Chapter 24: Meeting of Two Heroes (4)
It's the middle of the night.
The palace was already silent.
The lights in the imperial study were still bright.
Lin Wei walked through the dark corridor and arrived at the imperial study. She ignored the etiquette and went straight in...
"Ah, Madam—"
When the chief eunuch found Lin Wei, he was about to salute but was stopped by Lin Wei in time. However, the chief eunuch's voice also alarmed Zhao Ziheng who was busy handling government affairs...
"Eh? Wei'er, why are you here?"
Zhao Ziheng was a little surprised to see Lin Wei coming.
"Good luck to the Emperor!"
"Get up quickly——"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Weier, why are you still awake at this hour of the night? What do you want from me?"
"Your Majesty knows that it is already the middle of the night. I saw that Your Majesty was still busy with government affairs and had not slept, so I brought you the Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup—"
Lin Wei turned around and took the tray from the maid, and presented it to Zhao Ziheng's imperial desk along with the soup bowl...
"It's really hard for you to deliver the supplements for me in the middle of the night without rest. You can just leave these things to the servants. Why did you deliver them in person--"
"Your Majesty is busy with affairs of state until late at night. I cannot share your worries and troubles. If I cannot even take care of your Majesty, how can I dare to get your care?"
"How could that be? Aren't you busy dealing with the affairs of the harem? After just a few days, my mother told me that you handled everything you learned very well. Because of this, I no longer have to worry about the affairs of the harem and feel much more relaxed. This is all because of you. Because you are smart, virtuous, and have a clear grasp of the affairs of the harem and handle them very well. You have helped me a lot, and I am just about to thank you."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have only completed the tasks that the Queen Mother taught me. I still have many shortcomings in managing the harem. Moreover, managing the harem is a task assigned to me by the Emperor and the Queen Mother. How can I say that I am sharing the burden for the Emperor? The Emperor is busy dealing with state affairs. I am just trying my best not to add unnecessary work to the Emperor—"
"Wei'er, you are too modest. You should accept compliments honestly. Although it is only the harem, it is because of the peace and tranquility in the harem that I can focus on state affairs with peace of mind. Of course, if you were not in charge, I would not only have to deal with state affairs, but also have to divide my attention to take care of the affairs of the harem. Do you think if you hadn't handled it properly, how much energy would I have been able to focus on state affairs?"
"emperor--"
"Okay, and besides, you don't have to call yourself a concubine in front of me in private. It sounds awkward, and we can skip all the red tape—"
"I obey your order——"
"You still say concubine?"
"Yes, Wei'er knows——"
"Well, that's right!"
Everyone could feel Zhao Ziheng's tenderness towards Lin Wei. Ever since Zhao Ziheng declared her the queen as soon as he returned to the palace , those who had treated Lin Wei coldly before all became respectful and fawning towards her. Judging from the seriousness of others, Zhao Ziheng attached great importance to Lin Wei in his heart. In addition, since she was about to become the queen and the affairs of the harem had already been transferred, it would not be long before Lin Wei would be the queen of Zhao State, the mother of the country.
"emperor--"
"Still calling me Your Majesty? There are no outsiders here——"
There were no outsiders, just the chief eunuch and the maid who came with Lin Wei .
"But--"
It's impossible to call the king of a country by his name directly. Besides, Lin Wei has never called Zhao Ziheng by his name directly since she was a child. You know, calling the king of a country by his name directly is very disrespectful.
"I allow you to call me by my first name—"
The more aggressive Zhao Ziheng seemed, the more shy and nervous Lin Wei felt.
"Scream and see?"
"Zi, Ziheng——"
Lin Wei's voice was so soft that it was hard to hear, and her face had already turned red...
"Louder—"
Zhao Ziheng heard Lin Wei's voice faintly, but it was not obvious, so he had to ask Lin Wei to call again.
"Ah! Please forgive me, Your Majesty—"
Lin Wei was unable to call Zhao Ziheng by his name and knelt on the ground to kowtow and apologize, because disobeying the order of a king was a serious crime.
"Weier——"
Zhao Ziheng was startled by Lin Wei's behavior and he hurriedly walked around the table to Lin Wei. He just hoped that Lin Wei would be less restrained in front of him, but he didn't expect to scare Lin Wei.
"Hurry up, it's my fault, I shouldn't have forced you--"
Zhao Ziheng personally helped Lin Wei up, but Lin Wei was still terrified...
"I'm sorry, don't take it to heart. Call me whatever you want. I won't force you anymore."
"Thank you, Your Majesty—"
Lin Wei was anxious and wanted to thank Long for his kindness, but Zhao Ziheng held her firmly in his arms, preventing her from doing so...
"I don't force you to call me by my first name, but it's better to avoid it for the sake of etiquette."
"yes--"
Lin Wei was too shy to raise her head, she was very ...
"Eh? Ah——"
Zhao Ziheng just realized that he was still holding Lin Wei in his arms after he noticed something was wrong with her. He instinctively let go of her. Logically speaking, Lin Wei had already been his, so this action would only make the person involved feel embarrassed...
As expected, being suddenly let go by Zhao Ziheng made Lin Wei feel lost and a little depressed...
"Oh, by the way, what were you going to say?"
Zhao Ziheng immediately changed the subject as the atmosphere was too awkward.
"Uh, Wei'er meant to say that the soup will get cold if left for too long, so Your Majesty should enjoy it while it's hot—"
"Oh, okay, I'll drink it now--"
Zhao Ziheng began to serve the soup with a little nervousness.
"Let me do it—"
Lin Wei took the bowl and spoon from Zhao Ziheng briskly, and Zhao Ziheng had no way to refuse and had to wait.
"Please use--"
"Um!"
I took the bowl of soup from Lin Wei, stirred it with a spoon, and brought it to my mouth to taste. The hot soup flowed down my throat into my body...
