Chapter 281: Imperial Favor (1)

When Qingfeng got up, it was already time to light the lamps. Fuling served dinner, and she ate a little hastily before having them clear it away.

"Fuling, help me bathe and groom."

"Yes." Fuling thought Qingfeng was tired from the past two days and wanted to rest early, so she hurriedly ordered people to prepare hot water. The hot water was delivered, but Qingfeng wasn't in a hurry to bathe. While picking out clothes, she asked casually, "Which color do you think Yan Hongtian likes?"

Fuling was stunned. Was the Master waiting for the Emperor? Afraid of her disappointment, Fuling whispered, "The Jingshi Hall didn't say the Emperor was coming..."

"He will come." Qingfeng said very firmly. Fuling didn't dare to reply. She picked out a black thin gauze long dress from the clothes and ornaments and smiled, "Let's go with this one."

After bathing, Fuling helped Qingfeng put on the black long dress she had just chosen. The thin, transparent gauze couldn't hide much; except for where the bodice covered, her arms and her entire back could be clearly seen. The light gauze skirt was layered, not appearing transparent, but between her steps, her two slender legs were still looming, making Fuling look away in embarrassment.

Sitting in front of the bronze mirror, Qingfeng smiled, "This time you can groom me well."

A black gauze dress, a head of ink-black hair reaching the ground—Fuling didn't know how to groom her. It seemed that adding anything would not match this ultimate black. Picking up a red coral hairpin, Fuling was about to help her twist her hair into a bun when Qingfeng suddenly took the hairpin from her hand and said, "No need."

Qingfeng stared at herself in the bronze mirror, only dabbing a little cinnabar on her lips. After a long time, she asked, "Does it look good?"

It looked good. She had never thought that a woman wearing black could be so beautiful and enchanting. That touch of cinnabar was already a thousand kinds of charm. Fuling finally just nodded, not saying whether it was beautiful or not. She hadn't forgotten the last time she said she was beautiful, the tearing pain and hatred in her eyes. Today, perhaps she wouldn't be like that day, but the pain in her heart would be even greater.

Fuling looked out the window; the moon was already on the treetops. The Emperor probably wouldn't come, right? Just as Fuling was thinking this, a sharp shout came from outside the hall: "The Emperor has arrived."

"Long live the Emperor, long live, long live." Soon, the sound of the palace maids greeting him in the courtyard also rose in unison.

The Emperor... he really came. Fuling remembered the scene when the Emperor came last time and couldn't help but worry, asking in a low voice, "Master, should I open the door?"

That pair of eyes, revealing a faint chill, remained fixed on the beautiful, flower-like face in the bronze mirror. Qingfeng raised the corner of her mouth in an arc that was not quite a smile and replied, "Of course it must be opened, but there is no rush."

Getting up and walking to the door, Qingfeng said to Fuling behind her, "You withdraw first."

"Yes."

When Yan Hongtian stepped into the Qingfeng Palace, he thought it would be a mess, but he didn't expect it to be refreshing and pleasant. There were no delicate peonies or elegant peony fragrance; everything in sight was lush green. The peonies had indeed been dug up cleanly, and the low begonias showed their charm, which could be considered a different kind of style.

Calculating that the person outside had seen enough scenery and his patience was running out, Qingfeng slowly opened the door, "The Emperor is coming, why didn't you have someone announce it? This concubine didn't have time to prepare."

This was called not having time to prepare? Yan Hongtian narrowed his eyes. Qingfeng was wearing a black gauze long dress, lips dotted with cinnabar, gorgeous and enchanting, matching her naturally arrogant temperament—it complemented each other perfectly. She had put a lot of effort into it.

Entering the room, the red candles flickered. Yan Hongtian saw clearly again that her black gauze was so thin and transparent. Yan Hongtian couldn't help but smile, "You are so sure that I would come?" The women in the harem would do anything to please him; he was used to it. But she did it this way, and he felt it was a bit interesting.

Qingfeng smiled brilliantly, not answering Yan Hongtian's question. While reaching out to undo his buttons, she said submissively, "The Emperor has been tired all day; let's rest early."

Yan Hongtian raised his eyebrows slightly, looking with interest at the woman in his arms who was submissively helping him undress. Yan Hongtian didn't speak, just waiting to see what other tricks she had. Her movements in undoing the buttons—whether truly clumsy or intentional—were done one by one, slowly. Her exquisite figure under the black gauze was clearly visible through that thin bodice. Looking down, the scenery on her chest was fully revealed, while the scenery below her waist was covered by her ink-black hair and layers of light gauze, half-hidden and half-revealed.

Was this a new method she had thought of to seduce him? Not bad, he liked it. Yan Hongtian suddenly leaned over, his slender fingers gently picking away a few strands of hair by her ear, his lips lightly pressed against her ear, while his other hand was pulling the ribbon of her bodice through the thin black gauze.

"What you want, I can give you, I'm just afraid... you can't afford it."

Qingfeng's hand undoing the buttons paused, and her heart tightened suddenly. What did he mean by that? Was it that she couldn't afford his favor, or couldn't afford the glory behind the favor, or perhaps couldn't afford the sharp claws in the dark?

Slowly withdrawing her hand, Qingfeng looked up to meet Yan Hongtian's always deep eyes. Her voice, deliberately lowered, was cold but trembling slightly: "Do you remember what you said to me that night? 'Those who cannot even protect themselves have no right to manage the life and death of others.' I don't want to die, and I don't want them to die, so I must be able to afford it."

What a "must be able to afford it"!

Yan Hongtian burst into laughter, picked up the person in his arms, and walked straight toward the depths of the bed. Soon, he would let her know whether she could afford it or not...

Fuling guarded the courtyard, another sleepless night. She seemed used to walking to relieve the anxiety in her heart. She circled the thick tree for the whole night. At dawn, Eunuch Wu from the Jingshi Hall appeared in the Qingfeng Palace with several eunuchs as usual.

Fuling glanced at the medicine bowl held by the last eunuch and sighed inwardly. Bowing slightly, Fuling saluted, "Eunuch Wu."

Wu Zhiqiu glanced at her and nodded vaguely. He didn't say anything to her like last time and walked straight to the main room, stopping in front of the door. Wu Zhiqiu knocked on the door twice gently and said in a low voice, "Emperor, it's 7:00 AM."

"Hmm." A light grunt came from the inner room, and then there was no movement. Wu Zhiqiu waited quietly for a while before calling out in a low voice again, "Emperor?"

"Come in." This time the voice was higher, the deep male voice a bit hoarse, but still clear.

"Yes." A group of people entered the room. Fuling didn't follow, standing quietly by the door. After a while, Yan Hongtian stepped out of the house, looking refreshed. Wu Zhiqiu followed closely behind, asking in a low voice, "Emperor, keep... or not keep?"

Yan Hongtian waved his hand slightly, and Wu Zhiqiu stepped back in understanding. Fuling's heart went cold. As a medical maid, she knew well the harm to the body if this medicine was taken for a long time. Fuling was pondering how to recuperate Qingfeng's body when those bright yellow shoes suddenly stopped as they stepped down the steps.

"Wait." The deep male voice called out to the little eunuch who was about to send the medicine into the room. The little eunuch was so scared he immediately knelt down. Wu Zhiqiu hurriedly bowed forward to wait for instructions. After a long time, Yan Hongtian said in a low voice, "Keep it."

"Yes." Wu Zhiqiu gave a look to the little eunuch who was still kneeling on the ground, and the little eunuch immediately trotted out of the hall with the medicine bowl.

After Yan Hongtian finished speaking, he strode away from the Qingfeng Palace. Wu Zhiqiu didn't rush to leave, but walked to Fuling with a smiling face, sweeping away his previous coldness, and laughed in a low voice, "Congratulations. Fuling, take good care of your Master. I will order the Imperial Kitchen to send some ginseng soup to the Concubine later."

Looking at this old face full of smiles, Fuling couldn't help but sigh again. People in this palace... Hiding her contempt, Fuling bowed slightly as usual and replied, "Yes."

This time Wu Zhiqiu didn't mind her coldness, nodded with a smile, and led the group of eunuchs out of the Qingfeng Palace with a swagger.

After they were all out of the courtyard, Fuling walked quickly toward the room. Thinking of the bruises on Qingfeng's body last time, Fuling's steps quickened. Entering the room, through the screen and layers of curtains, a thin figure was sitting straight on the edge of the bed. Fuling called out in a low voice, "Master?"

Qingfeng's voice, with a bit of hoarseness, came from inside: "Where is the medicine?"

Fuling shook her head gently and replied, "There is no medicine. The Emperor said... keep the dragon seed."

Through the curtains, Fuling couldn't see Qingfeng's expression, only hearing the voice from inside saying somewhat urgently, "Prepare hot water for me to bathe."

"Yes."

In the large wooden tub, scattered with fine rose petals, steam rose. Qingfeng submerged her entire body in the hot water; that burning, suffocating sensation strangely made her feel calm. Last night, she had done her best to please Yan Hongtian, and he had possessed her madly. Everything was just a night of carnal pleasure; neither had put their heart into it, and both harbored their own hidden agendas. She and he—it was hatred, it was a standoff, it was lust, or perhaps it was exploitation. Whatever it was, it was their ill-fated connection. But... what about the child? She did not want his child, not even a little bit.

"Master?!"

Qingfeng had been submerged in the water for too long. Fuling pushed aside the petals on the water, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out of the water.

Breaking through the water, Qingfeng gasped for air. The clear air made her cough repeatedly. After finally recovering, Qingfeng grabbed a towel and wiped her body over and over. The skin, already flushed red from the hot water, was almost rubbed raw by her, and the kiss marks extending from behind her ears became even more purple. Fuling couldn't bear to watch, stepped forward to hold Qingfeng's hand, took the towel, and sighed, "Let this servant do it."

Not being stubborn with Fuling, Qingfeng sat quietly, letting Fuling serve her. After bathing, Qingfeng's emotions gradually calmed down. She suddenly said, "Help me dress and apply makeup."

"Master, are you going out?" She hadn't rested well these past few days, and her emotions had been up and down; she should rest more now.

Seeming to anticipate what Fuling was going to say, before she could speak, Qingfeng smiled, "Consort Hui is ill; let's go visit her, we'll be back soon."

"Yes." Qingfeng spoke softly, but it was unquestionable. Fuling had no choice but to help her groom and dress.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 282 =====