Le charme d'une femme puissante se répand à travers le monde

Chapitre 31

Soon, I sat on the bed, head bowed in shame. It seemed I'd been too agitated; the huge psychological gap between being a genuine deity and a fake one had clearly caused a momentary lapse in judgment, leading me to do something so foolish. They'd kindly saved me, and I'd actually accused them of kidnapping—it was so wrong of me, so utterly wrong.

Night Wind must be terribly worried and filled with remorse. The change in events—when that imposter Yun Hui stabbed me—was so sudden and swift. He was already busy dealing with the imposter Yun Bai, which led to my injury, and now he's disappeared. He must be frantic. Actually, I wasn't injured. I shudder to think that the silk armor Mu Cangying gave me, which I'd worn out of boredom, was truly impervious to blades and spears, just as Cangying had said. It blocked the fatal blow for me, no wonder I didn't feel any pain. But because I'd forgotten I was wearing protective armor, I actually put on a vivid and realistic life-or-death drama. In reality, the life and death were just my gut reactions. My fainting spell was probably from shock, but I won't admit to that. To the outside world, I'll claim that the past few days of life-or-death escape had kept me on edge, and I just happened to collapse from exhaustion at that moment!

Clearly, this was all a meticulously planned scheme, and those two imposters impersonating Yun Hui and Yun Bai were also deliberately arranged. It seems my identity can't be hidden anymore. The Fourth Prince is no simpleton; he sensed something was amiss so quickly and took advantage of the rare opportunity when I was temporarily out of contact with Yun Hui and the other two to use a trick to force me to reveal my identity, almost taking my life in the process. It seems I need to reassess my opponent's strength. Heh, in that case, let me go all out and exchange a few blows with you. I really don't believe that someone like me, who studies history, watches TV, and plays computer games, can't defeat you ancient people who live by candlelight, horse-drawn carriages, and firewood. I'm not too worried that Ye Feng will search for me for too long. The Fenglan Jade Pendant is still on me; he can find me through the hidden carrier pigeon. He should be able to contact me soon enough.

"So, what's your name? And where is this place?" I looked at the man still sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling broadly. A faint smile appeared on my face. He said that when I was in danger, he happened to be sitting on the second floor of a teahouse facing the street, drinking tea. He saw me being stabbed, and yet he was still smiling. Out of kindness, he saved me. What a coincidence, and his skills are so good. Was I just lucky to have met a benefactor, or was this another scheme? You can't blame me for being suspicious. Someone who has just learned from their carelessness, if they don't learn to be more careful, they'll just be waiting to die. I don't want to wait to die.

"Tian Xilan, this is my home," he said frankly.

Tian Xilan? His surname is Tian? It's the imperial surname? He's actually a member of the royal family!

"Are you a prince?" I knew it was impolite of me to ask that, but before I could find a more tactful way to ask, the words had already slipped out.

"Yes," he said calmly.

"Is this your home? Could... could this be the palace?" I stammered, my eyes fixed on the person's mouth.

"Yes." His mouth was definitely in the shape of "yes."

Good heavens! I was just hesitating about which method to use to sneak into the palace, feeling that none of them were the best. I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, I'd already be inside! What... what am I going to do? This all happened so suddenly! My heart is pounding wildly, and my voice is stammering: "You... are you sure you didn't... didn't start a new life, get married... get married and start a family?"

Uh, the last five words seem like an unnecessary question. I've heard that princes are usually betrothed after they come of age, and then they have to move out of the palace, find their own residence, and be promoted to princes. So, those who don't establish their own households and still live in the palace must not have married or taken concubines!

"I'm sure." He smiled good-naturedly as always.

"I...I might have been frightened, and I'm still very weak," I said, patting my chest and looking at him pitifully like a frightened little rabbit. "Could...could I stay here for a few days to recover?"

“Okay.” He agreed without hesitation.

"Really?" I blinked my big eyes, a little incredulous at my good fortune.

"Really." He nodded as well.

Oh my god! I immediately pounced on the bed, dragged the blanket I'd kicked aside earlier, curled up with my back to the fake immortal sitting on the edge of the bed, covered my face, and chuckled to myself under the covers. I'm so lucky, la la la! Entering the palace this way, and even finding a place to stay, is the most ideal thing ever! Who cares if his rescue and approach were a scheme? I just need to be careful, then find the right opportunity to pounce on the fake immortal's father, and then, with snot and tears streaming down my face, beg him to form an alliance with the Dragon Yao Kingdom, and that'll be all. You can ignore the last part; I know that tears are worthless at times like this, hehe.

I flitted through the flowers like a butterfly. This place was truly beyond the comprehension of someone like me, who had been indoctrinated with scientific knowledge since childhood. The origin of the Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant was already dizzying, far-fetched, and fantastical enough; seeing where I was now, I completely lost my ability to think, so I simply stopped thinking about it. In early winter, the entire garden was a riot of colors, mostly flowers I didn't recognize. A few I did recognize were blooming beautifully, even though it wasn't their season. My mouth hung open for a long time as I ran past flower after flower, trying to stay as far away as possible from that imposter immortal. There was no way around it; his flowing white robes, combined with his own appearance and demeanor, made him, though a fake, incredibly convincing. And me? I was wearing Ling'er's clothes, a light green one at that, looking like a tiny green onion. I was too embarrassed to stand next to the imposter immortal and lower myself to play the role of a mere green leaf. Ugh!

"Is that the Tianshan Mountains?" I exclaimed in surprise, covering my mouth in disbelief.

Not far from me, towering snow-capped peaks, pure white and sacred, stretched endlessly into the distance. Was that the Tianshan Mountains? Was that the snow mountain? Last time I went to Yunnan, I rode a horse up Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, but I still didn't see the snow mountain. I never imagined that I would travel here and finally see the beauty of the snow mountain.

He also looked towards the Tianshan Mountains, then turned to look at me, smiled and nodded.

I let out a long, drawn-out breath, closed my eyes, and took another deep breath, savoring the faint, ethereal scent of snow and ice. My heart was filled with profound emotion. Even the coldest and strongest heart would soften and become warm in the face of the wonders of nature. The emotions that nature evokes always surpass our imagination and exceed what we can give in return.

"I never imagined that the palace would be so close to Tianshan. Tianhu Lake must be nearby too."

"This is the closest part of the entire palace to the sacred mountain and lake. It only takes half an hour to reach the sacred mountain by horseback from here."

Sacred Mountain and Sacred Lake? Even a prince said so, it seems that in the Tianqing Kingdom, the Tianshan Mountain and Sacred Lake have extraordinary significance.

I've been here for two days now and haven't seen a single pigeon feather. Sigh, I knew it! There's no such thing as a free lunch. With that jade pendant I have and that little black pigeon, the idea that I wouldn't get lost even a thousand miles away is utter nonsense. Now I've been missing for two days, and in this tiny capital city, I haven't seen Ye Feng leading a few pigeons to find me. And to make matters worse, Yun Yao, Yun Hui, and Yun Bai are nowhere to be seen either. It makes me feel like I'm completely isolated, like a lone commander. Although I desperately want to verify if the person Mu Cangying claimed was secretly protecting me is still by my side, I don't dare casually play with my bracelet here. I feel incredibly uneasy, so insecure and vulnerable.

I crept stealthily towards the outside of the Little White House. How strange! Wasn't this supposed to be a palace? Why wasn't there a soul in sight of me in my Little White House? No eunuchs, fine, but not even a maid? You ask what the Little White House is? It's where I live, the little house I was in when I woke up on the first day. It's all white inside and out, and surrounded by a small garden on all sides. Isn't that a true Little White House?

I peeked out cautiously, then quietly moved a few steps further away, wondering if things would be calmer outside the little white palace. It seemed there was still no one there. What was going on? I looked back at my little white palace; it was called the Orchid Palace. Since that was the case, I decided to wander around freely. It was a sea of flowers, breathtakingly beautiful, like stepping into a fairyland. When I got tired, I squatted down in a flowerbed, inhaling the fragrance, and secretly took out the Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant, examining it over and over. Sigh, could it be that the abundance of flowers around me masked its fragrance, bewitching the little black dove? After all, I had personally witnessed the little black dove from the Moon Gazing Kingdom carrying important news, successfully reaching the fox's side. Looking at my current situation, all of this seemed too strange. Sigh, I used to be such a lazy person, my motto being "Life is about food and clothing," my biggest dream being to live a life of leisure and comfort. But now? Ever since I set foot on this magical land of the Azure Sky Kingdom, I feel like I've instantly turned into a curious child, like Ikkyu-san who's always thinking hard.

"Why did you run out all by yourself?" A male voice, the only one I've spoken to in the past two days, sounded behind me.

"Huh? I was admiring the flowers and ended up outside my little White House without even realizing it?" I quickly got up, casually dusted off my clothes, and said innocently, "Xi Lan, this garden seems bigger and more beautiful than the garden in the little White House. Why won't you let me leave the little White House to see this wonderful scenery?"

A prince whose mother died young, a prince who spent more than half the year after his mother's passing indulging in the beauty of nature, a prince who, even when back in the palace, refused to attend to state affairs, a prince who was already of age but had not yet been betrothed—he dragged me to his palace. No one came to speak to me, no one came to serve me. His palace must be very large, but I didn't see a single servant. Had I not gone far enough? If I had known this, I should have moved another thousand meters to see if I could find a single person. After all, even the most disfavored prince wouldn't be in such a state.

"Of all the flowers in this palace, the ones in your Little White House are the rarest," the fake immortal said, echoing my call for the Little White House without correcting me, in his usual smile and gentle tone.

"The rarest things aren't necessarily the most popular." I glanced sideways at the person next to me, finding his white robes particularly irritating. Then I looked at my own white robes. Sigh, I thought I could look just as good as him in similar clothes. But clearly, I was too confident. What should I do? I absolutely cannot tolerate a man being more handsome than me, 555, it's too damaging to my confidence in life, it makes my whole world bleak. First there was the dragon fox, and now this fake immortal. Both seem to be people I can't afford to offend, not people I can just kill on a whim because I don't like them. Why is reality always so cruel?

"What kind of flower do you like?" His eyes were clear and serene, just like his white clothes, both pristine and untouched. I never imagined such pure eyes could exist in the world. I'd always thought only innocent infants or children possessed such innocent gazes. I couldn't believe that within the high walls of this palace, someone could possess such clear eyes. I thought of a fox's eyes—equally beautiful, but aside from the occasional clear, bright glimpse revealing its thoughts, most of the time they were deep and unfathomable, like a mystery.

"sunflower."

"sunflower?"

"Yes, no willow catkins rise with the wind, only sunflowers turn towards the sun. Their exteriors are so bright and vibrant, yet their hearts forever recognize only one sun. From their first bloom to their last, they only wish to look up and see it, and look down and still feel its warmth, following its footsteps throughout their lives." I looked up; the sky was so blue, the clouds so white, and so low. Those layers of white seemed so close, so near, as if I could reach out and pluck them from a ladder. I reached out and touched them a few times, exclaiming, "They're just like cotton candy!"

Honestly, just talking about it makes my mouth water. There were so many cotton candies in front of me, but I was picky and didn't cherish them. Only after losing them did I realize how much I craved them. The most painful thing in the world is suddenly craving something and then realizing it's vanished from the world. That despair, that frustration, that misery—only those who have experienced it can truly understand.

"What's cotton candy? Sixth Brother, you're back but didn't come to see us, and you even brought a woman back with you. Aren't you going to introduce her to us?" A warbling voice rang out, making me so excited that I immediately forgot about cotton candy and almost flew towards the source of the voice. Good heavens, I finally heard a human voice other than that imposter immortal's! I thought it was just the two of us left in the entire palace.

Clouds Drunk, Moon Slightly Asleep (Revised Edition) Volume Two: The Sky is Long, the Waters Vast, Where Has the Coolness Already Arrived? The Weather Is Not Yet Cold (Part Three)

Chapter word count: 4394 Update time: 08-12-21 16:21

The weather is cool but not yet cold (Part 3)

Wearing a pale yellow, bright-colored, floor-length skirt that was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, with wide sleeves, her hair styled in a high bun adorned with jade hairpins and pearl flowers, with slightly plump skin, a well-proportioned figure, bright eyes and cherry lips, a charming and approachable woman walked gracefully toward where I and the imposter immortal were standing. Following behind her was a man of about twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a light brown robe woven with pine and crane patterns, of medium height, slightly thin, with handsome features, but unexpectedly I felt he had a somewhat effeminate air about him.

Sixth Brother? Could it be the legendary princess? Oh dear, I've been waiting for this for so long! Finally, someone other than the imposter immortal has appeared, and a princess at that! Back in Longyao Kingdom, although I wandered around the palace a few times, I never saw a proper master except for the maids and nannies. Poor Fox, his father died young, his mother died young, none of his stepmothers lived long, he has no sisters, and his only brother is like that. In this huge palace, it seems like he's all alone. No wonder he's always inseparable from Fly. Later, I appeared. Although I didn't solve Fly's problems, at least I shared the responsibility of keeping Fox company. Sigh, Fox, Fly, I miss you both so much! 55555

"Hey, I'm asking you a question, what are you spacing out for?" I guess my silly look at the fox just now made the fake fairy's sister unhappy, because she changed her sweet tone from when she first came out of the valley to a slightly displeased, high-pitched voice.

"Why didn't Fourth Brother and Seventh Sister send someone to inform us before they came?" The fake immortal stepped forward, bowed slightly to the effeminate man, and then said to the princess, "Seventh Sister, Miss Yue is my friend, so please don't be rude."

"Moon Maiden? Oh, right, Moon Maiden is me." When the imposter immortal asked my name, I somehow blurted out "Moon Weimian," a name I'd made up on the spot last time. Perhaps I was subconsciously on guard; even though I couldn't reveal my true identity as Yun Feng or Yun Yue, I never said I was Lin Qianqian. But none of that matters now. What matters most is that Tian Xilan just called out "Fourth Brother!" He's a prince of Tianqing Kingdom, so his fourth brother must be—that damned fourth prince! And it seems Tian Xilan is the sixth in line, while the princess is clearly the seventh. My eyes were fixed on that "Fourth Brother," my mind temporarily blank.

"Sixth Brother, is she stupid? She hasn't said a word and has been looking dazed the whole time. Sixth Brother, why did you bring this kind of woman back to your palace?"