8. Bathing
◎No woman has ever slept on this couch of mine◎
"Thank you, Your Highness, for telling me." Rong Qianyu sat on the mat, looking at him calmly with dull eyes, and said coldly.
The two were on the verge of a tense situation. Although the scene appeared calm and composed, the situation inside was already turbulent.
Fu Hua had drunk some wine today and was in a bad mood. He stared at her with his eyes, as if he wanted to tear her to pieces.
At this moment, Rong Pan brought in some snacks and saw the scene before him. "Your Highness, this is our prince..."
The atmosphere between them was tense. Fu Hua didn't care at all and left her in a few strides.
"Your Highness?" Rong Pan wanted to call him, but he didn't listen. "Why did you leave?"
"Pan'er..." Rong Qianyu was still sitting in her original position, and Rong Pan moved closer to ask about her situation.
"I came from far away, a legitimate princess, and he doesn't even give me any face." Rong Qianyu picked up a broken rose cake and held it tightly in her hand. The rose cake was crushed in her palm.
Even in her motherland, the queen's bullying of her was only a matter of cutting back on her food and clothing. However, she was still the legitimate princess of the former queen, and no one had ever embarrassed her like this.
Rong Pan helplessly comforted her, "Princess, there's still a lot of time to come."
Rong Qianyu looked at the delicately chopped rose cakes on the plate, feeling a surge of resentment. "There's still time to go, but there's always a chance. Without love and affection, how can there be a long time to go? We'll just end up getting tired of each other."
"What should we do now?" Rong Pan asked.
"How would I know that he doesn't eat buckwheat? Even if that's the case, why does he have to embarrass me in public again and again!" She suppressed her anger, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She raised her hand and swept away everything on the table, and the rose cakes shattered all over the floor again.
"Princess, calm down. Diplomatic relations between our two countries are the most important."
"Yes, otherwise why would I try to please you like this!"
This pastry was originally made for him with great joy. It was one of the few pastries that Rong Qianyu was good at making, and it was her mother's favorite when she was alive. Fu Hua took it for granted.
"It seems that I really have to go and pay a visit to Master Xue."
The next morning, the sky was high and the clouds were light. The sun was warm on my body. Many yellow leaves fell on the ground in the morning. The weather was getting colder and colder.
"How come the princess has time to come to the Imperial Household Department?" Qingyun led Rong Qianyu into the house.
I saw Xue Ji sitting at the desk with various official documents on it, but they were all unimportant matters.
There is a lotus-shaped incense burner on the table, and the incense inside is swirling up like auspicious clouds. The afternoon sunlight slants through the clouds, which is very mysterious and beautiful.
"It is not my intention to bother you, sir. I just want to..."
"The princess is here for the prince's business, right?" Xue Ji said as he lowered his eyes and worked.
"Exactly."
He put down the paper and pen in his hand and said, "Today is a day off. I have to go bathe, burn incense and change clothes. Princess, you have come at an unfortunate time."
"I can wait until you are free!" Looking at her persistence, Xue Ji knew that she could not escape today no matter what.
"You all go out, Princess, please sit in the private room for a while."
"Your Highness..." Rong Pan was a little worried.
"Go out and wait outside the door, it's okay."
Xue Ji looked at Rong Pan, who looked worried, and said with a smile, "You make it sound as if Her Highness the Princess has given herself to me..."
"Does your Excellency keep his word?"
Xue Ji nodded, "Princess, please sit down for a moment."
Qingyunyun came to eat, "Princess, please have some tea. My master will take a long time to bathe."
"Can't he come out in two hours?" Rong Qianyu asked.
Qingyun remained silent, but that was also his answer.
Although it was a bit awkward, since I was already here, I could only wait. "It's okay, the guest should follow the host's wishes. I came today at an unfortunate time, so I'll just wait."
"Then I will not greet you. My Lord has entrusted me with some tasks. I will take my leave now. If you have any instructions, please call me. I am in the next room."
There was a charcoal brazier in the room and some incense burning, making it extra warm. The heat from the inner room overflowed through the screen, and the heat was accompanied by fragrance.
She appeared calm on the surface, but she kept muttering in her heart, "This damn eunuch, who is he taking so long to wash for? I'm waiting for him here, and yet he's so fragrant that his scent is wafting outside the house."
Xue Ji never had anyone to help him take a bath, and Qingyun was always out dealing with other things.
Faced with his humiliating body, he didn't even want to look down. Although he seemed to be a powerful official, he was actually extremely inferior and lonely in his heart.
I always pile myself up with a lot of spices to satisfy the gap in my heart.
The hot water mixed with the billowing mist, through the carved screen, made it seem even more homely.
His long black hair fell naturally, with water droplets hanging on the ends, soaking the white silk inner garment behind him. He also wore a plain robe. He rarely dressed so simply and cleanly.
As soon as I came out, I saw Rong Qianyu sleeping on the couch. The sunlight came through the window and shone on her.
Qingyun came in and was about to wake her up, but was stopped by Xue Ji, who called out, "Princess..."
"Shh," he made a gesture to silence the other person, "Stop shouting. Go out first."
He leaned closer quietly and looked at her carefully for a moment, then used his hand to test her. Rong Qianyu's breathing rose and fell regularly, and the heat reached his moist fingertips.
Fell asleep?
I wondered how long it had been sleeping. It was like a cat, small and curled up in a ball, not moving at all.
Looking at her sleeping face, the flesh squeezed out because of lying on her side looked somewhat cute, and I couldn't help but stare at her for a long time.
"Princess? Princess?" He gently rocked the edge of the couch and didn't dare touch her.
"I don't eat buckwheat... buckwheat..." Rong Qianyu turned over and murmured while still asleep.
"It really is like a kitten." He took out the handkerchief again to cover her hand and patted her gently. "Your Highness?"
His voice was gentle, unlike his usual serious and majestic appearance. Hearing the gentle voice, Rong Qianyu slowly opened her eyes and looked at Xue Ji who was right in front of her. His long eyelashes seemed to be able to catch water droplets. She heard the voice in a trance and sat up suddenly.
"I fell asleep?" He stood up and apologized, "How rude, I..."
"Don't move," Xue Ji held her down, leaned over to pick up the quilt from the couch, and put it on her. "It's cold, don't move just after waking up, or you'll catch a cold."
"Oh..." Rong Qianyu was wrapped in the quilt and sat down obediently.
Xue Ji stared at her blankly. Rong Qianyu was frightened by his direct gaze and leaned forward to avoid him.
After a long while, Xue Ji finally spoke, "The more I look at the princess, the more she looks like a kitten, curled up in a ball and fell asleep on this couch of mine."
When a man said this to her, Rong Qianyu's face turned red instantly, from her cheeks to her ears.
She turned her head away, trying to appear calmer, "Da Zhou Tianliang always gets sleepy, I'm sorry, sir."
Today he was in a very good mood, feeling particularly calm and composed. He jokingly said, "No woman has ever slept on this couch of mine, especially one as beautiful and graceful as the princess."
Rong Qianyu's already blushing face turned even redder, and the sound of her heartbeat was deafening. She was afraid that Xue Ji could hear it too. "My Lord, you've said something wrong."
He picked up the teapot and poured her a cup of hot tea himself. "I'm just trying to please the princess. If you have anything to say, please ask me. I will tell you everything I know."
"The prince..."
Before she could finish, Xue Ji answered, "The Crown Prince is indeed a bit spoiled. The Emperor and Empress dote on him, and the people in the palace are wary of him, so he is a bit arrogant."
Rong Qianyu was puzzled. "There must be a reason for this, right?"
He didn't rush to answer. Instead, he quietly took a sip of his hot tea and narrated, "The Crown Prince was born after many years of marriage and great effort by the Queen. She was once pregnant with a prince, but unfortunately the pregnancy ended in miscarriage. The Queen was filled with regret and fell ill for a long time. She then regarded the Crown Prince as the reincarnation of that child, giving him a place to rest in her heart. She turned a blind eye to his discipline."
"I see."
He went on to say, "The Crown Prince is not an unreasonable, lecherous person. If that were the case, it would be much easier. Princess, it's unlikely that you'll live in love until old age, but you can still treat him with respect."
He had mentioned this to Rong Qianyu before: a person with one person in their heart cannot tolerate another person who suddenly appears. Fu Hua's heart was no longer here, so how could he still draw nourishment from it?
And Rong Qianyu is the person who forces Fu Hua to accept it.
"Then what should we do?" She looked at Xue Ji with a fiery gaze, her eyes full of expectation.
Although Fu Hua was mean to her, it did not erode her confidence. In order for the people of Rongguo to live and work in peace and contentment, she still had to endure a lot.
Xue Ji was moved by the sincerity of her eyes. Many years ago, he also seemed to have such a passionate look in his eyes. He pondered for a moment and said, "That depends on the princess. How can I not make him feel that I am trying to please her?"
"What do you mean, Master Xue?"
He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, "If you do it deliberately, it will always be crude. You have to do it subtly and silently to influence others." He patted her shoulder lightly and looked at her meaningfully.
Rong Qianyu suddenly realized, "I understand."
Xue Ji lazily lay on the couch, his white undergarment showing a hint of his skin color. He didn't want to put on a show in front of others. "The princess is a very understanding person, but it's a pity that she doesn't have the blessing of love."
Rong Qianyu ignored what he said. Her confidence had doubled at this moment. "You earn your own life. I can only do my best and not force anything else."
"It's good that the princess has this intention, but you have to judge the situation. The queen likes the princess, and there's no need to force the prince."
He handed over a piece of cake. Rong Qianyu raised her hand to take it. Looking up along his smooth wrist, she suddenly realized that Xue Ji had his hair loose today.
The thin undershirt was wet by the water droplets on the ends of her hair. Looking at the skin faintly visible under the white silk, Rong Qianyu's face turned red again.
He turned his head away and murmured "thank you" awkwardly.
Rong Pan came in to report and happened to see the princess wrapped like a dumpling and the Lord Bingbi with waist-length hair.
"Princess, Yuanqing sent a message saying that Tan Liangdi is here."
"We have to go back and don't keep people waiting." Rong Qianyu quickly stood up.
"Please go earlier. It's hard to walk after dark. I have something to do, so I won't see you off. Princess, take care of yourself."
Rong Qianyu was very grateful and bowed deeply to him. "Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will definitely thank you in the future."
Xue Ji was dressed in white, her dark hair flowing freely. Beneath her brows, which were neither thick nor thin, her eyes were like the rippling spring water, filled with a touch of tenderness. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and she was as beautiful as a fairy from a storybook. "Then Princess, you must repay this favor soon, otherwise the debt will only grow, and by then, it will be impossible to redeem it even with a hundred lives."
Rong Qianyu smiled brightly, "I made some rose cakes. If you like them, I'll send some over!"
Xue Ji glanced at it with a hint of disdain, "I don't want anything he has eaten."
"I will definitely cook for adults myself, that shows my sincerity!"
A cool breeze blew through the corridor, fallen leaves covered the path ahead, and a mist rose in the air, unlike the sunny and clear afternoon. The excessive heat inside the Imperial Household Department made the outside seem even colder.
Back at Weixuan Hall, Tan Lu had been waiting for a long time. "I, Tan, pay my respects to Her Royal Highness the Princess."
This was the first time Rong Qianyu saw her, and she could only be described as radiant. She had a dignified appearance and looked like an extremely intelligent and generous woman.
There was a bright light in his eyes, like a sea of stars. Although he appeared calm on the surface, he was actually already turbulent.
Her beauty is very aggressive, more extroverted and bolder. Even though she has given birth to a child, she does not feel tired at all.
He is not as domineering as he looks.
"Please stand up, Consort Liang. I haven't officially canonized you yet, so you don't have to do such a grand ceremony. Is the little princess feeling better now? I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to visit her."
"Thank you for your concern, Princess. Shu'er is much better now. It's cold in winter, so it's not convenient to bring her here to thank you." She is very beautiful, and she speaks and acts appropriately.
Rong Qianyu smiled and declined, "I like children. I will definitely go see her when I have time. She just recovered from a serious illness, so she really can't let such a young child get too cold."
Tan Lu smelled the fragrance on Rong Qianyu's body and asked, "Did His Highness go to the Imperial Household Department?"
"How did Liang Di know?"
"Master Xue has a strong fragrance. I guess Your Highness has been here for a long time."
Seeing that she could no longer make up a story, she had to confess honestly, "I have some things to ask Lord Xue." She pulled Tan Lu to sit down.
"I have heard a little about what happened yesterday. The Crown Prince did not handle things properly. Your Highness need not worry about it. You will understand in time. Our Crown Prince does not like studying or government affairs. Although he is not greedy or lustful, he has a preference for singing and dancing girls. This is a headache for the Empress."
Her words were obvious, but Rong Qianyu pretended not to understand. In the current situation, she didn't want to cause herself any trouble.
"I don't understand what you mean, Lady Liang."
Tan Lu was a very smart person. Seeing her making excuses, she knew the reason.
She just smiled, her fingers slowly tidying up the loose hair on her forehead. "Your Highness has attracted such a rich and fragrant scent. I believe he has already made up his mind. If he wasn't anxious to know the reason, why would he bother Master Xue on his day off?"
"What does Liangdi want to say?"
She paused, then gave a look to send the servant beside her away.
"Cui."
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