In the Imperial Garden.
Yan Zhen slowly waved his folding fan and walked into the pavilion. His attendant, Xiao Gongzi, whispered, "Has my lord heard the rumors of today?"
Yan Zhen casually flipped through the memorials piled up in the pavilion and said, "Tell me about them."
Xiao Gongzi cautiously glanced at the adult's expression, only to see that the adult's mood had been unpredictable these past few days, sometimes good and sometimes sinister. He couldn't help but wipe away his cold sweat and said, "There are rumors that Miss An has taken over the adult's room and slept in the adult's bed... uh..." Xiao Gongzi dared not continue.
Yan Zhen paused, then raised the corner of her lips and said, "Continue."
Xiao Gongzi said tremblingly, "They also said that Miss An slept with Master's man... This servant would never believe those rumors. Master is of noble birth and dignity; how could such people dare to defile him like that!?"
Yan Zhen picked up his pen and casually wrote down a few memorials, saying slowly, "Rumors are unreliable and need not be heeded." He didn't mind being slept with, but he wanted to sleep with someone even more. Thinking of this, the Right Prime Minister had a slightly wicked thought, but felt his emotions fluctuating. He casually tossed down his pen and lazily said, "However, An Xin is in my residence and happens to be sleeping on my bed. Since rumors are flying everywhere, I will let her sleep with me another day, which will be appropriate for the occasion."
Xiao Gongzi suddenly opened his mouth wide, unable to close it for a long time.
"Little Gongzi, did you really take it seriously? The master usually loves to joke, but you believed him." A light laugh came, and Little Gongzi's face changed. He hurriedly knelt down to greet her, saying, "This servant greets the Dowager Consort."
Su Miaoling said calmly, "Get up."
Yan Zhen shook his folding fan and casually flipped through the folding pages, saying, "I heard that the Imperial Physician said that the Empress Dowager has caught a cold these past few days. Is she feeling any better?"
Su Miaoling's eyes flickered as she looked at the lazy, indifferent figure with his back to her, and said softly, "Alright, you can all go now."
After the servants had all left, Su Miaoling stepped forward and said, "My lady."
Yan Zhen said calmly, "Please speak, Your Highness."
Su Miaoling suddenly stepped forward and hugged Yan Zhen from behind.
Yan Zhen glanced coldly elsewhere before saying indifferently, "Your Highness, please maintain your dignity and refrain from any overstepping your bounds."
Su Miaoling tightened her grip and sobbed, "I won't let go! I won't let go no matter what!"
Yan Zhen raised his hand to push her away, but she buried her face in his back and sobbed, "Yan Zhen, shall we elope? I won't be a concubine, and you won't be the Right Chancellor. Let's wander the world together, okay?"
Yan Zhen casually pushed her away, then raised her eyelashes to look at her and said with a slight smile, "Your Highness, after so many years in the deep palace, are you still so foolish?"
Su Miaoling was suddenly startled.
Yan Zhen said lazily, "You seem to have forgotten your identity. As the late emperor's concubine, you should be more loyal to him. Since you're tired of life in the palace, I'll send you to guard the mausoleum."
Su Miaoling felt a sudden chill and staggered back a step, saying, "Yan Zhen... I, I am the Dowager Consort... How could you be so cruel to me..."
Yan Zhen said calmly, "What reason do I have for doing things?"
****
An Xin vaguely sensed someone pushing the door open. Almost instinctively, she tossed a pillow over, then smelled a faint scent of incense. An Xin frowned. The unwelcome person had arrived!
An Xin turned her head away and kept her eyes closed. It was better to ignore her than to provoke her!
"How is my bed?" asked a smiling voice.
"It stinks!"
“If that’s the case, then we won’t sleep on the bed, we’ll sleep on the floor.”
"It stinks horribly, but it'll do!"
"Then let's make do and squeeze onto the same tatami mat as each other."
"I cannot settle!"
"Then let's not settle. It's not bad to be willing to do it." A gentle, smiling voice rang out, and then the bed sank as someone lay down beside her.
An Xin was furious and turned to glare at him, saying, "I'm going to sleep on the floor!"
Yan Zhen casually pulled her into his arms and said, "You're not allowed to go anywhere while you're in my arms."
An Xin took three deep breaths and said, "Yan Zhen, you can't force a girl! Forced relationships are never sweet!"
Yan Zhen pulled her closer and said, "No matter what method I use, it's a good method to win you over."
An Xin's face darkened, and she said coldly, "What did you say to my parents?"
Yan Zhen raised the corner of his lips and said, "Well, just say that you haven't been able to get out of bed for the past few days. You're with me, so there's no need to worry."
An Xin nearly choked on her breath, her face darkening as she said, "You can get out now!"
Yan Zhen twirled a strand of her hair with his fingertips and said lazily, "Rumors are circulating that you occupied my room, slept in my bed, and even slept with my people... Hmm... If outsiders are so eager for this, why don't we just do it all?"
An Xin rolled her eyes. Was there anything else that didn't go as she expected?
"I have no interest in bastards!" An Xin cursed.
Yan Zhen chuckled softly, "For you, I'm willing to be a little ruthless. I'll be ruthless, ruthless, and I'll have you wrapped around my little finger."
An Xin glared at Yan Zhen and said angrily, "Yan Zhen, you, you stay away from me!" She was speechless!
Yan Zhen embraced her tightly, chuckled softly, and then began to sing: "Green are your robes, deep is my longing. Though I do not go to you, will you not send me a message? Green are your jade pendants, deep is my yearning. Though I do not go to you, will you not come to me? I look for you, I look for you, at the city gate. A day without seeing you is like three months."
An Xin was dumbfounded. The Right Prime Minister could actually sing?!
So astonished that she turned her head to stare at him. His voice, already beautiful as a stringed instrument, was captivating when he sang it casually, instantly making one's heart tremble.
In her past life, Anxin had heard a lot of songs. Whenever she went out, all the songs playing on the street were love songs, but she had never heard such a beautiful melody before...
The poem comes from the Book of Songs, Zheng Feng, Zi Jin. Although she had read it, she only had a vague impression of it; she had never been interested in things like love.