Chapter 18

Dao
Hougong

Dao almost fell, overcome by the dizziness of being in the same position for a long time. She knelt on the ground outside the quarters of Second Class Female Attendant Wei, her new mistress.

"A lady doesn't smile with her teeth." The two scholar ladies were teaching Lady Wei palace rules, etiquette and Inner Court history. They came in every day for the past week and taught her for at least three hours.

Straightening her back, Dao wiped her brows off of the sweat that was dribbling because of the tormenting sun. Kneeling in the sun for long wasn't for the weak.

"A lady doesn't speak more than the emperor. If the dragon speaks five words, she speaks less than five. If he says nothing, she says nothing."

Lady Wei Li Lian sat under the shade of her floral lotus flower parasol at the entrance to her quarters. On the table, they had many books they were going through.

Dao couldn't believe this woman was her mistress. It was all like a dream. From serving the highly sought after Princess Cai Wenjin, she was now an attendant to a concubine. It was embarrassing and all her friends were laughing at her. Working for a concubine was looked down upon, and Dao didn't think she would work for one but here she was.

Lady Li Lian had the smallest of quarters. Adding to that, she was only allowed two attendants, which meant there was going to be a lot of work for Dao. But the worst of it was that Dao would not be able to leave the palace as she pleased. She was no longer as accountable to the Harem Senior Court Lady who she could make deals with.

How was she going to be able to see Luo Meng? He was already unhappy about the limited time they spent together. Dao blamed it on being a courtesan which was just a cover-up. If he found out she was a palace maid, a woman belonging to the emperor, he would discard her. And Dao couldn't have that. She cared for Luo Meng too much.

"As Second Class Female Attendant, Her Ladyship will only serve His Majesty once or twice a week. Only the First Class can serve the dragon three times." The Scholar ladies rambled on.

Dao was doomed. This mistress of hers was scarred, and a concubine. There was no future for her which meant Dao as her attendant also had no future.

When Dao asked Lady Wei why she chose her to be her attendant, she said Mistress Han asked her to look after her child. It was bizarre. How did her mother know such a hated woman as Li Lian? Everyone despised Li Lian in the place.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Li Lian approached her when the scholar ladies left.

Dao rolled her eyes. "I poisoned your tea."

Li Lian pulled her by her hair and Dao whimpered.

"You dare roll your eyes at your mistress?" Li Lian chided her with a tone of amusement. She didn't seem angry at her.

"Forgive this servant, My Lady." Dao murmured with her eyes closed.

Poisoning the tea was what Dao did in exchange for a gate pass. The Harem Senior Court Lady told her it was just sleeping herbs and no one would be harmed. So she obeyed.

Li Lian released her and smiled. "Get up. I forgive you. Just stay away from Harem Senior Court Lady since you belong to me now."

Why was it that this Li Lian, though she seemed mean, she was nicer than she let on? "Yes, My Lady."

"Here," Li Lian handed Dao a gate pass. "I am sending you to your mother's manor. There is a girl named Ai that is there. Go and get her because she will be my second attendant."

"An attendant from outside? That isn't allowed, except if Ai is willing to be subject to rigorous training."

"If I could become a palace maid, why can't she? Besides, I got permission from Grand Consort Shu to have her as my second attendant."

Who cared? As long as Dao got to go outside and pass by Luo Meng's place.

"Eh... My Lady... since the sun is about to set. Can't this servant come back the following day?"

Surprisingly, Li Lian nodded. "You must miss your mother. Come back tomorrow."

Maybe Dao judged her mistress too early on. She seemed considerate and nice.

Before leaving the palace Dao got changing clothes from her room that was situated at the back of Lady Wei's quarters. She occupied half of it since presumably, she was going to share her space with Ai.

After getting out of the palace, Dao hid by a bush to change. She then packed away her palace maid uniform and headed to Luo Meng's manor.

His was one of the extravagant manors in the Capital. He was spoiled by the emperor, though Luo Meng said he didn't care for such things when she asked him how he felt.

"Mistress! You are here!" The cheering head of the house welcomed her at the gate of Luo Meng's manor.

The servants honoured Dao like she was already his wife. She was not sure if it was because they wanted to or it was because Luo Meng told them to.

"Is Luo Meng home?"

"No, Mistress. Young Master is still yet to come back. Should I send him word that you are here?"

"That would be nice. Please, do." She looked around the garden that welcomed her when she passed the gate. It was at the centre of the C shaped wood-built manor. Dao loved the brown wood of the building and how it textured with the large branchy trees surrounding it.

The last time she saw Luo Meng was at the palace, while for him it was when she was here. Seeing him and Princess Yang Liu, being so happy, laughing, brought about feelings that she didn't like. Jealousy, intimidation and insecurity.

However, Luo Meng acted in a way that made Dao feel she was the only one. Surely he did not like any other except her. And the sad thing was that she couldn't ask him about Yang Liu to rest her concerns or it would expose the truth of her being a palace maid.

Dao passed her time by making snacks. Although Luo Meng's servants insisted on serving her, she chose to do it herself. She was great at cooking and she liked making things for him.

"Dao?!" Luo Meng shouted as he ran in. "You are here." He took her in his arms and twirled her around.

He was in his normal black training robes with a sword slung on his back. Luo Meng looked every bit of a shadow guard plus handsome.

She giggled excitedly as they shared a moment of intimacy. She missed the taste of his lips, smelling him and being in his arms. Luo Meng said he did not allow people to touch him until her. That was hard to believe with the way he liked to possessively hold her.

They kissed each other like they were starved off of each other. His hands gripped and groped her body with need, then naughtily slid into her garments in search of her breasts.

At this she pushed him away, playing hard to get. "Where were you, my love?"

"Hmm. I was practising with His Majesty. He has been moody lately."

She knew it was because of her mistress. They blatantly fought in Hougong before public eyes, but Dao wouldn't know such things as a courtesan. She chose to ask about something else as she knew he was about to bring up her absence at the Lady Queens Manor. When he visited there and she was absent, she told them to just let him know she wasn't there. "Where is the kitchen lady that helped me cook last time?"

He shrugged, "I had her sent away."

"Wèishéme?" (why)

"She deceived me. I do not like to be deceived."

Dao was deceiving him, lying to be someone she wasn't. Luo Meng would send her away from his life too? She hoped their love was strong to hold them together when she confessed. Honestly, when she faked to be a courtesan she didn't think he would like her back like this.

He brought up the topic she had been preventing him from bringing up. "I was looking for you at the Lady Queens Manor, yesterday. They said you were not there." His eyes darkened. "You are still serving other men?"

She looked elsewhere to avoid his eyes, guilt coursing in her veins. "It is my job."

"You don't have to work. Come live with me and I'll take care of you."

She shook her head, and he groaned.

"It is too early, let us fully court first." She rubbed his arms to relax his tense physique. "Please?" she pouted.

"What will I do with you Dao? You have me this crazy." He took her lip and nibbled on it playfully. "At least tell me you are staying for the night."

She started undressing as she tittered. "What do you think?"

"You are mine."

They kissed again.

"Hmm. But you have to pull out this time," she reminded him. The last time they slept together he almost impregnated her. She smuggled herbs from the physician department after, to correct the mistake. Dao suspected he did it purposely to have her pregnant so she could quit being a courtesan.

What he did not know was that pregnancy would be her doom. A pregnant palace maid deserved death if the father wasn't the emperor.

S.V