Chapter 62 Ningzhi "I'll only punish you."
When Xiao Fang came out of Ziquan Palace, he learned that Qingzan had gone to the Taiye Lake, so he asked several palace maids to light the way.
Doukou had already put the voodoo figurine into her sleeve pouch and even tied the strap of the sleeve pouch tightly to ensure that the thing would not fall out.
The master and servant then left the scene.
Although Doukou did as she was told, she was actually still afraid: "Master, is it okay for us to keep this thing like this?"
Qing Zan: "We are upright and honest, so what do we have to be afraid of?"
Performing the art of warding off evil without permission is a serious crime. Doukou was worried her master might not be aware of the dangers involved. "What if someone sees us and misunderstands us? Besides, my master is pregnant now. Such trickery is unlucky."
She said that it would be better to hand over this thing as soon as possible. After all, Concubine Wu had often bullied her master. If Concubine Wu was dealt with, it would be like cutting off one of the queen's claws.
Let’s see if the Queen dares to bully her master again!
But she didn't say any more, because a lot of flames appeared at the end of the road, and even the water of Taiye Lake, which was caressed by the withered willows beside it, was suddenly covered with a layer of brilliant light, surging with golden and jade colors.
Your Majesty is here.
Doukou no longer showed any strange behavior and stood quietly beside her master.
The emperor had to stop and look for a moment before he was sure it was them, then he walked closer without hesitation.
The path by the lake was deep and narrow, only wide enough for pedestrians. On one side, there were shrubs with strange branches, but for the emperor, it was not a big deal if his clothes got dirty.
The first thing Xiao Fang said when he saw the man was, "You've come so far? You don't even know how to bring a lantern."
The tone was not one of reproach, and even the emperor himself did not notice it.
"I've walked away without realizing it. I saw the bright autumn moon tonight and couldn't bear to light a lamp." Qingzan readily placed her hand in his, smiled, and asked, "Your Majesty, have you finished talking to the Empress Dowager?"
Thinking of the content of the conversation just now, the emperor's mood darkened for a moment. He did not answer, but his face was calm and composed: "So I have delayed your moon-viewing?"
When he arrived, there were ceremonial processions everywhere, with lights and ceremonial objects.
Qingzan slightly raised their clasped hands, but her snow-white neck drooped softly, as if shyly: "Your Majesty, aren't you giving me a little sun to warm my hands?"
The emperor raised his lips slightly: "Slippery tongue."
But he still held the cold slender fingers tighter.
Xu Delu glanced silently in the direction of Guanju Palace. There was more than one pregnant woman in this palace. The Empress Dowager had just asked His Majesty not to favor one over the other. It made sense that His Majesty was unwilling to tell Master Ying for fear of making her feel unhappy.
At this moment, Qingzan subtly signaled Doukou with her eyes to hide the things well.
Doukou was so nervous that she dared not breathe, but when she saw that the emperor did not even pay attention to anyone other than his master, she felt a little relieved.
*
It is not advisable to take a sitting bath during pregnancy. After returning to Chengluan Palace, Qingzan asked the emperor to take a bath first. Her procedure was more complicated - several large buckets of hot water were prepared, Qingzan stretched out her arms by the bath pool, and then the palace servants poured water over her one spoonful at a time.
This is a time-consuming and laborious method. I'm afraid I'll only be able to do a thorough washing once every few days in the future.
Fortunately, perhaps because it was airtight, the hot spring room was much warmer than other places. In the distance, a lampstand and a Thousand-Armed Guanyin figure seemed to hold up several orchid candles, and the palace maids could see that the female figure under the lamp was as radiant as the finest ice porcelain.
When the hot water, shimmering with fragmented light, poured down angrily, not a single drop caught on it.
In comparison, the master's hands were the roughest on his body, probably due to past experiences. If he had been born in a wealthy family, pampered and raised from childhood, his hands would have been even more delicate and lustrous, the work of nature.
At the door, Xiao Fang took a quick look and turned away.
He drank another half pot of cold tea.
Chan Yi, however, quietly walked in after asking for instructions. While her master was out, she had already followed instructions and secretly checked every aspect of her master's food, clothing, housing and transportation.
Qingzan asked everyone else to leave first: "Just leave Chanyi to serve me."
The palace maids knew that this new maid had the skills to massage pregnant women to relieve their fatigue, so they were not suspicious.
"I've checked everything in the small kitchen, the master's personal belongings, and the utensils in the inner chamber. There's nothing unusual. The only thing is that the meals delivered from the kitchen these past few days seem to contain herbs that can delay a woman's menstrual period."
The result given by Chan Yi was almost the same as Qing Zan expected.
Qingzan put on her clothes and said, "That's right."
Chan Yi was surprised: "Master, did you know this a long time ago?"
Even she was surprised when she discovered the medicine.
Qingzan was just guessing.
It seems she's recently lost interest in meat, so she's avoided the drug. Most of the food delivered by the kitchen these days has been distributed to the servants. Although she'd noticed something after the imperial physician's visit that day, she hadn't allowed them to eat those dishes. But after eating them for a while, the eunuchs felt better, but I wonder if the palace maids were affected.
Chan Yi's medical skills needed to be kept secret for the time being, so it was inconvenient for her to examine each palace maid directly. After hearing her master's concerns, she thought for a moment and said, "It's only a single dose. It shouldn't be a problem if so many people share it. I'll keep an eye on it."
Qingzan felt relieved. "Thank you for your hard work. If you find anything else, you can discuss it with Pingting or Suoying when I'm not around."
Chan Yi agreed. Seeing her master's gentleness, she added, "Master, if you feel uncomfortable with swelling later, you can call me to help. Don't be embarrassed. This is the most serious condition during the third or fourth month of pregnancy. I have experience with this."
Qing Zan didn't know what she was referring to, so she just nodded. She was actually more curious about her so-called experience: "Have you ever had experience caring for a pregnant woman?"
Chan Yi suddenly became reserved, lowered her head and replied in a low voice, "Just a little."
Qingzan didn't ask any more questions, "A little bit is good enough."
Inside the bedroom, the emperor sat on the couch with the bed curtains drawn. When Qingzan came in, he was reclining, reading the books she had chosen, his brows and eyes slightly tired.
He didn't look up, but he noticed her as soon as she entered the room.
"So slow today?"
Upon hearing this, Qing Zan walked over to the couch, sat down next to him, and leaned over to see what book he was reading and which page he was on. Then she replied, "Your Majesty, are you dissatisfied with my slowness? I'm afraid I'll be even slower in the future if I can't move."
However, before she could see anything clearly, the world suddenly turned. Qingzan heard the sound of a book falling to the ground. In an instant, the emperor was pressing her down, breathing heavily. He rested his forehead against hers and said, "Kiss me. I will wait as long as it takes."
Endless hot breath was like a gust of wind, easily conquering her delicate body. Qing Zan knew that he would definitely not touch her, but she still couldn't help but tremble her eyelashes.
Then he tilted his head back and did as he was told.
The emperor was not satisfied with the fleeting glance at the corner of his lips: "Continue."
Qing Zan touched his lips again. She pursed her lips modestly and asked him with her eyes, "Is it okay now?"
Emperor: "Continue."
Qingzan simply held back her strength and bit him on the jaw, leaving a light red mark with moisture.
Not knowing if the emperor felt any pain, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Continue."
Qingzan was at a loss for words. He snorted and turned his head away: "Didn't you say 'a while'?"
The emperor held her hand, curled his lips slightly, and his eyes were so gloomy that they even looked a bit naive: "And here."
By the time Qingzan realized where that place was, her fingers were already trembling from the heat.
Her face was filled with disbelief, and she refused to turn her head back, staring straight at the curtains hanging beside the bed. The curtains were held up by the curtain hooks, and had an arc like flowing water.
But I kept thinking that I must be so embarrassed that I am unrecognizable, my face must be flushed and a mess.
If he sees it, he will laugh at you again.
The emperor urged: "Hmm?"
The upward-curving ending tone is both patient and impatient.
Qingzan's breathing rose and fell: "Dirty."
Xiao Fang was stunned.
This was the first time I heard this word used to describe myself.
He turned her face straight, his thumb and index finger sunk into the soft, bright pink dimples on either side, staring at her drunken, lotus-like face. "You're so bold! You think I won't punish you, right?"
The intense gaze was too intense. Qingzan habitually wanted to turn her head away, but at this moment, she was restrained and could not move even a little. She could only look back at him with a gentle smile: "Then please punish me, and punish the child in my belly as well."
The emperor almost laughed.
After a while, he said in a hoarse voice, "I'll only punish you."
Then he lowered his head and kissed her.
It was an excessively long kiss, the orchid candles faded, the curtains fell, fierceness and tenderness coexisted and strengthened each other.
Qingzan was trapped and could only endure it passively, but it was obvious that there was someone else who was helpless at this time.
*
Two days later, the emperor had someone send him a hibiscus crown, but it was not made of gold, silver or pearls, nor was it made of silk or gauze. Instead, it was made of real, fresh hibiscus flowers that were in full bloom in that season.
Qingzan couldn't imagine what this exaggerated crown would look like on her head, so she just used it as a decoration, which was also pleasing to the eye even from a distance.
Somehow, the story got spread around, becoming more and more outrageous. Within ten days, the story spread that the emperor had used a famous flower worth thousands of gold to make a crown for his favorite concubine, just to exchange it for a few days of beauty and a smile from her.
As a result, there was a craze for wearing flower crowns among the people.
The Queen had just been reprimanded by the Empress Dowager a few days ago for hosting a chrysanthemum banquet with burning gold. Naturally, she was indignant when she heard about this.
When her mother, the wife of the Marquis of Yongning, came to the palace, she told others about this: "Mother, you don't know how righteous she was when she mocked me for my extravagant and luxurious meals. I am even worse than her."
The wife of Marquis Yongning was already troubled by the issue of money. Once her father fell from power, the family's only income was her husband's meager salary.
Unfortunately, the eldest son and daughter both spend money like water. Even after the daughter became the queen, she still couldn't help the family at all. The son has been away from home recently. He is nowhere to be found except when asking for money.
Instead of agreeing, she scolded: "One or two of you are both troublesome. You should change your temper. You will suffer in the future."
The atmosphere between mother and daughter is not as harmonious as before.
The Queen knew that her mother was still blaming her. Neither her grandfather's affairs nor her honor and status in the palace could satisfy her.
The Queen's face hardened and she remained silent. The wife of the Marquis of Yongning sighed and softened her tone, "Mother isn't blaming you when she says this."
She held the man's forearm and warned him softly, "I'm afraid that if this continues, His Majesty and the Queen Mother will both have a grudge against you. Even if Concubine Yang dies in the delivery room, it won't be your turn to raise her son."
The Queen turned around and said, "But I have restrained myself!"
Her voice grew fainter and softer. "Besides, how could it not be my turn? When His Majesty finds out that bitch is trying to frame me with a fake pregnancy, he'll know I've been wronged and will want to compensate me. I've already chosen the day to expose her: it's during the Laba Festival..."
The wife of the Marquis of Yongning suddenly stopped in her tracks: "Someone's coming, let's talk later."
The queen was also stunned.
Because she wanted to have a personal chat today and felt the room was stuffy, she took her mother for a walk in the woods. Unexpectedly, she met a ceremonial guard here.
The imperial concubine's ceremonial procession.
Qingzan did not get off, but just let the sedan chair stop in front of the mother and daughter.
For a moment, the wife of Marquis Yongning almost wanted to ask her daughter which lady in the palace was in front of her.
Until she gradually saw clearly.
I hadn't seen this maid for a long time, and this was the first time I saw her looking so bright and elegant. Her face was always drooping in the past, but now she looked so proud. She seemed to be more like her mother from another family, but also less like her.
No wonder my daughter couldn't stand it.
The Queen only took one look and sneered at the person, "Noble Concubine Ying? I didn't expect such a coincidence that we would meet here."
Qingzan rested her elbows on the armrest of the sedan chair, supporting half of her snow-white cheek, and slightly lowered her eyes.
Meeting on a narrow road?
She came here specifically to accompany others in singing the show.
Doukou suddenly stepped forward and reminded: "Forgive me for being so nosy, but when Madam meets my concubine, according to the rules, she must show great courtesy."
His Majesty has instructed that the master does not need to perform formalities when meeting anyone, so at this moment he only needs to sit comfortably on the sedan chair. But how could the wife of Marquis Yongning, as a lady from an outer official position, be so ignorant of etiquette when meeting the proper empress of the palace?
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