The Gilded Cage - Chapter 133

The First Thing You Need To Do Is To Do The Same To Me As You Did To Him? (1)

The Guizhen Temple was located in the forbidden area. Because there were not many practitioners, there were no rules like other Taoist temples.

In the evening, Chu Ning and Cuihe sat opposite each other, had their evening meal together, and went out of the courtyard in the hazy twilight, walking and talking around the gentle slope next to the Taoist temple. They met an older woman who was practicing in the temple on the way and nodded to each other.

It was not until nightfall that the two of them returned to the courtyard.

Cui He re-lit the incense, sat on the couch of the palace, and did some sewing by candlelight, while Chu Ning laid down paper and ground ink, writing a letter to Zhao Yanzhou.

Previously, in order to be safe, and in order to keep Zhao Yan Zhou out of it, she did not tell him all of her original intentions, and today when he heard that she had suddenly left, she was afraid that he would be surprised.

However, it was not possible to write everything clearly in the letter, so she could only tell him not to worry and not to be upset for her.

She and Zhao Yanzhou although they have tried to keep their distance from each other for the past two years, they still know each other quite well, and they could understand each other’s meaning almost without saying much.

When the letter was finished, she read it carefully, blew the ink dry, and was about to put it in an envelope when soft footsteps suddenly came from the open window, followed by Xiao Kezhi’s low voice.

“What are you doing?”

“Your Majesty?” Chu Ning froze before she was about to get up from behind the bookcase. She saw that he had already cleanly tumbled in through the window, striding over to her side and sweeping a glance down at the words on the paper.

“For Eunuch Zhao?” He sat down directly next to her and naturally took her in his arms, his tone relaxed and at ease, as if he were in his own bedchamber.

“Mm.” Chu Ning nodded, and did not push him away, “I am afraid that Brother is worried.”

Xiao Kezhi did not say anything, only sealed up the letter for her and gave it to the subordinates to send out.

The window was still open, and a breeze came in, bringing the fragrance of a peony bush into the house.

Chu Ning remembered that he just tumbled in through the window and couldn’t help but laugh. “The son of heaven! He didn’t even go to the front door, but clambered in through the window!”

Xiao Kezhi did not have the slightest intention to blush, pointed to his own clothes, and said, “When I came here, I did not bring anyone with me and also took the side door.”

Only then did Chu Ning find that the clothes he was wearing were inconspicuous, plain in style, even the embroidery was sparse, and it made him blend into the night.

In the end, he was the son of heaven. If he just entered the Taoist temple, he would come over with great fanfare, and it would attract suspicion.

She thought about it and took the initiative to turn around and half-kneel on the couch, then reached out and took his arm, saying solemnly, “Thank you for today’s incident, Your Majesty.”

Xiao Kezhi met her glittering eyes, gently patted her cheek, then rubbed her soft skin, lingering, “No need to thank me. I also intended to do so.”

For one thing, he also wanted to take the opportunity to take her away from Xiao Yu, and for another, he also intended to connive at Xiao Yu’s collusion with Zhao Lun, so that when the time came to close the net, it would be righteous and he would be able to kill them all. He could get twice the result with half the effort.

After half a year as the emperor, his nature was still unconventional and disdainful of common courtesy. But he was also very aware of the fact that there were mountains of politics that he had to deal with, and he definitely couldn’t purge corruption overnight. His best tactics were to get rid of such matters efficiently.

“But you, why are you not wearing the dress I prepared for you?” He looked down at her, his gaze lingering for a moment on the tied-up crown of hair, then moving down a little to the green lotus-colored Taoist robe, “Why are you dressed like this…”

His fingertips lightly tapped her jaw, lifting her beautiful face.

The black hair bundled in a Taoist bun, clean and sharp, lended her eyebrows and eyes a vigorous heroism.

“This is the Guizhen Temple.” She blinked, and the candlelight in her eyes followed, “A’Ning is a female nun, so naturally she should wear a Taoist robe and a nun cap.”

“But it is also a different kind of charm…”

He reached out and untied her front sash; halfway, he stopped moving and said softly, “I’m sorry you have to live here.”

“It is much better than the East Palace.” She gently shook her head, the corners of her eyes were slightly red, but the corners of her lips were curved, “A’Ning has no power and no money. There is nothing that she can return to Your Majesty….”

She said, took his hand, and took the initiative to press it to the half-untied lapel.

His hand stiffened and pressed on her sash, but hesitated to move.

Somehow, she suddenly remembered his earlier phrase “like”. Her heartbeat inexplicably increased rapidly.

What exactly was he like?

He did not move, only still frowning at her actions.

“Today, A’Ning has come to serve His Majesty.” She lowered her eyes and said softly, then sat on her knees on the footrest in front of him and slowly bent her head down.

Her movements were extremely slow, and as she lowered her posture a little. A bitter coldness gradually welled up in her heart.

But just as she was about to get close, only half an inch away, her scalp suddenly tensed up and the crown of her hair was grabbed in his hand and lifted upward with force.

With a cry of pain, she straightened up again and met his deep, dark eyes with some anger.

“What are you doing?” He pulled her close, his voice hoarse as he questioned, “Is this what he told you to do in the Eastern Palace? You will do to me what you did to him?”

His hand moved from under her hairpiece to her front lapel, clutching it so tightly that the clothes around her neck were gathered, hoisting her up so that she could not breathe, so she had to do her best to soften her body and press against his hand to squeeze out some space to breathe.