Volume 1 Chapter 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 blanked 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 relationship 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 incomparable 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 accumulated 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 clan of the Jianghu. For a common person to be fortunate enough to obtain a descendant of the Yin clan 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 clan: 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 Palace with Fluffy.
"What did you say!?" Ye Junqing's voice reverberated in Guan Osprey Palace 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 constellations or the Mandate of Heaven to explain 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 constellations in the sky?" Ting Yue asked curiously, having heard Yao Mowan explain it like that last 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, completely flawless 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 was completely 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 palace and headed towards Pure Flowers Palace.
Inside Pure Flowers Palace, 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 violate 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 become Empress, she was being given the cold shoulder! She seriously could not accept 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 palace is empty so niang niang is the one holding the most authority in the Inner Palace. 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.
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Credits: Translated 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 planning to let you guys know last 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.
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