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

Chapter 195 Oriole

The next day, Chu Yan woke up.

Ping'er also woke up. She turned her head and looked at him, her face showing a bit of shyness. She said softly, "I will help Your Majesty change your clothes."

Chu Yan said, "No need, you can rest assured. If it weren't for court, I wouldn't have gotten up so early." He then pointed to the door and said, "Qingwen is waiting."

When Ping'er saw him get out of bed naked, his strong and tall back made her blush, and she couldn't help but recall the time she had been favored by him last night.

That feeling was so intense that it made one's soul float away, completely oblivious to the world around them.

He smiled and said, "If Your Majesty is awake while I am still in bed, people will inevitably gossip. Your Majesty, please wait a moment while I get dressed before going out."

Chu Yan looked at her and casually pulled her up: "Since you're not going to sleep, then come out with me. Don't bother wearing clothes; you can take a shower after I'm done."

"what?"

When Ping'er saw that the Emperor was determined to take her out, she panicked and hurriedly grabbed a piece of clothing to cover her chest. When she got outside, her face was already flushed.

"His Majesty."

Qingwen, Xiangling, and Yuchuan were all present, along with two other palace maids who had previously served them, standing to one side.

All three of them saw Ping'er's appearance and felt somewhat embarrassed, but because the Emperor was in front of her, his body had already overshadowed her.

When Xiangling and the other two saw the man's strong body again, they couldn't help but feel ashamed. They didn't dare to lower their heads too much, let alone look at his private parts.

Seeing His Majesty sitting calmly on the wooden stool, Ping'er gradually stopped being shy. She hastily put on her clothes, not caring whether her chest was properly covered, and came forward to serve Qingwen.

Chu Yan sat on the stool, being served by the women. After a while, he took the towel and wiped his private parts himself, lest their soft, delicate hands ignite his passion.

None of the three women, including Qingwen, had ever served men during their baths or had any experience with sexual relations, so they dared not look or ask too many questions.

Only Ping'er saw this, blushed, and turned away with a smile.

"What are you laughing at, Ping'er?" Chu Yan asked calmly.

“I laugh…” Ping’er couldn’t answer.

"I'll punish you to serve me another day."

Ping'er remained silent, obediently.

After drying himself off, Chu Yan quickly dressed and went out, instructing the eunuchs outside the door, "Bring the palanquin here."

The weather has been getting hotter lately, and Yangxintang is quite a distance from Lixiangyuan. He didn't want to be covered in sweat right after taking a shower.

After boarding the palanquin, Chu Yan saw the three of them standing at the door and casually said to them, "You don't need to follow me anymore. I will be back tonight."

Just then, Fangguan came out of the side room. She was wearing only a white gauze undergarment, red trousers, and green socks. She was yawning and carrying a basin of water, presumably to fetch water to wash her face.

Chu Yan sat on the palanquin and looked down at her. He saw that Fang Guan was a slender girl with long, thin legs in her red trousers. Her figure and appearance were indeed the most outstanding among the twelve actresses.

He paid it no mind, looked away, and let the eunuchs carry the palanquin away.

However, Qingwen's voice came from behind: "You are too ignorant of etiquette. His Majesty was about to leave, and you had to come out at this time. That's one thing, but you didn't even know how to be respectful to His Majesty. You were yawning like an idiot. Anyone who didn't know better would think that you were the one serving His Majesty when he went to bed!"

Chu Yan smiled upon hearing this. The person who was serving him to sleep was currently inside the room. Qingwen's mouth was just too easy to offend people.

However, given Ping'er's personality, she probably won't care too much.

Fangguan's clear voice rang out: "I've only ever known how to sing opera since I was little. How would I know how to serve people? Nobody taught me."

"You're still arguing with me!"

"I wouldn't dare. You spoke first, so I'm just saying something too."

Chu Yan then heard Qingwen say, "She's someone from His Majesty's household, so you can just tell someone to do it. You don't need to fetch water yourself."

Fangguan then said, "We didn't have any maids to serve us before, so we don't know these things. Dear sister, please teach me."

Qingwen sneered: "I don't have that kind of patience. Go find someone else to teach you."

Chu Yan could not hear what was said after that, as the palanquin had already gone far away.

Listening to them bicker in my spare time is quite interesting; it's no fun if everyone just goes along with it and everyone is peaceful.

Ping'er, who was inside the room, heard this. When Qingwen came in, she was about to ask her something when Qingwen said first, "Pingfei, please sit down. We will serve you."

These words made Yu Chuan and Xiang Ling laugh.

Ping'er laughed and said, "You're teasing me too. Why weren't you embarrassed just now? Now you're all smug."

Qingwen smiled and said, "The Empress is different from us after all; we must show her some respect."

Ping'er said, "That's embarrassing. After all, I'm only serving His Majesty once, like a maidservant. There's no need to call me 'Your Majesty' anymore. I'd be so ashamed if word got out."

Qingwen then stopped mentioning it, and Xiangling quickly pulled Ping'er to sit down, saying, "You have bruises all over your body, you must have been tired last night. While the water is still warm, let me wipe you clean."

Yu Chuan and Qing Wen both looked at Ping'er. When she came out, the marks on her body were truly shocking. Fortunately, her face was rosy and radiant, and she did not look like she had been beaten.

Ping'er blushed, sat down and said, "You'll see in time, but I do feel a bit weak. Could you please have Xiangling wash my hair for me?"

After a night of wind and rain, her hair was in such a mess that she couldn't go out without washing it.

Xiangling smiled and said, "Sit down properly."

Yu Chuan stepped forward to help, while Qing Wen went inside to tidy up. After she came out, Ping Er was also dressed and asked her, "I heard you say that Fang Guan and the others are being unreasonable?"

Qingwen said, "They've been learning opera since they were little, so naturally they don't know the rules of serving others. They go out to perform during the day, and at night they just sit in the house and play around!"

Ping'er smiled and said, "His Majesty cares for them, so I don't think he will be too harsh on them. But I also think that they should learn from them."

"What does Sister Ping say we should do?" Yu Chuan asked, and Qing Wen also looked at her.

Ping'er said, "When they first entered the manor, they each recognized a godmother, but their godmothers were only third-class servants in the manor, who only knew how to wash clothes and had never served inside. Fangguan couldn't learn anything from them either."

He looked at them and smiled, “You are all His Majesty’s people now, and you are not the same as before. Why don’t you make them not recognize their original godmothers, and then select a few well-mannered old women from the mansion, or some female officials to teach them.”

Qingwen was speechless for a moment.

Xiangling asked curiously, "Why just send someone to teach them, and then tell them to disown their original godmother? It makes them seem ungrateful."

Seeing that Yu Chuan didn't say anything, Ping'er smiled and said, "Since Xiang Ling says so, then forget it. Just pretend I didn't say anything."

She could tell that Qingwen and the other two didn't understand much about the affairs of the manor, and didn't know the relationship between their godmother and goddaughter.

She couldn't bring herself to say it, and besides, Qingwen and Yuchuan weren't too keen on getting involved, so she had no choice but to let it go.

Just after she finished bathing and changing, Hongyu came looking for her and asked with a smile, "Grandma told me to come and ask if Miss Ping has gotten up yet? Has she had breakfast? If not, Grandma has prepared a table full of food at home for Miss Ping to take back."

Ping'er quickly said, "I'll go back with you."

After saying goodbye to Qingwen and the other two, he returned home with Hongyu.

Fengjie had been waiting for a while. When she saw Ping'er return, she pulled her inside to ask her in detail about last night and discussed going to the thatched hut at dusk, but she didn't mention the emperor much.

Regardless of how the two discussed it, Chu Yan went to the Pear Fragrance Courtyard for the morning court session and did not return to the garden until the afternoon.

"Your Majesty, which young lady's house are you visiting today?" Xia Shouzhong asked with a forced smile.

Chu Yan said, "You don't need to serve me today, you can all leave."

He was going to meet Sister Feng at 5 PM. Xia Shouzhong was startled and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the Grand View Palace is not the Imperial Palace after all. The Jia family has just had their property confiscated. Who knows who might be harboring resentment and harboring ill intentions when they see Your Majesty alone? That would be terrible!"

The surrounding eunuchs nodded in agreement. When they served the Shun Dynasty emperor, they had never seen him walk alone in the palace; he was always accompanied by at least two people.

Chu Yan glanced at him before slowly saying, "I am different from the former emperor of the Shun Dynasty. I established my rule on horseback. Even if the Jia family only has women, or even if dozens of armored soldiers were lying in ambush, I could still safely go outside the mansion and call in troops to capture them."

Xia Shouzhong was even more surprised, and hurriedly bowed with a smile, praising the emperor's military prowess.

Chu Yan ignored him and walked away.

Xia Shouzhong craned his neck to look and saw the emperor walking east alone, seemingly heading back to Yangxin Hall through the back gate or turning a corner to Hengwu Garden.

The trusted eunuch beside him also looked at the emperor's back and sighed, "His Majesty walks with a powerful stride, and although he is all alone, he shows no fear whatsoever. Compared to His Majesty, the Duke of Anle and the Duke of Chongle we served are like mudfish in a small pond!"

Xia Shouzhong straightened up and gave him a cold look: "How dare you talk like that? The false Shun emperor is nothing but a python. He may be all high and mighty in front of small fish and shrimp, but compared to a real dragon that can summon clouds and rain, he is just a firefly compared to the bright moon!"

"Yes, yes, Father-in-law is right. His Majesty is a true dragon, while those we served before were all pythons!"

The eunuchs joined in the praise.

Their praise wasn't entirely insincere; they genuinely felt that the current emperor was different from the late Emperor Shun.

The current emperor is tall and strong, rarely cares about etiquette and rules, and doesn't care much that they are eunuchs from the former Shun Dynasty, ordering them around as usual.

At first, I thought it was because the emperor trusted them, but later I gradually realized that the emperor had the martial prowess of the Hegemon of Western Chu and the bravery to enjoy the company of four concubines at night, so why would he be afraid of them?
……

When Chu Yan arrived at Hengwu Garden, although his body was supernatural due to the existence of the system, he still sweated when it got hot, especially today, which was the hottest day since the beginning of summer.

Upon entering the Hengwu Garden, filled with exotic plants, he felt a refreshing coolness. As he walked along the covered walkway, the little maids who were playing under the walkway were startled when they saw him and stood frozen in place. After a long while, they hurriedly came over to pay their respects.

"No need."

Chu Yan waved his hand and went inside, but there was no one there. Baochai and Baoqin were not there, nor were Ying'er and Xiaoluo. The newly arrived Ruiguan and Douguan were also nowhere to be seen.

He strolled into Baochai's boudoir, wanting to see if she was inside.

As soon as the curtain was lifted and eyes peered inside, they saw a young girl with snow-white skin, revealing her jade-like back and pink legs, her hands wrapped around her waist, tying the thin belt of her bodice.

Hearing the curtain rustle, the girl turned around and saw a man. She was so frightened that her face turned pale. After a moment, she realized that it was the emperor who had walked in.

"So it was Ying'er changing her clothes. No wonder no one was here," Chu Yan said with a smile.

He neither avoided her nor glanced at her; he merely looked at her briefly before asking, "Where is your daughter?"

Ying'er blushed and hurriedly picked up her clothes to cover her small, delicate breasts. Not daring to dodge, she could only lower her head and blush as she said, "Miss, you went to Convex Jade Manor with Miss Qin. Why is His Majesty here?"

Chu Yan sat down with great interest and asked her with a smile, "Why can't I come?"

Ying'er hurriedly said, "Of course His Majesty can come. I just wanted to ask why His Majesty came so suddenly? If I had known His Majesty was coming, the two young ladies could have waited at home, and I wouldn't have made such a fool of myself..."

She dared not put on clothes in front of the emperor, and still stood there with bare legs. The waistband of her bodice was not tied yet, and she held a piece of clothing in her hands, which barely covered half of her fair body.

Yet, because of her alluring, half-hidden expression, she is even more seductive than if she were completely naked.

Chu Yan was drawn to the girl's figure, his gaze falling on her, and he asked, "Why did you come back to change this afternoon?"

Ying'er lowered her head and said softly, "I went with you this morning, and you asked me to deliver messages twice. It was hot, and I was all sweaty, so I thought I'd come back and change my clothes."

Chu Yan smiled: "I was fortunate enough to see Miss Huang's figure because of this."

Ying'er blushed deeply. The young girl, clad only in a bodice to barely conceal her graceful figure, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Does Your Majesty know that my surname is Huang?"

Chu Yan said, "I also know that you are particularly skillful with your hands. You and Qingwen are both good at needlework and weaving, respectively. Even Lin Daiyu once praised you."

Ying'er thought for a moment, then shook her head and smiled, "I don't remember Miss Lin ever praising me, and I've never heard of Qingwen being good at needlework before."

Chu Yan beckoned to her: "Come here, let me take a look at you."

Ying'er became even more shy, blushing as she took a few steps toward him. Although she was holding a piece of clothing to cover her body, she stood in front of the emperor as if she were not wearing anything at all.

Seeing her slender waist and hips, and her graceful curves, and hearing the girlish charm in her voice, Chu Yan couldn't help but stand up and pull Ying'er into his arms.

Ying'er was already so ashamed that she closed her eyes tightly and curled up into a ball.

Chu Yan laughed and comforted her, "I just wanted to see you, don't be afraid."

As he spoke, he pulled open the clothes in her hands, leaving Ying'er wearing only a green apricot-flower bodice.

Nowadays, women's bodice usually covers the chest and abdomen, but only the front, not the back.

Chu Yan could immediately appreciate the curves of her hips and her fair, rounded legs, which were joined together. Her thighs were fleshy and round, her calves were slender, and she was not wearing socks. The arches of her feet were beautifully curved.

"Ying'er."

Chu Yan called out to her, took her hand, and slowly praised her, "I only noticed that your Miss Bao and Miss Qin had good figures before, and I didn't even notice that Ying'er also has a beautiful face!"

No woman doesn't love it when a man compliments her on her looks.

Ying'er opened her eyes shyly, blushing as she smiled and said, "Your Majesty's words are embarrassing. Our young lady is the one with a beautiful face, truly a beauty that rivals the nation. I am merely accompanying her."

Seeing her say that, Chu Yan nodded and said, "Miss Bao is beautiful, a first-class beauty."

Ying'er smiled shyly, "Looks are secondary; our young lady has several advantages that no one else in the world possesses!"

She was only wearing a bodice in Chu Yan's arms, and her voice was melodious and charming, making one unable to help but ask, "What benefits do you have that no one else in the world has?"

Ying'er's words already carried a hint of ambiguity. Only after Chu Yan asked her the question did he remember that she had said the same thing in the novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*.

Ying'er whispered, "Our young lady is plump and fair-skinned, with skin as smooth as cream. When I was serving her bath, my hands touched her arms and waist, and it felt like touching oil, so smooth and slippery."

Her description was so vivid that it made one almost see Baochai bathing, her snow-white and plump body glistening with water droplets—how stunning she must have looked!

Chu Yan's expression was strange as he asked her, "Did you say this to Jia Baoyu as well?"

Ying'er was taken aback and quickly said, "I have never said this to anyone. I only told His Majesty because His Majesty wants to take you as a concubine..."

Chu Yan looked at her and said, "Jia Baoyu once said, 'I wonder who will be fortunate enough to enjoy the company of you two, master and servant.'"

Ying'er pondered for a moment: "A few days ago, when Master Bao saw me, he did say that. He went crazy again after seeing His Majesty leading the army to besiege the city. He said that the day His Majesty enters the garden, both you and I will be... enjoyed by His Majesty. I even scolded him for that!"

Chu Yan laughed. It turned out that this whole thing hadn't even happened yet; he had forcibly stopped it.

He hugged her and laughed, "He was right. I have indeed enjoyed the company of the two of you since I entered the garden."

As he spoke, he reached out and stroked her face.

His interest was piqued by Ying'er while she was changing, and after hearing her talk about Baochai's charms, he became even more aroused and wanted to have sex with her right then and there.

Ying'er closed her eyes shyly and whispered, "His Majesty is the supreme ruler. It is your blessing, young lady, to be able to serve him."

"And you?" Chu Yan asked her.

Ying'er blushed and nodded: "I... I'm lucky too!"

Chu Yan smiled, about to make a move against her, when he suddenly heard a voice from outside: "His Majesty has arrived? Why didn't you send someone to answer us?"

As they were talking, Baochai and Baoqin walked in.

(End of this chapter)