The Empress Can Read Thoughts

Part 4

10.

"His Majesty has arrived——"

I've never found these four words so pleasing to the ear.

Xie Xuan, still in his dragon robe from court, hurried towards me.

His voice grew closer and closer.

【Good thing I left an eye on the cold palace with the secret guards!】

【Is Mother tired of living? How dare she! How dare she!】

【The Empress, aside from kneeling with me at the coronation, does not need to kneel to anyone else on regular days, not even to me!】

【My heart hurts so much!】

Ever since I gained the ability to read minds, Xie Xuan has completely changed in my eyes.

Although he was always very good to me before.

I always thought it was just the mutual respect between an emperor and his empress.

Now I know, he actually...

Cherishes me this much.

Xie Xuan helped me up from the ground, his sharp gaze sweeping over the Empress Dowager and Noble Consort Song.

"Mother, Yun Qing is my Empress, no one can touch her, not even you, Mother.

"I hope there won't be a next time."

【If there is a next time, don't blame me for being ruthless and destroying my own family!】

【I'll go crazy and even cut off my own head!】

The Empress Dowager staggered back a step, "Xuan'er, Shen Yun Qing is a traitor's daughter! You..."

"Mother, I don't want to repeat myself."

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, "Never mind, never mind, I'm old, my words carry no weight."

"Then Mother should rest early, I'll have the Imperial Pharmacy prepare a few doses of Tranquility Tea for you later."

【You know your words are useless, yet you still speak!】

【Who does this empire belong to, Xie or Song?】

【Dare to touch my Empress, how many heads do you have?】

The Empress Dowager's face turned iron blue.

"Your Majesty." Noble Consort Song, holding onto the Empress Dowager, her voice sweet as she gazed at Xie Xun: "Mother is just thinking of the country and the people."

【What do you mean? Mocking me?】

【Where is my sword? Can I forever shut her up?】

I was afraid Xie Xuan, in a fit of anger, would really chop down Noble Consort Song.

I quietly tugged on his sleeve.

Xie Xuan's clenched fist suddenly relaxed, and he turned to hold my hand instead.

"Before the case against the Prime Minister is clarified, for the Empress's safety, wherever I am, the Empress will be."

"Xuan'er!"

"Your Majesty!"

Xie Xuan gave them a stern look, and the Empress Dowager and Noble Consort Song immediately shut their mouths obediently.

12.

【I'm really too clever!】

【To come up with such a perfect reason to keep the Empress by my side!】

【Tonight, I can sleep with the Empress again!】

【The world should feel fortunate to have such a wise and valiant emperor like me!】

【Why are the Empress's hands so cold?】

【Tonight, let the Imperial Kitchen add eight more dishes! To nourish the Empress!】

As we walked, I realized this route was not leading back to the Empress's palace, "Your Majesty, where are we going?"

Xie Xuan calmly said, "To the Yang Xin Palace, I still have memorials to review."

I let out a soft "oh".

Xie Xuan's thoughts resounded again:

【Why did the Empress just "oh"?】

【Does she think it's boring to accompany me in the Yang Xin Palace?】

【What to do, what to do, how should I save this?】

"Your Majesty." I called out to Xie Xuan, smiling at him, "State affairs are important, I understand."

【My Empress is the best in the world!】

【It's unbearable, the Empress's lips are so red, I really want to kiss them!】

Unexpectedly, Xie Xuan actually stopped and had the guards and maids turn around.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned down.

【I'm going crazy, I'm going crazy!】

【I love the Empress so much! Does anyone understand me!】

For the first time, I felt that Xie Xuan's kiss was so enchanting.

Xie Xuan reviewed memorials all day in the Yang Xin Palace, and I accompanied him by his side.

Pouring tea for him, grinding ink.

The setting sun's afterglow fell on his profile through the window frame.

I watched and watched, and eventually fell asleep.

13.

"Yun Qing, wake up."

Xie Xuan patted me, pulling me to sit at the table.

Dinner was already prepared, indeed, there were eight more dishes...

He kept adding food to my bowl, "I don't like these, Empress, eat more."

【I specifically asked the Imperial Kitchen to prepare the Empress's favorite dishes!】

【I'm the most considerate husband in the world!】

I looked at my bowl, piled as high as a small mountain, "Your Majesty, I really like these dishes."

Upon hearing this, Xie Xuan's eyes lit up.

He even intentionally covered his mouth and coughed twice.

"But there's so much, I really can't eat it all, I'd die if I ate too much."

After saying that, I pushed some of the food from my bowl to his.

Xie Xuan silently ate it all.

【The food the Empress gives me is delicious!】

That was actually what you gave me first...

After dinner, Xie Xuan still had many memorials left to review.

I wanted to continue accompanying him, but when I lowered my head, I suddenly smelled a stench on myself.

"Your Majesty, I will go bathe now, I will die if I don't bathe."

Xie Xuan put down the imperial pen in his hand and looked at me, nodding.

【The Empress is leaving me!】

【The Yang Xin Palace is so big, I don't want to stay here alone!】

【Why are there so many memorials?】

【Do these old men have to write a memorial for every little thing? Annoying!】

【My time is precious!】

Before, I truly didn't know that Xie Xuan was so different inside and out.

These past few days, I've heard too many of his thoughts, nearly suffocating internally.

It's been two days since I bathed, I asked Chun Tao and Xia He to add more plum blossoms, and I soaked happily for a long time.

Probably because I soaked too long, Xie Xuan got anxious and came knocking on the door.

"Yun Qing?"

"Your Majesty, I'll be done soon."

The next motherent, I heard Xie Xuan's thoughts again:

【I've never bathed with the Empress before!】

【So many years! Never!】

"Ouch..." I yelled towards the door: "Your Majesty! I think I fell..."

Before the words were finished, Xie Xuan barged in, his face full of panic.

Upon seeing that I was tricking him, he turned around and left with a dark face.

【I need to check who the Empress learned this trick from! She actually learned to deceive me!】

"Your Majesty, I really did fall, don't believe me? Come and see." I pouted, showing a pitiful expression.

Xie Xuan sighed, resignedly walking towards me.

But just as he approached me, I reached out and pulled him into the bath.