Chapter 141 Is Your Majesty available tonight?
Princess Qionger raised her teary eyes and looked at Shen Yulou.
She didn't have any resistance towards the person who had saved her life.
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Shen Yulou smiled, then squatted down to be at eye level with the princess.
"Come, Your Royal Highness, open your little mouth and let This Official see what's going on with this tooth of yours."
Shen Yulou had an extremely strong affinity for children.
In his previous life, he had dealt with countless difficult children, and all of them were easy to handle.
Now the princess was eight years old, which was Shen Yulou's most proficient age group.
Shen Yulou leaned in to look and, sure enough, a permanent tooth had emerged, pushing the baby tooth crooked.
This was simple.
Just pull it out and it would be over.
But seeing the little princess's terrified eyes, Shen Yulou knew that conventional methods definitely wouldn't work.
He smiled slightly and said gently,
"Your Royal Highness, This Official has a method. No pliers, no knife, just a tiny silk thread. Tie it gently around your tooth, and it will fall out on its own, without any pain at all."
Princess Qionger pouted and shook her head, saying,
"Mr. Shen, you can't fool me! Are you trying to tie the string to a bow and arrow and shoot it out with a 'whoosh'? No, I'm scared!"
Shen Yulou almost burst out laughing.
Goodness, she was quite clever; she didn't fall for tricks.
"Absolutely not! This Official swears, no weapons will be used. I'm just going to tell you a story. After the story, the tooth will fall out. Do you believe it?"
Princess Qionger was half-skeptical, but still nodded.
Shen Yulou had a Palace Maid fetch a sturdy silk thread and skillfully tied a knot around the little princess's loose baby tooth.
Everything was ready.
He cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Today's story is called 'The Little Fairy Fights the Calabash Brothers, and the Old Man Travels West to Obtain Scriptures.'"
"It is said that in a place called Magic Fairy Castle, lived a group of beautiful Balala Little Magic Fairies..."
"One day, they encountered the seven Calabash Brothers who came from the East!
Each of the Calabash Brothers possessed extraordinary skills, especially the Eldest Brother, who had boundless strength!
The Little Magic Fairies couldn't defeat them, so they were turned into a seven-colored stone mountain by the Calabash Brothers and crushed beneath it!"
Princess Qionger was engrossed in listening, her small mouth slightly agape, forgetting even the pain.
"Five hundred years passed like this! One day, a white-bearded old man passed by; he was the grandfather of the Calabash Brothers!
He felt that his grandsons had done wrong, so he rescued the Little Magic Fairies from under the mountain!
Afterward, the four master and disciples went together to the West to obtain scriptures..."
Princess Qionger listened intently, her mouth wide open.
Shen Yulou's fingers, holding the end of the thread, instantly applied force.
With a'snap',
the baby tooth was easily pulled out.
Princess Qionger froze for a moment, then subconsciously licked the gap with her tongue.
It didn't hurt! Not at all!
She looked at the small, blood-streaked tooth in Shen Yulou's hand, her eyes filled with admiration.
"Mr. Shen is truly amazing! What happened next? What happened after they went to the West to obtain scriptures?"
"Princess, if you want to know what happens next, listen to the next installment. When you enter the Imperial Academy in a few days, I will tell you stories every day."
Princess Qionger became excited.
"Mother, I want to tell Father that I want to enter the Imperial Academy right now."
The Empress said dotingly, "All right, all right, when you see your Father, you tell him."
The Empress looked up at Shen Yulou, her gaze instantly changing.
It was full of tenderness, with countless unspoken emotions.
He even had such a way with Qionger, such patience.
The Empress even had a misconception that when Qionger was with him, it was more like an ordinary family's father and daughter.
While Qionger was not present, Shen Yulou asked in a low voice,
"Your Majesty, is it convenient tonight?"
The Empress's cheeks flushed slightly. She thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Just come."
...That night, Shen Yulou quietly arrived at Kunning Palace.
Coming to the Empress's side was already a familiar route.
And the Empress had already made all the arrangements; he didn't encounter a single Servant until he entered her bedchamber.
A scent of incense mixed with steam wafted over.
Shen Yulou couldn't help but swallow, imagining the Empress bathing in his mind.
This Empress was truly too impatient; what was the rush? Washing together could also be a kind of intimacy, couldn't it?
In the dark, Shen Yulou climbed onto the Empress's bed.
He felt the soft body and pulled it into his arms.
Suddenly, Shen Yulou felt something was amiss; the beauty in his arms was not the Empress.
"Who?"
The beauty's body trembled slightly, and she whispered,
"Lord Shen, Her Majesty the Empress is indisposed today, so she sent me to serve you."
Shen Yulou was stunned.
"Bai Yu?"
"Mmm..."
Bai Yu's voice was like a mosquito's buzz.
Although it was too dark to see her face, her flushed body indicated her extreme shyness at the moment.
Shen Yulou swallowed, Bai Yu's delicate face appearing in his mind.
He probably knew what was going on.
The Empress must have had her period today.
And Bai Yu already knew their secret, so the Empress simply dragged Bai Yu into it as well.
Just like the customs of ordinary families in this dynasty, when a young lady married, her maid naturally accompanied her as a dowry, and serving her master was only right.
However, the master in their eyes was not the Emperor, but Shen Yulou.
Shen Yulou embraced Bai Yu and said,
"Are you willing?"
Bai Yu was silent for a moment, then finally nodded.
Actually, did her willingness matter?
This was her fate.
She would be the Empress's foil her entire life; no matter whom the Empress chose, she had to accompany her.
Ordinary Palace Maids had a chance to leave the palace and marry at twenty-five.
But someone like her, who had accompanied the Empress since childhood, had no such opportunity at all.
She knew too many of the Empress's secrets, understood the Empress too well; their lives were already bound together for this lifetime.
So, in her heart, there was no 'willing' or 'unwilling'; whatever the Empress said, she would do.
Shen Yulou released her waist, took her hand, and said,
"If you are unwilling, I will not force you."
Bai Yu said, "Lord Shen, I am just a Palace Maid; there is no 'willing' or 'unwilling.' Whatever Her Majesty says, I will listen. I just hope you don't dislike me."
Shen Yulou smiled, "Bai Yu, actually, the first time I came to Kunning Palace, I noticed you. You are very unique."
Bai Yu was stunned, "Lord Shen, don't joke. How could you have noticed me?"
The Empress was dazzling, the Mother of the Nation.
Although Bai Yu was radiant when standing beside the Empress, she could only be a green leaf.
Although she was equally beautiful, she could only wear simple clothes and serve as a foil for the Empress.
Any person in this world, upon entering Kunning Palace, would be deeply attracted by the Empress and would not notice a maid like her.
Shen Yulou said, "Don't believe it?"
"Do you remember the first time I saw you?"
Bai Yu nodded, "I remember."
Shen Yulou said, "That day, you were wearing apricot-yellow clothes and a green horse-face skirt."
"You had a brass earring in your ear and a bone hairpin in your hair."
"Am I right?"
Bai Yu's body trembled slightly, and her eyes showed disbelief.
"Lord Shen, how could you remember?