Accord de Mu Yucheng

Chapitre 101

When he woke up, I deliberately sat in front of the mirror to wash up, and watched those hands slowly reach out from behind my shoulders in the mirror.

"Rong'er, you are mine now."

I smiled, "Did you sleep well, young master?"

"Of course... you got up so early."

"After you have washed up, please go downstairs for breakfast. I will wait for you there."

She gently patted his hand and slowly stood up.

When I arrived at the hall downstairs, Yunniang and Lu Li were already waiting on the side. I went straight to the table, picked up the bowl of lotus seed soup that had been prepared, took a sip, and tasted Yunniang's skill. "You've troubled Yunniang to cook again. You can leave this to the maids."

Yunniang smiled and sat down next to me, taking my hand in hers.

“I sent the cook home for the funeral, and the helper I hired temporarily will be here a little later. I originally wanted the maids to prepare it, but they all heard that you served Young Master Han last night, and the maids all cried until their eyes were swollen. None of them would want to leave their rooms. Who would be in the mood to make lotus seed soup?”

I nodded. No wonder it was so quiet along the way.

"You should try this red ginseng and jujube cake. It's made by Lord Lu! He was making this while I was in the kitchen. I've tried it, and it tastes almost as good as the chef at Jin Yong Lou. It's good for replenishing your energy and blood... It couldn't be more suitable for you."

He smiled sheepishly and glanced to the side. He looked a little tired, probably having talked all night without rest.

Han Yufeng pushed open the door and entered.

"Did you sleep well last night, young master?" Yunniang greeted him with a smile. "Your fragrance is too strong. You should have breakfast and cleanse yourself before returning to the manor."

A blush swept away from Han Yufeng's cheeks, and he simply chuckled softly without saying a word, gently sitting down beside me.

I served him a bowl of lotus seed soup and pushed it in front of him. He gently took my hand.

"Rong'er, come back to the manor with me," he said, ignoring everyone else.

I pushed him away abruptly...

"What's wrong with you?" He frowned slightly. "Last night, when you were lying in my arms, I asked you, and you said that your heart and your body belonged to me. Last night, you clearly promised me that."

It's fallen petals... We should have told her not to speak.

"Young master... he was drunk at that time."

“I was drunk last night, but I am still very clear that I did not do anything inappropriate without my consent, but rather... I was determined to make you my woman. Before that, I had already thought it through... I was willing to take responsibility for you. I will definitely persuade my father. In this life... I only want you, Rong'er, even if it means taking you far away.”

I stared at him blankly. No one had ever said I was his only one, no one had ever been willing to take me away, and no one... had ever been determined to make me his woman... Nangong hadn't, Lu Xiu hadn't, Lu Li... had never... But this man in front of me, who wasn't particularly outstanding, was willing. He wasn't as good as any of them, yet he had the courage to give me this promise. At this moment, I was more moved than anything else.

I shook my head incredulously...

He gently pulled me into his arms, his voice soft.

"Rong'er, you are..."

"Have you changed your mind? You don't believe me? If so, I really shouldn't have touched T+ and tainted your innocence. I should have known that you are different from other women..."

What kind of man is he... who can disregard any environment or opinions around him, stubbornly doing what he wants to do and saying what he wants to say... Perhaps, he is not wrong, he is a lovable person, because he is so reckless towards the one he loves.

He was unlike Lu Li's indifference, unlike Lu Xiu's forbearance, and unlike Nangong's flamboyance...

Perhaps he's just an ordinary man, someone who dares to love and hate, straightforward and frank... a man worthy of a woman's lifelong commitment.

Days passed by, and Han Yufeng would come from time to time. Most of the time, he wouldn't force me; we'd drink and chat until late at night before he drove away. Occasionally, I'd get him drunk and have Luoying dress up as me to spend the night with him, always doing it seamlessly. Lu Li would also come occasionally, sitting in Yunniang's room for a short while before leaving.

Every few days, several people of different ethnicities, dressed as ordinary people, would appear at Xiaoxiang Pavilion. They would gather in Yunniang's room, seemingly to discuss something. At that time, Han Yufeng would often be there as well. He would not come upstairs to me; he would simply leave after finishing his discussion.

Nangong Jin is back, and he brought back the news I wanted.

"Are you having a good time in the Western Regions?" I asked with a faint smile.

He ignored me and only asked, "I heard that besides the third young master of the Lu family, you have a new man?"

"Yeah, guess what?" I laughed even harder.

"Han Yufeng, anyone can guess that without even thinking."

"As expected of Nangong." I suddenly stopped laughing and lowered my voice, "...Han Yufeng's identity has been confirmed?"

"Yes." He straightened up. "The second prince of the Chagatai Khanate of the Great Mongol Empire, it seems that His Majesty and the Ögedei Khanate are plotting to eliminate Chagatai."

"He's really thinking big, trying to sow discord among the various khanates and weaken the Mongol Empire." I couldn't help but chuckle.

As for Yunniang, she was just another good pawn that man had discovered.

Nangong leaned closer, "Does that man Lu Li still come often? I miss him terribly! How many brocade buttons can you untie this time?"

"Wouldn't it be better if you took him?!" I retorted fiercely, standing up and straightening my clothes in front of the mirror. "No matter what, protect Han Yufeng for me first. There are probably few men in this world with such genuine character."

"Oh, so this is what you call chivalry? You insist on protecting those who are unrelated to you. Pear Blossom is the same way."

Mentioning pear blossoms, the hand that was supporting her temples froze in mid-air, and the crescent-shaped ox horn comb in front of the dressing table fell into her eyes, causing a slight pain.

“I can smell a man in your bed…” he said to himself.

It was just some girl gossiping with him again. He jumped right over to my side and sat down next to me.

"I touched you with one finger, and you made a huge fuss. Am I not as good as Han Yufeng, a real man?"

I looked at him, dressed in an extremely beautiful woman's outfit, shook my head, and said with a smile, "You are not as good as his man." After saying that, I suddenly felt that these words were so familiar, as if I had said the same thing to him back then, only that it was Lu Li.

To say he wasn't like a man was taboo for him. He stopped talking and stood angrily by the window... I quickly tried to calm him down.

"That person is Luo Ying..."

"Um?"

"She spent the night with Han Yufeng."

"oh!"

Are you jealous?

"Tch—who cares?"

That two-faced guy, I turned my head away and stopped looking at him.

Pushing open the door, I saw Lu Xiu leading Xi'er as they swayed up to me. I opened my arms, letting Xi'er rush into my embrace, but Nangong, who was coming from behind, snatched her away first, exclaiming, "Son!"

"Give it back! Don't scare my son!"

Lu Xiu watched me and Nangong arguing over our son with a smile, and suddenly felt that this kind of life... was simple and happy.

"Good baby, have a bite."

"Father, have a bite."

"Mother, have a bite."

The three of us managed to finish just one soup dumpling, thanks to Xi'er's arrangement.

Nangong, standing to the side, sipped his cold wine, his mouth full of sourness, and gasped, "This is so cheesy."

I didn't even bother to glare at him. I just looked at Xi'er and thought he was becoming more and more handsome. My heart was sweeter than if I had eaten honey. Xi'er's mouth was full of oil. Lu Xiu, who was always very clean, didn't care at all and let Xi'er rub against him and get covered in oil. He even buried his head down and kissed Xi'er's oily little face with great interest until his mouth was full of oil.

I was wiping my face with a handkerchief when Lu Xiuyi came closer. I smiled and wiped the grease off his mouth as well.

“I brought a secret to the palace today. I told them it was my son, but they didn’t believe me.” Lu Xiu smiled foolishly. “I also visited the Emperor Emeritus. The Emperor actually praised me for having such a clever son. Anyone with eyes can see how smart this child is.”

"It's just flattery! Only someone as stupid as you could take it seriously." I sighed. "It's rare that my son is so smart, yet he has such a stupid father."

"No! I've never heard my father praise me in all my life."

I stopped laughing; Lu Xiu's self-deprecating humor always evoked a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, including sadness and reflection).

"Aren't you two being a little jealous?" Nangong chimed in at the opportune moment, "My teeth are chattering."

Lu Xiu and I turned around at the same time and threw each other a "mind your own business" look. Nangong took a few gulps of wine, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "I quit! I quit! I'm going to get married and have a son! I'll give birth to a peerless treasure to put an end to your arrogance. So what if you have a son?"

Just as Nangong was making trouble unreasonably, the door was suddenly pushed open, and there it was again—the trio! Han Yufeng was at the very front, followed by Lu Li and Yun Niang.

"Good morning, Young Master Han." I waved with a smile, picking up Xi'er, who was rolling around on the ground, with one arm. Lu Xiuyi also got up with me, smiling and greeting me.

"Rong'er—" Han Yufeng looked at this scene, seemingly waiting for my explanation.

Unfortunately, there was no explanation, only introductions. I smiled without batting an eye, "Let me introduce you, this is my husband, and this is my son." I didn't forget to add, "My husband is handsome, isn't he? My son is even more handsome!"

The temperature plummeted, and Han Yufeng seemed about to lose his balance. He looked at me for a long time, looking somewhat dejected. Suddenly, he said nothing, turned around and left in a daze.

Yunniang looked at me, pursed her lips, and left as well. Lu Li, however, stopped in his tracks. He paid close attention to the little one who was drooling, looked at the smaller one, then at the larger one, and said to Lu Xiu, "The child looks a lot like you."

Lu Xiu seemed startled and didn't know how to laugh. Only after Lu Li's figure faded away did he shake his head and say, "So he was praising me!"

"It seems so!" I nodded and carefully wiped the drool from Xi'er's mouth.

What should we do about Han Yufeng?

"I took a bit of a hit, but it shouldn't be a big problem." I turned around to find Nangong, who was amusing himself, and gave him a fawning smile. "I'm counting on you! Everything!"

Nangong glared at me resentfully, "I never get any good opportunities!"

Chapter Eighteen of the Main Text: The Long-Awaited Imperial Noble Consort

The name Yu Feng vanished silently that night. Zi T[7 Gong], who disappeared along with him, although extremely distrustful of Nangong, had sufficient reasons to convince himself that he wouldn't do anything to Han Yu Feng. First, Han Yu Feng was not interested in men! Second, Nangong's priority was having a son; he wouldn't waste such a prime opportunity on Han Yu Feng. After much deliberation, Lu Xiu and I finally concluded that Nangong would definitely be able to safely deliver Han Yu Feng to Chagatai.

Since the Xiaoxiang Pavilion was moved back to the Duan Prince's Mansion, this was the eighteenth time an imperial decree had been issued. This time, it was Xiaoyu who came to deliver the decree. Xiaoyu didn't say much, but simply put the blood-red jade bracelet, a symbol of nobility, on my wrist, and immediately knelt down, saying, "Respectfully requesting the Imperial Noble Consort to return to the palace."

Lu Xiu and I were still in a daze when a palace maid began to help me change into my canary robe. Seeing the worry in Xiaoyu's eyes, I immediately understood that I had no choice but to go to the palace now. Was it because that person inside was angry? Because of Han Yufeng? Because I had thwarted his plans?

Filled with doubt, I stepped into the main hall, only to find it still so empty. He sat on the throne, looking down at me, and that brief eye contact felt unreal, like a dream. It was still the Chaoyang Hall. Stubbornly refusing to kneel, I waved away the palace servants. He finally rose to greet me, his gaze fixed on me. He took a half-step closer, and I took a step back. I stared at him like a startled beast, and he finally stopped moving.

“I know you’re angry that I let Han Yufeng disappear right under my nose so easily, you’re not reconciled! I also know that there are some people I can’t touch, but I still insisted on doing it!” I bit my lip hard and broke the silence first, “The price is that you have to trap me, keep me in a cage like a canary!”

He didn't offer any opinion, but simply turned slightly away and stopped looking at me.

I laughed and laughed. "Fine! This time I won't hide or run! I'll make you regret it! If you don't want your harem to be a mess, let me go. I'm afraid it will be too late for you to regret it then! I'd rather be one of Han Yufeng's many wives and concubines than be one of your countless women. Just because he has a sincere heart, and do you? I'm telling you clearly, Lu Li, I hate you! I hate that you made me so vulnerable, that you destroyed all my self-respect and pride. I'll make you taste all my pain. Every bit of pain, every bit of vulnerability, I'll make you experience it all yourself! We're on different paths now, so why are you still clinging to me!"

He looked up, meeting my piercing gaze directly. "I've said it before, you're different from everyone else—you'll always have a place in my heart. Whether you believe it or not, you are ultimately different from them!"

"So what? Just because one thing is different, does that mean you can give up everything you have right now? Just because one thing is different, does that mean you can protect my son? Just because one thing is different, does that mean you can give my daughter back to me in full?"

He froze, a certain emotion welling up in his eyes—I knew it was pain! Did he feel pain too? For that child, or for him and me? Whatever the reason, his pain and regret were futile!

Men are all fickle, and now I believe that. I'm not a woman who only knows how to endure and cry. Looking back now, I realize how naive I was. I thought he would change for me, but I didn't realize that only I changed. To grow old with someone isn't an unreasonable wish, but it's laughable that I once wanted to stay with a man who cared about the world until the end, only to end up hurting myself.

As I turned to leave, I smiled. There wasn't even a hint of bitterness in it.

If only life could be like our first meeting. How wonderful! No beginning, no end!

In just one month, the Eastern Palace underwent a complete overhaul. Its style and grandeur surpassed even the Chaoyang Palace in scale. A steady stream of gold and silver was poured into it. The women in the other palaces spoke coldly of all this, their hearts filled with envy and resentment. But because the people of Chaoyang Palace did not object, no one dared to utter the word "extravagance."

She stood before the mirror, gazing at her reflection, a magnificent image of herself. A dazzling luminous pearl adorned her temples, shimmering brilliantly. Behind her stretched a hall of glittering gold and jade, draped in sheer gauze curtains. Her fingers gently caressed a jade ruyi scepter, its smooth, delicate texture sending a slight coolness through her fingertips.