13 - Bai Hao

Chapter 13 – Bai Hao

After Lan Shufei left, Si Liujing pondered over the matter. It turned out that Bai Liangdi ’s father, Bai Hao, is in charge of internal affairs in Ling Wang Mansion…….

Following this, he summoned the Chief Steward and questioned him regarding Bai Hao’s behavior in the royal mansion.

When the Chief Steward, Liu Changqing, heard the Wangye ’s questions on Bai Hao, he answered according to the facts. However, he was overcome with curiosity as to what Bai Hao had done to make the Wangye investigate him. This Bai Hao is usually serious in his work in the royal mansion and he knows his place.

Can it be he had made a careless mistake and someone complained about him in front of the Wangye ?

“Do you know the reason why Benwang took his daughter into the mansion as a concubine?”

After thinking about the matter, Chief Steward Liu replied respectfully. “Replying to Wangye …….two years ago, when Wangye was leaving the royal mansion, Wangye met Bai Hao on the street situated at the East Gate. He was crying and begging Wangye to save his daughter. The reason was that his daughter had offended Elder Gao Ge’s son and the other party wanted to arrest Miss Bai of the Bai Family. Wangye personally settled this matter and Gao Gongzi did not dare to make any move because of Wangye . However, Wangye guessed that Elder Gao Ge would make life difficult for Bai Hao and his daughter, so his daughter was directly taken into Ling Wang Mansion as a concubine.”

After listening, Si Liujing seemed to remember this matter but since this happened two years ago, he had completely forgotten about it. Then he asked in detail about how Bai Yuxiao had offended Elder Gao Ge’s son. It turned out that when Gao Gongzi was molesting a girl, Miss Bai happened to witness it, and feeling annoyed, she stepped in to interfere. However, the other party turned around and said that she falsely accused him and ruined his reputation, therefore, he wanted to arrest her to be convicted.

Si Liujing had heard of the deeds done by Elder Gao Ge and his son. Elder Gao Ge had this son in his old age and he spoiled this son tremendously. Although his son was always bullying others, no one could get hold of any evidence.

Besides, Elder Gao Ge holds a high position and is very powerful in the imperial court, so the other officials in the imperial court were forced to open one eye and close one eye*.

(Open one eye and close one eye means pretending not to see the wrongdoings and injustice committed.)

When Si Liujing thought of Bai Yuxiao, a sixteen-year-old girl, who dared to stand up for other women in front of everyone, it made him admire her. So it was not surprising for him to simply accept her as a concubine on an impulse just to protect the father and daughter. With this relationship, even if Elder Gao Ge knew about it, he would not dare to do anything to this concubine of his royal mansion.

Although Si Liujing took her into his royal mansion, he could not give her a high position, so he kept her in the rear courtyard and once he kept her there, it was for two years…….

After understanding the details regarding Bai Yuxiao, Si Liujing was not satisfied because there was absolutely nothing in common between her and Shui’er.

Once a woman enters the royal mansion, it means she has to stay in the inner courtyard for the rest of her life and she could not leave the residence casually.

However, Shui’er had stayed outside with him for a month.

Si Liujing mulled over this and felt Bai Yuxiao could not be Shui’er. It should be that their voices sounded very similar. Thinking about this, he just shelved the thought but somehow, a feeling of dissatisfaction still lingered in his heart and he had a persistent feeling that this matter needed to be investigated again.

The question is how to investigate?

He did not know anything about Shui’er and the only thing he was familiar with……..were the curves of her body……..

Thinking up to here, he made a decision.

That night, he suddenly appeared in Wutong Courtyard without any prior notice* .

(Prior notice – Usually the husband would stay in his chamber located in the main courtyard while the wives and concubines stay in their individual inner courtyards. When the husband intends to favor a wife or concubine during that particular night, a notice would be sent to the relevant courtyards to inform them of the impending arrival. The courtyards would then prepare meals, snacks, and tea to serve the husband and all other preparations would also be in place if he decides to stay the night.)

The moment when the servants reported that Wangye had arrived, the three people, mistress and servants, were once again caught by surprise.

As it was dinner time, the courtyard was about to start dinner. However, as soon as it was heard that the Wangye had arrived, Bai Yuxiao hurriedly got up to receive him. She went out together with the maids and they bowed to greet him.

“Greetings to Wangye! ”

“Um…….” After Si Liujing motioned for them to get up, he walked directly into the house.

Behind him, Bai Yuxiao and the two maids exchanged glances. The meaning was that the Wangye had just dropped by in the day and now he is here again, so everyone has to be on guard.

Si Liujing had just returned from the palace and he came directly to Wutong Courtyard without going back to his main courtyard. As soon as he entered the bedchamber, he spread out his arms and waited for Bai Yuxiao to wait on him and help to change his clothes.

Upon seeing this, Bai Yuxiao immediately stepped forward and attentively took off his court robes and belt, and following that she removed his jade crown. Zhaolu knelt to take off his boots while Shuang’er went out to bring in a basin of water.

Si Liujing saw Bai Yuxiao’s shy and surprised look. All her gestures were cautious and respectful just like the other concubines in the inner courtyards showing only expectation and admiration for him.

He recalled the conversation he had with his Emperor Father in the palace today after the official discussions were over. When both Father and Son were talking, the Father reminded him that he was already twenty-three years old and it was time for him to marry a Wangfei . Not to mention the elder princes, even the younger princes had all married their first wives and only the position of the first wife in Ling Wang Palace is still vacant.

Si Liujing set up his royal mansion at the age of twenty and due to his military merits, he was bestowed the title of Ling Wang . Then he accepted thirteen concubines in succession. Because of his military merits, he requested his Emperor Father to grant him freedom in marriage. Therefore, until now, he still has not married a Wangfei nor taken a Cefei and even his Emperor Mother is not allowed to interfere. Although his Emperor Father would not force him, he would still persuade him.

Thus, the discussion on the topic of marrying a wife reminded him of Shui’er again. On the way back from the Palace, he felt more and more reluctant to accept the fact that Shui’er could not be found. No matter how he must find that mysterious woman. It seemed that only by finding her can his heart be at ease. Therefore, he would not let go of the slightest suspicious clue and because of this, he came directly to Wutong Courtyard as soon as he returned to the mansion.

“ Benwang wants to take a bath……..serve Benwang .”

“Yes, this concubine will order for the bath to be prepared.”

Bai Yuxiao responded in fear and trepidation, and she turned around to order the servants.

Two young manservants brought hot water into the bathroom next door. After the water was adjusted to the right temperature, Bai Yuxiao prepared the bath toiletries and waited for the Wangye to take his bath.

Since Si Liujing was suspicious of her, of course, he was not there just to take a bath. He noticed that she had her head lowered while she scrubbed his body and behaved with propriety, without even squinting her eyes nor seized the opportunity to fawn on him. The more she behaved with propriety, the more suspicious he became.

All the concubines in the inner courtyards, who would not try to seduce him while serving him in the bath?

Stretching out his broad hand, he took the initiative to touch her body and placed it on the fullness of her chest.

“ Wangye ……..” She blushed and looked flustered.

What is the matter with him? Why is he suddenly showing interest in her? It can’t be he is starting to be suspicious of her, right?

Without saying a word, Si Liujing directly pulled her into the bathtub. He started to grope all over her body while he sucked her neck and his hands touched and kneaded her body as he listened attentively to her voice.

After a while, he found that she did not groan and only panted soundlessly, so he started to tease her more vigorously. He moved his hand between her legs to rub her sensitive part and finally, he heard her low groans.

Her cries sounded eight to nine points similar to Shui’er and it evoked his memories which also stirred up a reaction in his lower body. He had always been cold and unemotional but now the heat is rising in his lower abdomen. This kind of deed is usually done properly on the bed but unexpectedly, just by hearing her voice that sounded so similar to Shui’er’s, it made him as vigorous as a tiger that he simply took her in the bathtub.

He was finally able to vent out with satisfaction after the deed was done but Bai Yuxiao’s legs had become weak and she cursed this anxious devil in her heart.

It turned out, he still has this addiction!

Although her legs were weak, she still continued to serve him and helped him to clean and dry his body.

Suddenly, he lifted her chin. She could not help but to look into his eyes and found his pair of black eyes that were filled with lust was staring at her.

Bai Yuxiao let him stare at her and in her heart, she knew he was suspicious of her. Just now, she was tossed wildly by him and it must be he was pretending.

However, why can’t he be a little gentler, she is hurting below!

Can it be his lust was stimulated in the previous month while the two of them were in the mountains? Sure enough, human potential needs to be stimulated!

Humph, you can just look as much as you want! Anyway, you can only be suspicious since you did not see my face when you were blind. I want to see what you can derive by just looking!

She silently cursed in her heart.

“Yuxiao…… this name carries water*. Let Benwang help you pick a nickname…….why not take the name of ‘Shui’er’?”

As Si Liujing spoke, he stared at her expression and did not let go of any subtle changes.

(The name Yuxiao carries a lot of water as explained in Chapter 3.)

“This concubine will listen to Wangye . As long as Wangye likes it, this concubine will like it as well.”

Her eyes were fuzzy, her blushing face had the flirtatious look of after being loved and her soft voice was intentionally flattering, timid, and cautious.

Si Liujing stared at her. Although her temperament was vastly different like thousands of li apart, human temperament could still be pretended. Just now, when he hugged her he could feel a sense of familiarity.

Speaking of this, it is amusing…….in the inner courtyards, there are many women but he could never remember the feeling of hugging them…….except for Shui’er who made him remember her.

Her voice, her caress, her kiss, and her scent had all unconsciously engraved into his memory during the month he was blind.

He wanted to dispel his desire for Shui’er, so he visited three Ji concubines in succession for several days but found that those women were unable to stir his interest at all. It was until tonight when he hugged Bai Liangdi, the lust that was bottled up for many days was finally relieved.

Thus, he decided to stay in her bedchamber tonight.

The two maidservants extinguished the candles and exited the chamber, leaving behind the pair of entangled shadows under the silk bed canopy.

Bai Yuxiao knew Si Liujing was already suspicious she is Shui’er. Anyway, if she did not admit it and allowed him to toss her whichever way he likes, she believes that his suspicions would fade as time passed. After thinking this through, she became very calm and confident, and closing her eyes, she went to sleep.

Si Liujing slept beside her and stared at her with wide eyes.

This woman actually fell asleep?

From her steady breathing, it could be seen that she was not pretending.

Can it be that she is not Shui’er, so she doesn’t feel any guilt and can sleep so sweetly?