Chapter 2 How about becoming my intimate guest?
The hour of Xu (7-9 PM) had just passed when the night watchman's drum sounded, yet the Xihe Palace was still brightly lit.
More than a dozen palace maids dressed in light blue palace attire were serving the princess in an orderly manner as she took a bath.
In the bath, wisps of white steam rise, resembling a hazy fairyland.
Two maids knelt by the pool, scooping up warm water with jade spoons and carefully pouring it over the princess's hair.
Li Yuanzhao half-closed his eyes, letting the palace maids serve him.
Finally, I finished showering and changing.
The palace maids lowered their heads and quietly withdrew from the hall.
Li Yuanzhao, dressed in a red nightgown, walked barefoot onto a cashmere carpet presented as tribute from Persia, slowly entering the bedchamber.
Her skin, still flushed from her recent shower, and her wet hair casually draped over her shoulders softened the intimidating aura she exuded during the day, adding a touch of languid leisure.
She had just turned around the screen when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
In the very center of the sleeping quarters, a figure was kneeling, bound hand and foot.
At this moment, Chen Yanqing was only wearing a semi-transparent moon-white gauze dress.
The material is so thin it's almost transparent, allowing you to vaguely see the tight texture underneath.
The whip mark on his back had scabbed over, and the dark red scar stood out starkly against his pale skin.
His hands were tied behind his back with hemp rope, and his ankles were tightly locked with gold chains.
The silk cloth stuffed in his mouth was soaked with saliva, and a strand slid down his taut jawline and into the collar of his semi-transparent gauze robe.
Upon seeing Li Yuanzhao step in, he suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with shock, anger, and humiliation, and began to struggle violently.
"Hmm!"
The gold chains clanged against each other, producing a crisp yet jarring sound.
As he moved, the gauze dress slipped down most of its length, revealing his well-defined collarbones and waist.
Li Yuanzhao raised his eyebrows slightly, and his red lips curved into a smile.
Unexpectedly, Ru Mo is quite reliable; this tying... is quite skillful.
She ignored the anger in his eyes, walked right past him, and lazily leaned against the bed.
Bend your right leg and place your bare foot on the edge of the bed.
The hem of her nightgown slipped down with this movement, revealing a section of her strong calves.
"Don't look at what you shouldn't look at," Chen Yanqing quickly looked away.
Li Yuanzhao, however, propped his head up with one hand, tapping his temple with his index finger as he idly observed the scene before him with great interest.
Being scrutinized inch by inch like a piece of merchandise, Chen Yanqing was instantly overcome with shame, and the corners of her eyes gradually turned slightly red with embarrassment.
How dare this woman be so dissolute!
That undisguised sitting posture, that casually exposed skin, that utter lack of manners and shame in every gesture—where is the slightest resemblance to a royal lady?
"What did you say your name was again today?"
After Li Yuanzhao had enjoyed the view enough, he slowly began to speak.
Chen Yanqing let out a muffled sob, which made Li Yuanzhao seem to suddenly remember something and let out a soft "ah".
"Sorry, I forgot you can't speak."
As she spoke, she condescended to extend her left hand, pinching the corner of the handkerchief between her fingertips, and slowly pulled the silk cloth stuffed in his mouth.
Then, he threw the handkerchief on the ground in disgust.
Then, in that position, he wiped his hand on the fabric of Chen Yanqing's chest.
Her fingertips traced his firm abdominal muscles, and she even pressed them down deliberately.
I didn't expect someone who looks so thin to be so muscular.
Chen Yanqing's face flushed red instantly, but he dared not retaliate.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his humiliation, and spoke calmly.
"This humble citizen, Chen Yanqing, pays his respects to the Princess. I have no idea where I have offended the Princess, that I have been bound and brought here?"
"Offend me?" Li Yuanzhao chuckled lightly. "If you had offended me, you would have been beheaded on the street long ago. Would you still be here speaking to me properly?"
His tone was casual, yet it exuded the authority of someone in a superior position.
Chen Yanqing was even more puzzled, "Then why did the eldest princess treat me like this?"
Li Yuanzhao suddenly bent down, his wet hair falling down, the ends brushing against Chen Yanqing's cheek.
"I find you to be merely somewhat attractive, but I am willing to give you preferential treatment."
She leaned closer, her lips almost touching his earlobe. "Stay here and be my intimate companion, shall we?"
Chen Yanqing froze.
I had long heard of the princess's debauchery, but I never imagined she would be this outrageous!
He forced himself to remain calm and said, "How could a commoner of humble appearance dare to catch the eye of a princess?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanzhao's smiling eyes turned icy cold in an instant.
Immediately afterwards, she raised her foot and kicked him hard in the shoulder!
Caught off guard, Chen Yanqing fell backward, his head hitting the floor tiles hard, causing him to feel dizzy from the pain.
"You know you're nothing but a willow branch."
Her voice had lost its previous enthusiasm, replaced by a chilling coldness: "Who gave you the audacity to refuse me?"
Chen Yanqing lay on his back on the ground, his gold chain tangled up in a ball.
The pain in his shoulders and back made him gasp, but he froze the moment he met Li Yuanzhao's gaze.
Those eyes held no warmth whatsoever, only an oppressive, condescending gaze, as if looking down upon an ant.
"This humble subject..." He was about to say something more when Li Yuanzhao lightly interrupted him.
"In that case, I am unwilling to force you into a difficult situation..."
A glimmer of hope ignited in Chen Yanqing's heart, but before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, he heard the voice continue.
"It just so happens that the peony in my courtyard is lacking some nutrients. I've heard that human blood is the most nourishing..."
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over my head.
Chen Yanqing trembled all over. He had gone through so much hardship to get to the capital from Lingnan, he absolutely could not die here!
After much deliberation, he gritted his teeth, struggled to sit up, and kowtowed deeply.
"Thanks to the Princess's kindness, this humble subject... this humble subject is willing to serve the Princess."
After he finished speaking, the bedchamber suddenly became eerily quiet.
Chen Yanqing could clearly hear his own rapid heartbeat and the distant dripping of the water clock.
After waiting for a long time without receiving a response, he couldn't help but look up...
Li Yuanzhao was staring at him silently, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate his flesh and pierce his soul.
Suddenly, a smile appeared on her lips, and she burst out laughing.
Then, the laughter grew louder and more unrestrained, until the eyes crinkled into crescents and tears welled up in the eyes.
But the laughter wasn't smug; it was full of disdain.
So this is what they call the chosen one?
That's all there is to it...
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