Seeing Ling Shumo's interest, Pei Jiuyan went on to explain, "The production process of this camellia fragrance powder is extremely complicated. It requires attendants to pick a large number of blooming camellia flowers, then remove the most delicate pistils and stamens, and use a special method to steam and dry them to ensure that the fragrance is not washed away by water. Finally, some precious spices that are not available on the market are added to finally mix a small amount of camellia fragrance powder."
It could be said that the reason Biluo Palace was constantly filled with the delicate fragrance of camellias was the result of countless manpower, material resources, and financial resources. To say that the camellia incense dust was crafted from gold was no exaggeration; it was a thousand times more luxurious than ordinary incense. Only a master like Pei Jiuyan, favored by the emperor, could so unfailingly order his servants to sprinkle "gold dust" every half hour.
As he spoke, Pei Jiuyan had already put on his dance dress and started dancing. He danced normally at first, and then he jumped directly into Ling Shumo's arms. Ling Shumo saw that Pei Jiuyan was about to kiss her, so she reached out and gently pushed him away, "The child is watching, please restrain yourself."
Pei Jiuyan ignored Ling Shumo's refusal and kissed her forcefully. After the kiss, she smiled and said, "This servant has been rehearsing dance in her own bedroom all day long. Xijie has long been tired of watching her, so she couldn't sit still and ran out a long time ago. Your Majesty was too engrossed in watching this servant dance, so he didn't notice."
Ling Shumo looked around and, as expected, Ling Xijie was nowhere to be seen. She feigned discontent and complained, "This kid is such a jerk! He says he misses me, but it's all fake. He doesn't even want to spend a moment with me, and he just ran off like that."
Even so, the smile on Ling Shumo's face grew even stronger. She ripped off the thin gauze dress Pei Jiuyan was wearing, picked her up, and threw her onto the soft bed. It was good that Ling Xijie wasn't here, as it would be convenient for her to get some work done.
Pei Jiuyan was thrown onto the bed so suddenly that he cried out in surprise, but his smile soon returned to his face. His jade-white arms climbed up Ling Shumo's neck, and the delicate skin below the neck was reflected in Ling Shumo's eyes. He exhaled sweetly, "Your Majesty has just had a full meal. I wonder if you can still eat more?"
Ling Shumo felt as if every bone in her body was numb from his teasing words. She stepped forward without hesitation, her eyebrows raised, "You are underestimating me. I will show you my appetite right now. You'd better be as tough as you are now and not beg for mercy."
Outside the door, Shi Qi looked up at the sky and shook his head helplessly, "Here we go again! Your Majesty can't even wait for the sun to set. How many times has this happened this month?"
The servant covered his mouth and laughed, "Nineteen times. I have come here to guard the door every time. I can count them clearly."
The noise in the room lasted for who knows how long before it finally quieted down. When the servant went in to serve, he saw Pei Jiuyan leaning on Ling Shumo's arms as if he had no bones, and pleading in a delicate voice, "I feel that this Biluo Palace is still too small. I can walk around it in just a few steps. I know that Madam Shangguan has planted a peach forest in Changxin Palace. Now it is spring, and the peach blossoms in full bloom are so beautiful. I am almost envious of them. If Your Majesty gives me some more silver, I also want to plant a peach forest in this Biluo Palace. Next spring, Your Majesty and I can walk hand in hand under the peach blossoms. How romantic it will be."
Pei Jiuyan's words rang out, and the attendants were secretly shocked. The Biluo Palace had just been expanded the previous month. At that time, Pei Jiuyan had claimed that the pond in his courtyard was too small, arguing that the fish couldn't swim freely, and had begged His Majesty to enlarge it four or five times. Now, the soil excavated for the expanded pond hadn't even dried yet, and Pei Jiuyan was actually thinking of planting a peach orchard. He truly acted on his impulses, living a life even more extravagant than even his two masters, the Emperor and Empress.
Ling Shumo frowned. "If you expand your courtyard further, the area it occupies will be larger than Fengyi Palace. It's not that I'm reluctant to spend money, but this is simply against the rules. If I agree to your request today, you, the evil servant who brought disaster to the country, will be scolded to death by those civil and military officials at the morning court tomorrow."
Ling Shumo's words were not alarmist. She had been overly favoring Pei Jiuyan in the past two years, which had made this concubine even more popular than the two queens. The former dynasty and the harem had long been dissatisfied, but due to the imperial power, they had to tolerate Pei Jiuyan's arrogance.
Pei Jiuyan didn't care what the ministers and the emperor said. He hugged Ling Shumo's left arm and shook it back and forth. "I don't care. I just like the peach blossom forest. Your Majesty, just agree to it."
Seeing Ling Shumo didn't say anything, he placed a kiss on her lips, making his voice even softer. "It's just a peach blossom forest. I'm not asking for the stars and the moon in the sky. How can it be as difficult as you say? If Your Majesty doesn't agree, I'll cry. Can you bear to see me cry? I know you love me the most, and you definitely won't let me suffer even a little bit."
Ling Shumo was entangled by him and had no choice but to agree. "Okay, okay, I can't convince you, so I'll just do whatever you want, okay?"
Pei Jiuyan's eyes, as clear as the moonlight, instantly curved with a smile. He kissed Ling Shumo on the face several times in a row, "Your Majesty knows that I am loved the most."
Ling Shumo looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, whose every frown and smile was full of charm, and blurted out coaxing words, "Even if you ask me for the moon in the sky, I will find a way to pick it for you."
Pei Jiu gave Ling Shumo a cold look with a disgusted smile, "Your Majesty is saying these nice words to coax your servant again."
At this time, there was a knock on the door, followed by Shi Qi's voice, "Your Majesty, the Princess Royal has arrived. When would it be convenient for Her Majesty to come in?"
Hearing that the Crown Princess had arrived, Pei Jiuyan said with some dissatisfaction, "What is she doing here?"
Ling Shumo put away the teasing expression on her face and said while buttoning her inner dress, "I asked her to come at this time. I want to test her homework."
Pei Jiuyan listened to Ling Shumo's explanation, but his face was still unhappy. "Testing homework, testing homework again. There are so many other times when you can't ask about homework, but you have to ask when Your Majesty is being intimate with the ministers. It really spoils the fun."
At this time, Ling Shumo had already put on her clothes. She was not annoyed, and said in a gentle voice, "It won't take too much time. You wait in the room for a while. I will ask Xihe a few questions and then come back soon."
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