Volume 1 Chapter 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 Xianglan'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 Xianglan 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 palace, 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 Xianglan 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 Xianglan 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 Palace was completely silent without a sound. On the soft couch, the embroidered mattress in Yao Mowan's grip was being clutched so tightly its creases were becoming 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 Palace to get rid of every trace of evidence. If it weren't for fear of rumors, he definitely would have also completely destroyed Changle Palace. 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 placed 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 plague demon.
Yao Mowan gave a sweet shallow laugh. Even without Ting Yue saying it, she could imagine the iceberg face Ye Junqing must have had on last 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 slap herself thirty times. Due to An Bingshan deliberately making things difficult, she had to slap herself twenty additional times. After Big Madam took the punishment, she entered the Imperial Palace. When this servant was coming here, Big Madam had already left Pure Flowers Palace 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 related 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 glance. However, they knew their master must have her own plans 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 Palace, 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 Palace. 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 have come 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 contemplate. 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 Palace 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 brush landed 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 Palace, 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 with lanterns 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 declared 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.
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Credits: Translated 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-slapping scheme, Mowan's always like, now you prepare food for little Junjun. Go!
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