This doesn't make sense!

After a moment of trance, Qi Yuan slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying on an extremely luxurious large bed.

Gauze curtains hung low all around, and the room was resplendent with gold and jade. At the head of the bed, a three-legged hollowed-out incense burner carved with the magnificent scenery of the land emitted wisps of ambergris fragrance, making one feel refreshed upon smelling it.

Every piece of furniture and decoration exuded an air of elegance and luxury.

"Hiss... where is this?"

Qi Yuan rubbed his temples; his head throbbed with a muddled pain, his whole body felt heavy, and his memories were a tangled mess.

Just then, a slightly shrill voice reached his ears:

"Your Majesty, you're finally awake! You were so intoxicated last night that this old servant was worried to death."

"This is a sobering soup specially brewed by the Imperial Kitchen. This old servant has personally tested it..."

Qi Yuan turned his head and saw a beardless, pale-faced middle-aged man trotting to the bedside. He then knelt respectfully on the ground and offered an exquisite porcelain bowl with both hands.

After coming to his senses a bit, Qi Yuan's expression suddenly became somewhat strange.

Good heavens!

He was the Emperor?!

Not just any Emperor, but according to his memories, he was a debauched ruler who ignored state affairs and spent his days indulging in wine and women in the harem... This was unreasonable!

Unlike last time, Qi Yuan could clearly realize that something was wrong with this world. As for what exactly was amiss, he couldn't say for the moment.

While pondering, his gaze fell on the crystal-clear sobering soup. It looked steaming hot and inviting, with no apparent flaws.

"Eunuch Dai, take this away. I... er, no, Your Majesty now wishes not to drink it."

Without thinking, Qi Yuan blurted out the identity of the eunuch beside him, as if he had been accustomed to calling him that for a long time.

"This old servant obeys."

Hearing this, Eunuch Dai quickly withdrew the porcelain bowl, a fawning and flattering smile appearing on his face. "Just now, Lady Consort Liu sent someone to invite Your Majesty to have lunch with her. She personally prepared a Whole Deer Feast and is waiting for you to go over."

"Hmm... tell Beloved Consort Liu that We will not be going to her place."

Qi Yuan frowned and waved his hand, saying, "Now, take Us to find the Noble Consort..."

There's a problem!

Before he could finish his sentence, Qi Yuan himself was stunned.

He felt like he wasn't talking to someone else, but rather playing an illusory role.

In the dark, there seemed to be a powerful force of inertia pulling his own mind and actions.

For instance, right now, he clearly knew that the 'Noble Consort' he mentioned was a peerless beauty recently scouted from among the common folk, possessing a beauty that could sink fish and drop geese.

Because of this, she was extremely favored as soon as she entered the palace and was titled Noble Consort, with a rank second only to the Empress.

But strangely, no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't remember what the Noble Consort looked like; he only knew a name.

On the other hand, Eunuch Dai showed no surprise. While directing two little eunuchs in the hall to serve Qi Yuan in dressing, he shouted toward the outside:

"The Emperor has decreed, proceed to the Phoenix Luan Palace."

Shortly after, Qi Yuan walked out of the sleeping quarters surrounded by a large crowd, with canopies blotting out the sky and a magnificent guard of honor.

At this moment, he was dressed in the majestic and luxurious everyday attire of an emperor, embroidered with coiled Dragon patterns, the sun, the moon, and pheasants. Wherever he passed, the palace servants and guards along the way would prostrate themselves in awe, shouting 'Long live the Emperor,' fully displaying the demeanor of the supreme ruler.

The imperial palace was vast, solemn, and dignified. Every inch of the landscape had been meticulously crafted by countless skilled craftsmen, showcasing the royal prestige and grandeur everywhere.

In a short while, the imperial carriage arrived in front of a magnificent palace filled with clusters of flowers.

Immediately, several Maidservants approached with terrified faces, kneeling and kowtowing:

"This servant greets Your Majesty!"

Qi Yuan strode out of the imperial carriage and asked:

"Rise. Where is the Noble Consort?"

The leading Maidservant dared not look up and said timidly:

"The Noble Consort is currently bathing in the side hall. This servant will go and ask her to come out and welcome Your Majesty."

As she spoke, she stood up trembling and was about to head inside.

"No need!"

Qi Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, a clear look of doubt appearing in his gaze as he said, "All of you stay here. We will go in alone."

At this moment, he was completely confused and urgently needed to find useful clues. Perhaps this mysterious Noble Consort was the most crucial piece of information.

In any case, the Noble Consort was the Emperor's wife, so there was nothing to avoid.

After saying that, Qi Yuan didn't bother to say more and strode into the Phoenix Luan Palace.

The palace servants present seemed long accustomed to the Emperor's various absurd actions. No one dared to stop him; instead, they kept their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hearts, staying outside honestly, wishing they could even sew their ears shut.

Qi Yuan walked straight toward the side hall. Before he even got close, he heard the sound of gurgling water.

Lifting the bead curtain, a dense mist mixed with a rich fragrance wafted toward him, swirling and pervasive, like a fairyland.

In the next moment, he saw a figure with perfect curves and skin as white as snow standing in the lotus pool. Her slender waist could be held in one hand, and her jet-black, lustrous hair draped down, partially concealing her skin that was like mutton-fat white jade.

Just looking at the back was already breathtaking.

Seeming to have heard a sound, the woman in the lotus pool slowly turned around and cast her gaze behind her.

In an instant, a familiar and exquisite face appeared before Qi Yuan's eyes.

Seeing this face, Qi Yuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and he stood frozen on the spot.

This Noble Consort looks so familiar... wait, she is the Linglong Saintess!

Holy crap!

I am currently in an illusionary realm!

Along with this realization, Qi Yuan quickly recalled the sequence of events, and his expression suddenly became extremely colorful!

The fact that he could easily regain his memory this time was likely because he had fallen for it once before, and his body had developed some resistance to the hallucinogenic effects of the phantom star grass... however, this bit of resistance didn't seem enough for him to break the illusionary realm!

On the other side, Xiao Yueni, who had mysteriously become the Noble Consort, was completely unaware of Qi Yuan's shock. She only bowed shyly and said in a soft, charming tone:

"Your servant greets Your Majesty."

Her voice was as pleasant as a yellow oriole emerging from a valley, exactly like that of the Linglong Saintess who usually seemed detached from the mortal world.

Clearly, Xiao Yueni had completely integrated into her role and had no idea she was in an illusionary realm!

As the thought flashed by, Qi Yuan quickly composed himself and gave a light cough.

"Rise, beloved consort."

"Your Majesty is so bad, your servant is still bathing."

Xiao Yueni's jade-like face turned slightly red. She gave Qi Yuan a look that was half-angry and half-reproachful, then obediently stood up.

Looking at the scene before him, Qi Yuan's scalp instantly went numb, and his nosebleed was almost about to gush out.

This... the question is, should I close my eyes now or not?

If I don't close my eyes, wouldn't I be intentionally taking advantage of her? That would be unworthy of my glorious image as a gentleman and would be a total beastly act!

But if I do close my eyes, it wouldn't fit the persona of a lecherous and debauched emperor. What if the Linglong Saintess notices a flaw and wakes up?

For a moment, Qi Yuan kept his eyes wide open, caught in a dilemma.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Seeing the Emperor remain silent, Xiao Yueni blinked her large, spirited eyes in confusion, came right up to him, and took his arm with a thousand charms.

As the scent of orchids from her body lingered at the tip of his nose, Qi Yuan's body stiffened slightly. He silently recited 'form is emptiness' a few times and said:

"No... it's nothing. We just came over to see you."

Xiao Yueni pursed her lips and smiled, saying tenderly:

"Your Majesty is so good."

Saying that, she gave Qi Yuan a sweet kiss on the face... with this kind of display, anyone who could hold back could go straight to the andrology department to register.

Qi Yuan naturally couldn't hold back, but before he could do anything, an abrupt report came from outside the door:

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."

The Empress... it couldn't be her, could it?

Thinking of something, Qi Yuan suddenly trembled all over, and his heart immediately became nervous.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yueni had already put on a Purple Silk Rosy Dress and began to tidy her appearance. Only after confirming there were no flaws did she breathe a sigh of relief and walked gracefully toward the entrance of the side hall..."}],