Xi Chen cocked his head.
"You don't need to follow me. We could split up when we're out of the palace."
Xi Chen frowned. "Are you proposing that I sneak you out?"
"Don't look at me like that. You know that I'd still sneak out without your help." Ye An shrugged which made Xi Chen shake his head disbelievingly. He thought that the emperor had mellowed down recently with regards to sneaking out of the palace. Apparently, he was wrong.
"May I know why you're sneaking out this time, Your Imperial Majesty?"
"Oh, just to do this and that."
Xi Chen was put off by the emperor's vague answer. "Nevermind then. I won't go out tonight." Xi Chen declared.
"Alright, alright. Fine. I just wanted to check up on the inn that the Northerners are staying at and see how they are. Before you say anything, I know that they'll be attending the banquet later but I believe you and I both know that people act differently when they know that they're being watched."
Xi Chen stared into Ye An's eyes.
"And also maybe have a little bit of fun outside the palace." Ye An added in a small voice, tearing her eyes away from the lieutenant guiltily.
Xi Chen sighed. "Alright, I'll help you."
Before Ye An could show her gratitude, Xi Chen continued, his usual gentle tone uncharacteristically bossy. "But make sure you're not out of my sight the entire night."
Without her even noticing, Ye An's heart fluttered delicately for a nanosecond at the lieutenant's words. She cleared her throat before responding. "But wouldn't you be meeting your friend? I doubt that the Northerners would mingle with our soldiers during their downtime."
"You're probably right. Then, we'll just have to observe the Northerners first before I meet up with Ah Lin."
"Fine, that sounds like a plan."
The rest of Ye An's day passed by monotonously. She was off to the East Palace an hour earlier than usual to change for the banquet. In an hour, the Northerners and the soldiers would arrive at the Heavenly Gates and be escorted to the central square of the Imperial Palace. Since tonight was predicted to be a clear night, Ye An thought that it was a good idea to have the banquet outdoors as there were quite a number of people who would be attending and the dining hall might not be able to comfortably house everyone.
Back at the emperor's chambers, the servants were helping Ye An dress in the emperor's black ceremonial robe that was exquisitely embellished with golden threads. One side of the robe was folded over the other, with a wide piece of cloth sashed over her waist to hold both sides of the fabric together. The summer was slowly coming to an end. During the day, it was still swelteringly hot but the temperature could fluctuate drastically in the absence of the summer sun. Due to the banquet being an outdoor event, an outer robe of a thicker material was thrown over the robe that Ye An already had on. This outer robe was unfastened so that Ye An could easily take it off if she ever chose to.
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THE NIGHT EMPEROR: 夜安王 【The Night Emperor Book 1】| ✔️
Historical Fiction☑ COMPLETED "There are enough bad things in life, hold on to whatever it is that gives you joy." For the past 22 years, the Empress Mother has held onto the Dragon Throne that was rightfully Ye An's. Now, Ye An has finally ascended to the throne. Bu...
