CH 48.2

It was unknown how long Liao Qing Qing had slept.

When she woke up, she felt sore all over, especially her lower body. It took her a while to recall what had happened last night. Emperor Jing Li did it in seconds, and then he felt embarrassed. After that, Emperor Jing Li stood up. Lastly… She sat up abruptly.

“Ah.” She cried out in pain.

Upon hearing the sound, He Xiang got up and walked in quickly, “Mistress, you’re awake.”

“Mm.” Liao Qing Qing answered. She looked down at the blanket and subconsciously looked at her inner garment.[1]It was as if everything was different from last night. She turned her head to look at He Xiang. With a slightly warm face, she asked, “Did you change my clothes?”

“Responding to Mistress, it was Your Majesty who changed Mistress’s clothes. This maidservant only changed the bedsheets.” When she said this, He Xiang blushed a little. She did not expect the sheets and blanket that His Majesty and Mistress slept on to be wrinkled in such a manner, nor did she expect the sheets and blanket to…

Liao Qing Qing was embarrassed for a moment. She asked, “His Majesty wouldn’t have given me a bath, right?”

“He didn’t.”

Liao Qing Qing let out a sigh of relief.

He Xiang said, “His Majesty wiped Mistress’s body.”

“….” Liao Qing Qing’s face was also a little warm. She asked, “Where is His Majesty?”

He Xiang replied, “His Majesty accompanied Mistress just now. But a junior eunuch came to inform that there was something to report from the Ministry of Appointments, so His Majesty went to the Imperial Study to deliberate and he will return in the evening.”

“What time is it now?”

“It’s past Wushi (11 am to 1 pm).”

What?

It is past Wushi (11 am to 1 pm)?

Did she sleep through the entire afternoon?

She had actually slept for so long!

“Mistress, don’t be alarmed. His Majesty said that you don’t need to go to Shouxi Palace or the Department of Agricultural Products today. You can just rest in Lisheng Pavilion. Both the Empress Dowager and the Department of Agricultural Products know that you are not feeling well.”

Good, good… Thoughtful Emperor Jing Li.

He Xiang asked, “Mistress, you’re hungry, right?”

Liao Qing Qing was far more than hungry; she was practically starving.

He Xiang said, “This maidservant will have someone bring you a meal.”

“Alright.” Liao Qing Qing nodded her head.

Under the service of He Xiang, Liao Qing Qing put on her clothes. There was still a slight soreness between her legs, but Emperor Jing Li probably applied some ointment, so it didn’t hurt as much as she thought.

However, just when she thought of Emperor Jing Li bathing, dressing, and applying ointment… She had never been so intimate to a man in her two lives.

Then thinking back to Emperor Jing Li’s pectoral muscles, abs, sense of power…

Inexplicably, her heart raced.

“Mistress,” He Xiang called.

“Hm?”

“I’ll eat.”

Liao Qing Qing retracted from her thoughts, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.

She was famished and had eaten quite a lot of chicken, fish, and pastries.

After eating, she was still tired and sleepy.

After a while, she lay on the bed again and slept for a shichen (two hours). After she got up again, she felt as if she was alive and her body wasn’t sore anymore.

She thought about how she couldn’t give up learning from Empress Dowager and Virtuous Consort about managing the harem halfway.

It seemed inappropriate to go to Virtuous Consort’s palace today.

Hence, she went to Shouxi Palace.

Who knew that Empress Dowager would say, “You were so tired from attending last night. Don’t come over today. If not, your body can’t take it.”

Liao Qing Qing’s face immediately flushed.

This kind of thing was probably something that Emperor Jing Li had told the Empress Dowager, and even if he hadn’t said it explicitly, Emperor Jing Li had hinted it to the Empress Dowager.

This Emperor Jing Li is too lewd.

He is too unrestrained!

Empress Dowager added, “We will not study today. Have some tea with this grieving one.”[2]

Liao Qing Qing had no choice but to accompany Empress Dowager to drink tea for a while.

She only left Shouxi Palace during the evening.

Once she arrived at Lisheng Pavilion, she saw Emperor Jing Li sitting in the hall drinking tea and looking at her.

The moment their eyes met. Liao Qing Qing suddenly thought of the passionate night yesterday, causing her heart to thump. She also realised that Emperor Jing Li also seemed a little shy. Emperor Jing Li thought of his first time, which was simply a stain on his life, and then thought of the second and third time… Of how he was so brave, forcing his first time to flush out of his head. He recalled last night’s scene. Deep down, he felt so warm and excited but unknowingly bashful.

The two of them lowered their heads together.

When He Xiang naturally paid her respects, Liao Qing Qing followed suit.

Emperor Jing Li quickly went forward, took Liao Qing Qing’s hand and said, “I’ve told you before that there’s no need to be so formal in private.”

This is not in private either. There are several palace maids and eunuchs around.

Liao Qing Qing still did every step appropriate to the occasion.

Emperor Jing Li also didn’t say a word.

This time, the two of them held hands, which in turn eased the shyness between them, and then Emperor Jing Li began to advance. He took Liao Qing Qing’s hand and did not let go. He Xiang and the others naturally retired. He secretly asked, “Does it hurt?”

Liao Qing Qing did not understand what he meant by this random question. Her eyes contained confusion. “What hurts?”

“There.”

“Where?”

“Just your particular area.”

“My which… “Liao Qing Qing suddenly understood before she finished her sentence. Her face immediately started to heat up. She wanted to whack Emperor Jing Li to death. She was really blind to think that Emperor Jing Li was a cold person back then. As they got along more, she realised that this eldest master was a taciturn man.

No, he is an openly lewd man.

He could say anything in front of her.

“Does it still hurt?” Emperor Jing Li asked again.

Liao Qing Qing really wanted to hit someone. She said through gritted teeth, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Did it hurt last night?” Emperor Jing Li asked.

“???”

“I was clearly very, very gentle, but you still cried out in pain.”

Liao Qing Qing couldn’t listen any longer and shouted in slight anger, “Your Majesty!”

“What’s wrong?” Emperor Jing Li saked.

“Don’t say anymore!”

“Why?”

“It’s the kind of matter that you don’t talk about in broad daylight.”

“So I can say it at night?”

“Your Majesty.” Liao Qing Qing was rendered speechless.

Emperor Jing Li began to laugh. He extended his arms and wrapped them around Liao Qing Qing. He kissed her on the forehead and said, ‘What’s there to be shy of?”

Liao Qing Qing, “….”

“You must be hungry. Let’s have our meal first.”

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Emperor Jing Li pulled Liao Qing Qing to have their meal. He took great care of Liao Qing Qing, gave Liao Qing Qing dishes and served her soup. He Xiang and the others on the side had shocked expressions on their faces. However, on second thought, His Majesty had always favoured their mistress so much. They were all happy for Liao Qing Qing in their hearts.

On the contrary, Liao Qing Qing was extremely not used to this.

She always felt that Emperor Jing Li was up to no good.

After having their dinner under Emperor Jing Li’s enthusiastic care and resting for a while, she took a bath and was about to sit on the soft couch to read a book when Emperor Jing Li suddenly approached her.

“Qing Qing, you said just now that it doesn’t hurt anymore, right?” Emperor Jing Li asked.

“???”

“Then let’s continue tonight.”

“???”

“I didn’t even enjoy myself to my heart’s content last night.”

“???”

The author has something to say: —

Liao Qing Qing: Le-Lewd. This imperial concubine just can’t win.

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Emperor Jing Li: ???

[1] 中衣(zhōng yī)- Inner garments, mostly white cotton or silk. Also called zhongdan(中单).

[2] 哀家(āijiā)- This grieving one/ I (self-referring by a widowed empress etc, used in historical novels and operas)