Dugu Jingyao is reborn as Li Chu's beloved

Chapter 164: Self-discipline

But in just a quarter of an hour, Aunt Xu came in with a group of graceful and beautiful maids. These maids each carried a plate of delicious food in their hands, and entered the room one after another like a long, colorful dragon.

It was indeed a time of good mood, even ordinary meals tasted particularly sweet and delicious. When they were almost done eating, a maid came forward to clear the table...

The Crown Prince pondered this, knowing full well that his family members must have much to share. So, with a smile on his face, he said in a friendly tone, "I'm sure you all have endless heartfelt conversations with your loved ones. With that, the Crown Princess and I will return to Aoxue Palace. I hope you will all return to your respective bedrooms with your families, enjoy a good reunion, and share those intimate conversations that belong only to you!"

The Crown Princess agreed deeply, nodding gently to show her approval. Then, she gracefully stood up and, along with the Crown Prince, led a multitude of palace maids and eunuchs as they left Zhaoyang Palace in a mighty procession.

At this moment, only a handful of people remained in the hall, staring at each other, seemingly still reeling from the shock of what had just happened. They couldn't even muster a single word of gratitude before the Crown Prince and Princess left in such a hurry. It all happened so quickly, catching everyone off guard.

Li Ruo, who was watching the scene from the side, couldn't help but chuckle, "Why don't you hurry back to the bedroom? Don't miss this opportunity!" Hearing Li Ruo's reminder, the few people seemed to have just woken up from a dream. They hurriedly stood up, bowed and said goodbye to Li Chu, Li Neng, and Li Ruo, and then walked out of Zhaoyang Palace...

The sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze blew. Dugu Jingyao and Liu Jingyue walked side by side, with Dugu Xin following closely behind. They wandered through a garden filled with vibrant flowers and fragrant aromas, following a winding path. Along the way, the birdsong and the fragrance of the flowers were a breathtaking sight, but the journey seemed longer than expected. After some twists and turns, they finally arrived at Mingxiang Pavilion.

As soon as she stepped through the threshold, a group of sharp-eyed eunuchs and maids immediately came forward, curtsying and saying respectfully, "Greetings to the two princesses! To..." Before she could finish her words, Dugu Jingyao suddenly realized something—these people hadn't yet met her father. She quickly introduced them with a smile, "This is my princess's father, the King of Yunnan."

Hearing this, the eunuchs and maids bowed again as if awakened from a dream, and said in unison: "Greetings to the King of Yunnan!" The voice was crisp, loud and full of respect.

Dugu Jingyao nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this, then raised her hand to signal everyone to stand up: "Get up, and go to work! Shijian and Zhishu will be serving you in the inner room." Everyone responded in unison, indicating that they understood, and then quickly dispersed and returned to their respective posts to get busy.

After entering the main hall, Shi Jian and Zhi Shu skillfully began preparing tea. Soon, a steaming pot of fragrant tea was placed on the table, exuding an alluring aroma. Several people gathered around an exquisite round wooden table, the atmosphere particularly harmonious.

At this moment, Dugu Jingyao gave Shijian a subtle wink, who understood and quickly walked to the door, gently closing it. Shijian and Zhishu then filled their teacups and carefully placed them before each person. Once everything was in place, Dugu Xin was the first to ask, "Why was the bedroom arranged so far away? Madam Chu's residence is quite close to Zhaoyang Palace, in my opinion." His tone hinted at a hint of confusion and dissatisfaction.

Dugu Jingyao's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle and charming smile as she said, "The Crown Princess and the others have carefully selected two bedrooms! One is right next to Her Highness's residence, and the other is close to Sister Ruo'er's. You know, the Crown Princess and Aunt Chu are sisters, and they haven't seen each other for a long time, so living a little closer will make it more convenient for them to visit each other."

After listening to Dugu Jingyao's detailed explanation, Dugu Xin suddenly understood, and his lingering doubts instantly dissipated. He nodded gently, indicating that he no longer had any doubts about the matter. Then, changing the subject, he asked with concern, "So, have you adapted to life in the palace these past few days?"

At this point, Liu Jingyue seemed to have found an outlet to pour out her thoughts, and like a flood of water, she spoke endlessly about their recent experiences. She described every detail vividly, making everyone present feel as if they were there.

The general meaning was that she and Dugu Jingyao had become the focus of attention within the Eastern Palace. One of them was the future Princess Guangping, a position of unparalleled nobility; while the other taught the magical art of makeup in the palace, rumored to be able to make one's face radiant and youthful...

Liu Jingyue couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "Thinking back to when I was in Yunnan, life was quite leisurely and comfortable, not as busy as it is now. Lately, many concubines have sent precious gifts to my sister and me, hoping that I can teach them how to put on makeup and that my sister can help them say a few good words in front of the Crown Princess. However, my sister and I have not accepted these gifts..."

Liu Jingyue sighed softly, and then said, "My sister and I understand that if we accept these gifts, we will have many concerns when doing things in the palace in the future. So, we politely declined." Dugu Jingyao nodded in agreement. She knew very well that the struggles in the harem were complicated, and if she got too involved, she might get into trouble.

"However, Yue'er, we can't keep refusing." Dugu Jingyao pondered for a moment, "Only if we do that will cause people to criticize us and think we are unkind."

Dugu Xin agreed deeply: He thought, Yao'er hasn't even married into Prince Guangping's Mansion yet, and these people are rushing to curry favor with her?

Liu Jingyue frowned slightly, "So what does sister mean?"

Dugu Jingyao smiled and said, "You might as well choose some suitable gifts to return as a token of friendship. But be careful not to be too close or too distant."

Liu Jingyue understood and nodded slightly. The two decided to be more cautious in the palace in the future to avoid being involved in unnecessary disputes.

Dugu Xin was also worried about the situation of his two daughters, and secretly made up his mind: he wanted Xunfeng to take care of the house he bought as soon as possible so that he could take his two daughters out of the palace to live, so as to prevent his two daughters from getting involved in unnecessary disputes.