Lin Mengya looked at him, entranced.
He had never said he loved her, but had been generous in expressing his affection for her.
In the dark, Lin Mengya involuntarily lifted the corners of her mouth, slowly showing a smile that overshadowed all the other beautiful things around the world.
Long Tianyu was mesmerized by her smile, thinking it the only thing he had lived for over the years.
Compared with her, both the throne and the desire to dominate the world became meaningless!
He gently touched her smiling lips with his big hand. Finally, she took the initiative to kiss him with her tender lips.
In the starry night, they were just an ordinary couple who were expressing their affection for each other passionately and devotedly.
After reluctantly taking her back to her room from the mountain behind the imperial palace, Long Tianyu stayed there and slept with her that night. It was not until early morning the next day that he left while looking back repeatedly.
Seeing that he was as wretched as a child who was throwing a tantrum, Lin Mengya couldn’t help laughing.
Why did he become increasingly childish?
If it were not for her promise that he could come and stay here in the next few days before leaving the capital city, he probably would not have left easily as she asked.
She shook her head in a bitter sweet mood, thinking, “Alas, where has the arrogant and aloof Prince Yu been?”
After the intimacy last night, Lin Mengya naturally put their romantic relationship aside.
She got work to do today. Fortunately, she had a sound sleep yesterday afternoon, otherwise, she would not have been so energetic.
By the time Lin Mengya heard some people began to move outside, she had gotten dressed.
Different from when she was in the Jin State, now she no longer preferred red and dark reddish purple clothes.
She, dressed in a pea green palace costume, looked different from the imperial concubines and ordinary palace maids at the same time.
Most of the patterns on her neckline and cuffs were chrysanthemums and green bamboos.
She tied up her black hair in a simple bun behind her head, wearing a silver or jade hairpin.
Besides, she wore earrings set with gems that went well with her hairpin.
She was not the only one dressed refreshingly in the imperial palace, but she, who had charming features, exuded an air of indifference.
A pure and gorgeous lady was a perfect description of her.
Along the way, one and another people bowed to Lin Mengya.
Most of the time, she nodded slightly as a response. She had neither been particularly hospitable to anyone nor treated anyone with excessive indifference.
The Empress had left the imperial palace, and Madame Hui had been sent away by her personally.
At this moment, Wanyan Jing wasn’t in the imperial palace.
Considering all these, Lin Mengya had regained her usual indifference and tried hard to avoid attracting attention.
However, everyone knew that Miss Helan, Madame Jingrou’s personal maid, was extraordinary.
Of course Lin Mengya was aware of this, so she avoided going out unless it was absolutely necessary, lest others describe her as someone who presumed upon Madame Jingrou’s preference for her and became haughty.
Today, Lin Mengya was going to the resting palace of the Emperor again.
The murder of the four palace maids should have been settled by now.
The Emperor’s resting palace was neither far nor close, so it would take some time for Lin Mengya to walk there.
As soon as she turned the corner and came to the front yard from the garden, she saw a person standing a few steps away from her.
Lin Mengya merely lifted her head to take a look without showing any expression.
It was only when she walked past the person that she bowed and said, “Greetings, reverend sir.”
She, whose voice was elegant and soft, was more quick-witted and fluent than most members of the imperial palace.
Xin Luan, the High Priest, turned around and composedly looked the woman in front of him up and down with his sharp eyes.
Then he said, “I’m going with you to meet His Majesty today. Let’s go, Miss Helan.”
Lin Mengya was a little surprised, but more puzzled by his invitation.
Come to think of it, he had tactfully refused to meet her a few days ago, but he stood here and waited for her today.
It seemed that the High Priest was not as indifferent to power as he appeared to be.
“Okay, let’s go, reverend sir,” Lin Mengya said without making detailed inquiries about his intention.
They seemed to be playing charades, and every glance and move of theirs could be a riddle and the answer to it.
Lin Mengya had never underestimated the High Priest. Now it seemed that he probably had thought things through.
The two of them arrived at the resting palace of the Emperor one after the other. The eunuch, who had sharp eyes, had long recognized that they were two big shots in the imperial palace.
He immediately came up to them with a smile, bowed to them and said, “Reverend sir, Miss Helan, do you come to meet His Majesty?”
Xin Luan nodded, and Lin Mengya gave tacit consent to his words.
“Please wait for a moment. I’m going to report your request right away,” the eunuch said.
Watching the eunuch disappear into her sight in haste, Lin Mengya involuntarily took a deep breath.
In recent days, the Emperor had adopted a particularly strange attitude towards her.
Hopefully, she would not make any mistake later, lest the temperamental Emperor find fault with her.
“I’ve heard about something recently. Miss, I hope you could answer my question,” Xin Luan suddenly said.
Lin Mengya, who did not expect him to say that, could only reply gently, “Reverend sir, please feel free to ask.”
Xin Luan stood there, without changing his countenance.
He asked, “Miss Helan, I’d like to know if you have a desire for the position of the Empress of our Lieyun Empire?”
Why did he ask about this?
Lin Mengya was a little hesitant, not because she was at a loss how to answer, but because she had never thought about this.
But Xin Luan’s tone puzzled her.
Lin Mengya had no choice but to tell him the truth, “Only a capable person is competent at the position of the Empress. I’m incompetent and don’t dare to covet the position.”
After having the conversation with Zhou Ling, she felt awkward every time she heard someone mention this.
She considered Xiaoyu as her younger brother recorded in the pedigree of the Lin Family.
But now others thought that she had an ambiguous relationship with Xiaoyu, which she, as Xiaoyu’s sister, considered as the biggest joke in the world.
Unfortunately, finding it impossible to explain it to others one by one, she could only put up with their misunderstandings without giving any explanation.
But one day Xiaoyu would get married and have children, and she would leave.
When the time came, these rumors would die down.
Hearing Lin Mengya’s words, Xin Luan did not ask another question.
The two of them fell silent with their minds occupied with different thoughts.
Thankfully, the eunuch returned soon and told them the Emperor called them in.
“Thank you, sir,” Lin Mengya thanked the eunuch politely.
Considering she could not compare with Xin Luan, the illustrious High Priest, she was particularly polite to the palace servants.
So the palace servants had a favorable impression of her.
In this way, she more or less established a good reputation in the imperial palace, which counteracted the bad reputation she had a while back.
Apart from Madame Jingrou, there were a few noble ladies dressed in fine clothes in the Emperor’s resting palace today.
When Lin Mengya moved forward, she heard those ladies talking and laughing in soft voices.
The Emperor should be in his study inside at the moment, so they could only stay in the outer room for a while.
Looking up and seeing Lin Mengya, Madame Jingrou, who was sitting in the seat of honor, immediately showed a smile on her delicate face.
Then she waved her hand at Lin Mengya and said in a gentle voice, “Come here, lass. I was about to send someone to summon you, but you came. How could I not be fond of a considerate girl like you?”
Because of Xiaoyu, Madame Jingrou was especially close to Lin Mengya, which was known to everyone in the imperial palace.
However, at the sight of this, the noble ladies around Madame Jingrou felt uncomfortable.
Despite her gentleness and exceeding beauty, Madame Jingrou, born into a noble family, always seemed forbidding.
Even brilliant ladies from notable families found it hard to get close to her.
Why was the humble palace maid able to win her special favor?
In this case, they did not dare to pick on Lin Mengya in front of Madame Jingrou and just held back their dissatisfaction with Lin Mengya.
“I should have come to pay my respects to you earlier, Madame, but I have been occupied these days,” Lin Mengya said.
After glancing at the ladies inadvertently, she realized they were presumably the noble ladies, who were eager to marry Xiaoyu, mentioned by Zhou Ling.
However, after observing them carefully, she found they were not as intelligent, quick-witted and pretty as Xiu.
In her view, only a wonderful girl like Xiu was good enough for her brother.
Nevertheless, Cupid had not brought them together yet.
As Xiaoyu’s sister, she was tremendously anxious, but the two of them were not.
“Madame, since Miss Helan is here, we are leaving now,” the ladies said.
This was the Emperor’s resting palace where ordinary women were not allowed to get in according to rules.
But today, they were brought into the imperial palace by their fathers without previous arrangements.
They claimed that they came to pay their respects to Madame Jingrou, but in fact, they intended to please Madame Jingrou so that they could be chosen as Xiaoyu’s wife.
Madame Jingrou nodded and instructed Ningqiu to give them some trinkets as presents.
Seeing the gorgeous ladies leave, Madame Jingrou finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They were pretty good, well-educated, intelligent and gentle.
However, she, who had always enjoyed peace, found the ladies around her a little noisy.
She preferred to be accompanied by Helan who was agreeable.
“Madame, you’re so lucky. In my view, these ladies are all outstanding, and each of them is good enough to be the Ninth Princess,” Lin Mengya said.
Without outsiders around, she became livelier in front of Madame Jingrou.
She personally served a cup of hot tea to Madame Jingrou. Of course, she knew that Madame Jingrou disliked a noisy environment where there were lots of people around.
These ladies tried their best to present themselves, which actually had a negative effect.
