His Majesty And I ✔️

Courtesan In Red

Meet my other favorite character in the series, Dao. 

I love writing on her. Sadly I only wrote on her once in E&I when she met the emperor in the garden. But now in HS&I I get to explore her character. So so excited!

Get that tea/coffee and read ;)

Chapter 6

Dao
The Lady Queens Manor

The door burst, letting in a frantic mother hen into Dao's childhood bedroom. "Dao, what are you doing here?"

"Mistress Han―"

"Are you not well, my child?"

The only times she was allowed to leave the palace was when she was not well. The palace would grant her leave to go and recuperate at home. Thus her mother was distraught to see her home.

Dao continued to comb her hair. "Everything is well, Mistress Han."

When growing up, everyone around her addressed her mother as Mistress Han so she caught that up too, finding it difficult to call her 'Mother'. Adding on to the fact that she was raised as any other lady queen courtesan, learning poems, dance, art and songs from her mother. So Mistress Han was her mistress, well that was until she abandoned her at the palace.

"Then what are you doing here?"

Dao giggled excitedly, "I heard Luo Meng has been coming here recently."

Everyone at the manor knew she was smitten about Luo Meng.

Mistress Han tsked. "They allowed you to come here based on that reason?"

"I had people who owed me favors help me get a gate pass." Not exactly that. She told the Hougong Senior Court Lady she had some personal issues to deal with and asked to be allowed three days leave. It was the first time she took advantage of her palace mistress's favor.

This was favor she gained in the past when the Senior Court Lady would call in personal favors from the kitchen, like asking them to serve her gourmet food that was exclusive to the royal family or to prepare night snacks when all palace workers were only allowed three meals a day. Because of this, the Senior Court Lady told their kitchen department they were entitled to come to her for anything they needed.

Her kitchen department served Princess Cai Wenjin, the emperor's only child, thus they were able to smuggle meals for the Senior Court Lady. Princess Cai Wenjin was not old enough to be able to monitor her own stock, and the one in charge of that was the culprit herself, the Senior Court Lady. Though after being bullied by the emperor to kill people who were wrongly accused of poisoning Prince Kuan Hui, the woman spent more time being depressed than doing dirty tricks recently.

Hougong Senior Court Lady wrote a gate pass for her, for the fake reason that Dao was not well. Dao had not been out of the palace for a long time, so it wouldn't be suspicious. This was essential because if anyone dug deep enough they would find out, no note from a royal physician was issued recommending Dao to leave the palace.

"What are you getting yourself into Dao?" Her mother's brow creased with worry.

"Don't worry Mistress Han. It is not as complicated as you think. The palace is lenient to us palace maids because we work hard." Lies. Meet the emperor and you would know the place was a place for no games. "So were the rumors true?"

"Rumors, or you received a letter from one of the lady queens? They know better than to share such things with you. Who comes and leaves this place is private," her mother admonished.