Page 212
Emperor watched carefully and at last understood that his Little Concubine was brewing wine and making Peach Wood Swords.
Indeed, both activities pleased him greatly.
Once the wine was ready, it would be buried in the yard for a year or so, until Nannan was born and could drink, then they would enjoy it together under the moonlight—how splendid that would be.
He had a thing or two to know about swordplay, and a Peach Wood Sword suited him well.
A sword made and given by the Little Concubine was incomparable, for even if made poorly, as long as she was the maker, he would be delighted.
Lian Hua had indeed been busy these days, occupied with brewing wine, preparing for the Peach Wood Sword, and designing its patterns.
When she first saw the small peach tree she had planted, the idea of crafting a Peach Wood Sword for Xu Zhaoyi sprung to her mind.
Xu Zhaoyi with her gallant charisma suited a precious sword, and she also seemed to be someone who favored bladed weapons.
She had specifically asked Nanny Qi beforehand if there was any taboo regarding wooden swords in the palace.
Nanny Qi said it was fine as long as the wooden sword had no sharp edges, like the ones used by the performers of the Music Bureau during their sword dances.
With her mind at ease, Lian Hua began the preliminary preparations.
Peach Wood, being wood of yang and the essence among the five types of woods, had the virtues of warding off evil, stabilizing the home, and bringing both fortune and wealth—how wonderful!
However, the peach tree in her courtyard was only as thick as two fingers and too tender, which was far from adequate.
Selecting the right material for a Peach Wood Sword was critical, with a tree age of fifteen to twenty years being optimal. Older wood could be too loose, while younger wood wasn’t hard enough. Moreover, the chosen wood should be of good quality and have few knots for the sword to be crafted clean.
Fortunately, there was a peach grove in the Imperial Garden, which was just perfect for harvesting material. Her nanny wouldn’t allow her to go herself, so she had to send people to cut it, and without her guidance, the Young Eunuchs cut down several trees before finding the suitable one.
After several days of busyness, there was now some progress, and with the Peach Wood soaking well, they could move on to the next step.
Now that the right Peach Wood had been chosen, it was peeled and turned into properly sized planks that were soaked in water.
This was a crucial step. Normally, the wood needed to soak in clean water for about ten days, but she knew a method that could significantly shorten the soaking time and simplify the subsequent processes.
Once soaked, she could proceed with the following steps of boiling and drying.
During this period, she had not been idle at all—her mind was filled with thoughts of what design to carve on the Peach Wood Sword that would be worthy of Sister Zhaoyi, pondering it every day.
After considering many designs, her drawing skills were poor, and only she could understand her sketches, which she made solely to remember her concepts. After many comparisons, she had finally settled on the design for the Peach Wood Sword and could finally relax a bit.
The osmanthus wine was already brewed and sealed, buried under the small peach tree in her courtyard, waiting for several months before being dug up. She had brewed several pots, so there was no fear of running out.
With the design for the Peach Wood Sword decided, all that was left was to wait; once the Peach Wood boards were ready, she could begin carving.
Lian Hua stood up and stretched lazily, feeling incredibly comfortable. Glancing at the night, it seemed to be getting late.
When she turned around, she saw His Majesty gazing at her with tender affection.
Lian Hua gave a bashful smile, feeling utterly content—life was beautiful indeed.
"Your Majesty, have you finished reviewing the memorials?"
The Emperor, with a gentle smile, got up and came beside her, wrapping his arms around her, "Hmm, it’s almost the end of Hai Hour, are you tired?"
These past days, his Little Concubine had been working so hard, and it pained him to see her like this.
Lian Hua nodded slightly, then shook her head again: "A bit, but not very sleepy yet. Is it already the end of Hai Hour?" she said as she twisted her body, feeling a bit sore.
Normally at this time, she would have already been asleep, but these past few days she had been so engrossed in her task that she didn’t realize how late it had gotten until she relaxed.
The Emperor saw her like this, figured it was the soreness from maintaining the same position for too long, and had her sit back down, gently massaging her shoulders.
Lian Hua let him knead, her expression one of utmost enjoyment. She always accepted His Majesty’s tender affection wholeheartedly, feeling as sweet inside as if savoring honey, and she couldn’t help but praise him:
"My Lord, you do everything so well, not only do you look handsome, and your handwriting is beautiful, but your massage skills are also truly wonderful!"
"It feels so comfortable. I like you even more now~"
"Mm... exactly here, it’s very sore. You really understand me~"
The Emperor, hearing her sweet nothings, felt very pleased and enjoyed the massaging as well.
His Little Concubine was beautiful and her whole body was soft, tender, and petite, making massaging her delicate form a pleasure in itself.
Hearing her talk about soreness, he couldn’t help but whisper in her ear, gently urging her: "Nannan, you needn’t work so hard. With your sentiment, I am already content."
"Hmm? What?" Lian Hua lazily responded, her eyes closed, focused on enjoying His Majesty’s massage.
She didn’t think much about what His Majesty had said, responding instinctively.
The Emperor smiled warmly. Even now, his person was hiding something and not telling him, so considerate, such a low-key Little Concubine. When others did something for him, they couldn’t wait to announce it to the world, yet his Little Concubine didn’t make a fuss about it at all.
Nevertheless, there was no need for such discretion. He didn’t mind those things; what he cared about more was her. He decided to lay his cards on the table, "I can’t bear to see you so tired. It’s fine to prepare gifts slowly, no need to rush."
At his words, Lian Hua opened her eyes slightly, smiling warmly.
Her His Majesty was always so caring about her, but this matter couldn’t be postponed. She had already delayed it for quite some time, and the longer one owes a favor, the heavier it gets.
"My Lord, I understand, you need not worry. During the day, Nanny watches over me, and when it’s almost time, she insists I rest. I just want to finish it quickly and send it over, otherwise I feel uneasy."
These past few days, Nanny Qi had been watching over her. Whenever she saw Lian Hua getting tired, she ordered her to rest and didn’t let her continue with the task, so in fact, she wasn’t that tired, it was okay.
The Emperor paused for a moment, something about this didn’t sound right to him?
He resumed kneading without showing any change in expression and began to probe: "It’s the thought that counts with gifts, whether early or late, why does it make you feel restless?"
Lian Hua turned her head and said, "Yes, you’re right. But considering Sister Zhaoyi has helped me several times and sent such a valuable congratulatory gift, I must return the favor soon and express my gratitude for Sister Zhaoyi’s kindness."
The Emperor’s breathing grew heavier, fully understanding now. The ungrateful wretch had put so much thought into a gift, not for him but for Xu Rongying!
If she wanted to give a return gift, she could have just told him, selected something from his treasury, and sent it over.
Although Xu Rongying indeed helped her, and he had secretly agreed to a request from Xu Rongying, essentially repaying her on Lian Hua’s behalf, why should she tire herself by preparing it personally!
Besides, how could Xu Rongying be more important to her than he was? In this palace, no, in this world, he should be the one worthy of her utmost effort, aside from her parents, of course.
Even in the case of her parents, the person she would share her life with in the future was him, which meant he was even more important!
In short, no matter what, he must come first in his Little Concubine’s heart.
The more the Emperor thought about it, the angrier he became and he lost control of his strength, unintentionally squeezing harder, pinching her vehemently a couple of times.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212 (Reading here)
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233
- Page 234
- Page 235
- Page 236
- Page 237
- Page 238
- Page 239
- Page 240
- Page 241
- Page 242
- Page 243
- Page 244
- Page 245
- Page 246
- Page 247
- Page 248
- Page 249
- Page 250
- Page 251
- Page 252
- Page 253
- Page 254
- Page 255
- Page 256
- Page 257
- Page 258
- Page 259
- Page 260
- Page 261
- Page 262
- Page 263
- Page 264
- Page 265
- Page 266
- Page 267
- Page 268
- Page 269
- Page 270
- Page 271
- Page 272
- Page 273
- Page 274
- Page 275
- Page 276
- Page 277
- Page 278
- Page 279
- Page 280
- Page 281
- Page 282
- Page 283
- Page 284
- Page 285
- Page 286
- Page 287
- Page 288
- Page 289
- Page 290
- Page 291
- Page 292
- Page 293
- Page 294
- Page 295
- Page 296
- Page 297
- Page 298
- Page 299
- Page 300
- Page 301
- Page 302
- Page 303
- Page 304
- Page 305
- Page 306
- Page 307
- Page 308
- Page 309
- Page 310
- Page 311
- Page 312
- Page 313
- Page 314
- Page 315
- Page 316
- Page 317
- Page 318
- Page 319
- Page 320
- Page 321
- Page 322
- Page 323
- Page 324
- Page 325
- Page 326
- Page 327
- Page 328
- Page 329
- Page 330
- Page 331
- Page 332
- Page 333
- Page 334
- Page 335
- Page 336
- Page 337
- Page 338
- Page 339
- Page 340
- Page 341
- Page 342
- Page 343
- Page 344
- Page 345
- Page 346
- Page 347
- Page 348
- Page 349
- Page 350
- Page 351
- Page 352
- Page 353
- Page 354
- Page 355
- Page 356
- Page 357
- Page 358
- Page 359
- Page 360
- Page 361
- Page 362
- Page 363
- Page 364
- Page 365
- Page 366
- Page 367
- Page 368
- Page 369
- Page 370
- Page 371
- Page 372
- Page 373
- Page 374
- Page 375
- Page 376
- Page 377
- Page 378
- Page 379
- Page 380
- Page 381
- Page 382
- Page 383
- Page 384
- Page 385
- Page 386
- Page 387
- Page 388
- Page 389
- Page 390
- Page 391
- Page 392
- Page 393
- Page 394
- Page 395
- Page 396
- Page 397
- Page 398
- Page 399
- Page 400
- Page 401
- Page 402
- Page 403
- Page 404
- Page 405
- Page 406
- Page 407
- Page 408
- Page 409
- Page 410
- Page 411
- Page 412
- Page 413
- Page 414
- Page 415
- Page 416
- Page 417
- Page 418
- Page 419
- Page 420
- Page 421
- Page 422
- Page 423
- Page 424
- Page 425
- Page 426
- Page 427
- Page 428
- Page 429
- Page 430
- Page 431
- Page 432
- Page 433
- Page 434
- Page 435
- Page 436
- Page 437
- Page 438
- Page 439
- Page 440
- Page 441
- Page 442
- Page 443
- Page 444
- Page 445
- Page 446
- Page 447
- Page 448
- Page 449
- Page 450
- Page 451
- Page 452
- Page 453
- Page 454
- Page 455
- Page 456
- Page 457
- Page 458
- Page 459
- Page 460
- Page 461
- Page 462
- Page 463
- Page 464
- Page 465
- Page 466
- Page 467
- Page 468
- Page 469
- Page 470
- Page 471
- Page 472
- Page 473
- Page 474
- Page 475
- Page 476
- Page 477
- Page 478
- Page 479
- Page 480
- Page 481
- Page 482
- Page 483
- Page 484
- Page 485
- Page 486
- Page 487
- Page 488
- Page 489
- Page 490
- Page 491
- Page 492
- Page 493
- Page 494
- Page 495
- Page 496
- Page 497
- Page 498
- Page 499
- Page 500
- Page 501
- Page 502
- Page 503
- Page 504
- Page 505
- Page 506
- Page 507
- Page 508
- Page 509
- Page 510
- Page 511
- Page 512
- Page 513
- Page 514
- Page 515
- Page 516
- Page 517
- Page 518
- Page 519
- Page 520
- Page 521
- Page 522
- Page 523
- Page 524
- Page 525
- Page 526
- Page 527
- Page 528