Remnant King's Concubine

Chapter 23
Behind the door, there is a pool of red flowers and green water, with a few rays of sunlight coming in through the window, which looks like a dream.He walked in with a small body in a daze, and bent down to play in the water when he reached the edge of the pool.

Ji Liangruo came in after him, saw him like this, feared that he would drown, so hurriedly hugged him: "Emperor's eldest grandson, don't do it!"

"Ah—" He was startled, and the agate in his palm fell into the pool with a thud, disappearing under the floating petals.

Ji Liangruo was busy looking around the room, but hugged him tightly, and didn't notice that the agate fell into the pool.She scanned the surrounding area, and it was clearly a place for people to bathe. The layout was simple, yet delicate.She thought that only women would scatter flower petals when bathing, and sighed secretly: The emperor really dotes on the concubine Ming, and built such a big pool for her to bathe, Ruji can only use one wooden barrel every time...

The eldest grandson of the emperor twisted his body and looked at her: "The bead has fallen."

"What?" She recovered.

"The bead has fallen." The eldest grandson of the emperor pointed to the surface of the water.

She opened her eyes wide: "Did it fall?"

"Pick it up, I want to play." He tugged on her sleeve.

She looked at the wet petals, a little hesitant, this is for the imperial concubine to bathe, how can her hands get dirty?
"Sister, pick up the beads..." the eldest grandson urged.

"Okay, you wait." She asked him to stand behind her, then knelt down by the pool, bent down to fish.

When her fingers were submerged in the water, she felt a burst of coolness. She swiped her hand back under the water, and the petals around her slowly swam away.

"Where is it?" The eldest grandson of the emperor lay on her shoulder, looking down with sparkling eyes.

She stretched her arm down, but she didn't reach the end, and said: "Wait, the water is very deep, and I haven't touched it yet."

She moved her position, and wanted to get down to touch it, when she suddenly heard a man's voice from outside: "I want to take a bath, please don't bother me."

She was startled, and the eldest grandson of the emperor was also startled. He hugged her tightly and asked softly, "What should I do?"

"I..." How did she know?

Outside, the eunuch was asking for instructions, but Qin Yunyao hadn't come in yet.The eldest grandson of the emperor looked around, pointing to a planning table at the foot of the wall: "You can hide there."

When Ji Liangruo saw it, he didn't think about why the majestic eldest grandson wanted to hide, and immediately led him and ran over, and slipped in.There is a curtain on the table, and people hide under it, so they are not afraid of being discovered.

The eldest grandson of the emperor giggled, feeling a little excited: "Hide and seek!"

When Ji Liangruo heard the sound of the door opening, he immediately covered his mouth and took a long time to let go.The two hid below, not daring to move.

After a while, the sound of water and a man's sigh came from outside.Her heart was beating non-stop, afraid of being discovered, and also afraid...of being discovered.She still understands that men and women have different reasons. She is a girl, hiding in the men's bathroom, it's just not right.

The eldest grandson of the emperor secretly opened the table curtain and looked out. It took her a long time to realize that he was doing this, so she hurriedly pulled down the table curtain to hint him not to move.He pouted, refused to listen to her, and pulled up the curtain of the table.

She lowered her voice and said, "I will be discovered!"

"I want to see my fourth uncle!" The eldest grandson of the emperor was anxious, and his voice was a little loud.

Qin Yunyao outside heard Ji Liangruo's voice, thought it was some court lady who came to him on purpose, and didn't want to pay any attention to him in a daze.Hearing his little nephew's voice at this moment, he looked over suspiciously: "Ji'er? Is that you?"

"Ah!" The grandson of the emperor yelled, "It's not me!" Then he got out of the table and ran away.

Pushed back by him, Ji Liangruo lifted the curtain of the table and climbed out one step later, only to see his small figure disappearing through the crack of the door.In addition, a tall figure stood by the water, and she was stunned.

"I..." She lowered her head and crawled outside, "Your maidservant will go right away..."

"Stop!" Qin Yunyao scolded in a low voice.

She froze, not daring to move.

He was wearing a robe that he had put on in a hurry, but he was not fully dressed yet.He stretched out his hand to tie the ribbon around his waist, and walked slowly towards her.

Seeing him walking towards her step by step, she hurriedly backed away in fright. After taking a few steps, her back touched the foot of the table, and she couldn't move any more.She turned sideways and wanted to get under the table, but he had already walked in front of her.She raised her chin timidly and looked at him in surprise.

He was covered in a red silk robe, with dripping black hair and a long body, unlike any man she had ever seen before.He is like a bright moon, with his brilliance, his loneliness, and his desolation.

He looked down at her, and she curled up into a small ball, weak and helpless.

His lips were slightly hooked, and a gleam flashed in his eyes, and he asked her: "Do you want to be my concubine?"

"No!" she blurted out looking at him.

"Isn't it? Then why did you peek at me taking a shower?" He squatted down beside her.

"I..." She ducked to the side, "No way!"

"No? Is your position just right?" He moved closer to her, his eyes level with hers, and then looked into the bathtub.

"I didn't want to peek..." She cried anxiously.

"But you saw it." He lowered his face, "Girls, you can't show your body to a man, and you can't just look at a man's body. If you see it, you have to marry him. You must want to see me, and then marry me." Give it to me, so that I can enjoy the glory and wealth, just like those empresses outside."

"No!" she said loudly, "I don't want to marry you! I don't want to be a concubine either! I just want to pick up pearls!"

"Is this bead?" He spread out his right hand, with an agate bead in his palm, and the red sleeve covered half of his palm, making the bead unprovoked and enchanting.

She reached out to take it, but he withdrew his palm and covered the agate with his slender fingers: "This belongs to the eldest grandson of the emperor."

"I'm taking the emperor's eldest grandson to play..." She hurriedly explained.

He interrupted her: "You want beads, exchange them for something."

"I have nothing to give you in exchange."

"What do you have on you?" He looked at her, saw a red string around her neck, stretched out his hand and pulled it out, and tied a thumb-sized wooden pendant at the bottom.The pendant is carved in the shape of a leaf, and the material is ordinary elm, which is not precious.On the back of the pendant are engraved four words "cool as a clear spring".

"What is this?" he asked.

"My mother left it to me."

"Where's your mother?"

"She's dead..." Thinking of her deceased mother, and the situation of leaving her hometown and living under a fence, she began to cry.

He paused for a moment, then quickly gathered the wooden pendant in his palm: "Exchange this."

"Don't!" She reached out to hold his hand, held it, and let it go immediately.

"Yes!" he said forcefully, "I'll return it to you in the future. If you don't change it, I won't return the bead to you. I'll see what you can give to the emperor's eldest grandson, the second prince, and the emperor! With so many people, you will be beheaded."

"But..." She thought about her mother, wanted to survive, and hesitated.And he had already untied the red rope, she watched with tears in her eyes, very reluctant to part.

He took her worthless wooden pendant, and returned the agate bead to her: "Okay, you go, I won't pursue what you peeked at, and I won't tell anyone else, so you won't be punished."

She stood up, looking like a dumb man eating coptis, and walked out holding agate in both hands.She read her mother's relics, turned her head every three steps, and looked at him with tears in her eyes.

When she walked to the door, when she turned her head for the third time, he suddenly rushed over and grabbed her: "Will you be my concubine when you grow up?"

She was startled, and shook her head instinctively, but her face showed hesitation.He is the master, and he still holds her mother's relics, she dare not resist too thoroughly.

He knew that her hesitation was not due to her reluctance to be honored, but she did not dare to disobey, so he coaxed: "If you become my concubine, no one will bully you. The empress will not scold you, the mother will not beat you, I can do it." Take you out of the palace, wherever you want to go..."

(End of this chapter)