Taking advantage of the emperor being asleep, Wumian grew bolder with her hands.

  She shamelessly explored, completely absorbed, until her hand wandered lower, about to slip into his trousers—only to be firmly caught.

  Ying Qionglou grabbed the empress’s hand and sighed. He was asleep, not dead… How could he not wake up when she was groping him like this?

  “What’s wrong, Your Majesty?” Wumian scooted closer, nuzzling against his cheek. “Can’t I touch you a little?”

  Ying Qionglou sighed again. “A little? Is that what you call this?” He had been sleepy, sure, but he’d already been enduring her wandering hand for a while…

  That mischievous hand simply didn’t know when to stop. He really couldn’t take it anymore.

  “And where exactly were you pnning to touch?” Ying Qionglou’s voice was low and hoarse.

  “Why? Is there anywhere on Your Majesty’s body that I’m not allowed to touch?” Wumian snorted, pressing even closer, her hand still resting on his abdomen. “But Your Majesty can touch me?”

  Ying Qionglou was at a loss for words. This woman’s logic was simply tyrannical.

  “You’re not sleepy?” he asked.

  “I slept too much during the day. I really can’t fall asleep now. Hearing Your Majesty sleeping soundly beside me makes me a little upset,” Wumian murmured, her voice soft.

  “…What kind of logic is that?” Ying Qionglou was genuinely shocked. He’d never heard such reasoning before.

  “When two people lie down together, and one falls asleep sweetly while the other can’t sleep—doesn’t that make Your Majesty annoyed too?” Wumian asked.

  Ying Qionglou thought about it. If he wasn’t asleep, who in the pace would dare sleep soundly?

  He really couldn’t rete, but somehow, her words seemed to make a strange kind of sense.

  He shifted and pinned her beneath him. “Since you can’t sleep, then don’t.”

  In the dark, Wumian blinked, saying nothing. Instead, she hooked her leg around his waist.

  “You’re really something,” Ying Qionglou muttered, lowering his head to bite her chin.

  Wumian finally got her wish and let her hand wander downward.

  Ah… male beauty was truly tempting.

  Wumian wrapped her arms around his shoulders, unabashedly nibbling at his lips.

  Faced with the empress’s passionate onsught, Ying Qionglou’s sleepiness disappeared without a trace. With a beauty in his arms, how could he possibly still want to sleep?

  He pinned her to the bed, thoroughly indulging her.

  As she clung to his shoulders, Wumian thought, as expected of the emperor, even his skill is so damn good!

  They tussled and tangled until at st, Ying Qionglou was wide awake. Watching the empress return to bed after washing up, he sighed, “You really are a handful.”

  Wumian y down comfortably. “What? Can’t a wife bother her husband a little when she can’t sleep?”

  “Bother?” Ying Qionglou raised a brow.

  Isn’t that just another way of saying she’s seducing me with her body? He thought—but he wouldn’t say that aloud. A good empress shouldn’t be so crude.

  Instead, she reached out and took his hand, acting sweet and aggrieved. “Your Majesty is always so biased. Haven’t I been well-behaved tely? And now, just because I couldn’t sleep and bothered you a little, you’re going to compin? Can’t you spare me a bit of your favor? I’m not asking for much.”

  Ying Qionglou…

  Probably because, after so much activity, she was actually very tired.

  But people were funny like that. Just when you’re about to fall asleep, some ridiculous thought pops into your head—and wakes you right back up.

  So Wumian suddenly let out a snort, unable to hold back.

  She couldn’t help it. Ying Qionglou was usually such a serious man, but he’d actually cracked a cold joke like that?

  “Hahaha…” Wumian burst into ughter.

  Ying Qionglou rubbed his temples in the dark, completely exasperated. “What are you ughing at now?”

  Wumian ughed so hard she couldn’t stop. “Oh heavens, Your Majesty, you’re a genius! Hahaha…”

  Ying Qionglou was baffled. He was usually quick to anger when disturbed from sleep, but somehow, tonight, listening to his young empress ugh so wildly behind him, he couldn’t even get mad.

  Imagine it—the emperor and empress sharing a bed, and the empress ughing uncontrolbly in the middle of the night. If the court officials ever heard of this…

  Ying Qionglou took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Forget it. Let her ugh. She had indeed been behaving well tely.

  Wumian ughed until she was finally worn out and called for attendants to bring tea.

  Linshui nearly buried her face in her chest. Her Majesty ughing like this in the middle of the night… honestly… I want to ugh, too. But why?

  Once she had ughed enough and sipped some tea, Wumian climbed back into bed, wrapping herself around Ying Qionglou from behind. She slipped one hand back onto his firm abdomen and finally closed her eyes in satisfaction.

  Ying Qionglou took a deep breath. Now it was his turn to be wide awake.

  Who knew how long it took, but eventually, they both drifted off.

  When they awoke the next morning, Ying Qionglou was startled.

  Because, for once, Wumian wasn’t clinging to him. She was about to fall off the bed.

  Ying Qionglou pressed a hand to his forehead and reached out to pull her back. From now on, she should really sleep on the inside.

  The sleep-deprived emperor dragged himself to court.

  Wumian hadn’t slept much either, but at least she had rested more than he.

  As soon as she got up, Feixu entered to report, “Your Majesty, Jinbo has returned with news. Li Fei summoned the imperial physician, saying she’s suffering from abdominal pain.”

  Wumian frowned. “Have Jinbo come in.”

  Once Jinbo had come and paid her respects, she spoke up directly, “Your Majesty, I was watching. It appears to be true. His Majesty hasn’t yet dismissed court, but Hanjing Pace has already sent someone to inform him.”

  Wumian nodded. “Help me dress. Bring me some porridge as well. I suppose I’ll need to pay a visit ter.”

  Once she was dressed and had eaten a light meal, those who came for morning greetings began to arrive.

  After exchanging a few words, Jinbo returned to report, “Your Majesty, His Majesty has already left Taiji Pace.”

  “Li Fei summoned the imperial physician, saying she’s unwell. In that case, if there’s nothing urgent, those below the third rank may return to their quarters,” Wumian said, then turned to Guifei. “Shall the few of us go take a look?”

  “Of course. We’ll follow Your Majesty’s lead,” Guifei replied, wearing a face of concern.

  The lower-ranked concubines bid farewell and left Fengyi Pace. Wumian, along with Guifei, Xian Fei, Rong Fei, Min Fei, and Jiang Zhaorong, set off for Hanliang Pace. Since Fengyi Pace and Hanliang Pace were close by, they arrived a little before the emperor.

  The imperial physician was still in the middle of his diagnosis. The servants and pace maids of Hanliang Pace hurried to invite the empress to take the main seat, waiting for His Majesty’s arrival.

  When Ying Qionglou arrived, the first thing he did was look at the empress. He couldn’t help it—st night’s memory lingered vividly.

  He was indeed concerned about Li Fei, but alongside that worry, he couldn’t stop wondering how his childish little empress from st night had transformed into such dignified composure during the day.

  The empress greeted him fwlessly, her manners proper and serene, as if she hadn’t spent the night tangled up with him.

  “The imperial physician is still inside. I don’t know the situation yet,” Wumian said.

  Just then, one of Li Fei’s pace maids came out to invite His Majesty inside.

  The emperor entered without hesitation.

  Wumian didn’t follow. Since she refrained, the others—even if they wished to—couldn’t very well follow either.

  They waited until the imperial physician emerged. He bowed and reported, “Your Majesty, Li Fei is still in the early months of pregnancy. Her pregnancy is unstable. She did not sleep well st night, which stirred her womb.”

  Who would believe such an excuse?

  “How could she not sleep well? Was she troubled by the pregnancy?” Wumian asked calmly.