Although the Li family's attitude suggests they dare not truly harm them, Consort Li's thinking differs from theirs, and she has clearly been abandoned by the Li family. Why would they tell her about Mu Yunhe's importance and danger? Even if she were insane and recklessly plotting against Mu Yunhe, the Li family wouldn't know. So how could they possibly stop her?
They ate at a leisurely pace for a while, but Luo Zhiheng could see that Consort Li was becoming increasingly impatient and anxious. Mu Yunhe was currently perfectly fine, and just as Luo Zhiheng felt a little relieved, Xiao Xizi suddenly winked at her.
The elephant fell to the ground. Luo Zhiheng's eyes lit up, and she kicked Mu Yunhe. Mu Yunhe understood, and an expression of suppressed discomfort immediately appeared on her face. Luo Zhiheng noticed this immediately and grabbed her arm anxiously, saying, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so pale?"
Luo Zhiheng exclaimed in surprise, startling everyone in the room. They all looked at her with worry and tension. The Li family patriarch said anxiously, "Quickly, quickly go and find the imperial physician who is treating me."
Mu Yunhe slowly raised his hand, his face slightly pale, his breathing heavy, and his voice hoarse as he said, "No need, it's an old ailment, I'll be fine after taking the medicine."
Luo Zhiheng immediately called out, "Xiao Xizi, quickly bring the medicine."
Xiao Xizi, who was standing at the door, rushed over with a panicked expression, which made Mu Yunhe's sudden discomfort seem dangerous. In an instant, everyone in the hall was in an uproar, thinking that Mu Yunhe was really in serious condition. They were all very frightened, and their faces changed.
But Luo Zhiheng had an expression as if the sky was about to fall, and she shouted angrily at Xiao Xizi with a somewhat ferocious look: "Hurry up! Are you dead?! Come here now."
Her words seemed to confirm that Mu Yunhe's condition was serious. Even the usually composed expression of the Li family patriarch changed. If something really happened to Mu Yunhe in the Li family, the Li family would be in deep trouble. Even if Mu Yunhe's illness had nothing to do with them, the Li family would still be culpable and unable to escape this mess.
Thinking this, the Li family patriarch glared fiercely at Consort Li, only to find her smiling. The patriarch nearly smashed a teacup over the head of this brainless idiot. She was practically ruining the Li family, and she still had the nerve to smile!
Xiao Xizi ran over in a panic and took out a beautiful little porcelain bottle from his pocket, but he couldn't hold it. The bottle fell and rolled far away with a clatter. There were tables and chairs in the hall, so it was hard to find.
In an instant, Luo Zhiheng was furious. She kicked Xiao Xizi in the leg and roared, "Idiot! Hurry up and find the medicine!"
Xiao Xizi turned pale with fright, and everyone in the room immediately scrambled to the floor to search for the porcelain bottle. Taking advantage of everyone's distraction, Luo Zhiheng leaned close to Xiao Xizi, who quickly whispered a few words in her ear. Luo Zhiheng's eyes narrowed, and a chilling, sinister smile curled at the corner of her lips. 16934863
Xiao Xizi said, "Tomatoes and sweet potatoes, eaten together, will kill you!"
tomato!!
It's a tomato!
Tomatoes and sweet potatoes should not be eaten together, otherwise it could be life-threatening! This is just like how some foods cannot be eaten together, as eating them together can lead to a severe, rapid, terrible, and irreversible poisoning!
Consort Li, how dare she! And her methods are ruthless, efficient, and utterly reckless! She actually used such a vicious dish to harm Mu Yunhe.
I thought that Consort Li only wanted to use aphrodisiacs or something to make Mu Yunhe lose his control, and then try to get Mu Yunhe and that ugly woman Hua Kai together to humiliate and scheme against Mu Yunhe. But I never expected that her move would be to kill Mu Yunhe!
Such selfishness and disregard for the Li family—has Consort Li gone mad? 193.
Luo Zhiheng glanced at the table, where a dish of tomatoes sat right in front of Mu Yunhe's door. Her hand was just two dishes away from landing on the tomatoes. This most common vegetable, it almost became a vengeful ghost?
In that instant, Luo Zhiheng couldn't control the raging fury in her eyes, glaring fiercely at Consort Li. Consort Li, however, hadn't yet suppressed the smile on her lips. Sensing Luo Zhiheng's gaze, Consort Li raised her head, her gaze defiant. Though subtle, the arrogance and schadenfreude within it were Luo Zhiheng's reason to want nothing more than to destroy Consort Li!
In a fit of anger, Luo Zhiheng grabbed one side of the round table with both hands and, before anyone could react, forcefully lifted the tabletop and—she flipped the table!
Amidst the crisp, clattering sound, the scene fell silent for a moment, followed by panicked screams. No one had expected Luo Zhiheng to suddenly erupt in anger and overturn the table. Incredulous gazes fell upon her; people were momentarily speechless.
Luo Zhiheng's cold, sharp voice carried a hint of murderous ruthlessness: "Today, Mu Yunhe is having dinner at the Li family's house. I have only one statement: if he is safe and sound, then the Li family is safe and sound. If he loses even a single hair, I, Luo Zhiheng, dare to burn down your Li family's thousand-year-old royal garden! Don't blame me for being unreasonable. I'm giving you face by having dinner here, but anyone who dares to make me a widow, I'll kill their entire family!!"
In that instant, no one doubted that Luo Zhiheng's words were false. Her eyes were red, bloodthirsty and crazed, a chilling poison that could freeze one's heart. Her aura was powerful, sharp, and ruthless.
The children in the Li family under the age of ten could no longer hold back their tears. That day, everyone in the Li family came to the same conclusion: Luo Zhiheng, in her rage, was the legendary, terrifying figure who could frighten children to tears just by mentioning her name!
He showered her with unparalleled favor, and she inflicted upon him a terrifying rage!
After that moment, the Li family members, like enslaved dogs, from the oldest to the youngest, all knelt down to search for the life-saving medicine bottle. Even Consort Li was pulled along by Master Li to search. The life-saving medicine saved not only Mu Yunhe, but also the entire Manchu Li family!
To outsiders, Luo Zhiheng's anger seemed like an unreasonable misplaced rage, as Mu Yunhe's illness appeared to have nothing to do with the Li family. But Mu Yunhe knew that Luo Zhiheng was genuinely furious, because of Consort Li's scheming and machinations. Her uncontrollable rage stemmed from lingering fear; even if Mu Yunhe had nine lives, he couldn't withstand such manipulation.
The medicine had been found. Li Xian'er, her face streaked with tears, anxiously approached Mu Yunhe, holding the medicine bottle. She looked at him with deep affection and worry, wanting to feed him the medicine herself. But Luo Zhiheng snatched it away, shouting angrily, "Get out of here!"
Li Xian'er was stunned and angrily wanted to retort, but was pulled back by Mr. Li. It was better for the Li family not to contact Mu Yunhe at this time, otherwise it would be even more difficult to explain.
Luo Zhiheng personally fed Mu Yunhe his medicine, tenderly cradling his face in front of everyone, her expression gloomy. Mu Yunhe seemed to be whispering something in her ear, unheard by others.
"The sugar balls are so sweet."
Luo Zhiheng's tense expression was amused by Mu Yunhe's nonchalant words. She glared at him, then stood up, forcing a straight face, to face the crowd. The table full of food was no longer usable. She had deliberately destroyed it; otherwise, Mu Yunhe, now 'cured,' would continue eating it, and how could she let those two poisonous things enter his mouth? Overturning the table was the best way to completely silence Consort Li.
Suppressing her anger, Luo Zhiheng said apologetically, "The young prince is much better. I was just anxious and frightened the children, didn't I? I'm so sorry. But seeing that the young prince is in such a state, it's impossible for him to return to the manor immediately. Please arrange a room for him to rest."
Her ability to switch effortlessly between rage and gentleness made the Li family increasingly cautious in their attitude towards Luo Zhiheng.
Second update! As always, please vote, leave comments, give monthly tickets, and vote in the finals! My darlings, *hugs* I've been feeling unwell lately and updating lately, sorry! But please still support this formidable woman!
354 The steps to harm people are tightly linked!
Updated: 2013-09-28 14:14:24 Word Count: 7771
Luo Zhiheng's words were exactly what Consort Li wanted to hear. Only by getting Mu Yunhe out of the sight of so many people from the Li family could she have a chance to make a move against him. Although Mu Yunhe hadn't eaten those things, this outcome was still quite good.
Consort Li hurriedly and attentively urged Luo Zhiheng to take Mu Yunhe away. However, the Li family patriarch was increasingly afraid that Mu Yunhe would make another mistake, and he intervened once again.
"Don't make the young prince move around too much. Just arrange for him to stay in the courtyard in the north. It's a quiet place, not far from the main hall, and it's perfect for him to rest there right now. Fangfei, take the young prince there," the Li family patriarch instructed without room for argument.
Consort Li felt as if a hundred flies were shoving in her throat, her whole body radiating a sense of nausea and disgust. But she couldn't disobey the old lady, so she forced a smile and said, "The old lady is right. The old lady's consideration is very thorough. Fangfei will take the young prince there now."
Hmph, no matter where it is, she will definitely make Mu Yunhe suffer today.
"Then I'll have to trouble you." Luo Zhiheng thanked her humbly, and helped the extremely weak Mu Yunhe leave.
Mu Yunhe's behavior created the illusion that he was in poor health, which was also intended to mislead the Li family. Mu Yunhe would not let the Li family get away with interfering in the affairs of the Mu Royal Mansion for so many years, but Mu Yunhe had always lacked a legitimate reason, and the Li family, like old foxes, immediately withdrew their claws because of his identity, making it impossible for Mu Yunhe to find any fault with them.
Therefore, after discussing it, Mu Yunhe and Luo Zhiheng decided to put on a show for the Li family, making them think that Mu Yunhe was all bark and no bite and that there was nothing to fear. This way, the Li family would lower their guard and continue to act aggressively, allowing Mu Yunhe to quickly seize on their mistakes and destroy them, leaving them with no chance of recovery.
As the Li family patriarch watched Mu Yunhe and the others leave, a glint of light flashed in his cloudy eyes. He stroked his beard, deep in thought, and no one dared to disturb him.
After a long pause, Mr. Li finally couldn't help but ask, "Ancestor, what do you think?"
The Li family patriarch said in a deep voice, "I really can't see through this Mu Yunhe. He's too profound. Although he does seem to be in poor health, we must not let our guard down. The divination priest is not someone we can afford to offend. As for Luo Zhiheng, she seems to have some potential."
"Her? She's nothing but a clown! The humiliation she inflicted on our Li family back then is still fresh in our minds. If it weren't for Mu Yunhe's comeback today, giving her a strong safeguard, I would have decided to destroy her the moment she returned. It's just a pity that she now has Mu Yunhe as her protector." Mr. Li scoffed.
"Don't underestimate her. She dared to embarrass us in front of the Emperor that day, and today she overturned the table in our house. It's not necessarily because she's reckless. Sometimes, what seems like foolish behavior is actually a sign of wisdom. True wisdom appears as foolishness, and that's all there is to it," said the Li family patriarch with a sneer.
He had seen through some of it, but ultimately dared not draw a conclusion. However, Mu Yunhe was definitely a more difficult character to deal with than Luo Zhiheng, and the Li family had to be careful. In this confrontation, Mu Yunhe didn't say much, but he truly intimidated everyone in the Li family. In front of Mu Yunhe, the Li family's martial arts department kept their tails between their legs, afraid of angering him. This demonstrated Mu Yunhe's ability and intangible authority.
"Have someone keep a close eye on Fangfei, and don't let her do anything foolish. She seems very strange today," the Li family patriarch said with a gloomy look.
"Yes, Ancestor."
——
Consort Li led them to a quiet and elegant courtyard and pointed out the west wing to them: "You can rest in this room. The main room has been uninhabited for a long time and is a bit damp. I'll have the maid serve you tea. Please come in."
Luo Zhiheng smiled and thanked her, but after Consort Li led her people away, the fake smile on Luo Zhiheng's face finally broke down: "What a piece of trash! Disgusting."
"Alright, let's go in and take a look. This isn't the room that slut arranged, so there's probably nothing wrong with it." Mu Yunhe put his arm around her shoulder and led her into the room. He looked around and saw that it was indeed elegant, so he sat down comfortably and played with the intricately carved armrest in his hand, saying, "What does Aheng think about Consort Li's next move?"
Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow, gazing at the darkening sky outside, her smile enigmatic: "If she wants to send you a woman, how can she arrange it before nightfall? Only a dark and windy night is convenient for her to act. Just you wait and see, as it gets darker, who knows when this pot of tea will be delivered."
"So you deliberately delayed when you left? Just to delay until the afternoon, so that by repeatedly wasting time, it would easily get dark? You deliberately gave that bitch the opportunity to harm me?" A wild beast seemed to roar fiercely in his dark eyes, and cold light gathered in a certain place into starlight, and the threads converged and finally completely attacked Luo Zhiheng's eyes, so deep, dark, and indifferent.
Luo Zhiheng pouted and stomped her foot: "Don't be ungrateful. I'm doing this to reduce more trouble and to avoid Consort Li's many schemes. When there are too many things to do, mistakes are bound to happen. I was thinking that if we had arrived too early, Consort Li would have tried everything to keep us there until the evening, and then it wouldn't have been as simple as just one or two schemes."
"Look how short we've been in the Li family's house, and Consort Li's meal was so unique and creative, with a variety of dishes and flavors. You almost lost your life. If we had been forced to stay in the Li family's house for a whole day by her, I can imagine how nervous and embarrassed we would have been."
"Besides, our lateness can also dampen the arrogance of the Li family and deflate their ego. We can also avoid some unnecessary trouble. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone? Furthermore, we can ignore those unnecessary schemes. I'll just stay up until dark for Consort Li and let her bring out the main act. We can then enjoy the show directly. Isn't that much more satisfying?"
Mu Yunhe listened to her various explanations and words, finding them amusing. Yet, he was also deeply fond of her wit and cleverness. He stretched out his hand, his voice deep and resonant like a waterfall cascading from a height, heavy yet clear, with a gentle echo carried by the wind, truly captivating: "Aheng, come to me."
Luo Zhiheng snorted, but still ran to his side. His wrist was immediately grasped, and his slender waist wrapped around her with a seemingly savage yet tender strength, easily pulling her into his arms. In his arms lay a safe haven unknown to the world: his legs were a throne, his chest a backrest, his arms armrests—everything meticulously crafted. A throne, and in the entire world, only Luo Zhiheng could reside there peacefully.
“Never be so reckless again. You turned on him and overturned the table right there. Did you ever think that all your previous forbearance, calculations, and arrangements might be in vain? That Li family patriarch is no ordinary person. I can see through him. His ambition is no less than that of the Southern Dynasty emperor. He is ambitious. Today, you and I made him and the Li family look bad in public. He must be very jealous.”
"Even if they are wary of us today, it's because our status is different now, giving them a sense of awe and pressure. But if one day you are no longer you, and I am no longer me, and our identities change, what will the Li family have to hide from us then? How we treat them today will likely be repaid to us tenfold in the future."
Consort Zhi replied, “I am not afraid of the Li family, and I am determined to eliminate them. But before that, there is no guarantee that those impatient members of the Li family will not cause you trouble or harm you. If anything happens to you, how should I deal with it? Have you thought about it?” Mu Yunhe clearly analyzed the pros and cons for her.
He knew his woman well. Luo Zhiheng wasn't just a woman with big breasts and no brains; although she could be impulsive at times, she was quite intelligent. Her actions today must have had their reasons, but in Mu Yunhe's view, it was still too dangerous. He had to lay out the pros and cons for her.
"Don't worry, I understand. But if I don't overturn the table today, Consort Li will definitely try every means to make you continue eating those dishes. We can't refuse too obviously, so I might as well use this as an excuse to ruin those dishes. After this outburst of anger, even if Consort Li wants to serve the dishes again, we can refuse to continue eating without any scruples."
"I know you feel sorry for me and worry about me, but I will definitely take good care of myself. I won't let anything happen to me, just for your sake. Don't worry. We still have to deal with Consort Li and that Hua Kai. I'm really curious to see what Hua Kai will look like after being disfigured." Luo Zhiheng hugged his neck and said softly.
They spoke without restraint because their precious Luo Erduo was there. They had already thoroughly investigated the area, confirmed there were no bad guys, and with Xiao Xizi and Xiao Yongzi guarding the outside, they could speak freely.
"Hmph, it's almost completely dark, and this pot of tea still hasn't arrived. Is it really as you say, that this pot of tea will only come after it's completely dark?" Mu Yunhe sneered, his eyes filled with icy coldness.
The two chatted openly, not in a hurry, because they knew that the one who was anxious was Consort Li.
Meanwhile, in Consort Li's residence, Consort Li was urging anxiously, "Hurry up! What are you doing so slowly?"
The sound of flowers blooming in the room drifted in, carrying a hint of excitement, pleasure, anticipation, and impatience: "Don't rush me! Today's success depends on me. I'm doing this for my own happiness, so I have to be careful. It'll be over soon, don't rush."
Hua Kai's words enraged Consort Li so much that she almost ordered him to be killed!
This despicable woman, even at a time like this, she's still thinking about seduction? Happiness? Utterly laughable! What she's bringing to the flowers won't be happiness, but disaster. She'll make sure everyone who dares to betray her knows they'll meet a terrible end.
However, in order to calm Hua Kai down, Consort Li patiently smiled and said, "Anyway, it's late at night, no lights will be on, he can't see anything, no matter how beautiful your makeup is, it'll still look the same."
It doesn't change the fact that she's ugly! Her face is distorted, terrifying, and she's even wearing makeup? It's ridiculous!
Hua Kai had only been burned a few days prior, so naturally she couldn't wear makeup. Her face was still covered in ointment, completely distorted by the burns. But it wasn't just Hua Kai's face that was burned and distorted in the fire; her heart was too! She seemed oblivious to the pain, actually putting on makeup. She tried to draw her eyebrows, but all the hairs had been burned away—there were no eyebrows left at all.
She used an eyebrow pencil to draw her eyebrows stroke by stroke, creating thick, curved eyebrows that looked like two disgusting, ugly worms crawling on her face against her distorted skin.
She even applied rouge and powder to herself, as carefully and meticulously as if she were really getting married. However, her face had been burned and was completely wrinkled and pitted, making it impossible to see her original appearance. It was a dark mess, and even if she applied white powder, it could not cover up her ugliness.
Because her injuries hadn't healed, her struggle caused blood, oil, and yellow fluid to flow from her broken face. In the dimly lit bronze mirror, all that could be seen was a face covered in blood and yellow fluid, washing away her rouge and powder, making it resemble a crawling worm. Her grotesque eyes bulged out due to their sunken sockets, and her similarly sunken nose made her nostrils stand out. The whole person looked like a terrifying and horrifying female ghost.
She had no hair, just a thin layer of curly hair clinging to her scalp. Yet, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror, as if she were seeing an unparalleled beauty. She stretched out her withered, corpse-like hand and gently stroked her dry, terrifying skin, her smile chilling. She murmured, "Hua Kai, you are so beautiful, do you see? Today is your wedding day. Only a woman like you is worthy of a peerless handsome man like Mu Yunhe. Today, you will become husband and wife. Hurry up, hurry up and become his woman. He will surely love you very much."
Hua Kai's nerves were clearly not normal. The blow was too great, the situation too tragic, to the point that Hua Kai could not bear the enormous change of disfigurement.
Originally, Hua Kai was indeed a pretty woman, but the fire turned her into a complete monster. How could a young girl bear such a blow? Moreover, her injury was an innocent accident, entirely caused by Consort Li, which Hua Kai found even more unbearable. 16934821
Hua Kai now has only one thought: to win over Mu Yunhe, become his favorite concubine, and then have Mu Yunhe kill Concubine Li to avenge herself.
This obsessive thought made Hua Kai gradually burst into laughter. Outside the door came Consort Li's impatient voice once again: "Are you done yet? Hurry up, otherwise Mu Yunhe will leave soon, and your dream of getting him will be dashed."
Hua Kai's gaze was sinister, but this time she restrained her violent emotions. At least Consort Li was right; if Mu Yunhe really left, she would have nothing left. She quickly stood up, put on the fiery red wedding dress that Consort Li had prepared for her, and then walked out of the room.
As soon as she stepped out, Consort Li's face turned deathly pale, and she almost screamed in fright.
"What? Am I beautiful? Are you amazed by my beauty too? Do you think Mu Yunhe might fall in love with me at first sight? Would he also fall at my feet?" Hua Kai spoke with her imagined alluring charm as she swayed her hips toward Consort Li.