Chapter 43 teaches her, "What you want, I may give you."...
The emperor knelt on one knee on the couch, and the woman in front of him, who was under his control, could no longer open her rippling and breathtaking eyes to him.
That's good.
He also didn't have to endure and restrain himself to be a rational emperor, just like last night.
Xiao Fang had never had such a confrontation with other concubines.
Although she had been canonized for a short time, the amount of time he spent on her had already far surpassed that of others.
He had always known that her skin was extremely white, but when he saw the areas not covered by the gauze, which almost blended into the white gauze, he was still amazed.
This face is as white as jade and without a single flaw. Looking at it this way, it actually looks somewhat sacred, like the face of Guanyin.
The more holy she was, the more intense the fire burned in the emperor's eyes.
In the silence of this moment, waves of dark tides surged in his eyes, wanton, despicable, and greedy.
Qingzan, however, was like a prisoner who was forced to be executed. The knife did not fall for a long time, and he felt lost and helpless, and was full of anxiety.
She tried to take out her other weapon and called him softly, "Your Majesty, when can I take it off..."
The performance was too much, but the emperor always enjoyed this clumsiness.
The night in the mountains is never quiet, with the sounds of monkeys howling, birds chirping, and the wind whistling. Now, among the mountain sounds that seem to be coming from beside my ears, there is also the clear and audible laughter of a man.
"Why are you so scared?"
"Just feel me well, that's all."
Then, without saying anything, he kissed her jaw, lips, and nose bridge, which was both itchy and hot. Qingzan's fingertips were trembling, but she had just guessed his direction when his kiss was imprinted on her shoulder without any pattern.
Up and down again.
He could not see and his hands were strangled.
The skirt was pushed up.
He is in charge of everything.
The magnified senses left Qingzan with no time to think about other things. Even when she thought of her mother's gentle and vague appearance tonight, she had to temporarily put aside the joy and sadness in her heart.
I don't know how many sobs escaped, and Qingzan regained his sight.
When the emperor took off the white gauze belt, he found that it was slightly damp.
He put it away calmly.
The area of the Mixue Pavilion wasn't actually very large, and the small room used as a sleeping area was now filled with a decadent atmosphere. Qingzan suddenly began to miss the bathhouse in the Zhaoshui Palace.
She took a few breaths to adjust to the mess she would face when she opened her eyes, and pulled up a piece of quilt to cover herself.
"Your Majesty, didn't you say that if I could cheer you up when you were in a bad mood one day, you would promote me to a concubine?"
She heard from the palace servants that he was angry at the banquet, so why didn't he seem to be appeased by her now?
The emperor lay down with her, letting her lean on his arm. "My dear, weren't you drunk at that time? Besides this, do you remember what else I said?"
At times like this, his patience was always exceptionally abundant.
Qing Zan just asked in confusion: "What else?"
The emperor narrowed his eyes and asked, "Didn't you hear anything else?"
Qing Zan shook her head, "Did he mean to say that he is completely devoted to me and cannot live without me?"
The emperor pinched her face and said, "How dare you think that."
After they had called for water and washed themselves, regaining their lucidity, the emperor gave his orders: "Pass on my decree. Autumn hunting must be conducted in accordance with the seasons and to strengthen military preparations. This has always been a matter of national importance. The concubine who has the most prey this time will be rewarded with a white horse and a carved bow. Furthermore, those below the rank of imperial concubine may be promoted as appropriate."
Qingzan didn't think this was a favor to her at all, because she couldn't ride or shoot!
Is she just preparing wedding dresses for others tonight?
"If your Majesty is unwilling to give it, then it is not acceptable."
Qingzan ignored everyone in a huff and just lay down to sleep.
In fact, she just felt that she had done everything a noble could do during this period of time. If she wanted to shake the Marquis's Mansion more, she would need to mobilize more capital.
The emperor had never been turned his back on her in such a tyrannical way before. He stared at her for a long time, but he couldn't frown.
He scooped up the woman, who was bent like a cooked shrimp, into his arms and nuzzled the back of her neck: "What's the rush?"
"How can I let you suffer any loss?"
*
The night in the mountains suddenly became restless.
There was no curfew outside the city, and the hunting palace did not restrict night hunting, but Concubine Yuan did not expect to meet someone after just a few steps.
The newcomers all live at the foot of the mountain. Those in Baolin and below don’t even have their own independent residences. They all live in large courtyards with several people.
Ying Cairen also saw her.
Although Concubine Yuan's position is low, she now has the support of Concubine Hui. In addition, when she heard that she had blocked Concubine Wu from the door under the pretext of preparing programs for the Qianqiu Banquet, Concubine Wu turned around and tried to persuade this Concubine for a while. Later, Yuan established a relationship with Concubine Hui, and Concubine Wu finally stopped.
So Ying Cairen was very polite and took the initiative to call her: "Sister, you also heard the news and are you quite interested in the White Horse Carved Bow?"
If they directly said that they were competing for the promotion spot, they would be openly competing for fame and fortune, which would be disgraceful.
Yuan Xianshi bowed and found that Ying Cairen was fully equipped, holding a longbow in her hand. A palace maid behind her was leading her horse, and a quiver was also hanging on the horse.
She seemed a little embarrassed: "I'm not very good at these, otherwise I would be able to accompany my sister..."
Although both men and women in this dynasty admired riding and shooting, in reality, only those noble ladies who lived a life of luxury and had many social contacts would use this as a pastime.
Her background was only slightly better than that of ordinary people. She was the daughter of a seventh-rank doctoral student at the Imperial College, and what she learned best were actually Confucianism and etiquette.
Ying Cairen said it was okay, "I'm not very good at it either, so having someone to keep me company is great. My sister is now a capable assistant to Concubine Hui, so she'll have no shortage of opportunities. Unlike me, if I don't work harder, I'm afraid I'll never see the Empress."
She continued, "You always stayed with Sister Zhao before. Although I wanted to make friends with you, I never had the chance..."
Concubine Yuan smiled and did not refuse anymore, and accompanied the people to the woods.
Along the way, they echoed Ying Cairen's words, "I thought Yangpin was just the beginning. I didn't expect that among our newcomers, there would only be one like her. However, at the last banquet, I saw that the Empress Dowager had a good impression of you. His Majesty also gave you gifts. Who knows, he might remember you someday."
Ying Cairen, however, was quite pessimistic: "How can we have a chance to make a name for ourselves in the palace now?"
Consort Yuan immediately understood: "Sister, are you talking about Consort Ying?"
She shared the news she had heard tonight: "I heard that His Majesty went to the Mixue Pavilion right after the banquet, and it was there that the decree to reward the winner of the Autumn Hunt was issued. It's possible that Concubine Ying said something to His Majesty, and she wants to give us a chance."
Ying Cairen couldn't help but sigh, "My sister has such a kind heart, but could Lady Ying be so kind?"
But Ying Cairen knew that Concubine Yuan had always been extremely talented and intelligent, otherwise, how could Concubine Hui or Concubine Zhao be so close to her.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that this was the case. She had heard that Concubine Ying did not know how to hunt.
It was inevitable that she would sigh again, "We are both daughters of good families, and now we have to give her a chance. The honor and disgrace in this palace are really like clouds rolling and unrolling, there is no fixed date."
Consort Yuan suddenly became affectionate and said, "How about I come hunting with you every day these few days and give you whatever I catch. If you become successful, don't forget me."
Ying Cairen was actually somewhat flattered. In the past, this selected concubine had always been neither humble nor overbearing, and had always been calm and composed. She wondered, "Sister, you already have Concubine Hui's appreciation, so why are you being so nice to me?"
Consort Yuan smiled and said, "Empress Huifei has no shortage of people around her. We entered the palace together, and I have always wanted to be closer to you."
This is not a lie.
When Concubine Hui interrogated the two eunuchs who set the fire, she almost couldn't pry them open their mouths. It was she who helped them come up with ideas, but Concubine Hui accused her of being cruel and vicious.
The recent visits to Concubine Hui had made her discover that there was a secret relationship between Concubine Hui and Concubine Ying.
Xiang Su also told her that Concubine Ying might be able to find a way to get Concubine Zhao pardoned.
Zhao Cairen's house arrest cannot be lifted so easily. Even if it needs to be lifted, she has to rescue her.
It just so happened that although Ying looked calm and tactful, he was actually too naive and didn't even know who the promotion reward was meant to honor.
This palace doesn't need so many stupid people, but on the chessboard, the chess pieces controlled by others don't need to be very smart either.
Ying Cairen was unaware of Concubine Yuan's inner disdain for her, and she remained grateful, saying, "Sister, I'm actually quite puzzled. You've served Concubine Hui for so long, yet you're still only a concubine. If I ever have the chance, I'll definitely find a way to repay you."
*
Last night a light rain covered the mountains. I didn’t know when it started, but when I woke up in the morning, the mountains were deep green and still had a hint of water.
The emperor was not around, nor was he in the Mixue Pavilion.
Qingzan was confused for a moment, then calmly called someone in to wash up.
When Doukou saw her, she said, "His Majesty said that after the master wakes up, has breakfast and rests for a while, you can go to the side horse platform to find him."
When Qingzan climbed onto the platform several feet high, he saw a plain in front of him, except for a row of arrow nests at the end. Nearby, next to the rack for bows and arrows, there was a small stone tablet with the words "Cematai" engraved on it.
The emperor was dressed in a simple outfit, with narrow sleeves and long boots, holding a deep bow. He turned around and saw Qingzan's riding clothes and smiled.
"Are you willing to learn now?"
Fresh bait always brings out brave men. As an emperor, it is always so easy to change the will of others.
How can Qingzan not learn?
The emperor noticed that she had been looking at the stone tablet on the Cematai for a long time, and he understood: "Sitting sideways on a golden saddle and adjusting the white feathers, he shot and killed the five Chanyu one after another. This is called riding sideways, so it is not 'riding a horse'."
Qing Zan tilted her head and smiled, "Your Majesty, how do you know what I'm thinking?"
The emperor chuckled and accepted the flattery calmly: "When we ride, we'll use a pony so you won't fall. Come here first and learn archery."
Qing Zan was thinking about something else. If everyone knew that her riding and archery skills were taught by the emperor, would the title of champion this time fall into the hands of someone else?
If she were the one exploiting the rules, she would have easily figured it out last night. But once she became the one benefiting, it was only now and then that she realized it belatedly.
The emperor waited for her to come closer and placed the bow in her hands.
The bow was quite heavy, and Qingzan was caught off guard, causing her hand to drop down before she could hold it steady again.
The emperor hugged her from behind, holding her with one hand to draw the bowstring and with the other hand to fix the arrow.
The arrow was on the string, but Qingzan lowered her eyes and asked, "Your Majesty, why do you treat me so well?"
Xiao Fang lowered his head and could smell the subtle fragrance flowing from her skin. His eyes darkened slightly, "I didn't want to say too much sentimental words."
"That day, I saw that the Hongfei Sword showed signs of being tampered with by you."
He always thought himself to be superior, so how could he miss these actions of hers?
The emperor raised his head and stopped looking at everyone. "I sometimes feel conflicted, but for the woman I like, I want to follow my heart for once."
Just as Qingzan was thinking about the emperor's words, the sharp arrow in his hand was shot.
Aim at the goal and act from your heart.
The silver arrow was as fast as a meteor, breaking through the void, carrying the force of a fierce wind, and hitting the center of the bull's eye, with the remaining energy still lingering like a rainbow.
The emperor laughed.
"This bow is called Qiu Shui."
"I may give you what you want, provided you can hold on to it."
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