Ning Yuzhen was very moved. There was a dragon's pond and a tiger's den ahead of her. If she wanted to get there, it would be useless if she had martial arts skills. How could she survive with bare hands?
"I have prepared myself for being favored. If you don't leave today, I will treat you sincerely."
She was very grateful to the sarcastic grandma. At least today, the few people who were serving her were really on board with her.
These days, Ning Yuzhen is busy using money to get in touch with Fu Lu. Fu Lu is still young, and even though he has been following Fu Hai for half a year, he is still a child after all.
Ning Yuzhen is best at communicating with children, and she learned a lot of news from Fulu.
For example, the emperor has been worried about state affairs recently and often has trouble sleeping. When he can't sleep, he will ask Fuhai and Fulu to walk together by the carp pond in the imperial garden to relieve his inner boredom.
It had been raining continuously for the past two days, and it didn't stop until the end of yesterday. Last night, she asked Lianxiang to move a chair to enjoy tea in the courtyard. She looked at the night sky with no clouds and many stars. Ning Yuzhen judged that it would probably be sunny today.
The emperor didn't go to relax for another two days. Ning Yuzhen guessed that he might meet her in the imperial garden tonight. This was the opportunity for her to gain favor.
She explained the news she had received to several people in detail, divided the evening's events into several steps, and gave them instructions one by one.
After dinner, Ning Yuzhen took out the incense she had made earlier and asked Qilan to take it to scent her clothes.
Lian Xiang came to dress her up. She tied up half of her long hair with a hosta and inserted two fallen flowers from the little eunuch in the imperial garden.
After carefully dressing up, the sky outside the window was completely dark.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Ning Yuzhen took Yicui, who had shown her face in front of the emperor, and Xiao Anzi, who was fast, out the door. It was deep in the night, and the three of them did not disturb the palace attendants in Xianfu Palace.
Arriving at the small pavilion by the carp pond, Ning Yuzhen looked around and felt happy. She asked Xiao Anzi to go further away and come back immediately to report when someone came.
Ning Yuzhen whispered: "Fortunately, the emperor chose the carp pond. There is only one road here, which is convenient for Xiao Anzi to keep an eye on."
Yi Cui gently covered her body with the thin cloak hanging on her arms, "The emperor has been thinking so hard about state affairs that he would not come so early. The weather is getting colder, so the young master should take care of himself."
"It's always better to prepare early." Ning Yuzhen retracted her hands into her cloak, "Stay unchanged to cope with all changes."
As soon as the words fell, Xiao Anzi's figure quickly ran towards the pavilion. After nodding towards the pavilion, he immediately shrank into the rockery on the side. Ning Yuzhen was extremely glad that she came early.
Taking off her cloak, Ning Yuzhen took out the flute from her arms, put it to her lips and played with her eyes closed.
The melodious flute sound drifted not far away along the autumn wind, reaching the ears of Wei Cheng and others.
Fu Lu panicked, maybe Ning agreed.
He glanced at Wei Cheng particularly anxiously, fearing that he would be dragged down and tortured for revealing the emperor's whereabouts.
Fuhai was wondering who was playing in the imperial garden at night. Seeing Wei Cheng stop, he stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, do you need a servant to come and have a look?"
Wei Cheng waved his hand, "What's there to see? It's just a way for the concubines to compete for favor. Otherwise, who would dare to play the flute in the imperial garden at night?"
Nothing happened, and the sound of the flute was touching, so he led the two Fu towards the pavilion where the sound came from.
Wei Cheng did not go out directly, but hid behind the rockery about a foot away from the pavilion. When he looked up, he could only see the profile of a woman standing in the pavilion playing the flute, and behind her stood a palace maid holding a lantern.
The weak light from the lantern just happened to shine on her body. She was wearing a light blue gauze feather coat. Her long black hair was only half rolled up, with a jade hairpin loosely placed in the middle. Her skin was whiter than snow, making the begonia flowers beside her lose their color. .
Wei Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, closing his eyes and enjoying the music.
A sudden autumn wind blew up, and a scent instantly filled his nostrils, soothing his head that was so painful from reviewing memorials, and even made him feel sleepy for a moment.
It reminded him of that pretty face during the draft.
Wei Cheng opened his eyes and took a closer look. It was indeed the same one.
The moon is bright in the sky, the wind blows the gauze clothes, and the woman in the pavilion looks like a goddess, as if she will fly away on the clouds in the next moment.
He smiled knowingly and left the Royal Garden with the two Fus who were also fascinated.
Ning Yuzhen at the other end did not stop playing because the emperor left. She did not stop until she finished playing the song.
Yicui hurriedly put the cloak on her, and the three of them hurried back to Xianfu Palace.
As soon as she entered, Ning Yuzhen got into the tub, tidied herself up, lay back on the brocade quilt, closed her eyes and prepared to sleep.
"Why did the young master fall asleep?" Lianxiang tucked the corner of the quilt for her and asked in confusion: "Is it because tonight's matter can't be done?"
Ning Yuzhen saw that the two little ones were very curious, but Yi Cui pursed her lips and smiled, thinking that she understood.
"Didn't I tell you that the emperor has not slept well in recent days due to state affairs? And the incense used tonight is for those who cannot sleep at night."
"This time is just to leave an impression on the emperor. Don't you know your master's craftsmanship? The emperor must have fallen asleep after smelling the incense. If I don't sleep and wait for the emperor to call me, I will not be able to wait until the sky turns white."
After hearing this, the two little ones suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly.
Yicui stretched out her hand to chase them away, "Okay, you two have to learn more, so as not to fail to understand what others say and lose the face of the master."
After inviting both of them out, they returned to the room. Ning Yuzhen on the bed had already fallen asleep. Yicui blew out the candle and sat on the small couch behind the screen to watch the night.
Now that everything was silent, Yi Cui thought about the scene where she expressed her loyalty in the morning.
Yicui turned to look at the bright moon outside the window, secretly praying that her master could walk on smooth ground in the harem. Ning promised to be as kind-hearted as the concubine Ling. She was lucky to have two good masters, and she would do her best to protect Shen Shen. Goodness is hard to survive in the palace.
Lianxiang in the next room went to bed early, and if you listen closely, you can hear the sound of breathing that is particularly obvious in the silence.
Qilan, wearing a middle coat, half leaned against the wall and looked at the night sky, with mixed emotions in her eyes. She looked for a long time before returning to bed.
After a good night's sleep, Ning Yuzhen was still sitting in her room doing embroidery work, as if nothing happened last night.
Until evening, a hurried eunuch dropped into a pot of hot oil like a drop of water, causing the East Wing Hall to boil for a while.
Lian Xiang had the biggest reaction, "Little Master! It's done!"
"Are you shouting so loudly because you are afraid that others will not know what the young master has done?"
Qilan suppressed her shoulders that were almost flying in disapproval, her voice was light with a hint of warning, but the corners of her mouth were slightly raised.
After being reminded, Lianxiang covered her mouth belatedly, the joyful look still flowing out of her eyes.
Ning Yuzhen smiled helplessly, sighing in her heart that Qilan looked more and more like Yicui after entering the palace, and her tone of teaching Lianxiang was somewhat similar.
"Okay, your Majesty can't delay in summoning you, so hurry up and prepare a bath for your little master."
The two little ones immediately stood up and put the prepared spices into the bathtub.
Ning Yuzhen came out after soaking for half an hour. Her skin was smooth and tender. To exaggerate, it was like a peeled egg.
"Little Master Ning, are you ready? The servants will send you to the Hall of Cultivation of the Heart!"
