The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 755 - 755 349 Surprise (first update)

Chapter 755: 349 Surprise (first update) Chapter 755: 349 Surprise (first update) “Aren’t you sleeping well?” Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow and asked.

Uncle Wei opened his mouth wide, speechless for a long while.

From the passageway, the loud laughter of Aunt Liu, her sisters, and the two daughters-in-law from Auntie Zhou’s family can be heard from time to time, coupled with their children making a racket in the front yard.

In the past, the slightest noise in the palace would prevent the Emperor from sleeping, but how could he be sleeping so soundly with all the loud noise outside right now?

The Emperor slept straight through from the afternoon until the next morning, even skipping dinner.

Seeing the Emperor, with his disheveled hair, rushing towards the carriage for the morning court session, Gu Jiao thought to herself, how was this anything like insomnia? Clearly, he slept even more than she did!

Last night, the whole family was awakened by her tinkering with the gunpowder, except for the Emperor. His snoring, emanating throughout the courtyard, was as loud as a dragon’s breath—commonly known as, snoring.

“Hmm.” Gu Jiao touched her chin, “I thought I knocked him out with the explosion in the middle of the night.”

“Hurry up! What are you standing there for?” The Emperor slapped the coachman’s head. He was full of vitality, definitely not knocked unconscious.

Having had a good sleep, the Emperor felt refreshed. He returned to Huaqing palace to wash up, changed into his Dragon Robe, and headed to Jinluan Hall.

The Empress Dowager’s Feng Nian also arrived near Jinluan Hall.

Uncle Qin reminded her, “Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived.”

“So what if he’s here,” Empress Dowager scoffed.

The Empress Dowager, who would stoop for five candied fruits, was helped out of the sedan chair by Uncle Qin.

The Emperor also stepped out of the sedan, looked at the Empress Dowager with a smile in his eyes, and did not forget to bow, “Your son greets his mother.”

He seemed like a wilted cabbage yesterday, but today he is remarkably energetic. Empress Dowager glanced at him nonchalantly and said, “It’s getting late, don’t delay. Hurry up and hold court. Isn’t it usually the case that you, as the Emperor, arrive earlier than me? Why are you so late today?”

The Emperor was too embarrassed to admit that he overslept in Bishui Alley. Despite his failure to sleep in his magnificent sleeping palace, he slept soundly in a tiny broken-down room of the Empress Dowager. Even he would despise himself if he admitted it!

He refused to admit that the room was sleep-inducing, insisting it must be due to his exhaustion after staying awake for several days.

While pondering, the Emperor inadvertently caught sight of the delicate hand stove in the Empress Dowager’s hands.

This was a dual-purpose hand stove. In winter, it could be filled with charcoal, and in summer, it held ice. When held in hand, it felt pleasantly cool, perfect for relieving summer heat.

The Emperor suddenly chuckled, walked over, and knocked the hand stove out of the Empress Dowager’s hand.

The hand stove hit the bluestone floor with a clatter.

Being robust in nature, it wasn’t damaged at all.

The Empress Dowager gave the Emperor a chilly stare, about to lose her temper, when several court officials approached from a distance.

“Uncle Wei, the Empress Dowager has dropped her hand stove. Hurry up and pick it up!”

“…Yes!” Uncle Wei picked up the hand stove from the ground. Since it was dirty, he couldn’t just hand it back to the Empress Dowager as it was, so he intended to clean it with his sleeve.

The Emperor took the stove, “I’ll do it.” He took out a handkerchief and carefully cleaned the hand stove until it seemed to shine, then smiling, handed it back to the Empress Dowager, “Mother, your hand stove.”

Seeing this, the court officials couldn’t help but marvel in secret, “The Emperor is indeed devoted to the Empress Dowager, even helping her clean her hand stove.”

A muscle in the corner of the Empress Dowager’s mouth twitched.

She pulled the stove back with a stern face.

The Emperor mischievously reminded her, “Smile, Mother, smile, we’re being watched!”

“I’ll smile at your big donkey hooves!”

The Empress Dowager gave a fake laugh, “Hehehe.”

As soon as the officials left, the Empress Dowager’s smile disappeared in a second, and she tossed the hand stove, which the Emperor had touched, to Uncle Qin with a look of disgust.

As she walked up the steps of Jinluan Hall, the Empress Dowager flicked her phoenix robe to cover her feet and stepped on the Emperor’s foot!

Emperor: Ow——

Surrounded by people, he sealed his lips tightly, despairingly swallowing the howl of pain.

His face contorted with agony!

The Empress Dowager gave a faint smile, “What’s wrong with the Emperor?”

His body stiff, he clutched his thigh, “My foot… my foot…”

Get your foot off me!

“Oh, did the Emperor sprain his ankle?” The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow, and stepped on his foot once more. The Emperor was in so much pain he nearly passed out.

With elegance, the Empress Dowager extended her hand, held his arm, and said with a smile in her eyes, “Let me help you.” She then maintained her smile and spoke softly through gritted teeth, “Smile, everyone is watching, Emperor.”