Outside the window, the rain was pattering.

The large raindrops fell onto the surface of the lake, creating a symphony of splashes. The autumn wind carried a hint of moisture, and the water splashed onto the windowsill and onto the face, adding a touch of misty and refreshing atmosphere to the room.

A few strands of messy hair at the temples were blown by the wind and stuck to the face. Zhu Que reached out to smooth it, causing Zhao Changhe's heart to skip a beat.

Simple and casual movements, yet so charming.

Zhu Que, what a character. The sound of his accelerated heartbeat was as clear in her ears as if a drum was being beaten right in front of her. Unable to hold it in any longer, she burst into laughter. "You little rascal."

The laughter broke the tranquility, as if a still picture suddenly came to life. The rain continued to fall, the wind howled, and the little man with the racing heart finally averted his gaze, muttering, "Why am I a rascal? We've been traveling together, and I haven't even touched you..."

"Really? "

It was only then that Zhao Changhe remembered the accidental hand-holding incident in Jianhu City, but he got beaten up, and he never let it happen again.

"Never touched you," Zhao Changhe said stiffly. "Unless you let me touch you again to prove it."

"Hey," Zhu Que raised her arm again. "Since you know my identity, you should understand that you were wrong before. The venerable one would never send a noble concubine to play with you. It was all just your imagination. You were flirting shamelessly before, and I only refrained from hitting you for the sake of the overall situation. And now you dare to flirt with me?"

Zhao Changhe didn't dare, but not for that reason.

The problem was that he didn't dare to flirt with a noble concubine, and the use of "this palace" made him feel intimidated. Setting aside all ethical considerations, she was a "married woman," which was really inappropriate.

Seeing his expression, Zhu Que smiled slightly and said slowly, "Nice to meet you... My name is Huangfu Qing."

Zhao Changhe didn't respond, feeling a bit discouraged, and muttered, "You might as well continue wearing the pig mask. I felt that you were the happiest back then, and now you're wearing a mask."

Huangfu Qing narrowed her eyes slightly, then suddenly smiled and took a step forward.

The fragrant breeze brushed past, and her red lips were close. Zhao Changhe subconsciously took a step back, and at that moment, his brain inexplicably felt that these lips were quite similar to Zhu Que's, and the pressure was also quite similar. Should he say that she was indeed a direct subordinate...

The thought only flashed through his mind for a moment, and Huangfu Qing took another step forward.

Soon, he was backed against a pillar, with no way to retreat.

Huangfu Qing leaned in front of him, her fingers lightly tracing his cheek and then resting on his chin, slightly lifting it. Then her fragrant lips approached his ear, less than half an inch away, and she whispered, "If this palace doesn't wear a mask, then who will you meet?"

"Uh, no, it's not..." Zhao Changhe held back his embarrassment. "Your Highness, please..."

"See, before you were flirting and wanted to push me against the wall, but now with the sound of rain outside and the warmth inside, the mood is so romantic, yet you're talking about self-restraint." Huangfu Qing coquettishly said, "So... who is it that's wearing the mask now?"

Zhao Changhe was stunned.

After a long while, he said with some difficulty, "It's different, she's a married woman..."

"But I'm not."

Zhao Changhe was stunned again.

Huangfu Qing said affectionately, "Do you know why the Wang family dared to show their opposition? It's impossible to know about such things without seeing it in the palace. Even if Tang Wanzhuang is highly regarded, she wouldn't know."

Zhao Changhe almost forgot what position he was in now and asked subconsciously, "What's going on?"

"Because the current Xia Longyuan that everyone sees is just a fake. He doesn't know anything at all, and his martial arts are probably only at the third or fourth level of Xuan Guan. The so-called mistakes made by Xia Longyuan are just because he's not the real person."

Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded. "Is that even possible?"

"Of course, the fake Xia Longyuan doesn't dare to issue any orders on his own. All the chaos in the government should be the real Xia Longyuan's instructions. The fake's 'seclusion' is all about receiving instructions from the real Xia Longyuan. I also don't understand why Xia Longyuan would have such strange instructions, almost causing the country to fall apart on its own."

"...Is he really just too lazy to care and is seeking the destruction of the country?""I don't know," Huangfu Qing said with a slight smile. "That's why I asked why you would enter the palace. The more you interact, the more you can find out in detail."

"……"

"The Venerable threatened him with a fake identity, forcing him to grant me the position of Imperial Consort. It was all intentional. With this status, it's easier to act and investigate within the palace, and it's also more convenient for us to cultivate our external family's power. This is probably the only imperial edict that the fake has ever issued... Not to mention anything else, the Wang family was furious. In the early years, before Xia Longyuan rose to power, one of the agreements supported by the Wang family was to forever maintain the position of Empress for their family. This appointment as Imperial Consort is like tearing at the edges, almost ripping off their faces."

Zhao Changhe twitched the corner of his mouth.

Long ago, he had heard rumors that Xia Longyuan didn't bring back his illegitimate child from the Luo family to the capital because the Empress's family was powerful. Now it seems that there might be some truth to these rumors, although Xia Longyuan's reasons for not bringing back the child might not be due to this, there was still some basis...

Speaking of which, this fake really dared to do it. Not only did he offend the Wang family, but the real Xia Longyuan behind the scenes might not be willing to put up with it either, right?

Huangfu Qing could see what Zhao Changhe was thinking and laughed, "Of course, he has his own little schemes... He has nothing, and by allying with our Four Elephant Sect, he has gained some leverage. Maybe he can even break free from the real Xia Longyuan's control. Become a true emperor? Who would be willing to be a puppet pulled by strings for their entire life?"

Zhao Changhe was stunned for a long time before finally saying, "If he were younger, he'd be a protagonist's outline."

Huangfu Qing didn't understand this sentence, nor did she care. She just asked leisurely, "Do you think... do I count as Xia Longyuan's consort? Do I count as a married woman, do I count as your stepmother?"

Zhao Changhe swallowed and stammered, "If you put it that way, it seems not."

All his previous confusion suddenly cleared up. Why such a proud lady would become someone's consort, why Xia Longyuan would bother to take in this consort, it was all incomprehensible. But if that Xia Longyuan was just a fake and both parties had other motives, then everything made sense.

Find the original at "pawread dot com".

And this was something that Tang Wanzhuang and the others could never know. They didn't dare to test the fake like the Rosefinch, who acted without any scruples. Without doing so, they would never get the real answer and could only frustratingly guess that there were secrets upon secrets, which they could never figure out even if they racked their brains.

But there was only one question, "According to what you said, Xia Longyuan hasn't really lost control behind the scenes. How can he tolerate the fake causing trouble... What if he comes to kill you?"

Huangfu Qing giggled, her finger continuing to trace his face, "Are you worried about me?"

Zhao Changhe frowned, "Stop joking, we're talking serious matters here."

"I don't know what he's thinking either. I was prepared to flee at any moment, but there has been no movement..." As the true Rosefinch, since she dared to test the fake, she naturally had the confidence to escape from the hands of the supposedly severely injured real one. But she didn't want to tell Zhao Changhe this, instead, she asked teasingly, "Hey, what if the real Xia Longyuan suddenly comes to claim his consort's duties, should I fulfill the obligations of an Imperial Consort..."

Zhao Changhe blurted out, "You wouldn't dare!"

"Haha..." Huangfu Qing's red lips drew even closer, almost touching the hairs on Zhao Changhe's face, "Then... between you and me now, who is really wearing the mask?"

Damn it...

After all this time, this was the theme you were aiming for!

Finally, he gritted his teeth, reached out to wrap his arms around her waist, and bit down fiercely, "Today we'll have a piggy collision!"

But just as their bodies were about to touch, he ended up embracing nothing but air.

Huangfu Qing deftly sidestepped and pushed him from behind his head, watching him stumble forward with a pouty mouth, and she laughed sweetly, "Dream on, little lecher."

Zhao Changhe was on the verge of tears.

If she was just a little demoness who had barely started, then this lady was already a fully-fledged great demoness.

This kind of play could be lethal!