Su Tuan’er looked up at the palace before her. On the plaque above the door, bold and flowing calligraphy spelled out three large characters: “Chang’an Dian.”
Gazing at the imposing entrance, she knew that once she stepped through those doors, she might never come out again…
“Milady, let’s go inside.” Cuicui supported Su Tuan’er as they walked in.
The moment Su Tuan’er set foot in the courtyard, she heard a chorus of voices: “We pay our respects to Lady Guifei!”
Looking up, she saw several palace attendants kneeling in the courtyard, all with their heads bowed, appearing extremely reverent.
“Milady, they were all sent by the Emperor to serve you, weren’t they?” Cuicui whispered happily into Su Tuan’er’s ear. “The Emperor treats you so well.”
Su Tuan’er let out a sigh. Well indeed—so well that he wanted her life.
She instructed Cuicui to distribute some silver coins as tips to each of them, then made her way to the main hall.
Walking along the path paved with bluestone slabs, she felt that Chang’an Dian had a unique charm of its own.
The courtyard was not decorated with elaborate ornaments, but instead was filled with camellia flowers. Their snow-white petals dazzled the eyes, and the air was filled with a delicate, elegant fragrance that was refreshing to the spirit.
Camellias were her favorite flower. She had planted quite a few in the courtyard of Jiangjun Fu.
Unfortunately, before they could bloom, she had entered the palace. She never expected to find them here as well.
This palace was very large. From the front courtyard to the main hall, one had to pass through a very long corridor. After walking for a while, Su Tuan’er grew tired, stopping and starting until she finally reached the main hall.
The arrangement inside the hall was nearly identical to what she had at Jiangjun Fu—the placement and style of the vanity table and bed, even the color of the curtains were the same.
For a moment, she felt as though she had returned to her own boudoir.
Were these arrangements deliberately made for her, or was it just a coincidence?
It must be a coincidence. She had no acquaintances in the palace; no one would go to such lengths specifically for her.
Su Tuan’er collapsed onto the bed, spreading out in a starfish shape. She reached out to touch the brocade quilt—it felt soft and silky, carrying a pleasant fragrance.
Everything seemed so beautiful on the surface, but she knew that all of this was fake. That bastard Gu Yanbei definitely had some other scheme in mind.
Cuicui bustled about, sorting and storing away all the things they had brought.
Outside the window, the night grew deeper, and lamps were lit one by one throughout the courtyards of Chang’an Dian.
“Milady, wake up! The Emperor will be arriving soon. We need to prepare quickly.”
Just as Su Tuan’er was sleeping soundly, she was pulled up from the soft couch by Cuicui.
“Cuicui, if he’s coming, let him come. What do we need to prepare?”
She blinked with drowsy eyes, listless. What could possibly be more important than sleep?
“Why, a bath and fragrance, of course!” Cuicui said cheerfully. “Milady will be attending the Emperor tonight, so of course we need to prepare properly to welcome His Majesty!”
Without giving Su Tuan’er a chance to argue, Cuicui dragged her to the side chamber for a bath.
The last traces of sleepiness instantly vanished from Su Tuan’er.
Everyone knew that Gu Yanbei had no interest in women. The women in the harem were all left to live like widows. If he was coming tonight, he was definitely coming to cause trouble.
How should she deal with this?
Before she knew it, they had arrived at the side chamber. Cuicui pushed open the door and helped Su Tuan’er inside.
The moment the door opened, a wave of warm air rushed toward her, mingled with the pleasant fragrance of camellia. The swirling steam made everything in the bath chamber seem somewhat unreal.
Su Tuan’er was not accustomed to having someone watch her bathe. She dismissed Cuicui, then removed her garments and submerged her entire body into the bathtub covered with rose petals.
The warm steam enveloped every inch of her skin, bringing a sense of comfort and ease. Leaning against the edge of the bath barrel, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let her body relax.