Chapter 44 Play with Him
The manager of the small kitchen in the Purple Palace was named Xie. He was about thirty years old, had a happy smile on his face, and was very amiable. He claimed to be from the Ye Ting and had worked with Xia Fugui for several years.
After entering the kitchen, I kneaded the dough awkwardly while asking him who used to prepare Li Siyan's meals?
Steward Xie smiled as usual, personally picked up a knife and helped me chop the stuffing, and said calmly: "Since the time of the Qian Mansion, His Majesty's meals have been in charge of our family. If Madam Shen has anything to know, please feel free to ask us."
I asked, "What about before that? When I was in the palace?"
When he heard the word "Yeting", Manager Xie's movements froze, and a small crack appeared on the kind expression that had always been firmly fixed on his face.
"Forget it. If Manager Xie doesn't want to talk about it, I won't ask." I rolled the dough into a ball, kneaded it, wiped the sweat off my face, and asked, "Do you think this needs any more beating?"
Manager Xie quickly said, "No need, it's time to put it in the pot and steam it. Madam Shen, please follow me."
The stove was already very hot at this time. I was burned by the steam and felt dizzy. I quickly stepped back a few steps and found a stool to sit down.
When Manager Xie saw that I looked unhappy, he felt as if he was facing a great enemy, and immediately ordered his servants to open the windows and doors, and to fan and move the ice.
I took a sip of water, signaling him not to be so nervous, and said with emotion, "It must be hard for them to be so smoke-filled all day long."
"Not really. It's a great honor to be in charge of the imperial meals for His Majesty."
I nodded and said, "Your Majesty trusts the steward very much."
Steward Xie was very pleased and puffed out his chest and said, "Thank you for the compliment, madam. I am so humbled and unworthy. Your Majesty is always cautious about what he eats. He is willing to eat the meal prepared by madam, which shows that he values you very much."
Do you value it?
I didn't know what to say, so I just forced a smile and said, "We are all in the palace, what unclean things can there be? The soup sent by Concubine Wei before...
He also drinks water."
Steward Xie rolled his eyes and leaned forward, saying, "My lady, you don't know that His Majesty has never used the food sent by Concubine Wei Shu. He always accepts it and then sends it to our kitchen."
I was stunned: "Why?"
Xie said, "When Your Majesty was weak and powerless, people often made dirty things with your food. Over time, Your Majesty stopped eating food given by others."
"Oh." I said calmly, "So that's how it is. He asked you to watch me cook because he was afraid I might put something dirty in it."
Steward Xie had no idea I was so bad at chatting, so he resorted to his usual friendly smile to get by: "...Madam, what are you talking about? If His Majesty truly doesn't trust you, given his temper, he wouldn't even let you set foot in the Purple Palace, let alone allow me to assist you."
I've had my period these past two days, and I've been feeling like I'm on edge. I've been wanting to argue, but seeing that Manager Xie looks so aggrieved, I haven't been able to get angry. Finally, I just sighed and said, "It's steamed. Bring it to him later."
Li Siyan was busy with state affairs all day long, and would usually return to the bedroom in the evening to see me. Before that, the afternoon was my long time alone.
Sometimes I really feel like a bird he raises. When the owner is happy, he will tease it a bit, and when he is unhappy, he will leave me alone... No, birds have a better life than me. At least they can occasionally go to the shelf to let off some steam. Unlike me, I can't even take a single step out of the Purple Palace.
The day before yesterday, I wanted to go out for a walk, but was stopped by Huiyue. She said I could go out, but she had to ask Li Siyan for permission first. I thought about it, nodded and agreed, and then waited patiently at the door for a while, but saw Huiyue brought a large group of guards and told me that they were all there to protect me.
I glanced at Huiyue, then at the group of familiar-looking guards, my lips moving as I almost cursed out loud.
If you don't want me to go out, just say so. Why send such a large group of people to make me uncomfortable?
I was so angry that I turned around and left, storming back to the inner hall. I threw my head back on the couch, my head aching.
What was to come? Was he really going to stay in this cage, letting him abuse and force me, unable to live or die, until he slowly consumed me?
I didn't know how to get out of this situation. I was desperate because I had no other choice. I lay in bed and thought of one way out after another, but in the end I gave up because they were not feasible.
"Madam, madam?" Someone called me softly in my ear.
I said listlessly, "Get out."
But suddenly I realized that this voice...
I immediately jumped to my feet and saw the two silly little palace maids in front of me. I blurted out, "Golden Lotus and Golden Willow? Why are you here?"
"My wife..."
A pair of golden tears filled her eyelashes, and her two little mouths flattened in the same arc. She choked at first, and finally couldn't help it, so she hugged me and burst into tears.
The sudden sadness of the two people successfully shocked me. I also pouted and burst into tears, with tears flowing thousands of miles away.
My loud crying alone could outlast the two of them. Xiao Jinlian and Xiao Jinliu didn't expect that I would not act according to the script. Not only did I not comfort them, but I also cried non-stop myself. They could not help but wipe away their tears, one of them handed me a handkerchief, and the other patted my back to try to calm me down.
I sobbed, "Why are you here? Did Huiyue secretly let you come to see me?"
Xiao Jinlian shook her head: "No, Sister Huiyue said that from now on, it will be the two of us who will serve the lady."
I wondered, "Why did she suddenly stop monitoring me? Could it be..."
I stopped talking halfway. "Last night, I was tossed and turned all night because of my careless remark, 'People are worse than you,' and wasn't it because I asked Jinlian and Jinliu to accompany me?" It seemed that Li Siyan had taken note of my request despite his sarcastic tone.
Little Jinliu said, "After we parted ways, we sisters thought we would never see Madam again. Unexpectedly, we met again just two months later. It can be considered fate."
Before I could swallow my tears, I was so angry that I fell backwards. This unfortunate child still has the habit of bringing up things that are not related to her. Does she want this fate or not?
With the presence of Jin Liu and Jin Lian, the lifeless Zi Chen Hall finally became a little lively. However, it seemed as if they were following someone's orders. Although they were not lively people, they tried hard to pull me to play toss pots and cards to make the suffocating atmosphere in the hall more lively.
Very strange.
Later, I gradually figured out what was going on. Their abnormal behavior must have been instructed by Qingfu or Huiyue. The dog emperor probably hoped that I could maintain my previous high-spirited state, so he asked the palace people to do their best to make me happy.
Looking at the little Jinlian and little Jinliu jumping around in their colorful clothes to entertain their parents, I was lost in thought and felt that I had vaguely glimpsed Li Siyan's true emotional needs.
──Maybe this bastard doesn’t want my complete submission at all.
He needed me to maintain a harmless little arrogance, to embellish his boring life as an emperor with freshness and liveliness.
After all, I was too lonely, so I wanted to raise a noisy and cheerful bird, squeeze into its nest in the dead of night, and take a nap with it in my arms.
I twirled the backgammon pieces, staring at the board in deep thought for a long time. Suddenly, I slapped my thigh and said, "I understand."
This realization was like a ray of hope that lifted up the recent depression and confusion, clearing away the clouds and revealing the sun, making me feel refreshed.
This is the same principle as playing chess!
The tug of war between love and hate in the world is like a game of backgammon, with infatuated men and resentful women each holding their side. They exchange gifts and courtesy on the table, but under the table, they argue silently or hysterically, pushing and pulling each other, all for the purpose of fighting for control in a relationship.
Since Li Siyan has dragged me into this game, and I can't escape, I might as well sit down and play with him. It's still uncertain who will win or lose.
That's right, I slapped the ball viciously, thinking with a crisp sound, it's not my style to feel sorry for myself in a golden cage. I want to win, I want to control him, I want to lock the dog emperor into the golden cage. Whoever wants to be a bird without control can do it, but I don't want to be free and locked up.
Since he likes me, I should take advantage of his love and try my best to make myself comfortable, not only for myself, but also for Xiaochuan and Meng Xu.
After figuring it out, I confidently said to Xiao Jinlian, "It's useless to blindly obey this kind of man. He will only doubt control and become more demanding. We should use dog training methods to deal with him and never indulge him."
Xiao Jinlian looked bewildered: "What did my wife say?"
I stroked my chin and said, "He doesn't want to see my good face, so I won't pretend anymore. This is the kind of woman I am. I'm going to show my cards."
"……ah?"
What kind of woman am I? I am a woman with a bad temper, stubborn and stubborn, who hates evil and is particularly capable of making trouble.
After recognizing my true nature, I realized that I would never be able to humble myself and please Li Siyan from the bottom of my heart.
Since you can't do it, then just don't try to obey him. Try a different route, maybe he will benefit from it more.
So, I went to the imperial kitchen on time the next day and made another set of Hu pancakes.
But this time it was different. I threw aside all the high-quality fillings given by Manager Xie, and stuffed a bunch of unpalatable boiled okra into the food on my own initiative. I asked Manager Xie to present it to Li Siyan, and I had to emphasize that this was the loving lunch I made for him.
Steward Xie was so worried his face was practically twitching. He spent half an hour trying to persuade me, telling me that this cake must not enter His Majesty's mouth, etc., but I remained unmoved. Finally, he lost his temper: "Are you the Empress Dowager or the Grand Empress Dowager? How dare you talk nonsense to me? Send it to me now, or I'll file a complaint against you before the Emperor."
He really had no other choice but to send her to the imperial study. When he left, his legs were trembling and he looked like he would faint at any moment.
I slapped him on the back and said, "Stand up straight and walk over here with confidence!"
Manager Xie was about to cry: "Madam Shen, please stop bothering me. This cake... this cake..."
I waved my hand and said, "Don't be afraid, it's absolutely fine. Men should never be spoiled. They will feel comfortable if you teach them a lesson from time to time."
Huiyue silently took note of my shocking words, followed Manager Xie in silence, and then told Li Siyan everything in detail.
As I expected, Li Siyan didn't seem angry at all, and seemed quite happy. Although he didn't say it, he ate several more bites of food after returning to the inner hall in the evening. He also called Hui Yue with great fanfare and asked her to go to the warehouse to take out the dressing table, high stool, backgammon table, and white jade chessboard that had not been used for a long time.
Huiyue did as she was told without saying a word. In less than an hour, all kinds of rare furniture filled half of the Purple Palace. I inspected them one by one like a proud queen and picked out a few that I liked to keep.
Li Siyan just watched me choose, with a calm expression on the surface, but in fact, the corners of his mouth were so raised that he couldn't suppress it.
Nothing could impress me before, so even if Li Siyan holds the world in his hands, he is still like a child with nothing in front of me.
To him, I will always be a gust of wind that cannot be retained.
So when I started to accept his gifts, he was very happy and flattered, and he wanted to give all the treasures in the world to me. But he had to pretend to be calm on the surface so that I wouldn't notice his humble wish.
When he was the emperor, I often couldn't figure him out, but now that I have begun to treat him as a man in love, all his behaviors and psychological activities are clear to me, leaving nothing but his underwear.
I, Chen Ying, may not be good at governing a country, but I have rich experience in love and can hang Li Siyan up and whip him.
Take it slow, sooner or later, I will be able to tame this dog.
The next day, I asked Huiyue to transfer Yide to play with me on the grounds that there were not enough people for a table of cards. The child was currently cleaning the side hall, and I wanted to bring him to the main hall.
Hui Yue pondered for a long time, frowned, and said, "If Madam Shen wants to play mahjong, Su Xi and Chan Er can play with her, but I don't know the depth of the meaning, and since she's a man, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to His Majesty."
I put my hands on my hips and said arrogantly, "I don't want Su Xichan'er to play with me. They are so powerful that they can beat the whole table by themselves. What can I do with them around?"
Huiyue stopped talking. She was a smart person. She understood immediately after listening to the tone of the words. I didn't need someone to play mahjong, but I wanted to find a way to force that person to come and serve me.
She had a plan in mind and coaxed me, "Don't worry, my lady. Let me report to His Majesty. If His Majesty agrees, I will transfer the idea here."
I raised my chin and acted arrogantly: "Go tell him quickly."
So that night, when Li Siyan returned to the palace and took off his outer robe, his first question was, "Who is the eunuch you want today?"
I honestly said, "When I was in the palace, he and I poured night incense together, and we got along quite well."
Li Siyan smiled and said, "You are really capable. You can make friends even in that damn place."
I rolled my eyes secretly in my heart. Yes, everyone loves me and flowers bloom wherever I go. You can’t envy me enough.
"Let him come over," Li Siyan said nonchalantly, "Just remember one thing, I'm tired of your gloomy face, so I found some people to play with you. If they can't make you happy, then they are useless and will be kicked out sooner or later."
"Can't you just talk nicely?" I scolded him. "Giving a candied date is a good thing, but you insist on adding a stick. No one will truly obey you this way."
There was a hint of intimate anger in his tone.
Ever since I was really threatened by Li Siyan, I have been as cautious as a frightened quail and have been very careful with my words. This is the first time I have been as outspoken as before.
Li Siyan's hand was suspended in the air, and he turned to look at me in surprise.
I made the request confidently: "The weather is nice these days, I want to go out for a walk."
Li Siyan took off his crown, lowered his eyes and said, "It's scorching hot outside. Your delicate body can't stand it."
He paused, then continued, "If you must go out, you must bring someone to hold an umbrella for you. Jinlian and Jinliu are too clumsy to be of much use, so let Suxi do it..."
"I don't want anyone else, just the two of them are enough for me."
I picked up a cool mint drink, ran to him, looked up and pouted, "You have to promise me first, otherwise I won't give you any."
Thanks to the abundant experience I had gained in acting coquettishly to Meng Xu over the years, I was able to complete the entire process without blushing or getting nervous. When I closed my mouth, I felt that I had excellent acting skills and was shameless enough.
Li Siyan probably thought I was possessed by a ghost. He stood there and stared at me for a long time, his eyes three parts cold, three parts sarcastic, and four parts indifferent.
My heart skipped a beat. It was over. This was a bit too much.
The next moment, Li Siyan smiled obediently and drank the mint drink from my hand. His Adam's apple rolled as he swallowed. Seeing that I was still holding the quilt with my teeth gritted, he naturally kissed the back of my hand. My hand shook and I couldn't hold it anymore. I sat aside dejectedly.
Even though I was running away, I still professionally replied, "...This syrup is incredibly difficult to make. I cut it, cooked it, and consumed countless cigarette ashes, and you just drank it like a cow chewing on a peony. Aren't you ashamed?"
Li Siyan looked calm, with a half-smile on his face, but the oppressive feeling of an emperor was revealed, which made me feel uneasy.
The words he said were quite kind: "When did you learn to be unreasonable?"
I said stubbornly: "You are talking nonsense. I am the most fair and reasonable person."
He smiled and said, "Okay, you are the most reasonable."
After instructing the palace maids to arrange the emperor's resplendent attire, he dismissed everyone from the inner hall. Lifting his robe, he sat down beside me, picked up a landscape painting I'd made during a day of boredom, glanced at it, and said casually, "You're being so attentive, just so you can go out for a walk?"
I said, "I have another request. Your Majesty, would you like to hear it?"
Li Siyan didn't comment and just concentrated on looking at my calligraphy.
I went over and said, "I want some nice vases. The pomegranate and crape myrtle flowers are in bloom, and I want to pick a few to put up as an offering."
"Okay," Li Siyan agreed readily, "I'll go to the warehouse to pick it out tomorrow."
I added, "I don't like the incense I'm lighting now. Can you remove it?"
Li Siyan frowned and said, "Since you don't like it? Why didn't you tell me a few days ago? I thought you liked burning incense."
"You're so fierce, how could I dare to mention it?"
"Okay, from now on, the expenses for the furnishings in the palace are up to you." Li Siyan said, "The key to the storehouse is in Huiyue's hands. Just ask her for it. You can take whatever you want from it. If you don't have it, tell me and I'll find it for you."
How generous! I thought to myself, no wonder beauties have always loved heroes. Which girl can resist such a wealthy and powerful man?
It's just that my values are rather rugged, so I'm not moved.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. For the last one, I want to see my brother."
As I spoke, I lifted my hair pretentiously, pretending to be calm, but in fact I was secretly observing Li Siyan.
Sure enough, as soon as I finished speaking, Li Siyan slowly put down the landscape painting I had made, and his expression turned gloomy almost instantly.
I subconsciously felt fear, but tried to act innocent, blinking and saying, "It's just to see him. He's my biological brother, and in theory, he's your brother-in-law. I should call him brother-in-law. What's wrong with letting me see him? Li Siyan, you say I'm yours, but you don't really consider me one of your own."
He came up with a bunch of reasons, but no one knew which one pleased Li Siyan. The sinister look in his eyes gradually disappeared, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and a snort came out of his nostrils.
Not angry, but rather a little proud.
As soon as I saw that this was a good idea, I immediately struck while the iron was hot: "I've been busy all day today. I made you something to eat in the morning and painted you a picture in the afternoon. Even if I don't get any credit, I still worked hard."
Li Siyan glanced at me sideways. The setting sun shone on his face, giving his originally handsome and evil features a warm yellow halo, and his temperament suddenly softened.
"Is this painting for me?" Li Siyan suddenly said, "I didn't realize it."
I enthusiastically pointed to the two wild ducks I had casually sketched and lied, "You have to observe carefully! Look at what these are! Mandarin ducks, Your Majesty, don't you understand what I mean?"
"Oh, it's Yuanyang. Who do you want to spend your life with? Meng Xu?"
"Don't be so gullible!" I was humiliated and angry. "If you don't let me see my brother, I will disappear. Why do you keep mentioning Meng Xu all day long? Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?"
Seeing that I was angry, Li Siyan laughed brightly, reached out to rub my furry head, then put his arm around my face and pecked me lightly on the lips.
A soft and warm kiss fell on my lips, and I suddenly had a strange feeling.
Li Siyan used to kiss me with an overwhelming force, as if he wanted to chew me up and swallow me into my blood and bones. He was domineering and eager, but this time it was different. He was very gentle and careful, and even had a hint of tenderness in his kisses.
"Okay, I promise you, since he calls me brother-in-law, I naturally can't treat him unfairly." Li Siyan said in a hoarse voice and with a dark look in his eyes, "Then, shouldn't you also show some appreciation?"
I quickly stood up and said, "No, my period hasn't left yet."
I was halfway to my feet when he pulled me back. I stumbled and fell into his arms, my cheek pressed against his chest. I could hear his heartbeats, each one as loud as a drum.
He hooked his arms around my neck again, breathing slightly heavily, and without caring about the ink that had just rubbed against my lips, he lowered his head and kissed me fiercely.
At times like this, I just pretend to be a dead fish, letting him suck and bite me, while silently chanting Buddha's name in my heart.
As we whispered in each other's ears, Li Siyan seemed to have found a way to fill the emptiness in his heart. He stretched out his bony hand like jade and clasped my jaw tightly. I wanted to move away, but he held me in place and I couldn't move.
There was a bitter mint scent in his mouth, which gradually spread to my lips and teeth through kissing. Li Siyan was eager to deepen this fusion, and the kiss became deeper and deeper, as if he was about to swallow me.
I was almost suffocating, so I bit him lightly, not too hard, to warn him to stop.
He finally let me go and left reluctantly like a puppy, his face still maintaining a calm expression, but in fact his breath was already a mess.
I pursed my lips, which were swollen from being bitten, and said dissatisfiedly, "Be gentler next time."
His fingers stroked the side of my face, brushed past the corner of my lips, and whispered, "You've been so well behaved today, I couldn't help it."
I became more and more certain of my previous speculation. Li Siyan really liked Chen Ying, who was just the right amount of rebellious, lively, and artificial. In addition, she had a little talent that added icing on the cake. This was the me he was trying so hard to get.
"Remember to take me to see Xiaochuan."
I pushed him away, stood up on my own, went to the table and poured myself a glass of water, then rinsed my mouth carefully with my back to Li Siyan, my voice cold.
There was no sound behind me, so I walked to the window and looked up at the beautiful sunset outside. The weather was very good today. The clouds in the sky piled up to form a gentle sunset glow, which fell on the vermilion palace walls and merged into a light golden orange color.
Time passed little by little. I opened my eyes and watched the sun set in the west. When the fireball disappeared behind the mountains, Li Siyan's voice came from behind me.
"If you can keep doing this, how can you even see your brother?" He whispered, "If you want my kingdom, I will give it to you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
