If there were too many women in the palace, even the most determined man would be tempted by the beauty around him.
But for now, the most important thing was tonight's duty of accompanying the emperor in his bedchamber.
Facing Rong Xun's absolute power, she still defied the imperial authority. So what if it was just a night with the emperor? If she didn't want to go, there were surely others who did.
With this thought in mind, she looked at the person in the distance. An idea came to her.
She smiled brightly and turned to Wen Ruxue, who looked rather simple - minded. "Sister Wen, if you're so eager, you can take good care of the emperor tonight. I'm not feeling well and rather tired, so I'll go rest first."
After saying that, she let out a big yawn and gave Wen Ruxue a meaningful look before walking towards the bed.
Wen Ruxue was stunned. She even suspected that this was a trap set by Tang Youyou.
Then her legs went weak, and she took a few steps back before barely steadying herself. After a moment of thought, she slowly left the main hall.
Tang Youyou on the bed was happy to have some peace. Life was full of disappointments; one should enjoy oneself whenever possible.
In the Yangxin Hall, Rong Xun was eagerly waiting for Tang Youyou. Instead, he saw Wen Ruxue holding a bowl of ginseng soup.
"Why are you here?"
Wen Ruxue blushed at this sudden question. She said coyly, "Your Majesty, the queen is not feeling well today, so she sent me to serve you."
Hearing this, Rong Xun flew into a rage. He had thought that after his harsh words, Tang Youyou would be obedient. But instead, she had pulled off this scheme of substituting herself.
Tang Youyou, you're really something!
He looked up at Wen Ruxue with red - rimmed eyes full of anger. "Go back first. I don't need anyone to serve me tonight."
Wen Ruxue was slightly startled. The ginseng soup in her hand slipped to the ground, spilling everywhere. The next moment, she panicked and knelt down, grabbing the broken pieces on the ground in a hurry to clean it up.
But the next moment, her scream caught Rong Xun's attention.
"What's going on?" Rong Xun asked impatiently.
Wen Ruxue's hands were covered in blood, which was still flowing. She panicked and said, "Your servant deserves to die for disturbing Your Majesty's rest. I'll clean this up right away and leave."
But seeing the shocking cuts on Wen Ruxue's palms, he finally softened his heart and called for the servant.
"Xiao Dengzi, go and summon the imperial physician."
A moment later, the Yangxin Hall returned to normal. Wen Ruxue's hands were bandaged, and she was sitting beside the dragon bed.
After finally stopping the bleeding, Wen Ruxue let out a sigh of relief. At this moment, her face was as white as paper, and her lips were pale. It seemed that a gentle push would make her fall and never wake up.
"Leave such things to the palace servants in the future," Rong Xun said coldly.
Surprised by his sudden concern, Wen Ruxue felt a warmth in her heart. She leaned gently on Rong Xun's shoulder and said in a coquettish voice, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. My hands don't hurt anymore. Your Majesty has been tired all night. You'd better rest early."
Saying this, she was about to leave. But the next moment, Rong Xun suddenly said, "Stay tonight and sleep with me."
Hearing this, Wen Ruxue was overjoyed. She was almost on the verge of crying with excitement. She boldly pulled back the quilt and carefully nestled beside Rong Xun, inching closer to his body.
Rong Xun endured the disgust in his heart and felt as uncomfortable as if lying on needles all night.
The next day, the sun shone brightly. The person in the Yangxin Hall slowly got up. She looked at Xiao Dengzi in the distance and waved to him.
"Xiao Dengzi, come here."
Hearing this, he quickly trotted over. When he saw Wen Ruxue, he was slightly startled, but this look of surprise only lasted for a moment.
"Your Highness Wen, what are your orders?"
Wen Ruxue smiled gently. "Xiao Dengzi, what time does the emperor usually return to the palace?"
Xiao Dengzi thought for a moment and said, "Usually at noon."
After getting the answer, Wen Ruxue quickly packed up and left the Yangxin Hall. She strode towards the Qingliang Hall but found it empty.
In the imperial garden, the birds were singing, and the flowers were fragrant. The scenery was charming.
Tang Youyou somehow found a boat and didn't hesitate to lie on it. She let the current and the gentle breeze carry her towards the Lotus Dock.
Looking up at the blue sky among the flowers was a different kind of scenery.
Gurgle...
Her stomach growled. Then, Tang Youyou reached out and pulled, and a huge lotus pod fell.
This was a good thing, hard to come by.
So, all the lotus pods in the pond suffered. After eating, she casually threw the pods into the water to feed the fish. It was really a treat to have a boat full of lotus seeds.
Cluck - cluck - cluck...
A chicken's crow in the distance caught Tang Youyou's attention. When she was a child, she had dealt with such things quite a lot. Instead, those flying in the sky, swimming in the water, or running on the ground would run away at the sight of her.
Thinking about it, she realized she should reflect on why these small animals were afraid of her.
Then, she picked up the oar on the boat and rowed towards the deep part of the imperial garden. When she finally reached the shore, she broke off a willow branch and simply made a slingshot.
The small round stones in her hand became sharp weapons. In an instant, the stone flew through the air.
Bang!
Quack - quack - quack! Cluck - cluck - cluck!
"Fall!"
As soon as Tang Youyou said this, the pheasant in the distance immediately fell to the ground. After twitching for a while, it stopped moving.
She quickly walked towards the pheasant, grabbed its leg, and was about to leave.
But the next moment, a human voice came from afar.
She followed the voice and saw a dilapidated palace. This palace was in a terrible state. Even the windows were drafty, and the yard was full of withered branches and leaves. It was a sight of desolation.
She looked up at the main door of the palace. Only a few words were vaguely visible: Mingzheng Hall.
What a famous Mingzheng Hall! If it weren't well - known, she would have thought it was a place for outcasts.
She carefully stepped inside and saw something faintly moving. The figure was moving so fast that it seemed like an animal.
Just as she was looking closely, a face like a mad dog suddenly loomed in front of her!
Damn it!
This scared Tang Youyou back a few steps. Even the chicken in her hand dropped. Fortunately, this thing seemed to be bound by a chain, so she wasn't hurt.
After calming down, Tang Youyou took a closer look. What was chained up was actually a living person!
The man's long hair was in a mess. Weeds seemed to be stuck to his hair roots, and no matter how wildly he jumped up and down, they didn't show any sign of falling off.