This rabbit, covering its face, tells all readers that from this chapter onwards, the story has entered its proper course... all the handsome men will take turns appearing!
Also, a reminder to all readers: I write slowly, so it's best to read today's chapter the next day. Thank you all for your support!
Chapter 24: Returning to the Past
As dusk settled, Qingmo could see Feng Chenmu's Glazed Palace brightly lit from afar, and could faintly hear melodious music drifting over. She sneered; it seemed a bit too early to start celebrating with singing and dancing now.
Inside the hall, Feng Chenmu sat on a high platform, a wine glass in one hand, his eyes lingering on the group of alluring and beautiful dancers in the center of the room. Their pale pink gauze dresses accentuated their exquisite figures, their captivating curves enough to make any man's blood boil. Feng Chenmu's eyes seemed glued to the dancers, following their every movement.
The dancers responded to each guest with alluring eyes. Suddenly, with a loud bang, an expensive, lustrous jade vase flew down from above and smashed into the gray carpet in the middle of the hall. Although the hall was covered with thick carpet, the vase shattered upon impact, which showed just how angry the person who threw it was.
Green jade fragments flew everywhere and landed on the legs of several dancers, instantly staining their thin gauze skirts with a layer of bright red. The dancers jumped aside in a panic, and the guests were all stunned by this sudden scene, all looking at the entrance of the hall.
Under the bright lights, a woman in yellow sat in a wheelchair, glaring angrily at Prince Ping on the high throne. Her expression was a mixture of grievance, resentment, and hatred. Then she loudly rebuked him, "Feng Chenmu, I have just recovered from a serious illness, and you...you are hiding here having a good time...you, you..." The woman in yellow was only of average appearance, but she was incredibly bold. She called out Prince Ping's name repeatedly and loudly accused him in front of everyone. After she finished cursing, she sobbed uncontrollably and covered her face, beginning to cry softly.
The guests exchanged bewildered glances at the weeping woman before the door, their minds racing with speculation. Some subtly glanced at Prince Ping, noticing his sinister expression and the menacing aura emanating from him, which made them uneasy. They secretly wondered if the woman at the door was Prince Ping's new favorite, Yue Qingmo. Their wedding was approaching, and their love was at its peak. Yet, judging from this, the prince seemed to be completely suppressed by this woman. Such a scandalous affair was something no one would want outsiders to witness. Would Prince Ping use this as an excuse to eliminate them all?
"Your Highness, I suddenly remembered that I have important matters to attend to at home, so I will take my leave now."
"Your Highness, my mother has been ill for a long time and I must return to my residence to give her medicine. I will visit again next time."
...
A variety of excuses were offered after the first person left, and in the blink of an eye, not a single guest remained in the hall.
Feng Chenmu glared fiercely at Qing Mo, swept everything on the table to the ground, and roared, "Get out! You blind fools, get out of here!"
All the maids and dancers were trembling with fear. They lifted their skirts and ran out in a flash. Tianzhen followed their hurried footsteps out of the hall.
His deep, dark eyes flashed with a cold light as Feng Chenmu stared intently at Qing Mo. "Why did you do this?"
In the wheelchair, Qingmo let go of his hand, not a single tear on her face. She smiled gently at his cold gaze, "Isn't this exactly what Your Highness asked me to do?"
Feng Chenmu's eyes flickered, and after looking at her for a while, he suddenly laughed, "Miss Yue is indeed clever. Then you shall enter the palace tomorrow."
Qingmo smiled faintly, her cold gaze sweeping over him. "Alright, I can enter the palace as Your Highness wishes, but Your Highness must grant me three conditions."
Hearing her increasingly melodious voice, Feng Chenmu's expression darkened. "What are the conditions?"
Qingmo looked at him quietly, "First, Liu Yan was sent to the Prince's mansion as a concubine because of me. I think the Prince is not lacking in women. After marriage, do not force her to do things she does not want to do, or even share a room with him."
Upon hearing this, Feng Chenmu's face darkened, and he stared at her for a long while as if he had seen some alien monster. Then he grinned roguishly, "It must be hard for my wife. Fine, I won't touch her."
Hearing his meaningful words, Qingmo's lips twitched but she did not explain. "Secondly, after leaving the palace, I would like to ask Your Highness to lend me the Flawless Pearl. In exchange, I will cure Your Highness's old ailment."
...
For a long time, no one spoke. Qingmo frowned. Did Feng Chenmu not want to lend her the Flawless Pearl? But she saw his eyes were dark and his voice was indifferent and cold, "The Flawless Pearl has special meaning to me. I can lend it to you, but you must return it intact, otherwise... you will bear the consequences." He paused and continued, "As for your old illness, you can treat it if you can, and if you can't, then forget it. I won't force you."
She thought Feng Chenmu would refuse, but she didn't expect him to agree so quickly. When did he become so easy to talk to? Qingmo listened to Feng Chenmu's dejected voice, narrowed her eyes and looked at him. Seeing that he seemed to be lost in some painful memory, she frowned and asked tentatively, "Your Highness? Are you alright?"
Feng Chenmu suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with a hint of confusion and sorrow. When he met Qing Mo's face, his expression changed completely. "I'm fine. What is your third condition?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear he was absent-minded and distant. Qingmo thought for a moment, "Your Highness seems preoccupied. Let's discuss the third condition after the marriage. Anyway, it's not a big deal, Your Highness can definitely do it." After saying that, she laboriously pushed the wheelchair and left.
Chapter 25: The Gentle Breeze Never Stops
"Look over there, Princess Ping has been refused entry by the Empress again. This is the fifth day in a row now!"
"She deserves it. Haven't you heard the rumors circulating in the palace these past few days? First, she publicly stripped during the concubine selection competition and got into an inappropriate relationship with Prince An. Then, she used the excuse of seeking medical treatment to stay at Prince Ping's residence. A while ago, Princess Pingting even fell off a carriage because of her and hasn't recovered yet. And just a few days ago, she dared to publicly rebuke Prince Ping for neglecting her. Humph... that kind of woman..."
"That's right. Having been in the palace for so long, I've never seen such an ugly and shameless woman. Just as Consort Li said, she's a barbaric mountain woman who doesn't know any manners."
"In my opinion, the Winter Palace will definitely not allow her to attend this time."
"Hmph, why bother having her attend? To send her off to seduce..."
The incessant laughter and mockery reached Qingmo's ears. She squinted and looked up at the sky. The sky was gray and gloomy, with dark clouds floating in the overcast sky. It seemed that another heavy rain was going to fall that night.
"Miss Yue, Her Majesty the Empress is entertaining Princess Pinting and has no time to see you today. Please come again tomorrow." Aunt Shen, who was by the Empress's side, walked up to her expressionlessly, said a few words, and then hurriedly left.
This was the fifth day already. Ever since she moved into Jingxin Palace, the Empress would have her maids summon her to Weiyang Palace every morning, only to find her waiting there for two hours each time. She couldn't be bothered to come up with any new, vulgar excuses—"I saw so-and-so today, so-and-so tomorrow"—before finally letting her go back at lunchtime. It wasn't really a huge humiliation; it was just a way to make her uncomfortable with these low-class methods. Who was she? She was Yue Qingmo; such trivial matters were no challenge for her.
Qingmo dragged her legs toward the Jingxin Palace, her already weak body feeling unwell. She glanced around and then sat down on the edge of a flower bed. The palace servants bustling around her pointed and whispered, but she remained expressionless, pressing acupoints on her feet and massaging her calves, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.
"Oh, isn't this our divine physician, Princess Ping? Why do you look so... disheveled? What happened? Did Prince Ping use you and then throw you away like a rag? Of course, with looks like yours, you're not even worthy of washing Princess Pingting's feet. Any man with eyes would know who to choose..."
A sarcastic male voice rang out. Qingmo looked up. Feng Luochuan seemed to have just emerged from Weiyang Palace, a cold smile on his face as he glanced at her sideways. She had heard many scandals about herself these past few days, but this was the first time someone had linked Mo Pingting and Feng Chenmu together. Could it be, as she suspected, that Feng Chenmu and Mo Pingting were actually old acquaintances? Her delicate brows furrowed, and Qingmo looked at Feng Luochuan, saying calmly, "What news did you receive in Weiyang Palace, Your Highness? Why not tell me? Let me be heartbroken, so grief-stricken that I feel no joy in life and have no face to live any longer, and I might as well end my life."
A voice as gentle as a breeze drifted into his ears. Hearing the words about injury and death, Feng Luochuan's thick eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He glanced at the pale-faced woman not far away, whose brows always held a hint of resilience, and coldly retorted, "You would try to kill yourself?" He didn't believe she would. He had witnessed her nonchalant attitude; such a person possessed the strongest inner strength. How could she possibly take her own life? After a moment's thought, he gave her a meaningful look and swaggered away.
Why did you leave? Qingmo stood up and shouted at Feng Luochuan's back, "Young Prince, didn't you want to make me suffer tenfold? How could you give up such a good opportunity so easily?"
Feng Luochuan didn't even turn his head. "Yue Qingmo, you'd better forget about trying to get information from me. I'd much rather see you lose all your composure in front of everyone and suffer terribly, hahaha..."
It seems something has happened to her again. What could it be? Qingmo pondered.
---Aside---
Friends, don't wait to read this article anymore, I suggest you wait until it's fully published before reading it!
I will try my best to update once a day, but I can't guarantee the word count. Actually, I struggled a lot while writing this story, so please understand, dear readers!
Chapter 26: A Gentleman's Friendship
As evening fell, Qingmo was taking a medicinal bath when a childlike voice suddenly called out from outside the door, "Miss, Her Majesty the Empress has sent someone to deliver clothes so you can attend the Winter Solstice Banquet in the palace tonight. Are you ready yet?"
Wisps of white mist rose slowly, and Qingmo's face appeared and disappeared in the mist. She slowly opened her eyes and a cold smile appeared on her lips. It seemed that the humiliation that Feng Luochuan had mentioned this morning had arrived.
The woman in the mirror had a face as pale as the clouds in the sky. Tianzhen was using an ivory comb to style Qingmo's hair, while she said angrily, "Miss, are you really going to wear such gaudy clothes to the Winter Solstice Banquet? I don't know what the Empress is up to. Sending you such indecent clothes, what does she mean by that?"
Qingmo listened quietly without speaking. All the events of the past few days had been orchestrated by someone behind the scenes—Feng Chenmu. Feng Chenmu had chosen to help her because he understood her situation perfectly, knowing she had no other choice. Her calm and calculating nature was exactly what he needed, so the two hit it off immediately. Feng Chenmu had done so much to draw everyone's attention to himself, so he could then implement another plan. And tonight was the most crucial step in that plan; how could she allow it to be disrupted?
Amidst the bright lights and warm wine, the air is filled with the clinking of glasses. Inside the Fangfei Palace, gentle singing and dancing, soft chanting and soft recitations, and beautiful women, it is a scene of peace, prosperity, and extravagance.
Qingmo chose a corner seat and looked around. Many court officials, handsome young noblemen, daughters of officials, and some people she disliked were present…
"Sister, I see sister! Where is sister?" A loud and excited male voice suddenly rang out in the hall, and the noisy hall suddenly fell silent. Feng Chenhao shook off Xiao Nu's hand that was holding his arm and ran towards Qing Mo with a look of surprise. Following his direction, everyone's eyes were filled with disdain, contempt, and ridicule... all kinds of looks were directed at Qing Mo's face. She felt like she had been struck by lightning. It was impossible for her to keep a low profile even if she wanted to.
Distracted for a few seconds, Feng Chenhao suddenly grabbed her arm and looked at her earnestly. "Sister, ever since Aunt Fang took me away from Qiongfang Garden last time, I have..." He took out his fingers and counted seriously, "I haven't seen you for sixteen days. Everyone says you are Fifth Brother's princess, but I don't want to. I... I want you to be my princess."
Like a stone thrown into still water, Feng Chenhao's voice was loud, and a commotion immediately erupted in the hall, with whispers mingling among the crowd. Qingmo had a splitting headache. When did she become so popular? Including this time, she had only met Feng Chenhao three times in total. He really was someone who always caused her trouble.
Seemingly ignoring the disdainful glances and sarcastic remarks, Qingmo smiled faintly at him and spoke softly, "Chenhao, release your sister first, then tell her how you knew she was the Fifth Prince's consort? And who told you she was here?"
Ever since Feng Chenhao rescued her from the crisis at Qiongfang Garden, Qingmo had always felt that he wasn't actually stupid, but rather quite intelligent. Later, she learned that Feng Chenhao was normal until the age of five, when he inexplicably became mentally challenged, and as time passed, his intelligence remained at the level it was at age five. How could a five-year-old child who didn't even know her name suddenly know that she was the Fifth Prince's Consort, or even understand what "consort" meant? And how could he accurately find her upon entering the main hall? She didn't believe such a coincidence was possible.
Feng Chenhao looked at Qingmo with pleading eyes, then answered irrelevantly, "Why did you let go of my sister? I like holding her hand, and seeing her makes me especially happy..."
"She's shameless! Even in a place like Fangfei Palace, she dares to flirt with Prince An in front of everyone..."
"She truly deserves the title of the most despicable woman in the Phoenix Moon Dynasty for hundreds of years..."
The barrage of criticism could drown a person. Qingmo frowned, and whether or not she pushed Feng Chenhao away was no longer important. She had already become the epitome of shamelessness. She was just afraid that such a small incident would push her into the eye of the storm.
"Eighth brother, the woman you are holding is my future queen. Please let her go."
Sure enough, just as her thoughts were racing, a powerful voice rang out. Feng Chenmu, his robes fluttering, walked quickly, a hint of anger on his face. He reached her, grabbed her possessively, and tried to pull her into his arms. Despite his nickname "Foolish King," Feng Chenmu was surprisingly strong. He held her other arm tightly, and the two stared at each other, locked in a stalemate, neither willing to give in.
"What's so good about a woman like that? I wonder what Prince Ping and Prince An saw in her..."
“Prince An is the husband of her younger sister, Miss Yue San. How could she be so shameless? She has no sense of decency whatsoever…”
In front of Feng Chenmu and Feng Chenhao, the offensive words did not diminish at all; on the contrary, the voices grew louder. Qingmo looked coldly at Feng Chenmu and said in a low voice, "I need your help, and I am willing to exchange my dignity, personality, freedom, and everything else for it. After you succeed today, lend me the Flawless Pearl. My third condition is that we should maintain a gentlemanly relationship and each go our own way."
A fleeting glint of emotion flickered in Feng Chenmu's eyes as he looked at the gaudy-dressed girl before him, a pang of bitterness rising in his heart. Yes, her background, circumstances, and personality undoubtedly made her his best partner. But he had forgotten that she was just a fifteen-year-old girl, relentlessly pushed around by him, subjected to the world's scorn and disdain, her most precious possession destroyed. Now, for her to utter a word of camaraderie was surely a tremendous blessing to him.
"The Emperor and Empress have arrived."
The eunuch's high-pitched voice drew out for an extremely long time, and the onlookers suddenly fell silent. One by one, they transformed back into composed ministers and well-educated ladies from prominent families, kneeling down to pay their respects.
The two men released her hands and bowed in greeting. Qingmo lowered her head and chanted "Long live the Emperor!" along with the others.
"The life of all my ministers."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
A few unchanging lines of dialogue only fueled Qingmo's disgust for the scene. "Long live the Emperor?" A self-deceiving, beautiful dream. She stood up, but was suddenly grabbed by the wrist. Looking up, she saw Feng Chenhao holding her wrist tightly and shouting, "Father, back in Qiongfang Garden, I told you I liked this sister. You said you would give her to me in marriage, which is why I didn't go to watch her compete in medicine. But now, why are you giving her to Fifth Brother? You've broken your promise! Chenhao will never speak to you again!" With that, Feng Chenhao pulled her towards the exit of Feifang Palace.
So that's why Feng Chenhao suddenly left without a word during the concubine selection competition. Qingmo pondered, but she also knew that the most urgent thing was to quickly sever ties with Feng Chenhao. She struggled several times, but because her body had not recovered, she could not break free from his grip and was dragged forward, stumbling along the way.
Inside the hall, everyone lowered their heads, not daring to even breathe loudly.
The Phoenix Emperor narrowed his eyes, his cold gaze fixed on the figure walking towards the door. His deep voice was filled with icy chill, "Hao'er, Yue Qingmo was betrothed to your fifth brother, making her your sister-in-law. Now she's having an affair with you. Such an unclean woman is not worthy of you. Why don't I, your father, imprison her in the Heavenly Prison and behead this woman who has brought ruin to the country as soon as possible? What do you think?"
"No, Father Emperor cannot behead my sister. If Father Emperor wants to behead her, then behead Hao'er instead. Anyway, there are plenty of people who will say Hao'er is stupid behind his back. My sister has already been betrothed to Fifth Brother. Hao'er doesn't want to live anymore." Feng Chenhao raised his handsome face, stood in front of Qing Mo, and said with great conviction.
A chord deep within her was stirred. They had only met three times, yet he had protected her so fiercely. Could he really be the man with the beauty mark under his eye from her dreams? The thought of that man with the bright red beauty mark under his eye made Qingmo clutch her chest uncontrollably. Her heart pounded erratically beneath her hand, and a wave of grief, depression, and utter despair washed over her.
The Phoenix Emperor looked at him sadly, "Hao'er, you have been so obedient all these years, but today you are willing to die for a woman. I am so disappointed in you." He paused, then suddenly his tone turned sharp, "Guards, drag this bewitching woman away and behead her."
Several guards entered Feifang Palace from outside the main hall. Two grabbed Feng Chenhao, and two supported her. Qingmo, whose body had not yet recovered, had no power to resist and was dragged outside. Was she going to be beheaded like this? Holding her by two unfamiliar hands, Qingmo's suspicious gaze swept over Feng Chenmu, only to see him with his eyelashes half-closed, seemingly deep in thought. At this critical moment, he refused to raise his noble eyes to look at her even once. Looking at the Emperor, his expression was dark and unreadable, and she was stunned for a moment.
A king's word is law... A king's word is law... Could it be that this time she really is to be taken away and beheaded? She doesn't want to die so unjustly? No, she must save herself. Qingmo struggled, her mind racing as she tried to think of a solution. Standing to the side, Feng Chenhao bit his lip, glanced at her, and shouted, "If Father wants to execute my sister, Hao'er will die with her!" With that, he lifted his skirt and hurriedly rammed his head against a large vermilion lacquered pillar.
---Aside---
1000 words yesterday, 700 more today!