《The Cry of the Phoenix Which Reached the Ninth Heaven》 Chapter Volume 1 1 Chapter 1: Pain, Heart Piercing Pain The clouds rumbled as thunder and lightning criss-crossed, sawtooth strokes of lightning collided in the skies without pause and burst forth into ring white. The ice-cold, deste Cold Pce, in the contrast by shes of light, was several times more prominently eerie. ¡°Let me out! Zhong er! My Zhong er1!¡± Yao Mo Xin crazily pounded on the vermilion painted wooden doors of the Cold Pce, postnatal blood dying her unadorned garment. After an entire night, her delicate body, unable to support itself any longer, fell in a pile onto the floor, her ten fingers streaked down the wooden door as she slumped, leaving ten long bloody lines. (1) ¶ù ¨C ¡°er¡± means boy but can when added on to a name is a way of endearment and is gender neutral ¡°What crime have Imitted? What crime! Ye Hong Yi, for you to treat me this way!¡± Yao Mo Xin cried out with grief, tears flooded their way out of her eyes, wetting herpel, as the cold prated her heart. Justst night, she was still the high and mighty Empress of the great Chu nation, thebor pains were still vivid in her mind and that pleasant infant boy was still in her arms. She was happy to the point she didn¡¯t know what worry was. But happiness is so brief, she didn¡¯t even have time to react before being dragged off the phoenix couch by a group of imperial bodyguards that didn¡¯t distinguish between right and wrong, and thrown into this dark, damp Cold Pce. Up to this moment, Yao Mo Xin still felt like this was a dream. Iron chains nked as the Pce doors opened, a gale violently swept up dead leaves and carried them in. Yao Mo Xin¡¯s body abruptly trembled as she subconsciously curled up her body and closed her eyes. ¡°Jie jie2!¡± An anxious voice unexpectedly cried. When Yao Mo Xin opened her eyes, she saw Li gui fei appear in front of her, hugging an infant to her chest. (2) ½ã½ã ¨C ¡°jie jie¡± Older sister, can be used to address people not blood rted ¡°Su Luan¡­¡­ Zhong er! Hurry and hand Zhong er to me!¡± Yao Mo Xin ecstatically stretched her hands towards the child in Li gui fei¡¯s3 bosom, but a piece of paper separated the two. (3) ¹óåú ¨C ¡°gui fei¡± noble consort, 2 ranks down from empress, refer to wikipage ¡°Sign it!¡± A voice so cold it induced shivers reverberated loudly in the quiet Cold Pce. Yao Mo Xin hastily looked up, gazing at a face with a pair of strict flickering ck eyes. At this moment, Yao Su Luan had already retreated to the side while hugging the infant, there was a strange spark in her eyes which shed, then immediately disappeared. ¡°Hong Yi¡­¡­ this¡­¡­ what is this?¡± Yao Mo Xin looked vacantly at the man wearing the dragon robe embroidered with golden thread patterns before her, her heart suddenly turning cold. They had been husband and wife seven years and had always treated each other as honored guests, lifting the tray to eyebrow level4. She had never seen this dark and cold gaze before. (4) Two sayings mean pretty much the same thing, they treated each other with mutual respect in the marriage. ¡°See for yourself!¡± Ye Hong Yi didn¡¯t try to conceal the disgust in his eyes as he coldly scoffed. Yao Mo Xin held back the tears in her eyes, her ten fingers trembled as she picked up the paper. ¡°This qie,5 Yao Mo Xin¡¯s private morals are harmful, they will cause disturbances to the family. To Prince Su she harbored improper intentions and the pearl fetus¡­¡­¡± This was clearly a testimony, ndering her of having an affair, how could she sign it. One by one, teardrops sorrowfully descended, and intensified, until the tears fell like rain. (5) æª ¨C ¡°qie¡± way for concubines and consorts to refer to themselves, concubine; this consort ¡°Everything is pure and white between this qie and Prince Su , why is Your Majesty wrongly using this qie?¡± Yao Mo Xin¡¯s hand that was holding the paper shook uncontrobly. She looked disbelievingly at the man in front of her eye whom she had loved for seven years. With traces of tears on her face, the expression was lovely*. *The expression was truly lovely was probably Ye Hong Yi enjoying her despair. ¡°As if you can even match up to the words pure and white! That night at the Water Ripple Pavilion, what great deed you twomitted!¡± Ye Hong Yi towered above. His voice was like a cold de, falling from above Yao Mo Xin¡¯s head. ¡°Your Majesty minds that incident? But that night, Mo Xin only went to beg Prince Su to send troops after receiving Your Majesty¡¯s secret orders, in order to save your majesty from cmity. Prince Su¡¯s condition was to have Mo Xin apany him and have a long talk with him, seated side by side. We did not do anything sinful¡­¡­¡¯Pah¡ª¡¯ Not waiting for Yao Mo Xin to finish speaking, the sound of the wind suddenly screamed next to her ear, the corner of Yao Mo Xin¡¯s mouth dripped blood as five impressive blood-colored finger marks emerged on her face. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re saying that zhen6 is a useless thing, who sent his own woman submissively onto another man¡¯s bed for the sake of begging for his life?¡± This was the thorn in Ye Hong Yi¡¯s heart, every time it was mentioned, it caused him to lose face. At present, Ye Hong Yi gave a low growl and violently dragged Yao Mo Xin¡¯s wrist with such ferocious strength that Yao Mo Xin felt as if she could hear her own bone dislocating. Pain, bore into her heart and pierced her bones, like an insane wave of onught. (6) ëÞ ¨C ¡°zhen¡± way for the king to refer to himself ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Yao Mo Xin was in extreme pain, her lips and teeth were chattering, from her forehead immediately seeped meticulous beads of sweat. ¡°I¡¯ll say it once more, sign it!¡± Ye Hong Yi violently flung her hand and Yao Mo Xin¡¯s body, like a wing-torned butterfly, fell heavily down in front of that piece of paper. ¡°This qie never did so, and will not drag Prince Su into this false usation¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Xin¡¯s face was deathly pale, her willow eyebrows were tightly creased, every word, every sentence, resounded with strength. ¡°If you didn¡¯t have any improper rtionships, why would he, based on these few words from you, choose to willingly send troops to save zhen? Could it be that it didn¡¯t ur to him, that once zhen died, he would naturally ascend to the title of Emperor!!¡± Ye Hong Yi spat out these words while gritting his teeth. ¡°Seven years as husband and wife, how many storms have we struggled through together? The battlefield campaigns, the five dragons struggle7, the chaos of Yi Xi, could it be that you don¡¯t have any trust in Mo Xin at all?¡± Yao Mo Xin looked up in distress, hoping to catch tender sentiments in Ye Hong Yi¡¯s eyes, but what entered her sight was ice-cold, sinister ck eyes. (7) ÎåÁú¶áµÕ ¨C ¡°five dragons struggle¡± refers to a story, from my skimming, basically five people wanted the throne so the royal family had arge battle in Jiang Hu, yet all the sources of dispute resulted from a girl¡¯s odd experiences. ÒåÎõÖ®ÂÒ ¨C ¡°Yi Xi¡± I might be wrong but after searching it up, it seems to be a time period from 405-418 ¡°Seven years as husband and wife, zhen has tolerated you enough! Sign it, and zhen will leave you an intact corpse!¡± Ye Hong Yi¡¯s voice seemed like that of the underworld¡¯s devil, resounding in Yao Mo Xin¡¯s ears. Her heart shattered. So the man whom she had staked her life to protect had felt this wronged? ¡°Mo Xin¡¯s death is not worthy of pity, but Su wang8 had ovee numerous obstacles to assist you in bing emperor. For your sake he went into bloody battles and killing fields, how can you bear to use such despicable methods to frame him¡­¡­¡± Before Yao Mo Xin could finish her words, she saw Ye Hong Yi lift his leg violently to give her a fierce kick towards her stomach. (8) ¡°wang¡± is a suffix for a male member of the imperial family. ¡°wang ye¡± is an informal way of addressing a prince or a vassal king ¡°Pu¡ª¡± The back of Yao Mo Xin¡¯s head fiercely struck the ground, her stomach boiled and a stinging sensation bubbled up, her throat burned as blood violently spurted out. Chapter Volume 1 2 Chapter 2: No, How Could You Bear to Do This ¡°Wretch! Zhen is the monarch; he is a subject, if zhen wished to kill him, why would zhen need a method!¡± Ye Hong Yi agitatedly thundered. But the more emotional he was, the more Yao Mo Xin knew that he had a guilty conscience. ¡°Your Majesty please quell your anger; why not let this qie try and convince jie jie¡­¡­¡± At this moment, Li gui fei who had not made a sound for quite some time walked quickly to the front of Ye Hong Yi and opened her mouth, seeming heartbroken. Silent, Ye Hong Yi¡¯s malicious eyes spurned as he swept past Yao Mo Xin and stroded to the side. ¡°Jie jie, now that things have reached this stage, even if you don¡¯t worry for yourself, shouldn¡¯t you still think for Zhong er?¡± Yao Su Luan slowly crouched next to Yao Mo Xin¡¯s body; her gentle voice, contrary to expectations, produced a cold tone. ¡°Let me hold Zhong er! My Zhong er!¡± Looking at the infant in Yao Su Luan¡¯s bosom that was currently muttering in his sleep, Yao Mo Xin¡¯s tears overflowed, both her hands impatiently extended towards Yao Su Luan. ¡°Jie jie has been clever her whole life, why did you be muddleheaded now. Think, why would His Majesty have ben gong9 carry Zhong er here? If you don¡¯t want to sign, no one will force you. You¡¯re willing to die to protect Su wang¡®s reputation, but what will happen to Zhong er? If you don¡¯t do as His Majesty wishes, will His Majesty treat Zhong er well?¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s cherry lips nced pass Yao Mo Xin¡¯s ear, as she spoke in a low voice. As she spoke, her fingers secretly gave the infant in her bosom a ruthless pinch. (9) ±¾¹¬ ¨C ¡°ben gong¡± = Ben Gong is a way of referring to oneself, employed by an empress or a high-ranking consort when speaking to a person or an audience of lower rank or status ¡°Waah¡­¡­ Waaah¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, the infant started bawling loudly. To Yao Mo Xin, that sound was like having ten thousand sharp des ruthlessly stabbing her heart, it pained her to the point she could barely breathe. ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Zhong er, don¡¯t cry!¡± Yao Mo Xin¡¯s tears seemed like pearls that broke off their chain and in a turbulent rush, fell. Both hands desperately wanted to snatch back the infant, but Yao Su Luan unexpectedly stood back up. ¡°Jie jie, do you still not understand? Sign it!¡± Yao Su Luan hugged the infant, increasing the pressure in her hand. The infant, suffering pain, cried even more hysterically. ¡°Waah¡­¡­¡± ¡°Zhong er¡ª¡ªI¡¯ll sign! I¡¯ll sign¡ª¡ª¡± As a mother, Yao Mo Xin could not bear the sound of the infant¡¯s weeping any longer, her shaking blood-stained fingers reached out to pick up the paper. ¡°Ye Hong Yi, Mo Xin begs you, in light of the fact that we had been husband and wife for seven years, please treat Zhong er well! As for Su wang, though his achievements top everyone, he has never harbored any disloyalty. Even if Your Majesty does not care about brotherly affection, but please take into consideration, Ming Jun, these two words and spare his life¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Xin lifted her eyes in the direction of Ye Hong Yi, every word, every sentence, was like a sparrow crying blood, crying sorrow to the skies and grieving the earth10. (10) ¹¦¸ß¸ÇÖ÷ ¨C ¡°achievements top everyone¡± I tried my best to convey this proverb, but I think an exnation is still necessary. Basically means that his contributions are too great and causes the monarch to feel threatened by his reputation. Ã÷¾ý ¨C ¡°Ming Jun¡± is referring to a wise/brilliant monarch/sovereign, basically implying that he should act as befitting of this title. ¡°sparrow crying blood¡± is actually cuckoo crying blood but I couldn¡¯t convince myself that it didn¡¯t totally destroy the current tone of that passage so I reced the bird. It basically means to intivelyment, speaking with so much sorrow that it feels as if one is dying. His back facing Yao Mo Xin, Ye Hong Yi¡¯s sharp eyebrows tightly wrinkled. This was what he hated most about Yao Mo Xin, in front of this woman, he seemed unable to harbor any secrets, Yao Mo Xin would always be able to clearly see through his thoughts. ¡°Jie jie¡­¡­¡± Yao Su Luan deliberately nced at the infant in her bosom as she urged. Silently, Yao Mo Xin spread the paper onto the ground, her bloody finger furiously streaked across it and left Yao Mo Xin, these threerge characters. Jun Qing11, what Mo Xin owes you in this lifetime, Mo Xin can only repay in the next lifetime. (11) At this point I was trying to make sure this was a name and ended up spoiling the story for myself¡­ why do I have to read so fast?? Why didn¡¯t I just stop when I confirmed the name?? Time to forget, forget¡­ ¡°Your Majesty, jie jie has signed it.¡± Yao Su Luan impatiently spoke, her voice betrayed an unconceble excitement. Hearing that, Ye Hong Yi turned around and slowly walked to Yao Su Luan¡¯s side. Yao Su Luan understood tacitly and passed the infant in her bosom to Ye Hong Yi before bending over to carefully pick up the paper and stow it away into her chest. ¡°Mo Xin has already done as Your Majesty wished, I beg Your Majesty to please let me hold Zhong er¡­¡­¡± Nothing was sadder than a withered heart. Yao Mo Xin didn¡¯t want to look at Ye Hong Yi any longer, but she could not bear parting with the child. Just as Yao Mo Xin greedily lifted her eyes to look towards the infant, a cold light suddenly appeared in the depths of Ye Hong Yi¡¯s eyes and he ferociously raised his hand, then heavily threw the infant onto the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª¡ª¡± Yao Mo Xin¡¯s eyes widened, in a shocking speed she rushed over but was still a step toote. The infant¡¯s face in his swaddling clothes was deathly white and colorless before her eyes. Dark red blood slowly flowed out from his mouth, below the back of his head, blood pooled into a river. Yao Mo Xin fiercely took the infant into her arms with both hands and mournfully wailed. ¡°Zhong er¡­¡­ Zhong er ah¡ª¡ª¡± At the side, Yao Su Luan was unexpectedly shocked, but in the next second, the corner of her mouth curved into a slightly hidden arc. Yao Mo Xin, this is your retribution. ¡°Ye Hong Yi! You beast! He¡¯s your son, your own blood and flesh, how could you bear to do this! How could you!¡± Yao Mo Xin¡¯s tears wildly fell, both eyes, scarlet red as venus thistle, hatefully red at Ye Hong Yi. ¡°You leave first.¡± Ye Hong Yi coldly spoke as he shot a nce at Yao Su Luan. Yao Su Luan obeyed the order and withdrew from the Cold Pce, then closed the pce doors, through the door crack, the corner of Yao Su Luan¡¯s mouth wantonly curled into a wild smile. Yao Mo Xin, this time, you seriously are at the end of your road! ¡°Zhen¡®s son? You¡¯ve already signed the testimony, this child is vile spawn! It¡¯s you and Ye Jun Qing¡¯s vile spawn!¡± Dark hollowed darkness lurched in his pitch-ck pupils as Ye Hong Yi stomped ruthlessly, and step by step, approached Yao Mo Xin, his body emitting a terrifying aura. ¡°You¡¯re just haunted by envy! You just can¡¯t tolerate Jun Qing, but this child is your blood! You should understand this better than anyone! How could you bear to do this! He is our child!¡± ¡®Pah¡ª¡¯, just as Ye Hong Yi came near, Yao Mo Xin abruptly raised her palm, concentrating all her unwillingness and resentment and ferociously pped Ye Hong Yi. Ye Hong Yi was stunned for a moment. Now he licked the bloodstain at the corner of his mouth, blood-thirsty eyes like that of a wrathful beast murderously fixated on Yao Mo Xin. __________ Credits: Chiyomira, Thesaurus, and you supportive readers, thanks for being so patient! XD [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Chapter Volume 1 3 Chapter 3: In Despair, Goes Mad ¡°Zhen does not feel as if this p was unexpected. From the start you were always this way, considering everyone else beneath you! No matter if it were the battlefield campaigns, the five dragons struggle, the chaos of Yi Xi! You were always able to think one step ahead of zhen! In your presence, zhen was just like a puppet! Like a useless person! As if zhen only acquired this throne because of your help, the help of a woman! Zhen hates you, from the moment you revealed the cutting edge12, zhen already hated you to death!¡± Ye Hong Yi¡¯s fingers, like ws, grasped Yao Mo Xin¡¯s snow white neck, in his pitch-ck eyes was not even the slightest trace of light. (12) Not sure what it is, it¡¯ll probably be revealedter, but the possible alternatives are: tip(of pencil, spear etc); sharp point; spearhead; vanguard ¡°Those are just rumors!¡± Yao Mo Xin felt as if the pit of her stomach was being submerged in seawater, she felt ill to the point she was almost suffocating, but both her hands still tightly hugged the infant although he was already no longer breathing. ¡°Everything they said was true! If there wasn¡¯t you! Zhen could not have possibly obtained the throne! If it weren¡¯t for you curbing Ye Jun Qing, would he willingly acknowledge allegiance to zhen? The five dragons struggle, the chaos of Yi Xi, everytime zhen despaired and gave up hope, you were always able to think of a good n to counterattack! This is fact!¡± The strength in Ye Hong Yi¡¯s hands became increasingly greater, in his eyes ignited raging mes as if he desired to burn Yao Mo Xin alive. ¡°So¡­¡­ great grace became grudge13! After all is said and done you just can¡¯t tolerate Mo Xin? But everything Mo Xin did was for your sake! If there wasn¡¯t Mo Xin, would you have today!¡± Yao Mo Xin¡¯s tears bursted like a dam, her crushed throat forced out hoarse shouts of questions. (13) I was unsure which trantion to settle with and decided to search it up, chancing upon the fact that it was actually a variation of a different saying: ´ó¶÷¼´´ó³ð which means that basically, one person did arge act of grace which was so great that the second person could never repay it, so over time, such an act of grace became a sensitive topic and eventually the ufortableness turns to hatred and manifests into a grudge. ¡®Pah¡ª¡¯ Both of Ye Hong Yi¡¯s eyes abruptly turned red. He angrily lifted his hand and brutally pped Yao Mo Xin with even greater force, causing Yao Mo Xin¡¯s body slide back several meters. The infant in her bosom fell out of her embrace and rolled to the side. ¡°Zhong er!¡± Enduring the pain that attacked her whole body, Yao Mo Xin frenziedly rushed towards the infant, but Ye Hong Yi got there first. ¡°Not just cannot tolerate you! Zhen cannot tolerate this child either! Whether he is a vile spawn or not isn¡¯t important, the important point is that his birth mother is you!¡± Ye Hong Yi bellowed in rage as he savagely threw the infant on the wall causing his head to crack and brains to spill out. ¡°Ah¡ª¡ªZhong er! Ye Hong Yi, you monster! Monster! In the next life Mo Xin will definitely make your corpse be torn into ten thousand pieces14! Ten thousand pieces!!¡± Yao Mo Xin maniacally threw herself towards the infant, making this firm resolution. (14) It¡¯s not just a curse, it was apparent at one time a punishment for people guilty of truly terrible crimes. ¡°Good! Zhen awaits your next lifetime! But in this lifetime, zhen will definitely not let you die in peace! Zhen will have you face this vile spawn¡¯s corpse and perish slowly in the Cold Pce!¡± Seeing Yao Mo Xin¡¯s insane appearance as she hugged the badly mutted infant, a thread of pleasure shed across the depths of Ye Hong Yi¡¯s eyes. Stepping out of the Cold Pce, Ye Hong Yi restrained the vehenmence in the depths of his eyes and coldlymanded Yao Su Luan. ¡°Lock up the pce doors. Starting today, it is prohibited to bring water or food here!¡± Leaving this order, Ye Hong Yipletely departed. After watching Ye Hong Yi¡¯s figure fade from her sight, the corner of Yao Su Luan¡¯s mouth curled slightly and she proceeded to stroll into the Cold Pce. ¡°Tsk, who would have thought it. His Majesty actually harbored such deep sentiment for you, and didn¡¯t even end you with his own hands!¡± Yao Su Luan lifted her eyebrow as she looked towards the ground at where Yao Mo Xin was copsed, sobbing in grief, her soft voice carrying unconcealed maliciousness. Not paying any attention to Yao Su Luan¡¯s mocking and ridicule, Yao Mo Xin was tightly hugging her Zhong er, heartrendingly wailing, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry Zhong er! If it weren¡¯t for mother, you wouldn¡¯t have died so miserably! This heartless fate! Where did she go wrong? If it wasn¡¯t due to some mistake of hers, why did she have to go through all of this! ¡°Then cry! Bring that lowly mother and imbecile sister of yours along to cry! Now that I think about it, it¡¯s about time, they should be down there already waiting for Zhong er! Ah¡ª¡± Yao Su Luan couldn¡¯t hold back and bursted outughing. She finally got rid of her eyesore and it was even to the satisfaction of everyone! ¡°You¡­¡­ what did you say?¡± Yao Mo Xin abruptly lifted her gaze, her despairing eyes fixed on Yao Su Luan. ¡°Did I not make it clear enough? Then fine, I¡¯ll repeat it again. It was yesterday, when you were thrown into the Cold Pce by His Majesty, my mother had already, ording to n, sent that lowly mother of yours a dose of strong poison. As for that imbecile sister of yours, I reckon by now she¡¯s already been defiled by those daye1s in the brothels for their money¡¯s worth.¡± Every word, every sentence Yao Su Luan spoke, like knells, strike and vibrated inside Yao Mo Xin¡¯s head. (1) ´óÒ¯ ¨C ¡°daye¡± can refer to self-centered showoffs, uncles, a term of respect for older man, basically just refers to guys, sometimes derogative, something respectful, sometimes neutral ¡°Yao Su Luan! I treated you well, yet you bite the hand that fed you, you heartless wretch! You¡­..¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s palm fiercely pped down, interrupting Yao Mo Xin¡¯s snarl. ¡°Pei2! If you treated me well you would have quietly given up the throne of the Empress, that seat is mine! Do you think a lowly life like yours, which was borne of a concubine, could ever be suited to seat on the phoenix throne! Yao Mo Xin, I¡¯ve hated you to death since forever. Luckily, the Heavens have eyes. Even though it was a bitte, it still allowed me to get rid of you, you blight! Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, that rumor was something I had people spread; He Lian da ren was sent into prison with my usation, otherwise what would have made you move to secretly incite the court to jointly present a petition to save him; and that night at Water Ripple Pavilion, it was also me that found all the so-called eye witnesses, and¡­¡­ there¡¯s really too much, even ben gong can¡¯t quite keep track of them all!¡± Yao Su Luan egotistically unted her own ¡®aplishments¡¯ and sinisterlyughed. (2) ÅÞ ¨C ¡°Pei¡± Spitting sound ´óÈË ¨C ¡°da ren¡± Sir/Madam. A suffix used for an official or a person in authority. ±¾¹¬ ¨C ¡°ben gong¡± is a way of referring to oneself, employed by an empress or a high-ranking consort when speaking to a person or an audience of lower rank or status ¡°Such a ck heart! I¡¯ll kill you! Ah¡ª¡ª¡± Yao Mo Xin felt her heart which was already heavily damaged from the start, right now, with a thump, shatteredpletely. The one who she loved enough to sacrifice her life for, Ye Hong Yi, saw her as a thorn in his eye. The one she had always indulged, Yao Su Luan, saw her as a thorn in her side. What she received in return, was that all her rtives died pitifully one by one! __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiryomira, Edited by Minztu [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 4 Chapter 4: Save Me, Save Me Just at the moment when Yao Mo Xin flung herself towards Yao Su Luan, she was savagely struck by Yao Su Luan back onto the ground. ¡°Oh well, after all that¡¯s said and done, you did give me the chance to harm you, so take this dagger as my way of repaying you! This ce reeks of blood. How disgusting. The way to die, you can choose as you see fit!¡± Yao Su Luan flung the dagger in her sleeve in front of Yao Mo Xin, cover her nose again, then swept a final disgusted nce across Yao Mo Xin¡¯s deathly pale face before finally leaving. The iron chains nged, the doors of the Cold Pce were securely closed once again. Yao Mo Xin roughly dug both hand into the ground, allow her fingers to be pierced with pain as she silently crawled towards the infant whose whole body was covered with blood. ¡°Zhong er, don¡¯t be scared¡­¡­no need to be scared¡­¡­Mother will join you now! Mother swears, never to let anyone ever bully you again¡­¡­¡± Blood tears flowed out the corners of Yao Mo Xin¡¯s eyes. She tightly embraced the infant with one hand, the other hand slowly raised the dagger. In the depths of her eyes, was a nket of pitch-ck darkness. ¡°Ye Hong Yi! Yao Su Luan! After I die I will be definitely be a malicious spirit, and I will seek you out make you two pay for all the unfinished debts¡­¡­¡± Blood, bubbling and gushing out, dyed the ice-cold bricks a scarlet red. That dark red blood was just like the dark flowers that bloom in the underworld; in its tragic beauty was prating eeriness. Yao Mo Xin and the infant¡¯s corpses were tightly bound together, in this lifetime, no one can separate them again¡­¡­ In the great Chu Imperial City, it is Xing Hua street that is the most popr. The streets were filled with streams of people, carriages ttered, and both sides of the street were filled with teahouses, taverns, pawn shops, workshops, row upon rows of shops. Aplete scene of booming prosperity. The entirerge street gave off the impression of imposing luxury. But none dared topare with the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard. The three-story-high building rose steeply from the ground, crowned with zed roof tiles, blood-colored flight eaves, engravings decorated the roof beams and paintings the pirs; the colors were splendid and eye-catching. This is where men indulge in luxury, a ce dazzling with paper and gold. Huge amounts of silver are cast into the sumptuous mansions of the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard. At the door, several enchanting girls with conspicuous amounts of makeup and half-exposed fragrant shoulders continuously waved the silk handkerchiefs in their hands, their soul-suckingly coquettish nces turned many a man¡¯s legs limp. Inside the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard were gentle and charming colors of spring, unlimited amounts of bright colors, men with reds and blues in each arm3, in a drunken stupor. This Fragrant Harmony Courtyard that looked full of gold and jade in glorious splendor was truly the exemplification of the saying gilded on the exterior and shabby within. (3) ¡°red and blues in each arm¡± seems to be a part of it saying though no dictionary I found officially defines it. The closest I got was the whole saying seems to go like this ¡°first embrace red, then embrace blue, apany for a chat apany for a night¡± So like escorts that also work as prostitutes¡­ At present, the innermost room of the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard was aplete mess. ¡°Waaah¡­¡­ You¡¯re bullying me¡­¡­ Liu Xing save me¡­¡­ it hurts¡­¡­¡± On the bed, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s tears spilled forth from the corners of her eyes as iled her snow-colored lotus arms with all her might, trying to shove down the man on top of her that was pinning her body down, but in the next moment, both her hands were forcefully pressed down above her head by another man. ¡°You bunch of animals! Let go of the Third Miss! Scram!¡± The man called Liu Xing¡¯s eyes were scarlet red. He lifted his leg to kick the hired thug that was dragging him and turned around with a suddenrge stride to rush to the bed, reaching out to drag the white silk pants gongzi ge4 down to the floor, then turned tond a punch on the other vulgar man¡¯s eye. (4) ¹«×Ó¸ç ¨C ¡°gongzi ge¡±refering to a rich person who only eats, drinks, and y, a child that does not attend to one¡¯s proper duties ¡°Third Miss, don¡¯t be scared, as long as Liu Xing is here, no one is allowed to bully you!¡± Liu Xing used his sleeve to wipe the bloody stain below his nose. In spite of all the injuries on his body, he, just like a statue, stood straight in front of Yao Mo Wan. ¡°Preposterous! Attack him! Ben shao ye5 orders you to beat him to death!¡± The silk pants gongzi ge climbed up with difficulty, cutting a sorry figure, then pointed at Liu Xing giving this furious shout. Many hired thugs heard and at once advanced to surround Liu Xing, throwing their fists with all their might. (5) ±¾ÉÙÒ¯ ¨C ¡°Ben¡± refers to oneself, ¡°shao ye¡± refers in this case to the young master of the house, other usages include son of the boss and your son (honorific). ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡­ you guys don¡¯t hit him! Liu Xing¡­¡­ Waah¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan watched with fright as Liu Xing was shoved to the ground by those thugs, continuously being punched and kicked, so she recklessly rushed off the bed to try and pull away those thugs, but unexpected was fiercely kicked out of the way by one of the thugs. Her body, like a wing-torn butterfly, violently mmed into the corner of the bed. Hand, hung down limply. In the end, her breath ceased. Everyone was preupied with dealing with Liu Xing. Even the white silk pants gongzi ge had joined in the ranks to beat him up, no one cared about Yao Mo Wan¡¯s situation. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all!¡± Liu Xing who was beaten ck and blue, upon seeing Yao Mo Wan fall to the ground, his heart felt extremely worried. He suddenly got up in a burst of insane desperation, picked up the stool next to him and ferociously swung it towards one of the thugs. The thug, caught off guard, was hit squarely by the stool and blood gushed forth. ¡°Such big guts for a dog! To dare to actually harm ben gongzi¡®s people! Beat him to death!¡± The silk pants gongzi ge bellowed, outraged, and the hired thugs closed in around Liu Xing and once again merged into a mess. ¡°So noisy¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Xin, in an absent-minded moment, only felt a stab of pain from her forehead, her eyes slowly opened. Looking at the scene before her eyes, Yao Mo Xin felt an indescribable feeling, suddenly as if remembering something, both hands abruptly tightened. She looked down, yet didn¡¯t see her Zhong er. ¡°Third Miss! Run! Hurry and run¡ª¡ª¡± Liu Xing¡¯s head was broken and blood was flowing. He knew himself that he could not hold on for much longer, so he shouted as if his life depended on it, hoping that Yao Mo Wan would hear. Yao Mo Xin looked towards the voice with shock, seeing that familiar silhouette. It¡¯s Liu Xing. She remembered clearly, in the entire Yao Xiang fu6, her mei mei was only close to this one servant. But just now he¡­¡­ (6) ¸® ¨C ¡°fu¡± refers to a residence and the n that resides there; Yao Mo Xin¡¯s paternal home is the Ò¦Ïฮ ¡°Yao Xiang fu¡± ¡°You! What did you call me?¡± Yao Mo Xin looked towards Liu Xing, aghast. In the next instant, she abruptly got up and ran towards the dressing table, picking up the copper mirror. ¡°Mo Wan¡­¡­ How could it be? How is this possible!¡± Yao Mo Xin gripped the mirror, turning the surface as if her life depended on it, but no matter which angle she looked from, what was reflected in the mirror was her sister Yao Mo Wan¡¯s face! Didn¡¯t she already die? She still clearly remembered the sudden chill she felt as she stabbed that dagger into her stomach. The moment when she closed her eyes, Zhong er¡¯s face, covered with blood, was thest thing she saw of this world. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Mintzu [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Poor girl¡­ Chapter Volume 1 5 Chapter 5: Opening Eyes, A Rebirth But right now, unexpectedly, she was conscious. Not only that, but this body was clearly her own sister¡¯s! Who could exin to her what exactly happened! ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t even think of running, ben gongzi had spent a bunch of silver for you! You guys can¡¯t you hurry up and finish dealing with this guy! Seriously disappointing!¡± The silk pants gongzi ge suddenly grabbed Yao Mo Wan¡¯s hand, a wide lewd smile stretched across his perverse face. ¡°Third Miss! Smack him! Use the mirror to smack him! Hurry and run¡ª¡± Numerous thugs, receiving the gongzi¡®smand, attacked him even more cruelly. Blood, gushed out from Liu Xing¡¯s forehead. At this moment, Yao Mo Xin couldn¡¯t not ept this reality. She had came back to life, and had even reincarnated into someone else¡¯s body7! Feeling throbbing pains from her forehead, Yao Mo Xin concluded without doubt, her own sister must have knocked into the corner of the bed and lost her life to the nine springs. (7) I just wanted to make a note about this because ¡®reincarnated into someone else¡¯s body¡¯ is the literal trantion of a chinese pronoun. What the pronoun actually means is that it refers to an assion in which a formerly discarded or discredited idea returns in another guise. I just find it funny, maybe reincarnation stories were inspired by the literal trantion of this saying? ¡°nine springs¡± refers to the chinese underworld Fine! Since the heavens had given her this rebirth opportunity, she will properly cherish it. From now on, she is Yao Mo Wan. The one, in this entire world, who understands most, of Ye Hong Yi¡¯s cruel dog nature, of Yao Su Luan¡¯s poisonous scorpion heart. The Yao Mo Wan containing Yao Mo Xin and Zhong er¡®s grudge that is deep as the blood seas, she is the Yao Mo Wan who swore to tear Ye Hong Yi and Yao Su Luan¡¯s corpses into ten thousand pieces! ¡°Stop!¡± Apanied by a ¡®bang¡ª¡ª¡¯ sound, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s stern voice resounded loudly. That winter-like chilling voice caused the white silk pants gongzi ge to tremble and loosen his grip. ¡°Third Miss¡­¡­ Run¡­¡­¡± Liu Xing¡¯s sight was fuzzy, his whole face bloody, but still, he only worried about Yao Mo Wan¡¯s safety. ¡°Tch¡­¡­ Why did you be difficult all of a sudden, well being a bit difficult is good, ben gongzi just loves little chilli peppers!¡± The silk pants gongzi ge was only slightly startled for a moment, then started approaching again with a lewd smile, but met with Yao Mo Wan¡¯s blood-chilling expression froze in his steps. ¡°I am present Empress¡¯s blood rted younger sister, the Imperial Court Prime Minister¡¯s honorable third daughter, you guys must have ate an ambitious leopard¡¯s gall, to dare to actually think lightly of me!¡± The soft and cold sound was like the voice of Asura from hell. Yao Mo Wan¡¯s cherry lips pursed as she pressured the silk pants gongzi ge gradually. ¡°You¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you guys didn¡¯t know? The waist tablet Liu Xing dropped onto the floor has such arge ¡®Yao¡¯ character on it, it can¡¯t be that you guys are blind? He called me Third Miss with every cry, it can¡¯t be that you all are deaf? The entire Imperial City, if not the distinguished officials of the Imperial court, what other family servant have a waist tablet! It can¡¯t be that you guys don¡¯t even know this bit ofmon knowledge?¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s each and every word resounded, her icy gaze pierced the silk pants gongzi ge. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± ¡°And don¡¯t try to hush things by killing the witnesses! This room is wide and open, how many people do you think passed by and saw ben xiao je¡®s8 appearance, and how can you guys dare to guarantee that when Liu Xing came he didn¡¯t notify the other family servants? Listen well, heal Liu Xing, otherwise you, and the rest of those trash, and your entire family can look forward to being buried together! Right now, move aside!¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s beautiful eyes were severely cold. The gaze within those eyes seemed to contain the pressure of a death god, the silk pants gongzi ye didn¡¯t dare to make the slightest indication of disobedience. (8)±¾Ð¡½ã ¨C again, ¡®ben¡¯ is refering to oneself ¡°xiao je¡± trantes most often to ¡®miss¡¯, I will be using ben xiao je and this miss interchangably. Usually ben xiao je when the tone is more authoritative I guess. In the next second, Yao Mo Wan madly dashed out of the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard, in her ears echoed the words Yao Su Luan had spoken in the Cold Pce! ¡®My mother had already, ording to n, sent that lowly mother of yours a dose of strong poison. As for that imbecile sister of yours, I reckon by now she¡¯s already been defiled by those daye1s in the brothels for their money¡¯s worth¡­¡­¡¯ Mother! You must hold on and wait for me! Wait for me! Yao Xiang fu was located at the northwest corner of the city, with high ledges that rose proudly, zed roof tiles and vermilion rafters, the two white marble lions in front of the doors were even more prestigious and awe-inspiring. At present, Yao Mo Wan rushed in directly through the fu doors while gasping for breath. ¡°Third Miss, it couldn¡¯t be that there¡¯s a dog chasing you? To run this fast?¡± At the fu doorway, Yao Tu, who had served as Yao fu¡¯s steward for around twenty years now, suspiciously looked at Yao Mo Wan. Though his tonecked politeness, it carried some warmth. Yao Mo Wan seemed to have not heard Yao Tu¡¯sment, only gasped for breath at the fu doors for a moment, then madly charged onward towards her own mother, Mo Li¡¯s Bright Virtuous Pavilion. Seeing Yao Mo Wan running into the fu as if she was throwing away her life, Yao Tu subconsciously walked out the fu doors to look around, but didn¡¯t see any abnormalities. He couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and sigh softly. Based on the Third Miss¡¯s looks, if not for the problem of her intelligence, she would¡¯ve certainly been bestowed the title of consort like Eldest Miss and Second Miss and be pampered. She passed through the courtyard, and took a detour around the Nine Winding Song Corridors. Just as Yao Mo Wan passed through the arched doors of the Bright Virtuous Pavilion at the speed of storm, she suddenly heard the sound of an ear-piercing cry from within. ¡°Lao ye, you¡¯ve gone insane! What wrong has this qie done? For you to punish this qie this way?¡± On the elegant, jade-colored stone floor, a still attractive and beautiful woman covered her swollen cheek with one hand, her slender red phoenix eyes disbelievingly looking at the middle aged man before her. ÀÏÒ¯ ¨C o ye¡± master of the house, wives also sometimes call their husbands this way The man wore a dark purple wide sleeved embroidered gown, his stature was pretty well proportioned, his appearance schrly and refined, his countenance solemn with a schr¡¯s air, serenely distant eyes were calm and reserved, in between, the strict creases showed unconceble rigorous schemes and deep foresight. This person was precisely great Chu¡¯s prime minister, Yao Zhen Ting. And the one who he struck, knocking off her gold hairpin was his legal wife, Yao Su Luan¡¯s birth mother, Dou Xiang Lan. At this moment, Yao Zhen Ting was furious to the point of spitting thunder. Both his eyes glowered at Dou Xiang Lan as he fiercely pointed at the already breathless Mo Li on top of the bed couch and roared in a low tone. ¡°You malicious woman! How you usually bully Mo Li everyday, even adding slow poison into her food and drink and causing her body to be in poor health, all thiso fu could tolerate from you! But you actually poisoned her to death! As the legal wife, you are petty, vicious and narrow-minded! Lao fu can no longer tolerate you!¡± Yao Zhen Ting started speaking with a cold scoff, his ice-cold eyes did not contain the slightest trace of warmth. ÀÏ·ò ¨C o fu¡± tranted to old husband, way for husbands to refer to themselves __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Mintzu [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Chapter Volume 1 6 Chapter 6: The Hatred Within Those Eyes ¡°Whato ye said is right, it was this qie that poisoned her to death! From the day that got drunk and started to pamper and visit her, a thorn started to pierce this qie¡¯s heart! It was because this qie was benevolent, lenient, and had allowed her to give birth to Yao Mo Xin that sort of lowlife! Which caused Su Luan¡¯s position as Empress to be snatched away! If this qie didn¡¯t give her slow poison when she became pregnant with Yao Mo Wan, that Yao Mo Wan would definitely be a fox enchantress like her sister! Although Yao Mo Wan didn¡¯t die as a fetus in her belly, but at least she was born as an idiot!¡± Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s appearance was sinister as she red towards the bed couch at Mo Li, shrieking hatefully. ¡®Pah¡ª¡® In midst of Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s unrestrained deride, Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s palm once again swept over. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already admitted it, then will ce righteousness before family and personally apany you to the Ministry of Justice!¡± Yao Zhen Ting spoke vehemently, walking ahead with the intent to drag Dou Xiang Lan, but had his path obstructed. ¡°Lao ye should look at this secret report first, taking actionter won¡¯t be toote!¡± Dou Xiang Lan abruptly shook off Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s palm, flinging the paper tucked in her sleeve over. Yao Zhen Ting hesitated for a moment, but in the end bent over to pick up the letter. Looking at the letter in his hands, Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s facial color turned more and more purple, changing at the speed of flipping through a book, until atst, with a faint frown Yao Zhen Ting tucked the letter into his sleeve. After a sh of hesitation ran through his eyes, he slowly walked towards Dou Xiang Lan and, with a small smile, reached out to help Dou Xiang Lan up. ¡°I¡¯ve wronged fu ren, never would have thought Mo Xin, that ungrateful wretch, would do such an immoral thing. It¡¯s still fu ren that thought things through most clearly, having this lowlife woman die is also good. In a while will have the steward throw her corpse into the Disorder Burial Mound so as to not irritate fu ren¡¯s mood. Just then acted with a heavy hand, does fu ren still hurt?¡± Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s finger stroked across the corner of Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s lip, helping her wipe away the drop of blood, appearing pained and regretful as he spoke. ·òÈË ¨C ¡°fu ren¡± way of saying wife, but also refers to their status as mistress of the house. ¡°As long as realizes his wrong, it¡¯s good. Yao Mo Xin has already died, the seat of empress will definitely fall into my daughter, Su Luan¡¯s hands. Henceforth, Yao fu can depend on Su Luan for their honor and reputation!¡± Dou Xiang Lan cast a side nce at Yao Zhen Ting, deliberately speaking with this reminder. ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡­ fu ren must be tired, will help you back to your room to rest.¡± Yao Zhen Ting attentively supported Dou Xiang Lan out the door. Giving a nce at Mo Li out of the corner of his eyes, the depths of his eyes showed a thread of a sigh. Just as Yao Zhen Ting helped Dou Xiang Lan out of the room, Yao Mo Wan suddenly dodged behind the elm tree in the corner of the courtyard to hide. Until the two disappeared from the Bright Virtuous Pavilion, only then did Yao Mo Wan run out, rushing straight into the room. ¡°Mother¡­¡­ Daughter came toote¡­¡­ mother!¡± Yao Mo Wan threw herself down towards the bed couch, drop afterrge drop of tears rolled down and dropped. Her knees bent and she dropped into a kneel on the ground, both hands tightly grasping Mo Li¡¯s already cold fingers, she mournfully wailed. Don¡¯t know how long she had cried before Yao Mo Wan slowly lifted her eyes. In her deste ice-cold pupils rolled dense hollow darkness. ¡°Mother¡­¡­ go at peace, daughter will definitely get justice for you! All the pain that Dou Xiang Lan caused you, I will pay it back hundredfold! And that Yao Zhen Ting that doesn¡¯t deserve to be called a husband, to be called someone¡¯s father! Daughter swears to you, they will die miserably¡­¡­¡± A burst of ice coldughter suddenly sounded forth, resounding in the skies of the Bright Virtuous Pavilion, it was terrifyingly eerie as if the cry of a ghoul. The current Yao Mo Wan¡¯s existence was like that of King Yama from the underworld, from her body to her very bones exuded chilliness. Right at this moment, the sound of urgent footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. Yao Mo Wan¡¯s willow brows knitted, without taking the time to think she instinctively bent over to hide below the bed couch. Before shees up with a n, she can¡¯t easily show herself, otherwise she¡¯ll end up inadvertently alerting an enemy. ¡°Unfold the straw mat.¡± Yao Tu spoke with a deep voice, his sharp gaze watching the two old servant behind him. Old servant Zi Shi obeyed the order and spread the straw mat that was tucked under his arm out evenly on the ground. ¡°Steward Yao, are we really going to throw Second Madam into the Disorder Burial Mound?¡± Old servant Chen Qiang asked doubtfully. ¡°Here is fifty taels of silver, you two listen carefully. Carry Second Madam out from the back door, buy a top quality coffin and bury her properly!¡± Yao Tu ordered in a low voice while talking out from his own chest a heavy purse. ¡°But ¡­¡­¡± Chen Qiang reluctantly received the silver as he spoke with a worried frown. ¡°Would watch what you guys do!? While Second Madam was alive she didn¡¯t treat us badly, this is all we can do for her. Remember, be covert when you bury her.¡± Yao Tu exhorted. ¡°Then what should we write on the gravestone?¡± Chen Qiang asked. ¡°Gravestone¡­¡­ Ah! Just stand a nk gravestone for now! To prevent side issues from continuing to rise.¡± Yao Tu gave a long sigh. When his gazended on the couch where Mo Li wasying, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Eldest Miss is the current Empress, how could dare to treat Second Madam this way?¡± Chen Qiang and another old servant lifted Mo Li off the bed as Chen Qiang grumbled to himself. ¡°Hush! Just focus on the job, what are you talking so much for!¡± Yao Tu gave a warning, but he had already guessed a few scenarios. It can be assumed that something must have happened to Eldest Miss in the pce, otherwise, even ifo ye was just putting on an act he would still have given Second Madam a grand burial. When the two started carrying Mo Li¡¯s corpse out of the Bright Virtuous Pavilion, Yao Tu originally was nning to leave as well, but was suddenly shocked. He ordered Chen Qiang to leave first, turning around to tightly close the doors. ¡°Third Miss?¡± After Chen Qiang and the other servant walked pretty far away, Yao Tu then turned around to look below the bed couch, calling out softly. Beneath the bed, Yao Mo Wan knew that she had identally let out a sound just now, continuing to hide was already meaningless, so she crawled out from below the bed, choking with sobs. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Mintzu [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 7 Chapter 7: Escape, Hurry and Escape ¡°Steward Yao¡­¡­ Waaah¡­¡­ Mo Wan is scared¡­¡­ Mother doesn¡¯t want Mo Wan anymore¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan pretended to be frightened as she huddled at the corner of the bed, both hands wiping tears, appearing just like she had lost her head out of fear. ¡°Fuu! Third Miss, don¡¯t cry, Second Madam just went to some ce really far away, do you want to go find her?¡± Yao Tu¡¯s heart ached as he crouched down next to Yao Mo Wan, in his eyes were evident pity. ¡°Want¡­¡­ Mo Wan doesn¡¯t want to be apart from mother¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan nodded vigorously, her tear stained face like raindrops on a pear blossom turned towards Yao Tu. In her heart though, she started to be on guard. ¡°Third Miss, listen carefully, right now Ting Yue is waiting for you in the firewood room. Here is the key and ten or so banknotes. Go find her, she¡¯ll bring you to find Second Madam. Remember, you can¡¯t let anyone find out, otherwise they¡¯ll capture you and won¡¯t let you go to find your mother.¡± Yao Tu pondered for a short moment before squeezing the firewood room¡¯s key and the banknotes from his waist into Yao Mo Wan¡¯s palm. Yao Tu knew clearly, if Third Miss stayed in the fu, Big Madam would definitely not let her off. He himself was slight of body and light of words, all that he could do he has done. ¡±slight of body and light of words¡± means basically, he¡¯s not that strong either physically or with influence, aka his words are light and not many people would listen to him. Looking at the key and banknotes in her hand, a smudge of relief streaked through Yao Mo Wan¡¯s heart. Then she looked at Yao Tu. ¡°Thank you¡­¡­¡± You will definitely receive good karma due to your kindness, Yao Mo Wan pledged to herself. ¡°Third Miss¡­¡­ Hurry and go! Ting Yue has probably gotten anxious waiting.¡± Seeing the glistening tears in Yao Mo Wan¡¯s eye, Yao Tu couldn¡¯t help himself from wiping the tears. He, when all¡¯s said and done, had watched Third Miss grow up from the time she was an infant, in his heart he was somewhat reluctant to part with her. ¡°En, then Mo Wan is going!¡± Yao Mo Wan knew in her heart she could not tarry, so she got up and left the Bright Virtuous Pavilion. On the road, Yao Mo Wan meticulously avoided the servants, very soon she arrived at the firewood room in the back garden. Seeing that there was no one around, Yao Mo Wan hurriedly opened the firewood door lock. Ting Yue was a little yatou her mother had saved off the streets in the past, afterwards she had always served at her mother¡¯s side. Perhaps because of that saving grace, Ting Yue was loyal and devoted towards her mother. This is probably also the reason Yao Tu had her find Ting Yue, Yao Mo Wan thus thought. Ѿͷ ¨C ¡°yatou¡± = servant girl At precisely the moment she opened the door, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s pupils dted. Suddenly everything else nked out, all she could see was Ting Yue hanged from the roof beams, her hair disheveled, the corner of her mouth dyed with blood, her entire body covered with cuts and bruises. ¡°Ting Yue¡­¡­ Ting Yue!¡± Yao Mo Wan was only shocked still for a moment before she hurriedly turned to close the door securely, then carried over a stool to step onto and release Ting Yue. ¡°Third Miss¡­¡­ Third Miss! Are you alright? That¡¯s great! You¡¯re alright!¡± When Ting Yue opened her eyes and saw Yao Mo Wan, she immediately started crying tears of joy. ¡°Who was it that beat you up like this?¡± The rim of Yao Mo Wan¡¯s eyes were tearful as she reached out to tuck a strand of Ting Yue¡¯s messy hair behind her ear. ¡°It was¡­¡­ Third Miss, why would you be here? Hurry and leave! Leave from the back door! It would be terrible if you get caught by high mo mo! Hurry and go! Ah¡­¡­¡± Ting Yue seemed to have remembered something and tired to push Mo Wan away with all her might, but because it implicated her wounds she involuntarily cried out in pain. ¸ßæÖæÖ ¨C ¡°high mo mo¡± it trantes to elderlydy, wet nurse, catholic nun. This isn¡¯t a servant position I¡¯m familiar with. I¡¯m guessing wet nurse because nurses often stay in the fu to serve the child they were brought to take care of, but the fact she seems to be a highranked ¡®mo mo¡¯¡­ I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a wet nurse so I¡¯m leaving it as ¡®mo mo¡¯ for the time being. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you with me!¡± Yao Mo Wan resisted, not letting her tears fall as she shouldered Ting Yue up and strenuously walked out of the firewood room. Luckily, the back door was only a few meters away from the firewood room. Yao Mo Wan and Ting Yue left Yao Xiang fu without a single hindrance. ¡°Third Miss¡­¡­ You¡­¡­¡± Seeming to notice that Yao Mo Wan was different from how she usually was, Ting Yue spoke with suspicion. ¡°Let¡¯s find an inn first, then I¡¯ll exin to you.¡± Yao Mo Wan interrupted Ting Yue¡¯s question, arduously supported Ting Yue to the closest inn to settle down, then sent one of the inn¡¯s waiter to find a doctor to treat Ting Yue. Throughout this entire process she exhibited extraordinary precision, not the slightest trace of foolishness could be seen. In the room of the second floor in the inn, Ting Yue watched with wide eyes the Yao Mo Wan who was busying back and forth, and finally could not resist opening her mouth. ¡°Third Miss ¡­¡­ how?¡± ¡°How could I be so clearheaded, right? In the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard I identally took a fall, but thanks to it my head was knocked back to normal. But to be able to protect my purity, it was only thanks to Liu Xing. Ting Yue, who was it that beat you to this point? Why are you afraid of high mo mo seeing me? If I remember correctly, this is high mo mo¡­¡­ was personally selected by jie jie from within the pce to specifically serve mother!¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯splexion was grave as she spoke suspectedly. ¡°It¡¯s better? If it¡¯s better then it¡¯s great! Wuuwuuu ¡­¡­ it¡¯s great! Miss, you can¡¯t return to Yao Xiang fu! News came from the pce, something has happened to Eldest Miss, afraid by now she has already¡­¡­ high mo mo was chosen by Eldest Miss, but was Second Miss¡¯s trusted aid. For all these years, high mo mo has always followed Big Madam¡¯s orders, adding poison in Second Madam¡¯s medical soup! Last night this servant inadvertently caught high mo mo sprinkling a lot of ck powder into Second Madam¡¯s bowl so this servant was tied up by her and locked into the firewood room. She even said that she had already sold Miss into the brothel. In a fit of anger, this servant ferociously attacked her so she had this servant hanged¡­¡­ Miss, let¡¯s leave the Imperial City. If Big Madam finds you, she definitely won¡¯t let you off!¡± Ting Yue sobbed quietly as she recounted what happened in a choked voice. ¡°High mo mo¡­¡­ Yue er, I can¡¯t leave! Being dumb and foolish for ten years, I have never done anything for mother before. And now that mother has tragically passed, as her daughter, if I don¡¯t take revenge for her, I do not deserve to be called her daughter. There are one hundred-twenty banknotes here, Mo Wan thanks you for taking care of mother all those past years, you can go.¡± Yao Mo Wan pressed the banknotes into Ting Yue¡¯s hand, speaking solemnly. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Mintzu [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 8 Chapter 8: Not Good! An ident Has urred! Looking at the banknotes in her hand, Ting Yue stared for only a moment before pushing them back into Yao Mo Wan¡¯s hand. ¡°If Miss does not go, Yue er will not go either! Second Madam has saved Yue er before, now the Second Madam has met a tragic death Yue er naturally has to get revenge for her! From now on Yue er will follow Miss. Living will be living together, dying will be dying together!¡± Ting Yue spoke with grief and solemnly vowed. ¡°I promise you, we will not die.¡± Yao Mo Wan took Ting Yue¡¯s hand, her clear voice carried a firmness that made people unable to hold doubts. ¡°Miss, then what do we do now? Go back to to expose Big Madam and high mo mo¡®s evil doings?¡± Ting Yue lifted up her small face and asked naively. ¡°Yue er, remember this carefully, in this world, we can not rely on anyone to help us seek justice. If we want revenge, we can only rely on ourselves.¡± t ice-like coldness showing on her enchanting unique mien, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s beautiful pupils held a faint chill, then she continued to pull Ting Yue closer. ¡°Let me ask you, how has the rtionship between Big Madam and Father been these past years?¡± The first step for revenge is to have a footing in Yao Xiang fu. If she didn¡¯t have Yao Xiang fu to rely on, how was she to enter the pce again! And with her current identity, if she wished to return to Yao Xiang fu, she must first obtain Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s protection. ¡°This Yue er isn¡¯t very clear about it, but Yue er know one thing. That is, outside Big Madam is supporting an opera singer, it seems to be Virtue Cloud Performance Troupe¡¯s current protege, named Lou Yu Xin. Big Madam often takes advantage of the periods when goes to court to go to Virtue Cloud House to meet privately with Lou Yu Xin. This matter many people in the residence knows, it¡¯spletely true!¡± Ting Yue confidently dered. ¡°Lou Yu Xin¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan peach lips moved, in the depths of her eyes a radiant light shed. ¡°Yue er, right now I still can¡¯t reveal myself so help me carry out two tasks. First, secretly return to Xiang fu and bring Liu Xing here to see me.The second thing ¡­¡­ ¡± Yao Mo Wan leaned into Ting Yue¡¯s side, whispering softly, then handed over the entire sum of banknotes that Yao Tu had given her to Ting Yue. At seven the next day, ording to his usual habit, Yao Tu walked out the fu doors and looked towards therge road to the east. Not seeing Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s carriage yet, he turned around to exhort the two retainers. ¡°I heard recently some degenerate mobs of people have came from the Imperial City and would from time to time loot things. You should keep your eyes open and be attentive, don¡¯t cause rm!¡± Just as Yao Tu was in the midst of speaking, suddenly from around the corner came a man dressed in theatrical costume running. ¡°You are Steward Yao, right! It¡­¡­ it¡¯s bad! Madam Yao has had an ident!¡± The man¡¯s forehead was covered with sweat, both hands were pressed on his knees as he heaved for breath. ¡°Who are you?¡± The color of Yao Tu¡¯s eyes were slightly heavy as he guardedly looked at the man, asking with suspicion. ¡°Replying Steward Yao, this little one is a performer. Madam Yao exposed her great wealth and was surrounded by that mob. Right now the Virtue Cloud Performance Troupe ce is aplete mess, even the troupe leader could not control it and sent me to tell the fu of the news and ask you to hurry and save people. That mob only recognize money, they don¡¯t understand anything about any Xiang fu Madam!¡± The man¡¯s panicked voice urged. Yao Tu listened as was just nning to ask for rification when he heard a sounde from behind him. ¡°What has happened?¡± Inside the sedan chair carried by four people, Yao Zhen Ting lifted the curtain and asked in a cold voice. ¡°Replying , this actor said Madam had met with trouble at the Virtue Cloud Performance Troupe¡¯s performance. This old servant will immediately send people to rescue Madam!¡± Yao Tu reported honestly. ¡°Call a few extra people, wishes to personally see what eyeless mob actually dares to rob this !¡± Yao Zhen Ting spoke with a cold sneer then let the curtain drop. The pnquin bearers naturally understood its meaning and simultaneously started moving towards the Virtue Cloud Performance Troupe. Although Yao Tu had doubts, but there was no time to consider, he hastily called several dozen guards and followed. In the pnquin, Yao Zhen Ting toyed with a deep green ornamental thumb ring, his gaze remote and cold. Today at court, he already verified that the news Su Luan had sent from within the pce was true. These days the four great imperial families of Wang, Xie, Yu, and Huan red like tigers watching their prey. The harem positions of imperial consort were all upied by these four ns. Originally his own daughters, one became empress while another was an imperial consort so he had been secure in the knowledge that he had backing. But it looks like whether the Yao fu will thrive or decline will solely depend on Yao Su Luan now. Were it not for that, he would not need to make this trip to deliberately curry favor by fawning on Dou Xiang Lan. Within a deep alley. Liu Xing led the man wearing the theatrical costume just now over. ¡°Have you carried everything out?¡± Ting Yue dubiously looked towards Liu Xing. Only after seeing Liu Xing nod did she hand over the remaining banknotes to the man. ¡°Rest assured, this little one has already emptied an entire bottle of aphrodisiac into the wine. Reckon right now Lou Yu Xin and Madam Yao has forgotten everything and are blowing hot and cold, passionately having intercourse! On usual days when Madam Yao meets with Lou Yu Xin, all the members of the Virtue Cloud Troupe will tactfully withdraw, finding some excuse to go out for a stroll, so right now at the Virtue Cloud House there¡¯s only the two of them. Not to mention this little one has already unlocked the Virtue Cloud House¡¯s doors, also¡­¡­¡± The man still wanted to talk, but was cut off by Ting Yue. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 9 Chapter 9: A Temperament Even More Violent Than Thunder ¡°Take these and leave the Imperial City. You probably know your fate if Master Xiang finds you.¡± Ting Yue reminded with good intentions. ¡°I know, I know. This little one will leave now! Won¡¯t even dy a quarter of an hour!¡± The man held the banknotes and happily walked out of the alley. After the man left, Ting Yu and Liu Xing hurried back to the inn. ¡°Ting Yue, even now I still feel like it¡¯s a dream, has the Third Miss really be intelligent?¡± Liu Xing swept through the crowd, speaking in a low voice. Unconceble excitement passed through his eyes. ¡°If Third Miss had not came up with this n, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it either. This time Big Madam really is out of luck, it really is to the satisfaction of everyone!¡± As Ting Yue and Liu Xing spoke they veered off into a smallne, making a beeline for the Virtue Cloud House. The Virtue Cloud House was located on the east side of Xing Hua street. During the day it¡¯s usually not open, they only start setting up the stage during the night. When Yao Tu arrived at Virtue Cloud House he felt the ident seemed queer, but was already here and that Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s bossy temper has already caused him much suffering before so right now, he naturally felt he shouldn¡¯t care too much about other people¡¯s business. ¡°Lao ye, we¡¯ve arrived at the Virtue Cloud House.¡± The sedan chair was set down and Yao Tu moved up to lift the curtain. Yao Zhen Ting lifted his head to look at the two story building to his left, his brows faintly creased and he hesitated for a moment, but still walked down. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there was a mob causing trouble?¡± Yao Zhen Ting walked passed the pnquin to the front of the Virtue Cloud House and asked with suspicion. To the side, Yao Tu understood and gave the Virtue Cloud House door a push, and heard a creaking sound. The door was actually unlocked. Yao Zhen Ting didn¡¯t even think before walking in. Yao Tu was currentlymanding the guards to follow but was stopped in the next second by Yao Zhen Ting. ¡°Leave them outside, youe in with !¡± The moment Yao Zhen Ting entered he had heard the faint sound of Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s wanton wildughter, so he stopped the guards and only called for Yao Tu to follow. Entering the Virtue Cloud House, inside was constructed in a open view spacious style. Other than some chairs and tables, there was only the stage in the middle which was decorated gorgeously that was pleasing to the eye. ¡°Yu Xin ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± Yao Tu had only entered when he hear Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s coy voiceing from the second floor. ¡°Lao ye ¡­¡­¡± Yao Tu looked towards Yao Zhen Ting, seeking instructions. ¡°You stay here, don¡¯t allow anyone to enter.¡± Yao Zhen Ting spoke in a low tone, although his facial color did not change, but within the depths of his eyes were surging wild waves. Yao Tu did not speak and guarded the door silently. Now, Yao Zhen Ting took started striding forward, violently step by step walked up the staircase. That lewd voice was bing more and more clear and distinct. ¡°Of course I miss, even in my dreams I long for Dou Xiang Lan you, but sadly Yu Xin is only a small actor and does not match with your status. Otherwise Yu Xin would definitely take you and escape to somewhere faraway, never having to act sneakily like this again¡­¡­.¡± After three rounds of wine, Yu Xin who was in the theatre box of the inner floor felt his whole body¡¯s blood was boiling. With one tug he pulled Dou Xiang Lan into his embrace, his hand impatiently kneaded Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s chest which was plump to the point that it seemed on the verge of leaking as he spoke false words. ¡°You little darling, always saying such pleasing things. Yu Xin, kiss me¡­¡­¡± The sky¡¯s lightening aroused the earth¡¯s fire. Dou Xiang Lan only felt that her heart itched unbearably, her fervent body asionally twisted and rubbed in Yu Xin¡¯s embrace. ¡°Yu Xin¡¯s each and every word will prove true under the sun and moon ¡­¡­¡± Lou Yu Xin was a man with a woman¡¯s appearance, a powdered face and peach lips, could still be considered to be a beautiful man. At this moment, Lou Yu Xin unbridledly hauled down Dou Xian Lan¡¯s outer garments and both lips fiercely kissed Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s snow white jade neck. Due to the aphrodisiac, the two didn¡¯t spend too much time on the prelude and soon moved on to the main act. ¡°Uh ¡­¡­ Yu Xin, hurry, oh¡ª¡± Lou Dou Xiang was teased by Yu Xin to the point that she could not think straight. Her hair was dishevelled and let down, both her hands wandered all over Lou Yu Xin¡¯s powerful sexy body, extremely delighted. Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s voice coupled with the aphrodisiac in his body made Lou Yu Xin act as if he was injected with chicken blood, fiercely grabbing Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s jade legs and thrusted with all his strength. Being injected with chicken blood was one of the old chinese treatments. It usually causes emotional excitement. Through the gap in the theatre box, Yao Zhen Ting took in the full scene of the charming spring scenery, his deep pupils shed scarlet red with bloodthirstiness, blue veins bulged in his forehead, inside his sleeves, both his hands clenched into fists. The jade ornamental thumb ring finger was extremely painful but Yao Zhen Ting did not move. At this very moment he really wanted to rush in there and take this pair of dog male and female¡¯s lives, but, he restrained himself. Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s thin lips pinched, his body due to anger gradually began trembling. With a ¡®kacha¡¯, the sound of the thumb ring breaking and falling onto the ground didn¡¯t seem to affect the two passionate figures inside the box at all. Then, abruptly, Yao Zhen Ting suddenly turned around and step by step left the theatre box, his footsteps descending the stairs were unusually heavy. ¡°Lao ye¡­¡­¡± Seeing Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s deathly pale face, Yao Tu approached worriedly. ¡°Not a word is to be leaked about today¡¯s matter, go.¡± His low voice carried a bone piercing chill as Yao Zhen Ting coldly instructed, then left the Virtue Cloud House first. Yao Tu subconsciously nced at the second floor balcony, his brows faintly knitted for a moment, then hurriedly followed out. Seeing Yao Zhen Ting get on the sedan chair and soundlessly leave the Virtue Cloud House Ting Yue immediately panicked. ¡°Why did leave? Could it be that Big Madam wasn¡¯t inside?¡± __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Sonia Chapter Volume 1 10 Chapter 10: Tears, Forced Their Way Out ¡°Not possible, I personally saw that Big Madam and Lou Yu Xing were getting hot and heavy on the second floor theatre box¡­¡­ I can¡¯t leto ye just leave like this! Otherwise the Third Miss¡¯s intentions will be wasted. I¡¯m going to block the sedan!¡± Liu Xing spoke rapidly. ¡°We can¡¯t! Third Miss only instructed us to watch carefully. She didn¡¯t give us any other orders, it¡¯s best if we head back first.¡± Ting Yue held onto Liu Xing tightly as she firmly spoke. Inside the inn, when Ting Yue and Liu Xing entered with their heads hanged, Yao Mo Wan was currently sitting next to the table leisurely. Her jade fingers were pinching a tea lid, gently brushing it a few times against the rim of the teacup before taking a sip. ¡°You¡¯re back? How did the task go?¡± Yao Mo Wan set the teacup aside, her long full eyshes slightly blinked as she looked towards Ting Yue. ¡°Miss. Sorry, we messed up the task. For some reasono ye entered the Virtue Cloud House but came out again without a sound. Nothing happened at all.¡± Ting Yue looked apologetically at Yao Mo Wan. ¡°What did you think would happen?¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s cherry lips faintly curled as she lifted an eyebrow and looked at Ting Yue. The depths of her eyes were filled with amusement, sure enough it kept in line with her father¡¯s conduct style. ¡°Catching them on the bed, of course Big Madam would be drowned in a pig cage!¡± Ting Yue spoke as if it was a matter of course. ¡°drowned in a pig cage¡± another Chinese form of punishment sentence usually for people thatmit a love affair. The criminal is driven into a pig cage. A light punishment will just consist of dunking you in the river a couple times. A heavy crime will sentence you to drown. ¡°Yue er, remember well. Even the highest ranking person will face a time where they choke on their knocked in teeth.¡± Yao Mo Wan softly exined. ¡°Then didn¡¯t we just rush around for nothing?¡± Liu Xing looked at Yao Mo Wan, notprehending. ¡°All the men in this world, regardless of status or age, the thing they find most intolerable is their women lying in another man¡¯s embrace, regardless of whether or not they love this woman¡­¡­ Not to mention that Father saw it firsthand. Father is able to conceal it well, it doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t care. Perhaps right now he might be vomiting blood. Ting Yue, does Father still have the habit of drinking lotus seed soup after supper?¡± Yao Mo Wan retrained the chill in her eyes, suddenly switching the topic. ¡°Ah, he does. He¡¯s already had this habit for many years. In the past it was always Mistress that prepared it herself but ever since Mistress¡¯s body became weak, this task was always left to High Mo Mo.¡± Ting Yue replied ording to the facts. ¡°Is that so¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s eyes slightly lowered pensively. ¡°Miss, you had me give all the banknotes to that small actor, so what are we going to use to pay the rent?¡± Ting er seemed to have abruptly thought of something and suddenly asked. ¡°Tonight we¡¯re returning to Xiang fu. High Mo Mo treated Mother so well, I must properly repay her.¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s pupils suddenly became cold, a sharp chill burst forth from the depths of her eyes. At the side, Ting Yue and Liu Xing shared a nce, silently astonished. ¡°You guyse and sit. You guys have been busy the entire day, you should rest.¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s gaze shift as she looked towards Ting Yue and Liu Xing with a gentle smile. That smile was brilliant like the spring wind and refreshing rain, as if she was apletely different person from a few moments ago. At this moment, they were truly convinced. Third Miss has changed, changed to be hard to fathom, wise and calm. The golden bird of the sun set in the west and the jade hare of the moon rose in the east. Moonlight streamed down like water through the mottled shadows left behind by the tree branches. The wind roused, the tree shadows danced. That swaying silhouette made this night be particrly secluded and cold. Yao Xiang fu Main Hall After supper, Yao Tu ordered the servants to clear the food. Dou Xiang Lan rinsed her mouth with tea, then handed the cup to her personal maid, Yu Zhi. Her gaze, out of the corner of her eye, identally swept across Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s left thumb. Her heart slightly jolted. ¡°Yu Zhi, have High Mo Mo hurry up. Don¡¯t leto ye wait so long. Lao ye, did something unpleasant happen at court today? This qie sees that yourplexion isn¡¯t too good?¡± Dou Xiang Lan cautiously asked. ¡°The queen had a difficult birth, one corpse two lives. Now that the empress position is empty, all the concubines in the harem are vying for the position. If you have time visit the pce more and remind Su Luan to be careful.¡± Yao Zhen Ting spoke with a frown, not mentioning a word of the Virtue Cloud House matter. һʬÁ½Ãü ¡°one corpse two lives¡± refers to the situation when the baby dies inside the mother¡¯s womb, so two people die, but there¡¯s kind of only one corpse. ¡°Rest assured, . Su Luan has always been clever and sensible, not to mention she has his highness¡¯s adoration and is also gui fei. Naturally she¡¯ll be the first choice for empress, she will certainly bring honor to the family.¡± Dou Xiang Lan deliberately spoke the words ¡®bring honor to the family¡¯ with emphasized bite as her heart felt unspoken criticism. Even if she had lost her feminine virtue, but she had a daughter that was about to be the empress to support her, so she wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡°It¡¯d be best if it ends up as you desired.¡± A fleeting cold light shed for a moment in Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s eyes as he spoke mildly. Right at this time, High Mo Mo with a face of eager attentiveness entered, carrying a tureen containing lotus seed soup. ¡°Lao ye, the lotus seed soup is here. Please drink while it¡¯s still hot.¡± As High Mo Mo spoke, she ced the soup tureen in front of Yao Zhen Ting and respectfully lifted the soup lid. Yao Zhen Ting sighed, lifted the soup spoon and scooped up the lotus seed soup. Just as he was lifting it to his mouth, Yao Mo Wan suddenly ran in with a beautifully tear-stained face. ¡°Yao Mo Wan really misses Father¡­¡­ Wuuwuuu¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s appearance shocked everyone present, especially Dou Xiang Lan. At this moment, Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s pupils shed with sinister light as she red fiercely at High Mo Mo while High Mo Mo showed a face of grievances. Yao Tu who was positioned at the entrance was also extremely surprised, and looked with suspicion towards Ting Yue who had entered together with Yao Mo Wan. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around these past two days, where did you run off to?¡± Yao Zhen Ting subconsciously nced at Dou Xiang Lan. Originally he thought she would cut the weeds and eliminate all the roots. ¡°Wuuuwuuu¡­¡­ High Mo Mo told Mo Wan Mother went somewhere far away and had Mo Wan go find her. But Mo Wan looked for a long time and couldn¡¯t find Mother at all. Mother doesn¡¯t want Mo Wan anymore. Father, Mo Wan only has Father left!¡± Yao Mo Wan wiped her tears while facing Yao Zhen Ting, sobbing as she spoke disjointedly. ¡°Lao nu¡­¡­ this old servant didn¡¯t! Big Madam¡­¡­¡± High Mo Mo never would¡¯ve dreamed that Yao Mo Wan would say this, her forehead immediately exuded cold sweat. ¡°Mo Mo, all the money you gave Mo Wan has been spent¡­¡­ Wuuwuuu¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan wiped her tears with both hands, looking pitifully towards High Mo Mo. ¡°High Mo Mo, you sure are loyal!¡± Beside the table, Dou Xiang Lan naturally worked out the clues. Her voice held a chill that stung like ice. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 11 Chapter 11: This Lotus Seed Soup Has Poison? ¡°No¡­¡­ Third Miss, you can¡¯t say such nonsense!¡± High Mo Mo fearfully looked towards Yao Mo Wan, her body trembling like a sifter. ¡°Father, Mo Wan is really hungry¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan seemed to not understand High Mo Mo¡¯s difficult situation at all, looking timidly towards Yao Zhen Ting. ¡°Have this.¡± Yao Zhen Ting didn¡¯t have the appetite in the first ce, treating it as if rewarding a dog, pushed the lotus seed soup in front of Yao Mo Wan. In Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s eyes, daughters were just money costing goods. Even if Yao Mo Xing was appointed empress, Yao Su Luan appointed gui fei, in Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s eyes, they were nothing more than tools to stabilize his position in court. Yao Mo Wan was naturally overjoyed and immediately moved up to grab the soup tureen. To everyone present, it looked as if Yao Mo Wan was too delighted, so the soup tureen was pulled onto the ground in her excitement. The lotus seed soup sttered all over the floor. ¡°No etiquette or propriety! Yu Zhi, why haven¡¯t you moved to take Third Miss away!¡± Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s pupils turned cold, looking with deep meaning towards Yu Zhi. ¡°Sky Wolf! Come back!¡± Just as Yu Zhi was about to move up and grab Yao Mo Wan, a ck furred green eyed hunting dog with an appearance simr to that of a wolf¡¯s suddenly rushed in from outside. As soon as the dog entered the main hall, it ran straight to the lotus seed soup on the floor and startedpping it up. ¡°Liu Xing, what¡¯s going on? Hurry and pull it out! Can you afford to take responsibility for shocking !¡± Seeing this, Yao Tu immediately reprimanded in a strict voice. ¡°I apologize , steward¡­¡­ This small one will immediately haul it away!¡± Liu Xing looked fearfully towards Yao Tu and immediately went up to pull Sky Wolf. But, almost at the same time, Sky Wolf suddenly started rolling around on the floor, wailing anguishedly for seconds before it died with its limbs stiff up in the air. ¡°This¡­¡­ the lotus seed soup had poison?¡± Seeing the hunting dog dead on the floor, Yao Tu cried out in rm, then looked at High Mo Mo. With Yao Tu¡¯s years of steady experience, he naturally knew that all this was not an ident, and also distinguished that Yao Mo Wan had pointedly mentioned High Mo Mo in every sentence. This cry of rm was just him taking advantage of the situation for his own benefit. ¡°Preposterous!¡± Yao Zhen Ting fiercely scowled as he pped the table and stood up. Striding towards High Mo Mo, he lifted his leg and fiercely kicked her onto the floor, then turned to look at Dou Xiang Lan. ¡°This is the good person you trained!¡± Yao Zhen Ting red with glowering eyes, speaking in an almost roaring growl. ¡°Lao ye, please see clearly. She¡­¡­ She came from Mo Chi¡¯s room, it must be Mo Chi¡­¡­¡± Dou Xiang Lan hurriedly refuted, but was cut off by Yao Zhen Ting. ¡°Whose people she is, has known for a long time!¡± Just thinking of that scene at the Virtue Cloud House caused Yao Zhen Ting to feel as if his five viscera were boiling, as if he were being twisted and burned. Most people probably know by now, but in Chinese, themon way to talk about loyalty is by saying person B is person A¡¯s people. At the same time when person A is defending person B from punishment, they might say something like person B is my people, my people I will take responsibility for. Can¡¯t really say ¡®my person¡¯ because it¡¯s not referring to the specific individual but the group the person is part of. ¡°Father¡­¡­ Mo Wan scared¡­¡­¡± At this moment, Yao Mo Wan, like a startled deer, nestled into Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s side, speaking timidly. ¡°Mo Wan, since you only have Father left, then just stay properly in Yao Xiang fu. Father swears, as long as Father has life, no one will dare to hurt you! Someonee, bring Third Miss back to her room to sleep!¡± Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s brutally cold gaze shot towards Dou Xiang Lan. His each word contained sufficient warning. ¡°Lao ye¡­¡­¡± Dou Xiang Lan still tried to exin but Yao Zhen Ting had already swept his sleeves and left. Seeing Yao Zhen Ting leave, Yao Tu immediately ordered Liu Xing to carry out the hunting dog¡¯s corpse and instructed Ting Yue to bring Yao Mo Wan back to her room, then angrily withdrew from the main hall himself. ¡°Lao ye¡­¡­o ye, please believe this old servant. This lotus seed soup doesn¡¯t have poison! How would this old servant dare to poisono ye, Madam¡­¡­ Madam, really did sell Third Miss into Fragrant Harmony Courtyard. Third Miss is lying, all of this is her scheme! Madam, you must believe !¡± Seeing Yao Zhen Ting had walked far away, High Mo Mo quickly crawled and kneeled in front of Dou Xiang Lan, her forehead tightly pressed to the ground, her entire body trembling incessantly. ¡°An idiot can throw a conspiracy? High Mo Mo, you really have humor. Yu Zhi, send High Mo Mo to the Purgatory Room.¡± Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s pupils were cold as she spoke grinding her teeth. Soon after, ignoring High Mo Mo¡¯s pleads, she turned and left the main hall. In this world, all those that betray her must die. Mo Chi had been so, High Mo Mo will also be so. ¡°No¡­.. don¡¯t¡­¡­ Madam! Lao nu has been wrongly incriminated¡ª¡± The Purgatory Room is the ce where domestic servants that have made mistakes in the fu get punished. Usually the servants that enter the Purgatory Room don¡¯te out alive. Even if they do survive, they¡¯re only left barely alive. It was past midnight. In the chilly frost and cold snow, High Mo Mo continuously bawled like a pig being killed all the way until 3 am, before finally stopping intermittently. Opaque Flower Pavilion The room was tranquil and silent. The candle me flickered softly, the incense waft through the air in spirals of light smoke. It was dream-like. ¡°Miss, revenge really feels sweet!¡± Ting Yue walked from the window to Yao Mo Wan¡¯s side, unable to contain her delight. Beside the table, Yao Mo Wan had one cheek propped on her hand, the other hand was using a silver pick to lightly tease the candle. Her attention was very concentrated until she heard Ting Yue¡¯s voice. She then ced down the silver pick and leisurely got up. ¡°It¡¯s time. Apany me to the firewood room.¡± Yao Mo Wan slowly got up. Her eyshes were beautiful as the wings of a butterfly, the radiance in her eyes seemed to contain remote coldness that was shockingly deep as an abyss. Ting Yue was slightly shocked for a moment and Yao Mo Wan had already walked out of Opaque Flower Pavilion. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 12 Chapter 12: Framed You, So What? The bow-like first quarter moon was covered by the dense clouds, the night scene was like thick ink, deep and undispersible. When Yao Mo Wan and Ting Yue got to the firewood room¡¯s entrance, Liu Xing had already been waiting there for quite some time. ¡°Miss, this servant has already used money to have them leave Gaomomoa breath of life.¡± Liu Xing saw that it was Yao Mo Wan and immediately moved up to meet her. High Mo Mo is now Gao momo. Momo is like the title for servant positions held by old women. Gao is the servant¡¯s name. Originally I thought ¡®gao¡¯ was an indication of her status, but due to the appearance of another momo in this chapter, I realized I was wrong. ¡°You two wait outside.¡± Yao Mo Wan slightly nodded, then opened the door and walked in. Outside, Ting Yue questioningly looked towards Liu Xing. ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss hate Gaomomoto death, why would she leave her alive?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but what Miss says to do, I will do.¡± Liu Xing solemnly vowed. After Yao Mo Wan walked into the firewood room she closed the door firmly behind her and slowly walked towards the oilmp, lighting the candle. Borrowing the candle¡¯s light, Yao Mo Wan was shocked to see Gaomomo¡®s current condition of being covered with blood, half dead yet alive, lying on the rice straw pile groaning with pain. Her hair was burned by fire until it was sallow like withered grass, clusters ofsh marks were on her body, pus and blood mixed with torn flesh covered her clothes, and her face that was branded by the iron looked utterly sinister. ¡°How could they bear to beatmomoto this point? Could it be that they didn¡¯t find out that the lotus seed soup didn¡¯t have poison?¡± Yao Mo Wan indifferently walked to Gaomomo¡®s side, slowly crouching down and started to speak as if distressed. When she heard Yao Mo Wan¡¯s voice, Gaomomo¡®s consciousness was dimly roused for a moment. ¡°No poison¡­¡­if the lotus seed soup didn¡¯t have poison, why would the dog die?¡± This was the sentence that Xingmomohad repeatedly asked her in the Purgatory Room. ¡°Of course it was first poisoned by someone else then released into the main hall. That lotus root soup was simmered with ginseng and young deer antler to add vor, even humans love it, let alone dogs?¡± Yao Mo Wan gently spoke and patiently exined. ¡°Yes¡­¡­ it definitely is, incriminated¡­¡­ I was wrongly incriminated! I beg you, go tellI was wrongly incriminated¡­¡­ Third Miss¡­¡­ Why is it you? You¡¯re the one that harmed me!¡± Gaomomoraised her eyes in pleasant surprise, but when she saw Yao Mo Wan, malevolence filled her eyes and she fiercely gripped Yao Mo Wan¡¯s sleeve with both hands. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one that harmed you. I deliberately said you were loyal to your old master in front of Dou Xiang Lan, and that you left me a road to escape and even gave me money. It was also I that had Liu Xing poison the dog to frame you, so what? Even if you were not currently incapable of moving a step, even if I allowed you to crawl to Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s foot, she still has to believe you for it to be of any use.¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s cherry lips faintly pouted, her gaze seemed harmless as she looked at Gaomomo. ¡°You¡¯re vicious! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± From the start Gaomomowas at herst breath, now her anger attacked her heart and fresh blood abruptly rushed out of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m vicious? Gaomomohas really gradually forgotten, who was it that poisoned my mother¡¯s medical soup, letting her die with grievances! Who was it that sold me into Fragrant Harmony Courtyard, letting me suffer insults! And who was it that hung Ting Yue up here to be brutally beaten, almost causing her to lose her life! This stack, these things, I¡¯m afraid even if you enter the 18th level of hell you still won¡¯t be able to pay back!¡± The clear cold pupils seemed covered with frost, Yao Mo Wan coldly brushed aside her sleeve and indifferently stood up. ¡°You ¡­¡­ Who are you?¡± Gaomomo¡®s eyes opened wide and round, disbelievingly looking towards Yao Mo Wan. ¡°Doesn¡¯tmomorecognize me anymore? I¡¯m Mo Wan ah!¡± Yao Mo Wan suddenly curled her lips into a slight smile, her beautiful eyes flickering with harmless radiance. ¡°Impossible! You¡¯re not! You¡¯re not that idiot¡­¡­ who in the world are you?¡± Just as Gaomomostarted raging her grievances, Yao Mo Wan had already taken out a package of ¡®La Yan Sand¡¯ powder and slowly started sprinkling it onto Gaomomo¡®s wounds. ¡°La Yan Sand¡± is a highly toxic colorless and tasteless poison that appears in legends, wuxia novels and movies. ¡°Who I am, you¡¯ll know soon¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan indifferently looked at the Gaomomowho was struggling desperately on the straw pile. Her face was inscrutable, not a trace of emotion could be seen. ¡°Everything I did was on Big Madam¡¯s orders¡­¡­ I deserve to die, but Big Madam¡­¡­ deserves to even more¡­¡­¡± Gaomomoused herst strength and finally spoke her unwillingness. ¡°So I¡¯ll let her live a life£­worse£­than£­death¡­¡­¡± The broken cold sound seemed like that of a demon¡¯s as it swept upwards in the firewood room, echoing for a long time before dissipating. After Yao Mo Wan left the firewood room, Gaomomohad already stopped breathing. ¡°Burn the firewood room.¡± Yao Mo Wan looked towards Liu Xing who was waiting outside and indifferently ordered. ¡°Miss, but Gaomomohas already died.¡± Liu Xing spoke, puzzled. ¡°But I want to have her bones crushed ashes scattered, what¡¯s to be done?¡± Yao Mo Wan paused her steps, her clear as water pupils gradually chilled. ¡°Liu Xing will do it right away.¡± Liu Xing fiercely nodded and turned to leave immediately. The night was quiet and cool, cold as ice. On the way back to Opaque Flower Pavilion, Ting Yue wanted to say something several times, but in the end didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Ting Yue, you must remember, when facing the devil, we must be even more vicious than the devil in order to continue living. To eradicate evilpletely, understand?¡± Yao Mo Wan suddenly stopped and turned her eyes to look at Ting Yue. ¡°This servant¡­¡­ understands.¡± Ting Yue nodded, confused. ¡°Ting Yue, if you don¡¯t agree with my methods, I can give you some money and let you leave.¡± Yao Mo Wan didn¡¯t me Ting Yue. It was not possible to make someone who had not gone through the painful experiences she had understand her bitter anguish, but she could not leave someone that would question her at her side. ¡°In Ting Yue¡¯s eyes, whatever Miss does is right! In the future, as long as Miss orders it, Ting Yue will not hesitate even if she has to sacrifice this life!¡± Every word, every sentence of Ting Yue¡¯s was powerful and resounded. Chapter Volume 1 13 Chapter 13: Won¡¯t Let a Single One of Them Off ¡°The day¡¯s turned cold, let¡¯s return¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s cherry lips smoothed as she faintly smiled towards Ting Yue. She believes that one day, Ting Yue will understand what she means. But right now, she should have a proper rest.Please do not copy The next day, Yao Tu wrote a yed down report about the firewood room fire and gave it to Yao Zhen Ting. Yao Zhen Ting naturally wouldn¡¯t care much about this little matter and just breezed over it and taking it as the matter was dealt with. ¡°How should we handle the empress¡¯s funeral?¡± In the study, Yao Zhen Ting leaned against the chair, exhausted as he asked apprehensively. Since his majesty dered that the empress died from a difficult childbirth, naturally Yao Mo Xin¡¯s funeral must be done grandly as ording to the empress¡¯s etiquette. Yao Xiangfu, as the maternal family, unavoidably has to attend to the wake. ¡°Replying, all the preparations are ready, we only have to wait for the court to set a date.¡± Yao Tu respectfully reported. ¡°That¡¯s enough, you can withdraw!¡± Yao Zhen Ting used his fingers to rub his temples. Yao Mo Xin and Prince Su¡¯s improper rtions is a crime that cannot even be wiped out by death. Now, he only hopes Yao Mo Xin¡¯s matters will not affect Yaofu¡®s position in his majesty¡¯s thoughts, otherwise their gains would not be able to make up their losses. ¡°Lao ye¡­¡­. Lou Yu Xing has already been taken care of, the Virtue Cloud Performance Troupe has also left the Imperial City and will never return.¡± Yao Tu reported in a low voice. ¡°Even killing him doesn¡¯t relieve the hatred. If she didn¡¯t have a daughter that was a gui fei,o fu would personally ughter her!¡± Yao Zhen Ting frowned, adding more force to the hand pressed against his temple.Please do not copy ¡°The old servant will withdraw.¡± Yao Tu is usually of few words. This is also one of the reasons Yao Zhen Ting trusts him. Opaque Flower Pavilion The sunshine passed through the criss-crossed windowttice and cast mottled shadows. Yao Mo Wan¡¯s beautiful eyes fluttered like fans, her forehead was filled with fine beads of sweat. The brocade mattress that was gripped tightly by both hands was filled with creases. ¡°Ah¡ª Zhonger!¡± A shrill voice suddenly sounded and Yao Mo Wan abruptly got up, roughly gasping for breath. Even though she was in a dream, but the entire scene of the Cold Pce was iparably real as it appeared in Yao Mo Wan¡¯s mind, causing her to feel as if she was really there. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± At this time, Ting Yue shouted as she ran in, asking worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡­ I just had a nightmare, has Liu Xing arrived?¡± Yao Mo Wan wiped off the tears at the corners of her eyes, leaving no trace, and fiercely exhaled a long breath. ¡°He¡¯s arrived, he¡¯s waiting in the reception room.¡± Ting Yue answered.Please do not copy ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up? Bring the clothes over.¡± Yao Mo Wan lifted her eyes to look outside the window, reckon it¡¯s almost noon. ¡°This servant saw that Miss seemed exhausted and couldn¡¯t bear to wake Miss up.¡± Seeing Yao Mo Wan worried, Ting Yue immediately got the clothes down from the clothes rack and helped Yao Mo Wan wash up. When Yao Mo Wan walked out of the bedroom, Liu Xing currently respectfully standing in the middle of the reception room. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sit down to wait?¡± Yao Mo Wan asked.Please do not copy ¡°Liu Xing is a servant, how could it be proper for me to wait for Miss while sitting.¡± Seeing Yao Mo Wan walk out, Liu Xing¡¯s eyes subconsciously exuded happiness. Yao Mo Wan saw all of this and a smudge of helplessness shed through her heart. ¡°Lou Yu Xin is dead?¡± Yao Mo Wan did not have Liu Xing sit. Letting him rify this rtionship is also good, as to avoid deep-rooted feelings and asking for trouble. ¡°Miss really has incredible foresight. Last night Liu Xing found someone to tail Lou Yu Xing and just happened to see him be kicked and beaten to death by several masked people.¡± Liu Xing looked at Yao Mo Wan with worship. ¡°It¡¯s not that I have incredible foresight but that I understand Father¡¯s style too well. Liu Xing, do you still remember who that white silk pantsgongzi gethat attacked youst time was?¡± Each person that intended her harm, Yao Mo Wan deeply ingrained them in her memory. She won¡¯t let a single one of them off. ¡°I remember.¡± Liu Xing nodded vigorously. That time, it was due to the lucky fact that Miss was able to use her identity as the third daughter of the Yao family to intimidate that group of bastards. Otherwise, afraid that he would no longer be alive to serve at Miss¡¯s side. ¡°Leak the news out, say that before Lou Yu Xin disappeared he had met him.¡± Yao Mo Wanmanded in a mild tone. ¡°Miss means?¡± Liu Xing couldn¡¯t quite make sense of the matter and looked at Yao Mo Wan confused. ¡°Whether other people know doesn¡¯t matter, but we must definitely let Big Madam know.¡± Yao Mo Wan added a bit of a reminder. ¡°Liu Xing understands!¡± Liu Xing suddenly understood. Just as he was about to leave, Yao Mo Wan called him back. ¡°You¡­¡­ did you ask around about the Esteemed Prince¡¯s situation?¡± If life could be relived once again, she truly wished that night, when Ye Jun Qing saved her from the hands of those bandits, he had removed the silver mask on his face. That was originally Ye Hong Yi¡¯s mask. At the moment when she finally found out the truth, she had already be Ye Hong Yi¡¯swang fei. Íõåú ¨C ¡°wang fei¡± the official wife of the Wang Ye, aka Princess Consort/Imperial Consort. I¡¯m guessing this is before Ye Hong Yi became king, when he was still a prince. I just realized that ËàÇ×Íõ was not Prince Su but his title as a prince. Like the way Mo Wen Chen has the title of Bei Ding Hou wang ye. That wang in wang ye is the same wang in Su Qing Wang, they both refer to king/prince. The titles of prince are pretty much preceded by adjectives such as respect, solemn, honest or prominent and and the titles depend on lineage ording to wikipedia. So Ye Jun Qing is the ¡®Solemn Prince¡¯, because he came after the ¡®Solemn Loyal Prince¡¯. The character Ëà can also mean respectful¡­. So, henceforth Prince Su will be the Esteemed Prince. ¡°Replying Miss, regarding the Esteemed Prince¡¯s situation, there was no need to specially ask around at all. Right now the entire marketce is circting the news of the Esteemed Prince¡¯s defeat and retreat. He took quite a blow, and now he¡¯spletely depressed in his residence. Every day he calls for girls from the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard to pour drinks and chat. He haspletely let himself go. The emperor dered that he once did many meritorious deeds for the country so he would not be punished but rather rewarded. However, the Esteemed Prince only wanted a jar of good wine, so His Majesty would send people every day to bestow upon the Esteemed Prince the best wine in the pce.¡± Liu Xing reported everything that he had heard. ¡°What a clever method. It keeps in ordance with his sanctimonious style¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan murmured to herself, a bit of chill overflowed from the depths of her pupils. But she didn¡¯t understand. Ye Jun Qing had grasp of a massive military force, how could he have fallen to such a predicament? The reason she signed the testimony that day, besides for the sake of saving her Zhong er, was also because she thought of this. That¡¯s why she agreed to the terms. But in any case, it was her that implicated the Esteemed Prince, whether it was based on reason or on emotions, she should still go and take a look. Chapter Volume 1 14 Chapter 14: The Most Beautiful Man in the Country At the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard entrance, the female brothel keeper with heavy makeup took the banknotes from Ting Yue¡¯s hands and very happily pulled Yao Mo Wan who was dressed up like a prostitute onto the pnquin. ¡°Set off!¡± The brothel keeper shouted. Outside the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard, seven pnquin were lifted at the same time, majestically heading towards the Esteemed Prince¡¯s residence. Along the way, passerbys raised their eyebrows and pointed, their conversations mostly ridiculed Ye Jun Qing¡¯s decadent and loose behavior, and for not caring about the nation¡¯s affairs. There were also a few that sighed with sorrow for this formidable generation, yet with a slight setback he stumbled and could not rise again, how sad. In the pnquin, Yao Mo Wan heard these talks but didn¡¯t keep it in mind. Themon people in the marketce were just repeating what everyone said, they don¡¯t know the sinister hearts of people for the idea of victory belonging to the tiger. If she bothered to dispute about this with them, afraid that even if she waste her whole lifetime she still wouldn¡¯t be able to exin clearly. In this world, perhaps there¡¯s no one that understand Ye Hong Yi better than her. Ye Jun Qing is just like a thorn stabbed in Ye Hong Yi¡¯s chest, one day that he leaves it be, it¡¯s one day that he cannot sleep peacefully. The fact that Ye Jun Qing to be able to live until now wasn¡¯t because of brotherly affection, it was because he feared to opposition of the military forces in the imperial court. That was why he didn¡¯t dare to rush into action against Ye Jun Qing. Thus he used this method to vilify Ye Jun Qing¡¯s image in the military circles, waiting for Ye Jun Qing to be forgotten, then move to eradicate him. ¡°Lower the pnquins¡ª¡± The brothel keeper¡¯s voice called out once again. Yao Mo Wan only felt the pnquin jolt for a moment before it had already been set on the ground. The current her lifted the curtain a bit impatiently, only to see that those six prostitute girls had already gotten off and were surrounding the entrance of the Esteemed Prince¡¯s residence. Compared to them, her own actions were still a bit slower. ¡°You all rolled out of a pile of prostitutes, don¡¯t say that Aunt Gui didn¡¯t remind you guys. Be reserved, don¡¯t do anything to overstep your bounds. Special achievement is not required, just don¡¯tmit any hyperactive blunders!¡± Yao Mo Wan who was at the side heard it clearly, her mouth slightly curled. Looks like, this act of calling for prostitutes every day is also one of Ye Hong Yi¡¯s tricks. ¡°Aunt Gui, rest assured, for us sisters just catching a nce of the great Chu nation¡¯s most beautiful man from a distance is already more than enough. Ifwangyedoesn¡¯t like us, there¡¯s no way we could ster ourselves on him.¡± ÍõÒ¯ ¨C ¡°wang ye¡± = Prince/Master, wang by itself meaning something along the lines of king (8) ¡°That¡¯s right. Aunt Gui, don¡¯t worry and just head back. Once five passes all you have to do is pick us up.¡± At this time, there were already girls that couldn¡¯t wait any longer lightly knocking on the door. Yao Mo Wan silently stood behind everyone, her heart couldn¡¯t help but sigh with sorrow. The heavens truly loves Ye Jun Qing so much, not only letting him dominate the battlefields unrivaled, it even bestowed upon him a magnificent, peerlessly handsome face. As Yao Mo Wan contemted this, the door already opened. ¡°Wangyeis in the back garden, everyone pleasee this way.¡± The over sixty Steward Zhou had an expression of helplessness as he greeted these girls and brought them in. Yao Mo Wan walked inst and heard Steward Zhuo¡¯s heavy sigh. The Esteemed Prince¡¯s residence was constructed ingenuitively. There were pavilions and kiosks, ponds and ind pavilions. Scattered between the willow trees and pines were stones in rock gardens, flowers, shrubs and bonsai, wisteria and bamboo for adornment. Yao Mo Wan followed behind the prostitute girls who were rushing like ducks pass side rooms and winding corridors to head towards the back garden. This was not her first time in the Esteemed Prince¡¯s residence. Back then, in the five dragons struggle, she, so that Ye Hong Yi could smoothly ascend the throne, treaded through the entrance of the Esteemed Prince¡¯s residence countless times. How stupid she was at that time! She boasted that she had a pair of bright eyes that could see things clearly, yet she couldn¡¯t see through Ye Hong Yi¡¯s beast-like cruel heart. ¡°It smells so nice! Look, it¡¯s the Esteemed Prince¡ª¡± The girls were wild with joy, snapping of Yao Mo Wan¡¯s trail of thought. Standing at the end of the corridor, Yao Mo Wan only felt a strange fragrance assailing her nose. Entering her eyes were hundreds of colorful flowers, wondrous nts and trees. In the center of the garden a wide pavilion with four corners rose steeply from the ground, white marble pirs supported the main body of the pavilion. The path here along the light muslin corridor to the pavilion was paved with white jade, engraved on top with pure gold were vivid orchids that looked almost as if they were alive.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. Inside the pavilion, in front of the stone table, that tall figure sat alone writing. With white clothes superior to snow, ink ck hair lightly fluttering, long brows that inclined towards the temples, beautiful eyes with the luster of stars, a straight elegant bridge of the nose, yet those lips seemed extremely pale. Ye Jun Qing is truly worthy of being called the most beautiful man in great Chu, that sort of handsomeness goes without saying. His body also exerts an atmosphere, as if he was a deity that walked out of an ancient painting, identally crossing into Jambudv¨©pa, this bloody mortal world. Jambudv¨©pa is one of the four continents, which is situated to the south of Mount Meru.and is the world in which humans live. ording to this Chinese Buddhist Wikipedia. http://.chinabuddhismencyclopedia/en/index.php/Jambudvipa ¡°Mu Dan Xie greets the Esteemed Prince on behalf of her sisters.¡± A tender and soft voice sweetly sounded, the girls once after another stopped in front of the pavilion and each coyly exposed their best figure as they bowed in courtesy. ¡°You all listen well, other than this pavilion, you can y anywhere you want. Disperse! I¡¯m warning you guys, if you dare approach the pavilion, look out for your heads!¡± A simple and straightforward voice suddenly sounded. At this moment, Yao Mo Wan finally noticed the man next to Ye Jung Qing. She recognized him, it was Ben Lei, Ye Jun Qing¡¯s most trusted vanguard. ¡°Esteemed Prince¡­¡­¡± One of the girls unwillingly whined. A cold light suddenly shed then in the next second that bright dagger was sunk deep into the ground next to the girl¡¯s foot. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± When that girl cried out in fear, the others all scattered like birds.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. Chapter Volume 1 15 Chapter 15: Hand, Captured in One Grab Yao Mo Wan stared nkly, standing in ce. Her lips twitched. Sure enough the man fits his name, this temperament is even more violent than thunder. ¡°You,e here.¡± A clear and melodious voice like the sound of rain striking on delicate porcin. Just as Yao Mo Wan turned away, she had heard this light call. When she turned back, Ye Jun Qing was currently lifting his eyes to look at her, the gaze of his ck jade eyes roamed magnificently. This type of heavenly immortal man, she had in the end, let down. Walking into the pavilion, Yao Mo Wan immediately felt a bunch of very unfriendly gazes shot towards herself. She gave a slight smile and bowed in greeting.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°May I ask whywangyehas called for Jing Xin?¡± Yao Mo Wan was modest but not too humble as she spoke mildly. ¡°Grind the ink.¡± Ye Jun Qing dipped the brush in the ink stone then finely traced it across the picture scroll on the table, not lifting his head to look at her again. Yao Mo Wan nodded and rose, walked to the stone table, drew back her sleeve with one hand and picked up the ink stick with her other hand and started to grind it against the t ink b, delicately grinding towards one direction. At this moment, Yao Mo Wan slightly raised her brows. Just then when she looked at the streaks of ck between the clear water, it seemed just like her portrait. On the picture scroll, her face had a charming smile and her eyes were captivating, she had on a misty green jade garment paired with a pleated skirt. She remembered very clearly, this outfit was what she wore that night when he had saved her. Her heart, felt like it was stuffed with cotton. There was an indescribable clutching pain. It had already been so many years, yet he was still so clung to it so strongly. ¡°Wangye! What are you still drawing her for! If not for her you wouldn¡¯t have been reduced to this point!¡± Ben Lei shot a re at the picture and spoke bitterly. At almost the same time, Ye Jun Qing suddenly lifted his eyes, they were sharp and vast like the prating eye of an eagle. Ben Lei immediately choked up.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°Wangye, excuse this subordinate for saying something that should not be said. The empress is already dead, why must you still endure this situation! The emperor is clearly trying to ruin your reputation then get rid of you! As long as you give the word, a regime change isn¡¯t impossible.¡± Although Ben Lei¡¯s temperament was violent, but he was also attentive, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be so heavily relied on by Ye Jun Qing. ¡°She spent her entire life for him¡­¡­ben wangdoesn¡¯t wish for her to be disappointed¡­¡­¡± A barely dutiable voice pensively sounded, yet it was like a drum that struck Yao Mo Wan¡¯s heart. ¡°The empress died from childbirth, how could she sign the testimony?¡± Ben Lei questioned. ¡°That¡¯s her handwriting, if she did not wish for it, no one has the ability to force her.¡± The brush in Ye Jun Qing¡¯s hand drew slender strokes, the touch was very light. Yao Mo Wan took this sight in, knowing that he didn¡¯t harbor the slightest grudge. But the more Ye Jun Qing was like this, the more her heart ached. ¡°Even ifwangyedoesn¡¯t want to disappoint the empress, you still need not put up with the emperor¡¯s intolerable actions!Wangyeprobably understands even more clearly than this subordinate. This time¡¯s defeat waspletely engineered by the emperor!¡± Ben Lei angrily spoke. ¡°If not for the defeat,ben wangwouldn¡¯t have any reasons to be in a drunken stupor and only ifben wangis in a drunken stupor would he agree not to make that testimony public to the world and give the empress a proper funeral.¡± Ye Jun Qing set down his brush and lightly blew on the picture, his eyes exuded difficult to conceal yearning and longing. ¡°Wangye! How much have you already given this woman in this lifetime! But she only knows to protect that incapable ruler, even in her death she still thought to use that testimony to control you, she owes you too much!!¡± Ben Lei¡¯s eyes turned red as thistle as he angrily roared. His hands ferociously reached towards the picture scroll but was pushed several meters back by Ye Jun Qing¡¯s strike and knocked into the white marble pir. ¡°Wangye!¡± Ben Lei mournfully cried. ¡°You should go.Ben wang¡®s status is particr. If youe so often, ording to Ye Hong Yi¡¯s personality, he definitely won¡¯t let you off.¡± Ye Jun Qing restrained the hurt in his eyes and spoke apathetically. ¡°Wangyeis willing to be trampled on by that incapable ruler, but Ben Lei isn¡¯t willing to be humiliated! Even being a farmer to hoe the fields would be better than sacrificing your life for that incapable ruler!Wangyetake care, Ben Lei takes his leave!¡± Men have tears but they do not fall easily. Yet at this time Ben Lei¡¯s cheeks were already streaming with tears. In front of the table, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s beautiful eyes lowered and she bit her teeth. The pain in her heart rolled like waves. How much did she truly owe Ye Jun Qing? Just as Yao Mo Wan was in the midst of deep sorrow, her jade wrist was suddenly grasped by Ben Lei. ¡°What are you grabbing her for?¡± Ye Jun Qing¡¯s sharp brows creased as he asked. ¡°She heard everything in the conversation just now, this woman cannot be left alive!¡± Ben Lei used his sleeve to wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes and replied prudently. Yao Mo Wan was extremely speechless, suddenly having the sort of miserable feeling like she could get shot by arrows even while lying down. ¡°Let her go,ben wangtrusts that she will not tell.¡± Not waiting for Yao Mo Wan to react, the other hand had already been seized by Ye Jun Qing. ¡°Wangye! Please listen to this subordinate this once!¡± Ben Lei crossed gazes with Ye Jun Qing, speaking almost as if he were pleading. ¡°Ben wangsaid she won¡¯t so she definitely won¡¯t. You should go!¡± Ye Jun Qing¡¯s insistence allowed Yao Mo Wan to secretly sigh a breath of relief. Ben Lei didn¡¯t speak, his copper bell-like eyes red fiercely at Yao Mo Wan. At this moment, Yao Mo Wan looked calmly at Ben Lei and didn¡¯t speak a single word. She just knew that the more you speak the more mistakes, the less you speak the less mistakes, if you don¡¯t speak, there are no mistakes. After a few seconds of confrontation, Ben Lei suddenly flung away Yao Mo Wan¡¯s wrist and furiously left. Looking at Ben Lei¡¯s back figure, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s lips lifted in an almost imperceptible curve. Ben Lei left because Ye Jun Qing was here, if Ye Jun Qing was not here¡­¡­ At this point, Yao Mo Wan was still grateful that there was such a loyal and devoted helper by Ye Jun Qing¡¯s side. She owes Ye Jun Qing too much. One day, she will give Ye Jun Qing the mountains and rivers of great Chu. Chapter Volume 1 16 Chapter 16: There is Something Wrong with the Wine ¡°There are very few woman like you that remain calm in the face of events.¡± Seeing Ben Lei leave, Ye Jun Qing indifferently released Yao Mo Wan¡¯s hand and walked to the table, lightly stroking the picture. ¡°Sowangyebelieves Jing Xin has received special training, that¡¯s why she would show up here?¡± Yao Mo Wan picked up the ink stick again and asked, seemingly unconcerned. But a sh of pain streaked through her heart. So it turns out this time when they met again, Ye Jun Qing actually thought she was a spy sent by Ye Hong Yi to monitor him. ¡°Is it not it?¡± Ye Jun Qing did not deny. ¡°Then why didwangyeallow that general just now say such disgraceful things?¡± Yao Mo Wan was a bit bbergast and looked questioningly at Ye Jun Qing. ¡°Ye Hong Yi¡¯s target isben wang. As long asben wangdoesn¡¯t harbor dissatisfaction it¡¯s enough, no?¡± Ye Jun Qing seemed to have some deep meaning as he looked towards Yao Mo Wan. The unspoken implication was that if he tried to stop him, she would already have been cut into pieces by Ben Lei. ¡°Jing Xin will just return the favor towangye.¡± Yao Mo Wan epted the misunderstanding and just went with it, continuing to grind the ink. Just then, Steward Zhuo suddenly rushed over. Behind him a furious eunuch from the pce was following him. Yao Mo Wan recognized that eunuch, it was An Bing Shan that followed beside Ye Hong Yi. His conduct was acid, with honeyed words and a sword in the belly, he was hypocritical and murderous. Even though he was an eunuch and was born infertile, but countless pce maids died in his hands. At those times he defended himself with Ye Hong Yi¡¯s prestige and was never punished. Thinking back to it now, it truly was what type of master must have that type of servant. ¡°Wangye, Eunuch An has brought the wine over.¡± As Steward Zhuo was respectfully reporting, An Bing Shan had already walked in. ¡°Esteemed Prince, one pot a day. The old servant has brought this wine.¡± An Bing Shan¡¯s eyes slightly crinkled, and he didn¡¯t greet in courtesy, he just directly ced the violet jade wine pot in front of Ye Jun Qing.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°Steward Zhou.¡± Ye Jun Qing didn¡¯t give a single nce to An Bing Shan and just ordered Steward Zhou to pour the wine, then raised up the wine cup and downed it in one gulp. ¡°Eunuch may go back and report now.¡± Ye Jun Qing set down the wine cup and coldly spoke. Hearing this, An Bing Shan smirked, slightly lowered his body, then turned to leave. At the side, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s willow brows slightly wrinkled, the light in her eyes suddenly turned cold. Seeing this interaction she knew that there was definitely something wrong with the wine. ¡°Wangyewas drawing a portrait of the eunuch in front of the empress, aren¡¯t you afraid the emperor may be angry with you?¡± As Yao Mo Wan spoke, her gaze swept over the wine cup next to the ink b. ¡°Ben wangjust wanted to remind Ye Hong Yi, if not for Mo Xin, how would he be able to suppressben wang? So regardless of whether Mo Xin is dead or alive, he still must treat her well!¡± Ye Jun Qing each and every word were like sharp des that prated Yao Mo Wan¡¯s heart. Blood, drop by drop fell, transforming into blooms of red spider lilies. ¡°Steward Zhou, clean this ce up.¡± All the acts were performed. Ye Jun Qing slowly rolled up the picture scroll and walked down the pavilion. One scroll a day, this was already the tenth picture he drew.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. The wind lifted, the muslim covering veil of the pavilion slightly fluttered in the wind and a few flower petals gently fell on Yao Mo Wan¡¯s shoulders. The sensation of something ice-cold streaked across her cheek, but before she could even wipe it away, it had already been blown dry by the wind. Ye Jun Qing, even if I return you the mountains and rivers, how can I repay your eternally unregretful sincere feelings? At around five, the girls from Fragrant Harmony Courtyard were all like frost beaten eggnts as they walked out of the Esteemed Prince¡¯s residence. The brothel keeper knew it would be like that from the start and didn¡¯t say anything to them. ¡°This is the rest of the money, thank you, Aunt Gui, for helping.¡± Yao Mo Wan took out three hundred tael banknotes from her chest and put them in the brothel keeper¡¯s hand as she said thank you in a soft voice. ¡°It was only a small matter, what isdy being so courteous for. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going first!¡± The brothel keeper¡¯s personality was to open her eyes wide at the sight of profit and so she naturally exchanged polite greetings. Yao Mo Wan nodded slightly and waited for the six pnquins to grandly leave the Esteemed Prince¡¯s residence before turning to held back to Yao Xiangfu. ¡°I knew something was fishy about you from the start, now I¡¯ve caught you red-handed!¡± Just as Yao Mo Wan turned the corner, Ben Lei suddenly appeared and blocked her way. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t looking for you, I would have followed the pnquin back just now.¡± Her clear pupils shone like stars, without the slightest ripple. ¡°Do you think I would believe your nonsense?¡± Ben Lei cautiously looked towards Yao Mo Wan and coldly humphed. ¡°This is a cup that has held the imperial wine before. Secretly have someone to figure out what sort of poison is mixed in there and then search for an antidote. Think of a way to curewangye¡®s poison. Do it quietly, without any words or movements and you must not letwangyefind out.¡± As Yao Mo Wan spoke she took out the wine cup that was on the stone table from within her sleeve and handed it to Ben Lei.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°You ¡­¡­ What¡¯s your intention?¡± Ben Lei looked incredulously towards Yao Mo Wan, not knowing what to do for a moment. ¡°You should understandwangye¡®s personality well. Since you can¡¯t convince him, it¡¯s best that you just properly safeguard him. The future is long, there is no need to be so impatient at this moment.¡± Seeing Ben Lei staring nkly, Yao Mo Wan firmly pressed the cup into Ben Lei¡¯s hand then turned to leave. ¡°Who are you? Why are you helpingwangye?¡± Ben Lei returned to his senses and hurriedly asked. ¡°Haa¡ª¡ª¡± Yao Mo Wan didn¡¯t reply and just gave a soft sigh, departing. Yao XiangfuEntrance As she saw Yao Mo Wan¡¯s figure appear in her sight, Ting Yue immediately rushed out to greet her.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°Miss, you made Yueerworried to death. Are you alright?¡± Ting Yue worriedly looked over Yao Mo Wan, seeing that she seemed to be fine, finally sighed in relief. Chapter Volume 1 17 Chapter 17: Shed Tears, For the Last Time ¡°What is this?¡± Yao Mo Wan walked to the front of thefudoors and lifted her eyes, only to see a thirty feet long white silk cloth with decorative bows hanging on the horizontal board that had ¡®Yao Xiangfu¡® inscribed. It was unpleasantly garish. ¡°This servant has asked Steward Yao about it. The Imperial Court has set the date for Eldest Miss¡¯s funeral to be two dayster. Xiangfuis Eldest Miss¡¯s maternal family so they must naturally set up the mourning hall. That¡¯s why Steward Yao had started preparing from early on. I heard His Majesty and Second Miss will also being!¡± Ting Yue reported the facts. When she heard the words ¡®his majesty¡¯, Yao Mo Wan suddenly shook. All the blood in her body suddenly froze, inside her sleeves her hands gradually clenched. Her fingernails dug into her palms, but she didn¡¯t notice pain. Her clear cold pupils seemed to momentarily ignite into raging mes, as if she wanted to burn Ye Hong Yi and Yao Su Luan into ashes. She wants to reenter the pce, this is the best opportunity. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Noticing Yao Mo Wan¡¯s abnormality, Ting Yue lightly shook her master. Only then did Yao Mo Wan exhale. ¡°I was moved ah, His Majesty¡¯s feelings for Eldest Sister really are deep.¡± Yao Mo Wan carelessly lifted her hand and swiped away the glistening drops at the corners of her eyes, her cherry lips curled into a ridiculing curve. She swears, this will be herst time shedding tears,st time! ¡°Miss, let¡¯s go in.¡± Ting Yue only knew that Yao Mo Wan was recalling the past, certainly she must be missing her older sister. When Yao Mo Wan and Ting Yue got to the back garden, they suddenly heard a sound from behind the fake mountain. ¡°Listen closely, bring this silver to Third Madam¡¯s residence east of the city. Be careful, don¡¯t let anyone follow. You must not let Big Madam know about this, especially about the little young master in Third Madam¡¯sfu.Lao yeextremely cherishes him, if he was hurt by Big Madam, don¡¯t know how heartbroken he would be!¡± ¡°Steward, rest assured. Chen Qiang is aware of the situation!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, have you finished the matter regarding Second Madam?¡± ¡°En, this little one even went to a specialist to consult before burying her in a ce with good feng shui at the west outskirts of the city.¡± ¡°Go then!¡± Feeling footsteps approach, Yao Mo Wan hurriedly took two steps and got onto the exquisite arched bridge. Looking back, Yao Tu had already entered the veranda. ¡°Ting Yue, has Steward Yao asked you before about me?¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, seeming to harbor a deep emotion as she looked at Yao Tu¡¯s back figure. ¡°No.¡± Ting Yue shook her head. ¡°Are there really good people in the world¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan muttered to herself, a warm feeling flowed through her heart. Yao Tu, great grace cannot speak thanks, you will have good karma. Great Grace Cannot Speak Thanks means that he has done such a great act of kindness that YMW can¡¯t repay and can only remember it in her heart. Because words would not express the gratefulness she feels, it was just better not to speak the light words of thanks. ¡°Miss, what did you say?¡± Ting Yue only saw her master¡¯s lips move, but didn¡¯t hear clearly. ¡°Yueer, leave from the back door. Follow Chen Qiang tightly, you must find Third Madam¡¯s residence.¡± Yao Mo Wan coldlymanded. Ting Yue also heard the exchange of dialogue just now and naturally understood Yao Mo Wan¡¯s intent. She immediately obeyed the order and left. After returning to the Opaque Flower Pavilion, Yao Mo Wan silently sat next to the table, her eyes gloomy and unclear. The empress¡¯s funeral is her best chance to return to the Imperial Pce. Based on her understanding of Ye Hong Yi, wanting to attract his attention was not difficult. What was difficult was how to lure Yao Su Luan out of the way¡­¡­ Dense inky clouds squeezed the skies, dense enough that they seemed about to fall, stifling people to the point that it was hard to breathe. The gloomy and cold wind mixed with humidity and assaulted one¡¯s face, causing people to feel a piercing chill even more prating than the winter wind. It was the day of the empress¡¯s funeral, all the members of the imperial court and themon people were a mass of gloom. The Ministry of Rites and Internal Affairs Department worked together to draw up the empress¡¯s funeral. In ordance to His Majesty¡¯s written deration, the Imperial Court will be suspended for two days. Big and small officials all wore white clothes to the Changle Pce to kneel three times and kowtow nine times before the coffin-bearers lifted up the coffin with the empress¡¯s ashes and carried it to Yao Xiangfufrom Changle Pce. Afterwards, a good time will be chosen to finally bury it in the imperial tomb. Some trivia: The 3 kneels with 9 kowtows is special because it¡¯s the formal etiquette upon meeting the emperor. Changle of Changle Pce trantes to perpetual happiness. Its moremonly known name is ¡°Weiyang¡± (δÑë) literally means ¡°(something) hasn¡¯t reached its midpoint¡±, ¡°has more than a half to go¡±, but colloquially it¡¯s tranted as ¡°endless¡±. Taken together it can be interpreted to mean, ¡°The perpetual happiness hasn¡¯t reached its midpoint yet.¡± At this time, the coffin with Yao Mo Xin¡¯s ashes had already reached Xing Hua Street. White silk hung everywhere on the street and funeral music rumbled into the heavens and shook the grounds. Each and every passerby wore white clothes and kneeled on both sides as the thirty persons group of coffin bearers proceeded down the center. In front there were people ying suonas, drummers, and people ying wind instruments with great energy. Behind there were Buddhist nuns and Daoist priests holding prayer beads and chanting sutras, praying for blessings. The procession was uninterrupted and endless, extending as long as a couple dozen hundred meters. Finally, near noon it majestically reached the front of Yao Xiangfu. In the funeral hall, Ye Hong Yi stood with his hands folded, his dark as midnight pupils fixated on the coffin for a long time before he turned to leave. ¡°Mother, Su Luan will leave first to apany His Majesty. You only have to endure a bit longer. A whileter, after the ministers kowtow you can just assign a servant girl to keep watch beside the coffin.¡± At the left side of the mourning hall, Yao Su Luan saw Ye Hong Yi leave and immediately flung off the in white hemp garment while exhorting in a low tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother knows what should be done. I¡¯ve already endured through the time she was alive, would I make a mistake at this point?¡± Dou Xiang Lan nodded as she replied. Leaving the mourning hall, Yao Su Luan looked all over the front courtyard but didn¡¯t find Ye Hong Yi¡¯s figure, so she hurried to the back courtyard to search. Compared to the noisy front courtyard, the back courtyard seemed extremely silent. Ye Hong Yi leaned against the jade arch bridge alone, his unfathomably deep pupils indifferently looked at the variety of koi in the jade pond. His lips briefly curled into an unclear curve, this was the ce where he had once met Yao Mo Xin. That time, Yao Mo Xin was feeding the fish here and almost fell, it was him that saved her just in time. Mo Xin, howzhenwishes you could have been a bit dumber. Even pretending to be dumb would be good. But, you know, your wisdom and farsightedness madezhenfeel as if it was impossible to hide, it madezhenfeel thatzhenled an ignoble and useless life!Zhenis really tired,zhendoesn¡¯t like that sort of feeling! Yao Mo Xin, it was you that easily steppedzhen¡®s intelligence under your feet and treaded on it! So you deserved to die! Chapter Volume 1 18 Chapter 18: Move Swiftly, Quietly Dispose Of Them ¡°Your Majesty, so you were here. You sure didn¡¯t make it easy for thisqieto find you.¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s emergence interrupted Ye Hong Yi¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Zhenreally doesn¡¯t want to see that lowly woman even for a second, even if it¡¯s her ashes.¡± Ye Hong Yi controlled the loathing in the depths of his eyes and turned his gaze towards Yao Su Luan.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°Thisqieknows Your Majesty does not like it. Thisqiealso feels ashamed to have that sort of sister. It is rare to have such a benevolent monarch, to be even willing to give her an honorable funeral, she must have had several lifetimes worth of good luck.¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s cloudy pupils abruptly shed as she resentfully spoke. ¡°Your Majesty, it looks like it¡¯s about to rain. How about thisqieapanies you back to the room? If you don¡¯t like, it¡¯s fine if thisqieapanies you back to the pce.¡± Seeing Ye Hong Yi silent, Yao Su Luan¡¯s cherry lips slightly curved, both her hands wrapped around Ye Hong Yi¡¯s arm as she coquettishly suggested. ¡°In order to not break the ancestral custom,zhenwill stay one night in Xiangfu. It¡¯s been a difficult day,zhenis also tired, let us head to your room to rest.¡± Ye Hong Yi indifferently spoke. Yao Su Luan was naturally uncontrobly happy and immediately pulled Ye Hong Yi towards Plum Pavilion. Until the footsteps gradually grew far away, only then did Yao Mo Wan walk out with heavy steps from behind the fake hill. Seeing Ye Hong Yi and Yao Su Luan¡¯s figures gradually grow indistinct, Yao Mo Wan only felt as if her chest was being cruelly drilled into by an awl, until it was broken to pieces. After it ached until numbness, all that was left was hate. ¡°Miss, those ministers in the front hall all left. Big Madam has returned to the Bamboo Wish Pavilion,is resting in the front hall and Liu Xing¡¯s side has finished all their preparations.¡± After spotting Yao Mo Wan next to the fake hill, Yue Ting steadily walked over and reported in a low voice. ¡°Tell Liu Xing to carry out everything ording to n.¡± The light voice carried bone-chilling cold. Yao Mo Wan¡¯s beautiful pupils abruptly shed coldly, her lips curled into a slight, ice-cold curve. Inside the Bamboo Wish Pavilion, Dou Xiang Lanid down on the chair, straining to take the tea cup Ping Zhi handed over.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°During her life she obstructed my sight, even after death she doesn¡¯t let me rest. I had to waste my time keeping watch beside her coffin the entire day, I couldn¡¯t even drink a sip of water. Seriously wretched luck! Hit over here, this leg is so sore I can¡¯t even lift it anymore!¡± Dou Xiang Lan fiercely drank a mouthful of tea as sheined. ¡°Big Madam, quell your anger. In any case this is thest time. In the future, whether it¡¯s Mo Wan or Yao Mo Xin, they won¡¯t ever appear in front of Madam again.¡± Ping Zhi half squatted as she massaged Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s leg and attentively cated her.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°En, if I think about this, my heart does feel a bit better. It¡¯s just that as long as Yao Mo Wan doesn¡¯t die, I won¡¯t be able to breath freely.¡± Dou Xiang Lan slowly leaned her body against the chair, her red phoenix eyes ruthlessly narrowed. ¡°Big Madam, when do you n on dealing with that imbecile?¡± Yu Xuan asked. ¡°You also heard whatsaid that day in the main hall, we¡¯ll wait a few days before discussing it again. Ah, that¡¯s right, did those hoodlums hand over Yu Xing?¡± Dou Xiang Lan suddenly recalled her little darling and immediately sat up and asked. ¡°Replying Big Madam, the hired thugs we sent over caught them and beat them half to death but still couldn¡¯t get Lougongzi¡®s whereabouts out of them. This servant reckons that they really don¡¯t know.¡± Ping Zhi surmised. ¡°Even if they don¡¯t know don¡¯t let them off easy. Tell the subordinates to move swiftly and quietly dispose of them. A perfectly living person, how could you guys be unable to find him!? Send some more people to search! It was rare for me to finally find someone so close to me in this lifetime, I couldn¡¯t bear it if something happens to him!¡± Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s slender willow leaf brows slightly knitted as she spoke anxiously.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. Right at this moment, an old servant suddenly ran in, his hands were even holding a box. ¡°Reporting Big Madam, a few moments ago there was someone outside that handed this box to this servant, saying this servant should personally hand the box to Big Madam, you.¡± The servant spoke as he carefully ced the box on the table. ¡°Alright, you can withdraw.¡± Ping Zhi saw that master was a bit impatient and immediately waved to indicate for the servant to withdraw.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°What is this? You open it to take a look.¡± Dou Xiang Lan did not object and lifted the tea to take a sip. Ping Zhi also didn¡¯t mind it, thinking it was just some gift for Big Madam from someone that wanted to walk through Master Xiang¡¯s backdoor so *she* immediately stepped forward to open the box. For some reason, so far there¡¯s no indication of what gender the servants beside Big Madam are. I¡¯m assuming they¡¯re girls. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± At the instant the box was opened, Ping Zhi¡¯s eyes suddenly turned round, her face became deathly pale and her entire person retreated and dropped to the floor, trembling nonstop. ¡°What is it?¡± Dou Xiang Lan looked questioningly towards Ping Zhi then got up to walk to the box. When she saw the bloody human head inside the box, the tea cup in Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s hand fell to the floor with a ¡®bang¡¯. She waspletely terrified and rooted to the floor. Ping Zhi resisted her fear with great difficulty and staggered to climb up and close the door tightly. Then, she walked with stumbling steps to Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s side and spoke, trembling.Please do not copy or host elsewhere. ¡°Madam¡­¡­ Madam, that looks¡­¡­ like it¡¯s Lou gongzi¡¯s head¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yu Xin¡­¡­ Yu Xin ah! Who was it? Whose evil scheme was this?I will get revenge for you! Ah!¡± Dou Xiang Lan who returned to her sense suddenly lunged at the box and held Lou Yu Xin¡¯s head in both her hands. Her tears gushed forth as she sobbed loudly. Seeing Dou Xiang Lan like this, Ping Zhi secretly was d that today was Yao Mo Xin¡¯s memorial service. Otherwise, crying like this without any cause or reason would definitely attract people¡¯s attention. ¡°Big Madam, don¡¯t be like this. The dead can¡¯t be revived ah, if other people found out it wouldn¡¯t be good.¡± Even so, Ping Zhi still prudently consoled her. Just as Ping Zhi gathered up her courage to help Dou Xiang Lan up, she suddenly spotted a note stuck onto the box. Chapter Volume 1 19 Chapter 19: Once Again, Attempting to Enter the Pce ¡°Lou Yu Xin was killed because of Yao Zhen Ting . Five years ago Yao Zhen Ting took a third wife behind Madam¡¯s back and even has a son. The Third Madam resides currently in the Sufueast of the city¡­¡­¡± Ping Zhi picked up the note and read it, a bit numbly. ¡°What!¡± Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s eyes widened like copper bells, she fiercely grabbed the note from Ping Zhi¡¯s hands with her bloody fingers. Reading the content of the note, Dou Xiang Lan was infuriated to the point her whole body shook and blood rushed up to her head, her anger soared and immediately rushed out of Bamboo Wish Pavilion, not caring about anything. ¡°Madam¡­¡­ Madam, you must not act recklessly!¡± Ping Zhi knew that this turn of events was far from good and hurriedly chased after her. Seeing Dou Xiang Lan and Ping Zhi run out of Bamboo Wish Pavilion, Ting Yue secretly tailed them until she saw Dou Xiang Lan and Ping Zhi run out of Yao Xiangfudirectly towards the east of the city. Then Ting Yue finally rxed and returned to thefuto find Liu Xing. In the side room of the main hall, Yao Zhen Ting currently had his eyes closed as he rested. He was also silently pondering his next move, how to support Yao Su Luan to ascend to the empress position when the door of the room was suddenly pushed open. Pleas ¡°Lao ye, it¡¯s not good!¡± Liu Xing walked in with a terrified expression and dropped to a kneel in front of Yao Zhen Ting. ¡°What is it?¡± Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s brows knitted tightly as he looked towards Liu Xing, irritated. ¡°Something is wrong with Big Madam! Just now, this servant saw Big Madam rush out like she had gone mad towards the east of the city. She was even screaming kill kill kill, and saying what third wife, little young master¡­¡­¡± Liu Xing anxiously reported. ¡°What!? Crap!¡± Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s voice vibrated like thunder and he immediately jumped up from the chair, not even bothering to put on his shoes before rushing out. ¡°Yao Tu! Prepare a pnquin! Hurry and prepare a pnquin¡ª¡± Yao Zhen Ting knew that Dou Xiang Lan was usually the jealous type. Now that she found out he had received Su Mu Zi outside thefuand even had a son, afraid there¡¯s going to be a big scene. Seeing Yao Zhen Ting leave Yao Xiangfuin the pnquin, Liu Xing didn¡¯t dare to waste even a second and immediately ran towards Opaque Flower Pavilion. In Opaque Flower Pavilion, Yao Mo Wan was sitting in front of the copper mirror. She indifferently look at that beautiful as pearls mien in the mirror, some chill overflowing from her eyes. Yao Mo Wan, seducing Ye Hong Yi is the most disgusting thing in the world to do, but you must do this, for the sake of revenge. For the sake of crushing those who wronged you one by one under your feet you must smile, smile sweetly¡­¡­ ¡°Miss,has already left thefuto chase them!¡± Liu Xing ran in gasping for breath, reporting excitedly. But upon seeing Yao Mo Wan¡¯s clothes that had arge amount of exposure, his heart felt as if it dropped to the ground. ¡°Got it. Ting Yue, let¡¯s go.¡± Yao Mo Wan gathered all of her strength in order to maintain the smile on her lips as she slowly lifted her body. ¡°Miss¡­¡­ You really want to enter the pce¡­¡­¡± Liu Xing¡¯s throat choked as he forced out the question. ¡°This is my only way out.¡± Yao Mo Wan saw the confusion and reluctance in Liu Xing¡¯s eyes. It was a pity, everything in her life had already flipped from the time she was in Fragrant Harmony Courtyard Within Plum Pavilion, the sound of strings and wind instruments stirred one¡¯s heart. Ye Hong Yinguidly sat on a wisteria bamboo chair in the main hall, his fingers yed with the jade pendant at his waist as his dark pupils looked with entertained appreciation at Yao Su Luan¡¯s body that was dancing in the center of the hall. Only seeing Yao Su Luan¡¯s toes tap the floor and her body was like the butterflies that danced amidst the flowers, captivatingly beautiful. Ye Hong Yi couldn¡¯t help but admit that Yao Su Luan¡¯s dance was unique and unmatched in all of the Inner Pce. Being able to see her dancing counted as quite an enjoyment. Finishing on dance, Yao Su Luan¡¯s charming eyes were like silk. Just as she wanted to get ready to properly, thoroughly serve Ye Hong Yi, a bunch of noise suddenly came from outside the door. ¡°Your Majesty, please quell your anger. Thisqiewill head out to take a look.¡± Seeing Ye Hong Yi¡¯s eyes slightly darken, Yao Su Luan immediatelymanded the musician to y some lighthearted tunes and with quick steps left the room. Outside the Plum Pavilion, Yao Su Luan¡¯s personal maid, Cai Ying was currently firmly blocking Ting Yue froming in. ¡°Who is it that¡¯s making a racket outside? If you startle His Holy Highness, do you guys have enough heads to be chopped!?¡± When Yao Su Luan walked out of Plum Pavilion, she arrived just in time to see Ting Yue and Cai Ying tangled in a fight. ¡°Niang niang, this girl¡­¡­¡± Before Cai Ying finished speaking, Ting Yue suddenly pushed aside Cai Ying and hurriedly threw herself in front of Yao Su Luan. ¡°Gui fei niang niang, it¡¯s bad! Big Madam found out thattook a third concubine outside who even gave birth to a son, and rushed out to find them, saying that she wants to kill that pair of mother and son.Lao yealso rushed out after hearing of this, it seems he even brought a knife¡­¡­¡± Ting Yue looked anxiously towards Yao Su Luan as she reported, flustered. Hearing this, Yao Su Luan was slightly shocked and sized Ting Yue up suspiciously. ¡°Father took a third concubine? Why didben gongnever hear of this? Ifben gongdid not remember wrong, you seem to be the second concubine¡¯s maid!¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s pupils gradually chilled as she spoke coldly. ¡°This servant is Ting Yue. Just now, it was this servant that personally saw Big Madam rush out crazily.Lao yealso followed after riding a pnquin¡­¡­¡± Seeing Yao Su Luan this calm, Ting Yue¡¯s heart panicked and her tone became somewhat weaker. Just when Yao Su Luan wanted to speak again, Yao Tu suddenly ran over from behind. ¡°Li fei niang niang, something terrible has happened. You better head to Sufu. Right now, besidesniang niang,there¡¯s no one else that can persuade! Big Madam is in imminent peril!¡± Yao Tu breathlessly reported. Gui fei is a title that tells YSL¡¯s concubine position. It¡¯sa pretty high rank. Then there¡¯s her given title, li fei that the emperor grants as like a nickname. Li Fei trantes to beautiful concubine. This is an interesting article interview of an actual concubine that may help you understand period novels like these a bit more. http://teranga-and-sun.blogspot/2012/06/secret-life-of-ming-concubines.html Seeing it was Yao Tu, Yao Su Luan¡¯s heart thumped and she immediately pushed Ting Yue aside to walk to Yao Tu. Chapter Volume 1 20 Chapter 20: Aroused His Extremely Great Interest ¡°Is what you said true?¡± Yao Su Luan grew up in Xiang fu and naturally knew about Yao Tu¡¯s usual calmness and steadfast loyalty. ¡°Lao yetook a third wife outside, the child is already four years old as well. You understand Big Madam¡¯s temper the most. Lao ye¡¯s son-loving heart, you also know clearly! If you don¡¯t go, the consequences would be too horrible to contemte!¡± Yao Tu¡¯s eyes were filled with panic as he anxiously spoke. ¡°But what about His Majesty?¡± Yao Su Luan in the end was a daughter with filial piety. Hearing that her own mother was in trouble, she somewhat became flustered about what she should do next. ¡°Saving someone is like putting out a fire, isn¡¯t it best if niang niang waited until your return to exin to His Majesty?¡± Yao Tu suggested. ¡°Whatever! Yao Tu, you lead the way. Cai Ying,e with ben gong!¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s willow eyebrows knitted as she urgently headed towards the direction of the fu doors. Seeing Yao Tu lead Yao Su Luan and Cai Ying away with her own eyes, Ting Yue fiercely wiped the cold sweat off her forehead. At this time, Yao Mo Wan had already walked into Plum Pavilion. ¡°Miss?¡± Ting Yue looked with worry towards Yao Mo Wan. ¡°You, stay outside and guard. Say that it¡¯s the Second Miss¡¯s orders. You can¡¯t let anyonee in.¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s voice was quiet as a tranquilke, yet unconceble chill still prated through it. Her beautiful-as-butterfly-wings pupils stared straight at the room in the Plum Pavilion. From within, the delightful sounds of musical instruments flitted past her ears. Yao Mo Wan curled her lips mockingly, this is the day of her funeral services, it really was pretty lively. Inside the room, Ye Hong Yi was feeling bored and was just about to send the musicians away when the door of the room was suddenly opened only to show a girl with a nimble body suddenly appearing. The girl¡¯s brows were like crescent moons, her almond-shaped eyes contained spring, light gauze concealed her face but a hazy pretty and flirtatious mien prated through the gauze. The brightly-colored flirty clothes on her body was separated at the top and the bottom. The coloring was garish and beautiful and in the middle a slim waist gave a panoramic view. Apanied by the melody, the girl sauntered to the center stage. Her body whirled and the fluttery skirt on the lower half of her body fluttered up, revealing a pair of pure jade white legs that immediately and greatly aroused Ye Hong Yi¡¯s interest. The musicians on both sides only knew that this was something thegui feihad painstakingly arranged for His Majesty, so they yed the music at the pace of the girl¡¯s steps. The girl lightly unfolded her lotus arms and moved as if she were dancing to Ye Hong Yi¡¯s side. Then her jade foot suddenly boldly streaked past Ye Hong Yi¡¯s chest. That faintly discernible feeling abruptly ignited a seed of fire in Ye Hong Yi¡¯s heart. Seeing the swirling emotions in Ye Hong Yi¡¯s eyes, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s lips slightly curled. Her body suddenly leaned backwards, her jade leg winded around Ye Hong Yi¡¯s waist. With her face tilted back she picked up a glistening plump crystal grape from the table with her lips, her feathery clothes fluttering with this movement. Yao Mo Wan¡¯s dainty alluring posture made Ye Hong Yi¡¯s blood race. At this time, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s single foot has enough strength and she slowly withdrew the jade leg she had wound around Ye Hong Yi¡¯s waist. Her snow-white neck lifted up, slowly bringing the grape in her mouth to Ye Hong Yi¡¯s face. In the next second, Ye Hong Yi suddenly pulled Yao Mo Wan¡¯s arm, ferociously pulled her into his embrace. His finger slowly pulled off the light gauze on Yao Mo Wan¡¯s face, his thin lips lowered to swallow the grape into his stomach. Those pair of eyes, as if they had discovered their prey, bursted forth with dark light. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­¡± A sweet and unctuous sound slowly spilled out. Yao Mo Wan only felt her stomach roll. Facing this man she had loved with all of her heart for seven years, she suddenly wanted to vomit. This nauseating feeling soiled out from even fine hair on her body. ¡°Beauty, what¡¯s your name?¡± Ye Hong Yi streaked his finger across Yao Mo Wan¡¯s snowy neck, following the graceful curve straight down to the front of her chest. Abruptly unhooking the sp on the garment, the plumpness below the purple undergarments that seemed almost on the verge of appearing cause Ye Hong Yi¡¯s breathing to be coarse. ¡°My name is Yao Mo Wan, wan with warmth, gentleness and courteousness. Does Your Majesty like it?¡± Yao Mo Wan shed those beautiful as butterfly wings pupils and looked innocently towards Ye Hong Yi. Ye Hong Yi¡¯s sharp brows steeply knitted, a faint chill arising in his eyes. ¡°The Empress¡¯s blood rted younger sister? Ah¡ª Today is the Empress¡¯s funeral, you¡¯re not sad?¡± Ye Hong Yi only felt the passion in his heart half extinguished by icy water. ¡°Mo Wan is a fool. Fools won¡¯t feel sad.¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s jade arm lightly lifted and hugged Ye Hong Yi¡¯s neck as she replied earnestly. ¡°Oh?¡± A faint me reignited in Ye Hong Yi¡¯s eyes. He did once hear Yao Mo Xin mention this dumb little sister of hers, but he had never seen her before. ¡°Compared with Big Sister, Mo Wan had been treated as a fool from when Mo Wan was little. As long as Big Sister existed for a day, Mo Wan was a fool for that day. Now that Big Sister has finally left, Mo Wan is finally free. Your Majesty, say, do you think Mo Wan is dumb?¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s cherry lips slightly opened and closed, gleaming waves flickered in her clear pupils. Yao Mo Wan¡¯s words allowed Ye Hong Yi to feel a sympathetic connection. That¡¯s right, as long as Yao Mo Xin existed for a day, this entire world would feel he was a fool, that he was trash! Now that Yao Mo Xin has died, he¡¯s finally freed! ¡°What to do?Zhenjust loves fools!¡± Seeing Yao Mo Wan almost not even wearing a thread and tightly snuggling into his chest, the impulse that surged in Ye Hong Yi¡¯s heart at the very start gradually became stronger and stronger. His hand was already impatiently inching upwards on Yao Mo Wan¡¯s jade leg, directly entering her skirt. ¡°And Mo Wan is a fool ah!¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s soft low voice softened Ye Hong Yi¡¯s bones. Ye Hong Yi abruptly carried Yao Mo Wan withrge steps into the inner room. In the main hall, all the musicians looked at each other in dismay and gloomily withdrew from Plum Pavilion. On the bed, Yao Mo Wan writhed her lovely body like a snake. Like a blossoming fox that was wandering in the mountains and fields, each move caused extreme enticement, her coquettish gaze didn¡¯t leave Ye Hong Yi for even a second. Ye Hong Yi! Were it not for my wisdom, how could you have achieved your rivers and mountains!? Yet you actually used the most despicable method to send me into the eighteen levels of hell! Since you like fools, then I¡¯ll let you see clearly how I¡¯ll use my foolishness to destroy your country, to crush your bones into dust, making it so you can never be reincarnated! Watching the beauty on the bed, Ye Hong Yi impatiently pressed her down. His lips slid past Yao Mo Wan¡¯s ears, his moist wet tongue pressed against the soft earlobe as his snow-white teeth lightly nipped it. Ye Hong Yi kissed his way downwards, leaving a trail of pink marks on her neck. His hands could not resist his desires and covered the plump mounds on Yao Mo Wan¡¯s chest, a certain part on his body was already starting to lift its head. Chapter Volume 1 21 Chapter 21: Trap, Currently Slowly Sinking Down Yao Mo Wan acted as if she was enjoying Ye Hong Yi¡¯s passion, her slender jade fingers trailed back and forth on Ye Hong Yi¡¯s back. At this moment, she suddenly really wanted to stab her fingers into Ye Hong Yi¡¯s back and gouge out that heart of his, to see what color blood flowed on top of it. ¡°Zhen likes you¡­¡­ do you believe this?¡± Feeling the heat on his back, Ye Hong Yi¡¯s movements gradually became rougher. At this time, thest underwear on Yao Mo Wan¡¯s body had already been tossed out. ¡°Yao Mo Wan doesn¡¯t know how to use her brain. Whatever Your Majesty says, Mo Wan believes it all¡­¡­¡± Looking at Ye Hong Yi that was lying in front of her chest and vigorously rubbing, a chill abruptly shed through Yao Mo Wan¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re really beautiful¡­¡­¡± Young bodies forever exude an irresistible allure to men, Yao Mo Wan¡¯s lips slightly curled. Yao Mo Wan, this demon has finally jumped into your trap and is currently slowly sinking down, so you must smile, smile sweetly¡­.. ¡°Mo Wan¡¯s beauty, Mo Wan will only let Your Majesty see¡­¡­ Ah¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s brows slightly knitted as she lightly moaned. A pain like being torn apart came from some part of the body, but the curve on her lips actually increased by several degrees. A body that tensed up so delicately like this was almost like a butterfly that had just emerged from a torn cocoon, driving Ye Hong Yi¡¯s passion up to the limit. His dark pupils emitted mankind¡¯s most primitive beast-like light, Ye Hong Yi¡¯s hands held Yao Mo Wan¡¯s snow-white shoulders as he greedily took in her beauty. There were so many women in the Inner Pce, yet there was not a single person that could bring him such ecstasy like the darling beneath his body here. Ye Hong Yi became intoxicated in this beautiful body, and to his heart¡¯s content vented all the pent-up frustrations and moodiness of the past few days. Looking at Ye Hong Yi, his cold yet handsome face that was dripping with perspiration, a trace of despise and chill streaked through Yao Mo Wan¡¯s eyes. She could tell, Ye Hong Yi likes this body, likes it to no end. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­ gentler please¡­¡­ this servant hurts¡­¡­¡±Yao Mo Wan softly moaned and looked bashfully towards Ye Hong Yi, tears spinning in the rims of her eyes. Her lovely charming appearance once again utterly defeated Ye Hong Yi¡¯s rationality. ¡°If it hurts, just call out¡­¡­ don¡¯t hold it in¡­¡­¡± Ye Hong Yi panted heavily, the hoarse voice continuously sounded out. His body continued to besiege and plunder nonstop. He was not the type to have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex. The only thing he wanted was to enjoy pleasure, it was the allegiance and reverence of all the people in the entire world. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ it hurts¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan obediently fulfilled Ye Hong Yi¡¯s despicable selfish desires. Her voice was tender and enticing, so Ye Hong Yi could no longer hold back and climaxed, sprinting towards the clouds by himself¡­¡­ ck clouds pressed against each other above and the sound of muffled thunder rumbled. The lead colored clouds surged and rolled as the air was filled with the diffusing vor ofing events casting their shadow before them. At the east Su fu, a rumble broke the usual tranquility. Inside the main courtyard, Dou Xiang Lan was pulling and tearing at Su Mu Zi¡¯s hair like a mad dog. Viciously throwing her onto the floor, she immediately lifted her leg and frenziedly trampled Su Mu Zi whose face was already filled with scratch marks while loudly abusing her. ¡°I should have guessed that it was you, you damned bitch! Five years ago I didn¡¯t beat you to death, it counts as you were lucky. Today, watch how I¡¯ll peel your skin alive! You lowly disgusting wretch! Fox-faced seductress! All you know is to seduce men!¡± Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s face was sinister, the corners of her eyes were cracked with her wide-eyed glowering re. Her scarlet eye beads seemed to shoot mes at they red directly at Su Mu Zi, her leg fiercely kicked as both her hands simultaneously attacked, grabbing and twisting until Su Mu Zi¡¯s entire body was bruised purple and green. ¡°You bad woman! Let go of my mother!¡± Just then, a four-year-old boy ran out from somewhere and rushed towards Dou Xiang Lan with an angry expression. He went up and opened his mouth, biting Dou Xiang Lan to the point that she screamed in pain. ¡°Yu er, hurry and go back. Don¡¯te over here!¡± On the ground, Su Mu Zi endured the pain and lifted her head, pushing away Yao Yu who had ran over with both hands. ¡°You little bastard, how dare you bite me! See if I don¡¯t tear your mouth to pieces!¡± Seeing Dou Xiang Lan rush over, Su Mu Zi immediately took Yao Yu into her hands. No matter how Dou Xiang Lan kicked and trampled her, she still desperately protected her son. ¡°Ping Zhi! What are you still dazing out over there for,e here and pull them apart!¡± Dou Xiang Lan fiercely snarled, casting an angry look at Ping Zhi. At the side, Ping Zhi originally didn¡¯t want to get involved, but the master had given amand so she obviously could not remain indifferent. Thus, she stepped forward and forcefully pulled Yao Yu away. ¡°No¡­¡­ I beg you, leave Yu er alone, he¡¯s still a child¡­¡­¡± Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s palm ruthlessly pped over like a raindrop, hitting Su Mu Zi to the point that the corners of her mouth seeped blood. Just as Su Mu Zi was powerless to resist, a lion-like roar came from the fu entrance. ¡°Stop!¡± Yao Zhen Ting looked at the scene in front of him, his usually refined face was immediately filled with fury. As everyone was frozen in a daze, Yao Zhen Ting had already rushed withrge stomps to Ping Zhi, with one leg he kicked Ping Zhi aside as he took Yao Yu into his arms. ¡°Dou Xiang Lan, are you done acting insane yet?!¡± Yao Zhen Ting growled in a low tone, walking towards Dou Xiang Lan step by step. ¡°Lao ye is actually asking if I¡¯m done acting insane? This qie hasn¡¯t even askedo ye what¡¯s going on yet! How is it that for no reason there is an additional third wife?! And there¡¯s even that vermin!¡± Due to anger, the hand with which Dou Xiang Lan pointed at Su Mu Zi shook like a loom, the expression on her face was even more twisted, like that of a devil¡¯s. ¡®Pah¡ª¡¯ a sound rang out. Before Dou Xiang Lan could react, the left side of her face immediately swelled up, five finger marks appeared clearly on top of her skin. ¡°Lao¡­¡­o ye! For this sake of this trashy bitch you actually hit me!? Damn you*!?¡± Dou Xiang Lan was stunned for a moment, then she crazily charged towards Yao Zhen Ting. Luckily, she was stopped by Ping Zhi who was at the side. ÎÒ¸úÄãÆ´ÁË ¡°damn¡± is a trantion that¡¯s really no where close. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡± is probably a closer trantion, but in that time period you¡¯ll be killed if you actually say the words you¡¯ll kill your husband to your husband, unless he¡¯s already in a super weak position, anyways. What she actually uses is a saying that¡¯s like, I¡¯m going to use everything I have/stake it all to either beat the crap out of him or kill him, it¡¯s not explicitly stated. ¡°Dou Xiang Lan! Listen up! Yao Yu is not vermin, he¡¯so fu¡®s(my) son! He is the firstborn that will seed my Yao family and burn incense for our family¡¯s ancestors!¡± Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s gaze was like a torch as he coldly dered. The hand that was hugging Yao Yu increasingly tightened. ¡°Pei! Without this qie¡®s nod, this wretch should never dream of entering Yao Xiang fu¡¯s main doors! And the thing she gave birth to, is naturally a vermin without name or status!¡± Feeling Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s fury, Dou Xiang Lan gave a fierce ¡®pei¡¯ but didn¡¯t rush up desperately again. ¡°Dou Xiang Lan! Don¡¯t thinko fu(I) don¡¯t know what good things you¡¯ve been up to outside. Leaving each other a face is good for both of us. Scram right now. From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to disturb the two of them, never set half a foot into Su fu again!¡± Yao Zhen Ting warned with a heavy tone. It was just that it would have been better if Yao Zhen Ting didn¡¯t say that. With this mention, Dou Xiang Lan suddenly recalled Lou Yu Xin¡¯s tragic death. A streak of pain immediatelyced through her heart and fury once again rushed to her head. ¡°You killed Yu Xin, I must have this vermin pay for it with his life!¡± No matter how Ping Zhi pulled, from start to finish she could not stop Dou Xiang Lan who was acting like a mad dog. However, she forgot. No matter how violent a woman is, there¡¯s still no way she would be able to go against a man¡¯s strength. ¡°Dou Xiang Lan! Don¡¯t think thato fu doesn¡¯t dare to kill you!¡± Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s eyes were like thistle. A single hand fiercely clutched Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s neck, the fingers slowly tightened. ¡°Nnnn¡­¡­ you¡­¡­ let go¡­¡­¡± Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s hands desperately tried to pry off Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s fingers. Her face turned from red to purple and her eyes started rolled back. At the side, Ping Zhi with a plop fell to a kneel on the ground to beg for mercy. It was just that Yao Zhen Ting, at this time, was already angered to the limit. Just thinking about that filthy affair between Dou Xiang Lan and that actor, recalling how Dou Xiang Lan repeatedly hurling abuse at his precious son, his hand tightened even more. ¡°Is Father really going to kill ben gong¡®s birth mother for the sake of this lowly woman?¡± The cool voice contained faint chill. Just at Dou Xiang Lan¡¯sst gasp, Yao Su Luan suddenly stepped into Su fu. Behind her, Cai Ying also followed her in. Yao Su Luan¡¯s appearance reversed the current situation. Yao Zhen Ting hesitated for a second but in the end released Dou Xiang Lan. Then he walked to Su Mu Zi and pulled her up. ¡°Thismon woman Su Mu Zi kowtows in salute, li fei niang niang¡­¡­¡± Su Mu Zi was originally a servant girl of the Yao fu. But due to the fact that she was born with good looks, she provoked Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s jealousy. Later, when Dou Xiang Lan discovered that Yao Zhen Ting was interested in this maid, she found a reason to give her a heavy beating and chased her out of Yao fu. That¡¯s why, Su Mu Zi is very clear in regards to the people and affairs of the Yao family. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Sonia Chapter Volume 1 22 Chapter 22: No Need to Deliberately Curry Favor ¡°My daughter ah! You must get justice for Mother! This goddamn father of years actually wanted to kill Mother for the sake of this lowly wretch¡­¡­¡± At this time, Dou Xiang Lan who was finally able to breath again suddenly threw herself to Yao Su Luan¡¯s side, bawling loudly. Right at that moment, a sh of lightening struck past and a burst of sound suddenly came from the sky. Immediately following that, a downpour started, hiding the skies and covering the earth, flowing as if the river of the sky had ruptured and could not be repaired. Yao Su Luan naturally walked quickly into the main hall supported by Cai Ying. The people in the courtyard followed her in, the atmosphere of the main hall immediately dropped to almost freezing. Yao fu Plum Pavilion The booming of the thunder caused Yao Mo Wan who was dozing off on the mattress to start awake. Her dainty eyes slowly blinked open only to Ye Hong Yi was currently hugging her, their bodies pressed together without even an inch between them while he looked at her with a smirk. ¡°Zhen¡¯s little devil ah, without zhen¡¯s permission how could you fall asleep?¡± Ye Hong Yi yed with the cherries in front of Yao Mo Wan¡¯s chest as if he loved them to much to part with them, his eyes filled with a half joking insatiable desire. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­ This servant¡¯s tired¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan wrapped her slender arms around Ye Hong Yi¡¯s neck, her voice clearly had a bit of exhaustion. This was already the third time Ye Hong Yi looked at her with eyes that carried this expression. Yao Mo Wan was very satisfied with Ye Hong Yi¡¯s insatiability. The more insatiable he was, the greater her odds of sess. So even though she was very tired, she still used those innocent eyes to thoroughly stroke Ye Hong Yi¡¯s passion. ¡°But zhen¡¯s not tired, what to do?¡± Ye Hong Yi¡¯s palm stroked towards the smooth jade flesh on Yao Mo Wan¡¯s leg. His thin lips bit down on her captivating red lips, a certain part of his body burned with a hard to hold back fiery passion. He had no idea how such a clear as ice and clean as jade body could bring give him such an immense longing, causing him to be unable to stop himself from seeking it over and over. The fragrant balm on Yao Mo Wan¡¯s lips was a vor he liked, to the point that his lips stayed for a long time before reluctantly moving away. Fervently kissing his way down, he only paused at the chest for a while before continuing on downwards. A new round of intense caressing once again started. Ye Hong Yi impatiently entered Yao Mo Wan¡¯s body, asionally letting out beast-like groans. Looking at the enraptured eyes of the man on top of her, Yao Mo Wan lightly moaned a bit as a response. So it turns out there was no need to curry favor, he was already this attached to this body. An almost imperceivable curve yed across Yao Mo Wan¡¯s cherry lips. Her heart, gradually turned more and more cold. A bolt of lightning shed past, producing an eye piercing bright light, apanied by the booming of thunder. Ye Hong Yi once again released the heat in his body and rested on top of Yao Mo Wan¡¯s body, satisfyingly falling into a deep sleep. Yao Mo Wan slowly extended her lotus arm, lifting her eyes to look at the five fresh jade fingers in front of her. The glossy full nails smeared with dark reddish purple finger dye, in the contrast of the lightning, seemed increasingly scarlet as blood. She traced her fingertips across Ye Hong Yi¡¯s back, drawing a circle around the back area of his heart. Her lips, hooked into an unrestrained curve. Lightning once again streaked across the sky, the smile on Yao Mo Wan¡¯s face suddenly transformed into a frightfully sinister expression as if that of Asura¡¯s. Inside the main hall of Su fu, Yao Zhen Ting once again reiterated his stance. As long as Dou Xiang Lan never disturbed Su Mu Zi and Yao Yu again, she will still be the Big Madam of Yao Xiang fu. Otherwise, for the sake of his son, he did not care about divorcing. Even if Yao Su Luan was here, he still insisted. At one side, Su Mu Zi humbly stood behind Yao Zhen Ting, trembling silently as she looked at Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s demon-like expression. She knew that she didn¡¯t have the qualifications to speak. ¡°My daughter ah! Say something ah! Look at your Father, he¡¯s even bullying me now!¡± Dou Xiang Lan pulled at Yao Su Luan like a vixen while weeping bitter tears. ¡°For Father to be blessed with a precious son is a happy asion. But we are still one family, how could we let them live outside? If this was spread outside, wouldn¡¯t we beughingstocks? So Daughter feels that we should have Third Madam and Yao Yu move back to Yao Xiang fu, what do you think, Father?¡± Yao Su Luan swiveled her bright glittering pupils and with a shallow smile walked to Yao Zhen Ting and swept her jade finger across Yao Yu¡¯s tender cheek. ¡°Daughter! How could you let¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mother, in the end Yao Yu is the blood of the Yao family, he¡¯s Father¡¯s son. Can it be you want to keep him outside to float, never able to recognize his ancestors and return to his n? Yao Mu Zi is Yao Yu¡¯s birth mother, naturally she should also return to Xiang fu with him!¡± See Dou Xiang Lan unwilling, Yao Su Luan¡¯s expression immediately changed, the colors of her eyes gradually turning dark. ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alright! It¡¯s not like this is any serious matter. Ben gong has already decided on this matter. Right now His Majesty is still in Yao Xiang fu, ben gong must hurry back!¡± Yao Su Luan seemed to have some deeper meaning as she looked at Yao Ting Zhen. The unspoken implication was that there was already no need to seek his opinion. Dou Xiang Lan still wanted toin but was pulled back by Ping Zhi. ¡°Do you still not understand niang niang¡®s(YSL) intentions? As long as they return to Yao Xiang fu, they will be under Madam¡¯s eyelid. At that time there¡¯d be no need for Madam to rage about not being able to deal with them! Master Xiang right now is still in a fit of anger, if Madam continues to be so headstrong and doesn¡¯t yield a little, don¡¯t know what else Master Xiang may end up doing.¡± Ping Zhi quietly murmured with persuasion into Dou Xiang Lan¡¯s ear. After Dou Xiang Lan heard, she released a breath. Changing the sinister expression on her face, she swept her eyes past Su Mu Zi and stopping her gaze on Yao Zhen Ting. ¡°Since li fei niang niang has already spoken, then this qie is also not an unreasonable person. Ping Zhi, tomorrow, go instruct the servants to sweep and clean up Quiet Snow Pavilion and let the two of them move in there.¡± Dou Xiang Lan angrily said. At the side, Su Mu Zi reached out to caress Yao Yu¡¯s little face, timidly looking towards Yao Zhen Ting. Yao Zhen Ting patted the back of Su Mu Zi¡¯s hand, consoling her, but did not refuse. Even though he doesn¡¯t want to let Su Mu Zi and his son to move back to Xiang fu, but in the end Yao Su Luan was a gui fei, since she had already spoken, it would be bad for him to refuse. It was already past five. The gloomy sky was gradually darkening, yet the torrents of rain still didn¡¯t show any sign of letting up. ¡°Niang niang, it¡¯s raining so heavily. It¡¯s best if we wait until the rain lessens before going. At this time, His Majesty has probably already gone to sleep.¡± Cai Ying looked at the pouring rain outside that was practically a waterfall and suggested quietly. ¡°No! Ben gong feels uneasy leaving His Majesty alone there.¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s willow brows knitted, her heart faintly feeling some anxiety. When she was about to walk out the doors, a sudden sh of lightning streaked past. After the bright sh, a cypress tree in the main courtyard toppled to the ground with a loud ¡®snap¡¯, the ce where it splintered off was still smoking. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s wait a while!¡± The scene in front of her was practically forcing Yao Su Luan to return back to the main hall. However, this one wait,sted precisely one night. Early the next morning, when Yao Su Luan and the rest returned to Xiang fu, Yao Tu hurriedly came out to greet them. ¡°Yao Tu, did His Majesty sleep wellst night? Has he still not woken up yet?¡± Yao Su Luan lift her foot and stepped into Xiang fu as she respectfully asked. ¡°Replying Second Miss, His Majesty has already returned to the Pce.¡± Yao Tu respectfully bowed, reporting the facts. After these words came out, Yao Su Luan suddenly froze, then quickly turned around to look at Yao Tu. ¡°What did you say? Returned to the Pce? Then His Majesty got angry?¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s voice was slightly cold, looking with some irritation towards Yao Tu.If she knew earlier, she would have rushed back despite the rain. ¡°Well, no, but ¡­¡­¡± Yao Tu hesitated, subconsciously ncing towards Yao Zhen Ting. ¡°What are you looking towards Father for? Ben gong is asking you a question!¡± Yao Su Luan urged. ¡°Replying niang niang, His Majesty didn¡¯t get angry. It was just that when His Majesty left he also took Third Miss with him.¡± Yao Tu reported honestly. ¡°What!?¡± Yao Su Luan looked incredulously towards Yao Tu. At the side, Dou Xiang Lan shoved aside Yao Zhen Ting who was just as astonished and strode to Yao Tu, seizing his cor. ¡°Why would His Majesty take that fool with him? Hurry and exin!¡± Just as Dou Xiang Lan was demanding Yao Tu speak, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the door. Majestic Imperial guards from the Imperial Pce sat upon jujube-red colored horses. Heading them, was Ye Hong Yi¡¯s most favored trusted adviser, An Bing Shan. __________ Chapter Volume 1 23 Chapter 23: Beautiful As If a Fairy ¡°An imperial decree has arrived! Yao Zhen Ting, receive the decree!¡± An Bing Shan held a jade gold scroll with one hand as he leaped off the horse and strode into Yao fu, then immediately unfolded the decree. Yao Zhen Ting and the others heard and uniformly knelt on the floor, bowing their heads to listen respectfully. ¡°Having received the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor gives an imperial decree. Li fei Yao Su Luan is dignified and virtuous, her nature beautiful and intelligent. Having long served in the Inner Pce, she is well able to handle the matters of the inner pce so she shall be conferred the title of imperial gui fei*¡­¡­¡± On the ground, the originally excited Yao Su Luan¡¯s expression darkened upon hearing the three words imperial gui fei. The Emperor had hinted before that he would make her Empress, how did it change to bing an imperial gui fei? And why is it Father that¡¯s receiving the imperial decree? the word »Ê (huang) is added to her title which ismonly used as part of the word Emperor or stuff rted to the Emperor, so I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s a status only one step down from the Empress. I chose to trante it as imperial to make it easier on you guys to remember though all the concubines of the Emperor are imperial consorts as well. And I¡¯m leaving it in lowercase because capitalizing the pinyin looks bad, at the same time, just leaving Imperial capitalized looks bad as well. I¡¯ll be italicizing the entire thing, so just remember the entire phrase is a title. Hearing this, Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s heart slightly sank. Just as he was about to rise up to receive the decree, he was stopped by An Bing Shan. ¡°Minister Yao is being too impatient, za jia* still hasn¡¯t finished reading yet. Yao fu¡¯s third daughter is of ethereal beauty that is both magnificent and tranquil, with a gentle temperament that soothes zhen¡¯s(imperial ¡®our¡¯) heart. She is conferred the title of gui fei, bestowed the character Yao*! Decided by the Emperor himself, thank His Majesty for his grace.¡± After An Bing Shan finished reading the imperial decree, a fawning smile appeared on his wrinkled face and he stepped forward to hand the edict into Yao Zhen Ting¡¯s hands. At this moment, Yao Su Luan who was kneeling on the floor had her eyes wide open, her eyes were scarlet as thistle. It was as if she was struck by lightning. Her blood froze, His Majesty actually bestowed a title to that fool! Why? Dou Xiang Lan who was kneeling to one side was already unable to hold herself back, it was just that she couldn¡¯t very well re up with An Bing Shan here. 1. Za jia is how pce eunuchs refer to themselves. A quick search said it was at first a way for monks to refer to themselves and has a humble tone and connotation of the speaker simply leads a peaceful and in life. 2. Also, like how Yao Su Luan also has the title of li fei, Yao Mo Wan now has the title of yao fei, which is the same yao as her name. It means good-looking/handsome. ¡°Congrattions imperial gui fei, congrattions High Minister Yao! Za jia will thicken his face to ask High Minister to bestow a reward. This is a joyous asion, please let za jia have receive some of the cheerful atmosphere as well!¡± An Bing Shan smiled towards Yao Zhen Ting. ¡°Of course.¡± Yao Zhen Ting forced back the shock in his heart and nced towards Yao Tu. Yao Tu naturally understood tacitly and handed the hundred tael banknotes that he usually kept in his sleeves respectfully to An Bing Shan. ¡°As expected of the High Minister, every act is magnanimous and generous. Then za jia will take leave first.¡± An Bing Shan nced at the figure on the banknote, smiled and left. Just as An Bing Shan took the first step out of Yao Xiang fu, Yao Su Luan immediately snatched the imperial decree and read through it in fragments. As expected, it did have the decree to make Yao Mo Wan yao fei. ¡°How could His Majesty name that fool as an imperial concubine? What in the world happened?!¡± Dou Xiang Lan hastily went to Yao Su Luan¡¯s side and eximed. ¡°Yao Tu! What exactly happenedst night? His Majesty wouldn¡¯t name that imbecile without a reason!¡± Envy high as the sky burned in Yao Su Luan, her severe eyes turned towards Yao Tu. ¡°This old servant really doesn¡¯t know ah!¡± Yao Tu put on a look of innocence as he faced Yao Su Luan. ¡°Cai Ying! Arrange the carriage, we are returning to the pce!¡± Yao Su Luan fiercely flung the imperial decree onto the ground and rushed out the fu doors with a vicious air about her. Seeing Yao Su Luan leave angrily, Dou Xiang Lan looked puzzled towards Yao Zhen Ting. ¡°Lao ye, what does this mean?¡± ¡°Means that I, Yao Zhen Ting, have more than just Yao Su Luan as my daughter! Hmph!¡± Yao Zhen Ting fiercely shot a re at Dou Xiang Lan and strode into the main hall withrge steps, leaving a startled Dou Xiang Lan to stand in ce alone. The air after the rain had the faint aroma of the earth. Yao Mo Wan lifted her eyes to fix her gaze on the threerge words ¡®Guan Osprey Pce¡¯ in front of her, her lips curling into an almost perceivable arc. The rising sun gently spilled sunlight onto her nation-arousing features. It was almost as if ayer of radiance was applied, it was beautiful as the immortal fairies in the paintings. ¡°¡®Guan guan¡¯ ospreys cry, on the ind within rivers. Sweet virtuouslydy, nobleman greatly seeks.* Third Miss, His Majesty seems to really like you!¡± At the side, Ting Yue looked at Guan Osprey Pce, feeling extremely emotional. Extended trantion of the poem = ¡°Guan guan¡± the osprey(river hawk) sings on that little ind in the river. Kind hearted beautiful youngdies are the ideal of young men. Guan guan is apparently the sound they make. It¡¯s a romantic poem, depicting an infatuated young man who¡¯s like passionately wooing the target of his love. ¡°Hereinafter, address ben gong as niang niang. This is the Imperial Pce, otherwise we¡¯d be breaking the rules here.¡± Yao Mo Wan indifferently said, a difficult to conceal exhausting showing on her face. After a night of repeated torment, finally it had bore fruit. But she never thought the result woulde so fast, so suddenly. When Ye Hong Yi said he wanted to bring her into the pce, she didn¡¯t know what kind of expression she should use to respond to him. In the end, she just gave Ye Hong Yi¡¯s thin lips a kiss then dumbly nodded her head. ¡°Yes, Ting Yue obeys!¡± See Yao Mo Wan walk into Guan Osprey Pce, Ting Yu naturally also following in happily. Although the decoration of Guan Osprey Pce wasn¡¯t asvish as that of Changle Pce, but it still didn¡¯t lose in grace and luxuriousness. Even Ting Yue who had seen quite a few rare treasures in Xiang fu still felt her eyes dazzled. ¡°Ting Yue, do you still remember that hamster we saw when we went past the Imperial Garden?¡± Yao Mo Wannguidlyid against the snow fox fur spread over the gui fei chair, her eyes lightly closed. ¡°Remember ah! Wonder whose hamster it is, why would they hang it in the pavilion?¡± Ting Yue recovered her gaze and trotted to Yao Mo Wan¡¯s side. ¡°The Imperial Garden is not far from here. Go over and see if it¡¯s still there? While at it, make some inquiries to find out whose ything it is?¡± Yao Mo Wan¡¯s eyes narrowed and she exhorted calmly. ¡°Yes, this servant will go right away!¡± Hearing this, Ting Yue put down the bundle in her hands and immediately jogged out Guan Osprey Pce. Hearing the footsteps gradually fade away, Yao Mo Wan slowly opened her eyes. She looked in the direction which Ting Yu disappeared pensively. The Imperial Pce has always been a ce that ate people whole without even spitting out the bones. If she wanted to have a footing here, just relying on the pampering of the Emperor is not enough, she still needs a capable helper. Although what she sent Ting Yue to do was something small, but perhaps small beginnings will show how things will develop. Then, she can judge whether or not Ting Yue will be able to be like a fish back in water amongst these pce maids and eunuchs in the Imperial Pce. Perhaps she really was tired. As Yao Mo Wan was contemting she had actually fallen asleep. It wasn¡¯t until Ting Yue covered her with a gown that she finally woke up. ¡°How long have you been back?¡± See that it was Ting Yue, Yao Mo Wan fiercely exhaled in relief. Then she got up and walked to the table, pouring a cup of tea for herself. ¡°Only just came in. Seeing niang niang was sleeping, this servant didn¡¯t dare to disturb.¡± Ting Yue cautiously responded. At that time in Yao Xiang fu, she had never known that her family¡¯s Third Miss actually had such a ¡®not angry yet still awe-inspiring¡¯ atmosphere. At this time, even though Yao Mo Wan¡¯s expression did not have a ripple, she was still a little tense. ¡°What have you heard?¡± Yao Mo Wan held the cup with one hand; her fingers pinched the lid of the cup and brushed aside a few leaves floating on the surface. ¡°Replying niang niang, when this servant got to the Imperial Garden, this servant saw an imperial physician continuously pricking that hamster with needles. His mouth was even counting. This servant didn¡¯t dare to disturb him and waited until he pricked it fifty times and put away the needles before daring to approach. That imperial physician¡¯s mouth was very strict, this servant wasn¡¯t able to get anything out of him. This servant actually bribed a pce maid that cameter and was able to find out from her mouth that the hamster belonged to Eldest Miss¡­¡­ It was the pet the Empress raised when she was alive. After the Empress passed away the Emperor started raising it. ording to His Majesty¡¯s meaning, the hamster got a foul ailment, and not only must it be hung in the pavilion to ventte, everyday it must be stabbed with needles fifty times in order for it to keep living.¡± Ting Yue enumerated in detail all that she heard. The sound of a cup shattering suddenly rang out. Yao Mo Wan sat silently next to the table, her vision flickering between light and dark. Her heart, actually turned into a ming sea. Ye Hong Yi, even a hamster, you can¡¯t let off even a hamster!? ¡°Niang niang? Are you alright?¡± Ting Yue only knew that Yao Mo Wan was distressed for that hamster and worriedly called. Not waiting for Yao Mo Wan to speak, Yao Su Luan had already stomped into Guan Osprey Pce with ruthless steps. ¡°Yao Mo Wan! Get your ass out here! You lowlymon concubine-born thing, how in the world did you seduce His Majesty?!¡± Seeing Yao Su Luan charge in like a vicious tiger, Ting Yue immediately stepped in front of Yao Su Luan and blocked her way. ¡°Se¡­¡­ Second Miss! What are you doing?¡± Without waiting for Ting Yue to finish speaking, a sudden drone sounded next to her ear, closely followed by a burst of scorching pain. Ting Yue suddenly felt her head spinning. ¡°What status do you have! To actually dare to block ben gong¡®s path! Scram!¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s ferocious eyes were like those of a wild beast as they exuded dark green light. Just as Yao Su Luan wanted to act again, Yao Mo Wan unhurriedly got up and walked with gracefully swaying steps to Ting Yue¡¯s side. Chapter Volume 1 24 Chapter 24: What You Are Isn¡¯t Gentle, It¡¯s Stupid ¡°Ting Yue, Wan er is really bored ah. Can you buy a kitty for Wan er to y with?¡± Yao Mo Wan tugged at Ting Yue with both hands like a spoiled child. Ting Yue couldn¡¯t help but freeze at her naive appearance. ¡°Niang niang¡­¡­¡± Ting Yue looked puzzled towards Yao Mo Wan. The current Yao Mo Wan was bit innocently dumb like the way she was in the past. ¡°Go ah! Go buy a kitty for Wan er. If you can¡¯t find one you can call Liu Xing to go with you. Second Sister is here with me, nothing will happen!¡± Yao Mo Wan smiled as she pushed Ting Yue out of Guan Osprey Pce. Even though Ting Yue didn¡¯t understand, but she know that her master was purposefully sending her away. ¡°Yao Mo Wan, get over here!¡± The moment Ting Yue left Yao Su Luan dragged Yao Mo Wan over as if she was picking up a small chick. She red at Yao Mo Wan fiendishly and angrily growled: Lowly whoreson, talk. What did you do to seduce His Majestyst night? Why would His Majesty name you imperial concubine?¡± Yao Su Luan had never looked directly at this foolish little sister ever since she was little. Furthermore, she never thought that there would be a day they would serve the same husband. ¡°Second Sister, you look scary!¡± Yao Mo Wan blinked her clear eyes, her hands pinched the hem of her jacket as she flinched while looking towards Yao Su Luan. ¡°Address me as imperial gui fei! Do you think this ce is Yao Xiang fu!? Hurry and talk, what exactly happened yesterday?¡± Looking at the Yao Mo Wan in front of her that only had the IQ of seven or eight year-olds, Yao Su Luan could not figure out how she could possibly have any heavens prating ability. ¡°Last night¡­¡­ Let Mo Wan think¡­¡­ Oh, Mo Wan remembered. Father said Second Sister was busy, so he had Mo Wan go y with His Majesty. Second Sister, does His Majesty usually y that way with you?¡± On Yao Mo Wan¡¯s simple face those pair of eyes glistened pure and clear, just like a fairy incapable of being tainted by the mundane world; just a casual look would attract people¡¯s souls. That face, is the image all men rush like ducks towards, and also incurs the jealous eyes of all women. ¡°y¡­¡­ how?¡± Yao Su Luan¡¯s willow brows tightly knitted as she looked suspiciously at Yao Mo Wan. ¡°By taking off clothes then kiss ah! His Majesty has a lot of strength ah. He kissed Mo Wan an entire night, making it so Mo Wan is still tired even now. And¡­¡­ That ce still hurts a lot¡­¡­¡± Yao Mo Wan bashfully approached Yao Su Luan¡¯s ear and softly murmured. ¡°Preposterous! Get away!¡± The me of envy shot up to her head and Yao Su Luan disgustedly pushed Yao Mo Wan aside, blue veins bulging forth on her forehead. At the side, Cai Ying couldn¡¯t help but blush hearing this and snuck a peek at Yao Mo Wan. Other than the fact that she was stupid, the woman before her did have capital that surpassed her master and thete Empress, Cai Ying thus thought. ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re so fierce ah! His Majesty doesn¡¯t like fierce women! His Majesty said he liked people that are gentle like Mo Wan!¡± Yao Mo Wan staggered and almost fell. After she steadied herself, she looked towards Yao Su Luan, huffed up. ¡°Pei! What you are isn¡¯t gentle, it¡¯s stupid! You¡¯re a fool!¡± Yao Su Luan abused. ¡°But His Majesty said he likes fools!¡± Yao Mo Wan talked back, looking at Yao Su Luan, the rims of her eyes slightly reddening. ¡°You! Cough cough¡­¡­ Just then you saidst night it was Father that had you go find His Majesty?¡± Yao Su Luan suddenly released that she was actually quarreling with a fool. It truly lowered her status as the imperial gui fei so she gave a cough, then coolly looked at Yao Mo Wan. ¡°Uhhuh. Before His Majesty arrived Father told Mo Wan Second sister didn¡¯t have time to apany His Majesty. Maybe Father thinks Second Sister had to keep watch beside the coffin for Eldest Sister, that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t have time to apany His Majesty?¡± Yao Mo Wan acted as if such a thing had happened and responded to Yao Su Luan¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Humph! To want ben gong to watch the coffin for that lowly wretch, as if she¡¯s fit for ben gong to do so! Father really deserves to be called a prime minister¡­¡­ ¡± Yao Su Luan grinded her teeth as she muttered, a faint cold light bursting forth from her eyes. No wonder Mother didn¡¯t discover it earlier orter, and just had to discover Su Mu Zi and Yao Yu¡¯s existence right when His Majesty got to Yao Xiang fu. So it turns out all of this was Father¡¯s n. My honorable Father ah, you wouldn¡¯t be thinking that this fool would be able to turn the tables for the Yao family, would you? Su Luan will prove to you, only Su Luan will be able to shoulder the reputation of the Yao family! Just as Yao Su Luan sank deep into thought, her body suddenly stumbled backwards. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that there was Cai Ying there to support her, she definitely would have fallen to the ground. ¡°Yao Mo Wan, have you gone crazy!? What¡¯d you push me for?¡± Yao Su Luan looked at Yao Mo Wan whose expression was puffed up with anger and fiercely shouted. ¡°What is Second Sister saying bad things about Eldest Sister for? Although Mo Wan doesn¡¯t understand stuff, but Mo Wan also knows that sisterly rtionships are deep. Eldest Sister treated us so well, of course she¡¯s fit for you to watch her coffin! It¡¯s actually Second Sister whose mouth is this stinky!¡± Yao Mo Wan red at Yao Su Luan and mumbled. ¡°What does a fool like you know! Get lost!¡± Yao Su Luan had no intention of socializing with a fool. Now that she knew this was all nned by her own Father, in the future she¡¯ll take more care. As for Yao Mo Wan, she has enough reasons to believe that His Majesty was just treating her as a bed-warming tool. To say Mo Wan couldpete for favor against her, that¡¯s practically an unbelievable joke. Seeing Yao Su Luan turn and leave, a streak of absolute chill shed through Yao Mo Wan¡¯s innocent eyes. Her lips slightly curled, almost imperceptibly. It was just that Yao Su Luan hadn¡¯t even left Guan Osprey Pce when she heard An Bing Shan¡¯s voicee from outside. ¡°The Emperor has arrived!¡± Hearing this, Yao Su Luan was stunned and immediately turned around to walk to Yao Mo Wan¡¯s side. Not caring whether Yao Mo Wan was willing or not, she pulled Yao Mo Wan¡¯s hand and acted as if they were close and intimate. ¡°Mo Wan ah, you¡¯ve juste to the pce. In the future if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, feel free toe to Pure Flowers Pce to find Second Sister. If anyone dares to bully you, Second Sister will definitely get justice for you!¡± The speed at which Yao Su Luan changes her face really makes Yao Mo Wan gasp in amazement. Back then, it was precisely this pure and sincere smile that deceived her eyes, causing her to keep a ravenous wolf at her side and raise it, cherish it, care for it. That¡¯s why they say, if people don¡¯t start their lives afresh, they wouldn¡¯t even know where they hadcked. ¡°Then Second Sister admits her wrongs?¡± Yao Mo Wan lifted her brows as she looked towards Yao Su Luan, asking with a pout. Yao Su Luan originally wanted to get angry, but seeing Ye Hong Yi enter the pce doors, fiercely nodded instead. ¡°There¡¯s Mo Wan¡¯s good Second Sister ah!¡± Yao Mo Wan pulled at Yao Su Luan with both hands, her eyes curving into crescent moons. ¡°What happened, for you to smile so happily?¡± Ye Hong Yi still didn¡¯t dare to believe that he would actually yearn for Yao Mo Wan¡¯s body so much. Just then in the throne room, the lingering scene of being with Yao Mo Wan was actually still on his mind. Especially those simple, quiet and exquisite cheeks, white without blemish. Perhaps it was because the temperament Yao Mo Wan exudes was his, Ye Hong Yi¡¯s greatest desire. That¡¯s why from the first time he saw Yao Mo Wan, he had made up his mind to confine this woman into his territory to raise and look after until he gets tired of her. ¡°This qie kowtows in greeting to the Emperor.¡± See Ye Hong Yi walk in, Yao Su Luan immediately folded both hands at her waist and bowed in greeting. At the side, Yao Mo Wan actually stood straight and didn¡¯t express the slightest intention of paying her respects. ¡°Mo Wan, you must salute the Emperor when you see him. Like how Second Sister did, hurry up!¡± Yao Su Luan acted anxious as she urged, but in reality she was eager for Yao Mo Wan to offend the dragon countenance so she would end up sharing the same fate as Yao Mo Xin. ¡°Oh!¡± Yao Mo Wan vigorously nodded, then copied Yao Su Luan. It was just that the moment her body bent, shepletely fell over. As she expected, Ye Hong Yi¡¯srge hands predicted it and supported her waist. On that face appeared indescribable warmth. If not for that painful experience, Yao Mo Wan probably would have been like other women and felt overwhelmed by this favor from superior. But right now, she only felt disgust. ¡°Mo Wan, how could you be¡­¡­How could you be so careless!¡± Seeing Ye Hong Yi¡¯s expression, Yao Su Luan swallowed back the word ¡®stupid¡¯ that was originally in her mouth. ¡°Forget it. Since yao fei doesn¡¯t know how to learn, then she doesn¡¯t need to learn!¡± Ye Hong Yi gently helped Yao Mo Wan up, then his hands moved away from her slender waistline almost as if they were reluctant to part, a faint fire started heating in his body. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Edited by Ocelot [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Chapter Volume 1 25 Chapter 25: Keeping Wang Ye Under House Arrest in the Inner Pce! ¡°Your Majesty, how can that be done, this is the Imperial Pce¡­¡­¡± Ye Hongyi waved his hand and broke off Yao Suluan¡¯s words, indulgently looking at Yao Mowan. ¡°Your Majesty, the Esteemed Prince is still waiting outside¡­¡­¡± An Bingshan found a gap in the exchange and quietly reminded. ¡°A-hem¡­¡­ invite the Esteemed Prince in.¡± Ye Hongyi gave a light cough. Only then did he let go of Yao Mowan¡¯s slender waist, but still, unwilling to part, he took her delicate little hand and walked to the main seat. At the side, Yao Suluan suddenly had a feeling as if she was the embodiment of empty air. From the moment Ye Hongyi walked in, he hadn¡¯t even spared her a single nce. In a white robe as before, contrasted with that white colored garment Ye Junqing was elegant as a tranquil schr. Like the clear clouds and the moon at daybreak, he dignifiedly stepped through the snow. Not a single strand of his ink ck hair was out of ce as it poured down in torrents, until it neatly arrived at his waist. His handsome facial features were as if the Heavens had thrown in all their care. Underneath his sculpted sword brows, that pair of refined eyes were cold as the river on a moonlit night, cold to the point it caused people to involuntarily tremble. Even so, that face still had unresistable demonic power, causing people to unfeelingly and unknowingly be intoxicated, incapable of freeing themselves. Yao Mowan suddenly recalled something. She remembered that Junqing¡¯s favorite color was azure blue, and the color he hated most was the color white, like that of a surrender g. Once, he had exined, in his eyes, white simply was a symbol of death. Yet right now, his body was covered in white, what does that signify¡­¡­ ¡°This humble servant kowtows in salute to Your Majesty.¡± A clear and melodious voice like the sound of rain tapping on cdon pottery. Even though itpletelycked emotion, yet it still sounded beautiful, causing people to have an insatiable desire to hear more. ¡°Junqing ah. Even though you¡¯re in the Imperial City, you always lock yourself in the Esteemed Prince Residence, causing zhen to hardly even have the chance to see you. This morning zhen has also proposed in the pce hall to have you move into the Imperial Pce so that it would also be easier for us brothers to get more familiar with each other again. After all, there¡¯s only you and I left of the brothers in the Imperial City.¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s eyes were slightly gloomy as he spoke with seemingly heartfelt sincerity. Based on normal standards, Ye Junqing had already drank a dozen pots of bestowed wine so he should already be bedridden by now. Yet today he¡¯s still able to stand in front of him, perfectly all right. From that it could be assumed he had long discovered that there was something wrong with the wine; so in order to prevent Ye Junqing from making any little moves, Ye Hongyi decided he might as well keep him in the Imperial Pce. Under his own eyelid, he reckons Ye Junqing would not be able to try any tricks. ¡°Junqing obeys.¡± Not resisting, not refusing, even without any wasted words, Ye Junqing, indifferently spoke. Whereever was all the same to him. A world without Yao Moxin was simply monochrome. ¡°En, it¡¯s just that for the time being the Imperial Pce doesn¡¯t have any unupied pces. Why don¡¯t you stay in the east wing of Guan Osprey Pce. As for meals and such, just have them together with Yao fei!¡± The moment Ye Hongyi¡¯s words fell, Yao Mowan was stunned for a moment. Immediately following that, she realized Ye Hongyi’s intentions. He wanted to put Ye Junqing under house arrest in the Imperial Pce. The advantage, he could guard against Ye Junqing at all times; the detriment, for the sake of maintaining his clean image he wouldn¡¯t be able to easily take Ye Junqing¡¯s life. Yet he was also unwilling to stop his own ns, which is why he arranged for Ye Junqing to stay in an idiot concubine¡¯s pce. Once ites to it that he can¡¯t let Ye Junqing stay any longer, he can find a pretext and behead Ye Junqing on the charge of seducing Yao fei. Afterall, a low IQ concubine couldn¡¯t possibly know how to seduce men. Yao Mowan suddenly really wanted tough. This is Ye Hongyi, selfish to the point it couldn¡¯t be concealed. At this time, no matter how much he spoils here, in his bones, she was nothing more than a temporarily interesting ything to him. As long as he needs it, at any time, like abandoning an outfit, he could send her to a grave. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid this probably wouldn¡¯t be very appropriate?¡± At the side, Yao Suluan was unbelievably stunned, she was practically envious to death. Seeing with her own eyes how Yao Mowan obtained His Majesty¡¯s favor, now she could even interact day and night with Ye Junqing, the man that has always held the title of great Chu¡¯s number one most beautiful man. To be able to have such great things, really don¡¯t know how many lifetimes of good fortune she had built up. Yao Suluan almost blurted out, she¡¯s an idiot ah! ¡°Could it be imperial gui fei has an even better n than zhen?¡± Ye Hongyi slightly narrowed his eyes as he looked towards Yao Suluan, a faint cold prating through his voice. Hearing this, Yao Suluan¡¯s throat choked up and she finally no longer spoke. ¡°Wan er ah, let the Esteemed Prince stay with you and apany you to have meals, alright?¡± Ye Hongyi shot a cold nce at Yao Suluan. Turning his gaze towards Yao Mo Wan, his finger couldn¡¯t help but brush across Yao Mowan¡¯s dainty cheek. Yao Mowan¡¯s foolishness was the same as Yao Moxin¡¯s farsightedness, the entire world knew of it, so he didn¡¯t need to be suspicious of it. ¡°Your Majesty sent for him to serve Wan er? Okay ah! But Wan er doesn¡¯t want to live with him, the bed¡¯s so small¡­¡­ Wan er only wants to live together with Your Majesty!¡± Yao Mowan blinked her eyes and energetically nodded. ¡°Haha! Zhen¡¯s little dumb melon ah! Alright! Zhen will bring you to take a look right now, exactly how small the bed in this Guan Osprey Pce is! All of you, withdraw!¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s scorching gaze undeviatingly fell on Yao Mowan¡¯s snow-white jade neck. With a move of hisrge hands, he suddenly swept Yao Mowan off the ground and carried her in a princess hold, then walked towards the bedroom under everyone¡¯s astonished gazes. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s eyes were filled with secret bitterness, but she could only look on helplessly as Ye Hongyi carried an idiot off to celebrate while leaving her, this recently promoted imperial gui fei, to stand in the cold. ¡°Esteemed Prince, the east wing has already been tidied up. If you¡¯re tired, you can go rest.¡± An Bingshan put on a fake smile as he walked to Ye Junqing¡¯s side and deferentially bowed. Silent, when Ye Junqing indifferently turned around, his pupils imperceptibly swept across the inner room. He had heard everything regarding Yao Mowan from Yao Moxin¡¯s mouth several times, so he did not doubt Yao Mowan¡¯s foolishness. But he really wanted to know who that Jing Xin that had once grinded ink for him was? In this world, could there really be two people that looked so identical? On the couch, Yao Mowan was currently acting out an innocent-without-guilt role, allowing Ye Hongyi to nibble and bite her like a vicious wolf, venting his emotions. The two bodies apanied each other like shadows into the night. Then again until dawn. Finally, Ye Hongyi got down from the bed, satisfied. He gently pinched Yao Mowan¡¯s cheek before leaving withrge steps. After the sound of the footsteps grew faint, Yao Mowan collected up that act andidnguidly on the bed. Aplicated expression grew and flickered in her simple eyes. Brought about by her own efforts, Ye Hongyi¡¯s country was stable as a copper wall, firm as an iron bastion, it would not be easy to shake. This path would be heavy and long. And all she can do right now is act the role of a white ant and slowly gnaw through this giant skyscraping tree¡¯s roots until it topples with a loud thump to the floor. Thinking to here, Yao Mowan gave a light sigh. Dragging her exhausted body, she got down from the bed. Looking at the flower skirt that was torn into shreds by Ye Hongyi, she couldn¡¯t help but give a cold sneer. Shortly after, she walked to the wardrobe and chose another bright and gaudy pce gown to put on, arranged her hair simply, then walked out of the bedroom. Yao Mowan had just sat down when she saw Ting Yue walk in, carrying a kitten with snow-white fur. ¡°Niang niang, this is the cat you wanted.¡± Ting Yue carried the cat with both hands and walked to Yao Mowan¡¯s side with her head lowered, her voice a bit hoarse. ¡°Lift your head.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s gaze shifted from that kitten to Ting Yue¡¯s face. Her pupils slightly turned cold: ¡°You cried?¡± It would have been better had Yao Mowan not asked. With this question, Ting Yue could no longer hold back and let out a sob. Tears pitter-pattered onto the kitten¡¯s body, causing the kitten to squirm about in Ting Yue¡¯s arms and try to get out. ¡°What happened?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s facial color was grave as she looked at Ting Yue. After interacting with Ting Yue for this while, she understood that Ting Yue was someone that wouldn¡¯t easily show their emotions. ¡°Niang niang¡­¡­ Liu Xing¡­¡­ Liu Xing is outside the pce, currently awaiting niang niang¡¯s summon¡­¡­¡± Ting Yue choked back her sobs and replied. Her hands tightly held on the the kitten, afraid that it would run out. ¡°Liu Xing has alsoe? Why didn¡¯t you bring him in? Hurry up and tell him toe in.¡± Yao Mowan suppressed the questions in her heart for the time being and mildly gave the order. When she saw Liu Xing¡¯s red-cored ck eunuch uniform appear in her eyes, Yao Mowan finally understood why Ting Yue would cry. Even she was vexed to the point that tears filled her eyes. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia Chapter Volume 1 26 Chapter 26: Liu Xing Entered the Pce and Became an Eunuch ¡°Liu Xing kowtows in salute¡­¡­. Yao fei niang niang¡­¡­¡± Liu Xing stood uneasily at the entrance, not daring to meet Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes as he spoke in a low voice. ¡°Liu Xing! What have you done?! Who had you do this!?¡± Yao Mowan strode withrge steps to Liu Xing, forcing herself to keep her tears from spilling out. Her lips trembled as she sternly scolded him. ¡°Liu Xing was self-willing¡­¡­ Liu Xing only wants to continue to stay at Miss¡¯s side to protect Miss and not allow anyone to bully Miss¡­¡­ Sorry¡­¡­ Liu Xing did not intend to make Miss angry¡­¡­¡± Liu Xing self-deprecatingly lowered his head until it was almost buried in his chest. His hands were tightly glued together, like a child that did something wrong and now didn¡¯t dare to lift his head. ¡°You¡¯re truly foolish! They all say ben gong is foolish, but the most foolish person is you! The one that should be apologizing is ben gong! Not you! Lift your head!¡± Yao Mowan had staunchly believed that after rebirth she would be able to endure anything and be able to remain indifferent regardless of humiliation or favor. But at this time, she still disappointed herself as tears fell. She did not have the heart to face Liu Xing, much less the heart to tell him that the person he used his life to protect had already left this world. The current Yao Mowan standing in front of him did not need anyone¡¯s protection, her powerful inner heart(mind) is enough to bring this Imperial Pce to ruins. Liu Xing lifted his head little by little, still not daring to meet Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes until Yao Mowan¡¯s hands pressed upon his shoulders. Finally, he was forced to look at the girl who had always been in his sight but out of reach for him in this lifetime. ¡°Liu Xing, listen up. From now on, ben gong will not let you bear anymore sufferings! No matter if it¡¯s you or Ting Yue, whoever dares to touch you two, ben gong will repay them tenfold!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s voice was like an evening drum and the morning bell is it rippled through the main hall of Guan Osprey Pce, as it rippled in Liu Xing and Ting Yue¡¯s hearts. ¡°Niang niang¡­¡­ then niang niang doesn¡¯t me Liu Xing anymore?¡± Ting Yue wiped her tears and spoke with a voice full of choked back emotion. ¡°Since things have already happened, we must look forward. There is no point clinging to the incidents of the past. But from now on, no matter what you two do, you must let ben gong know!¡± Yao Mowan collected back up the sorrow in her eyes and solemnly looked towards Liu Xing. Her rebirth was not for the sake of wallowing in grief and misery, not for crying the springs(seasons) and mourning the falls. ¡°Liu Xing will remember!¡± Liu Xing firmly nodded, a trace of a resolute smile appearing on his face. At breakfast, Yao Mowan instructed Ting Yue to prepare an extra pair of chopsticks and bowl. But all the way until she finished having breakfast, Ye Junqing still did not appear. ¡°Niang niang, should this servant go to the west wing to call the Esteemed Prince?¡± Ting Yue moved with several small quick steps to Yao Mo Wan¡¯s side, seeking instructions. ¡°Let him be. Bring ¡®Fluffy*¡¯ over to ben gong.¡± Yao Mowan spoke indifferently. Soon after, she got up to take the kitten from Liu Xing¡¯s arms. ¡®Fluffy¡¯ was the name Yao Mowan came up with for this kitten, there was no particr hidden meaning because based on her intelligence, this kitten¡¯s name can only be this childish. Ðõ×Ó ¨C The actual name is something like a cotton thing. So I was thinking cottonpuff¡­ but then I read on and it was supposed to be even more childish, so fluffy~ ¡°Niang niang, you(formal) intend to go out?¡± Seeing Yao Mowan walk towards the pce entrance while carrying the kitten, Ting Yue and Liu Xing hurriedly followed. ¡°You two stay here to tidy up, ben gong wants to take a stroll alone.¡± Yao Mowan stopped Ting Yue and Liu Xing and left Guan Osprey Pce while carrying Fluffy, heading straight towards the Imperial Garden. Stepping on the pebble-paved stone path, Yao Mowan only felt her heart chill to the bone. This was a path she had walked hundreds of thousands of times. At this time, stepping upon it actually caused a particr feeling of destion. When Yao Mowan wound her way to the pavilion of the Imperial Garden, she was surprised to see that familiar figure, the white robe purer than snow and gently swaying ink ck hair. Ye Junqing was currently holding a cage constructed from bronze, his ck jade-like pupils quietly gazing at the hamster inside. ¡°Moxin, you¡¯re truly heartless ah. How could you leave without a sound like this, abandoning it without care like this, abandoning me without caring¡­¡­¡± Ye Junqing lightly stroked the hamster inside the cage, a gem-like light flickering in his eyes. Heart, felt very pained, as if it was being encaged by piercing thistles and thorns. Everytime it thumped, it was pricked until fresh blood dripped. The hand Yao Mowan was using to carry Fluffy unconsciously tightened, causing Fluffy to cry out ufortably. ¡°Who is it?¡± Ye Junqing abruptly lifted his eyes, his sharp pupils searched for the sound and immediately shot to Yao Mowan who was standing in the corner. ¡°It¡¯s me ah! You also like this hamster? I also like it!¡± Yao Mowan knew she could not be able to hide so she simply strode forward. She raised her delicate face and smiled towards Ye Junqing. ¡°You were following me?¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s sword-like brows slightly creased. He couldn¡¯t tell if this girl in front of his eyes was Yao Mowan or if she was actually the Jing Xin he saw that day! ¡°Why do I have to follow you ah! You cane see this hamster but I simply can¡¯t? You¡¯re such a weird person!¡± When Yao Mowan was about to approach again, she was stopped by Ye Junqing. ¡°You stay away further away! It doesn¡¯t like that animal in your arms!¡± Ye Junqing very carefully took the bronze cage into his arms protectively, and then he looked at Yao Mowan with a warning gaze. Or perhaps it should be said, he looked at the cat in Yao Mowan¡¯s arms. ¡°I also don¡¯t like you calling it animal. It has a name, it¡¯s called Fluffy!¡± Yao Mowan pouted up her little lips as she mumbled. Her smooth fingers continuously stroked to calm the white cat stirring about restlessly in her arms. ¡°Are you real or fake?¡± Looking at Yao Mowan¡¯s naive appearance, she seemed to be apletely different person from that day¡¯s Jing Xin. Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes narrowed as he couldn¡¯t help but ask. Before he was able to get Yao Mowan¡¯s reply, the sound of Yao Suluan¡¯s startled exmation came from not far away. ¡°Mowan, so you were actually together with the Esteemed Prince! His Majesty had been looking for you all over the ce!¡± With Ye Hongyi next to her, Yao Suluan deliberately bit out the word ¡®together¡¯ especially crisply. The unconceble joy in another¡¯s misfortune showed on her face. ¡°Your Majesty, you were looking for Wan er?¡± The instant she saw Ye Hongyi, Yao Mowan ran over with little steps, seeming without any hesitation. Her beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled brightly and naturally. ¡°En, what is Junqing doing here?¡± Ye Hongyi took Yao Mowan into his arms, chilliness prating through his indifferent pitch-ck eyes. He hates that hamster, and even more, hates the person that was currently holding that hamster! ¡°This humble servant felt that this hamster was very pitiful and so wanted to bring it back to raise. Wonder if Your Majesty will allow this humble servant to do so?¡± Ye Junqing lifted his eyes to meet Ye Hongyi¡¯s ice-cold gaze, the magnificent radiance in them simply subdued Ye Hongyi¡¯s imposing manner. At the side, Yao Mowan felt pain inside. Only a person who did not care about anything on the brink of death would be so reckless and unrestrained in front of their nation¡¯s monarch. Did her death actually cause Ye Junqing to no longer care about anything to this point!? ¡°Esteemed Prince, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve misunderstood. This hamster is thete Empress¡¯s remnant, right now His Majesty is personally raising it, it is treated quite well. If not for the fact that it caught such an unpleasant ailment, HIs Majesty would not be able to bear hanging it here!¡± Yao Suluan spoke indirectly, intending for Ye Junqing to understand the difficulties and retreat in order to avoid angering the sacred countenance(emperor). Even though she loathed Yao Moxin, she actually harbored selfish motives towards Ye Junqing. Afterall, what woman wouldn¡¯t want to get close to an immortal-like man like this? Just as Ye Junqing was about to continue insisting, Yao Mowan suddenly raised her own little head to look towards Ye Hongyi. ¡°Your Majesty, this is something Big Sister raised?¡± Yao Mowan curiously asked. ¡°That¡¯s right, what? You like it?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s thin lips lightly smiled, yet in the depths of his eyes a trace of cold light shed past as he looked towards Yao Mowan with a deep gaze. ¡°Then can Your Majesty have Second Sister bring that hamster over?¡¯ Yao Mowan acted like a spoiled child as she rubbed her head against Ye Hongyi¡¯s chest, her eyes clear just like water. ¡°Why not? Suluan, since Wan er wants it, you go get it.¡± Ye Hongyi turned his gaze towards Yao Suluan, an unrefusable imposingmand in his eyes. Yao Suluan¡¯s face abruptly turned green and her body turned rigid. No matter what she was still an imperial gui fei, that idiot actually dared to order her about! She has seriously ate a leopard¡¯s guts to have such gall! But there was no other choice. His Majesty has opened his golden mouth for her; so even though Yao Suluan had a thousand unwillingnesses, at this time, she could only obediently walk to Ye Junqing. ¡°Esteemed Prince has already heard it all, Yao fei likes this hamster.¡± Yao Suluan forced her mouth open, extremely unwillingly lifting the cage. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia Chapter Volume 1 27
Chapter 27: Rather Than Live Suffering Wouldn''t It Be Better To Die "Second Older Sister, Wan er doesn''t want the cage. Wan er only wants the hamster!" Behind her, Yao Mowan''s eyes curved as she reminded. Hearing this, Yao Suluan gritted her teeth, but forced herself to squeeze out a trace of a smile. Taking advantage of the time before Ye Junqing could react, she opened the cage and cupped the hamster in her hand, then turned around to walk to Yao Mowan. Ye Junqing also wanted to know what exactly Yao Mowan was up to and so he didn''t move to stop her. But in the next second, he regretted! When Yao Suluan almost got to Yao Mowan, Yao Mowan suddenly threw Fluffy towards Yao Suluan. Cats catch mice, this is the heaven''sw and earth''s principle. The moment Fluffy saw the hamster, she immediately opened her ferocious mouth and mped down on the hamster''s neck. Her two front ws furiously left ten long bloody scratches on Yao Suluan''s hands. "Aaah¡ª Oww! Yao Mowan, you imbecile. What are you doing!?" The pain caused Yao Suluan to cry out, her angry pupils fiercely red at Yao Mowan. If it weren''t for the fact that Ye Hongyi was here, she would have definitely stripped this imbeciles skin immediately. "Imperial gui fei, watch your words!" A warning voice abrupted rang out. Ye Hongyi''s cold pupils swept towards Yao Suluan who forget her manners as he took Yao Mowan into his arms. "Your Majesty! She¡­¡­" Yao Suluan covered her injured hand, in pain. But when she meet Ye Hongyi''s cold pupils, she silenced her voice and retreated to the side. "Yao Mowan! How could you!" Seeing Yao Moxin''s sole remnant being swallowed by Fluffy in two, three bites, Ye Junqing''s eyes turned blood red. The hands in his sleeves clenched into fists as extreme grief and indignation surfaced in his heart. He hates! Hates Ye Hongyi for not protecting Moxin, hates himself for, even at the very end, not speaking these three words! Ye Hongyi didn''t pay attention to Ye Junqing''s fuming anger and settled his pitch-ck eyes on the delicate body in his arms. "Wan er, what did you do that for? That''s the Empress''s favorite hamster!" "Your Majesty¡­¡­ Did Wan er do something wrong? Why are they so angry? Down there, Eldest Sister must be really lonely. Since that hamster was Eldest Sister''s pet, Wan er just wanted to send it to keep Eldest Sisterpany ah!" Yao Mowan spoke dolefully. Her tears dropped down with a ''pata'' and her body nestled even more into Ye Hongyi as she cowered. She need not tell anyone that her tears were for the sake of that hamster. Rather than having it suffer Ye Hongyi''s torture day after day, it''d be better just to end this life. "Then why did you incite that animal to scratch ben gong!" At the side, Ye Suluan was furious with Yao Mowan''s foolishly innocent act and angrily questioned. "Why didn''t Second Older Sister be more careful ah, does it hurt?" Yao Mowan seemed as if she had just noticed the scratch marks on Yao Suluan''s hand and asked with concern. "Why do you think!? Im¡­¡­ Your Majesty, this qie''s afraid this wound requires Imperial Physician Xuan to take a look. This qie will withdraw first." Seeing Ye Hongyi nod, Yao Suluan immediately turned around. In her heart she had already cursed ''imbecile'' countless times! The sun shone brightly as the flower fragrance delighted the senses. Fluffly curled up on the grass, extremely satisfied. Lifting her front paw to lick, she waspletely unaware of the danger nearby. "You''re not allowed to bully Fluffy!" Seeing Ye Junqing ruthlessly strode towards Fluffy, Yao Mowan suddenly rushed over and took the Fluffy that was still reflecting on the delicious taste into her arms. Yao Mowan opened her bright eyes wide and red straight at Ye Junqing. "Junqing, what Wan er said wasn''tpletely without logic. Rather than letting the hamster yearn for its owner day and night, wouldn''t it be better to just send it to reunite with its owner? That way it also ends the bitterness of yearning." Ye Hongyi stolled protectively in front of Yao Mowan, his abyss-like pupils looked towards Ye Junqing with deep meaning. "This younger brother doesn''t feel well, excuse this one!" Enduring the heavens piercing anger in his heart, Ye Junqing left the Imperial Garden, livid. Ye Hongyi stared at Ye Junqing''s back figure for quite a long time before turning around to look at Yao Mowan. "Wan er ah, tell zhen, why did you suddenly want to raise a cat?" Ye Hongyi bent his finger and stroked the Fluffy in Yao Mowan''s arms, a faint indiscernible light in his deep pupils. "Wan er was tricking them, Wan er doesn''t like Eldest Sister and also doesn''t like Eldest Sister''s pet hamster. So Wan er had Fluffy eat that hamster on purpose¡­¡­ Is Wan er really bad? Will Your Majesty not like Wan er anymore¡­¡­" Yao Mowan puffed up her cheeks, not concealing her emotions at all. "Haha! How would that be possible! Zhen likes Wan er the most! Tell you a secret, zhen also doesn''t like that hamster!" Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan over and pamperingly lightly knocked her head. In this moment, he hase to believe that Yao Mowan was truly foolish. But he just loves fools! "Your Majesty likes Wan er, Your Majesty is the best!" Yao Mowan lifted her eyes to look at Ye Hongyi and smiled simple-mindedly. But the hand hidden beneath Fluffy clenched into a fist, the nails digging into her flesh. After Ye Hongyi send Yao Mowan back to Guan Osprey Pce, he returned to the Imperial Study. It was about lunchtime. Ting Yue and Liu Xing finished preparing the meal and two pairs of bowls and chopsticks were ced on the table as before. "Niang niang, should this servant go call the Esteemed Prince?" Ting Yue quietly asked for instructions. "No need. Liu Xing, bring Fluffy over. Since the Esteemed Prince isn''t hungry, just let Fluffy sit in this seat in the future!" Yao Mowan''s expression did not change as she aimed a nce at the door and deliberately raised the volume of her voice. "Yes!" Just as Liu Xing walked over carrying Fluffy, Ye Junqing suddenly mmed open the door and entered. He strode withrge steps to the table and sat down. "This is ben wang''s seat, how dare you let an animal sit in it?" Ye Junqing indignantly looked at Yao Mowan, then continued to re towards the Fluffy in Liu Xing''s arms. Silent, Yao Mowan didn''t reply and just ate, yet a trace of indescribable warmth actually appeared in her heart. People must eat after all, otherwise, how could they continue to live. Liu Xing naturally understood the psychological tactic Master just used. Then, bing aware of Ye Junqing''s extremely unfriendly gaze as if he wanted to eat Fluffy alive, Liu Xing tactfully carried Fluffy and left the main hall. At the side, Ting Yue carefully served Ye Junqing and picked dishes for him. "Ben wang is talking to you!" Ye Junqing didn''t want to argue with a fool, not to mention this fool was even Moxin''s little sister, but he really couldn''t calm down his anger. That was the only thing Moxin left behind, how could she be so cruel? From her appearance she lookedpletely naive, but in reality he didn''t know how ck her heart is! "Speak not when eating, talk not before sleeping." Yao Mowan straightened up and looked unflinchingly at Ye Junqin before continuing to eat. This one sentence cause Ye Junqing to bepletely shocked, his face exposing an astonished expression. This shouldn''t be something a fool is able to say! After that, no matter how Ye Junqing questioned, Yao Mowan didn''t say a single word and just continued to use the meal. Only now did she look towards Ting Yue. "Ting Yue, clear the table." Hearing this, Ting Yue looked awkwardly towards Ye Junqing. "Ben wang still hasn''t finished eating!" Ye Junqing angrily shouted as he pped the table. Yao Mowan didn''t take any notice and just walked into the inner room. "Wha¡­¡­ what kind of attitude is that? Based on the current dynastyw, with the exception of the Empress and the imperial gui fei, all the imperial concubines in the Inner Pce must salute wang ye! This is etiquette!" Ye Hongyi knocked the table as he spoke, causing it to sound ''dadada''. "Wang ye¡­¡­ if you''re not eating then this servant needs to clear the table¡­¡­" Ting Yue timidly reminded. Hearing this, Ye Junqing froze, then fiercely sighed. Picking up the chopsticks, he looked at the food in front of him. What happened to him? He had never been a fickle and impatient person. After Moxin passed away, he didn''t know who else in this world, or what other matter in this world would be able to cause his emotions to fluctuate. But right now, he actually got angry at a fool! Maybe it was because of Moxin''s hamster. That''s right, it must be! After Ye Junqing thought it through, he was finally able to feel at ease and eat withrge mouthfuls. He really was hungry. When Ting Yue pushed open the door and entered the inner room, Yao Mowan was currently leaning next to the window, quietly gazing at Changle Pce. That was the ce her Zhong er was born. "Niang niang, the Esteemed Prince has left." Ting Yue ced the fruit te in her hands on the table and moved with light steps to Yao Mowan''s side. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 28
Chapter 28: Want Her To Salute An Imbecile? "Did he eat?" Yao Mowan retrieved her gaze, recollecting the bone-deep sorrow in her eyes. "En. Niang niang, this servant has one thing that she doesn''t understand. Howe niang niang pretends to be stupid in front of everyone, yet just doesn''t conceal it from the Esteemed Prince?" Ting Yue had pondered over this question for a long thing but still couldn''t figure it out. "You forgot? Before entering the pce ben gong went to the Esteemed Prince''s Residence so he has a deep impression of ben gong. Not to mention, His Majesty already arranged for Ye Junqing to stay in Guan Osprey Pce. Being together day and night, even if ben gong wants to hide it, it couldn''t be kept hidden for more than a few days. Rather than always being apprehensive around him, wouldn''t it be better just to let him know. It''s not like there''d be any problems." Yao Mowan slowly walked to the table. The lychee fruit inside the te was once her favorite, but right now, biting into it inside her mouth, she didn''t feel much of anything. When the heart is bitter, nothing you eat will be able to change this reality. "Niang niang''s not afraid the Esteemed Prince would expose niang niang to His Majesty?" Ting Yue passed over a peeled lychee fruit to Yao Mowan as she worriedly asked. "The only thing ben gong doesn''t have to worry about is this matter. Don''t worry, if there weren''t enough assurances, ben gong wouldn''t have risked it. You''ve gotten familiar with all the imperial concubines in the Inner Pce this couple days?" Yao Mowan changed the topic and looked seriously at Ting Yue. "Niang niang can ask as you please!" Ting Yue was filled with self-confidence. "Haaa, then take a walk with ben gong." Yao Mowan smoothed her lips into a light smile and got up, cing her jade fingers in Ting Yue''s hand as they slowly strolled out the Guan Osprey Pce. Having returned to the Imperial Pce, it was time to visit a few people. Great Chu''s Imperial Garden was much bigger than Ting Yue imagined. The pavilion that the hamster was hanging from earlier was nothing more than the most unremarkable corner of the Imperial Garden. At this time, as Ting Yue stood on the white jade stone bridge in the center road of the Imperial Garden and gazed down at the mass of green satin-like scene and the sparkling jadeke, she couldn''t help but be amazed. "Niang niang, this is way bigger than the pond in Xiang fu!" Ting Yue eximed, deeply moved. "Ting Yue, do you see that over there? The concubine feeding the fishes in that pavilion right now, try identifying who she is?" Following Yao Mowan''s pointed direction, Ting Yue clearly saw a girl lightly sprinkling fish food into the jadeke from a pavilion that was constructed to suspend over theke. The fish food attracted many koi to gather underneath the pavilion. They would, from time to time, leap up, causing sshes that sent countless droplets flying and glittering under the sunlight. The girl had on a dark reddish purple skirt, its pleats were embroidered with the symbol of riches and honor, the tree peony. A light green colored silk gracefully wrapped around her waist and a white muslin garment was draped over her shoulders. Three thousand fine ck strands of hair were drawn up into the extremelyplicated Flying Fairy Style and decorated with a descending moon hairpin, jadeite ornaments, blood pearls and other considerably expensive essories; it was clear that this girl was not of ordinary status. "Niang niang can''t stump Ting Yue, she must be chen fei Huan Caier, the youngest daughter of the Left General Huan Heng. She lives in Moon Crossing Pavilion and has been an imperial concubine for five years, but does not have a single son. She has been ustomed to being spoiled and willful living with the general and still has not exercised restraint after entering the Inner Pce; she would often beat the pce maids until their entire bodies were covered with bruises. The pce maid behind her should be Zi Shuang, also the most despotic of the pce maids; in any case, all the pce maids are afraid of her and when they could avoid, they''d avoid." Ting Yue enumerated in detail clearly all the information she managed to hear about, prompting Yao Mowan to cast her a sidelong nce. "Niang niang? Ting Yue wasn''t right?" Seeing Yao Mowan''s expression of surprise, Ting Yue asked carefully. "Not only was it right, it was even very urate." Yao Mowan nodded with satisfaction, and then started walking on the arched bridge towards the pavilion. After receiving praise, Ting Yue was naturally very happy as she followed behind Yao Mowan. It was just that in the next second she felt like something was off. It took quite some effort for her to investigate this bit of information; after Master entered the pce she never came in contact with anyone else, how would be able to know whether what she said was correct or not? Ting Yue was just about to finely deliberate it but she noticed that Yao Mowan had already walked pretty far away so she simply dropped the thought and sped up her footsteps to catch up. "Seriously angering ben gong to death! One Yao Moxin died and now another Yao Mowan came, and heard it''s even a fool! Lately His Majesty''s taste really changed to being quite heavy, what kind of fun could he have with a fool!? It couldn''t be that he just lies on the bed counting with that idiot!?" Yao Mowan had just neared the pavilion when she heard Huan Caier''s poisonous mouth spouting curses. "Niang niang¡­¡­" "Shhh¡ª" Ting Yue was just about to advance forward to argue when Yao Mowan blocked her and indicated to be quiet. "Master, don''t be angry. It''s just a fool, it''s not like she could threaten Master''s position in the pce. We should warn (the lord=Huan Caier''s father) to keep an eye on that old fox, Yao Zhenting. He actually was able to make His Majesty take his stupid daughter as an imperial concubine and bestowed Yao Sun the title of imperial gui fei; it looks like in His Majesty''s heart, Yao Zhenting''s position is still quiet influential." Zi Shuang handed all the fish food in her hand to Huan Caier as she voiced her concerns and analyzed the situation. "That''s not necessarily true either, after all, His Majesty still hasn''t named an Empress! But just thinking of Yao Moxin''s difficult birth and the way both mother and son dropped dead, ben gong''s heart really feels indescribably merry! Good riddance! Especially that little vile spawn! If he had been allowed to live. the position of crown prince would have also fallen into the Yao family''s hands. At that time, things won''t be easy to deal with! Eat ah, I''ll fill you guys until you burst!" Huan Caier''s cherry lips slightly hooked. As sheughed evilly, she threw all the fish food in her hand into the jadeke. "You''re not allowed to say bad things about Second Older Sister!" Just as Huan Caier turned around to leave the pavilion, Yao Mowan suddenly rushed up and looked with seething anger at Huan Caier. If her memory wasn''t wrong, at that time when Huan Caier beat a pce maid to death, it was her that opened the on one side and kept the incident from getting big. At this moment, Yao Mowan suddenly had to admit painfully, that in this world, being a good person would not bring about good repayment. "Who are you?" Huan Caier seized up the unfamiliar girl in front of her and coldly asked. "She''s Guan Ospray Pce''s new master. His Majesty personally bestowed upon her the title of Yao fei. Based on the rules of the pce, my family''s Master has a bestowed name, you do not, so you should salute to my family''s Master!" Ting Yue that had already been stifling a bellyfull of anger immediately rushed up and loudly yelled. The entire pavilion abruptly went silent. Huan Caier stared nkly for a moment, then suddenlyughed loudly and continued tough until her tears practically spilled out. "Pff¡ª Hahaha! Zi Shuang, did you hear that? She actually wanted to have me salute an imbecile! I can''t, I''m dying. Hurry ande support ben gong, my stomach hurts fromughing!" Huan Caier howled with absolutely unrestrainedughter, her eyes filled with a disdaining light. "What are you looking at, still not scraming!? Don''t block my family''s Master''s path!" Zi Shuang disgustedly pushed Ting Yue away and was just about to go support Huan Caier to leave the pavilion when Yao Mowan suddenly rushed up and pushed Zi Shuang aside. She fiercely pushed Huan Caier to the t railing area of the pavilion, her eyes red. "Go apologize to Second Older Sister!" Yao Mowan spoke each word forcefully and clearly. "You¡­¡­audacious, to actually dare to be so rude towards chen fei niang niang!" Zi Shuan who finally managed to stabilize herself wanted to pull Yao Mowan aside but Ting Yue pulled her hair and Zi Shuan screamed out in pain. "You''re the one that''s audacious! That is Yao fei niang niang! You actually dared to not address her deferentially!" Ting Yue saw Yao Mowan get angry and immediately threw her caution to the wind. No matter what she couldn''t let her Master suffer losses! "What damned rubbish is a fool like you spouting! Why does ben gong have to apologize to Yao Suluan!? Hurry and let go of ben gong!" Huan Caier furiously looked towards Yao Mowan, naturally unintimidated by the fool in front of her. "Are you going? Or not going?" Yao Mowan used force in both her hands and pressed them hard on Huan Caier''s jade shoulders, her clear pupils dyed with wisps of blood. She couldn''t bear to hear a single insult towards Zhong er, this was the root of Huan Caier''s mistake. "Ben gong won''t go! Ah¡ª¡ª" Just as Huan Caier stated her resolute position, in the next second she waspletely pushed off the pavilion by Yao Mowan and fell with a ssh into theke. Droplets leapt up high into the air, sparkling like pure and translucent jewels beneath the sunlight. "Chen¡­¡­ chen fei niang niang! Someonee ah! Niang niang has fallen into the water! Someonee! You! You-you-you¡­¡­" Zi Shuan violently pushed Ting Yue aside and rushed to the horizontal railing. Sadly she didn''t know how to swim and could only look on helplessly as her own family''s Master iled around in the water. Even if it was the warm spring, theke water was still extremely cold ah. "I already gave her the chance to choose, it was her that wouldn''t go!" Yao Mowan shrugged her shoulders without any trace of guilt. Leaving behind a pale blue faced Zi Shuan, Yao Mowan indicated towards the side to Ting Yue who was bbergasted, and left. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 29
Chapter 29: Pushed into the Lake "You imbecile! My family''s Master won''t let you off! Ah¡ª" Just as Zi Shuang returned to her senses and started yelling venomously, Ting Yue charged over¨Clike a thunderbolt which struck so suddenly there wasn''t time to cover one''s ears¨Cand fiercely shoved Zi Shuang down. It was evident that Zi Shuang was much heavier than Huan Caier; the water from the ssh she made reached high enough to soak Yao Mowan''s flowery skirt. "Ting Yue, what are you doing?" Yao Mowan abruptly turned back and looked with astonishment at Ting Yue who was currently dusting her hands off as she walked towards her. "She actually dared to insult you, of course Ting Yue had to give her some color to look at(make her suffer)!" Ting Yue''s expression was fiercely loyal and protective. "Ben gong knew that Huan Caier knows how to swim so ben gong wasn''t worried. But are you sure Zi Shuang won''t drown?" Yao Mowan acted awed as she looked towards Ting Yue. Hearing this, Ting Yue''s face immediately turned deathly white as paper. Just as she was about to run back to the pavilion Yao Mowan pulled her back. "Let''s return to the pce!" Yao Mowan said mildly. "But¡­" "The patrol guards have already run over. As long as they don''t die it''s fine." Yao Mowan lightly lifted her cherry lips as the smiling expression in her eyes gradually grew stronger. Seeing Master slowly walk out of the pavilion without a care, Ting Yue subconsciously turned back to take onest nce before quickly following Yao Mowan out. After returning to Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan reclinednguidly on the gui fei seat. Fluffy, who was in her arms, was even morenguid than her. Right now it was actually arching its back out and stretching on Yao Mowan''s leg. "Howe Liu Xing still hasn''t returned yet?" Yao Mowan concentrated on stroking the kitty in her arms as she spoke indifferently. After waiting for quite a while and still not receiving a reply, she lifted her eyes just in time to see Ting Yue fidgeting with an embroidered handkerchief in her hand as she paced around nonstop at the Guan Osprey Pce entrance. "Ting Yue?" Yao Mowan slightly raised her voice. Hearing the call, Ting Yue immediately turned and walked back to Yao Mowan''s side with an expression of great bitterness and deep hatred.E/N "Niang niang, say, howe chen fei and the rest still haven''te yet ah? It''s almost six o''clock yet there''s still not even a shadow of them?" Ting Yue anxiously questioned. "What would theye for?" Yao Mowan didn''t understand where this question came from. "Of course to violently criticize ah!" Ting Yue replied as if it was a matter of course. "Haa, even if they want to violently criticize they wouldn''te to Guan Osprey Pce to do it. So you can rx." Yao Mowan''s cherry lips smoothed into a smile as her jade fingers streaked across Fluffy''s white fur. Soft and fluffy, the cat felt extremely nice to touch.. "They won''te to Guan Osprey Pce? Then where would they go? This servant doesn''t understand." Ting Yue looked with confusion towards her Master, her brows creased to form ´¨ (a river).E/C "Pure Flowers Pce. Even though Huan Caier''s temperament is a bit explosive and not as shrewd as other imperial concubines, she''s not dumb. If she came directly to Guan Osprey Pce, how could she be sure that ben gong wouldn''t shove her face into a water basin to let her choke? And if the matter about arguing with a fool got out, it also wouldn''t be good for her. If she desires to get justice, she will naturally find someone sensible!" Yao Mowan''s beautiful pupils were keen as the point of a spear and sharp as a de. It was as if every step every person took were all within her calctions. "Niang niang is wise!" Ting Yue has never worshiped Yao Mowan as much as she did now. It seemed like the heavens had granted her own family''s Master unlimited wisdom, allowing her to see through all the chaos of the world clearly. "It''s nothing more than ''eating one fall, growing one wise''*¡­ Where''s Liu Xing? He''s still not back?" Yao Mowan had just voiced the question when she saw Liu Xing run in through the doors. Comes from when the metaphors of rocks. (³Ôһǵ³¤Ò»ÖÇ chi1yi1qian3, zhang3yi1zhi4) When stonemasons make stone molds, they would drill into it. So the stones would eat on drill (³Ôһǥchi1yi1qian1)and the rock would grow one tooth(³¤Ò»³Ý zhang3yi1chi3). They sound simr, but the meaning of the saying is that after facing struggles, you grow from the experiences. "Liu Xing kowtows in salute to niang niang!" After staying in the pce a couple days, Liu Xing had also adapted and picked up some of the pce rules. "Rise, how did your inquiries go?" When Yao Mowan looked at Liu Xing, faint heartache would always spill out of her eyes. This man was too strongly attached. Even though he knew there would be no result, he still continued forward without second thoughts. To have Liu Xing''s wholehearted love and protection, meimei''s previous half a lifetime was blessed. "Replying niang niang, this servant just heard from Steward Yao that Third Madam and Little Young Master have already moved into Yao fu. It''s just that their days are not peaceful. Big Madam often uses the whip to beat Third Madam and also doesn''t treat Little Young Master well. However, due to the fact that Master is obstructing her, she hasn''t made any moves in the dark yet. But this is something that will happen sooner orter." Liu Xing reported everything he heard from Yao Tu to Yao Mowan. "Father isn''t concerned?" Yao Mowan''s willow brows creased. Towards Su Muzi, not only did Yao Mowan sympathize with her, she also felt a trace of guilt. If it weren''t for the fact that she had need of it, that pair of mother and son wouldn''t have been exposed so soon and they could have suffered fewer grievances. Su Muzi was like her own mother, forced into submission by Father then forced to suffer the legal wife''s bullying and humiliation. Whether it was based on reason or emotion, she couldn''t sit and watch without caring. "Master is perhaps obstructed because of imperial gui fei. So as long as Big Madam doesn''t harm Little Young Master, he''ll just keep one eye closed in regards to Su Muzi." Liu Xing sighed. His words instantly evoked Ting Yue''s fury, "Master is just like this! Back then he clearly knew that Big Madam had ordered Gao momo to poison Madam, yet he didn''t care at all!" These were all things Gao momo had said with her own mouth when Ting Yue was being tortured in the firewood shed. "Ting Yue!" At the side, Liu Xing instinctively stopped Ting Yue, worried that Yao Mowan would be hurt hearing this. "It''s fine. Prepare dinner, ben gong is a bit hungry now." Yao Mowan lightly stroked Fluffy as her red lips curved into a shallow sweet smile. It was just that her frozen heart gained anotheryer of ice. "This servant will go right now." Liu Xin respectfully withdrew from Guan Osprey Pce and headed towards the imperial kitchen. Right after Liu Xing left, Ye Junqing suddenly appeared in the entrance of Guan Osprey Pce. The setting sun illuminated his face, practically ting it with ayer of splendid gold, causing his already matchless mien to be even more divinely exquisite. Sometimes Yao Mowan would wonder how a person who usually spent their days in battlefield campaigns could have such white skin. It was fair to the point that even she was a little envious. "This servant kowtows in salute to the Esteemed Prince. Esteemed Prince, this way please." In the end, Ting Yue was still just a little girl. At this moment, she had already fallen under his charm and moved unconsciously toward the pce entrance. She didn''t even ask if Mowan, this Master of hers, agreed before inviting Ye Junqing in. Of course, she couldn''t me Ting Yue. Even female prostitutes that have grown ustomed to seeing beautiful sceneries had no way of resisting Ye Junqing''s charm, much less Ting Yue. But Yao Mowan noticed that Ye Junqing''s expression was nowhere close to being as friendly as Ting Yue''s was. Just as expected, after Ye Junqing entered the main hall, he ordered Ting Yue to leave with a stern voice. "You withdraw first, ben wang has something to say to your master!" With Ye Junqing''s sentence, Ting Yue was immediately jolted and she looked with a lost expression towards Yao Mowan. "You guard outside. Without ben gong''s order, don''t let anyone in. Oh, that''s right, bring Fluffy out too." Yao Mowan said as she passed the kitten to Ting Yue. She didn''t want to cause a cmity for the fish in the moat due to the fire she set at the city gates(fig. to cause coteral damage). Looking at Ye Junqing''s attitude, it seems he was truly furious. Only after the pce doors were closed tightly did Yao Mowanzily get up. Swaying gently with grace, she walked to the table, lifted up the ice crack cdon teapot* and poured two cups. One cup she kept for herself, the other she pushed in Ye Junqing''s direction. A type of pottery named for the way the seams look like cracked ice. "Who exactly are you?" Traces of anger prated through the clear cold voice. Ye Junqing didn''t show any intention of sampling the tea as his gaze looked straight at Yao Mowan, waiting for her reply. "Yao fei ah, does wang ye not remember anymore? The imperial concubine His Majesty just conferred a title upon, the Empress''s blood sister, the imperial gui fei''s half sister, Yao Xiang fu''s third daughter¡­En, let Mowan think a little more, who else?" Yao Mowan''s brows were serene and her lovely pupils were without ripples, like the calmke in an autumn day. "The Jing Xin of Fragrant Harmony Courtyard, you probably won''t deny this identity, right?" A trace of fury lit up in Ye Junqing''s eyes as he asked, irked. "Oh, if wang ye didn''t remind Mowan, Mowan really would have forgotten." Yao Mowan didn''t have any intentions to deny it, because there would be no meaning to it at all. "I once heard Moxin mention that her little sister only had the intelligence of a child. But you clearly don''t! You couldn''t be some body double Ye Hongyi fished up from somewhere to conduct shameful shady business in the dark, right?" Ye Junqing guessed reasonably. If it weren''t for the fact that it was rted to Moxin, he wouldn''t be inclined to care about this woman''s true identity at all. "Or perhaps it''s Eldest Sister that lied to you?" Yao Mowan concealed the sharpness in her eyes and looked towards Ye Junqing with apletely harmless expression. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Scullyhahn [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]E/N ¨C Is she worried or angry? The previous paragraph makes it seem like worry so these words are incongruent.C: Lol, I think she¡¯s annoyed as to the fact that they haven¡¯t arrived yet even though she did all mental preparation for the fight and waited so long. E/C ¨C hahaha! That makes the picture perfectly! After the 5-6 pages chapters of PAH and 6-7 pages chapters of Xiao Qi Wait, a 4 pages chapter of Phoenix is like spring break~ Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 1 30
Chapter 30: Instigating Disharmony Between the Two Imperial Concubines "Moxin wouldn''t lie to me! She might choose not to say it, but she definitely wouldn''t lie to me!" The clear pupils shed with an unswerving radiance. Ye Junqing spoke confidently as if he were stating an unquestionable truth. "Haa¡­ Yao Moxin that big idiot." Tears, swirled in the rims of her eyes but Yao Mowan forced them back. She really doesn''t know what she did to Ye Junqing, to allow him to have such unswerving faith in her. "You! You''re not allowed to say bad things about Moxin! Otherwise, I won''t be polite towards you! No matter who you are!" Ye Junqing''s eyes abruptly turned ice-cold and an intense darkness coiled in his eyes. Just at this moment, Ting Yue''s voice suddenly came from outside the door. "This servant kowtows in salute to Your Majesty, kowtows in salute to imperial gui fei, kowtows in salute to chen fei!" Ting Yue''s voice was extremely loud, it was clearly warning the people inside the room. Yao Mowan couldn''t help but shake her head. Yao Suluan didn''t seem that smart at all; in the end she had still, ording to predictions, brought the matter of the green jadeke to His Majesty. Suddenly, Yao Mowan''s lips hooked into a trace of an extremely grim smile. Even though it was brief like the night blooming cactus that only shows once, it still fell into Ye Junqing''s eyes, causing him to involuntarily frown. "Wang ye wouldn''t be impolite towards Mowan in front of His Majesty, right? You know how much His Majesty adores Mowan." Yao Mowan lifted her gaze as she smiled. Her gaze ignored Ye Junqing in an almost provoking manner, then she headed towards the pce entrance. "Your Majesty! Wan er doesn''t want to dine with the Esteemed Prince. Don''t want him to enter Wan er''s house anymore!" The second the pce doors opened, the tears in Yao Mowan''s eyes fell simultaneously with her words. It happened so fast Ye Junqing almost bit his tongue. Ye Hongyi who originally had an indignant expression immediately seized Yao Mowan into his arms the moment he saw her grieving and upset expression. He seemed to havepletely forgotten his original purpose foring here. He just couldn''t bear to have this cdon-like doll drop tears. "What happened? Tell zhen, zhen will get justice for you!" Ye Hongyi''s deep eyes swept across Ye Junqing''s furious expression, but when his gazended on Yao Mowan it was warm as the spring wind in April. "The Esteemed Prince insists on killing Wan er''s Fluffy! Wan er didn''t allow and he took to force! Your Majesty, kick him out!" Yao Mowan held a childish tone as her finger abruptly swung to point towards Ye Junqing. Her fuming little face was truly like the scene of raindrops on a pear blossom, arousing people''s endearing tender feelings. Ye Junqing''s mouth twitched and three ck lines immediately appeared in front of his forehead as he was thrown into the chaos in the wind alone(gloomy, depressed, speechless). This woman! To be able to act so realistically! Seriously should die! He really wanted to expose Yao Mowan''s fake mask, but he endured! "Junqing ah, that is your wrong. You are after all a wang ye, what need is there for you to bicker with an animal? Fluffy''s life zhen will be protecting. If there''s something you''re unsatisfied with, thene towards zhen. Don''t make things difficult for Yao fei!" Ye Hongyi looked towards Ye Junqing with restrained anger, his voice imbued with chill. "Imperial Younger Brother doesn''t dare." Ye Junqing couldn''t, and didn''t want to, give any exnations. At this moment, Yao Suluan, who was standing behind Ye Hongyi, only felt a nameless rage burn in her heart so much that she wanted to explode. That damned cat, for it to actually obtain His Majesty''s protection! Looks like she wasted her time preparing poison. For the time being she''ll let that animal off. The future is long, she''s not worried that she wouldn''t have the chance to make it die! "Your Majesty, you shouldn''t spoil Wan er too much. Right now she''s bing more and more bold; she actually pushed chen fei into the water. Wan er, it''s also about time for you to change that temper of yours. In the past, in Xiang fu, everyone let you do as you please but this is the Imperial Pce. No matter what you must learn to exercise some restraint, understand?" Yao Suluan held back the anger in the depths of her eyes as she slowly walked to Yao Mowan''s side. Her voice was soft, yet each sentence held deep criticism. "Second Older Sister¡­ It isn''t like that¡­" Lowering her eyes, Yao Mowan put away the sharpness in her gaze. When she lifted her eyes again, glistening waves spilled out from her eyes. "You better not tell lies. Chen fei is right here, you probably won''t refuse to admit?" Yao Suluan hated this pitiful expression of Yao Mowan''s the most, this expression that looks as if the entire world''s people were bullying her. "Your Majesty, you must give this qie justice ah. This qie was originally in the pavilion feeding fishes when this Yao fei appeared out of nowhere. Not asking the rights and wrongs of any matters, she just directly pushed this qie into the water. If it weren''t for the fact that the imperial bodyguards came to the rescue in time, this qie is afraid¡­ afraid she would never have been able to see Your Majesty again!" Huan Caier cried and wailed as she walked to Ye Hongyi''s side. Lifting her sleeve to wipe her tears, shepletely embodied the picture of a intive and dismal woman "Wan er, tell zhen. Why did you push chen fei down from the pavilion?" Ye Hongyi didn''t even bother to raise his eyes to nce at Huan Caier. Using his finger to gently lift Yao Mowan''s chin, he asked in a soft voice. "She can say that Wan er is a fool. It''s alright, everyone says this so Wan er is already used to it. But¡­ she can''t say bad things about Second Older Sister. Wan er only has Second Older Sister left now. If someone wants to bully Second Older Sister, Wan er won''t agree! Second Older Sister¡­ Don''t be angry, okay? Don''t dislike Wan er, okay?" Yao Mowan''s voice carried a heavy sobbing tone. She lifted her hand and without any prior indication, extended it towards Yao Suluan. In the gap of time before Yao Suluan noticed, she griped that hand which was still wrapped with bandages hard. "Oww! Get away!" Yao Suluan cried out from the pain and flung away Yao Mowan''s hand with loathing. But in the next second, she realized that she had lost self-control. When she lifted her eyes, her gaze met directly with Ye Hongyi''s ice-cold expression. "Ah¡­ Second Older Sister doesn''t dislike you." Yao Suluan gave a false exnation. "Your Majesty, this qie didn''t say bad things about imperial gui fei before. Really didn''t!" Chen fei hurriedly refuted. From what she remembered, she had only cursed Yao Moxin a couple times. At the side, Ye Junqing took this entire scene in and couldn''t help but admit his respect for Yao Mowan''s skill in using four taels to move a thousand catty*. With only two, three sentences, she had shifted the responsibility of the conflict to Yao Suluan and Huan Caier, as if she didn''tmit any wrong at all. What was even more impressive was that Yao Suluan and Huan Caier were now drawn into the matter by her and had long lost the aggressive attitudes they had when they first arrived. If you''re good at conversions, a tael is equal to 500 grams and a catty is equal to 50 grams, 1/16th of a catty. Amon expression is ''half a catty, eight taels'' "Enough, all of you withdraw! Zhen wants to apany Wan er to dine!" Ye Hongyi indignantly waved his hand to dismiss them. Then, he continued to pull Yao Mowan into his arms and wiped the tears on her face gently. "Wan er cried so much that even zhen''s heart hurts. In the future, if someone dares to cause Wan er to drop tears again, zhen will have them all beheaded!" Ye Hongyi''s tone was soft as if he was treasuring some exceptionally precious gem. The light in his eyes was as gentle as water. Hearing this, Yao Suluan who was originally about to speak immediately held herself back even though her heart felt unwilling. It was actually Huan Caier to the side that seemed to have yet to grasp the seriousness of the issue. Refusing to ept and die an easy death, she rushed over and looked towards Ye Hongyi with tears swirling in her eyes. "Your Majesty, then this qie¡­" "Zhen told you to withdraw, didn''t you hear?" A sinister chill prated through his cold voice and a threatening aura burst forth from within Ye Hongyi''s pupils. Huan Caier immediately froze. Normally no matter how angry His Majesty was, he still wouldn''t expose this kind of expression that was like a blood-thirsty lion which desired to open its ferocious mouth to devour someone. "This qie¡­ withdraws." Huan Caier held back tears as she saluted. When she lowered her eyes, envy like that of a viper''s filled her eyes. With her exceptional intelligence and beauty, she actually still couldn''t even beat a fool! Seeing that Huan Caier wasn''t able to obtain anything good, Yao Suluan naturally acted tactful and withdrew from Guan Osprey Pce with Huan Caier. Very soon, after the pce doors closed firmly, Huan Caier furiously walked to Yao Suluan. "You sisters sure sung a great act!" "What does chen fei mean by this? It couldn''t be that you suspect ben gong and that¡­ and Yao fei were coborating?" Yao Suluan suddenly had a feeling of having no choice but to suffer in silence. She clearly had greater desire for Yao Mowan to die than Huan Caier did, but unfortunately, no one would believe. "It''s not suspicion, it''s certainty! Yao Suluan, you sure are impressive ah! If you have the ability then just charge directly towards ben gong, don''t use a fool as a knife!" Relying on the backing of her father, Huan Heng''s military power, Huan Caier had never curbed her temper before in the Pce and was usually domineering. At present, having suffered this kind of grievance, she naturally wouldn''t be willing to take things lying down. "Chen fei, don''t forget. Ben gong is the imperial gui fei, take note of your attitude!" Yao Suluan normally also wouldn''t stir up this type of trouble, but if she encountered it, she also wouldn''t act weak and just take it. After all, her father was the prime minister of the court and her own rank was above Huan Caier''s. "Ben gong''s attitude already counts as pretty good! Yao Suluan, this matter isn''t over! Since ben gong wasn''t able to receive justice with the help of His Majesty, ben gong naturally has her own methods to demand justice back! Zi Shuan, we''re leaving!" Huan Caier couldn''t tolerate Yao Suluan''s retort and immediately flung back her sleeves and left. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Scullyhahn [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 31
Chapter 31: You Sure Act Well "Niang niang, chen fei is being way too tyrannical! Are you just going to let her off like this?" At the side, Cai Ying objected as she watched Huan Caier leave angrily. "Otherwise what else could I do? His Majesty is still inside, I couldn''t very well go crazy with her, could I? She''s nothing but a little clown causing a ruckus; based on her abilities there''s not much she can do! On the contrary, it''s His Majesty that''s strange. How can he indulge Yao Mowan so much like this? I truly don''t know what His Majesty is thinking. She''s clearly an imbecile, yet he''s treating her like some sort of treasure!" Yao Suluan''s cold pupils swept across the white gauze over her own hand and hatred filled her chest. Inside the main hall, Ye Hongyi pampered and supported Yao Mowan to the table before turning his eyes to Ye Junqing. "Junqing, sit as well." Ye Hongyi had just opened his mouth when An Bingshan could be seen running in from outside. He approached and then whispered something in Ye Hongyi''s ear. An Bingshan''s voice was very soft. Yao Mowan tried very hard to listen but still couldn''t hear a single word. "Wan er, zhen still has matters to deal with so zhen won''t apany you tonight. Don''t worry, Fluffy''s life is under zhen''s protection so no one will dare to do anything to it. You should be an adult and not bicker with people of lower status. Just forgive the Esteemed Prince this once. If you don''t let him eat his meals here, afraid he''ll have to starve!" Ye Hongyi pressed his face against Yao Mowan''s cheek and spoke gently as if coaxing a child. "Then¡­ fine, Wan er will listen to Your Majesty!" Yao Mowan hesitated for a long time before finally nodding reluctantly. "Good Wan er! Then zhen is going. Eat well, zhen wille visit you again tomorrow!" Ye Hongyi reluctantly released Yao Mowan and walked out of Osprey Guan Pce. Once Ye Hongyi walked off, Ye Junqing sat down without a trace of politeness and snorted disdainfully as he looked at Yao Mowan. "You sure act well!" "Wang ye is too ttering." Yao Mowan spoke mildly as her jade fingers picked up the ck bamboo chopsticks that were decorated with engravings. She gracefully picked up a piece of fish and delicately sampled it. Perhaps it was due to her mood, but Yao Mowan felt like today''s meal fit her tastes particrly well. She has faith that with this scene of hers, not only would it cause Huan Caier and Yao Suluan to have a falling out, it would also cause the Left General, Huan Heng, and Father to be hostile against each other. The good show is finally starting to y. She was really looking forward to it quite a bit. "Ben wang doesn''t mean to praise you at all! You were probably able to tell, weren''t you?" Ye Junqing immediately cleared things up. "You didn''t? Then what did you mean ah?" Yao Mowan''s tender and beautiful face suddenly turned towards Ye Junqing as she asked with a sincere, yet still dignified attitude. The two faces were extremely close, close to the point Ye Junqing could count how manyshes there were on Yao Mowan''s eyelid, could feel a warm breath that seemed almost to brush his face, to the point that he could even smell that special sort of fragrance that belongs exclusively to a woman, light and fragrant, causing people to be intoxicated. T/N "Eat!" Ye Junqing felt like his brain waspletely nk. In the next second, he immediately retreated to a chair at the side, frantically picked up the chopsticks and began eating withrge mouthfuls. Seeing Ye Junqing like this, Yao Mowan''s lips curled up in a trace of a faint smile. Junqing, you stood by and protected me my previous half a lifetime, for the next half lifetime, allow Mowan to protect you. When noon of the next day had passed, Yao Mowan had nothing to do and was just about to head out to take a walk when she saw Liu Xing rush in from outside. "Niang niang, Big Madam has entered the pce, and she even brought Little Young Master!" Liu Xing had ced a spy in Yao Xiang fu so Liu Xing had received the news immediately the moment Dou Xiann stepped out the door. "Dou Xiann is always this shortsighted. She wants to borrow Yao Suluan''s hand to send Yao Yu to death. Does she not realize that the Imperial Court has a rather delicate rtionship with the inner pce? If Father was pressed into a corner and decided to abandon Yao Suluan, this chess piece, the ones that would suffer losses in the end is still the pair of them, the mother and daughter!" Yao Mowanughed coldly as she got up. Her smooth fingers stroked across the delicately embroidered orchid flowers on her sleeve as a light shed through the depths of her eyes. "The imperial gui fei really will try to harm Yao Yu? But he''s ''s only son!" Liu Xing looked worriedly towards Yyao Mowan, his anxiety was obvious to see. "Yao Suluan''s not dumb either, she naturally wouldn''t take risks like this. However¡­ Liu Xing, Ting Yue, apany ben gong for a walk to Pure Flowers Pce. Whether it''s based on emotion or reason, ben gong should still go take a look at this di(first wife, pronounced like the letter ''d'' with an upwards lift in tone. di2) mother." Yao Mowan moved with light lotus steps out of Guan Osprey Pce. The sunlight illuminated her iparably beautiful cheeks, yet it had no way to prate her sealed, cold heart. Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan shot a fierce nce towards the Yao Yu that was standing timidly to the side, then shifted her gaze to instruct Cai Ying. "Cai Ying, take Yao Yu to the Imperial Garden to y." After sending Yao Yu away, Yao Suluan finally looked towards her own mother. "Mother, why did you bring him here into the pce?" Yao Suluan looked towards Dou Xiann in puzzlement as she asked. "In the fu your father ordered Yao Tu and the rest to watch closely so this mother couldn''t find any way of making a move ah! And so, wouldn''t it be better just to bring him to the Imperial Pce and find a randomke to push him into? We''ll just say he drowned because he identally fell in himself. No matter how angry your father gets, he still wouldn''t cause havoc with the Imperial Pce, isn''t that so?" Dou Xiann sampled the tea as if this was an extremely simple matter. "My dear mother ah, can you stop causing trouble!? Don''t you see how vexed I already am, yet fancy that, you still came up with this sort of scheme!" Yao Suluan rolled her eyes at Dou Xiann, speechless with her thinking and gave a fierce sigh. "How can you say it''s causing trouble!? Mother is also doing this for your sake! Look at your father! All day long he only talks about that lowly vermin, he''s taking you less and less seriously! This morning, after returning from court, he even talked on and on about your faults right in front of me! Saying what, you shouldn''t have offended chen fei, causing Huan Heng to snitch on him in front of the court. It was he himself that had information for Huan Heng to use against him in the first ce, what did it have to do with you!?" Dou Xiann gave a cold humph as she angrily fumed. "Huan Heng snitched on Father? Didn''t expect that chen fei''s speed was truly so quick!" Yao Suluan''s willow brows knitted as her eyes gradually chilled. "What exactly happened? Didn''t you always have a ''well water doesn''t offend river water''(everyone minds their own business) rtionship with that chen fei? It couldn''t be that she''s purposefully looking for opportunities due to you being made imperial gui fei?" Dou Xiann saw Yao Suluan''s expression of fury and asked worriedly. "Who else if it wasn''t all bestowed by that fool!? I don''t know what wind(homophone in Chinese for craziness) Yao Mowan pulled, but she actually pushed Huan Caier from the pavilion into theke, almost, but couldn''t drown her! If it were me, I also wouldn''t have left the matter at that!" Just thinking about it caused Yao Suluan''s belly to be filled with mes. "When did that imbecile be so bold?" Dou Xiann suddenly looked towards Yao Suluan. She paused for a while, before continuing. "This won''t do! This matter isn''t rted to you. Once I get home I must exin it clearly to your father. There''s no reason for you to help carry the ck pot for that fool!" Dou Xiann spoke angrily. "Enough, even if you said it, would father believe? Father would just think I have a small belly and a chicken''s gut(petty minded), and that I''m trying to incite Yao Mowan to err so that I can borrow the opportunity to get rid of her!" Yao Suluan only felt that her head hurt and she used her fingers to rub her forehead. "This Yao Mowan! If I knew earlier that there would be a day like this, I should have just poured her a bowl of Crane''s Red Crown(ancient Chinese Poison)T/N2 back then and sent her together with that lowly mother of hers to Hell to reunite with Yao Moxin!" Dou Xiann was grinding her teeth with fury when Yao Mowan walked naively into Pure Flowers Pce. "Wan er greets di mother. What is the Crane''s Red Crown that di mother was just talking about?" Before entering Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Mowan saw Cai Ying leave with Yao Yu so she instructed Liu Xing and Ting Yue to follow them. Afterwards, she waited outside the pce for quite a while before walking in just now. "You¡­how long have you been here?" Dou Xiann was stunned for a moment as she looked at the Yao Mowan that was slowly walking in, before asking in a fluster. "I just came ah. Just then I heard di mother talk about some Crane''s Red Crown, and I think di mother also mentioned Mowan''s mother ne? What are you guys talking about?" Yao Mowan blinked her clear eyes as her cherry lips perked up in a beautiful arc. "None of your business! After a couple days of no beatings it looks like your skin is itching for one¡­" Dou Xiann was just about to get up to give Yao Mowan a proper lesson when Yao Suluan immediately stopped her. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Scullyhahn [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 32
Chapter 32: Yao Yu Has Disappeared "It''s nothing much, just some idle gossip. Mother, nowadays Wan er is quite our family''s pride! His Majesty listens to all her requests and demands!" Yao Suluan deliberately sent an expression with her eyes, meaning to warn her mother that Yao Mowan was now no longer the same as before; she absolutely couldn''t be hit. Dou Xiann suddenly realized Yao Mowan''s current status and couldn''t help but suck in a breath of cold air. It was lucky that she hadn''t flung a p yet. "En, His Majesty is really nice and spoils Mowan like Mom did. His Majesty even said that if anyone dared to bully Mowan, he''ll chop off the tip of her finger!" Seeing Dou Xiann''s disgusting face, Yao Mowan''s heart abruptly turned cold. Her younger sister had probably had to take no small amount of pping from Dou Xiann in her previous half lifetime. The future is long, if there was anything that she had, it was time. So there was plenty of time to apany them to y properly. At the side, Dou Xiann subconsciously withdrew her hand into her sleeve upon hearing this and her facial color turned so dark it was hard to distinguish from purple. "Mowan, what brought you here?" Yao Suluan restrained her temper and asked in a gentle voice. Ever since she came back from Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Suluan knew that for the time being she couldn''t afford to offend this fool. When the timees that His Majesty gets tired of ying with her, that will also be the day of Yao Mowan''s death. "Just then Ting Yue said it. It''s been a long time since Mowan saw di mother, Mowan has really started to miss di mother ah!" Yao Mowan''s face broke into a big smile, but the smile caused Dou Xiann to feel ufortable from head to toe. "You''d miss me¡­" Dou Xiann mumbled as she gave a cold humph. "What did di mother say? Mowan couldn''t hear?" Yao Mowan walked around Yao Suluan until she was directly in front of Dou Xiann. This move startled Dou Xiann so much that she hurriedly moved backwards, practically avoiding her as if Mowan was something terrifying. Dou Xiann believed that if Yao Mowan wasn''t a fool, even if she had Yao Suluan''s protection she might not be able toe out unscathed. "No¡­nothing much!" Dou Xiann dodged the question. Although Yao Suluan and Dou Xiann clearly gave tactful signals to Yao Mowan that she wasn''t weed, Yao Mowan simply insisted on lingering in Pure Flowers Pce. She stayed until after seven in the evening had passed before giving anguid stretch and heading out of the Pure Flower Pce doors. "That lowly wretch finally left! I seriously don''t understand why His Majesty would favor her!" Dou Xiann heavily exhaled as she spoke resentfully. "Don''t say that this daughter didn''t remind you. These days, His Majesty guards her extremely tightly. If you don''t have any matters, don''t provoke her. If you really rouse His Majesty''s temper in the future, even Daughter doesn''t have the ability topletely save you." Yao Suluan warned. "Enough! Originally I was thinking of having you help me get rid of that mongrel Yao Yu. I never expected to end up having to deal with Yao Mowan''s mood for half the day. It''s already prettyte so just call Cai Ying and the rest back. I''ll just go; happy!?" Dou Xiann held back a bellyful of anger and spoke irritably. Right at this time, Cai Ying ran into Pure Flowers Pcepletely flustered. "Niang niang! It''s not good!" Cai Ying gasped for breath as she stopped in front of Yao Suluan. Her forehead was covered with sweat and her face was as pale as paper. "What happened? Didn''t I have you take Yao Yu to y? Where is he?" Yao Suluan frowned as she looked towards Cai Ying. There was still no sight of Yao Yu following her in. "This servant doesn''t know either. A while ago this servant was still ying hide-and-seek with Little Young Master, but somehow, we were ying and ying and then this servant just couldn''t find him anymore!" Cai Ying looked at Yao Suluan fearfully as she nervously reported. "What? You couldn''t find him? You can''t even look after a child properly, what use is there feeding you!?" Yao Suluan abruptly stood up upon hearing this and red furiously at Cai Ying. "Enough enough, just forget it. If he''s lost just let him be lost. Maybe he actually fell into the river by himself. That would be just perfect, saves me the trouble!" At the side, Dou Xiann objected. She believed to her very bones that between Yao Suluan and Yao Yu, Yao Zhenting would definitely choose her daughter. "What are you still waiting for? Hurry and send people to look for him! If something bad ends up happening, see how I''ll fix you up!" Yao Suluan sternly berated Cai Ying before turning towards her own mother. "The matter isn''t as simple as you think! In any case¡­ Forget it! Telling you has no use! For the time being, you just wait here. Once we find Yao Yu, you can head back together." Yao Suluan looked at her own mother with a helpless expression. "With a pir like you, an imperial gui fei, here, I just don''t believe that your father dare do anything to me. I''m heading back first. If they can''t find him that would be the best. If you find him, don''t send him back either!" Dou Xiann had already had to choke back quite a lot of anger due to Yao Mowan, so naturally, her attitude right now was ''what the eye doesn''t see, the heart doesn''t grieve over''. Not waiting for Yao Suluan to reply, Dou Xiann had already left Pure Flowers Pce withrge strides. At the start of dinner, Ye Junqing who was gone the entire day finally showed his face. It was unwillingly, but he was seriously unbearably hungry. "Who is he?" Ye Junqing walked into the main hall, dressed in white, just in time to see Yao Yu hugging Fluffy and ying next to the table. "Mowan''s younger brother." Perhaps because fellow sufferers feel empathy for each other, Yao Mowan had felt an extreme liking for Yao Yu the moment she saw him. That cute and lovable appearance was rather simr to her own younger sister''s. "Moxin never mentioned that she still had a little brother." Ye Junqing was clearly doubting Yao Mowan''s words. "So Eldest Sister still kept some things from wang ye, isn''t that so?" Yao Mowan indifferently replied, her beautiful as the limpid autumn water pupils swept towards Ye Junqing. It was precisely that Yao Mowan wanted to discredit her former self. She wanted to let Ye Junqing know that the woman in his heart also wasn''t perfect without a blemish! This way, would he love a little less¡­ "Ben wang truly doubts whether you really are Moxin''s blood-rted sister!" Ye Junqing''s clear pupils instantly turned biting cold, the expression in his eyes as he looked towards Yao Mowan conspicuously darkened. "Recement guaranteed if not genuine(authentic). Yao Yu,e here and eat." Yao Mowan abruptly gave a shallow smile as she pulled Yao Yu casually over and lifted him into her arms, feeding him bite by bite. At the side, Fluffy seemed to have realized the presence of danger. Right after she left Yao Yu''s embrace, she immediately withdrew behind Yao Mowan''s leg and stared, on high alert, at Ye Junqing. "Wang ye always has such a cold face, even Fluffy is getting scared." Yao Mowan shot a nce at Ye Junqing as she teased. "That''s because its heart has guilt!" Ye Junqing suddenly realized he was holding a grudge against a cat and immediately retrieved his gaze. Moving to sit down opposite Yao Mowan, he picked up the chopsticks. "Wan er jiejie(older sister), gege''s(older brother) really handsome!" Yao Yu looked towards Ye Junqing and exposed a sparkling smile. "That''s because you''re still little and haven''t seen much of the world. Once you grow up you''ll realize that that face is extremely average." Yao Mowan used a handkerchief to wipe away the rice grains on Yao Yu''s face as she lied. At the opposite side of the table, Ye Junqing''s face turned stiff. He took a long time to calm the mes in his heart before he continued to eat. A real man doesn''t fight with womenfolk, Ye Junqing just consoled himself this way. "Wan er jiejie, Yao Yu wants to grow up a little faster." Yao Yu''s voice sounded a bit depressed and water droplets surfaced in his eyes. "Why?" Yao Mowan put down the rice bowl and ced Yao Yu on the chair next to her as she asked. "Because once Yao Yu grows up, Yao Yu will be able to protect Mother and not let other people bully Mother." Yao Yu''s voice carried a thick sobbing tone. Yao Mowan froze for a moment. Then, she slowly extended her hand to tidy Yao Yu''s cor before removing a pearl hairpin from her hair and giving it to Yao Yu. "Yao Yu''s almost five, already a proper man. From now on, you have to protect Mother. If there''s someone that dares touch a single hair on Mother''s head, you just use this to stab them to death!" Yao Mowan pronounced each and every word solemnly. On this rare asion, Yao Mowan didn''t show her usual sarcasm and teasing but rather looked straight at Yao Yu, her eyes keen as that of a falcon''s. "Remember Wan er jiejie''s words. You can''t wait until you grow up to protect Mother, because Mother can''t wait that long, understand?" Her heart seemed as if it was being gouged by small knives; it pulsed with pain. Yao Yu still had a chance, unlike her. Even if she wanted to stake her life to protect Mother, she already didn''t have the opportunity anymore. "Yao Yu has memorized it. Wan er jiejie, say, would switching the hairpin for an embroidery needle be even better?" Yao Yu blinked his clear shiny eyes and asked in deadly earnest. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Scullyhahn [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 33
Chapter 33: A Valiant Way of Teaching "En, youngster learns well!" Yao Mowan smiled slightly as she nodded. Yao Yu was the flesh of Father''s heart, even if he did something excessive, the lower ranking people of the fu, including Dou Xiann, still wouldn''t dare to heavily punish him. She only hoped that this move would allow Su Muzi to have an easier time in Xiang fu. On the other side of the square table, Ye Junqing''s lips were twitching. One hand gripped the corner of the table just in time to prevent him from falling due to the shock brought about by the valiant exchange of the two in front of him. After a night without a word, after the morning court session the next day, the first thing Ye Hongyi did after court ended was to rush impatiently to see his little porcin doll. "What''s zhen''s Wan er doing?" When Ye Hongyi stepped into Guan Osprey Pce, it was right in time to see Yao Mowan being awfully busy packing all the pastries on the table into a cloth pouch. "Father likes eating the pastries in the pce. In the past, Second Older Sister would often bring the pastries in the pce back for Father and di mother to eat when she returned to visit the fu. At that time, Wan er really envied Second Older Sister. Now Wan er also lives in the ce and can bring pastries back to the fu!" Yao Mowan packed the pastries as she responded earnestly to Ye Hongyi''s question. The smile on Ye Hongyi''s face turned stiff instantly. Yao Mowan knew that the result would be like this, because she also knew that the pastries in the pce could only be made for His Majesty and the imperial concubines. Without His Majesty''s bestowment, the state subjects outside have no way to eat them, and are also not allowed to eat them! For Yao Suluan to dare bring it outside and for Yao Zhenting to dare eat it, they weremitting severe taboos. Indeed, whether this kind of thing has truly happened or not didn''t matter, the important part was that Ye Hongyi believed. "Your Majesty, you aren''t happy? If Your Majesty isn''t happy, then Wan er won''t take them." Yao Mowan looked with naive confusion towards Ye Hongyi and as she spoke, she moved to take the pastries in the bag out. "Zhen isn''t unhappy. Since Wan er has this filial piety, zhen will dispatch someone to send these pastries to Yao Xiang fu. There''s no need for you to personally send them over." Ye Hongyi restrained the iciness in his eyes and smiled as he took the bag from Yao Mowan''s hands. "But¡­ Wan er also wants to go back and visit Xiang fu. Not to mention didi''s(younger brother) here, Wan er needs to send him back ah. If Father doesn''t see didi he''d definitely be worried to death." As Yao Mowan spoke, her gaze turned towards the Yao Yu that was ying at the side with Fluffy. Only now did Ye Hongyi notice that there was such a boy in the room. "This is¡­ your blood-rted younger brother?" Ye Hongyi lifted his brows as he looked towards Yao Mowan. He hasn''t ever heard that Yao Zhenting got a son. No wonder that old fool didn''t attend the morning court, he was probably going insane searching for his son. "That''s right ah! He''s Father and Third Mother''s son! He was raised outside this entire time, Father only took them back a couple days ago. Yesterday, di mother brought him over. She probably forgot and left him here at Wan er''s ce." Thetter half of Yao Mowan''s words were purely made-up because she knew Ye Hongyi wouldn''t investigate deeply. "That''s also good. It is about time for you to visit home, but you can''t stay the night, zhen will miss you!" Ye Hongyi used his finger to stroke Yao Mowan''s cheek. It was just a simple contact, yet it already caused his body to stir. Ye Hongyi was astonished at his own reaction. He had always been sensible to this day, he doesn''t recall ever meeting a girl that could stir up his heartstrings so easily like this. Even at that time when he sincerely loved Yao Moxin, he had never felt this way before. "Wan er also missed Your Majesty!" Yao Mowan was super happy and, like a dragonfly that dipped the water, lightly kissed Ye Hongyi''s face before returning to packing the pastries. This scene was caught by the Ye Junqing that just walked it. He couldn''t help but admit that Yao Mowan''s side profile was very simr to Moxin''s. The past was like a flood. Moxin gave her everything for Ye Hongyi''s sake, yet in the end wasn''t able to stay with him and grow old together. At that time in Water Ripple Pavilion when he looked up at the blue dome of heaven with her, she once spoke forthrightly about how she chose the right star for herself. Seeing the brightness in her eyes, Ye Junqing made the decision to send troops to rescue the trapped Ye Hongyi, only because he could not bear to see Moxin''s heartbroken grieving appearance should she be no longer able to see that star. "Wan er ah, did you forget Junqing''s breakfast?" When Ye Hongyi saw Ye Junqing, his finger ticked Yao Mowan''s jasper nose as heughed dotingly. "Ah, you came? Wan er thought you didn''t want to eat? What to do?" Yao Mowan suddenly looked towards Ye Junqing. Ever since he found out that Yao Mowan was faking her foolishness, everytime Ye Junqing saw Yao Mowan act this innocent he would feel a strong resistance. "This subject and younger brother will take his leave!" Ye Junqing ignored Yao Mowan, cupped his fist and wanted to withdraw from Guan Osprey pce, but Ye Hongyi stopped him. "Junqing ah, Wan er is heading back to Xiang fu today, but zhen still has government affairs to deal with. Protect Wan er in zhen''s ce, don''t let anyone bully zhen''s precious treasure!" Ye Hongyi looked mild as clouds and gentle as wind as he spoke, but there was an imposing tone that allowed not refusal that prated through. "This subject¡­" "Your Majesty is the best! You hold these!" Seeing Ye Junqing''s desire to refuse, Yao Mowan suddenly lifted the bag in her hand and walked to Ye Junqing, then, without a trace of politeness stuffed the bag into Ye Junqing''s hand. "Your Majesty, then Wan er''s leaving now!" Yao Mowan turned around to pulled Yao Yu over, then gave a casual goodbye and left Osprey Guan pce. Seeing the oil that seeped out from the bag stain his clothes, Ye Junqing suddenly had an impulse to beat someone up and rushed out after her. At the side, Liu Xing and Ting Yue respectfully bowed before following them out of Guan Osprey Pce. As he watched the back of Ye Junqing''s leaving figure, a deep chill emitted from the depths of Ye Hongyi''s eyes. Yao Xiang fu was the ce Ye Junqing and Yao Moxin first met. To once again revisit the once familiar ces, it will definitely cause him soul piercing pain. Even if he couldn''t kill Ye Junqing right now, he still didn''t want to let him pass his daysfortably. Because it wasn''t a formal outing, there was no need to be mboyant. On the way, Yao Mowan arranged it so Liu Xing would drive the carriage Ting Yue and Yao Yu would sit in while Ye Junqing would sit together with her in a different carriage. "You sure have skill in lying, and your skill in acting foolish is even more perfected, to the point the stove fire has turned bright green(allusion to Daoist alchemy, aka, perfection). I really don''t know how Moxin could''ve had a younger sister like you!" If it weren''t for the bag he was holding in his hand, Ye Junqing said that even if he were to die he wouldn''t sit in the same carriage as Yao Mowan. "What''s wrong with this? At least His Majesty likes it." Yao Mowan''s expression was indifferent as she replied, unconcerned. "His Majesty only likes you because you''re Moxin''s younger sister!" Ye Junqing corrected seriously. From his point of view, Moxin''s goodness was iparable. Moreover, she did everything for Ye Hongyi''s sake, there was no reason for Ye Hongyi not to love her. At that time, everytime he saw Moxin he would see the mark of blessed happiness on her face. As for that confession of adultery, Ye Junqing thought that it must be the material evidence Moxin left behind of her own will in order to protect the stability of Ye Hongyi''s country. "So this is what wang ye thinks ah! Haa¡­ Wang ye truly is wise and far-sighted, unrivaled in the world!" Yao Mowanughed in spite of herself as she looked towards Ye Junqing. The jade fingers in her sleeve gradually curled up until she became aware of the pain and stopped. "What do you mean by that?" No matter how he listened to this it didn''t seem to be praising him. Ye Junqing looked indignantly towards Yao Mowan. For the sake of restraining her impulse to rush up and call Ye Junqing an imbecile, Yao Mowan turned her head away and refused to look at him. Haa(sigh onomatopoeia), but how could she me him? He doesn''t know anything. Yao Mowan felt destion in her heart. All the way until they reach Yao Xiang fu, Yao Mowan didn''t respond to any of Ye Junqing''s questions. Because they didn''t give prior notice, when they got to Xiang fu, other than the two old servants guarding the doors, there were no one else there to greet them. "Third Miss is back, oh! Isn''t this little Young Master!? This small(in terms of insignificant) servant report to Master right away!" The old servant saw Yao Yu and his eyes immediately lit up. "Don''t! Wan er wants to give Father a pleasant surprise!" Times have changed. The servants that never paid any attention to Yao Mowan, at this time, no longer dared to go against her desires. In front of the fu entrance, Ye Junqing lifted his eyes to look at the three words ''Yao Xiang fu''. Deep unobliterable pain overflowed from his eyes. From the first time he saw Moxin, he knew that he wouldn''t be able to escape in this lifetime. "You guys seriously have bad vision, hurry up and carry a chair over for the Esteemed Prince to sit on!" Upon seeing Ye Junqing submerged in endless mncholy standing in front of the fu doors, Yao Mowan immediately gave this order. The two old servants looked with embarrassment towards Yao Mowan when they heard this. Even if she has entered the pce, she''s still that stupid Third Miss of theirs, haa. How could they let wang ye sit in front of the fu doors!? The person''s not a stone lion! __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Unedited [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]If you didn''t know, a pair of stone lion statues often decorates entrances to buildings in China. Even now, Chinese restaurants and stuff still often have stone lion statues.
Chapter Volume 1 34
Chapter 34: I''m Going To Protect Mother "Cough cough¡­" His reminiscing screeched to a halt as Ye Junqing''s forehead became filled with ck lines. He red towards Yao Mowan, then stomped as he moved to follow her. Yao Mowan had just entered the fu courtyard with Yao Yu when she bumped into Yao Tu whose face was filled with worry. "Third Miss? Eh¡­ this old servant kowtows in salute to Yao fei niang niang! Kowtows in salute to the Esteemed Prince!" As the steward of a prime minister''s residence, Yao Tu naturally recognized the emperor''s rtives and the officials of the court. At this time, when he saw Ye Junqing, he couldn''t help but be shocked. But what made him even more astonished was the site of the Yao Yu in front of him. "Steward Yao, hurry and get up. Mowan''s not used to people kneeling." A crystal-like voice sounded as Yao Mowan reached out to help Yao Tu up. In the entire Yao Xiang fu, there was only Yao Tu that knew that the current Yao Mowan was already no longer the silly fool of the past. "Yao fei niang niang, how did Little Young Master end together with you? Master is almost about to worry to death. Right now he''s even in the middle of ming Big Madam!" Yao Tu looked towards Yao Yu with joy as he spoke with surprise. "It''s a long story. I''ll bring Yao Yu to find his mother first." Yao Mowan didn''t pretend in front of Yao Tu and replied in a low voice. "That¡­ then this old servant will head over to report to Master first!" Yao Tu was just about to head off when Yao Mowan stopped him. "Don''t, Mowan wants to personally give Father a pleasant surprise. You just watch. No one''s allowed to be a bbermouth!" Yao Mowan''s lips lifted in a smile, yet it caused people to fill an abnormal chill. "This old servant understands, but¡­ Third Madam is currently in the firewood shed." Yao Tu naturally understood what Yao Mowan was nning and cupped his hand slightly to indicate hispliance. Behind her, Ye Junqing slightly furrowed his brows and walked past Yao Mowan silently to head towards the firewood shed in the back. Liu Xing and Ting Yue shared a look, then also followed over. Yao Mowan took Yao Yu''s hand before walking to the firewood shed doors. When they got close, they immediately heard the sound of a pitiful screame from the firewood shed. "Speak! Was it you that hid Little Young Master away!? Where did you hide him!?" A sharp voice that pierced people''s eardrums yelled. Yu Zhi directed the two momos at the side to keep whipping Su Muzi. A message had already been sent over from the Imperial Pce that Yao Yu wasn''t found and warned Dou Xiann to be prepared. And the method that Dou Xiann thought of was simply this extreme: drag the Su Muzi whose body was naturally weak to the firewood shed and violently beat her until she admitted that the child was hidden away by her. "Give me back my Yu er¡­ Ah¡ª" Su Muzi''s mournful cry sounded out. "You still refuse to admit!? Continue! I want her whipped fiercely!" The malicious voice demanded again. Outside the door, when Yao Yu heard his mother''s pained scream, he immediately clenched his fist and was about to rush in when Yao Mowan stopped him. "Remember, you''re a manly man. If someone dared to bully Mother, what are you supposed to do?" Yao Mowan spoke as she pulled two pearl hairpins out of her hand and ced it in Yao Yu''s hand. "Yao er will stab them to death!" Yao Yu fiercely nodded, then turned and rushed into the firewood shed. Yao Mowan gave a slight smile and followed. Behind them, Ye Junqing suddenly understood why Yao Mowan would instruct Yao Yu this way. Perhaps¡­ perhaps they truly deserved to be stabbed to death! "You guys go away! You''re not allowed to bully Mother!" Yao Yu fiercely pushed away the two momos like a little crazed leopard. Before the momos could even react, he had already stabbed the hairpins in his hands into them. "Aiyo!" In the interval of time while the two momos were frozen due to the pain, Yao Yu ran to Su Muzi''s side. He looked at his mother whose entire body was blood with heartache in his eyes and tears fell withrge plops. "Little Young Master¡­ Su Muzi! And you still dare to say it wasn''t you that hid him away!? Little Young Master, hurry ande with me to go see Master!" At the side, Yu Zhi froze for a moment, then immediately moved up to grab Yao Yu. Yao Yu was filled with resentment and abruptly stabbed the hairpin in his hand hard onto Yu Zhi''s arm. "Aiyo! You little bastard! You actually dared to stab me!? Watch and see how I''ll deal with you!" What kind of master would definitely have the same kind of servant. Yu Zhi had always felt, from her very bones, that Su Muzi and Yao Yu was beneath her. But she usually keeps up appearances in front of Master, so the way the pretense she used in front of Yao Yu was also passable. At this moment though, due to having been injured, her true atrocious nature was revealed. Seeing that Yu Zhi had picked Yao Yu up and was just about to hit him, Liu Xing and Ting Yue immediately rushed over, having received Yao Mowan''s eye signal, and restrain Yu Zhi by pulled her hands behind her back. Yao Yu who was freed was like an enraged tiger. He wrapped both his hands around a single hairpin and stabbed it on Yu Zhi''s leg as if his life depended on it. Again and again, like the tapping of rain. It pained Yu Zhi to the point she screeched and wailed. The two momos at the side wanted to approach and stop it, but was made to stop by a single shout from Liu Xing. "He''s the flesh of Master''s heart. If you dare to hurt him, see if Master wouldn''t strip your skins!" The two momos exchanged looks upon hearing this and hesitated over whether to approach or retreat. "What are you still dazing out there for!? Hurry and help Third Madam back to Quiet Snow Pavilion, then attend to her! It couldn''t be that you''re still waiting for Little Young Master to give you directions one by one?" Ting Yue shouted sternly, seeing that Su Muzi had fainted on the floor. When the two momos heard, they immediately threw away the whips in their hands and carefully lifted Su Muzi up before leaving the firewood shed. "Aiyo! Come back! How dare you betray me! Hurry and pull this bastard away! Stop! Let me go! Save me ah!" Yu Zhi''s legs had already been pierced by Yao Yu to the point they seemed like sieves. She screamed loudly, in so much pain that she wanted to faint. But that severe piercing pain rushed to her brain again and again, causing her to be iparably clear-minded and awake. Yao Mowan only indicated for Liu Xing and Ting Yue to let go after Yao Yu became tired from stabbing. Having lost her restraints, Yu Zhi''s entire body copsed down and fell onto the rice straw pile. As she lifted her head while enduring the pain, she saw with astonishment that it was Yao Mowan that was standing in front of her. "So it was you, you damned yatou! It was you that hid that bastard away! And you even let these two lowly ves restraint me! I''m going to tell Master! I''ll tell Master! Aiyo, hurts to death¡­" Yu Zhi had be muddle-headed from the pain and shrieked with all her might. "It wasn''t me¡­ It was the Esteemed Prince that had them restrain you! If you don''t believe, you can ask them ah!" Yao Mowan looked towards Yu Zhi with a face full of grievances. At the side, Ting Yue and Liu Xing enthusiastically nodded. Ye Junqing''s lips twitched and arge drop of sweat immediately dropped down the back of his head. He couldn''t stop himself from looking over at Yao Mowan, only to see Yao Mowan shrug with a ''what-else-could-I-have-done'' look. "Just on that phrase of ''damned yatou'' that you cursed, it wouldn''t be excessive at all to have you beheaded!" Ye Junqing''s cold gaze swept over Yu Zhi; he didn''t deny it. "Yao Yu,e over here. Third Older Sister will bring you to look for Father!" Yao Mowan pulled the exhausted Yao Yu that was currently panting for breath over and left the firewood shed without even looking back. Ting Yue and Liu Xing naturally also followed them out. Yu Zhi was the sole person left behind in the firewood shed and she continued to shout loudly for someone to save her. Before even stepping into Bamboo Wish Pavilion, Yao Mowan already heard a loud bellowe from within. "Lao fu will ask you one more time! What did you, damned wretch, do to Yu er!?" Yao Zhenting fiercely pulled Dou Xiann''s hair, his vicious eyes were shooting faint green light simr to those of jackals. He has, in this lifetime, sessfully won sess and recognition. All that hecked was a son! "Lao ye! This qie has already said it, it was Su Muzi, that lowly wretch that hid Yao Yu away! She''s trying to frame this qie!" Dou Xiann has always thought that with Yao Suluan, this imperial gui fei, as a guardian talisman, no matter what offense shemitted, Yao Zhenting still wouldn''t dare to do anything to her. Luo Yuxin from that time was the best example of this. But now, she suddenly realized that she was gravely mistaken. As she looked at Yao Zhenting''s bloodshot eyes, Dou Xiann felt both legs going weak. "You really think thato fu wouldn''t dare to kill you!? How many eyes do you think saw you bring Yu er to the Imperial Pce yesterday? Yet afterwards, you came back alone! If you said that Yu er was inside the Imperial Pce, could have believed, but you actually tried to push the me onto Su Muzi! Dou Xiann! That is ''s only son!" Yao Zhenting''s eyes were scarlet red. As his rough hands abruptly reached out to clutch Dou Xiann''s neck, the rims of his eyes seemed about to split. "E¡­ Lao¡­ ! Hurry and let go¡­ If this qie dies¡­ Suluan won''t let you off¡­" Dou Xiann looked with shock and fear at the Yao Zhenting who seemed like a beast that had escaped from his cage, her face turning purple. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Unedited [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Lol, my fav paragraph:"It wasn''t me¡­ It was the Esteemed Prince that had them restrain you! If you don''t believe, you can ask them ah!" Yao Mowan looked towards Yu Zhi with a face full of grievances. At the side, Ting Yue and Liu Xing nodded enthusiastically. Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 35
Chapter 35: You Sought Shelter From Her!? "If loseso fu''s son! Lao fu won''t let her off either! You thinko fu doesn''t know what you''re thinking!? Dou Xiann! You overestimate the value of that imperial gui fei daughter of yours too much! If she was amazing, right now she should be empress! How could she be a little imperial gui fei!? Lao fu will give you onest chance. Hand over Yu er and will spare your life! Otherwise¡­" Yao Zhenting narrowed his glowering eyes as he increased the strength in his hand. "Urh¡­ let go¡­ hurry and let go¡­"Just as Dou Xiann''s voice was getting fainter and her eyes rolled back to reveal the whites, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open and Yao Yu jumped in. Behind him, Yao Mowan stood with a cold expression at the entrance. Her pupils were chilled as frost. She won''t let Dou Xiann die this easily. Some debts must be counted and repaid stroke by stroke! "Yu er! Yu er ah! You''re unharmed, that''s great! That''s great!" The instant he saw Yao Yu, Yao Zhenting flung Dou Xiann away and tightly pulled Yao Yu into his arms. His mouth that had a little stubble continuouslynded on Yao Yu''s face. Yao Mowan saw clearly that tears had shed through Yao Zhenting''s eyes. He truly did love this son. "Cough¡­ cough cough¡­" Dou Xiann who had been flung by Yao Zhenting onto the floor was battered and exhausted as she fiercely sucked in air. Only then did her facial color return to normalcy a little. "Wan er kowtows in greeting to Father!" Only after she finished enjoying the show did Yao Mowan step into the room and prettily walk to Yao Zhenting. "Mowan¡­ oh¡­ this old servant kowtows in greeting to Yao fei, kowtows in greeting to the Esteemed Prince!" Yao Zhenting looked at Yao Mowan with astonishment. It was only when he saw Ye Junqing walk in that he realized his improper bearing. He hastily released Yao Yu and respectfully gave his greetings. "How could Wan er ept such a big show of etiquette from Father? Hurry and stand up!" Upon seeing this, Yao Mowan hurriedly moved to help Yao Zhenting up. "What are you still lying around there for!? Hurry and offer tea to Yao fei and the Esteemed Prince!" Yao Zhenting red at Dou Xiann who had just slightly recovered as he said sternly. "Yao Mowan! Why is Yao Yu together with you? Was it you that hid him away? Speak!" The second she saw Yao Yu and Yao Mowan, Dou Xiann was shocked as if her head had been anointed with the purest cream and enlightened. No wonder Cai Ying couldn''t find Yao Yu, it was definitely due to this damned yatou''s trick! "It''s not Wan er jiejie that hid me at all. It was that pce maid called Cai Ying that bullied Yao Yu. She wanted to push Yao Yu into theke, that''s why Yao Yu ran! Later Yao Yu ran into Wan er jiejie. Daddy, Wan er jiejie treats Yu er wonderfully!" Yao Yu pulled the corner of Yao Zhenting''s clothes with apletely sincere smile. "You''re making things up! Cai¡­" Dou Xiann''s eyes were like nails as she red ferociously at Yao Yu. "Silence! Causing such a fuss, are you trying to start a scandal? Don''t you see that the Esteemed Prince is still here!" Yao Zhenting red at Dou Xiann, a set belief already in his heart. "Lao ye! You can''t believe his one-sided statement!" Dou Xiann hastily tried to exin. "I''ve let the Esteemed Prince see a joke. Yao fei, wang ye, please,e to the main hall!" Yao Zhenting suppressed his anger for the time being and extended his hand respectfully to indicate for Ye Junqing and Yao Mowan to leave. Then, he pulled Yao Yu and walked out of Bamboo Wish Pavilion. As they headed back to the pce, Yao Mowan was silent. Just the recollection of the scene in which Su Muzi was covered with blood caused her to remember her own mother. At that time, she was too stupid, to actually have believed that Father and Dou Xiann would treat Mother well. For the sake of helping Ye Hongyi strengthen the country, the number of times she visited Mother were few to the point they could be counted on one hand. Only at the instant she knelt in front of mother''s couch did she finally see the true faces of these hypocrites. It was a pity that it was way toote. The lush jade fingers curled up tightly, causing the joints to be bleached white. Yao Mowan didn''t feel it as her nails dug into her palm and her beautiful eyes gradually grew moist. "The Prime Minister''s wife seems so domineering. You''ve probably suffered a lot at her hands, right?" Sensing how Yao Mowan''s entire body was stretched taut, Ye Junqing asked softly. "Ha, it''s good that those days are already past. In the future, I won''t let anyone bully me or people precious to me ever again!" Yao Mowan took a deep breath andnguidly leaned against the agarwood nks inside the carriage. Her eyes swept, seemingly without care, across Ye Junqing as her lips hooked in a trace of a self-confident smile. "That''s why you thought of the idea of pretending to be a fool in order to attract His Majesty''s liking? As long as you have His Majesty''s protection, you wouldn''t need to fear anyone anymore? That doesn''t seem right. You''ve pretended to be a fool since you were a child. It couldn''t be that you knew since you were little that you would be conferred the title of a fei?" Ye Junqing was led into confusion by his own question. "If wang ye guesses right, I''ll tell you the reason!" It was rare to see Ye Junqing in such confusion. Ye Mowan''s lips lifted in a slight smile. "If ben wang guessed right, would ben wang still need to you tell!?" Ye Junqing suddenly had a feeling that he was beingughed at and indignantly glowered at Yao Mowan. "Wang ye truly is worthy of being called the lionheart of countless battlefields! Wang ye''s reaction sure is fast!" The smile at the corners of Yao Mowan''s lips deepened. It was just that no matter how Ye Junqing listened to it, he couldn''t seem to feel that Yao Mowan was praising him. Just at this moment, the curtain of the carriage was suddenly lifted by someone and a man dressed in white abruptly got onto the carriage. "This subordinate kowtows in salute to Yao fei! Kowtows in salute to wang ye! Has wang ye been well?" A resounding voice carried a unique local ent filled the carriage. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing was a bit stunned and looked with disbelief towards the person that had entered. "Ben Lei? Didn''t you go back to your hometown to farm?" The person that had arrived wasn''t any stranger but the Ben Lei who was at the Esteemed Prince''s Residence that day. "Ben Lei felt like farming had no prospects, so went to seek shelter beneath Yao fei''s influence and became a secret guard." Only then did Ye Junqing notice that Ben Lei had actually cupped his hand toward Yao Mowan. "You¡­ you sought shelter from her? Do you know who she is?" Ye Junqing was a bit baffled with this situation. The subordinate that he was most proud of and his most loyal subordinate had actually chosen to rely on this woman by his side who only knew how to pretend to be a fool. "Who she is is not important, what is important is that she is Ben Lei''s master!" Ben Lei replied respectfully. "Looks like wang ye is feeling a little regretful? Such a loyal bodyguard, yet it ended up being just bing a bargain for Mowan." As she looked at Ye Junqing''s shocked expression, Yao Mowan proceeded to pour oil on the fire. "Humph! From the looks of it now, he doesn''t have quite enough loyalty!" Ye Junqing said grudgingly. "Ben Lei, how''s the task going?" Yao Mowan didn''t pay attention Ye Junqing who resentfully turned his head away and instead, looked towards Ben Lei with a serious expression. "Yao fei, don''t worry. Ben Lei has already taken it over ording to Yao fei''s instructions¡­ the business firm you have in Mang Yuan." Ben Lei said vaguely. In reality, what he took over was the secret troops that Yao Moxin had secretly established along with several money-spinningrge businesses. "You have a business firm in Mang Yuan?" Ye Junqing looked with skepticism towards Yao Mowan, feeling that it was inconceivable. "Does wang ye really want to know? If you beg me, I can consider telling you!" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked at Ye Junqing who turned his head over, her brows curved. "Who wants to know!?" Ye Junqing immediately turned his face away again, refusing to beg for this. Speechless, Yao Mowan chuckled, then soon turned towards Ben Lei again. "You''ve done well. In here are the instructions for the next step. I''ll be leaving Mang Yuan in your hands!" Yao Mowan spoke as she took out a bamboo tube from her sleeve and handed it to Ben Lei, her eyes filled with firm resolution. "Master, don''t worry. Ben Lei definitely will not betray your expectations." Ben Lei took the bamboo tube and his eyes subconsciously nced towards Ye Junqing. However, he saw Yao Mowan slightly nod, so he didn''t dy any longer and left the carriage. Her heart, felt indescribably heavy. Yao Mowan leaned heavily against the agarwood nk as she gazed at the carriage wall. Mang Yuan had many metal and mineral resources and was known as thend of fish and rice. Its location was between the nations of Chu and Shu, but it had yet to enter either of the two''s domain. It had always been a focus point of conflicts between the two nations. At that time, for the sake of this treasure location, Yao Moxin had kept it from Ye Hongyi and secretly sent people to live there longterm. She allocated resources to construct banks, cloth factories, grain factories, and privately epted solders and brought horses. It was known publically as the self-defense force, however, the maniptor behind the scenes was Yao Moxin. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Unedited [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 36
Chapter 36: The Pce Maid Covered With Injuries Her heart, felt indescribably heavy. Yao Mowan leaned heavily against the agarwood nk as she gazed at the carriage wall. Mang Yuan had many metal and mineral resources and was known as thend of fish and rice. Its location was between the nations of Chu and Shu, but it had yet to enter either of the two''s domain. It had always been a focus point of conflicts between the two nations. At that time, for the sake of this treasure location, Yao Moxin had kept it from Ye Hongyi and secretly sent people to live there long term. She allocated resources to construct banks, cloth factories, grain factories, and privately epted soldiers and brought horses. It was known publically as the self-defense force, however, the maniptor behind the scenes was Yao Moxin. Originally, she had nned to wait for a good opportunity to tell Ye Hongyi and give him a pleasant surprise. She never expected that Ye Hongyi moved one step ahead of her and gave her an enormous ''pleasant surprise'' first. Once they returned to the Imperial Pce, Ye Junqing got off the carriage and left on his own. From start to finish, he didn''t say a single word to Yao Mowan. Yao Mowan understood his current feelings. The vanguard he was most proud of actually chose to seek refuge by bing her subordinate. Ye Junqing definitely felt like he had been betrayed. As Yao Mowan looked at Ye Junqing''s back, she couldn''t help but hook her lips. You don''t want to fight, so you don''t fight. That''s fine. Mowan will fight for you, snatch for you. No matter what methods are necessary, Mowan will return the Jianghu of great Chu with its magnificent mountains and rivers intact to you. "Niang niang, the Esteemed Prince seems unhappy?" Ting Yue seem to have noticed and lithely moved up as she asked in a quiet voice. "Just leave him be." Yao Mowan lightly sighed. She soon started to walk with Ting Yue and Liu Xing towards Guan Osprey Pce. Just as the three were passing through the Imperial Garden, they suddenly heard a quiet moane from the half-a-person''s-height-tall canna to the left. Canna or Indian shot canna is a flower. In Chinese, the name actually trantes to beauty[''s] banana. "Niang niang?" Liu Xing subconsciously moved in front of Yao Mowan to shield her as he looked warily at the underbrush to the left. Without speaking, Yao Mowan shot Liu Xing a look. Liu Xing immediately plunged into the canna. At this second, Yao Mowan felt rather moved. This thought suddenly urred to her: even if there were mountains of daggers and seas of mes ahead, as long as she gave him the indication, Liu Xing probably still wouldn''t hesitate, right?. After half a cup of tea''s time, Liu Xing reappeared, carrying a pce maid whose entire body was covered with wounds. "Niang niang, she''s still alive. However, her injuries are quite severe!" The pce maid in Liu Xing''s arms had disheveled hair and her snow-white neck was bruised. As Yao Mowan looked at the numerous wounds of all sizes on the maid''s body, her eyes abruptly turned cold. This style, it was definitely An Bingshan''s handiwork! "Liu Xing. Bring her to the hut behind Changle Pce, but be careful. Think of some way to get her some medicine and food. Do your utmost to save her!" Yao Mowan lifted her eyes to look around and was d that no one had discovered them. "Yes!" Liu Xing usually never asked for reasons. As long as Yao Mowan ordered it, he would do as instructed. Only after Liu Xing left did Yao Mowan ease her tension and return with Ting Yue to Guan Osprey Pce. Yao Mowan was surprised to discover, as they strode into Guan Osprey Pce, that Ye Hongyi was actually sitting inside. His line of sight was on a scroll as he quietly perused it. Just one side profile was enough to reveal Ye Hongyi''s seemingly perfect facial features along with his graceful posture and distinct silhouette. The most captivating aspect of all was the depth and dedication in that pair of eyes. At that time, she had been attracted by the aura Ye Hongyi gave off when he was like this, to the point that she went through water and tread on fire for the sake of capturing Jianghu for him. Thinking of it now, all those virtuous Confucian scrolls were seriously wasted being held in the hands of a person with the heart of a wolf and lungs of a dog like him. "Wan er? Why are you standing there? Come over here. Zhen has waited for you a long time!" When Ye Hongyi suddenly lifted his eyes, it was right in time to see Yao Mowan stand quietly at the door without any apparent intention to walk in. "Your Majesty was reading, Wan er didn''t dare to disturb." Yao Mowan recollected her train of thought and lifted her delicate little face as she walked over. Her handsnded very naturally on Ye Hongyi''s palm. When her eyes shifted, she was able to see the title of the book clearly: ¡¶Famous Generals of Antiquity¡· Yao Mowan remembered this book. It recorded the honor and disgrace of famous generals of past dynasties, and it detailed their causes of death especially thoroughly. Suppressing Ye Junqing inside the Imperial Pce was still not enough? Ye Hongyi was always this way, with so little sense of security. It seemed as if, in his eyes, it was possible for everyone to betray him. The only difference was how big the betrayal would be. "Zhen was only reading out of boredom while waiting for you. Since you''vee back, zhen naturally no longer needs to continue reading these tedious books! Zhen''s little devil is much more interesting than these books!" Ye Hongyi seized Yao Mowan''s waist and pulled her onto his leg. His fingers lifted the fine ck hair in front of her chest and lightly twirled it. Even though they clearly hadn''t been apart for long, he had actually missed her a little. "Wan er also missed Your Majesty!" Yao Mowan wrapped both her arms around Ye Hongyi''s neck as she pressed her small face against his chest, a deep light appearing within her quiet and simple eyes. On the bed, the two bodies passionately entangled. Ye Hongyipletely indulged himself in this delight and felt incapable of extricating himself. Beneath him, Yao Mowan''s jade finger lightly lifted and streaked across Ye Hongyi''s brows that were sharp as peaks. "Your Majesty is really pretty!" Yao Mowan praised with a sincere tone. At that time, in her eyes, Ye Hongyi had seemed to be the most dazzling man in this world. He teased away her soul and caused her to be faithful to him wholeheartedly until her death. But now, Yao Mowan could clearly see that what was in front of her was nothing but a ravenous wolf; a beast with a ckened heart. "Nn¡ª" Yao Mowan''s simple and sincere expression paired with that sensual movement finally caused Ye Hongyi to rush to the clouds and felt a never experienced before carefree release. "Wan er truly is zhen''s little devil!" Ye Hongyi flipped over andid down next to Yao Mowan as he tenderly pulled her into his arms. His palm stroked her jade-like snow shoulders. "Today, when zhen went to court, a lot of cab ministers said bad things about your father in front of zhen. Say, Wan er, what should be done?" "Why are they saying bad things about Father? Did Father do something wrong? If Father did something wrong, then he must be punished! Every time Wan er did something wrong, Wan er would get punished!" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Hongyi with apletely innocent expression. That earnest expression caused Ye Hongyi to burst outughing. "Wan er also had times when Wan er did things wrong?" "En. Every time Wan er did something wrong, di mother would lock Wan er into the firewood shed for a long time. Wan er wasn''t allowed to eat and di mother would even have Yu Zhi whip Wan er. It really hurt¡­" Yao Mowan deliberately shifted her body closer to Ye Hongyi as if she was seeking refuge. "What did you do wrong that they would punish you like this? Didn''t the Prime Minister care?" Ye Hongyi''s eyes abruptly turned cold as he felt this small body tremble slightly in his arms. "Wan er doesn''t know either. Perhaps it''s because Wan er isn''t as smart as Eldest Sister and is also not as likable as Second Older Sister. In any case, the moment Wan er speaks, it''s wrong. Wan er always causes di mother to get angry. Your Majesty¡­ it''d be great if only Wan er wasn''t dumb!" Yao Mowan''s voice carried a dense sobbing tone and her body trembled even harder. "If Wan er wasn''t dumb, Wan er wouldn''t be the Wan er zhen likes best! Don''t worry. From now on, if someone dares to touch you, zhen will definitely strip their skin!" Ye Hongyi gradually tightened his arms around Yao Mowan. This was the first time he felt the impulse to protect a woman, and the feeling was that intense. "Your Majesty is the best!" Yao Mowan happily lifted her eyes and her soft fingers stroked Ye Hongyi''s chest, seemingly carelessly. However, it caused Ye Hongyi''s heat which had just subsided to once again rise up. Another round of besieging and plundering began. A slight ripple emerged in Yao Mowan''s heart as she watched Ye Hongyi insatiably seek pleasure from her body. To find out how much Ye Hongyi truly cares about her would depend on seeing how much of her words he actually paid attention to. The next day, Yao Mowan hugged Fluffy as she sat on the gui fei chair, seeming deep in thought as she stroked the snow-white fur. When she saw Liu Xing enter, she passed Fluffy to Ting Yue. "How was it?" "Replying niang niang, I''m afraid it''s impossible to save that pce maid. She''s currently speaking nonsense. From what this servant can tell, she probably won''tst past tonight." Liu Xing''s voice was heavy as he reported. "Dying is also good. Living after such a humiliation may be even worse than death¡­" Ye Mowan''s pupils darkened as she sighed. "Niang niang, who exactly was it that was so vicious? How could they injure a pce maid to that point?" As he recalled the bloody wounds all over that pce maid''s body, unrestrainable wrath appeared on Liu Xing''s face. "An Bingshan." Yao Mowan forcefully bit out this name. "It was him!? To rely on the fact that His Majesty favors him. He''s truly despicable and moralless!" Liu Xing''s hands clenched into fists as he spoke bitterly. "Isn''t ben gong also relying on the fact that ben gong has His Majesty''s favor? That''s why ben gong dared to be absolutely unrestrained and push chen fei down into the water?" Yao Mowan''s clear eyes shot towards Liu Xing as she spoke each word clearly with strength. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by yours truly [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]As I was rereading through this chapter to proofread for mistakes, this thought urred to me. They were having raw sex, so how did Yao Mowan prevent herself from getting pregnant? I mean it''s possible that she might just be drinking medicinal soup that prevented pregnancy, but it''s strange that the author never shows that scene. Lol, feels like the author just ignored itpletely because if Mowan drinks birth control, then she''ll have to take into consideration how Mowan keeps it hidden so long. In the past, generally, women could not drink birth control unless the husband doesn''t want the woman to get pregnant and ''bestows'' the soup, in which case the woman had to drink it. Even more so in the Imperial Pce as killing the dragon fetus was often a capital crime. Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 37
Chapter 37: Even Dying Should Be Done With Meaning "Niang niang¡­" Liu Xing seemed to have sensed Yao Mowan''s anger and immediately retrieved his intense emotions as he waited respectfully for her to speak. "Ben gong wishes to tell you that this is simply reality. Whoever obtains the favor of His Majesty can ignorews and ignore the Heavens. Liu Xing, ben gong knows you feel indignant at theck of justice. However, inside the pce, this is a grave mistake. An Bingshan is someone His Majesty greatly favors. Not only the pce maids and eunuchs, but even the imperial concubines and ministers must nod and bow their waists respectfully when they see him. No matter how discontent you are, you must endure it in front of him! Understand?" Yao Mowan''s expression was severe as she warned. "Liu Xing understands." "En. You two, apany ben gong out for a stroll." Yao Mowan retrieved her earlier seriousness and got upnguidly before strolling out of Guan Osprey Pce. "Niang niang, where are we going?" Ting Yue asked cautiously. "Even dying should be done with meaning¡­" As Yao Moran muttered softly, her feet had already led her out of Guan Osprey Pce. Ting Yue shared a gaze with Liu Xing. Although they didn¡¯t understand Master''s words, they didn¡¯t dare to ask and simply followed her out. The Imperial Kitchen upied the entire northwest corner of the Imperial Pce. Looking over, there were a couple dozen rooms and it gave off a very imposing atmosphere. The Ingredients Hall(by hall I actually mean a veryrge and tall building) in front of them was the biggest building of the bunch. Every day in the morning, afternoon, and night, all the pce maids woulde here to order dishes. Then the corresponding eunuchs would send the necessary ingredients for each menu to a different small kitchen. In the Imperial Pce, the imperial gui fei, the gui fei and the pins all have their own small kitchens. The nobledies, talenteddies and beautifuldies who hold titles below that of pin don''t have the qualifications to order their own meals. Therge kitchen is in charge of organizing uniform meals for all of them. »Ê¹óåú£¬¹óåú£¬æÉ£¬¹óÈË£¬²ÅÈË, ÃÀÈË Overarching titles: imperial gui fei(Imperial Noble Consort), gui fei(Noble Consort), pin(Concubine), nobledy, talenteddy, beautifuldy So I''ve managed to match these ones to the wiki page and was debating whether or not to switch to English versions. However, there''s chen fei which is definitely also a rank rather than a bestowed title since I remember the chapter saying that ''the chen fei was of lower rank since she didn''t even get a bestowed title like Yao fei(Yao Mowan) did''. So I think I''ll stick w/ those pinyin except for the dy'' title series. At this time, Yao Mowan was currently walking on the only road that led from Pure Flowers Pce to the Imperial Kitchen. "Niang niang, Cai Ying ising." Liu Xing hurriedly back to report when he saw Cai Ying''s figure. "Ting Yue, where did Eldest Sister hide that? It''s such an important thing. Do you think she hid it in her residence!? Why don''t we go look for it?" Yao Mowan saw Cai Ying''s figure out of the corners of her eyes and immediately increased the volume of her voice. "It''s the Empress niang niang''s possession so it''s definitely a treasure! If this servant didn''t recall wrongly, Changle Pce should be over here. Niang niang, please go ahead!" Ting Yue chimed in cooperatively and soon led Yao Mowan in the direction of Changle Pce. Only after they walked quite a long way did Yao Mowan stop. "Liu Xing, are you sure Cai Ying returned to Pure Flowers Pce?" Yao Mowan''s clear pupils glimmered as she lightly lifted the tips of her brows. "Replying niang niang, this servant saw it clearly. There''s no doubt!" Liu Xing vigorously nodded. "En. Then, Liu Xing, you know what to say to lure An Bingshan to the shed, right?" Yao Mowan''s cherry lips lightly lifted as a bright light shot out from the depths of her eyes. "Don''t worry, niang niang, this servant know what to do!" Liu Xing epted the order confidently and left. After Liu Xing left their sights, Ting Yue moved closer to Yao Mowan''s side while hugging Fluffy. "As expected, niang niang is wise and brilliant!" Ting Yue said with an extremely worshipful tone. "How am I wise and brilliant?" Yao Mowan took Fluffy from Ting Yue''s arms and looked towards Ting Yue with mirth in her eyes. "If An Bingshan saw that the imperial gui fei was in the shed, he''ll definitely think that it was the imperial gui fei that saved that pce maid. ording to usual spection, there are two reasons that the imperial gui fei would save someone An Bingshan wanted to kill: to threaten him or to expose him in front of HIs Majesty. No matter what conclusion An Bingshanes to, he will definitely establish a grudge with this imperial gui fei! This servant finally understands what niang niang''s sentence earlier meant ¨C ''even dying should be done with meaning.'' Since that pce maid couldn''t be saved, niang niang is allowing her to die with purpose." Ting Yue took the pieces apart and analyzed them closely. "You really are getting more and more clever! Then do you know why ben gong is needling the imperial gui fei?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she asked. "It was her and Big Madam that caused Second Madam to die! Niang niang wants to get revenge for Second Madam!" Ting Yue replied with certainty. Yao Mowan didn''t speak and only nodded, satisfied, with a smiling expression in her eyes. Other than for Mother, she had to get revenge for herself, for Zhong er, and for her younger sister. She will let Yao Suluan taste all the pain that exists in the mortal world before sending her down to hell! "Niang niang, then what do we do now?" Ting Yue looked excitedly towards Yao Mowan. "Right now? You should go to the Imperial Kitchen to pass on the lunch order. The Esteemed Prince hasn''t eaten since the morning." Recalling that face which was as handsome as a celestial, Yao Mowan gave a knowing smile. Having received the order, Ting Yue cheerfully headed towards the Imperial Kitchen. Pure Flowers Pce. Yao Suluan''s jade fingers clutched an embroidered handkerchief as her almond eyes slightly narrowed. A sinister chill emitted from them as she listened. "Did that fool really say that?" Yao Suluan looked dubiously towards Cai Ying. "This servant heard it clearly. She said it was some very valuable thing that the Empress niang niang left for her. When this servant was returning, Yao Mowan was already heading towards Changle Pce." Cai Ying reported everything she heard to Yao Suluan honestly. "What could it be? Could it be¡­ Cai Ying, apany ben gong over to Changle Pce!" Yao Suluan''s beautiful pupils widened. Then, she immediately got up and left Pure Flowers Pce. She secretly guessed that the treasure Yao Mowan had talked about was very likely linked to her. Yao Moxin had held a lot of information over her when she was alive. If those evidences fell into His Majesty''s hand, the likelihood of being able to keep the title of imperial gui fei was slim. Whether she would be able to keep her life was unknown as well. "Niang niang, Changle Pce is a forbidden ground. Without His Majesty''s decree, we¡­" Cai Ying carefully reminded. "What''s there to be afraid of? At that time we can just say it was to look for that fool. Even if someone''s guilty, it would be that fool that deserves the guilt! Stop dawdling!" Yao Suluan urged as she hastily rushed towards Changle Pce. Yao Mowan had just stepped through the doors of Guan Osprey Pce when she saw Ye Junqing sitting upright inside. "Mowan thought wang ye had already ascended to being a celestialT/N, ah." Yao Mowan slightly froze for a moment before walking in with gentle swaying steps while carrying Fluffy. "Ben wang has a craving for cat meat!" Ye Junqing gave a cold humph as his eyes shot towards the Fluffy in Yao Mowan''s arms. Fluffy seemed to have gained some intelligence as it jumped down from Yao Mowan''s embrace and hid far away. "Don''t be so anxious, wang ye. Ting Yue has already gone to pass on the lunch menu. Moreover, what need is there for wang ye to hold something against a cat? It''s truly detrimental on one''s grace." Yao Mowan also didn''t mind and decided on her own to sit down opposite Ye Junqing. "Ben wang is feeling so much hatred for the house that it''s reached the crow*!" Ye Junqing refused to look at Yao Mowan, still brooding due to the matter of Ben Lei''s betrayal. ¡°hatred of house reaching the crow¡± dislike a house so much you don¡¯t even like the crow on top of the house. If you don¡¯t like a certain person, you wouldn¡¯t like things associated with that person either. Because she knew that Ye Junqing, in the first half of his life, stood in front of Ye Hongyi during the entire time great Chu faced war on all sides. Whether it was the battlefield campaigns, the five dragons struggle, or the chaos of Yi Xi, he fought bravely through the blood-soaked battles and chopped off all the thistles and thorns on the road to the imperial throne. As for Ye Hongyi, he was like a petty thief that snatched the fruit of someone else''sbors as he grandiosely sat down upon that dragon seat. Yao Mowan knew that everything Ye Junqing did was for her sake! That''s why she felt that it was time Ye Junqing had a proper rest. As for the rest, she would arrange everything nicely for Ye Junqing! "Don''t be so pleased with yourself. Ben wang will be able to expose your true face very soon!" Self-confidence burst forth in Ye Junqing''s eyes. "Alright ah. Mowan is also looking forward to it a lot." Just wonder what reaction you would have at that time? Yao Mowan gave a sweet, shallow smile as she silently added thatst sentence in her heart. It was rare for Yao Mowan to see Ye Junqing eat at such a lightning speed and not care about appearance at all. That pair of chopsticks was like a wind-driven cloud as it instantly lifted up all the food on the table and delivered it inside Ye Junqing''s stomach. Afterwards, he dropped the chopsticks and left withrge strides. After the lunch meal was brought over, the meal had ended before Yao Mowan even got the chance to start. "Niang niang, from what this servant sees, it looks like wang ye was truly quite starved. This servant will prepare some more for you right away?" Ting Yue had stared at the mess on the table nkly for a moment before moving to Yao Mowan''s side with soft steps to quietly ask for instructions. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]T/N ¨C Cause celestials don''t need to eat. When you cultivate high enough, you typically don''t need to eat in most c-novels.Heehee, Ting Yue''s learning~ She''ll turn out very very well. :3 Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 38
Chapter 38: Running into Eunuch An''s Scandal "Being able to eat is a good thing. There''s no need. Ben gong suddenly no longer feels hungry having seen him full. In the future, look after Fluffy more attentively. One day, he might actually try to stew her." Yao Mowan''s mood was extremely good as she got up and walked into the bedroom to rest. Outside Changle Pce, Yao Suluan had walked around several times but still didn''t find a trace of Yao Mowan. "Niang niang, this servant has searched both side wings. There was no sight of them." Cai Ying came out from a side room and hastily returned to Yao Suluan''s side to report. "Are you sure they came to the main hall?" Yao Suluan looked towards Cai Ying dubiously. "This servant only heard that they wereing to Changle Pce to look for treasure. Perhaps they''ve already returned?" Cai Ying guessed. "Returned? Let''s head to Guan Osprey Pce!" Yao Suluan''s willow brows tightly creased. Just as she exited Changle Pce, she ran into chen fei who was walking directly towards this direction. "Tsk tsk¡­ Ever since Li fei became imperial gui fei, hasn''t Li fei been relying on having His Majesty''s favor a little too much and acting overly arrogant? It seems Li fei is minding His Majesty''s words less and less. If ben gong didn''t remember wrong, Changle Pce is forbidden ground. Without His Majesty''s decree, no one is allowed to enter!" Huan Caier swayed her slender waist as she walked to Yao Suluan. Then, she slightly lifted her refined chin provocatively. "Since chen fei knows that my master is the imperial gui fei, chen fei should be bowing in salute to my master." At the side, Cai Ying stepped forward and gave this reminder. "Ben gong should bow to her in greeting? Ben gong has never even bowed in greeting to the Empress when meeting in private! Your Yao family is pretty capable ah. First producing an Empress, then an imperial gui fei, now even a fool was able to be gui fei. However, there is a saying: those who stand high, fall viciously! It''s best if you keep a close eye on that imbecile younger sister of yours. For good or bad, she''s still a gui fei and shouldn''t keep boring into dog holes!" Huan Caier gave a cold humph and was just about to leave when Yao Suluan stopped her. "You''ve seen Yao fei?" Yao Suluan''s eyes were slightly cold as she asked with a serious expression. "Zi Shuang, say, do you think ben gong should tell the imperial gui fei that the fool was in the shed behind Changle Pce? Ha!" Huan Caier smiled as she swept a nce towards Yao Suluan, then left holding onto Zi Shuang''s arm. Yao Suluan''s expression darkened as she watched Huan Caier''s arrogant back figure. "Niang niang, this chen fei never pays you due respect and now she''s acting even more unbridled! Back then, we should have just drowned her to death!" Cai Ying viciously cursed. "Don''t mind her for now! Head to the shed!" Yao Suluan didn''t seem to have heard Cai Ying''sint and quickly headed towards the shed. It did seem like Yao Moxin''s style to hide important things in unexpected ces. Huan Caier, who had only taken a few steps away, watched as Yao Suluan headed towards the shed. Her lips hooked in a deep curve. "Niang niang, the person we saw earlier was clearly Eunuch An. Why did you tell the imperial gui fei that it was that imbecile?" Zi Shuan, who was next to Huan Caier, asked in confusion. "ThatAn Bingshan definitely was feeling itchy and was heading off to torment a pce maid again. Why else would he go to that sort of ce? So, we might as well allow Yao Suluan to encounter An Bingshan while he carries out his dirty deeds and see how she deals with it." Huan Caier spoke with a resentful tone. "Niang niang, aren''t you worried that Yao Suluan will seek revenge after finding out that you tricked her?" Zi Shuan mentioned worriedly. "As if ben gong would fear her! Humph!" Huan Caier red in the direction Yao Suluan disappeared in before leaving. In front of the shed, Yao Suluan heard faint soundse from inside and concluded it was definitely sounds from Yao Mowan searching. Thus, she immediately pushed open the doors and rushed in. However, the sight that greeted her caused her to turn pale with fright. All that she saw was An Bingshan clutching a pce maid''s neck with both hands. The hair of that pce maid was chaotically messy and both her eyes were bulging out. Her entire body was covered with bloodstains and fresh blood spilled out from the corners of her mouth. The scene was unbearably cruel and the maid had probably already died by now. "En¡­ Eunuch An?" Yao Suluan wouldn''t have predicted even in her dreams that she would encounter such a terrifying scene. She had heard that An Bingshan was addicted to toying with pce maids, but she never thought it was to the point it caused people''s hairs to stand up on end. What caused her even more headache was the fact that she ended up encountering this scene personally. "Ahem¡­ this old servant kowtows in salute to imperial gui fei. Wonder why imperial gui fei troubled herself toe to this sort of ce?" An Bingshan was also stunned for a moment. However, in the next second, he released the pce maid''s neck as if nothing had happened and respectfully walked to Yao Suluan in order to give his greetings. "Ben gong¡­ ben gong was here to look for Yao fei. Wonder if Eunuch An had seen Yao fei on your way here?" Yao Suluan''s head was filled with a buzzing noise. As the imperial gui fei, there was no need to be afraid of an eunuch. However, this An Bingshan was extremely well-trusted by His Majesty and was one of His Majesty''s close advisors. Once, an imperial concubine had insulted An Bingshan. She ended up being dragged out by His Majesty and flogged to death. Yao Suluan wasn''t worried about her life as she was the Prime Minister''s daughter. However, she still didn''t want to have a falling out with An Bingshan. After all, ''it would be better to offend a nobleman than to offend a lowly person'', and An Bingshan was the lowest of lowly persons. "Imperial gui fei is teasing this servant. Yao fei has barely entered the pce, how could she possiblye to this sort of ce? When this old servant arrived, there was only this nearly dead pce maid here. This old servant was considering whether or not to move her to the Imperial Hospital and had just reached out when niang niang, you had arrived." An Bingshan made a show of being very earnest. However, a trace of chill appeared in his heart. From the looks of it, what that note said was true. Yao Suluan had really saved this pce maid in preparation for confronting him in front of His Majesty! Yao Suluan, you haven''t even stabilize your position, yet you already want to fight with za jia. Za jia will remember this ount for you. Sooner orter it will be repaid. "Since Yao fei isn''t here, then ben gong will be leaving!" Yao Suluan truly didn''t want to stay in the shed for even a second longer. Not to mention, it was a shed with a dead person and An Bingshan who was even more repulsive than a corpse. "Niang niang, you can''t leave. Right now, you are the imperial gui fei, the highest ranking person in the Inner Pce. This pce maid''s death is unclear, so I must trouble niang niang, you, to investigate it clearly. Since niang niang is here to take over, this old servant will withdraw now." After An Bingshan brushed his hands of this matter, he left without turning back. The dead could not testify, so he was sure that Yao Suluan wouldn''t go look for more trouble. After An Bingshan left, Cai Ying immediately walked to the pce maid. She reached out to check, then shook her head towards Yao Suluan. "Damned Huan Caier! To actually plot this!" Yao Suluan snarled between gritted teeth as she looked at the dead pce maid. Cai Ying hastily walked over from the side. "Niang niang, how should we deal with this pce maid?" Cai Ying looked towards her master worriedly. "Find some trustworthy people and bury her! An Bingshan, that damned eunuch! To force ben gong to clean up after his mess!? Just because ben gong doesn''t use ben gong''s power, they think ben gong is easy to bully!?" Yao Suluan had to repress her anger in front of both Huan Caier and An Bingshan so now she was livid. She immediately flung open the door and left. Cai Ying turned back to nce at that terribly cut up pce maid, then hastily chased after Yao Suluan and left. Yao Mowan slept for a long time with this nap. She only woke up at six in the evening. Ting Yue had already finished preparing the evening meal. At the side, Liu Xing reported the entire process of how Yao Suluan searched through Changle Pce, encountered Huan Caier, then stomped out from the shed. "Ben gong was just thinking of what to say when Yao Suluan came over to question. However, from the looks of it now, Huan Caier has helped ben gong out greatly. Hand me Fluffy. You guys are probably tired as well. There''s no need for you two to wait upon me, go rest." Yao Mowan''s lips slightly hooked and in passing, she took Fluffy from Ting Yue''s hand. This Fluffy also seemed rather as if it had a spirit nature. The moment it came into Yao Mowan''s arms, it intimately rubbed itself against her a bit. Liu Xing and Ting Yue had just left when Ye Junqing gracefully came in from outside. "Wan er never knew that wang ye actually had a eavesdropping hobby. In reality, wang ye can just ask directly Mowan whatever you want to know. In regards to things Mowan feels like talking about, Mowan will definitely not hide anything and borate clearly." Yao Mowan gently stroked the cat without looking towards Ye Junqing. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 39
Chapter 39: A Man Even More Beautiful Than A Woman ¡°With the door wide open, it would be hard not to hear even if if ben wang didn¡¯t want to!¡± Ye Junqing lifted his brows as he looked towards Yao Mowan. The only things he wanted to know were things Yao Mowan wouldn''t say! ¡°Then that was Mowan¡¯s negligence.¡± Yao Mowan smiled and indicated for Ye Junqing to sit down for the meal. ¡°Right!? It¡¯s precisely your negligence¡­ ben wang wasn¡¯t outside the door long, how did you know? Could it be you know martial arts?¡± Driven by an intense surge of curiosity, Ye Junqing half admitted his actions as he asked. ¡°Mowan¡¯s nose is very sharp. Found out by smell.¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t lie. After interacting for Ye Junqing for such a long time, she naturally knew that the jade pendant on Ye Junqing¡¯s waist was called the ¡®Bodhi Jade¡¯. It was transparent and sparkled like amber. It also carried a fragrance simr to that of sandalwood, but its scent was even purer than sandalwood. Having worn it for a long time, Ye Junqing¡¯s body was naturally imbued with this scent. Although it wasn¡¯t strong, it was enough for Yao Mowan to notice. "Only a ghost would believe you!" Seeing Ye Junqing sit there without any intentions to eat, Yao Mowan simply smiled. ¡°Since wang ye¡®s friend is here, why don¡¯t you invite him toe down and have a meal with us? It¡¯s no good to neglect him!¡± The moment Yao Mowan¡¯s voice finished, Ye Junqing leaped up as if he had seen a ghost and glowered. ¡°And you still say that you don¡¯t know martial arts!? How did you know that there was someone on the roof!?¡± Ye Junqing gritted his teeth as he interrogated. He had actually been unable to sense even a trace of it after interacting with this woman for so long. Before Yao Mowan even had the chance to open her mouth and reply, she felt a wind. The pce doors mmed closed with a ¡®boom¡¯ and a person suddenly appeared in front of her. This entire process of events took ce in just a blink. That face, how wless was it? Every time Yao Mowan recalled it, she would still have her breath taken away. His handsome face was fully upied by white jade with features beautiful as jasper flowers. His skin that won even over that of women was as fine as solidified oil. His almond-shaped, beguiling eyes contained power to enchant all living things as it swept around, and beneath his high nose bridge, his thin lips hooked in an arc that seemed like the side of a pearl. That magnificent red robe he wore was crimson like mes, setting off his pretty and flirtatious features even more. Ink ck hair fell scattered down like a waterfall. Within the contrasting red and ck, the emerging charm was enough to cause all the women in the world to fall dly into a deep abyss. "Even Mowan feels inferior to gongzi''s beauty." Yao Mowan left her seat, but due to the fact she was holding Fluffy, she only gave a slight dip as a curtsy. "One can never hear enough words of praise so Lady might as well speak a few more." The man strolled gracefully to the table. His red robe moved without wind, causing him to appear as if he was floating like a celestial. It was just that the man''s smirk contained a conspicuous nefarious aura, making ''devil'' a closer-fitting description. "Yan Nansheng! You imbecile! She''s cursing at you, saying that you''re even more feminine than a woman. You can''t even tell something like this!?" Ye Qingyun gave the man an eyeroll without holding back in the slightest. Yao Mowan couldn''t help but break out in a smile. This was actually her first time seeing Ye Junqing so informal. Or perhaps it was because Ye Junqing had always been silently enduring back then in front of Yao Moxin. Her heart suddenly felt pain, pain that slowly dispersed like ink dipped into a pond. "Was this meant to curse at someone? Nansheng feels it was very enjoyable ah!" Yan Nansheng shrugged as he looked towards Yao Mowan. "Mowan was praising sincerely." Yao Mowan gave an earnest nod. "Pair of imbeciles!" Ye Junqing was extremely speechless. Then, his head cleared and he returned to the original topic. "You still haven''t told me how you knew he was on the roof. Don''t you dare say you guessed or that you smelled him. Ben wang won''t believe that!" At the side, Yan Nansheng lifted his eyebrows as he seized up this woman in front of him. Her physique was delicate and her features were gorgeous. Especially so for that pair of eyes, they were clear as water and bright as stars. She was truly a rare beauty. However, if it was said that she knew martial arts, then that fact was definitely something that must have slipped his eyes. "Mowan indeed does not know martial arts and naturally wouldn''t be able to sense the movements on the roof. However, Fluffy can. No matter how high a person''s martial arts skill is, how good their qing gong is, it still cannot quite match up to a cat''s senses. Does gongzi feel that this exnation is reasonable?" At that time, Yao Mowan had noticed Fluffy quiver then look towards the roof. Due to that, she concluded that there must have been some movement on the roof. Based on Ye Junqing''s martial arts skill, there was no way he could have missed it so there was only one possible exnation for Ye Junqing''sposure, which was that he must know the person on the roof. Naturally, all of this was just Yao Mowan''s conjectures, but reality has proved that she guessed right. "Such an intelligentdy! What a waste for you to be kept trapped inside the pce. If Lady is willing, how about returning with this one to Phoenix Feather Manor? Nansheng will grant you the position of the Manor''s head madam!" Yan Nansheng smiled enchantingly with demonic charm that was like the first ray of moonlight. His beautiful peach blossom eyes bloomed with extraordinary splendor that moved people''s souls. "I''ve heard you say that no less than a hundred times. Aren''t you worried at all that your Phoenix Feather Manor will get overcrowded?" Ye Junqing suddenly felt an impulse to storm out. How did he ever get himself involved with this love-struck fool!? "Mowan has truly been manner-less. So it turns out you''re the martial arts Alliance Head ah. It''s just that Mowan feels this Guan Osprey Pce is not bad. However, if Mowan gets bored of staying here someday, there''s no harm in going with gongzi and taking a look. Gongzi, please take a seat." Yao Mowan had once heard of the name Yan Nansheng so it had seemed familiar. However, she only realized that the person in front of her was the Senior Brother(disciple under the same master) that Ye Junqing had talked about when the Phoenix Feather Manor was brought up; so it turns out he was the Senior Brother who was also the current Alliance Head of the martial arts circles. As for Phoenix Feather Manor, in the lulin*, it was an existence simr to the Imperial Pce: imposing and invible. lulin refers generally to people who organize themselves in forests and rebel against the government. Lu = green, lin = forest. Wulin is made up of wu = martial arts, lin = forest, so I''m tranting it to martial arts circles. "Then that''s settled! Nansheng will remember it!" Yan Nansheng couldn''t refrain from giving an alluring smile. Then, he swept back his sleeves and sat down in between Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing. "Wonder if gongzi minds Fluffy sharing the same table?" Yao Mowan politely parted her lips, her eyes carrying a hint of a smile. "Minds!" At the side, Ye Junqing gave a vehement reply as he wondered gravely whether Yan Nanshen had any integrity at all! __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Unedited [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Sorry for the strange formatting. I usually copy and paste from google docs, but due to google being unavable in China, I¡¯m using LibreOffice docs to trante and I can¡¯t seem to fix the formatting for some reason. I will get around to fixing it hopefully sometime before summer ends. Chapter Volume 1 40
Chapter 40: The Disasters That Came in Session "The benevolent sees benevolence, the wise sees wisdom. Mowan doesn''t feel that Mowan is that astute ah!" Yao Mowan jested and cause Yan Nansheng and Ye Junqing to feel as if they were looking at flowers in the fog all the time. "Nicely said! Whenmon people saw Buddha meditating beneath the Bodhi tree, they thought he was a fool! In the end, when he managed to achieve supreme enlightenment and became Buddha, themon people revered him as a deity. So for something like foolishness, no one has been able to define it clearly since ancient times, isn''t that so, Wan er?" Yan Nansheng lifted his eyesnguidly. Billowing waves of light swirled in his eyes as his lips hooked in a meaningful smile. "Nansheng is truly someone that shares deep heartfelt understanding with Mowan." Yao Mowan curved her lips into a smile. At the side, Ye Junqing immediately grabbed the table to make sure that he didn''t fall down due to an explosion of anger. "What deep heartfelt understanding!? You''re just partners in notoriety! Humph!" Ye Junqing abruptly got up, flung back his sleeves and stormed off. Only after he made sure Ye Junqing had walked far away did Yan Nansheng retrieve the joking expression from his eyes and looked towards Yao Mowan seriously. "I believe Lady definitely would not harm Junqing as you''ve managed to make Ben Lei pledge his allegiance to you. However, Nansheng wants to ask one question: what is Lady''s true goal?" Yan Nansheng''s tone was so soft it wouldn''t startle dust, however it contained unquestionable dignity, making it very hard for people to lie in his presence. "Alliance Head only needs to know that Mowan won''t harm the Esteemed Prince. As for the goal, there will be an inevitable day where Mowan will reveal it. However, now still isn''t the right time, hope Alliance Head will excuse this." Yao Mowan''s bearing was calm as she replied. Once Yan Nansheng left, Yao Mowan slowly released Fluffy and left Guan Osprey Pce. She didn''t find Ye Junqing in the east sideroom so she knew that he had definitely gone there. As she tread moonlit steps to head there, her heart gradually calmed. That familiar figure stood with an impressive aura in the middle of the willow forest outside Changle Pce with his hands folded. Ye Junqing''s side profile glowed dimly in the moonlight as if a silveryer had been glossed over him, causing him to seem even more elegant and handsome. The night wind caressed his ink-like long hair, making him seem like a celestial that hade gliding on the wind and treading on moonlight, untainted by any mortal dust. That figure was as always, steady and unflustered. Whenever Ye Junqing simply stood like this, he was able to attract the adoration and reverence of countless well-bred youngdies. However, there was only one person in his eyes. Her heart, for no reason, transmitted a burst of pain. If back then, the one she chose had been Ye Junqing instead of Ye Hongyi, what kind of result would it have been? However, in this world, the cheapest object was an ''if''; the most useless object, was also an ''if''. "This willow forest is a part of Changle Pce so it also counts as forbidden grounds." Yao Mowan gracefully walked towards Ye Junqing, though the menace in her tone lost by far to concern. "Ben wang thought you were still in Guan Osprey Pce drinking your fill with that love-struck fool!" Ye Junqing gave a cold scoff, yet his gaze didn''t move away from Changle Pce at all. "How could Mowan''s willow figure ever be able to enter such an esteemed person''s eyes? It was nothing but a few jests, what need is there for wang ye to mind it?" Yao Mowan slowly walked to Ye Junqing''s side and followed his gaze towards Changle Pce. That ce which had bore the weight of her happiness, anger, sorrow and joy, now only contained her hatred. "The person ben wang cares about is not you!" Ye Junqing felt that there was something off in the words and immediately exined himself straightforwardly. Moxin was the only one in his heart; it could never contain any other woman. Even if she was as astute as Moxin, even if her appearance matched Moxin''s, even if she was Moxin''s biological sister, in the end, she wasn''t Moxin! "Don''t worry wang ye, Mowan know her ce." Yao Mowan''s expression was sorrowful as she replied. As she gazed at Changle Pce, her eye gradually grew misty. If there was still a part of that ce worthy of being reminisced about, that would be the ten months she had interacted with Zhong er. Every time she had stroked her abdomen, she could feel the vigorous little life growing healthy and strong. The next second, the scene at the Cold Pce appeared in front of her eyes. A sharp pain pierced her chest as her sight was enveloped by a mass of bloody red. Immediately after, Yao Mowan only felt that everything turned pitch-ck and only heard a worried shout. "Hey! You¡­ are you alright? Hey!" The second before she fainted, Yao Mowan felt her body fall into a warn embrace. Only then did she peacefully close her eyes. "Is there anyone around to tell me what exactly is happening!? Yao Mowan! Get up ah! Hey!" As he looked at Yao Mowan who had closed her eyes in his arms, Ye Junqing''s first thought was to put her on the ground and go find Ting Yue toe over. However, in the end, Ye Junqing carried Yao Mowan and headed towards Guan Osprey Pce. Every since she became imperial gui fei, the number of times Ye Hongyi came to Pure Flowers Pce had conspicuously decreased. This caused Yao Suluan a lot of headache. Since the seat of empress was currently empty, the other four main gui fei were eager to try and climb their way into it as well. If she was even the slightest bit careless, some quick-footed person would climb up before her. At this time, Yao Suluan was currently rubbing her forehead as she deliberated tiredly. "Niang niang, Big Madam is here to see you." From the side, Cai Ying walked softly to Yao Suluan''s side and reported quietly. "Hurry up and announce her." Yao Suluan sighed and shook off the vexation for now. When Dou Xiann walked in, Yao Suluan was immediately stunned. "Mother? What happened to you? Did Father do this?" When she saw the fingerprints on both of Dou Xiann''s cheeks, Yao Suluan''s eyes turned cold as she questioned angrily. "Daughter ah! This mother¡­ this mother has suffered grievances ah¡­" The instant she saw Yao Suluan, Dou Xiann threw herself over. Tears spilled out from her eyes as she wailed like a pig being ughtered. "Yu Zhi! Talk! What exactly happened? You¡­ what''s wrong with your leg?" Yao Suluan saw her mother cry with heartbreaking sorrow and immediately looked towards Yu Zhi who had apanied her mother here. However, she discovered that Yu Zhi was limping as she walked. "Replying imperial gui fei, Yu Zhi''s leg was injured by Yao Yu, that little bastard with a pearl hairpin¡­ And early this morning, Big Madam received an imperial edict when she woke up. It not only striped Big Madam of her second rank madam title, it even ordered Big Madam to p herself thirty times with An Bingshan as the supervisor! For some unknown reason, though Big Madam was clearly already using a lot of force, An Bingshan insisted on saying that he didn''t hear anything and forced Big Madam to hit herself twenty more times! It was fifty ps in total ah! How could Big Madam endure¡­" Yu Zhi reported as she wiped her flowing tears. "Imperial edict? Why would it be like this?" Yao Suluan was incredulous as she helped Dou Xiann to the gui feichair. She then turned and order Cai Ying to get a facial herbal ointment from the inner room. "Daughter ah! How exactly did you end up provoking His Majesty!? Why would His Majesty give that sort of imperial edict? It''s a small matter for Mother to get a beating, but if you aren''t able to keep your title of imperial gui fei, our future days will be filled with difficulty!" Dou Xiann recalled Yao Zhenting''s despise-filled look when she received the imperial edict and her heart felt chilled. If she lost Yao Suluan, this protective talisman, with a light punishment she would lose her status, but with a heavy punishment she would lose her life! "Daughter doesn''t even have the chance to anger His Majesty! Ever since he bestowed a title on that imbecile, His Majesty pretty much stays overnight in Guan Osprey Pce everyday. Even if he doesn''t go to there for a couple days, he just goes to chen fei and the other gui feis'' ces! I won''t keep this from Mother, His Majesty hasn''t stepped foot inside Daughter''s Pure Flowers Pce for half a month already!" Yao Suluan''s willow brows knitted tightly. Compared with when she was Li fei, her situation now was as if she had been banished to the Cold Pce. It was to the point that Yao Suluan felt the reason His Majesty had doted on her so much in the past was because he wanted to use her to get rid of Yao Moxin. Now that Yao Moxin was dead, she no longer had value to him! "It''s that Yao Mowan again! She definitely said something bad about me in front of His Majesty, that''s why His Majesty would send down an imperial edict to vent anger for her! But I just don''t understand why His Majesty likes her! She''s just a fool!? And, ever since Yao Yu came back from the Imperial Pce, he''s bing more and more outrageous. He''s always holding an embroidery needle and guarding Su Muzi. He would use the embroidery needle to desperately stab whoever tried to bully that lowly woman. Yesterday, a maid was menaced by him so much she ran all around the courtyard crying out pitifully from being stabbed! This is definitely something Yao Mowan taught! Usually, she looks dumb and thoughtless, never expected she was actually this evil!" Dou Xiann pped her thigh as she spoke indignantly. Chapter Volume 1 41
Chapter 41: The Item the Empress Left Behind "Doesn''t Father care?" Yao Suluan suppressed her anger as she took the medicinal ointment from Cai Ying and carefully applied it on Dou Xiann''s face. "Aiyo¡­ softer.. Nn! Your Father is practically about to worship that little bastard. Not only does he not care, he even drove that servant girl out of the fu! As for this morning, even though An Bingshan was clearly picking faults, your father just stood at the side watching coldly. He didn''t even say a single word! Daughter ah! The only one Mother can count on now is you!" Dou Xiann suddenly grabbed Yao Suluan''s hand. her tears crashing down like rain. "In the end, all of this is because of Yao Mowan. If she didn''t enter the pce, how could Father have dared to hold contempt for ben gong!?" Yao Suluan''s eyes turned cold as she spat this through gritted teeth. "It''s all because I made a mistake in trusting Gao momo. Otherwise, that imbecile would already be in hell. Daughter ah, then what should we do now?" Dou Xiann looked apprehensively towards Yao Suluan. "Mother, don''t be impatient. Isn''t it just a fool? It''s nothing hard for ben gong! For the time being, you should head back. For these couple days, try not to provoke Su Muzi and Yao Yu." Yao Suluan''s eyes were chilled and abnormally dark. "Alright, then you should take care as well!" Dou Xiann hugged her daughter tenderly. "En, don''t worry. Daughter will soon allow Father to understand who exactly it is that is carrying on the honor established by the Yao family ancestors!" Yao Suluan''s cold eyes slightly narrowed as she spoke viciously. The bedroom of Guan Osprey Pce waspletely silent without a sound. On the soft couch, the embroidered mattress in Yao Mowan''s grip was being clutched so tightly its creases were bing deformed. Limpid autumn water-like eyes stared straight at the top of the bed, shooting sharp, biting cold light. For the sake of concealing her cause of death, Ye Hongyi not only killed everyone that knew about it, he even set fire to the Cold Pce to get rid of every trace of evidence. If it weren''t for fear of rumors, he definitely would have alsopletely destroyed Changle Pce. But what now? I''ve resurrected! Ye Hongyi, this is probably something you would never have even dream of, right? "Niang niang, you''re awake? You scared this servant to death!" As Yao Mowan was deep in thought, the door to the room opened with a squeak. Ting Yue saw that Yao Mowan had moved and immediately ced the water basin down before walking over. "Did I sleep for a long time?" Yao Mowan silently sighed, then got up. "You''ve been sleeping ever since the Esteemed Prince brought you back yesterday. It''s already noon now!" Ting Yue helped Yao Mowan to the dressing table, then turned and dipped the towel in the warm water before handing it to Yao Mowan. "Last night¡­ was it the Esteemed Prince that personally carried ben gong back?" Recalling that figure beneath the moonlight that seemed to have glided here on the wind, Yao Mowan''s lips hooked in an almost imperceptible curve. "En, but the Esteemed Prince''s expression yesterday was very bad¡­" Ting Yue didn''t dare to describe how the Esteemed Prince stiffly threw her master onto the couch like he was getting rid of a gue demon. Yao Mowan gave a sweet shallowugh. Even without Ting Yue saying it, she could imagine the iceberg face Ye Junqing must have had onst night. Right at this moment, Liu Xing ran in from outside. "A report for niang niang. There''s news from Xiang fu. It said that this morning, Big Madam received an imperial edict that not only stripped her of her second rank madam title, but also instructed her to p herself thirty times. Due to An Bingshan deliberately making things difficult, she had to p herself twenty additional times. After Big Madam took the punishment, she entered the Imperial Pce. When this servant wasing here, Big Madam had already left Pure Flowers Pce and the imperial gui fei was heading towards the Imperial Study." Liu Xing reported all the information he found clearly. "Is that so¡­ how rare for His Majesty to care about a fool''s words this much¡­" Yao Mowan''s lips hooked in a smile as obvious disdain showed in her eyes. "How satisfying! Niang niang, then what should we do now?" Ting Yue looked excitedly towards Yao Mowan, knowing that this matter was definitely rted to her family''s master. "Of course it''s prepare lunch. Even though ben gong isn''t hungry, we must not neglect the Esteemed Prince." Yao Mowan gracefully got up and strolled out of the inner room. At the side, Ting Yue and Liu Xing shared a puzzled nce. However, they knew their master must have her own ns so they didn''t speak any further. Inside the Imperial Study, Ye Hongyi sat upright in the dragon chair as his brush swept across the memorial to the emperor from time to time. Yao Suluan had already waited in front of the table for half an incense stick''s time. "If imperial gui fei is here to plea for leniency for the Xiang fu''s Madam, then you should return. Zhen doesn''t wish to listen," Ye Hongyi said coldly when Yao Suluan didn''t speak. "Your Majesty''s words are too heavy. Though Suluan usually stays deep within the Imperial Pce, Suluan has still heard of Mother''s domineering acts. It is rare that His Majesty would act and give Mother a warning to make Mother restrain herself a little. Suluan is here to thank Your Majesty for this favor." Yao Suluan''s voice was soft and coy in an extremely seductive way. "Oh? It''s rare for you to think this way. Very good." Ye Hongyi lifted his eyes upon hearing this, the radiance in his eyes both bright and dark, causing people to be unable to grasp his thoughts. "There is one other matter Suluan must report other than giving thanks for Your Majesty''s grace." Yao Suluan''s words took a turn as her expression became serious. "Sit down to speak." Ye Hongyi lowered his eyes again and didn''t notice Yao Suluan''s expression change as he continued to read through the memorial. "Two days ago, this qie found out from Yao fei¡­ that before the Empress died, she left Yao fei something very important¡­" Yao Suluan spoke softly but carefully. She stared closely at Ye Hongyi to catch his reaction. As expected, when Ye Hongyi heard the word ''Empress'', his brush paused. However, he still didn''t lift his eyes to look towards Yao Suluan. Seeing that Ye Hongyi wasn''t speaking, Yao Suluan continued. "Based on this qie''s conjectures, perhaps the Empress had long suspected Your Majesty''s intentions, that''s why she left something to overturn the heavens. As of now, the Esteemed Prince is living with Yao fei in Guan Osprey Pce. If that important item fell into the Esteemed Prince''s hands¡­" "Imperial gui fei also believes that zhen''s intelligence is far from on par with that of the Empress?" An ominous voice that seemed to havee from the underworld softly crept up. Yao Suluan froze upon hearing this and her heart stopped. She had actually unintentionally stepped onto His Majesty''s sore spot. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. That wasn''t what this qie meant! This qie was just worried that paper cannot contain fire and that if Yao fei obtained that important item, the aftermath would be too terrible to contemte. Your Majesty is wise, this qie definitely wasn''t thinking anything else!" Yao Suluan dropped to a kneel on the ground, her body trembling. "Everyone in the Imperial Pce that knew of that matter has already gone to hell, except zhen¡­ and my dear consort, you!" Ye Hongyi bit the words crisply, his dark brown pupils intense. "Your Majesty, please spare me. This qie was just worried about the if¡­" "Then don''t let that ''if'' happen!" With a ''snap'', the brush broke and left a long streak of red on the memorial. Ye Hongyi abruptly flung his hand and the broken brushnded with a bang in right in front of Yao Suluan. "This qie knows¡­ this qie promises that this will be forever buried in my heart, nonono¡­ this qie already doesn''t know what has happened¡­" Yao Suluan vowed incoherently and continuously kowtowed like a chicken pecking rice. "Withdraw!" Ye Hongyi bellowed and Yao Suluan stumbled and crawled out as if she had been granted amnesty. After seeing the door close tightly, Ye Hongyi gripped the memorial with both hands. In the next second, he tore the memorial in his hands to sheds, then flung it away and left. The entire Imperial Study instantly became filled with fluttering white pieces. Inside Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Junqing continuously scoffed as he watched Yao Mowan put food in her mouth nonstop. "A certain person sure doesn''t know how heavy she is ah!" Ye Junqing felt it difficult to reconcile this lively version of Yao Mowan with the deathly pale person that had plunged into his chest yesterday. "Mowan always thought that wang ye hated Mowan, and that if Mowan died, wang ye would decorate the area withnterns and colored banners, then pound drums and make merry with music. However, from the looks of it, Mowan had judged a nobleman with a petty person''s heart." Yao Mowan didn''t mind Ye Junqing''s mocking and lifted her brows as she looked towards Ye Junqing with eyes that were clear as water. "In regards to this, ben wang must clear things up. What Yao fei has always believed is correct! If Yao fei had fainted in a barren hill where wild wolves roamed, ben wang definitely would have left alone. Not only that, ben wang would have ran without stopping to rest!" Ye Junqing dered seriously. Yao Mowan''s lips twitched. She never knew that Ye Junqing had such a poisonous tongue on him. The way he put this truly caused people to blush with shame. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Lol, every time Ting Yue asks Yao Mowan to give her some steps in an awesome face-pping scheme, Mowan''s always like, now you prepare food for little Junjun. Go! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 42
Chapter 42: The ''Sharp Weapon'' Yan Nansheng Sent Over "Ahem¡­ then Mowan has truly troubled wang yest night. Just based on this single fact, Mowan must bow to wang ye to express thanks!" Upon hearing what he said, Mowan unhurriedly put down her chopsticks before getting up slowly, cupping her hands together, and respectfully giving Ye Junqing three bows as if she was offering incense*. Offering Incense "You! Humph! Don''t be so proud of yourself. Sooner orter ben wang will know all of your secrets! Listen well! It''s all of them!" Ye Junqing spoke as if he was making a vow before getting up and storming off. As Yao Mowan watched Ye Junqing''s tall figure gradually leave her sight, she couldn''t help but smile sweetly. "Niang niang, this servant feels that this Esteemed Prince seems to be particrly against niang niang. In the future, niang niang should be careful." Ting Yue moved close to Yao Mowan to warn worriedly with Fluffy in her arms. "Ting Yue, remember this. The one person we don''t need to scheme against the most in this entire Inner Pce, is him." Yao Mowan retrieved the warmth in her eyes and turned towards Liu Xing. "Liu Xing, did you find the person I sent you to look for?" "Replying niang niang, I have. In Xiang fu, Chen momo has always been in the outer kitchen doing rough tasks such as getting water and chopping wood. This servant used some silver and has already arranged for her to be transferred to the inner kitchen. This Chen momo''s daughter was originally serving Big Madam. However, due to a small matter, she was terribly beaten by Big Madam. Later, her injuries worsened and she died before she could get treatment. Based on this, Chen momo probably has an absolutely irreconcble hatred towards Big Madam," Liu Xing reported solemnly. "Wonder how much blood exactly has grown to cover the hands of those surnamed Dou after all these years? Since Chen momo is this trustworthy, then just let her carry it out," Yao Mowan said as she took a paper bag out from her sleeve and ced it in Liu Xing''s hand. "Yes, Liu Xing will go right away." Liu Xing took the paper bag and respectfully withdrew. At night, when Ye Hongyi walked into Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was stroking Fluffy and dazing out. "What''s wrong, zhen''s treasure?" Ting Yue had originally wanted to announce Ye Hongyi''s arrival from outside the pce, but Ye Hongyi had stopped her. Yao Mowan''s tears spilled down before she even opened her mouth. "What''s wrong, Wan er? Who bullied you? Tell zhen, zhen will get you justice!" Ye Hongyi hastily walked to Yao Mowan''s side and lifted that delicate little face with his palm. His heart felt unbearable heartache as he looked at that grievances-filled face. "Your Majesty¡­ Is Wan er a fool? Is Wan er really?" Yao Mowan cried brokenheartedly. Her tears continuously swirled around, then fell as if they were worthless.T/N "What happened?" Ye Hongyi''s deep eyes instantly became covered with chilling light as his hands continuously wiped the corners of Yao Mowan''s moist eyes. "It''s Eldest Sister''s Soul Sand Forest¡­" Yao Mowan choked with sobs as she spoke and her eyes glimmered as she looked towards Ye Hongyi. "You went to Soul Sand Garden?" Ye Hongyi''s hand which was stroking Yao Mowan''s cheek involuntarily shook. Soul Sand Garden was, as the name implied, a ce nted with a tree called Soul Sand. The trees had countless snow-colored flowers. Regardless of day or night, regardless of the four seasons, they bloomed without withering. To this day, Ye Hongyi still didn''t know where Yao Moxin got these trees from. He only knew that every time she went to check astronomical phenomenons, she would go to Soul Sand Garden. Based on what Yao Moxin said, those Soul Sand Trees correspond to the constetions in the sky. The Soul Sand tree right in the north of the garden represented the star Pris which had the respect of ten thousand stars. That was his natal horoscope. Yao Moxin had said that as long as the flowers on that tree continued to be dazzling without wilting, it meant that his imperial throne would be eternally firm. And time has shown this to be true. Ever since Soul Sand Garden was constructed, all other the Soul Sand trees had mostly dimmed and withered, yet that tree that represented his natal horoscope was undamaged by the four seasons and bloomed without withering. "En. Eldest Sister said that Wan er''s nature is simple and good. And that since Wan er didn''t have any distracting thoughts, Wan er was suitable for learning how to observe the stars so she taught Wan er a little. She even told Wan er about how magical the Soul Sand trees were so Wan er asked Eldest Sister for one tree. Eldest Sister allowed Wan er to have one, but when Wan er found Soul Sand Garden¡­ There were actually that many! Eldest Sister is not here anymore. How will Wan er be able to find out which one Eldest Sister gave Wan er?" Yao Mowan''s voice was filled with a thick sobbing tone. Her current appearance was like raindrops on a pear blossom, causing people to be filled with tender feelings for her. "And zhen thought it was some rming matter. Since Wan er likes it, zhen will bestow the entire Soul Sand Garden to Wan er." Ye Hongyi exhaled softly. So this was the important item Yao Suluan talked about. Haa. "Really? Your Majesty''s the best!" Yao Mowan abruptly stopped crying as she smiled like a flower. That slight smilebined with the lingering tears seemed to bewitch Ye Hongyi like a spell. "Wan er really knows how to read the astronomical phenomenons?" After Yao Moxin died, he had once sent the Imperial Board of Astronomy to Soul Sand Garden, yet they couldn''t figure anything out despite all their attempts at investigating. "Of course ah. But Wan er hasn''t told anyone else before. Eldest Sister made me promise not to!" Yao Mowan nodded as if such a matter had urred, then stealthily nced around as she spoke. "Zhen isn''t anyone else, right? In the future, can Wan er tell zhen what phenomenons you observed?" Ye Hongyi ticked Yao Mowan''s jasper nose as he spoke with a pampering tone. "Alright!" Yao Mowan suddenly really wanted tough. Observe astronomical phenomenons? Dog fart! At that time, she was just borrowing the Soul Sand Garden to help Ye Hongyi get rid of quite a few treacherous court officials. As for now¡­ the future is long. Mowan will definitely let you see the greatness of the Soul Sand Garden! As Ye Hongyi gazed at Yao Mowan''s clear pupils which had not a single speck of dirt, he pulled her into his arms as gently as if he was sping a sole unique treasure. Then, he walked withrge steps towards the inner room. The scene on the bed was endless as the two bodies pressed together desperately. However, only one person''s heart felt moved. Once it passed six, Ye Hongyi got up. His thin lips lightly flitted across Yao Mowan''s cheek before he hastily put on the dragon robe and left. Yao Mowan waited until that nauseous scent dissipated before she opened her eyes, the depths of her eyes filled with a cold light. She no longer remembers clearly when An Bingshan became favored. However, after An Bingshan became favored, Ye Hongyi would get out of bed and leave every day at six, no matter if he was in Changle Pce of the past or Guan Osprey Pce of now. Even if he was in some other pce, he never changed this practice. Yao Mowan knew that there was something fishy in this. It was just that she didn''t feel the rush to get to the bottom of it right now. At present, she had other, more important matters to attend to. It was still early in the morning, so Yao Mowan was about to close her eyes and nap some more when she felt a sudden slight chill. Yao Mowan abruptly opened her eyes and saw that a woman wearing all ck was standing in front of her bed. She had delicate ice crystal-like features with skin that was fair as now. Her beauty could captivate even the birds and the beasts. It would not be an exaggeration to say it could ruin and overturn a state. "Who are you?" Yao Mowan got up and looked at the woman in front of her with a stern expression. Her gaze was firm as a de without the slightest bit of fear, calm as a pond of water that startled no dust. "This subordinate, Yin Xue, kowtows in salute to Master!" The girl cupped both hands and abruptly knelt on the floor as she spoke respectfully. Her voice was mellow as that of a yellow oriole, yet contained an unquestionable austerity. "What did you call me?" Yao Mowan looked with shock towards the woman as she asked. "This subordinate has received the order of Phoenix Feather Manor''s Young Master to recognize Yao fei as this subordinate''s master from this moment on. Whatever Master desires for this subordinate to do will be done. This subordinate pledges her life!" Yin Xue knelt on one knee. Every single word she spoke resounded with strength. "You''re Yan Nansheng''s subordinate?" Yao Mowan''s willow brows furrowed as that long red garment emerged in her mind. Those exceptional looks the red garment set off were especially hard to forget after seeing. "From this moment on, this subordinate is Yao fei''s subordinate!" Yin Xue''s voice was refined, yet quite domineering. "En. Ben gong orders you to immediately disappear!" Yao Mowan was only trying to test things out, yet unexpectedly, the moment her voice fell, there was a breeze and the area in front of her became empty. "Ha! It''s really¡­" Yao Mowan gave augh, thenid down and fell asleep. She was seriously too sleepy. During breakfast, Yao Mowan was still thinking about the thing that happened at six. She kept feeling that it had been a dream. As she was dazing out, Fluffy suddenly jumped out of her arms to climb onto the table, then boldly started licking the ginseng porridge on the table. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] T/N ¨C "Her tears continuously swirled around then fell as if they were worthless," I think this sentence has to do with a different saying that said tears are precious. So since she''s dropping so much, they must be worthless since she''s not keeping them. Sharp weapon refers also to a useful tool or a capable person. Haha, omg, Yin Xue will turn out to be very very useful, lmao. Chapter Volume 1 43
Chapter 43: The Secret of Soul Sand Garden "You truly choose not to walk the road of heaven and instead burst into the entrance-less hell!" Ye Junqing had endured Fluffy for a long time. At this time, having finally gotten the opportunity, he seized the cat''s neck and was considering his options when, on the other side, Yao Mowan suddenly got up and pointed fiercely towards Ye Junqing. "Yin Xue, bring the cat back for ben gong!" Perhaps it was because Yao Mowan''s expression was too fierce as Ye Junqing nked out for a moment. In that instant, he felt a cool wind swept past his back. In the next second, he was no longer able to move while Fluffy had already returned to Yao Mowan''s arms. "You haven''t left?" Yao Mowan looked with astonishment towards Yin Xue who had appeared in a blink of an eye. She hadn''t even caught how Yin Xue appeared when Fluffy had already returned to her arms. "This subordinate will always be hidden near Master''s side. As long as Master speaks, this subordinate will naturally appear," Yin Xue respectfully replied with an expressionless face. "Yin Xue! Why would you be here? Why are you calling her master?" When Ye Junqing made out the person that had acted clearly, he was immediately taken aback. Yin Xue did not speak. She just stood respectfully at Yao Mowan''s side as if she didn''t hear Ye Junqing''s questions. Although it was a little hard to believe, Yao Mowan still felt quite happy with this gift from Yan Nansheng. "Release his acupuncture seal, you can withdraw!" Yao Mowan lifted her brows and looked towards Ye Junqing with a beaming smile. In seemingly just a blink, there was only Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing left in the main hall. "What rtionship do you have with Yan Nansheng? How could he bear to give Yin Xue to you? He''s really wasting natural resources recklessly ah!" Ye Junqing felt as if he was in the middle of a tornado. Everything had fallen off track, just like him. His heart had originally already died, yet every time he faced Yao Mowan, his heart would jump with iparable strength. This woman, with just a hook of her lips, could anger him half to death! "Doesn''t wang ye feel that being able to protect ben gong is Yin Xue''s honor? Just like being able to have meals together with ben gong must have taken much umted fortune from wang ye''s previous lifetimes," Yao Mowan said arrogantly as she stroked Fluffy and looked towards Ye Junqing with a very self-pleased smile. "You sure think highly of yourself! But you''ve probably never heard of the impressive and famous Yin n of the Jianghu. For amon person to be fortunate enough to obtain a descendant of the Yin n to be their hidden guard means that they can live their entire lives without worries and die of old age! In this generation, there are only two descendants of the Yin n: Yin Xiong and Yin Xue. Yin Xiong is the hidden guard of the crown prince of great Shu, Chu Mobei. Meanwhile, Yin Xue guarded Yan Nansheng of Phoenix Feather Manor." Ye Junqing''s words did shock Yao Mowan. She had never thought that Yan Nansheng would spend with this heavy a hand. But then, as she thought about it a different way, the curve of her lips deepened. Having a senior brother like this was truly Ye Junqing''s fortune. "Is that so! Wang ye, can Mowan trouble you to raise your eyes and check if there''s a halo above Mowan''s head? Otherwise, why does everyone like Mowan so much?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing happily as she spoke with an innocent expression. "Who said so!? Ben wang for one doesn''t like you!" The part of Yao Mowan Ye Junqing hated the most was that even if she smiled so insolently, people still couldn''t bring themselves to hate her. "Then wang ye isn''t a person!" Yao Mowan retrieved the mischievousness on her face as she angrily walked around Ye Junqing and out of Guan Osprey Pce with Fluffy. "What did you say!?" Ye Junqing''s voice reverberated in Guan Osprey Pce without dissipating for a very long time. Ting Yue cautiously walked to Yao Mowan''s side. "Niang niang, you provoked the Esteemed Prince again?" After a few rounds of battles, Ting Yue has started to sympathize a little with Ye Junqing. For better or for worse he''s still a grand wang ye, yet he''s being bullied by her family''s master so much that he can''t even keep his calm anymore. "Being able to get angry is a good thing." Yao Mowan''s cherry lips lightly smoothed into a deep smile. With Yin Xue now, some things will be much easier to carry out. "From the way niang niang is speaking, it seems like wang ye would never get angry in the past¡­" Ting Yue mumbled to herself in a small voice. Yao Mowan didn''t speak hearing this. As she thought back, it actually seems that Ye Junqing has never gotten angry in front of her. No matter how unreasonable her request was, he would only be silent for a moment before agreeing to it without hesitation, just like that night in Water Ripple Pavilion. "Niang niang, where are we going now?" Ting Yue jogged a little to keep up with Yao Mowan, then asked. "Soul Sand Garden," Yao Mowan murmured as her fingers stroke across Fluffy''s bright snow-white fur. Beneath the sunlight, that snow-white fur was reflected in Yao Mowan''s clear eyes and transformed into a mass of icy chill. As Yao Mowan looked at the Soul Sand Garden in front of her, she couldn''t describe how she felt. At that time, for the sake of taking Ye Hongyi''s face into consideration, she had specially constructed Soul Sand Garden and used the excuse of things being in the constetions or the Mandate of Heaven to exin the way she differentiated between those who were loyal and those who were not. She had done so much for Ye Hongyi''s sake, yet she still ended up being gotten rid of after she had served her purpose. "What a beautiful garden ah. Niang niang, what kind of tree is this?" Ting Yue was stunned by the sight in front of her and gave a heartfelt sigh. All the Soul Sand trees in the garden were blooming with snow-colored flowers. As one gazed at this scene, it seemed as if snow had fallen on the branches and decorated the entire area with silver ornaments and silk drapings. "Soul Sand trees. It blooms all four seasons and flourishes without failing. Its fragrance is light and refined and the petals of its flowers are white as cotton." Yao Mowan released Fluffy and slowly walked inside Soul Sand Garden. "Niang niang, does this garden really correspond to the constetions in the sky?" Ting Yue asked curiously, having heard Yao Mowan exin it like thatst night. "Guess?" Yao Mowan gave a slight smile. Then her gaze moved away towards the Soul Sand tree to the north that represented Ye Hongyi''s natal horoscope. "Ting Yue can''t guess." Ting Yue hastily walked up to follow Yao Mowan. Seeing that Yao Mowan no longer said anymore, she didn''t ask further either. In reality, it didn''t really matter to her as a servant what this Soul Sand tree really represented. All she had to do was protect her master properly, Ting Yue thought. When Yao Mowan got to the Soul Sand tree right in the north, she couldn''t help but reach out to stroke the tree bark. The exquisite grains were almost like a woman''s skin,pletely wless with a satin-like smoothness. At that time, she had spent countless efforts for the sake of allowing this tree to thrive healthily. Now though¡­ Yao Mowan pulled out a silver needle from within her sleeve and proceeded to insert the needle fiercely into the tree trunk. After repeating it about ten times, she finally retrieved the silver needle. "Niang niang, what are you doing this for?" Ting Yue waspletely confused with Yao Mowan''s strange actions. "After two days, you''ll know." Yao Mowan''s lips slightly hooked. Then, she walked to a Soul Sand tree not far away and sprinkled the prepared fine powder she had in her sleeve below the tree. Ting Yue''s confusion wasn''t clear up, but she didn''t question any further. Master naturally has her own reasons for the things she does. At night, Yao Mowan called Yin Xue out and gave her some instructions. Afterwards, she left Ting Yue and Liu Xing in the pce and headed towards Pure Flowers Pce. Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Cai Ying trembled as she looked at the mess that covered the entire floor without daring to step forward. "The damned Yao Moxin! She''s already dead, yet still caused ben gong to vite one of His Majesty''s censored topics! Seriously like a dead spirit that won''t disperse!" Yao Suluan would feel her anger rush up whenever she recalled Ye Hongyi''s frigid expression in the Imperial Study. At that time, His Majesty had clearly hinted that she would be the Empress once Yao Moxin died! Yet now, not only did she not manage to be Empress, she was being given the cold shoulder! She seriously could not ept it. "Niang niang, don''t be angry. Perhaps His Majesty was just in a bad mood. From what this servant sees, His Majesty still cares about niang niang. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have conferred upon niang niang the title of imperial gui fei. As of now, the pce is empty so niang niang is the one holding the most authority in the Inner Pce. With this, it''s enough to see how much His Majesty values niang niang," Cai Yin carefully said to console Yao Suluan. "Humph! He only values Yao Mowan, that imbecile! Every time that imbecile causes trouble, he can indulge her to no end. This time it was also that Yao Mowan that mentioned Yao Moxin. Ben gong did nothing but call His Majesty''s attention to it, yet His Majesty pushed the offense onto ben gong! Seriously don''t know what part of that fool is good! His Majesty''s so captivated it''s like he can''t even think straight!" Yao Suluan flung her hand and threw down the teacup in her hands, glowering so hard the rims of her eyes seemed about to split. "This servant also doesn''t understand this part. Although Yao fei is quiet and attractive enough, in the end, she''s a fool. Why does His Majesty love her so much?" Cai Yin shook her head as she remarked in puzzlement. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]8.5.17 Btw, like about two weeks ago, I randomly popped in to check a phoenix chapter to make sure the links were working and discovered that for some reason, the end of the chapter was missing, so I went back and fixed it. Was nning to let you guys knowst week but forgot lol. Sorz. The chapter that had a part missing was chp 39 I think. It got chopped off after Mowan asked if Yan Nansheng minded the cat eating on the same table. The reason I say I think is b/c I made a note on a post it, which I lost somewhere¡­ so I¡¯m not entirely sure if I remember correctly. Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 44
Chapter 44: You''re Yao Moxin? "Pei! What Yao fei!? She''s just an imbecile!" Yao Suluan gritted her teeth. At that precise moment, Yao Mowan walked into Pure Flowers Pce in rich attire. "What is Second Older Sister talking about? Mowan seemed to have heard Mowan''s name?" Yao Mowan looked at Yao Suluan with her wless naive expression and a hint of a smile in her eyes. "Ah¡­ You¡­ Why are you here?" Yao Suluan was surprised and nced at Yao Mowan as she questioned her angrily. "Of course because Mowan missed Second Older Sister! What? Second Older Sister doesn''t like Mowan?" Yao Mowan couldn''t help but sneer upon seeing the unconceble coldness on Yao Suluan''s face. She already can''t keep up her act? "Of course not. That servant girl, Ting Yue, didn''te with you?" Yao Suluan subconsciously nced behind Yao Mowan. Seeing that there was no one following Yao Mowan, she rxed. Just because Yao Mowan''s ears didn''t work well didn''t mean that those two lowly servants serving Yao Mowan had bad ears as well. "Mowan wanted to chat with Second Older Sister and didn''t want them to nag, so Mowan told them they weren''t allowed toe." "Nag? They often nag you? What do they nag about?" Yao Suluan asked suspiciously as she looked towards Yao Mowan with sharp eyes. "They''re always saying that His Majesty dotes on Wan er so Wan er doesn''t need to fear anyone in this Inner Pce. They say to tell His Majesty about whoever dares to bully Wan er and His Majesty will definitely get justice for Wan er! They also talk about killing and so on. In any case, it''s those kinds of things." As Yao Mowan spoke, she happened to step on some of the shattered porcin on the ground. "What is this Second Older Sister? Who made you angry? Wan er will go tell His Majesty right now and have His Majesty also vent anger for Second Older Sister!" Naturally, Yao Mowan knew that Yao Suluan had been venting her anger after having to stifle her temper in front of Ye Hongyi. "Don''t! Ahem¡­It only fell because ben gong wasn''t careful. Weren''t you looking for ben gong to talk? Let''s go to the Imperial Garden. Cai Ying, you stay here and tidy this ce up!" Yao Suluan immediately stopped Yao Mowan and acted as if she was unperturbed. "Alright!" Yao Mowan''s lips slightly hooked. Then she grabbed Yao Suluan''s arm and pulled her as she walked out of Pure Flowers Pce. Yao Suluan loathed the small hand wrapped around her arm so much she immediately wanted to fling it off. However, times have changed. Thus, she could only endure it. As the Jade Hare (the moon) rose from the east, the sunset gradually deepened. Yao Mowan deliberately hugged Yao Suluan who had a heavy load on her mind and walked towards the most remote jadeke in the Imperial Garden. "Mowan ah, Second Older Sister heard that Eldest Sister left you some sort of treasure? What is it?" Yao Suluan wanted to fish out some evidence. From what she understood about Yao Moxin, there was no way Yao Moxin would be that secretive unless it was something extremely important. "How did Second Older Sister know? Eldest Sister had only told Mowan?" Yao Mowan blinked her eyes as she looked towards Yao Suluan. Seeing Yao Suluan''s anxious and fidgety expression, a trace of coldness streaked through her heart. "Ben gong¡­ of course ben gong would know! Eldest Sister also left ben gong something so ben gong wanted to see whether the item Eldest Sister left for you was better than the item Eldest Sister left for ben gong," replied Yao Suluan as she looked back at Yao Mowan. "Howe ben gong doesn''t seem to remember leaving anything for a despicable lowly person like you? If there was one thing, then it would simply be inexhaustible hate!" A frigid voice that sounded as if it belonged to a demon spilled out from between Yao Mowan''s lips. At this time, Yao Mowan''s eyes had turned sharp and her expression became tranquil as water. A forest green light flickered in her clear eyes, making them seem like those of Asura''s. "You¡­ what drivel are you saying!?" Yao Suluan couldn''t breathe as she looked towards Yao Mowan with disbelieving eyes. Her body subconsciously retreated and she couldn''t bring herself to meet Yao Mowan''s current eyes. "Heaven''smitted sin can be forgiven; one''s ownmitted sin, pay with one''s lifeT/N! Yao Suluan, you owe ben gong more than just one life! How do you n to repay it?" The eerie voice resonated as if it came from the distant and iprehensibleher world. Yao Mowan approached Yao Suluan step by step, her eyes glowing. "You¡­ you''re Yao Moxin!? That¡­ that''s not possible! Yao Mowan! You imbecile! What trick are you trying to pull!?" Right when Yao Suluan gathered up enough nerve to rush up, Yao Mowan''s body suddenly rose into the air. Her magnificent skirt drifted up in the wind, lightly and airily, making Yao Mowan seem like a specter. "Ah! How could this happen!? You¡­ who exactly are you?" Large drops of cold sweat seeped out from Yao Suluan''s forehead. As she staggered backward, she suddenly tripped on a rock and fell to the ground. The moonlight shone on her face and revealed it to be deathly pale. "Isn''t it already very clear? Yao Suluan, ben gong won''t let you get away with this! Ben gong won''t let Dou Xiann get away with this! And ben gong will never let Ye Hongyi get away from this! Ben gong will let everyone that has harmed ben gong slowly suffer in pain until they die. Haha¡­ HAHAHA¡­" Yao Mowan''s chilling gaze shot towards Yao Suluan like a sharp de. Following that, Yao Mowan switched to a different hand signal and her body steadily returned to the ground. Then, she continued approaching Yao Suluan step by step. "You, don''te over¡­ stay away! Aah¡­" Just as Yao Suluan was about to turn and flee, her body suddenly lifted into the air. Shortly after, there was a ''putong'' as something fell into the water. "Save me! Someone save me! There''s a ghost!" Yao Mowan waited until she had her fill of watching Yao Suluan flop around in the water ¨C and until she felt like Yao Suluan had drank enoughke water ¨C before she secretly signaled for Yin Xue to get Yao Suluan out. "Second Older Sister? What happened to you? Mowan only spaced out for a minute. How did you end up in theke?" Yao Mowan returned to her naive manner and reached out to help Yao Suluan up. However, Yao Suluan dodged her as if she was the pestilence demon. "Move away! Don''te near me! Stay away! You shouldn''t me me! If you''re going to me someone, just me yourself for unting your abilities! It was His Majesty that couldn''t tolerate you! If you want someone to pay with their life, you should be targeting His Majesty! Don''t touch me!" Yao Suluan trembled like a drowned rat as she kicked her legs nonstop in Yao Mowan''s direction. She iled her hands like her life depended on it, as if she was extremely afraid of Yao Mowan touching her. "Second Older Sister, what are you talking about!? You''repletely drenched. Mowan will help you back!" Only Yao Mowan''s fingertips touched Yao Suluan, yet Yao Suluan instantly pped her hand away. Shortly afterward, Yao Suluan stumbled to her feet and ran like mad towards Pure Flowers Pce. As Yao Mowan watched Yao Suluan''s pitiful figure, her lips hooked in a cold smile. Even though she had bore everything with that much patience, it had still been regarded as unting her abilities? Then ben gong should let you guys properly see what ''unting one''s abilities'' truly meant! "The women of the Inner Pce are sure easy to trick. It''s nothing but a small magician''s trick like attracting a floating object, yet she really thought it was a ghost possession!?" A soft voice drifted over through the air. Yao Mowan lifted her eyes upon hearing it and saw that distant red garment rippling in the air as it slowly descended. "It''s not that the women in the Inner Pce are easy to trick but that people who have a guilty conscience are easy to trick. Unfortunately, she ran away too soon. Otherwise, if she saw Nansheng like this, her three immortal souls (representing spirit and intellect) and seven mortal souls (representing carnal life and desires) definitely would have been scared flying and she''d already be on her way to reporting to the King of Hell." Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Yan Nansheng. In her heart, she eximed, what a beautiful person. Beneath the moonlight, the enchanting face of the man in front of her seemed to be covered with ayer of silver-white sheen. Hispletely white, exquisite facial features give off a faint glow. It was enough to make all of the women in the country blush with shame. Long ck hair that reached his waist, with a breeze, lifted in a gorgeous arc. The most beautiful of all of his features were his elegant eyes. They were capable of stopping one''s breath with a nce and taking away one''s soul. "How is it possible for her to be frightened unconscious? It should be that she will faint from over-excitement upon seeing ben zun''s appearance, no?" Yan Nanshengnded gracefully with his toes lightly touching the ground first. "You sure aren''t modest!" Although Yao Mowan had to admit that Yan Nansheng had the right to be proud, shouldn''t he still be a little more low-key? "Nansheng also really wants to be modest. However, there''s¡­ there''s seriously no reason to be modest ah!" Yan Nansheng strolled to Yao Mowan. His captivating eyes seemed to be slightly hazy yet his irises were magnificently bright. "Tch!" Yao Mowan unhurriedly bestowed Yan Nansheng an eyeroll. She has finally understood how confident Yan Nansheng was in his beauty. This self-confidence came from the very bottom of his heart. It was already strong to the point it was impregnable. "What kind of attitude is that? For better or for worse, I gave you a huge gift as well. You should be grateful to me!" Yan Nansheng hastily moved to catch up when he saw Yao Mowan turn away to leave. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] T/N ¨C "Heaven''smitted sin can be forgiven; one''s ownmitted sin, pay with one''s life. One of the interpretations for this is that people will receivepassion from others when they suffer an ident, something bad that happened to them that was out of their control. However, if it''s something bad that you brought onto yourself, people will just feel that you deserved it. Here''s a ~ There''s so many cute pictures of jade rabbits! XD But ahem, the rabbit''s move is¡­ kinda lmao, dumb in real life, would probably be super cute in manga. This chapter though! *squeal!* Chapter Volume 1 45
Chapter 45: Yao Suluan is Pregnant "Thank you? Mowan is still waiting for your thanks!" Yao Mowan''s attitude was as if this way the way things should be by rights as she looked straight back at Yan Nansheng. "Wha¡­ what a joke! Yin Xue is the hidden guard I''m most proud of. As of now, Nansheng has given her to you, yet you still want me to thank you? Does Heaven''sw still exist!?" Yan Nansheng glowered at Yao Mowan who had her hands crossed in front of her chest. "It''s alright if you don''t thank me as well. You can just send Yin Xue directly to Ye Junqing and see if he''ll ept it!" Yao Mowan struck the nail on the head with one sentence. "What do you mean?" Yan Nansheng lifted his brows as he looked towards Yao Mowan with slightly flickering eyes. "Had Ye Junqing been willing to ept your good will, Mowan doesn''t think such a big meat pie could possiblynd on Mowan''s head! As of now, Mowan has reluctantly epted Yin Xue which also means Mowan has agreed to protect Ye Junqing. This is such a huge favor, you''d better start thinking of how to repay it!" Yao Mowan looked towards Yan Nansheng with apletely serious expression and saw that the other person''s expression looked like he was slightly choking. "You! You''re inverting ck and white!" Yan Nansheng''s thoughts werepletely disheveled. Originally, he hade to demand a favor. How did Yao Mowan twist this so that he ended up being the one that owed her a favor!? "Fairness naturally exists in one''s heart," Yao Mowan replied with a concise andprehensive statement. "Cough cough¡­ Don''t rush to leave yet! That move just now was pretty sharp, you were able to uncover Yao Moxin''s cause of death with just a few sentences. Nansheng had investigated for quite a while but didn''t even find a bit of spider thread or any horse tracks! However, even if Yao Suluan admitted it with her own mouth, there''s sadly no evidence ah!" Yan Nansheng eximed his admiration sincerely while exposing a troubled expression. "Why is evidence needed?" Yao Mowan''s heart slightly trembled as she asked. "Without evidence, that youngster, Junqing, won''t believe it!" Yan Nansheng looked towards Yao Mowan as if this was obvious. "Why should we make him believe it?" Yao Mowan suddenly stopped walking and looked towards Yan Nansheng with a solemn expression. "If he believes that Yao Moxin was driven to her death by Ye Hongyi, he wouldn''t sit and wait for death here like this. He''ll once again pull himself together¡­" "Pull himself together to do what? Stake his life in a life or death struggle against Ye Hongyi? Does Alliance Head know the current situation? Ye Hongyi had already taken back all of Ye Junqing''s military power and all the civilians and military men know that the Esteemed Prince has let himself go. If we let the Esteemed Prince learn about Yao Moxin''s true cause of death now, it would be pushing him into eternal damnation!" Yao Mowan interrupted Yan Nansheng''s words coldly, the depths of her eyes deep as an abyss. "If he wants to kill Ye Hongyi, then that''s easily achievable! Once he takes Ye Hongyi''s head, I''ll bring him back to Phoenix Feather Manor. As long as I, his senior brother, am around, his safety is guaranteed!" Yan Nansheng fiercely took a breath then refuted. "And then? Then let the Esteemed Prince bear the reputation of havingmitted regicide for the rest of his life? Let the great hero in everyone''s eyes live as a coward his whole life, incapable of doing anything except hide in your Phoenix Feather Manor? And what do you think people would do when their every hope turns to ash? Can you really guarantee that the Esteemed Prince won''t end up chasing after Yao Moxin?" Yao Mowan''s words that were cold as frost fell one by one, striking Yan Nansheng''s heart like heavy bells. These things actually hadn''t urred to him. "Ahem¡­ I was just talking about it a little, what are you so angry for!?" Yan Nansheng couldn''t help but reply indignantly upon seeing Yao Mowan''s glower while shrugging helplessly. "You''re not allowed to even think about it!" Yao Mowan replied fiercely. Even though Yao Mowan knew that Yan Nansheng''s thoughts were only jumbled due to concern, she couldn''t stop herself from reprimanding him. She couldn''t imagine what kind of intractable situation would ur if Yan Nansheng had followed his earlier n and told Ye Junqing the truth. "Fine, fine, everything you say is correct. Happy? However, back to the topic, I never expected that Yao Moxin would actually have a little sister like you who''s this adept at concealing your strengths and biding time. How did you manage to persevere through all those years of acting dumb!?" Yan Nansheng asked earnestly. "Yin Xue! Throw this guy into theke!" Right after she finished speaking, she heard a ''putong''e from behind her. Yao Mowan stumbled in shock. By the time she looked back, Yan Nansheng was already inside theke. His long red robe floated on the surface of the water like a magnificent crimson blossom. It was so beautiful that nothing more beautiful could be imagined. "Is he really your previous master?" Yao Mowan turned to look towards Yin Xue, still stunned. "Yes." Yin Xue wasn''t of many words, she simply cupped her fist and replied tersely. "Ahem¡­ you can withdraw." Yao Mowan silently vowed in her heart that as long as she lived, she won''t gift Yin Xue to anyone even if she was beaten to death! She definitely won''t! In Pure Flowers Pce, Cai Ying headed out the pce doors while holding a robe and just happened to encounter a figure running haphazardly over. "Niang niang? Niang niang, what''s wrong?" Cai Ying was shocked and hastily went over to support Yao Suluan. "Ghost¡­ it was Yao Moxin! She came to cast soul imprisonment! Cai Ying! Save me! Save me!" Yao Suluan dragged her drenched body and staggered into Pure Flowers Pce in a panicked state. Cai Ying knew the taboos of the pce so she immediately reacted and closed the doors of the pce tightly before supporting Yao Suluan over to the gui fei chairT/N. "Soul Imprisonment" the person whom the spell is cast on will have their soul imprisoned inside their bodies and be unable to move ording to their own wills. The only person that can undo this spell is the spell caster. "Niang niang! Didn''t you head out with Yao fei? How did you end up like this? Is Yao fei alright?" Cai Ying questioned impatiently. She knew His Majesty cared about Yao Mowan. If something happened to Yao Mowan, His Majesty would definitely be rmed. In addition, the way her master was currently shooting her mouth off was a scene that definitely cannot be seen by His Majesty. "Yao Mowan¡­ don''te for me!" Yao Suluan became even more agitated upon hearing the words ''Yao Mowan''. She flung her hands out and pushed Cai Ying to the ground before running into the inner room. Cai Ying didn''t dare to dally and hastily got up to chase after her. The next day, as expected, Yao Suluan caught a cold and was absent-minded. Cai Yin worriedly approached after seeing that the imperial physician had retrieved his hand from Yao Suluan''s luminous wrist. "Imperial Physician Zheng, is my niang niang alright?" On the couch, Yao Suluan''s willow brows were tightly creased. She had her hand pressed over her forehead as she repeatedly recalledst night''s incident. In the end, was it a trick of her eyes? Or was Yao Mowan really possessed? "Congrattions niang niang, niang niang is pregnant. The dragon seed is already a little over a month old." Imperial Physician Zheng took two steps back and respectfully gave a salute. "You¡­ what did you say? My master is pregnant?" Cai Ying cried out excitedly before Yao Suluan even had a chance to react. "From the looks of the pulse, there''s definitely no error." Imperial Physician Zheng nodded firmly. "That''s great! That''s right, will my master''s cold affect the dragon seed?" Cai Ying skipped to the couch delightedly and helped Yao Suluan, who had been lying down, up. "Niang niang, don''t worry. This humble subject will prescribe some gentle medicine. It won''t affect the dragon seed." After Imperial Physician Zheng gave his report, he epted the bestowed silver and withdrew. "Niang niang, after all that time you spent hoping, you''ve finally be pregnant with the dragon seed!" Cai Ying looked towards Yao Suluan with excitement bursting in her eyes. "That''s right, ben gong has finally be pregnant. Ben gong can finally be empress!" Yao Suluan''s eyes sparkled and she immediately got off the couch to head towards the door. "Niang niang, where are you going?" Cai Ying supported Yao Suluan as she asked, puzzled. "Of course I''m going to let His Majesty know about this news!" Yao Suluan was uncontrobly thrilled so she temporarily threwst night''s matter to the back of her head. There were countless consorts and concubines in the Inner Pce but the number of children was few and far between. There was not a single male infant so if she managed to give birth to a boy, there would definitely be no more suspense as to who would obtain the position of empress. "Niang niang, you''re someone with child right now. You should be resting. Just let this servant report it for you!" Cai Ying tried to pull Yao Suluan back but Yao Suluan stopped her. "Ben gong must tell His Majesty about this personally. Get a cloak for ben gong," Yao Suluan said, persisting in her decision. Soon afterward, she headed out of Pure Flowers Pce. Yao Suluan believed that the mother was precious based on the son. Now that she had this child, His Majesty would surely treat her favorably. Only when she reached Guan Osprey Pce and saw Ye Hongyi did she realize that the child in her belly was not even as precious as that animal in Yao Mowan''s arms. "Wan er, don''t cry. With zhen here, Fluffy will definitely be fine! Why is the imperial physician still not here!?" Ye Hongyi took Fluffy from Yao Mowan''s arms and stroked it lovingly as if he was stroking Yao Mowan. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] T/N ¨C I had assumed that the ''gui fei'' chairs were for ''gui fei''s, but apparently it''s a style of chair. It was probably only for ''gui fei''s in the past. The chair is typically long so that you can rest your feet on it, with an armrest on only one side. That armrest can also serve as a pillow. The English equivalent is a chaise longue¡­ whiches from French¡­ should I keep it as gui fei chair or use chaise longue? Then there''s the other question, dragon fetus or dragon seed? I went w/ dragon seed because that''s what it most literally trantes to and it''s the ''seed'' of the emperor after all. But then I seem to remembering across the term ''dragon fetus'' before¡­ Haha, but unusual indecision in the tranting process aside, this chapter was pretty enjoyable! Yin Xue''s awesome! XD Also, headsup, there¡¯s an uing event on Sept fourth for extra chapters. More info on that will being next week. However, basically, it¡¯s an event held on vre in which readers will go to the post to answer one multiple-choice question. If the majority gets the right answer for the question, the bonus chapter will be ¡®unlocked¡¯ and posted. Chapter Volume 1 46
Chapter 46: Her Child Couldn''t Even Compare To Her Cat "What did Second Older Sister say earlier? Wan er was worried about Fluffy and didn''t hear clearly." Yao Mowan lifted her eyes which were filled with swirling tears. Her appearance was indescribably lovely. "The imperial physician has diagnosed that ben gong has been pregnant with Your Majesty''s dragon seed for over a month¡­" Yao Suluan endured the unhappiness in her heart from seeing Ye Hongyi''s unconcerned expression and spoke each word clearly. "Your Majesty, what''s a dragon seed?" Yao Mowan asked, wiping off the tears at the corners of her eyes. "Wan er really is a little dummy. The dragon seed is zhen''s child. Wan er ah, when will you conceive one for zhen?" Ye Hongyi looked at Yao Mowan dotingly with some anticipation in his eyes. "Wan er is still a child. Wan er doesn''t want to conceive a child. Being pregnant isn''t fun!" Yao Mowan lowered her eyes as she took Fluffy back into her arms. In the depths of her eyes, a faint light suddenly appeared. Her mind was filled with the images of Zhong er''s tragic death and her heart felt as if it was being cut by des. "Your Majesty, the imperial physician is here!" Yao Suluan wasn''t willing to ept this result. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak again, An Bingshan walked in with Imperial Physician Zheng following diligently behind. "You''vee just in time! Hurry and take a look at zhen and Yao fei''s Fluffy!" Ye Hongyi had given an order. Therefore, though Imperial Physician Zheng was unwilling, he didn''t dare to disobey and immediately ced his hand on Fluffy''s w. On the surface, Imperial Physician Zheng was concentrating. However, inside he was crying out incessant grievances. For better or for worse, he was an imperial physician of the Imperial Medical Institute, yet he had actually fallen to the level of having a cat as a patient. "How is it?" Yao Mowan restrained the sharpness in her eyes and looked towards Imperial Physician Zheng worriedly. "Replying Your Majesty, Fluffy is fine. It''s just expecting!" Imperial Physician Zheng retreated backwards carefully and gave a respectful salute. "Expecting?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Hongyi, puzzled. "Little dummy! Fluffy is pregnant with little babies! In a little while, Fluffy will be able to give birth to a litter of kitties for zhen''s Wan er!" Ye Hongyi lifted his eyes excitedly with a smiling expression. However, when Yao Suluan saw that smile, all she felt was that it mocked her. She actually couldn''t evenpare to an animal! "Really!? Then Wan er will definitely take care of Fluffy well and give it good things to eat and drink. Wan er won''t let that iceberg face bully Fluffy again!" Yao Mowan rubbed her face against Fluffy''s gleaming snow-white fur. The stormy waves in her heart gradually calmed. She had been secretly rmed when she first found out that Yao Suluan was pregnant with the dragon seed. However, Ye Hongyi''s reaction showed that he probably wouldn''t tolerate the child in Yao Suluan''s belly. This was the most selfish part of Ye Hongyi. If it wasn''t a woman he approved of, all the children they give birth to were bastards! "Iceberg face?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Yao Mowan, surprised. "It''s the Esteemed Prince ah. He''s always making that awful lifeless expression. I don''t even know who he''s making that face for! In any case, Wan er doesn''t like it, Fluffy doesn''t like it, and everyone in Guan Osprey Pce doesn''t like it!" Yao Mowan shouted in a very exaggerated manner, causing Ye Hongyi to burst outughing. "Junqing ah! Did you hear that? In this great state of Chu, there''s finally someone that doesn''t like your face! Haha, amusing! Amusing!" When Ye Hongyi looked to the side, it was right in time to see Ye Junqing who was walking in. "Yao fei isn''t willing to see Junqing? Does one think Junqing is willing to see Yao fei? It''s nothing but mutual sight and mutual dislike. Your Majesty should hurry and allow this subject and younger brother to live somewhere else so as to avoid Yao fei losing her appetite upon seeing Junqing!" Ye Junqing glowered at Yao Mowan. On the surface she acted cute and dumb but in reality she was ck-bellied and ruthless. He really didn''t know how Moxin, who was so good at understanding others, would end up having this sort of younger sister. "Wan er is just joking. Junqing shouldn''t take it seriously! It''s about lunchtime, isn''t it!? Fluffy is expecting, zhen is happy! An Bingshan, instruct the Imperial Kitchen. Zhen will be staying in Guan Osprey Pce for lunch!" Ye Hongyi said with a happy smile. At the side, Yao Suluan was being overlooked as if she was empty air. She was worried that she wouldn''t be able to stop herself from rushing over to Yao Mowan and choking her to death if she stayed. At this time, she had already thrown the terrifying scene fromst night to the back of her mind. "Your Majesty, then this qie will withdraw." Yao Suluan bent in a curtsy. "En. Now that you know you''re pregnant, you shouldn''t randomly walk around. You should return and nurse yourself properly," said Ye Hongyi calmly. From start to finish, he didn''t nce at Yao Suluan even once. The instant Yao Suluan stepped out of Guan Osprey Pce, she twisted her handkerchief until it was unrecognizable. Never in her dreams did she imagine that Ye Hongyi would view her this lightly. For better or for worse, she was the one that helped him eradicate Yao Moxin! How could he treat her this lightly! "Niang niang, you shouldn''t get angry. That''s not good for the unborn child¡­" Cai Ying advised softly with an embarrassed expression on her face. "Shut up! Are you blind!? Didn''t you see that His Majesty doesn''t care about this child at all!? Since he doesn''t care about it, what use is there for ben gong to keep it!?" Yao Suluan seethed. Reaching out, she was about to hit her abdomen when An Bingshan''s voice suddenly came from behind her. "This old servant advises niang niang not to cause a fuss here. If His Majesty heard, he might actually decide to fulfill niang niang''s wish and send this child off to reincarnate once again." An Bingshan''s voice was filled with mockery and taunting. Yao Suluan didn''t say anything. She simply strode up, lifted her hand and pped him. An Bingshan never expected that Yao Suluan would hit him without any hesitation. His face smarted with burning heat. "Damned dog ve, who do you think you are!? You''re nothing but a castrate, an eunuch! To actually dare criticize ben gong!? An Bingshan, don''t think that ben gong isn''t aware of all those fine things you''ve done! That idental encounter that day was nothing but an idental encounter. Ben gong gave you face and didn''t disclose the matter to His Majesty. However, you not only did not feel grateful, you even used your public office to avenge private wrongs and trouble the Prime Minister¡¯s wife! Since you don''t want face, there''s no need for ben gong to keep it wrapped up either! If you don''t act with more sensitivity, then don''t me ben gong for being ruthless! Scram!" Yao Suluan raised her voice sternly, infuriated. An Bingshan''s lips twitched and faint light lurched in his shrewd eyes. He gritted his teeth as he looked at Yao Suluan. "Niang niang¡­ Don''t ruin your health from anger. This servant will help you back to the pce." Cai Ying had worked in the Imperial Pce for many years so she naturally knew the status An Bingshan held in the pce. In order to prevent her master from making any more drastic actions, Cai Ying immediately moved up to try and help Yao Suluan back to the pce. "What are you looking at!? Did you fail to understand ben gong''s words!? Ben gong told you to scram!" Yao Suluan flung Cai Ying aside as she glowered. "This servant will withdraw!" An Bingshan spat out each word between gritted teeth and saluted stiffly before leaving with backwards steps. Cai Ying only dared to try approaching after An Bingshan left Yao Suluan''s line of sight. "Niang niang, this servant knows that you''re angry but there''s no need to make things difficult for An Bingshan. He''s someone His Majesty favors greatly. The incidentst time at Changle Pce was nothing but a misunderstanding. However, now that you''ve insulted him like this,st time''s incident is probably unretractable. In the future, it''ll be hard to exin!" Cai Ying looked worriedly towards Yao Suluan, feeling apprehensive. "Even if ben gong didn''t yell at him, do you think he would believe ben gong''s exnations? Not to mention, he might not necessarily give ben gong a chance to exin. Otherwise, would Mother have suffered those twenty ps!? Rather than submit to humiliation, it would be better to curse to one''s heart''s content. As of now, ben gong and An Bingshan are enemies so there is a definite need to guard against him. You should pay attention and secretly find evidence of An Bingshan doing obscene things in private to pce maids in order to prepare for a possible time of need." Yao Suluan exhaled, then coldly instructed Cai Ying. "This servant understands. Niang niang, don''t worry." "That''s right, earlier in Guan Osprey Pce, did you see anything different about Yao Mowan?" After Yao Suluan calmed down, she suddenly recalled the incident fromst night and her heart abruptly chilled. "This servant didn''t see anything. She just seems even more foolish than before, to not even understand ''dragon seed'' and ''expecting''," Cai Ying replied, choosing only the things that Yao Suluan liked to hear. "Could it be¡­ How long has it been since Yao Moxin died?" Yao Suluan''s pupils turned cold as she asked quietly. "Mm¡­ replying niang niang, her seven sevenT/N is in five more days." Cai Ying didn''t know why her master suddenly brought up Yao Moxin. However, she carefully looked around before replying quietly. Ever since the Empress died, all the topics that rted to the Empress became ssified as taboo. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] T/N ¨C After a person dies, every seven days, rites must be paid. Thest time is the forty-ninth day, called the ''seven seven''. Also known as ''final seven'', ''full seven'', ''end of sevens''. Comes from the influence of Buddhism and Daoism. People say the first 49 days is when the departed spirit wanders about. So the family must respectfully do the sevens and offer a steady supply of money so as to prevent the departed spirit from getting stuck in theher world. On the first seven days a person dies, the family members must bow to the altar while crying and wailing, offer sacrifices (food and paper money, I think) every day and night, and do Buddhist rites every seven days. It''s said that every seven days is when the departed spirit begs for a chance at reincarnation. If they don''t get it, they beg again seven dayster. The 7th time they beg, they get to be reincarnated for sure. The Buddhist rites are the family also begging God so that the departed spirit can reincarnate. Chapter Volume 1 47
Chapter 47: Find a Daoist Priest "Luckily, we haven''t missed the seven seven¡­ Cai Ying, help ben gong find a Daoist priest who is skilled in the art of the Dao. Remember, don''t let anyone see," instructed Yao Suluan coldly. "This servant understands." Though Cai Ying didn''t know what her master was nning to do, she still nodded and obeyed. "Let''s go. We''re returning to Pure Flowers Pce. The future is long, ben gong just doesn''t believe that a fool would be able to keep the favor of His Majesty for long! Humph!" Yao Suluan red at Guan Osprey Pce and then left. While the evening meal was being prepared, Yao Mowan casually reclined on the chaise lounge as she stroked Fluffy who was bing increasinglynguid. She lifted her clear eyes slightly as she asked, "Yao Suluan really said that?" "Replying niang niang, this servant heard everything clearly. When the imperial gui fei found out that the Empress'' seven seven was five dayster, she personally ordered Cai Ying to find a skilled Daoist priest," Liu Xing reported faithfully. "Haa, she really is thoughtful. Since she wants to find a Daoist priest, you should know what to do?" Yao Mowan''s brows lifted slightly as she curved her lips into a smile. Unexpectedly, Yao Suluan''s strength of heart was really out of the ordinary. The eventsst night actually didn''t manage to scare her. However, that was also good. If she really copsed just like that, it wouldn''t be satisfying enough. "Liu Xing understands." Liu Xing understood his master''s intentions and nodded earnestly. "Did anything happen in Xiang fu these past couple days?" "Chen momo has been acting ording to n and Big Madam''s health is already declining conspicuously. Naturally, she doesn''t have the strength to cause trouble for Su Muzi and Yao Yu anymore. Actually, the method Master taught Yao Yu is very effective. There''s already no one in the fu that dares to anger the mother and son pair," reported Liu Xing happily. "That little kid is very clever. Not only does he listen well, he can hear the essence of the words." Yao Mowanughed in spite of herself. By now, Ting Yue had already finished preparing the evening meal. "You and Ting Yue can withdraw. There''s no need for you two to wait upon us here." Yao Mowan lightly waved her hand when she smelled that familiar scent. Liu Xing and Ting Yue respectfully withdrew. The first thing Ye Junqing made sure to do when he walked in was to give Yao Mowan a disdainful look before sitting down next to the table. "Wang ye seems to hold a strong grudge against Mowan." In a rare asion, Yao Mowan didn''t carry Fluffy onto the table and had it obediently stay on the chaise lounge. "So you should reflect!" said Ye Junqing in a bad humor. Then, he lifted his bowl and proceeded to eat on his own. "En, Mowan also wants to reflect." Yao Mowan''s sincere tone of voice attracted Ye Junqing''s indignant sidelong nce. "However, after Mowan thought about it a little, Mowan decided it was better to just forget it. If wang ye fell in love with Mowan after Mowan reflected, that would be troublesome." "Pfff¡­." Ye Junqing didn''t expect such shocking words toe out of Yao Mowan''s mouth so he spurted out a mouthful of ginseng porridge upon hearing that. Afterwards, he kept coughing violently. "Did Mowan end up revealing what was in the bottom of wang ye''s heart?" Yao Mowan blinked her guileless eyes and looked innocently towards Ye Junqing. As Yao Mowan gazed at the man whose entire face was covered with ck lines, she suddenly missed the way he used to look adoringly at her. "In regards to that, you can be atplete ease. In this lifetime, ben wang will only love one woman! And, that woman is definitely not you!" Ye Junqing wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, then sat upright before saying this as if he was making a righteous promation. "Don''t say things as if it was so certain ah!" Yao Mowan slightly smiled inwardly when she saw Ye Junqing speaking as if making a solemn vow. Then, she picked up a piece of shiitake and ced it in Ye Junqing''s bowl. "You! What are you picking dishes for ben wang for!? Ben wang doesn''t want it!" Ye Junqing immediately picked up the shiitake and gave it back to Yao Mowan as if getting rid of something frightening. "This is the first time wang ye has picked a dish for Mowan ah. Mowan truly feels overwhelmed by favor." Yao Mowan ced the shiitake into her mouth with an expression of great enjoyment. It was very fragrant and savory. "You! With how intelligent you are, you should know who is the woman ben wang loves," said Ye Junqing seriously after a moment of silence. He didn''t want Yao Mowan to misunderstand. "Eldest Sister, isn''t it? It''s not just Mowan, probably all the citizens of great Chu knows that the Esteemed Prince had feelings for the Empress. Mowan also got an increase in knowledge that day in the Esteemed Prince''s wang fu. Wang ye''s skill at drawing is not bad. However, Eldest Sister is already dead. You¡­" "Moxin isn''t dead! At the very least, she still exists here in ben wang!" Yao Mowan saw Ye Junqing abruptly stand up and press his hand against his chest before she even finished her sentence. Then, he stormed out, leaving only this promation. Tears overflowed Yao Mowan''s eyes as she watched Ye Junqing''s fading figure, that deste and bleak figure. Though they were a lifetime apart, he was still as stunning as when they had first met. One ncests a thousand years*. At first nce, one feels deep love. After itsts a thousand years, proves true love. The next day, Yao Mowan greeted Ye Hongyi happily when he walked into Guan Osprey Pce. "What happened that has made Wan er this happy?" Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan and drew her into his arms in a familiar manner. At that time, he had only been a little interested. Unexpectedly, Yao Mowan was like a clear wine that had been fermented for a long time. After one taste, he couldn''t bear to part with her. Ye Hongyi sighed with feeling and pulled Yao Mowan over to sit down. There had been disappointment and frustration in his heart. He had loved Yao Moxin before, but it was more of a grateful emotion rather than true love. Afterwards, when Yao Moxin unted her abilities, his gratefulness eventually faded away until there was almost none left. He had never felt anything even for his consorts and concubines. Those women were nothing but chess pieces he used to bnce the power of the important ministers in court. They could be discarded at any time. The only woman that was different was the one currently in his arms. She was innocent, pure. Ye Hongyi could thoroughly rx every time he was with her and he would never have to suspect a fool of harboring any plots. Perhaps, he had fallen in love with this fool. Ye Hongyi suddenlyughed a little. "Your Majesty, Wan er observed the astronomical phenomenonsst night and finally discovered what was different about those Soul Sand trees in Soul Sand Garden!" said Yao Mowan excitedly like a little kid. "Oh? Then zhen must listen carefully to what exactly zhen''s Wan er discovered." Ye Hongyi was originally skeptical towards Yao Mowan''s ability to observe astronomical phenomenons. The words he had spoken before were just for show in order to encourage Yao Mowan in her interests. "Then Your Majesty shoulde with Wan er to Soul Sand Garden! Okay?" Yao Mowan pulled Ye Hongyi with both hands as if trying to haul him off the chaise lounge. "Alright!" Ye Hongyi also felt like taking a stroll so he decided to just go along with what Yao Mowan wanted. The wind arose, spreading the fragrance of Soul Sand Garden everywhere. The flower fragrance was fresh and elegant, making people''s minds feel rxed and refreshed. Yao Mowan pulled Ye Hongyi into Soul Sand Garden and stroked the Soul Sand trees at the left side. "Your Majesty, these Soul Sand trees correspond to the Seven Mansions of the Vermilion Bird in the south sky. Those at the right correspond to the Seven Mansions of the ck Tortoise, those of the north sky. Your Majesty, hurry over here. In front, these are the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon and over here are the Seven Mansions of the White Dragon! These Soul Sand trees are split into four regions, each corresponding to the stars in the sky. And this one is the one corresponding to Pris, the center of the four-star mansions!" Yao Mowan pulled Ye Hongyi all around the Soul Sand Garden in a big loop before leading him to the Soul Sand tree at the very north. "Wow, Wan er knows so much!" Ye Hongyi eximed, shocked to hear about the allocated areas of the constetions from Yao Mowan. "Wan er only learned this bit so Wan er wanted to learn it properly. Otherwise, they''ll really think Wan er is a fool! Even if Wan er is a fool, Wan er is only Your Majesty''s fool. Once Wan er really learns how to observe astronomical phenomenons, let''s see who else dares to call Wan er a fool!" Yao Mowan purposefully said some confusing words in order to diverge Ye Hongyi''s attention. "That''s right! You only belong to zhen!" Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan into his arms. He lifted his eyes and suddenly he trembled. All that could be seen was that the blossoms at the left side of the Soul Sand tree in front of him were wilted. It was also gradually showing signs of withering. He had never seen this happen before. This was the Soul Sand tree that represented his natal horoscope. It has always been splendid and only became more prosperous with each passing day. "Why would this happen? Wan er, do you feel like there''s something wrong with this tree?" Ye Hongyi''s voice was slightly heavy as a trace of unconceble anxiety appeared on his face. "There is ah. There definitely won''t be as many flowers on this tree as there were before." He had finally taken the bait. Yao Mowan''s eyes suddenly turned cold but in a sh, they were back to normal as she answered him with an innocent voice. "Why?" Ye Hongyi lowered his eyes to look at Yao Mowan as he asked. "Because the Pris in the sky isn''t as bright as before. Actually, the Great Bear in the White Tiger Mansion is much brighter than before. So that tree will definitely flourish more than before!" As Yao Mowan spoke, she pointed towards a Soul Sand tree that wasn''t far away. She had added fertilizer so of course it was growing well. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]"Mowan also got an increase in knowledge that day in the Esteemed Prince''s wang fu." Sonia pointed this passage out. I''m not sure if this exnation really makes sense but, it¡¯s like a thing in Chinese culture. When you experience/see something, your knowledge ¡®increases¡¯.And, I''d like to give a special thanks to all of you for reading this story, supporting me despite my current slow pace, waiting patiently when I can''t post on-time due to real-lifeplications, and for participating in the bonus event! For the time being, I''m still aiming to keep up a pace of one chapter a week (it''s as much as I can do w/ all my series + 5 sses in college + other stuff) but I''ll also aim to put out more bonus chapters when I can, so keep an eye out for special event options! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 48
Chapter 48: Have That Soul Fly Away and Scatter In Complete Annihtion "That''s true¡­" Ye Hongyi strolled towards the Soul Sand tree Yao Mowan had pointed at and his eyes gradually turned cold. The stars of the White Tiger Mansion were categorized as general stars. As of now, a general star was flourishing but the emperor star was dimming. Could it be one of the generals in court harbored disloyalty? Who could it be? The first person that urred to Ye Hongyi was Ye Junqing, however he quickly dismissed that idea. As of now, Ye Junqing couldn''t be counted as a general anymore. Of the current generals in court, the person that possessed the most troops should be the Left General, Huan Heng. Could it be him? "Your Majesty, you don''t believe in Wan er''s words?" Yao Mowan gave Ye Hongyi ample time to mull things over before advancing her n. She was way too clear on how hard it had been for Ye Hongyi to obtain the throne. Hence, he naturally won''t let off even a single person that might threaten his hold on imperial power. Based on herprehension of Ye Hongyi''s personality, Yao Mowan knew that someone was going to suffer misfortune. She smiled inwardly. "Ah¡­ no. Wan er said it very well, really! Looks like zhen''s decision to bestow Soul Sand Garden to Wan er was right. Wan er has to promise zhen to keep a close eye on these trees. Wan er must tell zhen whenever one of these trees seem abnormal, alright?" Because of Yao Moxin, Ye Hongyi had absolute belief in the existence of astronomical phenomenons. "En!" Yao Mowan knew that things would turn out like this. After all, back then, there had never been a single time the astronomical phenomenon she talked about was inurate. Cai Ying took three days and finally found a prestigious Daoist priest. At this current moment, Yao Suluan was sizing up the Daoist priest in front of her. He had a white beard and silver hair with bones of the Dao and the wind of a celestial*. He seemed rather like he was about to ascend to heaven as a celestial. ÏÉ·çµÀ¹Ç ¨C ¡°Wind of a celestial and bones of the Dao¡± The meaning is it describes a person¡¯s strength of character (·ç¹Ç is where the wind bones came from) and spirit which stands out from the masses. "Bai Mei kowtows in salute to imperial gui fei." The Daoist priest calling himself Bai Mei gently swept his horsetail whisk and ced his hands together as he greeted Yao Suluan respectfully. "Great Master is being overly courteous. Cai Ying, see to his seat." Yao Suluan slightly nodded, then instructed Cai Ying to move a chair over. "Deference is no substitute for obedience (said to ept someone''s request, invitation, etc), so this humble Daoist will ept. Wonder what imperial gui fei has summoned this humble Daoist for?" Bai Mei slowly sat down. His gaze was as keen as a de. "Truth be told, ben gong has encountered some very abnormal phenomenons recently so ben gong wanted to ask Daoist Priest if people really became ghosts after dying." Yao Suluan would still feel ufortable from head to toe whenever she recalled that night''s incident. "If one desires to connect with God, once gold separates with water, one will be able to distinguish and see the three immortal souls and seven mortal souls one''s body contains. Of the three immortal souls, one is named fetus light. It is the energy of the clear sun¡­" The Daoist priest started reciting but Yao Suluan interrupted him. Comes from the collection of essays named Baopuzi. Separating gold from water is a very important process in Daoist cultivation. If one wants toplete the Golden Core stage of cultivation and move on to the Connecting with God stage, they must firstplete the separation of gold and water. After this step ispleted, one will be able to see the three immortal and seven mortal souls one has. One will also be able to see all the spirits in the sky and on the earth and be able to put to work the supernatural beings that exist in the mountains and creeks. Lmao, I''m pretty confused too. This sounds rather xianxia novel-like. But it seems people actually believed this stuff in the past. The three names of the three immortal souls are ''fetus light'', ''clear spirit'', and ''remote essence''. (Ì¥¹â¡¢Ë¬Áé¡¢Óľ«) "Ahem¡­ Daoist Priest, can you put it a bit more simply? Ben gong is a little confused," said Yao Suluan in a mild tone as she suppressed her temper.T/N "Oh, then that''s easy. Of course people can be ghosts after they die," said Bai Mei after he gave a sigh. "Uh¡­ isn''t this a little too simple? What ben gong wants to know is if an incident like a malicious spirit possessing people can ur. And¡­ if it''s a ghost that died due to injustice, would ite back to seek revenge?" Yao Suluan directed the conversation to the main point. "This sort of situation does happen but not often. Most of the time, people would be led away by the ghosts of theher world once they die, or they would reincarnate. Some that had umted a lot of good karma from meritorious deeds would be deities. There are some that fall to hell in eternal imprisonment. Of course, there are also those that suffered unusual grievances and their souls end up not dispersing after death but linger in the mortal world. These are the types that exist as lonely souls and wild ghosts. Most of the time, the spirits that harm people are the same type of ghost." Bai Mei''s facial expression was solemn and he spoke as if it was very much in earnest. "Then does Daoist Priest have a way to exorcise these wild ghosts?" Yao Suluan''s heart trembled as she immediately concluded that the incident that day was Yao Moxin''s ghost causing mischief. "This humble Daoist often exorcists ghosts and goes so far as to say it is his forte! Naturally there is a way," said Bai Mei, lifting his brows as if he had a card up his sleeve. "Wonder if Daoist Priest needs ben gong to provide any facilitations?" Yao Suluan asked impatiently with light dancing in her eyes. "Imperial gui fei only needs to write down that person''s birth date and eight characters for this humble Daoist and this humble Daoist will go prepare the spell. This humble Daoist ventures to ask how long has it been since the person imperial gui fei is talking about died? And where does imperial gui fei wish to send that ghost?" asked Bai Mei in deadly earnest. "In two days is that person''s seven seven. Cai Ying, bring ink and paper! If Daoist Priest can have that soul fly away and scatter inplete annihtion, ben gong will naturally give a substantial reward!" Yao Suluan said fiercely. The excitement in her eyes was easy to see. "It''s within their seven seven? Then the soul probably has not gone far. This humble Daoist can be quite certain of sess if the spell is cast at the person''s death site," said Bai Mei in a very profound way. "Alright then, Daoist Priest, please go prepare. Ben gong will prepare the location for two dayster." Yao Suluan, in passing, handed the paper she finished writing to Bai Mei before turning towards Cai Ying. Cai Ying handed the banknotes she had prepared in advance to Bai Mei before seeing him off. Even after Cai Ying returned, Yao Suluan was still soaking in her excitement. She suddenly couldn''t wait to see the scene of Yao Moxin''s soul being scattered and destroyed. Just the thought of it made her extremely happy. "Niang niang, you really n to let that Daoist Priest carry out his spell in the former site of the Cold Pce? If someone saw, there''s no way it can be passed off as a game," Cai Ying warned carefully after she returned to Yao Suluan''s side. "That ce is remote from the start. Who would go there unless there was a reason? Not to mention, the spell will take ce at night so it''s even less likely for someone to show up there. Don''t worry, ben gong is well aware of the situation!" Yao Suluan had already made her decision so she wrote off Cai Ying''s concerns. Cai Ying knew that it would be useless even if she continued trying to persuade so she stopped speaking. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yin Xue repeated everything she heard to Yao Mowan without missing a word. "Haa, she doesn''t even know to umte some more virtue for herself now that she is pregnant with a child. Tell Bai Mei that if he acts ording to orders, there will definitely be plenty of benefits for him." Yao Mowan hugged Fluffy and stroked it. Her smooth nails which were painted with red cardamon contrasted with the snow-white fur on Fluffy''s body and they set each other off nicely. "Yin Xue understands." "That''s right, where has the Esteemed Prince been thesest two days?" Even though Ye Hongyi didn''t leave any traces, there existed no walls in the world that could block all wind. Ye Junqing was wise. After staying in the Imperial Pce for a while, he''d naturally discover clues. "Replying Master, the Esteemed Prince strolls around the Imperial Garden during the day and would, after midnight, enter Changle Pce. He usually stays there until four in the morning before leaving," reported Yin Xue factually. "Is that so. You can withdraw." Yao Mowan''s eyes darkened and she stopped stroking Fluffy. Ye Junqing was even more devoted than she had expected. It was just, Junqing. In the end you still don''t understand Moxin¡­ After Yin Xue withdrew, Ting Yue jogged into the living room. "Niang niang, this servant encountered the Esteemed Prince outside earlier. He told this servant to bring the meal separately to his room from now on and that from today on, he doesn''t want to eat at the same table as niang niang." Ting Yue repeated his exact words to Yao Mowan. "Are you his pce maid?" asked Yao Mowan calmly. "No." Ting Yue shook her head. "Then who cares what he said? Help ben gong up, we''re going to take a walk." Yao Mowan lifted her brows towards Ting Yue, then got up and walked out of Guan Osprey Pce. The time when Ye Hongyi once again stepped into Pure Flowers Pce finally arrived for Yao Suluan. "This qie kowtows in salute to Your Majesty." Yao Suluan waited at the pce entrance happily with a bit of anticipation in her eyes. "Beloved consort is pregnant with the dragon seed, how can you be so careless? In the future, you are excused from these unnecessarily borate customs. Zhen''s child is the most important." Ye Hongyi walked up and took Yao Suluan''s hand into his palm with warm friendship spilling out of his eyes. Upon hearing this, Yao Suluan felt overwhelmed by favor and looked disbelievingly up at Ye Hongyi. At the side, An Bingshan was following angrily behind Ye Hongyi without speaking. "It''s rare for Your Majesty to care so much about this qie. This qie is grateful beyond words!" Yao Suluan was so moved hot tears swirled in the rims of her eyes and her voice choked with emotions. "Zhen knows that you have felt wronged thesest couple days. It was zhen''s carelessness. Beloved consort, don''t take it to heart. Zhen has simply been too vexed thest couple days." Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Suluan towards the table and gently patted her hand as endless tenderness spilled from his eyes. "How could this qie dare? But if Your Majesty is vexed by something, there''s no harm in telling this qie. It''s no good to keep it suppressed in your heart," Yao Suluan said in a submissive soft voice. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]T/N ¨C "Ahem¡­ Daoist Priest, can you put it a bit more simply?" for once I agree with Yao Suluan. Thank God, you wouldn''t know how long it took to make sense of that passage. @And this is the bonus chapter for participating in the vre event!! Yup, the right answer is seven seven, thank you to everyone who participated!! XD Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 49
Chapter 49: She Can''t Agree to this Task "What else could it be but the affairs of the imperial court? As of now, the Esteemed Prince has already handed over his military power. However, the Left General, Huan Heng, still grasps a massive military force. Zhen still has to be wary! Not to mention, Huan Heng has always been careful in his dealing with others so it would be hard to stifle public opinion if zhen suddenly took his power away for no reason. It''s really a headache." Ye Hongyi shook his head and sighed with furrowed brows. "Your Majesty suspects Huan Heng?" Yao Suluan was inwardly stunned. If she didn''t recall wrongly, Ye Hongyi had relied on Huan Heng quite a lot during the time Ye Junqing still had military power. This was also the reason why Huan Caier was so arrogant and despotic. Although Yao Suluan didn''t understand why Ye Hongyi would suddenly suspect Huan Heng of being traitorous, this was something that only had benefits for her. "There''s nothing wrong with being careful as the monarch of a nation," said Ye Hongyi. "Your Majesty is absolutely right. This matter truly is hard to deal with¡­" Yao Suluan lowered her eyes as she thought over it carefully. "How is it just hard to deal with? This is a great worry in zhen''s heart. Of the entire Imperial Court and Inner Pce, there''s probably no one that can help zhen resolve this difficult situation." Ye Hongyi swept his ck pupils over Yao Suluan''s face, then gave a long sigh. "Your Majesty, niang niang, the evening meal has been prepared." Cai Ying, who was at the side, cautiously spoke up. "Things will eventually be resolved. This qie will apany you for the meal first." Yao Suluan was just about to call for the food to be brought in when Ye Hongyi stopped her. "Zhen has no appetite. It was just that zhen couldn''t rx so zhen came over to visit you. An Bingshan, arrange for a carriage to the Imperial Stuy." Before Yao Suluan could even urge him to stay, Ye Hongyi had already walked out of Pure Flowers Pce. "This qie respectfully sees off Your Majesty¡­" Yao Suluan''s happy expression was dyed slightly dark. She was unwilling to ept this. "Niang niang, His Majesty has already left." Cai Yi reached out to help Yao Suluan up and supported her to the table as she continued, "Niang niang, His Majesty''s words seemed to have hidden meanings." "Do you think ben gong wasn''t able to tell!? His Majesty only wants ben gong to help give Chen fei a baseless criminal charge. Then with that, he can get rid of Huan Heng''s military power," said Yao Suluan with a cold smile as she lifted a cup of tea. "Since niang niang knew, why didn''t niang niang give His Majesty a response earlier?" Cai Ying looked towards her master, confused. "What type of person do you think Huan Heng is? Put nicely, it''s called being cautious and careful but put more bluntly it''s called having rigorous schemes and deep foresight! Ben gong has no desire to be sshed by this muddy water. Not to mention, Father already no longer favors Mother. If ben gong wins this gamble, ben gong may be able to obtain the throne of the Empress. However, if this gamble fails, the aftermath is too terrible to contemte!" Yao Suluan shook the teacup lid in her hand, then used it to push aside the tender leaves floating on the tea before taking a small sip. The full moon rose from the east as twilight deepened. Yao Mowan stretchednguidly on the chaise lounge. She sent Ting Yue and Liu Xing away and was just about to return to the bedroom to rest when she saw Ye Junqing storm in with a dark expression. Upon seeing this, Ting Yue wisely retreated behind Yao Mowan. "Yao Mowan, ben wang seeks you for a matter!" The clear voice was indescribably stern and cold. Ye Junqing clenched his hands as he stood in front of Yao Mowan, a chilling intent emitted from his body. "It''s nothing but a meal. It couldn''t be that wang ye desires to kill just because of that?" Yao Mowan thought that Ye Junqing was angry because Ting Yue didn''t bring him food and so she gave a shallow smile. "All of you, withdraw!" Ye Junqing ignored Yao Mowan''s teasing. His tone was deep and serious. Upon seeing this, Yao Mowan''s expression also turned serious and the ridicule in her eyes disappeared as she indicated for Ting Yue and Liu Xing to withdraw. As of now, there was Yin Xue to protect Yao Mowan from the shadows so they were not worried their master might be harmed. Hence, the two of them obeyed and left, closing the pce doors tightly behind them. "Why are you instigating a quarrel between His Majesty and the Left General?" Ye Junqing got straight to the point. "Mowan doesn''t know what wang ye is talking about," said Yao Mowan after a moment of stunned silence. "His Majesty gifted the Soul Sand Garden to you, but this is how you repay him?" Ye Junqing immediately blocked Yao Mowan''s path when he saw that she wanted to leave. His sharp eyes were so cold they seemed to have frozen over. "Is wang ye now expressing your loyalty? But wang ye has chosen the wrong target. You should go to where His Majesty is and tell His Majesty that Mowan is a big liar! The biggest liar in the world!" The clear voice was cold as ice and Yao Mowan''s beautiful eyes were deep as an abyss. The light within those eyes seemed to contain the power to freeze everything. The atmosphere of the hall seemed to abruptly plunge in a drop. At this moment, Yao Mowan felt an indescribable hatred. She didn''t know how much she must have tormented Ye Junqing to make him still speak for Ye Hongyi even after suffering so much persecution. As she looked at the wrath on Ye Junqing''s face, she hated herself. She hated herself so much it wasn''t possible to feel any more hatred! "I¡­ I was just asking. You don''t have to get so emotional¡­" Ye Junqing couldn''t help but choke back his words helplessly upon seeing that tears were overflowing Yao Mowan''s eyes. "You''re not allowed to even ask! If you''re so amazing, go investigate for yourself. If you don''t have the ability, don''te here to make a big fuss in front of Mowan! Mowan''s tired, move!" Yao Mowan rebuked sternly, then she headed to her bedroom without looking back. "Hey, I still haven''t eaten yet!" Ye Junqing shouted from behind her. "Then just let fate run its course!" A door mmed in apaniment to this statement. Ye Junqing''s lips twitched. "How did you end up offending her?" A soft voice leisurely arose as Yan Nansheng appeared behind Ye Junqing. Originally, he hade to get revenge on Yao Mowan. However, after seeing this scene, he felt that he could still endure a little longer. "Stepped on her tail! Move, don''t block ben wang''s path!" Ye Junqing turned around angrily and red at Yan Nansheng. There was an uncountable number ofints in his heart. "Can''t you have a better attitude towards me? It''s not like I stepped on your tail. Hey! Don''t walk so fast ah, wait for me!" Just as Yan Nansheng started toin, Ye Junqing left Guan Osprey Pce. On the unbounded blue dome of heaven was a vast sky full of stars. Yan Nansheng sat down casually next to Ye Junqing. He nced at Ye Junqing, then he couldn''t help but give a long sigh. "Speak if you have something to say." Ye Junqing was half lying down on top of the roof tiles. When a breeze swept past, his ink dark hair that seemed like brocade lifted in a graceful arc. Beneath the moonlight, red and white crisscrossed and set each other off nicely. Nothing more beautiful could be imagined. "What need is there for you to stay here and suffer mistreatment? Come with me back to Phoenix Feather Manor!" Yan Nansheng had already said this countless times. "Say something that''s actually possible." Ye Junqing''s pupils which were deep and ck as night were like the boundless sea. He looked at those twinkling stars in the sky of ink. The twenty-eight constetions moved rhythmically in their cycles. He remembered Moxin saying before, that just as the moon waxes and wanes, constetions can be bright and dark. This was nature. The so-called act of viewing astrological phenomenons was nothing but stories made up by people with hidden motives. "That yatou is really angry. Why don''t you go apologize to her?" Yan Nanshangid straight down on the zed roof tiles and pillowed his head with his arms. His gown spread out like a red lotus. When one lowered one''s eyes to gaze down on this scene, one would be captivated by this beauty. "Ben wang really can''t understand why Yao Mowan would do this. Ye Hongyi treats her even better than Moxin, so well that ben wang can''t even stand it. However, she decides to instigate a conflict between Ye Hongyi and the Left General and rattle the stability of great Chu. What exactly is it for!? Say¡­ could it be rted to Moxin?" Ye Junqing couldn''t figure it out even after contemting numerous scenarios. In the end, he turned to look towards Yan Nansheng. "Ahem¡­ your brain''spletely full of Yao Moxin. From my point of view, you must have been bewitched! Couldn''t it just be because there''s history between Yao Zhenting and Huan Heng!?" Yan Nansheng immediately directed Ye Junqing''s line of thought in a different direction. If he really ended up figuring something out, the consequences would be too terrible to contemte ah. Yao Mowan''s warning was still ringing in his ears. "Perhaps. Say¡­ should I warn Ye Hongyi?" Ye Junqing knew what Yao Moxin had cared about the most in her lifetime. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Stupid Junqing. Baka baka baka. Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 50
Chapter 50: She Reincarnated into Her Stomach! "If you dare tell Ye Hongyi, I''ll end our rtionship right now! Yao Mowan won''t forgive you even if she dies and bes a ghost! Humph! You can enjoy the cold breeze by yourself, I won''t wait upon you anymore!" Yan Nansheng abruptly got up and red at Ye Junqing with unusually cold eyes. Then, he soared into the air and flew away. Ye Junqing could still feel the chill Yan Nansheng left behind even after his figure had disappeared into the night. "I was just saying it. Was there any need to be that emotional!?" Ye Junqing''s voice had justnded when a sentence transmitted over from the distant horizon. "Saying it is not allowed either¡­" Ye Junqing only felt that it was abnormally chilly so he soon jumped off the roof and went back to his room. This was too strange! In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was sitting upright next to the table. Her clear eyes were fixed on the table but her gaze seemed to look through the table at something in the distance. The day of seven seven. My son, rest in peace! Mother, Younger Sister, don''t worry, I will remember this blood grudge. You won''t have to wait long, I vow upon this! "Niang niang, these are the things you wanted." Yao Mowan quickly retrieved the sorrow in her eyes when Ting Yue entered. Her eyes that were deep as abysses gradually returned to being calm. During dinner, Ye Junqing tried to find opportunities to talk to Yao Mowan several times but was stopped by her frosty expression. In the end, the meal had ended yet Ye Junqing still hadn''t gotten to talk to Yao Mowan. "Fluffy looks pretty well-behaved today¡­" Seeing that Yao Mowan was about to leave, Ye Junqing hastily reached out towards Fluffy and gave some fake praise. "Ting Yue, it''s a rare asion for the Esteemed Prince to actually like Fluffy. You should hold Fluffy and keep wang yepany. Ben gong is tired." Yao Mowan didn''t even bother to look at Ye Junqing as she handed Fluffy to Ting Yue and turned to leave. "Hey! What kind of attitude is that? If it weren''t¡­ if it weren''t¡­" Ye Junqing never finished his words. If it weren''t for the fact that today was Moxin''s seven seven, there''s no way he would be coaxing her. He really didn''t know how to exin things to Moxin in a little while. After all, Moxin cared about this younger sister of hers second-most, only after Ye Hongyi. The serene and cool moonlight poured down like water and enveloped the entire pce. Wind arose and tree branches gently rustled with the breeze. As the moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, they cast mottled shadows beneath the trees. There was a simple and crude wing in the former site of the Cold Pce. The side rooms were about the same size as the Cold Pce. Yao Mowan pushed open the door and entered. Every step seemed to take all of her strength. Her tears fell incessantly. Her Zhong er died so tragically. Just recalling it caused her to feel as if des were stabbing her heart and carving out chunks blood and flesh with every thrust. "Master, everything is prepared." Yin Xue lit the white candles before returning to Yao Mowan''s side. Wordlessly, Yao Mowan slowly knelt on the ground and threw in the joss paper* one by one. In the flickering mes, Yao Mowan''s face seemed like that of an underworld deity. joss paper is also known as ghost money. They''re sheets of paper and/or paper-crafts made into burnt offerings. It''s said that the spirit of the deceased uses them to buy things in the afterlife. Fun fact: you''re supposed to burn specific types for specific spirits/deities but my grandma on my dad''s side apparently loved money so whenever we pay a visit, we burn all sorts of ghost money. Someone remarked, I''m not sure who, that intion in the afterlife must be crazy. After about half an incense time, Yin Xue slowly walked up and leaned over Yao Mowan''s ear. "Master, they''re here." Upon hearing this, Yao Mowan tossed in thest joss paper and got up. Her eerily cold eyes fixed on the bluestone road outside the door. Yin Xue picked up the white candles, then waved her hand. All the ashes immediately scattered. "Move ording to n," said Yao Mowan coldly. Soon afterwards, there was a burst of wind and Yao Mowan disappeared simultaneously with Yin Xue. Almost in the same second, Yao Suluan walked into the wing leading Bai Mei. Behind them, Cai Ying followed cautiously while hugging a pile of spell tools. "It''s here?" asked Bai Mei as he looked around doubtfully. "Yes. This was the ce where that ghost had met her violent end!" That day was the happiest she had been in this lifetime so there naturally no way she could remember it wrong. "Then alright, this poor Taoist shall cast the spell here. Imperial gui fei, please move back." Bai Mei turned to take the spell tools from Cai Ying''s hands and then headed to the north position to arrange them in a solemn manner. Then, he raised his horsetail whisk and started chanting. Behind him, Yao Suluan subconsciously grabbed Cai Ying''s hand as she nced around fearfully. The wind gradually grewrger and eventually became so big the upants of the room were chilled to the bone. Bai Mei lifted his horsetail whisk in a fierce movement. Suddenly, the candle mes next to the artifacts went out. The entire wing instantly fell into darkness. "Daoist Priest¡­ what''s going on?" Yao Suluan''s pupils dted and she abruptly tightened her grip on Cai Ying''s hand. "This ghost''s resentment is too strong! However, don''t worry, imperial gui fei. This poor Daoist naturally has methods to subdue it!" As Bai Mei spoke, he lit the candles again and waved the horsetail whisk as he continued chanting rapidly. Right at this moment, a whirlwind seemed to start in the room. The ashes on the ground were swept up by the wind until a miniature cyclone was gradually formed. "Daoist Priest¡­ what¡­ what is this?" asked Yao Suluan in a shrill, trembling voice as she stared rmed at this terrifying scene. "What a powerful ghost!" Bai Mei tightly gripped his horsetail whisk with both hands. His expression was abnormally grave. "Niang niang, we had better leave." Cai Ying''s little face was deathly pale as she stuck closely to Yao Suluan''s side. "Daoist Priest, you stay and finish your spell. Ben gong wille back to see you once you finish¡­ Cai Ying, help support ben gong out!" Yao Suluan felt continuous chills down her spine and her legs were trembling as she walked. "You want to leave¡­? Yao Suluan, return my life! Return my life!" Yao Mowan''s eerie cry came from the darkness. "Ah¡­ Cai Ying! Did you hear that!? Did you hear!? It''s her! It''s Yao Moxin! Daoist Priest! Save me!" Yao Suluan grabbed onto Cai Ying. Her face was so pale it seemed bloodless. However, when she looked back, she saw that there was blood seeping out of the corner of Bai Mei''s lips. "Daoist Priest! What do we do now!?" Yao Suluan shrieked as if the person that had died a violent death was her. Right at this moment, the ashes in the room suddenly gathered together and abruptly rushed towards Yao Suluan''s lower abdomen. The entire scene only seemed to havested a few moments. Everything returned to normal but Yao Suluan still stood in her ce, frozen and incapable of speech. "Niang niang! Are you alright?" Cai Ying forced down the fear in her heart and reached out to support Yao Suluan with both hands. "Daoist Priest¡­" Yao Suluan turned to look towards Bai Mei while trembling. "This poor Daoist is ashamed to have failed to aplish niang niang''s entrusted task. However, don''t worry, niang niang, that ghost has already reincarnated. Only¡­" Bai Mei looked towards Yao Suluan''s lower abdomen and hesitated in finishing his words. "Only what? Hurry up and say it! Do you want to kill ben gong with anxiety?" Yao Suluan immediately felt a bit better after hearing that Yao Moxin had reincarnated. "It''s just that the ghost''s resentment was too deep and it insisted on continuing the dispute with imperial gui fei. Thus, earlier, that ghost entered the fetus in niang niang''s abdomen to reincarnate," said Bai Mei softly, his expression troubled. "What did you say!? Yao Moxin¡­ reincarnated into ben gong''s stomach? How can this be!? How can this be!? Hurry and leave! Get out!" Bai Mei''s words exploded inside Yao Suluan''s brain like thunder from clear sky. Her head feltpletely nk as she hit her stomach frantically with both hands. "Niang niang, please keep calm. After reincarnation, she will no longer be the her of the past so in reality, there''s no need for niang niang to mind." Bai Mei tried his best to console her but all that his words did was cause Yao Suluan to hurl abuse at him. "Sham psychic! Damned witch! Didn''t you say you would be able to utterly destroy her soul and scatter her spirit!? How could it end up like this!? You bastard! Ben gong will have you beheaded!" Yao Suluan suddenly rushed towards Bai Mei but Cai Ying stopped her. "Daoist Priest, you probably remember the path by which we came. You should leave first!" said Cai Ying hastily. "Imperial gui fei shouldn''t be so disturbed. It is better to squash enmity rather than keeping it alive. This is also a pretty good thing ah!" Before Bai Mei left, he didn''t forget to provoke Yao Suluan onest time. "Scram!" snarled Yao Suluan. In the shadows, Yao Mowan watched Yao Suluan coldly. Yao Suluan, this is just the beginning. Next, ben gong shall send you a big gift. Ben gong is sure you will love it. On her way back, Yao Mowan noticed that there was the flickering of mes in Changle Pce. "Yin Xue, we''re going to take a look!" Yao Mowan''s eyes turned cold. She already had an idea who it was. Just as expected, Ye Junqing''s lonely figure appeared in her eyes after Yin Xue brought her into Changle Pce. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 51
Chapter 51: Returning to the Fu for a Visit "Master?" asked Yin Xue. Yao Mowan made a dismissive wave and Yin Xue respectfully withdrew. "Moxin, are you well up there in the sky? You''re so heartless, to say leave and then just leave. You weren''t even willing to meet with Junqing onest time. Didn''t you say, that night in Water Ripple Pavilion, that you liked the sound of Junqing''s flute? Didn''t Junqing promise you that Junqing would y a song for you at the next family feast? Why didn''t you wait for Junqing? It''s been forty-nine days. Do you know how these days have been for Junqing? They have felt even worse than death! Moxin, don''t worry, Junqing won''t harm the people you care about even if Junqing dies. It''s just¡­ is he worth it? Oh, and almost forgot, your younger sister is really a troublesome person. She''s clearly not dumb, yet her acting is more convincing than one could believe. Even you were probably fooled! Junqing really wonders if you two were born from the same mother. That personality¡­" "The grand Esteemed Prince of great Chu is actually trash talking about others behind their backs? Wang ye''s personality doesn''t seem to be any better than Mowan''s ah!" Yao Mowan suddenly interrupted Ye Junqing''s words as she slowly walked forward. "How could you be here?" Ye Junqing turned upon hearing her voice, his facial color changing abruptly. "That''s why I say not having martial arts doesn''t matter. What''s important is to have a good hidden guard. Yin Xue, am I right?" Yao Mowan ignored Ye Junqing''s murderous look and slightly lifted her chin. "Thank you, Master, for your praise." Yin Xue''s voice floated out but one could not locate where it came from. "Damned Yan Nansheng!" Ye Junqing suddenly felt a strong desire to go grab Yan Nansheng right now and beat him up. Right at this moment, Yao Mowan suddenly moved up and extinguished the joss paper next to Ye Junqing. Her expression was cold and indifferent. "What are you doing!?" Ye Junqing abruptly pushed Yao Mowan aside and picked up the rolled torch. »ðÕÛ×Ó ¨C ¡°rolled torch¡± old Chinese torch made by rolling severalyers of paper. After lighting it, you blow on it until the me is extinguished so that it burns with a red faint light. It canst for a long time and you only need to blow on it to make it light up again. "Does wang ye think everyone in the Imperial Pce is blind? Just entering Changle Pce is a crime punishable by death. Now, you''re even offering sacrificial rites for Eldest Sister in this absolutely unrestrained manner. There will definitely be rumors in the pce tomorrow. Let''s see, en, the rumors will say that Eldest Sister and wang ye''s virtues are stained as they secretly had immoral rtionships. Perhaps the fetus that died due to a difficult birth was not a dragon fetus at all but Eldest Sister and wang ye''s bastard child¡­" p¡­ Yao Mowan felt stinging heate from her face. Clear, shocking imprints of fingers appeared. Yin Xue immediately appeared and was about to act. However, Yao Mowan signaled for her to withdraw. "How could you insult Moxin like this!? She''s your older sister!" Ye Junqing''s hardened eyes were like those of a fierce tiger''s as they emitted faint cold light. Yao Mowan took all this in and her own bright eyes flickered. "This is simply the oue of wang ye burning joss paper, wang ye should think things through." Yao Mowan''s expression didn''t change at all. Then, she turned and left. Her slender figure seemed exceptionally deste. Ye Junqing will never know that the moment Yao Mowan turned around, she started crying. Tears soaked her cheeks as her heart shattered into ice shreds. Ye Junqing only felt that his heart was strangely stuffy as he watched Yao Mowan silently leave. Only when Yao Mowan''s figure faded from his sights did he look at his own palm. How could he have pped her? How could he have pped her!? Ye Junqing was extremely vexed. The next day, after Yao Mowan finished breakfast, she called for Liu Xing. "What instructions does niang niang have?" Liu Xing stood respectfully at Yao Mowan''s side. "Tell Chen momo, it''s time! In passing, notify Yao Xiang fu that ben gong will be visiting today," said Yao Mowan coolly. Then, she lowered her eyes and stroked Fluffy. "Understood!" Liu Xing withdrew, having obtained his orders. "Ting Yue, in a little while, head to the imperial kitchen and carry some food to the east wing. From now on, if the Esteemed Prince doesn''t enter the main hall to eat, prepare a separate portion for him." As Yao Mowan stroked Fluffy, a strange, indiscernible emotion appeared in her eyes. "This servant will do as you bid," said Ting Yue with a nod. Although there was no expression on Yao Mowan''s face, Ting Yue could sense that her master was very angry today. The consequences were going to be bad. Someone was probably about to suffer. Ye Hongyi was very surprised when Yao Mowan appeared in the Imperial Study. "Wan er? Why are you here?" Perhaps it was because he was haunted by guilt but no matter how much Ye Hongyi doted on Yao Mowan, he still didn''t dare to step into Guan Osprey Pce yesterday on the day of Yao Moxin''s seven seven. From what Ye Hongyi understood, the ghosts usually looked for their rtives on the night of spirit returns. "Wan er wants to ask Your Majesty for something." Yao Mowan drilled her little head into Ye Hongyi''s arms and pressed her cheek against his chest. A trace of unclear light shed through the depths of her eyes. One day, she will definitely witness the moment this heart stops beating. "Haa, just say it. Zhen will agree no matter what it is, even if it''s the stars in the sky!" Ye Hongyi seized Yao Mowan''s slender waist like usual and pulled her to sit between his knees. "Wan er wants to go back to Xiang fu to visit Younger Brother, is it ok?" Yao Mowan looked at Ye Hongyi like a spoiled child. "And zhen was thinking it was some difficult matter! Of course you can. Zhen will order the Esteemed Prince to apany you in a bit!" Ye Hongyi lightly stroked Yao Mowan''s jasper nose as he replied with a straightforward smile. "Don''t want! Wan er doesn''t like himing along! Wan er has Ting Yue and Liu Xing!" Yao Mowan pouted her little peach pink mouth, displeased. "Looks like zhen''s Wan er really hates the Esteemed Prince ah! Alright! Then we''ll have zhen''s imperial bodyguard apany you. Zhen doesn''t want zhen''s little treasure to encounter even the littlest ident!" Ye Hongyi replied easily. Thus, Yao Mowan was escorted back to Yao Xiang fu by Ye Hongyi''s personal bodyguard. "Wan erjiejie!" The moment she entered Xiang fu, Yao Yu ran over like a monkey and grabbed onto her hand happily. Yao Mowan also liked this little brother from the bottom of her heart. "This old servant kowtows in salute to Yao fei. Yao fei, little Young Master has been waiting at the entrance ever since we had received the news. He has waited almost four hours!" Yao Tu looked at Yao Yu affectionately, his appearance benevolent. "This subject kowtows in salute to Yao fei." Yao Zhenting had arrived momentster. "Father, hurry and get up. Daughter can''t take such a courtesy!" Yao Mowan''s eyes swept over Yao Zhenting coldly before she hastily moved forward to help him up. "You are currently His Majesty''s consort, a monarch. Naturally you can take this father''s courtesy. Alright, never mind about this. This father still has matters so let Yao Tu apany you!" Yao Zhenting instructed Yao Tu on a couple matters, then turned to head to the study. "Steward Yao, why isn''t di mother here?" Yao Mowan looked at everyone that came to wee her but Dou Xiann wasn''t around. "Yao fei, Big Madam has caught a cold thesest couple days. Although the doctor has prescribed medicine, her health doesn''t seem to be recovering. Thesest few days, she has been so weak she couldn''t even get out of bed," reported Yao Tu honestly. His expression seemed a bit sad. "Really? Ben gong wants to take a look." Yao Mowan knew that Yao Tu knew everything. However, he didn''t expose this matter or stop it. He didn''t even report it to Father. This favor, she will remember. "Jiejie, Yu er doesn''t like Big Madam. Yu er will bring you to see Mother instead, alright? Mother really wants to see Wan er jiejie!" When Dou Xiann was brought up, an unconceble expression of hatred appeared on Yao Yu''s face. "Ting Yue, you go with Yu er to see Third Madam first. Ben gong will goter." Yao Mowan bent down and pinched Yao Yu''s little face before instructing Ting Yue with a smile. When Yao Mowan walked into Bamboo Wish Pavilion, it was right in time to see Chen momo head out holding a herbal medicine pot. "This old servant kowtows in salute to Yao feiniang niang!" Chen momo was respectful upon seeing Yao Mowan. However, when she saw Liu Xing who was behind Yao Mowan, she gave a firm nod. "You should get up. Wan er hates people kneeling around the most!" Yao Mowan walked up and helped Chen momo up with both hands. Her eyes were filled with a deep, meaningful light. It was just a shame that Chen momo didn''t read and understand the gratefulness in Yao Mowan''s eyes. This was because, Chen momo thought all of this was Liu Xing''s idea. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Sonia [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 52
Chapter 52: An Eye for An Eye "This old servant shall withdraw." Chen momo''s fingers trembled a little. Once Chen momo left, Yao Mowan nced at Liu Xing and he tactfully withdrew from Bamboo Wish Pavilion. When the door to the room was pushed open, Yu Zhi, who was standing next to the couch, turned around and saw Yao Mowan walk in. "Yao Mowan? Why are you here?" Yu Zhi looked at Yao Mowan, surprised, then she immediately looked past Yao Mowan. Upon seeing that Ye Junqing wasn''t with her, she felt relieved. "Yu Zhi, your behavior is outrageous! How dare you call a gui fei by her name? And you''re still not kneeling upon seeing Yao fei!?" berated Yao Tu when he saw Yu Zhi''s rude behavior. "It''s alright ah. Steward Yao, Wan er is a little hungry. Can Wan er have Yu Zhi make her specialty, the sweet and sour fish?" Yao Mowan blinked her eyes innocently as she looked towards Yao Tu in a very spoiled manner. "Yu Zhi, didn''t you hear what Yao fei said? What are you still standing here for!?" said Yao Tu sternly towards Yu Zhi. "But¡­ but Big Madam is still not awake yet?" Yu Zhi looked awkwardly towards Dou Xiann who was still sound asleep on the couch. "Yu Zhi is must be worried that no one will be around to hand di mother water after she wakes up. It''s fine, Wan er will stay here so Yu Zhi, you should hurry and go. Wan er''s really hungry." As Yao Mowan spoke, she walked to the couch and pushed Yu Zhi towards the door. Though Yu Zhi was unwilling, she had no choice but to leave as Yao Tu was watching sternly. The moment the door closed, the innocence in Yao Mowan''s eyes was reced by a cold expression as she slowly turned around. Yao Mowannguidly leaned over the side of the couch with the trace of a smile on her lips as she looked at Dou Xiann. "Yu Zhi¡­ Yu Zhi¡­ water¡­" Dou Xiann called out weakly for Yu Zhi. She stretched out her withered fingers until they made contact with a teacup that was still warm. "Yu Zhi ah, in a little while, head to the Imperial Pce and tell Yao Suluan toe visit. For some reason, I keep dreaming of her these past few days." Dou Xiann drank the water with difficulty before casually passing the teacup back to the person next to her. "Di mother''s thoughts are truly so linked with Wan er''s, Wan er has also been seeing di mother in dreams. As a matter of fact, Wan er headed out early this morning just to visit di mother. Isn''t Wan er more filial of a child than Second Sister?" said Yao Mowan softly as she looked towards Dou Xiann with a bright smile on her face. "Why is it you? Who allowed you toe in!?" Dou Xiann was shocked upon hearing this voice and her eyes immediately darted over. She saw that Yao Mowan was sitting next to her and was even holding the teacup she had just passed over. "Of course Wan er entered on her own. Has di mother forgotten? Wan er is now the Yao fei, how could Yu Zhi dare to block Wan er''s way?" Yao Mowan slowly got up and walked to the table with gentle sways, then ced the cup on the table. "Get out! I don''t want to see you!" Dou Xiann red at Yao Mowan. Her expression was so sinister her eyes seemed about to spit mes. Dou Xiann was still acting so domineering despite the fact that Yao Mowan currently had the status of Yao fei. Upon seeing this, Yao Mowan couldn''t even imagine how much her younger sister must have suffered back then at Dou Xiann''s hands. Without saying a word, Yao Mowan walked back to the couch with a smile. While Dou Xiann was totally defenseless, she fiercely pped her. "You! You actually dared to hit me!?" Dou Xiann covered her smarting cheek as she red furiously at Yao Mowan. "That''s right ah, Wan er hit you. His Majesty said that things are different now and Wan er is of high status, so whoever is disrespectful towards Wan er deserves to be hit." Yao Mowan''s eyes were as harmless as ever as she gave a light smile. "You! Yu Zhi! Someone,e! Cough cough cough¡­" Dou Xiann was infuriated. She wanted to get Yu Zhi to chase Yao Mowan out but after shouting just a few words, her chest started convulsing and she started coughing nonstop. "What need is there for di mother to get angry? Wan er is nothing but a fool. Why, do you think Wan er would eat you?" Yao Mowan approached Dou Xiann gently. The smile at the corners of her lips deepened even more. "Go away! Cough cough¡­ cough cough cough!" Dou Xiann coughed even harder until she ended up coughing out blood. She was shocked upon seeing the blood in her palm. Wasn''t it just a cold? How could it be this serious? "Aiyah! Di mother''s illness is quite severe? Wan er heard that coughing out blood means the person doesn''t have long to live! However, don''t worry, di mother. Wan er''s mother, older sister, and nephew are all waiting down below. Di mother definitely won''t be lonely down there!" Yao Mowan''s expression was innocent throughout this entire duration, yet her smile was eerily dark. "You! What nonsense are you saying!? Hurry up and get out! Yu Zhi¡­" Dou Xiann wanted to get off the bed but Yao Mowan pushed her back. "Di mother is already so ill. If you need anything, just tell Wan er to do it. What need is there for you to personally get down to do it?" Yao Mowan''s clear eyes flickered like the rays on the surface of ake in the autumn. It was a dazzling sight. "What are you doing? Don''t think you can be so tyrannical just because you''re the Yao fei! Your Second Sister is the imperial gui fei! Scram right now! Otherwise¡­ Cough cough cough¡­" Dou Xiann waspletely unaware of the fact that the more excited she got, the faster she would die. "Imperial gui fei? Ha! All Wan er knows is that His Majesty dotes on Wan er. Even if Wan er purposefully scratched Second Sister''s hand with a cat, pushed chen fei into the water and shifted the me onto Second Sister, His Majesty still dotes on Wan er. Haa, even Wan er thinks it''s a little too much." Yao Mowan gave a simple-minded smile, yet her eyes emitted an unrestrained chill. "You¡­ you did it on purpose? You¡­ aren''t dumb anymore?" Dou Xiann looked at Yao Mowan in shock. The person standing in front of her was clearly that imbecile, yet why did it seem like apletely different person!? "Aiyah, di mother has seen through it. What to do? That''s right ah, Wan er isn''t dumb anymore. Wan er hasn''t been dumb since the moment Wan er saw you poison Mother to death!" The smile on Yao Mowan''s lips gradually disappeared and her cold eyes moved to meet Dou Xiann''s wide-eyed gaze. "How is this possible? It''s not¡­ it''s impossible! Yu Zhi¡­ Cough cough cough¡­" Dou Xiann was terrified. She wanted to get up and flee but Yao Mowan fiercely pushed her to the bed. "Di mother shouldn''t get angry. Otherwise the toxic gases will attack your heart and you might die at any moment. Can you really bear to close your eyes before taking onest look at that darling daughter of yours?" Yao Mowan smiled darkly. Not so long ago, she never would have imagined that she would have such a cruel side to herself. So it''s true that people shouldn''t be cornered. "Toxic gas? You¡­ poisoned me?" Dou Xiann stared at Yao Mowan. She was so furious she wanted to bellow, yet her voice just became weaker and weaker. "What''s di mother so surprised about? Wan er is just teaching someone a lesson with their own method. Back then, how did you instruct Gao momo to poison my mother''s food? And after Eldest Sister passed away, how did you send my mother to her grave? Did you forget? You shouldn''t, it has barely been any time!" Yao Mowan coldly sneered as she looked at Dou Xiann whose face was deathly pale. After such a long time, she finally felt a little refreshed. "You vicious lowly bastard! Cough cough¡­ Suluan¡­ My Suluan!" Dou Xiann coughed so hard it seemed like she wanted to cough her lungs out. "Haa, it seems that in your eyes, everyone except for Yao Suluan is a lowly bastard! Then, do you know that in Father''s eyes, your daughter is nothing but a lowly bastard!? If one day, she falls from the imperial gui fei seat, Father will be too disgusted to even look at her. Do you believe that? Do you know why?" "It''s because she has a mother that doesn''t know any shame. That day, in Virtue Cloud House, while you were enjoying yourself with Lou Yuxin, Father was standing right outside. The high-ranked, dutiful, grand Prime Minister ah! Yet he actually didn''t have the courage to strode inside when he saw his own wife fooling around with someone else. Say, do you think he''s suffering from it?" Yao Mowan smiled lightly with bright eyes. "It was you¡­ you were the one that told!" Dou Xiann''s face was deathly white. Due to her anger, her body trembled uncontrobly. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 53 Chapter 53: Ben Gong Will Allow You to have a ¡°Reunion¡±? Yao Mowan ignored Dou Xiann¡¯s interrogation and continued, ¡°As for viciousness, Wan er can only sigh at how inept Wan er is inparison to you and your daughter ah! Thinking of it now, Wan er has really let Gao momo die way too easily.¡± Yao Mowan shook her head in an upset manner. ¡°Gao momo¡­ you framed her?¡± Dou Xiann felt as if a giant stone was crushing her chest. She struggled to breathe but couldn¡¯t seem to get enough air. ¡°Framed? Humph! She should already feel blessed to have been able to die such an easy death after all the heartless things she did!¡± Yao Mowan scoffed. ¡°Yao Mowan! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you! Cough cough cough¡­. Cough cough¡­¡± Dou Xiann was stirred up and reached out to try and seize Yao Mowan¡¯s neck. However, Yao Mowan grabbed her wrist and fiercely rammed it into the side of the bed. She had done it hard; there seemed to be a sound like the breaking of bones. ¡°Dou Xiann! You hate ben gong to death right now, don¡¯t you? You itch to just hack ben gong to pieces! Then you probably understand how much hate ben gong felt back then when ben gong saw you poison ben gong¡¯s mother to death! Ben gong really can¡¯t feel satisfied with just poisoning you to death this way! However, it¡¯s alright. Isn¡¯t there still your daughter!?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s cold eyes were bloodshot. She took a deep breath, and when she smiled again, it was the same old harmless smile. ¡°You¡­ what are you going to do? Don¡¯t you dare harm Suluan¡­ Cough cough¡­¡± Dou Xiann¡¯s mouth was filled with blood as the poison was attacking her heart. She looked at Yao Mowan with fear. At this moment, she had finally realized that the Yao Mowan in front of her was no longer that fool she could casually yell at and beat. The iparable cold and harsh light that came from the eyes of the person in front of her seemed oddly familiar. ¡°Yao Moxin¡­ you¡­ who exactly are you?¡± Dou Xiann was taken aback by her own realization. Her body trembled even more violently and blood spilled out from her mouth. ¡°Gao momo, when she was at death¡¯s door, also asked ben gong about this. Don¡¯t worry, Gao momo will tell you once you go to hell!¡± Yao Mowan sighed when she felt Dou Xiann¡¯s body convulse. She released Dou Xiann¡¯s wrist and slowly got up. ¡°You! I won¡¯t forgive you even if I be a ghost! Cough cough cough¡­¡± Dou Xiann¡¯s pupils constricted. She covered her mouth with both hands butrge amounts of blood still streamed out of the cracks between her fingers and dripped onto the brocade quilt. ¡°This sentence seems really familiar ah¡­ Di mother, don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t need to wait long. Ben gong will soon send Second Sister to reunite with you!¡± Yao Mowan lifted her cherry lips. The smile on her face was like the dark flowers that bloom in hell; it was bewitchingly beautiful. Finally, Dou Xiann breathed herst while in the grip of endless resentment. Yao Mowan looked at those wide glowering eyes, then gave a disdainful smile before leaving indifferently. When Yao Mowan walked into Quiet Snow Pavilion, Su Muzi was fiddling with the sweets on the table. She wouldn¡¯t allow Yao Yu to have even one piece. ¡°These were prepared for your Wan er jiejie, you¡¯re not allowed to touch.¡± Upon seeing Su Muzi swat Yao Yu¡¯s little hand, Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t stop herself from going up. ¡°Just let Yu er have one. How could Wan er possibly eat this much?¡± As Yao Mowan spoke, she took a pastry from the from the table and handed it to Yao Yu. ¡°Thismon woman kowtows in salute to Yao fei niang niang! May Yao fei niang niang have limitless good fortune and good health.¡± Su Muzi immediately knelt down on both knees and greeted Yao Mowan respectfully upon seeing her walk in. ¡°What is Third Aunt(father¡¯s concubine) doing? Hurry and get up. Wan er really doesn¡¯t like it when you guys kneel down all the time. In the future if you kneel again to Wan er, Wan er won¡¯te anymore.¡± Yao Mowan bent over to help Su Muzi up. Yao Yu moved as well to the other side in order to help his mother up. ¡°Mom, Wan er jiejie is really nice. Wan er jiejie was the one who taught Yu er how to deal with those bad people. Mom, Yu er wants to give the snow honey* that Uncle gave us to¡­¡± Snow honey is honey that is apparently made from Chinese linden trees. It¡¯s white and apparently contains much more glucose than normal honey. When I tried to find if there was an English equivalent though, I found that there is linden honey, but it didn¡¯t seem white. There is white honey, but it¡¯s apparently Hawaiian and made from kiawe trees¡­ ¡°Yu er!¡± Su Muzi abruptly shouted and interrupted Yao Yu¡¯s words. Yao Mowan was also startled by it. Su Muzi seemed very nervous and clearly did not want Yu er to finish his words. Earlier, Yu er seemed to have mentioned an ¡®uncle¡¯¡­ ¡°These sweets were made with snow honey. Yao fei, please try them. The sweetness light and delicious.¡± Su Muzi seemed to notice her loss ofposure. Immediately changing the topic, she invited Yao Mowan to sit down. ¡°That¡¯s right. Wan er jiejie, snow honey is really rare. You should hurry and try some.¡± Yao Yu stuck out his tongue, then grabbed Yao Mowan¡¯s hand and passed her a pastry. ¡°En, it¡¯s really fragrant!¡± Yao Mowan praised. Su Muzi only calmed down after seeing that Yao Mowan didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. Sheforted herself, thinking that since Yao Mowan didn¡¯t have the IQ of an adult, she probably won¡¯t think deeply about it. In the middle of their chat, the sound of urgent footsteps suddenly appeared. Shortly after, the door to the room was opened. The servant girl who served Su Muzi, Yue Ya, rushed in without even knocking. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s great! Big Madam has died!¡± Yue Ya was truly over excited. It was to the point that she didn¡¯t notice that Yao Mowan was sitting at the side. ¡°Hush! What are you saying!?¡± Su Muzi abruptly stood up and rebuked Yue Ya. Only then did Yue Ya notice that there was an additional person in the room. Her shown emotional state immediately changed. ¡°Replying Madam¡­ It¡¯s terrible, Big Madam has died of illness.¡± Despite knowing that Yao Mowan¡¯s IQ wasn¡¯t as high as that of normal people, Yue Ya still felt regret for having acted so rashly. If what she said earlier ended up reaching , it will probably cause Third Madam trouble. ¡°It would be better to head over and pay our respects early. How did it, so suddenly¡­ Does know?¡± Su Muzi asked with her brows creased. Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help but sigh upon seeing the worry on Su Muzi¡¯s face. This person lives too cautiously; it was cautious to the point one¡¯s heart ached for her. Such a despicable person has died so she should just celebrate without restraint. ¡°Lao ye has already gone to Bamboo Wish Pavilion. I heard the imperial gui fei is on her way here. She¡¯ll probably be here soon,¡± reported Yue Ya. ¡°Bring me some simple clothing.¡± Su Muzi clearly became more nervous upon hearing the words ¡®imperial gui fei¡¯. At the side, Yao Mowan got up and walked towards Yue Ya. ¡°Is di mother really dead?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Yue Ya with doubt on her face. ¡°Replying Yao fei niang niang, the doctor has reported that Big Madam has already passed away.¡± Yue Ya knew the etiquette between master and servant well, not to mention the person in front of her was a gui fei. Thus, she didn¡¯t dare to neglect etiquette and bowed as she replied to Yao Mowan. ¡°Di mother had treated Wan er so well, Wan er has to go see!¡± Yao Mowan pulled out a random excuse and left Quiet Snow Pavilion ahead of them. Yue Ya couldn¡¯t help but sigh with pity as she watched Yao Mowan depart. ¡°Back then, Big Madam would lock Third Miss into the firewood shed at the slightest pretext. Not only did she scold her, she always beat her. Could it be that Third Miss doesn¡¯t hold a grudge¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Hurry and help me change. If we get therete, it might instigate criticism,¡± said Su Muzi. Yue Ya immediately recollected her thoughts and turned to walk towards her master. Liu Xing and Ting Yue were waiting at the side outside Quiet Snow Pavilion. They immediately approached upon seeing Yao Mowane out. ¡°Chen momo?¡± ¡°Replying Master, this servant has already given her a thousand taels and arranged for people to get her out of the city. She has probably left the Imperial City by now, so niang niang doesn¡¯t need to worry,¡± said Liu Xing quietly. ¡°What about Bamboo Wish Pavilion?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue. ¡°Less than half an incense¡¯s time after niang niang left, Yu Zhi returned to Bamboo Wish Pavilion. Perhaps she was shocked by Big Madam¡¯s appearance because she ran out to find a doctor. Lao ye has already been to Bamboo Wish Pavilion and has also sent someone to notify the imperial gui fei. In a little while, the imperial gui fei will arrive,¡± reported Ting Yue. ¡°Let¡¯s go the Bamboo Wish Pavilion to send her off for thest time. Her ghost probably really wants to see me!¡± said Yao Mowan with a coldugh. Then, she strode towards Bamboo Wish Pavilion. Liu Xing and Ting Yue looked at each other, then followed after her. Yao Mowan heard the sound of Yu Zhi¡¯s stifled sobs before she even entered Bamboo Wish Pavilion. It couldn¡¯t be denied that even if all the people on the fu hated Dou Xiann, Dou Xiann had truly managed to obtain Yu Zhi¡¯s loyalty. ¡°Steward Yao. Di mother¡­ is she really dead?¡± Yao Mowan paused at the arched door for a moment before rushing in with an anxious expression. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly Chapter Volume 1 54
[Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]I¡¯ve implemented some changes to thenguage. Things like wang ye > prince, fu > residence, Yao Xiang fu > Prime Minister Yao''s residence, the concubine rankings will be by English equivalent such as imperial gui fei > Imperial Noble Consort. However, bestowed titles will stay the same because they don''t trante well, ex. chen fei trantes to ''imperial apartments consort.'' Please let me know if it¡¯s easier to read or if you would prefer for me to stick to the past pinyin. Chapter 54: Have Her Pay my Mother Back with Her Life! "Replying Consort Yao niang niang, Big Madam has unfortunately passed away. You shouldn''t be too sad, don''t hurt your phoenix body," consoled Yao Tu in a mournful manner. Yao Mowan suddenly realized that Yao Tu''s skill at acting was truly in no way inferior to hers. "Wan er has to see!" Upon hearing this, Yao Mowan walked forward. When she entered the room, it was right in time to see Yao Zhenting sitting upright next to the table, his expression grave. Yu Zhi was kneeling next to the couch, sobbing uncontrobly. Meanwhile, next to her,ying on the couch, was a very wretched-looking corpse. The person''s lips, inner garments, as well as the brocade quilt and stain mattress were dyed with bloodstains. Yao Mowan was shocked that Yao Zhenting actually did not have the ce tidied up, but it suited her ns well. She felt that Yao Suluan would definitely like this big present she had prepared for her. "Father, di mother¡­ so scary¡­" Yao Mowan took a moment to set her expression, then ran to Yao Zhenting''s side and looked towards Dou Xiann apprehensively. When Yu Zhi heard her voice, she immediately turned around and red at Yao Mowan with her red, swollen eyes. Yao Mowan felt that if it weren''t for the status she had, Yu Zhi definitely would have pounced on her and choked her to death. Moreover, the person next to her that she called father wouldn''t necessarily stop it. At this instant, Yao Mowan finally understood why Ye Hongyi thirsted for imperial power and the emperor''s throne that much. It was because the feeling of having power and status was indescribably sweet! "Mother¡­ Mother!" Right at this moment, Yao Suluan rushed in. When she saw Dou Xiann''s tragic appearance, her tears overflowed and she threw herself at the couch. Hugging Dou Xiann''s body, she wailed hysterically. "Mother! How could this happen? How could you leave Daughter behind to be all alone!?" wailed Yao Suluan as tears rolled down her cheeks. Behind her, Cai Ying wiped her tears and stepped forward to carefully help Yao Suluan up. "Niang niang, you must take of your body. You are carrying the dragon seed!" said Cai Ying worriedly. At the side, Yao Mowan felt Yao Zhenting''s body suddenly stiffen. "Suluan ah, those who are dead can''te back to life. No matter how sad you are, Xiann still wouldn''te back¡­" said Yao Zhenting, choking with emotion as he looked towards Yao Suluan with grief-filled eyes. Yao Mowan suddenly really wanted tough. As expected of her father. She really didn''t know how he was about to stop himself from vomiting when he said ''Xiann.'' "Yu Zhi! What exactly happened? It''s only been a couple days since ben gongst saw Mother, how did she¡­ how did she get so severely ill!?" Yao Suluan abruptly got up and looked towards Yu Zhi with fury in her eyes. "Niang niang¡­ niang niang! You must get revenge for Big Madam! The doctor said that Big Madam had died from poison!" Yu Zhi fell to a kneel in front of Yao Suluan as tears ran down her face like rain. "What?" Yao Suluan looked towards Yu Zhi disbelievingly. "Audacious servant, that was not what you said earlier!" Yao Zhenting hadn''t expected for Yu Zhi to say something this shocking. When he had walked in earlier, all she said was that Dou Xiann had died from coughing blood. "All of you, be quiet! Yu Zhi, speak!" Yao Suluan shot a stern nce towards Yao Zhenting before looking back at Yu Zhi. "Replying Imperial Noble Consort, Big Madam had caught a chill, but although her body was weak, it wasn''t to the point that she would cough blood. Today, Consort Yao suddenly burst in and sent this servant away. By the time this servant came back, Big Madam had already¡­ It was Consort Yao! Consort Yao definitely poisoned Big Madam to death for revenge!" Yu Zhi red at Yao Mowan as she roared with grief and indignation. Everyone''s gaze shifted to Yao Mowan. "Yu Zhi, words must be backed up with proof. You say that my master poisoned Big Madam, where''s the proof?" Ting Yue immediately stepped forward to refute. "Consort Yao was the only one here when Big Madam met with the mishap. If it wasn''t her, who else could it be?" retorted Yu Zhi. "Yao Mowan!" Yao Suluan''s eyes filled with blood-thirst. Pressing her red lips together, she rushed over and abruptly pped Yao Mowan. "Niang niang! Imperial Noble Consort, how could you act before the situation has even been made clear!?" Liu Xing hadn''t expected that Yao Suluan would act this tyrannically and was caught off guard, leading to his master suffering a hit. In reality, if Yao Mowan hadn''t been willing, how could Yao Suluan possibly have had this chance? "Yu Zhi! Tell ben gong, was Mother alone with this lowly wretch right before she died?" Veins burst forth on Yao Suluan''s forehead as she asked this between gritted teeth. "Yu Zhi dares to swear on this life that it was definitely Consort Yao that caused Big Madam''s death!" said Yu Zhi resolutely as if she was fully prepared to die. Upon seeing this, Yao Mowan couldn''t help but want tough. She didn''t mind the pain on her face. These five finger prints would cover the marks Ye Junqing had left on her facest night. Now she wouldn''t have toe up with an exnation when Ye Hongyi asked. "Someone,e! Beat this lowly wretch to death!" shouted Yao Suluan, her eyes cold as ice. "Wait, Suluan. When all is said and done, Wan er is still the Consort Yao that His Majesty had personally chosen. How could you rashly conclude this matter before things have been investigated? Father promises you that once the truth of this matter is revealed through the investigation, Father will definitely get revenge for your mother, alright?" Before Yao Mowan even opened her mouth, Yao Zhenting had already walked to Yao Suluan to persuade her to stop. "Everyone says that one day as husband and wife will lead to countless days of grace! As of now, Mother had died a tragic death, yet not only is Father unwilling to punish the killer, you''re even pleading for her? Yes, she is Consort Yao, but ben gong is also the Imperial Noble Consort that His Majesty had decided on and is even pregnant with the imperial family''s descendant! As of now, in this Prime Minister Residence, who dares to disobey ben gong''s words!? Come! Drag this imbecile out, beat her to death!" Yao Zhengting''s attempt at persuading Yao Suluan not only did not calm her down but roused her fury even more. "Suluan¡­" Yao Zhenting really wanted to try and persuade her again but when he saw the blood-thirst in her eyes, he felt it best to stay quiet. In his opinion, an Imperial Noble Consort who had be pregnant with the dragon seed was far more valuable than a little Consort Yao, especially since this Consort Yao was even a fool. "Second Older Sister¡­ are you suspecting Wan er? Wan er didn''t¡­" Yao Mowan looked towards Yao Suluan with tears in her eyes as she spoke timidly. "Someone,e! Have all the servants here died!?" snarled Yao Suluan. As of now, she had alreadypletely lost all rationality. All she could think of was that Yao Moxin''s soul had reincarnated in her abdomen and that Yao Mowan may have killed her mother. She really wanted to rush up and just rip off every bit of Yao Mowan''s skin. She had no way of destroying Yao Moxin, but she could have Yao Mowan beaten by rods until she died from the pain. "Father¡­" Yao Mowan looked towards Yao Zhenting, tears glistening in her entreating eyes. As she predicted, Yao Zhenting lowered his eyes and sighed. As of now, the servants in the courtyard had already rushed into the room and surrounded Yao Mowan. "You guys must have eaten leopards'' guts! My master is the present Consort Yao niang niang and greatly favored by the Emperor. If you guys dare touch her, nine generations of your descendants will continue to suffer the consequences!" said Liu Xing angrily as he moved up to shield Yao Mowan. "Death is at hand, yet you still dare to act so tough! These two damned servants as well, drag them all out and beat them to death!" Yao Suluan''s sinister expression made her seem like a devil that had crawled out from hell. The servants saw that Yao Zhenting didn''t n on preventing it so they obeyed and rushed up. In the blink of an eye, all the servants in the room fell to the floor. Four imperial bodyguards appeared in front of Yao Mowan. "Why¡­ why would you be here?" Yao Suluan recognized the imperial bodyguards that were standing in front of Yao Mowan. She had been in the pce for seven years, so she naturally knew these four. They were all the most elite of experts, and were always by Ye Hongyi''s side. "We have orders to protect Consort Yao. Whoever dares to harm her are to be killed without question!" dered the leader, Qing Long. "His Majesty actually¡­ how could that be!? She''s just a fool! Why!? Someone, kill Yao Mowan! Kill her!" Yao Suluan couldn''t take the stimtion. Her body swayed and she almost fell, but Cai Ying supported her. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 55
Chapter 55: The Hidden Truth However, Yao Zhenting suddenly waved his hand and indicated for the servants to withdraw. "Suluan, don''t be so headstrong. Go rest, you must look after your health." Yao Zhenting had regretted his earlier choice the moment he saw the four imperial bodyguards appear beside Yao Mowan. He felt that it was lucky that Yao Mowan was a fool. She probably wouldn''t hold this against him. Yao Mowan really wanted tough as she watched Yao Zhenting put into full use his skill of acting ording to the situation. It was sure her fortune to have this type of father. "Father!" Yao Suluan''s eyes were filled with me as she looked towards Yao Zhenting. She was furious. Right at this moment, Su Muzi happened to enter with Yao Yu. Su Muzi sensed that the atmosphere was off the moment she stepped into the room, but there was no way she could withdraw after already having walked in. Thus, she stayed there timidly and didn''t dare to make a sound. However, it was to no avail. She immediately became Yao Suluan''s target for venting her anger. "Lowly wretch!" Yao Suluan immediately rushed up. No one had time to react before she started pping Su Muzi''s face fiercely. "Go away! Don''t you dare bully Mother!" Yao Yu angrily rushed up when he saw that blood was leaking out of his mother''s mouth, but Yu Zhi grabbed him. As of now, Big Madam had already passed away so her only chance at survival was to perform well in front of Yao Suluan. She was aware of the fact that no one in this residence, including Master, wanted her here. As of now, Yao Suluan was herst hope. "Mother! Wuuwuu!" Yao Yu cried inconsbly and struggled with all his strength, but he still couldn''t escape from Yu Zhi''s grasp. Su Muzi''s face was swollen and her hair was in disarray from being hit by Yao Suluan, yet Yao Zhenting simply watched indifferently without showing any indication to step in and stop this. He knew that Yao Suluan had to take this anger out on someone. "Second Older Sister! How could you hit shu mother! What did she do wrong?" Yao Mowan nced coldly at Yao Zhenting, then suddenly moved in front of Su Muzi and grabbed Yao Suluan''s raised hand. di mother is what children of concubines call the legal wife, shu mother is what children of concubines call the concubines in the family "She wronged in the fact that she seduced men! And even gave birth to a bastard! Scram! Ben gong is teaching this wretch a lesson! Ben gong will hit whoever that dares to get in the way as well!" Yao Suluan had lost her mind from the pain of losing her mother. Currently, she was like a wild beast that was going crazy and biting everything in sight. "Consort Yao niang niang¡­ thismon woman is fine¡­" Su Muzi forcefully kept herself from crying and stayed where she was without retreating although her body was shuddering uncontrobly. She didn''t even dare to lift her eyes to implore for help. She acted humble and weak, the way individuals with no power tended to do, since that was all they could do. Seeing Su Muzi like this, Yao Mowan recalled her own mother. Mother had probably had to suffer through her days this way as well, hadn''t she? "Shu mother didn''t do anything wrong. Mowan didn''t do anything wrong either! If Second Older Sister just wants to vent your anger, then hitting Mowan is the same! Just hit Mowan instead!" Yao Mowan shielded Su Muzi. Letting go of Yao Suluan''s wrist, she squeezed her eyes close. It was clear that she was very scared, but she didn''t show any intention to shrink back. "Fine! All of you heard! She was the one who asked to be hit! Anyone that dares get in the way will be punished formitting a capital offense! It doesn''t even matter if His Majestyes!" As Yao Suluan spoke, viciousness burst forth in her blood-colored eyes and she abruptly lifted her hand. Yao Mowan could hear the distinct whistle of the wind. This p probably contained all of Yao Suluan''s strength. In the shadows, Yin Xue''s gaze sharpened. She would move the instant Yao Mowan made a gesture. However, right at this moment, a fierce roar came from outside the door. "Stop!" The cold voice contained a bone-prating chill. The first thing Ye Hongyi saw when he came to Bamboo Wish Pavilion was the horrifying scene. Immediately afterwards, he saw Yao Suluan move to p Yao Mowan and his heart, for some reason, squeezed with pain. Yao Suluan had only paused for a second. She had no intention of stopping, but could not go through with the p since Cai Ying dragged her away. "Niang niang, you must take into consideration the bigger picture!" Cai Ying softly whispered in Yao Suluan''s ear. As of now, Ye Hongyi had already entered the room. He immediately walked over and gently pulled Yao Mowan into his arms as if handling a precious treasure. "Your Majesty¡­ Wuuwuu¡­ I didn''t poison¡­ Wan er was with shu mother when di mother¡­ Second Older Sister doesn''t believe Wan er¡­ And even hit shu mother¡­" Yao Mowan sobbed heartbrokenly in Ye Hongyi''s arms. "What is going on?" Overflowing fury whirled within Ye Hongyi''s ice-cold pupils as his sharp gaze shot towards Yao Suluan like a knife. "Your Majesty, you must give this servant justice! This servant''s mother had been poisoned to death by Consort Yao! Yu Zhi can testify to this!" Yao Suluan hated the way Yao Mowan always acted as if she had been wronged. She itched to just rush up and tear that face to pieces. At the side, Yu Zhi''s legs went weak when she heard this. She loosened her grip on Yao Yu and fell to a kneel in front of Ye Hongyi, her body trembling uncontrobly. She had just been trying to curry favor with Yao Suluan. She hadn''t expected for things to get this big. "Qing Long, investigate thoroughly!" This was all Ye Hongyi said before turning his attention back to Yao Mowan. He swept his fingers over Yao Mowan''s damp cheeks lovingly. "Wan er''s crying face isn''t pretty, zhen doesn''t like it." As Ye Hongyi spoke, he turned and left Bamboo Wish Pavilion with Yao Mowan, not even sparing a nce at Yao Suluan. At this moment, Yao Zhenting finally came to understand that His Majesty valued that dumb daughter much more than Yao Suluan. Hence he stood up and dusted off his garment. He nced at Dou Xiann''s corpse, his eyes filled with disgust, then he left without a word. Yao Suluan copsed to the ground, her eyes filled with pain, disappointment, and anger. Yao Mowan! One day, ben gong will definitely let you die in a manner even more painful than that your sister experienced! Due to Qing Long''s intervention, Dou Xiann''s cause of death was easily found out. Two hourster, Qing Long appeared in the main hall with the imperial physician that had just reexamined Dou Xiann. Ye Hongyi wasforting Yao Mowan who was still crying. "What happened?" Ye Hongyi allowed Yao Mowan to sit on his knee as he swept his gaze over the imperial physician who was kneeling in front of him. "Replying Your Majesty, the prime minister''s wife had indeed died of poison. The name of the poison is ''La Yan Sand.'' This poison takes effect slowly. The person who poisoned her probably started mixing this poison into the madam''s medicinal soup half a month ago. As the small doses added up, it caused the madam to die from coughing blood," reported the imperial physician factually. "Your Majesty, this subordinate has already found that Chen momo, the one who had been simmering the medicine for the madam this entire time, is currently missing and her whereabouts are unknown. It is clear from this that she''s the one who poisoned the madam," reported Qing Long as he cupped his fist in salute. "Imperial Noble Consort, do you hear that?" Ye Hongyi nced coldly at Yao Suluan. There was not a trace of warmth in his voice. "Chen momo? How could that be? Why would she hurt Mother?" Yao Suluan wiped her tears as she asked Qing Long. "Replying Imperial Noble Consort, Chen momo''s daughter had once made a small mistake and offended the Prime Minister Madam. Prime Minister Madam had her beaten and thrown out. Due to the fact that she hadn''t been able to get treatment, she died," replied Qing Long expressionlessly. "What a vicious woman! Since this matter is unrted to Wan er, Imperial Noble Consort, shouldn''t you apologize to Wan er?" Unconceble fury appeared in Ye Hongyi''s eyes when his gaze swept across the fingerprints on Yao Mowan''s face. "It¡­ It was Second Older Sister that misunderstood. Wan er won''t me Second Older Sister, right?" Yao Suluan eyes were cold, but since Ye Hongyi was present, she had no choice but to walk to Yao Mowan and softly admit her mistake. "Second Older Sister had just lost her birth mother. Wan er doesn''t me Second Older Sister, but you shouldn''t have hit shu mother¡­" said Yao Mowan, holding back her sobs. Yao Suluan was infuriated, but when she saw Ye Hongyi''s chilling gaze, she could only turn around and walk to Su Muzi. "Suluan only misunderstood shu mother because Suluan was overwhelmed by grief. Suluan hopes that shu mother wouldn''t hold this against Suluan." Yao Suluan lowered her eyes and forced these words out between gritted teeth. "Imperial Noble Consort is speaking too seriously, thismon woman would never dare." Su Muzi immediately kowtowed, not daring to show the slightest bit of disrespect. "Enough. It is the day of Prime Minister Madam''s death so you should stay here to show your filial piety. Wan er,e with zhen back to the pce." Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan up and left. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 56
Chapter 56: Using the Elements to Trade for Yin Xue "Your Majesty, di mother treated Wan er really well, Wan er wants to stay too¡­" Yao Mowan''s beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked towards Ye Hongyi. The naive innocence in those eyes caused people not to know if they should feel angry orugh at her ignorance. Dou Xiann would treat Yao Mowan well? Not even a ghost would believe that! "Zhen''s dumb little Wan er ah! Let''s go!" Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan and continued walking. However, when he reached the door, something seemed to have urred to him and he look towards Yao Zhenting. "Which lowly servant was it that tried to frame Consort Yao?" "Your Majesty, don''t worry, this humble subject will definitely punish that lowly servant severely!" Yao Zhenting cupped his fist respectfully to send them off. Yao Mowan looked at Yu Zhi who was kneeling in the corner and smiled knowingly as a trace of coldness shed through her eyes. Yu Zhi''s attempt to frame her earlier was definitely a grave mistake, but from the start there was no way Father would let her off for treating Yao Yu that way. As Yao Mowan silently considered all of this, her smile deepened. Yao Yu''s end was extremely tragic. She was thrown into the Purgatory Room for six hours. By the time she was let out, she was half dead and ended up being fed to a dog. Yao Mowan listened to Liu Xing''s report as she gently stroked Fluffy. Sheughed coldly. She truly didn''t know how the dog had been able to swallow someone with such a ck heart. "Niang niang, supper has been prepared." Ting Yue carried thest dish, koi pastries, to the table, then walked to Yao Mowan''s side. "En. Have you attended to the Esteemed Prince?" Yao Mowan exhaled softly. Putting down Fluffy, she walked to the table. "This servant has already delivered the Esteemed Prince his portion." "Good. Then you two should also withdraw and go eat. There''s no need for you two to wait upon me here." Yao Mowan waved as she sent Ting Yue and Liu Xing away. She finally had a bit of appetite now as she looked at the table full of dishes. Just as Yao Mowan was about to move her chopsticks, a mild and sweet fragrance drifted over. Yao Mowan didn''t speak and continued to focus on eating without even lifting her eyes. "Ting Yue, that girl, actually dared to hold a grudge! How could she bring so little food to ben wang? It''s simply nowhere close to enough!" Ye Junqing was dressed in white and looked graceful and elegant as he walked in. A trace of embarrassment showed on his handsome face despite his best efforts to cover it up. "You don''t seem to be able to eat this much?" Seeing that Yao Mowan wasn''t responding, Ye Junqing decided to mediate for himself and sat down. "I heard you went back to the Prime Minister Residence? You didn''t suffer any grievances, right?" Ye Junqing inwardly celebrated the fact that there were two bowls and chopsticks on the table. He casually picked up the bamboo chopsticks and was just about to pick up some food when he saw Yao Mowan put down her porcin bowl and looked towards him coldly. Ye Junqing''s lifted hand immediately stopped in mid-air. He couldn''t very well continue with his motion or pull his hand back. After being frozen for a few awkward moments, he finally retrieved his hand. "Fine, ben wang is here to admit his mistake. Ben wang shouldn''t have hit you. But¡­ you also made a mistake¡­" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan with a serious expression. "Mowan''s mistake was in not dodging in time when wang ye acted." A ripple of emotion passed through Yao Mowan''s tranquil eyes. Her voice was as pleasant to the ear as the soft murmur of a clear spring. "If you''re going to be this way¡­" However, when Ye Junqing saw the clear marks on Yao Mowan''s face, he swallowed his words right back down. It was hard to imagine how hard he must have hit her for the marks to be still so clear even now. "Is Mowan not right?" Yao Mowan lifted her eyebrows, her expression very calm. "You''re right!" Ye Junqing weeped inside his heart. These words waspletely against his will! "So this is what wang ye thinks ah. Wang ye can leave now!" Yao Mowan''s voice turned frosty. "Then that''s not right!" Ye Junqing immediately changed his attitude. Ye Junqing hade to realize that trying to speak logically while this woman felt like making trouble was definitely just an act of self-oppression. "Perhaps in wang ye''s eyes, Mowan has never been right. Wang ye can leave now!" Yao Mowan once again issued the order of expulsion. "¡­" Ye Junqing was finally utterly defeated. He hung his head as he ced down the chopsticks and silently left. A faint smile appeared on Yao Mowan''s lips as she watched Ye Junqing''s dejected figure leave Guan Osprey Pce. She liked Ye Junqing most the way he was right now, when he was able to feel happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy. This way, at least his heart wasn''t like dead ash the way it had been when he was in the Esteemed Prince Residence. Right when Ye Junqing''s figure faded from view, wind aros, and a red garment appeared in front of Yao Mowan. It was a handsome face that seemed almost gender neutral, a countenance that had no match in the world. Yan Nansheng was truly extremely beautiful. All living things would fall for him with just a nce. "Isn''t beauty being a little too much of a bully?" Yan Nansheng drew back his sleeves and sat down opposite Yao Mowan as he looked towards the direction Ye Junqing had left in. Yao Moxin was the only other person in this world that had been capable of causing his Junior Brother to be so helpless. As expected of biological sisters. "Is Alliance Head nning to stick up for the Esteemed Prince?" Yao Mowan restrained her admiration for his beauty and looked towards him with lifted brows in a slightly pressuring manner. "Ahem¡­ currently I don''t have that sort of n. Today, I came here only to see Lady Mowan!" Noticing the abnormal glint in Yao Mowan''s eyes, Yan Nansheng decisively made the choice to put his own safety first. "There are no other matters?" Yao Mowan continued to look at Yan Nansheng with raised brows. Those clear eyes seemed to have the power to see through one''s heart. Yan Nansheng suddenly felt very exposed. "None!" Yan Nansheng shook his head firmly. "That''s best. Since you''ve already gotten to see the person, then Mowan won''t apany you any longer. This day has been tiring." Yao Mowan swayed gently to her feet and made to walk towards the bedroom. "Don''t leave ah! I have something good that you should see! Feng (wind), Yu (rain), Lei (thunder), Dian (lightning)!" The moment Yan Nansheng''s voice rang out, four people dressed in dark garments appeared in front of Yao Mowan. There were two men and two women. The men were like jade trees that shielded one from the wind, while the women wereposed and dignified. As for their martial arts, it definitely was at a high level since Yan Nansheng had said that they were good. "What do you mean by this?" Yao Mowan sized up the four in front of her and turned to look towards Yan Nansheng. She already had a pretty good idea of what he was nning. "You shouldn''t underestimate these four. They''re ben zuo''s most capable right and left arms!" Yan Nansheng gave the four people his highest assessment. "And so?" Yao Mowan slightly touched her cheek. Her crafty eyes sparkled as she looked towards Yan Nansheng with a faint smile. She was like a small flower that swayed in the spring wind, she looked extremely pure and innocent. "And so¡­ ben zuo has decided to give the four of them to you!" said Yan Nansheng resolutely as if it had taken him a lot of courage to do so. "En. Mowan once heard people say that the more beautiful something is, the greater the inside disparity. However, it seems that it isn''tpletely true. After all, Nansheng, you''re beautiful enough to ruin a state, yet you''re still so generous of heart. Since that is the case, as deference is no substitute for obedience, Mowan shall ept! Feng, Yu, Lei, Dian, withdraw." It was rare for Yao Mowan to praise someone. "Don''t withdraw ah!" Yan Nansheng wanted to stop them but Yao Mowan''s gaze sharpened as she looked towards the Elements. (Feng, Yu, Lei, Dian is either their names, or their nicknames. Regardless, they''re grouped in a quadruplet and called as one unit, so inside of saying FengYuLeiDian, I''ll just be calling them the ''elements'' in this trantion.) "Who is your master now? Withdraw." Yao Mowan''s voice was very soft yet it contained an unquestionable authority. The Elements were slightly taken aback for a moment, then they silently disappeared from Guan Osprey Pce. "Nansheng ah, ben gong is truly tired, so ben gong won''t keep youpany any longer!" Yao Mowan had sessfully gotten a free gift and now made to return to her room again. However, Yan Nansheng moved to stop her. "Don''t leave yet, I still have something to say!" Yan Nansheng suddenly had a bad feeling. Yao Mowan was truly impressive. She had been able to make the Elements acknowledge her as their master with just a few words, and he hadn''t even gotten to the main point yet. "Weren''t you just here to visit me?" Yao Mowan looked towards Yan Nansheng with a innocent and confused expression. "That''s right, but since you''ve taken the Elements, shouldn''t you return Yin Xue to ben zuo?" Yan Nansheng spoke as if that was the logical course of action. "Are these two things rted?" Yao Mowan had already guessed Yan Nansheng''s motive but she wasn''t a kind person. She saw no reason to allow a duck she had obtained to fly away. Moreover, Yao Mowan learned from Yin Xue that all the hidden guards were loyal only to their present master. Yao Mowan believed this point firmly and had no doubts about it. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 57
Chapter 57: What Did You Say? I Didn''t Hear "You couldn''t be trying to renege on the debt?" Yan Nansheng''s beautiful eyes were wide open in a glower and his voice trembled a little. The woman in front of him was as gorgeous as a flower, yet at this moment, all he seemed to see was a devil, the most two-faced type. "If Alliance Head doesn''t feel embarrassed, then you can take the Elements back from Mowan. As for Yin Xue, Mowan will never forsake her! Of course, Mowan feels that a proud Alliance Head like Nansheng probably wouldn''t do something like going back on his own words. If you were such a person, Mowan would truly look down on you." Yao Mowan''s words were light and airy, yet they efficiently blocked all of Yan Nansheng''s roads of retreat. "You! I want the Elements back¡­" Yan Nansheng''s voice was extremely small and an unnatural red flush appeared on his wless jade skin. "Nansheng, what did you say? Mowan didn''t hear it, be louder!" Yao Mowan rubbed her ear with her hand as she deliberately raised her volume. "I said¡­ I want the Elements back." Yan Nansheng choked a little and pressed his lips together, but in the end still spoke a little louder. What a joke. There were only a total of eight first-ss hidden guards in Phoenix Feather Manor, how could he bear to give away four for free!? "I still can''t hear though? What did you say?" Once again, Yao Mowan pretended to be deaf. Speechless, Yan Nansheng was silent for a few moments. Suddenly, he drew close to Yao Mowan''s ear and shouted: "I''ll give you the Elements as a gift! No need for thanks!" Yao Mowan''s eardrums reverberated with the sound. By the time she came back to her senses, Yan Nansheng had already left with angry stomps. As Yao Mowan looked at Yan Nansheng''s downcast figure, she gave a slight smile. You want to fight me? Humph! Perhaps due to the fact that she had just gotten the Elements, her mood improved a lot. Thus, the next morning, when Jun Xin sat down on his own at the jadeite square table and started portioning out the ginseng porridge and handed a bowl to Yao Mowan, she didn''t reject it. "Has Prince sincerely repented?" Yao Mowan epted the offered bowl of porridge as she looked towards Ye Junqing with lifted brows. "Ahem¡­ In regards to that, this prince was indeed wrong. Of course, one who erred must be punished. You can speak freely. This prince is willing to take full responsibility for his own mistake." Ye Junqing seemed to have set his resolve. He spoke solemnly with a sincere gaze. "From tomorrow on, don''t appear in front of Mowan while wearing white again." Yao Mowan gently scooped a small spoonful of the porridge as she spoke lightly. "Why?" Ye Junqing tried to keep his voice calm. "Because you did something wrong and should be punished." Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with her clear eyes in an innocent manner. Yao Mowan knew that white wasn''t the color Ye Junqing liked. Ever since news of her death reached the Esteemed Prince Residence, he started putting on white garments. He wanted to use the color white to mourn for the woman in his heart, to publicly show that his heart had died with her. However, how could he possibly know that the woman he was mourning didn''t want that? Ye Junqing silently retrieved his gaze and started drinking the porridge inrge gulps without speaking. Ye Junqing being in a huff was a rare sight. His sharp brows were so furrowed they formed a ''´¨,'' it was extremely funny. After the morning meal, Yao Mowan picked up Fluffy and made to leave Guan Osprey Pce. As she walked, she seemed to suddenly recall something. "Ting Yue, if you see that the prince is still wearing white tomorrow, send his meal to the east wing." Yao Mowan''s meaning was very clear and Ting Yue nodded knowingly. Behind her, the sound of Ye Junqing slurping the porridge got even louder. After Yao Mowan left Guan Osprey Pce, she called Liu Xing over. "Liu Xing, go investigate Su Muzi. See who she usually interacts with and check if those people are suspicious in any way." "Understood!" Liu Xing never questioned Yao Mowan''s orders and simply carried them out with all his heart. From the time he made the decision to be an eunuch, he had already given all of him, his person, his life, to Yao Mowan. After Yao Suluan finished handling Dou Xiann''s funeral arrangements, she rushed back to the Imperial Pce. However, even after waiting for several days, Ye Hongyi still didn''t step into Pure Flowers Pce at all. "Niang niang, if you keep starving yourself like this, what will happen to the child in your belly? You should eat something, even just a little is fine." Cai Ying carefully offered the ginseng porridge to Yao Suluan but it abruptly got smacked to the ground. "It''d be good if he starved to death! What dragon seed? It''s Yao Moxin, that vile spawn! How could you enter ben gong''s stomach? Get out! Hurry and get out!" Yao Suluan angrily hammered at her abdomen with both hands. "Niang niang, what are you doing? It''s easy to miscarry this way! You must look after your own body!" Cai Ying immediately stopped tidying up the mess on the ground and moved up to stop Yao Suluan. "What did you say?" Yao Suluan suddenly stopped hitting herself as she looked sharply towards Cai Ying. "This servant¡­ this servant said to be careful with your body. If you do this, it''d easily cause a miscarriage¡­" repeated Cai Ying timidly. "Miscarriage¡­ It really is a good idea. Help ben gong get dressed, ben gong wishes to visit His Majesty!" Yao Suluan''s eyes lit up as her lips hooked in a cold smile. Inside the Imperial Study, Ye Hongyi finishing marking thest memorial and ced down the cinnabar brush with a light sigh. As he leaned backnguidly on the dragon throne, the image of Yao Mowan''s innocent and beautiful face appeared in his mind. If it weren''t for the fact that he had to bnce the influence of the court minsters, why would he waste time to asionally visit the four main consorts? No one knew how attached he was to Yao Mowan''s body. Every time he slept with the other consorts, he would subconsciously imagine that the woman underneath him was Yao Mowan. "Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort is outside, asking for an audience." An Bingshan''s voice interrupted Ye Hongyi''s thoughts. "Allow her in." Ye Hongyi immediately retrieved the warmth that had inadvertently appeared in his eyes and spoke sternly. In a few moments, Yao Suluan appeared, walking with little steps. "This consort greets Your Majesty," said Yao Suluan in a sweet and gentle voice as she curtsied, presenting her body in its most enticing manner. "Rise. What is it?" When Yao Moxin was alive, Ye Hongyi always felt Yao Suluan was better in all aspects. She was gentle, virtuous, considerate, and scrupulously abided by the womanly ways. She didn''t meddle in politics like Yao Moxin. However, ever since Yao Moxin died and especially after Yao Mowan appeared, Ye Hongyi came to feel that this woman was no different from his other consorts. The only difference that could be spoken of was that she knew too much! "Replying Your Majesty, this consort is here to ask for punishment. That day in the Prime Minister Residence, this consort was ovee with grief and thus treated Consort Yao a little too harshly. This consort hopes that Your Majesty will take into consideration that this consort has just lost her mother and not me this consort." Yao Suluan spoke with her eyes lowered as she sobbed slightly. "That''s already in the past, zhen won''t look into it anymore," replied Ye Hongyi indifferently. "This consort has alsoe in order to help Your Majesty with your troubles." Yao Suluan retrieved the sorrow in her eyes and looked up towards Ye Hongyi with light flickering in her eyes. "Oh?" Upon hearing this, Ye Hongyi was slightly surprised and looked towards Yao Suluan with lifted brows. "This consort recalled that Your Majesty had mentioned that the Left General, Huan Heng, held half of the military power in great Chu and seemed to be getting restless. However, Huan Heng has always been very cautious in all his actions so Your Majesty could not do anything to him," said Yao Suluan in a lowered voice. "That''s right. Does dear consort have any good suggestions?" Ye Hongyi''s eyes darkened even more as he slowly got up, stepped around the dragon table, and slowly walked to Yao Suluan''s side. Wrapping an arm around her, he helped her to the red sandalwood seat at the side. "This consort is slow-witted but did think of an idea. If Consort Chen made a huge blunder, ''the father must pay the children''s debts.'' For the sake of preserving Consort Chen''s life, the Left General probably wouldn''t refuse to hand over his military power." Yao Suluan''s shrewd eyes sparkled brightly. "This isn''t easy. Zhen seriously cannot think of what mistake Consort Chen could make that would be severe enough for zhen to use her as a reason to demand for the military power." Ye Hongyi looked towards Yao Suluan with confusion in his eyes. "What matters more in the Inner Pce than the dragon descendants?" pronounced Yao Suluan clearly. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 58
Chapter 58: Use a Child to Exchange for the Position of Empress ¡°Suluan! Do you know what you¡¯re saying? How could you bear to do that? That is our child!¡± Ye Hongyi suddenly cied out as he looked towards Yao Suluan with a solemn expression. ¡°This consort is terrified, and how could this consort possibly bear to part with this consort¡¯s own blood and flesh? Moreover, he is this consort¡¯s first child! But this consort truly cannot think of a better idea then this. Zhen and this consort will have more children, but if Huan Heng gets the opportunity to make a move, all of great Chu will be in danger. This consort only wishes to aid Your Majesty and great Chu, and asks that Your Majesty allows this consort to do so!¡± Yao Suluan abruptly knelt down with tears whirling in her eyes. At the same time, a trace of coldness shed through her heart. Back then, her pregnancy hadn¡¯t even brought as much joy to His Majesty as a cat. For him to show concern now, it seemed rather fake. Though people had tacit mutual understanding about some things, effort still must be put into the surface acting. ¡°My dear consort, hurry and stand up! Suluan, zhen had never expected that you would be this virtuous. This matter truly asks a lot of you! Don¡¯t worry, after this matter is resolved, zhen willpensate you!¡± Ye Hongyi helped Yao Suluan up gently with a soft smiling expression in his emotionless eyes. ¡°This consort only wishes to help Your Majesty a little and never thought about wanting any rewards.¡± Yao Suluan bashfully leaned into Ye Hongyi¡¯s arm, enjoying the momentary warmth. In her mind, she could already see herself sitting on the magnificent phoenix throne. She was sure that if she managed to help His Majesty get rid of Huan Heng, she would be named Empress. Yao Mowan, who was strolling leisurely through the Imperial Garden while carrying Fluffy, walked to a rather concealed spot. When she saw that no one was around, she tried calling out the Elements. Just like Yin Xue, as soon as Yao Mowan called, the four seemed to drop out of the sky and appear in front of her. ¡°Since ben gong is now your master, you¡¯ll obey ben gong?¡± Yao Mowan looked at the four with a serious expression. ¡°Master, please give your instructions.¡± The four spoke simultaneously. ¡°Ben gong orders you four to immediately head towards Mangyuan. Once you find Ben Lei, help him amass as much wealth as possible and quietly expand the secret department (implies elite military). Tell Ben Lei to be careful in executing this task, no traces can be left at all. It¡¯s especially important to keep the crown prince of Chu, Chu Mobei, from getting hold of this information. That person extremely hard to deal with.¡± When Yao Mowan recalled the past dealings she had with Chu Mobei, she would feel a headache. That person¡¯s temperament was calm, yet he had deep schemes and queer methods. He was on the top of her list of people she didn¡¯t want to get involved with. ¡°Understood!¡± After receiving the instructions, the Elements immediately left. Yao Mowan then called out Yin Xue. ¡°Has anything happened on Yao Suluan¡¯s side?¡± Yao Mowan had sent Yin Xue to secretly monitor Yao Suluan ever since Yao Suluan hade back from the Prime Minister Residence. There was a line that put it well: a cornered dog will jump over the wall. Yao Suluan¡¯s current attitude was just like that. ¡°Replying Master, Yao Suluan wants to frame Huan Caier with the dragon seed in her belly,¡± reported Yin Xue concisely. ¡°How sad¡­ but it doesn¡¯t matter, a person like her isn¡¯t suitable to be a mother at all. Do you know how she ns to do it?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s expression turned serious as light shed through her eyes. She didn¡¯t know what to say in regards to Yao Suluan¡¯s dumb actions. Back then, it was because she had been too sharp and capable that Ye Hongyi couldn¡¯t tolerate her anymore. Yao Suluan clearly knew that Ye Hongyi couldn¡¯t tolerate shrewd woman, yet she insisted on trying to snatch the spotlight in all the affairs. If she was content with her own lot and didn¡¯t continuously try in vain to get the throne of the Empress, perhaps she would be able to live a little longer. ¡°Saffron,¡± replied Yin Xue steadily. ¡°What a stupid n.¡± Yao Mowan gave a coldugh, then turned to gaze at the green jadeke in front of her. Wind that carried a hint of moisture swept over the pond, causing faint glimmering ripples that were dazzling to the eye. Huan Caier appeared in Pure Flowers Pce much sooner than Yao Suluan had expected. A trace of sorrow shed through Yao Suluan¡¯s eyes when she saw the ginseng silky chicken soup in Zi Shuang¡¯s hands. The reason she was able to bring herself to part with this child was because of Yao Moxin. But the fact that His Majesty was that impatient for her to have an abortion, what did that signify? ¡°What wind was it that blew Caier meimei to ben gong¡®s ce?¡± Yao Suluan retrieved the emotions from her eyes as she walked gracefully to Huan Caier. ¡°Ben gong has never been unreasonable, but also never bothers with any sort of ttery. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that His Majesty exhorted ben gong toe visit Imperial Noble Consortst night, ben gong wouldn¡¯t have chosen to step into this Pure Flower Pce of yours this entire lifetime! Ben gong has not forgotten who it was that told that imbecile to push ben gong into theke!¡± Huan Caier looked at Yao Suluan coldly, her voice frosty and distancing. At the side, Zi Shuang expressionlessly ced the food box on the table before returning to Huan Caier¡¯s side. ¡°Consort Chen, my master is the Imperial Noble Consort and is a rank higher than you. Moreover, this is Pure Flowers Pce, so Consort Chen, please pay attention to your own status.¡± Cai Ying looked towards Huan Caier with resentment. ¡°Who do you think you are? What right do you have to speak!?¡± Huan Caier looked towards Cai Ying with contempt as she spat back indignantly. Yao Suluan¡¯s lips hooked in a smile as she turned to stop Cai Ying who wanted to refute. Then she walked softly to the table, picked up the ginseng soup in the food box, and drank it all before handing the bowl to Cai Ying. ¡°Ben gong has received Consort Chen¡¯s kind regards. Since Consort Chen is this unwilling, ben gong won¡¯t keep you any longer,¡± said Yao Suluan mildly as she looked back towards Huan Caier. She knew that Huan Caier¡¯s personality was domineering, and so decided not to bother arguing with her. ¡°At least you have some tact! Zi Shuan, let¡¯s go!¡± Although Huan Caier was a bit surprised when Yao Suluan submitted meekly to the earlier insult, she didn¡¯t think deeply into it. ¡°There¡¯s no way ben gong would want something that has entered Pure Flowers Pce,¡± scoffed Huan Caier coldly when she saw that Zi Shuan was about collect the porcin bowl and the food box. Zi Shuan naturally understood what her master meant and ced down the box to follow after Huan Caier. ¡°Niang niang, isn¡¯t this Huan Caier way too tyrannical? Why must you tolerate her? In any case¡­¡± ¡°In any case, the future is long. Once she¡¯s thrown into the Cold Pce, ben gong will be able to torment her at ben gong¡®s leisure. At that time, ben gong will show her who exactly is the master of this Inner Pce!¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. When she turned around to head in, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. ¡°Niang niang! Is it¡­ this servant will help you back into the room!¡± Upon seeing Yao Suluan¡¯s brows crease tightly from pain, Cai Ying immediately realized that the saffron had started taking effect. She hastily moved to help Yao Suluan back into the bedroom. Huan Caier walked slowly over the white jade bridge in the Imperial Garden, seeming to be admiring the beautiful scenery of the garden. ¡°Niang niang, for some reason, this servant feels like Imperial Noble Consort was behaving oddly today.¡± Zi Shuan had felt uneasy ever since leaving Pure Flowers Pce. ¡°That¡¯s true. She didn¡¯t even refute a word despite how much ben gong insulted her. It couldn¡¯t be that she has be scared of ben gong?¡± Although Huan Caier was used to being unbridled, she wasn¡¯t a brainless person either. Yao Suluan¡¯s attitude was indeed strange. She had taken the insults so meekly that she hadn¡¯t been able to put into use the words she had prepared beforehand. ¡°It would be good if she had be scared of niang niang. This servant is just worried that she would try to secretly harm niang niang. As the proverbs say, it¡¯s better to offend a nobleman than a petty person. That Yao Suluan is just a smiling tiger, a petty person from head to toe!¡± Zi Shuan gave her evaluation firmly. Just as Huan Caier was about to speak, she suddenly saw Yao Mowan and Ting Yue walking through the willow forest below the bridge. ¡°It¡¯s truly a case of enemies being on a narrow road. Zi Shuan,e with ben gong to teach that imbecile a lesson!¡± Huan Caier¡¯s eyes turned cold as she strode towards the willow forest. The willow forest was filled with lush green and full of life. Countless weeping willow branches swayed softly like braids in the wind. Yao Mowan gently swung the willow branch in her hand with her innocuous eyes opened wide. ¡°Ting Yue, say, what was that red powder in Second Older Sister¡¯s pce? Is it tasty?¡± Yao Mowan pouted slightly in an innocent manner. ¡°No matter what that can¡¯t be eaten! It¡¯s poisonous!¡± Ting Yue purposefully shouted loudly in rm. ¡°Liar! If it¡¯s poisonous, why would Second Older Sister put it in the hidden drawer beneath her bed? It¡¯s definitely something tasty. Second Older Sister definitely wanted to eat it herself, that¡¯s why she hide it so Wan er couldn¡¯t find it!¡± Yao Mowan noticed that the sound of Huan Caier¡¯s footsteps had abruptly stopped as she carried on with the act. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]C: Oh wow, I never knew that saffron could cause miscarriage. I always thought it was used a lot in herbal teas with beautifying effects, due to ying MyCafe¡­ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 59-60
Chapter 59: Releasing Rumors ¡°That¡¯s called saffron. If you eat it, you won¡¯t be able to have children anymore! Even if you¡¯re already pregnant, it would cause a miscarriage. Niang niang, that¡¯s not something you can mess with for fun. No matter what you can¡¯t eat it, got it!?¡± Ting Yue¡¯s expression was very exaggerated and she purposefully emphasized the word ¡®saffron.¡¯ ¡°Then why would Second Older Sister keep that thing? I¡¯ll go tell Second Older Sister about this!¡± Yao Mowan looked as if she hade to a sudden realization. ¡°Niang niang, don¡¯t go. If Imperial Noble Consort found out that you¡¯ve looked in the hidden drawer beneath her bed, she definitely wouldn¡¯t let you off! You must not talk about this, not to anyone!¡± Ting Yue repeated exhorted. ¡°Fine, I got it! Ting Yue, let¡¯s go to the pavilion and see if that bad woman is still there. If she still is, let¡¯s help Second Older Sister push her into the water again. In any case, his Majesty wouldn¡¯t scold Wan er for it!¡± Yao Mowan blinked her eyes charmingly as she started lightly jogging towards the pavilion. ¡°Niang niang, don¡¯t run so fast, take care not to fall!¡± Ting Yue hastily followed after her. Huai Caier, who was listening from a hidden part of the willow forest, creased her brows as her eyes turned cold. ¡°Niang niang, if what that imbecile said earlier was true¡­ This servant doesn¡¯t understand. Why would Yao Suluan prepare saffron? Right now she¡¯s the only one in the pce who¡¯s pregnant?¡± Zi Shuang thought about all the possibilities but couldn¡¯t think of one that made sense. ¡°Could it be¡­ Zi Shuang, say, do you think she would take the saffron herself, then frame ben gong with it?¡± An unreadable light flickered in Huan Caier¡¯s eyes as she looked towards Zi Shuang worriedly. ¡°A tiger, though cruel, will not devour its cubs. Moreover, His Majesty currently has no children. If she gave birth to a son, she would be able to easily obtain the position of Empress. Why would she abandon her bright prospects just to make things difficult for niang niang? This doesn¡¯t make sense?¡± Zi Shuang didn¡¯t think that the idea was likely. ¡°That¡¯s true. Perhaps she already had the saffron prepared for a long time. From the looks of it, she was definitely involved in the past incidents of miscarriage among the consorts.¡± Huan Ciaer gave a light sigh and was just about to leave when she saw a pce maid from Pure Flowers Pce rush across the bridge with Imperial Physician Zheng. ¡°Isn¡¯t that maid from Pure Flowers Pce? It couldn¡¯t be that something has really happened to Yao Suluan?¡± Zi Shuang looked in Imperial Physician Zheng¡¯s direction with shock and a feeling of unease abruptly arose in her heart. Before Zi Shuang¡¯s voice even faded, a group of imperial soldiers started running this way from Pure Flowers Pce. ¡°Yao Suluan truly is vicious! Zi Shuang, hurry up and hide, then think of a way to get out of the pce and let Father know what Yao Mowan said earlier. Hurry!¡± Huan Caier had already realized how pressing the situation was so she quickly gave Zi Shuang some stern and precise instructions. Zi Shuang didn¡¯t dare to be slow and immediately hid inside the bushes to the side. In the next instant, those imperial soldiers had already surrounded Huan Caier. ¡°His Majesty has given a decree asking Consort Chen to take a trip to Pure Flowers Pce!¡± Zi Shuang was rmed to see that her master had fallen into a dire situation and immediately headed towards the pce doors without pausing to think. Yao Mowan slowly walked out of the shadows of the willow forest and stared in the direction Zi Shuang had gone in with her midnight dark eyes as a trace of a smile appeared on her lips. ¡°Niang niang, Imperial Noble Consort will probably be out of luck this time!¡± remarked Ting Yue delightedly. ¡°Yao Suluan wouldn¡¯t be the only one out of luck. Have you sent someone to notify Father yet?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, niang niang, Liu Xing has already arranged for someone to report this to Master.¡± ¡°En, let¡¯s go. Come with ben gong to see the show!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s expression returned to its usual cold indifference. The depths of her eyes were filled hidden coldness. Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was covering her abdomen with both hands and sobbing heartbreakingly. The brocade quilt and satin mattress were dyed with dark red blood in a sight that was shocking to see. This was the tragic scene Huan Caier saw when she was escorted in. ¡°Consort Chen! My niang niang has always exercised forbearance towards you, yet unexpectedly you turned out to be this heartless and caused my master to lose her unborn child! Your Majesty, this servant begs you to get justice for Imperial Noble Consort ah! Niang niang had just suffered the pain of losing her mother, and now she has lost the dragon seed¡­ how will niang niang be able to bear it!?¡± Cai Ying¡¯s face was streaming with tears as she threw herself down in front of Ye Hongyi and kowtowed as if her life depended on it. ¡°Consort Chen, how do you n to exin this?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s expression was stern and his gaze was cold as ice. ¡°Imperial Noble Consort¡¯s miscarriage has nothing to do with this consort so this consort has no need to exin.¡± Unconceble disgust and contempt was apparent in her clear voice. Zi Shuang had put it well, a tiger, though vicious, still wouldn¡¯t eat its child. It was unexpected that Yao Suluan was actually this heartless, she really couldn¡¯t evenpare to an animal. ¡°You still refuse to admit even with this undeniable evidence?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s eyes were like that of roaming wild wolves, filled with chilling cold light. ¡°Wonder where is the evidence Your Majesty mentioned?¡± Huan Caier couldn¡¯t really say that she loved or hated Ye Hongyi. She only entered the pce for the sake of strengthening the position the Huan family held in the Imperial Court. Her life was determined to be such; she neither enjoyed nor disliked it. However, Ye Hongyi¡¯s sudden change of attitude towards her surprised her quite a little. Yesterday night this man was still being extremely gentle towards her on her bed, yet now he had be so distant. ¡°Imperial Physician Zheng discovered traces of saffron in the ginseng soup you brought over earlier. Do you still dare to say that this matter is unrted to you?¡± Ye Hongyi took Yao Suluan into his arms as he fiercely questioned Huan Caier. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little too far-fetched to conclude that this consort plotted to kill the dragon fetus within Imperial Noble Consort¡¯s stomach just based on this one fact? Who dares to guarantee that it wasn¡¯t Imperial Noble Consort that added in the saffron herself in order to use it to frame this consort?¡± Huan Caier believed what Yao Mowan said, which was why she was waiting. Once Father entered the pce, she would naturally make Yao Suluan suffer the consequences. This was practically a god-send opportunity to turn the tables on Yao Suluan. However, she had to admit that this was thanks to Yao Suluan¡¯s imbecile sister. ¡°Consort Chen, you¡¯re making venomous nder! Ben gong only wished for the Inner Pce to be peaceful and filled with happiness, and hence had always endured everything and backed down in our conflicts. Unexpectedly, you were actually this vicious and repaid me by harming my imperial son! Now you¡¯re not only refusing to admit your wrong, you¡¯re even trying to invert root and branch and frame ben gong!? Your Majesty, you must help this consort get justice; you must get revenge for our son!¡± Yao Suluan hadn¡¯t expected for Huan Caier to be so unperturbed. She became a little worried since she couldn¡¯t afford to have any problems ur in this n. ¡°Consort Chen, before this matter is fully investigated, zhen can only ask you to endure a bit of grievance for now. Someonee, take Consort Chen to the Cold Pce!¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s goal was very simple. Once he threw Huan Caier into the Cold Pce, Huan Heng would definitely take the initiative to hand over his military power in order to save his daughter. ¡°Your Majesty! This consort has been wrongly used! This consort¡­¡± Huan Caier knew that if she left Pure Flowers Pce right now, she would forever lose the chance to clear some things up. Just as she was about to bring up Yao Mowan, a shocked voice appeared in the room. ¡°Second Older Sister? Second Older Sister, what happened to you? Why is there so much blood?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s sudden appearance bought Huan Caier some time. Everyone¡¯s eyes immediately focused on Yao Mowan, especially Ye Hongyi¡¯s. ¡°Wan er, why are you here?¡± When Ye Hongyi saw Yao Mowan¡¯s pale little face, he felt unbearable heartache. He immediately released Yao Suluan and walked up to pull Yao Mowan into his arms. ¡°Wan er heard that something has happened to Second Older Sister and so came here to see. Your Majesty, what happened to Second Older Sister?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Hongyi with tears whirling in her eyes. Her long eyshes were moistened with dew-like drops of sparkling tears that, in the next instant, slid off and fell to the ground. They sshed like countless pieces of broken ss on Ye Hongyi¡¯s heart. ¡°Wan er¡­ Second Older Sister¡¯s child is gone¡­ It was Consort Chen! She was jealous of the fact that Second Older Sister was pregnant and was angry with you for pushing her into the water¡­ so she poisoned and killed Second Older Sister¡¯s child!¡± Yao Suluan had to force down her anger when she saw that Ye Hongyi had forgotten about the main business at hand and rushed to Yao Mowan¡¯s side. Then she shouted with sorrow and rage as she pointed at Huan Caier, her hand trembling. She felt that though Yao Mowan was dumb beyond salvation, it wasn¡¯tpletely without any good points. At the very least, Yao Suluan felt, this fool¡¯s heart still contained her, this Second Older Sister. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 61-62
Chapter 62: Discovered by the Prince! As of now, lunch has already been prepared. Ting Yue walked slowly to Yao Mowan¡¯s side, lifted Fluffy from her knee, and carried her over to the chaise lounge before helping Yao Mowan towards the table. ¡°You¡¯ve delivered the Esteemed Prince¡¯s portion?¡± It had been two days since shest saw Ye Junqing, since the day she told him not to appear in front of her again while wearing white. ¡°Replying niang niang, I¡¯ve sent it over,¡± reported Ting Yue. ¡°I got it. You can withdraw.¡± Sometimes Yao Mowan would recall what Yan Nansheng said. Had she really overdone it? ¡°Niang niang!¡± Ting Yue turned around to leave and saw that Ye Junqing was standing at the pce doors in an azure garment. In that instant, Yao Mowan seemed to see the past Ye Junqing once again. His azure garment dazzled beneath the sunlight and framed his well-built figure well. This was the color thatplemented Ye Junqing¡¯s grace and pride the most. At this current moment, Ye Junqing¡¯s handsome face radiated with health and vigor. The listlessness from before was nowhere to be seen. Ting Yue, with great difficulty, shifted her gaze away from Ye Junqing. Intuition told her that she shouldn¡¯t harbor any other emotions towards this man except for respect. Yao Mowan only retrieved her gaze after Ting Yue left. She walked slowly to the table without saying a word. ¡°Ahem¡­ There¡¯s something I want to ask you, but you can¡¯t get angry.¡± Although Ye Junqing felt a little awkward when Yao Mowan ignored his gesture of sincerity, he still walked over and sat down next to Yao Mowan. ¡°Try saying it.¡± Yao Mowan lifted the chopsticks with a calm expression. When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan was being so agreeable, he thought that she was in a very good mood today and felt a little less nervous. ¡°What happened to the Imperial Noble Consort¡­ was your doing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Ye Junqing watched Yao Mowan closely, only to see her suddenly put down her chopsticks and lift her bright flickering eyes to look towards him. ¡°You feel heartache for her?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows. It was hard to tell between the darkness and light in her eyes. ¡°As if. However, I think it probably wasn¡¯t you. She¡¯s your older sister and you three sisters have such a close rtionship, so I think you probably wouldn¡¯t hurt her!¡± Ye Junqing repeated the words he used to persuade himself in front of Yao Mowan. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who put the saffron there.¡± Yao Mowan once again picked up her chopsticks as she spoke in an indifferent tone. Yes, it was true ah. She had once also thought that they were very close as sisters, but Yao Suluan had taught her the meaning of ¡®wishful thinking,¡¯ of ¡®naively imagining that one¡¯s affection was reciprocated¡¯! When Yao Mowan saw Ye Junqing involuntarily sigh in relief, she supplemented a sentence as the punchline. ¡°But, I was the one who told Yin Xue to put it there.¡± Right after Yao Mowan finished speaking, Ye Junqing abruptly stood up and looked at her angrily. ¡°Why did you frame the Imperial Noble Consort? She¡¯s your older sister!¡± Ye Junqing could find a thousand reasons to exin why Yao Mowan would incite disharmony between Ye Hongyi and Huan Heng, but he couldn¡¯t think of any reason why she would frame Yao Suluan. Moxin had once said that she loved her younger sister, Suluan, a lot. ¡°And you¡¯re still saying that you don¡¯t feel heartache for her?¡± Yao Mowan seemedpletely unconcerned as she picked up a piece of fish and sampled it. ¡°Yao Mowan! This prince asked you a question!¡± Ye Junqing hated this unperturbed and carefree attitude of Yao Mowan the most. ¡°Yin Xue, it¡¯s really noisy.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s willow brows creased slightly as she remarked in annoyance. ¡°Prince, if you will!¡± Yin Xue instantly dropped out of nowhere like a ghost and appeared in front of Ye Junqing. There was not a trace of emotion on her beautiful face which was cold as ice. ¡°Yao Mowan! This prince won¡¯t tolerate you hurting Moxin¡¯s younger sister! This prince will head to His Majesty¡¯s ce right now to expose your actions! You vicious poisonous woman!¡± Ye Junqing had fought Yin Xue before, so he knew very clearly that he wasn¡¯t a match for her at all. Rather than being thrown out, it would be better to walk out himself in order to preserve some dignity. ¡°Yin Xue, withdraw!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s voice had turned frosty as she abruptly put down her chopsticks again. When Yin Xue left, she slowly got up and walked towards Ye Junqing without any emotion on her face. ¡°You¡­ what do you n to do?¡± Ye Junqing swallowed hard. He had never seen such a serious expression on Yao Mowan¡¯s face before. ¡°Go ah! Go tell His Majesty that this consort was the one who put the saffron below Yao Suluan¡¯s bed! Mowan doesn¡¯t dare to guarantee this about other people, but Mowan definitely will not stop you if you want to expose Mowan! So go!¡± Her clear and cold voice was filled with unsuppressable sorrow and indignation. Waves of rage surged in Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes and they glited with light that stabbed Ye Junqing¡¯s heart like a sharp de, causing him to feel baffling pain. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t force me¡­¡± With each step that Yao Mowan took, Ye Junqing¡¯s confidence dwindled as he retreated until he was backed against a wall. However, Yao Mowan still showed no intention to stop. The two¡¯s position made people¡¯s imaginations run wild. ¡°It¡¯s not like this prince said that this prince will definitely go¡­¡± For some unknown reason, though he had never felt any fear while overlooking the world in battle, when he was in front of Yao Mowan he would feel shorter by a chunk. At the same time, he would subconsciously indulge and pamper her. That feeling came from the depths of his heart, perhaps he himself hadn¡¯t even be aware of it. ¡°You definitely have to go ah! Mowan would like to see how happy and relieved you would look once you betray Mowan!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s clear voice was filled with indignance and her eyes billowed with waves. The ripples visible in her eyes cause Ye Junqing¡¯s heart to sink slightly, as if something was pressing on his chest ufortably. ¡°I just wanted to remind you¡­ No matter what, Yao Suluan is your¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for Prince to remind me what kind of thing she is. Prince probably knows the way to the Imperial Study? If you can¡¯t find it, Mowan can take you there!¡± Yao Mowan was close to Ye Junqing to the point Ye Junqing could count how many eyshes were on each of her eyes. It was to the point he could feel the breath from Yao Mowan¡¯s lips. Ye Junqing swallowed hard and suppressed his urge to just storm away. ¡°Ahem¡­ This Prince can give you a chance.¡± Ye Junqing cleared his throat and tried to take a step back only to realize that he was already pressed against the wall. Hence he could only shift his body a little to make the position less filled with ambiguous meanings. ¡°Prince cane with Mowan to see His Majesty right now to reveal everything about Mowan.¡± As Yao Mowan spoke, she nced back towards Fluffy who was sleeping on the chaise lounge. When she turned back around, a trace of mischievousness was in her eyes. ¡°Or Prince can hold Fluffy and properly rest a little in Guan Osprey Pce to clear your head. Prince, choose for yourself!¡± ¡°You! You bully too intolerably!¡± Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing immediately glowered at her. ¡°Mowan has always been very reasonable. From the looks of it, Prince has already made a decision. Let¡¯s go!¡± Yao Mowan shifted her cold gaze away from Ye Junqing, then turned and started heading towards the pce doors. She only turned around when she was outside of the pce. When she looked back, Ye Junqing was still standing in his original spot, seething. After a few moments, he stomped towards the chaise lounge and unwillingly picked Fluffy up before sitting down. Then he shot Yao Mowan a fierce glower. The image was beautiful and filled with warmth. A man that looked gentle as jade and beautiful as a celestial was holding a white-furred cat in hisp. It was an incredibly harmonious scene. ¡°This prince doesn¡¯t like Fluffy!¡± Ye Junqing¡¯sint-filled voice destroyed the harmonious moment. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to ask Prince to break away from his narrow-mindedness and learn to love without boundaries,¡± said Yao Mowan unhurriedly as she continued walking out of Guan Osprey Pce. A faint trace of warmth streaked through her heart. This warmth was like the refreshing wind after the rain; it gently caressed Yao Mowan¡¯s ice-cold heart. ¡°This prince has already done as you asked, so where are you going now?¡± When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan was leaving, he nervously questioned her. ¡°Shhh! Fluffy is a pregnant cat, Prince shouldn¡¯t disturb the little kittens in her belly.¡± Yao Mowan ced a finger in front of her lips, then peeked at Fluffy carefully. Seeing that she was fine, she exhorted Ye Junqing a little before turning away and leaving. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Chapter Volume 1 63
Chapter 63: To While the Time Away with Consort Li ¡°Hey¡­¡± Ye Junqing wanted to say more but Yao Mowan had already disappeared from sight. He stared at the empty doorway for a moment, thenughed helplessly. His worry had been unnecessary. Yao Mowan wasn¡¯t a fool, so how was it possible for her to go confess everything to Ye Hongyi? Ye Junqing finally realized the fact that whoever dared to treat Yao Mowan as a fool was definitely the number one fool in the world! And those people would definitely die iparably tragic deaths. ¡°Fluffy, how can you stand a master like that?¡± Ye Junqing subconsciously stroked Fluffy¡¯s fur as he asked, feeling slightly embarrassed. ¡°Meow!¡± Fluffy gave a gentle meow in reply as if she could understand Ye Junqing¡¯s words. Ye Junqing was stunned for a moment, then his lips curved up slightly. Perhaps he didn¡¯t hate this cat that much. In the Imperial Garden, Ting Yue saw that Yao Mowan¡¯s expression was very dark so she spoke very carefully. ¡°Niang niang, where are we going?¡± ¡°To Pure Flowers Pce, to while away some time.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Ye Junqing¡¯s pleas for leniency, perhaps she would have allowed Yao Suluan a few days of peace and quiet. ¡°Consort Li¡­ But Consort Li is currently still angry. How about niang niang waits a few days before going?¡± suggested Ting Yue tentatively. She was worried that her master would suffer due to Yao Suluan¡¯s current mood. ¡°Does this consort have to pick a date just to mess with her? In a little while, you just need to say this¡­¡± Yao Mowan stopped walking to whisper into Ting Yue¡¯s ear, then turned and strode towards Pure Flowers Pce. Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was clutching a teacup tightly. The sound of the teacup lid hitting the teacup was loud and sharp. All of a sudden, there was a ¡®bang¡¯¡­ Yao Suluan had thrown the teacup on the ground. ¡°What kind of tea is this? Are you trying to burn this consort to death!?¡± Yao Suluan looked towards the new pce maid, Ming Yu, with a fierce expression, loathing shing through her eyes. Even though Ming Yu¡¯s appearance was agreeable, Yao Suluan felt that she was inferior to Cai Ying in every way. ¡°Niang niang, please forgive me. Ming Yu will go make another cup right away.¡± Although Cai Ying was convicted of the crime of poisoning the dragon fetus, everyone in the Imperial Pce had eyes and knew who Cai Ying was shouldering the punishment for. Thus, Ming Yu, who was one of the only pce maids that was An Bingshan¡¯s confidant, naturally knew about it as well. Right now, what she had to do was grin and bear these insults. As Ming Yu spoke, she swiftly picked up the broken porcin pieces on the ground before getting back up. Following that, she heard footstepse from outside the pce. ¡°Zi Shuang, do you smell what this is in Pure Flowers Pce?¡± A clear voice suddenly arose. Before the pce maid outside could give the report, Huan Caier already strode in with Zi Shuang. ¡°Replying niang niang, it¡¯s the smell of mold. It¡¯s truly disgusting.¡± Zi Shuang waved at the air as she replied in rapport. When Ming Yu saw Huan Caier walk into the main hall, she immediately slipped the broken fragments into her sleeve and curtsied. ¡°This servant Ming Yu kowtows in greeting to Noble Consort Chen.¡± ¡°Consort Li, you sure have a lot of guts to not stand up and curtsy upon seeing my master! Don¡¯t forget, right now you¡¯re just a consort, while my master is a Noble Consort. What? Could it be that you still think of yourself as the Imperial Noble Consort?¡± When Zi Shuang saw that Yao Suluan remained seated with a frosty expression, she walked up and berated her in a stern voice. Yao Suluan didn¡¯t speak. Suppressing her fury, she slowly got up and forced herself to walk to Huan Caier. Just as she was about to curtsy, a ¡®pah¡¯ sound rang out. Huan Caier¡¯s hand lifted and fell, leaving five shocking fingerprints on Yao Suluan¡¯s face. Before Yao Suluan could react, Huan Caier lifted her hand again. ¡°Niang niang, watch out!¡± Ming Yu immediately walked up to shield Yao Suluan and took the p in her stead. ¡°Huan Caier! This is intolerable!¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s eyes narrowed as she red furiously at Huan Caier. ¡°This is intolerable? It¡¯s notparable to even a percentage of what you did! No matter how fierce a tiger is, it doesn¡¯t eat its own children. Yao Suluan, you can¡¯t evenpare to an animal! For the sake of framing this consort, you actually killed your own son! This consort has truly underestimated you, you sure are cold-hearted! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Father had been able to see through things and act decisively to find the saffron in your resting pce, this consort would have already been thrown into the Cold Pce and perhaps even given the death penalty! The fact that I¡¯ve only pped you is already letting you off easy!¡± Vicious chilling currents swirled in Huan Caier¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re making venomous nder! Why would this consort poison her own child!? It was Cai Ying¡¯s doing! She has already admitted to the crime and has been executed for it!¡± refuted Yao Suluan. As she touched her smarting cheek with her fingers, hatred flooded her heart as if a dam had burst. She had tried to exin countless times to Ye Hongyi that there had never been a hidden drawer beneath her bed and that someone had framed her, yet he didn¡¯t bother to listen to a word of it. Without regards to the rights and wrongs of the matter, he deducted her rank by two levels. However, why would she have done this, if not for him and his country of great Chu!? ¡°Yao Suluan, there are no outsiders here right now, so what need is there to continue acting? This consort truly feels sorry for that girl Cai Ying. After serving you for an entire lifetime, all she got in return was a cup of poisoned wine. Yao Suluan, this matter is already over in His Majesty¡¯s heart, but it¡¯s not over in this consort¡¯s heart! Zi Shuang, smash everything!¡± Huan Caier¡¯s eyes were cold as ice. At that time, when her father had exined to her the hidden connections in this matter, she couldn¡¯t help but inhale sharply. Based on what her father had said, this matter was definitely a coboration between His Majesty and Yao Suluan in order to root out the Huan family. It was fortunate that they had been able to resolve the crisis in the end, otherwise she probably would not be the only one to die due to this incident! It was lonely at the top, which was why her father told her to turn down the position of Empress in order to avoid gaining more enemies. After getting thismand, Zi Shuang immediately rushed to an antique bookcase and swept the jade buddha and white jade guanyin statues off. ¡°Stop!¡± Yao Suluan was furious. She moved up to stop her, but Huan Caier grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back hard. Huan Caier had more strength than her, so Yao Suluan couldn¡¯t struggle free. ¡°Smash them all!¡±manded Huan Caier coldly after ncing at Yao Suluan. ¡°Noble Consort Chen, my master is naturally a rank lower than you, but you shouldn¡¯t forget that my master¡¯s younger sister who is a Noble Consort is greatly favored by His Majesty. My family¡¯s niang niang and Consort Yao have a very close rtionship. This servant believes that Consort Yao will definitely get justice for my master and repay you for whatever you do.¡± Ming Yu walked deferentially to Huan Caier with an attitude that was neither servile nor overbearing. Upon hearing this, Huan Caier¡¯s heart immediately chilled. She hadn¡¯t forgotten how she ended up falling into the Jade Pond, nor had she forgotten how much His Majesty doted on Yao Mowan. ¡°Ahem¡­ Zi Shuang, this consort is tired so let¡¯s stop here for today. We¡¯lle here again to vent anger the next time this consort gets in a bad mood. Come help this consort back.¡± Huan Caier carelessly flung Yao Suluan aside then extended her jade fingers towards Zi Shuang. She then walked out of the pce with Zi Shuang supporting her. Yao Mowan watched as Huan Caier left Pure Flowers Pce, then leisurely walked out from behind the banyan tree. ¡°Niang niang, Consort Chen with her temper definitely wouldn¡¯t have let Consort Li off easy,¡± said Ting Yue excitedly. ¡°It was too brief, this consort wouldn¡¯t have minded waiting another two hours. But it doesn¡¯t matter, since she has left, it¡¯s this consort¡¯s turn. Let¡¯s go!¡± In the main hall, Yao Suluan felt a head-splitting headache. She was just about to head back to the inner room to rest when she suddenly heard the sound of rapid footsteps. Before she even turned around, she heard that clear pleasant-sounding voice. ¡°Second Older Sister, Mowan hase to visit you!¡± When Yao Mowan saw the mess on the ground, her lips hooked in an almost imperceptible curve. ¡°This servant kowtows in salute to Consort Yao and wishes Consort Yao niang niang great fortune.¡± Ming Yu, who was in the middle of cleaning up the mess, immediately walked up and curtsied respectfully to Yao Mowan when she saw her. ¡°You¡¯re a new pce maid, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve never seen you before ah!¡± Yao Mowan blinked as she looked at Ming Yu who was bowing to her. Ming Yu¡¯s features were delicate and pretty, and her etiquette was neat and dignified. The fact that she had been able to avoid being defiled by An Bingshan and actually became his trusted aide meant that this pce maid was definitely very intelligent. Yao Mowan made a mental note about this person since she would probablye in useful in the future. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 64
Chapter 64: Won¡¯t Be Repaying With Her Life If You Get Angered To Death ¡°Replying Consort Yao, this servant had been transferred to Pure Flowers Pce just recently.¡± Ming Yu didn¡¯t dare to look up as she replied humbly. ¡°Ming Yu, there¡¯s no need for you right now, withdraw.¡± Cai Ying definitely wouldn¡¯t have been so respectful towards this fool. As Yao Suluan took in Ming Yu¡¯s groveling manner, she really started to miss Cai Ying. After Ming Yue left, Yao Suluan nced at Yao Mowan coldly. Even though her rank was now lower than Yao Mowan¡¯s, it was hard to change a long-time habit. It was lucky for her that this wasn¡¯t something Yao Mowan cared about. ¡°What did youe here for?¡± Had Yao Mowan not been a fool, Yao Suluan definitely would have thought that she was here to take joy in her misfortune. Yao Suluan slowly sat down next to the table and looked towards Yao Mowan with an indifferent expression. Her looks weren¡¯t bad, but she was still an imbecile. She seriously could not understand how His Majesty became so captivated by her. This situation was truly abnormal. ¡°Mowan came to see Second Older Sister ah. The little baby and Cai Ying have left to a far away ce, Second Older Sister must be very lonely!¡± Yao Mowan gracefully walked over and sat down opposite Yao Suluan. Yao Suluan lifted a cup of tea without a word and didn¡¯t even bother to look at Yao Mowan. ¡°But Second Older Sister doesn¡¯t need to worry, Wan er knows someone that can bring them back! Just like the way he found Wan er¡®s mother!¡± Yao Mowan put on a mysterious expression as she looked towards Yao Suluan with her water-crystal-like eyes that seemedpletely harmless and innocent. Yao Suluan was shocked to hear those words and her gaze darted towards Yao Mowan as confusion shed through her eyes. ¡°Niang niang, you can¡¯t casually make things up!¡± Ting Yue immediately walked over to Yao Mowan¡¯s side and gave her a light shove. ¡°Who¡¯s making things up? Daoist Priest Bai Mei found Mother for Wan er, didn¡¯t he!?¡± Yao Mowan refuted earnestly. ¡°You¡­ what did you say?¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s heart abruptly skipped a beat and her eyes immediately turned deadly cold. ¡°Niang niang, you promised this servant that you wouldn¡¯t tell!¡± Ting Yue¡¯s expression changed rapidly to being filled with anxiety as she looked towards Yao Mowan. ¡°But Second Older Sister isn¡¯t a stranger ah!¡± argued Yao Mowan. ¡°Ting Yue, shut up. Yao Mowan, you were talking about Bai Mei? You know Daoist Priest Bai Mei?¡± Suspicion was arising in Yao Suluan¡¯s heart. Bai Mei was someone that isted himself from worldly matters that Cai Ying had specially invited, so how could it be possible for Yao Mowan to know him? ¡°That¡¯s right ah, of course Wan er knows Daoist Priest Bai Mei; he even helped Wan er find Mother!¡± said Yao Mowan while nodding firmly. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± For some reason, Yao Suluan was starting to have a bad feeling that made her unexinably vexed, even a little panicked. ¡°Why can¡¯t it be possible? I saw it with my own eyes! Mother¡¯s soul turned into a burst of dust and rushed into Fluffy¡¯s stomach. Daoist Priest Bai Mei told Wan er that Mother had reincarnated into Fluffy¡¯s stomach! After one more month, Wan er will be able to see Mother! Wan er¡®s so happy! Second Older Sister, why don¡¯t I help you invite Daoist Priest Bai Mei one of these days so that he can help the little baby and Cai Ying¡¯s soul reincarnate too? It¡¯s best if they are sent into Fluffy¡¯s stomach as well. The imperial physician had said so, that Fluffy is pregnant with several little kittens!¡± As Yao Mowan spun these lies, she felt a little apologetic towards her mother. ¡°Daoist Priest Bai Mei¡­ A bunch of ashes¡­¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s looked rmed as the scene of what ured in the side room shed through her mind. Meanwhile, Ting Yue hastily walked to Yao Suluan¡¯s side. ¡°Consort Yao, don¡¯t listen my niang niang¡®s nonsense. That Bai Mei is famous on the Jianghu for being a swindler. The servants only found him to cheer Master up a little in order to stop her from moaning about Second Madam everyday. As for that deceptive act, it¡¯s nothing but cheap tricks. Master tends to talk about it from time to time, so niang niang should just treat it as gossip and should not take it seriously,¡± said Ting Yue carefully before retreating back to Yao Mowan¡¯s side. ¡°If he¡¯s a swindler¡­ then¡­ that¡¯s not possible! He can¡¯t be a swindler!¡± Yao Suluan abruptly stood up. Her cold eyes were like those of a ravenous wolf and glintted with cold light as she glowered at Ting Yue. ¡°Second Older Sister, no one said that he was a swindler ah! Right?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue in an innocent manner. ¡°That¡¯s right, Daoist Priest Bai Mei wouldn¡¯t swindle anyone. Niang niang, Fluffy¡¯s probably about to wake up now, so shall this servant help you back?¡± When Ting Yue sensed Yao Suluan¡¯s fury, she subconsciously walked to Yao Mowan¡¯s side in seek of protection. ¡°That¡¯s right, we can¡¯t let Fluffy be hungry, otherwise Mother will suffer! Second Older Sister, Mowan is leaving now. Mowan will visit again in a couple days! Oh, and if Second Older Sister finishes deciding on where to let the little baby and Cai Ying reincarnate to, you can have Ting Yue call for Daoist Priest Bai Mei. He¡¯s really amazing!¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t forget to give Yao Suluan ast jab before leaving. ¡°Niang niang, let¡¯s go. Fluffy won¡¯t be able to wait any longer.¡± When Ting Yue sensed that the surrounding temperature had dropped to being near freezing, she hastily pulled Yao Mowan and left Pure Flowers Pce. Right after Yao Mowan stepped out of Pure Flowers Pce, a mournful scream came from behind them. ¡°Niang niang?¡± Ting Yue subconsciously looked towards Yao Mowan only to see that her eyes were clear as water and her lips were hooked in a slight, barely perceptible smile. Yao Suluan, this was only the beginning, so you had better hold on! Yao Mowan suddenly felt that the air was extremely refreshing, so she took a deep breath, then started walking back to Guan Osprey Pce. Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was shoving the square table to the ground manically. Her eyes were red and filled with intense burning mes as if she wanted to burn all of this to the ground. ¡°Why!? Heavens, why did you treat ben gong this way!? Cai Ying, you don¡¯t even deserve pity for your death! Not even death can wipe out your crimes! You actually found a swindler to trick ben gong! Child! This consort mother has let you down! Let you down ah! Aaah¡­¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s heart felt as if it was being scorched by unbearable heat! What reincarnation? It was all lies! She actually killed her own flesh and blood with her own hands! This cruel reality thoroughly broke Yao Suluan. By the time Ming Yu returned to Pure Flowers Pce, the sight that greeted her was the mess covering the ground and Yao Suluan standing in the corner like a corpse ¨C her gaze hollow, her face streaked with tears. Before even entering Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Mowan saw that Ye Junqing was holding Fluffy and sleeping with her on the chaise lounge. His tranquil features were distinct as careful engravings, and the perfect exquisite outline didn¡¯t have a single w. Even if there was no expression on his face, the moving beauty still caused people to sigh uncontrobly, especially when it was contrasted with Fluffy¡¯s snow-colored fur. Currently, Ye Junqing seemed like a high-ranking celestial, beautiful to an unreal degree. ¡°Niang niang!¡± Right at this moment, Liu Xing ran in from outside. Yao Mowan lifted her finger and said ¡®shhh¡¯ quietly, then led Liu Xing to the stone steps outside of Guan Osprey Pce. ¡°What is it?¡± Yao Mowan sat down on the swing and her delicate shoes that were embroidered with gold thread slowly left the ground. A gentle breeze blew by and her light pink skirt fluttered slightly as her hair drew a graceful arc in the wind, making her look like a celestial. ¡°Replying niang niang, this servant discovered the secret rtionship between Third Madam and Doctor Zhou Chengwu of Vige Mark Pharmacy. They had been childhood sweethearts long before Third Madam entered Prime Minister Yao¡¯s residence. Later, Master married Third Madam and arranged for her to stay in Su Residence. Zhou Chengwu has always been in charge of looking after Third Madam¡¯s health during her pregnancy. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Liu Xing hesitated. ¡°Speak.¡± Yao Mowan swung on the swing. Her beautiful features seemed to carry a gentle smile, yet in the warm temperature of the summer¡¯s beginning, that smile seemed extremely cold. ¡°This servant questioned several sources and learned that Zhou Chengwu and Third Madam had illicit rtionships before Master had married Third Madam¡­ And it wasn¡¯t only once, so¡­ this servant suspects¡­ that little Young Master might not be Master¡¯s flesh and blood,¡± reported Liu Xing awkwardly in trepidation. After all, this was rted to the big matter of the Yao family¡¯s descendents, so he didn¡¯t dare to be certain. ¡°What ben gong needs is conclusive evidence.¡± Yao Mowan lowered the tips of her feet to the ground as a soft light filled her deep eyes. What was she thinking? Just that this was to be expected. After all, how could a sanctimonious hypocrite like Yao Zhenting possibly have a son? __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 65
Chapter 65: Silent Criticisms Were Allowed ¡°Liu Xing understands.¡± Once Liu Xing withdrew, Yao Mowan waved her hand and dismissed Ting Yue as well before carefully walking into Guan Osprey Pce with quiet steps. Ye Junqing was sleeping very soundly and didn¡¯t realize it even when Yao Mowan came to stand in front of him. Junqing, for the sake of great Chu, you¡¯ve hacked away the thorns and brambles and drove a path forward through countless bloody battles. Without fear, you¡¯ve endured the hardships of life out in the wilderness, the glint of des and shadow of swords. For me, you¡¯ve built great Chu an imprable defense. Yet, I allowed you to fall to such decadent infamy, to such a sorrowful and deste state. Sleep well. Once you truly wake up, Mowan will definitely return you a flourishing great Chu, and make up for your lifetime of deep affection. Tears had spilled out of the corners of her eyes. Yao Mowan silently wiped them away and slowly approached Ye Junqing. Her slender jade-like fingers subconsciously moved towards him. Just as Yao Mowan¡¯s fingers were about to touch Ye Junqing¡¯s face, his eyes suddenly opened. When he saw the fingers that were very close to his face, his sleepiness immediately dispersed and his eyes darted towards the owner of those fingers. ¡°What were you nning to do?¡± Ye Junqing looked at Yao Mowan warily, his expression guarded. ¡°I left for only a while, but it ured to me that my Fluffy is really pitiful. It was clearly her own territory, yet a certain insensitive person took up a good half of it. It was definitely ufortable, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s fingers changed directions seamlessly and picked up Fluffy. Without even ncing at Ye Junqing, she slowly walked into the inner room. On the chaise lounge, Ye Junqing¡¯s expression was quite dark. He really wanted to shout, did I want to!? Was itfortable for me!? But he choose to remain silent until he found out for sure whether Yao Mowan was still angry about the earlier matter. However, he made plenty of silentints! Ever since Yao Suluan got demoted, the position of most influence in the Inner Pce had fallen to a fool. This development changed a lot of people¡¯s viewpoints. Originally everyone thought that His Majesty had only bestowed the title of consort on a fool because the Imperial Noble Consort was the fool¡¯s older sister and the Emperor was showing love for the crow on the house since he loved the house. However, now everyone has finallye to understand that His Majesty doted on Mowan for real. Due to what happened with Yao Suluan, during court His Majesty treated Yao Zhenting more coldly. The only thing was, he didn¡¯t dote on Yao Mowan any less. In Soul Sand Garden, Ye Hongyi held Yao Mowan¡¯s hand as he gazed at the luxuriant flowers on the Soul Sand Tree in front of him with disappointment and frustration. Although he didn¡¯t like Yao Moxin, he had to admit that she was the most intelligent girl he had ever met. Interpreting the astrological signs with this kind of method wasn¡¯t something that an ordinary person could do. ¡°Wan er observed the astronomical phenomenons yesterday and found that the light of Pris has greatly increased while the star general of the White Tiger constetion has dimmed to the point that it¡¯s almost dark. Your Majesty, this Soul Sand Garden is really magical ah!¡± Yao Mowan spoke with an astonished tone as she pointed towards the Soul Sand Tree in the White Tiger constetion. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Zhen will go with you to take a look at Fluffy. Zhen heard the imperial physicians say that she hasn¡¯t been eatingtely?¡± Ye Hongyi held Yao Mowan¡¯s hand tightly and turned to leave Soul Sand Garden. After that day in which Yao Suluan had a miscarriage, Huan Heng had tactfully handed over half his military power on the pretext that he was getting old. This helped undo the worry in Ye Hongyi¡¯s heart. When he saw that the Soul Sand Tree which represented him be more lush, his apprehensions finally easedpletely. In the shadows, Yao Suluan watched as Ye Hongyi left holding Yao Mowan¡¯s hand. Her expression was extremely sinister and the handkerchief clenched in her hand was twisted beyond recognition. She hated Ye Hongyi for turning out to be a person that got cooked the hunting dog once all the rabbits were caught, for getting rid of her once she ceased to be useful. Even more, she hated Yao Mowan, that imbecile, for being able to obtain the doting of the Emperor. As of now, in His Majesty¡¯s eyes, even that damned animal was more precious than she was. Her poor pitiful child had died meaninglessly; how could she not feel hatred!? ¡°Niang niang¡­ here is the rat poison you wanted¡­¡± Ming Yu carefully handed the paper packet of rat poison to Yao Suluan. ¡°Go to Guan Osprey Pce and keep watch. As soon as you see that animal, no matter what it takes, bring it to Pure Flowers Pce!¡±manded Yao Suluan between gritted teeth as she took the rat poison and left Soul Sand Garden. Ming Yu only retreated into the corner once Yao Suluan had walked far away. ¡°Eunuch An, please give this servant advice. Should this servant bring Consort Yao¡¯s Fluffy to Pure Flowers Pce?¡± Ming Yu stood next to An Bingshan and spoke to him respectfully. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand. Yao Suluan was able to get to the position of Imperial Noble Consort so she probably shouldn¡¯t be dumb, yet howe the way she¡¯s acting now seems even more like a fool than Consort Yao¡¯s actions? Since she hates Consort Yao, why not directly feed the rat poison to Consort Yao? That way I can also stay out of the matter. Well, for now it looks like I¡¯ll still have to trouble you to continue staying by Yao Suluan¡¯s side until you grab hold of her greatest weakness.¡± An Bingshan narrowed his small eyes in the direction Yao Suluan had left in. ¡°It is this servant¡¯s fortune to able to help Eunuch in your endeavors, this servant is not troubled.¡± Ming Yu lowered her head humbly. Her clever eyes were filled with unflinching light. ¡°You are a very sensible girl, unlike Hong Mei¡­ Ahem, yes, don¡¯t worry. Just do as I¡¯ve instructed and there¡¯ll be your share in the benefits. Alright, you should go!¡± An Bingshan cleared his throat, then flicked his horsetail whisk and dismissed Ming Yu. Perhaps due to the fact that Ye Junqing had taken the initiative to show his goodwill that day, Fluffy had be a frequent visitor of the east wing of Guan Osprey Pce. Even though Ye Junqing was very unwilling to entertain this guest, he didn¡¯t dare to forcefully chase her out. Using Yao Mowan¡¯s words, it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t eat him alive if he ended up disturbing the kittens in Fluffy¡¯s belly. A certain day countless ¡®meow¡¯ster, Fluffynguidly rubbed against Ye Junqing¡¯s ankle and meowed continuously. It went on until Ye Junqing couldn¡¯t ignore it any longer and threw down the brush in his hand, bent over, and picked Fluffy up. ¡°Fluffy, you¡¯re seriously bing more and more like your master. You know how to do everything except speak reason!¡± Ye Junqing glowered at Fluffy who was lying in his arms contently. He felt torn between tears andughter. When Ye Junqing walked into Guan Osprey Pce carrying Fluffy, it was right in time to see Ye Hongyi pressing down on Yao Mowan and kissing her half revealed snow-white cor. His heart felt as if a wasp had stung it. The little bit of pain wasn¡¯t important, but the painful ce carried poison that rapidly spread until the faint pain seemed to fill his entire body. Ye Junqing¡¯s arms tightened and Fluffy gave an ufortable meow. Then she jumped down and went off to entertain herself. ¡°So it¡¯s Junqing ah! Look at zhen, to even forget about the time and almost make zhen¡®s Wan er starve. It¡¯s all zhen¡®s fault!¡± Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan up in a natural manner, but inwardly he was a little frustrated. He had clearly satisfied himself with Yao Mowan justst night, yet earlier he had felt an uncontroble desire to have this woman again. He had once asked himself what part of Yao Mowan was good when even her intelligence was problematic. Yet he couldn¡¯t stop himself from desiring this body. The desire was so strong that it was out of control. At that instant, Ye Hongyi thought of the word ¡®love.¡¯ ¡°Junqing, you¡¯re here? Where¡¯s Fluffy?¡± Behind Ye Hongyi, Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing in an innocent manner. Guilt flickered in her eyes for barely a second before it faded. Even if this was a rebirth, even if she knew of Ye Junqing¡¯s deep affection for her, there was still no way she could give herselfpletely to this man. Yao Moxin has already be the past. She believed that there would be a better woman that deserved Ye Junqing¡¯s protection. All that was in her heart aside from taking revenge was repaying grace. ¡°Wan er, what¡­ what did you call him?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s heart abruptly felt cold when he heard Yao Mowan call Ye Junqing in such an intimate way. ¡°Junqing ah. Fluffy likes for Wan er to call him this way even though Wan er doesn¡¯t like it. But who asked for Fluffy to be pregnant with baby kittens? Junqing, where¡¯s Fluffy?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s unconcerned manner relieved Ye Hongyi. He had been oversensitive. How could his Wan er possibly like another man? There was no other reason he felt this way except for the fact that he treated her especially well. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]C: The title in full should probably be (at least) silent criticisms were allowed. ¡ªYe Junqing. How to survive when dealing with a smart, hatefully lovable, two-faceddy. Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 66
Chapter 66: What Need Is There To Torment A Cat? ¡°Zhen¡®s Wan er alwayses up with such strange ideas. Junqing ah, don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± As Ye Hongyi walked up and pulled Yao Mowan into his arms, he looked at Ye Junqing with a strange expression. If the once legendary battle god continued to stay here like this, he¡¯ll probably be useless! ¡°Your Majesty is speaking too seriously. There is no need for this subject-brother to hold something like this against Consort Yao.¡± A trace of disdain shed through his eyes, implying the meaning that there was no point getting angry with a fool. However, inwardly he was still hung up on the sensual scene he saw moments ago. Why would he react that way? It wasn¡¯t logical ah! Then he abruptly learned that there were seriously too many things in this world that weren¡¯t logical¡­ ¡°Junqing, I¡¯m talking to you! Where¡¯s Fluffy?¡± Yao Mowan reached out to tug on Ye Junqing¡¯s robe but he immediately brushed her hand off. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, but it¡¯s not like This prince is Consort Yao¡¯s cat-sitter. How would I know where Fluffy is!¡± replied Ye Junqing with an expression of righteous indignation. ¡°Wan er doesn¡¯t care! You have to help me find Fluffy! Otherwise, say goodbye to your dinner!¡± replied Yao Mowan fiercely as she stomped her feet. After saying that, she turned and walked back to Ye Hongyi¡¯s side without bother to wait for an answer. ¡°Junqing ah, zhen is sorry to hear about this. This is the first time zhen knew that the grand Esteemed Prince¡¯s meals actually depended on the well-being of a cat,¡± jeered Ye Hongyi as he dotingly lifted a strand of Yao Mowan¡¯s hair and twirled it around his finger. ¡°This subject-brother shall withdraw.¡± Ye Junqing was expressionless as he cupped his fist in salute, then turned to leave. ¡°Hey! Where are you going?¡± When Yao Mowan saw that Ye Junqing was about to leave Guan Osprey Pce, she shouted after him. ¡°To find the cat!¡± The clear voice drifted over. When Yao Mowan heard, a trace of a smile appeared in the depths of her eyes. Augh also came from above her, but she knew that the meaning behind her smile and Ye Hongyi¡¯s waspletely different. As the saying went, when you want to pick flowers, the flowers wouldn¡¯t open; when you casually nt a willow, the willow bes shade. Originally, Ye Junqing had no intention of looking for Fluffy and was just going to the imperial garden to hide out for a while. However, he happened to see Ming Yu rushing towards Pure Flowers Pce holding an unconscious Fluffy. Curiosity forced Ye Junqing to follow Ming Yu to Pure Flowers Pce. With a quick leap, he jumped onto the roof. ¡°Niang niang, Ming Yu has brought Fluffy here. I sprayed some anesthesia into its mouth a little while ago so it¡¯s asleep now,¡± said Ming Yu as she ced Fluffy on the table. ¡°How are we supposed to feed it rat poison if it¡¯s asleep? Wake it up with water!¡± When Yao Suluan saw Fluffy¡¯s swelled belly, her heart abruptly filled with hatred and she felt the urge to treat Fluffy as Yao Mowan and skin it with her bare hands! ¡°Niang niang, please reconsider ah! Consort Yao treasures this cat greatly. If it disappears for no reason, Consort Yao definitely wouldn¡¯t let it go. If the investigation ends up finding that¡­¡± Ming Yu acted out the loyalty a servant was supposed to have and tried to dissuade Yao Suluan. ¡°Enough of your nonsense! Shut up and get the things!¡± Yao Suluan got up as her eyes filled with sorrow and anger. Even now she couldn¡¯t understand where she had gone wrong to have fallen to this point. What had she done wrong!? It was hard to dissuade a bastard that deserved to die with kind words. Since Yao Suluan was seeking death for herself and insisted on offending the only influence she could rely on right now, Ming Yu naturally didn¡¯t bother to worry for her anymore. After all, her mission was to seize hold of Yao Suluan¡¯s greatest weakness and pass it on to An Bingshan. Of course, her goal wasn¡¯t as simple as to just curry favor with An Bingshan either. Just as Ming Yu stepped outside the pce doors, Yao Suluan stopped her with a shout. ¡°Nevermind! Just bring a knife over!¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s voice was dreadful to hear and her expression was very sinister as her pitch-ck eyes shone with killing intent. The vicious murderous aura enveloped Yao Suluan, making her appear like a demon from hell. ¡°Niang niang?¡± Ming Yu knitted her brows as she looked towards Yao Suluan with confusion. ¡°This consort will personally slice open its stomach to see what exactly it¡¯s pregnant with!¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s slender fingers were like witch ws as she stroked Fluffy¡¯s fur. Her scarlet lips slowly hooked in a cold, dark smile. The reincarnation of Moli, that lowly wretch? Daoist Priest Bai Mei? They were all liars! She¡¯d find out with her own eyes whether this animal¡¯s stomach contained humans or cats! ¡°Niang niang¡­ no matter what it¡¯s a life¡­¡± Ming Yu seriously couldn¡¯t endure the thought of Fluffy dying in such a terrible manner and tried once again to dissuade Yao Suluan. ¡°Are you deaf? This consort told you to get a knife!¡± Yao Suluan red at Ming Yu with eyes that shone with animal-like viciousness. Ming Yu trembled as she handed over a dagger. Yao Suluan snatched it and her face contorted in a monstrous manner as she pressed the tip of the sharp dagger against Fluffy¡¯s softly rising and falling belly. Her eyes emitted a chiling glow. She could practically visualize Yao Mowan lying in front of her. Her mind filled with the imagined scenes of how Yao Mowan seduced her man with alluring postures. ¡°Yao Mowan! Die!¡± Yao Suluan gripped the handle of the dagger with both hands and fiercely stabbed down. A sh of azure appeared in her vision and in the next moment Fluffy was in Ye Junqing¡¯s arms, safe and unharmed. ¡°Consort Li, what need is there for you to trouble a cat?¡± Ye Junqing had no way of matching the woman in front of him with the usually gentle and dignified Yao Suluan. At the very least, that was how Moxin had once described her. ¡°Es¡­ Esteemed Prince? Why are you here?¡± How did he get in? Yao Suluan retrieved the emotions on her face and took a deep breath before looking towards Ye Junqing with a surprised expression as she slipped the knife to Ming Yu. ¡°If this prince hadn¡¯t been here, Consort Yao¡¯s cat probably would have passed away beneath Consort Li¡¯s knife. This prince doesn¡¯t understand. Why does Consort Li hate this cat so much, to go so far as to cut open its stomach while it¡¯s still alive?¡± Ye Junqing looked at Yao Suluan coldly. There were numerous questions in his heart. Since Yao Suluan didn¡¯t know that Yao Mowan had framed her, why would she hate Yao Mowan so much? Perhaps he had been mistaken in denouncing Yao Mowan for disregarding sibling affection. ¡°What is prince saying? This consort doesn¡¯t understand. This consort only wanted to have a look at Fluffy, what was wrong about that?¡± Yao Suluan raised her eyebrows as she looked towards Ye Junqing in an innocent manner, even as envy gripped her heart. She couldn¡¯t understand what was so good about Yao Moxin to make a man this outstanding give up everything for her. ¡°This princesaw everything, yet Consort Li still refuses to admit it?¡± A trace of disgust appeared in Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes and, for some reason, his heart hurt. Moxin had treated a malicious person like this lovingly like she was her own flesh and blood. This woman really didn¡¯t deserve it! ¡°Prince is probably mistaken. This consort really harbors no malicious intentions towards Fluffy. As for what Prince saw¡­ no one would believe. Oh, and since Prince is currently staying in Guan Osprey Pce, this consort will trouble Prince with the task of bringing Fluffy back. This consort has looked at it enough.¡± Yao Suluanughed coldly as she looked at Ye Junqing. Her appearance was usually beautiful as a flower, but at this time her face had already turned sinister and warped. However, at this moment, Ye Junqing finally felt a little more rxed. He was starting to believe that everything Yao Mowan did, no matter what it was, was correct! ¡°This prince is leaving!¡± He didn¡¯t feel like continuing to argue over this with Yao Suluan and simply left with Fluffy. ¡°Damn it!¡± After Ye Junqing disappeared from sight, Yao Suluan clenched her fist until her veins were grotesquely apparent. The chill in her eyes was so strong it seemed capable of prating bone. Even after leaving Pure Flowers Pce, Ye Junqing still felt lingering fear. If he had arrived just a momentter, Fluffy and the kittens inside its stomach probably would have already met a terrible end. Ye Junqing stopped when he reached the water pavilion in the imperial garden and hugged Fluffy gently. There was a slight change uring in his heart. When one loved the house, that love sometimes extended to the bird on top of the house. There was definitely a reason behind the heartache he felt for Fluffy, but right now he didn¡¯t notice it enough to care. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 67-68
Chapter 67: Consort Xian¡¯s Secret Feelings ¡°This consort, Yu Funing, greets Prince.¡± The sweet-sounding voice was as pleasing to the ear as the singing of a yellow oriole. Upon hearing this greeting, Ye Junqing looked up and found that a woman dressed in a ornate outfit was standing in front of him with a clever-looking pce maid behind her. This woman¡¯s features were exquisite, with brows that arched like perfect brushstrokes, eyshes that were soft as silk, a delicate and gracefully curved figure, and a natural grace that was not overly exaggerated. Her features were lovely and charming. There were not a lot of ornaments in her hair, but every single one that was there was a treasure. For one, that night pearl at her waist was very rare. Yu Funing was the eldest daughter of Yu Qing, the Director of Board of Rites. Her appearance was dignified and she had a very cautious personality. Her red phoenix eyes seemed to understand everything and from time to time emitted bright light. Due to the fact that Yu Qing was learned and virtuous, and hence umted wealth throughwful means, Yu Funing was the wealthiest consort in the Inner Pce. As the proverbs say, money will make the Devil turn millstones. There was not a single event in the Inner Pce that could escape Yu Funing¡¯s eye. She had no less informants than An Bingshan. ¡°Consort Xian niang niang is being too polite. Please rise.¡± ording to the pce rules, with the exception of the Empress, all the other consorts and concubines in the Inner Pce must give a formal greeting upon seeing a prince. All the consorts and concubines apart from Yao Mowan were still pretty respectful ¨C this was what Ye Junqing was thinking. ¡°Funing was only aware that Prince¡¯s hands were used to holding swords and des. Today¡¯s the first that Funing learned Prince also liked cats this much.¡± Yu Funing calmly swept a nce over Fluffy who was in Ye Junqing¡¯s arms. ¡°People change. In reality, a person might not like the things they are used to holding. ying with a cat from time to time is not bad.¡± If the previous remarks hade from anyone else, Ye Junqing would have taken them to be mocking words. However, he could hear heartache and sincere pity in Yu Funing¡¯s tone so he knew that she had good intentions. ¡°That is true. It¡¯s rare to haveplete freedom in life, so it¡¯s fine as long as Prince likes it. However, does Prince truly like it? Though the days are easy, they aren¡¯tfortable, are they?¡± Ripples appeared in her clear eyes as she looked up towards Ye Junqing. Beneath the sunlight, Ye Junqing who was dressed in azure garments seemed like a wind spirit. However, his soul had left with that woman. Was it worth it? Yu Funing really wanted to ask. ¡°Opinions differ. Junqing still has to bring Fluffy back and so will leave now.¡± Ye Junqing was surprised to see the sorrow and pity in Yu Funing¡¯s eyes. He had only encountered Consort Xian a handful of times before so no such deep friendship existed between them. ¡°This consort respectfully sees off Prince!¡± said Yu Funing as she folded her hands together at the waist and curtsied. Qian Xi, who was behind Yu Funing, only walked up to help her master up after Ye Junqing had gotten far away. ¡°Niang niang, why did you say those hurtful things? The Esteemed Prince has probably been angered,¡± said Qian Xi as she gently smoothed out Yu Funing¡¯s wrinkled skirt. ¡°This consort couldn¡¯t bear seeing him so decadent¡­¡± Fu Yuning gazed after Ye Junqing¡¯s leaving figure, her eyes slightly misty with emotion. ¡°Niang niang¡­ why hurt yourself this way? You know your current status. Even if¡­¡± ¡°If he had been willing to show half a trace of interest, I¡¯m willing to abandon all of this and leave with him. I¡¯ll never forget that brief encounter on Changan Street. At that moment I knew, even if ten thousand years passed, there¡¯d never be another person in my heart. However, though the falling flowers yearn for love, the river water flows on heartlessly. His heart had already been stolen by Yao Moxin. However, what I can¡¯t ept is that Yao Moxin has already died, yet she still won¡¯t return his heart to him!¡± Yu Funing¡¯s eyes were glistening and her voice trembled a little. ¡°Shh! Niang niang, you can¡¯t make irresponsible remarks! The walls have ears!¡± Qian Xi immediately grabbed Fu Yuning and nced around worriedly. ¡°What I¡¯m even more angry about is the fact that right after Yao Moxin left, a Yao Mowan showed up!¡± It was very rare for Yu Funing to be this stirred up. She clenched her delicate hands into fists so hard that her palms hurt. ¡°What need is there for niang niang to bicker with a fool? How could Yao Mowan be mentioned on equal terms with Yao Moxin?¡± Qian Xi only rxed upon seeing that there was no one around. ¡°A fool? You also believe that Yao Mowan is a fool? Don¡¯t forget, as of now, that fool is the only one that stands above us in this Inner Pce!¡± Yu Funing retrieved the deep emotions in her eyes and those emotions were gradually reced by a cold glimmer. ¡°But everyone knows that Yao Moxin has a dumb younger sister. How could this news be false?¡± Qian Xi knitted her brows and looked towards Yu Funing in confusion. ¡°Humph! The fact that Yao Moxin died from a difficult childbirth is also something that everyone knows! But¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Qian Xi stopped her. ¡°Niang niang!¡± Qian Xi once again looked around worriedly. ¡°Things that everyone knows aren¡¯t necessarily true. I¡¯m certain that not only is Yao Mowan not a fool, she¡¯s an extremely shrewd person. She¡¯s currently acting as a swine in order to eat the tiger, and she has been sessful thus far. She has His Majesty firmly within her grasp and wasn¡¯t even affected when Yao Suluan lost favor. This fool isn¡¯t simple!¡± Yu Funing couldn¡¯t help but hold a grudge against Yao Mowan due to the fact that Yao Mowan had the opportunity to see Ye Junqing every day. ¡°Niang niang, you couldn¡¯t be nning to be enemies with her, right? There¡¯s no need for us to do so!¡± said Qian Xi worriedly when she sensed the chill Yu Funing emitted. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not worth it for me to spend time on Yao Mowan, but I can¡¯t bear to watch Ye Junqing ruin himself like this for Yao Moxin. She¡¯s not worth that!¡± After dering that, Yu Funing started stroding towards Nine Winding Song Corridors without any further words. Qian Xi followed. Qian Xi knew the only thing that her master couldn¡¯t remain calm about was matters involving the Esteemed Prince. That was her Achilles heel. Yao Mowan only walked out once Yu Funing¡¯s figure had disappeared from sight. The color of her deep pupils couldpare to the night. ¡°Niang niang, why does it seem like there were other meanings within Consort Xian¡¯s words? It seems¡­ It seems like Eldest Miss¡¯s true cause of death was different?¡± Ting Yue knitted her brows as she looked towards Yao Mowan. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. I¡¯m worried about Fluffy.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change but when she turned around, she took a moment to nce in the direction Yu Funing had left in. Ye Hongyi had already killed everyone that knew about that incident and even set fire to the Cold Pce, so how did Yu Funing find out about it? However, this wasn¡¯t important. Yao Mowan had never thought about trying to clear her name because there was no meaning in doing so. What she wanted waspensation in blood! As for the feelings Yu Funing had for Ye Junqing, perhaps this was a good opportunity. Yu Residence, along with the threerge families of the surnames Wang, Xie, and Huan, were known as the four great pirs of the dynasty for good reason. Yu Qing, as the Director of Board of Rites, would often manage special ceremonies, offer of sacrifices, state banquets, imperial examinations, and other activities with foreign nations. During those times, he would often gain some additional funds by carefully managing the budget. Due to this, Yu Qing held the key to the state treasury. The consequences of bing enemies with Yu Qing was hard to imagine. When Ting Yue saw that her master had no intention of minding what Yu Funing said earlier, she immediately stopped herself from thinking about it any further. When Yao Mowan got back to Guan Osprey Pce, it was right in time to see Ye Junqing carefully putting Fluffy on the chaise lounge. ¡°What is Prince doing?¡± Ye Junqing started and abruptly turned around upon hearing this clear voice to find that Yao Mowan was looking at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°Oh¡­ Fluffy¡¯s asleep so quiet down a little.¡± Ye Junqing hesitated a little before deciding not to tell Yao Mowan about what he saw today. Based on Yao Mowan¡¯s an-eye-for-an-eye personality, she might do something outrageous if she found out what Yao Suluan had tried to do to Fluffy. ¡°When did Prince start to treat Fluffy so well? Could it be that you did something you feel guilty about?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows at Ye Junqing as she walked towards the chaise lounge and nced over Fluffy lightly. ¡°Nonsense! How could this prince feel guilty towards a cat!? This prince is tired and will be leaving!¡± When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan was walking over, he immediately left withrge strides like a gust of wind. ¡°Niang niang, the Esteemed Prince seems to be really scared of you!¡± remarked Ting Yue. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] To all the readers who were looking forward to reading this chapter beforest week, sorry for thete response. I was very busy and it didn¡¯t ur to me to check MBC until today. Sorry for the inconvenience, and the best way to reach me is actually emailing me at or discord. Enjoy the following chps~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter 68: Little Young Master Isn¡¯t the Prime Minister¡¯s Son ¡°Is he?¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t seem to think so as she gazed thoughtfully in the direction Ye Junqing had left in. ¡°It¡¯s clear as day!¡± Ting Yue nodded firmly. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look at Fluffy.¡± A day hase for Ye Junqing when he was scared of someone? This was something that she had never witnessed before. Upon hearing this, Ting Yue walked to Fluffy and discovered that Fluffy was sleeping very heavily. No matter how she called, Fluffy showed no indication of stirring. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Niang niang, hurry, something seems to be off with Fluffy!¡± said Ting Yue worriedly. When Yao Mowan heard, she walked over and examined Fluffy. It seemed Fluffy had been given some sort of anesthesia. Had it been Ye Junqing? That¡¯s impossible! Ye Junqing would never use lowly and despicable methods like this. ¡°Yin Xue!¡± Yao Mowan immediately called out Yin Xue. A ck figure instantly appeared beside Yao Mowan with only a slight stirring of wind. ¡°Where did the Esteemed Prince go earlier?¡± asked Yao Mowan with a serious expression. ¡°Replying Master, the Esteemed Prince saw Ming Yu carry Fluffy away and followed after her. When he saw that Yao Suluan was about to cut Fluffy¡¯s stomach open in Pure Flowers Pce, he rushed in and stopped her just in time, then brought Fluffy back.¡± Yin Xue had been following Yao Mowan¡¯s instructions, which were, regardless of whether it was day or night, to protect Ye Junqing from the shadows whenever he left Guan Osprey Pce. This was also Yan Nansheng¡¯s original intentions in giving Yin Xue to Yao Mowan. ¡°Cut open her stomach? Consort Li is so cruel!¡± eximed Ting Yue as she looked at Fluffy with sympathetic heartache. ¡°Yao Suluan¡­ Yin Xue, think of some way to investigate Ming Yu¡¯s background. This consort wants to know why exactly she decided to serve An Bingshan!¡± Yao Mowan lowered her gaze to look towards Fluffy, then a chill appeared in her eyes. Usually, when a cat caught a mouse it wouldn¡¯t kill it with one bite but keep ying with the mouse until it was at itsst breath before delivering the final attack. Yao Suluan was clearly still very lively and far from being at herst breath! ¡°Understood!¡± Yin Xue indicated that she had received the order and withdrew. Right at this moment, Liu Xing ran in. ¡°Niang niang, this servant has found out that little Young Master is the illegitimate child of Third Madam and Zhou Chengwu. He isn¡¯t the lord¡¯s son!¡± Liu Xing reported between pants. ¡°The evidence is conclusive?¡± That day when Yao Yu mentioned the uncle that gave them snow honey, Yao Mowan had noticed unnatural nervousness on Su Muzi¡¯s face. Her suspicions had been further raised when Su Muzi reflexively yanked at Yao Yu. ¡°Replying niang niang, the evidence is conclusive. Little Young Master is actually three months older than the lord was told. This servant has found the midwife that helped deliver little Young Master and she said that the little Young Master was not the result of a premature birth and was a full-term infant. Not only that, this servant secretly took a bit of little Young Master and Zhou Chengwu¡¯s blood to perform a blood drop test and the blood merged!¡± reported Liu Xing. The practice of dripping blood to identify rtives, or µÎѪÈÏÇ×. One from the father, and one from the son in a bowl of water, and see if they conglomerated in the center. Not reliable. ¡°Why would that midterm deceive Father?¡± asked Yao Mowan. ¡°Because that midwife was Zhou Chengwu¡¯s distant rtive and had received a lot of benefits from Zhou Chengwu. She had only been willing to tell this servant after this servant gave her more benefits than he had,¡± replied Liu Xing. ¡°Hah, Su Muzi sure has a lot of guts to dare to have an affair under a prime minister¡¯s nose. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Father was blinded due to his desire for a son, he probably would have already noticed the clues. That¡¯s why it¡¯s said that everyone has a weak point, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Yao Mowan smiled lightly as her gazended on Liu Xing. ¡°Niang niang, should we tell the lord about this?¡± Liu Xing nervously looked towards Yao Mowan with a hopeful gaze. ¡°Of course I must let Father know. He cares so much about having a male heir, so how could I keep such an important matter from him!?¡± Yao Mowan responded as if this was a matter of course. However, the deep mirth in her eyes made it impossible for people to figure out what exactly she was thinking. ¡°But if the lord finds out¡­ Third Madam and little Young Master will definitely meet terrible ends. And¡­ The lord would be disappointed¡­¡± Liu Xing lowered his eyes. This was the first time he questioned a decision Yao Mowan made. ¡°This consort still recalls the time when this consort ran back to Bright Virtuous Pavilion from Fragrant Harmony Courtyard. At that time, Mother had already died and Father was scolding Dou Xiann. He said, ¡®Did you think I wasn¡¯t aware of how you usually tormented Mo Li? You even went so far as to add slow-acting poison in her food that weakened her health. All of this I could tolerate, but you actually poisoned her to death! Although you are the legal wife, you are petty, vicious, and narrow-minded! This husband can no longer tolerate you!¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t respond to Liu Xing¡¯s question and quietly started talking about what happened that day. Yao Mowan actually memorize what he said that day word for word, but my trantion now is different because I looked back, and realized that my trantion from back then was really¡­ urgh. Will aim to fix them¡­ one day. Liu Xing didn¡¯t interrupt Yao Mowan¡¯s reminiscence and knelt there silently. Then, Yao Mowan continued, ¡°If back then Father had truly punished Dou Xiann ording tow, then he would have remained the father that Yao Mowan respected the most. However, once he found out that Eldest Sister had passed away, he had very warmly helped Dou Xiann up from the ground. To curry favor with her, he even ordered someone to throw Mother¡¯s corpse in +the Disorder Burial Mound! His action in that instant had severed all ties between us! Liu Xing, you¡¯re a servant of the Yao Residence so it¡¯s understandable for you to be loyal towards Yao Zhenting. However, you must make a choice between Yao Zhenting and this consort. Ting Yue must do so as well. From now on, Yao Mowan has nothing to do with the Yao Residence. If you cannot agree with this, you can leave at any time.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s expression was serious and her deep pupils seemed to contain vast dark skies that glittered with light. ¡°Liu Xing is not a servant of Yao Residence. Liu Xing is Master¡¯s servant and will follow Master until his death!¡± vowed Liu Xing resolutely, his eyes wet with tears. ¡°Second Madam was the one who had saved this servant¡¯s life, so this servant is loyal only to Second Madam and Miss. This servant is willing to face des and seas of mes at Miss¡¯smand without a single word ofint!¡± Ting Yue knelt down next to Yao Mowan as she dered with conviction. Yao Mowan sighed softly as she gazed at the two who had given her such definite replies. It was inevitable that they would have to cross this bridge so it was also good to bring it up now in order to prevent them from being distractedter by misgivings. ¡°Alright, both of you should get up. In regards to Su Muzi and Yao Yu, this consort naturally has ways to protect them so you two don¡¯t need to worry about them.¡± Yao Mowan walked up and helped Ting Yue and Liu Xing up as she said this gently. When it was dinnertime, the first thing Ye Junqing did after he got back to Guan Osprey Pce was peek at the chaise lounge. When he saw that Fluffy was lying therezily, he sighed in relief. ¡°Prince, the meal has already been prepared and niang niang has been waiting to eat with you.¡± When Ting Yue saw Ye Junqing hesitating at the pce entrance, she immediately called out to him. Once Ye Junqing sat down at the table, Ting Yue tactfully withdrew. Yao Mowan, who was standing at the side of the jade table, slowly lifted the wine pot and walked to Ye Junqing¡¯s side, then poured a cup of the exquisite wine for him. ¡°You¡­ you didn¡¯t poison this wine, right?¡± Ye Junqing lifted his eyebrows. This was the first time Yao Mowan had acted this friendly since he had arrived in Guan Osprey Pce. There was a phrase that went, there was definitely a catch in abnormal situations, and Yao Mowan¡¯s current behavior was very abnormal! ¡°Would Mowan be that kind-hearted?¡± Then, Yao Mowan poured herself a cup. ¡°Kind-hearted?¡± Ye Junqing was thrown off bnce. Yao Mowan¡¯s line of thought was always quite different from his. If poisoning him was to be regarded as a kind-hearted act, he didn¡¯t dare to imagine what she would do if she wanted to torment him! ¡°Of course! It would be terrible if Mowan ended up helping Prince reunite with Eldest Sister. Mowan has gotten used to always being mean and can¡¯t do something as nice as fulfilling someone¡¯s wish.¡± Originally Yao Mowan had a pile of grateful words prepared to thank Ye Junqing for saving Fluffy, but Ye Junqing had destroyed the initially good atmosphere. Hence the two exchanging verbal jabs. ¡°Can¡¯t you be less harsh when you speak? Don¡¯t you know that people who are sincere will be repaid in kind?¡± Ye Junqing was extremely speechless but he still lifted the wine cup. ¡°Sincere? I know not of it! In the past, Mowan only knew to lie to herself and be deceived by others. As of now¡­ well, now Mowan has learned to deceive others as well! So Prince¡¯s request is also too harsh,¡± said Yao Mowan with a shrug before lifting her wine cup and looking towards Ye Junqing. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] Enjoy~ Chapter Volume 1 69-70 For some reason I¡¯m having difficulty posting on mbc, so for this week, I¡¯ll just be pasting the chapters here¡­ Chapter 69: Purposefully Bullying the Prince There was that second in which Ye Junqing felt that he should just fling his sleeves back and leave. However, to his own surprise, he actually mirrored Yao Mowan¡¯s toasting motion, then downed the drink. From the looks of it, he really has gotten trained by Yao Mowan. ¡°In truth¡­ something has happened before between you and Consort Li, right? She seems to¡­ also hate you a lot.¡± Ye Junqing put down his cup and looked towards Yao Mowan seriously. For an instant, he was struck by the feeling that Yao Mowan and Yao Moxin were very simr. Their beautiful appearance always concealed countless secrets that he had no way of ever touching. ¡°I just don¡¯t like the look of her. However, I¡¯ll eventually make her hate me even more¡­¡± Yao Mowan lifted the wine and poured herself another cup, then drank it all. ¡°You couldn¡¯t be nning to do something to her again? She already seems really pitiful right now.¡± She had lost her child, her honor and glory, and was demoted to the rank of consort. In Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes, or perhaps it would be more urate to say in the eyes of most people, Yao Suluan did indeed seem pitiful. However, to Yao Mowan, this was nothing! Compared to what she had suffered back then, all this barely weighed a feather. ¡°See? And yet you still won¡¯t admit it even though Mowan has already guessed that you guys were having a love affair!¡± Yao Mowan drank her third cup of wine, then leaned over the table peer at Ye Junqing with her head slightly tilted. Her soft eyshes batted, and the light they framed seemed to sweep over Ye Junqing¡¯s heart like a gentle tickling wind. ¡°Y-you¡­ What are you looking at?¡± Ye Junqing gulped and turned away. He couldn¡¯t meet her eyes and looked very ill at ease. ¡°Your face is red. Looks like I hit the mark!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile that was beautiful enough to copse a city. When facing a scene like this, when a beauty that was slightly flushed with the heat of alcohol was in front of you, anyone that was a man would have questionable thoughts! ¡°You¡­ Isn¡¯t your face red as well!? Who doesn¡¯t get affected by alcohol?¡± Ye Junqing immediately covered his face and argued back with a forceful and righteous tone. Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing when she saw how flustered he was. ¡°What are youughing at? Everyone¡¯s face turns red from alcohol, what¡¯s funny about it¡­¡± As Ye Junqing¡¯s face turned more scarlet, he realized that he was being teased. Right at this moment, Ting Yue¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Niang niang, Consort Xian has sent Qian Xi to deliver a cup of nourishing ginseng soup.¡± Ting Yue¡¯s tone was clearly asking for instructions. ¡°En, have it brought in.¡± Yao Mowan put away her earlier joking manner and gave themand in a dignified tone. After she said that, the door to the pce opened and Qian Xi walked in respectfully while carrying a food box. ¡°This servant, Qian Xi, kowtows in salute to the Esteemed Prince and Consort Yao.¡± The clear-sounding voice contained strong decisiveness. Yao Mowan seized up Qian Xi. Of the four noble consorts in the pce, Consort Xian was the most intelligent and hardest to read. Hence, it was natural that a pce maid that had been personally trained by her would also be of good quality. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she happened to learn of the feelings Yu Funing harbored towards Ye Junqing, perhaps she would have left her forst. ¡°You may rise.¡± Back then, Yao Mowan had high status, so it was inevitable that these consorts and concubines had schemed behind her back. However, she didn¡¯t hate them. After all, one must look out for oneself, since the world could be ruthless. That was why, even though she held no grudges against them, she was still going to use these four noble consorts to attack the fourrge ns ¨C Wang, Xie, Yu, and Huan ¨C in order to shake the stability of great Chu and create an opportunity for a hero to be born from turmoil. This was a necessary step for Ye Junqing to rise to the top, and also a necessary step to send Ye Hongyi down to hell. ¡°Consort Yao, this ginseng soup was something my niang niang took special care to instruct the cook in the Imperial Kitchen to make. It was made with millenium ginseng and slowly simmered over a low me for six hours, so it¡¯s extremely nourishing. This servant asks niang niang to kindly ept.¡± Qian Xi spoke humbly and courteously with perfect etiquette. ¡°Then that¡¯s definitely something good?¡± There wasn¡¯t a stain in Yao Mowan¡¯s innocent gaze and the surprise on her face looked perfectly natural. At the side, the corners of Ye Junqing¡¯s lips twitched. She could sure get into her act fast! ¡°The presents brought to Guan Osprey Pce are naturally of the best quality.¡± Qian Xi nodded slightly. ¡°En. His Majesty has said before that the best things should be used in the ces that need them most. Junqing, go bring Fluffy over. She needs nourishment the most right now!¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with apletely innocent smile on her face. Ye Junqing had been in the middle of sipping the clear porridge and almost choked. ¡°Cough cough¡­. Wh¡­ what did you say?¡± Ye Junqing stared at Yao Mowan¡¯s beautiful features. He now deeply came to understand that the more harmless Yao Mowan looked, the more evil of a scheme she was about to put into y. ¡°You can¡¯t hear me even though I¡¯m this close? I told you to carry Fluffy over! Hurry up!¡± As Yao Mowan spoke, she yanked Ye Junqing up. ¡°I got it!¡± Ye Junqing took a deep breath then walked sulkily to the chaise lounge to pick Fluffy up before walking back. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Yao Mowan turned to look towards Qian Xi. ¡°Replying Consort Yao, this servant is Qian Xi.¡± Although Qian Xi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, inwardly she was stunned. There was no way she could have imagined a day like this in which the Esteemed Prince, who once reigned over the battlefield, would have to listen to the randommands of a fool. It was seriously a humiliation. ¡°Qian Xi, hurry and bring the ginseng soup over!¡± Yao Mowan beckoned Qian Xi with her hand. Qian Xi nodded, then stood up to take the ginseng soup out from the food box. Following that, she watched helplessly as the ginseng soup that had been carefully simmered for six hours was fed to an animal! Qian Xi was really grateful that her master hadn¡¯te with her, otherwise her master probably would have killed Yao Mowan on the spot! ¡°En, it looks like she¡¯s full. Junqing, do you want to drink what¡¯s left?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing innocently as the smile hovering over her lips deepened. Upon hearing this question, three ck lines immediately appeared on Ye Junqing¡¯s forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± Ye Junqing repressed his urge to just storm away and replied between gritted teeth. At the side, Qian Xi almost fell from hearing this. How could she? How could she have the Esteemed Prince drink something that an animal had drunk from? Qian Xi could not imagine how much the Esteemed Prince must have suffered during this past period as he stayed in Guan Osprey Pce! ¡°It seems good intentions aren¡¯t always repaid in kind. I¡¯ll have you know that I don¡¯t casually offer things as good as this to anyone!¡± Yao Mowan shot a re at Ye Junqing, then took Fluffy and stroked her gently. Yes, it was true. She really didn¡¯t casually give it to anyone (any person), she gave it all to an animal! Ye Junqing was grinding his teeth so hard his jaws hurt. Ye Junqing only glowered at Yao Mowan once Qian Xi left. ¡°Why did you bully this prince?¡± ¡°How else do I get someone to step up for you?¡± Yao Mowan spoke as if it was obvious. ¡°Are you nning do something bad again?¡± Ye Junqing retrieved the indiginance in his eyes as he asked this curiously. ¡°Nice guess. It¡¯s going to be something very very bad. How about it? Interested in taking part?¡± Yao Mowan abruptly curved her lips into a beautifully bright smile. ¡°You must be sick!¡± Ye Junqing rolled his eyes at her. ¡°That¡¯s right ah! How did you know?¡± Yao Mowan replied with an expression of innocent surprise. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing slid down his chair¡­ As Su Muzi walked through the corridor in the Imperial Garden, she was thinking that she probably would¡¯ve never had the chance to walk through the Imperial Garden in this lifetime if it weren¡¯t for Yao Mowan. However, she was nervous about the fact that Yao Mowan had suddenly wanted to see her. Even after she walked into Guan Osprey Pce, she still felt like the situation was unreal. ¡°Shu mother, hurry ande in. Ting Yue, have the Imperial Kitchen prepare some tasty pastries so that shu mother can bring some backter.¡± Yao Mowan weed Su Muzi with an amiable smile before shooting a meaningful look to Ting Yue. Ting Yue immediately understood and left the main hall, closing the doors behind her. ¡°Thismon woman kowtows in salute to Consort Yao niang niang and wishes niang niang good health and fortune.¡± Yao Mowan has always seemed to have a gentle personality, thus Su Muzi felt that even though her intelligence was only that of an eight year old, there was nothing bad about her. At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t rely on the power of the Prime Minister Residence to oppress people. ¡°Why is shu mother being so polite? Please get up.¡± Yao Mowan walked up and helped Su Muzi over to a chair, then put a cup of freshly brewed tea in front of her. Chapter 70: I¡¯ll Help You Guys Leave Safely ¡°Many thanks, Consort Yao niang niang.¡± Su Muzi lifted the teacup uneasily. She could tell just from the smell that this was extremely good tea; tea that she, as a woman born into servitude, never would have gotten to drink in this lifetime. ¡°There¡¯s no need for shu mother to be so nervous. Mowan only asked you toe here because Mowan wanted to point out a possible road for you.¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t act any longer and spoke directly. Upon hearing this, Su Muzi stiffened and looked towards Yao Mowan in disbelief. ¡°Shu mother has probably long guessed about Mowan¡¯s current state, no?¡± Yao Mowan smiled slightly with a soft light in her eyes. Su Muzi gripped the teacup tightly with both hands and was silent for a while before she finally spoke. ¡°Thismon woman has felt that niang niang wasn¡¯t the same Third Miss as back then as early as when Yu er told thismon woman that niang niang was the one who taught him those methods. From the looks of things now, niang niang truly has recovered rity. It is worthy of celebration!¡± Su Muzi didn¡¯t try to deny it and respectfully replied with this. ¡°Shu mother is intelligent as expected. It is Yu er¡¯s fortune to have a mother like you.¡± Yao Mowan lifted a teacup and took a small sip. ¡°No, it is Yu er¡®s fortune to have an older sister like Consort Yao.¡± Su Muzi maintained a humble attitude and was careful with every single reply. ¡°Shu mother is really very simr to Wan er¡®s mother, you¡¯re always so cautious that people¡¯s hearts can¡¯t help but ache for you.¡± A trace of sorrow streaked through Yao Mowan¡¯s heart. Regardless of whether it was Mother or Su Muzi, they shouldn¡¯t have to be this way! But they, who were of low birth, in face of power, of influence, what could they do besides bow and ept it when people took advantage of them? Su Muzi simply listened quietly without interrupting. ¡°There is no wall in the world which blocks all wind. In regards to Yao Yu¡¯s identity, you can hide it for a time, but not a lifetime. What do you think Father would do if he one day found out the truth?¡± Yao Mowan took a breath, then got straight to the point. When Su Muzi heard this, her face turned pale and the teacup fell from her hand to the ground and shattered. ¡°Niang niang¡­ thismon woman doesn¡¯t know what niang niang is saying¡­¡± Su Muzi¡¯s entire body trembled, and as she spoke, she fell to her knees. ¡°If you don¡¯t know what Mowan is talking about, why are you kneeling? The only reason I can say this is naturally because I¡¯mpletely certain. Does shu mother still intend to quibble?¡± Yao Mowan got up and slowly helped Su Muzi back up as she replied gently. ¡°Niang niang¡­¡± Su Muzi swallowed hard. She was forced to sit back down on the chair but she didn¡¯t dare to look straight at the woman in front of her. At this instant, she realized that the current Consort Yao was apletely different person from that innocent Third Miss from back then. ¡°Shu mother had probably been forced by Father, right? In reality, the one shu mother liked was that doctor, Zhou Chengwu. Could it be that you¡¯ve never considered escaping with him and Yao Yu to somewhere far away?¡± Yao Mowan kept her words concise this entire time since she felt no need to probe Su Muzi for what she wanted. If Su Muzi was the sort to covet wealth and riches, she would have already cut off all ties with Zhou Chengwu and there was no way she would have treasured the snow honey he sent over so much. ¡°Niang niang is wise, thismon woman was forced! Long before the lord forcefully took thismon woman, thismon woman had already made a pledge with Chengwu to get married and had be pregnant with his child. Thismon woman didn¡¯t dare to resist, and even more, did not dare to tell the lord the truth¡­¡± Su Muzi sobbed silently as she thought about the past. ¡°As expected! You and this consort¡¯s mother are both people who encountered unfortunate fates. It¡¯s a pity that Mother has already passed away. Mowan only hopes that shu mother can live the life you want. If this consort gave you the choice, would you choose to leave the prime minister¡¯s residence?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s glistening eyes were like the bright stars in the sky; they suddenly warmed Su Muzi¡¯s heart which had long turned cold with resignation. ¡°Niang niang¡­ what does niang niang mean?¡± Su Muzi abruptly looked up towards Yao Mowan with disbelief and hope in her eyes. ¡°This consort will arrange for you, Yu er, and Zhou Chengwu to leave the Imperial City with guaranteed safety and will give you enough money to pass your daysfortably. What do you think about this proposal?¡± asked Yao Mowan straightforwardly. ¡°If this can really happen, thismon woman will be eternally grateful!¡± Su Muzi was someone that valued emotion over material, since wealth and riches were just passing clouds. All she wanted was to pass her days quietly with Yu er and the person she loved. As of now, since Yao Mowan had offered her a chance at this kind of life, no matter what she had to try. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, bring Yu er into the pce tomorrow and this consort will arrange the rest.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips curved into a sincere and calm smile that made Su Muzi instinctively feel faith. In the evening, Yao Mowan was just about to instruct Ting Yue to prepare dinner when Qian Xi suddenly came. ¡°Consort Yao, my niang niang has already prepared the evening meal and had Qian Xi invite Consort Yao to Fragrant Steps Pavilion for a small gathering. She requested that the Esteemed Princee as well so that he would be able to have a meal.¡± Qian Xi bowed respectfully. ¡°A small gathering?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue with her eyes wide in a puzzled manner. ¡°Niang niang, Consort Xian niang niang is inviting you to eat at her ce!¡± Ting Yue exined with an easy to understand sentence. ¡°Alright! There¡¯ll definitely be a lot of tasty things to eat! Ting Yue, can we bring Fluffy too?¡± Yao Mowan tugged at Ting Yue in a spoiled manner. ¡°Fluffy is already sleeping. Consort Xian indicated for you to bring the Esteemed Prince as well, since he won¡¯t have any ce to eat if you don¡¯t bring him,¡± continued Ting Yue. ¡°Bring Junqing? But what if Fluffy wakes up and wants to see him?¡± Yao Mowan looked a little troubled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, niang niang, Fluffy won¡¯t wake up that soon. Why don¡¯t we bring the Esteemed Prince along?¡± Qian Xi was standing at the side without any apparent expression, but inwardly she was very bothered. No matter how one interpreted this conversation, it still sounded as if the grand Esteemed Prince wasn¡¯t even as important as a cat. ¡°Then alright!¡± Yao Mowan nodded reluctantly. As for Ye Junqing, he really didn¡¯t have much choice. If no meal was prepared in Guan Osprey Pce, he really wouldn¡¯t have a ce to eat. Moreover, he was very curious about who Yao Mowan viewed as an eyesore this time. The moment they got to Fragrant Steps Pavilion, Yao Mowan smelled the faint, elegant, and calming fragrance of orchids. Yu Funing was probably the only one out of everyone in the Inner Pce with the ability to make her resting pce always be filled with this scent. It must be known that this scent was not the result of perfume but the fragrance of actual orchids. Yao Mowan heard that Fu Residence¡¯s greenhouse only grew orchids. Orchids of every type were grown there, and they were grown specially for Fragrance Steps Pavilion¡¯s use. That was why it was said that money truly was precious. Although it couldn¡¯t do everything, no one could live without it. ¡°It smells so nice! Ting Yue, can you smell it?¡± Yao Mowan pulled at Ting Yue excitedly and ran into Fragrant Steps Pavilion. She showed no trace of the dignity a noble consort should have. ¡°This consort greets Esteemed Prince and Consort Yao.¡± When Yu Funing saw that figure dressed in azure garments appear in the main hall of Fragrant Steps Pavilion, she felt as if a refreshing spring breeze had swept through the hall. That face was like that of a celestial, a single nce was enough to forever captivate a viewer. ¡°You¡¯re also a noble consort, so why do you need to curtsy?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Yu Funing with a puzzled expression. ¡°Niang niang, you¡¯re a noble consort granted a title with your original surname, so your rank is a level higher,¡± exined Ting Yue quietly. ¡°Aiyah, sending greetings back and forth is so troublesome. Hurry and get up, where¡¯s the food? I¡¯m so hungry!¡± Yao Mowan cheerfully helped Yu Funing up with an excited expression on her face. ¡°Consort Yao, pleasee inside.¡± Yu Funing only turned to seize up this treasured fool when Yao Mowan pulled her wrist. It had to be admitted that she was beautiful, but her conduct was truly like that of a child and contained no logic. The delicate phoenix tourmaline table emitted a faint glow beneath the shine of the candles. Beautiful delicacies were lined up on the table in a sight that was dazzling to behold. The twenty dishes not only had wonderful color and intense fragrances, they were also disyed in such beautiful and intricate ways that it was clear with one nce how much effort had gone into their preparation. ¡°Esteemed Prince and Consort Yao niang niang, please have a seat.¡± When Yu Funing had heard from Qian Xi how Ye Junqing was treated in Guan Osprey Pce, she had the urge to rush to Guan Osprey Pce and p Yao Mowan. However, there was their statuses to consider, so all she could do was keep that desire contained. ¡ªchiyomira Chapter Volume 1 71
Chapter 71: Can¡¯t Endure It Anymore? ¡°Consort Xian is kind, then as deference is no substitute for obedience, Junqing shall obey.¡± As Ye Junqing walked over, he kept an eye on Yao Mowan¡¯s every move. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had personally experienced how evil she was inwardly, he likely would have been fooled by her current appearance. Innocent and natural? More like pei! ¡°You sit over there, I want to sit here.¡± Before Ye Junqing could sit down, Yao Mowan pushed him aside and sat down on the main seat. Ye Junqing hadn¡¯t expected for Yao Mowan to suddenly push him and staggered from the shove. By the time he steadied himself, his face had already flushed red. ¡°Prince, are you alright?¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had just seen it with her own eyes, Yu Funing never would have believed that Yao Mowan would actually treat Ye Junqing this way. For better or for worse, he was a prince, yet she seemed to feel no fear at all! For that instant, Yu Funing felt extreme hatred towards Ye Hongyi. If it weren¡¯t for his despicable schemes, how could Ye Junqing have fallen to such terrible grounds? if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he doted on Yao Mowan, how would Yao Mowan dare to be this presumptuous? ¡°Forget it, this prince is fine.¡± Ye Junqing inhaled sharply to calm himself, then gave this embarrassed reply. ¡°Qian Xi, pour a cup of wine for the prince.¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s reaction caused Yu Funing¡¯s heart to ache. The monarch that could once rebuke Heaven and Earth had fallen to the point of being bullied by a fool. Even her, this spectator, couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore. At the side, Qian Xi walked up to pour a cup of wine for Ye Junqing, but right after she finished pouring it, Yao Mowan snatched it. ¡°Ting Yue, this wine smells really nice ah!¡± Despite having just snatched someone else¡¯s thing, Yao Mowan exhibited no trace of embarrassment and continued to chat with her servant happily. Yu Funing found this scene intolerable. ¡°Consort Yao, if you want to drink wine, you should have your personal pce maid serve you some. How can you snatch the prince¡¯s cup?¡± said Yu Funing between gritted teeth. The reason she had hosted this banquet was to see for herself how Ye Junqing was treated. She saw now that Yao Mowan¡¯s behavior was truly even worse than what Qian Xi had reported. ¡°It¡¯s fine, he¡¯s used to it, right?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing in an innocent manner, but her clear eyes contained a hint of mirth. ¡°There¡¯s no need for Consort Xian to mind it, this prince can just use another cup.¡± This was not Guan Osprey Pce after all, so Ye Junqing could only endure Yao Mowan¡¯s deliberate provocation. At this time, Qian Xi had already poured another cup of wine and ced it in front of Ye Junqing. During this meal, every time Ye Junqing reached out to take a bit of a dish, Yao Mowan would snatch it first, so during this entire two hours, Ye Junqing barely ate anything. Every time Yu Funing spoke, she would meet a dead end at Yao Mowan¡¯s innocent-seeming rebuff. ¡°Junqing, it looks like you¡¯ve had enough food, so head back first. Fluffy is probably awake by now!¡± Just as Ye Junqing was about to lift his chopsticks again, Yao Mowan suddenly snatched his chopsticks away and gave him thismand. Ye Junqing¡¯s lips twitched when Yao Mowan snatched his chopsticks away but in the end, he still restrained himself by taking deep breaths. ¡°What does Fluffy waking up have to do with the prince?¡± Yu Funing was practically at herst straw. Her voice was no longer as calm as it had been at the start of this meal. ¡°He¡¯s Fluffy¡¯s personal bodyguard ah! Wan er bestowed him this position! What do you think? Isn¡¯t it impressive?¡± A hard-to-describe feeling shed through Yao Mowan¡¯s heart when she saw Yu Funing so angry on Ye Junqing¡¯s behalf. ¡°Ahem¡­ Many thanks, Consort Xian, for your generous hospitality today. This prince still has matters to attend to and will leave now!¡± Ye Junqing was worried that if he continued to stay here, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop himself from exploding at Yao Mowan. It was enough that she usually picked on him, but today she was insulting him this way in front of others! It was preposterous! Perhaps Ye Junqing himself hadn¡¯t noticed that in his heart, he no longer viewed Yao Mowan the same way he viewed the other consorts of the Inner Pce. When Yu Funing saw that Ye Junqing was leaving, she hastily got up to catch up with him. She walked out and sent him off with her gaze until his figure disappeared into the night. The rest of the meal was very dull. No matter that Yao Mowan said, Yu Funing didn¡¯t react much. She was still stuck on how deste and sorrowful Ye Junqing looked when he left earlier. Whose fault was all this? Yao Mowan? No, it was Ye Hongyi! If he hadn¡¯t framed Ye Junqing, how could Ye Junqing have fallen to the point of being the bodyguard of an animal, to beingmanded by the whims of a fool!? She couldn¡¯t allow Ye Junqing to continue wasting his life away like this, she couldn¡¯t! ¡°The food you have here is so tasty, can I bring some back for Fluffy?¡± Just as Yu Funing was sinking into her thoughts, Yao Mowan put down her chopsticks and looked towards her beseechingly. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Consort Yao also bring some back for the Esteemed Prince?¡± Yu Funing now hated Yao Mowan¡¯s naive manner to the bone. What right did she have to bully the Esteemed Prince? ¡°He didn¡¯t eat his fill? That fine though, in any case he¡¯s often like that in Guan Osprey Pce too. Being hungry for a while won¡¯t change much! I want to bring some back for Fluffy, can I?¡± Yao Mowan replied, unconcerned. ¡°Qian Xi! Box all of this up for Consort Yao!¡±manded Yu Funing icily. Only after Yao Mowan left did Yu Funing abruptly flip over the phoenix table. Furious mes burned in her eyes. ¡°Niang niang¡­¡± ¡°Who does she think she is, to actually dare to treat the Esteemed Prince that way!? Qian Xi, do you know that this consort really wanted to just p her just then!? Could it be that she doesn¡¯t know that she¡¯s just a fool? The Esteemed Prince isn¡¯t someone she even has the right to touch!¡± Yu Funing clenched her fists as rage filled her heart. ¡°It¡¯s true that she is a fool, but if the Esteemed Prince wasn¡¯t willing, who could make him obey? In the end, it¡¯s the Esteemed Prince himself that had abandoned himself to despair¡­¡± Qian Xi gave an urate analysis of the situation even as a trace of pity shed through her eyes. ¡°Qian Xi!¡± ¡°This servant knows her wrong¡­¡± Qian Xi knew of the feelings her master held towards Ye Junqing and knew that her master wasn¡¯t willing to hear these truths. ¡°Forget it. This consort won¡¯t allow Ye Junqing to continue wasting away like this! Definitely not!¡± vowed Yu Funing fiercely as a cold light shone from her eyes. ¡°Niang niang, what are you thinking?¡± Sensing her master¡¯s abnormality, Qian Xi looked towards Yu Funing worriedly. ¡°The reason he¡¯s dispirited is because he haspletely lost hope. If¡­ if he learned of Yao Moxin¡¯s true cause of death, do you think, would he still¡­¡± ¡°Niang niang! No matter what you can¡¯t do that! If he found out, he might revolt!¡± Qian Xi looked extremely worried. She hastily turned around to close the pce doors tightly before returning to Yu Funing¡¯s side. ¡°Revolting is at least better than being the bodyguard of a cat!¡± snarled Yu Funing. ¡°Then have you considered what would happen if his revolt failed?¡± Qian Xi knew that her master would be overly emotional when it came to matters involving the Esteemed Prince. If it weren¡¯t for that, based on how intelligent her master was, she would never say something this dangerous. ¡°As long as he wished for it, this consort would give up everything to help him! Rather than watch him waste away like this, it would be better to have him put all he has into onest fight! During that time¡­ this consort might have a chance¡­¡± A trace of hope shed through Yu Funing¡¯s cold eyes. Yao Moxin has already died so she no longer had anymore barriers. ¡°Niang niang, this servant understands how you feel about the Esteemed Prince, but even if you¡¯re willing to risk everything, you still have to see what the Esteemed Prince thinks. Why don¡¯t you try probing to see if the Esteemed Prince wishes to investigate the cause of Yao Moxin¡¯s death? It won¡¯t be toote if we start nning after that!¡± Qian Xi only wanted to calm her master down a little first so that she could have the chance to report to the lord about her master¡¯s n to start a revolt. ¡°You¡¯re right. Then you arrange this. This consort wants to personally witness the Esteemed Prince¡¯s reaction!¡± said Yu Funing coldly and resolutely. ¡°Understood!¡± Qian Xi lowered her head as she epted the order but a trace of worry emerged in her heart. This wasn¡¯t a small matter. If it wasn¡¯t handled carefully, it might drag down the entire Yu Residence. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan gazed at Fluffy who was sleeping on the chaise lounge as she gently stroked its warm white fur. Her heartstrings seemed to vibrate slightly with ripples. ¡°Niang niang, here are the pastries you wanted.¡± Ting Yue had been sent by Yao Mowan to the imperial kitchen right after they left Fragrant Steps Pavilion. At this time, Ting Yue walked in carrying a food box. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 72 Chapter 72: Yao Yu Jumped Into the Lake ¡°Good. Deliver it to the east wing.¡± Yao Mowan nodded slightly. Just as Ting Yue was about to leave the main hall, Yao Mowan suddenly stopped her. She then got up to take the food box herself and headed towards the east wing. Gentle satin-like light spilled down from the dazzling bright moon. Yao Mowan walked quietly through the corridor to the door of the east wing. Just as she was about to knock, she heard fragments of a person¡¯sintse from inside. ¡°How could a woman as unbridled as you exist in the world!? Even if you were to bully someone, shouldn¡¯t there be a limit? Does this prince exist solely for you to bully!? Absurd! How dare youugh¡­¡± When Yao Mowan heard this grumbling, her lips hooked in a slight smile. She never knew that Ye Junqing had such a childish side to him. It seemed that he had really suppressed his personality too much during the time they interacted in the past. ¡°Ahem!¡± Yao Mowan purposely gave a cough, then put the pastries down in front of the door before leaving. When Yao Mowan coughed, theintsing from inside the room instantly stopped. After a long while, the door slowly opened. Ye Junqing nced down at the pastries and his facial color immediately became extremely unsightly. The next day, Su Muzi came to the Imperial Pce with Yao Yu. ¡°Big Sister Wan er, I missed you!¡± The moment Yao Yu entered Guan Osprey Pce, he threw himself into Yao Mowan¡¯s arms happily. ¡°Big Sister missed you too! Shumother, please sit. Ting Yue, steep tea!¡± Yao Mowan set Yao Yu down in front of her and started examining him. She had to admit that this four-year-old child¡¯s face contained no simrity to her father¡¯s. ¡°Niang niang?¡± Su Muzi, who was sitting by the table. watched Yao Mowan worriedly. ¡°Ting Yue, bring Yao Yu to the imperial garden to y. This consort needs to talk to shu mother.¡± Yao Mowan had long finished arranging everything and was just waiting for the fish to take the bait. After Yao Yu left, Yao Mowan poured a cup of tea and handed it to Su Muzi. ¡°Many thanks, niang niang¡­¡± Su Muzi epted the tea cup uneasily. ¡°Actually, this consort really likes Yu er. However, it is his fortune to be able to leave Prime Minister Yao¡¯s residence. If this matter was ever discovered, he would be the one to suffer the consequences even though children are innocent.¡± Yao Mowan spoke softly but these few sentences strengthened Su Muzi¡¯s resolve. ¡°Thismon woman will never forget niang niang¡®s great grace. Thismon woman will definitely follow all of niang niang¡®s instructions!¡± Su Muzi put down the cup and carefully knelt down in front of Yao Mowan. Things have already gotten to this point so she no longer had the leeway to turn back. However, she had never thought about turning back either. ¡°If shu mother truly feels grateful towards Mowan, then please help Mowan in putting on a y, alright?¡± Yao Mowan helped Su Muzi back up as she said this gently. Upon hearing what she said, Su Muzi couldn¡¯t help but nce up towards Yao Mowan in confusion. Next to the Jade Lake, Ting Yue had already exhorted Yao Yu about what to do several times. She only turned to leave once she was certain that Yao Yu understood what she told him. ¡°Niang niang, please don¡¯t walk so fast. Since Third Madam came all the way here to the pce, she¡¯ll probably stay a while.¡± Inside the imperial garden, Ming Yu was following after Yao Suluan and trying to convince her not to rush so much. The pce rules stated that all the pces must be notified when a rtive of one of the consorts or concubines came to visit. When Ming Yu notified Yao Suluan of the fact that Su Muzi had entered the pce with Yao Yu, Yao Suluan suddenly ran madly out of Pure Flowers Pce. ¡°Niang niang!¡± Yao Suluan suddenly stopped and Ming Yu almost knocked into her. ¡°She actually dared to even bring this bastard here!¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s heart filled with hatred when she saw Yao Yu who was standing next to the Jade Lake. ¡°Niang niang?¡± Ming Yu subconsciously called out when she sensed the chilling intent Yao Suluan was emitting. ¡°This consort rushed out and ended up forgetting to bring a handkerchief. Go get one for this consort!¡± Yao Suluan took a deep breath, then gave thismand coldly. She was thinking that since even the maid that had followed her for seven years dared to deceive her, Ming Yu definitely wasn¡¯t trustworthy either. ¡°This servant will go right away.¡± Ming Yu felt it wise not to point out the fact that Yao Suluan was currently twisting a handkerchief with her hands and respectfully retreated. Yao Suluan¡¯s eyes immediately turnedpletely cold once no one was around and she strode towards Yao Yu. ¡°Little bastard! Was it Yao Mowan, that lowly wretch, who hid you in Guan Osprey Pce that day?¡± Her voice was extremely sinister and cold. During these past few days in which Yao Suluan closed herself in her room, she had been reflecting on everything that happenedtely. Although all of these things looked like coincidences, Yao Mowan seemed to be involved in all of them. First, there was the fact that Yao Mowan was the one who brought back Yao Yu when he went missing. Right after that, the incident with the hidden saffron ured. Yao Mowan also just happened to appear with very bad timing. Then there was the fact that she actually knew Bai Mei, that swindler, as well! A lot more incidents aside from those seemed suspicious now that she thought about them. A thought suddenly urred to her. Was Yao Mowan really a fool? Even she herself felt that her suspicions wereughable, but she truly didn¡¯t know how else to exin those coincidences. ¡°Who are you?¡± Yao Yu only nced briefly at Yao Suluan before going back to ying with the water. ¡°Are you blind!? This consort is your Second Sister!¡± Yao Suluan berated him angrily. ¡°You¡¯re the Second Sister of a little bastard? Then what are you?¡± Yao Yu lifted his eyebrows as he responded with a sneer. It was hard to imagine that a four-year-old child would make such a biting remark. Yao Suluan was instantly infuriated to the point that she couldn¡¯t even speak and her expression turned even more sinister. ¡°You lowly bastard, you actually dared to curse at this consort!? Don¡¯t think that you can go out of control as you please just because Father dotes on you. This is the Imperial Pce! Who do you think you are, to dare talk back to this consort!?¡± As Yao Suluan spoke, she abruptly walked up to lift Yao Yu by his cor and drag him towards her. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Just as Yao Suluan was about to let Yao Yu go, she felt a paine from her wrist. She immediately pulled her hand back and saw that there was a drop of blood on her wrist. ¡°You!¡± ¡°What? Yu er has grown up. No one will dare to bully Yu er or Mother anymore!¡± Yao Yu stood tall in front of Yao Suluan. His bright water-like eyes were filled with hostility. ¡°Hand over the needle!¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s personality has always been arrogant. How could she ever endure being humiliated by a child? She walked up to seize Yao Yu and shook him like crazy. ¡°Go away! Get away!¡± Yao Yu was a little frightened when Yao Suluan pounced at him like a mad dog. He immediately pulled out the needle from his pocket and stabbed towards Yao Suluan like his life depended on it! Right at this moment, Su Muzi¡¯s distressed voice came from the bridge. ¡°Yu er!¡± This cry made Yao Yu recall what Ting Yue had told him to do earlier. Before Yao Suluan coulde back to her senses, Yao Yu suddenly turned around and jumped into Jade Lake. Water droplets sshed up from the surface of theke. Yao Suluan subconsciously lifted her sleeve to block the water. By the time she lowered her hand, the surface of the ke was once again tranquil. ¡°Yu er¡­ My Yu er!! Second Miss! How could you be so cruel!? Yu er is still just a child. How could you push him into the water!? Someone! Save my child! Please save my Yu er¡­¡± Su Muzi stumbled over and fell to her knees in front of Yao Suluan, and sobbed as she grabbed onto Yao Suluan¡¯s skirt. ¡°You¡­ stop making things up! He jumped down himself, what does it have to do with this consort? This consort still hasn¡¯t gotten him back for stabbing this consort! Move aside!¡± Yao Suluan kicked Su Muzi aside with revulsion and nced towards the ke. Inwardly, she was panicking a little. ¡°Second Miss! You can¡¯t leave! Give me back my Yu er! Give back my Yu er¡­¡± When Su Muzi saw that Yao Suluan wanted to leave, she ran over and hugged Yao Suluan¡¯s legs desperately as tears spilled out from her eyes. ¡°I already said that it has nothing to do with me! He jumped in himself! He¡­ can¡¯t he swim¡­¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s face was slightly pale and her voice gradually faded off. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 1 73
Chapter 73: She Didn¡¯t Push Him! ¡°Yu er doesn¡¯t know how to swim! How could he have jumped in on his own!? Second Miss, you¡¯re truly heartless! I won¡¯t forgive you even if I die! Someone, pleasee and save Yu er!¡± During this entire time, Su Muzi was holding onto Yao Suluan tightly. At this time, Yao Mowan ran over with Ting Yue and Liu Xing. ¡°Shu mother? What happened?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Su Muzi who was on the ground with a surprised and confused expression. ¡°Third Miss, you must get justice for thismon woman! Second Miss, she¡­ she pushed Yu er into the water. Yu er! Mother ising to keep youpany!¡± ¡°Oh no! Third Madam doesn¡¯t know how to swim!¡± Upon seeing this, Liu Xing quickly walked up to pull Su Muzi back. ¡°You said that Yu er fell into theke? How could that be? Second Older Sister, why did you push Yu er in? Someone, hurry ande! Save Yu er!¡± Yao Mowan ran towards theke anxiously as tears fell from her eyes. Soon after, the imperial guards arrived and jumped into theke to search. However, even after searching for a long time, thye couldn¡¯t find any trace of Yao Yu. The only trace left of him were the two purple boots next to theke. ¡°What happened?¡± Ye Hongyi, who had heard the news, arrived at theke. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Yu er fell into theke! Wuuwuu¡­ please save Yu er, please¡­ Mowan only has this one younger brother. Father only this one son! Wuuwuu¡­ Wan er doesn¡¯t want anything to happen to Younger Brother!¡± Yao Suluan had just started to speak when Yao Mowan snatched the opportunity from her. ¡°Where is he? He still hasn¡¯t been found?¡± Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan into his arms as he red at the leader of the guards. ¡°Replying Your Majesty, this subordinate has already sent people to search for him, but none of them were able to find the young sir. The water of Jade Lake is directly connected to the moat outside the city, and that is connected to theke outside. This subordinate fears that the young sir¡¯s corpse has already been swept out of Jade Lake,¡± reported the leading guard. ¡°No¡­ no! My Yu er! You can¡¯t leave Mother behind! Yu er¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Su Muzi abruptly gave an anguished wail before copsing to the ground in despair. ¡°Yu er¡­¡± Right at this moment, Yao Mowan heard a call. She looked up right in time to see Yao Zhenting run over. As expected of the power of a ¡®son,¡¯ he was drawn over quite quick. However, from the looks of it, he was truly unnerved. Yao Suluan, you really shouldn¡¯t bully me in this lifetime. There was a price even if you just bullied my cat! A trace of a smile appeared on Yao Mowan¡¯s lips for a brief instant before she leaned into Ye Hongyi¡¯s chest with a sob in preparation to enjoy this show. ¡°Give me back my Yu er! Yao Suluan! Give my Yu er¡®s life back!¡± Su Muzi was no longer as docile as she usually was. She abruptly struggled her way out of Liu Xing¡¯s hold and pounced towards Yao Suluan, reaching for her neck. ¡°Ah¡­ You crazy bitch! Let go of this consort! Hurry and let go! Someone stop her! Your Majesty!¡± Yao Suluan hadn¡¯t expected Su Muzi to be so strong. She panicked, unable to breathe, and pushed at Su Muzi desperately. ¡°What exactly happened!? Where¡¯s my Yu er!?¡± Yao Zhenting was so worried hepletely forgot about court etiquette and rushed directly to Su Muzi to pull her away from Yao Suluan. ¡°Lord! You must get revenge for Yu er ah! It was Second Miss! Second Miss pushed Yu er into Jade Lake! This wife saw it with her own eyes!¡± Su Muzi¡¯s voice was hoarse from shouting and her tears fell like a broken string of beads. ¡°I didn¡¯t! He jumped in on his own! Father! Suluan really didn¡¯t!¡± Yao Suluan covered her snow-white neck and grasped for breath as she shook her head while keeping her eyes fixed on Yao Zhenting. ¡°Where¡¯s Yu er!? Has he been rescued!?¡± Yao Zhenting¡¯s eyes abruptly filled with tears. He seemed to age ten years in an instant and his body trembled uncontroble. ¡°Replying Your Majesty, replying Prime Minister¡­ This subordinate has already sent people to search the entire Jade Lake but the young sir hasn¡¯t been found. This subordinate fears that¡­ he has already been washed out of Jade Lake,¡± replied the leading guard in a low voice. ¡°Continue searching!¡±manded Ye Hongyi coldly. He tightened his arms around Yao Mowan as if he wantedfort her with all that he had, but this motion just made Yao Mowan want tough. She probably wasn¡¯t the one that neededforting right now! ¡°Son! My precious son ah! Yao Suluan! Why!? Yu er was only four years old! How could you be so cruel!? Your Majesty, you must get justice for this old sir!¡± The leading guard¡¯s words were already as clear as they could possibly be. There was no hope of saving Yao Yu at this point, and it was very likely that there wouldn¡¯t even be an intact corpse. To Yao Zhenting who had finally managed to get a son in his middle age years, this was undoubtedly the harshest blow. It practically hurt more than his own death. ¡°Fa¡­ Father! Why don¡¯t you believe me? This consort didn¡¯t push him! He truly did jump in himself! Moreover, I¡¯m also your daughter! Yet you want me to pay for that bastard¡¯s life with my own even though the matter hasn¡¯t been thoroughly investigated yet?¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s eyes werepletely red as she stared hard at Yao Zhenting. At this instant, she suddenly questioned why she had struggled so hard to climb up to power! ¡°You¡¯re the bastard! You lowly wretch! Give me back my son!¡± Yao Zhenting red at Yao Suluan. Every single one of his words stabbed Yao Suluan¡¯s heart like a sharp de. ¡°If Consort Li has truly caused this incident, we will naturally give Yao Yu justice! However, this judgement must wait until the incident is fully investigated. Wan er, don¡¯t be scared. No matter what happens, we will be with you.¡± After giving those instructions coldly, Ye Hongyi left Jade Lake while hugging Yao Mowan who was still sobbing softly. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Yao Suluan staggered backwards when she saw Ye Hongyi leave indifferently. How did she fall to such grounds!? In her time of greatest need, her man didn¡¯t show her a trace of concern and her father even wanted to kill her! But she hadn¡¯t done anything! That bastard had jumped in himself! Why did no one believe her!? Who would listen to her? ¡°Lord¡­ Our Yu er¡­ this concubine has let you down¡­ Yu er¡­¡± Su Muzi originally wanted to kneel down in front of Yao Zhenting but when she moved, her vision turned ck and she fainted. Liu Xing hastily went over to catch her. ¡°Liu Xing, help Third Madam back to the residence!¡± Yao Zhenting suppressed his feelings of utter despair as he gazed at the calmke with tears streaming down his face. ¡°Father¡­¡± Yao Suluan tried to speak but Yao Zhenting immediately cut her off. ¡°This old man doesn¡¯t have a malicious daughter like you!¡± Yao Zhenting¡¯s voice was chilling to the bone. Yao Suluan¡¯s heart seemed to crack in half. She stared nkly at the man in front of her, this man that she had called ¡®father¡¯ for over twenty years. Perhaps she, this daughter, had never existed ni his heart. If that was the case, then what point was there for her to keep caring about this father-daughter rtionship? ¡°Yao Zhenting. No matter how many times this consort repeats herself, you guys don¡¯t n on believing this consort, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Yao Suluan restrained the hurt in her eyes and walked calmly to Yao Zhenting¡¯s side. Yao Zhenting continued looking at the surface of theke without a word. ¡°Forget it, this consort isn¡¯t interested in what you guys think. However, you should keep this in mind: if something happens to this consort, you won¡¯t be let off either! Mother had kept evidence of all those ¡®great¡¯ things that you¡¯ve done so¡­ Yao Zhenting, it¡¯s best if you protect this consort until she lives to a hundred! Humph!¡± Yao Suluan gave a cold sneer, then turned and left. She had never imagined that there would be a day she and Father woulde to this point, to this irretractable point. After getting back to Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Hongyi spent a long timeforting Yao Mowan before leaving. After Ye Hongyi¡¯s footsteps faded, Yao Mowan¡¯s lips hooked in a cold smile. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 74
Chapter 74: The Message in the Letter At this time, Liu Xing had already returned from sending Su Muzi back to the residence. ¡°Reporting, niang niang, this servant has already sent Third Madam back to the residence. Little Young Master has been safely rescued by Zhou Chengwu as well. This servant has already settled them down in an inn. Everything is going ording to n,¡± reported Liu Xing. ¡°Very good.¡± Yao Mowan nodded slightly, then lifted the teacup to take a sip. The tea¡¯s vor was strong and fragrant. ¡°Niang niang¡­¡± Liu Xing nced at Yao Mowan and hesitated. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to tell the Lord about little Young Master?¡± asked Liu Xing, puzzled. ¡°Of course he must be notified of this, but right now isn¡¯t the time. The right time is after he finishes funeral arrangements for Yao Yu.¡± Yao Mowan smiled and the light in her eyes became dazzling bright. One thing that surprised Yao Mowan was that, in the end, Yao Zhenting told Ye Hongyi that Yao Yu had identally fallen in the water and that the incident had nothing to do with Yao Suluan. With this, Ye Hongyi naturally wouldn¡¯t punish Yao Suluan. However, Yao Mowan knew that after this incident, Yao Suluan no longer had a father. Yao Zhenting had lost a daughter at the same time that he lost a son. The funeral arrangements were so grand they caused a sensation. Everyone could see how much Yao Zhenting valued this son. Yao Suluan imed to be ill and didn¡¯t go back to pay her respects at the funeral, but Yao Mowan had gone back. On that same day, Su Muzi went crazy in the mourning hall. Yao Zhenting¡¯s practice had always been to kill the donkey once it did the work. After Su Muzi went crazy, Yao Zhenting cared even less about her. He didn¡¯t even send people to search for her when she got lost. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan stroked Fluffy¡¯s slightly bulging stomach with a faint smile on her face. ¡°Niang niang, this servant has given your one thousand tael¡¯s worth of banknotes to Third Madam and saw them safely out of the Imperial City. They¡¯ve been handed over to the person Vanguard Ben sent,¡± reported Liu Xing. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, go rest.¡± Yao Mowan nodded slightly. Ever since that ident with Yao Yu, tofort her, Ye Hongyi had her eat her meals in Dragon Stem Pce everyday and would keep herpany whenever he had free time. He was deeply worried that Yao Mowan would be hurt to the point she ruined her health. In Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes, his actions were extremely ironic. She had never seen him show even a fraction of this concern back then when she was working day and night and skipping meals to help him. ¡°Niang niang, a while ago, Eunuch An delivered the message that His Majesty is upied by governmental matters and so won¡¯t be able to apany niang niang during this meal. This servant has already finished preparing the meal.¡± Ting Yue ordered the pce maids outside to put the dishes on the table, then walked to Yao Mowan¡¯s side in a respectful manner. ¡°En, you guys can withdraw.¡± Yao Mowan nodded, then put Fluffy down to walk towards the table. Right when she reached the table, she smelled a familiar scent. It had probably been a week since they¡¯ve ate at the table, thought Yao Mowan. ¡°You¡­ are you alright?¡± Ye Junqing was wearing an azure garment as he walked softly to Yao Mowan¡¯s side. His tone was slightly probing, but mostly he was trying to soundforting. After all, from what he could tell, Yao Mowan liked that younger brother a lot. ¡°I¡¯m alright, very well in fact ah. Mowan has always been the type to be more resolute the more a person yelled at Mowan.¡± Yao Mowan lifted her gaze. Her glistening eyes flickered with dazzling colors and the smile at the corners of her lips seemed to contain deep meaning. ¡°Cough cough¡­ this prince thought you had already forgotten.¡± That day, after Yao Mowan left, he hadn¡¯t been able to sleep the entire night. ¡°Mowan has always been the type to hold grudges, and with how horribly Prince had bad-mouthed Mowan, it¡¯d be hard for Mowan to forget even if Mowan wanted to,¡± said Yao Mowan angrily as she lifted the porcin bowl. ¡°This prince thought that you would be very hurt right now though?¡± Ye Junqing slowly sat down and sized up the woman in front of him again. Even after experiencing a harsh event like that, she seemedpletely fine as if nothing had happened. Yao Mowan continued eating without saying anything. ¡°It¡­ It was your scheme, wasn¡¯t it? Yao Yu¡¯s not dead?¡± Ye Hongyi abruptly got up and looked towards Yao Mowan with sudden realization. He pped his own head. How could he have forgotten? This woman always liked to pretend to be a pig in order to eat the tiger! ¡°You¡¯re using Yao Yu to frame Yao Suluan? But how can Yao Yue back after you did this? As of now, the Third Madam of the prime minister¡¯s residence has already gone crazy. If Yao Yu found out¡­¡± Ye Junqing red at Yao Mowan angrily only to see that Yao Mowan seemedpletely unconcerned. ¡°Third Madam is coborating with you? Why?¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s sharp brows furrowed tightly. At this instant, he suddenly found that Yao Mowan had too many secrets. No matter how deeply he probed, he couldn¡¯t find the source of them all. ¡°Prince wishes to know?¡± Yao Mowan exhaled and put down her chopsticks as she looked up towards Ye Junqing. Ye Junqing nodded. He really wanted to know. ¡°How about Prince sings a round of ¡®Riverside Immortal¡¯ for Mowan? If Prince sings it well, perhaps Mowan will tell Prince!¡± Yao Mowan said lightly with a smile beautiful enough to copse a city. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing¡¯s face immediately filled with ck lines. Then he sat down at the table and lifted the porcin bowl without another word. What a joke! No matter how useless he was, he was still a prince! There was no way he¡¯d fall to the point that he¡¯d have to perform a song. It wasn¡¯t like he needed to know for sure. Even if he wanted to know, he wouldn¡¯t ask this two-faced person again! This was what Ye Junqing was thinking. After the evening meal, Ye Junqing returned to the east wing with a belly full of stifled anger. He sensed that something was off the moment he stepped into the room, so he looked around cautiously. He only loosened a breath when he ascertained that there was no one in here. After lighting a candle, he found that there was a letter ced on the table. ¡®The Empress¡¯s cause of death was not childbirth. There is more to this matter. Midnight at the former site of the Cold Pce, the whole truth may be found.¡¯ Ye Junqing¡¯s hand slowly crushed the letter and cold filled his sharp gaze. His heart that had turned still from heartbreak now heated and started pounding again! He gritted his teeth and the veins on his forehead bulged out as if they were about to explode. Moxin didn¡¯t die from a difficult childbirth? How was that possible!? Up to this very moment, he had never doubted Moxin¡¯s cause of death. As he had once said, no one couldpare to how good Moxin was, especially with how much she loved Ye Hongyi. Thus he believed that it was only natural for Ye Hongyi to cherish Moxin a lot. Due to this, he felt that there should be no other possible cause of death other than difficult birth! Ye Junqing clenched the letter as a chiling light spilled out from the depths of his eyes. Then, he stormed out to head directly towards where the Cold Pce used to be. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was sitting next to the dressing table and gazing at the face in the mirror. She recalled the shock and fear in Yao Suluan¡¯s eyes earlier and the despair on Yao Zhenting¡¯s face. They deserved this retribution, and it was still far from enough. ¡°Master, something terrible has happened. This subordinate saw the Esteemed Prince rushing towards the Cold Pce while holding a letter of unknown origin.¡± Just as Yao Mowan was sinking deep into thought, Yin Xue appeared with a serious expression on her face. ¡°The Cold Pce? Let¡¯s go take a look!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes instantly turned cold. She draped an outer robe on, then quickly walked out of Guan Osprey Pce. It was clearly the beginning of summer, but the night wind was cold to the point it chilled people¡¯s hearts. Clouds covered the moon, causing the world to seem somber and deste. Ye Junqing stared at the side room in front of him as he clenched his fist. For some reason, his heart clutched with pain. Right at this time, a slight sound came from the door of the room. Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes lit up and he ran to the room to push open the door. ¡°Who?¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s expression turned extremely cold. Underneath the dim light of the stars, he saw that the pile of straw at the corner of the room was shaking slightly. Without speaking, Ye Junqing took a step forward and pulled off the straw, only to see that a woman dressed in pce maid attire was trembling as she looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me¡­ don¡¯t kill me.. I didn¡¯t see anything¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± The pce maid¡¯s figure was very thin and her hair and face were messy and dirty. Her eyes that were mostly covered by her hair were filled with fear. The maid was covering her head with both hands as she begged for mercy. ¡°Who are you? What did you see?¡± Ye Junqing looked around vigntly. He was certain that the letter he was holding did note from this pce maid, but he also knew that this pce maid definitely knew something. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 75
Chapter 75: The Truth that Came from the Pce Maid¡¯s Mouth ¡°N-no¡­ Please, don¡¯t kill me! I really didn¡¯t see anything! Empress niang niang died from difficult childbirth¡­ the dragon fetus died in her belly¡­ nonono¡­ the dragon fetus only died after it was born¡­ I¡¯m begging you¡­¡± The pce maid knelt on the ground and kowtowed like her life depended on it as incoherent fragments of speech spilled from her lips. ¡°How exactly did the dragon fetus die? How did the Empress die? Speak!¡± The maid¡¯s words contained hints that cause Ye Junqing¡¯s heart to abruptly chill. He lifted the maid by her cor and demanded answers from her. ¡°Ah¡­ no! Sun momo! Eunuch Zhen! Yun er¡­ Wuuwuu¡­ why did you kill them¡­ wuuwuu¡­¡± The maid continued to shake her head madly as tears spilled out of her eyes. Her appearance was that of someone who had been traumatized by something they had seen. ¡°Who are they? How did the Empress die!? Answer me! Speak!¡± Ye Junqing felt like it was getting hard to breathe, as if something was pressing on his chest. The truth? There was really a truth? Then how exactly did Moxin die? ¡°The Empress¡­ Pff!¡± The maid suddenly pressed her chest with both hand and her wan yellow face twisted with pain. Following that, she felt a salty fishy taste rise in her throat and coughed out a mouthful of ck blood. ¡°What¡¯s happening to you? Hey! What¡¯s wrong!? You still haven¡¯t told me how the Empress died! Hurry up and tell me!¡± Ye Junqing quickly sealed the maid¡¯s main arteries in an attempt to preserve her life, but the poison had already reached her heart, so ck blood continued to spill out. ¡°The Empress¡­ the Empress was¡­¡± The maid¡¯s voice gradually weakened. Ye Junqing hastily leaned over to put his head next to the maid¡¯s mouth, but he still couldn¡¯t hear thest words the maid whispered. Ye Junqing slowly let go of the maid¡¯s corpse and allowed it to fall onto the ground. His heart felt frozen. Even though he hadn¡¯t been able to hear what the pce maid saidst, he had heard enough to be certain of one point ¨C Moxin¡¯s death wasn¡¯t as simple as it appeared! As for what secrets were hidden behind this, he vowed that he¡¯d definitely find out everything without leaving a single rock unturned. If Moxin really did die due to someone¡¯s scheme, he swore to the Heavens that he would definitely cut those people who hurt Moxin into ten thousand pieces! Ye Junqing looked coldly at the already dead maid. He was certain that the person who wrote this letter wanted him to see this pce maid. Since the pce maid was already dead, the person who wrote the letter was the only clue he had left. When Ye Junqing thought up to here, he took a deep breath and tucked the wrinkled letter into his clothes before turning to leave. ¡°Master, it was this subordinate¡¯s negligence for not noticing that someone had entered the Esteemed Prince¡¯s room.¡± In the shadows, Yin Xue looked towards Yao Mowan with a guilt-ridden expression. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± A trace of cold shed through Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes as she watched Ye Junqing leave. ¡°Master, this subordinate will go in to find out what exactly happened!¡± Yin Xue was just about to rush into the side room when Yao Mowan stopped her. ¡°You can¡¯t go in. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s probably other people here as well. Let¡¯s return first. We don¡¯t want to alert the snake by carelessly hitting the grass,¡± said Yao Mowan mildly before turning to leave. Upon hearing this, Yin Xue looked around but didn¡¯t sense anyone around. Still, she didn¡¯t dare to disobey orders. Back in Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was sitting at the table in her bedroom as she gazed at the dragon bird candle thoughtfully. ¡°Master, should Yin Xue go steal that letter?¡± Yin Xue knew what Yao Mowan was thinking about and suggested this. ¡°No need. Even without looking at that letter, this consort can guess what¡¯s on it. There¡¯s nothing else to do here so you can withdraw now.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s voice contained no trace of me. There was no reason to me Yin Xue. After all, there was no way to split oneself in two. Yin Xue has had it hard looking after her and the Esteemed Prince at the same time. ¡°Understood!¡± Yin Xue sensed Yao Mowan¡¯s tolerance and was inwardly grateful. She turned and instantly disappeared. The room fell silent. Yao Mowan held a silver stir stick and lightly adjusted the candle wick. The light in her eyes gradually darkened. If her guess wasn¡¯t wrong, the letter contained information rted to her death. If it weren¡¯t for that, there was no reason for Ye Junqing to go to the old site of the Cold Pce. However, there were still people in this Imperial Pce that knew about her cause of death? Who would it be? And what was their motive? There were too many questions and it made her head hurt a little. This was the most troublesome matter she had encountered since her rebirth. She couldn¡¯t let Ye Junqing know about her true cause of death. It still wasn¡¯t the right time. From the looks of it, she had to find this person before Ye Junqing had the chance to investigate! The next day, Yao Mowan found out from Ting Yue right after she woke up that the side room where the Cold Pce used to be had been burned to dust. That fire was sorge the nearby pine and cypress trees burned down as well. ¡°This servant really doesn¡¯t understand, it¡¯s just an old abandoned side room, why did it suddenly catch on fire? There was no thunderst night so it definitely wasn¡¯t a natural fire. But who would be bored enough to go there to start a fire? If they got caught, they¡¯d definitely die.¡± Ting Yu worked on setting out the bowls and chopsticks as she chatted. ¡°There was a fire? Where?¡± A cold voice suddenly appeared behind them. Ye Junqing was standing outside the pce doors and his eyes were filled with coldness. ¡°Ah¡­ replying Prince, it was the side room of the Cold Pce,¡± replied Ting Yue. ¡°You may withdraw now.¡± Yao Mowan waved and had Ting Yue withdrew, then walked leisurely over to sit down at the table. ¡°Who do you think set the fire?¡± Ye Junqing walked to Yao Mowan and asked her in a low voice. His eyes no longer had contained their usual idleness. Yao Mowan had predicted this, that was why she had tried all she could to prevent Ye Junqing from finding out about the truth. The sooner he found out, the more his heart would hurt. ¡°How would I know?¡± Yao Mowan simply responded with a question. ¡°There¡¯s probably no event that urs in this pce that you don¡¯t know about!¡± Ye Junqing had always believed this. ¡°Prince truly views Mowan highly, but perhaps Mowan will end up disappointing Prince. Mowan really doesn¡¯t know about this matter.¡± Yao Mowan lowered her eyes and continued eating as she replied in a mild tone. ¡°With Yao Yu¡¯s incident, you were able to hit three birds with one arrow. Not only were you able to frame Yao Suluan and make Yao Zhenting think that he lost his son, since this matter happened in the Inner Pce, it¡¯d be hard for Yao Zhenting not to me His Majesty for it. Based on this, you seem to be trying to ruin their rtionships. If you were an outsider, this prince would still be able to deduce the reasons behind your actions, but you happen to be Yao Zhenting¡¯s daughter, Yao Suluan¡¯s younger sister, and Ye Hongyi¡¯s most cherished consort. This prince just can¡¯t figure out why you would want to do this? Unless¡­¡± Ye Junqing hesitated as that thought shed through his mind again. If that really was the case, his heart would break. ¡°Unless what?¡± Yao Mowan wanted to know how much of the situation Ye Junqing had managed to deduce. ¡°Unless you hate them. Unless you hate them because of Moxin!¡± Ye Junqing swallowed hard. He had spent the entire night picking apart what he knew and this was the conclusion he hade to. ¡°Prince really has a strong imagination. Eldest Sister had died of difficult childbirth. Wouldn¡¯t it be strange for Mowan to hold something like this against His Majesty? As for Father, he had never cared about Mowan so it¡¯s true that there¡¯s no feelings between us, but it¡¯s not so bad as for there to be hatred. And as for Yao Suluan¡­ she has always bullied Mowan since childhood. Now that Mowan has gained power, of course Mowan is returning the favor. Mowan knows about the feelings Prince has towards Eldest Sister, but Eldest Sister has already passed away. Prince should learn to let go.¡± Yao Mowan lifted her eyes and looked towards Ye Junqing solemnly. ¡°I knew that you wouldn¡¯t admit it!¡± Ye Junqing was vexed with himself after hearing Yao Mowan¡¯s pompous words. How could he have forgotten how two-faced this woman was? It was harder to trick the truth out of her than it was to touch the sky. ¡°Mowan is the type to borate in detail everything she knows ah! However, if Prince doesn¡¯t believe, then there¡¯s nothing Mowan can do. I¡¯d like to ask you to help with something after we finish eating,¡± said Yao Mowan lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel any shame!? How can you still ask? No! I¡¯m busy!¡± Ye Junqing couldn¡¯t help but give a sigh. There really was a benefit to having thick skin. If it were him, he¡¯d never be able to reject someone¡¯s request, then turn around and ask that person for help. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 76
Chapter 76: It¡¯s Fine, He¡¯s Used to It ¡°You¡¯re living on my food and sleeping under my roof, so isn¡¯t it natural for you to help me a little to pay me back?¡± Yao Mowan responded as if this was a matter of course. Ye Junqing was instantly made speechless. Perhaps he should reconsider Yan Nansheng¡¯s proposal. He swore that he definitely wouldn¡¯t stay here a second longer once he finished investigating the true cause of Moxin¡¯s death. Yu Funing was surprised to see Yao Mowan appear with Ye Junqing in Fragrant Steps Pavilion. Then she saw that Ye Junqing was holding Fluffy, and she felt the urge to charge up and kick that cat flying. ¡°This consort greets Esteemed Prince and Consort Yao.¡± Yu Funing quickly sorted out her emotions as she walked gracefully to Ye Junqing and curtsied. ¡°Big Sister Consort Xian, don¡¯t be so polite. The ginseng soup you made for Fluffyst time was really tasty, Fluffy has bepletely addicted to it. Big Sister, can you have them make another bowl for Fluffy?¡± Yao Mowan walked up and grabbed Yu Funing¡¯s hand as she asked this with an earnest expression. ¡°Why not? Qian Xi, tell the imperial kitchen to make a bowl of ginseng soup. Also have them prepare lunch. The Esteemed Prince and Consort Yao will be having their afternoon meal in Fragrant Steps Pavilion today.¡± As Yu Funing turned around to give Qian Xi instructions, inwardly she was very vexed. Back then, she had sent the ginseng soup for Ye Junqing to taste, but those several thousand taels worth of soup ended up going into an animal¡¯s stomach. Ye Junqing¡¯s lips subconsciously twitched. She really didn¡¯t bother to be polite at all! Once Qing Xi left, Yu Funing asked Ye Junqing to take a seat, then pulled Yao Mowan to sit with her on another chaise lounge. The moment Yao Mowan touched the chaise lounge, she recognized the Millennium Jade Ice that was being used as a seating pad. This type of jade was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It was extremely rare, even Ye Hongyi probably didn¡¯t have the fortune to enjoy such a luxury. The Director of the Board of Rites, Yu Qing, has always been a very cautious man. The only thing he could bear to spend money on was on this daughter. Although it was said that wealth should be kept hidden, Yu Qing didn¡¯t bother to do that at all. After all, every time the imperial court¡¯s finances got tight, he always managed to think of a way to get enough money. Ye Hongyi had once told her that he knew about Yu Qing pilfering from the state treasury, butpared to his abilities, the bits he shaved off were insignificant. It could be seen from this that Ye Hongyi trusted Yu Qing a lot, so Yao Mowan didn¡¯t n to use the Soul Sand Garden to deal with Yu Qing. She had a different n in store for him. ¡°Junqing, Fluffy¡¯s asleep so you¡¯re not allowed to move. If you bother Fluffy and end up waking her up, I won¡¯t let you have dinner!¡± Yao Mowan was in the middle of gossiping with Yu Funing when she looked over and noticed that Fluffy had fallen asleep in Ye Junqing¡¯s arms. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you also talk more quietly?¡± Even though Ye Junqing was extremely unwilling, he obediently stopped moving and sat there quietly like a beautiful sculpture. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s right! Big Sister Consort Xian, let¡¯s talk more quietly!¡± Yao Mowan nodded as she covered her mouth with both hands and looked back towards Yu Funing. When Ye Junqing saw Yao Mowan like this, he finally understood that the most painful thing in the world wasn¡¯t to make a famous battle god hug a sleeping cat. The most painful thing was to have to apany a woman that was more shrewd than a monkey in acting! ¡°No matter how much Consort Yao likes Fluffy, it¡¯s still just a cat. It¡¯ll be very tiring for the prince to keep holding Fluffy like that.¡± Yu Funing¡¯s long eyshes trembled slightly as she suppressed her fury. She couldn¡¯t tolerate the way Ye Junqing had to resign himself to such humiliation. She couldn¡¯t tolerate how Yao Mowan was using her power to bully people. Had the world turned on its head? A fool couldmand the undefeatable battle god as she pleased now? If Yu Funing hadn¡¯t seen this with her own eyes, she really would have thought she was having a nightmare. ¡°It¡¯s fine ah! He¡¯s already used to carrying her, so don¡¯t worry! Oh, what were we talking about earlier?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s harmless smile now looked as sinister as that of a demon¡¯s to Yu Funing. During lunch, if Qing Xi hadn¡¯t woken Fluffy up with the smell of the ginseng soup, Ye Junqing probably would have had to sit through the entire meal. Yao Mowan was the only chattering on continuously about random things at the dinner table. Yu Funing and Ye Junqing were both immersed in their own thoughts. Even when they were about to leave Fragrant Steps Pavilion, Yao Mowan didn¡¯t forget to have Ye Junqing pick Fluffy back up and feed her the rest of the ginseng soup. ¡°How could you have a prince do something like this? Qian Xi, go get the ginseng soup and see the Esteemed Prince and Consort Yao back to Guan Osprey Pce!¡± Yu Funing¡¯s heart ached unbearably when she saw how much humiliation Ye Junqing had to quietly endure. She now hated Yao Mowan to no end. ¡°How could Wan er trouble Big Sister Consort Xian¡¯s people with this? It¡¯s fine, he¡¯s already used to it!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s repetition of ¡®he¡¯s already used to it¡¯ almost drove Yu Funing crazy with anger. After Yao Mowan left, she abruptly turned around and overturned the phoenix table again. ¡°Niang niang, what need is there for you to hold a grudge against a fool? Your health is more important,¡± consoled Qian Xi. She didn¡¯t dare to say anything bad about Ye Junqing this time. ¡°Does being a fool give her the right to bully others? Did you see how much she humiliated the Esteemed Prince!? No, this won¡¯t do! This consort cannot just look on as the Esteemed Prince suffers such humiliation! Fei Luan!¡± Right after Yu Funing called, a hidden guard clothed in ck appeared next to her. ¡°Niang niang, please reconsider! Who dares to guarantee that the Esteemed Prince isn¡¯t simply acting this way for His Majesty to see? If you touch Yao Mowan, His Majesty might pin the me on the Esteemed Prince. At that time, wouldn¡¯t we have ended up dropping a rock on our own foot?¡± Qian Xi hastily exined this possibility when she saw that Yu Funing was about to send Fei Luan out. Yu Funing¡¯s heart abruptly clenched when she heard this and she waved to have Fei Luan retreat before turning to look at Qian Xi. ¡°You really think so?¡± ¡°Niang niang shouldn¡¯t forget that the Esteemed Prince did show up at the side room of the Cold Pcest night. He has definitely seen Qiao Er. Based on what Fei Luan heard, although Qiao Er didn¡¯t have enough time to tell the Esteemed Prince about the person who caused Yao Moxin¡¯s death, she did mention Sun momo, Eunuch Zheng, and Yun Er. As long as the Esteemed Prince investigates those people, he¡¯ll eventually find out about the cause of Moxin¡¯s death, and at that time he¡¯ll definitely revolt! Niang niang should wait until that time to lend him a helping hand.¡± Qian Xi analyzed the situation calmly. ¡°Your suggestion is not bad! Then we¡¯ll just have to allow Yao Mowan to live awhile longer!¡± Yu Funing¡¯s eyes were cold as she said this between gritted teeth. At the side, Qian Xi¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. When she told the lord what her master was nning, the lord had ordered her to oppose her master¡¯s views as much as possible. This task was truly troublesome. ¡°Why are you purposefully humiliating this prince in front of Consort Xian?¡± Ye Junqing knew that Yao Mowan always did things with motives. ¡°I¡¯m helping you ah! I¡¯m helping you with fending off troublesome peach flowers ah, yet you don¡¯t even know to feel grateful!¡± Yao Mowan replied in an angry tone as she continued mulling over a different matter. There were other meanings contained within the words Yu Funing spoke in the imperial garden. It seemed she knew about the events that ured in the Cold Pce, so she was definitely involved in what happenedst night. However, she needed to get evidence. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Ye Junqing immediately refuted. ¡°Ha, could it be that you didn¡¯t notice the way Consort Xian looked at you? If my guess isn¡¯t wrong, she¡¯s been in love with you for quite a while,¡± said Yao Mowan as she drew closer to Ye Junqing. ¡°The more you speak, the stranger your words get. This prince has now helped you, so could you help this prince with something?¡± There were benefits in being a little shameless when dealing with Yao Mowan! Ye Junqing decided to treat her the same way she messed with him. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± replied Yao Mowan straightforwardly. ¡°Why?¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes abruptly filled with anger as he inwardlyined about how unreasonable she was. ¡°Because Mowan isn¡¯t living on your food or sleeping under your roof. And, that night you bad-mouthed Mowan, did you forget?¡± Yao Mowan stopped walking and turned around to look towards Ye Junqing. Her long eyshes curled slightly at the ends and her beautiful eyes sparkled like gems in the light. ¡°Cough cough¡­ You seem to hold grudges against this prince quite a lot.¡± Ye Junqing waspletely speechless when Yao Mowan acted this way. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®holding grudges,¡¯ it¡¯s ¡®settling ounts.''¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips curled slightly, then she took Fluffy from his arms and walked away with light steps. How could I hold grudges against you? All I remember are the good things about you¡­ __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 77
Chapter 77: Revealing the Identity of the Little Young Master to the Prime Minister ¡°What difference is there!?¡± grumbled Ye Junqing angrily as he watched Yao Mowan leave. After a good while, he finally took a deep breath and his expression turned serious. He recalled the three names the pce maid said yesterday before she died. The first thing he had to do was find out the identities of those three, but though he was staying in the imperial pce, there were many ces that he couldn¡¯t go to. He was originally hoping that Yao Mowan would help him, but from the looks of things now, he had no choice but to borrow the cover of night. As a woman, Yao Mowan could sense that Ye Hongyi was doting on her more than he did any other concubine or consort. Or perhaps it should be said that she could faintly sense that Ye Hongyi has fallen for her for real. However, she only found itughable. Back then when she did everything for his sake, it didn¡¯t manage to gain even a bit of sympathy from him. Yet now, when she waspletely acting for her own sake, her behavior attracted love from him? The night wind swept in and continuously lifted the faint pink curtain with it as the mattress violently shook. After the incident with Yao Yu, Ye Hongyi had considerately held himself back for ten days before touching Yao Mowan again. As of now, Ye Hongyi was releasing all of his pent-up passion with no idea that the heart of the person below him wasn¡¯t as bright as the smile on her face. ¡°Your Majesty, can Wan er visit the prime minister¡¯s residence tomorrow?¡± Yao Mowany on Ye Hongyi¡¯s chest as she looked towards him with a pleading expression. ¡°You may, but you can¡¯t stay there for the night. We¡®ll miss you!¡± Ye Hongyi always agreed to Yao Mowan¡¯s requests. ¡°Your Majesty is the best!¡± As Yao Mowan snuggled into Ye Hongyi¡¯s arms, her heart turnedpletely cold. The next day, when Yao Mowan got back to the prime minister¡¯s residence, the entire residence seemed to be enveloped in a lifeless air. Even the servants sweeping the courtyard seemed to be listless as if they hadn¡¯t eaten. But it was nothing strange. For other people, as days passed their family only grewrger, but the prime minister¡¯s residence was losing people by the day. The only master left in this residence was Yao Zhenting so the servants didn¡¯t have much to do. ¡°Third Miss? This old servant kowtows in salute to Consort Yao niang niang. Why didn¡¯t you send someone to tell us you wereing so that this servant could prepare a reception?¡± When Yao Tu saw Yao Mowan, unconceble joy appeared on his face. Yao Mowan knew that if there still existed someone in this residence that cared about her and was worthy for her to care about, that person would be Yao Tu. ¡°Something casually prepared is enough.¡± Yao Mowan nodded slightly. ¡°Where¡¯s Father?¡± ¡°The lord hasn¡¯t been going to court thesest few days and has been locking himself in the little Young Master¡¯s room. He finally got a bit better yesterday, so he¡¯s probably in the main hall right now,¡± said Yao Tu with a sigh. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Despite caring about a son that much, he only grieved for a few days. He was truly cold-blooded. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she heard from Liu Xing that Yao Zhenting had recovered a little, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen toe back today. She just really didn¡¯t feel like giving Yao Zhenting even a bit of breathing room. ¡°Father!¡± Yao Mowan took a deep breath, then ran into the main hall with lively skips. Yao Zhenting was currently sitting inside and sampling a cup of tea. ¡°Mowan? Why are you here?¡± When Yao Zhenting saw that Ting Yue was the only one following after Yao Mowan, he didn¡¯t bother to get up and salute her. ¡°Mowan missed Father and shu mother. That¡¯s right, Mowan also brought some pastries back from the pce. Father¡¯s heart must be bitter from losing Yu er, but once you eat some pastries your heart won¡¯t be bitter anymore!¡± Yao Mowan took the pastries from Ting Yu and ced it on the square sandalwood table. ¡°You¡¯re actually quite filial,¡± said Yao Zhenting with a sigh as he watched this dumb daughter of his. ¡°Ting Yue, go call shu mother over. Tell her that Wan er brought her tasty stuff!¡± Yao Mowan turned around and instructed Ting Yue. ¡°There¡¯s no need to. Your shu mother¡­ has gone to a far away ce. She won¡¯t being back.¡± Yao Zhenting didn¡¯t want to waste his breath exining to Yao Mowan. ¡°A far away ce? Mother has also gone to a very far away ce¡­ Father, say, will Mother stille back to look for us? She¡¯ll definitely miss Wan er, so she¡¯ll definitelye back!¡± said Yao Mowan with conviction as she looked towards Yao Zhenting with her bright eyes. When Yao Zhenting heard this, the hand that was holding the teacup shook for a moment and his facial color changed. Just at this moment, Yao Tu ran in. ¡°Master, there¡¯s a woman outside that¡¯s saying she knows Third Madam and is looking for Master for a very important matter.¡± Yao Tu bowed and reported respectfully. ¡°Did you ask her what it was about?¡± asked Yao Zhenting coldly as he nced at Yao Tu. ¡°This old servant did ask, but she said she would only say it in front of Master. This servant tried giving her money, but she didn¡¯t seem to havee for money.¡± Yao Tu naturally knew what Yao Zhenting was thinking and responded with these details. ¡°Let her in.¡± Yao Zhenting¡¯s brows furrowed with displeasure. He knew that even if the person was Su Muzi¡¯s rtive, she still wouldn¡¯t dare to try to cause a scene at his prime minister¡¯s residence. Yao Tu went out again and soon returned with an olddy that looked about fifty. The olddy¡¯s face was shiny with cosmetics and a eye-piercing red peony hairpin was inserted into her frizzy bun. Her attire bore a striking resemnce to those of female brothel keepers. The instant Yao Mowan saw the olddy, she couldn¡¯t help but press her hand against her forehead. She recalled telling Liu Xing to remind her to dress up a little, but she hadn¡¯t expected thisdy to end up dressing in such an exaggerated manner. She didn¡¯t know whether Father would believe the words of thisdy at this rate. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Yao Zhenting as he looked at the unfamiliar person in front of him. ¡°Replying Prime Minister da ren, thismon woman¡¯s name is Dou Lishi,¡± replied Dou Lishi politely as she moved closer with a bright smile. ¡°Yao Tu!¡± Yao Zhenting called in a disgusted tone and Yao Tu immediately walked up to pull Dou Lishi back. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something to say to the lord? Hurry up and say it!¡± urged Yao Tu. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot! Prime Minister da ren, thismon woman dares to swear upon the Heavens that Yao Yu isn¡¯t your biological son!¡± Dou Lishi¡¯s expression was solemn and confident as she said this. Upon hearing this, Yao Zhenting abruptly knocked the cup lid in his hand against the tea cup and then red at Dou Lishi. ¡°Audaciousmoner! What nonsense are you making up!?¡± Yao Tu hadn¡¯t expected for such outrageous words toe out of Dou Lishi¡¯s mouth. He immediately made to chase her out. ¡°Da ren is wise and should know that thismon woman wouldn¡¯t dare to make things like that up without proof. Da ren doesn¡¯t remember thismon woman anymore? It was thismon woman that served as midwife when Su Muzi was giving birth!¡± Dou Lishi continued speaking as if she didn¡¯t see the dark expression on Yao Zhenting¡¯s face. ¡°Hurry up and get out!¡± Yao Tu reached out to pull Dou Lishi away but Yao Zhenting stopped him. ¡°Let her continue!¡± His voice was cold to the bone. When Yao Mowan felt that dark chill, her lips hooked in a barely noticeable smile. ¡°Hear that? Da ren told me to continue. Let go of me!¡± Dou Lishi pushed away Yao Tu before looking towards Yao Zhenting again with an ingratiating smile. ¡°Da ren, you were unaware, but Su Muzi wasn¡¯t a virtuous woman at all. Ever since she had been kicked out of the prime minister¡¯s residence, she started having improper rtionships with my nephew, Zhou Chengwu. The two started sleeping together even though no matchmaker set them up. Later, when they ran out of money, they set their sights on you. After obtaining your affection, that woman still didn¡¯t know to repay grace and continued having rtionships with my nephew. She even spent all the money you gave her on my nephew. Thismon woman wasn¡¯t able to get even a bit of it!¡± Dou Lishi immediately continued glibly without noticing the dark fury that was appearing on Yao Zhenting¡¯s face. At the side, Yao Mowan nced at Dou Lishi. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. In reality, just the in truth would be enough to anger Yao Zhenting half to death. With Dou Lishi adding vinegar to the oil like this, Yao Zhenting will probably be ill for quite a period of time. ¡°Get to the point!¡± Yao Zhenting spat between gritted teeth. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Replying Master, when you found out that Su Muzi was pregnant, in reality she had already been pregnant three months! Three months ago, you two still hadn¡¯t gotten together ah. So based on this, isn¡¯t Yao Yu obviously my nephew¡¯s child?¡± Dou Lishi made this deration earnestly. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 78
Chapter 78: Angered to the Point of Coughing Blood ¡°That¡¯s not possible! That¡¯s not what the doctor said when he took the pulse!¡± refuted Yao Tu. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying you guys were all keptpletely in the dark this whole time. That doctor was from Vige Mark Pharmacy and knew my nephew very well. Of course he would choose to help my nephew.¡± Dou Lishi kept saying nephew, nephew again and again. Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help but want tough. In this situation, wouldn¡¯t it be smarter to try to distance oneself? ¡°How could that be¡­¡± Yao Tu looked towards Yao Zhenting in shock and saw that Yao Zhenting¡¯s face waspletely ashen and his eyes had already turned red. The veins on the hand that was gripping the teacup bulged as if they were about to explode. ¡°So I¡¯m saying ah, Prime Minister da ren, you¡¯ve been helping raise someone else¡¯s kid this entire time! Not only this, even after Su Muzi got brought into the Prime Minister Residence, she continued to have rtionships with my nephew. When people saw them on the streets, the people who didn¡¯t know the situation actually thought they were a family of three! And¡­¡± ¡®Crash¡­¡¯ Dou Lishi was still prattling on endlessly when there suddenly came the sound of something shattering on the ground. Yao Zhenting had thrown his teacup. Dou Lishi only came to her senses when some of the tea sshed onto her hand in passing. ¡°Re¡­ replying da ren, this matter¡­ From beginning to end, it was Su Muzi, that lowly woman who seduced my nephew, so it has even less to do with thismon woman. Thismon woman just heard¡­ Thismon woman heard that you were investigating this matter and would be giving a generous reward. That¡¯s why¡­ that¡¯s why thismon woman finally chose to ce righteousness before family. This is all that thismon woman knows so¡­ that reward¡­¡± Dou Lishi saw that the situation wasn¡¯t good and gulped as she looked towards Yao Tu. ¡°Who told you that we were investigating and would be giving a reward?¡± Yao Tu immediately picked out the fishy part to all of this and questioned her sternly. At the side, Yao Mowan lifted her eyes slightly to look at Dou Lishi. It was hard to distinguish the light from the shadow in her clear eyes. ¡°Investigate! It must be investigated! Yao Tu, hurry up and get to it! I want to know the truth!¡± Before Dou Lishi could reply, Yao Zhenting suddenly mmed the table and stood up. Yao Mowan could see the bulging veins on his forehead that looked about to burst. ¡°This servant understands. Master¡­ should this servant help you back to the room to rest?¡± Yao Tu worriedly walked forward when he saw that Yao Zhenting¡¯s facial color was very pale. ¡°Go investigate right now! Cough cough¡­. cough cough cough!¡± Yao Zhenting suddenly felt an iron taste in his throat, then he coughed out a mouthful of blood . ¡°Master! Someone, hurry up and call for a doctor!¡± Yao Tu immediately shouted. Yao Mowan walked over as well with an rmed expression. ¡°Father, are you alright? Don¡¯t scare Wan er, alright?¡± Yao Mowan sounded as if she was about to cry. Inwardly, she really was a bit worried. It would be letting him off too easy if he was angered to death just with this! The pain that Mother had to endure, the torment that her younger sister suffered, she¡¯d make him pay for all of it slowly! Meanwhile, Dou Lishi was a bit stunned. She hadn¡¯t expected for things to get this serious. If she really ended up angering the prime minister to death, not only would she not be able to get a reward, she probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to keep her life. Hence, she took advantage of the chaos and quietly left the residence. ording to the doctor, Yao Zhenting¡¯s anger had attacked his heart but he would be fine after careful rest. After Yao Zhenting fell asleep, Yao Tu instructed Chen Qiang to see the doctor out while he headed to Bright Virtuous Pavilion to find Yao Mowan. ¡°So Consort Yao niang niang was here? This servant couldn¡¯t find you anywhere,¡± said Yao Tu respectfully with his head lowered. ¡°Ting Yue, this consort is a little hungry. Go get some pastries from the kitchen.¡± Yao Mowan continued gazing at the lush elm tree in front of her as she gave Ting Yue thismand. Ting Yue understood the hidden meanings and immediately withdrew. ¡°Niang niang, this servant has some things that this servant isn¡¯t sure should be said.¡± Bright Virtuous Pavilion was very quiet. The wind arose, making the tree leaves rustle softly. The scene was beautiful enough to be a painting. ¡°This consort is always willing to hear what Steward Yao has to say.¡± Yao Mowan retrieved her gaze and slowly turned to face Yao Tu. ¡°Dou Lishi¡¯s appearance is a little odd. For some reason, this servant feels like¡­¡± ¡°It was arranged by this consort.¡± Yao Mowan admitted her doings before Yao Tu even finished speaking. However, her straightforward response caused Yao Tu to be a little dumbstruck. ¡°Master had just walked out from the pain of losing his son, and little Young Master is already dead. Why did you¡­¡± ¡°Why did this consort do it? You should understand it most clearly! Moreover, everything Dou Lishi said was true. You can investigate for yourself.¡± The cold voice revealed unconceble anger. Yao Mowan spoke harshly, finally voicing some of the pain in her heart. Upon hearing this, Yao Tu nced towards the arched door. He only looked back at Yao Mowan once he confirmed that there was no one around. ¡°Niang niang¡­ holds a grudge against Master? But Master is still niang niang¡®s birth father!¡± Yao Tu watched Yao Mowan nervously. ¡°In the past two dozen years, has Father ever cared about Mowan¡¯s existence? Compared to Yao Zhenting, you¡¯re more like Mowan¡¯s father¡­¡± Yao Mowan knew that of all the people in the Prime Minister Residence, Liu Xing and this steward were the only ones that treated her younger sister very well. This was probably also the reason why he had repeatedly helped her from the shadows. ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t dare¡­¡± When Yao Tu heard what she said, he knelt down fearfully. ¡°The things Steward has done for Mowan are engraved in Mowan¡¯s memories. However, Mowan¡¯s curious, when did you figure out that Mowan had recovered her intelligence?¡± Yao Mowan helped Yao Tu up as she asked. ¡°This¡­ This servant noticed that something was different about niang niang right when you returned with Ting Yue. Following that, Gao momo was med for attempting to poison Master and then there was what happened with Lou Yuxin. There were a lot of other little incidents afterwards as well, so they made this servant realize that niang niang was already no longer the same as before,¡± replied Yao Tu honestly. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that there aren¡¯t a lot of people as clear-sighted as Steward in this residence. Otherwise Mowan would really be at a loss.¡± Yao Mowanughed. Her guess was correct, Yao Tu had long already figured it out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, niang niang, Yao Tu will definitely keep this secret and won¡¯t allow anyone to find out things that niang niang doesn¡¯t wish for people to know about!¡± Yao Tu heard the implied meaning in Yao Mowan¡¯s words and once again knelt on the ground. ¡°Steward is over-worrying. If you were going to tell, you would have already told instead of waiting until now. Stop kneeling and get up!¡± Yao Mowan was satisfied with Yao Tu¡¯s response. ¡°Niang niang¡­ In reality, Master¡­ He hasn¡¯t had feelings towards anyone, even Big Madam, so¡­¡± Yao Tu had served Yao Zhenting for many years, so he couldn¡¯t bear seeing his master hurt. ¡°So it was alright for him to not care about Mother¡¯s life and allow Dou Xiann to poison Mother?¡± Each of Yao Mowan¡¯s words came out like ice. Yao Tu had no words with which to refute. Even he felt that Yao Zhenting¡¯s indifference had been cruel. ¡°Some grudges will never be settled with apromise. Steward Yao, this consort knows that you¡¯re loyal, but these are the Yao Residence¡¯s family matters, understand?¡± said Yao Mowan mildly as she restrained the indignance and sorrow in her eyes. ¡°This servant understands¡­¡± replied Yao Tu in a low voice. The fact that Yao Mowan revealed the truth to him showed that she trusted him a lot. This show of trust made it impossible for him to betray her to Master. Yao Tu couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Yao Mowan¡¯s move was ced perfectly. He had no paths with which to retreat. Yao Mowan nodded slightly, then had Yao Tu withdraw. As she watched him leave, her lips hooked in a graceful arc. She had faith that Yao Tu knew what to do now that she had said those heartfelt words. Yao Mowan was feeling very refreshed when she got back to Guan Osprey Pce. A momentter, Ye Junqing walked in carrying Fluffy. ¡°Are you really treating this prince as your cat-sitter? To be gone for so long!¡± Ye Junqing coldly passed Fluffy to Yao Mowan with a displeased expression. ¡°There¡¯s a sentence called ¡®acting innocent even after deceitfully getting a perk.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for Fluffy, how could Prince have been able to get into the Office of Internal Affairs so easily? How did the investigation go?¡± Yao Mowan gracefully took Fluffy before ncing up to see the slightly awkward expression on Ye Junqing¡¯s handsome face. ¡°You sent someone to tail this prince?¡± demanded Ye Junqing as he held back his anger. ¡°That¡¯s right ah. How else would Mowan know?¡± Yao Mowan looked at him with a ¡®you didn¡¯t know?¡¯ expression. Ye Junqing was so angry he stormed off without another word. Once Ye Junqing left, Yao Mowan called Yin Xue out. __________ Credits: Sponsored by Christiine Govinden-Loh, KH, and maarita, Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 79
Chapter 79: A Familiar Assassin ¡°What is the Esteemed Prince investigating?¡± The mirth faded from Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes and was reced by a serious expression. ¡°Replying Master, the Esteemed Prince was searching for information about Sun momo, Eunuch Zheng, and Yun Er,¡± reported Yin Xue. Yao Mowan¡¯s heart suddenly hurt as if someone was squeezing the blood out of it. She still remembered vividly how Sun momo and Yun Er had ran back and forth busily but happily the night she gave birth to Zhong er. Eunuch Zheng was so happy, he even personally cooked her some nourishing dishes. They were the people she had been closest to in this pce! But as of now, although she returned to the pce, she would never be able to see them again. Ye Hongyi, you really owed Mowan too many lives! ¡°Master?¡± called Yin Xue softly when she sensed Yao Mowan¡¯s abnormality. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Is there any news about Yu Funing?¡± Yao Mowan pulled herself away from those unbearable memories. ¡°Yu Funing has a hidden guard stationed in Fragrant Steps Pavilion. Yin Xue was worried about the hidden guard sensing something so Yin Xue didn¡¯t get too close and couldn¡¯t hear much of the details. However, Yin Xue did hear them mention Sun momo, Eunuch Zheng, and Yun Er. Based on this, Yu Funing is likely involved in the events that ured in the Cold Pce that day,¡± said Yin Xue with certainty. ¡°Yu Funing also has a hidden guard? No wonder she had been able to send the letter to Ye Junqing without anyone finding out. With this, things are trickier. Yin Xue, take a trip back to Phoenix Feather Manor and call Yan Nansheng here for this consort,¡± said Yao Mowan solemnly. ¡°Understood!¡± Yin Xue immediately left after getting this order. In the main hall, Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. Yu Funing has chosen to reveal the truth behind her death in order to give Ye Junqing a reason to fight again. Looking from Yu Funing¡¯s perspective, this choice should be correct. However, Yu Funing overlooked one thing. As of now, Ye Junqing was staying in the imperial pce, so his every move was within Ye Hongyi¡¯s grasp. If there was any hint of something going on, how was it possible that Ye Hongyi would allow Ye Junqing to continue living!? The road she was trying to lead Yu Funing along wasn¡¯t this one! That night, Yan Nansheng who hadn¡¯t appeared for a long time showed up in front of Yao Mowan. Yao Mowan could sense the in wariness in Yan Nansheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°This seems to be the Guan Osprey Pce. Is Nansheng worried that I¡¯ll steal something?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Yan Nansheng with a harmless expression as if she had been wrongly used. ¡°Hard to say!¡± Yan Nansheng couldn¡¯t help but fear this woman¡¯s ability when he recalled how she had swindled the Elements away. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the main topic. Mowan has something to ask.¡± Yao Mowan indicated for Yan Nansheng to sit down, then started speaking seriously. ¡°You can ask, but first give the Elements back to me.¡± Yan Nansheng took advantage of this opportunity to haggle. ¡°Then let¡¯s just forget it. In any case, Mowan isn¡¯t really friends with Ye Junqing so whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with Mowan. You can leave now!¡± Yan Nansheng had barely spoken when Yao Mowan abruptly got up to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t go ah, I¡¯m just joking! Say it, what do you want?¡± Yan Nansheng suddenly felt that life was very sad. He was the grand alliance head of the martial arts circles, the young master in charge of Phoenix Feather Manor, yet this womanpletely had him wrapped around her finger. Whenever he was in front of Yao Mowan, he felt like all of his power was useless. No matter how he tried to attack, it just seemed to hit a sponge and make no impact. ¡°It¡¯s very simple, I want you to kill Ye Junqing¡­¡± For Yu Funing, it was practically a dreame true to have Ye Junqinge to her Fragrant Steps Pce for a meal. But she didn¡¯t want to see Yao Mowan even in a dream. It was a good thing that Yao Mowan wasn¡¯t carrying that damned cat this time, otherwise she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop herself from locking Yao Mowan outside. ¡°This consort kowtows in salute to the Esteemed Prince and Consort Yao. Pleasee sit, the noon meal is already prepared.¡± Yu Funing¡¯s gentle eyes lingered on Ye Junqing for a while before she relunctantly shifted her gaze away. A person like Ye Junqing who seemed to carry a halo of light around him was a beautiful scene no matter where he went. The problem was, a fool that didn¡¯t fit the picture was always standing by his side. It not only made people feel that it was a pity, it also made people extremely envious. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to bother Big Sister Consort Xian again.¡± Yao Mowan walked to the phoenix table with a smile. Behind her, Ye Junqing snorted. It was hard to imagine that Yao Mowan actually also knew the words ¡®I¡¯m really sorry!¡¯ A little while into the meal, Yu Funing finally noticed that Yao Mowan was acting different from usual. Not only was she barely talking, she kept looking around from time to time during the meal. She seemed to be waiting for someone? ¡°Ah, I¡¯m really full now. Big Sister Consort Xian, Wan er will head off first!¡± Just when Yu Funing felt that something was strange, Yao Mowan suddenly got up to leave. ¡°Then this prince shall also take his leave.¡± Ye Junqing naturally wouldn¡¯t stay if Yao Mowan¡¯s was leaving. However, right after he got up, Yao Mowan abruptly shook her head. ¡°No! You can¡¯t leave! Sit down!¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with a serious expression as she said this sharply. ¡°Why?¡± Ye Junqing lifted his brows as he looked at Yao Mowan, puzzled. ¡°In any case, you can¡¯t leave! Big Sister Consort Xian, make him stay here! Wan er¡®s leaving!¡± Yao Mowan walked around the phoenix table with a nervous expression and quickly headed towards the pce doors. Right at this moment, there was a strong gust of wind and a person dressed in ck seemed to instantaneously appear in the main hall. The sharp de in his hand headed straight for Ye Junqing. ¡°Assassin! Niang niang, be careful!¡± The moment the ck-clothed person appeared, Qian Xi pulled Yu Funing to a corner. Then she looked towards Yao Mowan and found that Yao Mowan had already found a corner to hide in. Ye Junqing figured out the person¡¯s identity after they exchanged a few blows, but it just made him even more confused. ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± Ye Junqing couldn¡¯t finish his sentence because the ck-clothed person¡¯s de shed down. Each attack was strong and deadly. When Yu Funing saw that Ye Junqing couldn¡¯t defeat the assassin, she called Fei Luan out to help him. When Fei Luan appeared, the ck-clothed man attacked a few more times, then disappeared in a sh. ¡°Fei Luan, withdraw! There¡¯s no need to chase! Esteemed Prince, are you alright?¡± Yu Funing called Fei Luan back, then ran to Ye Junqing¡¯s side worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± As Ye Junqing was replying, he saw that Yao Mowan was trying to sneak out of Fragrant Steps Pavilion. ¡°Consort Yao isn¡¯t going to wait for this prince?¡± The ice-cold voice contained unconcealed anger. Ye Junqing didn¡¯t even nce at Yu Funing and strode straight towards Yao Mowan. Yu Funing reflexively followed after Ye Junqing but Qian Xi pulled her back. ¡°Niang niang, don¡¯t worry. This servant saw everything clearly earlier. The Esteemed Prince wasn¡¯t injured,¡± said Qian Xi deliberately in reminder. ¡°Who exactly was trying to kill him?¡± Yu Funing¡¯s slender frame leaned against the pce doors as her hand tightened around her handkerchief. The light in her eyes turned cold. When the assassin¡¯s de had been about to pierce Ye Junqing¡¯s chest, she felt as if her world was about to copse. At that moment, she finally understood that if Ye Junqing no longer existed in this world, her reason to live would also disappear. ¡°Did niang niang notice that Consort Yao seemed to be acting differently from usual today? It was like¡­¡± Qian Xi felt that something was off but couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact problem. ¡°Like she knew that someone woulde to assassinate the Esteemed Prince, so she tried to leave after just a few bites?¡± Yu Funing¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°And when the Esteemed Prince indicated that he was leaving with her, she was strongly against it. This servant will be so audacious as to say that Consort Yao was definitely aware that an assassin wasing, and she even knew that the assassin¡¯s target was only the Esteemed Prince. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t run away in a panic when the assassin came and instead hid at the side without fear!¡± Qian Xi was certain of this. ¡°This consort was wrong!¡± Yu Funing took a deep breath and stomped back inside. Behind her, Qian Xi cautiously closed the doors before following her. ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t understand what niang niang means?¡± Qian Xi looked towards her master, puzzled. ¡°This consort shouldn¡¯t have tried to reveal the truth behind Yao Moxin¡¯s death to Ye Junqing! Think about it. Based on the feelings Ye Junqing had for Yao Mowan, once he finds out that her death was caused by someone, he¡¯d definitely try to find the person behind it, right?¡± Yu Funing started calmly analyzing the situation. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 80
Chapter 80: Put on an Act ¡°Isn¡¯t this precisely what Master wants?¡± Qian Xi nodded slightly. ¡°But don¡¯t forget, Ye Junqing is currently staying in the Imperial Pce, and in particr, Guan Osprey Pce. Who knows how many people in this Imperial Pce are watching his moves both openly and in the shadows? It¡¯s impossible to guard against so many eyes! If this consort¡¯s guess isn¡¯t wrong, the assassins just now were sent by His Majesty. That¡¯s the only possible exnation for why that fool would know about the matter beforehand and not be scared!¡± Yu Funing bit her lips hard. She felt even more hatred for Ye Hongyi now. ¡°Then that means¡­ His Majesty already knows that the Esteemed Prince was investigating the cause of Yao Moxin¡¯s death? His Majesty was afraid that the Esteemed Prince would find out about the truth so he¡¯s making the first move to gain the advantage? Then¡­ wouldn¡¯t the Esteemed Prince be in danger?¡± Qian Xi¡¯s brows furrowed and she looked towards Yu Funing worriedly. ¡°His Majesty has always had a mistrustful personality. If that wasn¡¯t the case, he wouldn¡¯t have schemed to take away half of Huan Heng¡¯s military power. As of now, since he has decided to kill Ye Junqing, he¡¯ll definitely continue trying until he seeds! Qian Xi, this consort can¡¯t stand by and watch him die! No matter what methods this consort has to resort to, this consort must save him!¡± A moistyer appeared over her crystal-like eyes. Yu Funing squeezed Qian Xi¡¯s hand as she cried silently. She could endure having a man she didn¡¯t like do as he pleased on top of her and she could endure the fact that the man she loved felt nothing for her. The only thing she really couldn¡¯t endure was watching the person she cared about the most die in front of her. ¡°Niang niang, Qian Xi doesn¡¯t know how to persuade you. Qian Xi just wants to remind you that, before you do anything, think about your father.¡± Qian Xi knew that her master had already decided on this matter so trying to persuade her was meaningless. After they left Fragrant Steps Pavilion, Ye Junqing suppressed his anger and followed silently after Yao Mowan. When he saw that she really had no intention of exining anything, he finally lost his patience and stepped up to block her way. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like you should be saying something?¡± Ye Junqing growled in a low, angry voice. ¡°En¡­ Prince is still better looking when you smile. The way you look right now is pretty terrible, Mowan¡¯s scared ah.¡± Yao Mowan patted her chest in a convincing manner as she batted her eyshes yfully. ¡°This trick of your¡¯s is useless on me! Confess! Why did you make Yan Nansheng dress that way? Why did you send him to assassinate this prince? What exactly is your motive!? Hurry up and confess!¡± He had known that Yao Mowan wasn¡¯t simple from the first time he saw her, which was in the Esteemed Prince¡¯s residence. After interacting with her, he found that she was aplete riddle. He felt that he would never be able to see through her. ¡°You really didn¡¯t notice?¡± Yao Mowan widened her eyes and looked at Ye Junqing with a surprised expression. ¡°N¡­ notice what?¡± Ye Junqing started losing his confidence when he saw Yao Mowan¡¯s mysterious look and his voice became a lot quieter. ¡°Yu Funing has a hidden guard named Fei Luan!¡± replied Yao Mowan in a deadpan tone. ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t you also have one too? What¡¯s so special about this? Stop trying to distract me! You¡¯d better not tell this prince that you had Yan Nansheng attack this prince just to lure out Yu Funing¡¯s hidden guard! Only an idiot would believe that!¡± She clearly had looks capable of causing the copse of a city, but in Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes, this face always contained craftiness that made him skeptical of all her words. ¡°The main point isn¡¯t that Yu Funing has a hidden guard, but who she called the hidden guard out for! Ye Junqing, you also shouldn¡¯t try to say that you didn¡¯t notice the feelings Yu Funing have for you. And it isn¡¯t just a little either, her feelings seem quite deep!¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Ye Junqing. His handsome face truly had the ability to capture souls. How did she end up missing it back then? ¡°Don¡¯t make things up! How could there be anything between this prince and Consort Xian? Moreover, this prince doesn¡¯t remember ever seeing her until now! And, this prince¡¯s heart¡­¡± When Yao Mowan saw Ye Junqing hastily refuting, she knew that she had sessfully distracted him. ¡°And your heart only contains Yao Moxin, everyone knows that. After all, if it weren¡¯t for that, you wouldn¡¯t be in such a situation today. However, the fact that you don¡¯t like Consort Xian doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that she doesn¡¯t like you! A thing like love doesn¡¯t require mutual consent. You probably know this better than anyone.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s tone became a little more serious. Her heart faintly ached. ¡°That¡¯s right, Consort Xian did call out her hidden guard, but it might not have been for saving this prince. It was such a sudden event. It¡¯s possible that she called the hidden guard out to protect herself, isn¡¯t that so? Even if I back down a thousand steps and act convinced that you¡¯re right and that Consort Xian has feelings for me, but so what?¡± Ye Junqing didn¡¯t feel that it was possible for Yao Mowan to convince Yan Nansheng with this. Yan Nanshen was the grand martial arts alliance head! When had he ever done something this shady? Getting him to conceal his face was probably harder than reaching the sky! ¡°So what? If Consort Xian likes you, she¡¯d likely mistaken Mowan for a love rival and try to get rid of Mowan. Since she has a hidden guard, if she decided to kill Mowan, how could Mowan survive?¡± said Yao Mowan earnestly. ¡°You have Yin Xue, so how is this any threat?¡± Ye Junqing responded with a cold sneer. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because Yin Xue couldn¡¯t find the hiding ce of her hidden guard that I had Yan Nansheng help with this act. In reality, Yin Xue had been watching from a concealed location the entire time. You probably also know that hidden guards reveal their locations from the moment they show themselves. Yin Xue only needed one look. Then, that Fei Luan will never be a threat in front of her again,¡± said Yao Mowan with a sincere expression. ¡°You finally admitted that you were using this prince! But why was Yan Nansheng so willing to carry out yourmands?¡± said Ye Junqing between gritted teeth. ¡°There¡¯s a sentence that goes, ¡®after dying beneath blooming tree peonies (a beautiful woman¡¯s skirt), even bing a ghost marks one as distinguished.¡¯ Mowan¡¯s a beauty who¡¯s capable of enchanting even the birds and the beasts and making flowers blush from shame, of course Yan Nansheng feels that it¡¯s a great honor to be able to do something for Mowan!¡± Yao Mowan stroked her cheek delicately, then gave Ye Junqing a bright, smug smile. ¡°Person with no integrity! This prince cuts off all ties with him!¡± Ye Junqing couldn¡¯t take Yao Mowan¡¯s narcissism anymore and turned to storm off. Yao Mowan watched as Ye Junqing¡¯s figure gradually disappeared, then stopped smiling and sighed. Junqing, forgive Mowan for not telling you the truth. Last lifetime, Mowan made you suffer so much for the sake of that beast. This lifetime, Mowan will act only for you! In the deste Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was reclining on the chaise lounge dispiritedly and gazing at her slender white fingers. The bright red nutmeg flower dye on her nails seemed to flicker in her eyes like mes, sometimes bright, sometimes dim. ¡°Niang niang, the afternoon meal has been prepared. You should eat a little.¡± Ming Yu walked carefully to Yao Suluan¡¯s side and said this softly. Ever since that incident at Jade Lake, Yao Suluan had locked herself in Pure Flowers Pce. It has already been half a month. During this time, she rarely ate and barely even slept. Most of the time, she was sitting on the chaise lounge. Ming Yu didn¡¯t know what she was thinking about. She just knew that from time to time, Yao Suluan would cry andugh. Her behavior seemed crazy. ¡°Yao Yu is just a four-year-old child, how could he have found his way to the Jade Lake? And how could Su Muzi have possibly allowed Yao Yu to leave Guan Osprey Pce by himself? If Yao Yu hadn¡¯t been alone, who was it that left him by Jade Lake and what was that person¡¯s motive? This consort clearly didn¡¯t push Yao Yu, nor did this consort threaten him, so why did he jump into the water? Why did Su Muzi just happen to appear at this time? Following that, Yao Mowan, His Majesty, and Father all came much earlier than expected! The most suspicious part is, why was no one able to find Yao Yu? Was the water flow really that rapid? Was all of this really just a coincidence, or was it someone¡¯s deliberate arrangement? Who was the person who arranged it?¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s dark eyes were sharp despite theirck of focus as she continuously muttered this in bits and pieces. She had been asking herself these questions over and over these past days, but never found an answer. ¡°Niang niang, health is most important. You should take a meal first.¡± Ming Yu looked at Yao Suluan with pity. As she watched this woman who had once been the honored Imperial Noble Consort, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the fates of the women in the Inner Pce. To the people outside, they seemed to live lives of luxury and glory, but in reality, only the person who drinks the water knows best its taste. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 81
Chapter 81: Do You Think His Majesty Would Believe? ¡°Yao Mowan¡­¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s gaze sharpened and she got up to leave Pure Flowers Pce. Ming Yu didn¡¯t speak and simply followed after her silently. Yao Mowan hadn¡¯t expected for Yao Suluan, who had been quiet for over half a month, to suddenly show up at Guan Osprey Pce. From the looks of it, Yao Suluan really hasn¡¯t been doing well. If not, why would the originally delicate beauty end up so much skinnier? ¡°Second Older Sister! You came! Wan er was just about to look for you!¡± Yao Mowan looked up and shot Yao Suluan a beautiful bright smile, but Yao Suluan didn¡¯t respond to it at all. ¡°All of you, leave!¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s dark eyes had been fixed on Yao Mowan from the moment she stepped into Guan Osprey Pce. She looked as if she wanted to bore a hole into Yao Mowan with her stare. ¡°Niang niang?¡± Ming Yu naturally left the pce without a word, but Ting Yue was worried and turned towards Yao Mowan to ask for instructions. ¡°Second Older Sister is definitely here to tell Wan er about a secret. You should go guard the door. Make sure no one listens! Hurry and go!¡± Yao Mowan patted Ting Yue¡¯s shoulder and nodded firmly. Ting Yue only left after getting Yao Mowan¡¯s consent and she closed the pce doors tightly behind her. ¡°Second Older Sister has gotten skinnier. Wan er¡®s heart aches for you!¡± Yao Mowan walked lithely to Yao Suluan and stretched out her soft hand to stroke Yao Suluan¡¯s cheek, but Yao Suluan abruptly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Why did you frame this consort?¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s dark eyes contained chilly bloodthirst as she questioned Yao Mowan between gritted teeth. She gradually increased the strength of her grip. That day, Su Muzi and Yao Yu had definitely entered the pce due to Yao Mowan¡¯s invitation, so if the entire incident was nned, then Yao Mowan was the only possible suspect even if she was a fool! ¡°Wan er doesn¡¯t know what Second Older Sister is talking about?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Yao Suluan with a wronged expression. Yao Suluan currently looked as sinister as she did back in the Cold Pce. ¡°Stop putting on this farce of being pitiful in front of this consort! This consort isn¡¯t His Majesty and has no interest in this act of yours!¡± Yao Suluan growled in a low voice as she tightened her clutch on Yao Mowan. ¡°Then what act does Second Older Sister like? As long as Second Older Sister tells Wan er, Wan er will definitely perform it for you perfectly.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips hooked slightly in a meaningful smile. ¡°You¡­ what did you say?¡± Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan with disbelief. This wasn¡¯t something that a fool would know to say. ¡°Wan er¡®s enunciation was perfectly clear. If Second Older Sister couldn¡¯t hear it, you should probably call for an imperial physician to see if there¡¯s anything wrong with your ears.¡± As Yao Mowan said this with a scoff, she abruptly pulled her hand out of Yao Suluan¡¯s grip. ¡°You¡­ who are you? You¡¯re not Yao Mowan!¡± Yao Suluan was taken aback by Yao Mowan¡¯s reaction, but soon recovered and started questioning her. ¡°Ha, Second Older Sister¡¯s question is sure funny. We¡¯ve lived together under the same roof for over a dozen years, yet you¡¯re saying I¡¯m not Yao Mowan. If that¡¯s so, then Wan er would like to ask Second Older Sister, who am I?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows slightly and looked towards Yao Suluan with an amused expression. Her voice was gentle, but it carried a chill that prated one¡¯s bones. ¡°Yao Mowan is a fool, everyone knows this. But you¡¯re not! You¡­ are you Yao Moxin? You reincarnated in someone else¡¯s body! You came back to life!¡± The events that ured that night shed through Yao Suluan¡¯s mind and she retreated, scared by the thought that urred to her. Her finger trembled uncontrobly as she pointed at Yao Mowan in astonishment. ¡°Reincarnated in another person¡¯s body? Has Second Older Sister been so tormented by Bai Mei that not even a bit of your intelligence is left? You actually came up with such aughable idea. Fine ah! Wan er will admit it, I am Eldest Sister! Go tell Father, go tell His Majesty, see how they¡¯ll react? Wan er guarantees that they¡¯ll have the same reaction as Wan er ¨C they¡¯ll think that Second Older Sister has gone so insane that you¡¯re beyond saving!¡± Yao Mowan smiled coldly as she looked at Yao Suluan with disdain in her eyes. Back then, she had kept in mind their rtionship as sisters and hadn¡¯t guarded against Yao Suluan at all, so she ended up falling for her little schemes. However, now, she only had to hook her finger for Yao Suluan to suffer so much that death seemed more appealing. ¡°You¡¯re not dumb anymore? Since when? When did you recover!?¡± Yao Suluan was stunned. then she rushed to Yao Mowan and started pressing her for answers. ¡°Let Wan er think, when did it start¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right, it was when Gao momo sent Mowan to Fragrant Harmony Courtyard. A little incident urred. That was probably when, because ever since that time, Mowan came to clearly understand that some people should pay for the things they¡¯ve done!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes were cold as ice and every single word from her lips stabbed into Yao Suluan¡¯s heart like a sharp de that caused unbearable pain. ¡°You actually¡­ you actually tricked everyone? Then Gao momo¡®s death, you bing a consort, and Mother¡¯s death ¨C you were involved with all of them!? You were definitely behind them! You were in Bamboo Wish Pavilion when Mother died! You did it, didn¡¯t you!?¡± Yao Suluan snarled at her. ¡°Not only this, Second Older Sister seems to have missed some things. Like the incident at the Jade Lake, the event with the saffronst time, they were all performances that Mowan had arranged with great care. Oh, that¡¯s right, and Bai Mei, that swindler, was also someone Mowan had specially prepared for Second Older Sister. Did Second Older Sister like the performances?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s smile was as gentle as water and as beautiful as a flower, yet that beautiful face looked as terrifying as Asura¡¯s face to Yao Suluan. ¡°Yao Mowan! Why? Why did you do this!? You venomous woman! You have no conscience! Mother! Child! Suluan will get revenge for you guys right now!¡± Yao Suluan rushed towards Yao Mowan crazily to seize her neck, but Yao Mowan sent her crashing to the ground with a shove. ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one with a mother? The only one that has children? As for your child, you were the one that sacrificed his life in order to obtain the throne of the Empress! Even the most vicious tiger doesn¡¯t eat its own child. You can¡¯t evenpare to a beast!¡± Yao Mowan approached Yao Suluan step by step. Her cold eyes emitted icy light and the baleful aura around her caused Yao Suluan to retreat fearfully. ¡°That was due to your scheme! You were the one that said that child was Yao Moxin¡¯s reincarnation!¡± Yao Suluan refuted frically, her eyes filled with fear. ¡°So what if it was Eldest Sister¡¯s reincarnation? Why do you hate Eldest Sister so much, to the point you couldn¡¯t even tolerate the child in your stomach? Why¡­ why!?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s clear eyes werepletely cold as she abruptly lifted Yao Suluan by her cor. Her voice was like a cold bell and vibrated inside Yao Suluan¡¯s ears incessantly. ¡°You! You know? That¡¯s not possible! This isn¡¯t possible! Go away!¡± Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan, aghast, then shoved her away and stumbled to run to the pce doors. ¡°Where is Second Older Sister going? You couldn¡¯t be dumb enough to try and tell His Majesty about this, right?¡± Yao Mowan got up unhurriedly and nced at Yao Suluan. The smile around her lips was once again innocent without a trace of darkness. ¡°Why not!? You¡¯re pretending to be stupid to deceive His Majesty! This is a great crime!¡± Yao Suluan tried to calm down but her trembling hands exposed her fear. ¡°Who said that Wan er is pretending to be dumb? Second Older Sister, what happened to you? Did you hear something you shouldn¡¯t have, is that why you got this scared? Then it¡¯s best to forget about it, otherwise you¡¯ll have nightmares at night.¡± Yao Mowan slowly walked towards Yao Suluan. The usual harmless smile was on her face again. Not a single w could be made out. ¡°You don¡¯t n to admit it?¡± Yao Suluan understood the meaning contained in Yao Mowan¡¯s words and questioned her in a hard tone. ¡°Admit what? Second Older Sister¡¯s words are bing more and more weird. Ting Yue! Hurry and call His Majesty over. Just tell him that Second Older Sister is really ill!¡± Yao Mowan suddenly lifted her voice and shouted this. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 82
Chapter 82: The Debts You Owe, You¡¯ll Eventually Have to Pay ¡°Yao Mowan! This consort will definitely make you pay for what you did! Just wait and see!¡± Yao Suluan suppressed her fear and shouted this before pushing open the doors to leave Guan Osprey Pce. After Yao Suluan stormed past Ting Yue, Ting Yue immediately jogged worriedly to check on Yao Mowan. ¡°Niang niang, Consort Li seems really angry. What exactly happened just now?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything much. I just allowed her to find out about the truth.¡± Yao Mowan gave a light sigh and leisurely walked over to the table to sit back down. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ she knows that you¡¯re not a fool anymore? And she knows that the incidents earlier were arranged by you? Even about Big Madam¡¯s death?¡± Ting Yue looked at Yao Mowan with shock. ¡°En, including Dou Xiann¡¯s death.¡± Yao Mowan calmly picked up a teacup and used the cup lid to push aside the leaves on the surface of the tea. ¡°Niang niang, how could you tell her? This is bad, Consort Li definitely wouldn¡¯t let you off! She¡¯d definitely try to use some vicious method to harm you! What do we do, what do we do ah!¡± Ting Yue immediately started panicking and paced back and forth while wringing her hands. ¡°Remember what this consort said to you at Prime Minister Yao¡¯s residence? To deal with demons, we much be even more vicious than the demons. This consort will use reality to show Yao Suluan that even if she knows the truth, she still wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to this consort! Moreover¡­ fighting like this is more interesting.¡± Yao Mowan lifted the tea and sampled it. Her long eyshes cast a shadow over the coldness in her eyes. Ting Yue froze when she heard this and turned to look at Yao Mowan. When she saw that Yao Mowan waspletely unperturbed, she became vexed with herself. How could she have forgotten? Her master was no longer the Third Miss that everyone used to bully. The one she should be worrying about right now should be Yao Suluan. ¡°Master, this servant will refill your tea for you!¡± Ting Yue finally understood and immediately walked to the table to pick up the teapot. Then she started attending to Yao Mowan again with a smile. Ye Junqing still held a grudge against Yao Mowan for using him, so the atmosphere around the dinner table was abnormally heavy. When Ye Junqing realized that Yao Mowan really didn¡¯t n to apologize or thank him, he became even angrier. ¡°I won¡¯t take this lying down!¡± Ye Junqing suddenly blurt out this sentence, causing Yao Mowan to bepletely confused. Just as Yao Mowan was about to speak, there was a light breeze and a beautifully stunning scene that made people forget all their bitterness appeared. Yao Mowan had to acknowledge that Yan Nansheng¡¯s beauty was beyond human. Even a casual movement was beautiful enough to make all living things want to bow to him. Although she wasn¡¯t very captivated, her heart did move a little. ¡°He¡¯s speaking to me, right, little Junior Brother?¡± Yan Nansheng gave a light suggestive smile as he looked towards Ye Junqing with his beautiful eyes. ¡°Pfff¡­ Cough cough¡­ my apologies. Please, don¡¯t mind me, continue.¡± Yao Mowan choked when she heard the way Yan Nansheng said ¡®little Junior Brother.¡¯ Then there was the way he looked at Ye Junqing. People who didn¡¯t know the situation definitely would have thought that they had an ambiguous rtionship. ¡°Who¡¯s your little Junior Brother!? Call me Prince! Prince!¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s handsome face turned red as he refuted. ¡°Little Junior Brother Prince, don¡¯t be so angry ah. You look so fierce, it¡¯s ruining your beauty!¡± Yan Nansheng reached out to rub smooth Ye Junqing¡¯s furrowed brows but Ye Junqing pped his hand aside. ¡°Don¡¯t think that this matter is over! Give this prince all the hidden guards you have right now!¡± Right after Ye Junqing said this, the smile on Yan Nansheng¡¯s lips stiffened and anger filled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re aplete product of your environment ah! You guys areplete robbers! I don¡¯t even have any more hidden guards!¡± Yan Nansheng red at Yao Mowan with a crying expression. Yao Mowan felt wrongly used. She hadn¡¯t even said anything. ¡°Aside from Yin Xue, don¡¯t you also have the Elements? Don¡¯t think that this prince doesn¡¯t know about that!¡± Ye Junqing was now vividly aware of how little power he had. With so many eyes on him, he had no way of personally investigating about Sun momo and the others. ¡°What did you do with the Elements?¡± Yan Nansheng paid no attention to Ye Junqing and continued glowering at Yao Mowan. If the Elements were in the Imperial Pce, Ye Junqing should have noticed them! ¡°None of your business. Do they belong to you?¡± Yao Mowan shrugged in objection. ¡°You gave her the Elements? Are you stupid?¡± Ye Junqing figured out the situation based on this exchange and immediately became stirred up. ¡°I only did it to get Yin Xue back!¡± Yan Nansheng pped his forehead angrily in regret. ¡°Then where¡¯s Yin Xue?¡± Hope once again lit up in Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yin Xue!¡± Yao Mowan wasted no time in calling Yin Xue. ¡°Master, Yin Xue is here!¡± A beautiful appearance made clear the situation. Ye Junqing looked at Yan Nansheng with pity. He finally understood. Yan Nansheng, who had always taken advantage of others without suffering losses himself had encountered defeat at Yao Mowan¡¯s hands. Inparison with Yan Nansheng, he had only been made use of a little. It was really nothing much. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you can withdraw now.¡± Yao Mowan waved to indicate for Yin Xue to withdraw. Then she put down her chopsticks and walked over to the chaise lounge to pick up Fluffy before walking to the two. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you two disciple brothers to be able to get together, so Mowan will withdraw in order to allow you two to reminisce about the past in private. Of course, it doesn¡¯t have to be limited to reminiscing. You can do whatever you like. No one woulde thiste at night!¡± Yao Mowan nced at Ye Junqing and Yan Nansheng with a meaningful look in her eyes, then walked into the bedroom with a yful smile on her lips. Ye Junqing and Yan Nansheng only realized what Yao Mowan was suggesting after she disappeared from the main hall and they immediately fumed with rage. The next day was very idle. Yao Mowan was touching Fluffy¡¯s stomach and feeling the movements inside when Yin Xue suddenly appeared and handed a letter to Yao Mowan. ¡®The incident with the assasins was definitely not a coincidence. Prince¡¯s life is in danger. Funing is willing to help Prince leave the Imperial Pce and hopes that Prince will not decline this offer. Prince should be patient and wait for the opportunity to clear those hidden injustices. In three days, west of the Imperial City. Will wait until you appear¡­ Yu Funing.¡¯ Yao Mowan¡¯s lips lifted in a small smile as she looked at this letter. Yu Funing has fallen for the bait. This letter had costed her quite a bit of work. Even if Ye Junqing had no ns to leave the Imperial City, he¡¯d definitely go see her when he saw the part about ¡®hidden injustices.¡¯ Yu Funing definitely had ways to convince him once he got there. ¡°This consort will be going to see Fu Qing tonight. Make the preparations.¡± Yao Mowan put away the letter and gave this instruction coldly. ¡°Understood!¡± Yin Xue then withdrew. The room fell silent. Yao Mowan slightly sat back down next to Fluffy to stroke her bulging belly. She knew that Yu Funing had feelings towards Ye Junqing, but she hadn¡¯t thought it would be so strong. Yu Funing¡¯s feelings for Ye Junqing were so strong that for his sake, she didn¡¯t care about the consequences. The current Yu Funing was like the her from the past. For the sake of helping Ye Hongyi ascend to the throne, she threw out all logic. Even though she knew that Ye Junqing was more suited for that position, she used all sorts of despicable means to control Ye Junqing. ¡°Fluffy, how should I deal with Yu Funing¡­¡± Yao Mowan sighed softly as she mulled over this. The moonlight was strong and the night was cool as water ad the curved moon hung above the branches like a pulled bow. Yao Mowan leaned on Yin Xue¡¯s back and listened quietly to the wind that was blowing past her ears. It only took Yin Xue half an incense stick¡¯s time to bring her from the Imperial Pce to the set inn. ¡°Master, Fu Qing has arrived.¡± In the number one room named Sky, Yao Mowan was sitting next to the table in a in white garment. Her elegant features were covered by a ck cloth that only left her sharp eyes exposed. The door opened with a creak. A middle-aged man looked around cautiously before walking in. ¡°You¡¯re the person that wanted to see this old man? Where¡¯s the letter? Hand it over!¡± The schrly voice contained a trace of anger. Yu Qing sat upright while facing Yao Mowan with hostility. When Yin Xue ced the letter in front of Yu Qing back then, he had immediately understood that he was about to face a huge catastrophe. There was no longer any time to even look into his daughter¡¯s actions, he had to first worry about preserving their lives. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 83
Chapter 83: Help the Yu Family Father and Daughter Escape ¡°Sir Yu has always been intelligent, but currently you¡¯re acting muddled. The letter is extremely important, how could Jing Xin possibly give it to you?¡± Yao Mowan quite liked the name ¡®Jing Xin¡¯ so she casually referred to herself this way. ¡°You! Who exactly are you? What do you want?¡± Yu Qing¡¯s brows furrowed as he questioned her. ¡°Jing Xin feels that this isn¡¯t what Sir Yu should be worried about right now. In reality, Jing Xin is quite amazed by Consort Xian¡¯s fearlessness. Yu Funing is probably the only one in this world that dares tomit such a huge crime. She clearly knows that His Majesty is trying hard to kill the Esteemed Prince, yet she was actually daring enough as to write that she was willing to help the Esteemed Prince escape from the Emperor¡¯s clutches. She seriously really doesn¡¯t seem to want to live anymore! Moreover¡­¡± ¡°She seems to be clear on the cause of the Empress¡¯s death as well. This is the Emperor¡¯s greatest fear. As of now, with His Majesty¡¯s over suspicious personality, if this letter fell into his hands, the Yu Residence definitely won¡¯t be able to escape the fate of being searched, then exterminated. What do you think about Jing Xin¡¯s analysis?¡± Yao Mowan spoke in a mild tone. Her eyes were perfectly calm and clear. ¡°State what you want!¡± Yu Qing exhaled deeply and leaned back on the chair. After serving Ye Hongyi for over a dozen years as a minister, he naturally knew his personality. The people that the Emperor harbored suspicions about never met a good end. The Empress was the best example of that. Even she had fallen to such a tragic end, so he as a simple Director of Board of Rites had no chance of survival. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Empty out the state treasury and flee with Yu Funing to a far away country.¡± Yao Mowan stated her terms firmly. ¡°It¡¯s this simple? What benefits do you stand to gain from this?¡± Yu Qing couldn¡¯t believe his ears. These conditions were outside of his expectations. It could be said to be unexpected fortune in a time of misfortune. He had originally thought that the conditions would be very difficult. ¡°In two days, Yu Funing will appear at the west side of the city. Sir Yu probably knows what to do at that time. If things do not develop as Jing Xin expects, then sorry, but Jing Xin will deliver this letter to His Majesty without hesitation.¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t exin what she would get out of this because soon everyone, including Yu Qing, would be able to see the benefit she gained. ¡°But¡­¡± Everyone harbored curiosity. Yu Qing was also not an exception. ¡°Let Jing Xin ask this. Even without the letter, are you sure that you wouldn¡¯t one day end up the same as Huan Heng?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes shed as she got straight to the point. ¡°There¡¯s not much left in the state treasury. Most of the money has already been secretly moved to some other location by His Majesty. As for where, this old man doesn¡¯t know.¡± Yu Qing suddenly realized that His Majesty¡¯s actions of moving the money away was probably a sign of suspicion towards him. How had he never realized this until now? ¡°Sir¡¯s words means that you¡¯re agreeing to Jing Xin¡¯s conditions?¡± Yao Mowan was inwardly surprised. She originally thought that she would be able to deal Ye Hongyi heavy damage by removing Yu Qing from the picture, but unexpectedly the state treasury was actually empty. However, Yu Qing¡¯s betrayal will definitely cause Ye Hongyi to have unnecessary suspicions and make him even more distrustful of the people around him. ¡°This old man doesn¡¯t seem to have any leeway to choose.¡± Yu Qing¡¯s voice contained some anger. Yao Mowan didn¡¯t speak and just smiled softly. When Yao Mowan got back to Guan Osprey Pce, she mimicked Ye Junqing¡¯s writing to write a reply to Yu Funing. ¡®Will be there, Junqing.¡¯ There was originally no need to do this, but Yao Mowan was worried that Yu Funing would try to send more hints to Ye Junqing, so she choose to write a reply to reassure Yu Funing and prevent more issues from arising. At the table, Ye Junqing focused on eating until he finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He put down his chopsticks and looked towards Yao Mowan with a serious expression. ¡°Does this prince have gold on his face? Is this prince glowing? What are you staring for!?¡± Ye Junqing asked in a forceful tone. ¡°Mowan is wondering, that night¡­ nothing happened between you and Yan Nansheng, right?¡± Yao Mowan asked with a meaningful smile and an earnest look in her eyes. When Ye Junqing heard this, three ck lines immediately appeared on his forehead. ¡°I dare you to try and say that again!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a little joke, why so serious?¡± Yao Mowanughed lightly when she sensed the fury Ye Junqing was emitting. Then she stopped smiling and looked at him thoughtfully. ¡°Should Mowan give her a chance¡­¡± Yao Mowan muttered to herself. Her heart ached just a tiny bit. Yu Funing care about Ye Junqing enough to sacrifice everything for him. Should she give Yu Funing a chance to confess her feelings? ¡°What chance? For who?¡± Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in puzzlement. ¡°If a woman cared about you enough to sacrifice her life for your sake, would you give her a chance?¡± Yao Mowan had never looked at Ye Junqing with such a solemn expression before. Ye Junqing¡¯s heart fluttered slightly from nervousness. ¡°This prince¡¯s heart only contains Moxin. You know this¡­ and, no matter how I look, you don¡¯t seem to a be woman that would sacrifice your own life?¡¯ Ye Junqing restated his stance. This lifetime, next lifetime, and the next, his heart would only harbor Yao Moxin. No one could change this reality. ¡°Even if one day Mowan sacrificed her life, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be for you. Nansheng is countless times better than you! Quit being so narcissistic! Forget it, even if a chance was given, it would only deepen her hurt, so what¡¯s the point?¡± Yao Mowan pped the table and left angrily. ¡°What are you getting angry for? Is it a sin to tell the truth? Is it a sin!?¡± Ye Junqing felt wronged when Yao Mowan stormed off in response. In Fragrant Steps Pavilion, Yu Funing cried as she looked at the letter in her hand. She finally took the right step. In the future, even if they end up at the cliffs of the world, she would never let go of Ye Junqing¡¯s hand. Life or death, she¡¯d face them together with him. ¡°Niang niang, are you really certain? You know the consequences?¡± Qian Xi questioned nervously when she saw how moved Yu Funing was. ¡°Qian Xi, Funing doesn¡¯t want to fritter away what¡¯s left of this life. Don¡¯t try to dissuade me anymore.¡± Yu Funing knew what Qian Xi wanted to say, but she had already lived half her life for Yu Residence. For her father, she had sacrificed her youth. The only thing she wished for now was to be together with the person she loved. ¡°Since niang niang has already made your decision, Qian Xi won¡¯t say any more. However, Qian Xi wants to go with niang niang. Even if it¡¯s to the ends of the earth, Qian Xi will stay by niang niang¡®s side!¡± stated Qian Xi with conviction. ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll go together! Qian Xi, help this consort pack up the valuables. The more the better. This journey will be difficult so money will definitelye into use.¡± Yu Funing wiped away her tears, then carefully put the letter away in her chest. Two dayster, Yu Funing arrived at the west suburbs with a heart filled with hope and anticipation. However, the person who showed up was her father. ¡°Ning er, you¡¯re really heartless enough to abandon your father?¡± Yu Funing was stunned to see Yu Qing who looked very tired and old. Tears immediately streamed down her face. ¡°Father, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Ning er really didn¡¯t want to miss a chance with him¡­¡± Yu Funing knelt down, sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°Forget it, some things are out of our control. Father has already arranged everything. Let¡¯s leave together and nevere back.¡± Yu Qing walked over to help Yu Funing up, then shoved a limbs weakening pill into her mouth. ¡°Father?¡± Yu Funing looked at Yu Qing in astonishment. ¡°He won¡¯t being. In reality, he didn¡¯t get your letter at all. Two days ago, someone came with the letter you wrote and used it to threaten me. The person¡¯s conditions were to have me leave the imperial city of great Chu with you. Qian Xi, help the miss onto the carriage.¡± Yu Qing had used the two days to transfer all his assets and what was left in the state treasury out of great Chu. He had onlye with three carriages to pick up his daughter. ¡°That¡¯s not possible! Father, wait for him! Ning er is begging you! Please wait for him!¡± Tears fell like a broken string of beads. Yu Funing knew that her father wasn¡¯t lying to her, because her father had never lied to her before. But she had clearly gotten Ye Junqing¡¯s reply. She recognized that handwriting. There was no one that could write such confident and bold words except for him. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 84
Chapter 84: You Owe Me a Favor ¡°Lord¡­¡± Qian Xi sounded as if she was about to cry. She had never thought that things would end up like this. ¡°Aiy, it¡¯s simply the Will of Heaven. Help the miss onto the carriage!¡± Yu Qing looked at his daughter. His heart ached for her, but he remained firm. Their current situation required for them to flee for their lives. If they waited any longer and His Majesty notices what happened, it¡¯d be toote for them! Qian Xi had no choice but to help Yu Funing onto the carriage. ¡°No! Qian Xi, I¡¯m begging you, please let me stay! I have to wait for him!¡± Yu Funing wanted to struggle free from Qian Xi¡¯s grasp, but there was no strength in her body at all. ¡°Miss, if Lord¡¯s words are true, then the Esteemed Prince won¡¯t being. We¡¯ve already escaped from the imperial pce and the lord has already made his decision, so there¡¯s no way that we can return to the imperial pce. If you and the prince are fated, you¡¯ll meet again in time,¡± consoled Qian Xi. ¡°Why? Why would it be like this!? I had just decided to live for myself one time, yet in the end, this was the result? Why can¡¯t I have a chance? I only wanted one chance!¡± Yu Funing wept heartbrokenly. Qian Xi was silent. There were no more words that she could say. ¡°Who exactly is it? Who is controlling all of this? Even if I have to search to the ends of the earth, I swear to the Heavens that I won¡¯t let this matter lie!¡± Yu Funing left the imperial city of great Chu with great bitterness and resentment. This resentment had been umting for many years and had eventually formed a malignant tumor. At that time, she almost wanted kill Yao Mowan¡¯s life¡­ Yu Qing and Yu Funing¡¯s disappearance hit Ye Hongyi quite hard. He questioned himself for a long time. He felt that he had treated Yu Qing well, yet Yu Qing had left just like this, and taken everything in the state treasury with him! A huge rip appeared in his trust in his ministers. He suddenly felt that, regardless of whether it was in the imperial court or the inner pce, the only one he could trust was Yao Mowan. In Soul Sand Garden, Yao Mowan weeped with regret as she looked at the Soul Sand Tree that had suddenly withered. This was the tree that represented Megrez of the Vermillion Bird constetion. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s Wan er¡®s fault for not protecting them well. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Yao Mowan sobbed as she stood in front of Ye Hongyi like a child that had done something wrong. Her tears continued to flood out even though she kept wiping them away. ¡°It¡¯s not Wan er¡®s fault, don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re making our heart break! It was an inferior stalk from the start so it¡¯s not strange that it withered. We¡®ll order someone to remove it right away so that Wan er doesn¡¯t need to be sad over it anymore. Let¡¯s go, we¡®ll see you back to Guan Osprey Pce.¡± Ye Hongyi hugged Yao Mowan and left Soul Sand Garden with her. He had already ordered for the arrest posters of Yu Qing and Yu Funing to be put up in all of great Chu with the greatest speed. No matter what methods he had to use, he was going to catch them! When they got to the imperial garden, Yao Mowan saw a little eunuch run to An Bingshan. Then An Bingshan whispered something in Ye Hongyi¡¯s ear and Ye Hongyi told Ting Yue to help her back to Guan Osprey Pce before rushing towards the imperial study. ¡°Ying Xue!¡± Yao Mowan only called out Yin Xue after Ye Hongyipletely disappeared from her sight. ¡°This subordinate is here.¡± As a hidden guard, if Yin Xue imed to be the second best at concealment, no one would dare to im the position of being the best. This is what Yao Mowan thought. ¡°Did you get news from Ben Lei?¡± The first thing she thought of was Yu Qing when she saw Ye Hongyi leave in such haste. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, niang niang, Ben Lei has already sent news. The people he sent out has already met up with Yu Qing and the others. Everything is going ording to n!¡± reported Yin Xue. ¡°Good, you can withdraw!¡± Yao Mowan exhaled softly, then her lips hooked in a smile. Regardless of whether it was Huan Heng or Yu Qing, they were all generous gifts that she was preparing for Ye Junqing. ¡°As expected, you were the mastermind behind this incident. This prince can¡¯t understand. Why did you make Yu Qing betray the court? And why would he listen to you?¡± Once Yin Xue left, Ye Junqing walked to Yao Mowan with an angry expression. Questions filled his eyes. He already knew that Yao Mowan¡¯s actions tended to be strange and unreasonable, but he couldn¡¯t think of any reason why she would target Yu Qing. From what he knew, Yu Qing has always been loyal to the court and didn¡¯t have any conflicts with Yao Zhenting either. He was one of the few good people in the court. ¡°Prince was eavesdropping on Mowan?¡± Yao Mowan turned around to look at Ye Junqing. Underneath the sunlight, that azure garment glowed slightly. Ye Junqing currently looked like an immortal that caused everyone to instinctively admire him. Yao Mowan had always known about Ye Junqing¡¯s charisma. Regardless of whether he was leading an army on the battlefield or when he was leading political discussions, his aura was much stronger than Ye Hongyi¡¯s. He was the one that should have ruled this country. ¡°I guess! You haven¡¯t answered my question! Yao Mowan, did you know that Yu Qing had taken all of the money from the state treasury when he left!? The amount was considerable! The things you¡¯ve done have already destabilized the foundation of great Chu! Why exactly are you doing this!?¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s voice was very cold and his eyes were filled with anger. ¡°Prince probably already knows what all this indicates, is there a need for Mowan to exin?¡± Every time Yao Mowan heard Ye Junqing speak up to protect the imperial court, to protect Ye Hongyi, she would feel like her sins were unforgivable. Everything she had once done would emerge vividly in her mind. She owed this man too much. ¡°You¡¯d better not tell this prince that you had done everything for this prince¡¯s sake!¡± Ye Junqing lifted his brows. He¡¯d like to see how Yao Mowan could possibly pin this on him this time. ¡°Prince, take a look at this letter first.¡± Yao Mowan handed the letter in her sleeve to Ye Junqing with a serious expression. Ye Junqing took the letter with a confused expression. After ncing at it, his expression changed to shock. ¡°Did Yu Funing really write this?¡± Ye Junqing asked. The doubt in his voice was clear. ¡°If not, who else? This letter is enough of a reason for His Majesty to destroy the Yu Residence. At the same time, the fact that Prince has a love affair with Consort Xian would be exposed to the world. It couldn¡¯t be that Prince doesn¡¯t know why His Majesty is keeping you in the imperial pce, right? With this, even if the military leaders in court wanted to continue protecting you, it¡¯d be extremely difficult. Mowan knows that Prince is already no longer concerned about life, but is Prince really alright with being executed for the crime of adultery? And even if Prince isn¡¯t concerned, what about Consort Xian? What about Yu Qing? What about the entire Yu Residence? They¡¯repletely innocent! Prince doesn¡¯t care about any of this?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s words skillfully trapped Ye Junqing. ¡°This prince¡­ this prince didn¡¯t know that Consort Xian would write such a letter.¡± Ye Junqing really wanted to exin himself, but he found that his words always seemed weak and flimsy in front of Yao Mowan. ¡°Just because you don¡¯t know doesn¡¯t mean that it hasn¡¯t happened! Prince owes Mowan a favor for this. If Prince doesn¡¯t have anything else to say, Mowan will be leaving now!¡± said Yao Mowan coldly. Then she left with Ting Yue. Even after Yao Mowan had walked far away, Ye Junqing remained standing in the same spot. He waspletely confused. He hade to criticize her, so how did he end up actually owing her a favor? It urred to him that perhaps Yao Mowan lived just to oppress him! It seemed that he really needed to get his hand on Yao Mowan¡¯s eight birthdate characters and investigate for a way to break free from this fate. Ting Yue followed after her master while looking at her with a gaze overflowing with respect. She had never known that her master was this skilled at speech. Regardless of whether it was the Esteemed Prince that had weathered countless battlefields or Yan Nansheng who was well known for his impressive martial arts, they could never gain an advantage over her master. Right when they reached Guan Osprey Pce, Liu Xing ran over. ¡°Liu Xing kowtows in ste to niang niang!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Yao Mowan nodded slightly, then turned and stepped into the main hall. ¡°Reporting, niang niang. Ever since Dou Lishi rose that ruckus, the lord ordered Steward Yao to thoroughly investigate about Yao Yu. When he found out that Yao Yu really wasn¡¯t his son, he fell severely ill. However, these past few days, the lord had ordered Steward Yao to find matchmakers. Based on the news that hase from the Prime Minister Residence, it seems the lord ns to take a fourth wife,¡± reported Liu Xing. ¡°Ha. He¡¯s probably gone crazy from his desire for a son. Has there been any movements from Yao Suluan¡¯s side?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes turned colder. It would still be alright if the fourth wife gave birth to a son, but if it was a daughter, something unimaginably tragic would probably happen. Perhaps she should think of a way to deal with this problem in one stroke. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 85
Chapter 85: The Crown Prince of Qi Has Come to Visit ¡°Consort Li has been isting herself in Pure Flowers Pce this whole time without stepping out at all. Ming Yu also only leaves the pce to get meals from the imperial kitchen.¡± Liu Xing had followed Yao Mowan¡¯s instructions and recruited several informants in the Inner Pce. ¡°Got it.¡± Yao Mowan nodded slightly, then had Liu Xing and Ting Yue withdraw before walking into her bedroom to rest. Now that she had dealt with the two main pirs, the Huan and Yu families, who should she target next? She needed to n carefully. At dinner, when Ye Junqing called out Liu Sha, Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help but sigh from feeling moved. Ye Junqing really had a very good senior brother ah. She had heard from Yin Xue that Phoenix Feather Manor only had four top level hidden guards left, and Liu Sha was one of them. ¡°Is Prince showing off to Mowan? Should Mowan call out Yin Xue?¡± Yao Mowan calmly nced at Liu Sha. He was wearing a ck outfit and had very handsome looks. There was no expression on his face but the spirit in his eyes made it hard for people to dislike him. ¡°Liu Sha, withdraw!¡± Ye Junqing was trying to show off, but Yao Mowan had snatched the advantage with a single sentence. Who in the world didn¡¯t know how impressive Yin Xue was? Did she have to knock people down this way? Ye Junqing was very unhappy. ¡°This subordinate shall withdraw.¡± Liu Sha obeyed the order and immediately disappeared. Yao Mowan tried to figure out where he concealed himself, but all that could be seen was a ck sh before he disappeared entirely from sight. ¡°Does Prince recall that you owe Mowan a favor?¡± Yao Mowan has always liked obtaining quality things. ¡°This prince would sooner give you this prince¡¯s life than Liu Sha! Yao Mowan, you already have Yin Xue and the Elements! A person who is never content is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant! No matter how greedy you are, you should set a limit! Aren¡¯t you afraid of biting off more than you can chew!?¡± After interacting with Yao Mowan for this long, Ye Junqing could tell what she was nning with just a nce. At this moment, he recalled the sorrowful and indignant expression on Yan Nansheng¡¯s face as he exhorted him over and over again not to let Yao Mowan swindle Liu Sha away. ¡°Prince is being too sensitive. Mowan has always only lived to fulfill the wishes of others and never takes things from others.¡± Yao Mowan replied angrily with a shrug. ¡°You sure are modest!¡± Ye Junqing rolled his eyes at Yao Mowan. He didn¡¯t even believe the punctuation at the end of her sentence! Right at this moment, Liu Xing knocked on the door and entered. ¡°What is it?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. ¡°Replying niang niang, this servant just got news that in three days, the crown prince of the state of Qi, Feng Yihan, will be arriving in great Chu.¡± If it weren''t important news, Liu Xing wouldn''t have interrupted his master and the Esteemed Prince''s evening meal. Though the people involved were confused, the spectators saw the situation clearly. Liu Xing could tell that his master treated the Esteemed Prince differently from everyone else. Although she acted cold to him, she wasn¡¯t truly cold. Every time he saw Yao Mowan gaze at Ye Junqing¡¯s back, he would find that scene familiar. That feeling seemed the same as when he once looked at the Third Miss quietly. Liu Xing hoped from the bottom of his heart that his master would be able to obtain happiness, and he knew that the person who would make his master happy was definitely not the current Emperor! ¡°Feng Yihan¡­ I got it. You can withdraw.¡± Yao Mowan seemed to be pondering something as she waved to dismiss Liu Xing. Once Liu Xing left, she sank deep into thought. ¡°This prince has met Feng Yihang a couple times. He has a refreshing personality and is always magnanimous when handling affairs. If he one day ascended to the throne, he would definitely make a good monarch.¡± Ye Junqing couldn¡¯t help but sigh with admiration when he recalled that person. ¡°If he wants to ascend to the throne, he¡¯d first have to make it back alive.¡± Yao Mowan smiled helplessly as she disagreed. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowam with a confused expression. ¡°Prince believes that he has a refreshing personality and deals with matters magnanimously, but that¡¯s only a surface appearance. In reality, he¡¯s very careful with handling matters and pays attention to the smallest details! If that weren¡¯t the case, how would he have survived until now?¡± Yao Mowan shook her head softly with pity in her eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Junqing was puzzled by Yao Mowan¡¯s words. ¡°Although Feng Yihan is the eldest son born of the queen of Qi, the queen of Qi had passed away for many years. As of now, Consort Hua of the Inner Pce of Qi holds power. In addition, her son, Feng Duo has shown his talents and obtained the favor of the king of Qi. Regardless of whether it¡¯s the king of Qi, Consort Hua of Qi, or Feng Duo, they all want to get rid of Feng Yihan, this crown prince. The fact that he was able to keep his position as crown prince in this environment shows just how intelligent he is.¡± Yao Mowan analyzed the situation calmly as her eyes gleamed with shrewd light. ¡°Even so, how are you sure that he¡¯ll be in danger this time?¡± Ye Junqing was stunned by the sight of those eyes that glistened like stars. Yao Mowan¡¯s current appearance was extremely simr to Moxin. The way she lowered her eyes as she sank into her thoughts was practically identical to how Moxin behaved. For a second, Ye Junqing felt that the person sitting in front of him was Moxin, his Moxin¡­ as if she had never left. ¡°Prince should know even better than Mowan that although great Chu and the state of Qi aren¡¯t on bad terms, their rtionship is extremely strained. When the Emperor had first ascended to the throne, he had suggested a marriage treaty to alleviate the tension, but the King of Qi had tly rejected the idea. Anyone with eyes could tell that the state of Qi currently relied on great Shu. His actions were clearly for the sake of demonstrating to great Shu which side he stood.¡± Yao Mowan analyzed the situation calmly. Every single word was clear and meaningful, and fell like pearls into a jade te. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the fact that Feng Yihan hase to visit great Chu as a diplomate show that the state of Qi is changing their attitude?¡± Ye Junqing stared attentively at Yao Mowan as his heartbeat quickened uncontrobly. This moment felt the same as the time when he and Moxin had oncee together to discuss the nation¡¯s matters. ¡°Ha. If the King of Qi really had the intention of establishing a rtionship with great Chu, why would he sent a crown prince that he didn¡¯t favor? This would be an opportunity to contribute a great achievement without having to go to battle. Such a good opportunity, if it existed, would surely be given to Feng Duo.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s voice was calm. As she continued mulling over things, she subconsciously drew circles on the table with her bamboo chopsticks. This simple motion stunned Ye Junqing. He knew this motion too well. Back then, Moxin would do the same thing whenever she was deep in thought. Ye Junqing looked at Yao Mowan with shock as he gradually clenched his fists beneath his sleeves. ¡°Do you think His Majesty will try to harm Feng Yihan?¡± Yao Mowan was too absorbed in her thoughts and didn¡¯t notice that Ye Junqing¡¯s voice was trembling a little. ¡°Of course His Majesty wouldn¡¯t. It should be the king of Qi that he should be worried about. This is probably an attempt to hit three birds with one stone. If Feng Yihan died in great Chu, Feng Duo would be able to be the crown prince, great Chu would have to give the state of Qi an exnation that will definitely lead to talks ofpensation, and the king of Qi would once again be able to demonstrate his stance to great Shu and gain more of their trust!¡± Yao Mowan silently sighed. With how intelligent Feng Yihan was, he had probably already guessed all of this. She wondered what he thought about it. ¡°Is it a must for them to make peace? It¡¯s not like war isn¡¯t an option.¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave Yao Mowan for even a single moment. As of now, these government affairs didn¡¯t matter at all to him, all his focus was on Yao Mowan as he tried to see everything about her that was simr to Moxin. ¡°That¡¯s not possible! Chu Mobei has had his eyes set on Mangyuan for a long time. If great Chu went to war with the state of Qi, he¡¯ll definitely take advantage of that chance to attack Mangyuan. To great Chu, this would deal the worst damage possible! It¡¯s a pity ah¡­¡± When Yao Mowan¡¯s musing reached this point, she hesitated, then sighed. ¡°What¡¯s a pity?¡± When Ye Junqing saw Yao Mowan look towards him, he immediately covered up the longing in his eyes and asked this awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that our Emperor wouldn¡¯t be able to think this deep, much less make any preparations to guard against such an oue. That¡¯s why I said that Feng Yihan¡¯s visit points to disaster.¡± Yao Mowan still didn¡¯t notice that Ye Junqing was a little off and started guiding him towards her next point. ¡°What does that have to do with this prince?¡± Ye Junqing felt the most wary whenever he saw that faint unreadable smile on Yao Mowan¡¯s face. ¡°Everyone knows that Prince has always been loyal to His Majesty and strived to the utmost to do things for the prosperity of great Chu. However, from the looks of it, those rumors aren¡¯t true ah!¡± Yao Mowan spoke in a tone of disappointment. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 86
Chapter 86: He¡¯s Not Simple ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± Ye Junqing always thought that Yao Mowan disliked his loyalty towards the imperial court. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t the case. He was finding it harder and harder to understand this woman. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Prince feel that, for the sake of His Majesty, for the sake of great Chu, for the sake of the country that you worked so hard to unite, you should take up the burden of protecting Feng Yihan?¡± From Yao Mowan¡¯s point of view, Feng Yihan was definitely not a pushover. With his intellect and patience, he¡¯d definitely be able to be the next monarch of Qi! If Ye Junqing used this chance to form a friendship with Feng Yihan, it¡¯d definitelye in useful in the future. ¡°You sure have high expectations of this prince. Currently, it¡¯s hard for this prince to even protect himself, much less protect someone else?¡± Despite his reply though, he had already decided to help protect Feng Yihan so that Yao Moxin¡¯s precious country would remain unharmed. ¡°It¡¯s fine if Prince doesn¡¯t want to. Just give me Liu Sha and I¡¯ll handle protecting Feng Yihan!¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing inplete earnestness. ¡°Keep dreaming! Just eat!¡± When Ye Junqing saw the greed in Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but feel vexed with himself. How did he end up seeing traces of Moxin in this two-faced woman? His vision must have gone bad! The next day, Yao Mowanynguidly on the chaise lounge as she considered how to deal with Feng Yihan. As she pondered, she gently stroked Fluffy¡¯s ears. Fluffy indolently enjoyed the petting and meowed from time to time to express her thanks. ¡°Replying niang niang, Consort Yao just left the pce to head back to Prime Minister Yao¡¯s residence.¡± Right at this moment, Liu Xing ran in and gave this report. Upon hearing this, Yao Mowan retrieved her thoughts and hooked her lips in a faint smile. As of now, Yao Suluan waspletely on her own. She had definitely gone back to try and persuade Yao Zhenting to support her again. However, this wasn¡¯t a threat. It seemed it had also been some time since she hadst gone back. She really couldn¡¯t feel at ease if she didn¡¯t go back to check how Yao Zhenting was doing with his illness. In Yao Residence, when Yao Tu saw Yao Suluan walk in with a lofty air, he bowed respectfully in greeting. ¡°This old servant kowtows in greeting to Consort Li niang niang.¡± ¡°This consort heard that Yao Yu, that little bastard, turned out not to be Father¡¯s son. Is that true?¡± Yao Suluan lifted her brows as she looked towards Yao Tu with schadenfreude in her eyes. ¡°Replying Consort Li niang niang, this servant has already sent people to investigate this matter. Yao Yu truly isn¡¯t the Lord¡¯s biological child,¡± replied Yao Tu respectfully. ¡°Father has sure be muddled in his old age, to have raised someone else¡¯s son for so long, and to even have arranged such a grand funeral for him! Perhaps this time he¡¯s been taught a lesson!¡± Yao Suluan gave a cold humph. He had even abandoned his daughter for that bastard. He was probably regretting it a lot now. ¡°Due to this matter, Master fell severely ill and has just gotten a little better. If niang niang intends to visit Master, please don¡¯t bring up Yao Yu.¡± Yao Tu could see Yao Suluan¡¯s contempt and worriedly reminded her of this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, in the end, he¡¯s still this consort¡¯s father. No matter what has happened in the past, this consort can smile and let it past. Where¡¯s Father right now?¡± Yao Suluan sighed. She hade here with a motive after all, she was just venting some of her frustration in front of Yao Tu. ¡°Replying Consort Li niang niang, Master is currently meeting with a matchmaker in the side hall,¡± replied Yao Tu. ¡°I understand. Then take Ming Yu with you to rest, this consort will be heading over to see Father!¡± After giving thismand coldly, Yao Suluan turned and headed towards the side hall. Ming Yu knew that this meant Yao Suluan still didn¡¯t trust her. However, there was plenty of time to slowly change that. In the side hall, Yao Zhenting was deep in thought as he looked at the papers he was holding. Each page contained the eight birthdate characters of a different youngdy. ¡°Prime Minister da ren, you really have great judgement. Thesedies are all from well-known literary families. They are all well-educated, good-looking, and bright¡­¡± ¡°This old man just wants someone that can give birth to a son!¡± There was no a trace of warmth in Yao Zhenting¡¯s voice. In his opinion, the greatest worth of a woman was their ability to give birth to sons. Whether they came from a good family or were educated didn¡¯t matter to him. ¡°Ah¡­ Haha, thesedies all have features of good fortune and will naturally be able to add a son to the family for Prime Minister!¡± said the matchmaker with a fawning smile. ¡°Then she¡¯ll do!¡± Yao Zhenting chose one of the papers and handed it to the matchmaker with a grim look on his face. ¡°This is the Li family¡¯s second miss. The person is obviously a good choice, but their demands for the bride price is a bit high¡­¡± The matchmaker slowly started speaking. ¡°Does the Prime Minister Residence look like itcks money! As long as she gives birth to this old man¡¯s son, this old man will provide for all three generations of her Li family!¡± ¡°Da ren, don¡¯t worry, thismon woman will arrange this right away!¡± Upon hearing this, the matchmaker immediately nodded servilely. Just as the matchmaker left, Yao Suluan walked in. ¡°I heard that Father had been bedridden with illness. It¡¯s a surprise to hear that you¡¯re still in the mood for these matters. Hopefully that miss from the Li family would be able to fulfill Father¡¯s wish and give this consort a younger brother.¡± Although Yao Suluan hade back to make up with Yao Zhenting, she still carried herself haughtily. She knew her father¡¯s personality too well. Daughters really didn¡¯t matter to him, so if she acted weak to try to get pity, he would only find her worthless. If she wanted him to value her, she had to show him how important she was. ¡°This old man kowtows in greeting to Consort Li.¡± Yao Zhenting was a little surprised to see Yao Suluan. ¡°There¡¯s no one else here, so Father doesn¡¯t need to be so polite.¡± Yao Suluan slowly walked over to sit down in the main seat, then waved to indicate for Yao Zhenting to rise. ¡°May I ask what Consort Yao hase to the Yao Residence for? If there are no pressing matters, this old man isn¡¯t feeling well and probably won¡¯t be able to keep youpany.¡± After saying this coldly, Yao Zhenting turned to leave, but Yao Suluan called him back. ¡°Must Father keep this consort at such a distance? Could it be that Father feels that bastard Yao Yu shouldn¡¯t have died?¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s voice was filled with indignance. ¡°If he hadn¡¯t drowned, this old man would¡¯ve personally strangled him!¡± When Yao Yu was brought up, Yao Zhenting¡¯s eyes filled with cold light. ¡°Exactly. In reality, this consort has always had the same views on matters as Father. Perhaps this consort has put some things too harshly, but it¡¯s hard not to say things impulsively out of anger. I hope Father won¡¯t hold a grudge due to those thoughtlessly spoken words?¡± Yao Suluan purposefully tried to soothe the atmosphere of the room. ¡°This old man only knows that sometimes things said out of anger are also heartfelt words. Consort Li, please make yourself at home. This old man won¡¯t be keeping youpany.¡± Yao Zhenting didn¡¯t ept her attempt to make peace at all. Just as he was about to walk out of the room, he heard Yao Suluan¡¯s coldugh. ¡°Ha. Father must be thinking that Yao Mowan, that fool, is currently more favored and easier to control than this consort, right?¡± Yao Suluan angrily stomped towards the doors and mmed them shut before turning around to look straight at Yao Zhenting. ¡°This old man doesn¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± The animal that he had raised from infanthood was actually turning around to bite him. Ever since Yao Suluan had threatened him at Jade Lake, he had given up on keeping her as a chess piece. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Then this consort will tell you! You think Yao Mowan is a fool? After being the prime minister for so long and dealing with so many schemes, could it be that you still don¡¯t have the ability to notice that there¡¯s something off about all of this!? Not only is Yao Mowan not a fool, she¡¯s extremely crafty! She had admitted with her own mouth that she was the one that framed Gao momo and seduced His Majesty. Even Mother¡¯s death and Yao Yu¡¯s disappearance in theke were schemes set by her! We¡¯ve all been tricked by her! She¡¯s pretending to be a fool for the sake of getting revenge! She wants to get revenge on you! On this consort!¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she shouted all of this. Every time she recalled all the little things that Yao Mowan had done to her, she would itch to rip her apart. Yao Zhenting looked at Yao Suluan coldly without saying a word. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 87
Chapter 87: Bickering with a Fool ¡°You definitely think that this consort is just making things up, but think about it, how could such a coincidence ur? How old is Yao Yu? How could he have found his way to Jade Lake by himself?¡± Yao Suluan tried to convince Yao Zhenting with her words. ¡°Wan er was the one that told Ting Yue to bring him over there, because he said he wanted to catch fish.¡± A clear voice that sounded slightly childish appeared behind Yao Suluan. Yao Suluan stiffened, then turned around to find that Yao Mowan was standing right behind her. Her seemingly innocent eyes flickered with unreadable light. ¡°Wh¡­ when did you get here?¡± Yao Suluan hadn¡¯t heard the door open, perhaps because she had been too stirred up. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while and was listening to Second Older Sister. Wan er doesn¡¯t understand why Second Older Sister said all those words, but Wan er knows that Second Older Sister doesn¡¯t like Wan er anymore. However, no matter how much you don¡¯t like Wan er, please don¡¯t steal Father away. Father is the only one Wan er has left.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s voice carried a strong sobbing tone. Yao Suluan gnashed her teeth with fury as she watched Yao Mowan act. Her eyes filled with darkness. Just as she was about to rush up and question Yao Mowan, she heard Yao Zhenting¡¯s voice. ¡°How could Father possibly not want Wan er anymore? Father, too, only has Wan er, this one daughter left! Let¡¯s go,e with Father to the main hall. Father will have Yao Tu prepare tasty treats for you!¡± Yao Zhenting¡¯s voice instantly destroyed what hope Yao Suluan had left. Yao Suluan watched as Yao Zhenting left with Yao Mowan, then leaned against the door weakly. As of now, she really didn¡¯t have anything left. In the main hall, Yao Mowan took the bottle of wine she had brought from the pce and gave it to Yao Zhenting. ¡°Father, this is something Wan er had specially asked His Majesty to bestow. I heard that it¡¯s maiden rose (Chinese wine) that has been buried for thirty years, it¡¯s definitely tasty!¡± Yao Mowan smiled sweetly. ¡°Wan er is the most filial ah!¡± Yao Zhenting nodded slightly and took the wine. During dinner, when Yao Mowan saw Yao Zhenting drink the wine, the smile on her face became even brighter. Although that maiden rose had been bestowed by His Majesty, the ¡®rootless water¡¯ inside was her show of filial respect to Yao Zhenting. ¡®Rootless water,¡¯ as its name implied, was a liquid that would make its drinker no longer capable of having children. If Yao Zhenting wanted a son, he¡¯d have to wait for the next lifetime. It wasn¡¯t that she was cruel, but that Yao Zhenting seriously didn¡¯t have the right to be a father. Even if he got a son, that son would only be his tool. Meanwhile, Yao Suluan naturally needed to vent her anger after suffering that rebuff in the prime minister¡¯s residence. Thus, the moment Yao Mowan stepped into Guan Osprey Pce, she saw that Yao Suluan was sitting inside, waiting for her with a furious expression. ¡°All of you, withdraw.¡± Yao Mowan stopped smiling and waved to have Liu Xing and Ting Yue withdraw. After the door was closed, Yao Suluan immediately rushed up to Yao Mowan and grabbed her by her cor. ¡°Yao Mowan! You think Father cares about you? You¡¯re wrong! Father doesn¡¯t care about anyone! If he hadn¡¯t silently approved of it, that lowly mother of yours wouldn¡¯t have died! He¡¯s the one¡­¡± p! Before Yao Suluan could even finish speaking, Yao Mowan abruptly lifted her hand and pped her. ¡°Do you think you have the right to badmouth this consort¡¯s mother? Yao Suluan, don¡¯t forget that this consort is a Noble Consort, while you¡¯re simply a title-less consort! You¡¯re not wrong. This consort knows that Yao Zhenting only cares about himself and about how he had treated mother. That¡¯s why this consort has no intention of letting him off. It¡¯s just thatpared to him, this consort hates you even more!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes were like sharp des as she red at Yao Suluan. Yao Suluan couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill. ¡°What? You want to tell Yao Zhenting? Then go! This consort is willing to make a bet with you. If Yao Zhenting believes even half a word thates out of your mouth, this consort will immediately hand her head over to you!¡± Every single one of Yao Mowan¡¯s words chilled like ice. ¡°Why? This consort had harmed a lot of people, but this consort has never done anything to harm you!¡± Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan in astonishment. At this moment, Yao Mowan looked like a demon from hell. She couldn¡¯t figure out what was the source of that bloodthirsty hatred in Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s because you felt it beneath yourself to bicker with a fool. Someone else was the needle in your eye! This consort is making you pay for the things you did to that person! Yao Suluan, do you know who that person is?¡± Yao Mowan approached Yao Suluan step by step. The oppressive aura around her forced Yao Suluan to continuously retreat. ¡°Who?¡± Yao Suluan gulped hard as the scene of Yao Moxin¡¯s tragic death and Zhong er¡®s mangled corpse appeared in her mind. ¡°You¡¯ve recalled, haven¡¯t you? I can already see those three words on your face!¡± Yao Mowan slowly bent over and stared at Yao Suluan¡¯s deathly pale face with her seemingly harmless eyes as her lips hooked in a cold smile. ¡°Yao Moxin?¡± Yao Suluan blurted the name out. ¡°So it turns out that the needle in Second Older Sister¡¯s eye was Eldest Sister ah!¡± Yao Mowan suddenly smiled which caused Yao Suluan to be even more frightened. ¡°You know about her cause of death? That¡¯s not possible! That isn¡¯t possible! Who told you? Who exactly was it? Was it His Majesty? No¡­ How could His Majesty ever reveal it? His Majesty¡­¡± Right at this moment, Ting Yue¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°This servant kowtows in salute to Your Majesty!¡± When Yao Mowan heard this, she immediately concealed the hatred in her eyes and threw herself towards the corner of a table. She didn¡¯t do it hard, but it was enough to leave a bruise on her forehead. ¡°Yao Mowan! What are you doing!?¡± Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan in confusion. As of now, Ye Hongyi had already pushed open the door and walked in. ¡°Wuuwuu¡­ Second Older Sister, I¡¯m sorry. Wan er didn¡¯t bring Eldest Sister up on purpose. Wan er didn¡¯t know that Second Older Sister didn¡¯t like Eldest Sister¡­¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s tears fell like rain. As the tears streaked across her cheeks, they left long, moist trails. ¡°You! What are you making up!? Your Majesty¡­¡± Yao Suluan finally understood what Yao Mowan was trying to do. She wanted to refute but Ye Hongyi had already rushed to Yao Mowan¡¯s side to stroke her bruise gently. His furious gaze thennded on her. ¡°Consort Li! You sure have a lot of guts to actually dare to hit Consort Yao! Could it be that you don¡¯t know that Consort Yao has higher rank than you? How dare you injure a higher ranking consort!? Seize her!¡± To Ye Hongyi, Yao Suluan was a chess piece that was, at this point, useless. He only kept her because it was a waste to abandon her. Earlier he had still been considering what was the best way to deal with her, but when he saw the bruise on Yao Mowan¡¯s head, he became furious and immediately decided to kill her. ¡°Your Majesty! This consort didn¡¯t do it! This consort¡¯s face is still red from Consort Yao¡¯s p, see!? This consort really hadn¡¯t done anything!¡± Yao Suluan immediately fell to a kneel to plead. ¡°Second Older Sister¡­ are you saying that I¡¯m lying? As long as you admit that you were the one that pped yourself, and that you had pushed Wan er towards the desk, Wan er will beg His Majesty not to hit you!¡± Yao Mowan wiped away her tears and red at Yao Suluan angrily. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Yao Suluan hadn¡¯t expected for Yao Mowan to do something this evil. However, right now, could she even resist? When she saw the murderous intent in Ye Hongyi¡¯s eyes, she knew that she had no options left. ¡°We can spare you since Wan er has pleaded for you, but you must speak the truth!¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s voice was cold as ice, just like his eyes. The only part about him that wasn¡¯t cold was the hand on Yao Mowan¡¯s forehead. His movements were so gentle that Yao Suluan almost wanted to go insane. ¡°This consort¡­ this consort has wronged. This consort shouldn¡¯t have hurt Consort Yao and shouldn¡¯t have pped herself to try and frame Consort Yao. Your Majesty, please have mercy. This consort will never dare to do this again!¡± Yao Suluan had never hated Yao Mowan more. She dug her nails into the hard rock floor, ignoring the pain, as she forced out those words. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 88 Chapter 88: Borrowing Someone Else¡¯s Knife to Kill ¡°Your Majesty, Second Older Sister didn¡¯t hit Wan er on purpose, so don¡¯t punish her, alright?¡± Yao Mowan wiped her tears with one hand. The sight of her glistening tear-filled eyes caused Ye Hongyi¡¯s heart to ache. ¡°And you¡¯re still not thanking Consort Yao for her grace!?¡± Ye Hongyi nced at Yao Suluan with spurn before helping Yao Mowan to the table. ¡°This consort¡­ thanks Consort Yao!¡± Yao Suluan gritted her teeth. Her heart was filled with hatred, but she had no choice but to endure it right now. ¡°As long as Second Older Sister is more honest in the future, you¡¯ll still be Wan er¡®s good Second Older Sister! Wan er will help Second Older Sister up!¡± Just as Yao Mowan was about to get up, Ye Hongyi wrapped his arms around her and stopped her. ¡°You may withdraw. In the future, don¡¯te to Guan Osprey Pce unless you have business!¡± His cold voice contained a dark warning. After Ye Hongyi spoke, he shifted his gaze to Yao Mowan and his eyes instantly became as gentle as water. Yao Suluan didn¡¯t try to argue anymore and hastily withdrew from Guan Osprey Pce. However, the moment she turned around, her eyes turned scarlet with hatred. She will make Yao Mowan pay for what happened today! She swore it! After Yao Suluan left, Ye Hongyi gently stroked Yao Mowan¡¯s head and blew on the bruise gently. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Since Your Majesty is keeping Wan erpany, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡± Yao Mowan could see the anxiety in Ye Hongyi¡¯s eyes and knew that he was sincerely worried. She suddenly felt that Ye Hongyi was very pitiful. Fools were probably the only ones that he would ever lower his guard around, so only fools could obtain his true heart. However, what use would a fool have for a true heart? ¡°Then we¡®ll keep hugging Wan er like this and never let go!¡± Ye Hongyi buried his head into Yao Mowan¡¯s shoulder and his handsome face pressed against her soft delicate cheek. As he took in her faint fragrance, a part of his body started to heat up. In front of Yao Mowan, he seemed to have no self control. ¡°This subject brother kowtows in greeting to Your Majesty.¡± Ye Junqing walked in just in time to see this scene. When he saw the unconcealed lust in Ye Hongyi¡¯s eyes, his gaze dimmed slightly and a faintly ufortable feeling gripped his heart. He had already seen this kind of scene countless times since he had started staying in Guan Osprey Pce, but he had never felt this disturbed before. ¡°Ahem¡­ you may rise.¡± Ye Hongyi retrieved the lust in his eyes and reluctantly released Yao Mowan to walk towards Ye Junqing. ¡°We called you here to discuss a matter with you. The crown prince of the state of Qi will reach the imperial city tomorrow. We thought about it and decided that it would be best to have you look after the crown prince¡¯s safety andfort.¡± Ye Hongyi spoke casually as if this was a very simple matter, but his tone left no room for discussion. ¡°This cannot be done. The guest is the heir apparent to the throne of Qi, this subject doesn¡¯t have the qualifications to entertain such an honored guest. As of now, Junqing has no title or rank to speak of, so Junqing really cannot bear such a great responsibility.¡± Ye Junqing tactfully declined. ¡°Are you ming us for not giving you an official rank?¡± A trace of darkness shed through Ye Hongyi¡¯s eyes as he asked this slowly. ¡°Junqing doesn¡¯t dare. Junqing¡¯s already used to these leisurely days and would rather prefer to avoid those tiresome binding matters. Junqing is just worried that such an act would make the state of Qi unhappy and bring Your Majesty unneeded trouble.¡± Ye Junqing cupped his fist in a respectful salute as he replied with this. ¡°As expected of our considerate imperial younger brother, you¡¯re always worrying for us. However, on this matter, you¡¯re overthinking. The crown prince of Qi is just visiting as a formality, it has nothing to do with our diplomatic rtionships, so this matter is decided.¡± The darkness in Ye Hongyi¡¯s eyes disappeared as he patted Ye Junqing¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. We still have some memorials to read so we¡®ll be leaving first!¡± Ye Hongyi didn¡¯t give Ye Junqing any chances to refuse and made to leave. However, after a few steps, he stopped and looked back at Yao Mowan. ¡°Wan er, don¡¯t hurt your head again. We¡®lle tonight to help you apply ice to it.¡± Ye Hongyi nced at Yao Mowan with lingering heartache in his eyes before finally leaving. Yao Mowan only put away the innocent expression on her face once Ye Hongyi waspletely out of sight. She walked slowly to the table. ¡°What a nice move of borrowing someone else¡¯s knife to kill! As expected of him!¡± Her clear voice contained a faint chill. Yao Mowan absentmindedly lifted the teapot and poured herself a cup of tea. ¡°Could it be that you haven¡¯t noticed how much His Majesty dotes on you?¡± Ye Junqing saw that for some reason, Yao Mowan seemed to be hostile against His Majesty. Back then, Yao Moxin had put out so much just for a slight smile or a few soothing words from Ye Hongyi. Meanwhile, Yao Mowan was able to obtain the Emperor¡¯s affection so easily, yet she didn¡¯t seem to care about it at all. This was like living proof of that saying: things that you can¡¯t obtain are forever the best while things you possess, you never treasure. Yao Mowan¡¯s hand froze while lifting the teapot. After a brief moment, she lowered it and turned to look towards Ye Junqing with a cold smile. ¡°His Majesty hates you, did you notice?¡± Yao Mowan responded coldly with a question; her bright eyes filled with a chilling light. ¡°That¡¯s not the same, Junqing doesn¡¯t care about His Majesty¡¯s attitude at all.¡± Ye Junqing knew what Yao Mowan was trying to say, but these were twopletely different matters. The only reason why he was allowing Ye Hongyi to do as he wished was for Yao Moxin¡¯s sake. He no longer cared about living or dying. It wasn¡¯t the same for Yao Mowan though, she was Ye Hongyi¡¯s most favored consort. This favor ensured her safety andfort. ¡°Then what makes Prince think that Yao Mowan needs to be concerned about His Majesty¡¯s attitude and his affection?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s voice was unshakably firm. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Prince has too much to say today. Of course, many people in the world would feel honored to hear Prince speak. However, few would want to hear these next words. Mowan is naturally not an exception.¡± Yao Mowan cut off Ye Junqing¡¯s words and mmed the cup down on the table. ¡°Then this prince has nothing else to say.¡± Ye Junqing was a little infuriated. He was only reminding her out of good intentions! ¡°The pce opposite Guan Osprey Pce, Harmony Pce, is currently empty. Prince should bring Feng Yihan to Harmony Pce tomorrow. ¡± When Ye Junqing didn¡¯t speak, Yao Mowan sighed softly, then said this. ¡°Why should this prince listen to you!?¡± Ye Junqing turned away angrily to leave. ¡°Prince couldn¡¯t be thinking that Liu Sha would be enough to block the state of Qi¡¯s ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ right?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Ye Junqing. Written on her face were the words ¡®you have no other choice.¡¯ ¡°How do you know that Qi will send the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ to kill Feng Yihan?¡± The moment Ye Junqing heard these words, his expression turned stunned before he walked hastily back to face Yao Mowan. Ye Junqing had heard of the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ long ago. Although the state of Qi couldn¡¯tpare to other nations in terms of military powers, the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ that they possess were well-known figures in the assassination world. They ranked only second to the state of Chu¡¯s ¡®Three Soul-Reaping Dreams.¡¯ ¡°If Prince has doubts, then Mowan is willing to make a bet with you. If the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ aren¡¯t sent, Yao Mowan will give Prince the Elements. If they are¡­ then Mowan wants Liu Sha! It¡¯s four for one, Prince will be getting quite a bargain!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips hooked into a crafty smile. ¡°Enough, this prince will bring Feng Yihan to Harmony Pce tomorrow!¡± After stating this, Ye Junqing turned to leave. ¡°Is Prince agreeing to the bet or not?¡± Yao Mowan blinked her eyes innocently. ¡°This prince isn¡¯t an imbecile like Yan Nansheng! Even if I die, I won¡¯t let you cheat Liu Sha away, so you should just give up!¡± replied Ye Junqing fiercely as he stomped out of Guan Osprey Pce. Yao Mowan smiled faintly as she watched him leave. Ye Junqing¡¯s figure was finally no longer as spiritless and as deste as before. This time, they had to help Feng Yihan, because he would be an important piece in the road of helping Ye Junqing regain the throne of great Chu. Chapter Volume 1 89 Chapter 89: Deliberate Scorn As Yao Mowan had predicted, Ye Hongyi wasn¡¯t concerned by Feng Yihan¡¯s diplomatic visit. The fact that he assigned Ye Junqing the task of entertaining Feng Yihan showed that the dangers of Feng Yihan¡¯s visit had urred to him. However, he nned to hand Ye Junqing over to the state of Qi the moment something happened to Feng Yihan. This way, there would be no need forpensation to maintain peace and it would also allow him to get rid of Ye Junqing, this eyesore. ¡°Master, the prince has already brought Feng Yihan to Harmony Pce. This subordinate has investigated and found that there are fifteen people apanying Feng Yihan. There are five personal bodyguards that are all first ss experts. The other ten are a little weaker,¡± reported Yin Xue as she stood next to Yao Mowan. ¡°Fifteen people¡­ It seems that the king of Qi truly wished to get rid of this crown prince. Yin Xue, if you encountered the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins,¡¯ what are your chances of victory?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s clear eyes were like a deep tranquil pond that didn¡¯t contain a single ripple. ¡°On my own, it would be easy to escape. If it was a direct confrontation, there¡¯s thirty percent chance of victory.¡± The unspoken implication was that she wouldn¡¯t be a match for them. ¡°En. I trust that Feng Yihan¡¯s followers aren¡¯t good-for-nothings either. With Liu Sha added on, you guys would probably be able to reach a draw. As of now, whether we¡¯ll be able to protect Feng Yihan will have to depend on luck. Remember, no matter what, the Esteemed Prince¡¯s life is the most important. Second after that is your own, understood?¡± Yao Mowan spoke as she took a sip of tea. ¡°This subordinate understands!¡± Yin Xue understood that Yao Mowan was telling her not to risk her own life in fighting with the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ if she couldn¡¯t win. Ye Hongyi only gave the order to prepare a banquet after Feng Yihan had arrived in Harmony Pce for an entire day. In addition, the people who were going to entertain him at the banquet were just Ye Junqing and her. Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help but scoff. Ye Hongyi really looked down on Feng Yihan too much. Even if he wasn¡¯t favored, he was still a crown prince. The fact that Ye Hongyi sent a fool to entertain him was clearly meant to embarrass him. He had no idea that he had erred in judgement and that his unbridled act to humiliate the crown prince would one day cause his downfall! The banquet was set to start at noon in the Harmony Pce. Ye Hongyi¡¯sck of concern was apparent in the time and location of the banquet. Within Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan had Ting Yue dress her up exaggeratedly. By the time Ting Yue inserted thest golden dangling hairpin into Yao Mowan¡¯s hair, Yao Mowan¡¯s face had already be flushed. ¡°Niang niang, isn¡¯t it heavy?¡± Ting Yue asked hesitantly as she looked at the mess of hairpins stabbed into Yao Mowan¡¯s hair. ¡°Do you know why this consort is doing this?¡± Yao Mowan still felt that this wasn¡¯t enough, so she patted even more rouge on her face. Her originally elegant features were still beautiful, but it now looked way too gaudy. ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t understand.¡± Ting Yue opened her eyes wide as she waited for Yao Mowan¡¯s exnation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple. The sloppier this consort is, the more humiliating it will be for Feng Yihan and he¡¯ll resent His Majesty even more for doing this. In contrast, he¡¯d sense Ye Junqing¡¯s sincerity more clearly,¡± replied Yao Mowan. ¡°Ting Yue sometimes really can¡¯t understand you. It¡¯s enough that you help the Esteemed Prince without allowing him to know, but you always anger him half to death while doing so too!¡± Ting Yue grumbled as she started putting away the rouge and powder. ¡°You¡¯ve seen him angry before?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows in surprise. ¡°Of course, this servant had heard him curse about you several times when passing by the east wing!¡± Ting Yue nodded her head vigorously. ¡°What does he curse about?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue with interest in her eyes as her lips hook in a trace of a yful smile. ¡°Mostly about how you¡¯repletely two-faced and bossy. Although this servant didn¡¯t hear the things clearly, that voice was extremely loud so he was definitely angry,¡± replied Ting Yue with confidence. ¡°Is that so¡­ It¡¯s about time. Apany this consort to Harmony Pce.¡± Yao Mowan silently noted down Ting Yue¡¯s words, then walked slowly out of Guan Osprey Pce. It was a rare, cool, summer day. The moment she pushed opened the pce doors and stepped into Harmony Pce, the sight of peach blossoms entered her eyes. She was slightly stunned by the beautiful view. Harmony Pce had always been empty, so back when she was the Empress, she had ordered the gardener to nt peach trees here so that the courtyard wouldn¡¯t seem so deste and empty. From the looks of it now, her casual act had ended bringing about this paradise-like scene. As a gust of wind swept by, it carried along a faint fragrance and twirled loose petals into the air. There was only a single figure within the sea of flowers. That person sat by himself on a stone stool and leaned against a peach tree as he slowly perused a scroll. The man¡¯s hair was bound with a purple hair crown and a partially visible green hairband. He was elegant and quiet like a beautiful jade sculpture. A few petalsnded on the man¡¯s shoulder, making him appear otherworldly in his pure white garment. Ting Yue wanted to walk over, but Yao Mowan stopped her. She didn¡¯t want to disrupt this beautiful, tranquil atmosphere. However, it was already toote. The man had already put down the scroll and looked over. He had handsome and elegant sharp features that gave off a refined air. However, Yao Mowan could sense that the depths of those clear pupils contained deep grief. It was such silent grief and indignation. This look was so familiar. Only a person that had gone through extreme pain would have such a deep and quiet hatred-filled gaze. ¡°Who are you?¡± It was originally supposed to be the question of the man sitting in the midst of the flowers, but the voice ended uping from behind them. At the side, Ting Yue gulped in shock. ¡°Prince, you can¡¯t even recognize my master?¡± Ting Yue looked at Ye Junqing uneasily since he knew that her master wasn¡¯t a fool. ¡°Yao Mowan? Why are you dressed like this?¡± Ye Junqing walked quickly to them with a stunned expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the way I¡¯m dressed? This consort feels that this outfit is extremely beautiful!¡± Yao Mowan puffed up her cheeks as she refuted confidently. ¡°Ting Yue, are you sure that your master checked the mirror beforeing out today?¡± Ye Junqing stared at Yao Mowan as he asked this. Ting Yue was silent with embarrassment. ¡°Esteemed Prince, may I ask who this is?¡± A clear voice arose. Feng Yihan gracefully walked to Ye Junqing¡¯s side. ¡°Ahem¡­ this is His Majesty¡¯s most favored consort, Consort Yao niang niang.¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s voice contained embarrassment as he introduced Yao Mowan. However, Yao Mowan didn¡¯t feel ufortable at all. After all, even if it was a humiliation, it was Ye Hongyi¡¯s humiliation. ¡°Consort Yao, this is the crown prince of Qi.¡± Ye Junqing turned around and formally introduced Feng Yihan to her. ¡°En, why aren¡¯t you paying your respects to this consort?¡± Right after Ye Junqing spoke, Yao Mowan lifted her little face that had a thickyer of rouge on it and said this haughtily. Feng Yihan was stunned to hear this, but he didn¡¯t show it much and maintained his elegant and mild demeanor. ¡°Consort Yao, you should be the one greeting the crown prince!¡± Ye Junqing spoke in a low voice. ¡°But His Majesty said that this consort is the most important person in this ce, second only to him, so anyone who sees this consort should salute. Oh, that¡¯s right, why didn¡¯t you salute when you saw this consort!?¡± Yao Mowan put both hands on her hips as she looked at Ye Junqing with a peeved expression. Ye Junqing suddenly felt humted as if someone had stripped him naked and hung him up outside. If it weren¡¯t for his strong willpower, he definitely would have started shouting at Yao Mowan. ¡°Feng Yihan greets Consort Yao niang niang. Everyone speaks of Consort Yao¡¯s state-overturning beautiful and untainted innocence. Having seen you today, Yihan sees that the reputation is truly justified.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s eyes contained a smiling expression. Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t find a trace of loathing or disdain in those eyes; the expression in those eyes seemedpletely sincere as if he truly did respect her. Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Feng Yihan truly was shrewd. ¡°You may rise. What about you?¡± Yao Mowan shifted her gaze to Ye Junqing and her lips hooked slightly. She found that, for some reason, she loved teasing Ye Junqing and making him mad. He only seemed lively enough during these times. Chapter Volume 1 90
Chapter 90: This Woman Isn¡¯t Simple ¡°Greetings, Consort Yao!¡± Ye Junqing casually cupped his fist in salute towards her before turning to look at Feng Yihan. He really didn¡¯t want to look at Yao Mowan¡¯s current appearance for even a second longer. ¡°Your Highness, Crown Prince, Junqing has already ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare a feast. We will be holding an official wee banquet for Crown Prince today!¡± ¡°Brother Junqing is too considerate. Since it isn¡¯t a formal banquet, just call me Yihan.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s lips curved a little with true sincerity. ¡°Alright! Yihan, this way please!¡± Ye Junqing had enjoyed talking with Feng Yihan yesterday, so his manner wasn¡¯t affected either. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this consort be walking in front?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s sudden sentence destroyed the nice atmosphere. Ye Junqing took a deep breath, but before he could speak, Feng Yihan had already moved politely out of the way with a smile. ¡°Consort Yao niang niang, please go ahead!¡± The clear voice was as pleasing to the ear as the sound of rain drizzling on porcin. Yao Mowan naturally didn¡¯t bother to be polite and immediately walked into Harmony Pce. During the banquet, Ye Junqing chatted with Feng Yihan about everything from historical times to current events. Meanwhile, Yao Mowan seemed to be spending most of her time eating. In reality though, she was listening carefully to every sentence Feng Yihan spoke. No matter how well Feng Yihan covered it up, his strong ambition still showed in his words. Of course, she still performed her role perfectly. From time to time, she would seize an opportunity to insert an unrted question. Every time, Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes would fill with unconceble annoyance, but Feng Yihan would patiently answer the question and even discuss it seriously with Yao Mowan for a while. When they got back to Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan went in to change. When she came back out, Ye Junqing startedining before she could even sit down to have a sip of tea. ¡°Even if His Majesty doesn¡¯t like Feng Yihan, shouldn¡¯t he at least show his face? Even if he doesn¡¯t visit, he still shouldn¡¯t have sent you to ridicule the person. And you, did you have to dress up that crazily? And it would¡¯ve been alright if this prince was still the Esteemed Prince from back then, but this prince is now just an idler. In all aspects, this reception is neglecting Feng Yihan!¡± Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan angrily. ¡°You should have already realized the Emperor¡¯s intention when he assigned you to entertain Feng Yihan. His Majesty feels it pointless to waste his time on someone that is about to die. As for having this consort make an appearance, it¡¯s not inappropriate. After all, everyone knows that this consort is His Majesty¡¯s favorite consort. Rather, Prince¡¯s reaction is what disappoints Mowan!¡± Yao Mowan watched as Ye Junqing paced around irascibly in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this prince¡¯s reaction?¡± asked Ye Junqing. ¡°It¡¯s only been one day, yet Prince is already this devoted to Feng Yihan? You¡¯re even grumbling on his behalf? From the looks of it, Feng Yihan truly is amazingly shrewd and is especially good at obtaining trust.¡± Yao Mowan voiced her analysis. ¡°This prince just feels that Feng Yihan shouldn¡¯t be treated with such scorn, that¡¯s all,¡± Ye Junqing refuted diffidently. ¡°It¡¯s best if that¡¯s true. Prince probably knows that Feng Yihan isn¡¯t the same as you. He cares about his imperial court and is determined to obtain the throne of Qi. Every move he makes is for the sake of paving his road to the throne. Mowan hopes that Prince wouldn¡¯t be muddled and end up bing a stepping stone on his path.¡± Yao Mowan gracefully lifted the teapot and poured a cup of tea before pushing the cup towards Ye Junqing. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one that said we had to protect him?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s words made Ye Junqing calm down and start thinking through things seriously. As of this moment, he felt that Yao Mowan was no inferior to Moxin in both intelligence and shrewdness. ¡°This consort wanted him to know that Prince wants to help protect him so that he would feel grateful. However, if Prince ends up protecting him due to his maniption, he would only feel that Prince is dumb! This Feng Yihan really isn¡¯t simple!¡± Knowing someone by their reputation really couldn¡¯tpare to meeting them in person. The moment Yao Mowan saw Feng Yihan, she knew that the fact he was able to stay unharmed as the crown prince despite being surrounded by enemies was because of his intelligence. ¡°What difference is there? This prince only wants to prevent great Chu from bing wrapped up in Qi¡¯s internal strife. This prince doesn¡¯t need him to feel grateful.¡± Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan and said this with conviction. ¡°Prince, this servant cannot keep silent any longer. My master has destroyed her image to help you. It¡¯s enough that you don¡¯t feel grateful, but you¡¯re even reproaching her? Your ungratefulness is truly disappointing.¡± No matter how much Ting Yue respected Ye Junqing, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel indignant when he spoke to Yao Mowan this way. ¡°How did she help this prince? And when did this prince reproach her? Ting Yue, the words you speak are bing increasingly baffling!¡± Ye Junqing looked at Ting Yue with confusion as he disagreed with her words. ¡°Prince¡­¡± Ting Yue wanted to argue back but Yao Mowan stopped her. ¡°Ting Yue, don¡¯t stoop to the same level as him. This consort is tired, help me back to my room.¡± Ye Junqing had no desire to possess the world so it was natural that he wouldn¡¯t understand her actions. Yao Mowan slowly got up to head towards her bedroom. ¡°Don¡¯t leave yet! This prince still has things to say!¡± Ye Junqing immediately spoke to stop her when he saw that she was leaving. ¡°Isn¡¯t Fluffy right there?¡± replied Yao Mowan casually without turning back. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing turned to look at Fluffy who was lyingnguidly on the chaise lounge. Three ck lines immediately appeared over his forehead. The moon was bright and the stars shone gently this particr night. The moonlight spilled down on the blossoming peach flowers, causing them to glow with faint luster. ¡°Master, this is intolerable! Not only did Chu¡¯s monarch send a deposed prince to entertain you, he even sent that imbecile of a consort! That¡¯s clearly a show of disdain!¡± That voice was as cold as a forever snowy peak, it didn¡¯t contain even a trace of warmth. A person dressed in ck stood behind Feng Yihan. His features were handsome, but there wasn¡¯t a trace of expression on his face. This person was Ting Feng, a hidden guard of top quality that served Feng Yihan. ¡°This can¡¯t be med on Ye Hongyi. Father¡¯s desire to get rid of me is clear. Ye Hongyi isn¡¯t dumb, how could he miss this crown prince¡¯s current situation? However, the fact that he sent Ye Junqing to wee me was a pleasant surprise. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate Ye Junqing. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he was the one who fought and won this country. If it weren¡¯t for that woman, there was no way Ye Hongyi would be able to sit on this throne so stably!¡± Feng Yihan stood in front of the window. The sharpness in his eyes caused the moon and the stars to seem dim inparison. ¡°Master is talking about Yao Moxin?¡± During this age of rising independent regimes and turmoil, all that managed to leave a mark on the political arena, regardless of whether they were male or female, would be remembered. ¡°The most beautiful flower withers the most easily, the most priceless city is most easily shattered. That stunning, beautiful, and intelligent woman was destined to suffer the burden of the world¡¯s envy. What a pity!¡± A trace of sorrow shed through Feng Yihan¡¯s eyes before his expression once again became tranquil. ¡°From the looks of it, the rumor was true. Ye Junqing had fallen to this point due to affection for his elder brother¡¯s wife. What a pity, it isn¡¯t worth it.¡± Ting Feng shook his head. ¡°It is better to let down the Jianghu than it is a beauty¡¯s smile. Whether it was worth it or not, he is the only one that would know. Has the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ arrived?¡± Feng Yihan suddenly changed the topic with a serious expression. ¡°The secret envoy reported that the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ had left Qi the day before yesterday. Their target is you, Master,¡± Ting Feng reported truthfully. ¡°From the looks of it, Father has set his mind on getting rid of me and making Feng Duo crown prince¡­¡± Although internal strife within imperial households have always been harsh and it was nothing unusual for fathers to kill off their sons, it didn¡¯t mean that they were numb to such events. Feng Yihan still felt hurt by the fact that his biological father wanted to kill him. ¡°Master, you can¡¯t wait anymore!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we really can¡¯t wait anymore. Tell them to start preparing. As long as this crown prince can make it back alive¡­¡± Feng Yihan sighed softly and swallowed back the rest of his words. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. Ting Feng swears on his life that he will protect you!¡± Ting Feng¡¯s voice was resolute and his words resounded with strength. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 91
Chapter 91: Caught Feng Yihan waved his hand to dismiss Ting Feng as he continued looking in the direction of the peach flower forest with a distant gaze. For the past few days, Ye Hongyi hadn¡¯t visited Guan Osprey Pce, probably because he didn¡¯t want to meet Feng Yihan. On the other hand, when Feng Yihan found out that Ye Junqing was staying in Guan Osprey Pce, he actually took the initiative to pay a visit. When he appeared in Guan Osprey Pce, the ce was in the middle of a crisis. ¡°Niang niang¡­ there¡¯s so much blood. What do we do?¡± Ting Yue was kneeling next to Yao Mowan, her hands trembling nonstop as she gripped the water basin. ¡°Quiet down! Isn¡¯t this consort working on it!?¡± Yao Mowan was half crouched on the chaise lounge and stroking Fluffy¡¯s stomach with both hands. She was biting her lips and her forehead was covered with sweat. ¡°Do you know how to do it or not!? Why haven¡¯t theye out yet? This prince heard that it was best to walk around and move when pregnant! It¡¯s all your fault for always carrying Fluffy around! Were you treating her as a hand warmer!?¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed as he listened to Fluffy¡¯s pained meows. His hands were clenched into fists and from time to time he wouldin to Yao Mowan. ¡°You sure have a lot of words to waste! Rather than wasting your time talking, why don¡¯t you help!?¡± Yao Mowan was panicking as well. This had already gone on for two hours, yet there was no trace of a kitten. Fluffy¡¯s cries were starting to be weaker as well. It seemed like she was at thest of her strength. ¡°How¡­ This prince doesn¡¯t know how to!¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes widened and he retreated backwards as if avoiding the gue. ¡°Then what do we do now? They¡¯re noting out! What do we do!?¡± When Fluffy¡¯s cries became even shriller, Yao Mowan was so scared tears filled her eyes. A simr scene filled her mind, and she could feel Fluffy¡¯s pain. ¡°Allow me.¡± Just as everyone was starting to despair, Feng Yihan suddenly moved up and gently pressed his slender fingers on Fluffy¡¯s stomach and stroked down rhythmically. At this moment in time, everyone¡¯s gazes were focused on Fluffy. No one had the presence of mind to care about identity, status, or etiquette. ¡°How is it?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Feng Yihan worriedly. They were very close together so Yao Mowan could see the sweat beading on his forehead despite his calm expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s heart calmed down slightly after Feng Yihan said this. Out of gratefulness, she used her handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on Feng Yihan¡¯s forehead. This casual motion was only because she felt like she should do something for Fluffy. However, Ye Junqing felt very ufortable when he saw this scene. ¡°It came out! Niang niang! Look! It¡¯s a little kitten! It¡¯s white, just like Fluffy!¡± Ting Yue cried out joyfully as tears of relief flooded her eyes. ¡°Wait, there¡¯s one more.¡± Feng Yihan continued stroking Fluffy¡¯s stomach. As he said, not long after the first kitten was born, another damp kitten was pushed out. ¡°Is it done?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her clear eyes to look worriedly towards Feng Yihan. When Feng Yihan met her gaze, his breath was taken away for a moment. He didn¡¯t have the words to describe how pure and beautiful these eyes looked. They were beautiful like the spring flowers, the summer moon, the autumn wind, the winter snow. The light in those eyes shot towards his heart and drove away all the shadows in its depths. In this moment, Feng Yihan could understand why Ye Hongyi favored her so much. It was because the beautiful innocence in Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes was something they, as members of imperial households,cked the most. ¡°Fluffy couldn¡¯t be¡­¡± In this situation, Yao Mowan naturally misunderstood Feng Yihan¡¯s silence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, both the mother and children are fine.¡± Feng Yihan snapped out of it and immediately concealed the longing in his eyes as he responded calmly. ¡°That¡¯s great! Fluffy is alright! Thank God¡­¡± Yao Mowan then shifted her attention to Fluffy. As she stroked Fluffy¡¯s head, tears filled her eyes. When she saw the two little guys snuggling towards Fluffy¡¯s stomach for milk, her tears fell like a broken strand of pearls. Her delicate appearance made people feel heartache for her. ¡°Consort Yao had obtained two little kittens. This is something that should be celebrated.¡± Feng Yihan felt an urge to move forward and console her, but he suppressed this urge. Behind them, Ye Junqing took all of this in. For some reason, he felt an ufortable twang in his heart. It was very faint, but very real. ¡°I¡¯m fine, these are simply tears of joy.¡± Yao Mowan spoke without thinking as she stroked Fluffy tofort her. ¡°Tears of joy?¡± Something shed through Feng Yihan¡¯s eyes as he stared hard at Yao Mowan. ¡°Ah¡­ yeah, isn¡¯t that how it¡¯s used?¡± Yao Mowan abruptly realized her slip and looked up towards Ye Junqing. ¡°You¡¯re not that dumb after all. Yes, that¡¯s how it¡¯s used!¡± Ye Junqing understood what Yao Mowan was trying to do and responded cooperatively. ¡°Your Highness, Crown Prince, you probably haven¡¯t had your meal yet?¡± After Yao Mowan had warned him yesterday, he had deliberately be more distant with Feng Yihan. He even changed back to a more formal way of address. ¡°I just found out that Junqing was staying here, so I came to invite you to eat together in Harmony Pce. Would Junqing honor me by epting?¡± Feng Yihan shifted his nce away and turned around to look towards Ye Junqing. ¡°Crown Prince is being too polite. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Fluffy ended up giving birth, Junqing would already have been bothering you in Harmony Pce,¡± replied Ye Junqing. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I had hoped. Consort Yao niang niang has just gotten two little kittens and probably wants to stay with them for a while longer, otherwise Yihan definitely would ask Consort Yao toe too.¡± Feng Yihan nced towards Yao Mowan as he said this respectfully. ¡°En, you¡¯re a good person. If you invite this consort, this consort will definitely go!¡± Yao Mowan lifted her delicate face and nodded firmly. Feng Yihan smiled softly and left with Ye Junqing. After the two left, the smile on Yao Mowan¡¯s face be reced with a serious expression. ¡°Niang niang, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ting Yue worriedly when she sensed Yao Mowan¡¯s change. ¡°I was too excited earlier and was careless. There¡¯s probably no use acting like a fool in front of Feng Yihan any longer,¡± replied Yao Mowan mildly. ¡°What do we do now? Do you think he¡¯ll tell His Majesty?¡± Ting Yue face immediately became filled with worry. ¡°Of course not, he¡¯s not a fool. It¡¯s fine, this consort didn¡¯t n to keep acting in front of him anyways. Let¡¯s just see what he does next,¡± said Yao Mowan calmly. When she shifted her gaze towards Fluffy, her eyes became much gentler. As the night breeze swept by, it spread the gentle aroma of the flowers. Feng Yihan stood next to the window as he gazed at the scene. His white garments lifted elegantly with the wind. ¡°Master, Ting Feng has discovered that there are hidden guards in Guan Osprey Pce, and there isn¡¯t just one!¡± As a hidden guard, Ting Feng was able to sense that there were strong people concealed in Guan Osprey Pce. ¡°How are their martial arts?¡± Tears of joy? Was a fool capable of saying such fitting idioms? The entire world knew that Yao Mowan had been a fool since she was a child, but from the looks of it, not everything that¡¯s epted is true. ¡°One of them has skill simr to Ting Feng, the other¡­ is much stronger than Ting Feng!¡± reported Ting Feng honestly. ¡°Oh? Guan Osprey Pce has a person like this?¡± Feng Yihan was understandably surprised. Ting Feng was very highly ranked among the hidden guards, so there were few that were much stronger than him. ¡°This subordinate is ipetent. This subordinate hadn¡¯t been able to figure out where they were.¡± Ting Feng lowered his head in shame. ¡°No worries. Regardless of where they are, it¡¯s only a benefit to this crown prince.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s lips curved slightly. ¡°This subordinate doesn¡¯t understand.¡± Ting Feng looked towards Feng Yihan as he asked for an exnation. ¡°Since they¡¯re in Guan Osprey Pce, they¡¯re likely Ye Junqing¡¯s subordinates. As of now, Ye Junqing is responsible for this crown prince¡¯s safety. If something happens to this crown prince, Ye Junqing wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. When the state of Qi demands an exnation, Ye Hongyi will definitely push the me onto Ye Junqing. That is the reason why Ye Hongyi had Ye Junqing entertain this crown prince. Due to this, Ye Junqing will definitely use all the power he has to protect this crown prince!¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s smile deepened. Perhaps he could try fighting against the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins.¡¯ __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 92
Chapter 92: Mocking Her with a Hairpin ¡°What if they belong to that foolish consort?¡± Ting Feng voiced his suspicion. ¡°Then that would be interesting¡­¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s deep gaze shifted towards Guan Osprey Pce as he recalled that moment when he saw her eyes. Originally, it wasn¡¯t a huge deal for Yao Zhenting to remarry, but Yao Mowan still decided that she had to go back and take a look. The first reason was because she wanted to see which family¡¯s daughter was suffering the bad luck. If it was someone with a good disposition, she wouldn¡¯t mind being a good person and helping out this once. The second reason was because she heard that Yao Suluan would be heading back. It had been many days since she saw Yao Suluan; she really did miss her a little! Yao Zhenting¡¯s diviner had predicted that the second daughter of the Li family was destined to have a son. Following the logic of the mother¡¯s honor was dependent on the son, Yao Zhenting changed his mind and instead of taking her as a fourth concubine, he decided to marry her as his main wife. His goal was to have his first son be born of his legal wife so that his son¡¯s status would be more respectable. When Yao Mowan found out about this, she simply snorted. Yao Zhenting had already drunk Rootless Water, so he would never be able to have a son. The wedding was extremely grand and there were as many guests as there were clouds. Yao Zhenting didn¡¯t look very happy, but that second miss was smiling as brightly as a spring flower. Yao Mowan had investigated before. The second miss of the Li family was named Li Qingqing. She was very narrow-minded and crafty. Although she was a daughter born of a concubine, she bullied her older sister who was born of the main wife so badly her older sister almost hung herself. She clearly wasn¡¯t some benevolentdy. Yao Mowan stayed all the way until Yao Zhenting entered the bridal room before ordering Ting Yue to prepare the sedan chair. During this entire process, Yao Suluan had sat there like a statue without a trace of a smile. However, this was to be expected. It hadn¡¯t even been two months since Dou Xiann had died, yet Father had already taken another wife of the same status. Yao Suluan definitely felt disgusted by this. ¡°Don¡¯t you know to greet your Second Older Sister?¡± A cold voice appeared behind her. Yao Mowan had predicted that Yao Suluan would take advantage of this chance to provoke her so she hadn¡¯t rushed to get onto the sedan chair. ¡°Don¡¯t you know to kowtow upon seeing this consort?¡± Yao Mowan turned around with a calm smile. ¡°There are so many people here, so this consort feels that you had better continue acting foolish and obedient. Otherwise, if some talkative person passed on your actions to His Majesty¡­ You probably know the fates of those who dare to deceive the monarch!¡± Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan coldly, her eyes filled with disdain and ridicule. ¡°There¡¯s really no need for that at all. Mowan is currently His Majesty¡¯s most favored consort. Is there any idiot that would risk their lives to badmouth His Majesty¡¯s beloved woman in front of him?¡± Yao Mowan smiled lightly but a trace of cold streaked through her heart. She had a personal grudge against Yao Suluan, so she wouldn¡¯t let go of a single chance to punish her. ¡°Yao Mowan, don¡¯t be too delighted. His Majesty only dotes on you because you¡¯re a fool. If someday His Majesty found out about your true colors, this consort guarantees that you¡¯ll die even more tragically than Yao Moxin!¡± Yao Suluan spat these words out between gritted teeth as hatred swirled in her eyes. ¡°So¡­ Second Older Sister had personally witnessed Eldest Sister¡¯s death? Mowan really wonders what you were doing as Eldest Sister died?¡± Yao Mowan approached Yao Suluan step by step, then leaned over and spoke softly in Yao Suluan¡¯s ear. Her voice sounded like the knell of hell. Yao Suluan abruptly retreated as she pressed her hands over her chest reflexively in fear. She had suspected that Yao Mowan knew about Yao Moxin¡¯s true cause of death, however, there was no basis to this suspicion. Even she felt that it was an outrageous thought. She and His Majesty had been the only ones present when Yao Moxin died! ¡°What is Second Older Sister afraid of? It¡¯s not like Mowan will eat you. In reality, Second Older Sister is right about one thing, His Majesty only likes Mowan because Mowan is a fool. If Second Older Sister was also a fool¡­¡± Yao Mowanughed lightly, then turned and left. With Ting Yue¡¯s assistance, she got onto the sedan chair. After the curtain was let down, the smile on Yao Mowan¡¯s face turned cold. As of now, Yao Suluan was already out of luck, so she was certain that Yao Suluan would now follow the road she hadid down for her. When she got back to Guan Osprey Pce, she looked at the two men in the main hall with surprise. She suddenly felt a little envious of Fluffy. Ye Junqing and Feng Yihan were currently sitting on either side of Fluffy and each holding a kitten in their hands. Ye Junqing was being especially careful, so careful that his cautious manner made him look even more adorable than the kitten. It was extremely funny. ¡°Ahem¡­ why didn¡¯t you make a sound if you came back?¡± The moment Ye Junqing saw Yao Mowan, his expression turned slightly embarrassed and he put the kitten in his hand back next to Fluffy before speaking with a serious expression. ¡°Does Guan Osprey Pce belong to you? This consort needs to tell you when this consortes back?¡± Yao Mowan snapped back peevishly. Although she felt that Feng Yihan probably sensed something, she still had to continue acting as long as this facade hasn¡¯t beenpletely exposed. ¡°Feng Yihan greets Consort Yao. Yihan left a little gift for Consort Yao on the table. Hopefully Consort Yao will ept.¡± Feng Yihan slowly got up but didn¡¯t put the kitten in his hand back down. ¡°It¡¯s a present for me?¡± Yao Mowan looked over, following Feng Yihan¡¯s gaze. She saw that there was rectangr gold case iid with ss and gems on the jade table. Yao Mowan happily walked over to the table and opened the box only to find that all that was inside was a simple hairpin. The hairpin had a sheep-fat white jade body and a ornament made from mchite. ¡°It¡¯s not that pretty ah!¡± Yao Mowan turned the hairpin to look at it. Suddenly, she stumbled and the jade hairpin fell to the ground and shattered. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I lost my grip,¡± Yao Mowan said to Feng Yihan with a innocent smile. Then she stepped over the broken fragments to walk to Fluffy. ¡°It¡¯s fine since Consort Yao doesn¡¯t like it anyways. Yihan promises to give one that Consort Yao will like before leaving! However, Yihan has a request.¡± No one noticed, but when Yao Mowan broke the jade hairpin, Feng Yihan¡¯s lips had hooked in a brief smile. ¡°En, you saved Fluffy, so I¡¯ll help you with anything I can!¡± Yao Mowan nodded earnestly. ¡°Yihan just wants this kitten.¡± Feng Yihan gently stroked the little kitten¡¯s white fur as he asked this with a trace of anticipation. ¡°But it still needs to drink milk?¡± Yao Mowan blinked as she looked towards Feng Yihan. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Yihan can wait for a few more days. Yihan hopes that Consort Yao is willing to part with it,¡± replied Feng Yihan firmly. ¡°Alright, you did save them after all, so I¡¯ll give you one. But, you have to swear that you¡¯ll take good care of Fluffy¡¯s baby!¡± Yao Mowan seemed to havee to a difficult decision. ¡°Yihan swears!¡± During this entire chain of events, Ye Junqing wasn¡¯t able to get a word in. He felt very defeated, since he wanted to speak but didn¡¯t know what to say. Why was Feng Yihan able to chat with a fool so freely and even in such a friendly manner? ¡°You couldn¡¯t have fallen for him, right? You actually agreed to give Fluffy¡¯s baby to him? You¡¯re seriously betraying Fluffy¡¯s trust!¡± The moment Feng Yihan left, Ye Junqing startedining on Fluffy¡¯s behalf. ¡°Ting Yue, prepare the evening meal.¡± Ting Yue understood Yao Mowan¡¯s meaning and tactfully walked out of Guan Osprey Pce and closed the doors behind her. ¡°Humph! He sure is skilled at cursing at people without using any dirty words!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s expression was very cold. ¡°He cursed at you?¡± Ye Junqing waspletely confused. Why hadn¡¯t he heard? ¡°A box iid with gold only contained a crappy hairpin. The meaning is clearly that Mowan looks like gold but is actually rotten within!¡± Yao Mowan rolled her eyes at Ye Junqing to express her disdain. ¡°No wonder¡­ then you dropped the hairpin on purpose?¡± Ye Junqing finally understood. He had also been expecting some sort of treasure to be inside the golden box. ¡°What else should I have done? Thank him? However, he probably knows now that Mowan is only pretending to be a fool. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have used the cat to haggle with this consort.¡± Yao Mowannguidly sat down next to the table as sheined angrily. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] C: Guys bonding, petting kittens. Kyaaawuuu :3 8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 93
Chapter 93: Consort Li Niang Niang Has Also Be a Fool ¡°How did he haggle with you?¡± Ye Junqing was starting to wonder if his brain had gone rusty from disuse. Howe he hadn¡¯t heard hidden meanings in those earlier words? ¡°He said that he would give Mowan something Mowan would like before he left. There are two meanings contained within this. First, he¡¯s expressing his sincerity. As long as Mowan agrees to his demand, he¡¯ll definitely return the favor generously. Meanwhile, ¡®to leave¡¯ is his request. He hopes that Mowan would guarantee his safety while he¡¯s in this pce.¡± Yao Mowan analyzed the words calmly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you overthinking things?¡± Ye Junqing didn¡¯t feel that Feng Yihan¡¯s sentence contained that manyyers of meaning. ¡°Mowan agreed to his request by agreeing to give him a cat since this gives him more time.¡± Yao Mowan exhaled deeply. Back then, she only knew that the crown prince of Shu, Chu Mobei was extremely crafty, but it looks like Feng Yihan wasn¡¯t someone she could underestimate either. ¡°What do you mean by more time?¡± After witnessing how fast Yao Mowan was able to analyze everything, Ye Junqing suddenly felt that he really couldn¡¯t continue to allow himself to waste away. ¡°He now has the time until the kitten¡¯s weaned. He had probably already made a move in the state of Qi and is just waiting for the right opportunity in Harmony Pce.¡± Yao Mowan felt like she had fallen into a trap. She really had underestimated Feng Yihan. ¡°No way, right?¡± Ye Junqing was still doubtful. ¡°When you see him tomorrow, he¡¯ll definitely ask to lengthen his stay. Is Prince willing to bet on this?¡± A strange smile appeared on Yao Mowan¡¯s weary face as she lifted her brows at Ye Junqing. ¡°Other than Liu Sha, anything else is alright!¡± Ye Junqing immediately went on guard. ¡°Then forget it! Ting Yue, is the evening meal still not ready?¡± Yao Mowan stopped paying attention to Ye Junqing and called out for Ting Yue. Meanwhile, arge drop of cold sweat appeared on the back of Ye Junqing¡¯s head. That had been so close, he almost lost Liu Sha. In Harmony Pce, Feng Yihan was lying on the wisteria bamboo chair while reading a scroll. From time to time, his lips would hook in a smile. He was in a very good mood. ¡°Master, the scout reported that the Seven Phantom Assassins had appeared near Lake Serene. At this pace, they¡¯ll probably reach great Chu in three days,¡± Ting Feng reported. ¡°How unexpected. Yao Mowan¡¯s intelligence doesn¡¯t lose to her older sister¡¯s at all. She might even be more shrewd than Yao Moxin! Even this crown prince has no way of silently enduring for over a dozen years and pretending to be a fool. How had she done it?¡± Feng Yihan didn¡¯t seem to hear Ting Feng¡¯s report. His eyes were filled with interest and puzzlement. ¡°Master, the Seven Phantom Assassins are almost here¡­¡± Ting Feng deliberately repeated this news with a worried expression. Even though he had already resolved to protect his master with his life, the chances of winning against the Seven Phantom Assassins were truly dismal. ¡°Is that so? This crown prince really hopes that they will arrive soon!¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s lips hooked into a smile as his eyes sparkled with light. ¡°Crown Prince hase up with a surefire n?¡± Ting Feng looked towards Feng Yihan with surprise. ¡°Guess what happened after this crown prince brought the Rainbow ss Box to Guan Osprey Pce?¡± Feng Yihan had been thinking about what urred in Guan Osprey Pce and admiring Yao Mowan¡¯s intelligence this entire time. ¡°This subordinate doesn¡¯t know.¡± Ting Feng was getting a little impatient now. The Seven Phantom Assassins were almost here, yet Master was getting hung over a fool. How could he not feel anxious? ¡°Yao Mowan dropped and broke the jade hairpin.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s voice contained a faint tone of appreciation. ¡°This subordinate doesn¡¯t understand. What need is there for Prince to mull over a fool¡¯s actions? The Seven Phantom Assassins¡­¡± Before Ting Feng could finish speaking, Feng Yihan interrupted him. ¡°Yao Mowan isn¡¯t a fool. Not only is she not a fool, she¡¯s extremely intelligent. She has already promised this crown prince that she would guarantee my safety during this time period until I leave this pce.¡± Feng Yihan smiled meaningfully. ¡°That woman isn¡¯t a fool? How is that possible!?¡± Ting Feng couldn¡¯t believe it. After all, the way she dressed during the weing banquet was too horrendous a sight to possibly forget. ¡°You don¡¯t believe? This crown prince will prove it to you tomorrow night!¡± Feng Yihan looked forward to exchanging words with Yao Mowan again. ¡°Then the Seven Phantom Assassins¡­¡± Ting Feng was unwilling to give up. ¡°From the looks of it now, the victor is not sealed in stone. You may withdraw.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s expression was more calm than worried. For some reason, he felt a baseless trust in Yao Mowan. He was certain that this mysterious woman would guarantee his safety. The next day, when Ye Junqing heard that Feng Yihan wished to stay a few more days, he rejoiced at the fact that he hadn¡¯t rashly agreed to make a bet with Yao Mowan. Otherwise, he¡¯d be drowning in regret right now. ¡°This Harmony Pce has belonged to Crown Prince since the day you came to stay here. Crown Prince is weed to stay as long as you like,¡± replied Ye Junqing candidly. ¡°Yihan is deeply grateful.¡± People of talent appreciated each other and heros respected heros. Even though Ye Junqing¡¯s reputation had taken a plight, Feng Yihan still felt that this person deserved his respect much more than Ye Hongyi did. Meanwhile, although Feng Yihan didn¡¯t receive a respectful reception from Ye Hongyi, it was still a must to carry out themon etiquettes. Hence, Ye Junqing left the Imperial Pce with Feng Yihan to head to the Ministry of Rites. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was sampling tea when Yin Xue suddenly appeared. ¡°Master, Ben Lei sent news that great Shu is transferring troops to Mangyuan. It seems like they¡¯re nning to send troops.¡± Yin Xue handed the light purple letter to Yao Mowan as she reported this respectfully. Yao Mowan¡¯s lips hooked in a faint smile as she read the letter. Every time she recalled Chu Mobei, she would feel a headache. That guy was seriously hard to deal with. ¡°From the looks of it, Chu Mobei is already sure that Feng Yihan will die in great Chu. That¡¯s why he would make such an early move. However, this time he has been a little overconfident. Yin Xue, are the Seven Phantom Assassins really that strong?¡± As Yao Mowan spoke, she dipped the letter into her teacup. The purple ink dissolved in the water and the words soon disappeared. This type of ink was make from edible flower powder, so it tasted very refreshing when mixed with tea. ¡°Replying Master, this subordinate has never exchanged blows with them before. However, it¡¯s rumored that they¡¯re extremely skilled at sorcery. Everyone that has died in their hands died with a smile on their faces as if they didn¡¯t feel any pain. In addition, the Seven Phantom Assassins have never failed before.¡± Yin Xue stated everything she knew. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s been a long time since this consort has seen Nansheng. Find some time to head back to Phoenix Feather Manor to deliver a message for this consort. Just say that Mowan misses him! And, reply to Ben Lei and tell him to stay calm. Chu Mobei won¡¯t have a chance to send these troops,¡± said Yao Mowan mildly before she took a sip of the tea. ¡°Understood!¡± Yin Xue¡¯s lips twitched. She had ten thousand reasons to believe that Yan Nansheng didn¡¯t want to see her master even in his dreams. After Yin Xue left, Ting Yue ran in anxiously. ¡°Niang niang, it¡¯s bad!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Yao Mowan remainedposed. After experiencing all sorts of struggles and setbacks, she felt that there was no situation left that she couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°Consort Li niang niang has be a fool!¡± Ting Yue¡¯s words were shocking, even Yao Mowan¡¯s hand froze for a moment as she lifted the teacup. Then her eyes lit up. It seemed that the child could be taught after all. Yao Suluan hasn¡¯t disappointed her! On the shore of Jade Lake, Yao Suluan struggled free from Ming Yu¡¯s grasp and jumped into theke. It was lucky that it was the beginning of summer and the water was pretty warm. ¡°Niang niang, hurry ande up! You¡¯ll catch a chill!¡± Ming Yu didn¡¯t know how to swim so she could only shout from the shore. ¡°No! There¡¯s rainbow fish in theke, Suluan has to catch one! His Majesty will like it! Suluan must catch one to give to His Majesty!¡± Yao Suluan abruptly dived into theke and didn¡¯t reappear for a long while. ¡°Niang niang! Someonee ah! Hurry and save niang niang!¡± Ming Yu looked at theke with fear. She was so worried that her forehead was covered with sweat. This was the scene Yao Mowan saw when she arrived. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] C: *facepalms* Insert tranted idiom: can¡¯t bear to look straight at. 8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 94
Chapter 94: Let¡¯s See How Long You Can Keep Up This Act ¡°What is Second Older Sister doing?¡± Yao Mowan walked to Ming Yu¡¯s side to look towards Jade Lake with puzzlement. ¡°Consort Yao¡­ Consort Yao, please talk to my master and convince her to stop this! This servant has never heard of the existence of a rainbow fish. Early this morning, niang niang ran out madly and said that she had to catch the rainbow fish for His Majesty! Niang niang has already been underwater for a long time. If things go on like this and she runs out of strength, it¡¯d be terrible!¡± Ming Yu abruptly knelt down in front of Yao Mowan to humbly beg her for help. ¡°Rainbow fish¡­ Wan er has never seen one either.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s clear calm eyes emitted a faint light. As she gently pressed her fingers against her cheek, she looked towards Yao Suluan who was flopping around in the water with an amused smile. ¡°Consort Yao¡­¡± Ming Yu looked at Yao Mowan in astonishment. For an instant, she thought she saw a shrewd light sh through Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes. From the looks of it, Yao Suluan¡¯s insistence that Yao Mowan wasn¡¯t a fool wasn¡¯tpletely impossible. ¡°Your Majesty! You¡¯re here!¡± Yao Mowan knew that Ming Yu was starting to suspect her, but she didn¡¯t care. She jogged over towards Ye Hongyi who had rushed here. ¡°Wan er, why are you also here?¡± Ever since Feng Yihan started staying in Harmony Pce, in order to avoid the awkwardness, Ye Hongyi had held himself back and hadn¡¯t visited Guan Osprey Pce. That was why, when he saw Yao Mowan at Jade Lake, he almost forgot what he came for. ¡°Wan er heard that Second Older Sister was going to catch a rainbow fish and came to help Second Older Sister! Your Majesty, just wait a bit, Wan er¡®s going to look for it right now!¡± Yao Mowan started walking towards Jade Lake with a serious expression but Ye Hongyi immediately pulled her into his arms. ¡°Nonsense! How could a rainbow fish exist in this world?¡± His gentle tone didn¡¯t contain even a hint of reproach. Ye Hongyi hugged Yao Mowan tightly as if she was an extremely precious treasure. The scenting from her body was starting to make him restless. ¡°Your Majesty, Consort Li niang niang has already been underwater for an incense stick¡¯s worth of time. This servant¡¯s worried that something has happened to niang niang.¡± When Ye Hongyi appeared, Ming Yu immediately knelt down in front of him to beg for help. ¡°No way! Second Older Sister is better at swimming than anyone. It¡¯s only been an incense stick¡¯s time, that¡¯s nothing! Second Older Sister said that there were rainbow fish in theke! Really!¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Hongyi innocently with her lips slightly pouted. Ye Hongyi¡¯s heart immediately started racing. ¡°Alright, alright, then we¡¯ll just let Consort Li look. Did Wan er run over? Your forehead is covered with sweat!¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s gaze lingered greedily on Yao Mowan¡¯s moist red lips as his slightly rough hand brushed past Yao Mowan¡¯s forehead gently. Ming Yu hadn¡¯t expected that His Majesty would allow her master to keep going and immediately looked towards the figure sshing about in the water worriedly. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it here? Suluan must find a rainbow fish! But why isn¡¯t it here? Suluan had clearly dreamed of it! It was a dream granted by celestials!¡± Yao Suluan swam around wildly in the water. She was gradually getting more and more tired. ¡°Second Older Sister, don¡¯t worry, take your time to look! His Majesty and Wan er will wait here for you, so you don¡¯t have to rush!¡± Yao Mowan shouted towards Yao Suluan in aforting manner. ¡°Wan er, have you seen Feng Yihan?¡± Ye Hongyi only nced at Yao Suluan before shifting his gaze to the beauty in his arms. He was certain that Yao Suluan was purposefully acting like a fool. The only way he would believe was if she actually drowned herself in thiske. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him. Your Majesty had Wan er wee him at the banquet after all. But Wan er doesn¡¯t like him. He¡¯s like aplete block of wood and always has a stern look on his face like everyone owes him money! Your Majesty, you don¡¯t like Wan er anymore?¡± As Yao Mowan spoke, she leaned her head into Ye Hongyi¡¯s chest. She was using all her abilities to distract Ye Hongyi because she was curious how long Yao Suluan would be able to stay in the water. ¡°How is that possible? Out of all the women in the Inner Pce, the one we like most is Wan er!¡± Ye Hongyi sounded extremely sincere and Yao Mowan did believe him. However, as of now, the thing she cared about the least was Ye Hongyi¡¯s love. ¡°But Your Majesty hasn¡¯t visited Guan Osprey Pce for such a long time! Wan er misses you. Wan er wants to sleep in Your Majesty¡¯s arms! Wan er always feels safe in them!¡± Yao Mowan rubbed her head against Ye Hongyi¡¯s chest as her lips hooked in a cold smile. She knew that Yao Suluan wasn¡¯t good at swimming. It was already impressive that she had been able to persist until now. In the water, Yao Suluan was panting for breath. Her wet hair concealed the hatred in her eyes as she looked at the two figures on the shore. The sight of them stabbed into her eyes. It was very painful, her heart convulsed! Her body was gradually bing exhausted. Yao Suluan tried to swim back to the shore with what strength she had left, but when she met Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes, she gave up on struggling. She¡¯ll gamble this once! ¡°Oh no! Your Majesty! Niang niang¡®s out of energy! Niang niang¡®s starting to sink!¡± When Ming Yu saw that Yao Suluan had stopped trying to stay afloat, she immediately cried out in rm. Ming Yu didn¡¯t want Yao Suluan to die because she didn¡¯t know what An Bingshan would arrange for her to do once Yao Suluan died. At the very least, when she was next to Yao Suluan, she had a chance to approach His Majesty. Upon hearing this, Ye Hongyi turned to look towards theke with surprise. The surface of theke was already calm again and there was no trace of Yao Suluan. ¡°Second Older Sister¡­ Second Older Sister!¡± Yao Mowan wanted to rush out but Ye Hongyi pulled her back. ¡°Get her out of the water!¡± In reality, guards had already arrived and had been waiting at the side. Now, at Ye Hongyi¡¯smand, they immediately jumped into Jade Lake. ¡°It¡¯s all Wan er¡®s fault¡­ wuuwuu¡­ Your Majesty, Second Older Sister will be fine, right? Wan er remembers that Second Older Sister was very good at swimming, how could this happen!?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s tears fell like droplets of rain, but inwardly, she was displeased with how Yao Suluan risked her life. It would really be a pity if she ended up drowning like this. ¡°It has nothing to do with you, she was the one that wanted to find some made up rainbow fish¡­¡± As Ye Hongyiforted Yao Mowan, he looked towards Jade Lake with his dark eyes. Has Yao Suluan really be a fool? If she hadn¡¯t, why would she throw her life away like this? The moment the guards pulled Yao Suluan up, Yao Mowan rushed to Yao Suluan while crying heart-wrenchingly. At the side, Ming Yu started pressing on Yao Suluan¡¯s chest hard until Yao Suluan coughed out several mouthfuls of water. ¡°Rainbow fish¡­ Suluan saw it¡­ Your Majesty¡­¡± Yao Suluan fainted again after saying those few words. ¡°Second Older Sister! Your Majesty, what¡¯s wrong with Second Older Sister? Wan er doesn¡¯t want Second Older Sister to die!¡± Ye Hongyi saw that Yao Mowan was crying harder and harder and once again pulled her into his arms. Although Yao Suluan was the one near death, Yao Mowan immediately snatched away the attention with a few sobs. ¡°What are you guys just standing there for? Hurry and carry Consort Li back, then call for an imperial physician to look at her!¡± Ye Hongyi said indignantly. Only then was Yao Suluan carried back to Pure Flowers Pce by the imperial guards. ¡°Your Majesty, Wan er wants to stay with Second Older Sister. Is that ok?¡± Yao Mowan wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Her moist eyes sparkled like delicate gems that attracted tender affection. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll be fine. She even had enough strength to speak earlier.¡± Ye Hongyi stroked Yao Mowan¡¯s fair cheek and spoke gently tofort her. He had never been so gentle towards a woman before. He also wanted to restrain his feelings for Yao Mowan since she was a fool and couldn¡¯t be made Empress, but the more he tried to restrain his feelings, the stronger his longing for her became. ¡°But Wan er¡®s worried ah. Your Majesty, let Wan er go, alright?¡± Yao Mowan held Ye Hongyi¡¯s hand and lightly swung it. The way she was acting like a spoiled child made Ye Hongyi want to chuckle. ¡°Alright, fine. Ting Yue, look after your master carefully. Come to us immediately if anyone dares to bully her!¡± Ye Hongyi still hasn¡¯t forgotten what ured in Guan Osprey Pce. Even if Yao Suluan was currently unconscious, he still felt worried. ¡°This servant understands!¡± Ting Yue bowed respectfully. Yao Mowan only stopped crying and headed towards Pure Flowers Pce once Ye Hongyi left her sight. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 95
Chapter 95: Careful, Lest You Burn Yourself ying with Fire ¡°Niang niang, could Consort Li really have gone dumb?¡± Ting Yue walked with small quick steps behind Yao Mowan as she asked this in a doubtful tone. ¡°Even a fool has basic survival instincts. When she was pulled out of the water earlier, this consort noticed that her legs weren¡¯t cramping. You understand what this indicates?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue. ¡°It means¡­ she had allowed herself to sink on purpose?¡± This was the answer Ting Yue came to after listening to Yao Mowan¡¯s observations. ¡°How could a person this shrewd possibly be a fool? However, she actually gambled her own life in order to attract His Majesty¡¯s attention. It seems that she really is at the end of her rope!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips hooked in a cold smile. Her eyes sparkled like ss with dazzling light. ¡°Niang niang, in reality¡­ this servant feels that His Majesty treats you really well¡­¡± Ting Yue had been keeping these words inside for a long time. Although she could sense the feelings her master had for the Esteemed Prince and also how indifferent her master was towards His Majesty, she felt that His Majesty treated her master way better than Ye Junqing did. Yao Mowan abruptly stopped walking. Her eyes instantly turned cold as ice and as she looked over. Ting Yue felt like sharp des were piercing into her. ¡°Niang niang¡­¡± The moment she made contact with Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes, Ting Yue felt as if she had been dropped into a cave of ice. She froze, not knowing what to do. ¡°Ting Yue, how has this consort treated you during this past period?¡± A cold voice spilled out softly from Yao Mowan¡¯s lips. Her eyes were still, without a single ripple, like an ancient well. ¡°Niang niang treats Ting Yue extremely well¡­ Ting Yue has said the wrong things. Niang niang, please punish.¡± Ting Yue had never seen Yao Mowan with such a cold gaze ever since she started serving her. It was so cold that the temperature around them seemed to drop. ¡°You have indeed said the wrong things. If this consort hears something like this from you again, you will no longer be weed in Guan Osprey Pce!¡± Yao Mowan spoke coldly without a trace of warmth. Ting Yue was silent with regret. In Pure Flowers Pce, when Yao Suluan woke up, the first thing she saw was that Ming Yu was holding ginger soup and standing to the side. ¡°Niang niang, the imperial physician said that you should drink this ginger soup once you wake up in order to avoid catching a chill.¡± Ming Yu carefully offered the soup to Yao Suluan. ¡°His Majesty¡­¡± Yao Suluan asked in a questioning tone as she looked towards Ming Yu. ¡°His Majesty isn¡¯t here¡­¡± Before Ming Yu could even finish her sentence, Yao Suluan had pped the soup away with a furious expression on her face. When she recalled how His Majesty had been flirting with Yao Mowan while she was struggling in the water, her heart would seize with pain like it was being branded by iron. ¡°His Majesty actually did note to visit this consort!?¡± Yao Suluan shrieked angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even though His Majesty didn¡¯te, Wan er came to visit you!¡± Right at this moment, Yao Mowan walked over leisurely from behind Ming Yu. Her clear eyes were filled with amusement. ¡°Ming Yu!¡± Yao Suluan hadn¡¯t expected for Yao Mowan to be in the room. She immediately red at Ming Yu. ¡°Niang niang, this servant wanted to tell you earlier¡­¡± Ming Yu felt wrongly used. She really had nothing to do with this. ¡°Withdraw!¡± Yao Suluan didn¡¯t want to listen to Ming Yu¡¯s exnation and just waved for her to withdraw. Once Ming Yu left, Yao Suluan shifted her re onto Yao Mowan. ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate too early!¡± ¡°Mowan isn¡¯t celebrating, Mowan¡¯s just surprised. Second Older Sister is sure clever. A rainbow fish? What a poetic name, how were you able toe up with it?¡± Even as Yao Mowan clicked her tongue in praise, her eyes continued to be filled with ridicule. ¡°His Majesty likes fools, so this consort is adapting to his taste! Aren¡¯t you always pretending to be an obedient fool in front of him as well? You have no right to judge!¡± Yao Suluan said coldly. ¡°En. This is a good idea, but Mowan has to remind Second Older Sister that pretending to be a fool isn¡¯t easy. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t make any mistakes. If His Majesty found out that you were pretending to be a fool in order to gain favor, he¡¯d definitely punish you for the crime of deceiving the monarch. At that time, Second Older Sister would suffer a huge loss. Wan er has warned you, so you shouldn¡¯t me Wan erter for not warning you!¡± Yao Mowan spoke withughter in her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re in the same boat! You and I both know these dangers. You can leave now, you¡¯re not weed in Pure Flowers Pce!¡± Yao Suluan red at Yao Mowan, then pointed towards the pce doors. ¡°Well, since Second Older Sister doesn¡¯t like Mowan, then Mowan will leave now.¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows lightly. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly leaned over and drew close to Yao Suluan. ¡°Second Older Sister has once said that, if one day, His Majesty found out what Wan er was truly like, Wan er would definitely die a more tragic death than Eldest Sister. Based on these words, if His Majesty found out that Second Older Sister was pretending to be dumb, Second Older Sister would also die a death worse than Eldest Sister¡¯s?¡± ¡°You¡­ what are you trying to say?¡± Yao Suluan subconsciously gulped when she saw those eyes that were so dark the depths couldn¡¯t be seen. For some reason, she felt like Yao Mowan knew something, but she had no way to verify it. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just want to warn Second Older Sister to be careful, lest you burn yourself when ying with fire!¡± Yao Mowan said these words lightly before turning to leave. The moment she turned, her eyes shed cold. She swore that she would make Yao Suluan suffer and die a death worse than hers! When Yao Mowan returned to Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Junqing was ying with the two kittens. His handsome face was pressed against the kitten¡¯s pure white fur and he seemed to be enjoying the moment. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought that Prince was their father!¡± This scene improved Yao Mowan¡¯s mood a lot. She was also happy that Yao Suluan had started to act like a fool, just as she had wanted. ¡°You came back just in time. This prince wants a kitten!¡± Ye Junqing didn¡¯t mind Yao Mowan¡¯s teasing. ¡°What does Prince want a cat for?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing, puzzled. ¡°Of course, to raise.¡± Ye Junqing continued fiddling with the kitten in his palm so he didn¡¯t notice the surprise on Yao Mowan¡¯s face. ¡°But Mowan has already agreed to give it to Feng Yihan?¡± Yao Mowan suddenly felt that Ye Junqing was different today. Normally, that teasing sentence from her would have caused his face to go ck. ¡°You only agreed to give him one. Isn¡¯t there still one more?¡± ¡°Mowan only agreed to give one to Feng Yihan because he saved Fluffy and her kittens. Moreover, he had agreed to give Mowan a luxurious return gift. What has Prince done? And what can Prince give Mowan?¡± Yao Mowan walked leisurely to the chaise lounge and slowly sat down next to Fluffy, stroking her fur as she spoke. ¡°Yao Mowan, can you bear to let Liu Sha find out that he was exchanged for a cat?¡± He really wondered if Feng Yihan would still praise her for being pure and untainted by the world when he saw her like this. In any case, he didn¡¯t see any trace of being untainted by the world in her. She waspletely dyed, he had never seen anyone as materialistic as her! ¡°Prince is agreeing?¡± Yao Mowan slowly looked up with her glistening eyes. She was really curious. Ye Junqing has always acted as if Liu Sha was more important than his life, yet he was suddenly willing to part with him? ¡°This prince has one more condition!¡± Ye Junqing finally got to the main point. ¡°What?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Ye Junqing. Wanting the cat was probably just a pretense, what he actually wanted was probably about toe next. ¡°Feng Yihan will be inviting you to have tea with him tonight while moon viewing. This prince feels that there¡¯s a need for this prince to be present,¡± said Ye Junqing in a confident tone. ¡°He invited Prince as well?¡± Yao Mowan hadn¡¯t expected for Feng Yihan to make such a request. From the looks of it, he nned to break this pretense in order to get the full truth. ¡°He hasn¡¯t, but this prince feels that this prince should be present!¡± Ye Junqing felt that there was no way Yao Mowan would reject this request. ¡°But Mowan doesn¡¯t feel that there¡¯s such a need. Mowan can¡¯t agree to this request, but Mowan can give a kitten to Prince as a consolement gift.¡± Yao Mowan decisively rejected this request. ¡°You don¡¯t want Liu Sha anymore?¡± Ye Junqing was surprised when Yao Mowan refused. ¡°Mowan has thought about it. Yan Nangong had given Liu Sha to Prince out of sincerity. Noblemen live on the happiness of helping others and should never steal the prized possessions of others. Mowan has always thought of herself as a nobleman, so Prince has no need to worry about Mowan stealing Liu Sha away!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s attitude of beingpletely devoted to righteousness thoroughly defeated Ye Junqing. In reality, he was really curious why Feng Yihan had decided to meet with Yao Mowan. There was no way it¡¯d just be for enjoying the fragrance of the tea and the beauty of the flowers. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 96
Chapter 96: The Crown Prince of Qi Agreed to the Favor ¡°Don¡¯t leave yet! This prince feels there¡¯s still room to negotiate!¡± When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan had gotten up and was heading towards her room, he followed after her. ¡°Is Prince preparing to get on the bed with Mowan to have a proper discussion?¡± Yao Mowan abruptly stopped in front of the door and nced back. Ye Junqing¡¯s face was so close she could faintly feel his hot, moist breath. That ambiguous sentence, this intimate gesture, caused both hearts to start pounding. Ye Junqing had found out early how well Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes could deceive. Whenever she pretended to be a fool, her eyes were always so innocent. However, at this moment, he was surprised to discover that her eyes were very captivating. Those eyes were like endless holes that drew you down and made you peer in to see the mysteries they contained. However, the further down you went, the more you sank, until you could no longer extricate yourself. He really wanted to shift his gaze away, but his body would not listen to him. For a second, he even felt that Yao Mowan¡¯s gaze was extremely familiar, that it was exactly the same as those eyes he longed for! ¡°Moxin¡­¡± Ye Junqing subconsciously called out her name, causing Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes to widen with shock. ¡°Prince looks as if Prince does want to go in with Mowan!¡± Yao Mowan forced herself to remain unperturbed as she said this with a teasing smile. ¡°Uh¡­ cough cough¡­ Feng Yihan invites you to Harmony Pce tomorrow evening at six. This prince is a little tired!¡± As Ye Junqing spoke, he wound around Yao Mowan to push open the door and enter the room. ¡°What is Prince doing?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with a puzzled expression. ¡°Uh¡­ Wrong door!¡± Ye Junqing was extremely embarrassed as he turned around and instantly disappeared into the main hall. Yao Mowan stared at Ye Junqing¡¯s back with disappointment and frustration. Back then, she had truly given her heart to the wrong person and missed such a good man. Now that she had been reborn, should she hold on to his heart? But as of now, what right did she have to stand by his side¡­ In the midst of the peach blossom forest, Feng Yihan stood with his hands sped as he look up at the flowers. His robe of white and the gentle light that spilled down from the stars lit up his handsome jade-likeplexion while the faint worry visible in his eyes added a unique, dejected beauty to his appearance. ¡°Walking beneath ten thousand flowers, untouched by a single leaf. Your Highness Crown Prince has a wonderful temperament.¡± A clear voice suddenly interrupted the tranquil silence. Yao Mowan walked slowly through the falling petals to arrive in front of Feng Yihan. ¡°If we are to talk about temperament, Yihan is truly inferior!¡± said Feng Yihan as he invited Yao Mowan to sit down. ¡°Crown Prince is joking. Mowan doesn¡¯t have any temperament, so Mowan isn¡¯t capable of doing something as cultured as drinking tea and admiring the moon.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s gaze was pure like a pond of still water. It was very easy for people to find themselves falling submerged within them. ¡°It seems Consort Yao has guessed Yihan¡¯s intentions?¡± Feng Yihan sat down opposite Yao Mowan as he gracefully poured a cup of Longjing tea that was harvested before the Grain Rain. ¡°Guessing it is one thing, what Your Highness Crown Prince says is another.¡± Yao Mowan took a shallow sip of the tea and the fragrance immediately filled her mouth. She had to acknowledge that Feng Yihan had put a lot of care into this tea. ¡°But Yihan really wants to know if Consort Yao hase to the same thoughts as Yihan?¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s eyes sparkled with light. He was waiting for this woman to give him arge surprise! ¡°Yin Xue!¡± Yao Mowan wasted no more words and just softly called for Yin Xue. ¡°This subordinate, Yin Xue, kowtows in salute to Master!¡± Yin Xue appeared like a breath of wind, without a single trace. Feng Yihan has always believed his martial arts to be quite good, but he couldn¡¯t tell where Yin Xue had appeared from at all. ¡°You can withdraw.¡± Yin Xue disappeared right after Yao Mowan¡¯s words fell. It was so quick it was like she had never appeared at all. ¡°What does Consort Yao mean by this?¡± Despite the shock, Feng Yihan reacted quickly and looked towards Yao Mowan with his brows raised. ¡°Crown Prince wished to know this consort¡¯s strength, so this consort was demonstrating it. Crown Prince also has a hidden guard, so you¡¯ve probably heard of the n of Yin. In addition, Yin Xue¡¯s master used to be the martial arts alliance head, Yan Nansheng. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we are best friends, does Crown Prince think Yan Nansheng would be able to bear parting with Yin Xue?¡± In the shadows, Yin Xue¡¯s lips subconsciously twitched. She had just returned from Phoenix Feather Manor, and regardless of what angle she looked from, she didn¡¯t feel like Yan Nansheng thought of Master as a best friend. It would be more fitting to say he viewed her as a sworn enemy. ¡°It seems that the Seven Phantom Assassins are on theirst trip.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s brows subconsciously rxed, a hint that Yao Mowan noticed. This was probably a life or death fight for him. If he seeded, he would obtain a nation, but if he failed, he would have to give up his life. ¡°This consort has already shown enough sincerity. It should be Your Majesty Crown Prince¡¯s turn now.¡± Yao Mowan put down the teacup with a calm expression. ¡°Consort Yao, feel free to state your conditions. Yihan will definitely not argue!¡± Feng Yihan knew that there was no way he¡¯d be able to fight off the Seven Phantom Assassins without Yao Mowan¡¯s support, so regardless of what conditions Yao Mowan stated, his only choice was to agree. ¡°Mowan wishes to ask a favor of you for someone.¡± Yao Mowan spoke this lightly. Her beautiful features shone with mild light beneath the moonlight, making her seem like a moon fairy that had descended to the mortal realm. ¡°For whom?¡± Feng Yihan lifted his brows as he looked towards Yao Mowan. This had been outside of his expectations. ¡°Mowan also wants to know if Crown Prince has unspoken understanding of Mowan?¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t answer and just looked towards him with a smile. ¡°Ye Hongyi? That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Feng Yihan sank into thought. The wind arose, rustling the leaves of the peach trees and sweeping up a trail of petals in a dance. It was so beautiful it made one¡¯s heart ache. ¡°Ye Junqing.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s voice was filled with confidence. When he saw the light in Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes, a faint tart feeling arose in his heart. He should have known that it was him. ¡°You¡¯re helping him? Why? Because of your older sister?¡± Feng Yihan really wanted to hear the correct answer, but Yao Mowan didn¡¯t confirm it. ¡°If Crown Prince is willing to agree to this favor, Mowan will naturally use all her abilities to help you. However, if you¡¯re not willing, then let¡¯s treat it as we had never met today.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s expression was calm because she was certain Feng Yihan wouldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°Alright! One day, Yihan will definitely return this favor to Ye Junqing with all the strength of Qi.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s eyes were like stars and spilled out beautiful light. With the help of such a farsighted woman like Yao Mowan, the state of Chu was destined to have a change of masters. ¡°Mowan will be remembering Crown Prince¡¯s words on the Esteemed Prince¡¯s behalf.¡± Yao Mowan nodded slightly and got up to leave, but Feng Yihan stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s such a beautiful night, is Consort Yao going to abandon it?¡± The vast night sky seemed endless and was decorated with a bright, curved moon and countless gem-like stars with the soft fragrant peach flowers as a frame. It was truly a beautiful evening. Yao Mowan¡¯s lips lifted in a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s a rare, beautiful night, how could Mowan abandon it¡­¡± Yao Mowan said softly. Just when Feng Yihan thought that Yao Mowan would stay, she actually started walking even faster and soon disappeared into the sea of blossoms. Feng Yihan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle bitterly as he gazed in the direction Yao Mowan had left in. It was such a beautiful night, but the one she sought to enjoy it with was not him. Ye Junqing, how are you so fortunate¡­ After leaving Harmony Pce, the moment Yao Mowan stepped into Guan Osprey Pce, Ting Yue rushed up to greet her. ¡°Niang niang, ever since you left, Prince has been sitting on the stone stool over there and drinking.¡± Ever since that day, Ting Yue finally understood what her master truly thought and never dared to harbor any more contrary intentions. ¡°You can withdraw.¡± Yao Mowan waved lightly before taking small, soft steps towards the stone stool in the courtyard. Elegant pear trees stood in two rows, giving off a mild, elegant fragrance and rustling like music in the wind. Ye Junqing was dressed in an azure blue robe as he sat by himself on the stone stool. As the night breeze swept by, it lifted his ink-like hair in a graceful arc, making him look like a celestial. ¡°There is nothing more weing than a timely smile, while nothing is more cherished than the fragrance of sweet snow. The description of pear blossom petals as sweet snow truly fits well.¡± Yao Mowan gracefully stopped on the swing next to Ye Junqing. Her toes lightly tapped the ground and the swing started gliding forward, causing her white skirt to billow slightly in the breeze like a soft wave. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner] C: This trantor wants to drink tea and admire the moon too! But where this trantor lives, if it¡¯s not freezing cold, it¡¯s hot and humid with mosquitoes. Reality is so unromantic. TT_TT 8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 97
Chapter 97: Seven Phantom Assassins When Ye Junqing heard her voice, he looked over and his eyes lit up for a brief moment before he turned away sulkily to continue drinking. ¡°In reality, with Prince¡¯s martial arts, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to find out what Mowan and Feng Yihan were talking about.¡± Yao Mowan broke the deadlock. ¡°Then why did you sent Yin Xue to stop this prince!?¡± Right after Ye Junqing spoke, he realized that he had slipped. ¡°So Prince had gone!¡± Upon hearing this, Yao Mowan chuckled and looked towards Ye Junqing with mirth in her eyes. ¡°Ahem¡­ The Seven Phantom Assassins will being at any time. This prince must guarantee Feng Yihan¡¯s safety, so staying nearby is perfectly normal!¡± refuted Ye Junqing. ¡°Everything Prince does is naturally right.¡± Yao Mowan slowly got up from the swing and sat down opposite Ye Junqing. Then she picked up the wine jug on the stone table and poured herself a cup. ¡°That¡¯s not your wine cup!¡± Ye Junqing reached out to get the cup back, but before he could, Yao Mowan had poured the wine into her mouth. Ye Junqing couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows. Women shouldn¡¯t drink alcohol in such a rushed way. ¡°Cough¡­ Prince is drinking alone, yet you ced two wine cups. If it wasn¡¯t for Mowan, who was it for?¡± The wine was very intense and burned her throat. Yao Mowan pressed her fingers on her throat as she coughed softly. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± It¡¯s for Moxin. Ye Junqing didn¡¯t say these words, but Yao Mowan knew what he had been about to say. Her heart suddenly sank. This scene was just like that night in Water Ripple Pavilion. It was the same cool night, the same beautiful scene, but their feelings were now different. Back then, her heart was filled with thoughts of Ye Hongyi so she hadn¡¯t noticed the hurt in Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes at all. She had seriously been dumb. Back then, Ye Junqing must have been in so much pain. ¡°How about Mowan sings a little song for Prince to add to the fun? Or should Mowan y the zither for Prince? Mowan could have Ting Yue prepare some side dishes. Just drinking wine on its own isn¡¯t very interesting.¡± Yao Mowan suddenly felt an urge to make up for that past regret. Just as she got up to go get the zither, Ye Junqing spoke. ¡°This prince feels that you don¡¯t suit being warm and gentle.¡± Ye Junqing had gotten a little scared by Yao Mowan¡¯s abnormal reaction and identally blurt out the truth. When Yao Mowan heard this, she turned around with a cold expression to look at him. The sincerity she saw in his eyes infuriated her. ¡°Then Prince should just continue drinking alone! Mowan wouldn¡¯t apany you any longer!¡± Yao Mowan turned around angrily and left the stone terrace. ¡°I never asked you to apany me in the first ce!¡± Ye Junqing subconsciously refuted. Yao Mowan abruptly turned around and red at Ye Junqing. Ye Junqing immediately fell silent. In the following moment, Yao Mowan suddenly reached out, grabbed a bunch of peach blossoms, then threw it angrily on the ground before stomping off. This was the first time she had seriously been angered by Ye Junqing. ¡°Did this prince say something wrong? What is she so angry about?¡± Ye Junqing only dared toin after she walked a ways off. When Yao Mowan got back to the main hall, she sat down at the table angrily and poured a cup of tea into her mouth. ¡°I had just poured that!¡± Yan Nansheng looked towards Yao Mowan. ¡°So what? I can¡¯t drink it?¡± Yao Mowan mmed down the tea cup and lifted her brows. ¡°Of course you can, drink as much as you like. Do you want some more? It is Nansheng¡¯s honor to pour tea for Mowan,¡± said Yan Nansheng with a devout expression on his face as he lifted the teapot. ¡°When did you arrive?¡± Yao Mowan exhaled, then returned to the main topic. ¡°When you were telling Feng Yihan that we were best friends.¡± When he heard that, he had almost fallen off the tree. ¡°Is there a problem with Mowan¡¯s words?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards him innocently. ¡°Nansheng deeply agrees!¡± Yan Nansheng nodded firmly. Yao Mowan seemed in a bad mood today, so it was best to avoid provoking her. This was what Yan Nansheng had learned through experience. ¡°The Seven Phantom Assassins will arrive tomorrow night. Yin Xue can deal with three, so the four that are left?¡± Yao Mowan collected her emotions and looked towards Yan Nansheng with a serious expression. ¡°Nansheng really hadn¡¯t expected that you would have Yin Xue look for me just because of those insignificant Seven Phantom Assassins. Don¡¯t you know that this is using a cow butcher knife to ughter chickens!?¡± Yan Nansheng had a helpless expression on his face as he said this. After all, his title as martial arts alliance head wasn¡¯t something he had brought with money. ¡°Are you sure you can deal with them?¡± Yao Mowan knew that Yan Nansheng was the martial arts alliance head, but nowadays, there were too many cases of false rumors. She didn¡¯t harbor much hope until she witnessed his ability for herself. ¡°It¡¯d only take a snap of my fingers!¡± Yan Nansheng was extremely confident, extremely proud, and extremely narcissistic as he said this. The next day, Ye Junqing was taking Feng Yihan around as always while Yao Mowan was in the main hall keeping Fluffypany. The day passed as usual, but as it approached night, the atmosphere in Harmony Pce became very grave. Even after making all the preparations meticulously, Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. ¡°Consort Yao, Yihan feels that it¡¯s best if you return to Guan Osprey Pce.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s face contained unconceble worry. Regardless of whether this seeded or not, he didn¡¯t want to make Yao Mowan endure this following period of time with him because it was bound to be painful. ¡°This prince also feels that it¡¯s best if you head back first.¡± Ye Junqing¡¯s expression was equally solemn. When his gazended on Yao Mowan¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how a woman was able to maintain such calm despite facing such a dangerous situation. ¡°The tea that Crown Prince has here is delicious. How could Mowan bear to leave without enjoying a few more cups?¡± said Yao Mowan with a light smile. However, just because no one could see any tension on her face didn¡¯t mean that she wasn¡¯t nervous. The oue of this moment would affect everything else in the future. If something happened to Feng Yihan, it wouldn¡¯t just implicate Ye Junqing. Chu Mobei would also take this chance to make a move, so she couldn¡¯t afford to lose this confrontation! However, one thing that she was grateful about was that Ye Hongyi had purposefully removed the imperial bodyguards that were usually stationed near Harmony Pce because he was aware that the Seven Phantom Assassins were making their move tonight. This made things much easier for her. There was finally movement from the roof. Although the sound was very quiet, it was chaotic. It was clear that the people they were waiting for had arrived! Ye Junqing knew that it was already toote to persuade Yao Mowan to leave, so after he heard the noise, he got up and sat down next to her. Feng Yihan, who had gotten up at almost the exact same time, sat back down when he saw this scene. Yao Mowan probably hoped that it would be Ye Junqing sitting next to her. Feng Yihan was shocked by the fact that he was worrying over such a matter in this life or death situation. He had barely interacted with Yao Mowan a handful of times, yet he had already developed feelings for her. ¡°In a little while, when we start fighting, stay close behind this prince.¡± Ye Junqing said in a low, determined tone. ¡°Are you sure you can protect me?¡± asked Yao Mowan softly even as brilliant light shed through her eyes. ¡°This prince will die before failing.¡± It was only a few simple words, but it caused Yao Mowan¡¯s heart to start fluttering. ¡°Why? You¡¯ve always hated me.¡± The anticipation in Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes deepened. ¡°Because you¡¯re Moxin¡¯s younger sister!¡± There was an instant that Yao Mowan was envious of herself. What kind of predestined affinity had she had for him to be this attached to her? Right after Ye Junqing spoke, Ting Feng and Liu Sha crashed through the window. In the dim light given off by the candles, Yao Mowan could see that the two of them were pale and there was blood at the corners of their lips. They had probably suffered severe internal injuries. ¡°Master, hurry up and leave!¡± Ting Feng abruptly jumped up from the ground and moved to shield Feng Yihan. Almost simultaneously, seven figures surrounded them in a sh. ¡°Everyone in this room must die!¡± This cold voice felt as heavy as metal and made a faint echoing buzz. Yao Mowan furrowed her brows. The seven people in front of her were wearing masks of Yama and dressed in ck cloaks. There was no way to distinguish one from another. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 98
Chapter 98: A Snobbish and Stingy Woman ¡°Yin Xue!¡± Yao Mowan sternly called for Yin Xue. At almost the same instant, Yin Xue crashed through the window with two double-edged swords in her hand. The carefully picked angle caught the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ off guard. As their weapons shed, shrill ngs were emitted along with sparks caused by friction. Everyone awaited the result nervously. At almost the same time, Ting Feng and Liu Sha rushed towards the closest member of the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins.¡¯ Suddenly, Yao Mowan felt a strong firm hand wrap around her. Yao Mowan abruptly looked up when she felt the sudden warmth. When she saw the conviction in Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes, for some reason she felt very safe. No one saw clearly what exactly happened, but Yin Xue was now standing in front of Yao Mowan. Yao Mowan could smell a metallic odor and knew that Yin Xue had gotten injured. She was more severely injured than Liu Sha and Ting Feng. ¡°A hidden guard of the Yin n truly lives up to their reputation.¡± The voice appeared again. Yao Mowan looked over at the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins.¡¯ Although on the surface, the situation seemed the same, she noticed that blood had already pooled into a small puddle below the feets of three of the seven. They had definitely suffered severe injuries. Yin Xue hadn¡¯t lied, she had been able to deal with three of them. ¡°Yin Xue, take her and leave!¡± Ye Junqing saw the situation clearly. The only reason Yin Xue had been able to injure the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ was because she hadunched a surprise attack while they were off guard. However, that wouldn¡¯t work again now that ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ were aware of her presence. In addition, Yin Xue had already suffered a heavy injury. ¡°Master?¡± Yin Xue looked towards Yao Mowan. When Yao Mowan didn¡¯t speak, Yin Xue understood her intention. ¡°What you want is this crown prince, so let them go!¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s expression was extremely solemn and his voice was very cold. ¡°We only acknowledge one master.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s request was rejected. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got you guys involved!¡± Feng Yihan looked at Yao Mowan with an apologetic expression as remorse filled his heart. Yao Mowan simply gave a small smile. She knew that this wouldn¡¯t be the end. ¡°Seventh Demise!¡± The eerie voice spoke again and the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ suddenly started moving in a circle around Yao Mowan and the others. Their speed rapidly increased to the point it was dizzying to look at that. Following that, there was a burst of sound. Yao Mowan suddenly felt like there were a thousand bees droning next to her ears, causing her a head-splitting headache. ¡°It¡¯s a spell! Hurry and revolve your inner strength!¡± Feng Yihan cried out in rm, then sat down to mediate with both hand cupped in front of his dantian. Following that, Ye Junqing and Yin Xue simultaneously sat down in the lotus position with one hand over their dantians and the other hand pressed against Yao Mowan¡¯s back. Yao Mowan felt a cool stream of energy flood into her dantian and the mor by her ears decreased by a lot. However, as time heartlessly psed, that sound increased again. Yao Mowan looked worriedly towards Ye Junqing and saw that his forehead was covered with sweat. Yin Xue¡¯s was the same. ¡°Pfff¡­¡± The first to fall to the spell, Ting Feng, coughed out a mouthful of blood. Then, he seemed to lose consciousness as he moved like a puppet to pick up the sword next to him and stabbed it into himself. This was the ¡®Seventh Demise.¡¯ Anyone that fell to this spell would view himself as the enemy. As they mutted themselves, they would feel satisfaction as if they were winning against the enemy. ¡°Ye Junqing, Yin Xue, let go of me!¡± bellowed Yao Mowan angrily. She wanted to get up, but it felt like her body was attached to their palms. No matter how she struggled, she couldn¡¯t get free. ¡°Don¡¯t move! Otherwise we¡¯ll die even faster!¡± said Ye Junqing grimly. His lips trembled slightly. Meanwhile, blood was already seeping out of Yin Xue¡¯s lips. Just as everyone seemed to be at their limit, there was the sound of a loud buzz. Right afterwards, the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ that had been circling them fell back and started coughing up mouthfuls of blood. ¡°It had only been one strike, yet you guys are already in this condition? It seems that the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ really is nothing special!¡± A gentle,idback voice appeared in the room. Yan Nansheng was, as usual, dressed in red garments as he expressed his disdain for the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ who were on the ground with lifted brows and a cold smile. ¡°Mowan almost thought that you were dead!¡± Yao Mowan glowered at Yan Nansheng as she helped Ye Junqing up. At the same time, Feng Yihan sealed Ting Feng¡¯s acupuncture points so that he would temporarily fall unconscious and stop harming himself. Liu Sha and Yin Xue were in slightly better condition so they were already up and shielding Yao Mowan from both sides. ¡°Ahem, that¡¯s why I said you were using a cow knife to kill chickens. See? Reality proves my words. In front of me, Yan Nansheng, the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ can¡¯t even stand a blow!¡± Yan Nansheng stood there smugly with his arms crossed over his chest as he dered his prowess. ¡°Although the spell of the ¡®Seven Phantom Assassins¡¯ is very strong, it causes a bacsh when interrupted! When the spell nears its end, they have to use all of their inner strengths, so the bacsh is the strongest when they¡¯re interrupted at that time. Ting Feng had already fallen to the spell earlier, so they were probably already using most of the inner strength. At that time, even if Alliance Head had just lightly attacked them, the result would be just the same as now,¡± said Feng Yihan coldly in analysis as he wiped the blood off the corners of his mouth. ¡°Oh, Mowan understands now. So this is what you meant by using a cow knife to kill chickens?¡± Yao Mowan nced at Yan Nansheng with ridicule in her eyes. ¡°This alliance head was only choosing the most effective method! Even if they didn¡¯t use the ¡®Seventh Demise,¡¯ this alliance head still could¡¯ve taken them without a sweat! All of you, get up! Let¡¯s redo this!¡± Yan Nansheng¡¯s face flushed slightly as he refuted angrily. ¡°With them in this condition, even Mowan could deal with them!¡± Yao Mowan expressed her contempt. ¡°No matter what, Yihan thanks Alliance Head for lending a hand in aid!¡± Feng Yihan cupped his fists as he looked towards Yan Nansheng. Just as Yan Nansheng was about to speak, Yao Mowan snatched the opportunity first. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about owing him. Mowan was the one who asked him toe, so Mowan will return this favor. All you have to worry about is what you promised Mowan.¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Feng Yihan as she said this in a meaningful tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Consort Yao, Yihan will definitely uphold the promise!¡± Feng Yihan turned to look towards Yao Mowan. When his gaze inadvertentlynded on Ye Junqing who was next to Yao Mowan, he felt inexplicably disappointed. ¡°As for these seven, we¡¯ll leave it for you, Crown Prince, to handle. Mowan shall leave now.¡± Yao Mowan turned around and supported Ye Junqing out of Harmony Pce. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Ye Junqing had poured too much energy into her, he wouldn¡¯t have been so injured as to pass out the moment they got back to Guan Osprey Pce. Yao Mowan only walked out of the bedroom after she settled Ye Junqing on her bed ¡°Why are you still here?¡± asked Yao Mowan with a puzzled tone when she saw that Yan Nansheng was sitting in the main hall. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you. Didn¡¯t you say you owed me a favor earlier?¡± Yan Nansheng looked towards Yao Mowan with apletely serious expression. ¡°Did I? Howe I can¡¯t seem to recall?¡± Yao Mowan shrugged as she walked to the table. ¡°Hey, a lot of people heard, you can¡¯t just brush it off! Moreover, if you act like this, who do you expect to help you in the future!?¡± Yan Nansheng hastily walked to Yao Mowan¡¯s front as he said this anxiously. ¡°You still have the nerve toe ask me for a favor? If it weren¡¯t for you, would Ye Junqing have gotten so severely injured? Yin Xue has also been heavily injured, and Liu Sha will probably have to spend quite a while recuperating as well. All of this is because of you, so their recovery fees will naturally be charged to you. Next time youe, remember to bring the money!¡± Yao Mowan angrily walked back to her bedroom with the tea pot. ¡°Yao Mowan, there should be a limit even to unreasonableness! If it weren¡¯t for me, you guys would already be dead!¡± Yan Nansheng was extremely speechless. How did he end up meeting such a snobbish and stingy woman? How!? __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]C: Your adorable junior brother, that¡¯s how. Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 99
Chapter 99: What Did You Trick Out of Him This Time? ¡°Who did Mowan do all of this for? Yan Nansheng, Mowan has always been helping you look after the person in there. If ites to favors, you owe me countless ones. One thousand taels, not a single less. Now please leave, Ye Junqing needs rest.¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Yan Nansheng. She felt that Yan Nansheng truly was devastatingly beautiful. Even with such a sinister expression on his face, he was still very good-looking. ¡°You! Gold or silver!?¡± Yan Nansheng deted halfway. He finally understood one thing, which was that the one thing he shouldn¡¯t do in this life was try to talk reason with a woman, especially with a woman as sharp as Yao Mowan. When he saw the strange smile that appeared on Yao Mowan¡¯s face, he suddenly realized that he really had a crappy mouth. ¡°Gold!¡± After dering this, Yao Mowan pushed open the door and entered the bedroom, leaving Yan Nansheng to mourn outside the door by himself. The night was still and silent. The moonlight spilled in through the window to light the room with a soft glow. Yao Mowan sat down to gaze at the unconscious man on the bed. ¡°Junqing ah, you really are dumb. It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m still alive, otherwise what would you do¡­¡± After a long while, Yao Mowan was finally too tired to stay away and fell asleep next to the bed. The next day, when Ye Junqing opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was that Yao Mowan¡¯s face was pressed against his palm as she slept. Her hair fell over her forehead, leaving her beautiful features only faintly visible. ¡°Moxin?¡± Ye Junqing reached out subconsciously to push aside those strands of hair in order to get a better look at the familiar features. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A clear voice abruptly arose and Yao Mowan got up to look at Ye Junqing. ¡°Cough cough¡­ cough cough cough¡­ water¡­¡± Yao Mowan had moved too suddenly and caused Ye Junqing to choke from the surprise. His hand that had froze in midair changed directions to reach for the cdon teapot on the table. Yao Mowan rubbed her eyes and got up to walk towards the table. ¡°This is your room? Why am I here?¡± Only then did Ye Junqing realize where he was and he immediately jumped off the bed. ¡°Does my bed have thorns?¡± Yao Mowan was a little peeved to see Ye Junqing¡¯s reaction. ¡°There¡¯s not, but¡­ cough, water!¡± Ye Junqing didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but Yao Mowan knew what he was worried about. If a prince was discovered lying on a noble consort¡¯s bed, the implication was obvious! Right at this moment, Ting Yue knocked, then entered, finally ending this awkward situation. ¡°Niang niang, the crown prince of Qi has invited you and the prince to Harmony Pce for the morning meal.¡± The food on the table was obviously not made by the imperial kitchen of Chu. Yao Mowan made no remark, but she felt that Feng Yihan had been overworrying in this regard. Ye Hongyi wouldn¡¯t go as far as to seek trouble out for himself. ¡°It¡¯s only the morning meal, isn¡¯t this a little too sumptuous?¡± Yao Mowan smiled lightly. After surviving that desperate situationst night, Feng Yihan was like a phoenix that had just been reborn from fire, so he was definitely going to make arge move soon. ¡°These were made by the imperial chief that Yihan brought from Qi. Consort Yao, Esteemed Prince, there are not enough words to express my gratitude. If one day, you two have the chance toe to Qi, Yihan will definitely respond with the greatest hospitality.¡± Feng Yihan¡¯s handsome face with glowing and his eyes were filled with conviction. ¡°Crown Prince is being too polite.¡± Ye Junqing cupped his fist in response with a smile. Compared with Feng Yihan, the light in Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes wasn¡¯t as sharp. Fame and profit matter little too him, regardless of whether it was back then or now. Ye Hongyi was perhaps astonished by the fact that Feng Yihan had managed to survive, or perhaps the spy he had in the state of Qi had passed him some hidden information, but on the tenth day since Feng Yihan had arrived in the pce of Chu, Ye Hongyi actually held a state banquet to entertain Feng Yihan. Although thiste banquet meant nothing to Feng Yihan, he still maintained a polite smile on his face throughout the entire banquet, giving off a very magnanimous impression. The day Feng Yihan left, he came to Guan Osprey Pce to take Fluffy¡¯s baby. He promised Yao Mowan that he would care for the kitten like it was a national treasure. However, Fluffy pretty much searched all of Guan Osprey Pce to look for her baby. Her anxiety only calmed a little on the second day. ¡°Fluffy, don¡¯t worry, Feng Yihan will definitely treat your baby well.¡± In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was stroking Fluffy to soothe her when Yin Xue suddenly appeared. ¡°Master, Ben Lei has sent news that the temporary troops great Shu had stationed at Mangyuan have been dispersed. For the time being, Mangyuan is safe.¡± As Yin Xue spoke, she handed the purple letter in her hand to Yao Mowan. ¡°They¡¯re safe this time, but what about next time¡­¡± Yao Mowan held the letter as she remarked this thoughtfully. After this incident, Yao Mowan was now sure that Chu Mobei¡¯s desire to obtain Mangyuan hasn¡¯t lessened at all. That guy would truly be troublesome to deal with! ¡°Respond with a letter. Have Ben Lei hurry and shift the money out. After all, in the end, Mangyuan is a very unstable and disputed area.¡± Yao Mowan gave thismand coldly. ¡°Understood!¡± Yin Xue turned to leave after receiving this order, but she suddenly stopped as if she had recalled something. Then she pulled a banknote with a value of one thousand taels in gold and handed it to Yao Mowan. ¡°This is from Yan Nansheng.¡± After reporting this, Yin Xue left. Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help butugh as she looked at the banknote. ¡°What did you trick out of Yan Nansheng this time?¡± Ye Junqing had just arrived, so he only heard the end of their conversation. ¡°Nothing much, just a thousand taels of gold.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s mood had lifted greatly and she carefully tucked the banknote away. ¡°It¡¯s a thousand taels of gold, and you still say it¡¯s nothing much? Why would he give you money out of the blue?¡± Ye Junqing walked to Yao Mowan with a doubtful expression on his face as he questioned her sternly. ¡°Is Prince asking about Mowan¡¯s private business?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with an expression that said ¡®it¡¯s none of your business¡¯ as she walked to the table and lifted the porcin bowl. ¡°The way you speak is getting harsher and harsher. This prince was just asking out of curiosity.¡± When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan had no intention of answering, he felt slightly embarrassed and tried to salvage the conversation. ¡°Then Mowan will satisfy Prince¡¯s curiosity. Nansheng gave Mowan money because he was worried that Mowan won¡¯t able to eat well and dress well in the Imperial Pce, so he sent this to make sure Mowan had enough to live well!¡± Yao Mowan walked to Ye Junqing and answered inplete earnestness. ¡°Is Yan Nansheng blind? Can¡¯t he see who the real person that¡¯s not living well is!?¡± Ye Junqing sighed heavily in speechlessness. He needed this money way more than Yao Mowan. He had no idea that Yan Nansheng wouldn¡¯t have obediently given this money to Yao Mowan if it weren¡¯t for him. Meanwhile, Yao Mowan just smiled and ate without replying. Junqing ah, it wouldn¡¯t be long until this entire country belonged to you. At that time, what need would you have to worry about not being able to live well? After Feng Yihan left, Ye Junqing started investigating Sun momo, Eunuch Zheng, and Yun Er. As of now, with Liu Sha to help, Ye Junqing was able to quickly find out that Sun momo hadn¡¯t returned to her hometown as recorded on the register. The speed at which he was finding things out was making Yao Mowan a little worried. Thus, Yao Mowan had Yan Nansheng act petty for the first time in his life and had him take Liu Sha back from Ye Junqing. Unlike with Yin Xue, when Yan Nansheng gave Liu Sha to Ye Junqing, he didn¡¯t have Liu Sha acknowledge Ye Junqing as his new master. ¡°Prince seems very unhappy today?¡± The night of this event, she decided to tease Ye Junqing. ¡°This prince wants to cut off all ties with Yan Nansheng!¡± dered Ye Junqing as he pped his chopsticks down. ¡°Why? Did he offend you in some way?¡± Yao Mowan pretended not to know what happened. ¡°He actually took Liu Sha back!¡± Ye Junqing seriously couldn¡¯t take this. He had just managed to find out that there was something suspicious about Sun momo when Yan Nansheng insisted on taking Liu Sha back. In addition, he had already told Yan Nansheng about how important this clue was, but Yan Nansheng wasn¡¯t swayed in the slightest. He was seriously heartless! __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 1 100
Chapter 100: Liu Sha Also Fell Into Her Hands Yao Mowan suddenly sank into silence with a serious expression on her face. ¡°Are you alright?¡± When Ye Junqing noticed that there was something off about Yao Mowan, he immediately asked this in concern. Before he had realized it, he had started to care about her. He himself probably wasn¡¯t aware of this gradual change. ¡°How can I put it? I¡¯ve always thought that Yan Nansheng didn¡¯t care about me, but now it seems he does care about me from the very depths of his heart.¡± Yao Mowan ced down her chopsticks and looked up with a deadpan expression. ¡°Why?¡± Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan for an exnation. For some reason, he felt ufortable when he heard these words from her. ¡°Liu Sha!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips parted slightly to form these words. Before the sound of her voice even faded, Liu Sha was already standing in front of Ye Junqing. At this moment, Ye Junqing finally understood what had happened. After taking Liu Sha from him, Yan Nansheng had ran over here to Yao Mowan to curry favor! Ye Junqing was so angry to see Liu Sha that he felt like his lungs were about to explode! Upon seeing Ye Junqing¡¯s face flush red, Yao Mowan waved her hand in satisfaction and had Liu Sha withdraw. ¡°Yao Mowan.¡± Ye Junqing took a deep breath and called out softly to Yao Mowan whose smugness was written all over her face. ¡°What is it?¡± Yao Mowan widened her eyes innocently. ¡°Would you die if you go a day without angering this prince?¡± Ye Junqing had never asked a question this sincerely before in his life. ¡°I won¡¯t, but I¡¯d feel ufortable all over.¡± Yao Mowan blinked herrge clear eyes earnestly. After Ye Junqing stormed out, he heard bell-likeughtere from Guan Osprey Pce. Ever since Fluffy gave birth to kittens, she became even morezy and would often sleep through half the day on the chaise lounge. Afterwards, she¡¯d slowly walk around the main hall for a little while before going back to sleep. However, Fluffy¡¯s baby was very lively. Yao Mowan named the baby Jewel and would now tease Jewel instead so that Fluffy could sleep. Yao Mowan was currently ying with Jewel with a ball of string when Ting Yue rushed into the pce. ¡°Niang niang, Consort De hase back!¡± Upon hearing this, Yao Mowan froze and her gaze sharpened slightly. Following that, she threw the ball of string to Jewel and slowly walked to the table. ¡°When did shee back?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s brows had furrowed and her tone was very solemn. Out of the four main consorts, the only one she had never been able to see through was Consort De, Xie Siyin. As the youngest daughter of the Benevolent Prince, Xie Zhong, and the niece the Empress Dowager doted upon the most, Xie Siyin had the qualifications to be proud and strong-willed. Moreover, Xie Siyin had gotten married with Ye Hongyi, so she had extremely strong ties to the imperial family. However, when Ye Hongyi made her queen, Xie Siyin had been very calm although the Empress Dowager and the Benevolent Prince had expressed strong dissatisfaction. Perhaps it was because of Buddhism, but Xie Siyin¡¯s gentle soothing features made everyone feel close to her. Yao Mowan remembered that three days before she had been killed, Xie Siyin had left the pce to head to Palcho Monastery. It was said that she had headed there to pray for His Majesty so that the imperial family would have an unending line of sons. ¡°Replying niang niang, Consort De had just entered the pce when this servant received the news, so she has probably reached Ordinance Pce,¡± reported Ting Yue. ¡°En, what about His Majesty?¡± For as far back as Yao Mowan could remember, Ye Hongyi has always treated Xie Siyin respectfully. When she saw them together, they always seemed more like siblings than husband and wife. ¡°When this servant was heading back, this servant heard the little eunuch next to An Bingshan say that His Majesty had already headed to Ordinance Pce.¡± Ting Yue was d that she had taken the time to find out more information. ¡°I got it, you can withdraw.¡± Yao Mowan nodded slightly and had Ting Yue withdraw. She sat by herself for a long while before calling Yin Xue. ¡°Yin Xue, make a personal trip to Palcho Monastery and find out what Xie Siyin has been doing during this time.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s expression was slightly cold. ¡°Understood!¡± Yin Xue never spoke more than necessary and would always try to fulfill Yao Mowan¡¯smands to the best of her ability. This was the most basic requirement of a hidden guard. Once Yin Xue left, Yao Mowan sighed softly. She remembered that Xie Siyin would often go to Palcho Monastery to pray. Was she really that devote? Yao Mowan didn¡¯t believe so. There was definitely some secret! As of now, Ye Hongyi had already lost Huan Heng¡¯s trust and also Fu Qing, this important minister. If she could make him be enemies with the Benevolent Prince, Xie Zhong, it¡¯d cause the other old princes to be discontent. As long as those old stubborn people stopped supporting Ye Hongyi, that¡¯d clear up half of the thorns on Ye Junqing¡¯s path to bing emperor. In the night, Ordinance Pce was very tranquil. The sandalwood that was burning in the fragrance pot filled the room with a faint fragrance. As the wind drifted in through the window, it caused the candles on the table to flicker. The hazy light served as a soft contrast for the master of this room. On the bed, a woman in a simple, moon-white garment was lying on her side. Her silky hair was gathered up and casually pinned back with a hairpin. Her features seemed like strokes of art and her long hair fell all the way to her slender waist and glittered with the soft light from the flickering candles. This was Consort De, Xie Siyin. Currently, Xie Siyin was holding a scripture and reading through it quietly. She looked like a beautiful, holy maiden. However, though her face was beautiful, it was unnaturally white, almost as if she were ill. ¡°Niang niang, His Majesty is here.¡± Xie Siyin only put down the scripture to get up when her pce maid, Yue Chan, walked in to notify her that Ye Hongyi was here. ¡°This consort kowtows in salute to Your Majesty.¡± Her voice was elegant and very tranquil. ¡°Hurry and rise. There are no outsiders here so there¡¯s no need to be so formal!¡± Ye Hongyi hastily walked over and helped Xie Siyin up from her bow with worry in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s still the Imperial Pce. People are talkative, so it¡¯s still best to pay attention.¡± Xie Siyin said with a slight smile as she allowed Ye Hongyi to help her to the table. ¡°You worry too much. Ordine Pce is the only pce at the southeast corner of the Imperial Pce and far away from the pces of the other consorts. Who woulde here except for the guards patrolling?¡± As Ye Hongyi spoke, he waved to have Yue Chan withdraw. ¡°Your Majesty truly took a lot of trouble to help Siyin prepare such a quiet ce back then. Even now, Siyin is very grateful,¡± said Xie Siyin as she bowed her head slightly. ¡°If we are to talk about gratefulness, it should be us that is grateful to you. Back then when we had first ascended to the throne, the court was very unstable. If it hadn¡¯t been for Uncle taking the time to appease those princes, how would we be able to sit on this throne so stably? We know that Uncle had only helped us because of you. However, we have made you and Jianchen suffer due to this.¡± Ye Hongyi looked at Xie Siyin with an apologetic and remorseful expression. ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t speak that way. We have grown up together like siblings, so how could Siyin do nothing when Your Majesty was in danger? And even if Siyin hadn¡¯t entered the pce, Father wouldn¡¯t have allowed Siyin to get married with Jianchen. As of now, though Siyin can¡¯t be openly together with Jianchen, Siyin is already very happy to be able to meet him every month. However, Siyin never would have imagined that in just a few days, something this tragic would end up befalling the Empress. After Siyin heard the news, Siyin decided to stay in Palcho Monastery for a few more days to pray for the Empress and the little prince- cough cough¡­¡± Xie Siyin had spoken a lot and she was already starting to have to gasp for air. ¡°That¡¯s enough about this. How is Jianchen?¡± For a second, Ye Hongyi¡¯s expression had stiffen, but he immediately returned to normal. ¡°Jianchen¡­ Although he didn¡¯t tell Siyin, Siyin saw that he was already coughing blood¡­ Your Majesty, Siyin can¡¯t bear to lose him¡­¡± Tears silently streaked down her cheeks as her shoulders quivered with sobs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡®ve already sent the best imperial physician in the pce to Palcho Monastery. He¡¯ll be fine! However, you should take better care of your body. It¡¯s only been a little while, yet you¡¯ve gotten so much skinnier! You¡¯re making us worry the most!¡± It was clearly rebuking words, yet there was not a trace of a rebuking tone. Ye Hongyi poured a cup of tea and handed it to Xie Siyin as he looked at her with unconceble worry in his eyes. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]8.19.18 I¡¯m recruiting trantors for this series with ns to make it my next main project around Winter Break. However, to do that while not failing my college sses, I need at least 2 trantor helpers. Please check out this [[]] for more details and let me know if you¡¯re interested! Please support Yumeabyss¡¯s Patreon! Thanks for supporting! ???(^?^)???
Chapter Volume 2 1 Chapter 1: Consort De¡¯s Secret ¡°What is it?¡± Ye Hongyi took Xie Siyin¡¯s cup and refilled it for her. ¡°Siyin wishes to¡­ bring Jian Chen to the pce.¡± Xie Siyin looked towards Ye Hongyi nervously with hope in her eyes. When Ye Hongyi heard Xie Siyin¡¯s request, his grip on the teapot tightened as if he wanted to snap the pot handle off. However, his expression remained gentle and unchanged. ¡°It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t considered this idea, but you know how terrible the consequences would be if someone found out,¡± said Ye Hongyi with a sigh. ¡°Siyin knows that this is very dangerous, but Jian Chen¡¯s condition is getting worse. I¡¯m afraid that he doesn¡¯t have much longer to live. Siyin only wishes to be able to apany him during hisst days, even if Siyin can only get a nce at him once a day! Your Majesty, Siyin is begging you! Cough cough¡­¡± Perhaps it was because she had be too stirred up, but she had an abrupt coughing fit that caused her face to turn even paler. ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious, let us think about it¡­ let us think¡­¡± Ye Hongyi put down the teapot and sat up straight on the chair. His thick eyshes concealed the iciness in his eyes. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Xie Siyin looked towards Ye Hongyi with tearfilled eyes as she waited for his reply. ¡°Fine, after all, we owe you two. We will think of a way to have Jian Chen be put into the group of guards. However, you must promise us that you won¡¯t do anything to arouse anyone¡¯s suspicions. Otherwise, you know the oue!¡± Ye Hongyi gave her a stern warning. ¡°Siyin kowtows in thanks to Your Majesty!¡± Upon hearing this, Xie Siyin immediately got up and knelt down to him while shedding tears of gratitude. ¡°What need is there for the word thanks between us? Hurry and rise. Yue Chan!¡± Ye Hongyi helped Xie Siyin up from the ground as he called for Yue Chan. ¡°This servant kowtows in salute to Your Majesty,¡± said Yue Chan respectfully after she ran in. ¡°Hurry and help your master back to her room to rest. Look after her carefully!¡± Yue Chan immediately got up to support Xie Siyin and help her towards the bedroom. Once the sight of Xie Siyin¡¯s delicate figure vanished behind the bedroom door, Ye Hongyi¡¯s gentle gaze immediately froze over. He left Ordinance Pce and called An Bingshan to the imperial study. ¡°An Bingshan, pay a visit Palcho Monastery and have Imperial Physician Zheng increase Jian Chen¡¯s drug by arge amount! We want him to be dead within five days!¡± said Ye Hongyi coldly, his eyes shining with cruel light. ¡°Your Majesty wants to get rid of Jian Chen? Then Her Highness Consort De¡¯s drug¡­¡± An Bingshan responded with surprise and puzzlement. ¡°Continue with it! Everyone that betrays us must die! We gave her a chance, she was the one who couldn¡¯t tell good from bad. If it weren¡¯t for Xie Zhong, that old man, we wouldn¡¯t have to go through such lengths either! Withdraw!¡± said Ye Hongyi fiercely. He only exhaled once An Bingshan left and continued sitting on the throne, looking exhausted. Of the entire Inner Pce, who truly loved him? And who did he truly love? Ye Hongyi repeatedly asked himself this. The only answer he got was Yao Mowan! During the entire dinner, Ye Junqing waspletely silent. He only spoke when Yao Mowan got up to leave. ¡°This prince has found out that Eunuch Zheng and Yun Er hadn¡¯t gone back to their old homes. No one even saw them leave the pce. Why would false information like that be recorded on the register? They¡¯re all Moxin¡¯s closest aids, there is definitely a reason behind this!¡± said Ye Junqing seriously as he kept an eye on Yao Mowan¡¯s expression. ¡°What is Prince trying to say?¡± Yao Mowan slowly sat back down as she asked this in a disagreeing tone. ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t find this suspicious? It¡¯s not just Eunuch Zheng and Yun Er, even the news about Nurse Sun returning to her hometown is false. If they hadn¡¯t left the Imperial Pce, and they can¡¯t be found in the pce, then that means they¡¯ve likely been killed! Who exactly did it? And what was their motive? Could it be that you¡¯re not curious about this?¡± Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in surprise. This wasn¡¯t the reaction he had been expecting. ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about this. Eldest Sister had probably offended quite a lot of people in the pce while she was alive. After she died, those people with hidden grudges would naturally vent their anger on the people around her. Those three were unfortunate,¡± replied Yao Mowan calmly without a trace of a ripple in her eyes. However, her heart clutched with pain. ¡°That¡¯s what you think? It never ured to you that they may have been killed to silence? You¡¯ve never doubted Moxin¡¯s cause of death?¡± Ye Junqing furrowed his brows as he continued to press on. He still remembered the pce maid he had seen in the side wing of the old Cold Pce. Although she had been so terrified that her words were a mess, Ye Junqing had heard and seen enough to know that there was some secret hidden about Yao Moxin¡¯s death. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that Prince suspects His Majesty of killing Eldest Sister, right? I heard that His Majesty had almost had aplete falling out with the Empress Dowager and had nearly broke off all rtionships with the Benevolent Prince when he made Eldest Sister the empress. They also say that Eldest Sister waspletely infatuated with His Majesty, so there¡¯s no reason for His Majesty to harm Eldest Sister! If Prince truly has too much free time, you can carry Fluffy out to take a walk and enjoy the flowers. After all, it isn¡¯t good to be so tense all day.¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with pity in her eyes. ¡°This prince doesn¡¯t think it was His Majesty. However, isn¡¯t it possible for one of the consorts in the pce to have done it?¡± How could he possibly suspect Ye Hongyi? Moxin had done everything for Ye Hongyi¡¯s sake. Even if Ye Honyi had a hundred thousand reasons, he would never hurt Moxin. Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes darkened slightly as a faint ache filled his heart. ¡°Oh? Which site? Not yumeabyss? ?? If you¡¯re reading this then either you¡¯re super bored or you¡¯re reading on a site that copied this content without information. Please read on yumeabyss to support the trantor, Chiyo. Otherwise she won¡¯t be motivated to trante anymore~¡± said Yao Mowan with a sincere expression. ¡°Oh? Which consort? Since we are living under the same roof, based on this friendship, as long as Prince points out that person, Mowan will definitely make that person suffer a life worse than death before making sure that she dies without a corpse!¡± said Yao Mowan with a sincere expression. ¡°Why don¡¯t you seem concerned at all? Moxin is your Eldest Sister, don¡¯t you care about how she died?¡± Ye Junqing was a little angry since she was treating his words like a joke. ¡°It¡¯s not that Mowan isn¡¯t concerned, but Mowan is certain that there is nothing suspicious about Eldest Sister¡¯s cause of death,¡± replied Yao Mowan calmly. ¡°Then how do you exin Nurse Sun and the others?¡± Ye Junqing still wasn¡¯t persuaded. ¡°I heard that Prince still hasn¡¯t found out whether they¡¯re alive or not. Even if they had died, Mowan wouldn¡¯t find it strange. After all, thesedies chambers are filled with vengeful ghosts. A bunch of people dying isn¡¯t anything strange!¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t feel as unconcerned as she pretended to be. She won¡¯t let the people that died for her die in vain. She¡¯ll carve these grudges into her heart, and one day, she¡¯ll have Ye Hongyi pay for every single one in full! ¡°But they¡¯re different from other people! They¡¯ve once looked after Moxin! Could it be that you don¡¯t care where they are?¡± Ye Junqing looked at Yao Mowan angrily. ¡°In Mowan¡¯s eyes, they¡¯re the same.¡± Yao Mowan suddenly got up. She couldn¡¯t continue talking about this anymore. She was afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop herself from mming the table, from rushing out and trying to kill Ye Hongyi with her bare hands. ¡°You heartless, cold-blooded woman!¡± Ye Junqing shouted in disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s only been a few days since Prince has known Mowan. You should already know what kind of person Mowan is. You¡¯re right, Mowan is cold-blooded and heartless.¡± Yao Mowan could see the disappointment in Ye Junqing¡¯s eyes. For some reason, her heart ached with pain. She wanted to exin herself, but she didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°This servant kowtows in greeting to Your Majesty!¡± Ting Yue¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside. Yao Mowna immediately retrieved the hurt in her eyes, then, as tears spilled down her face, she threw a te of vegetables towards Ye Junqing, because there had to be a reason for the indignance on Ye Junqing¡¯s face. ¡°Yao Mowan! You go too far!¡± Ye Junqing was startled by Yao Mowan¡¯s sudden action and immediately stood up and shouted at her. This was the scene Ye Hongyi saw the moment he walked in the doors. ¡°Your Majesty, Ye Junqing is bullying Wan er! He said Wan er is cold-blooded and heartless! Wuuwuu¡­¡± Yao Mowan wiped her tears as she ran towards Ye Hongyi like she was seekingforting. Chapter Volume 2 2
Chapter 2: The Person in Palcho Monastery ¡°Wan er, don¡¯t cry. Junqing ah, what did you do to make Consort Yao angry this time?¡± Ye Hongyi felt unbearable heartache when he saw Yao Mowan¡¯s tearstained face. ¡°She is cold-blooded and heartless!¡± Ye Junqing red at Yao Mowan even as his heart ached faintly. ¡°He¡¯s holding a grudge just because Wan er gave that crown prince a cat without giving him one. Your Majesty, make him leave! Wan er doesn¡¯t want to see him anymore! Pleease?¡± Yao Mowan tugged at Ye Hongyi¡¯s clothes in a childish manner as she looked up at him with her tearful eyes. ¡°Ahem¡­ Junqing ah!¡± Ye Hongyi nced towards Ye Junqing with a helpless expression. ¡°This subject brother shall withdraw!¡± Ye Junqing glowered at Yao Mowan, then left Guan Osprey Pce. ¡°Your Majesty, Wan er hates him. Can¡¯t you just have him move out? Pretty please?¡± After Ye Junqing left, Yao Mowan finally loosened a breath in relief. ¡°If our little Wan er won¡¯t allow him to stay, he will have nowhere left to go. Our Wan er is the most magnanimous, right?¡± Ye Hongyi slipped his arms under hers and hugged her gently. ¡°Wan er will listen to Your Majesty!¡± Yao Mowan smiled through her tears. Perhaps it was because Ye Hongyi had just realized that Yao Mowan was the only one in this Inner Pce that he desired to dote on, because he was very gentle that night. During noon, it was bright and sunny. Yao Mowan was outside, sitting on the swing with Fluffy. It was warm enough that her forehead was covered with a sheen of sweat, but she still felt cold. Whenever she called the disgusting things Ye Hongyi didst night, the coldness in her heart would increase. But what could she do? She had no way to break free from this, and she couldn¡¯t break free either. ¡°Your Highness, this subordinate has discovered that there is a man living in a hidden room at Palcho Monastery. He has been there for eight years. His name is Jian Chen, and his illness is already beyond cure.¡± Yin Xue appeared and interrupted Yao Mowan¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Eight years¡­ Palcho Monastery is the imperial family¡¯s Buddhist temple. They¡¯ve never epted secr disciples and never shelters travelers. Without Ye Hongyi¡¯s edict, not even the abbot has the power to allow someone to stay in Palcho Monastery. Have you found who that person is?¡± Yao Mowan stroked Fluffy as she took in this information. ¡°Replying Master, this subordinate found that Jian Chen had once made an oath of eternal love with the Benevolent Prince¡¯s daughter, who is currently Consort De. After Consort De entered the pce, that person seemed to have vanished and had never been seen on the Jianghu again. Everyone thought that he had died. Unexpected, it turns out he had been hiding in Palcho Monastery this entire time. In addition, when this subordinate was at Palcho Monastery, this subordinate saw Imperial Physician Zheng and even An Bingshan!¡± Yin Xue reported everything that she had discovered. Yao Mowan suddenly looked towards Yin Xue with her bright eyes. ¡°How were you able to get so much information in such a short time?¡± These pieces of information had been shocking, but Yao Mowan found Yin Xue¡¯s capability even more shocking. Her ability had greatly exceeded what Yao Mowan had been expecting. ¡°Replying Master, the Yin family n¡¯s hidden guards are the most influential among the hidden guards. This is due to the fact that not only is Yin Xue and Big Brother skilled, arge amount of n members that study the technique of tracking provide us information that they personally find. The information in the hands of the Yin family n is definitely no less than the amount the Jianghu possesses.¡± Yin Xue had already put it very modestly. ¡°Ha, no wonder Yan Nansheng was willing to use the Elements to trade for you¡­ That¡¯s right, you said that you encountered Imperial Physician Zheng and An Bingshan in Palcho Monastery earlier?¡± Yao Mowan returned to the main topic. ¡°Yes, and this subordinate heard An Bingshan order Imperial Physician Zheng to increase the amount of drugs he was giving Jian Chen.¡± In regards to reporting information, Yin Xue usually only spoke the facts without adding any opinions. ¡°This means that Ye Hongyi knew about Jian Chen¡¯s existence from the start and is poisoning him secretly. Xie Siyin visits Palcho Monastery every month on the pretext of praying for blessings in order to visit her lover? The most important part is, Ye Hongyi knows that he was being cheated on, yet he had actually endured it for eight years without having a falling out with Xie Siyin! Interesting. Yin Xue, can Jian Chen still be saved?¡± Yao Mowan felt that there was more to this and that she needed to take a closer look at it. ¡°Replying Master, Yin Xue doesn¡¯t have that ability, but Yan Nansheng can!¡± replied Yin Xue confidently. ¡°Yan Nansheng ah¡­ Then go invite him over, just say that something terrible has happened to Ye Junqing!¡± Yao Mowan knew that if she didn¡¯t bring up Ye Junqing, there was no way Yan Nansheng woulde see her of his own free will in this lifetime. However, she could understand his feelings well. ¡°Understood!¡± Once Yin Xue left, Yao Mowan sank into thought while stroking Fluffy with one hand. Back then, when Ye Hongyi had first ascended to the throne, several of the older generation of princes were discontent and objected to this decision. She had tried hard to appease them, but it was to no avail. This matter only took a turn once Xie Siyin entered the pce. After she entered the pce, the Benevolent Prince had worked hard to change the opinions of the other princes and finally resolved this matter. From what she could remember, three months after Xie Siyin entered the pce, she started going to Palcho Monastery every month. Since Ye Hongyi already knew about Jian Chen being in Palcho Monastery, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that Xie Siyin had entered the pce after making a deal with Ye Hongyi. Based on the Benevolent Prince¡¯s temper, even if Xie Siyin hadn¡¯t entered the pce, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have allowed her to marry outside of the imperial family. Hence, with this, both of them obtained what they needed. It was quite an excellent n! However ah, Ye Hongyi, you still haven¡¯t changed your habit of burning bridges once you¡¯ve crossed them. Yao Mowan¡¯s lips hooked in a cold smile as her eyes glittered with light. Three months after Li Qingqing married into the Prime Minister Residence, good news was sent out. Yao Mowan was shocked but also a little happy. As expected, her judgement had been right. Li Qingqing really had been a restless person! ¡°Your Highness, since the lord has already drank that thing, howe the madame was still able to¡­¡± Ting Yue realized halfway through that she had asked the stupidest question in her life. ¡°What do you think? Liu Xing, find out who that child¡¯s father is. Remember, don¡¯t make it public and don¡¯t let anyone find out, got it?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows towards Liu Xing. She suddenly couldn¡¯t wait until the child in Li Qingqing¡¯s belly came into this world. She really wanted to find out how much her father could tolerate. ¡°This servant understands!¡± Liu Xing carried out every task Yao Mowan gave him devoutly. Yao Tu had once hinted for him to persuade his master to let go of her grudge against the lord, but Liu Xing knew that the current Consort Yao was no longer the same foolish Third Miss of the past. No one could change Master¡¯s mind once she decided on something. After Liu Xing left, Ting Yue carefully walked to Yao Mowan¡¯s side. ¡°Your Highness, Nurse Qin from the imperial kitchen came and prepared the afternoon meal. Should this servant separate the Esteemed Prince¡¯s meal again and send it over?¡± It had been two days since Ye Junqing has shown his face in the main hall after Yao Mowan had thrown that dish at him. ¡°You can go prepare. This consort will go take a lookter.¡± Yao Mowan inwardly sighed. After thinking about it, she felt that she had gone a little overboard. However, if she hadn¡¯t done that, how could she have exined Ye Junqing¡¯s anger to Ye Hongyi? When Yao Mowan pushed open the door to the east wing, she was surprised by the silence. She ordered Ting Yue to wait outside as she carried the box of food in. She ced the food box on the table softly before ncing around. The room was so simple that there was barely anything in it. There was only a table, some chairs, and a few items for tea. Other than that, there wasn¡¯t even a decorative bonsai. This was the suitable preparations Ye Hongyi had been referring to back then? Yao Mowan¡¯s heart ached. Ye Junqing didn¡¯t deserve to be treated this way! She took a deep breath to calm the ache in her heart, then slowly walked towards the bedroom. The door wasn¡¯t closed, so she walked inside. The azure figure on the bed seemed to be napping. When she saw that the nket was on the ground, she walked over quietly to pick up the nket and cover Ye Junqing with it. However, at nearly the same instant, Ye Junqing suddenly jumped up and stared in shock and wariness at the woman in front of him. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 3
Chapter 3: If You Want To Know, Then Drink Your Medicine ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Ye Junqing lifted his nket and used it to cover his chest as he reflexively shuffled backwards in rm. Yao Mowan felt speechless. She was a woman, what could she do!? ¡°You¡¯re sick?¡± When she noticed that Ye Junqing¡¯s face was slightly flushed, she hastily walked forward worriedly. ¡°Stay away!¡± Ye Junqing backed away even more as if Yao Mowan was a beast. ¡°You caught a cold? Why didn¡¯t you call for an imperial physician?¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t care about Ye Junqing¡¯s wariness at all and reached out to touch his forehead. The burning heat she felt stunned her. ¡°It¡¯s this hot? Ting Yue!¡± When she felt his high temperature, her brows immediately furrowed. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Ting Yue had run in when she heard Yao Mowan¡¯s call. ¡°Hurry and call for an imperial physician! Have the imperial hospital send the imperial physician highest in seniority to Guan Osprey Pce!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s voice was cold and urgent. Ting Yue didn¡¯t dare to ask any questions and immediately headed off to carry out thismand. However, Ye Junqing called for her to stop. ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± Ye Junqing flung the nket away and got off the bed in a cross manner. Ting Yue paused at the door and looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. ¡°Do you need this consort to repeat herself?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s voice was cold. Upon hearing this, Ting Yue immediately left the room to head towards the imperial hospital. ¡°This prince said there was no need! This prince won¡¯t let him look even if hees!¡± Ye Junqing red at Yao Mowan angrily and made to leave the room. ¡°Mowan naturally has ways to make you behave.¡± Yao Mowan retrieved the sternness in her eyes and followed him out with a smile. Ye Junqing abruptly turned around and looked at her doubtfully. ¡°What? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± The way Yao Mowan looked confident as if she had a trick up her sleeve angered Ye Junqing, but he also found it funny. If he wasn¡¯t willing, who had the ability to force him? ¡°Then just wait and see. For now, eat.¡± As Yao Mowan spoke, she walked to the table and took the still-warm food out of the box toy out on the table. Ye Junqing sat next to the desk without moving with an expression of ¡®I¡¯m not eating, I¡¯d like to see what you can do.¡¯ ¡°Imperial Physician Wang, this way!¡± When Yao Mowan heard Ting Yue¡¯s voice, she walked slowly towards Ye Junqing. As she nced over his handsome face that was flushed due to his fever, she said softly, ¡°As long as you behave, Mowan will tell you the reason behind Nurse Sun¡¯s death.¡± When Yao Mowan saw shock appear on Ye Junqing¡¯s face, her lips lifted slightly in a smile. Then, she walked back to the table and waited for Ting Yue to arrive. ¡°This humble subject kowtows in salute to Consort Yao and the Esteemed Prince.¡± Imperial Physician Wang was already past sixty years old, but his voice was still firm and strong. ¡°Hurry and take a look at him. See if he¡¯s caught any strange illnesses? If it ends up infecting my Fluffy and Jewel, I¡¯ll tell His Majesty to have you spanked!¡± Yao Mowan pointed at Imperial Physician Wang as she shouted this childishly before ncing at Ye Junqing with disgust. As a person that had been in the pce for a long time, Imperial Physician Wang was naturally aware of Yao Mowan¡¯s current status in the pce. Although she was a little foolish, no one in the Inner Pce dared to take her words lightly. Hence, Imperial Physician Wang immediately got up and walked to Ye Junqing. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Prince to allow this humble subject to check your pulse,¡± said Imperial Physician Wang respectfully. Ye Junqing nced towards Yao Mowan as he debated whether or not to trust her words. After a few seconds, he decided to trust her. After Imperial Physician Wang diagnosed his condition, he immediately reported it to Yao Mowan. ¡°Replying Your Highness Consort Yao, the Esteemed Prince only has a cold. It¡¯s not severe. This humble subject will go write a prescription right now. After taking it for three to five days, he¡¯ll start recovering. If Your Highness is still worried that Fluffy and Jewel may be infected, you can keep the Esteemed Prince from them for the next couple days,¡± said Imperial Physician Wang respectfully. However, inside, he was seriously ufortable. After all, the Esteemed Prince was once a valiant hero, yet now, he mattered even less than two animals. Although he hadn¡¯t reached the end of his road, his fate was already so deste, how could people not pity him? ¡°Then why are you still standing here? Hurry and go! Ting Yue, you go as well to make him hurry!¡± Yao Mowan only rxed when she heard that Ye Junqing only had a slight cold. The moment Imperial Physician Wang and Ting Yue left, Ye Junqing rushed to Yao Mowan at the speed of an arrow. ¡°Nurse Sun really is dead? How did she die?¡± His clear eyes shed with sharp cold light. He was sure that Yao Mowan knew about the incident because Yao Mowan was more two-faced and crafty than anyone else he had ever met. However, he also believed from the bottom of his heart that this wasn¡¯t how she had been from the start. She was Moxin¡¯s biological sister, so she was trustworthy. ¡°Eat,¡± said Yao Mowan lightly as her lips hooked in a deep smile. ¡°You should know how important this is to me!¡± Ye Junqing argued in frustration. ¡°At this moment, having you eat is what¡¯s most important to Mowan.¡± Yao Mowan replied calmly. ¡°You said that as long as I behaved, you would tell me the cause of Nurse Sun¡¯s death!¡± Ye Junqing reminded Yao Mowan angrily. ¡°Behaving isn¡¯t just limited to having Imperial Physician Wang look at you!¡± Yao Mowan smiled mischievously. Ye Junqing became so angry he couldn¡¯t even speak. As he glowered at her, he shouted the one name that always drove him crazy. ¡°Yao Mowan!¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ don¡¯t worry, Prince. As long as Prince takes the medicine on time, eats meals, and the imperial physician diagnoses that Prince has recovered, Mowan will naturally tell Prince everything you want to know. So right now, eat!¡± Yao Mowan carried the food over and ced it in front of Ye Junqing extremely gently. Ye Junqing waspletely defeated. Yao Mowan¡¯s craftiness was definitely unrivaled in this world. Whoever that sought to have a rational talk with her would definitely be seeking his own death! He was the best example. Thus, for the sake of finding out the truth behind Sun momo¡¯s death, Ye Junqing lifted the porcin bowl without a word and started takingrge fierce bites of rice and vegetables. In his eyes, the food represented Yao Mowan¡¯s sinister smiling face! After the meal, as Yao Mowan was pointing at the medicinal soup and ordering Ye Junqing to drink it, there was a gust of wind and a figure dressed in alluring red drifted down in front of Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing. ¡°Junqing, you¡¯ve really fallen ill? Is it severe? What kind of medicine is this? Are you sure there¡¯s nothing wrong with it!?¡± The moment Yan Nansheng appeared, he hastily walked over to Ye Junqing and pelted him with questions of concern. Yao Mowan knew that he was doing this because he felt guilty for taking Liu Sha back without giving Ye Junqing an exnation. Just as Yan Nansheng reached out to check the soup, Ye Junqing swiftly picked up the soup and drank it in one go as if he didn¡¯t see Yan Nansheng at all. ¡°What is with him?¡± Yan Nansheng hadn¡¯t believed Yin Xue¡¯s message, but he was still worried so he came to take a look even though he really didn¡¯t want to see Yao Mowan ever again. Ever since he met this woman, his treasures had been rapidly diminishing. ¡°The disease has attacked the vitals, he urgently needs a miracle cure!¡± replied Yao Mowan concisely. ¡°Cough cough¡­ Cough cough cough¡­¡± When Ye Junqing hear this, he choked and started coughing. He reflexively nced towards Yao Mowan. In her bright and clear eyes, he saw the word ¡®greed.¡¯ ¡°Is it really that severe?¡± Yan Nansheng turned around to look towards Ye Junqing. Although he wasn¡¯t as energetic as usual, he still didn¡¯t look like he was on the brink of death. ¡°Cough cough cough cough cough¡­¡± When Yan Nansheng looked over, Ye Junqing suddenly started coughing violently and even pounded at his chest. ¡°My little junior brother ah! Don¡¯t scare me! Master has said that our destinies are linked. If you die, I won¡¯t live long either!¡± Yan Nansheng looked at Ye Junqing with a flustered expression. At the side, Yao Mowan¡¯s left eyebrow lifted slightly. It was clear that Ye Junqing was helping her with this act. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 4
Chapter 4: Act With Her to Swindle a Medicinal Pill ¡°What are you wasting words for? Did you bring the item?¡± Yao Mowan immediately seized this moment to question Yan Nansheng with apletely serious expression. ¡°What¡­ what item?¡± responded Yan Nansheng in shock as he reflexively covered his chest with his right hand. Yao Mowan was very happy to see this. It seemed he had brought what she wanted. ¡°Of course, a miracle cure! You¡¯d better not tell Mowan that you came empty-handedly? If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯vee for nothing!¡± Yao Mowan gave Yan Nansheng a meaningful look. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything like a miracle cure! And didn¡¯t he just taken medicine?¡± Yan Nansheng refused to admit it even as he pressed his hand more protectively over his chest. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how he responded to the medicine? Forget it, since not even you care, what is Mowan worrying about?¡± Yao Mowan stopped looking at Yan Nansheng and turned to focus on eating. ¡°Is his illness really that severe? Or was it¡­ poison?¡± Yan Nansheng scrutinized Ye Junqing closely. As of now, Ye Junqing was coughing so much he could barely breathe. Upon seeing this, although Yan Nansheng still wasn¡¯t sure of the situation, he still took out the ¡®Nine Revivals Pill.¡¯ This pill really could be counted as a miracle cure this it could cure a hundred types of poisons and illnesses. In all of Phoenix Feather Manor, there were only three of these pills. Back then, Yin Xue had given a very vague description of the situation, so he was worried that something had really happened to Ye Junqing and brought this with him just in case. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The moment Yan Nansheng took it out, Yao Mowan reached for it with her eyes shining. ¡°How do you expect him to take the medicine like this?¡± Yao Mowan ignored the doubt on Yan Nansheng¡¯s face and snatched the ¡®Nine Revivals Pill¡¯ out of his grasp. Then she turned her back to Yan Nansheng and walked to Ye Junqing¡¯s side. She quickly moved her hand that was holding the pill in a motion towards Ye Junqing, then went back to the table to sit down. ¡°He¡¯s taken it?¡± Everything had happened to fast. For some reason, Yan Nansheng felt that something was off. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not like Mowan¡¯s sick, what use would Mowan have for that crappy thing?¡± As Yao Mowan replied this in an annoyed tone, she slipped the pill into her sleeve. ¡°Crappy thing? That can¡¯t even be bought with a thousand taels of gold!¡± Yan Nansheng looked towards Yao Mowan with pain and anger on his face. However, when he saw that Ye Junqing wasn¡¯t coughing anymore, he felt a bit more relieved. ¡°Junqing, do you feel better?¡± Yan Nansheng slowly walked to Ye Junqing and looked him over again. There wasn¡¯t much change except for the fact that he wasn¡¯t coughing anymore. When Yan Nansheng saw that Ye Junqing still didn¡¯t want to speak to him, he could only shake his head and leave. ¡°Yin Xue!¡± The moment Yan Nansheng left, Yao Mowan called out Yin Xue and passed the ¡®Nine Revivals Pill¡¯ to her. She only turned around to thank Ye Junqing after Yin Xue left. ¡°Who are you using it to save?¡± Ye Junqing couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity. ¡°Just as passerby, you don¡¯t know the person.¡± Yao Mowan replied lightly, but she was inwardly praying that the medicine would make it in time. Jian Chen would be a very good tool for her to destroy Ye Hongyi¡¯s hypocritical appearance. ¡°If Yan Nansheng found out that you took his ¡®Nine Revivals Pill¡¯ to save a passerby, he¡¯d kill you in anger.¡± Ye Junqing stated the unexaggerated truth. ¡°If Yan Nansheng found out that you had cooperated with Mowan to swindle away his treasure, would he kill himself in anger?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s soft dark smile was extremely ring to Ye Junqing. He had asked himself more than a thousand times if this two-faced woman really was Moxin¡¯s sister. Was she? Was she really? The night before the date that Ye Hongyi had arranged for Jian Chen to enter the pce, Yao Mowan finally met the person that Consort De was so in love with. His handsome jade countenance was unhealthy pale. Even after taking the ¡®Nine Revivals Pill,¡¯ Jian Chen still looked extremely weak. ¡°Why did you save me?¡± Jian Chen was dressed in in garments with a simple silver hair crown binding up his hair. His clear eyes were filled with wariness and hostility. He showed no trace of gratitude despite the fact that he was facing the person who had saved his life. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, your soul would have already departed to the Western Paradise. Can you really bear for that person to have her heart break from grief?¡± Yao Mowan sat down elegantly on the chair. Her delicate features were currently covered by a ck veil as she lifted the silver pick on the table and started adjusting the candle me. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± responded Jian Chen coldly. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can remind you. I hear that our current Emperor¡¯s Consort De, Her Highness, is very devoted to the Buddhist teachings and woulde to Palcho Monastery to pray every month. Every time she visits, it would at least be for five days. Sometimes it would be as much as half a month, she¡¯s clearly very devoted!¡± As she spoke, she saw Jian Chen¡¯s expression turn even more grim. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Jian Chen abruptly rushed towards Yao Mowan, but Yin Xue pressed him back down on the seat. ¡°You know very well what I¡¯m saying! Could it be that you¡¯ve never been suspicious about your illness?¡± Yao Mowan looked straight at Jian Chen as she said this coldly. Jian Chen did not speak. It seemed he intended to resist by remaining silent. ¡°If you want Xie Siyin to end up the same way as you, you can continue being silent.¡± As Yao Mowan spoke, she got up to leave. However, Jian Chen immediately stopped her. ¡°Who exactly are you? What do you want?¡± Jian Chen asked coldly. ¡°My name is Jing Xin, I want to save you and Xie Siyin.¡± Yao Mowan sat back down as she slowly said this. ¡°What exactly do you know?¡± Jian Chen continued asking coldly. ¡°Jing Xin only knows that no man can ept their woman betraying them, much less a monarch of a country!¡± Yao Mowan got straight to the point. Every word she spoke seemed to stab Jian Chen¡¯s heart like a sharp de. ¡°Siyin is my woman! She has always been!¡± Perhaps it was because he was too stirred up because his body trembled involuntarily, causing his sickly face to be even paler. ¡°Your woman? The entire world knows that she¡¯s Ye Hongyi¡¯s Consort De. Who could stand as witness for you?¡± Yao Mowan scoffed through her nose. ¡°Ye Hongyi, that ungrateful bastard! Back then, he had promised me and Siyin that as long as Siyin entered the pce as a consort and helped him out of that difficult situation, he would help us be together. However¡­¡± Jian Chen gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists angrily. ¡°However, he actually poisoned you in order to kill you off. However, what I don¡¯t understand is why he waited seven years to make his move? And why didn¡¯t you expose him?¡± Yao Mowan had already predicted this situation. She just couldn¡¯t understand some of the missing details. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s already been seven years. He¡¯s no longer that new emperor surrounded by threats. He no longer needs to fear anyone. Moreover, the Benevolent Prince¡¯s health is slowly failing, so he¡¯s barely a threat anymore. Thus, Ye Hongyi had no need to, and can no longer tolerate Jian Chen!¡± Jian Chen¡¯s words caused Yao Mowan to sigh ruefully. She should have thought of this. After all, she was also someone whom Ye Hongyi had gotten rid of once he no longer had use for her. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell Consort De?¡± asked Yao Mowan. ¡°Telling her would only harm her. The person Ye Hongyi can¡¯t tolerate right now is me. Siyin still feels grateful to him, so as long as I die, Ye Hongyi will probably continue to treat Siyin kindly. In addition, our situation cannot be revealed, so even if Siyin knew, all she could do was silently endure. There¡¯s no one that can help us,¡± said Jian Chen bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s why I say you¡¯re really dumb and naive. You already know of how narrow-minded and heartless Ye Hongyi is, so you should¡¯ve been able to guess that since he has decided to kill you, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let off the woman that has a tryst with you every month! His dignity as a monarch wouldn¡¯t allow him to ignore your doings! The strongest evidence of this is that, despite all these years, you two have never had a child.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s words were harsh but ringly true. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ He had already poisoned Siyin a long time ago?¡± Jian Chen¡¯s trembling voice contained endless hatred as his eyes turned bloodshot from rage. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 5
Chapter 5: If You Follow My Arrangements, I¡¯ll Help You ¡°Within Consort De¡¯s Ordinance Pce there¡¯s a square, red sandalwood table. It was crafted exquisitely; the engraved phoenixes on the legs of the table look so vivid they seem alive. But did you know? In every single tiny crevice formed by the engraving, there is musk powder. Since its smell is extremely simr to that of red sandalwood, no one noticed. However, no matter how tiny the amount of musk there is, after countless years ofing into contact with it, there¡¯s bound to be an effect. As of now, Consort De¡¯s health is getting weaker and weaker. This is all due to the red sandalwood table that Ye Hongyi had carefully prepared for her.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Yin Xue¡¯s careful investigation, Yao Mowan would never have found out about this either. She hadn¡¯t expected Ye Hongyi to havee up with such a shrewd method to deal with Xie Siyin who he owed a huge amount to. ¡°Ye Hongyi had built Ordinance Pce for Siyin seven years ago. That means¡­¡± Jian Chen¡¯s entire body with trembling from anger. ¡°That means, Ye Hongyi had already been preparing to get rid of you two even as he promised to help you two.¡± Yao Mowan summed up the cruel truth. ¡°What what are we to do? What can we do!?¡± Jian Chen abruptly rxed his fists and copsed back into the chair weakly. What did it matter if he felt hatred and wanted revenge? The person they were facing was an emperor, the most powerful existence in this country. ¡°Escape far away!¡± stated Yao Mowan concisely, her clear eyes filled with firm light. ¡°Easy to say!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s proposition soundedpletely unrealistic to Jian Chen. ¡°It¡¯s very easy as long as you listen to me!¡± Inwardly, Yao Mowan was loosening a breath in relief. Now that she had convinced Jian Chen, the following matters would be much easier. ¡°I can agree to anything, but I have one condition!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s words didn¡¯t bring Jian Chen any joy. In his belief, no one had the ability to oppose imperial power. Moreover, the person sitting in front of him was just a woman. Yao Mowan waited silently to hear his condition. ¡°No matter how this ends, Jian Chen only asks that you guarantee Siyin¡¯s safety!¡± Jian Chen spoke inly, but these sincere words sounded more touching to Yao Mowan than any oath of eternal love. No matter what, Xie Siyin was blessed. At the very least, there was someone like this that wholeheartedly loved her in this world. Her heart suddenly squeezed. Hadn¡¯t Ye Junqing been this wholehearted as well? It was just that back then, she was blind¡­ When she got back to Guan Osprey Pce, she hadn¡¯t even had the chance to sit down when Ye Junqing rushed in. ¡°Imperial Physician Wang has diagnosed this prince to bepletely recovered. Now tell me how Nurse Sun died!¡± Ye Junqing asked impatiently, his eyes filled with expectation. ¡°Tonight¡¯s moon is very beautiful. Would Prince like to apany Mowan out for a walk?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she nced towards the bright moon outside. When she recalled the deep love in Jian Chen¡¯s eyes when Xie Siyin was brought up, her heart warmed slightly. ¡°Not interested!¡± rejected Ye Junqing. ¡°How did Nurse Sun die again? Let Mowan think, hmm¡­ oh no, I can¡¯t recall!¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with an innocent expression. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to recall once this prince apanies you for a short walk?¡± Ye Junqing forced this question out between gritted teeth. ¡°That¡¯s very likely!¡± Yao Mowan nodded earnestly. Ye Junqing took a deep breath, then stomped out of Guan Osprey Pce. The tranquil night had a gentle warm breeze. Ye Junqing paid no attention to Yao Mowan and strode ahead on his own. His figure seemed even more slender in the moonlight. As they walked on the cobblestone path, Ye Junqing¡¯s had subconsciously taken him to the forest of willows that faced Changle Pce. ¡°You can finally bring yourself to look back now?¡± When Ye Junqing turned around, he saw that Yao Mowan was standing behind him with her slender jade fingers pressed lightly against her chest as she panted softly. ¡°We¡¯ve walked enough. Have you recalled now?¡± When he noticed the sweat gathering on Yao Mowan¡¯s forehead, he felt a little bad. ¡°You truly don¡¯t know to cherish the fragrance and pity the jade. Can¡¯t you give me some time to catch my breath?¡± Yao Mowan shot Ye Junqing at look, then turned towards Changle Pce. This was the Changle Pce that had housed her joys, angers, sadness, and happiness. As of now, it looked like a half-dead old man that was standing there instably without support and just waiting for an end. Yao Mowan would often question herself. Back then, with how wise and farsighted she was, why hadn¡¯t she been able to see Ye Hongyi¡¯s true face? Before, she had always thought it was because she hadn¡¯t been intelligent enough, but after she found out about Xie Siyin and Jian Chen, she realized that it had also been because Ye Hongyi had hidden his true self too well. ¡°To sacrifice so much for a woman that didn¡¯t love you, was it worth it?¡± Although Jian Chen¡¯s willingness to give up his life for Xie Siyin was admirable, it was also worth it. At the very least, Xie Siyin would respond in the same manner with the same feelings. But what about Ye Junqing? He had given his everything, but what had he received in return? ¡°Once you fall in love with someone, you¡¯ll learn that for one smile from her, even if you have to give up your body, your life¡ª it¡¯s all worth it.¡± The night breeze swept up Ye Junqing¡¯s ink-like hair and it danced in the wind like strands of ck silk. Yao Mowan was so deeply touched by his words that her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Yao Moxin was so stupid. Why didn¡¯t she notice how good you were?¡± Yao Mowan smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s that Junqing wasn¡¯t good enough¡­¡± Ye Junqing gazed with longing towards Changle Pce, his eyes flickering with sorrow. Moxin, do you know that Junqing misses you? Every day, every night, every moment, every second; I miss you so much, what do I do? I miss you so much that my heart hurts. ¡°Nurse Sun was killed because she had caught An Bingshan doing something shameful. She was killed to silence and her body was buried under the wing located where the Cold Pce used to be.¡± Yao Mowan suddenly spoke coldly. ¡°An Bingshan doing something shameful? What did he do?¡± Ye Junqing hadn¡¯t expected Yao Mowan to answer him so straightforwardly. However, Yao Mowan had already left grimly, ignoring his questions. Ye Junqing already knew that Yao Mowan¡¯s attitude changed faster than the weather, so when she left, he stopped himself from following her. After all, it would be better to investigate himself than to follow her and end up being scolded again for no reason. The next day, when Jian Chen appeared as a patrol guard in Ordinance Pce, Xie Siyin was ovee with joy. ¡°Jian Chen!¡± Even though she had only gotten a glimpse of his side profile, she had been able to recognize that person she always longed for with once ne. When Yue Chan saw her master run out of Ordinance Pce, she immediately chased after her. ¡°This subordinate Jian Chen kowtows in salute to Your Highness Consort De¡± Unconceble joy shone through his voice as he cupped his fist in a respectful salute. ¡°En. This consort has something heavy that must be moved, soe help!¡± Xie Siyin forced herself to speak calmly and turned back to reenter Ordinance Pce. Jian Chen followed deferentially. In a hidden location, Ye Hongyi, who was dressed in the bright dragon robe, clenched his fists as he looked on coldly. ¡°Your Majesty, this old servant doesn¡¯t understand. Why didn¡¯t you just have Jian Chen die outside? That would be less trouble, wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± asked An Bingshan carefully. ¡°She will only give up if Jian Chen dies in front of her. And, she¡¯ll only despair if she sees him die with her own eyes. At that time, we might not even need to do anything for her to follow Jian Chen and die. What did Imperial Physician Zheng say?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s lips hooked in a strange smile. ¡°Replying Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Zheng said that Jian Chen¡¯s poison will probably kill him tonight. As for Consort De¡­ If she continues taking the drug at this rate, she can still live for half a year,¡± reported An Bingshan. ¡°Then let¡¯s wait and see what happens. If she doesn¡¯t follow Jian Chen of her own ord, then have Imperial Physician Zheng increase the dosage. We don¡¯t have the patience to wait that long!¡± Ye Hongyi gave a cold humph and turned to leave. Everyone that wronged him must die! __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 6
Chapter 6: Be a Stepping Stone for Someone Else¡¯s Revenge n After that yellow figure faded from sight, Yao Mowan stepped out from her concealed location. ¡°Have youpleted the tasks I assigned you?¡± Yao Mowan asked as she continued looking in the direction Ye Hongyi had left in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Master, tonight¡¯s preparations are ready,¡± replied Yin Xue respectfully. Yao Mowan smiled faintly. A breeze swept past, and when the wind died down, all that was left on her face was frost. The moment Jian Chen stepped into Ordinance Pce, Xie Siyin turned around and rushed into his arms. ¡°Jian Chen! Are you alright? I was really worried that I¡¯d never be able to see you again in this lifetime!¡± Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around Jian Chen¡¯s waist. Yue Chan tactifully withdrew from the pce and stationed herself at the door to keep watch. ¡°Look at you, what are you crying for? It was all thanks to His Majesty sending Imperial Physician Zheng. I¡¯m already much better¡­¡± Jian Chen gently helped Xie Siyin up and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, his eyes filled with love. For the sake of the woman he loved most, he had decided to work with that mysterious woman called Jing Xin. As long as Xie Siyin¡¯s safety could be guaranteed, he was willing to take this risk. In any case, he had already touched death once. It was good if he was able to survive, but he could also ept dying. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve really gotten better! It seemed like His Majesty kept his promise. He really did send an imperial physician to check up on you and bring you into the pce. We really need to thank him!¡± Xie Siyin felt a lot better when she saw that Jian Chen¡¯s pallor had improved and she felt even more grateful towards Ye Hongyi. ¡°Thank him¡­¡± Jian Chen¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°That¡¯s right. If it weren¡¯t for His Majesty, there was no way we could have been together- Cough cough¡­¡± After a few sentences, Xie Siyin had to gasp for breath. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I forgot that you weren¡¯t feeling well. I¡¯ll help you back to your room so that you can rest.¡± Jian Chen restrained the coldness in his eyes and supported Xie Siyin into the bedroom. The moment they entered the room, he looked towards the square red sandalwood table in the middle of the room. Just as Jing Xin had said, it had extremely detailed engravings. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ll be better after sitting for a while. Jian Chen, since you¡¯ve already entered the pce, don¡¯t leave again. From now on, let¡¯s stay together no matter what. Siyin can¡¯t bear to be apart from you for even a day.¡± Xie Siyin pulled Jian Chen to sit down at the table. Although her voice was weak, it was filled with happiness. ¡°Of course! Anything you want!¡± Jian Chen carefully poured a cup of tea and passed it to Xie Siyin. As she drank the tea, he quietly took out a silver needle and stabbed it towards the leg of the table. He nced down and saw that the needle had turned blood red. Even though he had already known about it, it was still different from personally seeing it. His heart raged! Ye Hongyi, how could you be so heartless!? ¡°Jian Chen?¡± called Xie Siyin worriedly when she sensed Jian Chen¡¯s abnormality. ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m going to leave first. If I stay too long, someone might get suspicious. I¡¯lle see you again tonight during the patrol!¡± ¡°Alright. We have many more days ahead of us, I feel at ease just knowing that you¡¯re nearby.¡± However, her eyes were still filled with reluctance as she got up to hug him goodbye. Once Jian Chen left Ordinance Pce, he sought out a corner with no one around and abruptly mmed his fist against the pce wall. Tears spilled out. Xie Siyin had endured so much just to be with him! He owed Xie Siyin too much! But Ye Hongyi! What about you!? You owed us much more! Since I don¡¯t have the power to get revenge, I will just be a stepping stone for another to get their revenge on you. Virtue had its reward and evil its retribution. Ye Hongyi, even if I die, I will be a malicious spirit and haunt you until I witness your retribution with my own eyes! Ye Junqing didn¡¯t show up for dinner. Yao Mowan knew that he was currently investigating An Bingshan, but she wasn¡¯t worried since Liu Sha was watching over him. Thus, she lifted her chopsticks with ns to go see the show after dinner. However, Yao Suluan¡¯s sudden appearance interrupted her ns. Luckily, she was just a spectator so even if she wasn¡¯t there, the y would continue as nned. ¡°Wan er, Big Sister missed you!¡± The moment Yao Suluan walked in, she ran to hug Yao Mowan. Her expression was wlessly sincere, it truly was a remarkable performance. ¡°What is Second Sister missing Wan er with? Your mouth? Or your heart?¡± Yao Mowan intimately returned her embrace with a smile. The only reason that could make Yao Suluan act dumb the moment she walked in was Ye Hongyi! As she had expected, before Yao Suluan could reply, Ye Hongyi had already walked in. ¡°Your Majesty, you came to visit Wan er!¡± Yao Mowan snuck a nce at Yao Suluan as she threw herself into Ye Hongyi¡¯s arms. Although she was going to miss the y at Ordinance Pce, this uing y seemed entertaining enough as well. ¡°That¡¯s right, Wan er has make us lovesick. We can¡¯t even sleep withouting to see Wan er. Say, shouldn¡¯t you be punished?¡± Ye Hongyi stroked Yao Mowan¡¯s face, then flicked her little nose dotingly. In the entirety of the Inner Pce, this was the only ce he could feelpletely rxed. Something he wouldugh at himself for the fact that his Inner Pce was so corrupt that this fool was the only one he could trust. ¡°But that¡¯s not Wan er¡®s fault. Your Majesty got lovesick, Second Sister also got lovesick. If both of you punish Wan er¡­ Wan er¡®s so pitiful!¡± Yao Mowan pouted as she buried her head into his chest. ¡°Ha, our little Wan er ah!¡± Ye Hongyi found her manner adorable. When he looked to the side, he saw that Yao Suluan was standing nervously to the side. ¡°Consort Li is also here?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s voice turned conspicuously colder. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Suluan missed Wan er¡­ so Suluan came to see Wan er¡­ If Your Majesty doesn¡¯t like Suluan¡­ Suluan will go back now.¡± Yao Suluan subconsciously backed away fearfully. When Ye Hongyi didn¡¯t speak, she turned to leave. A good execution of letting loose in order to capture. Yao Mowan¡¯s lips hooked in a cold smile as she inwardly remarked this. Just as Yao Suluan stepped out of Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Hongyi spoke. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, let¡¯s just eat together!¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s voice was still cold to the point it gave people chills, but unfortunately, Yao Suluan didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Can Suluan really¡­¡± Yao Suluan stood at the doors and timidly looked towards Ye Hongyi. ¡°Why can¡¯t you? Second Older Sister, hurry ande here!¡± Yao Mowan observed Yao Suluan with interest. Back then, Yao Suluan had lowered herself to being a viin and colluding with Ye Hongyi to get rid of her, this empress, but what did she get in the end? She had still been abandoned by Ye Hongyi like worn out shoes. During the entire meal, Ye Hongyi kept grabbing food for Yao Mowan. Even Fluffy who had wandered over obtained some of his grace. Yao Suluan was the only onepletely ignored. Her heart felt as if it was filled with wildly growing thorns that stabbed deeper into her with each pulse. Every mouthful of food tasted like wax and stuck in her throat. Ye Hongyi, you were truly blind! Could it be that you can¡¯t see how terrifying that woman next to you is? She was a demon! She was here for revenge! If you continued pampering her, you¡¯d definitely fall to eternal damnation! However, how could she say these words? How could she make Ye Hongyi believe her? ¡°Second Older Sister, are you alright? Your hands are trembling!¡± Yao Mowan noticed every single tiny reaction from Yao Suluan and knew that she was definitely suffering as she endured. ¡°I-I¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Yao Suluan nced apprehensively towards Ye Hongyi as she stammered a response. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of us?¡± Ye Hongyi furrowed his brows as he looked towards Yao Suluan. Although Yao Suluan had fainted in theke, he still didn¡¯t believe that she had gone dumb. The only reason he hadn¡¯t looked into it yet was because he couldn¡¯t have Yao Suluan dying before he confirmed a few matters. Otherwise, based on his personality, people that knew too much of his secrets that didn¡¯t be trusted aids of his would head straight to hell to be lost souls. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 7
Chapter 7: You Entered the Pce for the Sake of Revenge ¡°Suluan isn¡¯t scared of Your Majesty. Suluan just feels bad¡­¡± Yao Suluan finally got a chance to speak to Ye Hongyi so she immediately pulled out her strongest acting skill and spoke with lowered eyes that glistened with tears. ¡°Why?¡± Ye Hongyi lifted his brows. ¡°Suluan wasn¡¯t able to catch the rainbow fish for Your Majesty¡­¡± Yao Suluan copied Yao Mowan¡¯s manner and replied with a slightly pouty and vexed tone. ¡°If you weren¡¯t able to catch it, then just keep trying!¡± Yao Suluan felt the urge to throttle Yao Mowan when she heard this remark. ¡°Wan er¡®s right, if you are truly sincere, we can wait.¡± Ye Hongyi then sighed and patted Yao Mowan¡¯s shoulder as he got up. ¡°Wan er ah, we still have some memorials to finish reading over so we¡®ll be heading back to the imperial study. We wille back to see youter, but if you¡¯re tired, go ahead and sleep.¡± After Ye Hongyi said this, he left Guan Osprey Pce withrge strides. He didn¡¯t nce at Yao Suluan even once. ¡°Ting Yue, go outside.¡± Once Ye Hongyi got far away, Yao Mowan nced at Ting Yue and Ting Yue immediately withdrew from the pce before closing the doors behind her. ¡°Yao Mowan, you did that on purpose!¡± The moment the pce doors closed, Yao Suluan abruptly stood up and glowered at Yao Mowan. ¡°Isn¡¯t Second Older Sister worried that His Majesty would suddenlye back?¡± Yao Mowan back leisurely on the rattan chair as she lifted her brows at Yao Suluan. All she felt in her heart was disdain. As she had expected, right after she spoke, Yao Suluan reflexively nced towards the door. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if His Majestyes back, Ting Yue would immediately report it! Ha!¡± Yao Mowan was clearly messing with her. ¡°Yao Mowan, don¡¯t celebrate too soon. One day¡­¡± ¡°One day you¡¯ll take away everything Mowan possesses? His Majesty? His Majesty¡¯s favor? Or the position of master of the Inner Pce? Yao Suluan ah, have you gone dumb from feigning foolishness too long? Didn¡¯t you notice His Majesty¡¯s attitude earlier? Even if you stammar and fawn over him, even if you act crazy or stupidly dumb, no matter what you do, His Majesty wouldn¡¯t be interested in you! Do you know why?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s tone contained helplessness. ¡°Why?¡± Yao Suluan had been thinking about this question herself as well, but she never found an answer. ¡°Because the reason His Majesty likes Mowan isn¡¯t just because he likes fools. You¡¯ve chosen the wrong method, so no matter how crazy or silly you act, His Majesty still wouldn¡¯t like you! If you were smart enough, you¡¯d find an opportunity to ¡®regain your senses.¡¯ Otherwise¡­ Mowan really is looking forward to seeing what a rainbow fish is like!¡± said Yao Mowan slowly as she looked at her nails. ¡°You don¡¯t like His Majesty at all. You entered the pce with a different motive, didn¡¯t you?¡± Yao Suluan had enough of Yao Mowan¡¯s deceiving acts and just red at her viciously. ¡°Why would Second Older Sister think that? Wan er likes His Majesty ah! His Majesty dotes on Wan er so much, there¡¯s no way Wan er wouldn¡¯t like him!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips curved up slightly. However, it looked like the grin of the devil to Yao Suluan. ¡°You¡¯re lying! You entered the pce for revenge!¡± Yao Mowan had brought up Yao Moxin in front of her several times in the past, seemingly carelessly. Then there was that incident with Bai Mei. When Yao Suluan had carefully thought through all those events, it seemed clear that Yao Mowan was the one who hired Bai Mei to swindle her. Since that was the case, Yao Mowan was definitely aware that she had brought Bai Mei to the Cold Pce in order to exorcise a ghost. ¡°For revenge? Revenge against whom?¡± The beautiful smile abruptly disappeared. Yao Mowan got up with a cold expression and approached Yao Suluan step by step. The chilling aura she emitted caused Yao Suluan to subconsciously back away. ¡°You want to get revenge on the people that caused Yao Moxin¡¯s death¡­¡± Yao Suluan swallowed hard. No matter what, she had to figure out how much Yao Mowan knew. ¡°Oh? Eldest Sister¡¯s death wasn¡¯t natural? Then Mowan must go tell His Majesty!¡± When Yao Mowan heard this, she turned to leave but Yao Suluan hastily pulled her back. ¡°Have you gone crazy!?¡± Yao Suluan shouted in a low voice even as her hand trembled uncontrobly. If Yao Mowan had headed over to tell His Majesty, she would definitely be killed. ¡°How is Wan er crazy? Eldest Sister had died of difficult childbirth. This is something that everyone knows. However, now Second Older Sister is actually saying that Eldest Sister¡¯s death had been caused by someone, so what¡¯s wrong with Wan er asking His Majesty to investigate?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Yao Suluan with an innocent expression, keeping all her hatred deeply hidden. ¡°If you tell His Majesty, you¡¯ll be the first to die!¡± Yao Suluan knew that Yao Mowan was just pretending to be clueless, but there was nothing she could do. If she revealed the truth, she would be killed as well. ¡°Is that so? Then Mowan really wants to try and see if the first person to die would be Mowan or Second Older Sister!¡± Yao Mowan gave a cold humph and shook off Yao Suluan¡¯s hand to continue towards the door. ¡°No!¡± Yao Suluan abruptly ran to grab her, but due to moving too fast, she tripped and fell to the ground. Despite that, she still threw herself forward and grabbed Yao Mowan¡¯s ankles as if her life depended on it. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ Second Older Sister ah, for better or for worse, you were once the Imperial Noble Consort whose power was only second to that of the Empress in the Inner Pce. How could you disregard your image so much? The way you¡¯re acting is no different from a dog wagging its tail to attract pity. Ting Yue,e in!¡± Yao Mowan lowered her eyes to nce towards Yao Suluan with a brilliantly bright smile. Yao Suluan¡¯s face flushed with anger. She moved to get up, but Yao Mowan stepped on her sleeve. ¡°Your Highness Consort Li, what are you doing?¡± Ting Yue knew that her master had unspoken intentions in having here in, so she made an exaggerated exmation aftering in before walking with small quick steps to Yao Mowan¡¯s side. ¡°What are you still waiting there for? Hurry and help Second Older Sister up! This consort can¡¯t ept such arge courtesy!¡± Yao Mowan gave a cold humph before finally lifting her foot off Yao Suluan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Yao Mowan, you¡¯ll regret treating this consort this way! You¡­¡± Yao Suluan was glowering so much her eyes practically shot mes. As she spat out this threat between gritted teeth, she met Yao Mowan¡¯s cold gaze and the rest of her words immediately died in her throat. ¡°Second Older Sister, take care. Forgive me for not seeing you out.¡± Yao Mowan abruptly restrained the coldness in her eyes and smiled brightly again. Yao Suluan was suddenly ovee with the feeling that the person standing in front of her was a demon. No matter how much time she spent, she couldn¡¯t figure out what Yao Mowan was thinking. However, she was certain of one point, and that was that Yao Mowan hade for revenge. Thus, she had to get rid of this woman! Once Yao Suluan disappeared from sight, the smile on Yao Mowan¡¯s face vanished as well. Yao Suluan ah, you must know, there was not a single moment in which I didn¡¯t regret how devoted I had been to you in the past! ¡°Your Highness, when His Majesty left, he said that he would being back in two to four hours. This servant will go instruct the imperial kitchen to prepare some refreshments,¡± said Ting Yue politely. However, as she turned to leave, Yao Mowan stopped her. ¡°There¡¯s no need. You can go rest.¡± Yao Mowan inhaled deeply, then waved to have Ting Yue withdraw. Although Ting Yue was puzzled, she didn¡¯t dare to say anything and obediently withdrew. Yao Mowan only walked to the chaise lounge once the pce doors were tightly closed. She reached out and picked up Fluffy, then thought about the time. It was probably time for the drama at Ordinance Pce to start. As for Ye Hongyi, he¡¯d have more matters to take care of soon, so there was no way he¡¯d have the time toe to Guan Osprey Pce. Beneath the pure moonlight, the night was refreshingly cool. Jian Chen hade to Ordinance Pce as he had promised to. However, they were still inside the pce so Xie Siyin didn¡¯t dare to have him stay long either. ¡°Jian Chen, did His Majesty arrange a ce for you to stay?¡± Xie Siyin reluctantly saw Jian Chen out and finally let go of his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything is well. We really should thank His Majesty. Siyin, from now on, let¡¯s never be apart again¡­¡± The shadows in Jian Chen¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t very visible in the moonlight and his voice trembled faintly. ¡°I will naturally repay His Majesty for all that he¡¯s done for us. You should just focus on your health. You just got better, so don¡¯t tire yourself out!¡± Xie Siyin walked with Jian Chen all the way to the pce doors. She still wanted to walk more with him, but Yue Chan pulled her back. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 8
Chapter 8: Jian Chen Has Died! ¡°Niang niang, this is far enough. It¡¯s inappropriate for you to walk out any further,¡± Yue Chan reminded carefully. ¡°Siyin, I¡¯ll leave now. I¡¯lle visit you again tomorrow!¡± Jian Chen swallowed hard, his expression pained. Fortunately, it was night, so Xie Siyin didn¡¯t notice Jian Chen¡¯s abnormal expression. Whenever Xie Siyin thought back to this moment, she always regretted. If she had known that this was going to happen, she swore, even if the oue was death, she wouldn¡¯t have let go of Jian Chen¡¯s hand. She would¡¯ve held on tightly to her only love! Jian Chen stood quietly outside the pce doors and watched until Yue Chan had helped Xie Siyin back into the house before turning away. Suddenly there came the sounds of countless swords shing through the air. Several figures abruptly appeared and surrounded Jian Chen and sounds of weapons shing rang out. Upon hearing this disturbance, Xie Siyin hastily rushed out of Ordinance Pce. When she saw that Jian Chen was fighting with four people dressed in ck, her heart was seized with fear and she rushed forward. ¡°Niang niang! Be careful!¡± There was no way Yue Chan dared to allow her master to approach those people. As of now, the patrolling soldiers also became aware of the disturbance and rushed into the pce. However, they were a step toote. The people in ck had been ruthless in their attacks, and Jian Chen wasn¡¯t able to fend off all of them, so a de soon stabbed through his heart! ¡°Jian Chen! No!¡± Xie Siyin¡¯s pupils dted as she cried out despairingly. Under the moonlight, Jian Chen¡¯s face was terribly pale as he nced in Xie Siyin¡¯s direction. His lips curved slightly in an unexinable arc as blood spurted out of his chest. His body swayed for a brief moment like a falling leaf before it crashed heavily to the ground, then was still. ¡°Catch the assassins! Hurry and catch the assassins!¡± The imperial bodyguards had already rushed over to sh with the people dressed in ck. Two of the guards moved away from the group to lift Jian Chen up and leave Ordinance Pce. ¡°No! Don¡¯t take him! Jian Chen! Let me go!¡± Xie Siyin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she screamed. However, Yue Chan kept her arms wrapped resolutely around Xie Siyin¡¯s waist no matter how much she struggled and pulled her back to Ordinance Pce. ¡°Let me go! I have to find Jian Chen!¡± Xie Siyin¡¯s tears overflowed like a flooding dam. She shoved Yue Chan aside, then threw herself towards the pce doors. However, Yue Chan ran in front of her and blocked her way. ¡°Jian Chen¡¯s hurt! He¡¯s hurt! Move!¡± Xie Siyin bellowed angrily as she pulled at Yue Chan, but Yue Chan continued desperately holding onto the door bolt, allowing Xie Siyin¡¯s blows to rain on her body. ¡°Your Highness! You can¡¯t go right now! If they end up realizing your rtionship with Jian Chen, neither of you will be spared! Yue Chan can¡¯t stand by and watch you throw yourself towards death!¡± Yue Lan cried sorrowfully, but her gaze remained resolute. ¡°If Jian Chen is dead, what does this consort have left to live for? Move aside!¡± p¡­ Xie Siyin¡¯s palm swung down and five distinct finger marks immediately appeared on Yue Chan¡¯s face. ¡°Yue Chan will die before Yue Chan moves aside!¡± Blood seeped out the corner of her lip, but she continued to block the pce doors like a boulder. She knew clearly that if she allowed her master to see Jian Chen, regardless of whether Jian Chen was alive or not, their affair would be revealed. At that time, even if His Majesty didn¡¯t want to punish them, the public would not hold back their criticisms. ¡°Why¡­ why? We just got back together again¡­ Yue Chan¡­ This consort is scared. Do you think, Jian Chen¡­¡± Xie Siyin fell to her knees on the cold ground as tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°He¡¯s fine. Jian Chen¡¯s a good person, the Heavens will definitely help him. Your Majesty, don¡¯t be like this. Jian Chen will definitely be fine!¡± Yue Chan knelt down and hugged Xie Siyin as she did her best tofort her. Yin Xue appeared like a phantom beneath the moonlight. She opened a tiny vial and poured the powder contained within on the ce where Jian Chen had fallen¡­ In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan stroked Fluffy gently as she gazed out the window. The moonlight was beautifully bright and cast soft shadows beneath the trees. However, she didn¡¯t have the mood to appreciate this scenery. ¡°Master, this subordinate has finished the task.¡± Yao Mowan only loosened a breath in relief when Yin Xue appeared in front of her like a gust of wind. ¡°Jian Chen?¡± This brief period of pain was the price for a very long period of happiness. Yao Mowan could guess how much pain Xie Siyin must be in right now, but she guaranteed that Xie Siyin would bepensated fully. ¡°He¡¯s been sent out of the imperial pce. Although he¡¯s heavily injured, with the Nine Revivals Pill protecting his main meridians, his vitals are secure,¡± reported Yin Xue. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. You can go rest.¡± Yao Mowan nodded slightly, then ced Fluffy down. She should go rest well as well. There was a lot more work waiting for her. In Ordinance Pce, Xie Siyin was grasping Yue Chan¡¯s hand tightly as tears continued to flood out of her eyes. ¡°Yue Chan, regardless of whether Jian Chen is alive or not, please don¡¯t lie to me, alright?¡± Xie Siyin¡¯s voice was hoarse as she looked towards Yue Chan, who had juste back from asking around for news. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Yue Chan swallowed hard as tears whirled in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t stop her lips from trembling. ¡°Do you mean¡­ Jian Chen¡­ No, this consort must see Jian Chen! Even if it¡¯s for thest time! This consort must see him!¡± Yue Chan¡¯s silence confirmed Xie Siyin¡¯s guess. She had seen that de prate Jian Chen¡¯s chest with her own eyes, but she hadn¡¯t been able to bring herself to admit it. She couldn¡¯t believe that Jian Chen would leave her behind to face this world on her own. ¡°Your Highness! Jian Chen¡¯s corpse has already been transported out of the pce. You won¡¯t be able to find him!¡± Yue Chan sobbed as she wrapped her arms tightly around Xie Siyin¡¯s waist. ¡°Even if this consort must search to the ends of the earth, this consort will find him! Although we weren¡¯t able to be born on the same day, at least we can die on the same day!¡± Xie Siyin screamed madly as she used all her strength to push Yue Chan away. However, when she got to the pce doors, she crashed into Ye Hongyi who had hurried here. ¡°Siyin! Where are you going?¡± Ye Hongyi caught Xie Siyin with both hands and pulled her back into the room. When Yue Chan saw Ye Hongyi, she endured her pain with withdrew silently. ¡°I must see Jian Chen! Move!¡± Xie Siyin¡¯s eyes were red. She kicked Ye Hongyi hard as she tried to struggle free from his grasp. ¡°We have asked about it. Jian Chen is already dead and his corpse has already been delivered out of the pce to be cremated ording to the customs. How do you n to find him!?¡± Ye Hongyi kept a firm grip on Xie Siyin as he said this coldly. ¡°That¡¯s not possible! How could Jian Chen bear to leave me behind? How could he die!? His Majesty¡­ why? Why did assassins appear in the imperial pce? Why did they kill Jian Chen? Answer me! Say something!¡± Tears streamed down Xie Siyin¡¯s cheeks as she grabbed Ye Hongyi by his cor and bellow at him. ¡°Sorry¡­ we didn¡¯t think that something like this would happen. Siyin, we have let you down. But events have already urred, you must ept reality! No matter what, we will find the perpetrators and avenge Jian Chen!¡± Ye Hongyi wanted answers even more that Xie Siyin. Who exactly were those people dressed in ck and why did they kill Jian Chen!? If it weren¡¯t for them messing things up, Jian Chen would¡¯ve died tonight from the poison and the matter would¡¯ve been over once Imperial Physician Zheng exined things to Xie Siyin. However, after this happened, he¡¯d have to waste so much time to calm Xie Siyin down. ¡°Your Majesty! Siyin begs you, please have them bring Jian Chen back! I want to see him onest time. Please! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Xie Siyin finally gave up struggling and just fell to a kneel in front of Ye Hongyi. ¡°Siyin, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to help you, but you know the consequences as well if your rtionship with Jian Chen is revealed. Even if he¡¯s already dead, his corpse would still be torn apart as punishment for that sin. And as for you! How could you force us to punish you?¡± Ye Hongyi suppressed his rage as he softened his tone to dissuade her. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I just want to see Jian Chen onest time! Your Majesty!¡± Xie Siyin grabbed Ye Hongyi¡¯s dragon robe as she begged him. ¡°Enough! Do you even show any respect for our reputation!?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯sst straw snapped and he bellowed this angrily. However, when he sensed Xie Siyin¡¯s shocked gaze, he hastily restrained the coldness in his eyes again and leaned over to gently help her up. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 9
Chapter 9: Reveal to Her His Majesty¡¯s Schemes ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will definitely arrange Jian Chen¡¯s funeral matters well, then arrange for a time so that you can visit his grave. Siyin, you must have faith in us. We are even more heartbroken then you are that something like this has happened. We still remember how you gave up your own happiness in order to help us. Now that Jian Chen is no longer around, we will definitely treat you well in order to fill in his share as well!¡± As Ye Hongyi hugged Xie Siyin, his eyes turned ice cold. He couldn¡¯t allow this woman to live any longer. The stormy night finally passed. The next morning, right after breakfast, Yao Mowan saw Ye Hongyi rush into the pce. ¡°Your Majesty, Wan er waited for you a long timest night¡­¡± Yao Mowan tugged on Ye Hongyi¡¯s robe as she pouted. ¡°We rushed here as early as we could to apologize for making you wait in vain. Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan to sit down next to him, but then felt that it wasn¡¯t enough so he pulled her onto hisp. ¡°Your Majesty didn¡¯t keep mepany, so I didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± Yao Mowan continued pouting unhappily. ¡°Haha, we promise Wan er that we¡¯ll never lie to Wan er again, alright?¡± Ye Hongyi gently pinched Yao Mowan¡¯s nose. ¡°En, Wan er believes Your Majesty!¡± Yao Mowan nodded firmly, then shoved a pastry into Ye Hongyi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Junqing here?¡± After being here a while, Ye Hongyi noticed that Ye Junqing was around. ¡°After Wan er threw that test time, he got angry and has been annoyed with Wan er this whole time. But Wan er doesn¡¯t like seeing him anyways, so Wan er told Ting Yue to just send his share to his room,¡± replied Yao Mowan lightly. ¡°Oh really¡­ Wan er, Consort De hasn¡¯t been feeling well thesest few days. Could you help us keep herpany?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s request was outside of Yao Mowan¡¯s expectations. She had been nning to approach Xie Siyin somehow, so Ye Hongyi¡¯s request actually made things a lot easier for her. ¡°Who¡¯s Consort De? Wan er doesn¡¯t want to keep herpany.¡± Yao Mowan pouted and struggled out from Ye Hongyi¡¯s arms. ¡°But we really don¡¯t have any time to keep herpany. Take it as us begging Wan er, alright?¡± Ye Hongyi pulled her back into his arms and gently coaxed her. ¡°Wan er will do whatever Your Majesty asks, but can Your Majesty agree to a request from Wan er?¡¯ Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Hongyi very earnestly. ¡°What is it?¡± Ye Hongyi lifted his brows. ¡°Make Ye Junqing go away already! He¡¯s so annoying!¡± Yao Mowan sighed, then shrugged and returned to her own seat. When Ye Hongyi saw that peeved expression on Yao Mowan¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help butugh. Yao Mowan stood quietly outside Ordinance Pce. The reason Ye Hongyi had sent her to keep Xie Siyinpany was definitely so that she could help him keep an eye on Xie Siyin. If he had sent a different consort, Xie Siyin would have her guard up. Only a fool wouldn¡¯t arouse suspicions and would make her lower her guard. ¡°Ting Yue, what is this!? Ahhh¡­ Wuwuu, scary!¡± The moment she walked into Ordinance Pce, she saw that on the left side of the pce doors, there were a lot of dead bugs and even the corpse of a small green snake on top of some bloodstains. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t be scared. They¡¯re already dead, there¡¯s nothing to be scared of!¡± Yao Mowan rarely tell Ting Yue and Liu Xing about her decisions beforehand because she felt that they were skilled enough to judge the situation. Reality proved her right, because they had never disappointed her before. Right at this moment, the door to the main hall of Ordinance Pce opened and Yue Chan rushed over. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Yue Chan demanded sternly with hostility in her eyes. She had yet to meet Yao Mowan since her return to the pce, so this attitude was within reason. ¡°His Majesty sent Wan er here to keep Big Sister Consort Depany, but what happened here? Why are there so many dead bugs? It¡¯s so scary!¡± Yao Mowan deliberately raised her volume and nced briefly towards the main hall. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Noble Consort Yao? This servant, Yue Chan, kowtows in salute to Noble Consort Yao.¡± Even though Yue Chan had never seen Yao Mowan before, she had heard about things rted to Yao Mowan. Since the woman in front of her called herself Wan er and was dressed in noble consort attire, she was probably the consort that His Majesty currently doted on the most, Consort Yao¡ª Yao Mowan. ¡°Stop kneeling, the ground¡¯s so dirty. There¡¯s blood, dead bugs, and even a dead snake! Ting Yue, I don¡¯t like this ce!¡± Yao Mowan tugged on Ting Yue to leave. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t be scared, they¡¯re already dead. There¡¯s nothing to be scared of,¡± Ting Yue consoled her again. Suddenly, Xie Siyin ran out from the main hall. Her movements were clumsy and weak and she staggered as she ran. Her originally delicate and tender face was now haggard and there were dark circles around her eyes. It had only been one night, but Xie Siyin had changed drastically. Yao Mowan felt guilty, but she had to do this in order to make Xie Siyin tear off Ye Hongyi¡¯s fake mask of kindness with her own hands. In reality, her happiness has always been right there! ¡°Where are there dead bugs?¡± When Yue Chan saw Xie Siyin run out, she hastily walked over to support Xie Siyin. Yao Mowan pointed at the dead bugs on the ground and said angrily, ¡°Right here, and there¡¯s so many of them. Big Sister Consort De, were you guys putting poison here to kill the bugs?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Xie Siyin with earnest confusion on her face. However, Xie Siyin didn¡¯t even nce at her and just stared at the dead bugs on the ground. ¡°Your Highness, allow this servant to help you back inside. Your Highness Consort Yao, pleasee in!¡± The moment Yue Chan saw the dead bugs, she knew that things were getting bad. She really wanted to just drag Xie Siyin back inside, but before she could, Xie Siyin had already flung her off. ¡°Why would they die? Yue Chan, why!?¡± Xie Siyin¡¯s eyes turned ice cold. ¡°Your Highness, please calm down! Her Highness Consort Yao is still here!¡± Yue Chan looked towards Xie Siyin worriedly as she cautiously reminded her of this. ¡°Of course it¡¯s because there¡¯s poison in the blood that also ended up poisoning them. This is chicken blood, right? Back at home, that¡¯s what Nurse Gao used to get rid of the bugs too!¡± Yao Mowan purposefully exined. ¡°There¡¯s poison in the blood¡­ Why would there be poison in the blood¡­ Why would there be poison in Jian Chen¡¯s blood!?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s words seemed to explode like lightning in Xie Siyin¡¯s heart. ¡°Your Highness, how could you make Consort Yao stand and wait outside?¡± Yue Chan hastily walked to Xie Siyin and grabbed her tightly. As she resisted Xie Siyin¡¯s attempts to struggle free, she whispered, ¡°Your Highness, no matter what, you should wait until Consort Yao leaves before talking about this. You should be well aware why His Majesty had sent Consort Yao here!¡± Yue Chan¡¯s words were effective. Xie Siyin stopped struggling and allowed Yue Chan to help her into the building like a soulless puppet. Yao Mowan was also invited inside. For the entire day, Xie Siyin just sat motionlessly on the couch like a wooden puppet. She didn¡¯t react no matter what Yao Mowan said or did. The only thing she was thinking about was what Yao Mowan had said, that there was poison in the blood! ¡°Big Sister Consort De, the things you have here are so pretty. Wan er had never seen a table leg as pretty as this!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes sparkled childishly as she touched the leg of the table. ¡°Aah¡­ the table¡¯s bleeding¡­ Ting Yue, look! It¡¯s bleeding!¡± Yao Mowan backed away from the table in a fluster. When Xie Siyin heard the word ¡®bleed,¡¯ she immediately rushed over to Yao Mowan and saw that red powder was sticking to Yao Mowan¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s all this servant¡¯s fault. I forgot that I asked the people from the internal affairs department to polish this table. The polish probably hasn¡¯t dried yet, that¡¯s why it got on Your Highness¡¯s hands. This servant is truly sorry.¡± When Yue Chan saw the red powder on Yao Mowan¡¯s hand, she hastily came up with an excuse. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. Ting Yue, let¡¯s head back. I¡¯m hungry.¡± Yao Mowan shrugged and turned to leave. Xie Siyin had seen everything that she had wanted her to see, so this was enough. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 10
Chapter 10: Let Her Find Out Herself The moment Yao Mowan left Ordinance Pce, Xie Siyin abruptly knelt down and grabbed the leg of the table. When she lifted her hand off it, she saw that the same kind of powder was sticking to her hands. ¡°Your Highness, this servant will go find Imperial Physician Zheng right away!¡± Yue Lan turned to leave, but Xie Siyin called her back. ¡°Yue Chan! Don¡¯t call for Imperial Physician Zheng. Go to the Prince Residence and get Doctor Li. Clean up those bugs as well and bring them to Doctor Li. Tell him that he must figure out what poisoned those bugs! Be careful when leaving the pce, don¡¯t let anyone see you!¡± As Xie Siyin spoke, she shook the powder on her hand onto writing paper before folding it up and handing it to Yue Chan. Xie Siyin endured the sorrow in her bones and used an entire day to consider everything that had happened in the past. Jian Chen had left the Jianghu seven years ago. There was no way he could have any enemies, so why did those people attack him? Why would there be fatal poison in his blood? Why would the table leg have red powder? It was inconceivable, unimaginable! Ye Hongyi, please don¡¯t disappoint Siyin¡­ That night, in a damaged temple in the east side of the Imperial City. ¡°How is Siyin? Is she alright?¡± When Jian Chen saw Yao Mowan walk in, he endured the pain to get up, but the young child next to him pressed him back down. ¡°Don¡¯t get up. I¡¯m only here to tell you that Xie Siyin is fine. She¡¯s just heartbroken.¡± When Yao Mowan saw the bandages that were stained with blood wrapped across Jian Chen¡¯s chest, she couldn¡¯t help but feel some lingering fears. If something really had happened to Jian Chen, she would owe Xie Siyin her entire life. ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell her directly?¡± Jian Chen furrowed his brows as he looked towards Jing Xin in confusion. ¡°There are some things that you can only understand the taste of after experiencing it yourself. With how much she trusts Ye Hongyi, even if you had been the one to tell her, she might not have believed it. You should just focus on recovering. Jing Xin promises to return a well and unharmed Xie Siyin to you within a month. At that time, you two can leave for a distantnd where you guys can live in the bright and open.¡± After saying those things, Yao Mowan turned to leave. Yao Mowan had actually missed Ye Junqing a little after not seeing him for two days, so she was rather happy to finally see him at the table again. ¡°Two pce maids from the Clothing Department disappeared without a trace. Have you heard about this?¡± Although Yao Mowan was currently upied with Xie Siyin¡¯s matter, she always kept an eye on Ye Junqing¡¯s situation. Liu Sha would report to her Ye Junqing¡¯s whereabouts and doings every night, so she knew about everything he did no matter how much he tried to cover his tracks. ¡°An Bingshan is worse than a beast! This prince really can¡¯t understand why His Majesty would tolerate a person like this who¡¯s even lower than a dog!¡± Whenever Ye Junqing recalled the horrifying things that An Bingshan had done to those pce maids, he¡¯d be seized with the impulse to go and kill An Bingshan right now. ¡°So that¡¯s why you knocked An Bingshan out while he was abusing those two pce maids, then sent those maids out of the imperial pce?¡± There was no way Yao Mowan wasn¡¯t aware of An Bingshan¡¯s vile nature. She still remembered with vivid detail how An Bingshan had handed the poisoned wine to Ye Junqing back in the Esteemed Prince Residence. However, revenge could not be rushed. There was definitely a reason why Ye Hongyi favored An Bingshan, and she had to find that reason! Her revenge wouldn¡¯t be as simple as taking the person¡¯s life. If that had been the case, Ye Hongyi would¡¯ve already died countless times. ¡°Since you already know, why are you still asking this prince?¡± Ye Junqing was peeved. ¡°An Bingshan is still useful alive, so don¡¯t get involved in his matters anymore.¡± There was no room for discussion in Yao Mowan¡¯s tone. ¡°He might be useful to you, but this prince has no use for him! This prince¡­¡± Just as Ye Junqing was arguing back, An Bingshan¡¯s unique shrill voice appeared. ¡°This old servant kowtows in salute to Your Highness Consort Yao and Prince!¡± An Bingshan walked over to Yao Mowan in a fawning manner while holding a golden box that had all sorts of ornamental jewels on it. ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s so pretty!¡± Yao Mowan feigned surprise even though she recognized the box. When Feng Yihan had gifted her that jade hairpin earlier, this was the box he had used. ¡°Replying Your Highness Consort Yao, this is the return gift that the king of Qi had an envoy deliver. It came with the message that Fluffy¡¯s baby is doing very well so Your Highness doesn¡¯t need to worry.¡± An Bingshan carefully handed the gold box to Yao Mowan before standing to the side respectfully. ¡°Who¡¯s the king of Qi?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards An Bingshan with confusion. As she spoke, she moved in front of Ye Junqing to block the murderous re he was shooting towards An Bingshan. ¡°Oh look at me, how could I have forgotten to exin? The crown prince of Qi, Feng Yihan, that had visited a while ago has already be the king of Qi,¡± reported An Bingshan. ¡°Oh, so it was the crown prince of Qi. He¡¯s sure considerate!¡± Yao Mowan lifted the golden box and admired it happily. ¡°Exactly. His Majesty even praised Your Highness for helping him salvage the situation¡­ Ahem¡­ This old servant will be heading back to report.¡± When An Bingshan realized that he had let some things slip, he immediately turned to leave. ¡°What are you blocking this prince for!?¡± Once An Bingshan left, Ye Junqing turned towards Yao Mowan angrily. ¡°Then should I have just let you re at him? An Bingshan isn¡¯t a fool. He¡¯s already searching for the person that had secretly attacked him. If he finds out that it was you¡­¡± Yao Mowan purposefully stopped and just lifted her brows. ¡°And what if he finds out? This prince isn¡¯t afraid of him!¡± Ye Junqing gave a cold humph. ¡°Mowan will give Prince just one sentence of advice: It¡¯s better to offend a nobleman than a petty person! He¡¯s not as easy to negotiate with as Mowan.¡± Yao Mowan slowly returned to her seat and stroked the gold box. ¡°One day this prince will definitely make him die without an intact corpse!¡± vowed Ye Junqing vehemently. ¡°Feng Yihan is truly outstanding, to have been able to overthrow the king of Qi and Feng Duo in just a month. It seems he has truly worked hard these past twenty years!¡± Yao Mowan sighed her praises as she pulled out a beautiful sparkling hairpin from the box. ¡°The immortal phoenix tail hairpin?¡± Yao Mowan eximed in surprise as she looked at the hairpin. This hairpin had great history. ording to legend, in antiquity, the sky deity had taken nephrite jade, coral jade, ghost blood stone, and phoenix stone, to create this for his wife. Afterwards, it continued to be passed down. It had over a thousand years of history. ¡°Why would Feng Yihan give you this?¡± Ye Junqing frowned as he quietly mumbled this. He had also heard about the immortal phoenix tail hairpin. It was said that the sky deity¡¯s rtionship with his wife was even firmer than steel and he was unwaveringly faithful to her. In the end, the two had lost their lives together in an ancient war between the gods and the devils. This hairpin had gained a spiritual nature due to being stained with that couple¡¯s blood, so legend has it that the woman who wears this hairpin would marry the man who gifted it. Countless songs spread this story of that immortal couple. ¡°Mowan truly didn¡¯t risk her life in vain to help him!¡± Yao Mowan stroked the hairpin lovingly, then inserted it in her hair. ¡°Ahem¡­ this prince can agree not to get involved in An Bingshan¡¯s matter anymore, but you must agree to one condition as well.¡± Ye Junqing suppressed the strange vexation in his heart and looked towards Yao Mowan seriously. ¡°En, what is it?¡± Yao Mowan was in a very good mood. ¡°Give this prince that crappy hairpin!¡± Ye Junqing demanded. When Yao Mowan heard this, she froze for a moment, then her lips hooked in a smile. ¡°Did Mowan hear that correctly? Is Prince trying to rip Mowan off? This hairpin is priceless, not even ten thousand An Bingshans could exchange for this? Prince can do whatever you like to An Bingshan, Mowan can¡¯t do anything about it anyways.¡± Yao Mowan purposefully feigned disinterest to lure him in. To her, not even ten thousand immortal phoenix tail hairpins couldpare in importance to Ye Junqing! ¡°How precious can it be!? This prince will add a thousand taels of gold!¡± Ye Junqing resolved himself and raised the price. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt a headache seeing Yao Mowan walk around in front of him with that hairpin. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira¡¯s Corner]Enjoy~ :3
Chapter Volume 2 11
Chapter 11: Only the Living Will be Able to Get Revenge "Does Prince think that Mowancks money?" She had just cheated a thousand taels of gold from Yan Nansheng and her business in Mangyuan was doing well, so she really wasn''t that short on money. "Then what do youck?" Ye Junqing reflexively asked. "Nine revivals pills." Yao Mowan replied crisply. "Cough cough¡­ Shouldn''t you switch targets now? Those things matter more to Yan Nansheng than his life. You''ve already cheated one out of him, but you still want more?" Ye Junqing was extremely speechless. That''s why it should be said that good things should be kept out of Yao Mowan''s sight, otherwise the consequences were too terrible to imagine! Yan Nansheng was the best example. "It''s not like Mowan wants it that much either. Since Prince finds the request difficult, then let''s just forget it." Yao Mowan lifted her hand to gently adjust the immortal phoenix tail hairpin, then sashayed around in front of Ye Junqing for a while before heading into her room. In the evening, Xie Siyin was slightly shocked to see Yue Chan lead Li Yong into Ordinance Pce. "Your Highness, Doctor Li said he had toe personally to check your pulse," said Yue Chan after she closed the pce doors. "This old man kowtows in salute to Your Highness Consort De!" When Li Yong bowed, Xie Siyin immediately went over to help him up. "Doctor Li, there''s no need to be so formal. You were the one that looked after Siyin since Siyin was a child. As of now, you''re the only one Siyin can really trust. Please tell me, did those bugs die from poison? And what was that red powder?" Xie Siyin pulled Li Yong over to a seat while urging him for answers. "Your Highness, don''t be so impatient. Allow this old man to check your pulse first!" Li Yong''s expression was very serious as he ced his hand on Xie Siyin''s snow-white wrist. Yue Chan waited at the side with anxiety written all over her face. After a little while, Li Yong pulled back his hand with a worried expression. "Doctor Li, how is Her Highness''s health?" Yue Chan bit her lips nervously. "This old man will venture to ask: where did that red powdere from?" Li Yong''s brows were tightly furrowed. "It was from there!" After a brief moment of hesitation, Xie Siyin pointed towards the leg of the table. Li Yong immediately leaned over and rubbed around the leg of the table before lifting his hand to his nose. "Your Highness¡­" Li Yong stood up and looked at Xie Siyin hesitantly. "There''s no need to hold back. This consort is already ready for all the possible oues." Even if Li Yong hadn''t made a personal trip, Xie Siyin already had her guesses. It was just that she needed proof. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be able to bring herself to believe that reality. "Replying Your Highness, this is saffron powder. Although it''s hidden inside the red sandalwood, the scent will still diffuse into the air. However, the scent of the red sandalwood overpowers it, so it''s hard to notice. When this old man checked Your Highness''s pulse earlier, this old man found that the main reason Your Highness''s body was so weak is mainly due to long term exposure to this scent. The other issue is that Your Highness is poisoned with the same poison as those bugs. It''s called ''seven leaves'' and is a very slow-acting poison." "Fortunately, there''s not much of it in Your Highness''s body. Once this old man returns, this old man will write the prescription to the antidote. However, this table must be gotten rid of. As of now, this old man can''t guarantee¡­ if Your Highness still has any chances to have a child¡­ Your Highness! How could you have fallen into such a terrible situation? This old man will head back right now and tell the prince about your circumstances so that he can find the consorts that did this!" Li Yong''s face was filled with anger and heartache. "Don''t! Doctor Li, you must promise this consort that no matter what, you can''t let Father know about this!" Xie Siyin did all she could to suppress the shock and hurt in her heart as she requested this of Li Yong. "But¡­" Li Yong looked towards Xie Siyin with a troubled expression. "Don''t worry, now that this consort knows about their schemes, this consort will definitely guard against them. Father''s health is failing, so this consort really can''t bear to see him troubled over my affairs." Xie Siyin held back her tears as she tried to speak calmly. "This old man had always known that entering the pce doors would be like sinking into the ocean, but this old man never thought that the waves would be so cruel and deceitful! Your Highness, you have truly suffered! If back then, Prince had¡­" Li Yong sighed without finishing, but Xie Siyin knew what he meant. If back then, Father had epted Jian Chen''s marriage proposal, she wouldn''t have ended up in such circumstances. "Doctor Li, this consort wishes to know how long seven leaves takes to be fatal?" Xie Siyin wanted to figure out precisely when things had started. She had to make sure! "This is hard to say. It depends on the amount that''s used. It could take as long as ten years, or as little as half a month! Forgive this old man for asking, but how did those bugs die?" Li Yong''s voice was very low as he asked with furrowed brows. "They drank a person''s blood." Xie Siyin held nothing back in front of Li Yong. "Then if this old man''s guess isn''t off, that person has been poisoned with seven leaves for seven years. That person has definitely suffered a lot during these seven years!" Li Yong heaved a heavy sigh. Even if Li Yong hadn''t said this, Xie Siyin would''ve been able to figure it out. These past seven years, Jian Chen''s asional abdominal pain, uncontroble palpitations, and his final symptoms of coughing blood, had all been thanks to seven leaves! "This consort understands. Yue Chan, see Doctor Li back." Xie Siyin clenched her fists hard as she tried to maintain a calm expression. Once Yue Chan left with Li Yong, Xie Siyin abruptly got up and flipped over the red sandalwood table, sending all the tea utensils on its surface crashing to the ground. "Ye Hongyi! You beast! Why!? Why did you treat me this way!? Ah¡­" Tears streamed down Xie Siyin''s face as she turned around and tore at the water blue curtains. Those broken pieces of silk were flung into the air like deste rootless leaves. Yue Chan knew that her master would be very stirred up, so she ran back as soon as she guided Li Yong onto the road that led out of the pce. She made it back just in time to stop Xie Siyin from rushing out of Ordinance Pce. "Your Highness, please calm down! Before we find out the details, you''ll only get yourself into more trouble by rushing out rashly!" Yue Chan closed the doors tight, then pulled Xie Siyin back as she persuaded her. "What else is there to find out!? That square table was built for this consort seven years ago on Ye Hongyi''s orders! The saffron hidden within was definitely his idea! And as for Jian Chen! He''s the only one that knows Jian Chen was at Palcho Monastery! He actually hated this consort and Jian Chen that much!? He had actually nned to kill us from the start! How could he do this!? This consort had done so much to help him stabilize his throne! How could he be such a heartless beast!? How!? Why!?" Xie Siyin screamed in crazed fury. Tears flowed over her cheeks and soaked her cor, chilling her heart. "Your Highness! Please calm down for now! Even if all of this is true, you have no evidence so His Majesty will never admit to it! In addition, he''ll definitely try to quickly get rid of you since you found out about his scheme! No matter what, you must endure this!" Yue Chan had already guessed most of this as well from the moment she found out that Jian Chen''s blood was poisoned. "Even if this consort dies, this consort must drag him down to hell! This consort wants him to kneel and beg for mercy in front of Jian Chen! Let go of me!" Xie Siyin abruptly bit Yue Chan''s wrist. "If Jian Chen was still alive, he''d definitely be opposed to Your Highness throwing away your life like this! You''re not the one that has sinned, why must you die?" Yue Chan endured the pain and continued to try to dissuade Xie Siyin. "Then has Jian Chen sinned? Why did he have to die!?" Xie Siyin wailed heartbrokenly. "That''s why, Your Highness, you must live. You can only get revenge if you''re alive! You can only avenge him if you''re alive!" Even though Yue Chan''s wrist was bleeding, she continued holding onto Xie Siyin tightly. Those words finally got through to Xie Siyin and she froze for rigidly for a moment before finally giving up the struggle and leaning weakly against Yue Chan''s shoulder. That was right! The only way she''d be able to take revenge was if she stayed alive! She must stay alive! "Your Highness, please listen to this servant. The reason His Majesty spent seven years on this scheme is definitely because he fears you. Why would he go through so much trouble otherwise? Since you possess something His Majesty is apprehensive of, you must utilize it well! Rather than rashly rushing out to demand an exnation, we should n carefully how to get revenge for Jian Chen. That way, we''d be able to avenge him without throwing away our lives!" Yue Chan grasped Xie Siyin''s shoulders firmly as she said this. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 12
Chapter 12: Poison His Woman "How could he be so heartless? Back then we had agreed that as long as I helped him obtain Father''s support, he would help me be together with Jian Chen! How could he do this? Why!?" Xie Siyin''s tears fell like rain. Even now, she couldn''t believe the fact that Ye Hongyi, who has always been as gentle as the wind and considerate as a brother, was actually such a ruthless person. "Your Highness, since ancient times, monarchs have been heartless. Perhaps we shouldn''t have trusted him from the start¡­" Yue Chan wiped away the tears at the corners of Xie Siyin''s eyes. She felt heartache for her master. She had witnessed how much her master had suffered to be together with Jian Chen, but it turned out to be like the moon''s reflection in a pond. How could the Heavens be so cruel? Why wouldn''t it give them a chance? "Those assassins were definitely sent by Ye Hongyi! He couldn''t wait any longer for Jian Chen to die from the poison since he couldn''t stand the sight of Jian Chen! Ye Hongyi! This consort will never forgive you!" Xie Siyin''s eyes abruptly turned cold as she vowed this grimly. "Your Highness¡­" Yue Chan looked towards Xie Siyin worriedly when she felt how hard Xie Siyin was trembling. "Since he killed the person this consort loved the most, this consort shall repay in kind. I hear that the one he dotes on the most right now is that fool in Guan Osprey Pce?" Xie Siyin''s eyes emitted chilling light. "Your Highness, we can''t be rash in this matter. We must n carefully¡­" "This consort no longer has time to n carefully! The pain Ye Hongyi has made this consort suffer, this consort will return it to him amplified! Once everything here is taken care of, this consort will leave to find Jian Chen. This consort can''t bear to make Jian Chen wait too long¡­" Tears once again flooded out. Xie Siyin continued sobbing on the ground next to the table until she fainted and was helped back to her bedroom by Yue Chan. Xie Siyin was truly very decisive. After spending a few days working things out, she had a te of poisoned pastries brought to Yao Mowan''s table. "She seemed pretty intelligent, so how did she end up doing such a dumb thing?" Yao Mowan couldn''t help but shake her head as she looked at the pastries on the table. "Xie Siyin''s way of thinking is truly different from the masses." Yin Xue expressed her agreement. Since Xie Siyin now knew the truth, she should know that her enemy was Ye Hongyi. Even if she didn''t attack Ye Hongyi, normal people wouldn''t let off Imperial Physician Zheng who had poisoned Jian Chen. However, she had actually turned to point her de towards Master. It was truly hard to understand. "It seems that there''s a need to give her clear pointers. This consort will meet with her tonight. Please make the preparations." Yao Mowan took a deep breath, then waved to dismiss Yin Xue. "Ting Yue, clear away these pastries!" called Yao Mowan softly. However, the person that walked in was Ye Junqing. "What''s wrong with the pastries? They look very appetizing!" Ye Junqing appeared in an handsome azure outfit. He seemed in a very good mood as he walked to the table and reached for a pastry. "There''s crane''s red-crown and yan sand inside. If Prince is interested in the taste of those two poisons, feel free to have some," replied Yao Mowan concisely. "There''s poison? Who are you attacking this time?" Ye Junqing quickly pulled back, then turned to look guardedly at Yao Mowan. "Could it be that Mowan can''t be the victim?" Yao Mowan was unhappy with Ye Junqing''s reaction. "There exists someone that would dare poison you? That person must be tired of living." Ye Junqing gave a heartfelt sigh for the pitiful person, then pulled out a medicinal pill and ced it in front of Yao Mowan. "Nine revivals pill? How did you get it?" Yao Mowan stared in surprise at the pill Ye Junqing was holding, her eyes sparkling like stars. "Trade for it with the immortal phoenix tail hairpin!" Ye Junqing immediately lifted his hand out of her greedy fingers'' reach. "Ting Yue, go get the hairpin from the bedroom!" called Yao Mowan impatiently. Ting Yue quickly jogged into the bedroom and then passed the hairpin to Yao Mowan. "But really, what do you need this hairpin for?" After Yao Mowan made the trade, she lifted her brows at Ye Junqing as she asked this question. "None of your business!" When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan had made this trade without hesitation, he felt a lot better. "Ye Junqing! You''re seriously beyond help! Don''t you know how rare that pill is? You actually used it to trade for a crappy hairpin!?" Yan Nansheng''s sudden appearance flustered Ye Junqing. Meanwhile, after putting the nine revivals pill away, Yao Mowan sat back down to watch the show. "Cough cough¡­ Well, I''ve already traded it, so what can I do?" Ye Junqing shrugged helplessly. "Give me the hairpin!" Yan Nansheng didn''t wait for Ye Junqing to agree and walked up to snatch the hairpin out of his hand before walking over to Yao Mowan. "Trade!" Yan Nansheng opened his hand with a solemn expression. This was the first time Yao Mowan had seen such a serious expression on Yan Nansheng''s face. Of course, regardless of whether he smiled or not, he was still extremely beautiful. Yao Mowan smiled slightly as she lifted her clear eyes to look towards Yan Nansheng innocently. "No matter how good the immortal phoenix tail hairpin is, it still has a price, but the nine revivals pill is priceless! It''s not like I''m Ye Junqing." Yao Mowan simply stated the truth, but herst remark was filled with ridicule. Yan Nansheng had no words with which to refute. He heaved a heavy sigh, then lifted his lips slightly in a captivating smile as he walked behind Yao Mowan and carefully inserted the immortal phoenix tail hairpin into her hair. "What are you doing!?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yan Nansheng with astonishment. "Isn''t it clear?" Yan Nansheng spread his hands as he lifted his brows at Ye Junqing. "That belongs to this prince!" Ye Junqing was indignant. "Yours? The nine revivals pill belongs to me. The thing that you exchanged with my possession naturally also belongs to me. It''s a matter of course for me to do whatever I want with my things, right, Mowan?" Yan Nansheng just wanted to make Ye Junqing angry. Ye Junqing had actually tricked him for a rotten hairpin. He had been so worried when he heard that Ye Junqing was severely ill, could it be that Ye Junqing didn''t know that? "It makes sense!" Yao Mowan nodded with a happy smile. Ye Junqing stormed out of Guan Osprey Pce. Once his figure faded from sight, Yan Nansheng immediately stopped smiling and he walked in front of Yao Mowan again with a serious expression. "If one day you decide to stop being a noble consort, you can go be a bandit!" Yan Nansheng gave this suggestion with heartfelt sincerity. "You were the one that had put this hairpin on Mowan!" reminded Yao Mowan out of kind intentions. Yan Nansheng''s words were choked back and after a moment, he stormed out just like Ye Junqing. The breeze this night was warm and the curved moon hung in the sky like an arched bow. When Yao Mowan appeared in Ordinance Pce, Xie Siyin was sitting there waiting for news. "Who are you?" Xie Siyin backed away cautiously when she saw Yao Mowan appear in front of her, dressed in a in white garment with a ck cloth mask covering her features. "There''s no need to wait, Yao Mowan hasn''t died." The room felt conspicuously empty without that red sandalwood table. Yao Mowan casually sat down in a chair before meeting Xie Siyin''s gaze calmly. "You¡­ You know about all of it?" Perhaps it was because Xie Siyin already nned tomit suicide, but she didn''t show much fear when Yao Mowan appeared. Right now, what she feared the least was death. "The person who caused this was Ye Hongyi, so why did you direct your attack towards a fool that doesn''t know anything?" Yao Mowan had been very confused by this. "Because Ye Hongyi cares about that imbecile! If she dies, Ye Hongyi''s heart would break!" Xie Siyin restrained her feeling of panic as she replied angrily. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 13
Chapter 13: She Won''t Sit and Wait for Death "What kind of logic is that?" Yao Mowan expressed that she couldn''t understand. "Who exactly are you? Why are you here? If you''re here to threaten this consort, then you''ve made this trip in vain!" said Xie Siyin coldly. "There''s a proverb that says it well: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. You and I have the same motive, so there''s no reason for me to threaten you! Look at this, do you recognize it?" As Yao Mowan spoke, she pulled out half a jade pendant from her sleeve and handed it to Xie Siyin. "This is¡­ This is Jian Chen''s jade pendant! Why would it be in your hands?" Xie Siyin immediately recognized the jade pendant. "Of course he was the one who handed it to me. Jian Chen is not dead." Yao Mowan told her the truth. Hatred tended to make people lose their rationality, but right now, she needed Xie Siyin to be rational. "That''s not possible¡­ this consort saw that de pierce through his chest, and Ye Hongyi has already gotten rid of his corpse! Now you''re telling me that Jian Chen isn''t dead? How can this consort believe!?" Xie Siyin gripped the jade pendant as tears fell from her eyes like a broken string of pearls. Although she didn''t believe, Yao Mowan saw the hope in her eyes. "You probably recognize his writing." Yao Mowan had already predicted that Xie Siyin wouldn''t believe her, so she then passed over the prepared letter. ''Siyin, I''m safe and well. Jian Chen.'' When Xie Siyin saw the seven petal plum flower above the letter, her grip on the letter tightened and she covered her mouth as more tears streamed down her cheeks. "Even if I can copy his writing style, I wouldn''t know what that plum flower symbolizes. You can look for someone to check the ink marks in order to figure out when this letter was written. This is all the proof I have. If you still don''t believe me, then there is no need for us to continue talking." For a moment, Yao Mowan felt envious of Xie Siyin. Although she had to go through heartbreaking pain, it was just a bad nightmare and she hadn''t actually lost her only love. However, Zhong er will never be able toe back to life. "I want to see Jian Chen!" Xie Siyin wiped at her tears, then abruptly ran towards Yao Mowan, but Yin Xue suddenly appeared and stopped her. "If I could allow you to see him, would I have needed to waste so many words?" Yao Mowan sighed. It wasn''t that she was cruel but that it truly wasn''t the right time. "What do you want? I''ll agree to all of your conditions!" The moment Xie Siyin became certain that Jian Chen was still alive, she felt her heart burst with joy. Nothing else mattered as long as he was still alive. "Back then, Ye Hongyi had married you in order to obtain the Benevolent Prince''s trust. You probably know now that he really didn''t deserve anyone''s trust, least of all the trust from those older princes!" Yao Mowan''s voice was cold and her eyes were as dark and deep as an ancient well. "You want this consort to pull off his hypocritical mask? Why? Who are you?" Xie Siyin looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "Could it be that you don''t want to? The fact that Jian Chen didn''t die can only be attributed to the fact that he was lucky. It doesn''t change the reality of Ye Hongyi''s merciless cruelty. This pill is called the nine revivals pill. It can bring a person back to life, I believe you''ll find it useful. As for who I am¡­ All you need to remember is that I''m called Jing Xin." Yao Mowan pressed the nine revivals pill into Xie Siyin''s hand, then looked towards Yin Xue. Before Xie Siyin had a chance to think about what this meant, Yao Mowan had already left Ordinance Pce. In the span of a second, everything fell calm again. If not for the nine revivals pill in her hand, she would have thought that everything was a dream. "Jing Xin¡­ you''re right. Just because Jian Chen didn''t die doesn''t mean that Ye Hongyi is innocent¡­ Don''t worry, this consort won''t waste this nine revivals pill of yours¡­" Xie Siyin slowly closed her fist around the pill as she smiled coldly. Right at this moment, Yue Chan ran in from outside. "Your Highness, this servant saw that Ting Yue from Guan Osprey Pce threw the pastries away. It''s good that we had been extra careful. Even if they look into it, they won''t be able to find that we were the ones behind it! However, if we want to make another move, we''ll have to wait awhile for another chance!" reported Yue Chan. "There''s no need. Yao Mowan isn''t the one guilty, there''s no reason for her to die. Yue Chan, call Imperial Physician Zheng to this consort''s ce tomorrow. He has taken such good care of Jian Chan, this consort should thank him properly!" Xie Siyin sat down by the table with icy calmness. "Your Highness¡­" Yue Chan walked over worriedly when she sensed Xie Siyin''s abnormality. "Does it still hurt? I''m sorry, I didn''t do it on purpose." When Xie Siyin lowered her eyes, she saw the two deep rows of teeth marks on Yue Chan''s wrist and her eyes filled with remorse before turning cold again. Raised up by Xiao He, then cast down by Xiao He! (Proverb about Xiao He who had made Han Xi great general, but then also yed a role in his downfall.) Ye Hongyi, back then, you used Siyin to gain the trust of all the previous generation princes. Now, Siyin will take them back away from you¡­ Imperial Physician Zheng died very tragically. He was only discovered two days after his death. Based on Ting Yue''s report, by the time Imperial Physician Zheng had been hauled out of the well, his body waspletely rotten and his face was unrecognizable. If it weren''t for the medicinal box by his side, no one would''ve been able to figure out who he was. Ye Hongyi had been very concerned by this incident and ordered for it to be investigated. Yao Mowan was happy to know that Xie Siyin had already started making her move. "Master, Ye Hongyi has already gotten definite evidence that Xie Siyin poisoned Imperial Physician Zheng. If he brings it to court, he''d be able to shift things to his favor!" reported Yin Xue. "This consort is certain that Xie Siyin wouldn''t sit and wait for death. Let''s wait a little longer!" Yao Mowan slowly stopped stroking Fluffy. Right at this moment, Ting Yue ran in. "Your Highness, something terrible has happened in Ordinance Pce! Her Highness Consort De has hung herself!" reported Ting Yue. When Yao Mowan heard this, she froze for a moment. Yin Xue was also stunned. "It''s good. Yin Xue, withdraw. Ting Yue, apany this consort to Ordinance Pce." Yao Mowan happily ced Fluffy down and strode out of Guan Osprey Pce. When Ye Hongyi got this information right after getting out of court, he was stunned for a very long time. "How could she havemitted suicide?" Ye Hongyi furrowed his brows tightly as his eyes filled with cold murderous intent. Ever since An Bingshan figured out Imperial Physician Zheng''s cause of death, Ye Hongyi knew that Xie Siyin had found out about everything. She was taking revenge! But if she wanted to take revenge, how could she have stopped at just killing Imperial Physician Zheng!? She should be aware of who the puppet master was! "Replying Your Majesty, this is news that the eunuch of Ordinance Pce brought, it can''t be wrong. Since we don''t have your decree, no one dares to touch Her Highness Consort De''s corpse, so she''s still hanging from the roofbeams," reported An Bingshan as he bowed. "Idiots! Hurry up and have someone get her down! Forget it, we will head there ourselves! Hurry and block the pce entrance. Dy the Benevolent Prince as much as possible!" No matter how Xie Siyin died, it was fine as long as it wasn''t by suicide! Ye Hongyi''s eyes turned dark and his Adam''s apple bobbed with his hard swallow as he rushed towards Ordinance Pce. Although An Bingshan knew what His Majesty meant, the Benevolent Prince, with his fiery temper, wasn''t someone he could really stop. If he was sessful, that would be good, but if he made the wrong move, he might even lose his life. Thus he just assigned a random eunuch to guard the pce doors as he quickened his steps to catch up with Ye Hongyi. When Yao Mowan arrived, a bunch of enunches and pce maids had gathered around Ordinance Pce. Everyone was curious about this event, so Yao Mowan just found a quiet corner from which to calmly watch the spectacle. "Scram!" shouted Ye Hongyi. The pce maids immediately fled, leaving only a few maids and enunches that were in charge of the rough work around Ordinance Pce. They knelt there while trembling, not even daring to breathe too loudly. "Your Highness! Why did youmit suicide? Even if you suffered a great grievance, the prince would help you get justice! Why couldn''t you think things through!?" Yue Chan was kneeling in front of Xie Siyin, sobbing and wailing. "Hurry up! Lift Consort De''s corpse down from there!" The moment Ye Hongyi walked in, he saw that Xie Siyin was hanging in the middle of the main hall by a white cloth that was tied to a roofbeam. Her face was reddish purple and her limbs dangled lifelessly. She had long stopped breathing. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 14
Chapter 14: You Were the One Behind It Again! "Move aside! Don''t you dare touch my master! Your Majesty¡­ When had Her Highness ever done anything to let you down? How could you force her to die like this!?" Yue Chan scrambled to her feet and blocked the guards that were trying to walk in as she red at Ye Hongyi. "How dare you spout nonsense! Guards, drag her out and beat her to death!" When Ye Hongyi heard Yue Chan''s angry screams, he became even more certain that Xie Siyin already knew about everything! In the end, he was still a stepte. If he had punished her with the death penalty for poisoning Imperial Physician Zheng, it would''ve been much easier to deal with this matter. As of now, all he could do was kill Yue Chan first to destroy evidence. "Let me go! Your Majesty! You sure are heartless! Her Highness had been so loyal to you! Yet you actually did this!? You''re utterly devoid of conscience!" Yue Chan screamed hysterically as she pushed frentically at the guards that were trying to grab her. "Execute her now!" shouted Ye Hongyi, his expression dark. When the guards heard, they drew their swords, but before they could swing down, a strong powerful voice made them freeze. "This old man would like to see who dares! Daughter¡­ oh my poor daughter!" Everyone looked over only to see an old man past sixty rush in with disheveled clothing. He threw himself towards Xie Siyin''s corpse and his sobs seemed to cause the entire Ordinance Pce to shake. This was the tower of strength in the state of Chu. He had been a senior figure in court for three dynasties and was also a rtive of the emperor. He spent his life on the battlefield and dedicated it to handling military matters. He hadn''t even blinked when he got injuries deep enough to make his bone show, but when he saw his daughter''s corpse, he howled with grief as tears streamed down his face. "Prince! You must get justice for Her Highness! It was His Majesty! His Majesty was the one that forced Her Highness to kill herself!" When Xie Zhong appeared, Yue Chan immediately knelt down and started beseeching him. "Yue Chan! Stop speaking nonsense!" Ye Hongyi never imagined that Xie Zhong would arrive so quickly, nor that Yue Chan would suddenly reveal everything like this. If she revealed everything, Xie Siyin''s reputation would also be destroyed! "Speak! Why would this old man''s daughtermit suicide? What exactly did she suffer!?" Xie Zhong''s strong voice was like a knell that resounded in everyone''s hearts and made their eardrums hurt. Even though Ye Hongyi was the monarch, he was still a little afraid of Xie Zhong since numerous princes of the older generation were high ranking military generals that had braved fire and water with Xie Zhong. They still followed Xie Zhong loyally. If it weren''t for the fact that he had gotten news that Xie Zhong was severely ill, he wouldn''t have sped up the scheme against Jian Chen and Xie Siyin. However, from the looks of it now, Xie Zhong was more healthy than he had been led to believe! There was no way it''d ur to Ye Hongyi that Yao Mowan had carefully engineered all of this. "Replying Prince! Ever since Her Highness entered the pce, His Majesty has acted very courteous towards Her Highness on the surface, but he had actually hidden saffron in Ordinance Pce and secretly poisoned Her Highness! Her Highness had drunk countless bowls of supplemental tonic in hopes of helping His Majesty give birth to a son! She prayed for years! But it turned out¡­ Wuwuu¡­ Her Highness couldn''t take this harsh truth, that was why she gave up on life! Prince¡­ Her Highness had died with grievances!" Yue Chan crawled to Xie Zhong as she wailed this. "Saffron? Poison? Ye Hongyi! How dare you!?" Xie Zhong white brows furrowed tightly and his eyes turned bloodshot from anger. He turned around to rush towards Ye Hongyi, but was stopped by the surrounding guards. "Yue Chan, how dare you try to frame us! When had we ever poisoned Consort De? And how could there be saffron in this room!? It was Consort De that used iXour favor towards her to threat human life as grass. Imperial Physician Zheng had been killed by you two. The evidence is conclusive, but you''re still refusing to admit it!" Ye Hongyi shouted angrily to conceal his shock. "That''s right! This servant had poisoned Imperial Physician Zheng to death! Because this servant saw him add seven leaves to Her Highness''s supplemental tonic! It was an amountrge enough to be fatal! Prince! This servant isn''t speaking nonsense! Doctor Li from your residence had snuck in to check Her Highness''s condition. Not only had she been given a lot of slow-acting poison, due to the fact that she had inhaled saffron for a long period of time, she had be infertile!" shouted Yue Chan. She abruptly stood up and ran into the bedroom to pull out the red sandalwood table. Then, in front of everyone, she lifted a chair and swung it towards the table leg. The heavy impact caused the saffron powder hidden inside the leg of the table to explode into the air. The strong herbal smell was unmistakable. "Prince, this is proof! Before Her Highness died, she told this servant that His Majesty must have feared the Xie family''s power, that''s why he hadn''t allowed her to be pregnant with the imperial seed! Her Highness even said¡­ she said she would do as His Majesty desired¡­ However, this servant never would''ve thought that she meant she would end her own life! Your Highness¡­ how could you bear to leave the prince behind? How could you leave this servant behind!?" Yue Chan wailed heartbrokenly as tears streamed down her face. "Ye Hongyi! How could you treat this old man''s daughter this way!? How could you treat Yinyin this way!? This old man will avenge his daughter!" Xie Zhong used all his strength to try and shake off the guards. Perhaps he had overexerted himself, because his vision went dark and he abruptly copsed. The moment he fell, five figures instantly appeared around him and forced the guards to retreat. "Who are you guys?" Originally, Ye Hongyi had nned to kill Xie Zhong while he was unconscious, but unexpectedly, Xie Zhong hadn''te here alone. "We''re the Benevolent Prince''s hidden guards. We are loyal only to the Benevolent Prince." As the person dressed in ck spoke, the rest had already lifted Xie Zhong up and disappeared with him. By the time Ye Hongyi reacted, they were already gone. "Preposterous! Is he trying to revolt!?" As a monarch, there was no way Ye Hongyi could stand being disregarded like this. So at this moment, Ye Hongyi turned his furious dark gaze towards Yue Chan. "Guards! Drag Yue Chan out right now and execute her!" shouted Ye Hongyi. Yue Chan knew that her mission waspleted, so even if she died, it had been worth it. Just as she had prepared herself for her imminent fate, Yin Xue pulled Yue Chan out of there in a sh. "Revolted! They''ve all revolted! Throw Xie Siyin''s corpse in the Disorder Burial Mound! Throw it right now!" Ye Hongyi exploded. Two people had been saved from right in front of him. His status as the monarch had beenpletely disregarded, how could he not be angry! In addition, his uing battle with the Benevolent Prince worried him. When Yao Mowan turned to return to Guan Osprey Pce, she saw that Yao Suluan was currently ring at her fiercely. "This was your doing! You had staged this entire incident, didn''t you?" Yao Suluan emitted a baleful aura as she demanded answers in a low voice. "That''s right. I did all of this. You should hurry and tell His Majesty. He''s currently very angry, so maybe he''d actually give a decree to kill me in the heat of the moment!" Yao Mowan''s cherry lips lifted slightly as she walked to Yao Suluan with soft swaying steps. Her long eyshes fluttered slightly as she continued. "However, it''d be hard to say if His Majesty would believe you. Don''t end up failing to steal the chicken and getting yourself covered in feces instead. Oh! I almost forgot, Second Older Sister is currently a fool. His Majesty probably wouldn''t believe a fool''s words." "You had nned all of this in order to ruin His Majesty''s rtionship with the Benevolent Prince! Yao Mowan, you hate His Majesty!" Yao Suluan glowered at Yao Mowan as she dered this. "Ha, if you have proof, you should go to His Majesty. Mowan doesn''t have the time to waste listening to your pointless words!" The amusement in Yao Mowan''s eyes faded as she moved to past Yao Suluan, but she was pulled back. "Yao Mowan, what exactly do you know? What exactly are you trying to do!?" shouted Yao Suluan like she was near falling apart. However, Yao Mowan turned around and grabbed her by the cor. "Whatever you did to Eldest Sister, Mowan will do to you! Yao Suluan, the Heavens witness all human actions! Do you really think that no one knows about the things you did?" Yao Mowan turned to look at her straight on. Her clear eyes seemed to contain eternal ice, Yao Suluan involuntarily trembled from that gaze. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 2 15 Chapter 15: Go Say Goodbye to Your Father ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­ there¡¯s no way you could know¡­ unless Yao Moxin came back to life, there¡¯s no way anyone would know about that! You¡¯re lying to me! You¡¯re definitely lying!¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s face turned deathly pale and she abruptly pushed Yao Mowan away. She staggered, then fell on the ground. ¡°Of course I¡¯m lying to you. How could Wan er know what happened between you and Eldest Sister? With how scared you look, people would think that you¡¯ve seen a ghost!¡± Yao Mowan lifted her face as she looked down at Yao Suluan with a smile. ¡°Yao Mowan! This consort won¡¯t let you off!¡± When Yao Suluan saw that Yao Mowan was standing in front of her in a dignified manner while she was in such a disgraceful state, she wanted to explode. It was unavoidable that she could lose to the the far-sighted and shrewd Yao Moxin, but there was no reason for her to lose to an imbecile! ¡°The moment Dou Xiann poisoned my mother to death, Mowan had already decided to never let you guys off! Yao Suluan, this consort will be waiting for you!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s eyes emitted chilling light. Her gaze seemed like that of a beast eyeing its prey and caused Yao Suluan¡¯s heart to chill. As Yao Mowan walked away, she noticed that there was a figure in the shadows, but she didn¡¯t mind it. The vast blue dome of the sky was lit with tiny little stars. From time to time, clouds drifted past and covered the crescent moon, causing the ground below to be hazy and still. The old temple at the east of the Imperial City was bright with candles that illuminated two tear stained faces. ¡°Jian Chen, why didn¡¯t you tell me the truth? Did you know how scared and heartbroken I was to see you copse? I really wanted to just throw myself over and follow you! If it weren¡¯t for Yue Chan, I¡­¡± Xie Siyin couldn¡¯t find the words to describe that heart wrenching sorrow. Tears just continued to stream down her cheeks as she pounded on Jian Chen¡¯s chest with her delicate fists. This was Xie Siyin¡¯s first reaction after she woke up. ¡°I know, I know about it all! Siyin, I¡¯m sorry. It was all Jian Chen¡¯s fault. Jian Chen swears that from now on, we¡¯ll never be apart again!¡± Jian Chen stroked Xie Siyin¡¯s snow-white shoulders gently and allowed her to hit him. He felt no pain, only happiness. He had never felt as light as he did now. Just as Jing Xin had promised, they could now finally leave and go far away without fear. From now on, Jian Chen and Xie Siyin no longer existed. For the rest of their lives, they would just be a nameless couple that were truly in love. ¡°If you continue hitting him like that, his injury will probably rupture!¡± A clear voice suddenly appeared. Yao Mowan appeared inside the temple as if she had dropped from the sky. Her face remained covered by a ck veil like before. ¡°Jian Chen! I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Are you alright?¡± After Yao Mowan gave this reminder, Xie Siyin finally looked and saw that there was blood seeping out and dying the bandages on Jian Chen¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m fine. As long as you¡¯re by my side, Jian Chen will be fine no matter what!¡± As Jian Chen spoke, he pulled Xie Siyin into his arms and stroked her gently as if she was the most precious treasure in the world. ¡°For better or for worse, shouldn¡¯t you guys give me a nce? After all, I do count as the benefactor that saved your lives!¡± Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t deny that she felt a little envious as she watched how Jian Chen and Xie Siyin were glued together. ¡°Jian Chen kowtows in thanks, Benefactor!¡± Perhaps because he finally realized that they were acting a little inappropriate, Jian Chen reluctantly released Xie Siyin and knelt down on one knee. Xie Siyin didn¡¯t bow, but her eyes were filled with gratitude. ¡°No matter who you are or what you were after, Jian Chen and I would¡¯ve died in Ye Hongyi¡¯s schemes had it not been for your involvement. As of now, my faked death has caused a falling out between Father and Ye Hongyi, so I¡¯ve already done as I agreed to do. You have not failed your part of the deal either. Although in truth, we are only conducting an exchange and I don¡¯t owe you anything, Siyin still feels grateful. Many thanks!¡± After Xie Siyin said that, she moved to kowtow, but Yao Mowan stopped her and helped her back up. ¡°As you¡¯ve said, Jing Xin has already obtained what she wanted. You don¡¯t owe Jing Xin anything, so Jing Xin really can¡¯t take this bow. However, there¡¯s someone that can take it. You understand.¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Xie Siyin meaningfully, her gaze gentle. When she got back to Guan Osprey Pce, it was already midnight. She exhaled deeply. Whenever she recalled how Ye Hongyi had bellowed futilely like a silly clown in Ordinance Pce, she would feel her umted hatred ease just a little bit. However, this was only the beginning. In the future, she¡¯d make Ye Hongyi slowly sink even deeper into the quagmire until he¡¯spletely submerged in the blood and suffocates to death! Even after midnight, the main room of the Benevolent Prince¡¯s Residence remained brightly lit. On the couch, Xie Zhong, who had always been strong and robust, seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. ¡°Daughter¡­ where are you¡­ Father has let you down!¡± Xie Zhong murmured, half asleep, as a tear rolled down his cheek. ¡°Father, this daughter is right by your side. It was this daughter that was unfilial for making Father worry!¡± Jing Xin was right. Even if she wanted to leave the Imperial City and go to somewhere far away with Jian Chen, she still had to say goodbye to her father first. ¡°Daughter? My daughter! My Siyin¡­ you¡¯re not dead? Or is it that this old man is already dead? No matter what, it¡¯s fine. As long as I can see you, it¡¯s fine!¡± When Xie Zhong opened his eyes, he discovered with shock that Xie Siyin was standing in front of him with tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°Father, Siyin hasn¡¯t died. Siyin is still well and alive¡­¡± Xie Siyin held back her sobs and spoke. ¡°You didn¡¯t die? That¡¯s great! Father knew that you wouldn¡¯t be able to bear leaving Father behind!¡± Xie Zhong, who had always been very stern and austere in front of his daughter, suddenly got up and pulled her into his arms while crying tears of joy. The two hugged for almost an hour before Xie Zhong finally released her reluctantly. ¡°Daughter, what exactly is going on? Father clearly saw you¡­¡± Xie Zhong held Xie Siyin out at arm¡¯s length to inspect her. ¡°Father, there¡¯s something that this daughter has been keeping from you for a long time, but must tell you now. Seven years ago, this daughter only agreed to enter the pce because Ye Hongyi agreed to help this daughter stay together with Jian Chen for this lifetime. What he wanted was Father¡¯s support, butter¡­¡± Xie Siyin told Xie Zhong about the entire sequence of events. On the bed, as Xie Zhong listened silently, his expression kept changing. When Xie Siyin got to the end, his aged face was filled with regret. ¡°Father, this daughter knows that she had been too bold, too willful, but there won¡¯t ever be a man that treats this daughter better than Jian Chen. Ye Hongyi is narrow-minded and heartlessly cunning. Even if it weren¡¯t for Jian Chen, he still wouldn¡¯t ever let this daughter give birth to a child. He¡¯s utilizing Father¡¯s influence over the older generation of princes, but at the same time, he fears Father¡¯s influence. He¡¯splete vermin!¡± Xie Siyin then knelt down on the floor in front of Xie Zhong. ¡°Father¡­ this daughter has been unfilial and has let you down!¡± said Xie Siyin, her voice choking with sobs. ¡°Yinyin, this isn¡¯t your fault. Father shouldn¡¯t have forced you to enter the pce which caused you to endure so much suffering. But Yinyin, back then, Father really just wanted you to be happy. Father never thought that Ye Hongyi would actually turn out to be such a malicious person!¡± Xie Zhong unsteadily got off the bed to help Xie Siyin up from the ground. His hand trembled as he gently wiped away the tears on Xie Siyin¡¯s face. ¡°This daughter knows. Father loves this daughter and didn¡¯t want this daughter to suffer any hardships, that¡¯s why Father wanted this daughter to enter the pce. However, the happiness that this daughter wants isn¡¯t in the Imperial Pce¡­¡± Xie Siyin helped Xie Zhong back onto the bed as she said this earnestly. ¡°Yinyin, don¡¯t worry, Father will never let Ye Hongyi off for what he did to you!¡± Whenever Xie Zhong recalled that scene in Ordinance Pce, his heart would fill with fury. ¡°But he¡¯s the Emperor! And this daughter is perfectly well right now. Father shouldn¡¯t get involved in such dangerous matters for this daughter¡¯s sake,¡± Xie Siyin tried to dissuade him. ¡°Now that I know you¡¯re fine, Father no longer needs to rush with this revenge. Don¡¯t worry, Father will wait carefully for an opportunity to strike him down! There¡¯s no need for you to worry about these things, where¡¯s Jian Chen?¡± Xie Zhong restrained the coldness in his eyes. As he shifted his gaze to his daughter, his eyes filled with gentle affection. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 16 Chapter 16: They Were Very Simr ¡°F¡­ Father¡­¡± Xie Siyin hadn¡¯t expected for Xie Zhong to ask this and was a loss for a few moments. ¡°Call him out. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll agree to him taking away my precious daughter without a word!¡± Xie Zhong sighed. He had been a general for half his life and had devised countless strategies. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t know that his daughter hade to say goodbye. Even as Xie Siyin hesitated, Jian Chen already walked out. ¡°Thismoner, Jian Chen, kowtows in salute to the Benevolent Prince.¡± Jian Chen cupped his fist respectfully as he saluted. ¡°What did you call this old man?¡± Xie Zhong¡¯s eyes were once again filled with spirit and sharp as that of a hawk¡¯s. Upon hearing this, Jian Chen looked towards Xie Siyin in confusion. Xie Siyin was also taken aback and flustered. After a brief moment, Jian Chen dropped to his knees and knocked his forehead against the ground before calling out respectfully, ¡°This son-inw, Jian Chen, kowtows in salute to Father-inw!¡± Jian Chen¡¯s lips trembled slightly in irrepressible excitement and happiness. ¡°Alright, get up! This call of Father-inw has been an entire seven yearste ining. It¡¯s this old man that has been wrong. Yinyin, hurry up and help this old man¡¯s dear son-inw up!¡± Xie Zhong nudged Xie Siyin dotingly. Xie Siyin was stunned, then her eyes filled with tears again as she walked over to help Jian Chen up. ¡°Father, thank you!¡± Xie Siyin wiped at the tears of joy that were spilling down out of her control. ¡°What need is there to mention thanks when we¡¯re family? It¡¯s enough that you¡¯re willing to forgive this old man¡¯s past stubbornness.¡± Xie Zhong gazed at the couple in front of him with dness and remorse in his eyes. ¡°No matter what Father does, this daughter knows that it had been for this daughter¡¯s sake. This daughter has always known!¡± Their parting was soon. Xie Siyin couldn¡¯t help but throw herself into Xie Zhong¡¯s arms and cry. ¡°Silly girl, what are you crying about? The fact that you can be with the person you like should be something happy. Jian Chen ah!¡± As Xie Zhongforted his daughter, his eyes also gleamed with tears. ¡°This son-inw is here!¡± Jian Chen walked quickly to Xie Zhong¡¯s side. Xie Zhong reached out and pulled Jian Chen over, then pressed his daughter¡¯s hand onto Jian Chen¡¯s palm. ¡°This old man has never begged anyone before, but now, this old man begs you, please treat Yinyin well.¡± It was a simple sentence, but it contained all of the fatherly affection Xie Zhong harbored towards Xie Siyin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father-inw, Jian Chen swears that he will never hurt Yinyin in this lifetime. If Jian Chen ever breaks this promise, let the Heavens punish my transgression with fatal lightning!¡± Jian Chen understood what Xie Zhong was worried about, so he immediately lifted his hand and made this vow. ¡°Father¡­¡± Xie Siyin could not stop crying. Nothing was more painful than a goodbye. In the end, Xie Siyin still bid her farewells and left the Benevolent Prince Residence with Jian Chen. However, to Yao Mowan¡¯s surprise, Xie Siyin had sent a request to see Jing Xin to Guan Osprey Pce. That night, as the moon and stars lit up the sky and the gentle wind caressed the earth, Yao Mowan headed to the old temple in the east. When she saw Xie Siyin dressed in a simple white garment with a simple hairstyle, she found the sight quite unfamiliar. Xie Siyin did not look as graceful as before, but she looked a lot more natural. ¡°Is there still a need to wear a mask?¡± Xie Siyin nced at Yao Mowan as she asked this lightly. ¡°When did you figure out that it was me?¡± Yao Mowan slowly pulled off her veil. ¡°I made the poisoned pastries that were sent to Guan Osprey Pce with my own hands. The matter was kept extremely secret, Yue Chan was the only other person involved. There was no way anyone other than someone of Guan Osprey Pce would know that it¡¯s poisoned, so I had my suspicions right after you asked me why I tried to harm Yao Mowan. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I had been too stirred up, I would¡¯ve realized at that time that it was you.¡± Xie Siyin had grown up in a prince¡¯s residence, so she was very familiar with the struggle for power that took ce in the shadows. Yao Mowan had reason to believe that if Xie Siyin had interest in the Inner Pce, Xie Siyin would be her most troublesome opponent. ¡°That simply?¡± Yao Mowan lifted her brow skeptically. ¡°I¡¯ve also doubted myself before. After all, everyone knows that the third daughter of the Yao Residence has been a fool since youth. However, when you directed me to take revenge on Ye Hongyi and I nned out that act, I became even more certain that it was you,¡± Xie Siyin answered calmly. ¡°You were the one that came up with that act, I had no part in it,¡± refuted Yao Mowan. ¡°That¡¯s true, but that was because you had predicted what I would do. Since he had married me back then for the sake of getting the older generation of princes on his side, then I¡¯ll destroy that. In addition, I knew that there was no way he could do anything to my father with how strong my father¡¯s current prestige is.¡± This was one of the reasons why Xie Siyin schemed to make Ye Hongyi and her father have a falling out. ¡°There should be a reason why I¡¯m doing this, right?¡± Yao Mowan was very curious as to how much Xie Siyin had been able to figure out. ¡°The reason is Yao Moxin! Difficult childbirth? I found this news to be suspicious from the first time I heard it in Palcho Monastery. As the Empress, she was naturally carefully taken care of by the imperial physicians from the moment she first conceived. If there was something wrong with the pregnancy, the imperial physicians would immediately work to fix it. It really would be difficult to have a miscarriage. There¡¯s something suspicious about Yao Moxin¡¯s cause of death and you seem to already know what it is, that¡¯s why you want revenge on Ye Hongyi. If my guess isn¡¯t off, Huan Caier and Yu Funing¡¯s circumstances are also your doing. You¡¯re currently shaving away at Ye Hongyi¡¯s power. The person you want to put into power is probably the one who has always been loyal to Yao Moxin¡ªYe Junqing!¡± Xie Siyin¡¯s urate analysis amazed Yao Mowan, but she didn¡¯t let it show on her face. ¡°You think that Ye Junqing is also involved?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s gaze darkened. Suddenly, she was hesitating over whether or not to let Xie Siyin leave. ¡°No, based on how much he cares for Yao Moxin, if he knew that Yao Moxin had not died from a miscarriage, he would¡¯ve already revolted to avenge her. There was no way he¡¯d be meekly epting Ye Hongyi¡¯s insults and humiliation.¡± Xie Siyin became even more confident in her conjectures when she saw Yao Mowan¡¯s expression. ¡°Why did youe to see me?¡± Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help but sigh in admiration. It was fortunate that Ye Junqing wasn¡¯t as cautious and detailed as Xie Siyin, otherwise she¡¯d really have a headache. ¡°I wanted to tell you that my father has already decided to give Ye Hongyi a fatal blow when the right opportunityes. In addition, he now knows that there¡¯s a woman called Jing Xin who once saved his daughter¡¯s life. So once the timees, you can look for my father with the identity of Jing Xin. Wasn¡¯t this precisely what you were aiming for when you advised me to go back to the Benevolent Prince¡¯s Residence?¡± Xie Siyin drew blood on the first prick. ¡°Haa, even if I don¡¯t want to let you go, it seems I have no choice. Where do you n to go?¡± Yao Mowan smiled as she gave up on her earlier idea. She suddenly felt that Xie Siyin was very simr to her. They were both very shrewd and intelligent, but they had both ended up falling for Ye Hongyi¡¯s schemes. The only difference was that Xie Siyin was much more fortunate than her. ¡°To the ends of the earth. In any case, we won¡¯t evere back.¡± Xie Siyin¡¯s serious expression rxed as a soft smile appeared on her face. ¡°May you two find happiness!¡± Yao Mowan gave her blessings sincerely. ¡°Farewell forever!¡± These two words were enough for Yao Mowan to feel relieved. The day after Xie Siyin left, the Benevolent Prince stopped attending court meetings due to severe illness. However, Ye Hongyi was relieved to see that the other older princes aside from the Benevolent Prince didn¡¯t show much reaction. He thought that this was the result of his usual attempts to pacify the princes. He had no idea that they were already aware of Xie Zhong¡¯s intentions and were acting normal while awaiting an opportunity to strike. Yao Mowan¡¯s mood got a lot better now that she had finished dealing with Xie Siyin¡¯s matter. Currently, she was in the courtyard of Guan Osprey Pce ying with Jewel. Meanwhile, Fluffy was lying below a pear tree and meowed a bit from time to time to prove that she wasn¡¯t toozy. Beneath the rays of the sun, the immortal phoenix tail hairpin dazzled so brightly it pierced the eyes. It made Yao Mowan look even more like a ethereal fairy who was so beautiful and pure that not even the pear blossoms couldpare to the beauty of her jade-like skin. ¡°You¡¯ve found out?¡± Yao Mowan tossed the ball of yarn she was holding to Jewel as she looked towards Liu Xing who was jogging over. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 17
Chapter 17: Ye Liyu is Back "Replying Your Highness, news hase from the prime minister''s residence. The reason that the lord didn''t attend court yesterday was because the madame experienced stomach pain. I hear that the lord had gathered quite a few of the famous doctors in the imperial city to treat Madame, but it turns out that there wasn''t much of an issue," reported LIu Xing. "Ha, he''s actually panicking this much over someone else''s son? Howughable. Is that teacher, Wu Zicheng, still meeting with Li Qingqing?" asked Yao Mowan as she walked slowly through the garden to the swing. "The madame is still meeting frequently with Wu Zicheng and has even started rmending him to the lord. The lord has already agreed to invite Wu Zicheng to be the child''s teacher once the child is born." Liu Xing walked with Yao Mowan to the swing. For a second, he felt the urge to reach out and help her push the swing. Back then, in the prime minister''s residence, this was something he had often done for her. However, now, things were different. He would never be able to overstep his bounds and do something like that again. "Even after taking a dark path once, he still shows no fear of ghosts. When will this consort''s father finally gain a better memory? Alright, you can withdraw for now." Yao Mowan waved for Liu Xing to withdraw, then lightly pushed off the ground with the tips of her shoes, causing the swing to start swaying softly. Right at this moment, Ye Junqing stormed over with a gloomy expression. Jewel was startled to the point he scurried up the tree, his tailpletely puffed up. "This prince seriously can''t tolerate that bastard An Bingshan anymore! He killed another pce maid!" Ye Junqing''s brows were tightly furrowed and his eyes were filled with rage. "Didn''t Prince promise not to get involved in An Bingshan''s matters anymore? You''ve already forgotten after such a short time?" Yao Mowan tapped the ground again, gently stopping the swing as she looked towards Ye Junqing with lifted brows. "But that doesn''t mean we can just let An Bingshan treat people''s lives like grass like this!" Ye Junqing stormed over indignantly. The immortal phoenix tail hairpin in her hair immediately caught his attention. "Ahem¡­ this hairpin doesn''t suit you!" Ye Junqing was aware of the fact that he couldn''t do anything to An Bingshan. Thest time he had tried, Liu Sha stopped him. It was likely on Yao Mowan''s orders. "No way, Mowan feels like it''s really pretty, it really sparkles!" Yao Mowan reflexively stroked the hairpin with a smile. "It''s because it sparkles too much, it hurts the eyes andpletely overshadows your light!" refuted Ye Junqing in an earnest manner. "Actually, if Prince wants this hairpin, it''s notpletely impossible." Yao Mowan held onto the ropes of the swing as she nced over at Ye Junqing craftily. "There are only three nine revivals pills total in Phoenix Feather Manor. There''s only one left now. You should just give up on the idea, otherwise Yan Nansheng really will go crazy on you!" warned Ye Junqing out of good intentions. "So there was still one more!" When Ye Junqing saw the light in her eyes, he really wanted to just p his own mouth. So she hadn''t known that! "Cough cough¡­ Pretend I didn''t say that." Ye Junqing turned to leave, but Yao Mowan blocked his way. "You don''t want the hairpin anymore?" asked Yao Mowan softly. "There''s another way?" Ye Junqing''s hope reignited. "As long was Prince helps push Mowan''s swing a couple times, Mowan will gift this hairpin to you." Yao Mowan''s voice was as clear as the cry of an oriole and was very pleasing to the ear. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing turned back around and walked to Yao Mowan''s side. "It''s that simple?" asked Ye Junqing in surprise. He couldn''t help but doubt his own ears. "That''s right ah. But if Prince isn''t willing¡­" "Who says I''m not willing!?" Ye Junqing immediately refuted and reached out for the swing''s ropes. Unwilling? It was so rare for Yao Mowan to be so generous. He''d be a fool to be unwilling! A breeze swept past, lifting up Ye Mowan''s ink-like ck hair. Her flowing skirt danced in soft waves as it moved through the air and a few petals that were drifting through the airnded on Yao Mowan''s delicate shoulders. The scene was beautiful, and the immortal phoenix tail hairpin''s glimmer made the scene even more dream-like. As Ye Junqing watched Yao Mowan sway in the wind, a ripple spread through his heart. He had lied. That immortal phoenix tail hairpin really suited her. The current Yao Mowan was like an angel. Under the sunshine, the hairpin sparkled with dazzling light, piercing his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, for a moment, he saw Moxin on the swing. "Moxin¡­ where did you go? Junqing misses you so much, do you know that¡­" He was startled out of his daze by a sudden scream. By the time he snapped out of it, Yao Mowan had already crashed into the ground and was in a miserable state. "Ye Junqing! You did that on purpose!" Yao Mowan got up with a pained expression and pointed right at his nose as she shouted this usedly. At this time, Ye Hongyi had already walked over. "Wan er, let us see. Did you get hurt?" Ye Hongyi worriedly pulled Yao Mowan over and cupped her face, his eyes filled with heartache. "Your Majesty! You have to get justice for Wan (er)! Ye Junqing did that on purpose! He''s bullying me!" Yao Mowan buried her tearstained face in Ye Hongyi''s chest even as her heart pounded from fear. If she hadn''t manage to spy Ye Hongyi out of the corner of her eye earlier and reacted quickly, based on how suspicious Ye Hongyi tended to be, he definitely would''ve started suspecting the rtionship she had with Ye Junqing. Ye Junqing''s heart clutched acridly when he saw Yao Mowan leaning into Ye Hongyi''s arms. That faint ache flustered him. When he saw Yao Mowan and Ye Hongyi share intimate gestures, he''d actually feel ufortable. In the past, he wasn''t like this, his heart had never hurt before. Why would it be like this? Ye Junqing was shocked by his heart''s reaction and forgot to even salute Ye Hongyi. "Junqing! No matter what Consort Yao did, she''s still your imperial sister-inw! How can you bully her this way?" shouted Ye Hongyi indignantly. "Your Majesty, Wan er''s arm hurts!" When Yao Mowan saw that Ye Junqing waspletely frozen, she immediately lifted her sleeve and showed the two bloodly lines on her otherwise wless fair arm. "This subject brother is guilty. Your Majesty, please punish." Ye Junqing''s brows furrowed slightly when he saw the injury on Yao Mowan''s arm and he immediately dropped down to one knee. "Forget it. But if we ever see you bullying Consort Yao again, we won''t let you off! Wan er, we''ll apany you over to have your injury treated." Ye Hongyi waved with an irritated expression, indicating for Ye Junqing to stand up. Then he walked out of pear blossoms garden with his arms around Yao Mowan. After a few steps though, Ye Hongyi suddenly turned around to look back at Ye Junqing. "In a few days, Ye Liyu will being back. If you don''t have anything else to do, help An Bingshan out with the preparations. We are holding a weing reception for him!" Yao Mowan was stunned to hear this and frigid light shed through her eyes. Ye Hongyi had actually transferred Ye Liyu back! It seemed that he was still apprehensive about the Benevolent Prince''s retaliation, that''s why he had transferred his only surviving younger brother¡ªaside from Ye Junqing¡ªback to the imperial city from the northwest. The reason why Ye Junqing had survived was because Ye Hongyi needed his help to conquer all those territories. Meanwhile, Ye Liyu had been able to live because he had a very boorish personality and didn''t scheme at all. He had always followed Ye Hongyi obediently. Of course, their blood rtionship also made up part of the reason. however, Yao Mowan knew that if Ye Liyu showed even the slightest bit of desire for the throne, Ye Hongyi definitely wouldn''t care about that bit of shared blood. Yao Mowan''s impression of Ye Liyu was that he was aplete boor. Regardless of whether it was in looks or intelligence, he was a far cry from reaching Ye Hongyi. Most importantly, this person was, for some reason, extremely hostile towards Ye Junqing. He had previously tried to caused Ye Junqing''s death several times, so his return wasn''t good news at all! It seemed that the following days wouldn''t be peaceful anymore. "Wan er, what''s wrong?" Ye Hongyi asked softly when he sensed that the beauty in his arms seemed a little unhappy. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 18
Chapter 18: Immortality! "You''re nning to let Ye Junqing leave just like this? Wan er wants him to fall too!" Yao Mowan concealed the shrewdness in her eyes and looked towards Ye Hongyi with an unhappy pout. "Our Wan er is always magnanimous and won''t sink to a petty person''s level, right?" Ye Hongyi chuckled as he helped Yao Mowan back to Guan Osprey Pce. That night, when Yin Xue carried Ming Yu into Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was sitting in front of the dressing table, deep in thought. "Master, I''ve brought her here." said Yin Xue respectfully as she undid Ming Yu''s voice seal. "Cough cough¡­ Who are you? Why are you be in Consort Yao''s room? As long as Ming Yu''s here, Ming Yu won''t allow you to harm Consort Yao!" The moment Yin Xue released Ming Yu, Ming Yu ran to Yao Mowan and stood in front of her protectively while ring at Yin Xue. "Didn''t you hear her call this consort master?" said Yao Mowan softly. She then got up and walked gracefully to the table. With a lift of her hand, she signaled for Yin Xue to withdraw. Following that, she poured a cup of clear tea and pushed it towards Ming Yu. "Consort Yao¡­" Ming Yu looked at Yao Mowan in rm as her thoughts raced for a way to respond. "No need to feign surprise. You probably saw everything from outside Ordinance Pce that day. It''s not just Ordinance Pce, back then at Jade Lake, you didn''t go back the Pure Flower Pce so you were there to see that Yao Yu jumped down himself. However, you didn''t step out to speak for your master. Ming Yu ah, this consort is facing you without pretenses in order to have an open talk with you, so¡­ sit down." Yao Mowan extended her hand and indicated for Ming Yu to sit down. During this entire time, the light in her eyes was as sharp as that of an eagle''s. Yao Mowan''s words only made Ming Yu be even more nervous. After hesitating for a few moments, she walked to the table and slowly sat down. "Anything in regards to Her Highness Consort Li, as long as it''s something Ming Yu knows about, Ming Yu will definitely tell you everything without holding anything back." Ming Yu was sitting on the very edge of the seat and maintained a very respectful posture. Everyone in the Inner Pce knew that Consort Yao was a fool. Now that Yao Mowan had actually revealed to her otherwise, whether she would be able to walk out of this Guan Osprey Pce really would depend on luck. "Rather than about Yao Suluan, this consort is more interested in An Bingshan''s matters. Tell me about them." Yao Mowan gracefully lifted her tea cup and gently brushed away the loose tea leaves with the lid of the cup. Every single movement was elegant and precise. This wasn''t something that a fool could do. "This servant¡­ this servant doesn''t understand what Consort Yao means." Ming Yu was terrified. It had never urred to her that Yao Mowan would ask about An Bingshan. "It''s fine, this consort will allow you time to think. After you finish thinking, you can answer this consort''s question," said Yao Mowan leisurely. She lifted the tea cup and took a sip. The tea''s strong clear aroma filled her senses. Ming Yu was stunned to hear these words. She found that she couldn''t see Yao Mowan''s eyes clearly. Her eyes were like ancient wells with endless depths, like two ck holes. Just ncing into them caused one to feel as if they were falling into an abyss. She had sensed Yao Mowan''s shrewdness and ruthlessness at Ordinance Pce, but the current sensation was a hundred, no, a thousand times stronger! In the end, Ming Yu finally chose to disclose everything because she didn''t know how much Yao Mowan knew. She also didn''t know if Yao Mowan was just probing her out or really trying to get something out of her. All she knew was that she had to survive. She would only be able to get revenge for Hong Mei if she survived! "What does Consort Yao wish to know about An Bingshan?" Ming Yu started speaking with a resolute expression. "He''s tortured countless pce maids. His Majesty must be aware, so why is he tolerating it? As for you, you''re one of An Bingshan''s few trusted aids. How did you gain his trust? And why are you willing to work for him?" asked Yao Mowan. If it weren''t for the fact that An Bingshan was getting close to finding out that Ye Junqing had been the one that attacked him, she wouldn''t have messed with An Bingshan so early. After all, she wasn''tpletely confident in the oue yet, so she didn''t want to inadvertently give An Bingshan a warning. "Does Consort Yao believe in immortality?" At this time, Ming Yu sinked down fully onto the chair. Yao Mowan didn''t reply. She knew that the next words would definitely contain a scandal that would abhor and disgust anyone. "An Bingshan obtained His Majesty''s favor because he possesses a secret recipe for immortality medicine. An Bingshan had already started making the pills for His Majesty when this servant found out about this. There''s no one that doesn''t desire immortality. The aloof emperor that enjoys the reverence of millions is of course not an exception! ording to what An Bingshan said, one of the ingredients for that medicine is the tender flesh below a woman''s armpits. He had used this excuse to ravage countless pce maids! However, His Majesty hasplete faith in An Bingshan''s words. This is the reason why His Majesty has always tolerated An Bingshan!" As Ming Yu spoke, her eyes turned cold and beneath her sleeves, her hands clenched into fists. Yao Mowan''s expression turned serious as well. Ye Hongyi actually wanted to be immortal? He was truly naive! She didn''t interrupt Ming Yu''s words and just kept listening. "This servant already knows that An Bingshan has this hobby and had been praying that it wouldn''t happen, but bad luck still befell this servant. That night, this servant was knocked unconscious by an eunuch that served An Bingshan and carried to a room behind the Cold Pce¡­ When this servant woke up, An Bingshan was towering above like a sinister demon. Just as An Bingshan was about to make a move, this servant''s good friend, Hong Mei, suddenly rushed in and knocked An Bingshan unconscious to save this servant. If it was possible, this servant would''ve preferred for An Bingshan to just ruin me that day. Even if I died, it was alright. It''d be better than what happenedter¡­" Ming Yu choked back tears. Those memories that she couldn''t bring herself to recall were still as vivid as if they had happened just yesterday. Every time she recalled it, her heart would shatter into even more painful fragments. "An Bingshan found Hong Mei, then killed her?" Yao Mowan''s eyes were sharply cold even as anger filled her heart. Ever since she experience rebirth, she had always been telling herself to remain calm, but she seriously couldn''t remain unperturbed right now. "It''s this servant that killed Hong Mei¡­ An Bingshan is inhumane! Not only did he torment Hong Mei to the point she was at herst breath, he had the younger eunuchs continue tormenting her¡­ This servant couldn''t bear to watch Hong Mei suffer anymore, so¡­ this servant killed Hong Mei and the two eunuchs that were about to torment her. This servant knew that the person who was behind all of this was An Bingshan, so this servant made a gamble¡­ I¡­ I personally handed the tender flesh beneath Hong Mei''s armpits to An Bingshan¡­ Since that moment, An Bingshan has treated this servant as a trusted aid. From that time until now, it''s already been two years." Tears silently streaked down Ming Yu''s face and soaked her cor. These past two years, every night, Ming Yu would dream of the scene where she had offered Hong Mei''s bloody flesh to An Bingshan with her own hands. That pain was worse than death. "You want An Bingshan to die?" Yao Mowan suppressed her anger and looked towards Ming Yu solemnly. "This servant has endured for this long. There were a lot of chances to kill An Bingshan, but this servant didn''t do so because this servant didn''t want An Bingshan to die so easily. He should live and be punished!" Ming Yu gritted her teeth even as tears streamed down her cheek. Her body trembled from the suppressed hatred. "Did you help him in making pills for His Majesty?" Yao Mowan agreed with Ming Yu''s way of thinking. Those thatmitted outrageous crimes couldn''t be let off with just death. "An Bingshan only assigns this servant to take small amounts from every consort''s treasury. This is one of the ways he umtes wealth. He has never allowed this servant to get involved with refining the pills. However, this servant has noticed that every day, at six in the morning, he would enter Central Dragon Pce. In addition, regardless of where His Majesty is resting that night, at six, he would also return to Central Dragon Pce, so this servant thinks that An Bingshan is definitely refining the pills in Central Dragon Pce!" said Ming Yu, her bright eyes staunch. "This consort will make an exchange with you. The trade is that, this consort will make An Bingshan wish he was dead in exchange for three months of yourplete loyalty. Well?" Yao Mowan''s voice was solemn and clear, her eyes were as cold and still as the water in an ancient well. Perhaps she should consider changing that immortality recipe for Ye Hongyi? __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 19 Chapter 19: The Transcendental Prince¡¯s Feelings ¡°Ming Yu is overjoyed to hear such words. From now on, Ming Yu¡¯s life belongs to you!¡± Ming Yu kneeled and knocked her head against the ground hard in a fierce kowtow. For some reason, Ming Yu had a feeling that if there existed someone in this world that could truly deal with An Bingshan, it would be this person. At breakfast the next day, Ye Junqing didn¡¯t see Yao Mowan, but the immortal phoenix tail hairpin was on the table. ¡°Prince, my master said that she¡¯s giving this to you,¡± said Ting Yue respectfully. ¡°Where¡¯s your master?¡± Ye Junqing picked up the hairpin. His eyes contained faint disappointment that he himself didn¡¯t even notice. Since yesterday, he had been troubled by one question. Had he really pushed too hard and caused Yao Mowan to fall off the swing? ¡°My master went out with Fluffy for a walk.¡± Ting Yue replied ording to Yao Mowan¡¯s instructions. ¡°She was carrying Fluffy? Her hand¡¯s injured, why is she still carrying Fluffy around?¡± Whenever Ye Junqing recalled the injury on Yao Mowan¡¯s hand, he would be struck with guilt. As for that unclear emotion he felt yesterday in the pear garden, he interpreted it as guilt and self-me. There was no way he would have feelings for Yao Mowan, that two-faced and maniptive woman! The one he loved was Yao Moxin! This would never change! It was a pity that Ye Junqing didn¡¯t know that even if he did fall in love with that two-faced and maniptive woman, the fact that he loved Yao Moxin still wouldn¡¯t change. ¡°Ting Yue, help massage my shoulders. They ache so much. Oh, Prince is here too?¡± The moment Ye Junqing heard Yao Mowan¡¯s voice, he hastily concealed the worry in his eyes and turned around expressionlessly. However, when he saw thezy chubby cat in Yao Mowan¡¯s arms, his expression turned stern and he walked over to take Fluffy. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yao Mowan was surprised by Ye Junqing¡¯s actions. ¡°This prince misses Fluffy, alright?¡± replied Ye Junqing angrily. He even affectionately rubbed his face against Fluffy toplete the act, but Fluffy felt ufortable and jumped out of his arms to find a ce to sleep. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that Prince is worried about the injury on Mowan¡¯s arm, right?¡± Yao Mowan hit the mark on the first try, causing Ye Junqing¡¯s face to flush red. ¡°Ahem¡­ It¡¯s only because you looked like you were in so much pain yesterday, that¡¯s why¡­¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips curled up even before Ye Junqing finished his words. ¡°That was just to scare His Majesty. It¡¯s just a scrape, Mowan isn¡¯t that delicate!¡± Yao Mowan walked to the table with a slight smile and casually picked up the immortal phoenix tail hairpin. However, before she had a chance to even look at it, Ye Junqing snatched it out of her hand. ¡°You¡¯re already favored enough, is there a need?¡± As Ye Junqing said this, he stuffed the hairpin in his sleeve unhappily. ¡°It¡¯s always good to gain more favor,¡± replied Yao Mowan casually. She was slightly distracted because she was still thinking about what Ming Yue saidst night. An Bingshan was deeply involved in whether one would be able to survive in the Inner Pce, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to deal with him. ¡°Do you love His Majesty?¡± Ye Junqing regretted this question the moment it left his mouth. If she didn¡¯t love His Majesty, why would she act so sweet in front of him? What he used to call maniption and trickery had now turned into ¡®acting sweet.¡¯ Ye Junqing didn¡¯t notice that his tone was now very gentle. ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s reply was out of Ye Junqing¡¯s expectations. For some reason, when he heard those two words, he felt relieved and happy. ¡°Why?¡± Ye Junqing wanted to get to the bottom of it now. ¡°How many of the consorts and concubines in this Inner Pce loves His Majesty? The only thing they love is imperial favor! To them, it doesn¡¯t matter who the emperor is,¡± exined Yao Mowan objectively. ¡°It¡¯s not important¡­ Why hadn¡¯t Moxin thought this way¡­¡± Ye Junqing pressed his lips together and his eyes turned dim. ¡°Because Eldest Sister was an idiot of course!¡± Yao Mowan hated it when Ye Junqing cried because of Yao Moxin. The Yao Moxin from back then doesn¡¯t deserve such love! ¡°Yao Mowan!¡± Ye Junqing finally snapped out of it. What was he thinking to discuss something like this with Yao Mowan? She didn¡¯t understand what love was at all! One day, when Ye Junqing finally realized that there was no one in the world that understood what love was better than Yao Mowan, it was already too te. He had lost her¡­ Even the wind of the midsummer evening was hot to the point it was vexing. In Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was fanning herself vigorously but she couldn¡¯t cool down in the slightest. ¡°Your Highness, should this servant pour a cup of herb tea for you?¡± asked Ming Yu carefully. Ever since she met with Yao Mowan, she became certain that this master of hers wasn¡¯t a match for Yao Mowan. Yao Suluan¡¯s fate was already sealed. ¡°The more I drink, the more I¡¯ll sweat. My clothes are almost soaked. Enough, just withdraw. Seeing a clumsy person like you is even more vexing.¡± Yao Suluan dismissed Ming Yu. Once Ming Yu left, she threw aside the circr fan and walked into the bedroom. However, she kept tossing and turning on the bed, unable to fall asleep. She kept recalling that confrontation with Yao Mowan outside Ordinance Pce. She was sure that Yao Mowan knew how Yao Moxin died. Even if she didn¡¯t know the details, she knew the general cause. However, that general cause was already enough of a reason for Yao Mowan to hate her to the core! ¡°If your heart is calm, you¡¯ll naturally feel cooled. What is Your Highness Consort Li vexed about?¡± A rough voice appeared, apanied by a slight breeze. Yao Suluan abruptly got up and backed away while wrapping the nkets around her. When she got a look at the person, she became even more stunned. The man in front of her was dressed in borate brocade garments that couldn¡¯t conceal his tall and sturdy build. His suntanned skin showed years of facing the world¡¯s elements and there was a distinct scar that crossed his left cheek all the way to his ear. His originally sharp and handsome face seemed sinister due to this scar. Meanwhile, those who looked into those eyes felt instinctive fear. His ck pupils seemed to emit a faint green light like a beast that would trample everything and everyone in order to break out of its cage. Currently, the man was holding a fan and gently fanning Yao Suluan. His lips were lifted slightly in a smile, but that smile contained no warmth. ¡°Transcendental Prince? You¡­ When did youe back?¡± Yao Suluan took a deep breath and concealed the shock in her eyes as she forced her tone to remain steady. The return of this old admirer might give her a chance to turn things around. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter when this prince had returned. What matters is that this prince entered the pce the moment that this prince returned to the imperial city. The first person this prince wanted to see, the first person that this prince saw was you! Your Highness Consort Li¡­ I hear that things haven¡¯t been going well for you. Do you regret not choosing this prince back then?¡± A trace of pity shed through those dark eyes. Even though he was far away in the northwest, he had continued to pay attention to this person from over a thousand miles away. As she rose from the position of Noble Consort to Imperial Noble Consort, he had been happy for her. When she was demoted from the position of Imperial Noble Consort to just being a consort, he had worried for her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint Prince. This consort is doing very well!¡± Yao Suluan feigned strength as she got out of the nkets and walked off the bed in her inner garments. An image suddenly shed through her head¡ªthat of Ye Liyu rushing into Guan Osprey Pce with a sword and stabbing Yao Mowan. Yao Suluan was certain that as long as she nudged him the right way, Ye Liyu would get justice for her! ¡°Is that so? But this prince heard that Consort Li had actually resorted to faking idiocy in order to regain imperial favor and almost drowned in the Jake Lake.¡± Ye Liyu walked slowly behind Yao Suluan even as he continued fanning her. ¡°If Prince hase to see this consort in a pitiful state, then Prince has already achieved your goal! This consort had not only lost imperial favor, this consort was yed with by a fool! As of now, in order to obtain imperial favor, this consort has to act as a fool in front of His Majesty and jump into Jade Lake to catch some sort of rainbow fish! Prince isn¡¯t the only one that feels like this consort is a clown, the entire Inner Pce thinks that way! However, Prince has probably been aware of this from the moment you got back to the imperial city! Yes! This consort has fallen! Is Prince happy now?¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s tears spilled out uncontrobly as she looked towards Ye Liyu with glistening eyes. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 20 Chapter 20: Her Chance was Here Right after Yao Suluan said that, a pair of powerful arms wrapped around her. As she leaned against Ye Liyu¡¯s broad chest, her lips hooked in a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, do you still not understand my heart? Don¡¯t you know how much my heart aches to see you like this? If it weren¡¯t for you, this prince would¡¯ve rejected Imperial Older Brother and just stayed carefreely in Secluded Province! It¡¯s been seven years. This prince thought that this prince would be able to forget you if this prince went far enough away! However, the further I went, the more I missed you! Suluan, this prince has returned, so no one will dare to bully you again!¡± Ye Liyu hugged the beauty in his arms tightly as he said this with conviction. ¡°Transcendental Prince¡­ Suluan regrets now¡­ But what do I do? There¡¯s no longer any way to turn back¡­¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s tears soaked Ye Liyu¡¯spel. At this moment, her only thought was that her chance hade. With Ye Liyu here, she could now contend against Yao Mowan! ¡°Don¡¯t cry, this prince will help you! This prince won¡¯t let off anyone that hurts you! Suluan, did you say that Yao Mowan bullied you? But from what I¡¯ve heard, she really is a fool. How is this possible?¡± Ye Liyu slowly lifted Yao Suluan out of his arms and asked her this gently. ¡°Yao Mowan isn¡¯t a fool at all, she¡¯s extremely intelligent! It was her¡­ she had caused Suluan¡¯s mother to die and had framed Suluan multiple times¡­ Prince, just forget it. Suluan doesn¡¯t want to fight anymore either. Just living on like this and being able to see Prince is already enough¡­¡± Yao Suluan covered her mouth and lowered her tear-filled eyes. ¡°This prince came back for you! This prince will make everyone that bullied you pay the price!¡± Ye Liyu¡¯s heart was filled with fury when he saw the woman he loved so hurt. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ You¡¯re not a match for Yao Mowan! Suluan doesn¡¯t want Prince to end up in the same situation. I beg you, don¡¯t provoke her! If anything happens to Prince, Suluan would never be able to live with the guilt!¡± Yao Suluan went with the reverse psychology strategy and tried to dissuade Ye Liyu. ¡°Ha! Could it be that Yao Mowan¡¯s a vicious wolf? Even if she is, this prince can still beat her to death! Leave this matter to this prince and don¡¯t worry about it anymore!¡± This strategy was evidently very effective on Ye Liyu. Furthermore, there was no way he could just standby and watch as the woman he loved suffered. ¡°Prince¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! This prince¡¯s decision won¡¯t change. Just wait and watch how this prince gets justice for you!¡± said Ye Liyu indignantly. After Ye Liyu left, Yao Suluan wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and smiled widely. It had only taken a few words to get Ye Liyu to willingly be her sword. Ye Mowan ah, the day of your death will be arriving soon! The following evening, Ye Liyu¡¯s weing banquet was held in the imperial garden. Therge square pavilion was decorated with rednterns that lit up the garden like it was day. The scent of delicacies filled the air and there was a dazzling lineup of wine. The feast was so abundant it seemed like a national banquet. Way before Ye Hongyi arrived, the consorts and concubines had arrived in beautiful attire. There were only two left out of the four noble consorts, so the two empty positions became the target of all the concubines and consorts in the Inner Pce. Ye Junqing had arrived before Ye Liyu. Just as he was about to sit down, he saw Ye Liyu stride in. ¡°Has Seventh Brother been doing well in Secluded Province?¡± They were brothers after all, and when Ye Junqing was a general, he had looked after Ye Liyu a lot, so he was happy to see Ye Liyu again after so long. However, to his surprise, Ye Liyu didn¡¯t even look at him and acted as if he didn¡¯t hear Ye Junqing¡¯s words. Ye Junqing concealed the awkwardness and slight coldness he felt and sat down. Right at this moment, Ye Hongyi walked in while holding Yao Mowan¡¯s hand, so Yao Mowan happened to see this entire scene. It seemed that in these past seven years, the only thing about Ye Liyu that had progressed was his temper. Yao Mowan inwardly scoffed. ¡°This wife kowtows in salute to Your Majesty!¡± ¡°This younger brother kowtows in salute to Your Majesty!¡± After a bunch of greetings, Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan over to the main seat. ¡°You may all sit! Since it¡¯s a family banquet, there¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡± Ye Hongyi was in a very good mood as he waved to indicate for everyone to sit down. ¡°Imperial Older Brother puts it well! Since it¡¯s a family banquet, some people shouldn¡¯t be here!¡± A rough voice suddenly arose. Upon hearing this, everyone looked towards Ye Liyu only to find that he was currently looking straight at Ye Junqing. ¡°Liyu ah, why is your temper still like this? What do you mean by shouldn¡¯t be here? The only people here are your Imperial Sister-in-Laws and your Imperial Older Brothers. Who shouldn¡¯t be here?¡± Ye Hongyi knew who Ye Liyu was pointing at, but he still faked anger and berated him. ¡°Naturally¡­¡± Ye Liyu was just about to reply when Yao Mowan interrupted. ¡°Your Majesty, shouldn¡¯t a family banquet be the entire family eating together? Then why isn¡¯t Second Older Sister here?¡± Yao Mowan looked toward Ye Hongyi with a puzzled expression. ¡°The servant in Consort Li¡¯s Pce said that she¡¯s ill so she won¡¯t be here.¡± Ye Hongyi stroked Yao Mowan¡¯s nose dotingly. ¡°But Wan er misses Second Older Sister¡­¡± Yao Mowan lowered her eyes in a disappointed manner. ¡°An Bingshan, call Consort Li over!¡± Ye Hongyi immediately gave thismand when he saw Yao Mowan dispirited. Meanwhile, Ye Liyu¡¯s gaze turned cold when he looked towards Yao Mowan. It seemed that Yao Suluan was right, Imperial Older Brother truly favored this fool too much. A single sentence from her and he insisted that Suluan came even if she was ill! Ha, this prince will soon force you to show if you¡¯re truly a fool or just faking it! After Yao Mowan changed the topic, Ye Liyu couldn¡¯t very well bring up that issue again and just glowered at Ye Junqing before sitting back down. Beautiful elegant music soon filled the air. The pce women danced under the soft moonlight, their garments fanning out like the wings of butterflies. After one song finished, Yao Suluan appeared in a magnificent red gown with Ming Yu supporting her. ¡°Suluan kowtows in salute to Your Majesty¡­¡± Yao Suluan¡¯s face was pale and her voice was weak. She didn¡¯t dare to look straight at Ye Hongyi and after greeting him, carefully moved to the side. Ye Liyu¡¯s heart ached when he saw Yao Suluan¡¯s timid and humble expression. A woman that used to be so haughty had now fallen to such depths! ¡°Second Older Sister, you¡¯re here? Hurry ande here!¡± Yao Mowan excitedly got up but Ye Hongyi gently pulled her back. ¡°You may sit.¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s voice was indifferent as he waved for Yao Suluan to sit. He was finding Yao Suluan more and more irritating to the sight. If he only he could be certain that she didn¡¯t tell anyone else his secrets. Once he made sure of that, he would definitely send her somewhere out of sight so that he could get rid of this annoyance. ¡°Liyu ah, you¡¯ve rushed back such a long way, you¡¯ve truly worked hard! But we are relieved that you¡¯re back. We finally have another brother in this Imperial City! Come, let us offer you a toast!¡± Ye Hongyi turned to look towards Ye Liyu. He trusted this younger brother quite a lot. After all, they were born of the same parents so they were closer than most. The pce rules stated that everyone must toast when His Majesty raised his cup, but when Ye Junqing lifted his cup, Ye Liyu suddenly said, ¡°If Esteemed Prince wishes to drink with Imperial Older Brother, then Liyu will pass on this round!¡± Ye Liyu¡¯s words were barbed and his eyes were filled with disdain. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing lowered his cup again with an indescribable feeling. Even though he was now someone without power or a title, he was still his imperial older brother. ¡°Liyu ah! You must drink tonight! No one is to leave until drunk!¡± Ye Hongyi was in a good mood after seeing Ye Junqing embarrassed and downed his drink in one go. At the side, Yao Mowan¡¯s lips lifted slightly in a cold smile. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 21 Chapter 21: This Prince Will Kill You! ¡°Your Majesty, Wan er 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 er 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 er doesn¡¯t want to eat fish, Wan er just wants to see what a rainbow fish looks like. Second Older Sister wasn¡¯t able to catch it that day, so Wan er 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. Pfff¡­ 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 Chapter Volume 2 22
Chapter 22: Inciting the Transcendental Prince Into Making a Move At almost the same time, Ye Junqing walked up and caught Ye Liyu''s de with two fingers. With a slight pinch, the de was broken. "As long as Junqing is still standing today, no one is allowed to be impudent in Guan Osprey Pce!" The cold voice seemed to contain enough power to destroy the world. Ye Liyu couldn''t help but be stunned. He had to clench the sword tightly to stop himself from instinctively dropping it. "You¡­ you''re just a title-less and useless person, what right do you have to block my way?" Ye Liyu shouted back loudly, but he didn''t dare to advance. Ye Junqing flung away the tip of the de, then looked towards him. "If you dare to rush up, then Junqing will answer that!" Yao Mowan''s eyes lit up. This was the Ye Junqing she knew. That natural domineering air which came from his very bones was something that no one would ever be able to feign. "What happened?" Ye Hongyi rushed in, his eyes filled with fury. "Your Majesty¡­ Wan er''s scared¡­ He called Wan er a witch and said that he was going to kill Wan er! It hurts¡­ cough cough¡­" The moment Yao Mowan saw Ye Hongyi, she bit her lip and blood immediately filled her mouth. "Wan er, you''re bleeding? One of you, tell us what exactly happened!" Ye Junqing started roaring when he saw the blood on Yao Mowan and he red at the two people standing in front of him. "Imperial Older Brother, she''s lying. I didn''t hit her! As expected, she''s not a fool! She''s a liar!" Ye Liyu didn''t seem to notice Ye Hongyi''s rage and stepped out to refute. "If you didn''t hit her, where did this bloode from? Ye Liyu! Don''t think that you can do whatever you want just because you''re our biological brother! This is the Inner Pce, she''s our woman and she''s the Noble Consort! Who allowed you toe in? Who allowed you to do whatever you want in Guan Osprey Pce!?" Ye Hongyi hugged Yao Mowan as he red at Ye Liyu, his eyes red from anger. "No¡­ Imperial Older Brother¡­ This younger brother really didn''t hit her. You must believe Liyu! If you don''t believe me, you can ask Ye Junqing, he saw. I didn''t have the chance to kill her yet¡­" Ye Liyu had never seen Ye Hongyi this angry before and he started trying to exin himself in a fluster. "If it weren''t for the fact that this younger brother managed to make it in time, Consort Yao would''ve already be an grievance-filled ghost under the transcendental prince''s de." Ye Junqing looked coldly towards Ye Liyu. "Ye Junqing, you¡­" "Enough! Ye Liyu, from now on, without our permission, don''t even take a step into Guan Osprey Pce! If there''s a next time, we won''t spare you! Imperial physician! An Bingshan, hurry up and get an imperial physician!" After dering this, Ye Hongyi carried Yao Mowan into the bedroom. Meanwhile, Ye Junqing helped Ting Yue out of Guan Osprey Pce, worried that Ye Liyu might take his anger out on Ting Yue. Hence, Ye Liyu was the only one left in the main hall. He was still stunned. He had heard of how much Yao Mowan was doted on, but he never thought that it would be to this degree. For better or for worse, he was the emperor''s biological younger brother, but His Majesty had chosen believe in Yao Mowan without any trace of hesitation! He finally understood how Yao Suluan had ended up in that state. Yao Mowan, this woman was too treacherous! That night when Ye Liyu stepped into Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan had just woken up. "Suluan, how are you feeling?" Ye Liyu walked over to the bed and took Yao Suluan''s hand gently. He felt severe heartache when he saw that her face was swollen and red due to her fever. "The imperial physician has already given me a prescription, so I should be fine. Why must Yao Mowan be so vicious? I''ve already gotten out of her way as much as I could, but she still won''t let me off¡­ What do I do¡­ What am I supposed to do?" Yao Suluan sobbed softly. "As expected, Yao Mowan truly is crafty. This prince visited her this morning and had clearly only kicked a pce maid, but she actually framed this prince for hitting her! And Imperial Older Brother actually didn''t bother to check the facts and put all the me on this prince!" Whenever he recalled what happened this morning, he''d feel ufortable from all the anger he had to stifle. He had put out so much to help Imperial Older Brother ascend to the throne. The scar on his face was left by an incident in which he had been trying to save Imperial Older Brother. However, after all that, it turned out he wasn''t even trusted as much as a fool was. How could he not be angry? "Prince went to Guan Osprey Pce? Prince, how can you be so rash!? If something happened to you, what is Suluan supposed to do?" Yao Suluan grabbed Ye Liyu''s hand in shock and worry. "This prince couldn''t stand watching anymore. She was clearly messing with youst night. What rainbow fish? It was clearly just a pretext!" said Ye Liyu angrily. "Suluan''s already used to it. Prince, don''t provoke her again, alright?" Yao Suluan was very disappointed. Since he didn''t manage to kill Yao Mowan on his first try, there was no way Ye Hongyi would give him a second chance. "Ye Junqing is even more loathesome! If it weren''t for him blocking the way, Yao Mowan would already be reporting to the underworld now! Wasn''t it said that he had already abandoned martial arts training¡­" Ye Liyu subconciously tightened his fists, so faint pain came from the injured part of his hand. "It was the esteemed prince again?" When Yao Suluan heard this, a new n ured to her. "What do you mean by again?" Ye Liyu noticed the strange tone in Yao Suluan''s words. "How is Suluan supposed to say this? His Majesty really shouldn''t have let the esteemed prince stay in Guan Osprey Pce. Everyone knows that the esteemed prince had cared deeply about the empress. Ever since the empress died, the esteemed prince had given up on life and drank through the days dreaming of death. As of now, since he''s living with the empress''s biological younger sister, it''s hard to avoid¡­" Yao Suluan''s expression turned hesitant. "You suspect that Ye Junqing''s having an affair with Yao Mowan?" Ye Liyu''s eyes widened as he looked towards Yao Suluan with doubt. "This kind of thing can''t be said so casually. It could cost lives! Suluan only dares to discuss this with you. After all, in other people''s eyes, Yao Mowan is a fool and how could the esteemed prince possibly fall in love with a fool? However, Suluan and Prince both know that Yao Mowan is just pretending to be a fool!" Yao Suluan spoke carefully to make her words sound believable. "How preposterous! Yao Mowan, that wretch, actually dared to have an affair with someone else behind Imperial Older Brother''s back!? Yao Mowan! Ye Junqing, as soon as this prince finds proof, this prince will make sure that you two will never be able to recover from the fall!" snarled Ye Liyu between gritted teeth. "Prince. Suluan only said these things because Suluan didn''t want Prince to provoke Yao Mowan anymore. Not only is His Majesty protecting her, the esteemed prince is too. It''s terribly difficult to do anything to her! If anything happens to Prince, Suluan''s heart will ache¡­" Yao Suluan''s eyes overflowed with tears as she pulled at Ye Liyu''s hand softly. "Your heart finally aches for this prince? That''s great! It seems that this prince was right ining back this time. As long as you''re willing, once this prince gets rid of Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing, this prince will beg Imperial Older Brother to bestow you to this prince! Suluan, soon we''ll be able to be together in the open!" Ye Liyu was very moved to see the affection in Yao Suluan''s eyes. After waiting seven years, he finally got a reply from Yao Suluan. "Prince¡­" Yao Suluan hadn''t expected for Ye Liyu to have such absurd thoughts. Who was Ye Hongyi? Even if he discarded a woman like a worn out shoe, he wouldn''t let anyone else use his woman! However, Yao Suluan didn''t voice this. She couldn''t ruin Ye Liyu''s enthusam, so these things could wait until Yao Mowan was dealt with. In the right wing of Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan looked towards the bed at Ting Yue, who was unconscious. Her hands were clenched into fists and a cold light shed through her eyes. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 2 23
Chapter 23: Transcendental Prince''s usation "Ting Yue, this consort has said so before, regardless of whether it''s you or Liu Xing, this consort has sworn to protect you from the day you chose to follow this consort. Since Ye Liyu has hurt you, this consort will make him pay tenfold for it! Rest well. Once you wake up, you''ll see this consort''s sincerity." Yao Mowan''s eyes were cold and she stayed there for a long while before returning to the main hall of Guan Osprey Pce. "Yao Mowan, were you scared dumb by him or something? Why didn''t you call for Yin Xue!?" The moment Yao Mowan stepped into the main hall, Ye Junqing abruptly rushed over and threw angry questions at her. "Calling Yin Xue out in that sort of situation would only serve to alert the enemy. The gains do not make up for the losses." Despite the fact that Ye Junqing was reproaching her, she actually felt happy. "The gains do not make up for the losses? A situation in which the gains do not make up for the losses would be if someone found out that you were killed by someone with third-rate martial arts despite having a hidden guard of the Yin n with you!" Ye Junqing voiced his disagreement. "Is Prince worried about Mowan?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows with a slight smile. "This prince¡­ This prince is just worried about Yin Xue''s future prospects! If someone found out that her master had died in such a pathetic way, she wouldn''t be able to survive in these circles anymore!" It was only now that Ye Junqing realized that he was acting a little too excitable. He immediately turned around and tried to feign calmness whileing up with an exnation. "Yin Xue, hurry and thank the esteemed prince. It''s rare for him to worry about someone else!" said Yao Mowan teasingly. "Thank you, Prince!" A distant-sounding voice reverberated in the air above Guan Osprey Pce, but the origin of the voice couldn''t be located. "But the person that should be saying thanks isn''t saying it¡­" muttered Ye Junqing. For better or for worse, he had saved her life, so shouldn''t there at least be a word of thanks? "What did Prince say?" Yao Mowan walked gracefully over to Ye Junqing''s side and leaned over slightly as she asked this. "Cough cough¡­ Nothing, just eat! Why isn''t anyone bringing up the food? Where are the servants?" When Ye Junqing felt the warm breath that hit his cheek, his heart abruptly sped up. To conceal his embarrassment, he picked up his bowl, but Yao Mowan took it out of his hands. "What are you doing?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "Ting Yue has been severely injured by Ye Liyu and is still unconscious. There aren''t any other pce maids in Guan Osprey Pce right now, so allow Mowan to attend to Prince''s meal. Treat it as thanks for your life-saving grace. Don''t worry, Prince, Mowan never owes favors. Mowan will find a chance to return this favor, so Prince shouldn''t try to ask Mowan to repay with her body for this!" As she spoke, she filled the bowl with porridge before pushing it back towards him. "Do you have a fever? Why would this prince ever force you to repay with your body? If it weren''t for the fact that you were Moxin''s younger sister, this prince wouldn''t have even gotten involved!" Ye Junqing''s face flushed as he denied this. "Oh? Yao Suluan is also Eldest Sister''s younger sister though. Why hadn''t Prince jumped into Jade Lake to save her? I hear that her current fever is quite severe." Yao Mowan threw a couple of the pastries to Fluffy and Jewel before looking towards Ye Junqing to hear his reply. "How could she possibly be the same!?" At some point, Ye Junqing came to only think of Yao Mowan as Yao Moxin''s younger sister. "Out of everything that Prince has said, thisst sentence is the most pleasing. Those who aren''t born of the same mother are inherently different. Even though the transcendental prince had been arrogant enough to barge into Guan Osprey Pce, His Majesty still didn''t do much to punish him! However, there''s no way Mowan can just swallow this anger," said Yao Mowan leisurely. "What are you nning?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan as he silently said a few prayers for Ye Liyu. Out of everyone he could''ve offended, he had chosen to offend this personification of pestilence. There was no way this demon was going to let him off. "Since you don''t share the same mother, you should spare yourself the worry." Ye Junqing was speechless. It really sounded like Yao Mowan had been nning to say this from the start. He felt his hair rise on end upon seeing Yao Mowan''s slight smile, but it really wasn''t his business. Ye Liyu should just pray for himself. After breakfast, Yao Mowan called for Yin Xue and gave her a few instructions before leaving the imperial pce with Liu Xing to head back to Prime Minister Yao''s residence. It had been a long time since she hadst visited. As a daughter, no matter what she needed to congratte her father on having obtained a son. Inside the imperial study, Ye Hongyi nced up at Ye Liyu who had already been standing in front of the dragon desk for almost an hour. He threw the brush aside and sighed heavily. "Liyu, we really can''t understand. How did Consort Yao offend you? Why must you make things difficult for her? She''s a fool so life is already very difficult for her, but you actually tried to kill her! What exactly are you thinking?" Whenever Ye Hongyi recalled how scared Yao Mowan had been that day, he couldn''t stop himself from wanting to yell at Ye Liyu. "Imperial Older Brother, what must this subject brother say for you to believe? That Yao Mowan isn''t a fool at all! She''s just pretending! This subject brother hadn''t hit her that day!" Ye Liyu wanted to argue, but Ye Hongyi stopped him. "If this is all you''re going to say, we don''t want to listen. If you don''t have anything else to say, you can leave!" Ye Hongyi firmly believed in the fact that Yao Mowan was a fool! He trusted his own eyes more than Ye Liyu''s ims. "Fine! This subject brother won''t mention Yao Mowan anymore. What about Ye Junqing? Imperial Older Brother, why didn''t you just kill him? Leaving him alive will surely cause a disaster! Not only that, you''re actually allowing him to stay in Guan Osprey Pce. You couldn''t have forgotten how he had always loved the empress. Now you''re letting him stay with the empress''s younger sister¡­" Before Ye Liyu could finish his words, Ye Hongyi abruptly pped the desk and stood up with a cold re. "Ye Liyu! We''ve told you not to mention the empress in front of us! You shouldn''t think that you can do whatever you like without any consequences just because you''re our biological younger brother! Get out!" Ye Hongyi pointed towards the doors angrily. Ye Liyu was stunned by Ye Hongyi''s reaction. He still had more to say, but when he saw Ye Hongyi''s cold re, he forced his words back. The moment the pce doors closed, the light in Ye Hongyi''s eyes became even colder. He clenched both his fists, then angrily pped all the memorials off the desk. It was a long time before he finally copsed back onto the dragon seat. Yao Moxin, you''ve already died! You can''t torment us anymore! You won''t ever be able to torment us again! Ye Liyu was very puzzled as he left the imperial study. Why was it such a taboo to bring up Yao Moxin in front of Imperial Older Brother? Perhaps he missed her too much? After all, everyone could see how much Yao Moxin had done to help Imperial Older Brother obtain the throne. If there was no Yao Moxin, the current Imperial Older Brother wouldn''t exist. Ye Liyu had always felt this. If it weren''t for her rtionship with Ye Junqing, he would''ve respected this imperial sister-inw a lot more. Just as he was sinking into his thoughts, a young eunuch ran over to him. "Reporting, Transcendental Prince, the steward of your residence is currently waiting at the pce doors. He said that something terrible has happened to the residence and asks that you hurry back," reported the young eunuch as he gasped for breath. "Something''s happened? What?" Ye Liyu furrowed his brows, causing the scar on his face to look even more sinister. "This servant doesn''t know," replied the eunuch respectfully. Ye Liyu quickened his steps as a bad premonition hit him. Most people found their bad premonitions to be most urate, and Ye Liyu was clearly part of this majority. When Ye Liyu opened the doors to his residence, he froze in shock. The ce was a mess and all of the servants were on the ground, convulsing in pain while vomiting blood. "This¡­ What''s going on!?" Ye Liyu''s brows furrowed tightly as he stepped inside and looked around incredulously. The entire residence seemed to have been turned over. Not only were all the servants severely injured, all the nts in the residence had been uprooted and all the antiques on disy had been smashed. The thing Ye Liyu couldn''t tolerate the most was the fact that even the hunting dog that he had been raising in the back courtyard had been severely injured. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Another little change. I''m still using the royal we for the king, but I''ve removed the italics because I feel like it interrupts the flow of the words too much.
Chapter Volume 2 24
Chapter 24: Prime Minister Residence''s New Madame "Steward Li, what is this!?" roared Ye Liyu, his face was flushed with anger. His hands were clenched so tightly into fists that cracking sounds could be heard and his veins bulged on his forehead. "Replying Prince¡­ This old servant doesn''t know either. After this old servant got back from the bank, the residence was already like this¡­" answered Steward Li timidly, his face extremely pale. Even the dumbest person would be able to guess that it was because Prince had offended someone he shouldn''t have offended and this was that person''s retaliation. However, he was confused as well. His master was the biological younger brother of the current emperor. Who would have the guts to attack the prince''s residence? "This is preposterous! Who is it? Who exactly is it!?" Ye Liyu''s eyes were bloodshot with fury as he bellowed in rage. Right at this moment, a phantom-like shadow shed past. Before Ye Liyu could even react, Steward Li had already fallen to the ground and was vomiting blood while convulsing. "Show yourself! Show yourself! Arghhh¡­" Ye Liyu roared as he pulled out his sword and shed at the air in a frenzy. However, his beast-like howls were the only sounds in therge residence. He shouted until he was out of strength, but that phantom-like figure didn''t reappear. As he took in the bloody mess in this residence, he threw his sword to the ground angrily. Regardless of who it was that did this, he wouldn''t let them off! In Prime Minister Yao''s residence, Yao Mowan was pressing her ear lightly against Li Qingqing''s slightly bulging belly with a smile. "Little Brother is moving!" Yao Mowan got up excitedly. "Right? He''s so lively! Sometimes he kicks so much that this subject can''t even sleep at night. For the master''s son, this subject has seriously suffered a lot!" Li Qingqing stroked her belly with a proud expression, her face glowing with a slight blush. Suffered? Yao Zhenting was just a step short of putting Li Qingqing on an ancestral pedestal to worship. As of now, Li Qingqing''s food, clothing, and housing weren''t inferior in anyways to those of the imperial consorts and concubines. "That''s right ah! Bad baby! Di Mother will be tired, you can''t be like this! Wan er didn''t know what Di Mother would like, so Wan er brought a lot of the pastries from the pce. Liu Xing, hurry and bring them in!" Yao Mowan looked towards Li Qingqing with a sincere expression even as she inwardly remarked that Li Qingqing was sure good at acting. She was clearly pregnant with a bastard child, but she still had the nerve to act like this was such an achievement. Liu Xing immediately walked in and ced the food box he was holding on the table before taking out all the exquisite pastries. "Although the things from the pce are good, this subject isn''t hungry right now. Ju Er, have the kitchen stew me a bowl of blood swallow''s nest. Just say that the little young master''s thirsty!" Li Qingqing nced at the pastries with disgust before turning to give this instruction to the maid. Yao Mowan hid her smile. If it weren''t for the fact that she was a fool, Li Qingqing wouldn''t have dared to be this unbridled. However, she didn''t mind. Those who were evil would eventually suffer at the hands of those who were more evil. The more Li Qingqing was like this, the happier she''d feel. Right after Ju Er left, a middle-aged man dressed in gorgeous satin ran in, his forehead covered with sweat. "Sister ah! You have to save your older brother, otherwise your older brother''s going to die for sure this time!" The man had very wretched looks. His cheekbones protruded too much while his nose bridge was t. His eyes were also very tiny like those of a mouse''s. Currently, he was grabbing Li Qingqing''s hands with his sweaty ones and gasping for breath as he begged for help. "What did you do this time?" Li Qingqing frowned slightly as she looked towards this troublesome older brother of hers. "Someone''s died! That widow, she¡­ I didn''t think she was that unyielding. I was just ying around, but she actually pulled out a knife to threaten me. I panicked and¡­" Li Jian''s voice was upset and regretful. "Seriously! If you wanted woman, just go to a brothel! There''s plenty of women there for you to pick from! Why did you insist on provoking a widow? Forget it, isn''t it just a widow? Just throw her family a couple pieces of silver and tell them to scram!" Li Qingqing flung off his hand as she said this. "That won''t work this time. The Zhao family won''t let this go and they insist on reporting this to the officials! They''ve even surrounded Li Residence and keep causing a riot! If it weren''t for that, I wouldn''t havee to you!" Li Jian looked towards Li Qingqing beseechingly. "They want to report this to the officials? Have they gone dumb? Could it be that they don''t know your sister''s husband, my husband, is the current prime minister?" Li Qingqing reacted like she had just heard the most ridiculous joke ever. "You mean¡­ Brother-inw can help me this time?" When Li Jian heard this, his scrunched up face immediately rxed and he ran behind Li Qingqing to start hammering her shoulders in an ingratiating way. "Of course! You''re his son''s uncle after all!" Li Qingqing smugly stroked her bulging belly. To this pair of siblings, Yao Mowan was like air. Yao Mowan had also slowly walked over to take a seat and take this in coldly. She also wanted to know whether Father would help Li Jian with this. Truly, mention Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrived. As soon as Yao Zhenting got out of court, he went to check on his unborn son. "Master, you''re finally back!" The moment Yao Zhenting walked into the room, Li Qingqing got up and walked over while supporting her stomach. "Madame, hurry and sit lest the child''s disturbed! The doctor said that the child''s about to be born so Madame must rest well! Only then will you have the strength to give birth to the child!" Yao Zhenting carefully helped Li Qingqing over to sit back down. After doing this, he finally looked around and noticed Yao Mowan. "This old man kowtows in salute to Your Highness Consort Yao!" Ever since Yao Zhenting''s rtionship with Yao Suluan turned sour, he became quite respectful towards Yao Mowan. "Father, hurry and get up. There''s no way Wan er can take Father''s kowtow. Wan er¡­" Yao Mowan wanted to exchange a couple more conventional greetings, but Li Qingqing stopped her. "Master ah, you must help my older brother this time! This Zhao family consists of total rogues! That widow was clearly seeking death on her own, but they insist on ming this on my brother and they''re even rioting in front of our Li Residence! What is with them!?" Li Qingqing tugged at Yao Zhenting''s sleeve with both hands as she said this a spoiled manner. When Yao Zhenting heard this, he looked over at Li Jian sharply without saying anything. "Master! Qingqing swears that this matter doesn''t have anything to do with Older Brother! You have to get justice with Older Brother!" Li Qingqing was a little worried now. In the past, as long as she asked for it, Yao Zhenting would immediately agree to it, but this time was proving to be an exception. "Follow me outside!" said Yao Zhenting sternly. Li Jian''s knees went weak and he looked towards Li Qingqing for help. "Master, this wife begs you! This wife only has this older brother. If anything happens to him, this wife can''t live either! Son¡­ Mother''s sorry¡­ Wuuwuu¡­" As Li Qingqing spoke, she started crying. As soon as she moved to kneel, Yao Zhenting went over to stop her. "Madame, don''t cry. This isn''t good for the child!" When Yao Mowan saw the heartache on Yao Zhenting''s face, she couldn''t help but snort. He was feeling that much heartache for someone else''s child? Yao Zhenting, this must be your retribution. "Ah¡­ it hurts¡­ Master, this wife''s stomach hurts so much!" Li Qingqing knitted her brows as she leaned into Yao Zhenting''s arms while trembling. "Fine! This old man agrees, alright? Hurry and get up! Don''t hurt the child!" Yao Zhenting finally relented. "It''s real¡­ Master, this wife''s probably about to give birth. Ah¡­" Unbearable pain came from her abdomen, causing her forehead to be covered with cold sweat. Upon hearing this, Yao Zhenting looked down and found that Li Qingqing''s legs were covered with blood. "Hurry! Go get the midwife! Madame''s about to give brith!" After Yao Zhenting shouted this in pleasant surprise, the entire residence immediately got busy. Maids and manservants kept running back and forth to prepare the necessary things. Four midwives helped with the delivery inside while Yao Zhenting paced around anxiously outside the room. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 25
Chapter 25: The Main Son Has Been Born Yao Mowan was standing in a corner, supported by Liu Xing. This really had been good timing. She hade right in time to see Li Qingqing give birth. "Waaah¡­" A clear cry came from inside the room. Before Yao Zhenting could eventreact, a midwife had already opened the door. "Congrattions, Master! It''s a little sir!" After hearing the good news that the midwife brought, Yao Zhenting rushed into the room whileughing happily. "Your Highness, should we go in as well?" asked Liu Xing in a low voice. "Of course. This consort is that child''s aunt after all." Yao Mowan''s lips hooked slightly. Inside the room, Yao Zhenting was hugging the infant with tender affection and grinning so wide that his smile stretched to his ears. On the bed, Li Qingqing was being helped up into a sitting position by the midwife. "Boan looks so much like you, Master!" said Li Qingqing weakly, her eyes filled with motherly love. Yao Mowan suddenly recalled the scene in which Yao Suluan took saffron in order to frame Huan Caier. If it weren''t for the fact that she harbored extreme hatred, how could she have possibly killed her own child? "Boan?" Yao Zhenting looked towards Li Qingqing in confusion. "Did Master forget? This was the name Schr Wu came up with for the child. This wife has asked Master about it before," reminded Li Qingqing. "Oh, that''s right. Boan is good. My little Boan ah!" Yao Zhenting nodded in realization. He approved of this name quite a lot. Yao Moxin silentlyughed. Li Qingqing really had guts! Not only did she have a bastard child with Wu Zicheng, she had actually dared to brazenly allow Wu Zicheng toe up with a name for the child. They truly dared to treat a tiger as a sick cat! "Master, then what about my brother''s matter?" Li Jian had been sending meaningful looks to his sister this entire time. "Let''s talk about thister. Yao Tu, arrange a ce for him to stay for now." Yao Zhenting didn''t even look at Li Qingqing as he said this. "But¡­" Li Qingqing was unwilling to ept this, but Yao Zhenting stopped her. "You just gave birth, so you should rest. Ju Er, attend to your master well. Boan ah, are you hungry? Father will bring you to your room now so that you can eat your fill!" Nearly right after Li Qingqing became pregnant, Yao Zhenting had people rebuild the wing on the left side of the main room, then hired four wet nurses to be on standby. At this time, he was preparing to head over with the infant. "Master! Don''t go! Master¡­" No matter how Li Qingqing called, Yao Zhenting didn''t turn back even once. Yao Mowan couldn''t help but sigh when she saw this. Could it be that Li Qingqing didn''t know? Since she''s already given birth, Yao Zhenting had already removed her from the pedestal. Killing the donkey once the grinding is done has always been Father''s way. After leaving the residence, Yao Mowan called Liu Xing over. "Liu Xing, take a thousand taels to bribe the Zhao family and have them go directly to Huan Heng''s residence toin. A disgraceful bastard like Li Jian deserves to die way more than a thousand times over!" "This servant will go right now!" Liu Xing could guess the reasons without asking. Due to what happened with Huan Caier, Huan Residence and Yao Residence werepletely at odds. Even if the Zhao family was bypassing ranks by doing this, Huan Heng would definitely take advantage of this opportunity to get revenge if he found out that this matter was rted to Yao Residence. On the way back to the pce, Yao Mowan leaned into the sedan chairnguidly. She couldn''t wait to see Yao Zhenting''s expression when he found out that Yao Boan wasn''t his biological son. It would definitely be a beautiful scene. If only Mother had been able to see this¡­ As Yao Mowan got off the sedan chair, Ting Yue who had been waiting at the pce doors ran over. "Ting Yue, why are you here? Does your chest still hurt?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue worriedly. "This servant is fine. Your Highness, Consort Li is waiting inside for you." When Yao Mowan heard this, she lifted her brows and looked towards Liu Xing. "Do you know where she went today?" "She visited the imperial study. When she came out, her eyes were red like she had cried." This was the information Ting Yue had heard. "I got it. Just wait here and don''t let anyone in," said Yao Mowan coldly. She then stepped into Guan Osprey Pce''s doors. The sky had cleared after the rain, so the warm midsummer wind contained the scent of fresh earth. On the left side, inside the pear garden, the swing was swaying slightly as a purple-red garment drifted in the air. "Wan er seems to remember His Majesty saying that you''re not allowed to casually enter Guan Osprey Pce without his permission." Yao Mowan leisurely walked to the swing and shook it a little. "Isn''t this thanks to you? If it weren''t for the fact that you had made this consort jump into Jade Lake, this consort really wouldn''t know when there''d be a chance to ''wake up'' and wouldn''t have been able to resolve past issues with His Majesty. If it weren''t for the fact that His Majesty told this consort toe keep youpany, this consort wouldn''t havee!" Yao Suluan gave a cold humph as she looked towards Yao Mowan and got down from the swing. "Then congrattions! Second Older Sister finally doesn''t have to act dumb anymore! Today is truly filled with happy events! That Madame Li in Yao Residence has given birth to a son for Father. If only you had been there to see how happy Father was. Wan er was even getting a little jealous from seeing that." Yao Mowan slowly sat down on the swing and lightly tapped the ground with her toes to push herself as she nced over at Yao Suluan. "So now you know. In Father''s eyes, you''re no different from me. We''re only tools for him to stabilize his career!" Whenever Yao Suluan recalled how heartless he had been towards Mother and how indifferent he had been towards her, she''d feel her heart fill with rage and hatred. "Even with tools, there''s good tools and bad tools. As for you¡­ Didn''t Father already abandon you?" said Yao Mowan lightly. "This consort will make him learn how to write the word regret!" said Yao Suluan between gritted teeth. "Let''s get back to the main point. There''s no way you''re that obedient towards His Majesty and came here just to see me, right? If that turns out to be the case, you''ve already seen me, so you can go now." She didn''t have anything else she wanted to say to Yao Suluan anymore. The only thing she wanted to do was slowly torment her, like a cat would do once it caught a mouse. "Regardless of how you found out about the truth of Yao Moxin''s death, this consort will warn you, you''re ying with fire! There''s no way you''ll ever be able to get revenge based on your abilities because your enemy is the grand emperor! As soon as His Majesty finds out your motive in approaching him and all those things that you''ve done, you''ll die in a way even worse than Yao Moxin!" Yao Suluan walked to Yao Mowan''s side and leaned over by her ear to say these threats slowly. She was probing Yao Mowan. She needed to figure out how much Yao Mowan knew and how she had found out about those things. Once she got this information, she''d be able to expose Yao Mowan''s scheme in front of Ye Hongyi. At that time, no matter how much Ye Hongyi loved Yao Mowan, he wouldn''t allow her to continue living. "Second Older Sister, in reality, you are intelligent. However, you''re trying to be a little too clever now. Wan er remembered that you''ve once said the only possible way for anyone to know about how Eldest Sister died was if she came back to life. So how would I know how she died? Do you think it''s possible for Eldest Sister toe back to life?" Yao Mowan stopped swinging on the swing and slowly got up. Her ck eyes were deep like ck holes. Yao Suluan felt disoriented as she looked at them. She really wanted to shift her gaze away, but found that she couldn''t. "That''s not possible!" Yao Suluan shook her head. She had personally checked the corpse after Yao Moxin died and set fire to the cold pce herself. There was no miracle in this world. Even if there was, it wouldn''t happen to Yao Moxin. "So, Second Older Sister, you''re seriously overthinking things. Mowan''s only enemy is you, because your mother used the most despicable means to kill my mother." Yao Mowanughed softly. That eerie sound caused Yao Suluan''s hair to rise on end. "Then why did you scheme against His Majesty and ruin his rtionship with Xie Zhong and Huan Heng? There''s also Yu Qing and Yu Funing''s disappearance. Do you dare to say that these things have nothing to do with you?" Yao Suluan suppressed her urge to run away and demanded this sternly. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 26
Chapter 26: How Did You Know That He Did It? "It can''t be said that they''re all unrted. Wan er was behind what happened with Huan Heng, but Second Older Sister should be aware that Wan er only did this to frame you with it. Wan er had already told you about the hidden saffron, no?" Yao Mowan used her gentlest tone to remind Yao Suluan of the cruelest reality. "But that day, you were clearly spying on Ordinance Pce! And before Yu Funing disappeared, you had meals in Fragrance Steps Pavilions multiple times! This consort had personally witnessed all of this, are you going to deny it?" Not only did Yao Mowan frame her, she had Bai Mei, that damned swindler trick her. That was the only reason she had hardened her heart and gotten rid of the child in her belly. She''ll make Yao Mowan pay for that sooner orter! "Who doesn''t have a curious heart? After all, weren''t you also outside Ordinance Pce that day? As for having meals in Fragrant Steps Pavilion, in reality it was Yu Funing that had extended the invitation with other thoughts in mind. She has admired Ye Junqing for a long time. This is a secret, but it''s fine to let you know. After all, you wouldn''t be dumb enough to tell His Majesty." Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she sat down on a stone bench. "Why can''t this consort tell His Majesty?" Yao Suluan disagreed. "Very simple ah. Yu Funing has already disappeared and everyone already knows that Ye Junqing admired the empress and had no interest in anyone else. If you tell His Majesty, it''d only serve make him angry. If you end up making a wrong move, he might even take the anger out on you. There''s simply no benefit in doing so." Yao Mowan lifted her delicate fingers to gently brush off the pear blossom petals on the stone table. "Yao Mowan, even though you''re brint with words, this consort doesn''t believe a single thing you say! There wille a day when this consort proves everything in front of His Majesty and make it so you have nowhere to escape to!" Yao Suluan hadn''t expected Yao Mowan to be so skilled with words. No matter how she tried to guide the topic towards Yao Moxin, Yao Mowan didn''t let slip any evidence that she knew Yao Moxin''s true cause of death. "Alright. Mowan really hopes for that day to arrive soon! But Mowan has just one warning, Second Older Sister. It''s rare for someone to sincerely care for you in this world, you shouldn''t let them down, otherwise it''d be toote to regret." Yao Mowan looked towards Yao Suluan meaningfully. Birds of a feather flock together. Yao Suluan and Ye Liyu were truly a match made in heaven. "This consort doesn''t know what nonsense you''re saying?" Yao Suluan tried to look unpreturbed as she denied this, but internally she was panicking. Could it be that Yao Mowan knew what was going on between her and Ye Liyu? That''s not possible! They''ve always concealed this matter carefully, it wasn''t possible for anyone to know! "Since Second Older Sister can''t understand, then just treat it as Mowan didn''t say anything. Does Second Older Sister n to stay here to have your meal? Of course, if Second Older Sister isn''t afraid of Mowan poisoning the dishes, Mowan would be happy to have a nice drink with Second Older Sister!" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Yao Suluan with her eyes perfectly clear and naive. This was the look that Yao Suluan hated most. She gave a cold humph, then left Guan Osprey Pce. After Yao Suluan left, Yao Mowan sighed. It was truly different when one had backing. Yao Suluan actually dared to be unbridled in her Guan Osprey Pce? If it weren''t for the fact that she had been busy with Xie Siyin''s matter, how could Yao Suluan possibly have been able to enjoy such good days? However, since you''ve taken the initiative to start something, Mowan will definitely apany you in this game. Mowan guarantees to y with you until you''re satisfied! During dinner, Ye Junqing lifted his bowl, then after a long moment of hesitation, he set it down again. He looked towards Yao Mowan with a serious expression. "You were the one that did that to the transcendental prince''s residence?" Although Ye Junqing was already certain, he still wanted to get confirmation from Yao Mowan. "Of course not. With how delicate Mowan is, how could Mowan do something that violent?" Yao Mowan looked towards him in a harmless manner. "Yin Xue''s really too much too. She didn''t even spare the dog! Despite being behind this, you guys are tossing the me to this prince! If it weren''t for the fact that this prince''s former subordinate took the initiative to protect the esteemed prince''s residence, Ye Liyu definitely would''ve torn this prince''s residence down! Are you aware that this prince''s former subordinate has already resigned because of this? This prince has let him down, and you definitely owe him!" Ye Junqing didn''t find it strange that Yao Mowan had sent Yin Xue to crush the transcendental prince''s residence, nor did he find it surprising. With what Yao Mowan''s personality was like, this already counted as a light retaliation. In reality, with a hidden guard like Yin Xue, she could be as unbridled as she pleased. Of course, he didn''t mind that Ye Liyu had pinned the me on him. What he cared about was that former subordinate of his and the servants in his residence. "Then do you know how Zhao Shuo found out that Ye Liyu was about to raid your residence?" asked Yao Mowan lightly as she ate a bite of fish. The outside was fried until it was crispy, but the inside was nice and tender. It was perfectly to her taste. "How did you know it was Zhao Shuo? You were the one that notified him?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in sudden realization. He couldn''t help but feel that this woman was too amazing. She seemed to be able to see the future. There was probably nothing in this world that she didn''t know, and nothing in this world that could escape her grasp. Living under the same roof with a woman like this really damaged his self-confidence. He had always thought himself to be skilled in strategies and to have good foresight, but after meeting Yao Mowan¡­ "Don''t worry, Zhao Shuo naturally has a good ce to go. As for the people in Esteemed Prince''s residence, if Ye Liyu dares to touch even their hair, I guarantee that I''ll have all the hair and fur in his residence plucked clean including that of the dog''s!" said Yao Mowan fiercely. "Cough¡­ Let''s eat." Ye Junqing knew that Yao Mowan wasn''t exaggerating. She has always been this formidable. However, it was going to be a tough job for Yin Xue! Inside the imperial study, Ye Liyu was clenching his fists so hard that they cracked audibly. His eyes were bloodshot from anger as he glowered at Ye Hongyi who was sitting in front of the dragon desk. "Imperial Older Brother! Are you going to allow Ye Junqing to bully me this way? It''s not like you haven''t seen what happened to my residence! He''s pretty much pointing a sword at my neck!" shouted Ye Liyu. "If you weren''t our biological younger brother, there would definitely be a sword pressed against your neck right now." Ye Hongyi''s voice contained cold anger. The only other person that had dared to be so unbridled in front of him was Xie Zhong, that old brute. "If this was going to be the case, why did Imperial Older Brother transfer me back here for me to suffer like this?" Ye Liyu sensed the baleful auraing from Ye Hongyi and his voice diminished. "How do you know that Ye Junqing was definitely behind this? He doesn''t have any reason to do this." Ye Hongyi nced towards Ye Liyu in disagreement. "Of course he was the one behind him! Who else dares to do that to my residence? As for the reason, it must be because I injured that maid in Guan Osprey Pce!" Ye Liyu was certain of this. "Isn''t this reasoning too far-fetched? Would Ye Junqing really make things difficult for you just on the behalf of a pce maid? And even if everyone in the imperial city dared to do that to your residence, Ye Junqing wouldn''t. Or perhaps it should be said that he doesn''t have any interest in doing so. He''s currently no different from someone in aa." In Ye Hongyi''s opinion, just the fact that Ye Junqing had been able to stay in Guan Osprey Pce for such a long time without causing any disturbances proved this. "Imperial Older Brother! Forgive this subject brother for being bold and saying this, but if Ye Junqing really loved Yao Moxin that much, why didn''t he die with her? It''s because he has transferred all his feelings for Yao Moxin to Yao Mowan! The reason he wrecked my residence was to get even for her!" Ye Liyu fearlessly voiced his opinion, but it just made Ye Hongyi look towards him with murderous intent. "Get out!" Ye Hongyi pointed towards the door furiously. He was truly afraid that he wouldn''t be able to stop himself from killing Ye Liyu, his only biological brother. The temperature in the imperial study seemed to plunge. Ye Liyu felt his hair rise on end. In this moment, he was vividly aware of the fact that Ye Hongyi was serious about wanting to kill him. That night, when Ye Liyu told Yao Suluan what happened, Yao Suluan couldn''t help but be rmed. She never thought that Ye Hongyi would actually hate people bringing up Yao Moxin so much to the point that he wouldn''t even allow his biological brother to do it. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 27
Chapter 27: Lead Her Into the Trap with Zhong Er "I really can''t understand what Imperial Older Brother is thinking! If he really likes Yao Mowan, why did he let Ye Junqing live with her? Now this is just great! No matter what this prince says, Imperial Older Brother refuses to believe that there''s something going on between the two of them! That damned Ye Junqing! There wille a day when this prince personally ughters him!" Ye Liyu had never seen Ye Hongyi be that terrifying before and was a little frightned. "It''s all Suluan''s fault. Prince wouldn''t have burst into Guan Osprey Pce if you hadn''t been trying to get justice for Suluan, then you wouldn''t have injured Yao Mowan''s maid. It was Suluan that implicated everyone in Transcendental Prince''s res¡­" Yao Suluan''s voice contained a strong sobbing tone. She lifted her hand towards her eye as a tear slid down. "How could it be med on you? If it weren''t for you, this prince wouldn''t have found out how much that damned woman was making a fool out of Imperial Older Brother! And Ye Junqing! This prince has always found him an eyesore! If it weren''t for¡­ In any case, this prince won''t let them off!" Ye Liyu was very well aware that his martial arts were very much inferior to Ye Junqing''s. However, how could he possibly let the woman he love know something so humting about him? "If we could catch them in the act, His Majesty will have to believe," said Yao Suluan darkly. "But Imperial Older Brother won''t even let this prince step into Guan Osprey Pce. How are we supposed to catch them in the act?" Ye Liyu pped the table in frustration. "Even if Prince could enter Guan Osprey Pce, it''d be useless. There''s no way Yao Mowan would let us find information to use against her." Yao Suluan lowered her eyes delicately as she wiped at her tears. Hidden behind her sleeve, her eyes shed with cold light. "Once started, it must be carried out until the end. Since we won''t be able to find evidence, let''s just make some!" What happened to his residence made him lose what little patience he had. Right now, he just wanted to get rid of Ye Junqing to vent his anger. "If Prince really wants to do that, Suluan will definitely do all she can to help! Although Suluan doesn''t want to contend for anything, Suluan really can''t bear to see Prince suffer such grievances!" Yao Suluan''s eyes lit up as she said this resolutely. "Suluan, don''t worry. Once we get rid of that pair of scumbags, this prince will beg His Majesty to bestow you to be my consort! This prince swears not to let you down in this lifetime!" Ye Liyu grabbed Yao Suluan''s hand passionately. Yao Suluan instinctly wanted to pull her hand away, but she quickly forced down that impulse. That was right, let''s get rid of Yao Mowan first before anything else. Promising things now would only make things require twice the effort for half the result. Ten days aftering back from Prime Minister Yao''s residence, Yao Mowan heard the news that Li Jian had been beheaded. "Madame and Master had argued for several days over this incident. Finally, Master lost his patience and ced Madame under house arrest in Virtue Pavilion. It''s already been three days now." Liu Xing reported the information that he had gathered. "How surprising. Li Qingqing has already been with Father this long, but she still hasn''t realized how much Father values his career? It hadn''t been easy for him to be a first rank official, how could he possibly allow Li Jian to ruin his future prospects? If this consort''s guess isn''t wrong, it was Father that personally tied Li Jian up and sent him to the authorities, right?" Yao Mowan had predicted this result. It was just a pity that Yao Boan was born in a bad time. If he had been born a littleter, Father would''ve suppressed this matter for Yao Boan''s sake or at least guaranteed that Li Jian would live until the child was born. "Exactly. After Master found out that Huan Heng had visited Official Ji in the Ministry of Justice, he tied Li Jian up and sent him right over. If it weren''t for this, Madame wouldn''t have attempted suicide." Liu Xing had been a servant in Prime Minister Yao''s residence for many years and understood Yao Zhenting''s temper well. It wasn''t surprising to see him do this. "If it weren''t for the fact that Father felt that Li Qingqing had made a great contribution by giving birth to a son for him, he definitely would''ve divorced her already. Alright, you can withdraw. Send people to keep an eye on Li Qingqing. If this consort''s guess isn''t wrong, she''ll probably be pushing forward her n." Yao Mowan stroked Fluffy as she indicated for Liu Xing to withdraw. Just as Liu Xing got to the doors, Yao Suluan appeared. "Your Highness?" Liu Xing reflexively moved to block Yao Suluan''s way as he turned to look towards Yao Mowan. "Liu Xing, who do you think you are, to dare to block this consort''s way!?" When Yao Suluan saw Liu Xing behave in such a disrespectful manner, she lifted her hand to p him, but Yao Mowan''s words stopped her. "If Second Older Sister dares to deal this p, Mowan will remove Second Older Sister''s arm." Thenguid and soft voice contained an imposing threat. Yao Suluan forced her movement to a stop and lowered her arm. "Liu Xing, withdraw." Yao Mowan nced towards Liu Xing, then ced Fluffy to the side before slowly walking towards Yao Suluan. "Second Older Sister sure missed Mowan a lot. We saw each other just yesterday, so why are you visiting again today?" "The weather''s good, so I wanted to invite you to take a walk around Jade Lake." Yao Suluan got straight to the point. "Although the weather''s nice, the person extending the invitation is a bit disgusting. If Second Older Sister doesn''t have anything else to say, please leave. Mowan isn''t in the mood to y games with you today," said Yao Mowan lightly as she turned to walk inside. "Don''t you want to know where your only nephew, Yao Moxin''s only child, is buried?" Yao Suluan''s words seemed to explode like thunder in Yao Mowan''s ears. Her heart convulsed with pain, like countless needles were being stabbed into it and twisted. Yao Mowan could feel her body trembling. Her Zhong er had been smashed to death alive by Ye Hongyi to the point his head was crushed! He had died so pitifully! "What? You''re not interested?" Yao Suluan became a little anxious when she saw that Yao Mowan wasn''t turning around. "I''m very interested." Yao Mowan slowly turned around. Her clear eyes were like a still pond, but if one looked more closely, there was a hurricane in those eyes, like they wanted to devour and destroy everything in sight. However, unfortunately Yao Suluan missed it. When she saw Yao Mowan turn around, her heart immediately rxed again and she walked out of Guan Osprey Pce. Yao Mowan followed. She''d make Yao Suluan regret mentioning Zhong er. In this world, the people who didn''t have the right to mention Zhong er the most were Yao Suluan and Ye Hongyi! Near Jade Lake, Yao Suluan stood in the pavilion with her hands folded. As the wind swept by, the surface of theke glimmered with ripples. "That day when you pushed Huan Caier down, that was the start of your revenge, right?" asked Yao Suluan coldly. If she had found out earlier that Yao Mowan was pretending to be dumb, would the oue have been different? "Where''s Zhong er buried?" Yao Mowan walked straight to Yao Suluan''s side, her eyes cold. "Since you know how Yao Moxin died, you probably also know that Zhong er''s death was not from childbirth either." Yao Suluan deliberately provoke Yao Mowan as she slipped her fingers into her sleeve. "Yao Suluan, I''ll make you regret saying this." Yao Mowan''s heart clenched with pain. It felt like someone had thrown her into a volcano, her heart burned with fury and sadness. "Regret? This consort''s biggest regret was not having Mother get rid of you back then. If it weren''t for that, this consort wouldn''t have fallen to this point!" Yao Suluan''s face twisted with hatred. "I''ll ask you onest time, where was Zhong er buried?" Yao Mowan remembered vividly that she was still hugging Zhong er when she died. They couldn''t have been seperated. However, she couldn''t help but question herself. She hoped that Zhong er hadn''t been burned with her and the cold pce, but there was slim chance of that. "Do you really want to know where he was buried?" Yao Suluan slowly turned around and looked straight at Yao Mowan. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed and as her sleeve lifted, a burst of white powder flew towards Yao Mowan''s eyes. "You¡­" Yao Mowan was stunned, then she was hit with a bout of dizziness. Her vision blurred and she fell to the ground. Everything went dark, just like it had when she closed her eyes for thest time in the cold pce. Not so long again, she thought she had reached the end of her life. She had been in despair, drowning in hatred, gasping for life. As of now, she had trulye back to life. Since the Heavens haven''t turned their back on her, how could she turn her back on the Heaven''s good intentions? __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 28
Chapter 28: Transcendental Prince, Enjoy Eating Your Own Bitter Fruit "Yao Mowan, this time this consort will make sure you die! Ming Yu!" Yao Suluan''s lips hooked in a smile as she looked down at Yao Mowan, who had fallen unconscious. "Your Highness." When Ming Yu heard themand, she timidly walked over from the shadows. "Do as this consort had instructed you yesterday. After an hour, bring His Majesty to the small room behind Changle Pce!" instructed Yao Suluan. "Understood," replied Ming Yu nervously, then she withdrew. Yao Suluan checked to make sure that no one was around, then helped Yao Mowan up and started walking towards Changle Pce. Ye Junqing had been pretty sure that Ye Liyu wouldn''t drop the matter just like this, so he wasn''t surprised when Ye Liyu appeared in front of him wielding a sword. He looked indifferently towards this man who had once worshipped him like he was a god and chuckled wryly. Seven years had been long enough for a simple boy to turn into an arrogant and conceited idiot. Apologies. After staying with Yao Mowan for too long, these coarse terms became increasingly pleasing to the ear. As expected, those who got too close to vermilion end up stained, Ye Junqing silently remarked. "What are youughing at?" Ye Liyu hated the fact that Ye Junqing currently seemed so content and at leisure. After losing his military power, he should''ve be like a pitiful beggar. He wasn''t supposed to be this aloof anymore! "Laughing at theughable people in this world," replied Ye Junqing mildly. "As expected, it was you! Ye Junqing! Back then, you relied on the fact that you possessed control over the military to publicly covet the empress, Yao Moxin! And now you''re fooling around with her younger sister! Imperial Older Brother is benevolent, but this prince can''t tolerate it anymore!" As Ye Liyu spoke, he lifted his sword and pointed it towards Ye Junqing. "So what if you can''t tolerate it anymore?" Ye Junqing pillowed his head with his arms and just nced over causally. Even though Ye Liyu''s words were extremely unpleasant, Ye Junqing had no ns to argue with him. This strategy was also something he had learned from Yao Mowan. Regardless of whether that person was reasonable or not, talking reason with someone was very tiring! "You!" Ye Liyu red at Ye Junqing furiously, but he didn''t dare to attack. He hadn''t forgotten what happened back in Guan Osprey Pce. If he fought alone against Ye Junqing, he definitely wouldn''t do well. "If Transcendental Prince doesn''t have any other matters, then Junqing will be leaving." Ye Junqing looked towards Ye Liyu with a bit of disappointment. When enemies meet on a narrow path, the more courageous one won. Ye Liyu must have been ruined by his stay in Secluded Province. He didn''t even have the courage to attack anymore. As Ye Junqing was passing by, Ye Liyu abruptly turned towards him. "Don''t you want to know how Yao Moxin died?" This was something Yao Suluan had told him to say. He hadn''t been nning on using it, but reality proved that he had no other way to subdue Ye Junqing. Ye Junqing''s heart felt like it was being submerged in seawater. The stifling sensation made it hard for him to breathe. He stopped walking and turned around grimly, his eyes extremely cold. "I can tolerate your rude presumptuousness, and I can also ept the fact that you forget favors and vite justice, but if you dare to trick me with Moxin, the consequence isn''t something that you can endure!" Ye Junqing''s every word resounded. Ye Liyu felt a strong oppressive force sweep towards him. "If you want to know the cause of Yao Moxin''s death, follow me!" Ye Liyu didn''t have the courage to continue confronting him and turned to walk towards Changle Pce. Ye Junqing followed without any suspicions. He could never think through things calmly when it came to matters regarding Yao Moxin. When they reached the small room behind Changle Pce, Ye Junqing finally walked up and blocked Ye Liyu''s way. "You know how Moxin died?" Ye Junqing couldn''t wait any longer for an answer. "The truth is in there! As long as you have the guts to go in!" Ye Liyu''s lips hooked, making the sinister scar on his face even more grosteque of a sight. When Ye Liyu pointed towards the room, Ye Junqing rushed in without even considering things. The moment he opened the doors, he found that Yao Mowan was unconcious on the straw pile. "Mowan? What is this¡­" Just as Ye Junqing turned around to demand answers, he smelled an intenseestic fragrance, then his vision blurred and he passed out. "I really want to just kill him now!" Once Yao Suluan used the drug on Ye Junqing, Ye Liyu walked in with his sword. "Prince, please be patient. Once His Majesty sees this scene, he definitely won''t let them off. At that time, Prince will be able to do whatever you want to Ye Junqing," said Yao Suluan catingly, her eyes glowing with excited light. "When will Imperial Older Brother being?" Ye Liyu took a deep breath, then asked this. "Within an hour. This knockout powder is only effective for a hour. Prince shoulde with Suluan for now. In a while, there''ll be a good show to watch!" Yao Suluan''s voice filled with unsurpressable excitement. She couldn''t help but be stirred up when she imagined Ye Hongyi''s expression upon seeing this and Yao Mowan''s tragic end. "Alright!" Ye Liyu endured his impulse to kill Ye Junqing. Just as he was about to leave with Yao Suluan, a clear pleasing voice came from behind them. "Are you going to leave just like this? If you''re going to set up a show, you should do it all the way. The current scene doesn''t prove anything. Second Older Sister really hasn''t thought things through enough." Yao Mowannguidly sat up from the straw pile and brushed off some of the straw sticking to her clothes as she gave this critque. "You¡­ How did you wake up?" Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan in shock. "Stop wasting time talking to her!" When Ye Liyu saw Yao Mowan sit up, he became worried that their scheme would be exposed and immediately tried to kill Yao Mowan. However, just as his de was about to pierce Yao Mowan''s throat, it stopped. "Prince!" shouted Yao Suluan in rm. Then a sharp pain came from the back of her neck and she fainted. "Suluan! Yao Mowan, what are you trying to do!?" Ye Liyu''s eyes were bloodshot as he roared at Yao Mowan. "Hand me the medicinal pill." Yao Mowan nced over Ye Liyu coldly, then took the soft fragrance pill from Yin Xue and walked to Ye Liyu. "Who is it? Who are you talking to? Who sealed this prince''s movements? Unseal me!" Ye Liyu really wanted to just ughter the person that had attacked him from the shadows, but that person''s method of sealing pressure points was too strange so he had no way of forcefully breaking through the seal. "Time is short, so Mowan will make this brief. This pill is called soft fragrance pill. It''s the most intense sort of aphrosadic. After it''s taken, it''ll take effect within a few moments." As Yao Mowan spoke, she shoved the pill into his mouth. "This soft fragrance pill dissolves instantly in the mouth. At that time, there''s no need for Prince to force yourself to endure. There''s a beauty right in front of you, don''t waste Mowan''s good intentions. Liu Sha, carry the esteemed prince back to Guan Osprey Pce!" Yao Mowanughed coldly even as her eyes were raging with anger. Once Liu Sha helped Ye Junqing out of the room, Yao Mowan walked slowly to Yao Suluan who had been knocked unconscious by Yin Xue and slowly started to undo her belt. "Yao Mowan! You''re shameless and despicable!" Ye Liyu finally understood what Yao Mowan was trying to do and immediately started cursing at her. "If it weren''t for Prince''s example, Mowan really wouldn''t have thought of such a shameless method. However, to Prince this is probably a good thing. Haven''t you been coveting my second older sister for a long time? Now you can finally taste her fragrance. You should be thanking Mowan." As Yao Mowan spoke, she pulled off Yao Suluan''s outer garment. "Yao Mowan! Take her away from here! Hurry!" When Ye Liyu saw Yao Suluan''s wless fair skin, he felt a certain part of his body stir restlessly. "Does Prince think that''s possible?" Yao Mowan scoffed. "No matter what, she''s your older sister! How can you bear to do this?" Ye Liyu gritted his teeth. The veins on his forehead were bulging, so it was clear that he was struggling a lot to hold himself back. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 29
Chapter 29: Bring His Majesty Over to Catch Them in the Act "When she brought Mowan here, did she think about the fact that Mowan was her younger sister? Ye Liyu, you really are funny. You were actually trying to shamelessly use famial affection in this sort of situation? Don''t you feel like it''s pping your own mouth?" Yao Mowan abruptly pulled apart Yao Suluan''s inner garments. As her purple lingerie came into sight, those slightly lifted round mounds made Ye Liyu''s blood boil with excitement. "I''m begging you¡­ Please bring her away¡­" Ye Liyu''s face was red and his eyes were bloodshot. What remained of his rationality told him to beg. "Ye Liyu, no matter what happens next, you shouldn''t me anyone else, because you were the one that set this act. Mowan is just returning the favor. However, it''s probably a blessing in disguise for you." Yao Mowan nced coldly towards Yao Suluan. She had said so before, no one was allowed to insult Zhong er in front of her. Yao Suluan, you had brought this upon yourself. "When the time''s appropriate, undo his seal," instructed Yao Mowan coldy as she walked past Ye Liyu to leave. "Understood!" Yin Xue nodded. Time never stopped its steps for anyone. At this time, Ye Liyu''s entire body was boiling hot and there was no longer any thoughts in his mind. He just wanted to vent this heat! "Your Majesty, my master is inside here!" Ming Yu walked quickly to the door of the room. As Ye Hongyi got close, she pushed hard at the door to open it. The erotic spring scenery inside caused Ming Yu''s jaw to drop. She had expected for the scene behind the door to be inappropriate, but she hadn''t expected it to be like this. Ye Liyu was on top of Yao Suluan, his hands on her shoulders as he moved his waist vigorously like his life depended on it. Yao Suluan''s delicate frame was trembling like a leaf in the wind beneath his body. "O¡­ Nnn¡­ Transcendental Prince¡­ Your Majesty! Let go! Hurry and let go! Aaah¡­" At almost the same time, Yao Suluan had been woken by Ye Liyu''s rough movements to this appalling scene. Ye Liyu was on top of her like a beast and Ye Hongyi, her husband, was standing at the door and taking this scene in. What was going on? What exactly was going on!? "Move!" Yao Suluan pushed at Ye Liyu with all her strength and tried to get away, but Ye Liyu yanked her back. His eyes were currently pitch ck and he pulled at Yao Suluan''s lingerie. When her fair mounds came into sight, his movements became even more intense. " "Presumptuous! Do you take us to be dead!?" An icy voice arose. Ye Hongyi had stared in disbelief and anger for a long while before he was finally able to snap out of it. Any man would be like this when they saw their woman sleeping with someone else and Ye Hongyi was even the emperor whose dignity could not be offended. "Ah¡­" The moment Ye Hongyi rushed over, Ye Liyu finally vented the intense heat in his body. At this same instant, he was kicked by Ye Hongyi and send flying towards the corner of the room. He vomitted a mouthful of blood. "Your Majesty¡­ it was Transcendental Prince that dishonored this subject wife! He had been lusting after this subject wife''s beauty¡­ Your Majesty, you must get justice for this subject wife!" Yao Suluan hastily grabbed the clothes next to her to cover herself up a little before rushing over to kneel next to Ye Hongyi while trembling with tears streaming down her face. "Wretch!" Just as Ye Hongyi was about to lift his leg again, Yao Suluan lunged forward and hugged both his legs desperately. "Your Majesty! This isn''t this subject wife''s fault! Transcendental Prince has always been coveting this subject wife and had behaved inappropriately in front of this subject wife multiple times. This subject wife hadn''t dared to tell Your Majesty because this subject wife was scared Your Majesty would be angry. However, he had actually knocked this subject wife unconscious. This subject wife has a delicate body, how could this subject wife possibly be a match for Transcendental Prince? Your Majesty, this subject wife has suffered injustice ah!" Yao Suluan understood Ye Hongyi too well. If she allowed him a chance to kick her, she wouldn''t survive the kick. In the corner, Ye Liyu felt like someone was twisting his heart. He hadn''t wanted something like this to happen and he had never hoped for Yao Suluan to stand by his side. However, to his disappointment Yao Suluan had immediately pushed all the me onto him and described him like a lustful demon, like a heinous beast! When Yao Suluan saw that Ye Hongyi''s expression was very dark, she immediately turned to bellow at Ye Liyu. "Ye Liyu! You beast! Why did you do this to this consort? Why!? Say something! Could it be that you''ll only be satisfied once this consort dies because of you? Say something¡­" screamed Yao Suluan. She continued hugging Ye Hongyi''s legs tightly. At this moment, her only thought was that she wanted to live. "Imperial Older Brother¡­ This subject brother has admired Consort Li for a long time, for so long that this subject brother doesn''t even known when it started. This subject brother has always wanted to make a great achievement, then ask Your Majesty to bestow Consort Li to this subject brother¡­ but¡­ it''s all this subject brother''s fault, it has nothing to do with Consort Li¡­" Ye Liyu didnt mind taking the me for everything for Yao Suluan''s sake. In this situation, they couldn''t exin that both of them were framed. With the reality of what happened right there, any exnation would be taken as an excuse that would serve to just make Ye Hongyi even more angry. "Your Majesty! You heard it, right? Transcendental Prince has admitted it himself! This matter has nothing to do with this subject wife! Ye Liyu¡­ How could you do this¡­" When Yao Suluan sensed the force in Ye Hongyi''s legs rx, she finally let go of his legs and sobbed with her head lowered. Ye Liyu''s heart was crushed as he looked as the woman kneeling on the ground. He would never ask for Yao Suluan to share trials and tribtions with him, but he never thought that Yao Suluan would hit him while he was down like this. In reality, even if Yao Suluan hadn''t done this, he would''ve still done everything he could to save her life. "Ye Liyu! You''re truly our good younger brother! Guards, throw him into the prison and await further orders!" said Ye Hongyi between gritted teeth. "Your Majesty, this subject brother has done wrong, but Consort Li is innocent. Your Majesty, please spare her life." Even though Yao Suluan was being so heartless towards him, he still didn''t want anything to happen to her. He could understand Yao Suluan''s fear in the face of imminent death. "Ye Liyu! You beast! Why did you do this to me, why¡­" As Ye Liyu was being dragged past Yao Suluan by the guards, she abruptly rushed up and started hitting him. When Ye Liyu saw her cold determined eyes, his heart clenched with pain. This was the woman he had loved for seven years. Had he loved wrong? For the first time, Ye Liyu questioned his own judgement. Even after Ye Liyu left, Yao Suluan continued sobbing heartbrokenly. Internally, she was extremely apprehensive. If Ye Hongyi was really going to be ruthless, what was she supposed to do? Once Ye Liyu was taken away, Ye Hongyi suddenly leaned over and lifted Yao Suluan''s chin with one hand to force her to look up at him. "Your Majesty¡­ It wasn''t this subject wife''s fault¡­ It was the transcendental prince¡­" Yao Suluan was extremely nervous and tears overflowed her eyes. If Ye Hongyi was really going to be heartless, then she had no choice but to make herst struggle. So what if he was the emperor? There were also things taboo for him! Yao Suluan had already resolved herself for the worst case scenario. "Humph!" Ye Hongyi didn''t say a single word. After flinging her aside hard, he stomped out of the room. The door of the room creaked as Yao Suluan gasped for breath. The fact that she had managed to survive didn''t bring her any joy. Her eyes were filled with intense hatred! Yao Mowan! This consort will kill you! I''ll kill you¡­ In the shadows, when Yao Mowan saw Ye Hongyi leave with a baleful aura, her lips hooked in a beautiful arc. "Yin Xue, how did you manage to get something like the soft fragrance pill in such a short time frame?" Yao Mowan looked towards Yin Xue curiously. "Replying Master, this subordinate had made it in the imperial hospital," answered Yin Xue. Yao Mowan''s eyebrows raised as she looked over again. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 30
Chapter 30: The More Beautiful the Woman is, The More Poisonous She is "You know how to make medicine?" Yao Mowan was rather shocked. "This is one of the required courses for the hidden guards of the Yin n," exined Yin Xue. Yao Mowan was delighted. Obtaining Yin Xue was like obtaining the help of a god! It seemed like she really had to thank Yan Nansheng sometime. However, since he was still brooding, she had to strangle this n before fully forming it, lest her sincerity ended up being taken as unting. When Ye Junqing woke up, he immediately ran to Guan Osprey Pce''s main hall. "Prince is awake?" When Ye Junqing walked in, Yao Mowan was in the middle of teasing Jewel with a ball of string. "What exactly is going on? This prince remembers walking into the room and seeing you lying there?" Ye Junqing sighed in relief when he saw that Yao Mowan was fine, then he became confused. "Prince almost ended up with the crime of humuliating your sister-inw! Fortunately you have Mowan to protect you, otherwise you really wouldn''t have been able to wash away that crime even if you jumped into Yellow River!" Yao Mowan tossed aside the ball of string and stood in front of Ye Junqing in a dignified manner like the Savior as she waited for his thanks. "Humuliating my sister-inw¡­ It was Ye Liyu! This prince had always thought of him as a coarse person, but who would''ve thought he''d resort to such descipable means as well!" Ye Junqing finally realized the situation and his brows furrowed. "He''s not the one despicable, it was Yao Suluan. The drug used on you was her doing. That''s why it''s said that the more beautiful the woman, the more poisonous her heart is," reminded Yao Mowan. "Then did His Majesty see us¡­" asked Ye Junqing worriedly. "Are you dumb? If His Majesty had seen us, would you still be able to stand here and talk with Mowan? Mowan is a fool, so if this kind of thing happened, it would naturally not be Mowan''s fault. However, Prince, you''d definitely be pinned with the full crime. Even if you aren''t punished with the death fo a thousand cuts, you''d be given the punishment of being dragged to shreds by five horses. Could it be that you truly don''t understand Ye Hongyi''s intention in having you reside in Guan Osprey Pce?" Yao Mowan''s words were so direct that they hurt. "In reality, there really is no need for him to do this¡­" This implication had never ured to Ye Junqing. "However, he is like this." Yao Mowan poured a cup of tea and passed it to Ye Junqing. "This prince won''t let Ye Liyu off for this!" The more Ye Junqing thought about it, the more irritated he became. He put down the cup of tea and turned to leave. "Where''s Prince going?" asked Yao Mowan. "To look for Ye Liyu! This prince must teach him a lesson!" said Ye Junqing angrily. "En, Mowan agrees with Prince''s opinion. Alright, go, he''s in the imperial prison." Yao Mowan nodded slightly in approval of Ye Junqing''s ns. "The imperial prison? Why''s he in prison?" Ye Junqing stopped walking when he heard this and turned around to head back to where Yao Mowan was. "His Majesty personally witnessed Ye Hongyi having sexual intercourse with Yao Suluan in that small room. It was already benevolent of him not to kill him on the spot." Yao Mowan slowly sat down by the table as she said this lightly. "Why would they¡­ As expected, the more beautiful the woman, the more poisonous her heart." Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in realization, then nodded in firm agreement. Yao Mowan had truly voiced what he was feeling. "Prince feels that Mowan''s actions were inappropriate?" Yao Mowan heard the connotation in Ye Junqing''s words and looked over at him with her brows raised. "It''s inappropriate towards other people, but very appropriate towards them!" Ye Junqing took a deep breath. Although he was now idle, it didn''t mean that anyone could trample on and insult him as they pleased! Even if Yao Mowan hadn''t done this, he still would''ve found a chance to beat Ye Liyu up until not even his mother could recognize him! In the dim and dark imperial prison, from time to time there would be the sight of a rat stealing the scraps of food left by the prisoners. A man dressed in ck walked slowly to the innermost cell, then stopped in front of the iron bars. The jailer next to him respectfully took out the key. His hands trembled as he hurried to open the jail. To have been able to see the dragon countenance in this lifetime made even death worth it. Once the jailer opened the door, the man in ck waved to dismiss him. Ye Liyu was currently leaning against the rough stone wall, his eyes dull. "Was it worth it to ruin your future for a woman like that?" A cold voice arose. When Ye Liyu heard this, he looked over in surprise. "Imperial Older Brother? Liyu has made a mistake, but this matter isn''t what you think it is! No matter how audacious Liyu is and no matter how much Liyu desires Consort Li, Liyu still wouldn''t do that sort of thing behind Imperial Older Brother''s back! This subject brother has been framed!" Ye Liyu abruptly got up and knelt on the ground. He just knew it! Imperial Older Brother wouldn''t throw him into the prison and abandon him like this! "If we didn''t believe you, would wee all the way here to visit you? There''s no one in this world that understands you more than we do. We know why you had us transfer you to Secluded Province back then. We knew from a long time ago that you liked Yao Suluan. If you were going to betray us, why would you have waited for seven years? Alright, tell us, what exactly happened?" Ye Hongyi had mulled over things carefully on his own before deciding to make this trip. "It was Yao Mowan! Imperial Older Brother, you''ve been tricked by her! Yao Mowan isn''t a fool at all! She had fed this subject brother a soft fragrance pill. This subject brother wasn''t able to resist the effects of the drug, which was why this subject brother did that to Consort Li!" Ye Liyu''s eyes were filled with fury as he exposed everything. "Our patience is limited! We''ll give you onest chance! Tell us what exactly happened!" Ye Hongyi refused to ept Ye Liyu''s exnation. In his opinion, everyone in the world might lie to him, but Yao Mowan would never lie to him! How could he not understand the person he had shared so many nights with? "Imperial Older Brother! Why won''t you believe this subject brother? She really was behind this! She also has a helper whose martial arts is extremely strong. If this subject brother''s guess isn''t wrong, she was also behind what happened to my residence! Imperial Older Brother, Yao Mowan''s too dangerous! She has definitely approached you with a motive!" The more Ye Liyu spoke, the more stirred up he became and he reflexively got up. "Enough! Ye Liyu, you''re too stubborn! Yao Suluan, that wretch was the one that told you to say this, right? That wretch actually dared to use you to hurt Wan er, it''s intolerable!" Ye Hongyi''s eyes were extremely cold. "Imperial Older Brother¡­ everything Liyu said is true¡­ Why won''t you believe me?" Ye Liyu looked towards Ye Hongyi in frustration even as his heart turned cold. Imperial Older Brother must''ve been poisoned by Yao Mowan, to the point he was beyond saving. "If you weren''t our biological brother, we would''ve executed you on the spot back then! No matter what you say now, what happened with you and Consort Li has already spread. Defiling a woman of the pce is punishable by death. We''ll have someone take your ce at the execution. From now on, there no longer exists the person known as Ye Liyu, you''re on your own!" Ye Hongyi nced with disappointment at his closest blood brother, then turned around and left without hesitation. "Imperial Older Brother¡­ Liyu has onest request. Please don''t make things hard for Suluan, this has nothing to do with her." Ye Liyu knew that no matter what he said, he couldn''t salvage this situation. His only request was that Yao Suluan would be able to make it through this unharmed. Ye Hongyi''s face was dark as he faced the iron door. Yao Suluan, that wretch! She had ruined his only brother, so he swore he would make her regret manipting someone she shouldn''t have used! After Ye Hongyi disappeared from sight, Ye Liyu slumped to the ground. Wind swept past. All Ye Liyu felt was a slight chill on the back of his neck before he passed out. Some time passed. By the time Ye Liyu opened his eyes, he found that the person he hated most was currently sitting in front of him leisurely. "Did His Majesty believe Prince''s words?" Yao Mowan lightly blew on her freshly painted nails as she nced at Ye Liyu. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 31
Chapter 31: You''ve Never Loved Me, Right? "What exactly did you feed Imperial Older Brother? This prince really doesn''t understand why Imperial Older Brother trusts you so much? This prince is his closest kin!" Ye Liyu started bellowing furiously the moment he saw Yao Mowan. "If you weren''t his closest kin, would you still be alive now? If Prince knew how Ye Hongyi treated others, you would currently be celebrating in relief now!" said Yao Mowan with a cold scoff. Her eyes were filled with contempt. In her opinion, Ye Liyu wasn''t a good person, nor did he have any skills. The only reason he survived this long was due to his luck, but his luck had now run out! "You¡­ What do you mean by that? When has Imperial Older Brother ever done anything to anyone else?" asked Ye Liyu with a frown. "Oh, what''s with me? Why am I wasting words with you? Do you want to see Yao Suluan?" Yao Mowan was a little annoyed with herself for saying too much and she brought the conversation back to the main topic. "Suluan¡­ how is she?" Ye Liyu couldn''t really tell what he was feeling when Yao Suluan was brought up. He had loved that woman for seven years, but in this moment, he was a little scared of seeing her. "Wouldn''t you know once you see her? Yin Xue!" Yao Mowan nced at Yin Xue and Yin Xue immediately moved to seal Ye Liyu''s pressure points. The sun gradually set and the new moon rose into the sky like a bow. The moonlight that spilled through the branches and leaves cast mottled shadows on the ground. When Yao Mowan arrived in Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was currently throwing a tantrum. "Who told you to call His Majesty so early!?" Yao Suluan threw a tea cup to the ground. Some of the shattered pieces flew through the air and cut the back of Ming Yu''s hand. Her hand started bleeding, but she didn''t dare to make a sound. "Speak!" snarled Yao Suluan, her eyes bloodshot. She looked like an insane tigress. "Replying Your Highness¡­ You were the one that told Ming Yu to bring His Majesty to the room in an hour¡­" Before Ming Yu could finish her words, Yao Suluan pped her. "So it was this consort''s fault?" As Yao Suluan shouted, she lifted her hand again but was stopped by Yao Mowan who walked in. "Of course it''s Second Older Sister''s fault. How could Ming Yu have known what was going on inside? Speaking of which, Second Older Sister, you''re seriously careless. How could you have been so certain that your n would go off without a hitch?" Yao Mowan slowly walked in with a slight smile. "Yao Mowan! You actually dared toe here!?" The moment Yao Suluan saw Yao Mowan, every single cell in her body seemed to tremble with rage. If she had a knife right now, she''d stab it into Yao Mowan''s heart without hesitation. Right now, she just pounced towards Yao Mowan with her hands outstretched like ws, but Yao Mowan pushed her to the ground. "Leave." Yao Mowan nced at Ming Yu coldly. This word sounded like pardon to Ming Yu. She hastily withdrew from Pure Flowers Pce. "Yao Mowan! This is Pure Flowers Pce! When did it be your turn to givemands? Come back!" said Yao Suluan angrily. However, Yao Mowan just chuckled softly. "My second older sister ah, do you really still think of yourself as the master of the pce? Mowan just got news that His Majesty has already given a decree to behead Ye Liyu. The execution will be carried out tomorrow at noon. His Majesty dares to kill even his own biological brother, do you think he would spare you?" Yao Mowan shook her head, then walked over gracefully to the chaise lounge to sit down. "He should''ve died a long time ago! If it weren''t for him, this consort wouldn''t have lost so tragically this time!" Yao Suluan got up angrily and red at Yao Mowan. "Second Older Sister''s words are quite ungrateful. Who had Ye Liyu done this for? Wasn''t he just trying to get justice on your behalf?" Yao Mowan deliberately raised her voice so that the person in the shadows could hear things clearly. "Pei! If this consort knew earlier how useless he was, this consort wouldn''t have tried to get his help!" Whenever Yao Suluan recalled what happened in that room, she''d feel like cursing. Her body still hurt even now. "Second Older Sister is too heartless. What a pity, Ye Liyu had insisted on taking all the me even at thest moment. It truly hadn''t been worth it." Yao Mowan shook her head as she sighed with amenting expression. "He was the one that was always imagining his own love to be reciprocated. He even wanted to to ask His Majesty to grant this consort to him? Who would want that? What this consort wants is the throne of empress! That idiot never does anything well and just causes more trouble! It''s good that he''ll die. At least this consort will be spared the eyesore! Yao Mowan, don''t be smug yet. Although this consort had failed this time, this consort will definitely get you back next time!" Yao Suluan pointed at Yao Mowan angrily. Her face was so twisted with hatred and anger that it was unbearable to look at. "Second Older Sister should first guarantee your own safety before saying anything else. After all, there has never been the precedent of a consort or concubine living after they''ve been stained." Yao Mowan''s eyes were like the lightless night, cker than ink. Yao Suluan couldn''t help but take a step back when she saw the disturbing swirl of unreadable emotions in those eyes. "His Majesty won''t kill this consort!" When Yao Mowan saw Yao Suluan''s proud expression, she knew that Yao Suluan had definitely kept a backup card up her sleeve. However, she looked forward to it. If Yao Suluan ended up being kill by Ye Hongyi, she''d really find it a pity. "I hope so. It seems that someone wishes to reminisce with Second Older Sister, so Mowan won''t disturb you two." Yao Mowan''s gaze swept past Yao Suluan towards Ye Liyu who was standing at the pce doors. Sometimes things were blessings in disguise. Ye Liyu probably understood what she meant back then now. Yao Suluan sensed that Yao Mowan''s gaze wasn''t on her and followed it over. When she saw Ye Liyu, her entire body turned rigid. "Yao Mowan! You framed me again!" snarled Yao Suluan. "Does Second Older Sister think that Mowan exists to take the me for things? You were the one that blurted out those things earlier on your own!" Yao Mowan scoffed, then walked past Yao Suluan and left Pure Flowers Pce. "Liyu¡­ you got out? Earlier¡­ Earlier Yao Mowan was misleading me. I was just too infuriated because of her¡­" Yao Suluan felt guilty when she saw the lifeless expression on Ye Liyu''s face. "If it weren''t for the soft fragrance pill that this prince was forced to take, this prince wouldn''t have done that to you or have been so rough with you." When Ye Liyu recalled everything he had just heard, his heart ached with pain. "Suluan knows that Prince has suffered, but Suluan really didn''t know what to do at that time. His Majesty was there, so Suluan¡­" Yao Suluan started weeping quietly. She hoped that Ye Liyu would walk up tofort her. As long as Ye Liyu was willing to still take a step forward, it meant that his heart was still soft towards her and at the very least, he wouldn''t go say anything inappropriate to Ye Hongyi. "Imperial Older Brother visited the imperial prison." To Yao Suluan''s surprise, Ye Liyu remained where he was and showed no intention tofort her. "So it was His Majesty that allowed Prince out?" Yao Suluan''s heart tightened with nervousness as she looked towards Ye Liyu. "Tomorrow afternoon, this prince will be executed. This was Imperial Older Brother''s decision." Perhaps it was because there was still a remaining trace of hope, because Ye Liyu still wanted to see Yao Suluan''s reaction. "Then did His Majesty talk about how he ns to deal with Suluan?" Yao Suluan wanted to get news from Ye Liyu so that she could make preparations. Ye Liyu took in her anxious expression quietly. His heart seemed to be covered by rapidly growing vines. That stifling sensation made it hard for him to even breathe. Yao Suluan had actually showed no reaction to the news that he was about to be beheaded! She only cared about herself! Yao Suluan seemed to realize her mistake and she restrained impatience in her eyes to walk to Ye Liyu. She gently ced her hands on Ye Liyu''s arm. "Prince¡­" "Have you ever loved this prince? Seven years ago, you said that you love me but you couldn''t disobey your father''s orders and had to enter the pce. Seven yearster, you said you regretted things, that your life in the pce was no better than death. Did these wordse from the bottom of your heart? Or did you make them up to trick this prince?" Ye Liyu brushed off her hands, his eyes flickering with sorrow. He had used seven years to love, but this was the kind of woman he had loved!? __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 32
Chapter 32: You Actually Dare to Threaten Us! "Prince, Suluan''s every word was true. It was just that time wasn''t on our side and we missed each other. The one in Suluan''s heart has always been Prince!" Yao Suluan''s tearstained face was like the sight of raindrops on a pear blossom. "There is a good chance right now. This prince has escaped from the prison. We can leave together!" Ye Liyu pulled Yao Suluan and made to walk outside, but Yao Suluan abruptly shook him off. "You''re not willing?" Ye Liyu looked towards Yao Suluan coldly. His heart shattered into splinters of ice. "No¡­ Suluan is willing to go with Prince, but¡­" Yao Suluan was flustered. For a moment she couldn''te up with anything to say. "But you can''t bear to part with the wealth and glory here. You can''t bear to part with that dazzling throne of the empress. Yao Mowan was right, this was a blessing in disguise. If it hadn''t been for this incident, this prince would''ve continued to be stupid and allowed you to manipte me!" Ye Liyu''s feelings died. He had asked himself to be given the post of defending Secluded Province and squandered seven entire years for the sake of a ruthless scheming woman like this! It hadn''t been worth it! It really wasn''t worth it! "It''s Yao Mowan again! If it weren''t for her, how could we have fallen to this point? Did Prince''s head be muddled after taking a trip to the prison!?" The fury in Yao Suluan''s heart overflowed again. She hated Yao Mowan to the point that she even dreamed about skinning her alive. "It''s that this prince''s head has cleared. Yao Suluan, from now on, this prince has no further rtionship with you!" Ye Liyu turned around descively to leave, but Yao Suluan blocked his way. "Prince¡­ His Majesty¡­ Did he say anything about how he nned to deal with Suluan?" Yao Suluan looked towards Ye Liyu anxiously. Ye Liyu stood there silently for a long while before he finally spoke. "This prince has already taken the me for everything in front of Imperial Older Brother and asked him not to make things difficult for you, but you probably understand how Imperial Older Brother is like better than this prince. Suluan, you should fend for yourself." After saying this, he left the pce without hesitation. Yao Suluan watched as Ye Liyu left and her gaze gradually dimmed. She understood Ye Hongyi''s personality too well. If it weren''t for that, she wouldn''t have made sure to keep a card hidden! Yao Mowan, you want to crush this consort? It won''t be that easy! In Guan Osprey Pce, Yin Xue repeated the conversation between Ye Liyu and Yao Suluan to Yao Mowan. "Master, when this subordinate came back, Ye Liyu had already left the imperial city. Should we send someone to follow him?" asked Yin Xue. "Although Ye Liyu''s a little domineering, his crimes aren''t severe enough to call for his death. Since he''s left, then let''s just leave it at that. This consort is just worried that after all of this happened, Ye Hongyi would target Junqing again. Tell Liu Sha to protect the esteemed prince carefully. If something happens, it''s better to expose his presence if it could guarantee Ye Junqing''s safety." Yao Mowan''s gaze was solemn and filled with unconceble worry. If her guess wasn''t wrong, Ye Hongyi''s suspicions had probably turned towards Ye Junqing now. Right now, she was just waiting for Ye Hongyi to make a move so that she could counter it. By noon the next day, news of Ye Liyu and Yao Suluan''s rendezvous in the pce had already spread through the entire pce. All sorts of rumors spilled out of the pce. When Ye Liyu was executed at noon, it was taken to be the imperial court silently confirming this scandal. Later that day, An Bingshan happily carried a cup of poisoned wine, a meter of white silk, and a dagger into Pure Flower Pce. "By His Majesty''s orders!" dered An Bingshan. He narrowed his eyes with schadenfraude as he looked towards Yao Suluan who was bowing in front of him. "This subject wife Yao Suluan receive the decree." "His Majesty said that Consort Li can choose one of these three." An Bingshan ced the tray on the table, then flicked his horsetail whisk back as he said this. Yao Suluan slowly got up. As she looked at the things in the tray, her eyes turned cold. "Oh, almost forgot to exin them to Your Highness. Your Highness can choose the poisoned wine or the dagger to make your mouth calm down. Of course, if Your Highness feels that not being able to speak is no different from being dead, you can choose to use the white silk tomit suicide. This eunuch will just give a small rmendation. A straightforward death still can''tpare to a carefree life. If it was this eunuch, this eunuch would choose the poisoned wine. It''s not very painful. After all, using the dagger to cut out the tongue is too bloody and the sensation''s not anything pleasant either." An Bingshan looked towards Yao Suluan with a slight smile as he gave this detailed exnation. "This consort wishes to see His Majesty!" said Yao Suluan coldly, but An Bingshan justughed. "His Majesty is too busy to see you right now. You should hurry up. This eunuch still has a lot of other things to do!" urged An Bingshan. "This consort has something very important to tell His Majesty, it regards the empress Yao Moxin. If His Majesty ends up in an awkward position because of you, this consort can promise that your end will definitely be no better than this consort''s!" warned Yao Suluan coldly. The cold light in her eyes made An Bingshan hesitate. After a long moment, An Bingshan decided not to take this risk and sent people to report Yao Suluan''s words to Ye Hongyi. After about the time for an incense stick to finish burning, Ye Hongyi appeared in the main hall of Pure Flowers Pce. Yao Suluan couldn''t recall when was thest time that Ye Hongyi had appeared in her pce. "Your Majesty, Her Highness Consort Li¡­" Just as An Bingshan was about to speak, Ye Hongyi cut him off. "Everyone, leave! An Bingshan, guard the doors. Without our decree, no one is to be allowed in!" Ye Hongyi''s voice was low and deafening like that of a heavy bell. An Bingshan knew that Yao Suluan''s words had definitely angered the dragon countanence, so he immediately withdrew with the younger eunuches. When the city gates caught on fire, the fish in the moat also suffered. He had no desire to be implicated in this matter. The moment the pce doors closed, Ye Hongyi stormed over and grabbed Yao Suluan by her cor to shove her towards the wall. "Yao Suluan! You actually dared to threaten us!" Ye Hongyi''s eyes were extremely dark as he glowered at Yao Suluan. "This subject wife doesn''t dare. This subject wife just wanted to live." Since Yao Suluan had alreadyid her cards of the table, she didn''t bother to beat around the bush anymore. Her eyes were like still water as she looked at Ye Hongyi. "Who knows about what happened with Yao Moxin?" Ye Hongyi was shocked by how unpreturbed Yao Suluan was. He silently remarked that he had underestimated this woman! If he had known earlier, he would''ve gotten rid of her along with Yao Moxin! "Currently, only Your Majesty and Suluan knows, but Suluan had prepared a fail-safe. Even if Suluan bes a mute, the fact that Your Majesty had killed the empress and your own child will spread through great Chu. Everyone will know." Yao Suluan''s lips curved. There was anger in Ye Hongyi''s eyes, but she could also see fear. This fear will allow her to live. "Yao Suluan! If you dare to spread nonsense, we will destroy Yao Residence and have all nine generations of your family wiped out!" Ye Hongyi''s grip on Yao Suluan''s cor tightened, causing Yao Suluan to suffrocate. "Alright! Then Suluan won''t even have to go through the trouble of getting rid of that heartless Yao Zhenting and that Yao Mowan who deserves to die by a thousand cuts! It''d be perfect! Your Majesty should give the decree right now! Suluan can''t wait!" Yao Suluan''s face was turning purple fromck of air, but her voice was light. "Yao Suluan! You''re truly malicious!" Ye Hongyi gritted his teeth as he tightened his fingers around Yao Suluan''s throat. He really wanted to just snap Yao Suluan''s neck right now! However, at thest moment, he just threw her to the ground. He couldn''t take this risk. If what happened with Yao Moxin got out, the people with intentions would definitely make use of this information to destablize his country! "Cough cough¡­ Suluan''s malicious? Your Majesty shouldn''t forget who it was that told Suluan to spread rumors that Yao Moxin''s achievements are greater than that of the emperor''s which showed that she, as a woman, was usurping authority! Who was it that ced the evidence in Suluan''s hands and had Suluan frame a hero for the crime of nning a revolt? And Water Ripple Pavilion, who was it that told Suluan to find the so-called witness? Ye Hongyi, if it''s a discussion about maliciousness, Suluan truly can''tpare to you!" Yao Suluan gasped hard for air as she revealed everything that had happened back then. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 33
Chapter 33: Feng Yihan is Invading? "You had been willing! Could it be that you''ve never thought about killing Yao Moxin so that you could take her ce?" Ye Hongyi exploded when Yao Suluan exposed his ugly deeds. "If it weren''t for the fact that Suluan had such desires, why would Your Majesty have chosen Suluan to participate in those despicable schemes with you? Suluan had done everything for you, but what did Suluan obtain?" shouted Yao Suluan angrily. Currently, there was no point for her to act weak in front of Ye Hongyi. "We''ve bestowed you the position of imperial noble consort! It''s already extreme benevolence!" roared Ye Hongyi coldly. "Imperial noble consort? Oh that''s right! If Your Majesty hadn''t reminded me, Suluan wouldn''t have remembered that I had such a title. Back then, for the sake of controlling Huan Heng, Your Majesty had Suluan give up on the child to frame Huan Caier. After things didn''t turn out as wishes, Your Majesty focused only on emphasizing that you were innocent andpletely abandoned Suluan! Your Majesty has let down Suluan! You''ve let down your own flesh and blood!" Whenever Yao Suluan recalled the child that she had gotten rid of with her own hands, her heart would convulse with pain. "Yao Suluan, don''t forget! You were the one that drank the saffron. We didn''t press a knife against your neck to force you! You had been willing to kill your own child to obtain the position of empress, how are you any better than us?" Ye Hongyi scoffed coldly. "Since Your Majesty has already said this, then Suluan might as well put it bluntly. If Your Majesty presses Suluan too much, Suluan would rather do ast struggle than to give up and ept death! Suluan is just a woman. It doesn''t really matter if the country''s citizen spits at and curses me, but Your Majesty isn''t the same! Your Majesty should think things through carefully. Don''t do anything you''ll end up regretting!" Yao Suluan abruptly got to her feet as she said this provocatively. "You want to live? Then we''ll allow you to do so! But you should remember this well: If this matter is ever exposed, we''ll let you know the meaning of life worse than death!" said Ye Hongyi coldly, then he flung his sleeves back and stormed out. After Ye Hongyi mmed the door closed, Yao Suluan copsed into a chair, her face pale. Her legs trembled uncontrobly. She had just escaped from the door of the devil. To say that she wasn''t scared would be a lie. Now that she had fallen out with Ye Hongyi, regardless of whether it was imperial favor or the position of empress, they were both now forever out of reach. Could it be that she''d have to continue struggling on at death''s door like this? Yao Suluan clenched her fists. She couldn''t ept this! Unless¡­ Unless the master of the country changed! When Yao Suluan''s thoughts reached this point, a trace of a smile appeared on her tense face. Beneath the bright moonlight, Yin Xue was repeating the conversation between Ye Hongyi and Yao Suluan word for word to Yao Mowan. "What a pity for such matching allies to end up such enemies," said Yao Mowan lightly. No emotions could be made out from her voice. Behind her, Yin Xue was inwardly shocked. Even she had felt a bit of pity when she heard that Yao Moxin had been killed, but Yao Mowan was actually able to remain so unpreturbed despite learning of this news. She had to admit her respect for this new master''s deep foresight and ability to keep her emotions hidden. "Master, should we kill Yao Suluan?" asked Yin Xue. "Why would you ask that? This consort''s hoping that she''d be able to live for a little longer," said Yao Mowan with a soft smile. Her smile was extremely beautiful, but Yin Xue could sense bloodthirsty murderous intent. After what happened with Ye Liyu, Yao Mowan felt like Ye Hongyi''s gaze always contained hidden murderous intention when he looked at Ye Junqing. It made her very worried. Fortunately, at this time, Yin Xue discovered that Ye Hongyi was secretly hiding the prince of Qi, Feng Duo. This discovery made Yao Mowan loosen a breath in relief. It seemed it was time for Feng Yihan to return the favor. At breakfast, Ye Junqing had just lifted his bowl to start eating when he heard An Bingshan''s voice. That voice immediately ruined his appetite. "The imperial edict has arrived. Esteemed Prince, please ept the edict!" Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing lowered his bowl and reflexively nced towards Yao Mowan. "Why are you looking at me? He''s calling for you?" muttered Yao Mowan even as her lips curved into a faint smile. Ye Junqing blushed slightly. He also felt like his behavior was senseless. For some reason, he seemed to be a little dependent on Yao Mowan now. It showed in the way he always wanted to ask for Yao Mowan''s opinion before he did anything. It made him really vexed. "By the Mandate of Heaven, this emperor hereby decree that the nation of Qi has disregarded their signed treaty. They''ve openly incited war and have already taken over three cities. Ye Junqing is given the post of vanguard. Three dayster, lead the troops to Geyan!" After An Bingshan finished reading the imperial decree, he handed it to Ye Junqing with a strange tone of respect. However, when Ye Junqing ignored him, he left angrily. "Feng Yihan has just ascended to the throne. It doesn''t make sense for him to start a war now?" Ye Junqing frowned as he looked at the edict. "Mowan thinks that what Prince should be wondering about is why His Majesty chose to sent you to fight against Feng Yihan." Yao Mowan expressed that she really couldn''t understand Ye Junqing''s naive way of thinking. "This prince is just a vanguard, what could this prince possibly do?" replied Ye Junqing with a bitter smile. There was no way he could be unaware of the fact that Ye Hongyi didn''t trust him. "If Prince wished, you could do anything." Yao Mowan looked towards him meaningfully. "This prince had promised Moxin that I would protect Ye Hongyi''s country." This was a vow and also a promise. Ye Junqing refused to disappoint Yao Moxin. Yao Mowan fell silent. Sometimes she wondered what would happen if she told Ye Junqing that she was Yao Moxin? What would happen? But she didn''t dare to take this risk. She couldn''t guarantee that Ye Junqing would believe her. After all, anyone that hasn''t experienced this for themselves would find it unbelievable. "Say, why do you think Feng Yihan attacked great Chu? Was it because he wasn''t treated respectfully thest time he visited?" When Yao Mowan didn''t say anything, Ye Junqing walked over to her to ask this. "Is he that shallow?" Yao Mowan took a deep breath. It didn''t matter. Since she had decided to help pave the road to the throne for Ye Junqing, there was no need for him to worry about such things. After all, she owed him this. "This prince also feels that he''s not that shallow. So then, why did he do this?" Ye Junqing was clearly trying to fish something out of her. "You want to know?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows, her eyes bright. "I do!" Ye Junqing nodded. "Then you should ask him!" Yao Mowan''s innocent tone made her words all the more infuriating. When Ye Junqing heard her reply, his face went ck and he left without a word. Ever since finding out that Ye Junqing would be heading to battle, Yao Mowan had been worried about who would get the marshal''s seal. At this time, when she heard Ye Hongyi''s inquiry, she really wanted tough. "Your Majesty, Wan er doesn''t want to be the marshal! Wan er doesn''t want to leave Your Majesty." Yao Mowan buried her face into Ye Hongyi''s chest. The stone on her heart finally fell. The only thing she couldn''t understand was what Ye Hongyi was trying to do by giving her the marshal''s seal. "We''ve never asked anything of Wan er before. This time counts as us begging Wan er, please do it, alright?" Ye Hongyi lifted a strand of Yao Mowan''s hair and yed with it as he coaxed her. "But Wan er has never been a marshal before and doesn''t know how to be one?" Yao Mowan blinked in confusion. "It''s fine, just remember that everyone must listen to you. They have to do whatever you tell them too, including Ye Junqing, got it?" exined Ye Hongyi patiently. "But Wan er''s really dumb and doesn''t know how to fight. What if we lose¡­" Yao Mowan pressed the tips of her fingers together with a troubled pout. "It''s good if you lose! If you lose it just means that Wan er isn''t apetitive person!" Ye Hongyi nodded earnestly without any trace of a joking manner. Yao Mowan suddenly realized his intentions. The reason Ye Hongyi wanted to make her themander-in-chief of this hundred thousand men army was because he wanted to lose this war! When Feng Yihan visited great Chu before, it had always been Ye Junqing keeping himpany. If Ye Junqing lost to Feng Yihan this time, it''d be taken as Ye Junqing selling out the nation! This crime was enough to for Ye Junqing to be executed! __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 34
Chapter 34: Have a Fool Be the Marshal "En, Wan er has never beenpetitive." YMW nodded firmly with a smile. "Then Wan er will do it for us?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Yao Mowan delightedly. This woman''s pure and innocent face was beautiful enough to make a person''s breath stop and drive them crazy. "Wan er will do whatever Your Majesty tells Wan er to do!" Yao Mowan nodded seriously. Internally, she was celebrating this turn of events. If someone else was the marshal, Ye Junqing would''ve been in serious danger this time. "Wan er''s the only one we can trust in this entire pce¡­" sighed Ye Hongyi as he pulled her into his arms tightly. He felt like if he let go even for a second, this cute little sprite that the Heavens had bestowed him would disappear. This particr night, Ye Hongyi actually didn''t have sexual intercourse with her and just hugged her tightly like he wanted to pull her into his heart. He had fallen in love with this fool. Ye Hongyi no longer had any doubt about this. The next morning, at breakfast, Guan Osprey Pce reverberated with Ye Junqing''s angry shouts. "Did His Majesty take the wrong medicine? How could he have made you marshal? You''re a woman!" As Ye Junqing stared at the edict in his hands, he felt like the world was falling apart. "Hasn''t Prince heard of the saying that a woman''s headdress does not concede to the beards of men?" Yao Mowan had expected Ye Junqing to react like this, so her expression remained unperturbed. "Don''t try to tell this prince that His Majesty is making you marshal because a woman''s headdress does not concede to the beards of men!" said Ye Junqing indignantly. Even though he was aware of how wise and farsighted Yao Mowan was, he still couldn''t ept the fact that she was now hismanding officer. "Regardless whether Prince is willing or not, during this campaign, you''ll have to obey Mowan. Otherwise¡­" Yao Mowan let her words linger. "Otherwise what?" asked Ye Junqing, annoyed. "Otherwise Mowan will order the soldiers to pull down your pants and have you publicly spanked. Prince isn''t afraid of pain, but are you also not afraid of embarrassment?" said Yao Mowan leisurely. She suddenly felt that today''s breakfast was particrly delicious. Things turned out as Yao Mowan had said. Regardless of whether Ye Junqing was willing or not, Yao Mowan still headed out of the imperial city with the identity of marshal. The day of their departure, all of the citizens of the imperial city came to watch. Eternal Peace Street was filled with people. The majority of the crowd were young women that had gathered in hopes of catching a glimpse of Ye Junqing. Even though he wasn''t donning the armor of the marshal anymore, he was still the most attractive sight in the procession. The silver armor gave his handsome face a stern air that made his features even more charming and sharp. He was riding on horseback with a spear in hand. His current majestic manner waspletely different from the elegant impression he usually gave off. In the very center of the procession, Yao Mowan was in gold armor and sitting on a war chariot that was being pulled by eightrge horses. She looked as solemn as a Buddha, but her appearance was more luxurious than it was stern. Though the young girls kept following Ye Junqing with their eyes, everyone else was looking at Yao Mowan. "She looks proper, but in reality she''s just a embroidered pillow casing!" Someonemented. "The pillow casing''s embroidered nicely, but inside is just a bunch of fodder!" sighed another person. "Hey, fodder''s still useful. Your analogy has issues!" said someone else pointedly to imply that Yao Mowan couldn''t evenpare to fodder. Who in the imperial city didn''t know of this woman who the emperor favored the most? The Noble Consort Yao of the current dynasty was a fool! A fool was going to be the marshal? If it wasn''t that His Majesty''s brain experienced an issue, then it was that this world had gone crazy. Yao Mowan satfortably in the golden sparkling chariot as she swept her clear eyes over the citizens and took in their expressions of disappointment or contempt. Inwardly, she sighed. Ye Hongyi had truly made a crucial mistake. He had only been trying to figure out a way to get rid of Ye Junqing and had forgotten to consider the result of his actions. Having a fool be the marshal not only lost him the support of the military but also the faith of the people. His action was the same as destroying his own city walls. This campaign was going to be a crucial step for her to pave the way to the throne for Ye Junqing. The procession grandiosity left the city, then headed towards Geyan. Yao Mowan had Liu Xing stay in the pce. Someone had to pay attention to Yao Suluan and Yao Residence. Since Yao Suluan had already gone crazy, Yao Mowan made Liu Sha stay behind to protect Liu Xing as well. After Ting Yue got injuredst time, Yao Mowan became even more cautious. She couldn''t allow anyone else who was devoted to her to get hurt. Two days after leaving the imperial city, they encountered a storm. Ye Junqing ordered for the army to postpone the march and set up tents in the nearby forest. After the order was given, over a hundred tents were set up in the forest in less than fifteen minutes. Out of all of the tents, Yao Mowan''s was the most luxurious. It had a silk canopy with crystal tassels, a tea set, incense burners, a bed with a canopy¡­ It had everything; it was practically like a miniature Guan Osprey Pce. "Your Highness, the esteemed prince said that he needs to look into the army itinerary and doesn''t have the time toe here." Ting Yue returned from Ye Junqing''s tent and delivered his reply. "That''s why I say that your junior brother seriously doesn''t have any taste. It''s misty outside and there''s a fine rain, so it''s the perfect time to sample tea while enjoying the scenery. The most important task right now is not to let down such beautiful scenery." Yao Mowan shook her head helplessly as she nced towards Yan Nansheng. "Cough cough¡­ Wan er, your taste is truly unique, most ordinary people wouldn''t be able to keep up," replied Yan Nansheng sincerely as he listened to the sounds of the ferocious storm outside. "Tell the esteemed prince that this is a military order. If he doesn''te, this marshal will personally spank him!" Yao Mowan paid no attention to Yan Nansheng''s ridicule and just turned towards Ting Yue. Just as Ting Yue was about to leave to carry out this order, Yao Mowan added something else. "Don''t forget to remind him that he''ll be spanked with his pants off!" When Yao Mowan said this, Yan Nansheng who was sitting in front of her jolted. How pitiful must the days be for his junior brother! Yan Nansheng decided let go of the incident in which Ye Junqing had tricked a nine revivals pill out of him and just treat it as apensation for Ye Junqing to console him for his pitiful life. Yao Mowan''s method was very effective. Ye Junqing appeared in front of Yao Mowan and Yan Nansheng at the speed of lightning. "You''re looking for this prince?" Ye Junqing suppressed the fury in his heart and tried to make his tone as normal as possible, but it didn''t sound normal at all. "It was Nansheng. Mowan was just passing the message along." When Yao Mowan sensed Ye Junqing''s suppressed anger, she slowly lifted her tea cup and just flung Ye Junqing off to Yan Nansheng. "Hey!" Yan Nansheng abruptly sat up. He felt that Yao Mowan''s way of passing off the problem was way too shameless. "You didn''t want to see him? Then Mowan will have him head back!" Yao Mowan paid no attention to Yan Nansheng''s shocked look and continued speaking with an earnest expression. "Fine, I was the one that wanted to see him. It had nothing to do with you, happy? Cough cough¡­ Junqing, Feng Yihan has already reached Xiantai yesterday. This person isn''t easy to deal with. If you''re not confident, I can help you get rid of him!" Yan Nansheng had rushed here as soon as he found that out Ye Hongyi had sent Ye Junqing out on this campaign. He was certain that this was some nasty scheme of Ye Hongyi''s. "No!" "No!" Ye Junqing and Yao Mowan almost simultaneously rejected him. "Why?" Yan Nansheng nced at them, confused. It was rare for their opinions to agree, but he didn''t approve of their opinion. After all, if he killed Feng Yihan, great Chu would be able to win this battle without even fighting. He couldn''t see anything bad about it. "This prince fears no one on the battlefield! If you do this, it''s an insult to Junqing!" Ye Junqing''s words were resolute and his sharp gaze was reminiscent of his past military expertise. "Then why did Wan er say no?" Yan Nansheng questioned how he had possibly ended up forgetting about Ye Junqing''s stubbornness. He should have done it first and askedter. Now if anything happened to Feng Yihan, Ye Junqing would me it on him! __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 35
Chapter 35: Someone Has Come to the Tent "Because the esteemed prince fears no one one the battlefield ah!" Yao Mowan repeated Ye Junqing''s words. She believed that she had said it very sincerely, but to Ye Junqing, it just sounded like she was mocking him. Right after she said it, he shot over an angry re. "Are you sure that you guys don''t want me to interfere in this matter?" Yan Nansheng had came here thinking that he would salvage the situation for them, but when he saw Ye Junqing and Yao Mowan shake their heads at the same time, hepletely deted. Even though it was storming outside, Yan Nansheng left without hesitation. As Yao Mowan looked at the red garment that was fluttering ragefully in the rain and wind, she couldn''t help but sigh that Yan Nansheng was really a good person ah! Perhaps she should consider giving Yin Xue back to him? However, the moment this thought emerged, ten thousand little sprites screamed in her ears, are you crazy? Did you go crazy? "Do you really feel like this prince will win this campaign?" When Yao Mowan finally shifted her gaze away, she found that Ye Junqing was looking at her seriously with faint anticipation flickering in his eyes. "I''m certain!" Yao Mowan nodded without hesitation. "Why?" The light in Ye Junqing''s eyes became even brighter. "Because Mowan is the marshal." Almost right after Yao Mowan said this, there came a loud p of thunder. Ye Junqing felt that he seriously couldn''t hold a conversation with Yao Mowan anymore, so he stormed off. He didn''t hear Yao Mowan''s following words at all: "Because you''re the vanguard ah¡­" It took almost half a month to reach Geyan. However, if the time they stopped due to the storm was subtracted, then they had only traveled for ten days. This was five days faster than Yao Mowan had predicted. This was enough to show that Ye Junqing had been able to figure out the most efficient route of travel for the military. This was probably what the marshal was supposed to be like. At this time, Yao Mowan had already slept in an guest house in Geyan from sunrise until sunset. She stretched and got upzily when Ye Junqing finished settling the soldiers down and came to look for her. "Your Highness, dinner has already been prepared." When Ting Yue who had been waiting outside heard her master''s call, she immediately pushed open the door and entered. "En. Has the esteemed prince returned?" "He''s already back. He just saw off Colonel Du who had been stationed here." Ting Yue picked up ab to start smoothing out Yao Mowan''s hair. "Comb a hairstyle that suits this hairpin." Yao Mowan slowly walked to the dressing table and casually opened the drawer to take out the immortal phoenix tail hairpin. Ting Yue obeyed and carefully styled Yao Mowan''s hair. After about the time for one incense stick to finish burning, Yao Mowan slowly entered the main hall. Ye Junqing had already waited for almost an hour. His expression which had been displeased from the start became even gloomier. "You''re sure having a nice time being marshal! If you slept for a little while longer, it would''ve already been the next day!" Ye Junqing hadn''t wanted toin, but he couldn''t stop himself. Ever since the age of eleven, he had been following Imperial Father out on campaigns and had experienced all sorts of battles. He had followed his far share of marshals, and it was the first time he had seen a marshal as irresponsible as Yao Mowan. Regardless of whether it was in arranging the troops or sending troops to battle, the marshal had to make the decisions. However, Yao Mowan even had to give military orders when she went to sleep, saying that whoever that disturbed her would be punished ording to the militaryws! "Is that so? If I knew earlier, I would''ve just slept for a while longer." Yao Mowan slowly walked to the table. Just as she sat down, Ye Junqing walked over with a stack of paper. "These are the documents for deploying an army. They need to be stamped, so bring the marshal''s seal over!" said Ye Junqing indignantly as he dropped the pile in front of Yao Mowan. "Doesn''t Prince n to let Mowan eat dinner first before stamping these things?" Yao Mowan looked at the table filled with delicacies and felt hunger stir in her belly. "Stamp them first!" Ye Junqing was already near the end of his patience. "Ting Yue, find something else and swap the marshal''s seal out." Yao Mowan leaned indolently into the back of the chair and nced towards the leg of the table. Ye Junqing frowned and followed her gaze, only to see that the white jade marshal''s seal was currently under a foot of the table. His handsome face instantly turned dark as ash. "Yao Mowan!" roared Ye Junqing. His eyes practically spitted mes as he looked towards Yao Mowan. In his opinion, the marshal''s seal was even more sacred than the ruler''s seal. Yao Mowan had trampled something that he had worshipped so much, giving her the marshal''s seal was seriously a waste of a treasure! "So loud. Mowan''s so scared that she doesn''t know what to do anymore. Ting Yue, hurry and help this consort back to rest. I feel dizzy." Yao Mowan rubbed her temples as she said this in a realistic manner. "This prince was wrong, alright? What do you want before you''ll agree to stamp them?" Ye Junqing sighed hard and forced himself to swallow his anger back down. He couldn''t very well bicker with her right now since he needed her to stamp these papers urgently. "Why don''t you give me a smile?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows towards Ye Junqing with a smirk. "Can''t bring myself to!" refuted Ye Junqing coldly. Right now he just wanted to cry. When Yao Mowan saw that Ye Junqing was near hisst straw, she graciously decided to stop teasing him and took the marshal''s seal that Ting Yue passed over to start stamping the papers. In reality, Yao Mowan''s actions weren''t all to tease Ye Junqing. It was mostly for creating a false impression and making sure that her behavior satisfied Ye Hongyi. Based on her understanding of Ye Hongyi, he definitely had secret envoys reporting every move that went on here. Of course, with Yin Xue here, those envoys had no way of getting into the inn. "They''re stamped. Happy now, Prince?" As Yao Mowan handed the marshal''s seal to Ting Yue, Ye Junqing had already carefully gathered up all the papers. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed the immortal phoenix tail hairpin in Yao Mowan''s hair. "That¡­ Why''s that in your hair?" Ye Junqing remembered that he had already thrown it in the old well near Guan Osprey Pce. "It''s fortunate that Mowan had given Prince a counterfeit, otherwise something this precious would''ve ended up buried in a well. It''d be such a pity!" Yao Mowan stroked the hairpin as she remarked this in a tone of relief. When Ye Junqing heard this, ck lines appeared over his forehead and he grinded his teeth as he glowered at Yao Mowan. "The one you gave this prince was fake?" After he got over the shock, he started silently cursing Yao Mowan. Truly, no one couldpare to how two-faced she was! "Of course it was fake. Prince hadn''t noticed?" Ye Junqing already had a little bit of immunity to Yao Mowan''s tendency to act innocent. At this time, he forced down his rage with much struggle. He really wished that Yao Mowan had been a man. If she had been a man, he would definitely vent his anger without any misgivings! "In reality, if Prince gets violent, Mowan won''t fight back. However¡­ Is Prince certain that you can beat Yin Xue?" Yao Mowan immediately exposed Ye Junqing''s thoughts and rubbed more salt onto his wound. Ye Junqing took a deep breath and chanted to himself that a good man didn''t fight with women. Fine, he admitted that he wasn''t a match for Yin Xue. Just as Ye Junqing was about to turn and storm off, he heard a cat. "Jewel? You even brought a cat!?" When Ye Junqing saw a snow white kitty crouched at the door, his rage surged up again. Did she take this trip to be a vacation? "So Si Qing''s big sister''s called Jewel?" A clear voice came from the door apanied by a faint fragrance. A figure in white appeared at the entrance like a moon diety that had descended to earth. He had handsome refined looks that were like carved jasper. Feng Yihan leaned over slightly with a faint smile to pick up the kitten called Si Qing and walked slowly towards Ye Junqing. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 36
Chapter 36: Invaded Just to Return a Favor "Esteemed Prince, long time no see!" Feng Yihan paid no attention to Ye Junqing''s shock. After entering, he walked over to sit down by Yao Mowan''s side. "The moment Yihan got news that Consort Yao wasing, Yihan immediately brought Si Qing here to Xiantai. However, Consort Yao sure made Yihan wait for a long time. You had clearly arrived yesterday, but you made Yihan wait until today." Feng Yihan''s soft grumble sounded very suggestive. Ye Junqing who had been about to storm off changed his mind and walked back to sit down on Yao Mowan''s other side. "You''re the one that called him here?" Ye Junqing impatiently asked an obvious question. "King Qi has been considerate. Mowan hadn''t thought that King Qi would actuallye to Xiantai personally and even bring Si Qing." Yao Mowan paid no attention to Ye Junqing''s question and reached out to take Si Qing, then gave it a big kiss. "Yihan wouldn''t miss any chances to meet with Mowan," replied Feng Yihan gently with a smile. Yao Mowan nced up towards him. His eyes were now resplendent, with no trace of the distress and silent endurance they once contained. She heard that the coup d''etat in Qi had been very intense. Feng Duo had resisted until thest minute before finally giving up. Countless had died and the previous king was now under house arrest. As of now, Feng Yihan was like a phoenix that had been reborn through a bath of fire. He was glowing with a magnificent aura. The domineering aura of a king that came from his very bones made people feel instinctive respect. "Are you guys that familiar with each other?" When Ye Junqing heard Feng Yihan call Yao Mowan in such an intimate way, he felt a faint sourness in his heart. "Even if King Qi didn''te this time, Mowan would''ve personally visited Qi to thank you. Mowan knows the price of this immortal phoenix tail hairpin very well." Yao Mowan stroked Si Qing gently, her eyes sparkling. "Are you guys treating this prince as dead!? Feng Yihan, if you''re tactful, you''d know to withdraw your troops now! Otherwise this prince definitely won''t show any concern for our past friendship on the battlefield." Ye Junqing was indignant. The feeling of being ignored, especially by Yao Mowan, was extremely ufortable. "You''re still here?" Before Feng Yihan could speak, Yao Mowan suddenly turned and looked towards Ye Junqing in surprise. Yao Mowan''s question almost made Ye Junqing stagger to the ground. Could it be that she had missed the sight of him despite hisrge frame? Was she blind? Was she blind!? "Esteemed Prince shouldn''t worry about this. Even if Yihan worries about past friendship, it wouldn''t be friendship with you, Prince. Moreover, Yihan''s the monarch of the nation and wouldn''t appear on the battlefield," said Feng Yihan lightly. His eyes didn''t leave Yao Mowan for a moment. "This prince won''t stop at just taking back three regions!" said Ye Junqing loftily. Regardless of who it was, anyone that offended great Chu had to pay the prince! "Yihan will wait to see then." Feng Yihan looked towards Ye Junqing mildly as if he found this threat to be of no concern. "This is a guest house in Geyan after all, it wouldn''t be good for King Qi to stay too long. Marshal Yao, with this current situation, Junqing has reason to believe that you''re selling out the country!" said Ye Junqing coldly. "En, all normal people would think so." Yao Mowan nodded slightly in approval of his words. Yao Mowan''s reaction poured more fuel on Ye Junqing''s anger. He was pretty sure he wouldn''t be able to stop himself from doing something rash if he stayed, so he left angrily. Once Ye Junqing''s figure disappeared from sight, Feng Yihan sighed in frustration. "Ye Junqing seriously doesn''t know what fortune he has. It truly makes Yihan jealous and even hate him a tiny bit." When Feng Yihan looked back towards Yao Mowan, a trace of unreadable softness appeared in the depths of his eyes. "Based on how well he treated Eldest Sister, it''d be worth it for Mowan to give up Mowan''s life to repay him." Yao Mowan admitted without hesitation in front of Feng Yihan that she treated Ye Junqing differently from how she treated everyone else. "This favor counts as repaid, but from what Ye Junqing said, he doesn''t n to stop at taking back three cities." Feng Yihan looked towards Yao Mowan meaningfully. "Five hundred thousand gold in exchange for Qi''s Linxi region, how''s that?" Yao Mowan got straight to the point. "Linxi isn''t worth five hundred thousand." Feng Yihan hadn''t expected for Yao Mowan to offer such arge sum. "It''s not worth it in King Qi''s eyes, but in Mowan''s eyes, it''s worth as much as a city." This was Ye Junqing''s first campaign since his status was stripped. Yao Mowan didn''t just want Ye Junqing to seizeplete victory, she wanted his name to resound through the country so that no one in Chu could remain unaware of his existence. "You''re making so many ns on Ye Junqing''s behalf. What can you get at the end?" Feng Yihan couldn''t help but want to know. "My mind will be at ease." Yao Mowan''s lips curved in a faint, sad smile. The next day, when Ye Junqing appeared in the main hall, Ting Yue ran over with an anxious expression. "Prince, something terrible has happened. Her Highness has disappeared!" Ting Yue''s eyes were red and she trembled as she reported this. "What do you mean by she''s disappeared?" Ye Junqing frowned as he looked towards Ting Yue in confusion. "Prince, this servant is telling the truth! Her Highness had gotten a little drunkst night, so this servant had helped Her Highness back to her room to rest. This morning, this servant had waited for a long time, but Her Highness never got up. When this servant went in to check on her, this servant found that Her Highness wasn''t in the room. What do we do? Prince, you must save Her Highness!" As Ting Yue spoke, she fell to a kneel in front of Ye Junqing while sobbing. "Ting Yue, you sure haven''t followed your master for so long for nothing. You''ve sure obtained quite a bit of legitimate inheritance from her. Your act is truly realistic. If it weren''t for the fact that this prince''s peerlessly wise, this prince definitely would''ve been tricked! Where''s your master? Hurry and tell her toe out!" said Ye Junqing. He didn''t believe her at all. "Prince, this servant isn''t lying. Her Highness really has disappeared!" Ting Yue kowtowed hard as she beseeched while sobbing. "With Yin Xue there, the only thing that could possibly happen is that she''d make someone else disappear. How could she possibly disappear? If you don''t wake her up, then I''ll do it myself!" said Ye Junqing angrily. Just as he was about to walk inside, he saw Yin Xue appear in front of him like a phantom. "Reporting, Prince, Master really has disappeared. Yin Xue had been with Master the entire time yesterday, but after midnight King Qi suddenly visited again and said that he had something important to discuss with Master. Master hesitated for a long time, then finally sent Yin Xue a signal for Yin Xue not to follow. However, all the way until now, Yin Xue hadn''t seen her return. She''s probably¡­ been kidnapped by King Qi." A trace of a bitter expression appeared on Yin Xue''s usually cold and expressionless face as she said these difficult words. "Really?" Ye Junqing was stunned and he looked towards Yin Xue with doubt. "Prince doesn''t trust Yin Xue?" Yin Xue frowned slightly with a disappointed expression. "Then why didn''t you go save her?" Ye Junqing was still doubtful. After all, if he learned anything from the time he spent with Yao Mowan, it was that she was the one that made other people suffer. No one was capable of gaining the upper hand with her. "Yin Xue just got back from Xiantai. Feng Yihan was there, but there was no trace of Master. Yin Xue didn''t dare to make any moves to inadvertently alert the enemy, so Yin Xue came back to report to Prince first," replied Yin Xue calmly. "Feng Yihan! He actually bit the hand that fed him!" roared Ye Junqing angrily, then he stormed out of the room. Once Ye Junqing walked far away, Ting Yue walked towards Yin Xue. "Thank God you were here!" Ting Yue patted her chest. Her heart was still pounding uncontrobly. It really was hard to lie while Ye Junqing''s stern gaze was focused on you. "This was the first time Yin Xue has ever lied in this lifetime." Yin Xue felt a little downhearted. "But it definitely won''t be thest time. It''ll get better once you get used to it. We both have to practice hard ah." Ting Yue''s consolement made Yin Xue feel even more depressed. Before Ye Junqing coulde up with a n, the incident of Yao Mowan being kidnapped was leaked. The high ranking officers were more overjoyed than they were sympathetic. To them, this wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. After all, no one was willing to listen to the orders of a fool! Compared to Yao Mowan, Ye Junqing was a way better leader. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Remember how I said that Yin Xue would learn a lot? XDXDXD Also, Si Qing can mean ''longing for that precious person.''

Announcements~

A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 37
Chapter 37: Consort Yao Has Been Captured The news soon reached the imperial city. After three days, an imperial edict was delivered to Geyan by a rushed messenger. "By the Mandate of Heaven, the emperor hereby decree that we have heard that Consort Yao was kidnapped and are outraged. Ye Junqing''s failure at adequete protection deserves severe punishment, but since we are worried about Consort Yao, we shall have Ye Junqing take up the post of marshal for the time being. Ye Junqing must rescue Consort Yao and make sure she is safe and unharmed. If Consort Yao is harmed in any way, Ye Junqing is tomit suicide on the spot. That is all, appreciated." After the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, all the soldiers and generals reacted with expressions of anger. Ye Junqing was the only one who calmly epted the edict. He was thinking that if anything happened to Yao Mowan, he''d definitely personally visit Moxin to apologize for his failure. Inside the guest house of Xiantai, Yao Mowan ced a delicious fish in front of Si Qing. However, Si Qing wasn''t used to her, so after picking up the fish, it jumped below Feng Yihan''s foot before starting to eat. "Mowan was able to hand over five hundred taels of gold without even blinking. Mowan''s wealth is truly outside of Yihan''s expectations." Feng Yihan stared in astonishment at the banknote Yao Mowan had handed him. "Everything has a value for a reason. There''s no reason for Mowan to feel heartache over this," replied Yao Mowan mildly. Settling the money and goods at the same time would prevent Feng Yihan from having second thoughtster. "The bank on this banknote is actually inside Qi. Could it be that Mowan doesn''t even trust me?" When Feng Yihan noticed this, he felt inexplicable disappointment. "King Qi''s words are too serious. If Mowan couldn''t trust King Qi, why would Mowan hand the banknote over ahead of time? It''s just that Mowan has always been cautious. It''s not directed towards anyone," replied Yao Mowan honestly. Right at this time, there was a gust of wind and Yin Xue appeared in front of Yao Mowan. "Reporting, Master, Ye Hongyi has given an edict and made Ye Junqing the marshal. He also gave the order that he must save Master, or else he mustmit suicide," reported Yin Xue. "That''s within predictions. You should head back first. If anything happens, report it right away." Yao Mowan dismissed Yin Xue with a wave as a trace of coldness emerged in her eyes. "In reality, Yihan feels that Ye Hongyi does care a lot about you, but you''re helping Ye Junqing in this way. It doesn''t seem very fair towards Ye Hongyi." Feng Yihan gave his objective opinion as a third party. "There''s no right or wrong in the struggle for the throne. There''s only those who seed and those who fail. There''s no fairness to speak of. King Qi probably knows this better than anyone. As for Mowan''s attitude, Mowan can''t tell you the reason behind this," said Yao Mowan mildly. No one knew the heaviness in her heart. "You''re absolutely correct. There''s no right or wrong, only sess or failure. But when born in the family of a monarch, regardless of whether you seed or fail, it stilles with sorrow." Feng Yihan smiled bitterly. Although he had won in that internal struggle, when he came to sit on the dragon throne that countless people yearned for, he hadn''t felt like smiling at all. "Feeling sorrow is still better than being forced to be sorrowful. Feng Duo is currently in the pce of Chu and secretly gathering up his past subordinates in preparation to seize the throne." Yao Mowan took a deep breath, then looked towards Feng Yihan again. "Back then, Feng Duo had ruthlessly tried to kill me, but still, I can''t bring myself to personally¡­" With a bitter smile, Feng Yihan picked up Si Qing who had just finished eating. "It seems that Prince is going to owe Mowan a favor." Yao Mowan smiled understandingly. A favor owed by Feng Yihan was a raremodity. After receiving the edict, Ye Junqing sent requests to visit to Xiantai several times. However, regardless if he tried with the status of the esteemed prince or privately with the identity of Ye Junqing, Feng Yihan rejected them all. Ye Junqing was out of choices, so three days after Yao Mowan was kidnapped, he sent an army to attack Xiantai. To his surprise, the Qi military in Xiantai was inplete disarray and couldn''t stand up to even one attack. After one day, he was already standing in the main hall of a guesthouse in Xiantai. This incident boosted the Chu military''s morale a lot and the entire military worshiped Ye Junqing''s skill atmanding as legendary and kept eximing that his title as the god of the battlefield truly wasn''t in vain. In the next two days, Ye Junqing continued attacking and recovered Jinmen and Nanxun in rapid session which made him even more of a legend. All of the military and civilians were now calling him a battle god. Ye Junqing was the only one that knew there was no way this was the limit of Feng Yihan''s abilities. He was purposefully throwing away these battles. However, Ye Junqing couldn''t figure out what his motive was in doing this! Inside a guesthouse in Linxi, Yao Mowan was rubbing her forehead and trying to nap. She had trouble sleeping on unfamiliar beds, so switching three different guesthouses in three days was wearing her out. "He''s taken down three cities in three days. Do you think Ye Junqing won''t notice?" Feng Yihan walked into the main hall with breakfast. When he saw the dark circles around Yao Mowan''s eyes, he felt slight heartache. However, he immediately suppressed that strange emotion because he knew that no matter how much emotion he put out, he wouldn''t be able to obtain this woman''s heart. Her heart already belong fully to Ye Junqing. It was a pity, but Feng Yihan only found outter once his heart was broken that if emotions were something that could be suppressed, there wouldn''t be so many unforgettable heart-wrenching love bads. "With experience in so many battles, how could he not notice that there''s something off about this? However, that doesn''t matter. It''s fine as long as the citizens believe. Mowan has already obtained the result Mowan wanted. As of now, the citizens of Chu are probably all discussing Ye Junqing''s godly achievement of recovering three cities in three days. Ye Junqing''s current value has increased by a huge amount." Yao Mowan rubbed her forehead as a smiling expression appeared in her eyes. This was a crucial step and it had gone very smoothly. "So you were trying to raise Ye Junqing to be like a diety. That way, even if Ye Hongyi wanted to do something to Ye Junqing, he''d have to be apprehensive of the public''s opinion." Feng Yihan nodded in realization, then ced the tray in front of Yao Mowan. "Mowan must have worked hard for several lifetimes to ute enough fortune to have King Qi personally bring food for Mowan!" After what she had been worried about all this time was finally resolved, she rxed a lot. "Is that so? If¡­" Feng Yihan hesitated. He really wanted to say, if you were willing, then I''d be happy to bring you food for the rest of this lifetime. However, he swallowed his words back. "If what?" Yao Mowan picked up the ginseng porridge as she asked this. "If Ye Junqing could break through Linxi in one day, he''d definitely go down as a legend." Feng Yihan changed his words. When Yao Mowan heard this, she slowly lowered the bowl and looked towards Feng Yihan. "Am I wrong?" asked Feng Yihan in confusion when he saw the glint in her eyes. "There''s a much better way to make this legend be even more legendary." In the end, Feng Yihan didn''t know Yao Mowan well enough. If it had been Ye Junqing who was here, he''d definitely try to escape as quickly as possible, because the word ''scheme'' was currently printed in Yao Mowan''s eyes. "What way?" asked Feng Yihan,pletely unaware of his impending doom. "If Ye Junqing can break through Linxi within three days and capture the king of Qi as well, this would definitely stun the masses." Yao Mowan''s eyes sparkled like stars. "Cough cough! That would stun the masses. The citizens of Qi will definitely think that their emperor was made of straw!" Feng Yihan suddenly wanted to just p himself. He could tell from Yao Mowan''s expression that this idea had just urred to her. "Actually, Yihan feels that there''s a saying that makes a lot of sense. The handsomest tree in a forest is inevitably filled by storm, the strongest barricade on the shore is inevitably destroyed by the waves. The higher a person stands, the more the masses will envy. Doesn''t Wan er feel that by lifting Ye Junqing up too high, it''s also causes him a sort of harm?" Feng Yihan did all he could to convince Yao Mowan to give up on this idea. "Mowan feels that sometimes being harmed is notpletely a bad thing." Just like with her, if she hadn''t been hurt so badly by Ye Hongyi, she would''ve definitely continued living in a muddle-headed daze, never knowing that the person whose pillow she shared was a beast in human skin. That harm had allowed her to finally see others clearly, and see herself clearly. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Hmm, but if Ye Hongyi never tried to kill her, then in that alternative universe he''s just as bad minus that he was too cowardly to actually kill her, or he''s exactly the same and killing Yao Moxin wasn''t an option. Either way, in both versions Ye Hongyi would try to eventually kill off Ye Junqing, and based on how Yao Moxin had helped him suppress other people, she might actually end up purposefully or idently helping him kill Ye Junqing, since Ye Junqing will definitely cooperate if he hears that Yao Moxin wants him to die. With how much Yao Moxin loved Ye Hongyi back then, even if she knows of his cruel doings, she probably wouldn''t stand against him as long as he was good to her¡­ Is my feeling. Since Yao Moxin isn''t a character that cares about the greater good. She seems to care more about having things her way.

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A short summary of the monthly announcements (if there are any) and a link to the monthly release post will now be stickied to the bottom of each chapter page. This month''s main additional update is that novelupdate links will now link directly to the chapter pages, but there will be a link to the monthly release pages for those who want to see the detailed release schedule/are patrons and need links to the advanced chapters. The general release schedule is on the sidebar. Let me know if there are any questions by shooting an email or dropping ament! As always, thank you for reading! <3 Chapter Volume 2 38
Chapter 38: The King of Qi Feigns Defeat "In reality¡­" "In reality, if King Qi doesn''t wish to agree to this, Mowan wouldn''t press you. After all, you are the monarch of a nation. Mowan really is being a little selfish in asking this." Yao Mowan used the strategy of loosening the reins in order to grasp them better and said this with a disappointed expression. "Forget it, this king will agree. It will also count as repaying the favor I still owe Wan er from before." Feng Yihan couldn''t bear to see that sad and disappointed expression on Yao Mowan''s face, so he decided to agree. "Mowan is extremely grateful that King Qi was willing to agree to this. However, the root of this is still that King Qi owes Ye Junqing a favor. It has no connection to the favor you still owe Mowan, so in the strict sense, King Qi still owes Mowan a favor." Yao Mowan immediately put away her sad look and gave a serious exnation of the situation. When Feng Yihan heard this, he felt like he was in the center of tornado. That astonishment and depression left him inplete confusion. He repeatedly asked himself, what was going on? What was going on? Did he just get trolled by Yao Mowan? Even though he felt like he was tricked, he still kept his promise. Hence, after ordering for Linxi to be defended for three days, once Ye Junqing broke through the defense, Feng Yihan waited very unwillingly for Ye Junqing to capture him. At this moment, Feng Yihan was sitting leisurely in the main hall of Linxi and sampling tea with a rxed expression. There was no trace of the sorrow or indignance that a normal captive would have. "All of you, withdraw!" The moment Ye Junqing entered, he had all the guards withdraw, then personally shut the door tightly. "Where''s Yao Mowan?" Ye Junqing looked towards Feng Yihan sharply. His voice contained faint worry and unease. "She''s waiting in a guesthouse in Anqing to be exchanged for Yihan." Feng Yihan took a sip of tea, then said this helplessly. "Why did you go easy on this prince? It doesn''t make sense!" Ye Junqing ,who had been tensed up this entire time, finally calmed down a little when he captured Feng Yihan. At the very least he''d be able to guarantee that there wouldn''t be any threat to Yao Mowan''s life. "In front of Yao Mowan, only her words are reason." Feng Yihan had to admit that Yao Mowan had that kind of ability. She was capable of twisting everything to strengthen her argument. "This prince doesn''t understand." Ye Junqing slowly sat down in front of Feng Yihan. Even though he found this entire matter strange, he couldn''t figure out the specifics of how this all happened. "Back then in Chu''s imperial pce, Mowan and Prince had saved Yihan from a difficult situation. Yihan had promised Mowan that Yihan would definitely repay this favor some other day. At that time, Mowan asked me for a favor on your behalf. Today counts as Yihan repaying that owed favor." Feng Yihan originally didn''t want to tell Ye Junqing this, but he couldn''t bring himself to ignore everything that Yao Mowan did for Ye Junqing, especially since Ye Junqing only cared for Yao Moxin. Even though Yao Mowan refused to admit it, he could tell that she had already fallen for Ye Junqing. "King Qi''s feigning defeat to repay a favor to Junqing?" Ye Junqing was very well aware that his troops weren''t that all-powerful and that the military of Qi wasn''t that weak. "The favor''s not to feign defeat. The favor was to attack great Chu," corrected Feng Yihan as he set down the cup. "King Qi means to say that you had attacked great Chu to repay a favor to Junqing?" Ye Junqing found it incredulous. "Although Yihan doesn''t know what Prince had encountered in the pce of Chu, Mowan had indeed sent a letter asking Yihan to hurry and send troops. That was why this campaign ured. Prince seizing control of Linxi, capturing Yihan, these were all Yao Mowan''s ideas." Feng Yihan revealed the entire situation. "Why did she do that¡­ King Qi''s that willing to listen to her orders?" Ye Junqing would be able to get the first answer sooner orter, so right now he was more curious about why Feng Yihan was following all of Yao Mowan''s orders. If it was just to return a favor, there was no way he''d go this far. "To be able to listen to the woman you love is a sort of happy honor." Feng Yihan had a good impression of Yao Mowan, but it wasn''t to the point of bone-deep love. The only reason he said this was to provoke Ye Junqing and make him realize that some people would be forever out of reach if you missed them at the right time. Later, when Feng Yihan saw Yao Mowan weeping silently, he regretted his current action to no end. "You¡­ You like Yao Mowan!?" Ye Junqing''s eyes widened with disbelief even as a strange tart sensation appeared in his heart. "If not, why would Yihan gift Mowan the immortal phoenix tail hairpin? Why would I call the kitten Si Qing? Why would I obey all of her words? It''s because I''ve already set my mind on this woman." Feng Yihan''s every sentence pierced Ye Junqing''s heart like thorns. The faint hurt and jealousy made Ye Junqing so confused that he didn''t even know how he was supposed to react. Jealousy? But there''s no reason for him to be jealous. The one he loved was Moxin. In this lifetime, the next lifetime, that would never change! But if it wasn''t jealousy, then what was this stifling suffocating sensation? "She''s the imperial noble consort of Chu! She''s not someone you can covet!" Ye Junqing looked towards Feng Yihan indignantly, ignoring his own flustered emotions for now. "In Yihan''s heart, she''s just her. As long as she nods, she can immediately be the empress of Qi!" Feng Yihan''s words were abnormally resolute and resounded loudly. His clear eyes were filled with bright radiance. Ye Junqing could tell that Feng Yihan wasn''t lying. "She¡­ agreed?" Ye Junqing didn''t seem to sense the nervousness and apprehension in his own voice, but Feng Yihan noticed all of it. Ye Junqing did care about Yao Mowan. This was good. As long as Yao Mowan would be able to get something back for everything she had invested, that would be good. "If she had agreed, would I still be sitting here?" replied Feng Yihan bitterly. Ye Junqing immediately smiled in relief. His face was filled with schadenfreude. Hence, two days after this deadlock, Ye Junqing finally exchanged Feng Yihan for Yao Mowan from the defending general of Anqing. In front of the two militaries, Feng Yihan and Yao Mowan walked towards each other. As they brushed shoulders, Feng Yihan asked with a bit of anticipation: "Wonder when I''ll have the chance to see Mowan again?" "We''ll naturally see each other when King Qi repays the favor you owe Mowan," said Yao Mowan with a smile. Although that smile was as beautiful as that of a spring flower, Feng Yihan felt a chill down his back. He had already gone through so much just to repay a favor to Ye Junqing, if he still needed to repay a favor to Yao Mowan¡­ He didn''t dare to think about it! The second day after they got Yao Mowan back, Ye Junqing got another urgent decree from Ye Hongyi. The general meaning was for him to bring Yao Mowan back to the imperial city as quickly as possible. The sentence ''we miss her'' made Ye Junqing''s heart stir with ufortable emotions again. On the journey back, every time Yao Mowan invited Ye Junqing to the chariot to sample tea, he woulde. He even visited several times without being invited, which made Yao Mowan feel a little overwhelmed by this favor. "Feng Yihan had definitely offered Linxi to Chu for you. He truly cares about you a lot." Ye Junqing had already drank five cups of tea and had been sitting silently for a long time before he finally said this probingly. After all, Feng Yihan was no inferior to Ye Hongyi. If Yao Mowan had ended up being moved by his actions, that waspletely normal. "If Feng Yihan gave Prince five hundred thousand gold taels, would Prince give Xiantai, Jinmen, and Nanxun willing to him?" asked Yao Mowan lightly. "Five hundred thousand gold taels? You gave him five hundred thousand gold taels!?" Ye Junqing abruptly stood up even as he looked at her in disbelief. "Prince''s reaction isn''t too slow after all." It was the truth so Yao Mowan didn''t deny it. "Five hundred thousand gold taels is enough to buy fifty Linxis! You''re sure generous! You¡­ you couldn''t have fallen in love with Feng Yihan, right? If not, why would you be so generous?" Ye Junqing sat back down and looked towards her seriously. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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Chapter Volume 2 39
Chapter 39: Smash His Own Foot With a Stone "That''s right. Why else would I put on the immortal phoenix tail hairpin to see him?" Yao Mowan hooked her lips. It was like the sight of a lively daisy blooming in the lush green hills. "You''re the imperial noble consort of great Chu, how can you like Feng Yihan!?" said Ye Junqing angrily as if she hadmitted a great crime. "You''re the esteemed prince of great Chu, but hadn''t you liked Yao Moxin?" Yao Mowan''s words immediately caused Ye Junqing to choke. When Yao Mowan saw that he waspletely speechless, she smiled. "Don''t worry, Mowan would sooner like you than Feng Yihan. Linxi''s worth way more than just five hundred thousand gold taels. The iron mine there is worth one million or even five million!" Yao Mowan''s crafty look made Ye Junqing''s heart chill. He should''ve known that there didn''t exist anyone in this world that could get the upper hand with Yao Mowan. He couldn''t help but feel sympathy for Feng Yihan. If he saw Yao Mowan''s current expression, he''d probably die from anger. "How did you know that there was an iron mine in Linxi?" asked Ye Junqing. "Mowan''s iron mine in Mangyuan isn''t meeting supply demands, so of course there was a need to expand. Mowan had also only obtain this news just recently. Who would''ve thought a chance woulde this soon?" Yao Mowan took a sip of tea happily. "As of now, Linxi belongs to the imperial court so the imperial court will naturally start mining its resources. There''s no way you''d have a chance!" Ye Junqing didn''t agree. "Prince should remember just one sentence: money can even make a ghost toil. Silver is white and people''s eyes are ck. When ck eyes encounter beautiful white silver, they turn red. There''s no one in this world that holds a grudge against money. The parents of the officials in those counties know this best of all, so as long as Mowan offers enough silver, they definitely won''t report Linxi''s situation." Yao Mowan was filled with confidence. The lively craftiness in her eyes made Ye Junqing dazed for a moment. Back then, Yao Moxin would often have this sparkle in her eyes as well. "Is Prince too stunned? Don''t you feel that Mowan is peerlessly wise?" When Yao Mowan saw that Ye Junqing''s eyes were fixed on her, but his gaze was distant like he was looking beyond her, she knew that he was trying to find traces of Yao Moxin in her. Even though she had already tried to restrain herself a lot, since she was still the same person in the end, there were some movements that she subconsciously did that were the same. Fortunately they were biological sisters, so it wasn''t too hard to exin. "It should be that you''re peerlessly crafty. Feng Yihan is sure pitiful," sighed Ye Junqing. However, internally he wasn''t really feeling pity. He even felt a little bit of delight. Ten dayster, once the troops returned to the imperial city, Eternal Peace Street was once again filled with people. This time, all the citizens were looking towards Ye Junqing. He had taken down three cities in three days, and had even obtained Linxi and captured the king of Qi. This event was enough for Ye Junqing to regain his past glory and more. The halo on his head shone even more brightly than it did in the past. Of course, there were some people that still looked towards Yao Mowan, but it was just with contempt. "She''s truly a femme fatale!" Someone remarked. "A femme fatale that can''t seed at much but fails at much!" added another person. "An idiot of a femme fatale that can''t seed at much but fails at much!" Another person joined the verbal chain. On the dazzling golden chariot, Yao Mowan wasn''t able to hear their remarks, but she was certain that they were extremely unpleasant. However, the more they cursed at her, the happier she felt. She had truly helped Ye Junqing make a profit. When she saw the tall walls and green roof tiles in front of her, she couldn''t help but sigh. She was finally back. Ye Hongyi, Yao Suluan, have you two been doing well¡­ The moment she entered the pce doors, she was pulled out of the sedan chair by Ye Hongyi and into his arms. "Our Wan er ah! You must have been so scared! It''s all our fault for having you go on this campaign. What would we have done if anything happened to you?" His hoarse voice was filled with unconceble guilt and regret. Yao Mowan lifted her delicate face to look towards Ye Hongyi. "We won this battle, but Wan er isn''t someonepetitive!" Yao Mowan sounded like she was about to cry even as a trace of contempt floated up in her heart. She could tell from how haggard Ye Hongyi looked that he really had been worried. Howughable! Ye Hongyi, you truly couldn''t tell good from bad. Back then I had wholeheartedly done everything for your sake, but you had forgotten grace to the point that you killed your own wife and child. Now that I''m wholeheartedly doing all I can to hurt you, you treasure me to the point you can''t sleep soundly without me in your arms. Say, aren''t you justplete trash? "We know, we''ve always known! Let''s not talk about this anymore. Wan er, we''re extremely happy that you were able toe back safe and sound. We must have a banquet tonight in the imperial garden for you to wee you back and get rid of any of the misfortune you picked up!" Ye Hongyi took Yao Mowan''s hand gently as he walked with her back to Guan Osprey Pce. "Your Majesty, Esteemed Prince saved my life this time, so he told Wan er to ask Your Majesty to let him return to his residence¡­" said Yao Mowan. Behind her, when Ye Junqing heard this, he froze. When had he ever said anything like that? Perhaps it was because Ye Hongyi had truly been too worried about Yao Mowan because he hadpletely forgotten about the fact that Ye Junqing was behind them. This time he had ended up smashing his own foot. Not only had he failed to get rid of Ye Junqing, he had allowed Ye Junqing to be even more famous. Ye Hongyi regretted this to no end. "Junqing ah, we know that you''ve helped greatly in the achievement this time. We will definitely reward you properly, but as for where you''ll live¡­ If you''re in Guan Osprey Pce, it''s convenient for us to discuss matters of the nation with you, so you should stay a while longer." After a moment of consideration, Ye Hongyi rejected the idea with feigned civility. "This subject brother will do as you bid." Ye Junqing cupped his fist with his head lowered. As he watched Ye Hongyi walk in front of him while hugging Yao Mowan, his heart felt a little heavy, a little hurt, and he even felt faint heartache. Yao Mowan clearly didn''t like His Majesty. Pretending all the time was probably very difficult. Ye Hongyi didn''t break his promise. The next night, an extravagant banquet was hosted in the imperial garden for Yao Mowan. The consorts and concubines that had been praying that Yao Mowan would die on the expedition had to curtsy and congratte her for surviving this frightening incident and politely dance in order to entertain her. During this entire event, Ye Hongyi kept Yao Mowan in his arms. From time to time, he would personally feed her fruit wine and some of the delicacies. This scene made those consorts and concubines realize that truly, no one couldpare to how much Yao Mowan was favored. It was a sentimental night filled with soft promises. Yao Mowan apanied Ye Hongyi in this game of deep affection and half-heartedly responded to all his pledges of undying love. As of now, even if Ye Hongyi dug out his own heart and offered it to her, she still wouldn''t feel moved. After being tormented for a night, Yao Mowan only got out of bed at noon. Even after Ting Yue helped her wash up and get dressed, Yao Mowan still felt very weak. "This servant kowtows in salute to Your Highness." When Yao Mowan stepped into the main hall, Liu Xing had already been waiting there for two hours. "Rise and speak." It had been a month. Yao Mowan had missed Liu Xing quite a lot. However, fortunately Liu Sha was there to protect him so she hadn''t worried too much. "Replying Your Highness, this servant found that Consort Li has been meeting with the luminescent prince a lottely in a room behind the cold pce''s forest," reported Liu Xing. "The luminescent prince¡­ She sure has good taste. What about Yao Residence? Has Li Qingqing calmed down?" A trace of cold light shed through Yao Mowan''s eyes. After a month of not seeing Yao Suluan, it seemed that Yao Suluan''s guts had grown a lot. This unretractable path was something she herself had picked. Did she think that Ye Zixiao was someone she could manipte? In the end, she''d probably be chewed up so badly that not even her bones would be left. "Replying Your Highness, ever since Madame was ced under house arrest by Master for half a month, she had calmed down. Probably on the young master''s behalf, Master finally let her out. However, Liu Xing discovered that Madame has recently started to embezzle the prime minister''s family assets and has been secretly meeting with that schr Wu Zicheng. It seems that they''re nning to elope," reported Liu Xing. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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  3. ess to a lot of advanced chapters!!
Chapter Volume 2 40
Chapter 40: Grasshoppers On the Same Rope "Li Qingqing''s no less restlesspared to Su Muzi. Allow her to do as she wants for now. As soon as a good timees, this consort wants them caught in the act!" said Yao Mowan coldly. "Understood!" Liu Xing nodded respectfully, then withdrew. Ting Yue looked towards Yao Mowan in puzzlement. "Your Highness, you''re not nning to let Li Qingqing off?" Her master seemed to have been much more generous with Su Muzi. "Does she deserve that? Back then, Yao Zhenting hadn''t forced her to marry into the Yao Residence. However, she''s still a child''s mother after all, so this consort won''t take her life." Yao Mowan lowered her eyes and lifted a cup of tea. However, right as she lifted the lid, Ye Junqing appeared in the pce. When Ting Yue saw that it was Ye Junqing, she tactfully withdrew. From these past few days of observation, Ting Yue could see that everything Master did was for this man. If she couldn''t understand what was important from this, she didn''t have the right to stay at Master''s side. "You sure got up early. The sun hasn''t even set yet." Once Ting Yue left, Ye Junqing walked over to Yao Mowan. His teasing tone contained a faint trace of displeasure. "What could Mowan do? His Majesty was too intense." Yao Mowan indifferently tasted the tea even as a trace of dim darkness shed through her eyes. She questioned her own motive for saying this. Was it an exnation or an attempt to probe? Perhaps she needed to spend some time adjusting her attitude. Ye Junqing fell silent when he heard this. That inexplicable stifling sensation filled his chest again. He once again admonished himself and stated that the person he loved was Yao Moxin. He didn''t know when this started, but he was started to have to remind himself of this frequently. It was like if he didn''t remind himself, he would forget. "Since you don''t love His Majesty, why spend the effort pandering to him?" Ye Junqing spoke lightly even as he struggled to suppress the strange emotions in his heart. "Mowan hadn''t pandered to him at all. It''s just that His Majesty extremely attached. How could a fool know how to pander to someone? Cough cough¡­ It''s already past the time for the noon meal. Prince couldn''t havee here just to check whether Mowan had woken up yet, right?" Regardless of whether it was an exnation or an attempt at probing, she still felt like it was very hard to discuss this topic with Ye Junqing. "This prince wants to know why you had Feng Yihan attack great Chu. He said that it had been to repay a favor to this prince, but this prince doesn''t understand." Ye Junqing restrained the hurt in his eyes and reced it with a serious expression. Of course. With how much His Majesty doted on Yao Mowan, she didn''t need to pander to him at all. She could obtain endless amounts of love and affection just by sitting there. "Without this battle, both of us would be in danger. We might even be in the Yellow Springs right now." Yao Mowan set down the tea cup and walked slowly to the chaise lounge to pick Fluffy up. Ever since Fluffy gave birth to Jewel and Si Qing, she''s been unbelievablyzy. "Because of Ye Liyu?" With some things, it wasn''t that Ye Junqing didn''t understand, but just that he didn''t want to think about them. "How could His Majesty not be aware of Ye Liyu''s temperament? How many guts must he have eaten to have an affair with Yao Suluan? There was also the incident at the transcendental prince''s residence. Even if there was no evidence, His Majesty still would''ve pointed the me towards Prince. Even though Prince is already under house arrest in Guan Osprey Pce, His Majesty is still uneasy. However, after this campaign, even if His Majesty wants to do something to Prince, he''d probably still have to take into consideration the military''s stance and the public opinion." Yao Mowan exined the situation based on the facts so that Ye Junqing would be more cautious and aware of the fact that his situation was currently very bad. "So everything you had done was for the sake of protecting this prince''s life?" Ye Junqing suddenly felt a little depressed. What kind of situation was this? He was actually being protected by a woman! "Although Mowan doesn''t want to admit it, but the reality is that Mowan and Prince are grasshoppers on the same rope. If anything happens to Prince, Mowan would be implicated as well. Ye Liyu has also exposed the fact that Yao Mowan is just pretending to be a fool in front of His Majesty several times. Although His Majesty took this to be something Yao Suluan told him to say, with time, His Majesty will start to harbor suspicions, so Mowan must make preparations beforehand." Yao Mowan''s eyes were bright like stars. "You¡­ What do you mean by making preparations beforehand?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. Even though they''ve interacted for a long time, he still had no way of figuring out what went on inside Yao Mowan''s head. "Of course it''s you, Prince. If His Majesty one day decides to chop off Mowan''s head, you wouldn''t just stand by and watch, right?" Yao Mowan wanted to make herself be Ye Junqing''s responsibility. Only people who bore responsibilities would persevere through struggles and refuse to give up. "Are you joking? This prince doesn''t even know how long I''ll be able to live. How could I save you?" Ye Junqing was baffled with Yao Mowan''s strange way of thinking. "So for Mowan, it''s best if Prince makes sure to live a while longer. At the very least, don''t die in front of Mowan." "Why''d I have to do that?" eximed Ye Junqing. "Because Mowan is the younger sister of the woman you love most!" Yao Mowan knew that this was the only reason that Ye Junqing would ept without question. "In reality¡­ Even if you didn''t do so much, you still wouldn''t have to worry about His Majesty executing you. He dotes on you that much after all." Ye Junqing didn''t refute this because he really couldn''t ignore Yao Mowan if she was ever in danger because of Moxin. "All beauties eventually grow past their prime. Mowan will get old sooner orter. Perhaps even before Mowan''s beauty fades, His Majesty will find a new favorite. Of course Mowan has to make ns for herself. In this era, every person must fend for themselves in this harsh world. Mowan has never been someone that just silently endured grievances." As Yao Mowan stroked Fluffy, the light in her eyes were as sharp as that of a hawk''s. "You''re already His Majesty''s consort. No matter how much you n, what can you do?" Ye Junqing was thinking that perhaps he would never be able to understand this woman. Her way of thinking was always outside of his expectations. "There''s plenty of His Majesty''s consorts that have run off!" replied Yao Mowan lightly as she concealed the solemnness in her eyes. Yu Funing and Xie Siyin were the best examples. "You want to leave the imperial pce?" Ye Junqing was surprised. "In any case, Mowan won''t sit and wait for death like Prince, nor will Mowan allow herself to be trampled on," said Yao Mowan as she looked over with lifted brows. Ye Junqing didn''t reply. He really wanted to tell Yao Mowan that it was only because there was nothing left for him in this world that he didn''t mind Ye Hongyi''s little schemes. If he had the desire, this country would''ve already changed masters. Yao Mowan watched as Ye Junqing silently left and her eyes gradually filled with faint pain. A single page of testimony from her had ended up making Ye Junqing endure so much pain. She swore to one day allow the unyielding and proud Ye Junqing of the past to reappear in front of everyone. Yao Mowan hadn''t known that the only thing Ye Junqing cared about was returning to her side¡­ Once Ye Junqing left, Yin Xue abruptly appeared. "Reporting, Master, this subordinate has searched the entire pce but didn''t find any traces of Feng Duo. This subordinate has failed in her duties," said Yin Xue in a tone of shame. "You couldn''t find him¡­ Ye Hongyi is sure being cautious this time. He definitely wanted to help Feng Duo attack Qi, then form an alliance with Qi in order to resolve his worries about the southwest. It''s just a pity that Feng Duo isplete trash that will never seed no matter how much help is given. If that wasn''t the case, then why would he have lost so badly when the previous king of Qi and Consort Hua had helped him so much? He''s not a match for Feng Yihan at all!" Yao Mowan shook her head with a sigh. "Should this subordinate search outside the pce?" asked Yin Xue. "No need. Ye Hongyi''s greatest peculiarity is that he wants everything to be within his control, especially when it''s something that''s rted to stabilizing the throne. Just based on this, there''s no way that he''ll let Feng Duo out of his line of sight. This consort is certain that Feng Duo is in the imperial pce. Have you found any ce in this pce that''s suspicious?" After being husband and wife seven years, how could she not know Ye Hongyi''s temperament? It was precisely because she had been more intelligent than he could control that she ended up being murdered by him. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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Chapter Volume 2 41
Chapter 41: The Secret Passageway Inside Changle Pce "After Master''s reminder, this subordinate feels that there is a suspicious ce, which is Ye Hongyi''s Central Dragon Pce. This subordinate had discovered a secret room in Central Dragon Pce that contains several porcin furnaces with all sorts of rare medicinal ingredients. They''re probably used for refining pills. This subordinate didn''t think that Ye Hongyi would hide Feng Duo in there so this subordinate had left after taking a nce. This subordinate will go tonight to search more closely," said Yin Xue. "He won''t be there. Refining pills in hopes of eternal life has always been an unspeakable secret for monarchs. Which monarch would ever be willing to share their secret recipe for immortality with someone else? Ye Hongyi definitely wouldn''t," analyzed Yao Mowan calmly. "Then where would it be¡­" Yin Xue frowned, perplexed. "In Changle Pce!" eximed Yao Mowan, then she looked over at Yin Xue. "Hasn''t Changle Pce been sealed off? This subordinate hadn''t searched there." Yin Xue looked towards Yao Mowan doubtfully. "Apany this consort on a trip to Changle Pce tonight." Yao Mowan''s eyes glinted with faint light as her lips curved into a cold smile. That night, the moonlight spilled down hazily and seemed to give everything the sheen of frost. Yao Mowan walked quietly towards the garden behind the cold pce. Yin Xue kept close watch on the surroundings as she followed. She had a lot of questions, but she didn''t voice them. "Be careful, there''s someone there!" Just as Yao Mowan was walking towards the cut bamboo stacked in the north corner of the garden, Yin Xue suddenly moved up and stopped her. They hid themselves in the shadows and watched as a man sneaked over the wall, then walked towards that corner. He moved aside the pile of bamboo then entered the hidden door. "As I expected, he is here. Let''s follow." Yao Mowan''s eyes were as still and as deep as arge pond. When Yin Xue saw her master walk forward, she raised her guard even more. Inside the hidden door was a slender tunnel that had green night pearls embedded in both sides to give off faint light. Yin Xue controlled their speed in order to avoid alerting the man that had entered before them. Yao Mowan followed her silently. When she had first made this secret passageway, she had done it to keep in touch with her trusted aids in Mangyuan. She hadn''t let Ye Hongyi know because she had wanted to give him a big surprise once the business prospered. However,ter because she apparently couldn''t keep any secrets properly back then, she had told Ye Hongyi about the existence of this secret passageway. Right now, she was really grateful that she didn''t tell him about Mangyuan as well. If she had, there was no way she would''ve had the power to turn the tide on him now. "Master, that person''s entered Changle Pce. Should we follow them?" asked Yin Xue once that man disappeared into the secret passageway ahead. "No need." Yao Mowan recollected her thoughts, then turned to walk towards the night pearls on the left. She reached out and turned one to the left, then to the right, and a hidden door appeared in front of them. She walked in without hesitation, so Yin Xue quickly followed. Behind the hidden door was a stone room. The decor inside was very simple. There was just a stone table and four wooden chairs. Even as Yin Xue was looking around to make sure there was no danger, Yao Mowan had already walked towards the wall that was adjacent to Changle Pce and opened the hidden block. The voices inside Changle Pce immediately entered the room. "This subordinate Zhou Gui kowtows in salute to Second Prince!" Zhou Gui kneeled on one knee. His resounding voice contained unconceble fatigue. After traveling all this way in such a rush, he was exhausted. "Hurry and rise. How is the situation in Qi right now? How are Imperial Father and Honorable Mother?" The person that spoke was the second prince of Qi, Feng Duo; the sessor to the throne that the previous king of Qi had decided on. "Replying Second Prince, His Emeritus Majesty is helpless and has been ced under house arrest in the imperial pce by Feng Yihan. However, Consort Hua, she¡­" Zhou Gui hesitated. "Honorable Mother¡­ Feng Yihan, that beast! What did he do to Honorable Mother!?" Feng Duo''s face darkened as he clenched his fists in anger. "Second Prince, please hold back your grief! Feng Yihan imed he found evidence that Consort Hua had poisoned the empress to death so three days ago¡­ He gave an edict ordering Consort Hua tomit suicide¡­" Zhou Gui fell to a full kneel and kowtowed as he reported this sad news. "What? Honorable Mother is dead? How dare Feng Yihan!? I''ll kill him! AArgh!" The veins on Feng Yihan''s forehead bulged when he heard this and his eyes turned scarlet with fury as he swept everything on the table to the ground. He was about to rush into the secret passageway, but Zhou Gui desperately pulled him back. "Second Prince! Ten years is not toote for a noblemen to get his revenge. If you head out now, you will only end up giving away your own life! If anything happens to you, who will get revenge for Her Highness Consort Hua? Her Highness definitely doesn''t wish for you to rashly end up losing your own life either!" persuaded Zhou Gui as he hugged Feng Duo desperately to stop him from rushing out. "Feng Yihan! Feng Yihan! I''ll definitely tear you to pieces and scatter your ashes so that you''d never be able to rest in peace!" Feng Duo finally calmed down after a while. Inside the secret room, Yao Mowan couldn''t help but shake her head. This person''s ability to scheme really couldn''tpare to Feng Yihan''s. Back then, Feng Yihan had clearly known that his Imperial Mother had been murdered by Consort Hua, but he was still able to maintain a respectful attitude towards Consort Hua without a change in expression. How could his heart possibly not hurt? However, he had endured it and face his enemy with a faint smile. The Feng Yihan of back then was just like the current her. The bigger the smile on their faces, the more their hearts hurt. "Second Prince, aeback n is currently more important. This subordinate has already recorded the names of all the civil and military officials that are willing to follow His Emeritus Majesty and Second Prince. As of now, as long as Chu is willing to send troops to help Second Prince return to Qi and we coordinate with the people in Qi that are willing to support us, we''ll definitely be able to overthrow Feng Yihan!" said Zhou Gui confidently. As he spoke, he handed Feng Duo a paper filled with names. "Fortunately these people haven''t forgotten the favors they owe. With their support, this subordinate is certain that Second Prince''s ascension to the throne wille soon," continued Zhou Gui. "This prince holds information that would be fatal to all of these people. Do you think they''d be willing to take this risk if it weren''t for that? As for Ye Hongyi¡­" Feng Duo reflexively looked around. When he saw that no one was around, he sat down angrily. "Ye Hongyi is just throwing rocks at someone who''s fallen. He actually made this prince promise him that after this seeds, he gets ten of Qi''s cities! This is practically asking for half of the nation of Qi!" Feng Duo ground his teeth in anger when he recalled the document Ye Hongyi had ced in front of him. "Ten cities!? The king of Chu is too cruel. He clearly made this outrageous request because he knew that we couldn''t reject him. Then how did you answer?" Zhou Gui was angry to find out about this as well. "As you''ve said, we can''t reject him. How else could this prince respond?" Feng Duo abruptly hit the desk, the light in his eyes flickering. "Second Prince, endure this for now. Once you return to Qi, there''ll still be room to negotiate this." Zhou Gui''s implicit meaning was that they''d kill the donkey once the grinding was done. "Do you think Ye Hongyi is a fool? The document stated clearly that after each battle, every city that is captured must immediately be signed over to him until ten cities have been transferred over!" said Feng Duo angrily. "He''s truly too vicious! You agreed?" Zhou Gui looked towards Feng Duo questioningly. "This prince would rather be Ye Hongyi''s puppet than let Feng Yihan have his way! Since the document has already been signed and we now have a list of names, everything is prepared except for thest crucial thing! Immediately send news to the people on this list that this prince will be fighting his way back to Qi in ten days in order to personally execute Feng Yihan in the throne room!" said Feng Duo fiercely, his eyes sharp and cold. "Understood!" Having obtained orders, Zhou Gui turned and left through the secret passageway. Zhou Gui never imagined that this would be hisst farewell with Feng Duo. When Feng Duo''s wounds-ridden corpse was discovered to be hanging on Changle Pce''s door, the rtionship between Qi and Chu became tense as never before. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 42
Chapter 42: Bearing the me for Someone Else Originally the fact that Ye Hongyi killed Feng Duo would only be beneficial to Feng Yihan, but the problem was that Feng Duo''s corpse had been treated so disrespectfully. The imperial ns had to die in ways befitting of their status. No matter what, Feng Duo was a prince of Qi. The fact that his corpse was treated in such a way was aplete p to Feng Yihan''s face. This was the first thing. The second thing was that everyone now knew about the incident involving Qi and Chu. Ye Hongyi possessed the list of Qi traitors, but he had told the king of Qi to hand over three cities in exchange for the list. This instantly made Ye Hongyi be someone that forgot grace. "Who exactly was it that killed Feng Duo and pushed the me onto us!? Who was it!?" Shatter. Ye Hongyi abruptly threw the jar of wine he was holding while bellowing in rage. The flying pieces cut into the back of Qing Long''s hand. Blood flowed down but Qing Long didn''t dare to make a sound. He was well aware of His Majesty''s current mood. After all, Feng Duo''s death hadn''t just made him lose the chance to control Qi but alsopletely ruined the nation''s rtionship with Qi. Most importantly, Feng Duo''s death had nothing to do with His Majesty. His Majesty had actually been forced to take the me for someone else''s actions. "Your Majesty, please quell your anger. This subordinate will definitely do all that this subordinate can to find the person that framed Your Majesty." Qing Long didn''t dare to guarantee that he would be able to find this person since although Feng Duo''s death was suspicious, there was no traces of the offender. "You must find that person. We want him to be hacked into ten thousand pieces!" shouted Ye Hongyi, his eyes cold. "Understood!" After obtaining thismand, Qing Long left the pavilion. From the shadows, Yao Mowan watched with a cold smile as Ye Hongyi exploded in anger. Feng Duo had died in Changle Pce, so no matter how Ye Hongyi tried to exin things, it''d only serve to make him seem even more guilty. Anyone with a bit of brains would assume that Ye Hongyi had killed Feng Duo to silence him after Feng Duo refused to agree to his terms, that way he could try to make a deal with Feng Yihan instead by using that list of names. No matter what, this incident was like a nightmare to Ye Hongyi. Yao Mowan was in a great mood when she got back to Guan Osprey Pce. She ordered Ting Yue to make dinner more luxurious than usual. She had to reward herself! At this time, Yin Xue handed Feng Yihan''s return letter to Yao Mowan. ''Zhou Gui has already been allowed to return. He has been specially bestowed ten thousand taels of gold and a ten thousand acres of goodnd. Feng Yihan.'' Radiant light swirled in Yao Mowan''s eyes as she looked at the letter in her hand, then she handed it to Yin Xue. "Get rid of it. Do you know why Feng Yihan did this?" Yao Mowan walked slowly to the table with a happy expression. "This subordinate doesn''t know." Yin Xue truly didn''t understand what Feng Yihan meant by doing this. Zhou Gui was one of the greatest traitors that had helped Feng Duo the most, so why did Feng Yihan reward him this much? "Since Feng Duo died in Changle Pce, although Ye Hongyi hadn''t said anything, the first person he suspected was definitely Ye Junqing. However, Feng Yihan had rewarded Zhou Gui generously. It looks like a dismissal from office, but in reality it was way more than he deserved. This news will probably reach Ye Hongyi''s ears very quickly. Compared to Ye Junqing, Zhou Gui had much clearer of a motive. In addition, this consort had spilled some chicken blood in the secret passageway and there''s no way that Ye Junqing would know of that secret passageway." Yao Mowan sat down leisurely. She felt very grateful to Feng Yihan for his deliberate arrangements. "Did Feng Yihan do that to repay his favor to you, Master?" Yin Xue clenched the letter slightly and when she let go, the letter had already turned to dust. "Is it that easy to repay a favor to this consort?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows. When Yin Xue saw her smile, she started feeling sympathy for Feng Yihan. From her understanding of Master, if someone owed her a favor, they couldn''t repay it without using up half their family assets. Yan Nansheng was the best example. When it came time for dinner, Ye Junqing walked in and sat down by the table as usual. As he looked at the table that was filled with dishes, he couldn''t help but sigh. "This prince been thinking for a very long time and has finallye to understand one thing." Ye Junqing''s expression was serious and his tone was so heavy that it sounded like he was mourning for someone. "What is it?" Yao Mowan responded cooperatively to Ye Junqing''s serious attitude and put down her bowl to give him her full attention. "This prince has always thought that everything you did, even if not all of it, the majority of it was for this prince''s sake." Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan, his eyes still as water. "That''s indeed the case!" Yao Mowan nodded vigorously. "That''s definitely not the case! The only reason you''re protecting this prince is so that you can use this prince as a shield and conceal all your malicious doings! Regardless of whether it was the matter with Ye Liyu or Feng Duo, as long as this prince is here, no one would ever suspect you!" Ye Junqing''s words were very clear. His tone contained indignance, but also a lot of disappointment. When that happened to Feng Duo, the first person Ye Junqing thought of was Yao Mowan. Perhaps it was because he was starting to understand Yao Mowan because he hadn''t even felt stunned. She had already done outrageous things like this countless times and it was reasonable for her to kill Feng Duo based on her rtionship with Feng Yihan. "In some ways, Prince''s analysis isn''t wrong but there''s really nothing bad about this. We''re both taking what we each need. Prince is living on Mowan''s territory, so it''s normal that you have to pay something in exchange." Yao Mowan never exined things to Ye Junqing unless it was something crucial since she didn''t want Ye Junqing to find out about those harsh truths. "This prince had hoped to be gravely mistaken¡­ You killed Feng Duo for Feng Yihan, this I can understand, but I can''t understand why you used Feng Duo''s death to ruin the rtionship between great Chu and Qi? Don''t tell this prince that you want to start another war or that you had done this for me!" When Ye Junqing heard Yao Mowan confirm his guesses, his heart seemed to fall from the clouds into an abyss. That disappointment made him extremely ufortable. "To be precise, Mowan is trying the ruin the rtionship between Ye Hongyi and Feng Yihan. After this incident, there''s no way they''ll have a chance to work together," replied Yao Mowan simply. "Why? Ever since you entered the pce, everything you''ve done either served to greatly destabilize Chu or ruin Chu''s rtionship with neighboring nations. It can be dropped if it was inadvertent, but how can you possibly pass this off as inadvertent?" In the past, Ye Junqing had kept one eye closed to all her actions and pretended that he didn''t know anything, but he couldn''t stay uninvolved this time. He couldn''t bring himself to keep watching this. "Everything''s just a coincidence. Feng Yihan cares deeply for Mowan and perhaps one day, Qi will be Mowan''s final home. That''s why Mowan can''t let Feng Yihan and Ye Hongyi have any friendly coborations or contact. This is the only way to guarantee that this back road of Mowan''s would remain secure." Yao Mowan cooked up an excuse that even she found outrageous. "Since you''re not dumb, you should know how much Moxin had put forth for Chu! And now, to secure a way out for yourself, you''re willing to let the stability of Chu copse!? How could you be so selfish?" Ye Junqing hadn''t expected Yao Mowan to react so righteously without any trace of guilt or regret. "Does Prince think that Eldest Sister is very selfless? From the start to the very end, Eldest Sister hadn''t done anything for Chu, it was all for Ye Hongyi! If Ye Hongyi wasn''t the man she loved, would she have cared whether the country was stable or not? Mowan''s current actions are no different from Eldest Sister''s. If Eldest Sister wasn''t selfish, the person sitting on the dragon throne right now would be you!" Yao Mowan''s voice trembled slightly as a trace of pain shed through her eyes. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 43
Chapter 43: A Woman''s Strongest Weapon If it was possible, she really wanted to carve the words Yao Moxin out of Ye Junqing''s heart. Even if it caused him a moment of unendurable pain, it''d still be better than having him like this¡ªalways thinking about a woman who had never taken him into consideration. "This prince is willing!" Even though everything Yao Mowan said was the truth, Ye Junqing couldn''t tolerate someone saying bad things about Yao Moxin in front of him. "The fact that you''re willing shows that Prince is the same as Mowan, we''re both selfish people that are simply doing things for our own motives! If you were truly concerned for great Chu, you wouldn''t have given up the throne of Chu for Yao Moxin back then. You should understand better than anyone that Ye Hongyi has a selfish heart and is a coward! His ascension to the throne would only cause great Chu to decline!" "Has Prince ever thought of great Chu''s plight when Prince decided to go with Yao Moxin''s wishes? If you haven''t, then what right do you have to sit here and tell Mowan to give up her most realistic retreat for the sake of great Chu?" Yao Mowan''s every word reverberated inside Ye Junqing''s heart like a drum. That was right. Even now, what he truly wanted wasn''t to protect great Chu but to not disappoint Moxin. Guan Osprey Pce fell silent. Ye Junqing sat next to Yao Mowan for a long time before he finally spoke. "But Moxin has really put out too much for great Chu¡­" "It''s that she''s put out too much for Ye Hongyi!" corrected Yao Mowan coldly. "Fine, let''s eat." In this confrontation, Ye Junqing tasted total defeat again. He felt like he had never won against Yao Mowan in a battle of words before. "Prince doesn''t n to storm off this time?" Yao Mowan restrained the anger in her eyes and looked towards him in surprise. This wasn''t his usual style. "It takes strength to storm away." Ye Junqing lifted his bowl. Although he couldn''t win against her in words, he should at least turn the tables in some other battle! As his thoughts reached this point, he sped up and pretty much swept every dish that Yao Mowan usually liked to eat into his mouth. He looked as if he wanted to eat everything so that there wasn''t a single scrap left for her. As Yao Mowan watched, her lips hooked in a faint smile. That night there was a gentle breeze and the moonlight was delightful. Inside the bedroom of Pure Flowers Pce, there were embroidered clothing in piles on the ground and the pure white canopy stirred slightly. The figures having intercourse inside was stark clear. On the bed, Yao Suluan''s delicate white body was swaying like that of a mermaid''s. As the movements became more intense, she started trembling from the pleasure. She panted softly as small beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. The besieging of the man above her made her perfectly willing to be his captive. As she climaxed, her body convulsed uncontrobly. Yao Suluan couldn''t remember how many times they had already been at it tonight, but the man still hasn''t climaxed yet. At this time, the man suddenly flipped Yao Suluan around and started thrusting into her hard again. It caused almost every hair on Yao Suluan''s body to tremble. Finally, with a low groan, the man finished with tonight''s round of pleasure. "Compared to Ye Hongyi, does this prince''s skill satisfy Consort Li?" The clear voice contained a joking tone. Ye Zixiao''s eyes narrowed slightly as his lips hooked in a faint smile. His handsomeness was no inferior to Ye Hongyi''s, but he gave off a strangely unreadable aura. "Yao Suluan feels that this life is perfect to have been able to spend a night with Prince¡­" Yao Suluan dragged her exhausted body over and weakly leaned into Ye Zixiao''s arms. She coyly sighed her admiration as she drew soft circles on his chest with a finger. From what she could remember, Ye Hongyi had never given her such satisfaction before. "Let this prince think, how can this prince thank Consort Li for such a high evaluation?" As Ye Zixiao spoke, his fingers moved over her fair slender thighs and in between those lips. It was only when Yao Suluan''s body started convulsing again that he took his fingers out. "Nnn¡­ Prince¡­" Even when Ye Zixiao stopped touching her, Yao Suluan''s body still continued to convulse. "Consort Li''s voice is truly pleasant. This prince just can''t get enough of it." Ye Zixiao''s lips hooked slightly, his eyes bright. "Prince¡­ Suluan really can''t take anymore¡­" When Yao Suluan sensed the heat in Ye Zixiao''s eyes, she immediately begged to be let off. "This is this prince''s first time lying with Consort Li in Pure Flowers Pce''s bed. Of course this prince must make sure Consort Li is satisfied!" Ye Zixiao pulled Yao Suluan closer. "Prince, please have mercy on Suluan. Suluan really can''t take anymore." Yao Suluan blushed as she bashfully tried to push him away. "In reality, this prince really wants to know how Consort Li had the courage to invite this prince to Pure Flowers Pce. Aren''t you worried about His Majesty suddenly bursting in?" Ye Zixiao returned to the main topic when he saw Yao Suluan beg for mercy. "Ha! His Majesty has long forgotten that Suluan is in this inner pce. Even if Suluan dies in Pure Flowers Pce, His Majesty wouldn''t even bother toe take a nce." When Ye Hongyi was brought up, Yao Suluan''s hazy eyes instantly turned cold again. She had done so much for Ye Hongyi, but what she got in return was just a cup of poisoned wine! Ye Hongyi, you were the one that turned ruthless first, so you shouldn''t me Suluan for responding in kind! "It''s because of this that Consort Li tried to persuade this prince to revolt?" Ye Zixiao twirled a strand of Yao Suluan''s hair around his finger as a cold light shed through the depths of his eyes. "Of course not. Suluan just feels that Prince suits that dragon throne more than Ye Hongyi!" Yao Suluan turned to the side to look straight into Ye Zixiao''s eyes. The man in front of her now was her new hope. Ever since she had shown herst hand to Ye Hongyi that day, she knew that as long as Ye Hongyi was still on the throne, she''d never be able to change her situation. And of the current imperial n, the only influential power other than Ye Junqing was Ye Zixiao. Ye Junqing had stayed in Guan Osprey Pce for a long period of time, so he was probably well aware of Yao Mowan''s secrets. Perhaps they became allies a long time ago. The other reason Yao Suluan didn''t choose Ye Junqing was because if Ye Junqing ever found out how Yao Moxin died, there was no way he''d let her off. Hence, Ye Zixiao became Yao Suluan''s first choice. After deciding on her target, she started making ns. Towards a man, a woman''s body was the best weapon. "Prince doesn''t think so. Although Ye Hongyi doesn''t suit the dragon throne, Ye Junqing''s entirely worthy and he''s of the main line while this prince is just of a branch line of the imperial n. There''s seriously no reason for this prince to covet the imperial throne," refuted Ye Zixiao lightly as he gazed at the woman in his arms. "The main line? Whoever has the ability to be the emperor bes of the main line! Had the previous emperor not pulled strings, the current dynasty would have been inherited by Luminescent Prince''s line. Everyone in the imperial ns know of this, but it''s be a taboo to voice. Could it be that Prince is really willing to just bow and ept this?" Yao Suluan sensed that Ye Zixiao was probing her so she got right to the point. "What if this prince is willing to bow and ept this?" Ye Zixiao gradually tightened his finger around Yao Suluan''s hair until Yao Suluan felt slight pain. "Then that means Suluan had poor sight and misjudged." Yao Suluan''s voice was slightly cold and she moved to get up, but Ye Zixiao abruptly pulled her back down. "This prince will use reality to prove how urate Consort Li''s sight is!" After being jabbed in his sore spot, Ye Zixiao suddenly seemed to turn into a beast and his ck eyes emitted barbarous cold light. "Suluan know from a long time ago that Prince was someone of talent. As long as Prince has need of it, Suluan will definitely do all she can to help! All that Suluan asks for is that Prince doesn''t forget Suluan''s good points once you ascend to the throne¡­" Yao Suluan was delighted. If she managed to get into Ye Zixiao''s graces, her future had hope again. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 44
Chapter 44: The Three Corpses Outside the Pce "The day this prince ascends to the throne will be the day you, beauty, be empress," vowed Ye Zixiao. "Suluan doesn''t dare to covet the throne of empress. Everyone knows how deeply Prince loves the luminescent princess. Suluan just hopes that Prince can leave Suluan a ce in the inner pce. Suluan would be forever grateful just for that." Yao Suluan buried her head in Ye Zixiao''s chest as she murmured this to test him. "Ziruo is Senior Prince Duan''s favorite daughter who''s also of the main line. The only reason this prince treats her well is because this prince is worried about Senior Prince Duan''s prestige. If this prince bes emperor, who would this prince still need to fear?" The implied meaning in Ye Zixiao''s words were clear. "Then Suluan won''t reject Prince''s kind intentions!" Yao Suluan''s face filled with joy at having obtained Ye Zixiao''s promise. "This prince naturally has this desire, but whether it will be achievable or not will still require your help. Nothing disgraceful has during this current dynasty though so there aren''t any good opportunities to take advantage of," said Ye Zixiao seriously. "If there are no opportunities, we''ll just have to create one. After the campaign in Geyan, Ye Junqing''s name has be even more famous. There''s no way that Ye Hongyi will let him off after he made such a grand achievement! In reality, Ye Hongyi has been wanting to kill Ye Junqing for a long time. Anyone intelligent is aware of this." Yao Suluan leaned into Ye Zixiao''s arms as sharp light shed through her eyes. "If Ye Junqing dies, it''ll definitely make the military officials in court displeased. If this prince takes advantage of this chance and take the lead to make a public appeal, this prince will be able to pit the military generals against Ye Hongyi and gradually win the public over. At that time, Ye Junqing would already be dead and Ye Hongyi would''ve lost the faith of the people, so this prince would naturally seed to the throne and unite the people! However, this prince doesn''t have the power to take Ye Junqing''s life," said Ye Zixiao with a sigh. Ye Zixiao was vividly aware of how good an opportunity this was. He had tried many ways to kill Ye Junqing, but not a single one had seeded. Regardless of whether it was assassins or poisons, Ye Junqing managed to deal with all of them easily. Ye Zixiao couldn''t help but wonder if Ye Junqing had already known about his ns so he stopped those attempts in order to avoid alerting him. "There''s no need for Prince to do anything about this. Suluan naturally has ways to make sure that Ye Junqing falls to the point he can never recover. Prince just needs to give Suluan enough manpower." After what happened with Ye Liyu, Yao Suluan was sure that Yao Mowan had someone helping her from the shadows. In that case, she was currently too weak inparison. "No problem. Ling Yun!" After Ye Zixiao shouted, a ck figure appeared in front of Yao Suluan. Yao Suluan hadn''t expected for someone to suddenly appear and hastily pulled the nkets around herself. "This subordinate Ling Yun kowtows in salute to Master!" A man dressedpletely in ck stood respectfully in front of the bed. His voice was like a strong bell, but his face was extremely cold and expressionless. "Prince?" Yao Suluan nced over at Ye Zixiao in confusion. "From now on, Ling Yun will listen to all of yourmands," said Ye Zixiao. "Is he the manpower Prince intends to give Suluan?" Yao Suluan looked towards Ling Yun again, her voice filled with unconceble disappointment andint. "Beauty, don''t underestimate Ling Yun. this prince had asked for a very long time before this prince finally got him as a hidden guard. One Ling Yun is enough to take down over a hundred imperial guards!" If it weren''t for the sake of the great scheme, there was no way he would''ve given Yao Suluan the hidden guard he was most proud of. "Don''t worry Prince, Suluan definitely won''t disappoint you. Ling Yun, withdraw!" Yao Suluan tried giving an order. Right after she spoke, Ling Yun disappeared from sight. The following days, Yao Suluan gained even greater of an understanding how useful Ling Yun was. Now that she had Ling Yun''s help, she became increasingly unbridled in her actions. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was looking at the ledger Ben Lei had sent over when Ting Yue rushed in from outside. "Your Highness, as this servant was heading back from the kitchen, this servant noticed that a lot of people were gathering at Changle pce so this servant went over to take a look and found that three corpses were hanging outside the pce. Although the corpses were so rotten that they were unrecognizable, there were papers on each of the corpses. The papers had Nurse Sun, Eunuch Zheng, and Yun Er on them." Ting Yue quickly reported everything that she saw. "Who? Who did you say?" Her heart abruptly clenched in pain like wildly growing vines were strangling it. The sudden suffocating sensation and the pain attacked every part of Yao Mowan''s body. Tears whirled in her eyes, but she forced them back. "It was Nurse Sun, Eunuch Zheng, and Yun Er." Ting Yue had heard of those people back when she was working in Yao Residence. She knew that those people were Eldest Miss''s most trusted aids. She always thought that they had gone back to their hometowns as recorded in the registry and had never imagined that this was what had happened to them. Yao Mowan''s hands trembled and her tears overflowed despite her efforts to hold them back. "Your Highness¡­ are you alright?" When Ting Yue saw that Yao Mowan''s expression was off, she moved up to support her, but Yao Mowan pushed her away. "Put the ledgers away!" Yao Mowan tossed the ount book she was holding towards Ting Yue, then rushed out of Guan Osprey Pce. On the way there, Yao Mowan''s tears rolled down like a strand of pearls had broken. The gentle scenes from back then kept shing through her mind. When she almost reached Changle Pce, she abruptly tripped and fell to the ground. She had been so impatient that her steps were unsteady and she tripped on a branch. The fall scraped her palm and arm and small droplets of blood appeared. "Nurse Sun¡­ Eunuch Zheng¡­ Yun Er¡­ Sorry, it was this consort that implicated you¡­" sobbed Yao Mowan. She paid no attention to the paining from her palm and repeatedly hit the ground hard to vent the hatred that she had suppressed for so longer. Her body trembled from her intense anger and her face became contorted from rage. In this instant, Yao Mowan was like the king of hell who wanted to make this imperial pce tremble from her wrath. After a long time, she finally stopped injuring herself and looked towards Changle Pce, her eyes now calm and still. There was no more anger, no more rage in Yao Mowan''s heart. The impulse to burn Ye Hongyi alive had calmed, all that was left was destructive hatred that made her gradually be calm and cold. Her brows unfurrowed and she slowly got up. As she turned to look towards Changle pce, her eyes were ice cold. The several dozen maids and eunuchs surrounding Changle pce were pointing at the pce and talking. Yao Mowan walked over with heavy steps and did her best to only look sad and scared. Three corpses were hung outside the pce doors with hemp ropes. The corpses were rotten and stank terribly due to the midsummer weather. The stench was so bad that everyone was covering their noses. Yao Mowan gritted her teeth as she took in the state of the corpses. They had already died unjustly, but they still had to suffer this treatment after death!? What had they ever done wrong? Why did they have to take such suffering? "That''s why it''s said that even a servant must make sure to pick the right master, otherwise they wouldn''t even know why they died. Ming Yu ah, don''t you agree?" A soft dark voice came from behind Yao Mowan. Yao Mowan turned around and saw that Yao Suluan was looking at her with contempt and a smug expression. "You''re the one behind this?" Although it was a questioning tone, Yao Mowan was already certain that Yao Suluan was behind this. Everyone that was involved with what happened to her back then had already disappeared except for Ye Hongyi and Yao Suluan. There was no way Ye Hongyi would reveal a scandal about himself, so the only person that could''ve done this was Yao Suluan. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 45
Chapter 45: You''re Truly Seeking Your Own Death "Do you have proof?" Yao Suluan nced at Yao Mowan coldly with a smug smile. "How did they die?" Yao Mowan''s every word was like ice. She hadn''t seen Nurse Sun and the others ever since she had been forced to the cold pce. "This consort thought you knew everything. So there existed something in the world that even you didn''t know? Since you seem so curious, then this consort will tell you. Their deaths weren''t just tragic and the most pitiful part was that they didn''t understand why they were being killed even until up to theirst moments." Yao Suluan looked towards Yao Mowan with a cold smile, her eyes flickering with ruthless delight. Since she now had Ling Yun''s help, she felt like she could do whatever she pleased in the inner pce. "So you had watched them suffer with your own eyes¡­" Yao Mowan''s voice softly arose like an ominous knell. When Yao Suluan saw the beast-like murderous intent in Yao Mowan''s eyes, she subconsciously moved to back away. However, she recalled that Ling Yun was protecting her from the shadows so she straightened her back and met Yao Mowan''s gaze head on. "Yao Mowan, there''s nothing much that this consort can keep secret from you with how things are now. That''s right, not only had this consort personally witnessed it, it was this consort that gave the order for them to be killed! However, this wasn''t this consort''s idea, it was His Majesty''s! His Majesty couldn''t tolerate Yao Moxin and so he gave a secret order to get rid of her and kill these servants to silence them. His Majesty is the one that''s truly behind this!" Yao Suluan walked over and whispered this softly into Yao Mowan''s ear. "Aren''t you worried that Mowan will tell His Majesty about this?" Her slightly curled eyshes hid the coldness in her eyes as she spoke softly. Inside her sleeves, her hands were clenched into fists so hard that her nails were digging into her flesh. However, she didn''t notice the pain at all. "This consort doesn''t dare to believe this of other people, but this consort trusts that you won''t tell him. After all, you''re Yao Moxin''s biological sister. Even though you act like a fool in front of His Majesty, it doesn''t change this fact. As soon as you show suspicion about Yao Moxin''s death, His Majesty will suspect you." Yao Suluan tried to conceal the fear in her eyes as she said this. She had been too ted over her newfound power and forgot to consider this. "If Second Older Sister wishes to continue ying, there''s no reason for Mowan not to apany you. However, Mowan will give just one warning. If this incident hadn''t urred, perhaps Mowan would''ve let you die in a more merciful way. However, Mowan''s changed her mind now. Death would only be letting you off. Mowan won''t allow you to be freed so easily." Yao Mowan smiled lightly. Her smile was like the glow of spring, but there was a dark scent of death. "I would say the same to you!" Yao Suluan couldn''t stop herself from reflexively taking a step back. However, her eyes remained stubborn and calm. "Your Highness, His Majesty is here," warned Ming Yu. When Yao Suluan heard, she turned to leave but Yao Mowan grabbed her. "Second Older Sister wants to leave right after you''ve had your fun? How could the world possibly be so perfect?" said Yao Mowan with a coldugh. As she spoke, she pulled Yao Suluan out of the crowd and flung her to the ground. She went with the momentum and fell in the direction that Ye Hongyi wasing from. "What are you all doing? Hurry and withdraw! Oh, Your Highness Consort Yao, what happened to you?" An Bingshan walked up ahead of Ye Hongyi to help drive the crowd away and just happened to see Yao Mowan fall to the ground with tears in her eyes. When the eunuchs and maids saw An Bingshan, they immediately dispersed. In a few seconds, Yao Mowan, Yao Suluan, and Ming Yu were the only people left in front of Changle Pce''s doors. "Wuuwuu¡­" Yao Mowan wept in distress as her scraped hands left vividly bright streaks of blood on the ground. "Wan er? Why are you here?" The moment Ye Hongyi saw Yao Mowan, he walked up and ced his hands on her shoulders in concern. "It''s Second Older Sister¡­ Second Older Sister said that Mowan wasn''t a fool and insisted that Mowane here to look at corpses¡­ They''re so scary. Mowan wanted to leave, but Second Older Sister wouldn''t allow it and forced Mowan to stay¡­ Your Majesty, Mowan''s so scared¡­" Yao Mowan threw herself into Ye Hongyi''s arms, seekingfort. However, an instantter she moved away. "Oww, it hurts¡­" When Ye Hongyi saw the blood on Yao Mowan''s fingers and arm, his eyes turned ice cold with fury. "An Bingshan, immediately send an imperial physician to Guan Osprey Pce! Qing Long! Deal with those three corpses!" Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan gently into his arms, then walked towards Yao Suluan menacingly. "Your Majesty, this consort didn''t." Yao Suluan was taken aback, but she forced herself to remain calm in the face of Ye Hongyi''s cold gaze. Currently she had no choice but to kneel humbly in front of Ye Hongyi and beg for mercy. The rtionship between them had gotten so bad that there was no hope for repair. "You didn''t? Who else besides you would do something like this!?" said Ye Hongyi coldly. Yao Suluan could tell that he was pointing to the corpses. She had already predicted his reaction to this incident, but once a dispute started between Ye Hongyi and Ye Junqing, there was no way Ye Hongyi would have the time to pay attention to her. In addition, Ye Hongyi wouldn''t take any risks unless there was seriously no other option. "Your Majesty, this subject wife truly is wrongly used!" Yao Suluan tried to just pass this off. She didn''t mind the fact that Yao Mowan had framed her again since the rtionship between her and Ye Hongyi was already broken beyond repair. "We will naturally get to the bottom of this!" said Ye Hongyi angrily, then he left with Yao Mowan. As he turned away, he nced towards Changle Pce. Something seemed to tug at his heart for a second. That strange sensation caused him to freeze. He felt regret? No! Yao Moxin''s death allowed him to feel relieved and free! Even though Yao Mowan only had scrapes, Ye Hongyi had still made a big deal of it and called all the imperial physicians to Guan Osprey Pce. He said that if Yao Mowan''s injury left a scar, every single one of them would be executed. Truly, no one has had such imperial favor before. That night, Ye Hongyi had Ting Yue withdraw, then hugged Yao Mowan as hey on the bed. He only let go after he was sure Yao Mowan had fallen asleep. He tossed and turned restlessly and only fell asleep when it was near midnight. "We don''t feel regret¡­ and we won''t ever regret¡­ Only with you dead¡­ can we feel like we''re living¡­ We''ll only no longer be a puppet once you''re dead¡­" Yao Mowan slowly opened her eyes when she heard Ye Hongyi''s murmurs. Her dark eyes were likerge engulfing ck holes that captivated everything that nced into them. This time, Ye Hongyi didn''t leave in the morning and slept with Yao Mowan until veryte. However, he still didn''t have breakfast in Guan Osprey Pce. When Yao Mowan slowly to the table, tired, Ye Junqing had already been waiting there for a long time. "How do you n to exin what happened with Nurse Sun?" Ye Junqing''s expression was calm and his eyes were still, but Yao Mowan still sensed his suppressed fury. "It''s very hard to exin." Back then, she had order Liu Sha to casually find a corpse and bury it near the garden of the cold pce, then told Ye Junqing that Nurse Sun had been killed by An Bingshan. She had never expected that one day Nurse Sun''s corpse would be hung in front of Changle Pce. However, since the truth was already brought to light, there was no point in her exining things. "So you had lied to this prince before!?" Ye Junqing had already realized this answer when he first saw those three corpses. Yao Mowan shrugged in admission. There was nothing she could say to refute. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 46
Chapter 46: Is the Truth Really That Important? "This prince has looked into things and found that all three of them had been killed in one strike. The de welder''s martial arts is above normal quality. The only people that have such skill with the de in this imperial pce are the four main imperial guards that serve Ye Hongyi. This prince can''t understand. Could it be that it was Ye Hongyi that killed Nurse Sun and the others? Why would he do that?" Ye Junqing had thought about this the entire night but couldn''t arrive at any usible answers. "If it weren''t for their failure in their duties, how could Eldest Sister have died?" Yao Mowan lowered her eyes and picked up the bowl as she said these lies. Ever since her rebirth, she had spoken countless lies, but none had ever cut into her heart as much as these ones. "That''s what you think?" Ye Junqing had already stopped worrying about the fact that Yao Mowan had lied to him before. All he wanted to know now was what made Nurse Sun and the others end up in that state. "What else could it be? Then Prince, can you think of another reason to exin why His Majesty killed them?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Ye Junqing. Her eyes were like a clear spring, perfectly pure and clean. "Moxin''s difficult birth isn''t necessarily their fault. Why did His Majesty do that to them? If Moxin knew, she''d probably be extremely hurt!" said Ye Junqing indignantly. His tightly clenched fists showed just how much he was suppressing his grief and anger. "His Majesty must love Eldest Sister so much, ha¡­" Yao Mowanughed coldly as she stirred the ginseng porridge. "That''s not right. If the situation is as simple as you''re putting it, why would someone hang their corpses outside Changle Pce? The person behind it had clearly done that with a motive, but what exactly are they trying to achieve?" Ye Junqing''s brows furrowed as he started puzzling over this again. He felt like he was trapped in a tangled of his own questions. "What motive could there be? Prince is overthinking things," said Yao Mowan mildly even as she suddenly realized what was going on. She finally understood what Yao Suluan was doing this for. She was nning to start a fight between Ye Junqing and Ye Hongyi so that Ye Zixiao could reap the fruits of the oue. Ye Zixiao sure was skilled, to have been able to make Yao Suluan so dedicated to him in such a short amount of time. If she didn''t get rid of this person, he''d definitely be a barrier on Ye Junqing''s way to bing emperor. However, it didn''t matter for now. Yao Suluan''s actions had already crossed her bottom line so she was going to teach her a lesson that would be ingrained in her bones! "This prince knew that you would say this! Even if you did know the reason, you wouldn''t tell this prince! You''d just lie to this prince again!" said Ye Junqing indignantly. "Prince''s words are unfair. Mowan is also asionally totally devoted to Prince, you know?" Yao Mowan looked like she was very hurt. "Really? This prince sure doesn''t remember experiencing that!" retorted Ye Junqing. "I have¡­ Let Mowan think¡­" Yao Mowan acted like she was trying hard to recall an instance. Ye Junqing was infuriated by her reaction and abruptly got up. "This prince will be able to find the truth even without your help! Humph!" Ye Junqing then stormed off angrily. "Is the truth really that important to you¡­" As Yao Mowan watched Ye Junqing leave, her vision blurred slightly with tears. Were these the only things that this man was living for now? Yao Moxin ah, how did you end up tormenting this man so much? How did you end up doing this? Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was leisurely sampling Dragon Well tea that was harvested before the Grain Rain when Ye Hongyi stormed in. "Scram!" The moment Ye Hongyi entered, he roared at Ming Yu who was about to curtsy. Ming Yu hastily withdrew from the pce. Yao Suluan didn''t get up when she saw Ye Hongyi, nor did she lower the teacup she was holding. They were no longer husband and wife nor a monarch and subject. They were now just enemies that hoped the other would die as soon as possible. When Ye Hongyi saw that Yao Suluan was continuing to sample the tea, he walked up and pped away her cup. "Wretch! You actually had the nerve to treat our words as wind!" Ye Hongyi''s ck eyes seemed to emit a faint green glow and the veins on the back of his hands bulged from his anger. If it weren''t for the fact that he still harbored apprehensions, he would''ve already rushed up to rip Yao Suluan into pieces. "This subject wife doesn''t understand what Your Majesty means?" Yao Suluan flicked off the still hot tea leaves on her clothes before looking towards Ye Hongyi calmly. "You don''t understand? Then why did you dig up the corpses of those three servants and hang them in a conspicuous ce like Changle Pce? What exactly are you trying to do? Threaten us? Or to give those who are interested a clue to finding out the truth behind Yao Moxin''s death?" Ye Hongyi lifted Yao Suluan by herpel and threw her to the chair hard. The collision made Yao Suluan''s cor hurt like it was shattering. "Ow¡­ Your Majesty, do you think that Suluan would dig up those graves? If someone found out about the truth behind Yao Moxin''s death, would Your Majesty still tolerate Suluan''s existence? Based on Your Majesty''s temper, Suluan would probably end up with her corpse torn apart." Yao Suluan endured the paining from her chest and looked towards Ye Hongyi provocatively. "It''s good that you know! No matter what your motive is, if what happened with Yao Moxin gets revealed, we guarantee that your death will be ten thousand times worse than hers!" Ye Hongyi grabbed Yao Suluan by her cor again and flung her to the ground. "Your Majesty should say that you''d make Suluan''s death ten thousand times worse than Zhong er''s. In reality, Yao Moxin''s death wasn''t too bad. All she suffered was a couple ps, then she killed herself using the knife that this consort tossed her. Inparison, that infant''s death was much more pitiful ah. His brainspletely spilled out and got all over Suluan. Tsk tsk, just remembering it feels disgusting." Yao Suluan looked towards Ye Hongyi with a cold smile. She had endured everything silently for such a long time. After being messed around with by Ye Hongyi for such a long time, she could finally stand in front of him without fear and deride him as she wished. Of course she had to take full advantage of such a good chance. "Shut up!" Ye Hongyi''s dark eyes filled with murderous intent and he stomped forward to yank her hair and p her. "Your Majesty had used much more strength when you were throwing Zhong er! If it weren''t for that, how could he have died before he even had a chance to cry out?" Yao Suluan grabbed Ye Hongyi''s hand with both hands. Her eyes shone unnaturally bright as she provoked Ye Hongyi. "We told you to shut up! Shut up!" Ye Hongyi''s eyes were red and he shook Yao Suluan violently. "Even if Suluan didn''t say it, wouldn''t Your Majesty still think about it? Back then, in the cold pce, you were so ruthless! You smashed your own flesh and blood until he was broken! Then you threw him against the wall! If that infant had any consciousness down below, he''d definitely be a malevolent ghost ande back to haunt you!" Yao Suluanughed madly as she shouted these words. When she saw that Ye Hongyi was about to fall apart, she felt so delighted that the paining from her body seemed like nothing. "That wasn''t our fault! It was Yao Moxin! She shouldn''t have given birth to that child in the first ce! It was her fault!" Ye Hongyi denied everything hysterically. He abruptly lifted his leg and kicked Yao Suluan in the stomach. Pfff! Yao Suluan fell to the ground and coughed out so much blood that it sprayed across the floor. "If you dare to say another word, we''ll kill you right now!" Ye Hongyi''s fists were so tightly clenched that they made cracking sounds. "Cough cough¡­" Yao Suluan supported herself with one hand as she pressed her other hand against her chest. She knew that Ye Hongyi was already at hisst straw, so she chose to remain silent. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 47
Chapter 47: You''ll Regret Sooner or Later "Yao Suluan! If we ever hear things regarding that day from you again, we swear that we''ll throw you into a pill furnace and refine you alive for seven thousand seven hundred and forty-nine days!" shouted Ye Hongyi furiously before storming out of the pce. After Ye Hongyi left, Ming Yu immediately ran back in and carefully helped Yao Suluan up from the ground over to the chaise lounge. "Your Highness, this servant will call an imperial physician over right away!" said Ming Yu worriedly when she saw that Yao Suluan was still coughing blood. "Aren''t you going toe out now?" Yao Suluan pushed Ming Yu aside and looked towards the willow forest outside the window. "Your Highness?" Ming Yu looked towards Yao Suluan in confusion, then followed her gaze over and saw that someone was walking out of the forest. Yao Mowan was dressed in a water green garment and walking slowly into Pure Flowers Pce, her expression calm. This wasn''t what Yao Suluan was expecting. "Ming Yu, keep a lookout outside. Don''t let anyonee in." Yao Suluan ignored the paining from her stomach and gave this order coldly. Once Ming Yu left, she wiped away the blood at the corner of her lips, then looked towards Yao Mowan with a cold smile. "The truth is much harder to ept than any conjecture, right? How is it? Did your heart hurt when you heard Ye Hongyi admit with his own mouth that he had killed Yao Moxin? You never expected it, right? Yao Moxin had actually been killed by the man she loved most! It wasn''t just Yao Moxin, even the nephew that you had never seen before had died so tragically!" "Not even the most vicious tiger eats its own cubs. You say that this consort is a beast, then what is Ye Hongyi? This consort''s child had died in this consort''s womb, but Zhong er had already been born! Ye Hongyi had been able to bring himself to treat even such an innocent young life so ruthlessly!" Yao Suluan''s dark eyes were aglow with unbridled schadenfreude. She was waiting for Yao Mowan to reveal an expression of pain. If she could see Yao Mowan in agony, suffering this kick would''ve been worth it. "So Eldest Sister had died in your hands. Yao Suluan ah, you now bear the responsibility for one more life. Even if Mowan wishes to be generous and allow you to die a little morefortably, that''s no longer possible. As for Zhong er¡­ It''s also good that he''s dead. With such a heartless father and an aunt like you, there was no way his days would be pleasant!" Yao Mowan''s abnormally calm tone stunned Yao Suluan. "Yao Mowan, you''re just lying to yourself! Ye Hongyi had already admitted everything earlier. How much longer are you going to run away from the truth? The person that''s currently sleeping by your side every night is the enemy that had killed your older sister!" shouted Yao Suluan, trying to stir up Yao Mowan''s anger. "Mowan had heard everything clearly. Eldest Sister had killed herself with the dagger that Second Older Sister handed over, the Mowan''s enemy that had killed Eldest Sister is you, Yao Suluan, not His Majesty! As for Zhong er, he''s His Majesty''s child, so His Majesty naturally has the right to decide whether he lives or not. Yao Suluan, the reason you provoked His Majesty into admitting everything is clearly so that you could ruin our rtionship. You had even suffered such a huge injury trying to do so. Was it worth it?" Yao Mowan leisurely took a seat at the table and looked towards Yao Suluan with a scornful smile. "Yao Mowan, no matter how much you try to act unperturbed, this consort knows that inwardly, your heart is convulsing with pain!" Yao Suluan looked towards Yao Mowan, her face contorted due to the paining from her body. Yao Mowan just smiled lightly. Yao Suluan''s guess was right on the mark this time. Her heart was convulsing in pain. She had onlye to Pure Flowers Pce to find out how Yao Suluan had been able to hang up Nurse Sun and the others without a trace in front of Changle Pce, however she ended up encountering such an entertaining scene. "What? This consort guessed right? Yao Mowan ah, this consort sure would like to know if you''d still be able to calmly enjoy Ye Hongyi''s embrace after knowing the truth!" Yao Suluanughed madly, her eyes filling with tears. It was impossible to tell if she was crying tears of joy, or if those tears were the result of the paining from her body. "Second Older Sister''s words are wrong. After finding out the truth, Mowan should enjoy being in His Majesty''s arms even more and ept his doting affection without worries. After all, His Majesty owes Mowan this, so it''s natural for Mowan to receive all of this," said Yao Mowan with a light smile. "You¡­ How can you think this way?" Yao Suluan looked towards Yao Mowan disbelievingly. She couldn''t understand this logic at all. "Mowan has always thought this. Difficult childbirth? The empress has several dozen imperial physicians looking after her, how could they miss the fact that the fetus was unstable? If the empress really had died from difficult childbirth, all the imperial physicians in the imperial hospital should''ve been beheaded! However, none of the people in the imperial hospital were punished even when this news went out. Mowan had known from that moment that there was something being hidden about how the empress had died." "Since this excuse actually got His Majesty''s acknowledgement, it was enough to make Mowan certain that the empress''s death was rted somehow to His Majesty. Although things were a little different from what Mowan had guessed, it was much better than what Mowan had predicted." As Yao Mowan voiced her analysis coldly, her heart chilled. In this hell-like imperial pce, she had to hone her skill at silently enduring things. That was the only way she''d be able to gradually advance. "Since you already guessed these things, then why¡­" "Second Older Sister ah, stop being so dumb. Mowan''s just a fool. It must''ve taken lifetimes of umted fortune to obtain imperial favor. Could it be that Mowan should reject His Majesty''s favor just to get revenge for Eldest Sister? If it was you, Second Older Sister, would you do that?" The smile on Yao Mowan''s face infuriated Yao Suluan so much that she coughed out another mouthful of blood. "However, this trip wasn''t made in vain. At the very least, Mowan now knows how Eldest Sister had died. Yao Suluan, there wille a day that you''ll regret your actions. You should remember this well." Yao Mowan slowly got up and walked towards Yao Suluan. Her eyes were like dark whirlpools in the ocean, they seemed to forcefully rip away Yao Suluan''s soul. As Yao Mowan was leaving Pure Flowers Pce, she heard the sounds of things shatteringe from behind her. Once she got back to Guan Osprey Pce, she called for Yin Xue. "What have you found?" "Replying Master, there was a hidden guard in Pure Flowers Pce. His martial arts are quite strong," reported Yin Xue. "A hidden guard¡­ No wonder she''s been so unbridled. How''s the hidden guard''s martial artspared to yours?" asked Yao Mowan. "If Yin Xue wanted to take his life, it wouldn''t take even ten strikes," replied Yin Xue. Yao Mowan looked towards Yin Xue with her brows lifted. "Then why''d you say that he''s strong?" "He is strong. Ten Qing Longs wouldn''t be a match for him." Yin Xue didn''t seem to feel that her words were contradictory at all. "Then he really is strong." Yao Mowan retrieved her gaze and once again silently thanked Yan Nansheng. That night, Ye Junqing walked in to dinner with a look so gloomy it was like the entire world owed him money. "Prince''s attempt at going straight to the imperial hospital was a dumb move." Liu Sha had already reported Ye Junqing''s activities today to her. "This prince was just trying to find Yao Moxin''s pulse records for when she was nine months pregnant, but they said that they didn''t have it. Would you believe that?" Ye Junqing''s brows were furrowed and his eyes were filled with questions. "Even if they did have it, they wouldn''t show it to Prince." Yao Mowan picked up thedle in the goblet of ginseng porridge anddled a bowl for Ye Junqing. "Why? This prince just wanted to take a look!" Ye Junqing reflexively epted the porridge even as he refuted angrily. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 48
Chapter 48: The Luminescent Prince''s Jade Pendant "Then Mowan would like to ask what identity Prince had used to investigate Eldest Sister''s pulse records? And why were you investigating her pulse records?" Yao Mowan lifted the bowl in front of her as she nced over at Ye Junqing. "This prince just suspects¡­" Before Ye Junqing could even finish his words, Yao Mowan had suddenly set down her bowl. "Prince suspects what? Suspects that someone in the imperial hospital had been trying to harm Eldest Sister? Forget the fact that they wouldn''t dare for now, even if they did dare, they wouldn''t leave any incriminating evidence! Has Prince every thought about the fact that since everyone in Chu knows that Prince admires Eldest Sister, what would the fact that you stormed right into the imperial hospital to ask for Eldest Sister''s pulse records indicate? What was that saying about His Majesty? If there was something odd with Eldest Sister''s death, His Majesty would''ve already sent people to look into it. How could he possibly have waited until now? Since even His Majesty hadn''t found anything, Prince, don''t you feel that your actions were pointless and excessive?" Yao Mowan''s calm voice slowly filled with cold fury. "This prince just wanted proof. Is there a need for you to get so stirred up? In addition, this prince has never cared about what other people thought." When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan was angry, he became annoyed as well. Yao Mowan''s heart felt heavy. That was right, when had Ye Junqing ever cared about what other people thought? It was just like how he had held fast to his love despite everyone''s disapproval. He hadn''t even cared about Ye Hongyi''s disapproval. His firm devotion and endless passion, back then, to her, had just been a burden. She truly had been a fool in the past. "Why aren''t you saying anything?" asked Ye Junqing when he saw Yao Mowan fall silent. "Meals should be eaten silently," said Yao Mowan coldly. Right now, the one she was angry with wasn''t Ye Junqing, but herself. "Why!? I insist on talking! This prince just wanted to figure out why Moxin ended up having a difficult birth and why those imperial physicians hadn''t noticed anything. Is there anything wrong with that? Is there?" Ye Junqing abruptly got to his feet and started shouting angrily. He had always been annoyed with how Yao Mowan would always hurl a bunch of reasoning at him without giving him the chance to refute. Just as Ye Junqing was about to speak again, Yao Mowan suddenly got up and she looked over at Ye Junqing emotionlessly. "What¡­ what do you want?" Ye Junqing swallowed hard and reflexively took a step backwards as he looked at her warily. "If Eldest Sister was still alive, she''d probably hate to see you like this," said Yao Mowan coldly. Before Ye Junqing had a chance to react, she smashed her bowl and headed into the bedroom. "This prince also hates to see you like this! You''re always leaving right after saying what you want to say! You never give people the chance to voice their opinions! What''s wrong with this prince the way this prince is now? Come back here and clear things up!" Ye Junqing was so angry that he wanted to throw his bowl too, but he forced down the impulse and quickly drank the porridge. He was already suffering from pent up anger, he couldn''t make his stomach suffer too! When Yin Xue handed Yao Mowan the jade pendant Ye Zixiao always kept on him, she toyed with it contemtively. If she hadn''t remembered wrong, Duan Zirou had once told her that she had personally grinded the jade pendant that Ye Zixiao always kept on him, so it held significant meaning. ording to what she knew, Ye Zixiao and Duan Zirou''s feelings for each other weren''t that of a normal imperial family couple. They had gone through much trials and tribtion together. Yao Mowan suddenly really wanted to know how much weight these memories held in Ye Zixiao''s heart¡­ "Duan Zirou''s in the pce?" Yao Mowan ced the jade pendant in her sleeve and looked over at Yin Xue. "Replying Master, Duan Zirou has already entered the pce. She''s currently meeting with Noble Lady Duan in Intoxicating Fragrance Residence," replied Yin Xue. "Intoxicating Fragrance Residence¡­ Duan Xiaoyan''s tolerance for alcohol has always been so high that she rarely ever got drunk. Back then, Ye Hongyi would often drink with her and would always end up being so intoxicated he''d stay there for days, which was how Duan Xiaoyan''s resting pce got its name. However, sadly she lost favor before her beauty even faded. Ever since Senior Prince Duan got dementia, Duan Xiaoyan has fallen from favor. However, she was born of a concubine from the start. If it weren''t for the fact that Ye Hongyi had been wanting to win over Senior Prince Duan and Duan Zirou had already be Ye Zixiao''s wife, there was no way she would''ve had a chance to enter the pce. She looked as if she had managed to fly up to the highest branch and be a phoenix, but sadly a fallen phoenix can''t evenpare to a fowl¡­" Yao Mowan sighed. Internally, she was thinking that Duan Xiaoyan was still lucky. At the very least, her existence wasn''t a threat to Ye Hongyi. "Master, you want to do it today?" asked Yin Xue. "There''s a limit to how many times Duan Zirou can enter the pce. Since it''s rare for her to visit, this consort naturally can''t let this opportunity slip by." Yao Mowan leisurely got up and had Yin Xue withdraw before walking out of Guan Osprey Pce. Intoxicating Fragrance Residence, located on the west side of the imperial pce, was surrounded by the intense fragrance of wine. In the main hall, Duan Xiaoyan was currently holding a slender neck cdon wine pot and taking a swig from it. "Sister, drinking too much is bad for the health, hurry and stop." The one speaking was Luminescent Princess Duan Zirou. She reached out to take the wine away from Duan Xiaoyan, but Duan Xiaoyan stopped her. "What can this consort do besides drink? Older Sister isn''t going to take away Xiaoyan''s only remaining joy, right?" Duan Xiaoyan''s eyes were filled with sadness as she clenched the wine. "Older Sister has heard as well that His Majesty hastely been doting on the daughter from Prime Minister Yao''s residence a lot, but just because he dotes on her a lot doesn''t mean that he''ll dote on her forever. You can''t abandon yourself to despair. As long as you work hard, you''ll definitely be able to regain imperial favor." Duan Zirou looked at her sister worriedly and tried to persuade her. "Work hard? Ha! No matter how hard Xiaoyan tries, it''s useless. Before that imbecile entered the pce, His Majesty would at least enter this Intoxicating Fragrance Residence a few days every month, but now? It''s already been half a year since His Majesty has stepped inside this pce. Perhaps His Majesty has already forgotten that a Noble Lady Duan exists in this inner pce¡­" Duan Xiaoyan lifted the wine pot again as her tears spilled out. "How''s that possible? You''re a daughter of Prince Duan''s residence. No matter what, His Majesty has to maintain a respectful attitude towards Father." Duan Zirou walked over and helped Duan Xiaoyan over to a seat. "Father now has dementia, so what would His Majesty need to still act polite for? Older Sister, no need to try to console me. This consort understands her current situation. It''s just a shame that I''m currently in the prime of youth, so I don''t even know how long I''d have to face this solitary life. If I knew earlier that this would happen, I wouldn''t have entered the pce. Even if I had to marry into an ordinary citizen''s home, it''d still be better than living like a widow!" "This consort envies you, Older Sister, the most. Luminescent Prince treats you like a precious pearl. Even though you two have already been married for so long, your affection for each other hasn''t dimmed in the slightest. Some things are truly so perfect, all one can do is envy." Duan Xiaoyan tilted her head back for another swig only to find that the pot was already empty, so she tossed it to the ground. "That''s not the case at all. Zixiao and I are just an ordinary couple." When Ye Zixiao was mentioned, Duan Zirou couldn''t help but smile slightly. "Older Sister is being unfair towards Luminescent Prince by saying this. Who in the imperial city isn''t aware of how Luminescent Prince loves his wife more than life? As long as it''s something that Older Sister likes, even if it''s a star in the sky, Luminescent Prince would get it for Older Sister. There''s a saying that one envies a pair of mandarin ducks more than one envies celestials. It seems that the saying isn''t without reason." Duan Xiaoyan''s voice contained faint resentment. "It''s just that rumors tend to exaggerate¡­" Duan Xiaoyan''s words caused Duan Zirou to blush. She knew better than anyone how good Ye Zixiao was to her. Even now, she believed that the best choice she had ever made in her life was marrying Ye Zixiao. Right at this moment, Duan Xiaoyan''s personal maid, Qiao Ling, hastily ran in. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 49
Chapter 49: This Belongs to Her Highness Consort Li "We subjects kowtows in salute to Noble Consort Yao." Duan Xiaoyan and Duan Zirou got up to curtsy towards Yao Mowan. "Ting Yue, I want water." Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue with a pout so Ting Yue turned towards Duan Xiaoyan. "Noble Lady Duan, my master has gotten a little thirsty after strolling around, but we were too far from Guan Osprey Pce, so this servant brought her here to ask for a cup of tea. This servant hopes that Noble Lady Duan won''t mind," said Ting Yue respectfully. Duan Xiaoyan nced at Yao Mowan and a sharp light shed through her eyes. Although Yao Mowan was a fool, her looks were truly exceptional. It was no wonder His Majesty had been so enchanted. "Your Highness Consort Yao, please have a seat. Qiao Ling, what are you still standing there for? Hurry and pour a cup of tea for Consort Yao!" When Duan Zirou saw that Duan Xiaoyan wasn''t moving, she immediately gave Qiao Ling instructions, then moved away from the main seat so that Yao Mowan could sit. "Many thanks, Noble Lady Duan," said Ting Yue gratefully as she moved to stand behind Yao Mowan. Right at this time, Qiao Ling walked over to offer Yao Mowan a cup of tea. "Thanks!" Yao Mowan epted the cup happily and drank it all in one gulp. However, Qiao Ling immediately dropped to her knees in a kneel after hearing Yao Mowan''s thanks. "It''s this servant''s duty to serve the masters¡­" Qiao Ling had never encountered a situation like this so she didn''t know what to do except kowtow to express her thanks. "Qiao Ling, get up and pour Noble Consort Yao another cup." Duan Xiaoyan once again examined Yao Mowan. This fool was probably the only one in this imperial pce that would thank a servant. It seemed that the rumored Yao Mowan truly was an imbecile. When Qiao Ling heard this, she got up to take the teacup and poured her another cup. "The tea here tastes even better than the tea in Guan Osprey Pce!" After Yao Mowan finished drinking, she handed the cup back to Qiao Ling and lifted her sleeve to wipe at her lips. As she made this motion, there was the sound of a ng. A jade pendant had fallen from Yao Mowan''s sleeve. Just as Yao Mowan was about to bend over to pick it up, Ting Yue had already picked up the jade pendant. "Your Highness, isn''t this Consort Li''s jade pendant? How could you sneak it out? If Consort Li notices that it''s missing, she''ll definitely be worried!" eximed Ting Yue as she turned the jade pendant around to examine it. "But this jade pendant''s pretty. Who asked for Second Older Sister not to give it to me¡­ And His Majesty said¡­ He said that everything in this imperial pce belongs to me and that he''s also mine¡­" Yao Mowan fiddled with her thumbs and looked down like a child that had been caught misbehaving. "This won''t do! If Consort Li can''t find this jade pendant, she''ll be sad. Your Highness probably doesn''t want Consort Li to be sad, right?" As Ting Yue spoke, she casually made sure that Duan Zirou saw the jade pendant. "Mowan doesn''t want Second Older Sister to be sad¡­ Then let''s give it back to her!" Yao Mowan reluctantly got up and took the jade pendant from Ting Yue''s hand. Just as Yao Mowan thought that her n had failed, Duan Zirou cooperated wonderfully and moved to block her path. "If Noble Consort Yao doesn''t mind, can this subject take a look at that jade pendant?" The unease in Yao Mowan''s heart finally calmed down and her lips hooked in an imperceptible smile as a sharp light shed through her eyes. "En, but you have to be careful! Don''t break it! If Second Older Sister finds out, she''ll be angry!" Yao Mowan hesitated for a long time before finally allowed Duan Zirou to have a look. The moment Duan Zirou felt the weight of the pendant, her mind went nk. She felt like the entire world was copsing. The intense pain that filled her heart caused her to copse, but Qiao Ling quickly moved to support her. "Older Sister?" called Duan Xiaoyan worriedly when she saw Duan Zirou''s abnormal reaction. "It''s nothing¡­ Your Highness Consort Yao, you said that this pendant belonged to Consort Li?" Duan Zirou endured the pain in her heart and gritted her teeth to hold her tears back. "That''s right. What about it?" As Yao Mowan spoke, she reached out to take the pendant. When she saw that Duan Zirou wasn''t letting go, she reached out with her other hand to pull at it. "It really belongs to Consort Li?" Duan Zirou gripped the pendant tightly as tears whirled in her eyes. "Give it back to me! Of course it''s Second Older Sister''s! Who else would it belong to? You? Ting Yue, help me get it back! Let go! Otherwise I''ll tell His Majesty that you''re bullying me!" Yao Mowan was getting a little hysterical and she sounded to be on the brink of crying. Duan Xiaoyan saw that the situation wasn''t good and immediately walked to Duan Zirou''s side and yanked the pendant out of her grasp to give it to Yao Mowan. "Consort Yao, please don''t be angry. Older Sister didn''t do that on purpose. Perhaps¡­ it''s just that this jade is too beautiful," said Duan Xiaoyan. She sent Qiao Ling a look and Qiao Ling tactfully went to help Duan Zirou to the side. "No matter how beautiful it is, it isn''t hers! Seriously, I''ve never seen such an aggressive person! Ting Yue, let''s hurry and go find Second Older Sister. It''d be bad if someone else takes a liking to this jade and tries to snatch it again!" Yao Mowan glowered at Duan Zirou, then tucked the jade into her chest pocket before walking out of Intoxicating Fragrance Residence. Duan Xiaoyan only turned to look towards Duan Zirou once Yao Mowan had left. "Older Sister, what was with you earlier? It''s just a jade pendant. Why did you react that way?" asked Duan Xiaoyan, her tone containing a trace ofint. "That jade¡­ I had made that jade pendant with my own hands for Zixiao!" Tears finally overflowed Duan Zirou''s eyes. She didn''t even have the strength to stand up since it felt like her heart had been pierced by a thousand needles. It hurt to even breathe. "How''s that possible? Why would the jade pendant that you made for the luminescent prince be with Yao Suluan? Could it be¡­ That''s not possible. Most jade pendants are simr. Do you think you just mistook it?" Duan Xiaoyan didn''t dare to believe her own guess. "I made it with my own hands, how could I possibly get it wrong!? The amber on it was the one Father had handed me on the day of my wedding!" Duan Zirou''s voice choked up and tears streamed down her cheeks. "The world''srge, so it''s normal for the same type of amber to appear. That''s not enough to prove that it''s the jade pendant you made, right?" said Duan Xiaoyan carefully. Although they were sisters of different statuses, they''ve always had a good rtionship, so Duan Xiaoyan sincerely cared about this older sister of hers. "Even if there exists an identical amber, this is the only one possessed by the imperial family. When I was polishing it, I used a thin de to cut the character ''ye'' onto the back. When I was holding that pendant earlier, I felt that character! I wish I could have a trace of doubt! But how could I lie to myself? Xiaoyan, what do I do? What am I supposed to do!?" Duan Zirou sobbed. As her tears wet her cor, she felt cold like never before. "Older Sister, don''t jump to conclusions yet. We need to look into this matter. How about this? This consort will visit Pure Flowers Pce for you and see if this consort can find any clues. If Luminescent Prince has really betrayed you, this consort will expose their affair in front of His Majesty and make sure that you get justice!" said Duan Xiaoyan indignantly. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 50
Chapter 50: How Was She Supposed to Endure This? She had found the Yao family sisters displeasing from the start. At first it was Yao Moxin, then it was Yao Suluan, and now there was a Yao Mowan. No matter how hard she worked, she always seemed to lose to them. She couldn''t ept it! "Wait¡­ Let me think¡­" Duan Zirou wiped away her tears. Something seemed to suddenly ur to her and she took out a bag of perfume to hand to Duan Xiaoyan. "Why are you giving me this?" asked Duan Xiaoyan. "Flick some of this on your clothes and head over to Pure Flowers Pce with this scent. If¡­ If Zixiao really had visited Pure Flowers Pce, when he gets back to the residence, this scent will definitely be on his clothes!" said Duan Zirou calmly. "Don''t worry, Older Sister. No matter what happens, Xiaoyan will always be on Older Sister''s side!" Duan Xiaoyan sprinkled some of the perfume on her cor. Just as she was about to leave, Duan Zirou pulled her back again. "I''m scared¡­" When Duan Xiaoyan saw the tears in Duan Zirou''s eyes, she patted her shoulderfortingly. She understood why her older sister was scared. It was the worst to find out that the feelings you thought were more solid than gold turned out to be your own delusion. If Ye Zixiao really was having an affair with Yao Suluan, how was her older sister supposed to endure it? "It''s fine. Qiao Ling, help her into the bedroom to rest and look after her carefully," instructed Duan Xiaoyan, then she turned and left Intoxicating Fragrance Residence. Later that night, there was a charming scene in Pure Flowers Pce. After a round of making love, Yao Suluan leaned into Ye Zixiao''s chest as she softly traced his perfect jawline. "Nurse Sun, Eunuch Zheng, and Yun Er were all Yao Moxin''s personal servants before she gave birth. It''s strange enough that Yao Moxin ended up dying of difficult birth, but they had died as well?" Ye Zixiao rubbed Yao Suluan''s snow-white shoulder gently as he remarked this lightly. However, his tone was filled with curiosity. "They hadn''t looked after the empress well enough, so isn''t enough to count as a crime?" Just because she had bet everything on Ye Zixiao didn''t mean that she would reveal all of her secrets. She didn''t dare to be too careless especially since this particr secret was rted to her own chances of survival. "So Ye Hongyi had given the decree for them to be killed? If it was due to their failure in carrying out their duties, shouldn''t he have just openly killed them instead of doing it in secret? Had you not dug them out, no one would''ve ever found out that they were already dead." Ye Zixiao naturally noticed that Yao Suluan was beating about the bush. "Prince should be grateful that His Majesty had done this. If he hadn''t, what could we have used to arouse Ye Junqing''s suspicions? After this incident, Ye Junqing will definitely want to look into the true cause of Yao Moxin''s death and as soon as he makes any suspicious moves, His Majesty will definitely go after him!" Yao Suluan''s lips curled as shrewd light flickered in her eyes. "Yao Moxin''s true cause of death?" Ye Zixiao caught and repeated this important phrase. "Noble Lady Duan from Intoxicating Fragrance Residence visited today. Even though she didn''t really say much, she seemed a little off. Everyone knows that Noble Lady Duan is Luminescent Princess''s younger sister. What do you think she came to Suluan''s pce for?" Yao Suluan saw that Ye Zixiao was trying to dig more information out of her, so she changed the topic. "Noble Lady Duan visited¡­ It was probably a normal visit from a fellow concubine. It''s probably nothing much." Ye Zixiao retrained the surprise in his eyes and shifted over to lie down on his back as he contemted this. "Suluan wants to ask Prince one little thing. In here, is Duan Zirou more important or Suluan more important?" Yao Suluan leaned over and traced circles on Ye Zixiao''s chest. "Of course Suluan is more important! With a beauty at one''s side, a man is twice as strong!" Ye Zixiao pulled Yao Suluan over and sank his fingers into her hair to slowly stroke her head. "If one day, Luminescent Princess discovers our rtionship, would Prince kill her to silence her?" asked Yao Suluan softly. In the next instant, she felt a sharp pain from her scalp. Ye Zixiao realized that he had messed up and immediately flipped over to press Yao Suluan down below him. "No matter who it is, if they block this prince''s path to the throne, then they deserve to die!" dered Ye Zixiao fiercely. However, in his heart, he was asking himself, if such an event really urred, would he kill Zirou? "Those who are a hindrance die, but what about those who are an aid?" Yao Suluan''s hands were pinned above her head by Ye Zixiao but she remained unconcerned and looked towards him seductively. "They''ll be rewarded of course!" Ye Zixiao leaned down and there was another round of sweet torment. The man plundered while the woman responded softly withe desire. As a breeze passed by and lifted the canopy slightly, their entangled figures came into full view. The days that followed continued to be normal. Soon, midsummer passed and the weather became much more refreshing. Yao Mowan sat on the swing to enjoy the refreshing coolness of the autumn breeze. "Your Highness, news hase from the prime minister''s residence that Madame and that Wu Zicheng had stolen almost half of the Yao Residence''s family property and ran off with Boan!" Liu Xing''s news caused Yao Mowan''s heart to jump slightly in excitement. Li Qingqing has finally made a move! "How''s Father?" What Yao Mowan cared about was Yao Zhenting''s reaction. "The lord is outraged and had passed out on the spot. As of now, he''s searching frantically for them. This servant heard that he didn''t even bother to attend court this morning," reported Liu Xing. "Li Qingqing had taken away the one thing he cared about most in this lifetime, how can he possibly remain calm? Let''s just wait. Even if Father has to search the entirety of great Chu, he''ll get Li Qingqing back. Remember, once Father finds Li Qingqing, tell this consort right away. This consort must watch this show in person," instructed Yao Mowan. The show would only be brilliant if she was present. Yao Zhenting, no matter what this consort did, it was because you deserve it. Once Liu Xing withdrew, Yin Xue appeared by Yao Mowan''s side like a phantom. Yao Mowan had already gotten used to Yin Xue''s tendency to appear this way. "Master, Duan Zirou has gone to visit Pure Flowers Pce," reported Yin Xue. After the n in Intoxicating Fragrance Residence had seeded, Yao Mowan had instructed for Yin Xue to pay close attention to Duan Zirou''s whereabouts. She hadn''t expected for Duan Zirou to have found evidence in just a few days. "Visit Luminescent Prince''s residence, then meet up with this consort in the willow forest outside Pure Flowers Pce." It was better to enjoy things with a crowd than enjoy things on your own. How could she let Ye Zixiao miss such an interesting confrontation? Once Yin Xue withdrew, Yao Mowan fixed herpels a little. Just as she was about to leave Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Junqing blocked her way. "Yao Mowan, this prince needs to talk to you about something!" After a few days of mulling over things restlessly, Ye Junqing finally managed to link everything together and got some answers. "Is it important? If it''s not, please say itter. Mowan has a pressing matter to attend to right now." Yao Mowan walked past Ye Junqing to head out. "Of course it''s important! In reality, there''s one thing that this prince hasn''t told you about. Before this prince started investigating Nurse Sun and the others, this prince had seen a pce maid in the side wing of where the cold pce was once located!" Ye Junqing thought that his words would provoke Yao Mowan''s interest and it did. Yao Mowan abruptly turned around and looked towards Ye Junqing in shock. "No matter how starved Prince is, you still can''t look for a pce maid! Strictly speaking, all of the women in this pce belongs to His Majesty, how could Prince dip a finger in this pie!?" Yao Mowan''s words caused Ye Junqing''s forehead to be covered with ck lines. "This prince is talking about something serious!" Ye Junqing heaved a sigh. Had his head been kicked by a donkey? If not, why did hee here to negotiate with this demon? When his thoughts reached this point, he made to turn around and leave, but Yao Mowan pulled him back. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 51
Chapter 51: Let''s Go, There''s a Good Show to Watch "Prince, don''t you want to know what Mowan''s heading off to do?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows in a sly look. "I don''t!" answered Ye Junqing decisively. "It''s something inplete defiance of the natural order. Don''t regret missing itter." Yao Mowan lifted her brows, then let go of Ye Junqing to head towards Pure Flowers Pce. After a few seconds, Ye Junqing appeared next to Yao Mowan. "Didn''t you say you weren''ting?" asked Yao Mowan teasingly. "This prince is worried about regretting," replied Ye Junqing unwillingly. Yao Mowanughed softly. The sight of her smile was as beautiful as peach blossoms in the autumn wind. As her hair was lifted by the breeze, her unique fragrance seemed to surrounded Ye Junqing. He felt his heart fill with countless ripples and the emotions that he had hidden deep in his heart stirred. By the time Yao Mowan pulled Ye Junqing over to sit down at the table outside the window of Pure Flowers Pce, Ye Junqing''s facial color was very dark. "By ''inplete defiance of the natural order,'' you mean to just eavesdrop on other people? How is this inplete defiance of the natural order at all?" Ye Junqing felt like he was already starting to regret things. "Shhh. Mowan guarantees that Prince won''t be disappointed, so just listen." Yao Mowan indicated for Ye Junqing to be quiet, then turned to focus on listening. Duan Zirou''s sudden appearance surprised Yao Suluan a little. Although she knew that there was no imprable wall in the world, she still hadn''t expected for Duan Zirou to find out this quickly. "Princess, don''t you know to curtsy upon seeing Her Highness?" When Duan Zirou stopped in the very center of the room with a cold expression, Ming Yu walked up to remind her. "Zirou wishes to talk privately with Consort Li about something." Duan Zirou''s expression was like ice and there was no trace of warmth in her tone, much less any trace of respect. Upon hearing this, Ming Yu looked towards Yao Suluan. "This consort feels that there''s no need. Ming Yu, see Luminescent Princess out." Yao Suluan gave a cold humph. It seemed that a good chance to test Ye Zixiao hade. If he really could kill Duan Zirou, then that meant that she didn''t pick the wrong person. "Since Consort Li doesn''t wish to listen, then it seems that Zirou has no choice but to visit His Majesty instead!" said Duan Zirou indifferently as she turned to leave. However, Yao Suluan now stopped her. "Ming Yu, guard the doors!" Yao Suluan''s eyes darkened as she got up and slowly approached Duan Zirou. "If Luminescent Princess has something to say, please say it quickly. This consort''s time is very precious." As Yao Suluan sized Duan Zirou up from close range, her confidence faded a little. Although the woman in front of her wasn''t wearing any makeup, her looks were still captivating enough to topple a city. Her brows were like brush strokes, her eyes were bright and clear as a jadeke, and with her jasper nose and pink lips, she was the model of the word beauty. However, when she saw the knife wound on Duan Zirou''s neck that extended deep below her cor, her confidence surged up again. After all, which man didn''t want the woman beneath them to have perfectly fair, wless skin? "Zirou only wants to warn Consort Li that some boundaries, once crossed, can never be taken back! Zirou hopes that Consort Li will be sensible and turn back," said Duan Zirou coldly. "Ha! This consort didn''t really understand, please speak more clearly," said Yao Suluan with a provoking expression. "Alright, then Zirou will get straight to the point. Zirou hopes that Consort Li will stop meeting with Zixiao. Otherwise, if this matter spreads, both you and Zixiao must face the crime of deceiving the monarch!" The night she left the pce, her suspicions that Ye Zixiao and Yao Suluan were having an affair were confirmed. She didn''t know how she survived that night. There had been no way for her to vent her feelings except for to cry. She had thought about making this news public so that Ye Zixiao and Yao Suluan would face the public''s scorn and contempt, but after a night struggling with herself, she got rid of that crazy idea. They had already been married for such a long time. They had been in love for over a dozen years, since they were children, and had gone through countless trials together. There was no way she could bring herself to destroy this man with her own hands. Hence, after silently considering things for three days, she decided to visit Yao Suluan alone. "Did Luminescent Princess see this consort meet with Luminescent Prince? Let''s set aside the fact that you haven''t and say that you have. Even if you saw with your own eyes, it''s still not this consort''s problem! Ye Zixiao has his own feet. If he didn''t want toe, he wouldn''t be here even if this consort pressed a knife against his neck. In reality, you shouldn''t be here bothering me. As the luminescent princess, you didn''t have the ability to make your own man stay with you, so the problem lies with you. What does it have to do with this consort?" Yao Suluan sneered as she stared at the scar on Duan Zirou''s neck with an expression of contempt. "Consort Li, watch yourself!" Duan Zirou never imagined that Yao Suluan would say such coarse, rude things and became indignant. "Watch myself? The one that needs to watch herself is you, Duan Zirou! Who do you think you are? You''re nothing but a little princess, but you actually dare toe to this consort''s ce to cause a ruckus?" Yao Suluan glowered at Duan Zirou, then leisurely walked back to the chaise lounge to sit down. "Consort Li, how can you be so shameless! As a consort of His Majesty, it''s aplete offense of public morals for you to do this, but you''re actually trying to twist things around! You seriously don''t know shame!" Duan Zirou turned around indignantly and red at Yao Suluan. She thought that as a daughter of the Yao Residence, Yao Suluan would cry in shame when such an ugly matter was expose and beg her not to reveal this matter, but Yao Suluan had actually reacted so overbearingly as if she waspletely in the right. "This consort will warn you to be careful with your words. Don''t know shame isn''t a phrase that should be used to describe people that sincerely care for each other," said Yao Suluan calmly. "The one Zixiao loves is me! How could he possibly care about you!" Duan Zirou walked towards Yao Suluan angrily even as tears whirled in her eyes. "Luminescent Princess, things have already gotten to this point, so are you still going to keep lying to yourself? If Ye Zixiao loved you, he wouldn''t risk this heavy crime to visit this consort. It''s only because he loves this consort too much, that''s why he can''t stop himself. However, this consort doesn''t regret anything. It''s only after being together with Zixiao that this consort finally found out what love tender and soft as water meant." Yao Suluan leisurely lifted her painted nails to admire the color as she spoke. Every single sentence she spoke seemed to stab Duan Zirou''s heart like a de. "Yao Suluan! You''re intolerable! Zirou will be reporting this to His Majesty right now!" Duan Zirou''s eyes were filled with anger as she turned to leave. "Then go! At that time, it won''t just be this consort that faces repercussions, Ye Zixiao will too! The crime of having an affair with a woman of the inner pce is enough for His Majesty to have him executed!" Yao Suluan got up with a coldugh and walked over to Duan Zirou slowly. "He betrayed me, so he deserves it!" said Duan Zirou firmly. She forced herself to hold back her tears, but she couldn''t bring herself to continue walking. "The rumors all say that Luminescent Princess''s love for Luminescent Prince is deeper than the four seas, but it seems that this isn''t really the case. You can''t tolerate him just because he did something that all the men in the world do? Luminescent Princess''s oath of undying love is sure cheap." Yao Suluan took in Duan Zirou''s pale face, then her heart hardened. "All the men in the world can do it, but he''s the only one that can''t!" Duan Zirou''s eyes were hazy with tears and her voice was filled with grief and resentment. "Isn''t Luminescent Prince also a man? Everyone has a heart that loves beauty. All else aside, just based on that disgusting scar on your neck, it''s obvious that Luminescent Prince definitely dislike lying on the bed next to you," said Yao Suluan with a sneer. "You!" Still, Duan Zirou forced herself not to let her tears fall as she moved to storm out of the pce. "Ling Yun! Stop the luminescent princess!" shouted Yao Suluan when she saw that Duan Zirou had made her choice. Almost simultaneously, Ling Yun appeared in front of Duan Zirou with a conflicted and helpless expression. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 52
Chapter 52: Ling Yun, Kill Her "Ling Yun¡­ why are you here?" The instant Duan Zirou saw Ling Yun, she felt like her heart had been thrown into freezing water. The despair that flooded out from her heart made her feel like her entire world was copsing. Ling Yun stood there silently with no intention to answer Duan Zirou''s questions. There were some things that were out of his control. If he had the choice, he wouldn''t have appeared. This current confrontation was very awkward for him. "Does this even need to be asked? Naturally it''s because Zixiao was worried about this consort''s safety and specially instructed Ling Yun to stay behind and protect this consort. You should probably understand now who''s the one Zixiao is truly in love with, right? You finally realize who it is that was imagining their love to be reciprocated?" Yao Suluan''s poisonous words attacked Duan Zirou''s self-confidence and hope. Duan Zirou was nowpletely in despair. What affection could she have towards a person that had already betrayed her? "Move aside!" Duan Zirou looked towards Ling Yun coldly, her gaze sharp as a knife. As the person closest to Ye Zixiao, naturally she knew what kind of existence Ling Yun was. "Ling Yun, kill her!" A soft and dark voice arose. Duan Zirou and Ling Yun simultaneously looked towards Yao Suluan in disbelief. "What? Didn''t you hear what this consort said? Kill her!"manded Yao Suluan again. "Yao Suluan, how dare you be so audacious? No matter what, I''m still the grand luminescent princess, the main daughter of Senior Prince Duan! I''m not someone you can kill on a whim!" Duan Zirou looked towards Yao Suluan coldly. In this instant, Yao Suluan suddenly looked like a demon to her, an insane demon! "Ling Yun, you shouldn''t forget who your master is. If you allow this woman to walk out now, Ye Zixiao will die without a doubt. This consort heard that the one thing hidden guards value most is loyalty. Right now is the time for you to demonstrate your loyalty, so why are you still standing there?" Yao Suluan''s voice was cold and her eyes shed with an icy glint. Beneath the window, Ye Junqing''s brows were tightly furrowed and his fists made slight cracking noises from how hard he was clenching them. When Yao Mowan saw that Ye Junqing wanted to charge in, she pulled his hand and indicated for him to look towards the figure that was rushing over. "Ling Yun, you dare!?" cried Duan Zirou indignantly as she looked towards Ling Yun. "Princess, can you promise that you won''t tell His Majesty about Master?" Yao Suluan''s words had clearly been effective since Ling Yun''s aura slowly became colder. "That''s my affair. It''s not your ce to get involved! Withdraw!" Duan Zirou was furious and pushed Ling Yun aside to stomp out. "Ling Yun, what are you still thinking about? Could it be that you''d only be willing to do it once Ye Zixiao is already beheaded? As a hidden guard, you''re actually standing by and watching without doing anything even though you know your master will be in danger! You know what the oue will be! One moment of hesitation will make it so you can never be a hidden guard again!" Yao Suluan did her best to disturb Ling Yun''s thoughts. So, as Duan Zirou was opening the pce doors, Ling Yun abruptly attacked her. Just as Ling Yun''s palm was about to strike Duan Zirou''s back, the pce doors were suddenly opened and a figure moved forward in a sh. Ling Yun was abruptly sent flying backwards and crashed into the ground. Pfff! Ling Yun felt like his internal organs were boiling and blood abruptly flooded up his throat. "Zirou! Are you alright?" Ye Zixiao held Duan Zirou''s shoulders worriedly, his face still filled with lingering fear. p! A loud p was Ye Zixiao''s reply. The tears that Duan Zirou had held back this entire time now fell like a broken strand of pearls that shattered into pieces upon hitting the ground. As she looked at the man she loved most in this lifetime, she felt so much pain in her heart that she couldn''t even breathe. "I''m sorry¡­" Ye Zixiao pulled Duan Zirou into his arms. When he saw that Ling Yun''s palm was about to hit Duan Zirou, he finally understood that he couldn''t lose this woman! This woman was the only one he was willing to walk the rest of his life with. "Ling Yun! Who gave you the guts to attack the princess!?" Ye Zixiao''s ck eyes immediately beast-like murderous intent. "It was this consort." When Yao Suluan saw Ye Zixiao pulled Duan Zirou without hesitation into his arms, she knew that if she wanted to continue cing her hopes on Ye Zixiao, Duan Zirou had to die. "Why?" Ye Zixiao glowered at Yao Suluan. His gaze contained no trace of its past gentleness. "She wanted to expose our rtionship in front of His Majesty. This consort only did this because there was no other choice. Does Prince feel that this consort was wrong in doing so?" Yao Suluan looked towards Ye Zixiao, her eyes simrly cold, as she waited for his reaction. "Zirou wouldn''t¡­" Before Ye Zixiao could even finish his words, Duan Zirou had already pped him. "Why wouldn''t I!? Ye Zixiao, this is the great thing you''ve been doing behind my back!? You can show disdain that my beauty has faded due to age, disdain the fact that I don''t understand romance, but the one thing you can''t show disdain for is this scar of mine!" Duan Zirou abruptly pulled open her cor. The conspicuous scar that extended from her neck to her chest was like an ugly centipede against Duan Zirou''s snowy jade-like skin. "This prince didn''t¡­" said Ye Zixiao softly. The sincere heartache and love in his eyes couldn''t be concealed. "But that''s what she said! Tell her! Tell her how I got this scar!" cried Duan Zirou sadly. She was frustrated with herself, but her eyes refused to listen to hermands and tears continued to overflow. "Assassins had attacked and Zixiao hadn''t been able to fend them off. If it weren''t for the fact that you blocked that de for Zixiao, Zixiao definitely would''ve died. After being injured, you were unconscious for an entire three days. The bleeding wouldn''t stop and you were almost swept to the Yellow Springs. Zixiao will never forget this debt as long as Zixiao is alive." Ye Zixiao sensed Duan Zirou''s sadness and indignance, so heplied and solemnly voiced the shocking events that happened back then. "So what? You did save Zixiao once, but Zixiao treats you quite well too. Even though you''re unbearably ugly, didn''t Zixiao still allow you to the be the luminescent princess? As of now, there''s not a single concubine in the luminescent princess''s residence, so what do you still want? Meanwhile, you''re sure good at repaying him. Not only are you not grateful, you want to go to His Majesty and ruin Zixiao''s everything. Is this proper conduct for a wife?" Yao Suluan looked towards Duan Zirou with disgust and contempt. "Shut up!" Ye Zixiao bellowed at Yao Suluan, then he walked over to Duan Zirou and pulled her tightly into his arms. "Prince''s attitude truly makes this consort disappointed. This consort still remembers your gentle words fromst night. Could it be that Prince was just lying to Suluan?" Yao Suluan looked towards Ye Zixiao meaningfully. She was sure that this man wouldn''t be like Ye Junqing and only cared about the beauty and not the country. "Ye Zixiao, let go of me! Let go! I hate you!" Duan Zirou pounded on Ye Zixiao''s chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Zirou, things aren''t like what you think. Please let me exin!" Ye Zixiao''s expression turned a little bitter when he sensed Duan Zirou struggling against him. There were some things that he didn''t want to let Duan Zirou know since the more she knew, the more danger she would be in. "Things are exactly as you''re thinking. Zixiao and this consort have been together for a long time and we¡­" p! A resounded p interrupted Yao Suluan''s purposeful provoking. When Yao Suluan felt the stinging pain from her face, she looked towards Ye Zixiao disbelievingly. "Ling Yun, you should remember that this prince is your true master!" After saying this, Ye Zixiao left while hugging Duan Zirou. In the main hall, Yao Suluan covered her cheek as her eyes shed with cold light. Perhaps her guess had been wrong. Ye Zixiao was just like Ye Junqing, he was blinded by a woman! However, as of now, Ye Zixiao was her only choice. She couldn''t choose anyone else, otherwise she''d make Ye Zixiao an enemy too! __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 53
Chapter 53: Sweet Words Like the Reflection of the Moon Ye Zixiao ah, this consort has already burned all boats to bet everything on you. You want to turn back? It''s already toote. As for Duan Zirou, she really had to die. When Yao Suluan''s thoughts got here, she subconsciously nced back and found that Ling Yun was already gone. The bloodstain on the ground was a ghastly sight. "How is it? Isn''t it very in defiance of the natural order?" After leaving the willow forest outside of Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with an excited expression. Beneath her eyshes, her eyes sparkled like stars. Even though Yao Suluan and Ye Zixiao hadn''t had aplete falling out, if they wanted to continue coborating, they had to first deal with the issue of Duan Zirou and Duan Zirou just happened to be the very source of their conflict. So for the time being, neither of them would be making any big moves. Although this y was a little long, it would definitely be entertaining. "Yao Suluan is seriously daring! How could she do something this shameless!? I really don''t understand why Moxin would''ve thought that she was gentle and virtuous!" Ye Junqing was still outraged by what he saw. Yao Mowan''s heart abruptly tightened. That''s right, she had seriously been blind to have missed how treacherous and cunning Yao Suluan was. "This won''t do. This prince must report this to His Majesty!" dered Ye Junqing fiercely. Just as he was about to turn around, Yao Mowan spoke. "When did Prince be so loyal to His Majesty? You''re even fretting over his trifling family matters for him?" When Ye Junqing heard the ridicule in Yao Mowan''s tone, he immediately turned around to refute. "How is this a trifling matter? Ye Zixiao and Yao Suluan are having an affair! This is the crime of deceiving the monarch!" "What does their crimes have to do with Prince? And why should Prince travel this path of muddy water? Even if you inform His Majesty of this, His Majesty wouldn''t feel grateful to you in the least. Instead, people with ulterior motives will say that you''re harboring unfathomable motives and trying to ruin the rtionship between His Majesty and the luminescent prince in order to make aeback. Even me, who knows the whole truth, feels like Prince is just meddling too much in other people''s affairs," analyzed Yao Mowan concisely as she slowly continued walking. Ye Junqing took a moment to think about it, then felt that Yao Mowan was really right. "So you don''t n to expose them in front of His Majesty?" asked Ye Junqing. "Of course!" "Then why were you eavesdropping? This prince''s legs are still numb from that¡­" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan with slight annoyance. "There''s nothing to do, so of course I have to find some form of entertainment!" replied Yao Mowan. "Do you think that this prince would believe that? From what this prince knows about you, you''re the type that wouldn''t bother to get up and do anything even at the threat of death if there was no benefit to you. You couldn''t be trying to get some money out of this, right?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in sudden realization. Back then she had spent five hundred thousand taels of gold to buy Linxi. Five hundred thousand taels ah! Even the national treasure only has a few five hundred thousand taels! "That''s actually a pretty good idea. Why didn''t Mowan think of that? Prince sure is intelligent!" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing as she sighed this praise. "You''re ttering me. I''m nowhere as intelligent as you!" Although Yao Mowan''s expression was sincere, in Ye Junqing''s eyes, the word sincere seemed a million miles away from that face. That night, when Ye Zixiao appeared in Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was in the middle ofbing her hair. "Does it still hurt?" Ye Zixiao walked over to Yao Suluan''s side with soft steps and gently stroked her slightly swollen cheek. "I wouldn''t dare. How could the p that Prince bestowed possibly hurt?" replied Yao Suluan with a cold smile. "The situation wasplicated so that was all this prince could do. Isn''t this prince here to apologize now? Beauty, if you''re angry, just p this prince to vent your anger, alright?" Ye Zixiao''s appearance cause the trepidation in Yao Suluan''s heart to settle. His presence here showed that he still desired the throne. "Forget it, it was also Suluan''s fault for being too hasty. If it weren''t for the fact that Luminescent Princess was about to expose us in front of His Majesty, Suluan wouldn''t have had Ling Yun attack either. However, through this, at least Suluan finally understands that it''s Luminescent Princess that''s the most important in Prince''s heart. It''s fortunate that Suluan has never sought too much, otherwise Suluan would''ve been so disappointed." Yao Suluan restrained the vicious currents in her eyes and casually set down theb to get up and turn towards Ye Zixiao. "In this prince''s heart, it''s the throne that''s the most important. The woman that can help this prince obtain that throne is the woman that is most important to this prince." Ye Zixiao has never been stingy with his unrealistic sweet words that were like the reflection of the moon in theke. "Don''t worry, Beauty, this prince has already arranged everything. There''s just one thing this prince doesn''t understand. We''ve been very careful to keep this matter secret, so how did Zirou find out?" This was Ye Zixiao''s true motive ining here. He knew that Zirou only entered the pce a handful of times each month, so normally there was no way she''d find out his involvement with Yao Suluan. Someone had definitely told her about it. If they didn''t find the person behind this, it''d be hard for them to make any more moves. "Suluan had also been thinking about this after Prince left. Prince, do you still remember that Noble Lady Duan had visited Pure Flowers Pce a couple days ago?" Yao Suluan held Ye Zixiao''s hand and walked to the bed as she undid her waist belt. "I remember. You mean¡­ The problem lies with Duan Xiaoyan?" asked Ye Zixiao. "That''s right. When Duan Xiaoyan entered Pure Flowers Pce, she was wearing a distinctive fragrance. That perfume wasn''t made in the imperial pce, so it was probably a gift from the luminescent princess. That night when Prince visited Suluan, the fragrance must have stuck on you, which aroused Luminescent Princess''s suspicions. Now that I think about it, it was probably just a coincidence." Yao Suluan took off her garments and gently stroked Ye Zixiao''s cor. In reality, after Ye Zixiao left, Yao Suluan had sent people to investigate Yao Mowan''s movements after Ye Zixiao left yesterday and found out that Yao Mowan had visited Intoxicating Fragrance Residence that day, so she had no doubt that this was Yao Mowan''s doing. However, she didn''t tell Ye Zixiao about this because she was worried that Ye Zixiao would abandon her and choose to coborate with Yao Mowan instead if he found out that Yao Mowan wasn''t a fool. If that actually happened, it would be toote for regrets. Yao Suluan didn''t mind the fact that Yao Mowan knew about her involvement with Ye Zixiao. Right now, her most important task was to find someone to get rid of Duan Zirou! Meanwhile, Li Qingqing had barely ran off with Wu Zicheng for ten days before they were captured by Yao Zhenting. When Li Qingqing and Wu Zicheng returned to the imperial city, they found out that Wu Residence had been exterminated due to a groundless crime and all the members of Li Residence had been imprisoned by Yao Zhenting. Inside Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was currently discussing the matter of women and money with Ye Junqing. "In reality, if Prince has need for it, you really can visit Harmony Pleasure Quarters. Although it''s a little pricy, thedies are very beautiful. If Prince is in financial straits, Mowan can lend you some money. How''s ten thousand taels? Enough?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing in total earnest as she suggested this. "This prince has no need, and this prince doesn''t need money either!" Ye Junqing kept his head down and ate, refusing to look at Yao Mowan. He had already exined himself very clearly, why wasn''t it getting through to her!? Right at this time, Liu Xing walked in respectfully. "Reporting, Your Highness, news hase from the prime minister''s residence that the lord has already caught Li Qingqing and Wu Zicheng brought them back to the residence." "What about Boan?" Yao Mowan looked towards Liu Xing with her brows lifted. "By the time they were found, the child was already no longer with them," replied Liu Xing. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 54
Chapter 54: He''s Not Your Son At All "Good thing they''re not dumb! Ting Yue, help this consort make preparations. This consort''s taking a trip to Yao Residence!" Yao Mowan elegantly got up as cold light shed through her eyes. Just as she was about to leave Guan Osprey Pce, she seemed to recall something and walked back to Ye Junqing with a slight smile. "Prince doesn''t n to make this trip with Mowan?" "I don''t," replied Ye Junqing firmly. Most of the time, when Yao Mowan suggested something, it was never something good. This was something Ye Junqing had concluded from his experiences so far. "Then forget it. I guess Ben Lei''s going to be disappointed!" Yao Mowan shrugged and turned to leave, but Ye Junqing immediately got up. The carriage had already reached Prime Minister Yao''s residence, but Ye Junqing saw no trace of Ben Lei. "Didn''t you say that Ben Lei would be here?" Ye Junqing frowned as he looked towards Yao Mowan. "Mowan said that? Mowan didn''t though?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with an innocent expression. "You clearly said that Ben Lei would be disappointed if this prince didn''te!" Ye Junqing suddenly felt like he had been tricked. "Mowan had said that, but how did Princee to the conclusion that this meant Ben Lei would be here?" As Yao Mowan replied, she had already gotten off the carriage with Ting Yue''s help. Ye Junqing was speechless! The moment Yao Mowan stepped into the residence, she heard angry shoutinge from the main hall. "You wretch! This old man will ask onest time, where is Boan!? Where''s my Boan!" Yao Zhenting was swinging a whip madly with a sinister expression. His hand trembled as he clenched the handle of the whip and the end of the whip was dripping with dark red blood. "Father¡­" Yao Mowan looked timidly towards the ground at Wu Zicheng whose body was covered withsh marks. Inwardly, she felt a little pity. The most innocent party in this entire event was probably this teacher''s family. She hadn''t expected for Yao Zhenting to be this ruthless. It was probably due to the fact that Yao Zhenting was seriously furious, because he didn''t pay any attention to Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing''s arrival. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Li Qingqing and Wu Zicheng. At the side, Yao Tu first greeted them respectfully, then made to lead them away. However, when he saw that Yao Mowan had no intention of leaving, he could only carry over chairs for them. "Yao Zhenting¡­ you killed my family! I won''t let you see Boan again in this lifetime! Never! You''re destined to die without any sons to send you off! Cough cough¡­" Wu Zicheng wed at the ground as he spat these words out while coughing blood. His body was covered with bloody gashes, some so deep that bone was showing. "Li Qingqing! This old man''s asking you where Boan is!?" Yao Zhenting''s dark re shot towards Li Qingqing who was kneeling on the ground. "Qingqing begs you, Lord, please let off my parents¡­" Li Qingqing''s cheeks were swollen, but she paid no attention to the stinging pain and repeatedly knocked her head against the ground. She never thought that the benevolent looking Yao Zhenting would actually be this ruthless. Her body trembled involuntarily from fear. "As long as you give me Boan, I''ll forgive everything you''ve done in the past! I''ll still guarantee that your Li family can live worry-free for three lifetimes and you, Li Qingqing, will continue to be Prime Minister Yao''s residence''s female master!" Yao Zhenting tossed the whip aside and walked towards Li Qingqing. "Lord¡­ Could you¡­ could you please let Qingqing''s parents go first?" Li Qingqing gathered up her courage to beg. As of now, unless she could see that her parents were fine with her own eyes, she refused to reveal the child''s location even in the face of death. "Yao Tu! Send people right now to the imperial prison to bring them back here!" Yao Zhenting gave this instruction without hesitation. When Yao Tu heard this, he left the main hall respectfully. "Qingqing! You can''t tell him! Even if you tell him, this bastard won''t let you off! Qingqing!" Wu Zicheng used all his strength to try and reach for Li Qingqing, but before he could touch her, Yao Zhenting stomped hard on his hand. "Ah!" Wu Zicheng screamed in pain and his face twisted in agony. "Listen, if even the slightest thing happens to Boan, if he gets just a pound skinnier, I''ll make sure that you wish you were dead!" Yao Zhenting red at Wu Zicheng. Even though he had already whipped Wu Zicheng into a bloody mess, he still didn''t feel like it was enough. "Qingqing¡­ You can''t tell him¡­ Otherwise¡­ He''ll kill you¡­" Wu Zicheng endured the pain and forced out this warning. Yao Mowan''s heart turned cold as she took in Yao Zhenting''s bloodthirsty re. This was probably her sanctimonious father''s true face. He looked refined but in reality, he was a heartless twisted pervert. "You don''t n to stop this?" Ye Junqing couldn''t really bear to look on anymore. "You shouldn''t forget that I''m a fool. What could I possibly say? And you also saw his attitude. Even if you were the one that rushed up, he''d probably still swing the whip at you." Yao Mowan''s words weren''t exaggerated at all. After about fifteen minutes, Li Qingqing''s parents appeared in the main hall in ragged attires. Li Qingqing abruptly turned around and hugged them while crying. "Daughter ah! How can you be so foolish!? The prime minister treats you like a precious pearl, how could you do something so disgraceful!?" Mother Li hugged her daughter as she sobbed. "It''s all because of you, you seduced Qingqing! You implicated my entire family! You deserve to die! All the people in your Wu Residence deserved to die!" When Father Li saw Wu Zicheng, he immediately pushed the me for all the suffering they had to experience thesest few days onto Wu Zicheng and kicked him. "Li Qingqing, where is Boan?" Yao Zhenting spoke again, his tone cold as ice. "Lord¡­ Qingqing was wrong. It was a moment of muddled thinking, that was the only reason I believed this vile character''s flowery speech and left Prime Minister Yao''s residence. Lord, please forgive Qingqing¡­" In this moment, Li Qingqing finally understood that no matter who you offended in this world, you couldn''t offend people in authority. Originally, she thought that if she ran away with the money, she could live happily and freely. She hadn''t expected for Yao Zhenting to react so intensely. However, even if she regretted things now, there was nothing she could do. All she could beg for now was that he''d let her and her parents live. "Li Qingqing¡­" Wu Zicheng looked towards Li Qingqing in despair. Back then if Li Qingqing hadn''t seduced him, why would he ever abandon his job and his family to elope with her? But the result!? His parents were dead and his family was gone! And now, Li Qingqing had betrayed him! "This old man has said that as long as Boan is fine, your entire family will be fine! If anything happens to Boan, your entire family is to be buried with him!" Even though Li Qingqing was weeping pitifully, Yao Zhenting just looked towards her with cold indifference. "Lord, Qingqing will tell you. Qingqing will tell you everything. Boan, he''s¡­" Li Qingqing looked towards Yao Zhenting with hope. Just as she was about to talk, Wu Zicheng cut her off and spoke first. "Boan''s not even your child! He''s my son! Hahaha¡­ Yao Zhenting! The son you had treasured so much is my, Wu Zicheng''s son! You''ll never have a son in this life! Your fate is that of an eunuch''s! Haha!" Wu Zicheng''s words were a bolt from the blue. This shock was so much that Yao Zhenting copsed into his chair and was too stunned to react for a long while. "Wu Zicheng, how dare you nder people!? Lord! Boan is your son! He''s your son!" Li Qingqing''s face was ashen. She never imagined that Wu Zicheng would actually reveal this huge secret. Doing this was the same as pushing Boan into a pit of fire! How could he bear to do this? __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 55
Chapter 55: Why Didn''t I Think of That? "I''m ndering people? Li Qingqing, you know best what you did! Boan was born May eighth. If you count back, you became pregnant with Boan in the eleventh lunar month! Yao Zhenting, what were you doingst lunar month? Haha¡­ Boan ah, Father can''t bear to part with you¡­ But Father can''t allow you to acknowledge the enemy as your father! Don''t worry, Father will wait for you down below at the nine springs¡­ I won''t let you be lonely¡­" Wu Zichengughed mournfully, thenmitted suicide by biting off his own tongue. As Yao Mowan watched Wu Zicheng take hisst breath, a trace of darkness shed through her eyes. Zhong er, are you lonely down there¡­ "No¡­ Lord¡­ Wu Zicheng''s lying! Boan looks so much like you, how could he possibly be someone else''s son!?" Li Qingqing crawled over to Yao Zhenting and hugged his legs fearfully. "Why didn''t I think of that¡­ Why didn''t I think of that!? Servants, drag this wretch out and beat her to death! Beat her to death!" Yao Zhenting abruptly get up and kicked Li Qingqing aside. His eyes were so bloodshot they looked about to split. As he pointed at Li Qingqing, his hand trembled uncontrobly. "Lord, Qingqing''s wrongly used! Boan really is your son! He really is! Last eleventh month¡­ Last eleventh month we did have intercourse!" shouted Li Qingqing even as she coughed blood. "Last eleventh month, you said yourself that the eleventh month is right before the new years and offending the God of the year would make it difficult to gain a son. This old man was worried about injuring your damned body and drank inhibiting medicine every time! Even if we had intercourse, it wasn''t possible to have a child! You bitch!" bellowed Yao Zhenting, his eyes sinisterly red. Yao Mowan seemed to see tears in Yao Zhenting''s eyes. But that''s to be expected, after all, he had celebrated for nothing yet again. "No¡­ Lord¡­ Lord! Qingqing can give birth to another one! Qingqing can give birth to a son for you, Lord! Lord! Please spare Qingqing¡­" Li Qingqing kneeled fearfully on the ground as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Alright! As long as you tell me where Boan¡­ Where that bastard child is, this old man will spare your life!" Yao Zhenting walked to Li Qingqing with Yao Tu''s help. Destructive desire filled his dark eyes. "Lord¡­" Li Qingqing looked towards Yao Zhenting fearfully. Inside, she was struggling over the decision. "Qingqing! Hurry and tell him! Tell the prime minister where that bastard child is!" Father Li crawled to Li Qingqing''s side like a dog and urged her loudly. "Qingqing, just tell him. You''re still young¡­ You can still give birth to another one¡­" implored Mother Li while sobbing. "Lord¡­ Wu Zicheng was the one that hid the child. Qingqing doesn''t know where he is¡­" No matter how selfish she was, she couldn''t bring herself to send her own child into the gates of hell. Li Qingqing knew that if Yao Zhenting found out where Boan was, Boan would definitely die a tragic death. "Alright! Drag these three out and beat them to death!" bellowed Yao Zhenting. Servants immediately came in to start dragging Li Qingqing and her parents out of the hall. "Lord! Please have mercy! Qingqing knows she was wrong!" Li Qingqing begged desperately for her life, but she still didn''t reveal Boan''s whereabouts. Yao Mowan inwardly sighed in relief since Li Qingqing had given her a reason to help. If Li Qingqing had revealed Boan''s whereabouts just to save herself, she would''ve ended up sealing her own fate. When Ye Junqing heard Yao Mowan''s quiet instructions to Liu Xing, his expression finally rxed slightly. "Lord, Yao Tu will help you back to your room to rest?" suggested Yao Tu worriedly when he saw how Yao Zhenting was still trembling incessantly. "Steward Yao, let Wan er do that! You should stay here and attend to Ye Junqing." Yao Mowan took advantage of this chance to get up. Before walking over, she shot Ye Junqing a meaningful look. "You have to wait for me, otherwise I''ll be disappointed." After saying this, she walked over to Yao Zhenting and supported him out of the main hall. Ye Junqing was still bewildered even after Yao Mowan had left. How did she know that he had been nning to leave? Was he that easy to read!? "Prince, please wait for a while. This old servant will immediately instruct a servant to bring tea." Yao Tu walked over to Ye Junqing''s side and bowed respectfully. "There''s no need¡­" Ye Junqing subconsciously got up to leave, but then he recalled the words Yao Mowan spoke and reflexively sat down again. Outside the room, Yao Mowan told Ting Yue to guard the doors before helping Yao Zhenting into his bedroom. "That damned Li Qingqing! Even killing her isn''t enough to vent this anger! Cough cough¡­" Yao Zhenting had been muttering simr words this entire time and he continued to curse even in his room. "Father, don''t let the anger ruin your health." Yao Mowan helped Yao Zhenting to the bed, then walked to the table to pour a cup of tea with a faint cold smile. "How can I not be angry! First it was Su Muzi, and now it''s Li Qingqing! These two wretches actually dared to do such improper things behind this old man''s back! And the most hateful part of it was that they actually gave this old man hope! A son! But both of them turned out to be wretches! How preposterous! This old man must find that bastard child and hack him to death!" Yao Zhenting didn''t ept the tea Yao Mowan offered and continued to bellow angrily. "Hm, then of all the women you''ve had, Mowan''s mother was the only one who hasn''t betrayed you before. Even Dou Xiann had fooled around with an entertainer before." Yao Mowan leisurely sat down on the chair by the bed while rubbing the rim of the cup. It was high grade snow porcin. Since it was polished perfectly smooth, it had a very nice feel. "Mo Li¡­ It''s a pity Mo Li didn''t give birth to a son, otherwise¡­" Yao Zhenting was in the middle ofining when his dark gaze suddenly shot towards Yao Mowan in shock. "Otherwise you wouldn''t have allowed Dou Xiann to bully Mother and poison Mother''s food, right?" Yao Mowan''s expression remained as calm as a stillke. The slight hook of her lips made it hard for Yao Zhenting to believe his own eyes. He couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "What? Did Mowan say something wrong? Actually, Mowan has never understood this. Even if Mother hadn''t given birth to a son, she had at least given birth to an empress. Yao Suluan was nothing but a noble consort, so normally shouldn''t Father be afraid of Mother rather than Dou Xiann? Father''s way of dealing with things sure isn''t something that normal people can understand," said Yao Mowan as she took a sip of the tea. "Mowan¡­ You¡­ You''re not a fool anymore? How''s this possible!?" Yao Zhenting''s eyes widened in astonishment. "This is possible, but Father''s hope for a son is definitely impossible." Yao Mowan''s cold nce felt like des to Yao Zhenting. "Why?" demanded Yao Zhenting indignantly. "Does Father still remember that pot of Daughter''s Red Mowan had brought back from the pce?" asked Yao Mowan lightly with a bright smile. "I remember. What about it?" Yao Zhenting soon got over the shock and looked towards Yao Mowan coldly again. "While drinking it, did Father notice that aside from the mellow fragrance of the wine, there was also an astringent taste? It was very faint, but if you had sampled it carefully, you should''ve noticed it." Yao Mowan used the lid of the cup to gently push aside the delicate leaves in the cup. "What exactly are you trying to say?" Yao Zhenting looked towards Yao Mowan in rm. Even though he was seeing this with his own eyes, he still couldn''t bring himself to ept that the foolish daughter that only knew how tough and cry from back then now had such a deep, unreadable air. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 56
Chapter 56: I Want Him to Feel Hatred "What Mowan wants to say is that it contained the ''rootless water'' that Mowan had specially prepared for Father." Yao Mowan lifted her head and looked straight at him. "Rootless water? What is that?" Yao Zhenting''s brows furrowed tightly as a chill filled his heart. "As the prime minister of a nation, it probably shouldn''t be hard for Father to figure out what it is when its name is this obvious, right? The emphasis of ''rootless water'' is on the word rootless. Having drunk it, Father¡­ Give up on sons, you wouldn''t even be able to have another daughter." Yao Mowan looked over at him with soft pitying sigh. "W¡­ What did you say!?" Yao Zhenting was taken aback, then he got up and red at Yao Mowan. "Wu Zicheng has already said the things that Mowan had wanted to say. Father''s fate is that of a eunuch''s. You''ll never have any sons to send you off!" Yao Mowan''s voice was light and her eyes werepletely cold. "Why? I''m your father!?" bellowed Yao Zhenting. "That''s right, you are Mowan''s father. This is the one disgrace Mowan will never be able to get away from in this lifetime." Yao Mowan slowly got up and walked to the table to ce the tea cup down before heading back to sit down in front of Yao Zhenting. "Who exactly are you? Who exactly are you!?" For the first time, facing this daughter he had never bothered to even look at, Yao Zhenting felt fear, and even dread. "The third daughter of the prime minister''s residence, Father''s youngest daughter ah. Has Father forgotten?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked at Yao Zhenting. She found the rm and rapidly changing expressions on his face funny. She had never known that her father had so many expressions. "No¡­ You''re a beast! You beast! How could you use that kind of drug on me!? You''ve made me lose my descendants, I''ll make you pay for that with your life!" Yao Zhenting finally snapped out of the shock, then charged towards Yao Mowan crazedly. Just as Yao Zhenting''s hand was about to reach Yao Mowan''s snow-white neck, she abruptly got up. Her cold indifferent gaze was like that of a wild wolf''s. The abrupt oppressive aura she gave off forced Yao Zhenting to stop in his tracks. "You dare!? Mowan is currently His Majesty''s most treasured woman. If you dare to touch even just a strand of my hair, I can have the entire Yao Residence be destroyed!" The current Yao Mowan was an existence that seemed like the king of hell. The dark cold aura she emitted caused the room''s temperature to plunge. "You''re ruthless!" snarled Yao Zhenting, but he didn''t dare to continue approaching. "No matter how ruthless Mowan is, Mowan still can''tpare to you, Father! You watched with your eyes as Mother was poisoned to death by Dou Xiann. Not only did you indulge her in this, you even threw Mother''s corpse into Disorder Burial Mound! In that moment, did you ever consider the fact that Mother has served you for several dozen years withoutint and had given birth to a pair of daughters for you? And that one had even been the empress!?" Yao Mowan''s voice reverberated like a knell in Yao Zhenting''s ears. The voice shocked him so much he felt like his heart was about to be crushed. "So what if she was empress? Yao Moxin didn''t even bring this old man as many benefits as Yao Suluan! That wretch only cared about His Majesty! She never considered this old man''s situation!" Yao Zhenting met Yao Mowan''s pained re with equal viciousness as he refuted. Yao Mowan''s heart seemed to plunge into icy water. So this was why Father had been so cold and indifferent towards Mother. Hatred and regret seemed to explode in her heart. The past her really did deserve to be hacked to pieces! "So Father found Eldest Sister''s death to be a blessing?" Yao Mowan restrained the emotions in her heart and looked towards Yao Zhenting coldly. "It was a great blessing! Yao Suluan could only be empress once she died! The Heavens were clearly merciful since it turned out that wretch had an affair with another man and gave birth to a bastard child! She deserved to die!" shouted Yao Zhenting as if he had a hatred built on blood with the person he was cursing. "Yes, Father''s right. The Heavens truly are merciful. Although Eldest Sister died, Yao Suluan still didn''t manage to be empress as she had hoped and it was actually Mowan that happened to be the most favored Noble Consort. Father, you probably never would''ve imagined this would happen, right?" Yao Mowan abruptly set aside her fury and looked toward Yao Zhenting with indifference. "How long have you been feigning foolishness?" Yao Zhenting looked towards Yao Mowan equally coldly. "Since the moment Mother had died. Mowan was outside the door of Bright Virtuous Pavilion. At that time, Mowan vowed that one day, Mowan would make everyone that humiliated Mother pay the price!" Yao Mowan''s lips hooked in a cold arc. "Since that early¡­ Then¡­ Then you were behind everything that happened after that? All of that was due to your schemes?" Yao Zhenting suddenly felt a chill and his hair rose on end. "Dou Xiann had also asked this question right before she died. That''s right. Ever since Mowan came back from Harmony Pleasure Quarters, everything that happened was Mowan''s doing. Nurse Gao''s death, Dou Xiann''s death, pushing Huan Caier into the water to make Huan Heng your enemy, Yao Suluan falling down from the position of Imperial Noble Consort step by step¡­" "Oh, and Su Muzi and Ming Yu are probably somewhere very far away and very grateful to this consort. As for Boan, even if Li Qingqing told you where he was hidden, you still wouldn''t be able to find him, because Mowan had already arranged him to be somewhere safe. He''ll be able to reunite with his mother very soon!" Yao Mowan took in Yao Zhenting''s twisted expression happily. She felt like she had finally vented some of her hatred. She really wished that her mother could be here to see how ugly Yao Zhenting currently was! "That''s not possible! I already had people beat Li Qingqing to death!" Yao Zhenting staggered back in shock, his expression flustered. "Did Father personally do it? Did you personally witness it?" Yao Mowan''s lips hook in a smile. That smile was like a small flower blooming in the wild grasnds, wlessly beautiful. However, in Yao Zhenting''s eyes, it was even more sinister than the grin of a demon. When Yao Zhenting heard what she said, he staggered as he ran towards the torture room. "Your Highness¡­ Are you alright?" Ting Yue''s eyes were glistening with tears as she looked towards her master with heartache. For some things, only people who had first-hand experience would be able to understand. Even though she was heartbroken about Second Madame''s death, it couldn''t be ced on the same level as Master. Master had endured everything silently despite seeing her mother killed with her own eyes. How much pain must she have been in! "Do you know why this consort told him the truth?" Yao Mowan''s eyes were like the starless night sky, cold and empty. "This servant doesn''t understand." Ting Yue followed behind Yao Mowan and shook her head. "Because this consort wants him to feel hatred. this consort wants him to live while feeling hatred. It''s a sort of torment to watch the person you hate thrive and grow more powerful than you. This consort wants him to pay the greatest price for everything that he had done!" Yao Mowan smiled coldly. After being reborn, the only thing she wanted to do was to make sure she did right unto herself! When she saw Ye Junqing walk out of the main hall, her smile softened slightly. Fortunately, he was still here to apany her. "Are you alright? This prince just saw the prime minister run in the southwest direction. He looked a little strange." Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly and only rxed once he confirmed that she looked fine. "He''s fine right now, but I can''t guarantee aboutter." Yao Mowan leisurely continued walking. This was her true motive behind bringing Ye Junqing. If Yao Zhenting really did decide to attack her, she needed someone to protect her. Just because she revealed herself in front of Yao Zhenting didn''t mean that she wanted to let everyone know about her right now. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 57
Chapter 57: This Time, It Was Her Complete Victory "What do you mean?" Even as Ye Junqing asked this question, Yao Mowan was already starting to walk towards the torture room. Before she even entered, she could already hear Yao Zhenting''s bellowing. "Where is Li Qingqing!? I asked a question! Speak!" As Yao Zhenting looked at the empty torture chamber, his veins bulged like they were about to explode. "Re¡­ Replying Master¡­ It was Consort Yao''s servant, Liu Xing, that took them away. It has nothing to do with us!" The men responsible for carrying out the sentence were currently kneeling on the ground fearfully. "This is Prime Minister Yao''s residence, what right does she have!? Servants, drag them down and hit them each fifty times!" Yao Zhenting''s anger attacked his heart so he lost his bnce. It was only because Yao Tu was supporting him that he didn''t fall. "Father¡­ Wan er just didn''t want Boan to lose his mother. Wan er knows what it''s like to not have a mother¡­ Father, don''t be angry. It''s all Wan er''s fault¡­" At this time, Yao Mowan walked to Yao Zhenting with a timid pout and reached to grab his sleeve while looking up at him tearfully. "Scram! You wretch! I''m going to kill you!" When Yao Zhenting saw Yao Mowan''s feigned pitiful look, it snapped hisst straw and he grabbed a nearby whip to swing it towards Yao Mowan. Just as the whip was about to hit Yao Mowan, Ye Junqing rushed up to pull her protectively into his chest while catching the whip with his other hand. "Prime Minister, please conduct yourself properly! No matter what, Consort Yao is currently a noble consort of the pce and ranks above you. Can Prime Minister bear the consequences of actually hitting Consort Yao!?" Ye Junqing''s brows were furrowed sternly and his voice was cold. "Stop that¡­ If Father will feel better after hitting Wan er, Wan er''s willing to let Father hit Wan er¡­ But Wan er really feels that Boan is really pitiful. Even if he''s not Wan er''s actual younger brother and isn''t Father''s child, Father had treasured him for so long¡­ Father, just let him off, alright? If Father wants a son, you can just take another concubine!" Yao Mowan''s words cut Yao Zhenting''s heart like a knife and made him want to just go insane! Not only had he been cheated on, he had helped raise someone else''s son, and it wasn''t even just once! After finding about the incident with the ''rootless water,'' Yao Zhenting''s greatest desire right now was to just choke Yao Mowan to death. "Yao Mowan! Shut up! You malicious woman! You snake in human skin! I''m going to kill you! To relieve this hatred! Servants, tie Yao Mowan up!" Yao Zhenting had already lost all rationality and was bellowing in a crazed manner. In this moment, Ye Junqing finally understood what Yao Mowan meant. From the looks of things now, not only was something happening, it was something big. The servants of the residence looked at each other before turning simultaneously to look towards Yao Tu. "Master, you can''t do this! Consort Yao is your daughter, but even more than that, she''s a noble consort of great Chu. Doing this would be offending a superior! It''s a huge crime!" Yao Tu never imagined that things would turn out like this. "Pei! She''s a bastard child! Just like Yao Moxin, she''s a bastard! Listen up, if you still don''t move, I''ll have all of you ughtered right now!" Yao Zhenting''s words touched Ye Junqing''s greatest taboo. As the servants rushed up all at once, Ye Junqing''s figure moved and in a sh, all the servants had fallen to the ground, groaning in pain. Yao Mowan was the only one still perfectly uninjured as she leaned against Ye Junqing''s chest. "Yao Zhenting, if you weren''t Moxin''s biological father, this prince would''ve taken your life already! Regardless of if it''s Moxin or Mowan, neither of them are existences that you can be impudent towards! This prince will report this incident as it happened to His Majesty. His Majesty will handle your crime of offending a superior!" Ye Junqing''s clear voice contained bone-piercing chill. Each word rung like bells and his sharp gaze caused Yao Zhenting''s heart to chill. "How can you be so fierce towards Father!?" Yao Mowan pushed Ye Junqing aside in a cross manner, then walked towards Yao Zhenting. When she reached him, she leaned over slightly and spoke at a volume which only the two of them could hear. "You should give up on trying to find Li Qingqing and Boan. Mowan has yet to fail in saving someone." "I won''t let you off!" Yao Zhenting gritted his teeth as he red Yao Mowan. He looked as if he wanted to burn Yao Mowan alive. "Nor will I." After saying this, Yao Mowan''s voice suddenly got louder. "Father, don''t be angry. Even if you don''t have a son, at least you have Wan er, this daughter!" Yao Mowan weeped as she turned around to head back to Ye Junqing''s side. Even after they left Prime Minister Yao''s residence, the tears at the corners of Yao Mowan''s eyes still hadn''t dried. In the carriage, Ye Junqing hesitated a long time while staring at Yao Mowan''s tearstained face before finally speaking. "If it was only about what happened with Li Qingqing, there''s no way Yao Zhenting would be driven so crazy by whatever it was that you said. What exactly happened? This prince doesn''t understand, you hate Yao Zhenting? Why would he mention Moxin?" Ye Junqing''s eyes were filled with confusion. He was always especially concerned about matters rted to Yao Moxin. "Why should Mowan tell you?" said Yao Mowan indignantly as she wiped away her tears. Although she had to suffer some tears, she had been able to anger Yao Zhenting half to death. This time it was herplete victory. "Because you''ve just used Junqing, so you give somepensation, right?" replied Ye Junqing calmly. After they left Prime Minister Yao''s residence, he finally understood why Yao Mowan insisted on tricking him here. "Yao Zhenting indulged Dou Xiann in poisoning Mowan''s mother to death and even ordered for Mother''s corpse to be thrown into Disorder Burial Mound. Prince, do you find this reason satisfactory?" Yao Mowan didn''t bother to hide these facts from Ye Junqing and answered straightforwardly. "That beast in human skin! I should''ve killed him just now!" Ye Junqing suddenly felt a little regretful and even had the impulse to jump off the carriage to head back. "It''d be boring if he died." When Yao Mowan saw the indignance in Ye Junqing''s eyes, she couldn''t help butugh. This was probably the so-called love the house and its crow. "He knows that you''re not a fool now?" When Ye Junqing saw the strange light that shed through Yao Mowan''s eyes, the indignance in his heart gradually subsided. How could he have forgotten? People that ended up catching Yao Mowan''s attention all ended up with a fate worse than death. "It''s only interesting if he knows." Yao Mowanughed softly. She had to take some time to think about how to stage the following events. "Aren''t you worried that he''ll expose the fact that you''re not a fool to His Majesty?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "Oh, he''ll enter the pce, but he won''t be looking for His Majesty." Yao Mowan leanednguidly on the back of the carriage and lifted the side curtain. She nced outside, then gradually closed her eyes. Ye Junqing could see the faint exhaustion on her face, so he didn''t disturb her. If she hadn''t said this, he never would''ve known that she carried such hatred. This was probably why she had targeted Yao Suluan so much. Now that he thought about it, he had been wrong for criticizing her back then. Things happened as Yao Mowan had predicted. When Ye Hongyi found out what happened in Prime Minister Yao''s residence, he gave a decree to deduct a year''s worth of Yao Zhenting''s sry. The next day, Yao Zhenting appeared in the main hall of Pure Flowers Pce. "It''s the prime minister? What a rare guest. Ming Yu, prepare tea." Yao Suluan was sittingnguidly on the chaise lounge and holding a cup of freshly brew pu''er as she said this mockingly. Regardless of whether it was Guan Osprey Pce or Prime Minister Yao''s residence, she kept an eye on every little thing that happened. Since an incident that big had urred with Li Qingqing, there was no way Yao Suluan would be unaware of it. When she got news that Father had wanted to kill Yao Mowan, she knew that Father had found out about Yao Mowan''s true face. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 58
Chapter 58: You Want to Revolt!? "Suluan ah, it''s been a while since Father has seen you. Have you been well?" Yao Zhenting noticed the contempt in Yao Suluan''s tone, but he didn''t get angry. He knew that he wasn''t a match for Yao Mowan with how strong her schemes were. In addition, His Majesty had fully believed Yao Mowan''s side and didn''t even give him a chance to exin himself before deducting his sry. It was clear from this that Yao Mowan had already captured His Majesty''s heart. If he wanted to topple Yao Mowan in this situation, he had to have Yao Suluan''s support. "Father? If this consort didn''t remember wrong, Prime Minister seemed to have said that you only had one daughter, which is Yao Mowan from Guan Osprey Pce. Prime Minister couldn''t be lost, right? Ming Yu, lead the prime minister to Guan Osprey Pce." Yao Suluan was furious with Yao Zhenting''s heartlessness. Towards her, towards her mother, Yao Zhenting waspletely heartless. "Suluan, Father was wrong to me you back then. It was only because Father never imagined that Yao Mowan was concealing such a treacherous face! Father finally understands now. You''re the only one that''s Father''s true good daughter!" Yao Suluan could not recall a time when Yao Zhenting had ever humbly admitted his mistake like this. It seemed that Yao Mowan had truly injured him severely. "Forget it. We''re family after all, Suluan doesn''t want to continue holding this against you. Father, please have a seat." Yao Zhenting''s heart leapt in joy when he heard this and he quickly sat down next to the table. At this time, Ming Yu went over to offer him the freshly brewed tea. "Ming Yu, head outside to guard the doors." Yao Suluan had Ming Yu leave, then turned to look towards Yao Zhenting. "Alright, so Father, why have youe to look for Suluan this time?" Yao Suluan feigned ignorance despite being clear on the situation. "I''ve has decided to do everything I can to help you snatch imperial favor back from Yao Mowan!" Yao Zhenting thought that his words would make Yao Suluan''s eyes light up, but unexpectedly, she responded with a snort. "What a shame. Father, had you said this one month earlier, Suluan definitely would''ve been extremely touched. However, now, the one thing Suluan views as useless is imperial favor." Yao Suluan slowly walked over to sit down in front of Yao Zhenting. "Suluan, could it be that you''re willing to resign yourself to being treated this coldly? You''re willing to ept Yao Mowan trampling over you like this for the rest of your life?" Yao Zhenting was stunned by Yao Suluan''s reaction and also very confused. "Of course there''s no way that this consort would just sit and wait for death. Actually, this consort already has a n. Does Father have any interest in hearing about it?" Yao Suluan lifted her brows as she looked towards Yao Zhenting. Just because she was willing to ept Yao Zhenting''s peace offer didn''t mean that she could forget about the humiliation she had suffered in the past. It was only because shecked manpower right now that she had even allowed Yao Zhenting to step into Pure Flowers Pce. "What n?" asked Yao Zhenting as he scrutinized her. "Thanks to Yao Mowan, this consort''s rtionship with His Majesty has gotten to the point that it''s beyond salvaging. Even if this consort knelt in front of His Majesty and licked his toe, His Majesty still wouldn''t bother to even nce at this consort. This consort has nowhere left to go, but fortunately at my darkest hour, there appeared a glimmer of hope. The luminescent prince has recently visited this consort." Yao Suluan briefly stated her current situation with a slightly probing tone. "The luminescent prince? Why was the luminescent prince looking for you?" Yao Zhenting''s brows furrowed as a trace of worry shed through his eyes. From what he knew of the luminescent prince, that person wasn''t an easy person to deal with. "With how intelligent Father is, does this consort really need to exin?" Yao Suluan lifted a teacup and took a light sip as she waited for Yao Zhenting''s reaction. "The luminescent prince wishes to revolt and you want to help him?" Yao Zhenting naturally had outstanding skill at analyzing situations since he had been able to be prime minister. "What does Father think about it?" Yao Suluan put down her cup and looked towards him seriously. "Suluan, you must be muddled! Revolting is a great crime punishable by the extermination of all nine extended ns! No matter what, you can''t be rash!" Yao Zhenting looked towards Yao Suluan in astonishment. He felt like all the strength had left his body. He didn''t dare to imagine the consequences of His Majesty finding out about this. "If we fail, then yes, it''ll be a crime punishable by the extermination of all nine extended ns, but what if we seed!? Then we''ll be ministers that have contributed outstanding service to the new dynasty! As of now, this consort''s just waiting in Pure Flowers Pce for death. Rather than that, it''d be better to take the initiative and attack!" Yao Suluan narrowed her eyes slightly as she replied in a cold tone. "Then that means you''ve already agreed to help the luminescent prince?" Yao Zhenting sighed. Originally he thought that Yao Suluan was the easiest one to control out of his three daughters. The other two had always been strange ones. He understood very well that if it weren''t for Yao Moxin, Ye Hongyi probably wouldn''t have been able to be emperor. As for Yao Mowan, her schemes were so deep that even he was unable to see through them. However, the daughter he had always felt to be easiest to control had now gone crazy as well. "That''s right. This consort has already agreed. Right now Father has two options. One is to leave Pure Flowers Pce and head straight to the imperial study to report this to His Majesty. The other is to support the luminescent prince with this consort. When Luminescent Prince seeds, he''ll allow you to remain in your respectable post." The reason why Yao Suluanid out the cards so inly was because she was certain that Yao Zhenting wouldn''t reject this offer. "Oh well. As of now, His Majesty ispletely captivated by Yao Mowan, that wretch, so the future truly does not bode well. It''s just that the luminescent prince has always been a very crafty person. Are you certain that he won''t burn the crossed bridges once he obtains the throne?" Yao Zhenting looked towards Yao Suluan doubtfully. If it weren''t for the fact that Ye Hongyi had punished him without even bothering to hear his side of things, he definitely wouldn''t have agreed to Yao Suluan''s proposal. However, it was just a pity that there was no turning back from this once it was started. Even if he regretted thister, it was already toote. "I can''t be certain about the future either, but I have no choice but to make this gamble. In addition, one shapes their own fates. As long as we deal with things well, Ye Zixiao wouldn''t have any reason to kill us. Actually, Father hade just in time. There''s one matter that has been bothering this consort quite a lot. This consort hopes that Father can help with this." Yao Suluan inwardly sighed in relief when she saw that Yao Zhenting had epted this proposal, then spoke to test him. "What is it?" Yao Zhenting never imagined that after one trip to Pure Flowers Pce, he somehow ended up as a traitor. Life was truly unpredictable. He didn''t understand how he had ended up at this point. "This consort hopes that Father can send assassins to deal with Luminescent Princess, Duan Zirou!" Cold light shed in Yao Suluan''s eyes as she said this in a low voice. "You just said that you were going to help the luminescent prince revolt, but now you want to kill the luminescent princess?" Yao Zhenting looked towards Yao Suluan in disbelief. "It''s precisely because this consort wants to help the luminescent prince that Duan Zirou must die. When Ye Zixiao ascends to the throne, the throne of empress can only fall to this consort!" Yao Suluan smiled. As long as Duan Zirou died, she was confident that she could capture Ye Zixiao''s heart. "Are you certain that Ye Zixiao wouldn''t be hostile towards you after you kill the luminescent princess? This old man heard that they care deeply for each other." Yao Zhenting felt that this decision was way too immature. "Father just needs to do it. This consort will naturally arrange for everything after." Yao Suluan wasn''t really confident that Ye Zixiao wouldn''t be hostile towards her, but if she allowed Duan Zirou to live, everything she did would end up being a gift for someone else. So no matter what, things were better for her if Duan Zirou was dead. This was a huge choice between helping the luminescent prince obtain the throne and exposing the luminescent prince''s intentions to revolt, so Yao Zhenting thought about this for a very long time after he returned to his residence. However, he still couldn''te to a decision, so he didn''t start arranging to assassinate Duan Zirou for a long time either. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was gently stroking Fluffy. Next to her, Jewel was helping lick the fur above Fluffy''s head. Yao Mowan found this disy of filial piety inexplicably touching. The cow licking its calf fondly clearly didn''t suit people like Ye Hongyi and Yao Zhenting, was what Yao Mowan was thinking. "Master, Yao Zhenting hasn''t done anything thesest few days. Could it be that he''s already abandoned Yao Suluan''s proposal?" Yin Xue had hidden in the prime minister''s residence and had been observing all of Yao Zhenting''s movements thesest few days. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 59
Chapter 59: No Harm in Giving Him a Push "If he had decided against it, would Pure Flowers Pce and the luminescent prince''s residence still be so peaceful? He''s wavering. From what this consort knows about him, he''ll definitely find it very hard to take this step since he''s currently the prime minister. He''s currently below one person, but above thousands. There was no need for him to revolt at all. If it weren''t for the fact that Mowan had provoked him a littlest time, he wouldn''t even remember that he had a daughter named Yao Suluan, much less step into Pure Flowers Pce," said Yao Mowan lightly. Yin Xue didn''t agree. That little bit of provocation had nearly taken Yao Zhenting''s life, if she had provoked him hard¡­ "Then Master, what do you n to do?" asked Yin Xue. "Since Yao Zhenting can''t bear to take this step, this consort will just give him another push." Yao Mowan smiled. The reason why she had chosen to reveal her face to Yao Zhenting that day was due to two reasons. One, it''d give Yao Zhenting an even harder blow after what happened with Li Qingqing and two, Yao Suluan was currentlycking manpower. If Yao Zhenting looked for her, she would definitely drag him into this! Yao Mowan knew better than anyone that there were only two things Yao Zhenting cared about, which were male heirs and influence. As of now, she had already shattered his dream of having a son, so next, she''d make it so that he truly had nothing left. In Soul Sand Garden, Yao Mowan leaned into Ye Hongyi''s arms listlessly, her face a little pale. "Wan er, what are you thinking about?" asked Ye Hongyi worriedly with heartache written on his face as he stroked Yao Mowan''s face. "Your Majesty¡­ Wan er heard that you punished Father?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Hongyi timidly, her eyes glimmering. "Silly girl! If Junqing hadn''t told us, we wouldn''t have even known how much you had suffered at the prime minister''s residence!" Just the thought that the woman he loved had almost been whipped by someone made his heart fill with hatred. "Wan er shouldn''t have let di mother go, but Wan er really didn''t want di mother''s family to be beaten to death. Di mother still has to look after my little brother¡­" Yao Mowan''s tears started spilling down. "No, our Wan er''s right but even if Wan er was wrong, it still isn''t Yao Zhenting''s ce to lecture you. As of now, you''re a noble consort. You''re his master, but he actually dared to scold you and hit you without restraint! It wouldn''t be excessive even if we had him killed for this crime!" said Ye Hongyi angrily. "Your Majesty¡­ Don''t be angry with Father anymore, alright?" asked Yao Mowan as she tugged at Ye Hongyi''s sleeve. "Alright. We''ll always listen to what Wan er says!" Ye Hongyi hugged Yao Mowan indulgently, then started walking towards the soul sand tree that represented him. To his astonishment, this soul sand tree which had always flourished looked about to wither. As wind arose, the pink petals were swept off the branches and fell to the ground. Every petal that fell caused Ye Hongyi''s heart to ache. "What''s going on?" Yao Mowan walked out of Ye Hongyi''s arms and looked towards the soul sand tree in confusion. "We visited just yesterday and it hadn''t seemed to be withering so severely at that time?" Ye Hongyi''s expression was grim and dark light flickered in his eyes. "Wan er remembers that Eldest Sister had said that all the soul sand trees in this Soul Sand Garden must following a pattern of waning and waxing. If this tree''s withering, then there''s definitely a tree that''s starting to flourish. Let Wan er take a look¡­ Your Majesty! Look, that tree looks like it''s growing much better than before!" Yao Mowan looked around, then her gazended on a soul sand tree in the southeast corner. Ye Hongyi followed Yao Mowan''s gaze and looked over. His eyes darkened until they looked like ink. Could it be that someone in court harbored desire to revolt again? "If Wan er didn''t remember it wrong, that tree corresponds to the Minister Star. The Minister Star must be growing in strength, which is why the tree''s flourishing," said Yao Mowan earnestly, her eyes pure as water. Yao Zhenting? Ye Hongyi''s eyes narrowed slightly. It should''ve urred to him from the start that it was the old man. He had seriously been getting more and more unbridledtely. Not only had he missed court sessions for no reason, he even had the nerve to try and whip his woman! Yao Zhenting must be brooding about being punished, but what a shame. Yao Zhenting probably never imagined that his daughter had left something that would expose all his intentions. Since you were the one that had started this, you shouldn''t me us for not being just. Yao Mowan saw that Ye Hongyi had sank deep into thought and knew that her method had worked. She inwardly sighed in relief and her smile deepened meaningfully. Just as expected, the day after that visit to Soul Sand Garden, Ye Hongyi, using groundless excuses, transferred several important matters that Yao Zhenting should''ve been responsible for to Huan Heng. Ye Hongyi''s decision caused Yao Zhenting to give up on struggling and make the decision to work with Yao Suluan and help the luminescent prince, Ye Zixiao, ascend to the throne. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yin Xue was standing respectfully next to Yao Mowan. "Reporting, Master. This subordinate discovered that Yao Zhenting has already hired twenty assassins and n to kill Duan Zirou as she heads to Thousand Buddha Temple to pray for blessings." "After he takes this step, he''ll never be able to turn back. Yin Xue,e here." Yao Mowan called Yin Xue over and gave her several instructions before having her withdraw. After Yin Xue left, Yao Mowan was about to head to her bedroom to rest when she saw Ye Junqing storm in angrily. "Who upset Prince again so early in the morning?" Yao Mowan stopped walking and went back to sit down on the chaise lounge. "Chu Moxin!" Yao Mowan was about to reach out for Fluffy again, but when she heard this name, her hand froze in midair. A trace of shock shed through her eyes and her lips subconsciously twitched. Why was it that kid!? She suddenly felt a severe headache. "Your Majesty just summoned this prince. He said that Shu would be sending an envoy to great Chu in ten days and he told this prince to handle the reception. And the envoy is Shu''s Austere Prince, Chu Moxin." Ye Junqing rubbed his forehead as he said this in an irritated tone. "This really is bad news. That''s a renown little devil ah! Mowan seriously doesn''t understand why Chu Mobei would suddenly let his younger brothere to great Chu?" Yao Mowan frowned slightly as she muttered this. No wonder Ye Junqing was so annoyed. If it was said that Chu Mobei was extremely crafty and full of cunning, then this younger brother of his was definitely a student that surpassed the teacher. It was fortunate that Chu Moxin was only ten and was not as ruthless as his older brother yet. However, no matter what, his arrival was a huge problem for Yao Mowan. "All this prince knows is that his strongest skill is maintaining an innocent and harmless appearance while doingpletely evil things in secret¡­ Actually, he''s quite like you in this aspect," said Ye Junqing indignantly. Back then, when he had gone to the nation of Shu to negotiate peace for great Chu, he had suffered quite a lot at Chu Moxin''s hands. "Prince is ttering me. Inparison to Chu Moxin, Mowan''s far inferior! I heard that Prince had only said a few things about him back then and he had immediately drugged you with tendons softening powder, lit some soul-calming fragrance, then locked the door and set the building on fire. Prince really almost got roasted!" Yao Mowan had also gone to that negotiation meeting so she naturally knew what happened. "How do you know about this?" Ye Junqing looked up towards her in astonishment. "It''s something that everyone knows, so how could Mowan not know? Prince, you should stop deceiving yourself already." Yao Mowan still remember that after that incident, Ye Junqing had intimidated everyone present at the negotiation to keep their mouths shut. However, the grand esteemed prince of great Chu had been trolled by a kid. It was such a great story, how could they possibly keep it in just because he red at them? "That brat! This time this prince definitely won''t let him have his way!" vowed Ye Junqing indignantly. "Then Mowan will wish Prince good luck in advance!" Yao Mowan got up and gracefully walked past Ye Junqing. "However, good luck always seems to be so far away from Prince!" After tossing him this remark, she continued walking leisurely towards her bedroom. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 60
Chapter 60: Duan Zirou, Get Ready To Die "Hey! Don''t leave! For better or for worse, this prince is staying in Guan Osprey Pce and also counts a someone of Guan Osprey Pce! You don''t n to ally with this prince to face the same adversary!?" This was Ye Junqing''s true motive ining here. Using violence against violence was the best option since Yao Mowan and Chu Moxin were both genius hoodlums. "Mowan doesn''t have the habit of asking to be traumatized." Then she mmed the door without hesitation. "How can this be called asking to be traumatized? If you set out, the victory''s definitely still undecided! This prince has faith in you!" However, no matter what praises Ye Junqing said towards the door, he wasn''t able to get Yao Mowan to walk back out. In the main house of the luminescent prince''s residence. Ye Zixiao watched with a distressed expression as Duan Zirou packed up. "Zirou, why must you do this? This prince has already told you that no matter what has happened between this prince and Yao Suluan, it''s all just a pretense. There''s no one in the world that can take your ce in this prince''s heart. We''ve gone through life and death together, could it be that you still don''t understand Zixiao''s true feelings?" said Ye Zixiao gently as he reached out to take Duan Zirou''s bag. "We''ve been husband and wife for so long and grew up together, how could Zirou not know what you''re thinking? You don''t truly care about Yao Suluan. Actually, you don''t even like her. Zirou was just too riled up at that time. Zirou hasn''t fallen to the point of being jealous of her." Duan Zirou walked to the dressing table with the cloth bundle and grabbed a few simple hairpins to put in the bundle. "Since you know my feelings, why do you insist on leaving?" Ye Zixiao looked towards Duan Zirou in confusion. "Why did you approach Yao Suluan? And why are you storing soldiers in Jishou? Do you think that Zirou wouldn''t know? Don''t you remember how bad the struggle for the throne was back then? You only managed to dodge that cmity because you promised Zirou that you would stay out of it. Zirou thought that you would''ve learned from that experience, but unexpectedly you''re still pigheadedly coveting the throne!" "Since you won''t listen to Zirou''s words, then there''s no point in Zirou staying here and bing a hinderance for you. Zirou has already decided to go to Thousand Buddha Temple to be a nun so as to avoid Duan Residence getting implicated once your plots are exposed. However, don''t worry, should you fail within sight of sess, as your wife, Zirou will face the Yellow Springs with you. Should you seed in your cause, there''s no need to remember that there exists a person named Duan Zirou in the mortal world." Duan Zirou''s voice was calm and without ripples, but tears flickered in her eyes. She cared deeply for him, so how could she bear to leave him? This was herst gamble. She hoped that Ye Zixiao would give up on fighting for the throne for the sake of their rtionship. "Zirou, this prince can''t ept it though! This country should have belonged to Imperial Father! Back then, if thete Emperor hadn''t resorted to base means and killed Imperial Father, the person sitting on the throne right now would be me, Ye Zixiao!" Ye Zixiao had never been able to forget the odd circumstances in which his father had died back then. "In the struggle for the throne, there''s only sess or failure. There''s no right or wrong! As people of the imperial n, both of us should understand this! Forget it. No matter what Zirou says, you won''t change your mind. Let us part. Zirou hopes that we''ll never meet again." Duan Zirou lifted the cloth bundle and turned decisively to leave. As she stepped out of the room, tears trickled silently down her cheeks. Even when Duan Zirou got on the pnquin to leave the luminescent prince''s residence, Ye Zixiao didn''t move to stop her again. Zirou, don''t worry. If Zixiao seeds in obtaining the throne, Zixiao will definitely make you empress! Should Zixiao fail¡­ It''s also good that you left¡­ Inside the pnquin, Ye Zixiao was already convulsing with sobs. Tears streamed down her cheeks and soaked her clothes. She wanted to lift the curtain and look back so many times, to rush back and throw herself into Ye Zixiao''s arms, but she forced down these impulses. Not so long ago, no matter how bad the trials they faced, they would never part, but as of now, this was her only choice. Soon they had already reached the forest leading to Thousand Buddha Temple. Just as Duan Zirou was wiping at her tears, she suddenly felt the pnquin stop. "Princess, it''s bad!" When Duan Zirou heard the porter''s trembling voice, she quickly wiped dry her tears and reached out to lift the pnquin curtain, only to find that there about a dozen people dressed in ck blocking their way. "Who are you guys?" demanded Duan Zirou sternly as she got off the pnquin. "We''re the people that will be sending you to the underworld! Attack!" The people in ck didn''t say anything else and immediately rushed towards Duan Zirou with their swords. When the porters saw this, they ran up to block him. One of them hastily grabbed Duan Zirou''s arm. "Princess! Hurry and leave!" Glints of des lit up the forest and the shes of the weapon were so sharp it hurt the eardrums. The porter pulled Duan Zirou and ran like their lives depended on it. Behind them, about five people in ck followed. As the sharp sounds gradually disappeared, more and more people in ck started chasing after them. Duan Zirou knew that those three porters had definitely died. "Zhao Wu! Let go of me! You should flee on your own!" Duan Zirou knew that the people in ck had the advantage so there was no way she''d be able to live. Since that was the case, why drag down an innocent life? "Don''t worry, Princess! Even if this servant must put this life on the line, This servant will still make sure that Princess is unharmed!" Zhao Wu refused to let go of Duan Zirou''s hand. It was clear how extremely loyal he was. "Hurry and go! Head back and tell Prince to get revenge for me! Otherwise both of us will die and Prince will never know! If you don''t go now, this princess will bite her tongue tomit suicide!" Duan Zirou saw that there was a fork in the road ahead and abruptly shoved Zhao Wu towards one side while running in the other direction. Zhao Wu hesitated for a moment, then ran back towards the luminescent prince''s residence. As Duan Zirou looked at the cliff in front of her, she smiled bitterly. Perhaps the Heavens were pitying her and sparing her the agony of having to watch Ye Zixiao''s tragic end after his plot failed. This was good. Dying like this was also good. If Ye Zixiao still had feelings for her, he''d definitely get revenge for her. Perhaps this would make him change for the better. If she could use her own death to guarantee Ye Zixiao''s life, then she had no regrets dying. "You won''t be able to escape!" shouted the person in the lead. "Who hired you guys?" Duan Zirou looked towards them coldly. Her voice was calm and there was no trace of fear on her face. "You probably already know that we can''t tell you!" The assassin respected Duan Zirou''s ability to remain calm, but since they had epted the money, they had to carry out the job. Duan Zirou then turned silently to nce at the cliff before jumping down. When the people in ck saw this, they shared looks, then left. By the time Ye Zixiao got to the cliff, all that was left were Duan Zirou''s embroidered shoes. "Zirou! Zirou ah¡­" Ye Zixiao grabbed the shoes as tears streamed down his cheeks. There were no bloodstains on the ground, nor any trace of struggle and torn cloth. He knew from this that Duan Zirou had definitely jumped down the cliff. "I''m sorry¡­ It was Zixiao that implicated you! Zirou¡­ Where are you!?" Ye Zixiao hugged Duan Zirou''s shoes as he screamed in grief. His face waspletely pale and he trembled uncontrobly. That agony of losing something precious and never being able to get it back again pierced his heart so badly that he couldn''t even breathe. "Prince, this subordinate shouldn''t have left Princess alone. This subordinate has sinned!" Zhao Wu instantly kneeled down and pulled out a dagger to stab it towards his own chest. Ye Zixiao abruptly snatched the dagger out of his hand. "This princemands you to find out immediately who was behind the princess''s assassination! If you can''t get to the bottom of this, I won''t let you off!" said Ye Zixiao coldly, his bloodshot eyes flickering with cold murderous intent. "Understood!" Having received instructions, Zhao Wu withdrew. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 61
Chapter 61: She was Waiting, and also Gambling The forest was silent as Ye Zixiao knelt by the edge of the cliff and hugged Duan Zirou''s shoes. Tears blurred his vision, but cleared his heart. "Zirou¡­ If you''re not here, what would this prince want this country for¡­" Ye Zixiao sat there silently until the golden bird of the sun set in the west and the jade hare of the moon rose in the east, then until the first rays of the morning sun broke through the night sky and red clouds appeared in the horizon. He had already gotten used to having Duan Zirou at his side over all these years. Even though Duan Zirou had wanted to be a nun, at least she was alive and he could still see her. But now, there was nothing left¡­ When Duan Zirou woke up, she found that she was lying on a bamboo bed. A strong fragrance currently filled her senses. "Master, she''s awake." Yin Xue ced the ''alert fragrant ointment'' back into her sleeve and withdrew to the side. "What is this ce? Who are you?" The moment Duan Zirou heard a person''s voice, she quickly got up and looked in rm at the veiled woman in front of her. "Good thing Luminescent Prince didn''t ask Jing Xin if whether you were alive or not." Yao Mowan sat casually on the bamboo chair, her legs crossed with a hand propping up her cheek. She looked as if she had been waiting for a very long time. "Your name''s Jing Xin? I clearly remember that I had jumped off the cliff. Why would I be here?" Duan Zirou didn''t rx in the slightest and demanded answers sternly. "Shouldn''t the fact that you didn''t die from the fall be something to celebrate? Why does Luminescent Princess sound like you''re ming Jing Xin for not minding her own business?" asked Yao Mowan when she heard the coldness in Duan Zirou''s tone. "We''repletely strangers, so how could you possibly have saved me without a reason? Forgive Zirou for not believing that there exists someone with so much free time in this world," replied Duan Zirou. "Luminescent Princess is actually right. Regardless of whether Jing Xin saved you or not, it causes Jing Xin no harm, because Jing Xin has already achieved her goal." Yao Mowan took in Duan Zirou''s guarded expression and sighed. It was sure hard to be a good person! "Your goal? You were the one that sent those assassins?" Duan Zirou looked towards Yao Mowan sharply. "Is Luminescent Princess''s intelligence only at this level? It''s not hard to guess who it is that''s after your life!" said Yao Mowan pointedly. After a moment of hesitation, Duan Zirou looked up in realization. "Yao Suluan! It was Yao Suluan that wanted me to die!" eximed Duan Zirou. "That''s right. Yao Suluan''s goal in assisting the luminescent prince in revolting is the throne of empress, so Luminescent Princess, your existence is a hinderance to her." Yao Mowan analyzed the situation easily. "Nonsense! The luminescent prince has no intention to revolt." Although Duan Zirou agreed with Yao Mowan''s words, she couldn''t very well admit the fact that Ye Zixiao wanted to revolt. "You couldn''t be thinking that Jing Xin''s trying to trick an admission out of you, right? Luminescent Princess is being overly cautious. In reality, Jing Xin knows way more than just this so Jing Xin doesn''t need Luminescent Princess to admit to anything. The only reason I saved you, Princess, was because I wanted you to see what exactly is more important to Ye Zixiao. Whether in his heart, the throne was more important, or you were more important." Yao Mowan looked towards Duan Zirou with interest. "What does it matter?" Duan Zirou looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. Her voice was gradually softening. They had only exchanged a few words, but she already knew that this woman wasn''t an ordinary person. "Of course it matters. If Ye Zixiao cared about you, once he found that that it was Yao Suluan that hurt you, he wouldn''t followed Yao Suluan''s bad example anymore and might be able to preserve his life. If¡­ he doesn''t care about you and continues coborating with Yao Suluan, then he''s destined to have a short life." To Yao Mowan, there really was no need to save Duan Zirou. After all, as far as Ye Zixiao knew, Duan Zirou was already dead. However, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Since Yao Suluan wanted nothing more than for Duan Zirou to die, she insisted on keeping this person alive. The most important reason was still because Duan Zirou was a good person. Yao Mowan couldn''t bring herself to watch as a good person like this was cornered and killed. Wonder if this made her a good person too? thought Yao Mowan with a wry smile. "I''m really curious. Who are you?" Duan Zirou was taken aback. Zixiao''s improper rtionship with Yao Suluan was a secret. Even she had only found about it recently, but it sounded like this woman knew a lot more than her. "This isn''t important. What''s important is that you should start praying for Ye Zixiao and pray that he loves you enough¡­" Yao Mowan smiled slightly, then turned and left. "How long are you going to keep me here?" When Duan Zirou saw that Yao Mowan was about to leave, she hastily chased after her. It was only when she stepped out of the room that she found she was in a seemingly endless forest of bamboo. She was currently in a simple little house constructed in this bamboo forest. "If you have faith in Ye Zixiao, then you can wait here for him toe get you. If you don''t have faith, then you can leave at any time. If you head north from here, Thousand Buddha Temple is about fifteen kilometers from here. There''s enough money and food in the house. Stay or leave, it''s up to you," replied Yao Mowan mildly before walking off. Once they got very far from that house, Yin Xue started voicing her confusion. "Master, this subordinate doesn''t understand. Why did you tell Duan Zirou how to leave? Are you not worried that Duan Zirou might head back to the luminescent prince''s residence to tell them the truth?" Yin Xue couldn''t understand it. Master had spent a lot of time setting up this current scenario. If Duan Zirou returned to the luminescent prince''s residence, then all that hard work would''ve gone to waste. "Yin Xue, this consort will make a bet with you. Duan Zirou definitely won''t leave. She''ll continue to stay here until Ye Zixiao came to look for her." Yao Mowan''s lips curved and beneath her long eyshes, her eyes sparkled like gems. "This subordinate has faith in everything Master says!" Yin Xue''s lips twitched for an instant. Make a bet? She had learned plenty of lessons from Ye Junqing''s example! "In reality, Duan Zirou hopes more than anyone that Ye Zixiao would give up on trying to be emperor. After all, the dragon throne isn''t something easy to sit on! If her death could cause Ye Zixiao and Yao Suluan to be enemies and destroy Ye Zixiao''s ambition to be emperor, she''d die without regrets!" said Yao Mowan lightly even as a trace of helplessness shed through her heart. Back then, countless people had died during Ye Hongyi''s ascent to the throne. If it was that easy to be emperor, there would''ve already been plenty of revolts. Why would people have waited until Ye Zixiao to do it? As Yao Mowan had predicted, Duan Zirou didn''t leave the bamboo forest. She was waiting, and also gambling¡­ In Pure Flowers Pce, when Yao Zhenting told Yao Suluan about Duan Zirou jumping off the cliff, Yao Suluan smiled in delight. "Suluan ah, Father has given up everything to help the luminescent prince. Once an arrow is shot, there''s no turning back. Neither of us can turn back now!" Ever since he ended up as a prime minister only in name, he had decided use everything he had to help Ye Zixiao ascend to the throne. "Suluan guarantees that Father won''t regret this. Moreover, since His Majesty has already started taking your power away, there''s no point in you keeping this post of prime minister. Right now, just any casual words from Yao Mowan might make it hard for you to keep that head on your shoulders, so having Luminescent Prince''s backing will allow you to live without worries," said Yao Suluan darkly. Her unspoken implication was that Yao Zhenting currently had no paths left to take but this one. Yao Zhenting left Pure Flowers Pce, deep in thought. His eyelids kept twitching and his heart was filled with unease. He couldn''t help but feel that something big was about to happen. "There''s such a gloomy air around Father ah! Ting Yue, is this the so-called, ck clouds hovering above?" A clear voice suddenly arose. Yao Zhenting looked up and saw that Yao Mowan was standing in front of him with a little kitten in her arms. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 62
Chapter 62 : He Felt So Much Hatred "Your Highness, this servant heard that things like having ck clouds hovering above, temples being dark, they''re all ill omens," responded Ting Yue cooperatively. "Shut up! This old man is the grand Prime Minister, how dare a servant like you say nonsense about me!" The moment Yao Zhenting saw Yao Mowan, he felt all the blood in his body boil from anger. Had their difference in status not been an issue, Yao Zhenting really would have rushed up right now to rip Yao Mowan apart. "Ting Yue''s not really speaking nonsense, right? From the looks of it, Father hade from Pure Flowers Pce, right? As of now, the entire pce knows that Second Older Sister''s pce is extremely filthy so everyone is trying to avoid it as much as possible. Father, your visit this time has probably caused you to pick up quite a lot of bad luck. That''s why you look like you have ck clouds hovering above. Mowan advises that Father had best be careful during this time." Yao Mowan''s eyes narrowed slightly as her lips curved in a mysterious smile. "Yao Mowan, had you not whispered things into His Majesty''s ears, would this old man be in this state now? However, you shouldn''t celebrate too early. This old man vows that there wille a day where you will regret this," vowed Yao Zhenting viciously. If he seeds in this, the first thing he''ll do is have Yao Mowan captured and brought to the execution grounds. He wanted to personally oversee her execution as she suffered the death of a thousand cuts! "Father''s truly wrongly using Wan er, if Wan er hadn''t convinced His Majesty to calm down, who knows where Father''s head might be right now?" Yao Mowan blinked her eyes innocently as she said this with an earnest expression. "As if you would be that kind-hearted!" Ever since what happened that day in Prime Minister Yao''s residence, Yao Zhenting had carefully thought through the past events, and he couldn''t help but feel lingering fear. Had Yao Mowan desired it, he would already be down in the Yellow Springs. "Seems like Father''s the only one that knows me well, Wan er of course wouldn''t be that kind-hearted. Wan er just feels like it''s not satisfying enough to chop off Father''s head that soon. Although all things have a day where theye to an end, Wan er''s more interested in the process of the game. It''s not interesting if it ends too soon. Say, Father, don''t you agree?" Yao Mowan unconcerned attitude infuriated Yao Zhenting. "Yao Mowan, victory is still not certain, so you shouldn''t celebrate yet." After saying this, Yao Zhenting stormed past Yao Mowan to leave. However, just as he was passing by her, Yao Mowan suddenly pushed Jewel, who she had been carrying. Jewel was rmed and reflexively scurried up Yao Zhenting''s body. His sharp ws passed through the clothing and sank into Yao Zhenting''s shoulder. "Ah, it hurts! Damn animal! This old man will throttle you to death today!" Just as Yao Zhenting grabbed Jewel and was about to choke him, Ye Hongyi suddenly appeared in front of Yao Zhenting. Yao Mowan was in his arms, crying softly. "Yao Zhenting, what did you say just now?" An extremely cold voice arose. Ye Hongyi''s eyes were like two ck holes as he glowered at Yao Zhenting. "This old servant¡­ kowtows in salute to Your Majesty." It is only now that Yao Zhenting realized he had fallen into Yao Mowan''s trap again. "Your Majesty¡­ the one Father was yelling at was Jewel, not Wan er¡­" This sentence contained such implicit meaning that Ye Hongyi''s expression immediately darkened even more. "Replying Your Majesty, this old servant was just¡­" Even though his heart now lied with another party, currently his master was still the aloof and remote Ye Hongyi. Just as he was about to exin himself, Ye Hongyi spoke first. "From now on, Prime Minister, if we do not summon you, there is no need for you to enter the pce." After saying this, Ye Hongyi turned to look towards Yao Mowan. He felt heartache as he gently wiped away her tears. Then he left with her without bothering to look at Yao Zhenting again. "Ting Yue, can you send Father out, and get Jewel back?" Yao Mowan deliberately feigned a timid manner as she sent Ting Yue a meaningful nce. "This servant understands." Ting Yue caught the message and bowed respectfully. Once Ye Hongyi left, hugging Yao Mowan, Ting Yue walked quickly to get in front of Yao Zhenting. "Seems like Her Highness was right, Prime Minister really has ck clouds hovering above." Ting Yue''s face was filled with schadenfreude and her tone was filled with ridicule. "Audacious, a pce maid like you¡­" Yao Zhenting had pent up anger from the start, and now he was being ridiculed by a pce maid! He immediately started glowering at her. "What about me being a pce maid? Although Ting Yue''s status is humble, at least I don''t feel guilty about what I do as a person. Back then, Second Madame had suffered so much in Prime Minister Yao''s residence! She had been tormented so much! If Lord hadn''t indulged Dou Xiann''s doings, why would Second Madame have died? Everyone says that a day as husband and wife leads to a hundred days'' grace. However, Madame, in your eyes, probably hadn''t even mattered as much as a dog. "However, now, Lord, in Ting Yue''s eyes, you''re also nothing more than an animal! Oh, and that''s right, infertile too! Ting Yue had personally prepared that rootless water. Did Lord find it satisfactory?" Ting Yue looked towards Yao Zhenting indignantly, her eyes filled with contempt. "Preposterous! You damned wretch, you actually dared to¡­!" Yao Zhenting was so angry that he was breathing unevenly and he loosened his grip on Jewel slightly. Jewel immediately took advantage of this chance to struggle free. As it escaped, it made sure to leave some deep scratches on Yao Zhenting''s hand. "Lord, you shouldn''t forget that this is the imperial pce, it''s not a ce where Lord can afford to be unbridled. Lord probably knows the way out, so this servant won''t see you off any further. Do as you please." After saying that, Ting Yue turned around leisurely and walked off. The moment she turned around, she had to clutch at her chest with both hands. After following Master for so long, she had naturally picked up some of Master''s skills, but that imposing, arrogant air was one thing she could never pull off as well as Master. However, Ting Yue was sure that even if her attempt fell short, it was still enough to anger Yao Zhenting half to death. After the confrontation, Yao Zhenting threw caution to the wind and truly bet everything he had on Ye Zixiao. Of course, this was exactly what Yao Mowan wanted. Ye Zixiao only reappeared in Pure Flowers Pce ten days after Duan Zirou had fallen down the cliff. Inside the bedroom, there was a faint aroma from incense and the candlelight flickered. The faint candlelight made the sharp angles on Ye Zixiao''s face even more prominent. It had only been ten days, but Ye Zixiao seemed like apletely different person. His handsome face was now worn and sallow. Due to the fact that he had be thinner, his bones seemed to protrude. "Prince, my condolences. Suluan has also heard of Princess''s death. Who would have thought that things would happen so suddenly?" said Yao Suluan with a sorrowful expression as she lifted the teapot to pour Ye Zixiao a cup of tea. "Suddenly? Isn''t Zirou''s death within Consort Li''s ns?" The mild voice contained no warmth but no traces of anger could be made out either. Ye Zixiao''s eyes narrowed slightly as they flickered with unreadable light. "How could Prince say this? Could it be¡­ Prince, although Suluan does not like Luminescent Princess, Suluan still wouldn''t resort to such malicious means. And, even if Suluan has that intention, Suluan doesn''t have that ability. Ever since Prince transferred Ling Yun away, Suluan has found it difficult to do anything in the imperial pce. It is all I can do to look after myself, how could I possibly have the time to think about unrted matters like this?" Yao Suluan immediately made her position clear. "Of course this prince doesn''t think it''s Consort Li''s doing. Otherwise, this prince wouldn''t be here." Ye Zixiao''s expression rxed slightly and his hoarse voice seemed to ease somewhat. "No one would wanted to see Princess fall off the cliff, but since things have already happened, Prince should try to get over it. As of now, there are more important things waiting for you, Prince. As long as Prince is able to ascend to the throne, Princess''s spirit down in the Ninth Spring will probably also find peace." Yao Suluan gently wrapped her arms around Ye Zixiao''s neck as she gently consoled him. Ye Zixiao suddenly felt like his heart had been stabbed a hundred times by a knife and was dripping blood. Ye Zixiao had announced that Duan Zirou had died because she encountered bandits on her way to Thousand Buddha Temple. Aside from he and Zhao Wu, the perpetrators were the only ones who would know that Duan Zirou had fallen down a cliff. However, just now, he actually heard the words ''fallen off the cliff''e from Yao Suluan''s mouth. At this moment, he felt hatred, so much hatred. If he hadn''t gotten involved with Yao Suluan, there was no way that Zirou would''ve died! __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Transcribed by ra-Moon [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 63
Chapter 63: Chu Moxin''s Motive in This Trip "Prince?" asked Yao Suluan reflexively when she sensed Ye Zixiao''s body tense. "It''s nothing¡­ Consort Li is right, this prince really does need to do something to make sure that Zirou''s death wasn''t for nothing." Ye Zixiao buried his grief and indignation and his ck pupils started shining with light. "Prince, Suluan has good news to tell you. Hopefully it can give you somefort." Yao Suluan leaned with delight into Ye Zixiao''s arms, her eyes glowing brightly. "Oh?" As Ye Zixiao looked at Yao Suluan''s snow-white neck, he felt the urge to just crush it, but he couldn''t. At the very least, he couldn''t do it right now. "Suluan''s father, the current prime minister, Yao Zhenting, wishes to surrender to Prince as well. He is willing to fully follow Prince. As long as Prince gives him instructions, he will do his all to carry it out." Yao Suluan was confident that Ye Zixiao would be happy to hear this news. Even though His Majesty had taken some of Father''s powers away now, his status and prestige were still there. "Prime Minister is actually willing to support this prince?" Ye Zixiao''s eyes flickered slightly with a trace of ruthlessness. He had thought since Yao Suluan had been in the pce for such a long time, it wouldn''t be easy for her to find so many assassins so quickly. However, the confusion was cleared up now. So it had actually been Yao Zhenting''s doing. "Father is wise as well and can see that Prince is an outstanding individual. With Suluan mediating, of course Father chose to support the obvious choice." As Yao Suluan spoke, she slipped her fingers into Ye Zixiao''s cor. "With the prime minister''s help, this prince will have double the power. Of course, this is due to Consort Li''s help. This prince really doesn''t know how to repay Consort Li." Ye Zixiao seemed to inadvertently pull away Yao Suluan''s hands as he slowly got up. "Prince is leaving?" Yao Suluan looked over in surprise. Ye Zixiao never rejected any of her invitations before. "Tomorrow is the seventh day since Zirou has passed away. This prince must head back to make preparations," replied Ye Zixiao as a cold light passed through his eyes. He did need to make proper preparations. If he didn''t give Yao Zhenting and Yao Suluan a proper return ''gift,'' how was he supposed to face Zirou? As for the imperial throne, he had already waited for so many years, so a couple more was fine. However, he couldn''t take waiting to get revenge for Zirou! "So that was it¡­ Although Suluan can''t leave the pce, Suluan will eat only vegetarian foods for the time being and pray for Princess so that she can soon achieve happiness." Yao Suluan acted as if she had found this a great tragedy. Ye Junqing has been in a bad mood ever since he found out that Chu Moxin wasing to great Chu. "In reality, there''s no need for Prince to harbor such groundless fears. Perhaps in these years he''s already be an upright young man." Yao Mowan was consoling Ye Junqing with words that even she herself did not believe. "This prince is willing to bet on this with you. This prince is willing to bet this prince''s life in exchange for Yin Xue!" Ye Junqing was extremely confident. "Ahem¡­ Mowan was just joking, Prince shouldn''t take it so seriously." Yao Mowan forced a dryugh and continued eating. "This prince isn''t actually afraid of his arrival, this prince just doesn''t understand it. Great Chu''s rtionship with the nation of Shu has always been very tense. Why would Chu Mobei suddenly let his younger brothere as an envoy to great Chu? There''s no point in doing so. Could it be that he wants to use Chu Moxin to cause an incident, then use that as an pretext to send troops?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan questioningly. "They''re different from Feng Yihan and Feng Duo. From what Mowan knows, Chu Mobei and Chu Moxin were born of the same parents and have an extremely good rtionship, so Mowan is certain that Chu Mobei would never hurt Chu Moxin in order to start a conflict. On the contrary, over the years, Chu Mobei has gone to great lengths to guarantee Chu Moxin''s safety." Yao Mowan was confident in her understanding of Chu Mobei. "Then this prince really can''t guess Chu Moxin''s motive." Ye Junqing decided to give up. "In reality, there''s no need for Prince to go through such pains. Won''t you know once Chu Moxin gets here?" said Yao Mowan lightly,pletely unaware that she was the target of Chu Moxin''s visit this time. On the second day after Duan Zirou''s funeral arrangements, Yao Zhenting got a secret letter from Ye Zixiao. The secret letter basically said that if Yao Zhenting really did have the intention of supporting him, then meet him at the ck bamboo forest behind the imperial family''s cemetery at six, as there was something to discuss. Yao Zhenting had been wanting to express his loyalty, so he found this to be great news. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was calcting the days. In five days, Chu Moxin would arrive in great Chu. Would she be able to deal with Ye Zixiao''s matter before that? "Your Highness, Ye Zixiao has made a move!" Yao Mowan was delighted to hear this news. "Where''s the location?" Yao Mowan immediately got up. "The ck bamboo forest behind the imperial cemetery." "Oh? So Ye Zixiao really is going to part with¡­ Let''s go,e with this consort to watch the show." For a moment, Yao Mowan was gratified. It seemed that Duan Zirou hadn''t waited in vain. It was already autumn, so around six, the sky was already darkening. By the time Yao Zhenting arrived at the ck bamboo forest, the surroundings were already pitch ck. Because this was a huge secret, he didn''t even bring his personal steward. Yao Zhenting headed into the bamboo forest by himself. After about an hour, he seemed to hear a slight disturbance and started walking faster. He only saw two figures once he walked to the other end of the forest. "Who''s there?" asked Yao Zhenting guardedly as he reflexively stopped walking. "This subordinate kowtows in salute to Prime Minister. Prime Minister, pleasee this way." When the person in the lead saw Yao Zhenting, he saluted respectfully. "You two are¡­" Yao Zhenting was just about to question him when he saw the other person walk up. "Prime Minister, we''ve been waiting for you for a long time. Pleasee this way," urged the man, then the two of them turned around and started walking toward the hillside. Yao Zhenting didn''t have the chance to ask any questions, so he just followed after them. He assumed them to be people that Luminescent Prince had sent to receive him, so he wasn''t suspicious of them at all. They soon reached shrubbery that was over half a meter tall and one of them walked over to turn on a mechanism. The lush shrubbery parted on both sides and a stone door suddenly appeared. Once the door opened, Yao Zhenting followed the two in without even thinking about it. Inside was a very long hidden tunnel with torches on both sides. After walking for about five minutes, Yao Zhenting finally saw light on the other side. "What is this ce?" asked Yao Zhenting in surprise. "Prime Minister, don''t be in such a rush. We''ll be there soon," replied one of the people. After turning a corner, Yao Zhenting was stunned by the scene in front of him. The stone room that he had walked into was filled with knives and swords. This was probably enough weaponry to arm a hundred thousand troops. "May I ask where Luminescent Prince is?" After seeing this, Yao Zhenting fully believed that Ye Zixiao really did have enough power topete with Ye Hongyi. Perhaps he really has made the right move this time. "Prime Minister, don''t be in such a rush. Take a look at this sword, how is its quality?" One of the two took a longsword and respectfully offered it to Yao Zhenting. Yao Zhenting took the sword and swung it a couple times to listen to the sound of it shing through the air. "From the sound, it seems like a very good de!" Yao Zhenting sighed in admiration. Right at this time, there came the sound of urgent footsteps from the passageway. "Prime Minister! Hurry and leave!" The moment those two heard that noise, their expressions changed drastically and they pulled Yao Zhenting to run towards the other end of the room.. "Why do we have to run?" Yao Zhenting waspletely confused, but he had no choice but to run with the other two towards another secret passageway. However, not long after they entered, they were forced back out again. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Transcribed by ra-Moon [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 64
Chapter 64: Prime Minister, You Still Want to Escape? "Prime Minister, still trying to escape?" Qing Long spoke coldly. Yao Zhenting looked dumbstruck at the sharp sword pressed against his neck. Even now, he still didn''t understand what exactly happened. "Yao Zhenting, you sure have guts to actually create weaponry behind our back! What are you trying to do, revolt?" A voice filled with cold anger reverberated through the stone room. The moment Yao Zhenting saw Ye Hongyi, his eyes widened and his body started trembling uncontrobly due to fear. "Your Majesty¡­" Yao Zhenting looked towards Ye Hongyi in disbelief. He hade clearly because he had received Ye Zixiao''s secret letter, so why was Ye Hongyi the one that appeared here? Just as Yao Zhenting turned to look towards the two beside him to ask for answers, he saw that the two people had fallen to a kneel in front of him. "Prime Minister! We shall demonstrate our sincerity through death!" After saying that, the two of them bit through the capsules hidden in their teeth. "Not good!" Qing Long rushed up to stop them, but the two were already vomiting ck blood and soon fell to the ground, motionless. "Demonstrate their sincerity? How wonderful! Yao Zhenting, it''s no wonder you''ve been getting more unbridled andpletely disregarding our authority! So it turns out that you''ve had ns to remove and rece us from the start! As of now, you''ve been caught in the act, so what do you have to say for yourself?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Yao Zhenting with a dark expression in his eyes. "No¡­ Your Majesty! This old subject is wrongly used!" Yao Zhenting looked towards the two corpses on the ground nkly for a moment. Then he suddenly snapped out of it and realized that this was a trap. It was a trap Ye Zixiao had set for him! "Wrongly used? You still dare to say that you''re wrongly used with so much weaponry right here in front of us?" Ye Hongyi scoffed. "It was Luminescent Prince! Luminescent Prince was the one that told this old subject to meet him here! This old subject still has Luminescent Prince''s secret letter!" replied Yao Zhenting in a panic. His fingers trembled as he took out the secret letter Ye Zixiao had sent him. Qing Long took the so-called secret letter from Yao Zhenting''s hand and handed it to Ye Hongyi. Ye Hongyi looked at thepletely nk secret letter, then abruptly threw it at Yao Zhenting''s face. "You''re talking about this one?" Yao Zhenting caught the secret letter in a panic and found that there was not a single drop of ink on it. It was apletely nk sheet of paper. "Why is it like this? That''s not possible¡­ That''s not possible! Your Majesty, Luminescent Prince wishes to revolt! This old subject received the news and wasing to investigate in order to report it to Your Majesty. Luminescent Prince has definitely seen through this subject''s intentions, that''s why he set this trap to frame this old subject! Your Majesty, you''re wise, please see clearly, this subject ispletely loyal to Your Majesty! This subject truly has no desire to rebel!" Yao Zhenting crawled over beneath Ye Hongyi''s foot and kowtowed like his life depended on it. "You''re saying that Luminescent Prince wishes to revolt? Where''s the proof? Just this nk piece of paper?" demanded Ye Hongyi as a cold light shed through his eyes. He had been wanting to get rid of Yao Zhenting for a while now. He had to uproot all the trees in Soul Sand Garden that were flourishing better than his. "Your Majesty, the weaponry in this room is proof, they were all made by Luminescent Prince! Your Majesty, if you don''t believe, you can check the characters on these weapons!" Yao Zhenting suddenly realized that if Luminescent Prince wanted to revolt, he''d definitely carve the Jing (luminescent) character on the weapons. However, when Yao Zhenting lifted a de and examined it, he found that the de actually had a Yao character. "Yao Zhenting, what can you say now?" An Bingshan casually picked up a de and lifted it to show Ye Hongyi. The character on it was in in sight. "Your Majesty¡­ This is Luminescent Prince''s plot¡­ This old subject''s three daughters all have strong imperial favor, especially my third daughter, Wan er. Your Majesty treasures her like she''s a precious pearl, there''s no reason for this old subject to revolt!" Yao Zhenting fell to the ground and crawled to Ye Hongyi, sobbing in fear. "Whether you have reason to is one thing, whether you''ve done it is another! The evidence is already conclusive! Guards, throw Yao Zhenting into the imperial prison to await his sentence." Then he ordered for all the weapons in the stone room to be seized. In the shadows, Yao Mowan had a clear view of Yao Zhenting''s aged and tear-streaked face as he was pushed out the secret passageway by several guards. She sighed. "Master," called Yin Xue worriedly. "Do you think this consort is sad? That''s wrong. He''s not worth it. He has never treated Mother as his wife, and he has never treated Mowan as his daughter, so Mowan would naturally not view him as a father. This consort is just thinking, should we really let him die just like this?" Yao Mowan''s crafty eyes narrowed slightly in thought. In Pure Flowers Pce, when Ming Yu told Yao Suluan the news about Yao Zhenting being thrown into the imperial prison, Yao Suluan dropped her teacup in shock. "Something really has happened to Father¡­ why would it be like this¡­" muttered Yao Suluan to herself. In the next instant, she abruptly got up to rush out of Pure Flowers Pce. When Yao Suluan reached Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was currently on a chaise lounge ying with Fluffy. "Were you the one that wrote this? Why? What exactly is going on?" Yao Suluan lifted the letter in her hand. The countless questions racing through her head were making her very uneasy. When Ting Yue saw that Yao Suluan was rushing towards Yao Mowan, she moved up to block her. However, unexpectedly, Yao Suluan moved to p her. Just as Yao Suluan''s p was about tond, her jade wrist was caught by Ting Yue. "Ting Yue! What are you doing?" shouted Yao Suluan indignantly. "This servant isn''t doing anything, but even if this servant has done something, it''s not Consort Li''s ce to lecture me. This ce is Guan Osprey Pce and naturally has its own rules. Without my master''s permission, Consort Li does not have the right to barge in here," replied Ting Yue sternly. "You!" Yao Suluan never thought that after just a few days, even Guan Osprey Pce''s servants would be so unbridled. "Ting Yue, if this p really hadnded on your face, then you wouldn''t have the qualifications to stay in Guan Osprey Pce." Yao Mowannguidly got up and walked slowly to Yao Suluan. The implicit meaning in her words was that she approved of Ting Yue''s actions. "Yao Mowan, you''re not even the slightest bit worried that Father''s been captured?" Yao Suluan pulled back her arm angrily, then red at Yao Mowan. "Ting Yue, go guard the doors. Don''t let anyonee in." Yao Mowan waved dismissively to have Ting Yue withdraw, then she walked to the table and poured a cup of tea to push it towards Yao Suluan. "Father? Second Older Sister sure puts things nicely. As of now, does Second Older Sister care about this father?" Yao Mowan drew blood with one strike as she said this coldly in a mocking tone. Yao Suluan was indignant when Yao Mowan poked her sore spot. She stormed to the table, lifted the tea cup, and drank all of it in one go. Then she tossed the letter she was holding to Yao Mowan. "''Don''t go unless you want to die.'' Were you the one that wrote this?" demanded Yao Suluan. "For better or for worse, Mowan has saved your life. Shouldn''t you feel grateful?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows towards Yao Suluan. "Pei! You were the one that set all of this up! You first imitated Ye Zixiao''s style of writing to lure this consort to the ck bamboo forest, then you wrote this to warn this consort! Yao Mowan, what exactly are you trying to do?" Yao Suluan demanded answers almost crazily. "That''s wrong. The letter from before was something that Ye Zixiao had personally written. In this entire incident, Mowan only did one thing, which is write this letter and save you once." Yao Mowan''s expression was solemn and her eyes were calm, without any ripples. "You think this consort would believe you? There''s no reason for Ye Zixiao to harm this consort and Father!" Yao Suluan didn''t believe it at all. "You two killed the one woman he loved in this world, so it isn''t strange that he did this to you." Yao Mowan shrugged as her lips hooked in a cold smile. "There''s no way he could know¡­ And even if he did know, he wouldn''t destroy his own future! Does he no longer want to be emperor?" Yao Suluan no longer cared about the so-called secrets. All she wanted to know was the truth. Ye Zixiao was herst hope. What was she supposed to do if this hope got extinguished? __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Transcribed by ra-Moon [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 65
Chapter 65: Critical w in the Careful n "That''s why I say that Second Older Sister''s careful n had a critical w. Although you grasped Ye Zixiao''s ambition correctly, you underestimated his feelings for Duan Zirou. There is no smoke without fire. Since the entire imperial city spreads rumors of Ye Zixiao and Duan Zirou''s deep love for each other, why did Second Older Sister take this risk?" Yao Mowan scoffed as she looked towards Yao Suluan. "He actually¡­ This consort was helping him! With Duan Zirou present, he''ll never be emperor!" bellowed Yao Suluan. She looked towards Yao Mowan, her eyes filled with anger. "Second Older Sister was helping him? Or were you helping yourself? Mowan doesn''t know if Duan Zirou''s existence would prevent Ye Zixiao from bing emperor, but she''d definitely be a hindrance in Second Older Sister''s way to bing empress. It''s just that Second Older Sister ah, why can''t you learn to conceal your strength and bid your time? If you endured for a little longer, it wouldn''t be toote to initiate your schemes after Ye Zixiao became emperor. Now things are just great. Due to your momentary slip, not only did you cause Yao Zhenting to be thrown into prison, you''ve also cut off yourst road of retreat. If Mowan''s guess isn''t off, Ye Zixiao probably won''t be making any moves for the time being." Yao Mowan shook her head as she looked toward Yao Suluan with a sigh. "Yao Mowan, you didn''t write this message to save this consort at all, you just wanted this consort to live and suffer! You just want to see how much this consort will fall, how miserable this consort will be, and how this consort will ultimately die, isn''t that so?" Yao Suluan subconsciously backed away with a horrified expression on her face. "Yes, Second Older Sister certainly knows me well!" Yao Mowan nodded slightly in agreement. "Yao Mowan, you''re not human! You''re a devil! You''re apletely cold-blooded beast!" Yao Suluan looked towards Yao Mowan with fear in her eyes. In this instant, Yao Suluan felt like she was in total darkness, and that Yao Mowan was the master of this darkness. "Let Mowan guess, when Eldest Sister died, she definitely thought the same. Yao Suluan, have you ever thought about it? If Eldest Sister came back to this world, what kind of fate you would face?" Yao Mowan approached Yao Suluan step by step until she forced Yao Suluan against the wall. That cold and sharp gaze seemed to pierce Yao Suluan''s heart like a sharp de. "That''s not possible¡­" Yao Suluan''s voice trembled due to fear and her pupils shrank into two ck dots. "Of course it''s not possible. That''s why Mowan is doing things in Eldest Sister''s stead. It''s just that Mowan''s methods are a little merciful, so hopefully Eldest Sister won''t me Mowan." Yao Mowan suddenly tilted her head to look at the ceiling as if Yao Moxin was right there above them. "Lunatic¡­ Yao Mowan, you lunatic!" Yao Suluan rushed out of Guan Osprey Pce in fear with the same momentum as she had rushed in earlier. The third day after Yao Zhenting was arrested and sent to prison, Ye Hongyi gave an edict to search and seize Prime Minister Yao''s residence. All of the money went to the national treasury. The servants were sent to the southwest border. Only one person was kept. Yao Tu''s face was filled with shock as he stood in front of the sumptuous residence doors. It took him a very long time to snap out of it. "Liu Xing, what is this ce?" "This is Yao Residence, not Yao Zhenting''s Yao but Yao Tu''s Yao." A pleasant, gentle voice arose. It was like the sound of a yellow oriole, the tinkling sound made people''s hearts fill with warmth. "Noble Consort Yao? This old servant kowtows in salute to Your Highness Consort Yao!" Yao Tu turned around when he heard this voice. It was only now that he discovered Liu Xing who had been standing behind him was now reced by Yao Mowan. "Steward Yao, hurry and get up. Let''s go inside to talk." Yao Mowan walked up to help Yao Tu up, then she took his hand and pulled him inside the courtyard. She had once said that she would repay Yao Tu for his kindness. Today was the day that she would make her promise reality. "Your Highness Consort Yao, this old servant doesn''t understand. This courtyard?" Yao Tu followed behind Yao Mowan respectfully as he asked this in puzzlement. "Your kindness that day in paying for my mother''s funeral has been ingrained in Mowan''s memory. After Mowan recovered intelligence, you secretly helped Mowan several times. Whether it''s based on emotion or logic, Mowan should still repay these favors . From now on, you''re the master of this residence. Mowan will have Liu Xing hand all of it over to you - the deed of the house, thend, as well as the money to allow you to enjoy the rest of your years," said Yao Mowan firmly. "This¡­ How can I ept such a favor? All that this old servant did were meager contributions, how could it deserve such a generous reward from Your Highness? This old servant is too ashamed to ept." When Yao Tu heard what Yao Mowan said, he immediately knelt down in front of her. His voice shook as he gave this reply. "You fully deserve this, Steward Yao. Mowan knows what you''re thinking. Don''t worry. I''ve already begged His Majesty to spare Yao Zhenting''s life. You can go visit him at any time." Originally, Yao Mowan didn''t want to mention Yao Zhenting, but she knew that Yao Tu''s loyalty was sincere. "Your Highness¡­" Yao Tu still wanted to reject the gift, but Yao Mowan stopped him. "Yao Tu, as of now, Prime Minister Yao''s residence is already gone. This is the only other home Mowan has outside of the pce. If you''re unwilling to ept this courtyard, then Mowan will also have no home to return to." Yao Mowan pouted slightly as she swung Yao Tu''s arm with both hands in a childish manner. "All right¡­ All right! Then Yao Tu will stay here and serve as Third Miss''s steward for the rest of this lifetime." Yao Tu looked towards Yao Mowan gratefully and time seemed to fall backwards. He seemed to see how she looked when she had once tugged at his sleeve to ask for candy. After so many years, he had alreadye to view Yao Mowan as his own daughter. That night, with Yin Xue''s help, Yao Mowan slipped secretly into the imperial prison. In the dark and damp imperial prison, the mice were even more aggressive than humans. They brazenly walked around without fear and ate the leftovers of the criminals'' meals. The mice with special preferences even became interested in human flesh, so from time to time, there would be the sound of blood-curdling screamsing from the depths of the prison. Yao Zhenting was imprisoned in the innermost cell of the prison. As Yao Mowan stood in front of the bars, she couldn''t catch sight of Yao Zhenting. It was only when Yin Xue pointed towards the straw pallet that Yao Mowan realized that Yao Zhenting hadpletely buried himself inside the straw. "Father, do you think that you can escape from the harsh reality just by doing this?" Yao Mowan''s lips slowly curved up as a smile unfurled on her lips. The moment Yao Zhenting heard Yao Mowan''s words, he abruptly pushed aside all of the straw and glowered at her. It had only been a few days, but Yao Zhenting looked as if he had aged several dozen years. He was a very pathetic sight with those few pieces of straw stuck in his disheveled hair. "Who would have imagined this? That the grand prime minister of the current dynasty would actually fall to such a state? But who''s to me?" Yao Mowan crossed her arms and lifted her brows as she looked towards Yao Zhenting,pletely unfazed by his bloodthirsty re. "Who''s to me? You still dare to ask this old man who''s to me? Yao Mowan! If it weren''t for you, how could I possibly be in this state? It was all because of you!" bellowed Yao Zhenting, his eyes filled with fury. Everything was bestowed by this devil. As of now, he had nothing left. "Mowan is deeply honored to have such a high evaluation from Father, so Mowan would sincerely be unhappy to find out that it was someone else who caused Father to fall to this point," said Yao Mowan offhandedly. Inside, she was secretly rejoicing in the fact that she had managed to convince Ye Hongyi to spare Yao Zhenting''s life. She was even more certain now that living would simply be endless torment for Yao Zhenting "You knew from the start that I was coborating with Luminescent Prince, that''s why you came up with this kind of n to frame me?" Yao Zhenting had been thinking over past events thesest couple of days inside the imperial prison. He couldn''t bring himself to believe that Ye Zixiao would give up on the throne due to a woman, and if it wasn''t Ye Zixiao''s doing, then it was definitely Yao Mowan''s. "Father truly thinks too highly of Mowan. Even if Mowan had that desire, Mowan still doesn''t have the capability to have so many weapons engraved with the Yao character in such a short period of time. In reality, Mowan doesn''t find it strange that even now, Father still doesn''t believe that this was Luminescent Prince''s plot. That''s because in Father''s eyes, women are worthless goods, regardless if it''s a wife or a daughter. In Father''s eyes, they''re only tools to be exchanged for power or create more descendants. However, Luminescent Prince is different. His feelings for Duan Zirou are able to withstand tests and challenges. As of now, having fallen to this point, Father, do you feel any trace of regret? If Father had been willing to care about women just a little bit more, perhaps you wouldn''t have fallen to such a tragic state," said Yao Mowan softly, her eyespletely cold. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Transcribed by ra-Moon [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 66
Chapter 66: Let''s Leave Together, Alright? "Shut up! You''re nothing but a lowly wretch, what right do you have to lecture me? All people die, even if I die, I wouldn''t regret killing Mo Li! It was all Mo Li, it was all because Mo Li gave birth to a lowly wretch like you!" bellowed Yao Zhenting hysterically as he pointed towards Yao Mowan furiously. "It sounds like you''re shouting just to cover up your own feelings of remorse. As for death¡­ Don''t worry. Mowan has already begged His Majesty to spare your life. However, from now on, Father, you''ll have to spend your life here with the mice aspany until you die." Yao Mowan''s voice seemed toe from the very depths of hell as she matter-of-factly stated Yao Zhenting''s fate. "You mean His Majesty isn''t executing me? Why? Why won''t His Majesty kill me?" Yao Zhenting looked towards Yao Mowan in rm and anger. His crime was plotting rebellion, so even if he wasn''t punished with the death of a thousand cuts, he should still be publicly executed. However, now, due to Yao Mowan''s words, His Majesty had actually abandoned the thought of killing him. Finding out about this infuriated Yao Zhenting. "Mowan does believe that Father is sincere in wanting to die because once you die, you''ll be free. However, Mowan trusts even more that Father would definitely not do something likemitting suicide." Yao Mowan thoroughly understood this man, so her cold voice contained clear ridicule. "Yao Mowan¡­ You''re not my daughter. You''re a devil¡­ You''re a demon¡­" Yao Zhenting copsed weakly back into the straw pile. He really wanted to use his own death to prove Yao Mowan wrong. However, he truly couldn''t bear to close his eyes just like this. Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan grabbed a wine cup with her slender fingers. Ye Hongyi had visited during the day and warned her not to follow in Yao Zhenting''s footsteps. He said that as long as he found any hint that she was up to something, even if it ended up being a life or death struggle between the two of them, he would still make her pay the price. "Ye Hongyi, you fool! Yao Zhenting was nothing but a scapegoat! Are you blind? That''s right, you are blind! If not, why would you take a fancy to Yao Mowan? It was a fool encountering another fool! Haha! Wonderful! How wonderful!" Yao Suluan cursed as she poured wine into her mouth. A breeze swept past and carried over the scent of sandalwood. In the next second, Yao Suluan''s throat feltpletely dry and she could barely breathe. That intense, oppressive aura instantly made Yao Suluan''s head clear up. "Luminescent Prince¡­ Ye Zixiao! Damn you, you actually still daree to this consort''s ce? You caused Yao Residence to bepletely destroyed! How could you still have the nerve to stand in front of this consort, you contemptible, shameless person! You gutless piece of trash!" Yao Suluan borrowed strength from the alcohol to shove Ye Zixiao aside. Her eyes were filled with fury as she red at Ye Zixiao. "Yao Suluan, why didn''t you go?" Ye Zixiao looked at Yao Suluan coldly. He had given up over ten thousand weapons for the sole purpose of framing Yao Zhenting and Yao Suluan. However, to his disappointment, Yao Suluan never appeared in ck bamboo forest, and Yao Zhenting wasn''t executed by the death of a thousand cuts as he had hoped either. He couldn''t ept it. Zirou had died, but her murderers were still livingpletely unscathed. "That''s because this consort isn''t fated to die yet, and naturally this consort isn''t fated to die at the hands of useless trash like you! You''re actually giving up the throne for the sake of a woman? It''s the throne! It''s something that the world scrambles madly for, that everyone in the world dreams of obtaining, but you''re actually giving it up for Duan Zirou? Ye Zixiao, without this consort, you''ll never be able to be emperor in this lifetime!" snarled Yao Suluan, her eyes filled with a crazed fury. Herst road of retreat, all of her hopes, in this moment, had vanished in a puff of smoke. "If Zirou isn''t here to enjoy it with this prince, then what is the point of bing emperor? Yao Suluan, you and your father have killed this prince''s most beloved person. This prince will definitely make both of you pay for it with your lives!" Ye Zixiao''s dark eyes shone with cold, bloodthirsty light. In the next instant, his palm was already clutching Yao Suluan''s snow-white neck with so much force that Yao Suluan was suspended in the air. "Ugh¡­ Ye Zixiao, if you kill this consort, you will die too¡­" Yao Suluan struggled in pain. She reached up with both hands to pry away Ye Zixiao''s hand, but the sensation of suffocation only got stronger. She could almost smell the scent of death. Right at this time, there was the whistle of something cutting through the air and an arrow shot past Ye Zixiao before stabbing fiercely into the wall right beside Yao Suluan''s ear. Yao Suluan had already fainted from the sight of such a sharp weapon flying straight towards her. When Ye Zixiao noticed that there was a letter attached to the arrow, he tossed Yao Suluan aside and reached over to pull down the letter. When he saw the content of the letter, his eyes which had been filled with bloodthirst suddenly lit up and he immediately ran out of Pure Flowers Pce. In the depths of the night, the ck bamboo forest was tranquil andpletely silent. There was only the asional soft rustling of windblown leaves. As the bamboo leaves swayed, an elegant guqin''s song drifted into the air like the tinkling of spring water. The leisurely sound slowly spread through the entire forest. Beneath the moonlight, Duan Zirou was dressed in white garments as she sat in front of a white jade guqin. Her slender fingers gently stroked the strings and music unhurriedly rippled through the air, carrying her current song. It caused all listeners to feel sympathetic sorrow. That day, she had stayed behind with full confidence. She believed that Ye Zixiao would definitely appear. They had once gone through too many unforgettable events together. They had survived too many life or death trials together, so as long as Ye Zixiao knew that she was here, he would definitelye to find her. But as the days passed one by one, Duan Zirou''s initial hope and anticipation gradually faded. All that remained was sadness. At this time, Duan Zirou''s heart was just like the sound of the music, filled with only sad mncholy. "Zirou¡­" The rich, mellow voice contained unconceble trembling. Ye Zixiao walked step by step towards the small building. Beneath the moonlight, his eyes gleamed with overflowing tears. Duan Zirou''s heart reflexively skipped a beat at the sound of this voice. Her hands froze and the soft music abruptly stopped. However, she didn''t dare to look. She was afraid that this was only another hallucination. She was afraid of being disappointed once again. It was only when she smelled that familiar scent, that scent that belonged solely to Ye Zixiao, that she abruptly lifted her eyes. Tears immediately spilled down like broken strands of pearls. They faced each other silently with their tears showing their sincerest emotions. With tears blurring her vision, Duan Zirou looked up at the man standing in front of her. Her hands which were still on top of the guqin trembled uncontrobly. "Zirou, it''s been a long time since you''ve yed ''Seeking Destiny'' for me, Zixiao wants to hear it¡­" Ye Zixiao slowly sat down in front of Duan Zirou. His gentle gaze was filled with warmth. He felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest from joy. He was so grateful that the heavens didn''t take Zirou away. This experience of losing something precious, then regaining it made Ye Zixiao finally understand that, in this world, what he treasured the most was not the grand and aloof dragon throne, but the perfection that was already in front of him. What he treasured the most was the one woman he loved in this world, Duan Zirou. The music started again, this time carrying iparable joy as it rung through the forest. The moonlight was like a hazy curtain, making this beautiful scene inexplicably touching. The song ended, but neither of them left. Tears continued to stream down Duan Zirou''s face as she leaned into Ye Zixiao''s arms. "Zixiao, thank you for appearing¡­ Thank you¡­ " Regardless of what would happen in the future, Ye Zixiao''s appearance this time made Duan Zirou very relieved. She truly hadn''t chosen the wrong person in this lifetime. "Don''tpete for the throne anymore, alright? Let''s just leave together." Duan Zirou knew that this was an unreasonable request, but she couldn''t stop herself from asking. She wouldn''t be able to feel at ease until they were away from the imperial city, the root of all their troubles. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Transcribed by ra-Moon [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 67
Chapter 67: You Don''t Have Any Routes of Retreat Left "Zixiao will give up on the imperial throne for the time being¡­ Zirou, let''s return," said Ye Zixiao gently as he hugged Duan Zirou. Duan Zirou''s heart immediately turned cold. She silently backed out of his embrace, her gaze calm and cold. "The throne or Zirou, you can only choose one. If you cannot bring yourself to give up on imperial power, then just allow Zirou to live out the rest of her life here peacefully. Don''t appear here again. At the very least, this way, Zirou doesn''t have to be gued by worry over your well-being," replied Duan Zirou coldly. She had heard the unspoken implications in Ye Zixiao''s words. "Zirou, you have to believe in this husband! There will definitelye a day when this husband will take Ye Hongyi''s ce and be a dragon among men." Ye Zixiao moved up with a fervent look in his eyes and reached out to pull Zirou back into his arms. But he suddenly felt a chille from behind his back. He abruptly turned around and with a flick of his sleeves, sent the dagger that was flying towards his face over to the side where it embedded deeply into the white jade guqin. "It''s not impossible for Luminescent Prince to be a dragon among men, however, it really wouldn''t be easy. Of course, if Luminescent Prince''s life is long enough and can hold out until Ye Hongyi dies of old age, Luminescent Prince will have arge chance. However, Jing Xin recently heard that Ye Hongyi is taking immortality pills, so who can be certain whether Luminescent Prince will really be able to live longer than Ye Hongyi?" Yao Mowan was standing in the elegant moonlight in a robe of ck. As the night breeze swept up her ink ck hair, they rippled like waves of the dark sea. The ck silk veil she was wearing emphasized her mysterious aura even more. "Who are you?" Ye Zixiao looked towards Yao Mowan in rm as he moved in front of Zirou protectively. "In the past whenever people asked this, Jing Xin would just reply with who I am is not important. However, in reply to Luminescent Prince''s question, Jing Xin can tell you that who I am is very important. As long as I am here, Luminescent Prince will never be able to get the imperial throne in this lifetime, because Jing Xin believes that that position has a different fated owner," stated Yao Mowan without holding back, her aura unnaturally oppressive. Even though Ye Zixiao couldn''t sense Yao Mowan''s inner strength, he was still stunned by the imposing aura that she gave off. He found it hard to even meet her gaze, because the sharpness in those eyes seemed to contain enough power to destroy everything. It caused people''s hearts to feel chilled due to instinctive fear and reverence. "How are you so certain?" demanded Ye Zixiao angrily, trying to conceal theck of confidence he was feeling. "Based on the fact that when Luminescent Prince left, Jing Xin had hidden several forged letters of exchange between Luminescent Prince and Yao Zhenting in Luminescent Prince''s residence. If Jing Xin''s guess is not off, then these letters have already fallen into Ye Hongyi''s hands by now. It seems like Prince won''t be able to return to Luminescent Prince Residence." Yao Mowan chuckled lightly. Making use of Yao Zhenting''s usation of rebellion as an opportunity to implicate Ye Zixiao had been her n from the start. It was the so-called, ''the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.'' Yao Mowan''s original target had been Ye Zixiao from the start and now, everything had yed out perfectly. "What? His Majesty won''t believe it." Ye Zixiao''s heart abruptly dropped and his brows furrowed tightly. "Whether His Majesty believes it or not is one thing, and whether His Majesty will pretend to believe is another. Luminescent Prince has a rather strong position in court. If Ye Hongyi can take advantage of this opportunity to eradicate one of his greatest opponents, do you think he would choose not to believe? Or that he would choose to pretend to believe?" Yao Mowan hit the nail on the head. In reality, the moment Yao Mowan had revealed the forged letters, Ye Zixiao knew that he had made a crucial mistake and that his momentum was now gone. "Who are you doing this for?" asked Ye Zixiao coldly as he stared at the woman in front of him. At this moment, he suddenly had a feeling that he had been used as a chess piece."Jing Xin can only tell Luminescent Prince that even if Jing Xin hadn''t done anything this time, Luminescent Prince, you still wouldn''t have sessfully obtained your desire. Did you forget how fierce the struggle over the throne had been back then? Ye Hongyi had been able to survive in the midst of that bloody turmoil, so how could he ever be an easy foe? Luminescent Prince, the amount of armed forces that you possess have no way of resisting the iron blood army that Ye Hongyi had secretly built up," said Yao Mowan with a disdainful snort. "Iron Blood Army!?" eximed Ye Zixiao has he looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "So Prince hasn''t even heard of this before? Forget it, this is all Jing Xin will say. Farewell." After saying this, Yao Mowan made to turn around, but Ye Zixiao suddenly lifted his sleeve. In the next second, Yin Xue was already standing in front of her with three silver needles caught between her fingers. "Lady is truly not an ordinary person, to possess such a strong hidden guard. May I ask whether the person Lady is trying to protect is Ye Junqing?" If one''s status was low, no matter how much money they had, they would not be able to hire the most skilled hidden guards. The woman in dark garments standing in front of him was clearly even stronger than Ling Yun. "Since Prince has already left the game, the matters of the game no longer have any rtionship with Prince. Rather than staring with longing towards the distant green hills, why not cherish the person in front of you? Prince, may you make the best choice." Yao Mowan''s gaze was sharp as a knife and her tone was filled with warning. Once Yao Mowan left, Ye Zixiao couldn''t help but sigh. It was fine even if he didn''t have any roads of retreat left. At the very least, Zirou was still with him. The fifth day after Prime Minister Yao''s residence was searched, Luminescent Prince''s residence was searched. In addition, while Luminescent Prince''s residence was being searched, Luminescent Prince had suddenly disappeared without a trace in the night. Before one wave of trouble had calmed, another wave had already risen. Just as Ye Zixiao''s matters had settled down, the next day, Guan Osprey Pce caught on fire. The entire east wing was consumed by mes sorge they rushed towards the skies and roared in the wind. "Why are they still not out? This won''t do, this consort is going in!" Yao Mowan was beside herself with worry as she looked at therge fire. The handkerchief she was holding had already been twisted beyond recognition. When Ting Yue saw that Yao Mowan wanted to rush inside, she immediately moved to drag her back. "Your Highness! This fire is toorge, you can''t go inside! Liu Xing has already sent people inside to save Prince. Esteemed Prince will definitely be fine!" As Ting Yue was doing her all to stop Yao Mowan, Liu Xing had already rushed out of the fire with Ye Junqing on his back. "Liu Xing, how is he?" Yao Mowan immediately rushed over the moment that she saw Liu Xinge out. For some reason, her legs felt extremely weak and she almost fell. Her face was filled with anxiety and a hint of deep fear. "Don''t worry, Your Highness. The Prince is fine." Liu Xing carried Ye Junqing into Guan Osprey Pce''s main hall, then ced him on the chaise lounge. Yao Mowan ran in after him and Ting Yue closed the door behind them in order to prevent the people working on putting out the fire from hearing. "He''s¡­. He''s asleep?" Ye Junqing''s face was a little dark from the soot and his hair was scorched in some ces. The hems of his garment were also a little burnt, but other than that, he was breathing evenly with a calm expression. When Ye Junqing subconsciously flipped around and continued to sleep soundly, Yao Mowan was astonished. "Replying Your Highness, when this servant rushed in, Prince had an ice silk outer garment draped over him so he wasn''t injured at all." Yao Mowan then turned to look at Liu Xing. Inparison, there was not a single part of Liu Xing that was unharmed. There was even the scent of scorched flesh. "Ting Yue!" Yao Mowan immediately called Ting Yue in. "Your Highness?" Upon hearing the sound, Ting Yue pushed open the doors and walked in before looking towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "Immediately bring Liu Xing to see an imperial physician," instructed Yao Mowan worriedly. Right at this time the sound of salutes came from outside the door. "Don''t worry about things here. Ting Yue, you make sure that the imperial physician diagnose Liu Xing carefully," said Yao Mowan as she looked towards Liu Xing with heartache. At this time, Ye Hongyi had already pushed opened the doors and stormed in. "Wan er!" The instant Ye Hongyi came in, Yao Mowan abruptly threw herself into his arms as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Your Majesty, Wan er''s scared! The fire''s so big!" At the side, Ting Yue silently supported Liu Xing and withdrew from the pce. "Let us have a proper look." Ye Hongyi held Yao Mowan''s snow shoulders as he worriedly looked her over. He only loosened a breath in relief once he found that she waspletely fine. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Transcribed by Alicia [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 68
Chapter 68: Austere Prince''s Ice Silk Garment "What exactly is going on? Why did it suddenly catch fire? Well?" Ye Hongyi gently helped Yao Mowan down to a seat as he demanded answers from the servants. "Replying Your Majesty. The fire outside has already been put out. The east wing was the only part burned to the ground. Guan Osprey Pce''s main hall and west wing are perfectly intact. In addition, the servants that were putting out the fire earlier discovered this ice silk garment in the debris," replied An Bingshan as he stood in front of Ye Hongyi and respectfully lifted up the garment. "Where''s Ye Junqing?" asked Ye Hongyi coldly. "Your Majesty¡­ he''s over there." Before An Bingshan could reply, Yao Mowan had tugged on Ye Hongyi''s sleeve and looked towards the chaise lounge. Even now, Ye Junqing was sleeping soundly on the chaise lounge, with no trace of being close to waking. "He''s fine?" Ye Hongyi lifted his brows as he looked towards Ye Junqing, his voice filled with faint disappointment. "Mmhm, when Liu Xing rescued him, Liu Xing said that this was what was draped around him. Your Majesty¡­ Now that the east wing is gone, this time he''ll leave right?" Yao Mowan blinked innocently as she looked towards Ye Hongyi with a slight pout. Right at this time, a young eunuch suddenly ran in. "Reporting, Your Majesty, great Shu''s envoy has sent someone to request a meeting." Ye Hongyi was surprised by this news, then he gave consent for the meeting. "This Shu subject, Huangfu Junxiu, kowtows in salute to King of Chu." Ye Hongyi knew who it was by the sound of his voice. The man in front of him had handsome looks and an extraordinary aura. He held himself up with proud dignity and stern might. The calmness in those eyes even as he met the gaze of a monarch caused people to feel inadvertent admiration. "Please rise. From what we know, there''s still a day of travel before Austere Prince will arrive, so may we ask what he has sent you ahead for?" asked Ye Hongyi as he concealed the wariness in his eyes. "Replying King Chu, His Excellency Austere Prince sent this subject here to discuss the matter of residency. Back then, Austere Prince had genuinely viewed Queen Chu as his older sister, and as of now, he has heard that Queen Chu''s younger sister has entered the pce as a consort. Since he misses Queen Chu, Austere Prince would like to request to stay in Guan Osprey Pce in order to get more familiar with Consort Yao. Secondly, he also sent this subordinate to retrieve his possession, the ice silk garment." Every single word that Huangfu Junxiu said made Yao Mowan''s lips twitch. He viewed her as his older sister? Howe she never sensed that? Chu Moxin sure was something to make this initial show of strength before he even arrived. It was enough that he set a fire in order to conceal his secret doings, but he actually dared to publicly admit that this was his doing? "This.. it''s improper for unrted men and women to interact, and Consort Yao is His Majesty''s favorite consort, so how can Austere Prince be allowed to interact with her in Guan Osprey Pce? I''m afraid that this would be quite inappropriate," said An Bingshan in an attempt to mediate. "Huangfu Junxiu thought that Manager An, as an eunuch, would be more indifferent towards the differences between men and women. But unexpectedly, your way of thinking is still so sordid. Austere Prince wishes to get familiar with Consort Yao only out of familial affection. He harbors none of Eunuch An''s suggested dirty intentions. Of course, King Chu can reject this. However, Austere Prince has said that if he cannot stay in Guan Osprey Pce, he will not enter the city tomorrow and will directly turn back to return to Shu." Huangfu Junxiu''s expression was gentle but the meaning contained within his words were colder than the winter wind. These words were enough to make An Bingshan''s face turn red with anger. "Forget it. Since Austere Prince cherishes his friendship with Moxin so much, we will allow it. As for the ice silk garment, we don''t understand. Since it belongs to Austere Prince, why would it appear in the burnt down east wing?" In Ye Hongyi''s eyes, Chu Moxin''s action was to pick fault and start a war. Due to the recent disturbances, now really wasn''t (??) the best time to have a war with Great Shu. So if it was something that could be tolerated, he would do his best to tolerate it. This was also the reason why he gave Ye Junqing full authority over how to wee Chu Moxin. That way, if Chu Moxin does find a reason to start a war, the me would be on Ye Junqing. "If it were not for the ice silk garment, how could Esteemed Prince have slept so soundly? Austere Prince''s meaning is that, it seems inappropriate for Esteemed Prince to live in Guan Osprey Pce so he went through the trouble ofing up with this method to encourage Esteemed Prince to find another ce to live." Huangfu Junxiu showed no intention of hiding things and straightforwardly admitted to starting the fire. "So it was like this¡­" Ye Hongyi was internally boiling from anger. If it was possible, he really wanted to kill this arrogant Huangfu Junxiu right now, then send someone to assassinate Chu Moxin before sending troops to Shu to behead Chu Mobei! However, he didn''t have that ability. As Yao Mowan stood next to Ye Hongyi, she felt arge sweat drop appear on the back of her head. Reality has shown that these years hadn''t turned Chu Moxin into a decent nobleman at all. On the contrary, he was even more wicked now. From the looks of it, he was even showing signs of surpassing his predecessor. After Huangfu Junxiu left, Ye Hongyi ordered An Bingshan to immediately set up a new luxurious wing over the ruins of the east wing and he instructed for it to bepleted before Chu Moxin arrived. This action probably counted as a silent protest. Wasn''t Chu Moxin so amazing as to have the nerve to fully burn down the building? Then he should just burn it one more time! In any case, the person living inside was Ye Junqing so the building burning down wouldn''t cause him any harm. That night at dinner when Ye Junqing woke up and found out everything that happened, he angrily mmed his fist on the table and the beautiful, antique, pear blossom table surface immediately cracked in two. "In reality, Chu Moxin wasn''t too mean. At the very least, he lent his ice silk garment to Prince. Otherwise, Prince wouldn''t even have the strength to destroy our dinner table right now. Ting Yue, have someone bring another table over." Yao Mowanpletely understood Ye Junqing''s current indignation. If it had happened to her, she probably wouldn''t have stopped before tearing the house down. "He''s clearly humiliating this prince! Back then, he had used this method to embarrass this prince and now he''s using it again! And this prince had actually fallen for it again!" Ye Junqing couldn''t believe it. How in the world did he end up getting drugged again? "The trick isn''t anything new, but back then it was on great Shu''s territory. This time it was in Guan Osprey Pce." Yao Mowan cruelly reminded Ye Junqing of this fact. "So you''re saying that this prince has gotten weak?! Hmph! Chu Moxin truly goes too far. He had better not let this prince see him or this prince will make him pay!" The veins on Ye Junqing''s forehead bulged from anger and his eyes flickered with cold fury. "Then prince will soon be able to make him pay. His Majesty has already ordered for the east wing to be rebuilt. It will bepleted by tomorrow afternoon. For tonight, we''ll have to trouble Fluffy to lend Prince some of her territory," said Yao Mowan lightly. In reality, she was also a little apprehensive. She was also unsure of Chu Moxin''s motives in this visit. "When dragons swim in shallow water, they may end up falling in the traps of prawn. When tigers fall from their territory, they may be bullied by dog. Has this prince already fallen to a point that this prince must fight with a cat for territory?" In this moment, Ye Junqing finally felt deste like he had never felt before. Back then, when he was on the battlefield, everywhere he went, people looked towards him with admiration. As of now, not even thezy seat warmer Fluffy was willing to even nce at him. How did he, Ye Junqing, end up falling to this point, how!? "Fluffy''s not an ordinary cat." Yao Mowan seemed to be consoling Ye Junqing. "But it''s still a cat!" Ye Junqing had no way of epting this reality. The next day at four in the afternoon, when the rumored Chu Moxin appeared outside Guan Osprey Pce, the main hall was already in an uproar. "Mowan feels that Prince does not need to go so far," said Yao Mowan as she looked at Ye Junqing who was holding the me soul de. "If he''s willing to admit his errors, then this prince will consider sparing his life." Ye Junqing hadn''t slept at all that night and had been eager to get into battle. Early this morning, he had headed back to his residence to get his favorite sword for the goal of intimidating Chu Moxin. The chances of him setting down his sword now were close to zero. Since Yao Mowan couldn''t stop him, she decided to just see how things went. She understood Ye Junqing''s personality too well. Since it was something regarding the rtionship between the two nations, he probably wouldn''t do anything that went too far. In addition, after what happened yesterday, Yao Mowan was concerned that Chu Moxin wouldn''t resign to this fate. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Transcribed by Alicia [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 69
Chapter 69: Give the Sword Back to Me! After walking out of Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan spotted Chu Moxin who was standing in front of the distant pce doors. Under the sunlight, that green gem garment was so gorgeous that it was dazzling. What stunned Yao Mowan the most was the fact that Chu Moxin lookedpletely different from what she remembered. At that time, in the pce of Shu, Chu Moxin had only been ten years old. He had a round chubby face, cute features, and his sly mischievous manner as heughed made people''s hearts fill with motherly love. It had only been five years, but Chu Moxin now seemed like apletely different person. His eyes had grown into slender phoenix eyes with slightly lifted corners, and his eyshes seemed to curl even more than those of women. Beneath his high bridge nose, his peach blossom-like lips were curved in a beautiful arc. That clean smile glittered like the flowers of spring, but at the same time, contained a faint hint of wickedness. He was seriously bing more and more like him. Yao Mowan couldn''t help but think of Chu Mobei. Setting everything else aside, that demonic smile was identical to that of his older brother''s. "Chu Moxin! You¡­" After Ye Junqing confirmed that the person standing there was Chu Moxin, he immediately charged towards the pce doors with his sword. However, right after he shouted that, he saw Chu Moxin greet him with an extremely sincere smile. "Big Brother Junqing, long time no see! Moxin really missed you. Moxin even dreamed of Big Brother Junqing''s heroic figure on the battlefield. Whoa! After not seeing each other for five years, Big Brother Junqing has really be even more handsome. What do I do? Moxin really wants to hug you!" Chu Moxin''s words made Ye Junqingpletely bewildered. How was he supposed to react? As Ye Junqing repeatedly asked himself this, Chu Moxin went over to hug him. "You¡­ You missed me?" Ye Junqing took in Chu Moxin''s innocent expression with a very confused look. Right at this time, Chu Moxin seemed to inadvertently spy Ye Junqing''s sword. "Junxiu, seee? This prince told you that Big Brother Junqing was the one person in great Chu that wanted me to visit the most. Look, he even brought his favorite me soul de as a present for Moxin. How could Moxin ept such a precious gift?" Although he said this, he immediately took advantage of this chance while Ye Junqing was still confused to snatch the sword from his hand. "Esteemed Prince, he''s taken your sword away, you know?" Yao Mowan slowly walked over to Ye Junqing''s side to remind him. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing abruptly snapped out of his daze but it was already toote. "Hey! Give this sword back to this prince!" Ye Junqing looked towards Chu Moxin angrily as he reached out for the sword. "You must be Wan er." Chu Moxin didn''t look at Ye Junqing and didn''t seem concerned that he was angry as he walked over to Yao Mowan with a smile. Although he was only 15 years old, he was already nearly as tall as Yao Mowan."Wan er? His Majesty said that you were younger than me though. Shouldn''t you call me Big Sister Wan er?" Yao Mowan could tell that Chu Moxin was taking the same path as her. As Ye Junqing had said, she might as well use the same means to defeat him. She''d like to see how long Chu Moxin could act cute and naive in front of her. "No, if I add big sister it sounds so distant so I''ll just call you Wan er," said Chu Moxin a little willfully. "Up to you." Yao Mowan had no ns of arguing over these insignificant things with him so she turned around to walk towards Guan Osprey Pce. "Hey! Give the sword back to this prince!" Ye Junqing wanted to stop Chu Moxin, but Huangfu Junxiu stepped forward. "Excuse Junxiu for being talkative, but my master''s name isn''t hey." Huangfu Junxiu''s words almost choked Ye Junqing to death. "Ahem¡­ then Austere Prince, please return the sword to this prince!" Ye Junqing adjusted his wording and spoke seriously. "No, Big Brother Junqing had just gifted this sword to Moxin, how can you go back on your word so soon? No matter what, you should wait until Moxin has had enough of ying with it!" replied Chu Moxin angrily. Then he followed Yao Mowan into Guan Osprey Pce. Ting Yue was thest one to walk into the main hall. As she stepped in, she turned around and shut the pce doors. "Moxin knows Wan er''s older sister?" Yao Mowan trying to find an appropriate conversation topic. "Junxiu had stated things very clearly earlier. You shouldn''t tell this prince that you hadn''t heard!" The arrogant voice carried a trace of disdain. Chu Moxin took the liberty of getting himself a seat and sat down with his legs crossed. There was no longer any trace of that naive innocence on his face. It had already been reced by sly charm. It was hard to imagine that this sort of expression would appear on a fifteen year old child. "You? This prince?" He had still been calling her Wan er sweetly just a moment earlier, but now it had turned into you. Yao Mowan sensed Chu Moxin''s abnormality and looked over in surprise. "Then what, should this prince continue to pinch his throat and call you Wan er? Even if you don''t feel awkward hearing it, this prince feels disgusted saying it." Chu Moxin shrugged and his beautiful eyes narrowed slightly."However, your looks actually don''t lose to Yao Moxin''s. Beautiful. Even in Shu, it would be hard to find a beauty like you." Chu Moxin nodded in an earnest manner as he expressed his praise. "You have no manners at all! Wan er will definitely tell His Majesty not to let you stay here anymore. Who wants to get familiar with you?" Although Chu Moxin could show his true self, Yao Mowan couldn''t. Just as Yao Mowan was pretending to grumble, Chu Moxin suddenly burst outughing. "Moxin had only pretended for a little bit, but that short experience was already agonizing enough. However, you were actually able to keep up this act for over 20 years. It''s no wonder Big Brother sent me to take a look at you." Chu Moxin''s smile was just like his personality, arrogant to the point that Yao Mowan felt tempted to smack him. "This prince advises Austere Prince to be more conscious of your words. Everyone in great Chu knows of Consort Yao''s situation. If you continue to be so rude in your words, this prince will definitely not be polite." Ye Junqing was shocked by Chu Moxin''s words. Chu Mobei was the one that sent him to investigate Yao Mowan? Wasn''t that making a big fuss over a minor issue? "Just because everyone in great Chu knows something doesn''t make it the truth. This prince sure does not believe that a fool could make Yan Nansheng willingingly give Yin Xue to her, and this prince doesn''t believe that a fool could possibly be the most favored consort of the pce without relying on anything. Yao Mowan, what do you think? Doesn''t this prince''s words make some sense?" Chu Moxin lifted his handsome face which was exquisite to the point of cuteness as he looked over with a devilishly charming smile. "If someone said that you weren''t Chu Mobei''s biological younger brother, this consort would definitely fight them with her life." Yao Mowan took a deep breath, then looked towards Chu Moxin with lifted brows. "It''s because Esteemed Prince knows the truth that you feel no hesitation upon revealing your true self in front of this prince, right?" Chu Moxin ignored Yao Mowan''s words of ridicule and continued questioning her calmly. Yao Mowan was silent. Chu Moxin''s momentum was too strong. She felt like she could no longer quite hold her own. "The King of Chu is at odds with the esteemed prince but the esteemed prince actually knows your secret? What does this mean?" Chu Moxin lifted his finger and pressed it against his chin contemtively. "In reality, doesn''t Prince feel that these words should be unspoken criticism? Is there really a need to voice them? The walls have ears, so for better or worse, prince should abstain a little right?" As Yao Mowan looked at the two-faced and arrogant brat in front of her, ck lines gradually appeared on her forehead. "If this prince wasn''t abstaining, then there was no need to apany you in acting innocent out there. But things are different inside the house. With Yin Xiong''s presence, who would dare to approach this building?" said Chu Moxin with a confident expression. "Yin Xiong? You brought Yin Xiong here?" Yao Mowan was shocked by this information. The Yin n had only produced two hidden guards in this generation; one was with her and the other was Yin Xue''s older brother, Yin Xiong. However, Yan Nansheng had said before that Yin Xiong was Chu Mobei''s hidden guard, so why was he with Chu Moxin? "That''s right. This prince knows that it''s been a long time since Yin Xiong had seen his younger sister, so this prince especially requested Big Brother to allow Yin Xiong to apany this prince on this trip," answered Chu Moxin earnestly. However, there was no way that Yao Mowan would believe a single word that came out of his lips. Chu Moxin seemed to sense Yao Mowan''s skepticism because he changed his words. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira, Transcribed by Alicia [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 70
Chapter 70: Two-faced Child "Actually, this prince is pretty curious. As hidden guards of the Yin n, who exactly was stronger, Yin Xiong or his younger sister? Yin Xiong, force Yin Xue to get out here!"manded Chu Moxin darkly. Right after Chu Moxin said that, there was the sound of punching and kicking. When Yao Mowan heard Yin Xue''s muffled groan, her heart clutched in pain. "Yin Xue,e out!"manded Yao Mowan worriedly. Hidden guards, without the master''s instructions, would remain hidden and would not show themselves no matter what happened. So if she didn''tmand for Yin Xue to show herself, based on Yin Xue''s temperament, there was no way she''d reveal herself no matter how severe of an injury she suffered. "Master!" When Yin Xue appeared next to Yao Mowan, everyone saw the bloodstain at the corner of her lips. "Well, it looks like this prince''s Yin Xiong is still a cut above! Yin Xiong,e out." When Yao Mowan saw the haughty grin on Chu Moxin''s face, she really wanted to walk up and smack him. No matter what, this was still her territory! A ck figure appeared andnded like a phantom next to Chu Moxin. When Yao Mowan looked over, she couldn''t help but sigh in admiration. Yin Xiong had a tall build with sharp, handsome features and was definitely worthy of the reputation of a male beauty. However, that cold expression on his face was even more severe than Yin Xue''s. Those eyes in particr were as calm as the water below an ancient well. Not a trace of expression could be made out. "This subordinate Yin Xiong kowtows in salute to Master." Yin Xiong''s voice which resounded with strength caused all the listeners'' hearts to tremble with its vibrations. "Yes, you did well! This prince will remember your contribution. Once we get back, this prince will definitely have Big Brother reward you!" dered Chu Moxin. "Chu Moxin, if you have the ability, just fight on your own. Don''t you feel ashamed having Yin Xiong fight on your behalf?" said Ye Junqing in a tone of disdain. "It is a show of my ability to have Yin Xiong fight for me! Junxiu, this prince is tired." Chu Moxin snapped back at Ye Junqing, then got up and left the pce without bothering to even nce at Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing again. "Replying Prince, this subject had already instructed for the servants to tidy up the west wing. It has already been decorated with your favorite jasmine orchids. Prince, this way please." Huangfu Junxiu walked respectfully to Chu Moxin''s side and opened the door for him. Even after Chu Moxin had left, Ye Junqing was still frozen in shock due to Huangfu Junxiu''s words. "Did this prince hear that right? Let the heart be like a withered well, let no more great waves be born, such is the unadorned heart. That kid actually likes jasmine orchids (unadorned core orchid)!?" "Hasn''t Prince ever heard of making sure to supplement in what youck?" Yao Mowan sighed lightly. The first battle was aplete defeat. It was all because she had underestimated the enemy, but who would''ve thought that a fifteen year old child would be two-faced to this degree? It seemed that the saying ''those who were near ink were stained ck'' wasn''t unreasonable. Even an idiot would gain some scheming skills if they were by Chu Mobei''s side long enough, so his blood-rted brother turning out like this was to be expected. "Seriously, if this prince had known earlier, this prince wouldn''t have looked at him and wouldn''t have listened to him. This prince should''ve just hacked him down from the outset! Now what do we do?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan with a worried expression. "Now¡­ Yin Xue, you should head back to Phoenix Feather Manor to recover from your injuries. While Chu Moxin is here, there''s no need for you to return." Yao Mowan looked towards Yin Xue solemnly as she said this. "Master, it was Yin Xue''s ipetence that made you lose face in front of Chu Moxin." Yin Xue wiped at the blood at the corner of her lips with a slight frown. "Do you think that''s why this consort is having you return to Phoenix Feather Manor?" Yao Mowan pulled Yin Xue over as a trace of heartache shed through her eyes. Yin Xue''s silence indicated what she was thinking. "In this consort''s heart, you, Yin Xue, are the best hidden guard in the world! Yin Xiong can''tpare at all! This consort knows that even if you weren''t Yin Xiong''s match, you still wouldn''t have gotten injured in such a short amount of time. It was because you think of Yin Xiong as your brother that you reacted a step slow. This consort doesn''t want to judge Yin Xiong in front of you. After all, hidden guards have their own rules. However, this consort wishes to say that inparison to him, this consort likes you, who is made of flesh and blood and has feelings, much more!" Yao Mowan hugged Yin Xue as she said this sincerely. Radiant light glowed in her eyes. "Master¡­" A trace of tears glimmered in Yin Xue''s eyes. She never thought that Yao Mowan would actually know her so well. It was true. If it was in regards to martial arts, hers was not necessarily any inferior to her brother''s. However, at that time, she had been too happy. It had been too long since they had seen each other. She really missed him. "This consort is having you leave because this consort is worried that Chu Moxin, that brat, would call Yin Xiong out from time to time to provoke a fight. This consort isn''t concerned with winning or losing, but this consort doesn''t want you to be put in such a predicament." Yao Mowan looked towards Yin Xue meaningfully with a firm smile. "This subordinate is grateful for Master''s understanding." Yin Xue cupped her fist in a salute. She was truly moved. Following that, in a sh, she withdrew. Once Yin Xue left, Ye Junqing peered at Yao Mowan. "Are you really doing this for Yin Xue''s sake?" Ye Junqing couldn''t help but question Yao Mowan''s motives due to what he knew about her. "Of course. This consort''s people aren''t monkeys for Chu Moxin to y with." Yao Mowan leaned over to pick up Fluffy who had been rubbing against her ankle and continued leisurely, "Of course, this consort believes that there''s no way Yan Nansheng will remain unconcerned after seeing Yin Xue return, right?" A crafty light filled Yao Mowan''s eyes as she smiled sweetly. At breakfast the next day, the moment Yao Mowan walked out of the bedroom, she saw Ye Junqing sitting there with a worried expression. "Prince sure woke up early." Yao Mowan leisurely walked over to sit down opposite Ye Junqing, then she nced over to indicate for Ting Yue to prepare breakfast. "I didn''t sleep at all," replied Ye Junqing listlessly as his facial color worsened further. "Was it because of the me soul de?" Yao Mowan had known Ye Junqing for a long time, so she knew about the fact that it was Ye Junqing''s teacher who had personally forged that sword for him. That sword truly meant a lot to him. "Say, what should this prince do to make him give back the sword?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan, his eyes bright with hope. "No matter what Prince does, there''s no way he''ll return the sword to you." Yao Mowan directly voiced the cruel reality. "Then this prince will just have to fight!" Ye Junqing angrily got up. Just as he was about to leave, Yao Mowan calmly spoke again. "Prince, you shouldn''t be so impatient. Although he wouldn''t give the sword back to you, that doesn''t mean he wouldn''t give it to Mowan." Yao Mowan''s long eyshes casted half-moon shadows on her cheeks that concealed the shrewd light within her eyes. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing sat back down. He had faith like never before in Yao Mowan. This was also because he had no choice but to trust her. After all, he couldn''t very well really go fight! Right at this time, Chu Moxin strode in boldly and after stretchingzily, sat down right in between Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing. "You two sure get up early. Junxiu, serve this prince breakfast," instructed Chu Moxin. "Prince, the imperial chef we brought has already finished preparing the meal. Why don''t you return to your room to eat?" suggested Huangfu Junxiu carefully. "What are you afraid of? That they would poison me? Would they dare? The current great Chu doesn''t have the power to fight with us. It''s obvious just from Ye Hongyi is acting. This prince has been here for such a long time but he hasn''t even dared to show his face! It''s obvious that he''s scared of this prince messing with him! If he had any guts at all, he wouldn''t hiding like a turtle! Andpared to Ye Hongyi, these two are nothing at all! Hurry and serve me!" Chu Moxin was like a conceited peacock. Not only did he fan out all his tail feathers, he insisted on shaking them in front of Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing''s face to show them off. Ye Junqing took a deep breath. He really wanted to refute and just get violent, but he had no choice but to admit that every single world that Chu Moxin said was true. On the other hand, Yao Mowan didn''t seem to be affected by Chu Moxin''s words at all and sat there contentedly. She even seemed to be in a good mood. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 71
Chapter 71: Conceited and Narcissistic Man "Do you know what instructions Big Brother gave this prince before this trip?" When Chu Moxin saw that Yao Mowan wasn''t affected, he leaned over as he said this to provoke her. "Yao Mowan is all ears," replied Yao Mowan, unconcerned. "Big Brother said that if you really did turn out to be a fool, to kill you so as to avoid you sullying Big Sister Moxin''s reputation. If you weren''t a fool, he told this prince to still kill you because he doesn''t wish for another Yao Moxin to appear in great Chu. However, since you''re so beautiful, this prince can''t really bear to, so what should this prince do?" Chu Moxin thought that his words would cause Yao Mowan''s face to fill with shock but instead, Yao Mowan just sighed. "What kind of attitude is that?" Chu Moxin looked towards Yao Mowan in annoyance. "With how conceited and narcissistic Chu Mobei is, there are two types of people he''d never kill in this lifetime. The first type is those with low intelligence because he''d feel like he was dirtying his own hands and disgracing his own reputation. The second type are those with extremely high intelligence because in his eyes, there''s no one that can be more intelligent than him. He would use his own abilities to prove that all those with high intelligence must concede defeat in front of him. So regardless of which type Mowan is, he still wouldn''t have Little Prince kill Mowan. "This is true especially since he lost to Eldest Sister in chess by just one move and was tricked into giving up Mangyuan by Eldest Sister during the diplomatic talks. All these years, he must have been wanting to turn the tables on Eldest Sister, but sadly, Eldest Sister had passed away. If he knew that Mowan wasn''t a fool, what do you think he would do?" Yao Mowan''s words caused Chu Moxin to be speechless. "Ahem¡­ This prince was just joking a little, why are you prattling on so much? Meals should be eaten silently, don''t you know?" Chu Moxin angrily withdrew back to his seat to lift his bowl and start stuffing rice into his mouth. At the side, Ye Junqing felt a drop of sweat slide down the back of his head. Yao Mowan''s ssic phrase had actuallye out of Chu Moxin''s mouth. They were truly birds of a feather. After a few minutes, Chu Moxin suddenly set down the bowl and abruptly ran out. His facial color was very pale. "Prince!" Huangfu Junxiu hastily followed after him. When Ye Junqing saw the two leave, he looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "What''s with him?" asked Ye Junqing. "Mowan had added Yin Xue''s personally concoctedxative into every dish. Don''t worry, this time he''ll be too busy to pull any more tricks¡­" As Yao Mowan''s lips curled up, Ye Junqing felt an abrupt chill. "Then why didn''t you tell this prince?" Ye Junqing quickly threw away his chopsticks and looked towards Yao Mowan in astonishment. "Mowan thought that Prince would definitely lose all appetite upon seeing Chu Moxin," replied Yao Mowan innocently. Ye Junqing was speechless. Although it was said that revenge must be taken and anger must be vented, he seriously couldn''t afford to offend this woman. Chu Moxin soon stormed back in furiously. Ye Junqing had expected this. "Yao Mowan! You actually dared to give this prince axative!? Aren''t you worried that great Shu will send troops to great Chu!?" Chu Moxin rushed towards Yao Mowan like a raging lion. "Mowan is nothing but a fool, why would Mowan care about so much?" Yao Mowan snorted. Great Shu was strong, but there was no way it''d send troops just because a prince had gotten diarrhea in Chu''s imperial pce. "You! Then aren''t you scared that this prince will kill you?" Right after Chu Moxin shouted this, he felt like his insides were flooding with something and he had to run outside again. "Noble Consort Yao, those who y with fire inevitably end up getting burned. It''s best if you hide." After Huangfu Junxiu said this, he hastily followed the prince out. "I think you should avoid him for now after all. This prince will help you block him." Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly. With his martial arts, it wouldn''t be a problem to deal with Yin Xiong. However, he wasn''t sure how many hidden guards Chu Moxin had brought. "Since this consort had dared to do it, of course this consort dares to take responsibility for it. However, Mowan is touched that Prince is concerned about Mowan''s safety." Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with a slight smile. Their rtionship had gotten a lot betterpared to when they had first met and were fighting tooth for w almost every day. "If you really are touched, then help this prince get the me soul de back," replied Ye Junqing in slight embarrassment. At this time, Chu Moxin had already returned. The moment he stepped into Guan Osprey Pce, he called out Yin Xiong. "Yin Xiong! Help this prince teach them a proper lesson!" Thexative had seriously been no joke. Chu Moxin''s face was no longer healthily flushed like before and he lookedpletely worn out. However, Yin Xiong didn''t appear. "Yin Xiong!" Chu Moxin called again while looking around, but the room remained silent. "Preposterous! How dare he ignore this prince''smands!? Once this prince returns, this prince will definitely tell Big Brother and have him punish you!" Chu Moxin was infuriated, but then he suddenly saw two figures drop down andnd in front of him. "Nansheng is a little curious. If Little Prince lost his big brother and Yin Xiong, how is Little Prince suppose to keep living?" The light, slightly mocking voice spilled out from Yan Nansheng''s beautiful thin lips. Yin Xiong was standing next to Yan Nansheng, his movementspletely sealed. "Yan Nansheng? You truly do look like a woman! Give Yin Xiong back to this prince!" demanded Chu Moxin as he red at Yan Nansheng. "Tsk tsk¡­ Nansheng seriously doesn''t know what right Little Prince has to be so unbridled in this sort of situation. Wan er ah, it looks like you went too light on the drug!" Yan Nansheng slowly walked to Yao Mowan''s side as he said this with a light sight. "It''s already quite a lot. If Little Prince isn''t willing to admit his mistake and hand over the me soul de, then this consort guarantees that within three days, he wouldn''t even have the strength to speak anymore." Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Chu Moxin, her tone filled with delight. "Do you think this prince doesn''t have the ability to look for an antidote!?" Chu Moxin was starting to panic but he refused to show any weakness. "You can, of course. Feel free to search. However, Mowan will warn Prince that this drug has aponent called skyseed x. If Prince takes the wrong antidote, the result would be too terrible to imagine!" Yao Mowan leaned back into her chair as her smile widened into an evil grin. "Skyseed x¡­ Isn''t this a little too vicious?" Huangfu Junxiu''s lips twitched. The so-called skyseed x was very good for treating an upset digestive system, but taking too much of it would damage the mental nerves and cause people to be fools. Who would''ve thought that Yao Mowan would have the ability to add skyseed x into axative? It seemed that Austere Prince has truly underestimated this woman. "Humph! Just you wait!" Chu Moxin clearly didn''t want to apologize and he refused to hand the me soul de over. "Nansheng will be inviting Yin Xiong to Phoenix Feather Manor as a guest for a couple days. Once Little Prince leaves, Nansheng will respectfully return Yin Xiong!" said Yan Nansheng teasingly when he saw that Chu Moxin was storming off. "Do whatever you want! In any case, from now on, great Shu no longer wees you!" Chu Moxin wanted to say more, but sadly his stomach was starting to protest again. Yan Nansheng watched as Chu Moxin hurried off before turning towards Yao Mowan. "Hopefully Nansheng''s performance hasn''t disappointed the beauty." Yan Nansheng''s slender phoenix eyes curved up slightly and the arc of his lips caused people''s imaginations to run wild. It wasn''t his fault that he was beautiful to the point that both humans and gods would envy, but it was definitely his fault for unting it. This look would probably cause countless young girls to pass out from nosebleeds! "If Alliance Head can give Mowan thest ''nine revival pill,'' then Mowan will be even less disappointed," replied Yao Mowan with a slight smile. Upon hearing this, Yan Nansheng''s smile froze on his face. "Then it''s best if the beauty is disappointed after all!" Yan Nansheng felt this ce wasn''t friendly and it was wise to leave as quickly as possible. Just as he was about to go, Yao Mowan leisurely spoke again. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 72
Chapter 72: This Prince was Wrong "It''s not important if Mowan is disappointed. What''s important is that Esteemed Prince probably won''t be able to get his me soul de back. And Chu Mobei definitely won''t me Chu Moxin''s death only on Mowan." Yao Mowan''s voice was as gentle as a clear spring. "Don''t try to swindle me. Chu Moxin only took somexatives. There''s no way he''d shit himself to death, right?" Yan Nansheng suddenly had a bad premonition. He couldn''t shake of the feeling that no matter how he refuted, there was no way he''d be able to keep thatst nine revivals pill. "In any case, what Yin Xue said was that there was only one antidote to the drug that she had concocted. If you don''t believe me, you can ask Yin Xue!" Yao Mowan looked towards Yan Nansheng with an expression of ''even if you don''t believe me, you should believe her, right?'' That night, when Yin Xue came back from Phoenix Feather Manor, she handed thest existing nine revivals pill to Yao Mowan. "Master, Yan Nansheng asked Yin Xue to deliver a message." Since Yan Nansheng had already invited Yin Xiong to Phoenix Feather Manor, there was naturally no need for Yin Xue to hide out there anymore. "What is it?" Yao Mowan looked at the nine revivals pill in her hand. Why was there only three of such a useful thing? "He said that the one thing he regrets the most in this lifetime is meeting Master and that he hopes Master will be able to make his regret be something he doesn''t regret." Yin Xue repeated the message word for word. "That will depend on his future behavior. Yin Xue, is there really only three nine revivals pills in Phoenix Feather Manor? Are there any other treasures?" asked Yao Moxin as she looked over with bright eyes. Upon hearing this, Yin Xue''s forehead became covered with cold sweat. Yan Nansheng''s future looked bleak! Yao Mowan thought that Chu Moxin''s arrogance would make him endure for three days before he came to beg for mercy, but unexpectedly, after Huangfu Junxiu''s kneeling turned out to be ineffective, Chu Moxin was helped into Guan Osprey Pce the second day. "Little Prince looks in better condition than Mowan had expected!" eximed Yao Mowan in a tone of praise. She had sincerely been expecting Chu Moxin to be carried in. "Junxiu¡­" Chu Moxin''s tone didn''t contain any of the haughtiness it used to and he sounded extremely weak. Huangfu Junxiu walked over and offered the me soul de to Yao Mowan with both hands. "Well, you''re quite obedient, but Little Prince seems to still owe this consort a few words." Yao Mowan yed with the sword as she nced over at Chu Moxin. It had only been a day, but Chu Moxin had already changed from a battle-ready peacock into a featherless rooster. "This prince was wrong¡­" Chu Moxin didn''t have any energy and he was also very reluctant to apologize, so his voice was so feeble that Yao Mowan couldn''t hear what he said at all. "What? What did Prince say?" Yao Mowan leaned forward like she was struggling to hear. "This prince¡­ This prince was wrong¡­" The more Yao Mowan acted like this, the more embarrassed Chu Moxin felt. As of now, Chu Moxin''s face was already flushed an abnormal red. Although Ye Junqing didn''t like Chu Moxin, he also felt pity for him. When he recalled how he had been bullied by Yao Mowan countless times like this, he suddenly felt sympathy for this fellow sufferer. "Esteemed Prince, did you hear what he said?" asked Yao Mowan as she looked towards Ye Junqing. "He said¡­" Ye Junqing wanted to help Chu Moxin out of this, but then he saw Yao Mowan deliberately wave the sword in front of his eyes. "Prince is bing a turncoat at this time? Do you no longer want this sword?" Yao Mowan had spotted the sympathy in Ye Junqing''s eyes, but there was no point pitying someone who had been so ruthless in the past. "Ahem, I didn''t," replied Ye Junqing without hesitation. "See? It''s not just this consort that couldn''t hear." Yao Mowan looked back towards Chu Moxin. Her unspoken words were clear. "This prince was wrong! This prince shouldn''t have mistaken the wolf as a little sheep! Did you hear it this time!?" shouted Chu Moxin in embarrassed fury. It might''ve been because he was too stirred up, but his stomach started growling again. "Junxiu¡­ hurry and help this prince over¡­" Before Chu Moxin even finished his words, Yao Mowan had already handed Huangfu Junxiu the nine revivals pill. After taking the medicine, Chu Moxin felt like his digestive system was finally no longer all twisted up and his head finally cleared up. The sordid sensation that had gued him disappeared like smoke. "Yao Mowan, you''re sure ruthless! Just you wait!" Right after recovering, Chu Moxin immediately became lively again and he pointed at Yao Mowan angrily. "Even Chu Mobei understand the logic that not even a strong dragon can beat the local serpent. Prince, it''s best if you behave yourself, otherwise this consort can''t guarantee what this consort will feed Prince next." Yao Mowan''s gaze was stern and cold. When Chu Moxin saw that stern look in Yao Mowan''s eyes, he was taken aback. For a moment, Yao Mowan''s features seemed to merge with his memory of Yao Moxin and he couldn''t stop himself from feeling reverence. "This prince isn''t scared¡­" muttered Chu Moxin as he flung his sleeves back and left. It was only after Chu Moxin left the main hall that Ye Junqing finally stopped holding his breath. "Actually, he''s still just a child," sighed Ye Junqing as he recalled the fear that had shed through Chu Moxin''s eyes. "Prince, you lost your sword to a child, don''t you feel like blushing with shame?" Yao Mowan admitted that Chu Moxin was really only a child, but what was Chu Mobei''s motive in sending a child here? "Ahem¡­ Shouldn''t you return the sword to this prince now?" The one thing that gave Ye Junqing the worst headache was when he had to ask Yao Mowan for something. "Put it away well." Yao Mowan handed the me soul de to Ye Junqing solemnly, her eyes flickering with unreadable light. "You¡­ you''re giving it up to this prince this easily?" Ye Junqing felt overwhelmed by this favor. "Mowan''s not giving it up, Mowan''s handing the sword over to Prince. It''s best if Prince speaks more clearly, otherwise someone who didn''t know the situation would think that there was something going on between Mowan and Prince." Yao Mowan shot an angry glower towards Ting Yue who was snickering at the side. "Ahem¡­ This prince is heading back to wipe down the sword!" Ye Junqing''s cheeks were red as he quickly walked out of Guan Osprey Pce. If it weren''t for the fact that he had such desires, why would he want to avoid it so much? It was a long time before Ye Junqing finally understood that his feelings towards Yao Mowan were no longer that of simple like and dislike. Ye Hongyi barely showed up even though Chu Moxin had already arrived for three days. He didn''t even send An Bingshan over to give his respects. Even the weing banquet was leftpletely to Ye Junqing. Yao Mowan understood why Ye Hongyi was doing this. The first reason was because Chu and Shu''s rtionship had long already worsened to the point that it couldn''t be salvaged, so there was no need for him to show respect towards Shu. The second reason was because everyone knew of how two-faced Chu Moxin was. No matter what, he was the monarch of a nation, so it''d be bad for his reputation if a child managed to mess around with him. That night, Yao Mowan sat in front of the dressing table and smoothed out her hair contemtively. For some reason, she had dreamed of Chu Mobei two nights in a row. That sly but handsome face had been smiling meaningfully, but what exactly could he have been nning? "Master, this subordinate saw Huangfu Junxiu pass a young eunuch a letter earlier. This subordinate had taken a look at the letter while the eunuch was unaware. The general meaning was that he hoped that Consort Chen, Huan Caier, could invite Austere Prince to dinner," reported Yin Xue. "Huan Caier¡­ Ha! This consort has truly been careless to actually have forgotten about Huan Heng! It seemed that Chu Mobei had send Chu Moxin to diverge our attention. His true motive was to have Huangfu Junxiu approach Huan Caier and gain Huan Heng''s support through this! What a perfect feign!" eximed Yao Mowan in sudden realization. The apprehension she had felt finally settled down with this realization. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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This TLer''s dying from exams~ Leave moi morements~ Chapter Volume 2 73
Chapter 73: The Little Demon King was Crying! "Master, I''ve already had Ben Lei secretly look for people to pose as Shu envoys and make contact with him. Huan Heng has already gotten ready to change sides. If Huan Heng finds out that those people weren''t sent by Chu Mobei, wouldn''t everything we''ve done have gone to waste?" asked Yin Xue worriedly. The only duty hidden guards had were to protect their masters and obey their masters''mands. However, ever since Yao Mowan had shown her sincerity, Yin Xue had already started subconsciously started caring about Yao Mowan as more than just a master. As of now, she had already vited the most important doctrine of hidden guards, which was that they couldn''t have feelings. A hidden guard didn''t know how many masters they''d have in one lifetime. If they had feelings towards a previous master, it was a sign of disloyalty towards their next master. It seemed like a heartless doctrine, but it was the most applicable since unless their master gifted or sold them to someone else, they would never leave their master. That was why they had to have no emotions. They must not care about their master above everything else in order for them to be loyal to their current master. "Good thing you discovered this. Now that this consort knows what they''re nning, of course there''s no way this consort will let them get what they want. The reason we haven''t done anything to Huan Caier so far was mostly because of Huan Heng. Yin Xue, send a pigeon to Ben Lei and instruct him to spread rumors in Mangyuan that although Chu Moxin and Chu Mobei look like close brothers on the surface, in reality they''re like fire and water. Remember, the more realistic it seems and the more intense the conflict, the better. You understand what this consort means?" said Yao Mowan, her eyes glowing with shrewd light. "This subordinate understands." There was a proverb that went, rumors were fiercer than tigers. As long as Huan Heng believed the Chu Moxin and Chu Mobei were actually secretly fighting over power, with how cautious he was, there was no way he''d believe anything Huangfu Junxiu said. Ever since Yao Mowan''s stern warning that day, Chu Moxin seemed to have changed into apletely different person. The fact that he now followed Yao Mowan everywhere was especially puzzling for Yao Mowan. "Why do you carry that fat cat wherever you go?" asked Chu Moxin with an expression of contempt as he looked at Fluffy who was cuddling in Yao Mowan''s arms. "Does this have anything to do with you?" Yao Mowan turned to look towards Chu Moxin. He had already followed her for an entire afternoon and he still showed no signs of wanting to leave. She was about to go crazy. "Of course! This prince doesn''t like it!" replied Chu Moxin coldly. "Then Prince can leave. Hasn''t Prince heard of the phrase ''out of sight, out of mind''?" reminded Yao Mowan kindly. "Then forget it, let''s go." Chu Moxin shot one more contemptful look at Fluffy, then fell silent. "If Prince is insisting on bothering Mowan as revenge for what happened earlier, then Mowan is honored to tell Prince that you have seeded! If you continue doing this, Mowan will show you the meaning of crazy!" Yao Mowan seriously couldn''t take it anymore and turned towards Chu Moxin to say this sternly. "That''s what you''re thinking?" Chu Moxin looked towards Yao Mowan in naive confusion with his eyes wide. If it weren''t for the fact that she had witnessed how mischievous he could be, she really would''ve been fooled by his innocent act. "What else could it be?" replied Yao Mowan in an exasperated tone. "Actually, this prince just wanted to know a few things about Big Sister Moxin." Chu Moxin''s tone actually contained a trace of hurt. For an instant, Yao Mowan felt an intense urge to dig out her ears to make sure that she hadn''t imagined things! "For example?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows. "For example, how did Big Sister Moxin die? Big Brother said that Big Sister Moxin had definitely not died due to childbirth." The sadness in Chu Moxin''s eyes stunned Yao Mowan. When she saw those eyes glimmer with tears, she finally believed that he was telling the truth. People who were arrogant from their very bones hated using tears to trick others the most. "Did your older brother see it with his own eyes? Why''s he so certain?" Yao Mowan restrained her feelings of irritation and replied indifferently as she started walking towards Changle Pce. "Since Big Brother said it, it''s definitely true! He''s never made an error in judgement!" Chu Moxin''s reverence towards Chu Mobei was beyond just faith. "Is that so? Then what if¡­ Big Sister was killed by someone?" asked Yao Mowan casually. "Then Moxin will definitely have the person that killed Big Sister Moxin die the death of a thousand cuts, then burn his ashes and scatter them!" vowed Chu Moxin with gritted teeth. Yao Mowan stopped walking upon hearing this and turned to look towards him. There was no expression on her face, but inside, she was astonished. She didn''t remember having established such a deep friendship with this little demon king. "You like Big Sister a lot?" Chu Moxin''s attitude sparked Yao Mowan''s curiosity. "Since she had once made clothes for this prince, this prince won''t let her die with remaining grievances." Chu Moxin quietly concealed the sorrow in his eyes and his tone became that of simply being charitable. "Clothes¡­" Yao Mowan''s eyes flickered slightly as she continued walking forward slowly. She really had once made clothes for Chu Moxin. At that time, Chu Moxin was threatening to spread the story about Ye Junqing''s blunder. In order to patch up the quarrel, she had visited Chu Moxin and his condition was that she had to personally sew him an outfit that he liked. She thought that he would deliberately make things hard for her, but unexpectedly he had epted the first outfit that she made. After that, he had also kept his promise and didn''t mention Ye Junqing''s incident again. "That Changle Pce is where Big Sister Moxin lived?" Yao Mowan''s thoughts were interrupted by Chu Moxin''s voice. Just as she was about to reply, Chu Moxin had already sped up to walk towards Changle Pce. Yao Mowan continued to ponder over things as she watched Chu Moxin walk in front of her. He still remembered that incident even though she had already forgotten about it, so it was clear how much he cared about that garment. Later, when Chu Moxin fearlessly vowed to help her hold off an army by himself, she finally understood how much Chu Moxin cared about her. Ever since she had made that garment for him, he had already started to think of her as his mother. Towards a child that had never experienced the love of a mother, this rtionship was something he would treasure with his life. Changle Pce was the same as always. It stood solitarily tall like an elderly person that was waiting silently for its end. "Little Prince, you can''t go inside." When Yao Mowan saw that Chu Moxin was about to step into Changle Pce, she immediately walked up to pull him back out. "Why?" Chu Moxin looked towards Yao Moxin in confusion. "This is forbidden grounds. Without His Majesty''s decree, no one is allowed to enter." Sometimes Yao Mowan wondered why Ye Hongyi was leaving this pce here. To show the world how much he loved the deceased empress? Or to remind himself that there once existed a woman that he hated to the bones? "His decree means nothing to this prince!" said Chu Moxin with a humph as he strode into Changle Pce. Yao Mowan wiped at her sweat. He was sure unbridled even though he was on someone else''s territory! If it had been someone else, Yao Mowan would definitely think they were just faking it, but this was Chu Moxin, so it wasn''t surprising. After stepping into Changle Pce, Yao Mowan''s footsteps gradually became heavy. Her heart feels like the strings of a guqin that was gradually being tightened. As she looked at the familiar tables, the familiar decorations, she couldn''t remain unconcerned. "Ye Hongyi definitely doesn''t love Big Sister Moxin." This was the conclusion Chu Moxin arrived at after he took a walk around Changle Pce. "How are you so sure?" Yao Mowan raise her brows as she looked towards Chu Moxin. She must''ve been unbelievable blind back then to have missed something that even a ten year old child could see. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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~~~ Chapter Volume 2 74
Chapter 74: An Unfavored Prince "Even if these things were thrown onto the streets, beggars wouldn''t touch them. They''re too crappy!" said Chu Moxin inplete earnest. Upon hearing this, Yao Mowan''s lips twitched. "So if one is going to be a beggar, it''d be best to be a beggar in great Shu!" eximed Yao Mowan with simr sincerity. No matter how worthless her possessions were, it wouldn''t be bad to the point that not even beggars wanted them, right? She had personally picked much of these decorations. "It''spletely unpresentable! Even my imperial father''s cold pce is more luxurious than this! Big Sister Moxin has truly suffered." Chu Moxin shook his head so hard Yao Mowan felt dizzy on his behalf. "Isn''t this ce still pretty good? It''s not that unpresentable, right?" Yao Mowan was blushing slightly from embarrassment. When she had lived here in the past, she had even disliked this ce for being too extravagant. "On the whole, the entire pce of Chu is unpresentable!" replied Chu Moxin confidently. "You feel like His Majesty doesn''t love Eldest Sister based on just this?" Yao Mowan didn''t feel like continuing this discussion on whether the ce was presentable or not. "Of course not. How could love be measured using money?" replied Chu Moxin. It was probably the first reasonable thing he had said sinceing to Chu. "Why?" asked Yao Mowan. "It''s been fifteen years since Imperial Mother has passed away, but Imperial Father spends at least ten days every month in Imperial Mother''s resting pce. One time, when this prince quietly snuck over, this prince saw that Imperial Father was smiling at the mirror that Mother used to use and was telling Imperial Mother about everything Big Brother had done recently. That''s probably what real love is? "But look at this ce. There isn''t even a nket on the bed, so Ye Hongyi probably neveres here! If he loved Big Sister Moxin, then he''d be like Imperial Father and would visit several times a month. After all, this ce contains a lot of his memories with Big Sister Moxin!" Chu Moxin lifted his head and looked towards Yao Mowan. "He han''ste here even once since Eldest Sister died." Yao Mowan gazed at the empty bed as countless emotions slowly drifted up in her heart. "I really don''t know why Big Sister Moxin would like someone as rotten as that. If only Big Brother had been able to encounter Big Sister Moxin earlier," muttered Chu Moxin as he continued to scrutinize the room. "What?" Yao Mowan calmed down her feelings of sadness and turned to look towards Chu Moxin. "Big Brother''s the only in this world that''s a match for Big Sister Moxin!" exined Chu Moxin in a matter-of-fact tone. Please, she was too unworthy! Chu Moxin''s words caused Yao Mowan''s hair to rise on end. If it was someone else, she could consider it, but Chu Mobei? No way! "You said earlier that your father would look in the mirror while talking about your older brother, but what about you?" Yao Mowan suddenly realized that the topics Chu Moxin was interested in weren''t her cup of tea. She seriously couldn''t carry on the conversation. "Imperial Mother died from blood loss after giving birth to me¡­ Imperial Father doesn''t like me¡­ That''s why Imperial Father never mentions me in front of Imperial Mother. However, it''s fine. This prince will just tell Imperial Mother personally!" Chu Moxin lifted his face obstinately with a smile, but tears flickered in his eyes. "Sorry¡­" Yao Mowan''s voice choked as she looked at the slight smile on Chu Moxin''s face. Her heart ached with pain. In this moment, she finally understood why Chu Moxin had already moved out of the imperial pce back then to start living in his own courtyard even though he only been ten years old. "You''re strange. Why are you saying sorry? Let''s go. If this prince has to keep looking at this, this prince won''t be able to resist tearing this ce apart!" Chu Moxin didn''t seem to find his situation sad and continued walking spiritedly. Ever since Chu Moxin arrived at Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Hongyi had visited Huan Caier''s Moon Crossing Pavilion several nights in a row. Meanwhile, after Huan Caier got the message Huangfu Junxiu sent her, she got things approved on the bed. Presently, Moon Crossing Pavilion''s main hall was filled with the fragrant scent of delicacies that aroused people''s cravings. "Why is that fool also here?" Huan Caier was standing at the pce doors in rich attire when she spotted Chu Moxin walking over with Yao Mowan. "That''s right, this servant only went to the west wing to invite Austere Prince, so why is she here too?" Zi Shuang was also surprised. "Forget it, since she''s here, it''s not like we can drive her away. It''s nothing but an extra pair of chopsticks." By now, Chu Moxin and Yao Mowan had already gotten near. "Caier kowtows in salute to Esteemed Prince, Austere Prince, and Noble Consort Yao." Huan Caier walked up gracefully and curtsied. "Big Sister Wan er, she''s not as pretty as you!" In front of people, Chu Moxin still acted innocent and harmless just like Yao Mowan. "That''s why His Majesty likes this consort more!" Yao Mowan spoke the truth without holding back. When Huan Caier heard this, her expression changed slightly but quickly returned to normal. As of now, what point was there in her bickering with a fool? She no longer cared for imperial favor either. Since Ye Hongyi wanted to take away Father''s power, it meant that he intended to eradicate the Huan family. No member escapes unscathed from a family disaster, so if Huan Residence faced a cmity, she would be destroyed as well. As of now, what mattered most to her was helping her father find a reliable path of retreat. "Noble Consort Yao is right. Who in the pce isn''t aware of the fact that His Majesty favors Noble Consort Yao the most?" agreed Huan Caier with a smile. "Prince, pleasee this way!" Once Chu Moxin and Yao Mowan walked into Moon Crossing Pavilion, Huan Caier turned to look towards Ye Junqing. Ye Junqing nodded slightly, then followed them in. "This Shu subject, Huangfu Junxiu, kowtows in salute to Your Highness Consort Chen." The clear and melodious voice was moving to hear. Huan Caier looked towards the source of the voice and saw that it came from a man dressed in white. Huangfu Junxiu''s hair was tied up simply with a hair crown and two strands were left framing the sides of his face, making him seemposed and elegant like he hade from a painting. The sight of those gentle eyes caused Huan Caier''s heart to start racing. "Your Highness?" called Zi Shuang softly when she noticed that her master was distracted. "Please rise. Envoy Huangfu, pleasee this way." Huan Caier restrained the glow in her eyes and spoke in even gentler of a voice. "Thank you, Your Highness." Upon hearing this, Huangfu Junxiu looked up and smiled briefly at Huan Caier. His smile seemed to shine in Huan Caier''s eyes like the starry sky in the night. At the dinner table, Yao Mowan and Chu Moxin were pulling out every ounce of their acting abilities and doing affectionate things like getting food and pouring wine for each other. Ye Junqing waspletely baffled by their behavior. If this was acting, then he truly had no hope of ever being on par with them. At the very least, he couldn''t smile as brightly as Yao Mowan was smiling in front of Chu Moxin. If they weren''t acting, then he would have to prostrate himself in respect. They had been able to get from a mutual hatred rtionship to being such close friends in a single day. It was seriously beyond the capability of normal people. As he watched Yao Mowan and Chu Moxin''s intimate gestures, he couldn''t help but feel that time seriously flies. Was it because he was too old now and couldn''t keep up with the trends? Or was it that they were seriously being extreme? He could almost see sincere affection in Yao Mowan''s eyes. Had she fallen for Chu Moxin? But he was just a fifteen-year-old kid! A strange sour feeling gradually spread in Ye Junqing''s heart. It was already a sore spot that he couldn''t bring himself to face. On the other hand, from time to time, Huan Caier wouldmand Zi Shuang to get some dishes for Huangfu Junxiu and she would patiently exin how each dish was made. "Your Highness is truly skilled. Junxiu had never heard of this way of cooking before." Since there were several guests at this dinner, Huangfu Junxiu couldn''t say too much, but based on the fact that Huan Caier had arranged this banquet, he had reason to believe that Huan Caier did intend to defect towards great Shu. Hence, as Zi Shuang was getting him another dish, he quietly slipped the letter hidden inside his sleeve to her. After a moment of hesitation, Zi Shuang found a chance to pass the letter to Huan Caier. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 75
Chapter 75: She Likes Huangfu Junxiu? "If Envoy Huangfu is interested, this consort is happy to take you to the imperial kitchen to look around sometime. It would also give this consort a chance to be a proper host," said Huan Caier in a meaningful tone after she saw the letter. "Then please do!" Huangfu Junxiu nodded slightly with a smile. One smiled touched the heart, the second smile stirred uncontroble emotions. As of this moment, Huan Caier had already fully lost her heart. Although the man in front of her wasn''t beautiful nor extremely handsome, that unique elegance was something she couldn''t resist. That night, Yao Mowan took off her jadeite earrings and looked towards Yin Xue through the mirror. "What do you think of Huangfu Junxiu''s looks?" "This subordinate''s previous master was Yan Nansheng," replied Yin Xue. "That''s right. This consort almost forgot. After seeing Yan Nansheng, no matter how many handsome and outstanding men appear, they''d only look mediocre inparison. Actually, this consort can''t tell what part of Huangfu Junxiu is outstanding either, so how did Huan Caier end up falling for him?" Yao Mowan was confused. In all objectivity, Ye Hongyi''s looks didn''t lose to Huangfu Junxiu''s at all. "Huan Caier likes Huangfu Junxiu? That''s not good," said Yin Xue worriedly. "Indeed." Yao Mowan nodded in agreement. "Oh right, Ben Lei has already spread the rumors. If things are going as they should be, they should''ve already reached Huan Heng''s ears," reported Yin Xue. She had almost forgotten about the main matter. "This quick? What''s the rumor?" Yao Mowan turned around with interest to looked towards Yin Xue. "The battle between men never got far from power and women. Chu Moxin had lost his mother at a young age so he tended to have favorable impressions of women who were older than him and had fallen in love with a young girl of thedy''s chambers, Qing er. However, unexpectedly, it turned out that Chu Mobei had also set his heart on Qing er. The king of Shu has always only loved Chu Mobei which was a long term cause of hostility between the two, and now, due to Qing er, they''ve had aplete falling out. Both of them are now working on growing their own influences. Although Chu Moxin is young, he''s fortunate enough to have a skilled tactician, Huangfu Junxiu, by his side so he''s on near equal footing with Chu Mobei," reported Yin Xue factually. "So stereotypical and of poor taste. As expected, Ben Lei will never be a literati!" Yao Mowan looked towards the sky in exasperation. She regretted her ungrounded confidence in Ben Lei''s literary aplishments. "Your Highness thinks that Huan Heng won''t believe it?" Yin Xue felt that this rumor was pretty good. If she had toe up with something, she probably wouldn''t have been able toe up with a such aplete story. "He doesn''t need to believe, it''s enough if it makes him suspicious. Huan Heng has always been very cautious. Even if it''s just a rumor, he wouldn''t take such a risk, especially when it was rted to the Huan Residence''s future. He''d definitely check and double-check everything before making a move. However, just in case, have Ben Lei send an envoy to make contact with Huan Heng and test him," instructed Yao Mowan. The day after the dinner reception, Huan Heng rushed into the pce. This made Yao Mowan''s trepidatious heart finally settle down. Inside Moon Crossing Pavilion, Huan Caier was mulling over what Huan Heng had just said with her brows furrowed. For some reason, she felt that something about it was off. "Father, Caier saw Chu Moxin yesterday. He seemed quite like a fool and nowhere close to being as shrewd as the rumors made him out to be!" objected Huan Caier. "A fool? That''s not possible. Although Chu Moxin isn''t as shrewd as Chu Mobei, he''s still definitely not a normal person." Huan Heng looked towards Huan Caier gravely. Though he forced himself to be calm, he was very agitated. Originally, he thought that Chu Moxin visiting great Chu would be his big chance and he could discuss with the austere prince when he should fully betray Chu, but unexpectedly he happened to hear about this news. It was truly a headache. "He was capable of holding a conversation with Yao Mowan, how much intelligence could he have?" Huan Caier was doing all she could to convince her father against believing in rumors, but in reality, she was just trying to get more chances to meet with Huangfu Junxiu. "Do you truly think that Yao Mowan is a fool? Yao Zhenting and Luminescent Prince''s revolt is punishable with the extermination of the entire family. As of now, Yao Zhenting has been sent to the imperial prison and Yao Suluan had lost all imperial favor. Yao Mowan is the only one unscathed and still greatly treasured by His Majesty. If she didn''t have extremely good brains and strong schemes, how could she possibly make everything go her way so easily? Father can see this clearly without even living in the pce, so why hadn''t you noticed?" Huan Heng was silently celebrating the fact that he had chosen to betray Ye Hongyi, otherwise there was no way his daughter was a match for that woman in fighting over power in this pce! "Father, don''t you think you''re overthinking things?" Huan Caier was unconvinced. "Forget it. This matter has nothing to do with us. Listen to Father, from now on, don''t interact with Chu Moxin again and make sure to avoid that Huangfu Junxiu who''s with him. No matter how he tries to get you to meet with him, you must not. If the rumors are true, we can''t afford to have any connection to Chu Moxin. The person Father wishes to support is Chu Mobei, not Chu Moxin!" exhorted Huan Heng solemnly. "But¡­" "Daughter! We''ve already had dealings with Chu Mobei''s secret envoy. As of now, what we need to wait for is news from Chu Mobei. As soon as there''s word from him, Father will be leaving great Chu with you. If we end up losing Chu Mobei''s faith due to interacting with Chu Moxin, when our dealings are exposed, we''ll really have no roads of retreat left. It''s better to take ten steady steps than to take one risky step, understand?" said Huan Heng patiently. "Caier understands." Huan Caier took in the signs of age on her father''s face. Finally she pushed down her little desires and nodded firmly. And so, after that dinner, Huangfu Junxiu waited for three entire days but he still didn''t get an invitation from Huan Caier. "There''s still no news from Huan Caier?" Chu Moxin lifted his brows and looked towards Huangfu Junxiu in surprise. "Replying Austere Prince, there''s no news." Huangfu Junxiu''s expression was calm but inside, he was actually worried. Normally, since Huan Caier had already arranged for a dinner banquet, that meant that she had intentions to work with them. What she said at the dinner probably wasn''t him overthinking things either. "Actually, what need is there for Big Brother to recruit Huan Heng? Based on great Shu''s current strength, there''s no need to go through this trouble at all," said Chu Moxin haughtily. "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Huan Heng knows the habits of the Chu army well, so with his aid, the battle will be half-won from the start. That''s why it''s a must to recruit Huan Heng." Huangfu Junxiu understood this little prince''s temper well. Even though he had simrities to the crown prince, he wasn''t as patient. Perhaps it was due to his youth. However, back then when the crown prince was only fifteen, for the sake of capturing a white tiger, he hady in wait outside a cave for three days and three nights. That fortitude wasn''t something that an ordinary person possessed. "Do as you wish. In any case, this prince''s only here to be a diversion. However¡­ This prince can teach you a trick!" Chu Moxin''s eyes narrowed craftily as he looked towards Huangfu Junxiu with a smirk. "Prince, please go ahead." Huangfu Junxiu didn''t harbor any high hopes that Chu Moxin would be able toe up with any good ideas but there was no harm in hearing him out. "If Minister Huangfu is willing to sacrifice a little and use some seduction, the oue would definitely be much different." The smirk on Chu Moxin''s face widened. "Ahem¡­ This subject doesn''t understand what Prince is saying." Huangfu Junxiu blushed slightly even as he feigned ignorance. "Then just pretend that this prince didn''t say anything. You cane up with your own idea, this prince is going to go look for Yao Mowan!" As Chu Moxin spoke, he got up to head outside. "This subject advises Prince to be cautious while interacting with Yao Mowan, that person''s not to be underestimated." Huangfu Junxiu sincerely felt that Yao Mowan had handed over that nine revivals pill too early. Why did his prince have such a short memory? "That''s why it''s said that birds of a feather flock together. The ancients sure don''t lie!" After Chu Moxin said this, he swaggered out of the pce. Huangfu Junxiu couldn''t help but feel a chill as he watched Chu Moxin walk forward without any hesitation. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 76
Chapter 76: Why Are They All Angry? Near Jade Lake, Chu Moxin took advantage of a moment while Yao Mowan was distracted to ssh Fluffy with water, causing Fluffy to run away. "Were you born in the year of the rat?" Yao Mowan had been repeatedly trying to convince herself ever since leaving Changle Pce that no matter how naughty Chu Moxin was, he was still just a child and furthermore, a child that had lost his mother from a young age. It was also because of this that she had chosen to take deep breaths instead of explode when she woke up this morning to find that Jewel''s whiskers and fur had been cut off by Chu Moxin. "This prince was born in the year of the tiger! What about it?" Chu Moxin went to walk next to Yao Mowan. The wide grin on his face made it impossible for people to harden their hearts and scold him. "You seem to dislike this consort''s pets a lot!" Yao Mowan was very certain of this. "Because they''re always hanging around you!" replied Chu Moxin. "Haven''t you insisted on always hanging around this consort these past few days?" Yao Mowan shot back. "How is this prince the same? You should be honored that this prince is hanging around you! If it weren''t for the fact that you''re Big Sister Moxin''s younger sister, this prince wouldn''t pay any attention to you!" Chu Moxin abruptly got up with a cold expression and threw away the tree branch he was holding to storm off angrily. Yao Mowan stood frozen in ce. It was a long time before she finally came back to her senses. She found Chu Moxin''s sudden anger baffling and unreasonable, but it still gave her a headache. At dinner, for once Ye Junqing saw Yao Mowan sitting there listlessly. "No appetite?" asked Ye Junqing out of good intentions. "Chu Moxin might really be angry this time." Yao Mowan sighed, then set down her bowl with a troubled expression. "Actually, this prince really doesn''t understand. How did two people who were like fire and water suddenly manage to get along so well? It''s unbelievable!" Although Ye Junqing didn''t think so himself, his tone contained clear jealousy. "Didn''t Mowan and Prince use to be like fire and water as well?" Yao Mowan was just trying to say that anything was possible in this world, but things didn''t turn out as she had predicted. "It took almost a year for our rtionship to turn into that of friendship, but it only took Chu Moxin three days. It seems that this prince truly is shamefully inferior," said Ye Junqing coldly as he got up to leave. Before one wave even settled, another wave had arisen. Yao Mowan suddenly wondered if her intelligence had dropped. What exactly did she say to make Chu Moxin and Ye Junqing so angry? "Ting Yue, was there a problem with this consort''s words? Did you notice anything?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue to ask for help. "Your Highness¡­ Esteemed Prince seems to be jealous of Austere Prince," replied Ting Yue cautiously. "Really?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue in surprise. A faint feeling shed through her heart. It''d be good if he was jealous. At the very least, that meant Yao Moxin wasn''t the only person he cared about anymore. However, she understood very well that no matter what, there would only be one person Ye Junqing cared about. That night, Yao Mowan invited Ye Junqing to the cold pce''s garden using Yao Moxin as the reason. The bright moonlight caused the stars in the night to be dim. As Yao Mowan stood in front of the cold pce, her heart seemed to slowly freeze. Despite the passage of time, the events of that night still gued her dreams. Countless nights she would start awake by Ye Hongyi''s side, her face covered with tears. She had felt the urge to just stab a knife into Ye Hongyi''s neck and just end all of this countless times, but she had endured it. What was there hard about death? What was hard was when life was worse than death! "What is it that you want to tell me about Moxin?" When Yao Mowan heard Ye Junqing''s voice, she reflexively lifted her sleeve to wipe away her tears. "It''s something regarding Moxin''s younger sister," said Yao Mowan with a smile. However, her joke didn''t make Ye Junqing ease up at all. "You should be aware of what this prince cares about the most, so you shouldn''t joke with the person this prince cares about most." Ye Junqing abruptly turned around when he saw that teasing smile hovering around Yao Mowan''s lips. "Eldest Sister once said that you had fate, but no destiny. Back then, if Prince hadn''t gone to save her while wearing Ye Hongyi''s mask, the following mistaken events wouldn''t have urred." Yao Mowan took a deep breath. This was the one thing she had been most unwilling to face. Had she not mistook him back then, would her life have turned out differently? "She said that to you?" asked Ye Junqing, his voice trembling slightly. "That''s right. She said that if she had known you were the one that saved her that night and that it hadn''t been Ye Hongyi, her choice would have been different." Yao Mowan''s tone was light, but her heart ached faintly. She had never spoken these words to Ye Junqing. "So she had always remember what happened that night¡­" Ye Junqing walked over to Yao Mowan with heavy steps. His voice was low as if something was stuck in his throat and making it hard for him to breathe. "How could she forget when you saved her life?" Yao Mowan looked over at Ye Junqing. Memories of that night resurfaced again. A young girl longing for romance had been rescued by a hero. Everything started like that, but who would''ve imagined that the ending would turn out so tragic. "It was this prince''s mistake¡­ This prince shouldn''t have worn that mask! Why? Why had this prince been so dumb!?" Ye Junqing clenched his fists and angrily punched a tree in regret. The blood pooling near his nails was starkly visible underneath the moonlight. "Mowan knew that this was how Prince would react. Prince, have you ever wondered why Eldest Sister didn''t leave Ye Hongyi after finding out that it was Prince that had rescued her?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with heartache, but she didn''t stop him because she understood that he needed to vent his feelings somehow. "Why?" Ye Junqing abruptly lifted his eyes. His clear eyes shone with anticipation and hope. Yao Mowan knew what he was hoping for, but she couldn''t give it to him. Everything she said, even if it wasn''t all true, was necessary to stop Ye Junqing from clinging onto the past. "Because, at that time, the one Eldest Sister had set her heart on¡­ was Ye Hongyi. This was what Eldest Sister had told Mowan." Yao Mowan spoke slowly, taking care to make her words extremely clear. She wanted to tell Ye Junqing that Yao Moxin had been aware of his feelings towards her, but she had given up on them. "This prince knows that she loved Ye Hongyi with all her heart." Ye Junqing''s eyes turned dim. He thought that Yao Mowan would tell him Yao Moxin had refused his feelings because she had already be someone else''s wife. If that had been the reason, perhaps he would''ve felt better. "Mowan wonders, if Eldest Sister hadn''t appeared, how brilliant Prince''s life would''ve turned out to be?" A trace of bitterness floated up in Yao Mowan''s heart. If she hadn''t appeared, Ye Junqing definitely would''ve be emperor. "If Moxin hadn''t appeared, this prince would''vee to this world for nothing¡­" Just as Ye Junqing was sighing this, Yao Mowan suddenly walked up and covered his mouth with her hand while dragging him over to a corner to hide. "You!" After getting over the shock, Ye Junqing started resisting, but Yao Mowan just shushed him. "Shh! Someone''sing!" Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing immediately fell silent and followed Yao Mowan''s line of sight to look over. "That seems like¡­" Ye Junqing narrowed his eyes slightly. "It''s Huan Caier." Yao Mowan''s gaze became a little serious. Why was Huan Caier not in Moon Crossing Pavilion and instead came here in the middle of the night? It couldn''t be that she was meeting Huangfu Junxiu, right? The worst guesses just happened to the be right ones. After a few minutes, Huangfu Junxiu appeared as Yao Mowan had expected. "This one hadete, apologies, Your Highness Consort Chen." The moonlight gave Huangfu Junxiu''s face a silver sheen that made him seem like an elegant deity that had descended from the sky. At this current moment, Huangfu Junxiu was giving a salute with his hands cupped. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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~~~ Chapter Volume 2 77
Chapter 77: Graceful Words, Flowery Speech "Envoy Huangfu, please hurry and rise. This consort had just arrived as well. Actually¡­ it''s truly improper for this consort to meet with you like this, but this consort couldn''t help but worry that it was something urgent after you sent three messages in a row. Envoy, if you have something to say, please say it. This consort can''t stay here for long." Due to her upbringing, although Huan Caier was already overjoyed to the point she could barely stop herself from jumping around inside, she maintained a troubled expression on her face. "Junxiu had been presumptuous, but Junxiu seriously could not take this yearning anymore. Ever since Junxiu''s first meeting with Your Highness, Junxiu had not been able to forget Your Highness''s celestial-like beauty. In a few days, Junxiu will have to leave Chu with Austere Prince. If Junxiu didn''t see Your Highness once before that, Junxiu will probably die from longing," said Huangfu Junxiu, his brows tightly furrowed. His good-looking eyes were flickering with unconceble adoration. After Chu Moxin had suggested using seduction, Huangfu Junxiu had thought through things carefully. He hade here with a task, so as long as he could seed in the task the crown prince had entrusted to him, even if he had to resort to some slightly disgraceful means, it didn''t matter! "Huangfu¡­ Envoy Huangfu, do you understand what you''re saying?" Huan Caier was astonished by Huangfu Junxiu''s confession and for a moment, didn''t know how to respond. Yao Mowan who was watching from the shadows sighed. She had overestimated Huangfu Junxiu''s adherence to principles! "Junxiu knows that these words are a little sudden, but Junxiu really doesn''t want to have this regret of not having confessed to Your Highness. Junxiu knows that Junxiu''s status is humble and cannot match up to Your Highness, but Junxiu is satisfied just to let Your Highness know that there exists another person in this world whose dreams are captivated by Your Highness." Huangfu Junxiu kept a wlessly sincere expression on his face as he said these honeyed lies that made him disgusted to the point he felt the urge to vomit. "You¡­ You really have fallen in love with this consort at first sight?" If it weren''t for the moonlight, Huangfu Junxiu definitely would''ve seen the flush on Huan Caier''s cheeks. "Junxiu swears on the heavens that if any of Junxiu''s words were lies, let the skies send lightning to strike Junxiu to ashes! Let¡­" As Huangfu Junxiu was making these harsh vows, Huan Caier had already moved forward to press her finger against his lips. "Envoy, no need to continue. This consort believes you." When Yao Mowan heard Huan Caier say this, she started to despair. It seemed that her past efforts were going to go to waste. "Your Highness¡­ However, you''re a noble consort of great Chu and Junxiu is a subject of Shu. After this parting, it''ll be hard to even meet again¡­" Huangfu Junxiu took advantage of this moment to take Huan Caier''s hands. When he saw that she didn''t resist, he was inwardly relieved. "Actually¡­" Huan Caier hesitated in her words when she recalled her father''s warning. In the shadows, Ye Junqing suddenly felt pain from his arm. He looked towards Yao Mowan and saw that she waspletely focused on Huan Caier. However, she was grabbing his arm tightly with both hands in clear nervousness. "Actually, even if Junxiu can''t see Your Highness, Junxiu will still hang a painting of Your Highness up in the room so that Your Highness can be the first thing Junxiu sees upon waking." Huangfu Junxiu looked towards Huan Caier with an extremely gentle gaze as his lips curved charmingly. "Junxiu¡­ Actually,pared to Chu Moxin, isn''t it a better choice to follow Chu Mobei?" Huan Caier couldn''t stop herself from asking. This was the first time in her life that she had encountered someone that stirred her heart. Although she was a noble consort, she viewed Ye Hongyi only as a tool to stabilize the Huan family''s power. Their rtionship was only that of mutual utilization. However, what woman didn''t wish to encounter someone they admire from the heart and have a soul-stirring romance? "Your Highness¡­ What do you mean? Junxiu has always been serving the crown prince?" Huangfu Junxiu looked towards Huan Caier in confusion. "Aren''t you Chu Moxin''s strategist? Could it be that you''re serving him as a pretense?" asked Huan Caier with hard to conceal excitement. "Why would Your Highness say this? Regardless of whether it''s the austere prince or Junxiu, we are both whole-heartedly loyal to the crown prince. There is no pretense!" Huangfu Junxiu waspletely confused. "Are you trying to trick this consort?" Huan Caier looked at Huangfu Junxiu warily as her heart prickled with pain. The news that Father had obtained waspletely different from what Huangfu Junxiu was currently saying. There was only one truth, and there was no way Father would lie to her. "Junxiu dares to swear on the lives of all nine extended ns that everything he had said earlier is true. In reality, His Majesty the crown prince has heard that Sire Huan Heng has been facing oppression in court and due to Ye Hongyi''sck of trust, he has also gotten his military power taken away. The crown prince felt heartache hearing that such a good general is suffering such undeserved humiliation which was why hemanded Huangfu Junxiu toe with the austere prince to get in touch with General Huan. If General Huan is willing to seek asylum in great Shu, His Majesty the crown prince will definitely wee him as an honored guest and hand over control of the military power in ten regions to General Huan!" Huangfu Junxiu straightforwardly revealed his purpose since no matter what, he had to take advantage of this chance. "Is that really true?" Huan Caier felt like her head was buzzing. Huangfu Junxiu had dared to swear upon the lives of his n so he was definitely telling the truth, but hadn''t Chu Mobei sent secret envoys to make negotiations a long time ago? "If Your Highness does not believe Junxiu, Junxiu can have Austere Prince meet with you." Huangfu Junxiu sensed the astonishment in Huan Caier''s tone and spoke to reassure her. "Wait¡­ Let this consort think about this properly¡­ What you mean is that Chu Mobei has never sent someone to make negotiation with my father and I?" Huan Caier''s face was pale and she fell back weakly against a tree trunk, her eyshes trembling. If the person who has been making contact with Father all this time wasn''t someone Chu Mobei sent, then who was that person? And why was he pretending to be a secret envoy from great Shu? Could it be Ye Hongyi? If it was, then Huan Residence was done for! "Junxiu doesn''t understand what Your Highness means?" Huangfu Junxiu frowned slightly, confused by Huan Caier''s reaction. "Just answer this consort. Did Chu Mobei send anyone to make contact with this consort''s father before sending you?" asked Huan Caier, her voice trembling slightly. "His Majesty the crown prince¡­ Should''ve send a secret envoy to get in touch with Sire Huan first¡­" replied Huangfu Junxiu very slowly. It was difficult for him to get these words out because saying these words were apletely gamble. Yao Mowan who was watching from the shadows just felt that Huan Caier was seriously dumb. If it had been her, she would''ve also given the same reply as Huangfu Junxiu! It seemed that it was time for her to personally make an appearance. "Are you sure?" Even though Huan Caier had feelings for Huangfu Junxiu, there was no way she could not care about the lives of the Huan Residence. When she heard the hesitation in Huangfu Junxiu''s voice, her heart chilled. "Junxiu is certain!" Huangfu Junxiu nodded firmly. "This consort is tired¡­" Huan Caier felt like her head was a mess. She needed some time to think. "Your Highness, what about what Junxiu has said?" Huangfu Junxiu walked forward urgently to ask. "Allow this consort to think about it! Before that, this consort can''t meet with you again." Huan Caier staggered a little as she walked and left the garden in low spirits. Huangfu Junxiu stood there for a long time before leaving helplessly. After the two of them left, Ye Junqing abruptly got up with a frown. "Chu Mobei is seriously going too far, to actually dare to recruit inside the Chu pce!" said Ye Junqing indignantly. "Mosquitoes don''t sting wless eggs. If it weren''t for the fact that Ye Hongyi was too suspicious and took away Huan Heng''s military power, how could this opportunity have appeared for Chu Mobei to exploit?" Yao Mowan walked slowly to Ye Junqing''s side, her eyes extremely calm. "As a general, what he views as most important is the emperor''s trust. Ye Hongyi''s doings have indeed hurt Huan Heng, but this prince''s just worried¡­" Ye Junqing restrained the indignance in his heart and spoke worriedly. "Is Prince worried that Huan Heng will leave great Chu? He won''t, he doesn''t have that chance anymore." A captivating smile spread over Yao Mowan''s lips as she said this softly. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 78
Chapter 78: You''re Precisely the One We Want to Kidnap When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan was leaving, he immediately followed after her. "How do you know that he won''t have that chance? Huangfu Junxiu hasn''t left yet, and even if he''s left, who can guarantee that Chu Mobei wouldn''t sent more secret envoys?" Ye Junqing disagreed with what she said. "Me!" Yao Mowan abruptly stopped walking and radiance light shed through her clear eyes. When Ye Junqing saw the confidence in Yao Mowan''s eyes, his agitation faded. For some reason, he had groundless faith in Yao Mowan''s words. "You''re going to get involved in their business?" asked Ye Junqing in an annoyed tone. "Prince should remember that everything Yao Mowan gets involved in is Yao Mowan''s business." Yao Mowan''s smiling dimples were like flowers. Beneath the moonlight, that smile seemed to be a peony haloed in silver, iparably graceful and mysterious. When Huangfu Junxiu got back to his residence, he started mulling over the conversation again. He couldn''t shake off the feeling that there was more to what Huan Caier had said. It sounded like someone passing themselves off as an envoy of the crown prince had already gone to look for Huan Heng before they had arrived, but who could it be? Right at this time, a white pigeon flew in the window. Huangfu Junxiu got up and walked to the window. When he saw that there was no one around, he reached out to grab the pigeon and carefully remove the bamboo tube to take out the letter. The contents of the letter caused his expression to turn grave. It was already past midnight, so there wasn''t a single person on the main street. There''d asionally be a gust of wind, but the surroundings were silent and deste. At this time, a pnquin with eight carriers was currently moving through the streets at a hurried pace. The pnquin carriers were panting from exertion. Suddenly, a ck figure weaved through them and the carriers were instantly no longer able to move. Yui Inn, Sky, first room. (In the Thousand Character ssic, Sky is the first character. The order of the characters had been used in the ancient era as a numbering system.) "Preposterous! Release me! Don''t you know who I am!?" Huan Heng sat on the chair with his back straight as he red at the woman in front of him whose features were concealed by a ck veil. "Since we''ve kidnapped you, of course we know who you are. Jing Xin not only knows who you are, Jing Xin even knows why you were trying to enter the pce in the depths of the night." Yao Mowan lifted the teacup and leisurely sampled it. "Your name''s Jing Xin? How did you know that this old man was trying to enter the pce?" Huan Heng took a deep breath to calm down, then he started sizing up the person in front of him. Although he couldn''t make out her features, he knew that this person couldn''t be underestimated based on that cold gleam in her eyes. "General, you must be very shocked to find out about the fact that the person who had been in contact with you this entire time wasn''t actually an envoy from Shu, right?" Yao Mowan got straight to the point. "You! How do you know about that!?" Huan Heng was astonished and looked towards her in rm. This was something that would involve the lives of everyone in Huan Residence, so there was no way he could keep calm. "Because Jing Xin was the one that had pretended to be a Shu envoy this entire time to maintain contact with you, General." Yao Mowan didn''t mince any words and said this calmly. "Do you think I would believe that?" said Huan Heng coldly. Yao Mowan''s lips curved as Yin Xue moved swiftly to ce a jade pendant with the character ''north'' on the table. When Huan Heng saw this jade pendant, his eyes widened in shock. "General, you should believe now, right?" said Yao Mowan as she casually set down her teacup. "Who exactly are you? What''s your motive?" demanded Huan Heng, his brows furrowed sharply. "Jing Xin''s naturally not an ordinary person to be able to realize General''s desire to rebel and make contact with General using the identity of a Shu envoy in such a timely manner. As for the motive¡­ It''s not difficult to guess!" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Huan Heng. "You want to revolt? Humph, do you have that ability?" Huan Heng nced coldly at Yao Mowan in clear skepticism. "It''s not yet time for Jing Xin to prove that to General, but General doesn''t seem to have any choice but to follow Jing Xin." Yao Mowan voiced the reality of the situation. "Not necessarily." Huan Heng took a deep breath and looked towards her calmly. "If General dares to make contact with envoys of Shu, Jing Xin will immediately ce the previously exchanged letters in the imperial pce''s study. Although those letters are fake, it is true that General had gotten in contact with an envoy of Shu. The fact that Consort Chen had recently invited Chu Moxin over for dinner would be taken by Ye Hongyi as evidence of General colluding with the enemy." Yao Mowan analyzed the situation concisely. "Then this old man can give up on relying on help from great Shu and remain loyal to His Majesty!" refuted Huan Heng. "If you could, then you wouldn''t have gotten in contact with Jing Xin''s subordinate in the first ce. General, what point is there in fooling yourself? And you should also understand what Ye Hongyi''s like as a person by now. Look at the current Esteemed Prince. It shouldn''t be hard to guess your own fate, right?" reminded Yao Mowan deliberately. Huan Heng was silent as he considered things with a frown. From the look of things now, it was no longer possible to try and shift to Chu Mobei''s side. Could it be that he really had to remain loyal to the imperial court? But it was true, even the outstanding military general, Ye Junqing, had fallen to the point of being kept under house arrest in the imperial pce, and that was despite being a member of the imperial family. If Ye Hongyi wanted to get rid of him, he would be able to do it without any difficulties. "If this old man is willing to support you, what benefits will there be?" Huan Heng gave a long sigh as he chose topromise. "Jing Xin guarantees that your Huan Residence will no longer have any worries no matter where it is!" Yao Mowan''s voice resounded with strength. When people reached Huan Heng''s age, all they wished for was the safety of their family. If it weren''t for this, he wouldn''t have had his daughter give up on bing empress. In Moon Crossing Pavilion, Huan Caier had been waiting anxiously. However, instead of Huan Heng, what arrived was a letter. "Your Highness, what does Master mean by this?" asked Zi Shuang as she frowned at the letter. "Huangfu Junxiu is not a good person¡­ How did Father find out?" Huan Caier was frowning as well as her heart chilled. Although this letter didn''t state things clearly, she understood what her father meant. What should she do? Should she give up? Back then, for the sake of Huan Residence, she had already given up on her happiness once. As of now, happiness was right in front of her, was she really going to have to let it slip out of her hands again? She wasn''t willing! At lunch the next day, Ye Junqing was just about to asked Yao Mowan about Huan Heng when Chu Moxin abruptly charged in angrily. "Preposterous! If this prince catches that person, this prince will definitely yank out his tongue and feed it to a dog!" eximed Chu Moxin angrily. He plopped himself down so hard that Yao Mowan felt a gust of wind. "Catch who?" asked Yao Mowan as she passed him a porcin bowl. "They actually dared to say that this prince was fighting over a woman with Big Brother! Could it be that there only existed one woman in the world? Even if there was only one, this prince wouldn''t fight over her with Big Brother! Who the hell is Qing er? It''s bullshit! And they''re even saying that there has always been hostility between this prince and Big Brother, what a load of bull!" Chu Moxin huffed angrily as he sat in front of the table. "What is Little Prince talking about?" Yao Mowan was slightly shocked to hear this. It was probably Huangfu Junxiu that had gotten this news, but why had he told Chu Moxin about the rumors? "Rumors! This prince had only left Shu for a couple days, but a rumor like this actually started spreading!" Chu Moxin ground his teeth in fury. "The people spreading these rumors are sure hateful," said Yao Mowan agreeably. "Although the people spreading the rumors are hateful, the person pulling the strings is even more hateful! If he was sitting in front of this prince right now, this prince will definitely use this to pry open his mouth, then use this to yank his tongue out!" Chu Moxin was clenching a soup spoon in one hand and chopsticks with the other. That, apanied by the sinister expression on his face sessfully caused Yao Mowan''s little heart to tremble a little. It seemed like Huangfu Junxiu was doing this to probe her. These rumors hade from Shu right after he had made contact with Huan Caier, so there was no way he wouldn''t be suspicious. "Since the rumors came from Shu, the person behind this is definitely someone of Shu. Prince, rather than making such fierce vows here, why not head back sooner in order to actually deal with this?" suggested Ye Junqing slowly. "Big Brother will definitely get to the bottom of this matter, so this prince doesn''t need to worry about it. As for heading back¡­ This prince isn''t in a rush." Chu Moxin took a deep breath. He seemed to have nced over briefly at Yao Mowan. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 79
Chapter 79: The Little Prince Has Gotten Poisoned Right at this time, Ting Yue suddenly rushed in from outside. "Your Highness, it''s terrible! Fluffy and Jewel have disappeared! This servant has searched the entire imperial pce, but they were nowhere to be found!" Ting Yue knew that Fluffy and Jewel mattered a lot to her master, so she hastily came in to report this. "They have eight legs total, so of course you can''t find them!" Before Yao Mowan even had the chance to speak, Chu Moxin had already snapped back in a displeased tone. "Your Highness?" Ting Yue looked towards Yao Mowan for instructions. "It''s fine, you can withdraw for now." Yao Mowan nced at Chu Moxin, then looked towards Ting Yue. She only shifted her gaze back to Chu Moxin once Ting Yue had left. "It''s best if you release them. If they get thinner or lose even a single strand of fur, this consort will make you pay for it in full!" Although Yao Mowan cared for Chu Moxin, it didn''t mean that she would allow him to do whatever he wanted. Even if he was angry with her, that didn''t mean he could take it out on the people around her, especially when it was two innocent cats. "Do you think this prince has that much free time? What would this prince catch them for?" Chu Moxin avoided Yao Mowan''s gaze, then lifted the porcin bowl to take big gulps of the soup. "This consort also wants to know why a grand prince holds such a grudge against two cats¡­ Are you alright?" Originally Yao Mowan wanted to tease him a little, but she found that Chu Moxin had started frowning and his facial color had turned deathly pale. His forehead soon became covered with cold sweat. "I¡­ I''m fine!" Chu Moxin suddenly felt a blunt ache in his heart like someone had hit it hard with a hammer. "Austere Prince, are you really alright?" Ye Junqing saw that Chu Moxin''s hand was shaking as he held the porcin bowl and his legs were trembling uncontrobly as sweat dripped down his face. "I''m¡­ Pfff!" Before Chu Moxin could even finish his words, he abruptly coughed a mouthful of blood. When Ye Junqing saw this, he immediately looked towards Yao Mowan. "I didn''t do anything! Someone! Hurry and call for an imperial physician!" After recovering from her shock, Yao Mowan hastily went up to support Chu Moxin. Almost at the same time, Huangfu Junxiu walked in from outside. "Little Prince¡­ Little Prince! What''s happening? Yao Mowan! Why''s the prince in this state? Was it you that poisoned him?" After what happened before, the first person Huangfu Junxiu thought of was Yao Mowan. "Saving the austere prince first is more important!" Ye Junqing''s expression was grave as he quickly moved to seal Chu Moxin''s meridians. Following that, he pressed his palm against Chu Moxin''s back to transfer energy to him. "If anything happens to the little prince, the crown prince will definitely send an army to attack Chu and make sure you two die without an intact corpse!" Huangfu Junxiu felt like his heart was breaking when he saw Chu Moxin''s agonized expression. "Junxiu¡­ Cough cough¡­ This princemands you¡­ Don''t tell Big Brother about this incident¡­ You hear me?" Chu Moxin grabbed Huangfu Junxiu''s cor. His stern gaze was sharp like that of an eagle''s, but every word he spoke seemed to take all of his strength and blood spilled out the corners of his lips, soaking his garments. "Prince! Why!?" Huangfu Junxiu hugged Chu Moxin as he asked this sorrowfully. "This prince says you can''t, so you can''t¡­ Cough cough¡­ Don''t worry, this prince has a strong life. If not, this prince wouldn''t have caused Imperial Mother''s death¡­" Chu Moxin forced a smile. His gaze slowly shifted towards Yao Mowan, then his vision went dark. "Imperial physician¡­ Hurry and call an imperial physician!" In that instantly when Chu Moxin closed his eyes, the image of Zhong er''s soft pinks cheeks suddenly appeared in Yao Mowan''s mind. The way he had looked towards her made her heart tremble with unbearable sorrow and heartache. "Little Prince! Prince! Yao Mowan, Ye Junqing! If anything happens to Prince, Huangfu Junxiu will definitely make you two pay! The crown prince will not let this go! Great Shu will not let this go!" After vowing this, Huangfu Junxiu hastily carried Chu Moxin out of Guan Osprey Pce''s main hall. "Moxin¡­ Please be alright¡­ I beg you¡­" Tears streamed down Yao Mowan''s cheeks and she staggered as she moved to follow them, but Ye Junqing pulled her back. "You can''t go over there right now! His Majesty will soon be here. In this state, how are you going to conceal anything from His Majesty?" Ye Junqing sensed Yao Mowan''s abnormality and hastily reminded her. "I beg you, save him! I''m begging you¡­ He can''t die¡­ He can''t die!" Her taut nervespletely snapped and she knelt down in front of Ye Junqing to clench the hems of his clothing. Her tears overflowed like a breached dike. Her Zhong er had barelye to this world for a day, he had been still so small! Why!? The Heavens were unjust! "Mowan¡­" Ye Junqing looked at Yao Mowan in astonishment. He couldn''t bring himself to believe Yao Mowan''s reaction. She was actually kneeling in front of him for Chu Moxin''s sake? In this instant, he couldn''t imagine what would happen to Yao Mowan if Chu Moxin actually died. "Ting Yue, hurry and help your master to her bedroom. Don''t worry, this prince won''t let him die! Since this prince has promised you this, this prince will definitely achieve it!" Ye Junqing helped Yao Mowan up with both hands as he said this with a determined gaze. Yao Mowan had gone so far as to kneel to him, so he must save Chu Moxin. "I believe you! Junqing, you''re the only one I believe in this world!" Yao Mowan grabbed Ye Junqing''s hands tightly as tears blurred her vision. She believed that if there existed someone in this world that could save her Zhong er, that person would be Ye Junqing. "Your Highness, don''t be like this, the little austere prince will be fine. This servant will help you back to the room." Just as Ting Yue reached out, Yao Mowan fainted. "Esteemed Prince?" Ting Yue caught Yao Mowan in a fluster. "Look after your master carefully. This prince will be back soon!" As Ye Junqing took in Yao Mowan''s unnaturally paleplexion, he felt like countless vines were tightly wrapping around his heart and stifling him. When Ye Junqing walked into the west wing, there were at least five of the imperial physicians that hade with Chu Moxin surrounding the bed. The other three imperial physicians from the pce couldn''t really get involved, so they just waited at the side. "How is the little prince?" Huangfu Junxiu looked towards the imperial physicians worriedly. "Sire, it''s not good. This is a fatal poison. Although his meridians have been sealed, the poison is too strong and has already started permeating his heart. We subjects can do nothing to reverse this!" reported the imperial physicians with bitter helplessness. "No¡­ You must cure the little prince! Otherwise you all can just wait to be buried with him!" Huangfu Junxiu abruptly lifted an imperial physician by his cor, his eyes bloodshot. "Sire, even if you kill us now, we''d still be helpless! Crane''s Red-Crown in addition with La Yan Sand is something that not even a descended immortal would be able to cure!" The imperial physician didn''t struggle. They too, wished to save Chu Moxin, but reality was harsh. No one was capable of curing such a fatal poison. "Let this prince try!" said Ye Junqing coldly as he strode towards the bed. "Stay away! If it weren''t for you and Yao Mowan, how could the little prince have be like this!?" Huangfu Junxiu blocked Ye Junqing''s way and red at him hostilely. "This incident has nothing to do with this prince and Noble Consort Yao. If you wish for Chu Moxin to die, then just continue standing here! If you want him to still have a chance at survival, move aside!" said Ye Junqing forcefully. "Cough cough¡­" On the bed, Chu Moxin was coughing violently. His clothing was already soaked with his blood. "If anything happens to the little prince, Huangfu Junxiu will make you pay with your life immediately!" After a moment of hesitation, Huangfu Junxiu moved aside. Ye Junqing silently moved to the bed to lift Chu Moxin up, then he sat down in a mediation position as he ced both hands against Chu Moxin''s back to slowly transfer his energy into Chu Moxin''s body and revolve it. "That simple?" bellowed Huangfu Junxiu angrily when he saw Ye Junqing''s seemingly pointless action. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 80
Chapter 80: Would You Die If You Came Sooner? "If you don''t want Chu Moxin to die right now, then have everyone in the room withdraw, including you!" Ye Junqing took a deep breath, then closed his eyes without saying anything else. "Sire, Esteemed Prince is probably trying to use his own inner strength to force out the poison inside the little prince''s body. The most dangerous part of this process is if there are any disruptions. If there are any outside hinderances or disruptions, the esteemed prince and the little prince would both lose their lives," exined an imperial physician. "Then what are you guys still standing there for? Hurry up and scram!" There was no reason for Huangfu Junxiu not to trust an imperial physician of his own nation, so he immediately started urging them out. Upon hearing this, all the imperial physicians quietly left the room. Huangfu Junxiu turned towards Ye Junqing whose forehead was already covered with sweat and spoke solemnly. "If you can save the little prince, Junxiu will remember this favor." Huangfu Junxiu took a deep breath, then left the room and personally closed the doors before turning around to stand guard. Since this process could not afford any disruptions, then he would personally stand guard. Even if it was the Heavenly Emperor that came, he would not allow anyone inside. After a few minutes, Ye Hongyi rushed into the west wing of Guan Osprey Pce. "Why are all of you outside? How is the austere prince?" asked Ye Hongyi anxiously when he saw that all the imperial physicians were standing in the main hall in an orderly manner. "Replying Your Majesty, the little prince has fallen to a fatal poison that has no antidote. The esteemed prince is currently inside helping the little prince force the poison out, so we subjects can only wait outside," replied an imperial physician fearfully. "A fatal poison? Let us see!" When Ye Hongyi heard this news, he was rmed and delighted. He was rmed because if something happened to Chu Moxin, war would definitely break out between Chu and Shu. However, he was delighted that Ye Junqing was present when this happened to Chu Moxin because no matter who was behind this, he''d still be able to push the me onto Ye Junqing. However, when he got to the door, Huangfu Junxiu showed no intention of moving aside. "Audacious! His Majesty wishes to enter, so hurry and move aside!" shouted An Bingshan sternly as he flicked his horsetail whisk. "Junxiu has no intention to be rude, but the esteemed prince is currently using his inner strength to help force the poison out of the little prince''s body and cannot be disturbed," said Huangfu Junxiu coldly in a neither servile nor overbearing tone. "What do you mean by that? His Majesty is worried about Austere Prince''s current condition, how could you call it a disturbance?" eximed An Bingshan in a tone of outrage. He hadn''t forgotten how Huangfu Junxiu had cursed at him back then. "Regardless of whether it''s a visit or a disturbance, Junxiu will not be moving aside. This is great Chu, so King Chu can order for Junxiu to be dragged out and beheaded, but there''s one thing to keep in mind. If King Chu insists on going inside, then that means King Chu is purposefully trying to harm the austere prince. At that time, who was behind the poisoning doesn''t matter, great Shu will still make King Chu take responsibility for it!" said Huangfu Junxiu sternly. "You seriously are blind to the kindness of¡­" An Bingshan was about to refute, but Ye Hongyi stopped him. "We can understand how Envoy Huangfu must be feeling. Since Esteemed Prince is here, Austere Prince''s misfortune will definitely turn to blessing, so we are relieved. An Bingshan, wait here. As soon as there''s updates, head to Noble Consort Yao''s pce to report." Ye Hongyi forced his anger down and turned to leave. Time seemed to trickle past unbearably slowly. Within the west wing, everyone''s hearts felt heavy. They understood very well that if Chu Moxin died, the entire world would fall into chaos. Before they knew it, four hours had already passed, but there was still no movement from inside the room. Inside the bedroom, Ye Junqing had already used up over half of his inner strength and his clothes were now soaked by sweat, but Chu Moxin wasn''t responding at all. His lips were purple and his pallor had gotten even worse. "Prince, Yin Xue shall help you!" Suddenly, Yin Xue who had been hidden in the shadows stepped out to ce both her hands on Ye Junqing''s back and push all the energy she had into him. "Yin Xue, there''s no need for you to do this." Ye Junqing struggled to speak when he sensed Yin Xue''s inner strength flowing into him. "Master''s desire is Yin Xue''s desire. Since Master wishes for Chu Moxin to live, then Yin Xue must also give all her effort!" Back then, when Yin Xue saw Yao Mowan kneel down heartbrokenly in front of Ye Junqing, she had cried as well. Ye Junqing didn''t say anything else because he knew that Yin Xue wasn''t the type to listen to persuasion. Perhaps it was due to Yin Xue''s aid, because Chu Moxin''s facial color was gradually getting better and white steam started rising from his back. Another two hours passed. The people outside were bing increasingly uneasy, and the people inside were also nearly out of strength. At this time, Yin Xue was leaning weakly against the frame of the bed, but she was still pouring every drop of inner strength she had into Ye Junqing''s body. Ye Junqing was in an even worse of a state. His face seemed almost paler than Chu Moxin''s. However, Chu Moxin''s facial color was gradually recovering and there was now a slight flush. "Prince¡­ You can''t¡­" When Yin Xue sensed that Ye Junqing was about to push out thest bit of inner strength that remained in his body, she spoke to dissuade him. She knew that although Master hoped for Chu Moxin to live, she''d never take it at the price of Ye Junqing copsing. "There''s only a little bit left! This prince can''t give up halfway!" Ye Junqing knew that he had reached his limits, but during these past six hours, the image that kept reappearing in his mind was that of Yao Mowan''s tearful eyes. This was his first time ever seeing Yao Mowan cry. She cared about Chu Moxin so much and she also had so much faith in him, so no matter the price, he wouldn''t let Yao Mowan down, even if the consequence was death! "Prince!" Just as Yin Xue sensed that Ye Junqing was about to push the rest of his energy out, she suddenly felt a flow of cool inner strength pour in. Yin Xue nced back in shock just in time to see that iparably beautiful and captivating face smile towards her. "How is it? Your former master sure has good timing, right?" Yan Nansheng''s lips hooked in a beautiful arc. However, in this instant, Yin Xue seriously couldn''t bring herself to praise him. "Would you die if you came sooner!?" The retort Yin Xue was thinking was shot out by Ye Junqing. "Where''s Yao Mowan? I gave her three nine revivals pills, but there''s not a single one left?" In reality, Yan Nansheng had rushed here as fast as he could. He had never tried getting to Guan Osprey Pce from Phoenix Feather Manor in only four hours. "If there was one, would this prince be going through all this trouble?" Ye Junqing only stopped once he had forced all the poison inside Chu Moxin''s body out. "Prince, are you alright?" asked Yin Xue worriedly once Ye Junqing had helped Chu Moxin back down and turned to get off the bed. "This prince is fine¡­" As Ye Junqing replied, he was suddenly hit by a bout of severe dizziness, then passed out. It was only because Yin Xue was nearby that he didn''t crash to the ground. "Yin Xue, help him back to his room first. I''ll be here." When Yan Nansheng saw that Ye Junqing''s face was nearly pale as frost, a grave expression shed through his eyes. Once Yin Xue left with Ye Junqing, Yan Nansheng knocked light on the door. Huangfu Junxiu immediately pushed open the door and entered. When he saw that mboyant red garment, he quickly moved to shut the door. "Envoy Huangfu, what do you mean by this? I still need to see Austere Prince''s condition in order to report to His Majesty!" shouted An Bingshan angrily. "Junxiu''s just worried about Austere Prince''s safety, so please wait outside for a while." After securing the door, Huangfu Junxiu strode past Yan Nansheng to rush towards the bed. On the bed, although Chu Moxin hadn''t woken up, his cheeks now had color and his breathing was even. "Although using inner strength to force the poison out is capable of clearing out the poison, since the poison has been in his body too long, it''d take at least three days for him to wake up. During these three days, he might have symptoms like fevers, however it''s normal and nothing to be worried about," exined Yan Nansheng. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 81
Chapter 81: Her Highness is Awake "Junxiu won''t be thanking Alliance Head. If Alliance Head hadn''t taken Yin Xiong away, this wouldn''t have happened to the little prince," said Huangfu Junxiu coldly even as relief flooded his heart. "Nansheng hadn''t helped in order to obtain your thanks either. As for Yin Xiong¡­ That''ll depend on this alliance head''s mood." Yan Nansheng humphed lightly, then turned to leave. The Jade Hare gradually rose in the east. The bow-like moon hung above the branches and in the autumn wind, the swaying branches casted mottled shadows on the ground. asionally, a few leaves fell to the ground, reflecting the faint sorrow of autumn. In the bedroom of Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan seemed to hear the wail of an infant. The helpless cries caused her heart to clench repeatedly in pain. "Zhong er¡­ Give Zhong er back to me¡­" Tears rolled down her trembling eyshes as she shook her head hard. She pushed the nket away and lifted both hands with all her strength as if trying to catch something. "No!" Yao Mowan abruptly opened her eyes, her hands still outstretched. Tears flooded her eyes and glided down into her hair. She had failed to catch him again. Yao Mowan dropped her arms weakly. Her lips trembled uncontrobly and whimpers involuntarily came from her throat. That scene in the cold pce had appeared in her dreams countless times. She prayed every time for the result to be different, but every time as Ye Hongyi fiercely threw down Zhong er, she was never able to make it in time to catch him. She hated herself. Why couldn''t she be a little faster? If she was just a little faster, she''d be able to catch her Zhong er! But no matter how she tried, she was always a stepte and could only watch as Zhong er died right in front of her. "Your Highness!" Ting Yue heard the disturbance from outside the door and ran in. Yao Mowan took a deep breath and hid the sorrow in her eyes, then wiped away her tears while Ting Yue was lighting the candles. "Your Highness, you''re finally awake! You scared this servant so badly!" Once the bedroom was lit up, Ting Yue went over to help Yao Mowan off the bed. "Have some tea." When Ting Yue saw that Yao Mowan''s lips were dry, she immediately poured a cup of tea for her. As Yao Mowan epted the tea, she suddenly looked towards Ting Yue seriously. "How is Chu Moxin? Did he¡­" "Don''t worry, Your Highness, the little prince is fine. This servant heard that Esteemed Prince had used his inner strength to force the poison out of the little prince, but due to this, he had been so tired that he fainted." Ting Yue wasn''t clear on the details either. "I got it. You should go rest first." Yao Mowan nodded slightly. "Your Highness, you just woke up so should this servant prepare some food for you?" "There''s no need." Yao Mowan shook her head. Once Ting Yue withdrew, Yao Mowan hastily called Yin Xue out. "Yin Xue kowtows in salute to Master." The clear voice contained unconceble exhaustion. Even though the bedroom was dim, Yao Mowan was still able to see that Yin Xue''s face was unnaturally pale. "Sit down to talk. Is Chu Moxin really fine?" Yao Mowan looked towards Yin Xue nervously. Ting Yue couldn''t enter the west wing with her status, but it was different for Yin Xue. "Replying Master, Chu Moxin is indeed fine, but¡­ Ye Junqing had risked his life to save Chu Moxin. If it weren''t for the fact that Yan Nansheng appeared just in time¡­ You probably wouldn''t be able to see Ye Junqing anymore," reported Yin Xue honestly. "He risked his life? As long as he gave it his all, it''s enough. Why did he risk his life?" Yao Mowan looked towards Yin Xue in shock. Even though the tea from the cup had spilled onto her hand, she didn''t notice. "Master, did you forget? After Chu Moxin was poisoned, Master had knelt in front of Ye Junqing and said that he must save Chu Moxin''s life. Perhaps it was because of what Master said that Ye Junqing went so far as to risk his life," replied Yin Xue bluntly. "This consort knelt down to beg him? How''s that possible¡­ How could this consort possibly kneel down and beg him¡­" Yao Mowan pressed on her temples. She couldn''t believe that she would do something like that. "Yin Xue had personally witnessed it. Master was crying heart-wrenchingly as you begged Ye Junqing to save Chu Moxin. Forgive Yin Xue''s direct words, but back then the feeling this subordinate got was that Chu Moxin was your own son." Yin Xue still couldn''t understand why her master had such intense feelings for Chu Moxin. They had only known each other for a few days. "Son¡­" repeated Yao Mowan dazedly. Yes, she remembered now. When she saw Chu Moxin coughing blood, she recalled her own Zhong er, the sight of him lying on the cold ground, covered in blood. "Master?" called Yin Xue worriedly when she saw the distracted expression on Yao Mowan''s face. "This consort is fine. Then what about Ye Junqing? How is he now?" Yao Mowan was suddenly hit with lingering fear. If Ye Junqing had died trying to save Chu Moxin, how was she ever supposed to repent? "Due to overuse of inner strength, Ye Junqing is currently unconscious. However, there''s no need for Your Highness to worry, he''ll wake up by tomorrow night at thetest. It''s just that recovering his inner strength isn''t something that can been done in a short period of time," answered Yin Xue. "That''s fortunate¡­ What about Chu Moxin?" A son that didn''t have a mother, and a mother that didn''t have a son. Yao Mowan''s concern for Chu Moxin werepletely sincere. "The poison had been forced out, but it''d take at least three days for him to wake up." Yin Xue was also slightly upset by the fact that this had happened to a child who was only fifteen. "Those imperial physicians hadn''t been able to figure out what kind of poison it was?" Yao Mowan restrained the hurt in her eyes and when she looked up again, her gaze was dark and cold. "It was a poison that had Crane''s Red-Crown and La Yan Sand mixed in. With such fatal poisons asponents, it kills nearly instantly. The person who was behind the poison definitely wanted to take Chu Moxin''s life." "Who exactly wants to hurt Chu Moxin? Or perhaps¡­ hurt this consort¡­" Yao Mowan lowered her eyes as she mulled over things. If she ever got her hands on the person behind this, she''d definitely make him pay a hundred-fold. The first rays of the morning sun at dawn cut the endless ck curtain like a sharp sword. A strand of golden light spilled down, lighting up Guan Osprey Pce which had gone through such a silent night. At this time, right as Liu Xing was walking out from the east wing, he saw Yao Mowan walk over. "This servant kowtows in salute to Your Highness." Liu Xing set down the water basin and greeted her respectfully. "Rise. How is the esteemed prince?" Yao Mowan hadn''t gone back to bed after waking upst night and she left her bedroom at daybreak. "Replying Your Highness, the imperial physician just came and said that Esteemed Prince was unconscious because he had exerted himself too much. He''ll be unconscious until at least noon, but there''s nothing to worry about," reported Liu Xing. "Yes, then you can withdraw. Have Ting Yue prepare some ginseng soup and bring it over," instructed Yao Mowan as she walked into the east wing. Even though it was reconstructed, the decoration inside was still simple to the point that it was unpresentable. However, Yao Mowan couldn''t be bothered to worry about this now as she walked towards the bedroom. On the bed, part of Ye Junqing''s azure gown was hanging off the side of the bed. His satin-like ck hair spilled over his chest, framing his handsome face that was like an exquisitely carved jade. As Yao Mowan slowly walked towards him, her eyes turned misty. Junqing ah, don''t you know how important your life is? If anything happened to you, what meaning would there be in everything I''ve done? If it was for revenge, there was no need for me to take such a painful path. It''d only take a little bit of effort to make Ye Hongyi and Yao Suluan''s life worse than death. However, I''m painstakingly advancing step by step. The sole reason was to return to you a magnificent great Chu. So tell me, if you died, how am I supposed to continue? Yao Mowan slowly sat down by the bed, tears blurring her vision. She forced her eyes focus on the face in front of her. Almost reflexively, she reached out to touch Ye Junqing''s face. In that instant as their skin made contact, a teardrop fell silently from Yao Mowan''s eye and dropped onto Ye Junqing''s tightly closed lips. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 82
Chapter 82: Trodded on Her Tail "What are you doing?" A clear voice filled with confusion arose. Yao Mowan was shocked to hear this voice and nced over only to see that Ye Junqing was scrutinizing her with a strange look on his face. Yao Mowan swallowed hard. In this instant, she really wanted to cut off the finger that was on Ye Junqing''s face, then nonchntly tell him that it didn''t belong to her. "Ahem¡­ Your nose bridge and your cheekbones are the same height, so that means there''s no way your life will be short." Yao Mowan patted Ye Junqing''s face in an unperturbed manner before moving her hand away. "This prince has heard of fortune-telling based on the person''s face, but this prince has never heard that there was a need to touch the face?" As Ye Junqing struggled to get up, he continued looking towards Yao Mowan with a puzzled expression. "That''s why I''m saying that Prince is too ignorant. In all honesty, it''d be best if Prince learns a little bit about topics besides military tactics," replied Yao Mowan with forced calmness. Inside she had already cursed that quack doctor nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-one times. Didn''t he say that he wouldn''t wake up until noon? What was with this current situation!? "Oh right, how is Chu Moxin right now?" Ye Junqing felt like Yao Mowan was just purposefully picking faults with him, so he just ignored her. Right now he didn''t have the energy to discuss who exactly it was that needed to expand their knowledge. "Mowan hade precisely because of this matter. Yin Xue said that for the sake of saving Chu Moxin, Prince was about to throw away his own life? Mowan wishes to know if Prince truly just cares so little about himself?" Yao Mowan''s sudden indignance baffled Ye Junqing. "That''s not the case?" Ye Junqing thought that Yao Mowan hade here to thank him. Even if it wasn''t for that, her attitude should still be a little better than this. "Then why did you try to trade for Chu Moxin''s life with your own?" Yao Mowan just wanted to make Ye Junqing understand that there was no one whose life was more precious than his in this world. "It was due to the circumstances. That point had been a crucial moment, so this prince didn''t have a choice." Regardless of if it had been for great Chu or for Yao Mowan, or if it had just been for an innocent life, he couldn''t give up in the middle. "It''s not that you didn''t have a choice but that you were seeking death! You think that you can reunite with Eldest Sister if you die, but if you give up on your life so easily, even if Eldest Sister is down at the Ninth Spring, she''d refuse to see you!" said Yao Mowan angrily. "What''s with you? Could it be that it was wrong for this prince to save him? Back then, you were the one that knelt in front of this prince to request that he must be saved!" Ye Junqing frowned slightly. He couldn''t understand why Yao Mowan was angry. "That''s because¡­" Because at that moment, she had mistaken Chu Moxin to be Zhong er. However, how could she say something like this out loud? "Because what?" Ye Junqing really wanted to know what could possibly cause Yao Mowan to give up her dignity and face to kneel in front of him. Right at this time, there was a soft knock at the door, then Ting Yue walked in carrying ginseng soup. The moment she entered the bedroom, she felt a gust of cold wind fly towards her. "Your Highness¡­ This is the ginseng soup you instructed for us to prepare for Esteemed Prince," said Ting Yue respectfully, keeping her eyes down to avoid Yao Mowan''s gaze. "He doesn''t even care about his own life, so what does he need to drink these things for? Carry it back!" said Yao Mowan angrily. When Ting Yue heard this, she knew that her master was currently angry so she silently obeyed themand and turned to leave. However, before she could walk out the door, Yao Mowan called her back. "Forget it, leave the soup in here. Whether he drinks it or not is his own business!" Even though Yao Mowan was angry, she still couldn''t bear to let Ye Junqing be hungry. As Ting Yue was turning around, Yao Mowan walked past her to head outside. After the door closed, Ye Junqing exhaled heavily, then looked towards Ting Yue. "Ting Yue, who stomped on her tail?" Ye Junqing was pretty certain that someone must have provoked Yao Mowan before she came here, otherwise she wouldn''t be unreasonable to this degree. "This servant doesn''t know this, but Her Highness was still in a good mood before she walked in here." Ting Yue''s meaning was very clear. "It was this prince? But this prince hadn''t even gotten off the bed! She had definitely gotten her tail caught in the door as she was walking in!" Ye Junqing sincerely believed this. When Ting Yue heard, her lips subconsciously twitched and she didn''t say anything else. After leaving the east wing, Yao Mowan headed to the pear garden and sat down on the swing in vexation. What was with her? When had her feelings started to show on her face so easily? What exactly went wrong? Yao Mowan sat quietly on the swing, allowing the pear flower petals to fall on her. She needed to calm down, she needed to settle down. She had to find the root of the problem. After sitting there for a long while, her face suddenly lit up with realization. She finally understood why she had gone out of control in front of Ye Junqing. It was because she cared about him. It was no longer due to the fact that she felt grateful to him. Before she had noticed it, she had already grown to care about him so much that he was her everything. After lunch, Yao Mowan set aside all those confusing questions and headed to the west wing. However, the moment she entered, she was stopped by two guards. "This consort just wishes to visit the little prince," said Yao Mowan calmly when she saw Huangfu Junxiu walk out. "Withdraw." Huangfu Junxiu indicated for the guards to leave, then made a gesture to invite Yao Mowan in. Yao Mowan hadn''t expected Huangfu Junxiu to be so cooperative and was inwardly relieved. "The little prince has had a high fever sincest night. Although they said that this was normal, Junxiu is still worried. If it''s possible, Junxiu hopes that Your Highness will be able to think of something to help." Huangfu Junxiu''s voice contained a trace of beseeching and hope. Upon hearing this, Yao Mowan stopped walked and turned to look towards him. "If Junxiu had said anything to offend Your Highness in the past, please do not take them to heart. Since the little prince tried to protect you with his life, you shouldn''t be the one behind this," said Huangfu Junxiu in a meaningful tone. "This consort doesn''t understand what you mean?" Yao Mowan knitted her brows slightly as she looked towards Huangfu Junxiu in confusion. "The little prince was concerned for Your Highness''s safety even after getting poisoned and insisted that Junxiu didn''t report this incident to the crown prince. The little prince understands the crown prince better than anyone. If the crown prince knew that the little prince had gotten poisoned in Guan Osprey Pce, regardless of whether or not Your Highness had been behind this, the crown prince still wouldn''t let you off," said Huangfu Junxiu. "Chu Mobei truly loves this younger brother of his. This consort believes this fully." Yao Mowan nodded slightly, but inside she was quite shocked. She couldn''t understand why Chu Moxin would think of her even at the brink of death. Their friendship shouldn''t be that strong? As Yao Mowan walked into the bedroom, Huangfu Junxiu waved to dismiss the maid. When Yao Mowan got a clear look at the person on the bed, she saw that Chu Moxin was lying there weakly, his cheeks purplish red despite the towel on his forehead and his lips cracked to the point they were bleeding. "Why is it so severe? It''s so hot!" Yao Mowan hastily walked up to sit on the stool next to the bed. She stroked Chu Moxin''s hot cheek, then abruptly pulled her hand back. When she saw how bad Chu Moxin''s fever was, her heart twisted in pain. "Your Highness¡­" "How can one towel be enough? Have people bring more over! And, change out the water!" Just as Huangfu Junxiu was about to speak, Yao Mowan cut him off. When he saw the worry in Yao Mowan''s eyes, he quietly exhaled in relief and instructed for the maid to follow Yao Mowan''s orders before silently leaving. If it weren''t for the fact that Chu Moxin had been talking in his sleepst night saying that he wanted to go find Yao Mowan, Huangfu Junxiu wouldn''t have let Yao Mowan stepped into the west wing. However, as of now, he was willing to do anything to make Chu Moxin feel even just a little better. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 83
Chapter 83: The Pitiful Little Prince Inside the room, Yao Mowan looked after Chu Moxin carefully, changing the towel on his forehead again and again. Every single time she ced it on, it would only take a few minutes for it to be scalding hot. "Imperial Father¡­ Sorry¡­ Moxin shouldn''t havee to this world¡­ Moxin shouldn''t have harmed Imperial Mother¡­" Just as Yao Mowan was cing a new towel on Chu Moxin''s forehead, Chu Moxin''s chapped lips gradually parted. "You''re awake?" Yao Mowan looked towards Chu Moxin in delight only to find that he was only sleep talking. "Imperial Mother¡­ Xin er misses you so much¡­ So much¡­ Big Brother told Xin er that Imperial Mother is the most beautiful woman in this world¡­ Xin er''s really envious of Big Brother. Xin er really wants to see Imperial Mother¡­" Chu Moxin''s voice trembled and a tear spilled out the corner of his eye. The tear fell quickly and soon disappeared into his hair, but Yao Mowan saw it clearly. "Imperial Mother, this is the outfit Big Sister Moxin made. It''s so beautiful¡­ Can you see it? Don''t worry¡­ Imperial Mother, even if you''re not by Xin er''s side, there''s still someone to take care of Xin er¡­" Tears silently fell. Yao Mowan reflexively reached up to touch her cheek and found that it was wet. "Moxin, sorry, this consort had actually failed to guess what you were thinking. Sorry¡­" Yao Mowan''s voice contained a sobbing tone as her tears overflowed. "Imperial Mother¡­ Xin er misses you so much. What do I do¡­ You can''t tell Big Brother! Moxin doesn''t want anything to happen to Big Sister Mowan, she''s so much like Big Sister Moxin, so much¡­ like Imperial Mother¡­" On the bed, Chu Moxin continued to talk restlessly in his sleep, his expression asionally sad and asionally angry. The sight caused people''s hearts to ache. "This consort isn''t a good mother¡­ This consort didn''t protect Zhong er properly and also didn''t protect you properly¡­ Sorry¡­ Sorry¡­" Yao Mowan''s tears streamed down like rain as she continued to wipe Chu Moxin''s feverish cheeks without rest. At dinner time, Huangfu Junxiu came in for the fourth time in hopes of convincing Yao Mowan to take a break, but Yao Mowan refused. "Noble Consort Yao, it''s fine to leave these things to the servants. You had better head back to rest. Ting Yue has already finished preparing the evening meal." When Huangfu Junxiu saw the sweat on Yao Mowan''s forehead, a trace of warmth surfaced in his heart. It seemed that the little prince hadn''t protected the wrong person. "How could the servants do it well? Help this consort tell Ting Yue that this consort will be staying here to look after the austere prince today and that she should go rest, there''s no need to wait on this consort." Yao Mowan''s gaze didn''t leave Chu Moxin for a moment and her voice contained unquestionable firmness. "But¡­" Huangfu Junxiu looked towards Yao Mowan awkwardly. "This had happened to the little prince in in Guan Osprey Pce, so it''s only right for this consort to do this unless Sire doesn''t trust this consort?" As Yao Mowan spoke, she once again lifted the towel off Chu Moxin''s forehead, wet it, and wrung it out before cing it on his forehead. "Junxiu doesn''t dare. Junxiu will go tell Ting Yue right now." As of now, Huangfu Junxiu no longer harbored any suspicion towards Yao Mowan. When he returned, he personally carried in a basin of cool water. "It''s already quitete. Sire, you should go rest." Yao Mowan sounded a little worn out. "The one that should be resting is Your Highness. The little prince''s fever has already gone down quite a lot, so there''s no need to be worried, Your Highness. Junxiu will stay here with the prince." Huangfu Junxiu looked towards Yao Mowan gratefully as he said this sincerely. "This consort is fine. This consort won''t be at ease until he fully recovers. In truth¡­ The little prince is troubled by the fact that Queen Shu had died of difficult birth, isn''t he?" asked Yao Mowan as she took the towel that Huangfu Junxiu offered her. "Who could possibly set him free from the guilt of having caused the death of his mother?" replied Huangfu Junxiu sadly. "But it wasn''t his fault!" In Chu Moxin''s sleeptalk, not only did Yao Mowan hear longing, she heard remorse. "However, the reality is that His Majesty had lost the woman he loved most in this lifetime. Someone had to take the burden for this reality¡­" Huangfu Junxiu''s expression was helpless. "So ever since the little prince was born, he''s had to bear this burden? That''s why King Shu doesn''t like this child at all?" Yao Mowan looked towards Huangfu Junxiu indignantly. "It''s fortunate that the little prince still has the crown prince to protect him. That was why his status in great Shu hadn''t been affected even though His Majesty didn''t like him." In Huangfu Junxiu''s opinion, having a good older brother like this counted at the Heaven''spensation towards Chu Moxin. "But what he cares about is paternal affection!" said Yao Mowan angrily. She couldn''t help but recall her Zhong er. Even now, she still couldn''t understand. Even animals wouldn''t hurt their own offspring, so how had Ye Hongyi brought himself to!? What exactly had he been thinking in that instant? "Junxiu had once tried to persuade His Majesty before as well, but every time the little prince was brought up, His Majesty would refuse to listen. In regards to this matter, unless His Majesty undoes that knot in his heart himself¡­" Huangfu Junxiu reflexively nced towards the bed at Chu Moxin sadly. He was born in the family of the monarch and acted so proudly in front of everyone, so few knew the sadness behind this facade. "This consort will definitely find a chance to visit the king of Shu." Yao Mowan seemed like she was talking to herself, but at the same time, it seemed like a vow. Huangfu Junxiu looked towards her in surprise, but he didn''t say anything. Yao Mowan finally found an excuse to get Huangfu Junxiu to leave, then she continued looking after Chu Moxin for the entire night. The next day as Huangfu Junxiu and Ye Junqing were walking into the bedroom, Yao Mowan was switching out the towel on Chu Moxin''s forehead again. "Your Highness, you didn''t rest at all?" When Huangfu Junxiu saw that Yao Mowan looked haggard and her eyes were bloodshot, for some reason he felt very touched. "This consort is fine. Fortunately the little prince''s fever has gone down." Yao Mowan took a deep breath and slowly got up. Just as Yao Mowan was about to walk towards the table, she felt her body sway as she was hit by a bout of dizziness. "Are you alright?" Just as Yao Mowan was about to fall to the ground, she was caught by a pair of strong arms. When she nced up, she saw that those clear eyes were filled with worry. "I''m fine¡­" Yao Mowan smoothly extracted herself from Ye Junqing''s embrace as she replied calmly. However, countless ripples were arising in her heart. She had already be aware of the fact that her feelings towards Ye Junqing were now more than just gratefulness, but she decided not to deliberately suppress these feelings. This was also something she owed Ye Junqing, so she should just repay it in full. "Esteemed Prince, please help Noble Consort Yao back. Junxiu will definitely look after the little prince attentively," said Huangfu Junxiu. Ye Junqing continued to support Yao Mowan even after they left the west wing because he was worried that she would fall. "Actually,st night¡­" Yao Mowan really wanted to apologize to Ye Junqing. She had been the one that asked Ye Junqing for help and it was only natural of Ye Junqing to save Chu Moxin as a person. Regardless of whether it was based on emotions or logic, she shouldn''t have gotten angry at Ye Junqing so unreasonably. However, just as Yao Mowan was about to speak, she saw Ye Hongyi walk into Guan Osprey Pce with a worried expression. "Wan er, why are youing out from here? Did someone make things hard for you?" The instant Ye Junqing saw Ye Hongyi, he quietly let go of Yao Mowan and watched as Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan into his arms. He felt like his heart was being pricked by silver needles. The pinpricks of pain gradually spread until it filled his entire body. "No, Wan er just wanted to see if the little prince had gotten better. Your Majesty, they said that the little prince ate something poisonous. Why would that happen?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Hongyi''s innocently. Out of the corner of her eye, she nced over at Ye Junqing and a trace of bitter helplessness shed through her heart. "Wan er, don''t worry, no matter what happens, it has nothing to do with our Wan er. While we''re here, no one will ever be able to hurt Wan er!" Ye Hongyi kissed Yao Mowan''s forehead, his eyes filled with doting affection. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]@[emailprotected]

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 84
Chapter 84: Poisoned Pastries For the next two days, Yao Mowan stayed in the west wing to look after Chu Moxin until he opened his eyes. "Ugh, seeing you the moment I wake up is so annoying!" grumbled Chu Moxin when he saw that Yao Mowan was napping by his bed. "You''re awake? Do you feel dizzy? Any nausea? Someone, bring ginseng soup! The little prince is awake!" Yao Mowan heard the sound of someone''s voice in her half-conscious state and looked up to find that Chu Moxin had already sat up. "This prince isn''t that weak! I''m perfectly fine!" Chu Moxin was inwardly happy when he saw that Yao Mowan was worried about him. "What are you getting up for? Hurry up andy back down!" When Yao Mowan saw that Chu Moxin wanted to get off the bed, she immediately reached out and pressed him back onto the bed. Right at this time, Huangfu Junxiu and Ye Junqing walked in. "Say ah, eat." Yao Mowan took the ginseng soup from the maid and lifted the spoon to blow on it before moving it towards Chu Moxin''s lips. "This prince can eat on his own!" Chu Moxin hated being treated like a kid the most, especially when it was in front of so many people. "You''ve been unconscious for three days, how could you possibly have the strength? I''m telling you to eat, so hurry and eat!" When Chu Moxin refused to cooperate, Yao Mowan just shoved the spoon into his mouth. She did feel heartache for Chu Moxin, but she understood his temper well. If she talked nicely to him right now, it''d only make him even more unreasonable. "Mmmph! You''re seriously barbarous¡­" Just as expected, when Chu Moxin saw that fierce expression on Yao Mowan''s face, he obediently opened his mouth without arguing anymore. At the side, Huangfu Junxiu almost choked. There probably didn''t exist a single person in the entirety of great Shu that dared to be so fierce towards the little prince. Yao Mowan truly wasn''t an ordinary person. "If you don''t behave, I can be even more barbarous. Do you want to try me?" asked Yao Mowan with a dark smile. "This prince is super well-behaved!" refuted Chu Moxin with a pout. "You''re well-behaved? Who was it that snuck out of Guan Osprey Pce and ate something given by a stranger?" said Yao Mowan probingly. Huangfu Junxiu and Ye Junqing simultaneously looked towards Chu Moxin. Both of them wanted to know who exactly it was that had poisoned the little prince. "How did you know?" Chu Moxin lifted his brows as he looked towards Yao Mowan. "If you didn''t eat something from outside, how could you have gotten poisoned?" "Ahem¡­ This prince just wanted to visit Changle Pce, but who would''ve thought that halfway there, this prince bumped into a woman who called herself Consort Li¡­" Before Chu Moxin could finish speaking, Yao Mowan''s eyes had turned cold and she abruptly got up to hand her porcin bowl to Huangfu Junxiu before storming out of the west wing. "Why did she leave? Does she still want to hear?" asked Chu Moxin in confusion as he watched Yao Mowan disappear from sight. "Consort Li was the one that poisoned you?" asked Ye Junqing sternly. "No, she only said a few things that this prince didn''t understand. She didn''t have that chance. After that, this prince walked into Changle Pce and found that there were pastries on the table. This prince thought that you guys had found Fluffy and Jewel and left this here, so this prince¡­" Chu Moxin was a little annoyed with himself. He really shouldn''t have been so careless, but who aside from Yao Mowan would go to Changle Pce? "You hid Fluffy and Jewel in Changle Pce? Then did they eat those pastries?" asked Ye Junqing worriedly. "If they ate it, would this prince still eat it?" If he had still reached out for those pastries after seeing two cat corpses, then he seriously deserved to die. "Who could it be?" muttered Ye Junqing contemtively. "Forgive Junxiu for interrupting, but has Noble Consort Yao gone to find that Consort Li to get revenge? If she did, perhaps we''ve wronged an innocent party," reminded Huangfu Junxiu worriedly when he recalled that murderous expression on Yao Mowan''s face as she stormed out. "Crap!" Ye Junqing''s face filled with sudden realization and he immediately turned to go after Yao Mowan. Once Ye Junqing left, Huangfu Junxiu walked to the bed to feed Chu Moxin. "Yao Mowan dares to be unbridled in front of this prince, but you also dare?" When Huangfu Junxiu saw that Chu Moxin was staring at the spoon he was offering, he obediently ced the spoon back into the bowl and handed the bowl to Chu Moxin. "Oh right, you didn''t tell Big Brother about this incident right?" Chu Moxin lifted his brows as he looked towards Huangfu Junxiu. "Junxiu wouldn''t dare to go against Little Prince''smands," replied Huangfu Junxiu in a sincere tone. In reality, after Ye Junqing saved Chu Moxin, Huangfu Junxiu had reported everything that urred in the pce of Chu in full detail by pigeon mail. He even wrote about how Chu Moxin insisted on protecting Yao Mowan even though he was at the brink of death. "That''s good¡­ And, why was Yao Mowan sleeping here? How long has she been here?" Chu Moxin sighed in relief, then continued asking questions. "Replying Prince, actually, during these past two days while you were unconscious, Yao Mowan had been looking after you the entire time. She had stayed up nearly all night yesterday, which was why she ended up napping by Prince''s bed," answered Huangfu Junxiu. "She was looking after this prince?" remarked Chu Moxin in surprise. "Yes, for a full two days. Junxiu even heard from the servants of Guan Osprey Pce that for the sake of saving Little Prince, Yao Mowan had not only knelt to beg Ye Junqing, she even fainted afterwards." Although Huangfu Junxiu felt that Yao Mowan was a person that was full of schemes, reality was reality, and her concern towards the little prince definitely hadn''t been feigned. "She had done that for this prince¡­" muttered Chu Moxin. He was extremely shocked. Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was currently pointing at the pastries on the table while shouting. "These are the pastries you''ve prepared for this consort? It''d be better to feed it to dogs!" "Your Highness, please don''t be angry. These are the almond pastries the imperial kitchen has prepared ording to Your Highness''s wishes¡­" Ming Yu didn''t understand why Yao Suluan was angry at all. "Pei! What this consort wants is almond pastries of the highest quality and what is this? Look, there''s even pine nuts in this! Do you think that this consort is blind!?" Yao Suluan abruptly knocked over the te, causing the almond pastries to fall all over the floor. "Replying Your Highness¡­ These are the almond pastries the chefs had prepared based on Your Highness''s rank, so¡­" replied Ming Yu fearfully. "What a bunch of audacious ves! Even though this consort is no longer the imperial noble consort, this consort is still a consort! They actually dared to mess with this consort!? Fine, let them be unbridled. This consort will definitely make them pay for this in the future once this consort regains power!" snarled Yao Suluan between gritted teeth. "You''ll never regain power in this lifetime! You, get out!" Just as Yao Suluan was snarling this, Yao Mowan stormed in. Ming Yu didn''t even have a chance to salute her before she was chased out. "Yao Mowan, this consort has already stopped going to provoke you, but you''re actually stilling to seek trouble!" After recovering from her shock, Yao Suluan moved up to meet her angrily. p! Before Yao Suluan even had a chance to react, Yao Mowan had already pped her. Yao Suluan was caughtpletely off guard. She was still shocked when she felt the stinging pain from her face. "You¡­ You actually dared to hit me!?" Yao Suluan covered her face with one hand as she looked towards Yao Mowan indignantly. "Can it be that I need to pick special days to hit you? Yao Suluan, you brought this on yourself! For every ounce of pain you make this consort suffer, this consort will return it tenfold!" Yao Mowan''s dark eyes were filled with bone-piercing coldness. "Yao Mowan! You''re going too far!" Yao Suluan ignored the stinging pain from her face and abruptly rushed up, but she ended up being subdued by Yao Mowan the moment she lifted her hand. Yao Mowan lifted her hand again and the sounds of fierce ps rung out in Pure Flowers Pce. Even Ming Yu who was guarding the door could almost feel that pain on her face. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 85
Chapter 85: Unsolvable Riddle "Yao Mowan, what the hell are you doing? What did I do for you to treat me this way?" Yao Suluan only had a chance to fight back after she had been served a dozen ps and she shoved Yao Mowan away. "Is there a need to ask this consort about something you yourself did?" Yao Mowan''s eyes were filled with hatred. Whenever she recalled the pain that Chu Moxin had suffered these past few days, she felt the urge to throttle Yao Suluan to death! "I didn''t do anything at all!" Yao Suluan covered her swollen cheeks with both hands as she glowered at Yao Mowan. Right at this time, Ye Junqing burst in. "You came just in time! Did you bring a sword?" Even though Yao Suluan''s face was already badly swollen and the corners of her lips were bloody, Yao Mowan still felt that she hadn''t vented enough of her hatred. Chu Moxin was only a fifteen-year-old child, how could Yao Suluan be so cruel? Yao Mowan couldn''t imagine how much pain Chu Moxin must have suffered when the Crane''s Red-Crown and La Yan Sand red up at the same time inside his body. "Esteemed Prince¡­ Esteemed Prince! You saw it, right? It was Yao Mowan that hit this consort! You must act as this consort''s witness! This consort wants to see His Majesty!" The instant Yao Suluan saw Ye Junqing, she struggled to her feet while crying delicately. Ye Junqing nced briefly at Yao Suluan, then silently walked to Yao Mowan''s side. "Austere Prince said that it wasn''t Yao Suluan that poisoned him. Someone had ced a te of pastries in Changle Pce. It was that te of pastries that was poisoned. Also, Austere Prince had hidden Fluffy and Jewel in Changle Pce, that was why he went there." Ye Junqing leaned over by Yao Mowan''s ear to say this in a low voice. "Pastries?" Yao Mowan furrowed her brows slightly when she heard this and lifted her brows to look towards Ye Junqing. "You¡­ You know that she''s not a fool? As expected, you guys are working together!" Yao Suluan''s heart chilled when she saw Ye Junqing like this. "Why don''t we head back first to consider this at length?" Ye Junqing paid no attention to Yao Suluan and suggested this softly. "Mowan knows what she''s doing. Prince, you should leave first lest someone with ulterior motives takes advantage of this." Yao Mowan looked towards Yao Suluan coldly. Ye Junqing nodded slightly, then left. "So you two are actually fellow rats!" Yao Suluan leaned against the wall in shock even as she red at Yao Mowan. "This consort sure isn''t a rat. Talk, what gave you the nerve to enter Changle Pce? Aren''t you scared of Eldest Sister''s ghosting after you?" Yao Mowan walked to the table with a cold humph and sat down while rubbing her slightly painful palm. If it weren''t for the fact that she had seriously been furious, she wouldn''t have personally taught Yao Suluan a lesson. Hitting this sort of person only served to dirty her own hands. "Changle Pce? Why would this consort go to Changle Pce? Oh! You suspect this consort of being the one that poisoned Chu Moxin?" said Yao Suluan in sudden realization. She had heard about the events that had recently urred. However, Chu Moxin seriously had a strong life. He had actually managed to survive despite being fatally poisoned. This had made her quite disappointed. "Mowan can''t think of anyone aside from you. In the imperial pce, you''re the one that wants Mowan to die the most. If Chu Moxin had died in Guan Osprey Pce, even if His Majesty could help Mowan out of this, Chu Mobei who''s in great Shu still wouldn''t let Mowan off! What a nicely implemented step of borrowing someone else''s knife to kill!" Yao Mowanughed coldly as her eyes shed with murderous intent. "Yao Mowan, you''re wrong! All the women in the inner pce wish for you to die! It''s just that this consort is in more of a rush. It''s a pity, but this consort wasn''t behind this incident. Who would''ve thought that there was someone that hated you as much as this consort does!? Isn''t it wonderful? I wonder who this person is?" Yao Suluan smiled brightly and forced herself to endure the pain as she walked towards Yao Mowan. "Do you think this consort would believe you?" Yao Mowan looked at Yao Suluan coldly even though she was convinced by her words. With their current rtionship, if Yao Suluan had been behind this incident, she would definitely im the credit. In addition, she believed in the supernatural. If not, she wouldn''t have killed her own child just on ount of Bai Mei''s lies. Making her step inside Changle Pce would be harder than ascending to heaven. "What? You can''t think of anyone? Should this consort give you a hint? Although of the four main noble consorts, one had died, one had fled, and Huan Caier has also fallen into your plot, you shouldn''t forget that there''s still one more!" Yao Suluan narrowed her eyes as her grin widened in a grotesque manner. Wang Qinruo! This name suddenly appeared in Yao Mowan''s mind. Wang Qinruo had always been a mysterious existence to her. She remembered that the night Wang Qinruo had entered the pce, Ye Hongyi didn''t grace Splendid Veneer Pce and had remained in her Changle Pce. Back then she had tried to persuade Ye Hongyi to go, but Ye Hongyi refused to go. She didn''t know the details of what was behind this. The things that happened afterwards made her even more baffled. Although Wang Qinruo became one of the four main consorts, Ye Hongyi would often send her to the imperial hunting park to rest. Wang Qinruo had entered the pce for five years, but the sum of the days she had spent in the imperial pce couldn''t even make up three years. Could it be that she was like Xie Siyin and had someone she cared about? "Are you scared? Both of us knows that Wang Qinruo is aplete mystery, a puzzle that no one has been able to figure out. As of now, since she''se back, your good days are about toe to an end!" Yao Suluan''s voice snapped Yao Mowan out of her daze. "Since she''s a puzzle, then how is Second Older Sister so sure that she would view Mowan as an enemy?" Yao Mowan made herself calm down, then turned leisurely to look towards Yao Suluan. It seemed like a dozen ps were truly nowhere close to enough. Yao Suluan''s current unbridled expression made this very clear. "You want to trick information out of me? Give up! It seems like this inner pce is going to be lively again! There will be someone to pay you back for these ten ps that this consort suffered!" Yao Suluan purposefully made things sound mystifying as she looked towards Yao Mowan, hoping to see fear in her eyes. However, instead what she saw was unnatural calmness. "You''re not scared?" Yao Suluan frowned. "Setting aside the fact for now that Wang Qinruo doesn''t have any reason to target this consort, even if she did, this consort would just kill the gods and buddhas as needed. Didn''t Second Older Sister want to watch a good show? Then make sure to open your eyes wide lest you end up missing the most exciting parts!" Yao Mowan leisurely got up and walked out of Pure Flowers Pce as Yao Suluan watched in astonishment. Yao Suluan''s gaze filled with hatred as she looked at Yao Mowan''s back. Perhaps she had grinded her teeth to hard, because she was in pain from having tugged at her cheeks. Yao Mowan! You shouldn''t be so smug. Even if this consort is at the end of her road, she still had onest trick that could destroy indiscriminately! After leaving Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Mowan continued mulling over what Yao Suluan had said. The reason Wang Qinruo had been able to be one of the four noble consorts was because her father, Wang Luolin, was a minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision. He was a person of virtue and prestige and had countless students in all levels of society, so his influence was wide spread. Even the new prime minister, Du Xian, was a student of his. "Your Highness, are you alright?" Ting Yue suddenly ran over while Yao Mowan was deep in thought. "How did you know that this consort was here?" asked Yao Mowan when she saw Ting Yue arrive in front of her, panting for breath. "It was Esteemed Prince that told this servant. Esteemed Prince said that Your Highness''s emotional state seemed unstable and had told this servant to look after you well," report Ting Yue honestly. "Is that so¡­" Yao Mowan suddenlyughed. Ye Junqing had definitely been worried since he saw the palm marks on Yao Suluan''s face. "Your Highness, you didn''t suffer losses, right?" asked Ting Yue tentatively when she saw the solemn expression on Yao Mowan''s face. "Since the day this consort entered the pce, this consort has long forgotten how the words suffer losses are written, especially in Pure Flowers Pce," replied Yao Mowan with a coldugh. As she looked up, she just happened to see a group of pce maids walk across the corridor with flowerpots, leaving a trail of fragrance. Yao Mowan could smell the beautiful scent even from ten meters away. "Where are they going?" asked Yao Mowan. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 86
Chapter 86: Rest Properly "It''s probably Splendid Veneer Pce. When this servant was running over, this servant heard them say that His Majesty had bestowed all the flowers with fragrances in the greenhouse to Consort Shu who had just returned from the hunting park." Ting Yue took a couple hard sniffs. It was already autumn so it''d be hard to get the chance to enjoy these flower fragrances again for a while. "Wang Qinruo really has returned¡­ Go find out when Consort Shu had returned," said Yao Mowan, her brows slightly furrowed. This autumn was truly eventful. When Yao Mowan got back to Guan Osprey Pce, she headed straight towards the west wing. "Who allowed you to get off the bed!?" Yao Mowan immediately walked up to support Chu Moxin when she saw that he was supporting himself by pressing on the table and that his forehead was covered with sweat. "This prince was thirsty and wanted some water." Chu Moxin looked towards Yao Mowan with a wronged expression. His pitiful appearance made it hard for her to stay angry. "If you wanted water, you can just call someone. Where did everyone go? Where''s Huangfu Junxiu?" It was only now that Yao Mowan realized there was no one else in the room aside from Chu Moxin. "This prince sent them all to the east wing!" replied Chu Moxin. "Why?" Yao Mowan looked towards Chu Moxin in confusion. "Esteemed Prince almost lost his life for the sake of saving this prince, so he must be very weak right now. To return the favor, this prince has decided to lend all the people here to him for him to use," replied Chu Moxin like it was obvious. "Could he possibly be more weak then you? I''m going to go call them back!" Yao Mowan looked towards Chu Moxin helplessly. She seriously didn''t know what went on inside his head. "No! Ahem¡­ I doesn''t need them to take care of me¡­" Chu Moxin immediately pulled Yao Mowan to stop her. "Right now you''re even struggling with drinking water and you''re still saying that you don''t need anyone to take care of you?" asked Yao Mowan with lifted brows as she nced towards the cup on the table. "Isn''t there still you? It''s enough if you just stay," said Chu Moxin as anticipation lit up in his eyes. "This consort? How could this consort possibly stay?" Yao Mowan chuckled as she looked towards Chu Moxin. She had a pretty good guess now of what he was trying to do. However, it would be hard for people to not be suspicious about his actions. "Why can''t you stay? Does this prince have to faint for you to be willing to stay?" Chu Moxin looked at Yao Mowan in disappointment as his voice got higher from his nervous agitation. "Then why are you insisting that this consort stays? Is it because you like this consort? But this consort heard that you like a woman called Qing er." Yao Mowan''s lips hooked as she looked towards Chu Moxin teasingly. "Pei! Who the heck is Qing er? There is no Qing er!" Whenever Chu Moxin recalled that absurd rumor, he''d feel his blood boil from anger. "Then you do like this consort?" Yao Mowan stared at Chu Moxin in amusement. When she saw that little face flush helplessly, she couldn''t help but burst outughing. "This prince doesn''t like you¡­" muttered Chu Moxin weakly with a pout. "Since you don''t like me, then you shouldn''t make things hard for yourself. Head back to bed and rest. This consort will go call them back." Yao Mowan helped Chu Moxin to the bed, then tucked in the corners of the nket before turning to leave. Just as Yao Mowan opened the door to the east wing, she almost crashed into Ye Junqing who in the middle of rushing out. "Prince sure looks well!" said Yao Mowan teasingly. She knew that Ye Junqing liked the quiet, so there was no way he''d look well with so many people hovering around him. "Prince, where are you going? If you need something, just instruct us servants." Before Ye Junqing could retort, the maids behind him had caught up with him. "Is Chu Moxin doing this on purpose!?" Ye Junqing paid no attention to the pce maids and looked towards Yao Mowan indignantly. Yao Mowan smiled, then looked towards the servants in the room. "You guys should return, the little prince is still waiting for you guys to attend to him." Everyone in the room looked at each other upon hearing this, but none of them moved. "You don''t believe me? Then just stay here. When the little prince punishes you guys, don''t me this consort," said Yao Mowan indignantly. When the servants saw that Yao Mowan seemed serious, they hastily left the east wing and the bustling building finally calmed down. "Good thing you returned quickly." Ye Junqing sighed in relief, then turned around to head back to this room. "Prince, what do you know about Consort Shu, Wang Qinruo?" Yao Mowan walked slowly to the table and sat down with her legs elegantly crossed as she looked up towards Ye Junqing. "Consort Shu? Why are you asking about her?" Ye Junqing sat down opposite Yao Mowan and reached out to pour her a cup of tea. "I heard that she''s returning from the hunting grounds, so I was curious," replied Yao Mowan offhandedly. "You hit on an interesting question this time. The current minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision was once the imperial tutor. This prince remembers that we had known her since childhood. At that time, Wang Qinruo probably counted as a studypanion of us princes," said Ye Junqing as he thought back to that time. "You guys knew each other since childhood¡­ Then that''s childhood sweethearts?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as her eyes shed with a sharp light. "You''re talking her and His Majesty?" "Of course. After all, it couldn''t be her and Prince, right?" replied Yao Mowan with a smirk. "Ahem! So, this prince only remembers that she had liked His Majesty since childhood. Back then, no matter where His Majesty went, she insisted on following behind him. Even when the imperial tutor wouldn''t allow it, she''d still sneak out to follow him. In addition, though she was young, she was extremely observant. She knew His Majesty''s preferences like the back of her hand. This prince still remembers that she would often make pastries and bring them to the pce to give them to His Majesty in private. One time His Majesty had shared them with us brothers and even now, this prince still remembers that taste!" sighed Ye Junqing. "It''s disgusting to that degree?" Yao Mowan shrugged in annoyance when she saw that infatuated look on Ye Junqing''s face. "It''s definitely something that only exists in the heavens," corrected Ye Junqing solemnly. "Then this consort doesn''t understand. If she loved Ye Hongyi so much, why does she leave the pce so often to ''recuperate'' after she married into the pce? Normally shouldn''t she be trying to stay by His Majesty''s side as much as possible?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing in confusion. "How would this prince know? However, if you have the chance to see Consort Shu, you should ask her to teach you a thing or two!" replied Ye Junqing seriously. However, Yao Mowan just flung her sleeves back angrily and left. That night, the round moon hung high in the sky and the stars glowed enchantingly in the night sky. As the autumn breeze passed by, it swept up a burst of flower fragrance. Inside Splendid Veneer Pce, Huo Feng watched with heartache as her master yanked a fistful of petals and threw it on the ground to stomp on it. The hazy light contrasted with Wang Qinruo''s exquisite features and highlighted her dark brows and delicately pink cheeks. However, currently those ck eyes were filled with such intense darkness that it caused her face to look a little sinister. "Huo Feng, put out the incense!" The resentful voice was extremely cold. Wang Qinruo trembled with rage, causing the small beads in her hair to shake slightly as she glowered at the incense on the table. Huo Feng didn''t dare to be slow in her movements and immediately walked to the table to pour tea onto the incense. Right at this time, An Bingshan''s voice abruptly came from outside. Huo Feng hastily put down the teapot to head outside to greet them, but Wang Qinruo called for her to stop. "Come here and help this consort rip off all these flowers. Don''t spare a single one!" Huo Feng knew her master''s temper well and so she hastily walked to Wang Qinruo''s side. "Wang Qinruo! What exactly were you trying to do? We didn''t have youe back to cause us more trouble!" Ye Hongyi''s voice was extremely cold and with a fierce gust of wind, he had already arrived in front of Wang Qinruo and was glowering at her angrily. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 87
Chapter 87: A Woman Whose Entire Body Gives Off A Strange Smell "Qinruo doesn''t know how Qinruo had caused trouble for Your Majesty? Your Majesty, please exin?" How long has it been since she''s seen him? Wang Qinruo asked herself silently as she looked at that cold and handsome face. "Don''t try to tell us that Chu Moxin getting poisoned has nothing to do with you!" said Ye Hongyi between gritted teeth. There was no trace of warmth in his eyes. "This consort had done it. Was it wrong?" Wang Qinruo''s lips parted in a beautiful, bitter smile. "Chu Moxin almost died in great Chu! You almost caused a war to start between great Chu and Shu! Could it be that you think there''s nothing wrong with that!?" shouted Ye Hongyi. "The ce Chu Moxin almost died in is Guan Osprey Pce and Ye Junqing is the one staying Guan Osprey Pce. There''s no need for Qinruo to exin the logic of making sure to eliminate the roots when cutting weeds, right?" Wang Qinruo lifted her jade fingers lightly to brush back Ye Hongyi''s hair which had fallen slightly over his face, but he abruptly stopped her. "But Yao Mowan''s also staying in Guan Osprey Pce! Chu Mobei could''ve taken out his rage on her as well!" Ye Hongyi finally smelled that sour stench and he took a couple steps back in disgust. Wang Qinruo''s hand froze in midair as the light in her eyes gradually dimmed. It felt like her heart had been bit fiercely by a poisonous snake. The pain was unbearable. "Qinruo doesn''t know anything about Yao Mowan, Qinruo only knows that Your Majesty had asked Qinruo to return in order to help resolve some of your headaches. However, even though Qinruo had done it, Your Majesty is unhappy. Since that''s the case, why did Your Majesty ask for Qinruo toe back?" Wang Qinruo walked to the table with a bitter smile and lifted the silver pick to adjust the candle wick. As the hazy candlelight illuminated Wang Qinruo''s face, there was an indescribable eeriness. "We had youe back to deal with Yao Suluan! That wretch is threatening us with Yao Moxin''s death! If anything goes wrong, the entire world will know about what happened to Yao Moxin and that bastard child! At that time, how can we still face the ministers of court and the citizens?" Ye Hongyi forced down his fury and slowly walked to sit down opposite Wang Qinruo. He subconsciously covered his nose with his sleeve to try and block that sour stench. "Your Majesty is doting on a fool and raising her higher than the heavens, so your face has long been thrown past the ninth heavens," scoffed Wang Qinruo as she looked at Ye Hongyi. His gesture of covering his nose stabbed her heart like a de. "Since you know that Mowan is a fool, what need is there to bicker with her? The position of empress of great Chu will be yours sooner orter. No one will fight over it with you," said Ye Hongyi enticingly. "If the world found out that the empress of great Chu is a woman whose entire body emits a stench, Your Majesty will lose face all the same, no?" Wang Qinruo''s gaze was dark as her lips hooked in an ironic smile. "Qinruo, we''ve promised you that we''ll definitely find a cure for this, so why mind it so much?" Ye Hongyi''s expression stiffened for a moment, then he spoke tofort her. "Is it Qinruo that minds it, or is Your Majesty the one that minds it? Your Majesty had already carried all the flowers that had been in the greenhouse to Splendid Veneer Pce before Qinruo had even returned to the pce. The sandalwood in this burner had also been swapped out with pollen-dyed red sandalwood. Is Your Majesty trying to remind Qinruo how much she stinks?" questioned Wang Qinruo, her eyes flickering brightly. "Why would you think that? We did it for you!" However, Ye Hongyi''s voice revealed his guilty conscience. "Really? Then Your Majesty still cares about Qinruo?" asked Wang Qinruo slowly withplicated feelings. "Of course. No one can take your ce in our heart!" said Ye Hongyi firmly. "Then prove it to Qinruo¡­" Wang Qinruo suddenly got up and walked gracefully towards Ye Hongyi as she undid the belt at her waist. With every step she took, a garment fell and the faint sour stench that filled the air gradually intensified. Ye Hongyi really wanted to cover his nose, but he forced himself to endure it. He had something to ask of Wang Qinruo, so he had no choice but to tolerate this. As Wang Qinruo leaned towards Ye Hongyi, her soft inner garment slid off, revealing her wless, smooth skin. As of now, the only thing left on Wang Qinruo''s upper body was her pink chest garment. "Qinruo¡­ We just remembered that we still¡­" Ye Hongyi seriously couldn''t endure that disgusting stench anymore and was about to make an excuse to leave when Wang Qinruo stopped him. "Your Majesty, do you still remember the tattoo in front of Qinruo''s chest?" Wang Qinruo hoarsely voiced the deepest pain in her heart. As she spoke, the chest garment fell to the ground. Ye Hongyi really wanted to avoid it, but Wang Qinruo hooked his jaw and forced his eyes to turn towards her chest. As Ye Hongyi looked at the shocking ''Hong'' and ''Yi'' characters carved on Wang Qinruo''s sumptuous chest, that inbination with that strange stench made his stomach churn. "Ever since seeing Your Majesty for the first time when Qinruo was five years old, Qinruo had fallen head over heels in love. For the sake of learning about your interests, Qinruo had given her favorite pearl hairpin to a young eunuch. As long as it could make Your Majesty happy, Qinruo was willing to do anything. Finally! Your Majesty was willing to ept Qinruo into the pce! Qinruo was overjoyed! For the sake of giving Your Majesty a pleasant surprise, Qinruo had used a red hot silver needle to tattoo Your Majesty''s name onto Qinruo''s chest. Was this wrong?" Wang Qinruo leaned over to look straight into Ye Hongyi''s eyes as she greedily inhaled his scent. Who would''ve imagined that five years after entering the pce, she was still untouched? "Urgh¡­" Ye Hongyi couldn''t take that stench anymore and abruptly pushed Qinruo aside to run to the pots of flowers to take deep breaths. "Look, Your Majesty still minds it, isn''t it so?" As Wang Qinruo took in Ye Hongyi''s expression of flinching disgust, she heard the sound of her heart break. Who exactly had she ended up with this stench for!? "No¡­ We¡­" "There''s no need for Your Majesty to say anything. Even if Your Majesty views Qinruo as an extremely dangerous existence, Your Majesty is still the man Qinruo loves the most. Qinruo''s feelings are still the same. For the sake of Your Majesty, Qinruo is willing to do anything. Although Yao Suluan is troublesome, it doesn''t mean that there''s no way to deal with her." Wang Qinruo calmly bent over to pick up her chest garment and once again concealed the striking characters carved into her chest. "If you''re able to get rid of Yao Suluan, this great gue, we''ll definitely reward you generously!" Ye Hongyi had to take a deep breath of the flower fragrance before he could bring himself to approach Wang Qinruo again. "Since Qinruo agreed to Your Majesty''s request to return to the pce, then everything Qinruo does is naturally for the greater good of Your Majesty. Yao Suluan is only one of them. Qinruo won''t let off Ye Junqing either." Wang Qinruo fixed her clothes before looking towards Ye Hongyi calmly. "We naturally understands how much Qinruo cares for us, but if even if the city doors catch fire, there''s no need to harm the fish in the moat. Yao Mowan is nothing but a fool. Qinruo won''t bicker with her, right?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Wang Qinruo probingly. The reason Ye Hongyi had asked Wang Qinruo toe back was because he understood her too well. Her love towards him had already grown to the point it became a perverted obsession. For him, she would die without hesitation. The characters on her chest, that stench that covered her body were the best evidence. Back then, due to his one remark that he liked the scent of roses, she started drinking all sorts of things to try and make it so that her body would be able to emit a rose-like scent at all times. Although the oue wasn''t as wished, it was still a show of her true feelings. This nearly twisted love made Wang Qinruo be very scheming and ruthless. The poison she used on Chu Moxin illustrated this point clearly. If it weren''t for the fact that he seriously didn''t know what to do with Yao Suluan, he wouldn''t have allowed Wang Qinruo toe back to the imperial pce since he couldn''t take Wang Qinruo''s love. The interior of Guan Osprey Pce was currently well-lit by candles. Yao Mowan was sitting by the table with a needle flying beneath her skillful fingers. It only took four hours for the soft silk to be a luxurious changpao. At this time, Yao Mowan was currently embroidering a heavens flying dragon pattern on the cor of the changpao. She didn''t need to refer to a pattern because she had already sewn this pattern at least a dozen times. Back then, when Zhong er was still yet to be born, she had started sewing clothes for him, so she had gotten pretty familiar with this process. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 90
Chapter 90: She''s Just Pretending to be a Fool "Since that person isn''t Yao Suluan''s subordinate, who does that person serve?" asked Huo Feng worriedly. That person''s martial arts wasn''t weak at all. She had only managed tond an attack because that person was off-guard. If they had really started fighting, there was no guarantee that she''d be able to win. "Every fox eventually shows its tail, so we just have to wait. This consort really does want to meet that Yao Mowan now. ording to what Yao Suluan said, Yao Mowan''s just pretending to be a fool. This consort would like to see how realistic her acting is!" Wang Qinruo''s eyes filled with icy light as her lips curved slightly. "Your Highness¡­ There''s someone in Splendid Veneer Pce!" When Huo Feng saw that the pce doors were wide open, she hastily moved in front of Wang Qinruo protectively. As she cautiously entered the pce, she heardughtere from inside. "Master, we should go. This isn''t Guan Osprey Pce and Consort Shu isn''t here either. It''s not good for us to be here." Ting Yue wanted to pull Yao Mowan, but Yao Mowan shook her off. "No! There are so many flowers here! It smells so good! I want to stay here! Ting Yue, look, this one''s so pretty!" As Yao Mowan spoke, she snapped the tree peony off and inserted it into her hair. "How can you do that? Your Highness, these flowers belong to Consort Shu! How could you pick them?" eximed Ting Yue worriedly. Just as she was about to walk up, she suddenly heard footsteps from behind her and immediately turned around to find that it was Wang Qinruo. "This servant kowtows in salute to Your Highness Consort Shu¡­" Ting Yue hastily walked forward to curtsy and was hit with a strange smell. However, before she could even say anything, she heard her master grumble unhappily. "What''s that smell? It stinks!" Yao Mowan turned around with her brows furrowed and her bright lively eyesnded on Wang Qinruo. "You stink! You didn''t bath?" Yao Mowan covered her nose with both hands and backed away into the flowers with a disgusted expression. "Audacious!" Huo Feng never imagined that this person would actually speak so rudely. Just as she was about to walk up, Ting Yue stopped her. "Your Highness Consort Shu has just returned to the pce, so you must find this servant''s face unfamiliar. This servant''s name is Ting Yue. This servant entered the pce recently to serve in Guan Osprey Pce." Ting Yue''s implicit meaning was that the person behind her was Guan Osprey Pce''s Noble Consort Yao. "So it''s Noble Consort Yao. Qinruo kowtows in salute to Noble Consort Yao." Wang Qinruo restrained the coldness in her eyes and walked up with a smile to curtsy. "Stay away! Ting Yue, make her leave! I can''t breathe!" Yao Mowan waved Wang Qinruo away in a panic like she was a ghost, then shoved her face in a rose to take deep breaths. Her expression was so exaggerated that even Ting Yue''s face felt red. "Noble Consort Yao, please watch your words!" Huo Feng''s gaze was as sharp as that of a hawk''s. It was true that her master smelled, but not even His Majesty had reacted to it like this. "I''m just telling the truth! Why didn''t you help her bath? Ting Yue, hurry and get some water for her to wash up. The stench is so bad!" Yao Mowan never imagined that Wang Qinruo would actually give off such a disgusting smell. Back then, when she was empress, she had often interacted with Wang Qinruo. At that time she had never noticed that Wang Qinruo had this sort of affliction. "Audacious!" Huo Feng''s eyes turned cold. Just as she was about to attack, Wang Qinruo stopped her. "If Noble Consort Yao doesn''t like this smell, feel free to leave." Wang Qinruo seriously couldn''t reconcile this person who such naive looks and easy-to-read expressions with the image of someone filled with schemes. But why would Yao Mowan appear in Splendid Veneer Pce? This was a question worthy of pondering. "Alright, I''ll leave, but you leave first. Get far far away!" Yao Mowan nodded fiercely. "Noble Consort Yao, don''t you think you''re being too much? This is Splendid Veneer Pce. It was wrong of you to enter without an invitation, but now you want this consort to leave the pce? Of course, if Noble Consort Yao is truly dumb to that point, this consort won''t bicker with you. Ting Yue, what are you still standing there for? Hurry and lead your master out of here!" No matter how magnanimous Wang Qinruo was, she still couldn''t tolerate Yao Mowan repeatedly bringing up the fact that she gave off a stench, especially when she wasn''t a magnanimous person in the first ce. "Your Highness, let''s head back!" Ting Yue knew that they were the ones being unreasonable so she quickly walked to Yao Mowan to pull her out. "How am I supposed to leave with her standing there?" Yao Mowan shook her head hard as she continued to cover her nose with both hands. Right at this time, An Bingshan''s voice suddenly came from outside. Before his voice even faded, Ye Hongyi had strode in from outside. "Ow! It hurts¡­" At almost the exact same moment, Yao Mowan suddenly grabbed her left wrist as tears overflowed her eyes. "Mowan!" When Ye Hongyi saw that Yao Mowan''s face was stained with tears, he abruptly pushed aside Wang Qinruo who was standing in front of him and charged over. "Your Highness!" Fortunately Huo Feng reacted fast enough to catch Wang Qinruo, otherwise Wang Qinruo definitely would''ve fallen to the ground. Wang Qinruo felt like her heart was breaking as she watched Ye Hongyi run to Yao Mowan''s side. The light in her eyes was as cold as ice. "Your Majesty¡­ Wan er''s wrist hurts!" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Hongyi tearfully as she sobbed sulkily. Ye Hongyi nced down and saw that there were three drops of blood on Yao Mowan''s wrist. "Wan er, don''t be scared!" Ye Hongyi''s gaze turned cold as he swiftly moved inner strength to his fingers and ced two fingers on Yao Mowan''s wrist. Three needles flew out from Yao Mowan''s wrist and Ye Hongyi quickly caught them with his sleeve. "Wuuwuu¡­ It hurts¡­" The sight of Yao Mowan''s tears was like the scene of delicate raindrops on a pear blossom. It caused Ye Hongyi''s heart to ache with love and pain. "It''s fine now. We''ll carry you home!" Ye Hongyi lifted Yao Mowan gently, but after taking a step, he found that Yao Mowan had lifted her hand despite the pain to cover her nose with both hands. "Your Majesty, make her go away! It stinks!" Yao Mowan pressed her cheek against Ye Hongyi''s chest as she looked up at him beseechingly. "Consort Shu, withdraw for now." Ye Hongyi gave thismand without hesitation. "Your Majesty!" Thismand was the greatest insult possible to Wang Qinruo. "Withdraw!" Ye Hongyi''s eyes were cold and there was not a trace of warmth in his voice. Wang Qinruo''s heart felt like it was dropped into freezing water. She swallowed hard and forced her tears back as she slowly stepped back until she was out of Splendid Veneer Pce. As Wang Qinruo watched Ye Hongyi strode away while carrying Yao Mowan, the tears she had been holding back finally fell. "Your Highness, how could His Majesty treat you this way!? The only reason you became like this was for him!" shouted Huo Feng angrily. "What happened just now?" Wang Qinruo took a deep breath, then forced her tears back. "This servant was helping you up earlier and didn''t see what happened, but this servant is certain that the person who had been eavesdropping that day was here," said Huo Feng. "As expected, Yao Mowan isn''t a fool!" said Wang Qinruo between gritted teeth as cold light filled her eyes. Ye Hongyiforted Yao Mowan for a very long time before he finally left Guan Osprey Pce. "Your Highness, are you alright?" Yin Xue looked towards Yao Mowan''s wrist with guilt. "I''m fine, the one in trouble now is Huo Feng." Yao Mowan nced towards the three dots left by the needles as she said this with a smile. "Forgive this subordinate for overstepping bounds in saying this, but Your Highness''s n will definitely make Wang Qinruo aware of the fact that you''re not a fool." Yin Xue looked towards Yao Mowan in puzzlement. "Even if this consort didn''t go with this scheme, she would still be suspicious. After all, is it possible that Yao Suluan would actuallypliment this consort in front of Wang Qinruo? Rather than deal with her cautious suspicion, doing this saves trouble. This is called returning politeness for politeness, and it counts as revenge for when she poisoned Chu Moxin." Yao Mowan''s lips curved in a smile that was like the spring wind. Her slightly narrowed phoenix eyes contained the light of firm resolve. In Splendid Veneer Pce, Wang Qinruo epted the bitter tea Huo Feng handed her as she took deep breaths to calm down. Right at this time, Ye Hongyi suddenly appeared at the entrance of the pce and rushed towards Huo Feng to send a palm strike towards her chest. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 89 Chapter 89: Quiet Confrontation Between the Two Consorts ¡°Replying Your Highness, this servant had checked. It didn¡¯t have this smell earlier¡­¡± replied Ming Yu fearfully. She had already been assigned to Pure Flowers Pce for a while. It had been outside of An Bingshan¡¯s expectations that Yao Suluan would fall to this point. He had once mentioned transferring her somewhere else, but she had avoided it. Due to what Yao Mowan had said back then, she decided to stay here. Although she had to suffer a little, she didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Then why¡­ It¡¯s getting even more stinky. Did you step on dog poo as you were heading back?¡± Yao Suluan took a couple steps backwards in disgust as she reflexively nced towards Ming Yu¡¯s shoes. ¡°For better or for worse, Consort Li is also a consort. How can you make such cutting remarks? This consort feels that there¡¯s nothing wrong with this smell. There even seems to be a faint rose fragrance. Huo Feng, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Before Ming Yu could react, Wang Qinruo was already outside Pure Flowers Pce and looking over with quiet, cold eyes. ¡°Cough cough¡­ this consort Yao Suluan kowtows in salute to Consort Shu.¡± Yao Suluan didn¡¯t dare to be impolite when she saw that it was Wang Qinruo and immediately went up to curtsy. However, the closer she got to Wang Qinruo, the more intense that stench became. It was so strong that Yao Suluan couldn¡¯t stop coughing. ¡°If Consort Li is facing health issues, then you should invite an imperial physician over. It¡¯d be bad if you ended up infecting other people.¡± Wang Qinruo nced at Yao Suluan coldly, then slowly walked into the main hall. As Wang Qinruo moved, that smell dissipated through the air. It was only now that Yao Suluan realized where the smell wasing from. However, half a year ago when Wang Qinruo was leaving, she hadn¡¯t had this smell. It was hard to imagine what could¡¯ve happened to Wang Qinruo during this past half a year at the hunting park. ¡°Suluan will have an imperial physiciane overter. Ming Yu, what are you still standing there for? Hurry and offer Consort Shu tea!¡± In Yao Suluan¡¯s current situation, she really didn¡¯t need to be too respectful towards Wang Qinruo. She had already thoroughly offended His Majesty, so why would she fear a consort? The only reason she was acting this way was because she wanted to know if she¡¯d be able to use Consort Shu. ¡°No need. This consort can¡¯t get used to the tea you drink here. This consort came to talk to Consort Li about Guan Osprey Pce. Does Consort Li have time?¡± said Wang Qinruo, her expression as cold as a winterke. ¡°Ming Yu, head to the kitchen to prepare some pastries.¡± Yao Suluan was rejoicing on the inside when she heard these words and immediately had Ming Yu withdraw. When Wang Qinruo saw Yao Suluan nce towards Huo Feng, she snorted. ¡°You can¡¯t even trust the people at your side? Consort Li¡¯s life truly is difficult.¡± When Yao Suluan saw that Wang Qinruo didn¡¯t have any intentions of sending Huo Feng away, she suddenly started to miss Cai Ying. ¡°Thanks to the master of Guan Osprey Pce, Suluan¡¯s life indeed is a little difficult,¡± said Yao Suluan with a self-mocking smile as she sat down opposite Wang Qinruo. ¡°This consort hadn¡¯t heard that Consort Li had offended the esteemed prince?¡± As Wang Qinruo spoke, she epted the dark green nt Huo Feng offered her and started chewing on it. ¡°Even if Suluan has the chance, Suluan doesn¡¯t have the ability to offend the esteemed prince. Suluan is talking about Yao Mowan!¡± Yao Suluan immediately corrected her even as she forced down her reflexive urge to cover her nose. Even though that smell was so strong that it caused her a headache, she had no choice but to endure it. ¡°No way? They say that Yao Mowan is a fool, but even if she isn¡¯t a fool, there¡¯s no way she would trouble you. Aren¡¯t you her older sister after all?¡± Wang Qinruo looked towards Yao Suluan in puzzlement. ¡°Although it¡¯s said that the disgraces of the family shouldn¡¯t be shown to the world, but Suluan has always viewed Consort Shu as family and has no reservations about sharing this. The entire world knows that Yao Mowan is a fool, but that¡¯s aplete act! In reality, she¡¯s craftier than anyone! After entering the pce, she first instigated a fight between Yao Suluan and Consort Chen to make Suluan fall from the position of imperial noble consort to a rank lower than hers by two. Old General Huan had also gotten his military power taken away due to what happened with Consort Chen.¡± ¡°Following that, Consort Xian, Yu Funing, went missing. After that, there was the incident in which Consort De, Xie Siyin, had hung herself in Ordinance Pce. Yao Mowan had been behind all of this! Your Highness, Suluan is truly concerned for your safety!¡± Yao Suluan looked towards Wang Qinruo worriedly with tears whirling in her eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t Consort Li exaggerating too much? How could Yao Mowan have such ability?¡± Wang Qinruo nced at Yao Suluan skeptically even though the news honestly made her feel relieved. After all, there was no way she could take it if it turned out that even a fool was able to win Ye Hongyi¡¯s heart. ¡°Your Highness, you shouldn¡¯t forget that there¡¯s the esteemed prince in Guan Osprey Pce as well. The esteemed prince has always been skilled in devising strategies and seems capable of nning victory from a thousand miles away. With himing up with strategies for Yao Mowan, then it¡¯s not surprising at all that Yao Mowan has such ability!¡± That day, Yao Mowan had pped her to the point her entire face was swollen, but although Ye Junqing saw, he didn¡¯t even react. It was clear that they had already been working together for a long time. ¡°Then Esteemed Prince¡¯s obstinate personality seriously hasn¡¯t changed at all. Back then he openly dered his admiration for Yao Moxin, and now he¡¯s protecting Yao Mowan from the shadows. He couldn¡¯t have fallen in love with Yao Mowan, right?¡± Wang Qinruo hated Yao Moxin to the bone. Her hatred had only disappeared after she found out that truth behind Yao Moxin¡¯s death because she finally realized that Ye Hongyi didn¡¯t love Yao Moxin at all. He couldn¡¯t even tolerate the existence of her child! This was such a satisfying oue. ¡°Yao Mowan is Yao Moxin¡¯s younger sister, so it¡¯s not impossible that Esteemed Prince¡¯s feelings had shifted to her!¡± Yao Suluan nodded firmly. ¡°If this consort¡¯s memory isn¡¯t off, Consort Li is also Yao Moxin¡¯s younger sister.¡± Wang Qinruo nced at Yao Suluan with a faint smile. ¡°Suluan always keeps in mind the fact that Suluan is His Majesty¡¯s consort and would never do something so immoral.¡± Yao Suluan hastily made things clear. ¡°Consort Li¡¯s way of thinking is very good. After all, the fate of anyone in this inner pce thatmits such immoral acts is bound to be tragic. Yao Moxin is the best example,¡± said Wang Qinruo meaningfully. ¡°Yao Moxin¡­ She died of childbirth, so her fate is quite tragic¡­¡± Yao Suluan was inwardly startled as she answered in a probing manner. ¡°She died of childbirth?¡± Wang Qinruo¡¯s tone lifted as she looked towards Yao Suluan in confusion. ¡°If not then what?¡± Yao Suluan had always believed that there were only two people in this world that knew the truth. With Yao Mowan counted, it was only three. And Yao Mowan, due to her circumstances, would never spread the truth. ¡°Oh, then this consort must have remembered wrong¡­ Huo Feng, help this consort back. This consort is tired from the walk.¡± Wang Qinruo¡¯s eyes flickered as she made up an excuse to leave. ¡°Suluan respectfully sees off Your Highness Consort Shu.¡± Once Wang Qinruo had gotten far away, Yao Suluan immediately called Ming Yu inside. ¡°Cough cough¡­ Hurry up and open all the windows!¡± Yao Suluan covered her nose with both hands as she choked on that suffocating stench. Her eyes were even tearing up. Everyone knew of the fact that Yao Moxin had died of childbirth, but Wang Qinruo actually said that she remembered wrong? Did she actually remember wrong, or was there more to this? Yao Suluan¡¯s brows furrowed. She couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. Although Ye Hongyi seemed to have his hands tied about her on the surface, he was definitely still doing everything he could to figure out who she entrusted with this secret. He had called Wang Qinruo back with such timing and she had visited Pure Flowers Pce on the very next day. This probably wasn¡¯t a coincidence! Once they left Pure Flowers Pce, Huo Feng hastily walked forward to her master¡¯s side. ¡°Your Highness, the person that was eavesdropping that day wasn¡¯t in Pure Flowers Pce,¡± reported Huo Feng. ¡°This consort had expected this. Based on Yao Suluan¡¯s miserable condition, how could she possibly have someone that strong serving her?¡± said Wang Qinruo with a coldugh. Back then Yao Suluan had once also been a grand imperial noble consort, so she thought that Ye Hongyi had liked her a lot. However, from the looks of things now, His Majesty¡¯s feelings towards Yao Suluan were nothing special. Based on this, His Majesty¡¯s interest in that Yao Mowan was probably also just temporary. She still had a chance. Chapter Volume 2 91
Chapter 91: Did I Fall in Love with the Wrong Person? "Pfff!" Huo Feng was caughtpletely off guard and her body fell heavily to the ground like that of a butterfly whose wings had been torn off as she coughed a mouthful of blood. "Lowly ve!" Ye Hongyi was still furious, but just as he was about to advance again, Wang Qinruo blocked his way. "Your Majesty! What do you mean by this?" Wang Qinruo looked towards Ye Hongyi angrily as she demanded answers. In all these past years, regardless of whether she was going through good times or hard times, Huo Feng had always stood by her, so she hade to think of Huo Feng as family. She still remembered when her father first purchased Huo Feng. Huo Feng had immediately started to study martial arts despite how hard it was because she wanted to protect her. In the blink of an eye, it had been twenty years, and during these years, Huo Feng had made so many sacrifices for her, so how could she watch Huo Feng be beaten like this? "You sure trained a good servant!" Ye Hongyi abruptly threw the three needles he was holding onto the table. "Qinruo was the one that had Huo Feng do this. Qinruo really regrets notmanding Huo Feng to shoot these three needles straight into Yao Mowan''s throat!" Wang Qinruo''s gaze was cold as ice as she met Ye Hongyi''s dark re. "How dare you!?" Ye Hongyi abruptly lifted his palm. "Since Your Majesty has invited Qinruo back, Your Majesty should''ve already considered the oues! Qinruo loves Your Majesty more than life, so how could Qinruo possibly tolerate the fact that Your Majesty''s heart contains someone else!?" Wang Qinruo''s words were like blocks of ice. As Ye Hongyi met her cold gaze, for a moment he actually felt fear and he reflexively lowered his hand. "Qinruo, we''ve said so already, Yao Mowan is nothing but a fool, so what need is there for you to be jealous of her and pick on her? Do you think we''re foolish enough to make a fool empress? The only one that will be able to share the same resting chamber with us after death is you!" Ye Hongyi restrained the anger in his eyes and gradually softened his tone, but he had alreadye to a decision. An insane woman like this shouldn''t be left alive. "The same resting chamber after death? So Your Majesty already had ns for where Qinruo would go." Wang Qinruo lowered her gaze as she smiled bitterly. "Where are your thoughts wandering off to? Also, we heard that you visited Pure Flowers Pce. How was it? Did Yao Suluan say anything?" Ye Hongyi subconsciously rubbed his nose as he changed the topic. "Qinruo already has ns for dealing with Yao Suluan, so Your Majesty doesn''t have to worry about it. As for Yao Mowan, it''s best if Your Majesty stops being blind. Yao Moxin''s younger sister is a fool? Who would ever believe that!?" Wang Qinruo gave a cold humph, then turned around to help Huo Feng up. "We have no desire to discuss Mowan with you. You''re allowed to do whatever you want to anyone in the inner pce aside from her." Ye Hongyi didn''t take Wang Qinruo''s warning seriously since he firmly believed that all the women who try to nder Yao Mowan were simply doing it out of jealousy, and Wang Qinruo had a tendency to be extremely obsessive. "Ha, since Your Majesty has already made things so clear, Qinruo will just have to do as you bid." Wang Qinruo helped Huo Feng over to a chair without bothering to look towards Ye Hongyi. "We''ll have an imperial physiciane over." After saying this, Ye Hongyi left as if he was fleeing. Even with the fragrance of the flowers as a masking scent, that stench was still so strong that it was hard for him to breathe. Wang Qinruo smiled bitterly as she watched Ye Hongyi rush out of her pce. "Huo Feng, did this consort fall in love with the wrong person?" This was the first time Wang Qinruo had ever asked herself this. Huo Feng looked towards her master silently with heartache. Even if it was the wrong choice, her master had already loved this man for over twenty years and she had already gotten used to it. She also didn''t want to dissuade her master anymore either, because she had once said those words countless times, but it had been to no avail. After all, once one loved someone to the bone, how could one differentiate whether it was right or wrong anymore? In the next few days, rumors spread in the pce that Yao Moxin hadn''t died due to difficult childbirth and had actually died in the Cold Pce. "We will ask you onest time, who told you that the empress died in the cold pce? Answer!" Inside the imperial study, Ye Hongyi red at the young eunuch who had been beaten to the point that his entire body was covered with wounds. "Your Majesty, please have mercy¡­ This servant heard Eunuch Li say it in the imperial kitchen¡­ But Nurse Dou of the embroidery department said the same thing¡­ And all the pce maids in theteral courts were talking about this too¡­ Your Majesty¡­ Please spare me¡­" The young eunuch dragged his bloodstained body towards the dragon desk as he begged for his life. "Drag him out and execute him! Execute him!" bellowed Ye Hongyi as he mmed his hand on the desk. "No¡­ Your Majesty! Please have mercy! This servant will never talk about it again! Your Majesty, please have mercy!" However, no matter how that eunuch begged, he wasn''t able to escape the fate of being beheaded. "Your Majesty, please quell your anger. This old servant will immediately have those gossiping servants dealt with!" When An Bingshan saw that Ye Hongyi was furious, he immediately walked over to calm him down. "Yes! Have them all executed! Cut off their tongues!" snarled Ye Hongyi. An Bingshan left to carry out these orders. He had an inkling that there was some secret behind Yao Moxin''s death, otherwise His Majesty wouldn''t be so panic-stricken. "Wait, no¡­ Arrange for a carriage to Splendid Veneer Pce!" Ye Hongyi forced himself to calm down. If he killed the people spreading these rumors now, it would be confirming the rumors. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was currently sitting on the chaise longue and teasing Fluffy when she heard a ruckus outside. "Scram! This consort wants to see Yao Mowan! Yao Mowan! Get out here!" The mor immediately ruined Yao Mowan''s mood. "Ting Yue, let her in." Yao Mowan had just spoken when the door was kicked open. Fluffy was startled and scuttled behind the chaise lounge. "Second Older Sister, you''ve startled Fluffy! Fluffy, good girl. It''s not like she''s a tiger, what are you scared about?" Yao Mowan ignored the fact that Yao Suluan''s face was ashen and focused on gently coaxing Fluffy. "Yao Mowan, how could you do this!? Do you think His Majesty would continue to treat you the same after the truth behind Yao Moxin''s death is revealed!? You''re destroying yourself by spreading these rumors, you fool!" Yao Suluan glowered at Yao Mowan while emitting intense bloodthirst. "The rumors only say that Eldest Sister died in the cold pce. It doesn''t mention how Eldest Sister dies, isn''t that so?" replied Yao Mowan unhurriedly. "So what? His Majesty is already going crazy and even dragged an eunuch that was spreading the rumors into his imperial study!" snarled Yao Suluan in a low voice after stepping forward. "Yes. That eunuch got decapitated a few minutes ago. What a pity," said Yao Mowan with a sigh. "What a pity? Do you know how many people will probably die because of this!?" Yao Suluan seriously couldn''t stand the unconcerned expression on Yao Mowan''s face. She couldn''t stand how Yao Mowan was acting like this incident had nothing to do with her. "It''s interesting that Second Older Sister says this. Those who didn''t know the situation would think that Second Older Sister is the Bodhisattva of Compassion who''s pleading on behalf of the innocents!" Yao Mowan nced towards Yao Suluan with a disdainful sneer. "Yao Mowan! How can you still be in the mood to joke right now? Even if you hate this consort, those people are innocent! If your rumors cause them to be killed, then how are you any different from this consort!?" Yao Suluan glowered indignantly, but the suppressed fear in her eyes was still visible. Yao Mowan slowly got up and silently met Yao Suluan''s eyes with her cold and dark gaze. "Mowan''s greatest difference from Second Older Sister is¡­ Mowan''s even more vicious and merciless towards her enemies! Just as Second Older Sister has said, the only person Mowan wishes to get revenge on is Second Older Sister, so Mowan naturally wouldn''t implicate innocents. Mowan wasn''t the one that spread these rumors." Yao Mowan spoke lightly, but every single word was distinct and rang clear. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 92
Chapter 92: This Prince Wants to Know the Truth Yao Suluan instinctively took a step back when Yao Mowan looked towards her with that dark whirlpool-like gaze. Her heart started pounding apprehensively. "You weren''t the one that spread those rumors? Then who could it be¡­" Yao Suluan''s voice lowered as she looked towards Yao Mowan with her eyes wide. "Is it that hard to guess?" Yao Mowan retrieved the coldness in her eyes and when she looked over again, her eyes only contained faint amusement. "It''s¡­ Ye Hongyi?" Yao Suluan waspletely lost. She had always believed that only three people knew the truth behind that incident. "Second Older Sister is truly adorably foolish. If Ye Hongyi was the one who spread these rumors, then he must have gotten his head kicked in by a donkey!" Yao Mowan smiled without bothering to conceal the mockery in her voice at all. "Then who could it be? There''s no way another person knows the truth behind that incident!" Yao Suluan was starting to shout in aplete panic. "If His Majesty hadn''t given an imperial decree, would Wang Qinruo be able to move back into the pce? Has Second Older Sister never wondered why His Majesty would have a woman whose entire body emits such a foul odore back to the imperial pce?" Yao Mowan put things inly. "Wang Qinruo? That''s not possible! She should be targeting Guan Osprey Pce!" said Yao Suluan in disbelief. "Think about it carefully." Yao Mowan shook her head and walked to the table to pour a cup of tea for Yao Suluan. "She''s targeting this consort? But she was definitely the one that poisoned Chu Moxin, and had Chu Moxin died, the one who''d be in trouble would be you!" Yao Suluan''s brows were furrowed in confusion. "She had done that out of personal interests, it wasn''t His Majesty''s intent. It''s fine if she envies this consort and if she dislikes the esteemed prince. None of these things would prevent her from carrying out His Majesty''s instructions." Yao Mowan sighed hard. Had Yao Suluan gone stupid? Her intelligence was nowhere as high as it used to be. "If she''s doing this for His Majesty, there''s no way she would spread these rumors!" refuted Yao Suluan. "If she didn''t spread these kinds of rumors, you''d never be spurred to action and you wouldn''t take the initiative to get in touch with your secret contact, isn''t it so? Mowan is seriously finding it more and more of a pain to talk to Second Older Sister. Second Older Sister, next time youe, please make sure to bring your brain!" Yao Mowan shook her head in disappointment. If Yao Suluan''s intelligence has fallen this much, she probably won''t be able to y with her for much longer. Right at this time, the door was suddenly pushed open and Ye Junqing stormed in imposingly. "What exactly is the truth behind Moxin''s¡­" Ye Junqing immediately stopped himself when he saw Yao Suluan, but he couldn''t conceal the impatience and confusion in his eyes. "If this consort may offer a bit of advice, don''t take the same path as Yao Moxin, you already know how that ended for her." Yao Suluan gave a cold humph, then turned and left. As she passed by Ye Junqing, a trace of darkness shed through her eyes. The instant the pce doors closed, Ye Junqing rushed to Yao Mowan. "Why are the people outside spreading rumors that Moxin had died in the cold pce? Didn''t she die due to difficult childbirth? What''s being hidden?" Ye Junqing''s brows were tightly furrowed. The impatience and unease in those eyes made Yao Mowan''s heart ache with pain. "Prince is being too sensitive. You shouldn''t take rumors seriously. The imperial pce has always loved to gossip, so it''s no surprise for rumors like this to start." Yao Mowan quickly sorted out her own emotions as she said this mildly. "This prince wishes to know the truth!" demanded Ye Junqing coldly. "The truth is that Eldest Sister died of difficult childbirth," replied Yao Mowan calmly. "This prince also hopes that''s the truth¡­ Even after encountering that maid in the cold pce, after seeing the three corpses hung outside Changle Pce, even after hearing these rumors that abruptly spread! However, this prince understands that this whole time, this prince has been lying to himself! Difficult childbirth? If Moxin had died due to difficult childbirth, all the imperial physicians in the imperial hospital should''ve been executed!" "The reason why this prince epted these lies was because this prince was afraid of finding out the truth. This prince was afraid to find out how tragic Moxin''s death truly was!" Yao Mowan didn''t know how to refute these words when she saw the tears glimmering in Ye Junqing''s eyes. She waspletely flustered. "Prince¡­" However, no matter what she had to say something. "You don''t need to say anything. This prince doesn''t wish to listen to you this time. This prince will find out about the truth himself! This prince only asks that you don''t get involved." Ye Junqing''s eyes contained deep sorrow as he turned and left the pce. This time, he was determined to get to the bottom of all of this. Yao Mowan watched as Ye Junqing''s deste and solitary figure gradually faded from her line of sight, then her lips hooked in a bitter smile. Was the truth really that important? Important enough for him to forget his own situation? In Splendid Veneer Pce, Qinruo was currently looking at down at the bowl of dark green liquid in her hand with a frown. "Your Highness¡­ You don''t have to drink it." Huo Feng''s heart ached with pain when she saw her master''s distressed expression. "Perhaps if this consort drinks this, this consort won''t stink anymore." Wang Qinruo lifted the porcin bowl with an expression of hope, but before she could drink it, she heard An Bingshan''s voice. "Your Majesty¡­" Wang Qinruo was just about to stand up when Ye Hongyi strode forward and snatched the bowl from her hand to hurl it to the ground. Therge bowl of green liquid shattered and the liquid sttered all over the ground. The medicine she had spent so many nights concocting was gone! "Your Majesty, what do you mean by this? Qinruo doesn''t understand." Wang Qinruo held back her tears and unlike usual, did not get up and just looked towards Ye Hongyi coldly. "Were you the one that spread the rumors? Why did you do it? We didn''t have youe back to create more trouble! If you can''t deal with Yao Suluan, then scram back to the hunting park!" Every single one of Ye Hongyi''s words stabbed ruthlessly into Wang Qinruo''s heart. "Qinruo was the one that spread the rumors, but if Qinruo didn''t do so, Yao Suluan wouldn''t feel endangered and wouldn''t go visit the person she had entrusted with this information. The reason why Your Majesty is apprehensive of Yao Suluan is precisely because Your Majesty doesn''t know what cards she still has up her sleeve, right? In addition, the rumors only say that Yao Moxin had died in the cold pce. It only mentions that she was in the cold pce and not how she died, so what need is there for Your Majesty to panic so much?" Wang Qinruo swiped a finger across the green liquid that was left on the table and tasted it. It was very bitter, so bitter that the bitterness made its way to her heart. "You''ve been in the inner pce long enough to know how frightening rumors can be! Although you didn''t mention the details, nor did you mention us, the people that hear the rumors will only exaggerate them. At that time, the stories theye up with will be distorted beyond recognition and spread uncontrobly! How do you n to control that mess?" shouted Ye Hongyi. "As long as we deal with Yao Suluan, we can push the me for the empress''s deathpletely onto her, then the rumors will naturally fade. All sisters in the pce must contend for favor so there''s plenty of past precedents of sisters bing enemies. No one will suspect a thing." Wang Qinruo used a handkerchief to wipe the green liquid off her finger as she exined her n. "That''s right¡­ Why didn''t we think of that? My beloved consort, you truly are wise! What is this?" Ye Hongyi''s rage immediately transformed into joy and it was only now that he noticed that puddle of dark green liquid on the ground. "This is¡­" Huo Feng wanted to speak, but Wang Qinruo stopped her. "The green bean dessert the imperial kitchen made was a little hard to swallow. It''s much better in more water," replied Wang Qinruo mildly. "Is that so? An Bingshan, instruct the imperial kitchen to make some jelly cakes and bring them to Splendid Veneer Pce!" instructed Ye Hongyi. "Qinruo thanks Your Majesty." "Is there any need for you to be so polite toward us? Once you finish dealing with Yao Suluan, we will definitely host a banquet for you and invite Imperial Tutor Wang over as well!" Ye Hongyi''s brows had unfurrowed and he no longer looked as sinister as he did when he had first arrived. It was only after Ye Hongyi left that Huo Feng''s tears overflowed. "His Majesty is too much! Your Highness spent an entire night simmering this medicine, but His Majesty had knocked it over the moment he came in without even saying anything! Your Highness, why didn''t you allow this servant to tell him!?" cried Huo Feng. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 2 93
Chapter 93: Will Depend on Your Performance "What''s the use of telling him? And it''s a rare asion for His Majesty to not notice this consort''s smell. If you had told the truth, you would''ve ruined His Majesty''s mood." Wang Qinruo slowly crouched down to pick up the broken pieces on the ground so that she could bring what remained of the green liquid to her lips. Tears whirled in her eyes. This medicine might be effective, so she couldn''t waste it. "Your Highness¡­" Huo Feng hastily walked over to help Wang Qinruo pick up the pieces of the broken bowl as tears continued to fall from her eyes. Right at this moment, she abruptly looked up and saw that Yao Mowan was standing at the pce doors. "Your Highness, it''s Yao Mowan," said Huo Feng softly. Internally, she was berating herself for being so careless as to miss the fact that Yao Mowan was here. When Wang Qinruo heard this, she abruptly got up and returned to her seat. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment. "Huo Feng, close the doors. This consort doesn''t wee fools!"manded Wang Qinruo indignantly. Upon hearing this, Huo Feng strode forward to push Yao Mowan out and close the doors. "Yin Xue." Yao Mowan''s expression was calm, but her heart was pounding hard. What had she just seen? That ruthless and vicious Wang Qinruo, in front of Ye Hongyi, had actually lowered herself to the point that she didn''t seem to even have a grain of ego. At Yao Mowan''smand, Yin Xue moved out of the shadows to brush Huo Feng''s hands aside and stand sternly in front of Yao Mowan. She had been wanting to fight against Huo Feng and get revenge for those three needles she suffered back then. "You''ve finally shown yourself!" Huo Feng''s eyes narrowed slightly and she leaped forward to attack Yin Xue. Meanwhile, Yao Mowan was able to walk forward without any more obstructions into Splendid Veneer Pce. "You''re not nning to y dumb anymore?" Wang Qinruo swiftly sorted out her feelings and when she looked towards Yao Mowan again, her expression was once again unperturbed. "Obviously." Yao Mowan''s lips curved slightly as sat down in front of Wang Qinruo. After witnessing that scene just now, she was starting to consider a different n. Originally she hade to tell Wang Qinruo that although her n was good, she had already warned Yao Suluan so Wang Qinruo wouldn''t be able to obtain what she was hoping for. "How rare for Noble Consort Yao to be willing to face someone with her true appearance. Hopefully this consort''s smell won''t ruin Noble Consort Yao''s mood. If Noble Consort Yao minds the smell, you are weed to head over to the pile of flowers to talk." Wang Qinruo meticulously fixed her cor as she said this coldly. At this time, Yin Xue had already sealed Huo Feng''s acupuncture points and had returned to stand respectfully behind Yao Mowan. "Who would''ve thought that Consort Shu actually had such an expert as an subordinate?" Yao Mowan was sincere in this remark. "Even Huo Feng could notst ten blows against your subordinate. If you want to praise yourself, just do it directly. No need to pull this consort''s servant into it!" However, Wang Qinruo didn''t feel Yao Mowan''s sincerity at all. "If you knew Yin Xue''s true ability, you wouldn''t think that. Cough cough¡­ Actually, this consort has a way to get rid of the smell on your body, Consort Shu." Yao Mowan involuntarily coughed due to the strong stench. As she finished her words, she nced briefly towards Huo Feng and caught the light that shed through Huo Feng''s eyes. Upon seeing this, her lips curved in an imperceptible arc. "This consort doesn''t feel like there''s anything bad about things being like this!" Wang Qinruo rejected this offer without even considering it. First of all, she didn''t believe that Yao Mowan had this ability, and second, even if Yao Mowan had this ability, she refused to ept this kind of charity. "It looks like this consort was over meddling." Yao Mowan sighed softly and slowly got up. "You''re leaving?" Wang Qinruo looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. She couldn''t read what Yao Mowan was after at all. "Oh, and one more thing. In reality, there''s no need for Consort Shu to consider Mowan an enemy because in Mowan''s eyes, Ye Hongyi isn''t even worth a cent!" Yao Mowan''s lips curved slightly in a captivating smile, but that expression of contempt in her eyes caused Wang Qinruo''s heart to pulse with pain. Not even worth a cent? The man that mattered more than the world to her was actually that worthless in Yao Mowan''s eyes? She couldn''t tell if the heavens were joking with her. The woman that Ye Hongyi cherished so much was actually like this!? "He cherished you for nothing!" said Wang Qinruo coldly. "You''ve cherished him for nothing." Yao Mowan''s simple sentence made Wang Qinruo''s face turn pale. As Yao Mowan was leaving, she had Yin Xue undo the seal on Huo Feng. "Your Highness, are you alright?" When Huo Feng saw that Wang Qinruo was lying on the chair weakly, her eyes dull, she hastily went over to see if she was alright. "If this consort didn''t have this smell¡­ Would His Majesty care about this consort a little more¡­ Huo Feng, this consort doesn''t wish for much. I only want him to look at me¡­" Wang Qinruo clutched at Huo Feng tightly like she was trying to grab at salvation as tears overflowed the rims of her eyes. "He will, he definitely will!" Huo Feng knew she was lying to both of them. If His Majesty had cared about her master back then, her master wouldn''t have gone to the lengths of madly trying perfume and ending up like this. But how could she voice the truth? How was her master supposed to keep living after having lost all hope? That night, after Yao Mowan washed up for the night, she had Ting Yue withdraw and sat down by the table to call Yin Xue out. "Master, you''re waiting for someone?" asked Yin Xue as shended next to Yao Mowan. "It''s quitete, so Consort Shu is probably asleep by now." Yao Mowan lightly adjusted the wick of the candle as she said this. Right at this time, a gust of wind swept past. Yin Xue was just about to step forward when Yao Mowan stopped her. "This consort was waiting for her." Yao Mowan smiled as she looked towards Huo Feng who was standing in front of her with a grim expression. "You were expecting me? Then have you already guessed what I''vee for?" Huo Feng lifted her brows as she looked at Yao Mowan warily. "The smell on Wang Qinruo is truly unpleasant. You''ve had it hard, enduring for such a long time," remarked Yao Mowan as she leaned back in her chair andnguidly ced her hand by the table. "Don''t you dare insult my master!" Huo Feng glowered at her. "If you are the same as your master and views this consort as an enemy, then it''s going to be hard for us to keep conversing." Yao Mowan sighed and was about to get up when Huo Feng suddenly knelt down on the ground. "Your Highness, please help get rid of that smell on my master''s body!" beseeched Huo Feng as she knocked her head against the ground in a hard kowtow. "Get up." Wang Qinruo might have bad luck in men and had fallen in love with a man she never should''ve loved, but at the very least, she had such a loyal follower, so the Heavens hadn''t been too unfair to her. "If Your Highness doesn''t agree, then Huo Feng will kneel until you do!" Huo Feng''s voice was filled with resolution. Yao Mowan had no doubt that she was serious. "This consort possesses an ''inspissated fragrance pill''. As long as your master takes it, your master''s body will emit a faint elegant fragrance that''s more delightful than any that''s emitted by flowers." As Yao Mowan spoke, Yin Xue''s lips reflexively twitched. Back then when Yao Mowan asked her whether there were any more treasures in Phoenix Feather Manor, she had casually listed a few. She never imagined that her master''s memory was this good. She wondered if Yan Nansheng''s ears were burning right now¡­ "Noble Consort Yao is willing to give this to Huo Feng?" Huo Feng looked towards Yao Mowan in surprise. "That will depend on your performance. Actually, this consort is pretty curious. Why does Consort Shu have that smell?" Yao Mowan looked towards Huo Feng curiously. Huo Feng didn''t reply. She was hesitating. She didn''t know what to say, nor did she know if she should say it. "This consort was telling the truth when this consort said that the thing your master desires so much is the one thing this consort cares the least about. Your master''s just too sensitive about this topic, which is why shebeled this consort as an enemy. If she calmed down and considered things carefully, she would naturallye to understand this. Of course, you can choose to trust this consort or choose to just leave. This consort will just treat it as this meeting never happened and won''t speak about this to anyone." Yao Mowan expressed her sincerity. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 94
Chapter 94: Loved Too Deeply "Everything started with my master developing feelings for His Majesty. Huo Feng has followed Master for over twenty years, and Master had been in love with His Majesty for over twenty years. For as long as Huo Feng could remember, Master was always talking about His Majesty. Master has already fallen so deeply for His Majesty that she could no longer extricate herself." As Huo Feng spoke, her voice choked up and tears filled her eyes. "What do you mean?" If it weren''t for what she had seen today, Yao Mowan probably wouldn''t have believed what Huo Feng said next. "On the night of their wedding, to give His Majesty a pleasant surprise, Master heated an embroidery needle until it was red and endured the pain to carve the words ''Hong'' ''Yi'' onto her chest. However, when His Majesty saw, he didn''t react with pleasant surprise or heartache. Instead, he turned and left the room without evering back that night." "Afterwards, although His Majesty would often rest in Splendid Veneer Pce, but¡­ But he never touched my master. Huo Feng still remembers when His Majesty had casually remarked that he liked the scent of roses. After that, Master seemed to have be possessed. She started trying all sorts of methods to make that scent emit from her body. At first, she took a lot of baths with flower petals, but there was minimal effect, so she started directly eating perfume. However, Master''s perseverance didn''t manage to earn His Majesty''s love and instead, just brought her that terrible stench. Others may find the smell on Master''s body repulsive, but to Huo Feng, that smell is the purest proof of Master''s sincerity." Huo Feng''s tears spilled down silently as she said these words hoarsely. Yao Mowan sat there silently with her brows furrowed. Why did there still exist women who were so fixated on things in this world? "She''s too deeply in love, so she''s gone blind. Even if Consort Shu digs out her heart and offers it to Ye Hongyi, Ye Hongyi still wouldn''t give her a nce, isn''t it so?" said Yao Mowan slowly, sorrow flickering in the depths of her eyes. Consort Shu was a pitiful woman, so perhaps she should be more magnanimous. "That love is already engraved in Master''s bones. Huo Feng can''t dissuade her, and also doesn''t wish to dissuade her. This is already Master''s only reason for living. How is she supposed to live if she loses this reason?" said Huo Feng, her voice pained. "Have you heard of a phoenix''s rebirth through fire?" Yao Mowan looked towards Huo Feng. "Huo Feng understands what Noble Consort means, but not all phoenixes seed in being reborn through fire. Huo Feng doesn''t dare to take this risk, and Huo Feng doesn''t have the ability to convince Master into trying it. Huo Feng only wishes to continue to apany Master, no matter where she ends up¡­" "Huo Feng, this consort will make a bet with you. As long as you''re willing to follow this consort''s instructions, this consort will definitely allow you to see a reborn Wang Qinruo. Are you willing?" Yao Mowan''s eyes sparkled like gems. What could she do? She couldn''t resist her nature of being a good person. "This¡­" Huo Feng hesitated. "My offer still stands. You can leave right now and I''ll treat it as nothing ever happened," said Yao Mowan. She wanted Huo Feng to make the choice for herself. Only those who were sincerely willing would have unswerving will. "Huo Feng will follow Your Highness''s instructions!" When Yao Mowan saw Huo Feng''s decisively kowtow, her lips curved and her eyes glittered with her smile. "This consort has already prepared someone. As long as you hand him to Consort Shu, I''ll give you that inspissated fragrance pill," said Yao Mowan leisurely. Huo Feng looked up in disbelief. "You should understand what this consort intends and you should trust that everything this consort does only benefits Consort Shu." Yao Mowan smiled lightly. Her eyes, despite being clear, also seemed to contain unfathomable depths, making it impossible for people to see through what she was thinking. Two dayster, when Huo Feng brought the young eunuch to Wang Qinruo, Wang Qinruo''s eyes lit up with delight. "You''re the one who''s been making contact with Consort Li in secret?" asked Wang Qinruo with lifted brows. "Mmmph, mmphff¡­" The young eunuch''s face waspletely red and he couldn''t get any words out. Huo Feng finally realized that she had forgotten to undo his seal, so she moved to tap a couple points on his body. "It stinks¡­ Ugh¡­ Your Highness, please spare me! This servant didn''t do anything! This servant really didn''t do anything!" The young eunuch reflexively covered his nose, but when he saw Wang Qinruo''s cold gaze, he immediately dropped to his knees to kowtow. "What''s your name? Why did you visit Pure Flowers Pce in the depths of the night?" asked Wang Qinruo coldly. "This servant is Xiao Shunzi and serves Eunuch An. Pure Flowers Pce¡­ This servant was only passing by!" Xiao Shunzi hesitated in his words, then continued kowtowing to beg for mercy. "You serve An Bingshan?" Wang Qinruo''s gaze flickered with interest and her smile deepened. "Huo Feng, go invite His Majesty!" instructed Wang Qinruo coldly even as her heart filled with delight. It would be perfect if this incident could end up implicating An Bingshan as well! She had always been envious of An Bingshan who was allowed to always be by Ye Hongyi''s side. Perhaps it was due to the joy that a big problem had been resolved, but Ye Hongyi arrived very quickly with a happy expression. "We heard that our beloved consort has managed to reap a great harvest. It''s truly a pleasant surprise! Where is the person?" Wang Qinruo was captivated by the sight of Ye Hongyi''s bright smile. How many years has it been since she hadst seen him smile this way? In this instant, Wang Qinruo forgot about all the torment and grievances she had suffered these past years. If it could win her a smile from Ye Hongyi, she''d be happy to even give up her own life. "It''s him?" Ye Hongyi nced towards Xiao Shunzi who was kneeling on the ground. "Ah¡­ Replying Your Majesty, this person had snuck into Pure Flowers Pcest night near midnight and was caught by Huo Feng. This subject wife believes that he''s likely Consort Li''s hidden contact," said Wang Qinruo as she restrained the infatuation in her eyes. "Your Majesty! This servant is wrongly used! This servant was only passing by¡­" Xiao Shunzi seemed to finally understand how bad his current situation was and knelt down to desperately beg for mercy. When An Bingshan heard his voice and looked over, his heart chilled. Xiao Shunzi was one of his most trusted aids, why would he be here? And why was he said to be colluding with Yao Suluan? As these thoughts shed through An Bingshan''s head, he had alreadye to a decision. "Passing by? Where were you trying to go to end up passing through Pure Flowers Pce''s main hall?" Wang Qinruo''s gaze was as sharp as a de as she interrogated Xiao Shunzi. "This servant truly is wrongly used¡­" Xiao Shunzi resorted to just begging for mercy and looked towards An Bingshan for help. "Whether you''re wrongly used or not, we''ll find out soon enough! An Bingshan, grab him and prepare a carriage to Pure Flowers Pce!" Ye Hongyi gave a cold humph, then looked towards Wang Qinruo. "My dear consort, you should rest. We''ll have the imperial kitchen prepare a banquet for you. Let''s have a proper feast togetherter!" Ye Hongyi ced both his hands on Wang Qinruo''s shoulders as he said this with a faint smile. Even after Ye Hongyi left, Wang Qinruo was still soaking in the warmth she had seen in Ye Hongyi''s eyes. She touched her shoulders absentmindedly. To her, this sort of contact was as precious as the spring rain. "Your Highness?" Huo Feng''s voice jolted Wang Qinruo out of her daze. "Huo Feng! Did you hear that? His Majesty''s going to apany this consort in the evening meal! This consort didn''t hear that wrong, right?" Wang Qinruo''s eyes were glowing with joy as she excitedly grabbed Huo Feng''s hands. "This servant heard, but¡­" Huo Feng looked towards Wang Qinruo with worry. As a third party looking in on this situation, she couldn''t shake off her bad feeling about tonight''s banquet. "Hurry and help me get out all the clothes and hair ornaments. This consort wants to give His Majesty a pleasant surprise! No¡­ I''ll do it myself!" Wang Qinruo excitedly let go of Huo Feng to head towards the bedroom. The worry in Huo Feng''s eyes deepened when she saw how excited Wang Qinruo was. In Guan Osprey Pce, the captivating figure in brilliant red was currently the most beautiful sight in the main hall. Even though that breathtakingly stunning face currently had an expression that was as cold as ice, it didn''t affect its beauty at all. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 95
Chapter 95: A Plucked Fat Sheep "Mowan ah, if this alliance head had been a sheep, you would''ve already pluck all of this alliance head''s fur by now! I''m begging you, can''t you switch to plucking some other sheep? Although this alliance head is naturally unforgettable, right now I really wish that you could heartlessly forget that you ever heard of the name Yan Nansheng!" Yan Nansheng clutched the gold box in pain as he looked towards Yao Mowan. "It''s truly sad, but to this day, Nansheng, you''re the only bankroller Mowan knows. However, you must have faith that you''ll be repaid one day for the investments you make now!" replied Yao Mowan in deadpan earnest. "Nansheng doesn''t doubt this, but Nansheng can''t help but wonder if Nansheng will already be dirt poor by the time Mowan feels like repaying these favors." Yan Nansheng tilted his head to look towards the sky and sighed. He could already see himself having to squat by a wall to beg for food and deep sorrow flooded up in his heart. "Ahem¡­ Nansheng, you put things too harshly. It''s not like Mowan''s a bandit." It was just a few revival pills and a couple thousand in silver. Was there really a need for Yan Nansheng to be so worried about his future? "I agree, you''re not a bandit¡­ You''re way worse than a bandit!" Yan Nansheng nodded firmly. "Saving someone is like putting out a fire so hurry and give me the inspissated fragrance pill." Yao Mowan was worried that Yan Nansheng would regret his decision so she didn''t bother to banter with him like usual and just reached out for the gold box he was holding. "You''re trying to steal in broad daylight!?" Yan Nansheng jumped back, his eyes wide and cautious. "Just say it, what''s your condition?" When Yao Mowan saw Yan Nansheng eyeing her warily like an rmed cat, she couldn''t help but feel slightly remorseful. For better or for worse, he was the grand martial arts alliance head. How did she end up trampling on him until his personality became like this? She had truly done evil! "I can give you the pill, but this is thest one. Don''t try to get anything else from my Phoenix Feather Manor, not even a strand of grass!" said Yan Nansheng indignantly. "About this¡­ We can discuss that at further length!" Yao Mowan took another step forward. "If you don''t agree, then just give up on ever getting the inspissated fragrance pill!" said Yan Nansheng firmly. "Then forget it. Alliance Head, you can go. However, Mowan will kindly remind you that rumors of Eldest Sister dying in the cold pce is spreading through the entire imperial pce. As of now, Prince is searching for evidence like crazy. If he ends up finding anything¡­" Yao Mowan knew that the reason Yan Nansheng always agreed to her requests was because he was worried about Ye Junqing''s safety. "Junqing will find out sooner orter¡­" Yan Nansheng''s voice gradually weakened as he said this. "That''s right, the prince will find out sooner orter, but the oue of him finding out sooner will definitely be different from the oue of him finding outter." Yao Mowan concisely stated the truth. Yan Nansheng took a deep breath, then strode to the table and mmed the box down. "If one can change after making a mistake, there is nothing better." Yao Mowan nodded firmly as she looked towards Yan Nansheng with a smile. At this time, Ting Yue walked in respectfully. "Your Highness, the noon meal has been prepared." "Have it carried in. Nansheng has traveled far to get here. Why not stay here for a meal so that we chat at leisure?" Yao Mowan extended this invitation sincerely. "Is your food free?" Yan Nansheng decisively rejected this offer and turned to leave like he was fleeing for his life. Yao Mowan nced over at the direction he had disappeared in with a smile, then turned to open the gold box. An elegant fragrance immediately filled the air of Guan Osprey Pce. It was like walking in a garden of a hundred flowers. The scent was indescribably refreshing. "Yan Nansheng visited?" Ye Junqing smelled the fragrance the moment he stepped into Guan Osprey Pce and was surprised. "Prince, have you gained anything from your visits to the imperial hospital these past few days?" Yao Mowan simply responded with a question as she closed the box carefully before sitting down. "Was Liu Sha the one that told you? This prince has already seen Moxin''s medical records. Based on what was recorded, there were no signs that Moxin''s pregnancy was unstable. The imperial physicians had recorded that her pulse was very stable, so this prince is certain that Moxin definitely had not died due to difficult childbirth. As for what her true cause of death was, this prince will definitely get to the bottom of it!" Ye Junqing''s expression was very solemn and his voice was a little hoarse. The visible fatigue on his face made Yao Mowan''s heart ache. "Liu Sha isn''t the only one tailing Prince, Qing Long has already reported Prince''s doings to Ye Hongyi. Prince, you''re probably aware of your current situation, right?" Yao Mowan''s gaze contained unconceble worry. "This prince thought that you would be more concerned about what this prince said just now. Moxin is your older sister. Don''t you n to get revenge for her if it turns out that someone had caused her death?" Ye Junqing''s voice was cold as he looked towards Yao Mowan angrily. "Mowan believes that, rather than worrying about how tragic Eldest Sister''s death was, it''d be better to spend that time thinking about how to protect the people who are still alive!" Yao Mowan met Ye Junqing''s gaze directly. She didn''t want to argue with Ye Junqing. She couldn''t even bear to raise her voice at him, but when she saw that Ye Junqing seeking that unsightly truth while disregarding his own life, she couldn''t control her emotions anymore "If Ye Hongyi innocent, there would be no reason for him to fear this prince''s investigation." Ye Junqing suppressed his fury to say this coldly. "He might not mind how Eldest Sister died, but he definitely cares about how Prince will die! Prince, you should understand this better than anyone. Even if you are nothing right now, your very existence threatens his hold on the throne! As soon as Prince makes the slightest mistake in the imperial pce, no one will be able to keep your head on your shoulders!" Yao Mowan abruptly got up and yelled at Ye Junqing. What did she have to say to get through to him the fact that he was surrounded by danger!? "Then he should juste right now to chop off this prince''s head!" Ye Junqing shouted back. Yao Mowan silently looked at Ye Junqing for a moment, then flung her sleeves back and walked into her bedroom with the gold box. "This servant had only gone out for a moment. What exactly happened¡­ Should I still bring in the food?" Ting Yue happened to walk in with the food right as Yao Mowan mmed the bedroom door. "Why shouldn''t you bring it in? This prince is still sitting here!" said Ye Junqing angrily. "Oh¡­" Ting Yue hesitated for a long time, but didn''t hear anything from the bedroom, so she started bringing the food to the table. Ye Junqing couldn''t taste the food at all during this entire meal. He nced over several times at the door, but there was no sign of Yao Mowaning out. "Ahem¡­ Don''t you think you should deliver some of the food to your master''s room?" Ye Junqing lowered his voice and prompted Ting Yue gently. "I don''t think so," replied Ting Yue earnestly. She was pretty sure that if anyone other than Ye Junqing had done this, Master would''ve mercilessly kicked them out already. "¡­" Ye Junqing was speechless. Inside the bedroom, Yao Mowan was currently looking at Huo Feng in surprise. She hadn''t expected for Huo Feng to appear and reflexively looked towards the door. "This servant knows that it''s a bad idea toe during the day, but His Majesty is going to have dinner with Master tonight. This servant seriously could not wait until night. Your Highness, please give Huo Feng the inspissated fragrance pill." Huo Feng understood what Yao Mowan meant and lowered her voice as she said this beseechingly. "Take it with water. Huo Feng, if you trust this consort, it''s best if you swap out any wine Ye Hongyi pours for your master. Don''t ask why. You should know the reason better than this consort." Yao Mowan handed her the inspissated fragrance pill as she gave this warning. "Huo Feng, on behalf of her master, thanks Noble Consort Yao for this great grace!" said Huo Feng gratefully. She then took the gold box and left Guan Osprey Pce. Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Ye Hongyi ordered for An Bingshan and Ming Yu to wait outside, then he grabbed Xiao Shunzi by the cor and dragged him into the main hall. "What a rare guest." Yao Suluan looked towards Ye Hongyi indifferently even though she was internally shocked. "Yao Suluan! We have already tolerated you for a long time. This time, we will definitely consider carefully how we should kill you in order to vent this hatred!" Ye Hongyi abruptly threw Xiao Shunzi in front of Yao Suluan. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 96
Chapter 96: She''s Been Framed "Suluan doesn''t understand what Your Majesty is saying?" Yao Suluan nced down at Xiao Shunzi who was trembling in fear, then looked towards Ye Hongyi coldly. "Don''t try to say that you don''t know him!" Ye Hongyi pointed at Xiao Shunzi as his lips curved in a ferociously delighted smile. "It''s just a servant. Is there a need for Suluan to know him?" Yao Suluan gave a light humph, then kicked aside Xiao Shunzi''spel in contempt. "You''re sure good at acting! But we have evidence that he''s the one secretly colluding with you! Based on what you said, if something happens to you, he''ll release the secret information, isn''t it so?" Ye Hongyi''s expression was twisted sinisterly. He had tolerated Yao Suluan for too long. Now that he could finally vent his anger without worrying about repercussions, he was naturally besides himself with joy. "No¡­ That''s not possible! He''s not!" Yao Suluan was stunned and fear shed through her eyes. "Look at your expression! Scared? Yao Suluan, you should''ve known how things would end after you threatened us!" Ye Hongyi strode towards Yao Suluan, his eyes glowing with baleful rage. "Your Majesty¡­ He''s not! He really isn''t! Xiao Shunzi, say something! Could it be that you want to die?" Yao Suluan sensed Ye Hongyi''s murderous intent so she hastily kicked Xiao Shunzi to get him to talk. "Your Majesty¡­ Your Majesty, please spare me! This servant only camest night to look for Ming Yu. This servant has always liked Ming Yu, that''s why this servant snuck into Pure Flowers Pce at night¡­ Your Majesty, Xiao Shunzi really doesn''t know anything!" After getting kicked by Yao Suluan, Xiao Shunzi finally snapped out of his daze and knelt down in front of Ye Hongyi to beg for mercy. In reality, he had entered Pure Flowers Pce after getting a letter from An Bingshan. However, on the way here, An Bingshan had denied writing any letters and threatened to kill him and his family if he mentioned anything about him. Ming Yu was just an excuse he quickly came up with, and it was true that he had been interested in her. "Your Majesty, you heard him, right? Suluan doesn''t know why Your Majesty would think it''s him, but Suluan will remind Your Majesty that if Your Majesty kills the wrong person, the oue would be too terrible to imagine!" Yao Suluan forced herself to stay calm, but her voice was still trembling a little. "Ming Yu!" Ye Hongyi shouted for Ming Yu toe in. "This servant¡­ This servant kowtows in salute to Your Majesty¡­" Ming Yu trembled as she curtsied. She didn''t even dare to breathe. "Answer us, do you know this person? And where were youst night?" Ye Hongyi''s line of sight didn''t leave Yao Suluan for a moment. The murderous intent in those eyes felt like des to Yao Suluan. "Replying Your Majesty, Ming Yu¡­ recognizes this person. He''s an eunuch that serves Eunuch An. His name''s Xiao Shunzi¡­ Last night¡­ Last night, Her Highness said that she had a headache and that she wanted to head in to rest early, so this servant had returned to her own wing around five in the evening¡­" This was what Yao Mowan had instructed her to say ahead of time and Ming Yu repeated everything without missing a word. "Headache? When did this consort say that she had a headache!? Ming Yu, you''re making things up!" Yao Suluan looked towards Ming Yu in shock as her heart plunged. Why would Ming Yu say this? Someone had definitely put her up to this! It was Yao Mowan! It was definitely her! "Get out!" bellowed Ye Hongyi. When Ming Yu saw that she could go, she hastily took this opportunity to leave. "Yao Suluan, what else do you have to say?" Ye Hongyi''s lips hooked in a bloodthirsty smile. "No¡­ Suluan dares to swear upon the Heavens that he''s really not that person! Your Majesty, you''re being tricked!" Yao Suluan retreated in panicked fear. "Your Majesty¡­ This servant really doesn''t know anything. Your Majesty, please spare me!" Xiao Shunzi knelt in front of Ye Hongyi and knocked his head against the ground desperately because his life truly depended on it. Cold sweat dripped down his face as he trembled uncontrobly. "Shut up!" Ye Hongyi reached out to lift Xiao Shunzi by the neck. The darkness in his ck eyes made them seem like the pupils of a wild wolf. "Your Majesty¡­ Ugh¡­" Xiao Shunzi tried to say something, but Ye Hongyi tightened his grip on his neck so he couldn''t get any words out. "Yao Suluan, we''d like to see what else you can use to threaten us!" Ye Hongyi''s narrow pupils narrowed and he abruptly closed his grip. There was the sound of a loud crack. Xiao Shunzi''s neck had been crushed. Blood flowed out the corner of his mouth, then in the next instant, that lifeless body was sent flying a distance away before it crashed into the ground, motionless. "No! Your Majesty¡­ It''s not him! It really isn''t him!" Yao Suluan was so rmed that all color had drained from her face and she staggered backwards until her back hit the wall. Back then, no matter how angry Ye Hongyi was, she had been confident in being able to make it out unharmed, but the situation was different now. If she didn''t make facts clear, she would truly die. "It''s not him? If it''s not him, why are you scared? Yao Suluan! Haven''t you always been very arrogant in front of us? Even though we knew that you were colluding with Luminescent Prince Ye Zixiao to try and stage a revolt, we couldn''t do anything to you! Soe on! Where''s your arrogance now?" Ye Hongyi''s eyes were red as he walked towards Yao Suluan to slowly reach out with his bloodstained hand. "Your Majesty¡­ It really isn''t him¡­ If you kill Suluan, you''ll regret it! At that time, the entire world will know that you''re a narrow-minded tyrant who killed his own wife and child¡­ Ugh¡­" As Yao Suluan was shouting this desperately, Ye Hongyi had reached out and clutched her neck. "Shut up! We weren''t wrong! Yao Moxin deserved to die! She hadmitted unforgivable crimes!" Yao Suluan''s words stabbed Ye Hongyi''s heart like a long spear and stirred up the fear hidden in the depths of his heart. "Ugh¡­ Your Majesty¡­ Believe Suluan onest time¡­ You can imprison Suluan for three days¡­ If there''s no movement¡­ Killing Suluan then wouldn''t be toote¡­" Yao Suluan''s entire body was dangling in the air and she kicked her legs desperately as she struggled for air. Her face gradually turned red, then purple, and her eyes started bulging out from her need for air. "You''re still trying to lie to us?" snarled Ye Hongyi as he slowly tightened his grip on her neck. "It''s only three days¡­ Your Majesty has already tolerated Suluan for so long¡­ So does these three days matter? If it really is Xiao Shunzi¡­ It wouldn''t be toote for Your Majesty to have Suluan executed with the death of a thousand cuts then¡­" Yao Suluan pried at Ye Hongyi''s fingers with her hands, her bulging eyes filled with intense beseeching. This was herst chance. If Ye Hongyi wasn''t swayed by her words, this sinister face in front of her would be thest thing she saw in this lifetime. As she looked at Ye Hongyi''s deep eyes that was like an abyss, her limbs gradually lost strength. Her hands fell weakly to her sides and her eyes bulged more. She no longer had the strength to struggle, but her eyes only widened. She wanted to live. She needed to live! She couldn''t bear to close her eyes yet! At this instant, Ye Hongyi suddenly rxed his grip and Yao Suluan copsed to the ground. "Cough cough¡­ Cough cough cough¡­" The moment her throat was released, Yao Suluan ced one hand against the ground to support herself and used her other hand to rub her chest hard to help herself breathe. She had never felt so much desire for air before. Every single breath seemed to bring her body great satisfaction. "Yao Suluan, listen carefully. If there is no disturbance after three days, you had best kill yourself before wee to a decision on how to torment you!" In the end, Ye Hongyi wasn''t willing to take the risk. He wasn''t willing to risk the throne he had suffered through so much to obtain. "Your Majesty¡­ Won''t regret not killing Suluan¡­ Cough cough¡­" said Yao Suluan as she continued to gasp for breath. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 97
Chapter 97: You''re Too Naive "An Bingshan, pass down themand to assign thirty guards to keep watch around Pure Flowers Pce. Without our decree, no one is allowed to approach!" Ye Hongyi bellowed thismand before flinging his sleeves back and leaving angrily. Once Ye Hongyi left, An Bingshan followed his instructions and transferred guards over to keep Yao Suluan imprisoned in Pure Flowers Pce. Ming Yu took advantage of this chance to ask An Bingshan to transfer her out of this position. Yao Suluan would definitely hold a grudge against her after this incident, so leaving was the best choice. That night, Ye Hongyi kept his promise and had a banquet at Splendid Veneer Pce to celebrate Wang Qinruo''s work. The moment he stepped into Splendid Veneer Pce, he was met by an elegant, refreshing fragrance that seemed to soothe his very soul. It was like standing in a sea of flowers, the fragrance was soft and irresistibly enticing. "This subject wife Qinruo kowtows in salute to Your Majesty." A soft pleasant voice greeted him. Wang Qinruo had dressed herself especially carefully for tonight. She was wearing a faint pink upper garment that was paired with a soft emerald green skirt that showed off her delicate waist. The jade belt around her waistplemented the cloud sea design of her skirt and her hair was done up in the graceful flying fairy style and adorned with a jade phoenix hairpin. As she spoke, the tassels on the hairpin swayed slightly, further emphasizing her delicate beauty. "My dear consort, please rise¡­" Ye Hongyi stepped forward to help Wang Qinruo up. The instant he made contact with her skin, he felt its wless softness distinctly. It was fair with faint pink, even more perfect that the skin of girls in the prime of youth and that faint fragrance her body emitted made people feel the uncontroble desire to get closer. "Your Majesty¡­" When Wang Qinruo sensed the scorching heat in Ye Hongyi''s eyes, she pressed her lips together slightly and bashfully lowered her eyes as she blushed. "Beloved consort, you smell so nice!" Ye Hongyi didn''t ask how this was achieved and just pulled Wang Qinruo gently into his arms to enjoy the faint fragranceing from her. "Your Majesty, this subject wife will pour some wine for you." Wang Qinruo lifted the wine jar with her slender fingers to pour Ye Hongyi a cup. "How long has it been since we''ve eaten together? My dear consort, you''ve truly made a great contribution this time in ferreting out Yao Suluan secret contact. This is the fruit wine we had the imperial kitchen specially prepare, we''re sure that you''ll like it." As Ye Hongyi spoke, he lifted the slender-neck wine pot and personally poured a cup for Wang Qinruo. "Your Highness¡­" Huo Feng abruptly stepped forward with a concerned expression when she saw Wang Qinruo lift the cup. "Huo Feng, there''s nothing else for you to do here, so withdraw." Wang Qinruo nced over coldly at Huo Feng. Huo Feng still wanted to step forward, but when she saw that Wang Qinruo''s gaze was bing even colder, she suppressed her urge and backed away again. However, she refused to leave the main hall. If anything happened to Master, even if it was at the price of her life, she would make Ye Hongyi pay for it with his life! "Come! Let us toast!" Ye Hongyi was in a great mood and immediately lifted his cup while looking towards Wang Qinruo happily. It was a festive dinner and both of them drank heartily during the entire course of it all. The banquet only ended when Ye Hongyi''s intoxicated eyes started shining with faint desire. "Your Majesty, you''ve gotten drunk. This subject wife will call Eunuch An in to help you back." Wang Qinruo reached over to help up Ye Hongyi who was lying on the chair as she said this bashfully. However, her heart was filled with anticipation and longing. "Help us back? Beloved consort, do you really want us to leave?" Ye Hongyi looked over hazily as he lifted Wang Qinruo''s chin and abruptly kissed her. It was such a sudden and fierce kiss that Wang Qinruo waspletely caught off guard. "Mmph¡­" Wang Qinruo stood there, dumbstruck, allowing Ye Hongyi to take what he desired. Her heart pounded uncontrobly. As Ye Hongyi''s kiss intensified, Wang Qinruo felt her limbs going weak. "Beloved consort, you smell so good¡­" said Ye Hongyi softly. He tilted his head to kiss Wang Qinruo''s ears as he impatiently ripped off her garments. When he saw that the tworge words in front of Wang Qinruo''s chest had turned into two blood-colored roses, he felt his lower body react intensely. He lifted Wang Qinruo in a princess hold and strode towards the bedroom. Ye Hongyi didn''t even kick the door close, so Huo Feng only snapped out of her daze when she started hearing suggestive soundse from the bedroom. She had never imagined that things would turn out this way. The situation had turned outpletely different from what she had been prepared for. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan exhibited no surprise when she heard what Huo Feng said. "So you came to ask this consort to share imperial favor with Consort Shu?" As Yao Mowan looked at Huo Feng, her heart ached slightly. Wang Qinruo had definitely umted several lifetimes of fortune to obtain such a great servant. "Since Your Highness doesn''t care about imperial favor, please just grant my master''s wish. It''s rare that His Majesty didn''t try to kill Master and was even willing to stay in Splendid Veneer Pce. My master has waited over twenty years for this and she has finally obtained what she desired after all these years of effort. Huo Feng begs Your Highness to allow them to be together!" As Huo Feng spoke, she knelt down in front of Yao Mowan. "Do you really think that Ye Hongyi would let your master off?" Yao Mowan slowly got up and reached out to help Huo Feng up. "With things like this, how could Huo Feng not believe?" Back then when she saw her master drink that cup of fruit wine, she had already resolved herself to face an oue of certain death. However, thankfully it had been a false rm. "In reality, His Majesty had only put Yao Suluan under house arrest in Pure Flowers Pce. You can probably guess what this means." Yao Mowan knew that this n wouldn''t cause Yao Suluan''s death and furthermore, she had no intention of letting Yao Suluan die. "His Majesty¡­ He suspects that Xiao Shunzi isn''t the real contact?" Huo Feng looked towards Yao Mowan in realization. "Did you really think that everything would be fine if we just got a random person to use as scapegoat? His Majesty has ced Yao Suluan under house arrest for three days. After three days, if news spread regarding Eldest Sister''s death, then that means Xiao Shunzi isn''t the person His Majesty is looking for." Yao Mowan nodded slightly. "Then what do we do? If His Majesty finds out that Xiao Shunzi is a fake, then he''ll definitely take his anger out on Master! What do I do? Even though His Majesty has finally started to like Master!" Huo Feng looked towards Yao Mowan in panic. The severity of the situation had finally gotten through to her. "Huo Feng, have you be muddled too after following Consort Shu for too long? You should know even better than this consort what His Majesty is like. His Majesty hadn''t spared Consort Shu due to benevolence. He''s waiting. Three dayster, if there really isn''t any news, he''ll make his final decision! If there is no more value in keeping Consort Shu around, do you think he would hold off due to one night of passion?" Yao Mowan shook her head and sighed as she looked towards Huo Feng. She had been Ye Hongyi''s wife for seven years and had even given birth to a son for him, but how had she ended up? "But¡­" Huo Feng looked towards Yao Mowan, bewildered. She really didn''t know what to do. "After three days, if news really starts to spread, it''d be best if you take Consort Shu and leave," said Yao Mowan. "Without His Majesty, Master will lose all interest in living¡­" said Huo Feng, her expression conflicted. This three day wait was difficult for everyone. However, Wang Qinruo was the only who was waiting with both fear and anticipation. Inside Splendid Veneer Pce, Wang Qinruo was sitting in front of the mirror and looking rapaciously at the beautiful face reflected back at her as her lips curved in a slight smile. His Majesty had stayed the night in Splendid Veneer Pce for two nights in a row. The events that she had never dared to hope for had happened. The bitterness was finally over and the sweetness was here. She had finally entered His Majesty''s eyes. "Your Highness, An Bingshan came earlier and said that His Majesty would being a littleter." Wang Qinruo only snapped out of her daydreams when Huo Feng walked over to speak to her. "Then what about dinner? Did His Majesty say that he would be having dinner in Splendid Veneer Pce?" Qinruo lifted her brows as she looked over, her eyes bright. Huo Feng could see that in this moment, her master was truly happy. "No. An Bingshan said that His Majesty would being after having dinner¡­ Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered for Yao Suluan to be ced under house arrest. He''s clearly skeptical of whether or not Xiao Shunzi is really the person we''re trying to find. Your Highness, have you ever considered what would happen if it turned out that Xiao Shunzi wasn''t the right person¡­ His Majesty¡­" Huo Feng looked towards Wang Qinruo worriedly. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 98
Chapter 98: Huo Feng''s Sorrow "Huo Feng, this consort knows that you''re just worrying for this consort, but you''re being overcautious. Why would His Majesty ever harm this consort? You wanted to swap out the wine His Majesty poured for this consortst time, but reality has proven that there''s nothing wrong with the wine at all. This consort is sure that things will be fine even if Xiao Shunzi doesn''t turn out to be the one we''re looking for. If ites to it, this consort can juste up with another n to help His Majesty ferret out that person." Wang Qinruo was slightly angry with Huo Feng and berated her. "This servant has overstepped¡­" Huo Feng had originally wanted to bring up nning an escape, but when she saw how certain her master was in her beliefs, she stopped herself from bringing it up. This night, Wang Qinruo sat by the bed and waited an entire night, but Ye Hongyi never showed up. The next day, Huo Feng knocked on the door, then hurriedly entered. Wang Qinruo was sitting by the bed quietly, her eyes filled with faint fatigue and apprehension. "Your Highness, it''s bad! Someone started spreading rumorsst night that before the empress Yao Moxin died, she had been holding a battered infant that someone had smashed to death! As of now, the entire pce is discussing who exactly had smashed Yao Moxin''s child to death!" Huo Feng walked quickly to Wang Qinruo with a worried expression "Xiao Shunzi really was a fake¡­ No wonder His Majesty didn''te to Splendid Veneer Pce. His Majesty must be angry¡­ This won''t do! This consort muste up with a n to lure that person out! Huo Feng, help this consort out, what do we do next?" Wang Qinruo got up in a fluster and grabbed Huo Feng''s hand with both hands. "Your Highness, after this incident, there''s no way that Yao Suluan would be tricked into contacting that person again¡­ Why don''t we leave? You know as much as Yao Suluan does. As of now, His Majesty is doing all he can to get rid of Yao Suluan. Who knows if tomorrow, he''ll be changing targets and trying to get rid of you?" p! Huo Feng was stunned and her eyes widened as she looked towards her master disbelievingly. "How is this consort the same as Yao Suluan!? His Majesty cares about this consort, he loves this consort! Does Yao Suluan even have the right to possess His Majesty''s favor!?" shouted Wang Qinruo as she glowered at Huo Feng. "Sorry¡­ This servant was wrong¡­" Huo Feng suppressed how wronged she felt and her anxiety as she lowered her eyes. She had been expecting this oue. Her master would never see the truth until she was on the receiving end of His Majesty''s heartlessness. "Withdraw! Don''t bring this up again!" Wang Qinruo dismissed Huo Feng with a wave, then sat back down on the bed in a daze. Hongyi¡­ You wouldn''t treat me that way, you wouldn''t¡­ Inside Pure Flowers Pce, when Yao Suluan saw Ye Hongyi storm in with a dark expression, she knew that she was safe. "Your Maj¡­" Just as Yao Suluan was about to get up, she felt a gust of wind that was soon apanied by arge, harsh p. Blood started dripping from her lips. "You wretch! Who exactly is that person? Where is he!?" Ye Hongyi spat out these words between gritted teeth as he clenched his hands into fists. However, the more frantic Ye Hongyi acted, the more Yao Suluan became assured of her own safety. "Suluan has said before that Your Majesty wouldn''t regret this. See? The oue would''ve been terrible if you had actually killed Suluan!" Yao Suluan wiped the blood from the corner of her lip as she smiled coldly. Even though she had beenpletely isted from the outside world, it wasn''t hard to figure out based on Ye Hongyi''s reaction that some of the information has already been spread. "What''s the way to stop the rumors!?" Ye Hongyi hauled Yao Suluan up to question her, but Yao Suluan just coldly shoved him aside. She walked to the table with an unbridled smug smile. "What are you smiling about?" Ye Hongyi was enraged and his knuckles cracked due to how hard he was clenching his fists. "Suluan is smiling since Your Majesty asked such a dumb question. How could rumors that have already spread be stopped?" Yao Suluan lifted the tea pot. She could finally enjoy tea without worry again. These past three days had been a hell-like wait, but she was finally free from that fearful and hopeful anticipation. Bang! The teacup was smacked to the ground by Ye Hongyi so hard that a fragment of the shattered cup flew up and stabbed into his palm. Scarlet blood started flowing out. "Yao Suluan! You dare to mess with us!?" Ye Hongyi paid no attention to the sharp paining from his palm and stormed to Yao Suluan. His dark eyes were like those of a beast''s as he glowered at Yao Suluan like he wanted to rip her apart. "Your Majesty should trust Suluan when Suluan says that there exists no one in the world who hopes for the rumors to stop more. This is Suluan''sst bargaining chip and Suluan would like to keep it. In addition, the current situation wasn''t Suluan''s doing. Your Majesty should be looking for the person who''s actually behind this. As for the rumors¡­ Suluan guarantees that as soon as Suluan''s freedom to enter and exit the imperial pce is restored, those rumors will stop gaining new content." Yao Suluan inspected her nails as she replied offhandedly. "You!" Ye Hongyi red at Yao Suluan. At this moment, the one thing he regretted the most was allowing Yao Suluan to witness that event. "Your Majesty, take care. This subject wife won''t be seeing you off." Yao Suluan nced over at Ye Hongyi disinterestedly. As of now, there was truly no point for them to pretend to be polite towards each other. The fact that she was alive wasn''t due to Ye Hongyi''s benevolence but her own tenaciousness. Ye Hongyi ground his teeth in frustration, but he couldn''t do anything and could only storm off. "In reality, Your Majesty, rather than trying to get rid of Suluan, why don''t you spend some time thinking about how to keep Consort Shu''s mouth shut? If Consort Shu also learns to make use of this method to control Your Majesty, it''d truly be toote for regret," said Yao Suluan as a cold glint flitted through her narrowed eyes. Ye Hongyi froze at the sound of these words, then a cold light shed through his dark eyes. Yao Suluan noticed Ye Hongyi''s brief pause and her lips curved smugly. Wang Qinruo, not everyone in this imperial pce had enough ability to afford to try and frame this consort¡­ When Ye Hongyi once again appeared in Splendid Veneer Pce, Wang Qinruo hastily went over to greet him. "Your Majesty, it was this subject wife''s reflectance in handing Xiao Shunzi over without careful investigation¡­ However, don''t worry, Your Majesty, this subject wife has alreadye up with a way to deal with Yao Suluan. Just give this subject wife ten days. This subject wife guarantees¡­" Wang Qinruo looked towards Ye Hongyi nervously, but before she could finish her words, she felt a warm moist breath approach her. Ye Hongyi''s light kiss flitted across Wang Qinruo''s lips. "We don''t me you at all. We''ll handle this matter. We can''t bear to have you deal with those headaches anymore. We''ve truly let you down in the past to have had you stay alone in the hunting park for so long. From now on, we''ll definitely make things up to you¡­" Ye Hongyi pulled Wang Qinruo gently into his arms as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. "Your Majesty¡­ You don''t trust Qinruo anymore?" asked Wang Qinruo as Ye Hongyi pulled her to the table. "No, we can''t bear to see you work so hard anymore. From now on, my dear consort, your job is to take good care of your health and give birth to a little prince for us. We hope that our child can be as beautiful as you and emit a natural fragrance." Ye Hongyi gently brushed some of Wang Qinruo''s hair back from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear, then he instructed for An Bingshan to prepare dinner. During this entire time, there was no trace of anger on his face. At the side, Huo Feng was taking all of this in uneasily. This wasn''t the way His Majesty should''ve reacted after this incident. Even if His Majesty didn''t punish her master, at the very least he should be discussing the next step in the n. However, His Majesty hadn''t mentioned this matter at all. This was very unnatural. The tes of delicacies were brought one by one to the rectangr table. During this entire time, Ye Hongyi continued to hug Wang Qinruo with a gentle smile, but his heart was cold with resolve. When An Bingshan personally carried the wine in, Huo Feng quickly moved forward to take the tray from him. "Eunuch An, you''ve worked hard. It''s fine to leave these duties to this servant." As Huo Feng was reaching out, An Bingshan took a step back and reflexively nced towards Ye Hongyi. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 99
Chapter 99: Wake Her Up With Her Own Death "We''ll be fine with Huo Feng attending to us. You can withdraw for now!" Ye Hongyi nodded slightly. Having obtained instructions, An Bingshan allowed Huo Feng to take the tray. As he was turning to leave, Huo Feng used inner strength to suck the wine inside the pot into her sleeve, then she refilled it with the water that was in a pouch hidden inside her sleeve. When Wang Qinruo drank the first cup of fruit wine, she knew that Huo Feng had swapped out the wine. Although she was angry, she didn''t point it out. Fortunately, Ye Hongyi expressed no desire to drink the fruit wine during the course of the entire dinner, otherwise she wouldn''t have known how to exin things. The dinnersted a good while. She thought that Ye Hongyi would stay the night, but Ye Hongyi said that he still had memorials to review and left Splendid Veneer Pce. "Huo Feng! Why did you do that? You heard what he said earlier! His Majesty doesn''t me this consort at all. His Majesty loves this consort and even hopes that this consort can give birth a son for him! Why do you insist on being so cautious? You''re always¡­" The moment Ye Hongyi left the perimeters of the pce, Wang Qinruo turned towards Huo Feng and started berating her angrily. "Your Highness¡­ Pfff!" Before Wang Qinruo had finished her words, Huo Feng felt a metallic taste in her throat and blood abruptly spurted out of her mouth. The ink-like poisoned blood sshed onto the ground. "Huo Feng! How could this be? How could this happen!?" Wang Qinruo was astonished, but she quickly ran to Huo Feng''s side as tears flooded her eyes. "Your Highness¡­" Huo Feng struggled to lift her left sleeve. There was a ck line that stretched from her palm to her arm. "You¡­ You got poisoned? It was His Majesty''s fruit wine? That''s not possible¡­ This is impossible! His Majesty said that he wanted this consort to give birth to a son for him! He clearly said that he would make things up to this consort¡­ How could he have poisoned the wine? How''s that possible!? Huo Feng, you''re lying to this consort, right¡­ Huo Feng¡­" Wang Qinruo cried heartbrokenly as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Your Highness¡­ Please open your eyes and see that man for who he really is¡­ How did the empress treat him? Yet he actually killed his child with his own hands and forced the empress tomit suicide. A man like this¡­ How many truths could possiblye from his mouth? This servant knows that you don''t like to hear these words, but this servant won''t have any more chances in the future¡­ This servant won''t be able to rest in peace if this servant doesn''t wake Your Highness up from this¡­" The ck blood that spilled out of Huo Feng''s lips dyed herpel horrifyingly ck. "But this consort had done so much for him¡­ This consort doesn''t stink anymore! Huo Feng, this consort doesn''t stink anymore! Why¡­ Why did he still do this? Why!?" Wang Qinruo''s tears rolled down as the bitterness and sadness that had umted in her heart over the years flooded out. "Your Highness has already wasted over twenty years on a man who didn''t deserve your sacrifices, that''s long enough¡­ It''s been twenty years, there''s no way you aren''t clear on what kind of person His Majesty is¡­ Your Highness, please wake up! Huo Feng is willing to use her own life to exchange for Your Highness''s future freedom¡­ Pfff!" Huo Feng''s body suddenly started convulsing as mouthfuls of blood poured out from her mouth. "No¡­ Huo Feng! Don''t die! Please, I''m begging you¡­ Don''t leave me alone¡­ This consort can''t bear to part with you¡­ This consort was wrong! This consort was wrong ah!" Wang Qinruo gripped Huo Feng''s convulsing arm tightly as she cried this beseechingly. Tears blurred her vision as they streamed down, but they finally washed her heart clean. "Your Highness¡­ Huo Feng also can''t bear to part with you¡­ But what can be done¡­ Huo Feng''s about to leave¡­ Your Highness¡­" Huo Feng''s tears glided down the sides of her face. Her entire body was convulsing with pain, but she couldn''t bring herself to close her eyes. She didn''t want to let go of Wang Qinruo''s hand. "This consort was blind! This consort had been possessed! Huo Feng, this consort realizes her mistakes now! This consort knows that even if this consort digs out her heart to offer it to him, he still wouldn''t even bother to nce at this consort! This consort knows everything, Huo Feng! So¡­ So please don''t leave! Stay with me! Please¡­ As long as you live, this consort will leave this ce with you and will nevere back, alright?" Wang Qinruo finally admitted the reality that she had never wanted to face. She hugged Huo Feng tightly as her heart pulsed with pain. What she had always been chasing after was the unreachable image of the moon reflected in theke. She had never spent time thinking about Huo Feng, but now that she wanted to give Huo Feng all her love, it was already toote. "Yes¡­ Huo Feng really wants to leave this ce with you, Your Highness. Your Highness will only be happy once you leave this ce. Your Highness will only be free then¡­" Huo Feng''s hot tears dropped onto Wang Qinruo''s palm. The heat seemed to scorch every inch of Wang Qinruo''s skin, causing her unbearable pain. Right at this moment, there came the sound of rapid footsteps and there was even the faint sound of armor. "Oh no¡­ It''s definitely the people His Majesty sent! Your Highness¡­ Hurry and hide¡­ Remember, go look for Noble Consort Yao. She''s the only one that can help you leave¡­" The smile on Huo Feng''s stiffened and she looked towards Wang Qinruo worriedly for thest time. "No! This consort won''t leave you! Huo Feng!" Wang Qinruo sobbed as she hugged Huo Feng. She couldn''t bear to let go. She was afraid that the moment she let go, she would lose the best sister in the world! "Your Highness¡­ Let it go and be free¡­" Huo Feng''s hand fell weakly and her eyes which were filled with hope gradually dulled until her gaze was hollow and empty. "Huo Feng¡­ This consort won''t let your death be in vain¡­" Wang Qinruo felt cold like never before as she hugged Huo Feng. Her tears fell onto Huo Feng''s now empty eyes. In this instant, Huo Feng seemed to sense Wang Qinruo''s resolution, because her eyes slowly closed. The doors of Splendid Veneer Pce were abruptly pushed open. When Qing Long walked into the main hall, he was shocked by the sight of Huo Feng lying on the ground lifelessly. "Search!" Qing Long soon got over his shock and gave this sternmand. Following that, guards rushed into the room. However, even after searching through the entirety of Splendid Veneer Pce, they weren''t able to find any trace of Wang Qinruo. After hearing the guards'' report, Qing Long''s expression turned cold. He knew that things were bad, so he immediately headed towards the imperial study. By the time Yin Xue brought Wang Qinruo to Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan had already been waiting for quite a long time. "Eat this." Yao Mowan''s heart ached faintly when she saw Wang Qinruo''s lost look. Wang Qinruo didn''t hesitate. She strode forward to grab the half a pill on the table and swallowed it. "You knew that this would be the oue from the start? Then why didn''t you save Huo Feng? Why!?" cried Wang Qinruo. She couldn''t hold back her tears and they overflowed again. "Because Huo Feng wanted to use her own death to prove to you how heartless Ye Hongyi was." The moment Yin Xue appeared in front of her with Wang Qinruo, she knew that Huo Feng had died. She truly appreciated this pce maid, so she was sincerely saddened by Huo Feng''s death. "What did you say?" asked Wang Qinruo as she choked back her sobs. "This consort warned Huo Feng early on that if anything happens three dayster, she should immediately take you and leave. With Huo Feng''s martial arts, she could easily knock you unconscious and escape from the imperial pce with you. That way both of you could survive, but¡­ Perhaps this consort understands her decision. If she didn''t prove to you that the wine was poisoned, you''d never be able to get past this in this lifetime!" Yao Mowan had been looking at Wang Qinruo usatorily, but near the end, her tone became tinged with a hint of sorrow and self-ridicule. If she hadn''t died once, how would she have realized that she had always been worshipping a heartless bastard? That was why, she really didn''t have the right to mock Wang Qinruo. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 2 100
Chapter 100: Leave Together With Her "That fool¡­ Huo Feng, you fool!" Wang Qinruo copsed to the ground and pounded on the floor as tears spilled down her cheeks. "She''s not a fool. It was her loyalty. Ask yourself honestly, if you hadn''t seen this with your own eyes, would you reallye to believe that Ye Hongyi''s this heartless? What this consort gave you just now was the other half of the inspissated fragrance pill. After taking it, your body won''t emit a faint fragrance anymore. This consort did this so that it wouldn''t be as easy for Ye Hongyi to find you. You won''t me this consort, right?" Yao Mowan slowly walked to Wang Qinruo and helped her to a seat. Her eyes were also glimmering slightly with tears. "This consort had been blind, this consort has truly been blind¡­" cried Wang Qinruo in despair as she threw herself into Yao Mowan''s arms. What exactly had she been doing thesest twenty years? "You''re not the only one who''s been blind¡­" Yao Mowan patted Wang Qinruo''s back gently as a tear silently slid down her face. Wang Qinruo cried until she had no more energy, then Yao Mowan finally let her go. "What do you n to do now?" Yao Mowan personally poured a cup of warm tea for Wang Qinruo and had her hold it. Since her very heart had been frozen, at least this would warm her hands. "This consort doesn''t want to leave just like this! Huo Feng had died in this consort''s ce, and the criminal was Ye Hongyi! This consort must make him pay for it!" Wang Qinruo''s hand trembled uncontrobly as she held the cup. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and rage. "It''s clear that Ye Hongyi intends to kill you to silence you. It couldn''t be that you think you can still show yourself, right?" Yao Mowan slowly sat back down in her seat as she gave this reminder calmly. "This consort will reveal Ye Hongyi''s malicious doings to the entire world! I''ll expose how he had heartlessly killed his own son and drove the empress tomit suicide!" cried Wang Qinruo indignantly. Then she abruptly looked towards Yao Mowan. "You¡­ You already knew about all of this?" Wang Qinruo took in Yao Mowan''s face which contained no trace of surprise. "That''s right. This consort had happened to hear the exchange between Yao Suluan and Ye Hongyi. Eldest Sister died truly tragically and this consort''s nephew hadn''t even been a day old¡­" Yao Mowan''s voice was a little hoarse and her eyes became misty. "So the reason why you''ve acted like a fool this entire time was for the sake of revenge?" Wang Qinruo wiped her tears and looked towards Yao Mowan. "If this consort doesn''t get revenge for this, this consort doesn''t deserve to be called human." Yao Mowan smiled, but that sight emitted an intense chill. "This consort understands¡­" Wang Qinruo reflexively nodded. It was no wonder that so many unbelievable things had happened since Yao Mowan entered the pce. Consort Xian Yu Funing disappeared, Consort De Xie Siyin hung herself, and Consort Chen Huan Caier rejected the offer to be empress. What exactly did it take to make such events ur? And how could she, one of the four noble consorts, ever escape Yao Mowan''s eyes? Perhaps, from the very start, the person setting up the chessboard hadn''t been her. "Consort Shu, you can go expose this consort and may even gain an achievement great enough to excuse your crime," said Yao Mowan softly, her gaze as still as the water of an ancient well. "This consort swears that if this consort ever harbors any fantasies about Ye Hongyi gain, this consort is willing to be cursed with never having any descendants!" Wang Qinruo made this vow without hesitation, her eyes filled with loathing. if it weren''t for the extreme pain, there was no way she could''ve woken up. Only those who''ve gone through the same experience would be able to understand. "Ye Hongyi is utterly devoid of conscience so he''ll naturally face retribution. This consort would advise Consort Shu to leave this dangerous area." Yao Mowan restrained the sorrow in her eyes as she said this solemnly. "Noble Consort Yao doesn''t wish for this consort to spread this information?" Wang Qinruo''s brows furrowed as she asked this. "This isn''t the right time yet." Yao Mowan nodded slowly. Ye Junqing''s influence hasn''t grown to the point that it could contend against Ye Hongyi''s. If he was allowed to find out the truth too early, then all her past efforts in keeping this secret from Ye Junqing would''ve been meaningless. "Alright! This consort will listen to your arrangements, but help me get Huo Feng''s corpse out. This consort wants to leave with Huo Feng." When Wang Qinruo recalled the anticipation in Huo Feng''s eyes right before she died, her tears overflowed again. How could she bear to leave Huo Feng in a cold ce like this? "Even if Consort Shu hadn''t mentioned it, this consort had no ns to leave Huo Feng to Ye Hongyi. Yin Xue, I''ll leave this to you." Yao Mowan looked towards Yin Xue and nodded slightly. Yin Xue understood and immediately disappeared from Guan Osprey Pce. "Many thanks for your great grace, Noble Consort Yao. Qinruo will never forget this. If there''s a chance in the future, Qinruo will definitely repay you!" Wang Qinruo looked towards Yao Mowan as she said this resolutely. "Actually, there''s something this consort wants to ask of you." Yao Mowan turned towards Wang Qinruo solemnly with faint hope in her eyes. "I really don''t know what a fallen consort could possibly help you out with," said Wang Qinruo with a sigh. "This consort hopes that Consort Shu will meet with Ye Junqing. There are some things that he won''t believe if ites from this consort''s mouth." Yao Mowan sighed softly. Ever since the rumors started spreading, Ye Junqing had been rushing around without rest to find out what exactly had happened to her. He was showing such disregard for his own health and his own life. "Ye Junqing¡­ Qinruo has already reminded Ye Hongyi that he needed to eliminate the roots of the problem. It seems that Qinruo''s predictions were not baseless. With Noble Consort Yao''s help, the day that great Chu changes hands is imminent." Wang Qinruo didn''t know how to describe her current feelings. Over the course of a few days, the world had gone through such a huge change. "May Consort Shu''s auspicious wordse true." Yao Mowan smiled lightly, but her endless resolve showed through. The imperial study. "What did you say? The one that died was Huo Feng? Then what about Consort Shu?" demanded Ye Hongyi furiously. "Replying Your Majesty, when this subordinate arrived, Huo Feng was the only one present. She had died from the poison and was lying on the ground. This subordinate has sent people to search the surroundings, but¡­" Qing Long lowered his head as he gave this report. "We don''t want to hear any of that! We don''t care what method you use, make sure to find Wang Qinruo! Her body gives off a fragrance, so search ording to the fragrance! Pass down our decree that Consort Shu has attempted to assassinate us and is now on the run. Anyone who sees her should kill her on sight!" bellowed Ye Hongyi angrily. "This subordinate understands!" Qing Long cupped his fists to acknowledge this order, then withdrew. The moment the doors closed, Ye Hongyi copsed onto his dragon chair, his eyes filled with shock and fear! He had clearly seen Wang Qinruo drink the fruit wine, so why was Huo Feng the one that died? Could it be¡­ Huo Feng had definitely done something to the wine as she was bringing it over! How dare she!? What should he do now? What was he supposed to do if Wang Qinruo spread what she knew? Ye Hongyi''s lips trembled uncontrobly as his heart pounded uneasily. "Why did things end up like this? Yao Moxin, was it you? Are you trying to take revenge on us? Thene! Do what you will! We dared to kill you while you were human, so we don''t fear you when you''re a ghost either! Come, we dare you!" Ye Hongyi abruptly got up and swept everything off the table. Evening the next day, once Ye Junqing came to the abandoned residence east of the city as directed in the letter, he was taken aback by the sight of Wang Qinruo. "Consort Shu?" Ye Junqing looked towards the woman sitting by the bed in surprise. She was dressedpletely in white and her hair was adorned by a simple white silk flower. Her eyes were swollen and red, and she looked haggard like she hadn''t slept at all. "Esteemed Prince, please sit." Wang Qinruo gently tucked in the nket a little before shifting her gaze away from Huo Feng. "Everyone in the pce is saying that Consort Shu has attempted to assassinate the emperor and His Majesty has also given themand to have you killed on sight. May I ask how much of these rumors are true?" Ye Junqing had realized with one nce that the person on the bed was dead, so he already had a pretty good guess about things. "Prince is probably even more clear on this than Qinruo. In that imperial pce, how many people can truly separate lies from the truth? The empress''s death is a good example. Everyone in the world believes it to be due to difficult birth, but was it really due to that?" Wang Qinruo chuckled bitterly as she indicated for Ye Junqing to sit once again, then she poured a cup of water and pushed it towards him. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 1
Chapter 1: A Lie Filled with Half-truths "Do you know how the empress died? Are those rumors true?" When Ye Junqing heard that this was rted to Yao Moxin''s death, he abruptly stood up and looked toward Wang Qinruo nervously. His hands subconsciously tightened into fists. He had been investigating this entire time thesest couple days, but the only information he was able to obtain were those medical records. "Not all rumors are baseless." Wang Qinruo poured herself a cup of water. It was clearly tasteless, but for her, it tasted bitter. "Junqing asks that Consort Shu reveals the truth!" Ye Junqing took a step forward and looked beseechingly towards Wang Qinruo. "Qinruo can tell Esteemed Prince what she knows, but Esteemed Prince must promise to help Qinruo and Huo Feng out of the city safely." Based on what Yao Mowan said, Ye Junqing wouldn''t believe her words if she didn''t add on conditions. "This prince will guarantee your safety with his life!" Ye Junqing immediately made this solemn oath as his eyes shone with hope. "As those rumors say, the empress hadn''t died of difficult childbirth. She had been murdered." Wang Qinruo''s expression was solemn as she slowly said these words. Ye Junqing''s heart clenched in pain. It felt like someone threw his heart into an intense fire; that scorching pain spread through his body until every inch of him seemed to convulse from that intense sadness, hatred, and regret. "Who was it? Why did they target her?" The hoarse voice was dangerously low. Ye Junqing''s ck eyes were like two dark whirlpools that wanted to engulf everything. "Yao Suluan. The reason is simple. She wasn''t willing to settle for her position. She wanted to be empress, so she got rid of Yao Moxin in order to take her ce," answered Wang Qinruo calmly. "It was her¡­ Moxin was the empress! And His Majesty loved her so much, so how could Yao Suluan ever have enough power to murder Moxin? And how did Moxin''s child die? Tell me!?" Ye Junqing''s sorrowful rage overflowed and his knuckles cracked from how hard he was clenching his fists. "Qinruo doesn''t know too much about it, but Yao Suluan had probably stolen the empress''s newborn child to use it to lure her to the cold pce and force her to sign the confession statement. Afterwards¡­ Afterwards Yao Suluan must have hurled that child down, killing him. The empress must have felt that she had let down her own child, so she picked up the child and hugged him as shemitted suicide¡­" Although she hadn''t witnessed that scene with her own eyes, she could imagine how terrible that blood-filled tragedy must''ve been. "How could this be¡­ How could Moxin die so tragically? Then what about His Majesty? Why didn''t His Majesty get revenge for Moxin? Why is he tolerating Yao Suluan!?" Ye Junqing''s eyes were bloodshot and his lips were pressed into a tight line as he shouted this angrily. "All His Majesty saw was that confession and the scene Yao Suluan had created. You shouldn''t forget, the empress hadmitted suicide! If it wasn''t due to intense guilt, why would the empressmit suicide? This is probably what most people would think," replied Wang Qinruo. "How could Moxin havemitted suicide¡­ How!?" Ye Junqing mmed his fist on the table, his eyes filled with unconceble sadness and heartache. Wang Qinruo never knew that the former god of the battlefield, the valiant esteemed prince, was also capable of shedding tears. As she watched those tears fall, she suddenly felt a bit envious of Yao Moxin. Although she had died tragically, there existed in this world a man that cared so deeply for her. Inparison, she was the one who truly had a sad life. "The mother and child are inherently linked. The empress had to see her newborn child who hadn''t even gotten to live a day smashed alive in front of her, so it''s not strange that she would do something this drastic," said Wang Qinruo as she looked down. There was no greater sorrow than a withered heart. For a woman to see their own flesh and blood being smashed to death by the father, forget Yao Moxin, there was probably no one who''d still have the courage to live after that. She could understand Yao Moxin''s choice. Meanwhile, she herself had clearly known how heartless and ruthless Ye Hongyi was, but she still didn''t even have a trace of caution. She had truly been possessed. "Moxin¡­ Moxin¡­" Ye Junqing''s eyes overflowed with tears and his trembling lips repeatedly formed Yao Moxin''s name. It felt like a sharp de had been stabbed into his heart and was now twisting to mangle everything. "The empress must have died without any regrets knowing that she had a good friend like Esteemed Prince." As Wang Qinruo took in Ye Junqing''s pained expression, tears also silently streamed down her face. Who said that men didn''t cry easily? Those men had simply never been hurt to the core. "This prince won''t let her death go unavenged! Yao Suluan! This prince will definitely make you pay in blood!" The intense pain spread through his body like the raging mes of hell. Every single drop of blood in his body seemed to be boiling. As Wang Qinruo watched Ye Junqing storm off, she couldn''t help but sigh. "He''ll get into trouble in this state," sighed Wang Qinruo. Suddenly, a figurended in front of her. "Master naturally has ways to handle it. The carriage and luggage are prepared. Master instructed Liu Sha to make sure Consort Shu reaches Mangyuan safely. That ce isn''t territory of great Chu, so it''ll be rtively safe for you, Consort Shu," said Liu Sha respectfully. "Noble Consort Yao is truly considerate. Assist this consort in helping Huo Feng into the carriage¡­" The wheels creaked as they rolled forward. Inside the carriage, Wang Qinruo gently stroked Huo Feng''s forehead as tears glided down her cheeks. "Huo Feng, this consort will definitely carry out what this consort has promised you. We''re leaving the imperial pce now. The people and events there no longer has anything to do with this consort. From now on, this consort will go back to being herself like you wished. Huo Feng¡­ This consort wishes so much that you could see all of this. Sorry¡­ Sorry¡­" Wang Qinruo slowly pulled Huo Feng''s into her arms while weeping softly. Inside Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was sitting straight up on the chair, her eyespletely cold. It felt like someone was squeezing her heart, causing it to pulse with pain. Right at this moment, Ye Junqing suddenly appeared in front of her while emitting an intense murderous aura. "Yao Suluan! Why did you cause Moxin''s death!? She''s your older sister, so why!?" Ye Junqing red that Yao Suluan, his eyes filled with bloodthirst. He felt like there was a de in his throat that ripped open new wounds every time he swallowed and beneath the sharp pain was extreme rage. "Older sister? She''s just a bastard born of a mistress! What right did she have to be this consort''s older sister!? What right did she have to be empress!? That position belonged to this consort! But she actually upied it for such a long time!" Yao Suluan abruptly got up, her gloomy eyes flickering with cold light. "You''re admitting to it? You admit to stealing Moxin''s child and personally killing him!?" Ye Junqing''sst straw snapped and the enormous grief and rage that flooded his heart seemed to transform him into apletely different person. "Yes, I was the one that took the child, I was the one that forced her to sign the confession! I was also the one that personally smashed that child onto the ground until he was just mangled flesh¡­ Ugh¡­" As Yao Suluan was snarling this, her throat was suddenly seized. The sensation of suffocation came so suddenly, she didn''t even have a chance to get ready before she was suspended in the air. "Give my Moxin back to me! You deserve to die! Yao Suluan, you really deserve to die! Ah!" Ye Junqing''s eyes were bloodshot. This was the first time he had ever got violent towards a woman, and it was his first time wanting someone to disappear from this world so much. His eyes were cold as ice as he clutched Yao Suluan''s neck. Just as Ye Junqing was about to increase his force, a ck figure shed past and in the blink of an eye, Yao Suluan had already fallen to the ground and was coughing hard as she gasped for air. Yin Xue stood in front of her calmly. "Get out of the way!" Ye Junqing was like a crazed lion. He charged towards Yao Suluan, but Yin Xue blocked his way. "Master doesn''t wish for Yao Suluan to die, so Prince, please calm down." Yin Xue was expressionless as she said this firmly. "Do you know what she''s done!? She killed her own nephew and made her own older sistermit suicide! If she doesn''t die, it''s unjust to the entire world! How will Moxin be able to rest in peace!?" bellowed Ye Junqing as he pointed at Yao Suluan, his eyes bloodshot with anger. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 2
Chapter 2: She Can''t Die Yet "Pei! A bastard like that doesn''t have the right to be this consort''s older sister and the child she gave birth to is also a bastard! Ye Junqing, go ahead! Kill this consort! If you kill this consort, the entire world will see the confession that Yao Moxin siged and at that time, everyone will know about your affair with Yao Moxin!" "Everyone will know that Yao Moxin wasn''t fit to be empress! She had an affair and even had a bastard child with you! She deserved to die! She''s just a slut!" shouted Yao Suluan with a wide, almost deranged grin. However, hidden behind that wildughter was bone-chilling cold. "Yao Suluan!" Ye Junqing was so angry that his anger attacked his heart. He felt something hot and metallic flood his throat, then he abruptly coughed out a mouthful of blood. "Prince!" Yin Xue hadn''t expected for Ye Junqing to be this enraged and immediately moved to seal his meridians so that he would fall unconscious. She nced over coldly at Yao Suluan, then disappeared from Pure Flowers Pce with Ye Junqing. "You sure didn''t hold back with the insults. Was it refreshing?" A clear voice that contained a cold tone appeared. Yao Mowan slowly walked out from the bedroom, her eyes flickering with dim light. "How did you figure out that it was the hunchback? How did you find out!?" The instant Yao Suluan saw Yao Mowan, she clenched her fists and hit the ground hard. If it weren''t for Yao Mowan ckmailing her, why would she admit to Ye Junqing what she did and take the me for everything? "Wang Qinruo is very intelligent. That move to lure the snake out of its nest was effective. It was just a pity that she didn''t get the timing right and ended up getting Xiao Shunzi instead. Of course, this consort was the one that arranged for Xiao Shunzi to be there. This consort just wanted to scare Second Older Sister a little." Yao Mowan walked gracefully over to stop in front of Yao Suluan. Her lips curved in a cold arc like that of the most fearsome demon in hell. "This consort had been extremely careful. There was no way you could''ve detected anything!" Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan disbelievingly. The moment the rumors started spreading, she had touched base with her secret contact to confirm where the rumors wereing from. Yao Suluan thought that she had done everything wlessly, but unexpectedly, Yao Mowan had still been able to catch her tracks. "How hard could it be to guess that it was that hunchback? You must stay in the pce, so if you want to be able to freely control the flow of the rumors, even if that person wasn''t someone of the pce, that person would definitely need to be able to enter and leave the pce freely. The pce maids and eunuchs in the pce have always had loose lips and you''ve offended An Bingshan before, so for safety''s sake, there was no way you would''ve used a pce maid or eunuch as your contact. Guards and concubines were even more unlikely, and aside from those people, there are only a few that can enter and exit the pce everyday. "There was no way it was the government merchants that checked the ounts each month since businessmen are unreliable, so that leaves only Zhu Laosan who''s in charge of the imperial pce''s waste disposal, the one known as Hunchback Zhu," said Yao Mowan coldly. She really had to thank Wang Qinruo for this because it really would''ve been difficult for her to ferret out Hunchback Zhu on her own. Now that she had this piece of information in her grasp, Yao Suluan was like a puppet in her hands. She could freely manipte Yao Suluan now. The best proof of this was how Yao Suluan had admitted to everything in front of Ye Junqing just now. "Yao Mowan¡­ You demon! You¡­" Yao Suluan wanted to continue insulting Yao Mowan, but Yao Mowan grabbed her jaw and forced it up so that Yao Suluan had to meet her eyes. "That''s right! This consort is a demon! A demon that exists for the purpose of getting revenge for Eldest Sister! Yao Suluan, listen up. It doesn''t matter how much you curse this consort in your heart, but make sure that this consort doesn''t hear it, otherwise this consort has the ability to make you live while wishing you were dead!" Yao Mowan''s ice-cold pupils were like cial ice as she flung Yao Suluan''s chin away. "Why?" Yao Suluan was thrown to the ground, but her re continued to be fixed on Yao Mowan. Upon hearing this, Yao Mowan nced down at her coldly. "Why won''t you let Ye Junqing find out about this truth? Why won''t you tell him that the person who cornered Yao Moxin and caused her death was His Majesty!? It was His Majesty that forced Yao Moxin to sign the confession and also His Majesty that smashed that child to death! Yao Mowan, what exactly are you trying to do?" Yao Suluan looked towards Yao Mowan with a coldugh as shrewd light flickered in her eyes. "All you need to know is that from now on, if this consort tells you to head east, you can''t head west. If this consort has you crawl, you''re not allowed to get up. There''s no need for Second Older Sister to waste effort worrying about anything else." Yao Mowan nced at Yao Suluan with disdain but just as she was about to leave, Yao Suluan startedughing madly. "Hahaha¡­ Yao Mowan, do you think this consort wouldn''t be able to read your intentions? You''re worried that Ye Junqing will try to get revenge on Ye Hongyi after finding out about the truth! You''re protecting Ye Junqing! You say that you only hate this consort, but you actually hate Ye Hongyi even more! Everything you''re doing is to pave the path for Ye Junqing. There will be a day in which you''ll have Ye Junqing take Ye Hongyi''s throne! "Haha¡­ It''s just a shame this consort realized toote, otherwise there was no way this consort would''ve lost so badly!" Yao Suluan hammered at the ground as tears filled her eyes. She understood that this time, she was truly defeated, but she still couldn''t ept it! "If Second Older Sister is obedient and follows instructions properly, this consort might leave Second Older Sister alive so that Second Older Sister can personally witness as everything said just now bes reality." Yao Mowan''s dark gaze swept over Yao Suluan, then she left indifferently. Ye Hongyi had already locked himself inside the imperial study for two entire days. At this moment, Qing Long was pushing open the doors to enter. "How is it? Is there any news of Wang Qinruo?" Ye Hongyi abruptly looked up, his eyes bloodshot. His heart was filled with unease. "Replying Your Majesty, this subordinate is ipetent. We''ve searched through the entire city, but we haven''t been able to find any traces of Consort Shu." Qing Long kneeled on one knee as he said this with an ashamed expression. "How are you guys unable to find a simple woman!? What do we even keep you guys for!? During the most crucial times, you guys are all useless! Continue searching! We don''t care what methods you use, but if she''s alive we want to see her, if she''s dead we want to see her corpse!" shouted Ye Hongyi as he indignantly got to his feet. Qing Long didn''t dare to show any negligence and immediately withdrew from the imperial study. Once Qing Long left, due tock of strength, Ye Hongyi copsed back onto the dragon chair heavily. This won''t do, he couldn''t sit and wait for death like this! If those events were exposed, the biggest threat would be Ye Junqing. Although Wang Qinruo was repulsive, she did say one thing that was very correct, which was that problems had to be gotten rid of from the root. He couldn''t allow Ye Junqing to continue living in this world! But how was he supposed to get rid of Ye Junqing? He needed to think, he needed to think about it carefully¡­ In the east wing of Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Junqing had been unconscious for an unknown amount of time. However, the instant he opened his eyes, there was only one thought on his mind, which was that he had to kill Yao Suluan! "Ugh¡­" Just as Ye Junqing was trying to get up, he found that his entire body felt weak. He didn''t even have the strength to prop his body up with his hand. "Don''t waste your energy. You''re under the effect of tendons softening powder so you won''t be able to get up for the time being." Yao Mowan calmly walked over to Ye Junqing as she said this. "Tendons softening powder? Was it you? Why?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan angrily as he continued to try and get up. "Yao Suluan can''t die." Yao Mowan got straight to the point and said this sternly. "Do you know what she''s done? She killed Moxin''s child and forced Moxin tomit suicide! She can''t die? She deserves to be killed with the death of a thousand cuts!" shouted Ye Junqing, his eyes filled with cold murderous intention. "She possesses the confession that Eldest Sister had signed. If she dies, that confession will be shown to the entire world and the empress that the citizens of great Chu respects the most will instantly be a slut that the whole world condemns. Is this the oue that Prince wishes to see?" Yao Mowan frowned as she walked towards the bed. "She was forced to sign that by Yao Suluan!" refuted Ye Junqing. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 3
Chapter 3: Wouldn''t Satisfy This Feeling of Hatred "And who knows about this?" asked Yao Mowan sternly. "This prince and you!" Ye Junqing''s brows were tightly furrowed as suppressed waves of anger surged in his eyes. "Prince is one of the people involved and this consort is Eldest Sister''s biological younger sister who''s also known as a fool! Who would believe our words? In the eyes of the world, trying to exin is just trying to cover things up. Some stains only spread the more you try to wipe them. Eldest Sister has already died a tragic death. Could it be that you want Eldest Sister to be insulted by everyone even after her death!?" demanded Yao Mowan sharply. Every single one of her words stabbed Ye Junqing''s heart like nails. "That what do I do? Could it be that we should allow Yao Suluan to continue getting away with that crime? This prince can''t do that!" shouted Ye Junqing angrily. "Continue getting away with that crime? But howe this consort feels like the current Yao Suluan''s life is worse than death?" Yao Mowan''s lips pressed together lightly as a faint smile appeared in her eyes. "What do you mean?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "Prince, think about it. How could a highly respected imperial noble consort ever fall to a state this pitiful?" said Yao Mowan slowly as her lips curved upwards. "It¡­ It was you?" Ye Junqing''s brows furrowed. "When Mowan found out that His Majesty was apprehensive of Huan Heng''s power, Mowan knew that His Majesty would use Huan Caier to attack Huan Heng. As long as Huan Caier did something improper in the inner pce, Huan Heng would definitely give up his military power to protect his daughter." "At that time, the one person who had the ability to deal Huan Caier a fatal blow was Yao Suluan, so Mowan found a random swindler called Bai Mei to trick Yao Suluan into believing that the child in her belly was Eldest Sister''s reincarnation. Her crimes weighed heavily on her conscience and that inbination with her strong greed made her propose to Ye Hongyi the n of sacrificing the child in her belly to frame Huan Caier." "In the end, even though Yao Suluan got rid of her child, Huan Heng found saffron in Pure Flowers Pce. Yao Suluan was caught red-handed, so she lost her title was imperial noble consort and was demoted two ranks to the rank of consort," said Yao Mowan lightly. "You were the one that ced the saffron there?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in sudden realization. "This act also counts as this consort getting revenge for her little nephew. This consort was also the one that arranged for Yao Tu to jump into theke to ruin Yao Suluan''s rtionship with Father. All the events that urred in the inner pce afterwards were very much rted. Without Father''s support, Yao Suluan had no power to do anything. "It was precisely because of this that she took the risk of scheming revolt with Luminescent Prince Ye Zixiao. Although Father was the only openly implicated by this incident, Yao Suluan is Father''s daughter. After this event, she has definitely lost all imperial favor." The curve of Yao Mowan''s lips deepened. These were probably two of the most insignificant out of all her schemes. The only reason she told Ye Junqing about them was because she wanted him to understand that she had always been working hard to get revenge for Eldest Sister. "You knew from the start that Yao Suluan was the one that caused Moxin''s death?" After hearing what Yao Mowan said, the indignance in Ye Junqing''s heart finally started to calm down. In this moment, he finally understood why Yao Mowan had targeted Yao Suluan so much ever since entering the pce. "What else could it be? Did you really think Mowan cared about imperial favor?" Yao Mowan pressed her lips together in contempt. "How did you find out? Why didn''t you tell this prince?" Ye Junqing frowned in annoyance. "Mowan had heard from Dou Xiann. As for not telling Prince, naturally it was because Mowan was worried that Prince would act rashly like today and try to kill Yao Suluan with one sh of the de. That ending really wouldn''t satisfy this feeling of hatred at all." Yao Mowan inwardly sighed in relief as she got up and poured a cup of water to pass it to Ye Junqing. "That''s right! Someone that hasmitted such an outrageous crime really shouldn''t die so easily! It''s just that¡­ You couldn''t be nning to let her off just like this, right?" Ye Junqing felt like his mouth was dry so he gulped down the water Yao Mowan passed him. "Of course not. It''s just that, before Mowanes up with a better way to mess with Yao Suluan, Prince, could you not interfere in this matter?" Yao Mowan took the empty cup Ye Junqing passed her as she asked this with lifted brows. "Alright! You''re Moxin''s biological younger sister after all, so it''s only right that you handle this revenge! This prince will wait to see Yao Suluan get her retribution!" Ye Junqing nodded hard, then sat down. "Don''t worry, Prince, Mowan will definitely put in full effort to make sure you''re satisfied." Yao Mowan smiled. She finally managed to make Ye Junqing give up on looking further into this for the time being. However, after this incident, Ye Hongyi would definitely be making a move, so she had to be prepared and act carefully. Ye Hongyi had be very depressed and moody ever since Wang Qinruo left and the number of times he visited Guan Osprey Pce decreased significantly. Yao Mowan was enjoying the peace. She finally didn''t have to act as much anymore and was free to do as she pleased. However, the calm onlysted a few days before ripples started urring again. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was sitting on the swing and swaying lightly. As the autumn breeze swept up her ink-like hair, a few leaves asionally drifted onto her shoulders, adding a degree of natural grace to that beautiful face. "Your Highness, Huan Heng wishes to meet with you. He says that it''s something extremely urgent." Yin Xuended silently by Yao Mowan''s side, her movements even lighter than that of the leaves. "Something extremely urgent¡­ Go arrange it. Midnight, Yui Inn, Sky, first room," instructed Yao Mowan quietly as ripples stirred in her heart. That night, the curved moon hung in the sky like a pulled bow as the surrounding stars emitted faint light. The entire Eternal Peace Street had an atmosphere of indescribable deste. The quiet rustling caused by the chilly breeze only added to that atmosphere. Yao Mowan was dressed in simple white as always and wearing a ck veil. She had already been waiting by the table a long time when Huan Heng finally appeared in front of her with a worried expression. "Wonder what it was that made Old General Huan request so urgently to see Jing Xin?" Yao Mowan could see the clear anxiety in Huan Heng''s eyes. "If this old man didn''t remember wrong, Lady has once said that if this old man is willing to follow Lady loyally, Lady will guarantee that this old man''s family will be safe this entire lifetime?" Huan Heng looked towards Yao Mowan solemnly as he asked this. "Jing Xin has indeed said that before. Could it be that Old General Huan has encountered trouble?" Inwardly, Yao Mowan was already starting to wonder about the situation. The imperial court was currently calm and there were no wars right now, so Huan Heng should currently be safe. "It''s not this old man, it''s this old man''s daughter! Caier recently sent this old man a secret message saying that His Majesty wants to send her and the esteemed prince as ambassadors to Lon! Lady, you''re not an ordinary person so you can definitely guess His Majesty''s intentions in doing this!" said Huan Heng with a conflicted and worried expression. "His Majesty wants Consort Chen to head out of the capital with the esteemed prince?" Yao Mowan''s brows furrowed. Inwardly, she was rmed. It seemed like her guess was on the mark. Ye Hongyi was preparing to make a move. "If it weren''t a crucial matter, this old man wouldn''t have dared to bother you with this!" Huan Heng looked towards Yao Mowan beseechingly. "Old General Huan''s meaning is that His Majesty wants to use Consort Chen''s life as a pretext to get rid of Esteemed Prince? In this expedition to Lon, if Consort Chen is not able to return, then it means that Ye Junqing had failed in his duty to protect her and could be punished with the death penalty, correct?" Yao Mowan hadn''t expected for Ye Hongyi to actually hide this news so well. She hadn''t heard anything about this at all. "Aside from this, this old man can''t think of any better exnation. It''s currently troubled times. Of the four noble consorts, some have died and some have vanished, and now it seems to be the turn of this old man''s daughter!" sighed Huan Heng, his face filled with worry. "This is pretty easy to handle. Have Her Highness Consort Chen feign illness in order to get pass this." Yao Mowan''s eyes whirled as an idea urred to her. "That''s easier said than done. It''s not like the imperial physicians are only in the pce to freeload! If His Majesty finds out, Caier won''t be able to escape the crime of deceiving the monarch. At that time, her fate will be death all the same!" Huan Heng voiced his disagreement. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 4
Chapter 4: Can''t Get Fat With Only One Mouthful "Aren''t the imperial physicians precisely in the pce to freeload? Old General, don''t worry and just leave this to Jing Xin. Jing Xin guarantees that your darling daughter will be able to stay in the pce safely." Yao Mowan lips hooked in a slight curve. Since she now knew what Ye Hongyi intended, she naturally had ways to deal with it. "Lady, can this old man trust your words?" Huan Heng looked towards Yao Mowan seriously. He still couldn''t help but worry. "Since Jing Xin has said it, Jing Xin will definitely do it." The firm and convicted sound of her voice made Huan Heng''s nervous heart finally calm down. Yao Mowan knew that this matter couldn''t be dyed, so the moment she got back to Guan Osprey Pce, she had Yin Xue visit Moon Crossing Pavilion. At breakfast the next day, Yao Mowan looked at Ye Junqing who was sitting next to her and slowly started to speak. "I hear that Prince is about to head to Lon as an ambassador?" Yao Mowan''s gaze moved away from Ye Junqing as she reached out with her chopsticks for some food. "How did you find out?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in shock. "Then it must be true. It''s so sad. Mowan views Prince as a friend so with everything, Mowan does not hide anything she knows and does not stop until she has said it through, but what ce does Mowan hold in Prince''s heart?" Yao Mowan sighed lightly as the light in her eyes dimmed. She set down her chopsticks with a very disappointed expression. "Ahem¡­ I don''t think you actually go to the length of not hiding anything you know and not stopping until you said it through¡­" refuted Ye Junqing weakly due to his guilty conscience. When Yao Mowan heard this, she got up to leave, but Ye Junqing managed to stop her with some better sounding words. "This prince had intended to tell you, but His Majesty said that this trip was top secret so the less people that knew, the better." Ever since Ye Junqing had found out that Yao Mowan had entered the pce to get revenge for Moxin, his attitude towards her gradually changed from being forced topromise to taking the initiative to express goodwill. "Why?" Yao Mowan''s eyes narrowed as she looked towards Ye Junqing in confusion. "This¡­" Ye Junqing hesitated. "If you don''t want to talk about it, then just forget it!" Yao Mowan immediately made to leave again angrily. "Have you ever heard of Wake Mountain?" Ye Junqing deliberately lowered his voice as he asked this. "Wake Mountain¡­ That''s on the border of the nation of Lon. Why are you suddenly bringing it up?" Yao Mowan slowly moved to sit back down as she looked towards Ye Junqing with a confused frown. "ording to the report of His Majesty''s secret envoy, Wake Mountain contains a huge number of iron mines. The number is sorge there''s no way to estimate how many there are. And this mountain spans several thousand meters and faces the border between Shu, Chu, and Qi. ording to intel, Chu Mobei and Feng Yihan have already started rushing towards Lon, so they must''ve obtained this news as well and wanted to discuss this matter with the king of Lon. His Majesty intends for this prince to head to Lon as an ambassador and secure rights to the iron mines thaty between Wake Mountain and the border of great Chu," replied Ye Junqing seriously. "Iron mines¡­" Yao Mowan''s eyes lit up and her lips reflexively hooked in a greedy smile. Wake Mountain was several hundred thousand times bigger than Linxi. If there really were iron mines there, she''d be able to strike it rich! "You can''t get fat with only one mouthful, so drop that idea before you choke yourself! King Lon is known for how shrewd he is. He''s nowhere as generous as Feng Yihan, alright?" reminded Ye Junqing. "But Mowan loves people who are shrewd!" replied Yao Mowan with a bright smile. "Even if you like them, it''s no use. His Majesty doesn''t n to let you go with this prince this time. Forget trying to get a piece of the pie, you probably won''t even get to see King Lon''s face." "His Majesty intends to have Huan Caier go with Prince?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows with an interested expression. "Is there anything in this world that you don''t know about?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in stunned surprise. "Don''t worry, Huan Caier''s caught an infectious disease so it''ll probably be hard for her to even step foot outside of Moon Crossing Pavilion." Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing meaningfully, her eyes shining brightly. "No way? This prince had encountered Consort Chen in the imperial garden just yesterday. Although she looked a little dispirited, she showed no signs of being ill?" replied Ye Junqing, confused. "That''s because Mowan only got the newsst night." Yao Mowan straightforwardly stated the reason. Ye Junqing was madepletely speechless and his lips twitched uncontrobly as ck lines dropped down from his forehead. There was no need for doubt, Yao Mowan had definitely been behind this. However, this meant that he would have Yao Mowan''spany for this trip. A faint trace of happiness shed through Ye Junqing''s heart, but he himself was unaware of it. Inside the imperial pce, Ye Hongyi''s brows were tightly furrowed as he red at An Bingshan. "Consort Chen has caught an infectious disease? This suddenly? Have you sent an imperial physician to take a look at her?" asked Ye Hongyi coldly. "Replying Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Li who had been sent to treat Her Highness Consort Chen had been infected from just being in there for an hour. His entire body is covered with red swellings, it''s an rming sight. They''re also showing fever symptoms so all the imperial physicians in the imperial hospital have their hands tied!" reported An Bingshan honestly. "Why now of all times!? What do we do now?" Ye Hongyi copsed onto the dragon throne in exhaustion and sighed hard. "Forgive this old servant for being impudent, but why not let Noble Consort Yao go? Then¡­" suggested An Bingshan cautiously. "Audacious! How could you possibly not know what our intentions were in having Huan Caier go with the esteemed prince? You actually dare to suggest that our Wan er go? Preposterous!" roared Ye Hongyi angrily. "Your Majesty, please quell your anger. That''s definitely not this old servant''s intention. This old servant just thought that since the situation has changed, let''s just adapt to it. If Noble Consort Yao is able to sessfully get permission to mine the iron mines of Lon, then it''d be a miraculous achievement. At that time, if Your Majesty wishes to make Noble Consort Yao empress, the ministers of court wouldn''t be able to say anything." An Bingshan was frightened and hastily exined himself. "How''s that possible? Wan er, she¡­ Even if this deal is sessful, no one would redit this achievement to Wan er." Even though Ye Hongyi did have ns to make Yao Mowan empress, he knew very well that there was no way the court ministers would allow a fool to be the empress of great Chu. "Your Majesty, you shouldn''t forget that King Lon''s favorite daughter, the sunshine princess, has a simr condition to Noble Consort Yao. At that time, Your Majesty can say it was Noble Consort Yao''s innocent kindness that touched King Lon and le hdim to agree to this deal with great Chu," suggested An Bingshan cautiously. "That''s right! How could we have forgotten that King Lon had a fool daughter? Very well! Let''s proceed with that n! As for Ye Junqing¡­ Since this method won''t work, we''ll think of something else." Ye Hongyi''s eyes narrowed slightly with a thought. When Ye Hongyi suggested having Yao Mowan head to Lon with Ye Junqing, Yao Mowan had to press her hands against her excited heart hard. She had been worrying about how to convince Ye Hongyi, but unexpectedly Ye Hongyi had actually taken the initiative to suggest this. "What is it? Wan er''s not willing?" Only the Heavens knew how hard it was for Yao Mowan to make such a sad and unhappy expression when her heart was about to jump out of her chest from joy! "You''re making Wan er leave again? But Wan er will miss Your Majesty¡­" Yao Mowan threw herself into Ye Hongyi''s arms with a pout as her eyes teared up. "We will miss you too, Wan er. Don''t worry, this is thest time. Once Wan er aplishes this huge achievement andes back safely, we will name you empress! So onest time, for us, alright?" Ye Hongyi carefully lifted Yao Mowan''s beautiful face. As he looked into her eyes, his eyes were filled with cherishing love. This was the first time in his life that he had sincerely treated a woman well without any ns or schemes. His only desire was for this woman to be with him this entire lifetime. Yao Mowan''s heart suddenly clenched in pain. It felt like cold, sharp wind des were slicing at her heart, leaving countless thin, bloody lines. Empress? At that time, Ye Hongyi had used the most ruthless means to push her down from the position of empress into hell, and as of now, he was doing all he could to push her back into that position? Yao Mowan suddenly felt like the Heavens were ying a huge joke on her. She didn''t know whether tough or to cry at this. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 5
Chapter 5: Made Empress Once Again "Wan er, what''s wrong?" Ye Hongyi''s eyes filled with worry when he saw Yao Mowan tear up. "Your Majesty wants to make Wan er empress? But Wan er''s just a fool. Wan er''s not worthy¡­" It felt like des were cutting up her heart, but she had to act like she was moved to tears. It was just as difficult even though the emotions werepletely different. "If we say you''re worthy, then you''re worthy!" Ye Hongyi hugged Yao Mowan tightly as he said this firmly. "Can Wan er really be like Eldest Sister? Wan er can wear such pretty clothes and live in that big Changle Pce?" Yao Mowan wiped at her tears. Her voice contained a strong sobbing tone as she spoke. "Our silly Wan er, at that time we''ll built you a resting pce even more luxurious than Changle Pce!" vowed Ye Hongyi. "Wan er loves Your Majesty the most!" Yao Mowan smiled through her tears as she pressed herself into Ye Hongyi''s arms, but her heart had bepletely frozen. This particr night, Ye Hongyi was especially gentle in his seeking as if he wanted to use his body tomunicate to her all his love and sincerity. However, all Yao Mowan felt was bone-piercing cold. As the expedition date approached, Yao Mowan made a special trip to Pure Flowers Pce. "What did youe for now?" Yao Suluan''s clothes were disheveled and her hair was loose as she sat on the chaise lounge. She only nced coldly at Yao Mowan before saying this in an irritated tone. "You''re already letting yourself go? This isn''t the second older sister that Mowan knows!" A trace of pleasure arose in Yao Mowan''s heart when she saw how defeated Yao Suluan looked. "You''ve killed Hunchback Zhu?" Yao Suluan gave a cold humph as she looked towards Yao Mowan. After Yao Mowan left that day, she had tried to get in touch with Zhu Laosan, but was told that someone new was now in charge of the imperial pce''s waste disposal. "How''s that possible? He''s a witness that could be used against Second Older Sister, so how could Mowan bear to kill him? Mowan just found him a ce to stay for the time being," replied Yao Mowan lightly as she slowly walked to the table to sit down in front of Yao Suluan. "Yao Mowan, you won''t be able to win against His Majesty, he''s not as stupid as you think he is!" Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan coldly. After using thesest couple days to calm down, she finally realized that Yao Mowan''s goal had been revenge from the start. She had only ended up facing such utter defeat due to her carelessness. "Of course His Majesty''s intelligence is beyond doubt. He''s so intelligent that he''s sending Mowan with the esteemed prince as ambassadors to Lon. He even promised that after this trip, he would name Mowan empress. Second Older Sister ah, the thing you''ve been trying your entire life to obtain had fallen so easily into Mowan''sp. Say, don''t you think the Heavens are so unfair?" Yao Mowan''s lips only curved slightly, but a smiling expression filled her eyes. "Ye Hongyi, that fool! He actually wants to make you empress!?" Yao Suluan jumped to her feet as she glowered at Yao Mowan. "That''s right. That idiot thinks that Mowan likes the precious throne of the empress so much and even promised to build a resting pce even more luxurious than Changle Pce for Mowan. It''s just a shame that he has no idea that Mowan has no interest in some empress position. What Mowan truly wants is his imperial throne." Yao Mowan''s voice gradually turned colder and her eyes glinted with icy light. "How could he make you empress¡­ How could he!? He promised this consort that as long as Yao Moxin died, the throne of empress would be this consort''s! Why? Why must he treat this consort this way!?" Yao Suluan wed at the satin on the chaise lounge in crazed anger, her eyes bloodshot. Yao Mowan took in Yao Suluan''s crazed behavior coldly. "Yao Suluan, this is your retribution. No one else can be med for this." "Retribution? If one doesn''t n for themselves, the world will crush them! What was wrong with this consort making ns for her own future? It was Yao Moxin that was a fool. She was the one that insisted on showing off in front of His Majesty, that was why His Majesty could no longer tolerate her or that child. What had this consort done wrong? Why must His Majesty treat this consort this way? Why!?" Yao Suluan''s eyes were so bloodshot they looked like they were about to split as she abruptly charged towards Yao Mowan. "Eldest Sister wasn''t a fool, she simply trusted in the wrong people. The one who''s truly a fool is you, Second Older Sister. You should''ve known from the start. From the moment Ye Hongyi had you participate in the plot against Eldest Sister, he had been nning to kill you. After all, who would enjoy the feeling of someone else possessing a piece of information that could be used to ckmail them? Especially when he was the monarch of a nation?" said Yao Mowan coldly as she looked towards Yao Suluan in disdain. "This consort didn''t have a choice!" cried Yao Suluan in anguish. "You had a choice! If you had told Eldest Sister about what you knew, everything would''ve been different!" said Yao Mowan coldly as she grabbed Yao Suluan''s wrist hard. "Pei! This consort would rather die than tell that wretch who was born of a mistress!" spat Yao Suluan, her face twisted sinisterly. "Then Second Older Sister should just wait to die," said Yao Mowan calmly with a faint, unreadable smile. "Give up on that! This consort won''t be finished like this! There''s no way!" Yao Suluanughed manically as tears overflowed her eyes uncontrobly. "Alright! Then Mowan will give Second Older Sister another chance. This trip to Lon will take over a month, that''s one month of time for you. Mowan is curious what tricks Second Older Sister still has up her sleeve to get out of this," said Yao Mowan coldly. Then she got up and left Pure Flowers Pce. Once she walked out of the pce, she called for Yin Xue. "Instruct Liu Sha to stay behind and monitor Yao Suluan from the shadows. Allow her to do as she wishes as long as she doesn''t go too far," said Yao Mowan mildly. "Master, this subordinate doesn''t understand. Yao Suluan has already exhausted her abilities, so why are you still giving her hope?" asked Yin Xue in confusion. "There will only be despair if there''s hope. It doesn''t suit Yao Suluan to be living so leisurely and the more fun Yao Suluan has causing trouble, the more uneasy Ye Hongyi will be. This consort really hopes that during this month that this consort isn''t here, they''ll create more interesting fireworks." Yao Mowan smiled brightly as cold light flickered in her eyes. That night, when Huan Heng saw Yao Mowan, he immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed to greet her. "Old General, what do you mean by this? Yin Xue, hurry and help the old general up," said Yao Mowan. "This old man thanks Lady Jing Xin for your life-saving grace. This old man never thought that Lady Jing Xin had such ability and that your influence even extended to the inner pce. After this, His Majesty has decided to send Noble Consort Yao insteadst minute. Who would''ve ever predicted this? However¡­ The illness¡­" Huan Heng was extremely grateful, but also clearly a little worried. "Don''t worry, in ten days, the symptoms Consort Chen is inflicted with will naturally disappear." Yao Mowan naturally knew that Huan Heng hade to see her because he was worried about Huan Caier''s health. "That''s wonderful! Wonderful!" Huan Heng nodded firmly and subconsciously sighed in relief. When Yao Mowan saw the sincere relief in Huan Heng''s eyes, she couldn''t help but sigh. Both men were fathers, but Huan Heng''s love for his daughter was something that Yao Zhenting would never understand in this lifetime. After everything was settled, Yao Mowan left the imperial city with Ye Junqing without any worries on her mind. For the sake of keeping this expedition secret, Ye Hongyi only sent his four personal bodyguards to go with Ye Junqing. They left the city at six in the morning without a sound. However, since Yao Mowan wasing along, the speed was naturally much slower. There had been an autumn shower the night before, so the air now was very cool and refreshing. The faint clean scent of the soil made people feel refreshed and instinctively want to inhale more of the fresh air. "Noble Consort Yao, we need to make haste with this trip, so please return to the carriage." Inside the forest, Yao Mowan had her arms stretched wide and her face was tilted towards the sky as she took big deep breathes with an expression of great enjoyment. "Imperial Guard Qing Long, please show understanding. My master has been sitting in the carriage for many hours being jolted around. She finally has a chance to stretch her limbs a little, so please wait for a while longer." Ting Yue walked over to Qing Long and lowered her eyes as she said this in a humble manner. "But¡­" Qing Long looked over at Yao Mowan with a troubled expression, then sighed and returned to stand by Ye Junqing''s side. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 6
Chapter 6: Torment of an Enjoyment "Prince, could you try persuading Her Highness? She''s already been standing there for two hours¡­" said Qing Long helplessly. "Do you feel like she would listen to this prince?" Ye Junqing was also a little speechless. Even though he knew that Yao Mowan wouldn''t dy their travels for no reason, at the very least she should''ve given him a warning first. "If Her Highness continues to be this willful, I really don''t know how many years it''ll take for us to reach Lon." Qing Long nced back at Bai Hu, Zhu Qiao, and Xuan Wu who were standing nearby. The three of them looked even more impatient than he was. After about another hour, Ye Junqing finally couldn''t take it anymore and strode over to Yao Mowan. "You''ve already been in this position for an hour, aren''t you tired? At the very least, take a couple steps?" asked Ye Junqing in a lowered voice as he looked towards her, only to find that her beautiful face was covered with a sheenyer of sweat. "Do you think I want to do this? My legs have gonepletely numb!" Yao Mowan''s voice contained faint anger. Ye Junqing was made speechless by these words and his lips twitched involuntarily. Right at this time, Qing Long and the others suddenly moved to surround Yao Mowan protectively while looking around in rm. "You guys are so impatient! Fine, this consort will get back on the carriage, happy?" said Yao Mowan in a childish tone as she took advantage of this moment while all four of them had their backs towards her to hammer at her legs. "Replying Your Highness, it doesn''t look like we''ll be able to leave now! Who''s there? Show yourself!" Qing Long shouted coldly. Almost at the exact same time, ten men in ck masks suddenly appeared in the forest to encircle Yao Mowan''s group. "Who are they?" Yao Mowan tugged at Ye Junqing''s sleeve, her voice trembling. "Prince, we''ll handle things here. Please take Her Highness and leave first! We''ll catch up with you as soon as possible!" Qing Long and the other three pulled out their weapons as they moved in front of Yao Mowan protectively. "Be careful!" Ye Junqing nodded firmly, then pulled Yao Mowan to leap back on the carriage. Ting Yue jogged to follow after them. "Go!" As Ye Junqing drove the carriage away, Qing Long and the other had already started fighting with the masked group of men. Even after leaving the forest, Ye Junqing didn''t see any of the masked men chasing after them. Naturally, there was also no trace of Qing Long and the others. On the contrary, an unexpected guest elegantlynded in front of them. "Yan Nansheng, why are you here? What are you doing here?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yan Nansheng in puzzlement, then his eyes lit up with realization. "You were the one that sent those people?" Ye Junqing finally understood why Yao Mowan was pretending to be enjoying the fresh breeze so much even though her legs had already gone numb. So it turns out that she had been waiting for someone. "That''s right. Wan er didn''t tell you?" Yan Nansheng already got his answer from Ye Junqing''s expression. As of now, Yan Nansheng was already sitting on the carriage. His beautiful red garment lifted slightly in the wind like a fiery red maple leaf that was adding a stroke of brilliant beauty to this soft scene. "Yan Nansheng, you actually still have the nerve to appear in front of me? The time we agreed on was ten in the morning! Look at what time it is now!?" Yan Nansheng had barely even gotten settled in before he felt a furious gust of wind sweep towards him. Yao Mowan had rushed out with a sinister expression and lifted him by his cor. "Ahem¡­ It''s still broad daylight, yet Wan er''s already tugging at this alliance head''s clothes so urgently. Isn''t it¡­ a little too early? Of course, if Wan er doesn''t mind it, this alliance head''s fully willing to make do in this carriage!" As Yan Nansheng''s lips smoothed into a smile, his already wless face seemed to bloom like that of a demonically charming peony. Yao Mowan was so distracted that her anger instantly faded. "If it weren''t for this face, I definitely would''ve beat you up until your parents couldn''t recognize you!" Yao Mowan gave a cold humph, then released Yan Nansheng''s cor. "My, I was a littlete, but I didn''t dy your business, right?" said Yan Nansheng in an ingratiating way when he saw that Yao Mowan was still peeved. "Is there anyone that can tell this prince what exactly happened?" Ye Junqing couldn''t take Yan Nansheng and Yao Mowan''s seemingly flirtatious banter anymore and abruptly pulled on the reins. "Uh¡­ This alliance head will be leaving first! You guys can take your time talking." When Yan Nansheng saw how irritated Ye Junqing looked, he immediately got up and leaped out of the carriage. Yao Mowan couldn''t help but sigh as she watched that winding red garment spread out in the air. Even a descending celestial probably couldn''tpare to this beauty. Just as Yao Mowan was captivated by this beautiful sight, her vision suddenly darkened. She looked up and found that Ye Junqing had moved in front of her to block her view like arge mountain. "Why are you intercepting Qing Long and the others?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan, his eyes filled with questions. "With them around, this trip will be so dull." Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she said this as if it was a matter of course. However, she had actually done this because of other considerations. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yin Xue was familiar with the territory so it was easy for her to conceal herself, but right now they were heading on a long journey. With the imperial guards following them, not only would it be hard for Yin Xue to remain hidden, it would also be hard for her to call Yin Xue out to give her instructions. That was why she had Yan Nansheng help her intercept Qing Long and the others. "They''ll catch up eventually though." Although Ye Junqing agreed with what Yao Mowan said, those four were His Majesty''s personal bodyguards after all. Their martial arts were nothing to sneer at. "Don''t worry, all we have to do is leave secret marks for them. As for the speed¡­ Those masked people know what to do." Yao Mowan gave a sweet, confident smile. Ye Junqing was speechless, but no one could stop Yao Mowan when she wanted to do something. In addition, without Qing Long and the others around, it really was morefortable. Just as Yao Mowan had said, every time Qing Long and the others got free from the masked people and were about to catch up, those masked people would suddenly appear again. After a round of fighting, they had to spend time looking for tracks again before renewing pursuit. As the color of the night deepened, it gradually became chilly. There were mes flickering in the depths of the forest, lighting up apletely different scene. Ye Junqing sat by the fire and used bamboo to skewer snake meat before cing the skewers over the fire to roast. The delicious fragrance soon drifted into Yao Mowan''s nose. "It smells so good! Your skill''s pretty good!" As Yao Mowan looked at the dazzling golden snake meat that was roasting over the fire, she felt her stomach stir with hunger. Ye Junqing chuckled as he handed the snake meat skewer to Yao Mowan. "Yes, it''s no inferior to the work of the imperial chefs at all!" said Yao Mowan with a firm nod. "Moxin had once praised this prince this way before too, but it''s a pity¡­" Ye Junqing pressed his lips together. The light of the fire reflected in his clear eyes created two small mes that contrasted sharply against the deste on his face. Yao Mowan was stunned by what he said. How could she have forgotten? This wasn''t her first time eating Ye Junqing''s personally roasted snake meat. She had once tasted this back then when they were heading to Shu for negotiations. "Damn him¡­" Whenever she thought of Shu, she couldn''t help but recall Chu Mobei''s infuriating faint smile that was like the entire world was moving ording to his ns. "Damn who?" Ye Junqing snapped out of his thoughts and he looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "Chu Mobei! I have a premonition that Chu Mobei definitely isn''t making this trip personally just for the iron mines in Wake Mountain! That guy''s unbelievably crafty. If it''s possible, I never want to see him again in this lifetime!" Yao Mowan took a fierce bite of the snake meat as if the meat had been hacked off Chu Mobei''s body. "See him again? You''ve seen Chu Mobei before?" Ye Junqing''s eyes narrowed slightly. "I¡­ Of course I''ve never seen him before. I''ve only heard Eldest Sister mention this person before. Eldest Sister said that this person was definitely her fated nemesis and that he was extremely crafty with all kinds of tricks up his sleeve. Someone as magnanimous as me naturally doesn''t want to associate with someone like that." Yao Mowan realized that she had slipped up and quickly made up an exnation. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 7
Chapter 7: Meet Once Again "Is that so¡­ But this prince feels like he''s quite a sincere person. At least he''s much better than those hypocritical noblemen," said Ye Junqing in a disagreeing tone. It''s more like he''s sincerely nasty! Yao Mowan silently corrected him in her heart. Right at this time, Yin Xue appeared next to Yao Mowan with a soft gust of wind. "Reporting, Master. Ben Lei has already set out with the Elements from Mangyuan. They''ll reach Lon in half a month at the soonest," said Yin Xue. "Half a month¡­ That''s going to be sooner than us. Have them head into Ye City first and find a ce to stay. This consort will meet up with them when the timees," instructed Yao Mowan, her eyes shing brightly "Understood!" Having obtained the order, Yin Xue withdrew. Her movements were so swift it was like she never appeared in the first ce. "What did you send Ben Lei to Lon for? You couldn''t actually be after the iron mines, right?" Ye Junqing peered at Yao Mowan in disbelief. "Listeners have a share. Since this consort has learned of this news, there''s no reason not to act upon it. After all, there''s so much soup avable. Mowan taking one sip won''t matter." Yao Mowan''s lips curved into a beautiful bright smile. "You should stop dreaming. King Lon has always been the party that traps other people. He''s never been swindled out of his possessions by others before!" Ye Junqing voiced his disagreement. "But Mowan''s not others." Yao Mowan shifted closer to Ye Junqing and looked towards him with a secretive expression. "Then who are you?" Ye Junqing couldn''t help but swallow at the sight of those crafty eyes that were twinkling like stars. Every time Yao Mowan had this expression on her face, it meant that someone was going to meet with misfortune. Who would it be this time? It couldn''t be King Lon, right¡­ "Not telling you!" Yao Mowan suddenly retrieved her gaze and took a bite of the snake meat. I''m Moxin ah. The depths of Yao Mowan''s heart ached faintly. "If you don''t want to tell, then forget it. This prince will just wait to see exactly how much ability you have!" said Ye Junqing angrily even as he handed another skewer of snake meat to Yao Mowan. It took a total of twenty days of travelling to get to the nation of Lon from the imperial city of great Chu. These twenty days, to Yao Mowan, were the happiest period of time she''s had since being reborn. She was extremely grateful for and treasured every moment she spent with Ye Junqing. "This subordinate Qing Long kowtows in salute to Prince and Noble Consort!" Right before they entered the city, Qing Long and the others finally caught up with Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing. When Ye Junqing saw that they had dark circles around their eyes and that their faces looked wan and sallow, he felt a little guilty. "Where did you guys all go? This consort and the prince waited for you guys so many times! His Majesty definitely don''t know how bad your legs are, otherwise he definitely wouldn''t have sent you guys." Yao Mowan lifted her brows as sheined with a pout. At the side, Ye Junqing couldn''t suppress his smile as he peeked towards Yao Mowan. He had to admit his respect for the way she could say such a tant lie without even blinking an eye! The other four had to wipe at their sweat when they heard this. At this time, Yao Mowan and the others were currently walking on the most prosperous street in the capital city of Lon, Ye City. There was a sea of people around them and a constant stream of carriages. Both sides of the street were filled with teahouses, restaurants, pawn shops, and rows of craftsman stores. There were peddlers selling all sorts of things including silk cloth, tea, grapes, and jewels. It was a magnificent scene of prosperity. The dress style of the Lon people werepletely different from the style of the Central in which emphasized simplicity and a gentle magnanimous temperament. The clothing of the women were mostly based on red and pinks, with other brilliantly gorgeous colors asplements, so they were vividly beautiful sights. Youngdies who had yet to leave thedy''s chambers would conceal their faces with white veils, adding an additional sense of mystery to their features. However, what stunned Yao Mowan the most was not the flourishing scene of Ye City but the sight of that familiar figure in front of her. "Yihan!" Yao Mowan cried out in delighted surprise as she ran over, only to be met with a sh of cold light. Fortunately Ye Junqing moved to shield Yao Mowan in time, otherwise Ting Feng''s de would''ve already taken Yao Mowan''s life. "Ting Feng, stop!" Feng Yihan had turned around upon hearing this voice. With the sunlight framing him from the back, that imposing figure seemed to emit golden light like a deity. Those exceptionally bright phoenix eyes lit up with radiant light when he saw Yao Mowan. "Noble Consort Yao? Esteemed Prince? I never thought that you two would get here so fast!" Feng Yihan strode to Ye Junqing, his eyes shining like stars. "That''s right! Wan er never expected to encounter you here either!" Yao Mowan shoved Ye Junqing out of the way and greeted Feng Yihan happily. "Yihan truly hadn''t known that Noble Consort Yao would being, otherwise Yihan definitely would''ve brought Siqing to see Your Highness." The light in Feng Yihan''s eyes whirled like that of liquid jewels. His gaze was fixed on the woman in front of him as the longing that had gued him finally scattered like ashes. "Noble Consort, it''s best if we subordinates escort you back to the guest house first." When Qing Long saw that Yao Mowan and Feng Yihan were getting too close, he immediately stepped forward and said this respectfully. "It''s no wonder I hadn''t seen you guys around, so you guys had just entered the city? King Lon has already prepared a guest house for the ambassadors from Qi, Shu, and Chu. Ting Feng, lead these people to the guest house first. We wish to talk with Esteemed Prince and Noble Consort Yao for a while," said Feng Yihan mildly. "Understood! This way please!" Ting Feng obeyed themand and walked to Qing Long and the others. "But¡­" Qing Long looked towards Ye Junqing with a troubled expression. "You guys should head to the guest house first. This prince will be here so it''ll be fine." Ye Junqing nodded slightly. Qing Long had no choice but to lead the rest of the guards and leave with Ting Feng. Yao Mowan only loosened a breath in relief once Qing Long and the others had vanished into the crowd. She then looked towards Feng Yihan. "Who would''ve thought King Lon, that old man, actually arranged for the nobles from all three nations to be staying in the same guest house? This isn''t a good sign." Yao Mowan''s lips hooked in a difficult to read smile. "There''s no choice but to simply deal with things as theye. No matter how hard King Lon is to deal with, the worst would be that his conditions are harsh. Let''s forget about this for now. Yihan will take you to go eat." Gentle light flickered in Feng Yihan''s bright eyes as he looked towards Yao Mowan with a warm smile. "Ahem¡­ There''s still a living person over here you know? And it''s broad daylight, so you guys should pay attention to your statuses." Ye Junqing''s facial color darkened when he saw that Feng Yihan was still holding onto Yao Mowan''s hand. "Pay attention to what status?" Yao Mowan abruptly turned around and pulled Ye Junqing over with her other hand while smiling brightly. "You¡­ Hurry and let go!" After Ye Junqing got over his shock, he tried to shake off Yao Mowan''s hand, but ended up making too much of amotion because other people started looking over. "This ce is Lon, so there''s no need for Prince to stand on ceremony. Let''s go. Yihan has been here for a few days and knows a good ce to eat." Feng Yihan looked towards Ye Junqing with a slight smile, then quietly released Yao Mowan''s hand to start walking forward. "Let''s go. It''s not like this ce is Guan Osprey Pce." Yao Mowan smiled meaningfully, then pulled at Ye Junqing to follow Feng Yihan. As the three of them were passing by Four Seas Gambling House, they suddenly heard a ruckuse from inside. Yao Mowan froze in surprise, then quickly walked up to pull Feng Yihan to a stop. "It seems like there''s quite a few acquaintances here!" Yao Mowan''s lips curved slightly as she took the initiative to walk into the gambling house. Feng Yihan and Ye Junqing shared a look, then followed her inside. As of now, Four Seas Gambling House was already aplete mess. There was a crowd gathered around to watch the liveliness. Yao Mowan followed their gaze, then a knowing smile appeared on her face. "You bunch of swindlers! You guys actually dare to mess with this prince and discriminate just because this prince isn''t from Lon!? Junxiu, destroy this crappy ce!" Chu Moxin stood unyieldingly in front of the gambling table that had already been overturned as he shouted this with an arrogant glower. "This young master, your words are too far-fetched. Of the entire Four Seas Gambling House, there are no more than ten or twenty people who are Lon locals. Most of the people here are merchants or nobles from other nations, so how could there be any discrimination? Moreover, this little one runs an honest business. Our house offers sincere treatment to all and fair trade to old and young alike. Look at this dice. It''spletely authentic!" The banker running the game spoke with a nearly crying expression as he offered the dice to Chu Moxin. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 8
Chapter 8: A Naive Young Girl "Who''d want to look at it! If this prince says that this ce should be destroyed, then it should be destroyed! Get to it!" Chu MoxinL pped aside the dice that the banker was offering as he shouted this loudly. Just as Huangfu Junxiu was at a loss as to what to do, a young girl with a white veil walked in. "Uncle T, what happened?" A clear voice that was as pleasing as that of an oriole arose. The girl jumped over the dice on the ground and walked to the banker, then reached out with her small hands to stroke the banker''s scrunched up face as if she was trying to smooth out his frown. "Sunshine Princess¡­ Sunshine Princess, you must get justice for T! This young master says that T''s scamming him and wants to destroy T''s ce." The banker sped his hands together as he poured out his grievances. "Don''t worry, Uncle T, Zheer will settle things for you!" The young girl patted T''s shoulder in aforting manner, then walked to Chu Moxin. "You''re the one saying that T''s scamming you?" The young girl''s clear eyes were like round moons that hung in the sky, elegant and perfectly pure as they shone with faint light. "That''s right, this prince is the one that said that. Is there an issue?" Chu Moxin lifted his brows as he looked at the girl. Her brows were slightly curved and beneath those brows, those eyes were so expressive it seemed like they could speak. "Of course there''s an issue! Uncle T is the best person in Lon, so how could he possibly scam someone!? Apologize to him!" said the young girl seriously with a pout. "Is there something wrong with your head? What kind of logic is that? This prince''s not interested in your nonsense! Smash this ce!" Chu Moxin gave a cold humph and lifted his hand, but before he could lower it, he felt a cold sensatione from his chest. When he looked down, he found that he had be like a drowned rat. His entire body was soaked with water. "Haha! You''re a bad person, so you deserve to be punished by Ah!" The young girl tossed aside the water ball she was holding and dusted off her hands with augh that was like the tinkling of bells. Only her eyes were visible, but her appearance was already beautiful enough to topple a city. Chu Moxin glowered and clenched his fists in anger when he saw that the young girl was making fun of him without the slightest bit of fear. If it weren''t for the fact that he didn''t hit women, he would''ve already punched her. In this current moment, Chu Moxin''s hair was currently so soaked that water was still dripping down his face, so he looked extremely wretched. "Preposterous! Destroy this ce! This prince wants this ce destroyed!" shouted Chu Moxin furiously. "Little Prince sure doesn''t know to pity the fragrance and cherish the jade. The youngdy''s just joking with you a little, why take it so seriously?" Yao Mowan slowly made her way through the crowd to walk towards Chu Moxin. When Chu Moxin saw Yao Mowan, he abruptly turned around and hid behind Huangfu Junxiu. "Stay away! Let''s go! Hurry and bring this prince away!" Chu Moxin pulled at Huangfu Junxiu in a manner of extreme fear and they almost instantly disappeared from Four Seas Gambling House. Yao Mowan, who was now in the very center of the crowd, had frozen in ce. Her lips twitched hard as three ck lines dropped down her forehead. Was seeing her the same as seeing a ghost? That brat! "Big Sister, you''re amazing! The bad guy ran away as soon as he saw you!" The young girl grabbed Yao Mowan''s arm happily while jumping in excitement. "How could this big sister be anywhere near as amazing as you? What was that earlier?" Yao Mowan restrained the helpless expression on her face and turned around to take the young girl''s hand as she asked this gently. "That''s called a water ball. It''s really soft and there''s a small hole on it. You only need to squeeze it a little for water to spray out. Imperial Father made Zheer a lot of them. Big Sister, do you like them?" The young girl looked towards Yao Mowan as she asked this childishly. "Yes, I like them." Yao Mowan nodded. "Dage, bring me another one!" As Yao Mowan nodded in response, the young girl had already taken the water ball her maid was holding and offered it to Yao Mowan. "Zheer will give Big Sister one. It''s really useful for self-defense. Every time Zheer uses this, all the bad guys will run away!" said the young girl firmly. It was onlyter that Yao Mowan found out that this so-called water ball was something King Lon had specially made for his daughter. At the sight of this water ball, everyone in Lon Kingdom, no matter how much they had to suffer, would swallow their anger and enact strategic retreats. "Your name''s Zheer?" Yao Mowan remembered that the banker had called this young girl Sunshine Princess. If her guess wasn''t wrong, the girl in front of her was probably King Lon''s most beloved daughter. "That''s right, my name''s Kubu Zheer. My imperial father''s Zhubu Dan, but everyone calls him King Lon," replied Kubu Zheer straightforwardly. "Princess, we should go. If we return toote, His Majesty will worry again." Yao Mowan still had questions, but Dage had walked over to remind Kubu Zheer to head back. "Alright, then Big Sister, Zheer''s leaving first! Goodbye!" Kubu Zheer waved goodbye to Yao Mowan, then skipped away. "That''s the rumored sunshine princess? But didn''t rumors say that the sunshine princess is a fool? She only seems a little naive, it can''t really be counted as imbecility, right?" Feng Yihan slowly walked to Yao Mowan''s side as he said this. "For people born within the imperial family, isn''t naivety the same as foolishness? The reason the sunshine princess is like this can only be attributed to the fact that King Lon protected her too well. However, this kind of protection is not necessarily a good thing to her." Yao Mowan inwardly sighed as a trace of sadness shed through her eyes. "If this prince didn''t see wrong, the person making a ruckus just now was Chu Moxin, right? Why did he run the moment he saw you?" Ye Junqing walked up as he said this in a teasing tone. "That''s right! Could it be that this consort looks like an evil spirit? What did he run for?" When this was brought up, Yao Mowan''s face filled with anger again and she lost all desire to eat. Even so, Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing was dragged to several different ces by Feng Yihan and they ate until the sun set before heading back to the guest house. As Yao Mowan took in the sight of the dazzling guest house, she couldn''t help but sigh in admiration. King Lon seriously had so much money to the point that he didn''t have enough ces to spend them. This was just a guest house for traveling officials, but the floor tiles were actually made with gold and the railings were made with white jade. The two golden lions guarding the entrance looked extremely imposing and spirited. When one looked closer, one would find that their eyes were actually made of the extremely rare red-colored night pearls! It was truly a case of being so luxurious that humans and gods alike were offended! "Big Sister Mowan, this prince has been waiting for you a long time. Why did youe back only now?" Just as Yao Mowan was heaving another sigh, Chu Moxin ran out in a sky blue changpao to greet Yao Mowan with a happy expression. Yao Mowan was speechless. She wiped all expression from her face and walked around Chu Moxin without looking at him to enter the guest house. "Big Sister Mowan, wait for this prince!" When Chu Moxin saw that Yao Mowan was ignoring him, he ran to catch up with her and block her way. "Who are you? Does this consort know you?" Yao Mowan purposefully looked towards Chu Moxin with a confused expression since she was still angry about what happened earlier. "This prince is Chu Moxin! The austere prince of great Shu! I-it''s me!" Chu Moxin pointed at his own face as he said this anxiously. "Sorry, no recollection," said Yao Mowan coldly. Just as she was about to walk forward again, Chu Moxin pulled her back. "How could you forget? Look at this outfit, you were the one that made it for this prince! And back at the gambling house you even spoke to this prince!" Chu Moxin was getting so anxious that he idently brought up the gambling house. "You also recall that this consort had talked to you at the gambling house? Then why did you run? Why? Huh?" Yao Mowan immediately exploded like a dog whose tail had gotten stomped on. "Why are you being so fierce¡­ This prince didn''t recognize you earlier¡­" Chu Moxin had never seen Yao Mowan so angry before so he was intimidated. "Then what are your eyes there for? For eating? You didn''t recognize me? Who the hell would believe that!?" said Yao Mowan angrily. "But I didn''t¡­" muttered Chu Moxin in a wronged tone with his head lowered. "Then my apologies, this consort doesn''t recognize you either. Move aside!" Yao Mowan was still angry, so she pushed Chu Moxin aside to enter the guest house. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 9
Chapter 9: Fierce Women "Fine, I''ll move aside! Is there a need to be that fierce!?" said Chu Moxin angrily, then he flung back his sleeves and went back to his own room. Behind them, Ye Junqing and Feng Yihan traded a look. Both of them silently agreed that approaching wasn''t a good idea, so they turned and allowed the servants to lead them to their respective rooms. Yao Mowan had just walked into her room when Huangfu Junxiu followed her in. "This Shu subject, Huangfu Junxiu, kowtows in salute to Noble Consort Yao." When Yao Mowan saw that it was Huangfu Junxiu, she turned to look towards Ting Yue with an annoyed expression. "Ting Yue, this consort doesn''t know him, so please see the guest out!" Ting Yue knew that her master was just acting in a fit of pique, so she purposefully slowed down her walking pace to allow Huangfu Junxiu a chance to speak. "Junxiu knows that Your Highness is angry, but Your Highness has misunderstood the little prince. The reason why the little prince ran away from the gambling house was because he didn''t want Your Highness to see him in such a wretched state. Aftering back from the gambling house, not only did the little prince immediately bathe, he insisted on putting the wet clothes back on and standing outside under the sun for four entire hours until the clothes were dried," said Huangfu Junxiu. "Sir Huangfu, please." Ting Yue only extended her hand to gesture towards the door after Huangfu Junxiu got out the main points. "Wait. Why did he put on the wet clothes and stand under the sun to dry them? He could''ve dried them over a fire?" Yao Mowan looked towards Huangfu Junxiu with puzzlement. "Because Your Highness had personally made that outfit for him. The little prince knew that drying with fire would damage the color of that clothing''s material, so he ended up using the dumbest method. Your Highness, the little prince truly does care about you," said Huangfu Junxiu earnestly. It felt like something sharp had abruptly jabbed her heart, causing it to ache faintly with pain. Yao Mowan got up and looked towards Huangfu Junxiu. "Lead the way!" When Huangfu Junxiu heard this, he naturally understood that Yao Mowan intended to go talk to his master, so he immediately turned around and started leading the way. Outside the door, Yao Mowan took a deep breath before lifting her hand to knock on the door. However, before she had the chance to knock a second time, she heard the sound of something shatteringe from inside. "Scram! Don''t bother this prince!" When Yao Mowan heard Chu Moxin''s irascible shout, she smiled helplessly. She never had a chance to raise Zhong er, so she didn''t understand what the bond between a mother and her child was like. That was why she never imagined that she held such an important ce in Chu Moxin''s heart. "Little Prince, Noble Consort Yao of great Chu hase to see you," reported Huangfu Junxiu in a low voice awkwardly. The moment Huangfu Junxiu said that, the room abruptly fell silent. However, after a few moments, the door was suddenly opened. Chu Moxin shot Huangfu Junxiu a ming re for not saying this earlier. "What? You still don''t n to acknowledge this consort?" Yao Mowan''s lips were curved in an amused smile. "Who isn''t acknowledging you? You were clearly the one refusing to acknowledge this prince¡­" refuted Chu Moxin as he turned to walk into the room. Yao Mowan followed him inside. She noticed that there was a puddle of water on the ground, but there was no broken porcin. During that brief period of silence earlier, Chu Moxin had probably been cleaning up those shards. Yao Mowan''s guess was confirmed when she saw Chu Moxin''s bleeding finger. "Why weren''t you more careful? Let this consort take a look!" Yao Mowan''s brows furrowed and she reached out to take Chu Moxin''s finger, but he dodged her grasp. "This is nothing." Chu Moxin puffed out his chest as he said this proudly. "I don''t care if it''s nothing! Let me see!" Yao Mowan strode over to him and, ignoring his protests, dragged him to a seat. Fortunately there was gauze and gold wound powder in the room. Chu Moxin didn''t dare to say a single word even after Yao Moxin finished bandaging his finger. "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Yao Mowan only realized that the room waspletely silent after she finished this process and she looked towards Chu Moxin with lifted brows. "How did I never realize how fierce you were? Men don''t like fierce women, so you should be careful," said Chu Moxin seriously. "¡­" Veins pulsed on Yao Mowan''s forehead as her face filled with ck lines again. "So why did youe to Lon?" Yao Mowan restrained the anger in her eyes to look towards Chu Moxin with slight puzzlement. Based on the secret envoy''s report, it should''ve been Chu Mobei that came to Lon. After all, would Chu Moxin, with this personality of his, really be able to contend against King Lon, that old fox? "Big Brother had mee." As Chu Moxin nced down at the bandage wrapped around his finger, his eyes shone with happiness. "Your big brother actually didn''te himself to handle such an important matter?" Yao Mowan frowned in confusion. "You think that this prince isn''t capable of handling important matters?" Chu Moxin immediately looked up again towards Yao Mowan angrily. "Ahem¡­ That''s not what I meant," refuted Yao Mowan weakly. "That''s exactly what you mean! But Big Brother never said that there was something important here. He just said that women of Lon look like fairies and told this prince toe see for himself. However, this prince doesn''t feel like they''re as good-looking as Big Brother imed," grumbled Chu Moxin. "Women¡­" Yao Mowan lowered her eyes thoughtfully as a realization hit her. Chu Mobei was counting his chickens before they were hatched. Whether this would actually seed or not would truly depend on the Heavens. That night, when Ben Lei came to the guest house to find Yao Mowan, he had the wonderful luck to encounter Ye Junqing who just happened to be pushing open the door to head out. "Long time no see, busy person!" Ye Junqing''s voice was very unfriendly as he look at Ben Lei who had just jumped down from the roof. Even though his rtionship with Yao Mowan had improved, he still held a grudge about Ben Lei''s betrayal. "Prince? This subordinate kowtows in salute to Prince!" As Ben Lei spoke, Ye Junqing heard sounds so hemanded Ben Lei to enter his room and closed the door. The colored ss candle holder on the jasper table flickered softly as wisps of incense drifted upwards. Ye Junqing lifted his brows as he looked at Ben Lei who was kneeling on the ground in front of him. His voice contained faint acridness as he said, "You''ve already taken off the armor and returned to themon life, so you''re no longer this prince''s subordinate and there''s no need for you to stand on such ceremony." "In Ben Lei''s heart, Prince is forever Ben Lei''s master!" Ben Lei knelt in front of Ye Junqing as he said this sincerely. He was very moved. He hadn''t seen Master since thest time he had returned to the imperial city of Chu, so it had truly been a long time. "This prince can''t afford to ept this, unless¡­ Unless you tell this prince what exactly Yao Mowan is trying to do? There''s already quite a lot of iron mines in Linxi, so why is she still coveting Wake Mountain''s mines? One cannot get fat with only one mouthful. How is she supposed to digest so many iron mines?" This was something that Ye Junqing had never been able to figure out an answer to. "Since Ben Lei''s kowtow is putting a lot of pressure on Prince, then excuse Ben Lei''sck of manners." Ye Junqing''s questions were too tricky to handle, so Ben Lei had no choice but to get up and stand to the side respectfully. "You¡­" Just as Ye Junqing was about to explode angrily, the door was suddenly pushed open and Yao Mowan leisurely walked in. "There''s no one in the world who''s afraid of money biting their hands. Since Mowan has the ability to stock up on iron mines, Mowan also has the ability to find buyers. Prince, if you want to know something, you can just ask Mowan directly. Don''t make things hard for Ben Lei." Yao Mowan nced towards Ben Lei appreciatively. She was very satisfied with his performance. "This prince has no interest in knowing!" Ye Junqing red at Yao Mowan angrily. "If Prince has no interest in knowing, please go take a walk outside. Mowan still has some things to discuss with Ben Lei," replied Yao Mowan without a pause. "This is this prince''s room!" reminded Ye Junqing with a glower. "Qing Long and the others are nearby. It wouldn''t be good if they saw Mowan walking around with Ben Lei in this guest house, right? Of course, if Prince is interested in Mowan''s affairs, you can also choose to stay. Mowan doesn''t mind." Yao Mowan didn''t wait for Ye Junqing''s answer and sat herself down by the table. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 10
Chapter 10: To the Highest Bidder "Who''d be interested!?" Ye Junqing humphed. As he got up and passed by Ben Lei, he said angrily, "Next time, get the ce right!" Once Ye Junqing left, Ben Lei fell to a kneel on the ground. "Ben Lei kowtows in thanks for Master''s great grace towards the prince!" Back then, when Yao Mowan found Ben Lei, she said that everything she had Ben Lei get ready in Mangyuan were preparations for the day that Ye Junqing would be emperor. "It''s good that you don''t feel wronged." Yao Mowan''s lips curved slightly. When it came to great grace, she was the one that owed Ye Junqing more. "As long as it''s for Prince''s sake, Ben Lei will not hesitate to go through fire or water!" said Ben Lei convictedly. "This consort knows how loyal you are. If not for that, this consort wouldn''t have left matters in Mangyuan to you. Back to the main topic, this consort had you bring the Elements to Lon this time because of Wake Mountain''s iron mines. As of now, the envoys from Chu, Shu, and Qi have all arrived, so King Lon will probably reveal his conditions soon. At that time, we''ll wait for an opportunity to try to get a share of this soup," instructed Yao Mowan mildly. "This subordinate understands." Ben Lei cupped his fist in salute. Exactly as Yao Mowan had predicted, the next day when King Lon sent people to post the announcement up at the guest house, the facial colors of everyone there turned poor. ''By the Mandate of Heaven, this emperor hereby decree that there are an abundance of iron mines in Wake Mountain and we wish to share the mines with the neighboring nations. We will follow the principle of giving the mines to the highest bidder. There will be no discrimination based on location, everything will be set based on the highest offered price. In addition, if an envoy obtains the sunshine princess''s attention, we are willing to gift three thousand iron mines. King Lon.'' "How can he still have the nerve to call it sharing like this?" said Ting Feng angrily as he read the announcement. "Sir, may I ask what he means by no discrimination based on location and that everything will be set based on the highest offered price?" Huangfu Junxiu walked towards a Lon imperial guard to ask this. "It''s very simple. Even if the mine is near great Chu, if Shu is willing to pay a high price for it, then the iron mine will naturally go to the highest bidder," exined the guard. "That''s interesting. However, if the iron mine is near great Chu, there''s no way they''ll allow Shu to send soldiers to their border to mine, right?" asked Huangfu Junxiu with a concerned frown. "Don''t worry, Sir. His Majesty had already thought of this. As long as Sir is willing to pay the money, Lon Kingdom will send people to mine the mountain and handle sending the goods to great Shu. So there won''t be any shes between the two nations." The Lon guard''s exnation made everyone sigh. "How can this be called sincerity? If he said so earlier that this was going to be a deal based on money, we wouldn''t have bothered to rush here from so far away." Feng Yihan''s expression was dark as he said this angrily. "King Qi, please calm down. The announcement has stated clearly that if someone is able to attract the interest of Lon''s Sunshine Princess, then King Lon will gift them three thousand iron mines!" exined the Lon guard. "So King Lon only invited the nobility of the three nations over to discuss the iron mines as a front for his true motive which is finding a son-inw," remarked Ye Junqing. Inwardly, he was thinking that they hade this time for nothing. The true intention of the announcement was easy to see, so everyone agreed with Ye Junqing. "No matter what, the announcement has already been put out. Tomorrow, King Lon will be personally bringing the sunshine princess to this guest house. Farewell." After the Lon guard delivered his message, he turned and left. Inside the guest house, everyone stood there, preupied with their concerns. "This prince should''ve thought of this earlier! Lon''s so poor that all they have left is money! As if Kubu Dan would care about those iron mines! We shouldn''t have bothered with this trip! We''re heading back tomorrow!" As soon as they got back to the room, Ye Junqing startedining. "That''s not necessarily true. The fact that King Lon is spending this much in order to choose a son-inw shows that he truly loves this sunshine princess a lot. Regardless of who it is that manages to marry the sunshine princess, they''ll end up having King Lon as a strong backing. In addition, Prince also saw, right? Sunshine Princess also counts as a nearly fairy-like beauty. Mowan will advise Prince to consider it carefully," said Yao Mowan with a serious expression as she took a sip of the tea. "Even if she''s as beautiful as a celestial, this prince wouldn''t take an additional look at her! You should know this better than anyone!" said Ye Junqing firmly. "That''s why it''s said that the word ''emotion'' truly hurts. Eldest Sister has already passed away for such a long time, so why hasn''t Prince gotten over this yet?" said Yao Mowan lightly. However, a strange emotion was floating up in her heart. "Yao Mowan!" Ye Junqing glowered at her. "Just treat it like I didn''t say anything. But even if Prince doesn''t wish to marry her, we still can''t leave." Yao Mowan finally returned to the topic. "Why?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "Of course to prevent the sunshine princess from being taken by Qi or Shu! Why else do you think they''re still here? And just because great Chu doesn''t have a chance doesn''t mean that this consort doesn''t have a chance!" Yao Mowan''s lips curved up. The moment she had seen the announcement, she knew that her chance had arrived. "You feel like the sunshine princess would like Ben Lei?" Ye Junqing felt like there was no way that would happen. "Why wouldn''t she?" Yao Mowan''s smiled widened mysteriously. Ye Junqing felt cold sweat pour down his back. Late afternoon the next day, as King Lon appeared in the guest house holding the hand of his most beloved daughter, the sunshine princess, everyone was blinded by his dazzling gold outfit. "Is there a need to be this ostentatious? Isn''t it important as a person to be low-key?" remarked Ye Junqing as he shielded his eyes with his hand. "But King Lon really doesn''t have any reason to be low-key. Mowan isn''t really worried about the other stuff, but isn''t it heavy to wear shoes made from pure gold?" Yao Mowan was sincerely worried on behalf of this elderly man who was past his fifties. "Habit bes nature." Feng Yihan was also shielding his eyes as he said this with a heartfelt sigh. If he was the one wearing this outfit, he probably wouldn''t be able to stand so steadily. "Kubu Dan is truly grateful that all of you have traveled so far toe to my Lon Kingdom. Everyone has probably already seen the content on the announcement. As of now, we will have the sunshine princess stay here for ten days. After ten days, whoever the sunshine princess chooses will be the owner of three thousand iron mines." The deep voice resounded but was not sharp. The elderly man stroked his beard which was interweaved with strands of gold thread as he narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over everyone present. When he saw Yao Mowan, his gaze paused for a moment, but he soon recovered. "Zheer, take off your veil." Kubu Dan looked towards his daughter and spoke with a doting tone. "Why? Imperial Father, didn''t you say that Zheer wasn''t allowed to take off the veil before getting married?" Kubu Zheer''s childish voice was like the tinkling of heavenly bells as she looked towards her imperial father with her star-like eyes. "That''s our Lon''s custom, but the people you''re currently facing aren''t of Lon, so we must follow their practice. Be good." Kubu Dan stroked his daughter''s head gently. "Alright." Kubu Zheer still looked confused, but she nodded and slowly undid her veil. In this moment, everyone''s gazes were instantly captivated by her beautiful features. Even though there was such arge blinding walking piece of gold standing next to her, no one could bear to shield their eyes anymore. Although the girl in front of them was only about twelve years old, her face was as beautiful as that of a celestial''s. Her smooth ck hair flowed like silk over her shoulders and glimmered in the sunlight like ck gold. Her wless skin was like the surface of a freshly shelled egg, so delicate it looked like water could be pinched out. Underneath those slender brows, those eyes sparkled with lively expression and two sweet dimples dotted her cheeks when she smiled, adding a trace of naughtiness to her indescribable cuteness. This young girl was as beautiful as a moon fairy. It was no wonder King Lon doted on her so much. If she had a daughter like this, she would definitely do everything to give her daughter the best things in the world, was what Yao Mowan was thinking. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 11
Chapter 11: Squabbling Urchins "Dage, take good care of the princess for these next couple days. Make sure no problems ur." As everyone looked on in disbelief, King Lon nodded slightly as an unreadable light shed through his eyes. After giving Dage a fewst exhorts, he turned and left. "Imperial Father!" Kubu Zheer turned around to catch up with him, but Dage stopped her. "Princess, look, it''s that bad guy." Dage''s remark immediately made Kubu Zheer turn around and look in the direction Dage was pointing to find that Chu Moxin was standing there with ck lines all over his face. Enemies on a narrow road described Chu Moxin''s current feeling precisely. "Why are you here?" Kubu Zheer clearly had a very bad impression of Chu Moxin. At this time, Huangfu Junxiu''s face was filled with regret. If he had known about this earlier, he wouldn''t have allowed the little prince to go to some gambling house. From the looks of things now, those three thousand iron mines werepletely out of reach. With things like this, all they could do was wait and see if the crown prince could pull off some miracle. "So what if I''m here? I am here! I¡­" Chu Moxin looked towards Kubu Zheer as he shouted back in an overbearing manner, but in the next instant, he felt a cool sensatione from his body. When he looked down, he saw that he was already soaked. The sight of Chu Moxin''s cheeks puffed up from anger made everyone burst outughing. "You little shrew! This prince is going make you pay!" Chu Moxin''s dignity had taken a huge hit from falling into Kubu Zheer''s trap twice in a row. "Prince, you can''t!" When Huangfu Junxiu saw that Chu Moxin was about to charge up, he immediately pulled him to a stop to dissuade him. "It''s great that you''re here! This princess was wondering how to pass the time these next ten days. Now that you''re here¡­ it won''t be boring anymore!" Kubu Zheer skipped over to Chu Moxin. Herrge spirited eyes narrowed slightly as her peach-colored lips slowly hooked in a meaningful arc as she walked past him. Once Kubu Zheer left, Dage walked to Chu Moxin. "Little boy, you''re about to be in for it!" Dage nced at Chu Moxin with a sympathetic expression before speeding up to catch up with her master. "They¡­ They actually dare to threaten this prince! Huangfu Junxiu, let go! Let go of me!" Chu Moxin angrily iled and kicked in the direction Kubu Zheer left in while bellowing. Everyone else in the guest house were frozen in shock. Kubu Zheer''s expression from just now definitely defeated the purpose of that pure fairy-like appearance of hers. Everyone sighed. Truly, there was only a single step between a celestial and a demon. "Did this prince see that right?" Ye Junqing reflexively rubbed at his eyes as he asked in this confusion. "It looks like things are going to be tough for the little prince these next ten days." Yao Mowan sighed in pity as she looked towards Chu Moxin who was soaked. As Yao Mowan predicted, that night, Kubu Zheer proposed for everyone to have dinner together. In the main hall of the guest house, delicacies filled the entire table. Ye Junqing, Yao Mowan, Feng Yihan, and Chu Moxin were already there and seated. The only one that was missing was Kubu Zheer. "Yihan has a premonition that this dinner may be difficult to digest." Feng Yihan nced over at the side at Chu Moxin who was fidgeting in his seat with a faint smile. He had no intention of marrying Kubu Zheer, so he also had no intention of trying to curry favor with her. The only reason he stayed behind was because he wanted to know the final oue. "Little prince, since this is the way things are, we should simply ept it. It''s only a meal, you couldn''t be scared, right?" "This prince? Scared of her? What a joke!" After Yao Mowan said this, Chu Moxin immediately decided against leaving and sat back down firmly. Huangfu Junxiu, who was standing behind him, looked towards Yao Mowan gratefully. He was praying with all his might that nothing else would happen before the crown prince arrived. Right at this time, Kubu Zheer made her grand entrance. She was currently in simple and nimble Central in male attire. She was dressed in a water-blue changpao and her ck hair was tied up high with a strip of white silk. With her slender brows, phoenix eyes, jasper nose, cherry lips, and a fan in one hand, she gave off the elegant demeanor of a easy-going young man as she walked. "Kubu Zheer apologizes for having made everyone wait!" Kubu Zheer twirled her fan, then caught it and tucked it in her jade belt before walking to her seat. She nced at the table filled with delicacies, then her expression darkened. "There''s meat but no wine? How pointless! Dage, have them carry up ten jars of top quality Daughter''s Red!" instructed Kubu Zheer loudly. Dage was naturally dressed like her master, in Central ins male attire. When she heard her master''smand, not only did she not try to dissuade her master, she even asked if ten jars would be too little. At the side, Yao Mowan''s lips parted slightly as she looked at those two in shock. Was this for real? If she could choose, she would rather have the sunshine princess be truly foolish like in the rumors. Perhaps that way she would be easier to deal with. As the rest of the people looked at the twenty jars of Daughter''s Red in front of them, their moods sank slightly. "Zheer knows that it is the custom in the Central in to bond over alcohol. Zheer is truly honored to have the chance to meet all of you today, so Zheer won''t be too talkative and will toast three bowls first as an expression of sincerity!" As Kubu Zheer was speaking, Dage already had the servants open a wine jar and she ced arge porcin bowl in front of Kubu Zheer to fill it up. Kubu Zheer then downed three bowls without even batting an eyelid. Ye Junqing couldn''t help but sigh in admiration. He had always believed his alcohol tolerance to be quite high, but in front of Kubu Zheer, he had to concede defeat. "Why aren''t you guys drinking? It couldn''t be that you guys want to back out?" Kubu Zheer mmed down the porcin bowl as she looked towards them with her brows lifted. "You''re the one that said you''ll toast three bowls first, so what does that have to do with us?" Chu Moxin gave a cold humph as he retorted this irascibly. "Of course it has something to do with you guys. This princess has drank three bowls in toast, so now it''s your turn to drink three bowls in apaniment! You couldn''t be scared to drink, right? If you''re scared, state it early! This princess has never been the type to make things hard for people, especially for little kids!" Kubu Zheer nced at Chu Moxin as she lifted her brows provocatively. "Who''s a little kid!? Who''s scared!? Isn''t it just three bowls! This prince will keep youpany to the end!" How could Chu Moxin possibly hold up to this kind of provocation? He immediately gulped down three bowls. Ye Junqing and Feng Yihan shared a nce, then they drank three bowls as well. Due to the fact that there were servants standing behind them, they couldn''t really force the wine back out immediately. "Mowan has never been good with alcohol and will have to ask for your forgiveness, Princess." Yao Mowan knew that her alcohol tolerance couldn''tpare to Kubu Zheer''s, so she got up and said this politely. "Zheer knows Big Sister. Since Big Sister doesn''t like to drink, then don''t worry about it." As Kubu Zheer looked towards Yao Mowan, a smiling expression appeared in her eyes. Yao Mowan could see it very clearly. That smile was as bright and beautiful as a flower and extremely sincere. "Many thanks for your understanding, Princess." Yao Mowan knew to stop while she was ahead. It seemed like the other three were going to be in for it today. "Drinking like this is pretty boring. Why don''t we y the finger-guessing game? Dage, fill the bowls!" Kubu Zheer suddenly got up and stomped on the chair with one leg as she pushed up her sleeves. "Fine! Who''s scared of who?" Having downed three bowls of alcohol, Chu Moxin was now in high spirits and he immediately agreed. Ye Junqing and Feng Yihan really wanted to maintain their noblemen grace, but they were forced by Kubu Zheer to participate. Yao Mowan was the only exception, so she was the only one that remained clear-headed in the room. Yao Mowan couldn''t help but sigh as she took this scene of chaos. She inwardly celebrated the fact that her behavior at the Four Seas Gambling House had been outstanding enough. Otherwise, she didn''t dare to imagine her fate. In just two hours, there were only five jars left of the original twenty jars of Daughter''s Red. Ye Junqing and Feng Yihan had originally wanted to force out the wine while using thetrine, but every time they stepped out of the room, Kubu Zheer would send two servants to follow them so they didn''t have any chances to do so. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 12
Chapter 12: Beauty Envied by the Heavens "Your Highness, the esteemed prince seemed to have drunk a lot." Ting Yue leaned towards Yao Mowan''s ear to say this quietly. Yao Mowan nodded then shifted towards Ye Junqing slightly. On the other side, Chu Moxin was still ying the finger-guessing game with Kubu Zheer while gulping down wine. Meanwhile, Feng Yihan had already plopped on the table to pass out. "Junqing?" Yao Mowan looked with heartache towards Ye Junqing whose entire face was red. She really wanted to help him out of here, but since the banquet hadn''t officially ended, leaving first would be impolite. "Moxin? Moxin, you''re finally willing to appear again¡­ Do you know how much this prince missed you?" When Ye Junqing saw Yao Mowan, his hazy eyes glistened unnaturally brightly, then a tear fell silently. "I''m Mowan, not Moxin." When Yao Mowan saw the tears glistening in Ye Junqing''s eyes, she felt her heart clench so hard that she couldn''t breathe. "Moxin, I''m sorry¡­ I didn''t know that your death was so tragic¡­ It was my fault! It was my fault for not protecting you properly! I''m sorry¡­" Ye Junqing took Yao Mowan''s hand as his tears overflowed. "Ye Junqing, how much longer are you going to me yourself? Moxin''s death has nothing to do with you, so why keep yourself imprisoned in this cage?" Yao Mowan didn''t shake off Ye Junqing''s hand. Her eyes were turning misty as well. "It is my fault¡­ Moxin, don''t leave me again¡­ Please¡­" Ye Junqing copsed onto the table, unconscious. As he closed his eyes, the tear at the corner of his eye dropped down into Yao Mowan''s palm. "I won''t. I won''t leave you ever again¡­" said Yao Mowan as tears whirled in her eyes. It felt like her heart was being cut apart. "Blergh!" Right at this moment, Chu Moxin suddenly set down his wine bowl and started vomiting hard. Yao Mowan only found out after she turned around that Kubu Zheer was long gone and the only people left were the out-ofmission men that had copsed onto the table. "Junxiu, hurry and help the little prince back to rest. Ting Feng, you should help King Qi back too. Remember to have the kitchen make hangover soup. Ting Yue,e help." After Yao Mowan gave these instructions, she worked with Ting Yue to help Ye Junqing back to his room. On the bed, Ye Junqing''s brows were scrunched up in pain as he continuously muttered Yao Moxin''s name. Yao Mowan send Ting Yue to the kitchen to simmer some hangover soup, then sat down by the side of the bed. Her face filled with heartache when she saw Ye Junqing''s pained expression and she couldn''t stop herself from reaching out to smooth out his furrowed brows. However, the instant she touched him, Ye Junqing once again grabbed her hand tightly. "Moxin, it''s good that you''re back¡­ Don''t ever leave again," beseeched Ye Junqing, half conscious. His thick eyshes glimmered slightly with droplets of tears. After leaving the room, Yao Mowan sighed lightly, then chuckled bitterly. It has always been said that alcohol resolved all worries, but after sobering up, would those worries no longer gue the heart? If this wasn''t the case, why did everyone lie to themselves? Just as Yao Mowan was about to start walking back to her room, she saw a familiar figure standing alone in the corridor ahead. Beneath the moonlight, that wless face seemed to be bathed in a halo of silver. It was breathtakingly beautiful. "Princess, amazing alcohol tolerance." Yao Mowan slowly walked to Kubu Zheer as she said this in admiration. Kubu Zheer just continued to gaze quietly up at the stars. After a good while, she finally shifted her gaze to Yao Mowan. "Does Big Sister really think that Zheer''s alcohol tolerance is good?" Kubu Zheer''s eyes were bright and clear. They gleamed as beautifully as the gem-like stars in the sky. "Could it be that it''s not?" Yao Mowan was taken a back and she looked towards Kubu Zheer in surprise. "Of course not. All that Zheer drank was water. Zheer was only putting on an act. However, what they drank was top quality Daughter''s Red that had been fermented for fifty years!" Although Kubu Zheer said this, Yao Mowan still couldn''t quite believe it. A child that was only thirteen years of age had acting skills so good that even she hadn''t suspected that five out of the twenty jars of Daughter''s Red actually contained only water. "Princess, why did you tell Mowan? Are you not worried that Mowan will tell?" Yao Mowan looked towards Kubu Zheer with an interested smile. "You won''t. But even if you do, what could they possibly do to this princess? Ha¡­" Kubu Zheer tilted her head to look towards the sky again as her eyes dimmed. "Actually, if you don''t want to get married, you can tell King Lon directly. With how much he loves you, he definitely won''t force you." Yao Mowan could see what was weighing in Kubu Zheer''s mind, so she said this gently. "It''s precisely because Imperial Father loves me so much that I don''t want to go against his wishes. In addition, everything Imperial Father has done is for the sake of giving Zheer a perfect life¡­" Kubu Zheer lifted both legs onto the railing and hugged her legs while resting her chin crookedly on her knees. Her eyes flickered slightly with tears. "Could it be?" Yao Mowan was stunned. Soon after, heartache surfaced in her heart. "Although Imperial Father had kept it carefully secret, Zheer knows that she was born with a strange illness that destined her to die before fifteen. It''s just that Imperial Father doesn''t understand. Zheer doesn''t want something like a perfect life. Zheer only wants to be together with Imperial Father. Since Imperial Father likes Zheer''s naivety and innocence, then Zheer will do everything she can to make herself seem like a fool. There''s nothing bad about that. But this time, Imperial Father is determined to have Zheer get married, so what is Zheer supposed to do?" "Big Sister, Zheer doesn''t want to leave Lon. Even if Zheer will die, Zheer wants to die here." The immature voice of a child voiced a sorrow that even Yao Mowan had no way of enduring. As Yao Mowan took in the distress in those eyes, she reached out to tuck back Kubu Zheer''s fallen hair. "Trust Big Sister, Big Sister will definitely find a way so that Zheer can keep living. Zheer will be able to happily stay in Lon and stay by King Lon''s side." Yao Mowan''s voice resounded with strength and resolution as she made this vow. "But what can be done? Zheer no longer has any hope¡­" Everyone had so many mncholies this night. As Yao Mowan looked at Kubu Zheer''s glistening eyes, she couldn''t stop her tears from falling. The Heavens have always envied beauty, but Zheer was still just a child! Ye Junqing only woke up once it was noon the next day. He had alreadypletely forgotten about what happened yesterday night. "Prince, you''ve woken up?" Ting Yue entered the bedroom upon hearing the disturbance to find that Ye Junqing was shaking his head while rubbing his temples. "How much did this prince drinkst night?" Ye Junqing got off the bed and walked to the table to pour himself a cup of tea, then gulped it down. "No small amount. Five jars of Daughter''s Red. Prince, you drank so much that you lost all sense of rationality and insisted on pulling my master over to sleep with you," replied Ting Yue, seemingly off-handedly. "Pfff! Cough cough cough¡­ What did you say? This prince was that drunk?" Ye Junqing abruptly coughed out the water he was drinking as he looked towards Ting Yue with wide eyes. "That''s right. If my master hadn''t bit your hand, you said that you wouldn''t let go even if you die," replied Ting Yue as she started taking the food out of the food box. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing reflexively nced down and found that there were two distinct rows of teeth marks on the back of his hand. "Ahem¡­ Your master sure didn''t hold back! Alright, you can withdraw now!" Ye Junqing''s cheeks instantly flushed as he brushed off the topic and hastily dismissed Ting Yue. "If Prince has any instructions, just call. This servant will be waiting outside." Ting Yue knew that her goal had been achieved so she didn''t say anything else. Just as she was about to turn around, she was called back by Ye Junqing. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 13
Chapter 13: The Sunshine Princess''s Strange Illness "Don''t you need to attend to your master?" asked Ye Junqing. "My master headed out with Sunshine Princess early this morning and has yet to return." "How did she end up ganging up with the sunshine princess¡­" Ye Junqing was stunned. Inwardly he was wondering if Yao Mowan would actually seed in that three thousand iron mines swindle. "Forgive this servant''s audaciousness, but the sunshine princess is perfectly guileless and innocent while my master is gentle and virtuous. How would Prince use a term like ganging up to describe them being together?" Ting Yue voiced her sincere objection to this statement. "Guileless and innocent? Gentle and virtuous? Who exactly are you talking about?" Ye Junqing looked towards Ting Yue,pletely lost. Ting Yue turned to stone from speechlessness. At the entrance of the guest house, the moment Yao Mowan and Kubu Zheer stepped inside, Chu Moxin ran over to them while still rubbing his temples. "Big Sister Mowan, this prince was looking for you¡­ Why are you with her?" Chu Moxin hade over only to greet Yao Mowan, so the instant he saw Kubu Zheer, he immediately went on guard in full preparation to fight. "Why can''t Big Sister be with this princess?" Before Yao Mowan had a chance to speak, Kubu Zheer had already stepped forward in front of Chu Moxin with her delicate face tilted up arrogantly. "Because you can''t!" As Chu Moxin spoke, he reached to pull Yao Mowan away, but Kubu Zheer grabbed his hand and stepped forward topletely block his way. "This princess insists on staying with Big Sister, so what can you possibly do?" Kubu Zheer looked towards Chu Moxin with an evil grin as she toyed with the water ball hidden behind her back. "Forget it. Little Prince, you should head back first. Mowan will go look for you a littleter, alright?" Yao Mowan was worried that Kubu Zheer would do something rash. Even if there was a first and second time, it didn''t mean that repeated incidents would be alright. If the water ball Kubu Zheer was holding hit Chu Moxin again, Yao Mowan didn''t have the confidence to guarantee that Chu Moxin wouldn''t explode. "Humph! If you''re going to be friends with her, then don''t talk to this prince again!" As Yao Mowan watched Chu Moxin fling his sleeves back and storm off, she couldn''t help but smile. "He''s getting jealous even though he''s already this old? He''s like aplete child." Kubu Zheer walked back to Yao Mowan''s side as she critiqued Chu Moxin in a serious tone. "Exactly, he is a child." Yao Mowan looked towards Kubu Zheer with a smile. "That''s right¡­ He''ll still have the chance to grow up¡­" A trace of dimness shed through Kubu Zheer''s usually lively eyes, then she walked towards her room with Dage. Yao Mowan''s heart ached faintly like a needle was lightly pricking at it. That slight pain gradually spread until her entire body was consumed by the pain. When Yao Mowan pushed open the door and walked into Chu Moxin''s room, Chu Moxin was currently throwing a teacup angrily. The moment he saw Yao Mowan, he turned around with a peeved expression. "If Little Prince doesn''t wish to talk, then Mowan will leave?" Yao Mowan tried turning around while keeping her eyes on Chu Moxin. "You were clearly the one that didn''t want to talk, and now you''re pushing the me onto this prince!" When Chu Moxin saw that Yao Mowan was about to leave, he immediately turned around toin angrily. "She''s just a littledy, you should yield to her a little." Yao Mowan sat down next to Chu Moxin with a smile and poured a cup of tea for him. "A littledy? Have you ever seen a littledy drink five jars of Daughter''s Red? Which littledy would dare to spray this prince with water and more than once too!?" The more Chu Moxin spoke, the more outraged he became. "Ahem¡­ Little Prince, were you looking for me for something important?" Yao Mowan couldn''t help but cough. Indeed, it was a little bit of a stretch to call Kubu Zheer a littledy. "I don''t remember since you made me so angry¡­ Oh, right, Big Brother''sing!" said Chu Moxin excitedly. Yao Mowan was stunned by this news and she reflexively tightened her grip on the tea pot. "You don''t seem happy?" asked Chu Moxin in puzzlement when he saw Yao Mowan''s abnormal expression. "It''s truly delightful news! What is heing for? It couldn''t be that he wants to take the sunshine princess as his crown princess, right?" Happy? There was now an additionalpetitor for the duck that was almost within her grasp, so what reason would she have to be happy? "There''s no way Big Brother will take a fancy to that little shrew! The only person that''s a match for Big Brother in this world¡­ is already gone¡­ But you shouldn''t be discouraged. You''re Big Sister Moxin''s younger sister, so maybe Big Brother will be more inclined to look at you!" Chu Moxin spoke as if these words were some huge show of charity. "This consort really has no need for his attention." Yao Mowan was extremely speechless. Anyone who had the misfortune to catch the attention of that pestilence demon would definitely die a very tragic death. "That''s because you''ve never seen Big Brother before. There exists no woman in this world whose soul and spirit are not captivated by the sight of Big Brother," said Chu Moxin solemnly. "It''s more like their soul and spirit are scared flying¡­ You still haven''t told me what he''sing for?" Yao Mowan brought the conversation back to the main topic and asked this seriously. "Of course it''s for those three thousand iron mines! Shu has a well-trained and powerful army, but there''s not enough weaponry, so there''s no way Big Brother would give up on the iron mines here." Chu Moxinid everything out without any hesitation. Although Yao Mowan was tempted to ask more about Shu''s secrets, she felt that it was kind of dishonest to do this so she suppressed the urge. "Could it be that he has a better idea than to marry the sunshine princess?" asked Yao Mowan in a seemingly casual tone. "This prince doesn''t know about this, but Big Brother rarely heads out to do things personally," replied Chu Moxin as he looked towards Yao Mowan. Yao Mowan wholeheartedly agreed on this point, but from the bottle of her heart, she was praying that Chu Mobei would suffer a crushing defeat this time. After leaving Chu Moxin''s room, Yao Mowan headed straight towards Ye Junqing''s room. "You''re awake?" When Yao Mowan saw that Ye Junqing was sitting in the main hall and looking at a letter with a serious expression, she walked over to skim the contents. "His Majesty knows that this prince already has someone in his heart, but he still wants to make this prince marry the sunshine princess!?" Ye Junqing crushed the letter angrily as cold light shed in his eyes. "That''s notpletely true. Doesn''t this letter say that if Prince could prevent the others from marrying the sunshine princess, that would serve as well?" Yao Mowan slowly sat down opposite Ye Junqing as she said this calmly. "How is this prince supposed to stop other people from marrying the sunshine princess?" Ye Junqingpletely disagreed with this statement. "Prince might not be able to, but Mowan will definitely be able to, so Prince can rx," said Yao Mowan confidently. "How could this prince have forgotten? You''repletely drooling over those three thousand iron mines!" Ye Junqing believed Yao Mowan. If she said she could do something, then she''d definitely be able to do it. Before Ye Junqing even realized it, he hade to have so much faith in Yao Mowan that there was not even a trace of doubt in his heart. "Mowan isn''t the only one coveting those mines. Chu Mobei ising here." Yao Mowan sighed heavily with a grave expression. "That''s not good news." Ye Junqing has never had a good impression of Chu Mobei. Right at this moment, Yin Xue suddenly appeared in the room. "What have you found?" asked Yao Mowan, her eyes shing with hope. "Replying Master, this subordinate found that the sunshine princess had caught a strange illness shortly after she was born. The illness is called ''Blood Inspissation.'' This illness is extremely rare and in all of history, there''s only one book that was passed down three hundred years ago written by Phantasm Follower that contains any record of it. As time passes, the victim of this illness would have all the blood in their body slowly solidify until it turns stiff and breaks. During this time, if they take blood celery, they would be able to livepletely like a normal person before the illness res up. However, blood celery is incapable of actually curing the illness. If the patient''s illness res up, there is no way to ever undo things. However, there was a prescription recorded in the book!" reported Yin Xue. "Is it a prescription for the cure to Blood Inspissation?" asked Yao Mowan impatiently. "Yes. The prescription says that as long as the pearl of the east sea, the coral of the west sea, the dragon of the south sea, and the mer of the north sea are gathered and bound with the blood of a returned soul, this ailment would be cured," continued Yin Xue. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 14
Chapter 14: The Princess''s Illness is ring Up "Yin Xue, your ability to story tell is truly improving rapidly! If one day you no longer wish to be a hidden guard, you''d definitely be able to amass great wealth with just this talent!" Ye Junqing nodded with firm belief. "Prince is ttering too much, but everything Yin Xue said was the truth. In Lon''s imperial hospital, there is a branch that specializes in studying Blood Inspissation. Not only are there records of Kubu Zheer''s health condition since birth, there are records about Blood Inspissation. There are also countless rare treasures inside the building, all items from the sea. However, this subordinate is slow-witted and could not figure out what those items were," reported Yin Xue. "There''s no need to. It''s obvious that those items were not what King Lon wanted to find, otherwise he wouldn''t have left them there." Yao Mowan''s expression became serious. She had never heard of the items listed in that prescription. It was no wonder that Kubu Zheer said she no longer had any hope. "You''re telling the truth? The sunshine princess actually has a strange illness like that? How''s that possible?" When Ye Junqing saw that Yin Xue wasn''t joking, his brows furrowed in concern. Just the thought that a beautiful lively girl like that would end up breaking like a crystal made his heart feel inexplicably stifled. "Prince, when have you ever seen Yin Xue joke? Yin Xue, you may withdraw for now. Secretly ask the Yin tribe to help investigate the matter of the prescription." Yao Mowan leaned back onto the chair weakly. Her heart pulsed slightly in pain. Give up just like this? She couldn''t do that. "There is a jade blood pearl in the east sea and the west sea has blood coral, so these two are locatable, but dragons and mermaids are just myths, how could they be found? Especially with returned soul blood. I really don''t understand how Phantasm Follower, as a doctor, can invent such lies." Ye Junqing''s brows furrowed tightly and he subconsciously clenched his hands, his face filled with worry. "That''s not necessarily true. Since Phantasm Follower was able to say it, that means that these five things definitely exist in the world. It''s just that items this rare can only be encountered through fate and not through seeking. Even if we spend ten years, we might not necessarily be able to find them." A trace of sadness shed through Yao Mowan''s eyes. That night, as the waning moon appeared in the sky with the chilling breeze, the sky was dim due to the sparse stars. The guest house was silent, but a shriek suddenly broke the quiet night. "Princess, what''s wrong? Someone, help! Something''s happened to the princess!" Dage''s voice came from inside the guest house and all the other guests rushed towards Kubu Zheer''s room. "What happened?" Yao Mowan was the first to rush into the room. When she saw how frightfully pale Kubu Zheer''s face was and the sight of her arms forced stiff as her veins bulged out, forcing her to lie helplessly on the bed, Yao Mowan''s heart felt like it was thrown into ice-cold water. Even though she had already been mentally prepared, she still couldn''t stop herself from crying when Kubu Zheer''s illness suddenly red up. "Big Sister, don''t cry. Zheer knew that this day woulde. It''s fortunate that Zheer is still in Lon right now." On the bed, Kubu Zheer looked over with a smile. Her eyes dazzled with light that was so beautiful she seemed like a goddess. "Did you get poisoned? Junxiu! Hurry and get this prince''s hundred herbs pill! Hurry!" Chu Moxin started panicking when he saw that bloody veins were conspicuously apparent on both of Kubu Zheer''s arms. "It''s pointless. No medicine will be able to cure my illness, and don''t you hate me? Once I die, you can have Big Sister Mowan to yourself!" Kubu Zheer smiled faintly. Her two dimples were indescribably beautiful. "Who hates you¡­" Chu Moxin''s voice was a little hoarse and tears were whirling in his eyes. "Don''t make such a sad face, you guys. Don''t worry. Even if Zheer dies in this guest house, Imperial Father won''t me you guys. However, Zheer won''t be able to do anything about the three thousand iron mines." Yao Mowan''s heart hurt even more when she heard what Kubu Zheer was saying. As she lowered her eyes, tears overflowed. "Who still cares about some iron mine!? Don''t worry, this prince will save you!" Chu Moxin wiped at his tears, then walked up to lift Kubu Zheer. "Don''t move!" When Yao Mowan saw this, she quickly got up to move in front of Chu Moxin and stop him. "This prince is going to carry her to the imperial hospital. How can we leave her lying here like this!?" said Chu Moxin worriedly. "You can''t move her. The moment you do¡­" "If you lift Zheer, then Zheer will certainly lose her limbs. Big Sister Mowan already knows about this?" Kubu Zheer looked towards Yao Mowan in surprise. "Know about what? Big Sister Mowan, what exactly is going on?" As Yao Mowan took in Chu Moxin''s impatient look, a trace of pain shed through her eyes. Hence, she repeated everything Yin Xue told her word for word to everyone present. In this moment, she was just praying that someone would know where these five treasures were. Even if there was only a sliver of hope, she still didn''t want to give up. "How could such a strange illness exist in this world? The pearl of the east sea, the coral of the west sea, the dragon of the south sea, the mer of the north sea, and the blood of a returned soul? What exactly are those things? Who would have them!?" Chu Moxin was beside himself with worry when he saw that the young girl on the bed was now almost as pale as snow. "The jade blood pearl and blood coral are in Lon, but the other three, this old man has searched for twelve years but still wasn''t able to find them¡­" An aged voice suddenly came from the door. When the people heard this voice, they moved to the sides of the room. Kubu Dan staggered into the room, leaning heavily on the arm of an attendant, to walk to Kubu Zheer''s bed. "Imperial Father, this daughter has truly caused you trouble all these years. I''m sorry." In this instant, Kubu Dan seemed to have instantly aged ten years. He no longer dazzled as brilliantly as he did in the past. "Ah! Kubu Dan begs that you take my life! Please leave my daughter here! Zheer''s still a child¡­ Zheer, our poor Zheer ah¡­" Tears streamed down Kubu Dan''s wrinkled cheeks and his hand trembled as he gently stroked Kubu Zheer''s arm which was covered with blood veins. "Imperial Father, don''t be like this. Zheer''s already very satisfied. To have been able to be your daughter for thirteen years is already a great benevolence from Ah. Zheer doesn''t want to be too greedy. Imperial Father, once Zheer goes up above, Zheer will definitely pray for Imperial Father every day¡­" Kubu Zheer looked towards her imperial father with a slight smile but her tears spilled out despite her attempt to hold them back. She really wanted to stroke Imperial Father''s white beard too, but what could she do? Her hands would no longer move. "Don''t! Daughter! Imperial Father doesn''t want you to die! Please don''t!" At this time, there was no trace of the imposing aura of an emperor around Kubu Dan any longer. There was only the pain and despair of a father that was about to lose his daughter. Right at this time, Huangfu Junxiu suddenly rushed in from outside. "Reporting King Lon, my emperormanded this humble subject to offer you these two items." When the people present heard this, they looked towards Huangfu Junxiu to find that he was offering a green jade tray with two strange items on it. "What did Big Brother send over?" asked Chu Moxin with a frown. "Replying Prince, these two are the dragon of the south sea and the mer of the north sea, respectively." These words stunned everyone present, especially King Lon who had been kneeling by the side of the bed. He immediately got up and walked to Huangfu Junxiu to look towards the items on the tray with astonishment. "You''re saying that this is the dragon of the south sea and the mer of the north sea?" Bright light shot out of King Lon''s originally despair-filled eyes. "Correct. My emperor went through great pains to find these two rare treasures and hopes that they will be able to serve as a meager contribution," replied Huangfu Junxiu firmly. "Good¡­ Wonderful! Guards! Hurry and bring these two items to the imperial hospital and have them simmer the medicine ording to the prescription! This is wonderful! Our Zheer can finally be saved! She''s saved!" King Lon''s tears overflowed due to this intense happiness. The items that he had spent twelve years searching for without fruition were now in front of him. How could he not be stirred up? The guards didn''t dare to be slow and immediately took the tray from Huangfu Junxiu to rush towards the imperial pce. "Even if those four ingredients are gathered, we''re still missing the blood of a returned soul to serve as the binding ingredient. A returned soul? What does that even mean? It couldn''t be the returned soul of when a soul borrows a corpse to return, right?" Chu Moxin''s brows were furrowed as he mused over this. However, though the speaker spoke unintentionally, the words resounded with the listener. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 15
Chapter 15: Blood of a Returned Soul The moment Yao Mowan heard the words ''borrows a corpse to return,'' her heart leaped and countless ripples filled her eyes. If it really was about a soul that borrowed a corpse to return, then the blood of a returned soul¡­ When her thoughts reached this point, Yao Mowan silently walked away from the crowd and returned to her own room. "Master, this subordinate has already drugged Qing Long and the others. They will only wake up tomorrow afternoon," reported Yin Xue. "You did well. Do you have a dagger?" As Yao Mowan nodded, she picked up a porcin bowl from the table before looking over at Yin Xue. "Master, this is?" Yin Xue handed a dagger to Yao Mowan, but she waspletely unprepared for what happened next. Yao Mowan had immediately used the dagger to cut a line across her own wrist. Scarlet blood flowed out from the wound and poured into the bowl. Yin Xue''s heart ached as she watched Yao Mowan''s face gradually turned pale and she quickly prepared medicine and white bandages. "I''m fine. Hand this bowl of blood to Ben Lei and tell him¡­" Yao Mowan leaned over to whisper a couple instructions into Yin Xue''s ear then handed the blood to her. "This subordinate understands!" After Yin Xue finished treating Yao Mowan''s wound, she vanished from the room with the bowl of blood. Yao Mowan didn''t attract much attention when she returned to Kubu Zheer''s room. "It''s only been a little while, how did things get so severe?" asked Yao Mowan. Her heart filled with heartache and her eyes teared up as she looked towards the bed at Kubu Zheer whose face was filled with shocking red veins. "Are you all right? Why is your face so pale?" At the side, Feng Yihan looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly and reflexively reached out to ce his hands on her shoulders, but Ye Junqing had reached out almost at the exact same time to pull Yao Mowan over. "Where did you go? You¡­" When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan''s forehead had instantly be covered with cold sweat, he looked down and quickly let go of her. "Shh. I''m fine. Is the princess''s medicine still not here?" Yao Mowan nced towards Ye Junqing meaningfully. Although Ye Junqing understood what Yao Mowan meant, he still felt very guilty. At the side, Feng Yihan lips hooked in a bitter smile as he took in Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing''s wordless exchange. Right at this time, there came the sound of rushed footsteps from outside the door. "Reporting, Your Majesty, a person that ims to be the envoy of Mystery Nation says that he''s willing to offer the blood of a returned soul." The guard''s words made everyone''s eyes light up with hope. Everyone in this room believed that it was too soon for Kubu Zheer''s life to end. "Blood of a returned soul? Hurry and invite him! Invite him inside! Zheer, don''t be scared. Imperial Father won''t let you die. We won''t!" King Lon wiped at his tears. His heart clenched in unbearable pain when he saw that Kubu Zheer could no longer even speak. Not long after the guard left, Ben Lei walked in, dressed in a bizarre outfit with a ck mask concealing his features. "This Mystery envoy, Xiao Tian, kowtows in salute King Lon." Ben Lei saluted respectfully while holding a golden box with both hands. "Hurry and rise! You''re the envoy of Mystery Nation? Where''s the blood of a returned soul!" King Lon could no longer be bothered to worry about etiquette. He walked forward to help Ben Lei up as he asked this impatiently. "Replying King Lon, Xiao Tian is currently holding the rare item known as returned soul''s blood." As Ben Lei spoke, he opened the gold box. Inside was a white porcin goblet that held flowing scarlet red blood. "Is this really returned soul''s blood?" King Lon carefully lifted the goblet as he looked towards Ben Lei skeptically. "Without a doubt." Ben Lei nodded firmly. At the side, Ye Junqing was frowning as he looked at that bowl of blood with a very troubled expression. He felt indescribable difort in his heart. At this time, a Lon imperial physician carried in the prepared medicine. When he lifted the lid of the porcin bowl, the room was instantly filled with a rxing fragrance that made everyone in the room feel refreshed. "Your Majesty, the medicine has been prepared. However, the binding ingredient¡­" The imperial physician carried the bowl of medicine to King Lon as he said this respectfully. King Lon stared at the bowl of returned soul''s blood for a long time, then he abruptly poured all of it into the bowl of medicine. The instant the blood began to mix with the medicine, the refreshing fragrance immediately vanished. Everyone became very uneasy. "Your Majesty, perhaps this blood is fake. If that''s not the case, why would the fragrance disappear? We can''t let the princess drink this!" Dage looked towards King Lon worriedly. "This is Zheer''sst chance. We won''t give up! Move out of the way!" Kubu Zheer personally moved to feed Kubu Zheer the medicine as tears streamed silently down his cheeks. At this time, Kubu Zheer''s face was already covered with red veins. No one would be able to link this sight with that young girl who had been lithe as a fairy. After all the medicine went down, everyone was simply praying; praying that the Heavens would be merciful, that they wouldn''t take such a young life away, and that they wouldn''t turn their back on a father''s love. Time slowly trickled past. The room waspletely silent and everyone''s gaze was fixed on Kubu Zheer. When they saw that the veins on her face were gradually vanishing, a cheer burst out of everyone. "Imperial Father¡­" That one call of ''imperial father'' made everyone present cry. When Yao Mowan returned to her room, she exhaled softly. Just as she was about to drink a cup of tea, she saw Ye Junqing storm in. "Yao Mowan, have you gone crazy!? That was so much blood! Do you no longer want to live?" Yao Mowan nced at Ting Yue and Ting Yue quickly walked outside to close the door behind her. "You managed to guess it?" Yao Mowan took a sip of the tea, then lifted her brows as she looked towards Ye Junqing. "Is it hard to guess? You have an injury on your wrist and it was Ben Lei that brought over the blood. It was obvious!" As Ye Junqing spoke, he set a bottle of top quality gold wound powder on the table. "A bowl of blood in exchange for three thousand iron mines. It''spletely worth it." Yao Mowan set down her teacup and picked up the gold wound powder that Ye Junqing brought her. She remembered this medicine. Back then, Ye Junqing had told her that this medicine was something he had personally concocted and that not everyone had the right to use it. "You''ve seriously gone money crazy. And how did you know that your blood would definitely work?" When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan was having difficulty undoing her bandage, he walked up and crouched down next to her to help. Following that, he took the medicine and carefully applied it to her injury. "It''s because Mowan didn''t know that Mowan took this gamble. As long as Mowan sessfully saved the sunshine princess, there''s no way Mystery Nation''s contribution could be denied. At that time, even if those three thousand mines must be split with Chu Mobei, there''s still a thousand five hundred that would go to Mangyuan. That''s a thousand five hundred!" Yao Mowan''s lips hooked in a delighted smile. "I really don''t get why you love money so much. Is money more important than life? You''re not allowed to do this again!" Ye Junqing was extremely speechless when he saw the delight on Yao Mowan''s face. "If a bowl of blood could trade for a thousand five hundred iron mines, Mowan sincerely hopes that there''d be more of these lucky encounters. Ah¡­ Be gentler!" Yao Mowan felt a slight pain from her wrist and shot Ye Junqing an angry re. "With a thousand five hundred iron mines propping you up, can you still feel pain?" Ye Junqing gave a cold humph. As he was getting up, Ting Yue suddenly came in from outside. "Your Highness, King Qi sent you this bowl of blood recovery soup." Ting Yue carefully ced the bowl in front of Yao Mowan. When Yao Mowan saw that Ye Junqing''s expression had turned cold, she deliberately picked up the soup. "King Qi is truly considerate. This consort will make sure to find a chance to thank him. You can withdraw." Yao Mowan had Ting Yue withdraw, then took a sip of the concentrated soup. "This prince also gave you gold wound medicine, but this prince hasn''t heard anything like a thank you!" grumbled Ye Junqing as he angrily sat back down. "How could Prince and King Qi be the same? No matter what, King Qi is an outsider¡­" replied Yao Mowan, seemingly offhandedly. Ye Junqing felt the clouds in his heart instantly disperse and he nodded firmly. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 16
Chapter 16: The Devil-like Chu Mobei "That''s right! He''s an outsider! It''s good that you have that straight." A trace of warmth surfaced in Yao Mowan''s heart when she saw Ye Junqing''s bright smile. Two dayster, Kubu Zheer was finally able to get off the bed and walk around again. Her beauty had been restored. In fact, she seemed even more devastatingly beautiful than before. To express his gratefulness to great Shu and Mystery Nation, King Lon decided to split the three thousand iron mines into two portions and gift them to the two nations. Thanks to Kubu Zheer, Yao Mowan also obtained a document of eternal friendly rtionships between Lon and great Chu. That night, Yao Mowan was in the corridor counting the stars with Kubu Zheer. As the night breeze swept by, the leaves rustled softly. It was a very peaceful night. "If it weren''t for Big Sister, Zheer would already have be a star in this sky." Kubu Zheer''s clear eyes shone like shooting stars were shing through them. "Princess should be thanking the crown prince of great Shu and that envoy from Mystery Nation. Mowan believes that she hasn''t done anything worthy of thanks," replied Yao Mowan lightly. "But Zheer remembers. That night, Big Sister had so resolutely told Zheer that you would make sure Zheer lived regardless of what it took. Zheer believes that if it hadn''t been for what Big Sister said that night, Zheer wouldn''t necessarily have the chance to sit here and look at the stars with Big Sister." Kubu Zheer turned to look towards Yao Mowan with dazzling light whirling in her bright eyes. "Perhaps¡­" Yao Mowan didn''t try to exin things and just looked at the stars asplicated emotions swirled in her heart. "Imperial Father said that Big Sister seems very simr to a person. Due to this simrity, Imperial Father is willing to grant Big Sister a wish. If Big Sister ever has need, you cane to Lon to look for Imperial Father. He''ll definitely help you." Kubu Zheer''s childish voice was exceptionally firm. "Simr to whom?" asked Yao Mowan in surprise. "Back then, when Imperial Father was rushing about looking for blood celery, he had encountered bandits while traveling to Mangyuan. Although Father had a lot of martial arts experts with him, they had been ambushed and ended up captures. At that time, fortunately there was a caravan passing by and they saved Imperial Father. They even sent people to escort Imperial Father to a safe location. Although Imperial Father doesn''t know that person''s name, he remembers that the caravan was called ''Yao Manifest Trade,''" said Kubu Zheer, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Ha¡­ Then hasn''t Mowan ended up taking that caravan''s benefits?" Yao Mowan chuckled softly. The so-called ''Yao Manifest Trade'' was the trade name she was using in Mangyuan. She never expected that she and King Lon actually had such a connection. "There''s a snake!" Kubu Zheer suddenly cried out in rm. Before Yao Mowan even had a chance to react, a figure jumped out from the shadows. "Where!?" Chu Moxin abruptly pulled out his sword and rushed in front of Yao Mowan and Kubu Zheer protectively as he shouted this. "Even if there really was one, you would''ve already scared it off." Kubu Zheer giggled. Herughter was like the clear tinkling of water. In the moonlight, her delicate face was beautiful enough to steal one''s breath away. "You sure have guts, to actually dare to trick this prince!" Chu Moxin angrily put his sword away and turned around to sit down next to Yao Mowan. "Little Prince, since you''re here, why did you hide?" As Yao Mowan looked at the two children next to her, her heart ached slightly. "Who was hiding? This prince was just passing by!" refuted Chu Moxin. "You were passing by? Then you can leave now, what did you sit down for?" Kubu Zheer blinked innocently as she looked towards Chu Moxin. Every single one of her words could choke a person to death. "You!" Chu Moxin''s cheeks puffed up angrily, but he couldn''te up with any retorts. "Alright, that''s enough. We''re going to have to part tomorrow, but you guys are still acting like such enemies." Yao Mowan patted Chu Moxin''s shoulder lightly. "Big Sister Mowan, we''re going to have to part tomorrow. I don''t know when I''ll have a chance to see you again." Chu Moxin looked towards Yao Mowan with a crestfallen expression. "There will definitely be more chances." Yao Mowan knew that Chu Moxin couldn''t bear to part with her. She also couldn''t bear to part with them. However, there existed no banquet in the world that did not end. The next day, after Yao Mowan and the rest said goodbye to King Lon and the sunshine princess, they started heading back to great Chu. "Big Sister Mowan, goodbye!" Outside Ye City, Chu Moxin poked his head out from a luxurious carriage and waved vigorously as he shouted. Yao Mowan lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked over. When she saw that familiar figure, her body reflexively tensed up. That exceptionally enchanting face was wless like pure white jade, with no imperfections that could be picked out. His long hair that was ck as the feathers of a raven draped over his shoulders. The few strands falling over his face lifted due to the breeze, in a sight as beautiful as the vicissitudes of life. The most irresistible part of this sight was those bewitching phoenix eyes. Those unique hazel pupils contained unbounded mystery that seemed to capture an onlooker''s soul. Currently those bewitching eyes were looking in Yao Mowan''s direction. It was a light nce, but it somehow seemed to contain an aura that could subdue all living things. Those thin lips were curved, clearly in a smile, but Yao Mowan couldn''t shake off the sensation of a chill running down her back. "It''s Chu Mobei. Since he came, why didn''t he show himself in Lon?" asked Ye Junqing after he looked over, following Yao Mowan''s line of sight. "That damned thief always acts in unpredictable ways," said Yao Mowan angrily as she yanked the curtain down. "There are very few women that are able to say something this coarse after seeing him." Ye Junqing lifted his brows as he looked towards Yao Mowan. He didn''t know why but his mood was a lot better. "Prince, if someone else reached over and tore away half the duck you were already holding, you''d probably be cursing even more than Mowan." Yao Mowan shrugged angrily. "This prince is sure that Chu Mobei is definitely thinking the same thing right now," replied Ye Junqing. "Achoo, achoo¡­" Right after Ye Junqing said that, Yao Mowan was hit with a burst of sneezes. Top quality eaglewood emitted a faint fragrance inside the carriage. Chu Moxin was currently sitting next to Chu Mobei, crestfallen and deep in thought. "Yao Mowan isn''t the benevolent sort. In the future, it''s best if you don''t interact with her as much." The clear voice that was like the sound of rain tapping on porcin spilled out from between Chu Mobei''s lips. His gaze was currently very stern. "She''s really nice! Big Brother will know after interacting with her more that she''s just as intelligent as Big Sister Moxin!" Chu Moxin rarely refuted Chu Mobei''s words, but since it was rted to Yao Mowan, he wanted to make things clear. "The Yao Mowan that you think is really nice just called your imperial older brother a damned thief. Furthermore, she''s not intelligent, it''s that she''s extremely skilled in schemes," corrected Chu Mobei sternly. "In any case¡­ Moxin believes that she''s a good person¡­" muttered Chu Moxin quietly. He didn''t doubt Big Brother''s words. Big Brother had always been skilled in lip reading, but that didn''t interfere with his trust in Yao Mowan. Chu Mobei''s elongated eyes flickered with faint, unreadable light as his lips curved in a meaningful smile. She had been able to grab ahold of his younger brother''s weakness in such a short time. This Yao Mowan¡­ On the way back, Yao Mowan reused the old trick and secretly had Yan Nansheng''s people get in the way of Qing Long and the others so that she and Ye Junqing could go on a scenic tour on their way back to the imperial city of great Chu. Her rxed mood instantly tensed up the moment she entered the city. She could allow herself to rx temporarily, but she couldn''t allow herself to be undisciplined. Hence, after returning to the imperial city, Yao Mowan''s heart sank down again with calm determination. ording to Liu Xing''s report, quite a few new incidents had urred during the time she was gone. Not only did Yao Suluan regain imperial favor, the corpses of pce maids would appear from time to time. The only incident that made Yao Mowan happy was that Ming Yu had been transferred into working inside the pill refining room. "Your Highness, two days ago, His Majesty even gave an edict to make Yao Suluan Noble Consort Li. As of now, Yao Suluan is getting more and more unbridled in the pce," reported Liu Xing. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Tbh, when typing up the descriptions of the beautiful characters, this TLer''s thought process is: Yes, he''s beautiful. Typical ancient Chinese era mature pretty boy with silky ck hair. What''s vicissitudes? This character''s supposed to have like an elegant calm aura + intelligence. Yes yes. *nods to self* Let''s check that word, fits well enough, let''s throw it in. Hopefully I''ll be more sane when editing and everything will magically be whipped into something that makes sense. #toomuchtranting #@[emailprotected]

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 17
Chapter 17: The Prime Minister Has Gone Insane "How unbridled could a paper tiger be? You said that female corpses are asionally appearing in the pce? What do you mean?" Yao Mowan wasn''t surprised by the fact that Yao Suluan had regained imperial favor. "This servant is also secretly investigating this matter. Those pce maids either died from all seven apertures of their head bleeding or their face were filled with bruises. It''s an extremely gruesome sight. Originally this servant was suspecting that it was An Bingshan''s doing, but this is very different from An Bingshan''s past methods. In addition, An Bingshan has been in the pill refining room this entire time and rarelyes out, so¡­ This servant has a bold guess. It''s very likely that these pce maids ended up like this because they had been used to test the medicine," reported Liu Xing solemnly. "Humph. Ye Hongyi in his desire for eternal life has caused so many innocent people to die young. He wouldn''t be able to make up for the crimes he''smitted even if he dies a thousand times!" said Yao Mowan coldly as her eyes gradually chilled. She was gripping the edge of her seat so hard, her knuckles were white. Right at this time, Ting Yue jogged in from outside. "Reporting, Your Highness, news hase from the imperial prison that the prime minister has be severely ill and is making a ruckus demanding to see a doctor! The jailers didn''t dare to make the decision on their own so they reported this to His Majesty and His Majesty seemed to have sent Imperial Physician Li to the prison." Ting Yue reported all the information that she had gathered. "What could possibly treat a ckened heart? This consort is a little tired. You guys can withdraw." Yao Mowan wearily had Liu Xing and Ting Yue withdraw as she got up to head to her bedroom. Past midnight, the night was dark and the wind was heavy. ck clouds covered the sky. Two figures shed through the sky, then instantly vanished. "Hey, did you see something just now?" The first jailer swallowed hard and looked towards the roof timidly. "I did!" replied the second jailer. "Then what are you still standing there for? Hurry and sound the gong!" Just as the first jailer was about to lift the hammer, the second jailer stopped him while jeering. "What''s there to worry about? Isn''t it just a couple of wandering ghosts? In this imperial prison, there''s not much of most things, but there are plenty of lingering ghosts, so stop panicking over every little thing!" When the first jailer heard what the second jailer said, he couldn''t help but wipe at his cold sweat. Yao Mowan could not describe her feelings as she looked past the iron bars at the almost unrecognizable man with messy hair and a dirt-covered face who was crouched on the ground drinking medicinal soup. "Father, now that you''ve fallen to this point, do you feel any regret?" Yao Mowan looked at Yao Zhenting, her gaze expressionless. No emotions could be heard in her voice. It might have been due to Kubu Zheer''s influence because her heart was wavering slightly. "Moli? Moli, you wretch! You actually dare to appear again in front of me!? I''ll beat you to death! I''ll kill you!" The instant Yao Zhenting heard that voice, he abruptly lifted his head and glowered at Yao Mowan. Yao Mowan saw that there were around seven fist-sized pustules on Yao Zhenting''s face and more all over his body. "How did Moli wrong you, for you to want to kill Moli so much?" Yao Mowan''s heart turnedpletely cold as she looked over with a frosty expression in her eyes. "Medicine¡­ I need to eat medicine¡­ Damn you, Moli! If you hadn''t given birth to those two wretches, how could I have fallen to this point? I''ll kill you and those two bastard children of yours! I can''t die¡­ I can''t die¡­" Yao Zhenting crawled over on all fours like a dog and used his tongue to lick the medicine that had spilled onto the ground as he muttered incoherent words. "Master, he''s probably been bitten by a rat. He''spletely delirious," said Yin Xue in a low tone. "Dou Xiann¡­ Why are you here? Are you looking for Lou Yuxin? Hahaha! You''re toote! I''ve already killed that gigolo¡­ He sure died tragically! You can give up on ever finding him again!" Yao Zhenting looked towards Yao Mowan with a sinister smile. "This is medicine. If you eat it, all of your wishes will be granted." Yao Mowan took out a green porcin vial from her sleeve and expressionlessly tossed it through the bars. "Medicine¡­ My medicine! I have to live! I still want to be prime minister, I still have to give birth to a son!" Yao Zhenting scrambled to pick up the medicine Yao Mowan tossed inside and shakily opened the lid to pour all its contents into his mouth. "Master¡­" Yin Xue looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly. "This consort is still not ruthless enough. Let''s go¡­" Yao Mowan nced back onest time at Yao Zhenting, who had gone insane. In this lifetime, she had never made an unreasonable request as to have a father like Kubu Dan, but she also never imagined that she would have a father like Yao Zhenting. The news of Yao Zhenting''s sudden death only spread from the imperial prison the next day. The prime minister of the court had actually died that tragically, without even a coffin. He had just been wrapped up with a grass mat and tossed into Disorder Burial Mound. Inside the imperial garden, Yao Mowan was sitting in the pavilion while holding Fluffy. She was leaning against the railing, feeling inexplicable stifled. "Ting Yue said that you didn''t eat breakfast, so this is for you." Yao Mowan smiled faintly upon seeing the ky pastry offered to her. "Since when did Prince learn to care about Mowan?" Yao Mowan took the pastry as she lifted her eyebrows and looked towards Ye Junqing. "This prince has always cared about you, it''s just that¡­" Before Ye Junqing could finish his words, Fluffy suddenly jumped out of Yao Mowan''s arms. Yao Mowan was caught unprepared so Fluffy ended up scratching the back of her hand. "Tsk tsk, dear sister, why are you so careless? You''ve ended up causing the esteemed prince so much heartache!" At this time, Yao Suluan was walking over, her face glowing, while holding the leash of a fierce-looking dog. "Mowan, are you alright?" Ye Junqing''s brows furrowed when he saw the scratch on the back of Yao Mowan''s hand, then he red at Yao Suluan. "You did this on purpose!" said Ye Junqing angrily. "That''s right. This consort did do it on purpose, but this consort had done it for your sakes. It''s broad daylight, yet you guys aren''t showing any restraint and are actually boldly having a lovers'' rendezvous in the imperial garden. You''re lucky it was this consort that saw. If it had been His Majesty passing by, would you guys still have a chance to live?" As Yao Suluan walked forward arrogantly, the dog next to her had already started charging towards Yao Mowan. Whimper¡­ The dog that Ye Junqing had kicked flying struggled for a few moments, then fell still. Yao Suluan was furious. "Ye Junqing, you sure have a lot of guts! You actually dared to kill this consort''s pet dog!" shouted Yao Suluan indignantly. "This prince not only dares to kill that animal, this prince also dares to kill you!" Whenever Ye Junqing recalled how Yao Moxin died, he would feel the urge to just snap Yao Suluan''s neck. "Prince, calm down. All karmaes around, it''s just a matter of time. Mowan still has something to say to Second Older Sister so Mowan will have to trouble you to return first." Yao Mowan nced over at Ye Junqing meaningfully. Although Ye Junqing was furious, he knew that Yao Mowan wouldn''t let Yao Suluan off easily so he turned and left. Yao Suluan only dared to move once Ye Junqing had walked far away. Ye Junqing''s cold-blooded murderous re from just now had honestly frightened her. "Since Second Older Sister knows to be scared, you should just behave and stay in Pure Flowers Pce. Esteemed Prince''s temper is nowhere as good as Yao Mowan''s." Yao Mowan used a handkerchief to wipe the scratch on the back of her hand as she said this lightly. "Humph! Yao Mowan, you never expected this, right? Not only did this consort not die, this consort even managed to be promoted to noble consort again! How is it? Do you feel very disappointed?" Yao Suluan walked towards Yao Mowan like she was seeking death as she said this in an arrogant tone. "Rather than keeping you restrained in Pure Flowers Pce and allowing this pointless deadlock to continue, he''s chosen to temporarily win you over and keep you as a trusted aid. It had been within Mowan''s predictions that Ye Hongyi woulde up with this n, but Second Older Sister couldn''t have been stupid enough to think that Ye Hongyi is sincere in favoring you again, right?" Yao Mowan looked towards Yao Suluan with mockery in her eyes. "Why wouldn''t he be sincere? His Majesty and this consort are now ants on the same boat. His Majesty has no other choice!" Yao Suluan refuted Yao Mowan''s words confidently. At that time, she had spent so much effort to make Ye Hongyi finally understand this. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 18
Chapter 18: Edict Naming the Empress "Second Older Sister is truly adorably foolish. If His Majesty is sincere towards Second Older Sister, then why is he making Mowan empress?" Yao Mowan walked to Yao Suluan, taking in her glowingplexion with an amused smile. Yao Suluan was truly an uncrushable cockroach. However, it was fine. Fortunately, she hadn''t gotten tired of this cat and mouse game yet. "His Majesty''s going to make you empress? That''s not possible!" Yao Suluan''s eyes widened and she was so stirred up that her voice had be a little shrill. "Second Older Sister, if you don''t believe me, you can go ask His Majesty. Oh, I almost forgot. Father had died in the imperial prison. I hear that his death was very tragic," said Yao Mowan as if this had suddenly urred to her. "Humph! That old thing should''ve died a long time ago! You should be thanking this consort about this. If it weren''t for that infected rat, he wouldn''t have died so quickly." A burst of disgust appeared in Yao Suluan''s eyes when Yao Zhenting was brought up. Yao Mowan was silent. She suddenly felt a little pity for Yao Zhenting. Even if Yao Suluan hadn''t been valued, she was still a daughter of the main line and Yao Zhenting hadn''t treated her badly in this lifetime. As Yao Mowan watched Yao Suluan angrily leave the garden, she couldn''t help but shake her head. Why couldn''t Yao Suluan learn that a wise man submits to circumstances? Inside the imperial study, Ye Hongyi had just finished writing the edict to make Yao Mowan empress. Just as he was about to stamp it with the jade seal, he saw An Bingshan push open the door and enter. "Reporting, Your Majesty. Noble Consort Li is outside asking for an audience," reported An Bingshan respectfully as he flicked back his horsetail whisk. "Allow her to enter." Even though Ye Hongyi desired from the very bottom of his heart to just tear that woman apart, limb by limb, some of what Yao Suluan said did make sense. Rather than staying on guard against her all the time, it would be better to postpone their conflict for the time being. That way at least there''d be one less enemy. In reality, the oue they wanted was the same. It was just that their goal was different. Yao Suluan wanted to protect her life while he wanted to protect the stability of his throne. However, this didn''t mean that he had forgotten how Yao Suluan had cornered him back then. "This subject wife, Suluan, kowtows in salute to Your Majesty," said Yao Suluan gracefully as she curtsied. "You may rise. Why did youe here? Didn''t we say that if there wasn''t anything important, it''d be best if you didn''t enter the imperial study?" Ye Hongyi restrained the coldness in his eyes as he said this mildly. "This subject wife naturally came to see Your Majesty because there was something urgent." After Yao Suluan got up, she walked quickly to the dragon desk. When she lowered her eyes, she just happened to see the edict. "Your Majesty, are you really going to make Yao Mowan empress?" Yao Suluan reflexively swallowed hard, then looked towards Ye Hongyi in shock. "Why not?" replied Ye Hongyi. He wasn''t doing this in a moment of impulse. "Your Majesty likes Mowan. This subject wife is well aware of that, but no matter what, Mowan is a fool. If Your Majesty names a fool empress, we''ll be theughingstock of all the other nations. All the citizens of great Chu will feel humiliated," said Yao Suluan earnestly. "It was the person you''re calling a fool that obtained a treaty of eternal friendly rtionship with the nation of Lon. This is an ability that not even you possess. We have already decided on this matter, so there''s no need for you to say any more about this." Ye Hongyi nced at Yao Suluan coldly, then moved to pick up the jade seal. "Eternal friendly rtionships¡­ Your Majesty! This proves that Yao Mowan isn''t a fool! Otherwise, how could she possibly think of something like that? Your¡­" "Enough! Yao Suluan, we have agreed to restore your freedom and give you the rank of noble consort, but that doesn''t mean you have the right to interfere with our decisions. We will not change our mind about making Wan er empress! You can withdraw!" Ye Hongyi looked towards Yao Suluan coldly. "But¡­" "Withdraw!" bellowed Ye Hongyi. The darkness that was whirling in the depths of his eyes made Yao Suluan once again sense eminent danger. Yao Suluan knew that it was not a good idea to question imperial authority so she turned around to leave. As she was about to step out of the study, she nced back and saw that Ye Hongyi had just pressed the jade seal onto the imperial edict. Her heart abruptly clenched like someone had wrung it. Drops of blood seemed to flow down. For the sake of the empress seat, she had spared no effort to scheme against Yao Moxin to make her fall in disgrace from that seat. However, she never imagined that after Yao Moxin died, a Yao Mowan would appear. This pair of sisters seemed to have been born to be her enemies. The next day, Yao Mowan''s feelings were honestly mixed when she got the edict that made her empress. "This old servant congrattes you, Empress! By His Majesty''s orders, the blueprint for Your Highness''s pce has already been finished and the construction will start in a few days. During this time period, we''ll have to trouble you with staying here for the time being. Once the new pce is built, Your Highness will be able to move into it right away!" said An Bingshan respectfully in an ingratiating manner. "But this consort doesn''t want to move. This consort has gotten used to this ce and doesn''t want to leave. Why don''t you tell His Majesty not to build a new pce after all? Wan er doesn''t want it." Yao Mowan blinked innocently as she looked towards An Bingshan, her childish voice filled with beseeching. "This old servant can''t make this decision. Your Highness, if there''s nothing else, this old servant will withdraw first." As An Bingshan took in Yao Mowan''s naive manner, he inwardly sneered. However, it wouldn''t be too bad to have a fool as empress. At the very least, she wouldn''t get involved in any of the things she shouldn''t get involved in. Once An Bingshan left, Yao Mowan threw the imperial edict to Ting Yue in disgust, then called Yin Xue out. "This consort wants to see Ming Yu tonight. Arrange for it," instructed Yao Mowan, her eyespletely cold. That night, when Ming Yu appeared in Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan waspletely taken aback. "How did you be so thin?" asked Yao Mowan worriedly when she saw how colorless Ming Yu''s face was and how her eyes were bulging out from malnutrition. "This servant thought that this servant would never have the chance to see Your Highness again. Since this chance to meet hase, Ming Yu will be bold and ask one thing of Your Highness." As Ming Yu spoke, she dropped to her knees while sobbing. "What exactly happened? Yin Xue, help her up." Yao Mowan looked towards Ming Yu with heartache and concern. "Your Highness, if you don''t agree to it, this servant will die before she gets up." When Yao Mowan saw that Ming Yu would not be swayed about this, she indicated for Yin Xue to return to her side. "Speak." Yao Mowan nodded slightly. "Ming Yu knows that she doesn''t have much longer to live, but Ming Yu can''t ept this! Why is An Bingshan able to live, unfettered byw despite all the people that he hurt, but Hong Mei and my other pitiful sisters have to die so tragically? This servant only asks that Your Highness will allow this servant to see An Bingshan get his retribution while this servant is still alive. This servant only begs this of you, Your Highness!" Ming Yu sobbed as she knocked her head hard against the ground in imploring kowtows. "This consort owes you this, so don''t worry, this consort will definitely allow you to see An Bingshan''s tragic end while you are still alive. What has happened during this time? How did you end up in such a state?" asked Yao Mowan with heartache in her voice. "Replying Your Highness, during this time as Your Highness headed to Lon with the esteemed prince, Consort Li somehow managed to regain imperial favor. After regaining favor, the first thing Consort Li did was seek out this servant for revenge. This servant had no choice but to beg An Bingshan to change this servant''s position and in a strange twist of fate, he actually transferred this servant to the pill refining room. "Perhaps it is fate. Although this servant was able to escape Consort Li''s retaliation, a big ident urred in the pill refining room. There was a huge issue with the batch of pills An Bingshan refined this time. All the pce maids that tested the medicine died. Even the pce maids like me who were only in charge of refining the pills were poisoned. To prevent this matter from reaching His Majesty''s ears, not only did An Bingshan have those dead pce maids secretly transported out of the imperial pce to be buried, he locked all of us up as well. Without his permission, we can''t take a single step out of the pill refining room. "Ming Yu knows that she didn''t have long to live and originally wanted to stake it all and take An Bingshan''s life, but An Bingshan was afraid of also being poisoned so he hasn''t taken a single step into the pill refining room. This servant could not get any chances¡­" Tears spilled down Ming Yu''s cheeks and her voice choked with sobs as she voiced this truth. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 19
Chapter 19: Do You Want Him to Die? "An Bingshan actually dares topletely treat human life as grass!? Ming Yu, don''t worry, within ten days, this consort will get revenge for Hong Mei and those innocent pce maids. We will make it so An Bingshan wishes that he was dead. As for you, don''t go back there anymore. Yin Xue, help her leave the imperial pce and get medical treatment," said Yao Mowan with cold determination. "Ming Yu thanks Your Highness''s good intentions, but Ming Yu can''t leave the pill refining room. An Bingshan sends someone to take a headcount of the people every day. If he finds out that this servant is missing, he''ll definitely be put on guard. This would be detrimental to Your Highness''s n." Ming Yu looked towards Yao Mowan gratefully but rejected her good intentions. "But if you go back, you''ll definitely die!" said Yao Mowan worriedly. Ming Yu was currently already so thin that she was practically skin and bones. "In the end, this servant still owes Hong Mei a life. It doesn''t matter if this servant dies. As long as this servant is able to personally witness An Bingshan''s execution, even if this servant dies, it will be with no regrets," said Ming Yu firmly. Yao Mowan knew that she wouldn''t be able to persuade Ming Yu, so she could only instruct Yin Xue to help Ming Yu back. That night, Yao Mowan wasn''t able to sleep at all¡­ The next day, as Yao Mowan was dragging her weary body out of her bedroom, it was just in time to see Ting Yue rush in. "Your Highness, it''s bad! The esteemed prince insists on going to His Majesty to report An Bingshan''s wrongdoings. Yin Xue is currently stopping him, but she probably can''t hold on for much longer." Ting Yue''s words immediately jolted Yao Mowan out of her listlessness and she rushed out of Guan Osprey Pce to head straight towards the east wing. "Stop! You guys¡­ Ah!" The moment Yao Mowan opened the doors, she saw something ck fly towards her face. Before she had a chance to react, there was a sharp pain from her forehead, then her vision went dark. When Ye Junqing and Yin Xue saw Yao Mowan lying on the ground, her face covered with ink, they immediately stopped fighting and timidly walked over. "Yin Xue, you were the one that threw the ink b, right?" asked Ye Junqing quietly. Yin Xue didn''t say anything and just nced towards Ye Junqing''s ink-stained palm. "Uh¡­" Ye Junqing reflexively pulled his hand inside his sleeve as his face flushed. In front of the copper mirror, Yao Mowan had both legs propped up on the dressing table as she gently pressed a block of ice that was wrapped with white cotton fabric against her forehead. "On the left, harder! Prince, did you not eat lunch? You don''t even have as much strength as a woman." Yao Mowan shook her head in disdain as she looked in the mirror at Ye Junqing''s extremely unwilling expression. "The right side. Be more gentle! It looks like Prince doesn''t need to eat dinner tomorrow either," said Yao Mowan angrily. "Enough already!" The anger that Ye Junqing had been suppressing this entire time finally exploded. "Who''s this attitude directed towards? It couldn''t be towards thisdy who had fallen unconscious for an entire four hours after you threw something at her, right?" Yao Mowan lifted the ice away from her forehead as she turned to re at Ye Junqing. "This prince has already apologized for that. Can''t you let it go already? Furthermore, this prince hadn''t done that on purpose." Ye Junqing''s voice weakened when he saw Yao Mowan''s wronged expression. "Prince, if someone said that it wasn''t on purpose after they killed someone, would that make any difference?" refuted Yao Mowan. "But you haven''t died yet!" Ye Junqing waspletely speechless. "So Prince is hoping for Mowan to die!?" Yao Mowan''s eyes widened in a disbelieving glower. "¡­" Ye Junqing suddenly felt like keeping his mouth shut was currently the smartest choice. In these four hours, Ye Junqing had finallye to understand one thing. The massage job of hammering someone''s back wasn''t meant to be done by humans, especially when the recipient was Yao Mowan. Without extremely strong endurance, the person would definitely die from anger in the middle of it. Yao Mowan only showed mercy and told him to stop once it was time for dinner. "Prince, do you really want to see An Bingshan dead?" asked Yao Mowan lightly as she reached out for a dish. "This prince had personally seen him transport the corpses of five pce maids out of the pce. That castrate is seriously going too far! Could it be that even though his life is a life, other people''s lives are just grass?" bellowed Ye Junqing angrily. "In reality, if Prince wishes to get rid of that castrate, you could have juste to Mowan for help. He''s one of His Majesty''s most trusted aids. Prince, do you really think His Majesty would deal with this impartially?" reminded Yao Mowan kindly. "You''re finally willing to deal with An Bingshan?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan as he asked this probingly. "Prince has deliberately told Ting Yue that you were going to present a memorial to the emperor about An Bingshan, then with great fanfare, caused such a huge disturbance. Prince''s goal wasn''t hard to guess." Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with a light smile. "No one likes women who are too smart¡­" Ye Junqing''s face turned red when he saw that Yao Mowan had already seen through his n. He admitted that everything he did was for the sake of attracting her attention, but it was because he believed that as long as Yao Mowan made a move, An Bingshan wouldn''t have any hope of surviving this incident. A pang of pain pulsed through Yao Mowan''s heart. Ha, it was true. Women who were too smart would only attract people''s envy! "Uh¡­ That wasn''t what this prince meant¡­" When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan had fallen silent, he immediately tried to exin himself. "Prince is not wrong. People do hate women who are too smart, but fortunately Mowan has never hoped for someone to like her," replied Yao Mowan with feigned iciness. "This prince¡­" "If Mowan didn''t remember wrong, Prince seems to know Honest Monastery''s Daoist Priest Jue Chen?" Yao Mowan didn''t give Ye Junqing a chance to exin and changed the topic. "Jue Chen''s aplete swindler! What are you bringing him up for?" Ye Junqing definitely knew him. He would recognize that liar even if that guy was already burned to ashes. If it weren''t for the fact that Jue Chen possessed a death exemption gold tablet, he would definitely beat that guy up until he had to search on the floor to find his teeth. "Evil people will naturally face viins even more evil. Jue Chen is a crucialponent in dealing with An Bingshan, so Mowan wants to see him tomorrow night. Mowan will leave this matter for Prince to handle. Mowan is certain that guy will only cooperate obediently if Prince personally head over." Yao Mowan''s voice was very low, but it was filled with unusual firmness. Ye Junqing couldn''t find any reason to refuse this request. Ye Junqing didn''t dare to say a single word even after Yao Mowan got up and left. However, as soon as Yao Mowan left, Ting Yue didn''t bother to be polite and started clearing the table. "What are you doing?" This prince hasn''t finished eating yet?" Ye Junqing lifted his brows as he looked towards Ting Yue. "Ting Yue is Her Highness''s servant. Since Her Highness has finished eating, Ting Yue must naturally clear the table. Ting Yue is not responsible for other people." As Ting Yue replied, she had already poured all the food on the table into the leftovers container. "How can this prince count as other people?" Ye Junqing had always thought that after staying in Guan Osprey Pce for so long, he had already be an integral part of Guan Osprey Pce. "This servant doesn''t know if Prince counts as other people, this servant only knows that a master who''s intelligent and kind like Her Highness is someone that everyone likes." Ting Yue sounded quite outraged on Yao Mowan''s behalf. "That''s right! Prince likes her too!" said Ye Junqing loudly as he was struck by sudden realization. "But just now, Prince¡­" Ting Yue looked towards Ye Junqing in surprise. "This prince said the wrong thing earlier and is correcting it now, alright?" As Ye Junqing spoke, he nced towards the bedroom. After this period of time, he had alreadye to understand Yao Mowan''s temper. She was very stubborn, so it was best to stroke her fur in the right direction. "Ting Yue, reset the table for the esteemed prince." After Ye Junqing said that, a cold voice came from the bedroom. The next day, when Ye Junqing brought Jue Chen to Yao Mowan, Yao Mowan was hit with slight regret. Jue Chen who had been beaten to the point that he had two ck eyes, no matter how one looked at him, he didn''t seem to be a Daoist priest that was aloof from worldly sess. Even so, Yao Mowan had Jue Chen stay in Guan Osprey Pce for an entire night. Inside the imperial study, Ye Hongyi was looking towards Qing Long sternly. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 20
Chapter 20: Chatan Jue Chen "There is still no news?" "Replying Your Majesty, this subordinate has secretly sent people to investigate everything they can about Mystery Nation, but none of them found a single thing," reported Qing Long. "Send more people! The veil of this Mystery Nation must be uncovered! We want to see exactly who it was other than Qi and Shu that dared to try to hoard iron mines¡­ Cough cough¡­" Ye Hongyi''s indignant bellowing was cut off by an intense coughing fit. "Your Majesty, should we call the imperial physician?" asked Qing Long worriedly. "There''s no need, you can withdraw." As Ye Hongyi was dismissing Qing Long, An Bingshan ran in from outside. "Reporting, Your Majesty, Daoist Priest Jue Chen is waiting outside and said that there was something he needed to report to Your Majesty." An Bingshan''s shrill voice contained clear schadenfreude even as he respectfully bowed. "Jue Chen? Which Jue Chen?" Ye Hongyi leaned back in exhaustion onto the dragon seat as he asked this weakly. "Did Your Majesty forget? It''s the Daoist priest that thete Emperor had highly valued. In the past, he even secretly helped the second prince¡­" An Bingshan narrowed his eyes as he said this in reminder. "It''s him? He actually dared to step out of Honest Monastery? Is he not afraid that we''ll have him beheaded!? Have hime in!" Ye Hongyi''s face immediately filled with fury when he heard this. An Bingshan had predicted that his master would have this reaction and he eagerly stepped back out of the imperial study. Beneath the steps, a Daoist priest was standing majestically upright in a white gown. A few strands of silver-white hair fell over his forehead. As the autumn wind swept past, the Daoist robe lifted in waves in a scene that inspired admiration due to the aura of calmness in the face of the changes of the world that he gave off. His handsome looks made it seem as if he was an immortal that had arrived here by traveling on the wind. "Jue Chen ah, since we were once of the same school, this one will remind you that you''ve offended quite a few people when you ced the wrong bet during the five dragons struggle and one of those people is the victor of the five dragons struggle who is currently sitting inside the study. This one advises you to leave now and perhaps you''ll still be able to preserve your life." An Bingshan swung his horsetail whisk slowly as he walked to Jue Chen, his eyes narrowed with ridicule and amusement. "If Senior Brother had been able to say such sincere words before going in to deliver the news, Jue Chen would''ve definitely been moved to tears. But now¡­" Jue Chen nced at An Bingshan coldly as his lips curved in an icy smile. "Forget it, since you wish to seek death, this senior brother can''t stop you. This way then. His Majesty''s waiting for you!" An Bingshan flicked back his horsetail whisk and, following habit, bowed and extended his hand. "Senior Brother has truly been an eunuch for too long. Have you even forgotten how to walk normally? Then Jue Chen will teach you, so watch carefully!" Jue Chen lifted his horsetail whisk and straightened his back as he walked towards the imperial study withrge strides. "Jue Chen, you shouldn''t be so smug. Since you dared to actually leave Honest Monastery, I have the ability to make it so that you''ll never have a chance to return!" As An Bingshan watched Jue Chen walk with light, vigorous steps into the imperial study, he tried straightening his posture as well, but just as he was about to start walking, he found that he couldn''t remember which foot to step out with. Inside the imperial study, Ye Hongyi was currently sitting upright, his eyes dark as whirlpools as he glowered at the person in front of him. "This humble Daoist, Jue Chen, kowtows in salute to his emperor, may you live for ten thousands of glorious years." Jue Chen stood in front of the dragon desk respectfully as he bowed with his hands in front of him, his expression calm as the water of a well. "Your emperor? If we didn''t remember wrong, Daoist Priest Jue Chen has once said that we don''t have the fate to ever sit on this throne in this lifetime." Ye Hongyi looked at Jue Chen with cold, indignant fury. "At that time, this humble Daoist had read the heavenly phenomenons wrong. That was the only reason this humble Daoist ended up giving sor to the enemy and almost causing his emperor''s talents to not be recognized. This humble Daoist recognized his mistakes, which is why this humble Daoist sentenced himself to face his misdeeds in Honest Monastery when Your Majesty ascended to the throne and never appeared again before this day," replied Jue Chen withpleteposure. However, under his very strong front was a heart that was shaking like a windblown leaf. "Is that so? Daoist Priest couldn''t actually be thinking that a single sentence of having read the heavenly phenomenons wrong could make up for the great crimes you hadmitted back then?" From the very moment Jue Chen stepped in the door, Ye Hongyi had been thinking this entire time which form of execution would deal Jue Chen the most suffering. "This humble Daoist knows that he hasmitted crimes and doesn''t hope to gain Your Majesty''s magnanimous forgiveness. However, there is one matter that this humble Daoist cannot keep silent about. A few days ago when this humble Daoist was observing the heavenly phenomenons, he saw the cmity star shift positions and Pris dimed by a cloud of dust, so this humble Daoist destroyed his own cultivation as the price to divine the future for Your Majesty and found that Your Majesty will be facing a great crisis in theing days. If it is not resolved, Your Majesty may not have much longer to live!" eximed Jue Chen solemnly. "Audacious! You actually dare to spread your lies here and curse the current emperor! Your Majesty, this person is simply full of lies! This old servant will drag him out right now to be beaten!" At the side, An Bingshan instantly stepped forward and shouted this sternly. "That''s exactly what we were thinking! Guards¡­" "Your Majesty,tely, haven''t you been often feeling tired to the point you don''t have enough strength to get things done? You would often cough and have phlegm in your throat? There''d be bouts of dizziness and you''d find it hard to focus on things? And in particr, there''s ck blood collecting in the palm of your right hand?" Just as Ye Hongyi was going to call the guards in, Jue Chen a series of questions in a firm tone. "He''s trying to mislead with lies! Your Majesty, you can''t allow yourself to be tricked by him! You shouldn''t forget how he had managed to trick an entire bowl of blood from you with his flowery words to thete emperor!" The instant An Bingshan heard the symptoms Jue Chen described, his heart plunged. These were the symptoms of the poisoned pce maids in the pill refining room. How did Jue Chen find out about it? An Bingshan was worried about losing the emperor''s trust, so even though he knew that thetest batch of pills were poisonous, he still delivered them to His Majesty as scheduled. Although the pills wouldn''t take His Majesty''s life, it would still damage the dragon physique. An Bingshan had been worried that these matters would reach His Majesty''s ears, which was why he had been secretly disposing of the pce maids who had died from testing the medicine and kept the pce maids who were still alive locked up. Now that these symptoms hade out from Jue Chen''s mouth, An Bingshan was naturally terrified. "Whether this is simply lies or not, this humble Daoist believes that His Majesty naturally has an answer. Of course, if Your Majesty doesn''t trust this humble Daoist''s ability, this humble Daoist is willing to prove himself in front of Your Majesty." Jue Chen fixed his robe a little, then looked towards Ye Hongyi solemnly. "Your Majesty!" An Bingshan wanted to interrupt, but Ye Hongyi stopped him. "Alright. We''d like to see what abilities Daoist Priest has gained during thest five years in which we haven''t seen each other. How about wemand you to divine the esteemed prince, Ye Junqing''s current situation?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Jue Chen sternly with skepticism. The reason Ye Hongyi chose Ye Junqing was because he was sure that even if everyone in the pce could be coborating with Jue Chen, Ye Junqing was the only one who''d never do that. This was because back then, he wasn''t the only one tricked by Jue Chen to offer Imperial Father a bowl of blood, Ye Junqing had been forced to as well. It was onlyter that Ye Hongyi found out that due to one sentence from Jue Chen, after he left, a bowl of blood had forcefully been taken from Ye Junqing. After that Ye Junqing had been unconscious for three days and almost died. "Please wait a moment, Your Majesty." After obtaining thismand, Jue Chen started waving his horsetail whisk as he walked back and forth in the imperial study while muttering a chant. After a few minutes, when there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead, he stopped. "Reporting Your Majesty, this humble Daoist has found that the esteemed prince is in the imperial pce, in the southwest direction," said Jue Chen, slightly out of breath. "The esteemed prince has already been staying in Guan Osprey Pce for a long time. Everyone within the pce knows about this, so is there a need for you to even divine something like this?" said An Bingshan with a snort. "Is that all?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Jue Chen coldly. "This humble Daoist has also divined that the esteemed prince will face a water misfortune at half past noon," replied Jue Chen confidently. "Half past noon? Isn''t that around now? A water misfortune? What do you mean?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Jue Chen with interest, his eyes shining with strange light. "Your Majesty, forgive this humble Daoistck of ability, but all that this humble Daoist had been able to divine was that Esteemed Prince had misfortune with water. This humble Daoist is still not capable of divining much of the details," replied Jue Chen humbly. "Arrange for a pnquin to Guan Osprey Pce!" Ye Hongyi''s slender eyes narrowed slightly as he got up and walked past the dragon desk to pass by Jue Chen. "If your divination is urate, we will let bygones be bygones and confer you a post in the pce. However, if your divination is off¡­" Jue Chen''s heart was already shaking uncontrobly as he took in that dark ruthless smile on Ye Hongyi''s face, but he maintained apletely tranquil expression. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 21
Chapter 21: Fellow Disciples Who are as Ipatible as Fire and Water Once Ye Hongyi left, An Bingshan quickly walked over to Jue Chen. "How did you know about those symptoms?" demanded An Bingshan through gritted teeth. "Senior Brother wishes to know?" Even though Jue Chen was terrified for his life right now, he was still indescribably pleased to see the fear and unease on An Bingshan''s face. "Hurry and up answer!" pressed An Bingshan impatiently. "Jue Chen refuses. Senior Brother, you shouldn''t forget, back then if it weren''t for you, how could the second prince and Jue Chen have lost so badly?" When Jue Chen recalled the past, intense hatred filled his eyes. "That incident was the empress, Yao Moxin''s idea. This one was only¡­" An Bingshan reflexively tried to exin himself, but Jue Chen''s smile only grew colder. "Was only what? Adding momentum? Humph! Back then, Yao Moxin had deliberately left the second prince a road of retreat. It was you, damned castrate, that insisted on exterminating him, which was what led to the second prince dying under a ''misfired'' arrow. Jue Chen will definitely make sure vengeance is gotten for the second prince! However, right now shouldn''t Eunuch An be leading the way? If His Majesty loses his patience, you won''t be able to take the consequences!" Jue Chen glowered at An Bingshan as he said this, his tone as cold as ice. "You shouldn''t be so smug. There''s no way your divination will be that urate!" An Bingshan angrily flung back his sleeves and hurried to catch up with Ye Hongyi. Jue Chen knew from An Bingshan''s slightly flustered steps that he was scared. Forget it. If he was able to ughter An Bingshan, this bastard, even if the cost was his own life, it would be worth it. Outside Guan Osprey Pce, before Ye Hongyi even stepped inside, he could already hearughter. "Ting Yue, hurry ande! There''s a drowned rat here! Haha! Humph! You''re always bullying Wan er, and now you got retribution! Hahaha!" Inside the courtyard, Yao Mowan was pointing at Ye Junqing who was drenched whileughing with her other hand pressed against her belly. "Empress, please conduct yourself with dignity!" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan indignantly as he clenched the hems of his wet garments with suppressed fury. "Humph! This consort insists onughing! Ting Yue, Liu Xing,ugh at him with this consort! He''s a grown man, but he actually fell into theke! He''s seriously stupid! Hahaha¡­" Since Yao Mowan had given themand, Ting Yue and Liu Xing naturallyplied and startedughing loudly with her. "You guys! You guys are going too far! This prince will¡­" Just as Ye Junqing was about to hit them, Ye Hongyi suddenly appeared in Guan Osprey Pce. "Junqing ah, no matter how much Wan er is in the wrong, she''s still our empress, the mother of the nation. No matter what you shouldn''t get violent towards her!" Ye Hongyi slowly walked over to pull Yao Mowan into his arms. When his gazended on Ye Junqing, he couldn''t help but be astonished. "Esteemed Prince¡­ How did you end up like this?" An Bingshan inhaled sharply the instant he saw that Ye Junqing''s body was covered with water. "That''s right. Junqing, you''ve always been very careful, how did you end up in such a wretch state?" Ye Hongyi was also very curious about the reason. "Replying Your Majesty¡­ As this subject brother was passing by Jade Lake, this subject brother saw a garment floating on theke and thought that someone had fallen into the water, so¡­ This subject brother never expected that it was actually the empress''s prank!" said Ye Junqing angrily as he looked towards Yao Mowan. "Oh? Wan er, what''s going on?" Ye Hongyi hadn''t visited Guan Osprey Pce a single time since he had made Yao Mowan empress. It wasn''t because he didn''t miss the beauty in his arms but that, just as Jue Chen had said, there were some things in which he currently had the will but not the strength. "Your Majesty¡­ Wan er just wanted to test for Your Majesty whether Esteemed Prince had sympathy. Yup, he does!" exined Yao Mowan with apletely straight face. "Your Majesty!" When Ye Junqing heard this, his anger immediately soared up again. "Enough. Junqing wouldn''t be as petty as to bicker with Wan er, right? Oh, and Junqing, take a look at this person?" As Ye Hongyi looked over at Jue Chen, he saw that Jue Chen was currently hiding being An Bingshan''s back. "Jue Chen, hurry ande greet the esteemed prince!" asked Ye Hongyi spoke, he kept his eyes fixed on Jue Chen to observe the two''s reactions. "Ahem¡­ This humble Daoist Jue Chen kowtows in salute to¡­ Ah!" Just as Jue Chen was bowing, he felt a burst of cool wind in front of him. In the next second, he felt like his nose had copsed in on itself as blood poured out. "You swindler! You actually dare to step out of Honest Monastery!? You''re the one that came seeking your own death!" Ye Junqing hadn''t bothered to say a single word before punching Jue Chen''s nose. However, he still didn''t feel satisfied and stormed forward to lift Jue Chen by his cor. "Stop! Ye Junqing, do you even bother to show any respect for us!?" shouted Ye Hongyi in feigned indignance. "Your Majesty! Did you forget how he had once misled everyone with lies? How he had Imperial Father take your and Junqing''s blood? It''s rare that he''s finally dared to take a step out of Honest Monastery, so if Junqing doesn''t beat him up until he has to scrambled on the floor to find his teeth, Junqing can''t be called a man!" replied Ye Junqing angrily. He took advantage of this moment while Ye Hongyi was taken aback to punch Jue Chen again, causing Jue Chen''s incisor to fly out with a trail of blood. "Your Majesty¡­ please save me!" At this moment, Jue Chen truly tasted what it was like to be beaten to the point his teeth fell into his stomach. "Enough, Junqing. Jue Chen is the state preceptor that we have invited! Stop being so disrespectful!" Ye Hongyi''s words stunned everyone present. "Your Majesty, he''s a liar!" reminded Ye Junqing indignantly. "Your Majesty, the esteemed prince is right. This person can''t be allowed to¡­" An Bingshan never expected for Ye Hongyi to actually make Jue Chen the state preceptor and his heart chilled with fear. "All of you, shut up! We can naturally tell whether he''s a liar or not. Jue Chen, the current empress is right here, so help divine the empress''s fate. We wish to know the empress''s fortune!" shouted Ye Hongyi. "This humble Daoist will do as you bid." Jue Chen had no choice but to use his sleeve to wipe the blood off his face before walking respectfully to Yao Mowan. "Your Majesty¡­" Yao Mowan reflexively backed away and ducked timidly into Ye Hongyi''s arms. "Wan er, don''t be scared. We''re just having him divine your fate a little, it''ll be fine!" As Ye Hongyi spoke, he opened Yao Mowan''s palm and lifted it in front of Jue Chen. Jue Chen examined the features on Yao Mowan''s palm carefully, lifting his brows and eximing in surprise from time to time. In the end, he actually fell to the ground and began prostrating himself while calling her the phoenix master. Yao Mowan couldn''t stop her brows from lifting when she saw Jue Chen''s exaggerated behavior. "Jue Chen, what do you mean by this?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Jue Chen in confusion. "Replying Your Majesty, based on the lines of Her Highness, the empress''s palm, Her Highness is the phoenix master decreed by the Mandate of Heaven, a life that is extremely precious. Forgive this humble Daoist for being too talkative, but with the empress presiding over the inner pce, great Chu will definitely have eternal prosperity!" said Jue Chen earnestly. "As the empress, of course her life is extremely precious¡­" muttered An Bingshan quietly. "Chatan!" Ye Junqing snorted. "Your Majesty, this Guan Osprey Pce definitely contains an omen¡­ Wait a little¡­" Jue Chen squinted slightly, his brows furrowed. He pressed his fingers together as he worked on divining the direction and gradually ended up making his way towards the swing in the pear garden. "Your Majesty, if this humble Daoist didn''t make a mistake in the divination, then there is definitely an omen beneath here!" said Jue Chen firmly. "Guards! Dig!" Ye Hongyi''s expression was serious and he nced down meaningfully at Yao Mowan who was in his arms. At this time, the guards had already gotten iron picks to start digging. "Careful! If Heaven''s omen is damaged, it''ll cause terrible misfortune!" said Jue Chen hastily. The guards naturally understood the risks of this and immediately dropped the iron picks to start digging by hand instead. After a few minutes, a guard suddenly eximed in surprise. "I see it! I see it!" Everyone surrounded him upon hearing this to find that an enormous lingzhi mushroom had been unearthed. Its outer shell was violet ck with a faint luster and white steam was currently emerging from it. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 22
Chapter 22: The Lingzhi Growing in the Ground "How strange! Why is there a lingzhi growing in the soil?" eximed Ting Yue softly in surprise. Pfff! Right at this time, Jue Chen suddenly coughed a mouthful of blood. He staggered, then fell to the ground. "How could this be? Guards, hurry and help Daoist Priest up!" When Ye Hongyi saw this, he immediately instructed the guards to help Jue Chen over to him. "Your Majesty¡­ For the sake of gaining Your Majesty''s trust, this humble Daoist has revealed Heaven''s ns¡­ So now this humble Daoist''s life has been shortened due to the wrath of Heaven¡­ This lingzhi glows with violet light. It is an extremely auspicious omen, a great sign of prosperity! Your Majesty must move it to Central Dragon Pce and carefully cultivate it. It will definitely guarantee longevity for Your Majesty for as long as the Heavens exist¡­" After Jue Chen forced out these words, he immediately fell unconscious. "Daoist Priest! Guards! Hurry and carry the Daoist priest over to the imperial hospital!"manded Ye Hongyi, his face filled with worry. Once the guards carried Jue Chen out of Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Hongyi immediately instructed the gardeners to move the lingzhi into a porcin pot of the highest quality and carry it to Central Dragon Pce. During dinner, Yao Mowan, who had gone through a lot today, leaned back tiredly on the chaise lounge as she gently stroked Fluffy''s fur. "A lingzhi that big can''t even be found in the imperial pce, so how exactly did you get your hands on it?" Ye Junqing was sitting by the table and looking towards Yao Mowan in puzzlement. "Just because the imperial pce doesn''t have it doesn''t mean that Phoenix Feather Manor wouldn''t have it," replied Yao Mowan with a slight smile, her eyes sparkling. "Yan Nansheng''s sure pitiful¡­ In this prince''s opinion, even if Jue Chen has exhibited some extraordinary abilities today, His Majesty still wouldn''t fully believe in him." Ye Junqing could vividly imagine the scene of Yan Nansheng leaning weakly on a table as he vomited blood. He couldn''t help but sigh. "Of course not. Mowan''s waiting." Yao Mowan''s lips hooked in a smile as a shrewd light shed through her eyes. "Waiting for what?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan curiously. Right at this time, Yin Xue flew down with a ledger that was nearly half an inch thick. "Your Imperial Highness, the item you''ve been waiting for has arrived." As Yin Xue spoke, she ced the thick ount book down next to Yao Mowan. "Yes. Carry the side table over, and bring over this consort''s treasure too," instructed Yao Mowan as she sat up straight. When Yin Xue ced the gold abacus in front of Yao Mowan, Ye Junqing abruptly rose to his feet in stunned amazement. He walked over to her curiously. "What is this?" When Ye Junqing saw that the cover of the ledger had the words ''Yao Manifest Trade''s Silk Fabric Store, 23rd Year'', a guess started forming. "It''s time to calcte exactly how many assets Mowan possesses." Yao Mowan took the ount book as she gave the abacus a shake with her other hand. She started flipping through the ount book and her jade-like fingers flew on the abacus as gracefully as if she was stroking the strings of a zither. The resulting sound was crisp and melodious. It was only now that Ye Junqing noticed that the gold abacus actually contained beads made of abination of white jade, jadeite, and ss. That was why they made such a pleasant sound as they collided with each other. "This is Mangyuan''s ledger? There''s this much?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in disbelieving realization. "Is it bad to have more? If one day, Prince encounters trouble, you can consider seeking shelter with Mowan. With these assets, it''d be no trouble to guarantee the basics of food and clothing." "This prince has no interest in days of living while relying on someone else''s charity!" said Ye Junqing indignantly. "Then what kind of days is Prince living now?" Yao Mowan smiled lightly as her fingers continued to move rapidly like a smooth stroke of wind. Ye Junqing was at a loss for words, then he sullenly stormed off. The next day, when Jue Chen woke back up, the first thing he did was use his tongue to lick his teeth to make sure that he had swallowed the sack of blood he had previously squeezed between his teeth. "Daoist Priest is awake?" The gentle voice swept past his ears like the spring wind. Upon hearing this voice, Jue Chen looked over and was surprised to find an extremely beautiful face appear before him. "This humble Daoist¡­"Jue Chen was about to get up, but Yao Suluan gently pressed his shoulder to stop him. "Daoist Priest''s currently in poor health so there''s no need to worry about formalities." As Yao Suluan spoke, she lifted the teacup she was holding to his lips. "This humble Daoist¡­ is grateful for Your Highness''s empathy¡­" Jue Chen couldn''t help but gulp when he felt Yao Suluan''s fingers slowly massage his shoulder and his voice was hoarse when he spoke. "Suluan and Daoist Priest has also once had the fortune to meet a few times. When Suluan heard that Daoist Priest had fainted after vomiting blood yesterday, Suluan was so worried that she could not sleep, which is why Suluan has selfishly entered Remote Realm Courtyard to visit. It''s good that Daoist Priest is fine, otherwise Suluan''s heart would''ve¡­" Yao Suluan lowered her phoenix eyes slightly as her hand which was on Jue Chen''s shoulder seemed to reflexively stroke down towards his chest. "Jue Chen appreciates Noble Consort''s kindness." As Jue Chen spoke, he took the teacup with both hands and seemed to inadvertantly shift backwards slightly. "Since Daoist Priest is fine, Suluan will return to her pce for now ande visit againter." Yao Suluan knew that she couldn''t stay too long in Remote Realm Courtyard, so she unwillingly moved her hand away and turned to leave. As Jue Chen watched Yao Suluan walk out with swaying steps, he couldn''t help but exhale hard in relief. That was so close! He had barely managed to hold himself back." "Who are you¡­ Mmph¡­" Just as Jue Chen rxed, a figure suddenly shed past. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yin Xue was reporting everything she saw in full to Yao Mowan. "Tsk tsk, what a pity. Daoist Priest, how could you reject the beauty that was right in front of you?" Yao Mowan looked towards Jue Chen with a sincere expression ofment as she lifted her hand to indicate for him to rise. "This humble Daoist swears that this humble Daoist does not harbor any trace of covet for Noble Consort Li! Your Imperial Highness, please see the truth!" Jue Chen knew very well that Yao Suluan was the second older sister of the pestilence demon that was currently in front of him. Even if he wanted a woman, there was still no need to break ground on the local god''s territory. Ever since that night, Jue Chen had understood from the bottom of his heart that it would be better to die than to offend this great ancestor. As for what exactly happened that night, Jue Chen was determined to take it to his grave. "Why? Is Second Older Sister not pretty? She can''t enter Daoist Priest''s eyes?" asked Yao Mowan, her eyes widened in confusion. "No¡­" "That''s good then. Listen up, if Yao Suluan paws at you again, there''s no need to polite. Flowers that wish to be plucked should be directly plucked. There''s no need to end up waiting until all the flowers are gone and there''s only an empty branch to snap, understood?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she instructed this sternly. "This¡­ isn''t really good right?" Jue Chen lifted his eyes timidly as he looked towards Yao Mowan probingly. "Of course it''s good! Since Second Older Sister has that need, you should just fulfill her. If this consort hears that you pretended to be aloof from material pursuits again, you should prepare for a visit to the castration room! Some things, if not used, should just be gotten rid of." Yao Mowan looked towards Jue Chen, her expressionpletely serious. "This humble Daoist guarantees to satisfy Noble Consort Li!" Upon hearing this, Jue Chen immediately made this vow solemnly. "In five days, the violet light lingzi ced in Central Dragon Pce will show signs of wilting and it''ll gradually lose its luster. You know what to do at that time?" "This humble Daoist understands." Jue Chen nodded firmly. "Good. Yin Xue, send him back." Yao Mowan nced towards Yin Xue meaningfully. Yin Xue naturally understood what her master meant, so as she was bringing Jue Chen back to Remote Realm Courtyard, she first threw him into Jade Lake so that he could have a good long swim. Hence, when Jue Chen finally got back, he caught a chill that night and only got better the day that he received Ye Hongyi''s summon. In Central Dragon Pce, Ye Hongyi''s brows were tightly furrowed as he securitized the lingzhi that was by the window with a dark expression. "We wish to know why this lingzhi has be so withered?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Jue Chen angrily. The reason why Ye Hongyi hadn''t gone to look for Jue Chen since that day was because Jue Chen was once his imperial second older brother''s hanger-on after all. He couldn''t help but be apprehensive of making use of this past acquaintance without careful consideration. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 23
Chapter 23: Entering the Pce Was Worth It "How could this be?" Jue Chen quickly walked to the lingzhi, his brows furrowed as he muttered this worriedly. "Right now it''s His Majesty questioning you. What kind of answer is that?" Ever since Jue Chen had entered the room, An Bingshan''s stare had been fixed on Jue Chen. He wished he could just kill Jue Chen with his re. "Your Majesty, please wait for a moment. Allow this humble Daoist to take a moment to divine things." Jue Chen paid no attention to An Bingshan''s sneer and abruptly swung his horsetail whisk up. He walked around Central Dragon Pce a couple times, then finally stopped in front of the secret door. "Forgive this humble Daoist for saying something disrespectful, but there is something filthy in this Central Dragon Pce and it''s causing miasma to fill the air. This isn''t something the lingzhi can withstand!" Jue Chen worriedly paced back and forth in front of the hidden door as he said this inplete seriousness. "That''s shit! You¡­" An Bingshan was so furious and frightened that he forgot about Ye Hongyi''s presence and started cursing. "An Bingshan!" Ye Hongyi looked towards An Bingshan coldly. When An Bingshan saw that the dragon countenance was angered, he finally realized that he had lost control and immediately knelt down in front of Ye Hongyi. "Your Majesty, you must not listen to this swindler''s made up nonsense. Central Dragon Pce is the residence of the heavenly son, how could there be something filthy in here? It''s clearly because the lingzhi is unused to the environment, that''s why it''s wilting!" An Bingshan did his best to argue using logic. "Yes, this is also what we were thinking. Daoist Priest, do you find Eunuch An''s words unreasonable?" An Bingshan had served Ye Hongyi for many years, so Ye Hongyi didn''t look deeply into An Bingshan''s inappropriate outburst. "Your Majesty, if you don''t believe this humble Daoist, you can just move the lingzhi out of Central Dragon Pce. Fortunately, the root of the lingzhi hasn''t been damaged yet. This humble Daoist dares to guarantee with his own head that as long as the lingzhi leaves Central Dragon Pce, it''ll definitely start to flourish again," said Jue Chen firmly. "Your Majesty, why not move this lingzhi to this old servant''s room? This old servant will definitely look after it carefully," suggested An Bingshan. "Forgive this humble Daoist for being verbose, but the lingzhi is a celestial nt, how is it something that someone with the fate of a servant would be able to handle? If it''s moved to Eunuch An''s residence, it''ll probably die even faster." How could Jue Chen miss what An Bingshan was trying to do? He immediately spoke to prevent this. "Forget it, move it back to Guan Osprey Pce for now. You two can withdraw, we''re going to rest." Ye Hongyi felt a blunt pain pulsing behind his forehead, so he waved to dismiss the two, then walked into his bedroom. At this time, guards were already carrying the lingzhi out of Central Dragon Pce and Jue Chen was swaggering out with them. "Stop right there!" An Bingshan chased after him. "Eunuch An, do you have business?" Jue Chen lifted his brows as he looked towards An Bingshan. "Jue Chen! What exactly do you know?" There was no way An Bingshan would believe that Jue Chen had been standing where he had been due to coincidence. "Eunuch An words are so baffling that this humble Daoist doesn''t even know how to respond." Jue Chen looked towards An Bingshan with apletely confused expression even as a trace of pleasure shed through his heart. Being able to see An Bingshan so indignant but helpless made this trip back into the pcepletely worth it. "Stop trying to assume airs, out with it! What exactly is your motive ining to the imperial pce? For wealth and glory? If that''s the case, with your senior brother here protecting you, you''ll definitely be able to stay stably in your position as state preceptor!" An Bingshan voiced his offer. "It''s only thanks to having a senior brother like you that Jue Chen ended up so defeated. The second prince had been greatly benevolent towards Jue Chen, and if it weren''t for you, would the second prince have died so tragically? Eunuch, you''ve also been living in this world for a long time, so you should probably understand that blood debts must be paid in blood!" Jue Chen leaned over slightly by An Bingshan''s ear and slowly spoke, his every wording out with icy restrained hatred. "Do you think you even have the ability to do anything to me!? Humph!" An Bingshan flung back his sleeves and left angrily, but inwardly he was very uneasy. If it weren''t for the fact that an issue had urred with the pills, he wouldn''t be this scared. However, the emperor had already started taking this batch of pills. If he tried to get the pills back from His Majesty now, it''s definitely arouse His Majesty''s suspicions. Rather than do that, it''d be better to¡­ As Jue Chen watched An Bingshan leave, his lips hooked in a cold smile. As long as he could achieve his goal, he was willing to be used and he did sincerely feel grateful towards Yao Mowan. After three days, when Ye Hongyi appeared in Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was currently napping on the chaise lounge. Next to her, Fluffy and Jewel were also leaningzily against her chest and napping. As Ye Hongyi gazed at the little beauty on the chaise lounge, he reflexively walked over and reached out to stroke her delicate cheek with his slightly coarse finger. How long has it been since he had been near her body? Just this simple touch was enough to make his body stir, but he couldn''t. These recent days, his body had felt increasingly ufortable whenever he felt this heat. "Your Majesty¡­ You came!" Yao Mowan suddenly opened her eyes and her face glowed with her innocent, childish smile. It made Ye Hongyi feel even stronger of an urge to take her. "Yes¡­ We''vee to visit Wan er and also see how that lingzhi''s doing." Ye Hongyi forced down his impulse and moved his finger away as he turned to look towards the lingzhi that was by the window. When he saw that the lingzhi was emitting a faint violet glow like it had regained new life, his gaze turned cold. "Don''t worry, Your Majesty! Those gardenerse every day to give the lingzhi fertilizer. They take care of it really well! It''s a shame Wan er doesn''t know how to take care of it, otherwise Wan er would definitely take care of it personally for Your Majesty." Yao Mowan walked in front of Ye Hongyi as she said this cheerfully in her soft, sweet voice. "The gardeners are the only ones taking care of this lingzhi?" Ye Hongyi nced down at Yao Mowan as he asked this. "That''s right! Wan er didn''t even let Ye Junqing enter this room thesest two days!" Yao Mowan nodded as she said this seriously. "Why?" Ye Hongyi looked at her in confusion. "He''s always so clumsy. What if he ended up knocking over Your Majesty''s treasure?" replied Yao Mowan as if it was obvious. In reality, Yao Mowan was worried that someone with ulterior motives would try to use the revival of the lingzhi to say that Ye Junqing had the fate of an emperor. In this imperial pce, she had to be extremely careful. "Wan er is truly considerate¡­ We forgot that we still had something to deal with. You should sleep for a while more. We''lle again to keep youpanyter today." Ye Hongyi forced a slight smile, then patted Yao Mowan''s head before turning to leave Guan Osprey Pce. As Yao Mowan watched Ye Hongyi rush away, a strange smile appeared on her face. The stage has been set, and an exciting show was about to start. In the imperial study, Ye Hongyi threw the memorial on the table towards An Bingshan''s head. Dark anger swirled in his eyes. "Your Majesty, please investigate wisely! The pills that this old servant has refined do not have any issues! Their only effect is to guarantee Your Majesty''s longevity, there''s no way they can be anything filthy! Your Majesty, please don''t fall for that swindler''s lies! Your Majesty, don''t you remember? He was one of the second prince''s supporters. This old servant had been suspicious of his motive in entering the pce from the start and this old servant found through investigation that the second prince had once saved that swindler''s family. The reason he entered the pce this time is very likely for the sake of getting revenge for the second prince! Your Majesty, if you don''t get rid of this person, he''ll definitely cause disaster!" An Bingshan had predicted the fact that the lingzhi would recover, but he hadn''t expected for Ye Hongyi to react this strongly. "Revenge? Then why don''t you tell us how he''ll get revenge for Ye Mohan? Just by talking?" Ye Hongyi clearly didn''t believe An Bingshan''s exnation. "Your Majesty, please think about it. Why hadn''t that lingzhi appeared earlier orter and just happened to be discovered by him on the day he arrived? This old servant¡­" An Bingshan knelt on the ground, flustered. He knew very well that the only reason His Majesty had been generous to him all these years was because of the pill refining room. If there was something wrong with the pills, then he''d soon have to face death. "That''s because the imperial pce didn''t have any expert like this in the past! Do you think us a fool? We''ve already instructed for people to examine the lingzhi stalk. The gardeners told us that the lingzhi has lived in Guan Osprey Pce for at least three hundred years! Do you mean to tell us that Jue Chen has even bribed the gardeners into helping him trick us?" __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 24
Chapter 24: Swapped Out Pill "And we''ve looked into things. That gardener, since entering the pce at the age of ten, has always stayed in the greenhouse. He doesn''t even know who Jue Chen is! An Bingshan, what other excuses can youe up with now?" Ye Hongyi pped the table angrily. If it weren''t for the fact that he had been feeling severely dizzy and weak during this period of time, he wouldn''t have started worrying about the pills due to Jue Chen''s words either. "Your Majesty, in all these past years, this old servant has taken the upmost care with refining the pills for Your Majesty and personally overlooks every step of the process. This old servant also personally tries every batch of pills, there is definitely nothing wrong with them." An Bingshan hadn''t expected for Ye Hongyi to actually look into so much on his own and didn''t dare to mention Jue Chen again. "Then how do you exin the fact that ever since we started taking yourtest batch of pills, we''ve been feeling dizzy like we''re dreaming all the time? And even with matters of the bedchamber¡­ Go bring those pills over! Qing Long, go with him!" Ye Hongyi couldn''t voice his greatest concern so he just angrilymanded An Bingshan to bring the pills from Central Dragon Pce and sent Qing Long to go with him to prevent him from swapping out the pills. "This old servant will go right away," said An Bingshan fearfully, then he withdrew from the imperial study. Once An Bingshan left, Ye Hongyi sent someone to Remote Realm Courtyard to invite Jue Chen. Inside Remote Realm Courtyard, Yao Suluan was in a silk wide-necked garment that emphasized her slender neck and the beautiful snowy mounds in front of her chest. The sight of them caused Jue Chen to swallow hard. "Suluan heard that Daoists have a dual cultivation method. If Daoist Priest is willing, please teach Suluan a little. Is it like this? Or like this?" Yao Suluan rubbed Jue Chen''s chest with her fingertips, then slowly traced her way down while gently pushing his robe off his shoulders and down to his waist. Her coquettish voice was so sweet it made Jue Chen''s bones feel numb. Jue Chen had a clear motive in entering this pce and originally hadn''t wanted to get involved with this flower, but since Yao Mowan had given him instructions, there was naturally no need for him to be apprehensive of anything. "If Noble Consort Li wishes for it¡­ Jue Chen will definitely do his best to teach Noble Consort." Jue Chen''s voice had be low and hoarse. As of now, he had already pulled off Yao Suluan''s waist belt and was impatiently pulling apart theplicated outfit. When Yao Suluan saw that Jue Chen couldn''t hold on anymore, she leaned into his chest. Just as the two were about to enact a passionate y, urgent footsteps came from outside. The two panicked upon hearing the sound. Without even thinking about it, Yao Suluan grabbed her shoes and ducked under the bed. "His Majesty asks for State Preceptor toe to the imperial study!" reported the eunuch respectfully from outside the door. Jue Chen hastily fixed his robe before opening the door. "State Preceptor, this way please." The little eunuch started walking towards the imperial study, his posture slightly bowed. Jue Chen reflexively nced back beneath the bed, then closed the door and left. In a hidden area, Yao Mowan continued to wait until Yao Suluan snuck out of the room before turning to leave. "Your Imperial Highness, this servant doesn''t understand. Why exactly is Yao Suluan going as far as to use her body to curry favor with Jue Chen? Is she trying to have Jue Chen read her fate and change His Majesty''s opinion of her?" Ting Yue looked towards her master in confusion. "The conflict between her and His Majesty is already beyond saving. She knows this very clearly, so there''s no possibility of what you suggested happening. If this consort''s guess isn''t wrong, perhaps¡­ If that''s really the case, then this consort''s sister is truly bing more and more bold!" Yao Mowan''s lips curved upwards in a brilliant smile. Inside the imperial study, Ye Hongyi handed the pill An Bingshan was holding to Jue Chen. "Daoist priest, please take a look at the effects of this pill?" Ye Hongyi''s voice was respectfully soft and there was much less of that baleful expression in his eyes. Jue Chen suppressed the excitement in his heart as he epted the pill with both hands. However, after sniffing the pill, he was inwardly rmed. Based on Yao Mowan''s description, the pills that An Bingshan had recently refined were definitely poisonous, but although the pill he was currently holding wasn''t something that would extend a person''s lifespan, it wasn''t poisonous and couldn''t possibly cause a person''s death. There was no doubt, An Bingshan had definitely swapped out the earlier pills. "May the emperor live for ten thousands of glorious year!" Thoughts rapidly shed through Jue Chen''s mind, then he abruptly knelt down in front of Ye Hongyi while lifting the pill respectfully above his head. "Daoist Priest, what do you mean by this?" Ye Hongyi looked towards Jue Chen in confusion. "It is truly a great fortune that Your Majesty was able to obtain such good medicine!" Jue Chen''s wordspletely stunned An Bingshan to the point that his fearful trembling stopped. Based on his understanding of Jue Chen, there was no way Jue Chen could''ve missed the fact that this was apletely ordinary appetite increasing pill. In addition, it was made of the cheapest hawthorn. It had no value so to speak of. "Oh? What does State Preceptor mean by this?" Ye Hongyi nced at An Bingshan before settling his gaze on Jue Chen again. "If this humble Daoist''s guess isn''t wrong, this medicine is a longevity prescription made using the rarest ingredients in the world. Even if this humble Daoist was well-versed in this field, this humble Daoist wouldn''t necessarily be able toe up with such an exquisite recipe!" Jue Chen gave the pill a round of high praise. "Is this pill really as magical as Daoist Priest has said?" asked Ye Hongyi with lifted brows. "How could this humble Daoist dare to trick Your Majesty?" replied Jue Chen earnestly. "Yes, Daoist Priest truly has good eyes! Daoist Priest, you should settle down in the pce. We will soon have the imperial order to give Daoist Priest the post of state preceptor announced to the world!" Ye Hongyi''s mood greatly improved. After having Jue Chen withdraw, he said a few consoling words to An Bingshan beforemanding him to withdraw as well. After An Bingshan left the imperial study, the first thing he did was to go look for Jue Chen. "Why did you help me?" An Bingshan originally thought that Jue Chen would say that the medicine was useless. In that situation, he already had no hopes of escaping punishment, but the oue waspletely different from what he had been expecting. "What would I have done otherwise? Senior Brother thought that Jue Chen would take this chance to steal Senior Brother''s job? Jue Chen has no desire to work such a foul job," said Jue Chen as he ced his horsetail whisk on the table. "What I''m asking is why didn''t you take advantage of this chance to frame me? Don''t you want me dead?" An Bingshan was confused by Jue Chen''s attitude change. "Based on Senior Brother''s position in His Majesty''s heart, a little appetite increasing pill isn''t enough to call for Senior Brother''s life. In addition, Jue Chen had already told you, if you die, His Majesty will definitely insist on pushing the job of refining pills onto Jue Chen. Jue Chen has no interest in such risky andborious work." Jue Chen nced at An Bingshan in disinterest, but his heart was actually also pulsing with pain due to losing this chance. "It seems like you''re still as stupid as before and still insist on opposing me. Since that''s the case, there''s no need for me to repay this favor! Humph!" An Bingshan glowered at Jue Chen, then left angrily. That night when Jue Chen appeared in Guan Osprey Pce and saw that Ye Junqing was sitting there, he immediately retreated backwards several steps before looking towards Yao Mowan timidly. "What kind of attitude is that? Is this prince a tiger? Can this prince eat people alive?" Ye Junqing nced at Jue Chen. For once, his hands weren''t clenched into fists. "Prince isn''t a tiger but you still can eat people alive¡­" As Jue Chen mumbled this, he shifted another couple steps in Yao Mowan''s direction. "This consort wishes to know why you didn''t try to frame An Bingshan in front of His Majesty today?" There was no emotion in that clear voice. Yao Mowan looked calmly towards Jue Chen as she asked this question mildly. "Your Imperial Highness, the reason this humble Daoist did this was simply because this humble Daoist didn''t want to inadvertently alert the enemy. If this humble Daoist had exposed An Bingshan today, His Majesty may punish him, but he wouldn''t bear to kill him. If An Bingshan then swapped out the ingredients used in the refining room, we wouldn''t have any evidence to prove that the pills he made were poisonous anymore. This humble Daoist had no choice but to change Your Imperial Highness''s n on the spot." Jue Chen knelt on the ground as he replied honestly. "Prince has lost. Ting Yue, help this consort put away Prince''s me soul de carefully!" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with a slight smile. Ting Yue had already lifted the me soul de with both hands and was carrying it into Yao Mowan''s bedroom. "Crafty-tongued swindler!" said Ye Junqing between gritted teeth as he clenched his fists so hard his knuckles popped. Jue Chen didn''t understand what was going on but he still started trembling uncontrobly. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

Announcements~

~~~ Chapter Volume 3 25 Chapter 25: Antidote to the Pill ¡°You did very well, this consort had been negligent. This consort never thought that An Bingshan would swap out the pills so quickly. It¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re intelligent and understood how to adapt to the situation.¡± Yao Mowan nodded approvingly as a sharp light shed through her eyes. ¡°This humble Daoist is ttered by Your Imperial Highness¡¯s praise. However, after this incident, even if An Bingshan doesn¡¯t change the ingredients, he¡¯d still destroy those pills. At that time, won¡¯t it be extremely difficult for us to get evidence on him?¡± asked Jue Chen worriedly. ¡°That¡¯s not an issue. Yin Xue, hand the items to him.¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s red lips curved into a faint smile as Yin Xue handed the paper packet she was holding to Jue Chen. ¡°This is¡­ These are the ingredients for that pill?¡± eximed Jue Chen in surprise after sniffing at the package. ¡°This consort knows of your abilities. Those item evidences that An Bingshan has thrown away, we can have as much of them as we want, no?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Jue Chen meaningfully. ¡°This humble Daoist understands! Don¡¯t worry, Your Imperial Highness, this humble Daoist knows what to do!¡± Yao Mowan didn¡¯t see a single trace of hesitation on Jue Chen¡¯s face. ¡°This consort knows that those who refine this sort of pill will end up poisoned, aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Jue Chen in confusion. ¡°Since Jue Chen has chosen to enter the pce, Jue Chen naturally didn¡¯t expect to make it back out alive!¡± Jue Chen¡¯s usual deferential expression was now reced by an abnormally determined expression. ¡°Why?¡± Yao Mowan was more clear than anyone on Jue Chen¡¯s intentions, but she still asked. If she wanted to make Jue Chen one of her subordinates, the first thing she had to do was get rid of the bad blood between him and Ye Junqing. ¡°For the sake of getting revenge for the second prince! Jue Chen isn¡¯t afraid to say these greatly disrespectful words because they are the truth! Although His Majesty had given a decree for the second prince to be killed, the empress was benevelent and left a road of retreat for the second prince. However, that loathsome An Bingshan wanted to gain merit and privately sent people to lie in ambush which led to the second prince dying from being hit by arrows.¡± ¡°A loyal subject does not serve a second master. Jue Chen had hid helplessly in Honest Monastery to wait for the day that therees a chance to get revenge for the second prince! Jue Chen knows that he doesn¡¯t have the ability to kill His Majesty, but Jue Chen will never let off An Bingshan, that lowly bastard! Jue Chen swears that as soon as An Bingshan dies, Jue Chen will willingly take whatever punishment Esteemed Prince wishes to charge and would feel no resentment even if it¡¯s death!¡± Jue Chen¡¯s words stunned Ye Junqing. ¡°What did you say? Back then¡­ Back then, Moxin intended to let Imperial Second Older Brother off?¡± Ye Junqing abruptly got up and grabbed Jue Chen¡¯s cor with both hands, his eyes shining with bright light. He had always believed that for Ye Hongyi, Moxin was willing to do anything, so there were some things that he had kept hidden inside his heart without voicing, but they still troubled him. ¡°How could Jue Chen dare to lie to Esteemed Prince and Your Imperial Highness? Back then, Empress Yao had secretly sent someone to pass Jue Chen a message, but sadly, human ns could not hold up to Heaven¡¯s ns. Second Prince did not have enough fortune. However, Jue Chen has never forgotten Empress Yao¡¯s grace.¡± Tears were brimming in Jue Chen¡¯s eyes and his voice became choked and hoarse. ¡°So it was like that¡­ Things had been hard for Moxin¡­¡± Ye Junqing released Jue Chen, then staggered back to his chair. He felt like his heart was thrown into a thousand mile stretch of thorny bramble that tore and ripped at his flesh. He should¡¯ve known that a woman like Moxin would never so something so ruthless and cruel! ¡°There¡¯s no need to refine this medicine. This consort will think of some other way to create evidence.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but recall the past. Even though she had wanted to save him, but in the end, she had still failed to preserve Ye Mohan¡¯s life. ¡°There¡¯s no need for Your Imperial Highness to do that. Jue Chen is capable of refining the antidote,¡± said Jue Chen confidently even as he looked towards Yao Mowan gratefully. ¡°Really? If that¡¯s truly the case, you¡¯d be able to save several more lives. Take the items. Yin Xue, send him back.¡± Yao Mowan nodded approvingly. Just as Yin Xue was about to leave with Jue Chen, Yao Mowan added another exhort. ¡°Remember what this consort has said. Flowers that wish to be plucked should be directly plucked. This is one of this consort¡¯spensation for you.¡± Jue Chen¡¯s cheeks immediately flushed red when he heard what Yao Mowan said. Once Jue Chen left, Yao Mowan turned to look towards Ye Junqing. A trace of faint sorrow shed through her eyes. Originally she hadn¡¯t wanted to make Jue Chen mention past events, but the only way to make Ye Junqing hate Jue Chen less was to make him understand Jue Chen¡¯s motive in living. And who knows? Perhaps one day Jue Chen will be Ye Junqing¡¯s trusted aid. ¡°Prince, are you that touched? Never thought that the woman you loved actually had a ss heart?¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with a teasing smile. ¡°Moxin has always had a ss heart, not like a certain someone.¡± Ye Junqing restrained the sorrow in his eyes and gave a cold humph. ¡°Oh really? Then what must Mowan do to make Prince feel that Mowan is also a kindhearted person?¡± Yao Mowan propped up her cheek as she looked towards Ye Junqing with interest. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to give the me soul de back to this prince¡­¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Mowan suddenly feels that bing a kindhearted person isn¡¯t Mowan¡¯s goal. It¡¯s ratherte, Mowan¡¯s going to rest so Prince, make yourself at home!¡± Yao Mowan gave a soft cough, then got up and headed towards her bedroom. ¡°You¡¯re leaving just like this? Then what about this prince¡¯s me soul de?¡± Ye Junqing hastily got up and asked this loudly. ¡°That¡¯s not Prince¡¯s me soul de, it¡¯s Mowan¡¯s. Prince, please pay attention to your choice of words.¡± As Yao Mowan nced back, her lips curved. That one smile was so captivating, it made the rest of the world lose color. Ye Junqing couldn¡¯t help but be stunned in ce. It was only when the room doors closed that he finally snapped out of it. ¡°Isn¡¯t her heart way too ck¡­¡± muttered Ye Junqing indignantly, but he could do nothing except turn and leave. When Yao Mowan saw Ming Yu again, she abruptly stood up as tears filled her eyes. Ming Yu¡¯s facial color was nowpletely ashen and her hands were so withered they were like sticks as her eyes bulged out. It was clear that the poison had attacked her vitals. ¡°This servant Ming Yu¡­ kowtows in salute to Your Imperial Highness¡­¡± When Yao Mowan saw that Ming Yu wanted to kneel, she immediately walked forward to personally help Ming Yu to the table. ¡°Yin Xue, bring the medicine over!¡± As Yao Mowan spoke to urge Yin Xue, Yin Xue had already ced the antidote that Jue Chen refinedst night in Yao Mowan¡¯s hand. ¡°Your Imperial Highness¡­¡± Ming Yu wanted to speak, but Yao Mowan stopped her. ¡°Eat this first.¡± As Yao Mowan spoke, she ced the pill in Ming Yu¡¯s mouth, then poured a cup of water and brought that to Ming Yu¡¯s lips. ¡°Many thanks, Your Imperial Highness¡­ It¡¯s just that Ming Yu understands the condition of this body well. There¡¯s probably not many more days left. Ming Yu has heard about what happened that day. This servant had been useless for not discovering that An Bingshan had secretly swapped out the pills, that¡¯s what ended up causing Your Imperial Highness¡¯s n to fail. This servant deserves to die¡­¡± Tears spilled out of Ming Yu¡¯s eyes and her voice was choked with sobs. ¡°Sometimes misfortune is a blessing in disguise. This consort has promised you that this consort would definitely allow you to personally witness An Bingshan¡¯s downfall!¡± said Yao Mowan firmly. ¡°Master, look!¡± Yin Xue was shocked by Ming Yu¡¯s transformation, then delight filled her eyes. ¡°Go get a copper mirror!¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s lips hooked in a smile even as tears glimmered faintly in her eyes. When Ming Yu saw that herplexion was now as radiant as it was in the past, she was so happy that she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from overflowing. ¡°This servant kowtows in thanks to Your Imperial Highness¡¯s great grace!¡± The current Ming Yu had healthy flushed cheeks and her eyes were filled with spirited light. Her previously withered hands once again had a healthy glow, illustrating how truly magical the effect of the antidote Jue Chen had refined was. ¡°Rise to speak. Yin Xue, give the antidotes to Ming Yu,¡± instructed Yao Mowan. ¡°Your Imperial Highness, these antidotes?¡± Ming Yu looked toward Yao Mowan in confusion. ¡°The time for your revenge has arrived. Once you get back, give these antidotes to the poisoned pce maids, then tell An Bingshan that his prescription and ingredient amounts of those pills arepletely fine. Understand what this consort means?¡± Yao Mowan spoke solemnly even as her eyes shone with expectant light. ¡°Your Imperial Highness means¡­ to have us continue refining medicine through this method? We¡¯ll be fine since we¡¯ve eaten the antidote and An Bingshan would start to visit the pill refining room regrly again, so¡­ Your Imperial Highness is truly farsighted and wise!¡± eximed Ming Yu excitedly. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 3 26
Chapter 26: He''s Fallen for the Trap "We''ll give him a dose of his own medicine. The Heavens clearly don''t want to allow An Bingshan to die so easily, so this consort is simply following the Heavens'' will." Yao Mowan smiled faintly. Just as Yao Mowan had predicted, just as An Bingshan was about to secretly get rid of the pce maids in the pill refining room, he discovered that over the course of one night, theplexions of the pce maids had regained their glow and they even seemed much younger. "Ming Yu, what exactly is going on?" An Bingshan called Ming Yu over while looking in confusion at the pce maids who were rushing about working. "Replying Eunuch An, this servant doesn''t know either. Things have been like this since the moment we woke up. This servant''s guess is that the pills you''ve made this time are finally taking effect. Although we servants had shown signs of withering previously, perhaps that was simply part of the process! When this servant checked the mirror today, this servant felt at least seven years younger!" replied Ming Yu excitedly, her eyes shining. "Part of the process? Could it be that prescription was the real thing¡­" An Bingshan sank into his own thoughts andpletely missed the hidden coldness in Ming Yu''s eyes. "If Eunuch doesn''t have anything else, this servant still needs to head back to refining the medicine. Oh right, is there a need to change the ingredients of this batch?" asked Ming Yu, seemingly offhandedly. "For the time being¡­ For the time being, don''t change it." Although An Bingshan had his doubts, but he couldn''t deny the reality in front of him. When Ming Yu heard this, she bowed and turned to withdraw. As she left, her lips curved in an almost imperceptible smile. In the following two days, An Bingshan changed his usual practice and would oftene to personally refine the medicine. He''d even asionally taste the medicine and one day, once An Bingshan confirmed that the new batch of pills were no different from the previous batch, ced one of the pills in his mouth. In that moment, Ming Yu was so overjoyed that tears overflowed in her eyes. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan''s feelings were veryplicated as she looked at the luxurious phoenix outfit ced on the table. "His Majesty said that the imperial order for naming the empress has already been issued several days ago, and the Ministry of Rites has finally decided yesterday to set the ceremony for the seventh of next month. These are the phoenix garments the Embroidery Department has sent. Your Imperial Highness can try them out. If there''s any part that you''re not satisfied with, send them back to the Embroidery Department for them to change ording to your preferences¡­ Cough cough¡­ Cough cough cough¡­" reported An Bingshan respectfully. However, after just a sentence, he was already starting to have to gasp for breath. "These clothes are so pretty!" Yao Mowan walked to the table happily to lift the garment with both hands. The instant she touched the fabric, she felt like thousands of needles were stabbing her palm. Such familiar double-sided embroidery. Of the entire imperial pce, only the empress had the right to use clothes that were embroidered this way. Such proof of noble status! Such painful memories! The empress of great Chu. This title which she now loathed from the very bottom of her heart had now fallen on her again. Was this Heaven''s will? Ha, back then when she and Ye Junqing missed each other, it was Heaven''s will. When she married Ye Hongyi, it was Heaven''s will. But what had Heaven''s will ever given her? This time, she insisted on going against the Heavens! Her path, every step, every tile of it, she was going to pave it herself. No one was allowed to create any side roads on her path anymore! "His Majesty had personally picked out the design on this phoenix garment for Your Imperial Highness¡­ Cough cough¡­" An Bingshan couldn''t stop himself from coughing. "Are you alright? Ting Yue, hurry and help hammer Eunuch An''s back. In the past when Wan er had a cough, that''s what Mother would do. It''s really effective." Yao Mowan looked towards An Bingshan worriedly as she gave this instruction. "This servant is fine, many thanks for Your Imperial Highness''s concern. Please have Ting Yue assist you with trying on the garment, this old servant shall withdraw." An Bingshan respectfully turned around and left Guan Osprey Pce, his steps a little chaotic. Right after An Bingshan left, Ye Junqing walked in from outside. "This prince thought that the empress-naming ceremony had been spared." When Ye Junqing saw the phoenix garments on the table, he felt like a lump of cotton was blocking up his chest. The indescribable stuffy feeling caused him to feel very vexed. "Mowan had been hoping for it to be spared, but what can Mowan do? His Majesty can''t bear to make Mowan suffer grievances," said Yao Mowan in a self-mocking tone as she tossed the phoenix garment towards Ting Yue for her to carry into the bedroom. "Since His Majesty dotes on you so much, there''s no need for you to make any backup ns!" said Ye Junqing acridly as he pulled Fluffy off the chaise lounge to plop his own butt down. "His Majesty doting on Mowan is His Majesty''s business, what does that have to do with Mowan? And Prince should know that Mowan doesn''t cherish imperial favor at all!" Yao Mowan leaned over to pick up Fluffy who had ended up implicated by the crossfire and patted its headfortingly. "Then what do you cherish?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan seriously. "I cherish you!" replied Yao Mowan equally seriously, but Ye Junqing just gave her a big eyeroll. "Ahem¡­ Earlier An Bingshan looked almost intoxicated. It seems like your n is working?" Ye Junqing suppressed his heart''s pounding and tried to change the topic. "Mowan has just said that she cherished Prince, so why isn''t Prince reacting to it at all? It must be known that there''s not many things in the world that Mowan cherishes!" Yao Mowan knew that Ye Junqing was purposefully changing the topic, so she also purposefully pulled that topic back. "This prince is talking about important business!" When Ye Junqing saw Yao Mowan walk over, he reflexively backed away. "Mowan is also talking about important business!" Yao Mowan blinked her clear lively eyes as she slowly walked to Ye Junqing''s side. "Yao Mowan!" When Ye Junqing felt Yao Mowan sit down so close to him, he felt the vexed heat in his heart ignite, so he shouted loudly to conceal the restlessness in his heart. "I''m here! You need something?" The more flustered Ye Junqing was, the more delighted Yao Mowan felt. She suddenly felt that teasing Fluffy was nowhere as much fun as teasing Ye Junqing. "Nothing! This prince is leaving!" When Ye Junqing smelled that unique faint fragranceing from Yao Mowan''s body, he jumped off the chaise lounge like it had pricked him. "The day Jue Chen seeds in refining the medicine is the day that An Bingshan will die," said Yao Mowan unhurriedly as she stroked Fluffy. Ye Junqing stood silently at the pce doors for a long while before finally turning around anding back inside. "This time, thanks." In Ye Junqing''s opinion, Yao Mowan was dealing with An Bingshan to help him out. "What? Mowan didn''t really hear that. Prince, please say that again?" Yao Mowan purposefully looked towards Ye Junqing with a confused frown. "Give me back my me soul de!" shouted Ye Junqing to conceal his embarrassment. "Oh, no need for thanks." Yao Mowan nodded graciously. Ye Junqing reflexively pped his hand against his forehead as his lips twitched in disbelief. That night, the autumn breeze was slightly cold and the trees were rustling from the faint wind. Moonlight spilled down, casting mottled shadows on the ground. Inside a certain room in Remote Realm Courtyard, two figures were pressed closely together, neither of them willing to be the first to admit defeat in this pleasure-filled battle. Garments had been left haphazardly over the ground in this spring-filled room. "Nn¡­ Daoist Priest''s cultivation is so high!" Yao Suluan scratched Jue Chen''s back with both hands, leaving long red lines. "This humble Daoist is shamed. Your Highness''s cultivation is definitely above this humble Daoist''s¡­ Ugh!" Jue Chen allowed himself to freely enjoy thepensation Yao Mowan had bestowed him until there was no strength left in his body. He finally climbed off Yao Suluan''s body, satisfied, to lie down on his back as he panted to catch his breath. Since she was Ye Hongyi''s woman, it had felt extremely exciting. Since he didn''t have the ability to kill Ye Hongyi, the least he could do was make it so Ye Hongyi''s green hat would grow ever higher! "Suluan is truly honored to obtain such praise from Daoist Priest." Yao Suluan flipped over to lean on Jue Chen''s chest. As she gently stroked back the hair that had fallen over Jue Chen''s forehead, she pressed her soft supple body against his. In this moment, Jue Chen really wished he was back in Honest Monastery. If he was back there, he''d definitely have those junior brothers of his who were vegetarian year-round have a taste of something fresh! __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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~~~ Chapter Volume 3 27
Chapter 27: Low Intelligence Second Older Sister "Jue Chen''s every wordes from the heart. There is not a single insincere word," swore Jue Chen solemnly. "Suluan believes Daoist Priest and furthermore, trusts that Daoist Priest will definitely help this consort secretly ce this pill in His Majesty''s teacup." As Yao Suluan spoke, she reached below her pillow and took out a medicinal pill that was about the size of a fingernail to ce in Jue Chen''s palm. "What is this?" Jue Chen frowned as he looked towards the pill in his hand, then he lifted it to his nose to sniff it. He immediately recognized it as a fatal poison. "Daoist Priest, what need is there to be so nervous? It''s just a knockout drug that''ll make someone unconscious for a few days." Due to what happened with Bai Mei, Yao Suluan came to believe that all Daoist priests were just swindlers that only knew to use lies to trick others. Hence, from very the start, she had never believed that Jue Chen had any ability. "A knockout drug? Why is Noble Consort trying to make His Majesty fall unconscious?" Jue Chen could see that Yao Suluan looked down on him, so he decided to go along with her impression and immediately scrambled up to kneel at a corner of the bed. He made his body tremble asionally to create the impression that he was scared to death. "Daoist Priest, no need to be so frightened. Suluan''s simply doing this for your sake!" Yao Suluannguidly threw aside the nket to step off the bed, revealing her alluring body in full. "For this humble Daoist''s sake?" Jue Chen swallowed hard, then he timidly crawled back towards the center of the bed to look towards Yao Suluan in confusion. "Although this consort had only seen Daoist Priest a couple times, this consort still remembers that Daoist Priest was once the second prince''s subordinate. As of now, Daoist Priest isn''t quietly staying in Honest Monastery and has actually chosen to enter the pce despite the risk of death. Your motive is easy to see." Yao Suluan gracefully sat down on the chair and used her fingers tob back her hair as she unhurriedly said this. "Then what''s this humble Daoist''s motive?" asked Jue Chen probingly. "It''s naturally to gain wealth and influence! Who in this world doesn''t want to live with great fame and wealth? This consort would definitely not ept being trapped in a ce like that where not even birds defecate for an entire lifetime." Yao Suluan voiced her guess confidently. "Your Highness is truly wise. Since Your Highness understands Jue Chen''s desire, then you should know that Jue Chen will be relying on His Majesty for the rest of this lifetime and so, won''t be able to help Your Highness." Jue Chen picked up the Daoist robe and draped it over himself before walking to Yao Suluan and cing the pill on the table. The pill was about the size of a fingernail! Did Yao Suluan think that His Majesty was blind? was that Jue Chen was thinking. "Daoist Priest, don''t reject the offer so quickly. Allow Suluan to finish her words. There''s one matter that perhaps Daoist Priest does not yet know. Even if Daoist Priest is made state preceptor, it''d still be extremely hard to beat An Bingshan." Yao Suluan carefullybed her hair up into the flying fairy style as she said this mildly. "An Bingshan is nothing but an eunuch. This humble Daoist still has this amount of confidence." Jue Chen slowly retreated to the side as he said this in disagreement. "There is one thing that Daoist Priest definitely does not know, which is that An Bingshan had also been a Daoist priest before he entered the pce. In addition, he had fished up a prescription for immortality pills from somewhere. All these past years, he''s been secretly refining pills for His Majesty. Think about it, with such useful ability, would His Majesty ever treat him badly?" Yao Suluan suddenly turned around and looked towards Jue Chen. "He knows how to refine pills?" Jue Chen feigned astonishment. "That''s why His Majesty would only bear to abandon him and make use of you if something ends up wrong with the pills!" When Yao Suluan saw that Jue Chen seemed moved by her words, she started working even harder to persuade him. "But how do we make something go wrong with the pills that he''s refined?" Jue Chen frowned as he sank into thought. "Daoist Priest looks intelligent, so how are you this bad with seeing the solution? As long as you give His Majesty the pill this consort has given you, once His Majesty realizes that there''s something wrong with his body, he''ll naturally me it on An Bingshan. It''s such simple logic, yet Daoist Priest isn''t getting it?" Yao Suluan was getting a little impatient now. "So it was like that. Then this humble Daoist truly has to thank you, Noble Consort!" said Jue Chen in a tone of realization. Then he folded his hands towards in front of his chest to give Yao Suluan a deep bow. "What are you thanking me for? The reason this consort is doing this is so that you can sit steadily on the seat of state preceptor. At that time, you and this consort can¡­" Yao Suluan got up and walked over to Jue Chen with swaying steps to lift up his chin with a finger. Her eyes shone with coquettish light. At this time, Jue Chen was repeating everything Yao Suluan had said word for word to Yao Mowan. Yao Mowan couldn''t help but sigh. "Seriously, which quack was it that made this pill for Second Older Sister?" Yao Mowan was extremely speechless as she looked at the pill that had been already soaking in water for ages, but still hadn''t dissolved in the slightest. "Ahem¡­ This humble Daoist feels that the important point of this issue lies with that Noble Consort Li wishes to kill His Majesty, not with this pill¡­" Jue Chen clearly had not expected that after he spent so much spit narrating the past events, this was the response he''d receive. "What''s strange about it? There are plenty of people in this imperial pce that wishes to kill His Majesty. Why did you tell this consort about this? In reality, you could''ve just snuck this pill into His Majesty''s teacup, then find an excuse to lead the trail towards Pure Flowers Pce. With your intelligence, this would be an extremely simple matter." Yao Mowan lifted her eyes to look towards Jue Chen meaningfully. "Since Jue Chen has promise Your Imperial Highness not to touch His Majesty, Jue Chen naturally wouldn''t act of his own ord. In addition, An Bingshan had been Jue Chen''s only target from the start." Jue Chen knew that Yao Mowan was probing him, so he stated his position clearly. "Yes, this consort believes you. Have you finished refining the pills?" Yao Mowan brought the conversation back to the main point. She had allowed An Bingshan free rein for a very long time. It was about time to send him to the next world. "Jue Chen has brought them, please have a look." As Jue Chen spoke, he took out a dozen white pills that gleamed with translucent light and carefully ced them on the table. "Yes, you''ve done well. This consort would like to know what ns you have after this?" Yao Mowan had taken a liking to Jue Chen''s talents. In addition, he had a calm personality and was very careful in his actions. He was a talent that would definitely be valuable to recruit. "If Jue Chen has the fortune to live, Jue Chen will return to Honest Monastery," replied Jue Chen honestly. "If this consort says she has a good ce, would you be willing?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Jue Chen. Upon hearing this, Jue Chen looked up in shock even as a trace of dimness shed through his eyes. "Jue Chen understands what Your Imperial Highness means. As soon as An Bingshan dies, Jue Chen will¡­" "You think that this consort will take your life?" asked Yao Mowan with a light smile. "Isn''t it so?" Jue Chen was very well aware of what ''a good ce'' represented. "Forget it. You''ll know when the timees. You should withdraw. We will be dealing with An Bingshan within these next two days, so you should prepare," said Yao Mowan mildly. "Jue Chen understands, but what about Noble Consort Li?" Jue Chen finally recalled what he had originally came here for and indicated to be given instructions. "Just ignore her. This consort will go tease her once this consort has time." Yao Mowan''s eyes were cold and the smile on her face caused Jue Chen to feel a chill down his back. At breakfast the next day, Ye Junqing had his bowl in hand and chopsticks in the other as he sat on the edge of his chair. From time to time, he''d nced towards Yao Mowan''s face hesitantly. "Prince, if you have something to say, just say it. Your current behavior is very easy to misunderstand. You''re making it seem like Mowan''s so moody to the point that you have to nce over to check Mowan''s expression every time you eat something." As Yao Mowan spoke, she ced some fish in Ye Junqing''s bowl. "Last night, this prince saw Yao Suluan enter Jue Chen''s room¡­" said Ye Junqing. "What about it?" Yao Mowan was unconcerned. "She actually tried to seduce Jue Chen!" Ye Junqing mmed down his bowl and chopsticks indignantly as he eximed this. "Did Prince follow them and watch?" Yao Mowan''s eyes widened as she looked towards Ye Junqing. "Shush! This prince isn''t that dirty! But other than that, what could be happening? This prince won''t allow this to go on!" said Ye Junqing angrily. "What need is there for Prince to get so stirred up about every little thing? It''s not like it''s Yao Suluan''s first time doing something like this either. You didn''t seem this indignant when she was messing about with Ye Zixiao back then." Yao Mowan knew that Ye Junqing had a thorn in his heart because he believed Yao Suluan was the one that caused Yao Moxin''s death. There was no way he''d rest until Yao Suluan was dead. __________Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner]Enjoy~

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~~~ Chapter Volume 3 28 Chapter 28: The Corpses in the Well ¡°Even if there¡¯s a first and second time, that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s alright for there to be a third and a fourth time. No matter what this prince will be killing that wretch tonight!¡± Whenever Ye Junqing saw that Yao Suluan was still living free and unfettered, he¡¯d feel extremely ufortable. ¡°Prince hates Yao Suluan, but do you think that Mowan does not? The only reason Mowan has allowed her to live until now, other than because of that confession paper she possesses, is due to the more important goal of one day revealing the truth behind Eldest Sister¡¯s death to the world. If Yao Suluan dies, then there is no evidence left! Does Prince believe? There wille a day when Mowan will make everyone that harmed Eldest Sister kneel in front of Eldest Sister¡¯s grave and kowtow in admittance of their crimes, then have themmit suicide!¡± These deep pupils whirled with ice-cold light. Yao Mowan¡¯s words seemed to stir the blood in the depths of Ye Junqing¡¯s heart. ¡°As expected of Moxin¡¯s younger sister. This prince hadn¡¯t trusted in the wrong person!¡± Ye Junqing forced his tears back, then nodded firmly. ¡°So this means that Prince approves of Mowan¡¯s ns?¡± Yao Mowan restrained the coldness in her eyes and looked towards Ye Junqing in slight surprise. ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve considered things more thoroughly than this prince has. You¡¯re right, since Moxin has died such a tragic death, those who have caused her harm shouldn¡¯t die so easily!¡± said Ye Junqing. For the time being, he could set aside his desire to kill Yao Suluan. ¡°That¡¯s good. Prince, hurry and eat. After you finish eating, help Mowan with something.¡± Yao Mowan knew that from now on, she could ask Ye Junqing to help with anything without any apprehension. ¡°I¡¯m done eating, the work¡¯s more important. What do you need me to do?¡± Ye Junqing immediately got up and looked towards Yao Mowan with eager anticipation. ¡°Mowan¡¯s words can truly bepared to chicken¡¯s blood¡­¡± Yao Mowan couldn¡¯t help but sigh this when she saw how stirred up Ye Junqing was. When Ye Junqing heard this, he turned to stone. That afternoon, Ye Hongyi was heading to Guan Osprey Pce to visit Yao Mowan, but as he was passing through the imperial garden, he heard the sound of arguing. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Ye Hongyi sternly. ¡°This old servant will send someone to take a look right away!¡± An Bingshan turned around to instruct the little eunuch behind him, but Ye Hongyi stopped him. ¡°Forget it, we¡¯ll take a look ourselves.¡± Ever since An Bingshan¡¯s pills were confirmed by Jue Chen, Ye Hongyi believed in the pills even more and took them at the set time daily. Thesest few days, he¡¯d get a bodily reaction whenever he thought of Yao Mowan, but this reaction would onlyst a few moments before it vanished without a trace. In this kind of situation, he really shouldn¡¯t be visiting Guan Osprey Pce. An Bingshan¡¯s situation was not much better than Ye Hongyi¡¯s. Although he didn¡¯t have any symptoms regarding arousal, ever since taking the pills, he had been feeling weak all the time and dizzy. Sometimes he¡¯d even see doubles. In front of the well, Ye Junqing was currently grabbing a young eunuch by his cor and ring at him coldly. ¡°You actually dare to block this prince¡¯s way?¡± Ye Junqing bellowed indignantly, then pushed aside the eunuch to stomp towards the well. ¡°Prince, please stop! There¡¯s nothing there! Prince, what are you trying to do!?¡± The young eunuch rushed up fearfully to grab Ye Junqing by his legs as he beseeched him to stop. ¡°When did it be your ce to get involved in this prince¡¯s decisions? Move aside!¡± Ye Junqing kicked aside the young eunuch. Just as he was about to step forward, he heard a cold voicee from behind him. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Ye Junqing turned around upon hearing this, and when he saw that it was Ye Hongyi, he immediately cupped his hands to salute him. ¡°This subject brother kowtows in salute to Your Majesty.¡± When the young eunuch saw Ye Hongyi appear, he was so rmed that his entire body became covered with cold sweat. He couldn¡¯t even be bothered to worry about the paining from his body as he trembled involuntarily. ¡°Junqing, what are you doing here?¡± Ye Hongyi nced at the young eunuch, then turned back towards Ye Junqing. ¡°Replying Your Majesty, this subject brother just saw this servant throw something in the well and came to look out of curiosity, but this servant insisted on getting in the way. This subject brother found this suspicious, which was why we started fighting. This subject brother didn¡¯t mean to rm Your Majesty. Please forgive this subject brother,¡± replied Ye Junqing. ¡°Oh? What did you throw inside?¡± Ye Hongyi looked towards the young eunuch, only to see that the young eunuch had buried his face in between his knees and was currently trembling nonstop. When An Bingshan saw that the eunuch wasn¡¯t speaking, he walked forward. ¡°Damned servant, His Majesty is asking you a question!¡± An Bingshan deliberately approached the young eunuch and finally saw that the person kneeling on the ground was none other than his trusted aid, Xiao Dunzi. ¡°Replying Your Majesty¡­ The servant didn¡¯t throw anything¡­¡± As Xiao Dunzi spoke, he looked towards An Bingshan beseechingly. It was only now that An Bingshan realized the severity of the situation. Last night, he couldn¡¯t resist and had tormented a pce maid to death. He had left it to Xiao Dunzi to deal with, so Xiao Dunzi was probably in the middle of throwing the corpse into the well like usual. ¡°Liar! This prince had personally witnessed it, how could it be false?¡± Ye Junqing immediately stormed forward and sent a kick towards Xiao Dunzi¡¯s chest. ¡°Junqing, what need is there to be so angry? We¡¯ll have people check the bottom of the well. If there really is something disgraceful that is being concealed, we¡¯ll just have him executed.¡± Right now, Ye Hongyi just felt exhausted. Simply standing there was very difficult. ¡°Your Majesty, leave this matter to this old servant. You should head back to rest?¡± An Bingshan timidly walked to Ye Hongyi and carefully suggested this. ¡°That works¡­¡± Just as Ye Hongyi was about to turn around, he suddenly smelled a familiar scent and immediately turned back with a stern gaze. The pill refining room was very carefully sealed. There was no way the scent could drift out, and even if it did, it wouldn¡¯t drift this far. Although Ye Hongyi was fatigued, his brain was still working perfectly fine. This scent was clearly the scent of the pills he took every day. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± An Bingshan was confused. ¡°Junqing, there¡¯s no need for you to get involved in trifles like this, just leave it to the servants to handle. We suddenly just remembered that we have an important memorial that we have not yet read over, so help us carry all the memorials on the dragon desk over to Guan Osprey Pce. Our current body¡­¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s voice was slightly weak as he said this. ¡°But¡­ Alright, this subject brother will go right now.¡± Ye Junqing nced at the well reluctantly before turning to leave. Right after Ye Junqing left, Ye Hongyi¡¯s eyes turned cold and he immediatelymanded the guards to check the well. ¡°Your Majesty, this old servant will walk you back to Central Dragon Pce?¡± An Bingshan had gotten used to this smell so he hadn¡¯t noticed anything. All he was thinking was to get Ye Hongyi away as soon as possible. However, when he saw Ye Hongyi¡¯s ice-cold gaze, he instinctively fell silent. An Bingshan knew that His Majesty was aware of some of his hobbies and was thinking that His Majesty had sent Ye Junqing away in order to leave him some face. As he was thinking this, the guards had already pulled out a corpse. ¡°Reporting, Your Majesty, there are at least thirty more corpses like this one below the well.¡± The guard¡¯s words instantly caused Ye Hongyi¡¯s gaze to turn cold as frost. ¡°Bring them all up!¡± snarled Ye Hongyi angrily as he stared at the pce maid¡¯s corpse. ¡°What¡­ What is going on?¡± The instant An Bingshan saw that woman¡¯s corpse, he felt like all the blood in his body was turning cold. He swallowed hard as he walked forward with unsteady steps. The pce maid in front of him was clearly one of the ones he had tested the pills on. He had already secretly had her transported out of the pce, so why would she reappear here? ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± An Bingshan looked towards Ye Hongyi, panicked. ¡°Guards! Go invite the state preceptor!¡± said Ye Hongyi angrily, his eyes whirling with dark cold light. At this time, the guards had already carried the rest of the corpses out of the well. An Bingshan¡¯s legs trembled uncontrobly as he looked at the corpses all over the ground. The horsetail whisk he was holding flew wildly in the wind. These corpses had ashen faces, bulging eyes, and were pretty much skin and bones. These were all signs of having been poisoned. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 3 29 Chapter 29: An Bingshan¡¯s Death Day ¡°Your Majesty, this incident¡­¡± An Bingshan was stunned and he staggered as he walked to Ye Hongyi. He really wanted to exin that although those pce maids had died due to refining the pills, the pills werepletely fine. However, the moment he opened his mouth, Ye Hongyi stopped him. ¡°You can talk once the state preceptor gets here.¡± Ye Hongyi didn¡¯t even bother to nce at An Bingshan. His gaze was fixed on those corpses. After a few minutes, Jue Chen was brought to the imperial garden by a guard. ¡°This humble Daoist kowtows in salute to Your Majesty.¡± Jue Chen bowed respectfully, then nced at An Bingshan out of the corner of his eyes. The instant their eyes met, An Bingshan glowered at Jue Chen. ¡°State Preceptor, please rise. Help us take a look at what caused these pce maid¡¯s deaths.¡± The low voice was extremely cold. Jue Chen didn¡¯t dare to dally and immediately turned to walk towards the corpses of those pce maids. Next to Ye Hongyi, An Bingshan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He was vexed with himself for not having gotten rid of Jue Chen earlier. With the situation like this, it¡¯d be difficult to get out of this unscathed. ¡°Reporting, Your Majesty, this humble Daoist must cut open the abdomen to be certain.¡± Jue Chen walked to Ye Hongyi with a solemn expression that contained a hint of worry. Ye Hongyi, without a word, pulled out his own broadsword and handed it to Jue Chen. To An Bingshan, time seemed to inch past unbearably slowly. When he saw Jue Chen take out the pill from a pce maid¡¯s stomach, he knew that this time, he was done for. The only thing he can do now was try to preserve his life. As long as he was still alive, he¡¯d have a chance to reverse his fate. ¡°Your Majesty, this humble Daoist believes that these pce maids have died due to this pill!¡± Jue Chen wiped one of the pills clean, then lifted it for Ye Hongyi to see. ¡°Daoist Priest, is there any difference between this pill and the pill we had shown you a few days ago?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s voice waspletely cold and behind his back, his hands were clenched into fists. ¡°From what this humble Daoist¡¯s sees, these two pills use the same ingredients, but different amounts of them. It must be known that there can be no errors when refining this kind of pill. If the quantity of the ingredients isn¡¯t urate, while the former could be an excellent life-lengthening form, thetter could be a potent fatal poison,¡± said Jue Chen solemnly. ¡°State Preceptor, with your expertise, do you think that someone who¡¯s able to create the life-lengthening form would be able to turn it into a fatal poison?¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s voice turned even colder. At the side, An Bingshan¡¯s body was already trembling nonstop. At this time, it would only take one sentence from Jue Chen to seal his fate. ¡°Only if it¡¯s deliberate.¡± Jue Chen¡¯s swift and simple answer caused Ye Hongyi great rage. ¡°Guards! Escort An Bingshan into Central Dragon Pce! State Preceptor, pleasee with us. The rest of you, stay here. Transport the corpses out of the imperial pce and burn them!¡± shouted Ye Hongyi indignantly before storming off in the direction of Central Dragon Pce. Ye Junqing and Yao Mowan only walked from the shadows once everyone had left. ¡°His Majesty is already this angry even though he hasn¡¯t even confirmed that the pills from the pill refining room are poisonous?¡± Ye Junqing shook his head, but inside, he was pretty delighted. The angrier the emperor was, the more tragic An Bingshan¡¯s death would be. ¡°Anyone that takes longevity pills greatly treasure their lives. How do you think someone who desires to live so much would react when they find out that something they ate every day was likely a fatal poison?¡± Yao Mowan smiled. Fortunately, Ye Hongyi wasn¡¯t very severely poisoned yet. If he had died just like this, it¡¯d be such a shame. ¡°Oh right, how did you get those pills into the stomachs of those corpses?¡± Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan curiously. ¡°How hard could it be? Just cut them open, stuff it in, sew them back up,¡± replied Yao Mowan simply. ¡°No way! Weren¡¯t you worried that His Majesty would have an imperial physiciane over to inspect the corpses?¡± Ye Junqing looked at Yao Mowan in rm. He was suddenly hit with a bted feeling of lingering fear. ¡°I hope you¡¯re joking. If this was something that could be known by the public, why would His Majesty have sent you away? You saw it as well. If this wasn¡¯t the imperial pce, His Majesty would¡¯ve just destroyed those corpses right then and there. Let¡¯s go. Mowan will invite Prince to sample some tea. Yin Xue will soon be bringing good news back to Guan Osprey Pce.¡± Yao Mowan smiled sweetly as she started walking away. As Ye Junqing watched Yao Mowan¡¯s graceful figure slowly move away, he couldn¡¯t help sigh. At this current moment, Yao Mowan¡¯s every movement seemed so much like Moxin¡¯s. Inside Central Dragon Pce, Ye Hongyi instructed for the hidden door to be opened, then An Bingshan was pushed into the pill refining room. ¡°We servants kowtows in salute to Your Majesty.¡± The instant Ming Yu and the others saw Ye Hongyi, they fell to a fearful kneel on the ground. They had never seen His Majesty step foot inside here for all the time since they had started working here until now. In this instant, Ming Yu knew that the day she had been longing for had finally arrived. ¡°Your Majesty is wise, so you must know that even if this old servant had a hundred guts, this old servant wouldn¡¯t dare to give Your Majesty pills that were poisonous! This old servant swears that those pce maids hadn¡¯t died due to those pills! It was Jue Chen! Jue Chen harbors hatred towards this old servant and had been wanting to put this old servant to death! Your Majesty, all these years, this old servant had served you wholeheartedly and loyally!¡± An Bingshan¡¯s face was covered with tears as he sobbed in fear, but Ye Hongyi wasn¡¯t moved at all. ¡°You! Bring over the pills that were refined thesest couple of days.¡± Ye Hongyi casually pointed towards Ming Yu. ¡°This servant understands.¡± Ming Yu was internally overjoyed and she immediately went to carry the jade box that held all the pills over to offer them to Ye Hongyi. ¡°State Preceptor, help us inspect these pills to see if there¡¯s anything strange about them?¡± Ye Hongyi didn¡¯t seem to have heard An Bingshan¡¯s words at all and just kept his dark gaze fixed on Jue Chen. Jue Chen saluted, then turned to walk to Ming Yu. He took a pill and lifted it to his nose to sniff it. ¡°Your Majesty, these pills are the same as the pills in those corpses. After taking them, the person will gradually waste away. In addition, they tend to umte without dissolving in the body,¡± replied Jue Chen solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s nder! Your Majesty! This pill truly does have the effect of lengthening life. Although taking them will cause people to feel fatigued at first, once you¡¯ve taken enough, yourplexion will regain a youthful glow! The pce maids here can testify! Ming Yu, hurry and tell His Majesty! Hurry!¡± shouted An Bingshan as he urged Ming Yu impatiently. ¡°Eunuch An¡­ What are you saying? Ming Yu doesn¡¯t understand.¡± Ming Yu looked towards An Bingshan with apletely nk expression as an indescribable feeling of delight filled her heart. ¡°How could you have forgotten? Back then all of you had symptoms of being poisoned, but then all of you suddenly recovered! That incident, hurry and tell His Majesty about it!¡± reminded An Bingshan anxiously. ¡°Reporting, Your Majesty, this servant truly doesn¡¯t know what Eunuch An is talking about. Ever since this servant hade here, this servant had always been refining pills ording to Eunuch An¡¯s instructions and nothing like what Eunuch An had said ever happened. Your Majesty, everything this servant says is true!¡± Ming Yu was starting to panic due to An Bingshan¡¯s urging, so she fell fearfully to a kneel as tears whirled in her eyes. ¡°Ming Yu! You! You wretch! Y-you all, hurry and tell His Majesty that everything this eunuch said was true!¡± An Bingshan hadn¡¯t expected for Ming Yu to say such tant lies and was taken aback. ¡°Your Majesty, please have mercy! We servants have always been refining pills here, but we¡¯ve never had symptoms of being poisoned!¡± Behind Ming Yu, the two dozen pce maids all knelt down to say this fearfully. ¡°Your Majesty, this humble Daoist believes that if we test this medicine on a mouse, it¡¯d be enough to tell if this pill is real or fake.¡± Jue Chen took advantage of this perfect opportunity to insert this suggestion. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 3 30 Chapter 30: Jue Chen Takes Over the Task of Refining Pills ¡°Where would you find mice in the imperial pce? She¡¯ll do!¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s veins were bulging with anger and his eyes werepletely cold as he pointed towards Ming Yu who was kneeling. ¡°Your¡­¡± Ming Yu was rmed and wanted to beg for mercy, but she quickly forced the impulse down. She understood very well that as long as she took this pill and died, An Bingshan would definitely face a fate worse than any she could ever imagine. ¡°Your Majesty, this humble Daoist believes that it would be better to use a mouse or something like a cat or a dog. This pill might not show its effects immediately on a person,¡± said Jue Chen respectfully with a bow. ¡°So it¡¯s like that. Guards, bring over that animal from Pure Flowers Pce!¡± shouted Ye Hongyi coldly. After this was said, Ming Yu reflexively nced towards Jue Chen gratefully. Jue Chen nodded slightly, then shifted his gaze towards An Bingshan who was already scared to the point that he was paralyzed. Jue Chen felt his heart finally ease when he saw his old enemy finally get his retribution. He had forced himself to survive so many years, scraping by desperately, only for the sake of today. After a few minutes, a guard led in therge dog Yao Suluan had just gotten from outside the pce. The moment Jue Chen saw therge dog, he reflexively swallowed hard. If only one of these pills that he was currently holding was required to kill a person, then it would probably take at least three to kill this dog. Fortunately, Ye Hongyi was currently too furious to really care and had immediatelymanded Jue Chen to test the medicine. Jue Chen carefully took the gold box the pce maid was holding and threw the pills onto the ground. Even though it was poison, it was still made of the most precious medicinal ingredients in the world. After taking a sniff, the dog immediately stuck out its tongue top up all the pills. In this instant, everyone¡¯s gazes were fixed on the dog, especially An Bingshan¡¯s. His small eyes were currently unnaturally wide. Even though he knew that this was the trap Jue Chen had set up, he still couldn¡¯t help but hope for a miracle. ¡°Wuu¡­¡± Jue Chen watched the dog contort on the ground for a few moments before falling still. A barely perceptible trace of a smile shed through his eyes. When he took the gold box earlier, he had rubbed the fatal poison that he had previously prepared on the pills. ¡°That¡¯s not possible! Your Majesty, this isn¡¯t possible! This old servant has been taking these pills the entire time and is still well and alive now. The dog shouldn¡¯t have died! Your Majesty! Don¡¯t be tricked by them!¡± An Bingshan started shouting in despair when he saw the dog die. ¡°An Bingshan! Repeat what you just said!?¡± Ye Hongyi abruptly swung back his sleeves and stepped forward furiously. ¡°This old servant¡­ This old servant only tested the pills personally because this old servant was worried that something would be off¡­ Your Majesty! These pills aren¡¯t poisonous, they really aren¡¯t! If Your Majesty doesn¡¯t believe, you can call an imperial physician to check this old servant!¡± An Bingshan, in his panic, idently revealed the fact that he had been secretly taking the pills. However, in the face of imminent death, that wasn¡¯t very important anymore. ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll give you this one chance! If the imperial physician finds traces of the pill in your body, that proves that you hadn¡¯t conspired to murder us, but if¡­¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s dark eyes narrowed slightly. The baleful aura he gave off was so strong it felt like a physical de to An Bingshan. In Central Dragon Pce, everyone¡¯s eyes were currently fixed on the imperial physician. ¡°Reporting, Your Majesty, Eunuch An indeed has symptoms of being poisoned, but fortunately the poison hasn¡¯t spread too deeply. Once this subject returns, this subject will write a prescription that will be able to undo this poison within half a month.¡± Imperial Physician Li withdrew his hand from An Bingshan¡¯s wrist and got up to walk to Ye Hongyi before making this report respectfully. ¡°There¡¯s no need. You may withdraw,¡± said Ye Hongyi sternly. As someone who had grown old in the pce, Imperial Physician Li was naturally able to sense that this wasn¡¯t an ordinary affair and immediately withdrew from Central Dragon Pce upon obtaining thismand. ¡°Your Majesty, this old servant hasmitted a crime, but this old servant had no intention of harming Your Majesty! If this old servant had known that the pill was poisonous, there was no way this old servant would have continued taking it!¡± At this point in time, An Bingshan had no choice but to show submission. If he continued to insist that it was Jue Chen¡¯s scheme, it would only anger His Majesty more. However, in his heart, he had already cursed Jue Chen over ten thousand times. ¡°How can a lowly person like you be mentioned on equal terms with us!?¡± shouted Ye Hongyi furiously. ¡°This old servant knows that he has wronged, but Your Majesty, please take into consideration how this old servant has served you wholeheartedly all these years and spare this old servant¡¯s life! Please, Your Majesty¡­¡± An Bingshan kowtowed as he begged for his life. ¡°Guards, lock An Bingshan in the hidden room. Without ourmand, no one is to take a step inside!¡± shouted Ye Hongyi coldly. Upon hearing this, the guards dragged An Bingshan out of Central Dragon Pce. After An Bingshan was dragged out, Ye Hongyi took a deep breath before looking towards Jue Chen with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ve made Daoist Priest see a joke. It¡¯s all because of An Bingshan, that disappointing thing. He only had superficial knowledge, yet he dared to boast to us that he knew how to refine some longevity pill! Now that Daoist Priest has appeared, his true character has been revealed!¡± Ye Hongyi¡¯s tone was amiable and his attitude was respectful. There was even light shining through the depths of his eyes. ¡°Your Majesty is exaggerating.¡± Jue Chen flicked back his horsetail whisk and lowered his eyes as he replied respectfully. This wasn¡¯t the result he had predicted. In his opinion, An Bingshan should have definitely been executed. ¡°Not at all. Daoist Priest is someone with true ability. As of now¡­ We have a presumptuous request, would Daoist Priest be willing to agree to it?¡± Ye Hongyi lifted his brows as he asked this with anticipation. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t hesitate in giving this humble Daoist instructions. After all, this humble Daoist¡¯s motive in returning to the pce was to help resolve Your Majesty¡¯s troubles.¡± Jue Chen¡¯s heart tightened slightly, but his expression remained as calm as always. ¡°We were thinking that the pill refining room has already been in use for only a while, so it seems to be quite a shame to close it down. Fortunately, Daoist Priest is also knowledgeable in this area. If Daoist Priest could help us resolve this difficulty, that would be wonderful!¡± Ye Hongyi looked towards Jue Chen meaningfully, his tone slightly cold. ¡°This humble Daoist is honored to have Your Majesty¡¯s trust. This humble Daoist will definitely work without rest in order not to let down Your Majesty¡¯s faith!¡± Jue Chen bowed as he said this firmly. He knew very clearly that if he rejected this right now, the only fate that would be left for him was death. It was a great taboo for the master of a nation to privately refine pills, so there was no way Ye Hongyi would allow him any opportunity to spread this news. ¡°Good! Then we will be handing this pill refining room over to you, Daoist Priest! From now on, feel free to make use of the imperial hospital as well as the pce maids and eunuchs!¡± Ye Hongyi nodded, then allowed Jue Chen to leave Central Dragon Pce. That night, when Jue Chen appeared in Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing were currently making a bet with the me soul de as the wager. ¡°You¡¯re the one that said it! If Jue Chen agrees to refine pills for His Majesty, you have to give the me soul de back to this prince!¡± Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan, his eyes shining. In Ye Junqing¡¯s opinion, if he didn¡¯t take back the me soul de soon, it was very likely that Yao Mowan would sell the sword for money! During this past period of time, every time he entered Guan Osprey Pce, he would see Yao Mowan buried in a pile of ledgers. As she rapidly calcted things on the abacus, she kept sighing andmenting about how dirt poor she was. ¡°That¡¯s not right. What Mowan means is that if Jue Chen has the intention of refining pills for His Majesty, then Mowan will return the me soul de to Prince. If he doesn¡¯t, that sword belongs to Mowan. In all honesty, Mowan¡¯s seriously poor now!¡± Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing in a pitiful manner, but Ye Junqing just rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Master, Jue Chen¡¯s here.¡± Right at this time, Yin Xue elegantlynded and set Jue Chen down on the ground. ¡°Jue Chen, did you agree to refine pills for His Majesty?¡± Ye Junqing snatched the initiative to speak before Yao Mowan had a chance. ¡°This¡­ Yes!¡± Jue Chen didn¡¯t dare to keep this concealed, and he knew very well that he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it concealed. ¡°Very good!¡± Ye Junqing nodded in satisfaction, then looked towards Yao Mowan. However, Yao Mowan paid no attention to him and just walked to Jue Chen. ¡°Jue Chen, this consort wishes to know what you n to do next?¡± Yao Mowan¡¯s voice was gentle as she lowered her gaze to look at Jue Chen. Jue Chen had no idea that in this moment, if his answer did not correspond to what Yao Mowan wanted, his life would meet its end here. ¡°Replying Your Imperial Highness, Jue Chen doesn¡¯t wish to and will not refine pills for His Majesty!¡± replied Jue Chen firmly. ¡°If you dare to lie, you¡¯ll be struck down by the Heavens!¡± When Ye Junqing heard this, he abruptly got to his feet and pointed at Jue Chen angrily. He felt like his heart which had just been sent up to the clouds had now been hurled right back down. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira Chapter Volume 3 31
Chapter 31: A Million Taels of Gold "Jue Chen is sincere in these words. Although back then, An Bingshan had taken away all of the second prince''s roads of retreat, the one behind all of it was Ye Hongyi! Jue Chen is loyal to his old master, so how could Jue Chen ept struggling at death''s door while working for Ye Hongyi? If Your Imperial Highness and Prince allows Jue Chen to stay in the pce, Jue Chen will enter the pill refining room, but let Jue Chen make things clear. There will definitely be no less poison in the pills Jue Chen refinespared to those An Bingshan had refined!" Jue Chen made his feelings clear. "This consort won''t make you do something like killing the monarch. As of now, this consort hase up with a good ce for you to go. Are you willing toply with this consort''s arrangement?" Yao Mowan internally sighed in relief. Reality has proved that she hadn''t misjudged him. "Jue Chen refuses to go anywhere before personally seeing An Bingshan breathe hisst. Your Imperial Highness had promised Jue Chen this," replied Jue Chen in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing. "Don''t worry about this, you''re not the only one that wishes for An Bingshan''s death. This consort will arrange for you to see An Bingshan tomorrow night, but before that, this consort hopes that you cane up with a way to safely send the pce maids in the pill refining room out of the pce. This consort is sure that you''re aware of what fate will befall those pce maids once you leave the pce." Yao Mowan looked towards Jue Chen solemnly as she waited for his reply. "Don''t worry, Your Imperial Highness, just leave it to Jue Chen!" Jue Chen nodded firmly. Once Jue Chen left, Yao Mowan walked to Ye Junqing with a faint smile. "Does Prince wholeheartedly ept defeat this time?" Ye Junqing angrily rose to his feet when he saw Yao Mowan''s vulgar smile. "How much?" Ye Junqing''s eyes were shing brightly like the surface of ake in midsummer. "A million taels of gold!" Yao Mowan''s smile grew even brighter. "How much!?" Ye Junqing''s eyes widened as he looked at Yao Mowan. His expression was exaggerated to an unprecedented degree. "A million taels of gold," repeated Yao Mowan like it was nothing. "If Your Imperial Highness is able to find a person that''s willing to spend a million taels of gold to buy the me soul de, then please allow this prince to take a look at him first. In this lifetime, this prince has yet to have the chance to see what a true imbecile looks like!" After saying this veiled curse, he brushed past Yao Mowan and stomped out of Guan Osprey Pce. A million taels of gold!? Why didn''t she just go rob someone!? Ye Junqing never imagined that after just one night, he would have the chance to see the rumored imbecile. At breakfast the next morning, before Ye Junqing even walked in, he already heard Yan Nansheng''s voice. "Why are you here?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yan Nansheng, puzzled, as he slowly walked into the main hall of Guan Osprey Pce. "Why would I be here except for you? It''s the one and only me soul de! How could you lose it to her?" Back then, no matter how much Yan Nansheng was trolled, he still felt like Yao Mowan was as beautiful as a celestial. However, in this moment as he took in Yao Mowan''s expression as she carefully sized up the banknote, he only found her appearance repulsive! "You couldn''t have really spent a million taels of gold to buy the me soul de, right?" Ye Junqing looked at Yan Nansheng, dumbstruck. So this was what an imbecile looked like! "What else could I do? She wanted to smelt the sword! You''re seriously treacherous ah, Yao Mowan!" cried Yan Nansheng in sorrowful indignance. "You''re seriously vicious ah, Yao Mowan!" added Ye Junqing in identical sorrow. "This was mutual consent. What? You''re not willing? Then you guys can take the banknote back. Mowan doesn''t like to force others." Yao Mowannguidly leaned back on the chair as she handed the banknote back to Yan Nansheng. As Yan Nansheng looked at the banknote, he heard the sound of his heart shattering. Did he murder Yao Mowan''s entire family in hisst lifetime? Did he? Was that why!? "Take the banknote and hand over the sword!" Ye Junqing took a deep breath, then glowered at Yao Mowan. "Ting Yue, bring the sword for the prince." Yao Mowan once again took the banknote back as her lips curved in a beautiful smile. Just as Ye Junqing reached out for the sword, Yan Nansheng moved in front of Ting Yue and snatched the sword to hang it off his own waist. "That''s this prince''s sword!" Ye Junqing looked towards Yan Nansheng as he said this seriously. "But that''s this alliance head''s money! That''s a million taels of gold! They could''ve made countless me soul swords!" Yan Nansheng gripped the me soul sword even harder as grief and indignance filled his face. "You shouldn''t be so hung up over it. After all, this one''s the only one your master personally forged." Yao Mowan pretended to kindheartedly console them. "Of course! You think this alliance head is a fool? Little Junior Brother ah, Senior Brother will keep this sword for you for the time being. Leaving it in your hands¡­. Senior Brother truly doesn''t have much money left, so please learn to be more careful! Haa!" Yan Nansheng shook his head mournfully, then turned and left. "What does he mean by that? Does he think this prince was willing!?"ined Ye Junqing angrily when he saw Yan Nansheng leave with such a disappointed expression. "Yin Xue, send the banknote over." Yao Mowan paid no attention to Ye Junqing and calmly called out Yin Xue to hand the banknote to her. Yin Xue immediately disappeared from Guan Osprey Pce to carry out the order. "What do you need so much money for?" asked Ye Junqing curiously when he saw Yao Mowan got up like a huge load had been taken off her shoulders. "Is it a lot?" The question Yao Mowan responded with caused Ye Junqing to fall over¡­ That night, once Yin Xue brought Jue Chen into the hidden room, he saw that a woman was currently standing stiffly in front of An Bingshan. "You guys best hurry up. Don''t make the support outside wait too long, lest any idents ur." After Yin Xue warned them, she turned and left. Jue Chen didn''t waste time and walked over. It was only now that he saw the woman clearly. It was Ming Yu. "Ming Yu! You double-stabbing wretch! Why did you lie? Why did you betray me!?" On the torture rack, An Bingshan''s eyes were bloodshot as he bellowed angrily. The iron chains on the rack nked loudly as he struggled futilely to get free. "For Hong Mei." Ming Yu''s eyes were ice cold and so ck they seemed like the eyes of a sinister demon. "Hong Mei?" An Bingshan furrowed his brows as he repeated this questioningly. "Ming Yu has been dumb. How could a great noble like Eunuch An remember Hong Mei? But Ming Yu can''t forget. Ming Yu can''t forget how Eunuch An had humiliated Hong Mei, how you had used a small knife to cut the flesh off her body slice by slice! How you had thrown Hong Mei who was at herst breath to those damned castrates for them to humiliate as they pleased!" Tears overflowed and streamed down her cheeks. Ming Yu''s voice choked with sobs as she spoke, apanied by An Bingshan''s screams of pain. Her mournful voice caused Jue Chen''s heart to ache faintly with sympathy. "Ah! Stop! Hurry and stop! Hong Mei had died at your hands! If you want to get revenge for her, just kill yourself!" An Bingshan wailed in pain. He was in so much pain that the flesh on his legs were contorting. "Yes! Hong Mei had died at Ming Yu''s hands! But if it weren''t for you, how could Ming Yu have personally killed her closest friend!? You deserve to die!" Ming Yu grabbed the dagger that was stabbed into An Bingshan''s leg and abruptly turned it hard. An Bingshan screamed even louder like he was a pig that was being ughtered. "Stop! It hurts so much! Aah¡­" An Bingshan''s forehead was covered with cold sweat and he struggled with all his might to get free from the iron chains binding his hands. "It''s only been one cut, but Eunuch An already can''t handle it? If Ming Yu''s memory isn''t off, Hong Mei had suffered an entire fifty cuts at your hands! Fifty cuts! How much pain must she have been in!? So how could one cut possibly be enough?" As Ming Yu spoke, she abruptly pulled the dagger out and then fiercely stabbed towards An Bingshan''s other leg. "Save me¡­ Someone save me!" An Bingshan screamed with all his might. He was in so much pain that even his face was contorting. "Someone save you? Every pce maid in the pce itch to skin and eat you alive! Who would save you? An Bingshan! You''vemitted hideous crimes. Countless pce maids have been abused by you and died because of you! Today, Ming Yu will be getting justice for them! Once you go to hell, you definitely won''t be lonely, because they''ll definitely attend to you well!" shouted Ming Yu as the dagger in her hand fell like rain on An Bingshan''s body. However, she made sure that none of the stabs were fatal. She only stopped once she waspletely out of strength. "Save me¡­" As of now, An Bingshan''s body was already filled with bloody holes and he was barely breathing. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 32
Chapter 32: Kill An Bingshan "Hong Mei! Did you see? Ming Yu has gotten revenge for you! I''ve gotten revenge! Hong Mei¡­ Sorry¡­ For leaving you alone for so long. I''ll being to join you now¡­" Ming Yu''s tears streamed down her cheeks as her hand slowly started rising again. Just as Ming Yu was about to end her own life, Jue Chen abruptly walked forward and snatched the dagger out of her hand. "If I was Hong Mei, I definitely wouldn''t wish for you to sacrifice yourself for nothing. If you really died like this, and even before An Bingshan, even if you see Hong Mei, she''ll definitely just chew you out! Live properly! This is probably what Hong Mei truly wishes for!" As Jue Chen spoke, with a swift motion, he broke An Bingshan''s left arm. "Ah¡­" An Bingshan screamed once again in pain. Ming Yu wiped away her tears and finally got a clear look at Jue Chen. "An Bingshan, even if you''re hacked to pieces, it''s still not enough to relieve the hatred in Jue Chen''s heart. Your lowly life isn''t fit to be sacrificial goods for the second prince at all, but what can be done? This is all Jue Chen can do!" As Jue Chen spoke, he snapped An Bingshan''s right arm, then his legs, and finally dug out his eyes. Only then did Jue Chen hand the dagger back to Ming Yu and point towards An Bingshan''s heart. Ming Yu understood and immediately used all the strength she had in her body to drive the dagger into An Bingshan''s heart. "Let''s go." After seeing An Bingshan breathe hisst, Jue Chen finally sighed in relief, then he grabbed Ming Yu and left the hidden room. Yao Mowan had prepared Jue Chen and Ming Yu for Ye Junqing. Loyal and righteous people like these could only be discovered and not sought. The next day, when the guards carried An Bingshan''s gruesome corpse to Ye Hongyi, Ye Hongyi was infuriated. The additional news that Jue Chen had suddenly disappeared and the pill refining room had been destroyed made him fly into a crazed rage. In this moment, he finally believed that An Bingshan had been framed, but what did it matter now? "Wan er¡­ Why were we so muddled? That Jue Chen hade only to get revenge for Ye Mohan! Yet we actually trusted him! Hahaha! How could we have trusted him? If only Moxin was here¡­ Perhaps then we wouldn''t have¡­" In Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Hongyi fiercely poured wine into his mouth, then his body swayed as he leaned onto Yao Mowan. "If Eldest Sister was here, Your Majesty wouldn''t have what?" Yao Mowan''s heart felt cold as ice and her gaze was dark as she looked at that handsome reddened face. "Wouldn''t have¡­ Wouldn''t have been tricked¡­ With Moxin around, we don''t have to think about anything¡­ Our Jianghu ah¡­ But we can''t help but hate it! She said great grace became grudge? Yes! We hate her! Why did she have to have more foresight about everything? Why did she have to show off her talents? She deserved to die! It''s good that she died! It''s great!" Ye Hongyi tilted his head back and poured all of the wine inside the pot into his mouth. "I had eyes but no sight and didn''t understand my own husband, so I did deserve to die. However, even if everyone in the world could say that I deserved to die, you''re the only one who can''t¡­ Ye Hongyi, I did everything I could for you. If it hadn''t been for me, you would''ve already died countless times. If it hadn''t been for me, would you even be able to enjoy this prosperous life? Moxin had vowed that if she is once again born into this world as a human, she''d definitely make sure you died a death worse than that of a thousand cuts, so you must continue living on well. You''d best not take any more so-called immortality pills¡­" As the moist breathehit Yao Mowan''s snow-white neck, it instantly transformed into icy beads. Ye Hongyi frically kissed the beauty in front of him, but from start to finish, he never saw the beauty''s true face. In Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was currently taking her anger out on a pce maid. On the ground, the pce maid dressed in white garments had already been beaten to the point that she was a mass of bruises. "Your Highness¡­ This servant has wronged¡­" The pce maid cowered on the ground, her small face deathly pale. Her mouth was filled with the taste of blood as she begged fearfully. "You''ve wronged? Can words bring back this consort''s Xue Bao? No matter what, this consort must get revenge for Xue Bao today!" Yao Suluan lifted the whip and swung it down again viciously. The pce maid gritted her teeth as she endured this bone-piercing pain. Tears streamed silently down her face. "Second Older Sister is so fierce! That pce maid''s already about to die! Ting Yue, hurry and help her up." Yao Mowan timidly instructed Ting Yue. Upon receiving thismand, Ting Yue ced the food box she was holding on the ground to walk over to the pce maid. However, there was no way Yao Suluan would just ept this peacefully. She abruptly swung the whip towards Ting Yue, but fortunately Liu Xing reacted quickly and rushed forward to pulled back the whip''s handle. "Audacious! How dare a servant like you touch this consort''s possession? Scram!" As Yao Suluan glowered at Liu Xing, Ting Yue had already helped the young pce maid out of Pure Flowers Pce. "It is true that Liu Xing is a servant, but Second Older Sister, trust me when I say this. Even if Liu Xing rushed up right now and killed you, this empress has ways to protect this servant''s life! Moreover, if Second Older Sister wishes to get justice for that dog, you can go look for His Majesty. Why insist on bickering with a pce maid?" Yao Mowan gracefully leaned over to pick up the food box, then walked to Liu Xing. Liu Xing could see his master''s intentions, so he released Yao Suluan''s whip and respectfully withdrew from Pure Flowers Pce. "Yao Mowan! What did youe here for? Pure Flowers Pce doesn''t wee you!" Yao Suluan indignantly retrieved her whip and red at Yao Mowan. "Second Older Sister doesn''t wee Mowan? But Mowan is the empress, so it''s not Second Older Sister''s ce to stick her nose into where Mowan wants to go. What can be done?" replied Yao Mowan with a smile as she took out a cup of green tea from the food box. "What is this?" Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan guardedly. "This is the tea Mowan had personally brewed for Second Older Sister. Second Older Sister, won''t youe take a look?" As Yao Mowan spoke, she slowly sat down andnguidly watched as Yao Suluan walked over. When Yao Suluan saw the red pill in the tea, her heart plunged in rm. "Yao Mowan! You n to poison this consort to death!? This consort won''t drink it! Even His Majesty doesn''t dare to kill this consort, so how dare you?" Yao Suluan retreated backwards in rm, then red at Yao Mowan in resentment. "Ha. Second Older Sister, if your brain''s grown moldy, you really should go air it out in the sun more! If Mowan wanted you to die, would Mowan really need to wait until now? Second Older Sister, take a good look. Don''t you recognize this pill?" Yao Mowan scoffed disdainfully. As of now, Yao Suluan was now a bird that easily got startled by the mere twang of a bow. For her, living was already a sort of torment. Yao Suluan only calmed down when she heard this and she walked back to the table to examine the pill in the cup. "Jue Chen''s one of your people?" The instantly Yao Suluan recognized the pill, she looked towards Yao Mowan in rm. "Isn''t it clear?" replied Yao Mowan with a shrug. "How is that possible? How could he be one of your people? Then¡­ Then that pce maid just now is also one of your people? That''s why you came to save her? Yao Mowan¡­ Exactly how many people do you have in this pce? Speak! Who else is there!?" Yao Suluan looked at Yao Mowan disbelievingly, her face white as a sheet. "Actually, is it really important to know who they are? As long as Second Older Sister is careful enough, Mowan still wouldn''t be capable of finding out about everything? Look at this pill. It''s been soaked in water for so long, but it still hasn''t dissolved. Isn''t it a little too ridiculous? Second Older Sister, do you think His Majesty''s blind?" Yao Mowan couldn''t help but shake her head. "Yao Mowan, what exactly are you trying to say?" Yao Suluan finally recovered from the shock and looked towards Yao Mowan indignantly once again. "Mowan just wants to remind Second Older Sister that if His Majesty really dies, then Second Older Sister''s fate definitely won''t be as good as it is currently." Yao Mowan restrained the ridicule in her eyes and her expression turned cold. "Why should this consort believe you?" Yao Suluan humphed coldly as she looked towards Yao Mowan even as a trace of puzzlement shed through her eyes. "Second Older Sister, you shouldn''t forget, once Ye Hongyi dies, Ye Junqing would be the only person left that could seed to the throne. Second Older Sister should be well aware of Ye Junqing''s feelings for Eldest Sister. As of now, he already knows that you''re the one behind Second Older Sister''s death. Do you think your fate would be any better once someone like this bes emperor?" Yao Mowan looked towards Yao Suluan with great sympathy. "Why are you reminding this consort about these things?" Yao Suluan''s heart filled with sudden realization. All she had been thinking was that she would be freed once Ye Hongyi died. She hadpletely forgotten about how much worse her fate would likely be once Ye Junqing seeded to the throne. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 33
Chapter 33: Have the Esteemed Prince Marry into Bactria! "It''s not just this. Actually, Second Older Sister shouldn''t be worrying about how to take Ye Hongyi''s life but rather how to secure roads of retreat. Mowan heard that Mangyuan is an unruled zone on the border of Shu and Chu. If Second Older Sister manages to escape from this imperial pce and is lucky enough to reach Mangyuan, then you''ll probably be able to preserve your life!" Yao Mowan spoke leisurely as she lifted the teacup and poured the water inside on the ground, causing a burst of ck steam to rise up. "Mangyuan¡­ What are you plotting now?" Yao Suluan''s brows furrowed and she looked towards Yao Mowan coldly. She hadn''t be dumb to the point as to believe that Yao Mowan had truly said all of this to help her. "Just count it as Mowan''s momentary kindness in consideration for our sisterly affection!" Yao Mowan smiled as she slowly got up. "Sisterly affection? You were even capable of killing Father, so would you even care about sisterly affection?" Yao Suluan didn''t believe this exnation at all, but Yao Mowan didn''t reply. She just smiled slightly towards Yao Suluan, then walked out with lithe steps. The instantly Yao Mowan left Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan copsed into the chair. Her clenched fists were shaking uncontrobly. As she looked at the ck tea liquid on the ground, her heart gradually started to waver. In the imperial garden, Ye Junqing walked to Yao Mowan, acting like this was just a chance encounter. "Prince, you dropped something." Before Ye Junqing even made it over, Yao Mowan already took out bodhi jade to hand it to Ye Junqing. "Why is this with you?" Ye Junqing hastily took the jade before looking towards Yao Mowan suspiciously. "With that one million taels of gold from Yan Nansheng, Mowan is currently not poor to the point that she would resort to stealing. Prince had idently dropped it in Pure Flowers Pce while eavesdropping just now." Yao Mowan mercilessly exposed Ye Junqing''s sneaky behavior. "Cough cough¡­ Who eavesdropped? Who had this prince eavesdropped on!?" Ye Junqing''s face flushed red as he obstinately refuted. "If Prince didn''t eavesdrop, then there''s also no need for Mowan to exin, right?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with a smirk. Her clear eyes sparkled with beautiful purity underneath the sunlight. "Ugh¡­ Fine. This prince really wants to know why you lured Yao Suluan to Mangyuan. Although she''s your second older sister, she had caused Moxin''s death! Can you really just ept her going to Mangyuan to live out the rest of her life, free and unfettered?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan indignantly as he asked this in a low voice. "Free and unfettered? Prince, you shouldn''t forget that Ben Lei and the others are at Mangyuan!" Yao Mowan''s lips hooked slightly. The smiling expression in her eyes caused Ye Junqing to involuntarily feel a chill. "But this prince still doesn''t understand. Why did you have Yao Suluan go to Mangyuan? Her days are no better here." Ye Junqing couldn''t understand it at all. "Prince will understand eventually. Furthermore, Mowan guarantees that Yao Suluan''s days in Mangyuan will definitely be no better than her days here," said Yao Mowan leisurely, her voice filled with conviction. "But¡­" Just as Ye Junqing was about to ask more, Ting Yue ran over. "Your Imperial Highness, something bad''s happened!" Ting Yue hastily walked to Yao Mowan, then briefly nced towards Ye Junqing. "What happened?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Ting Yue. "As this servant was sending that pce maid to the imperial hospital, this servant heard that His Majesty has already agreed to have a peace marriage with Bactria!" reported Ting Yue. "A peace marriage¡­ That''s nothing unusual," said Yao Mowan. Peace marriages have been urring between nations since ancient times, it was amon urrence. "But this peace marriage is different. This servant heard them say that His Majesty has already promised the emperor of Bactria not only to have the esteemed prince marry Bactria''s Honored Princess but also to have the esteemed prince marry into Bactria! That Honored Princess is almost about to reach great Chu! What do we do?" Ting Yue looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly. Yao Mowan was silent, but a cold light shed through her eyes. "How can this be!? How can His Majesty do this? This prince will talk to His Majesty about this right now!" Ye Junqing was outraged by this news. Just as he was about to get up, Yao Mowan stopped him. "Prince, what do you think you would be able to change by going there now?" Yao Mowan restrained the coldness in her eyes to looked towards Ye Junqing lightly. "This prince can have His Majesty decline this marriage! As long as this prince refuses to agree to it, no one dares to force this prince to marry!" replied Ye Junqing indignantly. Yao Mowan just shrugged and let him go. After Ye Junqing stormed out of sight, Ting Yue carefully walked closer to Yao Mowan. "Your Imperial Highness, as of now, Bactria''s Honored Princess has already entered great Chu and will arrive at the imperial pce within a few days. No matter how much the prince argues, His Majesty still wouldn''t necessarily take back this marriage. What do we do?" Ting Yue looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly. Yao Mowan just smiled. Once Ye Junqing fully disappeared from sight, she slowly started walking back to Guan Osprey Pce. Ting Yue couldn''t very well ask again when her master didn''t speak, so she just followed with a worried expression. After about two hours, just as Yao Mowan was about to doze off with Fluffy on the chaise lounge, she felt a gust of wind burst in through the doors. That azure figure rushed in, then there was a loud m that caused Fluffy to scurry out of Yao Mowan''s arms. "His Majesty is going too far! He''s actually refusing to see this prince! Does he think he can hide for an entire lifetime?" Ye Junqing plopped himself down on a chair angrily as heined. "There''s no need for him to hide an entire lifetime, he only has to hide until Prince heads off to Bactria with the honored princess." Yao Mowan stroked Fluffy''s furry headfortingly as she replied with this. "This prince is currently in a predicament, but all you have to say are cynical remarks? Can''t you say something that''s moreforting to hear? Or is it too difficult!?" Ye Junqing glowered at Yao Mowan as he said this angrily. "I hear that the honored princess is devastatingly beautiful to the point of being capable of causing the downfall of a city!" Yao Mowan nodded firmly. "You! No matter what, this prince won''t be marrying her!" said Ye Junqing decisively. "But the princess is already about to reach the imperial city. Prince, do you really think you can resolve it just by saying that you won''t marry her?" Yao Mowan gently patted Fluffy, then got up and slowly walked past Ye Junqing to sit down. She lifted the violet sand pot with her slender fingers and poured a cup of tea to push it over to Ye Junqing. "Then what should I do?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan with a pitiful, worried expression. "For better or for worse, she''s still the princess of a nation and is plenty good of a match for you, Prince. The way Prince is acting like this is such a great bitterness and grievance seems quite unreasonable," said Yao Mowan disapprovingly. "This prince isn''t acting unreasonable, this is actually unreasonable! Even if the honored princess is a descended celestial, this prince still wouldn''t take a second look at her! Other people might not know, but you should understand. In this prince''s heart¡­" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan, his gaze solemn and deep. "Prince''s heart only contains Eldest Sister, right? If Honored Princess found out that she couldn''t evenpare to a dead person, Mowan wonders what sort of uproar she would cause." Yao Mowan looked at Ye Junqing with amusement even as a trace of warmth arose in her heart. "Yao Mowan!" Ye Junqing was furious. He was so anxious that it felt like he was being grilled, yet Yao Mowan still had the mood to make jokes. "Ahem¡­ Back to the main topic, Prince, do you know why His Majesty is making Bactria''s Honored Princess your princess consort? And agreeing for you to marry into Bactria?" Yao Mowan restrained the amusement in her eyes to look towards Ye Junqing seriously. "I don''t know!" It was very clear that Ye Junqing wasn''t in a state suitable for thinking. "One simple word: poor!" replied Yao Mowan concisely. "What do you mean?" Ye Junqing lifted his brows as he looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "Prince should be well aware of His Majesty''s apprehension towards you. It''s only because of your military prestige in great Chu that he hasn''t dared to do anything to you. Hence, His Majesty is now settling for the second best option, which is to send you out of great Chu to the nation everyone in this continent knows as the poorest. The intention behind this is easy to see." __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] To rify, usually it''s the bride that joins the groom''s family, but in this case, Ye Hongyi is having Ye Junqing join the Honored Princess''s family, meaning that he would have to live in Bactria and likely have a lower status.
Chapter Volume 3 34
Chapter 34: The Honored Princess has Arrived "Once Prince is no longer in great Chu, the emperor wouldn''t have to be apprehensive any longer. Although you''re a dragon among men, in Bactria, you could only count as a dragon swimming in the shallows. No matter what you do, you wouldn''t be able to create anyrge waves, so there''d be nothing for His Majesty to worry about." Yao Mowan''s expression was solemn and her voice was cold as ice even as her eyes shed brightly. "That''s what His Majesty intends?" Ye Junqing''s eyes now contained a hint of sorrow. After Moxin had passed away, he had already acted as humbly as possible in front of Ye Hongyi, but he still couldn''t get Ye Hongyi to feel a little at ease? "Why else?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she refilled Ye Junqing''s cup. "No matter what, this prince refuses to marry the honored princess even if¡­ Even if the consequence is death!" dered Ye Junqing, his eyes cold. However, right after Ye Junqing said this, Yao Mowan abruptly mmed the tea pot on the table and glowered at Ye Junqing. "Prince is speaking of things lightly, but there''s an old saying that death can be heavier than Mt. Tai, but also light as a goose feather. If you lose your life because of something like rejecting a marriage, forget Mowan, even Eldest Sister who''s down below the nine springs will look down on you!" Yao Mowan couldn''t take how lightly he viewed death. "But¡­" "There are no buts. Back then, you had believed that Eldest Sister had willingly left that confession statement behind to bind you, that''s why you willingly gave up your military power so that Eldest Sister could rest in peace. However, by now you should know very well that it was Yao Suluan that forced Eldest Sister to sign that confession. It wasn''t Eldest Sister''s intention at all!" "Since that''s the case, there''s no need for Prince to be ever fearful and nervous any longer. It was His Majesty that was unjust towards Prince first, so Prince can''t be med in treating him in kind!" As of now, Yao Mowan had already finished setting up a clear road for Ye Junqing. She was just waiting for Ye Junqing to have thoughts of rebellion. As soon as he did, she would do her all to help him take back everything that should''ve been his from the start. "Moxin loved Ye Hongyi, that''s why she helped him unite the current country. That''s also why, regardless of whether that confession exists or not, this prince won''t easily take Ye Hongyi''s throne. There''s no need for you to say things like this again." Ye Junqing''s expression was filled with sorrow and his eyes were dim. Yao Mowan abruptly got up, then stepped forward to take Ye Junqing''s tea cup. Her jade wrist tilted slightly and the tea spilled to the ground. "What are you doing!?" To Ye Junqing who was reminiscing about the past, Yao Mowan''s actionspletely destroyed the mood. "Were you the one that poured this cup of tea?" asked Yao Mowan angrily. "No, but¡­" Ye Junqing was slightly taken aback, but he still felt like Yao Mowan''s action was a little too much. "Rather than waste your time with a but, why don''t you head back to prepare? You''re about to be Bactria''s son-inw. It''s something wonderful that could only be encountered and not sought. However, Prince, it''s best if you keep some silver on you. That ce is so poor that there''s only one word left!" Yao Mowan casually set the teacup back the table, then turned to return to her bedroom. "What word?" Ye Junqing couldn''t help but ask. "Poor!" snapped Yao Mowan, then she mmed shut the bedroom door, leaving Ye Junqing outside with ck speechless lines on his face. After several days of being unable to sleep with worry, even as Bactria''s Honored Princess moved into Harmony Pce, Ye Junqing still hadn''te up with any ways to get out of this marriage. Since Ye Hongyi still refused to see him, Ye Junqing lost all confidence and had no choice but to set aside his dignity to ask Yao Mowan for help. "Ahem¡­ As of now, that honored princess has already moved in. What do you think this prince should do?" Although the taste of having to ask a favor wasn''t that good, being ''married off'' to such a remote and deste ce didn''t taste any better, especially since he had no intentions of taking a wife. He believed that in this lifetime, his heart would not move again for any woman. "What does this have to do with Mowan?" These past couple days, Yao Mowan''s tone towards Ye Junqing remained not quite hot or cold. In this current moment, she was looking at the steamed fish on the table. After saying this, she lightly tapped her bowl with her chopsticks. "Of course, there''s a rtionship. If this prince isn''t here anymore, who''d get food for you?" as Ye Junqing spoke, he picked up a piece of fish to ce in Yao Mowan''s bowl, his face filled with eager attentiveness, sincerity, and hopeful anticipation. "Although it does feel nice to have someone get the food, but in regard to this matter, Mowan truly doesn''t know what to do. Prince, Mowan wishes you the best!" Yao Mowan truly hadn''te up with any good ideas to get rid of the honored princess, but just because she didn''t have any ns didn''t mean that she''d let someone take Ye Junqing away. "Give the fish back to this prince!" When Ye Junqing heard this, his facial color abruptly changed. He wanted to take back the fish, but it was already toote. "What need is there for Prince¡­ Achoo¡­" Before Yao Mowan could finish her words, a strong burst of powdered perfume float over. Yao Mowan''s nose tingled and she sneezed. "Your Imperial Highness, please forgive this servant. This servant wanted to notify Your Imperial Highness, but the honored princess insisted oning in." Ting Yue quickly ran over to Yao Mowan to ask for forgiveness. "It''s fine." Yao Mowan restrained the shrewdness in her eyes and reced it with a na?ve expression. At the side, Ye Junqing''s heart chilled. When he looked over, he saw a woman gracefully enter, apanied by the intense smell of perfume. Yao Mowan saw a woman sparkling with golden light standing at the entrance of Guan Osprey Pce. The woman was dressed in a delicate wispy garment that had scales of pure gold decorating the shoulders. There was a jade stone belt on her waist that contained a dazzling red bloodstone, and a long trailing skirt that had at least a hundred plump and round pearls on every single pleat. So with the entire skirt, there must''ve been at least a thousand pearls. At this time, the woman was currently walking in demurely with her eyes lowered. Once she got out of the sun, Yao Mowan finally got a clear look at the woman''s face. Everyone said that a faint application of heavy makeup and gaudy dress was always appropriate, but the woman in front of her had clearly used way too heavy of a hand with the makeup. Her brows were ck as ink, her lips were red as blood, and then there were those cheeks. Even from this close up, Yao Mowan still couldn''t shake off the feeling that she was looking at a monkey''s butt! This person was no other than the monarch of Bactria''s most doted princess, Xia Furong. "You said that Bactria''s really poor?" Ye Junqing nced towards Yao Mowan, his tone filled with unconceble doubt. "She couldn''t have put on all the toys in Bactria''s state treasury, right¡­" Yao Mowan couldn''t help but shake her head. "Furong had just entered great Chu and has yet to greet Esteemed Prince, that''s why Furong has rashlye here. Prince, please forgive." The sweet voice was gentle and mellow, but Ye Junqing couldn''t help but feel an endless chill. "Ahem¡­ so it was Bactria''s princess. Forgive Junqing''sck of manners just now." Even though he didn''t want to face it, when the person was standing right in front of him, he couldn''t very well continue to act like he couldn''t see her. "How did Prince show anyck of manners? It was Furong who hade without an invitation. Prince wouldn''t mind it, right?" Xia Furong dragged the dozen catty heavy gown as she curtsied once more. "Why would Junqing mind- Achoo¡­ Princess is over-worrying." Ye Junqing rubbed his nose as he helplessly returned the salute. Due to Xia Furong''s status, there was a need for Ye Junqing to treat her with due respect. "Furong isn''t over-worrying, it is truly inappropriate to appear abruptly like this. No matter what, Furong should''ve let Prince know ahead of time." Xia Furong continued to curtsy without pausing, causing bursts of her perfume to keep flying towards Yao Mowan, so Yao Mowan kept sneezing nonstop. Finally, she got a chance to open her mouth. "Achoo! Can you get away from me? I can''t breathe!" Yao Mowan covered her nose as she looked towards Xia Furong with revulsion. "Audacious! Who do you think you are, to actually dare to talk to the honored princess this way!?" Before Xia Furong could speak, the servant behind her had already started shouting while pointing at Yao Mowan angrily. "Forgive Junqing''s direct words, but for Princess''s attendant to actually insult our great Chu''s empress, she truly has no sense of propriety." Ye Junqing''s voice waspletely calm, but his face showed faint anger. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 35
Chapter 35: Borrowed Luxuries p! Right after Ye Junqing finished speaking, Xia Furong abruptly turned around and dealt the maid a p. The attendant that was still so arrogant just a second ago seemed to shrivel like an eggnt hit by frost. Blood was flowing out the corner of her mouth, but she didn''t dare to even lift her hand to wipe it. Yao Mowan took all of this in. A trace of coldughter appeared in her eyes. She had thought that the child of a poor country would mature early, but unexpectedly, the princess still turned out to be a spoiled girl. However, it was also good that she was just a paper tiger. No matter what, it was better than having to deal with a wolf in sheep''s clothing. "You''re so fierce¡­" Yao Mowan looked towards Xia Furong timidly, the depths of her eyes flickering with light. When Xia Furong heard this, she snapped out of it and instantly put away her sinister manner to turn around bashfully and look towards Ye Junqing. "Prince''s words are extremely correct. Her Imperial Highness the Empress is the body of a thousand pounds of gold, how dare a servant criticize her? It was all because Furong was outraged by this servant''s behavior, Furong doesn''t usually hit people!" Xia Furong''s eyes sparkled prettily as she hastily cleared things up. At the side, Yao Mowan snorted through her nose. Her movements were so swift, yet she still dared to say that she didn''t usually hit people? "It''s good that Princess knows that Her Imperial Highness the Empress is the body of a thousand pounds of gold. Junqing still has something to do and so will not apany you." As Ye Junqing spoke, he turned to look towards Yao Mowan and cupped his fist. After solemnly saluting her, he withdrew from Guan Osprey Pce. "Prince, where are you going? Furong will go with you!" When Xia Furong saw that Ye Junqing was leaving, she didn''t say anything else and immediately turned to run after him. The garment immediately started shing so golden underneath the sunlight that it hurt one''s eyes. When the maids behind her saw, they hastily jogged to catch up with Xia Furong. Yao Mowan only exhaled once Xia Furong left. "Your Imperial Highness, say, is that Xia Furong blind? Didn''t she see that you were sitting here?" Ting Yue was really annoyed and grumbled unhappily. "Why''s that? This consort feels that not only is Xia Furong blind, the two maids behind her are also blind. Basically, all of Bactria''s people are blind!" Yao Mowan also got angry. She had never been so disregarded before. Perhaps it was because he had agreed to the peace marriage, but Ye Hongyi was afraid to meet Ye Junqing face to face. That''s why, even after Xia Furong moved into Harmony Pce, Ye Hongyi didn''t show himself. That night, the moon was bright and the stars sparse. asionally, a few clouds drifted past, blocking the white moonlight. The entire earth was cast in a hazy glow. In Harmony Pce, Xia Furong sat down on a chair angrily and ended up idently scraped her skirt by the edge of the dressing table. A pearl fell and started rolling away. "Hurry and pick it up!" shouted Xia Furong worriedly. The maid didn''t dare to be slow and hastily chased after the pearl. However, she suddenly slipped and ended up reflexively stomping on the pearl to regain her bnce. Her heart chilled. She timidly lifted her foot, but the pearl had already be powder under her shoe. As a breeze swept past, it became dust. p! The moment the maid lifted her head, she was met with a p. "Princess, please have mercy! This servant didn''t do it on purpose¡­ Please have mercy¡­" The maid immediately knelt on the ground, trembling as her face paled. The blood that flowed out the corners of her lips made a sharp contrast against her colorless face. "Have mercy? Do you know how precious this pearl is!? Even if you died several times over, it still wouldn''t be able to pay for this pearl! This consort will kill you!" Xia Furong''s expression was twisted and she lifted the chair by her side to use it to hit the maid. "Princess, please let Ah Zi off! Right now you only have two personal maids. If one dies all of a sudden, it''d definitely arouse the esteemed prince''s suspicions! Princess, please take into consideration the esteemed prince and spare Ah Zi for now!" At the side, the maid called Ah Bi fell to a kneel on the ground as she pleaded. At almost the exact same time, Xia Furong threw the chair she was holding and it hit Ah Bi right on the head. Blood immediately started surging out. Even though it was extremely painful, Ah Bi continued to kneel there while pressing on the injury with both hands. She didn''t even dare to breathe loudly. "You actually still dare to mention the esteemed prince to this princess? This princess told you to make sure that fool understood this princess''s might, not to do something that insensible in front of the esteemed prince! You sure enjoyed shouting at her, didn''t you? Look at what happened the entire day? Ye Junqing barely even said one proper sentence to this princess! It''s all your fault!" Xia Furong''s eyes were bloodshot and the rims of her eyes looked like they were about to split. Her appearance seemed like that of a demon from hell and was extremely chilling. "Princess, please have mercy¡­" Ah Bi didn''t dare to argue back and just buried her head between her arms as she continued to beg. Ah Zi also crawled over to Ah Bi''s side to kneel in front of Xia Furong in the same lowly manner. "This servant know that she hasmitted a crime and also knows that even if she dies a thousand times, it wouldn''t make up for this pearl. This servant only asks that Princess calm down a little. The deaths of us servants are nothing important, but once we die, there''ll be no one to serve you, Princess¡­" Ah Zi knew very well that in their master''s eyes, their lives were as lowly as those of ants. If they wanted to live, the only thing they could do was beg. "So you also know how lowly your lives are! Do you know that these pearls and gold scales were all borrowed from Qi!? Imperial Father had put in so much effort to borrow these things! Now that one has been crushed, how is this princess supposed to exin things to Imperial Father!?" Xia Furong walked back to the dressing table angrily with baleful light in her eyes. "We servants know our wrongs¡­" At this time, Ah Zi and Ah Bi could do nothing but continue to kowtow and admit their mistakes. "Scram!" Xia Furong waved the two servants off with loathing on her face, then rubbed her temples irascibly. Inside Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan undid her hair and it spilled down like a wave of silk that gleamed beautifully in the light of the candles. "They were borrowed?" Yao Mowan turned to look towards Yin Xue as she asked this in surprise. "This subordinate had heard everything clearly. Everything Xia Furong was wearing from her head to her toes were borrowed from King Xia. When this subordinate was heading back, Xia Furong was in the middle of throwing a fit due to a pearl." Yin Xue reported what she saw. "Feng Yihan sure has guts with his lending. He doesn''t seem to be worried that he won''t ever get his things back." Yao Mowan''s eyes were deep as a well as she turned back to the mirror. She yed with the pear blossomb she was holding as she sank into her thoughts. She could guess Feng Yihan''s intentions, but unfortunately, Ye Junqing wasn''t someone she could let go of, so Feng Yihan had made these ns for nothing. Right at this time, the door opened. Yao Mowan thought it was Ting Yue and was just about to speak when she heard a familiar voice flow in. "Are you awake?" The clear and melodious voice was low and soft. Yao Mowan was slightly stunned to hear this voice, then she nced towards Yin Xue. Once Yin Xue left, Yao Mowan set down the pear blossomb and walked to the door to quietly open it. "Prince came sote¡­ Could it be you have some sort of intentions towards Mowan?" Yao Mowan was dressed in a moon white inner garment as a few strands of hair fell over her shoulders to frame her face. After taking off the cosmetics, her face seemed like a hibiscus rising out of the water, pure and unstained. Her skin seemed as tender as water and caused people to have the irresistible urge to try and pinch it. Perhaps it was because he had faced Xia Furong for an entire day, because Ye Junqing suddenly had the feeling that Yao Mowan''s beauty was unmatched by the Heavens and the earth. "Prince isn''t saying anything, is this silent affirmation? In reality, if Prince wants Mowan''s apaniment in sleep, it isn''t impossible since Mowan has never thought about wanting to be faithful to His Majesty until death. However, in regard to the price¡­" Yao Mowan ignored the changes in Ye Junqing''s expression and gently extended her finger to hook up his wless chin. "Achoo! Stop joking, this prince has something to ask of you!" Ye Junqing''s loud sneeze seemed strong enough to blow Yao Mowan right out the window. Yao Mowan retreated her finger speechlessly and rubbed her face hard, her eyes filled with resentment. "What matter does Prince have? Can''t it be discussed tomorrow? Mowan wishes to sleep." Yao Mowan walked with small steps to Ye Junqing''s side as she lifted her brows. "I can''t wait until tomorrow. That Xia Furong said that she wanted to apany this prince in having breakfast tomorrow. What do I do?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan with a mournful expression. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 36
Chapter 36: Haggling With a Crafty Merchant "Prince, you had better check a mirror first and see how scrunched up your own face is!" The current Ye Junqing had tragedy written all over his face. "Yao Mowan, please save me!" There was no way Ye Junqing would be in the mood to check a mirror. He picked up the teacup and started gulping down the water. "Oh? It seems that Prince doesn''t find Xia Furong very pleasing?" When Yao Mowan saw Ye Junqing react like this, she was intrigued and sat down to look towards him meaningfully. "Do you know what this day was like for this prince? That honored princess, ever since leaving Guan Osprey Pce, has been following this prince around. From the imperial garden to the imperial kitchen, then to the imperial hospital. Even when this prince goes to the¡­ Ahem¡­ In any case, no matter what this prince does, she insists on following and this prince can''t shake her off! Yao Mowan, this prince seriously can''t take it anymore! As long as you can help this prince deal with her, this prince will give you a hundred taels of cold!" eximed Ye Junqing. "That''s easy. Yin Xue, kill her!" Yao Mowan responded swiftly and immediately gave this order. "Wait! This prince isn''t asking you to kill her, but to help this prince get free from her! If this prince was going to kill her, would this prince even need your help? Achoo¡­" Even now, that intense perfume still filled Ye Junqing''s nose. "In reality, Prince shouldn''t be too harsh. Based on what Mowan saw, that honored princess is also quite pitiful¡­" Yao Mowan pinched her throat as she looked towards Ye Junqing with a sad expression. "Did you take the wrong medicine? She''s pitiful?" This was Ye Junqing''s first time loathing a woman to this degree. "Prince doesn''t know but in reality, all the pearls and gold scales Xia Furong was wearing were borrowed by King Xia from Feng Yihan. It can be seen from this that for the sake of seeing you, Prince, the honored princess had spent quite a lot of effort, but you¡­" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with a resentful and ming expression like she was feeling angry on behalf of Xia Furong. "Stop! Just say it, how much?" If Ye Junqing actually came to believe that Yao Mowan felt pity for Xia Furong, then he had truly stayed with Yao Mowan this long in vain. "Five thousand gold taels, no negotiating." Yao Mowan stopped pretending to feel sympathy and her eyes started sparkling like stars. "Yao Mowan, the bandit world has truly lost a great talent to not have recruited you! Five thousand gold taels? Why don''t you sell this prince to see if that price can be reached? Do you think this prince is Yan Nansheng!?" Ye Junqing suddenly regretted knocking on this door and he immediately got up to leave. "Prince, take care. Forgive this one for not seeing you off." Yao Mowan leaned back on the chair leisurely as she said this. When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan had no intentions of stopping him, he returned to his seat. "Five hundred taels of gold, how''s that?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan solemnly. When he saw that Yao Mowan wasn''t saying anything, he hardened his heart. "A thousand taels of gold! Alright?" This was Ye Junqing''s limit. "Five thousand taels of gold." Yao Mowan tilted her exquisite face and smiled towards Ye Junqing. Her innocent face was wlessly beautiful, but in Ye Junqing''s eyes, it was as sinister as the grin of a demon. Yao Mowan only sighed in relief once she heard the sound of Ye Junqing mming the door. She then walked to the bed and fell asleep peacefully. Since the nation of Xia has alwayscked money, this would be easy to deal with. The next day, right after Yao Mowan finished washing up, before she even left her bedroom, she heard the sound of Xia Furong''s voice. At this time, Liu Xing had hastily pushed open the door and entered. "Your Imperial Highness, that honored princess seriously has no respect for you. She''s currently preparing breakfast in the main hall and hasmanded her maid to go invite the esteemed prince." Liu Xing wanted to stop Xia Furong, but she was the princess of a nation after all. Without his master''s consent, he couldn''t very well offend her. "This Xia Furong! Does she think that she''s still in Bactria? How dare she take over this ce like it''s her own? Your Imperial Highness, this servant will help you drive her out right now!" Ting Yue angrily headed towards the door, but Yao Mowan stopped her. "Don''t mind her. Yin Xue!" Yao Mowan quickly called out Yin Xue. "Master, the items you''ve requested," said Yin Xue respectfully, then she ced an embroidered bag on the dressing table. "Good work, you may withdraw." Once Yin Xue left, Yao Mowanmanded Ting Yue to sew all the blood-colored pearls in the purse onto her clothes, then put those colored ss ornaments on her head. At the very end, Yao Mowan took out a nine luan hairpin from her jewelry box. This hairpin was made with pure gold and had extremely exquisite handiwork. On every tail of the luan there were jade night pearls that shined beautifully with the jadeite on the luan''s head. The design was peerlessly exquisite. Once Yao Mowan walked out of the bedroom, she saw that Ye Junqing was sitting there silently, allowing Xia Furong to get dishes for him. He only nodded asionally without saying a word. The moment Ye Junqing heard the door open, he abruptly looked over, only to freeze when he saw Yao Mowan''s brilliantly sparkling outfit. From what he remembered, this counted as Yao Mowan''s second time dressing herself up as a peacock! The first time was when Feng Yihan hade. Ever since he mmed the door and left yesterday, he had been feeling very unhappy. Whenever he recalled that all the jewels that Xia Furong was wearing came from Feng Yihan, he would feel loathing from the depths of his heart. Feng Yihan was clearly doing this to have Xia Furong take him to Bactria so that he would be able to exchange love letters with Yao Mowan without any apprehensions! "Junqing kowtows in salute to Your Imperial Highness." Ye Junqing decided to stop worrying about these for now. He knew that at the very least, Yao Mowan''s appearance has saved him in this moment. "Furong kowtows in salute to Your Imperial Highness. This is Furong''s first timeing to great Chu, so Furong doesn''t know what Your Imperial Highness likes. That''s why Furong specially ordered Ah Zi to prepare breakfast. These are all Bactria''s specialties. Furong hopes that Your Imperial Highness will like them." Xia Furong smiled towards Yao Mowan, but when her eyesnded on the outfit Yao Mowan was wearing, her gaze was instantly captivated by the blood-colored pearls. "There''s tasty things, so this consort will definitely like them!" Yao Mowan happily ced her jade fingers on Xia Furong''s hand, then walked with her to the table. When Xia Furong saw the jadeite thumb ring Yao Mowan was wearing, she couldn''t help but swallow. A trace of greed shed through her eyes. "You like this?" Yao Mowan''s eyes widened when she saw that Xia Furong wouldn''t let go of her hand, then she asked this in a na?ve manner. "Oh¡­ No¡­" Xia Furong knew that she had behaved inappropriately, so she immediately retrieved her hand. However, right after she said that, Yao Mowan took off the thumb ring and lifted her hand to forcefully put the ring on Xia Furong''s finger. "Furong has plenty of toys like this, there''s no need for Your Imperial Highness to give it to Furong¡­" Xia Furong forced down the pleasant delight in her heart and feigned refusal. "Since you have plenty, one more is nothing! Wan er also has plenty! His Majesty has said so! You''re a guest, so Wan er has to take good care of you. From now on, if you like something, just tell Wan er! Wan er will give them all to you!" Yao Mowan smiled generously, then started eating in a simple-minded way. At the side, Ye Junqing didn''t know what exactly Yao Mowan was trying to sell, but he was able to figure out with a nce that the thumb ring Yao Mowan had just given Xia Furong wasn''t worth much. "Since that''s the case, then Furong thanks Your Imperial Highness." Xia Furong feigned a polite response even as greed arose in her heart. It was so much so that after breakfast ended, Xia Furong didn''t cling to Ye Junqing again and instead, stayed in Guan Osprey Pce to start chatting with Yao Mowan. Yao Mowan sent Ting Yue and the others away to sit with Xia Furong on the chaise lounge and chat. "It''s obvious from Your Imperial Highness''s luxurious outfit that King Chu truly cherishes Your Imperial Highness!" Xia Furong gently stroked the blood-colored pearls on Yao Mowan''s greedily. "Mmhm! His Majesty does dote on Wan er a lot. He often gives Wan er a lot of fun things, but after looking at these things for a long time, it''s not fresh anymore! For example, these pearls are just red. They''re nowhere as pretty as the ones you''re wearing!" Yao Mowan started setting her trap. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 37
Chapter 37: Tempting the Miser into the Trap "Really? If Your Imperial Highness likes the pearls Furong is wearing, then we can just trade!" Xia Furong''s eyes shone with delight. "Really? You''re willing to exchange?" Yao Mowan maintained an innocent expression. Her pure eyes were filled with naivety. "Of course Furong''s willing! Ahem¡­ What Furong means is, if it can make Your Imperial Highness happy, of course Furong is willing suffer a little," said Xia Furong affectedly as she forced down the wild joy rising up inside her heart. "That''s not good! Wan er never makes people suffer." Yao Mowan''s expression filled with disappointment and her gaze dimmed. "Furong isn''t suffering at all! Furong''s perfectly willing to trade with Your Imperial Highness!" There was no way Xia Furong would allow Yao Mowan to change her mind and she immediately voiced her stance. "Alright! Then just wait here. This empress will take off these garments and you can take them to take off the pearls before giving your pearls to this empress. How''s that?" Yao Mowan got up energetically. "Of course it''s good!" Xia Furong nodded firmly and the greed in her eyes increased even more. As Xia Furong watched Yao Mowan happily skip into her bedroom, she silently called her an imbecile. Anyone would be able to tell that the blood pearls on Yao Mowan''s outfit were over ten times more expensive than normal pearls. With this trade, she had earned at least a thousand taels in gold! Once Yao Mowan walked out from the bedroom, Xia Furong immediately got up and walked over to her. "I''ll give you this, but we did talk about this! You were the one that was willing, Wan er didn''t force you!" emphasized Yao Mowan seriously. "Don''t worry, Your Imperial Highness. Even if King Chues, Furong would still say this." Xia Furong epted the garments with feigned politeness, curtsied, then immediately left Guan Osprey Pce. Once Xia Furong left, Yin Xue suddenly appeared next to Yao Mowan. "Master, news hase from Ben Lei''s side." As Yin Xue spoke, she handed the message to Yao Mowan. Yao Mowan nced in the direction Xia Furong had left in and her lips slowly curved into a meaningful smile. She then walked to the chaise lounge to sit down before opening the letter. "Preposterous!" When Yao Mowan saw the contexts of the letter, her facial color rapidly changed and she rose to her feet indignantly. Her eyes instantly turned icy cold. "Master?" Yin Xue had never seen Yao Mowan this angry before. In Yin Xue''s eyes, Yao Mowan has always seemed to possess the ability to control the entire situation. No matter how troublesome of an event urred, she would always be able to deal with it skillfully and easily. "We were actually robbed! It''s always been this empress robbing others, there has never been anyone that dared to rob this empress!" Yao Mowan handed the letter back to Yin Xue as she ground her teeth angrily. Yin Xue took the letter and opened it. As she nced through the contents, she couldn''t help but inhale sharply. Reporting Master, the silk, tea leaves, and ironware that Yao Manifest Trade had been transporting towards the various nations the past three days have been simultaneously robbed, causing a loss of two thousand gold taels. This subordinate and the Elements were unable to find anything through investigation. All of Yao Manifest Trade''s caravans have now stopped transporting and are waiting for instructions. ¡ª Ben Lei. Yin Xue''s brows furrowed as she read the letter, then she crushed the letter and it instantly turned to dust. "Master, based on Yao Manifest Trade''s prestige in Mangyuan, normal bandits wouldn''t dare to provoke our caravans, but they''ve been robbed for three days in a row. This subordinate believes that someone is purposefully opposing Yao Manifest Trade!" Yin Xue looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly. "Who would it be¡­" Yao Mowan lowered her eyes as she sank into thought. A bad feeling was rising up in her heart. "This subordinate will write a letter to the Yin n. Hopefully it''ll help," suggested Yin Xue. "You can''t!" Yao Mowan immediately rejected the idea. Yin Xue looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. She wanted to ask, but she stopped herself. "If this consort''s guess isn''t wrong, the person behind this is very likely Chu Mobei, that pestilence demon! If it really is him, then the only reason he''s making such arge move is because he wants to disturb the waters and track down the person behind Yao Manifest Trade. Mowan is grateful that you''re willing to ask the Yin n for help, but with Yin Xiong there, Chu Mobei will naturally find out about this. In this world, the only people that can make use of the Yin n are you and Yin Xiong, so at that time, he''ll be able to easily guess that this empress is the owner of Yao Manifest Trade!" exined Yao Mowan. "It was this subordinate''s carelessness. Then what do we do now?" Yin Xue was once again amazed by Yao Mowan''s farsightedness. "Write back to Ben Lei. Starting today, stop all of Yao Manifest Trade''s caravans and have all business transactions take ce in Mangyuan," said Yao Mowan solemnly, her eyes dark like whirlpools. "But going on like this won''t be a solution?" Yin Xue was deeply worried. She was well aware of the fact that most of their ie from Mangyuan came from trading with the other nations. Inparison, their local businesses didn''t earn that much. "Have Ben Lei and the others endure this for the time being. This empress will naturally be able toe up with a way to deal with those hindersome bandits!" Yao Mowan suddenly thought of someone and her lips curved in a smile. "Master¡­ You couldn''t be nning to have Yan Nansheng make an appearance, right?" Yin Xue''s lips twitched. Thanks to Yao Mowan, whenever she entered Phoenix Feather Manor now, those servants would always look at her like she was a thief. As time passed, she was no longer just an unweed guest at Phoenix Feather Manor, she became the most unweed guest at the manor. "Items should be used to the fullest, people''s talents should also be used to the fullest. This empress simply thinks highly of him!" replied Yao Mowan indignantly. "Master is wise¡­" Yin Xue nodded firmly. Yan Nansheng probably sincerely never wanted Yao Mowan to think highly of him! That night, the full moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver shine on the earth. In Harmony Pce, Xia Furong was personally supervising Ah Zi and Ah Bi as they took the pearls off her garments to trade it for the red pearls from Yao Mowan''s garments. After that earlier lesson, Ah Zi and Ah Bi were extremely careful with the pearls in fear that they would break them. These pearls that seemed iparably valuable in Xia Furong''s eyes were nothing but fatal, poisonous snakes to Ah Zi and Ah Bi. If they were even the slightest bit careless, it may cause their deaths. "Yao Mowan, that idiot. She''s actually using such precious blood pearls to trade with this princess? With this exchange, this consort can earn at least a thousand taels of gold! With these one thousand taels, this princess will be able to remake the prince consort''s residence!" Xia Furong propped up her cheek as she daydreamed about the luxurious life she would soon be able to enjoy and her lips hooked in delight. "Princess, the assistant minister of the Chu Ministry of Rites came by today, saying that King Chu has set you and the prince consort''s departure date on the propitious day that''s ten dayster." Ah Zi suddenly recalled about this matter and reported it. "There''s only ten days¡­" muttered Xia Furong disappointedly. "Princess, didn''t you want to return earlier?" Ah Zi looked towards Xia Furong in confusion. "How could this princess have known that Yao Mowan was this easy to trick? Wouldn''t it be better to fish up more money from her? You two had better be careful. If you guys break even one pearl, this princess will break your heads!" Xia Furong''s ck eyes lit up even more as she looked at the blood-colored pearls in front of her. Ah Zi and Ah Bi immediately started concentrating with everything they had to carefully sew on the pearls. They didn''t dare to speak anymore. The next day, Yao Mowan used the same method to trade the rainbow-colored scales on her garments for the gold scales on Xia Furong''s garments. With this, Xia Furong had stopped bothering Ye Junqing two days in a row. "Yesterday, someone from the Ministry of Rites came to tell this prince to get ready to head back to Bactria after nine days. Have you thought of something yet?" Even without Xia Furong following him around, Ye Junqing''s mood was still very grave. "Why does Mowan have to think of a way?" asked Yao Mowan in disagreement. "Two thousand taels of gold! These two thousand taels of gold already includes the deed for this prince''s residence!" Ye Junqing gritted his teeth as he lifted two fingers. The unspoken implication was that two thousand taels of gold was his limit. "Prince had better go get ready, lest you miss the auspicious hour." Yao Mowan remained unmoved. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 38
Chapter 38: Passing Off Fish Eyes as Pearls "Yao Mowan! You''re too heartless!" When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan had nothing to say, he pped the table and got up. Just as he was about to leave, Yao Mowan called him back. "Ahem¡­ Since Prince is talking about feelings with this empress, then this empress will stop mentioning money." The moment Yao Mowan said this, Ye Junqing immediately returned to his seat and looked towards her with his eyes sparkling. "Really?" Ye Junqing rubbed his eyes. He seemed to see a Bodhisattva sitting in front of him. "Of course. It damages feelings too much to talk about money!" Yao Mowan nodded earnestly. "Then you have a way to help this prince reject this marriage?" Ye Junqing had never found Yao Mowan''s figure as tall and lofty as he did now. "There is a way, but¡­" Yao Mowan lifted her brows and her eyes curved with her smile. "Didn''t you say that you wouldn''t talk about money?" Ye Junqing immediately narrowed his eyes. "If Prince can convince Yan Nansheng to help resolve the troubles that Mowan is facing in Mangyuan, this empress guarantees that not even the Heavenly Emperor would be able to take you away!" dered Yao Mowan solemnly as if she was making a vow. The smile that stiffened in Ye Junqing''s face gradually shattered piece by piece as three ck lines dropped down on his forehead. "Why don''t you ask yourself?" Ye Junqing finally understood one truth now, which was: even if he waited until the end of time, Yao Mowan would never have any mercy! "Isn''t it all because he won''t see this empress?" Yao Mowan tugged at Ye Junqing''s wide sleeve childishly as she spoke in a beautifully gentle voice. "Then do you think he really wants to see this prince?" replied Ye Junqing. As of now, to Yan Nansheng, Yao Mowan, Ye Junqing, and Yin Xue were like the three biggest stars of cmity in his life. He avoided them like the gue! "Mowan has faith that Prince will definitely find a way, unless Prince wishes to be Bactria''s son-inw or is able to take out five thousand taels of gold." Yao Mowan returned to the main topic and stopped haggling with Ye Junqing. "Yao Mowan! If this prince had money, this prince definitely wouldn''t talk about feelings with you!" Each one of Ye Junqing''s words came out like blood from a swan''s mouth, filled with grief and indignance. Once Ye Junqing stormed off, Yao Mowan knew that this deal was a sess. The first autumn rain fell like gentle feathers, chasing away the torrid heat of summer and calming the heart. Inside the imperial garden, Xia Furong was jogging to keep up with Ye Junqing. She extended her sleeves to help block the rain for Ye Junqing, but Ye Junqing had no desire to interact with her and reflexively started walking faster to the pavilion. "This rain came so fast." Xia Furong smoothed out the hair that fell over her shoulders as she looked towards Ye Junqing with a sigh. During these past few days, no matter how eagerly attentive she was or how she ingratiated herself, she wasn''t able to get a single trace of a smile from Ye Junqing. Even though she had the wedding contract, she was still a little worried. "Wonder if Prince remembers? The first time Furong met Prince, it was also in the rain. At that time, it was the battle of Changping. Prince had passed through Bactria. For the sake of catching a glimpse of you, Prince, Furong had snuck out of the imperial pce to wait on the road where the army was marching through. At that time, the rain had also drizzled this way. However, for the sake of seeing you, Prince, Furong couldn''t bear to leave. Finally¡­" Just as Xia Furong was getting into her narration, Ah Bi suddenly called out to her. "Princess, you¡­" Before Ah Bi could finish what she was saying, Xia Furong had shot her a warning re. Ah Bi immediately stopped speaking, but a conflicted expression remained on her face. When Xia Furong turned back around and saw that Ye Junqing was staring at her, she was delighted. She thought that her story had touched Ye Junqing, so she immediately continued talking about it. "Furong was finally able to see Prince''s valiant appearance. In the drizzling rain, Prince had appeared like a descended celestial riding on the wind. The shining silver armorplemented Prince''s imposing manner magnificently. It was at that time that¡­" Just as Xia Furong was reveling in these memories, Ye Junqing finally couldn''t take it anymore. "Junqing feels that perhaps Princess should change into different garments," reminded Ye Junqing out of good intentions. When Xia Furong heard this, she froze, then nced down, only to find that her moon white garment had actually been dyed with a rainbow of colors. The rainbow scales on her shoulders had already be crow-ck. She looked closer and found that they were clearly just iron! As for the blood red pearls on her skirt, their true identities were revealed after the colors were washed off. They were just the most worthless type of green marbles! "How could this be?" Xia Furong was stunned, then she suddenly recalled that Ye Junqing was next to her and immediately covered her face while running back to Harmony Pce. Inside Guan Osprey Pce, Yao Mowan was currently sitting by herself by the window. Her clear eyes were filled with distress. "Your Imperial Highness, what''s wrong?" Ting Yue draped a purple cloak over Yao Mowan''s shoulders as she asked this worriedly. "This autumn rain came a little early. This empress still hasn''t tricked Xia Furong into giving this empress that phoenix hairpin yet. What a shame, what a shame!" As Yao Mowanmented in a disappointed tone, Ting Yue almost tripped. Right at this time, a burst of noise came from the main hall. "Princess, Her Imperial Highness is currently resting, please returnter or allow this servant to first make a report¡­" Liu Xing did all he could, but he wasn''t able to stop Xia Furong who was frenzied with rage. "Yao Mowan! You imbecile! Get out here! Get out!" The rims of Xia Furong''s eyes seemed about to crack and her sinister appearance was as frightening as the face of a demon. "Princess, this is the imperial pce of great Chu and the ce where you''re standing is where the empress of Chu lives. If you continue to speak so rudely, Liu Xing will be reporting this to His Majesty. There is no way His Majesty will allow our master to suffer grievances!" Although Liu Xing didn''t dare to do anything to Xia Furong, there was no way he could tolerate Xia Furong cursing his master like this. "Suffer grievances? Did this princess hear that right? She, Yao Mowan, would suffer grievances? Didn''t you say you were going to call King Chu? Go! You should go call King Chu right now! This princess wants to confront Yao Mowan! Everyone says that Yao Mowan is a fool, but that''s only because they''re blind!" Xia Furong roared at Liu Xing so loudly that Liu Xing felt a headache. "Liu Xing, head outside to guard the door." A leisurely voice came from inside the bedroom. Yao Mowan stretchedzily, then walked towards Xia Furong. "Yao Mowan! You actually dare toe out to see this princess? Return the pearls and gold scales to this princess! Give them all back!" Xia Furong was like a lion whose bloody mouth was stretched wide open with the desire to just eat Yao Mowan alive. "Why should I?" Yao Mowan waspletely unconcerned as she slowly walked to the chaise lounge to sit down, then picked up Fluffy. Perhaps it was because Fluffy had been with Yao Mowan a long time because Fluffy was bing more and more unperturbed by things. However, Jewel had immediately scuttled off the moment Xia Furong rushed in. "You actually have the nerve to ask why? Ah Bi, show it to her!" Xia Furong stormed over to Yao Mowan, her expression cold as frost. At this time, Ah Bi had already carried that hideously dyed garment over. "What happened to this garment?" asked Yao Mowan, her eyes wide. "What happened? Look for yourself! This was the rainbow-colored scales and blood pearls you traded to this princess! They''re all fake! Do you admit to it!?" Xia Furong grabbed the garment and threw it at Yao Mowan''s feet while shouting angrily. "I admit to it. It was this empress that traded them to you. Is there a problem?" Yao Mowan looked towards Xia Furong with an innocent expression as she asked this in a tone of disagreement. "Can''t you see the problem yourself? These are all fake! You used these crappy pieces of iron to trade for this princess''s pearls and gold scales! Yao Mowan, give the things you tricked out of this princess back and perhaps this princess will let this matter go. Otherwise, this princess will definitely go to King Chu and expose you! This princess will make the entire world know that you''re not a fool at all, that you''re just pretending to be a fool!" How could Xia Furong remain calm? Her imperial father had borrowed those things from King Qi. If she lost them, how were they supposed to return them? "One, when we first traded, Mowan had asked more than once if you were willing. There''s probably no need for Mowan to remind you about your answer, right? Two, you should go just find His Majesty now! Mowan is the empress of Chu while you''re nothing but a princess from a poor nation. Whose side do you think His Majesty will lean toward? Moreover, how are you certain that His Majesty doesn''t know I''m only pretending to be a fool? And how would you guarantee that His Majesty will believe your words?" The questions Yao Mowan voiced left Xia Furongpletely helpless without any answers. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 39
Chapter 39: The Crafty Consort and the Poor Princess "Yao Mowan, you''re truly sinister! You''re the mother of a nation! You don''tck in those things at all, so why did you set up this princess!?" Xia Furong''s hands were clenched and veins visibly pulsed on her forehead. "It can''t be called a setup. Mowan only wishes to make a trade with Princess." Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she said this seriously. "What trade?" Xia Furong looked towards Yao Mowan with confusion. "As long as Princess cancels the peace marriage, not only will Mowan return those pearls and scales to you, Mowan will even give ten times the value of those items as thanks." Yao Mowan got straight to the point. "You¡­ You don''t wish for the esteemed prince to marry this princess? Why? It couldn''t be that you¡­ Yao Mowan! You truly have no shame!" shouted Xia Furong in sudden realization. "Doesn''t everyone possess a heart that loves beauty? And with how soft and tender the esteemed prince looks, who wouldn''t want to take a bite? There''s nothing wrong with Mowan doing this. Of course, Princess, you can refuse this offer. However, you should think through things well. Those items total up to at least a thousand taels of gold. Mowan wonders if Bactria has enough in its treasury to return this amount to Feng Yihan." Yao Mowan looked towards Xia Furong with a cold smile. "You! Yao Mowan! This princess won''t drop this matter just like this!" Xia Furong didn''t know what to say, so she could only stomp angrily out of Guan Osprey Pce. Behind her, Ah Bi made sure to pick the garment up from the ground before running after her master. It was only after Xia Furong left that Yao Mowan looked towards the bedroom. "They''re all gone. Prince, do you still n to stay in there?" Right after Yao Mowan said that, the bedroom door parted slightly and Ye Junqing walked out, his face flushed. "What do you mean by this prince is soft and tender!? You''re the soft and tender one!" Ye Junqing clearly harbored a lot of objections towards this description. "There''s no need for Prince to say it, Mowan of course knows that she''s soft and tender." Yao Mowan tapped her soft pink cheek as she replied proudly. "Are you sure that Xia Furong would propose canceling the marriage to His Majesty just to avoid financial losses?" Ye Junqing paid no attention to her and just continued asking his questions. "Unless she can get the money, otherwise there''s no other path that she can take," replied Yao Mowan in a confident tone. "What if she''s able to get the money?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly. "Then let''s discuss after she gets the money," said Yao Mowan lightly as she set Fluffy down. Ye Junqing took a deep breath, then looked towards Yao Mowan seriously. "This prince has already written a letter to Yan Nansheng. It''s best if you can keep your end of the promise!" Ye Junqing knew what Yao Mowan wanted to know. "Don''t worry, Prince, no matter what, there''s no way this empress would joke with something as important as your marriage." Yao Mowan walked to Ye Junqing with a faint smile. Suddenly, she reached out curiously to poke Ye Junqing''s cheek. "What are you doing?" Ye Junqing abruptly jumped up and backed away while looking at Yao Mowan in rm. "Prince truly is soft and tender!" Yao Mowan nodded solemnly. Ye Junqing was leftpletely frozen. That night, in Harmony Pce, Xia Furong was in the middle of taking out her anger on Ah Bi and Ah Zi when she suddenly heard a soft voicee from outside. "That Yao Mowan truly has ability, to actually anger the usually conserved honored princess to this extent." Xia Furong looked over upon hearing this voice to find that a woman dressed in luxurious garments had appeared inside Harmony Pce with a brocade pouch in her hand. "Who are you? What have youe here for?" Xia Furong was slightly startled and finally lowered her half-raised hand. As of now, Ah Zi and Ah Bi''s faces were alreadypletely swollen. "This one is great Chu''s Noble Consort Li. Princess can just call me Suluan, as for why this consort hase to Harmony Pce¡­" Yao Suluan deliberately held off on this answer and walked gracefully to the table before casually setting down the pouch. She pressed the pouch open slightly and a silver light shot out. "This is?" Xia Furong looked toward Yao Suluan questioningly. "This is a top-quality night pearl. Regardless of whether it''s the quality or color, they''re all of the highest quality." Yao Suluan took out a night pearl and arrogantly waved it in front of Xia Furong, but unexpectedly, Xia Furong suddenly snatched the pearl out of her hand and threw it to the ground. "Pei! This crap is nothing! Hasn''t Yao Mowan, that swindler, had enough of tricking this princess? She actually sent another person to trick me!? Get out!" Xia Furong had researched everyone in the pce of Chu before she came, so she knew that this Yao Suluan who called herself Noble Consort Li was Yao Mowan''s older sister. She was already irritated with herself for having believed Yao Mowan. If she decided to believe Yao Suluan this time, then she was dumber than a pig! Yao Suluan was speechless. Her lips twitched as ck lines appeared on her forehead. "Princess has misunderstood. Suluan and that Yao Mowan have irreconcble differences, so why would Suluan ever help her? Princess, if you don''t believe, you can examine them carefully. Regardless of whether it''s that night pearl or the gold strands in this pouch, they''re all genuine articles." Yao Suluan forced herself to remain calm and exin, but inwardly she had already insulted this ignorant person over a hundred times. "Do you think this princess would believe you just because you say that they''re real?" said Xia Furong with lifted brows. However, since Yao Suluan looked sincere enough, she couldn''t stop herself from taking one of the gold strands and putting it in her mouth. "What does Princess think?" When Yao Suluan saw Xia Furong''s method of checking the gold, she inwardly sighed that Bactria was seriously unbelievably poor. A grand princess actually didn''t have the ability to tell the purity of gold by sight. "It''s passable¡­ But what did you bring these things for?" Since the gold strand seemed real, Xia Furong decided to trust Yao Suluan for the time being. "Of course it''s to send charcoal during snowy weather. Suluan knows that Princess has suffered at Yao Mowan''s hand, so Suluan has speciallye to offer these in hopes of helping you out of your predicament." Ever since Yao Mowan hinted for her to leave the imperial pce that day, Yao Suluan had started nning ways to make that happen. The sky was high and the road was long. As long as she got out of the imperial pce, she wouldn''t be controlled by Ye Hongyi anymore. At that time, with the valuables she had umted over the years, she could make apletely new life for herself! As for the dream of empress, she had finally woken up from it. "What do you want this princess to do?" Xia Furong wasn''t that dumb. She immediately got to the point. "As long as Princess takes Suluan along when leaving the imperial city, Suluan will be forever grateful." Yao Suluan also straightforwardly revealed what she hade for. "A grand noble consort of Chu actually has to be this sneaky to leave the pce?" Xia Furong clearly didn''t believe her. "This matter is a long story. Suluan does not have any other wishes. If Princess can help Suluan leave this imperial city, then all of this will belong to you. If you don''t agree¡­" As Yao Suluan spoke, she reached out to take the gold strand from Xia Furong''s hand. "Deal!" Xia Furong immediately snatch the brocade pouch from the table. Yao Suluan inwardly celebrated the fact that Xia Furong didn''t reject this request. "It''s already quitete, so Suluan won''t disturb Princess''s rest any longer." Yao Suluan didn''t want to stay in Harmony Pce too long since it was so close to Guan Osprey Pce. "Oh right, there was something this princess wanted to ask you. Does that Yao Mowan like the esteemed prince?" Xia Furong''s question was so straightforward that Yao Suluan was taken aback for a moment. "This¡­ How should Suluan put this? In any case, the situation is as you''ve seen." Yao Suluan didn''t deliberately add more oil to the fire because her current goal was to leave the pce. She didn''t want any side issues to arise. "Then what about the esteemed prince? Does the esteemed prince also like Yao Mowan?" Xia Furong looked toward Yao Suluan as she pressed for answers. "Someone like the esteemed prince naturally wouldn''t like someone like her who only knows how to dress herself up! There''s no need for Princess to worry." Yao Suluan purposefully reassured Xia Furong even though she found this a pity. Ye Junqing''s good looks were going to be wasted if he ended up going to someone this cheap. "I got it, you can go!" Xia Furong only half-believed Yao Suluan''s words and she dismissed her coldly with no trace of respect. Yao Suluan also had no intentions of bickering with her, so she turned and left to return to Pure Flowers Pce. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 40
Chapter 40: Will Not ept Anyone Else The next day, when Xia Furong appeared in Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Junqing couldn''t eat anymore. He knew based on the night pearl decorating Xia Furong''s waist belt that she had managed to get money. "What do we do?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan, his voice filled with despair. "Perhaps¡­ Prince should just ept being married off after all! Ahem¡­ I mean, getting married. Just marry her!" suggested Yao Mowan sincerely. "Yao Mowan!" Ye Junqing glowered at her. "Furong kowtows in salute to Prince!" At this time, Xia Furong had already walked over and was curtsying to Ye Junqing delicately. After what happened before, Ye Junqing had no ns to return the greeting and just nodded slightly. "The pearl on your waist is so pretty! Wan er has one that''s even better, want to trade?" Yao Mowan reached out to touch the night pearl hanging off of Xia Furong''s waist, but Xia Furong immediately backed away. Her eyes shed cold. "This princess appreciates Your Imperial Highness''s kindness!" With Ye Junqing present, Xia Furong couldn''t very well explode so she could only reply with feigned politeness. "That''s such a pity." Yao Mowan nced at that pearl and her lips hooked in an almost imperceptible arc. She remembered that pearl clearly. Ye Hongyi had bestowed it to Yao Suluan a long time ago. It seemed that the fish has taken the bait. "Junqing has finished eating and will be withdrawing." Ye Junqing was very depressed, so he saluted and strode out of Guan Osprey Pce. When Xia Furong saw that Ye Junqing was leaving, she reflexively turned to run after him, but recalled something and turned back around. "Yao Mowan, this princess will give you a bit of advice. Humans have a face and even trees have skin, so act like a decent human being. As of now, the esteemed prince is already this princess''s fianc¨¦, so you better not have any thoughts about him. As for those pearls from before, this princess will just treat it as giving charity to a beggar!" Xia Furong lifted her chin as she nced towards Yao Mowan haughtily. "Then that''s truly such a coincidence. Mowan had just thrown those worthless toys onto the street just yesterday. As of now, they''re probably already in the hands of some beggars!" Yao Mowan''s smile was as bright as that of a blooming flower even as her eyes filled with ridicule. "You! Humph!" Xia Furong glowered at Yao Mowan, then left Guan Osprey Pce. Once Xia Furong left, Ting Yue looked towards her master skeptically. "Your Imperial Highness, did you really throw her stuff onto the street?" "Tch! Do you think this consort the type to disdain having too much money?" replied Yao Mowan. Ting Yue was speechless. She suddenly felt that this question of hers had been too dumb. "Then what do we do now? Xia Furong has support now, so how do we cancel the engagement?" asked Ting Yue worriedly. "Don''t forget, this peace marriage wasn''t set by her!" Yao Mowan lowered her eyes. As she gently stroked Fluffy, an unreadable light shed through her eyes. Although Ting Yue didn''t really understand, she still felt relieved. She had forgotten that there was nothing her master couldn''t make happen. After leaving Guan Osprey Pce, Xia Furong looked for almost an hour before she found Ye Junqing in the pavilion above Jade Lake. "So Prince was here. You sure made it hard for Furong to find you!" Xia Furong gently wiped at the sheen of sweat on her forehead, then smiled happily as she walked into the pavilion. "Was Princess looking for Junqing for something?" Ye Junqing couldn''t really say he hated Xia Furong, but he definitely didn''t like her. "There''s nothing especially important, just that the Ministry of Rites has already decided on the date. Furong was wondering how Prince''s packing was going? If Prince doesn''t mind, Furong could have Ah Bi and Ah Zi help Prince pack, or perhaps Furong can personally help Prince prepare!" Xia Furong sincerely liked Ye Junqing. Ever since that glimpse so many years ago, she had made a vow that this would be the only man she''d ever marry. If it weren''t for that, King Xia wouldn''t have thickened his face to suggest a peace marriage to Ye Hongyi. He knew very well that Bactria and great Chu were nowhere close to being on the same level. In front of great Chu, Bactria waspletely a poor devil. However, to King Xia''s astonishment, not only did Ye Hongyi agree to his suggestion for a peace marriage, he even allowed for Ye Junqing to marry into Bactria. King Xia never would''ve dreamed that something like having a meat pie fall from the sky into hisp would happen to him. "To be honest, Junqing didn''t start packing, nor did Junqing ever consider leaving great Chu." Ye Junqing couldn''t help but worry about whether whatever Yao Mowan had nned would work, so he decided to tell Xia Furong the truth directly. When Xia Furong heard this, she was stunned and looked toward him in bewilderment. "What Prince means¡­ Is that you wish for Furong to stay in great Chu?" Xia Furong only hesitated for a brief moment before she made her decision. As long as she could be together with Ye Junqing, even if she couldn''t return to Bactria, she still would''ve made a profit. "What Junqing means is that Junqing will not take Princess as wife, please understand." Ye Junqing really wanted to make this sentence more tactful and pleasing to hear, but he really didn''t know what words could make this truth less harsh for Xia Furong to hear. Ye Junqing''s words seemed to explode in Xia Furong''s ears like thunder. Xia Furong''s brows furrowed slightly and her voice trembled. "Prince, are you joking with Furong? King Chu had personally written an imperial order epting my imperial father''s proposal for this marriage and during this entire trip here, Furong hadn''t heard any news of anyone objecting to this. Furong truly has no way to understand what Prince is saying right now." Xia Furong''s eyes became misty and she swallowed hard. "In reality, Junqing had only received His Majesty''s spoken decree one day before Princess reached great Chu. Junqing had immediately wanted to ask His Majesty to cancel the engagement, but His Majesty refused to see Junqing. However, this won''t change Junqing''s decision. Please forgive Junqing''sck of manners." Ye Junqing''s voice was like the sound of rain falling on porcin, pleasantly crisp and clear. "Apologies. Forgive Furong for not being able to understand nor forgive. All Furong knows is that this was a peace marriage Imperial Father had set. Regardless of what Prince thinks, Furong''s original intentions won''t change." Tears were whirling in Xia Furong''s eyes and her voice contained a strong sobbing tone. "What need is there for¡­" Before Ye Junqing could finish his words, Xia Furong had already turned and left, crying. That night, in Guan Osprey Pce, as Yao Mowan looked at the letter Ben Lei had sent, a trace of worry shed through her eyes. "Master, Yan Nansheng has already stepped out to help, so the current worry is solved," said Yin Xue consolingly. "That worry is resolved, but these recent events mean that someone has probably set their eyes on having Mangyuan as a base." Yao Mowan sighed softly as she destroyed the letter. "Hopefully those people turn out to be just bandits," said Yin Xue softly. "Even if they''re not bandits, this empress isn''t afraid of them. This empress will simply deal with them as theye. If they dare to do something again, this empress will personally deal with them! Oh right, do you think Phoenix Feather Manor would be able to take out another million taels of gold?" Yao Mowan returned to the main topic and looked towards Yin Xue seriously. "Ahem¡­ This subordinate feels that¡­ Master should have some mercy. It''s not good to push Yan Nansheng into too much of a corner¡­" persuaded Yin Xue sincerely. "Then forget it. Write a letter back to Ben Lei and have him give King Xiliang some down payment first and the rest will be sent all at onceter." Yao Mowan felt that Yin Xue''s words were reasonable. Yan Nansheng was also a person, he wouldn''t be able to take too many repeated stimtions. Meanwhile, in Harmony Pce, Xia Furong hurling things and sweeping off all of the porcin on the table in fury. "Princess, please calm down. As of now, with King Chu''s written decree, the peace marriage is already set. The esteemed prince can''t disobey." Ah Bi stood next to Xia Furong timidly and carefully tried to console her. "Why isn''t he willing? Why!? Based on this princess''s looks, not even ten Yao Mowans couldpare! Yet he''s actually rejecting the peace marriage because of that crappy woman!" At the side, Ah Bi and Ah Zi shared a nce without daring to say anything. In reality, in their eyes, their master''s looks couldn''t even be ced on the same scale as Yao Mowan''s. If their master was likened to a butterfly, then Yao Mowan was a peacock. If their master was a peacock, then Yao Mowan was a phoenix! In brief, their master was several grades inferior. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 41
Chapter 41: Just Cook the Rice "No, this princess can''t just ept this! Lead the way, this princess is going to see Yao Suluan!" Xia Furong''s eyes shed, then she strode out of Harmony Pce withrge steps. Ah Zi and Ah Bi didn''t dare to be slow and quickly litnterns before walking forward to light the way. Fortunately, they had asked about where each pce was located in their free time so they weren''t flustered by thismand. When Xia Furong arrived in Pure Flowers Pce, Yao Suluan was just about to go to bed. "Who would''ve thought that the luxurious Pure Flowers Pce doesn''t even have a single messenger maid? You''re sure a poverty-stricken noble consort!" Xia Furong suppressed the anger and worry in her heart as she sized this ce up. Although there were no maids, everything decorating the pce was extremely valuable. Xia Furong suddenly felt that the Heavens were unfair. She was also royal kin, but why was she born in such a poor country? "Suluan didn''t know about Princess''s arrival and had failed to wee you early. Suluan hopes that Princess won''t me Suluan." Yao Suluan found it quite absurd that the word poverty-stricken woulde from Xia Furong''s lips. "It''s nothing much. This princess just couldn''t sleep and decided toe sit here for a while." Xia Furong wanted to get Yao Suluan''s advice, but she couldn''t bring herself to ask. "In reality, Princess, you can speak whatever''s on your mind in front of Suluan without worries. As long as Suluan can help, Suluan will definitely do her all to. After all, Suluan still needs Princess''s help to leave the imperial pce." Yao Suluan saw Xia Furong''s hesitation in speaking so she said this respectfully. "This princess wishes to kill Yao Mowan!" After a brief moment of hesitation, Xia Furong said this fiercely. Yao Suluan was slightly taken aback, then she inwardly snorted. Newborn calves truly didn''t fear tigers. Back then, she had set so many schemes, but she wasn''t even able to touch a single hair on Yao Mowan''s head, so how could Xia Furong possibly do it? "Why would Princess have this thought?" If it was the past, Yao Suluan definitely wouldn''t let this opportunity slip, but right now, she couldn''t allow Xia Furong to take this risk because Xia Furong was her only hope for getting out of this pce. "If it weren''t for Yao Mowan, that vixen, why would the esteemed prince reject the peace marriage!? This princess feels that only Yao Mowan''s death would be able to stop the esteemed prince''s longing!" Just recalling the determination on Ye Junqing''s face at that time made her blood boil with anger. She itched to just rush into Guan Osprey Pce right now and choke Yao Mowan to death. "Suluan had predicted the fact that Prince would refuse, but it''s not because of Yao Mowan." Yao Suluan''s lips hooked slightly as she shifted Xia Furong''s target. "Then who is it because of?" Xia Furong looked towards Yao Suluan in confusion. "Because of the previous empress, Yao Moxin! The fact that the esteemed prince admired Yao Moxin is no longer a secret in great Chu. Forgive my audacious words, but if it weren''t because of Yao Moxin back then, the one sitting on the dragon throne today wouldn''t be the current emperor. As of now, Yao Moxin has already passed away, so the esteemed prince has transferred those feelings to Yao Mowan. However, it''s nothing but longing for that deceased person. What need is there for Princess to hold a grudge against a dead person?" said Yao Suluan in a well-meaning tone. "So it''s like that¡­ But Ye Junqing''s determined not to return to Bactria with this princess, what can be done?" Xia Furong looked towards Yao Suluan for help. "Suluan does have an idea, but Suluan feels that Princess won''t be willing," said Yao Suluan hesitantly. "Just say it!" urged Xia Furong. Yao Suluan didn''t speak and just headed towards her bedroom with a smile. When she came back out, she was holding a purple ss box. "As long as Princesses up with a way to get the esteemed prince to your bedroom, once the rice is cooked, everything else will fall into ce." As Yao Suluan spoke, she opened the ss box. There were two vividly red pills inside. "Audacious! You actually dare to incite this princess to do something that dirty!?" Xia Furong''s face immediately flushed red as she glowered at Yao Suluan. "Suluan''s only making a suggestion. Since Princess isn''t willing, just forget it. However, Suluan will remind Princess that it''s very hard to change the esteemed prince''s decision. Even His Majesty isn''t capable of doing so." Yao Suluan didn''t mind and just closed the ss box. Just as she was about to get up, Xia Furong called her back. "Actually¡­ This princess and the esteemed prince are already engaged, so these matters would take ce sooner orter. It''s just¡­ Are you certain that Ye Junqing wouldn''t try to get out of this after the incident?" Xia Furong was tempted. She hade all this way for Ye Junqing, so how could she return empty-handed? "The esteemed prince is an upright gentleman, so he does have the most basic sense of duty," replied Yao Suluan in a confident tone. "Give it to me!" Xia Furong extended her hand and took the ss box. "There''s a need to consider this at length. At that time, Suluan will definitely help Princess out." Yao Suluan was inwardly delighted. If she could help Xia Furong snatch Ye Junqing out of Yao Mowan''s hand, it would count as a slight revenge. The next day, after breakfast, Xia Furong followed the n that she and Yao Suluan had decided onst night and found Ye Junqing. "Is Prince deliberately avoiding Furong?" In the imperial garden, Xia Furong walked with small graceful steps to Ye Junqing''s side, her voice slightly sad. "Princess is overthinking. Junqing just wanted to take a walk." Ye Junqing purposefully maintained a distance from Xia Furong. When he confessed to Yao Mowan this morning about rejecting Xia Furong, all he got in response was ''Are you stupid?'' "Furong has thought about what Prince saidst night. Since Prince isn''t willing to take Furong as wife, Furong won''t insist on it. Furong already feels very fortunate to be able to meet Prince again. As of now, Furong has no other wishes. Furong only hopes that Prince coulde to Harmony Pce and sit for a while, that way Furong can personally steep a pot of ''Butterfly''s Fragrance'' that was brought from Bactria for Prince to sample." Xia Furong looked up towards Ye Junqing with an expression of anticipation. "This¡­ Alright." Ye Junqing felt guilty from the start and he couldn''t very well reject Xia Furong''s good intentions, so he forced himself to nod. In Guan Osprey Pce, Yin Xue passed Ben Lei''s urgent letter to Yao Mowan. Reporting, Master, several dozen stores with the brand Thousand Paths have suddenly appeared in Mangyuan. They are trading in silk, tea, ironware, and grains among other things. Furthermore, their marked prices are a tenth of Yao Manifest Trade''s. Yao Manifest Trade''s ie has already dropped by seventy percent. This subordinate and the Elements have secretly investigated, but had not been able to turn up any information. Requesting instructions. Veins pulsed on Yao Mowan''s forehead as she looked at the letter in her hand. Her eyes were cold as ice as she crushed the letter. "Master, what do we do now?" Yin Xue looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly. "With the price at a tenth, they aren''t even making any money! ''Thousand Paths'' is clearly targeting ''Yao Manifest Trade''! It seems that someone has decided to oppose this empress! Ending one''s livelihood is the same as killing one''s parents! They had better not allow this empress to find them, otherwise this empress will murder their entire family! And dig up their ancestors'' graves!" snarled Yao Mowan between gritted teeth as she handed the secret letter to Yin Xue. Yin Xue smoothly destroyed the letter. "Yin Xue feels that this person definitely has a lot of power, otherwise he wouldn''t dare to rashly face off against Yao Manifest Trade," said Yin Xue. "Isn''t it just smashing money down? What''s so impressive about that?" Yao Mowan took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in her heart. "Master wishes to confront him straight on?" asked Yin Xue. "Do you think Yan Nansheng would be willing to take out this money?" Yao Mowan looked towards Yin Xue inplete seriousness. Yin Xue immediately decided it was best to stay silent. Inwardly, she was wiping sweat on behalf of Yan Nansheng. "Tell Ben Lei and the others to temporarily close all the stores!" Yao Mowan heaved a long sigh and gave up on that idea. She didn''t want to provoke Yan Nansheng too much. Right after Yao Mowan said that, Ting Yue rushed in. "Your Imperial Highness, Yao Suluan is outside saying that she wishes to see you." When Yao Mowan heard this, she looked over at Yin Xue. Yin Xue cupped her fist, then vanished from the main hall of Guan Osprey Pce. When Yao Suluan walked in, Yao Mowan was sitting on the chaise lounge with little Jewel on herp. Actually, calling him little Jewel was no longer quite fitting. As of now, Jewel had already be very well-built and was even an entire circle wider than Fluffy. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 42
Chapter 42: She was Willing to Compensate Him "Suluan kowtows in salute to Your Imperial Highness Empress." Yao Suluan walked slowly to Yao Mowan while speaking politely. "Second Older Sister has suddenly be so polite, Mowan''s having trouble getting used to it. So just state it, what have youe to see this empress about?" Yao Mowan nced at Yao Suluan as she inwardly sneered. This face and attitude was exactly what Yao Suluan had used back then to fool her. As of now, having gone through rebirth by fire, she had long already gained a pair of discerning eyes. "Suluan hase today in hopes of making a trade with Your Imperial Highness," said Yao Suluan in a serious tone, paying no attention to Yao Mowan''s ridicule. "A trade? What? Second Older Sister, do you feel that you still have the right to make trades with this empress?" asked Yao Mowan as she looked towards Yao Suluan with lifted brows. "Although Suluan isn''t smart, Suluan isn''t dumb either. Your Imperial Highness clearly knows what Suluan has done before, yet you aren''t in a rush to take Suluan''s life. The reason behind it isn''t hard to guess." Yao Suluan''s eyes were cold as she stared at Yao Mowan''s face. She seemed to be trying to pinpoint any slight changes in Yao Mowan''s expression, but she wasn''t able to find any. "Oh? Then why don''t you try saying why this empress isn''t killing you?" Yao Mowan leaned back on the chaise lounge as if at ease, but her hand which was stroking Jewel reflexively slowed in her movements. "The reason Your Imperial Highness is leaving Suluan alive is because you wish to one day have Suluan stand as witness in front of the world to testify against Ye Hongyi and reveal all his misdeeds! After all, that day, Suluan was the only one that had personally witnessed that tragedy." Yao Suluan felt no need left to conceal that incident. Yao Mowan silently stared at the woman in front of her for quite a long time, then she abruptly lifted both hands, causing Jewel to scuttle forward in rm. Jewel''s front wsnded straight on Yao Suluan''s face. "Ah!" The sharp ws left ten long bloody lines on Yao Suluan''s face. It was deep enough for the boundary between skin and flesh to show. "There''s a proverb that says the color blue is made of indigo, but is more vivid than indigo. It seems like Jewel''s much more skilled than Fluffy," concluded Yao Mowan as she looked at Yao Suluan who was covering her face with both hands and crying in pain. "Yao Mowan! You go too far in bullying others!" Yao Suluan''s eyes were red with fury as she red at Yao Mowan. "You''re the one who brought yourself here, so there''s no reason for this empress not to bully you! Oh right, you said earlier that you wanted to make a trade with this empress. What trade was it? This empress is all ears." Yao Mowan looked towards Yao Suluan innocently with a bright smile. "Scram!" Yao Suluan felt like her face was burning with pain. She pushed Yao Mowan aside and rushed out of Guan Osprey Pce. As Yao Mowan watched Yao Suluan run out of Guan Osprey Pce in such a wretched state, she stopped smiling and coldly called out Yin Xue. "Master?" Yin Xuended to stand behind Yao Mowan. "Quickly find Ye Junqing and bring him back!" Yao Mowan''s expression was concerned even as her eyes filled with coldness. Due to what happened in Mangyuan, she hadn''t really been paying attention to Yao Suluan. Now that she thought about things, Xia Furong had gone to visit Yao Suluan just yesterday, and just a dayter, Yao Suluan had arrogantly appeared in Guan Osprey Pce. It was clear that Yao Suluan was trying to attract her attention, and it was very likely for the sake of acting as a cover for Xia Furong. When Yin Xue saw that Yao Mowan''s expression was grave, she didn''t dare to ask any more questions and immediately left Guan Osprey Pce. In Harmony Pce, Ye Junqing harbored no suspicions towards the tea that Xia Furong offered him so, as of now, he had already finished his third cup. In his opinion, although Xia Furong was admittedly a little arrogant, in the end she was still a nation''s princess so she probably wouldn''t do things that were too improper. "Prince seems very hot?" Xia Furong feigned concern when she saw the faint sheen of sweat on Ye Junqing''s forehead. However, inwardly, she was already so overjoyed she could barely restrain her expression. Just as Yao Suluan had said, the best ce to subdue men was on the bed. Xia Furong didn''t have any experience in this department, so she swallowed the other red pill in hopes that it''d be able to achieve a good effect. "It is a bit hot¡­ Perhaps it''s because of the hot weather," replied Ye Junqing mildly as he lightly wiped at the sweat. "Ah Zi, Ah Bi, go bring two bowls of green bean soup." When Xia Furong felt her body reacting, she immediately sent Ah Zi and Ah Bi away. Once the two left, Xia Furong poured another cup of tea for Ye Junqing. After that fourth cup, Ye Junqing''s consciousness started to be hazy. "Moxin? You¡­ Why are you here?" Ye Junqing took Xia Furong''s hand, his hazy eyes flickering with glistening tears. After so many longing dreams, he was finally able to see the woman he loved so much. How could he not be overjoyed? Not be touched? "Prince¡­ It''s so hot!" Xia Furong''s consciousness was also going hazy. It felt like a fire was burning in her chest. She kept tearing at her clothes, trying to dig that fire out. "Moxin¡­ I miss you so much¡­" Ye Junqing abruptly pulled Xia Furong into his arms and hugged her tightly. He was intensely afraid that the moment he loosened his grip, the beauty in his arms would disappear. "Prince¡­ Furong''s really hot¡­ It''s so hot!" The moment Xia Furong made contact with Ye Junqing''s body, she felt like she had found a spring. She abruptly wrapped her legs around Ye Junqing''s waist and impatiently pulled apart that azure garment. Following that, without any hesitation, she stuck out her tongue to lick at Ye Junqing''s muscr chest. She thought it was spring water and had no idea that she was actually drinking poison in hopes of quenching her thirst. "Moxin¡­" In the end Ye Junqing was a young and vigorous man. How could he possibly take such an intimate gesture, especially with the drug taking effect? Ye Junqing started stroking Xia Furong''s snowy back through the silk. When Yin Xue appeared in Harmony Pce, this was the scene that she saw. "Dammit!" cursed Yin Xue as she quickly knocked Xia Furong unconscious and sealed Ye Junqing''s sleep acupuncture point. Following that, she roughly yanked off Xia Furong who was clinging to Ye Junqing like an octopus and threw her to the ground. When she got back to Guan Osprey Pce, Yin Xue carefully ced the unconscious Ye Junqing on the bed. "Where did you find him?" Yao Mowan''s eyes were like frost when she saw Ye Junqing''s disheveled clothing. "Reporting Master, it was in Harmony Pce. Prince had been drugged with an extremely strong aphrodisiac. Although this subordinate has sealed his acupuncture points, it won''tst for long. If¡­ If the antidote isn''t used, the prince may be in life-threatening danger!" replied Yin Xue in a serious tone. The implied meaning was easy to make out. "Will you be able to make the antidote in time?" Yao Mowan looked towards Yin Xue worriedly. "There''s only one antidote to this sort of aphrodisiac, which is¡­ women, or men." Yin Xue''s face was slightly red. "Dammit! Where''s Xia Furong?" Yao Mowan clenched her fists. "This subordinate has already knocked her unconscious in Harmony Pce. If she isn''t given an antidote, she probably won''t be able to hold on for much longer either," replied Yin Xue. "Hurry to the pleasure quarters and drag that brat from the humble prince''s residence to Harmony Pce!" instructed Yao Mowan coldly. Yin Xue was about to leave to carry out themand, but Yao Mowan called her back. "Unseal his pressure points." Yao Mowan''s voice was so small, it was like that of a mosquito''s. However, Yin Xue was still able to hear it clearly. She immediately unsealed Ye Junqing''s pressure points with a few rapid taps, then vanished from the room at the speed of light. On the bed, Ye Junqing was gradually regaining consciousness, but his body was still unbearably hot. "Moxin¡­ Moxin, where are you? I feel so hot¡­ What do I do¡­ I really want to see you¡­ What do I do?" Yao Mowan stood at the side for quite a long time. As she looked at Ye Junqing''s handsome flushed face, she finally couldn''t stop herself from walking up. "Moxin! You''re still here! You didn''t leave! That''s good, Moxin¡­" Ye Junqing''s hand started misbehaving. Yao Mowan could feel the sensation of the rough calluses on those hands rub against her waist, her back, and then those fingers sank into her hair. Kisses fell like rain over her. Before Yao Mowan could prepare herself, she felt her heart clench as that familiar scent surrounded her. The deep entanglement between lips and teeth made Yao Mowan deeply feel Ye Junqing''s longing. "Moxin¡­" Her name vibrated from Ye Junqing''s throat. Just as Yao Mowan felt like she was about to suffocate, Ye Junqing''s lips shifted to her delicate earlobe. The hot wetness finally made Yao Mowan regain awareness. Since this was going to happen no matter what, what need was there for her to act so bashful? She should just count it waspensation. When Yao Mowan''s thoughts reached this point, her body gradually rxed and she gradually sank down into Ye Junqing''s embrace. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 43
Chapter 43: He Actually Fell Asleep When Ye Junqing sensed that the beauty beneath him was responding, his movements became increasingly frantic. When thepels were pushed apart, all Yao Mowan felt was a momentary chill on her breast before warmth poured in. As Ye Junqing''s hand descended and gently stroked her impressive plumpness, a certain part of her body started aching in response. "Junqing¡­ I''m sorry¡­" Yao Mowan''s jade fingers drew a streak up Ye Junqing''s back as hot tears flowed out the corners of her eyes and disappeared into her ck hair. In this moment, Yao Mowan was truly and sincerely willing. However, just as she had finished mentally preparing herself, Ye Junqing suddenly stopped moving. His eyes were nk as he stared at Yao Mowan. "Junqing? Are you alright?" Yao Mowan sensed Ye Junqing''s abnormality and asked him this worriedly. Ye Junqing didn''t reply and kept staring nkly at Yao Mowan without moving. "You¡­ Don''t scare me! I''m already ready! So hurry!" When Yao Mowan saw that Ye Junqing was frozen rigidly above her like a statue, she was so worried that tears overflowed. It couldn''t be that it was toote, right!? Just as Yao Mowan was about to personally do things, Ye Junqing suddenly fell on top of her, then slid to the side. "Junqing¡­ Junqing, don''t die! If you die, what would Mowan have done all of this for?" Yao Mowan''s tears overflowed as she sobbed in helplessness. She shook Ye Junqing with all her strength, but all she got in response was an intoxicated snore. "Snore¡­ snore¡­" Yao Mowan abruptly let go and her willow brows furrowed slightly. She only loosened a breath in relief once she confirmed that Ye Junqing was only asleep, but right after that she couldn''t help but roar, "Ye Junqing¡­" Outside Harmony Pce, Ah Zi and Ah Bi were originally about to push open the door and enter, but then they heard that the sound inside had stopped. Even those who had never had pork before had seen pigs run, so they naturally knew what was happening inside. In the bedroom, Xia Furong''s cheeks were flushed as shey on the bed. Her ck hair was rippling like wind-brushed grass and her body was twisting like that of a snake swimming through water. "It''s so hot¡­" Xia Furong scratched lightly at her neck with both hands, her expression a little pained. "Tsk tsk¡­ What a rarity ah! What a beauty!" On top of Xia Furong, an attractive man was eager to get into action. His eyes shone with desire and in the next instant, he had already pounced down to bite Xia Furong''s snow-white nape like a ravenous wolf. "Ah¡­" Xia Furong''s cries got louder and higher. Outside the room, Ah Bi and Ah Zi''s faces werepletely red as they listened to this sound, but they couldn''t go anywhere. Time slowly trickled past. When Xia Furong''s head finally cleared, she felt achinge from her entire body, especially a certain part of her body. That part hurt like mes were scorching it. "You''re awake?" The instant Xia Furong opened her eyes, a handsome face appeared in front of her, but this person wasn''t Ye Junqing. "Who are you?" Xia Furong got up in a fluster. It was only now that she discovered she waspletely naked. Not only that, there were over a dozen bite marks on her wless skin, some so deep that they were bleeding. "Ah!" Xia Furong forced herself to endure the pain as she pulled the nkets to wrap them around herself. Tears then started overflowing. "What are you doing? It''s not like it''s anything I haven''t seen before, is there a need to react like this?" The man lifted his brows as he looked towards Xia Furong. "Bastard! Scram! Get out of here!" Xia Furong pointed towards the door in anger and embarrassment, her finger trembling. "This prince also wants to leave, but it''d be bad if a pce maid or eunuch saw. Why don''t you have that person send this prince out?" said the man with a wronged expression. "You! What do you mean that person? Who exactly are you?" roared Xia Furong angrily. When Ah Zi and Ah Bi heard thismotion, they immediately rushed in. When they saw the unfamiliar man, they hastily shut the pce doors tight before running to the bed and looking towards the man by the table warily. "You don''t know who this prince is? Then why did you invite this prince over?" The man waspletely baffled. "Kill him! Kill him right now!" bellowed Xia Furong angrily. Ah Bi and Ah Zi exchanged a nce, but just as they were about to advance, the man shouted at them to stop. "This prince is the sessor of the humble prince''s residence, Humble Prince Di Feng! You guys dare to kill me?" When Di Feng saw that the woman on the bed was serious, he immediately revealed his identity. "So what if you''re the Humble Prince? This princess is the princess of Bactria! The honored princess who''s supposed to enter a peace marriage with the esteemed prince! You actually dared to do something this beast-like to this princess!? Forget killing you, even if you''re executed by the death of a thousand cuts, it still wouldn''t resolve the hatred this princess feels!" shouted Xia Furong tearfully. Her entire body was in unbearable pain. "You''re the honored princess?" Di Feng looked towards the woman on the bed in surprise. He just thought that a consort or concubine couldn''t bear with the loneliness of the inner pce so she called him over for a round of pleasure. He never imagined that it was actually the princess of Bactria. It was no wonder she bled. So she was a virgin. "This princess will definitely report this to King Chu and have you executed!" The more Xia Furong thought about it, the more wronged she felt and her tears overflowed again. "If you want me executed, you can. This prince is just worried that after His Majesty sees this prince, he''d have this prince executed by death of a thousand cuts. This prince isn''t afraid of dying, this prince is only scared of pain." Di Feng looked towards Xia Furong with a pitiful expression. "If that''s really the case, then get out of the way! This princess is going to get dressed and find King Chu!" shouted Xia Furong angrily. When she nced down, she saw the bruise on her snow-white shoulder and even more fury filled her heart. "Sure. This prince is going to die anyways, so this prince will definitely tell His Majesty about Princess''s behavior on the bed just now. Tsk tsk¡­ Who would''ve imagined that the princess of Bactria is even better at seducing people than the girls in the brothels? In all honesty, this prince doesn''t really like your looks. If it weren''t for the fact that you were good at disying yourself, this prince wouldn''t have even touched you!" said Di Feng angrily. "You! Y-you, you bastard!" Xia Furong was so angry that she couldn''t even get her words out. "Princess, should this servant go call King Chu?" asked Ah Bi carefully. However, this question only her a hard pillow to the head. "Idiot! Are you trying to let the entire world know about this!?" shouted Xia Furong angrily. When Ah Bi heard this, she immediately fell to a kneel and buried her head between her knees. She didn''t even dare to breathe loudly. "Look at you, she''s furious right now, so what are you provoking her for? Does it hurt?" When Di Feng saw that Ah Bi was trembling hard, he walked over and personally helped her to the side gently. Although Di Feng was noble and had the title of Humble Prince, his birth mother was a servant. If it weren''t for the fact that the main wife had no sons, the position of sessor wouldn''t have fallen to him. He had grown up seeing his birth mother be bullied by the main wife. After a very long time, he gradually started to feel deep sympathy for those weaker. Due to this, the day after he seeded the position of Humble Prince, he found a random reason to have the main wife that had caused his mother''s death beheaded. It ended up infuriating Ye Hongyi and since he also had a tendency to have a dissolute lifestyle, Ye Hongyi decreed that he wasn''t allowed to enter the pce, otherwise he''d be executed. "Bastard! You''re all bastards! Wuuwuu¡­" Xia Furong didn''t know what to do and could only curse while sitting on the bed. Di Feng paid no attention to her either and just focused on consoling Ah Bi who had been shouted at. "Prince, after you''ve done this, how is our princess supposed to face people?" For the sake of avoiding being punishedter, Ah Bi deliberately maintained a distance from Di Feng as she said this in a low voice. "Ahem¡­ Well, this is pretty easy to handle. Since Princess hade for a peace marriage, then it doesn''t matter so much who the other party is, right? Although it''s a bit hard on this prince, this prince will ept the grievance and just marry you!" Di Feng once again seized up Xia Furong who was on the bed as he said this in a tone that was filled with unconceble helplessness. "You! Pei! This princess wants to marry Ye Junqing! Not trash like you!" Xia Furong wiped at her tears hard, then red at Di Feng. "Ha! Princess, aren''t you a little too na?ve? In this current situation, do you think that you''d still be able to marry Ye Junqing? Of course, if Ye Junqing doesn''t mind that you''re a shoe this prince has worn before, this prince has nothing to say." Di Feng looked towards Xia Furong with a cold smile. Although she was quite pretty, her personality was truly very off-putting. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 44
Chapter 44: p Yao Suluan "Scram! Get the hell out of here!" How could Xia Furong take this kind of provocation? She immediately started roaring in fury. Di Feng shrugged. From the looks of things, he had no choice but toe up with a way to get out of the pce himself. Once Di Feng left, Xia Furong felt wronged again and started bawling. Morning the next day, as sparse sunlight passed through the crisscrossing windowttice and spilled into the bedroom of Guan Osprey Pce, Ye Junqing was still in bed, rubbing his forehead with his brows furrowed. When he finally slowly opened his eyes, his entire body stiffened. "This prince¡­ Why is this prince here?" When Ye Junqing saw the faint violet canopy curtains, he abruptly sat up and looked in rm towards Yao Mowan who wasbing her hair in front of the dresser. "If not, then where did Prince hope to be? In Harmony Pce?" Yao Mowan slowly turned around. Her unpowdered face was fresh and pure like that of a lotus. So untainted and pure that a person couldn''t bear to profane it. "What exactly happened?" Ye Junqing shook his head hard. All he remembered was that he was sampling tea with Xia Furong in Harmony Pce. He had no impression at all of anything that happened after. "If it weren''t for this consort, Prince would''ve already finished cooking the rice with Xia Furong." Yao Mowan''s hands moved skillfully and she soon pulled her hair into the flying fairy style. "How''s that possible? This prince only went there to have some tea!" Ye Junqing was extremely stunned to hear this and he quickly walked over to Yao Mowan. "Yin Xue, tell him." Yao Mowan ignored him and just turned to face the copper mirror again. Right after she said that, Yin Xue abruptly appeared in front of Ye Junqing. "Replying Prince, when Yin Xue entered Harmony Pce, you were currently hugging Xia Furong and both of your garments were disheveled. Fortunately Yin Xue came just in time and Xia Furong hadn''t been able to do too much. Yin Xue had checked the tea and there was an extremely strong aphrodisiac inside that has no medicinal antidote," reported Yin Xue truthfully. "How could Xia Furong do something this despicable!? It''s practically¡­ You said that there was no medicinal antidote? Then this prince?" Ye Junqing abruptly snapped out of his rage and looked towards Yin Xue in astonishment. Yin Xue didn''t speak and just looked towards Yao Mowan. "You can withdraw." Yao Mowan quietly had Yin Xue withdraw, then she picked a pearl hairpin to insert into her hair. Ye Junqing felt like all the blood in his body was freezing over and his heart stopped. He racked his brains, trying to remember what happenedst night, but all he could remember were some hazy scenes. "Uh¡­ Last night, this prince¡­" Ye Junqing really wanted to walk in front of Yao Mowan and get clear answers from her, but he was already so flustered that he didn''t even know which topic to broach first. "There''s no need for Prince to worry about it. There are some things that even if they''ve only happenedst night, in Mowan''s eyes, they''ve already be history. There''s no need to look into them." Yao Mowan''s expression was calm like that of an undisturbed well, but inwardly a trace of delight was shing through her heart. It was only when Yin Xue came back that she found out the reason Ye Junqing had fallen asleep in such a crucial moment wasn''t because she had too little charm but because the aphrodisiac Xia Furong got had been made too long ago and had already gone bad! However, Yao Mowan still did mind it a little. She had been conflicted over things for so long before finally resolving to allow herself to be swept away once, but Ye Junqing had actually fallen asleep when she had gottenpletely undressed. How could any woman tolerate it? "Then that means¡­ This prince and you¡­ Last night¡­" Ye Junqing swallowed hard and his hands started trembling slightly. He didn''t dare to look straight at Yao Mowan. Right now, he had no idea what to do. "There''s no need for Prince to feel guilty, just treat it as if nothing''s happened!" Yao Mowan gracefully turned around. When she saw Ye Junqing''s expression of guilt and self-me, she suddenly couldn''t really continue with this lie. "It was this prince''s fault¡­ This prince shouldn''t have¡­ Don''t worry, this prince will settle this!" Ye Junqing abruptly opened his eyes, then picked up the silver hairpin on the dressing table to stab it towards his heart. "What are you doing!? Have you gone crazy?" Yao Mowan hastily got up to stop him in rm. "This prince had actually done something this despicable! This prince has let you down! This prince has let down Moxin and His Majesty! This prince will immediately use this life to restore your innocence!" Ye Junqing''s face was filled with indignance and sorrow as he pushed Yao Mowan away. "You idiot! Mowan''s innocence has long been sullied by His Majesty, is there even a need for you to return it? And nothing happened between us at allst night! You hear that? Nothing happened!" Yao Mowan never expected for Ye Junqing''s reaction to be this severe. She was so startled that her entire body was covered with cold sweat. "You¡­ Is what you said true?" Ye Junqing stopped his movements and looked towards Yao Mowan dubiously. "Yin Xue!" Yao Mowan was so infuriated that she couldn''t speak, so she just called out Yin Xue. "Replying Prince, because the aphrodisiac you took was stored for too long, the effect of the drug was very short." The implied meaning of Yin Xue''s words were very clear. "You hear that? Mowan didn''t take advantage of you. Happy now? You can withdraw." Yao Mowan had Yin Xue withdraw, then walked to Ye Junqing with a cold expression to yank the hairpin out of his hands and throw it onto the dressing table. Right after that, she turned and left the bedroom. "Was what Yin Xue said true? Then why didn''t you just say that earlier? You made this prince think¡­" Ye Junqing excitedly followed after Yao Mowan, but right after he spoke, he saw Yao Mowan turn and re at him like she wanted to just cut him apart. Ye Junqing couldn''t help but gulp and fall silent. However, he didn''t understand. Wasn''t it good that nothing happened? Why was Yao Mowan''s expression so dark? During breakfast, Ye Junqing tried multiple times to confirm what happenedst night, but he felt it best not to speak when he saw Yao Mowan''s stormy expression. Finally, Yao Mowan broke the deadlock. "Mowan really wishes to know what Prince is thinking. Even if something had happened, is there a need for Prince to die? Is it something that serious!?" Yao Mowan had been stifling her anger this entire time and now, she abruptly mmed down her bowl and looked towards Ye Junqing with cold fury. "Uh¡­ Then did something happen or not?" After Yao Mowan said this, Ye Junqing became uncertain again. "Nothing happened! Up to you whether you want to believe! If you want to die this time, no one will stop you!" Yao Mowan threw her chopsticks down too as her face became red with anger. "You''re Moxin''s biological younger sister after all. No matter what, Junqing can''t dip a finger¡­" Ye Junqing lowered his eyes as he exined this in a low voice. "What if Eldest Sister was willing back then?" Yao Mowan''s heart dropped slightly as a very unpleasant feeling filled her chest. What happiness must it be to be loved by a man like this? But right now, she sincerely couldn''t feel any trace of happiness. "Moxin wouldn''t!" Ye Junqing abruptly looked up to meet her gaze, his eyespletely clear. "What an idiot!" Yao Mowan lowered her head to focus on eating. "You''re not allowed to talk about Moxin that way!" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan seriously, but he couldn''t bring himself to harden his tone. "I''m talking about you!" Yao Mowan snapped back. At this time, Ting Yue walked in with small steps. "Your Imperial Highness, this servant saw Xia Furong head towards Pure Flowers Pce." "Got it." Yao Mowan nodded slightly. After suffering such a huge grievance, of course she was going to vent it on someone. When Ye Junqing saw the curve that had appeared at the corners of Yao Mowan''s lips, he felt that it was best to keep his mouth shut even though he was very curious about why Xia Furong was going to Pure Flowers Pce and what this matter had to do with Yao Suluan. In Pure Flowers Pce, when Yao Suluan saw Xia Furong walk in, she immediately got up to wee her. Thanks to Jewel, her face was currently wrapped with thick white gauze. "Suluan kowtows in salute to Princess. Wonder if Princess was able¡­" Yao Suluan was just about to ask about what happenedst night when her vision suddenly went ck. Xia Furong had pped her right where the wound on her cheek was, causing her to be in so much pain that tears overflowed. "Princess, what are you doing!?" Yao Suluan covered her cheek with one hand as she glowered at Xia Furong. If it weren''t for the fact that she still needed Xia Furong''s help, she definitely would''ve immediately returned the p. "You actually still dare to ask what this princess is doing? This princess should be asking you that! Was it you that found that bastard!? Why did you trick this princess!?" Xia Furong''s eyes were so red they looked about to split as she red at Yao Suluan sinisterly. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 45
Chapter 45: Dragon Trapped in the Shallows "What person? Suluan doesn''t understand what Princess is saying?" Yao Suluan deliberately took a few steps back and bore with the pain to voice her questions. "That beast called Di Feng! You have no idea how he treated this princess!" Even now, Xia Furong could still feel faint pain from a certain region of her body. "The humble prince? How did you end up provoking him? Last night¡­ Last night you were with him?" Yao Suluan was stunned and her eyes widened. "You weren''t the one that found that man?" asked Xia Furong sternly. "Princess thinks that Suluan had gone to Guan Osprey Pce to ask for humiliation and allowed herself to be disfigured just for the goal of harming you? If Suluan''s guess isn''t off, this is definitely Yao Mowan''s doing! Who would''ve thought that Yao Mowan''s connections were extensive to this degree?" Yao Suluan became even more certain that she couldn''t stay in this pce any longer. "It''s Yao Mowan again! That wretch! Then what should this princess do now? As of now, this princess is no longer pure, so how will this princess be able to be Junqing''s wife?" Whenever this issue urred to Xia Furong, she couldn''t help but ground her teeth angrily. "With the written imperial order present, what does Princess have to fear? Could it be that Ye Junqing can defy the imperial order? The only way would be if he''s had enough of living!" Yao Suluan reassured Xia Furong, but inwardly she was very uneasy. Since Yao Mowan had gotten involved in this matter, she definitely had some trick up her sleeve! Just as Yao Suluan had predicted, a day before the date of departure set by the Ministry of Rites, Ye Hongyi actually got a request from Bactria to have the imperial order changed so that the other party became Di Feng instead of Ye Junqing. Originally Ye Hongyi didn''t want to agree to it, but Bactria was willing to use the three counties near Chu as dowry in exchange for Di Feng. They even explicitly expressed that even if great Chu didn''t agree, Bactria wouldn''t be epting Ye Junqing. After weighing the options, Ye Hongyi finally agreed to it. Although he hadn''t been able to get rid of Ye Junqing, at the very least he had managed to send away Di Feng. This was how Ye Hongyi consoled himself. The east wing of Guan Osprey Pce. When Ye Junqing pushed open the door and entered, Di Feng was currently roasting meat over the stove in the room while holding a wine pot in his other hand. The aroma of the wine was strong and fragrant. It was obvious that it was from the imperial kitchen''s collection. "Aren''t you a little too bold? Don''t you know the situation you''re in? You actually dared to go to the imperial kitchen to steal wine?" That day, Di Feng seriously couldn''te up with any way to leave the pce, so he just snuck into Guan Osprey Pce. He and Ye Junqing had been to the battlefield together in the past, so they naturally hadradeship. "Tomorrow, this daddy will be heading off to Bactria, that crappy ce where even not even birds shit. Who knows when I''ll have another chance to drink fine wine like this again? So just let me have my fill!" Di Feng didn''t look at Ye Junqing and just brought the meat to his mouth to chew it with relish. "You already know?" Ye Junqing was slightly taken aback, then he walked to Di Feng''s side and sat down. Although he didn''t know why Bactria would suddenly change their mind, but he still felt a little guilty like he had pushed Di Feng into a pit of fire. "This news is spreading through the entire imperial pce. Do you think I''m deaf?" Di Feng couldn''t bear to let Ye Junqing drink the wine, so he just passed him a piece of roasted beef. "Sorry¡­" said Ye Junqing softly. He had very mixed feelings. "What kind of joke is that? If it''s apologies, it should be Ye Hongyi who says them. When did it be your turn? But you should be thanking me." Di Feng looked towards Ye Junqing as he said this in a matter-of-fact tone. "Many thanks!" Ye Junqing didn''t dive deep into this topic and just straightforwardly expressed his thanks. "In reality, you really did choose the right person. There''s no one else in the imperial city that dares to y with women in the imperial pce aside from me!" Di Feng didn''t find it disgraceful and actually seemed proud as he poured wine into his mouth. "y with women? Who did you y with?" Ye Junqing looked towards Di Feng in confusion and astonishment. "Ahem¡­ Weren''t you the one that grabbed this daddy from the pleasure quarters to Harmony Pce? It wasn''t you?" Di Feng choked and ended up coughing. Once he recovered, he looked over at Ye Junqing with puzzlement. "Xia Furong? You¡­ So that means that you and the honored princess have already consummated. Then it''s quite natural for you to marry her." Ye Junqing quickly changed the topic even as Yao Mowan''s bright smile appeared in his mind. "There are plenty of women that have consummated with this daddy. It''s no joke. At this daddy''s Humble Prince Residence, there''d be a woman every few daysing over with a child requesting for recognition." Di Feng lifted his hand to take another swig of wine, then reached out to tear a piece of meat. Ye Junqing was silent. It was a very long while before he started to speak. "In reality¡­ Your political and military achievements are no less than this prince''s. What need is there to degrade yourself¡­" Di Feng didn''t reply and just focused on drinking the wine. After a while, he finally looked towards Ye Junqing. This time though, his eyes no longer contained the amusement from before. Instead, a very deep light shone through. "How else could this daddy have lived until now? This time, Bactria is past mountains and rivers. It will be beyond Ye Hongyi''s influence." The deep voice contained frigidness. Faint anger appeared on Di Feng''s handsome face and Ye Junqing''s expression changed slightly in realization. He wanted to say something, but in the end, remained silent. "Come! There is wine today, so let us be drunk! If therees worries tomorrow, then let the worries wait until tomorrow!" In the next instant, Di Feng had gone back to his usual mischievous manner as he passed the wine pot to Ye Junqing. Meanwhile, Xia Furong who was in Harmony Pce made a huge ruckus when she got the imperial order that came from Bactria. She smashed so many things in Harmony Pce that there wasn''t a single ce left untouched. When Yao Suluan came to find her, shepletely cursed Yao Suluan out and even kicked her a couple times. Yao Suluan was infuriated after leaving Harmony Pce, but she didn''t have any ce to vent her fury. As she was passing by Jade Lake, she casually picked up a couple stones to throw them angrily. "Be more gentle. These all contain treasures that His Majesty has bestowed to the humble prince. They''ll be leaving the pce with the honored princess tomorrow!" Just as Yao Suluan was besides herself with rage, she heard the voice of a eunuche from the willow forest ahead. Yao Suluan''s eyes flickered slightly, then she quickly passed through the willow forest to find that some eunuchs were currently carrying fourrge pear blossom wood chests towards Harmony Pce. Yao Suluan carefully examined those chests. One of them was about the height of a person and was enough to contain her. When her thoughts reached this point, she immediately turned around and returned to Pure Flowers Pce. As of now, this imperial pce was no different from a prison to her. His Majesty had stopped targeting her on the surface, but he was definitely still trying toe up with a way to make sure she died. Then there was also Yao Mowan''s asional mocking and tricks. She''s seriously had enough of it! There seemed to be no other path except to leave the pce. The next day, Xia Furong was extremely unwilling, but she was forcefully invited onto the pnquin with eight carriers. Ah Zi and Ah Bi naturally followed on the left and on the right. Behind the pnquin, there were four carriages that each had a wooden chest fastened to them. The group grandiosely left Harmony Pce and head towards the imperial pce''s east door where Di Feng was waiting in festive wedding attire. As for how Di Feng eventually wandered onto the position of King of Bactria once he arrived in Bactria, that was a story for ater time. At this current moment, Yao Suluan was covering her mouth with both hands. Even though her body was being severely jolted about in the chest, she didn''t dare to make any sound. As the carriage rolled forward, Yao Suluan felt like someone was squeezing her heart. It was extremely painful. Back then, when she had first entered the pce, how grand had things been? She thought that after Yao Moxin died, she would naturally be the top choice for empress. She never imagined that she would actually fall to this point! She wasn''t willing to leave just like this! But if she stayed, it was hard to even guarantee survival. With these conflicting feelings of frustration, Yao Suluan finally left the imperial pce. The night that Yao Suluan left the pce, Ye Hongyi sensed that something was off. After several searches to no avail, he finally started suspecting the chests that Xia Furong had left with. However, by the time Qing Long caught up with the procession, Yao Suluan had already used the knife she brought to cut through the wooden chest and flee. That night, Ye Hongyi used strong wine to numb himself. He drank until he was dead drunk. He was scared. He was scared that Yao Suluan would reveal what happened with Yao Moxin to the world. He was afraid of how the world would look at him. He was afraid that their eyes would be filled with ridicule and disdain again just like the way they were back when Yao Moxin was alive. Early morning the next day, Ye Junqing walked into Guan Osprey Pce, his steps light and lively. He even felt an appetite as he looked at the breakfast on the table. However, when Yao Mowan passed a certificate of indebtedness to him, he couldn''t really taste the food anymore. "Five million taels of gold? When did this prince borrow that from you?" Ye Junqing''s hands were trembling as he held the slip of paper. He had no way of remaining calm. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 46
Chapter 46: There''s a Huge Problem in Mangyuan "Could it be that Prince hadn''t found it strange that King Xia had suddenly changed his mind?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows towards Ye Junqing with an expression like ''you should''ve been able to guess this.'' "It''s not strange!" Ye Junqing decisively denied it. The moment he admitted that it was strange, it''d cost him five million taels! "King Xia seriously hasn''t seen any money before. Just five million taels was enough to convince him to exchange an unpolished jade for scrap metal. Prince, you should be feeling lucky!" Yao Mowan ignored Ye Junqing''s pale and colorless face as shedled herself a bowl of ginseng soup. "This prince can''t feel lucky at all. This prince doesn''t have five million taels of gold. This prince can''t even pull out fifty hundred taels, so you can decide what to do with this!" By this point, Ye Junqing had already given up on arguing about things. "Prince may not have it, but that doesn''t necessarily mean that senior brother of yours doesn''t have it." Yao Mowan tried guiding his thoughts. "Unless Phoenix Feather Manor is sold." It was the first time Ye Junqing realized how terrifying it must be for Yan Nansheng to be his senior brother. "Then have him sell it!" Yao Mowan was getting a little impatient now. Ever since her business in Mangyuan had shut its doors, the numbers on the ount books had been rapidly going down. They weren''t making enough ie to cover the expenses, so for the first time, Yao Mowan was feeling a sense of crisis. Three speechless ck lines appeared on Ye Junqing''s forehead. It was only when Yao Mowan saw Ye Junqing''s expression that she realized she hadpletely lost control of herself just now. "Ahem¡­ If Prince doesn''t wish to trouble Yan Nansheng, then please just sign!" At the side, Ting Yue attentively offered the writing brush that had already been dipped in ink. Ye Junqing didn''t look at Yao Mowan or Ting Yue. He just closed his eyes without showing any intentions of signing the paper. "Of course, if Prince is willing to repay with the body¡­" Before Yao Mowan even finished her words, Ye Junqing had already signed the IOU and in the blink of an eye, was passing it to her. Yao Mowan happily tucked the IOU away, then picked up her bowl and chopsticks again. Every single dish tasted especially delicious this morning. Ye Junqing was furious, so he just threw down his chopsticks and left. Once Ye Junqing left, Yin Xue silently appeared in the main hall, then respectfully passed Ben Lei''s letter to Yao Mowan. "How is the situation with Yao Suluan''s side?" asked Yao Mowan as she opened the letter. "She''s heading towards Mangyuan. Don''t worry, Master, with Liu Sha following her, there''s no way for Yao Suluan to escape our control," reported Yin Xue. As Yao Mowan read the contents of the letter, her eyes gradually turned cold and shocking waves filled those cold pupils. "Master?" Yin Xue was able to guess by her master''s expression that something bad had definitely happened to Mangyuan. "This consort had been too careless. This consort hadn''t expected for Thousand Paths to take advantage of the time while Yao Manifest Trade was closed to rapidly adjust the prices of their goods. They had actually been able to earn back all the loss they suffered before! How preposterous!" Yao Mowan angrily destroyed the letter as her brows furrowed worriedly. "Thousand Paths is truly sly. Then what should we do know?" Yin Xue hadn''t expected an oue like this. "Help this consort write a secret letter. Have Ben Lei and the others reopen business without changing the prices. At the same time, have them secretly divide and conquer. Have them buy things from Thousand Paths, then sell the items to neighboring counties to decrease our losses." For the time being, Yao Mowan couldn''te up with any better ideas and decided that earning a difference was still better than earning nothing. "Yin Xue will get to it right away!" Yin Xue left, and at this point Yao Mowan had lost her appetite, so she returned to her bedroom. That night, Ye Hongyi who had not appeared for a very long time walked in, dragging his weary body inside. An Bingshan was no longer around and the new eunuch didn''t have his trust, so when Ye Hongyi came, he was by himself. "Your Majesty came to visit Wan er!" Yao Mowan smiled brightly as always as she skipped forward to take Ye Hongyi''s arm even as her heart filled with disgust. "We missed Wan er¡­ All we have left is Wan er now¡­" When Ye Hongyi opened his mouth, the strong smell of alcohol wafted over, causing Yao Mowan''s brows to furrow. "Your Majesty, you can''t drink so much wine! It''s bad for the health!" Yao Mowan helped Ye Hongyi over to sit down, then looked towards Ting Yue. Just as Ting Yue was about to pour tea for him, Ye Hongyi suddenly waved her off. "You can withdraw. We wish to talk with Wan er properly for a while!" When Ting Yue heard this, she set down the tea pot and respectfully withdrew from Guan Osprey Pce. As Yao Mowan took in how intoxicated Ye Hongyi was, a trace of a cold smile shed across her lips. Everything she had done ever since her rebirth was finally bearing fruit. As of now, Ye Hongyi had already walked to the edge of finding himself utterly isted. The important ministers of court appeared united with him, but were divided at heart and the consorts of the inner pce were in even greater disorder. Yao Mowan was getting increasingly sure that the right time hade. "Wan er, say, are we a good person?" Ye Hongyi pulled Yao Mowan into his arms and coaxed her like she was a precious treasure. His voice was extremely soft like he was very worried about scaring the beauty in his arms. "Your Majesty is a good person! Your Majesty is the best person in the world!" Yao Mowan leaned into Ye Hongyi''s arms as she toyed with the jade pendant at his waist. "So then why are they all leaving us? Consort Xian, Consort Shu, Yu Qing, Ye Liyu, Yi Zixiao, An Bingshan, Yao Zhenting, and Yao Suluan! We''ve never treated them unfairly, so why did they betray us? Why!?" Ye Hongyi''s hand which was around Yao Mowan''s arm reflexively clenched as his eyes filled with dark light. "It hurts¡­" said Yao Mowan weakly, her eyes glimmering with tears. Now that she thought about it, she really had done quite a lot. "Sorry! I''m sorry, Wan er! It''s all our fault! We shouldn''t have used so much force, please forgive us?" Ye Hongyi ced his hands on Yao Mowan''s shoulders fearfully as he beseeched her like a child that had done something wrong. "Wan er knows that Your Majesty isn''t feeling well. Wan er doesn''t me Your Majesty." Forgive? Yao Mowan snorted. Ye Hongyi ah, not everyone in this world who has done things wrong has the right to be forgiven! Just based on what you''ve done in the cold pce, if I forgave you, then I really had died once for nothing! "Wan er, don''t leave us. All we have left is you¡­" This night, Ye Hongyi was extremely gentle as he stroked every inch of Yao Mowan''s skin. He touched every part of her like she was the most fragile pearl in the world. This night, Yao Mowan felt disgusted like she had never felt before. There were several times that she had to do all she could to suppress the nausea churning in her stomach. Yao Mowan knew that this was because of Ye Junqing. Although nothing had happened that night, she had already lost her heart. The next day, six hours after Ye Hongyi left Guan Osprey Pce, he got an urgent report from the imperial hospital that said Yao Mowan had caught a severe illness. At this time, Ye Hongyi had just gotten out of court. After hearing this news, he rushed straight to Guan Osprey Pce. "Wan er!" When Ye Hongyi arrived at Guan Osprey Pce, almost all the imperial physicians from the imperial hospital were surrounding the room with a grave expression. Yao Mowan was lying on her back on the bed, her facial color ashen and her eyes hazy. Her hands twitched from time to time like she was about to die. "How can this be!? Imperial physician!" In this moment, Ye Hongyi felt like his heart was dripping blood. It was like a poisonous snake was biting at it furiously. It hurt beyond repair. It was the first time he had ever felt fear at the thought of losing a woman. "Replying Your Majesty¡­ Her Imperial Highness has caught a rarely seen disease that is known by the name of ''drowse.'' There is no medicine for curing this illness. The only way is to send Her Imperial Highness to a ce in Mangyuan called The Remote Springs to soak for 77419 days!" Imperial Physician Li''s voice was trembling slightly and his face was extremely pale. "Drowse? Mangyuan? We''ve never heard of this sort of illness before!" Ye Hongyi''s brows were tightly furrowed as he sternly demanded answers. "Your Majesty, this old subject had once read about the symptoms of drowse in a medicinal text. Her Imperial Highness''s current symptoms correspond exactly. This old subject will go find the book for Your Majesty right away!" Imperial Physician Li''s forehead was covered with sweat, but he didn''t dare to reach over to wipe at it. "What''s the use of showing us a medicinal text? Do you dare to guarantee that the empress wille out unscathed from this after soaking in The Remote Springs in Mangyuan?" Ye Hongyi turned to look towards Yao Mowan. As he carefully stroked her cheeks with both hands, a tear actually slid down the corner of his eye. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 47
Chapter 47: Feigning Illness to Go Investigate "This subject dares to guarantee with his life!" replied Imperial Physician Li decisively. "Then hurry and prepare carriages! We will personally take the empress to Mangyuan to cure this illness! All of you are to follow! If anything happens, we will have all your nine extended ns exterminated!" Ye Hongyi swung his sleeve to have all the imperial physicians in the room leave and prepare things as quickly as possible. Just as the imperial physicians left Guan Osprey Pce, Huan Heng suddenly appeared outside to ask for an audience. "We will not see anyone!" Ye Hongyi took Yao Mowan''s cold hands in his with extreme heartache. He wished he could just give all the warmth in his body to her instead. The true emotions on his face weren''t things that could be faked. At the side, as Ting Yue wiped at her tears, she couldn''t help but sigh. It was a pity that the person in her master''s heart wasn''t His Majesty¡­ "Your Majesty, forgive this humble subject for being as audacious as to ask for an audience, but there is great turmoil at Nanjiang. They''ve already sent troops to attack Chu and has already taken down two cities in great Chu!" Huan Heng quickly gave the report, his eyes filled with worry. "What? Why would Nanjiang send troops all of a sudden?" When Ye Hongyi heard this, he was stunned and he looked towards Huan Heng in disbelief. "It''s probably because of the issue with territory. Nanjiang covets our great Chu''s Qn Mountains and they''ve always been eying them," said Huan Heng. "You can handle this matter. We must go with the empress to Mangyuan to cure her illness!" said Ye Hongyi decisively after a moment of consideration. "That cannot be done! Arge battle is imminent. If Your Majesty doesn''t oversee the throne room, how are us subjects supposed to deploy the army?" Huan Heng''s words hit the main point in one go. Back then, Ye Hongyi had, due to his apprehensions, taken most of Huan Heng''s military power. As of now, Huan Heng only possessed control over a few troops. It wasn''t enough to resist Nanjiang at all. As Ye Hongyi looked at Yao Mowan who was on the bed, he hesitated. He couldn''t bear to part with Yao Mowan, but he also didn''t want to give the military power he had finally managed to take back to Huan Heng. After reconsidering things multiple times, Ye Hongyi finally gave up on heading to Mangyuan with Yao Mowan and passed this heavy responsibility to Ye Junqing again. The main reason was that, in all of the imperial city, there was no one whose martial arts was better than Ye Junqing''s. He''d feelpletely at ease with Ye Junqing protecting Yao Mowan. The second reason was because if anything happened to Yao Mowan, he''d definitely have Ye Junqing be buried with her. However, this time, Ye Hongyi truly hoped that Yao Mowan would be able to return safely. The events urred so suddenly that before Ye Junqing even had a chance to find Yin Xue and get answers, he had already beenmanded to guard Yao Mowan as she left the imperial city. For the sake of convenience, Ye Junqing asked His Majesty for permission to only bring Imperial Physician Li and a few select guards. Inside the agarwood carriage, Ye Junqing stared at Yao Mowan who was on the couch. He reached out again to rub her face. "It''s not painted?" Ever since Ye Junqing had heard this news, he felt like his heart was being burned by fire, like someone had suddenly ripped his heart out of his chest. He had never thought about the possibility that Yao Mowan might one day leave him. That sudden feeling made it hard for him to even breathe. In Guan Osprey Pce, he had wanted more than anyone to rush toward the bed and personally check her pulse, but with Ye Hongyi present, all he could do was look on silently and endure. There were tears, but they had flowed silently into his heart. It was only when the imperial physician announced the way to cure this illness that his heart finally returned to its ce. There was an instant when he wanted to just rush to Yao Mowan and drag her down from the bed, then kick her a couple times for scaring him. "Prince, what are you doing?" When Ting Yue saw that Ye Junqing was still rubbing at Yao Mowan''s face, she immediately stepped forward to stop him. "Don''t worry, all the guards I brought are people I trust and that Imperial Physician Li has already been arranged to follow at the very end of the procession. No one will discover the fact that you''re just pretending, so hurry and get up!" Ye Junqing paid no attention to Ting Yue and just urged Yao Mowan to get up. "Prince! How do you know that Her Imperial Highness is pretending? I''d like to ask who''d pretend by painting their faces purple!?" Ting Yue was getting a little anxious now and she moved in front of Yao Mowan to shield her while glowering at Ye Junqing. "Your master¡­ She''s not pretending? Could it be that she''s really caught a strange illness?" When Ye Junqing saw how serious Ting Yue''s expression was, he was stunned and his expression immediately turned cold. Ting Yue didn''t reply and just lowered her eyes as she helped fix Yao Mowan''s clothing. "It''s actually true? How can this be? How did she get this strange illness? You should''ve told this prince earlier! Now we only have one imperial physician with us, how is that anywhere close to enough? This won''t do! This prince will send people right now to call all of the imperial physicians from the pce over, then change the horses for thousand-mile colts. But will we make it in time¡­ Then let''s not ride the carriage! This prince and Yin Xue will carry her. That will be faster than a carriage, and¡­" Ye Junqing was so flustered that he could barely keep his thoughts straight. "Pfff!" Just as Ye Junqing was beside himself with worry, Yao Mowan suddenly burst outughing. "Your Imperial Highness, didn''t you say that we were going to pretend until we reached Sunshine City?" When Ting Yue saw her master move, she immediately looked towards her master with aint-filled pout. "No, this empress seriously couldn''t hold it back anymore. Help this empress up." Yao Mowan grinned with herpletely bruised face. How was there any trace of city-toppling beauty left at this point? At this moment, she seemed like a demon that had just crawled out of hell. Ye Junqing''s earlier worry was instantly reced by speechless disbelief. "Ting Yue, you''ve be corrupted!" Ye Junqing glowered at Ting Yue, then looked towards Yao Mowan. "This servant thanks Prince for the praise." When Ting Yue heard this, she immediately voiced her thanks. If she was still a good person after following Yao Mowan for so long, then that meant that there was definitely something wrong with her. "Prince has always hated Mowan, so why did Prince suddenly get so nervous?" Yao Mowan calmed her emotions, then leanednguidly against the back of the carriage before looking towards Ye Junqing with interest. "Humph! Scourges are supposed to cause disaster for a millennium. This prince just didn''t want to go against the nature orders of things." Although Ye Junqing was angry, his heart finally calmed when he saw that Yao Mowan was perfectly well and lively. "It''s a good thing that Prince only brought Li Zhun. If an entire group of imperial physicians hade along, Mowan really would''ve had to keep pretending the entire way." Yao Mowan didn''t mind Ye Junqing''s sneer. All she knew was that her heart had felt warm when she heard how worried Ye Junqing had been over her. "What difference does one imperial physician make with a group of imperial physicians? This prince would advise you to lie back down so that Li Zhun doesn''t end up finding out!" Whenever Ye Junqing recalled that Yao Mowan had almost tricked him into crying, he''d feel his heart fill with anger. "Li Zhun knows. If not, how could he have brought up the location Mangyuan?" Yao Mowan reflexively lifted the curtain of the carriage and the autumn wind blew in, lifting the hair on Yao Mowan''s forehead slightly. However, the scene that was supposed to be beautiful was ruined by Yao Mowan''s bruised face. "You bribed Li Zhun? You had better not tell this prince that you''ve also bribed Huan Heng and that the incident with Nanjiang ispletely made up?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan with astonishment. "It was fortunate that Mowan had predicted that His Majesty woulde along and had arranged for Huan Heng to enter the pce. As for Nanjiang, there is indeed something happening there. It''s just that Duan Shiming''s movements are a little slow. Mowan had sent the letter five days ago, but he had only made a move now!" said Yao Mowan lightly with a faint hint ofint in her tone. "You know Nanjiang''s Duan Shiming? No way-" Ye Junqing''s eyes widened as he looked towards Yao Mowan in disbelief. He knew that Yao Mowan''s connections was extensive, but he never imagined that she was actually even that familiar with the ruler of Nanjiang! "Doesn''t Prince feel like miracles are everywhere? Don''t worship Mowan too much." Yao Mowan lifted her brows. That prideful smile seemed to be telling Ye Junqing a certain fact: Don''t worship this big sis too much, this big sis is just a legend. In reality, when Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing were sent as ambassadors to Nanjiang, they had helped Duan Shiming greatly, so this time, when Duan Shiming saw the keepsake Yao Mowan sent over, he agreed to send troops to great Chu to contend with the nation of Chu for ten days. It was really just for the sake of returning the past favor. They weren''t actually very good friends. "Lower the curtain already, lest you end up scaring a ghost!" Ye Junqing''s expression was unperturbed, but his heart was already a mess. "How could there be any ghosts in broad daylight?" asked Ting Yue in confusion, but she just got an eyeroll from Ye Junqing. It took about a month to get from the imperial city from Mangyuan. During this month, they had probably passed through ten counties. Every time they reached a county, Yao Mowan would feign illness and lie on the bed for Li Zhun to check her pulse and diagnose her condition. She was doing this for those county officials to see, because she was certain that even if Ye Hongyi didn''te with them, he''d definitely continue to keep an eye on her. Since he couldn''t really bring himself to trust Ye Junqing, these county officials would be his eyes. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 48
Chapter 48: Would Recognize Even if He Turn Into Dust At this moment, Yao Mowan was currently lying on the bed of an inn in Ji Province. Her facial color was purple and her eyes were tightly shut. After Imperial Physician Li finished checking her pulse, the senior official of Ji Province, Wu Zi, walked over with a respectful bow. "Sir, may I ask how the empress''s condition is?" asked Wu Zi quietly as he nced towards the bed at Yao Mowan. "Don''t worry, Official, Her Imperial Highness is fine for the time being." Imperial Physician Li started putting items away in his medicinal box as he replied respectly. Wu Zi''s status was higher than Li Zhun''s by two ranks, but Li Zhun was an imperial physician. Since he was someone who worked right beneath the son of Heaven, it was natural for Wu Zi to fawn on him a little. It was only after Wu Zi left that Yao Mowan sat up on the bed with a sigh of relief. "Your Imperial Highness, why did you get up?" When Li Zhun saw Yao Mowan get up, he immediately walked to the entrance. His heart only settled once he saw that Ting Yue was guarding the door. "Li Zhun ah, it''s good to be cautious, but being too cautious is sometimes even more of a mistake." Yao Mowan stretched her arms briefly before getting off the bed. "But this subject ismitting the crime of deceiving the monarch! If this subject isn''t cautious, this subject could be beheaded at any moment." Li Zhun walked to Yao Mowan''s side humbly as he secured the medicinal chest to his back. "Sit. Apany this empress for a cup of tea." When Yao Mowan saw that Li Zhun intended to leave, she deliberately had him stay. She had threatened him before, so now it was time to entice him. "This¡­ This humble subject doesn''t dare. Your Imperial Highness, if you have instructions, feel free to give them." Li Zhun didn''t sit down, but he also didn''t dare to turn and leave. There was no way for him to feel hatred towards Yao Mowan, but he had plenty ofints towards her. If she hadn''t threatened him with the lives of his family, he never would''ve dared to lie about some illness called ''drowse'' or about the existence of some ''Remote Springs''! As for that medicinal text, it was even more made up. He still felt fear even now thinking about it. If that day His Majesty hadmanded him to go back to the residence to get it, he really didn''t know what he could pull out to exin things. "You''re ming this empress?" Yao Mowan got straight to the point. "This humble subject doesn''t dare¡­" Li Zhun immediately set down his medicinal chest and knelt down in front of Yao Mowan fearfully. At that time, when he had personally seen that Yao Mowan was not only not a fool, but also exceptionally intelligent, he had known that she wasn''t someone he could afford to provoke. "Don''t worry, since this empress dared to have you say such a lie, this empress had naturally made all the necessary preparations. That book recording the symptoms of drowse is already in your study." Yao Mowan knew what Li Zhun was worried about, so she straightforwardly addressed it. "Many thanks, Your Imperial Highness¡­" Li Zhun was once again taken aback by how wise and farsighted the woman in front of him was. "There are over thirty imperial physicians in the imperial hospital, but this empress chose you. Do you know why that is?" Yao Mowan lowered her eyes to look towards Li Zhun. Her heart stung slightly from her memories. Back then, when she had been pregnant with Zhong er, Li Zhun had been the only one in the imperial hospital who had done his all for her. He had personally brewed every single bowl of pregnancy stabling medicine that was brought to Changle Pce and he never made use of people. After she died, this Li Zhun was also the only one who had secretly burned paper for her to pray for her happiness. It can be seen that not only was this person very meticulous in his work, he was also very kindhearted. It wasn''t easy to find a truly kindhearted person in the pce. If she wanted to be able to trust her subordinates fully, she naturally had to be extremely selective with who she picked. "This humble subject doesn''t know." Li Zhun truly didn''t know. He believed that there were plenty of people in the imperial hospital who were more skilled in the medicinal arts than himself. "It''s because you look the most pleasant!" Yao Mowan walked to Li Zhun with an amused smile to help him up with both hands. Li Zhun didn''t dare to decline and could only follow suit and rise. However, when he saw that smile on Yao Mowan''s bruised face, he almost fainted. "Don''t worry, this empress never treats those that follow this empress unfairly, and you''re not an exception. From now on, this empress will guarantee the safety and wealth of your family. This is a thousand taels of gold, take it. This empress will also allow you to be the head of the imperial hospital. You will be instated immediately once we return to the imperial pce." Yao Mowan passed the check that she had prepared beforehand to Li Zhun as she said this with firm dignity. No matter how honest Li Zhun was, his whole body still trembled and his heartbeat sped up at the sight of the check in his hand. With his current sry, even if he worked for a hundred years, he wouldn''t make this much. So after Li Zhun left the room, he suddenly pulled Ting Yue over. "What do you think of this imperial physician''s looks?" When Li Zhun recalled what Yao Mowan said, a trace of warmth arose in his heart. "Imperial Physician Li, are you joking with Ting Yue? You''re sixty years old with sideburns covering your face¡­ Ting Yue feels that it''s best for you to check the mirror when you get back." Ting Yue looked towards Li Zhun inplete earnestness and immediately struck the confidence that had just arisen in Li Zhun''s heart back down into an abyss. The moment Yao Mowan got to Mangyuan, she impatiently took the antidote. Her originally bruised face instantly became tender and softly flushed again. It was like a wlessly peeled egg, pure and delicate. "Didn''t you take the antidote a little too soon? His Majesty also has eyes here." Ye Junqing''s gaze was fixed on Yao Mowan''s face as a strange feeling gradually arose in his heart. "With Ben Lei here, do you think His Majesty''s spies would be able to do anything?" Ben Lei had already secretly bribed all the spies Ye Hongyi had in Mangyuan the moment he got here. That was why even though Yao Manifest Trade and Thousand Paths were currently in a trade war, all that was written in the secret letters Ye Hongyi received was ''all is normal.'' As the carriage passed through the streets, there was the constant sound of mor. Yao Mowan lightly lifted the curtain as a reminiscent feeling filled her heart. As of now, all the ces and people were different, but Mangyuan was as lively and flourishing as always. From time to time, she saw all sorts of people pass by the carriage. There were people from great Chu, from Shu, from Qi, and even some women from Lon. Merchants from the west and the south also came here to do business. Almost right after Yao Mowan had left the pce, the carriage driver was swapped out for someone that Ben Lei had sent. As of now, the sounds of all the mor was gradually vanishing and the carriage slowly stopped. Yao Mowan allowed Ting Yue to pin a white veil to her hair to cover half of her face before walking out of the carriage. Ye Junqing hesitated for a moment, then tugged at Yao Mowan. "Should this prince also put on a mask?" Ye Junqing didn''t know what Yao Mowan''s n was, so he was worried about ruining her n. "Even if Prince turned into dust, those who recognized you would still recognize you. Ben Lei, don''t you agree?" said Yao Mowan with a teasing smile. At this time, Ben Lei was currently standing by the carriage, looking towards Ye Junqing with unconceble excitement on his face. "Yes! Yes! Even if Prince turned to dust, Ben Lei would still be able to recognize you! Prince, Ben Lei really missed you!" When Ye Junqing saw the tears in Ben Lei''s eyes, although he was annoyed with Ben Lei for betraying him to serve someone else, he didn''t make things hard for Ben Lei anymore and just nodded slightly before getting off the carriage. "This prince is perfectly fine, so why should this prince turn into dust to test your recognition?" said Ye Junqing in slight indignance as he shot a glower as Yao Mowan. Ben Lei also didn''t mind Ye Junqing''s attitude and immediatelymanded the servants to pull up the prepared banner. On it was written ''The Esteemed Prince, A Beauty that Stuns the World, Whose Magnificence is Unmatched! The Empress of Chu, A Majestic Hero Who Will Be Remember Throughout the Ages!'' Right after that, the two rows of female servants started tossing flower petals into the air. As petals danced in the air, music arose. This moment, this scene, was truly a beautiful sight. However, Ye Junqing waspletely ticked off. As he swept the petals off his head and shoulders, he pointed at Ben Lei''s nose angrily. "Who would want to be a beauty that stuns the world!? Whose magnificence is unmatched!? Preposterous! Pull him down now and beat him to death!" The moment Ben Lei heard this, he whirl around, then his expression stiffened. His heart instantly flooded withints. It was truly scary to have no culture. They had gotten the descriptions mixed up¡­ After the grand weing ceremony ended, Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing walked into this luxurious residence. In reality, this residence had been built when Yao Mowan had first established her business in Mangyuan. Later, she had Ben Lei renovate it more, so it was already the most luxurious courtyard in Mangyuan. Due to the fact that the master of the household hadn''t changed, it was still called Yao Residence. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 49
Chapter 49: Thousand Paths''s Provocation In the main hall, after Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing sat down, Ben Lei immediately had the servants bring up tea. The tea leaves were naturally of the best quality. "How are the preparations for The Remote Springs going?" Yao Mowan lifted the teacup and took a light sip. The fragrance of the tea instantly filled her mouth, leaving a lingering sweetness on her tongue. Since they had rushed here for The Remote Springs, they naturally had to carry out the act fully. "Reporting, Master, Ben Lei had immediately bought all of Phoenix Mountain as soon as Ben Lei had gotten the order, so you can use it as you please. Ben Lei guarantees that no one will disturb you." As Ben Lei cupped his fist and replied, the Elements had already appeared with the ount books of the respective areas that they managed. "You guys have worked hard." Yao Mowan was sincerely grateful. "As hidden guards, it''s natural for us to do everything we can for our master." As of now, the Elements each had their own names that they used to interact with the outside world. Their names were Feng Lin, Yu Er, Lei Ting, and Dian Shan. Of the four, Yu Er was the only girl. However, when it came to martial arts, Yu Er was also the strongest. "Ting Yue, bring the books into my room." Yao Mowan nodded slightly. Just as Ting Yue was taking the ount books, the manager, Uncle Tian, suddenly jogged in to pass something to Ben Lei. "Sir, a child ced this message at the door just now." Uncle Tian was past his sixties and most of his long beard was already white, but he still seemed very healthy and full of vigor. His voice rung strongly like a bell. It was obvious with one look that he was someone who practiced martial arts, and the fact that Ben Lei had picked him meant that he was probably also quite skilled. Ben Lei took the letter with a serious expression, then immediately walked to Yao Mowan''s side to offer her the letter. Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she took the letter, only to find that ''To Proprietor Yao'' was written on it inrge font. "Master, this is Thousand Paths''s main shopkeeper, Baili Haoran''s writing. You''ve only arrived in Mangyuan, but they had immediately sent this letter. Could it be that they''ve already guessed your identity?" Ben Lei looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly. "Since this empress had decided toe, this empress naturally had no intentions of continuing to hide. However, it doesn''t necessarily mean they''ve found anything. It''s nothing but a bluff." Yao Mowan slowly tore open the envelop, unconcerned, to pull out and contract. "This¡­ This is Phoenix Manor''snd contract? That''s not possible! This subordinate has already bought Phoenix Mountain! Thend contract is in this subordinate''s possession!" Ben Lei''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Go get yournd contract." Yao Mowan set down the letter to focus on examining thend contract in her hand, but she couldn''t find any ws on it. Ben Lei didn''t dare to be slow and immediately turned to have Uncle Tian get thend contract. Ye Junqing was standing at the side,pletely baffled by the conversation. He didn''t even understand what Yao Mowan was talking about and could only slowly get up to walk out of the hall. Yao Mowan saw Ye Junqing leave out of the corner of her eye, a trace of sadness shed through her eyes. Ben Lei was just about to speak, but Yao Mowan stopped him. When Ben Lei saw Yao Mowan shake her head, although he was a bit torn by this decision, he didn''t move to catch up with Ye Junqing. Once Uncle Tian brought over thend deed, Yao Mowan rolled each of the deeds up with a jade stone. When she opened them again, the stamp on Ben Lei''s contract was faded while the other one was perfectly intact. "Your contract is fake. You were probably swindled." Yao Mowan didn''t criticize Ben Lei. She had forced a de-welding vanguard to suddenly be a pen-welding shopkeeper. It had definitely not been easy for Ben Lei, so it was hard to avoid having small errors ur asionally. "This subordinate was slow-witted! Master, please give a punishment!" Although Yao Mowan didn''t say anything, Ben Lei med himself a lot and immediately knelt on the ground guiltily. "The other party was skilled and was clearly targeting you, so it''s not a surprise that you were tricked. Rise." Yao Mowan looked at thend contract on the table contemtively. "Master, Ben Lei doesn''t understand. Since they tricked this subordinate out of the contract, why did they send the real contract now?" Ben Lei looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "This empress isn''t clear on this either. Since they''re publicly opposing Yao Manifest Trade, there shouldn''t be any need for them to do this empress a favor." For the time being, Yao Mowan also couldn''t really figure out what the other party was trying to do. "Then should we return the deed?" suggested Ben Lei worriedly. "Are you joking? Isn''t this money? They were the ones that gave the contract back, it''s not like we snatched it. Why should we give it back? Put it away properly and don''t lose it!" Yao Mowan found it very strange that Ben Lei would have such a thought. She couldn''t help but sigh internally. If she had personally managed the business in Mangyuan, the numbers on the ledgers would be at least three times higher. If only it was possible to clone oneself! And there was no one by her side that was more reliable than Ben Lei, so she could only make do. Yao Mowan only walked out of the main hall once she fully came to understand the current situation in Mangyuan after talking with Ben Lei and the others. She found that azure figure in the back courtyard. Beneath the sunlight, that figure stood like a towering mountain. Just the side profile of that handsome face was enough to captivate all hearts. As the autumn breeze swept up the hair that had fallen slightly over his forehead, it drew a beautiful arc through the air. In this current moment, Ye Junqing seemed like a celestial who had just walked out of an antique painting, beautiful to the point of being unreal. "Why are you here? Ben Lei has been looking for you for a long time." Yao Mowan was lying. Ben Lei had wanted to look for him, but she had sent him away. "Say¡­ Is this prince useless?" Ye Junqing''s words were shocking. Yao Mowan abruptly looked over and stared at Ye Junqing as her heart pulsed with pain. Just two years ago, she had still been able to see the sight of Ye Junqing cutting his way fearlessly through the battlefield. In that battle, Ye Junqing had been able to rescue Ye Hongyi safely with only three thousand elite soldiers facing an enemy army of a hundred thousand! A genius like this was actually now calling himself useless. "Prince, why would you think this?" Yao Mowan restrained the sorrow in her eyes. Suddenly, her mood improved. This was a good sign. This meant that Ye Junqing was already starting to shift his attention from the matter of Yao Moxin''s death to his own self. That was why he would end up having this kind of thought. "It''s nothing, just a momentary thought. If you''re busy, you should go handle whatever you need to do. There''s no need to mind this prince." Ye Junqing seemed to catch himself being mncholic so he quickly changed the topic. Yao Mowan didn''t want to make Ye Junqing feel awkward, so she didn''t press him and just left. Inside Thousand Paths''s silk store, Baili Haoran was currently in the grip of a pestilence demon. His heart was filled with incessant grievances. "Talk! Have you sent thend contract over yet? Did you do it or not!?" Chu Moxin held Baili Haoran''s cor with one hand while waving his other fist in front of Baili Haoran''s eyes threateningly. "How could this humble subject ever dare to trick you, Little Prince? Thend contract had been sent over three days ago." Baili Haoran suddenly felt severe regret! He shouldn''t have told Chu Moxin about his n without holding anything back. Now things were just great. He had barely gotten to hold thend contract for Phoenix Mountain that he had worked so hard to swindle for a few moments before it was returned to Ben Lei. "This prince doesn''t believe you! If you had really sent it over, Yao Mowan would definitely give a return present! Why is there nothing at all? Do you have anything else that''s valuable? Send another one over!" said Chu Moxin inplete seriousness. "Little Prince, who''s side are you on exactly?" If it was someone else, Baili Haoran would definitely think that this person was a traitor, but this person just had to be Chu Moxin. He couldn''t yell at him, hit him, hate him, or hurt him. "Who cares which side you''re on! In any case, this prince wants to see Yao Mowan! Either let this prince out, or continue to send presents until she steps inside this door! If you don''t want to do that, just tell Yao Mowan that this prince is here!" said Chu Moxin impatiently. "The crown prince gave orders that we can''t reveal our identities. This humble subject can''t¡­" "Forget it! This prince is going out! This prince is able to die from being cooped up here all day!" Chu Moxin flung Baili Haoran aside, but just was he was about to rush out, the door was suddenly opened from outside. Chu Moxin abruptly came to a halt. When he looked over, he saw that Huangfu Junxiu was walking in with a meaningful wink. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] C: A rough trantions of the names that the Elements are using are: Feng Lin - Wind Beast; Yu Er - Rain Child; Lei Ting - Thunderp; Dian Shan - Lightning sh.
Chapter Volume 3 50
Chapter 50: Yu Funing''s appearance "Ahem, Baili Haoran, you''re way too careless. How can you lose such an importantnd deed?" Chu Moxin immediately caught Huangfu Junxiu''s meaning and turned around while rebuking Baili Haoran with a serious expression. "This humble servant¡­ It was this humble servant''s neglectance. Little Prince, please assign punishment¡­" Baili Haoran had no choice but to admit to it. If he didn''t, this little prince would definitelye after him for itter. "All of you, withdraw." A clear and melodious voice arose. When Baili Haoran saw Chu Mobei speak, he immediately fled from the room like he had been granted amnesty. Huangfu Junxiu turned and left as well. As he closed the door, he nced at Chu Moxin meaningfully. "Imperial Older Brother, when did you get here?" Chu Moxin took a deep breath, then turned around to look at Chu Mobei in surprise. "Saying that you wanted to train was a lie, what you actually wanted was to see Yao Mowan, right?" Chu Mobei slowly walked to Chu Moxin''s side and touched his shoulder lightly. Before he had even realized it, this younger brother of his had already grown this tall. "Moxin''s being wrongly used! How could I have known that Yao Mowan would alsoe?" Chu Moxin was determined not to admit to it. "I can let you see her, but on the condition that I choose the time. Well?" Faint gentleness flickered in his demonically charming eyes. The only time Chu Mobei expressed a rare moment of gentleness was in front of Chu Moxin. "Who wants to see her¡­" Chu Moxin''s voice was quiet like the sound of a mosquito, but his eyes were filled with anticipation. Chu Mobei didn''t bother to expose him and simply hooked his lips without a word. Yao Mowan, this time, there''s no way this prince will allow you to get the upper hand again easily. In order to ease Ye Junqing''s gloomy mood, Yao Mowan arranged for Ben Lei to take Ye Junqing around the city. Meanwhile, in her moments of free time between checking the ount books, she''d take a pnquin to Phoenix Mountain''s Remote Springs. The so-called Remote Spring was simply a hot spring. It didn''t have any miraculous life-saving properties. Therge street was filled with people. Ye Junqing was aimlessly walking along and would asionally pause in front of some new and odd weapons. Meanwhile, Ben Lei kept boasting next to Ye Junqing and basically spilling everything that he knew about Mangyuan. On the left side of the street, a peddler selling circr fans was looking at the woman in front of his stand and impatiently urging her on. "This miss, are you going to buy it or not? If you''re not going to buy it, don''t stand here. You''re blocking my business!" said the vendor angrily. He reached out to push away the woman, but was stopped by a chain of gold. "This is enough to buy your stand. If you dare to say any more, I''ll have your mouth ripped off!" Qian Xi tossed the vendor a chain of gold disdainfully, then turned to look towards her master. "Miss, what are you looking at?" When Qian Xi saw that Yu Funing''s eyes were misty and that her body was trembling slightly, she stepped forward to support her while asking this worriedly. "It''s him¡­ Qian Xi, this day has finally arrived¡­" Yu Funing''s tears fell silently, then she started running forward nkly, like she had lost her soul to something. Qian Xi hastily moved forward to push aside the people in front of Yu Funing. "The esteemed prince? Why would he be here?" After about a dozen steps, Qian Xi finally saw the person that her miss had been captivated by. "Miss, this isn''t a good ce to talk and there''s even someone with the esteemed prince. It''s possible that person hade from the imperial pce, so we need to be careful!" Qian Xi pulled Yu Funing to the side of the street as she said this carefully. "Qian Xi, let go of me! I want to see him! I need to ask why he didn''te that night! He said that he wouldn''t leave until he saw me!" Yu Funing sobbed as she spoke and her tears streamed down her face uncontrobly. Yu Funing''s words attracted a lot of nces from the passersby. Qian Xi hastily pulled Yu Funing over to a quiet corner. "Miss! Wait here, Qian Xi will definitely bring the esteemed prince over for you! So no matter what, don''t go anywhere!" Qian Xi knew that her master''s feelings for Ye Junqing was too deep. There was no way her master would rest without seeing him. "Alright! Qian Xi, I''ll have Fei Luan go with you. You have to bring him here, alright?" Yu Funing grabbed Qian Xi tightly, her eyes filled with beseeching. "Miss, wait right here!" Qian Xi didn''t dare to waste any time and immediately ran in the direction that Ye Junqing had gone. Qian Xi had Fei Luan lure Ben Lei away, then quickly went to block Ye Junqing''s way. "Prince, do you still remember this servant?" Qian Xi spoke solemnly but humbly. "You''re¡­" Ye Junqing found her face familiar, but he couldn''t recall where he had seen her. "Truly, eminent people have short memory. Wonder if Prince still remembers Fragrant Steps Pavilion''s Consort Xian?" prompted Qian Xi. "You''re Qian Xi!" cried Ye Junqing in realization. However, when he heard the words Consort Xian, a bit of guilt surfaced in his heart. At that time, Yao Mowan had once told him about what happened with Yu Funing and how she had impersonated him in replying to Yu Funing''s letter. Although this had nothing to do with him, Yu Funing didn''t know that. "Prince, pleasee this way. My miss is waiting for you." Qian Xi gestured politely, but Ye Junqing hesitated. What was he supposed to say when he saw her? "Ahem¡­ Just treat it as this prince never saw you. You should go." Ye Junqing''s implicit words were that he''d let Qian Xi off this once. After all, they had fled from the Chu Pce and were criminals of this current dynasty. "Qian Xi truly doesn''t dare to ept Prince''s great grace. Qian Xi had given up regard for life and death to take this risk to see you, Prince. If you still have any conscience at all, you should meet with my miss. If it weren''t for you, my miss would still be a noble consort of great Chu, how could she have possibly fallen to the point of having to live in a foreignnd? As of now, Miss¡­ She isn''t doing well." Qian Xi was determined to bring Ye Junqing to Yu Funing even if the price was her life. Ye Junqing could see Qian Xi''s determination. After considering things for a short moment, in the end, he still followed after Qian Xi and left the city. If life was always like that which it had been during the first meeting, what would ever inspire the sorrowful autumn paintings? When Yu Funing saw Ye Junqing walk towards her in his azure garments, her tears started overflowing even harder. That night, she had escaped from the pce with a heart filled with joy, thinking that the possibilities were limitless. She could finally be with the man she loved, but unexpectedly, everything was simply the moon reflected in theke, a simple dream. "Miss¡­" Qian Xi brought Ye Junqing to Yu Funing, then tactfully withdrew. When Ye Junqing saw that Yu Funing was crying so hard, he choked. He didn''t know what to say, but he had to say something, so he spoke first. "Guan Osprey Pce''s Fluffy still misses the food from Fragrant Steps Pavilion¡­" The moment Ye Junqing spoke, Yu Funing suddenly threw herself towards him and started hitting his chest with her soft fists. Ye Junqing was dumbfounded. He had never encountered a situation like this before and for a moment, he didn''t even know what to do and could only allow Yu Funing to hit him. "Yu Funing had waited for you, Prince¡­ Yu Funing had suffered such a long wait¡­" Yu Funing hit him for a long time, then she finally couldn''t bear it anymore and wrapped her arms around Ye Junqing''s waist, pressing her delicate face against Ye Junqing''s chest as her tears continued to stream down. "Consort Xian¡­ I''m afraid you''re probably misunderstanding." Ye Junqing swallowed hard, then slowly pushed Yu Funing away. Even if this woman wasn''t the emperor''s woman, he really didn''t feelfortable being bear-hugged by a woman. "A misunderstanding? Prince, do you recognize this letter?" Tears whirled in Yu Funing''s eyes and she sobbed as she pulled out a letter from within her sleeve. ''Will be there, Junqing.'' Ye Junqing''s face filled with sudden realization when he saw this letter. Yao Mowan had once shown him the letter where Yu Funing had arranged to meet with him at the west side of the imperial city, so this was definitely the reply Yao Mowan had written in his handwriting. Ye Junqing just never imagined that Yu Funing actually kept this letter. It naturally didn''t ur to him that to Yu Funing, this letter was now her everything. Every night before she went to sleep, she''d read it countless times. "This prince did write this letter." Ye Junqing rashly decided to take all of this upon herself. He only knew that if he didn''t admit to it, Yu Funing would definitely try to get to the very bottom of it and if she found out it had been Yao Mowan''s doing, things would blow up. However, Ye Junqing never imagined that things would end up really blowing up because of his admission! __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 51
Chapter 51: It Had Been Her Wishful Thinking "Prince, you wrote this? Then Funing would like to ask, why didn''t you keep to your word? Funing had waited for so long, why didn''t you appear? Why?" When Yu Funing heard Ye Junqing''s admission, her tears poured down like a broken string of pearls. "It was a moment of foolishness¡­" Ye Junqing really didn''t know what to say and looked towards Yu Funing awkwardly. "A moment of foolishness? Prince, do you realize that your one moment of foolishness has ruined Funing''s entire life¡­ As of now, even while living on foreign soil, Funing still must face each day with fear and trepidation in worry that Funing will be recognized. It''s like the life of the mice that hide in the darkness, unable to see the light of day¡­ However, these things aren''t important. What''s important is where has Prince thrown Funing''s true heart? Who do you think Funing washes her face with tears every day for?" Yu Funing stumbled as she backed away until her back hit the wall. She leaned on the wall weakly as tears blurred her vision. Her voice was mournful as the sound of a cuckoo crying blood. "Sorry¡­" Ye Junqing was a little touched as he looked at this woman in front of him. He never imagined that in this world, there was actually someone that loved him this strongly without ever wavering. "What could your apology ever change? What could it exchange for? Ha¡­ Yu Funing will be so bold as to ask, in the end, has Funing ever existed in your heart, Prince?" Yu Funing''s tearful eyes flickered with slight hope and her body trembled slightly as she waited for Ye Junqing''s answer. "This prince¡­ This prince doesn''t deserve Consort Xian''s misced love." Ye Junqing refused to lie on this topic. His heart couldn''t hold any woman besides Yao Moxin. "Ha¡­ Misced love! Yes, Funing has misced her love! Funing has misced¡­" Yu Funing fell weakly against the wall and slid to the ground as tears overflowed. So from start to finish, it had simply been her wishful thinking! Because of her wishful thinking, she lost her title of noble consort and forced her father to flee with her to foreignnds, and what was the result? All she got in return was Ye Junqing''s conclusion of ''misced love''! "Miss!" When Qian Xi who was nearby saw Yu Funing copse, she immediately rushed over to help her up. "Qian Xi, help me back¡­" Yu Funing leaned against Qian Xi weakly in despair. Her eyes were dull as she turned away from Ye Junqing and staggered off. Ye Junqing felt like there was a stone weighing on his chest as he watched Yu Funing walk off. He hadn''t harmed them, but they had been harmed because of him. In the end, he was the one that had dragged Yu Funing down. "Prince, why did you run over here? You sure made it hard for Ben Lei to find you!" Just as Yu Funing disappeared into the crowd, Ben Lei ran over while gasping for breath. "Stop acting. Don''t tell Yao Mowan about what happened just now, otherwise this prince will make you pay!" Ye Junqing didn''t empathize at all and just warned him coldly. When Ben Lei heard, he felt cold sweat. In reality, although he had been led away by Fei Luan, he soon noticed that something was off and had turned back. Although he had missed the more interesting parts, he had seen Yu Funing. Once Ye Junqing and Ben Lei left, the person in the gorgeous purple attire stepped out of the shadows. "Junxiu, go investigate that woman." Under the sunlight, that gorgeous purple garment emitted a faint light, making Chu Mobei''s handsome face glow as if it was under the light of the moon. Meanwhile, when Ye Junqing and Ben Lei got back to the residence, it was right in time to hear Yao Mowan yelling inside the room in anger. "This bullying is intolerable! Isn''t it just that they have some stinkin'' money!? What''s so amazing about that!? They actually dare to smash money in front of this daddy!? They should open their eyes and take a good look at who this daddy is!?" shouted Yao Mowan furiously as she stomped on the ount books that the Elements had just gotten from the counties surrounding Mangyuan. "What''s going on?" Ben Lei timidly walked over to Feng Lin and asked this in a small voice. "All the things that we''ve bought at a low cost from Thousand Paths are now useless. Thousand Paths actually opened stores in all the nearby counties and their prices only get lower," exined Feng Lin quietly. "Just because this tiger isn''t showing her power, they think this daddy is a sick cat!? Ben Lei, start adjusting the prices over the next few days. Everything much be ten percent cheaper than Thousand Paths''s!" Yao Mowan pped the desk as she gave this instruction sternly. "Ten percent? Master, even if it''s reasonably priced, we''d still lose a lot. Furthermore¡­ If things go on like this, we wouldn''t be able to hold out for three months¡­" Ben Lei didn''t dare to get close to Yao Mowan in fear that he''d be sent flying by a p. "Isn''t it just money!? Just do as this empress says! This empress naturally has a way to deal with the money! They dare to fight against this daddy!? Then this daddy will beat them until not even their parents will be able to recognize them!" Yao Mowan clenched her delicate fists so hard that they cracked audibly. For the sake of preventing further damage from spreading, Ben Lei immediately withdrew from the room and the Elements quickly followed him. Almost instantly, the only ones left in the room were Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing. "It seems pretty serious¡­ How about¡­ This prince sells the esteemed prince''s residence?" Ye Junqing rarely saw Yao Mowan this angry. It was clear that this incident had already touched her bottom line. Yao Mowan was breathing deeply to make herself calm down before looking towards Ye Junqing. "Yes, that''s a good idea!" Ye Junqing immediately regretted. He swore that he had only brought it up symbolically in order to make Yao Mowan feel a bit better. "Ahem¡­ Far off waters cannot quench the current thirst, and this prince''s residence won''t sell for much anyways. We should try toe up with a different idea." After spending this much time with Yao Mowan, Ye Junqing had honed his skill of contradicting his own words to the point it could evenpare to Yao Mowan''s skill. "It is a little too far-fetched to help, but that''s fine. Mowan will remember this. Just make sure not to forget about giving the esteemed prince''s residence deed to Mowan once we get back." Yao Mowan wasn''t someone that could be confused that easily. Ye Junqing was speechless. He had no choice but to ept these consequences since there was no way he''d want to provoke this pestilence demon in this kind of situation. As of now, Yao Mowan had already walked to the table. She got a brush and paper, then started writing furiously. Ye Junqing walked over curiously and nced at what she was writing. "Do you think that King Lon would help you with this?" asked Ye Junqing. Yao Mowan just smiled confidently. When Ye Junqing saw that Yao Mowan seemed pretty confident, his heart also calmed down. With King Lon''s support, Yao Mowan naturally had nothing to fear. Every time that Thousand Paths adjusted their prices, she would have her prices adjusted until they were ten percent lower than Thousand Paths''s without hesitation. With this, the prices of all the items in Mangyuan were dropping rapidly until the citizens of Mangyuan were now able to buy a year''s worth of grains for the normal price of a pair of chopsticks. This situation persisted for about ten days until finally someone couldn''t take it anymore. When Yao Mowan got the news that King Lon had already arrived at Mangyuan, she was stunned. "Master, why would King Lone here? It couldn''t be that he''s changed his mind?" Ben Lei looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly. They''ve already gone this far inpeting with Thousand Paths, if they lose now, it would be a devastating defeat. "Where is King Lon right now?" Yao Mowan didn''t think that this would be the case. The grand King Lon wouldn''t personally make a trip just for this bit of money. "This subordinate looked into it. King Lon has purchased the entirety of Mncholic Spring Courtyard," replied Ben Lei. "Mncholic Spring Courtyard? Did no one tell him that Mncholic Spring Courtyard is a brothel?" Yao Mowan was taken aback. "King Lon seemed to have decided to have stayed there because the sunshine princess liked Mncholic Spring Courtyard''s decor," replied Ben Lei. "So it''s like that¡­ Who would''ve thought that Kubu Zheer also came? Prepare the pnquin, we''re heading to Mncholic Spring Courtyard!" Yao Mowan had just spoken when Uncle Tian rush in. "Miss, someone just sent an invitation." Ben Lei epted the pink invitation letter from Uncle Tian, then passed it to Yao Mowan. "So it''s Kubu Zheer''s fourteenth birthday? No wonder King Lon would make such great fanfare." Yao Mowan pressed her lips together slightly, then sighed. Originally she was worried that King Lon would be unhappy with the way she was throwing gold like it was dirt, but from the looks of things now, she had been worrying for nothing. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 52
Chapter 52: Three Person Interview That night, Yao Mowan only stepped out of her room after dressing herself up exquisitely. As of now, Ye Junqing had already been waiting in the main hall for four hours. However, when he saw Yao Mowan''s outfit, he swallowed back all of hisints. He was stunned by the sight of Yao Mowan. Just one nce caused him to be utterly capitvated. It wasn''t as if he hadn''t seen her dress up before, but even the outfit that she had worn to the empress coronation paled inparison to this. The colorful faint pink dress had a circr cor that extended downwards, revealing her elegant neck and distinct corbones. Paired with a deep violet silk shawl, it made her skin glimmer like luxurious wless white jade. The hems of the purple pleated skirt were embroidered with rainbow butterflies which had their wings spread, seeming about to fly off. As the wind swept past, the butterflies seemed to dance. The aesthetics were extremely beautiful and the touch of cosmetics emphasized her beauty. Her brows were like strokes painting the outline of distant mountains, her eyes were like the moon reflected in ake, and her slightly hooked vermilion lips seemed to contain a mysterious charm that caused a person''s heart to ripple uncontrobly. Her earrings made of bloodstone swayed slightly, emitting red light. Her silk-like hair had been pulled up into a flying fairy hairstyle, and a single jasper hairpin was inserted into her hair. Its slender silver tassels of pearls draped down in a gorgeous and magnificent sight. Just as Ye Junqing''s gaze move upwards, his expression suddenly stiffened, because he saw that the immortal phoenix tail hairpin was impressively inserted into Yao Mowan''s hair. It was dazzling brightly, like a great eyesore. "Prince, don''t you think my master is really pretty tonight?" asked Ting Yue with a smile when she saw that Ye Junqing couldn''t peel his eyes away. "Noment on looks, but the attire is extremely poor!" Ye Junqing gave a cold humph, then stepped out of the main hall. Outside, Ben Lei had already finished preparing the pnquin. When Ting Yue saw Ye Junqing leave angrily, she looked towards her master with a disappointed and wronged expression. "Your Imperial Highness, sorry¡­" "What does he know? It''s fine as long as this empress likes it. Let''s go, we shouldn''t make King Lon wait." Yao Mowan naturally knew what Ye Junqing was pointing to, so she didn''t bother to bicker with him. Her heart actually felt warm and happy. After about an hour, two pnquins stopped in the most flourishing part of Mangyuan. As Yao Mowan looked towards Mncholic Spring Courtyard, she couldn''t help but sigh in admiration. It wasn''t inferior in any respect to the Harmony Pleasure Quarters of the capital. The outer wall of Mncholic Spring Courtyard was painted crimson and embedded with several hundred rainbow-colored ss. Rednterns were hung on both sides and the silk draped from windows sway lightly in the breeze, adding a gentle charm to this vivid beauty. As of now, a Lon maid had alreadye to greet Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing. The two didn''t speak and just allowed the maid to lead them into Mncholic Spring Courtyard. "Big Sister Mowan! Zheer missed you so much!" Yao Mowan had just stepped into the lobby when Kubu Zheer ran over and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. Yao Mowan nced down at the girl in her arms with a faint smile. Her cheeks were tender and fair and her eyshes slightly curled. She seemed to have gotten a little taller than before, and her body seemed stronger as well. "Big Sister also missed Zheer." Yao Mowan stroked Kubu Zheer''s long hair affectionately, her heart filled with warmth. "Junqing salutes King Lon." When Ye Junqing saw Kubu Dan walk in, he immediately saluted him respectfully. "This old one is happy that Esteemed Prince was able toe. In reality, this old one has always admired Prince, it''s just a shame¡­" King Lon''s voice faded off, but Ye Junqing didn''t ask any further and just allowed the maid to lead him to a seat. In any case, things that followed after it''s just a shame wasn''t anything good, so there was no point hearing it, was what Ye Junqing was thinking. At the side, Yao Mowan took in King Lon''s expression of great pity and her lips curved slightly. "Who would''ve thought that after parting for just a while, Noble Consort Yao has already be empress? Congrattions!" King Lon turned towards Yao Mowan, his voice gentle as always. "To Mowan, the seat of empress is meaningless. It''s the business in Mangyuan that''s the most important. If King Lon could help Mowan through this difficult time, Mowan would be extremely grateful." Yao Mowan kept one arm on Kubu Zheer''s hand as she curtsied slightly with a sincere expression. "Not at all. It''s rare for Zheer to find such a good friend. The fact that this old one can help you is an honor. It''s just¡­" Before Kubu Dan could finish his words, a distinguished calm voice leisurely came from behind Yao Mowan. "Mobei kowtows in salute to to King Lon." Upon hearing this voice, Yao Mowan felt a chill down her back, then her back became covered with cold sweat. Although she knew that she''d have to face Chu Mobei sooner orter, she hadn''t expected this day toe so soon. Back then, she had fallen into Chu Mobei''s traps so many times and often suffered double losses. The only good thing was that Chu Mobei wasn''t able to get much free advantages from her. But whenever she recalled those days of racking her brains toe up with strategies, she''d feel a headache. It was so bad that she almost believed that she must''ve stolen his child and jumped into a well with the child herst lifetime, that was why Chu Mobei kept refusing to let her off. "Yao Mowan! You came too!?" Yao Mowan finally snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Chu Moxin''s voice. She slowly turned and saw that Chu Mobei was in a purple robe that made him look as if he had descended magnificently on the wind. However, Yao Mowan only saw a ferocious-looking demon that was eerily floating over, it made her instinctively want to run. "Why''s it you? The ghost sure refuses to depart!" said Kubu Zheer in an annoyed tone when she saw Chu Mobei. She wrapped her arms around Yao Mowan even more tightly. "Do you think this prince had wanted toe? Look, this prince''s name is on the invitation! It was you guys that invited this prince!" refuted Chu Moxin. As the two kids bickered, Chu Mobei had already walked to Yao Mowan. "Mobei is honored to have the chance to meet Yao Manifest Trade''s proprietor." The melodious voice arose unhurriedly. Chu Mobei narrowed his eyes slightly, causing his phoenix eyes to lift at the ends. His good-looking thin lips hooked a suitable amount as he smiled charmingly towards Yao Mowan. "If Mowan had known from the start that Thousand Paths''s proprietor was the crown prince of Shu, Mowan definitely would''ve enacted a strategic withdrawal. What a shame." Yao Mowan lifted her brows. Her voice was humble but also contained a severe coldness. Although Yao Mowan didn''t like interacting with Chu Mobei, it didn''t mean that she was scared of him. "Ahem, Guests, please take your seats." Kubu Dan could sense the smell of explosives in the air, so he quickly tried to mediate. At the banquet, Yao Mowan finally found out how Chu Mobei had such robust wealth as to openly confront her. Who would''ve thought that he had gone to look for King Lon way earlier? That was why he had been so confident. As of now, her money was alsoing from Kubu Dan, so the current situation was quite awkward. "The reason this old one hase to Mangyuan, one is because Zheer''s fourteen''s birthday ising up soon. This old one wanted to bring her to take a walk around and see some old friends. The other¡­ This old one also knows a little about Mangyuan''s matters. In reality, this old one really doesn''tck money. A couple dozen million in gold is nothing. If you two weren''t fighting against each other, this old one definitely would support it and would''ve supported to the end. "However, this kind of situation is clearly like this old one is using his right hand to hit his own left hand. Regardless of whether it''s based on reason or emotion, it really doesn''t make sense." Kubu Dan straightforwardly put the difficult situation on the table. His voice was a bit helpless. "It was Mowan''s negligence. If Mowan had known from the start that it was King Lon supporting Thousand Paths, Mowan wouldn''t have made things hard for King Lon. However, the ignorant can''t be med, so Mowan hopes that King Lon won''t take offense at Mowan''s rudeness," said Yao Mowan humbly while deliberately shooting a nce at Chu Mobei. "Mobei had also been negligent. Mobei should''ve guessed that the only one in this world that couldpete in wealth with King Lon could only be King Lon himself." As Chu Mobei spoke, he looked towards Yao Mowan. When their eyes met, sparks seemed to fly. Kubu Dan didn''t mind their words. He was well aware that they were just shooting stabs at each other. However, when he saw that Kubu Zheer and Chu Moxin were jabbing at each other nonstop, his brows finally furrowed slightly. Even if this was the person he had chosen, he still had to get his daughter''s approval. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 53
Chapter 53: Pull out the Store from Mangyuan "Zheer, today''s your birthday, so Big Sister brought you a present. Big Sister doesn''t know if you''ll like it though." Yao Mowan''s eyes were starting to hurt from glowering at Chu Mobei, so she decided to turn away and look towards Kubu Zheer instead. "If it''s a present from Big Sister, Zheer will definitely like it!" Kubu Zheer who was in the middle of an intense argument with Chu Moxin immediately turned around upon hearing this. A sunflower-like smile lit up her delicate little face, causing all the depression in Yao Mowan''s heart to be instantly swept away. Yao Mowan took off her immortal phoenix tail hairpin and gently inserted it into Kubu Zheer''s hair. "If this old one saw correctly, this hairpin is the immortal phoenix tail hairpin? This old one had been wanting to find this hairpin as a present for Zheer, but unfortunately hadn''t been able to find it. So it turns out that it was in your hands! Zheer, hurry and thank your Big Sister Mowan. It''s said that whoever puts on this hairpin will definitely find their ideal husband!" Kubu Dan knew treasures well so he was naturally able to recognize the immortal phoenix tail hairpin with one nce. "Imperial Father, how can you make fun of me like this? Who wants to find an ideal husband? But Zheer still likes Big Sister Mowan''s gift!" Kubu Zheer''s cheeks were red as she bashfully turned her head aside. At the side, Ye Junqing was shocked by Yao Mowan''s move. He never imagined that Yao Mowan could bear to gift the present Feng Yihan had given her to someone else. "If Feng Yihan found out that you were worshipping Buddha with borrowed flowers, he''d probably be deeply hurt." Ye Junqing voiced his disapproval, but inwardly he was pretty happy. "Kubu Dan seemed to have said to you that it was a shame. Prince, do you know what he meant?" Yao Mowan tilted her chair slightly to lean towards Ye Junqing and ask this quietly. "I''m not interested!" Ye Junqing knew that whatever Yao Mowan was about to say, it wasn''t anything good, so he immediately interrupted her. "Even if you''re not interested, Mowan is still going to tell you. When King Lon said that it''s a shame, he meant that it''s a shame you''re too old!" Yao Mowan''s lips were hooked in a faint smile as she looked towards Ye Junqing teasingly. "This prince is old? This prince is plenty young!" Ye Junqing glowered at Yao Mowan as he refuted this in a low voice. What military leaders feared the most was to be called old. "No matter how young you are, can you possibly be younger than Chu Moxin?" Yao Mowan deliberately turned to look towards Chu Moxin. When she saw his clear and untainted eyes, it felt like entering a cold spring in the heat of midsummer, it was a very refreshing andfortable feeling. "What do you mean?" Ye Junqing followed Yao Mowan''s gaze and looked towards Chu Moxin, then he immediately felt inferior. The youths were growing into heroes. Perhaps he really wasn''t young anymore. "Did Prince think about why King Lon had done all he could to help Chu Mobei?" whispered Yao Mowan. "Because he''s saved Kubu Zheer''s life before." That was what Ye Junqing thought. "Chu Mobei had already gottenpensation for that time. A thousand and five hundred gold mines is no small sum." Yao Mowan shook her head. "Then why?" Ye Junqing furrowed his brows. He suddenly really wanted to know where the intelligence he had been so proud of in the past had gone. The more he interacted with Yao Mowan, the more he found that he wasn''t as smart as he used to be. "Because the present that Chu Mobei had gifted Kubu Zheer is much more precious than Mowan''s immortal phoenix tail hairpin." Yao Mowan couldn''t help but sigh. "Really? But this prince didn''t see it!" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion. "Prince can''t see such a big person sitting there?" Yao Mowan turned to look towards Ye Junqing and wave her hand in front of his eyes. Then she added, "You''re not blind though?" Ye Junqing was infuriated into silence. Just as Yao Mowan lifted her eyes again, she found that Chu Mobei''s stern gaze was currently fixed on her. When he saw Yao Mowan look up, he calmly lifted his cup with a slightly demonic smile. Yao Mowan hesitated for a brief moment, then smiled slightly in response. Perhaps they were the only ones who could sense how cold each other''s smiles were. After the banquet, Kubu Zheer couldn''t bear to part with Yao Mowan and insisted that Yao Mowan stayed. Kubu Dan had to persuade her for a good while before she finally let go. At this time, Chu Moxin was currently pulling at Huangfu Junxiu''s arm, refusing to stay for the life of him. "Little Prince, this is His Highness the crown prince''s order. You heard it earlier as well. This subject really cannot allow you to leave!" Huangfu Junxiu seriously couldn''t deal with Chu Moxin''s boorish behavior. "This prince doesn''t care, this prince doesn''t want to stay here, so bring this prince away from here!" Chu Moxin refused to let up. In the end, Huangfu Junxiu whispered something to Chu Moxin and Chu Moxin finally agreed to stay reluctantly. After leaving Mncholic Spring Courtyard, for once Yao Mowan didn''t ride in the pnquin and walked with Ye Junqing back to the Yao residence. "This prince feels like you pay particr attention to Chu Mobei." In reality, every time Yao Mowan and Chu Mobei''s gazes had met during the banquet, Ye Junqing had also looked over, but the two were too focused on each other so they didn''t notice him. "He''s indeed worthy of Mowan''s particr attention." Yao Mowan was thinking over things, so she missed the trace of darkness that shed through the depths of Ye Junqing''s eyes. "In reality, Chu Moxin and Kubu Zheer both dislike each other, so they really shouldn''t be forced together." After Yao Mowan''s hint, Ye Junqing finally realized what King Lon had meant by it was a shame. However, he was truly not qualified to be King Lon''s son-inw. "Didn''t we also both disliked each other at the start? Anything is possible." Yao Mowan finally snapped out of her thoughts and she looked towards Ye Junqing with a teasing smile. "What do you mean by we both disliked each other? You were clearly the one that found this prince an eyesore," replied Ye Junqing indignantly. "In this world, there''s no one who finds you more pleasing to the eye than Mowan!" Yao Mowan sighed softly, then crossed her arms behind her head as she strode forward. Haa, if it wasn''t that she found him pleasing to the eye, there was no way she''d plot out a way for him to obtain the nation. It was just a pity that to Ye Junqing, these words clearly sounded like she was speaking in opposites. To Yao Mowan''s surprise, in the next couple days, Thousand Paths disappeared from Mangyuan at the speed of light. It was almost as if it had never appeared. Yao Mowan was confused by this move. Even without King Lon''s support, Chu Mobei could easilypete with her. After all, Mangyuan was a very fertilend. Everyone wanted a piece of it. There was no reason for Thousand Paths to withdraw! Baili residence''s study. "Reporting, Your Highness Crown Prince, as of yesterday, all of Thousand Paths'' stores have withdrawn from Mangyuan and the surrounding counties. All of the goods have already been transported back to Shu." Baili Haoran carried the stack of ount books that was almost half the height of a person to Chu Mobei. "Well done." Chu Mobei''s eyes contained a faint smile as he said this, but the aura he gave off was so cold it made people shiver. "Forgive this subject for saying so, but Haoran really doesn''t understand why you''re suddenly having all the stores withdraw. As of now, Yao Manifest Trade also won''t be able to get any outside help. Even if we mustpete fairly, our annual ie from Mangyuan would be at least a couple million gold taels." Baili Haoran was very confused. "What this crown prince wants to get in exchange is precisely this question of yours. Yao Mowan is definitely also considering this question right now." Chu Mobei leaned back against his chairnguidly while toying with the jade pendant tied to his waist belt. The smile at the corners of his lips deepened. "This subject still doesn''t understand." Baili Haoran''s brows were tightly furrowed and he reflexively shook his head. "You''ve seen Yao Moxin before. What do you think about her?" An unreadable emotion shed through those demonically charming eyes. Chu Mobei felt heartache. It was only a little bit, but that bit of heartache seemed to be crazedly spreading like vines, rapidly wrapping around his heart. It was like a drop of ink that spilled into a pond and dyed the entire expanse. "That woman''s already dead," replied Baili Haoran naively. When he saw the dark gaze Chu Mobei sent over, he instantly snapped out of it. "It''s no exaggeration to say that Yao Moxin can fight off an entire army! Based on this subject''s understanding, if it weren''t for Yao Moxin, there was no way Ye Hongyi would''ve been able to survive the five dragons struggle and ascend to the dragon throne. That woman isn''t simple. It''s a shame that she''s passed away, otherwise great Chu''s current strength would definitely be greater than our great Shu''s!" Baili Haoran urately analyzed Yao Moxin''s abilities. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 54
Chapter 54: Get Rid of Yao Mowan? "That''s right, she has passed away¡­ But now a Yao Mowan has appeared in great Chu. After learning that past lesson, how could this crown prince allow Yao Mowan to grow stronger?" As of now, it felt like sharp knives were cutting through his chest. He regretted. From the start, he shouldn''t have allowed Yao Moxin to return to great Chu! He hated Ye Hongyi. That man was loved by such a brilliant woman, yet he didn''t even know to treasure her! He was also vexed with Yao Moxin. Wasn''t she supposed to be very smart? How did she end up dying just like that? Get back up to continue fighting with him! "What Your Highness means is¡­ to get rid of Yao Mowan?" asked Baili Haoran in sudden realization. "That''s right, Yao Mowan can''t be allowed to live." Chu Mobei sighed, then coldness shed through his sharp eyes. Sorry, Moxin, but this crown prince doesn''t wish to take the risk. "But this subject still doesn''t understand. What does this have to do with having Thousand Paths withdraw?" Baili Haoran scratched at his head. "After Thousand Paths withdraws, this crown prince no longer has any reasons to stay in Mangyuan. That way, when something happens to Yao Mowan, no one can me it on great Shu," exined Chu Mobei in a rare show of patience. "Other than King Lon, there''s no one else that knows that you''re the proprietor of Thousand Paths?" Baili Haoran furrowed his brows with a confused expression. "That''s why the person this crown prince is on guard against is King Lon!" Chu Mobei endured the impulse to just rush up and beat Baili Haoran up as he said this sternly. Even Chu Mobei who has always had a calm personality couldn''t stay calm upon facing such consecutive stupid questions. "This subject understands¡­" Life was more important, so Baili Haoran didn''t dare to make any more objections. "Aside from this, the reason this crown prince is doing this is also to make Yao Mowan confused just like you are right now! At that time, when she receives this crown prince''s invitation, do you think she''d reject it? As for money, once Moxin married Kubu Zheer, would great Shu have need to worry about money?" Chu Mobei finally revealed the truth. "But this subject feels that the little prince might not marry the sunshine princess¡­" replied Baili Haoran without fear of dying. "Things like feelings can be nurtured." Chu Mobei was also quite annoyed by this. He felt that Kubu Zheer was a captivating beauty, to the point that she could be said to be peerless in her generation, so why did his younger brother not feel anything for her? Just as Chu Mobei had predicted, when Yao Mowan got Chu Mobei''s invitation, she only hesitated for a brief moment before deciding to head to the banquet. "Master, this Luminous Moon Ravine is a gap in the defenses of Mangyuan and bandits often appear there. Ben Lei believes that Chu Mobei definitely harbors sinister motives in setting the location here. No matter what, you can''t go there alone!" After reading the invitation Yao Mowan passed over, Ben Lei hastily tried to dissuade her. "This empress believes that he won''t attack this quickly, and this empress is also very curious why he suddenly had all of Thousand Paths'' stores withdraw. Perhaps¡­ Perhaps he''s deliberately expressing goodwill. If that''s the case, this empress would like to talk to him about a deal. "A hard to read light shed through Yao Mowan''s eyes. Based on her past understanding of Chu Mobei, she really shouldn''t make this trip. However, she didn''t want to lose this change to meet with Chu Mobei. As of now, the time was right for Ye Junqing to overthrow the current dynasty. If they had the support of great Shu, it''d be half the work and twice the effect! "But¡­" Ben Lei still wanted to dissuade her, but Yao Mowan cut him off. "Listen up, you''re not to let anyone know about this, especially Ye Junqing! If this empress sees anyone in Luminous Moon Gorge that shouldn''t be there, this empress will definitely personally rip your mouth off!" As Yao Mowan spoke, she leisurely got up and walked out of the main hall with Ting Yue. It was a very mentally exhausting matter to negotiate with Chu Mobei. There was still six hours until six, so she needed to think about things carefully. Tears whirled in Ben Lei''s eyes as he watched Yao Mowan''s figure fade from his sight. Even if Yao Mowan didn''t say it, he could still guess what kind of deal she wanted to talk about with Chu Mobei. For the prince, Yao Mowan was already doing everything she could. This favor that he owed was deeply engraved in his heart. "Don''t worry, with Yin Xue present, there''s no way anything would happen to Master," said Yu Er as she walked in. "You heard?" Ben Lei wiped at his tears, then cleared his throat awkwardly. "Don''t forget, Yu Er''s also a hidden guard. There was ady at the door just now that wanted to see the esteemed prince and she said to hand this item along with this letter to the prince." As Yu Er spoke, she handed the hairpin and the letter over. "A woman''s hairpin?" Ben Lei''s face was filled with questions as he took the hairpin. "Actually, there''s one thing that Yu Er doesn''t know if she should say, but both of us have seen all that Master had done for the esteemed prince. If the esteemed prince lets down Master¡­ You used to be the prince''s trusted aid. There are some things that it''s better for you to say." Yu Er nced meaningfully at the hairpin, then turned and left. Ben Lei naturally understood what Yu Er meant, but he also knew that the prince wouldn''t have any other women, because the only one in the prince''s heart was Yao Moxin. However, as he looked at the hairpin, he still hesitated. It was only when it was almost six that Ben Lei handed the hairpin and letter to Ye Junqing. At this time, Yao Mowan had already left the Yao residence to head towards Luminous Moon Ravine. Even in the depths of night, Mangyuan''s main street was still bustling. Vendor stands were lit withnterns on both sides of the street so from a distance away, it looked as if there were two resting dragons, it was a spectacr sight. Inside the pnquin, Yao Mowan seemed to suddenly have thought of something and she lifted the carriage curtain. "Ting Yue, make a trip to Mncholic Spring Courtyard and see if Chu Moxin''s there? If¡­ If he is¡­ Tell him that this empress has gone to Luminous Moon Ravine." It had been very hard for Yao Mowan to make this decision, so the moment Ting Yue left, she immediately regretted it. "Yin Xue!" Yao Mowan quickly summoned Yin Xue. "Yes!" "Call Ting Yue back!" said Yao Mowan without hesitation. Regardless of whether what came next was a blessing or a cmity, she still shouldn''t have considered using Chu Moxin. That child loved her like she was his mother. Even in the bustling street, not a single person noticed Yin Xue''s presence when she arrived, nor when she left. Just as Yin Xue found traces of Ting Yue, she was suddenly stopped by someone. "Move aside!" Yin Xue''s voice was cold as ice as she looked at the person in front of her. "You probably recognize this item. He''s at Phoenix Mountain. Whether you go or not is your decision." The person didn''t attack and simply threw a whip in front of Yin Xue. Yin Xue''s eyes dted when she saw this whip. It only took a nce for her to realize that this dragon beard whip was the one that Father had passed on to Yin Xiong before he died. Yin Xiong never went anywhere without it. "Did something happen to my brother?" Yin Xue picked up the whip as worry flooded her heart. However, when she lifted her eyes again, the person was already gone. At this moment, Yin Xue hesitated. Go? But she still had a task to carry out. Don''t go? If he hadn''t encountered extreme danger, there was no way this whip would appear here! Yin Xue struggled for a brief moment, then turned to run towards Phoenix Mountain. This was the first time she had every neglected her duties since she had be a hidden guard. Yao Mowan hadn''t shown up during the entire course of dinner. Just as Ye Junqing was about to ask about her, he saw Ben Lei walk in. "Have you seen Yao Mowan? No matter how busy she is, she still shouldn''t skip meals!" grumbled Ye Junqing. "Actually¡­" Ben Lei hesitated. Perhaps he should tell the prince about where Yao Mowan had gone. After all, Luminous Moon Ravine was too dangerous. If Chu Mobei was nning to use some dirty trick, the consequences would be too terrible to imagine. Just as Ben Lei had resolved himself, Ye Junqing abruptly got up and seized the hairpin from his hand. "Where did you get this?" Ye Junqing''s gaze was extremely cold and his voice was trembling. "Replying Prince, a woman came to the residence this afternoon to look for you and said to hand these two items to you. At that time you weren''t here, so Ben Lei epted them instead." As Ben Lei spoke, he handed the letter he was holding to Ye Junqing. ''If you wish to know how Yao Moxin died,e to Jade Heart Pavilion at seven. Beingte is not eptable£­Yu Funing.'' As Ye Junqing looked at this letter, he felt like his heart was being gnawed on by a poisonous snake, waves of piercing pain came crashing into his heart. Although he did believe that Yao Suluan was the one that caused Yao Moxin''s death, he still wanted to get confirmation from another person''s mouth. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 55
Chapter 55: Meeting with Chu Mobei "Prince, there something that Ben Lei doesn''t wish to say, but it''s rted to Master''s safety. In reality, Master isn''t in the residence right now, she''s heading to Luminous Moon Ravine to meet with Chu Mobei. Luminous Moon Ravine is a stronghold for bandits. Chu Mobei definitely isn''t up to anything good luring Master there, so¡­" Before Ben Lei even finished his words, Ye Junqing had already lifted him by his cor. "Tell me, where is Jade Heart Pavilion!?" It was already past six. If he didn''t go now, he wouldn''t make it. "Prince, Master she¡­" Ben Lei was getting a little impatient now. This news was also something extremely urgent! "Answer me!" shouted Ye Junqing once again, his eyes bloodshot. "It''s east of the Jade Lake¡­ Prince, Ben Lei is worried about Master! The bandits of Luminous Moon Ravine only recognize money! If¡­" Before Ben Lei could even finish his words, Ye Junqing had already stormed out of the main hall to head towards Jade Heart Pavilion. As Ben Lei looked at Ye Junqing''s leaving figure, he was a bit disappointed. He couldn''t understand. Could it be that the prince couldn''t understand who was more important in this kind of situation? The sounds of the bustling street gradually disappeared and the surroundings fell deathly silent. Yao Mowan asionally lifted the curtain, but she still didn''t see Ting Yue. She called a couple times, but Yin Xue didn''t appear. In this moment, she faintly sensed danger. "Stop the pnquin!" cried Yao Mowan. There was a faint drawn-out echo of her voice, which made her feel even more uneasy. The pnquin was set down and Yao Mowan forced herself to calmly lift the curtain and walk out. However, when she saw that there was no one around, her heart immediately dropped. It had only been a few seconds, but her four pnquin carriers seems to have vanished from the surface of the earth without a trace. "Yin Xue?" Yao Mowan swallowed hard, then called out softly. However, there was no sound aside from that of her own echo. The surroundings were so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping could be heard. Yao Mowan couldn''t be bothered to look into things and immediately turned to run back on the road she hade on, but then she found the pnquin had stopped on the crossroads. Every path seemed the same, and the pnquin''s position was near the southeast, which wasn''t pointed towards any path. May the Heavens protect! Yao Mowan decided to simply run towards the wider road on the left. There was no need for doubt, she had fallen into Chu Mobei''s trap! As of now, she had already called out each one of Chu Mobei''s eighteen generations of ancestors to give her personalized greetings. In Mncholic Spring Courtyard, Chu Moxin was currently ring at Kubu Zheer who was blocking his way. "Move aside!" If it weren''t for the fact that the person blocking him was a woman, Chu Moxin would''ve already rushed up and beaten the person until even his parents wouldn''t be able to recognize him. "I won''t! Unless you take me to Luminous Moon Ravine to find Big Sister Mowan!" Kubu Zheer''s arms were spread to block the door. "You walk so slowly. Who''d wait for you!?" Chu Moxin lifted his head and looked at Kubu Zheer as he said this disagreeing. "We can ride in a carriage! Who says we have to walk?" suggested Kubu Zheer. "Your reincarnation of the god of wealth of a dad had people block all the possible exits. Do you think we''d be able to leave from the front door?" Chu Moxin couldn''t help but shake his head. Was this woman''s brain just full of water? "Then what do we do?" Kubu Zheer furrowed her brows, but she still had no intentions of letting Chu Moxin leave. "Sunshine Princess, how about this? We''lle up with some way to get out and have the little prince go find Her Imperial Highness first. In any case, this servant knows the way, so this servant will head over with Princess slowly, alright?" Ting Yue''s brain had be much sharper after staying with Yao Mowan with for so long. She was well aware of why her master had her tell Chu Moxin about this matter. With Chu Moxin present, even if Chu Mobei wanted to do something to Master, he''d still restrain himself because of Chu Moxin''s presence. "Alright!" Kubu Zheerpromised because as of now, this was the only method that would work. Hence, the three of them tied up all the clothes avable in the room, then tossed the rope down the window before climbing out one by one. The moment Chu Moxin hit the floor, he didn''t wait for Kubu Zheer to climb down and immediately dash into the crowd to head towards Luminous Moon Ravine. "What is he running so fast for? We''re going to find Big Sister Mowan to y, it''s not like we''re rushing to reincarnate!" Kubu Zheer was very annoyed. "Princess, there''s a pnquin over there. Let''s go as well?" Ting Yue pointed towards the pnquin that had stopped by the road. "Alright! Let''s hurry too! Maybe we''ll arrive sooner than that brat!" Kubu Zheer jumped onto the pnquin. Ting Yue smiled bitterly. How could she possibly allow Kubu Zheer to go to Luminous Moon Ravine? She had the pnquin carriers just walk around Mangyuan a little. Jade Lake in the evening was also a beautiful scene. As the breeze swept by, it stirred ripples in the water, causing the moonlight to look like rippling silver on the surface of theke. Inside Jade Heart Pavilion was a beautiful woman, standing, dressed in pure white. "You know how Yao Moxin died?" Ye Junqing didn''t have the heart to enjoy this beautiful scenery nor the sight of the beauty in front of him. All he cared about was the truth of those long-concealed matters. "Funing thought that Prince wouldn''t being¡­" Yu Funing gracefully turned around and looked towards Ye Junqing with her clear eyes. There was an unreadable light in her eyes. "You should be aware of why this prince hase." Ye Junqing didn''t bother to conceal the impatience in his eyes as he said this coldly. "Of course Funing knows. After all, Funing had personally written that letter." Yu Funing smiled coldly, then turned and leaned against the railing. Wind swept over the surface of theke and lifted the hair off her shoulders slightly. In this moment, her thoughts were clearer than ever. "Since this prince is already here, you can start talking!" Ye Junqing strode over to Yu Funing. "How could it be that easy? Prince must tell Funing who it was that took the letter Funing wrote to you back then and threatened Father. Who exactly is the woman called Jing Xin?" After the encounter that day, when Yu Funing got back, she thought about things for a really long time. If Ye Junqing hadn''t admitted to writing that letter, she probably wouldn''t have suspected that Ye Junqing knew that woman called Jing Xin. However, he had admitted to it, so it proved that he was trying to cover for that woman! "This prince doesn''t know what you''re talking about¡­" Ye Junqing was a littlecking in confidence as he said this. He never imagined that Yu Funing would ask this question, so for a moment he didn''t know what to say. "You don''t know? Then let Funing guess. Could it be¡­ Yao Mowan?" Yu Funing spat out the name Yao Mowan through gritted teeth, her gaze fierce. "No!" Ye Junqing denied it without even thinking about it. Yu Funing lifted her brows as she looked towards Ye Junqing, her lips hooked in a cold smile. He denied it almost instantaneously, so it only served as an admission that he was shielding her. "Ahem¡­ What this prince means is that Yao Mowan is just a fool, how could she possibly scheme like that¡­" Ye Junqing felt the urge to just bite off his own tongue. Yu Funing was clearly trying to get information out of him by provoking him, but he actually hadn''t realized it. "A fool? May I ask what fool would be able to be the proprietor of Yao Manifest Trade? What fool would be able to be the empress of a nation? Back then, in the imperial pce, even if Prince hadn''t said it, Funing also would''ve thought that Yao Mowan was a fool, but now, how could Funing possibly believe these words?" Yu Funing looked towards Ye Junqing with a scoff. She was clearly smiling, yet her smile made people feel a bone-touching chill. "Consort Xian, you must be mistaken. The reason we''re staying in the Yao residence is only because of Yao Manifest Trade''s Ben Lei extending an invitation. As for how Yao Mowan became empress, that''s because the emperor greatly loves her. Consort Xian should be aware of this¡­" Ye Junqing did his best to refute. "Ye Junqing! Even at this point, you''re still going to protect that liar? It''s already pitiful enough to be used as a chess piece! Could it be that Funing doesn''t even have the right to know who is the one setting up the board? Because of that one sentence from Yao Mowan, Funing''s entire life has been destroyed! Because of one sentence of misced love from Prince, Funing''s heart was crushed! You two have driven Funing to this point, could it be that you two shouldn''t apologize? That you two shouldn''t pay the price!?" Yu Funing''s attitude abruptly changed and her dark eyes emitted chilling light. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 56
Chapter 56: Chu Moxin''s Rescue "You can me all the past wrongs on Junqing. As for Yao Mowan¡­ she really doesn''t know anything." Ye Junqing didn''t try to exin any further. He truly did feel guilty towards Yu Funing. "Ha, Prince truly is an affectionate person, but you''re truly fickle! Originally Funing still thought that Prince cared that much about Yao Moxin, but who would''ve thought that less than a year after Yao Moxin passed away, Prince would end up getting together with her younger sister?" Yu Funing deliberately ridiculed him. Her eyes were like ice. "Consort Xian, please pay attention to your own status!" How could Ye Junqing possibly tolerate Yu Funing insulting him like this? His voice abruptly turned cold. "Status? Funing really doesn''t know her current status! If it weren''t for Yao Mowan''s schemes, even if Funing had no fate with Prince, Funing would at least still be Consort Xian of great Chu!" Yu Funing hated Yao Mowan to the core. As she spoke, her hands were clenched into fists so tight audible cracking could be heard. "Since Consort Xian has no intention of revealing Moxin''s cause of death, then Junqing shall take his leave." Ye Junqing didn''t want to get involved in a dispute, so he cupped his hands in a salute, then turned to leave. "Yao Moxin had definitely died unwillingly, to be betrayed by the man she loved¡­" Just as Ye Junqing was about to leave Jade Heart Pavilion, Yu Funing said these shocking words. Upon hearing this, Ye Junqing abruptly froze, then turned around, his eyes cold as ice. Moonlight spilled down like delicate gauze. Yao Mowan was gasping for breath as she ran on the small road. The road ahead of her was gradually bing increasingly narrow and the wild grass on both sides were getting increasingly tall. Yao Mowan finally stopped. She pressed one hand against her chest. It seemed that she really had bad luck. This had been the wrong path! Just as Yao Mowan was about to turn around and head back, countless torches suddenly lit up in front of her, illuminating the night. "The road to theher world is easy to enter but hard to leave. Littledy, since you''vee, how could we possibly let you leave?" Yao Mowan looked over in the direction of the voice, only to see a tall and sturdy man with a ferocious countenance walk towards her. In the light of the torch, Yao Mowan could see the three sinister crisscrossing scars thatid like centipedes on his face. It was an intimidating sight. "Was Chu Mobei the one that sent you guys?" Yao Mowan''s heart chilled. Despite all these years, Chu Mobei''s way of handling things was still as ruthless as before. It had been her negligence. She hadn''t been wrong about worrying. There was a must to be careful when interacting with Chu Mobei since the slightest negligence could leave you without even an intact corpse. "This daddy doesn''t know any Chu Mobei or Chu Monan (bei - north, nan - south)! Hand over all your treasures now and perhaps this daddy will let you die more straightforwardly! Otherwise¡­ You can see as well. These fifty brothers of mine haven''t had any meat for a good while!" The scarred man pointed towards the bandits behind him with a darkugh. "So you guys arecking meat? How about this? As long as you guyse with me, I''ll guarantee that you guys have meat for every meal!" Yao Mowan smiled bitterly. It hadn''t been easy for her to get a rebirth. Who would''ve thought she''d die here? "Littledy, you''re sure funny! The meat this daddy is talking about isn''t food!" The scarred man''s words made the bandits behind him burst outughing. "Isn''t it just women? Aren''t thedies in Mncholic Spring Courtyard beautiful? As long as you guyse with me, I''ll guarantee that you guys will have women every day!" Yao Mowan had some understanding of Luminous Moon Ravine''s bandits, so she knew that it was practically impossible to convince them to let her off. The only reason she was talking with them was in hopes that the Heavens would have mercy and send a celestial down to save her. "Hahaha! This littledy sure can boast! Based on what!?" The flesh on the scarred man''s face was trembling with hisughter. "Based on the fact that I''m the proprietor of Yao Manifest Trade!" Yao Mowan introduced herself. In her opinion, as long as these bandits had the slightest bit of brains, they wouldn''t kill her. After all, it would be easy for them to get a couple thousand million from Yao Manifest Trade for ransom. However, Yao Mowan overlooked one thing, which was that when Yao Manifest Trade''s caravans were being looted, she had Yan Nansheng help with the issue. What she didn''t know was that Yan Nansheng had put some serious effort into things andmanded several dozen of his subordinates to head to Mangyuan and kill over half of the bandits in Luminous Moon Ravine. After that, he even warned them not to oppose Yao Manifest Trade. As of now, Yao Mowan had revealed that she was the proprietor of Yao Manifest Trade, so the oue was easily imaginable. "You''re really the proprietor of Yao Manifest Trade?" The scarred man was no longer smiling and his voice was cold as ice. The people behind him also fell silent and looked towards Yao Mowan. "Ah, yes!" Yao Mowan replied extremely straightforwardly. "Truly, traveling far and wide seeking can''tpare toing upon it by peer luck! Brothers! This daddy will get revenge for you all today!" The scarred man suddenly shouted towards the sky and behind him, the other bandits mournfully joined in the shout. For a moment, ''revenge'' was the only word reverberating in the valley. It was so loud that Yao Mowan''s eardrums hurt. "Ahem¡­ If I say that what I said earlier was a lie, would you guys believe?" Although Yao Mowan didn''t know the details, she could tell from their indignant and blood-thirsty expressions that she had said the wrong thing. "Brothers, let''s go! Turn her into mincemeat!" How could the scarred man possibly allow Yao Mowan to exin herself? He immediately grabbed his sword and charged towards Yao Mowan. The fifty or so people behind him also surged forward. Yao Mowan sighed, then closed her eyes. For better or for worse, at least it wasn''t rape first then kill, was what Yao Mowan was thinking. When she felt wind sweep towards her head, she didn''t resist. She just inwardly cursed Chu Mobei another 7749 times. "Ah!" During this moment of imminent peril, a dart hit the back of the scarred man''s hand and the sword that was heading towards Yao Mowan instantly dropped to the ground. The scarred man screamed as he clutched his hand. His expression became even more sinister. "You bunch of audacious thieves! If you dare hurt her, this prince will cut you to pieces!" A familiar voice suddenly arose. Yao Mowan''s eyes abruptly opened to find that Chu Moxin was rapidly running over. With a leap, hended at her side. "Chu Moxin¡­ Are you stupid!? If you saw these many people, why did you still rush out?" The instant Yao Mowan saw Chu Moxin, her heart which had been originally calm due to eptance of death instantly clenched with worry. "Are you alright? I''m rescuing you, you know? It''s enough that you don''t thank me, but you''re even scolding me?" Chu Moxin shot Yao Mowan an unhappy look as he hacked another person down with his sword. "Everyone, attack! Don''t let that witch escape!" shouted the scarred man angrily. The group of bandits instantly flooded forward. Chu Moxin didn''t dare to be careless anymore and quickly moved in front of Yao Mowan while brandishing his sword. "Careful!" Yao Mowan''s eyes filled with tears as she looked at Chu Moxin who was standing protectively in front of her. If something happened to Chu Moxin, she wouldn''t be able to live with herself! The shing of the weapons emitted a mournful sound and the shing of the des blurred Yao Mowan''s gaze. At this instant, Yao Mowan felt a hand abruptly grab her, so tightly that it seemed it would never let go. When she saw that the bandits were falling one by one, she looked towards Chu Moxin in delighted relief. Right at this moment, a de pierced towards Yao Mowan without any prior warning. Before Yao Mowan could even think of dodging, Chu Moxin had turned around and pulled Yao Mowan behind him. The de pierced through Chu Moxin''s right shoulder and blood spurted out like water from a spring. However, Chu Moxin didn''t even knit his brows and simply tightened his grip on Yao Mowan''s hand. "How dare you guys!? Moxin, don''t worry about me anymore, just go! Hurry and go!" Her heart was in so much pain, it was like countless knives were stabbing into it. "As long as I''m here, you don''t need to worry!" Chu Moxin didn''t dare to rx in the slightest. His handsome face now contained determined resolve that it had never contained before. After this round of closebat, there were only three left of the original fifty plus bandits. They looked at Chu Moxin timidly. No one dared to advance. As of now, the blood on Chu Moxin''s shoulder had already soaked through his clothing. At this time, a whistle came from nearby and several dozen torches approached like ghost fire. When they got close, Yao Mowan found that at least another hundred bandits were charging towards them. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
Chapter Volume 3 57
Chapter 57: Give One''s Life for Each Other "Chu Moxin, you''re not a match for them! Hurry and leave! It''s fine if Mowan dies, there''s no need to add on your life! Hurry and go!" Yao Mowan was truly panicking now. She rushed in front of Chu Moxin and shouted at him, tears streaming down her face. "Do all women like to cry so much? They''re nothing! This prince isn''t scared! So stay behind me." The immature voice contained a stubbornness that couldn''t be bulged by even the pulling of ten donkeys. Chu Moxin was smiling, but his eyes were bitingly cold. "This daddy told you to leave! You hear that? Leave¡­" Yao Mowan couldn''t be bothered to argue with him and just reached out to shove Chu Moxin with all her strength, her tears blurring her vision. "You''re so annoying!" Chu Moxin also didn''t care whether Yao Mowan was willing or not. He pulled her behind him, and the bandits charged forward again. A dozen machetes sliced through the air towards Chu Moxin like sinister wild beasts. Chu Moxin didn''t dare to let go of Yao Mowan''s hand since he was worried that she would stupidly run out again, so he forcefully countered the swords with one hand. It took all his strength to block the des. "Ugh¡­" Almost simultaneously, two swords stabbed towards Chu Moxin from the side. Chu Moxin didn''t have time to dodge, so the sword stabbed into his abdomen from the left. The pain was extremely sharp, but all that was on his mind was Yao Mowan''s safety. Just as Chu Moxin cut down the left bandit and turned to check on Yao Mowan, he found that Yao Mowan was currently tightly gripping a de with both hands. Fresh blood spread along Yao Mowan''s palms and fell. The sight was extremely shocking. However, she continued to grip the tip of the sword tightly, refusing to let it touch Chu Moxin''s body. "Are you crazy!? Hurry and let go!" Chu Moxin shouted as he quickly beheaded the bandit that owned this sword. His heart was filled with invoiceable heartache. "Who exactly out of the two of us is crazy? You idiot! How is my life anywhere as valuable as yours!?" Yao Mowan''s tears were falling like rain and her voice was choked with sobs. However, her lips were still hooked in a smile. "It''s just as valuable, so neither of us can die¡­" Moxin has no way to choose not toe into this world, but Moxin can choose who to die for. Chu Moxin didn''t hesitate any longer. He swung the de in his hands like his life depended on it. Several dozen wounds soon appeared on his body, but he wasn''t concerned at all. Meanwhile, behind him, Yao Mowan had picked up a machete and was hacking at everything with her eyes red. She was trying to guard against all the swords that were swinging towards Chu Moxin, but what could she do? When she blocked this one, another one just approached from a different direction. Pain spread from every part of her body, but she paid it no heed. All she wanted to do was protect Chu Moxin, as if the boy standing behind her was Zhong er. At that time, she hadn''t had the power, so right now, she had to use all that she had. "Moxin!" Her back felt cold. As Yao Mowan turned around, it was right in time to see Chu Moxin fall to the ground, his face covered with blood. It was like a mirror image of the cold pce. Back then, Zhong er had also been covered with blood. "No!" As a cold de sliced down once again, Yao Mowan didn''t hesitate any longer. She abruptly threw aside the machete in her hand and threw herself on top of Chu Moxin. "Zhong er. If the path is death¡­ Then let''s walk it together¡­" Yao Mowan pressed her face against Chu Moxin''s face, her lips hooked in a smile filled with blessed happiness. "Imperial Mother¡­ I''m sorry¡­" The sinister sounds by their ears gradually faded. In this moment, all Yao Mowan could hear was the soft cry of the boy beneath her¡­ As that de was about to reach Yao Mowan''s heart, it was cut by in half another de. The bandits hesitated for a brief moment and a moon-like light shed again before disappearing into the darkness of the night. Following that, the night reverberated with ghoul-like wails of pain. These bandits didn''t even know who the attacker was, they didn''t have much time to wonder before their heads fell from their bodies. "Kill everyone here." A cold voice abruptly appeared. Chu Mobei''s face gradually appeared from the darkness. The Three Soul-Reaping Dreams, ranked second in the world of assassination, started moving after receiving Chu Mobei''s order. In front of them, these bandits were like ants. They had no power to resist. "Crown Prince! The little prince is here! And Yao Mowan too¡­" When Huangfu Junxiu saw the two bodies folded over each other, tears filled his eyes. On the ground, Yao Mowan''s entire body was on top of Chu Moxin''s and a long machete was stabbed in her back. Beneath her, Chu Moxin was hugging her tightly with both arms that were covered with wounds. "Crown Prince¡­" Huangfu Junxiu wiped his tears hard. He wanted to speak, but he didn''t dare to. "Have people carry them back. The austere prince must be saved, otherwise they can all die! As for Yao Mowan¡­ Just have them do their best¡­" If it weren''t for the fact that King Lon noticed that Kubu Zheer had disappeared and thought that Chu Moxin had taken her to go find him, Chu Mobei wouldn''t have known that Chu Moxin wasn''t in Mncholic Spring Courtyard. Fortunately, he came in time. Chu Mobei didn''t dare to think any further along these lines. How was he supposed to face Imperial Mother''s departed spirit if something happened to Chu Moxin? "What are you guys still standing there for? Hurry up!" When Huangfu Junxiu saw that Chu Mobei didn''t have the intention to kill Yao Mowan, he immediatelymanded his subordinates to separate them and carry them back to Baili Residence at the fastest speed possible. As Chu Mobei looked at the two stretchers being carried away, he swallowed hard. Yao Mowan, you were definitely the one that tricked Chu Moxin intoing to this dangerous ce. Based on that one de you took in your back, this crown prince will spare your life. However, this crown prince won''t relent again next time. "Kill all the bandits in Luminous Moon Ravine," roared Chu Mobei coldly when Three Soul-Reaping Dreams returned to his side. On Phoenix Mountain, Yin Xue''s face was extremely red and the veins on her forehead seemed about to burst forth. At the most crucial time, Yin Xiong suddenly moved to undo Yin Xue''s acupuncture seal. "Where are you going?" Yin Xiong abruptly grabbed Yin Xue''s arm when he saw that she wanted to leave. "Let go!" The cold voice was like the icicles in the summit of snow mountains, they stabbed fiercely into Yin Xiong''s heart. "Even if you go now, it''s already toote," said Yin Xiong in a pained voice. A trace of guilt shed through the depths of his eyes. As a hidden guard, he naturally felt no guilt. But as an older brother, he truly has wronged this younger sister of his. Pfff! The wind whistled sharply as something cut through the air. Yin Xiong didn''t dodge and took Yin Xue''s full power blow head on. Blood spurted from his mouth, but he showed no intention of rebuking her. "Yin Xue had failed in her duties in not protecting Master. If Master dies, then Yin Xue will naturally follow!" Yin Xue''s eyes were cold as ice as her gaze swept across Yin Xiong''s deathly pale face. Her heart waspletely cold. In the next instant, she had already leaped forth to head towards Luminous Moon Ravine. The wind-like speed used every ounce of skill and power Yin Xue had. As she stood in Luminous Moon Ravine and took in sight of the hundreds of corpses, her blood chilled and her heart dropped. Without hesitation, she started flipping over the corpses crazedly. Tears overflowed like spring water, blurring her vision, chilling her heart. In Jade Heart Pavilion, Ye Junqing was clutching Yu Funing''s neck, his eyes cold. "This prince''s tolerance is limited! Tell me, how did Moxin die?" Yu Funing''s actions had driven Ye Junqing to raise his hand against a woman for the first time. "Ugh¡­ As long as Prince personally tells Funing that the woman called Jing Xin is Yao Mowan, then Funing will tell Prince about the truth behind Yao Moxin''s death!" Yu Funing''s face was red fromck of oxygen. Beneath the moonlight, it was conspicuously sinister, even horrifying. "You! Fine¡­ Fine! Even if you don''t say it, this prince still knows! Yao Suluan had killed Moxin in the cold pce! And Moxin''s child was also smashed to death by Yao Suluan! Right?" Ye Junqing had already lost any trace of patience. "Ha¡­ Was Yao Mowan the one that told you this? You actually believed?" Yu Funing''s lips hooked in a ridiculing smile. That smile contained too much unreadable meanings. "This prince believes!" He had never doubted Yao Mowan''s words. "Alright then! Then Prince, just go ask Yao Mowan why His Majesty wasn''t with the empress in Changle Pce when she was giving birth? Yao Suluan was nothing but a consort, so how did she have the power to bring the mother of the nation to the cold pce? And at that time, where was His Majesty!?" Yu Funing''s eyes were fixated on Ye Junqing. However, the despair and sorrow in her eyes were things that Ye Junqing would never be able to see. __________ Credits: Tranted by Chiyomira [Chiyomira''s Corner] Enjoy~
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