The moment the soft golden gauze curtain was lifted, my breathing stopped.
She didn't even know how she ended up lying on her back on the large, soft bed, staring blankly at Song Heng standing on the edge of the bed, taking off his crown, untying his belt, and taking off his robe, his expression gloomy.
My body couldn't help but tremble slightly. I thought I had already convinced myself to be the good Mu Zhaoyi, and I would do everything that this identity required.
But when the time came, I found that I was still afraid and uneasy, especially when facing the emperor in front of me who made me feel mixed emotions.
"Like?" His soft black hair was scattered beside his ears, his voice was cold, and his loose inner clothes made the lines of his well-shaped body vaguely visible.
My face was burning and red, but it no longer mattered. Unease almost took over my whole being. I knew he was asking about the embroidered bed, but I had no idea why he had brought me here so suddenly...
My mind was like a mess and I felt uneasy.
"Your Majesty!" I sat up suddenly, clenched my trembling hands, and looked into his eyes as dark as a deep pool. My voice unconsciously lowered again: "I, my concubine, have just returned from outside the palace. My clothes are covered with sweat and dirt. This time... I am afraid, afraid..."
I no longer knew how to organize my words, but the meaning was already very clear. I didn’t know what Song Heng would see when he looked into my eyes—fear, uneasiness, begging… ?
He stood at the edge of the bed and looked down at me, then pulled his robe over himself and walked out without saying a word.
I slumped on the soft bed, not knowing whether to get out or just sit there stupidly.
While I was lost in thought, a strange maid came in and said to me respectfully as if she hadn't seen anything: "Mu Zhaoyi, I will help you take a bath."
Bath.
I was stunned.
So... there's no way to avoid it today, right?
I was carried to Lanqing Pond in a sedan chair, where I took off my hairpin, let my hair down, undressed, and took off my socks... The water temperature was just right, and the pink petals were bright and fresh. I leaned against a corner and watched the milky white mist gradually settle down.
Today I wasted time going back to the palace, and when we were on the city wall, Song Heng hugged me and led me downstairs, and he must have been in a good mood. We then had a meal together, and everything was fine until Guard Li delivered the embroidery. Unfortunately, after the pattern of the embroidery appeared, we inexplicably found ourselves in an awkward and strange atmosphere.
A concubine said that she liked embroidery with various men's styles.
At that time, my brain must have been kicked by a donkey. I actually thought I had found the least culpable explanation!
This is really touching the reverse scale. This is a blatant insult to the royal family. If it gets out, even the Mu family will be implicated!
I looked at the petals floating quietly beside me, and thought of Song Heng's rare look of genuine gloom... Tonight, it was a warning from an emperor to a concubine.
The royal family's reputation cannot be insulted, and concubines should behave themselves.
All I ask now is that once this evening is over, this matter is put behind us and never mentioned again.
"Mu Zhaoyi, it's almost time." The maid reminded me gently. Then I realized that I seemed to have been soaking in the water for a long time and my face was getting hot.
The maidservant has prepared new clothes for me. The inside is made of thin, semi-transparent gauze. She didn't help me put on the gold and silver hairpins, but only selected some smooth and easy-to-remove jade ornaments.
Everything was prepared very well. When she helped me out of the Lanqing Pool, I felt a little soft and weak because I had been soaking in the hot water for too long, as if I was stepping on soft clouds.
But she didn't lead me out of the house. Instead, she turned through a corridor and led me to another place inside the house.
At the end of the corridor stood Eunuch Ah Fu. The maidservant bowed and immediately withdrew. Eunuch Ah Fu said to me with a smile on his face, "Please follow me, Concubine Mu."
Ever since Song Heng asked them to leave in the hall, they probably didn't know what happened next.
Most people thought I was going to be honored tonight, but little did they know that it was a warning that I had touched a reverse scale.
A milky white veil hung down from high above, and a steady stream of hot water spewed out from the mouth of a golden beast beside the pool, pouring into the spacious pool.
Through the white gauze, Song Heng's figure lying on the side of the pool was vaguely visible, and I couldn't help but lower my head.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Mu is here." Eunuch Afu whispered to Song Heng through the gauze curtain.
But after a long time, there was no response from behind the veil, so Eunuch Ah Fu had to whisper again: "Your Majesty——"
"Well, you can go down." Song Heng agreed and said nothing more.
Eunuch Ahfu said "yes" respectfully, looked at me again, seemed to be hesitating to speak, and slowly walked out of the room.
I stood there motionless, lowered my brows, pursed my lips and said nothing.
Suddenly, the sound of water splashing was heard from within the white gauze. I subconsciously looked up and saw Song Heng's blurry figure standing up in the bathtub through the white gauze as soft as milk.
My breath hitched.
He hurriedly lowered his head, feeling a little dizzy, not sure if it was because he had been soaking in hot water for too long or because of the high temperature in the room.
The sound of splashing water disappeared, and Song Heng's cold voice rang out in the quiet room.
"Come in."
I looked up suddenly and saw that Song Heng was already standing by the pool. He was wearing a loose robe, but his expression was unclear through the veil. I could only feel that he was looking at me.
I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and walked towards the edge of the gauze, where I should be able to lift the gauze and walk in.
Under Song Heng's gaze, I carefully lifted the veil and met his deep eyes. The navy blue bathrobe was loose and fell to the ground, so his chest was half exposed, and crystal water droplets could be vaguely seen.
I quickly lowered my head again: "Long live Your Majesty."
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