Ji Feihua swept his clear eyes over him, not a trace of a smile on his face. "Eunuch Rong, why are you here instead of attending His Majesty?"
"Reporting to Commander Ji, His Majesty turned over Lady Wen's tablet tonight, so..." Rong Baoxing looked distinctly uneasy.
"Lady Wen? I have yet to meet her." Ji Feihua flicked his sable cloak back and strode toward the Cloud-Gazing Pavilion. Rong Baoxing hurried after him, but dared not stop him. Rather than being angry, Hu Xiaotian was delighted. Ji Feihua's arrival at this moment almost certainly meant he had come to stir up trouble. If he spoiled the emperor's pleasure, Hu Xiaotian had nothing to lose. Eager to see the world thrown into chaos, he tugged Rong Baoxing's sleeve, signaling for him to speak.
Rong Baoxing had already been wavering. With this nudge from Hu Xiaotian, he finally could not help saying, "Commander Ji, Lady Wen is still bathing. I fear entering now would be inappropriate."
Ji Feihua stopped and abruptly turned. An icy glare shot from his phoenix eyes like two sharp swords aimed at Rong Baoxing, frightening him so badly that his mouth crumpled and he dared not make another sound. Ji Feihua sneered. "What is inappropriate about my attending to a Talented Lady?" With that, he continued inside.
Rong Baoxing dared not voice another objection and could only follow him in. Hu Xiaotian went in with the others, partly out of concern and partly to watch the spectacle. He had no idea how Ji Feihua would treat Wen Ya.
Steam curled above the lotus pool. Wen Ya bathed at its center, like a lotus rising from the water. The clamor of footsteps did not throw her into a panic; she remained seated quietly in the water. The two palace maids