In her past life, she misjudged people and gave her deepest affection to the wrong person. In this life, she will certainly not be so foolish as to repeat the same mistake!
She vowed to expose this man, who was adept at disguise and habitually presented himself as a refined gentleman, and peel back his layers of pretense...
In the twentieth year of the Mingde reign, Ye Xiaowei and Li Muyan did not get married, and the Mingde Emperor did not bestow a marriage upon them. Therefore, their relationship was at most somewhat ambiguous, but not legitimate.
Although Emperor Mingde had mentioned giving Li Muyan to Ye Xiaowei, it was only a casual remark. He did not actually issue an imperial edict, nor did he formally discuss the matter with Ye Xiaowei. Therefore, Li Muyan was just a good friend of Ye Xiaowei at this time.
However, because of the ambiguous relationship between them, and because Emperor Mingde had once said that he would marry him to Ye Xiaowei, he was ultimately unable to remain calm and composed when he witnessed such a scene.
News of Ye Xiaowei's nightly revelry at the East Palace had already spread beyond the palace walls and throughout Fengyu Capital.
Popular legend has it that Her Highness the Crown Princess is strong and vigorous, able to indulge in the company of numerous handsome men all night long, and still appear energetic and refreshed the next day, showing no signs of fatigue.
The handsome young men who had been played with by the Crown Princess in the Eastern Palace were sent out of the palace by special carriages early the next morning. The young men all looked as if they hadn't slept for days and nights, with dark circles around their eyes and listless expressions.
In no time, news of Ye Xiaowei's philandering ways and her indulgence in debauchery in the Eastern Palace, with its handsome men, spread far and wide, becoming the subject of much gossip and a source of amusement for the common people.
Of course, they weren't trying to discredit Her Highness the Crown Princess, nor did they have the guts. While marveling at her excellent physical condition, they also envied her background and status, because only someone of her status could afford to have a different handsome man favored by her every night...
Li Muyan was the son of the Grand Tutor of the court, so these rumors in the palace naturally reached his ears. He listened to the people below, who spoke with great enthusiasm and relish.
At first, Li Muyan couldn't believe it. The Ye Xiaowei he knew was frail and sickly, weak and incompetent. How could she suddenly become so unrestrained?
Not only were the servants in the Grand Tutor's mansion spreading these rumors, but they could also be heard on the street. Li Muyan could no longer remain calm, and that's why he appeared here.
Now that Emperor Mingde intends to bestow a marriage upon him, he cannot let some random man ruin his future. So he went to the emperor's house to verify the matter in person, and was indeed shocked by what he saw.
In her past life, Ye Xiaowei was head over heels in love with Li Muyan, but in this life, she feels no affection whatsoever for the man who killed her child and forced her to jump off the attic; only hatred remains.
Luo Zijing felt Ye Xiaowei's slightly trembling body pressed against him, and her wildly beating heart. His handsome brows furrowed, and his gaze toward Li Muyan was filled with hostility.
In his view, Ye Xiaowei's sudden change was due to Li Muyan.
Even after being reborn, she could not easily forget the tragic treatment she had suffered in her previous life. Boundless hatred wrapped around Ye Xiaowei like threads, almost suffocating her. Her eyes darkened and darkened until they finally turned into a clear spring.
Her complexion finally returned to normal, but a hint of aloofness was still evident in her clear eyes.
"No need for formalities!"
Li Muyan stood up straight and looked up to meet Ye Xiaowei's eyes.
Standing before her, Li Muyan resembled a well-read and refined scholar, his every smile and gesture exuding erudition.
"I heard earlier that Your Highness was unwell, and I have not been able to visit you. I feel really bad about it. Seeing that the weather is nice today, I came to pay my respects, but I didn't know that I had disturbed Your Highness's enjoyment!"
When Li Muyan said this, he perfectly embodied the image of a refined gentleman, his words filled with concern. However, no matter how well he acted, he forgot that the eyes cannot lie.
His deep, dark eyes clearly revealed a hint of displeasure, which, combined with the smile he thought was extremely gentle on his face, looked incredibly fake!
His gentlemanly demeanor in public, but his true nature as a wolf in sheep's clothing disgusted Ye Xiaowei. What disgusted her even more was that she knew all this, yet she had to pretend to be indifferent and calm in the face of this murderer!
Ye Xiaowei raised her arm slightly, seemingly casually saying:
"It's alright! I've gotten tired of looking at it anyway, and I was just about to go back to my room with Zijing to rest!"
Having said that, she reached out and, as if no one else was around, stroked Zijing's devilishly handsome face. Damn, his skin was absolutely flawless—smooth, delicate, and as tender as a baby's face; it truly made one envious and jealous!
Her fingertips brushed lightly across Luo Zijing's face, hooking his sharp chin and touching his slightly parted red lips! As if struck by lightning, Luo Zijing couldn't help but tremble, his fair and translucent face instantly turning red.
Her eyes lowered shyly, her bright golden pupils filled with an indescribable tenderness and affection…
Li Muyan truly did not expect Ye Xiaowei to do this in front of him. His expression immediately changed drastically, and he could no longer pretend to be a refined gentleman. His face turned ashen, and he stood there, staring at the two of them.
Ye Xiaowei naturally saw Li Muyan's pale face, but pretended not to notice. She continued to show her affection for Luo Zijing as if no one else was around.
She had anticipated Li Muyan's change of expression and his burning anger, because she remembered that at this time in her previous life, she had already secretly fallen in love with Li Muyan and subtly hinted that she would marry him, make him her husband, and be devoted to him for life, never taking another husband!
He had even made a solemn vow, but unexpectedly, just a few days later, Ye Xiaowei was seen being intimate with another man right in front of him, and even told him that she was going to go inside and rest with another man. This was something he simply could not tolerate…
What Ye Xiaowei wanted was Li Muyan's intolerance, for him to return to his true self and restore his original appearance. She couldn't stand him pretending to be a gentleman, acting extremely refined and gentlemanly in front of her!
Ye Xiaowei stared at Luo Zijin in her arms, smiling tenderly, raising her eyebrows, and speaking in a slightly flirtatious tone.
"I love your shy look, your rosy cheeks, your beautiful eyes full of spring, your delicate and alluring appearance. I really want to devour you, you devil, so you won't tempt me here and cause me endless torment!"
Li Muyan's already unpleasant face became even more so, and his fingers, hidden in his wide sleeves, were now clenched into tight fists.
His thin lips were pressed tightly together, his sword-like eyebrows were furrowed into a knot, and he said in a cold voice:
"Since Your Highness is unharmed, I will not disturb your rest any longer and will take my leave now!"
Having said that, he was about to turn around when Ye Xiaowei saw Li Muyan's sullen and unpleasant expression. She was secretly delighted and deliberately said with a smirk:
"If you have nothing to do, Mu Yan, you can join me here for some fun. You're also a skilled zither player. Why don't you stay?"
Li Muyan suppressed the urge to swear, holding back as he did so, and said in a deep voice:
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. Unfortunately, I injured my finger while practicing a few days ago, and it is still not fully healed. Therefore, I cannot entertain Your Highness any longer. I shall take my leave now!"
012 Return to room to continue
Seeing Li Muyan suppressing his anger, Ye Xiaowei felt a surge of satisfaction.
In truth, when it comes to ruthlessness, she knew she was no match for the man before her.
Back then, he would talk to her under the moon, tenderly telling her how much he loved her. She was too naive at the time and quickly fell into his trap of tenderness, unable to extricate herself.
She thought he truly loved her, just as she loved him, but little did she know that behind his back, he was having passionate lovemaking with her third sister.
Back then, she was too trusting of his sweet words, which led her down a path of no return.
She will make her pay back for all the harm she suffered in her past life, especially for Li Muyan, that traitorous wife and beast who murdered her child!
Ye Xiaowei secretly wished she could tear his tendons out and drink his blood right now to comfort her child's spirit in heaven, but on the surface she still wore a faint smile.
"If that's the case, then I naturally can't force you. Since you're injured, let the doctor take a good look at you!"
"Yes, Your Highness, thank you for your concern. This humble subject will take his leave!"
Ye Xiaowei stared at Li Muyan's back until he disappeared through the door, her gaze lingering on him. Of course, she wasn't looking at him with tender, affectionate eyes.
Her gaze toward Li Muyan was sharp and piercing, like a series of razor-sharp arrows aimed straight at his unsuspecting back, bloodthirsty and cold.
Her gaze was caught by Luo Zijing, who happened to be looking at her. Luo Zijing's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but shiver.
He wondered how much hatred His Highness harbored towards Li Muyan. If that gaze could kill, Li Muyan would probably have been killed long ago, leaving no trace of his body.
Then, upon further reflection, he realized that His Highness and Li Muyan used to be very close. His Highness would invite him to the East Palace to play every few days, and they would play for a whole day at a time. Moreover, His Highness's gaze towards him was extremely gentle, unlike now.
If he wasn't mistaken, it must be that Li Muyan was having affairs with other women, and His Highness found out. That's why anyone would hate him so much.
Thinking this through, Luo Zijing suddenly curled her lips into a sly smile. Since His Highness no longer disliked her, why not take this opportunity to get closer to him?
Moreover, judging from the current situation, His Highness seems to be somewhat interested in him as well.
He didn't really like Ye Xiaowei before, but after seeing her completely defeat Li Changxi for the first time, he began to look at her with new respect and unknowingly fell in love with her.
Luo Zijing rubbed his smooth, delicate face against Ye Xiaowei's body, then deliberately spoke in a soft voice:
"Your Highness, you just said you wanted to go inside and rest with me. Are you going or not?"
Luo Zijing's action and words interrupted Ye Xiaowei's thoughts, forcing her to come back to her senses.
"Huh? What?"
Luo Zijing pouted somewhat unhappily: "Your Highness, are you pretending to be deaf, or are you pretending to have amnesia?"
Ye Xiaowei remembered that she had told a lie just now in order to make Li Muyan angry and stop pretending to be so refined. In fact, she didn't want to go back to her room at all.
But now Luo Zijing brought up this matter again, which put her in a difficult position, and she said evasively:
"Oh, I got carried away for a moment. It's broad daylight; perhaps that's not quite appropriate..."
Luo Zijin didn't take it to heart, thinking that Ye Xiaowei was afraid he would be embarrassed. He quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, leaning closer to her. His warm breath brushed against her chest, making her feel a little itchy.
Luo Zijing's slightly shy demeanor and lowered eyebrows made her look even more alluring. Her thick, curled eyelashes fluttered gently like butterfly wings.
"I can definitely do it. Besides, isn't the light better during the day?"
Ye Xiaowei almost spat out a mouthful of blood, thinking to herself, "This guy is way too direct! Shouldn't men be a little more reserved?"
She had initially intended to push him away, but remembering that she had just taken advantage of him, she couldn't be too harsh and instead said softly:
"No, I think I've had too much to drink. My head is a little dizzy and has a tingling sensation. I'd like to rest first..."
Upon hearing this, Luo Zijing immediately looked up, her bright golden eyes glistening with tears, her face filled with anxiety and worry.
"Oh? Your Highness, should we summon the imperial physician to take a look? Is it in a lot of pain?"
As he spoke, he stood up, reached out his slender fingertips to touch Ye Xiaowei's forehead, and muttered to himself:
"It's not hot, thankfully, I haven't caught a cold... but why did I suddenly feel unwell?"
"Alright, Zijing, since Her Highness is not feeling well, let's not disturb her. Let her rest properly!"
Before they knew it, Yin Jinmo had walked up to them, reached out and naturally grabbed Luo Zijin's arm, pulling him towards the door.
At first, Luo Zijin was not very willing, feeling that something was wrong. He said he would wait for the imperial physician to come before leaving, but before he could make a decision, Yin Jinmo had already grabbed his arm and forcibly dragged him out.
As they walked away, they added, "Since His Highness is unwell, you may all leave as well!"
Upon hearing this, the group of handsome young men naturally bowed and withdrew.
Luo Zijing was very displeased that Yin Jinmo was dragging her away so forcefully.
"Hey! Yin Jinmo, what are you doing? Do you think I don't have legs? Let go of me!"
Yin Jinmo ignored Luo Zijing's words, his expression remaining indifferent as he stared straight ahead. Luo Zijing knew Yin Jinmo's temperament to some extent; once he made up his mind, nothing could sway him.
Don't let his gentle and refined demeanor and ever-present smile fool you; when he gets ruthless, few can rival him.
Despite shouting and struggling, all to no avail. In the end, Luo Zijing could only reluctantly let Yin Jinmo drag him away, his handsome face long and drawn.
After everyone left, only Ye Xiaowei remained in the large hall. She leaned lazily against the soft couch covered in white fox fur, her gaze calm as still water, but her thoughts were racing.
If I remember correctly, Emperor Mingde should be returning to the palace from his hunting trip soon, and her days of indulgence should be coming to an end.
Although Emperor Mingde would blame Li Changxi for neglecting her upbringing and reprimand her for her nightly revelry, he would also feel that she was not making any progress as the Crown Princess and would gradually lose faith in her.
Once Emperor Mingde loses faith in her, she will fall out of favor and be banished to the cold palace. In reality, there is no difference between a crown princess banished to the cold palace and a concubine banished to the cold palace.
This was not the outcome she wanted after her rebirth, and she clearly remembered that in her previous life, Li Changxi had used similar methods to gradually make Emperor Mingde lose faith in her, until he finally avoided her altogether.
Removing Xia Yu, a thorn in her side, and replacing all of Li Changxi's spies in the Eastern Palace were just the first steps. Next, it would be time for her to truly unleash her power!
---Aside---