Lu Chen came to Luoyun palace more and more frequently, until a month later; Lu ran was promoted as an official concubine.
Seeing that the timing was long enough, Luo Ran called Qing Ru to walk with her at the imperial garden.
Today, Luo Ran is wearing a white pleated skirt embroidered with litmus red, which made her look a little more charming. She only stood for a quarter of an hour in the imperial garden with Qing Ru, when Zhou Xi and her entourage came from a distance.
Luo Ran’s eyes flashed a smile. When Zhou Xi’s ceremonial stopped no more than three steps away from her, she shivered all over. She seemed a little scared and nervous. Her eyes were foggy. She stepped forward, bent down to salute, and timidly said, “this concubine pays respects to Imperial Concubine Chen.”
The veil on the ceremonial dress was lifted to reveal Zhou Xi’s side face. She turned around and looked at Luo Ran. She smiled softly and sneered, “Who spoke to Bengong? Oh, it turned out to be Concubine Luo. Now you know what it feels like to be a master? Is it as good as when you were in Bengong’s palace?”
(Bengong [本宫] = “I/ this palace”; what the empress and imperial concubines call themselves if they have independent palaces (not all concubines in ancient palaces have their own palaces). It may also be used by Crown Princes and Princesses who have their own palaces. It’s non-gender restricted.)
Listening to Zhou Xi’s sarcastic remarks, Luo Ran’s eyelashes quivered. Tears gathered on her eyelashes but they couldn’t fall off. She bit her lip, bent her waist and dared not rise. She spoke in a low voice: “This concubine asks forgiveness from Mistress Imperial Concubine Chen.”
Zhou Xi’s face suddenly turned cold. No one had ever hit her face like this. Her anger had been building up for a month. Looking at the face that asked for pity, she was disgusted: “So, Concubine Luo knew, Bengong thought you forgot everything in order to climb into the Emperor’s bed!”
Luo Ran seemed to be unable to bear the insult in Zhou Xi’s words. She stumbled slightly and nearly fell down. Fortunately, Qing Ru was behind her and gave her a hand. Her lip was bleeding and she whispered, “This concubine doesn’t dare forget.”
Zhou Xi was holding Zi Fu’s arm in ceremonial at this time. She just walked in front of Luo Ran. But when she heard her words, she laughed sarcastically: “Not dare? While Bengong was taking a nap, you climbed on to the Emperor’s bed with your dirty body. What else you won’t dare do?”
Luo Ran’s face was pale because of her words. Her hands were tightly clenched and her bones were clearly standing out. Only her fingers were covered with pink. She tried to smile, but she couldn’t do it. Tears wet her cheeks. She was pitiful, and she retorted with shame and anger: “This concubine is not dirty!”
Zhou Xi looked at her delicate and touching appearance, and her heart grew angrier. Was this the look she used to hook the emperor? Zhou Xi was originally like this too. She didn’t want to endure it any longer. She threw her a slap with her hand and spat out: “You fox!”
Luo Ran was squatting for too long, then she was slapped again. Now she was unstable and fell to the ground, covering her cheek with one hand. Qing Ru held her with a face of panic and heartache. Luo Ran leaned against Qing Ru and wept silently.
Zhou Xi still hadn’t vent out all her anger, but she was too lazy to do it herself. Holding Zi Fu’s hand, she turned around and went on with her people, but still dropped a sentence: “Kneel down, don’t you like to seduce the Emperor? Kneel down to the Emperor until he tells you to stand up!”
When Lu Chen got the news, it was nearly noon. As soon as he arrived in the imperial garden, he saw a woman in the royal garden, dressed in a white skirt, kneeling weakly, surrounded by some concubines.
“The Emperor has arrived!”
The concubines on one side didn’t think that the Emperor would really come. After all, Imperial Concubine Chen punished Luo Ran herself. They thought that with the feelings between the Emperor and Imperial Concubine Chen, this ‘Luo Ran grievance’ was settled. They only wanted to come and see the show.
“Paying respects to the Emperor!”
Lu Chen ignored them and walked toward Luo Ran in hurried steps. He saw her face had turned white, the blood on her lip had dried up, especially the redness and swelling on her cheek. When he saw her, her tears kept falling down and they seem to be telling him her grievances.
Looking at her messy appearance, Lu Chen only felt angry in his heart. He had just advised her to go out for a walk yesterday and she was forced to kneel today. This made him feel a sting on his cheek. Lu Chen picked up Luo Ran. Lu Chen held his anger and said with some affection, “it’s all right.”
Lu Chen didn’t wait for Luo Ran’s reply. He felt something cold on his neck. Then he heard her crying voice. Obviously, she was so weak, but a little stubborn: “I’m not dirty.”
Before Lu Chen could speak, she repeated, “Your Majesty, I’m not dirty!”
The body in his arms trembled a little. Lu Chen only felt cold in his heart. What did Zhou Xi say to make Luo Ran react like this? Whether her body is clean or not, naturally, he knows best.
Lu Chen goes back to the palace with Luo Ran in his arms. Zhou Xi is too much!
In Luoyun palace, the female doctor lifted the skirts on her knees, which were very red. She is thin and tender, and Lu Chen was pleased with every part of her body. But after kneeling for so long on the stone pavement, some skin was broken, and the blood was stuck on the skirt. The female doctor’s actions made her turn pale.
Luo Ran, with tears streaming from her eyes in pain; squeezed Lu Chen’s sleeve tightly with one hand, this showed how helpless she was to Lu Chen. Lu Chen hugged her tightly and looked at her wound. The anger in his eyes became more and more intense.
After the female doctor gave Luo Ran some medicine, she retreated. Lying in Lu Chen’s arms, she said nothing but wept silently. This made Lu Chen feel sad and suffocated. Finally, he said, “wait here for me.”
Luo Ran looked at him with tears in her eyes. When she saw that he was going to leave, there was a panic on her face. She didn’t have time to speak. She just wanted to stop him, but she forgot the pain on her knees. She couldn’t hold Lu Chen, but fell off the soft couch.
Hearing the sound of a heavy object landing behind him, Lu Chen was shocked. Turning around, he saw that Luo Ran was collapsed on the ground. A pair of warm jade fine hands were propped up on the ground, and her face was very pale. There was no color in her face, only white, tears wet her hair. She clenched her lip. She saw him turn around, her eyes glowing brightly, a weak and low voice cried out: “Don’t go.”
Lu Chen knew that he was mistaken. He picked her up and gently placed her on the soft couch. Luo Ran looked like a frightened bird. Her hands clenched Lu Chen’s sleeve tightly. Her eyes flashed with fluster and imploring, Lu Chen looked at her eyes, weakly and timidly repeating, “don’t go.”
As she looked like this, Lu Chen was unwilling to leave. He just wants to coax her on the palm of his hand and explain his behavior to her: “I’m not leaving, but you have been wronged. I should seek justice for you.”
Luo Ran realized that he was not angry with her, so her trembling body finally calmed down slowly. She looked at Lu Chen with her wet eyes open. She spoke softly while trying to suppress her crying: “it’s my fault. I wronged Imperial Concubine Chen. She should be angry.”
Although saying this, Luo Ran’s tears cannot help but flow down, the grievances in her eyes clearly presented in front of Lu Chen. Partial to that pair of eyes containing drops of tears and look at him with pleading; Lu Chen didn’t know what to do.
Lu Chen wiped her tears for her. He became more and more determined to seek justice for her, and said quietly, “Don’t be afraid, it’s my negligence this time, and it won’t happen again.”
“Don’t go. Imperial Concubine Chen would be angry.” At this point, Luo Ran shook again, as if she was terrified of Zhou Xi.
This reaction made Lu Chen frown. What on earth did Zhou Xi do to her to make the beautiful woman in his arms so afraid of her? She planted a seed of doubt in Lu Chen’s heart. Unable to see her worried and frightened, he comforted and said, “okay, I’ll listen to you, don’t cry.”
Luo Ran took a careful look at Lu Chen and saw that he really gave up looking for Imperial Concubine Chen. She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled, her eyes shining, buried in Lu Chen’s neck and the corners of her mouth slightly raised.
Her compromising appearance made Lu Chen feel sorry for her even more, and his eyes darkened. Since she felt guilty about Zhou Xi and didn’t want to go to her by herself, — then raise her status! In this way, it would not be so easy for Zhou Xi to look for her and cause problems.
Lu Chen came to Luoyun palace more and more frequently, until a month later; Lu ran was promoted as an official concubine.
Seeing that the timing was long enough, Luo Ran called Qing Ru to walk with her at the imperial garden.
Today, Luo Ran is wearing a white pleated skirt embroidered with litmus red, which made her look a little more charming. She only stood for a quarter of an hour in the imperial garden with Qing Ru, when Zhou Xi and her entourage came from a distance.
Luo Ran’s eyes flashed a smile. When Zhou Xi’s ceremonial stopped no more than three steps away from her, she shivered all over. She seemed a little scared and nervous. Her eyes were foggy. She stepped forward, bent down to salute, and timidly said, “this concubine pays respects to Imperial Concubine Chen.”
The veil on the ceremonial dress was lifted to reveal Zhou Xi’s side face. She turned around and looked at Luo Ran. She smiled softly and sneered, “Who spoke to Bengong? Oh, it turned out to be Concubine Luo. Now you know what it feels like to be a master? Is it as good as when you were in Bengong’s palace?”
(Bengong [本宫] = “I/ this palace”; what the empress and imperial concubines call themselves if they have independent palaces (not all concubines in ancient palaces have their own palaces). It may also be used by Crown Princes and Princesses who have their own palaces. It’s non-gender restricted.)
Listening to Zhou Xi’s sarcastic remarks, Luo Ran’s eyelashes quivered. Tears gathered on her eyelashes but they couldn’t fall off. She bit her lip, bent her waist and dared not rise. She spoke in a low voice: “This concubine asks forgiveness from Mistress Imperial Concubine Chen.”
Zhou Xi’s face suddenly turned cold. No one had ever hit her face like this. Her anger had been building up for a month. Looking at the face that asked for pity, she was disgusted: “So, Concubine Luo knew, Bengong thought you forgot everything in order to climb into the Emperor’s bed!”
Luo Ran seemed to be unable to bear the insult in Zhou Xi’s words. She stumbled slightly and nearly fell down. Fortunately, Qing Ru was behind her and gave her a hand. Her lip was bleeding and she whispered, “This concubine doesn’t dare forget.”
Zhou Xi was holding Zi Fu’s arm in ceremonial at this time. She just walked in front of Luo Ran. But when she heard her words, she laughed sarcastically: “Not dare? While Bengong was taking a nap, you climbed on to the Emperor’s bed with your dirty body. What else you won’t dare do?”
Luo Ran’s face was pale because of her words. Her hands were tightly clenched and her bones were clearly standing out. Only her fingers were covered with pink. She tried to smile, but she couldn’t do it. Tears wet her cheeks. She was pitiful, and she retorted with shame and anger: “This concubine is not dirty!”
Zhou Xi looked at her delicate and touching appearance, and her heart grew angrier. Was this the look she used to hook the emperor? Zhou Xi was originally like this too. She didn’t want to endure it any longer. She threw her a slap with her hand and spat out: “You fox!”
Luo Ran was squatting for too long, then she was slapped again. Now she was unstable and fell to the ground, covering her cheek with one hand. Qing Ru held her with a face of panic and heartache. Luo Ran leaned against Qing Ru and wept silently.
Zhou Xi still hadn’t vent out all her anger, but she was too lazy to do it herself. Holding Zi Fu’s hand, she turned around and went on with her people, but still dropped a sentence: “Kneel down, don’t you like to seduce the Emperor? Kneel down to the Emperor until he tells you to stand up!”
When Lu Chen got the news, it was nearly noon. As soon as he arrived in the imperial garden, he saw a woman in the royal garden, dressed in a white skirt, kneeling weakly, surrounded by some concubines.
“The Emperor has arrived!”
The concubines on one side didn’t think that the Emperor would really come. After all, Imperial Concubine Chen punished Luo Ran herself. They thought that with the feelings between the Emperor and Imperial Concubine Chen, this ‘Luo Ran grievance’ was settled. They only wanted to come and see the show.
“Paying respects to the Emperor!”
Lu Chen ignored them and walked toward Luo Ran in hurried steps. He saw her face had turned white, the blood on her lip had dried up, especially the redness and swelling on her cheek. When he saw her, her tears kept falling down and they seem to be telling him her grievances.
Looking at her messy appearance, Lu Chen only felt angry in his heart. He had just advised her to go out for a walk yesterday and she was forced to kneel today. This made him feel a sting on his cheek. Lu Chen picked up Luo Ran. Lu Chen held his anger and said with some affection, “it’s all right.”
Lu Chen didn’t wait for Luo Ran’s reply. He felt something cold on his neck. Then he heard her crying voice. Obviously, she was so weak, but a little stubborn: “I’m not dirty.”
Before Lu Chen could speak, she repeated, “Your Majesty, I’m not dirty!”
The body in his arms trembled a little. Lu Chen only felt cold in his heart. What did Zhou Xi say to make Luo Ran react like this? Whether her body is clean or not, naturally, he knows best.
Lu Chen goes back to the palace with Luo Ran in his arms. Zhou Xi is too much!
In Luoyun palace, the female doctor lifted the skirts on her knees, which were very red. She is thin and tender, and Lu Chen was pleased with every part of her body. But after kneeling for so long on the stone pavement, some skin was broken, and the blood was stuck on the skirt. The female doctor’s actions made her turn pale.
Luo Ran, with tears streaming from her eyes in pain; squeezed Lu Chen’s sleeve tightly with one hand, this showed how helpless she was to Lu Chen. Lu Chen hugged her tightly and looked at her wound. The anger in his eyes became more and more intense.
After the female doctor gave Luo Ran some medicine, she retreated. Lying in Lu Chen’s arms, she said nothing but wept silently. This made Lu Chen feel sad and suffocated. Finally, he said, “wait here for me.”
Luo Ran looked at him with tears in her eyes. When she saw that he was going to leave, there was a panic on her face. She didn’t have time to speak. She just wanted to stop him, but she forgot the pain on her knees. She couldn’t hold Lu Chen, but fell off the soft couch.
Hearing the sound of a heavy object landing behind him, Lu Chen was shocked. Turning around, he saw that Luo Ran was collapsed on the ground. A pair of warm jade fine hands were propped up on the ground, and her face was very pale. There was no color in her face, only white, tears wet her hair. She clenched her lip. She saw him turn around, her eyes glowing brightly, a weak and low voice cried out: “Don’t go.”
Lu Chen knew that he was mistaken. He picked her up and gently placed her on the soft couch. Luo Ran looked like a frightened bird. Her hands clenched Lu Chen’s sleeve tightly. Her eyes flashed with fluster and imploring, Lu Chen looked at her eyes, weakly and timidly repeating, “don’t go.”
As she looked like this, Lu Chen was unwilling to leave. He just wants to coax her on the palm of his hand and explain his behavior to her: “I’m not leaving, but you have been wronged. I should seek justice for you.”
Luo Ran realized that he was not angry with her, so her trembling body finally calmed down slowly. She looked at Lu Chen with her wet eyes open. She spoke softly while trying to suppress her crying: “it’s my fault. I wronged Imperial Concubine Chen. She should be angry.”
Although saying this, Luo Ran’s tears cannot help but flow down, the grievances in her eyes clearly presented in front of Lu Chen. Partial to that pair of eyes containing drops of tears and look at him with pleading; Lu Chen didn’t know what to do.
Lu Chen wiped her tears for her. He became more and more determined to seek justice for her, and said quietly, “Don’t be afraid, it’s my negligence this time, and it won’t happen again.”
“Don’t go. Imperial Concubine Chen would be angry.” At this point, Luo Ran shook again, as if she was terrified of Zhou Xi.
This reaction made Lu Chen frown. What on earth did Zhou Xi do to her to make the beautiful woman in his arms so afraid of her? She planted a seed of doubt in Lu Chen’s heart. Unable to see her worried and frightened, he comforted and said, “okay, I’ll listen to you, don’t cry.”
Luo Ran took a careful look at Lu Chen and saw that he really gave up looking for Imperial Concubine Chen. She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled, her eyes shining, buried in Lu Chen’s neck and the corners of her mouth slightly raised.
Her compromising appearance made Lu Chen feel sorry for her even more, and his eyes darkened. Since she felt guilty about Zhou Xi and didn’t want to go to her by herself, — then raise her status! In this way, it would not be so easy for Zhou Xi to look for her and cause problems.
