Moma Liangshan

Chapter 148 Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl, Princess Bathing

Wang Hao turned to leave, gently closing the door behind him, but then said, "The ship's rough seas are tiring. If the princess wishes to bathe, the bathroom is right next door!" Bathing is always an irresistible temptation for women, and the Shu princess politely replied, "It's getting late. It would be unwelcome to have the servants get up to boil water now!" Wang Hao said, "There's hot water in that bathroom; you can use it as needed without troubling anyone!" The Shu princess was incredulous, saying, "You're not lying to me, are you?" Wang Hao shook his head, thinking to himself, "In later times, this bathroom would be practically a necessity in every home. However, due to the difference in eras, even the empresses in the palace could only envy it!" He said, "Whether it's true or not, you'll see for yourself!" Knowing Wang Hao was outside, the Shu princess simply opened the door and said, "Please lead the way!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "Please follow me!" Then he walked towards the other end of the room. The Shu princess followed Wang Hao to another inner room opposite. The moment the door opened, a wave of heat rushed out. Wang Hao picked up a lit candle from the corridor and went inside, then lit all three candles on the candlestick. The room's layout was finally revealed: the walls, ceiling, and floor were all tightly covered with wooden planks. The bathtub was large, about five feet long, two feet wide, and one foot deep, with a wooden frame and brass lining.

On the wall at one end of the bathtub, two dragons, one red and one green, were painted. Two copper pipes, resembling dragon bones, ran through the dragons, eventually branching into two dragon heads. Between the two heads was a copper ball with dozens of small holes. The Princess of Shu, looking at the scene, exclaimed, "I never expected to see two dragons playing with a pearl in Young Master Wang's bathroom!" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "These are dragons, not real dragons, so it's not presumptuous. As for why there are two dragons playing with a pearl, it's because my father was worried about my long sea voyages and, for my safety, asked the dragons to protect me!" The Princess of Shu turned on the green water valve, and water gushed from the green dragon's mouth, falling into the copper ball and then leaking out through the small holes on its surface, like a gentle spring rain. The princess of Shu reached her hand into the water, but felt it was icy cold. She then turned on the red water valve, and a stream of steaming water gushed out, falling into the copper ball. Moments later, steam also rose from the water emerging from the small hole. The warm water accumulated, soon reaching above her ankles. The princess couldn't help but smile, eager to try it out. Seeing this, Wang Hao took a tray from a nearby wooden shelf. On the tray were towels, bathrobes, and soap, saying, "These are all new; you can use them without worry!"

The Shu princess recognized the towel and bathrobe, but she didn't know how to use the pink soap. She asked, "What is this?" Wang Hao replied, "I call it soap. After wetting it, you can apply it to your body to remove dirt." The Shu princess blushed slightly and said, "Aren't you leaving yet?" Wang Hao smiled knowingly, closed the door, and turned to leave.

The Shu princess adjusted the water temperature, then undressed and entered the bathtub. The warm water quickly washed away her fatigue, making her forget the day's troubles. Wang Hao returned to his bedroom, unable to sleep, because the Shu princess's behavior was too abnormal, almost incomprehensible. Wang Hao lit three candles on the candlestick, and by the candlelight looked at the Bohai map on the wall, thinking: "In the Battle of Huanglongfu, Emperor Tianzuo lost 700,000 elite Liao troops. At that time, the scales of victory had completely tipped in favor of the Jurchens. However, faced with successive defeats on the battlefield, the Liao court not only failed to learn from its mistakes and unite against external enemies, but also staged a series of coups, exhausting its last bit of national strength. The Shu princess is ultimately just a woman; no matter how much she tries to maneuver, she cannot change the political status quo of the Liao court."

After soaking in the water for about half an hour, the Shu princess picked up the soap from the tray and gently applied it to her arms. She instantly felt its smoothness, and the faint milky scent was mixed with a hint of osmanthus. The Shu princess was incredibly surprised. She slowly rose and began to wash her entire body. Soon, the water in the tub became cloudy from the soap, but when she opened the black valve, the dirty water quickly drained away. After washing her body with soap, the Shu princess opened the red and blue valves again, rinsing off the soap with warm water. She picked up a towel, dried herself, and changed into a clean bathrobe. The Shu princess felt unprecedentedly relaxed. Leaving the bathroom, she walked past Wang Hao's master bedroom, where the lights were bright. The Shu princess seemed completely unconcerned about being only wearing a bathrobe, and gently knocked on Wang Hao's door. Hearing the knock, Wang Hao asked, "Is the princess satisfied with my bathroom?" The Shu princess opened the door and appeared before Wang Hao. The sight of a beautiful woman emerging from her bath only added to her allure. Wang Hao, left with no choice, sat up straight and said, "It's late. A lone man and woman alone in a room might cause gossip!" The Shu princess laughed and said, "You're afraid of rumors?" Wang Hao replied, "I'm a man. Even if such things spread, I'll only gain a reputation as a philandering young man! You, Princess, are a woman; your reputation is extremely important!" The Shu princess leaned closer, staring at Wang Hao, and said, "I am a Khitan princess, not a Han daughter. Your words won't frighten me!" Wang Hao unconsciously stared at the Shu princess's neckline, remaining silent for a long time. The Shu princess quickly noticed Wang Hao's unusual behavior and cursed, "Indecent!" Wang Hao suddenly stood up, less than half a foot away from the Shu princess, and warned, "If you continue to act recklessly, I will make you a condition for cooperating with the Liao Kingdom!" The Shu princess, far from being afraid, revealed a wicked smile and said, "You wouldn't dare! I'm not afraid!" Wang Hao frowned but remained silent. The princess of Shu continued, "A man braved the dead of winter to cross the ocean to Liaodong to advise me, risking his life countless times. I don't believe he was only after profit!" Wang Hao feigned composure and said, "If not for profit, what else could he be after?" The princess of Shu replied, "The interests of Liaodong are not worth such a huge risk. He is a shrewd man and would never do something that would not be worth the loss!" Wang Hao said, "You are very clever, but the initiative is mine, not yours!" The princess of Shu changed the subject, saying, "Why does your soap smell of milk and flowers? Why does hot water flow automatically from your bathroom?" Wang Hao unconsciously let out a long breath and said, "This soap is made with sheep's milk and mixed with pollen! And outside the bathroom, there is a boiler with a constantly burning charcoal fire, so the water in the pot never gets cold!"