Chapter 155 She's started using all thirty-six stratagems to coax her husband again!
The Imperial Palace.
In fact, Qian Yueshu had already gotten everything she wanted.
The Empress, second only to the Emperor!
The son was made crown prince as soon as he was born.
The Qian family became the foremost aristocratic family.
No woman in the harem could make her suffer, because the emperor only had her as his woman.
Xiao Qingxuan was even afraid that she would be jealous.
Even beautiful young palace maids were rare.
He truly cherished Qian Yueshu dearly.
now.
Qian Yueshu leaned against the rosewood chaise lounge by the window, her bright red phoenix and peony dress gleaming with an undeniable luster.
The air inside the hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.
That fragrance is top-grade Qinan, a tribute item, with a rich and lingering aroma.
Qian Yueshu achieved the pinnacle that a woman could attain within the harem.
He is truly second only to the emperor, above all others!
Logically speaking...
She should breathe a sigh of relief.
But Qian Yueshu's nerves were more tense than ever before.
Qian Yueshu never believed in any "predestined" glory.
She firmly believes that a happy life is something you have to fight for yourself!
This was not only her personal belief, but also a lesson learned through blood and tears from her survival and rise in the deep palace.
In her previous life, her status was something she had fought hard for.
And the most crucial element of all this is a man's heart!
Even if Xiao Qingxuan loves her wholeheartedly at this moment, cherishes her as a treasure, and promises her "one love for life," you cannot guarantee that he will continue to love you as before.
The emperor's "single-mindedness" was time-limited and conditional.
Youth fades, beauty withers, but the palace never lacks fresh and delicate beauties.
The emperor's love is a blessing, but also a sword hanging over one's head.
It may grant you supreme power today, but it may also be taken back in an instant tomorrow, or even turn into a sharp edge aimed at you.
Relying on the emperor's love puts one in constant danger of collapse.
Qian Yueshu could not and dared not place all her sense of security on this "love" that could shift at any time.
therefore.
During the days when I was firmly in the position of empress.
Qian Yueshu not only did not slack off in the slightest, but instead managed herself with an almost strict attitude.
And the starting point of all this was her body.
Her body had changed slightly due to childbirth some time ago.
Therefore.
Qian Yueshu is more concerned about her figure than ever before, and she takes better care of herself.
She never indulged in the delicacies served by the imperial kitchen.
I only eat three bites of each dish, and no matter how much I like it, I never eat more.
Oily and sweet foods are avoided at all costs.
She knows that maintaining a slender figure is the first line of defense against aging and preserving beauty.
No matter how busy?
How does the weather change?
Qian Yueshu dedicates two hours every day without fail to take care of her health.
In the early morning, she would practice a set of body-cultivation methods inherited from the imperial physicians of the previous dynasty in the Imperial Garden. The movements were gentle and contained internal strength, aiming to invigorate the muscles and bones and nourish the blood and qi.
The afternoon was her time for "fragrant bathing in jade-like water" when she was alone.
That bath was no ordinary hot water; it was a collection of rare and precious ingredients from all over the world.
Motherwort from Lingnan, pearl powder from Jiangnan, rose dew from the Western Regions, ginseng juice from Changbai Mountain...
These precious herbs were used by palace maids in a specific order and technique to massage her entire body, leaving no inch of skin untouched, striving to maintain its jade-like luster and elasticity.
After showering.
A specialist then used a jade roller soaked in specially made flowers and precious medicinal herbs to roll on her face and massage her body.
This method is said to remove wrinkles, tighten skin, and maintain body contours.
Her dressing case contained no popular face powder or rouge, but instead dozens of exquisite little jade boxes.
Inside were beauty-enhancing formulas carefully prepared by the most senior physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy, based on her constitution and seasonal changes.
A while ago, I needed to take care of myself because of childbirth.
Although she slept with the emperor every day, they could not consummate their marriage.
Qian Yueshu was still a little worried.
After all, sexual intercourse is prohibited for more than six months from before pregnancy and childbirth to after childbirth.
Xiao Qingxuan was in his prime.
He'd been holding back for over six months, even since she got pregnant...
It took about a year in total.
Qian Yueshu was genuinely afraid that he might not be able to resist and would sleep with someone else.
Fortunately, Xiao Qingxuan held back!
Now that she has recovered, she is even more beautiful and charming than before.
Qian Yueshu felt that she should reward the emperor properly.
It's time to firmly tie that dormant dragon to the hem of her skirt once more.
Of all the courtyards in the imperial harem, only Kunning Palace stands out.
She also seized control of the Chuxiu Palace.
That palace was meticulously built by her, entirely for pleasing men.
Chuxiu Palace, located on the west side of the inner palace, was originally the residence of a favored concubine of the previous dynasty. Its architecture is not as solemn and dignified as Kunning Palace, but rather more exquisite and enchanting.
After Qian Yueshu took over the central palace, she took the opportunity to renovate the palace, claiming that "I felt that Kunning Palace was too solemn and wanted to find a quiet and elegant place to relax."
In reality, this place was a "paradise" she had meticulously created, exclusively for her and the emperor.
Stepping through the gates of Chuxiu Palace, the scenery becomes distinct from other places.
Instead of neat rows of pines and cypresses, there are entwined vines, scattered rockeries, and a winding pond with flowing water where several pairs of mandarin ducks are leisurely paddling their red webbed feet.
The furnishings inside the palace are extremely ingenious, abandoning the bright yellow and red that symbolize imperial power, and using soft and charming colors such as rosy pink and moon white. The curtains are made of silk gauze as light as smoke, and the floor is covered with thick Western Region velvet carpets. When you walk on them barefoot, they are silent and soft as clouds.
This is Qian Yueshu's "battlefield".
It was her allure as "Qian Yueshu, the woman," that allowed her to relinquish her status as empress.
The most central feature is the enormous "flying bed" inside the sleeping quarters.
This bed is not meant to fly; rather, it was commissioned by Qian Yueshu to be made by skilled craftsmen from the Imperial Household Department. The bed was constructed with a frame of finely refined steel and a frame of high-quality sandalwood, and was suspended from the sturdy beams of the palace roof by ropes inlaid with gold thread.
The bed is covered with several layers of the softest peacock down. When a person lies on it, whether sitting or reclining, the slightest movement will cause the entire bed to sway gently, as if floating on waves, in the most intimate way.
Tiny gold bells adorn the four corners of the bed curtains, jingling softly and melodiously as they sway, adding to the romantic ambiance.
This is just one of them.
One side of the sleeping quarters.
There is a bath made of white jade, with fresh water from the nearby hot spring. The bottom of the pool is inlaid with luminous pearls, so after the lights are turned off at night, it feels like you are walking on a sky full of stars.
Various fragrant wines and spirits are kept warm by the pool year-round, within easy reach.
She could sit here with the Emperor, drinking, bathing, and making love as husband and wife...
On the other side.
Then stood a huge "Phoenix Mirror," its surface polished with special mercury, so smooth and clear that it could reflect every detail of a person's image and even capture the entire scene of the bedchamber...
Occasionally, when she and the emperor were making love, one could see their own seductive manner.
Between men and women.
Having genuine feelings is certainly important.
But this intimate pleasure between men and women is a necessary, and most important, means of keeping love fresh...
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