Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Long Yue Li's Ultimate Perk (4)

Dressed and out of her room, Cold Jiu found that Qing Liang had already prepared a meal. As she began to eat, Qing Liang reported, "Prince Hua visited the palace last evening. I was in the hall when he suddenly appeared with a grim expression. He seemed furious when he couldn’t find you, leaving in a murderous rage."

Cold Jiu paused with her chopsticks, rubbing her forehead, "He didn’t say anything?"

"Not a word."

After taking a sip of soup handed by Zi Yu, Cold Jiu sighed. The prince must have been provoked, especially after not finding her in the palace. He must be fuming now.

Cold Jiu, thinking of Hua Jinzhi’s prideful nature, felt a headache coming on and decided not to worry about his reaction. It wasn't her problem.

Still feeling sleepy after her meal, she lay down for a massage from Zi Yu, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Long Yi.

Hearing the sounds of kneeling outside, Zi Yu instinctively rose, but Cold Jiu stopped her, "Keep going, don’t mind it."

Zi Yu continued the massage.

Long Yi entered the inner hall to find Cold Jiu casually lying in bed, dressed only in a thin garment, enjoying a massage from her maid. His eyes narrowed slightly, captivated by the unintentional allure she radiated.

"It seems I've come at a bad time," Long Yi said, seeing Cold Jiu ignoring him.

Cold Jiu, without opening her eyes, responded lazily, "The Emperor usually visits only for important matters. Speak, I’m listening."

Long Yi’s gaze lingered on the curve of her waist and hips, darkening further. "Is the Empress sure she wants to speak to me like this?"

Unconcerned by his gaze, Cold Jiu remained indifferent. "If you have nothing to say, I'm going back to sleep. My nap was interrupted."

Seeing that Cold Jiu had no intention of getting up, Long Yi found a seat and began, "I heard that yesterday Uncle Long Yue Li took two women to Bi Shui Tian Tang. One was cute and petite, the other stunningly beautiful. It made me realize Uncle Long Yue Li, despite his age, still lacks a consort in his residence, let alone a side consort. I have been neglecting this!"

Cold Jiu chuckled, "Does the Emperor wish to play matchmaker again?"

"Uncle Long Yue Li is already twenty-seven; it's time for him to have a queen. Indeed, I have such intentions."

"Has the Emperor inquired who those two ladies are? Are they eligible for marriage?"

Long Yi twirled an emerald ring on his thumb. "It's said Uncle Long Yue Li is very fond of the lady in blue, and quite indulgent towards the other. They must be the ones he favors. Uncle will surely give them status, so I needn’t worry about that. However, regardless of their standing, they can't become his queen. I'm thinking of selecting a queen for Uncle Long Yue Li."

"Does the Emperor have a suitable candidate in mind? As I recall, all eligible ladies of fifth rank and above have been selected for the court. Are you thinking of choosing from the palace, or someone of lower rank?"

"How can Uncle Long Yue Li’s queen come from my palace? Moreover, considering his prestigious status, how could a woman of less than fifth rank qualify to be his queen?" Long Yi said with a smile, "Recently, Xue Country sent an invitation. In half a month, the Regent of Xue Country, accompanied by Princess Lan Xiang, will visit. She’s reputed to be a beauty, graceful as an orchid. Every man who has seen her is smitten. I believe only such a woman is worthy of Uncle, hence my suggestion to the Empress."

"If the Emperor is so inclined, just issue an imperial edict for the marriage. Why involve me?" Cold Jiu lifted an eyelid.

Long Yi replied, "Uncle is my elder. Although I am the Emperor, forcibly arranging a marriage seems improper. Hence, I wish for the Empress to handle this. What does the Empress think?"

Cold Jiu laughed coolly, "So the Emperor is making me the bad guy. But when did Xue Country get a Regent? I haven’t heard of this."

"The Regent is someone the Empress knows - Lan Ze, the hostage prince who returned a few months ago. The old Emperor of Xue Country passed the throne to the deceased Crown Prince's son and appointed Lan Ze as Regent," Long Yi explained with a sigh. "I am surprised by the recent events in Xue Country. The ambitious princes caused turmoil but met grim ends. Lan Ze, with a thunderous approach, purged the court, and now all serve him without dissent. I didn’t realize that a wolf had been in our midst for so long without my notice."

"You've been oblivious to many things," Cold Jiu thought scornfully. She wasn’t surprised by Lan Ze's actions. His years of patience here indicated a man of strategy and strong will. Recalling his elegant demeanor and orchid-like presence, she anticipated their next encounter.

"Does the Empress agree?" Long Yi inquired.

Cold Jiu snapped back to reality, "I'm not good at matchmaking. Let Empress Hua handle it. If Princess Lan Xiang takes a liking to Long Yue Li, and he doesn’t object, I don’t mind lending a hand."

Long Yi's eyes flashed with satisfaction, "Then I won’t disturb the Empress's rest."

Cold Jiu closed her eyes, uninterested in further discussion.

Rising to leave, Long Yi glanced over Cold Jiu, his gaze lingering on Zi Yu beside her, "This maid by the Empress’s side is quite charming."

Zi Yu's hands paused while massaging Cold Jiu, feeling a bit panicked.

Cold Jiu, with her eyes closed, lightly hummed, "With so many beauties in the Emperor's harem, aren’t you satisfied yet? You even have your sights on my maids. I recall there are still a dozen maids in the palace yet to serve in the royal bed. You have much work to do!"

Long Yi retracted his gaze, "I merely made a casual remark. Why is the Empress so anxious? Besides, there are plenty of intimate maids in the palace. I can send a few more to the Empress if needed."

"The Emperor should keep those attentive ones for himself. The ones I have are attentive enough, I'm not looking to replace them for now."

"Hehe, then I won't say more. I take my leave!" His gaze lingered on Cold Jiu before he turned to leave.

Once Long Yi was far enough, Zi Yu relaxed her tense body, a look of relief on her face, "That scared me to death!"

Seeing her reaction, Cold Jiu smiled lightly, "That's all the courage you have!"

Zi Yu disagreed, "I am not the Empress. Only you are unafraid of the Emperor. If His Majesty fancied a small maid like me, what could I do?"