Luo Ningshuang snorted coldly, about to speak, when Luo Zhiheng's petite voice came from outside: "Oh, Princess Nan is so angry. Anyone who didn't know better would think we didn't treat her well. What's wrong? Did the servants upset Princess Nan?"
Luo Ningshuang's eyes blazed with anger, but she didn't immediately lash out. She watched as Luo Zhiheng walked in with an air of elegance, her posture and appearance far more beautiful than before. This filled Luo Ningshuang with jealousy. They were twins, with identical faces, but for some reason, these two people, so similar, now seemed completely different. They still had the same face, yet possessed worlds apart in their aura.
Luo Zhiheng was initially reluctant to come, but that mischievous little monkey Xiao Xizi told her she wouldn't regret it, so she came. However, seeing Luo Ningshuang so furious, Luo Zhiheng suddenly felt quite pleased.
She smiled as she looked at the food and said, "I heard that the Princess Consort of the South has a poor appetite and doesn't find this food palatable?"
Luo Ningshuang's face contorted in a grimace for a moment, then softened as she said, "Sister, these things aren't just unpalatable, they're absolutely inedible. If you don't believe me, try them yourself. It's been so long since I've seen you, sister. Come, let me feed you a taste myself."
As Luo Ningshuang spoke, she picked up a piece of the incredibly spicy dish with her chopsticks and brought it directly to Luo Zhiheng's lips. She then took a sudden step forward, her seemingly elegant and gentle movements unexpectedly jabbing the chopsticks forward. It didn't look like she was feeding him; it was more like a reckless act of revenge.
Luo Zhiheng had always been wary of Luo Ningshuang, but she remained calm. She immediately shifted her body aside, and seemingly unintentionally tripped, causing Luo Ningshuang to fall forward uncontrollably.
"Ah!" With a thud, Luo Ningshuang cried out and fell heavily to the ground, landing face-first in a most glorious way. Somehow, chopsticks and spicy food landed all over her head and face. She cried out, "It hurts! My eyes! Water! Quick, get me some water!"
Luo Zhiheng suppressed a laugh and immediately exclaimed in alarm, calling out in a flustered and anxious manner, "How could this happen? Sister, sister, you absolutely can't be hurt! Quick, quick! Who's going to get some water, you bunch of idiots? I'll get some water."
Luo Zhiheng called out, while giving a wink to Xiao Xizi, who was cowering outside the door. Xiao Xizi immediately brought in a tray, replaced all the food on the table, and then quickly disappeared. 17882162
Luo Zhiheng's cries were sincere, both feigned and genuine. In her panic, she even stepped on Luo Ningshuang, who screamed in pain. Luo Ningshuang immediately stopped, startled, and quickly stepped back on her, even stepping on her twice, all the while saying, "Good sister, you scared your sister! I just wanted to go get you some fruit, why won't you let me?"
Luo Ningshuang was so angry she almost spat out blood. You think you're right to step on her? But she was in so much pain that she gritted her teeth and said, "Have these maids bring me water."
"Water, is it? Hurry up! Didn't you see your Princess Consort wants water? Bring water quickly!" Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow, stood a little further away, and waved her hand. Immediately, a basin of cold water was poured over Luo Ningshuang's head, instantly turning her into a drowned rat.
"Ah! It's so cold! Are you trying to kill me? You're using cold water!" Luo Ningshuang exclaimed in surprise.
A wicked expression flashed across Luo Zhiheng's face before she quickly scolded, "A bunch of idiots! How could you give the Princess Nan cold water? Didn't you see that she's not satisfied? Quickly bring hot water!"
Upon hearing the words "hot water," Luo Ningshuang instinctively sensed something was wrong, but the heat was so intense she couldn't open her eyes, and she was soaking wet and uncomfortable, so her reaction was a beat too slow. By the time she realized what was happening, she practically jumped up, letting out a series of pig-like screams: "Ouch! It's hot! It's scalding me! It's scalding me!"
Luo Zhiheng feigned shock, covering her mouth and asking with a distressed expression, "Miss, what do you want? You're so unpredictable, switching between hot and cold. Why are you so hard to please?"
"Try pouring hot water on you, Luo Zhiheng! Don't talk like that! You must be doing this on purpose! Now get these idiots to prepare some clean clothes for me!" Luo Ningshuang was in pain, humiliated, and angry, so her tone was particularly harsh, as if she were giving orders to Luo Zhiheng.
"She is your sister, not your servant. How dare you speak to her in such a tone!" The Empress's majestic and displeased voice rang out eerily from outside the door, startling Luo Ning Shuang so much that she instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
The Empress stepped into the room and saw the mess on the floor and Luo Ning Shuang, who was soaking wet. She frowned and said, "What happened here? Can someone explain this to me?"
Fearing that Luo Zhiheng would squander her advantage with her sharp tongue, Luo Ningshuang spoke first, her voice choked with grievance, "Grandmother, you must stand up for me! I just came back, and it feels like this home I've lived in for eighteen years has changed. Everything is unfamiliar to me. Even the servants and old women dare to bully me. They serve me half-cooked food and spicier dishes that are unbearably hot. I really can't swallow them. My sister happened to come, and I told her, but she didn't believe me... Then, I don't know how, I fell down. My eyes still hurt so much. One basin of cold water, one basin of hot water, it's so painful! These wicked servants must have done it on purpose. Waaah, Grandmother, I'm so scared."
Her Majesty the Empress felt a throbbing pain in her temples. She had this feeling that whenever her two granddaughters met, it was like fire and oil colliding—always so intense and sparks flying. Seeing Luo Zhiheng's indifferent expression, the Empress had no choice but to speak up: "Heng'er, tell me, what's going on with the food?"
Luo Zhiheng, with an innocent and harmless look, said, "Grandmother, Heng'er doesn't know either. The food is the same, so why is Shuang'er's food so unpalatable? Does Grandmother think that Heng'er harmed Shuang'er? Waaah, it really wasn't Heng'er who did it. Since Grandmother doesn't believe Heng'er, then Heng'er will eat it for Grandmother to see."
The Empress's face was grim, but she still didn't stop Luo Zhiheng from picking up her chopsticks. Luo Ningshuang watched coldly, thinking to herself, "Let you be arrogant, wait until you eat until you throw up and see how you explain yourself!"
Haha, the update is here! I've been struggling with internet all day, so I'll stop here for today. Sorry, my darlings! I need to think about the plot more carefully and organize my thoughts again. I don't want to rush through the plot. Long stories require frequent revisions. Please support me, my darlings! I'll work hard to repay you all with even better plots. *kisses* Still asking for recommendation votes, comments, and monthly tickets!
429 Unable to express his suffering! A single sentence awakens him from his dream!
Updated: 2013-11-09 12:23:14 Word Count: 7714
Under Luo Ningshuang's sarcastic and provocative gaze, Luo Zhiheng took a bite of the dish, chewing elegantly and savoring it. A confused expression gradually appeared on her face. To Luo Ningshuang, this meant that even Luo Zhiheng had found the food unpalatable. "Hmph, let's see how Luo Zhiheng tries to argue this time."
"How is it, sister? But the taste is too awful, I can't swallow it either," Luo Ningshuang said, feigning grievance.
Luo Zhiheng looked at Luo Ningshuang with a puzzled expression, full of sympathy and pity. She shook her head and said, "I think this dish tastes very good. Why do you say it's not good, Grandmother? If you don't believe me, please try a bite."
Luo Zhiheng held a bite of food to the Empress's lips, her large eyes filled with grievance and expectation. The Empress already felt that Luo Zhiheng had been wronged and was in a bad mood. Now that her granddaughter was holding the food in front of her, even if it were a mouthful of sulfur, she would dare to open her mouth and swallow it.
So she opened her mouth and ate it, before Luo Ningshuang could stop her. But instead of the expected thunderous rage, Luo Ningshuang noticed that the Empress's expression wasn't good, but her gaze held a hint of scrutiny and displeasure. Luo Ningshuang's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly said, "Is it because it tastes bad? Grandmother, please spit it out quickly. Sister, how could you let Grandmother taste such a thing?"
Luo Zhiheng said with dissatisfaction, "Sister, you are really wronging me. Didn't you see that Grandmother didn't say anything? As for filial piety, although I am not as good as you are, I am no less filial than you. Would you give Grandmother such inedible food? It's not that the food is so bad to me. Why do you insist that it is inedible?"
Luo Zhiheng frowned in confusion, then suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! I know! Could it be that my sister's health is so poor that even her sense of taste is off? She says that dishes that aren't spicy at all are deadly, isn't that a taste disorder? Grandmother, you should quickly find a doctor to examine my sister, otherwise, won't her appetite get worse every day? What will become of her?"
"You're talking nonsense!" Luo Ningshuang couldn't help but lose her temper when she got excited. She couldn't stand Luo Zhiheng's hypocritical and distorted words. Suddenly remembering that the Empress was still there, she immediately restrained her aura and said in a weak and aggrieved tone, "This food is clearly inedible. Why did you lie, sister? Why did you have to use such words to hurt your younger sister?"
Luo Zhiheng slowly retorted, "You don't believe me when I say it's not good, but don't you believe Grandmother? She's not one to lie, little sister, why don't you try it yourself and see? I'm making things difficult for you in front of Grandmother, what am I trying to achieve?"
Luo Ningshuang choked. She took another bite of the food in disbelief, and was instantly stunned. She looked up at Luo Zhiheng in disbelief. How could this be? How could the food taste different in such a short time? Although she didn't want to admit it, she had to admit that the food really... had become more delicious.
Luo Zhiheng, that bitch must have done something shady. But Luo Ningshuang couldn't accuse Luo Zhiheng at all. It was obvious the Empress favored Luo Zhiheng; the two sisters were on completely different starting lines in front of Her Majesty. She had already lost by a large margin and couldn't afford to give the Empress another bad impression of being unreasonable and fabricating accusations. This time, she had truly suffered a huge, silent loss, like swallowing bitter herbs, unable to speak of her suffering, and could only pitifully look up at Her Majesty the Empress.
The Empress nodded slightly and said, "The food is fine. It's probably just a problem with your sense of taste. Don't worry, I'll have Huo Yun come and treat you. You look too weak, so you need to get a proper check-up. Go and have someone invite Huo Yun over."
Luo Ningshuang opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word. She really wanted to say that Madam Huoyun said Luo Zhiheng's people, so how could she possibly treat her properly? But she didn't dare to say it. Madam Huoyun was obviously the King's person, and she didn't dare to offend her.
Soon, Madam Huoyun arrived. After examining Luo Ningshuang very carefully, she used a lot of incomprehensible words and then said, "Your body is too weak. Your spleen and stomach are not in harmony, and your liver and kidneys are deficient. The change in your sense of taste is also related to your spleen and stomach. You need to take good care of yourself. I will prescribe some herbal decoctions to regulate your body. However, there is one thing that Princess Dongnan needs to eat every day, as if it were three meals a day. One bowl is enough. You must take it once in the morning, once at noon and once in the evening. If you take it for a month, your appetite will naturally improve and all your ailments will be gone."
"Oh? What is it?" the Queen asked with a hint of curiosity.
Lady Huoyun said in a serious tone, "Old vinegar!"
Luo Zhiheng's eyes twitched violently, her lips were tightly pursed, and she turned her head slightly to the side, seemingly unable to bear seeing this scene, but also seemingly unable to resist laughing.
Everyone in the room was stunned, staring blankly at Madam Huoyun. What kind of prescription was this? Drinking vinegar? And treating it like meals? Let alone taking it for a month, no one could tolerate even three days in a row. This wasn't treating an illness; it was making it worse.
Luo Ningshuang immediately objected. She felt that this Lady Huoyun was in cahoots with Luo Zhiheng, and that they were clearly targeting her and framing her. She believed that this despicable idea must have come from that vile woman, Luo Zhiheng.
"Who uses aged vinegar to cure diseases? What kind of logic is that?" Luo Ningshuang questioned.
Lady Huoyun said unhurriedly, "Vinegar can stimulate the appetite, drinking more of it will be good for you. Now everything you eat is spicy, but when you put it with sour things, it's really delicious. It's good no matter how you eat it, because sour and spicy go hand in hand. Is the Princess Consort of the South questioning my medical skills?"
Fallacies and heresies!
Luo Ningshuang was so angry she could only glare helplessly. With a fire burning inside her, she looked at the Empress with teary eyes and pleaded, "Grandmother, although Shuang'er is weak, my sense of taste is definitely fine. Please don't drink that old vinegar, okay? Just thinking about it makes my teeth ache, Grandmother."
The Empress also found it a bit absurd to eat vinegar as a staple food, so she asked, "Are there any other methods?"
"No, Fang Chen has already prescribed the medicine, and the vinegar must be consumed regularly. If Princess Nan wants to recover quickly, she should drink plenty of vinegar," said Lady Huoyun, neither humble nor arrogant.
Seeing that the Empress was still hesitant, Luo Zhiheng smiled and said, "Grandmother, what are you doing? We are treating Shuang'er's illness. We can't indulge her just because we feel sorry for her or want to spoil her. That would harm her. If you really want Shuang'er to get better, then please don't stop us."
The Empress then said without hesitation, "Heng'er is right. We can't let a small thing ruin the big picture. Shuang'er's health is the most important thing. So let's follow Huo Yun's instructions and drink the medicine. Remember to take the medicine and drink the vinegar properly and don't be willful."
"Shuang'er will definitely listen to Grandmother's words. She's filial, right, Shuang'er sister?" Luo Zhiheng glanced at Luo Ningshuang, and seeing Luo Ningshuang holding that white with a hint of blue, she felt a surge of satisfaction. It was so satisfying to mess with someone! The old Luo Zhiheng was probably completely manipulated by Luo Ningshuang, this smiling tiger with a knife hidden in her eyes. Now that Luo Zhiheng is here, can she still indulge Luo Ningshuang?
Luo Ningshuang had no choice but to swallow her anger and put on a grateful expression, saying, "Of course, Shuang'er will definitely take her medicine properly." She didn't mention being jealous.
Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned, and helped the Empress up, saying, "Let's go first, let Shuang'er rest well. She needs to take her medicine as soon as it's ready. We mustn't let Grandmother catch her illness here."
The Empress was also unwilling to stay here. She gave Luo Ningshuang a few instructions and then left in a grand procession with Luo Zhiheng and her entourage.
Luo Ningshuang stood there, stomping her feet in anger as she watched their retreating figures. She gritted her teeth and muttered, "Luo Zhiheng, you're something else! This grudge, plus all the past grudges, just you wait! One day I'll get it all back, with interest!"
Luo Ningshuang currently has no trusted maids, making her feel constrained in everything she does. Her eyes darted around, and she needed to find a way to recruit two maids to work for her.
Back in her room, Luo Zhiheng burst into laughter and pounced on Mu Yunhe. Mu Yunhe was bewildered by her laughter, but seeing her joy, he joined in. After a while, Luo Zhiheng asked him, "What are you laughing at?"
Mu Yunhe kissed her forehead and said affectionately, "Seeing you smile makes me happy."
Luo Zhiheng laughed and pulled him aside to tell him about what had just happened at Luo Ningshuang's place. After finishing, she couldn't stop laughing and said, "I never expected that Madam Huoyun, at such an old age, would still be so childlike. How could she come up with such a way to punish Luo Ningshuang? Drinking vinegar, three times a day, a big bowl each time, hahaha, wouldn't that make Luo Ningshuang sour to death? Didn't you see that Luo Ningshuang's face turned green?"
Mu Yunhe said quietly, "I made Lady Huoyun say that."
Luo Zhiheng's laughter stopped abruptly, and she looked at Mu Yunhe in disbelief: "You're the one who told me to put the rat meat in, and you're the one who told me to say that about the old vinegar. Mu Yunhe, I didn't expect you to be so cunning. Is your belly full of black? I never knew you were so bad."
Mu Yunhe pinched Luo Zhiheng's face with a fierce expression and said, "Isn't this all for you? I feel disgusted just looking at that bitch. I wish I could throw her out of the mansion right now. If it weren't for your grandmother bringing her here, I would have cleaned up Bai Mingyue as well. Humph, such scum is just a nuisance to everyone."
"Alright, don't be angry. We won't let them stay any longer. Grandmother is so smart. She must have seen through the open and covert attacks between Luo Ningshuang and me today. Even if we didn't say anything, she knows that Luo Ningshuang and I don't get along. Once Grandmother has made arrangements, she'll probably make Luo Ningshuang leave as soon as possible. I don't want a bastard like Luo Ningshuang to live either, but she is, after all, Luo... Father's daughter. No matter what, I can't do something as cruel as killing my own sister."
Luo Zhiheng's eyes darkened. She had already taken over the body of someone else's daughter; how could she allow this body to kill her own sister? Even if her sister was terrible, causing a scene wouldn't matter, but if she really killed Luo Ningshuang, who could guarantee that her supposedly doting father wouldn't be angry and heartbroken? She couldn't bring herself to let a parent outlive their child; it was too cruel. That's why she wanted to leave Luo Ningshuang in the Southern Dynasty to fend for herself.
Mu Yunhe's eyes were filled with deep helplessness and a profound smile: "You are just like that, ruthless and lawless, yet so kind. You can't bring yourself to eliminate your own family members. I'm afraid you're raising a tiger that will cause endless trouble in the future."
"Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I'd let her turn into a tiger? If there really is such danger, I'll deal with it before it happens, so don't worry," Luo Zhiheng said confidently.
"Master, the people who accompanied Princess Yu'er have returned, saying they have something important to report," Xiao Xizi said from outside.
A cold glint flashed across Luo Zhiheng's face, and even Mu Yunhe's expression darkened slightly.
"Let him in."
Someone entered; it was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man who appeared honest and simple. However, this man was actually a spy with extremely high martial arts skills. He was someone Mu Yunhe had somehow acquired, named Huang Yi. Huang Yi knelt down respectfully and said, "Reporting to Master and Madam, after following them for several days, I have finally confirmed the identity of the person who met with Princess Yu'er. This confirms my suspicions from a few days ago; that person is none other than the eldest son, Mu Yunjin."
Mu Yunhe's face appeared calm, but his eyes darkened.
Luo Zhiheng smiled faintly, saying casually, "Oh? Is that so? Then I really have no surprises. Our Yu'er is naturally innocent and single-minded. What's going on between Mu Yunjin and Yu'er? Isn't Mu Yunjin supposed to be so颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of being listless, dispirited, and lacking motivation)? Why is he involved with Yu'er? Could it be that he wants to use Yu'er to do something to us? Is that what you think, Yunhe?"
Mu Yunhe's face was gloomy, and a cold smile curled his thin lips: "Who knows what he's up to? But anything unusual is suspicious. Keep an eye on him and don't let him harm Princess Yu'er, but don't alert him yet. Let's see what he's up to."
"Yes." Huang Yi hesitated for a moment, then said, "I don't know if the eldest young master has discovered me. Today, when the eldest young master and Princess Yu'er met in the back street, he suddenly took off the hood that he had been covering up for days, which allowed me to see his face clearly."
"It's probably not because they discovered you. Although Mu Yunjin is highly vigilant while leading troops in battle, the recent series of blows has exhausted him. He took off his hood, which is probably related to Yu'er. He's always meeting with Yu'er secretly like this, so it's inevitable that Yu'er will complain. I guess he's trying to appease her. Just do as your master says, secretly monitor them, and absolutely do not show yourself unless absolutely necessary. Just be careful," Luo Zhiheng analyzed.
"Your subordinate obeys." Huang Yi then took his leave.
Luo Zhiheng said with an unfriendly expression, "No matter what Mu Yunjin has been doing these past ten days, I will not allow him to hurt or use Yu'er. Yu'er is too naive, and besides, she seems to have an unusual impression of Mu Yunjin. Luo Ningshuang is back, and I'm most afraid of something going wrong at this critical moment."
Mu Yunhe said with a solemn expression, "That's not all. I have a feeling that something big is going to happen in the capital soon, and it's related to the imperial heir. I'm afraid there will be a bloodbath in the capital very soon, so we all need to be careful."
"Do you know the specifics?" Luo Zhiheng asked in surprise.
Mu Yunhe shook his head: "It's not certain yet. My body... my current skill level isn't enough to calculate anything related to the royal family. But you don't need to be too nervous. As long as I'm here, I'll protect you and keep you safe."
He could have predicted the calamity that had been troubling him lately, but his soul was too weak to risk predicting the future. So he could only sense the ever-approaching danger slowly engulfing the capital.
Luo Zhiheng smiled happily, playing with his arm. Mu Yunhe suddenly said, "Before, I thought that since there was no one else in the General's Mansion, I could stay here temporarily and then find a place to build a mansion according to your preferences and wishes, so I wasn't in a hurry to move out. But now that those two or three annoying guys have come back, I don't want to stay in the General's Mansion anymore. What do you think, Aheng?"
Luo Zhiheng nodded and said, "I don't like staying here either. Even the air feels polluted here. But where do we move to all of a sudden? We can't just stay in an inn, can we? You spendthrift! You burned down all of Prince Mu's houses! How could you turn down money? Wasn't that your property?"
Mu Yunhe hugged her and laughed, "Don't worry, I won't let you go hungry or cold. We have plenty of houses, but we can't build them according to your preferences. We can find a big mansion to move into first as our temporary residence, and then find a place to build our own home."
"That's fine then. Hurry up, I think Grandmother wants Luo Ningshuang to stay for a while longer. I don't want to live under the same roof with her for too long, it makes me nauseous." Luo Zhiheng pouted.
After discussing it, the couple split up the next day: Mu Yunhe worked on the house, while Luo Zhiheng went to find Yu'er.
Yu'er skipped and hopped into Luo Zhiheng's room. Luo Zhiheng glanced up casually and saw the girl bathed in sunlight. Her bright, lively eyes, rosy cheeks, and the undisguised upturn of her lips all spoke of the girl's heartfelt joy and happiness. It was the kind of happiness only a woman in love could possess. 122.
Luo Zhiheng unconsciously touched the corner of her mouth, and unexpectedly thought of Mu Yunhe, her eyes softening even more.
"Sister Heng'er, I'm here! Did you look for me?" Yu'er picked up a piece of pastry from the table and put it in her mouth. She swallowed it in seven or eight bites, seemingly wolfing it down, as if she was hungry.
Luo Zhiheng smiled subtly, "Looking at you like that, anyone who didn't know better would think I'm being cruel to you by not giving you any food. If Qianxue found out, she'd definitely make a scene. Hurry up and drink some water so you don't choke, then come sit next to me."