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

Chapter 180 Hengwu Garden, Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Yihong Courtyard

Xiangling returned to Hengwu Garden, intending to knock on the door. However, when she arrived at the gate, she found it ajar. She went in with her lantern, startling the person inside.

"Aunt Wu, it's me!" Xiangling said hurriedly.

The old woman at the gate laughed and said, "So it's you who's back. The young lady specially left the door open for you. I was waiting for you to come back, but I was surprised to be startled by you. Hurry up and go in, I'm going to close the door."

Xiangling smiled and said, "Miss is so thoughtful. I wonder if Miss is asleep yet."

As she went inside, she saw that the lights were on in the hall and Ying'er was sitting inside doing needlework by the light.

"I'm back," Xiangling said with a smile as she entered, so as not to frighten her again.

Ying'er looked up and saw it was her, and smiled: "Our Xiangling is back! Please sit for a while. The young lady is talking to the madam. She has something to say to you later."

Xiangling smiled and asked, "Is Madam staying here tonight?"

"It's too late, and the lady has something to say to the young lady, so she's staying here."

As the two were talking, Baoqin's maid, Xiaoluo, came out when she heard the noise and asked Xiangling with a smile, "What did the Emperor summon you and Yuchuan and Qingwen for?"

Ying'er smiled and said, "Don't rush to speak, the young lady will ask you questions later."

Xiao Luo fell silent. Although she wondered why they had to wait for the girl to come out, she didn't say anything.

A moment later, a voice came from Baochai's room calling Xiangling in.

When Xiangling went in, she saw the young lady and the lady sitting on the couch. Both of them had taken a bath and changed into light clothes for indoor use. At first glance, she could only see that the mother and daughter had plump and fair figures, and their round chests made their clothes look like they were about to burst.

“Miss, Madam,” Xiangling stepped forward and replied.

Aunt Xue hurriedly asked her, "What did His Majesty summon you three maids to ask about?"

She had just discussed this matter with Baochai, and felt somewhat uneasy.

Xiangling said, "The Emperor has ordered us to serve in the house from now on. I was just about to come back and tell Madam."

Upon hearing this, Baochai frowned slightly and asked, "His Majesty asked the three of you to go to the room to serve him? Does he want you to be a maid in his room?"

Xiangling then explained the matter in detail, adding truthfully, "The Emperor instructed us that from now on we can assign people to do things, but their rank will be lower than that of eunuchs and palace maids. He also told us not to make things difficult for people over trivial matters."

Aunt Xue was even more astonished: "You've become ladies-in-waiting from now on?!"

Xiangling thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I don't know what official position he is. I only know that His Majesty said I should go to his room to serve him." As she spoke, her pretty face blushed slightly, and she whispered, "His Majesty also said that he originally wanted to summon us to serve him in bed... and told me not to think about Master Xue anymore."

After saying that, she carefully looked at the lady.

Aunt Xue was speechless for a long time. As expected, the emperor wanted to summon beautiful women to serve him in bed. Tonight, he first ordered Li Wan to go, and then he also asked for Xiangling and Qingwen, the most outstanding women in the mansion.

She subconsciously touched her face; her skin was smooth and fair, though not as fair as that of young girls, it was still...

Thinking of this, Aunt Xue couldn't help but tremble, as if she would receive an imperial edict the next night and be summoned to serve the emperor in bed.

Baochai stood up, took Xiangling's hand, and said with a smile, "I should congratulate Miss Xiangling. From now on, you will be one of the Emperor's concubines. Although you have no official rank, you will be the envy of many."

Xiangling felt both ashamed and uneasy, and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by that, Miss?"

Baochai pulled her down to sit and explained to her in detail, "You don't know this unless you read history books. Since ancient times, the closer you are to the emperor, the more power you wield. During the Ming Dynasty, eunuchs held the emperor's seal of office, which is why they could rival the court officials. Now the emperor has asked you to serve him in his room and has also instructed you not to make things difficult for him. He clearly knows that you will become very popular in the palace in the future. Many eunuchs, palace maids, and even concubines will try to curry favor with you and be jealous of you. There might even be some villains who will try to harm you behind your back."

Xiangling was terrified, her voice trembling: "Then, young lady, what should I do?"

Baochai smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. Just be careful and do your job. From now on, no matter who tells you something, you should pay attention."

After chatting for a while, Baochai learned that Xiangling and the others were going to serve the emperor the next morning, so she said, "I'll go with you tomorrow morning. You're from our family, so I should see you off."

Xiangling hurriedly said gratefully, "Thank you for remembering me, Miss. I was originally bought by a young lady to be her maid..."

Baochai smiled and took her hand: "There's no need to say these things anymore. We won't ask you to repay us in the future. Just remember Madam's kindness in your heart."

Xiangling then got up and kowtowed to both the lady and her, as she was leaving the next day.

After sitting for a while, Xiangling went out and told Ying'er and Xiaoluo that she would be serving the emperor the next day. The two looked at her in surprise and congratulated her, saying that she had finally achieved great success.

At this moment, Xiangling felt a quiet joy in her heart.

But they saw that there was no movement in Qin's room. She was still awake and did not come out after hearing their conversation.

Xiangling felt ashamed and quickly stopped thinking about it. She bid them farewell and went back to her room to prepare for moving to Yangxintang the next day.

……

When Qingwen returned to Yihong Courtyard, Xiren and Sheyue were waiting for her in the room. Upon seeing her return, they hurriedly asked what the Emperor had asked her to do.
Qingwen replied, "The Emperor ordered Yuchuan, Xiangling, and I to go to the room to serve him. I will be going there first thing tomorrow morning."

These words surprised both of them. Xiren looked at her for a long time before smiling at her with a hint of envy and saying, "Qingwen, you always said that the maids were trying to climb the social ladder, but now you've climbed to the highest position in the world. From now on, you'll be different from us. When we see you again, you should call her 'Miss'."

Qingwen laughed and said, "Who would have thought that the Emperor would choose me over so many others in the garden?"

There was a hint of smugness in his words. The two women weren't surprised; if they were chosen by the emperor to serve him in his room, they would be overjoyed.

Qiuwen and Bihen also came upon hearing the news. They were both surprised to hear about Qingwen's situation. The news spread quickly, reaching the maids in the large dormitory and the old women in the corridor. They all came to congratulate her.

Qingwen smiled at the maids and said, "I'm leaving tomorrow. From now on, I won't care what you do. You can sleep in as much as you want, and I won't care if you cheat or do something wrong behind my back."

The girls all said they didn't dare.

Musk Moon nudged her and laughed, "Why scare them when you're leaving?" Then her expression turned somber. "Qingwen, you're leaving. We don't know where we'll go tomorrow. The Emperor ordered the actors to stay at the Grand View Garden, but he didn't say where we're supposed to stay."

Everyone looked uncomfortable upon hearing this. Qingwen was also saddened. After thinking for a while, she gritted her teeth and said to them, "When I go to serve the Emperor tomorrow, I will ask His Majesty where he will arrange for you to stay. There are plenty of rooms in the mansion, so don't worry about it!"

The little girls were overjoyed and called her "Sister Qingwen" repeatedly, surrounding her and trying to please her.

Seeing this, Xiren couldn't help but feel sad. Ever since Baoyu left, she had never been happy. She had originally hoped to show her face in front of the emperor, but by a twist of fate, it was Qingwen who was chosen instead.

It's not surprising, Qingwen is prettier than her, no wonder she was chosen to serve her.

……

When Yu Chuan returned to Xiao Xiang Pavilion, she saw that the main gate was open. Knowing that Miss Lin had left it for her, she closed the gate and went inside.

Seeing that the light was still on, he called out from outside the curtain, "Miss, I'm back."

Zijuan came out and said with a smile, "Miss, you heard that. Please go in." Yuchuan then went in and saw Miss Lin sitting under the moon window reading a book. When she saw Yuchuan, she smiled, put down the book, and asked, "Has the Emperor made things difficult for you?"

Yu Chuan laughed, "What are you saying, Miss? The Emperor has no reason to make things difficult for us maids."

Daiyu just smiled and didn't answer.

Yu Chuan explained the situation, and Dai Yu smiled and said, "Congratulations on finding a place to go."

He said only one sentence, and nothing more.

Yu Chuan's feelings were complicated. She looked at Miss Lin before saying, "Thank you for taking me in these past few days."

She couldn't stay with Madam Wang any longer, so she searched the entire garden and finally decided to ask Miss Lin to take her in. It turned out that her decision that day was correct, as Miss Lin went to Madam Wang to plead for her to stay.

Although the young lady was in charge of the household, she still went to inform Madam Wang.

Daiyu laughed and said, "Why say that? You've done a lot these past few days, you're not just eating for free. On the contrary, I haven't done anything, I've just been eating and using the Emperor's house for free."

Yu Chuan chuckled, "How can you be the same as us, Miss?" She lowered her head and thought for a while before slowly saying, "I don't want to mention my sister's matter anymore. Miss doesn't need to worry about it. It has nothing to do with you, and I don't blame anyone."

Jin Chuan's death involved Jia Baoyu and Lady Wang, which is why Yu Chuan came to her begging for shelter.

Daiyu didn't say much, and told her to go.

Yu Chuan went out and pulled Zi Juan into the next room, whispering to her, "I am deeply grateful for your taking me in, but there are some things I can't say to you directly. I'll just tell you in secret."

Zijuan was stunned for a moment before asking, "What did you mean?"

“After my sister died that day, Miss Bao sent some of her clothes to me, and I was grateful to her for that.”

Zijuan glanced at her, and Yuchuan continued, "That day, because of my sister's matter, I rejected the arrangement made by Miss Bao. Miss Bao immediately saw that I was speaking up for my sister and pointed it out. After that, I was so ashamed that I could no longer stay in Madam's room."

Zijuan thought for a while before smiling and saying, "It's clear that Miss Bao is very perceptive; nothing can be hidden from her."

Yu Chuan also laughed: "It was my fault for trying to deceive others. Never mind, I'm going back now. I have to get up early tomorrow to serve the Emperor."

Zijuan took her hand, about to speak, but Yuchuan smiled and said, "I know, Sister Zijuan, you don't need to say anything more."

He then went back.

Zijuan watched her leave, thinking to herself, "This is really not something I can tell the young lady. Lately, the young lady and Miss Bao have become increasingly close, like sisters."

……

Day two.

As dawn broke, Chu Yan woke up and looked down to see the woman in his arms, her hair disheveled, fast asleep beside him.

He reached out and stroked Li Wan's face, leisurely reminiscing about last night. He had to admit that a woman who had been widowed for many years and was now craving more pleasure was much better than a young girl.

After a while, he heard a sound outside. It was the palace maids carrying a bath tub in. Only then did he get up and go outside to prepare for a bath.

however.

But they bumped into Baochai right in front of them!

As is customary, after Chu Yanlin had his way with the concubines in the harem, he would take a bath before going to court in the morning.

Therefore, when he came out, he was completely naked, and his strong and tall body was fully displayed in front of them!
Baochai was stunned and stood there dumbfounded. Qingwen, Xiangling, and Yuchuan were also seeing a man's body for the first time. They were stunned for a moment before turning their heads away, their faces flushed.

A palace maid sneered, "If you are serving His Majesty, why are you hiding? If you can't even do this simple thing well, how can you serve him in the room?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangling quickly turned her head back, staring at Chu Yan with her eyes fixed on him. Her pretty, gentle face was flushed red, and she was incredibly cute as she shyly insisted on looking at the man's body.

Chu Yan smiled, knowing that the palace maid was a little jealous, because the news that he needed three people to serve him had not yet spread.

Qingwen and Yuchuan also turned their heads, equally shy.

Baochai lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, please bathe and change first. I was being rash." She then hurriedly went out.

"Since you're here, don't leave."

Chu Yan took her hand and pulled Baochai's voluptuous body into his arms. Seeing that she was frightened, he simply lowered his head and kissed her lips, then pushed her into the room and said with a smile, "Wait inside until I finish my bath."

Baochai stumbled into the room, her heart pounding. Her first thought was whether the emperor intended to sleep with her.
Then the emperor's voice came from outside: "You all learn over there, and from now on you will serve me when I bathe and change clothes... Oh, Qingwen has grown her nails? You don't need to serve her yourself, just have someone else do it, you can manage."

Baochai listened carefully to what was happening outside and realized that the emperor wanted to entrust all the household service to the three of them.

After listening for a while, I vaguely heard Xiangling scream, as if she had been frightened by something.

Upon seeing the scene inside the house, Baochai was startled again. Had this place been burgled last night?

The room was in a mess. Several women's clothes and jewelry were scattered on the couch, pillows were on the floor, and the soft mattress on the couch looked like it had been soaked in tea.

Baochai looked more closely and saw that there were traces of someone lying on the bed, the mattress was wet with sweat, and there were also marks of hands scratching.

"His Majesty…"

At this moment, a snow-white woman with her hair disheveled and her chest covered by a thin blanket walked out of the dormitory. The two were stunned when they saw each other.

"Miss Bao?"

"...Sister-in-law?"

Baochai had never seen Li Wan like this before. She was naked, just like the emperor, with her legs completely white. Although her chest was covered by a thin quilt, her rounded flesh could still be seen. Upon closer inspection, one could also see that Li Wan's graceful body had many "scars".

Li Wan hurriedly hid back inside and asked her, "Why is Miss Bao here? Is His Majesty outside?"

Baochai calmed herself down and answered her questions one by one. Her heart was pounding. So this was what it was like to serve the emperor in bed. When she was summoned to the emperor's bed in the future, she would also be covered in wounds.
Thinking back to some miscellaneous books she had read in the past, Baochai knew that men were fond of women's bodies, and biting and kissing were inevitable. No wonder her sister-in-law had teeth marks on her body.

Looking again at the sweat-soaked marks on the couch, Baochai recalled what the emperor had said: her skin was fair and smooth, and she would surely look beautiful after sweating…

All of this ignited a fire in Baochai's heart, and the heat surged up again, making her weak and limp. She even felt as if she could hear the sound of the emperor bathing outside, which fascinated her and made her dizzy.

After a moment of ecstasy, she suddenly snapped out of it, silently reminding herself to be respectful and not to let the emperor look down on her.

(End of this chapter)