In the dim candlelight, a beautiful woman and a handsome man sat and lay down, one looking at the other. The woman's face was gentle, her eyes full of love (on the surface), while the man's eyes were closed, his face relaxed and comfortable.
When Ruoshu arrived with her maid to serve the dishes, this was the scene she saw. For a moment, she didn't know whether she should go in or not. After hesitating, she decided to wait a moment at the door.
Fortunately, Yunyi, who was inside the house, spotted Ruoshu at the door. She gently patted Kangxi's shoulder and said, "Cousin, don't sleep yet. You haven't eaten for a long time. Be careful not to upset your spleen and stomach. Eat something before you sleep."
Emperor Kangxi hadn't actually fallen asleep; he had simply closed his eyes to rest for a while. Upon hearing Yunyi's words, he opened his eyes. "Liang Jiugong, serve the meal!"
Having received His Majesty's order, Ruoshu led the palace maids to serve the dishes.
Then another eunuch came forward to taste each dish, and only withdrew after confirming that it was not poisonous.
Yunyi refused Ruoshu's offer of service and served Kangxi a dish herself. "Cousin, please try this Eight Treasure Gourd Duck. It's your favorite. Knowing you were coming, I instructed the kitchen to prepare it long ago."
"Hmm, the taste is as delicious as ever. The chef in my cousin's palace is so skilled at making this gourd duck that he is even better than the chef in the imperial kitchen."
Yunyi smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it, cousin. It's a blessing for the chef to receive your praise."
After speaking, she picked up a dish of stir-fried venison with bamboo shoots and served it to Kangxi. Ordinary concubines could not eat venison. Although Yunyi was a Noble Consort and had some in her allowance, it was not much. Because Kangxi liked it, Yunyi had gone to great lengths for him today.
Perhaps it was because his cousin was different today, or perhaps it was because the atmosphere was too wonderful tonight, but Kangxi unknowingly ate too much. As a health-conscious man, he had inadvertently consumed more than usual.
After the meal, the emperor and empress held hands tightly and strolled around Chengqian Palace to aid digestion.
Next up was the main event of the evening. Yunyi knew this would happen sooner or later, and she had mentally prepared herself beforehand, but she was still very nervous when the moment arrived. As soon as she returned to the inner palace, she excused herself to take a bath and left.
Ruoshu was about to lead two palace maids to help Yunyi bathe, but she was really not used to others helping her bathe. Yunyi waved her hand and said, "You can go down first. I will do it myself."
"This... Your Highness, shall we serve you instead?" Ruoshu asked hesitantly.
Yun Yi said firmly, "No problem, follow orders."
"Yes, Your Highness, I will wait outside the door. Please give me any instructions if you need anything." Having failed to persuade her, Ruoshu had no choice but to put down the clothes and retreat outside with her maid.
She quickly took off her clothes and soaked in the bathtub filled with flower petals. Thinking about what was about to happen, Yunyi, who usually seemed calm, was feeling unusually complicated at this moment.
Although she is a modern woman of the 21st century, living in an era of information overload, and knows all about these things, knowing is one thing, but not having experienced them firsthand still makes her very uneasy.
Yunyi didn't get up and get dressed until the water had cooled down, and Ruoshu called her several times from outside. She then went to the inner hall.
Emperor Kangxi had just finished bathing. Dressed in a white nightgown, he reclined on the couch, reading a book. Stripped of his everyday clothes, he lost his daytime majesty and appeared more gentle.
Seeing Yunyi enter, he put down the book in his hand and walked over with a hint of worry. "Why did you take such a long bath? It's chilly at night, be careful not to catch a cold."
"It's alright, cousin, don't worry. Soaking in hot water is very comfortable. I indulged myself for a while and stayed in the water a little longer. But Ruoshu and the others knew their place and urged me to get up when it was almost time."
Emperor Kangxi spoke with a hint of instruction, "Soaking in hot water can indeed relieve fatigue and is quite effective at relieving tiredness, but you shouldn't soak for too long, otherwise you'll easily catch a cold once the water cools down."
Fearing that Yunyi would be unhappy, he continued, "If you like, I will take you to the manor to soak in the hot springs when I have some free time in a while. The hot springs are even better, and the water temperature is constant and won't get cold. But as I said before, you shouldn't be greedy. You can't soak in the hot springs for too long, or you'll get dizzy."
"Yes, yes, cousin, please stop nagging. I understand." Yunyi hugged Kangxi's arm and acted coquettishly, then happily curtsied. "Then I thank Your Majesty for your grace in advance."
Kangxi picked up Yunyi and placed her on the bed. He whispered in her ear, "Since you want to express your gratitude, you can't just leave without doing anything!"
Caught off guard, Yunyi was suddenly picked up by the man. She gasped in surprise, but quickly calmed down. Hearing the man's slightly ambiguous words, her face turned bright red... Ahhh, Kangxi is too good at flirting.
Suppressing her shyness, Yunyi wrapped her arms around Kangxi's neck and whispered in his ear, "Whatever my cousin wants to do tonight, I will do as you please, okay?"
These words seemed to flip a switch. With a swift pull, the bed curtains fell, obscuring the view inside. The bed shook violently, followed by groans that made one blush.
Outside the door, Liang Jiugong stood calmly, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Ruoshu bowed respectfully to him, "Steward Liang, it's late at night and the dew is heavy. The tea room has prepared some hot tea. Please go and rest."
Liang Jiugong nodded and readily agreed. He served by Kangxi's side, so he still had some dignity. Besides, this was an old custom in Chengqian Palace.
Upon entering the small tea room, a young eunuch came in to serve Liang Jiugong, giving him a back massage. He had been serving Emperor Kangxi closely all day, either standing or kneeling, leaving him stiff and tired. The massage was a welcome relaxation for him.
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