She jerked her head backward in alarm.
Long Yang walked over and held her by the shoulders, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Liangwei gave a start and said hastily, “N…nothing.” To think that she almost had a nosebleed just from staring at the Emperor’s body — how embarrassing!
After washing herself carelessly, she shot out of the bath, threw her nightclothes on, and scampered out of the bathroom as if she was chased by a ferocious beast.
Long Yang was puzzled, but he did not give it much thought.
After having dinner, they sat down on the soft bed in the outer room to rest.
Lu Liangwei sat cross-legged, staring at the book on medicine in her lap absentmindedly. She sneaked a glance at Long Yang, who was reading attentively, and after a moment’s consideration, broke the silence. “Your Majesty, I have something to tell you.”
Hearing this, Long Yang put down the book in his hands and stroked her hair, asking affectionately, “What is it?”
Lu Liangwei weighed her words carefully before replying, “I’ve always been wondering if you know who poisoned you back then.”
Long Yang paused. “Why are you suddenly asking this?”
Lu Liangwei said earnestly, “If what I say next offends you, you can’t get angry.”
Long Yang looked at her in amusement. “Why would I get angry?”
Lu Liangwei fixed him with a stern stare. “I’ll only tell you if you promise not to get angry.”
“Very well. No matter what you say, I promise that I won’t get angry,” Long Yang answered solemnly.
Only then did Lu Liangwei relax. “That’s a promise. An emperor does not jest!”
Long Yang nodded. “Yes, an emperor does not jest. You can now go ahead and say what you want to.”
Lu Liangwei cleared her throat, glanced at his expression, then said, “Well, you’ve ascended the throne for so many years, but you still have no children. There might be people who secretly think that you’re… you’re impotent…”
When she was nervous, she could not help changing her use of honorifics.
Long Yang’s eyes narrowed.
Lu Liangwei continued. “Actually, it’s not their fault for thinking that way because you’re not that young anymore, Your Majesty. Nothing’s happened to the consorts in the harem all these years, and what’s more, you even made the late Crown Prince’s son as Heir Apparent. That’s when the rumors started spreading throughout the entire court.”
Long Yang tapped his fingers on his knee. “Go on.”
Lu Liangwei peeked at his face. His expression was no different from usual, and it was hard to tell if he was angry or not.
However, since she had already started talking, she had to finish no matter how offensive her words may be; only in that way could she tell him what she wanted to.
“Since rumors have been spreading throughout the court, the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince might have gotten wind of them as well. They must also have thought that you were impotent, and even if you married me, you wouldn’t have any heirs. But this morning, Lu Yunshuang suddenly burst into my bedchamber and saw the marks on my body… At that time, I was puzzled why she’d barged in without being called. Then I thought about it; my sister may be unlikable, but I’ve always known her to be a prudent person. I think she barged into my bedchamber wanting to verify something.”
“What marks?” Long Yang was bemused.
Seeing that he was really clueless, Lu Liangwei pulled down the front of her blouse. “These. Other people can tell what we did last night with just one look.”
She could still maintain her composure, but when Long Yang saw the red marks on her neck, his handsome face flushed in embarrassment.
Lu Liangwei was amused by his reaction. It seemed that the Emperor was not as shameless as he appeared.
He was capable of blushing too.
This realization delighted her.
She could not help chuckling softly.