Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 88
by Little PandaThe Empress Dowager Refuses
“There isn’t enough time! This slave has to get the gift list to Gugu Yuanqian first thing tomorrow morning!” Yao Xi was like a small animal that had stumbled upon a ferocious predator on a barren grassland, darting her eyes about in a desperate, futile search for an escape route. The predator, she knew not when, had already arrived before her.
“Whether there is enough time is for this bereaved one to decide, is it not? Arranging the gift list is a task this bereaved one assigned you, and serving in bed is also a task this bereaved one assigned you,” Wan Bi said with a smile, walking right up to Yao Xi and tilting her chin up with a single finger.
She knew what Yao Xi feared, what she was trying to avoid, but she couldn’t resist teasing her. Even if the girl got scared and tried to flee the palace again, she wasn’t worried. Couldn’t she just catch her and bring her back?
Yao Xi couldn’t refute the Empress Dowager’s words. The urge to escape the palace returned once more. Every time Her Highness was intimate with her, she felt her sense of security crumble. And yet, when they weren’t being intimate, when she was simply by Her Highness’s side, she never wanted to leave. She felt that a lifetime like this would be for the best.
I’ll just hold on for one more day at a time! Let the feelings between Her Highness and me ferment slowly with time. When the day comes that I can’t hold on any longer, perhaps Her Highness will care for me enough to forgive my deception, and be willing to spare the Yao family, too. Of course, it would be best if the Yao family could be exonerated soon, giving me a chance to confess to Her Highness on my own terms.
When it came to lying, there was a world of difference between admitting it yourself and being found out.
“Very well. This slave will serve Your Highness,” Yao Xi said, her gaze falling on the hand that was still holding her chin.
Truthfully, as long as they repeated their morning session of blindfolded bondage play1, nothing would go wrong. She licked her lips, a sense of anticipation beginning to build—the anticipation of seeing Her Highness’s alluring form, panting breathlessly beneath her. If she could blindfold Her Highness again, she even wanted to be a little bolder. For instance, what if she secretly undid a bit of Her Highness’s clothing?
Yao Xi’s face flushed red with shame at the lewd images driving in her mind2. A fragrant boudoir on a spring night—the atmosphere was already charged with ambiguity, and the Empress Dowager was wearing only a light, sheer set of everyday clothes. Suddenly, Yao Xi didn’t know where to look. She might be a dwarf in action, but she was a giant in thought! In her mind, she had already devoured Her Highness, leaving not a single scrap behind.
Wan Bi watched as Yao Xi turned her head aside, refusing to look at her, the tips of her ears glowing red. Wondering what on earth she was thinking, Wan Bi gently pinched her chin and turned her head back, forcing Yao Xi to meet her gaze. “And how does the eunuch plan to serve this bereaved one this time?”
Yao Xi pursed her lips in a smile, her eyes drifting toward the silk shawl3 draped over the Empress Dowager’s arm.
Wan Bi laughed and took off the shawl, dangling it in front of Yao Xi. “The eunuch wants to use this again?”
“Yes,” Yao Xi mumbled, nodding shyly as she stared at the tips of her feet.
Wan Bi flicked her fingers, tossing the shawl into the distance. A wicked smile spread across her face. “No. Pick something else!”
Yao Xi stared in dismay at her discarded blindfolding tool, a knot of panic tightening in her chest. Her mind raced, her eyes darting around the warm pavilion. Was there anything else that could be used to blindfold or bind the Empress Dowager?
Oh! The waistband!
Yao Xi reached down and began to untie her own waistband4. She still had her inner garments on, so taking off her outer robe was no big deal.
This thoroughly amused Wan Bi. The little thing was certainly working hard to avoid letting her see his body.
“The eunuch is quite an impatient one, I see. Undressing already? In that case, this bereaved one won’t be polite.” She reached out, wrapped an arm around the half-undressed Yao Xi, and in one fluid motion, spun her around and pushed her down onto the chaise. She settled over her, pinning her in place.
That’s not… I wasn’t… Yao Xi stared in panic at the Empress Dowager, who had suddenly pounced and pinned her down. Her small hands struggled feebly, trying to push Her Highness away.
“Your Highness, it is enough for this slave to serve you! This slave’s mutilated body will truly frighten you!” Yao Xi was genuinely frantic now. A moment ago, she had been thrilled at the thought of taking advantage of the Empress Dowager again, but now, she couldn’t manage a smile.
Wan Bi straddled Yao Xi’s legs, toying with her loosened waistband as she said mockingly, “This bereaved one wishes to know… how does a eunuch like you find pleasure in that sort of thing?”
“Replying to Your Highness, this slave has no needs of that sort!” Yao Xi said, nervously clutching her waistband, her face set in a serious expression. In the face of the will to survive, all other desires were truly nothing. “Not a single one!”
“That’s not what this bereaved one has read in books,” Wan Bi said, wrapping the end of Yao Xi’s waistband around her index finger. She suddenly leaned down, her face intimately close. “The books say there are ways to make a eunuch feel pleasure,” she murmured, her tone seductive. “This bereaved one would like to try it on the eunuch…” She then leaned down further and planted a kiss on Yao Xi’s cheek.
Try it on her? How? Why was Her Highness always filled with such strange ideas?
“What does Your Highness intend to do to this slave?” Yao Xi began to steel herself. If there was no other way out, she would threaten her with death. Her Highness cared a great deal for her little life, which was the very reason she dared to take the risk of staying to serve her. The tactic was exceptionally effective, but she didn’t want to use it unless absolutely necessary, lest she needlessly wear away Her Highness’s patience for her.
Wan Bi leaned in and whispered a sentence into Yao Xi’s ear.
!!!
Upon hearing Her Highness’s words, Yao Xi’s pupils instantly dilated. If she hadn’t misunderstood, Her Highness wanted to use sex toys to explode her chrysanthemum5???
She stared in utter shock at the Empress Dowager, who, after saying something so shameful, was still beaming at her with a look of pure innocence. Her Highness really was a pervert! As she gazed at that radiant, flawlessly pure face, she felt the crushing disappointment of a goddess shattering before her eyes.
Yao Xi squirmed, trying to break free from the Empress Dowager’s weight. Her face was flushed crimson as she said in a fluster, “Your Highness, please forgive this slave for being unable to obey!”
“Then how does the eunuch want this bereaved one to serve you? This bereaved one will listen to whatever you say.” Seeing Yao Xi’s brow furrowed so tightly, Wan Bi began to wonder if her joke had gone too far. The girl was, after all, a young woman.
But the words she’d used had been extremely veiled and euphemistic. How had Yao Xi seemed to understand them in an instant? It seemed that aside from her romance storybooks, the damned girl had been reading quite a few other things as well.
“This slave would not dare ask Your Highness to serve me!” Yao Xi said, voicing a heartfelt desire. “As long as Your Highness is happy, this slave is content.” Why couldn’t Her Highness just let her be the top6 in peace? All she had to do was lie down and quietly stare at the bed canopy!
You little thing! This bereaved one is not your plaything. Wan Bi reached out and pinched Yao Xi’s cheek, her mouth suddenly feeling a little dry. That morning, she had been served by the little wench in a daze. In truth, she had felt more unease than enjoyment during the process; she disliked the feeling of being blindfolded, and she disliked the feeling of being dominated.
But she liked Yao Xi. She liked the adorable way Yao Xi served her with all her heart, so she had endured the discomfort.
Now, straddling Yao Xi and looking down at the pitiful, struggling girl beneath her, the beast within Wan Bi was slowly being awakened. To calm herself down—and more importantly, to ensure Yao Xi would stay by her side in peace—Wan Bi smiled and shifted off of her. “This bereaved one was teasing the eunuch. This bereaved one cannot stomach the sight of a eunuch’s wounds, so I would absolutely never want to see the eunuch’s body.”
Wan Bi thought of the white cloth Yao Xi had, the one for hanging herself. Teasing the girl was fun, but if she scared her into running away, that would be one thing. If she scared her into seeking death, that would be a disaster.
Yao Xi saw the sincerity in the Empress Dowager’s expression and finally relaxed. Her Highness was truly wicked. Hearing her say she didn’t want her body to be seen, she had deliberately used it to tease her. If she had actually made a move to take off her trousers, Her Highness would probably have shrieked for her to put them back on, wouldn’t she? Next time Her Highness teased her, she would pretend to really show her. They’d see who would back down first!
“It’s still early. You may as well continue copying the gift list. This bereaved one will keep you company. It will be more convenient if any changes need to be made.” Wan Bi tossed the waistband back to Yao Xi and picked up the teacup from the kang table, about to take a drink.
Yao Xi hadn’t even had time to retie her waistband before she quickly called out to stop her. “Your Highness! That cup of tea is the one this slave drank from.”
“Oh?” Wan Bi held the teacup and looked at it, then asked, “Which side did you drink from?”
“The side directly facing Your Highness.” Yao Xi felt it was improper even if Her Highness drank from the other side. She stood and hastily tied her waistband. “This slave will pour Your Highness a new cup!”
Wan Bi just smiled. She deliberately touched her lips to the exact spot Yao Xi had drunk from and took a small sip. Then she placed the cup back on the kang table. “We’ve kissed so many times,” she said to Yao Xi. “Still minding this?” With that, she smiled and sat down by the kang table, nonchalantly beginning to look through the gift list.
From the moment the Empress Dowager had entered the warm pavilion, Yao Xi had felt as if she were drunk, the blush on her cheeks refusing to fade. She saw the faint red lipstick mark Her Highness had left on the rim of the cup, and a sweet feeling blossomed in her heart again. Being by Her Highness’s side was at times startling, at times terrifying, and at other times so blissful it felt unreal. Smiling, Yao Xi sat down across from the Empress Dowager and picked up her brush, ready to continue copying the list.
The ink had dried a little. Yao Xi picked up the water cup to add a bit of water to the inkstone, only to find that the Empress Dowager had already picked it up. After adding the water, Her Highness then took the inkstick and began to grind the ink for her.
Wan Bi had just been looking over the list Yao Xi had copied. As she ground the ink, she couldn’t help but say, “Xiao Yaozi, this gift list is to be sent to all the palaces along with the festival gifts. Write a little more prettily. Don’t bring shame upon our Ning’an Palace.” Wan Bi had specifically assigned this task to Yao Xi precisely to force out the talent she had kept so deeply hidden.
“This is the best this slave can do… Perhaps Your Highness should select someone more capable?” Yao Xi was also ashamed of her own handwriting. Back in school, her penmanship had been decent enough, but after transmigrating, she could only use a brush. Working in the palace, a place overflowing with talented people, her writing was simply not up to par.
Wan Bi couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Yao Xi. The little wench was quite the actress.
She couldn’t possibly send out a gift list that looked like this; she couldn’t afford the loss of face. She held out a hand to Yao Xi. “Give this bereaved one the brush. You read the items for each palace from the draft list. This bereaved one will listen and see if there is anything amiss.” In truth, it was just a matter of sending out a few festival gifts to the palaces. In previous years, she would just give the order to Yuanqian and not bother with it further. This year, she was being particularly attentive only because she liked the feeling of doing something together with Yao Xi.
Yao Xi obediently presented the brush to the Empress Dowager with both hands. She picked up the gift list and was about to start reading when she felt something was wrong. “Your Highness, there seems to be a mistake here. There are two lists with Eldest Princess Longyi’s name on them.”
“There is no mistake. The smaller one is the Dragon Boat Festival gift. The larger one is the dowry this bereaved one is giving the princess,” Wan Bi said without looking up.
The Eldest Princess was going to choose a consort? What wonderful news!
Yao Xi nodded with a smile and read through the items on the list. Seeing that Her Highness said nothing, she picked up the next one. “Your Highness, it seems there’s another mistake here. This list doesn’t say who it’s for…” Worried she had overlooked something in a moment of carelessness, Yao Xi checked every corner of the page over and over again but saw no one’s name.
“That’s not a mistake, either. That one is yours.” As she spoke, Wan Bi had already finished writing several lists. It had been a long time since she had written so much, and her wrist was starting to ache. She set down the brush to rest for a moment and looked up to see Yao Xi staring at the list, her eyes shining.
Yao Xi looked at the items on the list, her heart blooming with joy. That’s what I’m talking about! The Daxing Dynasty hasn’t fallen yet, so how could the Empress Dowager possibly have gone bankrupt? This is wonderful! The open-handed, generous Her Highness is back!
“This slave thanks Your Highness for your profound grace. This slave will certainly serve Your Highness with even greater dedication in the future,” Yao Xi said happily, hugging the gift list and planting a kiss on it.
Watching this scene, Wan Bi felt a surge of jealousy.
This time, it wasn’t even a person. It was that gift list. When the little thing kissed the gift list, she seemed even happier than when she kissed her.
“Xiao Yaozi, for the Dragon Boat Festival, this bereaved one has prepared two gifts for you. You may choose one,” Wan Bi said to Yao Xi, a smile on her face that did not reach her heart, her vat of vinegar having been knocked over by a piece of paper.
Hearing that there were two festival gifts, Yao Xi did not feel particularly happy. She had a vague premonition that Her Highness was about to dig another pit for her.
“The first gift, of course, is the items on that shabby list in your hands. The second…” Wan Bi paused, a sudden nervousness tightening in her chest. “Is a spring night with this bereaved one. Choose.”
Her perverted Highness truly did not know the meaning of shame. Yao Xi listened as the Empress Dowager unabashedly offered a night with herself as a Dragon Boat Festival gift, and she was simply lost in admiration.
The correct answer was obvious. Yao Xi knew it in her heart, but she couldn’t bring herself to put down the gift list. What happened to earning two taels of silver for one night of service? Why did she now have to trade gifts for it?
“Serving Your Highness is this slave’s duty. How could this slave dare to receive Your Highness as a festival gift?” The little miser bravely hugged the list in her arms and said with great apprehension, “This slave wants this one.” A spring night with Her Highness? What if she exposed her identity? Then it would all be over.
The smile remained on Wan Bi’s face, but her heart felt as if it had been slashed open.
“Eunuch Yao, think carefully!” Wan Bi secretly clenched her fists. This bereaved one will give you one more chance to save your own life!
Footnotes
- The author uses the English word 'play' directly in the Chinese text to denote kink/roleplay dynamics.
- 'Driving' (开车, kāichē) is Chinese internet slang for engaging in explicit sexual behavior or conversation. To 'drive in one's mind' means to have vivid sexual fantasies.
- A píbó (披帛) is a traditional silk shawl or scarf draped around the arms and shoulders.
- Yāodài (腰带). The sash or belt used to tie one's clothes.
- 'Explode the chrysanthemum' (爆菊, bàojú) is a piece of internet slang; the 'chrysanthemum' is a common euphemism for the anus.
- Gōng (攻), literally 'attacker.' Modern slang originating from BL/GL culture for the active/penetrative or dominant partner in a same-sex relationship.
0 Comments