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

Chapter 248 Chu Yan's Lake Tour, Daiyu's Anxiety

Day two.

When Xiangyun woke up, the sun was shining brightly outside the window. She mistakenly thought she had woken up from a nap. After a while, she gradually came to her senses and hurriedly got up.

She blushed without realizing it.

Her mind was filled with images of their passionate lovemaking the night before, making her blush with embarrassment. She thought to herself, "So this is what people mean by marital bliss."

"Did the Emperor go to court early this morning?"

Xiangyun was a little disappointed; he woke up in the morning but she herself didn't wake up.

After spacing out for a while, she heard someone come in from outside and called out, "Is anyone home?"

Last night, Cuilu was just as favored as her, and even more so. She didn't know her place and after tasting the pleasure, she kept twisting her waist to please. This morning, she probably won't be able to get out of bed, so we won't call her over.

"Miss Yun is awake?" Yuanyang and Hongyu walked in and smiled at her. "His Majesty went to the morning court and instructed us to wait outside. Hot water has been prepared. Would Miss Yun like to wash herself? Or should we go and get some ointment to apply to her so she can get up when she feels better?"

Xiangyun understood the implication and quickly asked, "How is Lu'er?"

Hongyu blushed and smiled, "Cuilu woke up this morning saying she was in pain and couldn't walk, so we applied Hibiscus Jade Dew Ointment to her, and now she's asleep again."

Xiangyun blushed upon hearing this and said, "She deserves to suffer; she didn't know her own strength last night..."

Neither Yuanyang nor Hongyu had ever been intimate with anyone, so they didn't know how to respond. Xiangyun was equally ashamed to bring it up again, and hurriedly said, "Help me up, I'll go take a bath and change my clothes, my body feels a little sticky."

The two men came over to help her up. Seeing the red marks left on Xiangyun's body, they guessed what kind of storm she had gone through last night. Usually, Miss Yun was the most playful and active, but now she needed help to get out of bed.

Fortunately, she is not seriously injured, unlike Cuilu, who may not be able to get out of bed today.

The two helped Xiangyun put on a simple dress and then helped her out the door. Outside, Chunyan, Sheyue, and others were already busy preparing hot water.

After a while, the bath tub was prepared, and Xiangyun took off her clothes again so that they could wash her body. Musk Moon and Wu'er had become accustomed to seeing the favored concubines get up early these days, so they were not surprised. This morning, they had also served the Emperor a bath and changed his clothes.

After bathing and dressing up, Xiangyun stayed in Zichen Hall to sit idly. Soon after, her sisters arrived.

"Congratulations, Consort Yun, on receiving the Emperor's favor last night!" The graceful Qin Keqing entered the room and greeted Xiangyun with a charming smile.

Li Wan, Baochai, Baoqin, and Yingchun all laughed, making Xiangyun blush deeply and lower her head without saying a word.

Xi Chun looked at her curiously a few more times. His Majesty had favored Sister Yun last night. After a night, Sister Yun's appearance hadn't changed, but her expression had become more shy and gentle. She didn't seem to move much, as if she was tired last night.

They sat for a while, and then Daiyu and Qinghe arrived, bringing with them a group of little princesses. Ever since the Empress Dowager and the Empress became nuns and went to the temple to chant sutras, the little princesses had been completely raised by Qinghe, following her around like little shadows.

Daiyu also glanced at Xiangyun, who had received favors the previous night, and saw that she looked a little tired. She couldn't help but think of the two times she had been intimate with him in bed.

Although her health has improved compared to before, she is still not as good as Xiangyun. Even Yun'er finds it hard to cope, so what will become of her in the future...?

Suddenly, she felt both embarrassed and amused. She had originally regarded Chu Yan as the King of Thieves, and she couldn't help but shed tears when he hugged her, crying all night. But now she was worried about this matter.

Not long after, Chu Yan returned to Zichen Hall, which surprised everyone. They asked, "Why has Your Majesty returned? Is it because of Yun'er?"

Chu Yan looked at them and said, "There's nothing much to do today, so come back early. Besides, there's something I need to take care of."

After sitting down, he instructed Xia Shouzhong to bring a sandalwood box. Upon opening it, he found about ten jade plaques on it, with the side with the characters facing down.

Qinghe recognized it at a glance, because she also had one.

"Congratulations to Yun girl for being bestowed the title of Consort by His Majesty!" Everyone teased and laughed. Xiangyun smiled shyly. Chu Yan glanced at her. After a night of passion, Xiangyun had transformed from a playful and straightforward girl into a gentle wife. He wondered if she would still be as mischievous as before once she recovered.

Holding Xiangyun's hand, Chu Yan smiled and said, "Yun'er, would you like to choose a concubine title yourself, or draw lots and see what fate has in store?"

Xiangyun said, "It all depends on fate; I don't care which one I want."

As she spoke, she stretched out her fair hand and selected a jade pendant from the box. Everyone crowded around to take a look and exclaimed with a smile, "It's Consort Jing!"

"oops!"

Xiangyun was immediately annoyed, "Why did I have to choose the word 'quiet'?"

Everyone laughed, saying that even God couldn't stand it anymore and told her to be quieter in her daily life.

After a round of laughter and merriment, Daiyu and Baoqin dispersed, leaving Xiangyun to stay with the Emperor.

Just like when Qinghe was made a concubine, Chu Yan also asked Xiangyun to stay at Jingyun Pavilion for a few days. After they all left, he embraced Xiangyun and returned to the soft couch for a tender and intimate moment.

……

This day.

As Chu Yan was about to return to the back garden, he asked the girls what they were doing, as usual.

After a while, Xia Shouzhong came back and said, "Miss Lin is at home, Miss Yun and Consort Qin are in the Thousand Steps Corridor, and the two Miss Baos are also there."

Although Xiangyun became Consort Jing, she didn't necessarily have to be called "Your Highness." Her sisters were still young ladies, and it would be awkward for her to be the only one to become "Your Highness."

Just like Qinghe was still a princess.

It's estimated that they'll gradually transition from young girls to empresses when they reach their twenties.

Chu Yan thought for a moment and then instructed, "Go and tell Miss Lin that I am going to Qianbu Corridor. Whether she comes or not is up to her."

After saying this, he got up and returned to the back garden. He rode in a sunshade palanquin and traveled halfway through the palace before finally finding them at the Guanhu Pavilion.

Xiangyun and Baoqin were enjoying the breeze and chatting in the lakeside pavilion. Chu Yan saw her laughing and joking from across the lake via the Thousand Steps Corridor and couldn't help but chuckle: the gentle Yun'er who had just lost her virginity a couple of days ago was indeed a fleeting beauty. To see her again, he would probably have to wait until she was pregnant.

Besides the two of them, Keqing and Tanchun were playing chess together on a stone bench under a big tree by the lake. Yingchun was playing against Keqing with the black pieces. Unexpectedly, Consort Zhou and Consort Wu were also there. Consort Zhou was with four palace maids and was drinking iced drinks and talking about something. Consort Wu, on the other hand, was just quietly watching the game.

Further on, Wang Xuanzhu suddenly appeared, laughing, followed by two little princesses. Upon seeing Chu Yan, Xuanzhu hurriedly stopped.

Chu Yan beckoned her over and said with a smile, "I haven't seen you and your sister for a long time."

Xuanzhu smiled shyly and led the little princess to greet them.

Chu Yan led her to the tree to watch Yingchun play chess. After a while, Xiangyun and Baoqin knew he had come and came down from the pavilion to find him.

After finishing a game of chess, Chu Yan went up to the pavilion to view the lake. He saw that the sun was shining brightly and the lake was clear. From here, he could see the mountains and pagodas on the opposite bank, surrounded by palaces and buildings on both sides. He felt relaxed and had an idea.

"It's strangely hot today."

As he spoke, he turned to Xiangyun and the others and smiled, then instructed the eunuch, "Go and fetch a larger stone."

Baoqin noticed the Emperor's strange look earlier and quickly asked, "What does Your Majesty need the stone for?"

"You'll find out later."

Tan Chun and the others were still puzzled. Soon, the eunuch carried a head-sized rock up to the pavilion. Chu Yan took it and casually threw it into the lake below.

With a "plop," water splashed everywhere, and waves rippled across the lake.

Chu Yan was very satisfied, and Wang Xuanzhu couldn't help but ask, "What does Your Majesty want to do?"

Chu Yan smiled at them, opened his arms and said, "Come and help me undress."

All the girls blushed. Xiangyun looked around and said, "Here? It's so embarrassing, especially in broad daylight..."

Chu Yan laughed heartily: "What are you thinking about, Yun'er?"

Xiangyun blushed.

She's been corrupted these past few days. After Yingchun and Xuanzhu helped him remove his outer round-necked dragon robe, Chu Yan took off his upper garment, leaving him only in his underpants. He also took off his shoes and socks. Only then did everyone vaguely guess what he was about to do and quickly stopped him, saying, "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Chu Yan waved his hand: "I have my own plans. You all just watch. I'm going to go swimming in the lake to have some fun."

Xiangyun, Tanchun, and the others were all shocked. Upon hearing this, the eunuchs below rushed upstairs to dissuade them: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely forbidden! Your Majesty's health is a matter of great importance to the entire nation..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Emperor jumped onto the railing and stood outside the pavilion, stretching his limbs. His strong and agile body appeared even more solid and powerful under the sunlight.

"Your Majesty!!" Tan Chun stamped her foot anxiously.

Xiangyun tried to stop him, but Chu Yan waved his hand and said, "Now that I'm the emperor, can't I even make decisions on this? Swimming in the summer is nothing. There was a great man who swam in the river in the winter, and he was over sixty years old. I'm not a hothouse flower. You all wait on the shore, I'll go into the water and have some fun!"

As he spoke, he made a diving motion from the attic. After leaping up, he spun around one and a half times and plunged into the lake like a lithe dragon, disappearing from sight.

"His Majesty!!!"

Everyone was shocked.

A moment later, the emperor's figure emerged from the distance on the lake, and he began to swing his arms across the surface, swimming freely in the Langchi.

Everyone stared in disbelief. After a long while, Xiangyun finally smiled and said, "My Emperor brother is just different from other emperors!"

The eunuchs all sighed, "We've served in the palace for so long, and we never imagined that His Majesty would go swimming. What are we going to do?"

Tan Chun snapped out of her daze and hurriedly said, "Why don't we hurry up and row the boat to catch up with His Majesty!"

They then realized what was happening and hurried downstairs. Fortunately, there were two pleasure boats moored on the shore not far away, so they quickly rowed to chase after them.

Tan Chun then instructed, "Go back and tell Qingwen and the others to come and help His Majesty change his clothes. Also, tell Miss Lin and Miss Bao to come over as well. And while you're at it, tell Consort Xiande and the princess about this as well."

After calling everyone together and persuading them enough, the emperor returned.

Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Daiyu was idly doing some needlework in her room when Xueyan suddenly rushed in and shouted, "Miss, His Majesty has jumped into the water!"

Daiyu was very surprised and subconsciously stood up. She was flustered and hurriedly asked, "Did you say His Majesty fell into the water? Has he been rescued?"

Xueyan shook her head and said, "They say His Majesty jumped into the lake from the pavilion to play in the water, and the Third Miss asked you to go."

Daiyu was both anxious and puzzled. She quickly took Zijuan and Xueyan and went out. The three of them rushed to the lakeside and saw a person swimming on the lake. After recognizing that it was Chu Yan, Daiyu's heart was slightly relieved. She walked along the lake shore and called out to him twice.

Zijuan laughed and said, "Miss, your voice is too soft, I'll shout it for you." With that, she shouted loudly to the Emperor on the lake, and Xueyan also helped shout.

Perhaps having heard them, the Emperor changed direction and swam toward them.

Under a pavilion on the east side of the Thousand Steps Corridor, Chu Yan met Daiyu and smiled at her, "What brings you here, Sister Lin?"

Daiyu stood by the lake and looked at him carefully. She saw that he was radiant and full of energy, and did not seem to have lost his mind. How could he have done such a thing?

He laughed and said, "Hurry up and get ashore. You've made us worry for nothing. Look at the eunuchs behind you; they can't even catch up with you in their boats."

Chu Yan looked back and saw three or four wooden boats coming this way, but he ignored them and continued talking to Daiyu: "They're just worrying for nothing. My conquest of the world and going to the battlefield are much more dangerous than this."

Daiyu said, "They meant well, and you complain instead. Did I worry about you for no reason? If that's the case, you can continue in the lake..." But she couldn't bear it after all, and reached out her hand to him again: "Come ashore quickly and grab my hand!"

Chu Yan had originally planned to tease her and splash her with some water, but when he saw Daiyu reach out, he immediately lost the idea of ​​teasing her.

Given Lin Daiyu's frail body, it would have been difficult for her to pull him, but she still reached out her hand to him in an attempt to pull him.

So he held only Daiyu's hand, pressed his other hand firmly on the ground, and used it to prop himself up, getting himself ashore in front of Daiyu.

The lake water gushed down his tall, strong body, but he didn't care. After shaking off the water, he sat in the pavilion and waited for someone to bring him his clothes.

Daiyu smiled and said, "I only went into the water to play for a while because it was hot. When I first came here, I often swam and fished in the river. I also swam across the river during the war. The lake is much calmer here, so nothing will happen."

Daiyu didn't hear anything about "time travel." She carefully examined his body and saw that apart from being wet, there were no other injuries. She didn't pay much attention to the bulge in his underwear.

She took out her handkerchief to dry him off, and then laughed at him, saying, "You used to be a bandit, doing whatever you wanted without anyone paying attention to you. But now you're the ruler of a country, and you still jump into the lake to swim and play. Doesn't that make people worry? We're not worried about you, but if the ministers outside find out, they'll have to remonstrate with you. Let's see if you're annoyed then."

He added, "Do you intend to catch fish in the lake to eat? You are the emperor; you shouldn't be so improper."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "I would like to, but people can't swim as fast as fish, so I can't catch them. But I can catch a few when I have time and treat Sister Lin to grilled fish."

Daiyu said, "I don't care about grilled fish, you just be fine."

She couldn't believe that Chu Yan would want to jump into the lake to swim, with all the girls watching and so many eunuchs and palace maids around. How could he even think of that?

As they spoke, Daiyu wiped his face and neck with her handkerchief. Her handkerchief was too small, so Zijuan and Xueyan also brought their own handkerchiefs to help.

Chu Yan didn't see them, only looking at Daiyu in front of him. He wanted to hug her, but was worried that his wet clothes would soil her clothes.

When Daiyu saw him looking at her, she blushed and handed the wet handkerchief to Zijuan, then turned to see if anyone was coming.

The eunuchs abandoned the boat and went ashore. Seeing that the emperor was alright, they breathed a sigh of relief and stood waiting outside the pavilion.

Soon after, Xiangyun, Baoqin, and others arrived, and Qingwen and the others also came with towels and clothes.

Seeing this, Yuanyang quickly instructed Musk Moon and some palace maids to form a human wall to block the pavilion. They then dried Chu Yan's body and changed his clothes inside the pavilion.

After a while of busy work, things finally calmed down.

Seeing that they were still looking at him, Chu Yan smiled and said, "I told you it's nothing, don't worry."

Baoqin advised him, "It's common for people to play in the river in the summer, and we wouldn't dare to stop Your Majesty. But if there's a next time, wouldn't it be safer to have someone row a boat and follow, with a few good swimmers on board?"

Daiyu laughed and said, "There won't be a next time. This one time alone has made people worry to death."

Xiangyun looked at her and suddenly smiled.

Upon seeing this, Xia Shouzhong, who was standing outside the pavilion, hurriedly stepped forward with a smile and said, "Your Majesty, there is a Babaoshan Spring Water Pool in the northwest corner of Daming Palace. It is the source water that flows from the mountain spring into Langchi. The bottom of the pool is paved with pebbles, the water is clear all year round, and it is very shallow, not deep enough to submerge a person. It is perfect for playing in the water and relieving the summer heat!"

"Oh?"

Chu Yan became interested and asked a few more questions before looking at them.

Qin Keqing understood, covered her lips with her fan and laughed, saying in a sweet voice, "Does Your Majesty want to go play in the water with the ladies?"

She had just seen His Majesty jump into the lake to play, and while she was worried, she couldn't help but be captivated by his strong arms as he swam. She longed to play and laugh with the Emperor in the water.

Everyone blushed, but then thought, "No way! Could it be that they would also take off their clothes and go swimming with the Emperor?"

"Shall we go too?" Xiangyun was somewhat tempted, and looked at her sister Qin, who also seemed interested.

Daiyu was reluctant to go, but she was worried that the man would jump into the lake again, so she remained silent.

Chu Yan laughed and said, "I only realized it after I went to see it. These days are the hottest time of the dog days of summer. Playing in the water is the best way to cool off and save a lot of ice. If Lin Meimei is weak, she can play on the shore."

Foolish king!

Because there were many people around, Daiyu did not say those two words aloud, but only looked at him with her eyes.

Chu Yan quickly said, "Enough, enough talk, let's go and see for ourselves!"

Everyone was worried that he would do something reckless again, so they had no choice but to go along with him and walk together toward the mountain spring pool in the northwest corner.

(End of this chapter)