial physician examine you again."

As he spoke, he got up and started to walk outside.

"His Majesty……"

Just as he was about to stand up, a corner of his robe was forcefully tugged at.

He turned his head and met Chu Qingyin's beautiful eyes, which were filled with grievance and reluctance.

That look in his eyes was exactly the same as it had been on countless occasions when he left for court affairs.

A pang of pain shot through his heart, a mixture of pity and guilt: "Yinyin, I won't leave. I'll stay here with you."

As he spoke, he sat back down on the edge of the bed, took her hand in his own, and said softly, "The imperial physician said that your fainting was caused by a deficiency of qi and blood. Are you still feeling dizzy?"

Fainting caused by deficiency of Qi and blood?

Although she didn't understand pharmacology, she knew that fainting was usually caused by strenuous exercise or some unexpected event or stimulus. But she hadn't done anything; she was just playing with the little snowball. How could she faint like that?

Moreover, before she fainted, she clearly felt a strong sense of her soul being detached, which was completely different from ordinary dizziness...

"Yinyin, why aren't you saying anything? Are you still feeling unwell?"

The young emperor's call pulled Chu Qingyin back to reality. Meeting his dark eyes filled with concern, Chu Qingyin forced a weak smile: "I'm fine, just a little dizzy."

"It's alright, the imperial physician will be here soon."

Pei Yuanling held her in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, and coaxed her gently, "Close your eyes and rest for a while. I'll call you when the imperial physician arrives."

"Ah."

Chu Qingyin rested her head in Pei Yuanling's arms, her lowered eyes filled with complex emotions.

In her past life, ever since her Chu family was falsely accused of treason, she and he had never experienced such a warm and loving situation.

Even though she entered the palace as Qiao Qingyin and was made a concubine, he came here every day, but he never took the initiative to get close to her, and even rejected her attempts to please him.

But now they're suddenly so tender and intimate—

What exactly happened in between?

She thought and thought, but still couldn't come up with any clues.

However, Pei Yuanling's actions are actually advantageous for what she needs to do next.

The Buddhist chants she heard before fainting left her feeling uneasy.

She was originally a wandering soul who, by some twist of fate, possessed Qiao Qingyin's body. Now that this body has suddenly become abnormal, it's hard to say whether it's a warning from heaven that she should leave this place.

If that's the case, it seems she needs to speed things up and get everything done as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, inside the Phoenix Palace.

"Your Majesty, Consort Qiao has awakened. His Majesty is staying at Diecui Pavilion with her and has not left yet."

As the chief eunuch Lin Qing spoke respectfully, he raised his eyes to observe Empress Wang's expression.

Upon hearing this, Empress Wang paused slightly as she tended to the flowers and plants, but then resumed her normal actions, saying with a half-smile, "I underestimated this Consort Qiao. Even with Master Jingyuan here, she couldn't make her reveal her true form. It seems that the claim of the Consort being possessed is truly absurd."

Listening to Empress Wang's seemingly casual tone, Lin Qing couldn't immediately discern her intentions. She tentatively inquired, "After this incident, I fear Consort Qiao's influence will only grow stronger. Your Majesty, do you think we should take action?"

"No."

Empress Wang interrupted him, her tone indifferent: "As the mistress of the harem, how can I lower myself to the level of those concubines and engage in scheming and intrigue? Besides, in this palace, being too sharp is not a good thing... We should just stand by and watch the show."

Having served Empress Wang for a long time, Lin Qing naturally understood her unspoken meaning: "Your Majesty is wise!"

***

As soon as Lu Zhiheng left the Zichen Palace, he was stopped by Yuxiu, a palace maid who served Lu Mingzhu.

"Lord Lu, my lady invites you to come over for a chat." Yu Xiu lowered her head, but secretly glanced at the handsome man in front of her.

She had heard other palace maids mention how elegant and charming the Grand Secretary Lu was. Now, the man before her, with his blue robe and jade belt, thick eyebrows and bright eyes, thin lips like cinnabar, and aloof and arrogant demeanor, was indeed like a celestial being banished from heaven, someone that ordinary women like them could not possibly have their way with.

Lu Zhiheng did not notice her unusual behavior. Upon hearing Lu Mingzhu's name, his cold gaze immediately darkened: "Does your mistress not know the palace prohibition that officials and concubines are not allowed to meet in private without permission?"

"Lord Lu, you and Consort Lu are cousins, so I imagine His Majesty—"

Before Yu Xiu could finish speaking, Lu Zhiheng interrupted her: "How dare you! Who gave a palace maid the right to presume to guess His Majesty's intentions?"

The man's cold voice was chilling, and Yu Xiu's eyes immediately reddened. She knelt on the ground and begged for forgiveness: "Lord Lu, please spare my life. I did not mean it. Please forgive me."

"Go back and tell your master to remember her parents' warning and not to even think about using sibling affection to bind me. If she continues to be unruly and tries to kill herself, don't blame me for being cold-blooded and ruthless and standing by."

After saying this, Lu Zhiheng turned and left.

Yu Xiu watched his departing figure, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes.

When she was assigned to Lu Mingzhu's palace, she had thought she would serve this Consort Lu and would inevitably have the opportunity to see Lord Lu's demeanor in the future. It seems she overestimated the relationship between Lu Mingzhu and the Grand Secretary Lu.

"Sister Yuxiu".

Yu Xiu was still in a daze when she heard someone call her. She immediately looked up at the person in front of her, and a fawning smile instantly appeared on her face: "Sister Zijuan, what are you doing here?"