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Having received His Majesty’s consent, Xiao Jizi no longer hesitated and began to speak, "Yes. This matter, I fear, must go back to the night His Majesty left Canglan Court. At that time, our master appeared calm on the surface, but I now think it was not right; she probably feigned happiness."

"Three days after that night, I accompanied our master to the Imperial Garden, where we later encountered Beauty Zhao, Talented Lady Sun, and Attendant Changzai Zhou...."

Xiao Jizi slowly recounted the incident when they first met Beauty Zhao and the others, including what was said among them, and concluded, "Today, I heard our master talking to herself, and it seemed that she mentioned the phrase ’Heavenly Silkworm Silk.

’ Thus, I boldly guess that perhaps our master loves beauty and also desires Heavenly Silkworm Silk? "

Our master must have been jealous because when she talked to herself in the afternoon about ’Heavenly Silkworm Silk,’ her face showed both grievance and sorrow.

She happened to hear the phrase ’Heavenly Silkworm Silk’ because she was close by, while Xiao Linzi, who was farther away and watched by Xiao Qing, naturally could not hear it.

However, I do not think our master wants Heavenly Silkworm Silk. With her personality, she would not desire what is not hers, nor would she overthink it. She was likely upset because His Majesty had just left, and the very next day, he summoned the Noble Consort to his bedchamber.

Yet, he dared not point this out directly because that would imply that our master is prone to jealousy, which would harm her.

So, he suggested that our master was behaving like a jealous young girl, hinting somewhat, whether His Majesty understood it or not, it would only be beneficial and not harmful.

The Emperor felt a bitter tightness in his heart upon hearing about ’Heavenly Silkworm Silk’ and summoning the Noble Consort.

’Heavenly Silkworm Silk’ was a gift he bestowed on the Noble Consort, which his Little Concubine had overheard!

Initially, he had not bestowed anything on his Little Concubine. Perhaps out of a desire to protect her, not wanting her to draw attention, or fearing she might lose her essence, or perhaps subconsciously he did not want to set clear boundaries with her.

He did not want his Little Concubine’s affection to stem from his gifts. It was all rather unclear.

Over the years, he had grown accustomed to the Noble Consort managing the harem for him, providing her with the desired power and equivalent rewards, the accounts clear and distinct, just like a superior and a subordinate.

Those were easy to handle, as for what his Little Concubine wanted in the future, he would provide for her without her asking, simply doting on her was enough, whether it was conspicuous or not. He had firmly resolved to protect her regardless of everything.

But what was fatal was that his Little Concubine also heard about him summoning the Noble Consort!

At that time, he had not thought through his issues with the Little Concubine, made a foolish mistake, and summoned the Noble Consort the very next day, thus planting the seeds for today’s issues!

Did his Little Concubine know how broken-hearted she was? Yesterday, he repeatedly stated that as long as she was well, he would do anything, but right after he angrily left the previous time, he had sought someone else. How was she supposed to feel, how could she trust him?

No wonder his Little Concubine wanted to play tricks on him to vent her feelings. He said that this trickery was mild, but even so, he had still not allowed her to vent to her satisfaction, angering his Little Concubine into such sorrow. Thinking of her silently weeping, his heart ached unbearably.

This was the first time he had placed someone at the very top of his heart, treated with the utmost care, afraid of spoiling her by enveloping her with his mouth, or of dropping her by holding her in his palms, yet he still ended up upsetting his Little Concubine.

Having realized this, the Emperor dropped a sentence, "Zhang Qing, reward!" and hurried away, returning to the inner chamber.

When he gently lifted the curtain, he found his Little Concubine not lying down but sitting woodenly on the bed, dazedly deep in thought about something.

The Emperor’s throat felt tight as he rolled over, took off his shoes, got onto the bed, and sat beside her.

He gently embraced her and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Darling, I’ve made you suffer.

.." Before he could finish, the emotions overwhelmed him, his throat clogged, and he could no longer continue.

Lian Hua weakly smiled at His Majesty as she looked up, unsure of what to do. She lay in bed pondering for a long time but couldn’t figure out what to do.

She was very fond of His Majesty, but she was too greedy. She wanted His Majesty to be hers alone, otherwise, she... otherwise, she...

Whenever she reached this point in her thoughts, she dared not think further. Everything seemed blurry, and she didn’t want to think anymore.

Lying down felt awful, her chest felt suffocating, so she sat up and stared blankly into space, emptying her mind, letting herself stop thinking. Perhaps whatever was bothering her would be resolved tomorrow.

Seeing her expression, the Emperor felt even more heartache and couldn’t help but pull her into his arms and kiss her forehead gently.

Lian Hua involuntarily turned her head, dodging His Majesty’s lips. She still hadn’t figured out how to interact with His Majesty and felt uncomfortable.

Seeing this, the Emperor, enduring his pain, said, "Lian Hua, there are many faults in me. If you find something disagreeable, could you just tell me directly? What I fear most is you feeling wronged or refusing to acknowledge me."

Lian Hua shook her head and whispered softly, "My Lord, I’m not wronged, nor am I ignoring you. I just can’t comprehend some things, but I believe I will understand them eventually."

The Emperor, pleased that she was talking, felt a mix of joy and further heartache. His little concubine was always so gentle, always keeping her sorrow to herself while bearing it alone, never willing to hurt others.

He resolved to have a thorough conversation with her, to express his care for her, as the divide between them was unbearable any longer.

The Emperor straightened her face, held her shoulders tightly, and spoke earnestly and affectionately, "Lian Hua, my past experiences have been dark.

Only after meeting you did I realize there is a light in this world that belongs to me; you are my light.

The days spent with you bring me great joy and fulfillment. "

Is that so? Lian Hua looked into His Majesty’s eyes, and saw her reflection; she felt a bit dazed and heartache simultaneously, sensing that His Majesty’s childhood might not have been pleasant.

Her hand unconsciously rose to His Majesty’s cheek, touching his face as if she had never seriously touched His Majesty’s face like this before.

The Emperor breathed lightly, afraid to disturb his little concubine, yet also eager to let her know his feelings, lest she continue to agonize.

He softly grasped her hand that caressed his face and continued speaking:

"It is said that the Imperial Family is heartless. I, too, believed that. But after meeting you, I unknowingly gave you a place in my heart, and realized what affection is. At first, I was afraid. I feared that my feelings for you would become my weakness. I even tried to distance myself from you, but I couldn’t do it.

Without you, I missed you day and night, the pain felt in my heart and liver, and life tasted bland. "

Lian Hua’s eyes gradually sparkled. Was His Majesty suffering as much as her, or even more?

Her eyes became moist again, a mix of happiness and heartache, and a desire to cry emerged. She bit her lip, trying hard not to let the tears flow.