Falling Dreams of Fang Hua ✔

Chapter 046

Someone was drawing up the bed curtains. I opened my eyes, dazzled by the flickering candle flames. Little Li wore a cautious expression as he spoke in a low voice. "Master, it's time to eat your meal."

I lazily lifted my eyelids. The other half of the bed was already empty. "Where did his Majesty go?"

"He went to review memorials to the throne and told your servant to make sure you ate on time so you wouldn't go hungry."

"There's no rush. Get some water, I want to wash up." I draped myself in an outer robe, declining his offered hand to sit by the edge of the bed, frowning a bit as I adjusted to the soreness in my waist.

"Yes," he answered, backing away a few steps to open a door and wave furiously outside.

It seemed like someone had been in wait long beforehand because a short while later, 18 eunuchs carried in tubs of hot water as they walked in. Court ladies also came in with clean sets of clothes to place behind the folding screens. When I wanted to get up, Little Li hastily came over to support me by the arm...

I glanced at him as I realized why he was so fixated on helping me. It felt like my bones were about to fall apart. My legs were like soft silken floss with no energy in them at all. I rested a hand on my sore waist as I took tiny steps towards the screen. A peek inside revealed that the pool was already hot with rising steam.

"That's all, you're all dismissed." I gave a casual wave and shut out all the servants. Everything was nice in the imperial palace. It was a good place to enjoy a happy life of ease and comfort. If you wanted, you didn't even need to expend effort to hold chopsticks during your meals. There would naturally be people that held tasty things to your mouth to eat.

Though a lazy person like me was happy with others dressing and feeding me, having them bathe me was something I was still unused to...

You could soak in a bath and wash yourself.

If there were multiple people standing behind you, waiting to strip you naked from your immaculate clothes before enthusiastically watching as you soaked in a tub...

That was definitely hardship.

I rested against the pool's edge as the hot water soothed my tired body. A small, handleless cup of clear wine rested within arm's reach. Its surface was as smooth as jade, and a lifelike, agile white dragon was carved against its side, cool to the touch.

This must belong to the emperor. Presumably, he liked to drink a bit while he bathed.

The servants hadn't feared reprimanding when they carried over the custom to me. Right now, I was considered a figure who could dine and sleep with the Son of Heaven. In their eyes, I was probably suffused in imperial favor.

I laughed in spite of myself as I splashed water on my face.

Though I was immersed in the pool, my entire body still felt as sore as if a cart had ran over it. I gave a slight frown and groaned. The lights were always lit early in the palace, and the sun was just starting to set outside. Fiery red light shone against the paper windows. A hazy light appeared in the rooms to ignite a row of lamps, which shone against the folding screen and stirred its landscapes of mountains and water to life...gradually, the emperor's face appeared in my mind.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, submerging myself below the surface. In the warm water, my body felt slightly more comfortable. I thought of the emperor's lack of concubines in the past five years and the rumors of the male concubine in the Cold Palace, feeling that things were a bit strange.

The emperor seemed to be hiding something from me.

Forget it, I won't dwell on it.

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