<u><strong>Chapter 21: This Prince Will Kill You! </strong></u>


    “Your Majesty, Wan <em>er</em>  wants to go to Jade Lake and fish, pleeease?” Once Ye Hongyi set down  his wine cup, Yao Mowan grabbed his arm and swung it childishly.


    “Fish? Wan <em>er</em>  wants to eat fish? We’ll have the kitchen make some.” Ye Hongyi stroked  Yao Mowan’s hair. He didn’t seem to feel that Yao Mowan’s words were  abrupt or inappropriate at all.


    “Wan <em>er</em> doesn’t want to eat fish, Wan <em>er</em> just wants to see what a rainbow fish looks like. Second Older Sister wasn’t able to catch it that day, so Wan <em>er</em>  wants to help Second Older Sister catch it!” The more Yao Mowan said,  the more excited she got. She jumped up to head to Jade Lake but Ye  Hongyi pulled her back into his arms.


    “What  rainbow fish? Consort Li was lying to you!” Ye Hongyi kept Yao Mowan  caged in his arms and gazed at her tenderly. He found it both  frustrating and funny that she was so naive.


    “Second Older Sister wouldn’t lie!” Yao Mowan pouted.


    “Your  Majesty… Suluan didn’t lie, Suluan really saw a rainbow fish…” There  was nothing Yao Suluan could do but stick to her past words. If she  remained silent, it would be silently admitting it.


    “Your  Majesty, let Mowan go! Mowan’s really good at swimming!” Yao Mowan  looked towards Ye Hongyi confidently, but Ye Hongyi was looking towards  Yao Suluan sternly.


    “Since  Consort Li was the one that saw the fish, it’s only natural that  Consort Li goes to catch it. So go. If you can’t catch it, don’t bother ing back up!” said Ye Hongyi coldly without giving any grounds for  negotiation.


    “Imperial Older Brother…” Ye Liyu was about to argue when Yao Suluan stopped him.


    “Suluan  will go catch it right now! Suluan will definitely be able to catch  it!” Yao Suluan was panicking a little. If Ye Liyu spoke up for her, Ye  Hongyi’s suspicions would be aroused. Rather than let that happen, it  would be better to just jump into Jade Lake and take advantage of this  chance to ‘snap out of it.’ At the same time, it’d make Ye Liyu pity her  more and attack Yao Mowan on her behalf!


    A  lot of the consorts and concubines started whispering as Yao Suluan  left the pavilion. Most of them felt schadenfreude. After this incident,  Ye Liyu wasn’t in the mood to bother Ye Junqing anymore and he was too  distracted to even respond to some of Ye Hongyi’s questions. All the  delicacies tasted like wax in his mouth.


    When  they got back to Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan stretched her waist with  her arms outstretched. As she was heading back, she saw that Yao Suluan  was still swimming in Jade Lake. Even though it was midsummer, the  water still got cold at night. It seemed that a small cold was  unavoidable.


    “You made Consort Li jump into Jade Lake on purpose, didn’t you?” Ye Junqing walked in after her and demanded an answer.


    “Heat’s  risen to her head. I’m just having her jump down to clear her head,  it’s good for her.” Yao Mowan walked slowly to the table and took a sip  of the green tea that Ting Yue had prepared.


    “Even  if Consort Li had wronged you, there’s still no need to torment her  this way. No matter what, you’re sisters. Actually…” Before Ye Junqing  could finish, Yao Mowan suddenly moved up to him, her eyes shing with  sharp light.


    “Mowan’s  temper is nowhere as good as Prince’s. Ye Liyu waspletely stomping  on your face, but you had actually been able to endure it for this long.  Mowan must admit respect!” If it weren’t for the fact that Ye Liyu was  seriously being too excessive, she wouldn’t have tortured Yao Suluan to  get at him. However, she had been surprised to find out that Yao Suluan  actually had such a rtionship with Ye Liyu. If it weren’t for the  fact that Ming Yu had delivered this newsst night, she wouldn’t have  known what to use against Ye Liyu.


    “He… He didn’t use to be like this.” Ye Junqing’s eyes turned dim and filled with unconceble loneliness.


    “That’s  because you used to possess control of massive military force and was  the country’s greatmander! A proverb puts it well: When the tree  topples, the monkeys scatter. The wall falls because everyone pushes.  Prince has personally experienced it this time!” said Yao Mowan  indignantly.


    “Perhaps…”  For once, Ye Junqing didn’t try to refute. However, this was reality, so  there was no point in trying to argue against it.


    “Has Prince never thought about trying to regain possession of the troops?” Yao Mowan probed slightly.


    “It’s  good like this. I don’t need to think about anything and can pass my  days leisurely. This is something that many people wish for!” Ye Junqing  concealed the disappointment in his eyes as he said this. Since Moxin  didn’t like for him to possess troops, he’ll let them go. As long as it  would allow Moxin to rest in peace down in the Ninth Spring, everything  was worth it.


    “Sometimes I  really feel like Prince is adorably dumb!” Yao Mowan couldn’t help but  shake her head. She subconsciously stroked Ye Junqing’s nose. It was a  very casual movement, but Ye Junqing jumped up like his tail had been  stepped on.


    “What are you doing?” Ye Junqing rubbed his nose hard as he looked at Yao Mowan in rm.


    “I’m  expressing my friendliness. Prince doesn’t like it?” Yao Mowan feigned  innocence. However, her heart was a mess. That gesture had been  instinctive, she hadn’t even thought about doing it.


    When  she first experience rebirth, she felt that she owed Ye Junqing a lot.  But as she interacted with him this days, she found that the feelings  buried within her heart were not just guilt. As for what it was, she  didn’t dare to delve deep into it because she feared the answer.


    “I  don’t like it! I really don’t like it!” replied Ye Junqing angrily as  he turned away and left like he was running for his life. Yao Mowan’s  expression only rxed when Ye Junqing was out of sight and she wiped  at the sweat on her forehead.


    “Master,  after Ye Liyu left the imperial garden, he headed straight to Pure  Flower Pce. When this subordinate was heading back, Yao Suluan had  already been pulled out of theke,” reported Yin Xue.


    “Yao  Suluan is done with acting dumb now. I got it, you may withdraw.” Yao  Mowan nodded slightly, then walked back to her bedroom, feeling a little  weary.


    Perhaps it was  because her actionst night had really given Ye Junqing a scare,  because the next day, Ye Junqing didn’t show up for breakfast. Instead,  Ye Liyu appeared.


    “Yao  Mowan! You deserve to die!” When Ye Liyu rushed into Guan Osprey Pce  with a sword, Ting Yue immediately moved to stop him.


    “Transcendental  Prince, please calm down. No matter what my master did wrong, you still  can’t take her punishment into your own hands in the Inner Pce! If  His Majesty found out, he’ll punish you!” Ting Yue hastily tried to  dissuade him, but he kicked her to the ground.


    <em>Pfff</em>…


    Ye  Liyu had kicked hard. Ting Yue coughed a mouthful of blood. Yao Mowan’s  heart filled with fury when she saw the sharp redness on the ground.


    “Wuuwuu…  Ting Yue, why are you coughing blood… It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?” Yao  Mowan kneeled down next to Ting Yue and rubbed the blood on her clothes  and the side of her lips.


    “Yao  Mowan! You witch! This prince will kill you!” Ye Liyu itched to just  tear Yao Mowan to pieces whenever he recalled how Yao Suluan had fainted  from choking on water and was now bedridden with a severe fever.  Fortunately, Yao Mowan had seen that azure figure right as she was about  to call out Yin Xue. She couldn’t let Ye Liyu know of Yin Xue’s  existence, otherwise it’d be troublesome.


    “Stop  right now!” As Ye Liyu’s sword was about to reach Yao Mowan, Ye  Junqing’s heart seemed to stop. He was seized with a feeling of such  intense fear that he couldn’t even breathe. He threw out a bodhi jade  without any hesitation. The jade broke when it made contact with the  de, but Ye Liyu’s hands went numb and he dropped the sword.


    “Ye  Liyu! What are you doing!? Mowan, are you alright?” Ye Junqing rushed  to Yao Mowan’s side and helped her up with both hands. When he saw the  blood on her clothes and near her lips, his eyes turned ice cold and his  heart filled with rage.


    “Ye  Junqing! Who do you think you are to block this prince’s path? Scram!  This prince must kill this witch today!” Ye Liyu picked up the sword and  made to stab Yao Mowan again.


    __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira