Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Access to the East Palace
When Li Cheng regained consciousness, the woman was hiding under the quilt and crying.
Her hair was a mess, and her exposed skin was covered with marks so dense that it was hard to tell which were from previous abuse and which were from the man she had just made love with. Her voice was soft and delicate, and her face was covered with tear marks. The more I looked at her, the more pitiful she seemed.
It's strange that Li Rong usually doesn't have much patience with women. He even feels impatient when his own sister Li Luohua often comes to the East Palace. He is even more annoyed by women crying at every turn.
But now, looking at the delicate and weak woman beside him, he felt not disgusted at all, but rather felt that she was pitiful and cute.
He leaned over to wipe the tears from her little face, but his hand was still in mid-air when his body suddenly shook, as if he had suddenly come to his senses. His eyes, which rarely revealed tenderness, were instantly filled with coldness.
How could he... develop such feelings for a woman, and a woman of unknown identity at that!
His face paled and waned, and Liang Hanzhang felt the air pressure around him drop even lower. Suddenly, a thought struck him. He got out of bed, picked up his messy clothes, and put them on.
When he had tied the white jade belt around his waist, he gripped the hilt of the sharp blade tightly in his hand, and his eyes, which were fierce for a moment, looked at the woman on the bed.
Liang Hanzhang stared at the man blankly and hiccuped.
In just a moment, the man turned and left.
Liang Hanzhang didn't like to cry, but now, trying to act weak, she had been crying for several hours, her eyes completely swollen. Watching the man put on his clothes and walk away indifferently, for some reason, she suddenly felt a surge of panic, a chill spreading from her feet to every part of her body.
If I guessed correctly, the cold look on his face when he held the hilt of the sword just now meant that he had murderous intentions towards her.
Why is this? Did he see through his identity? Or was it because he was embarrassed that a prince of a country had physical contact with a woman of low status?
No matter which possibility it was, it would be disadvantageous to Liang Hanzhang. She thought about how the man had held her down at the beginning, held her hand affectionately and promised "I will be responsible for you", but then he wanted to kill her in the blink of an eye!
Oh, it's true that nothing a man says can be trusted, especially a man on the bed. Liang Hanzhang lowered her eyes. She had just experienced a love affair, and her porcelain-white face was slightly red. The quilt slipped off her shoulders, revealing the blushing and heart-pounding marks on her body.
The woman's skin was as white as snow, like the finest mutton-fat jade, and the slightest touch would leave marks. However, in order to make it look realistic and attract men's affection, the marks of whipping on her body were real.
Looking at the mottled scars on her body, her eyes became colder.
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The door was kicked open from the inside with a bang. Li Fu was waiting outside and was almost sleepy. Suddenly, a loud noise pulled him back from his tryst with Zhou Gong. He didn't even have time to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth.
He trotted over to Li Cheng, bowing his waist. "Your Highness, I have invited the imperial physician from the Eastern Palace to come here. Your Highness, why don't you let the imperial physician take a look at your body?"
Li Cheng looked up and saw that Doctor Wang was indeed waiting not far away. He said nothing, but waved his hand after a long moment and said, "Let's talk when we get back."
His irises were narrow and long, and when he squinted at people, his peach-shaped eyes were filled with a terrifying coldness. Li Fu locked eyes with him and immediately felt a strong murderous aura, wishing he could bury his head in the floor. Hesitantly, he said, "I have ordered the Qinglong Guards to strictly guard Fengle Tower and not allow anyone to leave. Your Highness, please..."
"This place is deeply connected to Crown Prince Yin. Everyone in the restaurant must be apprehended." Li Cheng said this coldly and prepared to leave.
"Your Highness, this..." Li Fu wanted to say that Fengle Tower welcomes guests from all directions, many of whom are officials appointed by the court or the sons of wealthy families. It might have a bad impact if he arrested and imprisoned them.
On second thought, those traitors, who were fed by the emperor but colluded with the old people of the previous dynasty, were trying to support the Liang Kingdom. If Your Highness handled this situation improperly and didn't give these people a little warning, where would the prestige of the Great Jin be?
But just as he walked a few steps behind Li Cheng, he suddenly thought of the woman in the private room. After all, she had had physical contact with His Highness and was the first woman by His Highness's side. Should she also be arrested and imprisoned?
"Your Highness, what should we do with the woman inside?" Li Fu had just finished speaking when he could clearly feel the air pressure around His Highness drop even lower. He paused, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with regret and anger.
He tiptoed towards Li Fu, frowning and pondering for a long time before slowly saying, "Bring her to the Eastern Palace." Although he didn't know her true identity, he had raped her. It would be too unfair to her to turn around and have her imprisoned.
"Yes, I know," Li Fuwei raised his head. His Highness stood against the light, his complexion far from impressive. His slightly wrinkled robe bore inexplicable marks. Beside his protruding Adam's apple lay several bloody scratches, extending from his jawline to the depths of his collar. The marks alone spoke volumes about the identity of the inflicted.
The two took a few steps forward. Xia Chang, a member of the Azure Dragon Guard, knelt on one knee and clasped his fists in salute. His powerful, rough voice reported on the situation at Fengle Tower. Li Cheng gave a few more instructions and then left.
Just as he was about to mount his horse, he frowned. The snow was falling harder and harder, and the man's eyebrows and eyes were hidden in the falling snow. He pondered for a long time before saying, "Give her a position of Fengyi." "She" was naturally the woman with whom His Highness was having an affair.
Li Fu was startled as if he had been pricked by a needle in the buttocks. Just as he was about to ask for clarification, the man had already ridden away. Although he was only wearing a plain robe, it still couldn't hide his tall and strong body.
Li Fu watched His Highness's figure go away, his lips moving but he dared not say a word, only his eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost. Xia Chang came over and patted him on the shoulder, "Li, Chief Steward, why are you standing here in a daze? Did His Highness tell us what to do with the woman in the room?"
Li Fu seemed not to hear anything, he just stood there in a daze, muttering “It’s broken… It’s broken”.
"What's broken?"
Li Fu finally reacted and saw who was coming. He straightened his body and raised his eyebrows proudly, "You, who wield swords and guns all day long, don't need to know." The Qinglong Guards were the elite guards around the prince, and Li Fu was the prince's personal chief steward. Over time, he had to deal with Xia Chang, a Qinglong Guards attendant.
They all work hard for their masters, regardless of status. Although Li Fu and Xia Chang have no obvious direct conflicts, it is common for them to compete secretly.
For example, right now. Li Fu was so arrogant, Xia Chang sneered, "Whether you want to say it or not, you eunuch can't spit out ivory." Then he walked away.
"You!" Li Fu stomped his feet in anger and was about to accuse the other party, but the other party had already jumped onto the horse. The horse neighed, and its tail rose up and hit Li Fu's face hard. He covered his face and screamed.
One by one, they left. Li Fu was furious but helpless. The other was still lying on the bed in the private room. His Highness had specifically instructed him to deal with it, clearly indicating that he was relying on him more.
Thinking of His Highness's reaction just now, Li Fu smiled. Ever since His Highness became the crown prince, he'd never lacked women around him, yet he'd always turned a deaf ear. No matter how much the Queen urged him, he simply wasn't interested in sex. It was just that the goddess was ruthless, while Prince Xiang was interested. Even if His Highness wasn't interested, his power and handsome appearance alone would still attract countless women.
When he first moved to the Eastern Palace, a maidservant there was so ignorant that she dreamed of climbing into his bed and becoming a phoenix. His Highness was extremely disgusted and ordered the maidservant to be executed without a word. Later, there were more ignorant people who dared to approach His Highness, and they were all punished in the same way.
During that period, the blood in the East Palace had been flowing for an unknown amount of time, and the entire area around the palace seemed to be filled with the smell of blood.
This time, His Highness accidentally had physical contact with a woman, but instead of killing her, he took her to the Eastern Palace and gave her the position of Fengyi. Although Fengyi was the lowest-ranking woman in the Eastern Palace, everyone with a discerning eye knew that the Eastern Palace's backyard had no proper master, so wouldn't Fengyi become the highest-ranking woman in the backyard once she came in?
If I could please His Highness again and have a son or daughter, and get promoted, that would be truly priceless. Thinking of this, he ran back and ordered the servants to prepare some clothes for me to change into.
Just as Liang Hanzhang had finished dressing and was about to go out to investigate, the door was pushed open from the outside. A group of maids came in, some carrying basins of water, some holding clothes, and bowed to her. The one in the lead, who looked more dignified, said,
"Your Majesty, Manager Li has ordered the servants to come forward and help you dress up."
Is the Queen calling her? Liang Hanzhang couldn't believe it. She lowered her head and pretended to be extremely scared, and asked cautiously: "Sister...sisters, are you calling me? Why are you calling me Queen?"
She was petite and delicate, and only seventeen years old. Those maids were obviously older than her, so it made sense for them to call her "sister." In other words, calling her "sister" was to elevate her status, making her appear even more ignorant of the rules and weak and vulnerable.
As expected, the maids couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh when they heard her silly call "sister". They were originally maids serving in the Eastern Palace, and were called out by Eunuch Li to serve the future Empress Fengyi.
There has never been a woman favored by His Highness in the backyard of the Eastern Palace. Now, a Concubine Fengyi has come for no reason. Even if her position is not high, she is a threat to them.
They were merely lowly servants, His Highness never even glanced at them, yet each of them treated His Highness as if they were their own private property. Despite countless previous experiences, if they found the opportunity, they would still flock to His Highness like moths to a flame.
Who can blame His Highness for being so handsome and powerful? However, despite their admiration, they dared not openly seduce him, and could only secretly fantasize about him in their hearts. After all, the blood of the East Palace had not yet completely dissipated.
Now, out of nowhere, a Fengyi who was favored by His Highness appeared. How could they sit still and wait to see what kind of foxy face Fengyi had? Now, upon closer inspection, she was pretty, but her whole body exuded a rustic air that was not presentable, and she even foolishly called others "sister".
Another woman in green walked forward with a haughty air, raised her eyebrows, and said, "Since you call me sister, I have to give you some advice. Although you are currently conferred the title of Fengyi, you are only a knowledgeable person by His Highness's side. Don't lose sight of your status!"
"Sister, you are right. Mother Zhang knows about it." Liang Hanzhang nodded humbly, tears welling up in her eyes.
The leading maid couldn't stand it anymore and shouted sternly: "Xiaoqing, this is Empress Fengyi. Her status and position are far higher than yours. Don't lose your composure!" She turned around and put on a flattering face and said to Liang Hanzhang: "Eunuch Li is urging us outside. Empress, please come with us."
Xiaoqing on the side snorted, not taking the person seriously at all.
Liang Hanzhang looked coldly at these arrogant maids, thinking to himself, "Even these little maids are so ignorant of the rules, you can only imagine how unruly the Eastern Palace is." If he can't even manage a small Eastern Palace properly, Li Cheng's ability to manage people is really not that good.
That's good, so she won't have to worry in the future.
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