Volume 1 Chapter 40
Chapter 40: The Disasters That Came in Succession
"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! When common 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, the common 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 eyes languidly. 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 Palace. 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 Palace with his hands folded.
Ye Junqing's side profile glowed dimly in the moonlight as if a silver layer 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 had come 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 young ladies. 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 Palace 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 Palace drinking your fill with that love-struck fool!" Ye Junqing gave a cold scoff, yet his gaze didn't move away from Changle Palace 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 Palace. That place 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 explained 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 place." Yao Mowan's expression was sorrowful as she replied. As she gazed at Changle Palace, her eye gradually grew misty. If there was still a part of that place 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 Palace 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-black 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 to come over. However, in the end, Ye Junqing carried Yao Mowan and headed towards Guan Osprey Palace.
Every since she became imperial gui fei, the number of times Ye Hongyi came to Pure Flowers Palace 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 Xianglan 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 Xianglan'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 Xianglan threw herself over. Tears spilled out from her eyes as she wailed like a pig being slaughtered.
"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 accompanied 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 slap 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 slaps 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 Xianglan 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 Xianglan 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 Palace everyday. Even if he doesn't go to there for a couple days, he just goes to chen fei and the other gui feis' places! I won't keep this from Mother, His Majesty hasn't stepped foot inside Daughter's Pure Flowers Palace 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 Palace. 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 Palace, he's becoming 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 Xianglan slapped her thigh as she spoke indignantly.