After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 157 The Feast of Beauties at Daming Palace (Part 2)

Before long, all the poems, including Qin Keqing's, were collected by the palace maids and presented to Chu Yan.

After taking a sip of wine, Chu Yan picked up the first poem and read it, then smiled and said:
"It belongs to Sister Yun."

Many people looked at Shi Xiangyun, who smiled and wasn't shy at all.

After reading it, Chu Yan read it approvingly: "Twelve pavilions rejoice in succession, the east wind helps the drunken man lean on the railing. Excellent, the opening has the style of Li Bai's poetry!"

Xiangyun laughed again, but unfortunately, her brother the emperor did not finish reading her poem. After reading it, he handed it to Empress Zhang and asked them to circulate it.

Chu Yan read through their poems one by one. Apart from Kaiyuan Chun and Keqing's poems, which were not very good, the poems of the others were quite good.

To his surprise, Wang Xuanzhu, a young girl from the Wang family who did not appear in the novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*, wrote a poem that... appeared to be an erotic poem.

It describes the captivating scene of him embracing Xiangyun and Keqing on horseback, with fragrant sweat on the foreheads of the two beauties and their hair disheveled. It also praises his agile movements and uses sensual language, making people's imaginations run wild.

However, no one else said much after reading her poem.

"You've all seen it, what do you think? Whose poem will win first place?" Chu Yan asked with a smile.

Everyone held their poems and commented on them. Some said that Baochai's poem was good, with the lines "The light of Taiye Pond is as clear as jade, and the rainbow flies after the rain at Huaqing Palace" being excellent. Others praised Daiyu, saying that "The song of the water chestnut has ended and the morning makeup has faded" expresses the melancholy of a palace maid. Xiangyun even joked that Lin Daiyu was using the palace maid as a metaphor for herself.

Chu Yan had read Daiyu's poem, which on the surface praised him for releasing the palace servants from the palace, but only she knew the truth behind it.

Chu Yan thought that she might not have been pleading for mercy through the palace maid, but rather expressing her dissatisfaction and indicating that she was also a palace maid locked up in the palace.

"No one appreciates Qinghe's poems?" Chu Yan asked with a smile.

Qinghe hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, my poem is not as good as Sister Bao's. Her 'Linjiang Xian' is better."

Chu Yan nodded: "In that case, since Daiyu and Baochai are tied for first place, I will bestow an extra reward upon them!"

Everyone smiled and agreed. Daiyu remained calm and composed, while Baochai smiled and maintained her composure.

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Come here, I will reward you."

Daiyu's expression immediately changed, and she hurriedly said, "Whatever reward His Majesty gives, Baochai and I will accept it. There's no need to trouble ourselves further."

Chu Yan just smiled and said, "Come on!"

The emperor was an extremely domineering person, and no one could refuse him!

Having no other choice, Daiyu got up and went with Baochai to his couch.

Chu Yan admired the appearances of the two beauties, Daiyu and Baochai. Daiyu on the left was delicate and graceful, ethereal and otherworldly, with jade-like bones and ice-like skin, which was breathtaking. She truly deserved to be the reincarnation of the Crimson Pearl Fairy.

On the right is Baochai, who is plump and dignified, with fair skin and smooth bones. Her lips are red without rouge and her eyebrows are green without paint. Standing next to Daiyu, she appears even more plump, like Yang Guifei. After entering the palace, she also has the air of a noble concubine, dignified and beautiful.

Chu Yanxian reached out and took Baochai's hand, praising her: "Miss Bao's skin is like fine jade, delicate and warm, and she is dignified and composed. When I see Miss Bao, it is like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang seeing Consort Yang in 'The Palace of Eternal Life'."

Xiangyun, Baoqin, Xiuyan, Keqing, the Empress, and others all looked over, their expressions varied.

Consort Zhou's eyes were filled with envy and jealousy, mixed with a hint of grievance and resentment.

At this moment, Baochai's heart couldn't help but tremble. The emperor praised her in front of many concubines and young ladies, and deliberately said that she was Yang Guifei from the play "The Palace of Eternal Life". It was truly amazing how thoughtful he was.

Everyone knows that Yang Guifei was Emperor Xuanzong's daughter-in-law, but in the play "The Palace of Eternal Life," Yang Guifei was just a palace maid. The emperor praised her only because she was as beautiful and radiant as Yang Guifei, and had no other intention.

"Your Majesty flatters me. I am unworthy of such praise. There are many beauties in the palace. I am merely one of the more attractive ones."

Baochai said with a shy smile, not daring to stand out too much.

Chu Yan smiled, took Daiyu's hand, and exclaimed, "Sister Lin is not bad either."

Having said that, he pulled Daiyu and Baochai to his side and asked them to sit down. Daiyu was on the left, Baochai on the right, and Chu Yan in the middle, enjoying the company of the two beauties.

Daiyu gently pulled her hand away from his and remained silent.

Based on her understanding of this domineering and lecherous bandit king, she knew that he had deliberately praised Baochai's beautiful appearance before omitting her praise, just to tease her!

She wouldn't fall for it. No matter what he said, why should she be jealous of Baochai? She didn't willingly enter the palace; she was just kidnapped here by him.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "You two masters of poetry have won first place. Serving by my side is a sign of my favor. You will receive further rewards after the banquet."

Only an emperor could utter such shameless words openly.

Serving the emperor is a great honor, so Chu Yan summoned them as a reward!

"I will pour wine for Your Majesty." Baochai smiled as she picked up the wine pot and poured wine for him.

Daiyu remained aloof and very unwilling.

Fortunately, everyone present was either his concubine or future concubine. Sitting beside the emperor, no one would mock her; in everyone's eyes, she was now also one of the emperor's concubines… It would be difficult to see Baoyu again…

Thinking of this, Daiyu couldn't help but feel sorrowful, her eyes welled up with tears, but she held back. Since the bandit king entered the city, the events of the past few days had made her no longer able to shed tears over such trivial matters.

She'll just have to bear with it; she'll go back after the banquet.

"Your Majesty, who will choose the next act?"

The playbill was returned to Empress Zhang, who then inquired about it.

Chu Yan picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and casually said, "We've already performed three or four acts; just listening to the opera isn't very interesting anymore. Are the two talented ladies, Xie and Song, here?"

"Your Majesty, I am here!"

The two ladies-in-waiting sitting in the corner quickly stood up, their faces showing some shyness and fear, as they guessed what the emperor wanted them to do.

Chu Yan instructed, "I haven't seen you dance for many days. Lead a group of dancers up and perform a song for me."

Baochai looked at them.

The emperor's request for song and dance performances should not be refused.

However, in front of many people, although they were originally dancers, they were also given the title of "Talented Lady," which, in principle, meant that they were all imperial concubines like them.

The young ladies and concubines all sat below the stage to watch, while they could only go on stage and perform like actors. How could they not feel ashamed?

"Your Majesty..." Consort Song was both ashamed and anxious, not knowing how to plead for mercy.

Last time in the Qianqing Palace, the Empress, the Imperial Concubine, and others danced with them, and they could only accept it.

Now that the Empress and the Imperial Concubine have gained honorable status, they can only perform dances on stage...

Xiangyun sensed something was wrong and turned to Chu Yan, asking, "Are they concubines? Why did you ask the Emperor to dance? There are professional dancers in the palace. Why make things difficult for them?"

Empress Zhang and the others remained silent, perhaps recalling the shame they felt when they were forced to dance in the Qianqing Palace last time.

Daiyu glanced at him.

Seeing that the Emperor remained silent, Consort Zhou immediately said, "You go up when His Majesty calls you up. Last time in the Qianqing Palace, even the Empress and I performed a dance for the Emperor. Today, you have received his favor and are to be granted the title of 'Talented Lady,' yet you put on airs in front of His Majesty. What kind of behavior is that?!"

These words made Jia Yuanchun, Empress Zhang, and several others blush.

Baochai and the others were unaware that even the Empress had performed a dance, and were secretly astonished.

The former empress was forced to perform a dance, the humiliation of which is unspeakable. Now, the two women are able to enjoy the emperor's favor and sit at the same table, but who knows how much humiliation they have suffered.

What were they saying?

Chu Yan finally spoke, laughing, "I only asked you to dance, just like I asked the girls to write poems earlier. How was that meant to humiliate you? You may not know poetry, but you are skilled in singing and dancing."

The two dancers lowered their heads in shame.

Chu Yan said: "During the Han and Tang dynasties, the atmosphere was open and outings and banquets were popular. Yang Guifei knew the Rainbow Feather Dance and the Whirlwind Dance. Zhao Feiyan could perform the Palm Dance. It is said that Xi Shi knew the Sounding Clogs Dance. Nowadays, dance and music have gradually declined, and people mostly only listen to operas."

Daiyu smiled and said, "Do you want to emulate Emperor Xuanzong? You should also compose a musical score and order the Imperial Concubine to dance along."

Chu Yan shook his head. "Yang Guifei was skilled in music and dance from a young age. Although you are beautiful, you are all from noble families and have never learned these skills. I don't want you to go on stage to dance. It wouldn't look good if you did. Dance is about physical beauty and requires a long time to learn. I'll just have the two ladies go up."

He explained it this way: to refuse again would be to show contempt for the monarch.

"Your Majesty," the two bowed and said, "please allow me to change my clothes."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "No need, just use your clothes to dance."

Everyone looked at him again. Daiyu glanced at him, her eyes seeming to say, "As expected of a tyrant."

Chu Yan said, “Dancing doesn’t require special dance costumes or theatrical makeup. If you’ve seen paintings like the Tang Dynasty’s Lady of the Palace or the Song Dynasty’s Night Banquet by Han Xizai, you’ll know that the clothing styles of the ancients were different from those of today. I’ve heard that Xi Shi wore a curved hem when she danced the Xiangji Dance. It was a deep robe that wrapped around the front and gradually reached her hips, outlining the female figure. Although this clothing wasn’t very comfortable to move in, it was very beautiful to dance in.”

He learned from videos he had seen in his previous life that no one wears quju anymore, and there's nowhere to see it. Even the Tang and Song dynasty qixiong ruqun (a type of dress) was only recently restored by Qin Keqing, who wore it for him to admire.

His words were rather explicit, and the girls blushed with embarrassment. Even the Empress Zhang and other women remained silent.

"Quju?"

Qin Keqing glanced at everyone's clothes, a slight blush rising on her beautiful face. She decided that she would make one for His Majesty to admire another day.

Consort Song said with shame, "This concubine was unaware that Your Majesty was proficient in this art."

Chu Yan waved his hand, signaling them to go up and dance.

The two had no choice but to give up. A short while later, the two danced a flower fan dance on stage to the music. Daiyu, Baochai, Xiangyun and other young ladies from the inner quarters, who usually only listened to operas, had never seen women dance before. Now, looking up at the stage, they saw the two women and seven or eight slender dancers, with graceful figures and radiant smiles, performing their best to please the emperor.

Chu Yan sat on the couch, accompanied by Daiyu and Baochai on his left and right, with Empress Zhang and Jia Yuanchun on his sides. In an instant, the scene of the emperor feasting and having fun was imprinted in their minds.

The banquets of emperors were indeed different from those of ordinary noble families.

……

The banquet ended half an hour after nightfall.

Chu Yan and the women rode in a palanquin back to the palace. When the procession returned to the six palaces, they wanted to take their leave, but some of them were reluctant to go.

"Your Majesty~" Consort Zhou called softly.

Baochai, Baoqin, Junyi, and Xuanzhu will also be staying at Linjing Palace tonight. After hearing her words, Baochai glanced at her and saw that this charming and alluring Consort Zhou had captivating eyes, yet also a pitiful and resentful expression, clearly seeking the emperor's favor.

With so many concubines in the harem, how long does it take for the emperor to get his turn with any of them?
Chu Yan said, "The two ladies-in-waiting will come with me to the Linjing Hall. You may also go."

Upon hearing this, Consort Zhou felt both shy and happy, and quickly moved closer, pressing her delicate body against hers.

Chu Yan smiled and asked Empress Zhang and the others, "Who else is coming to keep me company tonight?"

Although it was night, there were over a hundred palace maids and eunuchs following them, along with dozens of palace lanterns. Hearing the emperor's words in the darkness, everyone blushed with embarrassment.

"I won't go," Empress Zhang said calmly, and left first.

"I only received Your Majesty's favor at noon, so I dare not go to serve you again."

Qin Keqing smiled gracefully, bowed, and led Baozhu and Ruizhu away.

Consort Wu has also left.

After hesitating for a moment, Yuan Chun agreed to serve at Linjing Palace that night.

The Emperor has spoken; if no one responds, wouldn't that be disrespectful?
"it is good."

Daiyu, Baochai, and the others remained silent. Chu Yan did not summon them to serve him in bed. He planned to return to Linjing Palace with them, but saw Qinghe hesitate to leave, her face showing a private conversation.

So he took her back to Linjing Palace with him.

Daiyu and the others didn't go with them. After they had walked a distance, Xiangyun suddenly spoke up: "His Majesty the Emperor summoned four people to serve him in one night?!"

It was clear that she was surprised.

Daiyu blushed and did not answer. She had only seen these things in secret before, but had never heard of them. She only knew that Baoyu had become intimate with Xiren in his room and that Xiren had become a maidservant in his room.

Baochai glanced back at the back palace gate, lost in thought: "His Majesty is so unrestrained, has no one around him offered any advice? I've heard that sexual relations should be moderate, and one shouldn't be so indulgent..."

These words made Daiyu, Baoqin, and Junyi blush with embarrassment. Wang Xuanzhu quickly said, "Sister Bao, what you say is wrong. The 'Su Nu Jing' says: 'The way of intercourse has its form. Men achieve their goal of not declining, and women are freed from all diseases. Therefore, there are seven losses and eight benefits...'"

Her sister stared wide-eyed at her, while Baochai, Daiyu, Xiangyun, and the others were also dumbfounded.

"Where did Sister Xuanzhu learn all this from?" Xiangyun asked curiously. "What is the Su Nu Jing? Show it to me another day."

Wang Xuanzhu covered her mouth with her small hand, shook her head, and her face was full of shyness.

Baochai laughed and said, "Sister Xuanzhu, you've probably learned too many things. Let's not talk about this; it's embarrassing."

Wang Xuanzhu readily agreed, but Daiyu and the others didn't know what kind of book it was, so they all went back to their rooms.

……

Chu Yan took Qinghe's hand and led Yuanchun, Consort Zhou, and the two talented ladies into the hall. He said to them, "Wait for me for a moment."

"Your Majesty, let's go bathe and change," Yuan Chun said shyly.

Consort Zhou also laughed and said, "The princess is delicate and cannot please His Majesty alone. We will have our turn later."

Consorts Xie and Song smiled shyly, knowing that the emperor was too vigorous and the princess alone could not bear the emperor's favor, so neither of them was in a hurry.

Chu Yan nodded and pulled the still somewhat bewildered and shy Princess Qinghe into the east side room.

The two sat down on the couch.

Chu Yan smiled and asked her, "Does Qinghe want to serve me tonight? If so, I'll call Consort Xiande and the others back now."

Qinghe blushed and quickly shook her head, saying softly, "I just wanted to say a few words to you, and then I'll go back..."

"Go ahead," Chu Yan said, holding her soft, jade-like hand. Looking at the princess's beautiful and graceful face, he thought to himself, "Since we're already here..."

“My father,” Qinghe paused, “is likely to pass away soon. I was thinking that children should observe three years of mourning after their father’s death, so when should I… become your concubine?”

As she spoke, her face flushed red, and her beautiful, clear eyes were filled with shyness.

Chu Yan saw the princess's affection for him, and his heart softened. He pulled her into his arms, embracing her soft, delicate body: "Have you forgotten who I am?"

Qinghe looked up at him from his arms, "You are the emperor... Ah, I know, Your Majesty, I shouldn't have said those things!"

She quickly apologized.

Before the emperor, what is the difference between filial piety and infidelity? When ministers wished to observe mourning for their parents, the emperor issued an edict forbidding them from resigning their posts to observe mourning.

Chu Yan smiled, released her, and said, "I want to see you."

Qinghe was so ashamed that she dared not raise her head.

The "seeing" her emperor husband spoke of meant that he wanted her to... take off all her clothes and, right there on this couch, let him slowly admire her.

She's been done that to twice already.

"Come on, Qinghe, don't be shy, there's no one here."

Chu Yan coaxed her a few times, then hugged her and kissed and stroked her, finally getting Princess Qinghe to obey.

She closed her eyes, her slender hands trembling as she haphazardly untied her clothes, yet refused to take them off. It was only with Chu Yan's help that she obediently complied.

Before long, the noble Princess Gu Shunchao was left with only a light pink embroidered lotus and koi fish bodice. She hugged her arms and huddled there, her fair and delicate body particularly endearing.

Chu Yan placed Qinghe on the couch, told her to lie down, and carefully admired the princess's beauty.

A good while.

Qinghe opened her shy eyes and asked in confusion, "Why didn't you kiss me this time...?"

Chu Yan smiled, tore open the lotus and koi-patterned bodice, and bent down to kiss her.

Qinghe forgot everything. Under his hands and mouth, she lay flat, lay on her side, raised her legs, or embraced him, softly moaning until she calmed down after two times.

"Your Majesty, may I enter the room?"

Zhou Guiren's impatient voice rang out from outside the curtain. She had probably already heard the princess's singing, so she waited for her to stop before speaking.

Qinghe was so embarrassed that she dared not say more. She quickly got off the bed and said, "Please come in, esteemed guest."

Suddenly realizing she was naked, she was terrified and grabbed the clothes scattered on the bed, then hurriedly hid in the emperor's bedroom to change.

She had only dressed halfway when she heard Consort Zhou groaning outside, a sound that seemed like a cry, a wail, or a fit of madness. Qinghe felt weak in the knees. Then she heard Consort Xiande and the two dancers enter the room. Her emperor husband ordered, "You two will dance for me as before."

"Yes, Your Majesty~~"

The two talented women, Xie and Song, who didn't want to perform on stage during the day, agreed in sweet, coquettish voices.

Qinghe heard the sound of clothes falling.

After she finished changing, she dared not go out. It seemed like it was the Lantern Festival outside, with constant firecrackers and playful noises.

I don't know how long it has been.

"Your Majesty, I'll go check if the beds in the bedroom have been made."

Yuan Chun smiled and walked in, bumping right into Princess Qinghe, who was stunned.

"!!!"

Both of them were stunned.

Yuan Chun saw the princess who hadn't left yet, while Qing He saw the virtuous concubine, who was fair-skinned, plump, and naked.

"I'll head back now... Your Highness, please... please enjoy yourself... no need to see me off!"

With her face flushed, Qinghe fled her dormitory and bumped into Zhou Guiren, who was acting as a knight, and two talented women who were performing a dance outside. All three of them were stunned.

Lying down, Chu Yan laughed: "The princess is still here."

Qinghe fled as fast as he could!

After a long pause, Consort Zhou covered his mouth and laughed, "We should have left the princess here."

Although they were all concubines, those who were not yet married were quite different.

(End of this chapter)