Li Yu, standing to the side, secretly observed his master's expression. If his master appreciated the music, he would stand silently by his side. However, his master's brows furrowed slightly, seemingly showing no interest in appreciating it. Li Yu immediately spoke up.
"Who is here, disturbing His Majesty's enjoyment?"
The woman turned around at the sound, and what came into view was a bright yellow dragon robe. The dragons on the robe were lifelike, majestic, and awe-inspiring.
On the day of the selection, she stood far away and dared not look around casually. She only glanced at the emperor from afar and did not see his appearance clearly, but she vaguely remembered that he was a handsome young man.
The emperor was right in front of her. In the instant she turned her head, she saw him clearly. His eyebrows were like mountain peaks, his eyes like deep pools, and his long eyelashes were half-closed. With just one glance, one could be unconsciously drawn to his dark and bright eyes.
For a moment, she was stunned before she came to her senses. She immediately lowered her eyes, curtsied, and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty. I am sorry for not being able to welcome Your Majesty properly. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
He walked slowly to her side and looked her over. He saw that she had her eyes lowered, her long eyelashes fluttering gently, and her fingers were clenched together as if she were very nervous.
Judging from her attire, she doesn't look like a palace maid. She should be a newly entered concubine. But Hongli couldn't tell which one she was, because the Empress Dowager had chosen her and he hadn't looked at her carefully, so he didn't remember what she looked like.
After a moment of silence, Hongli parted his thin lips slightly and asked, "What's your name?"
Li Yu, standing to the side, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He wondered why the Emperor would suddenly ask about this woman's name. Could it be that the Emperor was interested in her? He had just reprimanded this young lady. Would the Emperor be angry?
The young woman dared not raise her eyes and replied timidly, "My name is Bai Baoyun."
Upon hearing this surname, Hongli had a slight recollection of it. "So you are from the Bai family of Suzhou?"
The Emperor actually still remembers her? Bao Yun was pleasantly surprised and replied with a smile, "It is indeed I."
Hongli walked with his hands behind his back. When he reached the waterside pavilion, he gazed at the blue waves of the pond and pondered, "Unappointed concubines are not allowed to leave Chuxiu Palace without an imperial edict. How did you get out?"
Bao Yun's heart tightened, and she said awkwardly, "I felt stuffy, so I came out for some fresh air. I didn't know this rule, so please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Hongli glanced at her intently, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of suspicion in them. "Although you are Han Chinese, the official who brought you to the capital before entering the palace should have had a matron teach you manners. Don't you even know the most basic palace rules?"
The emperor's sudden question left Bao Yun somewhat bewildered. This scene was completely different from what she had expected. Why would the emperor pursue such a trivial matter?
Bao Yun's voice trembled slightly with nervousness. "I think I taught you, but I forgot. No one stopped me on the way, and I unknowingly ended up here. I have disturbed Your Majesty. I know I was wrong."
As a mere candidate for the imperial concubines, how could no one possibly remind her as she moved about in the palace?
Her ability to get here so smoothly was most likely orchestrated by someone. After a moment's thought, Hongli had already guessed a possibility, so he asked her again,
"Why are you playing the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument) while strolling in the Imperial Garden?"
With a soft sigh, Bao Yun looked wistful, her beautiful face appearing pitiful. "This is what my mother taught me. I miss my hometown, so I play the xun to soothe my homesickness."
She had thought the Emperor would offer her some comfort, but to her surprise, he said, "The palace is a solemn place, not your private hall. The sound of the xun is mournful. Are you playing such a sad tune here because you have some objection to entering the palace?"
She was just playing the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument), and she played it wrong? Bao Yun felt at a loss and hurriedly clarified, "It is my honor to enter the palace to serve the Emperor, and I have no objection whatsoever."
Just then, Su Yushan, who was walking in the Imperial Garden, saw this scene and stopped in her tracks.
She was painting in the palace when a palace servant came to report that the Emperor had invited her to the Imperial Garden to admire the camellias.
Su Yushan put down her pen, got up, washed her hands, changed her clothes, and went to the Imperial Garden. Unexpectedly, when she arrived there, she saw Hongli talking with the newly arrived concubines.
The young woman lowered her eyes, smiling shyly, while Hongli stood very close to her, seemingly not averse to her. Judging from their appearance, they were truly a perfect match, destined to write a beautiful love story!
Su Yushan couldn't hear what they were saying, and she didn't want to eavesdrop, so she immediately turned around and walked back.
Fearing that Yu Shan would be unhappy, Yun Fang followed behind and guessed, "Perhaps the Emperor just happened to run into that lady-in-waiting."
"What a coincidence!"
"Our Emperor certainly doesn't care about this kind of fate."
Whether he cared or not was irrelevant; Su Yushan simply couldn't be bothered to watch them chat so happily, so she left, preferring to stay out of sight.
Hongli was unaware that someone was behind him. He coldly said to Bai Baoyun, "Then stay quietly in Chuxiu Palace. If you play this kind of tune again, I will send you back to Suzhou to comfort your homesickness!"
With those words spoken coldly, Hongli turned away, never looking at her again, leaving Baoyun standing there stunned. She watched as the hem of the dragon robe embroidered with rivers and seas turned gracefully and gradually disappeared from her sight.
She really couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong; how could this be different from the storybook?
Logically speaking, an ordinary man would feel pity for her upon seeing such a situation, so why is the emperor so indifferent?
Is it because she is not beautiful enough? But she has been praised since she was a child, with people saying that she has fair skin and jade bones and is incredibly beautiful. Even the Empress Dowager chose her and praised her highly. Why is it that the Emperor's eyes do not show any affection when he looks at her?
Could it be that His Majesty is in a bad mood today and has no time for matters of romance?
Bao Yun couldn't understand it, but since the Emperor had already spoken, she dared not linger there and could only return to Chuxiu Palace dejectedly.
After leaving the waterside pavilion, Hongli turned and went to the hexagonal pavilion to wait for Su Yushan.
After waiting for half an hour without seeing her, and wondering what she was busy with, Hongli got up and went to Jingren Palace.
Lu Zi was guarding the gate when Hongli casually asked, "What is your master busy with? Why didn't he go to the Imperial Garden?"
Xiao Luzi replied truthfully, "Your Majesty, the Empress just left the palace gates, but she returned shortly afterward."
Yu Shan actually went out? Could it be that she went to the Imperial Garden?
Thinking of this, Hongli sighed inwardly, realizing something was wrong, and hurried into the rear hall, heading towards the West Warm Pavilion.
At that time, Su Yushan was still painting when a palace maid came in to ask, "Your Highness, the ingredients you requested have been prepared in the kitchen."
Yunfang smiled and sighed, "His Majesty is in for a treat! Your Majesty will have to make soup for him again."
Su Yushan did indeed plan to make soup for Hongli, but that was an idea she had that morning; she had changed her mind now.
"As the saying goes, beauty is food for the eyes. His Majesty is busy chatting and laughing with his beauties right now, how could he have time to drink soup? I won't stew it, let the kitchen staff make it themselves!"
The delicious soup that was almost in his mouth was gone just like that. Hongli suddenly felt wronged and immediately lifted the curtain to enter the room. "Who was I chatting and laughing with? Explain yourself!"
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