Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 151 Liu, I want you to tell me in person what you want to teach the Crown Prince.
Liu's almond-shaped eyes widened in fear. She shook her head violently but dared not utter a sound. Her cheeks burned, and she turned her head away in shame.

She knew why Empress He had summoned the beautiful maids today, but it was hard to accept that she was to serve a man eight years younger than her.

Yuan Shao's eldest son from his first marriage, Yuan Tan, was only two years younger than the crown prince, which practically meant that she was to serve a man who was the same age as her stepson.

This man, in particular, indirectly killed her husband!

What she found most unacceptable was that Empress He wanted her to teach the Crown Prince the proper conduct for sexual relations. This... this absurd thing... was simply too shameful for a noblewoman like her!

The woman surnamed Liu was not a daughter of the Liu clan, but rather came from the Liu clan of Yanshi, a noble family.

Yanshi County was the ancient town of Liuyi. King Kuang of Zhou enfeoffed his youngest son in Liuyi, who became Duke Kang of Liu. This is the origin of the Liu clan of Yanshi. The Liu clan of Yanshi is also a scholar-official family of the Modern Text School, and their family has been studying the "Ouyang Shangshu" for generations.

Even though he could accept all of the above, he still couldn't marry someone with the same surname.

Although the rule against marriage between people with the same surname refers to the principal wife, it is not a big problem for concubines to share the same surname with their husbands if they have no clan relationship.

However, as the crown prince and the future emperor, her every move is under scrutiny, so it is almost impossible for her future rank to be higher than that of the concubine; otherwise, the crown prince would certainly be criticized.

"I know you are unwilling, but you must consider your child. He is only six years old this year. Do you want him to toil in the dark and dreary mansion for the rest of his life?" Empress He narrowed her phoenix eyes and parted her red lips slightly. She whispered words like a devil in Liu's ear, offering an enticing condition that made her choose to submit to hell. She said, "If you are willing, I can order the mansion to exempt Yuan Shang from his labor service and allow you to see him once every seven days."

She understood the thoughts of these female relatives of convicted officials all too well. Women are inherently weak, but mothers are strong. If their children could escape this dark and hopeless prison, these female relatives of convicted officials would willingly become their most loyal henchmen, doing all sorts of shameful and despicable things for her.

Upon hearing this, Liu's heart trembled slightly. The conditions offered by Empress He were far too tempting for her at the moment, but the pride she held from her prestigious family constantly condemned her in her heart. The clash between morality and reality sparked a series of emotions within her.

Liu's eyes were filled with struggle. She gently bit her moist lips with her pearly teeth, and her hands unconsciously twisted the hem of her upper garment, as if trying to find balance in the whirlpool of her heart, but still unable to make a decision.

"Of course, as a woman myself, I can understand your difficulties. If you are unwilling, I will not force you."

Empress He smiled lightly, the jade beads on her hairpin jingling as she turned. With her hands folded in front of her, she walked to the side, seemingly unconcerned about Liu's choice.

Liu was unsure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Empress He's languid phoenix eyes seemed to brighten slightly as she caught sight of another beautiful maid.

This feeling, whether it was an illusion or not, was the final straw that helped Liu's morality break down under the weight of reality.

"Empress!" Liu's sudden loud shout drew a sharp rebuke from a female official standing nearby, but Liu couldn't care less and hurriedly prostrated herself on the ground, crying out, "This servant, this servant is willing!"

Empress He slightly raised her hand, her wrist turning gently to stop the female official who was about to step forward to reprimand Liu. A playful smile appeared on her face, a smile that seemed to contain a hint of triumph.

The lady-in-waiting who had served Empress He for many years understood immediately and gave a wink to the eunuch beside her. The eunuch then brought over a folding chair and placed it behind Empress He.

With the help of a female official, Empress He slowly sat down on the folding chair, slightly adjusting her posture. Her smile deepened as she said, "I don't recall ever asking you to do anything." Liu was slightly taken aback, somewhat confused, but then an absurd yet seemingly reasonable guess surfaced in her mind.

Could it be... that the Empress actually wants her to volunteer?
Thinking of this, Liu's cheeks flushed instantly, and her eyes darted around uncertainly.

How could she possibly utter such shameful words in front of everyone?

Empress He was neither in a hurry nor angry. She leaned forward slightly, gently pinched Liu's chin, and raised her pitiful face, forcing Liu to look at her. She parted her red lips and said, "If you don't tell me, how will I know what you want?"

Liu was torn between her conscience and her conscience, and a sense of regret arose in her heart. But now that things had come to this, could she really back down?
They had already shamelessly knelt before Empress He in public and said they were willing. If they backed down now, wouldn't their actions just become a complete joke?

This is precisely where Empress He's confidence lies. Once people have paid the price and invested huge sunk costs, how could they easily give up halfway?

Liu bit her tongue lightly, her eyes slightly turned to the side, not daring to meet Empress He's gaze. Her head lowered unconsciously, but Empress He pressed it down so she couldn't lower it further. She stammered, "This servant...this servant requests to serve as the Crown Prince's maid."

"Is that so? But Bian'er doesn't seem to lack female servants."

"You want to become a maid in the Crown Prince's residence, but what will you do for him?"

Empress He looked at Liu with a half-smile, tilting her head slightly. Although she spoke softly, her tone carried an unsettling sense of oppression.

To Liu, the voice was particularly aggressive, as if it were forcing her to throw away her last shred of dignity and then forcing her to crush her already shattered dignity to pieces.

This was precisely Empress He's intention. If such a beautiful woman from a noble family were not properly disciplined, she might inevitably develop inappropriate thoughts in the future.

This was a method she had learned over many years in the palace, and it had never failed her.

Only by using her own child as a hostage, and after some persuasion, could she feel at ease letting Liu enter Yong'an Palace to serve her beloved son.

Liu closed her eyes in anguish, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and two lines of humiliating tears slowly slid down her cheeks. She clenched her teeth, her cheeks puffed out, as if she had made some kind of resolute decision, and said, "This servant requests to enter Yong'an Palace as a maidservant to the Crown Prince, to serve the Crown Prince, and to teach the Crown Prince... the proper... moral... etiquette."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hand that was holding Liu's chin loosened. Liu seemed to lose all her strength in an instant, and collapsed weakly to the ground. Her fragrant shoulders trembled slightly, her face was flushed, and her graceful figure rose and fell continuously, with her red lips exhaling gasps of breath.

Empress He was very satisfied with Liu's performance. She took out a soft handkerchief from her sleeve and gently stroked Liu's cheek, which was even softer than the handkerchief. She gently wiped away the tears on Liu's face and said softly, "Look at you, this is clearly a great thing, why are you crying? People who don't know the situation will think that I am forcing you, or that Yong'an Palace is some kind of hellish place."

After regaining her composure, Liu parted her thin lips, which were painted with rouge, and a numb look flashed in her eyes. She explained softly, "This servant is crying tears of joy. Being able to serve His Highness the Crown Prince in Yong'an Palace is naturally a great thing and a blessing for this servant."

At this moment, it seemed that she had completely shattered her dignity, and when she uttered such hypocritical words, she not only did not hesitate at all, but she also did not feel the slightest bit of guilt.

(End of this chapter)