He asked you to serve him in bed and become his concubine, how did you manage to win his heart and s

As the emperor, Mu Xiaoci should not lower himself to be involved in such an intimate relationship with a palace maid.

But for some reason, after smelling this fragrance, he always wanted to smell it carefully.

He wanted to know where the fragrance was coming from, whether she was carrying a sachet or applying some kind of aromatherapy, and why it fascinated him so much.

But he couldn't admit it, much less say what was on his mind.

His gaze fell unnaturally on Yun Xi's face, but the moment their eyes met, his pride got the better of him, and he let go of her hand.

"You little palace maid, you're quite quick-witted."

"Your Majesty, I am telling the truth."

Yunxi reverted to her adorable self, bowing her head in response.

She was startled too.

She was afraid that her appearance would be exposed because Mu Xiaoci could see her so clearly.

Unexpectedly, this guy is still too proud to admit his mistake and got into a physical altercation with a palace maid.

After all, as the emperor, he had his own pride and bottom line, and he would never do anything like having an affair with a palace maid.

Her status meant she could never have contact with the emperor.

That's why you need to use some bombshell information to pique the other person's curiosity and make them want to get closer.

After an awkward moment, Mu Xiaoci noticed the camellias not far away.

After all, he hadn't been here for a long time, and the camellias here were something he hadn't paid much attention to. But upon closer inspection today, he found that these camellias were no less beautiful than the others.

"Why have you, a mere palace maid, come here?"

"I stumbled upon a small path and somehow ended up here. I was surprised to see camellias here, so I couldn't resist coming to take a look."

"Oh? You know about camellias?"

Mu Xiaoci changed to a teasing tone, thinking of testing the other party.

Yunxi nodded and recited a poem to him: "Who planted the camellias? In the drizzle, I come alone. I tell you, but you cannot see them; they bloom in fiery red amidst the snow."

After reading it aloud, she looked up at Mu Xiaoci again, "Your Majesty, did you know that camellia has another name?"

"A severed flower?"

"Indeed, they all fell as a whole flower, dying resolutely, which gives them a more dignified air."

Yunxi suddenly thought of something, her voice choked with emotion, and her hand unconsciously stroked the petals.

Better to be a broken piece of jade than a whole piece of tile.

She now chooses to live for herself, and she must have the same resolve to cut her own throat, no matter the cost.

These actions were all genuine expressions of emotion, without any pretense, which captivated Mu Xiaoci.

Yunxi didn't show her entire face, only her profile, which made her look absolutely stunning. Against the backdrop of the camellias, her eyes sparkled like spring waves, and her face was as beautiful as a lotus.

The sorrow that was revealed in that instant was truly captivating.

It took Mu Xiaoci a while to manage to calm his distraught heart.

"Have you been to school?"

"I am the daughter of a sinner, and I was originally not allowed to study. Later, I met a man who taught me to read in the school. He then taught me some basics."

Yunxi was referring to her child, Yanyu.

Yan Yu was a well-behaved child who studied diligently and earnestly. Knowing that Yan Yu had never been to school, Yan Yu even taught her privately.

That was the happiest time for Yunxi. She never expected that the child would be close to her, but she never thought that Yanyu was a good child who didn't even look down on the palace servants and treated everyone around him with sincerity.

She wanted to protect his innocence, but she was also afraid that his kindness would make him vulnerable to being bullied in the palace.

Despite her determination to protect him for the rest of her life, they were still forced to separate.

But they will be able to meet soon.

When Yunxi mentioned Yan Yu, she became gentle and even exuded an indescribable beauty.

Mu Xiaoci, of course, did not know that this was her unique maternal radiance, and thought it was from the wild man she had known before entering the palace.

"All you've learned is to recognize a few words and recite a few poems. Besides that, what else did that person teach you?"

"Um?"

His voice was so cold that Yunxi didn't react at first, and even felt that Mu Xiaoci's words were strange.

"What I mean is, that person only taught you a few basic things, so what are you so smug about?"

"But these servants have been learning for a long time."

Yunxi disliked his tone of voice and, for some reason, began to take it seriously, even standing up for her child.

Yan Yu is also a beginner, so it's already quite impressive that she can understand so many words and recite poems!

She absolutely would not allow anyone to say that about her child.

Even if this person is the child's father, the current emperor!

Mu Xiaoci watched as Yun Xi defended another man in front of him, her tone stubborn as ever, and the serious expression on her face was even more infuriating.

"Oh? That person is very capable? Then let me see what else you've learned under his tutelage!"

"Your Majesty, why are you so serious? I've only learned the basics; I'm not taking any imperial examinations!"

"Ha, you're not even worthy of taking the imperial examinations! Now you're preparing for the autumn examinations, I wonder if the man who teaches you will even make it!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Yunxi no longer wanted to speak to the other person.

It's clear that they weren't even on the same level, and they argued so fiercely about it that they were practically red in the face. It's truly laughable.

Having lived through multiple lifetimes, she was naturally more mature than Mu Xiaoci. At this moment, she was too lazy to argue with him and immediately thought of a new trick.

"Your Majesty, why would you bother with someone as ignorant as me? The person who taught me might achieve great things in the future. I've only learned the basics and know a few poems. If Your Majesty were to teach me, I might even be able to compose poems. It all depends on the teacher's talent."

She learned her lesson and responded in accordance with Mu Xiaoci's wishes.

His meaning was crystal clear: he felt resentful because she was praising someone else.

He was, after all, the emperor, used to being the only one who mattered. Now that he had encountered someone who didn't fawn over him, he suddenly became extremely anxious.

Yunxi naturally had to flatter him and give him a compliment.

If Mu Xiaoci knew that he was arguing with a child, he would probably be furious.

Not to mention, this child is his own son.

But he was so angry that he didn't notice anything. He just listened to Yunxi's flattery and suddenly felt much better.

He didn't want to reveal it, but coughed a few times and replied to Yunxi: "I studied under a Grand Scholar and have extensive hunting experience, which is incomparable to those ordinary people outside."

"Would Your Majesty be willing to teach me something? I also want to learn more, otherwise I always feel uncouth and vulgar in the Forbidden City, and I even always get the directions wrong."

"It's truly commendable that you have such awareness..."

Mu Xiaoci neither agreed nor refused.

He was still somewhat bothered by the situation, after all, there was a significant difference in status between the emperor and a palace maid. If he rashly agreed, others might think he was interested in a palace maid.

In the harem, he maintained his integrity and restrained his desires, and there were no rumors about him in this regard.

For an emperor who cared about his reputation, interacting with palace maids was somewhat of an overstepping of boundaries.

Yunxi naturally noticed this as well, but she didn't say anything and continued to go along with what he was saying.

"Or Your Majesty could guide me. I know my status is lowly, and I would be eternally grateful for any guidance from Your Majesty. Your Highness is still pregnant and should take good care of yourself. I dare not disturb you..."

When it comes to learning, a servant girl would naturally prefer to be with her master, otherwise she would be suspected of seducing the emperor.

But Yunxi said that Li Ruolan is currently pregnant, and pregnant women should not be disturbed. How could she possibly influence the Empress?

It was practically an open plea to Mu Xiaoci, almost to the point of kneeling down and begging.

Mu Xiaoci is no child, but he still felt happy to be praised today.

In other words, even the emperor is happy when he is flattered.

After all, in the palace, everyone is watching him, and at this age, he is more of a spur to action.

How should a wise ruler act? How should an emperor conduct himself?

Even the Empress Dowager used her status to pressure him today, saying that even as the Emperor, he should still be mindful of filial piety, and that he should naturally follow the Empress Dowager in upholding what she wanted to protect.

He received nothing but rejection from the outside world, but with Yunxi, she seemed to treat him as an extremely noble person, so whatever she said was right.

Mu Xiaoci didn't know what Yunxi was thinking, but he felt that Yunxi's words were always pleasant to hear.

As luck would have it, this pavilion was originally a small library, but the books weren't very important; there were more stories, travelogues, and folk tales.

It was a book he read when he was a child.

Although they were easy to understand, the late emperor considered them a waste of time and deliberately moved these books out of the library and locked them in this small pavilion.

Looking back now, it might be good to show these stories to Yunxi.

"Since you are so eager to learn, I can certainly offer you some guidance."

Mu Xiaoci's face rarely showed the vigor of a young man. Looking at the pavilion, he suddenly felt a desire to share.

He and Richard also had a desire to share, just less so.

Richard was a smooth talker; he knew what Richard liked to hear, so he would only say the good things and would never discuss things with him or do anything unnecessary.

And Yunxi?

Mu Xiaoci now has a good impression of her. At least, she always makes people feel comfortable when she speaks, and she has even managed to avoid his previous attempts to test her.

Everyone has secrets, and she was no exception.

But he had already sent people to investigate Yunxi's background. They found out she was the daughter of a slave, that she hadn't had a good childhood, and that she had been a slave in the Li family. She must have suffered a lot.

Whose life can be peaceful and smooth? I'm just an ordinary, pitiful person.

There's no need to take it too seriously.

Seeing his happy expression, Yunxi smiled and obediently agreed, even saying "Long live the Emperor!"

It's also necessary to occasionally offer a little praise.

Don't men like to be fawned over? Like petting a cat.

Go along with it, coax it, spoil it.

After enjoying the affection for a while, if you start to become indifferent, the cat will rush over and meow at you, asking why you're not behaving properly.

That's how she treats Mu Xiaoci now.

The result was pretty good.

This time, Mu Xiaoci personally led her into the pavilion and even told her where to start looking.

"These travelogues are all folk tales, quite interesting accounts of what people saw and heard. They're close to the daily lives of ordinary people. Take a look and see if you can recognize any of the characters."