Morning.
The bright sun shone through the window lattice into the palace hall.
Inside the tightly drawn bed curtains, the two people who had fallen asleep in each other's arms seemed oblivious.
After a while, the petite figure seemed to push away the tall one beside her in disgust, until the latter was woken up.
Jun Wuyuan opened his eyes hazily and instinctively reached out to pull Ling Shan, who had moved far away.
His hand landed on a plump curve, and he instinctively kneaded it, which instantly cleared his mind a bit.
He looked tenderly at Ling Shan, who was lying on her side with only her back showing, and his heart melted.
Just as he was about to move, he noticed his hand on her buttocks, and his eyes froze for a moment.
Then he kneaded it gently again, and with a hook of his hand, he pulled the little girl who had fled far away into his arms.
Ling Shan was still sound asleep, even snoring slightly. Her red lips opened and closed, looking extremely cute.
Jun Wuyuan didn't need to look in a mirror to feel that the corners of his lips had been upturned all this time.
Staring at her like this, he couldn't help but reach out and tap her small nose.
After much thought, he resisted the urge to pinch the tip of her nose and just held her in his arms and stared at her quietly.
"Your Majesty."
Outside the palace, Liang Jiusi's voice, deliberately lowered to almost inaudible, drifted into Jun Wuyuan's ears.
His gentle eyebrows instantly tightened, and Jun Wuyuan silently cursed a few times in his heart in annoyance.
The curses were quite vulgar.
At least, they woke Ling Shan up.
"Your Majesty?"
She had been exhausted last night and wasn't woken up naturally, so Ling Shan was full of morning grumpiness.
She groaned and wrapped herself around Jun Wuyuan like an octopus, like an angry little kitten. With her eyes still closed, she buried her face in his chest and opened her mouth to bite.
Jun Wuyuan's back stiffened. Being tempted like this right after waking up was really too much for him.
Most importantly...
The little pampered one was becoming more and more delicate.
However, when Jun Wuyuan thought of his rather excessive demands last night, he felt that it was reasonable for her to be a bit delicate after all those sobs and cries.
So, the tall figure leaned down slightly, and his lips landed on her forehead in a soothing kiss. His warm palm gently patted her back.
This gentle and patient gesture made the groaning little kitten stop to relieve some of her anger.
However, on her beautiful little face, her eyebrows were still knitted, and her red lips were slightly pouted, looking extremely endearing.
"Shanshan, be good. Go back to sleep. I'll stay with you."
Ling Shan: "..."
Her tightly closed eyes and hazy drowsiness were instantly awakened, and her eyes were clear but she didn't dare to open them.
Because, that damned guy looked gentle and considerate on the surface, but in his heart... she just wanted to pounce on him and bite him again.
This damned guy!
Ling Shan automatically ignored what that "dog" was thinking in his heart on the bed because she was really too tired and angry.
She reluctantly opened her eyes. Her eyes, covered with a layer of mist, looked up at Jun Wuyuan.
"Your Majesty, Shanshan seems to have heard someone calling you. Is there something important? Your Majesty should go and attend to your business first. Shanshan can sleep alone."
Ling Shan was very considerate. She put her hands on Jun Wuyuan's strong shoulders and back, as if considering for him.
How could Jun Wuyuan not understand her?
He leaned down angrily and gently bit Ling Shan's small nose. His lips parted slightly: "So delicate."
[Am I a brute? Why does the little pampered one try so hard to get rid of me and rush me to work? (Humph)]
Ling Shan: "..."
Who on earth is being delicate?
Ling Shan rolled her eyes silently in her heart at that proud snort from the "dog". She nuzzled coquettishly into his arms.
Her voice was soft and sweet: "Your Majesty, Shanshan is so sleepy."
Your Majesty, shouldn't you really go and do your proper business?
You're the emperor of a country after all. Can you stop lingering in bed all the time?
She was really tired and sleepy.
But that damned Jun Wuyuan had been exerting himself and sweating all night with hardly any rest, yet he was still so energetic. Just looking at him made her itch with anger and want to bite him.
[Still trying to get rid of me? Ungrateful little pampered one. Didn't I serve you well last night? (Humph)]
However, Ling Shan's misty almond eyes and delicate and weak appearance made his heart soften.
With a heavy look in his eyes, he reached out and ruffled Ling Shan's hair. His tone was both doting and conceding as he said:
"Go to sleep. I'll stay with you. I'll go and attend to my business after you fall asleep."
Ling Shan blinked, and there were glints of light in her eyes. She smiled with curved eyes and planted a kiss on Jun Wuyuan's face.
"Your Majesty, you're so kind."
The sweet voice rang in his ear, and like a gentle breeze, it easily dispelled the annoyance in Jun Wuyuan's heart.
He hugged her and kissed her forehead, and his eyes softened.
[Since you know I'm good, stop whining so much and love me more. It'd be best if you...]
Ling Shan: "..."
She didn't want to hear that shameless and insatiable talk from the "dog". She closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep soon.
Jun Wuyuan: "..."
Forget it.
It seemed that she was really exhausted.
Ling Shan muttered in her heart. Last night, this guy had tossed her around like he was on drugs. Now he just realized that he had exhausted her?
What a man.
She had known that last night's banquet had an ulterior motive, so she had informed Doctor Chang in advance.
It seemed that the person who had a bad night had taken quite a large dose.
Feeling the figure beside her drop a kiss and then leave, Ling Shan yawned gracefully. She was a bit curious in her heart, but soon fell asleep again.
As for Liang Jiusi outside, he didn't have such a good time.
Finally waiting for Jun Wuyuan to come out, the emperor's handsome face still showed signs of satisfaction, but his eyes were so heavy that it made people tremble.
If it weren't for the urgent situation and the chaos in the outer garden, Liang Jiusi wouldn't have been so tactless as to disturb him.
In the study in the front hall, Jun Wuyuan sipped his tea while listening to Liang Jiusi's report.
First, there was the progress of the flood in Jiangzhou. The secret guards had discovered some extremely important matters and were waiting for the emperor's decision.
Secondly, a palace maid belonging to the imperial palace had died on the couch in Wang Chengye's room. Then Wang Chengye had suddenly fallen into a high - fever coma, seemingly in life - threatening danger.
The outer garden was in a complete mess. The Grand Tutor Wang had sent a memorial and had requested the Queen Mother to send two imperial doctors, but neither had been able to improve the situation.
Moreover, there were traces of the secret medicine from the previous dynasty, so he had to come and ask the emperor to make a decision.
"Your Majesty, what should we do about the situation in the outer garden?"
Jun Wuyuan first dealt with the news from the secret guards, and then the corners of his lips curled slightly.
"The person isn't dead yet. I'd like to go and see who is so bold as to use the secret medicine from the previous dynasty in the palace. Aren't they afraid of death?"
Liang Jiusi: "..."
It seemed that they weren't afraid of death.