The next day.
Qin Huaiqiu woke up very early. Perhaps because there was a human body pillow beside him, he had slept soundly the previous night. So when he opened his eyes and saw Sikong Ting's sleeping face up close, he froze on the spot.
Before he could react, the memory of him holding Sikong Ting and asking for a kiss the previous night came back to him. Thinking about how they had kissed passionately on this bed last night and he had fallen asleep while kissing, his face flushed red instantly.
Why didn't he reject him? Qin Huaiqiu recalled that he had vaguely agreed to him yesterday, and now he just wanted to find a hole to hide in.
What did he say later? That he liked him? Did he like him or Qin Huailian?
Qin Huaiqiu covered his blushing face with both hands and secretly raised his head to take a peek at Sikong Ting.
Sikong Ting was hugging him and sleeping soundly. Up close, Sikong Ting's face seemed even more delicate than he had imagined. When he was sleeping, his eyebrows were not furrowed as usual but were naturally relaxed. Under his eyebrows were his thick eyelashes, his high nose bridge, and his thin lips. No matter how you looked at it, he was a handsome man.
But why would he fall in love with me? Actually, he must like Qin Huailian, right?
Thinking like this, Qin Huaiqiu felt inexplicably low.
That's right. Once Huailian is found and their identities are swapped, Sikong Ting will still be deeply in love with Huailian. It seems that I've created a great harem environment for Huailian! That's great!
Qin Huaiqiu grunted a few times. He thought it was a happy thought, but for some reason, he just couldn't feel happy.
He raised his head and looked at Sikong Ting again. His gaze lingered on his cheek. He didn't know how long he had been looking when Sikong Ting's eyelashes fluttered slightly. Qin Huaiqiu was startled and quickly closed his eyes.
Sikong Ting woke up. Looking at Qin Huaiqiu in his arms, he couldn't hide the smile on his face. He was not a man who liked to smile, but for Qin Huaiqiu, he never seemed to be stingy with his smiles.
He looked down at Qin Huaiqiu for a while, then rolled over and pressed himself on top of Qin Huaiqiu. He lowered his head and rubbed his face, saying, "Still not awake?"
Qin Huaiqiu closed his eyes and didn't say a word.
Still pretending to be asleep?
Sikong Ting chuckled a few times and said, "Then I'll have to kiss you awake?"
Qin Huaiqiu was startled. He quickly opened his eyes, turned his head away, and said, "I'm awake, I'm awake. Ah, the weather is really nice today."
Sikong Ting reached out his hand and turned Qin Huaiqiu's face back. He lowered his head and looked at him with his charming eyes, saying, "I want to kiss you."
Qin Huaiqiu was stunned.
"Is that okay?"
Qin Huaiqiu's face turned red again instantly. He stammered, "No... Your subject... Your concubine..."
"I want to kiss." Sikong Ting moved a little closer. His lips were almost touching Qin Huaiqiu's. Qin Huaiqiu could even feel Sikong Ting's warm breath hitting his lips.
Qin Huaiqiu stammered for a long time but couldn't say a complete sentence. He had no choice but to close his eyes tightly.
He seemed to have given his silent consent, looking like he was at the emperor's mercy.
Sikong Ting felt a warm feeling in his heart. Seeing this, he smiled and lowered his head to kiss Qin Huaiqiu's lips.
Just like last night, this kiss was gentle and lingering. It had to be said that Sikong Ting was very good at kissing. Last night, Qin Huaiqiu was too dazed to feel clearly, but now he was fully awake. When Sikong Ting's hand slowly wrapped around his waist, Qin Huaiqiu felt a tingling sensation all over his body. He was almost made weak all over by Sikong Ting's kiss.
Sikong Ting didn't stop kissing, and his hand also started to be a bit naughty. He reached out and pinched Qin Huaiqiu's waist. Qin Huaiqiu let out a surprised cry, and he felt a hot current rushing down there.
He opened his eyes wide. Like a frightened little animal, he pushed Sikong Ting away all of a sudden. Then the next second, he covered himself with the quilt and said in a muffled voice, "Your Majesty, it's time to go to court! Your concubine still wants to sleep for a while."
Sikong Ting was stunned for a while by his push. Seeing Qin Huaiqiu on the bed wrapping himself in the quilt back and forth under his sight, almost wrapping himself into a mummy, he couldn't help but find it funny. He hugged the "mummy" and said to Qin Huaiqiu through the quilt, "Then I'll go to court?"
"Uh-huh...," Qin Huaiqiu kept nodding in the quilt and said in a muffled voice.
"Haha..." Sikong Ting hugged the quilt and swayed it from side to side. "Since I'm being so obedient, what reward will my concubine give me?"
Qin Huaiqiu stopped moving inside the quilt.
"Well... If my concubine doesn't give me a reward, I won't have the motivation to go to court," Sikong Ting said playfully.
Qin Huaiqiu suddenly pulled the quilt down. His movement was quite big, which really startled Sikong Ting.
Sikong Ting looked at Qin Huaiqiu with messy hair and a blushing face. Before he could say anything, he saw Qin Huaiqiu close his eyes, as if he was going to sacrifice himself bravely. He suddenly leaned in and gave Sikong Ting a light kiss on the lips, then lay back down again and covered his head with the quilt once more. "Go to court quickly!"
"Pfft, haha..." Sikong Ting hugged the "mummy" and felt that all the happiness and sweetness in his heart were about to overflow. He had never had such a wonderful feeling before, so much so that he was reluctant to let go for a while.
"My concubine..." Sikong Ting kissed him through the quilt and said, "I'm going to court. Wait for me."
In the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
All the ministers could tell that Sikong Ting was in an extremely good mood today.
After all, before, the court had always been in a mess every day. Whether they were discussing good or bad things, as long as there was an expressionless emperor sitting on the dragon throne, the whole court would be lifeless.
But today, for the first time, this lifeless atmosphere of discussion was replaced. When Sikong Ting was listening to the Ministry of Revenue's report on this year's sowing and fruit and vegetable harvest, he even burst out laughing.
Although everyone knew that Sikong Ting's laughter was definitely not because of this year's good harvest, but purely because of Concubine De.
That's right. The news that Sikong Ting had carried Concubine De all the way from the drill ground back to the Kunning Palace and stayed the night there yesterday had already spread throughout the capital. Several military generals who were on good terms with Qin Feng were vying to write letters to congratulate Qin Feng. However, what they didn't know was that after Qin Feng read the letter, he was completely shocked on the spot, and Nie Rong even had to hold him back to prevent him from committing suicide by slitting his throat - of course, that's a story for later.
"Your Majesty, now that the position of the empress is vacant in the palace, I think it's best to establish an empress as soon as possible," a sycophantic official stepped forward and said as the discussion was coming to an end.
Everyone gasped in surprise.
What a good sycophant! Look at how widely the emperor is smiling.
"Then which one do you think would be a good choice for the empress, my dear minister?"
The official continued to flatter, "I think Concubine De is both literate and martial, and also virtuous and kind. She is the best candidate to be the mother of the nation."
As soon as these words were said, those among the ministers who were part of Liu Cheng's faction all had their own little thoughts.
After all, although Liu Cheng was a good person, most of them had followed Liu Cheng because they had thought that Concubine Shu would be crowned the empress at that time. But currently, it was obvious that the emperor preferred Concubine De.
Everyone secretly glanced at Liu Cheng's expression. They saw that Liu Cheng was lowering his head and biting his lips, with a pale face.
"Your Majesty!" Finally, someone couldn't hold it in anymore. It was an official from Liu Cheng's faction who spoke up in agreement. "I also think it's most appropriate to crown Concubine De as the empress."
As soon as this person spoke, it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples everywhere. Everyone knew that a wise man adapts to circumstances. Currently, Concubine Shu had fallen out of favor. If they continued to follow Liu Cheng, they wouldn't get any good benefits. Now that Qin Feng was not in the capital, the person they needed to curry favor with was naturally Concubine De.
Sikong Ting propped his head up with one hand. Seeing that all the ministers were speaking up one after another, he raised his hand and said, "Alright, let's discuss this matter later." He did want to make Qin Huaiqiu the empress, but would Qin Huaiqiu agree? As a man, would he really be willing to be locked up in this deep palace?
Thinking of this, Sikong Ting couldn't help but frown again.
The atmosphere in the whole court suddenly dropped.
All the ministers were stunned.
What? Did they flatter the wrong person? Why didn't the emperor make Concubine De the empress?
The face of the leading minister turned pale instantly, and he was completely embarrassed on the spot. If he didn't succeed in currying favor with Concubine De and at the same time offended Liu Cheng, wouldn't he be in a dilemma?
The others who had spoken up in agreement also began to mutter to themselves.
Sikong Ting didn't know what they were thinking at all. He just felt that his heart was starting to feel irritated again. Now he needed to go and hug Qin Huaiqiu for a while.
"Dismiss the court," Sikong Ting stood up, waved his sleeve, and left. All the ministers in the court were left staring at each other.
This morning court session had made the ministers' hearts go up and down. It even made some of them dizzy.
Who said the atmosphere in the court was good today? This is simply the calm before death!
Liu Cheng was the first to react. He silently turned around and walked out of the hall. Immediately afterwards, some people who were good at adapting to circumstances chased after him and followed him out of the door. Among them was Zhang Jize, the imperial censor.
Zhang Jize had managed to get the position of imperial censor by relying on his connection with Liu Cheng. He was a staunch member of the Liu faction.
"Lord Liu, don't listen to their nonsense," Zhang Jize comforted Liu Cheng. "Since the emperor doesn't want to make Concubine De the empress, it means that Concubine De is still not worthy of the position! Concubine Shu is the one the emperor has in mind for the position of the empress."
Liu Cheng didn't stop walking and headed straight for the Meridian Gate.
"Oh, Lord Liu. Don't be angry," Zhang Jize said. "That Concubine De only knows how to wield a sword. She doesn't have as much knowledge as Concubine Shu. Besides, being the empress is not about who has the highest martial arts skills. If we just whisper a few words in the emperor's ear, this matter will surely succeed."
Liu Cheng suddenly stopped. He turned to look at Zhang Jize, his eyes deep and complicated. His pale beard was blown messy by the wind, and he kept stroking it back into place.
"Uh, Lord Liu?" Zhang Jize didn't know what Liu Cheng meant by looking at him like this, and he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.
"Lord Zhang, it's true that I want my daughter to be the empress. But in the end, it's the emperor who decides who will sit on that position, not us," Liu Cheng said in a deep voice. "I'm old. I'll have to retire and return to my hometown in a few years. I can't bear the bad reputation of misleading the emperor."
Zhang Jize was stunned for a moment and quickly explained, "Lord Liu! I didn't mean that. I just felt that those people thought that once the tree falls, the monkeys will scatter, and I felt it was not worth it for you."
"It's just that my daughter doesn't have the good fortune..." Liu Cheng let out a long sigh and said, "Lord Zhang, don't follow me. I want to be alone for a while."
After saying that, Liu Cheng turned around and walked towards the Meridian Gate alone. The sun was slowly rising, stretching his shadow very long.