Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 114: One Night of Grace, Suddenly on the Branch
As the largest single building in the harem, the main hall of the Qianqing Palace has two floors.

The center of the first floor is the main room, where the emperor's throne and screen are the most conspicuous furnishings.

On the left and right sides are two warm rooms, which are mainly used for daily living and summoning foreign officials.

The back half has two floors, four on the upper floor and five on the lower floor, all of which are bedrooms. In addition to a couch, each bedroom also has two sitting couches.

There were so many bedrooms because the emperor could sleep in any random place to prevent any unexpected events.

But even so, Daojun could not escape the Renyin Palace Incident - the palace maids around him all wanted to kill him, so how could he defend himself?
There are some places for going to the toilet in between, which are called "official rooms".

There is also a place for bathing, and Zhu Changluo is here now.

It is now the 16th day of the first lunar month and the temperature is still low.

If Zhu Changluo wanted to take a bath every day, someone would naturally prepare it for him, but he had not been so exaggerated before. Soaking his feet was fine and he could just take a bath every three to five days.

Washing your face every day is easy to say, but brushing your teeth is more interesting.

Toothbrushes have actually existed for a long time, but they were not very useful in the past, and they were mainly made of horsetail. Emperor Xiaozong Zhu Youtang had them replaced with harder pig bristles, and now they are gradually becoming popular among the nobles of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, the cold is still severe. We cannot stay here..."

"You're so annoying. I told you to leave but you kept staring at me."

Tian Yiyi righteously refused to leave and waited by the side.

It was simply because she noticed that the emperor was staring at the person who was washing his feet, the person who was soaking a hot handkerchief in the basin beside her, and the people who were holding teacups and other things beside her, so she was afraid that the emperor would suddenly lose his patience.

Zhu Changluo originally wanted to bring two people to do the real work directly. Since they were "professors" of the emperor, there were two lecturers during the daytime imperial lectures. What if one sister couldn't teach well?
But Tian Yi refused firmly and gave a long lecture on health preservation. He only asked one person to go wash up and get ready, and to warm the bed for the emperor.

The others were here, serving the emperor in his "bath" for the first time.

Zhu Changluo had done these things himself before, and he just felt it was more efficient.

Now that he has begun to degenerate, he might as well just relax and enjoy himself.

"There's no rush. It's just a matter of time."

Zhu Changluo made a joke with a smile, and the person who came over with a hot towel to wipe his face was the lamp operator in the Qianqing Palace, one of the two people who had been ordered by Zhu Changluo just now.

Seeing her pursed lips with a nervous expression and red cheeks, Zhu Changluo closed his eyes but still had a smile on his face.

The others lowered their eyes and dared not look, but their hearts were beating fast.

I thought the emperor didn't understand human affairs, but... he turned out to be a bad guy.

Everyone knows that although she is only a selected concubine now, she is the one who will sleep with the emperor when he first has sex.

If the emperor likes her, it is possible to be promoted directly to concubine or imperial concubine after the wedding.

If she becomes pregnant and gives birth to a prince, she can be made a concubine.

There are six palaces in the east and west and the Kunning Palace. When the emperor gets married, he only chooses one empress and two concubines, which is taken into consideration that there will be successors in the future.

After the emperor left under the leadership of Tian Yi and Qiu Chunmin, the seven of them gradually calmed down, but they could not help but feel worried.

"where?"

"Your Majesty, the person who was appointed as the second from the left is known only to Consort Qiu and me."

Zhu Changluo nodded.

Since he had given instructions on the safety of the palace before, it would be a measure to either let him decide personally or have the capable eunuchs and palace maids decide where to stay tonight.

After going up the stairs, I saw that the curtains outside each compartment along the long corridor had been drawn.

Tian Yi and Qiu Chunmin stopped and said, "I and Shang Gong Qiu will stay here."

"……Thanks for your hard work."

Naturally, they didn't have to do things like night watch, but this time it was different.

Zhu Changluo knew that they still had to listen for a sound and record the time and duration of his visit...

It feels weird.

Zhu Changluo walked forward to the second bedroom on the east side, then lifted the curtain and walked in.

There are two sitting couches on the left and right, and the couch in the front is a top-quality step-out bed. There is a corridor in front and a sleeping bed in the back.

At this moment, the curtains outside the corridor had naturally been lowered. After Zhu Changluo walked over and lifted them, he saw that the curtains separating the bed were also lowered.

The corridor is as wide as a single bed. If it is an ordinary noble family, there is often a maid sleeping here to serve the master.

I heard that this new bed was used after the reconstruction, because it has only become popular in recent decades. In the past, it was just a canopy bed, which is very similar to a sitting couch, but with more pillars around it for hanging curtains.

So Zhu Changluo had to lift up another layer of curtain before he could see the bulge in the quilt, which was shaking slightly.

He couldn't help but laugh: "Wouldn't it be suffocating to keep your head in there?"

A head without a headdress for half a day obediently appeared, with its eyes tightly closed.

"Qi Yuechan, I remember this is her name, right?"

Qi Yuechan nodded.

"You are the chief consort, and I'm afraid you are the one that my mother has placed the highest hopes on." Zhu Changluo joked, "You are teaching me with your eyes closed?"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I will help Your Majesty undress first..."

She finally opened her eyes, and hurriedly prepared to get up and carry out her mission, as if she didn't care that she was wearing underwear and her neck, arms and shoulders were exposed. "No need, the bed was finally warmed up."

Zhu Changluo put his hand on her shoulder. Qi Yuechan couldn't help but lower her head when he touched her skin, and slowly turned back into the quilt.

"I smell this body fragrance...it turns out you were the one who warmed the bed before?"

"...Yes. Your Majesty is diligent and works until late at night. I have not received... your favor and cannot flatter you in person..."

"It really shows that I don't know anything about romance."

After chatting with her for a few words, Zhu Changluo took off his outer shirt, threw it in the clothes basket on the side of the corridor, and then began to untie his inner lining.

"Your Majesty, it's cold... Lie down and undress..." Qi Yuechan was about to sit up again.

"Alright."

Zhu Changluo thought that was quite interesting, so he untied the quilt and got in.

"How should it be done?" Zhu Changluo looked at her with a mischievous blink.

Qi Yuechan's face gradually turned red, and she whispered, "I will help Your Majesty undress first..."

After saying that, he curled up into the quilt.

Zhu Changluo felt a soft body approaching him, and heard a muffled voice: "I have dared to offend the emperor..."

In fact, he just reached out and started to figure out how to undress.

Zhu Changluo couldn't help but lift the quilt a little with both hands, and then met her frightened and shy eyes.

"Forget it, you are just talking on paper, how can you really understand anything?"

Zhu Changluo reached in with one hand, turned half his body over and pushed her to one side.

"There's a heater outside and the curtains are tight, so how can you get cold? I'm afraid it will get even hotter soon."

His fingers kept picking at Qi Yuechan's chin, and Qi Yuechan slowly moved up, closing her eyes and trembling as she spoke, "Your Majesty... don't you want me to serve you?"

"I like to take the initiative."

It should be said that most of them would just try their best to hold back the sobbing, not like her name suggests, the melodious chirping of cicadas.

In Qi Yuechan's opinion, His Majesty is naturally self-taught and has extraordinary talent.

It has been nearly fifteen years since I entered the palace. Although the melon is ripe, I don’t know whether I am sweet or not, and I don’t know what the romance is like under the bed.

I don't even know if there are other methods besides those depicted in the scroll.

"Your Majesty... It's not... It's not like that..."

"I know!"

After a while, Tian Yi and Qiu Chunmin finally heard a faint cry.

Qiu Chunmin lowered his head, but Tian Yi smiled.

It seems to be done.

So he continued to keep track of the time, preparing to remind the emperor later not to harm his health.

This is also his responsibility.

As a result, when he went to remind the emperor about a quarter of an hour later, he heard an indignant voice from inside: "Why are there so many rules? My rules are rules! I have been able to exercise restraint for several months, don't I know not to overdo it? I won't miss the imperial lecture tomorrow!"

Qi Yuechan was filled with joy, thinking that His Majesty enjoyed having sex with her.

She likes it too.

Tian Yi had no choice but to go back, his face full of worry.

I should report the truth to the Empress Dowager and the Consort Dowager tomorrow. In short, I have completed the mission.

The emperor was still in high spirits, so they naturally continued to wait.

This guard lasted for a long time. After more than half an hour, Qi Yuechan, who was dressed neatly, came over slowly with her head down.

Tian Yi smiled and bowed: "Congratulations, Your Majesty. I wonder if His Majesty has any reward?"

If the emperor forgot, he would go and ask the emperor. This was also the rule and he had to leave proof.

Qi Yuechan stretched out her hand and let him see what was in her palm: "It's a jade hairpin."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. I will help you back to your room." Qiu Chunmin stretched out her hand with a respectful attitude.

This is the watershed in the fate of the women in the palace. Before, they were subordinates, but now they have been favored and are confirmed to be nobles.

Tian Yi also wanted to ask Zhu Changluo: "Qi Xuan has made great contributions to the emperor's bedchamber, but I still need your instructions."

"…Just stay. Why bother?"

"I understand." Tian Yi continued, "Your Majesty has pity on Concubine Qi. From now on, she will not be able to serve as a female official in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. I wonder which palace Concubine Qi should be placed in. Does Your Majesty want to promote her position?"

Zhu Changluo, who was in the Sage Time, still had to deal with these issues. He couldn't help but ask, "Must you ask right away?"

"Of course. I still have to arrange to change the usual practice, and also see what rules are used to serve Qi and select concubines. If she is pregnant, wouldn't it be neglectful?"

Tian Yi took it for granted, but at the same time he didn't understand the emperor's discomfort.

If you don’t make the decision, who would dare to make arrangements?
(End of this chapter)