With the busy year-end, the Lantern Festival was just a few days away in the blink of an eye. The day the results were announced was after the crown prince's wedding, so Mingde had been very well-behaved during this time, so well-behaved that the Qianwan Emperor felt at ease leaving him alone in the bedchamber while he went out to feast with the courtiers.

The Qianwan Emperor feasted with the courtiers until he was drunk, and stood up staggering, "I won't stay..."

Two people were sitting on the side, one was the empress, the other was Concubine Ding Zhaorong. After all, the empress had been in the palace for a long time, so she supported the Qianwan Emperor in a timely manner.

The Qianwan Emperor turned his head to look at her, slowly saying the second half of the sentence, "...then Empress, you represent me in feasting the courtiers."

All around were sounds of seeing the emperor off. The Qianwan Emperor leaned close to the empress and said in a low voice, "Consider yourself sensible."

The empress was stunned.

"If anyone dares to say a wrong word in front of him again," the Qianwan Emperor glanced in the direction of Qingzhen Palace, then turned his head back to look coldly at the empress, "-- you better be prepared to step down as empress!"

The empress's face changed slightly, then she quickly bowed and said in an almost inaudible voice, "This consort will remember."

In the eyes of others, this was just an intimate whisper between the emperor and empress. The ministers laughed heartily, but the officials from the Ding faction all looked at each other with solemn expressions.

Ever since the witchcraft incident last time, the emperor had changed his previous attitude of coldness and even resentment towards the empress, and the relationship between the emperor and empress had inexplicably improved. Although the empress was no longer at the optimal age for childbearing, the Qianwan Emperor was still in his prime, so having a legitimate son was not a very difficult matter.

What did this mean? -- It meant the empress was favored while Concubine Ding Zhaorong fell out of favor; it meant the crown prince's wife from the Xia family would be even more glorious, while their Ding family lost the advantage in this battle for power.

Concubine Ding Zhaorong's face was pale, almost unable to support herself. However, the emperor who had always doted on her didn't even glance at her today, pushing the empress aside and leaving with a swish of his sleeves.

The Qianwan Emperor was indeed a little drunk. He was happy, thinking of that little one obediently staying in the bedchamber, unconsciously drinking a few more cups. When he walked, the cold wind stimulated him and the alcohol sank into his heart.

Zhang Kuo followed closely behind, carefully asking, "Your Majesty, shall I call for a carriage?"

The Qianwan Emperor waved his hand, "Forget it, let's secretly go back and see what Mingde is doing."

The Qianwan Emperor walked quickly. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he arrived at the entrance of Qingzhen Palace. Suddenly, he saw a flash of fire in the small courtyard by the side door, with someone rustling about burning paper there.

Burning paper offerings in the palace was an extreme taboo, especially on an auspicious day like the Lantern Festival, on the important occasion of Lunar New Year's Eve. Who would dare to bring bad luck at the entrance of the emperor's bedchamber! They simply had a death wish!

Zhang Kuo took two steps forward abruptly, but was suddenly stopped by the Qianwan Emperor, who said in a low voice, "Wait a moment."

The Qianwan Emperor lightened his steps and walked forward, standing silently by the edge of the trees and peering inside. The moonlight gradually hid behind the clouds, casting a faint shadow of broken pear blossoms on the ground. In the firelight, Mingde's face was expressionless, like a piece of jade being burned in the flames.

He was just wearing an old white cotton robe, a section of his arm exposed from the cuff, the bones slender and straight, showing no sign of weakness despite illness. The Qianwan Emperor looked for a few moments and couldn't take his eyes away. For a moment, drunk with wine, he brushed aside the trees and strode over with big steps.

When Mingde turned his head to look, he was directly pressed by the Qianwan Emperor holding his shoulders and hugged in his arms. Biting his ear, he asked, "What trick are you playing again? Hm?"

Mingde was a little flustered and wanted to extinguish the flames, but the Qianwan Emperor grabbed his hand and brought it to his own lips to kiss, "Just a moment not seeing you and you cause this much trouble for me... Burning paper on Lunar New Year's Eve, who are you burning it for?"

The alcohol was so strong that Mingde couldn't help turning his head, saying in a small voice, "No one..."

Before he finished speaking, the Qianwan Emperor picked him up in his arms and carried him into the main hall with a few strides. This intimate and affectionate posture was really too ambiguous. Mingde shrank back a little, wanting to struggle but not daring to. In an instant, many worries pressed on his heart, as heavy as stones weighing down his chest.

The crown prince... the empress... Jiangnan... leaving the capital...

What were originally small, distant dreams that he could only place high up and stretch his neck to admire and look up to, now suddenly became reality. As long as he was obedient, as long as he listened, there was a possibility they could come true.

The Qianwan Emperor felt the child in his arms curl up, then slowly soften his body and nestle against him, like a vigilant little beast that had finally been soothed with great difficulty. He only needed to lower his head slightly to smell the faint fragrance of his clothes on the child's neck, a soft and docile scent that instantly ignited all the blood in his body.

The Qianwan Emperor kicked open the door to the inner chamber with one foot, and the palace servants quickly closed the door and withdrew.

The moonlight shone through the window lattice onto the blood-red gold-sprinkled couch, the candlelight in the palace lanterns reflecting a hint of lush color blooming at the corners of Mingde's lips. The Qianwan Emperor could only hear his own heartbeat pounding heavily in his throat, like an excited and helpless young lad.

"...Mingde," the Qianwan Emperor said hoarsely, "Call my name."

Mingde curled up his body, like a little ball hiding in the middle of the bed, shaking his head without speaking.

"Call me," the Qianwan Emperor coaxed him in a low voice, "Call my name, call me. You don't even recognize who I am anymore, hm?"

Mingde shook his head desperately again, shrinking into the deep bedding. The Qianwan Emperor grabbed him and dragged his whole body over, then pressed down heavily, his rough palms grasping Mingde's ankles, then impatiently and crudely kneading his calves.

"...Mingde," the Qianwan Emperor panted, "whose death anniversary is it today?"

Mingde shook his head desperately, refusing to speak. The Qianwan Emperor grew angry after asking a few times and bit down hard on the side of his neck, commanding in a muffled voice, "Speak!"

The little one suddenly curled up, trying to cover the tooth marks on his neck. The Qianwan Emperor reached out to grab his wrists, but in the rush, he accidentally brushed against his face. There was a slightly wet and cold liquid sliding across his palm.

The Qianwan Emperor paused. "...Why are you crying?"

Mingde buried his face into the thick, soft quilt. The Qianwan Emperor held him, kissing his back all the way down to his lower waist, leaving countless kiss marks on the young man's supple, slender, and sexy back. After a long time, Mingde's trembling gradually calmed down. A feeble voice, like a little kitten, came from deep within the bed.

"...Empress Mingrui..."

With a thunderous crash, the Qianwan Emperor seemed to be struck by lightning, instantly freezing in place.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was Empress Mingrui's death anniversary.

It was also Mingde's eighteenth birthday.

_

In the exquisite and luxurious bedroom, illuminated by the palace lamps, the young man's half-naked body seemed like a piece of exquisitely carved jade, bearing deep and shallow, red and green intertwined traces of passion.

He was curled up in the Qianwan Emperor's arms like that. This little one, who had never been able to successfully resist for so long, could be wantonly plundered and taken with just a reach of the hand. Even his insignificant struggles could be regarded as a special kind of flirtation.

However, at this moment, the Qianwan Emperor felt as if someone had slapped him hard across the face, with a subtle itch and pain stinging all the way to his heart.

"...I forgot you were born at this time."

The Qianwan Emperor caressed Mingde's face, his actions could even be described as gentle. "...Eighteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. Time flies so fast."

Mingde's voice was very small. "...I want to go back."

"Go back where?"

"Go back."

The Hanzhu Palace, where Empress Mingrui lived during her lifetime, had already fallen into complete disrepair. The Qianwan Emperor did not order anyone to take care of it, so no one cared about the palace that had already declined. The Qianwan Emperor shook his head and said, "It's not clean there. You're not allowed to go."

Mingde said softly, "Not inside the imperial palace."

"Then where is it?"

After a long while, the Qianwan Emperor thought Mingde had fallen asleep. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a barely audible voice say, "...The imperial tomb."

The room was silent, with only the faint crackling of the candle flames. After he uttered those two words, the Qianwan Emperor was stunned for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'll accompany you."

He summoned people to prepare a carriage, personally selected a thick snow fox fur coat for Mingde, and changed into an ordinary robe himself. The two of them, along with Zhang Kuo and a few serving palace attendants, took advantage of the night and left the palace.

Mingde had not been completely absent from visiting Empress Mingrui's tomb. When he first entered the palace, he was still a child who did not know fear. Having suffered such a great grievance, he immediately jumped up in rage, going on a hunger strike, beating the palace servants, and pointing at the Qianwan Emperor's nose while crying and making a scene, as violent as a whimpering little beast.

One night, he hid a small meat-cutting dagger in his bosom. When the Qianwan Emperor was not paying attention, he tried to stab him, but the emperor nearly twisted his arm off with one hand.

In the middle of the night, the Qianwan Emperor lifted him from the bed, his face gloomy as he ordered someone to prepare a carriage to the imperial tomb. The tomb guards were dragged up by a squad of guards with swords, tremblingly fumbling in the dark to open Empress Mingrui's tomb.

Mingde was carried by the Qianwan Emperor all the way into the secret chamber, where a small gold-threaded nanmu coffin was placed. The Qianwan Emperor ordered someone to open the coffin and pointed to the pile of bones inside, asking, "Do you know what this is?"

The tomb was dark and damp. Mingde, being so young, was scared out of his wits, not daring to move a muscle, curling up into a ball. The Qianwan Emperor pressed him against his chest, forcing him to raise his head and look, while whispering in his ear, "This is your coffin. The bones inside are the cats Empress Mingrui kept when she was alive. If you keep being stubborn with me, I'll put you inside."

The Qianwan Emperor was just saying it. He would never bear to beat or kill the little darling he had just gotten his hands on. But Mingde took it seriously. The shock and fright he suffered were not small, and he kept it all in his heart. After returning, he fell seriously ill.

It seemed like he had a long and absurd dream. In the dream, there was a man standing on a cliff, clutching his neck and suspending him over a bottomless abyss. As long as the man loosened his grip, he would inevitably fall; but all his support and reliance also came solely from that large hand clutching his throat.

The carriage was filled with the fragrance of phoenix marrow. Mingde dozed off in the Qianwan Emperor's arms the entire way. When he woke up, the surroundings were noisy and lively, not at all like the gloomy and silent vast imperial tomb.

Zhang Kuo respectfully bent down outside the carriage. "My lords, we have arrived."

The Qianwan Emperor, with one arm around Mingde, lifted the carriage curtain with the other and leaped out. Mingde, who had not strolled the streets for many years, was immediately attracted when he looked around.

This was the entrance to Chang'an Night Market. Not far away, by the Suiyang River, many people were releasing lanterns. Fireworks vied to illuminate the sky. The crowd bustled through the streets lined with food stalls, acrobatics, and trinket vendors, so lively that even the winter wind of the first lunar month was warmed.

"You've been cooped up for so long. It's good to come out and take a stroll. The living shouldn't always dwell on the past. Cherish the present instead."

Mingde did not speak. The Qianwan Emperor did not care whether he had heard or not and pulled him into the night market.

Mingde was beautiful, wearing a luxurious and soft snow fox fur coat. His pointed little chin rested on the snow-white long fur, as fair as jade, looking like a noble young master being led out for a walk by his father, causing many passing young ladies and wives to blush and cover their mouths, constantly turning their heads to look back. The Qianwan Emperor was not angry. He smiled and looked down at him. "They're looking at you."

Mingde's face turned red. He lowered his head and said softly, "So annoying." The boy's youth and pride were fully displayed on his face, unable to be concealed.

The Qianwan Emperor laughed heartily and picked him up. Ignoring the child's struggles in his arms, he strode into a tailor shop. The young apprentice in the store was very perceptive and immediately ran over to ask, "What would this distinguished customer like to see?"

The Qianwan Emperor had originally just walked in randomly and was about to leave when he saw Mingde staring at the shop's abundant items and people as if his eyes were glued. The Qianwan Emperor found it amusing and turned to Zhang Kuo, saying, "Look how silly this little thing is."

Zhang Kuo humbly bowed and said, "In response to the master's words, the young master is at the age when he loves to play the most. Occasionally leaving home and lingering is normal."

The Qianwan Emperor nodded, pinched Mingde's face, and asked the apprentice, "Do you have any fabrics suitable for my son to wear in the south at this time of year?"

Upon hearing the words "the south", Mingde's eyes flickered with a hint of light, but he forcibly restrained himself, pretending not to know anything. He pursed his lips and stared intently at the apprentice.

The apprentice quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! Please follow me, sir. This is our store's newly arrived gold-embroidered cloud brocade. It's warm, breathable, and has bright colors. I'm not exaggerating, but our store is the only one in all of Chang'an that has it... This is the Qilin black gold. Do you know how rare it is, sir? The weavers in Shu only produce one bolt every three years. The cost price is calculated by the inch, directly paid in gold..."

He was about to quote a high price for the customer to bargain, but unexpectedly, the Qianwan Emperor only glanced at it and said, "Make a few sets tailored to his size."

The apprentice was stunned, thinking that a big spender had arrived on this New Year's Eve night - what good luck to start the new year! He hurriedly asked, "How many sets should we make?"

The Qianwan Emperor replied absentmindedly, "However many styles your master tailor can make."

Zhang Kuo coughed and said softly, "Master, the young master may not be willing to wear them..."

He was quite right. Mingde was very picky about his clothing. He could wear an old outfit for several years without allowing it to be replaced. If given new clothes, he would find fault, complaining about this and that, extremely difficult to please.

The Qianwan Emperor said indifferently, "It doesn't matter, let him be happy."

The apprentice eagerly called people over to take measurements and fawned, "This master clearly dotes on his child at a glance! The young master is so handsome, obviously blessed..."

The Qianwan Emperor held Mingde's chin and looked him over for a while. "Is he really blessed? ...I don't think so, he looks sour and harsh."

Mingde slapped the Qianwan Emperor's hand away and turned aside sullenly. Sure enough, he heard that man's laughter, "Ah, angry now?"

Jiangnan, misty spring, twenty-four bridges - all the wonderful, warm things about that place gradually became clear in his mind. What was originally just a dream deeply hidden in his heart like a treasure, now miraculously had the possibility of becoming reality.

Just like a child fantasizing about getting a toy, clearly knowing it was unattainable, yet still carefully savoring unlimited happiness and joy from the fantasy; now one day, someone suddenly told him that as long as he was good, obedient, gentle and patient, he might be able to turn that fantasy into reality.

The shop apprentices all rushed over to help. The young apprentice squeezed out from the crowd and asked Mingde with a flattering smile, "Young master, may I take your measurements?"

Mingde nodded and hesitantly extended his arms. Suddenly, the Qianwan Emperor grabbed him and pulled him into an embrace. He laughed at the apprentice, "No need to measure, just make it the length of my arm."

"Really no need to measure? But sir, if the finished garments..."

Zhang Kuo interrupted in a sharp voice, "Young man, our master knows the young master's measurements. Just start tailoring quickly."

The apprentice nodded and ran off, thinking enviously as he went: They really have a deep father-son bond! The father is even clearer about the son's waist and shoulder measurements than the son himself.

There seemed to be a saying about this. The apprentice could recognize a few characters and had heard the shopkeeper recite it to his wife while shaking his head. It was quite fitting for this situation. How did it go again? The apprentice racked his brain but could only remember "Why ask of short or long, this body is accustomed to my lord's embrace"...

- Entrusting the purchase of a Wuling sash, why ask if it's short or long.

My body, accustomed to your embrace, every inch thoughtfully measured....*