Though she had never experienced it before, she knew what Xiao Rongyan was desperately trying to restrain. She felt uneasy and fearful, panicking from her complete ignorance of such matters, having never encountered them. But she had never been afraid of truly being together with Xiao Rongyan.

She never doubted Xiao Rongyan’s feelings for her and understood that in this lifetime, aside from Xiao Rongyan, her heart could hold no one else. She also knew that although they could not marry at this moment, once the realm was unified, they would certainly be together. When that day of unification would come, she did not know.

Between them, they spent more time apart than together. Therefore, she was unwilling to be rigidly bound by the conventions of a marriage contract. She was willing to follow her heart and race against time with Xiao Rongyan.

Bai Qingyan’s honesty made the desire that Xiao Rongyan had forcibly suppressed stir restlessly, nearly killing him.

Her arms tightened around Xiao Rongyan’s neck, her ears so red they could drip blood, as she kissed his thin lips once more.

Xiao Rongyan could no longer restrain himself. Without breaking their kiss, he pulled down several pearls from his waist belt…

The pearls struck the ornate bronze hooks that held the brocade gauze curtains in the great hall. In the subtle bouncing sounds of pearls hitting the floor, the hanging gauze curtains fluttered down from the bronze hooks, layer upon layer completely concealing the depths of the great hall.

In the center of the great hall stood a waist-high gilded Boshan incense burner, from which light smoke scented with white sandalwood rose in curling wisps. A cool breeze somehow crept in, disturbing the rising smoke for a moment. The thirty-two ornate branch-patterned lamps arranged along both sides of the hall flickered with the movement. Layer upon layer of brocade gauze curtains hanging from the hall’s crossbeams swayed at their corners, beautiful as a tender, inexperienced yet extremely gorgeous flower bud, trembling as it bloomed in the wind.

When Bai Qingyan awakened with a start, she was lying properly on the black sandalwood bed. She lifted the bed curtain to see that the sky outside the window had grown half dark. Xiao Rongyan sat beside a low table with his long hair loose, organizing memorial scrolls for Bai Qingyan.

Not many lamps were lit in the hall—only a warm yellow glow illuminated the table before Xiao Rongyan.

Hearing the rustling sounds from within the bed curtains, Xiao Rongyan looked up toward Bai Qingyan’s direction, rose with a smile, and lifted the gauze curtain as he walked toward her.

Seeing Bai Qingyan looking down as she fastened her clothing ties, he stepped forward to grasp her hands, saying softly, “Let me…”

Their eyes met, and Bai Qingyan’s ears were still red.

Her eyes could not hide her smile as she nodded and asked Xiao Rongyan, “You haven’t left yet…”

“My hairpin broke, and my clothes were in such a state that if I went out like that, I’m afraid the moment I left, news would spread that Xiao Rongyan had been forcibly favored by the Great Zhou Empress! This is the Great Zhou imperial palace—Yue Shi cannot enter. I can only wait for A’Bao to wake and have someone quietly prepare clothes for me,” Xiao Rongyan said, gazing at Bai Qingyan with a smile.

Bai Qingyan’s ears grew even redder as she looked down, smiling without speaking.

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Can you bear it?” Xiao Rongyan asked quietly.

In matters of intimacy between men and women, Xiao Rongyan had no experience either.

When passion overcame restraint, he had acted purely on instinct, charging forward recklessly. Only afterward did he regret his rashness, fearing he had hurt Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan did feel some discomfort, but how could this slight discomfort compare to wounds received on the battlefield?

She shook her head: “It’s fine, you needn’t worry.”

Xiao Rongyan pulled Bai Qingyan into his embrace, holding her like the most precious treasure in the world. He lowered his head to gently kiss the top of her head, closing his eyes to savor this moment of peace and warmth: “I hope the day of world peace comes soon, so that… I can stay by your side every day, holding you like this every day!”

Bai Qingyan wrapped her arms around Xiao Rongyan’s narrow waist, saying softly, “It won’t be too far away…”

“Just now, some ministers came seeking an audience. I had Wei Zhong turn them away… saying you were resting,” Xiao Rongyan told Bai Qingyan quietly about what had happened after she fell asleep. “I’ve already organized the memorial scrolls for you. The important memorials from Grand Marshal Lu and the others I left untouched, only arranging the other memorials by priority and urgency to make them easier for you to review.”

Bai Qingyan nodded, looking at him: “Thank you for your hard work…”

Xiao Rongyan held Bai Qingyan as they slowly walked toward the low table: “Looking at these memorials, it seems Grand Marshal Lu and the others have already selected them once, but because you’re a newly enthroned emperor and they can’t gauge your temperament—whether you want to handle every matter personally or only control major affairs—they’ve sent up even memorials that only slightly require decisions!”

He raised his hand to lift the gauze curtain as they walked forward: “Those several stacks of memorials I organized and set aside, you can send back to Grand Marshal Lu unchanged, having him distribute them to various departments for officials at all levels to decide themselves. This way… Grand Marshal Lu and the others will know what kind of memorials need to be sent to you in the future, and what kind they can decide for themselves. Otherwise, if all memorials wait for your decisions, you’ll be too exhausted.”

In this regard, having grown up beside Empress Ji, Xiao Rongyan understood officials’ psychology very well—their methods of trying to divine their ruler’s intentions.

But Bai Qingyan had never been taught how to be an emperor, how to properly handle the techniques officials used to try to fathom their superior’s will. Bai Qingyan was still learning.

Naturally, Bai Qingyan had noticed the problem Xiao Rongyan mentioned. Her intention was to invite Grand Secretary Lu, Chancellor Shen Jingzhong, Imperial Secretary Dong Qingping, and the Six Ministry heads together to discuss this matter openly.

Bai Qingyan hoped that in the Great Zhou’s court, ministers would not need to use schemes to guess her thoughts. A new dynasty should have new customs—she didn’t want the old bad habits of the Jin dynasty brought into the Great Zhou court.

For ministers and ruler alike to be honest and straightforward would eliminate many complications and better serve the Kingdom and people. What Bai Qingyan wanted was harmony between generals and ministers, unity between ruler and subjects.

The great way is simple. As long as she led by example, she could certainly… ensure the source was pure and the flow clear.

Bai Qingyan nodded, telling Xiao Rongyan, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Bai Qingyan had Wei Zhong quietly bring Xiao Rongyan a change of clothes. While he changed, Bai Qingyan asked about the situation in Xiliang.

As Xiao Rongyan put on his robe and fastened the toggles, he said: “Those major aristocratic families in Xiliang aren’t difficult to deal with, but wanting to reach the core figures of each family isn’t so simple either, especially as a merchant. This is the same in all countries—merchants have a low status. Unless you can offer aristocratic families benefits of sufficient weight, it’s actually… easier to deal with members of the royal family.”

“Do you have dealings with those major aristocratic families in Xiliang?” Bai Qingyan asked.

Seeing the dark circles under Bai Qingyan’s eyes, Xiao Rongyan looked at her for a moment, then walked to sit cross-legged across from her, gazing at her seriously: “Are you preparing for an attack on Xiliang, or… planning to establish something there? If you’re preparing to attack Xiliang or establish something there, why not send reliable people to make the trip?”