Chapter 2, Self-Indulgence
Do you still like me
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty." Murong Xue took a deep breath again, revealing a gracious, poised, and virtuous smile that she had long prepared. She began to introduce the merits and strengths of each beauty to Yelv Yan, and there was not a trace of jealousy in her words.
In an instant, a phrase that countless women have uttered came rushing to her mind: All men are lecherous, and there is not a single good one among them
Murong Xue smiled gently and said, "Please take a seat"
Murong Xue slowly stepped into the water, and as the hot water touched her wound, it caused her to furrow her brow in pain. Remembering what had just happened, she gritted her teeth in anger; he actually bound her hands to the headboard with that green silk. Hmph, if he wouldn't let her have it easy, she wouldn't let him have it easy either, let them wait and see
The royal entourage has arrived
Yelv Yan attentively observed each of the beauties and graciously accepted the recommendations for Murong Xue, quickly selecting thirteen beauties. The remaining ones were allocated to the unmarried men of the royal family as per usual practice
Yelü Yan furrowed his brows and asked: "Why?"
In a pristine white jade dish, fourteen brand-name green items are arranged, crisp and fresh like an appetizing side dish, truly neat and visually appealing
The emperor waved his hand and said, "You may leave."
Thank you, Your Highness. Amidst the melodious voices of the orioles and the chatter of the swallows, each beauty, whether plump or slender, possesses her own charm and grace, truly dazzling to behold
Jia Yin, please go and call them over
Peilan, while stifling a laugh, was nonetheless worried about the Emperor's anger. With such an arrangement, these beauties could only be admired but not enjoyed, which would render their selection into the palace pointless. She anxiously stole a glance, but the Emperor did not appear angry; instead, he revealed a somewhat bemused smile, as if he were somewhat pleased.
Your Majesty, I have summoned the beautiful ladies here to arrange matters concerning the night of service.
The complexion of Consort Yu was so dark that it seemed as if ink would drip from it. Initially, I thought that Murong Xue was targeting only me, but upon glancing at the other beauties, who all wore expressions of astonishment and speechlessness, I immediately understood.
Jiayin began to sing the name of the showgirl.
The rule in the palace is to favor the green head牌. However, I believe this is rather unfair, as all the sisters enter the palace with the intention of serving the Emperor. It is not good to show favoritism; instead, it would be better to treat everyone equally, allowing each person to have two days in the palace. This way, everyone shares the benefits equally, and no one will harbor jealousy towards another, which is conducive to stability in the harem
What a timely arrival
Soon, Consort Yu and the thirteen beauties arrived at Fengyi Palace in splendid fashion. Although the newly appointed beauties had not yet been granted titles, they already exhibited the aura of the palace's master, displaying more grace and composure than they had during the selection day.
Both Dingxiang and Peilan felt a mix of admiration and reluctance in their hearts. Miss, your mastery of the word 'endure' has become increasingly refined, akin to a knife piercing through the heart.
Those two days were inconvenient for me
She slightly raised her head, gazing at the patterns of the twin dragons playing with a pearl and the dragon and phoenix presenting auspiciousness on the coffered ceiling. Taking a deep breath, she suppressed a wave of inexplicable irritation that surged within her
Murong Xue rubbed her neck and lazily leaned back against the chair
"The Queen has a keen eye; the individuals she has chosen are all outstanding." Ye Luyin remarked with a sidelong glance, his smile quite intriguing
Yelü Yan entered the palace, the only man amidst the vibrant hues of purple and red, resembling a noble orchid or a jade tree, exuding an air of elegance and grace.
How is my body? Did not the Empress experience it yesterday?
At this moment, she had already removed the long-held facade of a virtuous and gentle smile, furrowing her brows and pouting, clearly in a bad mood. However, as soon as she saw Yelü Yan turn around, she immediately forced a smile again. In her haste, the smile seemed somewhat inadequate, and Yelü Yan's gaze darkened as he turned away in silence, appearing somewhat dissatisfied
Hmph, after working hard for him for half a month, not even a word of thanks. Murong Xue glared at his back and walked away in anger
The summoned lady, known as Xiu Nu, gracefully stepped forward to kneel before the Emperor and Empress, introducing herself by stating her name and age.
Yelv Yan stood up, took a few steps, and suddenly turned back to glance at her
The following day is an auspicious date for the Emperor and Empress to personally select the candidates for the imperial consort.
Murong Xue, as the master of the imperial harem, had already conducted a preliminary selection, retaining the most outstanding candidates among the palace maidens in the Chuxiu Palace, and then invited the Emperor to personally review them. Inside the Chuxiu Palace, adorned with flowers and vibrant colors, three rows of beauties stood gracefully in the spacious hall
Murong Xue gently brushed her delicate fingers over those elegant names, smiling softly like water
Dingxiang originally intended to suggest that Murong Xue select some plain-looking beauties to keep, but unfortunately, there were simply no plain-looking beauties among them; any one of them would ignite passion in men.
Soon, the inner court prepared the green headplates for the beauties, and together with the original Jade Concubine, there were exactly fourteen in total, which were sent to the Phoenix Ritual Palace for the Empress's review
Your Majesty, I have arranged the dates for each person's attendance at your bedchamber. Murong Xue tilted her head slightly towards Jiayin and said, "Read it out."
Subsequently, all thirteen talented women requested to postpone the event, and in an instant, the expressions of each beauty were comparable to that of a red egg.
Jia Yin held the silk cloth, reciting the days of her personal service in the chamber, causing all the women in the hall to change color
Upon hearing this, all the beautiful women displayed expressions of shyness and delight. In this imperial harem, beauty is abundant, and for the emperor, mere physical beauty does not guarantee favor. They have no certainty in their hearts about whether they can win the emperor's affection. Therefore, although the opportunity to serve the emperor in bed occurs only twice a month, it may seem scarce, yet the continuous attention is indeed a good thing
Originally, these young ladies valued their reputation more than their lives, and they were all virtuous maidens, yet they were forced by Murong Xue's maneuver to abandon their pride. This was because the day Murong Xue arranged for the night of service coincided with the days of their monthly cycle.
A slanting ray of sunlight illuminated one half of Murong Xue's porcelain-white face, clearly reflecting the fine downy hair on her cheek. She resembled a beauty made of ice and snow; although possessing a breathtaking beauty, it froze the hint of spring within her heart
Murong Xuehe's gaze swept over the beauty in the painting and the book, pausing briefly on the ample and voluptuous bosom of the jade concubine.
This idea from the queen is also good
Dingxiang wanted to laugh but dared not to, secretly admiring how the young lady could come up with such a trick to tease others
Murong Xue rose and, along with the other beauties, respectfully welcomed the Emperor
Peilan and Dingxiang finally understood why she had chosen thirteen ladies of the court. With the addition of the precious concubine, there were exactly fourteen individuals. According to tradition, on the first and fifteenth days of the month, the emperor was certain to stay in the empress's palace. As for the remaining twenty-eight days, it was only fair that each person would have two days allocated to them.
Your Majesty, you are being overly sentimental
She chuckled softly and said, "I am concerned that Your Majesty's health may not be able to withstand it"
He turned her face towards him, his eyes filled with a turbulent darkness, his voice hoarse. "You still mind, don't you? You don't want me to have other women by my side, do you?"
She once laughed like a cunning little fox, once had skin as thick as a clingy puppy, once was as bold as a snow leopard, once... some images flashed before his eyes like shooting stars. He felt a tightness in his throat and pushed her back against the chair, biting her earlobe, "Are you doing this on purpose?"
Upon hearing the mention of the lead role of Consort Yu, two bold ladies-in-waiting, their faces flushed, also quietly requested to change the date, citing physical discomfort.
But as Dingxiang watched, she felt pain for the young lady's eyes; how dazzling and piercing it must be
Yu Pingting straightened her waist, a hint of pride and provocation flashing in her gaze
Murong Xue smiled and was about to speak when the voice of Qin Shu came from outside the hall.
She suddenly stood up and said angrily: "Your Majesty, I wish to change the date."
After the beautiful women expressed their gratitude and knelt in peace, the first selection of candidates after Emperor Zhao's ascension to the throne came to a successful conclusion
The beloved Consort Yu, with tears of bitterness in her eyes, cast a resentful glare at Murong Xue before turning to leave. The other beautiful ladies also followed suit and departed.
He suddenly laughed: "Are you jealous?"
Her face flushed, she turned her head away and did not look at him
The carefully selected beauties, each possessing stunning looks and graceful figures, even made Murong Xue, a woman herself, feel her heart begin to flutter. In her peripheral vision, Ye Luyin sat elegantly and leisurely on the dragon throne, his slanted brows appearing even more dashing and spirited than usual
This left Pelan perplexed
"Yes, I did it on purpose." She met his gaze, looking into his eyes without a trace of fear, only provocation: "Are you angry? Are you furious?"
"Where is everyone? What is the queen planning?" Yelv Yan sat down, casually glanced at the crowd, held Murong Xue's hand, and shot her a questioning look.
Only Murong Xue and Yelv Yan remained in the hall, the silence was unsettling
Yelü Yan squinted his eyes and asked, "What arrangements does the Empress plan to make?"
"Your Majesty," Murong Xue's smile was as radiant as a peony in spring, yet her gaze was colder than the snow plum in winter. She enunciated each word with her pearly teeth: "Do you think, after all that has happened, I would still, like you?"
Dingxiang and Peilan also tactfully withdrew