Her every move was dignified and elegant, and she walked towards me with a faint smile on her face: "Sister Mu."
I quickly agreed. She came forward and lifted my hand, her voice lowered: "Sister Mu's song 'Autumn Water Full' today really opened my eyes."
We walked side by side on the gravel road back to the palace. The sky gradually darkened and a crescent moon hung on the treetops.
"Thank you for the compliment, sister." I was naturally happy in my heart, but I still had to remember the etiquette.
"Sister, did you change the rhythm yourself?" Concubine Liu De asked softly, "This is a little different from what I've seen before."
I couldn't help but admire the person in front of me even more: "Yeah, it's an idea I came up with on the spur of the moment, I think it's not bad."
"Sister, you are too modest," Concubine Liu De smiled gently, "It's more than good!"
After walking for a while, I could vaguely see a bright light under the pavilion beside Rujing Lake. When I got closer, I found that Song Heng and Duan Xiao were playing chess face to face.
Just as I was considering whether to quietly avoid it, Eunuch Afu beside me saluted us: "Empress Defei, Concubine Mu."
Song Heng and Duan Xiao turned around to look at me, and Concubine De and I also bowed quickly.
Just as I was about to leave, Song Heng suddenly spoke while holding a black chess piece: "Concubine Mu, come here." I walked towards the pavilion in a daze. Concubine Liu De smiled at me gently: "Then I will take my leave first."
Song Heng nodded and placed the piece on the chessboard. As soon as I approached, he pulled me by the hand and sat me directly on the round stone bench next to him.
Could it be that I still couldn't escape the so-called plot of being favored? But seeing them playing chess, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that I would definitely have nothing to do tonight, I stopped worrying and simply went to look at the chessboard.
Duan Xiao said slowly, "Your Majesty still doesn't drink alcohol as usual."
It seems that they had been chatting before, and this sentence made no sense to me.
Song Heng didn't say anything, just stared at the chessboard with a frown.
"Mu Jieyu, do you like tea?" Duan Xiao suddenly turned to look at me.
I was stunned, and suddenly remembered the bitter taste of my father's tea when I was a child. I quickly shook my head and said, "I don't like it very much. It's too bitter."
"What about the wine?" Duan Xiao continued to ask as if chatting.
"Wine," I thought for a moment, "It's OK—"
I wanted to say, "I can have a sip or two, but I don't really like it," but suddenly Duan Xiao looked at the chessboard and said "eh", interrupting me.
"Your Majesty, you are really careless in this move."
It turned out that Song Heng had just made another move. I don't know much about Go, but it seemed that his black pieces had the upper hand before, but the move just now gave Duan Xiao the opportunity to counterattack.
Song Heng stared at the chessboard with a slight frown, giving me the illusion that he had just come to his senses.
He stroked the shiny black chess piece in his hand, and after Duan Xiao placed the white piece, he quickly placed another. Duan Xiao smiled and said, "As expected of Your Majesty."
I saw them playing chess, one piece at a time. There were fewer and fewer pieces in the chess box, and the pieces on the chessboard were getting denser and denser, but the two were still evenly matched, attacking and defending alternately, and the situation was very intense.
Even a half-baked person like me felt like jumping up and swatting mosquitoes. Song Heng turned his head and glanced at me: "Are you sleepy?"
Duan Xiao glanced at the sky and said, "It's getting late."
The two of them tacitly stopped playing chess, asked the servant to collect the unfinished chess game, and stood up to say goodbye without saying anything more.
Song Heng returned to Chengqing Palace, Duan Xiao returned to the inn, and Xiaotao and Xiaocui, who had also been waiting for a long time, accompanied me back to Chenxiang Pavilion.
When three people walk together, one of them is bound to be confused. Tonight, the three of us walked back to Chenshuang Pavilion with confused faces.
Finally, I came to a conclusion. Song Heng wanted me to go over there because he wanted me to help them attract mosquitoes...
I fell asleep as soon as I fell asleep. Never mind. Anyway, the important thing for today was over. Song Heng did not come to me tonight according to the plot, which means that my adaptation really worked.
As the autumn wind gets colder, I wrap myself tightly in my quilt and go to sleep.
The next morning, I suddenly received an imperial edict from Eunuch Afu, and I was promoted to the second rank of Consort Mu!
Eunuch Ah Fu looked at me with a smile on his face: "Mu Zhaoyi, please stand up quickly. Congratulations, Mu Zhaoyi!"
I took the golden imperial edict, feeling the weight of silver in my hands. Could it be that the plot of favor had been replaced by a payout? Excellent, excellent! It's no wonder I racked my brains to modify this dance.
While happily enjoying breakfast, she heard that the concubines who had performed for the Empress Dowager yesterday had been promoted, and the other concubines had also received rewards. The harem was full of harmony, and there was a peaceful atmosphere of celebrating a festival together.
While I was drinking cinnamon porridge, the princess walked in. She didn't look as lively as before, but rather looked a little dejected.
I looked at her carefully, wondering if the princess was upset by the promotion of a concubine in the harem. Just as I was trying to figure out how to relieve her, she sat down in front of me and said, "Sister Mu, I've been feeling a little down lately."
I put down the spoon and looked down at her drooping face. She continued to mumble, "Sister Mu, I know this may be selfish, but would you like to go horseback riding with me?"
The mention of horseback riding reminded me of what happened at the hunting grounds that day. I wondered if there were any more broken bones. But seeing her unusually downcast expression, I made up my mind: "Let's go."
"Thank you, Sister Mu." She pursed her lips, but still couldn't smile.
After arriving at the hunting ground, we chose the horses. She let out a long sigh and patted her face, seeming to be trying to regain her spirits.
Then she started asking me how to ride a horse well, and whether I should also exercise by carrying buckets and carrying poles. She was so focused on every detail that I was stunned. "Why are you so interested in riding a horse all of a sudden?"
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