Chapter 116 Roster
It was late at night and everyone was asleep. In the dark night, a cool breeze blew in through the bright window.
Inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the dim candlelight flickered slightly, the wick in the white jade candlestick danced lightly, and there was a crackling sound from the candlelight.
Chen Fu was lying on the couch. Her body was flushed and her neck was covered with bruises, which were full of ambiguous marks. It became even more obvious on that white jade-like skin.
She was covered with a velvet blanket, blocking out the view inside. But she was the only one who knew that there was nothing underneath the carpet.
Shen Fu felt severe pain all over her body, and her legs were still trembling slightly. She stretched out her hand and pinched her palm, then rolled over on the blanket, her eyes quietly looking forward.
His Majesty was sitting on the armchair beside him.
Compared to her dishevel, His Majesty looked much more serious.
He was wearing a dark robe, which was neatly woven without any ruffles, except for the hem which was slightly wrinkled, showing that he had just experienced a big event.
Thinking of what had just happened, Shen Fu couldn't help but blush.
But on the opposite side, His Majesty looked like a gentle gentleman. The face was gentle and elegant, and he was drinking tea leisurely with a teacup in his hand.
It's totally unexpected what just happened.
Thinking of the scene just now, Shen Fu couldn't help but feel shy and embarrassed. His Majesty looks gentle and refined, but he has many tricks when it comes to things.
I don't know where he learned those tricks, but every time he made her unable to get out of bed.
Especially just now...
Chen Fu looked at the low table beside her, feeling totally ashamed.
She turned her head, eager to escape from this place.
Her whole body was sticky and tight. Shen Fu swung her legs and supported herself with her hands on the armrests, trying to get up from the couch.
But as soon as she moved, her legs went weak. Shen Fu couldn't hold back a scream and was about to fall off the couch.
But before her legs touched the ground, Shen Fu was lifted into the air.
The Emperor came over at some point. He held Shen Fu's waist with both hands and lifted her up lightly: "What are you doing?"
Xiao Yu said this and put her on the couch again.
The thin blanket slipped off her body, revealing her snow-white skin vaguely. After sitting down, Shen Fu quickly reached out to pull the blanket higher, coughed, and stammered.
"I...I feel uncomfortable..." Her body was sticky and tight, and she felt even more uncomfortable after sweating.
The breath above her head fell on her, and Shen Fu did not dare to raise her head: "I want to go down and wash."
"I'll take you there to wash later." The Qianqing Palace is not a bedroom, and if the news of calling for water spreads, the entire harem must know.
Xiao Yu leaned down, playing with Chen Fu's hair with his fingers, and coaxed her lightly, "Wait a little longer."
Shen Fu nodded obediently.
She was not in a hurry to go downstairs to wash up, but was thinking about staying away from this place. After all, she felt guilty just looking at this table.
Shen Fu couldn't help but scream in her mind, how could she have just agreed to really kneel on it!
"Then I will go back first." She did not stay in the Qianqing Palace for a moment.
Chen Fu reached out and grabbed the hem of His Majesty's clothes, and was about to get off. His Majesty reached out and grasped her palm, gently raising his brow.
"I think you can't leave for the time being." He lowered his head and looked at Chen Fu.
His smiling eyes fell on Shen Fu's slightly trembling thighs, and his face was gentle and considerate: "How can you walk like this?"
Chen Fu lowered her head and saw a pair of legs trembling slightly under the blanket.
He had been shaking since the beginning, and after he fell, the shaking became even worse.
Even through the blanket, one could clearly see the legs trembling slightly.
Under the nose of His Majesty, there is no way to hide.
Shen Fu's cheeks were pretty red, and her eyes were full of panic. She quickly stretched out her hands to cover her legs, but it was just an attempt to cover up her own shortcomings.
"Your Majesty." Chen Fu's anxious voice was almost crying.
But His Majesty did not give in at all: "I did it, how can I not watch it?"
His Majesty raised his brows, but his hands were extremely nimble. He raised his hand and lifted up Chen Fu's blanket, and immediately looked down and saw everything clearly.
Under the velvet blanket, her legs couldn't help but tremble even more violently. Shen Fu wanted to cover it up, but the Emperor raised his hands and saw it more clearly.
I saw a pair of white jade-like legs, straight and well-proportioned. Under the dim candlelight in the room, her legs looked like they were carved from jade.
Every stroke and every detail appears extremely symmetrical.
But such a beautiful pair of legs were now covered with bruises and red marks. Especially the knees, one side was red and swollen, and even bruised.
Xiao Yu lowered his head and looked for a long time, his deep eyes becoming extremely obscure.
He stroked it gently with his calloused fingertips and whispered softly, "Poor little thing."
Chen Fu tried to dodge, but the Emperor held down her legs and she couldn't move.
Perhaps he did not expect it to be so serious. His Majesty's eyes and brows showed a bit of pity. His fingertips gently fell on Shen Fu's knees, and then he took out a jade bottle from his arms very naturally.
"I'll help you apply the medicine."
Chen Fu watched His Majesty's actions until the jade bottle was opened and He scooped out a spoonful of ointment and smeared it on her knees.
A cool touch came from her knees, and Shen Fu shivered all over, then she gradually came back to her senses.
Wan... Your Majesty, what is this doing?
He prepared the ointment early in the morning?
Chen Fu glanced sideways at the small coffee table beside her, then looked at the Emperor standing in front of her, gently applying medicine to her, and there was still an indescribable feeling in her mind.
It is obvious that His Majesty had prepared for this long ago?
From the moment she came to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, to the moment she saw the Yuquan Mountain, and even when she knelt on the table... kneeling on the table, was His Majesty prepared in advance?
Shen Fu was in a daze, but the hands in front of her that were painting her legs continued to move.
Xiao Yu leaned over to her side, and even his fingertips showed some tenderness: "I have been running around a lot these past few days."
Chen Fu still has the mentality of a child, and it is inevitable that she will act coquettishly and make a scene.
Xiao Yu looked at his knee covered with plaster and said, "If it gets bumped again, I will be heartbroken."
Chen Fu looked at His Majesty's expression and felt only amused. His Majesty seemed to be considerate in every way, but at the same time, all the scars on her body were clearly caused by him!
He is good at putting in the effort to look good!
Shen Fu muttered to herself, but at the same time she didn't have the courage to really show it.
She could only try her best to force out a smile, and said to His Majesty obediently: "I understand, thank you His Majesty."
"The night is dark." There was still a trace of plaster on the fingertips of His Majesty.
He stretched out his hand and gently wiped Shen Fu's cheek, smiling dotingly: "I still have official business to attend to, so let Lin An take you back."
Chen Fu sat on the soft couch, watching the emperor's back as he left without hesitation after saying these words.
Her straight waist finally relaxed.
I looked down at the scattered traces on the ground and thought about what had just happened in this room.
Chen Fu showed a trace of unnaturalness on her face, and she quickly slipped out.
*******
The next morning, the sky was just beginning to get foggy.
When Shen Fu was called up from the bed by Zi Su, she couldn't help but complain: "I still want to sleep."
She grabbed the quilt and refused to let go: "Let me sleep a little longer." She was tossed to and fro by the Emperor last night.
My bones feel like they are falling apart after coming back from the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Why are you getting up so early?
Chen Fu hugged the quilt and wanted to continue taking a nap, with a wet towel covering her face.
Zi Su said without even raising her head:
"Ronghua Palace has sent a message, asking the ladies from all the palaces to go there to pay their respects." Zi Su has followed the lady since she was a child and knows her methods like the back of her hand.
"If you don't get up now, you'll be late."
Palace of Glory? Concubine Rong?
Shen Fu's eyes, which had been closed just now, opened instantly.
Today is not the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, and it is not the day to pay respects to Concubine Rong. At this time, Concubine Rong called all the palace people over, which must be to discuss something.
Thinking about last night...if nothing unexpected happened, I'm afraid we will go to Yuquan Mountain.
When Shen Fu thought of this, she lost all desire to sleep and immediately got up from the bed.
Zi Su stood aside, calling the two palace maids behind her to come forward and serve.
"He Cairen came here early in the morning to wait for the young lady, and is still waiting outside."
I wiped my face with a wet towel and felt much more awake instantly. Shen Fu raised her head and frowned:
"What is she doing here?"
He Cairen is a very strange person, and Chen Fu still hasn't figured her out. But she has always been a weird person, so it must be bad news when she comes.
"I don't know either." It was very hot today, so Zi Su specially picked a dress with a floor-length collar and put it on.
Just as he was about to try it on Shen Fu, his cheeks instantly turned red when he saw the red mark on her collar.
"How are you going to get dressed like this?" Shen Fu lowered her head and looked at her neck.
After coughing, he covered it up by saying, "Pick something with a high neckline and wear it."
"Your Majesty, why doesn't you show some mercy?" Zi Su muttered, and hurriedly went to change into a new dress.
By the time Chen Fu came out dressed, He Cairen was already dizzy from waiting.
She was weak to begin with, and it took her two years to recover. After receiving the news in the morning, I didn't even have time to have breakfast and hurried to Chen Fu's place to wait.
After drinking three or four bowls of tea, Shen Fu was still sleeping soundly inside.
I don’t know what His Majesty likes about her!
He Cairen was jealous, but reluctant to leave. He endured the hunger in his stomach and waited until he felt dizzy and blurry before finally waiting for Chen Fu to come out from the inner room.
"Chen Ronghua." He Cairen immediately stood up from his chair when he heard the footsteps.
"Why did Mr. He come to my place so early in the morning?" Chen Fu raised her eyebrows. If Zi Su hadn't told her this early in the morning, she would have been frightened.
"Noble Concubine Rong has issued an order to summon us over for questioning." Compared to last time, Concubine He was obviously much more obedient.
He smiled at Shen Fu, his face full of courtesy: "I was not feeling well before, and rarely went out. Now I want to go to Concubine Rong's place, but I am afraid that I don't know the rules and will make a fool of myself."
“That’s why I came to Shen Ronghua specially and went there with Shen Ronghua. It’s also good for embarrassing our Hehuan Palace when the time comes.”
Shen Fu raised her eyebrows. After not seeing He Cairen for a few days, he seemed to be much more talkative.
But the self-righteousness in my mind is still there.
Why are you afraid of bringing shame to Hehuan Palace?
I'm afraid she heard the news from somewhere and was afraid that if she went to Ronghua Palace, the servants in Concubine Rong's palace would not let her in, so she came to her for help.
Shen Fu's heart was as clear as a mirror, but she was too lazy to expose her. She lived with He Cairen in Hehuan Palace. She had a higher position while He Cairen had a lower position.
If things get too awkward, people might accuse her of bullying others.
"It just so happens that I also want to go to Ronghua Palace, so let's go together." A hint of excitement flashed in He Cairen's eyes, and he nodded quickly and followed Chen Fu.
"yes."
Those below the fourth rank were not allowed to order sedan chairs. Although the Hehuan Palace was not far from the Ronghua Palace, the sun was still very hot in the early morning.
Chen Fu and her group walked over and waited until they reached the gate of Ronghua Palace, inevitably sweating a little.
Zi Su wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief with concern. When Chen Fu turned her head, she saw He Cairen stroking his forehead with his hand, his eyes wide open, as if he was about to faint.
Shen Fu raised her eyebrows slightly. She knew that He Cairen was weak, but she didn't expect that it would be so difficult for him to walk a few steps.
It was hard for her, waiting at her door so early in the morning. I’m afraid I can’t even stand straight with my legs now.
Shen Fu glanced at her subtly, and the discomfort of her slightly trembling knees seemed to be relieved a lot.
Several people waited at the door for a while, and soon the maid from Concubine Rong's palace came out: "The Queen asks the ladies to come in."
There was a lively conversation going on in Ronghua Palace, and when Chen Fu and the others walked in, they could hear the noise of discussion inside.
Until the eunuch leading the way called out, "Chen Ronghua is here."
The noisy noise in the house finally stopped: "Is Shen Ronghua here?"
In the main hall, Concubine Rong raised her eyes. She raised her hand to take the teacup handed to her by the palace maid beside her, and said with a smile: "I just happened to be talking about you sisters. You came at the right time."
Talking about her?
Shen Fu raised her eyelids, then hurried forward. He Cairen followed behind her, and seeing this, he followed obediently.
"Your concubine pays homage to Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine." Chen Fu stood in the center of the hall, kneeling down and saluting very respectfully.
Concubine Rong was sitting at the highest point in the hall. When she lowered her eyes and looked down, her gaze happened to fall on Shen Fu's towering neckline.
It's such a hot day, but everyone else is trying to keep cool. On the contrary, Shen Fu wore one with a high neckline.
I don’t know whether it was intentional or unintentional.
Concubine Rong's eyes flickered slightly. After waiting for a while, she said, "Get up."
She smiled and glanced behind Shen Fu: "This is."
"I am He Cairen." Upon hearing this, He Cairen hurried forward.
She knew that following Shen Fu was the right thing to do! He Cairen looked excited, knelt down and said hurriedly: "I will live with Shen Ronghua in Ronghua Palace."
Concubine Rong glanced at Concubine He lightly, and seeing that she had a pretty face, it was obvious that she had no interest in her.
She waved her hand to let everyone sit down, and then said: "I called you all here today to discuss this trip out of the palace to Yuquan Mountain."
After Concubine Rong finished speaking, the noise in the room instantly became visibly excited.
Going to Yuquan Mountain only happens once a year.
Not only were they far away from the imperial palace, but His Majesty always brought very few concubines with him each time. Normally, it is difficult to see the Emperor in the palace, but Yuquan Mountain is a small place with few concubines.
As time goes by, there will inevitably be no chance to sleep with him.
Therefore, every year, the places to visit Yuquan Mountain are fought over fiercely.
"It's so early this year." Hu Wanyi was the first to speak.
Hu Wanyi happened to be sitting behind Shen Fu. After hearing this, she turned her head and glanced at Hu Wanyi inconspicuously.
She had heard of Hu Wanyi before. She heard that she was spotted by the Emperor in Yuquan Mountain and was brought back to Kyoto.
Shen Fu took a glance and saw that she was indeed petite, delicate and lovely. No wonder His Majesty likes it.
Chen Fu lowered her eyes, and Hu Wanyi beside her spoke hurriedly again.
As soon as Concubine Rong finished speaking, she couldn't hold back any longer: "Last year, we waited until the end of the month to start, but this year it's half a month earlier."
Concubine Rong smiled and said, "It was His Majesty who suggested it. It might be because the weather is hotter this year, so it was brought forward."
To be honest, she was curious too, but the Emperor gave the order suddenly, so she didn't feel comfortable asking any further.
Concubine Rong's eyes flashed when she thought of this.
"Then, Your Majesty, has the list of candidates for this year been announced?" Hu Wanyi knew that the trip had been set.
He took a sip of tea and asked, pretending not to care.
"Of course you are one of them." Concubine Rong glanced at Hu Wanyi with a chuckle, then waved for someone to bring over the list.
"Of course, concubines of high positions have to be brought along." Every time at this time, the wind in the harem began to change.
The servants naturally knew which concubines they must not offend.
Those who have family background and favor will definitely be brought along, as for the rest... it is naturally a mystery.
Concubine Rong held the name list in her hand and read out the names of the concubines listed on it one by one.
The concubines whose names were called were delighted, while the concubines who were not called naturally couldn't hide their disappointment.
Shen Fu sat in the chair and listened quietly, but she didn't hear her name until the last word fell.
His Majesty actually lied to her?
Shen Fu raised her head in confusion, and happened to catch Concubine Rong's eyes directed at her.
Concubine Rong held up the list in her hand and smiled at the last name on the list: "There is one more - Shen Ronghua."
She looked into Shen Fu's eyes, as if she wanted to see into Shen Fu's heart.
The handwriting on the list was different, and the three words "Chen Ronghua" were obviously added after "Your Highness".
But His Majesty was not a hesitant person, and judging from the handwriting, the three words "Shen Ronghua" were written in a very casual manner, which showed that His Majesty was in a good mood and extremely happy at that time.
But I just don’t know that the Emperor did that because of the person in front of him. It was because of Shen Ronghua, who was pregnant with a big belly in Changqiu Palace.
Thinking of this, Concubine Rong put down the book in her hand.
He picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip: "There are two Shen Ronghuas in the palace, so take them both with you."
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