No, there will be no ifs. He will try hard to make her see his sincerity, and she will stay.
Murong Liuzun’s lips curved into a smile of determination. In his life, there was nothing he wanted to do that he couldn’t achieve. He believed she would surely fall for him, and he would work to make her do so.
"Alright," Mu Qingyao didn’t object. She loved listening to the xiao the most. The melody of the xiao was melodious, and compared to the qin and dizi, it seemed to possess more tenderness and charm, sounding very resonant.
Murong Liuzun said no more. He casually picked up the jade xiao and began to play.
The moonlight was hazy, and the xiao’s melody was graceful, winding and lingering over the entire lake. Mu Qingyao gently closed her eyes, savoring and immersing herself in the faint notes.
The moonlight sprinkled onto her face, luminous and soft, making her entire face appear exquisitely beautiful and flawless. Her long, slightly curled eyelashes, piercing through the moonlight, resembled butterfly wings, delicate and translucent, adorned with a touch of dew, making her even more alluring.
Murong Liuzun’s gaze casually swept over her, and he could no longer tear his eyes away. The melody of the xiao was even more enchanting than before.
When the song ended, Mu Qingyao leaped down from the carved railing.
"It's getting late. Your Majesty should return to rest."
Murong Liuzun snapped back to reality, nodding gently. His heart felt a little out of control. Though he didn’t wish to lose his heart, humans were always unable to resist beautiful things.
"Alright," his tall figure then leaped down, and a joyful laugh rang out, "Let's go."
The two left the pavilion and walked along the bluestone bridge towards the shore. Mu Qingyao suddenly remembered something and stopped. She had almost forgotten the important matter and turned to look at Emperor Xian.
"Your Majesty, may I ask for a reward? You said last time you wanted to reward me with something."
"Alright, tell me?" Murong Liuzun’s deep voice resonated, his profound eyes fixed on her.
"Blood ginseng," Mu Qingyao stated directly, unsure if this man would be willing to give it.
Would he feel it was not worth it if he knew such a precious item was to save the life of a eunuch? Fortunately, Murong Liuzun asked nothing and instead nodded gently, "Good, I will order someone to send it over."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Mu Qingyao exhaled a breath. She had prepared a string of excuses, but he didn't ask. Now that she had the blood ginseng, Chunhan would be fine.
The two walked back along the path Mu Qingyao had taken. By the rockery, A Jiu and Mo Chou emerged.
Seeing that the Emperor and Empress had pleasant expressions and seemed to be getting along well, their hearts simultaneously settled. Just moments ago, their hearts had been in their throats, fearing the Emperor would take his anger out on the Empress.
This was a forbidden area, and ordinary people were not allowed to enter. They hadn't expected the Emperor to be not angry, and to have a much happier demeanor, dispelling his usual coldness from so many times before.
"Your Majesty, Empress."
"Let's return to the palace," both spoke simultaneously. They glanced at each other, and Mu Qingyao smiled, "Your Majesty, may I listen to your xiao again in the future?"
"You are always welcome. This xiao is played only for you, and for no one else," the Emperor uttered a profoundly shocking sentence, turned, and led A Jiu away.
As A Jiu walked away, he kept looking back at the Empress, a knowing smile on his face.
The Emperor never played his xiao for others to hear. He hadn't expected that not only could he play for the Empress, but he would play it only for her. From this, it could be inferred that the Emperor doted on the Empress immensely.
After the people in front had left, Mo Chou came back to her senses and asked her mistress with a delighted smile.
"Mistress, what did His Majesty mean by that? His Majesty must have fallen for you."
Fallen for her? Mu Qingyao frowned slightly. She hadn't felt that the man liked her that much. To say not at all seemed inaccurate; she had some confidence in that regard. However, to say he truly liked her, she was a little hesitant to believe it.
The gains and losses in an emperor's heart were too many. Even if he liked her, it was perhaps not so pure. And she never wanted a love that was impure.
"Let's go," Mu Qingyao said coolly. It was late, and a bit chilly.
Mo Chou didn't get the answer she wanted, but she wasn't in a hurry. She remembered another matter, "Mistress, did you get that blood ginseng?"
"Mm, His Majesty will send someone to deliver it later," Mu Qingyao replied, then swiftly flashed away. Mo Chou closely followed her.
Walking and thinking, it seemed the Emperor was indeed extraordinary to her mistress. It was said that blood ginseng was very precious, and her mistress obtained it with such ease. Coupled with the Emperor's ambiguous words just now, it seemed the Emperor truly liked her mistress. This was truly wonderful.
The two walked all the way back to their original spot. Mei Xin and a group of palace maids and eunuchs were waiting there. Some were already tired and squatting on the ground.
"Let's return to the palace."
Suddenly hearing the Empress's voice, those people were startled. Fortunately, the Empress did not blame them for their laziness. Everyone quickly followed the original path back to Fengluan Palace. When they returned to Fengluan Palace.
The blood ginseng had already been delivered, and A Jiu had also left. Yi Yun respectfully presented the brocade box.
"Mistress, Eunuch A Jiu personally delivered the blood ginseng."
"Bring it here for me to see. What good thing is it?" Mu Qingyao was extremely curious about so-called precious medicinal herbs and waved at Yi Yun to bring the blood ginseng over.
Yi Yun obeyed and personally handed the brocade box to her mistress. Mu Qingyao opened the box and saw the precious blood ginseng.
Externally, it looked like just a piece of ginseng, except this ginseng was not white, but red, as vibrant as blood. It was placed neatly in the brocade box, wrapped in fine silk.
The silk alone was incredibly valuable, which showed that this blood ginseng was indeed precious. It was rare that the man had given it to her so nonchalantly.
"Mei Xin, brew half of the blood ginseng for Chunhan to take, and keep the other half. It might be useful later."
Mu Qingyao handed the blood ginseng to Mei Xin beside her. Mei Xin respectfully took it. The mistress entrusting this matter to her clearly showed her seriousness and her desire to avoid any mishaps.
"Yes, Mistress," she accepted the task to go and brew the blood ginseng. If Chunhan didn't take it soon, the eunuch would probably not be able to hold on any longer.
It was past midnight. Although Mu Qingyao had slept for a day, she wasn't too tired, but she wouldn't rest, and no one in the vast Fengluan Palace dared to rest. She then ordered that, except for those on night duty, everyone else should go and rest. She too would go into the sleeping quarters to lie down...
The moonlight shone through the window, clear and bright. Mu Qingyao thought about the task the Emperor had given her. As long as she completed this task, she could leave the palace.
Then, traveling and sightseeing would be another realm altogether. As for what Emperor Xian had said, she had considered it. With the rumors of "Feng Luo Xiang Fu" (Phoenix Descends to the Prime Minister's Residence), she would likely be targeted for assassination as soon as she went out. However, she had the confidence to avoid all this. If she couldn't even accomplish this, was she still Mu Qingyao, or Su Chen?