The stiffness she had felt while unconscious had eased somewhat after eating something, but now, being pressed down by him seemed to have made it worse. Shen Mo suddenly didn't even have the strength to lift her hand. Couldn't move? Dared not move? Or didn't want to move...? At this moment, she completely lost herself.
"Why do they call me Princess?" Shen Mo asked nervously, wanting to say something, anything at all.
"Because you took an arrow for Consort Yu, she recognized you as her sister, and the Emperor immediately bestowed upon you the title of Princess." Murong Shi seemed unusually calm and composed, his ordinary tone carrying a hint of gentleness, and he felt her tension as he smelled the fragrance of her hair.
"Ugh...it hurts." The moment she moved, she touched the wound, and the word "pain" slipped out of her mouth.
"Then don't move, I can't eat you." Murong Shi turned her slightly, avoiding her wounds while still holding her.
But now that they were closer, his magnified features came into view. Shen Mo quickly closed her eyes, and after a long while, she finally calmed herself down and said, "Aren't you afraid that I'll take this opportunity to harm you?"
One second... two seconds... five seconds, Shen Mo opened his eyes. This person... had actually fallen asleep so nonchalantly! Looking at the faint dark circles under his eyes, Shen Mo lowered his head, feeling a mix of emotions.
Perhaps she was too tired, or perhaps she had never been so encircled and protected before, but Shen Mo gradually lost consciousness as he breathed evenly, until…
"Princess, it's time to get up." She thought she would see the Ninth Prince guarding the princess's bedside like the first three days, but today it turned into... "Your Highness, spare me! Princess, spare me! This servant... this servant didn't see anything, didn't see anything! Your Highness, Princess, spare me!"
Shen Mo was suddenly awakened by the sound. In his confusion, he realized that Murong Shi's eyes, which were already awake, were smiling and he was being honest. It was intentional!
Watching the palace maid's hasty retreat, Shen Mo raised his fist and swung it at Murong Shi, but before it even hit him, he felt a cool sensation.
"What do you want to do?" Any woman would ask this question after discovering that her clothes and bandages have been untied.
In a moment of impulse, the bloodstains on the bandages were carried to the bed beneath them... staining Shen Mo's eyes red.
Murong Shi's Adam's apple bobbed as he stroked her hair. "Xiao Mo, you... even Luo Hong is so thoughtful."
"you!"
Chapter Forty-Five: New and Old Feelings
"What do you want to do?" Shen Mo asked again as Murong Shi moved his arm.
“We’ve shared a bed all night, there’s no need to be so formal.” Murong Shi pulled away her hand that was blocking his face, his eyes looking like he’d already seen everything. “Besides,” he moved his arm, his eyes brimming with ambiguity, “you’ve had a good night’s sleep, you should at least be considerate of my soreness.”
Shen Mo's face flushed slightly, and he raised his head slightly to let him pull his arm away. Before he could react, his body suddenly felt light, and he was lifted into the air and picked up.
"Shh!" Murong Shi stopped her from asking a third time. "After staying indoors for three or four days, it's time to see the sun. Besides..." He turned back and looked meaningfully at the bed behind him, "It's time to have someone tidy this up."
She gripped his clothes tightly, "Don't you have to attend the morning court session?"
Murong Shi paused for a moment, "Isn't this what you wanted?" Shen Mo shrank back, and after leaning against the warm embrace all night, he suddenly reverted to his usual coldness.
Even the early spring sun couldn't ward off the chill. Because what Murong Shi was handing over... was a flute.
"I wonder if I will have the honor of hearing that tune played in the Nine Phoenix Palace again?"
It was as if he could see the figures resisting the barbarians in the north at this moment, the widowed mother and daughter of Ningcheng, and the resolute expression of the virtuous concubine, accompanied by the song "Late Autumn," making them even more sorrowful. Shen Mo slowly turned his head to look at Murong Shi, a warm smile gradually rising on his lips, "Your Highness, please forgive me, what song... I forgot."
"What do you mean 'forgot'!" A sharp female voice interrupted Shen Mo, rushing to them in a few steps. "Do you have any shame at all? You're not even married yet and you've already done this kind of thing! You..." She pointed at Shen Mo and then at Murong Shi, realizing that he was no longer the Ninth Brother she knew, and she was immediately furious.
"Yaoyao, stop fooling around, she's still injured," Murong Shi pulled Taoyao away as she was gradually approaching Shen Mo.
“Ninth Brother,” the emotions that had been building up over the past few days were about to erupt, “Can’t you see after all this time that Yaoyao’s feelings for you are not the love of a sister for her brother, but the love of a woman for a man?”
Murong Shi stared at Shen Mo's unchanging face without a trace of emotion. "But you should also know my personality. I will definitely take responsibility for her to the end." After saying that, he was satisfied to see the slight surprise on Shen Mo's face. He then picked her up again and carried away all the brightness in her eyes.
After holding back for so long, Tao Yao finally let his eyes fall, collapsing to the ground without a care for his image. He had deliberately leaked the news; he probably knew his father would fly into a rage the moment he saw the bedding stained with virgin blood. But he didn't know that the divine lightning flashing above his head—which he was always so confident of—had momentarily lost its temper. For the first time, he was both so brave and so cowardly…
"What are you laughing at?" Shen Mo finally couldn't hold back anymore. Murong Shi's smile might be deceptive from a distance, but at a distance close enough to smell each other's breath, Shen Mo felt a chill.
"I'm wondering if you're part of a honey trap they set for me."
Those words, once spoken, would have been uncontrollable had I not been prepared, had I not been able to control my emotions: "You have so little confidence in yourself?"
“Murong Yue, the fourth son of the emperor, is of higher rank than me. With the support of the virtuous consort, and in addition…” Murong Shi leaned closer, “childhood sweetheart!” He enunciated each word clearly, his teeth clenched, “Tell me, what kind of confidence do I need?”
"Murong Shi..." Shen Mo wanted to say something, but was suddenly covered by his lips.
“Don’t say anything,” Murong Shi said with a smile in his eyes, “I’m willing to use my beauty to seduce you.”
"Tch~" Shen Mo pushed him away slightly, "I...I want to take a bath."
"Not yet."
"Why not? Smell my clothes, they still smell of blood." Her expression relaxed considerably after being provoked by Murong Shi, and these words slipped out without her realizing how obvious their flirtation was to others.
"It seems my sister's eyes only have room for the Ninth Prince." With a tone that was half coquettish and half reproachful, only Consort Yu could now act so arrogantly in the harem.
"May Your Highness and the Princess enjoy boundless blessings," the servants behind Consort Yu greeted.
"May Your Highness, Consort Yu, enjoy boundless blessings." Accustomed to being a servant, Shen Mo did not forget etiquette.
"Oh~ why are you still calling me Consort Yu? Do you think I'm not qualified as your older sister?" She glanced at Murong Shi, "It seems I really should do something that an older sister should do."
"Sister." Shen Mo lowered her head. Actually, calling her "sister" wasn't so difficult. Back in Ning Cheng, she should have called her "sister," but now...
"Father." Murong Shi was the first to notice Murong Yi walking towards him from not far away. Everyone curtsied in greeting.
"Yu'er, you shouldn't go out in the wind with your health condition." Murong Yi seemed to be in a bad mood, and didn't even look at Murong Shi directly.
"Your Majesty, you've arrived!" Consort Yu was overjoyed. "The imperial physician also said that maintaining a good mood is beneficial to the little prince. I'm just happy to have recognized my clever and obedient little sister." Consort Yu took Murong Yi's hand and gently stroked her still-unseen belly, revealing her maternal tenderness, which instantly captivated Murong Yi's heart.
“Then it’s time to go back now,” Murong Shi said, smoothing a few strands of hair from her forehead. “I will see you off.”
"No, I want to chat with my sister a little longer." She acted coquettishly, oblivious to everyone else. The palace maids and eunuchs were already used to it and remained expressionless.
Shen Mo glanced at Murong Shi subconsciously, and for the first time, she lowered her head slightly in tacit agreement.
"My sister shielded me from an arrow and has just recovered from her illness. I would like to hold a banquet for her tonight. I wonder if Your Majesty would grant my request?" Her tender eyes pierced his heart. Even if the banquet were held now, Murong Yi would probably be willing.
"Do as you please." Murong Yi sighed, glanced at Murong Shi, and then leisurely left with Yu Fei.
"Aren't you coming?" After waiting for a long time, Murong Shi still showed no intention of following. Shen Mo nudged him. If he wasn't mistaken, the Emperor's gaze just now indicated that he had something to discuss with him.
"Go and prepare hot soup to serve the princess her bath." Murong Shi then instructed the servants, glancing back at her. "Hmm, I smelled something strange just now, there was indeed an odor."
"You!" The more casually he spoke, the thicker the fog became. In just one day, Shen Mo understood Murong Shi less and less.
“Even without you, I pose no threat to Murong Yue,” Murong Shi said slowly, watching the palace maid walk away. “Because I have no heart of a king.” Without waiting for her reply, he went back to his room.
Actually, I wanted to ask, "Do you believe it?" But what if I did? Shen Mo behind me didn't notice that Murong Shi paused. He was more familiar with this temporarily vacated princess's palace than she was.
In the time it takes to eat a meal, Shen Mo finished his fragrant bath. The magnificent bedchamber, with its gentle breeze and jade dew, wasn't uncomfortable, but being surrounded by maids made him feel somewhat... unaccustomed.
"come over!"
As soon as he came out, he was startled by Murong Shi's leisurely shout. He realized that he was really going to disobey the emperor's will, and hurriedly clutched his somewhat loose nightgown.
"Here are some clothes and accessories; choose some for tonight's banquet." Half-reclining on the soft couch, Murong Shi, as languid as an elf, looked exactly as she had been before. The item she casually picked up was enough to attract attention, because it was... bright red!
"How about this one?" Murong Shi even sniffed it, looked up and smiled, as if smelling of flowers.
"No." Shen Mo shook her head violently, almost fooled by him. This bright red dress made anyone who didn't know better think it was her wedding banquet.
"Come in." Upon hearing her words, Murong Shi raised his hand slightly and called out. A row of servants rushed in from outside, each carrying a set of clothes.
Shen Mo turned to look at him and saw him nod. Given his condition, even if it was bad, she had to give him face. She slowly walked to the second person and picked out a light yellow dress. "How about this one?"
Murong Shi shook his head, "The style of a young lady from a secluded boudoir doesn't suit you."
Continuing on, they encountered a third person, dressed in a silver robe. "How is it?"
Murong Shi shook his head again, "Tonight's banquet is the Fu'an Banquet, which is unlucky."
This time, Shen Mo went straight to the back without even looking at it, and said, "Then take this one."
Murong Shi continued to shake his head, "Do you think she's still a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl?" His words made all the girls present chuckle, and Shen Mo's face flushed slightly.
After a while, she walked up to him, picked up the crimson dress from before, and said with some embarrassment and annoyance, "You planned this all along, why did you have to come and tease me on purpose!"
Chapter Forty-Six: The Wedding Day
Shen Mo picked up the clothes and found that... the whole room was full of people watching. She frowned and said uncomfortably, "You all go ahead and do your work. I'll contact you if I need anything."
The maidservants glanced at Murong Shi, who still wore a smile, and no one dared to move.
“You guys…” Shen Mo found the culprit, bit her lower lip, and half-pulled up Murong Shi’s sleeve. “You go out too… Ah!” He pulled her back into his arms, and after the world spun around and she landed, she found herself back in the embarrassing position she had been in yesterday. When she looked up, she saw that the crowd that she couldn’t get rid of had disappeared without her noticing. They were all hidden masters!
"If I go out, who will dress you?" Murong Shi said, unbuttoning the brocade buttons on her skirt, and teasing her by blowing air into her ear. Shen Mo could even hear his soft laughter.
"I can put it on myself." Shen Mo jumped up abruptly, fleeing his embrace like she was escaping a bomb. Only after hearing his satisfied footsteps as he left did she realize that she felt a little dizzy. It was as if a voice inside her was trying to tell her: In this world, there is a word called "infidelity."
—————————————————————————————————
It was still the Half Moon Palace. Consort Yu seemed to particularly like this place, even though she had been assassinated here and there had been bloodshed and panic. When the eunuch announced her arrival as she walked beside Murong Shi into the palace, Shen Mo pursed her lips.
Hearing "The Ninth Prince has arrived!" and "The Princess has arrived!", he didn't need to hide what some people were thinking. Just like the clothes she was wearing today, which even blocked the radiance of Consort Yu.
"Sister!" As soon as Consort Yu entered the hall, she abandoned the Emperor and rushed straight to Chen Mo after everyone had paid their respects, which immediately exposed the two of them in a stark contrast.
"Who was this princess before? I've never seen anyone with such a star-like and moon-like temperament before." Later... people kept discussing this topic.
"It is truly a perfect match for our Ninth Prince." Later... people kept answering this question like this.
He bestowed upon her a luminous pearl, a pair of jade ruyi scepters, three bolts of Shu brocade, and so on… Shen Mo caught a glimpse of the twinkling starlight above, the word “bestowed” echoing in his mind until…
"Do any of you have any objections?" Murong Yi asked in a formulaic manner, looking at Consort Yu's beautiful face with satisfaction.
"Yes!" To my surprise, someone actually answered.
"...What is it?" Seeing that Murong Shi was still recovering from the anger of the day, his eyes looked very uneasy. If they could, everyone present would probably want to pull him back and tell him to talk about it tomorrow.
"On such a joyous occasion, I would like to join in the festivities. I wonder if Father Emperor still remembers my request for a marriage last time?" Murong Shi's words were startling, causing many in the room to gasp.
Could he be angry at the look in his eyes when he was brought along for a talk during the day? No, one could understand that he was simply blind and didn't see it. Could he be angry about the absurd affair that took place openly in the palace before marriage? And now he's asking for a royal marriage—what true love this is! Still, no!
Out of consideration for Consort Yu, Murong Yi suppressed the urge to slam his fist on the table, but anyone could see the dark circles under his eyes foreshadowing something. Everyone else was on edge, while Murong Yi... awaited the outcome of his request like a lovesick fool.
"Report!" Instead of a storm, a frontier battle report arrived. The war correspondent, who was authorized to report at any time, rushed to the center of the hall, diverting much attention.
"How about repelling the barbarians in the north?" Murong Yi, who valued foreign war, stood up abruptly and asked.
"Reporting to His Majesty," the war messenger said with a booming voice, "His Highness the Fourth Prince is a brilliant strategist. He led five thousand elite troops to sweep through the enemy forces and pursued them all the way to the mouth of the Guanzhong Plain. The northern barbarian chieftains even abandoned their families and fled alone. Our army captured hundreds of their officials and leaders in one fell swoop. This is an unprecedented victory of defeating a large enemy with a small force!"
"Good! Good! Good!" Murong Yi became more and more excited as she listened, and at this moment she shouted "good" three times in a row, sincerely pleased with Murong Yue's combat ability.
"However..." the war clerk changed the subject, "It is reported that the Fourth Prince lost a general, which greatly saddened him, so much so that he killed the enemy's son to avenge his great grudge."
Who made him lose control like this?