bullyxtreme Chapter 267 This is what Empress Li Yang's palace looks like.
Chapter 267 This is what Empress Li Yang's palace looks like.
As dawn broke, golden rays of sunlight filtered through the layers of eaves, casting a warm glow on the bluestone path.
Zhao Qingxue stood beside Qin Mu, gazing at the imperial city where she had grown up.
In the distance, the glazed tiles of the Tianqi Hall gleamed brilliantly in the morning sun; that was where she ascended the throne.
Further away is the direction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where the spirit tablets of the emperors of the Liyang calendar are enshrined.
Her gaze involuntarily drifted in another direction.
That was the place she most wanted to go.
The Imperial Study.
The imperial court.
She wanted to see with her own eyes the reaction of the Li Yang court after the letter was delivered.
What kind of expression would Gu Jiantang have?
How will Zhang Julu respond?
Will those elder members of the royal family take this opportunity to cause trouble?
Countless questions churned in her mind, making her wish she could fly there immediately.
But she can't.
Because at this moment, this man was standing beside her.
Zhao Qingxue took a deep breath, turned her head, and looked at Qin Mu.
"Aren't we going to the Imperial Study or the Imperial Court now?" she asked, her voice tinged with barely concealed urgency.
Qin Mu looked at her like this and smiled gently.
The smile was gentle and looked especially warm in the morning light.
But he shook his head.
"I'm not going," he said.
Zhao Qingxue was stunned.
Not going?
What she most wanted to go to was the imperial study and the imperial court.
She wanted to see the reactions of those veteran officials with her own eyes, to confirm whether Li Yang was stable, and to know whether those she had personally promoted had managed to hold the situation together in her absence.
But Qin Mu said he wouldn't go?
"Where shall we go?" she asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
Qin Mu looked at her, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
"Didn't you say," he said, emphasizing each word, "that you would show me the place where you grew up?"
Zhao Qingxue's heart skipped a beat.
Look at the place where she grew up.
But that was—
Qin Mu continued, his smile deepening:
"Of course, we should start by looking at your bedchamber."
Zhao Qingxue's face instantly turned red.
The bedroom.
Her bedroom.
That was where she slept.
That was her most private space.
That is--
Since she was eight years old, no outsiders have ever entered this place.
Zhao Qingxue's cheeks were burning hot, the blush spreading from her cheekbones all the way to her ears, then to her neck, and burning deep into her collar.
She opened her mouth, as if to say something.
But it felt like something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't say a word.
All he could do was look at Qin Mu, at the meaningful smile on his lips, and at the undisguised interest in his eyes.
"But...but..." she finally managed to squeeze out a few words, her voice trembling slightly, "I didn't sleep there when I was little either."
Qin Mu's smile deepened as he looked at her.
"No rush," he said, his voice gentle yet firm.
Let's start by looking at each place one by one.
He paused, his gaze falling on her face, deep and unfathomable:
"Let's start with the bedroom."
When Zhao Qingxue met that gaze, the complex emotions in her heart intensified.
She didn't know what to say.
I don't know whether to refuse or accept.
reject?
He is Qin Mu.
He is the husband she is about to marry.
It was that being that terrified her, made her despair, and forced her to accept her fate.
What right does she have to refuse?
Is that alright?
That was her bedroom.
It's where she grew up.
It was the only place in this deep palace where she could shed all pretenses and be herself again.
Let a man in...
Zhao Qingxue's fingers slowly tightened inside her sleeve.
She bit her lip.
Then, nodded.
"Let's go," she said.
The sound was very soft, yet exceptionally clear.
Qin Mu looked at her, his smile deepening.
He didn't say anything more.
He simply reached out and gently took her hand.
The force was light, yet it left no room for refusal.
The two walked side by side along the familiar palace path toward the palace where she had grown up.
......
Qingning Palace.
This is the palace of Empress Liyang, located on the east side of the imperial city, covering a vast area.
The palace gates were vermilion, with copper nails inlaid on them, gleaming with a warm luster in the morning light.
Two palace maids on night watch stood in front of the door. When they saw Zhao Qingxue and Qin Mu approaching, they were stunned for a moment, and then their expressions changed drastically!
They fell to their knees with a thud, their foreheads touching the ground, their bodies trembling violently.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" the two shouted in unison, their voices filled with extreme fear.
Their gazes involuntarily drifted towards the man beside Zhao Qingxue.
The man in the moon-white robe, with an otherworldly air.
that--
A man who had never appeared in the palace before.
Why did Your Majesty suddenly return?
She was with a man?
Who is this man?
Countless questions churned in their minds, but they dared not ask, dared not look, and dared not even breathe.
He could only kneel there, trembling.
Looking at their appearance, Zhao Qingxue felt a mix of emotions welling up inside her.
She stepped forward, her voice clear, cold, and authoritative:
"Step back. You are not to leave here without my permission, nor are you to tell anyone that I have returned."
She said this in order to protect the lives of the two palace maids.
Otherwise, she worried that Qin Mu would kill the two palace maids, because she still couldn't figure out what Qin Mu meant.
Fortunately, Qin Mu did not make any comment, which relieved Zhao Qingxue.
Perhaps it was simply because these two palace maids posed no threat to him?
"yes!"
The two palace maids, as if granted a pardon, quickly scrambled to their feet and staggered away.
Soon, only Zhao Qingxue and Qin Mu remained in front of the palace gate.
Zhao Qingxue took a deep breath.
He reached out and pushed open the palace gate.
"Squeak—"
The vermilion gate slowly opened.
Sunlight streamed in, illuminating the palace courtyard.
The courtyard is not large, but it is arranged with exceptional elegance.
A cobblestone path winds its way into the depths, with several osmanthus trees planted on both sides. Although the flowering season has passed, the branches and leaves are still lush and green.
At the end of the path stood three houses with blue bricks and tiles.
In front of the tiled house, there is a small flower garden.
Most of the flowers had already withered, with only a few chrysanthemums still stubbornly blooming, their golden petals gleaming warmly in the morning light.
Zhao Qingxue walked in front, and Qin Mu followed behind her.
The two walked through the courtyard and arrived at the three tiled houses.
Zhao Qingxue pushed open the door to the middle room.
I stepped inside.
Qin Mu followed behind her and stepped over the threshold.
Then, he stopped.
His gaze swept across the palace.
The bedroom was not large, but it exuded warmth in every corner.
In the very center is a canopy bed made of rosewood.
The bed was covered with a thick brocade quilt, which was light pink and embroidered with exquisite floral and bird patterns.
There was an embroidered pillow on the bedside table, and next to the pillow was a small rag doll.
The doll was a rabbit, made of white cotton cloth, with two black buttons for eyes and long, drooping ears, making it look adorable.
A rosewood desk sits by the window.
On the desk, the Four Treasures of the Study were neatly arranged.
Inksticks, brushes, and inkstones were all arranged in an orderly manner.
Beside the desk was a tall bookshelf.
The bookshelves were packed full of books, including classics such as the Analects, Mencius, and the Book of Poetry, as well as historical books such as the Records of the Grand Historian and the Zizhi Tongjian, and some booklets that looked like vernacular novels.
In the corner of the bookshelf, there was a small porcelain vase with a few dried osmanthus branches inserted inside.
In the corner, there was a clothes rack.
On the clothes rack hung a moon-white casual dress and a light pink nightgown.
Next to the clothes rack was a dressing table.
On the dressing table were a bronze mirror, a comb, rouge and face powder, and several exquisite little boxes.
The box is carved with exquisite patterns, and it is clear at a glance that it is made of high-quality sandalwood.
Sunlight streamed in through the carved windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
The light and shadow moved slowly with the passing time, dancing gently on the pale pink bedding, on the books on the bookshelf, and on the bronze mirror on the dressing table.
Qin Mu's gaze slowly swept across the palace.
From that pale pink canopy bed to that adorable plush rabbit.
From the bookshelf filled with books to the porcelain vase with dried osmanthus branches.
From the clothes rack with the moon-white everyday clothes hanging there, to the dressing table with rouge and face powder on it.
Finally, his gaze fell on the pale pink bedding.
Then he smiled.
The laughter was soft, yet exceptionally clear in the quiet palace.
"I never imagined," he said, his tone tinged with genuine surprise, "that the Empress, who commands such power in Liyang, would have such a palace."
Zhao Qingxue's face turned red again.
She knew what he was laughing at.
She laughed, saying that the palace was too cozy, too soft, and too unlike the place where she, the "Empress Dowager who shakes Liyang," should live.
Those pale pink bedding, that plush rabbit, those dried osmanthus branches—they all belonged to her.
It was what she used to keep herself company on those lonely nights.
It was something she used to comfort herself during those exhausting moments.
Zhao Qingxue lowered her head.
A complex emotion flashed in those deep purple phoenix eyes.
"Where is the former might that once awed Liyang now?"
She said softly, her voice so soft it was as if she were talking to herself, "Now I'm nothing more than a prisoner."
Qin Mu looked at her like this and smiled gently.
He stepped forward and walked up to her.
He reached out and gently lifted her chin.
This forced her to look up and meet his gaze.
"If I don't speak," he said, his voice soft yet clear, "if you don't speak..."
He paused, a meaningful smile curving his lips:
"Who would know?"
Zhao Qingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly.
She looked at him, at his smiling, handsome face.
The complex emotions in my heart intensified.
Yes.
If they don't say anything, who will know?
Who would know that she was once kidnapped, imprisoned, and humiliated?
Who would know that she was once hung up and beaten, slapped, and hit repeatedly with a wooden stick?
Who would have known that she was once as pathetic as a stray dog in front of Qin Mu?
Nobody knows.
As long as they don't say it.
Those humiliations, those unbearable moments, those times that caused her unbearable pain—
They can all be buried.
They can all be forgotten.
She remains the powerful empress who commands respect in Liyang.
She is still the same Zhao Qingxue who makes countless heroes bow down to her.
This realization caused the huge weight that had been pressing on her heart to ease slightly for a moment.
Zhao Qingxue took a deep breath.
The breath I inhaled carried the familiar, faint scent of osmanthus blossoms from the palace.
She looked up at Qin Mu.
"Thank you," she said.
The voice was soft, yet exceptionally sincere.
Qin Mu looked at her, his smile deepening.
He didn't say anything more.
He simply released his hand from her chin, turned around, and began to stroll around the palace.
He walked up to the bookshelf and stopped.
My gaze swept over the spines of the books.
From the Analects, Mencius, and the Book of Poetry to the Records of the Grand Historian and the Zizhi Tongjian.
Then, his gaze fell on those vernacular novels.
Those booklets seemed particularly thin compared to those voluminous classics.
There was no title on the spine, only some simple markings.
Qin Mu reached out and pulled out one of the books.
Turn it over.
My gaze fell upon the densely packed handwriting.
Then, a meaningful smile slowly curved the corners of his mouth.
"Oh," he said, a hint of surprise in his voice, "I never expected that Her Majesty the Empress would read this kind of novel?"
Zhao Qingxue's face instantly turned bright red.
The blush spread from her cheeks to her ears, then to her neck, and burned deep into her collar.
She walked over quickly, her voice full of anxiety:
"Don't go through my things!"
She reached out, trying to snatch the book.
But Qin Mu only raised his hand slightly, and she couldn't reach it.
She stood on tiptoe and reached out to grab it.
But Qin Mu's hand remained steadily raised, neither too high nor too low, just out of her reach.
"Give it back to me!" Her voice was urgent, and her face turned even redder.
She read those novels secretly in her spare time.
It's the kind of popular martial arts novel that tells a story of love, hate, and revenge.
It was the only place she could temporarily escape from in this world full of scheming and power struggles.
Those stories contain chivalrous heroes who seek revenge, stunning beauties, and unwavering love.
Those stories made her feel that there was something else in this world besides power and struggle.
But she never dared to let anyone know.
Because she is the Empress of Liyang.
She was that ruthless and decisive empress.
How can you watch such "low-class" stuff?
At this moment, Qin Mu's revelation made her so ashamed that she wished she could disappear into the ground.
Qin Mu's smile deepened as he looked at her.
He did not return the book to her.
Instead, he gently pressed his other hand on the top of her head.
Zhao Qingxue felt a weight on her head and was pinned down.
She stood on tiptoe, reaching out her hand, but she couldn't reach the book no matter what she did.
He could only watch helplessly as Qin Mu continued to flip through the book.
"Unexpectedly," Qin Mu's voice came from above, tinged with amusement, "that Her Majesty the Empress would actually read this kind of novel."
Zhao Qingxue was so anxious that tears were about to come out.
"Give it back to me right now!" she cried, her voice filled with urgency.
Qin Mu looked down at her.
Looking at her flushed face, her anxious eyes, and her shy and flustered appearance.
Suddenly, he let out a soft hum.
"How dare you snatch something from your husband's hand," he said, his voice soft but carrying an undeniable authority, "You deserve a beating."
Before the words were finished—
He reached out and scooped her up in his arms!