Chapter 204 Bo Qiaohui 16
"Master, how do I play?"
At the end of the song, the eighteen-year-old Liu Qi looked at the much more mature Zhou Yafu.
The man opened his eyes, smiled, and said, "Very good, but the song isn't as smooth as before, and seems to have a hint of sadness. Your Highness, is there anything bothering you lately?"
"Nothing. All good things must come to an end. I'm just too selfish."
Liu Qi said this, but his brows were furrowed so tightly that they could kill a fly. Ever since he wrote to Aqiao two days ago to tell her he had met an interesting woman in the palace, Aqiao hadn't replied.
He also wrote to inquire, but the letters were brought back by Dansu intact. It was obvious that Aqiao had not even opened them to read.
Liu Qi didn't understand what was going on, but considering the ages of both parties, he could only guess that Aqiao was going to get married and it was not appropriate for her to continue exchanging letters with him.
He should have understood, after all, the Queen was looking for a concubine for him. But perhaps it was because Aqiao left without saying goodbye that he felt a little unwilling.
After bidding farewell to General Zhou, the depressed Tai went to find the young palace maid. The girl was very beautiful. At that moment, she lowered her head and angrily swept the fallen leaves on the ground, but after a while, she recovered her energy and danced with the broom.
Liu Qi clapped his hands and said with a smile when he saw the girl put down her broom and walked over, "You dance very beautifully."
"It's you, so why would you tell me that? I'll find a way to dance in the music hall for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to see. He'll definitely fall in love with me and make me his Consort."
Li Miaoren stood with her hands on her hips proudly. Although she was ambitious, she also had a vitality that was not seen in the palace.
The two of them had barely spoken when the girl started crying out for hunger, clutching her stomach. When Liu Qi asked, he learned that she had been hungry for two days in order to maintain a figure that the prince would like.
"Come on, I'll take you to eat."
Liu Qi's eyes rolled and he immediately had an idea. He pulled Li Miaoren and was about to leave.
"Hey! I haven't finished sweeping up these fallen leaves yet!"
"Look at the fallen leaves on these trees. Even if you clean them up now, the ground will be covered with them again in a short while. Why waste your time?"
"Yes."
Li Miaoren didn't want to clean at first, but when she heard what Liu Qi said, she immediately put all these tasks behind her and followed Liu Qi all the way to the imperial kitchen.
After stealing the roast chicken and pears in front of the cook, the two of them sneaked out again.
Liu Qi just smiled at Li Miaoren's talk of wanting to marry the prince. He took out the xiao from his arms and said to the well-fed girl, "Since you want to learn to dance, why don't I teach you? I'm the eunuch in the music hall."
"That's great, you teach me, teach me."
As the song "Cold River with Remaining Snow" sounded, Li Miaoren danced gracefully to the music. She was indeed very talented, her dance moves were graceful and elegant, and her confident look added to her brilliance.
Liu Qi looked at her, but his mind unconsciously recalled the day when he was ten years old, the time when they danced in the wind, and the confidant who knew him even though they never met again.
After the dance, Liu Qi lost interest. Listening to Li Miaoren's question, he forced a smile and said, "You dance so beautifully and you're pretty, you'll definitely be chosen."
After saying this, he returned to the Taiji Hall in a daze.
On the other hand, Aqiao, the girl he had been thinking about day and night, had already entered the palace and had even met Dou Yifang.
In front of the Queen Mother and the Empress, she was still obedient and submissive, obeying their orders.
"Look, she has a gentle and well-behaved personality. She will never rebel against you in the future."
Empress Dowager Bo couldn't be more pleased with this distant niece. Even the young Dou Yifang would have been better than her in appearance. However, her personality wasn't as erratic and vicious as hers, and she was very filial to her.
Dou Yifang was also mesmerized by Qiaohui's beauty. Although she didn't particularly care about appearance, she knew that young men were always greedy and lustful, and with such beauty, it would be easier for her to win her husband's favor.
But the other party's timid look made her hesitate. This was not only about finding a concubine for the prince, but also about selecting a queen for the future emperor. It would not be okay to just listen to others.
After seeing off the Queen, Qiao Hui stood up and helped the Queen Mother to her feet. "You haven't been feeling well lately. You should walk around a bit."
"You are the only one in the palace who is so filial to me." Empress Dowager Bo patted Qiaohui's hand. The two of them walked together. When they returned to the bedroom, the incense burner was already burning and the tea on the table was at just the right temperature.
Empress Dowager Bo was extremely pleased with her. She took her hand and said seriously, "Don't worry. When you enter the palace, I will never let you suffer any injustice. You and the Crown Prince will live in harmony."
"I only hope that the Empress Dowager can enjoy eternal happiness. As for these things, let nature take its course."
Bo Qiaohui helped the empress dowager to sleep. The wooden hairpin on her head shone with a warm luster in the light, obviously a favorite that she had worn for many years.
"Look at you, you always dress so plainly. People in the palace just follow the situation. Go pick out a headdress from my makeup box."
Qiaohui agreed obediently and opened a mahogany lacquer box in front of the dressing table. Inside was a dazzling array of various gemstones, hairpins, rings, and hairpins. If it were someone else, they would probably not know what to choose from them.
Qiaohui raised her hand directly, avoiding the empress dowager's favorite things in the past, the luxurious pearls that were not suitable for her current status, and the patterns and colors that did not match her own age and temperament, and accurately took out a jade Huasheng.
This Huasheng pendant is both simple and elegant, with a thumb-sized jade stone carved into a cloud pattern and surrounded by a circle of rice-sized gemstones. It's not particularly expensive, but the workmanship is ingenious, and wouldn't look out of place at her age.
When Empress Dowager Bo saw that she had chosen this, she immediately smiled and said, "You have good taste. This Huasheng suits you perfectly. I need to rest now too. You, child, should not stay stuck in Yongle Palace all day. Dress up beautifully and go out more often."
Qiaohui nodded and agreed obediently. When she returned to her own residence, she dressed up again, put the Huasheng pendant on her head in a conspicuous place, opened the map, and made sure Liu Qi was not in the Taiji Hall. Then she got up and, as expected, she went out for a walk as requested by Empress Dowager Bo, but by sheer coincidence, she missed him perfectly.
For the next few days, she deliberately avoided Liu Qi every time she went out. They were clearly both in the palace, yet they never even saw each other. Only after Dou Yifang had seen over a hundred women of marriageable age did Qiaohui happen to meet the empress again in Jianzhang Palace.
But this time, her performance really amazed Dou Yifang.
"First, move the sick palace maid into a separate palace. No one except the imperial physician and attendants is allowed to enter. Then, fumigate her with moxa leaves and she'll be fine. Don't worry, this disease isn't terminal, and it's not contagious quickly. As long as we pay more attention, we'll all be fine."
Qiao Hui finished arranging the servants in an orderly manner before noticing that the Queen was standing not far away. She didn't know how long she had been listening, so she hurried forward and bowed, "Greetings, Her Majesty the Queen."
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