There is always an exception, isnât there?
Li Shengan watched the Emperorâs back as he walked into the room, holding Lady Xia, feeling a bit like he was in a dream.
He pinched himself hard.
Iâm not dreaming, right?
Ouch, that really hurt!
Little Zhuzi poked his head out. "Master, you saw correctly!"
"Go away!"
Little Zhuziâs head was once again graced with a flick from his masterâs feather duster!
ă...ă
He disliked the gloomy atmosphere at the Empressâs place, and he had an argument with the Noble Consort just yesterday.
So, Zhao Junyao was not in a good mood.
But seeing Xia Ruqing, wrapped in mud, looking silly and adorable, he still wanted to laugh.
No! He mustnât laugh! What emperor in any dynasty has ever had a constant grin on his face? That wouldnât be an emperor; that would be a fool. An emperor must be inscrutable, showing neither joy nor anger.
So, Zhao Junyao kept his face expressionless, struggling mightily to suppress his laughter.
"Your Majesty, I dirtied your clothes..."
This was the second time Xia Ruqing had said this phrase to the Emperor.
The first time was when he scared her, and she cried uncontrollably in his arms, snot and tears getting everywhere.
This time, well... cough, cough!
It wasnât her fault
(she thought brazenly).
Zhao Junyao twitched the corner of his mouth.
He wanted to say,
Good that you know!
But as he moved his lips, he still didnât speak.
Mainly because if he did, he might not be able to hold back a laugh. The dignity of an emperor was at stake, so he simply chose to remain silent.
Both of their clothes were mud-stained and dirty.
They needed to bathe and change.
But the space was not large enough, so... they might as well wash together.
Xia Ruqing was carried all the way into the bathroom.
As the Palace Attendants filed out one by one, Xia Ruqing had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.
She had a brainwave and quickly said, "Your Majesty, I twisted my foot, it hurts!"
He couldnât be so desperate as to not even spare her when sheâs injured!
However, Zhao Junyao leaned in close to her ear and said in a deep voice, "Later, I will summon an Imperial Physician to check it. If itâs not serious..."
As he spoke, he gave her that âyou are so done forâ look.
Xia Ruqing felt a twinge of fear and hurriedly offered a strained smile. "Your Majesty, suddenly, I feel like itâs not that painful anymore!"
Zhao Junyao curved his lips, thinking to himself,
Youâre sensible, at least!
Everything was ready in the bathroom.
A few Little Palace Maids stood behind the screen, holding cotton towels, ready to serve.
Of course, they were not there to serve Xia Ruqing. If the Emperor wasnât present, the only one Xia Ruqing could command was Zi Yue!
The bathtub had been replaced with one that was big enough, and the temperature of the hot water was just right.
They washed three times in total.
Free from mud, Xia Ruqing regained her fairy-like appearance.
She had a good appetite and was in a growing phase.
After a winter and a spring, by the time summer arrived, the little mounds on her chest had drastically changed.
Last yearâs bellyband couldnât contain them; they were bulging out. Right now, wearing nothing... they were very attractive!
Zhao Junyao squinted his eyes and teased her. "Eating so much good food, it was not in vain!"
In his heart, he was secretly pleased!
Seeing his gaze, Xia Ruqing quickly covered her chest and retreated, diving under the water, blushing with embarrassment. "Your Majesty!"
"Your foot doesnât hurt anymore?" Zhao Junyao laughed again.
"It doesnât hurt anymore!" someone was furious!
With so many women around, why does he still look like a starving wolf? Canât all those women satisfy him?
In response to this, Zhao Junyao expressed his protest,
Is he that casual? Even though he has many little wives, he only picks the ones he likes, the pretty ones, and then happily goes at it. The Empress is virtuous, but sheâs too somber for his taste, and he doesnât like that. The Noble Consort is beautiful, and he used to like her, but now sheâs often sullen, so heâs not as fond of her anymore! Looking further back, there arenât many in the Harem he can even remember. When turning the plaques, itâs all the same. He doesnât avoid turning someoneâs plaque just because he doesnât like her. But the so-called equal attention is only for the peace of the Harem; getting one chance in ten to spend the night is pretty good. Most of the time, he doesnât touch them at all. After all, if he doesnât like them, he doesnât want to force himself! This was something probably only Li Shengan, who always followed him closely, knew about. As for the Concubines, they all knew very well, and they would rather die than speak of such matters! Thatâs why the Emperor visited the Harem and turned the plaques, yet few women in the Harem became pregnant! Thatâs why, after just one encounter with Xia Ruqing, he couldnât stop thinking about her. He felt that his efforts had not been in vain. Thatâs also why Lady Xia could gain favor! Lady Xia was clever, her temperament agreeable and lively. She was also pretty, and her figure... looked good nowadays, too. Each time he visited her, he could escape the myriad complexities of state affairs. He could utterly relax his body and mind and find happiness. Also, at her place, the food was greatâdishes heâd never seen before, simple to get yet fresh and tasty! His body and all his internal organs felt very comfortable! Why wouldnât he dote on a woman who pleases him in every way? What was he waiting for?!
Ahem, this is a digression... Letâs return to the main thread!
Seeing that this little cat was about to get her hackles up again, Zhao Junyao didnât tease her any further!
Knowing that her foot was injured, he ultimately did not do anything to her.
Suppressing their pent-up frustrations, they both got dressed, and Li Shengan was called to fetch the Imperial Physician.
After examining the injury, the Imperial Physician respectfully said, "The Honored Ladyâs foot is sprained, but fortunately, there is no dislocation of the bones. Itâs just an external injury to the skin. With some ointment, it will stop hurting in a couple of days!"
Zhao Junyao breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought to himself with covert satisfaction,
Itâs good that thereâs no serious issue; he can properly deal with her later. When sheâs better after a while, he plans to take her to Jiangnan.
Xia Ruqing, however, didnât think so much. Zi Yue applied the ointment, and it quickly stopped hurting.
"Itâs cool and quite comfortable!" she said.
Zi Yue saw that there was nothing serious and withdrew.
Then, Zhao Junyao devoured that cat!
Indescribable, oh indescribable!
In the end, Xia Ruqingâs body was trembling intensely, and she cried out in a fragmented and disheveled voice, begging for mercy.
"Emperor... Emperor, I... I canât take it anymore..."
"I canât take it!"
Half a Shi Chen later, after Zhao Junyao had reached the peak, he finally stopped, fully satisfied.
He carried the limp Xia Ruqing to the bathroom for another wash.
After bathing and changing, it was already Hai Hour.
Both of them, having not eaten anything that evening, were hungry.
Especially Xia Ruqing; she was so hungry she could feel her stomach sticking to her back. She had sweated a lot and was thirsty, hungry, and tired!
She was totally out of energy!
"Letâs eat!" Zhao Junyao ordered.
Li Shengan quickly went out.
The Imperial Kitchen had been waiting, knowing that the Emperor was at Lady Xiaâs Qingya Residence tonight. Without a doubt, all the food would be light, refreshing, and tasty.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the dining table was filled with dishes of various sizes.
Appetizers, main and side dishes, desserts, and fruit after the mealâthere was nothing the Imperial Kitchen couldnât make, only dishes one couldnât imagine!
Upon seeing the delicious food, Xia Ruqingâs spirits were immediately lifted.