amaotonovel Chapter 246 Extra
Chapter 246 Extra
That morning, sunlight streamed through the window lattices into Kunning Palace. Qingyao was personally helping her husband change into his court robes. Her movements were gentle and deft, meticulously smoothing the pleats and collar. When she was done, Qingyao smiled and pulled out a brand new sachet. This sachet, which she had recently embroidered, softly said, "My dear, the one you wore before has lost its fragrance, so I have specially replaced it for you. This one still contains your favorite scent." With that, Qingyao carefully helped Kangxi hang the sachet around his waist.
Kangxi smiled and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, my dear! Actually, you don't have to get up so early. After all, there is Liang Jiugong in this palace. Let him help me change clothes." After that, Kangxi gently held the other's hand, his eyes full of concern and love.
Qingyao bowed slightly, her beautiful eyes brimming with tenderness as she gazed at her husband. She opened her rosy lips, "I know full well that you love me, but getting up early to help you change clothes is something I've long been accustomed to. From our wedding day until now, whenever you've stayed at my place, I've always been there to serve you myself. Every morning, I can't wait to get up and serve you myself."
Kangxi gently stroked her silky hair and said with a smile, "I have to go to the morning court. My dear, you should sleep a little longer and don't have to get up in a hurry. Don't worry, there are many servants to take care of the affairs in the palace. You just need to have a good rest. I will have dinner with you when I come back from the morning court." After that, he slowly stood up, straightened his dragon robe, and walked towards the Qianqing Palace with steady steps.
Qingyao waved her hand gently, signaling the maid beside her to come over. Chunyu quickly walked up to her, bowed slightly, and said, "What do you want, Your Majesty?" Qingyao's red lips parted, and she said softly, "Please help me change my clothes." Chunyu responded, took out a bright red Manchu dress from the closet, and began to carefully dress Qingyao.
After a while, Qingyao looked around in the bronze mirror and nodded with satisfaction. Then, she slowly stood up, stretched out her jade hand to hold Chunyu's arm, which had been waiting beside her, and walked towards the imperial garden with light lotus steps.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Garden, Xuanye slowly rose from his stone bench. He gently brushed off some dust from his dragon robe, a look of confusion on his face. He frowned slightly and muttered to himself, "I was clearly with Baocheng just now. How did I end up in this Imperial Garden in the blink of an eye? How bizarre!" He glanced around, his eyes sweeping over the vibrant flowers, the lush green trees, and the winding paths. An inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up in him.
Xuanye was just wondering when a group of eunuchs and palace maids approached from a distance, surrounding a woman. It was the Empress. When her eyes met the person before her, she looked at her in surprise, and couldn't help but exclaimed, "Empress?!"
Qingyao slowly raised her head, her beautiful eyes fixed on the man before her, eyes filled with confusion and surprise. She whispered, "Your Majesty? Didn't you just go to the Qianqing Palace? How did you suddenly appear in this Imperial Garden?" Then, she carefully examined Xuanye's clothing, her brows furrowed slightly, and she thought to herself, "That's not right! I didn't put this on Your Majesty, and..." At this thought, Qingyao's face suddenly changed. Pointing at Xuanye, she sternly shouted, "You're not my Emperor at all! Who are you? How dare you impersonate the Emperor? What is your punishment?"
Xuanye widened his eyes, looking at the person in front of him with disbelief, and said in a trembling voice: "What do you mean by pretending? Who in this world has the guts to pretend to be me! It's so audacious!" As he spoke, he subconsciously took two steps back.
However, at this moment, he suddenly seemed to remember something, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face. He stared straight at the woman in front of him and asked in a trembling voice: "That's not right... Queen, haven't you passed away for more than ten years? How... how could you appear here? Could it be that... I am dreaming? Or... all this is my illusion?" He stretched out his hand, wanting to touch the woman's face, but he was a little afraid, for fear that this was just an illusory dream, and it would disappear once touched.
Qingyao was shocked when she heard this, but seeing the other person's fear, she didn't seem to be faking it. She gritted her teeth and said, "I'm here perfectly well, how can you say I've passed away? You, this demon, must have cast some spell to mislead the emperor." Xuanye was also confused. He looked around and found that the imperial garden looked familiar.
Chunyu bowed slightly to Qingyao and said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, we should return to Kunning Palace first. For the time being, let the guards strictly guard this place, and no outsiders are allowed to trespass at will. As for what exactly happened, I will report the truth to His Majesty in the Qianqing Palace, and then we will make a decision. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Qingyao nodded slightly and said softly, "Well, let's return to Kunning Palace first and discuss matters after His Majesty returns." She placed her delicate hand on Chunyu's arm and turned away gracefully. Chunyu carefully supported her, fearing any mishap. The two of them walked further and further away, their figures gradually disappearing among the flourishing flowers and trees of the Imperial Garden.
As they exited the Imperial Garden, Qingyao paused, her beautiful eyes flickering as she gazed at the guards following behind her. "You must guard this place carefully," she said softly, her rosy lips parting. "No one is allowed to enter this Imperial Garden without permission. Anyone who violates this will be severely punished!" The guards responded in unison, their voices thundering. Then, satisfied, Qingyao nodded and once again helped Chunyu away, leaving the dedicated guards to their posts.
After Qingyao returned to Kunning Palace, she couldn't calm down for a long time. She sat on the couch, handkerchief tightly clenched in her hand, the face of that strange man constantly appearing in her mind.
Qianqing Palace
Chunyu arrived at the palace gate and bowed slightly to Eunuch Liang, who stood upright. She asked softly, "Eunuch Liang, I wonder if His Majesty has finished his morning court today? I have something important to report."