From that day on, Li Tianzhuo took Deng Youning to court with him every morning. Only on the rare occasions when she stayed up too late playing with Jun Wenying and Han Xinxin and couldn't wake up in time would she skip the morning session.
Although she was a Princess of Dongji, she was free to come and go within the Nanxin Imperial Palace, even accessing certain restricted areas. Though she and Li Tianzhuo had not performed formal wedding rites, everyone in Nanxin knew she was the future Empress. Even the palace maids and eunuchs treated her with the utmost respect, though they still addressed her as the Princess of Dongji.
Some ministers had asked Li Tianzhuo why he did not marry Deng Youning, but he would only reply that he did not have many days left on the throne. The ministers, not understanding his meaning, could only urge him to take care of his health. Li Tianzhuo would at most offer a faint smile and say nothing.
Chapter 377