Chapter 748: Chapter 478: Deceiving the Monarch
The night is already deep, and the empty mansion is extraordinarily quiet, with the moonlight becoming gentle.
After bathing, Xu Zhenguan stared blankly at the "main bedroom." During the mere act of showering, the elegant doors and windows had changed color.
The entire courtyard was brightly lit, with even unoccupied rooms illuminated by large red lanterns hanging under the eaves, sweeping away the oppressive and desolate atmosphere.
And on the windows of the room where the two were preparing to "retire," red paper with the double happiness character was pasted.
Candlelight penetrated through the window paper to the outside, making the double happiness characters bright and eye-catching.
Xu Zhenguan’s lips parted lightly, seemingly understanding something, her eyes softened instantly, and she walked gracefully into the room.
Inside the bedroom, the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, a result of the delicate incense burner burning in the corner.
The ornate shelf displaying porcelain and jade artifacts had candles adorning it.
Not only there, but the round table, the small couch for resting... scattered and staggered stood red candles, the flickering candlelight illuminating the originally dim bedroom as bright as day.
Zhao Douan, having changed into a loose robe, was bending over by the dining table, carefully lighting the last red candle.
He turned his body back, looking at the Empress who pushed the door open and entered, his eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on his face:
"Your Majesty returned just in time; I found well-aged wine hidden in the cellar of the mansion."
He had obviously bathed as well, although not formally washed, but using the "Mystic Turtle Seal," he’d cleansed himself from head to toe with controlled water.
Ah, he even chewed a few fresh petals!
"Did you... arrange these?" Xu Zhenguan asked softly, the candlelight dancing in her bright eyes.
Her gaze followed Zhao Douan’s hand, seeing an opened clay-sealed jug of aged wine on the table, the aroma of the liquor overwhelming and fragrant, with drinking vessels set up although no dishes were presented.
On the cabinet were uncollected red paper and scissors.
Zhao Douan smiled:
"The world is unpredictable, the affair was rushed, and there’s a lack of items in the mansion. I hope you won’t mind, Your Majesty. Luckily, though the country landowners did take the gold, silver, and jade artifacts, they left the fine wine. The last time we drank together, it was before the sealing ceremony at the waterfront garden of Jianning Prefecture."
Indeed... that time, the two had discussed the plans after failing to advance, unwittingly fulfilling the prophecy as the situation evolved and now a new era had dawned.
Back then... who could have thought he would enter the World Realm so soon? Xu Zhenguan’s eyes drifted, somewhat lost in thought.
Perhaps in her imagination: the scene of Zhao Douan pouncing eagerly on her upon her return from bathing didn’t unfold.
The taut body beneath Xu Zhenguan’s dress also relaxed.
And upon discovering his thoughtful efforts, doing his utmost to arrange a "new room," the initial annoyance in her heart vanished.
Besides...
There’s wine.
Xu Zhenguan sat by the table, watching Zhao Douan pour the clear and fragrant floral wine into the cups. She suddenly picked up the goblet, raising her fair neck in an attempt to muster courage, drinking it all in one go!
A mouthful of liquor slipped past her lips and tongue, the Empress’s recently bathed, luscious face becoming even redder.
The wine doesn’t intoxicate, people become inebriated!
Zhao Douan suppressed a chuckle, then decisively finished a glass himself, the spicy liquor sliding down his throat, making him feel as if his entire body was heated.
How many times had the two drunk together?
Couldn’t remember.
Three memorable occasions: once at the top of the Emperor Tower in the Capital, once in the Ancestor Hall within the palace, and perhaps today...
At the Emperor Tower, the Empress opened her heart.
In the Ancestor Hall, they engaged in shallow cultivation for a night, taking a further step together.
Today.
It’s not just the heart being opened...
Holding complex and unspeakable emotions, the two sat at the table without speaking, silently drinking together, seemingly wanting to use alcohol to dilute the remaining bit of tension.
However, ordinary floral wine, even drinking a hundred jugs, how could it truly intoxicate two cultivators of the Worldly Realm?
Soon, a jug of wine was finished, and their gaze toward each other became ambiguous, as if a thread connected them.
Zhao Douan’s mouth became dry, swallowing down, thinking he should take initiative as a man: "Your Majesty, it’s late... perhaps..."
"Boom!"
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Zhenguan seemed truly drunk, her head slumping on the table, eyes closed, apparently unconscious.
"..."
Zhao Douan fell silent for a moment, thinking Zhenbao, aren’t you acting a bit too fake? Don’t say your wounds haven’t healed; I’m not unfamiliar with your alcohol tolerance.
Not to mention, her eyelashes kept trembling...
Seeing through but not exposing.
Zhao Douan rose, trying to push her: "Your Majesty?"
No response.
Well, it seems I must take the initiative; although concerning the Dual Cultivation Technique, I don’t know it... Zhao Douan’s mind turned with thoughts, instinctively tugging at his waistband, then standing up and walking to the "drunk" Empress beside the table.
With both arms, he scooped up the fallen Empress in a bridal carry. At the moment of touch, he could clearly feel the Empress’s body tense, yet there was no struggle.
Clearly, she was adopting a "let him do as he pleases" stance.
Zhao Douan carried the Empress, turning around, walking to the bed where the bedding was spread, and gently placed her on the bed.
Under the candlelight, she lay in loose garments on the soft brocade bed, beneath her clothes were the enchanting curves of a woman.
Zhao Douan’s gaze moved upward, first resting on a pair of pale feet peeking out from the gauzy dress.
Having bathed not long ago, she hadn’t worn socks, and the graceful arch of her feet displayed faint blue veins beneath the skin, her toes round, bead-like, and the petite foot shape was captivatingly delightful.