Chapter Forty-Eight: The Depth of Love
"Was your disobedience to the Emperor the other day a deliberate act for the young master's benefit?" He was being carried and bathed by him, and unable to stop him, Shen Mo turned his head away, his voice loud enough for him to hear clearly, yet he was also extremely careful.
"Oh?" He Shi stopped what he was doing and glanced at her. "What's your opinion?"
"To create the impression in other people's eyes that you're no match for him, and then test whether he'll continue to keep me by his side." After last night, Shen Mo spoke candidly, "But what if he feels it's unnecessary?"
“If he thinks it’s necessary, I will give you happiness; if he thinks it’s unnecessary, he will give you happiness.” He Shi said this with his head down.
Don't you want to know what he and I talked about last night?
"I want to know." He Shi suddenly became serious, cupped her face in his hands, and said, "I want to know, I'm going crazy with desire."
Shen Mo was stunned for a moment, then shook her head, pulled his hand away, and smiled, "I can't tell you now."
"Okay." He Shi abruptly pulled her out of the water, his eyes reddening as he stared at her exposed skin, especially the red hickeys he had made on her body. His eyes almost shot fire, startling Shen Mo, who screamed and quickly covered his eyes, "Hey, what are you doing?"
"I'm thinking I have a lifetime to wait for you to tell me."
Even as she stood in the Qiankun Hall paying her respects to the Emperor and Empress, Shen Mo was still reeling from those words, the blush on her face lingering.
"Why does your complexion look so good, little sister? It must be because His Highness carefully searched for the finest rouge, right?" Consort Yu couldn't wait to speak after they finished their greetings, trying to make them happy.
"Sister Yufei is using you all as a treat," Consort Liu laughed. "The Crown Princess is clearly newlywed; her rosy complexion is to be expected. Compared to us," she pointed to Consort Yu and herself, "we are far inferior, hahaha." Her words were reasonable, but they left Jiang Suying, who was only two or three years older than Shen Mo, speechless. Ever since her son was punished and she saw the Empress and Consort Yu become close, leaving her alone, she had developed a particular dislike for the women of the harem.
"Your Highnesses flatter me. I am but a servant, and I am fortunate to have won the favor of His Highness and Sister Yu. How can I compare to you ladies who are all of exceptional beauty and grace?" Shen Mo bowed slightly and spoke humbly.
“Princess Consort, please don’t be so formal,” Emperor Murong Yi finally spoke. “Now that you’ve entered the royal family, you’re family. Have some morning tea with me. Someone, bring a seat.”
“By the way, Father, yesterday I went out of the palace to buy some things for the wedding banquet,” He Shi suddenly interjected as he listened to Murong Yi recount the history of the royal battles. He took out a jade pendant from his sleeve, handed it to a eunuch and gave it to Murong Yi, saying, “I unexpectedly found this.”
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I deserve to die, I deserve to die!" Unexpectedly, the eunuch's hand trembled, and the entire jade pendant fell to the ground. It was of good quality and did not break, but the large "Yue" character engraved in the middle of the jade pendant was immediately displayed in front of everyone.
Just a few days ago, a war scout reported that the Fourth Prince had mysteriously disappeared during a small-scale battle with the Northern Barbarians. Now, this personal jade pendant, representing the prince's identity, has appeared in Tiandu. Either someone kidnapped him to Tiandu, or... he came to Tiandu on his own.
Shen Mo glanced at He Shi, his brows furrowing slightly.
Everyone was astonished. The Empress understood and remained expressionless for a moment, but Consort Tian stood up like a fool and called out "Fourth Prince," which made the Emperor's face darken.
"Yesterday was too rushed to confirm, so I sent someone to check on Fourth Brother of the Northern Barbarians. He should be arriving soon," He Shi shook his head. "I hope Fourth Brother returns to the capital safely."
"Send it!" Half worried and half disappointed, Murong Yi stroked the jade pendant; this one was genuine.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the Fourth Prince would not abandon such a heavy burden as the Northern Barbarians and come to the capital alone. That would be too absurd." Consort Yu's words seemed naive and direct, but... they made the truth even clearer.
"I know." Hearing her words, even in the quiet tea room where there weren't many outsiders, Murong Yi waved to them, "You may leave now."
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Outside the Lakeside Study of the Nine Phoenix Palace
"Your Highness, His Highness has given orders that no one is allowed to enter and disturb us. Please forgive us, Your Highness." The eunuch guarding the gate knelt down to stop Shen Mo from forcing her way in.
"Am I not good enough either?" Shen Mo was genuinely anxious.
"His Highness has a habit of quiet, and whenever he is in his study..."
"Don't stop her anymore. You may leave." He Shi's calm voice interrupted the eunuch, and he patted Chen Mo's hair. "I'm helping Father Emperor with some official documents. Is there anything else?"
The young eunuch tactfully left, but before he did, he couldn't help but take a deep look at Chen Mo. In the past, no woman, not even Princess Taoyao, would be allowed to enter this place, yet she was being treated this way. He had even treated her as a product of marriage. He couldn't help but tap his head.
"I don't want anything to happen to him." Concise and to the point, after the eunuch left, Shen Mo stared at him and expressed her concern for another man. Judging from today's trend, is He Shi planning to join forces with Jiang Suying to kill him?
"Don't worry, there was a crisis of trust with him a few days ago, so I'm just returning some of it to him," He Shi said casually, looking at the text.
"Why is Consort Yu standing with you?" Shen Mo continued to press.
"I have nothing to do with her, it's just a coincidence."
"That……"
“Xiao Mo!” He Shi interrupted her, “I heard from them that you’re a good cook.”
"Could you let me finish asking my question first?"
"Can you not be so blatant?" He Shi said, his back to her, his fists clenched. "I'm a man. I get jealous when I see my woman treating someone else better than me."
There was a moment of silence behind him, followed by a loud thud. When He Shi turned around, Shen Mo was nowhere to be seen in the study.
He clutched his heart, and only sat down after pacing around the study three times, a flask of plum wine in his hand...
"May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings..."
"Go down." He Shi stopped the night watchman from greeting him, raised his hand to push the door open, but then suddenly put it down, turned around and asked softly, "When does the Crown Princess go to sleep?"
The eunuch shook his head. "Your Highness, the Princess Consort has not gone to sleep."
The window was half-open, letting in a cool breeze. The red candle had lost half its light, and the beautiful woman on the bamboo couch looked lonely and forlorn. The half-draped blanket was hanging precariously on the verge of falling, but she didn't notice at all.
He Shi had dreamt countless times of such a scene after returning to the palace, and he lay down with her. The small bamboo couch immediately felt a bit cramped, and Shen Mo let out a soft moan and moved closer to him, seeking the warmth of his body.
"Did I tell you to drown your sorrows in alcohol?" Shen Mo, who was usually a light sleeper, was not asleep at all. The unusually faint smell of alcohol on him made her even more awake.
"What do you think?" He gave her a punitive nip at her ear. "I don't know when I became so petty."
"Don't...don't lick." Shen Mo was always ticklish, and the back of his ears was a particularly sensitive area. As he was being gently licked, his antennae were aroused one by one. He just wanted to hide behind him, but the bamboo bed was too small and there was nowhere to hide. In the end, he could only be held in his arms and rubbed against him.
"Stop messing around!" Shen Mo pulled away his hand that was groping her chest. "I...I..." She couldn't get a straight answer for a long time.
"What are you thinking? I'm just looking," he said, lifting her nightgown and examining the pink hickeys he had planted the night before with slightly reddened eyes.
"Hmm, the recovery is going quite well," He Shi licked the corner of his lips. "So... does it still hurt?"
"Are you a dog?" Knowing what he was referring to, Shen Mo blushed, playfully pushed him away, and turned over. Unexpectedly, he rushed over from behind, burying himself in her arms, and the two of them pressed even closer together.
"I heard someone say that all men are like dogs in front of their women." He Shi stated a very uninnocent fact with a very innocent expression.
Having never been intimate before, she was aroused by his teasing, and her body suddenly went limp. Her chest felt cool against his skin, and the contrast between the coldness in front and the heat behind created a strong effect. Shen Mo shrank closer to him.
With his lower back pressed against the wall, the smaller the space, the more frenzied it became. He Shi's gentle licking and biting were like an addictive anesthetic, an unstoppable urge.
*Sizzle!* The thing hanging around his neck was bitten off. Only after the Chinese knot was gone did Shen Mo come to her senses and grab him, saying, "Give it back to me."
"No, it's too ugly." He Shi insisted and continued to work hard with his head down.
"You!" When being too forceful didn't work, Shen Mo turned around, hugged him, and kissed him. "You can return it now."
The words had barely left his lips when a cool sensation ran through his feet. Shen Mo stared blankly as he felt something being slipped onto his feet, and after a long pause, he finally spoke, "This anklet... how did it end up with you?"
"Think about it again." He Shi smiled without saying a word.
"That person from Hua Ran Palace last time...it was you!" The chain had vanished since that day, and despite numerous roundabout inquiries to Murong Yue, it had gone unanswered. So it was here. That night...
"I don't want to hear you snuggling up to me and calling him anymore," He Shi slowly lowered his eyes. Heaven knows how much he wanted to shake her awake and see who the person who had been by her side all this time was!
The boy in my memory who abandoned his race champion to come back and save me had such tenderness.
Some say that the father and daughter in the past life are lovers in this life. Shen Yue, Shen Yue, please remember that I tried my best to love you in this life.
Shen Mo bit down on the red spot on his chest, the hissing sound startling He Shi for a moment. "That knot... you don't want it anymore?"
She moved her feet, and the icy anklet gradually warmed up. Shen Mo nodded, "No, no more."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." He flipped over and pressed down...
Inside the warm red silk tent, mandarin ducks intertwined their necks, envied by a flock of magpies. Deep in their love, Chen Mo murmured, "He Shi, I don't want fine clothes and delicacies, I only ask for a peaceful life."
"Also, I want a child, to tell him that today is his father's birthday, so that he will no longer be lonely and will live a peaceful life."
He Shi paused for a moment, her vision, unsurprisingly, lay entirely outside the palace walls.
Chapter Forty-Nine: Half-Dependence
In the twenty-first year of the Qi Tian Dynasty, beset by internal and external troubles, the fourth prince, Murong Yue, suddenly disappeared after a series of victories in his campaign against the Northern Barbarians. This led to a surprise counterattack by the Northern Barbarian army. That night, the Qi Tian army successfully repelled the counterattack, but the morale of the army and people was greatly diminished. Although they won several minor victories in subsequent battles, they were ultimately unable to annihilate the Northern Barbarians within the promised timeframe. After a month of arduous fighting, Emperor Murong Yi suddenly ordered Murong Yue's return, but vowed not to give up on the Northern Barbarians. He dispatched another large army to reinforce them, comprising more than half of the nation's forces, showing a determination to annihilate the cornered beast. However, the general appointed to lead the campaign against the Barbarians was unexpectedly not the popular ninth prince, Murong Shi, but Zheng Donghe, who had ranked third in the battle for the banner.
"Your Majesty, may I have a word to say?" As soon as Murong Yi issued the decree to send Murong Yue back, the founding ministers began to discuss among themselves and offered their strong advice.
"Speak," Murong Yi said, glancing at a corner of the court and touching his cufflinks.
"Your Majesty," he said, "we believe this matter requires further discussion. Firstly, a report from the Northern Barbarians has just arrived, stating that their army has been almost completely wiped out. With our current strength, we will surely achieve our objective within half a month. Secondly, why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? The military strength of the Western Han Sha Kingdom is not to be underestimated. The majority of our military force should still be stationed in Tiandu. Moreover, moreover..." He glanced at the confident Zheng Donghe and finally said bluntly, "Moreover, Lord Zheng is too young and has never had battlefield experience..."
"What did you say!" The usually straightforward Zheng Donghe suddenly lost control of his emotions. If there were swords around, he probably would have forgotten the taboo of drawing his sword in front of the emperor in front of the old man who despised him.
"Hey..." Murong Yi uttered a long, drawn-out syllable, and the one who understood quickly stopped Zheng Donghe's recklessness.
"My dear minister, are you suggesting that I am fickle?" With a perfectly confident smile and a slight wave of his hand, the eunuch announced the end of the court session.
As He Shi took the final step out of the imperial palace, he stroked the brocade pattern on his embroidered robe, only three words appearing before his eyes—"old fox." He was merely looking for an excuse to attack Hansha Kingdom, but how could he be so confident in Qi Tian's military strength, or rather, so confident in Hansha Kingdom's actions? He smiled faintly, his fingers already forming the posture of holding a pen.
Some say that by thinking what I'm thinking, a subconscious action can reveal the next move.
"Why are you here?" He Shi subconsciously covered the white paper in front of him, even though he hadn't written anything yet.
"I've come to return the books you gave me last time." Shen Mo put down the books in her hand, looked at the closed window and smiled gently. "Let some air out, so your face won't always be so pale."
He Shi felt that the light was too bright to see clearly, but he could vaguely see a woman tidying up his study, then serving him a cup of warm tea, and then grinding ink... He watched all this quietly without intervening, enjoying a bit of his wife's "duties".
until……
"I was looking at a few poems the other day and really liked them. Could you help me copy them down?" She suddenly looked up, so engrossed in her words that she didn't notice the coolness on her fingers.
"Be careful," he said, gently wiping the ink stains from her hand. His gentle face conveyed only four words: "Of course."
“Xiao Mo, I’ve never seen your calligraphy before. Why don’t you give it a try?” He Shi put down his bamboo brush and smiled. “I’ve heard…”
"I can't!" He almost knocked over the inkstone before noticing He Shi's astonished expression. He then said seriously, "I... I've been a maid in the Rong family since I was a child, and I've never had the opportunity to practice calligraphy."
"So be it." Sunlight streamed in through the open window, making him appear almost transparent.
"The Crown Princess has been coming to the study to clean and tidy up every day recently. Your Highness gave the order last time, and this servant did not stop her." The little eunuch stood in front of He Shi, rubbing his clothes and answering meekly. In his few interactions with his master, the Ninth Prince, he was somewhat flattered by this question.
He Shi remained silent for a long time, until the little eunuch let out a long sigh and turned to leave. He still remembered the first time he saw her; her identity was not just that of an ordinary maid in the Rong household, but also that of a personal page who had become a servant through her special skills.
As Murong Yi had predicted, the Qi Tian army marched off as scheduled. Little did they know that behind Zheng Donghe's imposing demeanor lay the boundless anxiety of the ministers. However, this did not include He Shi. He looked up at the emperor on the dragon throne, the supreme ruler, who seemed so lonely.
Seven days later, Murong Yue's army set off to return to the capital. However, on the morning of the eighth day, news came from scouts that the army of Hansha Kingdom had arrived even earlier than Murong Yue's army.
"What should we do!" "In the current situation, most of the Tiandu army is in the hands of Murong Yue and Zheng Donghe, and they have all been dispatched or have not yet returned. If Hansha Kingdom sends troops now, our country is in danger!" "If Your Majesty had known this, you would have listened to my advice."
After hearing the devastating news, countless ministers in the court recounted the seemingly urgent situation to Murong Yi.