Even the palace maids could not help but feel like their empress was inviting her beloved to a more… intimate moment, but Zhao Changhe himself remained oblivious.0

After all, this was Xia Chichi’s imperial study, and the rustic Zhao Changhe instinctively regarded it as a formal place for discussions. It did not even occur to him that such a space could serve other purposes. So, he naturally followed Xia Chichi inside, closing the door behind them. The maids exchanged strange glances before discreetly withdrawing, leaving the two entirely alone.0

It was not until the door was firmly shut that Zhao Changhe noticed something. “Huh? You’re alone in your imperial study? There isn’t even a single person here to grind ink or tend to the lamps? You run your empire this modestly?”0

Xia Chichi turned to look at him, an amused glint in her eyes. She leisurely settled into her chair, reclining as she teased, “Why did you rush back here in the middle of the night from Langya? Shouldn’t you be celebrating your victory by holding Cui Yuanyang in your arms? Or perhaps picking a few beauties from the Wang Clan to entertain yourself? They wouldn’t dare resist you.”0

Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes. “You little witch.”0

“Why am I a witch? Wasn’t what I said just common practice after a successful conquest?”0

“The Cui and Wang clans have intermarried for generations. For all I know, some of those women...0