Chapter 243 World Ten (Fourteen)
After Chu Shi left, Empress Dowager Zhong kept Bao Shan for another half hour. Bao Shan said nothing, simply dancing meekly. She had practiced dancing for years at the Jiaofang Bureau, and it was common for her to practice for hours without stopping. But in front of Empress Dowager Zhong, Bao Shan assumed a weak demeanor.
At first, the precious fan danced gracefully, like a butterfly fluttering among flowers, each movement captivating. But as time went on, the light dance became slow, even a little frivolous.
But even so, Baoshan did not speak a word to apologize to Empress Dowager Zhong.
But the weak and vulnerable appearance of Bao Shan, who had been bullied, made Empress Dowager Zhong frown. When she was still in Emperor Shuncheng's harem, Empress Dowager Zhong had done many arrogant and domineering things.
But now she was the Empress Dowager, and it would be too petty to embarrass a delicate dancer like this. Empress Dowager Zhong thought carefully and realized that Baoshan had done nothing wrong. It was just her superb dancing skills that attracted the emperor's frequent attention.
If this is the case, then you will be humiliated, which is like being in possession of a treasure.
Empress Dowager Zhong said in a deep voice: "Okay, I feel sleepy."
Baoshan hurriedly stopped dancing, but her body staggered slightly.
That pale face would make even women feel sorry for her, not to mention men.
Bao Shan said softly, "Then I will not disturb the Empress Dowager any more, and will take my leave now."
Empress Dowager Zhong responded softly.
When Baoshan reached the palace gate, the senior palace maid who had led the way caught up with her. Her eyes and brows were relaxed, unlike the tense look in the palace.
"You danced beautifully just now. The Empress Dowager has ordered me to fetch three bolts of silk and five bolts of cloth from the storehouse so that I can make you a new dress. This will allow you to better show off your figure when you perform in future dances."
The head maid added, "The silk cloth is quite heavy. I'll pick a few palace maids to go with me."
After saying this, the senior palace maid's gaze drifted past the surrounding palace attendants. Yinhua quickly raised her head and met the senior palace maid's gaze. Seeing this, the senior palace maid nodded to Yinhua to go with her.
The three of them were halfway there when a palace attendant caught up with them and whispered something in the ear of the senior palace maid. The senior palace maid frowned slightly and turned to Bao Shan, "I have something urgent to attend to, so I can't go with you. But the storeroom has been informed in advance, so you can just go in and select the silk fabrics. You—"
Yinhua caught the eye of the head maid and said hurriedly, "My servant Yinhua."
The senior palace maid nodded slightly: "Yinhua will accompany you."
Baoshan's face showed no sign of dissatisfaction, and her voice was gentle, making people feel comfortable all over: "With Yinhua here, nothing will happen. It's important, so don't worry about me, aunt."
The head maid then followed the palace attendant and left.
After everyone left, only Baoshan and Yinhua were left.
The two turned and looked at each other, their eyes met, and they both smiled.
Yinhua was no longer bound by the palace rules. As usual, she walked beside Baoshan, muttering, "What kind of silk cloth should I choose? Thin or thick? Light or dark in color..."
Bao Shan said softly, "Once we get to the warehouse, we'll know what materials to choose."
The warehouse guard had received instructions from the head palace maid. When he saw Baoshan and Yinhua coming, he opened the warehouse door.
Empress Dowager Zhong's storeroom was naturally as magnificent as her bedroom.
They are divided into different categories, which makes people's sight overwhelmed.
The precious fan was brought to a display cabinet where fashionable fabrics were placed.
Baoshan picked out a few pieces of cloth in light and elegant colors, a few pieces in lively colors, and finally a piece of cloth of lamp wick gray.
Yinhua was puzzled. She touched the lilac-colored silk, then the pomegranate-colored material, and whispered, "Lilac is so elegant, it must suit you perfectly. But I've never seen you in a color as bright as pomegranate."
However, as long as you wear the precious fan, no matter what color the clothes are, they will look good on you."
Baoshan smiled slightly, compared the pomegranate-colored cloth to Yinhua's body, and said softly, "Of course I don't wear these colors. This is chosen for you."
Yinhua opened her eyes wide, and when she saw Baoshan's gentle eyes, her heart seemed to melt and her eyes were filled with bitterness.
Yinhua thought to herself that if someone in the palace received a reward, they would at most give some scraps to others, but there was no way they would give her half of it.
However, Yinhua quickly realized that she and Baoshan were naturally different from those people.
Yinhua's face was full of joy, and she spoke a lot of sweet and intimate words to Baoshan, which made Baoshan's cheeks blush.
But Yinhua looked at the lamp-gray fabric and couldn't help wondering, "Only men would use this kind of material, right?"
Baoshan replied softly, and before Yinhua could ask, she changed the subject lightly: "Let's hurry over to the tailor shop before they finish their shift."
Yinhua quickly agreed. Such good material should naturally be used to pay for the tailoring.
Yinhua hurriedly left the warehouse holding the silk cloth, and naturally forgot to ask what it was used for. It was obviously the lamp wick ash cloth used by the man.
Baoshan was of humble status, so naturally she could not be used by the master craftsman in the tailor shop.
Moreover, she had little money on her, so she had to ask the young master who had just entered the palace to do it.
When the young master in the tailoring shop saw Baoshan's beauty and gentle temperament, he began to speak softly and repeatedly promised to make good clothes for Baoshan and Yinhua.
The maid who was waiting in the tailor's office with her handkerchief held high couldn't help laughing when she heard what Baoshan said. This was her first time in the tailor's office and she asked the young master many stupid questions.
The young master was explaining some simple questions to Bao Shan in a trembling voice, enjoying the admiring gaze of the beauty. When he heard the sudden laughter, he couldn't help but frown.
The maid looked at them with a sarcastic smile on her lips: "What a frog in the well! Don't you even know which way the door of the tailor shop opens?"
Baoshan's brows suddenly furrowed.
Yinhua clutched her handkerchief tightly, sizing up the maid with a mocking expression. Suddenly, she smiled knowingly, "I thought she was some popular figure in the palace, someone who had earned respect in front of His Majesty and the Queen Mother. I never imagined she was merely serving the concubines."
Yinhua had been walking around in the palace for several years, so she naturally noticed that the clothes on the maids were made of the same material that was distributed to the maids who served the new beauties in the palace.
The maid was so angry that she trembled all over. She said in a cold voice: "Who are you? Although Miss Tang has not yet been officially recognized, she is at least half a concubine of His Majesty..."
Yinhua sneered, even louder than the maid's previous sarcasm.
She ignored the maid, only holding Baoshan's arm, and chuckled, "Half a concubine... Your Majesty, do you know that you suddenly have half a concubine?"
Although a concubine wasn't officially a mistress, she was still considered a half-concubine. This was a tacit understanding among everyone. If a maid were to say it out loud, it would seem ridiculous.
It was clear that she had not been summoned by Chu Boyu, let alone loved and cared for, but he brought up the title of concubine.
Baoshan couldn't help but purse her lips and chuckle.
Looking at the maid picking up the prepared clothes and leaving angrily, Yinhua did not feel the slightest bit of fear in her heart.
This is how the palace is. You have to be careful with your words and actions in front of your master and be very cautious.
But if she was timid and submissive, anyone could step on her. Before tomorrow, her reputation as an easy target would spread throughout the palace, and she would be reduced to the most humble and vulnerable person, and her life would be difficult. Yinhua was not afraid of the maid. Even if the "Tang Xiu Nu" she mentioned really did gain favor one day, that would be tomorrow.
Besides, Yinhua thought that with such a hateful maid, Tang Xiunv would naturally not be very popular, and His Majesty would definitely look down on her.
Yinhua turned to look at Baoshan, and returned to her usual soft and gentle self, telling Baoshan not to take it to heart.
In Yinhua's opinion, Baoshan was kept in the Jiaofangsi and was only recently allowed to move around the palace freely. She must not know that there were many biting dogs in the palace.
Baoshan responded softly.
The young master was already stunned by Yinhua's natural transformation. When he came to his senses, he hurriedly memorized the two people's figures for use in tailoring.
When it came to the matter of the waist, the young master suddenly raised his head after hearing the number and stared at Baoshan's slender waist.
Baoshan's eyes trembled as he stared at Yinhua, and he hid behind her.
Yinhua showed impatience and stood in front of Baoshan tightly: "We won't lie, why are you looking at us like this?"
The young master knew he had been rude and apologized softly. But the moment he picked up the pen and wrote down the number, he couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat.
After learning the day to collect the clothes, Baoshan returned to the Jiaofangsi. On the bed lay a piece of cloth the color of a lantern straw, shimmering with color, with hidden gold threads floating in it. Baoshan stretched out her soft hand and slowly stroked it.
The master tailor in the tailoring department called out, "Send your Majesty's clothes."
The dozing young master quickly agreed. Still drowsy in his eyes, he followed the instructions on the slip and folded several garments neatly, placing them on the sandalwood tray.
The young master came to the front of the emperor's palace with great respect, waited for the eunuch to take it, and only returned to the tailoring office after learning that there was nothing else to do.
He groped for the table, wanting to look through the paper that recorded the treasure fan's appearance, but he couldn't find it.
Although the young master memorized the numbers, he felt lost because he couldn't find the paper.
Chu Boyu had no intention of opening the garments, but a piece of sticky paper fell out from between the two garments.
Chu Boyu thought that perhaps the tailor in the tailor shop had put it in accidentally in a panic.
Chu Boyu had no intention of looking closely and just wanted to crumple the paper into a ball.
But the two words "treasure fan" on the glutinous rice paper caught Chu Boyu's attention.
Chu Boyu flattened the wrinkled paper, revealing the original appearance of the rice paper.
—A precious fan for a dancer from the Jiaofangsi, two spring clothes and two jackets and skirts. She is about...tall, with a slender waist...and a chest of about...
Chu Boyu immediately pressed down the paper, his face flushed red.
He closed his eyes, but the image of the precious fan automatically appeared in his mind, and he timidly called him "Your Majesty".
Chu Boyu held the piece of rice paper and wanted to throw it away, but he didn't know how to do it.
He simply stuffed the rice paper into the book without looking at it any more closely.
As for returning the rice paper to its original owner, to some unknown tailor in the tailoring department, Chu Boyu hadn't even considered it. After all, the tailor was so careless. This time, he had sent the rice paper along with the finished garment. Next time, he might put it somewhere else, allowing others to see it.
It was late at night, and Chu Boyu fell into a deep sleep with his eyelids closed as usual.
A beautiful woman appeared in the dream, and her figure was exactly the same as the one recorded on the rice paper.
Chu Boyu only needed to take a glance to know that the numbers written on the rice paper were not lies.
It was because the precious fan that appeared in front of Chu Boyu was wearing thin clothes that could not cover her snow-white skin.
The smooth and white skin seems to be glowing under the sunlight.
Compared with the dance costume, Baoshan at this moment is slender yet graceful.
She hugged herself timidly with her hands, as if she was embarrassed by the scene and didn't know what to do.
When Baoshan saw Chu Boyu, she thought she had found a lifeline and called out timidly, "Your Majesty... My clothes are missing... Could you please help me get one..."
What a foolish woman! With such a seductive look, she vainly wants others to be upright and gentleman, like Liu Xiahui, who had beauty in front of him but a heart as solid as a rock.
Chu Boyu walked over slowly, his hands empty, where was the dress? Chu Boyu leaned over and hugged the treasure fan in his arms.
There is a tree beside me. It has slender willow branches, but it is laden with fruits. It makes my eyes dazzled and my mind confused. I no longer know what day it is.
The next morning, as the dew was still shimmering, Chu Boyu opened his eyes. He subconsciously closed his palms, the soft, delicate touch of her skin still lingering in them, as if it weren't just a dream. Instead, Chu Boyu had actually kissed, embraced, and held her close.
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