The governor of Pengcheng built a palace in Yaowan for Emperor Yang to rest on his way to Jiangdu.
However, Xu Di only stopped at Yaowan Wharf and then changed carriages for a while.
Li Ji and his entourage followed on horseback, and in front of them was the majestic Maling Mountains.
The emperor's bedroom is located on a high peak of the Maling Mountains on the bank of the canal. It has nine tall towers and the towering brick walls are covered with lush ivy.
Lao Yu told them that this palace was a gift from Pengcheng Tongshou to the emperor, and that Emperor Yang often issued orders and gave remote commands here.
Li Ji thought that the leader of Pengcheng had very high vision and actually built the palace on the top of the mountain.
Then again, it’s not that Pengcheng Tongshou has high vision, but it’s because of the emperor’s prestige.
Nowadays, officials cannot be stubborn.
You need to have flexible eyes and be more careful.
Catering to His Majesty's hobbies and interests is a good way to get promoted in the workplace.
Personal promotion depends entirely on the emperor's words. It is better to have clear ideas than to do a good job.
Only by having a far-sighted vision can you achieve twice the result with half the effort; only by putting yourself in His Majesty's shoes can you win His Majesty's favor.
Wang Shichong, the governor of Jiangdu, was an expert in this field.
All of Yang Guang’s supplies in Jiangdu were arranged personally by Wang Shichong.
After the dragon boat was burned by Yang Xuangan's followers, Wang Shichong immediately supervised the construction of a new one as soon as he received the secret decree from the emperor.
After the dragon boat was built, Wang Shichong presented 500 Wu and Yue women to provide labor along the way.
Emperor Yang had no time to take a closer look, so he used them all as palace maids, pulling the tow ropes together on the shore.
The censors have beautiful eyebrows, and wear makeup in pairs. Their colorful sleeves dance in the wind, and their silk clothes sway in the fragrance.
In addition to supplying daily necessities to the dragon boat team, they are also responsible for the construction, maintenance and security of the palace.
When Emperor Yang of Sui arrived in Jiangdu, officials from all over the Jiang and Huai regions came to pay homage to him. Emperor Yang of Sui only asked them how much gifts and tributes they presented.
Those who received generous gifts were promoted to county magistrate or prefect; those who received meager gifts were suspended from their posts.
To be honest, if you really have no money, no possessions, and no women, then you have no choice but to stand aside.
If you don't do it, there will be many people waiting in line behind you.
Wang Shichong, the prefect of Jiangdu, presented a bronze mirror screen and was promoted to Tongshou.
Zhao Yuankai, the prefect of Liyang, presented delicacies to the emperor and was promoted to the prefect of Jiangdu.
Xu Di got off the big boat and changed into a sedan chair.
Maling Mountain is not far from Yaowan Wharf. The carriage was moving very fast, and Li Ji and his companions rode along on horseback.
The carriage stopped at the gate of the palace and a guard rudely opened the curtain.
Xu Di and Lao Yu changed to a sedan chair carried by eight people.
Xu Di noticed Li Ji's hand through the gap in the curtain. He was tightly gripping the hilt of the Yin-Yang sword and looked as scared as she was.
"You ungrateful eunuch , you dared your mother to check my car. Wait and see how I deal with you."
Lao Yu murmured in the sedan chair, and soon the sedan chair was carried to the backyard of the palace with a bumpy ride.
Xu Di felt the sedan chair slowing down and finally stopped in front of a hall shaded by green trees.
The curtain was lifted again, and a eunuch reached out to help Xu Di out of the sedan chair.
Her master Li Ji followed closely, one hand still tightly grasping the hilt of the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Sword.
Lao Yu, with the help of two guards, finally got off the sedan chair.
Inside the hall, the air is filled with the aroma of spices such as hot pepper, cinnamon and sweet lemon.
They were escorted into the reception room, where colored mosaics depicted the beautiful scenery of Maling Mountain.
They walked past the eunuch and entered a courtyard lined with stone pillars and covered with lush ivy. The shadows of the leaves were dyed a corn-yellow by the setting sun.
Xu Di looked at these people in amazement...
Suddenly I realized that I was an alien, and everything seemed so strange and awkward.
Lao Yu whispered to them, "Be patient, Lao Yang is drinking happily with His Majesty."
"Before the dinner ends, I want to talk to Lao Yang," said Li Ji.
Lao Yu smiled and said, "Lao Yang is now a distinguished guest of the palace, so he may not come out tonight."
He patted Xu Di's bare shoulders with his wet hands. She was also staring at the eunuchs and maids from the harem who were busy coming and going in the hall.
"My dear princess, please watch."
He whispered, "This is the emperor's bedroom. It won't be long before he is with you in the night rain of Bashan."
A eunuch came over and whispered, "Please ask the others to dine in the imperial dining hall outside."
Xu Di just wanted to escape and hide, but Li Ji was staring at her.
If I deserted the battlefield or turned against him, I would completely piss him off, and all my efforts would be wasted.
So she turned her head nervously and looked timidly at the gorgeous furnishings in the palace.
Li Ji and Lao Yu walked out of the inner palace and came to the imperial dining hall outside.
Xu Di saw a man walking out from inside. It must be the emperor, right?
She looked at him. His features were resolute and stern, his eyes were dark and bright like agate.
She was frightened out of her wits by the man in front of her.
"I don't want to be his queen."
She heard herself say in a tiny voice: "My Lord, please, please, I don't want it, I really want to go home."
However, she could only hear her own nervous breathing, and there was no sign of Lord Li.
She clearly remembered what the adults told her alone last night.
"We will lead an army to capture Jiangdu directly, dear sister, we will lead the emperor's army to fight back."
He examined her tiny waist with a stern look.
"If you have to marry him and sleep with him to get this, then you should do it."
He smiled at her, then clenched his right fist.
"As long as I can get the best troops of the Sui Dynasty, I will agree even if I have to let all of their guards fuck you. If necessary, I can even let their horses fuck you."
He turned and looked at the crescent moon outside the window, then smiled back.
"Now that you are working for His Majesty alone, you should be laughing. Hurry up and dry your tears. I don't want His Majesty to see you crying when you see him."
She nodded obediently and wiped her tears with a silk handkerchief. "My Lord, you are so heartless!"
Li Ji thought to himself, I will treat your sister well and devote everything I have to these two heroines.
Now Lao Yu and Lord Li are already drinking in the restaurant outside.
She turned her head and saw the emperor walking towards him. She quickly wiped away the tears that had not yet fallen with the back of her hand.
She heard the adults' words again.
"Smile at him, hold your head high and chest out, let him see your chest, you are flat enough."
So Xu Di immediately smiled, straightened her chest consciously, stood up and saluted the emperor.
The Maling Mountain Palace is very large. The emperor took Xu Di and went out through a secret door on the right side of the palace. In front of them was Siwu Qingxiao, the platform at the highest peak of Maling Mountain.
She suddenly felt a chill, and the look in His Majesty's eyes filled her with curiosity.
Night is approaching, where will His Majesty take me now...