Chapter 17: First Bedtime
After Guo Kai left, Fengqi Palace immediately became lively.
The palace maids and eunuchs were grinning so hard that only their teeth could be seen and not their eyes. Lu Zhu was even more anxious and urged the eunuchs below to boil water immediately and prepare a bath for the empress.
"Your Majesty, it's getting late. I'll help you bathe and wash up quickly. I can't keep Your Majesty waiting for too long." After arranging the rest of the work, Luzhu came up to Chan Zhen and smiled happily.
Chan Zhen looked up at the bright sky. It was still a long way from dark, but she couldn't be a spoiler since Luzhu was so happy. Besides, she was nervous and expectant inside.
The palace servants were very quick and prepared hot water for her in no time.
The tub was filled with steam, and colorful petals floated on the water, with a refreshing fragrance. Zen Zhen shyly let Luzhu take off the last layer of clothes, then stepped in barefoot.
Crystal clear water droplets slid down her collarbone, along her delicate curves, and slowly fell into the tub. Lu Zhu and another palace maid stood behind her, their hands coated with essential oils, gently massaging and washing her body.
"Your Majesty, you are so beautiful." The palace maid couldn't help but sigh when she got a piece of warm and soft jade in her hand.
Zen Zhen shrank back into the water shyly, with only the area above his collarbone exposed above the water, and his cheeks and behind his ears were flushed red.
Although it wasn't the first time she had slept with His Majesty, His Majesty had only held her in his arms and never actually touched her. But now that she had become His Majesty's concubine, and His Majesty had summoned her to sleep with him, he would definitely not leave it as it was before.
What should I do? My heart is beating so fast. Zen Zhen couldn't help but bite her lip nervously. She didn't know if the steam was too hot, but she felt like her whole body was burning.
After her bath, Chan Zhen emerged from the tub, still feeling somewhat limp. Lu Zhu and the maid named Hong Yu supported her, one on each side. Two other maids arrived, unfolding a long, floor-length, red, close-fitting dress for her to wear. Because she was to serve her in bed, Lu Zhu only half-tied her hair up and inserted a delicate jade hairpin; she wore no other adornment.
His Majesty's imperial palanquin had already arrived at the gate of Fengqi Palace and was waiting. Guo Kai paced back and forth anxiously. A young eunuch approached him and asked, "How about I go and urge them?"
Guo Kai glanced at him and said, "It's still early, it wouldn't hurt for the imperial concubine to tidy up a little more."
But in his heart he kept saying, "Oh, Imperial Concubine, please hurry up. His Majesty is waiting impatiently in the Purple Palace, and he has already ordered him to send the imperial sedan chair over."
At this moment, he finally saw a group of palace maids helping the Imperial Concubine out. His eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly greeted them flatteringly: "Imperial Concubine, are you ready now?"
Zen Zhen nodded gently: "Sorry for the long wait, Eunuch Guo."
Guo Kai didn't dare to be polite, "I don't deserve it, Your Majesty, please come in."
He watched with his own eyes as the Imperial Concubine was helped onto the Imperial sedan chair and sat firmly. His expression immediately changed again, and he sharply warned the eunuchs carrying the sedan chair, "Carry it steadily. If the Imperial Concubine becomes unwell anywhere, you will be in for a very bad outcome."
After saying this, he wiped the cold sweat from his head nervously, and then ordered everyone to get up the sedan chair.
The imperial chariot moved towards the Purple Palace in a grand manner. Palace servants who saw it on the way knelt down and saluted. Such a grand spectacle made some people feel sour.
"Is that the Imperial Concubine? I heard that His Majesty summoned the Imperial Concubine to the Purple Palace tonight to sleep with him." The beauty beside him looked at the background of the imperial carriage with envy.
Concubine Yang gently broke the flower branch in her hand and said expressionlessly, "Your Majesty truly dotes on her."
Everyone in the palace had said she was favored, but compared to this Imperial Concubine, what was she? She was clearly a daughter of an official, chosen through selection and immediately given the title of Talented Lady. It had taken her three full years to reach her current position of Imperial Concubine. Yet, how could a woman of such a merchant background be granted the title of Imperial Concubine upon entering the palace? Your Majesty, this is truly unfair.
Concubine Xu had never been favored, and she withdrew her gaze with a slightly bitter look: "The Imperial Concubine is so young and beautiful, no wonder His Majesty dotes on her so much."
"Everyone in the palace has been young and beautiful. I want to see how long the imperial concubine can keep her favor." Concubine Yang threw the flowers in her hand to the ground unwillingly, stomped on them hard, and then turned and left.
Lady Xu looked at her back, then raised her head to glance at the square sky and couldn't help but sigh.
I'm afraid the palace will never be able to return to its previous peace.
On the other side, the imperial carriage finally stopped at the Zichen Palace.
Chan Zhen stepped down from the sedan chair and looked at the familiar palace before him. He clenched his fists nervously, then walked in under Guo Kai's smiling instructions.
As soon as she entered the Zichen Hall, Chan Zhen discovered that the decoration inside the hall was very different from when she left earlier. The walls were hung with red silk curtains, incense was curling from the stove, and the rich sandalwood made her mind instantly become confused.
"Your Majesty?" Zen Zhen walked slowly inside, and with his hand he lifted the curtain that blocked his view, and finally saw the figure of His Majesty.
Unexpectedly, His Majesty was wearing the same red robe as her. She had always seen His Majesty look solemn and majestic, but this red robe made him look even more lively and youthful. Zenzhen blinked. In this outfit, who could tell that it was the imposing His Majesty? He looked just like an ordinary rich young man.
"You're here." Chen Dingyao stood up and strode towards her. He looked her up and down before reaching out and holding her waist, pulling her into his arms. "I've only seen you like this in my dreams."
Chan Zhen was used to being close to him, but in this atmosphere, he couldn't help blushing and lowered his head silently.
Chen Dingyao chuckled at this, then took her in his arms and walked over to a nearby table, where they sat down facing each other. Chan Zhending looked over and saw a set of exquisite wine vessels on the table, nothing else. Unsure of His Majesty's intentions, she looked across at him, somewhat puzzled.
His Majesty picked up the wine jug and filled two empty cups with wine. He first took one of the cups himself and then handed the other to her.
Zen Zhen took the wine glass, with some vague guesses in his mind, but he was not sure.
"Your Majesty, what is this?"
"I've heard that in common folk, couples need to drink a cup of wedding wine before their wedding night." Chen Dingyao raised his glass towards her. "Although today is just the ceremony of conferring the title of Imperial Concubine, I personally regard it as our wedding ceremony."
In his previous life, he had wanted to save this cup of wedding wine until the day when Chan Zhen was crowned as the Queen, but he never got to see it until his death.
Seeing the faint expectation in His Majesty's eyes, although Chanzhen felt that it was not proper for her to do so as she was only a noble concubine, she could not bear to refuse him. She just silently raised the wine glass in her hand and drank from it with him.
The drink was much spicier than she'd expected. Zen Zhen took only one sip before returning it to the table, choking and coughing twice. Before she could react, His Majesty stood up from across the table and approached her, his towering figure completely looming over her.
Chan Zhen's eyes were already a little moist, and she looked up at him blankly. Before she could say anything, His Majesty had already put his arm around her shoulders and leaned towards her.
Something hot and wet gently held her lips.
This is His Majesty!
Zenzhen's eyes widened in surprise. A surge of heat instantly spread from her feet to her entire body, causing her to forget her movements for a moment. Fortunately, His Majesty's action didn't last long. When His Majesty released her, her face was flushed and her head was almost smoking with heat.
But although she lowered her head in shame and dared not look at him again, she did not push him away, nor did she reject him like she did in her previous life.
His heart softened, "It's late, let's get settled."
Zen Zhen's head was so dizzy that he couldn't hear clearly what he was saying. He just subconsciously said "hmm".
The next moment, she was lifted into the air by a pair of strong arms and gently placed in the red dragon tent.
Zen Zhen nervously closed his eyes, his hands subconsciously grasping the bed sheet. Then he heard a rustling sound, thinking that His Majesty was undressing, and Zen Zhen's knuckles tightened even more.
Chen Dingyao took off his coat and turned around to see her so nervous and pitiful, his heart filled with tenderness. The first time in his previous life, he had forced her, and she had resisted him with all her might, crying uncontrollably beneath him. Deep down, she bit his shoulder fiercely in anger. He felt guilty, so his next actions were even more gentle.
"Don't be afraid." Chanzhen heard His Majesty's gentle voice in her ears, and then a soft kiss fell soothingly on her brow.
Her clothes were undone layer by layer, and the hairpins on her head were removed, leaving her raven black hair cascading down her body. Finally, Chan Zhen couldn't help but quietly open his eyes, only to meet His Majesty's gentle gaze. They were so close that the heat of their breaths touched each other's faces.
She was still a little scared, and her body couldn't help but tremble slightly under his gaze.
Chen Dingyao reached out and gently brushed the messy hair away from her face, gazing into her watery eyes. She was nervous, but she wasn't resisting herself.
"Your Majesty, this is my first time," Chan Zhen bit her lip lightly, put her arms around his neck, and said in a whisper, "Please have mercy on me."
The incense smoke from the stove slowly rose, and the whole room was covered with a dreamy and hazy atmosphere. The gauze curtains on the bed also swayed gently, dancing in the night breeze.
After an unknown amount of time, Chan Zhen was already covered in sweat. Layer upon layer of sweat soaked the sheets beneath her, making them so slippery that she couldn't even grab them with her fingers.
She looked at the swaying curtain above her head in a daze: "Your Majesty, how long will it take?"
The man's voice was also a little hoarse, and hot sweat dripped onto her face.
“Almost.”
So Zen Zhen waited expectantly, but until he lost consciousness, his body was still swaying as if it was rising and falling in the waves.
She felt a little aggrieved.
Your Majesty is lying. It is obviously going to take a long time.
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