Traveling through the harem: the favorite concubine

Chapter 12

When Ruyi heard the voice of her father-in-law outside the door, she thought she was hallucinating, but felt that it was not real.Still holding the brush in her hand, she didn't realize that it wasn't her hallucination, the prince had really come, until Shao Yao, who was next to her, put away her embroidery work and reminded her in a panic to go out to see her.

She also didn't care about the things in her hands, and hurriedly brought Shaoyao and Qiangwei to the door and knelt down to greet them.

Fortunately, it is not too late to react, the prince has just started.He didn't take offense at all, and let them be excused directly.

Ruyi followed the prince into the house, took the tea brought by Shaoyao, and put it beside the prince, still a little bit surprised in her heart, secretly thinking why the prince came here and didn't ask anyone to inform him, now She was glad she hadn't taken off her clothes yet.

"You don't need to be so polite, just sit down!"

The prince looked up at Ruyi, and his tone was very gentle.

Ruyi saluted cautiously before sitting down on the couch on the other side.After sitting down, Ruyi felt some new troubles in her heart. She also knew the purpose of the prince's coming here. It was not dark at the moment, and it couldn't be such a long time before resting. The two of them just sat down like this!
She didn't care, she was afraid that the prince would be unhappy.

She couldn't help thinking sadly in her heart, why are you here so early?Of course, he still had a stiff and dull look on his face, not revealing anything.

Ruyi was thinking on the other side, but saw the prince standing up suddenly, her eyes followed the prince's figure, and saw the prince walking straight to the desk she used to write just now.

She stood up as if she had been electrocuted, and hurriedly walked to the side of the prince, who had already reached out and picked up a piece of paper on which she had just written.She was so ashamed that she wished she could take the piece of paper from the prince's hand, but she didn't dare.

"Are you literate?"

There was not much contempt in the prince's tone, but it was still gentle and kind.

But Ruyi blushed: "My servant's father used to be a scholar. When my father was teaching my brother to read, this servant secretly learned a few words outside the window."

"No wonder!"

The prince put down the piece of paper, and there seemed to be a bit of joking in his tone.

But Ruyi heard what he meant, isn't it just that she despises her ugly handwriting?
But Ruyi also knows her weight, her handwriting is really ugly.However, can you expect a person who has never written with a soft brush to write good characters? Moreover, when Ruyi was studying, he had never even practiced calligraphy with a hard brush, so his handwriting is definitely not good-looking.I have been in this world for so many years, and now I use a difficult brush to write for the first time, and I write traditional characters with many strokes.

When she was writing just now, Shaoyao and Qiangwei, who were illiterate, thought she was good at writing, and she was also complacent, thinking that she could write the characters out of shape. It was a mess, so she ignored it.

However, in front of a knowledgeable person, she still has self-knowledge.

Ruyi lowered her head like a little daughter-in-law, and shrank back. The prince turned his head and saw that she was embarrassed, but he couldn't help laughing again. He picked up the towel that was put aside, dipped it in ink, and wrote On a piece of blank white paper, I wrote down a sentence that Ruyi said on that piece of paper just now: The ancients gave birth to a daughter for three days, lying under the bed, making tiles and bricks, and fasting.

"Since you want to start practicing calligraphy, you must start with simple practice, learn strokes, and practice calligraphy to the strokes."

Ruyi was a little puzzled when she heard the words, is the prince teaching her?She carefully raised her head to look at the prince, but saw that the prince was eager to try.

She was terrified, and hurriedly went forward to pick up the piece of paper on which the prince had just written, and said with a soft smile: "The prince's handwriting is naturally very good, servants do not have this talent, but I still hope to be able to collect this calligraphy of the prince .”

Ruyi's words are like a basin of cold water, extinguishing the prince's interest and making him realize his inappropriateness.If the prince taught calligraphy to his own sons, brothers, or even courtiers, he would still be able to say it in the past, but if he taught a concubine, if he taught a concubine, if he said it elegantly, it would add fragrance to his red sleeves, and if he said it harshly, it would be insulting to a sage.

Thinking of this, the prince looked at Ruyi with complicated eyes. If it was another woman, he would be overjoyed to teach calligraphy himself, after all, this is a sign of great favor.Unexpectedly, she would refuse so rationally.

When Ruyi went to grab the piece of paper, she was also terrified, but at that moment, the fate of stopping or not stopping flashed in her mind.If it is stopped, the prince may leave angrily, and may not even want to see her in the future.But if he doesn't stop it, one day when the incident happens, he will definitely be bestowed to death by the princess or even the queen.So between possibility and certainty, she chose to take risks.

Fortunately, the prince also seemed to realize that his behavior was inappropriate. He coughed twice in embarrassment, and said with a smile: "It's not just two words, but it's worth your excitement. Then I will give it to you!"

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Ruyi to thank you, he said again: "Tomorrow, an orphan, let Deng send you a few copybooks first, you should practice your calligraphy well!"

Only then did Ruyi's heart calm down, she knelt down to thank her, then respectfully put the prince's writing into the drawer, and asked Shaoyao and Qiangwei to tidy up all the messy copybooks she had scattered on the table .

With this time just now, the atmosphere between Ruyi and the prince became less awkward, especially Ruyi’s fear of the prince was much less in her heart. She couldn’t help thinking secretly: Although she is a high-ranking and powerful person, even The person who can decide her life or death, but looking at it, it doesn't seem so scary.

But after thinking about it this way, Ruyi didn't dare to be presumptuous, she just followed behind the prince cautiously, watched the prince sit down and asked her to sit down, and she also obediently sat on the side.

The prince looked at her like this, feeling a little helpless and a little funny. Although many people were afraid of him, it was the first time he saw a woman who was so afraid of him.

He still couldn't help but think of Yang Chunmei who was scolded by the Crown Princess earlier. She and Ruyi are simply two extremes.When Yang Chunmei met him for the first time, she dared to express her admiration for him boldly, and when she saw him for the second time, she expressed her affectionately to him.Quite greasy.

The prince thought secretly in his heart, compared with the restrained Ruyi at this time, he suddenly found that it was not bad to be so quiet.

After thinking about it, he raised his voice and told Deng Xian who was outside the house: "Someone bring water in, only to take a bath."

"Yes."

Deng Xian, who was outside the house, heard the prince's order, and hurried to the door to tell the little eunuch outside to prepare things.

The steaming bathtub was lifted up, Shaoyao and Qiangwei put down their things and retreated obediently, only Ruyi and the prince were left in the room.

The prince stood up, and Ruyi also stood up bravely.

Although the two had already had substantial physical contact, at this moment, when Ruyi bathed a naked man in a rational and clear situation, she really felt a little bit numb.

She sighed secretly in her heart, thinking, being a concubine is really not easy.Then, he walked up to the prince and tiptoed to undress the prince.

Robes, underwear, trousers...

After taking off her clothes, Ruyi also broke out in sweat, her little face was flushed, and she didn't know whether it was from the steam or the rush.

The prince stepped into the bathtub, and Ruyi wiped his back with a towel beside him.

It is obvious that the prince has a good figure. Although his skin is fair and smooth, he is not like a white chicken, and even has muscles in his arms and abdomen. But Ruyi is not in the mood to appreciate it at the moment. She is wholeheartedly bathing the prince. I don't have any beautiful thoughts.

After finally washing and putting the Prince's pajamas on again, she felt that she was covered in sweat, and her bangs were sticking to her face.

The prince leaned on the bed comfortably, looked at Ruyi's appearance, and said generously, "Go and wash it too!"

Ruyi couldn't help but wiped her forehead, only to realize how embarrassed she was. At this moment, the prince probably didn't have the appetite to speak to her. She thanked her and went to the outside room without any delay, and hurriedly used the remaining water to make things easier for herself. After scrubbing, she also changed into her pajamas, and then walked lightly to the bedside.

Before she could speak, a strong hand grabbed her arm and led her to the bed.

In the early morning of the next day, as soon as Feng Xian's yelling sounded outside, Ruyi opened her eyes. In fact, she didn't close her eyes much that night.The prince made a fuss too late, Ruyi was half asleep and half awake looking at the bright sky, so she simply pinched her own hand, resisting her exhaustion so that she would not fall asleep.

She resisted her sore body, got out of bed lightly and put on her pajamas, then looked at the prince who was still sleeping peacefully with her eyes closed, and called softly, "Your Highness, Your Highness..."

It seemed that Ruyi's voice was not familiar to him in the past, but after two voices, the prince opened his eyes vigilantly.When he saw Ruyi standing beside him, he rubbed the corners of his brows and sat up with his hands propped up.

Feng Xian heard the commotion in the room, and brought a group of people in with grooming items and clothes.

Ruyi took the clothes and slowly put them on for the prince. The court clothes are naturally more complicated than the usual clothes, but fortunately, I have been taught before. .After finally putting on the jade belt, Ruyi exhaled lightly, and was about to wait for the prince to wash up, but saw the prince took her hand and said, "You rest, let Feng first serve me first." it is good."

The prince glanced at the blue shadow in front of Ruyi's eyes, and saw that she looked unwell, so he didn't order her anymore.

This kindness from the prince was exactly what one could ask for, but she did not dare to accept it right away. After hesitating, seeing that Feng Xian had already stepped forward to serve her, she knew that even if she declined the kindness from the prince at this time, the best time had passed.She was indeed not feeling well, and it was rare for her to be unruly once. However, she didn't dare to ask her to lie back on the bed, instead she stood by the side with nothing to do.

After the prince finished washing, he raised his head and saw Ruyi standing like a wooden stake. He was a bit puzzled, but considering her temperament, he was no longer puzzled.

"Come here and help me curl my hair!"

The prince felt a little helpless about Ruyi's rules, but he couldn't let her just stand there so stupidly, so he simply found something for her.

"Yes." Ruyi quickly stepped forward and picked up the comb.It is much easier to tie up a man's hair than a woman's. Ruyi made three moves, five times and two divisions, and quickly tied it up. Finally, the golden crown that Deng Xian handed over was put on for the crown prince.

After everything was tidied up, the prince stood up, ready to go out to court.Before walking out of the door, he paused, and said to Ruyi who knelt down and bowed to him in a soft tone: "It's still early, go back and have a good rest."

If you wish, the prince will say such a sentence when he is about to leave the house. She doesn't know what to say for a while, but sees that the prince has gone far.

Shaoyao and Qiangwei behind them looked joyful. Although they had learned the previous lesson and did not dare to say such things as Prince Longchong, they still couldn't help but jumped up and said, "Madam, my servant will help you to lie down for a while."

Ruyi nodded, lying on the bed, she couldn't help telling Shao Yao who put down the bed curtain: "Remember to call me later, don't miss the time to greet the princess."

"Ma'am, relax and rest, this servant will definitely remember the time."

Peonies and roses promise again and again.

The bed curtain was lowered, and Ruyi relaxed her body and lay on the bed. Her body was already recovering from a serious illness, and she hadn't closed her eyes for another night. I shouldn't fall asleep after such a short effort, but who knows that I fell asleep in a daze after closing my eyes.

I don't know how long it took, Shao Yao's voice rang in her ears: "Madam, Madam..."

Ruyi's consciousness returned somewhat, but her eyelids still couldn't be opened as if they were stuck with glue.

"Help me up first." Ruyi instructed vaguely, letting Shaoyao help her sit up on the bed, before barely opening her eyes.Needless to say, his mind was dizzy, but his face seemed to be devoid of energy.

Shao Yao helped her get off the bed, Qiang Wei hurriedly put on her coat, and she was at the mercy of the two of them like a puppet.It wasn't until Qiangwei wrung the towel and applied it to her face that she was even slightly awake.

She propped her head up and couldn't help laughing at herself: "Look, I'm sleepy and sleepy, so you clean it up quickly, so that Li Baolin won't go first later." After finishing speaking, she took a towel and began to wipe her face.

"Your servant sees that Madam's complexion is not good, or let this servant go to the Crown Princess to complain, Madam, rest well!" Shaoyao looked at Ruyi's pale face, although it was much better than the previous time when she served her bedtime, But the fact that she was ill for a whole month after the last time also left Shao Yao with lingering fears.

"No, I can take it."

Ruyi handed the towel to Qiangwei, sat in front of the dressing table, and instructed: "Just wear the same bun as yesterday."

Ruyi is one of her own people who knows about her own business. She looks bad now because she stayed up all night. After a while, I invite Ann back to drink a bowl of hot soup, and after a good night's sleep, everything will be fine. , which is completely different from last time.And even if the situation was the same as last time, Ruyi had to grit her teeth and go to ask for Ann before coming back and falling down.

Since she chose to be a submissive person in front of the princess, she must persevere. She just went to express her opinion to the princess yesterday. No matter how magnanimous the princess is, she probably will have grudges in her heart.

And the reason why the prince came last night, she thought about it carefully in her mind, and felt that it should have something to do with the princess.Otherwise, how would the prince know that she had just recovered from her illness and invited the princess to greet her.The more this happened, the more she had to be cautious, otherwise she would be slapping the princess in the face.

She herself quickly put a thicker layer of makeup on her face.

The box of powder in her hand is made of pearl powder and a little Chinese medicine beauty powder, which was given by the empress back then. Although the concealing effect is not stronger than the modern powder, it is good for the skin.Ruyi Future In ancient times, people often thought that the ancients used lead powder to put on makeup, but in ancient times, especially in the palace, they realized that lead powder is indeed the cosmetic of choice for most women, but only for them. In the middle and lower classes, when entering the palace, the dignified maids in front of the master don’t even bother to use lead powder for makeup, while the noble master usually chooses pearl powder, mirabilis seed powder and various traditional Chinese medicines. Beauty powder, truly realizes the modern no additives, no pollution.Of course not everyone can afford it.

It's like Ruyi's level, after using this box, if there is no unexpected reward, it is estimated that Shaoyao will really return a box of lead powder next time.

A small box of powder caused Ruyi's thoughts to spread, and when she came back to her senses, Shaoyao had already combed her hair. She looked in the mirror, and it was really the same as yesterday's dress. It was the same, she even put on the golden hairpin that the Crown Princess gave her as a reward, she couldn't help reaching out to touch the luxurious golden hairpin.

Shao Yao cautiously said on the side: "Master, your complexion is not good, and your makeup is too plain. This servant made his own decision and put on the golden hairpin that the princess concubine bestowed on you yesterday. You don't blame this servant, do you?"

Ruyi put down her hands, smiled at the person in the mirror and said, "No, it's pretty good."

She casually picked up the small jar of lip balm, tapped it with her little finger, and then lightly applied a layer of color to her lips. Seeing her complexion instantly improved a lot in the mirror, she took the wet handkerchief from Qiangwei , Wipe off the red mark on the little finger.

Too much is too late, she still understands this simple truth.What's more, wearing the gifts given by the crown princess is also a kind of respect to the master and empress.

(End of this chapter)