Chapter 118: Useless Son
Bai Yuxin was also having dinner in the adjacent room. Meng Yan asked someone to bring her a small dish of shrimp with Longjing tea and a dish of chicken powder tofu.
The cooking skills of the Changchun Palace were much better than those of the imperial kitchen. She ate with gusto. When she heard that the emperor and her sister seemed to be getting along very well, the food tasted even sweeter in her mouth.
Hongdou, who was serving beside her, said, "The Emperor hasn't come to the harem for a while now. Today, he has finally come to Changchun Palace. Why don't you ask the Imperial Concubine for help and seize this opportunity?"
Bang!
Bai Yuxin slammed her chopsticks on the table and scolded in a low voice, "Hongdou, when did you ever come up with such thoughts?! My sister and the emperor rarely meet, and if I do something like this now, how can I be considered a human being?! Besides, I don't want to accept the emperor's favor in the first place."
Hongdou suddenly knelt, looking up and pleading, "My lady, you can't go on like this. The Bai family spent a fortune, facilitating connections, to send you to the palace, hoping you would gain the Emperor's favor, rise to prominence, and bring honor to the Bai family. Now you're hiding in Changchun Palace, relying on the Imperial Concubine to live out your leisurely life. It's one thing for the Imperial Concubine to be good for a day, but if she ever becomes unlucky, how will you cope?"
"shut up!"
Bai Yuxin was so angry that she raised her hand. Hongdou closed her eyes and waited for the slap to fall.
She was a gentle and graceful person who had never beaten or scolded her servants. Looking at Hongdou's slightly childish face, she finally let it go.
"Hongdou, I don't know what the clan leader told you before I left, but since you followed me into the palace, you'd better know who your master is. I've only heard what you said today, but if I hear it again in the future, I'll tell you everything."
Bai Yuxin spoke in a cold tone as she stared at Hongdou who was kneeling on the ground.
This maidservant wasn't originally brought from her mother's family. Her mother's family wasn't well off and couldn't afford a young maid, so they usually only employed an old nanny. Hongdou was sent by the Bai clan leader before she left, saying she'd been trained in all the etiquette and manners so she could serve in the palace.
Bai Yuxin understood that this was the person the patriarch had placed by her side.
It's not that she hadn't thought about replacing this maid, but on the one hand, she was of low status and had no right to replace the palace maid at will; on the other hand, Hongdou was still young and without an identity or background, she would be in great danger if she was stranded in the palace, and she couldn't bear it.
Looking at the sobbing Hongdou, she sighed and softened her tone, "Hongdou, I know you're thinking of me wholeheartedly. But things in this palace aren't that simple. Look at the Imperial Concubine, whose background is so prominent. If the Emperor treats her well, those people will be eyeing her covetously, thinking all day long about how to murder Changchun Palace, let alone someone of my lowly status. Furthermore, not to mention that the Emperor truly has no one else in his eyes, even if I'm lucky enough to receive some favor, my talent is so ordinary that in just three nights and five nights, the Emperor will forget about me. By then, the Imperial Concubine will have become estranged from me, and won't I just be waiting for those people to chew me up until not even a bone is left?" At this point, she stared into Hongdou's eyes and said word by word, "The most important thing is that Sister Meng has a deep friendship with me, and I don't want to let her down for such a shallow favor. From now on, you are not allowed to mention these things again."
Hongdou listened and kowtowed, "My lady, I have remembered everything you have instructed me to do."
Bai Yuxin allowed her to get up and serve.
Hongdou carefully served the dishes beside her, observing her expression and whispering, "The Emperor is very happy today. I heard that the Imperial Concubine's brother won a victory in the southwest."
Bai Yuxin listened carefully and suddenly remembered the scene when she hid behind the window of Le Zhixuan and saw that person that day.
He walked with his head held high, with an imposing manner and full of heroic spirit. He was the best man she had ever seen in her life.
As soon as she thought of something, she quickly suppressed the three words "Meng Changyuan".
He is the eldest son of Marquis Yiyang, and she is just a concubine who will never be favored, destined to be trapped within these red walls for the rest of her life.
After dinner, Lu Haozhi showed no intention of leaving. He leaned on a soft pillow on the kang in the main room, reading a memorial. Meng Yan sat beside him, reading a medical book. Doukou sat between them, playing a nine-ring game.
The palace maid brought up jasmine tea, and the curling white smoke filled the room with the fragrance of tea.
Although there are no words, it can be considered peaceful.
As the hours passed, Doukou couldn't help yawning.
Meng Yan put down the book in her hand and looked at Lu Haozhi.
Lu Haozhi had removed his crown, leaving only an ebony hairpin in his bun, the rest of his hair hanging down over his shoulders. He had removed his outer robe, wearing only an ivory-white satin shirt. His broad chest rose and fell slightly as he focused intently on the memorial, oblivious to his surroundings.
The candlelight cast a soft light on his tall nose, softening his usually cold and hard facial features and making them look even more handsome like jade.
To be fair, Lu Haozhi could indeed be described as a handsome and elegant man with the bearing of a dragon and a phoenix. Not to mention that he was an emperor, his appearance alone could charm countless girls. No wonder so many daughters of powerful families in the capital were scrambling to get into the prince's mansion.
When the order of arranged marriage reached the Marquis of Yiyang's Mansion, Meng Yan was envied by her sisters in the boudoir.
To this day, Meng Yan is a little confused. Was her original feeling because the book told her to love this man, or was it from her true feelings?
She understood what the Queen Mother meant.
However, deep down she was afraid of having physical contact with him, and she didn't dare to think about what would happen after a night of passion.
"Your Majesty," Meng Yan said softly, "It's getting late, and Doukou is sleepy."
"Um."
Lu Haozhi raised his eyes and glanced at the gilded enamel clock on the table. It was already 2:45 PM, so he said, "It's really late. It's time to go to bed."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Meng Yan.
She didn't look at him, but just lowered her head and held the child, Doukou dozing off in her arms.
That's all.
Lu Haozhi stood up and told Rong An to fetch his outer robe. "I will return to the Yangxin Palace. You should also go to bed early."
After saying this, he put on his clothes and left.
Meng Yan walked the child to the door and watched the emperor's procession disappear into the dark night before turning around and taking the child to the bedroom to sleep.
Lu Haozhi rode on a sedan chair and traveled under the moonlight.
Rong An was completely baffled and couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, why are you doing this... The Empress Dowager finally gave me this opportunity today..."
Lu Haozhi said solemnly, "She doesn't want me to stay. I can see that. I'd better leave early so that she won't use the child as an excuse again."
As he spoke, he felt a bitterness in his heart. She seemed to still have feelings for him, but her feelings were so erratic. He tried his best to grasp something, but he didn't know where to start.
It was late at night, but Shoukang Palace was still brightly lit.
Empress Dowager Jiang had changed into her pajamas, but had not yet gone to bed. She was just waiting for news.
Zang Xiu hurried in and shook her head at her, "Report to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor has returned to the Yangxin Palace."
Empress Dowager Jiang was furious. "This useless son! In the end, I still have to do it myself!"
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