"Keep your head up."
The cold sound was like a sound rushing straight into the eardrums from the cracks of hell. Song Baozhu, who was already shivering with his eyes closed, couldn't help but tremble even more violently.
Seeing Song Baozhu biting her lower lip and remaining motionless, the man scolded as if he was irritated: "I told you to raise your head!"
Song Baozhu suddenly opened his eyes, raised his head and looked forward with tears in his eyes. The figure in the light couldn't see clearly what it looked like, but Song Baozhu could only stare at the corner of the malicious mouth, helplessness threatening to overflow his eyes.
"Repeat what I have taught you these past few days." The female voice sounded again. Although it was much softer, to Song Baozhu, it was still like the whisper of a devil.
Song Baozhu knelt down on the ground. Without a strand of hair on his body, he could only wrap his hands around his chest in embarrassment and curl up his legs. But he was afraid of the person in front of him, so he had to raise his head with a look of humiliation on his face.
"Nu Baozhu, I am willing to serve your majesty. Let your majesty spend this night happily." Song Baozhu tried his best to suppress the sobs in his throat and finished the sentence mechanically.
As if he had expected it, the man clicked his tongue impatiently, and Song Baozhu's heart fell into the abyss.
"Miss Song, even if a woman like you is placed on the bed, she will only be boring."
A mocking voice accompanied by humiliating words rang in Song Baozhu's ears. Suddenly I felt like the world was spinning, I couldn't hold it any longer, and my eyes were completely dark.
call-!
Song Baozhu opened his eyes suddenly, and his clothes were almost soaked with cold sweat.
Song Baozhu raised her head and rubbed her throbbing forehead. Yes, she was no longer in the Mi Gen Kingdom, but on the way to the Li Kingdom.
Song Baozhu's maid Yuenu saw that Song Baozhu had woken up, and stepped forward with concern to ask how Song Baozhu was sleeping.
Song Baozhu was disturbed by the nightmare and could only prevaricate randomly. The sound of the carriage gradually stopped, Song Baozhu opened the sedan curtain, and the sunlight poured into the car. Song Baozhu couldn't help but squinted his eyes and looked ahead hard.
"Girl, it seems that we are far away from the border of Mi Gen Kingdom. If we go a little further, we will reach Li Kingdom." Yue Nu also looked at the scenery outside the window curiously, as if answering the question on Song Baozhu's face.
But Song Baozhu's face couldn't tell whether he was sad or happy. He just nodded indifferently and lowered the curtain indifferently.
A signal came from the team to rest in place. After many days of traveling, the bones in Song Baozhu's body seemed to be falling apart.
After Yue Nu's persuasion, Song Baozhu was reluctant to get out of the car and take a walk.
Before walking to the camp, there were already several women sitting around the campfire, looking at the two Song Baozhu who were walking slowly with complicated eyes.
There was a beautiful woman among them, and when she saw Song Baozhu, her eyes became even more provocative.
Immediately, whispers started to sound, and those harsh words were like knives coming towards Song Baozhu. Yue Nu could not help but glare, but Song Baozhu turned a deaf ear and only saw the broad river in front of him.
Standing on the river beach, the wind picked up my hair on the side of my ears. Song Baozhu couldn't help but let go of the depression in her heart for many days. She couldn't help but spread her arms and feel the gift of sunshine.
The glinting river water reflects the light, making Song Baozhu's skin look like watery white lotus roots, with a pair of loving eyes and cherry-red lips.
Song Baozhu's beauty has already become famous in the country since she danced in Huayang Palace at the age of fourteen.
But sometimes such beauty is not a gift, but brings endless sorrow to Song Baozhu.
"I don't know what she is doing these days. She doesn't even get off the carriage and doesn't even bother to talk to us."
"I'm afraid... Hahaha, I'm still dreaming of becoming the crown prince's concubine!"
Yue Nu was so angry that she stamped her feet and was about to rush towards the beauties who were saying harsh words, but Song Baozhu held her back.
"Yue Nu," Song Baozhu's voice sounded slowly, as calm as the expression on her face. "There is no need to be angry with this kind of person."
They originally planned to calm down the matter, but Song Baozhu's words angered the woman who had just taken the lead.
I saw a beautiful woman standing up, with a pair of pink and phoenix eyes full of spring, and her small and delicate face full of anger. She shouted at Song Baozhu's back: "What do you mean by this kind of person!"
As if she felt they were too far apart, the woman held up her skirt and walked over. As if taking the lead, the other beauties followed closely behind.
"Hey!" With a scolding, Song Baozhu turned around calmly and looked helplessly at Jin Hongyi, who was full of anger.
Originally, in his homeland, Jin Hongyi's father was still a subordinate of Song Baozhu's father. But now that both of them have become equal tribute girls, Jin Hongyi will of course avenge herself for being upstaged by Song Baozhu in Huayang Palace.
"What do you mean by such a person? Does Miss Song still think that she is still the most popular candidate for the crown prince's concubine?" Jin Hongyi's arrogant breath almost hit Song Baozhu, and her frown couldn't help but deepen a little. .
"I never thought so, it's just a rumor from the world." Song Baozhu replied truthfully.
But Jin Hongyi remained unyielding, with his hands folded and his eyebrows slightly raised. "Yes, now that I have become a tribute girl, I will inevitably feel a little disappointed."
As soon as Jin Hongyi said this, the other beauties echoed and said yes, yes.
Song Baozhu smiled bitterly, like pear blossoms rustling after the rain, as if they were about to break in the next second. "We all have no choice but to become tribute girls. There is really no point in competing here."
At the mention of this, Jin Hongyi became even more interested, pacing back and forth in front of Song Baozhu with a contemptuous smile. "That's right. I'm not sure whether I can be selected by then."
Song Baozhu's patience had almost reached its limit. He glanced coldly at Jin Hongyi and the beauties who were still unaware of their situation, and felt sad in his heart.
Song Baozhu, who returned to the carriage, let out a long breath.
Seeing this, Yue Nu worriedly handed over the hot water, "Miss, I know you are sad to leave your family, but you'd better not conflict with the red lady and the others, after all..."
Song Baozhu blew the hot water and heard Yue Nu's hesitation, and followed her words: "After all, from now on, we will all serve the same emperor and stay in the same harem, right?"
Seeing Song Baozhu's relaxed tone, Yue Nu nodded in response.
But Song Baozhu smiled bitterly again, and his hand holding the hot water didn't feel warm either.
"But Yue Nu, don't you think we are all in the same boat?" Song Baozhu said sadly, which caught Yue Nu off guard.
"I mean, I think us tribute girls are very pitiful." Song Baozhu said quietly, with a look of disappointment on his face.
"How is that possible? Miss, when you enter the Li Kingdom Palace, you will be the noble imperial concubines. And with your beauty, your rank will definitely be higher than that of the lady in red." Yue Nu said anxiously.
Song Baozhu looked at Yue Nu helplessly, her fingers resting on the rim of the cup. "Silly Moon Slave, we were just sent to this country like objects. Imperial concubine? That's just vain vanity."
Seeing Song Baozhu's expression of despair, Yue Nu wanted to say something, but Song Baozhu raised her hand to silence her.
When I first set off, I felt that time was so long. But as his hometown became farther and farther away, Song Baozhu's heart seemed to be hanging in mid-air and never came down again.
Song Baozhu couldn't help but touch the safety lock on her neck that her mother had given her when she said goodbye. She could still see her mother's tearful eyes that day.
Missing her like a tide, surrounding Song Baozhu. It also gave Song Baozhu infinite courage. Since he agreed at the beginning, he should work hard to survive.
Three days later.
The sounds outside the carriage became more and more lively, and Yue Nu couldn't help but curiously opened the curtain and looked at Youzhou, the world-famous capital of Li Kingdom.
But the closer he got to the palace, the more uneasy Song Baozhu became. She knocked on the bracelet in her hand, hoping to get some peace of mind.
Youzhou Imperial Palace is called Liuli Kingdom, which seems to be no exaggeration now. Song Baozhu's eyes couldn't help but look around. Everything he looked at was extremely luxurious.
The glazed tiles in the sun sparkle like the great lake at the last moment of freedom.
After a long time, the woman leading the team finally led Song Baozhu and his party into a secluded courtyard.
Jin Hongyi, who had always had a bad temper, could no longer hold back any longer. She angrily pulled off her veil and fanned herself with an unhappy expression.
"Why are we placed in a place like this? Aren't we going to see His Majesty directly?" Jin Hongyi shouted dissatisfied.
The other beauties lined up calmly and looked at Jin Hongyi silently.
Only then did Song Baozhu have time to take a closer look at the woman leading the team. She seemed to be an elderly person in the palace.
Her hair was not messed up at all during her rampage under the scorching sun just now.
It's just that his figure is too thin, his cheekbones appear bulging, his cheeks are sunken, and he pretends to be smiling but not smiling.
"You girls, you must have worked hard to come all the way." The old palace maid spoke, but did not answer Jin Hongyi's words.
"This courtyard is specially designed to receive distinguished guests. The girls have just arrived in the imperial city. His Majesty has many affairs. The girls' positions and other matters have not yet been settled. I also ask the girls to rest here and wait for good news."
What he said was decent and thoughtful, and his face was calm. Song Baozhu vaguely felt that this woman's identity was unusual, so she politely replied yes.
Jin Hongyi jumped up from his chair as if he had been slighted.
"Wait? Haven't our portraits been sent to the palace a long time ago?" Jin Hongyi's voice was sharp.
But the woman still looked calm, and said with a smile on her lips: "Good news will come no later than dusk. Girls, please be patient."
Perhaps she felt that Jin Hongyi was too resolute, so the woman turned around after saying that.
Jin Hongyi was still whispering to those beauties, wondering whether she could become a Xiu Yuan.
Song Baozhu chewed the pastry without knowing what to eat, unable to avoid the words that penetrated his ears. In the past, when she was in the Mi Gen Kingdom, Jin Hongyi was also famous for her beauty.
In the past, she and Jin Hongyi shone like flowers blooming side by side in the Mi Gen Kingdom. But there is another rose as hot as blood, and another as different as the ice lotus on the mountain.
At dusk, an imperial edict came to the small courtyard.
Jin Hongyi walked out of the house arrogantly, not forgetting to give Song Baozhu a fierce look.
The group of people knelt down respectfully and listened quietly to the words of the official who announced the decree, which would change their life's destiny.
"The Song family, a tribute daughter of the Mi Gen Kingdom, is intelligent and beautiful in appearance. She is named the noble concubine of Song Dynasty. I will be here to sleep with her tonight. I admire her."
These words were like a lightning strike that hit Song Baozhu's heart hard. Jin Hongyi shouted in disbelief, "What about us?"
The official snorted contemptuously and walked away, "Return to the country."
