It was the time for dinner at the hour of Xu. (7-9pm)
Yun Menging walked into the hall and saw Emperor Shengwu still sitting on the dragon throne, with his back straight, his face solemn, his eyes bright, and his writing moving rigorous and graceful like a dragon.
The servants were beside him, silent as a cicada, the emperor was really majestic and awe-inspiring.
Every time she witnessed such a scene, Yun Mengqing couldn’t shake a feeling of unreality.
“Your Majesty, your concubine pays her respects.” The woman’s voice was soft and sweet.
“Get up, why are you here?” He asked after he put down his bruh and raised his head.
“You said so yourself, Your Majesty.”The woman complained playfully, “You clearly said that there were not many memorials today, and when you were playing with me, you said that the government affairs had been dealt with. Now it’s dinner time, but your Majesty is still thinking or making decisions. If it’s my fault that I have disturbed your Majesty’s handling of state affairs, I am afraid and feel deeply uneasy.”
Emperor Shengwu walked around from behind the desk, took her hand, and whispered to comfort her: “It’s okay, they are all unimportant things. Let’s go and have dinner.”
Her face flushed a little as Emperor Shengwu held her hand, and followed him to the side hall next door for dinner.
On the table of the Emperor Shengwu, 38 exquisite dishes filled the entire long table.
Although these dishes are of various types, for him, who has tasted them since childhood, there is not much novelty.
However, Yun Mengqing is full of interest in the emperor’s meals.
She enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner with the emperor today, and got a taste of the luxurious life of the emperor. No wonder everyone longed to ascend the emperor’s throne.
However, for the emperor, this is not pure luxury.
The numerous meals are actually a way to protect the emperor.
Among the thirty-eight dishes, the emperor can usually taste about ten, and each dish is no more than three bites. This is mainly to prevent people with ulterior motives from poisoning.
Because there are so many dishes, it is difficult for the poisoner to determine the target, so the emperor does not like others to spy on his taste preferences, as it is directly related to his life safety.
Among the emperors of Qi, the number of meals Emperor Shengwu had was relatively small.
The founding Emperor had forty-two dishes, and the previous Emperor, even during times of an empty treasury, still had fifty-eight dishes.
But Emperor Shengwu’s thirty-eight dishes were simply because he had absolute confidence in his control over the imperial court and harem. After all, the treasury was full, and the people were living in prosperity.
Yun Mengqing sat next to Emperor Shengwu, eating with relish, and was full of curiosity about every meal in front of her.
Her eyes were fixed on the roasted pigeon opposite, salivating, but it was just out of reach, so she could only sigh at the pigeon.
“Your Majesty, the roasted pigeon looks delicious. I really want to try it.” Yun Mengqing turned her head and looked at Emperor Shengwu flatteringly with a charming smile. Her voice was full of sincerity, which made people unable to refuse.
Seeing her cute appearance, Emperor Shengwu raised his mouth slightly, and a trace of pampering flashed in his eyes.
He then waved his hand lightly and instructed Liang An, “Liang An, prepare the roasted pigeon for Yun Meiren.”
Liang An responded to the call. His movements were skillful and neat. He held a knife and cut the roasted pigeon into even thin slices.
Then he carefully put the cut pigeon into Yun Mengqing’s bowl.
“Thank you, Eunuch Liang An.” Yun Mengqing happily picked up a piece of pigeon and put it in her mouth.
At that moment, her eyes lit up. It was indeed delicious, fragrant and crispy.
“It’s the servant’s duty to attend to you, Yun Meiren.” Liang An replied with a smile. He was also very kind to the concubines who truly respected him.
However, Yun Qingmeng didn’t take his words too seriously. Liang An had been by Emperor Shengwu’s side since he was a child, and his only true master was the Emperor. Having him serve her, a minor concubine, should indeed be considered her honour.
After eating, Yun Mengqing gently put down her chopsticks, subconsciously touched her stomach, and a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.
But then, she seemed to realise her loss of composure and looked at Emperor Shengwu a little embarrassedly.
Emperor Shengwu’s eyes were always on Yun Mengqing. He noticed her appetite and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
In his impression, other concubines always behaved reservedly and delicately in front of him.
Their appetites were like birds pecking at food, but Yun Mengqing’s “hearty eating” made him feel novel and interesting.
At breakfast today, Yun Mengqing had a good appetite, and Emperor Shengwu thought she was just hungry.
Lunch was close to breakfast, and neither of them ate much.
In the afternoon, when he was reviewing memorials, the little woman had tea and snacks, and her mouth never stopped.
Unexpectedly, she could still eat a lot at dinner.
Emperor Shengwu was puzzled, and his eyes could not help but glance at her slender waist, and then looked at her palm-sized face.
Finally, he stopped at her chest that rose and fell with her breathing, and couldn’t help wondering: Could it be that the food she ate grew into her big white rabbit?
Yun Mengqing didn’t notice anything wrong, she just felt that this meal was really enjoyable and even hoped to have meals with Emperor Shengwu every day.
She rubbed her stomach, feeling a bit uncomfortable, and sweetly said, “Your Majesty, I think I may have eaten too much.”
Emperor Shengwu responded indifferently, “You know you ate a lot?”
Hmm? What does he mean by saying she ate a lot!
Yun Qingmeng hadn’t expected that the reason Emperor Shengwu had been watching her was because she ate too much. She had thought he was admiring her beauty, finding it pleasing to watch her eat. Well, it seemed she had been overthinking it.
But, she did not eat a lot!
It was just one bowl of rice, along with sampling a dozen or so dishes. She hadn’t even tried half of the thirty-eight dishes, so how could that be considered eating a lot?
Besides, she’s still growing!
How much do the other concubines in the harem eat in front of Emperor Shengwu for him to have such a misconception about a woman’s appetite?
“Your Majesty, Qingqing didn’t eat much. Qingqing is still growing.” She pouted and argued very dissatisfied.
Emperor Shengwu was a tall and strong man. He could see the graceful curves of the little woman beside him by lowering his head.
As she was now, she already outshone the other concubines in the harem. If she grew any more, he might not even be able to control her with one hand.
“Yes, I have to feed you well.” After saying that, his eyes vaguely looked at her prominent area.
Yun Mengqing was immediately shocked by his glance, and felt shy and was blushing. She said shyly, “Your Majesty, I just want to grow taller. What are you talking about!”
The more time she spent with him, the more improper he seemed to become!
The smile on the corner of Emperor Shengwu’s mouth became even bigger, but he didn’t say anything. His slightly teasing eyes seemed to tell her that he didn’t say anything, and she was just overthinking.
Yun Mengqing lowered her head shyly, her heart beating like a little rabbit. She gently stroked her bulging belly, calmed down a little, and then looked up again with a well-behaved smile on her face.
She whispered, “Today the moonlight is pleasant. I would like to invite Your Majesty to enjoy it together. Will Your Majesty accept?”
He seemed unable to refuse this innocent and charming face with a pure smile, and replied softly, “With such a beautiful lady, how could I decline?”
“Then Your Majesty, are you willing to wait for me for a quarter of an hour? I want to change my attire.” she boldly requested, with a gleam of expectation in her eyes.
“Go.” He was very interested in this treasure he had picked up, and he was very patient.
Yun Qingmeng entered the inner chamber and Qingyuan brought in the clothes she had prepared earlier.
Changed clothes, put on makeup, and combed hair.
A quarter of an hour later, she gracefully walked out, her steps as delicate as lotus petals, moving elegantly toward the majestic Emperor Shengwu.
Emperor Shengwu was casually flipping through a military book when his vision suddenly dimmed. Without even looking, he knew that the little woman must have finished dressing up.
He put down the book in his hand, looked up, and a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes.
She was wearing a plain Confucian skirt with the hems flowing gracefully, a thin layer of powder on her face, and her eyes were painted to be pure and cold.
Her hair was high and voluminous, and she looked like a goddess in the light.
Emperor Shengwu couldn’t help but admire: “You are really beautiful.”
Yun Mengqing dressed up so carefully with the intention of seducing people. Having presented herself simply in front of him all day, she was now very pleased with his reaction.
The black and gold clothes that Emperor Shengwu wore after leaving the court today showed his imperial majesty. His regular attire was mostly dark-coloured, solemn, and dignified.
Yun Mengqing asked softly, “Your Majesty, may I take a look at your wardrobe?”
Not knowing what she was thinking, Emperor Shengwu agreed readily, holding her hand and walking towards the closet, Liang An followed closely behind.
After entering the closet, Yun Mengqing’s eyes slowly swept over the gorgeous clothes, and finally stopped on a plain dragon-patterned robe in the corner.
Although this dress was placed in the corner, it was carefully arranged and cleaned every day, and it was still as bright as new.
She pointed at the robe with her finger, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, and said sweetly, “Your Majesty, I really like this plain dragon-patterned robe. Would you change into it?”
Liang An, who was standing by, was secretly shocked. This Yun Meiren was really extraordinary. She dared to ask His Majesty to change his clothes, and it was a plain coloured robe that His Majesty wasn’t fond of.
However, Emperor Shengwu was not entirely unapproachable. He was quite happy to play some little tricks with his woman, especially when the other party was a stunning beauty that he could not resist.
It was undeniable that he had been captivated by her at first sight.
Emperor Shengwu said, “Then Qingqing, please change it for me yourself.”
Liang An had originally lowered his head. Hearing this, he could not help but look up at the emperor’s face, and was surprised that the emperor was so easy to talk to now?
Before he could lower his head, he was glared at by the emperor, and he quickly lowered his head again.
Nothing happened, nothing happened…
After Emperor Shengwu agreed, Yun Mengqing smiled as brightly as a spring flower and replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
She untied his belt, took off the heavy outer robe, and then changed into the plain dragon robe she personally selected.
Her movements of changing clothes were a little clumsy, but she handled each piece of clothing seriously and carefully. Emperor Shengwu looked down at her and could clearly see her thick trembling eyelashes.
Under the light, the shadow of the eyelashes fell on her fair face.
His fingers involuntarily brushed against her curled lashes, and sure enough, the woman looked up, with a sad look in her eyes, said aggrievedly: “Your Majesty, your belt is not easy to tie and you are disturbing me.”
He smiled and said nothing.
Once she finished dressing him, a look of satisfaction and admiration flashed in Yun Mengqing’s eyes.
“Your Majesty has the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix. When you wear the plain dragon robe, you are refined and handsome, like a jade tree standing in the wind.” [1]
[1] “玉树临风” (yù shù lín fēng) – Translated as “like a jade tree in the wind,” this idiom describes someone as graceful and elegant.
It was also the first time that Emperor Shengwu put on the clothes chosen by a woman for him. Liang An took care of the usual dragon robes. He would wear whatever one he got and didn’t care what he wore.
At this moment, being praised so directly by her made him feel particularly happy.
“Let’s go and enjoy the moon.”
Holding the woman’s hand, he walked out of the palace and headed to the Imperial Garden. The scenic spot from Qianqing Palace was the Imperial Garden.
A crescent moon hung in the night sky, and the silver light illuminated the beautiful scenery of the Imperial Garden. The two of them, wearing the same plain clothes, strolled under the moon, like a couple.
The palace attendants followed behind them, and the ones closest to them were Liang An and Qingyuan.
She enjoyed the tranquillity and beauty at this moment, with a constant smile on her face. Under the illumination of the moonlight and palace lanterns, the Imperial Garden at night revealed the beautiful scenery in the garden, with hundreds of flowers blooming, it was so beautiful.
Yun Mengqing blinked her autumn-water-like eyes and asked curiously: “Your Majesty, the beauty of this imperial garden is really intoxicating. The flowers are blooming and beautiful. I wonder if your Majesty has any flowers that you particularly like?”
Emperor Shengwu withdrew his gaze from the flowers in the distance. His expression was indifferent and didn’t reveal much emotion.
He replied softly: “I have no special preference for flowers. Although flowers are beautiful, they always wither. Qingqing, do you have any flowers you like?”
The corners of her mouth raised slightly, and a clear voice sounded: “Of course.”
Then she smiled slyly and asked: “Your Majesty, guess what kind of flower I like. Look at this flower bed. There are about seven or eight kinds of flowers planted in it. They are all blooming well now. One of them is my favourite kind.”
Emperor Shengwu raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of interest flashing in his eyes. With a faint, playful smile, he said, “If I’m to guess, there should be some prizes. What happens if I guess correctly, and what if I guess wrong?”
“Your Majesty…” Yun Mengqing said coquettishly, with a blush on her face, “I don’t have any prizes to show off.”
“Then you’ll owe you.” There was a hint of ridicule in Emperor Shengwu’s tone.
“Hmph, Your Majesty may not be able to guess right. There are hyacinths, carnations, lilies, violets, roses, peonies, tulips in this flower bed… Can Your Majesty guess which one I like?” There was a hint of arrogance in her eyes.
Emperor Shengwu’s eyes lingered on her, and a barely noticeable arc appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if he really knew what flowers she liked, but how could it be possible?
Then his voice was filled with a hint of certainty: “Rose, did I guess right?”
Yun Mengqing’s eyes widened, her face full of surprise, and her voice was full of doubts: “How did your majesty know that I like roses?”
Emperor Shengwu secretly laughed in his heart, and his eyes became more profound as he looked at Yun Mengqing, as if he could see through her mind.
He said softly: “Along the way, as long as there were roses in the flower bed, whether red, pink or white, Qingqing will unconsciously look at them a few more times.”
Yun Mengqing didn’t expect him to be so thoughtful, and her heart skipped a beat. She was shy and scratched his palm with her fingers.
Her voice softened as she said, “I love roses, especially red roses.”
To Emperor Shengwu’s ears, he had long grown accustomed to hearing people praise chrysanthemums, peonies, and other flowers. Even the literati and scholars often used these flowers as metaphors for people’s characters.
However, she was the first person to confess her love for roses in front of him.
“Why?” Emperor Shengwu asked with interest, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
“Delicate, dazzling, fragrant, isn’t it enough for me to like it?”
Yun Mengqing let go of his hand, stepped forward a few steps and bent down to pick a red rose.
Qingyuan watched from the side, her heart tightened, and she hurriedly said: “My lady, be careful of roses with thorns, let me pick them for you.”
Yun Mengqing said calmly: “It’s okay”, then carefully picked the rose with thorns.
Roses are really beautiful.
She gently brought the rose to her nose, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and her eyes gently closed.
Under the moonlight, her curled eyelashes cast a faint shadow on her face, like a beautiful painting.
She took a deep breath, and her nose was filled with the sweet fragrance of roses.
Emperor Shengwu was bewitched by the beauty smelling flowers under the moonlight. She was a fairy just now, but now she was a seductive fairy holding a rose.
Yun Mengqing, immersed in her own world, relaxed her nerves and suddenly remembered that there was an emperor beside her.
She held the rose behind her back, raised her pretty face, and said to him proudly: “There is another reason why I like roses. Red roses represent the most passionate love.”
When she said this, her eyes were shining. The moment she looked at him, the overflowing admiration made Emperor Shengwu almost unable to resist.
Her eyes were pure, clear, charming and affectionate.
Emperor Shengwu said in a deep voice, “Since you love roses, let’s have a patch planted in Lingxi Palace. Liang An, you give the order.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said with her legs slightly bent.
She then turned to Qingyuan and instructed, “Since the flowers in the Imperial Garden are all in full bloom today, make a flower crown. It will be a fitting way to remember today’s moonlight and flower viewing with His Majesty.”
Then, she looked at Emperor Shengwu with a sweet smile, with a hint of expectation in her eyes, and asked tenderly: “Your Majesty, do you mind if I pick the budding flowers in your imperial garden?”
The Emperor Shengwu raised his lips slightly, his eyes full of pampering, and responded softly: “Flowers should be valuable when paired with beauties. It is worth their blooming to be loved by you.”
Hearing his words, Yun Mengqing was very pleased, and she laughed softly, her voice melodious and charming. The beauty was like a fairy, surrounded by clusters of flowers under the moonlight. It was like a poem and a painting, capturing the essence of wind, flowers, snow, and moon [2]. It was nothing more than this.
[2] “风花雪月” (fēng huā xuě yuè) – This idiom refers to romantic and picturesque scenes, often used to describe the beauty of nature and romance.
“Your Majesty, I hope you don’t think I am cruel to destroy the flowers.” There was a hint of coquettishness in her tone.
“Just some flowers; they cannot compare to a single smile from you,” The voice of Emperor Shengwu was low and gentle. [3]
[3] The idiom 一笑倾城 (yī xiào qīng chéng) translates to “a smile that can topple a city”.
This phrase means that someone’s smile is so enchanting and captivating that it could cause a city to fall in admiration or awe.
She took his hand again, and they continued walking. Qingyuan had instructed several palace maids to gather flowers and make the crown.
After about a quarter of an hour, Qingyuan finally finished the flower crown. She gently said, “My lady, the flower crown is ready.”
Yun Qingmeng’s gaze was captivated by the flower crown, her eyes full of affection.
The flowers on the crown were delicate and beautiful, colourful like fairy flowers, and their staggered arrangement made them more lively.
She couldn’t hide her excitement and said, “Your Majesty, this crown is so beautiful, can you please put it on me?”
Emperor Shengwu signalled to Qingyuan, who respectfully handed the flower crown to him. He took the crown and gently placed it on Yun Mengqing’s head.
Yun Mengqing’s dress tonight had been planned, so there were no other extra decorations on her head.
The voluminous and undecorated hair complemented the flower crown, creating a beautiful balance.
The flowers on the crown seemed to bloom among her dark, glossy hair, and under the moonlight, they looked like scattered stars. Her snowy skin, contrasted by the flower crown, appeared even more crystal clear.
Yun Mengqing smiled and asked softly, “Your Majesty, am I beautiful?”
“Extremely beautiful.” Emperor Shengwu answered without hesitation. His eyes always stayed on her and he never hesitated to praise her beauty.
For the first time, he felt her beauty was like a dream, something even he, as an emperor, couldn’t grasp.
This inexplicable feeling made his eyes suddenly darken.
Emperor Shengwu couldn’t help but hug her tightly in his arms. “Ah,” Yun Mengqing exclaimed softly, not understanding why the Emperor was like this, but she still nestled in his arms obediently.
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