Ling's lips trembled slightly. Qingmo's tone was not harsh, but each word was clear and distinct. "My lord, today I am going to Fahua Temple to burn incense. I know you are concerned about my frail body and limited mobility. But as the saying goes, one should be forgiving when possible. Helping others is helping oneself. Besides, Miss Pingting has already apologized, so please don't be so pushy. Otherwise, when I arrive at Fahua Temple, even the Bodhisattva will blame me for lacking kindness and refuse to accept my incense offerings."
In these last few sentences, she deliberately added a touch of coquettishness, displaying herself as a complete little woman. The unspoken meaning was also very clear: her husband was carrying her because she was unwell and had difficulty moving around. Moreover, she clearly pointed out that the other party was at fault first, and that her husband was only being calculative because he cared about her. Now, they were not calculative because she was a Buddhist and kind-hearted, not for any other reason.
This couple is so loving!
It turns out she was unwell and unable to walk, which is why her husband was carrying her in his arms. She's so young…sigh…
Sure enough, after hearing her words, the people's opinions changed drastically. Some envied the deep affection between the couple, some sympathized with her inconvenience due to her legs, and some expressed their understanding by putting themselves in her shoes.
Seeing that she had achieved the desired effect, Qingmo winked mischievously at Feng Chenmu, pretended to be shy and leaned against his chest, her low voice full of warning, "Hey, don't undermine me. Just shut up today because the other party is a beauty. I'm already tired of you even though you don't find it annoying. If you still want to argue, just put me down and I'll rent a carriage and leave first."
After saying these words, Qingmo was not sure if Feng Chenmu would listen to her. After all, his aggressive and ruthless demeanor just now had left a deep impression, unlike her ability to persuade him.
But then she saw Feng Chenmu gazing at her with deep affection, his dark eyes like bottomless abysses that seemed to suck her in completely. A tender smile played on his lips, and his handsome appearance was so striking that it almost made her forget to breathe. He said, "My wife is kind-hearted and will not hold it against me. I will listen to my wife."
That deeply affectionate and captivating smile evoked admiration from every woman present. The murmurs of envy grew louder, and Qingmo, feigning complete shame, buried her face in Feng Chenmu's chest. If she hadn't known his affection was feigned, she would surely have been just as bewitched as these superficial women. But at this moment, all she wanted was to leave this place of trouble as quickly as possible.
The people at the Prince's residence were indeed efficient; in just a short while, the coachman had repaired the carriage and replaced it with a new horse.
Feng Chenmu carried Qingmo onto the carriage and placed her on the long wool carpet. She always felt a sharp, icy gaze staring at her, but because Feng Chenmu was blocking her view, she couldn't see anything.
Before long, the wheels of the carriage began to rumble, and the carriage slowly moved forward.
Since getting into the carriage, Feng Chenmu had remained silent. Qingmo stared thoughtfully at his deeply furrowed brows. Suddenly, she heard a commotion behind the carriage, as if something major had happened. Hearing the noise, Feng Chenmu abruptly pulled back the curtain, his gaze drifting into the distance, his already somber eyes becoming even more unfathomable. Because of her reclining position, Qingmo couldn't see what was happening outside, but she had been observing Feng Chenmu's changing expressions. Seeing his demeanor, she roughly understood what had transpired.
After walking a few more streets, the noise gradually faded. Feng Chenmu's eyes were filled with anger, his brows furrowed and his expression cold; he seemed restless. Qingmo glanced at him occasionally but remained silent. Although she couldn't say she knew Feng Chenmu very well, she knew he was always good at hiding his emotions. But now, his frustration and unease were written all over his face, indicating that he was truly anxious and impatient.
The post station was not far away when the carriage suddenly stopped. A guard in tight-fitting clothes lifted the curtain and peeked into the carriage, whispering something in Feng Chenmu's ear. Qingmo could read lips, but she did not do so, instead turning her head to the other side.
After a moment, Feng Chenmu said in a deep voice, "Madam, I have something to attend to and cannot accompany you to the post station. I will have Lao Jin take you there." Before Qingmo could say anything, he hurriedly jumped off the carriage, gave Lao Jin a few instructions, then leaped onto a tall steed beside him and galloped away.
The sound of horses' hooves was rapid, the crisp clatter quickly fading away. Qingmo was unable to move, unable to watch him leave, but she knew Feng Chenmu had left resolutely, without a trace of regret. So be it, feelings aren't acting; this was the real him. Thinking it over, the slight disappointment in her heart slowly faded, and she leaned against the jade pillow, feigning sleep.
They arrived at the post station not long after.
Qingmo saw the innocent and carefree girl she hadn't seen for several days. It turned out that the two of them had gone to the Prince Ping's mansion that day. The steward of the mansion said that Miss Yue had exhausted herself treating the prince's illness and needed to rest for a few days. He also obtained an imperial decree to let the two of them wait at the post station. However, they did not expect to wait for several days and nights.
“Miss, if you hadn’t come today, Lanman and I were planning to sneak into Prince Ping’s mansion tonight!” Tianzhen complained, pouting. “Although the prince is your husband, how can he compare to the feelings Lanman and I have shared with you through life and death for more than ten years? Miss has spoiled the prince too much. In just a few days, you’ve made yourself completely paralyzed, leaving Lanman and me to… watch… watch…” As Tianzhen spoke, her eyes reddened and her voice choked with sobs.
"Sigh!" Qingmo sighed deeply, only then realizing that Feng Chenmu's decision to stop the two from seeing her a few days ago was brilliant. If they had seen her unconscious...
"Has anything happened these past few days? How is the wet nurse?" She paused, then skillfully changed the subject.
Tianzhen stopped sobbing and, with her slightly reddened eyes, hurriedly said, "Miss, after you went to the Prince's Mansion that night, Miss Liu came to see you. She came, she..." Tianzhen hesitated for a moment, stammering, and couldn't finish her sentence.
Lanman rolled her eyes and added crisply, "That afternoon, the Liu family also received the imperial decree. She was betrothed to Prince Ping as a concubine and would marry into Prince Ping's mansion along with Miss."
"What?" Qingmo's bright eyes widened suddenly. How could this be? Liu Yan's father was the Minister of Rites, a third-rank official. Apart from her own wishes, she should have been a concubine, not just a lowly concubine. She was completely baffled.
Seeing the doubt on her face, she innocently explained, "It is said that Miss Liu fainted during the imperial concubine selection competition and was originally eliminated. But later, Her Majesty the Empress said that Miss Liu's birth date and time were a perfect match for Prince Ping, a match made in heaven. Originally, Miss Liu was to be made a concubine, but because of her poor health, she was first married into Prince Ping's mansion as a concubine, and will be promoted to imperial concubine after she has children."
Her clear eyes darkened slightly, and Qingmo lowered her eyelashes. It turned out that it was because of her that Liu Yan had married into the royal palace as a concubine. On the day of the concubine selection competition, she clearly sensed that the Phoenix Emperor harbored inexplicable hostility towards her. It seemed that the Phoenix Emperor must have known that she had entered Qiongfang Garden smoothly because of Liu Yan, which was why he bestowed Liu Yan upon Prince Ping as a concubine.
Luo Fu was already married, her relationship had soured, and she was of low social status. Under this series of blows, how much resentment must Liu Yan have felt towards her? Before even marrying into the royal family, the Phoenix Emperor had already created an enemy for her with whom she could never reconcile.
---Aside---
This story has a huge framework, and I, the author, am incapable of doing anything about it. I must say that the story will only begin to unfold slowly in two more chapters!
Wenwen will be recommending this in the next few days. I'm a newbie and I've always felt that I'm not very good at writing stories. I wrote this with the mindset that it will definitely flop. If you like it, please give me some encouragement. Please give it a collection, leave a comment, or anything else. I'll be overjoyed and might even update like crazy!
This rabbit pointed at the light bulb and swore that it would never abandon this story. If it did, it would make this foodie get mouth ulcers and be so painful that it couldn't eat any delicious food!
Chapter 22: The Soft Doll
Luo Fu was already married, her relationship had soured, and she was of low social status. Under this series of blows, how much resentment must Liu Yan have felt towards her? Before even marrying into the royal family, the Phoenix Emperor had already created an enemy for her with whom she could never reconcile.
*
"Lanman, go and prepare. I want to see Liu Yan." Her thoughts were racing. Qingmo thought for a long time. No matter what, she had to see Liu Yan before the wedding. Perhaps things could be resolved if they were discussed.
While Lanman went to arrange her trip, Tianzhen chatted with Qingmo about the events of the past few days. Qingmo then learned that Li Mumin and Yuechu Qing had both been bestowed upon Prince Kang as consorts, both as concubines of the second rank. As for Prince An, the Emperor had even bestowed upon him one principal consort and two secondary consorts. It seemed the waters of the capital were growing increasingly murky; perhaps before long, a massive upheaval would erupt, unleashing a torrent of bloodshed.
As evening fell, Qingmo took Tianzhen back to the Prince Ping's residence. Lanman, on the other hand, was sent by Qingmo to protect the wet nurse.
Before this, she met Liu Yan. Liu Yan didn't harbor as much resentment towards her as she had imagined; she was simply unable to be with her lover and had lost her appetite and weight in the past few days. Qing Mo promised to grant her wish and told her to take good care of herself.
In truth, Qingmo was also in a state of utter chaos at this moment. She moved freely within the Full Moon Manor, yet despite her best efforts, she couldn't uncover a single clue about the mysterious poisoner. Her wet nurse, poisoned with the "Drunken Love Poison," could only last a month or two at most; after that, even a divine being would be powerless to save her. Add to that the enigmatic Feng Chenmu, and the various minor incidents in Fengdu that were related to or unrelated to her, and she felt that from the moment her wet nurse was poisoned, an invisible net had been cast over the world. Every seemingly cautious and calculated step she took was merely a desperate struggle. Freedom, marriage, power… all were just pawns in someone else's game; one wrong step led to another, ultimately resulting in total defeat.
These past few days have been incredibly difficult for her.
On the first day, "Miss, the Prince is not in the manor. How about we take a medicinal bath?"
The next day, "Miss, the Prince hasn't returned yet. Why don't we go to the pharmacy?"
On the third day, "Miss, the Prince has not been in the manor. Why don't we discuss what medicinal food we should eat tomorrow?"
On the fourth day, "Miss, the Prince hasn't returned yet. You've asked him so many times a day. It's time for you to take your medicine now."
Since her hasty farewell to Feng Chenmu on the street, Qingmo has not seen Feng Chenmu for five days.
Because he was away, she devoted herself to recuperating, and now, with the help of a table, she can walk several dozen steps. Although her body is recovering, Feng Chenmu's absence leaves her with something on her mind, and she can't find an outlet for her emotions, so she can't seem to find happiness.
Outside the window, patches of morning glories were in full bloom, their stems and leaves intertwined, lush and verdant. Qingmo sat in her specially made wheelchair, gazing blankly at the beautiful scenery outside the window, lost in thought.
Standing behind her, Tianzhen noticed her preoccupied appearance and offered a concerned suggestion, "Miss, how about I push you out in your stroller to get some sun and take a walk in the garden?"
Qingmo snapped out of her daze and nodded. Good, it's time for a gloomy mind to bask in the sun, otherwise it won't even know when it'll get moldy.
Upon hearing this, Tianzhen smiled and quickly pushed her out of the yard.
The warm sunlight shone on the two of them. Tianzhen nudged Qingmo and chatted with her casually, "Miss, look at the Prince Ping's mansion. It's already early winter, but the flowers are still blooming and the grass is still so beautiful. I know you have something on your mind and you're anxious, but you can't solve anything by staying cooped up in your room every day. Why don't you come out for a walk? Look how beautiful these flowers are. Maybe seeing these flowers and plants will lift your spirits and you'll think of a solution!"
As Qingmo listened to Tianzhen's rambling words of comfort, a look of surprise flashed across her face. She couldn't help but smile and tease, "Zhen'er, is your young lady the kind of person who locks herself in her room and gives up on herself?"
"Of course not, my young lady is incredibly capable..." At this point, Tianzhen suddenly realized, "Could it be that, could it be that the young lady's recent sullen mood was just an act?"
Qingmo smiled and said, "You guessed it so quickly. It's been worth following me all this time."
With Feng Chenmu away from the palace, she had a vague feeling that someone was watching her these past few days. She couldn't let her guard down at this crucial moment, otherwise all the previous displays of affection with Feng Chen would have been for nothing. On one hand, she needed to find him; on the other hand, she had to feign the eagerness and resentment of a newlywed wife longing for her husband. It seemed she acted very well, even fooling the naive girl.
"Miss, I'm relieved that you're alright. I was really worried that you might like..." Hearing her say that, Tianzhen breathed a sigh of relief and blurted out a little too hastily. But she suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence.
"What do you like? You like Feng Chenmu?" Qingmo saw that Tianzhen had suddenly fallen silent, and pouted helplessly. Having lived two lives, how could she be so easily moved by someone else? Just as she was about to explain, a servant shouted from not far away, "The prince is back! The prince is back..."
Her eyes lit up, and a look of joy appeared on her face. Qingmo looked into the distance and hurriedly instructed, "Tianzhen, go quickly to fetch the Prince. Tell him I have urgent business with him and that he must come to Sixi Pavilion." (Sixi Pavilion is the courtyard where Qingmo is temporarily staying.)
“Okay,” Tianzhen took two steps forward, then stopped and turned around. “Then how will you get home, Miss?”
Qingmo rolled her eyes at her, "It's not far from Sixi Pavilion, I can push the cart back myself."
As the innocent running figure disappeared from sight, Qingmo shakily stood up from her wheelchair, and using the force of the wheelchair rolling forward, gritted her teeth and walked towards Sixi Pavilion.
Returning from the garden to the Sixi Pavilion, there was an artificial koi and lotus pond with a slightly arched stone bridge over it. Her body was only beginning to recover, and Qingmo hadn't walked far before her body started to ache. She forced herself to concentrate all her strength in her limbs, focusing intently on pushing her wheelchair up the small slope of the stone bridge. Suddenly, someone pushed her hard from behind. Caught off guard, she felt like a kite without a foothold, and tumbled violently to the side…
In the chaos, Qingmo's slender waist slammed against the square stone bridge, her body growing increasingly weak and powerless. At this moment, her face pale as she leaned against the stone bridge, not quite falling into the lotus pond, when the person behind her suddenly kicked her. Her body, leaning against the stone bridge, lost its support and had no power to fight back. Like a limp doll, she fell into the lush lotus pond with a splash.
---Aside---
I'm sick and feeling really unwell, so writing is going at a snail's pace. I've managed to squeeze out a thousand words, so please bear with me!
Chapter 23: Full of Schemes
Her head felt heavy, and her limbs were weak… Qingmo opened her eyes groggily and found Tianzhen asleep by the bedside. Her delicate face looked unusually haggard, with faint dark circles under her eyes. It seemed she hadn't rested well during her unconsciousness. Her fingers twitched under the blanket. She quietly lifted the blanket, stood up, and tried to get out of bed to get a drink of water, but after taking two unsteady steps, her legs gave way, and she collapsed back onto the bed.
The soft noise startled Tianzhen from her deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes, jumped up, and grabbed Qingmo's hand. "Miss, Miss, you're awake..." she exclaimed, both excited and happy. "You're finally awake! You've been sleeping so quietly for a whole day and night. Do you know how worried I was, Miss..."
Seeing Tianzhen recounting her crimes with red eyes and incoherent speech, Qingmo felt a pang of sympathy and took her hand, pretending to scold her, "You, you're such a crybaby. You've been crying since you were little, and all those tears could have drowned me!"
“Miss… such a big thing happened, and you, you still have the mood to joke? Do you know that while you were unconscious, I wished I could burn down Nuanyu Garden and tear those four ignorant bastards apart, skin them, dismember them, and drink their blood…” Tianzhen choked up as she blamed Qingmo for deliberately downplaying the seriousness of the matter. When she mentioned Nuanyu Garden, she changed her tone and began to curse viciously.
Warm Jade Garden? Her bright eyes were half-closed as Qingmo recalled the day she was kicked into the lotus pond. At the time, although she was focused on climbing the small slope to the stone bridge, she was still alert. She hadn't heard anyone approaching then; now she realized it wasn't that she hadn't heard, but rather that the person was skilled in martial arts, using lightness skill, which was why she hadn't sensed them. Then, unexpectedly, she was pushed. The pusher was very strong, and before she could even react, she was kicked into the lotus pond.
Could this matter have something to do with Nuanyuyuan?
After thinking for a moment, Qingmo asked with a question in her mind, "Tianzhen, what is this Nuanyu Garden you mentioned?"
Tianzhen glanced at her, her eyes bulging like copper bells, her tone unfriendly, "It's all because those four vile women from Nuanyu Garden are jealous of Miss's favor with the Prince, and they're determined to get rid of her... That day, as Miss instructed, I rushed to find the Prince. Thinking that Miss had been looking for the Prince for several days, I figured it must be something urgent, so I didn't take the main road, but instead took a shortcut through the garden to the gate. Who knew that those four vile women, to prevent me from finding the Prince, had deliberately sprinkled sleeping potion on the drooping branches? I rashly reached out to help her, and before I knew it, I was drugged. When I woke up, I learned that Miss had been pushed into the lotus pond. If the Prince hadn't discovered it in time, almost... almost..."
When she got to the sad part, Tianzhen's face showed a look of sadness, and then she said angrily, "Fortunately, the net of heaven is vast and its meshes are wide but it misses nothing. Miss tore off one of the jade pendants. Now those four bitches have been imprisoned by the prince and are just waiting for the emperor to issue an edict to send them to hell with a white silk ribbon... Humph, anyone who dares to bully Miss will die a horrible death."
As Tianzhen viciously cursed, Qingmo felt increasingly uneasy, her delicate eyebrows furrowing into a knot.
She knew about Nuanyu Garden; it housed the four stunningly beautiful concubines bestowed upon Feng Chenmu by the Empress. Nominally concubines, they were actually sent by the Emperor and Empress to keep an eye on Feng Chenmu, as they didn't trust him. No wonder Feng Chenmu was so eager to put on an act the day she woke up; he had already lured her into his trap. And now, in just a few days, he had eliminated four rats… He really trusted her, Qingmo chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Miss, your smile is creepy!" Tianzhen watched from the side, shrinking her shoulders in fear.
Qingmo glanced at her, raised an eyebrow and asked, "You call my smile creepy? Well, that's much better than you being unable to distinguish right from wrong. You've been with me for so many years and you're still so stupid. You must not be careless next time. You came from Manyue Manor, how could you be drugged? If word gets out, you'll completely disgrace your young lady."
With a hint of concern amidst her reproach, Qingmo subtly guided Tianzhen, her words carrying two meanings: First, how could an ordinary person have anticipated her taking a shortcut? The person who could foresee her taking a shortcut and then sprinkle sleeping potion on the leaves must be someone very familiar with them, a meticulous and incredibly intelligent individual. How could such a clever person have allowed her to pull off her personal jade pendant? Second, she had always acted rashly and impulsively, lacking composure and carefulness. She hoped that after this incident, Tianzhen would learn her lesson.
"Miss, I will remember this incident and will definitely protect you better next time." Hearing Qingmo's seemingly blaming but actually caring words, Tianzhen changed her previous boastful manner and replied seriously and solemnly.
Qingmo nodded. "It's good that you know. If you want to protect me, you have to protect yourself first." After a pause, she continued, "What did Prince Ping do while I was unconscious? Did anything major happen in the manor?"
Big news? Tianzhen looked up at her. "Nothing special happened at the Prince's Mansion, but Her Majesty the Empress said that once you wake up, she will take you to the Jingxin Palace to recuperate for a while. Would you call that a big news?"
What? The Empress wants to take her to the palace to stay for a while? Qingmo was stunned, as if she had heard the coldest joke in the world. After a long while, she narrowed her eyes slightly. No, this matter is definitely not as simple as it seems. There must be something missing that she doesn't know, which would lead that cunning and calculating couple in the Phoenix Palace to make such a request. Could it be because of the Warm Jade Garden incident?
"Knock knock knock..." Just as she was deep in thought, there was a sudden knock on the door. Qingmo came back to her senses and said, "Come in."
Upon hearing the agreement, Fenhe pushed open the door and entered with an extremely bright smile on her face. As she walked, she said, "Master's medical skills are truly superb. He said that Miss would wake up this afternoon, and she really has. Miss Yue must be hungry too. Master asked me to invite Miss to have a meal with him. So, I will lead Miss over now."
"One doesn't hit a smiling face," Qingmo said coldly, glancing at the beaming Fenhe without offering any approval or disapproval. Feng Chenmu probably assumed she needed his help and would comply with his every whim. Little did he know, their collaboration required more than just reciprocity and equal footing; more importantly, it demanded trust.
Feng Chenmu helped her during the concubine selection competition and later helped Lanman successfully rescue her wet nurse. In return, she exhausted all her strength to heal him in the stone chamber, and then they staged a scene of deep affection between them... They did two things for each other, so their actions balanced out. However, now Feng Chenmu used her to get rid of the rats in Nuanyu Garden, and now he owes her a favor... She wants to see what he has to say.
---Aside---