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The Emperor grew more and more uneasy: something inside urged him to go and see for himself—he wouldn’t be at ease until he did.

He thought he’d just make a low-key visit, just one look; if the person was fine, he’d leave right away.

Zhang Qing, having heard His Majesty’s call, hurried in to help His Majesty change into casual clothes, thinking that His Majesty was in a bad mood and unable to sleep, wanting to go out for a stroll.

After changing, he heard His Majesty say to him,

"Zhang Qing, light the lantern and lead the way, we’re going to the Imperial Prison." His Majesty finished speaking and left the bedroom first.

Zhang Qing’s mouth fell open in astonishment, his face a picture of shock—was His Majesty going to see Young Master Lian? This was unprecedented; he’d never seen His Majesty show such blatant favoritism!

The Emperor stepped out of the bedroom and, seeing that no one followed, called out impatiently, "Zhang Qing."

Jolted to his senses, Zhang Qing hurriedly responded, "Coming, your servant is coming," as he ran out of the bedroom.

With the lantern in hand, Zhang Qing led the way for the Emperor and a retinue of people who moved silently toward the Imperial Prison.

Upon reaching the Imperial Prison, the eunuchs on night duty, who were idly playing cards, were terrified.

In their lifetimes, they rarely had the chance to see the Emperor face to face, and on this dark and windy night, they didn’t expect His Majesty to personally visit the Imperial Prison; it was frightening indeed—they thought they must have committed some crime for which His Majesty had come to hold them to account.

But that couldn’t be right: they were of low status and considered the least significant within the palace, normally working in this grim place that others were unwilling to approach due to the dirty nature of the work.

Only when the Imperial Chief Steward Zhang Qing instructed them to lead the way to the new prisoner, the Young Master, did they feel a bit more at ease.

The old eunuch who had brought Lian Hua in felt a great sense of relief. As soon as he had received Chief Steward Zhang’s message, he had made sure that Young Master Lian was well taken care of, seizing the opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty.

Now, seeing His Majesty personally visit this Young Master, he thought it was a good thing after all. He had only frightened the young master a bit upon arrival; that shouldn’t matter, he thought, since he had made amends afterward.

As the Emperor entered the Imperial Prison, the more he observed the surroundings, the colder his heart felt. He had been there before, but his frame of mind was entirely different now; the more he saw, the more alarmed he became—wouldn’t the Little Concubine be terrified in such an environment?

With that thought, he quickened his pace and hurried in, and upon arriving at the cell where Lian Hua was held and seeing her through the iron bars, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He stood quietly outside the bars for a moment, noting that Lian Hua was curled up motionless, her body hidden by the blanket, making it difficult to discern her condition, which caused him some panic.

He signaled with his eyes for the old eunuch to open the door. After the eunuch fumbled to open it hastily, the Emperor strode in and bent down to look at Lian Hua, only to find that she was asleep.

The Little Concubine’s face was somewhat pale and she seemed to be cold, huddled into a ball, holding the blanket. She was sleeping so deeply that she wasn’t awakened by the commotion.

He reached out to touch her cheek and found it a bit cold.

The Emperor felt an unbearable tenderness; at that moment, he forgot everything else—what did it matter if the sky fell? He would shelter her.

He, the Son of Heaven, had weathered many storms—could he not protect a Little Concubine?

She didn’t need such a lesson, didn’t need to go through the cruel trials of the world. It was enough that he was there to protect her.

With this thought, the Emperor took off his cloak, wrapped Lian Hua in it along with the blanket, and carried her back to his own chambers.

Zhang Qing followed behind, secretly astonished at the lengths His Majesty would go for Young Master Lian; she must truly be extraordinary. Perhaps she was destined for great fortune in the future, and as for that godson of his... alas, what foolishness.

In the dead of night, Lian Hua smacked her lips and awoke feeling hungry.

She got up late today, and had only eaten a midday meal. After that, it was one thing after another; she missed dinner in the prison due to sleeping through it and had been starved for a long time.

She was so hungry that she barely had any strength left in her body and sat up in a daze.

When she sat up, she realized there was someone next to her, a hand draped on her waist—it was His Majesty, who else could it be?

Lian Hua was a bit confused, with the imprint of the bedding still on her face. Rubbing her eyes, she thought she was still in Canglan Court and called out in a soft, mushy voice, "Your Majesty?"

Her voice was extra soft and sticky, not yet awake.

The Emperor, hearing her voice, opened his eyes and looked at her; his heart nearly melted.

Actually, after carrying Lian Hua back, the Emperor hadn’t fallen asleep.

He couldn’t help but pain for her, touching her cheek, kissing her face, pinching her little hand.

He pinched and kissed, again and again, feeling a sense of regaining what he had lost. His heart was brimming; the loneliness of sleeping alone these past days disappeared instantly.

He was reflecting on himself, wondering if he had been too harsh on the Little Concubine. Wasn’t it her pure and genuine nature that he loved? If he really smoothed out her edges, would she still be herself?

He didn’t dare imagine if one day she became like the other concubines, well-adapted to surviving in the harem but lacking the most precious sincerity, wearing a false mask for him, lifting a smile of insincerity and flattery with not a shred of true sentiment. What would he do then?

His heart would certainly ache, after all, it was he who molded her into that appearance if she were to change.

Forget it, he’ll have to find time in a few days to visit Yixiang Palace and personally invite someone out to take care of her. It just so happened that Canglan Court was also missing a steward.

The Emperor sat up too, helping her to sort out her frizzy hair and touching her forehead, which had a normal temperature.

Still not reassured, he asked gently, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Lian Hua shook her head. She was still a bit confused, as if she had always been living in the past, in the days when His Majesty was still around, and everything that had happened before felt as unreal as a dream.

It also felt like a dream, even the halo of the candlelight seemed different from reality.

Is it a dream? Such a dream is wonderful~

She reached out to hug His Majesty’s neck, burying her face in his chest, and said softly, "Your Majesty, your servant has missed you so much."

The Emperor felt a twinge of pain in his heart, his eyes heating up. Had she been missing him as much as he had been missing her all this time?

If he hadn’t stormed off that night in a fit of pique, if he had lowered his pride to go see her afterward, perhaps all of this could have been avoided, right? She would still be by his side, safe and sound, not having suffered this ordeal.

He held her tightly in his arms, smelling her hair, his heart aching beyond measure, but the unease in his heart finally settled.

A "gurgle" sound interrupted the moment—it was Lian Hua’s stomach playing the empty fortress strategy.

The Emperor was startled by the noise, then loosened his embrace and looked down at her.

Lian Hua felt embarrassed. Oh dear, how had she managed to embarrass herself in front of His Majesty again? She coquettishly chided with unease and buried her head, refusing to look at him, as her ear tips began to turn red.

The Emperor chuckled softly and kissed her forehead, asking, "Are you hungry?"

Lian Hua nodded slightly in his chest, still feeling very embarrassed.

The Emperor then called out for someone, ordering them to prepare some food quickly.

Hearing His Majesty’s command, Lian Hua sneakily glanced up at him, then buried her head again. After a little while, she found the whole situation funny and giggled softly in His Majesty’s embrace.

The Emperor stroked her head, a warm feeling enveloping his chest. She was still her, the Little Concubine he liked, unchanged. She was the treasure he had regained.