The two were very familiar with each other. Besides blushing, Xiao Yunxi showed no resistance to Chen Mo’s intimate gesture.

"I plan to dismiss some palace maids to cut down on expenses." Xiao Yunxi said while stroking Chen Mo’s face.

"Why did you suddenly decide to dismiss the palace maids?" Chen Mo set down the towel and kissed Yunxi’s jade-like back.

"Tickles..." Xiao Yunxi’s delicate body squirmed a bit as she said, "The National Treasury is tight, every department has reduced their expenses, and the harem is no exception. The concubines have to tighten their belts to get by..."

Xiao Yunxi spoke slowly.

Chen Mo learned that Zhao Ji’s consorts were all being kept in the harem, each with two or three palace maids and eunuchs serving them.

Now that Zhao Ji has died, these consorts no longer need to be served, they’re essentially just eating for free.

Furthermore, with Zhao Chong ascending to the throne, this means the current Emperor’s consorts and the Late Emperor’s consorts are all in the same harem, mixed with the palace maids. From a hierarchical point of view, Zhao Chong’s consorts would naturally need to respect the consorts of the Late Emperor, making it hard to coexist.

Another point is that as the Emperor’s consorts, all are beautiful, and with no other men in the harem, Xiao Yunxi worried that Zhao Chong might fancy the Late Emperor’s consorts or palace maids.

If such a thing were to really happen, the Imperial Family would be thoroughly disgraced.

The Late Emperor’s consorts certainly cannot be dismissed, so some of the palace maids around the consorts can only be dismissed.

"You have the say in the harem, no one will oppose you."

Chen Mo picked up Xiao Yunxi in a princess carry and walked towards the soft couch.

"No... don’t let Qing’Er in." Xiao Yunxi, with arms encircling Chen Mo’s neck, said shyly.

Chen Mo shook his head: "Tonight, I want us to be alone."

Chen Mo gently laid Xiao Yunxi on the soft couch. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Feeling slightly shy, Xiao Yunxi pulled the quilt over herself.

In the dim candlelight, the beauty was entwined in the quilt, her fair bare feet peeking out. Chen Mo held them in his hands, and the touch of that moment caused one of Xiao Yunxi’s feet to bend involuntarily. From the calf to the ankle, all the way to the jade-like feet, from contours to shadows, all were beautiful to the extreme.

Chen Mo didn’t fix his gaze on Yunxi; instead, he walked towards the wardrobe, saying as he opened it: "The stockings are inside, right?"

Xiao Yunxi softly responded: "In the box at the bottom."

Chen Mo also saw the carved wooden box placed at the very bottom.

He directly took the wooden box and walked over...

Xiao Yunxi sat up, pulling the quilt up, looking at Chen Mo as he grabbed her foot and put the black stockings on, her pretty face turned gradually crimson.

By the light of the hall lamps, Chen Mo’s side profile was very handsome, with a hint of rogue charm in his brows, deeply captivating Xiao Yunxi’s heart.

When Chen Mo was putting the stockings on her other foot, Xiao Yunxi playfully kicked Chen Mo’s chest with her foot clad in black silk.

When Chen Mo looked over, she immediately placed a jade-like finger against her lips, pressing gently.

...

"Yunxi, you’re playing with fire." What man could resist such temptation?

"Presumptuous, you dare to call me by my name." Xiao Yunxi reprimanded him.

Chen Mo: "..."

There is no need to endure anymore when one can’t tolerate.

Soon, a scene like the Peach Blossom Spring played out.

...

In the evening, snow descended again on Bianliang, as if to fall for the last time, the snow tonight was particularly heavy.

Throughout the night, the wind and snow raged. By the time the sun rose the next day, the white snow had almost buried the entire Bianliang City.

In the courtyard outside the sleeping palace, the palace maids and eunuchs of the palace were already using bamboo brooms to sweep the snow to the sides of the courtyard, their scraping brushes making a soft rustling sound.

Xiao Qing’Er, who could not resist taking a nap after a sleepless night, opened her eyes to the noise, and when she saw the palace maids and eunuchs sweeping snow in the courtyard, she was startled and immediately shooed them away.

It would be bad if they discovered that Chen Mo stayed overnight in the Empress Dowager’s sleeping palace.

Inside the inner hall of the sleeping palace, Chen Mo opened his eyes. Still unaccustomed to running True Qi upon waking, he couldn’t help but exhale a long breath, pulling the quilt up.

It was too cold, cold enough to make anyone want to burrow inside.

Chen Mo lifted the quilt corner and glanced inside; Yunxi seemed to have felt the cold long ago and had snuggled her head under the blanket, nestled in his arms, eyes closed, breathing evenly.

The quilt lifted, the chill permeated, Xiao Yunxi’s eyelashes immediately fluttered, and she shrank her neck, then woke up, looked up in surprise, and said with a hint of panic:

"You... why are you still here, you should leave... if someone sees you coming out of the harem later, it would... it would not be good."

"Let’s be lazy for once. Today, I won’t attend the court; you don’t need to either, just tell them you’re feeling unwell." Chen Mo said as he caressed Yunxi’s face.

"If neither of us attends court, what if someone... suspects something?"

"Who can be so astute as to know I’m with you? It’s fine, Chong’Er can handle the matters of court."

"Pfft, Chong’Er... even you call him that..."

"Why can’t I call him that? Given our current relationship, calling him Chong’Er is just fitting... Ouch, don’t pinch... I won’t say it again..."

...

Meanwhile.

Wind Ridge City.

Nearly a hundred thousand troops of Loulan surrounded Wind Ridge City, yet after a whole week, they hadn’t launched an attack, seemingly intending to starve Wind Ridge City into submission.

Meanwhile, in the central army camp of Loulan, Yue Yuxi saw Wind Ridge City as already within her grasp, for all the cities surrounding Wind Ridge City had been occupied by her, leaving it isolated.

The reason she did not attack was partly to wait for news of negotiations with Xiao Yunqi, and partly because she aimed to conquer the General of the Celestial Dragon Army within Wind Ridge City, the Great Song Princess, Zhao Qianyi.

"Your Highness..." The Moon Slave in her arms raised the wine cup to Yue Yuxi’s lips, and she sipped gently, her lips curling into a confident arc: "It’s been seven days, how much longer can you hold on..."

...

On the city walls, Zhao Qianyi gazed out at the Desert Country Camp not far outside the city, her expression grave.

Upon hearing footsteps, Zhao Qianyi didn’t turn her head and said: "What’s the situation?"

"The food in the city is all gone, and there’s no firewood for warmth. Many civilians froze to death last night. With conditions so harsh, our soldiers may not hold on much longer either." Wei Ying said with some heaviness.

"Damn it." Zhao Qianyi pounded the city wall with a fist, saying in a low tone: "They intend to slowly starve us to death without losing a single soldier."

"I’m sorry, Princess, it’s my fault, I failed you..." Had Wei Ying known things would turn out this way, he wouldn’t have made the decision to stand firmly with the Princess in Qingzhou City at the time.