The last time Yan Zheyun had heard this voice, it'd been panting hotly against the shell of his ear, no louder than a sigh but somehow enough to send a full-body shudder rippling through him.
Now it was cold and detached, commanding obeisance from everyone in the room as its owner strode up to the centre seat that Noble Consort Li had vacated.
Along with the other concubines, Yan Zheyun paid his respects to his convenient 'husband'.
"All rise." The emperor settled down into the chair. Yan Zheyun noted how he subtly shifted the excessive cushions out of the way. This chair was the popular Arhat bed that had started trending in the Ming Dynasty. It was wide enough for two and had a solid wooden base that didn't look very comfortable. Noble Consort Li had tried to mitigate this by softening it with pillows and thick seat covers. But ironically, the emperor appeared to be a man of simpler tastes.
