Chapter 92 Bathing, Eunuch An, come in.
"But I really didn't expect that. You're quite good-looking, you should attract a lot of men. Aren't there any better choices among them than eunuchs?"
Hazard couldn't contain his curiosity.
From Hazard's perspective, one's appearance is a form of strength, and Zhao Liangxu should choose the most cost-effective person to be worthy of her.
"But I think he's a great choice. You haven't spent time with him, so you wouldn't know." Zhao Liangxu recalled her time with Tong Anhe. He was very much to her liking in terms of looks, and his personality...
The contrast between her external and internal behavior makes her like it even more.
Seeing that Zhao Liangxu's expression was genuine, Hazard nodded thoughtfully.
“You’re right. Like many people have asked me why I’m with a mute person, Benna just doesn’t like to talk. I think he’s a good choice too. I understand you!”
She quickly figured it out and asked sincerely, "Then there's something else I'm curious about, and I hope I haven't offended you."
When Zhao Liangxu heard Hazard's preamble, she felt that it was a rather ominous question, but after thinking it over, she felt there was nothing wrong with saying it, so she generously said, "Go ahead and ask."
"I want to ask, have you slept together?"
Zhao Liangxu's smile faltered for a moment; it was indeed a rather unconventional question.
Hazard, adhering to the principle of "going all the way," continued, "What is he going to do? Have you ever experienced a real man before? Will it feel different?"
As if he knew his questions were too numerous and sensitive, Hazard looked at Zhao Liangxu earnestly and said, "Perhaps this is a very private matter, but as friends, I think it's a question that shows you care about me a lot."
“Our caravan has traveled this far, and I’ve met many people and had brief but sincere conversations about this kind of thing. I think you should take this seriously and not sacrifice your own feelings!”
Hazard spoke cryptically, but Zhao Liangxu could understand him.
Zhao Liangxu wiped away non-existent sweat from her forehead and still expressed her gratitude to Hazard.
She shook her head regretfully: "We haven't..."
Zhao Liangxu was initially shocked by Hazard, but she quickly recovered and felt that there was nothing wrong with talking about these things.
Zhao Liangxu simply smiled and said, "Compared to the common opinion in the world, I don't think Eunuch An is any different."
After all, Eunuch An has skills.
Hazard didn't say anything more, nodding as if he agreed, but was still thinking about something.
Just then, several voices rang out outside the guesthouse, speaking in proper Southern Zhou Mandarin.
"Hmm? It's quite lively today, more people have arrived."
Hazard got up and went out to greet them, and Zhao Liangxu followed behind Hazard to watch the excitement.
The Southern Zhou people who came to the caravan's lodgings were either other merchants interested in the caravan's treasures or government officials.
The men dressed in official robes were very courteous, treating the members of the Persian caravan with respect and exchanging polite words.
However, the caravan members didn't quite understand these polite words and often exchanged bewildered glances with the court officials.
And he had acquaintances among the court officials.
The leader had gray hair and beard, and looked quite old. He was thin and looked like a somewhat withered old man.
However, he had the air of someone who had been an official for many years, and it was clear that he held a high-ranking position.
Following behind the old official were two familiar faces.
The Ministry of Rites was the first to interact with the caravans, and the Siyiguan (Foreigners' Office) had a similar function to the Ministry of Rites in diplomacy.
Therefore, it is conceivable that the two acquaintances were Zhang Changfei and Chen Qinglie.
The two men followed behind the old official, one on each side, and seemed to be highly valued by the leader.
As soon as Zhang Changfei spoke, Zhao Liangxu knew who the leader was.
The way he addressed him as "Your Excellency" was so affectionate, as if he were calling him his own father. How could Zhao Liangxu not see the relationship between the two?
The tall, thin official with a long beard was Zhang Changfei's most trusted grandfather, Zhang Yuan. As the Vice Minister of Rites, Zhang Yuan held a very high official position, so it was quite unusual that he would condescend to come to the Persian caravan's guesthouse.
It was only natural that Chen Qinglie was present behind him, given that he had heard that Chen Qinglie was now highly regarded by the Vice Minister of Rites.
The group had come here specifically to discuss the exchange of some treasures from the Persian caravan.
It's understandable that the Vice Minister of Rites would come in person, given the preciousness of the gifts. However, Zhao Liangxu couldn't know if there were other reasons behind it. Perhaps it was to promote Chen Qinglie, whom he favored.
Chen Qinglie and Zhang Changfei were mainly acting as interpreters to negotiate with the Persian caravan. They had noticed Zhao Liangxu standing to the side, but because the Vice Minister of Rites was still there and important matters were at stake, they simply exchanged a knowing glance and did not go to cause any "trouble" for Zhao Liangxu.
As for Zhao Liangxu, upon seeing an acquaintance, she rubbed her temples and took a few steps back, then picked up the Siamese kitten that was following closely at her feet and stroked its fur absentmindedly.
What a coincidence! I ran into Chen Qinglie again.
The kitten purred contentedly in Zhao Liangxu's arms, so Zhao Liangxu scratched the kitten's chin and rubbed its belly.
The kitten was exceptionally clingy, but after purring a few times, it would suddenly bite Zhao Liangxu's finger.
Zhao Liangxu reacted quickly and dodged the kitten's sudden attack. The black-faced kitten then acted as if nothing had happened, licking Zhao Liangxu's fingers in a comforting manner.
Anhe is always like this; he clearly enjoys being close to you, but when he's enjoying it to the extreme, he suddenly restrains himself and deliberately tries to "bite you."
Zhao Liangxu unconsciously squinted her eyes and smiled, rubbing the little cat's cool ear tips.
The Ministry of Rites quickly finalized the arrangements with the caravan. As they emerged from the house, Chen Qinglie passed by and saw Zhao Liangxu holding a kitten and smiling happily. He couldn't help but stare at her, mesmerized.
He had only studied with Zhao Liangxu for a short period of time, and rarely saw Zhao Liangxu with such a relaxed and gentle smile.
Zhao Liangxu's light-colored eyes were filled with laughter, and her fair fingers teased the kitten in her arms, making her seem like a compassionate and graceful fairy.
Chen Qinglie hesitated, but seeing that the Vice Minister of Rites didn't seem inclined to linger, he could only follow his superior without leaving Zhao Liangxu a single word.
Only after the two boarded the carriage did Zhang Changfei casually remark to Chen Qinglie, "Zhao Liangxu seems to be doing quite well."
"Yes, it looks quite good."
Zhang Changfei nudged Chen Qinglie with his arm: "What are you daydreaming about? Are you still thinking about Zhao Liangxu?"
Chen Qinglie snapped out of his reverie and stammered, "I...I didn't."
"Come on, your eyes are practically glued to her. I thought you'd given up after being punished before, but it turns out I was wrong. You've been using my name to say things like I'm urging you to buy medicine to remove the scars."
Zhang Changfei grinned and said, "It caused that aunt Qiu Cheng to complain, and my old man even thought I was gay. Brother Chen, I'm begging you, please don't mention my name next time. My reputation is already bad."
Zhang Changfei is very self-aware.
"Also, my old man now regards you as a good person, so you still need to distinguish between what's important and what's urgent. As for Zhao Liangxu, she, she..." Zhang Changfei wanted to say some bad things to put others down as usual, but when he thought about his relationship with Zhao Liangxu, he couldn't bring himself to say anything to criticize her.
All he could say was, "No matter how good she is, you can't steal a woman from the Emperor."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qinglie's eyes showed a hint of melancholy.
*
Zhao Liangxu spent the afternoon at the Persian caravan's guesthouse, returning home smelling strongly of spices.
Although the scent was not bad, Zhao Liangxu had never liked strong fragrances, and she couldn't stand the smell on her body, so she decided to take a bath before going to bed.
She took off her clothes and draped them over the screen before stepping into the steaming bath.
There were also some flower petals scattered in the water, which was clearly a clever touch from Zhu Mu. Having lived with Zhu Mu for a long time, she also discovered that Zhu Mu liked to add a little something extra to ordinary days. Taking care of flowers and plants during peaceful times was just her personality.
Zhao Liangxu was comfortably soaking in the water when An He, unusually, came to her courtyard.
An He had originally intended to agree to Zhao Liangxu's earlier suggestion to "balance the two sides," so he decided to stay at Zhao Liangxu's place for the night, but he didn't have time to inform her.
Hearing that Zhao Liangxu had returned to her residence without making any noise, he guessed that Zhao Liangxu was still in her courtyard, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
As for Zhao Liangxu, she should be happy about taking the initiative.
Anhe was thinking this in her heart, but Zhumu stopped her outside the room.
When Zhu Mu saw An He enter the courtyard dressed in dark casual clothes, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
The Ninth Prince always liked to wear dark-colored clothes. Although he wasn't wearing a python robe, he always looked intimidating.
Zhu Mu said cautiously, "Your Majesty, Princess Zhao is currently... not quite at ease."
Zhao Liangxu was taking a bath! How could she let the Ninth Prince into the room!
"Why is she not feeling well?" Anhe frowned.
"It's just that it's not very convenient." Takeki tends to wring his fingers when he's nervous.
Anhe looked at the tightly closed door and asked again, "What are you afraid of? You're Zhao Liangxu's person. Do you think our family would eat you? Explain clearly how it's inconvenient for her."
Could it be that everything he said before was a lie? Now that he's here, he's blocked him at the door?
Hearing Anhe's words, Zhu Mu became even more frightened. She glanced at Anhe and noticed that his face looked unwell. She could only say intermittently, "Princess Zhao... she is taking a bath. It's really... inconvenient."
Anheben listened with a frown, wanting to know the reason, but after hearing what Zhumu said, he was speechless.
That's not very convenient.
But Zhao Liangxu heard faint sounds from inside the house, the sounds of bamboo and wood, and also seemed to be An He's voice.
Zhao Liangxu raised her voice and asked, "Who's outside? Zhu Mu, is that Eunuch An?"
Hearing the sounds from inside the house, and seemingly also hearing the splashing of water, Anhe replied, "It's our house."
He had intended to sit in the side room and wait for a while, but the next moment he heard Zhao Liangxu's voice.
"Oh, it's Eunuch An. Please come in, Eunuch An."
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Author's Note: [Peeking while covering face]
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