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墨書 Inktalez
Kneeling there, she rubbed her legs together, pondering how to phrase her words. Or she could simply shout at him, "You talk too much, I need to go to the restroom."
Of course, she didn't dare to do that. Urging the king was a serious offense, and the consequences could be dire—light punishment meant a reduction in salary, while severe punishment could lead to execution or the extermination of three generations. Although she had no salary to lose, she still valued her head.
Uncle Qi had shared with her his experiences over the past two years. He had built a Moon Worship Pavilion in the palace, learned to ride horses, and was preparing to promote a reliable fixture designed by Crown Prince Yan Dan that could be placed on horseback. He asked her what name he should give it.
These were the things he most wanted to discuss with Yan Dan, especially since that fixture had been developed by the two of them together. Recently, he often talked about these matters in front of the coffin, and now that he finally had San Chun, a living person, in front of him, he couldn't help but open up.
Just as he was getting into it, he noticed San Chun's awkward demeanor and couldn't help but be surprised. "Do you want some tea?" He poured a cup and placed it in front of her.
San Chun wanted to refuse but it was too late; it would be rude not to drink tea poured by the king himself. Gritting her teeth, she took a sip, which only made her urgency worse.
She twisted her robe tightly with both hands, her brows furrowing as if they were tangled together. Even the forced smile on her face carried a hint of bitterness.
Even Uncle Qi, who was usually slow on the uptake, noticed her discomfort and gently asked, "What do you need to do?"
She suddenly stood up. "Your Majesty, I need to step out for a moment."
Uncle Qi smiled softly. "Go ahead."
San Chun's face twisted in such a way that even performing a bow was difficult for her. She lifted her skirt and dashed outside; if she had known it would be this easy, she wouldn't have held it in for so long. If something went wrong from holding it in, could she still hold him accountable?
Uncle Qi watched her running figure; she moved faster than a rabbit with an extraordinary grace. A smile crept onto his lips; it had been a long time since he felt this kind of joy. Even though he had noticed her discomfort earlier, he didn't want to let her leave. He was very afraid—afraid that once she left, she might never return, just like that person from before...
San Chun indeed did not go back. She asked a palace maid where the restroom was located and after a series of sounds, immediately fled along the same path she came from. Uncle Qi allowed her to step out; it hadn't been long since she left, so even if she didn't return, it wouldn't count as disobeying orders.
The banquet in the main hall had long since ended; Madam Ju had already taken her carriage home. As soon as she left, the carriage followed suit.
Looking at the empty palace gates, San Chun felt a sense of helplessness. Was this what it felt like to be abandoned?
She had sneaked out, so naturally no one from the palace would come to see her off. Lacking the courage to return and ask for help, she could only rely on her two legs to walk back.
At this moment, dusk had just fallen, and there were quite a few people coming and going on the street, coinciding with mealtime. The major restaurants were bustling with diners. Someone sitting on the second floor drinking suddenly spotted a woman in splendid attire hurriedly walking down Main Street and couldn't help but exclaim, "Whose daughter is this? Why is she alone?"
In an instant, countless heads poked out of windows, and people on the street began to point and whisper. Some speculated that she might be a concubine who had escaped from a certain household, while others discussed that she was a newly recruited dancer from a dance troupe, having just fallen into the world of vice, yet showing no signs of it.
With such loud remarks, San Chun found it hard not to hear. She sighed, lamenting her sudden notoriety. Surely by tomorrow, the entire Daliang would know that a noble lady had been running wildly through the streets.
She covered half her face with her sleeve, fearing recognition; losing half her dignity was enough—she preferred to keep the other half hidden until she got home.
She walked quickly forward, not daring to look around or turn back. Only when she saw the gates of Ju Mansion in the distance did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Upon returning home, Ju Rong was in a heated argument with Madam Ju.
He angrily said, "You come back by yourself but leave your daughter behind. What kind of mother does that?"
Madam Ju scoffed, "If I don't come back, should I wait outside the palace? The king may want to keep someone; who knows how long that will take? Perhaps I won't return tonight either."
Ju Rong was furious. "Don't speak nonsense! Do you not care about your daughter's reputation?"
Madam Ju coldly laughed. "Does your daughter still have any reputation left?"
San Chun entered just in time to hear this remark, causing her heart to tremble. She touched her nose; she didn't care much for reputation, but she was very hungry...
She thought that running away would solve everything, but the next day, an edict arrived from the palace summoning the women of Ju Mansion at the behest of Empress Dowager Hua.
The term "women" naturally included San Chun. Just thinking about her experience being entangled by the king last night made her head ache; she feared encountering him again.
Upon entering the palace, she learned that Empress Dowager Hua had suddenly fallen ill and could not receive visitors. Madam Ju was sent back home while San Chun was brought before Uncle Qi.
Looking at the stunning King of Yan before her, San Chun felt a sense of helplessness. She lowered her head and weakly performed her greeting before kneeling down as instructed by him.
Uncle Qi looked at her half-dead appearance, with a smile in his eyes and on his brow. In fact, it was not Empress Dowager Hua who summoned her, but he wanted to see her. After their conversation the night before, he slept unusually soundly, feeling a sense of wish fulfillment. He wanted to see her but couldn't directly summon her to the palace, so he had to use Empress Dowager Hua's name.
At this moment, seeing her sitting awkwardly, he couldn't help but recall how she had rushed out the previous day. Later, he heard from a palace maid that Sister Ju had gone to the restroom, and he laughed for quite a while, holding his stomach. He had never talked so much with anyone before; no wonder he had pushed her to that point. She must hate him deeply.
He cleared his throat and said, "I called you here because I have something to discuss with you."
San Chun lowered her head and remained silent.
Uncle Qi couldn't help but put on a stern face. "You don't want to defy my orders, do you?"
She hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, please."
"We can discuss important matters later; it's already noon. Let's have lunch first."
Seeing her reluctance, he deliberately spoke coldly, "You don't want to defy my orders, do you?"
San Chun lowered her head and said, "I dare not."
"I suddenly feel like playing chess; let's have a game."
"You don't want to defy my orders, do you?"
San Chun: "..."
She gritted her teeth; did he really think she would be afraid of being forced into submission?
Well, she was indeed very afraid. The punishment for defying orders could lead to the execution of her entire family, and it would be too much of a sin if it implicated the flowers and plants in the residence.
For an entire day, she accompanied King Yan—having lunch one moment, playing chess another moment, drinking tea at another time, and strolling in the garden at yet another. By the time she could finally go home, she suddenly felt that her ears were much thicker than usual from listening to him talk incessantly.
……
Perhaps this chapter has too much to offer, and finally, it quieted down for two or three days.
Just when San Chun thought she could enjoy a few peaceful days, this king unexpectedly came to her home.
The arrival of Yan Wang shocked everyone in Ju Mansion. Although Ju Mansion was considered a royal family, it had never received such honor before, with a welcoming party lined up from the entrance to the hall. This grand occasion made Uncle Qi feel somewhat embarrassed; he wanted to meet the daughter of the family but found it difficult to speak up.
The house was filled with curious eyes. After exchanging a few words with Ju Rong, he stood up to take his leave. He arranged to come back the next day and requested that no one accompany him.
Ju Rong naturally understood his intentions; he was eager to pursue this advantageous match and wholeheartedly agreed.
The next day, when Uncle Qi returned, he quietly led someone to the back courtyard, away from San Chun's residence in the flower hall, before sending someone to announce his arrival.
San Chun had not slept well the previous night; perhaps she had napped too much during the day and couldn't fall asleep at night, only managing to doze off just before dawn.
When Uncle Qi arrived, she had just gotten out of bed. She casually tied her hair into a bun and was washing her face with a basin of water. Upon hearing the maid report that the king had come, she was startled and spilled water all over herself.
What was he doing here so early in the morning?
She hurriedly changed her clothes and rushed out. In her haste, she didn't have time to fix her makeup; she simply tied her hair up and threw on an outer robe, giving her a rather androgynous appearance.
From the moment she entered the room, Uncle Qi's dark eyes were fixed on her without blinking. His gaze was markedly different from yesterday's, making her feel flustered and confused about which foot to step in with.
She stumbled slightly, almost falling, when a hand reached out to steady her.
Uncle Qi stared at her for a long time, then this king, who possessed both authority and kindness, suddenly called out two maddening words: "Brother..."
San Chun looked around, initially thinking there were others present. However, the troubling reality was that there was no one else here besides him and her. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly; even if she lacked femininity, did it really have to be "Brother"?
She thought that since someone had called out, there should be some response, right? She touched her nose and pretended to decline, "This... Your Majesty, I truly cannot accept."
Uncle Qi seemed not to hear her words, his gaze still fixed on her as he reached out to caress her cheek. His hand was cool to the touch, making it quite pleasant against her skin. She leaned into it contentedly, letting out a sigh like a cat, only to suddenly realize that this sensation felt familiar. It seemed that in the past, someone had also touched her cheek like this.
He murmured, "Brother, is that you? Have you returned?"
San Chun felt it necessary to remind him, clearing her throat, "I am Dan, the Dan of Ju Dan, not the Dan of Ji Dan."
Everyone knew that the only brother of the king was Crown Prince Ji Dan, and Yan Dan was the respectful title people used for him.
Uncle Qi appeared to come to a realization but seemed completely unaware at the same time; he held her tightly as if he wanted to crush her slender waist.
What a similar feeling it was, what a similar expression; she, dressed in men's clothing (though it wasn't really men's clothing), resembled that person from years ago completely. Or perhaps he had truly returned; otherwise, who else could make his heart race so fast and cause him to lose himself?
He held her madly, his hands and body pressed closely against hers, like a monkey climbing a tree greeting a large trunk with body language. He kept murmuring, "Dan, you are Dan."
"Alright," San Chun conceded; no matter who he was, as long as he would let her go.
Not knowing how to pry his hands off her, she managed to push him away. Seeing him suddenly reminded her of Young Master Jingren from the State of Chu, as if afraid she would run away, wanting to tie her down with a rope.
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