第 18 章

Late at night, with the moon shining and the stars sparse, a gentle summer breeze blew, casting silver light across the ground.

Today, there had been a great deal of government affairs to deal with. With the imminent Yellow River flood threatening to affect dozens of states and counties, the Emperor and his close ministers had been discussing matters well into the night.

After returning to the Luhua Palace to wash up and change, the Emperor simply rolled over onto the rosewood bed in the inner chamber.

Kang Yu Yi had long been asleep on the inner side of the bed.

She was lying on her side, resting her snow-white arm on the bed, with her hair, which had been spread out, now a bit disheveled.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her pink lips slightly parted, and her thick eyelashes were faintly moist. Her straight nose and smooth forehead were glistening with a thin layer of fine sweat, sparkling in the moonlight.

There was a poetic quality reminiscent of “peonies sleeping deeply in spring after the rain.”

The Emperor gazed at her sleeping face and couldn’t help but recall the events of that morning.

In the past, when Kang Yu Yi had flirted with him in bed, she often referred to herself as “Yuer” and then spoke suggestive words to coax him.

The Emperor had always felt that calling her by her nickname was too intimate and clingy, as he was not one to indulge in such personal affection.

However, hearing another person refer to themselves as “Yuer” in front of him today evoked an inexplicable sense of displeasure, as if someone had taken something that belonged exclusively to Kang Yu Yi.

However, it is clear that Pei Yuqian’s nickname is also Yu’er. How could it be considered stolen?

The Emperor could not explain this inexplicable emotion and was displeased with how it disturbed his thoughts.

But now, looking at her delicate and lovely sleeping face, he couldn’t help but be moved and softly called out, “Yu’er.”

“Uh-huh.” In her sleep, Kang Yu Yi vaguely heard someone calling her nickname and subconsciously responded but did not wake up.

Suddenly, Kang Yu Yi clutched the thin silk quilt tightly, as if she had dreamt of something terrible. Her thick eyelashes trembled, and two trails of tears slid down from her tightly closed eyes.

Seeing this, the Emperor reached out and gently embraced her, patting her back.

As a result, Kang Yu Yi trembled even more, sobbing softly like a kitten and rubbing against him.

After a while, Kang Yu Yi struggled to wake up from her dream.

Noticing she was held in a warm embrace, she looked up with her reddened eyes at the Emperor, her gaze carrying a hint of resentment.

“Your Majesty, when I gave birth to the Crown Prince, was it a difficult delivery?” Kang Yu Yi asked weakly.

The Emperor slightly loosened his hold, his brows furrowing slightly, “No, it was not.”

Kang Yu Yi had gone into labor on the New Year’s Day at full term. From the breaking of the amniotic fluid to the delivery of the Crown Prince, it took about six hours, and the process was smooth.

Kang Yu Yi sighed with relief upon hearing this, but then spoke in a distressed tone, “I just dreamt that I died in childbirth, and the entire bed was soaked with blood…”

The Emperor imagined the scene she described, and his breath hitched. It felt as if his heart were being pierced by countless needles.

He realized that not only had Kang Yu Yi’s temperament changed drastically recently, but he was also finding it increasingly difficult to control his own emotions.

But after all, she is his partner and the mother of his firstborn son. Since she is a human being, it’s natural for him to feel compassion.

“How can anything in a dream be real?” The Emperor’s tone was serious and solemn.

“Why can’t it be true? I have dreamed of real things before…” Kang Yu Yi subconsciously retorted but then realized she was speaking to the Emperor and quickly stopped.

She then hurriedly softened her tone, “Your Majesty, a few days ago, I dreamed of something that really happened, so I am quite frightened.”

The dream from a few days ago was about their first intimate encounter, which naturally cannot be described in detail.

“You gave birth to a son smoothly at the beginning of the year, and both mother and child are safe. What you just dreamed is obviously false,” the Emperor patiently reassured her.

Kang Yu Yi thought of the chubby little white dumpling kept in Renshou Palace and felt a bit more at ease.

After a moment of silence, the Emperor suddenly said, “In a few days, we will depart for the Jehol Palace. Prepare yourself well.”

Upon hearing this, Kang Yu Yi’s attention was indeed diverted, and the nightmare was quickly forgotten.

In the past, when the Qinwang Shizi’s family followed Emperor Yongfeng to the Jehol Palace, Kang Yu Yi, as a lowly servant girl, had no qualification to accompany them.

She had long yearned for the Jehol Palace, having heard that it was a beautiful summer retreat with no oppressive heat.

The dynasty was renowned for its horseback riding and archery, so every year, the royal family and officials would go to the Jehol Palace in early May and return to the capital around October, staying there for nearly half a year.

During this period, the Emperor personally inspected the borders, met with the leaders of the northern vassal tribes, and engaged in hunting and archery to improve the health of the royal family’s younger generation.

Last year, Kang Yu Yi, being pregnant for the first time and suffering from severe morning sickness, could not endure the long journey.

The Emperor, valuing their first child, insisted on staying in the capital to accompany her, so they did not go.

This year, due to the Empress Dowager’s 60th birthday celebration in the palace, the trip scheduled for early May was postponed to early June.

“Your Majesty, will my parents be going as well?” Kang Yu Yi asked tentatively.

Previously, her mother, Zhou, had accompanied Qin Wangfei to the Jehol Palace several times before marrying, but she had not had the chance to go since then. Her father, Kang Dahai, was merely a minor steward and had never been.

“Do you want them to go?” The Emperor looked intently at her flushed face.

Kang Yu Yi bit her lower lip, thought for a moment, and nodded, “Naturally, I do.”

Even though she had parted on bad terms with her parents after yesterday’s birthday banquet, she still missed them deeply.

Moreover, the trip to the Jehol Palace would normally last about half a year before returning to the capital.

From her current memory, she had never been away from her parents for such a long time…

The Emperor slightly nodded, “I will have someone add them to the list.”

Kang Yu Yi was overjoyed, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

The emperor suddenly hooked her lower jaw with his rough, calloused fingers. Kang Yu Yi thought he was going to kiss her and immediately closed her eyes nervously.

The Emperor laughed softly and then reached for the silk handkerchief he always kept at the foot of the bed. He gently wiped the fragrant sweat and tear stains from her flushed face.

Realizing she had misjudged the situation, Kang Yu Yi felt a flush of embarrassment. She lowered her eyes, unable to meet his gaze.

The faint scent of ambergris from the emperor’s body, mixed with a subtle male musk, made Kang Yu Yi’s already heightened sensitivity cause her to shiver involuntarily.

As if sensing her reaction, the Emperor’s hand drifted down to her most sensitive area. He remarked, “Why are you so sensitive? I haven’t even touched you, and you’re already wet?”

In the past, the Emperor thought she was simply a loose woman who sought his attention and affection every day.

However, he hadn’t expected that, despite having forgotten the past and now having a more restrained demeanor, her body remained uncontrollably sensitive.

Gradually disturbed by the itching sensation, Kang Yu Yi bit her lower lip tightly and subconsciously squeezed her legs together, twisting them in an attempt to alleviate the inexplicable itch.

The Emperor’s rough, large hand covered her sensitive area, stroking up and down while gently pinching and rubbing her clitoris.

Kang Yu Yi’s body was overwhelmed with impatience; her face flushed, and her sparkling almond eyes were filled with tears.

Meanwhile, Pei Yuqian was tossing and turning on the bed, unable to sleep.

Recalling the humiliation she had endured earlier that day, her heart was troubled and conflicted.

She had mustered the courage to speak in a humble manner, hoping to gain the Emperor’s sympathy and kindness, but she did not expect

“My consort’s name also contains the character ‘Yu.’ You should not use the name of the honored one,” the Emperor said sternly, with a voice full of authority.

Doesn’t the Emperor’s cousin know that Pei Yuqian was born with a phoenix’s destiny, as determined by the Heavenly Monitors?

She was being made to avoid the name of a concubine who was born a slave girl!

The more Pei Yuqian thought about it, the more her heart ached, feeling as if it were being cut by a knife.

She remembered that Consort Kang always acted pretentiously and shamelessly, obsessively clinging to the Emperor’s cousin.

Why does this tactic not work for her?

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