"Thank you for your trouble."
Lan Miao nodded slightly.
Worries brewed in her heart.
Just entering the palace, she was merely a jade carver invited here. She didn't want to ride such a showy sedan chair at first, but once in the palace, she had to follow the emperor's arrangements. Since Han Bi and Yan Hong had repeatedly invited her, Lan Miao couldn't decline.
The sedan chair was spacious, and the soft silk curtains fluttered in the setting sun. Sitting on it was like walking on flat ground.
Lan Miao felt drowsy sitting there.
Yet she had to brace herself. This was the palace, and she was going to stay here for some time. What if she accidentally offended someone?
The incident at the empress dowager's birthday banquet was enough to show the complexity of the situation in the harem.
Sure enough, it was a good decision not to let Shuang Xi and Shuang Le come.
"Lady Lan, we're here."
As Han Bi whispered, the sedan chair was put down. Yan Hong helped Lan Miao step down slowly. They arrived in front of a quiet palace.
In the distance, the last magnificent cloud hid beneath the night sky. Palace lanterns were lit, emitting a warm, yellow glow.
This palace was not large. It was called the Lovesickness Pavilion.
The two lanterns hanging at the courtyard gate were as misty as clouds over green mountains. Lan Miao stared at them for a while. Han Bi leaned close to her ear and whispered, "The silk used to cover the lanterns is soft smoke gauze. The sky - blue color was personally chosen by His Majesty. I hope the lady will like it."
Soft smoke gauze was a tribute and extremely rare. Wealthy families would treasure it, but His Majesty used it to cover lanterns. If the soft smoke gauze caught a spark when the wind blew, it would be ruined.
One could see the extravagance in the palace.
Wisteria vines twined around the courtyard, hanging on the curtains and the swing, filling the air with a sweet fragrance. The furnishings in the pavilion were both exquisite and luxurious. The windows were like crescent moons, and the copper censer emitted curling smoke, showing the painstaking efforts of the person who had arranged it.
Lan Miao was secretly shocked.
At this time, Yan Hong leaned close to Lan Miao's ear and gently said, "Lady Lan, His Majesty said that he arranged this for you. If it doesn't suit your taste, just let us know, and we'll arrange it according to your wishes."
"..."
Lan Miao tilted her head an inch, and the faint smile on her face stiffened a bit.
"No need. I like it very much."
"Lady, this way, please."
Hearing that Lan Miao liked the room, Han Bi and Yan Hong showed gentle smiles. They invited Lan Miao into the room, served her to wash up, and specifically emphasized, "It's getting late today. Lady Lan can go to the Cining Palace to pay respects to the empress dowager tomorrow."
"Um..."
Lan Miao agreed.
After they left, Lan Miao relaxed and slumped onto the beauty's couch. Looking up, she could see the gorgeous and serene wisteria outside the window. Although this place was luxurious and comfortable, it was still someone else's place, and she couldn't feel completely at ease yet.
She sorted out her thoughts and found that the most urgent task was to carve the Mountain - in - the - Mist jade that the empress dowager wanted.
Princess Kaiyun would enter the capital soon. Even though her birthday hadn't arrived yet, she might want to see the jade in advance.
Thinking of her job as a jade carver, Lan Miao seemed to be able to extract her soul from all the complicated and intertwined troubles and quietly do her own thing.
The physical fatigue gradually dissipated invisibly.
Just as she was about to get up, the double - leaf wooden door suddenly made a harsh sound, and unhurried footsteps approached. Lan Miao's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Han Bi and Yan Hong had returned?
She really didn't want to move and softly asked, "Han Bi, is there anything else?"
There was no answer.
Looking up again, she saw a pair of black boots embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns. Above them were the golden dragon patterns printed on the corner of the robe and the green jade belt around the waist, making the person broad - shouldered and narrow - waisted, showing a sense of strength and an inexplicable coldness.
No matter how tired she was, she knew who it was.
— His Majesty.
At this moment, she was still lying crookedly on the beauty's couch, half of her body leaning against the wall and slumped on the pillow. Her appearance was a bit disheveled.
She felt bitter in her heart. His Majesty was really persistent as a ghost. She had thought she could rest first and then figure out how to deal with His Majesty, but unexpectedly, His Majesty wouldn't let her go for a moment.
As soon as Emperor Jingxiang entered, he saw this charming sight.
Lan Miao was lying casually on the couch, her beautiful eyes closed, her cheeks flushed, her lips about to part. When the wind blew, her clothes revealed her slender collarbone and fair, jade - like skin. Her curves were just right.
So the lady also had such a lazy and charming side in private?
Seeing him coming, Lan Miao hurriedly got up, but he pressed her down. Lan Miao shrank back against the wall, her cheeks blushing with shame and anger, and her breathing uneven.
"Your Majesty is here. Why didn't you let this subject's wife know?"
"Subject's wife? Isn't the lady going to divorce that dead man? Why do you still call yourself subject's wife?" Emperor Jingxiang tightly clasped her wrist, his eyes showing a strong possessiveness, and his tone very domineering.
Lan Miao looked nervous. Sure enough, His Majesty had talked to her father.
The matter of divorce was also promoted by His Majesty.
"Subject's wife..." Seeing Emperor Jingxiang's slightly constricted pupils, Lan Miao forced herself to change her self - address. "This concubine is grateful for what Your Majesty has done and for saving this concubine many times. I'll repay Your Majesty's kindness as a beast in the next life."
Emperor Jingxiang couldn't help laughing.
The hand clasping her wrist unconsciously loosened a bit.
"You can repay me in this life. Why wait until the next?"
Lan Miao bit her lip and said shyly, "This concubine doesn't have romantic feelings for Your Majesty. I'm afraid I can't repay Your Majesty in the way you want... Um..."
Before she could finish speaking, Emperor Jingxiang had already kissed her lips. He bit and sucked gently, constantly licking the fragrance on her lips. The wind under the window should have been cold, but it felt extremely hot on them. Lan Miao only felt a hot breath filling her nose and mouth, making her dizzy.
Noticing that Lan Miao was dodging, Emperor Jingxiang clasped the back of her head and pressed her to kiss. This time, the lady was very disobedient and kept dodging. He could only stop reluctantly.
Lan Miao immediately turned her head away.
As if she wanted to bury herself in the ground.
Seeing her resistant look, Emperor Jingxiang had to suppress the desire in his heart forcefully and softened his tone. "Why isn't the lady willing? You should be happy about the divorce. Did your younger sister upset you when she visited you yesterday?"
Lan Miao was immediately terrified.
Sure enough, Emperor Jingxiang had always sent people to watch her.
Fortunately, she had told the people in the yard not to talk. His Majesty didn't know what they had specifically said. Just thinking about the feeling of being constantly monitored made Lan Miao's scalp tingle. She was completely under Emperor Jingxiang's control.
The feeling of being completely in someone else's palm was not good.
It made Lan Miao feel like there was a fishbone stuck in her throat.
Lan Xin's words still seemed to ring in her ears.
She wasn't a woman who had never experienced love, and she had been pursued before, but she didn't want to be controlled step by step and lose the initiative.
Sooner or later, she would become someone's plaything.
Thinking of this, she felt that she had to take a risk. Lan Miao suddenly raised her eyes and looked directly into Emperor Jingxiang's lustful eyes. "Didn't Your Majesty say that you would give this concubine time to consider? Can you let go of this concubine first?"
Saying to consider was actually a rejection.