Chapter 274: Good Things

Inside the study, it suddenly went quiet.

Luo Zijun was stunned for a few seconds upon hearing this; he lowered his head, cupped his hands, and said neither servilely nor overbearingly, "If it is merely to take your pulse, this subject can boldly attempt it, but other things..."

The Queen narrowed her eyes and said, "Other things how? Are you unwilling to serve this Palace?"

Unwilling!

Of course unwilling!

Kneading shoulders and pounding legs—aren't those things for eunuchs or palace maids to do?

Luo Zijun complained in his heart, yet his face remained incomparably respectful; he lowered his head and said submissively, "This subject is not unwilling, it is just that there is a distinction between men and women, and a distinction between sovereign and subject. This subject... this subject does not dare..."

The Queen gave a hum and said, "This Palace pardons you of your crimes!"

Having said that, she flicked her long sleeves, turned around, pushed aside the beaded curtain, and walked into the inner room.

Then she lay on her side on the beauty couch in the inner room.

One could see that head of jet-black long hair cascading down from the beauty couch, and her slender, graceful figure stood out within the red robes, outlining a charming curve.

And below the hem of her skirt, a pair of slender feet wearing snow-white silk socks were also revealed.

"Come in."

She lay on her side on the couch, one hand propping up her head, and a pair of peach-blossom eyes full of allure looked at him seductively through the gently swaying beaded curtain, her tone filled with an irresistible command.

Luo Zijun said in a dilemma, "Your Majesty, this subject..."

"What, do you intend to defy this Palace's command?"

The Queen's expression turned cold, and her gaze was full of threats.

Just as Luo Zijun was hesitating, the Queen said coldly again, "If the sovereign wants the subject to die, the subject must die; furthermore, this Palace is not asking you to die. You keep saying you are loyal to this Palace, and now that this Palace is just asking you to serve a little, you are unwilling?"

Luo Zijun hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it is not that this subject is unwilling, it is truly..."

"Is Minister Luo concerned about the distinction between men and women?"

The Queen let out a cold hum and suddenly said, "If that is the case, then if Minister Luo were to become a eunuch, you shouldn't be concerned about these things anymore, right?"

As she spoke, she immediately said coldly toward the outside, "Qing'er, let the guards come in and take Minister Luo to the Jingshen Fang in the back to be castrated. This Palace wants to take him as this Palace's personal little eunuch."

"Creak..."

The room door opened, and Qing'er appeared at the doorway.

Luo Zijun's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this subject... this subject will take your pulse and knead your shoulders right now."

Saying this, he immediately went over, pushed aside the beaded curtain, and entered the inner room.

The corners of the Queen's mouth moved, and only then did she look toward the doorway and say, "Withdraw for now. Have the people in the back sharpen the blade and be ready to help Minister Luo with the castration at any time."

"Yes."

Qing'er's mouth also twitched, and she closed the door.

Luo Zijun cursed inwardly, arrived before the beauty couch, and knelt on the velvet carpet on the floor, preparing to take her pulse.

The Queen extended a hand, her sleeve sliding down to reveal a section of snow-white, jade-like slender wrist, and she looked at him with a smile, "Minister Luo, no need to be nervous. This Palace was just joking with you. The reason this Palace had you come in to serve this Palace is actually to get closer to Minister Luo, so that every time this Palace asks you to come and discuss matters, you aren't always timid and hesitant, afraid to speak your mind."

Luo Zijun extended two fingers, gently placed them on her fair and delicate wrist, and closed his eyes, not daring to look more.

The Queen lay on her side, her black hair hanging down, her long legs pressed together, her chest high and firm, and a pair of seductive peach-blossom eyes looked at him, drunk and hazy.

A moment later.

Luo Zijun withdrew his two fingers, lowered his head, and said respectfully, "The Queen's body is healthy and peaceful; there are no other illnesses."

The Queen stared at his respectful, lowered head; her pupils suddenly moved, her red lips parted slightly, and she whispered, "But recently, this Palace always feels a dry heat in the body, and a parched mouth and tongue..."

Luo Zijun was startled: "A dry heat in the body, and a parched mouth and tongue?"

"Yes, a dry heat in the body, and a parched mouth and tongue..."

While saying this, the Queen added, "Minister Luo, lift your head and help this Palace look at my tongue..."

When Luo Zijun lifted his head, he discovered that the Queen had already gently opened her red lips and small mouth, sticking out a section of pink, delicate clove-like tongue, and a pair of watery eyes were looking at him, drunk and hazy.

Luo Zijun's mouth twitched; after taking a look, he hurriedly lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty's tongue coating is normal; it appears there is no abnormality."

The Queen withdrew her tongue, frowned slightly, and said, "But why does this Palace always feel a dry heat in the body, and a parched mouth and tongue, feeling very uncomfortable?"

Luo Zijun pondered for a moment and asked, "At what time does Your Majesty usually have this feeling? Before having this feeling, have you consumed any food or drunk any medicine? What food or medicine was it?"

The Queen looked at him with watery eyes and said, "This feeling always comes in the dead of night, when this Palace is lying on the bed alone... This Palace feels it has nothing to do with food or medicine."

Luo Zijun was stunned upon hearing this, but then heard her say, "Right, this Palace has some other feelings as well."

Luo Zijun lifted his head and said earnestly, "Please speak, Your Majesty."

The Queen's beautiful eyes met his, her white teeth suddenly bit her red lips lightly, and her two pressed-together long legs also rubbed against each other a few times, saying, "This Palace... this Palace also feels somewhat uncomfortable..."

Just as Luo Zijun was puzzled, two faint blushes suddenly rose on the Queen's gorgeous and delicate cheeks, and her thick, long eyelashes lowered slightly as she said, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, "This Palace... this Palace is itchy..."

Luo Zijun was stunned for a few seconds, then hurriedly lowered his head and said respectfully, "It might be related to food, or related to Your Majesty being busy with state affairs recently and mentally exhausted. Once this subject writes a prescription, I will have someone go get some medicine to take for a few days, and it should be fine."

The Queen's eyelashes fluttered, her eyes staring tightly at him, and she said softly, "But, can Minister Luo's medicine stop the itch?"

Luo Zijun kept his head lowered and said, "I can have the imperial physician bring over some topical medication."

The Queen sighed lightly, her tone lingering and faint, "Minister Luo still does not understand. This Palace's itch is not on the surface of the skin, but rather in..."

Luo Zijun kept his head lowered tightly and said, "Please forgive this subject, Your Majesty. This subject's medical skills are shallow and can only diagnose the general situation; for other illnesses, I am truly powerless."

The Queen stared at him for a while longer, then suddenly smiled and said, "It's fine, this Palace will just endure it. If I truly cannot endure it, there are ways to solve it. Minister Luo, come help this Palace knead my shoulders and pound my legs; this Palace will tell you about the news coming from the border."

Luo Zijun lowered his head, stood up, came to the left side of the beauty couch, bent his waist, and began to knead her shoulders.

Looking down from this high position, the high rise and fall of her chest was even more steep and spectacular, and the exquisite curves of her entire figure were even more fully revealed.

Luo Zijun turned his head away and looked elsewhere.

Otherwise, like this, it was truly a bit hard to bear.

"Minister Luo, there is one more thing this Palace did not tell you. After our Daliang and the two states of Wu and Chu secretly signed an alliance, the King of Wu also sent his brother-in-law over to propose marriage on behalf of his Crown Prince, wanting to form a marriage alliance with our Daliang."

The Queen lay on her side, and while using her slender jade fingers to twirl a strand of hair in front of her chest, she said softly.

Luo Zijun asked, "Propose marriage to whom?"

The Queen gave a cold snort and said, "Naturally, to this Palace. The King of Wu has a clever plan; he wants this Palace to marry his Crown Prince, so that our entire Daliang will become his."

Luo Zijun pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, Your Majesty could agree to him first. If the two houses form an alliance, then the Seven Kingdoms will have no worries behind them and can focus on the decisive battle against Great Yan. By then..."

"Luo Qing."

The Queen suddenly interrupted his words, lifted her cheeks to look at him, and said, "This Palace is now the ruler of a nation; if I agree, there will be no room for regret."

Luo Zijun was silent for a moment, and before he could speak, she looked at him again and said, "The King of Wu's Crown Prince is already nearly thirty years old, while this Palace is only eighteen; I do not like old men. If this Palace truly must marry, I would rather marry a young and handsome one, someone like... someone like Luo Qing, who is both talented and good-looking; that would be best."

Luo Zijun lowered his head and continued kneading her shoulders, not daring to speak again.

The Queen stared at him for a while longer, then patted her own thigh and said, "You should knead here."

Then she moved her feet under her skirt and said, "Later, help this Palace knead my feet as well."

Luo Zijun: "..."

Just at this moment, Qing'er's voice suddenly came from outside: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has arrived."

The Queen's brows furrowed, and her expression turned cold.

A burst of footsteps suddenly came from outside, and immediately a clamoring voice appeared: "You dog slaves, you dare to block this Palace's path! I came here today to ask her why she wants to kill them all, not even sparing my own brother! If she has the guts, she should go all the way and kill me too!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Zijun hurriedly retreated from the inner chamber.

"Creak..."

Just at this moment, the room door was pushed open forcefully.

A woman dressed in purple-gold robes, wearing gold and silver, stormed in aggressively. Upon seeing Luo Zijun, she was visibly stunned for a moment, then looked at the Queen who had just sat up from the beauty couch in the inner chamber, and immediately gave a cold laugh, mocking, "Didn't your slaves say you were here discussing national affairs? Where are those ministers? Could it be that you are discussing them here with just such a person?"

The Queen glanced at her with cold eyes and did not answer, but instead looked at Luo Zijun and said, "Luo Qing, you should go back first. If there is anything, this Palace will send someone to notify you."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Luo Zijun bowed and retreated. When he reached the doorway, he bowed respectfully to the Empress Dowager before him, and without waiting for her to speak, he immediately exited the room.

Walking out the door, he heard the clamoring voice of that Empress Dowager coming from inside the room.

Qing'er followed behind him, escorting him all the way out of Yaohua Palace. When they reached the outside, she whispered, "Young Master Luo, the fact that the Empress Dowager and the Queen are at odds must not be spread."

Luo Zijun said, "I know."

Qing'er looked at him again and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Young Master. Please go back now."

Luo Zijun nodded and boarded the carriage at the entrance.

He thought to himself: Today was indeed quite exhausting, enduring it was so difficult, Her Majesty the Queen is truly too...

Hmm.

Her Majesty the Queen was suddenly like that; I wonder if she was deliberately testing his loyalty and character, or...

Fortunately, he had kept his vigilance and clarity of mind throughout.

Of course, even so, his body was hot and his mouth was dry; it was agonizing to endure.

He did not return directly to the Bai Mansion, but instead came to Chujian Bookstore.

Liu Chujian was wearing a pink dress, standing on tiptoe, organizing books in front of the bookshelf; her slender and delicate body had a graceful and exquisite figure.

Everything that should be protruding was protruding, and everything that should be concave was concave.

As soon as Luo Zijun went upstairs, he went over and impatiently hugged her from behind, biting her ear and saying, "Chujian, I have something to find you for."

"What is it?"

Liu Chujian turned her head to look at him, her eyes clear, her appearance charming and lovely.

Luo Zijun felt even more restless, pulling her and saying, "Let's go to the room; I have something to give you."

Liu Chujian giggled and struggled, saying, "I'm not going."

Luo Zijun directly picked up her delicate, soft, and fragrant body and whispered, "It's a good thing."

Liu Chujian laughed and said, "If it really is a good thing, Brother Zijun should go and give it to Sister Su."

Luo Zijun immediately carried her toward the room, biting her ear and saying, "Good things should naturally be given to you; how could I give them to her? That girl is fierce and keeps a cold face all day long; it's annoying to look at, and I can't be bothered to pay attention to her."

Who would have thought that just as he entered the room, he suddenly discovered someone sitting on the edge of the bed, counting silver.

Su Qingling counted the last ingot of silver, then raised her head, looked at him expressionlessly, and said, "You can't be bothered to pay attention to me?"

The air suddenly froze.

Immediately, she asked indifferently, "What good thing do you have? Take it out and let me see."

(End of this chapter)