Ah Jiao shielded her face with a handkerchief, trying her best not to look at Liu Che’s darkened expression.
Qin, the Chief Imperial Physician, remained equally silent, quietly writing out a prescription.
Ever since she had seen Liu Che today, Ah Jiao had felt a wave of nausea and chest tightness, even vomiting directly at the entrance of Yutang Hall. She was terrified that the residual poison hadn't been cleared, yet she also worried that the bowl of contraceptive tonic hadn't worked. She had waited for the Chief Physician with a heart suspended in mid-air.
As it turned out, the Chief Physician claimed it was because she had "eaten much and moved little" lately, coupled with a gluttonous intake of chestnuts, and topped off by a bout of vigorous lovemaking with Liu Che right after lunch...
In other words, she was simply stuffed.
Liu Che’s face had turned black on the spot.
"Your Majesty~" Ah Jiao attempted a flirtatious glance, but Liu Che ignored her entirely.
The Emperor sat perfectly upright. "Since that is the case, go out and walk for half an hour to aid your digestion. Bathe and change before you come to see me again."
Ah Jiao’s almond-shaped eyes widened. Half an hour? Did he have no pity for his newly acquired beauty? Her legs were still aching!
"Your Majesty, I..."
"Guo Dun, take her out!" Liu Che waved his hand dismissively.
Guo Dun stepped forward to lead Ah Jiao away.
The moment Ah Jiao’s figure disappeared through the doorway, Liu Che’s expression returned to a mask of indifference. "Yang得意, go and invite Huan Jun."
Yang得意 was startled but bowed and withdrew.
Liu Che opened a pouch, took out the red pearl inside, and set it upon his desk.
***
Ah Jiao slumped against a large green rock by the edge of Taiye Pond, too exhausted to care about the expressions of those around her. She truly couldn't walk another step. Mian Fu and Nan Ke stood beside her, one fanning her and the other shielding her from the sun.
She had heard that this pond was excavated in the first year of the Yuanfeng era, drawing water from the Wei River. The scenery of water and mountains here was quite moving. In the center of the pond stood the Jiantai, a terrace over twenty zhang high. Ah Jiao gazed at it from afar, unable to suppress a sigh at how well Liu Che knew how to enjoy himself.
"Officer Guo, come here." Ah Jiao wiped the sweat from her brow. It was still early and the sun was out; she was finding it difficult to endure.
"Does the Noble Lady have any instructions?" Guo Dun approached. Although the Emperor had already graced this woman with his favor, he had not yet granted her a formal title. Calling her 'Madam' felt inappropriate, and 'Young Mistress' wasn't quite right either, so Guo Dun settled on 'Noble Lady.'
"It’s been about long enough. Let us head back," Ah Jiao said, sitting up.
"As you command."
Ah Jiao massaged her legs; they felt completely devoid of strength. She had no choice but to say, "I must trouble you to summon a palanquin for me."
Seeing her state, Guo Dun knew she wasn't merely being lazy or making excuses. He signaled a young eunuch to go and fetch the litter.
By now, Ah Jiao’s face was flushed red from the heat.
"Officer Guo, why are you idling here today?" a delicate, sweet voice rang out.
Taiye Pond was indeed a fine place—beautiful and close to Yutang Hall, making it the perfect spot for these dainty beauties to wander aimlessly.
"This official greets Beauty Shao, Lady Yang, and Lady Sui."
Ah Jiao couldn't tell who was who and didn't bother to look.
"Hmph, who is this woman? How undisciplined, failing to even pay her respects to Sister Shao," the woman on the right said, glancing toward the woman in the center.
Ah Jiao remained silent. She was too tired to speak, and the insides of her thighs were stinging with a burning pain.
"Hehe," Beauty Shao chuckled softly. "This little sister certainly puts on grand airs."
Ah Jiao finally snapped back to reality. These women might not have come here to intercept Liu Che; it felt more like they were here to block her path.
Seeing Ah Jiao’s silence, the woman on the right grew visibly irritated. She barked, "How bold of you! Do you no longer understand the etiquette of status and rank?"
Ah Jiao lifted her eyelids lazily. "How can you be so certain that you are the superior and I am the inferior?"
The three women froze. Finally, the woman on the left spoke up. "Sister Shao, Sister Yang, perhaps we should head back."
Lady Yang was unwilling to let it go. "Sister Sui, why are you so timid? I haven't heard of His Majesty conferring the title of 'Madam' on anyone new these past few days."
Ah Jiao didn't care to listen further and slumped back down.
The three women were now both incensed and humiliated. Lady Yang stepped forward, reaching out to grab Ah Jiao’s arm.
Nan Ke immediately blocked her path. Lady Yang shouted to her attendants, "Seize this woman who dares to offend her superiors!"
Guo Dun curled his lip. No wonder this Lady Yang had lost favor less than half a year after being noticed.
Guo Dun spoke up: "This Noble Lady must return to Yutang Hall to report to His Majesty. I fear she cannot go with you, Lady Yang. If you wish to argue the matter, why not accompany me to Yutang Hall to speak before the Emperor?"
Lady Yang was struck dumb.
For a moment, the three of them could neither leave nor stay.
After a tense standoff, the palanquin arrived. Only then did Nan Ke step back to help Ah Jiao onto the litter with Mian Fu’s assistance.
Guo Dun turned to give a brief nod to the three women before following the palanquin away. Beauty Shao’s face was pale, and Lady Yang was nearly moved to tears by frustration.
***
Ah Jiao was carried to a side hall of Yutang Hall. Seeing the palace maid who came out to meet her, Ah Jiao’s eyes brightened. Yu Li—an old acquaintance.
Yu Li performed a salute and said, "His Majesty has commanded me to assist the Noble Lady in bathing and changing."
Ah Jiao nodded and, putting on a frail and weary act, allowed herself to be supported into the hall.
The bath was a square of one zhang, with banks made of fine jade and ladles carved from giant clam shells. Brocade screens were arranged around the perimeter for privacy, and copper pipes allowed fresh water to flow in while waste water drained out. Sitting on a specially made small stool, the water reached exactly to her neck.
Soaking in the water, Ah Jiao felt her entire body relax. That scoundrel Liu Che—he had left two bruised finger marks on her waist.
She let the maids scrub her, inwardly cursing Liu Che until she eventually drifted into a daze.
When Liu Che entered, he saw Ah Jiao asleep, leaning against the edge of the pool.
He raised his hand, and palace maids immediately came forward to undress him. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them, and they withdrew without a sound.
Liu Che lifted Ah Jiao’s hair. She woke instantly, her eyes hazy and unfocused.
The sight stirred Liu Che’s heart. He leaned in and kissed her eyes. Perhaps from soaking in the bath for so long, her entire body was flushed pink, like a drunken hibiscus at noon.
Ah Jiao reached out to cover her chest. Liu Che caught her hand and kissed her earlobe, then trailed his lips downward to her collarbone.
The original Chen Wan had been a slender, willow-like beauty, but since Ah Jiao had taken over the body, she had been quite gluttonous. In just half a month, her waist had thickened by a small circle.
Ah Jiao felt her body turn soft and weak. She could only cling to Liu Che. "Your Majesty, are you intending to indulge in carnal pleasures in broad daylight?"
To be honest, Ah Jiao felt that after two years, Liu Che actually looked younger. He had fewer white hairs, and even his slight belly had diminished significantly.
Liu Che chuckled, his bite making Ah Jiao shiver. She pushed him away. "Are you a dog?"
"Hmm?" Liu Che’s expression soured. He pulled her into his arms, kissing and biting her.
Ah Jiao grabbed a handful of flower petals floating on the water and threw them at his face. Liu Che wasn't angered; instead, he used the buoyancy of the water to lift her hips.
Ah Jiao dodged backward and laughed. "Your Majesty is so impatient, yet I suspect you don't even know who I am." She sincerely felt that Liu Che might not actually know this body's name—though he likely knew her surname was Chen because of Chen Yang and Chen Chuo.
Liu Che cupped the woman’s face, staring at her intently. After a long moment, he leaned down to take her ear into his mouth and whispered with a haunting smile, "Of course I know who you are."
Ah Jiao found his tone strange. Before she could wonder further, she heard him say, "But do you know that I know who you are?"
Ah Jiao smiled. "Your Majesty just said you knew. I am truly moved to tears of joy."
Liu Che looked up at her. Suddenly, he thrust two fingers into her mouth, pinching her tongue. "This tongue of yours... I truly wish to cut it out. Not a single word of goodness ever comes from it."
Ah Jiao: "???" What did that mean? She had been flattering him with nothing but sweet words this whole time.
Liu Che pulled back, wiped the saliva from his fingers onto Ah Jiao’s skin, and sat down against the wall of the pool. "Come here. Scrub my back."
Ah Jiao moved to stand up. "Then I shall call the sisters from outside to come in."
Liu Che grabbed her. "I said *you*."
Ah Jiao hesitated for a moment, then patted her stomach. Thinking that Lord Yun He was already waiting here and she couldn't afford to lose her life just yet, she resigned herself to her fate. She stood up, took a cloth from a rack holding dozens of them, and began to scrub Liu Che.
She had never scrubbed anyone’s back in her life.
Wait, that wasn't right. It seemed she had. Back when she and Liu Che were first married, the two of them would often play in the bath, creating quite a sensual scene...
Ah Jiao: "..."
"What is it?" Liu Che lifted her head.
Ah Jiao replied honestly, "I have never served anyone in the bath before."
Liu Che laughed. "And should you have?"
Ah Jiao was stifled. "???" She grabbed the cloth and a piece of pumice, took a handful of bath beans, and began to scrub with great force.
After huffing and puffing to get Liu Che clean, Ah Jiao felt she had broken into another sweat. Her hair had been washed for nothing. She slumped onto the bath stool, nearly sliding into the water.
Liu Che pulled her to the side where the fresh water entered, letting her rinse off before he stood up.
Ah Jiao wanted to grab a blanket to wrap herself, but Liu Che pulled her directly past the brocade screens toward the bed. The room was warm, filled with the fresh scent of flowers and fruit.
Ah Jiao instinctively covered her stomach. Although she had never been pregnant in her past life, she knew that one shouldn't engage in intimacy during pregnancy. Furthermore, the thought that the child she carried was technically her superior filled her with a sense of shame.
She pulled the quilt over her body and rolled to the inner side of the bed. Liu Che grabbed her ankle and dragged her back to the edge, looming over her.
"Be good, don't struggle," Liu Che murmured, pinning her down while kissing her. Taking advantage of her weakness, he began to move his hands.
The man pressed against her, biting her plump, pink lips.
"Sss—" Ah Jiao hissed in pain.
The man chuckled in her ear. "Does it feel good?"
"It does not," Ah Jiao answered truthfully. It really hurt. She didn't remember what it was like when she and Liu Che were first husband and wife, but right now, it genuinely hurt.
Seeing that her expression wasn't faked, Liu Che laughed again. "So delicate. This afternoon, you were the one who insisted on walking for half an hour out of shame and anger; I didn't force you to walk that long. Did you injure yourself somewhere? Now you're crying out in pain again."
Ah Jiao let out a cold snort, her voice trembling. "Your Majesty... gave... the order. Could I... dare to... disobey?"
Liu Che lifted his upper body slightly, gazing at her. "Do not throw a tantrum with me. I dislike it most when women lose their tempers." A moment later, he smiled. "It will feel good in a moment. Does it feel good?"
Ah Jiao’s eyes reddened. "It doesn't."
Liu Che straightened up. Ah Jiao cried out in pain, tears falling. He frowned and looked down, seeing a slight trace of blood seeping from her delicate skin.
He quickly withdrew to look closer; it turned out a patch of skin had been torn.
The man instantly found the situation utterly dull. He dressed himself and threw down a final sentence: "Call for a female physician yourself. I have official business to attend to."
Then, he left.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
太液池 | Taiye Pond | A famous imperial pond in the Han palace.
玉堂 | Yutang Hall | "Jade Hall," a residence within the palace.
美人 | Beauty | A rank for imperial concubines.
七子 | Lady of the Seventh Rank | A rank for imperial concubines (Qizi).
醉芙蓉 | Drunken Hibiscus | Hibiscus mutabilis; a flower that changes color from white to pink/red.
渐台 | Jiantai | "Gradual Terrace," a high structure built within Taiye Pond.
澡豆 | Bath beans | An ancient Chinese cleansing powder made from ground beans and herbs.
瑜石 | Fine Jade/Stone | A type of beautiful, high-quality stone or jade.
砗磲 | Giant Clam Shell | Tridacna; often used as a precious material for vessels.
文锦步障 | Brocade Screens | Decorative screens used for privacy.
