Long and Shi played with the baby for quite a while before he was taken away by the wet nurse at dinner time.
Later, Long and Shi had a good dinner peacefully.
After dinner, the Shadow Guardians brought a message from Zhou Huan, saying that Zhou Yu’er had come from her hometown. She had somehow contacted Zhou Huan, but the Shadow Guardians didn’t allow them to meet for the time being.
“Zhou Yu’er?” Shi was surprised.
“Mhmm.” Long nodded. “Well, we’ve really forgotten about this woman.”
“When we were at Tianyin post, she always kept herself in the room… What’s more, what happened to Zhou family has nothing to do with her. It’s normal for us to have ignored her.”
Zhou Yu’er’s father was Zhou Hengliang’s cousin, so Zhou Yu’er was Zhou Huan’s niece.
No evidence had been found that she was related to the case about Fang Qiuhua, so Long and Shi didn’t pay attention to her.
However, why did this woman come to the imperial city at this moment?
After thinking for a while, Long said, “Since she wants to meet Zhou Huan, let’s see what she is up to.”
Shi nodded. “But no matter what she wants to do… we have to send someone to follow Zhou Huan.”
“Yes, I also think so.” Long summoned the Shadow Guardians and gave his orders.
After the Shadow Guardians left, Long and Shi took a walk in the courtyard and then went back to the bedroom.
After taking a bath, Long and Shi went to bed. They’d slept for the whole afternoon, so they didn’t feel sleepy at all, but it also felt good to lie in bed and rest.
Long held Shi’s hand and put it on his chest.
Feeling the warmth and the strong heartbeat from his palm, Shi felt very peaceful.
Then, Shi also took Long’s hand and put it on his chest.
After a while, Long said softly, “Qingzhou, look, now…”
“Hmm?” As Long was a little hesitant, Shi raised his eyebrows and looked at him. “Now what?”
Long thought for a moment and said, “I just think the situation is a little complicated.”
“What do you mean?”
Long smiled bitterly. “As a whole, I always feel that more than one group of people are trying to hurt us.”
After a pause, Shi said, “What do you suspect?”
Long shook his head. “I don’t know. I just feel something is wrong.”
Shi didn’t speak and fixed his eyes on Long. At last, Long sighed.
“Let’s not talk about it. No matter how many people are hiding in the dark, they will show themselves one day.”
Shi nodded. “Mhmm.”
After talking for a while, Long turned sideways and fell asleep with Shi in his arms…
The next day, when Long woke up, he found the man next to him was still sleeping. Looking at Shi’s charming profile, Long smiled.
Long got up in a careful manner, trying not to make any sound. Then, Long took his clothes to the outer room.
These days, in order not to disturb Shi in the morning, Long usually got dressed outside.
After putting on his clothes with the help of eunuch Liu Xiangyang, Long looked at the time and then went to attend the morning meeting.
What he didn’t know was that Shi woke up and got up right after he left. After putting on his clothes, he directly went to the basement.
There were two men in green waiting there.
“Greetings, master.” The two of them knelt down to greet Shi.
Shi waved. “Well, you can get up.”
The two men stood up.
Shi said calmly, “Follow Fang Shuoyang and Xu You and watch them secretly. If Fang Shuoyang is not a threat, just keep following them. If he is… kill him at once.”
“Yes.” The two men took the order.
Without saying anything, Shi turned around and left the basement.
The two men left through another secret passage and then disappeared.
Shi went back to his room and sat for a while. Then, he went to the study.
After arriving there, Shi began to paint at will.
At the last stroke, Long came back.
Shi looked up at the door.
Long went over. “Qingzhou, are you painting here? Let me see.”
Shi’s lips curled upwardly. “Mhmm.”
Long carefully took the painting over. “Oh? Is it an animal?”
Shi painted a black cat, which seemed to be jumping for food. It looked quite special and interesting.
“Yes, how is it?” Shi asked smilingly.
“Pretty good.” Long said with a smile, “I like all your paintings!”
Shi slightly raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”
“Of course.” Long put away the painting, and then held Shi’s waist from behind.
Looking at Long’s arms around his waist, Shi smiled.
After hugging Shi for a while, Long took Shi’s hand and went to the outer room to have breakfast.
The servants had delivered the breakfast. Long held Shi’s hand and sat down at the table.
“Your Majesty, Lady Shan is asking for an audience.”
“Hmm?” Long raised his eyebrows. “Go to ask her why she’s here.”
“Yes.” Liu Xiangyang left.
Shi slightly frowned. “What is she doing here?”
Long shook his head. “I have no idea.”
Shi puckered his lips. “Lady Rou came here and poisoned you last time. Now here Lady Shan comes.”
Hearing Shi’s words, Long felt worried instinctively.
“Qingzhou…”
As Shi put down the chopsticks, Liu Xiangyang, the deputy manager of eunuchs, came in again.
“Your Majesty, Your Grace, Lady Shan said that she’s here for Consort Rong. As for the details, she wants to talk with Your Majesty face to face.”
“Consort Rong?” Long was a little surprised.
He knew about Consort Rong. After his father and his mother died, not so many concubines of the late emperor were left and Consort Rong was one of them.