"Don't be afraid! Don't move! I will save you!" Li Wan shouted loudly to the struggling boy. As if he had listened to her words, he gradually calmed down and stopped struggling. He just grabbed Li Wan's arm and was led by Li Wan to swim to the shore. However, Li Wan's body was too weak and he ran out of strength halfway through the swim. Fortunately, the guards patrolling the palace finally arrived at this time, went into the water and rescued them to the shore. Because the King of Qi had been holding Li Wan's hand tightly and refused to let go, the two were pulled ashore together.
As soon as he got ashore, the King of Qi was immediately surrounded by palace servants, put on a palace servant's outer robe, and was escorted back to the palace.
Li Wan sat on the shore exhausted.
Cuizhu burst into tears while holding the stick she had picked up. She rushed over to hug Li Wan and cried, "Girl, you scared me to death!"
Li Wan wanted to pat her on the back to comfort her, but he really didn't have the strength.
Li Wan and Cui Zhu were both wearing palace maids' clothes, and the palace guards were busy escorting Prince Qi back to the palace, so they had to go back by themselves.
Li Wan was no longer in the mood to appreciate the scenery along the way. Although it was still September, the weather had turned cold. Besides, he had just been pulled out of the water and was shivering all over when the wind blew. He and Cuizhu almost trotted back to the yard. Cuizhu immediately ran to get hot water for Li Wan, while Li Wan changed into clean clothes, untied her hair that was soaked with water, and soaked up the water with a clean cloth.
Cuizhu called two young eunuchs for help, and quickly prepared hot water and a bathtub.
Cuizhu wanted to help Li Wan take a bath, but Li Wan refused firmly and asked Cuizhu to change her clothes first. Li Wan had hugged her so much that her clothes were wet.
When soaking in the hot water, Li Wan felt relaxed all over. He soaked comfortably for a while before drying himself and putting on his clothes.
Cuizhu changed her clothes and called two eunuchs to pack up her things. Then she came to help Li Wan wipe her hair.
"You are so brave!" Cuizhu said with lingering fear as she helped Li Wan wipe her hair.
Li Wan said: “I didn’t think too much about it at the time.”
She is also a skilled and courageous person. She is a good swimmer and has learned how to deal with drowning incidents. In the critical moment, she was only thinking about saving people and forgot that she had changed her body.
Cuizhu was surprised again: "You can actually swim!"
In Kyoto, there are very few men who can swim, let alone women. At most, they would splash water for fun by the lake during an outing. Considering Li Wan's status, it was really surprising that he could swim.
Li Wan said calmly: "I learned it by accident."
Cuizhu added: "Fortunately you went. If it weren't for you, the King of Qi would have been..."
She didn't dare to say the rest.
Li Wan didn't think too much about it when he saved the person, but he started to think about it now.
The Prince of Qi is the emperor's full brother, only three years younger than the emperor. However, due to an accident during childbirth, his brain development was slower than normal. He could not walk until he was three years old, and could not talk until he was five. He is fourteen years old this year, but his behavior is still like a child of a few years old.
Therefore, he was raised in the palace all the time, unlike Prince Yu, who moved out of the palace and lived in his own palace after he turned twelve.
The emperor has always been very kind and supportive to his half brother.
Li Wan has now begun to consider how to make use of this incident.
…
When Cao Yu came to look for someone.
Li Wan had already taken the medicine and fell asleep.
Li Wan's physical condition was too weak. Although he took a hot bath after returning home, he still had a fever.
Li Wan saved the drowning King Qi.
In less than an afternoon, the news spread throughout the palace and outside.
I didn't believe it at first.
Although the Prince of Qi's IQ is only that of a seven or eight-year-old child, he is half a head taller than Prince Yu. Although he is a little thin, he is definitely much heavier than Li Wan.
Moreover, before Li Wan entered the palace, she was a notoriously weak beauty. If a gust of wind blew, she would be easily blown down and become sick. Could she jump into the water to save the King of Qi?
Anyone who has seen Li Wan cannot believe it.
The emperor didn't believe it either.
But the guards said that the person who saved the man was a palace maid working for the empress.
Many people in the main palace also saw Li Wan coming back from outside, all wet, with Cuizhu.
It was just the time when Li Wan returned to the Queen Mother's Palace from the Queen Mother's Palace.
After the emperor came back from visiting the King of Qi, he asked Cao Yu to call someone over to question him, and it turned out that the person was sick again.
Although Cao Yu had always been unfriendly to Li Wan because of his master, he did not dare to lie about such an important matter: "Miss Wan was ill and had just taken medicine and was sleeping, so I did not wake her up. I asked Cuizhu, and Cuizhu said that it was indeed Miss Wan who saved His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi."
Even so, Cao Yu still found it a little hard to believe.
With those thin arms and legs, and a body that could be blown down by a gust of wind, how could this girl jump into the water to save someone?
The emperor was in a complicated mood and frowned as he said, "Bring the person here after he wakes up."
Li Wan slept until the evening before waking up.
The young eunuch was on guard the whole time. As soon as Li Wan woke up, Cuizhu helped Li Wan change clothes and put on makeup, and then went to Gandong Palace.
The young eunuch who was holding the lamp was also worried.
No matter how you look at it, this girl doesn't look like someone who can jump into the water to save someone tonight.
The Gandong Hall is much quieter at night than during the day.
Qin Lin was still guarding outside the palace gate. When he saw Li Wan, his cold eyes stayed on her face for a moment, then moved away.
Cuizhu stayed outside, and Cao Yu came forward and led Li Wan into the side hall.
Li Wan followed Cao Yu into the side hall.
The room was filled with incense, but the smell was not strong, just light and refreshing. A tall and handsome young man in casual clothes was reclining on a couch with a book in his hand. His handsome, noble, proud and casual face was shrouded in the soft light. He was obviously only a seventeen-year-old boy, but he had the powerful aura of a superior.
Cao Yu walked slowly forward with Li Wan, stopped at an appropriate distance, bowed and said softly: "Master, Miss Wan is here."
Li Wan followed suit and bowed.
The handsome young man on the couch seemed not to hear it. After a long while, he said "hmm" nonchalantly, his eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze fell on the book, and he never raised his eyes.
Cao Yu winked at Li Wan and then retreated to the door.
The emperor on the couch didn't say anything, and Li Wan didn't say anything either. She had made a contribution today and was in a relaxed mood. She looked around the side hall and her eyes fell on the emperor who was concentrating on reading on the couch.
The emperor's phoenix eyes were slightly closed, his raven-black eyelashes were covered, thick and dense, his facial features were delicate, his face was fair, and his thin, light pink lips were naturally pursed.
He wore an indigo robe embroidered with some simple patterns. The cuffs had slipped down, revealing half of his fair wrists. His slender hands holding the book looked as cold as jade against the red cover.
Li Wan was staring in a trance.
The scent of incense rose in the room, and occasionally there were the subtle sounds of candle flames popping and pages turning.
Cao Yu couldn't help but look over here.
I'm a little unsure of what my master is thinking.
The emperor didn't expect Li Wan to be so calm. He raised his eyelids and glanced over, then found that Li Wan was staring at his hands intently.
He frowned, unhappy: "Why are you staring at me?"
A sudden sound.
Li Wan came back to her senses, clasped her hands together and placed them on her abdomen, lowered her eyes and said, "This servant deserves death. The emperor is like a god, but I didn't expect that even his hands are as white as porcelain and cold jade. This servant was not paying attention and was fascinated by him. I hope the emperor will forgive me."
emperor:"……"
Cao Yu, who was standing at the door, was shocked all over. He looked up suddenly and looked at Li Wan's slender back with shock on his face. How could she say such words?
The emperor had never been flattered so blatantly before. He was stunned for a moment, not knowing whether to be ashamed or annoyed. His handsome and fair face flushed strangely. His beautiful phoenix eyes looked at Li Wan angrily, and he opened his gorgeous red lips, wanting to scold him, but he couldn't find the right words. He stared at Li Wan for a long time with an uncertain expression, but what he said was: "Can you swim?"
Li Wan remained calm and said, "Your Majesty, I learned this from my brother when I was young."
The emperor said coldly, "So, you were the one who saved the King of Qi from falling into the water?"
Li Wan said calmly, "It is the King of Qi who has brought me great blessings. I dare not take credit for it."
The emperor raised his eyebrows, stared at Li Wan, frowned and said, "Li Wan, what tricks do you want to use?"
Li Wan paused, then suddenly raised her eyes, staring at the emperor with her dark eyes, then knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I do have something to report."
That inexplicable feeling of being stung in the heart came again.
The emperor frowned uncomfortably, closed the book, and threw it on the table. He looked at her from top to bottom with his phoenix eyes and said, "Speak."
Li Wan tilted his head slightly, glanced at Cao Yu at the door, and then looked at the emperor.
The emperor glanced at Cao Yu.
Cao Yu froze, stared at Li Wan's back, and retreated unwillingly.
The emperor stared at Li Wan, signaling that she could speak.
Li Wan knelt straight, her eyes like cold stars, staring directly at the emperor without flinching: "I want to abandon the dark and join the light."
The emperor stared at her, his eyes sharp, as if he wanted to penetrate her eyes and see into the depths of her heart.
Li Wan didn't move, staring at him firmly, meeting his scrutiny.
After a while, the emperor asked with a half-smile, "What do you mean by that?"
Li Wan made up her mind and said, "I knelt in the rain for half a day that day, and fell into a deep sleep after returning home. That day, I had a dream that the Queen Mother was plotting a rebellion, and the Emperor massacred all of her family members."
The wick popped.
The emperor's phoenix eyes, which originally had a hint of smile, suddenly narrowed, and his body, which had been leaning lazily, tensed up in an instant. He slowly sat up straight, and all the emotions in his phoenix eyes were retracted into the depths, leaving only coldness.
His phoenix eyes stared at her coldly and gloomily: "Li Wan, do you know what you are talking about? Do you know what the crime is for slandering the Queen Mother for treason?"
It was no secret that he and the Queen Mother did not get along.
He and his trusted ministers had already noticed the Queen Mother's secret actions.
As the Empress Dowager was a respected figure, even if she was plotting a rebellion, in order to gain a good reputation, the Emperor would generally choose to imprison her, but from the very beginning, he had made up his mind to kill her.
Even his closest ministers would not dare to make such a guess.
Li Wan revealed it right away.
"I know." Li Wan saw the emperor's murderous intent flash across his face, and gritted his teeth, staring firmly into the emperor's eyes with his clear black eyes: "I know what I'm saying and what I'm doing. Your Majesty, I just want to find a way out for my family."
The emperor's phoenix eyes looked over with a dark gaze: "Just based on a dream?"
Li Wan straightened her back immediately, and said with a solemn look, "Of course not. During the time I was in the harem, I secretly observed that although you are still young, you have great talents and are diligent in government and love the people. In time, you will surely be a wise ruler for all ages! That's why I made up my mind to abandon the dark and join the light. I am willing to assist you to clear all the thorns and obstacles ahead and see a peaceful and prosperous era."
The emperor's mouth twitched slightly, but he inexplicably felt that Li Wan's face was more pleasing to the eye. He said with a half-smile, "The Queen Mother is your aunt. How can you gain my trust if you rebel just because I say so?"
Li Wan said: "The Queen Mother is the legitimate wife and my father is a concubine. In the eyes of the Queen Mother, I and my family have no affection for her at all, but are just pawns in her hands."
She stared at the emperor with burning eyes: "But if I want to be a chess piece, I also want to choose the person who plays the chess."
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, his heart moving slightly.
Li Wan said: "I don't ask for much, I just hope that the emperor can give my family a way out and let me leave the palace to reunite with my family."
The emperor said slowly: "If what you said is true, I will naturally protect your life and the lives of your family."
Li Wan kowtowed to the emperor without any psychological burden: "Thank you for your grace, Master!" After that, she stood up and said righteously: "I know that you will not trust me so easily, but I will prove my loyalty to you, Master."
The emperor glared at her with his phoenix eyes and snorted, "Sweet words and flattering expressions."
Li Wan could tell that there was not much blame in this remark, and instead gave a flattering smile.
The emperor snorted with an ambiguous laugh, his eyes slightly raised, still glaring at her: "So, this is your true face? You were pretending before?"
Li Wan's scalp was numb, and she could only bite the bullet and explain: "I used to be a coward, like a puppet being manipulated by others. But after having that dream, it was like a sudden enlightenment. I understood a lot. Since I was born as a human being, I have to live for myself. I don't want to be easily manipulated by others anymore."
The emperor narrowed his eyes, and the corners of his lips suddenly raised an arc that was almost joyful: "But you just said that you want to be my chess piece. Since you are my chess piece, don't you mean you are at my mercy?"
Li Wan's lips curled slightly, with a smile in her eyes: "The emperor just promised me that when everything is done, he will let me leave the palace. I don't look at the present, I only look at the future."
The emperor felt a vague and indescribable unhappiness in his heart.
Li Wan suddenly blinked and smiled flatteringly, "Master, can I get up now?"
The emperor felt a strange numbness in his heart when she called him "master" and smiled at him in a "flattering" way. He ignored the strange feeling and hummed, "Get up."
Li Wan hurriedly stood up, ignoring the pain in her knees. She just wanted to go back to bed as soon as possible, so she said, "I'll take my leave."
The emperor narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who allowed you to leave?"
Li Wan looked at him blankly: "Master, do you have any other instructions?"
Just then, Li Wan's stomach suddenly made a rumbling sound.
Li Wan subconsciously covered her stomach, then looked at the emperor a little embarrassedly.
It was also the first time that the emperor saw someone growling with hunger. He was surprised for a moment, then he met Li Wan's eager eyes, coughed lightly, and said in a loud voice: "Cao Yu."
Cao Yu immediately bowed and came in: "Master."
The emperor said, "Go and get something to eat."
Cao Yu's eyes swept across Li Wan's face and he responded and left.
I thought the emperor ate too little at dinner and was hungry now, but I didn’t expect that the food was prepared for Li Wan.
Cao Yu looked at Li Wan, who was given a seat by the emperor and then sat there eating bite by bite of the meal specially prepared for the emperor by the kitchenette, and he was a little bit unbelievable.
What happened during these two quarters of an hour?
Li Wan, why did you suddenly become favored?
…
The emperor continued to read his book, but his mind could not calm down. Gradually, he attributed the reason to the movement over there by Li Wan.
Is this meal so delicious? It tastes so good.
He suddenly felt a little hungry.
"Cao Yu."
Cao Yu hurried forward: "Master."
The emperor glanced at Li Wan and said, "Send another copy over."
Why do you want more?
Cao Yu was stunned for a moment, then responded and went down to prepare.
The emperor sat up from the couch and looked at Li Wan who was eating happily over there. Seeing that she had no intention of putting down her chopsticks and coming to serve him, he paused, then put on his boots and walked over.
......
There was no need for the next day. That night, the news that Li Wan had dinner with the emperor in the emperor's bedroom spread throughout the harem.
On the second day, rewards flowed into Li Wan's shabby courtyard.
Cuizhu was guarding the room full of rewards, her face flushed with excitement and joy, as if all these rewards were given to her. She also felt more confident when commanding the young eunuchs.
Cuizhu was not a maid brought in from outside the palace by Li Wan. She was originally a miscellaneous maid serving the main palace maid. After Li Wan came, she was sent to Li Wan's side.
At the beginning, she didn't like this Wan girl, who was always sad and sighing every day, which made her feel that her future was bleak and she was in a bad mood every day. But ever since Wan girl had a fever that time, she became like a completely different person. She did everything in an organized way and exuded a kind of vigorous vitality. Cuizhu suddenly felt that there was hope in her life again.
Especially during the days of recuperation, Cuizhu really regarded Li Wan as her own master and no longer thought about "changing jobs" all day long.
…
Xiwu Palace.
The Queen Mother was walking in the garden, listening to Nanny Yu talking about the affairs of the Queen. She raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "I didn't know she had this ability."
Aunt Yu said, "Miss Wan is a blessed girl."
The Queen Mother curled her lips, plucked a delicate flower with her long fingernails, put it to the tip of her nose and sniffed it, without making any comment.
…
No one knows what Li Wan talked about with the emperor alone in the side hall that night.
Everyone inside and outside the palace only knew that Li Wan finally won the emperor's favor because she saved the King of Qi.
Even the one who is the queen thinks so.
These days, whenever Cao Yu saw Li Wan, his expression was a little interesting.
Cao Yu felt miserable.
He had never been nice to Li Wan before, and that was entirely because of his master's attitude. He would never have thought that his master's attitude would change so suddenly?
Li Wan has now turned over a new leaf, but she has remained calm and doesn't have any signs of being a mean person. She still greets him politely every day, which makes Cao Yu feel even more uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the emperor gave Li Wan a lot of valuable things as a reward, and nothing else.
Li Wan was still working outside the palace, but she was much more perceptive now than before. Within a few days, she had taken care of everyone in the palace, and she really looked like one of the palace's servants.
Li Wan felt that this job was not difficult, except that he had to stand for half a day and could not move, which was a bit boring.
The other palace people were a little far away from her, so it was not convenient to talk to them. She could only talk to Qin Lin who was standing opposite the palace gate.
Qin Lin is a taciturn person with a cold face and is very frugal with words.
It took Li Wan several days before she finally got a response from Qin Lin.
Qin Lin is a ruthless man. He can stand still for a whole morning. If his eyes were not blinking, Li Wan would almost think he was a statue. His right hand is always on the hilt of his knife, and his whole body exudes a cold and solemn aura.
The palace people were a little afraid of him. Even Cao Yu, who usually acted arrogantly in front of the queen, was polite in front of Qin Lin.
Li Wan is not afraid.
"Guard Qin, how old are you?"
Qin Lin pursed his lips, expressionless: "Twenty-one."
Li Wan asked, "Have you got married?"
Qin Lin still had no expression on his face: "No."
Li Wan was a little surprised. She was eighteen years old, which was already considered an old maid. Normal girls in the Yuan Dynasty would be engaged at the age of fourteen or fifteen and get married at the age of sixteen. But she had stayed until now because her parents were reluctant to let her go. Unexpectedly, she was brought into the palace by the empress dowager.
When she was outside the palace, she was also preparing to discuss marriage with a family, but the Queen Mother took action first, otherwise she would be waiting to be married now.
Qin Lin is twenty-one, which is considered an older youth here.
Li Wan wanted to say something else.
The emperor walked out of the palace.
Li Wan was suddenly met with the emperor's icy eyes, and immediately shut his mouth, lowered his head and knelt down to salute.
The emperor's phoenix eyes swept across her face, and he said lightly "Follow" and walked straight forward.
Li Wan looked at Cao Yu blankly.
Cao Yu said, "Miss Wan, please follow me." As he said that, he quickly caught up with the emperor in front of him.
It was a long way from Gandong Hall to Rongjing Palace, and the emperor sat on the dragon chariot.
Cao Yu and Qin Lin stood on one side, and the rest of the palace people followed behind the sedan chair.
Li Wan hurriedly followed him, stood beside Qin Lin, and asked in a low voice: "Guard Qin, where are you going?"
The emperor, who was sitting high on the dragon chariot, had just turned the page of the book. Upon hearing the words, his eyes narrowed slightly and his gaze swept over Li Wan's head below.
Qin Lin said: "Rongjing Palace."
Li Wan understood and went to see the King of Qi.
I heard that the Prince of Qi seemed to be frightened recently and often made a lot of noise in the palace. The Emperor went to see him every few days.
Wherever the dragon chariot went, palace people on both sides of the corridor knelt down and bowed.
After walking for a quarter of an hour and still not arriving, Li Wan couldn't help but whisper, "Guard Qin, how far do we have to go?"
The emperor's brows knitted slightly.
"Go to the back."
A sudden voice floated down from above.
Li Wan subconsciously looked up and saw the emperor staring at her expressionlessly.
Li Wan was stunned for a moment and asked, "Is the emperor talking to this servant?"
The emperor withdrew his gaze and fell on the book. His handsome face turned cold and said, "Follow me from behind. Don't disturb me while I'm reading."
Li Wan looked at him in astonishment, thinking that her voice was not as loud as the footsteps of the sedan bearers. Was this disturbing him? She stared at him inexplicably and went to the back silently.
When Xiao Qianzi, who was following behind the dragon chariot, saw Li Wan coming, he immediately greeted her happily and whispered, "Miss Wan."
Li Wan felt bad because she almost dragged him down that time. The emperor rewarded her with five hundred taels of silver, and she gave twenty taels to Xiao Qianzi, which was Xiao Qianzi's monthly salary for two months.
Xiao Qianzi blushed and refused to accept it at first, but Li Wan insisted on giving it to him, so he accepted it. His family outside was indeed in urgent need of money. He accepted the money from Li Wan and was grateful to her, and was always more enthusiastic than towards others.
Li Wan smiled at him, then asked softly, "Is your sister feeling better?"
Xiao Qianzi said gratefully, "I received a letter from home saying that she is much better and is recovering. Thanks to the money you gave me, Miss..." His eyes turned red as he spoke, "otherwise, my sister would definitely not have survived."
Xiao Qianzi is a filial son.
He entered the palace because his family could no longer endure it.
He has three younger sisters and one younger brother.
He was entirely supported by his monthly salary in the palace. Originally, he was working as a harem lady, and his monthly salary was not low. The ten taels of silver he took out was enough for his family to eat frugally for a year. But his sister was in poor health and had to take medicine every month. His family didn't want to treat her, but he insisted on treating her, and the money was just spent. A few days ago, he received a letter from home saying that the money was all used up. Xiao Qianzi was already very anxious, and then he happened to get the twenty taels of silver from Li Wan, so he asked someone to take it out and solved the urgent problem.
Li Wan comforted him softly, "It's good that you're okay."
The emperor on the dragon chariot was inexplicably irritated and couldn't help but concentrate on listening to what the man was saying. He didn't read a single word of the book in his hand. He simply closed the book, closed his eyes and dozed off.
Who knew that the sound behind would become clearer and clearer.
All I heard was Li Wan whispering, "If you have any troubles in the future, come find me again."
The emperor thought unhappily.
This Li Wan actually used the silver he rewarded her with to bribe the people in her palace.
Although he ignored her these days, she was not idle.
Is this how she clears the way for him?
The emperor on the dragon chariot suddenly snorted coldly.
Cao Yu, who was standing below, shuddered when he heard the cold snort. He quickly raised his head and asked softly, "Master?"
The emperor then realized that he had accidentally revealed his thoughts. He glanced behind him unconsciously, then retracted his gaze and said calmly, "Nothing."
Cao Yu did not miss the emperor's sidelong glance. He glanced back cautiously and saw Li Wan.
My heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Was the Emperor...looking at her just now?
Cao Yu's heart trembled, he must have seen it wrong.
The emperor had not summoned Li Wan into the palace these past few days, and he did not ask her to accompany him even when he went somewhere else. Although he did not punish her at every turn like before, he was also very cold to her. It was obvious that he was concerned about her saving the King of Qi, so he stopped making things difficult for her and just left her alone.
Cao Yu calmed himself down, his handsome face full of determination.
He must have seen it wrong.
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