"What did I do wrong? Tell me, how have I treated you? What benefits did Luo Zhiheng give you? How dare you help her humiliate me like this? Do you want to die?" Consort Li said angrily through gritted teeth.
Hua Kai was completely bewildered, but she knew she might have fallen into Luo Zhiheng's trap. So she knelt down and cried, "Master, please calm down! I really didn't accept any benefits from Luo Zhiheng. I hate her too much to even think about it. Yesterday, when I went to her place, she lectured and threatened me. I've never seen anyone as wicked as Luo Zhiheng. She's so stupid. She even said that if I dared to touch that painting, she would beat me to death. I'm innocent!"
Consort Li sat down irritably. She still believed Hua Kai's words, but Luo Zhiheng had repeatedly challenged her bottom line and patience. If she really did nothing, wouldn't she be too contemptible? Moreover, she would lose face. If Luo Zhiheng thought she was easy to bully, where would she put her authority?
Consort Li was pondering how to deal with Luo Zhiheng when a letter was delivered to her. It was from her niece. Consort Li quickly opened it, her expression shifting rapidly before finally settling into a sinister and gratified smile.
"Not bad, not bad at all. Daughters of the Li family should have such spirit and methods! Hmph, Luo Zhiheng, just wait until tomorrow you'll be like a stray dog." Consort Li said sinisterly.
The letter was written by Consort Li's niece, outlining her plan and reasons for wanting to deal with Luo Zhiheng. This niece was fond of Luo Ningshuang and was grateful that Luo Ningshuang had helped her obtain the invitation. Furthermore, Luo Zhiheng was an obstacle in her life, and she had 'accidentally' learned from Luo Ningshuang about the dirty and despicable things Luo Zhiheng had done in the past. As a result, she harbored hatred and disgust for Luo Zhiheng and wanted to teach her a lesson.
She also asked her aunt, Consort Li, to ensure that Luo Zhiheng could participate in the First Talent Competition tomorrow, so that she could embarrass Luo Zhiheng in the first preliminary round. This was also to retaliate against Luo Zhiheng for daring to be ungrateful and refusing to transfer the invitation to her.
Consort Li was gratified. This child hadn't even married into the Prince's household yet, and she already knew to be of one mind with her and to share her burdens. What could be more satisfying than avoiding making Luo Zhiheng lose face in front of the whole world?
As for sending Luo Zhiheng to participate in the competition, she doesn't need to say anything more. Luo Zhiheng will probably go anyway. Go ahead and go ahead, go and humiliate yourself. Let her know what it means to fall down and what it means to be in pain!
Consort Li was delighted and eagerly anticipated the next day. As a result, she spent the rest of the day in a good mood and didn't cause any trouble for Luo Zhiheng.
Luo Zhiheng was also very busy that day. Besides feeding Mu Yunhe in the morning and at noon, she was busy preparing her secret weapon and didn't have much time to pay attention to Mu Yunhe. So Mu Yunhe was reading a book in bed at the moment.
He casually rummaged through the box of medical books that Luo Zhiheng had asked the nanny to buy a few days ago. Luo Zhiheng didn't have time to read them now, but he could. He knew his own condition and body best, so he could study them himself. Mu Yunhe looked for a while, and the medical books he found were mostly common knowledge. He continued searching. The box wasn't big, and he soon reached the bottom. At the bottom were the last two medical books. When Luo Zhiheng saw that the covers and styles were finally different from the other books, her eyes lit up.
When he opened the first book, which had nothing written on its cover, he was immediately stunned by what was drawn inside. Then came bewilderment, confusion, and a sense of shame.
The book depicted a naked man, one small figure per page, without any labels. This struck Mu Yunhe as odd. He continued flipping through the pages, and the second chapter was different; the man was pressing his own chest…
Mu Yunhe's eyes widened, his face filled with confusion. Was there some strange acupoint on his chest? He continued flipping through the pages, and in the third chapter, the man's expression changed; his mouth was slightly open, as if he were in great pain. Mu Yunhe's heart skipped a beat. This man was probably poisoned or had suffered internal injuries; the action of pressing his chest earlier must have been his way of healing himself.
On the fourth page, the little man was different again. His large hand was now pressed against his lower abdomen, and at that moment, Mu Yunhe's gaze finally fell upon the thing beneath the little man's belly, which had also changed. It seemed to be a little bigger than before.
Mu Yunhe immediately perked up! This seemed to have something in common with his strange illness yesterday. He quickly flipped back to check, and sure enough, the little guy was still asleep back then. He quickly flipped back to look, and sure enough, it had grown a bit bigger.
At this moment, Mu Yunhe was extremely excited. In his eyes, his strange and embarrassing illness finally had a cure; truly, heaven had eyes. Was Luo Zhiheng really such a blessed woman? Her arrival brought life again and again; coincidentally, among the books she bought was one that addressed his newly discovered ailment. No wonder General Luo regarded her as a little lucky star!
With hope in his heart and in a better mood, Mu Yunhe automatically idealized Luo Zhiheng.
He eagerly and carefully examined the changes in the little figure's body on each page. By the sixth page, Mu Yunhe saw that the little figure's body had become abnormally large and terrifying, covered with blue veins. At this moment, the little figure's expression was dazed, and its face was flushed.
The book is illustrated remarkably vividly, with precise use of color, creating an immersive experience for the reader. Mu Yunhe became completely absorbed in reading it.
The little man's hand was actually covering the guy beneath him, and several pages followed that scene, but there was a clear difference. Was the little man actually stroking that thing?
Mu Yunhe was somewhat puzzled, yet also somewhat enlightened. Could this be the method to detoxify? Although he had placed it there yesterday, he hadn't dared to touch it, worried that he might break the thing that had suddenly hardened. Now it seemed he was wrong; he should have touched it.
Finally, he saw the little man open his mouth wide, and something actually spurted out of that thing...
Mu Yunhe's face was flushed, his body stiff, and he was filled with confusion and bewilderment: How did he end up urinating?!
Finally, a few words appeared on this book full of little figures performing: Self-reliance brings happiness and abundance!
Mu Yunhe was completely baffled by those few words. Wasn't this a medical book? Why wasn't there a single sentence describing the illness? The last sentence was also ambiguous and incomprehensible. But Mu Yunhe gave up after thinking for a while. He was still very happy to have found a book that addressed his physical ailment. His condition was exactly the same as the changes in the little figure in the book, so could he give it a try? Maybe it could really alleviate his symptoms? Moreover, this treatment method didn't require buying medicine or seeing a doctor; as long as he did it discreetly, he could remain undetected.
Mu Yunhe put down the book and quickly picked up another one, also without a name, but with an exquisitely beautiful cover. He opened it and his eyes widened once again. What is this?! What is this?!
A woman and a man, both shamelessly naked. The man was strong, the woman delicate, and they rolled around together, whispering sweet nothings, the scene chaotic.
Mu Yunhe felt he couldn't understand their movements. He flipped through the book over and over again, but still couldn't figure out which of the people in the picture was in the correct position. The people in the picture were sometimes lying down, sometimes sitting, sometimes sticking out, and some were even upside down. What were they doing?
However, this book is much better than the previous one. Every page of this book features a different posture, and each page also has a line of small print. For example: the "old man pushing a cart" posture.
Mu Yunhe genuinely didn't understand the meaning. Just then, Luo Zhiheng's voice rang out from outside, so Mu Yunhe immediately put down the book and hid the book about his ailment under his pillow. It was a completely subconscious action; only afterward did Mu Yunhe realize that he actually didn't want Luo Zhiheng to see the picture book. The man in the picture looked very lewd!
Furthermore, he didn't want Luo Zhiheng to know about the strange illness that had developed in his body. He thought it would be better to give Luo Zhiheng a surprise once he had recovered.
Luo Zhiheng only came in to get something and was about to leave in a hurry. Mu Yunhe had a question in his mind and couldn't wait to ask, so he said, "I'll ask you, what is the 'old man pushing a cart' style?"
Luo Zhiheng paused, wondering why the name sounded so familiar. However, she didn't pay much attention or think anything of it, turning back with a smile, "It probably means farmers pushing carts while working in the fields. Why did you suddenly ask that?"
Mu Yunhe frowned. Something was wrong. The book said that sentence, but the illustration depicted a young man, not an old man. Wanting to understand, he handed the book to Luo Zhiheng, specifically turning to that page and pointing to the posture, saying, "Look, is this an old man pushing a cart? Did you buy the wrong book? Or did the copyist make a mistake? How could you be so irresponsible? This is a book for saving lives and treating illnesses; how could you be so careless?"
Mu Yunhe was still complaining, but Luo Zhiheng was completely petrified! She stared dumbfounded at the pictures in the book, almost blinded by the embarrassing poses depicted!
What is that? What is it?!
She felt as if she had been struck by lightning, as if thunder was rolling in the sky, the earth was shaking, a bolt from the blue struck, and dark clouds were gathering!
Suddenly, she glared fiercely at Mu Yunhe. This man actually... actually brought such a filthy and vulgar thing! And he even dared to show it to her. What did he take her for? Although Luo Zhiheng used to be a lovesick fool who adored handsome men, that was the Luo Zhiheng of the past. She was a well-mannered, cultured, discerning, and reserved good bandit.
Although she also likes handsome men, she wouldn't stoop so low as to pounce on every man she sees, and she certainly wouldn't look at such vulgar... erotic pictures!
Was Mu Yunhe flirting with her? Or was he humiliating her?!
"What do you mean?" This was the first time Luo Zhiheng had looked at Mu Yunhe with such an extremely hurt expression. Her eyes were red, and her voice, filled with gritted teeth, carried a sense of heartache.
Mu Yunhe panicked and sat up abruptly, but he fell back down hard because of the force. This sudden movement caused him to cough violently. During this time, he tried to explain several times, although he didn't know what to explain. He could tell that Luo Zhiheng was really angry this time.
She must have misunderstood something! For the first time, Mu Yunhe felt a sense of tension and urgency, as if a hundred claws were scratching his heart. He was afraid that Luo Zhiheng would run away again in a fit of anger. But his body was too uncooperative. The more anxious he was to explain, the more violently he coughed, and even breathing became painful. But this time, despite his disheveled and uncomfortable state, Luo Zhiheng just stood there with her fists clenched and her eyes red, coldly watching him without asking any questions.
Mu Yunhe's heart turned ice-cold, making him dizzy.
Having finally caught his breath, Mu Yunhe anxiously explained, without even realizing it, "Don't misunderstand me! I didn't mean anything by it. I'm not blaming you for buying bad books. I really don't understand what's on them. Look how strange they are. Who stacks things together like this? And every single one of them is like this, the posture is weird too. I... I've really never seen anything like it. And the words written on them are also very incomprehensible. Take a look for yourself, isn't that right?"
Luo Zhiheng's aggrieved gaze instantly turned to astonishment and confusion. She had initially thought Mu Yunhe was deliberately using this to humiliate her, but looking into his clear and innocent eyes, even in his anxiety, Luo Zhiheng couldn't bear to doubt him. 15461395
But how could she believe that a grown man wouldn't know about erotic art? It was just too absurd and illogical! She'd been wondering why the phrase "old man pushing a cart" sounded familiar—it was that phrase! Back in her bandit days, a bunch of grown men would spend all their time gossiping, their mouths always full of dirty jokes. In those difficult times, finding joy in hardship was already a feat; who cared about anything else?
Although they might be mindful of her presence as a young girl, they were a group of loud, boorish men who were together all the time, so it was inevitable that they would overhear things like "old man pushing a cart" or "dragon playing with a pearl." Wouldn't it be hypocritical to say they didn't know? But she had only heard about it and had never seen it, so she didn't think much of it.
But someone like her has common sense about such sensitive and shameful things. How could Mu Yunhe, the young prince of the royal mansion, not know?
"Aheng, you don't believe me?" Mu Yunhe felt hurt and uncomfortable seeing Luo Zhiheng's expression change repeatedly while ignoring him. A sudden surge of anger and self-mockery filled his heart. If she didn't believe him, so be it. He didn't need this annoying woman to believe him. Let her do whatever she wanted; they could just break up, which was better than him constantly humbling himself and compromising like this!
He slowly lowered the hand holding the drawing, an air of despondency and self-abandonment enveloping him.
Seeing this, Luo Zhiheng's heart trembled, and her hand reached out uncontrollably to take the book from his hand. Mu Yunhe suddenly looked up, his dejected eyes revealing an undisguised grievance and a fleeting glimmer of hope.
Luo Zhiheng coughed awkwardly, her hand stiffly flipping through a page. The provocative pose on the page almost made her drop the book, but she bravely held on. Holding it up to Mu Yunhe, she stared intently into his eyes and asked, "Do you know what this pose is called?"
Mu Yunhe shook his head, his expression clean and blank, showing not a trace of shame or embarrassment at seeing this shameful thing. Luo Zhiheng felt a little relieved, but still couldn't help trying a few more positions to ask him.
Seeing Luo Zhiheng's reaction, Mu Yunhe became angry and sneered, "You still don't trust me? If I knew what this was, would I need to ask you? You dare to blame me for buying this yourself? What a joke! If you don't trust me, then get out. I don't care about your trust."
Luo Zhiheng completely believed Mu Yunhe's words. Although she still found it strange, Mu Yunhe was just that kind of person—he was either right or wrong, and no one could wrong him, nor would he deny anything. How could she forget that Mu Yunhe was a well-protected, clean-cut nobleman, and a rare true gentleman!
Luo Zhiheng immediately stopped being angry and instead became smug. Look, this big white rabbit is so clean and cute, he really doesn't have a single dirty thought. He can remain calm and abstinent even when seeing such hot erotic pictures. He is indeed the best among abstinent beauties!
Why would this thing appear in a medical book? She looked at him threateningly: "Are there any other books like this? If you dare to keep any, I won't be polite."
Mu Yunhe's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively slammed his head down on the pillow, but his expression remained cold as he said without even looking at Luo Zhiheng, "That's all."
Luo Zhiheng thought about it and realized it made sense. If there were more, he wouldn't understand either, and he would probably show them to her anyway. So she stiffly took the thing and was about to leave.
Mu Yunhe didn't understand what it was, and still unwilling to give up, he couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is it? You still haven't told me."
Luo Zhiheng stumbled, her small face displaying a fascinating array of expressions. She stiffly turned her head and forced an awkward smile, saying, "N-nothing, it's nothing at all. You should forget about this thing quickly, okay? This thing is a menace; it can poison people. You're not allowed to like it anymore. Just continue to be celibate. I like how clean and pure you are now, hahaha!"
After Luo Zhiheng finished speaking, she practically rushed out of the room with the erotic picture book in her hand, afraid that Mu Yunhe would ask another question. Her face was already burning hot.
Upon hearing the word "poisoned," Mu Yunhe's expression turned serious. No wonder Luo Zhiheng was so angry; she was afraid he had been poisoned. He had misunderstood her earlier. Suddenly hearing her words of affection, Mu Yunhe's ears inexplicably burned. He said, "Who cares about your affection?" but a smug smile involuntarily spread across his lips.
Luo Zhiheng rushed to her wet nurse's room, slammed the door shut, and immediately threw the book she was carrying onto the bed as if it were a hot potato. Her face flushed red as she said, "Wet nurse! You've ruined me! How embarrassing! Why did you buy that kind of book?"
Upon hearing the word "kill," the wet nurse's face turned pale with shock. She quickly picked it up and looked at it. Her expression became very awkward after reading it. She said with a wry smile, "How was I supposed to know there was such a book? I asked the shopkeeper to pack one of each kind of medical book. Later, the shopkeeper saw that I bought a lot and gave me two more as a gift. But I was in a hurry and didn't see what the gift was. Could it be this?"
Two books? Luo Zhiheng's eyes widened, but thinking that Mu Yunhe wouldn't lie to her, the other one was probably a proper medical book, so she didn't mention it. She only said, "Nanny, get rid of this thing quickly. I never want to see it again."
She turned to leave, but the wet nurse behind her chuckled and murmured, "Why destroy it? You and the young prince might need it in the future."
Luo Zhiheng stumbled and bumped into the door frame. Even with her usual composure, she couldn't stay calm at this moment. She hurriedly left behind the words, "I don't need you to destroy it," and fled in panic.
The first update is here! There will be more updates today. I'll keep working hard, my darlings! Please shower me with your recommendation votes, comments, and monthly tickets! It will give me endless motivation. Love you all! *kissing emojis*
117 The Princess's good intentions and protection!
Updated: 2013-06-20 12:34:47 Word Count: 3543
That evening, Luo Zhiheng felt that Mu Yunhe was very cold towards her. And rightly so, she had angered him during the day, but who told him to create such a sensational incident? Still unwilling to give up, Luo Zhiheng casually mentioned while feeding him, "Do you think the room would look better if we hung up erotic pictures all over it?"
Mu Yunhe ate his meal expressionlessly, completely ignoring Luo Zhiheng's question. Only after chewing slowly and deliberately did he calmly ask, "What is 'Spring Palace Picture'?"
Luo Zhiheng was once again unsettled. He really didn't know! Was this man mentally challenged? Did he have the mind of a child? However, Luo Zhiheng's doubts didn't last long. In the midst of the uproar over the invitation to the First Talent Competition these past few days, the princess, who seemed to have disappeared, finally reappeared.
Madam Hu had someone invite Luo Zhiheng to her courtyard. After not seeing her for several days, the princess's complexion was obviously not good. No wonder she didn't go to see Mu Yunhe. She must be afraid that the filial Mu Yunhe would worry.
"Mother doesn't look well. Is it because of the heat that she has a poor appetite?" Luo Zhiheng asked worriedly as the princess pulled her to sit down.
The princess smiled gently and said, "No, it's just that I've been thinking about the past few days, and it's hard not to feel a little dazed. I know you two are doing very well lately. You've taken good care of Yunhe, and I'm very pleased. It's just that you've had a hard time."
Luo Zhiheng deliberately adopted a shy, girlish demeanor, lowering her head and remaining silent, only smiling with her lips pursed.
The princess was very pleased with her and was truly satisfied with her. Mu Yunhe was so energetic now, and it was said that his shouts could often be heard. This made the princess very happy. On the one hand, she felt that Doctor Liang's medicine was really effective, and on the other hand, she felt that having someone who could make her son so energetic by his side was a great blessing.
On this point, the Princess and Mu Yunhe had a similar idea. They both believed that Luo Zhiheng was indeed a blessed person; her arrival had brought about a dramatic change in Mu Yunhe in a short period of time. Although the mother and son didn't say it aloud, they were both very satisfied with this marriage that had come about by chance.
"I called you here today to ask you, are you really going to participate in the First Love Contest?" The princess got down to business, her expression unusually solemn.
Luo Zhiheng knew they had arrived. The Princess Consort's inexplicable silence for four days must have a reason. 15461395
“Yes, Mother, I want to participate. Although I know I'm not strong enough, I won't give up. This competition is an opportunity for me and Mu Yunhe to change our image. We can't always be seen as mismatched. I want to be worthy of Mu Yunhe. I don't want people to say that Luo Zhiheng is a notorious gold digger who doesn't deserve the young prince. I want to fight for my own happiness and for the young prince's reputation. Although I know I'm not strong enough, I'm not afraid. I will do my best.”
When Luo Zhiheng spoke, her words were both solemn and resolute, spoken with impeccable eloquence. This further demonstrated Mu Yunhe's foresight. Mu Yunhe had once said that Luo Zhiheng was a woman who spoke to people in a way that suited them perfectly, saying whatever came to mind. Her statements regarding the First Talent Competition were ever-changing, differing from everyone's, but she was adept at grasping people's vulnerabilities, focusing on those very points, making success effortless for her.
So when Luo Zhiheng kept saying that she was doing this for Mu Yunhe, and that she didn't want to embarrass Mu Yunhe because of her bad image, and even though she knew that she was not as skilled as him and would only be humiliated if she went, she still went without hesitation, the princess, whose weak point was attacked, was moved, and even touched!
The princess grasped Luo Zhiheng's hand emotionally, repeatedly saying, "My good child, I'm so sorry you had to go through all this. Don't pay attention to what those people are saying. Your mother and Yunhe know you're a kind and virtuous child. But that competition, could you..."
The princess wanted to prevent Luo Zhiheng from participating, for one reason only: if Luo Zhiheng stood out in the competition and won even the slightest glory, or even gained a little attention, disaster would befall them!
She had won a championship once and knew the cruelty of that competition. Even though the rewards were truly amazing, what she valued now was definitely not those things of honor. She had once been happy to marry Prince Mu and become his principal wife in order to win the championship. She was also content after having a daughter. But when her long-awaited son finally came, a series of things went out of control and became extremely terrible. Only then did she realize that in this life, she did not seek great wealth and fame. What was most important was to be with a man who truly loved her, to have a healthy son, and to be happy!
But all of this was so simple, yet because of her own competitiveness, vanity, and even jealousy back then, such simple happiness could never belong to her.
She also had conflicting thoughts: if Luo Zhiheng really achieved good results, her status would naturally be different. In the Prince's mansion, the two of them, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, would definitely be able to better protect Mu Yunhe. Even if Mu Yunjin got married in the future, with Luo Zhiheng's first place in the talent competition, Mu Yunjin's wife wouldn't dare to do anything to Luo Zhiheng.
But she never wanted her son to experience the hardships and suffering she had endured. Therefore, she was conflicted when Luo Zhiheng decided to participate in the competition. If Luo Zhiheng showed even the slightest improvement, Consort Li would undoubtedly resort to ruthless suppression. Without the Prince's intervention, Consort Li would show no mercy. Could she, then, have the confidence and strength to protect her son's safety?