Chapter 151: Guilt
Mu Xi Yao blinked her dark and shiny eyes and fanned her eyelashes, her little brows frowning. Wei Zhen hurriedly lowered his head. Mistress Yao looked like this, no wonder His Highness couldn't resist her. Fortunately, the Master was not here now, otherwise, he should be thrown a cold eye.
"He Lian-shi can't birth children, and the He Lian family wants to make the plum tree wither in place of the peach tree [1]?" Mu Xi Yao murmured in a low voice, her jade fingers plucking at will the strings. "Tsk, tsk, it's really vicious to spread such a rumour. Could it be that the He Lian family is clashing with Tai Sui [2] this year?" There was a little gloating in her words.
[1] 李代桃僵 Lǐdàitáojiāng. lit. the plum tree wither in place of the peach tree / to substitute one thing for another / to carry the can for sb.
[2] Wikipedia: Tai Sui. "In Taoism, those whose birth sign or other features clash with the Tai Sui of the year will face misfortunes or disturbances for the whole current year. Each year, this applies to people born under four out of the twelve animal zodiac signs".
"To say this, it's the same as ending one's life…" Mu Xi Yao curled her small mouth, unhappy. This fisherman's profit [3] was in front of her but she could only see and not move. She found it unpleasant.
But if she really took this pie that fell from the sky, she might be wronged and end up paying the debt of others. Before, she had planned to borrow somebody's hand to pass a famous allusion to the Jin Dynasty to Empress Dowager's ears and let He Lian Wei Rui wake up from her daydream all this without forgetting to slap the faces of the group of women who spoke for He Lian Wei Rui. It's just that she hadn't made a move yet and such a "surprise" fell from the sky.
Well, there was no need to be busy with anything now. The He Lian family had been beaten down. It turned out that although she had accepted He Lian Min Min's errand, someone else ended up working extra hours for her instead. However, He Lian Min Min might be extremely annoyed by this overdoing, and she might break into her Danruo Courtyard to question her any minute now.
Mu Xi Yao was extremely curious about this mysterious person who intervened. Perhaps the setting of this scheme was too big? To be able to predict He Lian Zhang's actions in advance, was there a third party who knew about the Phoenix Sign?
Wan Jing Wen's strange rebirth was beyond Mu Xi Yao's expectations. What was even more unexpected was that, by mere coincidence, Wan Jing Wen seized such an excellent opportunity and like this, Mu Xi Yao was off-track.
In the deep of the palace, Consort Shu was furious. Since hearing the gossip that spread all over the harem, every time she heard the three words "He Lian family" she felt a needle-like pain in her forehead.
Now she couldn't care less about that family's help to Zhong Zheng Lin's official career, instead, she cared more about whether He Lian-shi had a hidden illness or not. She had been looking forward to a grandson for a long time, and she couldn't tolerate an infertile woman.
"Momo, send someone to ask the Emperor to investigate this matter. If it's someone slandering others, that's fine, if it's not..." Consort Shu stroked her forehead, "it's useless to keep such a woman." The implication was that the status of He Lian Min Min's Princess Consort will be determined after the diagnosis.
When Emperor Yuancheng heard about this, the hand holding the pen paused for a moment, and neither joy nor anger could be seen in his expression. Picking up He Lian Zhang's memorials from the past few days, the Emperor closed his eyes for a long time and only asked Gu Chang De to go to the Imperial Hospital to announce his decree. After that, he continued to write and criticize memorials.
"Is this the He Lian Wei Rui you were all talking about?" Empress Dowager Jin plucked one Buddhist bead after another.
Everyone was talking in such a good spirit, yet this talk that was so beautiful before, no one was willing to say anything about it now.
Zhong Zheng Ying sat stiffly, still unable to believe how the wind direction had changed overnight.
The Noble Consort had already restrained herself so now she was able to vanish from the picture, but inside, she was thinking that the He Lian family might be fetching water from a bamboo basket [4] this time. Even if she could escape from this matter, to avoid suspicion, it would be difficult for He Lian Wei Rui to enter the Sixth Prince's Mansion.
Consort Qi and Fu Zhaoyi were both silent. Things changed. Currently, to say more words would be unwise. Empress Dowager had already expressed her disapproval, and she didn't blame them, like this, it was already lenient.
"The Noble Consort is already busy watching over the matter of choosing a cefei for the eighth son. For everyone else, it's not too late to see." The Empress Dowager Jin was now wholeheartedly waiting for news from the sixth prince's family. To be a Principal Consort was not a joke.
When He Lian Min Min rushed to Danruo Courtyard with her people in an aggressive manner, she saw Mu Xi Yao's long skirt dragging on the floor, her body dressed in a dark blue, looking fresh and elegant.
Sat in the hall with burning incense, and she looked to be waiting for her, leisurely making tea. There was only Zhao momo serving her at her side.
"The Principal Consort came just in time. This concubine has prepared this year's new seven-scented flower dew, so you might as well take a drink."
After setting up the tea sets one by one, Mu Xi Yao picked up the small silica sand pot and poured the scented tea for He Lian Min to drink.
The crimson tea in the white jade porcelain cup looked attractive, alongside the soft aroma of apricot white jasmine on it, you could tell that this tea was made attentively.
Mu Xi Yao picked up the teacup, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes to enjoy the sweetness of the flower dew.
He Lian Min Min was originally full of anger, but she had calmed down a lot with her actions.
"If the Principal Consort came to condemn me for this crime, she would have found the wrong person." Seeing that He Lian Min Min's complexion was dark when she entered the room, one didn't need to be a genius to know this woman was enraged and carefully thought carefully about the matter at hand.
"As soon as this incident happened, from the outsider's perspective, this concubine would be the most suspicious person because this concubine would be the one who benefited the most. Now, does the Principal Consort feel that this concubine would be so stupid to spend so much effort to set up a situation where I got no benefit at all? Doesn't the Principal Consort get a bit of a fishy smell?"
If she was so diligent and self-motivated, Lord Boss would not always grit his teeth in hatred.
Mu Xi Yao's explanation ended there. She found it superfluous. Those who could figure it out would naturally understand it. If one couldn't figure it out, any explanation will be in vain.
He Lian Min Min observed Mu Xi Yao silently for a while, and finally brought the tea to her lips and drank it slowly.
Fishy... Mu-shi was right. Not only was the He Lian family plotted against, but even she was not able to stay out of it. If this matter was investigated, Mu-shi will be the most suspected person. If she was to be interrogated in isolation, she will not feel comfortable in such a situation.
"This time I really didn't think about it. Cefei doesn't have to worry about this." He Lian Min Min stepped back first.
"This matter really needs to be cautious. From this concubine's point of view, the Principal Consort should be inspected by the Imperial Physician, and she needs to know how her body is." Mu Xi Yao said this sincerely.
Afraid He Lian-shi's body really had something wrong.
"Thanking cefei for her kindness but my body is very healthy. The health nurse takes care of me every day and checks my pulse every now and then. I have never heard her say that anything's wrong with my body. So there is no need to seek medical advice now, it would only be a joke for others to see. Rumours are rumours after all, and the facts will be known when the time comes."
As soon as the rumours started, she rushed to summon the Imperial Physician. Wasn't this just giving others a good show?
"You're thinking it wrong". Mu Xi Yao shook her head slowly. "The Imperial Physician should already be on his way. It's better for the Principal Consort to be prepared."
The news spread so fast; the palace should have known of this early. Mu Xi Yao didn't know whether Emperor Yuancheng would send someone over immediately, but it was a no-brainer that Consort Shu couldn't wait to hear the exact news, maybe He Lian Min Min would see a bunch of medical officers as soon as she went back to her courtyard.
The corners of He Lian Min Min's lips tightened. She was not afraid as she was very clear about her body. How could there be hidden diseases? It was clearly written in the medical books that the syndrome of a cold body will be accompanied by abdominal pain, cold limbs, and palpitations at night. She didn't have any of these symptoms, how could it be that she couldn't pass on the incense to future generations?
Mu Xi Yao saw that she was full of confidence, so she didn't continue to persuade her lest she became resentful. But she felt the matter was not that simple and the result might catch He Lian Min Min by surprise. It's just that right now the Imperial Physician was most likely coming their way and it was too late to find out beforehand. After all, how could someone who could set up this kind of situation leave behind a flaw that could be easily exposed?
A cold body... Mu Xi Yao frowned slightly.
Also frowning were the father and daughter of the He Lian family.
"Father, the other party also has arrangements in the palace. This matter may be very serious."
The ruckus had reached the palace, it could be seen that the people behind have been plotting for a long time.
He Lian Wei Rui suppressed her anger, feeling extremely annoyed. Her road to success was indeed cut off by someone. Even if the He Lian family had good luck and got rid of this fault, she still would not be able to enter the Sixth Highness's Mansion. At this crucial time, the He Lian family must not collapse, and she also needed to plan a way out for herself.
Among all the choices, it seemed that being the eighth prince's cefei was the only worthy way out.
He Lian Zhang had a stern face and gloomy eyes. Until now, he never put it into his mind that He Lian Min Min had problems and he was only worried about how to gain the trust of Emperor Yuancheng. As for the slandered daughter, He Lian Zhang couldn't keep his mind off and tried to find a way out for her.
Lord He Lian filtered through a series of lists repeatedly but still failed to find any suspicious people. The handwriting of this matter did not match the previous political opponents. Who in the world, under the eyes of He Lian family all over Shengjing, could come out of nowhere and give the family such a huge blow?
In Danruo Courtyard, Mu Xi Yao unfolded Zhong Zheng Lin's letter, with a smile on her face.
Lord Boss will return to Beijing in a few days, and the timing was just right. When the man in the family came back, it was natural to find something for him to do. The first thing she did was to write a few strokes, and in order to let the pretentious sixth Highness willingly condescend to cooperate with her, Mu Xi Yao promised a lot of benefits. The letter was so coy and pleasing that she herself felt ashamed to read it a second time.
After sealing the envelope, she still painted a smiley face on the lower right corner. Then she nodded in satisfaction and handed it to Tian Fu Shan who had been waiting all along.
As for that, she herself had already been very obediently answering letters all this time, so how come the Sixth Highness still had the big steward come over to monitor her day in and day out?
Mu Xi Yao complained, and Tian Fu Shan was even more helpless. He didn't dare to disobey His Highness's orders, but every day Mistress Yao rolled her eyes, and this indeed was not a pleasant feeling...
After finishing her homework, Mu Xi Yao's mind began to wander.
"Want to kill two birds with one stone?" Her slender fingers tapped the table, and the jade plaques piled up on the table immediately fell.
Wei Zhen looked at the valuable jade plaques and was really distressed at seeing them being fiddled with by the Mistress so unreasonably. His Highness was willing to cut a large piece of jade into such small pieces according to what Mistress Yao said and take it out to play and show off when there was nothing to do.
Mu Xi Yao looked at Wei Zhen's stressed face, and it was rare for her to show embarrassment.
She originally wanted to get a set of bamboo cards and teach Cheng Qing's little bun how to play mah-jong [5] to exercise his hands-on ability. As a result, His Sixth Royal Highness' extravagant temperament did not change, and he had replaced the materials secretly and got a pair of invaluable jade plaques, which scared her into a beating heart. Like this, she had to keep the tiles for herself and return them to the little bun when he became more sensible as he was the original owner.
Seeing Wei Zhen's posture of 'wanting to stop her but being unable to do so', Mu Xi Yao put aside her amused thoughts, packed up all the tiles, and handed them to Mo Lan to put them in one place.
Picking up the palace fan from the basket, Mu Xi Yao smiled slyly.
"Sir Wei, do you think that the person who worked so hard to plan would die of rage in broad daylight if he finds out that the final fruit has been stolen?"
Boss left the capital, and all kinds of ghosts and monsters came out and jumped around. He Lian Wei Rui was no longer a threat and Zhong Zheng Ying had no eyesight, she moved so indiscriminately and had finally aroused the strict discipline of the Empress Dowager, recently she did not dare to make trouble easily.
The new behind-the-scenes person caused her some troubles but in fact, brought her a good deal. The agreement with He Lian Min Min had come to an end without needing to exchange words, but if her new comrade was Lord He Lian, she was still willing to help.
Did that someone want to be the oriole [6]? It just so happened that she was most optimistic about a word now, which was "plot twist"! [7]
Footnotes
To explain the last bit, Mu Xi Yao is intending to take advantage of the situation with Zhong Zheng Lin's help, "the final fruit" refers to the effort's result and reward.
[1] 李代桃僵 Lǐdàitáojiāng. lit. the plum tree wither in place of the peach tree / to substitute one thing for another / to carry the can for sb.
[2] Wikipedia: Tai Sui. "In Taoism, those whose birth sign or other features clash with the Tai Sui of the year will face misfortunes or disturbances for the whole current year. Each year, this applies to people born under four out of the twelve animal zodiac signs".
[3] 渔翁之利 yúwēng zhī lì. Sit back and reap the benefits; the fisherman's profit is a metaphor when two parties quarrel and make a third-party profit.
[4] 竹篮打水 zhúlándǎshuǐ - using a wicker basket to draw water (idiom); wasted effort
[5] The raws said: 青石玉牌. 青石 means bluestone/limestone, 玉 means jade and 牌 means mah-jong tile / playing card / game pieces / signboard / plate / tablet / medal. Google Translate translated as dominoes, but I left it as mah-jong as that is a traditional Chinese game. You can see here a short match of mah-jong.
[6] "The mantis stalking the locust, unaware of the oriole behind it". This is a very famous Chinese idiom. There's a very good explanation here ( ) but the general gist is that the players are all focused on who they want to defeat, to the point they cannot see the enemy behind them. (As explained by Dreams of Jianghu).
[7] 波澜迭起 Bōlán diéqǐ. 波澜 means "billows / great waves (fig. of a story with great momentum)" and 迭起 "continuously arising / to arise repeatedly". Baidu says: "waves rising everywhere, it is often used figuratively to refer to the plot twists and turns of literary works."
Chapter 152: His Highness
"Your Majesty, there is nothing wrong with the Sixth Prince's Principal Consort. She is in good health." The Imperial Physician truthfully reported the results of his careful pulse diagnosis.
Consort Shu's fingertips moved slightly as she looked at the three Imperial Physicians in front of her with satisfaction.
"Trouble the three adults, this trip was hard work for you all. A small thank you, don't refuse." After waving to someone to reward them, Consort Shu finally let go of the stone in her heart.
This matter was really unreasonable. Sending the Imperial Physician away, Consort Shu pondered over and over again but still couldn't figure it out.
Things got so noisy yet it turned out to be just slander. Could it be that all of this was just to cut off He Lian Wei Rui's entry to the mansion? Was this the work of He Lian Min Min or Mu girl?
Consort Shu couldn't understand where the weirdness of this matter came from, so she could only think of it as the bitter tricks of the two women in Zhong Zheng Lin's mansion.
As for the women in the harem who vouched for He Lian Wei Rui when they got the diagnosis, the relief they felt was like seeing "the clouds open and the moonlight shine" [1]. If He Lian Min Min was fine, at least it meant that the He Lian family had been wronged, and as the people who were enthusiastically pushing for He Lian Wei Rui, they finally didn't look bad.
Completely different from the women in the harem, Emperor Yuancheng had a grim face.
Putting down the secret report from the Supervision Department, Emperor Yuancheng stared far away, then lowered his eyes to consider for a while, summoned Gu Chang De, and delivered an special order for the Imperial Hospital to go out of the palace and check the pulse of the sixth prince's consort again.
This time he was making an exception. The two physicians of the Imperial Hospital he sent were for the exclusive use of the Empress Dowager and the concubines and princes above the second rank. Today he only sent them because the matter involved the heirs of Zhong Zheng Lin and whether the He Lian family was truly loyal to him. Emperor Yuancheng needed to be clear on this matter. Zhong Zheng Lin's lack of di children had long been bothering him, and if there was truly something wrong with the Principal Consort, he needed to deal with it with decisiveness. The princes of the Great Wei dynasty, how could they be deceived by a mere woman? The more Emperor Yuancheng thought about it, the deeper he frowned.
Gu Chang De led the physicians and hurried to the Sixth Prince's Mansion to see the surprised He Lian again.
Mu Xi Yao was not interested on He Lian Min Min's affairs. When she got the news, she only raised her eyebrows and counted the days of Zhong Zheng Lin's return with her fingers.
In the afternoon of this day, the two physicians frowned and went to the Imperial Study to answer.
"Reporting to the Emperor, the condition of the Principal Consort is not abnormal. However, according to the ministers' observation, there is indeed an extremely slight sign of weakness. Now the Principal Consort is using a prescription for conditioning the body and there are several herbs in her medicine that somewhat affect her pulse. In this way, the pulse alone, this moment, really can't diagnose. If one wants to know the true condition of her body as soon as possible, it is best to stop all the prescriptions, so that her body can return to her original form, after which the pulse can be read clearly".
The two physicians had discussed for a long time, but they really didn't dare to speak nonsense about things that could not be determined for the time being. The abolition of the Principal Consort was not to be done casually. This matter concerned His Highness the Sixth prince and no one wanted to offend this awe-inspiring, cold-faced master.
"If the medicine is stopped, how many days will it take to recover and see a doctor again?"
"Three days, at most five. As long as the Principal Consort stops using the medicine following the ministers' orders, it can be diagnosed."
Emperor Yuancheng nodded. Swiping the two of them back, he called Gu Chang De to come closer again.
"Understood? Go do it quickly." One order was enough for such a trivial matter as stopping the medicine. "Tell He Lian-shi, I'll wait to see the result." If she dared to take medicine in private and interfere with the imperial physician's diagnosis, he didn't need to investigate further.
He Lian Min Min sent Eunuch Gu out with a stiff body, and when she came back, her face was taut.
"What is the need to stop the medicine for an ordinary pulse check?" Looking at Feng momo, He Lian Min Min seemed to be seeking comfort. Her original confidence also wavered. Emperor Yuancheng's oral order had shaken her.
Feng momo didn't have any ideas at this time, she stood trembling and speechless. In the aristocratic family, everyone knew that repeated pulse diagnoses like this couldn't be good. This clearly meant that things had changed.
He Lian Min Min knew that this question was unnecessary. The only thing she could hold onto was the He Lian family. Everyone was on the same boat, it was best if they could come up with a countermeasure.
One day passed, and there was only news from the family telling her to "be safe and be patient". The famous doctor she asked for was nowhere to be found. He Lian Min Min's heart was icy cold, and she was thinking wildly when she saw Feng momo's excited face as she lifted the curtain and announced the good news loudly with a breathless voice.
"Mistress, His Highness is back!"
"Ah!" Mu Xi Yao was awakened from her afternoon nap, and when she opened her eyes, she fell into a pair of deep-colored phoenix eyes. The woman who was not yet awake screamed out in fright and raised her hand to beat the person in front of her.
"Really turning the heavens upside down!", Zhong Zheng Lin's gentle face instantly darkened as he accurately grabbed Mu Xi Yao's wrist and slapped her plump derrière twice.
"Ugh~~" The pain gradually brought Mu Xi Yao back to her senses and when she wrinkled her small nose, the familiar light ink fragrance lingered on the tip of her nose.
Zhong Zheng Lin was about to lecture her when he saw Mu Xi Yao's expression slowly clearing up and then she rushed towards him with a whoosh. Her arms wrapped around his neck in an instant, the little head thumped on his chest, and she dawdled in his arms in a disorderly manner.
"Your Highness~" Mu Xi Yao's eyes sparkled as she looked up at Zhong Zheng Lin, and his heart suddenly turned soft.
"I'm home, is Jiao Jiao just greeting me like this?" This woman became unruly, not at all gentle as usual. Especially when getting up, her anger was particularly easy to provoke.
Mu Xi Yao shuddered when she recalled the heroic actions she made while she was half asleep and half awake. She almost beat up the boss!
"Your Highness, it hurts~~" She quickly changed the subject. This blunder should be wiped away with some sloppy acting. Mu Xi Yao immediately had tears in her eyes, her small mouth pouted, and she acted coquettish to Zhong Zheng Lin with a look of grievance.
Blass it! You just came back to play the bully, right? It's just not recognizing the person, was there a need to be this dramatic? In her heart Mu Xi Yao was complaining yet on the surface she was delicate and soft, looking rather lovely.
Zhong Zheng Lin leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. Embracing her with his big hands, he stopped her from stirring, "Did Jiao Jiao miss me?"
Mu Xi Yao secretly rolled her eyes. Every day she needed to hand him corny letters as homework, hell, how could she miss him!
Lord Boss could write his family letters every other day, but she had a busy schedule. Every day she was asked to write an emotional composition, and not a day passed without a struggle. Each afternoon, Mu Xi Yao had to rack her brains and scratch her ears and cheeks to write him a letter. In this situation, all the people who served her turned their heads and looked sideways, they really couldn't bear to look directly at her.
Hui Lan once secretly whispered to Mo Lan that when the Mistress replied to His Highness she had a terrifying expression on her face. Mu Xi Yao heard these words by chance, and she deliberately corrected her demeanor with a guilty conscience for several days.
And now Zhong Zheng Lin still had the nerve to ask if she missed him! Mu Xi Yao wished she could grab the boss by the neck and fix him severely.
A pity that Mu Xi Yao's courage was short-lived, and her favorite strategy when dealing with his sixth Highness was to act cute.
She took too long thinking that Zhong Zheng Lin's face became gloomy. This woman was really heartless!
"This concubine missed His Highness a little bit more than His Highness missed qie." The Boss must be satisfied with this kind of flattery.
Sure enough, the corners of Zhong Zheng Lin's lips were raised, and his phoenix's eyes were full of brilliance.
He leaned over, captured her lips, and buried his head in a passionate kiss.
Footnotes
[1] 有种云开月明的轻松, literally "there is a kind of ease in the clouds and the moon". China Highlights: "Watch till clouds part to see the moonlight" means that "Every cloud has a silver lining" or trouble will pass. / Mandarin HQ: Things may seem bad or uncertain at the moment but they will get better eventually.
Chapter 153: Not allowed
His Highness was back? He Lian Min Min was startled suddenly. Her first reaction was not surprise, but panic.
"Mistress, why do you look like this? Isn't it something happy? With the backbone of the mansion here, you don't have to endure other people's gossip!" Feng momo didn't understand why He Lian Min Min was worried, and she could only comfort her according to her own thoughts.
Laughing twice, the pale-faced He Lian Min Min sighed helplessly at Feng momo. "His Highness can make decisions for me. But if the Imperial Physician diagnoses me as sterile, how will His Highness treat me then?"
At that time, Zhong Zheng Lin's little affection for her will also cease to exist.
Feng momo panicked, "No, how could Mistress think like this? Didn't the health nurse and the imperial physician both didn't find out something wrong?" These words were baseless, and a bit self-deceiving.
"The physicians declined to comment and requested a specific date for the diagnosis. This can not be a simple matter". He Lian Min Min replied while feeling even more frightened.
Thinking about it before and after, the indifferent attitude of the He Lian family, and their running around, afraid they were too busy taking care of themselves to be able to take care of her. It showed everywhere that the He Lian family had made very bad plans. Perhaps the He Lian family got the news that she was ill early on?
He Lian Min Min clasped her hands tightly, her mind clearer than ever before. That's right, how can she sit still and wait for death? If it's really... He Lian Min Min closed her eyes in pain. Afraid that being honest with His Highness was her only way out.
The most important thing was the true condition of her body. She also thought about hiding it, but after all, she didn't have the guts to face Emperor Yuancheng's questioning. Even if she wanted to use medicine to conceal it, the Imperial Hospital still would know it. Instead of being dealt with by Emperor Yuancheng, it was better to confess to His Highness early on, perhaps there was still a glimmer of life.
In the main house of Danruo Courtyard, behind the screen, Zhao momo lowered her head to report to the two masters inside the room, "Your Highness, Consort He Lian is outside". Normally, there would still be a reply but this time even after a long while there was no response back.
Inside, the dazed and panting Mu Xi Yao had rosy cheeks and wet eyes. Hearing Zhao momo's voice, she softly pulled Zhong Zheng Lin's hair and pushed his head out from her chest.
Seeing the man ignoring her and lingering in her bosom, Mu Xi Yao was both ashamed and annoyed, "Your Highness! The Principal Consort is here!".
This man had been away for nearly a month and was like a beast, the second they got together he very quickly pulled away her dudou and busied himself. After all, it had been a long time without getting a taste of her.
Zhong Zheng Lin's phoenix eyes were as deep as ink. Mu Xi Yao's repeated interruption of their intimacy made him unhappy as he felt reluctant to part away from her. Annoyed, he grasped her plumpness and kneaded it. In return the little woman went limp in his arms, sighing in a delicate voice.
"No more, there are people outside." Mu Xi Yao's beautiful face was flushed, and her lips which were originally pink were now red and shiny.
"Does Jiao Jiao remember what she promised bendian in the letter?"
Mu Xi Yao was embarrassed. Boss, such a good memory was not necessary, alright? Also, can't that promise be regarded as polite talking?
Zhong Zheng Lin had a faint smile on his face, but his eyes were scorching hot. "Jiao Jiao, don't try to fool me. When bendian returns, bendian won't let Jiao Jiao go a second time."
The sixth Highness's phoenix eyes slightly closed, and he forcefully suppressed the throbbing in his lower abdomen. When he opened his eyes again, they were sharp and sober.
"Be good and eat lunch." Zhong Zheng Lin patted the top of her hair, settled the person properly, and kissed her watery eyes with satisfaction. He got up and straightened his robe, then walked away.
As soon as Zhong Zheng Lin left, Mu Xi Yao's blinked.
Snort! The aura of the boss was so strong every time, it was really annoying. However, that military uniform made the boss look heroic and stern.
Feeling the fluttering heart that was dancing happily, the corners of Mu Xi Yao's mouth curled up mischievously.
Whoever was cleaned up at his return was not certain! His Royal Highness was now unable to withstand provocation, when the time came, she only needed to do this... that... The idea of an enchanting female spirit flashed through her mind, and the more Mu Xi Yao thought about it, the smugger she felt.
As for He Lian-shi who intercepted Zhong Zheng Lin midway, Mu Xi Yao declared graciously that she had no interest in fighting against a cornered woman. Besides, He Lian Min Min came here to invite someone, didn't that mean she had finally realized something was wrong?
Mu Xi Yao lay on her back with her eyes closed. If He Lian Min Min had still continued to be idle, she could've only invited her back to have a talk. This matter was truly "the emperor was not in a hurry but his eunuch was" [1]…
After all, if He Lian-shi was in fact infertile and couldn't give birth to a di son, in other's people's eyes, it was her scheme. Mu Xi Yao felt she was really wronged. Zhong Zheng Lin had never favored other women, so why did she need to scheme? Wasn't this utter bullshit?
Waiting anxiously in the main hall was He Lian Min Min. Suddenly, she saw a tall and handsome man stepping in. Dressed in a military uniform there was still some vague fatigue on his cold face.
"Your Highness." He Lian Min Min hesitantly went up to meet Zhong Zheng Lin and blushed when she was in front of him. "Your Highness, qie has no face to see you."
Zhong Zheng Lin was slightly surprised. It was rare for He Lian-shi to show her emotions like this, it seemed that the pressure these few days was not small.
"Follow bendian."
He patted her hands soothingly and then led her outside. Helping her climb the palanquin outside the main hall, he let go of her and turned to walk ahead.
"Your Highness!" He Lian Min Min called softly. "His Highness has traveled for a long time, why don't you ride with this concubine so that you can rest for a while." Zhong Zheng Lin had come directly to Danruo Courtyard as soon as he returned home. Although He Lian Min Min was worried about the current crisis, she still felt a little uncomfortable.
"No need. The journey was long and the dust will only stain your clothes." Then, with a straight face, the sixth Highness strode away.
He Lian Min Min had come looking for him in such a hurry, Zhong Zheng Lin knew all too well why. This one should have a lot to say to him. And most importantly, he only enjoyed the intimacy of this type of ride with the little woman. His Sixth Highness had sinful thoughts, and the curled corners of his lips made Wei Zhen, who hadn't seen his Master for a long time, shiver.
Seeing him walking away, He Lian Min Min felt particularly bitter as she recalled his excuse. Both of them were his women but in front of Mu Xi Yao, he was relaxed and caring. When it came to her, he so was polite and aloof, the difference in treatment was so clear, how could it not be chilling? He so clearly adored Mu-shi, at the end of the day, how could she ever come close?
At this time, He Lian Min Min was jealous of Mu Xi Yao for being favored by Zhong Zheng Lin, but she didn't know that Mu Xi Yao had always been sincerely envious of her status, for her, now, that was a deal. Compared to Mu Xi Yao's calculated efforts to compete for favor and hug Zhong Zheng Lin's thighs, He Lian Min Min's life was really too easy! Looking at the ledger and taking care of the back house, as long as you didn't make big mistakes, you could eat and drink for the rest of your life. Mu Xi Yao could not imagine a more comfortable life.
Pity that with her modest family background, the best option for her was to be a favored concubine. Mu Xi Yao felt that the God of Transmigration didn't seem to like her very much, otherwise, she wouldn't be left here alone to fend for herself from beginning to the end.
The entirety of her life was so inspiring, it could be made into the book "Records of the Great Wei: Workplace Adventures" [2]. Every now and then she was stabbed and if it were not for her thick skin, her blood tank [3] would've already been emptied and bottomed out.
So, Mu Xi Yao couldn't stand He Lian Min Min's pity party. As for whether His Sixth Highness would be sympathetic, it depended on whether He Lian-shi's ability was good.
Following Zhong Zheng Lin all the way back to Chanruo Courtyard. He Lian Min Min fell to the ground with her eyes down.
Zhong Zheng Lin felt really uncomfortable seeing her like this, and his attitude softened. It was normal for He Lian-shi not to speak up when encountering this matter. He didn't know how the little woman would react where she in the same situation. His Highness the Sixth Highness was very interested in finding out about all the unexpected things that Mu Xi Yao may do.
"What did the Imperial Physician say?" After sitting down, Zhong Zheng Lin raised the teacup to break the silence first.
He Lian Min Min let go of the embarrassment in her heart, calmed down, and answered. "They asked me to stop all the medicine. As for whether the situation is good or bad, they didn't say. It just said that they will come back for a consultation in three to five days." This attitude had already shown her respect for Zhong Zheng Lin, and her trust and reliance on him. A wife talking to her husband without concealing anything, it can be seen that she had been cornered.
Zhong Zheng Lin never expected her to be in such a difficult situation. He Lian Zhang, that old fox, always knew exactly what he was calculating. Yet now things have come to this point, it had to be said that the He Lian family had brought it onto themselves, their greed caused them trouble.
"Have you thought it through? Bendian will let you see a doctor. What are your plans if there's something really wrong with your body?" Zhong Zheng Lin looked at the woman who was sitting dignifiedly, and his phoenix eyes flickered with mirth.
How would the well-educated daughter of the He Lian family make her "last" plea?
He Lian Min Min's complexion turned pale. She took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and her voice visibly trembled as she answered, "Qie also knows that this matter is tricky and will almost certainly not end easily. If the situation is extremely bad and the Imperial Physician diagnoses that qie can't bear a son for His Highness, qie asks His Highness to send qie to the ancestral shrine. Qie is not willing to let this last dignity to also be ruined by others."
Sending He Lian Min Min to the ancestral shrine would allow her to kept her status. After this, all the women who enter the Mansion will have to kowtow to her whether they be his future wife or concubine [4]. This could be regarded as the last dignity that He Lian Min Min fought for himself.
[4] I explained this better on the footnotes below. But what she is suggesting is retiring from her position of wife, and letting another woman marry Zhong Zheng Lin as her succesor, except, that woman would still had to kowtow to her. This would make Mu Xi Yao have two women on top of her instead of only having He Lian Min Min.
Zhong Zheng Lin had more appreciation for her for having such a bold idea. Indeed, instead of waiting passively to finally being abandoned and abolished, it was better to be knowledgeable and ask him to be merciful.
It's just that her proposal to enter the ancestral shrine cannot be accepted by him. The little woman had schemed everybody ten thousand steps, and this was not the way to go. If the benefits that Mu Xi Yao calculated were disturbed by He Lian Min Min herself, that woman would certainly be furious.
Zhong Zheng Lin felt amused by Mu Xi Yao's "careful calculation". Did this woman not trust his ability and insisted on icing the cake; or did she go out of her way to find trouble with He Lian-shi's family and so relieve her anger? According to her petty temper, afraid it was the latter. In addition, the little woman must be determined not to let the people behind the scenes take an inch. This strong temper was… really stubborn and cute.
"You don't need to mention the matter of entering the ancestral shrine." Zhong Zheng Lin didn't want to think too much, and directly rejected her proposal.
He Lian Min Min's body trembled, and her eyes were full of despair.
"He Lian-shi, bendian doesn't care about whether you can have children or not. But bendian wants you to firmly occupy the position of the Principal Consort". Zhong Zheng Lin said indifferently.
It was enough to have one woman on top of Mu Xi Yao's head. Another one, Zhong Zheng Lin couldn't bear Mu Xi Yao's salute and tea!
After He Lian-shi was abolished, Emperor Yuancheng would definitely point him another woman for him to marry. Mu Xi Yao's background was far from enough for bearing the title of Principal Consort.
Even if it wasn't for taking care of Mu Xi Yao's little abacus, Zhong Zheng Lin wouldn't accept He Lian Min Min's proposal.
He Lian Min Min had already given up hope and looked withered. Hearing Zhong Zheng Lin's stern declaration, she stared at the condescending man in front of her like a fool. For a moment, she was lost in thought.
Footnotes
This Chinese TikToker is how I imagine Mu Xi Yao. Perhaps not her exact appearance, but her voice when she acts cute and spoiled, lol.
[1] 皇帝不急太监急 huáng shàng bù jí tài jiàn jí. idiom. "The emperor is not worried, but the eunuchs are worried to death." → one himself does not worry but another person worries in vain
[2] 整个一大魏职场历险记. I translated it as "Records of the Great Wei Workplace Adventures". Lowkey inspired the Chinese TV Series "Records of Kangxi's Travel Incognito" (1997).
[3] 血槽早就清空见底: The blood tank had already emptied and bottomed out. It's from a meme. According to Xuehua: "The term originally refers to the fact that the life of the protagonist of most games currently uses a blood tank to indicate the current state. If the blood tank is empty, it means that the protagonist of the game has no life, that is, he is dead. / It can also be used to mean that one's heart has been hit and collapsed at seeing a beautiful person."
[4] Raw: 祠堂. TL: Ancestral shrine, hall or temple.
What He Lian Min Min is suggesting is retiring from her position of wife, and letting another woman marry Zhong Zheng Linas her succesor, except, that woman would still had to knowtow to her. This would make Mu Xi Yao have two women on top of her instead of only having He Lian Min Min. Lowkey but He Lian Min Min really asked to be enshrined.
Wikipedia says: "[In] traditional weddings, the ancestral temple serves a major symbolic function, completing the transfer of a woman to her husband's family. During the wedding rites, the bride and groom worship at the groom's ancestral shrine".
As explained by Wikipedia: "The bride would be led along the red carpet in a festive atmosphere. The groom, also in a red gown, would kowtow three times to worship the heaven, parents and spouse. Equivalent to exchanging vows in the west, the couple would pay respect to the Jade Emperor, the patron family deities (or patron buddhas and bodhisattvas), paying respect to deceased ancestors, the bride and groom's parents and other elders, and paying respect to each other. Then, the new couple would go to their bridal chamber and guests would be treated to a feast".
Zhong Zheng Lin talked with He Lian Min Min privately, and Mu Xi Yao was very curious about it. A pity that the Boss didn't allow her to inquire further, and only said that all the things she had worried about had been dealt with and that she only needed to wait peacefully for her delivery in Danruo Courtyard.
Mu Xi Yao pouted. Boss was a typical example of "crossing the river and tearing down the bridge". This guy just came back, and he squeezed her so much that she had no place to stand. Just as she was about to continue pestering, she shrank in fright at the words coming from above her head.
"I see that Jiao Jiao still has energy. The clothes, shoes, and socks of bendian still need to be sewn."
As soon as the feminine arts [1] were mentioned, Mu Xi Yao felt alarmed, and she curled up in Zhong Zheng Lin's arms, pretending not to hear.
The Sixth Highness secretly laughed at her dodging appearance. The little woman was really afraid of needlework. He once asked her to embroider him a purse, to this day it still hasn't been sealed and all three sides were open, which made Zhong Zheng Lin who looked forward to wearing her craftmanship, face reality.
Mu Xi Yao who pretended to be an ostrich secretly glanced at the boss' expression, it seemed that he didn't intend to get serious with her. This was a good thing, don't ask her to sew and she won't ask him about his chat. When the time came to see how the two of them behaved, she will naturally be able to guess. Mu Xi Yao became happy again.
As a matter of fact, it was a rare sympathy from the Sixth Highness to take the initiative to handle the mess in her hands. As a qualified favored concubine, she must show her gratitude appropriately, so as to inspire His Highness to make persistent efforts and work harder in the future. Thinking like this, enchantress Mu changed her shrunken and cowardly appearance and her eyes shone with slyness as her little arms propped up, her cheeks pressed tightly to the man's face, and she deliberately rubbed gently against the man's face.
This was giving a small sample and it even came with a free gift! Thinking like this, Mu Xi Yao molested the sixth Highness to her heart's content. While Mu Xi Yao was triumphant, Zhong Zheng Lin grasped the back of her head, leaned down, and sinking into her neck, he dropped a rain of heavy kisses.
"Bendian still prefers to touch beauties like this." Zhong Zheng Lin arrested her and refused to let go but the little woman who was smooched was blushing and panting. She couldn't take it anymore, so he sighed regretfully and let her go. "Jiao Jiao needs to recuperate properly after giving birth. With such a delicate body, it is really difficult for bendian to enjoy Jiao Jiao to the fullest."
What? Really difficult to enjoy? Mu Xi Yao was immediately angry! What were you just doing to qie's fragile neck? His Sixth Highness was so close to eating her up but he was still complaining and making demands. Wasn't this too shameless?
Zhong Zheng Lin enjoyed the beauty and in the meantime he got to know how hard she had worked in the past few months. As he hugged the coquettish woman in his arms he comforted her and teased her from time to time. It was a lot of fun to see her huffing and puffing and staring at him. As a matter of course, his Sixth Highness accepted and generously rewarded the little girl's brave feats.
Mu Xi Yao was snug in his arms, her small face bright and charming, and her eyes were full of cunning. These days, she worked hard for the Prince's Mansion with "painstaking efforts", and finally made enough money from Lord Boss at once. With the benefits, it was time to care for the man who had been away on business for a long time, "Your Highness, don't you need to go to the palace to report back your return to Shengjing?" Didn't this man need to go chat with Emperor Yuancheng? Today, if he knew that the first thing his son did when he returned to Shengjing was to go to the boudoir to collect nectar, he would not want to see him in his heart.
"It took so long to ask this question, Jiao Jiao doesn't think it's too late?" Zhong Zheng Lin deliberately touched her pink cheek with his stubble, punishing the little woman for not thinking hard enough.
Sure enough, immediately Mu Xi Yao was glaring at him, staring into his eyes angrily, and touching her stinging red side face with her little hand, looking very dissatisfied.
His Royal Highness' evil taste was satisfied, so he calmed down a little and made reparations. He adjusted his posture, pulled up her little hand, and put it in the palm of his to play with it, "The prisoner was escorted to Shengjing secretly this morning. When Jiao Jiao was able to see bendian it was after the greeting. But for to outsiders, the army will not arrive in Shengjing until tomorrow."
Mu Xi Yao stared at his handsome face, and the twinkle in her eyes flashed for a moment as bright as the stars, "Your Highness, will the people of Shengjing come out of the city to greet you tomorrow? Will there be a ten miles red carpet, such an exciting celebration?" Mu Xi Yao's mind was spinning quickly, imagining the Boss in military uniform, fresh clothes, and stout horses. Such a handsome picture. How could she miss it?
"You're thinking wildly again, this little brain is always hard to use." Patting her on the forehead, Zhong Zheng Lin couldn't help showing a smile. "Although the rebellion was suppressed, there are some secrets that can't be exposed. The scene Jiao Jiao said may be seen after the battle in Mobei."
The rebel leader in Shuzhong was actually born into the royal family. How could Emperor Yuancheng expose his family scandal with great fanfare?
When mentioning the battle in Mobei, Zhong Zheng Lin looked at the woman who was pretending to be wronged. It took nearly a month to suppress the rebellion in central Shu. During these days, he always missed her very much, and when he was free at night, Mu Xi Yao's figure will always appear in his mind a few times. Thinking of going to war with Mobei, Zhong Zheng Lin felt that his patience, which had always been praised by others, could not hold up and was exhausted.
His Highness' phoenix gaze was thoughtful. In his heart, he made up his mind that on this war journey, he had to take Mu Xi Yao with him. If she stayed in Shengjing alone for so many months, Zhong Zheng Lin could hardly imagine how lively the capital would be.
"No need to watch?" Mu Xi Yao regretted. As she looked pitifully at Zhong Zheng Lin's side face, she wondered: the Boss returned to the mansion, did she have to continue being obediently bossed around? Thinking about it this way, Mu Xi Yao felt that life was a bit difficult. Boss, you better hurry up and go to Mobei! At this time, Mu Xi Yao didn't notice anything strange in the man next to her. If she knew she would stamp her foot and scold him in anger.
"Jiao Jiao, if you blatantly seduce bendian again, even if you beg for mercy tonight, bendian will not let you go." Zhong Zheng Lin lowered his head and saw her moist, endearing eyes. His words made her look like someone who lost her favorite plaything, holding back an aggrieved expression, making him amused. This person who was a mother actually looked like begging for food, so similar to Cheng Qing, they were definitely mother and son...
"Anyway, at night, I didn't see His Highness keeping his hand…" Mu Xi Yao muttered dissatisfied. When she asked for mercy, could his Sixth Highness really hear her, pity the fragrance, and cherish the jade [2]? Didn't Zhong Zheng Lin always turn a deaf ear to her pleas, and fiddled with her to his heart's content, tossing her all night? At this time, his threat of not stopping did not intimidate her. She was not afraid at all!
"This little temper is getting worse and worse." Zhong Zheng Lin tapped her forehead, and sighed helplessly, "Which cefei is like you, scolding [3] her own husband?"
"They're not qie, and they're not the darling [4] of His Highness like qie is. One's own darling [5] should naturally be pampered, right? Those who are not qie and dare to yell like qie, hum, serves them right to be chastised by their husbands!", Mu Xi Yao raised her eyebrows in disdain.
Was her job so easy everyone could do it? Daring to disregard the rules in front of the future emperor, Mu Xi Yao felt very comfortable being able to contradict him from time to time. Even more, the big Boss truly enjoyed her flamboyant disposition, so why bother to restrain herself and lose her luster?
"Such a coquettish and bold little darling [6]". Zhong Zheng Lin hug the person in his arms, her words made him feel content. "Jiao Jiao is great like this. Don't change."
No matter how vicious the harem women were, Zhong Zheng Lin would not be surprised. Only Mu Xi Yao must not become like them, after all, he had finally fallen in love, and he didn't want it to end in disappointment [7].
Footnotes
[1] 女红 nǚgōng: the feminine arts (e.g. needlework). It is used to refer to women's needlework, weaving, embroidery, and sewing.
[2] "Pity the fragrance, and cherish the jade". 怜香惜玉 liánxiāngxīyù: "pity the jade". It means to have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex (idiom).
[3] 埋汰. Baidu: dialect. Means to express sarcasm, mockery, or something unclean. In this context is not taking words seriously; "open your mouth and scold".
[4] 心尖 xīnjiān. bottom tip of the heart / fig. innermost feelings / coll. my darling
[5] Here in fact she said "one's baby bump should be treated delicately", lmao! Mu Xi Yaoooo, AJNSDKAJNKSF #dying
[6] 个小不要脸的娇气包包, lit. "A little shameless squeamish bag."
[7] vict4ever explained it like this: "让他一腔心意再难得偿=让他的心意难以获得回报=It's hard to get his heart repay. belike, he finally got a crush on her but she let him lose."