The faint light of dawn seeped into the room, casting soft shadows. The oil lamps hanging on the walls had long since burned out, their fuel spent.0

Behind the screen separating the desk from the rest area was a modest bed used by the empress to rest when she got tired from working. But now, under a thin blanket, Zhao Changhe lay on his back, with the empress dowager and the empress snuggled against him, one on each side. The three of them were tightly pressed together, their limbs intertwined, an exquisite scene full of intimacy and warmth.0

Zhao Changhe remained fast asleep. He had resorted to using a dual cultivation technique by the end of last night, a measure that drained even more of his already depleted strength. The injuries he had sustained in his battle with Hidden Wind had not yet fully healed, even after days of rest. To make matters worse, he had further taxed his body by channeling water energy through his body in the secret realm. Now, he was deeply immersed in recovery, leveraging the energy from dual cultivation to mend his battered body.0

He was truly exhausted, both physically and mentally. On any other day, he might have been more cautious and considerate of...0