Upon entering, she realized she’d come at an inappropriate time.

Around the courtyard, tree after tree bloomed with large, joyful flowers in pink snow and tender rose, making hearts flutter with their heart-stirring fragrance. Qinglong and Xuanwu stood guard at either end, with another bearded man – presumably the Jing County general – leading men stationed further away.

Lian Yu instructed Xuanwu something, and Xuanwu left to carry out the orders.

In the courtyard was a clear water pool formed by several streams flowing together from all directions. Occasionally fallen flowers and leaves dropped into the water, floating on the surface. The young man stood straight-backed by the pool’s edge, eyes slightly narrowed as if thinking. The clear, transparent current reflected his handsome, sharp face.

Suzhen’s heart was as nervous as during imperial examinations, like her first time going out with Li Zhaoting.

She considered approaching but truly didn’t know what to say to him.

In this back and forth, she saw Xuanwu return with someone.

Her heart jumped – was he meeting with Shuangcheng?

Gu Shuangcheng and Lian Yu exchanged greetings, then began conversing.

From this distance, she couldn’t hear what they were saying and didn’t dare move closer, fearing Xuanwu and the others would discover her.

What she found piercing to watch was Shuangcheng suddenly trying to leave, but Lian Yu moved quickly, blocking her path with one hand extended.

Seeing this, Suzhen wanted to leave. But her feet wouldn’t move – she stood rooted to the spot.

“Has Your Majesty finally noticed Shuangcheng?”

Gu Shuangcheng looked at the man before her, smiling slightly, a trace of bitterness in her eyes.

“Why did you suddenly come forward to explain this matter today?”

Lian Yu looked at her, his tone natural, not interrogating, but his eyes held sharp scrutiny.

“I don’t dare take credit that doesn’t belong to me. When Li Huaisu suddenly appeared at the Chancellor’s manor, I imagine both you and those around you would have suspicions. Even if you knew then that she notified me to have Marquis Huo come to the rescue, that suspicion would remain. But when I claimed credit, learning the truth afterward, Seventh Master and Chancellor Yan inevitably felt guilty toward her. Though suspicion still exists, they won’t treat her too badly in future, lest they repeat past mistakes and wrong her again.”

After speaking softly, Gu Shuangcheng closed her eyes: “Your Majesty, this servant has finished reporting and requests leave to withdraw.”

Lian Yu paused for a long moment. Watching her walk away, he then moved swiftly, blocking her path and gripping her chin: “What benefit does doing this bring you?”

“No benefit,” Gu Shuangcheng showed a bitter smile. “Only that you’ll be happy. When she’s well, you’ll naturally be happy, won’t you? Your Majesty, I just want you to be happy. I thought, with my sister gone, if you were to like someone… it would be… me. Later I learned it was just my wishful thinking. If I have selfish motives, I truly do – I hope you might notice my goodness.”

“Then I thank you for your thoughtfulness toward Li Huaisu.” Lian Yu stared at her for a moment, then slowly released his hand.

Shuangcheng was startled – she hadn’t expected just this single sentence from him.

She would have preferred him to grip her chin tightly and interrogate her – at least that would mean he cared about her. She did this because the credit truly didn’t belong to her, and she hoped Lian Yu might consider her goodness, but what was this now…

She wasn’t a good person, but she hadn’t sunk so low as to use this to harm Li Huaisu. She only wanted fair competition with Li Huaisu.

But Lian Yu wasn’t moved in the slightest!

Feeling great anguish, she looked sharply at Lian Yu: “I didn’t hesitate to break with Quan Feitong for you, breaking with someone who treated me like a brother, just to bring Huo Chang’an here. Yes, you escaped danger and Li Huaisu contributed, but isn’t there any of my merit in this? Lian Yu, can’t you be fair?”

“Love isn’t about fairness. I can treat you well, and I will treat you well, because you helped me, because you’re Aluo’s sister. Though Aluo is dead, she’s forever my responsibility, so I arranged to bring you into the palace.”

Lian Yu looked at her, slowly stepping back several paces to maintain distance. His eyes were clear as crystal as he watched her.

Shuangcheng felt these words stab into her heart like knives. She stepped forward quickly, staring at the man’s cold, handsome face and shouting out her heart’s words: “Aluo, Aluo – stop with the righteousness and false benevolence! I thought you were different from other men, but I forgot – you’re the Emperor. You speak of Aluo, but you’ve long forgotten her in your heart. If you truly had her in your heart, how could you have three palaces and six courtyards? How could you marry Wei Wuyan? How could you favor Murong Xi? How could there be Li Huaisu today? Look at your indulgence toward Li Huaisu – everyone knows you love her!”

She choked up as she spoke, her eyes turning blood-red, tears rolling down one by one.

Lian Yu’s brows furrowed sharply. She resembled Gu Xiluo in appearance – this was why Empress Dowager Xiao’an wanted to eliminate her, and why he had to bring her into the palace, keeping her under his watch so Xiao’an couldn’t act. Now, he seemed to see distant Aluo looking at him with tearful eyes. He almost stepped forward to hold her, to give her comfort.

He clenched his hands but remained in place, smiling self-mockingly: “If I said I married Wuyan because of Aluo, would you believe it? If I said I’ve never touched my three palaces and six courtyards, would you believe it? That was my promise to Aluo. Yes, Li Huaisu is an accident for me. I admit, watching Chang’an live freely for years, watching Seventh and Ninth Brothers with their many beauties, I became lonely, so I reached out to create a romance for myself.”

“Perhaps I should say, if I hadn’t met Li Huaisu, I wouldn’t have discovered this loneliness. I knew her long ago – then I had no such feelings for her, only because I thought she resembled your sister, and she was good to me, so I showed her favor. When we met again, seeing her dare to publicly stop my sister’s arrow, seeing her overcome countless difficulties to take imperial examinations, seeing her recklessly stand up for me in the imperial study, seeing her willingly risk my wrath to handle Pei Fengji’s case, I felt I wanted to spend life with this person. At that time, I still didn’t know she was a woman…”

“Stop!”

For the first time, Gu Shuangcheng lost her usual calm composure in public. She nearly screamed in a low roar, her eyes wide with startling blood-red, filled with vicissitudes and sorrow. She pointed at him trembling: “Lian Yu, saying these things – are you trying to prove your love for Gu Xiluo, or your special feelings for Li Huaisu? That you could accept her even as a man? You can choose not to love me, but my sister… Gu Xiluo who once loved you so much and whom you loved so much – is she someone who can be replaced?”

Lian Yu smiled slowly, fine lines appearing at his eye corners – lines that didn’t belong on a man in his twenties. He said slowly: “To me, Aluo is unique. But I did develop feelings for Li Huaisu. Consider me a heartless person then – your sister loved the wrong man.”

Gu Shuangcheng trembled all over, as if fallen into an icy cave. She stared at him with pale shock. In her agitation, she suddenly raised her hand. Lian Yu continued smiling slightly, not even avoiding her.

She suddenly laughed: “If my sister were still alive, what would you do?”

“If your sister were still alive, you wouldn’t be standing before me saying these words today.”

Gu Shuangcheng was very intelligent and immediately understood: “There would be no Li Huaisu?”

“Yes!”

Hearing that decisive answer, Gu Shuangcheng was stunned, then her lips curved slightly: “They say an emperor’s heart is most difficult to fathom. Since even Aluo can be replaced, someday Li Huaisu can be replaced by another. Li Huaisu caught your attention only because she resembles sister, didn’t she? Your Majesty, in your heart, you simply have special feelings for a certain type of person.”

“Be fair – give me a chance to replace Li Huaisu. Not just me – even Miss Miao has this possibility, just a matter of time. You love those intelligent, wise women with hearts for country and family. But Huaisu is stubborn by nature, and doesn’t necessarily understand you or consider your needs – she only causes you trouble. Someday you’ll tire of her and abandon her.”

“She’s not the only one who can achieve top scholar status.”

“Fine. From Empress Dowager Xiao’an onward, I’ve seen many women capable of governing the nation since childhood, up to Li Huaisu… I’m precisely planning to set a Great Zhou precedent by establishing women’s imperial examinations, naturally hoping capable Great Zhou women can all serve the country. Shuangcheng, please don’t disappoint me.”

Lian Yu swept his sleeve, brushing away a flower petal that had fallen on his shoulder, raising his eyebrows to answer her.

Shuangcheng trembled, looking at the sovereign before her. After a moment, she smiled faintly and loudly answered “Good,” then turned and left.

Suzhen stood for a long time, watching from afar as the two seemed to argue heatedly about something. Lian Yu even gripped Shuangcheng’s chin and blocked her path. Were they this intimate…

Zhaoting’s beloved woman was also loved by Lian Yu.

Even after Shuangcheng left, she still felt as if all her blood had risen to her heart, blocked up tight. Usually when facing problems, she could think things through clearly, but now everything felt chaotic.

Shuangcheng didn’t like Zhaoting? Lian Yu also liked Shuangcheng?

Thinking this, she felt something blocking her breath. She bit her teeth and kicked up a small stone from the ground.

With a “pop,” she regretted it the moment the stone flew up. Shocked, she hurried to escape.

But it was too late—

“Who goes there!”

With a sharp shout, two figures flew over with “swoosh swoosh” sounds. One grabbed each of her shoulders, lifting her up. With one leap, they threw her before that blue-robed figure.

Suzhen looked awkwardly at the circle of lake-blue robe hem before her as it swayed gently with its owner’s movement, seeming to stir up countless waves.

“Your Majesty…”

A rough male voice sounded from behind, accompanied by over ten pairs of black boots. She only heard her own drumming heartbeat, then that person’s indifferent voice: “General Shao, it’s nothing. Withdraw – just one of my unruly subjects.”

“Yes, this general obeys.”

Soon, those dozen footsteps retreated in unison to their original guard positions.

Suzhen heard Qinglong’s muffled laughter. She looked up sharply to see Lian Yu glancing at Qinglong, who was startled and immediately lowered his head. Xuanwu shot him a “you want to die” look, and both instantly retreated to their positions, leaving her and Lian Yu by the blue pool.

Suzhen was still lying on the ground. Seeing Lian Yu staring at her coldly, she cursed inwardly but still properly kowtowed: “This minister greets Your Majesty.”

“Oh, so Minister Li still has this emperor in her eyes?” Lian Yu said sarcastically, turning slightly, showing little regard for her.

Suzhen was angered by his sarcastic attitude and jumped up: “What does Your Majesty mean by this?”

“What were you doing skulking around here?”

Suzhen thought: what about your secret tryst here? Don’t think I couldn’t hear what you were saying – you and Shuangcheng having a rendezvous here is fact! And you claim you don’t like her?

She laughed once and answered: “This manor is so large – how would this minister know where I’d end up? This courtyard has unique scenery – haven’t you just arrived yourself, Your Majesty?”

“This place truly can only be visited by me!”

The Son of Heaven’s gaze darkened as he sneered: “Li Huaisu, tell me what gives you the right? There are plenty more talented than you. With your attitude, who knows when I might not want you anymore and have you kicked out of the capital!”

Suzhen’s heart sank as she knelt: “This minister mistakenly intruded upon Your Majesty’s meeting with your beloved – this minister deserves death and takes leave.”

Finishing, seeing Lian Yu glare at her fiercely then turn away again, unwilling to waste half a word on her, she gritted her teeth and immediately turned to leave.

After several steps, the sour melancholy in her heart didn’t diminish but grew heavier. The whole world said he loved her… but he didn’t even like her. He had so many good women around him – possessed by some strange impulse, she slowly turned back, wanting one last look at this cold person.

Just as she turned, she was suddenly stunned. Lian Yu had somehow already turned around and was looking deeply at her.

Her sudden turn seemed to surprise him. His gaze deepened somewhat, but his beautiful lips soon curved up slightly, as if inviting: “Come here.”

That voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just right. Not like a command, yet commanding, making her walk back toward him step by step.

Only when she reached him did she wake from her trance, not knowing what to do.

But Lian Yu stepped forward and suddenly embraced her.

“Li Huaisu, I’ve been waiting for you to turn back long enough.”

Suzhen’s just-calmed heartbeat began pounding again. Smelling the faint sandalwood scent from his clothes, she felt completely speechless. After a long while, when he seemed impatient waiting for her response and hummed softly, tightening his arms, she cried out in pain and suddenly understood: “You… these past two days you’ve been deliberate! Treating me well in public but ignoring me privately – you were waiting for me to submit to you…”

She pushed him away, staring flustered and angry at this man with his narrow, upturned eyes: “You said we’d only be sovereign and subject – you said it! You’re mean!”

Lian Yu reached out to smooth her wind-tossed hair at her temples, stroking her cheek, his eyes curving with wickedness: “Yes, I said it. So what?”

“The sovereign’s word is law.”

Suzhen said this, not knowing why her voice suddenly became small. She tilted her head slightly to avoid his hand, feeling burning heat where he touched.

“Do you remember what I said at Hongtu Wine House? I like you, I want you – that’s what sovereign’s word means. Everything else was just what I had to do. If I don’t force you again and again, would it work? Could I keep offering my warm face to your cold shoulder? You understand your own temperament.”

Suzhen’s heart jolted, as if brilliant colors flashed before her eyes and ears – were those fireworks on Chang’an Street? She looked up at him trembling. His eyes had stopped smiling, only looking at her deeply as before, clearly reflecting deep, burning passion.

Her eyes grew hot. Her right hand was still injured, so she embraced his waist with one arm and buried her head in his chest.

She felt Lian Yu’s chest tremble slightly, then his arms tightened around her immediately.

“Last time at the inn you used Gu Shuangcheng to anger me – what were you doing bringing her here this time?”

She cried and laughed at once, indignant, hitting him several times with her hand, quite ready to demand an explanation.

Lian Yu was also injured and groaned quietly at her hits, but didn’t stop her. Hearing this, his tone darkened: “Which eye saw me using her to anger you? Oh, so your sneaking around was to spy on this?”

He laughed as he spoke, slightly releasing her to pinch her uninjured cheek: “I didn’t. I only asked her here to inquire about something. I calculated you’d come looking for me – the timing was just right. You saw last time how I angered you by deliberately being good to her. Later, when you told me not to, I wouldn’t do that anymore. Between men and women, I understand propriety.”

Suzhen saw his gaze held deep love and indulgence, momentarily stunned, staring at his handsome face in a daze.

“What about you? Is there now a little place for me, Lian Yu, here?”

Only when weight pressed on her chest did she realize, crying out in shame: “Lian Yu, you rogue!”