Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

Deep within the Forbidden City, in the warm pavilion to the west of the Zichen Hall.

The golden silk curtains of the bedchamber hung low, letting in a few rays of warm, bright yellow light that fell on the gilded tray beside the bed.

On the tray sat a white jade porcelain bottle, the soft jade ointment inside gleaming with a faint milky white luster and exuding a refreshing fragrance.

Su Ruan'er lay on the brocade quilt, her thin shirt pulled down to her waist, revealing several pale pink scars on her skin that had not yet completely faded, standing out starkly against her fair skin.

Emperor Wang Jiling of the Great Sheng Dynasty sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers dabbed with a little jade ointment, his movements both gentle and somewhat casual.

When the ointment touched the wound, Su Ruan'er's body trembled almost imperceptibly, but she bit her lip and remained silent.

"Does it hurt?" Wang Jiling's voice was low and hoarse, his fingers still lingering on the light pink mark. "You didn't scream when I did it."

Su Ruan'er buried her face in her hands, her voice muffled on the pillow, carrying a hint of ingratiating tenderness: "What His Majesty gave me is an honor, how could this servant feel pain?"

Wang Jiling chuckled softly, his laughter devoid of any discernible emotion.

"You're quite clever. Anyone else would probably hate me by now, but they wouldn't receive this treatment, do you understand?"

Su Ruan'er suddenly looked up, a hint of fear in her eyes, and quickly shook her head: "This servant has no hatred! It is this servant's blessing to be able to serve His Majesty..."

"It's good that you understand. I only treat you and the Empress this way."

"This servant thanks Your Majesty for your kindness!"

Wang Jiling applied the last bit of the soft jade ointment to the wounds on her back, his tone casual yet with a hint of certainty:

"Don't worry, even the Empress says this ointment is great. It's guaranteed not to leave a single scar."

Su Ruan'er stiffened, her fingers clenching the brocade quilt beneath her, and looked up at Wang Jiling:

"Your Majesty! The Empress also uses this ointment? Then this servant dares not... Please, Your Majesty..."

"Ruan'er," Wang Jiling interrupted her, "Actually, given how much I like you, it would only be a matter of a word to elevate you to the rank of concubine or imperial consort."

Su Ruan'er stiffened again, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and dared not reply.

Wang Jiling chuckled, raised his hand and pinched her chin, forcing her to look up at him: "It's just that I don't want to do that."

He gently traced the corner of her lips with his fingertips, his tone tinged with a selfish stubbornness:

"Once you are given a title, there will be many more rules in the palace. You must abide by the duties of a concubine."

Even when I see you, I have to be separated by layers of palace rules, which makes me feel constrained.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 202ᴋᴋs.ᴄᴏᴍ]

"This is much better," Wang Jiling leaned down, her voice as low as a whisper.

"You are by my side every day; I can see you whenever I want."

There's no need to be bound by those empty formalities, nor to get involved in the power struggles of the harem.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a eunuch's high-pitched voice came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, Yu Shinan, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, requests an audience with important matters!"

Wang Jiling frowned slightly, and the nonchalance in his eyes was instantly replaced by coldness.

He reached out and pulled Su Ruan'er's clothes back up, then said in a deep voice, "Summon her."

Su Ruan'er quickly straightened her clothes, stood up, lowered her head, and retreated behind the screen, not daring to breathe loudly.

Yu Shinan strode in, carrying the star chart book. He bowed slightly and spoke anxiously:

"Your Majesty! The unusual movement of the Ancestral Dragon's true energy has vanished into thin air!"

Wang Jiling's pupils contracted slightly: "What do you mean?"

Yu Shinan's voice trembled: "Your Majesty!"

A few days ago, around midnight, the aura of the ancestral dragon was so powerful that it shook the star orbits, but since yesterday, not a trace of it has been detected.

It was as if something had forcefully suppressed it, even the crimson rays on the star chart had faded to almost invisible!

"Oh? Does that prove that the reincarnated person is already dead?"

"Your subject dares not speak presumptuously!"

"The Imperial Observatory will continue to keep a close watch on the stars day and night, searching for traces of the ancestral dragon's aura. They will not slacken their efforts until they have found out the truth."

"I obey your decree."

"You may leave."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave!"

Wang Jiling raised his hand to wipe away the remaining soft jade ointment from his fingertips, his gaze sweeping over the head eunuch standing bowing beside him:

"By imperial decree, the Second Prince Wang Yu is ordered to leave the capital immediately and travel to the Jianghu to investigate."

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and his voice deepened:

Keep a close eye on those top-tier swordsmen in the martial arts world who are around eighteen years old and have a reputation for being philandering and womanizing.

"Any clue related to the aura of the Ancestral Dragon must be immediately relayed back to the Forbidden City via express courier!"

The head eunuch's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed and kowtowed, saying, "This old servant obeys the decree!"

......

With the turmoil in Yunmeng City over, Xie Xiaoyi concealed his tracks and quietly embarked on the road to the East Sea, proceeding cautiously and choosing only wild and desolate paths.

He would hide his presence during the day and conceal his tracks at night, avoiding official roads. He wanted to see how the Lingxiao Palace would still be able to keep an eye on him if he followed this route.

Sure enough, despite their efforts, not a single assassin showed up.

Before long, they arrived at the official road, where several forks suddenly appeared.

Xie Xiaoyi stopped a passing woodcutter and asked him, only to learn that one road led to the East Sea, another to Tianjing City, and yet another went straight to the capital, the Forbidden City.

He had a sudden thought. Since he had already been delayed for so long, what difference would a little more time make? Remembering the unique plum blossom wine in the capital, he decided to make a detour to the capital and have a drink first.

So Xie Xiaoyi turned around decisively and strode towards the capital, his back view light and carefree, full of the casual and unrestrained spirit of a martial arts person.

Within just three to five days, the majestic and sprawling outline of the Forbidden City came into view.

......

Zhuque Avenue was bustling with traffic, and the signs of taverns and teahouses along the street fluttered in the wind. Among them, a small shop on the corner was particularly eye-catching.

A faded wooden sign hangs from the eaves, which reads "Meixiangju".

The plum blossom wine in the shop is a specialty. It is brewed and sealed in jars in the twelfth lunar month. When it is opened in the spring, the aroma of the wine mixed with the fragrance of plum blossoms can be smelled from halfway down the street.

Xie Xiaoyi turned and walked straight into Meixiang Residence.

He chose a less crowded spot, flicked his sleeves, and tapped the table: "Waiter, a jar of plum blossom wine, and two pounds of sliced ​​braised beef!"

Before long, the amber-colored wine was poured into the rough earthenware bowl, and the fragrance of plum blossoms filled the air.

Xie Xiaoyi picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. A warm feeling rose in his throat. Just as he was savoring the taste, a figure suddenly stood in front of the table and bowed deeply to him.

"May I ask if you are Xie Mo, young hero?"

Xie Xiaoyi looked up at the sound of the voice, put down his wine bowl, and asked, "And you are?"

The man straightened up, a respectful smile on his face:

"Young Master Xie naturally doesn't know me. Back in Qingjiang City, Bai Letian City hosted a winding stream party."

The few elegant and refined poems that Young Master Xie recited during the banquet were all gems and became famous far and wide.

I was there at the time, and I was also captivated by Xie Shaoxia's poem; the memory remains vivid to this day.