Chapter 85
The person in the highest position sat at the head of the hall, wearing a gold-embroidered crown and a black robe with wide sleeves. His light brown eyes were as deep as a rock, and his eyebrows were raised. In his eyes, everyone was just prey.
When I entered, the main hall was filled with people lying on the ground. I had never seen such a scene before. I was stunned for a moment before I realized that this was the so-called majesty of the imperial family.
"Why aren't you kneeling down when you see the Emperor?" The woman tugged at me, making me half-bow down as if to kneel.
Her knees buckled, but she didn't kneel down. Rong Lian knelt to heaven, to earth, and occasionally to her parents, but she had never knelt to anyone else.
"I didn't want to see him in the first place, so why make things difficult for me?"
A somber silence filled the main hall, growing heavier and heavier, even the thin veil of smoke seemed desolate and heavy.
"Did kneeling before me offend you?" the man asked without even blinking.
It was a feeling of being wronged, but the words that came out of my mouth changed.
"I don't have that habit..."
“Those who are used to being wild never understand the rules.” He said in an extremely calm tone, “Fine, I won’t hold it against you. Do you know why I’ve come to see you?”
"...I don't know." I kept repeating to myself, "I can't afford to offend anyone."
"Hmph, what exactly does Nangong Ling see in you?" His eyes swept over me quickly. "Absolutely nothing to recommend you."
A surge of anger rushed to his head, his fists clenched, and he glanced around, suppressing his rage. Outnumbered, he knew he had to endure this.
I laughed in anger, I'm so sorry for bothering you.
"Consort Ming, make arrangements and take her away."
"Your Majesty, I obey."
Mingfei dragged me toward the back room, her hand gripping my clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"You're the first person to refuse to kneel before the Emperor." Her beautiful eyes looked over, cold as frost. "With so much gossip in front of high-ranking military officials, you'll soon become famous."
"It's true that you're letting me go back."
She frowned, stared at me for a while, and then asked again, "You really don't care at all?"
"I'm telling you, it's no joke to mess with Nangong Ling."
"His Majesty is not someone who can be threatened."
I opened my mouth, but I was speechless. She must trust that man a lot to have such a confident expression. I, on the other hand, can't completely trust anyone. Like this incident, was it really his negligence, or was it more likely a trap set for them to fall into?
They are both very confident, yet unwilling to share even a little with each other; they are indeed quite selfish people.
"I thought the people in the imperial court were so noble, but it turns out they only know how to use such despicable means."
"What?" She paused for a moment before laughing, "You must have misunderstood. I never said I was going to use you to threaten anyone."
I was stunned for a moment. "If it's not like that, then what is it?"
"We'll give you to the young marquis. Marquis Guan dotes on his son so much. Winning over the young marquis is the same as winning over Marquis Guan, Li Mu. Don't you know that?"
How could I possibly know what's going on in the capital or at court!
"Your Majesty went a bit too far in order not to make me take it too seriously. You are not entirely without merit."
What nonsense! This woman is clearly showing off, absolutely showing off.
"It's okay if someone's been married before? Besides, that young marquis is only fifteen years old at most..."
“The young marquis doesn’t mind that you’ve been married before, so why are you still bothered? Besides, it’s not a big deal. Nangong Ling is dead, so what? So what if you’re fifteen? His Majesty ascended the throne at ten and married me at fourteen, and we’re doing just fine.”
Do the people in the palace not treat others like human beings? How could you arrange my future so casually? You're all too good at talking to yourselves.
"Oh, why am I wasting my breath talking to you? I have to go back and serve His Majesty. You stay put and don't try anything funny."
Saying that wasn't enough; he had to give me a warning glare as if that was the only way to make it more vivid.
Nangong Ling, you scumbag! The whole thing is clearly aimed at you, so why am I always the one who suffers?
In the evening, a hunchbacked servant came to bring me food. I glanced at him; his face was ordinary and unremarkable, and his servile manner was both humble and inconspicuous.
I only started eating after he left. I took one bite and my whole body went numb. I remember this taste very clearly because I rarely have the chance to eat it. Yunzhi didn't go back. He stayed here in this Tianchi City.
I was a little nervous during the meal, and when the waiter came to collect the dishes again, I tentatively asked him something.
"Was the chef who cooked this dish a royal chef brought from the palace?"
The servant glanced up, slowly clearing away the bowls and chopsticks, without answering immediately.
"No. Even the imperial chefs brought from the palace only prepare meals for the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine. Not to mention you, even ordinary court officials might not have this kind of treatment."
I raised an eyebrow. "If not the imperial chef, then where did they hire this chef from?"
"You're a strange person. You weren't afraid at all when you were captured and held captive. Not only did you not lose your appetite, you ate everything."
"You're the strange one," I said, rolling my eyes at him. Perhaps it was the flickering candlelight, but for a fleeting moment, I felt that the expression on his face was strangely familiar.
Just as I was stunned, he suddenly grabbed me and bit my lips unexpectedly.
"Fool, you don't even recognize your own husband?"
Chapter 86
My husband is so charming and alluring... I mean, you should at least ask He Xiuqi for a decent-looking face. I'd be very uncomfortable if he suddenly turned into an ordinary passerby.
How did you sneak in?
"The emperor's arrival caught us off guard. The palace was short-handed, and the selection process here wasn't as rigorous as in the imperial palace. Just give them some silver and say a few nice words, and they'll be in."
"It's not like it's such a coincidence that you're the one bringing the food."
He smiled; his ordinary face lacked luster, but his eyes were exceptionally alluring.
"Money can make the devil turn the millstone."
You're ruthless... "...What do you want to do this time?"
"Do you remember the Heavenly Dawn Star I told you about last time?"
I nodded. He touched my face, and something felt off. What was wrong? I took his hand off and looked at it. My once fair and smooth hands had become dry, cracked, and rough, covered with many thick calluses.
“The hands of a servant who does rough work can’t be too clean. Since he’s in here, he can’t leave any clues for others to catch. It’s just like having a layer of skin stuck to his face.”
"Oh." She looked at his hands more closely. "Where were we?"
"Tianchen Yaoxing, which side do you think we should support?"
"Don't help them, let them fend for themselves."
"You're quite decisive. I was just thinking that if Li Mu sided with the emperor, it would be a one-sided outcome and pointless. But what if they used you to threaten me?"
"Asking me is pointless. When have you ever made a decision that no one can change? I know how to handle things. It's not easy to make people like you, but it's not difficult to make people dislike you."
"Well, so far things are going well. Just be careful." He pulled his hand away and picked up the plate. "I'll come back later."
I watched him leave until his figure disappeared from sight before I looked away. During this free time, I also took the opportunity to review the mantras and formulas.
Although it was early spring, the night was still chilly as it got deeper. I wrapped myself in a quilt and curled up on the bed, but my feet were still icy cold. I'd gotten used to Nangong Ling warming my bed these past few days, and now that it was suddenly cold, I really couldn't stand it. I dozed off with my eyes half-closed, and I don't know how long it was before I heard a rustling sound beside me, followed by a familiar, cool fragrance wafting towards me.
"Tsk, have you been practicing those internal skills I taught you properly? Have you been slacking off again? Why is your body still so cold?" He lowered his voice, his low tone so soothing that it was easy to fall asleep.
"I just finished sleeping, don't make false accusations against me." I turned over, put my feet on his calves, and slipped my hands inside his undershirt, instantly feeling much warmer.
"You're so afraid of the cold, how did you get through the winters in the past?" He placed his hand on mine, and through the layer of clothing, I could feel a faint warmth.
"You always sleep with my mother. Why don't you get rid of this layers of skin? Why are you being so cautious?"
"When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Li Mu's men should arrive tomorrow. I don't want to reveal my identity before he states his position, otherwise I'll inevitably drag you down with me."
You dragged me into this a long time ago, now you're just saying it to comfort yourself.
"You've gotten all energized after talking so much, haven't you? Go to sleep, get some proper sleep!"
You think so much all the time, aren't you afraid of growing old before you know it? Don't you ever consider that while you worry about me and are afraid something might happen to me, don't you also worry about you?
He chuckled softly, held me in a comfortable position, then fell silent, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.
I opened my eyes and stared at him for a moment. As my body gradually warmed up, I felt sleepy. Eventually, I couldn't resist the allure of sleep and drifted off to dreamland.
I woke up cold the next morning. The person next to me probably went home in the dark before dawn. Even if he tucked me in well, I would still get cold without any warmth.
He hunched over and got up, and after finally managing to put on his coat, the door was pushed open again.
"Come and have some porridge, warm yourself up while it's hot."
He had planned it well, knowing I would get up at this moment. Thinking about it, I couldn't help but smile, because I was very happy.
Did you cook this?
He shook his head. "Yesterday I wanted you to know I was here, so I used some tricks to get rid of the cook who was in charge of your meals. Since we were short-handed, and I happen to know how to cook, I stepped in. Anyway, it's nothing serious. As long as we don't alarm the Emperor and the Consort, everything is negotiable."
"...It's probably because they're too lazy to cook. People with such severe germaphobia wouldn't easily come into contact with cooking fumes."
I called him out on it directly, and he wasn't embarrassed at all; he just urged me to drink the porridge quickly.
Changing the subject is his specialty, and it's usually only at this time that Nangong Ling is completely defeated in front of me.
He didn't stay long. Before leaving, he transferred some of his inner energy to me, reminded me to be careful again, and even told me to steal a stick of incense before leaving.
This morning, as I finished reading my third book, there was finally some movement outside the door.