Author: Liuyun Hairpin

When the light gradually filled the sky from the east, Song Qing'an poked his head out from under the brocade quilt.

Her cheeks were flushed, probably from being suffocated by the quilt.

As soon as she turned over and moved to one side, a long arm came around behind her and pulled her back.

"Princess is awake now?"

Pei Qing rested his chin on her smooth shoulder, narrowed his eyes, and said in a lazy tone: "It's still early, let's rest a little longer."

Song Qingan yawned at the right moment, forced himself to wake up and said, "Pei Qing...it's time to go to the morning court."

"No court today."

Pei Qing curled her lips and buried them in her neck happily.

Song Qing'an was tickled by his rubbing, so he shrank away for a moment, then turned around and hugged him.

"Those ministers..."

"Even if our family went there, wouldn't they be like that too?"

Song Qing'an half-opened one eye, looking lazy and tired, like a satiated fox: "How long will Pei's palm print last?"

"As the princess wishes."

"Yeah?"

Song Qingan squinted his eyes, leaned into his arms, and muttered randomly: "Then Pei Zhangyin will stay here today."

"No."

Pei Qing said softly. Seeing that she was about to change her face, he changed the topic: "Princess, do you want to leave the palace?"

Song Qingan suddenly opened his eyes, and his sleepy eyes became clear for a moment: "Seriously?"

"When did our family ever deceive the princess?"

Pei Qing lowered his eyes, and there was a tenderness in his eyes that he had not even realized.

"In one month, it will be the princess's birthday."

He followed her hair and said warmly: "Does the princess have a birthday gift you want?"

Song Qingan's still slow mind turned around before he could recall it.

Yes...it's indeed my birthday soon.

It's just that I haven't celebrated a birthday in several years, and even the hairpin ceremony was done with bamboo smoke, which is extremely simple.

She almost forgot about it, but she never thought that Pei Qing would remember it.

Song Qing'an thought for a while and said half-jokingly: "Can anything be done?"

"yes."

She squinted her eyes again, with a rather malicious look on her face: "If I say that I want the throne, will Pei Zhang give me his seal?"

"If the princess really wants it, there's nothing wrong with it."

"That's all...if I really take that position, I'm afraid I'll make several old ministers angry to death."

Song Qing'an sneered, the rebellious words seemed like an extremely common joke to the two of them.

Pei Qing said softly "Hmm" and said lazily: "Then they don't know how to praise."

"Of course they don't appreciate praise, otherwise why would he still be in this position?"

Song Qing'an muttered to himself, and moved closer to him, leaning against him comfortably: "Then I will sleep for a while, and later... I will leave the palace."

"Um."

Pei Qing spoke with indulgence and carefully trimmed her hair.

…

"Cuizhu, Lord Zhangyin...are you gone?"

Zhu Yan stood outside the palace, wanting to enter but not daring to enter. When he saw Cuizhu walking by, he quickly grabbed her and asked.

"It seems...not?"

Cuizhu looked at the closed palace door in surprise and hesitated in a low voice.

"That……"

"Sister Zhuyan, if the princess gives you orders, she will definitely call you. Right now...it's better not to go in, just in case..."

The bamboo smoke hissed slightly, nodded, and took a few steps back.

"By the way, what are you going to do?"

Zhu Yan frowned and looked at Cuizhu suspiciously.

"I'm going to ask Eunuch Liu to help me bring a letter to my family."

Cuizhu touched the tip of her nose, then took out a letter from her sleeve and waved it.

Zhu Yan raised his eyebrows and didn't ask any more questions.

The people in the palace are not fatherless and motherless like her. It is the most common thing to ask someone to contact the family or send something.

Cuizhu blessed her body and walked out of Mingguang Palace.

Zhu Yan turned around again and looked at the closed palace door, sighed and walked away.

They should be ordered to pass on the breakfast later, and... they should be kept out of the way, lest any unlucky ones come and get into trouble.

Zhu Yan thought about it, his expression turned grim, he cleared his throat and went to lecture.

——

"How is the situation in the palace?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, Your Majesty... is still confused."

Linyuan considered the words and thought about how to tell the whole story.

Song Qinghuai's brows condensed.

"Wasn't it better before?"

"Your Highness...it was like this originally, but...but yesterday, the princess went to visit His Majesty. After that, His Majesty..."

"Are you saying that this matter has something to do with Qing'an?"

"I didn't mean this, maybe... maybe it's just a coincidence."

Song Qinghuai paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands, and sighed for a moment: "If I don't write the letter, she must be resentful in her heart."

Linyuan lowered his head and remained silent, remembering that perhaps there had been no news from Zhu Yan for a long time.

"By the way, that thing...is there any whereabouts?"

Song Qinghuai tapped the table and asked softly.

"Your Highness," Linyuan's expression was a little subtle when he mentioned this, "The people in the palace said... they had almost found it, but a few days ago, the thing suddenly... suddenly disappeared."

"Gone?"

Song Qinghuai's tone was as usual, except for the final sound rising slightly, which seemed not to be a surprise.

Linyuan felt a chill on the back of his neck: "Yes... they said, it seems... it seems to have been taken away."

"Taken away..."

Song Qinghuai repeated it in a low voice until Linyuan started to break into cold sweat and knelt down.

"This subordinate is not doing his job well, please punish me, Your Highness!"

Song Qinghuai's eyebrows were still elegant, but the rage in his eyes suddenly tore through the gentle mask.

"Who do you think it could be?"

Linyuan thought for a moment and replied hesitantly: "Could it be...your majesty?"

"How can he find his energy now that he is ill?"

Song Qinghuai flicked his sleeves: "I'm afraid there is someone else."

"Your Highness, could it be... that she is a princess?"

Song Qinghuai paused, then said slowly after a moment: "It shouldn't be the case. She won't know if I hide it from her."

"No one in the palace should know about it."

Linyuan raised his head as he spoke: "Your Highness, maybe the news is a bit wrong, why don't I go to the palace on a different day to find it?"

"No, there will be one more person."

Song Qinghuai narrowed his eyes and his voice gradually deepened: "...Pei Qing."

——
To be continued...