Deep into the night, torches were lit all around the temporary imperial residence, illuminating the surrounding hundred meters with crystal clarity. The safety of the Empress was not to be taken lightly; even the Yulin Guards were divided into several teams patrolling back and forth.
This temporary residence, by definition, was the place where the Empress stayed whenever she visited a province or county. Apart from the palace hall used for holding court and managing state affairs, there were sleeping quarters provided for the Empress’s rest. The area surrounding the bedchamber was strictly off-limits to the Yulin Guards; aside from the Empress’s personal handmaidens on duty, no one else was permitted inside.
The cold wind blew desolate and bleak; the night was hazy. Inside the bedchamber, the curtains swayed gently, but Liu Zhao tossed and turned on the dragon bed, unable to sleep.
Chapter 238