The courtyard of Liu Mansion was filled with the fragrance of flowers.

Liu Qianyu was sitting on the couch leisurely and contented, holding a play book in her hand, reading it with great interest.

"Miss, now that you have divorced, what are your plans for the future?"

Qi Yue was brewing tea nearby, and her soft voice broke the silence.

Liu Qianyu gently put down the book in her hand, with a smile on her lips, looking a bit unrestrained and free.

"I just got out of my marriage, and I don't want to be tied down again. I can consider the child."

Qi Yue was dumbfounded, as if he had heard something incredible.

"Miss, you don't plan to marry again? Then... where did the child come from?"

Liu Qianyu chuckled, picked up the teacup at hand, and took a sip of tea. Her movements were graceful and calm.

"It's easy. Just find a good-looking man and give birth to the baby. Isn't that wonderful?"

Qi Yue's cheeks flushed slightly, and she seemed both surprised and shy at the young lady's bold idea.

"Miss, you... you are really..."

"Why? You think I'm ridiculous?"

Liu Qianyu raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"Miss, I have plenty of money, so I don't need to rely on men. Life is short, so why not enjoy it while you can?"

"But if we don't get married, where can I find a good-looking man who is willing to do this?"

Qi Yue was very worried, thinking that her young lady's ideas were always different from others.

Liu Qianyu looked at the blue sky and white clouds with a firm look in her eyes.

"Tomorrow we will go to the most famous prostitute house in the capital and see if there are any good-looking and smart candidates."

"After all, it's my first time, so I have to find someone who's pleasing to the eye. If the father is smart, the child will be smarter."

Qi Yue chuckled.

"Miss, your idea is really... But it's true, if you want to find someone, you should find the best-looking one, so that he can match your beauty."

In the Zichen Palace, Murong Di Ze suddenly woke up from his dream, sweating profusely and looking anxious.

"She...how could she really set foot in a place like that?"

Murong Di Ze sat up suddenly.

In the capital, she is in the capital!

That Xuanying is looking in the wrong direction!

"Jiri."

"Yes, Your Majesty, what do you want?"

Ji Rui hurried in upon hearing the sound, intending to remind His Majesty that the morning court session was approaching, but seeing His Majesty's unusual expression, his heart tightened.

"Hurry up and send a message to Xuanying, ordering him to return to the capital immediately, without any mistakes!"

Murong Di Ze's voice was cold and urgent.

Ji Rui was shocked and immediately stepped back, quickly conveying His Majesty's order.

When Ji Rui returned, Murong Dize had regained his former emperor's calmness, but the worry in his eyes was hard to conceal.

"Pass on my order to immediately close down all the brothels in the capital, leaving no one behind. At the same time, send more secret guards to secretly search for the whereabouts of the stunning woman in the capital."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Ji Rui suppressed his shock and followed the order to leave.

A stunning woman?

When did Your Majesty become involved with the beautiful woman outside the palace?

I am by your Majesty's side every day, how come I know nothing about this?

* * *

"It's really confusing. Why did the imperial court close down all the brothels in the city? What's the purpose of this?"

Qi Yue was feeding the fish in the pond while muttering to himself, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Liu Qianyu stood on the arch bridge, looking at the koi carps fighting for food in the pond and smiled calmly.

"Things are unpredictable, there are always ways to work around them. Let's just think of another way."

A gleam of enlightenment flashed in Qi Yue's eyes, and she lowered her voice.

"Miss, why don't we try going to the academy? Maybe we can meet someone we like there..."

When she said this, her cheeks turned slightly red and her voice became as thin as a mosquito.

"Seduce him?" Liu Qianyu took over the conversation, smiling even more, with a cunning look in her eyes.

"This is a great idea. I always like to take the initiative."

"Miss, you have such a fairy-like appearance. You don't need to deliberately seduce. Just stand at the entrance of the academy, and those scholars will rush to you and bow down at your feet, right?"

After Qi Yue finished speaking, he couldn't help laughing.

And in the Zichen Palace, Murong Di Ze was disturbed by a sudden dream.

He suddenly woke up from his dream, sat up, his chest heaving violently, and his clothes soaked with sweat.

When he thought of those scholars rushing to her one after another, a nameless fire suddenly rose in his heart.

"Jiri!"

Upon hearing the sound, Ji Rui hurried in, and seeing the emperor in such a state, he asked with concern.

"Your Majesty, you are..."

"Immediately convey my order and send more people to monitor the surroundings of the academy. No one outside the academy is allowed to approach within a hundred meters, especially young women!"

Murong Di Ze's tone was resolute and left no room for doubt.

Ji Rui was shocked.

Well, Your Majesty, what happened recently?

Your Majesty, who used to follow the rules, is now playing by more and more unconventional rules!

The next day, Murong Di Ze's decree caused an uproar in the court and the country, and the ministers were talking about it.

"Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this move? Why do you suddenly attach so much importance to the academy?" An old minister stroked his beard, puzzled.

"What's even more puzzling is that they specifically ordered that young women were not allowed to approach. This... this is simply unheard of!"

Another minister shook his head and sighed, full of confusion and surprise.

"Is it to allow scholars to study hard and not be disturbed by women's love affairs?"

They secretly wondered what had happened to this emperor, who had always been diligent and upright.

Murong Di Ze's life became extremely contradictory.

During the day, he was a diligent emperor, handling heavy state affairs;

And whenever night falls, he can't wait to close his eyes, looking forward to meeting her again.

This desire surged like a tide, causing him to question the boundary between reality and dreams.

"Zhuang Zhou dreamed of being a butterfly. Am I also dreaming of being a butterfly?" the emperor murmured to himself.

He began to doubt himself, whether he was the same as Zhuang Zhou.

I can't tell whether the butterfly dreamed of me or I dreamed of the butterfly.

The morning light is faintly visible among the clouds, and I meet a fairy in my dream on the top of the mountain.

Guiding the lost, feelings arise, only to wake up and realize it was all an illusion.

The woman in red looks down on people, she goes against the grain and behaves unrestrainedly.

The beauty disappeared without a trace in my dream, and I could not find her anywhere in the whole world.

Zhuang Zhou's butterfly dream is both illusion and reality, and both reality and dreams are hazy.

I am longing to see you in my dreams, not asking about Zhuang Zhou or the butterfly.

Ji Rui stood quietly aside, his eyes deeply fixed on the verses written by the emperor himself, and every word and sentence was filled with melancholy.

Alas, my majesty, I have been with you for thirty-seven years, and you have only ever asked about state affairs. When have you ever written a poem about emotions?

Who exactly is this fairy in the dream?

How could Your Majesty be so obsessed with Zhuangzi's dream of being a butterfly?

"Your Majesty, I wonder what kind of beauty she is? If Your Majesty is interested, you can welcome her into the palace and let her accompany you."

Murong Di Ze slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked into the distance with deep eyes.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"Ji Rui, in every dynasty, there are always one or two romantic stories that are passed down through the ages. When I heard these in the past, I either laughed them off or sneered at them, always thinking that they were just exaggerations by literati and poets."

"Only after I experienced it myself did I understand it. I realized that even though I am the emperor, I still feel helpless."

"Sometimes, I find it hard to tell whether I am in reality or wandering in a dream. Reality and dreams are intertwined, making me confused as to what is real and what is illusion."

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