Chapter 5: Recruited by Force

The place where Li Xian frequently visits does not have an official name. The residents are skilled individuals among the palace maids, which allows them to accompany the emperor to the Eastern Capital. For instance, Rong Niang is adept at massage, while others excel in telling jokes, making snacks, or performing acrobatics. In summary, their skills may not be exceptionally remarkable; they are merely prepared for unforeseen needs, yet their treatment is more favorable than that of ordinary palace maids.

He caught a glimpse of a cabinet against the wall, and without having time to think about whether something had happened inside, he quickly grabbed Helan Yan and rushed over. Upon opening it, he didn't even have the time to feel relieved that it was empty; first, he pushed Helan Yan inside, then followed closely behind and carefully closed the door. Just as he completed all of this, he heard the creaking sound of the door opening outside.

But they are not ... ...

As soon as the words were spoken, a middle-aged eunuch rushed in. Seeing only three people in the room, he immediately shouted: "You two, hurry and escort Rong Niang over there, don't keep Madam Han waiting!"

Regardless of the circumstances, dealing with the young girl afterward is certainly easier than handling the furious Li Zhi and his concubine Oh, he forgot that he is not even qualified to refer to Helan and Tu Shuyan as young girls; he is younger than she is

Li Xian coughed softly, breaking the somewhat ambiguous atmosphere, and couldn't help but mutter a phrase about familiar grass loving little cows. Seeing Rong Niang beginning to tidy herself up in preparation to serve Madam Han Guo, he felt a stir in his heart and carefully took out a silver ring from his waist, gently fastening it to Rong Niang's belt. Her slender waist had not a hint of excess flesh, and the touch was exceptionally pleasant, truly a rare find

You all wait here first

Then... the servant shall obey your command

After a moment of stunned silence, Li Xian immediately rushed forward with lightning speed, pulling the person inside and promptly shutting the door. He marveled at his quick thinking while feeling relieved that there was no one else outside. However, before he could come up with an excuse, the person exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you wearing such clothes? They look terrible!"

Rongniang, Rongniang

Since meeting Rongniang here, Li Xian has taken a liking to coming this way during his leisure time, particularly enjoying Rongniang's exceptional skill in head massage. As the Prince of Lu, he does not have to work as hard as the Crown Prince, but he still needs to study. He has a remarkable memory, yet he must conceal his talents in front of his domineering mother. Therefore, he spends two hours each day reciting those classics that he can easily memorize, which is truly not an enjoyable task

Xian'er

Li Xian and Li Hong, who were dumbfounded, still did not understand what was happening, were hurriedly pulled out of the room by Rong Niang. Once they had walked several dozen steps away from the courtyard, she finally stopped and solemnly instructed: "Lord Feng has always taken care of us, but today, I have no choice; I cannot move about freely on my own. You two will have to endure a little and follow me. Since you are people of His Highness the Prince of Lu, remember to be cautious and absolutely do not let anyone recognize you!"

Enough with the nonsense, don't I already know? Anyway, the Korean ladies don't recognize them, so mixing in will suffice, and I happen to be short on people!

Are you really going to give me such a valuable item

Hearing the moans that seemed to emanate from the very bones of Li Hong, Li Xian couldn't help but smile, contemplating whether he should devise a way to bring Rong Niang from here to his side. Some imperial physicians certainly possess this skill, but when compared to a pleasing woman, even the best techniques can sometimes fall short.

The matter here has not yet been resolved, when suddenly a voice was heard from outside www.hetushu.com, one of which unmistakably belonged to Li Zhi. At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine; having a Helan Yan barge in was already enough to cause a headache. If his father, the Emperor, were to come in and discover him dressed in the attire of a palace eunuch, wouldn't that be the end of him?

Li Hong, who had never experienced anything like this, was extremely nervous. Seeing his brother in such a state, Li Xian had to offer some words of comfort, repeatedly assuring him that no one would recognize him. Only then did Li Hong's complexion improve somewhat, though it still appeared pale with a hint of green. At this moment, Li Xian could not help but consider what would happen if they couldn't hold up later on.

With Li Hong, the most likely to expose himself, absent, Li Xian let out a sigh of relief and indulged himself in drinking tea in the room, showing no awareness of his role as a eunuch. Just as he had drunk a belly full of tea and was reflecting on how long Rong Niang had been inside without coming out, the main door was suddenly pushed open with great urgency. At that moment, he happened to look up and saw a face he absolutely did not want to see.

Along the way, they encountered two inspections, but thanks to Rongniang's handling, there were basically no mistakes. Of course, this was also due to Li Xian and Li Hong being extremely deferential, almost wishing to hide any sign of displeasure from others. Even so, Li Xian could not help but worry whether Li Zhi would notice something amiss. He and Li Hong were not like the other princes; they saw Li Zhi every day, and if something went wrong, it would be a huge problem

Aunt, at a time like this, do you still have time to discuss what looks good or bad?

Although the silver ring was the least valuable item that Li Xian could easily find, in Rong Niang's eyes, it was a finely crafted exquisite piece. Overjoyed, she took a handkerchief she had embroidered and gave it to him. Seeing this, Li Hong also wanted to give something, but after rummaging for a long time, he still could not find anything. Just as he was about to retrieve a jade pendant he kept close to him, a sudden commotion erupted outside.

Upon finally arriving at the destination, Rongniang went in to attend to Madam Han. Kind-hearted as she was, noticing that Li Hong's complexion was quite poor, she cleverly found an excuse to send him back under the pretext of fetching something. Unfortunately, Li Xian was not so fortunate, as he was left waiting in a nearby room.

So comfortable

"Sister Yan, please listen to me," Li Xian swallowed hard, trying his best to organize his thoughts. "I just changed my clothes to come out and have some fun, but I didn't expect..." He rambled on with his explanation, but seeing He Lan Yan still looking skeptical and confused, he couldn't help but feel distressed.

"Rong... Rong Jie truly has excellent skills." Li Hong finally stood up, sincerely complimenting her, while casually nodding at his younger brother, completely shedding the earlier awkwardness. Rong Niang was also pleased with the sudden appearance of Wu Lang; while enjoying the moment, she bent down to tidy up Li Hong's clothes and casually patted his face a few times, which left the young prince blushing profusely.

At this moment, watching Rongniang give acupressure to Li Hong, he lazily leaned against the door frame, closing his eyes to rest. It seemed that the last time Concubine Lady Han entered the palace was just two days ago, and now she suddenly came again; it appeared that his father, the emperor, could not resist his infidelity once more. Ah, it is said that a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a mistress. Li Zhi, back in the day, was able to sneak away to Gan Ye Temple to indulge with his mother, and now he has taken up with his sister-in-law, Concubine Lady Han. It seems that the emperors of the Tang Dynasty all have a lineage of infidelity and forbidden love.

She did not speak, but Li Xian knew that he had to be extremely cautious later. It was important to remember that, besides the Korean lady, their father was likely present as well. If their father found out that his two sons had discovered their affair, who knows what he might do in a fit of rage. He had never believed in Li Zhi's benevolence, just as he did not believe that Empress Wu lacked ambition.