The princess's final decision was to first have Luo Zhiheng help Mu Yunhe recover; as for Luo Zhiheng's future, that could be discussed later. Nothing was more important than her son's life. For her son's sake, she could endure everything.
"No, let Aunt Hu take care of you. I don't trust anyone around you. You can rest assured that Yunhe is with me. I will definitely bring Yunhe back to you safe and sound." Luo Zhiheng understood the princess's worry about her son traveling far away and made a very considerate promise.
A hint of sadness flashed in the princess's eyes, and she forced a smile, "Alright, with you here, I have nothing to worry about. You all must come back safely. Hurry up and go, the Prince's carriage has been waiting for a long time."
"Okay, Mother, please take good care of yourself. We'll take good care of you when Yunhe and I return. Please wait for us to come back." Luo Zhiheng hugged the princess in a very Western way, and after speaking obediently, she hesitated for a moment before whispering in the princess's ear, "Mother, please be careful of Consort Li. If anything happens, please go to the palace to see the Emperor. He will not abandon you."
Even in her departure, Luo Zhiheng wanted to leave the Princess a way out. Although the Princess had the Tong family behind her, they didn't really interfere in the acquisition of the Mu Prince's mansion. The Emperor was the more reliable one. Luo Zhiheng had realized this herself during that court struggle. Why did she, the eldest daughter of a minor general's family, receive such frequent protection from the Emperor? Wasn't it because she was Mu Yunhe's legal wife? She was certain the Emperor cared about Prince Mu, and by extension, he cared about Mu Yunhe and was willing to protect her, Luo Zhiheng. Therefore, the Princess and Mu Yunhe's previous belief that the Emperor was against them was wrong!
The princess was taken aback, then smiled noncommittally and said, "Mother knows."
Luo Zhiheng could tell that the Princess Consort didn't take her words seriously, and she felt helpless. Surely the Princess Consort had her own methods. Without further hesitation, she led everyone onto the carriage sent by the Prince, officially embarking on their journey to the Southern Dynasty!
First update! Sorry for being a little late today. There will be more updates and bonus chapters for votes later. My internet is back up, so happy! Please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets!
178. King Sejong loves handsome men! She's already his ex-husband!
Updated: 2013-07-15 16:37:20 Word Count: 4461
Luo Zhiheng and Mu Yunhe rode in one carriage, while the wet nurse Xiao Xizi and Qi Wan rode in the carriage behind them. The three of them took turns guarding outside Luo Zhiheng's carriage.
When the carriage reached the city gate, it met up with the king's carriage. The king had many attendants and as many as eight carriages. It was unknown who was inside.
The wet nurse seemed uneasy from the moment she learned that the Prince was in a carriage ahead. Luo Zhiheng noticed this, but she didn't have time to ask because Mu Yunhe was sleeping restlessly on the soft couch. Although the carriage was large and luxurious, it was still moving, and no matter how soft the couch was, it was still bumpy. Although Mu Yunhe was fast asleep, his face looked unwell, and his brows were furrowed.
Luo Zhiheng lifted his head and placed it on her lap, trying to steady herself so as not to bounce too much and to make Mu Yunhe more comfortable. She was more patient than ever before, gently fanning Mu Yunhe. Her whole demeanor softened and calmed.
They traveled until noon, when it grew even hotter, and they were quite far from the capital. Now, on a quiet official road, the Prince ordered them to stop for a meal and rest. Those with large families, having traveled for over two hours, were bound to stop and rest.
"Young Miss, Your Highness invites you to get out and take a walk." The wet nurse's somewhat unnatural voice sounded from outside the carriage curtain.
Luo Zhiheng didn't want to go, but out of politeness she couldn't refuse, and she was also very curious about who was in those carriages. Gently setting Mu Yunhe's head down, she quietly got up and stepped out of the carriage. Standing on the carriage shaft, she stretched her arms and legs to ease her stiff body from sitting for too long. However, before she could even relax, what she saw in front of her left her speechless and even more stiff than before.
One after another, men, each dressed in their finest attire and possessing unique charm, were carefully helped alighting from the carriages in front of hers…!!
man?!
"What is Zhimu doing?" Luo Zhiheng stiffly closed her jaw, rubbing her eyes hard as she looked again. The group of people were also stretching their bodies on the ground, but their movements were far more graceful. Each of them exuded a cold arrogance, and they all seemed hostile towards each other, disliking one another. Every single one of them was dressed extremely brightly and beautifully, and they were all incredibly beautiful, but they were undoubtedly men!
Is this...a beauty pageant? Which princess is holding a contest to find a husband? Or are these people His Highness the King's brothers?!
Luo Zhiheng was almost dazzled, feeling a sense of overwhelming pleasure. But what truly stunned her was what followed. The group of men saw her standing on the carriage shaft, and the man closest to her, as proud as a peacock, even gave her a flirtatious wink and greeted her with a seductive and alluring voice: "Oh! Is this Luo Zhiheng, the champion of this year's first talent competition in the Mu Dynasty? What a beautiful girl! Anyone who didn't know better would mistake her for a handsome young master."
Luo Zhiheng subconsciously took a step back, wanting to hide inside the carriage. Were these monsters? Monsters?! Why was the King, who was so powerful, traveling with a flock of peacocks? And one of their eyes was acting strangely, twitching as it stared at her.
"Hmph! She's just a woman. If she were a man, I would have killed her first!" Another cold voice cut in from the side, speaking with a sinister tone.
"You're just lacking confidence. Even if she were a man, I wouldn't kill her. In this world, apart from the prince, there is no one more beautiful than me. I have that confidence. Letting her live would only highlight my beauty." A coquettish and narcissistic voice said.
Luo Zhiheng looked up at the sound and was utterly shocked! She had initially thought the man was narcissistic, but... this man was truly stunningly beautiful, breathtakingly so! So beautiful that it was impossible to tell if he was male or female. Of course, his beauty was too feminine; he lacked Mu Yunhe's sickly righteousness and the ruthless cruelty beneath the King's carefree attitude.
To put it bluntly, this man is still not as good-looking as Mu Yunhe. But that's enough for him to be proud of.
Luo Zhiheng steadied herself, silently chanting a prayer for the demons and monsters to flee. Where did all these colorful, alluring men come from? They were too dazzling! And she was also indignant; what was with all this narcissism? If her little Hehe stepped forward, she guaranteed they'd all be utterly defeated! They'd all be so ashamed they'd want to bang their heads against the wall!
But before Luo Zhiheng could even unleash her peerless handsome man, Xiao Hehe, the King's gentle voice, so tender it sent shivers down one's spine, rang out: "What are you all standing there for? Don't let me get my precious skin tanned. Hurry up and come into my arms!"
Luo Zhiheng felt as if ten thousand bulls were stampeding past, flattening bandit strongholds, razing Japanese pirate lairs, and sweeping away barbarian huts, rushing straight towards the handsome, lewd, and utterly despicable Prince Shi! The Prince Shi, with his lewd appearance, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying and anticipating being trampled, ravaged, and trodden by these bulls!
Luo Zhiheng froze, her heart screaming with tears streaming down her face: "So many flowers and plants, Your Highness, can you handle it?!"
However, Luo Zhiheng's worries were entirely self-inflicted. The Prince was enjoying himself immensely, embracing two women on either side, while those men, more dazzling than starlight, were fighting fiercely because they couldn't even get a hug from him. All pretense of modesty, arrogance, nobility, and coldness—to hell with them! They were fighting so badly they lost all sense of time, disowning their parents and relatives!
Truly, a hero's anger is for a woman! No, it's for a man!
Luo Zhiheng stood stiffly on the carriage shaft, feeling utterly bewildered. Her worldview, built up over two lifetimes, had been completely shattered! A group of men fighting over the embrace of one man? Could things get any more shameless, pathetic, or outrageous?!
"Alright, alright, stop hitting me. If I can't have my way with you today, I'll definitely do it tomorrow! Be good, go pee and relieve yourselves, don't hold it in and hurt my little darlings." The Prince said in a nonchalant and ambiguous manner.
Luo Zhiheng almost threw up! Staring wide-eyed at the Prince Shi, who was smiling and walking towards her with two handsome men on either side of him, she suddenly realized something!
So King Sejong loves men? That can't be that weird or advanced, can it?!
But then she thought about it again and suddenly she wasn't afraid anymore. If the King really liked men, that would be good too. At least she wouldn't have to worry about her body being threatened anymore.
"How about it? Aren't all my concubines more beautiful than you? Compared to them, I naturally have no interest in you." The Prince said with a hint of smugness, but his eyes also showed a disdain for Luo Zhiheng.
Luo Zhiheng was speechless. Was this narcissistic peacock man mocking her for being ugly? Or was he telling her that her test that day was just wishful thinking on her part? What a despicable guy.
"You really think these few are the most beautiful men in the world? You haven't even seen the most handsome man in the land yet, he..." Luo Zhiheng suddenly stopped, her face darkening inch by inch. She was horrified to realize that if the Prince really did like men, wouldn't Mu Yunhe be in danger if the Prince found out that Mu Yunhe was even more handsome? He might even lose his reputation! The most terrifying thing was that they had already left the capital, and Mu Yunhe was right beside the Prince, within easy reach. She didn't have the absolute power to protect Mu Yunhe!
After several mental shifts, Luo Zhiheng's expression suddenly changed drastically, as if she had swallowed a thousand flies—disgusting and manic!
The Prince is so cunning! Could it be that he had planned this all along, setting traps to lure her out of the capital with Mu Yunhe? Could it be that he had already taken a liking to Mu Yunhe?! Mu Yunhe's magnificent entrance at the First Talent Competition—his handsome and dashing appearance had captivated countless men and women—could the Prince have also…?
Luo Zhiheng was struck dumb by her own thoughts! She felt like she was about to vomit blood from internal injuries. If that were really the case, what would happen to Mu Yunhe? Would she have to become a concubine of the Prince in such a miserable state? No! Absolutely not! Mu Yunhe is hers!
"Why did you stop talking? Who is the most handsome man in the world? I really want to see him." The Prince said with a half-smile, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally glancing at the carriage behind Luo Zhiheng.
Luo Zhiheng was so frightened that her scalp tingled. She said stiffly, "Didn't everyone say that the most handsome man in the world is Mu Yunjin? He is so beautiful that he could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, and the moon hide its face and flowers blush with shame, and he could topple kingdoms. If the Prince wants to see him, he is on the battlefield. You can go find him when you have time. Or you can go find him now and we can go back first. We can talk about the competition later."
The king pinched the man's cheek in his arms and said with a wicked smile, "I can't wait. I can't wait any longer. You can come with me. This group will pass by the front line. If we are lucky enough to meet Mu Yunjin, I must take a good look at him and see if he is really more handsome than my beauty. If he is really that handsome, I don't mind taking him into my camp."
Luo Zhiheng laughed inwardly: Great! Wet nurse, hurry up and take Mu Yunjin in, torture him to death! His mother is so bad, and he's no good either. If you torture him to death, no one will want to kill my little Hehe.
"Would you like to take a walk with me? Let's relax a bit. Should we let your Mu Yunhe come along too?" the King said deliberately.
Luo Zhiheng's expression was hilarious. Did she think he didn't know what she was thinking? Wasn't she just afraid that he would try to possess and covet Mu Yunhe? The little girl was young but quite shrewd. Mu Yunhe was beautiful, but he had no interest in an older man taking advantage of a younger woman.
"No, no, he's still sleeping. He's in really bad shape. Let me walk with you instead," Luo Zhiheng quickly said, jumping out of the carriage and giving her nanny a meaningful look, signaling her to protect Mu Yunhe. 14.
Luo Zhiheng followed the prince, enduring his flirting with the two men the whole way. It was so disgusting that she wanted to vomit, but she still had to smile when the prince looked over.
Mu Yunhe, look at how much unimaginable pain your aunt has endured for you. If you don't get better, how can you face your aunt?
Qi Wan and Xiao Xizi were mobilized to feed the horses, and the wet nurse was also called away, told that it was food bestowed upon the young prince by the King, and that she should go and fetch it. The wet nurse didn't want to go, but the King's carriage was just ahead, and the young lady had told her to be careful of the King, but to try not to approach him, so the wet nurse went anyway.
For a moment, only Mu Yunhe was in Luo Zhiheng's carriage.
Behind Luo Zhiheng's two carriages was another one. A veiled woman stepped down from it and walked gracefully and calmly to Luo Zhiheng's carriage, saying softly, "Sister, are you there? I'm Shuang'er. May I come in?"
There was naturally no response from inside the carriage. Luo Ningshuang had already assessed the situation and knew that Luo Zhiheng was not inside. Moreover, she had such a great opportunity to get close to Mu Yunhe. For some reason, the thought of Mu Yunhe being inside made Luo Ningshuang feel an unconcealable excitement.
She slowly opened the carriage curtain a crack and immediately saw Mu Yunhe lying on the soft couch inside. His profile was sculpted and handsome; even now, seeing that face still filled Luo Ningshuang with an uncontrollable infatuation. At that moment, just one glance at that face was enough to make Luo Ningshuang completely lose control and board the carriage.
Slowly settling down beside Mu Yunhe, Luo Ningshuang was so stunned she dared not breathe or blink. The man before her was as handsome as a most valuable, exquisite, and perfect work of art. Beneath his warm, jade-like skin, his high, arched nose gave his face a captivating, three-dimensional quality. His long eyelashes trembled gently, making him appear innocent and pure, so naive of the world.
"Mu Yunhe..." She gently chewed on these three words. These were the names she would never have dared to utter in her previous life. These three words were a symbol of nobility and status. In her previous life, she was timid and weak, and dared not and was not qualified to call out his name.
But that vile woman, Luo Zhiheng, keeps mentioning Mu Yunhe! Whether it's news from Hua Kai or on the competition field, the name Mu Yunhe seems to have become Luo Zhiheng's exclusive domain. Whenever Luo Zhiheng calls out, Mu Yunhe always responds! 15898465
How unfair!
"What's so good about her? Why don't you treat her the way you treat me? Aren't you the most ruthless? Why are you so different with her? Mu Yunhe, Mu Yunhe! Do you know how much those three words hurt me? I was the one who rejected you, I was the one who threw Luo Zhiheng at you, but you shouldn't be so nice to her!" Luo Ningshuang murmured jealously, her eyes twisted in anger. Her hand, veins bulging, pressed against Mu Yunhe's throat. Her eyes held emotions she didn't recognize, but they all boiled down to jealousy. She couldn't bear to see Mu Yunhe being good to Luo Zhiheng; she wanted nothing more than to strangle him!
But when her hand touched Mu Yunhe's cool skin, she couldn't help but become infatuated. Her hand lingered on his cheek, and for a moment, her eyes were filled with indescribable emotions! This was the first time in both her lives that she had been so close to him and looked at him so closely. This time, her heart was pounding just like when she first saw him in her previous life! Even more intensely than in her previous life.
But in this lifetime, he has become her ex-husband!
Second update! There's one more bonus chapter today! Let's cheer Huasha on! It's so hot outside, Huasha is sweating buckets in front of the computer! Please vote, leave comments, and give monthly tickets! Hugs to all my lovely readers!
179 A series of unexpected events involving three people! (Bonus chapter for 21,000 recommendation votes)
Updated: 2013-07-15 18:19:47 Word Count: 3343
Ex-husband!
What a ridiculous word! Who could have imagined that she could live her life again? In this second life, she abandoned so much. She didn't want to relive the humiliation of her previous life. She threw away her weakness and cowardice, her family and her care. She didn't want the karmic connection from her previous life, and she didn't want Mu Yunhe, the only person who had ever been moved by her in her previous life, all for revenge!
She lived her whole life for revenge!
But as Mu Yunhe repeatedly broke conventions and limitations from her previous life, appearing before her time and again, Luo Ningshuang's heart, which she had always thought was ruthless, finally began to waver. She couldn't bear to see Luo Zhiheng standing beside Mu Yunhe, couldn't bear to see Mu Yunhe's eyes on Luo Zhiheng! She couldn't bear to see the two of them being so affectionate and inseparable!
She really wanted to kill him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it! What was wrong with her?
"Ugh!" Mu Yunhe suddenly frowned and groaned.
Luo Ningshuang quickly let go of his hand. Looking at Mu Yunhe's slightly flushed face, her expression also turned ugly. She had almost lost her mind and actually strangled him!
"Ah... Heng..." Mu Yunhe mumbled something in his throat, but it was impossible to hear what he was saying.
Luo Ningshuang panicked and quickly removed her veil, tilting her ear to listen. She heard what sounded like the word "drink" and assumed Mu Yunhe wanted water. In her panic, she wanted to leave, but then she thought Mu Yunhe wouldn't wake up so soon, so she poured a glass of water and carefully brought it to his lips.
Mu Yunhe was passively fed water, and then unconsciously moved his lips to drink it. His innocent and naive appearance was so endearing that it softened one's heart.
But as they drank, Mu Yunhe suddenly opened his eyes. Although his eyes were still dazed, Luo Ningshuang was startled and almost froze. But all Luo Ningshuang felt was that suddenly, flowers bloomed brilliantly!
Mu Yunhe smiled at her!
A faint smile, filled with dependence and joy, appeared on her face without hesitation, even her eyes shone brightly. Her face, pale from the torment of illness, suddenly became even more alluring. A simple smile, attacking Luo Ning Shuang from all directions, caught her completely off guard, leaving her mind blank the instant she was struck! 151.
In both of his lifetimes combined, Mu Yunhe had never smiled at her like that! If, if Mu Yunhe in his previous life could have treated her the same way he treated Da Luo Zhiheng, if Mu Yunhe in his previous life could have smiled at her like that, then even if she died in her previous life, she probably wouldn't have been so lonely and resentful. In this life, even if she knew that marrying him was a pit of fire, she would probably jump into it without hesitation!
Unfortunately, Mu Yunhe in her previous life didn't give her these things! So now she is still the same Luo Ningshuang, full of hatred! (She is) cowardly and timid.
But the moment Mu Yunhe spoke, Luo Ningshuang plummeted from a beautiful sea of flowers into hell!
"Aheng!" His clear eyes were filled with longing for Luo Zhiheng.
Ah Heng!! He calls her Ah Heng too! Xia Beisong also calls Luo Zhiheng so affectionately! What's so good about this slut Luo Zhiheng? Why do all the men treat her so specially?
Luo Ningshuang's resentment and jealousy were about to explode, but thankfully she knew she had to leave immediately. She didn't have time to think about what would happen in the future, but the sight of Mu Yunhe calling her Luo Zhiheng made Luo Ningshuang feel extremely disgusted and humiliated! How could that bitch Luo Zhiheng be compared to her? She didn't deserve it!
Luo Ningshuang suddenly stood up to leave, but Mu Yunhe swiftly grabbed her hand. Luo Ningshuang was stunned for a moment and looked at Mu Yunhe in disbelief.