Murong Min had his eyes covered with a silk handkerchief. "Do you think you can escape me just by covering my eyes?"
Eunuch Yingxi watched with a beaming smile. It had been a long time since His Majesty had relaxed like this. He was actually playing hide-and-seek with the Queen.
He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. "Oh, Aunt Meijiang, youth is really something. The young Queen has brought so much vitality to His Majesty."
Aunt Meijiang twitched the corner of her mouth and then replied with a smile.
"Our Queen is a bit lively. His Majesty is always steady. They complement each other."
It had been quite a struggle for her lady to act like this. In the past, she would have been reviewing memorials in the Eastern Palace at this time.
Du Gu Luanyue's bright red figure stood out vividly against the snow - covered imperial garden, like a little red fox shuttling through the snowy day. Her voice was soft and charming as she said lightly,
"Your Majesty, come and catch me. You'll never catch me."
Although Murong Min's eyes were covered, the silk handkerchief let in some light, and he could vaguely see. After walking just a few steps, he scooped her up in his arms.
Du Gu Luanyue struggled shyly. "Your Majesty is being sneaky. That doesn't count!"
Her body swayed. Her hair had been loosely coiled, and now half of it came loose.
Quietly, she let half of her outer robe slip off, looking charming and lazy as she slumped against Murong Min's chest.
Just as Murong Min was taking off the silk handkerchief, Du Gu Luanyue's disheveled robe and loose hair came into his brown eyes.
He swallowed hard. Regardless of the fact that they were in the imperial garden, he leaned in.
Du Gu Luanyue nimbly dodged and pulled him to continue playing hide - and - seek. "Your Majesty, let's continue. This time, you won't catch me."
Just then, a black - clad and an apricot - yellow - clad figure emerged from behind the rockery in the imperial garden.
Huo Wei's black eyes immediately landed on Du Gu Luanyue.
Seeing her disheveled appearance with the old emperor in the imperial garden and her hair all loose, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. His sharp eyebrows took on a hint of coldness.
Xie Xuanjin beside him watched this old husband and young wife with great interest.
They were being so bold as to indulge in passion in broad daylight in the imperial garden. It seemed that the rumors were true. The Emperor of Northern Yan had been bewitched by this newly - wedded marriage - alliance Queen.
Du Gu Luanyue twirled her hair and didn't even glance at Huo Wei. She walked over and removed the silk handkerchief from in front of Murong Min's eyes.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince of Dongning and the Prince of Yuzhang are here."
Murong Min was annoyed at being interrupted. "Why have you come to the imperial garden to find me?"
Du Gu Luanyue leaned on Murong Min's shoulder and continued to be affectionate with him, not at all bothered by the presence of the outsiders.
On this day, she was especially proactive with the emperor, and Murong Min couldn't resist her either.
Her bright red eyes stared deeply at the emperor. "Is Your Majesty going to abandon me? But I don't want to leave. Can Your Majesty stay?"
Murong Min knew she was young and naive, so he indulgently smiled. "You're the Queen. There's nothing you can't hear. Come along."
Xie Xuanjin's eyes swept over Du Gu Luanyue a few times and found it more and more interesting. Murong Min, the Emperor of Northern Yan, was supposed to be a powerful overlord, but it seemed that even a hero couldn't resist a beautiful woman.
In the pavilion of the imperial garden, she peeled an orange with her delicate hands and fed the segments to the emperor one by one. "Your Majesty, is it delicious?" After she finished speaking, her eyes still didn't look at Huo Wei.
Murong Min said, "What my Queen peels must be delicious."
Huo Wei reached out his hand to take another orange on the table, but Du Gu Luanyue snatched it first. "Your Majesty likes it. What are you, Prince of Yuzhang, competing for?"
Huo Wei's arm hung in the air. His black eyes stared at her for a moment, and finally he picked up the teacup. "How dare your subject compete with Father Emperor? It's all for Father Emperor."
Xie Xuanjin smiled faintly on one side. "Your Majesty is really blessed."
They talked for a while about the cooperation between Dongning and Northern Yan. As the leading party, Northern Yan naturally had to contribute manpower and resources.
Just then, Du Gu Luanyue mentioned that she wanted to take a hot - spring bath.
"Your Majesty, I've always lived in the south. Even on the coldest winter days in Southern Chu, it's not as cold as in Northern Yan. I'm so afraid of the cold.
Doesn't Northern Yan have a hot - spring palace? I'd like to take a soak."
She gently brushed away the pastry crumbs from the corner of Murong Min's mouth and looked at him eagerly.
Such an intimate and tender gesture made Huo Wei feel uncomfortable.
Xie Xuanjin accidentally caught a glimpse of Huo Wei's dark - faced expression and was stunned. What was that look on Huo Wei's face?
Murong Min said, "Northern Yan used to have a hot - spring palace. But a few years ago, the spring dried up, and the palace has been abandoned for several years. It can't be used."
Du Gu Luanyue was extremely disappointed and sighed.
"What should I do then? I just want to take a hot - spring bath. Can Your Majesty think of a way?"
Seeing Murong Min hesitate a bit, her beautiful face softened even more. Her eyes were filled with tears as she whispered in the emperor's ear,
"Taking a hot - spring bath can make a beauty's skin as smooth as silk. I'm doing this for Your Majesty."
The warm and sweet breath of the beauty wafted into Murong Min's ear. Moreover, hot springs did have the effect of nourishing the body.
He thought Du Gu Luanyue's request was not excessive. She just wanted to take a hot - spring bath. As the Queen, it was quite normal for her to have such a request.
Without much thought, he agreed. "I'll immediately issue an order to renovate the hot - spring palace and send craftsmen to check the spring."
Huo Wei knew about the hot - spring palace. It was located dozens of miles west of the imperial city, far from the palace.
The Queen going to take a hot - spring bath would surely be a grand event. The imperial guards would have to be mobilized, and it would take a whole day for the round - trip.
Moreover, it was built on a mountainside, with numerous magnificent palaces.
And renovating it for the Queen's use would surely be a major project.
He said in a solemn voice, "Father Emperor, please think twice. Renovating the hot - spring palace will require a large amount of manpower, resources, and money from the national treasury. Now that we're cooperating with Dongning, this may not be the best time."
Du Gu Luanyue immediately frowned. "Winter will be over in a few months. If we don't start the renovation now, when should I go? Wait until summer?"
How could she not know that the cooperation between Dongning and Northern Yan was imminent? That was exactly why she was intervening.
Her goal was clear. She wanted to lure the Crown Prince of Dongning to Southern Chu instead of having them cooperate closely with Northern Yan.
Murong Min thought for a while and began to hesitate. He had been bewitched by her beauty just now and had agreed too quickly.
Du Gu Luanyue hugged his arm and started to act coquettishly.
"Your Majesty, how much will it cost to renovate the hot - spring palace? I have my own money. How about I pay for it?
If it's not enough, I can write a letter to my father and mother. Oh, Your Majesty, just grant my little request."
Huo Wei scrutinized her carefully and thought that everything seemed abnormal today.