The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 179 Bathing
In the east wing's washroom, wisps of steam rose slowly in the warm yellow light.

Li Yi closed his eyes and leaned against the edge of the bluestone pool. The warm water flowed over his chest, and the fatigue of the past few days seemed to dissipate with the rising heat.

When he first moved to this mansion last year, he immediately fell in love with the separate bathtub and would come over for a soak every few days.

This bathhouse may not seem very large, but to fill it with enough water, just heating the water alone requires several stoves in the kitchen to be lit simultaneously, with several maids taking turns adding firewood and fuel.

Not to mention the hard labor of carrying water—several servants had to make dozens of trips to transport the boiled water from the kitchen to the washroom.

Moreover, after Li Yi finished bathing, the water in the pool could not be completely drained through the waterway. The maids had to scoop out the water little by little and then use a bristle brush to scrub the pool walls inch by inch, which took more than half an hour to clean.

In addition, the amount of firewood consumed for boiling water is not small.

It's important to understand that in Tokyo, fuel costs extra for daily life. Ordinary people have to be frugal even when it comes to cooking, let alone using it for boiling water for bathing.

As Li Yi's official duties became increasingly busy, and the initial novelty wore off, his leisurely mood for taking a bath gradually faded.

This saved on daily expenses for firewood and also reduced the burden on the servants in the mansion.

"call--"

After an unknown amount of time, Li Yi slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long, stale breath.

The warm steam rose before my eyes, and I felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from my body, and an indescribable sense of comfort permeated my very bones.

"This stay in Tokyo has been quite fruitful..."

Li Yi muttered to himself, as for the gains he mentioned—

First, Zhao Pu, Chu Zhaofu, and Wang Renzhan will soon be recruited by him as his advisors.

Secondly, he helped Li Chuyun secure a position as the Right Assistant of the Palace Guard. After Li Chuyun takes up his post in Tokyo, wouldn't he remember this favor?

Furthermore, Luo Yanhuan, whom we saved today, is very likely the same person from history, and he will also remember Li Yi's kindness.

Thinking about it this way, Li Yi suddenly felt somewhat fortunate to have gotten the job of staying in Tokyo.

After all, the world is not yet unified and there are still many battles to be fought. There is no rush to make military achievements, and military achievements cannot be accumulated by one person alone.

But if you miss out on a talented person, and someone else gets there first and uses them against you, that would be disgusting.

Even if you don't need them yourself, you can't leave them to others. Bringing all these historical figures under your command is definitely a profitable deal.

As the saying goes: "Accumulate strength, be prepared for any eventuality... and it may come in great use when things change!"

Li Yi stretched his neck slightly, his gaze sweeping over the furnishings in the washroom—a green gauze curtain shrouded the pool, and gilded bronze ornaments could be faintly seen on the walls, along with several rare winter green plants in the corner.

These subtle sights brought him a sense of ease, as if the daily troubles had temporarily disappeared.

Li Yi leaned lazily against the edge of the pool, not wanting to move a single finger, wanting only to soak in the pool and take a nap.

Just then, the tinkling of jade pendants grew louder as they approached, accompanied by the sound of light footsteps.

Hearing the noise, Li Yi assumed it was some ignorant maid who had barged in, and without turning his head, he scolded, "Didn't I tell you not to come in and disturb me?" He usually bathed himself and never let the maids help him. He would only call them in to help when he needed to heat water or get something.

"Ah Lang, it's me." A gentle voice sounded from behind.

Li Yi turned around and, through the hazy mist, saw Xian'er walking out from behind the screen. She was wearing a lotus-colored jacket and skirt with a collar, and the silver hairpin in her hair shone brightly under the lamplight. She was also holding a neatly folded plain silk nightgown in her arms.

"It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?" Li Yi's tone immediately softened.

But before she could finish speaking, a petite figure emerged from behind the screen—Zuo Ling'er quietly entered carrying a lacquer tray, from which wisps of steam rose from the celadon bowl.

Her steps were as light as a cat's, her hair ornaments trembled slightly with her movements, and she softly called out, "Ah Lang..." Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, and a hint of timidity was revealed in her eyes.

Seeing this, Li Yi said helplessly, "I'm busy with official business during the day and often come back very late. You don't all have to wait for me. Just get some rest."

Upon hearing this, Xuan'er smiled and said, "I know that you cherish me and my sister, my lord..."

She lightly draped her nightgown over the sandalwood stand, then turned and took the lacquer tray from Zuo Ling'er's hands.

"But in this deep mansion, if I don't wait for my husband to return, I always feel empty inside. Besides, when my husband is not here, my sister and I sit facing each other counting the night watch, and it's even harder for us to fall asleep."

She spoke with genuine sincerity. It had only been half a month since Li Yi took her as a concubine and they both moved into the west wing.

The two young women were newly married and deeply in love, but Li Yi was burdened with heavy responsibilities and could not be seen during the day. He would only return home after finishing his duties late at night.

My husband is a considerate person; if the two of them have already gone to sleep, he certainly won't go to disturb them.

In this way, wouldn't the rare opportunity to get close to Ah Lang at night be missed?
"Ah Lang must be getting a bit thirsty after being steamed in the heat for so long."

Xian'er walked gracefully to the edge of the pond, her skirt lightly brushing the bluestone ground. She knelt on the brocade cushion, holding a lacquer tray in both hands and handed it to Li Yi.

"My sister and I specially brewed a tea with pear syrup and licorice leaves, which is very refreshing and thirst-quenching."

"You guys are really thoughtful."

Li Yi reached out, picked up the teacup, and took a small sip. The bitter aroma of the tea immediately spread between his lips and teeth. He then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp before placing the teacup back on the lacquer tray.

At that moment, he caught a glimpse of Zuo Ling'er standing there, her head bowed, twisting her sash with her hands. Whether it was shyness or the heat, her cheeks were flushed.

Li Yi couldn't help but smile, beckoned to her, and said softly, "Ling'er, come and rub my back."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Ling'er blushed all the way down to her neck, making her appear even more charming and adorable.

"Mmm." She gently bit her lip in response, and with both hands she loosened the sash of her robe, the apricot-colored outer garment slipping down her shoulders to reveal the moon-white inner garment underneath.

Then, as the inner garment was removed, the embroidered skirt and undergarment came into view, revealing a slender figure with skin as smooth as jade, just like a crabapple blossom about to bloom in early spring.

"Alang..."

Zuo Ling'er lowered her head and slowly approached, the silver bells on her ankles making a soft, clear sound, each step feeling like stepping on one's heart.

(End of this chapter)