Chapter 105: Chapter 75: Wine Pool and Meat Forest

The sky had just darkened.

Liu Cheng’en led ten young masters who had just entered the palace for the ritual, heading towards Baiyu City.

These ten young men mostly held the title of beauty; each of them was youthful, vibrant, and charming. Yet, at this moment, they suppressed their inner excitement, following silently behind Liu Cheng’en.

The leading lady was the only noble lady among these ten beauties.

Lan Lingrong, Noble Lady Lan.

During the selection process that day, she took the initiative to greet Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager and impressed Your Majesty with a Kunqu Opera, earning the title of Noble Lady Lan.

She hailed from Shanyang County, where her mother was a concubine of Lan Huai, the County Magistrate of Shanyang.

At the same time, she was also a popular geisha in Shanyang County Town.

After Lan Huai assumed his post as the County Magistrate, she was forced into the mansion and became a favored concubine.

This favored concubine, in a bid to secure her position in the mansion, relentlessly competed with other wives and concubines, yet eventually was scorned by Lan Huai as she aged and lost her beauty.

Lan Lingrong grew up in such an environment.

Her mother’s teachings were etched in her heart.

“As a woman, you must know how to fight for what you want, or you will suffer your whole life!”

“Rong’er, remember, all men are the same. They only like the young and beautiful!”

“So you must capture a man’s heart while you are still young, so he will never forget you for the rest of his life…!”

Under such guidance, Lan Lingrong became a Concubine Candidate and entered the Imperial Palace.

Because of her boldness and meticulousness, she was the first to be titled Noble Lady Lan!

Yet, tonight she was brought out by the eunuch again, for what…

She quickened her steps, pulling out a jade hairpin her mother had given her when she left home, gritting her teeth as she approached Liu Cheng’en.

“Eunuch Liu, may I ask where we’re being taken so late at night?”

With that, she quietly handed over the jade hairpin.

“Your hard work is appreciated…”

Liu Cheng’en glanced at the hairpin and thought for a moment before saying softly without taking it, “Young Master, keep it.”

“Tonight, I bring all the young masters here on orders from Your Majesty.”

“Congratulations, Young Master, tonight is the night you serve in bed.”

“Serve in bed!”

Lan Lingrong’s eyes brightened suddenly. They had only entered the palace about three days ago, and she hadn’t heard of any Concubine Candidates being called to serve in bed.

Was she… the first?

No, wait!

If it was truly for serving in bed, why bring other Concubine Candidates?

Among the nine girls behind her, she knew a few who also held the title of beauty.

She asked in confusion, “Eunuch, if I am to serve in bed, why are they all…”

Liu Cheng’en raised his eyebrows and said, “His Majesty is full of vigor and excels in Martial Dao. All of you are here to serve in bed tonight.”

“You are the first noble lady, while the other young masters are merely beauties.”

“I, I…”

Lan Lingrong immediately felt a surge of grievance.

After all, she was a noble lady. How come she had to serve in bed with other women?

His, His Majesty is just too… licentious!

Of course, she dared not speak these words aloud, though her face was full of conflict.

“What, does the young master not wish to?”

Liu Cheng’en glanced at her and said, “His Majesty ordered me to bring ten young masters. I selected you first because you were daring.”

“The reason the nine young masters behind you were chosen by me is also similar.”

“If you are unwilling, I can send you back to the palace.”

“Hehehe…”

“There are over five hundred young masters who entered the palace this time. If you don’t come this time, who knows when you’ll get another chance~!”

Lan Lingrong’s expression changed upon hearing this, recalling the miserable state her mother lived in at the Lan Mansion and the expressions of the other discarded concubines. She immediately clenched her teeth and said, “Thank you, Eunuch, for your consideration. Lingrong is truly grateful!”

“A child that is teachable.”

Liu Cheng’en laughed and said, “When the young master becomes successful in the future, don’t forget about us servants~!”

“Eunuch’s words are too kind.”

Lan Lingrong bowed and said, “In the future, as Lingrong navigates palace life, she will rely entirely on you, Eunuch Liu.”

“It’s no problem, no problem.”

Soon, the ten young masters were brought in front of a massive palace.

Compared to other rather old palace structures, this palace was evidently several times larger, and was clearly newly built.

At the forefront of the grand hall were more than a dozen colossal pillars, each requiring the embrace of three people to wrap around them, arranged continuously to either side.

The entire palace was built on three levels, each layered atop the next.

The pillars were carved with dragons and phoenixes; the eaves were red lacquer, adorned with mythical creatures like pixiu and qilin, exuding grandeur and ferocity.

The top of the palace was covered with glazed tiles, which, under the moonlight, emitted a halo of glazed hues, incredibly beautiful.

The windows emitted a bright yellow light, which almost made the entire palace resemble a giant glowing jade seal, magnificent and imposing.

“Ah…”

It was the first time the ten young masters saw such a giant structure; instinctively, they raised their heads.

Simply in height, it was nearly twenty zhang.

Standing below, looking up, the top of the palace was not even visible.

“What a grand palace!”

“Where is this?”

“There are words on the palace door!”

“Bai, Yu, City!”

“Baiyu City?”

Liu Cheng’en ascended the steps and looked at the ten astonished young masters, a hint of pride in his eyes.

This grand hall was personally instructed to be built by Your Majesty with the Ministry of Industry.

Just the ancient oak wood alone used over fifty logs, taking two years to complete.

Not to mention the other precious materials like marble, jade, and obsidian.

The extravagant Grand Hall alone costs tens of millions of silver!

“Everyone, this is Your Majesty’s sleeping quarters, Baiyu City!”

Liu Cheng’en spoke, “In the future, the young masters will serve Your Majesty’s nights were here.”

“This palace area is vast. Without Your Majesty’s hand decree, it is not permissible to wander aimlessly.”

“And the young masters can only stay overnight on the first floor of Baiyu City. For the second and third floors, you must not enter as you please, understood?”

“We understand, thank you eunuch.”

Among the ten, Lan Lingrong held the highest rank and now served as their small leader.

“Indeed.”

Liu Cheng’en nodded faintly and was the first to step onto the stairs.

“Follow us, don’t run around.”

“Yes!”

Ten little beauties obediently followed behind Liu Cheng’en, stepping into Baiyu City.

Though they kept their heads down, they still snuck glances at the enormous palace.

Dragons and phoenixes were painted, and it was adorned with gold and jade, spectacularly magnificent and almost like an Immortal Realm. They had no words to describe the grandeur of the hall.

The unfamiliar stone underfoot was so transparent that it reflected their own images.

The surrounding walls were engraved with exquisite murals, decorated with precious calligraphy and paintings.

Screens, vases, and books were placed everywhere, exuding a quiet beauty.

Liu Cheng’en led the group around several times, then ordered the opening of a grand door.

Suddenly, a warm, peculiar fragrant aroma emerged from within.

The ten little beauties widened their eyes, and saw a dense fog permeating this grand door.

Dimly, lightly drifting—it was almost like an Immortal Realm.

“Is that…the scent of wine?”

A sudden remark from one little beauty prompted others to sniff intensely, their cheeks slightly reddened.

Liu Cheng’en whispered, “Young masters, please enter, Your Majesty awaits you inside.”

The naive young girls foolishly walked in, with a signal from Liu Cheng’en, the eunuch outside slowly pushed the heavy doors shut.

Inside the Grand Hall.

Despite the dense mist, once acclimated, the vision remained unobstructed.

Before them stood a giant jade pool, as large as a bathing pool, made entirely of Lantian Jade.

The saying goes, ’With the warmth of a Lantian day, the jade exudes smoke.’

Lantian Jade is warm jade, with excellent thermal retention, the top material for crafting Royal Family’s bathhouses.

The difference lay in the much larger area of the bathing pool, occupying nearly a third of the hall.

By appearance, enough for forty to fifty people to bathe at once.

Surprisingly, surrounding the Lantian Bathhouse, were rows upon rows of tender roasted meats, fruits, and vegetables hung on wooden racks.

Palace maids dressed in translucent gauze were carefully roasting the meat, intermittently serving roasted meat and fruits towards the pool.

Besides these entrancing little forests composed of gourmet food and fruits, there were several other massive doors on the walls, tightly closed, hiding whatever lay behind.

Raising their heads, they saw the room’s ceiling formed from special jade stones, with faint blue light.

The surface etched with numerous indistinct silhouettes.

Some of these figures appeared to be flying, some entwined together, others seemed to be practicing martial arts.

Upon closer inspection, these weren’t ordinary strokes—they were Spring Palace illustrations!

All depicted with clear lines, revealed in every detail, made more mysterious by the rising fog.

The ten young girls gazed in shock, until Lan Lingrong took a deep breath, her nostrils filled with the wine aroma.

Gathering her courage, she stepped onto the jade steps.

After only a dozen steps, she discovered something.

The pervasive scent of wine throughout the Grand Hall astonishingly originated from the Lantian Bathhouse before her!

This pool wasn’t filled with hot springs, but exquisite wine!

The entire pool filled with the wine could make several young girls dizzy and bewildered with just one sniff.

Her companions hurriedly gathered around, the misty fog parted timely to reveal a man of striking handsome appearance reclining within.

Zheng Yi!

At this moment, he soaked in the wine pool, attended by beautiful palace maids.

Wine, roasted meat, and fruits, all readily available.

Upon noticing the arrival of the ten new beauties, Zheng Yi’s gaze was drawn to the leading girl in pink.

“Noble Lady Lan~”

“Your Majesty!”

Lan Lingrong hurriedly knelt down in salute hearing Zheng Yi’s voice.

The nine girls behind her were startled and promptly bowed to the ground.

Yet the narrow ledge of the pool led to two young girls unexpectedly rolling down the steps.

Another two slipped and fell into the pool, frightened they struggled desperately to regain the surface.

“Heh heh heh~”

From the meat forest around them came the laughter of the little palace maids, while others quickly swam over to assist the beauties out of the pool.

“Be cautious, young master~”

“This place is slippery, please be careful, young master~”

The beauties, deeply embarrassed, scrambled ashore, their alluring silhouettes clearly revealed.

“Ahem…”

Zheng Yi coughed gently, attracting everyone’s attention.

“Noble Lady Lan and other beauties.”

“From today on, this will be your place of serving Your Majesty’s nights, known as ’Wine Pool and Meat Forest, Paradise’!”

“Here, forget all your worries and distress, indulge in pleasure endlessly, gamify life, and enjoy Paradise early!”

Suddenly standing, Zheng Yi strode toward Lan Lingrong, despite his own luminousness, and lifted her in his arm.

“Beauty, join us in ascending Paradise!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep