Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 148
by Little PandaThe Empress Dowager Refuses
“How will you thank me?” Wan Bi stood behind Yao Xi. Having finished scrubbing her arms and back, the hand holding the washcloth wandered mischievously around to Yao Xi’s chest, teasingly moving in gentle circles. “Just with words?”
The small spark that had just been snuffed out inside Yao Xi flared up again. Her arms were still aching fiercely, and she truly didn’t want Her Highness’s first time to happen while she was in such poor physical shape. Clenching her small hands into fists, she fought to suppress the impulse to pin Her Highness down right then and there.
“Your Highness, I can wash the front myself,” Yao Xi said, trying to snatch the washcloth away.
Wan Bi raised her hand, thwarting Yao Xi’s attempt. “Alright, stop squirming. This bereaved one1 was only teasing. The injuries on your hands shouldn’t be soaked in water, so let me help you!” With a solemn expression, Wan Bi held the washcloth and wiped down Yao Xi’s body with utmost care and diligence, missing not a single nook or cranny.
Yao Xi was genuinely driven to the brink of madness. The Empress Dowager maintained a look of complete seriousness as she scrubbed her body—from her shoulders and back to her chest, from her waist down to her legs…
Inhaling a sharp breath, Yao Xi caught the Empress Dowager’s hand just as it was scrubbing her inner thigh. “Your Highness, please let me do it myself,” she pleaded earnestly. “The marks on my arms are really just rope burns—the skin isn’t broken, so water won’t hurt.” If this continued, she would truly lose control. No matter how strong her willpower was, she couldn’t withstand such temptation!
Wan Bi swept the washcloth gently between Yao Xi’s thighs, intentionally or otherwise, and let out a charming laugh. “No.”
Her Highness’s sweet, adorable smile was like throwing dynamite onto the small flame in Yao Xi’s heart. Raising her head, she saw Her Highness’s fair, flawless skin clearly visible beneath the soaked, thin garment. The rising steam turned Lanye Pool2 into a celestial wonderland. Her Highness was still smiling at her, a smile that carried both childlike innocence and captivating allure.
Unable to control herself, Yao Xi pulled Her Highness into her arms. Her fingers gently tucked the wet strands of hair clinging to Her Highness’s temples behind her ear. Tiptoeing slightly, she parted her lips and took Her Highness’s earlobe into her mouth.
“Your Highness is so beautiful,” Yao Xi whispered tenderly against her ear.
A wave of tingling pleasure washed over Wan Bi’s body, her hands instinctively clinging to Yao Xi’s shoulders.
Releasing the earlobe, Yao Xi pressed a dense trail of soft kisses behind Her Highness’s ear, along her neck, and across her cheek, before finally sealing her lips over Her Highness’s mouth. Though they had kissed countless times before, the moment her tongue parted Her Highness’s teeth, her heart still fluttered wildly. Her hands were not idle either, tracing unhurriedly over Her Highness’s body with alternating pressure, her right hand drifting down her lower abdomen—down, down, down…
Standing in waist-deep water, Yao Xi was unsure if Her Highness was responding, or whether taking things further now would hurt her. Patiently, she caressed every inch of Her Highness’s body while her kisses grew increasingly passionate—so intense that both of them were left breathless. Yao Xi felt Her Highness’s legs gradually pressing together, accompanied by a restless wriggle.
“Hold onto me tightly,” Yao Xi said, pausing her kisses. Beneath the surface of the water, she used her knees to gently pry Her Highness’s legs apart.
Wan Bi pressed her legs tightly together, refusing to let Yao Xi’s knee enter. Shaking her head, she summoned what little reason she had left and said, “The pain in your body hasn’t healed yet, and you have fresh injuries on your hands. Let us do it another day!” With that, she gave Yao Xi a gentle kiss, picked up the clothes floating on the water’s surface that Yao Xi had stripped off earlier, and prepared to climb ashore to dress.
As Her Highness reached for the garments, Yao Xi caught sight of the glaring virginity mark3 on Her Highness’s arm. Her expression cooled slightly. Reaching out, she pulled Her Highness back into her embrace with domineering force and said, “For Your Highness, even if this arm were ruined, it would still be worth it.” Though her words sounded fierce, her touch was immensely careful. Everything took place beneath the surface, out of Yao Xi’s sight, leaving her to sense every detail through her fingertips.
The pool water had grown somewhat cool, yet the inside of Her Highness’s body was warm.
A single knuckle was enveloped in that warmth. “Does it hurt?” Yao Xi asked anxiously.
Wan Bi rested her head against Yao Xi’s shoulder, shaking it with her eyes closed. She was not one to be easily embarrassed, yet at this moment, she did not dare look at what was happening beneath the water.
Gazing at the murky water, Yao Xi suddenly realized that while doing it in the pool was less awkward, it was Her Highness’s first time and could easily lead to an infection. “Your Highness, shall we go ashore?”
An undeniable look of disappointment crossed Wan Bi’s face. The sudden sense of emptiness in her body made her feel indescribably frustrated. “Is your hand hurting?” More than her own discomfort, she was worried about Yao Xi.
Supporting Her Highness by the waist, Yao Xi gently pushed her up onto the shore and pressed over her with a resolute smile. “No matter how much it hurts, I am going to make Your Highness my woman.”
Before long, two knuckles were enveloped in warmth. “What about now? Does it hurt?” Yao Xi asked again.
Wan Bi knitted her brows, drawing in a sharp gasp, and bit her lip. “It doesn’t hurt…” Her voice trembled slightly.
Yao Xi was not foolish; she could tell Her Highness was in pain. A woman’s body was truly mysterious. She herself hadn’t felt any pain, yet Her Highness couldn’t take even two knuckles. Yao Xi closely inspected her wet fingers. They weren’t long, and they were quite slender. Could it be that her fingernails hadn’t been filed smooth enough and were scratching?
“You clearly are in pain. How about we listen to Your Highness and wait for another day?” Yao Xi said regretfully. She couldn’t bear to cause Her Highness pain; this matter required patience.
“No!” Wan Bi’s face flushed red as she protested, “This bereaved one finds this unbearable!” All these days, she had been the one demanding Yao Xi. Every time, Yao Xi was left thoroughly exhausted, so where would she find the strength to attend to her? Wan Bi had endured and endured and endured. With Yao Xi’s frail frame and constant ailments, what choice did she have but to endure? Now that Yao Xi had finally taken the initiative, she wasn’t about to let the girl off so easily.
Yao Xi did not dare use her fingers any longer. Spreading Her Highness’s beautiful legs into an M-shape, her face flushed red with shame as she buried her head between them…
After a long while, Yao Xi straightened up, wiping a stray drop of water from the tip of her nose. “Does Your Highness feel a bit better?” Her technique was far from skilled, so she lacked confidence. While she possessed the theoretical knowledge, putting it into practice was a first for her.
“No,” Wan Bi replied, feeling even more overwhelmed. Desire accumulated continuously within her body, unable to find release, hovering perpetually on the precipice like water on the verge of boiling. “Try again, alright? This bereaved one isn’t afraid of pain.” Compared to pain, this agonizing frustration drove her far crazier.
“Mm-hmm.” Yao Xi softly nodded and began another attempt with gentle movements…
This time, it finally succeeded!
The warmth in Lanye Pool gradually dissipated, leaving the air somewhat chilly; only the breath shared between the two burned hot. Outside, the night watch drum4 beat again and again, but lost in love, the two had long forgotten the passage of time.
A very long time passed before Yao Xi helped the thoroughly exhausted Empress Dowager back to the washroom in the bedchamber to bathe once more. Wiping the washcloth repeatedly over the virginity mark on Her Highness’s arm, she asked in confusion, “Your Highness, why is this still here?”
Was it because this mark faded slowly by nature, or had she done something wrong earlier? Could Her Highness’s rapturous, blissful expression have been mere pretense?
Covering her arm in embarrassment, Wan Bi said, “How should this bereaved one know?”
“How about… we try again?” Yao Xi licked her lips with exaggerated lust, putting on a lecherous grin.
The next day, Yao Shuanglan brought Longyi over early in the morning.
Wan Bi was sleeping soundly while holding Yao Xi when she heard a palace maid delivering a message outside the door, igniting a flicker of irritation. She felt like shouting back, but feared waking Yao Xi in her arms. Yet if she were to go out and give orders herself, she truly couldn’t be bothered to move.
“Your Highness, we should get up.” Yao Xi stirred awake at the noise. Hearing that the princess and Jieyu5 had arrived, she yawned, sitting up sleepily to dress.
Wan Bi pulled the quilt over her head and pouted willfully. “This bereaved one is exhausted. I don’t want to go out.”
“Alright. Then I will go out to talk with jiejie and Princess Longyi. Your Highness can sleep a bit longer!” Yao Xi finished speaking and let out another huge yawn, tears welling in her eyes.
Without Yao Xi beside her, Wan Bi couldn’t sleep at all. Reluctantly sitting up, her hair a disheveled mess, she complained, “Neither of them has any sense of propriety. What are they coming over so early for? Don’t they care about disturbing people’s sleep?”
Yao Xi and Wan Bi helped each other dress and tidy up before stepping out arm in arm.
Entering the main hall, Wan Bi gestured for Longyi and Yao Shuanglan to sit, ordering tea and pastries to be served. Having been disturbed from her peaceful slumber, her face lacked even a trace of a smile. Holding her throbbing head, she addressed the two expressionlessly: “There is no need to come this early in the future. This bereaved one has been waking up late recently.”
Yao Shuanglan quickly rose to her feet and said, “This subject-concubine6 deserves death. It is only that His Majesty sent someone late last night to inform us that our parents may return to the capital the month after next. I wished to share this good news with my younger sister as early as possible.” As she spoke, she looked smilingly at Yao Xi, who was seated beside the Empress Dowager.
“Sit down. This bereaved one is not blaming you, merely reminding you to be mindful next time.” Wan Bi cast a guilty glance at Yao Xi, fearful that Yao Xi might be angry over her cool attitude toward Yao Shuanglan.
The four of them sat in a four-corner arrangement within the hall. On the upper left sat Wan Bi; on the upper right sat Yao Xi; on the lower left sat Longyi; and on the lower right sat Yao Shuanglan. No one spoke, sipping tea in total silence while the atmosphere grew profoundly awkward.
“Jiejie, didn’t you say you would teach me how to trace embroidery patterns? Shall we bring the brush and ink here, or go to the study?” Yao Xi broke the ice first.
Yao Shuanglan stole a glance at the Empress Dowager’s expression. The study belonged to Her Highness, so she did not dare enter uninvited. As for whether to bring brush and ink into the hall, that was not her place to decide either while the Empress Dowager was present.
Wan Bi also knew that the root of this awkwardness was herself. Both Longyi and Yao Shuanglan were wary of her, not daring to speak freely in her presence. It had always been like this—no matter how lively a crowd was, her arrival would instantly plunge it into silence. She was used to it.
“This bereaved one just remembered there are matters to attend to.” Wan Bi stood up, holding her head high, and strode proudly out of the hall.
She had barely reached the threshold when the voice of Yao Shuanglan speaking to Yao Xi drifted from behind: “Why are your eyes so red? Did you not sleep well last night?”
Longyi walked over and sat right beside Yao Shuanglan, giving her an affectionate, reproachful nudge. “Don’t talk about your sister—just look at how red your own eyes are!”
Yao Xi gave her sister an embarrassed smile, yet her gaze remained fixed on the doorway where the Empress Dowager’s figure had disappeared.
Was it just her imagination? She felt that Her Highness’s departing back had looked so lonely.
Footnotes
- Literally 'this bereaved one', a formal self-referential used by imperial widows.
- An imperial bathing pool located within the palace complex.
- A red mark applied to a virgin's arm in ancient Chinese tradition, believed to disappear after intercourse.
- A drum sounded at regular intervals during the night to announce the watch in the imperial palace.
- An imperial consort rank held by Yao Shuanglan.
- Literally 'this subject-concubine', a self-referential term used by imperial consorts when addressing higher royalty.
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