Chapter 25 Chapter 25 [VIP]
Shen Youyi froze, turned away and ignored him, but her heart almost jumped out of her chest: "Your Majesty, why are you asking this all of a sudden? Did someone say something bad about me in your ear?"
It would have been fine when she was out of favor, but now that she is back by the emperor's side, it is inevitable that some people will be jealous and want to pull her down again.
The man's slender fingers gently stroked her soft face, but this time it no longer made her drowsy, but instead made her nervous.
Like the last bit of courtesy before interrogation.
Emperor Yuan Shuo looked at her quietly for a moment, then slowly said, "That's a common occurrence, but I'm not stupid enough to dwell on it."
Some people say that she is extravagant, while others say that she is a beauty that brings disaster. However, those people are outside the palace walls and do not know her merits. If someone else were to sit in this position, they might not be so clear-headed and rational.
But after she had lived in the Lishan Palace for some time, she began to show strangeness in every way. This was the most genuine feeling of the person beside him, and he could not hide his feelings.
The car fell silent. Before today, Shen Youyi had no idea that the Imperial Concubine had such a rich past. She had been lost in her early years, had fallen in love with the Marquis of Lingyang at first sight while still waiting to be married, had returned to her biological parents after her husband's death... and had had affairs with the Crown Prince and the Emperor. Even if she, a girl from a poor family, had made up this story, it might not have matched what Emperor Yuan Shuo knew.
After a while, she heard Emperor Yuan Shuo ask, "A Zhen, am I not treating you well?"
Shen Youyi thought carefully for a moment, and said sincerely and sincerely: "You are the master of the world, but you pity me and make me a concubine. I am just not very smart, but not stupid enough to know what is good for me."
Concubine Wei could have everything she has today, of course, the help of the Wei family was indispensable, but more and more directly it came from the emperor's favor for her.
Tan Rui said that he doted on her very much and even wanted to have another prince with her... Even if he had only had that thought for a moment to shake Guo Ben's mind, it was enough to scare her.
In order to consolidate his position in the Eastern Palace, the eldest son even gave birth to a lovely grandson, but she had the qualifications to compete with him from the very beginning.
Whether the emperor was not as satisfied with the eldest son as she thought, or the ruler of the world really fell in love with a charming and passionate woman, this was enough to make her have some inappropriate thoughts.
Even though the emperor was angry with her, he didn't do anything excessive to her. He still provided her with good food and drink. At most, he just didn't come to see her, trying to teach her to bow her head first.
Even she herself felt that this was not a bad outcome. If she could keep it a secret for the rest of her life, then there was nothing wrong with continuing to act. "So I did my best to make you happy. Could it be that I did something wrong that made His Majesty very dissatisfied with me?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo could clearly see her anxiety and hesitation. Beneath her delicate beauty lay unknown dangers. Others might be wary and on guard, but what he was worried about was not the danger she would bring upon herself.
Shen Youyi was lying in the emperor's arms, but her vision was blocked, which was really a disadvantage. She couldn't see the emperor's expression, and could only see the faint blue veins on his neck.
He is still angry.
After a while, the voices around them gradually faded away, and the hand covered her eyes again: "If you are tired, sleep for a while."
Shen Youyi was like a frightened bird. She thought she couldn't sleep, so she quietly grabbed a corner of his clothes. Seeing that Emperor Yuan Shuo didn't object and even held her hair and moved her closer to the inside, she felt a little relieved.
Although the two were silent for a while, there seemed to be a hint of tender affection between them.
The driver was obviously very familiar with the road, and the speed of travel was just right. The horse's hooves made a crisp and rhythmic sound as they stepped on the road. She soon fell asleep in the comfortable bumpy ride.
It was not until a gentle night breeze blew by and the smell of damp dew on the grass and trees penetrated the silk scarf covering her face and soaked into her face that Shen Youyi slowly woke up. She was actually held firmly in the man's arms, as if walking up the stairs step by step.
She was very close to the man's heart, so close that she could feel the surging heartbeat inside through a thin layer of clothing, absorbing his infinite warmth. Shen Youyi subconsciously pulled the handkerchief away, tightly hugged the man's neck, and said vaguely: "Where are we?"
Stars were sparsely dotted in the vast night sky, and the moonlight illuminated the moss on the stone steps. She was afraid and confused.
This doesn't look like a palace at all.
And...where did all the people who followed them go?
When Emperor Yuan Shuo saw her wake up, he said nothing and carried her directly to a small courtyard.
There was a patch of lush green vegetables planted in the yard, and a thick layer of lush green branches and leaves climbed up the tight fence. The yard was swept clean, and although there was a chicken coop next to it, there was not a speck of dust or sand to be seen.
The cicadas and birds are still chirping in the trees, competing for a dew-free spot on the autumn night.
There were no lights on in the three houses, and the door of the main house was tightly locked. However, Emperor Yuan Shuo pushed open the door of one side very naturally and put her on the bed.
The bed curtains were simply woven and dyed, and one could faintly smell the fragrance of soapberries and flowers. There was a simple and rustic table on one side of the bed, with a bottle on it.
So much so that the tray covered with yellow silk on the clothes hanger looked out of place in the farmhouse on this autumn night.
The conditions here are indeed much simpler than those in the palace. It is a commoner's house used by Shen You for the temporary rest of the emperor and his concubine.
, and lit a lamp casually.
The flames suddenly rose, illuminating the faces of the two people. Emperor Yuan Shuo knelt on the couch, covering the light and shadow in front of her, but the open window did not prevent her from seeing the emperor's eyes clearly.
This is Ming, but he is more profound, sharp and powerful than the eldest son. He is high above, has experienced many storms and is more down.
This was a provocation to a beauty's boundless charm, but she liked it very much.
The fear that he would find out and abandon her or even kill her at any time was combined with the vicious thoughts that arose from being provoked. She was already eager to try, ready to accommodate a beast that might tear her apart, without even needing him to say a word or raise his hand to do anything.
Sometimes it is not difficult to understand why Concubine Wei is favored. She can feel great happiness in this absurdity, and she is not reluctant to teach others to be happy and feel the same excitement as her.
Moreover, an angry man can sometimes bring greater pleasure.
If there is one, there will be two. Even if she is going to die tomorrow, it will not affect her having a romantic affair today!
It was late at night, but she was still refreshed. Shen Youyi approached him without hesitation, grabbed his shoulders, kissed him on the cheek a few times, and then lowered her head to look for the tie button of his clothes.
The laces fell to the brick floor with a crisp sound. She was anxious and busy, but she had no experience in this kind of work. When she encountered a few buttons that could not be unbuttoned, she almost gritted her teeth in frustration and wished she could bite them open with her mouth.
Emperor Yuan Shuo was much calmer.
Shen Youyi's eyes were fixed on his lips, which did not quite match her fantasy of a cold and indifferent man. She even took a light taste and could feel that they were very soft and tough, like a strange berry.
She was a little curious, so she took a bite, very lightly.
Before she could make another attempt, Emperor Yuan Shuo grabbed her wrist and raised it above his head. He was in high spirits and it was almost easy for him to make her tears flow.
Shen Youyi's breathing stagnated. If she wasn't afraid that the other party would see through her experience, she would still want him to close the window even though she knew there was no one around.
"Your Majesty, can you please be kind to me?"
A strong man has enough strength, so she never worries that the emperor will be unhappy because he can't do this little thing. He can even fulfill her unspoken wishes.
But she sometimes underestimated the bad nature of the man who dominated her destiny.
Finally, he stopped at an arm's length from the window.
Shen Youyi raised her arms weakly and tried hard several times. Every time she was about to reach the window, the man's arms seemed unable to support her and he adjusted them slowly. It was not until she was so angry that she hugged him tightly and sobbed that she felt the vibration of his chest due to his low laughter.
Even before she opened her mouth to accuse him, Emperor Yuan Shuo took her away and said, "A Zhen, isn't it okay for me to do this?"
Shen Youyi dared to be angry but dared not speak. She felt a little regretful. The moonlight was as bright as water, illuminating every reaction on her face clearly, but she had to stick close to the man who bullied her, seeking the last bit of warmth and comfort.
Very spineless.
But when she was only half a step away, Emperor Yuan Shuo ignored her pleas to stay and separated the two without hesitation.
He leaned over to look and saw the beauty's mouth opening and closing, her eyes still filled with tears because of the man, unable to hide the shock.
He thought, it was really pitiful, she was probably going to be mad and cry.
Of course Shen Youyi was going to be pissed off by him. Once the omen before the destruction of the world was missed, it would be difficult to perceive it again.
She was about to stand up and accuse him of his ruthlessness, but someone turned her sideways and separated them. She leaned over the table and cried loudly, "Your Majesty, please hug me..."
But in her heart she kept muttering and cursing him dozens of times. She hated him to death.
Seeing that she clearly wanted to show a ferocious expression towards him but dared not speak out, Emperor Yuan Shuo laughed for a moment and kissed her soothingly.
Love and hate are both fleeting. When he realized that she could control her reaction well and fulfilled her wishes again, Shen Youyi no longer hated him.
She laboriously measured every inch of the man's skin. In fact, most of the time it felt soft and flexible, which she liked very much. But sometimes, every part of it was tense and swift. Like a tiger or leopard, it would pounce on its prey, hold it tightly by the scruff of the neck, and enjoy the food with relish.
But tigers and leopards are not on the menu of their prey, but she can taste a part of him, and it is the part that men cherish most.
They are of the same kind... and they eat each other.
This time she held on for a long time, much better than last time. Shen Youyi weakly tried the same trick again, sobbing and hugging him, her face was already about to cry: "Father...Aye, what if I am pregnant with your flesh and blood? If you don't love me, at least love it."
She realized a truth: it's better not to be too proud in such matters. The more embarrassed the other party is, the happier she will be. She sensed the emperor's almost devouring desire, and despite his sword-like gaze, she caressed him fearlessly.
As if it was their child, Shen Youyi sobbed, "Is Aye visiting it?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo's expression suddenly darkened. He took a deep breath. Although the sound of the slap was heavy, it carried a different meaning when it landed on her.
She closed her eyes and endured the merciless attack until the rain and dew stopped, and she was finally let go.
Shen Youyi leaned in the emperor's arms, breathing in the fresh scent of grass and trees. She slowly came back to life and was able to look up at the rising sun in front of the window.
Even if you are not in love, your body can still be intimate.
With every breath, she felt each other's heartbeat, body temperature, and surging emotions.
People often interpret their rapid heartbeat as a sign of being attracted to the people around them, and she is no exception.
No wonder girls always fall more and more deeply in love with the men they give their bodies to.
But when this wonderful night passed, this friendship disappeared like morning dew.
She didn't dare to move at all, and she was a little unable to move, so she said frankly: "Your Majesty, I don't want to come anymore now."
Serving the monarch is really tiring work. She wants to do it, but she finds it difficult to do it.
Emperor Yuan Shuo smiled gently. She had always been like this. Although she would always cry, she would also tell him her true feelings, telling him what made her happy and what hurt her.
If it weren't for her weird past, he would never let her go so easily. He would have to leave some leeway, letting her envy him with greedy eyes, and then after weighing the pros and cons, she would feel unwilling to give in. She would come up to him hesitantly and ask if he could have some pity on her.
Of course, why not?
It was obvious that the eunuchs and palace maids were very far away from each other. They sat facing each other in silence for a while, and neither Chen Rongshou nor her palace maids came up to serve them.
How to let the master enjoy peace and quiet while arriving on time is a very difficult balance. Since there was nothing else to do, Emperor Yuan Shuo wanted to stay with her for a few more hours and did not use any signal.
He smiled and said, "No one is waiting on Ah Zhen tonight, what should we do?"
Shen Youyi was not too worried about the problem of no one to serve her. She believed that Emperor Yuan Shuo himself could not stand the simple conditions here.
This place had their new clothes, and it was also tidy beyond the reach of ordinary people's homes. Someone from the palace must have come in advance and cleaned the place several times inside and out. But her mind, intoxicated by the man's beauty, returned to rationality, and she still had a woman's shame and annoyance: "If you are not sleepy at all, why are you staying here to sleep..."
You're simply forcing yourself to endure the hardship. Are you tired of the high bed and soft pillows in the palace?
She didn't believe that the guards of the palace would dare not open the door for the emperor and the imperial concubine. If they were out hunting or camping, it would be fine, but if they got things into someone else's daughter's boudoir, even if Chen Rongshou did a good job and gave her a large sum of money afterwards to burn these used things and buy identical new ones to replace them, she would still feel embarrassed, as she didn't even know whether the girl would get married or not.
Emperor Yuan Shuo failed to understand her complex thoughts and called out to her softly, "A Zhen, I do regret leaving you alone in the palace."
Shen Youyi's heart tightened, as did her body. She said vaguely, "It's been a long time since the incident. Why do you think of this?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo said softly, "You have changed a lot recently and are especially afraid of me."
Maybe she had been like this from the beginning, but she had been able to hide it well in the past, and they had never encountered any problems.
Shen Youyi could hardly control her expression. She lowered her eyes and said with a little grievance: "Being with you is like being with a tiger. How can I not be afraid of you? Who knows what I will say in the future and make you leave in anger? Then I will not be able to serve you for another year or two."
She had never acted so shamelessly even to the eldest son, causing trouble for him everywhere. She didn't go to the Wanshou Festival if she didn't want to, and drank contraceptive medicine if she didn't want to have a child. But Emperor Yuan Shuo actually thought she had become reserved?
Is this still the father that the eldest son described, who is not addicted to women and who values hierarchy highly?
Emperor Yuan Shuo shook his head. Revisiting the old place, he wanted to teach her to be more cheerful and not be so cautious, and also to develop a curiosity about her girlhood.
This house had been managed by the servants of the Xiao family since she became the wife of Marquis Lingyang. Later, when she remarried, she did not take this meager dowry with her.
So when she entered the palace, the Ministry of Internal Affairs borrowed someone else's name and purchased her from the Lingyang Marquis Mansion at a very low price.
Since she remarried and went to the palace to serve the emperor, not only her heart but also a single thing of hers could not be left in the Xiao family.
The palace servants in charge of offering sacrifices and cleaning deliberately preserved the original appearance of the place when the imperial concubine lived there, but they were afraid that the emperor and the imperial concubine would come to visit and reminisce one day, so they added some things to make it look less shabby.
But even after occupying the house, the owner of the house resisted his complete intrusion.
"Ah Zhen, I wasn't born a king," Emperor Yuan Shuo said calmly, "The previous emperor left me some brothers and sisters, and also left me a piece of territory that I hadn't conquered."
He recalled a line he had read in the Records of the Grand Historian, but it seemed absurd for the king to say it, so he replied calmly, "I could die at any moment and become a prisoner. I've experienced a lot over the years, and I don't care about a woman's chastity."
Shen Youyi swallowed nervously when she mentioned someone's chastity. Once her parents and brother started talking to her like this, it would make things worse and lay the groundwork for why they took this matter so seriously.
It can't be that Marquis Lingyang is alive again.
She had no contact with the eldest son in the past two days, and he was very obedient beside the emperor, but she was not sure whether he would reveal his true colors in front of his father.
"I am taking you home today, and I also want to teach you my feelings."
He didn't mind that she had lived here for a long time.
Emperor Yuan Shuo's expression softened. "It's not wrong for Mingzhu to be temporarily covered in dust. If there are some things that are difficult to talk about, I will have someone investigate the man who often went into the mountains to hunt over the past two years to vent your anger, okay?"
An orphan whose parents had both passed away could live in a house and lead the life of a lady in a secluded house. She never had to do housework and did not have to deal with people outside. She exchanged her needlework, calligraphy and painting for rice, flour, salt and tea.
How did she survive and have the spare money to study and learn to read?
A woman can maintain the appearance given by God for a long time. She can play the piano, dance the Lingbo dance, recognize many words, and read many books. However, her fate with Lingyang Hou was not long, and when she was a widow in the Wei family, no one taught her these things.
Forcing a beautiful commoner girl into seizing possession of her was not a scandalous one among the nobles; even his unworthy brothers occasionally committed such scandals.
But once this idea takes root, it cannot be stopped.
The law has no regulations. Anyone who abducts people as slaves will be hanged.
But when it came to her, Emperor Yuan Shuo finally understood why the king, in a fit of rage, would leave behind so many deeds that were despised by historians.
Anyone who bullies her should be tortured to death.
His tone was affectionate and gentle, like the soft water of West Lake, as if he was asking her if she wanted a cup of tea or something to eat.
But Shen Youyi shuddered unconsciously, she remembered what Tan Rui said about the last night before leaving the palace, when blood flowed like a river in Zhaoyang Palace.
The emperor's temper is not that soft, but he can control it most of the time.
But tonight, he showed his bloodthirsty side again.
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