Chapter 60: He, the Emperor, is washing someone's feet?
Under the cherry tree in the backyard of Hongxiuzhao, there was a jar of wine buried. It was the Green Bamboo Wine that she and Ding Xian brewed together.
That day, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, fluttering in the spring breeze. She and he buried the wine under the tree together.
Ding Xian wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, looked at Yun Xi and said with a smile, "Brother Wu, we made a promise, right? This time next year, we'll dig it up together and drink until we drop!"
The young man was completely unaware that his cheeks were covered in spring mud, and even that two thin pink cherry blossoms had fallen onto his headdress.
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond," Yun Xi replied, raising her eyebrows.
Ding Xian stood in the bright spring sunshine, and couldn't help but smile when he heard her affirmative answer.
Seeing him smile, Yunxi smiled along with him.
The memories alone were so vivid that Yunxi's lips curved into a smile.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Xiao Shenjing stared at Yun Xi, who was clearly lost in memories. His expression turned cold, and he called out heavily, "Yun Xi."
Yunxi suddenly woke up, and the memories before her eyes vanished like gold foil. In an instant, she went from a bright spring sunset to a cold winter midnight.
The cherry blossoms are gone, the smiles are gone, spring is gone, all that remains is darkness that even candlelight cannot tear through.
Yunxi gripped the hoe and slowly fixed her gaze on Xiao Shenjing.
Suppressing her displeasure, she tried to speak calmly, "It's just a jar of wine, why are you making such a fuss?"
"Dig." Xiao Shenjing stared into her eyes and said only one word.
Yunxi's patience immediately crumbled; she simply couldn't stand this madman any longer.
Kill, but we can't kill. Fight, but we can't fight.
She could only vent her anger through words: "There are so many important matters in the world, yet you, as an emperor, insist on picking on a nobody like me. It seems you're not just a dog emperor, but a truly incompetent ruler." She angrily dug and cursed, "And a crazy, unreasonable madman. No wonder there are so many madmen in the palace; they all learned it from you—Xue Yu and Cen Yuwei."
"Insolence!" Xiao Shenjing lowered his eyelashes, his expression slightly angry as he rebuked him.
Yunxi immediately shut up.
Knowing that she had acted impulsively and touched a nerve, Cen Yuwei realized that it was her own anger that had offended him.
She suppressed her temper, shut her mouth and stopped talking, focusing only on swinging the hoe.
For the past two days, she has kept quiet about mentioning Ding Xian in front of Xiao Shenjing.
I'm afraid of bringing trouble upon him.
Even though the Ding family was like local emperors in Dali, it was only in name. Xiao Shenjing was the true ruler of the world and the only emperor.
She could endure it for her godmother and for Hongxiu, and she would do the same to avoid causing trouble for Ding Xian.
Xiao Shenjing saw that although she kept her mouth shut, he knew that her obedience was because she was afraid that he would take his anger out on the people she cared about.
Otherwise, given her temper, she would have erupted like magma long ago.
Thinking of this, Xiao Shenjing felt as if something hard was blocking his chest, and his anger intensified.
She's protecting a guy she's only known for a few months like this!
She has many lovers but lacks self-control; her conduct as a woman is flawed and she fails to uphold the proper conduct of a woman in her boudoir.
She should be severely punished by copying "Admonitions for Women" a hundred times.
Yunxi paid no attention to Xiao Shenjing's emotions at that moment.
She was afraid of accidentally breaking the wine jar, so she dug very slowly.
Her cautious demeanor inflamed Xiao Shenjing's anger.
The veins on his hands, which were behind his back, were very prominent.
He stared intently at Yunxi's movements until he saw her digging at the soil with her bare hands, at which point his barely suppressed anger surged up.
But the angrier he was, the less he showed it on the surface.
Yunxi didn't notice him at all. After digging out the wine jar, her spring dress got dirty with dirt.
Without hesitation, she hugged the still-muddy wine jar to her chest.
As she was still pondering what to do with the jar of wine, a cold voice slammed down on her head: "Will you throw it away yourself, or will I help you?"
The last two words were pronounced with extra emphasis.
It was like a final warning as patience ran out.
Yun Xi, already seething with anger, suddenly glared at Xiao Shenjing, then violently ripped off the rope sealing the jar.
Xiao Shenjing narrowed his eyes.
Yun Xi also stared at him without blinking.
A cool night breeze passed by the two of them.
The huge courtyard fell into a suffocating silence.
Yunxi remained calm and unaffected, staring at Xiao Shenjing while her hands continued their work without pause.
She deftly removed the lid of the wine jar, then hugged it with both hands, tilted her head back, and gulped it down right in front of Xiao Shenjing.
Xiao Shenjing.
The wine jar was heavy and had a wide opening. Some of the wine that she couldn't swallow rolled down her chin and soaked her clothes, but she didn't care at all.
It's not so much a provocation as it seems.
Xiao Shenjing's face darkened considerably.
In that instant, it was as if the entire night had filled his eyes.
Yunxi finished the entire jar of wine without pausing for long.
After finishing her drink, she hugged the wine jar, smiled at Xiao Shenjing, and said, "Your Majesty, I've taken care of everything. Are you satisfied?"
Xiao Shenjing stared down at her, the darkness obscuring the chilling glint in his phoenix eyes. "Yunxi, I often wonder, who gave you such audacity?"
"Your Majesty, what are you saying?" Yunxi's cheeks were flushed from the smell of alcohol. She tilted her head and asked with a seemingly innocent expression, "Wasn't this your order, Your Majesty? I was just following your instructions. Are you going to get angry?"
Xiao Shenjing stared at him, slowly narrowing his eyes, revealing an uncontrollable chill.
Yunxi ignored him and hiccuped while holding the wine jar.
She took a step, her steps faltered, and she nearly fell, looking as if she were drunk.
Before Xiao Shenjing could even speak, she suddenly started walking straight again.
She walked and walked, even running while carrying the wine jar. She spun around the stone pillar, then stepped over the archway and ran towards the servants' quarters.
Since Xiao Shenjing arrived at Hongxiuzhao, these servants have been under strict guard. There is a guard with a knife outside each door, and they are never allowed to come out except to eat or use the toilet.
But the guards, seeing Xiao Shenjing standing by the archway, dared not stop him.
Yunxi seemed truly drunk, banging loudly on the door: "Brother Cai, Brother Cai, remember to make me some crispy buns tomorrow, I'm leaving Hongxiuzhao."
Cai Laoda cautiously opened the door, and Yunxi grinned at him, "Cai Laoda, I want to eat the steamed buns you made tomorrow morning."
She pointed at him and shook her head, saying, "I definitely have to eat this tomorrow morning!"
The servants' quarters were all connected, and many of them heard Yunxi's voice. One by one, the tightly closed doors opened, and a lot of heads popped out.
"Okay." Boss Cai nodded repeatedly, and smelling the strong smell of alcohol, he couldn't help but ask with some concern, "Yun girl, how much have you drunk?"
"Not much." Yunxi's cheeks flushed red as she waved her hand dismissively. "It's just one jar. I can drink another one, hahaha!"
After laughing, she ran to the next room and said, "Brother Wang, I want to eat your pounded dried beef tomorrow!"
Seeing her like this, a servant asked, "Miss, where are you going?"
"Going to a very far place," she said with a grin as she walked, drunkenly greeting the servants in each room.
She showed no signs of anything amiss, and everyone assumed she was drunk.
She carried the wine jar to the second-to-last room, and as she smiled, she stumbled slightly. Fortunately, Xiao Bei caught her just in time.
"Little Bei, your sister is leaving now. Remember to make me a pot of rose syrup tomorrow morning."
After she finished speaking, she chuckled as if she were really drunk, and the wine jar in her hand fell to the ground as she turned around.
With a "thud," it fell to the ground.
She didn't care at all, waved to everyone with her back turned, and then walked towards Xiao Shenjing under the moonlight.
Xiao Shenjing stood behind the archway, his tall figure blocking most of the moonlight.
The night behind him was like a wild beast.
He remained silent, yet his imposing presence was overwhelming.
Yunxi walked unsteadily, looking at the sky, the ground, and the moonlight, but she didn't even want to glance at the tall figure standing in the night.
Just as she was about to walk past him, his arm, which had been holding her tightly, suddenly wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a hug.
Yunxi bumped into Xiao Shenjing's chest unexpectedly. She rubbed her sore head and was about to question him when Xiao Shenjing bent down, pursed his lips, and silently slipped under her legs, picking her up without saying a word.
Weightlessness made Yunxi feel dizzy and disoriented.
She frowned uncomfortably and snapped, "Xiao Shenjing, what are you doing?"
The overwhelming smell of alcohol made Xiao Shenjing purse his lips and ignore her.
Just as Yunxi, with her fiery temper, was about to lash out, Xiao Shenjing gave her a cold look and asked, "Don't you want these people to live?"
Yunxi clenched her fists tightly.
Seeing her take a deep breath, Xiao Shenjing added fuel to the fire with a look of disgust, "You smell like alcohol. You stink."
Yunxi remained unmoved and retorted, "Are you crazy? Then why don't you put me down?"
"You can try begging me," Xiao Shenjing sneered.
"Get out." Yunxi said, then moved her body in disgust.
As soon as she moved, Xiao Shenjing tightened his arm, his strong muscles trapping her completely against his chest.
Yunxi shifted unhappily and found that his arm was as hard as cast iron.
This passive disadvantage made Yunxi quite unhappy.
But they could only endure it.
And after they left the backyard.
Xiao Bei quickly closed the door, and Onion Head, who had been hiding in the closet, popped out and asked anxiously, "What happened? What just happened to my boss?"
"Shh." Xiao Bei put her finger to her lips.
Onion immediately covered his mouth.
Xiao Bei leaned closer to the candlelight and carefully unfolded the note Yun Xi had slipped into his hand. It read, "Send me contraceptive soup tomorrow morning."
Xiao Shenjing carried her up to the third floor of Hongxiuzhao with a look of disgust on his face.
Dao Yi, standing at the doorway behind him, asked, "Young Master, would you like some hangover soup made for Miss Yunxi?"
"No need." Xiao Shenjing glanced down at Yun Xi and said without thinking, "Since you can drink so much, why would you need a hangover soup?"
Having just drunk almost half a jar of wine, even someone with a high alcohol tolerance couldn't hold on any longer. In her dizziness, she still didn't forget to tell Xiao Shenjing, "I don't need your help, get out of here!"
She turned her head away in disgust, wishing he would just disappear.
Xiao Shenjing sneered and threw her onto the soft couch with a look of disgust. "You're covered in alcohol, dirty and smelly. Do you think I want to take care of you?"
As he spoke, the man at the door ordered, "Go fetch some water and wash her brain."
Yunxi was a little dazed from the fall, and after a few breaths she recovered, she cursed, "You're the one who needs a brainwashing! If you're sick, go back and find the imperial physician!"
Seeing that her cheeks were flushed with the smell of alcohol, Xiao Shenjing was too lazy to waste words with her and walked to the desk to pick up the secret memorial he hadn't finished reading.
After the hot water was brought, the female bodyguard spent a long time undressing her.
When only her undergarment and long skirt remained, she refused to take them off, covering herself and saying, "No, I don't need you. I'll do it myself. You can all leave!"
Even when she's drunk, she's not used to being seen naked.
The female guards glanced at Xiao Shenjing with some embarrassment, but he waved his hand.
After they filed out and the door was closed, Yunxi rubbed her eyes and, still fully awake in her undergarments, stepped into the bathtub.
Xiao Shenjing glanced at her, and seeing that she was still conscious, he didn't pay any attention to her.
He picked up a brush and wrote annotations on the secret memorial.
Yunxi still had some sense left, but as she washed herself, the smell of alcohol started to hit her, and she didn't even notice Xiao Shenjing sitting behind the table.
Thinking that no one was around anymore, she took off her undergarment and tossed it aside.
With a 'smack', the wet undergarment landed conspicuously on the folded paper in front of Xiao Shenjing.
That was a memorial submitted by the Minister of Works, which stated, "The old course of the Yellow River is silted up; we request Your Majesty to allocate 100,000 taels of silver and conscript laborers to repair and dredge it."
Even though Xiao Shenjing quickly picked up the inner garment, the water stains still soaked most of the folded book.
Before he could even get angry, he heard Yunxi humming a song while washing her arms.
In March, when the tea buds sprout, my sister picks the new tea leaves on the hillside.
Brother plows the spring fields, his eyes blurring as he looks up at his sister.
This tea-picking song was learned by Ding Xian when he took Yunxi to pick tea.
Soaking in hot water slowly relieved her fatigue, and as she felt dizzy, she remembered this cheerful tune.
So what if there are many unhappy things?
As long as you live well, there are more things to be happy about, aren't there?
She was feeling dizzy as she watered herself and started humming a song.
The clear and cheerful melody, accompanied by the splashing water, is like a musical accompaniment.
Staring at the girl's back in the wooden tub, Xiao Shenjing was momentarily stunned.
Even though I couldn't see her expression clearly, I knew she was smiling.
Every little detail, from the corners of her eyes to the corners of her lips, was tinged with smiles.
Just like every time she strode towards him in the past.
How long has it been since he last saw Yunxi like this?
His heart was churning with emotions, and by the time he realized what was happening, he had already stood up from his chair.
By the time he reached the bucket, Yunxi's voice had already faded. She seemed too tired; she had fallen asleep with her arm draped over the edge of the bucket and her head resting on her arm.
The sky-blue skirt spread out in the water, like a lotus leaf unfurling.
Beneath the gently rippling water, her body was as white as a tender lotus root, and the lingering red marks extended from her porcelain-white neck all the way to the top.
Caught off guard by this scene, Xiao Shenjing's Adam's apple bobbed violently.
The young emperor turned his head and coughed lightly.
Suppress the surging desire.
After a moment, she called out in a clear voice, "Yunxi, wake up."
Yunxi seemed to be completely drunk and didn't move at all.
"Yunxi," Xiao Shenjing called out again.
Yunxi slowly opened her eyes this time, but she was still drunk and confused. She didn't know who was in front of her, and only knew to obediently "hmm".
She opened her dark almond-shaped eyes, with water droplets clinging to her eyelashes, and her round cheeks flushed with a wine-red hue.
She was nothing like her usual arrogant and domineering self; at this moment, she looked very well-behaved, so well-behaved that you couldn't help but want to bully her.
Xiao Shenjing suppressed his strange thoughts and said with a straight face, "Get up."
Yun Xi nodded slowly, but just as she was about to get up, she shook her head sharply and held out her hand to Xiao Shenjing, saying, "Wash your towel."
"It's quite convenient to order people around," Xiao Shenjing said, but he still took a large cloth from Huang Huamu's clothes rack and handed it to her.
Yunxi took it, put her arm around the edge of the bucket, and didn't move for a long time.
"What are you going to do now?" Xiao Shenjing couldn't help but ask.
"Hmm," Yunxi tilted her head, and after a few breaths commanded, "You, turn around, don't look."
Xiao Shenjing.
Seeing that he didn't move, Yunxi also didn't move.
She stared at him with her big, dark almond-shaped eyes, while Xiao Shenjing stood by the tub, looking at her with his eyes half-lowered.
As the emperor, he sat on the highest throne in the world for many years.
Even if it wasn't intentional, his gaze carried a sense of oppression.
Anyone else would have already surrendered.
But how could Yunxi possibly be like that?
The two remained locked in this stalemate for a few moments, and just as she was about to fall asleep again, Xiao Shenjing finally turned around.
Xiao Shenjing thought that if she gave the order, then so be it.
As a gentleman, he couldn't be bothered to argue with her over such a trivial matter.
The sound of rushing water came from behind me.
Although Yunxi was drunk, she still retained a sliver of consciousness. After all, she was sharing a room with Xiao Shenjing, so she had to be wary of him.
So she remembered to wrap herself tightly in the bath towel, step out of the bath tub with one leg, and walk barefoot onto the soft couch.
Unfortunately, no matter how good her alcohol tolerance was, she was now walking unsteadily. Seeing the mud on the soles of her clean feet, Xiao Shenjing couldn't bear it any longer. He picked her up with one hand and forcefully rinsed her feet in the bathtub. There was still mud stuck to her feet, so he bent his legs and let Yunxi sit on his lap, pressed her head behind his shoulder, and reached out to wash the soles of her feet.
After washing himself clean, Xiao Shenjing suddenly realized what he was doing.
Is he washing someone's feet?
Is the emperor washing someone's feet?
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