Chapter 21: The Happiness Trap

  I secretly rejoiced, knowing that these iron-hatted kings wanted to borrow my knife to kill people and eliminate Li Hongzhang, this thorn in their side! But what I was thinking of was getting rid of the treacherous and evil ones, to carry out my revenge for revitalizing China! Although our goals are different, we can still converge on the same path, why wouldn't I be happy to do so?

  I didn't show anything and happily sent them off.

  Back in the bedroom, the two little wives had already returned. The three of us ate together and went over the events of the day again, feeling that progress was not bad, but also realizing that to truly take power, we still have to get past Li Hongzhang.

  "I said, 'Yesterday we were able to take the Naval Ministry so smoothly because Li Hongzhang went to the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. If he had been at home, it wouldn't have been so easy! Catching a thief starts with catching the kingpin. I think we should come up with a plan to capture him first, and then do our thing!"

  "Because he is the bandit king, we can't move him now. His subordinates are a large group of foxes and dogs. If you move him, the ones below will have to fight an internal war with you. We're not chaotic enough yet, nor can we afford to fight! I think Zhang Zhidong's method is feasible. Under his command, we cultivate our own power. Once he makes a move, our people can take control of his army. That's when it'll be easy to get what we want! As for the three major fleets, don't rush. Even if you get them, without your own people, it's all in vain. I think we should stabilize him first. If he doesn't give in, let's take over the Beijing Arsenal first. From the data, I know it's a branch of the Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau, but the equipment is still quite complete. The only shortcomings are the lack of lathes, milling machines, and steel furnaces. We're going to buy them back, aren't we? Let's focus on training our troops and preparing for war. When the conditions are ripe, we'll overthrow his old nest in one fell swoop!"

  Feier also agreed with Yaner's approach, so I had no choice but to follow my wife's opinion!

  It's getting late, and the three of us practiced qigong again. Then, two little wives, one holding my ear, said: "Stop pretending to be serious, go take a look at your Zhenhuan! That girl looks lively and lovely, yet steady and reliable, she's a sensible good girl. Those four girls sent by Empress Dowager Cixi are not easy to deal with, especially that Winter Plum, who is even more arrogant than Zhenhuan, ordering the three of them around, doing nothing herself, and scolding Zhenhuan at dusk, saying she can't keep a man, and the Emperor hasn't come to see them yet! It's strange that Zhenhuan just lowered her head and didn't say a word, as if she had become the mistress. Fei'er was so angry that she scolded her severely!"

  I sighed and said, "You think that old thing really sent me a woman, she's afraid I won't listen to her, so she arranged for several secret agents to be placed around me. If I really touched them, who knows how many things would happen next? I'm afraid I'd have to tie up her pants!"

  Fei'er pulled me out of bed: "Alright, don't wear your clothes either, come on, put on this cloak, hurry up! Today didn't let her and her maid go to her residence, just wait for you in the Western Wing House, don't make them keep an empty house again!"

  Before I left, the swallow told me: "The opposite door is just right, don't go wrong!"

  I secretly laughed, finding a wife can still go the wrong way, that's ridiculous! I thought about it and stopped boasting. My own virginity was given away through the wrong door, although the result wasn't bad, but I still went the wrong way, no wonder Yan'er had to knock on the door repeatedly, after all, I have a flaw in other people's hands!

  Alas, I arrived and took a closer look. There was only one door to the room, which was Xi Er Fang Yan Xi Tang, where the imperial concubines slept, and it was right opposite Dong Er Fang Ti Shun Tang, where Yanyan and Feifei lived, and where the empress would be summoned to serve the emperor. It was just a few dozen steps away, how could I have gone wrong? Ridiculous! I opened the door and entered the room.

  The room was very dark, with only a little moonlight coming through the window paper. By this faint light, I saw clearly: in front of me there was a bed with mosquito netting, and in front of the bed there was a small stool, on which seemed to be placed Zhen's clothes, and under the bed seemed to be a pair of women's shoes. Zhen must have been asleep, so I didn't want to disturb her, and quietly made my way to the bedside, took off my cloak and put it on the stool, lifted the mosquito netting and slipped inside.

  Little darling, covered with a big quilt, wrapped herself up, as if there was no one under the quilt, her head facing inward, a bunch of black hair scattered on the pillow, probably slept hot, one jade arm stretched out, in the dark night, looks so white and lovely, ah, my beloved concubine, you are too lovable!

  I lifted the quilt and snuggled into the bed, reaching out to hug her: "Ah, my Qing dynasty beauty, whom I've been thinking about day and night, today I finally have you in my arms!"

  I immediately felt a soft and warm fullness! She wasn't wearing any clothes, only a small belly band, my large body quickly found its place, drilling into the two jade legs of Zhen Fei, pressing against that fluffy soft place.

  My big hand also dishonestly lifted up her small belly, reaching towards my little wife's small breasts.

  What? How did I know it was Xiao Jiao's breasts? Are you stupid? I've hugged and held her, and looked at them too. Didn't you notice that blessed place? I saw it early on, her breasts are high and perky, but the range is relatively small, clearly they're undeveloped breasts that haven't been touched by a man, the type that men are most infatuated with!

  My hand reached out and I was stunned, this is so big and soft? That one isn't small either, it's even bigger than the first joint of my index finger. I was wrong again, I made a mistake when I arrived.

  No, if there weren't any men involved, it wouldn't be this big. This breast wouldn't have grown so large without anyone touching it. It's so loose and slack, could my beloved Zhen Fei not be as steady as I imagined? Does she have another man?

  No, it's currently February 1887, and Zhen Fei is only fifteen years old. She has just come of age, how can she have such a big... and such a big...? Am I mistaken again?

  It's indeed Xi Er's house! There are only a few rooms in this courtyard, how could I have gone wrong?

  Oh no, I wonder if I just stumbled into the wrong courtyard? That's probably where Cixi arranged for those four little maids to live today. Whoa, that would be a huge mistake! If word gets out that I, the Emperor, hugged those four little maids instead of my consorts, I'd be the laughing stock!

  "Damn it, I've walked through the wrong door, hurry up!" I thought about withdrawing my hand, but it was too late, my hand was caught by someone. Then that woman flipped over and sat on me, grabbing my crotch and trying to sit down further.

  I rolled her onto the bed and quickly slipped out of the mosquito net, grabbing my cloak as I went.

  Just as I was about to lift my leg and walk out, the woman suddenly jumped down from the ground, wrapped her arms around my legs: "Master Wan, since you've come, why not take advantage of Dongmei?"

  Winter plum? Isn't she that crazy girl? How did I end up at her place?

  I hastily said: "You quickly go to bed, don't catch a chill! You were given to me by the Empress Dowager, sooner or later I will make use of you, but now it's not possible, I have to go see our mistress first, otherwise she'll get angry!" I didn't want the old thing to know that I was annoyed with her gift, so I just made some perfunctory remarks.

  That girl pouted: "She dares! If it weren't for me to follow you, the old lady wouldn't have agreed to her coming. This is her room, I said earlier that the first night should be given to me, and she obediently moved out! Hurry up and go to bed, every moment of spring is worth a thousand pieces of gold, don't waste our good time!"

  As she spoke, her hand lifted up my cloak and reached for my crotch.

  I hastily turned around and dodged her hand, saying: "Who are you? How dare you order my empress around?"

  She turned around and didn't hug me, got up by herself and crawled into the quilt: "Will you ask me? If you're willing, I might be your imperial concubine or even your empress. What it will be depends on how you treat me! If you treat me well, I'll let you ascend to the true throne immediately and become the emperor ruling over all under heaven! If you don't treat me well, you might be replaced by someone else, and you might be forever imprisoned in the cold palace, becoming a real eunuch! Listen carefully, that 'huang' is not the 'huang' of the imperial palace, but everything turning yellow, being ruined and finished!"

  I raised my voice: "I'm asking you who are you? How can you control the emperor?"

  The woman giggled for a while before saying, "I am Li Lianying's half-sister from different parents, the goddaughter of Old Buddha, and tomorrow's imperial concubine Li Lihua!"

  "How did you know I'd spoil you?" I asked irritably.

  "Because you have no other choice, they are about to change emperors soon. Yesterday's commotion in the imperial court has already touched off the old empress dowager's reverse scales. If it weren't for my brother and I pleading on your behalf, you would already be imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court! Today she came to give you a last chance, to let you listen to her arrangements, and return to her wings! It was I who took the initiative to persuade you, to not oppose the old empress dowager, to be a good son! Come over here, sit down, and first let me nurse you back to health for a bit! These past two days my nipples have been itchy all over, won't you drink a couple of mouthfuls?"