Chapter 22 Chapter 22 [VIP]
The lantern is made in the shape of a goldfish.
Yuan Mu was holding two lanterns. She looked at the lifelike fish swimming in the lotus flowers, curious about where the glowing little lights were.
The palace would use night pearls for lighting.
But it is impossible to put such expensive things in this small lantern.
Yuan Mu looked left and right, his pair of clear eyes were illuminated by the warm golden-red light and looked particularly gorgeous.
Xi Lanyan and Xi Rongjing came over soon.
She was holding a lot of toys in her hands, and she was still excited when she saw the lantern Yuan Mu was holding.
Xi Lanyan came forward and pleaded in a sweet voice, "Sister, can you give me one?"
Yuan Mu was stunned for a moment. She was not good at rejecting people.
Plus, this second lantern was originally bought as an extra.
Just as Yuan Mu was about to nod, the King of Chu stopped her and said lazily, "I want to buy it myself."
Xi Lanyan had never been rejected before, so she couldn't help feeling a little angry.
"Brother Zhang!" Her eyes widened in anger. "I asked my sister for something. What's it to you?"
The King of Chu looked at the crowd and seemed to see someone.
He said calmly: "Because I bought it."
The two always loved to quarrel. Yuan Mu tried to smooth things over and handed a lantern to Xi Lanyan: "Okay, no more quarreling."
Her voice was gentle: "Here you go, Ayan."
Xi Lanyan finally became happy and said cheerfully, "Sister still loves me."
The King of Chu said nonchalantly, "Why haven't you ever been so fond of stealing other people's things before?"
His words were light and airy, as if they meant nothing else.
But Xi Lanyan's face suddenly became a little ugly.
She blurted out: "I've never seen you always protect others like this before!"
The two of them were always arguing, and Yuan Mu and Xi Rongjing were not listening.
Although Yuan Mu took the initiative to give out a lantern, it was not very polite after all.
Xi Rongjing smiled and said, "Miss Yuan, take a look and see if there's anything you like. I'll give you another one."
As he spoke, he picked up some beautiful decorations.
Yuan Mu had rarely been out shopping, so everything she saw was new to her. Seeing the light in her eyes, Xi Rongjing simply picked out one or two items from the stall and gave them to her.
She was holding the stack of ornaments, smiling.
But as soon as Yuan Mu and Xi Rongjing looked up, they heard the two people arguing about this sentence.
Xi Lanyan spoke impulsively without giving it any thought.
Seeing Yuan Mu and Xi Rongjing's expressions change instantly, she suddenly remembered the relationship between Yuan Mu and the King of Chu as uncle and sister-in-law.
No matter what, Yuan Mu is still the emperor's concubine.
The King of Chu's expression also turned cold.
The joyful atmosphere just now dissipated a lot because of this sentence.
Xi Lanyan's eyes were the first to turn red.
She said aggrievedly, "I didn't, I didn't mean that, sister, brother Zhang."
The four of them gathered together. Fortunately, they kept their voices low and few passersby could hear them.
But just when Xi Lanyan wanted to explain more, the emperor came over.
He seemed to have just come from a banquet not long ago, and there was still a faint smell of alcohol around him.
The emperor naturally did not drink.
He was wearing a black and gold coat with thunder patterns embroidered on the sleeves, looking like a young master from some wealthy family.
This man's aura is so strong that whenever he appears in a crowd, he is always too eye-catching.
Yuan Mu didn't expect the emperor to come. Her eyes widened and she looked at him in disbelief: "Why are you here?"
She looked at him at first sight, her expression so focused.
The emperor's expression softened slightly.
He put his arm around Yuan Mu's waist and took all the miscellaneous things from her hands.
"Now that things are over over there," the emperor said softly, "of course I came here."
He said it as a matter of course.
The bright moon of the Lantern Festival is especially round, and the golden moon hangs high in the sky, exuding warm feeling.
There aren't too many pedestrians here.
The emperor kissed Yuan Mu's forehead lightly across the curtain.
Even when she and Helan Zhen were the closest, they never did such a thing outside.
Although no one noticed, Yuan Mu's face quickly turned red.
She stammered, "Are you here to take us back to the palace?"
The emperor tapped Yuan Mu's forehead. Perhaps because he was outside, his expression was much more relaxed than usual. He said softly, "You slept for so long this afternoon. Are you in such a hurry to go back to sleep?"
He took Yuan Mu's hand and said nonchalantly to the remaining three people: "Let's go and have a look over there."
The emperor's attitude really makes him look like a dandy boy.
At a certain moment, Yuan Mu felt that he was very much like the woman he had abducted.
Although that's exactly what happened between them.
But the Lantern Festival night market was so lively that Yuan Mu was only concerned with having fun and seeing the sights he had never seen before, and had no time to care about anything else.
, the fireworks display is even better.
As the sky exploded, Yuan Mu couldn't help but clasp his hands together and make a few wishes.
But as they walked, the emperor left the remaining three people behind and took Yuan Mu to enjoy the scenery alone.
Her eyes were downcast and her shadows were long.
Yuan Mu's fair face was beautiful, and the flower ornaments between her eyebrows made her already beautiful face even more charming.
The emperor could clearly feel her youth at this time.
Yuan Mu was only eighteen years old by the Dragon Boat Festival this year.
However, in April, the emperor was about to cross the age of twenty-five.
He put his arm around Yuan Mu's waist and asked softly, "What did you wish for?"
The emperor actually didn’t want to ask this. What he wanted to ask was - does your wish include me?
Yuan Mu answered honestly: "Everything goes smoothly and peacefully."
She was always frank in front of the emperor.
This was not because Yuan Mu trusted the emperor so much, but because he would not allow her to lie or cover up.
The emperor laughed in silence: "Is it that simple?"
It's just a wish, it's not guaranteed to come true, so how complicated can it be?
"It's getting late, Your Majesty," Yuan Mu said in a low voice, "Shouldn't we go back?"
In fact, the emperor rarely traveled at night.
The last emperor of the Yuan Dynasty was fond of riding and shooting, and he often returned to the palace at night.
A dark and windy night is the most suitable time for burning, killing and looting, and it is also the time when palace coups, coups and mutinies are most likely to occur.
Emperor Gaozu took advantage of the fact that the last emperor returned late at night and sent his men to ambush him, and shot the last emperor, who was only in his early twenties, to death.
With such a precedent in mind, even an emperor would not dare to travel unprotected at night.
The emperor had to make thorough preparations for everything he did.
But traveling with Yuan Mu tonight was indeed beyond my expectations.
There are many guards in secret, and the imperial guards are also on guard at all times.
But by this time, it was still a little late.
The emperor nodded and said softly, "It's time to go back."
He carried Yuan Mu onto the carriage, then wrapped her in a thick blanket and said softly, "Are you tired? If you are, take a nap first."
Yuan Mu should be tired, but he was so happy that his body didn't seem to feel tired.
Her eyes lingered on the scenery outside, and she was reluctant to look away for a long time.
Yuan Mu was different from ordinary noble ladies. She had not received the strict aristocratic education and had always been raised outside.
Therefore, her yearning for freedom is much stronger than that of others.
The emperor had never considered these things before.
Yuan Mu is his, and it is her destined fate to share the same bed in life and the same grave in death.
It would be wrong for a woman to enter the palace and still fantasize about life outside.
When looking into Yuan Mu's eyes, the emperor felt a very gentle emotion in his heart.
Sometimes, maybe he thinks too much.
She is still so young and still at the age where she likes to play, so it is understandable that she wants freedom.
It is better to indulge her and pamper her than for her to be tempted and do something extreme.
The emperor leaned over and kissed Yuan Mu's face, and said softly: "It's already late today, let's go out together next time."
His voice was soft, as if it would float away in the night wind.
After the curtain fell, the carriage returned to silence.
Yuan Mu looked at the emperor's face, and as if possessed by a ghost, he knelt down and kissed him on the lips.
The rich fragrance on her body, like an enchanting floral message, also rushed over.
"Kiss me," Yuan Mu said hoarsely, "hug me."
She didn't dare to ask for the emperor's favor. She had always resisted but was still treated like that by him. If she took the initiative, he would probably devour her completely.
But at a certain moment, Yuan Mu instinctively said these words.
The emperor's eyes were dark, and there was a terrifying emotion in his deep black eyes, like an abyss of water with no bottom to see, ready to swallow people up.
His voice was hoarse: "Are you sure, Luo?"
-
Yuan Mu didn't wake up until the afternoon of the next day.
They came back late last night and went to bed even later.
Yuan Mu's memory was extremely messy. She only remembered that they bathed at least three times.
She thought that after she was clean, the emperor would let her sleep, but she didn't expect him to hold her slender waist and kiss her deeper and harder.
Yuan Mu regretted speaking to him like that last night.
What happened on the Lantern Festival night seemed like a big dream. After the happiness faded away, only the pain was real.
Yuan Mu sat up from the bed curtain, put on her outer clothes, walked out of the inner hall and went straight to the bathroom.
But before she could even walk in, the maid hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Madam Yu and Miss Yuan are here to see you. They've been waiting in the side hall for some time."
It was Aunt Yu and my younger sister Yuan Yin.
Yuan Mu didn't bother to take another shower. She hurriedly asked, "When did they come?"
"I arrived about an hour ago, and you were still asleep," the maid said hesitantly. "His Majesty specifically ordered that no one be allowed to disturb you, so..."
Yuan Mu hurriedly changed his clothes while repeatedly saying, "It's okay."
She continued, "Next time something like this happens, just call me."
Two other palace maids came and helped Yuan Mu put on the complicated layered dress. She was in such a hurry that the thin belt around her waist almost got tangled.
The maid who was combing her hair had a pair of deft hands and said soothingly, "Don't worry, Madam. It will be done in two more strokes."
After hurriedly changing clothes and washing up, Yuan Mu went straight to the side hall.
After spring, the weather is not so cold anymore.
The afternoon sunlight was very bright, shining on the mother and daughter sitting on the couch, as if giving them a layer of warm light and shadow.
It simply makes people feel warm.
Yuan Mu still felt a little tired, and the pain in his joints couldn't be stopped.
But almost the moment she saw Aunt Yu and Yuan Yin, she couldn't help but smile: "Aunt, sister."
Both of them were dressed appropriately and elegantly.
At first glance, it looks just like a noble lady with her daughter.
No one could have imagined that they had wasted so many years in the village.
When Aunt Yu saw Yuan Mu coming in, her brows lit up with joy, and she immediately took Yuan Yin forward and hugged her.
She touched Yuan Mu's face and said distressedly, "You've lost weight again, A'luo."
Yuan Mu didn't lose weight. She lived with the emperor and he watched her meals every day. How could she suddenly lose weight?
It was because her aunt felt sorry for her that she noticed she had lost weight again.
Yuan Mu asked in surprise, "Auntie, why did you come here suddenly? Is there something wrong?"
The smile on Aunt Yu's face paused.
She pushed Yuan Yin closer and said with a smile, "Oh, isn't she your sister? She always thinks of you and says she misses you every day, right?"
Yuan Yin is blind in one eye, and her eyesight is much worse than that of others in the dark night.
She didn't eat well and didn't have a good life when she was a child. Now she is almost fifteen, but she is still much smaller than her peers.
Yuan Mu leaned over slightly and caressed Yuan Yin's face lovingly.
"Sister misses you too." She said in a low voice.
Yuan Yin is not as good at expressing herself as Yuan Mu. She is a little girl who speaks very little, is always quiet, and is so sensible that it makes people feel pity for her.
They had been there for an hour, but no one had urged her to go and call her.
Thinking of this, Yuan Mu slapped his forehead and asked hurriedly: "Auntie, have you not eaten yet?"
Aunt Yu smiled and said, "It's okay, A'Luo, we..."
But after Yuan Mu received a negative answer, she immediately asked someone to serve the meal. She had never cared about herself so much before.
The Yuan family was the imperial family of the previous dynasty.
Yuan Mu's ancestor was the uncle of the last emperor, and he also held a very important position in the royal family.
After returning to the Yuan family, my aunt and sister should be living a good life.
But even they were not qualified to appear at the palace banquet, let alone taste the masterpiece of the chef of Ziwei Palace.
After the meal was served, Yuan Mu accompanied Aunt Yu and Yuan Yin to eat together.
They used to do the same in the village, eating breakfast and dinner together.
Those who fell into the manor were basically concubines who had completely fallen out of favor. The servants did not treat them seriously. The food there was not very good, and there was always a shortage of cloth and coal in winter.
But what Yuan Mu misses most are the days they lived together.
"Try it," she said with a smile, "this is the chef's specialty."
The palace had a very particular dining tradition. Yuan Mu introduced the food to his aunt and sister while serving them dishes with his serving chopsticks.
After lunch, she didn't use anything.
After lunch, Yuan Mu led them to the terrace to enjoy the scenery.
"I'm staying here temporarily," she said softly. "Next time you come, if you tell me in advance, the scenery over at Qingning Palace is actually better."
Yuan Mu's eyes were bright and she was speaking seriously, so she didn't notice her sister Yuan Yin's restrained posture.
The smile on Aunt Yu's face became even wider.
"Our A'Luo is really amazing," she said in a charming tone, "Now he is the master of a palace."
Aunt Yu's ability to flatter people is innate.
She was very much loved by Yuan Wei when she was young, otherwise he would not have had a daughter so early.
But it was precisely because Concubine Yu was so favored by Yuan Wei at that time that she became a thorn in the eyes of many concubines in the mansion and ended up in such a miserable end.
Yuan Mu was already used to Aunt Yu's tone. She didn't think much about it and said with a faint smile: "I am just Zhaoyi, Aunt Yu, I am not that great."
Aunt Yu suddenly felt a little lost.
"Why is she still Zhaoyi?" She pinched her sleeve and asked, "Didn't His Majesty say that he was going to give you a higher rank?"
Yuan Mu was stunned for a moment.
She didn't care about her position, and she didn't care if the emperor wanted to give her the title of concubine.
But when Yuan Mu heard Aunt Yu say this, he couldn't help but feel a little confused.
"Is it... or is it because we don't have children?" Aunt Yu asked anxiously, "Ah Luo, I told you before that being a concubine and serving someone with your beauty won't last long."
"I have to have a child," she said, holding Yuan Mu's hand, "it's best if it's a boy."
Aunt Yu continued, "You are still so young. If you try more methods, you will eventually succeed."
"If you can give birth to a prince," her eyes gradually lit up, "it would be a great honor for our entire family."
Aunt Yu still has the same face as before.
Her charm and grace are natural. As she gets older, fine lines appear on her eyebrows and eyes, but her charm remains the same.
But at this moment, Yuan Mu suddenly felt that Aunt Yu was a little strange.
She didn't seem to recognize her aunt very well.
Aunt Yu is a bit greedy and short-sighted. She likes to quarrel with people and is even quite petty.
But Yuan Mu always felt that Aunt Yu was very caring towards her.
Although she cannot be compared with her own biological child, at least Aunt Yu will love her, pamper her and protect her.
Yuan Mu wouldn't find it strange no matter who said that.
But what Aunt Yu said was really weird.
Yuan Mu pursed her lips, but even so, she did not interrupt Aunt Yu.
But as she spoke, Aunt Yu's expression darkened: "A Luo, you know that your sister's eye disease is really inconvenient. It's hard for her to find a decent husband."
She took out a handkerchief from her sleeve. It was a lilac handkerchief.
A very beautiful, expensive lavender.
Purple pigment is the most difficult to mix, so purple fabrics are also particularly valuable.
Granting purple or red robes is a great honor for an official.
Yuan Mu had no time to think about why Aunt Yu would use such an expensive lilac handkerchief. Her thoughts were drawn back to her sister Yuan Yin's marriage.
She said anxiously: "Don't worry about this, there will be a way."
Aunt Yu wiped her tears with a handkerchief. The powder on her eyes stained the lilac handkerchief, and her delicate makeup was slightly smudged.
"You don't understand, A'Luo!" she cried, "Your father wants to send A'Yin to a retired old man as a concubine..."
Girls from aristocratic families do not have the right to choose their husbands.
They enjoy honor and favor and do not have to work hard in officialdom, but when necessary, they always have to be sacrificed like sacrifices to maintain the honor of the family.
Everyone is like this, regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate children.
This is their fate.
But at that moment, Yuan Mu still felt like she was struck by lightning. She had experienced it herself, so she naturally knew how difficult it was.
A-Yin wasn't even fifteen yet, and Yuan Wei was already having this thought...
Yuan Mu couldn't help feeling nauseous, and his stomach felt like it was churning.
But Aunt Yu's sudden kneeling still completely disrupted Yuan Mu's thoughts.
She held Yuan Mu's hand tightly, sobbing: "Ah Luo, please, can you help Ah Yin?"
Yuan Mu hurriedly pulled Aunt Yu up. She asked anxiously, "What are you doing?"
"Can you find a way to get Ah Yin into the palace?" Aunt Yu said hesitantly, "Or maybe marry her to a member of the royal family."
She wiped her tears again.
Aunt Yu said hesitantly, "I heard from your father that His Majesty originally wanted to hold a beauty pageant this spring, right?"
Yuan Mu stood at the edge of the terrace, which was her favorite place in the entire Ziwei Palace.
The view is broad and you can see thousands of miles away.
When you look out from the railing, you can see extremely distant scenery.
But at this moment, Yuan Mu felt as if her chest was immersed in deep water, and she suddenly couldn't breathe.
"I have no say in matters like this, Auntie." Her tone was heavy.
Yuan Mu's heart seemed to be weighed down by a heavy object, sinking to a depthless level.
She finally understood how powerful Yuan Wei was.
Forcing her to agree that day was just the beginning of Yuan Wei's tactics. Aunt Yu and A Yin were his trump cards.
He knew too well what she cared about.
"Now that His Majesty loves and values you so much," Aunt Yu held Yuan Mu's hand tightly, "even if more new people come in, he will not ignore you."
She said with tears in her eyes, "Ah Luo, you are the only one left for my aunt."
"Let me think about it again, Auntie," Yuan Mu said, suppressing his emotions, "Let me think about it again first."
She can't handle too much emotion.
Yuan Mu's heart ached so much that she couldn't even go to see off Aunt Yu and Yuan Yin. She almost stumbled back to the inner hall.
She fell into the tent, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
My vision is blurry and my mind is blank.
Yuan Mu didn't know why she was crying, but she cried for a long, long time until she fell asleep.
Yuan Mu woke up when the emperor came back.
It was dark and her face was flushed with sleep.
The emperor raised his hand and stroked Yuan Mu's face. He breathed a sigh of relief after making sure that she did not have a fever.
He whispered, "Why did you sleep so long?"
"I don't know," Yuan Mu shook his head, "Maybe I didn't sleep well last night."
The emperor's hand paused.
He touched Yuan Mu's forehead and picked her up: "I won't let you get tired today."
The emperor's words cannot be taken seriously.
Yuan Mu didn't believe it, but he obediently asked him to pick him up.
The emperor kissed Yuan Mu's face, changed her clothes, and said coaxingly, "We won't have dinner in the palace today."
He is very strange.
In other words, the emperor was very surprised after returning from Shuofang.
Yuan Mu almost never had dinner outside, so when the carriage stopped at the plum garden, her eyes were wide open.
The emperor sealed off the Plum Garden and had imperial guards guarding it inside and outside.
This is part of the imperial palace. Palace life was lonely, and concubines often came here to admire the moon or practice the piano.
After the beginning of spring, the weather will gradually warm up, and the plum blossoms will wither in spring.
The scenery of the plum garden will also become mediocre.
Recently, the concubines have been very active in coming here. The emperor has sacrificed their happiness. This action is somewhat like playing tricks on the princes by setting off beacons.
Yuan Mu didn't know how she came up with this idea.
She just followed the emperor suspiciously.
Yuan Mu asked softly, "Is today a special day?"
She stepped on the gravel road and looked up at the emperor.
"Of course," the Emperor said with a smile, "today is..."
Today is the day you will be promoted. In half an hour, the imperial edict will be issued.
In the future, your position will become higher and higher until no one can rival you.
The emperor wanted to say it out loud, but then he thought, wouldn’t that be a bit too unromantic?
When his parents' relationship was still good, the late emperor always prepared surprises for them.
The emperor stopped talking mid-sentence and coughed twice: "Try to guess and think about it."
Yuan Mu racked his brains but couldn't figure out what day it was today.
Her birthday is in May and the emperor's birthday is in April. Could today be a special day?
Yuan Mu gave up guessing and followed the emperor to the central pavilion. The meal had already been prepared. The red candlelight was warm, burning silently like a dragon and phoenix candle.
He asked someone to prepare a bunch of plum blossoms and put them in her arms.
"This is your favorite flower." The emperor's voice was soft, and there seemed to be a dark light in his phoenix eyes.
No matter which concubine encountered such a thing, she would be so happy that she would cry.
But Yuan Mu's heart suddenly sank to the bottom.
She doesn't like plum blossoms.
The one who likes plum blossoms has always been her sister.
Even this plum garden is a sign of the emperor's favor. Why on earth would he bring her here and give her flowers she doesn't like?
Yuan Mu's breathing suddenly became stagnant.
But she still took the flowers and said softly, "Thank you."
Then comes dinner.
The emperor raised his eyebrows and said gently, "Dinner is also all your favorite dishes. The chef has prepared them for a long time."
Yuan Mu's breathing became more difficult.
She doesn't like this meal either, these are what Yuan Ying likes.
Even when facing Aunt Yu in the afternoon, Yuan Mu had never felt so uncomfortable in his heart.
She interrupted the emperor and whispered, "Your Majesty, I want to talk to you about the selection after the spring."
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