Qian Shangqin, waiting in front of the Cheng’en Hall, watched the approaching carriage and stepped forward, saying, “Precious Grove Luo, please proceed to bathe first. The matrons will come later to dress you up.”
For concubines below the rank of Beauty who were summoned to serve the night, they were all brought to Cheng’en Hall by carriage. They would first bathe in the bathhouse, then be dressed and prepared by the dressing matrons. Only after everything was ready could they enter the inner hall.
The carriage curtain slowly lifted, revealing a woman dressed in a green skirt adorned with auspicious clouds, her hair styled in a snail-shaped bun. With bright eyes and gleaming teeth, she was delicate and captivating.
As Qian Shangqin watched her step down, graceful and elegant, she had seen many concubines in the palace, but she was still stunned by her beauty.
Luo Shuran walked up to her, smiling politely, “Thank you for your trouble, Qian Shangqin.” In terms of official rank alone, Qian Shangqin was higher than her, so the necessary courtesy was unavoidable.
Seeing her humble demeanor, Qian Shangqin felt a bit more favorable toward her, a faint smile appearing on her face. “You’re too polite, Precious Grove. Please follow this official inside!”
The bathing time was to be controlled within half an hour. After bathing, Luo Shuran emerged, and the matrons waiting outside immediately began dressing her up.
Their techniques were skilled—in just a few strokes, they had her hair styled into a high bun, secured with only a single wooden hairpin.
The matrons applied powder, drew delicate eyebrows, and painted the most popular floral adornment in the capital.
Once everything was prepared, the matrons quietly withdrew.
Luo Shuran walked alone into the inner hall. Passing through the screen, she saw the Emperor sitting on a small couch, sipping tea. At this moment, he was dressed in a purple dragon robe, his expression not as imposing as usual, instead carrying the refined elegance of a nobleman’s son.
She lowered her eyes and performed a proper curtsy, her voice carrying a slight hoarseness from the bath.
Qi Jingheng looked at her and beckoned, “Come here.”
Hearing this, Luo Shuran obediently walked over. Under the candlelight, her dewy face was illuminated. She usually wore no makeup, but today’s heavier makeup gave her a unique kind of beauty.
Especially those willow-leaf-like eyes, seemingly wanting to speak but holding back. Qi Jingheng’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, but he still asked, “Why did you think of dancing today?”
Hearing the Emperor mention this, her eyes instantly reddened, and she struggled to hold back tears. “Does Your Majesty dislike your servant?”
Qi Jingheng looked at her aggrieved expression, his heart stirred. He pinched her chin, making her look up at him. “No.”
If he disliked her, why would he have summoned her?
Luo Shuran pouted, her eyes blinking as tears slid down her cheeks onto his palm. “Sister asked your servant to perform the dance just for you to see.”
Qi Jingheng didn’t speak. He had long known about this matter. It was just that hearing it from her lips didn’t feel like scheming but rather straightforward and endearing.
“You don’t like doing that?”
Upon hearing this, Luo Shuran shook her head firmly. “No, your servant doesn’t like having to do such things to win Your Majesty’s favor, nor does she want Your Majesty to dislike her.”
As she spoke, she slowly leaned closer to him. Those moist eyes were filled with light, and Qi Jingheng could almost see his own reflection in them.
Luo Shuran cupped Qi Jingheng’s face with both hands, her lips clumsily kissing his cheek.
The innocence of a young girl, her movements clumsy and slow, yet uncontrollably stirring the desires within him.
Qi Jingheng never hid his desires. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and gently pulled, causing her soft body to fall entirely into his embrace, her fragrance lingering around him.
He removed the wooden hairpin from her hair, letting her long black tresses cascade down. Her light garment slipped off, revealing a scene of breathtaking allure. Qi Jingheng leaned over to look at her. “Undress me.”
Luo Shuran’s cheeks flushed pink as she forced herself to remain calm and rose. The view was fully exposed as her fingertips loosened his garments. Their eyes met, wordless yet maddening.
His hand grasped her waist, the roughness of his thumb and forefinger sending shivers upward as he lifted her slender form.
The gauzy curtains swayed and fluttered, rising and falling in rhythm.
The soft murmurs escaping her lips were an intoxicating poison.
……….
The eunuch on night duty was usually numb to such sounds, but tonight’s battle was exceptionally fierce, and he couldn’t help but blush.
After enduring two hours, he finally urged the Emperor to rest.
Shortly after, the sounds inside ceased, followed by the Emperor’s call for water.
The maids waiting outside hurried in to attend to them.
As Qi Jingheng rose, he glanced at the figure on the bed. Seeing her exhausted and unable to speak, he chuckled silently. “Fetch her a cup of tea.”
Luo Shuran, propping up her weak body, took the cup from the maid. A sip of the tea moistened her throat with its refreshing sweetness, making her feel like a fish finding life again.
After the maids cleaned her, washing away the sweat and sticky makeup, Luo Shuran finally felt she could breathe freely and was much more comfortable.
As for such matters, she hadn’t felt this exhausted before.
At first, it was painful. Later, the Emperor seemed to realize and gentler, but it lasted longer, leaving her legs trembling now.
Once everything was settled, Luo Shuran prepared to leave. Someone of her rank was not permitted to stay overnight.
As she stepped out, she encountered Chen An emerging from inside. They exchanged polite greetings.
“This old servant will arrange a sedan chair for you. Please return and rest!”
Luo Shuran nodded. “Thank you for arranging it, Eunuch Chen.”
Chen An smiled faintly and waved his hand, watching as the maids helped Luo Shuran onto the sedan chair before slowly withdrawing his gaze.
Earlier, while attending to the Emperor during his bath, he had rarely seen the Emperor look so satisfied.
As Chen An walked back, he had a vague feeling that a new favored consort might soon emerge in the palace.
Returning to Xianyun Pavilion, Luo Shuran fought through her exhaustion to retrieve several herbs of incense from the bottom of a chest. She crushed them together to make incense and lit it.
Watching the white smoke curl upward, she sighed in relief. This was contraceptive incense, taught to her by her mother.
In her past life, she had believed that having a child could secure her position and reassure the Luo family. But now, it seemed better to wait until she had sufficient capability.
After finishing this, Luo Shuran practically collapsed into sleep.
She slept until the next day when Xi Chun woke her. Luo Shuran, still weary, turned over in bed and immediately felt a soreness in her thighs, along with a burning pain where her undergarments rubbed against her skin.
The pain jolted her fully awake. It turned out that the lack of sensation on the way back yesterday wasn’t due to adaptation but numbness.
Struggling to rise, she remembered that after her first night of service, she was to pay respects to the Empress at Kunning Palace.
This matter could not be delayed.
After washing up, Luo Shuran chose a light orange pleated skirt to match the pearl hairpins on either side of her head.
Once dressed, she made her way to Kunning Palace. Along the way, she encountered many consorts. Those of equal rank maintained a polite and harmonious demeanor, while those of higher rank generally ignored her, sometimes even casting disdainful glances her way.
As they neared Kunning Palace, more consorts came into view. Walking to one side were Rong Jieyu and Song Jieyu. These two were like fire and water, incompatible in every way. Competing for favor was one thing, but even when paying respects, they had to outdo each other, each trying to outshine the other.
In terms of looks alone, Rong Jieyu was more striking, but Song Jieyu was tall and slender, with an overall figure and presence that stood out more.
These two, who usually bickered over everything, were unexpectedly united today. They both sized up Luo Shuran, after all, she had just served the Emperor the night before.
Luo Shuran performed a proper curtsy. These two were troublemakers who had given her no shortage of trouble in her past life.
“She does have some looks,” Rong Jieyu remarked teasingly, though her eyes couldn’t hide her envy.
If she had such fine features, what chance would anyone else have?
“A seductress,” Song Jieyu said bluntly, hurling the insult directly. In her eyes, Luo Shuran was nothing more than a tool sent in to secure the Emperor’s favor.
Whether she gained favor or not was another matter—just looking at that face was enough to drive one mad with jealousy.
Luo Shuran looked at them, smiling instead of getting angry. “Oh? Does Jieyu share a special bond with the Emperor? Could it be that you heard the Emperor call this humble consort that?”
She spoke slowly, her tone gentle, yet her words were infuriating.
If the Emperor had called her that, it could only have been in the intimacy of the bedchamber.