Chapter 46 [46]
【46】/First release
The Golden Palace was warm and brightly lit.
Although this wasn't his first time in the Yangxin Palace, Lu Zhiwan, feeling slightly awkward, asked Yu Mingjiang, "General Manager Yu, can you tell me what's wrong with His Majesty today? It's the New Year's Day meeting. Which ignorant minister provoked him?"
Hearing this, Yu Mingjiang paused, gave Lu Zhiwan a meaningful look, and smiled awkwardly, "Your Majesty, please don't ask this in front of His Majesty later."
Lu Zhiwan: "Why?"
Yu Mingjiang: “…”
Don’t you have any idea who made His Majesty unhappy?
What happened in the side hall last night that made His Majesty so angry that he froze in the cold wind and snow for almost half an hour!
Of course, Yu Mingjiang only dared to think about this in his heart, and on the surface he kept a submissive look: "Your Majesty, His Majesty is in a bad mood, and mentioning court affairs will only make him more upset. When you bring the tonic soup later, say a few good words to His Majesty, and don't argue with him."
Lu Zhiwan thought to herself, she had never talked back to that man, at most she would curse him in her heart.
"Thank you for the reminder, Manager Yu. I will pay more attention."
"You're welcome, my lady."
As they were talking, the two of them walked to the inner hall.
Green smoke curled up from the gilded animal-shaped incense burner. Beside the brightly lit couch, Xiao Jingting, dressed in a black loose robe, sat cross-legged on the edge of the couch. The rosewood table in front of him was piled high with a stack of congratulatory letters. He was holding a red brush in his hand and did not raise his eyes even when he heard the footsteps.
Seeing this, Yu Mingjiang cleared his throat and reminded in a gentle voice: "Your Majesty, Concubine Zhao has arrived."
The person in front of the desk turned a deaf ear and continued to read the memorial.
Lu Zhiwan: “…”
"It was intentional. This bastard definitely did it on purpose."
Looking at his sharp profile under the candlelight, Lu Zhiwan clenched her fingers in her sleeves. She took a deep breath, turned around, took the lacquered red carved food box from the eunuch, and said to Yu Mingjiang with a smile, "General Manager Yu, you can go down first. His Majesty, I will serve you here."
Seeing her relaxed tone, Yu Mingjiang quickly responded, "Yes."
Just as he was about to retreat with his back bent, a cold and hard voice came from the side of the couch: "Do I allow you to retreat?"
Yu Mingjiang was stunned.
Lu Zhiwan was also stunned and looked in the direction of the sound.
The man who was busy reviewing documents finally looked up and looked in her direction.
Although his eyes did not fall on her, he looked straight past her and looked at Yu Mingjiang.
"You are old and confused. You have forgotten that I am your master."
That's really rude.
Even though he knew that His Majesty was making indirect accusations, Yu Mingjiang quickly pleaded guilty, saying with deep fear: "Your Majesty, please forgive me..."
"...What's wrong with this man? He's so angry."
No matter how slow Lu Zhiwan was, he realized that Xiao Jingting's nameless evil fire was directed at him.
Seeing that Yu Zongguan was still sharing her anger at such an old age, she felt a little ashamed. After thinking about it, she mustered up her courage and took the initiative to step forward: "Your Majesty, it was I who took the initiative to ask Yu Zongguan to leave. If you want to punish me, please punish me."
These words finally earned Xiao Jingting a cold look.
That look clearly said, do you think you don't have to be punished?
Lu Zhiwan's eyelashes trembled twice, and he felt extremely regretful.
"If I had known he was so angry, I shouldn't have come here today... Isn't this just asking for a scolding?"
Outside the window, snow seemed to be falling again, whistling and knocking against the window frames, making the silence in the golden palace seem even more stagnant.
After a long while, the man beside the couch spoke again: "Big friend, please step back."
Yu Mingjiang felt relieved: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
He staggered back, and before leaving, he gave Lu Zhiwan a look that said "take care of yourself."
Lu Zhiwan: “…”
"What should I do? The atmosphere seems to be getting even more awkward now that Manager Yu is gone."
"Help me, help me, I need to say something to break the deadlock."
Her brain was working rapidly. She looked at the man sitting beside the couch with an expressionless face. He exuded a strong sense of low pressure. It seemed that if she didn't speak to coax him, he would remain cold like this.
What a living ancestor!
"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"
Lu Zhiwan stepped forward cautiously, his tone soft and gentle: "Today is the first day of the new year, we should be happy during the new year."
Xiao Jingting watched her walk slowly towards him.
Because it was the New Year, she wore a brand new smoky pink satin short jacket embroidered with acacia flowers, paired with a jade-colored skirt with mud gold. Her black hair was like clouds, and the set of exquisite ruby head ornaments made her look as beautiful as a peach and plum, and radiant and dazzling.
After gaining weight in the autumn, her cheeks became rounder, whiter, tenderer and softer, and she looked more charming than in the summer.
This reminded him of her lying drunk on the bed last night.
The fruits on the branches are like ripe peaches, white with a hint of red, so juicy that you want to take a bite.
He did bite.
But she fell asleep.
Xiao Jingting's face couldn't help but become even darker. When Lu Zhiwan reached out to pull his sleeve, he dodged directly.
Lu Zhiwan: “……?”
"Oh my god, you won't even let me hold your sleeves? What the hell is going on?"
"Before the banquet last night, everything was fine. But after the banquet... Did something bad happen after the banquet?"
She racked her brains and tried to recall, but apart from that intermittent spring dream, she had no other impression.
Suddenly, she thought of a possibility——
"Did I speak the truth last night after drinking, and let out all the resentment I've been accumulating?"
This guess made her face turn three shades paler. Looking at Xiao Jingting's dark gaze, her guess became more and more certain, and she swallowed hard.
"Your Majesty, I was drunk last night. If I have said anything inappropriate or offensive, please forgive me and bear with me!"
She sincerely admitted her fault, kneeling down, thinking that if he didn't agree, she would kneel down and kowtow to him twice. It was New Year's Day, so she would just treat it as a New Year's greeting for him.
Xiao Jingting lowered his dark eyes and saw that she had her head buried very low. Behind her smoky pink collar, a slender snow-white neck was faintly visible.
Looking closely, there is a faint red mark——
It was what he left last night.
His throat rolled unconsciously. He picked up the teacup beside him and drank all the tea in it, but still felt it was not enough.
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Lu Zhiwan raised her eyes anxiously: "Your Majesty?"
The man looked straight at her with an unfathomable gaze, and Lu Zhiwan's heart trembled.
This look seems familiar, just like the man in my dream last night.
Could it be that——
"Last night, you not only spoke out of turn, but also lost your composure."
As if sensing something, Xiao Jingting glared at her coldly: "Have you forgotten everything?"
"!?"
Lu Zhiwan's eyes widened slightly: "What did I do?"
"Last night, as soon as I sat down beside the couch, you pounced on me like a lustful ghost, kissing and biting me with evil intentions."
When his eyes met Lu Zhiwan's face full of shock and confusion, Xiao Jingting raised the corner of his lips and snorted coldly: "It seems that he really forgot."
"Don't act like a resentful husband who was abandoned after being seduced!"
"Did I really get drunk and do something crazy to him last night? So that's why I woke up this morning with a backache...is that the reason?"
"No, no, no, that's not right. If it really happened, he wouldn't just have pain in his waist, wouldn't he feel it elsewhere? But he doesn't look like he's faking it..."
Lu Zhiwan's head began to ache. Looking at Xiao Jingting's reserved attitude, she felt uneasy and apologized quickly: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was drunk last night and lost consciousness. I did something stupid. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me..."
Xiao Jingting glanced at her indifferently: "Just say sorry and it's done?"
Lu Zhiwan was slightly stunned, and looked at him with her dark eyes, "What do you want, Your Majesty, to forgive me for my offense last night?"
The wind and snow outside the window were getting stronger, making a rustling sound.
In the dim candlelight, the man narrowed his dark eyes, stared at her intently, and said, "You take the initiative tonight."
***
As dusk fell, the magnificent bathing pool behind the Yangxin Palace was filled with curling smoke and the fragrance of flowers, like a fairyland.
Looking at the rose petals floating on the water, Lu Zhiwan was in the warm pool, his mind still a little dazed.
Are you really going to sleep with me tonight?
It wasn't too sudden, after all, she had been sleeping in the same bed with Xiao Jingting for so many days and nights, so it should have happened a long time ago.
But to say that she was fully prepared was not entirely true. After all, in her understanding, she and Xiao Jingting could only hold hands, kiss, and make pure love. When it came to the actual combat, she could not help but feel nervous.
"Your Highness, you've been soaking for an incense stick," the palace maid in the hot spring respectfully reminded. "You've been soaking for so long that you feel dizzy. Can I help you get up?"
Lu Zhiwan blinked her eyelashes, glanced at her reddened skin, and reached out to the palace maid: "Help me up."
The palace maids on both sides helped her out of the pool. For a moment, Lu Zhiwan thought of the words "When my child helps me up, I will be weak and helpless. That will be the time for me to receive your new blessing."
At this moment, my hands and feet are weak and I can't use any strength at all. If I am sent to the dragon bed in this state, I will only be rolled and flattened by the man.
While she was daydreaming, the palace maid brought a clean towel and carefully wiped her dry, and then applied moisturizing ointment on her.
Only then did Lu Zhiwan discover that there were some deep and shallow red marks on her body, on her collarbone, chest, waist and abdomen.
The most obvious thing is the left side of the slender waist without a trace of fat. There is a very obvious finger mark, which is yellow-green in color, which shows how strong the instigator is.
"Son of a bitch." She muttered softly.
The maid who was in charge of applying the ointment thought she was talking to her and looked up in confusion: "What did the Queen just say?"
Lu Zhiwan shook his head: "Nothing."
The maid then continued busying herself with her work, praising him as she applied the makeup: "Your Majesty is truly a beauty molded from ice and snow. Your skin is so delicate and smooth that even the finest white jade cannot compare to it."
Although being praised is a happy thing, Lu Zhiwan couldn't help feeling embarrassed when being praised while naked like now, and he just laughed dryly to get over it.
After applying the ointment, I changed clothes and put on makeup.
Because she was going to sleep with the emperor in a while, all her clothes were made of light and bright chiffon. Lu Zhiwan carefully chose among the dresses and finally picked out a smoky-colored one that best matched her skin tone and was suitable for the occasion.
She applied a light layer of makeup and her black hair was fixed with a simple pearl flower jade hairpin.
After the whole set of makeup was completed, the palace maids praised her one after another in her ears: "Your Majesty is truly born with beauty, she is so beautiful that she can shame the moon and the flowers!"
"I think it's Chang'e under the moon, the reincarnation of the Yaochi Fairy!"
"Even though I'm a woman, I can't take my eyes off you. Your Majesty will definitely like you even more when you see him later."
Lu Zhiwan looked at herself in the mirror and felt a little dazed at the beautiful and delicate woman in the mirror.
This smoky-colored gauze dress looked fine when held in the hand, but why did it become so revealing and erotic when worn?
I wonder what Xiao Jingting’s reaction will be when he sees it later.
He is a virgin and this is such an exciting first time. Will he bleed from his nose?
And I heard that men are pretty quick the first time...
Her thoughts wandered again, and when she came to her senses, she had already reached the door of the bedroom.
All the palace maids stopped in front of this door. Aunt Qiu Rong had arrived at some point, and now she and Manager Yu were standing on the left and right of the door. Both of them had smiles as bright as Maitreya Buddha, and the eyes they looked at Lu Zhiwan were filled with the same joy and expectation.
Yu Mingjiang bowed: "Empress Zhao, His Majesty is waiting in the palace."
Aunt Qiu Rong, with her eyes crooked, leaned over to Lu Zhiwan and whispered, "Don't be nervous, Your Majesty. This will happen sooner or later. After tonight, even greater blessings await you."
The feeling that the entire palace knows they are going to do it tonight is too social!
Lu Zhiwan blushed and hummed awkwardly twice, fearing that Aunt Qiu Rong and the others would say something else, so he quickly pushed open the door of the bedroom and walked in.
With a creak, the wooden door closed.
Aunt Qiu Rong and Yu Mingjiang exchanged a glance, their smiles growing wider: "A single moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold coins. It seems the Empress is also anxious."
"Okay, you two go get some hot water, and the rest of you can go."
The palace servants in front of the gate quickly obeyed the order and dispersed.
Aunt Qiu Rong glanced at the closed door again and lowered her voice to Yu Mingjiang, "Do you think it can be done tonight?"
Yu Mingjiang didn't like to say discouraging words, and nodded firmly: "Your Majesty has already looked at the set of erotic paintings I found last time. This time it will definitely work!"
"Are you sure?"
"Sure! If not, I'll eat that set of erotic pictures!"
**
As soon as he closed the door, Lu Zhiwan found that the bedroom had become a little different.
The candlelight was much lighter than usual, and the ambergris that usually burned in the incense burner was replaced with cassia incense. Wisps of sweetness lingered at the tip of the nose. Coupled with the crimson curtains and palace lanterns that were replaced for the New Year, ambiguity spread silently in the hazy and warm air.
Through the glass screen, she saw the vague tall figure beside the couch, and her heart, which had not felt nervous just now, suddenly began to beat rapidly.
Two hours ago, the man's words "You take the initiative tonight" rang in his ears again.
She took the initiative.
It was her who held hands, hugged, and kissed, and now she has to do even this, doesn't she have any dignity?
Biting his lips, Lu Zhiwan tried to calm his chaotic heartbeat and walked behind the screen pretending to be calm.
She didn't know if it was a psychological effect, but she felt that the surroundings were particularly quiet. Every movement she made was magnified, and she didn't even dare to breathe too hard.
Step by step, she slowly walked around the tall sandalwood screen, and the figure of the man beside the couch came into view.
He had just bathed, and his long hair was not tied up with a crown as before, but was casually tied up with a hairpin. Over his ivory-white undergarments, a crimson robe was barely visible.
A half piece of warm candlelight hit his profile, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow on his deep eye sockets. He pursed his thin lips, had a high nose bone, and looked quiet and handsome, like a richly colored painting.
"Well, just for this face, it's worth it for her to take the initiative."
Lu Zhiwan quickly came to terms with herself, but she still felt a little nervous. She wanted to call him softly, but as soon as she opened her mouth, her throat became hoarse from nervousness: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
The man beside the couch slowly turned his head, and the moment he saw her outfit tonight, a dark light flashed in his dark eyes.
"Why is he looking at me like that..."
"That look is too unclean! Where's the God of Pure Love? Are you secretly studying behind my back?"
Lu Zhiwan felt uncomfortable all over under the increasingly fiery gaze. Although she was still wearing her skirt, she had the illusion that she had been stripped naked just by standing there?
So shameful!
"Your Majesty..." She swallowed, her throat becoming drier.
"What are you still standing there for?"
Xiao Jingting's expression didn't change much, and even his tone was as cold and clear as ever: "Come here."
If it weren't for the slight hoarseness in his voice that betrayed him, Lu Zhiwan would have thought he was going to cause trouble for her.
"Let the past be the past. Why are you being so fierce? Wasn't it just proactive? I've already taken the initiative so many times before, so this one won't be any different."
Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile: "Yes, I'll be right there."
The closer she got to the bed, the temperature around her seemed to rise unconsciously. When Lu Zhiwan stood in front of Xiao Jingting, her cheeks were already burning hot.
"Be proactive, be proactive, be proactive!"
She muttered silently in her heart, then raised her hands, and stretched out her fingertips tremblingly towards the collar of Xiao Jingting's underwear.
Before she got close, the man grabbed her snow-white wrist.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
“……?”
Lu Zhiwan was stunned: "I will help Your Majesty undress."
"Didn't he ask me to take the initiative? Doesn't he know that he needs to take off his clothes? If that's the case, I'm afraid I'll have to learn a lesson tonight."
Xiao Jingting's jaw tightened slightly, he let go of her hand, and said in a deep voice: "You take off your clothes first."
Lu Zhiwan: “…”
"You're such a perverted kid!"
"But how can I take it off? The candlelight is so bright, I would be shy too!"
She tried to struggle, saying softly, "Your Majesty, otherwise... let's go to the bed first."
Xiao Jingting glanced at the tip of her red ear, his eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded: "Yes."
Lu Zhiwan breathed a sigh of relief.
While Xiao Jingting was taking off his shoes and getting into bed, she quickly extinguished the candles beside the bed one by one. When she blew out the last one, she stopped.
"Forget it, let's just leave one light on. It's dark and I can't see anything clearly. What if I end up in the wrong place?"
She left the lamp on, turned around and got on the bed, slowly lowering the red curtain halfway.
The dim but not completely dark light slightly eased the awkwardness.
Looking at the man lying on the bed, calmly waiting for her next step, Lu Zhiwan accepted her fate.
"Then I will begin."
"Um."
"Your Majesty, please close your eyes first?"
"Um?"
"Close your eyes for a moment, I'm shy."
“………”
Xiao Jingting looked at her silently, wanting to say something but stopping himself, and finally closed his eyes.
Deprived of vision, the remaining senses become extraordinarily sharp in the darkness.
There was a rustling sound of fabric rubbing against each other, and the faint fragrance after bathing gradually approached and poured into his nose. The next moment, a pair of hands as soft as clouds held his face, and the gentle warm breath brushed across his face like the wind, and then his lips touched the two familiar soft touches.
Like a newborn kitten learning how to lick its fur, the tip of its tiny tongue traces the shape of its lips.
Gently, again and again.
Tenderness and intimacy are just scratching the surface and are far from enough.
His big hands involuntarily wrapped around that slender waist. He helped her sit up with her legs together, then held the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
The kitten licking its fur instantly turned into a raging fire that was out of control.
Lu Zhiwan was stunned. Didn’t he ask her to take the initiative?
Her lips were bitten hard, and her mind was confused. It doesn't matter who moves.
The wind and snow outside the palace were fierce, and the warm fragrance in the golden palace was getting stronger.
The lone remaining lamp beside the couch was half-burned, its wax thick with wax. The other half of the red curtain, once hung high, had been kicked down by a pair of snow-white toes at some point, now drooping slowly, completely obscuring everything within the mandarin duck tent.
After a long time, a corner of the red curtain was finally opened.
A snow-white wrist stretched out, and the woman's voice was soft and hoarse: "Come..."
Before she could utter the word "person", a big hand stretched out and pulled her back.
The man's voice was even hoarse: "It's not over yet."
The red curtain dropped again.
Outside the bedroom, Yu Mingjiang looked at the raging snow and sighed, tucking his heavy sleeves: "The snow is so good this year."
"That's right." Aunt Qiu Rong smiled and said, "They say auspicious snow indicates a good harvest. I have a feeling that this year, not only will the crops be plentiful and the people will have a good harvest, but our palace will also have a new baby, a plump little prince!"
Speaking of this, Yu Mingjiang's eyes were full of anticipation: "That couldn't be better. Speaking of which, I haven't seen His Majesty as a baby. When the Empress Dowager sent me to serve him, he was thin and small, but his hands were very strong. He tried to escape from the palace several times, and I used all my strength to barely hold him back..."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Qiu Rong also recalled some of the emperor's childhood memories and couldn't help but sigh, "In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed. The little emperor back then has now grown into a real man."
The two elderly people reminisced about the past. As the sky grew darker, there was still no sign of anyone calling for water. Aunt Qiu Rong, still feeling sleepy, murmured worriedly, "It's already this late, why haven't they called for water yet? Could it be... that it didn't work out again?"
Yu Mingjiang: "Pah, pah, pah, how could it not work? The movement before must have meant it worked."
Aunt Qiu Rong: "Could it be that he was tired and fell asleep?"
Yu Mingjiang pondered for a moment: "It's possible."
"Should I remind you?" Aunt Qiu Rong asked hesitantly.
"Forget it." Yu Mingjiang shook his head and looked at the sky outside. "It's so cold and it's late at night. Anyway, there is no early morning court during the New Year holidays. It won't be too late to deliver water tomorrow morning after the masters wake up."
Aunt Qiu Rong also felt that what she said made sense.
"Since the masters have retired, let's retire as well. We are old and can't stay up late any more."
"good."
Just as the two were about to retreat, they suddenly heard a short cry coming from the hall.
Yu Mingjiang and Aunt Qiu Rong paused and looked at each other: "..."
It hasn’t calmed down yet?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
