Mu Yunhe's lips curled up, and he blinked: "I am very happy. That slut deserves her fate. But you shouldn't have shown her any mercy. You should have used the blood from her eyeballs to make tea for her. That way, she would remember this day even more."
Luo Zhiheng laughed loudly, "How come you're even more wicked than me?"
"Hmph, this is called 'one is influenced by one's company.' I've been corrupted by a naughty girl." Mu Yunhe sneered coldly, which made Luo Zhiheng cling to him in a huff, refusing to cooperate.
The lowly maid who had been rolling on the ground suddenly looked up with her blood-soaked face and cried out in a soft voice, "Master, can my ears be lifted now?"
Luo Zhiheng's bones almost melted at the sound of that innocent and adorable voice. She looked at the disheveled little girl with a hint of surprise in her eyes: "Get up."
"Oh, I'm so happy!" Luo Erduo jumped up and ran happily towards Luo Zhiheng, cheering, "Dog blood is disgusting, Master is awful, why didn't you use rabbit blood? Erduo likes to eat little rabbits." 193.
Luo Erduo wiped the blood off her face, and her empty eye sockets rolled back to reveal a pair of bright, mischievous, and charming eyes. She snuggled up to Luo Zhiheng and shook her arm, asking sweetly, "Master, did Erduo behave well today?"
Luo Zhiheng snorted: "Not bad."
"I'm so happy that I managed to scare that bad woman into fainting. Master, can you make me do this again next time there are such fun things?" Luo Erduo said with a pleading look on her face.
Luo Zhiheng felt a chill run down her spine. Although her eyes were fake, and she did it to scare Consort Li, Luo's ears were far too realistic; even Luo Zhiheng was a little frightened. She thought she was quite wicked, but she hadn't expected Luo's ears to be even more wicked. Was this truly a case of the student surpassing the teacher?
"Alright, hurry up and wash off all that dog blood. I'll give you big chunks of raw meat tonight. Rabbit meat." Luo Zhiheng shook off Luo Erduo's hand and said disdainfully.
Luo Erduo ran off happily. Watching her retreating figure, Luo Zhiheng felt that this was an inescapable, ill-fated relationship. After eating that ear, it was as if she had developed a connection with Luo Erduo; she could know Luo Erduo's joys and sorrows, although Mu Yunhe said that Luo Erduo couldn't sense her emotions.
She knew that Luo Erduo was truly pure at heart, and that what she had done before was simply her true nature. However, if Luo Erduo hadn't gone into a trance and stumbled upon things by accident, she and Mu Yunhe wouldn't have been able to break through that barrier so quickly. She didn't know whether Luo Erduo was a hero or a little rascal.
However, Luo Zhiheng did a good job in dealing with Consort Li today, so she deserves a reward.
Xiao Xizi returned with the servant, suppressing a laugh, and said awkwardly, "Your Majesty, didn't you see? That Consort Li was actually terrified..."
"What's wrong with you? Are you scared?" Luo Zhiheng asked curiously.
Xiao Xizi stammered for a long time but couldn't say anything. However, the honest servant next to him couldn't help but speak up loudly: "What's so hard to say? That woman was so scared that she wet her pants!"
Pfft!
Everyone in the room burst into laughter, while the servant looked at them blankly, not understanding what was so funny.
Luo Zhiheng waved her hand generously and said, "Today we fought against our enemies and villains, and we have won a great victory in our first battle! I am happy, so I will reward each of you with fifty taels of silver. Everyone who participated will receive a share. I will also give you a table of the finest food and a half-day off. Go and eat, drink, and have fun as you please. You don't need to stay here anymore."
Show no mercy to your enemies, and be generous to your own people!
With a loud "whoosh," the servants who had been acting and playing games with her cheered. Fifty taels of silver! That was seven or eight years' wages, or even more! And she was giving it to them all at once. The young lady was really generous.
Luo Zhiheng then pointed to the servant boy who was still grinning blankly and asked, "What's your name?"
The servant said somewhat awkwardly, "My name is Er Gou."
Luo Zhiheng's lips twitched, and she coughed lightly twice to stop the group's good-natured laughter. She said, "Er Gou is too awful. Now that you're here at the General's Mansion, you'll serve the young prince alongside Xiao Xizi. You'll come with us when we leave. For now, take care of the affairs in front of the General's Mansion. From now on, you'll be called Xiao Yongzi, okay?"
"Yong" naturally signifies bravery and forging ahead. It fits well with Xiao Xizi. Moreover, it effectively portrays Er Gou's brave and honest nature. Besides, she personally selected this group; their backgrounds are clean. Having more reliable people around Mu Yunhe gives her peace of mind.
"Thank you for the name, Miss, Xiao Yongzi. Hehehe." Xiao Yongzi scratched the back of his head and laughed so hard that his eyes disappeared from his teeth.
"You were very brave today, and you helped me a lot earlier, which made me really happy. I'll reward you with some more gold. This is a way of rewarding merit. Whoever does well, does a lot, and does what I want, I will naturally not treat unfairly." Luo Zhiheng used both kindness and authority, managing the atmosphere very well.
Xiao Yongzi was still looking stunned when Xiao Xizi kicked him in the butt, causing him to fall to his knees with a thud. Xiao Xizi winked at him, reminding him, before he finally reacted and quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude. His simple and honest appearance made everyone laugh again.
After they all left, Luo Zhiheng took Mu Yunhe's hand and pouted, "Are you really going to that treacherous banquet?"
"What? Are you scared?" Mu Yunhe raised his hand to stroke her long hair and asked in a low voice.
Luo Zhiheng scoffed, "Afraid of her? That's ridiculous! I just feel she has ill intentions, and I'm worried we won't be able to defend ourselves properly."
Mu Yunhe's gaze was deep as he calmly said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
"I'm afraid this tiger's den is too deep. It's easy for us to get in, but difficult to get out. Li Jianren must have a lot of tricks up his sleeve for us. After all, it's the Li family. If they know we're going, do you think they'll stay put?"
Mu Yunhe sneered, his nonchalant demeanor revealing his strategic wisdom and decisiveness: "I'm afraid the Li family has long since discarded Consort Li as a pawn. Otherwise, how could Consort Li seem completely unaware of our identities? She's repeatedly acted presumptuously, repeatedly provoked us, and now she dares to target us with her insidious schemes. The Li family has already abandoned her, yet she's still desperately trying to cause trouble. She's courting death; how can we not go along with her wishes?"
Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow in surprise, thought for a moment, and then smiled, "It really is like that. I'm afraid he's already realized it. After all, he's a bit smarter than his mother. It seems that even if we go to the Li family, they will only do their best to protect us and would never dare to let anything happen to us in their house. Consort Li's wishful thinking is going to be thwarted again, and it's thwarted by her own people. I wonder if she'll be so angry that she'll vomit blood."
First update! There will be one more update today. Hua Sha will keep working hard. The final voting is still ongoing, so please support our fierce woman when you have time! Love you all. Still asking for recommendation votes, comments, and monthly tickets!
Chapter 351: The Tragedy of Consort Li Continues! (Bonus Chapter for 55,000 Recommendation Votes)
Updated: 2013-09-26 17:29:27 Word Count: 3351
Consort Li did indeed vomit blood, but not from anger, but from being beaten. She had just arrived home and was slowly waking up when her father, the head of the Li family, rushed over and slapped her so hard that her head slammed into the bedpost, causing her to cough up blood and break her forehead. Today, Consort Li had truly been beset by a series of bloody misfortunes.
Consort Li was bewildered and furious after being beaten. She roared uncontrollably: "You beast, who hit me?"
You wretched child, who are you calling a beast? How could I have given birth to such a foolish and utterly incompetent daughter? Are you going to drag the entire family down with you, bring shame upon the family, and only then will you be satisfied? Li Fangfei, how dare you speak disrespectfully to your father? You're courting death! The head of the Li family is Consort Li's father, Master Li.
This man is ruthless, selfish, and a conspiracy theorist, meticulously planning everything that can benefit him. Luo Zhiheng had met this old man before; back then, the old man hadn't said much and hadn't truly revealed his true nature. Today, his selfishness has been laid bare.
Consort Li stared at her father in disbelief. He had always loved her dearly, never scolded her, and certainly never laid a hand on her. His sudden outburst of anger today truly terrified her. She stared blankly at Master Li, crying, "Father, I didn't realize what was happening! I didn't mean to offend you! Why did you hit me?"
"I'm Li Ke, why did I hit you? I really want to beat you to death! You good-for-nothing, you're going to ruin the Li family before you're satisfied! Does the Li family owe you something? Why can't you think about the Li family for once? You've already caused enough trouble! You even dared to go to Mu Yunhe! Isn't that just inviting humiliation? You brought back all these injuries, do you know that this is tantamount to slapping the face of our Li family's ancestor?!" Master Li roared furiously, slapping his own face repeatedly with his hands. His eyes were filled with extreme hatred.
Consort Li, though arrogant, dared not be too presumptuous in front of her father. However, having held absolute power in the Mu Prince's mansion for so many years, she truly could not tolerate such treatment. Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, she blurted out: "How have I disgraced the family? Can't I go to Mu Yunhe? I am his elder. He burned down the Mu Prince's mansion; shouldn't I question him? Besides, Mu Yunhe didn't make things difficult for me, and he even promised to come to our house for dinner tomorrow. Father, why are you so sure I will be a burden to the family? What did I do wrong? Is it just because of the changed Mu Yunhe?"
Father, are you afraid of Mu Yunhe? That's ridiculous! You haven't even seen that although Mu Yunhe has survived, who knows how long he'll live? He still needs medication constantly; if he's separated from his medicine pot for even a short while, he could be in danger at any moment. What's there to be afraid of in someone like Mu Yunhe?
"What did you say? Mu Yunhe is still taking medicine. Isn't he already better?" Upon hearing this, Master Li forgot to scold his daughter. If Mu Yunhe's health really wasn't what they perceived, and he was still in danger, then even if Mu Yunhe was a diviner, the Li family wouldn't need to be so subservient.
"What's so good about him? He's just all bark and no bite. He's probably just trying to save face and deceive everyone. His health is terrible. It's been Luo Zhiheng talking all day. I don't think Mu Yunhe even has the strength to say a few words." Consort Li scoffed, quite disdainfully.
"Is that really true?" Mr. Li murmured doubtfully. He really couldn't figure out Mu Yunhe's background. He then said, "You just said he agreed to come as a guest tomorrow."
"Yes, daughter knew she was in the wrong, so she wanted to mend their relationship. That's why she swallowed her pride and begged them to have a meal with me. I did this because I saw how you treated Mu Yunhe differently, and I was afraid he would ruin your plans, so I tried to win him over beforehand. But Father not only doesn't understand, he also blames me. It's so heartbreaking for me," Consort Li said, tears streaming down her face. Sure enough, she saw her father's gaze and expression soften.
Her heart sank heavily.
She had just noticed that her father's behavior towards Mu Yunhe was rather abnormal, and recently, the family's attitude towards her and her son had also become rather distant. She wasn't stupid; she could sense it all. She also keenly sensed that all of this seemed to be related to Mu Yunhe. Thinking this, she wanted to test him, and sure enough, her father's expression changed.
What exactly is Mu Yunhe's ability that makes even her fearless and ambitious father so wary? And there must be something the family is hiding from her. Why don't they tell her? Consort Li, who used to tell her everything, felt a surge of discontent and unease. If her father and the others found out, would they be angry that she planned to torment Mu Yunhe to death tomorrow?
"My daughter, I always thought you were immature. Over the years, because of your early misfortunes, I've spoiled you excessively, trying to make up for it. But I never expected you to become so arrogant. I thought I'd never see you mature. Hearing your words today, knowing you're considering the bigger picture, I'm truly happy." Master Li patted Consort Li's shoulder affectionately, then changed the subject: "Since you're determined to salvage the situation and repair your relationship with Mu Yunhe, the family will naturally cooperate fully with you."
Everyone knows that the relationship between Mu Yunhe and Consort Li is crucial to the Li family's survival. If Mu Yunhe decides to seek revenge, Consort Li will undoubtedly die, and the Li family's years of instigation will certainly be implicated. However, if Mu Yunhe can truly be moved by Consort Li and give up his reward, wouldn't the Li family be safe?
You did the right thing. We're all family. Yun Jin only has one adult brother, and they should help and care for each other. Don't drag your relationship with the Princess into this, as it will disrupt the relationship between the two children and you. You need to act like an elder and show more care for Mu Yunhe and Luo Zhiheng. You also need to treat Luo Zhiheng well. Since Mu Yunhe likes Luo Zhiheng so much, you can't do anything that would make him dislike you, understand? Don't worry, Father will prepare everything for you tomorrow. Just entertain them well and make those two children happy, okay?
After finishing his sentence, Mr. Li left in a hurry.
Consort Li stared blankly at her father's hurried departing figure, feeling a chill run through her heart.
What on earth happened? Why did Father's attitude change so quickly? From what he said, he still wanted her and Yun Jin to curry favor with Mu Yunhe and Luo Zhiheng? Why? Why should Father know how much she hates Mu Yunhe and Luo Zhiheng? How could he make her, so noble, lower herself to bow down to those two?
Tomorrow I will make sure you all suffer. Even if Father and the others have changed, I will not. I will eliminate every single one of those who stand in my way. Consort Li gripped the bedding tightly and murmured viciously.
The next day at dawn, the entire Li family's royal gardens were bustling with activity. It was all just to welcome two young people, but the entire Li family's gardens, covering half of the capital, were abuzz with activity. Anyone with eyes could see that the people the Li family was welcoming were no ordinary people. Even the emperor himself hadn't gone to such lengths and with such solemnity.
It is evident that this person was valued by the Li family even more than the emperor.
Mu Yunhe's status was revered throughout the land, far surpassing even that of an emperor. This is the most important aspect of Mu Yunhe's character.
The most delicious and abundant delicacies, the finest wines, and the most beautiful geisha, all served in the most magnificent palace to entertain the most distinguished guests. The patriarch of the Li family, leading five generations of his descendants, dressed in neat and dignified attire, yet with an understated elegance, represented the most humble banquet in the history of the Li family.
The Li family members are born arrogant, considering themselves royalty and believing that their royal blood makes them superior. Naturally, they never take others seriously. However, their humble posture today sends a message to everyone: it's rare even for royalty to make the Li family members bow their heads. This person must be someone higher than royalty, perhaps even higher than the Li family's ancestors.
This speculation caused an uproar, and everyone became tense and expectant. Who exactly was coming today?
Consort Li nearly ground her teeth to powder in hatred, yet her face still bore a reserved smile, her head slightly tilted back, her pride undiminished. Today, the Li family had suddenly shown her kindness, as if all the coldness and aloofness of the past few days had been mere illusions. This made Consort Li feel a chill in her heart; such snobbery and blatant opportunism, devoid of any familial affection, were utterly disheartening.
Her facial injuries had completely healed, all thanks to Madam Huoyun's precious ointment. Consort Li herself was overjoyed. When Master Li asked in surprise today, Consort Li learned of Mu Yunhe's status in the family letters and naturally didn't hide it. She even exaggerated, saying that it was because she used the ointment given to her by Luo Zhiheng that she recovered so quickly.
Upon hearing this, Master Li beamed with joy, praising Consort Li for her skill in handling people. If she could gain Luo Zhiheng's forgiveness and receive medicine, then gaining Mu Yunhe's forgiveness wouldn't be difficult. Thus, Consort Li became even more highly regarded by the Li family.
The Li family members were all smiling and flattering Consort Li, but as time passed, Mu Yunhe, who had been supposed to have lunch at noon, failed to appear. Consort Li's smile became bitter and she could barely maintain it. Mu Yunjin, on the other hand, showed no sign of a smile at all.
Fangfei, will the young prince really come? The old ancestor spoke, his voice low and cold.
The room was silent. Consort Li's scalp tingled. She forced a smile and said, "Of course he'll come. He promised me."
The old matriarch nodded and remained silent. Each family member had their own thoughts. An hour and a half after the appointed time, at dusk, a servant finally came to announce that the young prince and his princess had arrived. (16934609)
The entire Li family, numbering several hundred, was alarmed.
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352 The Li Family is Overwhelmed by Pampering! A Conspiracy of Food Combinations!
Updated: 2013-09-27 15:23:33 Word Count: 7655
The Li family patriarch led his descendants out to greet them. Before Mu Yunhe and the others even entered the main gate, they arrived at the front hall, marking the most complete and elaborate mobilization the Li family had ever undertaken.
Although the Li family has always been arrogant and lawless, the fact that their ancestor had adopted such a humble attitude made everyone in the Li family, regardless of age or gender, understand the situation. They knew that someone who commanded such respect from their ancestor was someone their declining, hypocritical noble family could not afford to offend. Therefore, the Li family members wisely kept quiet.
However, Consort Li felt so resentful and indignant. Why was Mu Yunhe Luo Zhiheng so highly regarded by hundreds of people in the family? Even when she returned home for her wedding, the matriarch only came out to see her once. When had she ever made such a show of it? Hmph, just wait and see. You won't be arrogant for long. Today, I'll show you how powerful Li Fangfei is.
Mu Yunhe got out of the carriage first. When he looked up, the Li family's gate was already fully open. Just from the imposing presence outside, one could glimpse the immense power and scale of the place inside. He even saw a group of people hurrying towards them from a distance. However, Mu Yunhe's gaze didn't linger on that group for even a second. He turned his attention back to the carriage, reached out his hand, and said gently, "Aheng, come here."
Half a small head immediately poked out from the carriage. Its round, bright eyes, normally narrow like a fox's, were wide with curiosity, making it look incredibly clever and adorable. It stuck out its tongue, sniffed the air with its cute little nose, and then said warily and with disgust, "I smell something rotten in my ears! It stinks!"
She fluttered her little hands around her ears, her big eyes darting about, and instantly fixed her gaze on the people who had already stepped out the door. Her little ears perked up immediately, and she screamed, "There's murderous intent!"
This statement was extremely lethal and intimidating. The girl's naivety and the sharp, contradictory, hidden ruthlessness exploded in the air, sending chills down one's spine and freezing one's entire body.
The expressions on the faces of the Li family members, from the patriarch to the teenagers, all changed drastically.
Mu Yunhe slowly turned around, his tall figure sweeping casually over the Li family members. Although the Li family members stood on the high steps, Mu Yunhe's gaze seemed to be above them, looking down at them with contempt, mockery, coldness, and murderous intent!