Luo Zhiheng's fragility was obviously an act, but it gave her a genuine and adorable quality.
As expected, his Aheng is still the best and cutest! I wonder if Luo Ningshuang and the others happened to die in this ambush. 16007822
Mu Yunhe's eyes narrowed, his pale, handsome face was icy cold, his gaze was equally cold, and his voice was icy: "Take it off!"
"Can I not?" Luo Zhiheng became even more vulnerable, clutching her clothes as if the man in front of her was a bandit about to assault her, crying out in grievance and fear.
"No! Take it off right now and show it to me." Mu Yunhe seemed to have returned to his old self at home, but something was different. He was more assertive, yet also seemed to have come to terms with things. It was as if he had truly experienced death, encountered death, and his heart had become more open-minded. (The last sentence appears to be a fragment and doesn't translate directly.)
He no longer thinks about tomorrow or whether there will even be a tomorrow. He just wants to live today to the fullest. Today he can still see his smart and lovely Aheng, today he can still hug his kind and gentle Aheng, today he can still joke and play around with his lively and mischievous Aheng. Today is enough for him and he is lucky.
Thinking too much only makes one's heart weary. Aheng will only be unhappy. Therefore, Mu Yunhe will strive to be happy every day from now on. Even if he doesn't become a legendary, revered hero like the God of War, he knows that in Aheng's heart, he is far more important than the God of War. That's enough; that's happiness.
Luo Zhiheng couldn't help but act and want to cheer Mu Yunhe up; the journey had been too heavy and exhausting. Her wounds would only make Mu Yunhe more upset. So she pretended to be unconvinced and unhappy, saying angrily, "Are you flirting with me? If you've seen someone's body, you have to take responsibility for it!"
"Hmph, you are my responsibility anyway, hurry up and take them off!" Mu Yunhe shut Luo Zhiheng down with a single sentence. They were husband and wife, so naturally it was each other's responsibility.
Luo Zhiheng gritted her teeth and, with a determined heart, took off her outer clothes, but only removed a little bit of the clothing on her shoulder blades to expose the wound, making sure it was still bandaged.
"How serious is the injury? Come here and let me take a look." Mu Yunhe looked at it with concern, but couldn't see clearly, so he became a little anxious.
"Oh, it's alright. I'm not that delicate. If I were really in too much pain, I would have thrown a tantrum already. Look at me now, full of energy, do I look like someone who's in trouble? Just focus on getting better. Once I've worked hard and won first place, I'll come back and cure you. Then we'll go home. Don't forget that Mother is still waiting for us at home." Luo Zhiheng waved her hand and smiled, pretending not to care.
"I'll go change your dressing first, you rest for a bit." Luo Zhiheng winked at Madam Huoyun and quickly left.
"What did you mean just now? Didn't I tell you not to let Mu Yunhe know that I was injured?" Luo Zhiheng scolded in a low voice as soon as she stepped out.
Lady Huoyun smiled slightly and said, "I must obey my master's orders."
The King? It's the King again! What exactly does this scoundrel want? Luo Zhiheng had a feeling that the King enjoyed watching the tense and dangerous situation between her and Mu Yunhe. Sure enough, he was.
After the medicine was changed, before Luo Zhiheng had even returned to her room, someone came up to report that the Imperial Noble Consort had sent someone to fetch Prince Mu Yunhe.
"Imperial Noble Consort? What Imperial Noble Consort?" Luo Zhiheng asked in surprise. 15.
"It's the Imperial Noble Consort of the Southern Dynasty. She has already sent people to fetch her. The Prince asked me to ask the young prince if he wants to go," the man said.
Luo Zhiheng was extremely shocked. What did the Imperial Noble Consort of the Southern Dynasty want with Mu Yunhe? How did she know about Mu Yunhe? One question after another arose in her mind. Coupled with the inexplicable assassination attempt earlier, Luo Zhiheng dared not let Mu Yunhe leave this place, nor could she easily contact other people.
"I'll go back and ask." Luo Zhiheng returned to her room, where Mu Yunhe's face was gloomy. The words that were about to come out were: "Why do you have that expression? Who made you angry again?"
"What do you think? Luo Zhiheng, you've got some nerve, haven't you? Do you think you're made of steel? You actually dared to stab yourself? You've got some nerve!" Mu Yunhe's breathing was very unsteady, and his voice grew louder and louder as he spoke, filled with rage!
Luo Zhiheng had never seen Mu Yunhe like this before, and was startled. She then glared fiercely at Xiao Xizi beside her: "You actually dared to leak the secret!"
"Your Majesty, I had no choice. If I dared to conceal anything, Your Majesty would kill me." Xiao Xizi's legs went weak, and he knelt down without any backbone, looking completely innocent.
Luo Zhiheng was furious. "Little Xizi, can't you be a little more of a man? Can't you stand up for yourself and let your grandma vent her anger? You good-for-nothing!"
Despite her dissatisfaction, Luo Zhiheng grabbed Mu Yunhe's hand and said coquettishly, "Little Hehe, don't be angry. Look, I'm fine now. If I hadn't done that, I would have died. You know I'm very afraid of death, so please be understanding."
"You're afraid of death? If I were afraid of death, wouldn't you have stabbed yourself without even blinking an eye! You damned woman! Don't you know that if you hadn't made a slight mistake, you could have lost your life? What would I do if something happened to you? Have you thought about that?" Mu Yunhe was so angry that he couldn't help but point his finger at her face and poke it hard.
"Ah, it's my fault, sir, please forgive me this time, I really know I was wrong." Luo Zhiheng put on a pitiful look, and seeing that Mu Yunhe's expression had improved a little, she became arrogant and said, "You're one to talk! What about you? You made yourself half-dead, do you know how sad and scared I was? When you put yourself in danger, did you ever think that I was also afraid something would happen to you?"
Mu Yunhe fell silent, his expression shifting from anger to shock and guilt.
"Aheng, I'm sorry for always making you worry. I will definitely try my best to live well from now on." Mu Yunhe promised Luo Zhiheng for the first time that he would live well, but there was another voice in his heart saying: Live well, and as long as there is a chance, I will definitely assassinate that bastard Shi Wang!
This time, Luo Zhiheng's knife made Mu Yunhe hate the King even more, wishing he could tear the King to pieces immediately.
"Hmph, you'd better remember what you said today. By the way, do you know the Imperial Noble Consort of the Southern Dynasty? How strange, she actually sent someone to fetch you to see her. And we just got here, and she already knows. Her information network is quite impressive. What's wrong with you?" Luo Zhiheng spoke for a while before noticing that Mu Yunhe's expression was quite unpleasant.
When Mu Yunhe heard the words "Imperial Consort of the Southern Dynasty," his expression immediately turned grim. His eyes held memories that were almost forgotten, memories he could never truly erase. His face showed sadness, despair, pain, and even more so, a sense of remembrance and longing. Ultimately, it was a complex mix that Luo Zhiheng couldn't decipher.
"Mu Yunhe, are you alright? Do you know something? Are those assassins who inexplicably came at us related to this Imperial Noble Consort? We don't know what kind of existence the Bai family is. We must be careful every step of the way in the Southern Dynasty. We've only just begun and there's already so much trouble and danger." Luo Zhiheng asked tentatively.
"No! No way! She wouldn't hurt me." Mu Yunhe snapped out of her reverie and said confidently, "Doesn't Aheng know that I have a full sister who married the emperor of the Southern Dynasty and became his imperial concubine?"
"Huh?! My own sister? I didn't know that." Luo Zhiheng was shocked. Her own sister? The Imperial Noble Consort of the Southern Dynasty? Didn't the miscellaneous records say that the Emperor of the Southern Dynasty was almost fifty years old this year? How old is Mu Yunhe's sister? Married to an old man? Besides, she was an imposter, how could she know so much?
“No wonder you don’t know. I don’t even have a strong memory of my older sister, but I will never forget her. She was a very kind person, fifteen years older than me. My mother had her after my father and mother got married, but she couldn’t conceive for many years. It wasn’t until my sister was fifteen and married the emperor of the Southern Dynasty that my mother had me, and I was born that year. When I was little, my sister loved me very much. My mother told me that my sister would send me many good things every year. Many of the treasures in the warehouse that you control now were made by my sister.” When Mu Yunhe spoke of this sister who seemed to have kept her hidden, his eyes and face showed respect and affection.
"No wonder he's so much older than you. Have you kept in touch all these years?" Luo Zhiheng asked again.
Mu Yunhe's face darkened, revealing a mixture of confusion and unconscious sadness: "That's it. Ever since I fell ill, it seems like my sister suddenly became distant from us. Except for holidays and our parents' birthdays, she hardly contacts us at all, and it's as if she's forgotten I exist. I only vaguely remember some things from my childhood, but I can't remember them clearly. Anyway, I just can't forget my sister. The clearest memory I have is of her eyes. I'll never forget them. They were eyes of despair, and just thinking about them makes me very sad."
"Despairing eyes? That means you must have met her when you were little. But why did you suddenly lose contact?" Luo Zhiheng muttered to herself in confusion. She also had a feeling that this royal uncle and sister who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere was not so simple.
"I don't know, but ever since then, Mother hasn't mentioned my sister, and Father doesn't either. It seems like my sister has become a taboo subject in the family." Mu Yunhe said, looking at Luo Zhiheng with bright yet cautious anticipation in her eyes: "Aheng, you said my sister knew we were coming so quickly. Has she actually been paying attention to us all along? Has she never forgotten me?"
Perhaps a child's childhood memories, whether beautiful or sad, are ultimately hard to forget. At this moment, Mu Yunhe is like a child, so eager to see his older sister, yet very unsure whether he is loved.
Luo Zhiheng's heart melted at Mu Yunhe's clean and adorable expression, and she nodded without thinking, "Of course we can! Let's go see your sister with the people who are coming right now."
It's past midnight, and there's thunder and lightning! Hua Sha, hurry up and go downstairs! Liu Ya won't reply if she doesn't come online today; she'll be back tomorrow. My darlings, please leave lots of comments and votes! Love you all, group muah!
191 The Mysterious Eunuch! The Princess's Words Have Hidden Meanings! The Emperor and Empress of the Southern Dynasty!
Updated: 2013-07-20 13:39:56 Word Count: 7642
"Are you sure you want to leave my place? Don't forget the competition for the world's greatest talent is the day after tomorrow. You've just arrived, you should rest more. As for seeing the Imperial Noble Consort, I think it would be better for you to go back to the capital after the competition," the Prince said casually, raising an eyebrow.
Luo Zhiheng understood the ambiguous smile in the Prince's eyes, as if he were saying, "Be careful, you may not return." This feeling was so strong that Luo Zhiheng couldn't ignore it. Strangely, when Luo Zhiheng saw the person entering the hall, she had an urge not to let Mu Yunhe see this Imperial Noble Consort.
After several internal struggles, Luo Zhiheng pondered the situation. She felt that the previous assassination attempt had been inexplicable and turbulent. Now that she had just arrived in the Southern Dynasty and was unfamiliar with the place and its people, it was indeed inappropriate to act rashly. In addition, this Imperial Noble Consort had not been in contact with Mu Yunhe for many years, and they did not know much about her character, so they had to be even more cautious.
Luo Zhiheng inwardly berated herself for her impulsive decision to agree to Mu Yunhe's request. When did she become so soft-hearted? What should she do now?
"This must be the young princess? I am the head eunuch serving the Imperial Concubine. Her Majesty received a letter from home long ago saying that you and the young prince were coming. Your wet nurse has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. Over the years, as an Imperial Concubine, Her Majesty has not been able to leave the palace easily and has long missed her family. Now that Her Majesty's beloved younger brother is coming, Her Majesty has not been able to sleep well since the day she found out. Please understand Her Majesty's longing for her family, young princess, and quickly make arrangements to come to the palace with me to see Her Majesty." The eunuch's face was frighteningly pale, and it seemed as if a chill emanated from his entire body as he spoke.
Sarcastic and unsettling!
Luo Zhiheng finally found the words to describe this eunuch. She felt that he was somewhat eccentric and strange-looking. The way he looked at Luo Zhiheng always carried an indescribable dark feeling.
"Your Highness must be exhausted from your journey. You should rest before you go. Go back and tell the Imperial Concubine that Your Highness should wait a couple of days until he has rested before visiting her." Luo Zhiheng immediately changed her mind. Better safe than sorry. Even if it was Mu Yunhe's older sister, she didn't know her and couldn't just go without knowing her.
The eunuch, with his usual sarcastic smile, said, “Princess Consort, you’re being unreasonable. The young prince isn’t getting enough rest, so when he goes to the Imperial Concubine’s, he’s naturally being given the best soups and medicines to nourish him. The Imperial Concubine misses the young prince terribly. You probably can’t wait two more days. Why don’t you come with me now? Otherwise, if the Imperial Concubine blames you, I can’t bear the consequences.”
Luo Zhiheng smiled and said, "What's there to blame? If Your Majesty truly loves your younger brother, she wouldn't insist on having the young prince see her at this time. Your Majesty should also know that the young prince has always been in poor health, and he also wants to get himself in better shape so he can see his sister in his best form."
The eunuch lowered his head and remained silent for a while before suddenly looking up and saying, "Her Majesty said that if the young prince is not able to see her immediately, then please let the young princess go first. After all, Her Majesty knows that the young prince is not in good health, but Her Majesty really wants to see what the young princess is like first. I wonder if the young princess could come with me to the palace to see Her Majesty first?"
Luo Zhiheng suddenly had a feeling that the Empress wouldn't leave until she saw the rabbit, but it was still understandable not to let Mu Yunhe go. If she refused again, it wouldn't be right. Besides, if she went, she could handle things if anything happened, and she could also help Mu Yunhe see what kind of older sister she was.
“Alright, I’ll go with you. Qiwan and I will go to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine. Wet nurse, please take good care of Mu Yunhe,” Luo Zhiheng instructed.
"Let your wet nurse go with you. Are you worried that I will punish Mu Yunhe? Don't worry, I won't do anything to ruin my future." The Prince suddenly spoke, with a half-smile.
Luo Zhiheng's mind raced. There were indeed many things that couldn't be explained in the palace. It would be better for the wet nurse to go, and Qi Wan could stay and take care of Mu Yunhe. Besides, if anything happened, the Prince wouldn't ignore it, especially since she was about to go to the competition to help him. The Prince knew about this crucial moment.
Luo Zhiheng, accompanied by her wet nurse, followed the eunuch into the carriage. Along the way, she looked at the bustling streets of the Southern Dynasty and listened to all sorts of noises, which gave her a unique feeling.
"What does the wet nurse think of this Imperial Concubine?" Luo Zhiheng glanced outside the carriage and asked in a low voice.
The wet nurse said, "I don't know, but I vaguely remember that this Consort was famous for her kindness and gentleness before she got married. The reason she was able to marry the Emperor of the Southern Dynasty was because she rescued him when he was traveling. This was a famous story back then. The Emperor of the Southern Dynasty doted on and cared for this Consort. Even though they have not had children for so many years, their relationship is still very good."
"No children? Has the Imperial Concubine been childless all these years? She has been an Imperial Concubine for many years, hasn't she?" Luo Zhiheng was shocked. It was truly astonishing that a woman without children could still hold the position of Imperial Concubine. Of course, the Imperial Concubine's illustrious family background might also be an advantage in maintaining her position.
"The legend says they didn't have any children, but since they were a loving couple when they were young, and the Consort saved the Emperor of the Southern Dynasty, it makes sense. The Consort was an Imperial Noble Consort from the moment she married the Emperor of the Southern Dynasty, and she has held that position for many years. By the way, the Empress above her is also from our Mu Dynasty. Can you guess who it is, Your Highness?" The wet nurse suddenly smiled meaningfully.
Luo Zhiheng certainly couldn't guess it; she couldn't have figured it out even if she racked her brains.
The wet nurse smiled and said, "She is Miss Murong Qianxue's older sister!"
"What? She's Qianxue's older sister? I never imagined Qianxue would have a queen from a wealthy country as her sister, yet she's never shown off about it. But how come the daughters of two important figures from the same country are both married to the emperor of the Southern Dynasty? Is the emperor of the Southern Dynasty a handsome man?" Luo Zhiheng was dying of curiosity and utterly shocked!
The General of the Nation's younger sister is an empress, and Prince Mu's eldest daughter is a royal consort of that country. The Southern Dynasty and the Mu Dynasty are inextricably linked. However, the two women's identities seem to have been reversed. Logically speaking, as a prince, Prince Mu's daughter could easily be an empress, so why is it that the General of the Nation's daughter is the empress?
"Yes, it was a very romantic story back then. These two young ladies were close friends. They both married the emperor of the Southern Dynasty because the emperor insisted that Miss Murong had saved him, which is why he insisted on the betrothal. But after the betrothal, he found out that it was actually the princess of the Mu family who saved him. However, at that time, the emperor of the Southern Dynasty had already announced to the world that he would marry the eldest daughter of the General of the State as his empress. How could he change his mind so easily? The emperor's word is law. Later, it seems that the princess took the initiative to compromise, and that's how the matter was resolved." The wet nurse didn't remember much and recalled these things haltingly.
But Luo Zhiheng still found it legendary enough.
These two women were originally close friends, yet they both married the same man. What will become of their relationship? And is the Imperial Concubine truly willing to be subservient to someone else? Why has the Imperial Concubine not contacted her family for so many years? Why was there no news even about Mu Yunhe's wedding? With so many questions, Luo Zhiheng suddenly wanted to meet this Imperial Concubine, who also had a story to tell.
The carriage arrived quickly. Carriages were not allowed to travel inside the palace. Luo Zhiheng got out of the carriage and followed the eunuch forward. The style of the palace was very different from that of the Mu Dynasty. The buildings here were mostly bright and soft, with a grand scale but also a gentle and subtle warmth. They were typical peaceful buildings without the embellishment of war.
The group quickly arrived at the inner palace. Before they could even turn at the fork in the road filled with flowers, they were stopped by a sharp, mocking voice.
"Oh dear, look! Isn't that the old dog that's always by the Imperial Concubine's side? Why is he acting as someone else's guide dog today? Let me see who has the honor of making our hidden, blood-sucking old monster so humble!"
Luo Zhiheng stopped, and the wet nurse immediately and subtly protected her. Hearing the voice, Luo Zhiheng didn't turn around immediately, but instead focused her gaze on the eunuch in front of her. From the side, she saw the eunuch's face darken instantly! Luo Zhiheng narrowed her eyes. Being scolded or being scolded never happens without a reason; there's always a cause. The eunuch being scolded naturally had a reason as well.
Luo Zhiheng grasped some sensitive words in the girl's words, and became even more wary of the person in front of her.
The eunuch paused for a moment, then turned around and, still with that ambiguous expression, said to the girl, "This servant greets Your Highness Princess Yu."
Luo Zhiheng also turned around, her gaze calm and indifferent as she looked directly at the person who spoke. She thought the girl was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a pretty face but also a sharpness that was not typical of young girls. She seemed to be a straightforward person.
Luo Zhiheng immediately thought of Murong Qianxue, and in an instant, she was certain that this Jade Princess must be closely related to Murong Qianxue. That resemblance in appearance, that slightly raised chin with such pride... tsk tsk, she's practically another Murong Qianxue.
For some reason, Luo Zhiheng suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, like meeting an old friend in a foreign land. People are all about first impressions; some you like at first sight, while others you can never stand. This girl in front of her was lucky enough to catch Luo Zhiheng's eye.
Princess Yu seemed very dissatisfied that Luo Zhiheng dared to look directly at her like that, and said angrily, "What are you looking at? If you look again, I will gouge out your eyes. It just so happens that the stinky and disgusting mad dog next to you likes to suck people's blood. He will definitely be very excited to see you bleeding. He will suck all your blood and turn you into a dried corpse."
The eunuch's face darkened, and he said in a sinister tone, "Princess Yu is slandering me like this... I am truly wronged! Is this how Her Majesty the Empress educates Princess Yu? To behave like this in front of foreign visitors... I'm afraid that if His Majesty finds out, Princess Yu will be punished again."
Princess Yu's expression changed drastically. She immediately pulled out an iron rod from behind her back and smashed it down on the eunuch's head: "You dog, you slave, how dare you casually make up stories about the Empress? You want to complain to the Emperor again, don't you? Today, I'll beat you to death with this rod, so you'll be ashamed to complain!"
The princess brought her club down fiercely, charging forward as well. The eunuch neither dodged nor flinched, but instead stared at the princess with a sinister gaze. Luo Zhiheng was right next to him, and she could feel the chilling aura emanating from the eunuch.
Luo Zhiheng had a feeling that the princess would be injured if she made a move, or that the little princess would be the one to suffer in the end! Because the eunuch was too calm, as if he was deliberately provoking the princess! 1575.
Luo Zhiheng shifted her feet, and the instant the princess's iron rod struck the eunuch, she stood between them. Amidst the gasps of surprise, she deftly and skillfully placed her hand on the princess's wrist. With a sharp tap of her finger, the princess cried out in alarm, her hand snapping as the iron rod slipped from her grasp. Luo Zhiheng, as if she had been waiting, swiftly snatched the rod back into her hand.
The series of actions happened in the blink of an eye. Before anyone could react, the princess was about to explode with anger when a majestic voice rang out from behind them: "Yu'er! Are you bullying people again? Have you been ignoring my words?"
The little princess, who had been pouting, immediately changed her expression, her eyes flashing with fear and grievance. She quickly turned around and stubbornly explained, "Father! It wasn't my fault, it was this old monster who said that Mother..."
"Shut up! Every time you find some excuse to blame others, every time you make others take the blame for your mistakes and arrogance! How could I have a daughter like you? Although your mother is a bit domineering and willful, she is not as arrogant, unruly, and incorrigible as you! It seems you really haven't remembered what I said about severely punishing you if you do it again. Guards! Go and fetch a rattan cane. Today I will personally teach the princess a lesson and see if she dares to be so presumptuous and bully others again!" The authoritative and cold voice did not diminish the anger at all, but instead became even angrier because of the princess's explanation.
Surrounded by a respectful crowd, a middle-aged man who appeared to be around forty years old strode in. The man was tall and imposing, but his face was pale and his handsome appearance revealed a mature wisdom and elegance. He was wearing a dragon robe and referred to himself as "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I" or "I"), so it was no doubt that he was the emperor of the Southern Dynasty.
A miscellaneous record describes an emperor, over fifty years old, who ruled a wealthy and powerful nation, and he really was a handsome middle-aged man! No wonder those two beautiful sisters were both willing to marry him back then. It's just that he had a terrible temper. He was also very autocratic and wouldn't listen to explanations.
"Father, please don't! I know I was wrong! I'll never do it again! Please don't punish me, Father! I beg you!" When Princess Yu heard the words "cane," all her stubbornness vanished, replaced by humiliation and fear.