Chapter 67: Fighting for Favor
Liu Yuetang walked forward obediently and was pulled by Xiao Heng to sit next to him.
He picked up the teacup beside him and handed it to Liu Yuetang: "Why didn't you bring an umbrella when you went out today?"
Liu Yuetang took the tea from Xiao Heng and smiled softly, "It was dark when I left the house. Seeing that there was a bit of a cool breeze today, I didn't bring an umbrella."
After she finished speaking, she felt a little thirsty, so she picked up the tea in her hand and took a sip.
Bai Meiren's frown revealed her displeasure.
I just think that the women in the Central Plains are too jealous and vying for favor, aren’t they?
She just begged the emperor to accompany her for two days, but one concubine after another came forward shamelessly to share a piece of the pie when they saw the emperor.
This was the case with Concubine Ming just now, and it is also the case with Concubine Liu now.
However... she simply disdained these women who only knew how to embroider and play the piano.
So, she put her bow and arrow aside and stepped forward and said, "Drinking tea is so boring."
"How about Lady Liu, please come with me to drink with His Majesty." She picked up the wine glass, raised her eyes slightly, and looked at him with contempt.
Liu Yuetang curled the corners of her mouth.
What if I can't drink?
She raised her glass with a smile: "Okay, since you are interested, I will accompany you."
After saying that, Liu Yuetang raised his head and drank it all in one gulp, then wiped the wine from the corner of his lips with his sleeve.
This surprised Xiao Heng greatly. He stared at the calm and composed Liu Yuetang and asked, "Tang'er can actually drink?"
"When I was outside the palace, my father was busy with government affairs, and my mother never liked me, so every festive occasion, I had no family to accompany me. I would drink two pots of wine with Liu Zheng to celebrate."
After she finished speaking, there was already a trace of sadness in her clear eyes, and her brows were furrowed delicately, making people feel pity for her.
Xiao Heng also thought of her situation at home and reached out to hold Liu Yuetang's hand.
Seeing this, Bai Meiren curled her lips and put down the wine glass.
People who practice martial arts are always very strong, and the wine glasses they throw on the table make a loud noise.
Liu Yuetang raised her eyes upon hearing the voice, her voice filled with envy: "Sister Bai has such a straightforward and carefree personality. I guess... she must have been spoiled by her parents since she was young, unlike me..."
She lowered her eyes sadly, and her thick and long eyelashes cast a peaceful shadow.
Xiao Heng stroked her hand and said gently, "Okay, don't think about the past."
Bai Meiren bit her teeth as she watched, thinking that the women in the palace were all so pretentious.
She suppressed her anger and forced a smile, saying, "When was Lady Liu born? I think she should be younger than me, yet she keeps calling me sister."
Liu Yuetang said: "Seventeen."
The beautiful lady curled her lips and said, "That's right. In a few months I will be eighteen."
"So, my sister should call me sister."
Liu Yuetang was about to speak when Xiao Heng said, "Beauty Bai, you don't know that in Jingyuan, sisters are not addressed according to their age, but by their status."
Bai Meiren pondered for a moment, but still felt something was wrong.
Both myself and Lady Liu are beauties, so naturally we should be addressed according to our age.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Heng continued, "You entered the palace later than Lady Liu, so she should be above you. It's reasonable for Lady Liu to call you sister."
Seeing that the emperor said so, even though Bai Meiren had many complaints in her heart, she had no choice but to obey.
So she nodded slightly: "Yes."
She picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp, hiding her dissatisfaction.
She discovered that since the appearance of this beautiful lady Liu, she had diverted the emperor's attention.
She raised her chin unwillingly.
How could she, a princess from the grassland, be defeated by a pampered woman from the Central Plains?
Then, Lady Bai smiled and said, "It's a coincidence that Lady Liu came. I was practicing archery with the Emperor."
"Miss Liu, you probably don't know how to use archery. How about I teach you?"
Liu Yuetang raised her eyes to meet her provocative gaze and remained silent.
Lady Bai tilted her head slightly, looking quite pleased with herself: "Is Lady Liu afraid of arrows?"
Liu Yuetang looked straight at her, a smile blooming quietly at the corner of her mouth: "Of course not."
She turned her head and looked at Xiao Heng, her eyes sparkling with joy. "I am a fool by nature, and have never touched an arrow before. I am afraid that only a peerless master like Your Majesty can teach me a thing or two."
As she spoke, she gently hooked her fingertips around Xiao Heng's thumb and rubbed it.
Hearing the word "master", Xiao Heng couldn't help but recall the fun he had in the boudoir when he taught her calligraphy.
He chuckled and scratched Liu Yuetang's small nose lovingly.
"Tang'er's little mouth is getting sweeter."
He took Liu Yuetang's hand and stood up.
"Well, I'll teach you myself."
Bai Meiren's pupils suddenly contracted, and she was shocked and angry.
She originally wanted to use her archery skills to defeat Concubine Liu, but she never expected that she could coax the emperor into teaching her personally.
She opened her lips and sneered, looked at Liu Yuetang and nodded slowly: Lady Liu, I underestimated you.
Xiao Heng took Liu Yuetang into his arms, and they interlocked their fingers and held the bow and arrow together.
The two of them were too close, and his hot breath was so itchy that it reached her ears.
"Stand tall and look at the bull's eye."
Liu Yuetang quickly straightened up and looked forward intently.
Xiao Heng lowered his eyes to glance at the woman's plump buttocks, and raised the corners of his lips slightly, with a playful look on his face: "I asked you to stand up straight, instead of leaning on me."
Such intimate actions and words made Liu Yuetang's ears redden. She showed her little girl's affection and whispered softly, "Your Majesty, Lady Bai is still watching."
Xiao Heng lowered his head and said in a low voice: "You are my concubine, so what's the harm in seeing you?"
Although the two people's voices were not loud, Bai Meiren still heard about 70% of them.
Her face instantly lost control of her expression, and she stood there with a pale and blue complexion.
With a "whoosh", the arrow flew straight out and hit the bull's eye accurately.
Liu Yuetang clapped her hands excitedly and cheered like a child.
"The Emperor is so powerful!"
"You are indeed the unrivaled hero in my heart."
She looked up and gazed deeply at Xiao Heng. Her lively eyes seemed to be filled with the brightness of stars, and were filled with his image.
Seeing the admiring look in the eyes of the woman beneath him, Xiao Heng couldn't help but laugh out loud, feeling very happy: "Tang'er, you'll have to exert your strength this time."
He held Liu Yuetang's hand and was about to put it on the bowstring, but he saw her frowning, as if in pain.
"What's wrong?"
Xiao Heng took her hand and took a look, only to find that Liu Yuetang's tender fingertips had been cut at some point, and scarlet blood was gradually flowing out.
"Why are you so careless?"
Although there was a hint of reprimand in Xiao Heng's tone, Bai Meiren heard it as a hint of concern and heartache.
"I'm fine. I just accidentally scratched the bowstring."
Xiao Heng pressed the handkerchief on her wound and said seriously, "Tang'er, don't practice archery anymore."
Lest she harbor doubts, he added, "Tang'er's hands are so delicate, a woman's skills are ultimately more suitable. If you injure your hands and can no longer play chess or zither with me, what will you do then?"
Liu Yuetang answered softly: "Yes..."
"Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I last played chess with the Emperor."
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