Chapter 8: Stay at Canglan Court Tonight
It seemed that His Majesty noticed his own question, so Lian Hua said, "Your Majesty, please follow this servant. Dinner is set in the pavilion outside, where it's quite cool to dine."
Leading him to the pavilion, Lian Hua began to serve the Emperor his meal. Zhang Qing, that wily man, had long noticed that the Emperor treated this Young Master differently and snuck away when the dinner was ready, leaving Lian Hua to serve His Majesty alone.
Lian Hua felt the bitterness inside; she had been busy all day, hadn't eaten a bite, and watched the Emperor eating with such relish, finishing bowl after bowl of porridge and picking up bite after bite of dishes, secretly swallowing down her saliva.
The Emperor didn't speak a word, and concubines were not allowed to sit down and dine with him, especially the lower-ranked concubines; they could only stand and arrange the dishes for the Emperor.
And truly, this Little Concubine's culinary skills were not bad at all, which greatly increased the Emperor's appetite; he ate much more than usual.
Noticing Lian Hua staring eagerly at the dishes on the table, the Emperor began to tease her while tasting the food, and after finishing the last bite of the dish, he even concluded with a statement, "The amount of the dishes is insufficient; pay attention next time."
If Zhang Qing were present, he would have been greatly surprised. His Majesty was very much about propriety, insisting on silence during meals and rest, but now he had broken his rules for this Little Concubine. It was truly shocking, and even more astonishing was His Majesty's increase in appetite, eating much more than before.
Lian Hua felt stifled; the porridge and dishes were all gone, not a bit was left, and she and Xiao Qing could only have a bit of the cold leftovers from the previous meal.
"The incident with stealing the bamboo shoots will be overlooked this time; let it not happen again," His Majesty stated, feeling very comfortable all over and in a good mood.
Dining in this pavilion was extremely delightful; with the gentle breeze blowing, there was none of the summer heat, and the sunflower trees that were planted all around were blooming just right, the setting sun they framed creating a beautiful scene.
He couldn't help but admire that this Little Concubine really knew how to live; with her thrifty ways, choosing the sunflower trees which served both ornamental and practical purposes was the best choice. Importantly, they blended well with the pavilion; dining here in the summer couldn't be more perfect.
Hearing the Emperor's words, Lian Hua swept away the gloom she had felt, the sword that hung around her neck seemingly removed, and she raised a big, broad smile, saying, "Thank you for Your Majesty's grace."
"Zhang Qing, get everything ready. I will stay in Canglan Court tonight," said the well-fed His Majesty, feeling he should bestow some favor as she had served the dinner well, and decided to stay here for the night as a reward.
Zhang Qing, who had appeared from seemingly nowhere, chirped a "Yes" and went out to call people to make the preparations.
Lian Hua's smile froze on her face. His Majesty had eaten and drunk and now he was going to sleep here too??? It was like a bolt from the blue!
The Emperor stood up and took a few steps, lowered his head to look at Lian Hua, and noticed that the little girl seemed happily stupefied, standing there blankly, pleased with just a bit of favor, which was indeed easy to please. The Emperor's lips curled into a faint smile, very satisfied with Lian Hua's reaction.
At the time of the evening lamp lighting, Zhang Qing directed the Young Eunuchs to prepare the bathing items, the Emperor glanced at Lian Hua and went into the washing chamber.
Lian Hua didn't understand the meaning of that glance and stayed put, pretending to be a quail.
With a bowed body and a smile, Zhang Qing pointed towards the washing chamber and said to Lian Hua, "Young Master Lian, please."
Lian Hua turned her head away, puffed up her mouth behind Zhang Qing's back, cursing in her heart that the Imperial Chief Steward was too good at shirking his duties. Since dinner, he had barely done anything, which was not the case back in the Star Palace; at the very least, the Emperor's bath was attended by eunuchs. Why was she asked to serve this time?
Though Lian Hua was reluctant in her heart, her cowardice prevented her from rebelling, and she entered the washing chamber dejectedly to help His Majesty change clothes.
She had seen a man's naked body the last time she climbed into bed, so Lian Hua was somewhat shy, hardly daring to look, and her ears were red.
The Emperor had been watching Lian Hua's every move, and noticing her reddened earlobes, thought they were cute and pinched them: "Why are your ears red?"
Lian Hua bit her lip and didn't speak. After undressing him, she whispered to the Emperor, "It's ready, Your Majesty may enter the bath tub."
The Emperor chuckled lightly and stepped into the bath tub, beginning to bathe.
Lian Hua took a bath towel and began to scrub the Emperor all over. At first, the Emperor complained Lian Hua's strength was too little, she wasn't scrubbing hard enough, so Lian Hua had to scrub harder.
His Majesty's body really was robust, his skin so thick. Lian Hua used all the strength she could muster just to muster enough force, and because she was working so hard, water splashed onto her body from time to time, even wetting her top, and she also broke into a sweat, occasionally needing to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
While scrubbing the Emperor's chest, the Little Concubine's hair was somewhat disheveled, her temples were soaked, and a few strands of wet hair hung down, sticking to her cheeks, her nose tip beaded with fine sweat, her face as white and smooth as jade, her forehead polished, her eyes intent, her gaze seductive, her cherry lips tender, and the wet outer garment outlining the shape of her undergarments, the mounds at her chest seeming to yearn for release.
The Emperor felt his mouth grow dry, heat rise in his lower belly, and his gaze towards Lian Hua became increasingly passionate.