Chapter 53: Book Collection "You have wronged me."
Concubine Zhou has been feeling anxious ever since she came back from the Hunting Palace. During the time when Concubine Zhao was under house arrest, it was Concubine Yuan who comforted her from time to time, which helped her to stay calm.
The three of them had lived together since they were learning the rituals, and had supported each other since entering the palace. But now she was the only one left. Even after being promoted from Baolin to Talented Lady, she no longer had the same confidence and ambition she had when she first entered the palace.
But on the bright side, at least Concubine Zhao and Concubine Yuan are still alive, which is better than having an accident like Concubine Ying.
But Lady Zhou didn't hesitate for long. She had just returned to Chenhuazhai to change her clothes, feeling exhausted from half a day's carriage ride, when a palace maid returned from outside and said, "Lady, I saw His Majesty heading towards Wanghai Tower!"
Zhou Cairen was a little slow to react, and then she excitedly went to the dressing table: "Hurry up and do my makeup!"
The palace maid hurriedly stopped him, saying, "It's too late to dress up now. The master is already charming and beautiful as she is now."
Just as Lady Zhou nodded, the palace maid said, "But when I came back, I saw some movement at Chunhezhai. It seems His Majesty has issued an amnesty. Master, should we go to see Lady Zhao, or..."
The smiling face of Zhao Cairen in Zhou Cairen's mind immediately changed to the look of her glaring at him angrily and calling him a useless fool.
I felt that their relationship didn't seem that good.
She pursed her lips and said, "Chunhezhai must be in a mess right now. There's no rush to go there right now, right?"
…
The emperor was waiting under the eaves of the library, but he was not impatient at all. As long as he wanted, he could use the key to open the door at any time.
But just thinking about the time that woman returns and sees him with half his shoulder and arm soaked and his nine-dragon yellow robe stained because of her sudden neglect of his gift, how much guilt and self-blame will she feel, and how tenderly and thoughtfully she will compensate him...
Every moment of the present moment is not in vain.
Suddenly, there were chaotic footsteps heard in the rain.
The emperor, standing solemnly in front of the door, frowned.
It shouldn't be that fast.
But he still glanced at her lightly, and the faint smile on the corner of his lips disappeared completely when he saw who it was.
In order to have the chance to meet the emperor, Zhou Cairen didn't even bring her slaves with her and ran so far alone.
The emperor, now unencumbered by his guards, appeared less aloof. Otherwise, anyone approaching him would have been fended off by the guards' swords.
The rain was pouring down like a cascade, creating a powerful scene. From a distance, Lady Zhou couldn't discern the emperor's expression. As she approached, she lowered her eyes, afraid to look directly at him. So she simply glanced around, making sure the emperor didn't have an umbrella.
He stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty is trapped here by the heavy rain..."
Anyone can understand what Zhou Cairen meant.
The emperor's silence made Zhou Cairen feel uneasy.
His eyes were cold and expressionless: "Is there something wrong, Mr. Zhou?"
Zhou Cairen was initially surprised that he could remember her name, but soon she sensed the indifference and dislike in his voice.
Zhou Cairen hurriedly shook her head: "I'm fine, it's just, it's just..."
She awkwardly changed her tone, "It's just that we encountered heavy rain along the way. I wonder if Your Majesty would allow me to take shelter in the Wanghai Tower."
Xiao Fang felt more than ever before that it would be better for the women in the palace to be smarter and more intelligent.
If you are smarter, you will know that as the emperor, how could he be troubled by a mere storm? Not to mention anything else, there are slaves who are willing to serve him one after another to solve the current situation.
Unless he is willing to be trapped here.
At the very least, one can guess that the reason he didn't bring any servants was that he didn't want to be disturbed.
For a moment, the emperor wanted to keep this tactless talent to see if he would be jealous after he came back and what he would do with him.
But this idea was quickly rejected. There was no need to waste time on such irrelevant people.
The emperor was not shy about telling him off: "If you want to stay, I'm afraid you can't ask me."
Then who should I ask...?
Consort Zhou naturally didn't dare ask. She couldn't even quite grasp the emperor's meaning, so she simply hunched her back timidly. "The rain doesn't look too heavy, so we should be able to walk... I'll take my leave."
No matter what, Zhou Cairen could hear that the emperor did not come here alone.
In fact, she had become much more cautious and calm during these days, but this caution and calmness had to be grown on the soil of fear and nightmares.
Zhou Cairen retreated a long way, and water splashed under his feet.
But she still couldn't figure it out. Even if the emperor had already made an agreement, didn't all the land in the palace belong to His Majesty? Was there any place where His Majesty had no say?
Zhou Cairen did not leave in the end, but hid behind the palace wall, intending to see what was going on.
It didn't take long for Qingzan to go back and forth.
When she came back with the umbrella, the color of the edge of her shoes had become darker.
But such trivial matters are not worth mentioning at all. When I was a slave, even if I was soaked, I could still endure the discomfort and put on a smile.
Qing Zan walked quickly without stopping until she reached the eaves: "Your Majesty, are you getting impatient?"
She hurriedly handed over what she was holding in her hand.
"I'm not in a hurry." The emperor's expression had relaxed, almost to the point of being gentle.
He took the key. It looked like a cold, iron object, but it held the warmth of a human hand. He could almost imagine the person clutching it as they ran all the way here.
The key turned half a circle and Qingzan put away the umbrella.
Every few days an old servant would go into the library to clean and dust it. A room needs human touch to maintain it. If no one cares about it all year round, the library will quickly decay and rot, unless it is made of expensive and high-quality materials that are immune to all kinds of evil, let alone delicate books and scrolls.
Qingzan looked up and exchanged a glance with the king beside her, then couldn't wait to squeeze into the dim light.
This five-story building was originally built to resemble a pagoda. Because of its open-air design, it appears lofty and majestic, yet has a mysterious and spacious feeling.
Seeing the man staring blankly, the emperor's brows relaxed, and he did his duty as a host, guiding the man: "What book do you want to read?"
Qing Zan couldn't think of a solution for a moment: "I'll go up and take a look first."
After saying this, she lifted her skirt and went upstairs. Rows of bookshelves towered like mountains. Her skirt finally stopped in front of a book on the art of treating disasters, but the book was placed too high. Qingzan was hesitating whether to reach out when the emperor quietly approached.
But even though she knew he was standing behind her, Qingzan was still caught off guard and almost screamed when someone suddenly grabbed her legs from behind and lifted her up.
His arms tightly gripped her knees and lifted her up, making her feet go further off the ground.
Her wet-hemmed skirt was wrinkled in his hands in an unsightly and messy manner.
Qingzan climbed onto the shelves of the bookshelf with both hands, biting her lips and looking back.
At the same time, she was very tense, trying not to get too close to the emperor, because she suspected that if she leaned back even a little, she would sit on his face.
"His Majesty……"
Xiao Fang chuckled casually: "How long do you want me to hold you?"
Qingzan finally regained his composure, turned back, and with a single stretch of his hand, he deftly took down the book on disaster relief that was placed on the upper floor.
"I got it."
Xiao Fang responded quickly: "Yeah."
But he had no intention of putting her down.
Qingzan tried to get off, but after twisting a few times, she only managed to get half of Shuichenchen's shoe off, but nothing else. Her skirt became increasingly tangled from the friction with the emperor's robe and arms. It was pulled down slightly, revealing an inch of soft, white skin at her waist, untainted by dust, holy and lovely.
However, not long after, Qingzan suddenly felt the shackles loosen slightly, and the emperor flipped her over in an instant, pressing her to sit on the grid of the bookshelf.
It would be more accurate to say that he was sandwiched between the bookshelf and the emperor, hanging in mid-air in a dilemma.
Qingzan didn't dare to move at all, only breathing slightly faster: "It will fall down."
The emperor bent his knees and half-knelt, holding her ankles, took off her wet shoes and socks, and let her step on his knee-covering dragon robe.
Qingzan finally found some balance and support, but she only dared to tap lightly with her bright white, lustrous, boneless toes, causing her instep to arch slightly.
The emperor did not shy away from his gaze and asked with his head down, "Aren't you uncomfortable with being wet?"
Qing Zan: "I originally wanted to change it when I got back."
After saying that, she still felt uncomfortable and wanted to pull her feet under her skirt.
The emperor sensed her intention, and with a force of his hot big hand, he pulled it out a little.
During this confrontation, Qingzan's body trembled, and her hips slipped from the edge of the bookshelf, suddenly falling rapidly and helplessly. She was still holding a book in her hand and was reluctant to let go, so she couldn't even hold on to the shelf.
She pounced directly on the emperor. The emperor, who had been squatting steadily, did not expect such a sudden change and was thrown to the ground.
With a human flesh cushion, Qingzan was naturally not hurt from the fall, but the emperor might not be so hurt.
She hurriedly tried to get up from the ground, but the emperor grabbed her waist and laughed happily.
As he laughed, he lowered his head and buried it in her neck, which was sweating slightly from fear.
The thin lips bit the soft and tender white flesh.
A sweet and subtle fragrance emanates from between the textures.
Qing Zan trembled weakly, not knowing that each tremor was a response and encouragement to the man under her.
The two brocade shoes, half soaked by rain, were thrown far away. The silk uppers were decorated with a circle of rice-sized beads, which made them both noble and pitiful. But soon, the upturned face of their owner became as weak and pitiful as the shoes.
Qing Zan pursed her rosy, slightly swollen lips. She didn't even dare to look at how shabby her clothes were as she stood up. She said dissatisfiedly, "Is this the reward Your Majesty wants? You said it was a gift for me, but you clearly had the price figured out long ago."
Xiao Fang was dressed neatly, and he slowly brushed the messy hair at his collar. He said slowly, "If you think so, you are really wronging me."
He just did it on impulse.
Qingzan was silent for a long time, picked up the book from the ground, wiped the cover with a handkerchief, looked around the library, and finally said: "But I am very happy with this gift. In return——"
She thought about it seriously and said softly, "I know that Your Majesty has had many difficulties. If Your Majesty doesn't lie to me in the future, I will never lie to Your Majesty again."
He once blamed her for being so defensive towards him.
Blame her for not confiding in him.
But she realized her dreams time and time again.
Qingzan has always cherished the kindness given by others. If she receives one point, she will at least return five points. But to him, she knows that she cannot afford to repay him and cannot repay him completely.
Xiao Fang could hear the honesty in those words.
This was the first time that he felt a little ashamed to meet those eyes that were as clear as the spring sky and as translucent as glass.
He thought with a smile that in her heart, he was probably a generous gentleman. However, a gentleman's thoughts could be made clear under the clear sky and in broad daylight, but his inner thoughts were dark and turbid, and always despicable.
It's definitely not as good as she thought.
But the imperial family, in order to accomplish their goals, often resorts to any means necessary and has the ability to conceal the truth.
Anyway, he will spoil her for the rest of her life.
He pinched the remaining warmth on his fingertips and said gently, "Okay."
He smiled again and said mischievously, "Shall I carry you back?"
As they exchanged glances, the emperor saw a flash of embarrassment and panic on her face as he had hoped.
Naturally, the topic was not continued.
Just think of it as today's autumn rain and chaos, not suitable for heart-to-heart talks.
…
The emperor didn't actually carry the person all the way back to Chengluan Palace.
Although Xu Delu did not follow the emperor in this rainy weather, he had to have a rough idea of where the emperor had gone, so he ordered the imperial carriage to be stopped not far away.
When Zhou Cairen saw the emperor go in with others and come out holding Ying Ronghua, the umbrella in her hand almost fell to the ground.
My back was wet but I didn't even notice it.
If only the person in His Majesty's arms was her... Although everyone said that Ying Ronghua's glory was temporary and the favor of the women in the palace never lasted, she said that as long as she could get such a temporary honor, the loneliness in the future would be worth it.
After standing there for a moment, she wiped her face, finally came to her senses, and went to Chunhezhai.
Chunhezhai.
Today, Concubine Zhao was finally pardoned and released from house arrest early. Concubine Hui had been waiting for her cousin outside the door early in the morning, but Concubine Zhao knew that the guards outside had been withdrawn, but she still didn't come out.
Concubine Hui said to the people around her, "I'll go in and take a look."
The former palace maids from Chunhezhai had returned, but Lady Zhao had locked the door and refused to let them in. The maidservant, after fetching water, could only stand outside with the basin in her hand.
Concubine Hui knocked on the door: "Stop the lights?"
Zhao Cairen recognized her cousin's voice and said, "I don't want to see anyone today. Please go back first. I will come to visit you tomorrow!"
Concubine Hui saw that her cousin was as willful as before, but at least she could say something polite.
She said she would come to visit me tomorrow, but I'm afraid I won't be able to see her even if I wait from dawn to dusk.
Concubine Hui didn't mind using her authority: "If you don't come out, I'll have someone break down the door."
Although Zhao Cairen didn't believe that her cousin would do something like smashing the door based on her personality, it was not difficult for her cousin to smash a door since she had been in charge of the six palaces.
The door finally cracked open a little.
Concubine Hui saw her cousin, covered in dust and dirt, huddled up on the couch. After she came in, she hid her face on her knees.
...After all, it's the nature of a young daughter.
"Don't hide. Why don't you let someone come in to help you wash and dress? Are you planning to hide like this?" Concubine Hui walked over to the couch and sat down. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you for a long time."
When Zhao Cairen heard her interrogating tone, she asked unhappily, "What's the matter?"
Concubine Hui reached out to brush the hair away from her face, but Concubine Zhao dodged by turning her head away.
Concubine Hui didn't force it, but her face darkened slightly. She stared intently for a moment before asking solemnly, "Why have you suddenly become so estranged from the Yongning Marquisate and the Empress?"
"Or should I ask, who told you that the mud snake was created by the Queen and that the Queen wanted to harm you?"
During the period when her cousin was under house arrest, she was the Concubine Hui who was in charge of the six palaces. She knew the content of the message clearly.
Previously, the Zheng and Zhao families had been caught off guard, and she had been busy trying to find a way to rescue her cousin, so she hadn't had time to worry about this. But now, the Yongning Marquisate and the Zhao family were at loggerheads. The downfall of the Zhu family could almost be attributed to the Zhao family, and a fight to the death was inevitable.
She had to know who was behind all this and whether that person was a friend or an enemy.
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