The system resumed the passage of time only after seeing her complete the exchange.
Zhu Yao lifted the pearl curtain. After changing her clothes, Yan Qingshu left the palace and sat in the sedan chair, heading towards the Qianyuan Hall.
On the way, the sedan chair moved smoothly without any jolts.
Hearing Li Dahai outside occasionally instructing the other young eunuchs to be gentle, Yan Qingshu smiled faintly.
Soon, they arrived at the Qianyuan Hall. After getting off the sedan chair, Yan Qingshu asked Zhu Yao to distribute some small silver coins to the young eunuchs.
Yan Qingshu waited outside for Li Dahai to announce her arrival.
Soon, Li Dahai came out, waving his whisk. His smile grew broader as he politely said, "My lady, His Majesty has summoned you."
Yan Qingshu nodded and walked in with a gilded round fan decorated with pear blossom patterns in her hand.
Inside the hall, the faint sandalwood fragrance mingled with the fresh tea aroma. The tall and imposing figure was almost completely hidden behind the stacked memorials.
Yan Qingshu walked forward gracefully and noticed that the vermilion ink in the inkstone was almost dry.
Just as she was about to put down the fan and pick up the inkstick to grind the ink, the man in front of her looked up.
His handsome face suddenly came into Yan Qingshu's sight. She was so startled that she instinctively covered the lower half of her face with the fan, leaving only a pair of clear amber eyes filled with surprise.
This was the first time she saw his face without any disguise.
His eyebrows were thick and black. Under them were a pair of eyes like glass. His rosy thin lips were slightly upturned, with a faint smile.
He had an extremely handsome appearance, lofty and refined, as if carved from jade.
Yan Qingshu blushed under his gaze and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Greetings to Your Majesty. I have been impolite. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Di Yunjian helped her up and said, "What impoliteness? Hurry up and grind the ink for me."
Yan Qingshu nodded, put down the fan, and picked up the inkstick. The ink gave off a faint fragrance as she watched Di Yunjian pick up the brush and write on the paper.
The sunlight shone through the window, and inside the hall, a beautiful woman added fragrance to the scene.
Time passed slowly. The two of them were silent, only the rustling sound of the brush on the paper could be heard.
"Your Majesty's calligraphy is really beautiful."
Di Yunjian looked up and saw the admiration in her eyes. He smiled and said, "You ladies usually practice delicate small regular scripts. If you want to learn, I will teach you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw her smiling face turn a little gloomy, as if covered by dark clouds.
"I'll pester Your Majesty when I want to learn." Yan Qingshu smiled again.
Di Yunjian smiled and continued to review the memorials.
After a while, he looked up again and saw the girl beside him dozing off. He couldn't help but find it funny.
"Is that medicine effective?" Di Yunjian's voice was hoarse.
Yan Qingshu came to her senses and quickened the movement of grinding the ink. She nodded hurriedly and said, "It's effective. It's very effective."
Di Yunjian couldn't help but turn his head and smile, covering his lips with his fist.
"It's a good time for a noon break now. I'm also tired. You accompany me for a little nap."
After saying that, Di Yunjian put down the brush, stood up, and pulled Yan Qingshu, who was still a little dazed, towards the couch.
"Let me see if that medicine is effective. Is your knee better?" Di Yunjian hugged her and asked.
Yan Qingshu obediently lifted her skirt. Her fair and delicate skin came into Di Yunjian's sight. The knee was no longer as swollen as last night and looked much better.
Suddenly, a faint fragrance filled his nose. Di Yunjian felt a heat rise from his throat. He only felt his blood surging and was very hot.
When he came to his senses again, he saw that the outer robe of the charming girl in front of him had been taken off by himself. Yan Qingshu's eyes were red, looking weak and shy, extremely alluring.
"Your Majesty... It's still daytime."
"Moreover, my waist and legs still hurt."
The soft words that had made him feel hot in the imperial garden echoed in his ears again. Di Yunjian's body was on fire. He hugged her tightly, and the curtain beside the couch fell.
Li Dahai outside was shocked when he heard the noise.
It was daytime. How could His Majesty...
Without time to think further, Li Dahai immediately closed the door and scolded the young eunuchs.
Inside, Yan Qingshu endured Di Yunjian's passionate love.
Just now, she had replaced the fragrance pill and used the male potency powder. Sure enough, the effect was remarkable.
Half an hour later, the passion inside still hadn't stopped. Di Yunjian seemed tireless, while Yan Qingshu was crying weakly.
Looking at the red - eyed girl beneath him begging for mercy, Di Yunjian felt a stronger sense of accomplishment. He didn't know why he felt that this time was longer and more enjoyable than before.
After the passion subsided, Di Yunjian hugged the extremely tired girl in his arms and stroked her hair wet with sweat with his fingers.
They were sticky in their close embrace.
"Your Majesty, my legs hurt..."
Yan Qingshu murmured in her dream.
Sleepiness came over them, and both of them fell asleep.
——
Yan Qingshu opened her eyes slightly and saw the man in front of her playing with her hair.
Seeing that she was awake, Di Yunjian smiled and said, "Are you awake?"
Yan Qingshu nodded shyly, and her beautiful face was flushed.
Looking at her appearance, a line of poetry by Cai Shen came to Di Yunjian's mind.
"Her raven - black hair tumbles on the pillow, her hairpin askew. Awakened from her noon nap, her eyes are full of spring charm."
"My Shu'er matches this poem perfectly."
"Your Majesty, I vaguely remember there is another line after this poem." Yan Qingshu had only read a few poems in her childhood and only remembered that there was another line after this poem.
"Her slender waist sways like a beauty in the Chu Palace. With the coming of spring, she loses her charm."
Di Yunjian replied.
"Your Majesty, what does this poem mean?" Yan Qingshu leaned closer to him and asked.
Di Yunjian frowned slightly and said, "Don't you know?"
Yan Qingshu's eyes dimmed. She shook her head gently, and then looked up with a bright light in her eyes and explained, "I was naughty when I was a child and disliked those boring books the most. So my stepmother had no choice but to let me do as I pleased."
In the end, the light in her eyes dimmed.
All this was seen by Di Yunjian.
Di Yunjian's face darkened slightly.
The Marquis of Zhenyuan's family had been a scholarly family for several previous dynasties. All the children, regardless of gender or birth order, were well - read. It was not until his father's reign that the Yan family produced a Marquis of Zhenyuan.
Even so, the Yan family had never abandoned the pursuit of knowledge. Even the virtuous concubine, who had a proud and unruly temper, could recite poems casually.
Recalling the dim look in her eyes and the envious look in her eyes when she saw his calligraphy, it was hard to believe that she was a naughty girl who didn't like books.
It seemed that she had not had an easy time in the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion.
Suddenly, his hand was grabbed. When he looked up again, he saw her smiling and saying, "Your Majesty, you haven't told me what the poem means."
"The meaning of the poem is that her raven - black hair is like clouds piled on the pillow, and the jewelry in her hairpin is askew. Awakened suddenly from her noon nap, her eyes are full of the beauty of spring. How can such a graceful and gentle girl endure the passage of time? I'm afraid she will lose her charm."
"Are you still naughty now? If not, how about I teach you to read and write?"
Di Yunjian suddenly remembered the scene from his childhood when he watched his brothers reading aloud while he could only eavesdrop secretly.
At that time, his status was low. Although he was a prince, even a eunuch dared to ride on his head and scold and humiliate him wantonly.
It was not until his mother suddenly passed away and he was raised by the virtuous concubine that he had the opportunity to study.
"Your Majesty, I'm not naughty anymore. Please teach me to read and practice calligraphy." Yan Qingshu happily wrapped her arms around him, secretly delighted in her heart, and her rosy lips curled up slightly.
Empathy is always a weakness of human beings.
The pity and love of the supreme emperor are the foundation for survival in the palace.