178 Control (R18)

The lanterns in Qianqing Palace were already lit by the time Liu Yao's palanquin reached. The anxiety that gripped at his heart quickened his pace and he would have chosen to rush back on foot had Cao Mingbao not subtly reminded him that there was no telling whose eyes were watching him from the shadows. 

On a night like this, with many people and many mouths present, an emperor had to work even harder to maintain his composure if he didn't want to walk into someone else's calculated trap. 

In deference towards his preferences, the maidservants and eunuchs that tended to his daily needs waited in line outside his bedchambers, not one daring to step inside without his prior permission. But Liu Yao didn't have to be told to know that there was someone waiting for him.