Quick Wear: Under the Skirt, All Beings Are Equal

Chapter 418: The Traitor: Bright Moon, Drinking Alone in the Autumn

Tang Ran chuckled and said, "I recently met a traveler from the Western Regions. He taught me a method that can turn water into ice even in summer. I will teach this method to Eunuch Li Zhong later."

The old emperor's eyes lit up. This was simply great.

Why didn't he let the palace maids serve him?

It's because the place is so small, and it gets even hotter when more people are crowded together.

The old emperor asked about the tomb raider again while chatting, reminding Tang Ran that he still had to pay attention to his reputation. Seeing that he looked stubborn and was unwilling to give up this lucrative business, he had to suppress his worries.

The two of them talked about state affairs while playing chess. After all, he was the emperor, so Tang Ran knew what was going on. He secretly gave up half a piece, which made the old emperor happy for a long time.

The sun was setting in the west, and a half-moon of setting sun rolled up the clouds and spread over the river. An old man and a young man were sitting and chatting in the pavilion. As the sun went down, the old emperor was willing to let Li Zhong serve him, but he still made him stand on the other side of the steps.

"Since Her Majesty the Queen is here, I will withdraw."

When Tang Ran saw the Queen bringing the legitimate princess over, she knew that at this time the Queen might have something to ask the old Emperor.

After thinking about it, I was afraid that it was because of the prince's matter.

Tang Ran was reluctant to be involved in the affairs of a crown prince. What if, like before, the emperor and the queen had a quarrel and forced her to say who was being unreasonable?

Thinking of this, Tang Ran wanted to run away.

It is true that his dead father was the old emperor's sworn brother, it is true that the old emperor fainted several times from crying when his father died, and it is also true that the old emperor loved him because of his father. But when the king of a country and the mother of a country quarrel, can anyone get involved?

The old emperor shook his head and said, "No, just stay here."

Li Zhong went up to greet the queen with a smile, saying that the old emperor had been looking forward to the queen's arrival and had asked him to come here specifically to greet her. At this time, the art of language was important. Li Zhong's few words made the queen, who had been unable to sleep at night because of the assassination of the prince, feel much better.

The queen raised her eyes to look into the pavilion, then walked over with the princess with a proper smile.

"My concubine pays your respects to Your Majesty."

"Queen, please sit down."

The emperor raised his hand casually and made another move, then brought the fruit plate next to him to the queen and asked her to taste the fruit that Tang Ran had brought.

The two were a young couple and have supported each other all the way to today. No matter how favored the concubines in the harem were, they have never surpassed the queen.

Even if there were concubines who did not know the rules, the emperor would issue an edict to demote them before the empress took any action, giving the empress enough dignity and respect for her position as the queen.

The queen waited until they finished the game of chess before she brought up the matter of the crown prince.

Although the prince was not her biological son, he was raised by her for two years when he was a child. Later, the prince returned to his biological mother, but he did not forget the grace of her raising him for those two years.

The old emperor didn't say anything, but gave Tang Ran a look.

Tang Ran stood up helplessly and said, "Don't worry, Queen. I just received news before entering the palace that after the Crown Prince was separated by the refugees, he met a father and daughter who made a living by hunting. They took in the Crown Prince."

The queen felt relieved, and the old emperor also looked in a good mood. She smiled and told the emperor about the sixteenth princess' birthday, hoping to hold a family dinner to liven it up.

There are not many children in the palace.

To be precise, most of them died inexplicably.

Most of the few who are still alive are sick and have to take a lot of medicine to stay alive.

In addition to some premature births due to maternal weakness, some were caused by the Chen Kingdom, and some were even shot by an arrow when the old emperor led the army in person. When the poison took effect, they lost their minds and started killing people with a sword.

This incident was a pain in the old emperor's heart, and he was devastated by it. He often woke up in the middle of the night and went to walk around the palaces where his children and concubines once lived.

Later on, old emperors would name their sons and daughters with the hope that they would live a long life.

Thinking of Li Changan, the emperor also felt that he should be dealt with properly.

The daughter's baptism and full moon banquet were not held properly because the year she was born, Northern Qi had suffered from severe drought for three consecutive years, the crops in the fields were completely destroyed, and the queen was unable to make ends meet.

Not to mention the birth of a princess, even the death of the empress dowager was a simple ceremony.

After having dinner in the palace, Tang Ran refused to ask the eunuch to light the way for her. She took the palace lantern and walked alone along the long palace road. Every gate of the palace was guarded by someone. When the palace was locked, except for the emperor and empress, even the concubines could not ask the guards to open the door without permission.

But Tang Ran is the exception.

"Tang Ran, wait a moment."

Hearing someone calling her name, Tang Ran turned around and saw a girl standing at the Xuan Ce Gate holding a palace lantern. Faint light poured in, separating her from the surrounding darkness. A few strands of black hair nestled on her snow-white neck, clearly distinguishing her.

Tang Ran's eyes moved slightly, but he said nothing.

This was the first time he saw the grown-up Li Limu. She was quite different from the little girl in his memory who sat aside with a handkerchief, smiling and watching them play.

The little girl at that time was full of envy, and occasionally she would be angry at her own inability to live up to her expectations. At this time, the girl had the bearing of a princess, and was as gentle and virtuous as her mother, with a calm and composed look.

Princess Li Limu was also stunned for a moment.

Tang Ran was handsome, she knew this the first time she saw him as a child. He seemed to be favored by God, and even other people liked him a little because of his handsome face, just like the oleander covered with frost in the morning, gorgeous yet poisonous, tempting ordinary people like her to sink into it.

It's a very contradictory feeling.

Li Limu walked towards Tang Ran and slowly saw his face more and more clearly.

During the day, the emperor and the empress were talking. As a child, she couldn't interrupt. After several hours, she hadn't said a word to Tang Ran, so she caught up with them.

The wind was very strong at night. Li Limu reached out to tidy up her messy hair. She heard herself say, "Tang Ran, let me see you off."

Tang Ran was silent for a moment. Just as she was about to say that she was not feeling well and should go back to her bedroom to rest, Li Limu took the lead and walked forward. She turned around and said with a smile, "I'm not that fragile. I've been lying down for four or five years."

The two walked in tandem.

Li Limu mostly looked at the surrounding scenery, then slowly slowed down his pace. When Tang Ran came up, he suddenly said, "I almost forgot what the palace looked like at night. Now as I walk, many blurry things gradually become clear, and they feel the same as I remember."

Tang Ran said, "I'm sorry."