踏踏—
The surrounding palace maids saw the Emperor arriving, yet there was no call of 'His Majesty is coming' or anything like that.
Instead, they preemptively made way, and if they couldn't clear the path in time, they stepped to the sides, bowing to show respect.
Coincidentally, today in Changxiang Hall were only Zhang Feng and his mother, with no palace maids to report in advance.
Everyone stood at the bottom of the steps.
Inside the hall, Zhang Feng and the Empress were chatting about family matters, unaware that the Emperor had arrived.
Then, the Emperor strode into the hall and laughingly called out loudly, "Wan Shu!"
Wan Shu was the Empress's nickname.
It's typically what the Emperor calls her in private, an affectionate name between the couple.
The stairs outside are a bit distant, and those outside wouldn't hear it.
It was only after the Emperor called out once and saw the familiar little chubby figure beside the Empress that his joyous expression turned calm,
