Chapter 24 Chapter 24 [VIP]
Shen Youyi thought to herself, let alone before, even now she looks like a good son.
There was only one man in the inner court, Emperor Yuan Shuo, but he couldn't stop the crown prince who coveted her beauty, let alone the thin door of a poor family.
She buried herself deeply in the man's arms, and her five fingers quietly grasped the many wrinkles of the precious and smooth fabric on his body.
Even if she didn't go to see, she knew the emperor would definitely not be happy.
As expected, Emperor Yuan Shuo put his hand around the back of her neck and moved her back a few inches, almost to his knees, only slightly more gently than picking up a cat.
He looked annoyed: "Good boy, you're out here, so behave yourself!"
The servants are used to serving their masters and don't think it's a big deal, but when they hear voices gradually approaching their ears, if they ignore it inside, people will definitely hear it. Does she still have any shame?
Shen Youyi was slightly puzzled, but after a moment she realized where it was buried.
A place that can bend and stretch is extremely important.
Sometimes it was harder than her mouth, but when she exhaled, it trembled as if she was dizzy.
She took another breath and glanced upwards curiously: "Your Majesty, are there different incense for each layer of clothing?"
This question was a bit strange, so Emperor Yuan Shuo avoided answering it, saying slowly, "There is only one A Zhen. Do you think your parents dare to marry you to any family?"
Shen Youyi shook her head, lowered her eyes, and said in a muffled voice: "I said I was here to deceive you."
Emperor Yuan Shuo didn't believe it. He thought that a lady who was no less beautiful than anyone else in the inner court would naturally be sought after by others in the mountains.
Shen Youyi said in a muffled voice: “Actually, I haven’t been to the market.”
Emperor Yuan Shuo was silent for a moment, and stroked her soft black hair with one hand: "It's okay to go there."
He knew that she was not a virgin, and she had lived in seclusion in the mountains in her early years, so her life was naturally hard.
In the past, Emperor Yuan Shuo did not want to peel open her beautiful shell and explore too much the pain of being wrapped in pearls. It was just that sometimes he felt a little heartbroken when he thought about it, but he also wanted to treat her better and better.
But one day when you take it out, the pearl is still shiny and round and full, but it has turned from a white pearl to a pink pearl. Even the person next to you will inevitably want to know the reason.
Could it be because I miss my old home?
"I just wanted to go out for a walk with you to make the most of this beautiful night."
Emperor Yuan Shuo said softly, "A Zhen, there's nothing to worry about."
Shen Youyi breathed a sigh of relief. He knew nothing about her past, so he could probably make up a lot of things, which would be easier.
"Really not."
She wrapped her arms around the emperor's waist, seeming a little frightened. "My mind has always been very dull, as if covered by a layer of fog. I often can't remember things from the past. My mother was afraid that I would be kidnapped, so she never let me go out, afraid that I would be lured to the river by some young man. As a family with no power or influence like us, we can only swallow our anger and be cautious every day, fearing that one day I would attract the attention of a playboy and be taken back to the mansion to play with me."
Shen Youyi thought of the vague glances that those men, even the eunuchs, had cast upon her after she fell into trouble, and her body trembled slightly. "It's the skill of a nobleman to walk the streets calmly, but I can't do that. I have always had to restrain my temper and hide myself tightly... It's only because Your Majesty loves me so much that I dare to go out for a walk with you."
She seemed worried and hesitated, "Are you really not going to bring the Imperial Guards with you?"
The imperial guards were naturally there as well. Some of them were dressed as vendors to guard against assassinations, but more of them were surrounding the town, forming a hugging posture.
Once the emperor and his concubine are in danger, the disguised people around them can rush forward, or they can send a message with fireworks in time to let people outside know.
The emperor's guards are well-trained, and it would be easy for them to massacre the town even tonight.
But Emperor Yuan Shuo didn't want to spoil her mood: "Don't you like it like this?"
Shen Youyi said no: "Then you have to buy me a veil hat and a mask. I came out happily, but when I go back, my hands are stained with the blood of many people. It's a bit unlucky to say so."
She was afraid of being teased, and also afraid that he would get angry and kill someone.
Emperor Yuan Shuo's voice sank slightly: "Has anyone bullied you before?"
Shen Youyi sensed something was wrong and said vaguely, "No, I haven't even seen many people. I've been stuck in a room all day. If it weren't for... Marquis Xiao marrying me, I wouldn't have known Chang'an was so magnificent."
The identity of the wife of the Marquis of Lingyang had always been taboo within the palace. However, if he had not encountered the beauty in the mountains, the Duke of Yan and his wife would never have known that their daughter was so close to them, let alone the opportunity for her to enter the palace. Therefore, Emperor Yuan Shuo did not feel any aversion to this fallen minister, and said calmly: "Although he was a frivolous person, his taste in his wife was not bad."
Shen Youyi was thinking about how to tell her tragic past story. When she heard this, she smiled: "Your Majesty, why do you speak so well after leaving the palace? It sounds like you are praising both of them."
, his eyes were also gentle, like the sparse clouds on the moon, hazy and gentle: "This is the truth, he has lacked father's discipline since he was young, I."
Different from the royal family who married into the noble families of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Households at will, many young men in the capital married late, and there were quite a few who married at the age of forty. Some of them came from poor backgrounds and were determined to make progress in their youth and wanted to marry into a famous and powerful family. Some of them, like Xiao Che, were sons of noble families whose parents died early and they were afraid that if they married a wife, they would not be able to live comfortably in the future.
The gap between the gentry and the common people is like a natural chasm. The noble families often marry the sons of the two families, and they also make a big fuss about it, causing too much trouble.
Emperor Yuanshuo felt some pity for her. She lost her father and mother at a young age, and then lost her husband.
But he, she said: "Your Majesty is also a good hunter. If you had seen me earlier, would you have married me?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo smiled slightly and pinched her earlobe: "I won't go to your house to ask for water."
Although the prince was quite respectful to the imperial concubine, Emperor Yuan Shuo still felt somewhat unhappy whenever he thought of this matter.
It’s just a sip of water. The servants of the Eastern Palace don’t even bring enough water bags?
Shen Youyi didn't hear a satisfactory answer, nor was she very angry. She just turned the dissatisfaction in her heart into a breath and blew it gently between his knees, as soft as a feather.
She had seen many men who were stubborn, but she had rarely seen one as stubborn as him.
Emperor Yuan Shuo frowned, but he was very kind and controlled his expression. "If Ah Zhen is raised in the Wei family, the Duke of Yan will also choose a good match for you."
If she had always been Wei's daughter, she would have been seen two or three times a year, sometimes when he came to the ministers' houses for banquets, or when the empress dowager gave banquets in the palace.
Then when he saw her, he should have treated her like an elder and praised her beauty and intelligence, instead of...
The first time he saw her, he wanted to make her his own and teach her to become a woman old enough to be her father.
Emperor Yuan Shuo looked down and saw that her mind was no longer on his words, but her eyes were sparkling. She was not resting her head on his knees, but on a salted fish that made him drool.
The raccoon cat looked at the koi floating on the water surface and tentatively stretched out its claws, trying to poke it.
However, the owner of the koi had anticipated this and quickly grabbed her arm, then solemnly ordered someone to bring water to help her wash her hands.
The water in Chang'an was bitter and the land was low. When the emperor traveled, the eunuchs would often prepare boiled sweet spring water for the emperor to drink tea and clean himself.
Although the water in Mount Li is much clearer and sweeter, the rules cannot be changed.
The carriage stopped in a secluded place. Tan Rui stood outside holding a copper tray. Only a pair of delicate white hands were visible through the curtain, gently paddling the water.
Even though it was late at night, this carriage with a hidden secret attracted many tourists. Although there were wealthy people in the town, it was rare to see such a grand display. The heroic guards protected the carriage in twos and twos. The servants had soft and white skin and responded calmly to the harsh demands of their masters. They also remembered to ask the servants to explore the way ahead.
The emperor is in the palace, and I wonder which noble official wants to bring the beauty along for the trip.
It was not until the older servant half-opened the curtain, revealing a pair of well-dressed and handsome men inside, that more and more people stopped to look.
Shen Youyi only pretended to be the emperor to comfort himself, but if these people were pretending to be imperial guards, they would not have the courage to look directly at the emperor's face frequently.
But Emperor Yuan Shuo didn't buy a veil after all. After getting off the carriage, he turned around to help her, naturally took her hand, and said gently: "There's nothing to be afraid of. Maybe we can win some fruits for mother tomorrow to take home. It's also a filial piety for us."
Shen Youyi didn't dare to imagine the Queen Mother's expression when she ate the fruit. She was secretly uneasy, fearing that she would see acquaintances from the butcher shop, pharmacy, or clothing store, who would greet her and easily expose her lies without asking questions she couldn't answer.
People with registered household registration cannot move around at will. Most people in small towns will never leave their homes in their entire lives. A child who has seen the family grow up will not easily misremember acquaintances even after many years.
But to her surprise, after walking with Emperor Yuan Shuo for a while and hearing him asking prices in front of several stalls in a serious manner, she didn't meet any strange people.
Although people often look at them curiously, very few men dare to approach them and chat with them.
Not to mention which man in any shop would dare to approach her and ask her if she remembered holding her when she was a child.
As for teasing... a man with an imposing appearance, walking arm in arm with the lady in a very intimate way, what does it have to do with outsiders?
Shen Youyi felt a little doubtful, but she didn't want to show it, so she spoiled Emperor Yuan Shuo's interest in traveling and accompanied him to the bookstore to take a look around.
The emperor was probably very interested in everything outside. Whether it was the rice shop, the butcher shop, or the tea stall, he would ask a few questions and listen patiently to the answers of the merchants. These places were much more lively than the bookstore. She would rather buy a few books to pass the time and bring them back to the palace than stay in this small town for too long.
Emperor Yuan Shuo could see that she was unusually nervous and said to him in a gentle voice, "It's late at night and the dew is heavy. Let's go back to the palace."
Merchants are good at calculating, and when a big customer comes to their door, they will inevitably try their best to flatter him. If he really knows her and sees that the two of them are dressed luxuriously, he will not miss this opportunity to get close to her.
This was consistent with her statement, but her suspicion increased instead of decreasing.
Shen Youyi replied in a low voice, but just as she got into the car and was about to rest her head in his arms, she heard Emperor Yuan Shuo casually ask, "A Zhen, are you really not hiding anything from my husband?"
It is hard to imagine that a favorite concubine who had been arrogant and domineering for a short time after entering the palace would be so scared that she dared not say a word in the place where she had lived for more than ten years... There was not even a trace of her existence.
She had a smile on her face, but her palms were sweating. She asked him to buy this and that, but she never showed any strong interest. Once she got the things, she would let him hold them.
Even if the couple hid her well, they died before her. Could it be that she had to eat wind and dew during this period without having to buy rice, flour and clothes?
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