Chapter 6 His Majesty is Jealous
The red candles are warm in the tent, the night is deep, red waves are rolling on the luxurious big bed, the gauze curtains that hang down to the ground cover up the spring feelings inside, and only two figures entangled and overlapping on the bed can be vaguely seen.
The woman in the tent sobbed intermittently, occasionally emitting a few uncontrollable gasps, which gradually dissipated after a long time.
The woman's long hair was disheveled, her face was buried deep in the pillowcase and could not be seen clearly. There were red marks on her exposed shoulders and back, just like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow, which was very suggestive.
A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders and neck from behind, and then the man's warm body leaned forward, their skin pressed tightly together with no gap left.
The man's deep voice still carried unfulfilled passion and desire: "News came out today from the Yunyi Mansion that the Prince of Jin's concubine, Song, tragically died of a sudden illness the night before. This is now known to everyone. Chanzhen, you can't return to the Prince of Jin's Mansion no matter what."
The woman's body suddenly stiffened, and soon a low sob came from the pillow, and her shoulders began to tremble.
The man lowered his head and sniffed the delicate fragrance in her hair, his arms tightening.
"I have already drafted an imperial decree, and in a few days I will confer you the title of Imperial Consort. Yunyi cannot give you a title, and you can only be a lowly concubine in the Prince of Jin's mansion, but I can give you the highest position of any woman in the world. When you give birth to a prince, I will confer you the title of Empress, and establish our prince as the Crown Prince. Chanzhen, are you happy?"
The woman still buried her head in the pillow, refusing to look back at him. He didn't get angry and continued, "I also intend to confer the title of Marquis of Mu'en on your father. I know you've suffered many injustices before because of your merchant background. Don't worry, from now on, no one will dare to use your background to make trouble."
"A new batch of silk arrived in Shu last month. I've ordered the Shangfu Bureau to hasten the making of your imperial concubine's court robes. I've also used the pearls sent as tribute from the East China Sea to make you an imperial concubine's court crown. I've also ordered the cleaning of Fengwu Palace. You can move in after the enthronement ceremony. Be good and stay with me in Zichen Palace for a while..."
He kissed the top of the woman's head affectionately and told her his plans, but was interrupted by the woman's sudden cry.
"His Majesty!"
His expression suddenly turned gloomy, and the temperature in the tent dropped.
The woman still wept with her back to him, her voice mournful and dejected: "You are the Son of Heaven. What kind of woman can't you desire in this world? I have already been the Prince of Jin's concubine. How can I bear the thought of you taking me as your consort?"
Hearing this, the man sneered, held her hand tightly, turned it around and pinched her face, forcing her to raise her head from the pillow and look at him face to face.
"Yes, I am the Son of Heaven. There shouldn't be anyone in this world that I can't have. The first time I saw you, I should have made up my mind to take you into the palace, no matter what your status is."
The woman's eyes were blurred with tears, and she could not see the man's face clearly. She only remembered those sinister eyes, full of strong possessiveness, so domineering that it was impossible to refuse.
Gradually, even the eyes became blurred, everything in front of me dispersed like bubbles, and a dazzling white light broke the dream.
…
Chanzhen opened her eyes and saw an unfamiliar brocade curtain above her head. She supported her dizzy head and slowly sat up from the bed. Seeing the luxurious decorations around her, she suddenly remembered what happened last night.
This is His Majesty's bedroom, what about His Majesty?
She subconsciously reached to her side. The bed was empty, but still a trace of warmth remained. At this moment, a maid she didn't know came over and greeted her with a smile: "Are you awake, young lady?"
Zen Zhen clutched his chest and scanned the room. Seeing no one, he hesitated for a long time before asking in a low voice, "Is Your Majesty awake yet? Why didn't anyone call me?"
She had learned etiquette from the nanny before and knew that in the palace, the concubines had to get up early to help the emperor get dressed. How could she sleep so soundly that she didn't even know when the emperor got up? She had finally managed to please the emperor a little last night, but this morning she caused such a big mess. The emperor must be very unhappy.
The maid smiled and said, "His Majesty specifically instructed not to disturb you when he got up early, so that you could sleep a little longer."
She moved swiftly forward to help Zenzhen get up. Zenzhen then realized that she was only wearing a single layer of clothing and her hair was undone. She thought gloomily, could His Majesty have done this last night while she was asleep? How shameful. But then she looked up and saw the maid's skillful movements. She wondered how His Majesty, a daughter of a thousand gold, could have done such a thing for her. He probably called the maid in after she fell asleep. It was her fault that she was so sound asleep that she didn't even react.
The maid took out a brand new pomegranate red dress from somewhere and helped her put it on. Zen Zhen rarely wore such bright colors, and she was a little uncomfortable for a moment. She stood by the bed and let her manipulate her like a puppet.
"My name is Luzhu. I used to be a maidservant serving Your Majesty. This morning, Your Majesty specially asked me to stay and serve the young lady." After she helped Chanzhen dress, she pulled her to sit in front of the mirror.
His Majesty hasn't had the palace maids serve him personally for a long time. Lu Zhu originally thought that they had displeased His Majesty in some way, but she didn't expect that His Majesty would choose her alone to accompany him on this tour, which made her think that His Majesty must value her a little.
This morning, His Majesty suddenly pointed her out and asked her to serve this girl from now on. Seeing the look in His Majesty's eyes as he looked at the bed before leaving, she understood that this girl would definitely follow him back to the palace, and that His Majesty was extremely fond of her.
There must have been a gap between her and the emperor's personal maid and the imperial concubines, but Luzhu, with her composure, didn't show it. Instead, she became even more meticulous, and soon she had Chan Zhen's makeup done. The beauty in the mirror was so graceful that she couldn't help but sigh in her heart, no wonder the emperor was so devoted to such a beauty.
Chan Zhen stared at the mirror and felt uncomfortable all over. This was a palace maid who used to serve the emperor and had a much higher status than her. She heard from the nanny that the palace maids released from the palace were all well-known and were sought after by wealthy families. How could she, who came from a merchant family, enjoy such treatment?
"Excuse me, Miss Luzhu, where is His Majesty now?" Zen Zhen did not dare to take advantage of his favor and stood up and asked very politely.
She was supposed to sleep with the emperor last night, but she didn't make it. I don't know what His Majesty will do with her next, whether to let her continue to serve him or send her back to the courtyard.
"You can just call me Luzhu. When His Majesty got up early, he told me to wait for the young lady to wash and dress, and then take her to the front yard for dinner. Please follow me."
Chan Zhen didn't dare to say anything else and followed Lu Zhu obediently. When they arrived at the dining area in the front yard, they found that the situation was different from what they had imagined.
She originally thought she would be dining alone, but she didn't expect His Majesty to be there too, surrounded by many attendants and maids. The scene was so grand that she was astounded.
His Majesty is dressed in black robes today, with all his hair held up high with a crown, making his eyebrows and eyes look very sharp and more majestic. He sits in the center, his aura awe-inspiring.
"Your Majesty, Miss Song is here."
Just as Chan Zhen was about to follow Lu Zhu to pay her respects, she saw His Majesty waving at her.
"No need to bow, come here."
Chanzhen glanced around and saw that Luzhu had finished her greeting and then stood still, without making any further moves. It seemed that His Majesty intended to summon only her. She slowly stepped forward, stopping at an arm's length, and said, "Your Majesty..."
His Majesty seemed to be in a very good mood, with a smile on his face: "Did you sleep well last night?"
"Your Majesty, everything is fine." Zen Zhen didn't say that he was actually awakened by a nightmare that morning, and he had no recollection of what he dreamed about.
After saying this, she couldn't help but glance at the table beside her. His Majesty's dining standards were naturally the highest. Even for breakfast alone, the table was already filled to the brim, with meat, vegetables, dim sum, hot pots, and soups. In order to maintain her figure, her father was extremely strict with her diet. The food had to be light and tasteless, and the portions could not exceed the prescribed limit.
Chen Dingyao had noticed her eager gaze and didn't want to let her wait any longer, so he reached out and pulled her to sit next to him.
He was already familiar with her taste, so he picked up a meatball with his chopsticks and put it into her bowl, raising his eyebrows and saying, "Try it."
Guo Kai's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he watched from the side. Is this man with such tenderness and affection still His Majesty? My goodness, this Miss Song really is not to be underestimated.
Chan Zhen didn't dare refuse His Majesty's gift, so even though she had never eaten meatballs before, she obediently picked them up with her chopsticks and put them into her mouth. She thought the meatballs, drenched in oil, would be a bit greasy, but she was surprised to find them so soft and bouncy, with the juicy meat filling leaving a lingering aftertaste.
Chen Dingyao had been paying attention to her, and his eyes lit up when he saw her. It was worth it that he brought the imperial chef who was in charge of the meals in Fengwu Palace in his previous life with him on this trip.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zen Zhen swallowed the meatball and thanked him with a smile.
Chen Dingyao lowered his eyes. In his previous life, except when Yuan Zhao was around, she would never be so calm to accompany him for meals. Most of the time, it was because of his coercion and inducement.
"Your Majesty?" Zen Zhen saw that he seemed to be in a trance, so he tilted his head and called him.
"Nothing." Chen Dingyao came back to his senses. No matter what, the beginning of this life was different from the previous one. He should look forward. "Try this again." He picked up another dish and put it in her bowl.
Chanzhen was very obedient and let him do whatever he wanted. She would eat whatever he picked up for her, one bite after another, and gradually her stomach felt a little full.
It’s strange to say, maybe it’s because of the imperial chef, there is not a single dish on the table that she doesn’t like, and every one of them is very much to her taste.
Seeing that her eating speed gradually slowed down, Chen Dingyao also stopped what he was doing.
After finishing the last bite of her bowl and feeling perfectly full, Chan Zhen set down her chopsticks. She looked up, meeting His Majesty's gentle gaze, and blushed slightly. She had truly been quite bold, allowing His Majesty to keep serving her food.
Yes, she is full, but His Majesty seems to have eaten nothing from beginning to end. His Majesty has been picking up food for me just now, so should I reciprocate?
She tentatively reached for her favorite dish and carefully placed it before His Majesty. She whispered nervously and expectantly, "Your Majesty, please."
The next moment, she saw His Majesty seemed to freeze. Her hand trembled with fear, and the dish plummeted into His Majesty's bowl, splashing juices. It was over. Zen Zhen closed her eyes, subconsciously wanting to kneel and confess, but His Majesty's voice was gentle, even tinged with a smile.
"I never thought this day would come."
Chan Zhen cautiously opened her eyes and saw that His Majesty not only didn't blame her, but instead smiled as he put the piece of food she had picked into his mouth. She wanted to say something to make amends, "Your Majesty, today, thanks to you, this servant has never tasted such delicious food before."
After hearing her words, His Majesty stopped chewing.
Chan Zhen saw his reaction and felt uneasy again: "Your Majesty, did this servant say something wrong again?"
Chen Dingyao put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands, swallowed the food, and his face was calm.
In her previous life, Chan Zhen was no longer surprised by these meals after entering the palace. There was only one person who could make her get used to such delicacies.
Only Yunyi.
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