Emperor Kangxi came over again that evening. After being vegetarian for so long, he was naturally quite craving meat.
Perhaps because sexual intercourse between men and women does indeed have the effect of replenishing yin with yang, Youqing's health improved significantly, and she was able to withstand Kangxi's "oppression" even more.
A night passed, and Youqing simply couldn't get up to eat breakfast.
Ever since she woke up hungry the first morning after her first time serving the emperor, Kangxi always made her eat more at night so that she wouldn't be too weak.
She slept until just before lunchtime. Luckily, the show was scheduled for the afternoon when the sun wasn't so strong. Otherwise, if she had gone to watch the show with a sleepy, exhausted look, she might have attracted a lot of hatred!
"My lady, what would you like for lunch?"
She achieved her dream of having the freedom to eat whatever she wanted. As Kangxi's favorite, the imperial kitchen would find a way to make her eat whatever she wanted.
The weather was hot, and the Forbidden City was especially unbearable in the summer. She didn't want to touch any hot dishes. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Have the kitchen prepare some cold noodles, two cold dishes, and a bowl of pork rib soup."
"Yes, my lord."
Youqing ate lunch alone, as Kangxi did not come over. Since Kangxi had truly put her to sleep, he rarely came over at noon.
Youqing breathed a sigh of relief. Although the food was good with Kangxi, she was afraid of upsetting him. Facing Kangxi, Youqing felt like a junior employee facing a top-level boss. She had to be careful and respectful, without appearing deliberate, and express that she was happy to accompany him and that she was extremely honored.
The cold noodles were seasoned with vinegar, garlic, oil, salt, and other condiments. The chef's skills were undoubtedly superb. Cucumber shreds and bean sprouts were also added. After mixing, it was refreshingly sour and delicious. Youqing ate a whole bowl, and the bowl was not one of those small bowls.
Eating noodles with cold dishes and then drinking a bowl of warm pork rib soup is very comforting.
If only she could take another nap, it would be perfect. But she couldn't sleep; she had to prepare her outfit for the opera.
Chengying is very capable and knows a lot about the rules of the palace. After some explanation, Youqing realized that in the palace, one has to dress up formally for every banquet or gathering.
Cheng Ying recounted this process, and You Qing listened. She felt it was comparable to the series of preparations celebrities make before walking the red carpet, as described in marketing accounts.
The only good thing is that she doesn't have to diet, and the qipao doesn't really accentuate her waist or belly.
He helped Sangzhu walk around the room a few times to rest, then called Chengying in and said, "My lady, the hot water is ready, it's time for a bath."
Yes, you still need to take a shower.
After You finished bathing and putting on her undergarments, Cheng Ying asked, "Which clothes does Your Highness wish to wear?"
Chengying took out all the clothes that were suitable to wear, all of which were newly made and had not been worn yet.
The opera performance would take quite a while, and she felt that the extra headdress was cumbersome. Thinking that she should dress more simply later, she pointed to one of the apricot-colored dresses and said, "This one will do!"
Apricot-colored?
Cheng Ying said, "My lady, isn't it a bit too plain?"
Sangzhu nodded; she also felt it was too plain.
Youqing smiled and said, "The Imperial Garden is already full of spring colors, so I won't add any more."
Upon hearing this, the two agreed.
She picked out her clothes, did a simple eyebrow drawing, and applied some bright red lipstick to her lips. As for the pearl powder and other things sent by the Imperial Household Department, she didn't have the courage to put them on her face.
Fortunately, at the age of seventeen, with her natural beauty, a little lip rouge to brighten her complexion is enough to make her stunning.
The most troublesome thing was her hair. She didn't want to put osmanthus oil on her hair, not even to make it look shiny. So she combed her hair into two small buns and put a few simple and light jewelry on them, which looked quite refreshing.
Coupled with her frail health, this outfit only enhanced her delicate and graceful demeanor.
It was rare for Youqing to dress up like this, not even when she went to see Emperor Kangxi. The result was obviously quite good.
Sangzhu couldn't help but praise, "Even though you're dressed simply, you still look extremely beautiful."
She was illiterate and couldn't find the right words to praise her; she could only say it looked good.
Cheng Ying added, "Your Highness's attire is as refreshing as a gentle breeze in July or August. It's perfect for going to the opera."
Too much formality can give the impression of being eager to show off, which is fine.
Youqing also liked to hear people praise her, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "You two certainly know how to talk."
Just as Youqing was about to go over, Zhu Qiao, the eunuch who ran errands for Jiangxue Pavilion, knocked on the door and came in: "Your Highness, the Imperial Noble Consort has sent someone to deliver a palanquin, saying that she heard Your Highness was feeling unwell and came to pick you up."
When Zhu Qiao said this, he looked anxious. How could he not be anxious? According to the rank of a noble, one should not ride in a palanquin. Youqing had ridden in one before, but that was a special order from Emperor Kangxi.
When you arrive at your destination, people will see you arriving in a palanquin and who knows what they'll say about you!
"Looks like you're really impatient. Let's go!" Youqing wasn't in a hurry.
Sangzhu and Zhu Qiao were both anxious, and even the usually composed Cheng Ying frowned.
Cheng Ying spoke up: "My lord, what do you plan to do?"
Should we sit on this palanquin or not?
Sit down! There's bound to be some rumors going around, and when you get there you'll definitely attract a lot of hatred and be bullied.
I shouldn't sit down! The Imperial Noble Consort has escorted me to my doorstep. It would be disrespectful not to sit down, and if people find out, they'll say I don't know how to be gracious.
"Since we're already at the door, we should sit down. It's hot outside, and since I don't have to walk, I might as well sit down."
As for the pressure from others, who knows who will come out on top in the end?
Seeing that Youqing was calm and composed, Chengying was no longer in a hurry. A small show of force with a palanquin, what harm was there in letting her sit on it? The young mistress had His Majesty behind her. Others might think that His Majesty's favoritism towards the young mistress was just a whim, but did she know that His Majesty treated the young mistress in a very special way?
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