Jiang Shuwan's heart sank, and her fingers unconsciously clenched.
She had found it strange when she watched the female lead performer before; although "she" was beautiful, she was taller than the male martial arts performer she was acting opposite.
Her posture was too stiff, lacking the softness of a woman.
It turns out that "she" was actually a man.
Or it was the person who kidnapped her.
This discovery shocked Jiang Shuwan.
She had always thought that the person who kidnapped her hadn't shown up, but little did she know that he had been performing on stage all along.
In her previous life, she had heard a rumor.
It is said that Li Chengyun, the first mad emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty, likes to wear theatrical costumes and sing opera. Among the many roles, he likes the female role the most because the female role is the most beautiful.
He felt that only female impersonators were worthy of his looks.
And Song Yi's real name is Song Huaizhang...
That was the name of the heir of the Prince of Zhennan, a remnant of the former Prince of Zhennan's family...
However, the Zhennan Prince's Mansion is the maternal family of the Fourth Prince, Li Chengyun...
Jiang Shuwan: "..."
For a moment, Jiang Shuwan's breathing slowed down.
She's already on the Royal Jade Tablet, and she never imagined that one day she would run into Li Chengyun again.
I never expected it to happen under these circumstances...
Staring intently at Li Chengyun's back across the screen, Jiang Shuwan was on high alert, not daring to relax for a moment, and gripped the teacup lid even tighter.
Li Chengyun ascended the throne three days ago, and before he could even settle into his position, he dared to massacre nine out of ten members of the Li imperial family, and imprisoned and slaughtered powerful clans.
This person cannot be judged by common sense...
"Your Highness, please change your clothes."
After removing her makeup, the old nanny led several palace maids in from outside, carrying various clothes and accessories.
The screen was imprinted with Li Chengyun's image, his arms outstretched.
A palace maid knelt on the ground, holding a beautiful jade pendant in both hands, and carefully tied it around his waist.
Another palace maid stood behind him, tidying his hair, making it neat and tidy, and then gently inserting a crown and a hairpin into his hair.
The palace maids were busy combing their hair, dressing themselves, and putting on jade pendants, each performing their duties quickly and efficiently. Apart from the faint sounds of dressing, there was almost no other noise.
She even doubted whether they were breathing at all.
Otherwise, with more than ten people in the room, it wouldn't be so quiet.
Jiang Shuwan's heart skipped a beat as she stared intently at the figure behind the screen.
The first to move was not Li Chengyun, but the old nanny. She waved her aged hand, and several palace maids immediately moved the screen separating Jiang Shuwan and Li Chengyun.
Then palace maids carried over a low table and lit an incense burner.
Wisps of smoke rose, and the pleasant fragrance of the night-blooming cereus swirled in the air. Li Chengyun took two steps and sat down behind the low table.
Only then did palace maids bring in lamps, and others went to open the windows.
As the light streamed in, Jiang Shuwan finally saw the person behind the low table.
He wore a black, wide-sleeved, floor-length robe with dark red embroidery. The red embroidery on the robe was very strange; at first glance, it looked like a dragon, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be clusters of extremely beautiful flowers.
The flower seemed to have a life of its own, winding and twisting its way forward, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
The dragon-patterned jade pendant at her waist was also quite strange; it was black and of unknown material, seemingly able to absorb all the light around it.
The man sat lazily behind a low table, his long, slender fingers tapping out a rhythmic beat. Following his fingers, one could see an extremely beautiful face, stunningly gorgeous.
Jiang Shuwan rarely uses the word "beautiful" to describe a man.
But his eyebrows and eyes were indeed very delicate, and his skin was as white as snow, with a delicate luster like fine porcelain.
He possesses an androgynous beauty.
No wonder she can play female roles.
It was this gloomy aura that made him seem like a dark yet vibrant venomous snake, instilling a sense of fear in people for no reason.
On the other side, while Jiang Shuwan was sizing up Li Chengyun, he was also sizing her up.
This wasn't the first time he had met Jiang Shuwan.
This is the first time I've been this close.
The man's cold yet lazy gaze swept over Jiang Shuwan's beautiful, fair face. For some unknown reason, the corner of his mouth curled up and he smiled.
"Please sit down."
As he spoke, he pointed to the spot opposite him.
He asked Jiang Shuwan to sit opposite him.
Swallowing hard, Jiang Shuwan slowly moved over.
Li Chengyun's smile was a slightly wicked one, sly and unsavory, and he didn't look like a good person at all.
But she couldn't refuse.
Inside the house, about ten steps away from Li Chengyun, Jiang Shuwan walked barefoot on the floor. The floor was warm from the underfloor heating, so it wasn't cold even with the windows open.
Soon, she walked over and sat down opposite Li Chengyun.
Only when she got close did she realize that he was much taller than he appeared on stage.
It's probably because they're closer now.
She could also see his inner garment and undergarment underneath his outer robe, both of which were red and covered by the outer robe, with only a small corner of the collar showing.
His skin was already fair, and the black and red clothes made it appear even fairer.
His fingers, which were resting on the table, were long and fair, and his nails were neatly trimmed.
Such a person...
She couldn't imagine what he was like on the battlefield...
And how did he achieve the greatest merit in the North...?
Previously, he had been stationed on various borders, but the old emperor did not trust him. Before he could even get used to a place, he was transferred to another place.
She's endured countless storms and snows on the frontier, yet she's grown into such a stunningly beautiful woman...
Guo Yaqin is quite something; she could refuse to marry someone with such a face even if it meant death…
Tsk tsk tsk...
Clicking her tongue inwardly, Jiang Shuwan glanced behind her again. Song Huaizhang had somehow walked up behind her and sat down, kneeling respectfully.
The old nanny came back in, served fresh tea and snacks, and then quietly withdrew.
Turning back, Jiang Shuwan was kneeling obediently.
The last time she was this well-behaved was in front of Pei Yanzhi.
The girl's clear gaze first fell on the low table with black lacquer and gold landscape patterns, but after a few glances, her eyes wandered to the purple gilded triangular incense burner with lion motifs.
Incense burners were palace artifacts, made under the supervision of the royal family, and could not be used by anyone other than princes or grandsons of the emperor.
Her current status is barely adequate for it, but it's too expensive for her to buy. The old emperor, however, gave her a few.
To be honest, the old emperor was a real troublemaker. He spent money extravagantly. A while ago, he collected more than six million taels of commercial tax, but before he could even enjoy the money, a small portion of it was divided up by various government offices.
The remaining half was used as military pay.
He had been in arrears on military pay for a long time, and various places were sending memorials every month asking for money. Now that he had money, he couldn't afford to owe any more, so he generously paid off all the debts accumulated over the years.
Therefore, not much will remain.
They had enough to live on, but it was unclear how Pei Yanzhi had managed to swindle the old emperor out of his money. Not only did the emperor spend money recklessly, but he also started building palaces and increased the allowances for the concubines in the palace.
The ladies could now wear fully embroidered clothes, and their garments and jewels increased significantly.
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