Yun Mengqing gazed at the receding figure of Emperor Shengwu, a strange feeling welling up in her heart.
She suddenly felt the reality of having come to another world, and even the sense of competing with a group of women in the harem for the favour of a man.
The emperor arrives, they welcome him; the emperor departs, they see him off; the emperor favours another, she must be understanding; the emperor punishes, she must be grateful.
To think that she, Yun Mengqing, would have such a day—how pathetic.
But she was not someone who wallowed in self-pity. If she couldn’t change her environment, she would change herself.
Whether in the modern era or in ancient times, she was always competitive, and naturally, she would be the same in the harem. She would win the emperor’s favour and captivate his heart. She, Yun Mengqing, would have both the love and favour of Emperor Shengwu!
“Miss, our luck is really incredible! We actually encountered His Majesty. Your beauty has indeed captivated His Majesty. After serving him tonight, you will finally be able to hold your head high,” Qingyuan said excitedly, even more thrilled than Yun Mengqing herself.
“Qing Yuan, from today on, we have truly entered the harem. If we make a mistake in the future, we will be doomed forever. We must be careful in what we say and do, do you understand?” Yun Mengqing solemnly instructed.
“Yes, Miss. Qing Yuan understands, and will always protect you in the future.” Qing Yuan replied solemnly.
“The rules of the palace are strict. In order to avoid being criticised, don’t call me Miss anymore. Call me Master.” Yun Mengqing continued.
“Yes, M… Master, Qingyuan understands,” Qingyuan, though lively, was steady in her actions. Since her master fell into the water, she had matured greatly and naturally understood the dangers of the harem.
“Hmm, I know you are steady; it’s only in front of me that you act a bit more lively. I also believe that in the future, Qingyuan will protect me flawlessly.”
“Master~” Qing Yuan’s eyes flashed with a firm light, and she secretly vowed that she would never let the master down.
“Alright, let me rest for a while. Wake me at You hour (5:00-7:00 PM).”
She was a little tired after tangling with the emperor, not to mention that there was a tough battle to fight at night, so she had to rest well.
When she woke up, the golden crows were setting in the west [1] and dusk was shrouded.
[1] In ancient Chinese mythology, the term “Golden Crow” (金乌, Jīn Wū) refers to the sun. The concept comes from Chinese legends in which the sun is personified as a golden crow that rides through the sky. According to these myths, there were originally ten suns, each represented by a three-legged golden crow. These crows would take turns bringing daylight to the world by flying across the sky, one at a time.
The most famous story involving the golden crows is the myth of Hou Yi, a legendary archer. In this story, all ten crows decided to rise simultaneously, causing the Earth to burn. To save the world, Hou Yi shot down nine of the crows, leaving only one, which then became the sun as we know it.
So in the context of the translated text, when it says “the golden crow had set in the west,” it poetically means that the sun had set, marking the end of the day.
The two old palace maids responsible for assisting with the emperor’s bedtime preparations had also arrived at the Luohua Pavilion.
She stepped into the bathroom, took off her clothes and sank into the bathtub.
The palace maids were astounded by her breathtaking figure. They had served the concubines of two emperors in the palace, yet not a single one could compare to Yun Changzai before them.
With a slender waist, full hips, long legs, a bulging chest, and slender limbs—any ordinary woman with just one of these traits would be considered a beauty, but Yun Changzai had them all!
The emperor prefers plump beauties., with Lin Guifei being the most outstanding among them. However, a woman with a large chest typically wouldn’t have a very slim waist. Yet, Yun Changzai’s waist was slender, and her chest full—it seemed she was truly blessed.
The two maids dared not neglect their duties and attended to her bath and dressing with extra care.
“Yun Changzai, here we have osmanthus oil, rose oil, and orchid oil. Which scent would you prefer?” one of the maids, Lin mama, asked, pointing to a tray held by a young palace maid.
“Mama, I do not like scented oils, so I won’t use any.”
She has her own body fragrance. If you get close to her, you can smell a faint fragrance with sweetness. She doesn’t know what kind of fragrance Emperor Shengwu likes, but she likes the body fragrance on her body.
The two maids didn’t say much more. After Yun Mengqing was dressed in her sleeping attire, they began to dry her hair and apply makeup. At her request, they didn’t use powder and only applied a light blush to her cheeks.
Once everything was ready, the Phoenix sedan of Spring Grace [2] arrived. She boarded the sedan and headed to the side hall of Qianqing Palace.
[2] The term “凤鸾春恩轿” (Fèngluán Chūn’ēn Jiào) can be translated as the “Phoenix Sedan of Spring Grace” or “Phoenix Sedan of Imperial Favour.”
So, “凤鸾春恩轿” refers to a luxurious and ornate sedan chair symbolising the emperor’s favour, specifically designed for transporting favoured concubines or high-ranking women in the palace. The use of “phoenix” and “spring grace” shows the honour and special status granted to the woman being carried in it, likely as she is about to spend the night with the emperor.
Tonight, An Meiren was feeling quite distressed. She never would have imagined that the woman she had pushed into the water two months ago, nearly killing her, would actually get the chance to serve the emperor! Such a young girl with a bewitching face like that was only capable of seducing the emperor!
At this time, Yun Mengqing didn’t care what others thought, she just wanted to spend the night well, after all, it was her first time.
She didn’t care whether it was a man’s first time or his hundredth. In modern times, it wasn’t an issue, let alone for an ancient emperor. Besides, having experience might make things easier for her.
Wearing a light gauze dress, sitting on the dragon bed, her hands were placed on her knees, her eyes were empty and she began to be dazed. She didn’t know what she was thinking, but being dazed could relax her. She didn’t know when Emperor Shengwu would come.
The woman was draped in a thin veil, her figure fully revealed. Her body was graceful and delicate, her skin as smooth as cream and whiter than snow. With full breasts and a slender waist, her partially exposed long legs were perfectly proportioned.
There wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t beautiful.
He stepped forward and, seeing that she was still lost in thought, couldn’t help but ask, “What is my beloved consort thinking about? I entered, and you didn’t even notice.”
Yun Mengqing was startled by the sound of Emperor Shengwu’s voice. Reflexively, she squatted down to greet him, “This concubine greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty have everlasting health and peace.”
“Mm, rise,” Emperor Shengwu said as he walked up and took her hand in his.
He sat on the edge of the bed, while Yun Mengqing stood before him.
The distance between them was very close, and Emperor Shengwu’s gaze unabashedly roamed over the girl’s body.
Her slender waist was captivating, and as his gaze travelled upward, he saw the ample curves beneath the sheer fabric, her snow-white skin faintly visible. His eyes darkened, and he immediately gripped her slender waist with one hand.
Though it looked so thin, it was all soft flesh.
Yun Mengqing felt ticklish and a little pained by his grip. How could he be so strong?
Her eyes glistened, her cheeks flushed, and she softly pleaded, “Your Majesty, please be gentle~”
Emperor Shengwu’s expression remained impassive, his gaze deep and his voice low as he said, “I haven’t done anything yet, and my beloved consort is already asking me to be gentle. How will you endure when I actually do something?”
Yun Mengqing hadn’t expected the usually serious Emperor Shengwu to say such a thing, and she bashfully lowered her head, a blush quickly spreading across her face.
Seeing the beauty before him, so alluring and irresistible, Emperor Shengwu, who rarely showed any urgency, found himself unusually eager.
He tightened his grip, pulling the delicate beauty directly into his arms.
Startled, she let out a soft cry, “Ah,” as it was the first time she had been held so closely by a man.
The thin veil she wore was of no use; her body could directly feel the warmth radiating from his body and the roughness of his large hands, sending shivers through her.
Yun Mengqing’s face turned bright red, and she lightly tapped the man’s chest with her small hand. Oh, his muscles were so hard.
She playfully complained, “Your Majesty is so hard; my hand hurts.”
Emperor Shengwu’s eyes darkened, her light tap on his chest felt like a lazy cat softly scratching.
He chuckled, “How clever, to complain first. It was clearly you who hit me, yet you say your hand hurts.”
Yun Mengqing retorted, “It’s because Your Majesty is so strong and powerful.” He had been to the battlefield, practising martial arts since childhood, and his body was all muscle. Sitting on his lap felt almost uncomfortable.
With a beautiful woman in his arms, the lust in the eyes of the Emperor Shengwu was like a dark cloud pressing down on the city. Yun Mengqing didn’t dare to look directly into his eyes.
His heavy breaths echoed in her ears, and the warmth of his breath made her cheeks flush even more. The man even whispered things that were too shameful to repeat, leaving her so embarrassed that she had no choice but to bury her face in his chest.
I didn’t expect the emperor to be so reckless!
But she wasn’t one to be easily overpowered!
Then Yun Mengqing boldly spread her legs and straddled the man, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her already thin clothing made them press even closer together with this movement.
She looked at him with innocent, cat-like eyes, her eyelashes fluttering, her gaze clear yet intense, like a pool of spring water, and twisted her body again.
She said coquettishly: “Your Majesty, this concubine doesn’t understand what you’re saying.”
Emperor Shengwu was tempted by the woman’s actions. At this time, she was innocent and wild, ignorant and charming. He said in a low voice: “My beloved concubine will understand immediately.”
He was more lustful, and with such beauty in front of him, why should he be patient!
He ripped away the thin veil that was her only covering and flipped her onto the bed, leaning down to kiss her.
But he didn’t expect that her slender jade fingers would directly touch his lips.
Before he could react, Yun Mengqing put her lips close to his ear and asked, “Your Majesty, can you call me Qingqing?”
Emperor Shengwu’s gaze deepened, finding her every move filled with alluring charm. Her face was pure and beautiful, but her body was curvaceous and enchanting, and her voice was sweet and seductive. Every smile and frown was utterly captivating.
He said in a slightly hoarse voice, “Qingqing is so seductive, you must bear my love.”
After that, he continued the unfinished kiss. The man aggressively occupied all the woman’s territory, and even took the woman to his territory from time to time.
Yun Mengqing was overwhelmed by the heat of his kisses, her body growing weak and her scalp tingling. She could only rest her hands powerlessly on his shoulders.
After the man finally found satisfaction, he began to ravage her like a wolf. She couldn’t escape or hide, and the fragile girl shed crystal tears hoping that the man would be gentler, but the man’s raviging was more brave and ruthless.
She could only cry softly until the storm passed.
The palace stipulated that the time for concubines to sleep in the Qianqing Palace was Xushi (19:00-21:00), which was about an hour. If they went to the concubines’ palace, there was generally no time limit.
The Emperor Shengwu was teased in Luohua Pavilion today and arrived at the bedroom before Xushi.
Then he flirted with her, and this enchantress tasted really good. When the first round ended, Xushi had already passed.
Yun Mengqing still had tears in her eyes. If she stayed any longer, she would violate the palace rules!
Then she called out “Your Majesty” twice.
Pouting, she said, “This concubine should return now.”
She didn’t expect him to be so vigorous. The time for serving the emperor in bed has passed! Tomorrow at Chenshi (7:00-9:00), she still has to pay respects to the empress.
Although Emperor Shengwu was not fully satisfied after just one round, he knew that the time had come. Lying on the bed with pursed lips, he felt a surge of irritation and said flatly, “Alright, put on your clothes.”
Yun Mengqing reached for the clothes that had been prepared earlier. Sitting at the edge of the bed, with her back to Emperor Shengwu, she began to dress, feeling the burning gaze behind her as if it could burn through her.
Trying her best to ignore the burning look from behind, she put on each piece of clothing. Having just finished such an exhausting act, her whole body was weak, and she didn’t have the energy to dress.
But she didn’t want the maid to come in and see her like this, so she had to put on her clothes one by one, first the bellyband, the underpants, then the skirt, and then the outer shirt, all of which were prepared before the emperor went to bed.
Emperor Shengwu watched step by step as her graceful, smooth back, so beautifully white, was gradually covered by her clothes.
Once Yun Mengqing was dressed, she placed her toes on the ground and slowly rose, but before she could stand upright, her legs gave way, and she fell straight down.
Emperor Shengwu, lying on the bed, was startled and quickly got up. He saw her eyes wide open, her red lips slightly parted, with an expression of disbelief, which amused him.
Yun Mengqing, sitting on the floor, heard his laughter and turned her head to glare at him. Annoyed, she said, “Your Majesty is still laughing!” Then, lowering her head and pouting, she muttered more softly, “My legs are so weak, it’s infuriating!”
Emperor Shengwu, who had trained in martial arts since childhood, heard her, even though she spoke quietly.
With no other choice, he got out of bed and lifted the small woman off the floor in a horizontal embrace.
He called out to the outer room, “Liang An, prepare water. Yun Changzai will stay in Qianqing Palace tonight.”
Yun Mengqing, surprised and anxious, said, “Your Majesty, this is against the rules. A concubine’s first time attending to the emperor should not involve an overnight stay, and I still need to pay my respects to the Empress tomorrow.”
She was somewhat resistant; if she stayed in Qianqing Palace, she feared that the other concubines would be furious with her the next day.
“It’s fine. The Empress is broad-minded and won’t care about such trivial matters,” Emperor Shengwu said indifferently.
Yun Mengqing frowned, not wanting to dampen the man’s enthusiasm on their first encounter.
She was carried by Emperor Shengwu to the bathroom, which featured a man-made bath. The only place in the entire palace with such a facility was Qianqing Palace. If a concubine wanted to bathe, she would need the emperor’s permission to go to the Tangquan Palace. [3]
[3] Qianqing Palace is the emperor’s main residence with a private, exclusive bathing facility. Tangquan Palace, another bathing area within the palace complex, is for general use by other concubines and palace members. While Qianqing Palace has its own special bath, In historical Chinese palaces, there were often specific areas designated for bathing; Tangquan Palace serves as a designated bathing area for those without access to the emperor’s private facilities. The need for permission to use Tangquan Palace is just the hierarchical nature of the palace, where high-ranking individuals such as the Emperor or favoured concubines will enjoy more luxurious or private amenities.
At this time, the bathtub had already been prepared with water. The water was prepared long before the concubines served the emperor and was always warmed by the palace servants.
After setting her down, Emperor Shengwu removed his open clothing, entered the bath before her, and sat down domineeringly. He spread his hands on the edge of the bath and fixed his gaze directly on her.
For the first time, she clearly saw the man’s entire body: strong and well-defined, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, exuding power.
He was stunning! This man was so amazing! His face was amazing, and his body was amazing.
“Why are you just standing there? Come down!”
She was a little shy. Being stared at by the man with undisguised, wolf-like eyes, even though she was a modern person, she couldn’t stand it.
Suddenly, she remembered a mermaid advertisement she had filmed before. The beautiful woman in human form took off her gorgeous clothes one by one, walked slowly towards the blue sea, and finally jumped into the sea with her white jade-like body naked.
Yun Mengqing gave a mischievous smile, her flushed lips shimmering enticingly. Her feet were white and tender and looked like polished jade as she walked gracefully around the edge of the bath.
As she walked, she removed the clothes she had just put on, letting them fall messily around the bathing pool.
Her skin, glowing like white jade, was slowly revealed,, but some red marks and bruises destroyed the beauty, but increased the charm.
Her every move was extremely charming, but her eyes were shy, innocent and pure, yet extremely charming and seductive.
Emperor Shengwu could hardly hold on to his composure and wanted her to come over faster, but it seemed that he couldn’t see enough.
When Yun Mengqing reached behind Emperor Shengwu, only a small garment remained. She knelt and sat down, placing her hands on his shoulders, gently massaging them, and softly asked, “Your Majesty, is this comfortable?”
The man’s eyes were like the deep sea, boundless and black, and the desire in his heart could not be suppressed at this moment.
It was comfortable, but he wanted more.
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