King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 659 Forbidden Fruit
When dinner was over and the father and son said goodbye, it was already past the hour of Hai (10 o'clock in the evening).

Zhu Jinghong left, but Zhu Xianming still felt unsatisfied. As an emperor, he rarely could relax like this, put aside his imperial airs and drink with others.

"Your Majesty, it's late...it's time to go to bed!"

It was only after Cheng Ying's reminder that the emperor realized that it was already late at night.

After all, he was old, and he had drunk a lot of wine tonight, so he felt extremely tired for a while, and then ordered Cheng Ying to prepare to change clothes.

As for Zhu Jinghong, although he could drink quite a bit, he had a great time drinking tonight, so he was a little tipsy.

Sitting in the sedan chair, Zhu Jinghong rested for a while before asking, "Did they all go back home at night?"

"In reply to the prince, I will be back later this afternoon and will go there tomorrow!" Yu Hai answered from outside.

Originally, Zhu Jinghong planned to spend the night at Shanglinyuan, but due to his long absence, the matter was shelved.

"By the way, don't make a scene when we return home. Let everyone get some good sleep!"

"Yes!" Yu Hai responded.

About half an hour later, Zhu Jinghong's sedan returned to the palace. Except for the guards and eunuchs on duty, no one was alarmed.

After getting off the car outside Chengyun Gate, Zhu Jinghong originally wanted to go back to his bedroom to rest, but the drunkenness in his body made him want to compete for the third place in the imperial examination.

"I'm going to Chenxinyuan to sit for a while, you don't have to follow me!" Zhu Jinghong said casually.

Chenxinyuan is where Zhang Xiaoyue lives. Zhu Jinghong wants to listen to some music before making love with her.

The so-called "no need to follow" does not mean that no one will follow, but that only a few people such as Yu Hai will follow.

After many twists and turns, Zhu Jinghong and his party arrived outside Chenxin Courtyard. The courtyard was already quiet.

"There's not even a person on duty at the gate?" Zhu Jinghong asked with a frown.

Although Zhang Xiaoyue had no official rank, there were special eunuchs and maids serving in the several villas outside, and at least one person was arranged to be on duty at night.

But now, there was no one outside Chenxin Courtyard, which really seemed too abnormal.

This matter could be big or small, but now that Zhu Jinghong has run into it, there is only one way to deal with it seriously.

Yu Hai quickly replied: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I will tell Zhang Ping'an about this matter and ask him to punish him severely!"

Although this incident was unpleasant, Zhu Jinghong came here to have fun tonight and certainly would not ruin his good mood, so he did not lose his temper again.

"You guys, just stay at the door, I can go in by myself!"

"Yes!" Yu Hai replied quickly.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Zhu Jinghong realized something was wrong because it was too quiet.

In contrast, in Hanhuiyuan, north of Chenxinyuan, laughter could still be faintly heard at this time, probably because the Korean ladies were still having fun.

"Maybe I should go to Chenxinyuan!" Zhu Jinghong muttered to himself.

Just as he was considering whether to move to another place, he heard some noise coming from the wing room.

"Who's over there?"

“No… no one!”

It was a female voice, but because Zhu Jinghong was a little dazed, he thought it was that girl.

"No one?" Zhu Jinghong smiled.

He originally came here to have fun, and now that he met a playful girl, he naturally wanted to play a prank on her.

It can be seen that alcohol can indeed make people indulge themselves. If Zhu Jinghong was completely sober, he would basically not do such boring things.

Walking slowly towards the east wing, Zhu Jinghong asked again: "If there is no one, who is answering?"

At this moment, Yingchun, who was hiding in the corner, was trembling with fear.

Today she came to Prince Xiang's mansion for a banquet. Because Tanchun performed so well, Baochai asked her to stay for a day, and she was also invited to stay.

She and Tanchun were settled in Chenxinyuan and lived with Zhang Xiaoyue.

They should have rested at night, but the Korean woman from Hanhuiyuan came over to invite Zhang Xiaoyue to a banquet, and Tanchun also went over to join in the fun.

The maids on duty and the servants left behind by the Jia family also went to join in the fun, leaving Yingchun alone in Chenxin Courtyard.

She had always been a solitary person, so she didn't take it seriously and planned to just go to bed, but unexpectedly someone came over late at night.

She originally thought that it was Tanchun and her companions who had returned, but when she listened carefully she found that it was a man, and from the voice he was the person she had been thinking about day and night.

Perhaps because she was excited or panicked, Yingchun accidentally pushed the stool, which led to an even more embarrassing situation.

"Don't say anything, I'll come in!"

After hearing what Zhu Jinghong said, Yingchun became more and more nervous. She didn't know what to do.

Men and women should not touch each other, especially at this late hour, and this gentleman seemed to have drunk some wine...

Yingchun didn't know what to do, so she just didn't say a word and hid in the corner without moving.

However, the quieter the scene became, the more obvious her presence became, something she herself was not aware of.

After entering the room, Zhu Jinghong took only a few steps before he roughly determined Yingchun's position.

"Girl, you're hiding here!"

"Tenth... Thirteenth Master..."

The voice was filled with fear, which made it even more stimulating, but Zhu Jinghong couldn't stand the stimulation at the moment.

"How dare you not come out to greet me when I came? How audacious! Let me teach you a lesson first!"

After saying this, Zhu Jinghong bent down and explored for a while before picking up the girl in the dark night and patting her butt a few times.

Although the force was not great, it was like a thunderbolt to Yingchun. At that moment, she felt that she had "lost her virginity".

Judging from current values, it is indeed a very bad and scandalous thing for an innocent girl to be picked up by a man and have her butt touched.

But Yingchun found that she did not feel angry at all, but just felt extremely shy in her heart, even though it was dark and she could not see anything.

"Still not speaking... Whose girl are you?" Zhu Jinghong asked again.

He thought it was a maid. After all, Zhang Xiaoyue lived in the main house, and the person in the side room could only be a maid.

"Master Thirteen, it's... it's me!"

Even though she didn't reveal her name, Yingchun felt extremely ashamed and even hid her head in Zhu Jinghong's arms.

Over the years, Yingchun has received very little love and care, and her life was originally bleak.

But when she met Zhu Jinghong, Yingchun's heart was captured by his genuine care and careful guidance. It was a pity that she didn't realize it at first.

But once the seed grew and finally became a towering tree, Yingchun could no longer ignore this relationship, and then she fell into unrequited love for Zhu Jinghong.

Originally, she liked reading Taoist Canon, and because of the love in her heart, she became obsessed with vernacular novels and was even teased by Tanchun for this.

"Who are you?" Zhu Jinghong asked again.

There were too many women in the mansion, and even more maids. He didn't know Yingchun stayed today, so it was normal that he couldn't guess who she was.

"If you don't tell me... I'm going to find out your true strength myself!"

Under the influence of alcohol, Zhu Jinghong was very bold at this time.

Of course, even without the effect of alcohol, he could still be so bold, and he could take whatever he wanted from the women in Prince Xiang's mansion.

"To test the truth?"

Yingchun was too naive and failed to see the deep meaning of these three words. She even repeated them herself.

She was held horizontally by Zhu Jinghong, and his slightly suspicious tone at this moment did have a provocative effect.

"Wow...you are so brave!"

So Zhu Jinghong was not polite and immediately moved towards Yingchun, and at the same time walked towards the bed by the moonlight. Yingchun was frightened by being touched, but she was too timid and covered her mouth without saying a word.

She just hoped that Zhu Jinghong would "punish" her and then leave, and then she could pretend nothing happened.

However, the logic of the development of things cannot be changed by Yingchun’s simple ideas.

For example, when she was put on the couch and Zhu Jinghong started to tear off her clothes, she realized that the situation was not good...

"Don't...don't..."

"What else? What else?"

Zhu Jinghong used more force and ripped open the belt in just a few seconds. At this time, Yingchun was left with only a piece of underwear.

At this moment, Yingchun was really scared...

Although she liked Zhu Jinghong and was even willing to serve him, it all happened too quickly and she was completely unprepared...

In fact, from the moment she was picked up by Zhu Jinghong and "lost her virginity", Yingchun had already set her heart on Zhu Jinghong.

But now that she has no name or status, she still feels very uncomfortable...

As if sensing the "maid's" resistance, Zhu Jinghong sobered up a little. If the other party really didn't want to, he would not force her.

Just when he was about to ask a few more questions, Yingchun in front of him spoke first: "Thirteenth Master, now... now is not the right time!"

Yingchun was really panicked, so while she refused, she also made it clear that she was willing in her heart.

Therefore, her words did not have any "dissuading" effect at all. Instead, it made Zhu Jinghong think that she was willing, but it was just her womanly modesty that was playing tricks on her.

"Girl, now is the time!"

So he just pressed forward and used all kinds of tricks, but Yingchun was completely at a standstill.

About a few minutes later, Yu Hai and a few others who were guarding the gate of the yard heard a scream from inside. They looked at each other and laughed.

A young eunuch whispered, "I don't know which sister is so lucky that she will soon turn over a new leaf!"

This is no joke. Once a maidservant has "slept with the emperor", she basically doesn't have to do any work. Even if she doesn't have a rank, she can still be a superior person.

Then, several young eunuchs continued to discuss, while Zhu Jinghong was busy working inside.

He didn't feel very comfortable tonight because the woman under him was too well-behaved, too well-behaved.

How could he know that Yingchun had already become stupid at this time, and even her ability to think had disappeared. She was completely like a puppet.

About ten minutes later, Zhu Jinghong finished his work hastily, then stood up and prepared to get dressed.

He really didn't have a very good time, so he was thinking about going to the next one.

But he suddenly remembered that he didn't know what the girl looked like, so he shouted "Light the lamp" to the outside.

Just by hearing these two words, Yingchun instantly regained her consciousness and quickly pulled the quilt to cover herself. She had no idea how to face Zhu Jinghong.

Soon Yu Hai brought in a lamp, and several eunuchs who accompanied him lit a few more candles, quickly brightening the room.

Looking at the woman covering her head with a quilt, Zhu Jinghong understood that she was shy, so he asked Yu Hai and the others to leave.

Then he pulled back the quilt and saw a scene that left him dumbfounded.

I saw Yingchun lying on the bed with her clothes disheveled, her hair scattered on her face and tears in the corners of her eyes.

"How...how could this be..." Zhu Jinghong was shocked.

He was a little drunk at first, but now all that was gone, and his mind was clear as that of a sage.

"Miss Yingchun...I...Alas!"

At this moment, Yingchun's tears rolled down her cheeks, and she pulled the quilt over herself again.

"Drinking will cause trouble..."

Zhu Jinghong sighed. He knew that he had gone too far tonight. After all, she was an innocent girl, not a woman who would do anything to get to the top.

Nowadays, bullying others can be said to be an animal-like behavior.

"Miss Yingchun, don't worry... I... I will give you a result!" This was the only way Zhu Jinghong could promise.

He said this very implicitly and did not explicitly say that he wanted to take Yingchun into the mansion, simply because it was not the right time to say this.

He wanted to gradually establish his own family and was already cutting ties with the prince, so it would be inappropriate for him to have anything to do with the Jia family. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for him to take Yingchun into the mansion.

After all, Yingchun is a member of the Jia family, not just a relative on a different level.

However, Yingchun didn’t think so much in her mind. When she heard Zhu Jinghong say that he would give her a result, she felt relieved.

For a long time, her family has been worried about her marriage and she herself has been tormented by this, but now all this will disappear.

"This is not so bad..." Yingchun had this thought.

Although the procedure was not quite right, at least the result was good, and she could finally stay by Zhu Jinghong's side.

Unlike Yingchun who was obsessed with love, Zhu Jinghong was thinking about how to cover up the matter, wait for a year or two until the situation became clear, and then bring Yingchun into his house.

"Yingchun, how about...you go wash first?" Zhu Jinghong was just making small talk.

"After all, this is not polite. For your reputation... we have to clean up the mess!"

"Yeah!" Yingchun agreed very much.

She was really heartless. She never thought that if Zhu Jinghong lied to her, then after she helped to cover it up, he would not recognize her and all her efforts would be in vain.

So, under Zhu Jinghong's "watchdog", Yingchun endured the pain in her lower body and washed herself, then changed into a new set of clothes and went to bed.

Zhu Jinghong held her and lay there for a while, and finally, before Zhang Xiaoyue and the others came back, he went to the main room to wait.

As for Yingchun, she seemed as if nothing had happened. She turned off the lights and lay on the bed, looking forward to a better life in the future.

Zhang Xiaoyue and her group of more than twenty people came back, making the yard very lively. When they saw Yu Hai and others, they knew that Zhu Jinghong had arrived.

Yu Hai and the others had already been informed, so they did not mention anyone serving the emperor's bed. They just told Zhang Xiaoyue not to keep Zhu Jinghong waiting for too long.

However, when Yu Hai saw Tanchun, he suddenly had some guesses in his mind, but he did not dare to make any judgments without evidence.

Zhang Xiaoyue went to the main room, while Tanchun took the maids and servants of the Jia family and went to the east wing.

"Be careful, don't wake up Second Sister!" Tanchun instructed the servants.

Everyone was very careful, and after returning to their rooms, they were still talking about the interesting things about the Korean girls and the new things at the banquet.

Siqi tiptoed into the house and first asked, "Is the girl asleep?" When she got no response, she went to the outer room and slept on the floor outside Yingchun's room.

As a close maid, Siqi should be closer to Yingchun so that she can take care of her at night if anything happens.

At this moment, she had a strong desire to express herself and wanted to share with Yingchun what she had seen and heard tonight.

She felt that her daughter should go tonight, at least they could have fun together and not be so sad every day.

As she thought about it, Siqi suddenly muttered, "What's that smell...weird!"

"I guess it's been a while since anyone has lived here, so there's a smell!"

Siqi gave a reason, then closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep, but she didn't know that her girl was still awake.

What happened tonight caused Yingchun to undergo huge changes both psychologically and physiologically, so it was normal for her to suffer from insomnia.

At this moment, she felt a mixture of fear, anxiety, shame, helplessness, and a hint of secret joy...

Feeling the pain in her lower body, Yingchun thought to herself, "Being able to stay by Master Thirteen's side is my greatest joy!"

The fact that this thought popped up in her mind at this moment shows that she is indeed deeply in love with Zhu Jinghong.

As for the troubles that might come next, she had never thought about it at all.

(End of this chapter)