SLLBTT Chapter 25
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 25⊱⊷⋇
Liu Jiao was not likely to go out now and ask the palace elders about "who excels in the art of attending the Great King's chambers," but based on common sense, he could infer that Queen Ming must be an expert with vast experience and qualifications. Otherwise, Queen Ming wouldn't have stood out in the palace competition and successively ascended to the thrones of Queen and Queen Dowager, right?
Liu Jiao admiringly said, "The Queen Dowager is truly amazing."
"No other reason, just skilled hands," Queen Ming responded with a smile, "Come, let me teach you."
Queen Ming wanted to lead him up the steps again, but Liu Jiao shook his head.
"Why are you not coming?"
"I cannot get on your bed."
Queen Ming then said, "It's not a bed. It's a heated brick couch."
Liu Jiao thought for a moment and said, "Isn't a heated brick couch the same as a bed? Are you trying to take advantage of my lack of education?"
Being a northern resident, Liu Jiao indeed knew what a heated brick couch was.
Queen Ming laughed, "Is that so? Well then, if not on the heated brick couch, we can have our lesson right here on the steps."
Liu Jiao, however, countered, "Being alone in a room together, engaging in this activity, doesn't seem appropriate, does it?"
Queen Ming asked in surprise, "Why are you overthinking so much?"
"It's what I learned in class recently," Liu Jiao explained. "The teacher taught, 'A man without reason during the day should not be in a private room.' I think the Great King probably got angry before because I got on your heated brick couch."
"'A man without reason during the day should not be in a private room'..." Queen Ming always scoffed at such doctrines. Listening to Liu Jiao earnestly repeating it, he found it amusing. He then suggested, "You're right, it's not appropriate for us to be alone in a private room. How about this, we go to the garden for the lesson. We can invite attendants to observe and learn together, making it public and aboveboard. What do you think?"
Liu Jiao agreed, thinking that in such a public setting and without getting on the heated brick couch, it indeed adhered to proper etiquette.
Queen Ming chuckled. Thought he had become clever, turns out he's still a bit foolish.
Liu Jiao followed Queen Ming to the back garden of Qingque Terrace. The garden wasn't large, with a corridor connecting it to the shrine, where Queen Ming often prayed.
Guards stood on both sides of the corridor. Queen Ming, glancing at them, smiled and said to Liu Jiao, "Learning this in front of others, aren't you embarrassed?"
Liu Jiao, feeling somewhat embarrassed, responded, "Well... isn't this a normal teaching activity?"
"That's well said, Beautiful Lady Jiao is truly enlightened," Queen Ming praised. "Just consider it a sacred matter."
Liu Jiao, receiving Queen Ming's praise, felt very embarrassed. "Queen Dowager, you overpraise me."
Queen Ming smiled, adjusted his frost-white hair, and led Liu Jiao to a small pavilion beside the corridor. "Lie down here for now."
Trusting him, Liu Jiao reclined on the chair in the pavilion.
Queen Ming then said, "You need to undress first."
Blushing, Liu Jiao asked, "I have to undress too?"
"Do you usually not undress during intimate moments?"
"Well... it's not that..." Liu Jiao answered, his face turning even redder.
Queen Ming laughed, "But undressing also has its article(art)."
"Undressing has an article?" Liu Jiao was quite surprised. Normally, memorizing articles in Chinese class already gave him a headache. He didn't expect that even undressing had its own article. He asked the question that concerned him most in Chinese class, "How many characters does this article have? Do I need to memorize the whole thing?"
"No need to memorize. Just learn it," Queen Ming said. With that, he gracefully removed part of his robe. His movements, unlike Liu Jiao's usual clumsy actions, possessed a unique beauty. Each inch of exposed skin revealed a sense of delicacy, sparking imaginative thoughts. Queen Ming had only uncovered half of his attire, revealing a well-proportioned chest, and Liu Jiao already felt his eyes widening in amazement.
Liu Jiao could only exclaim in admiration.
Queen Ming, however, said, "It's your turn now."
Liu Jiao twisted uncomfortably. "After taking a good look, I realize I haven't learned it at all."
Queen Ming chuckled. "Then let me teach you."
As he spoke, Queen Ming reached out to pull the ribbon on Liu Jiao's brocade. However, as his hand touched the beautiful bow, a dart swiftly shot through the air, narrowly missing Queen Ming's hand.
"Ah!" Queen Ming exclaimed in pain, withdrawing his hand to find a trickle of red blood.
Liu Jiao, equally surprised, looked up to see the Snow Wolf King standing by the garden wall.
"Great King?" Liu Jiao exclaimed.
The guards immediately knelt down.
Watching the guards greet the king, Liu Jiao seemed reminded of something and promptly saluted.
Despite his injured hand, Queen Ming maintained a smile as he calmly adjusted his clothes. He inquired, "Why has the Great King come? Couldn't you have informed us in advance?"
The Snow Wolf King seemed nonchalant. "I was playing darts outside the wall. Accidentally threw one in, so I jumped in to retrieve it. Didn't want to cause a disturbance, so I didn't send word."
Queen Ming sneered, "Picking up darts?"
The Snow Wolf King glanced at Liu Jiao and said, "Aren't you going to pick it up?"
Liu Jiao hurriedly picked up the dart from the ground and approached the Snow Wolf King.
Casting a sidelong glance at Liu Jiao, the Snow Wolf King said, "Why does the Beautiful Lady look so flustered?"
"Me? I'm not flustered... just surprised," Liu Jiao, oblivious to the impending trouble, replied, "Great King, how can you recklessly throw darts? Look, you've even scratched the Queen Dowager."
Queen Ming chuckled at his words. "Many thanks, Beautiful Lady Jiao, for speaking up for me."
"Indeed," the Snow Wolf King coldly remarked, "darts may be blind, but should people be blind too?"
Queen Ming laughed. "Seeing blood in the palace is indeed inauspicious. I'll go offer incense for prayers." With that, Queen Ming turned and walked toward the shrine in the depths of the garden, disregarding the blood dripping onto the grass.
Liu Jiao stood in place, feeling bewildered. He heard the Snow Wolf King's voice from behind, "You, come with me."
Hearing the tone in the Snow Wolf King's voice, a tingling sensation crawled on Liu Jiao's scalp.