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墨書 Inktalez
Then, Mei Shuang gently waved her hand, signaling Li Gonggong to come over.
Li Gonggong approached with confusion, and then Mei Shuang casually lifted a corner of her mask, just enough for Li Gonggong to see what was beneath it.
As Li Gonggong observed carefully, the concubines behind Xiao Luo also curiously widened their eyes to look this way.
First, they wanted to know why this woman was wearing a mask;
Second, they were even more eager to find out who this woman really was.
Queen Meiru maintained a calm expression, but inside she was boiling with anxiety. She slightly averted her gaze and discreetly glanced at Consort Chen beside her, only to find Consort Chen looking at her meaningfully, clearly implying: See? I wasn't lying.
Mei Ru withdrew her gaze and took a deep breath; it turned out the Emperor had been waiting for her!
After successfully witnessing Li Gonggong's shocked reaction upon seeing what was under the mask, Mei Shuang secretly laughed to herself.
Li Gonggong then leaned close to Xiao Luo's ear and whispered, "Your Majesty, there are some red bumps on her face that are truly—unpleasant to look at."
Although Li Gonggong's voice was low, it was still heard by the sharp-eared concubines behind Xiao Luo. Some exchanged knowing glances, realizing that she was indeed an unsightly woman.
This raised questions; if she was such an ugly woman, why did the Emperor keep her by his side?
The concubines were filled with confusion but tried hard to suppress their curiosity as they heard the Emperor coldly say, "Go to Dazhao Temple."
"Set off!"
---
Mei Shuang had initially thought that the appearance beneath her mask would evoke disgust from Xiao Luo, leading him to decisively deem it disrespectful to the Blessing Ceremony and thus keep her in the palace. This way, she would not have suffered in vain and could avoid many subsequent troubles.
After all, it was quite difficult to bear the title of "Deposed Empress Mei Shuang" and still show her face in public. It felt somewhat presumptuous, so it was best to cut ties with everyone from before. Just imagine, what did it mean for a "Deposed Empress Mei Shuang" to follow the esteemed Emperor and Empress? Besides highlighting Queen Meiru's dignity and her own downfall, she truly couldn't see how it related to this Blessing Ceremony.
Since Xiao Luo had not expressed any intention of not attending, she had to go.
Thus, when the dejected Mei Shuang realized that everyone had boarded their carriages in order and left, she found herself facing the last carriage.
Just as she was about to board, a low reprimand came from inside the carriage, "How dare you! This is Consort Yi's carriage; get down immediately."
Mei Shuang snapped back to reality and looked up. The carriage curtain was drawn aside, revealing a round-faced maid who glared at the out-of-place Mei Shuang.
Before she could respond, a gentle voice came from within the carriage, "Qin'er, let her come up..."
The round-faced maid hesitated but couldn't defy her master's words. She could only mutter, "The carriages ahead have already gone far; adding another person now will only make us fall further behind..."
"Thank you." Mei Shuang didn't bother with pleasantries any longer and quickly jumped into the carriage. After all, it wouldn't be proper if they fell too far behind because of her.
Xiao Luo knew that Mei Shuang had successfully boarded the last carriage and chose to ignore her thereafter.
Queen Meiru sat upright beside him, her hands resting on her perfectly smooth long skirt, her lips curved into a poised smile as always. Dressed in a bright red palace gown with an elegantly high bun, she wore only a single gold hairpin shaped like Nine Phoenixes Rising to the Sun. As the carriage swayed, it shimmered with golden light—simple yet grand.
Before him was always this regal demeanor. Yet sitting like this—wasn't it tiring? He recalled that woman who had once bumped into him while walking; now she had come up with such an idea—wearing a mask to handle her duties. Quite clever indeed. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips; this woman was becoming more interesting by the day.
Xiao Luo glanced sideways at Mei Ru and suddenly asked, "How is Chancellor Mei?"
Mei Ru was lost in thought when she heard his question; she paused slightly before responding, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My father should be well..."
"Mm," Xiao Luo replied casually. "Chancellor Mei caught a cold a few days ago and is still coughing; he hasn't attended court for several days."
Mei Ru finally came to her senses and anxiously asked, "Is Father unwell?"
"Today marks the end of the prayers for the Empress Dowager. I grant you permission to visit," the Emperor replied.
Mei Ru looked at the Emperor in astonishment. She had just become the Empress, yet she was allowed to visit her family. What an honor! She was filled with gratitude. In reality, such imperial favor was rare. Although there were rumors in the palace about discord between the Emperor and Empress, and he had not yet visited her, this honor was still significant.
Moreover, at this moment, this sudden grace felt like divine assistance!
Because of this special honor, Mei Ru appeared radiant and joyful, while Xiao Luo merely cast a light glance at her right arm.
This Empress clearly was not as simple as she seemed; she was not just gentle and virtuous.
He picked up the cup in front of him and was about to pour himself some wine when he noticed Mei Ru had already taken the initiative, blushing slightly. "Allow me to pour wine for Your Majesty."
Xiao Luo did not refuse.
Although the carriage jolted, it did not affect Mei Ru's pouring at all. Her posture and technique were both steady and appropriate.
The amber liquid flowed gracefully into Xiao Luo's cup, poured with perfect precision.
Suddenly, the carriage jolted again, and almost simultaneously, Mei Ru's left hand brushed against the base of Xiao Luo's cup. With just a touch, the cup stabilized as if it were firmly fixed in place. The wine that threatened to spill swirled above the cup before returning safely inside, settling down after a few gentle shakes against the cup's wall.
Mei Ru smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please..."
Xiao Luo nodded and drank all the wine in his hand. "Empress, excellent skill."
Mei Ru was momentarily taken aback before retracting her hand with a smile that clearly showed her embarrassment. "It's... it's nothing..."
On the last carriage of the team, the space that was already occupied by four people felt a bit cramped with the addition of Mei Shuang.
Mei Shuang was squeezed in with two maids, while facing her was Consort Yi, who had just called her to get on the carriage.
Upon seeing Consort Yi for the first time, Mei Shuang was instantly captivated.
With a flawless, fair complexion and delicate features, especially in her light purple long dress adorned with auspicious cloud patterns, she looked even more enchanting. In her memory, few could wear purple with such an extraordinary elegance, but Consort Yi truly embodied the ultimate charm of the color.
This Emperor Xiao Luo certainly had his share of beauty.
Consort Yi also took a moment to assess Mei Shuang. The light blue long dress paired with a silver mask was quite plain. Such colors were rarely seen in the luxurious harem, yet this unadorned look seemed to suit the slender figure of the woman before her, exuding an ethereal yet mysterious aura.
Naturally, it made sense for someone waiting on the emperor to have an air of mystery.
Consort Yi withdrew her gaze and began to flip through a book in her hands.
From her angle, Mei Shuang could just see the contents of the book. The vertically arranged text was quite hard on the eyes, but after glancing at it, Mei Shuang was suddenly taken aback and couldn't help but look up at Consort Yi.
With long eyelashes resembling a folding fan lightly lowered, casting a faint shadow beneath her eyes, she appeared focused. Her snow-white neck had a graceful curve, and the golden tassels in her hair swayed gently with the motion of the carriage. Her slender fingers turned the pages as if she were alone in a tranquil space.
Since sitting there was rather dull, Mei Shuang decided to stretch her neck and take a closer look at the book's contents.
The slight bumps of the carriage made it comfortable for those inside; although several maids sat upright, they seemed to be fighting off drowsiness. Perhaps Mei Shuang's concentration caught Consort Yi's attention; she lifted her head from the book and smiled at Mei Shuang, asking, "Do you like reading too?"
Mei Shuang nodded.
"Ha ha, well, I'm tired of looking at it anyway, so here, take a look," Consort Yi generously handed the book to Mei Shuang.
Mei Shuang hesitated for a moment, thinking that indeed, the women of the harem were not ordinary people; they even understood foreign languages.
Of course, the content of the book was still very appealing to her because she had just seen a very important passage.
The book was written in the language of the Eastern Kingdom, with many characters resembling Chinese characters. Even though there were occasionally some oddly written words, she could infer their meanings from the context. The book focused on depicting the customs and conditions of the area east of the Great Qin Empire, specifically what lay across the sea, such as how many small countries were scattered across this island nation, its abundant rice and iron production, and how wars frequently broke out between tribes there.
Mei Shuang flipped through the front of the book; there was no title, and upon closer inspection, it seemed that the text was handwritten.
She asked, "Is this your handwriting, Consort Yi?"
While Mei Shuang was seriously studying the content of the book, Consort Yi's gaze never left Mei Shuang's face. The mask covered most of her face, revealing only her eyes and chin.
Her eyes were like black grapes, crystal clear; her chin was slightly pointed and her complexion fair and round. One could imagine that the woman beneath this mask was likely not unattractive.
Hearing Mei Shuang's question, she pulled back her thoughts, a slight smile curling at the corners of her lips as she softly replied, "Yes, this is what I copied from a book. I haven't practiced writing in a long time and have become quite rusty..."
Mei Shuang pointed to a particular passage and asked, "Could you please explain how to understand these characters?"
Consort Yi glanced over and explained, "This is an ancient form of witchcraft; I don't fully understand it either. You can consider it as folklore. Knowing some obscure knowledge isn't entirely a bad thing."
She looked at Mei Shuang with some surprise. "You finished reading it? That quickly?"
Mei Shuang smiled lightly. "I just asked casually; I don't recognize most of it. I was only looking at some Chinese characters I could understand to pass the time."
Just as she finished speaking, the carriage came to a stop.
Dazhao Temple has arrived.
After getting off the carriage, Mei Shuang realized that the Emperor was already leading the concubines waiting there.
After Consort Yi got off, she was guided by her maid to her designated position.
As for Mei Shuang, she found herself at a loss, unsure of where to place her feet under the watchful eyes of everyone.
Under Xiao Luo's indifferent gaze, she could only muster the courage to step forward and ask what she should do.
In the short distance of just a few dozen steps, she suddenly felt as if she were walking down a runway. The difference was that the gazes of the concubines were not admiring her performance but rather filled with complex and intertwined emotions, like an impenetrable net that made it hard for her to breathe.
In an instant, a surge of anger welled up within Mei Shuang.
You called me here to pray for blessings, yet you neither give me an identity nor tell me what to do, leaving me to appear abruptly in front of the public and provoke all sorts of baseless speculation. Isn't this just setting me up to embarrass myself?
Naturally, this was all inner resentment, but she still walked steadily toward the indifferent Emperor. Just as she was about to reach him, an unexpected incident occurred.
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