“I can go, but I’m worried about you staying here alone. What if Mu Qingya and her people come looking for you…” the wet nurse hesitated.
Luo Zhiheng laughed loudly: "Don't you see what we look like now? You're an old woman with one eye blind, and I'm a silly girl with a limp. We're both ugly as hell. Besides, we disguised ourselves neatly after leaving the city before coming back. They won't be able to find us even if they work themselves to death. Go ahead without worry. But be careful when you go to the palace. Mu Qingya will definitely send people to keep an eye on us there."
The two of them were indeed extremely disheveled, living in the lowest-class room, looking like refugees from famine. Only then did the wet nurse feel relieved and leave.
The wet nurse didn't return until evening, covered in blood. Luo Zhiheng was startled: "Did someone recognize you?"
"No, I entered through the back gate of the palace, but I was still targeted. There were experts there. When I came out, I deliberately circled around a few times, but I couldn't shake off the tail behind me. So I went into the woods to deal with them. I didn't expect the people who came out to be so powerful. But luckily, I took care of them all. No one will find out about this place." Although the wet nurse spoke lightly, Luo Zhiheng could imagine how intense the scene must have been.
"This Mu Qingya is very strange. How does a woman in the palace get so many experts around her?" Luo Zhiheng was extremely puzzled.
"Those people are all top-tier imperial guards!"
The wet nurse's calm words shocked Luo Zhiheng: "Never mind her for now. Has the King emerged from seclusion?"
"Not yet. I asked around, but no one could say for sure when he will emerge from seclusion," the wet nurse scoffed.
"He always messes up when we use him, we might as well call him the King of Failure!" Luo Zhiheng sneered and asked, "What does Elder Tong say?"
The wet nurse said admiringly, "You guessed right. Although Old Master Tong didn't remember, the Chess Saint and the old patriarch of the Nalan family were chess friends. He said that when he was playing chess at the Nalan family more than 20 years ago, he saw Mu Qingya go to the Nalan family. Mu Qingya and the young lady of the Nalan family were very close friends."
"Yes, that's it! Everything's correct!" Luo Zhiheng clapped her hands together, all the knots in the relationship diagram in her mind instantly clearing up. But because she understood, she was also plunged into shock and rage. If things were really as she thought, what should Mu Yunhe do? Could he accept it? And should she speak up before she had concrete evidence?
"I also brought back some news. Mu Qingya is going to hold an adoption ceremony tomorrow, and this time she is making a big fuss by inviting many people. It is a very solemn and grand affair."
Luo Zhiheng was stunned. Had the Emperor lost his mind? He actually allowed Mu Qingya to be so reckless? But tomorrow? Fine, tomorrow she could snatch Mu Yunhe back. Didn't Mu Qingya love excitement? Tomorrow she'd give her a grand spectacle! She'd ruin her ridiculous ceremony!
It's past midnight! That's all for today's update. I'll keep working hard tomorrow, my darlings! The King didn't appear today, but he will tomorrow. Tomorrow, the King will bring you a huge surprise—you absolutely won't believe it! Please vote, leave comments, and give monthly tickets! Group kisses!
250 disrupts the ceremony! A tit-for-tat confrontation! Illegitimate child!
Updated: 2013-08-12 12:40:48 Word Count: 7677
The capital of the Southern Dynasty was bustling with activity today, the sounds of noise echoing from the streets and alleys early in the morning. Luo Zhiheng lowered the window, fastened her belt, looked up at her wet nurse, and sighed, "If I were really a man, you would definitely not be able to escape. If this face were out in the world, how many men would be captivated by it?"
The wet nurse giggled, her demeanor graceful, and said, "Young master, you jest. Haven't I already been yours for a long time?"
Luo Zhiheng felt a chill run down her spine, utterly speechless at her wet nurse, who was disguised as a young woman. It was actually quite difficult for her, as a young master, to infiltrate the palace with her wet nurse, but the wet nurse was incredibly resourceful, somehow managing to obtain two invitations. Luo Zhiheng was already used to her wet nurse's capabilities and mystique; she could uncover secrets from so many years ago, let alone two invitations.
The wet nurse led her out quietly through the back window, and once on the street, the two casually hired a luxurious carriage and arrived at the palace gates. The palace gates were already packed with people. Today, all three main gates of the palace were open; although ordinary people were not allowed to enter, they were permitted to observe. Security was tight at the gates, and people were already waiting there. The central gate was currently reserved for officials and those with invitations.
Luo Zhiheng held a jade-shaped bone fan, dressed in a red outfit, his black hair tied up high with a gold ribbon, and walked with a graceful gait. His disguised features revealed his handsome features and dashing spirit, making him a truly dashing young man. A beautiful and graceful wet nurse accompanied him intimately, and the two of them naturally attracted admiring glances from the men and women around them.
Luo Zhiheng walked with his chin slightly raised, and the unintentional blinking of his eyes gave off an air of superiority, making him appear at first glance to be a pampered young master from some noble family. The guards at the door, skilled at reading people, naturally dared not be negligent and clasped their hands in greeting, "Does this young master have an order from your master?"
Luo Zhiheng snorted coldly, glanced at the wet nurse, and said in a low voice, "Give it to him."
The wet nurse then chuckled and pulled out two invitation cards engraved with peonies, symbolizing wealth and prosperity, from her flowing sleeves, saying softly, "Here, these are my young master's written instructions."
Upon seeing this, the guard's expression immediately changed. The Imperial Concubine's invitations were for people who no longer served in the court but possessed great abilities, such as reclusive families or prominent secular families. He had assumed this young nobleman was from an official family, but it turned out he was from a powerful clan.
"Please, young master!" He quickly checked the room and immediately let them through, speaking respectfully.
A hint of mockery flashed in Luo Zhiheng's eyes. Today they're so groveling, yet yesterday they were besieging and trying to kill her. So, the tables have turned after all?
The ceremony was held in the open space in front of the main gate. It was a vast area, with tables and chairs already set up on both sides, and about half the people were seated. The woman in the nude photo didn't sit in the seats listed on the invitation; instead, she and her wet nurse sat at the very back, in seats reserved for wealthy merchants. These seats were for people sitting together, so there was no need to distinguish one from another, allowing her to remain hidden.
Looking around, to the left were the families and merchants of the Southern Dynasty's ministers, while to the right were people from other countries. Among them were Elder Tong, General Murong, and even the renowned painter Zhuge Huahun. Clearly, this Southern Dynasty man wanted to cultivate a relationship with Elder Tong and the others.
"What a coincidence, but we probably won't have a chance to deal with their family today. There's always another time," Luo Zhiheng said with a meaningful smile.
"The Bai family and the royal family are really destined to be together. You know, more than 20 years ago, the eldest daughter of the Bai family and the current emperor were childhood sweethearts. At that time, they were only one wedding banquet away from being arranged. But then the emperor went on a trip and came back with two women, an empress and a concubine. The eldest daughter of the Bai family was proud and arrogant, and she immediately turned against the emperor. In the end, their marriage fell through."
Several middle-aged men in their forties and fifties in front of Luo Zhiheng were whispering among themselves. She listened intently, only to find herself speechless. Could this damned emperor be any more promiscuous? Who dares to mess with just anyone? He's clearly no good.
One person quickly said, "That Bai family girl wanted that position, but she doesn't even look at her own status. With her family background, what makes her qualified for that position? Both of the people from the Mu Dynasty are far more noble than her. She even dared to act childishly towards the Southern Dynasty emperor. Now look what's happened, the emperor doesn't want her anymore, and she doesn't even have a concubine's rank."
"In my opinion, the reason the Bai family is so prosperous today is because the emperor still has feelings for that Bai family daughter. Otherwise, why would he allow a Bai family child to be adopted? How many emperors would do something like confusing the royal bloodline?" someone sighed.
"Who knows? The emperor of the Southern Dynasty is quite magnanimous, actually allowing the concubine to make such a fuss. But then again, Bai Mingyue is said to be a remarkable person. She has traveled all over the country since she was a child and has a broad perspective. In addition, given the past relationship between the emperor and the Bai family, it is only natural that she has caught the emperor's eye."
"Bai Mingyue is so beautiful. Just a few days ago, the news spread that the Imperial Concubine was going to adopt Bai Mingyue. Some people even joked that Bai Mingyue looks like the Emperor of the Southern Dynasty." Several foreigners discussed among themselves.
As Luo Zhiheng listened to their discussion, a thought struck her. She thought of Bai Mingyue's appearance and then of the Southern Dynasty emperor's refined face; their features did indeed resemble each other somewhat.
Her expression immediately turned strange. Could it be that something was really wrong? Could it be that the emperor's indulgence of Mu Qingya's absurd behavior wasn't because he doted on her, but because there was another reason behind it?
As she pondered, the Southern Dynasty Emperor and his entourage arrived. She looked up at the Emperor's face, her expression serene. Mu Qingya walked past her, a smile on her face, elegant and confident. In contrast, the Empress looked haggard and pale. Behind her, Princess Yu also wore a somber expression, her eyes red and swollen, clearly having cried for a long time.
The princess also arrived, sitting down beside Old Master Tong. She had a smile on her face, but it couldn't hide her haggard appearance. It seemed that the only truly happy person was Mu Qingya.
Mu Yunhe also arrived, but he was carried in. He stepped down from the sling and began looking around, his pale face devoid of any emotion, his entire being seemingly frozen solid, as if steeped in millennia of ice. His gaze was icy. The princess rose to offer him a seat beside her, but Mu Yunhe avoided her touch, sitting instead on the other side of Elder Tong, completely ignoring the princess from beginning to end.
"The young prince still values you," the wet nurse whispered in Luo Zhiheng's ear.
Luo Zhiheng's eyes held a smile. Mu Yunhe looked haggard, but the fact that he hadn't collapsed was what made her happiest. It would be a lie to say she wasn't happy that he had stood up to his mother for her sake.
After a series of ancestral worship ceremonies and introductions, and after a long and formal ceremony, more than an hour had passed. Just as Luo Zhiheng was losing patience, Mu Qingya finally stood up and said with a smile, "Thank you all for coming to attend the adoption ceremony of my stepson. Bai Mingyue is a good child whom I have carefully selected. From today onwards, this child is my and the Emperor's son. I request that the Emperor personally bestow a new name and confer a new crown upon this child. Mingyue, come up here."
Bai Mingyue, who was already standing below waiting, was full of vigor and ambition. His gentle eyes were filled with ambition, and his excitement turned into ostentation. He could not hide his excitement at becoming a prince. Looking at the person on the ninety-nine-story steps, Bai Mingyue knew that he would replace the person wearing the dragon robe in the future. He would be the king of this world!
With each step he ascended the throne, he moved closer to it. Who would have thought that he, a mere scion of a noble family, would one day rise to the top and become a dragon? He was getting closer and closer. The throne, power, money, wealth, the empire, the beauty—and Luo Zhiheng! All would be his!
The emperor watched the child approach step by step, his gaze gradually becoming unfocused. He clutched the name he had long ago chosen for the child in his hand, but his heart grew cold. There was no passion, no excitement, no appreciation; only ruthlessness and mockery. The Bai family, after so many years of scheming, have finally succeeded. But your success today is merely the last vestige of joy before your annihilation tomorrow.
Anyone who dares to threaten me will not live!
When Bai Mingyue was only a dozen steps away from Emperor Mu Qingya, when Mu Qingya looked at Bai Mingyue with a sinister gaze, and when everyone was powerless to change the scene before them, the clouds on the horizon suddenly obscured the blinding sun, darkness descended, a cold wind rose, and a cold, mocking voice rang out: "Excuse me, if you mind me asking, is today's event an adoption ceremony or a ceremony to recognize one's ancestors?"
Mu Qingya's cold gaze shattered instantly, and the emperor's icy expression turned stormy in an instant. Bai Mingyue turned around in a daze, and everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
What does this mean? "Recognizing one's ancestors and returning to one's clan" means that a long-lost child has finally returned home, kowtows before the ancestral tablets, and acknowledges the child's bloodline. Recognizing one's ancestors and returning to one's clan are two completely different things.
"Who dares to spout such nonsense here?" The emperor's majestic voice descended from high to low, carrying immense pressure as if it were descending from the heavens, inspiring fear.
"It's me!" A crisp voice rang out, and Luo Zhiheng suddenly stood up from the seated crowd. Her fiery red men's suit with gold ribbons fluttered, making her look dazzling, flamboyant, and eye-catching.
"Who are you? How dare you spout nonsense at my grand ceremony? Don't you have a death wish!" the emperor demanded coldly. Whether this ancestral recognition referred to his own child or Mu Qingya's, it was unacceptable to the emperor; it tarnished the honor of the royal family. Even if it were true, he would not allow anyone to utter it.
Luo Zhiheng, waving her jade-shaped folding fan, remained oblivious to the emperor's imposing and sharp questioning. She strolled leisurely through the crowd to the spacious center of the steps, where, under the astonished gazes of those around her, she swiftly closed her fan, gracefully clasped her hands in a fist salute, and said in a refined manner, "My name is Luo Yun. Greetings. This is my beloved concubine, whose name is Ding De Ni Lung Teng."
"It'll make your lungs hurt? What kind of name is that?" The crowd looked at each other in bewilderment.
Mu Yunhe's icy gaze softened the moment Luo Zhiheng appeared. The moment the name Luo Yun appeared, he knew this was his Aheng! Although her appearance and attire had changed, her temperament and way of speaking remained the same. A little wild and fierce, she dared to say anything, fearless and unrestrained. She was always ready to cause trouble, even in hot weather.
Does this hurt your lungs? I guess this is Aheng provoking the emperor.
Mu Yunhe's expression was calm, but the tears flowing beneath the icy surface of his eyes were warm. Seeing that she was alright, he could finally feel at ease.
The emperor roared, "Who are you? Who allowed you to enter? Guards, seize these two audacious scoundrels!"
Luo Zhiheng shouted loudly, speaking righteously, "Wait! Your Majesty, have you always loved your country and its people? I am your subject! You love your people like your own children, so why did you throw your son into prison the moment you met me? How can we, your subjects, support and love you if you act like this? Is your adoption today also a pretense of benevolence? After all, if you were to adopt someone who had nothing to do with you, you would have treated them the same way you treat me, wouldn't you?"
Everyone's expression changed. Had this man gone mad? Wasn't he defying the emperor? Had he had enough of living?
"Don't you dare spout nonsense here! Our father is a benevolent and loving emperor, renowned throughout the land for his kindness. He loves his people like his own children, so naturally he wouldn't treat them badly. It was you who spoke out of turn and was disrespectful first. How dare you, a mere subject, make such pronouncements about the ruler of a nation!" Bai Mingyue was even more righteous and outspoken than Luo Zhiheng, shouting loudly.
Luo Zhiheng burst into laughter, bending over with mirth: "You, a subject? Oh, that's hilarious! What right do you have to call me a subject? Before the ceremony, weren't you just a subject too? You think you're no longer a subject just because you got lucky and were chosen to be adopted by the Imperial Concubine? As long as you don't die of the Emperor's blood, you'll never escape the title of 'subject' for the rest of your life! Because you don't deserve it!"
Bai Mingyue harbors inappropriate desires for her and is ambitious, even plotting to kill Mu Yunhe and steal her away. Luo Zhiheng knows all this, so she won't let Bai Mingyue get away with it. The emperor is also hateful; when she was attacked, he remained silent. She doesn't blame him for his silence, after all, he's not anyone to her, but she doesn't want either of them to have an easy time.
Mu Qingya's three-birds-with-one-stone approach to them was bound to earn her a tit-for-tat retaliation. Want a son to take care of you in your old age? In your next life! She's here to cause trouble! For revenge!
Bai Mingyue's expression changed; clearly, Luo Zhiheng had struck a nerve. No matter how noble one's status, bloodline cannot be lied about. He wasn't royalty; his bloodline wasn't pure—that was his fatal flaw!
"Hurry up and take her down!" the emperor roared in fury.
"Your Majesty, are you angry? I was just saying something about Bai Mingyue, why are you so angry? He's not even your son yet! The Bai family is quite something, outwardly respectable, but secretly they're utterly despicable, doing all sorts of underhanded things. I'm very curious, why does Your Highness insist on choosing a child from a family like the Bai family to adopt? Doesn't Your Highness know that the Bai family once sent someone to assassinate your own brother? Isn't that a deep-seated hatred? Is Your Highness going to recognize a thief as your father?" Luo Zhiheng questioned loudly.
She always has that knack for connecting things to what she wants to say, suddenly catching people off guard and leaving them defenseless. 178.
The crowd was in an uproar! The Bai family's assassination attempt on the young prince of the Mu Dynasty was no small matter. If it escalated, the Mu Dynasty might even send troops to attack the Bai family!
Mu Qingya looked at Luo Zhiheng with a sinister gaze and calmly said, "I know nothing about this matter. Besides, how did you learn that the Bai family assassinated Mu Yunhe? Or are you not really yourself, and your words are false?"
"Let's not beat around the bush. You know perfectly well what good deeds you've done, Mu Qingya. You should know better than I why the Bai family wanted to assassinate Mu Yunhe. Wasn't it you who ordered the Bai family to assassinate Mu Yunhe?" At this point, Luo Zhiheng didn't hold back at all. She wanted the Princess to see clearly what her good daughter was like—the good daughter she had helped frame. A person who would send someone to assassinate Mu Yunhe.
"Do you have any evidence?" Mu Qingya remained extremely calm, but the eunuch Nalan beside her was not so calm. He appeared uninjured, and his gaze towards Luo Zhiheng was sinister.
"Isn't the evidence Bai Mingyue? You, a perfectly good Imperial Concubine, could have had your own children, so why did you choose to adopt one? You refused to adopt any of anyone else's children and chose Bai Mingyue, and then Mu Yunhe was assassinated by the Bai family. I investigated, and at that time you and the Bai family had already reached an agreement that you would adopt Bai Mingyue. The Bai family isn't stupid. Would they be so stupid as to know that they would have a close relationship with you, yet still try to assassinate your own brother? Are they crazy or have they lost their minds? They just climbed up to your high branch, and then immediately turned around and killed your relatives? Aren't they afraid of angering you? Imperial Concubine, tell me, isn't this strange?" Luo Zhiheng spoke clearly and logically, leaving no room for rebuttal.
"Then you can't say that I ordered someone to assassinate my own brother. I don't know what the Bai family did." Mu Qingya refused to admit it and remained very calm.
Luo Zhiheng sneered, "Then let me put it another way. The Bai family has just established a close relationship with you, and they will only try their best to please you. They would never do anything to harm your interests in the slightest. As for assassinating Mu Yunhe, they would not do it willingly. First, they don't know Mu Yunhe and have no relationship with him. Second, Mu Yunhe is your brother. Once Mu Yunhe arrives, he will be Bai Mingyue's uncle in a sure thing, and they will also try to curry favor with him."
"But after reaching an agreement with you, they sent a large number of assassins to kill Mu Yunhe. If one group failed, another group would come! They were determined to kill Mu Yunhe! Tell me, if they didn't have your permission, as their relative, would the Bai family have so blatantly targeted Mu Yunhe, who had no relation to them?" Luo Zhiheng pressed on relentlessly, every word filled with anger, making her a force to be reckoned with.
Mu Qingya's eyes twitched. The crowd below was already buzzing with discussion. A surge of anger welled up within her. She said coldly, "What makes you so certain that I ordered Mu Yunhe's murder? What was my reason for doing so? Don't forget, he was my family! If you can't give me a proper explanation today, I'll have your corpse whipped and displayed on the city gate!"
"What's the reason? Shouldn't you know better than me? Do you really want me to tell you?" Luo Zhiheng opened her folding fan with a swish, strolled around the spacious area a few steps, and asked with a mocking smile.
"Hmph! I can tell you're just spouting nonsense! You're slandering me because you have a grudge against me, because you're jealous of me, so you want to ruin me and sow discord between me and Mu Yunhe! Am I right, Luo Zhiheng?!" Mu Qingya retorted, her words reasonable and well-founded, and finally, through gritted teeth, she revealed Luo Zhiheng's true identity.
The entire audience was shocked! Almost everyone knew the name Luo Zhiheng. From desert goddess to abandoned wife of a wealthy family, this woman had become a household name and famous throughout the world in the short time she had been in the Southern Dynasty.
"So that's how it is!" Upon hearing the name Luo Zhiheng, the princess's tense and fearful heart finally relaxed, and a stiff smile appeared on her pale face. Just now, heaven knows how afraid she was that what Luo Zhiheng said was true. If Mu Qingya really sent someone to assassinate Mu Yunhe, what would she do? Her children killing each other, how could she, as a mother, face that? And what she feared most was knowing that Mu Qingya had every reason to hate and harm Mu Yunhe.
Mu Yunhe's face darkened, not understanding what Luo Zhiheng was up to. What did the Bai family's assassination attempt have to do with Mu Qingya? Although Mu Qingya had indeed gone too far that day, and he no longer had any good feelings towards her, she was still his sister. Was Aheng trying to frame Mu Qingya?
"Do I need to sow discord between you and Mu Yunhe? You've already destroyed that relationship yourself! Mu Qingya, do you really think there's not a single clue about what you've done? Can I tell you, I'm here today to expose your dirty secrets?" Luo Zhiheng spoke bluntly and sharply.
"Hmph! Why don't you expose your own true colors first? What right does someone who hides their face and doesn't dare to show their true colors have to criticize others?" Mu Qingya said disdainfully.
"It's just windy, I just wanted to protect my face. Since you like this mask, I'll give it to you! You change your face all the time anyway, consider this my greeting gift before I completely expose you!" Luo Zhiheng said with a cold laugh, then peeled off the human skin mask from her face and handed it to the wet nurse next to her, saying, "Give it to her."
The wet nurse took the mask, her inner strength surging, and hurled it towards Mu Qingya on the high steps! It was aimed directly at Mu Qingya's face!
"Watch out!" The eunuch Nalan immediately reached out, fearing that there might be another foul-smelling smoke, fog, bullet, or hidden weapon hidden under the mask. He caught it and destroyed it without thinking. In an instant, the face turned to ashes.
Luo Zhiheng revealed her true colors, her lips red and teeth white, beautiful and charming. Her smile was breathtaking, but her words were vicious and sharp: "Tsk tsk, I know you two are deeply in love, but you don't have to be so inseparable, do you? You've known each other for so many years, and I really envy this kind of love through thick and thin. I'm afraid even a couple who have been in love for twenty years couldn't do what you two have done."
Nalan Daibai's face instantly turned ferocious, and Mu Qingya's calm expression finally cracked!
"Luo Zhiheng, what nonsense are you spouting! You've repeatedly caused trouble today, and I've already shown you mercy by not reprimanding you. How dare you be so insolent! Guards, kill Luo Zhiheng on the spot!" Mu Qingya's murderous intent was barely concealed.
"Wait!" The emperor gave Nalan Daibai a vicious look, then said coldly, "Luo Zhiheng, apologize to me and I will forgive your unreasonable behavior today."