Early August.
A group of people set off to return to the palace. They took their time on the way and brought back their fruitful achievements to Yuhua Palace.
Even before the incident in Liangzhou came to light, those who were well - informed, such as the party of the unlucky Grand Tutor Wang, had known something.
Wang Yuyao never expected that Jun Wuyuan, who claimed to be on a leisure trip, would end up in Liangzhou.
If it was just a leisure trip with Consort Zhao for fun, it would be fine. But this trip completely destroyed his decade - long layout in Liangzhou.
All his painstaking efforts in developing Liangzhou and all his carefully - planned schemes were in vain.
At this moment, Wang Yuyao finally had to admit that the wolf cub, who was previously ignored by him and the Empress Dowager, was indeed a remarkable figure.
Otherwise, how could he use a face full of tyranny and cruelty to pretend to be a person who didn't care about state affairs and only knew how to kill, thus making them slack off?
It was also a big mistake that Wang Yuyao and his party, as the superior, had made.
They were too self - conceited to take the emperor seriously, even though this emperor was just a down - and - out prince born in the Cold Palace.
In just a few months, the power of the Grand Tutor Wang's party had diminished by seven or eight tenths.
The wolf cub showed his fangs. Before revealing his true intention, he had such patience to gradually eliminate the forces of his heart - and - soul enemies.
Now, except for the governor of Youzhou and a little remaining power in Chang'an City, the forces of the Grand Tutor Wang and the Empress Dowager's party had become history.
The yellow - mouthed kid they once ignored had now grown powerful and was eager to show his fangs and swallow them up.
The step back they took at that time unexpectedly led to even more intensified trouble now.
Wang Yuyao's eyes were cold as he threw the secret letter in his hand into the brazier. His face was gloomy as if he had made some determination.
---
"Your Ladyship, you and His Majesty..."
Ban Chun walked in with a cup of tea, looking worried, and asked in a low voice.
Ling Shan seemed not to hear. She slowly picked up the teacup and took a sip.
She lowered her eyes to hide the glint in them and slightly hooked the corners of her lips.
It seemed that even Ban Chun had noticed something was wrong. Her intuition was really right.
"It's okay. Don't worry. His Majesty has been too busy recently."
Ban Chun moved her lips, wanting to say something, but then closed her mouth.
Looking at Ling Shan's calm face, as if the fact that she hadn't seen His Majesty for several days was not a big deal at all, Ban Chun's suspicion and worry gradually eased.
Maybe what Her Ladyship said was right.
Although it seemed that something had been off between His Majesty and Her Ladyship since that drunken night in Liangzhou.
On the way back, His Majesty still treated Her Ladyship very well, but there always seemed to be a veil between them.
After arriving at the palace, His Majesty got even busier. Sometimes, he couldn't even be seen.
Not only Ban Chun, who served Her Ladyship closely, but also other palace servants in Jiuzhou Qingyan noticed something wrong.
But the two parties involved didn't seem to care at all. They were so calm that it was as if Ban Chun and the others had misperceived and were just being over - worried.
Ling Shan had a guess in her mind, but she didn't know how to break the situation for the moment.
She couldn't just blurt out everything before Jun Wuyuan even asked, could she?
Judging from Jun Wuyuan's attitude, it seemed that he was deliberately avoiding her.
Could it be that she accidentally let out something she shouldn't have said after getting drunk?
Ling Shan frowned and suppressed all her worries. She slowly finished the cup of tea.
The Mid - Autumn Festival in August was approaching, and the imperial entourage should return to Chang'an from Yuhua Palace.
Ling Shan got up and went to the inner treasury to select the things to be taken back to the palace. She seemed very interested.
Ban Chun saw Ling Shan's gentle and relaxed face and couldn't help but relax too.
"Your Ladyship, this servant has something to report."
Ban Chun heard a voice outside. She walked out and brought in a little palace maid.
"This servant pays respects to Consort Zhao. May Your Ladyship be in good health."
"Be excused. What's the matter?"
The little palace maid who was kneeling on the ground got up gratefully. She said smartly but respectfully:
"Your Ladyship, this servant is here by His Majesty's order. His Majesty requests Your Ladyship to go to Qianbo Hall at the You hour."
As soon as these words were said, not only Ling Shan was stunned, but Ban Chun also showed a bit of surprise.
What did His Majesty mean by this?
No matter how puzzled she was in her heart, Ling Shan still motioned Ban Chun with her eyes to reward the little maid, indicating that she knew.
What on earth was Jun Wuyuan up to?
However, in the final analysis, this was after all a signal of "making peace".
Ling Shan couldn't just do nothing. Instead, she could take this opportunity to quietly test him.
Maybe, even without the golden finger, she shouldn't be so panicked.
She should also make some changes.
---
Qianbo Hall.
At the Shen hour, the clouds in the sky were dyed with a gorgeous glow. They were colorful, and the ten - thousand - mile rosy clouds looked like a beautiful picture.
Walking under the rosy clouds, Ling Shan deliberately changed into a moon - white palace dress embroidered with dark - pattern intertwined lotus flowers, and put on a light - blue gauze cape.
She wore a flying - fairy hair bun with a red - gold and emerald hairpin slanting beside her temples. Her beautiful face showed a smile like the morning glow on the snow. The scenery was beautiful, and the beauty was even more charming.
Ban Chun supported Ling Shan. She was very excited, and her eyes were full of pride and admiration.
Her own ladyship was already a rare beauty. After such dressing up, she was even more dazzling and beautiful, making people unable to take their eyes off.
At the door of Qianbo Hall, Liang Jiusi was waiting with a little eunuch.
Seeing Ling Shan's figure, he couldn't help showing a smile and walked up.
Ling Shan saw the sudden sparkle in Liang Jiusi's eyes, and suddenly felt a chill down her back.
For some reason, she always had a bad feeling.
Subconsciously, she remembered that every time Liang Jiusi, the old fox, showed such an expression, he always intended to make her take the blame.
But she hadn't seen such an expression from Liang Jiusi for a long time.
She didn't know what Liang Jiusi had suffered in these days of serving Jun Wuyuan.
It could be seen that Jun Wuyuan was really in a bad mood.
Otherwise, Liang Jiusi wouldn't have shown such an expression.
Ling Shan's mind was spinning. She nodded slightly, exchanged a few words of greeting, and then stepped into the courtyard.
Qianbo Hall was a relatively remote palace in Yuhua Palace. It was located in the southeast corner of the palace. It was said that no one had lived there for more than ten years.
It should have been extremely shabby, but unexpectedly, it was gorgeous and beautiful inside.
What surprised Ling Shan most was that there was a garden full of osmanthus trees.
As soon as she walked in, she could smell the fragrance everywhere.
Jun Wuyuan was sitting in the inner hall. Through the wide - open diamond - shaped window, Ling Shan's eyes flashed.
She inexplicably felt that after just a few days' absence, he had lost a lot of weight, and there was a touch of melancholy between his eyebrows.
"Your Majesty..."
As soon as Ling Shan opened her mouth, she found that her voice was a bit hoarse.
But Jun Wuyuan's eyes softened. He hooked his lips at Ling Shan and waved his hand:
"Shanshan, come here."