His Majesty And I ✔️

Eyes Closed

Chapter 22

Dao
Hougong

"Luo Meng! That rat." Li Lian maledicted him under her breath.

Dao held tightly the clothes of her mistress, possessed by fear. What would she do if he found out she was a palace maid? She was not ready for that yet.

Li Lian took Dao's hand after Luo Meng rat them out, "I told you this was a bad idea. Let's go."

"But Li Lian, that is not the way back." Dao was being led to the backyard and not the gate where they could exit.

"Are you stupid? If we take the gate they will see us." Li Lian bunched up her skirts and pulled herself up the wall. She made it seem so easy as she hurled herself to the other side.

Dao didn't know how to climb the wall as easily. She wasn't as fit as her mistress.

A sash was flung to her, hanging on the wall. "Take that to help you climb." Li Lian directed her from the other side.

It was after a lot of trial and error, Dao finally made it over the wall and they ran back to their quarters.

"If they didn't see us then we were never there." Li Lian let out a breath of relief, making herself comfortable on her zabuton cushion in the welcoming room.

Dao fanned herself as they were both sweating from the running and climbing of walls. "Forgive me. I was reckless." She felt remorseful. They almost got in trouble because of her.

"Forget it." Li Lian dismissed it as nothing. Her Mistress was indeed kind and laid back. She looked up to her. "Go now, prepare warm water for me to wash. I feel clammy."

"Yes, of course."

Dao went out to the kitchen that was attached at the left side of their quarters' main building. She made a fire from the hot amber of coal still burning after they used them for making dinner.

It took half an hour for the water to be at an almost boiling point. Dao then poured it into a bucket and returned.

Her Mistress liked to wash in her bedchambers.

Dao was about to enter the welcoming room from outside when she heard her mistress crying in pain. "How long shall I be in this position?"

"His Majesty said you must hold that wine bottle for three hours but since you tried to attack me when I came, it will be two-fold." It was Luo Meng who responded.

What was he doing here?

"I thought you were an assassin because you came in unannounced." Her mistress spoke with a tone of distress. "Ah, this hurts."

"What hurts when you are not doing it right?"

"Aiya, Luo Meng. Speak to me with proper courtesy."

"You gained a title by slipping into His Majesty's bed. And you want my respect for that?" He mock-laughed. "No woman in the harem deserves my respect."

"You don't like me, do you?"

"Very much. Because of you I face the emperor's mood swings and get to take silly orders." Luo Meng sighed. "Right now, if not for you, I could be retiring to my manor for the night."

"You could have avoided this by not reporting me." Li Lian's voice was faint. Whatever way he was punishing her was unbearable for her.

Dao felt guilty. Her mistress was being punished because of her recklessness and Luo Meng wasn't going any easy on her. Dao really wanted to turn a blind eye and disappear, to save herself, but again Li Lian had been nice to her. It would be villainous to save her own skin by pushing someone into the fire.