☆、005 A Show of Force
Ye Xiaowei smiled faintly and glanced at Xia Yu beside her:
"how?"
Xia Yu, relying on Li Changxi's backing, and Ye Xiaowei being nothing more than a sickly, indecisive, and seemingly incompetent mistress, boldly said:
"Consort Li instructed us to serve our mistress closely and never leave her side!"
Ye Xiaowei still had a faint smile on her lips, and her eyes and brows exuded an irresistible charm and elegance.
Where was the trace of her former sickly appearance? A cold glint flashed in her dark eyes. Against her smiling face, that cold glint was even more chilling.
Xia Yu's heart sank suddenly, and she unconsciously took a step back. Her master seemed different from before. His eyes were completely different from before, so lifeless and weak.
That look in his eyes just now was cold and piercing, as sinister as a bottomless abyss, radiating chill and devoid of any warmth—it was truly terrifying…
"Are you Consort Li's person or mine? Do you think I can't even give orders to a lowly servant?"
Her smiling face held a chilling aura that instilled a sense of dread. Chunlu was less timid than Xiayu; even with powerful backers, the woman before them was still the Crown Princess of Fengyu Kingdom.
They were not lowly servants like them, and could not afford to offend them! She secretly tugged at Xia Yu's sleeve, signaling her to stop talking, and quickly bowed in greeting.
"Yes, ma'am!"
This scene was naturally witnessed by the two young masters sitting not far away, who couldn't help but exclaim in their hearts, "What exactly happened to this Crown Princess?"
After all the servants had left, leaving only the three of them in the large room, Ye Xiaowei picked up the hot tea on the table, lifted the lid, and took a small sip.
The aroma of tea fills the air instantly, leaving a pleasant fragrance in your mouth. The tea has a sweet and refreshing taste, making it extremely delicious.
Ye Xiaowei put down her teacup, her cold eyes fixed on the two stunningly handsome men before her. In her previous life, due to her declining health and the words of Li Changxi and Ye Zirong, she believed that Luo Zijin and Yin Jinmo were merely male femme fatales with only captivating appearances. Therefore, she deliberately neglected them and even sent them out of the palace in the spring of the twenty-first year of the Mingde era.
Looking back now, I realize how naive I was back then, unable to distinguish between humans and ghosts, believing slanderous words, and ultimately sending myself step by step to my own death.
Following the departure of these two young masters, her father passed away in the winter of the twenty-first year of the Mingde era. At the time, she never considered that these events were all planned step by step, one after another. Now, she realizes that Li Changxi had meticulously planned them all long ago.
He wanted to ensure that she had no one she could trust left, until she was destroyed!
That was the path Ye Xiaowei took in her past life, and she will naturally not repeat it in this life!
If it weren't for the fact that the two attendants before him were exceptionally intelligent and capable, Li Changxi wouldn't have been in such a hurry to send them out of the palace.
Furthermore, their constant attempts to sow discord between her and the two men strained her relationship, until she eventually stopped seeing them altogether!
Ye Xiaowei snapped out of her thoughts and smiled faintly at the two of them.
"I've called you here today to ask for your help!"
These words caused a stir among the crowd, startling both Luo Zijing and Yin Jinmo. They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with doubt and surprise.
The fact that they were summoned was already strange to the two of them, but they never expected that the other party would say something like that.
However, after witnessing the previous scene, I already felt that the Crown Princess in front of me was no longer the same as before, so given a little time, I was able to digest these words.
Yin Jinmo was a calm and composed person after a slight surprise upon hearing this, he quickly regained his usual demeanor.
"If Your Highness wishes to do something, you may simply instruct your servants. Why make such a request?"
Luo Zijin also recovered from her shock, covering her mouth with a coquettish laugh: "Oh my, Your Highness, your words are quite flattering!"
His golden eyes shimmered with an indescribable tenderness and endless affection, brimming with captivating charm…
Ye Xiaowei's previous gentle smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression and a grave look in her eyes.
When Luo Zijing saw Ye Xiaowei's serious expression, her smile froze on her lips, and she stood there stunned.
"I no longer want to live a muddled life like before, nor do I want to remain weak and sickly forever, and also..."
She paused slightly, her eyes suddenly darkening, and said in a deep voice:
"Those who have long coveted the position of Crown Princess and sought to kill me, I will repay them in kind and send them to hell one by one!"
She spoke each word with great force, decisively, and with an extremely firm and unambiguous tone, exuding an aura of dominance!
Having just calmed down, Luo Zijing was once again stunned by Ye Xiaowei's domineering aura, her phoenix eyes widening as she stared straight at Ye Xiaowei.
In that instant, he seemed to see Ye Xiaowei surrounded by golden dragons, with dazzling light shining around her head—truly the bearing of a dragon emperor!
What on earth happened to make this Crown Princess seem like a completely different person overnight? Luo Zijing even forgot to close her mouth.
Besides surprise, his golden eyes gleamed with a strange light—shock, admiration, and perhaps even more so, adoration…
Once he realized this, he immediately lowered his eyes, almost as if fleeing, and looked away, staring intently at the floor within a meter in front of him, not daring to cross the line again.
While Luo Zijing was already somewhat bewildered by the sudden change in Ye Xiaowei, Yin Jinmo poured cold water on her.
"It is good that Your Highness has lofty ambitions, but with Your Highness's current power, I'm afraid it will die in the womb before it even begins. So how can you talk about punishing others?"
As soon as he said this, Yin Jinmo glanced at the door. Ye Xiaowei followed his gaze and saw two dark figures lurking suspiciously at the door. She understood immediately.
“Then let’s start by cleaning house…” Ye Xiaowei curled her lips into a meaningful smile. Yin Jinmo instantly understood, and the two exchanged a knowing smile.
Luo Zijin, sitting to the side, looked puzzled and somewhat frustrated. He seemed unable to get a word in edgewise at what the two of them were saying.
The two people outside the door just now must have been Chunlu and Xiayu, eavesdropping so they could go report to Li Changxi. I'm afraid it won't be long before Li Changxi comes over under the pretense of caring about her health to test her.
She suddenly smiled slyly: "Zijin, Jinmo, how about we play a fun game?"
☆、006 A Room Full of Spring Scenery
With a 'bang,' the tightly closed door was forcefully pushed open from the outside, and the first person to walk in was a man in his thirties with a fair and handsome face.
She was about 1.75 meters tall, slender, and wore a light purple brocade robe. Her black hair was meticulously combed, but it was not tied up with a hair crown. Instead, it was tied at the ends with a blue hair tie, and two strands of hair were left at her temples, swaying slightly with her steps.
The man had delicate features, thin lips, and dressed simply, clearly the kind of person who spent most of his life at home cultivating his character.
Behind him were Chunlu and Xiayu from Ye Xiaowei's palace. The two girls were currently looking arrogant and domineering, as if they had found their true master.
They were followed by a large group of servants and maids, a procession of about ten people.
This man is none other than Li Changxi, the noble consort of Emperor Mingde of Fengyu Kingdom.
But as soon as they opened the door, they were stunned by what they saw inside. They stood there like statues, and Chunlu and Xiayu looked as if they had seen a ghost. However, the two girls' fair faces gradually turned red, and their eyes became unsteady.
Because at this moment, the room was filled with singing and dancing, and the atmosphere was lively and enthusiastic.
Ye Xiaowei was leaning lazily on a soft couch, wearing only a white undergarment, her dark hair casually draped over her shoulders, flowing smoothly down her chest to the floor.
She was surrounded by three or five extremely handsome young men, all around fourteen or fifteen years old, with bright white teeth and flawless skin, who were intimately massaging her and feeding her wine.
On the left side of the soft couch, Yin Jinmo, dressed in snow-white robes, seemed like a celestial being from heaven. With a smile on his face, he gently stroked the strings of the zither placed before him. His slender, jade-like fingers seemingly plucked the strings casually, yet melodious tunes flowed from his jade-like fingertips…
In the center of the hall, a dozen or so dancers surrounded a bewitching man dressed only in a white veil, his skin faintly visible beneath, and they danced gracefully.
The dancers' movements were graceful and beautiful; every smile and gesture was captivating and mesmerizing. Once you looked at them, you couldn't look away...
The scene inside the room was extremely luxurious and enjoyable. Li Changxi had never expected to witness such a passionate and intense scene, and he was immediately caught in a dilemma, not knowing what to do.
But they arrived in a very high-profile manner. There were a dozen or twenty people standing at the door as soon as they arrived, and the way they pushed the door was so forceful that it was hard for anyone not to notice them.
As soon as the door was pushed open, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the doorway.
Ye Xiaowei narrowed her beautiful eyes and glanced at the doorway. As if she had suddenly seen someone standing there, she was startled at first, and then immediately stood up.
Someone immediately handed her an outer robe, which she hurriedly put on. She then quickly walked to the door, looking panicked and frightened.
If we lived in modern times, it would be a waste of Ye Xiaowei's talent to not pursue acting.
She hurried to Li Changxi and quickly bowed:
"Your son pays respects to Your Majesty!"
Although Ye Xiaowei was not Li Changxi's biological daughter, Emperor Mingde asked Li Changxi to take care of her because her biological father was always frail and sickly and could not take good care of her.
Therefore, unlike other princesses or princes, she had to respectfully address Li Changxi as "Father" instead of "Noble Lord".
For this reason, in her previous life, Ye Xiaowei was extremely dependent on Li Changxi, and regarded him as her own father, obeying him in everything.
Although Li Changxi, that old fox, seemed a little embarrassed just now, he had already subtly recovered and his expression remained as gentle as ever.
However, deep down he wished he could throw Chunlu and Xiayu, those two dog servants, out to feed the wolves, so that he would witness such a scene today.
The room full of handsome young men, along with the two attendants Luo Zijin and Yin Jinmo, all came to their senses and stood up to bow to Li Changxi.
Li Changxi smiled and reached out to grasp Ye Xiaowei's wrist, helping her up.
"I was overjoyed to hear from my servants that you had woken up, Wei'er, so I rushed here without even sending someone to inform you beforehand. Seeing you so energetic now, I can finally put my mind at ease, which has been weighing on my mind day and night..."
Li Changxi, do you really still think I'm the same Ye Xiaowei from before? Do you think you're the only one who can act, and I can't? You've got to get what you deserve!
Ye Xiaowei responded with a smile:
"Your son has been frail and sickly since childhood. If it weren't for your meticulous care, Father, I wouldn't be where I am today. I know your deep love and concern for me, and I know that for many days and nights, you've lost your appetite and spent your days fasting and chanting Buddhist prayers, seeking divine protection. I know all that you've done for me. Once I recover, I will always stay by your side and be filial to you..."
Of course, I will remember all the bad things you did to me that I cannot see in the light of day, and I will repay you for them one by one!
Both of them appeared to be a loving father and a filial daughter, but they each harbored their own secrets and wished the other would die immediately!
However, it must be said that both of them have extremely high acting talent. They can think one thing and say another, and perform it so vividly that no one can tell. It is truly admirable.
Li Changxi outwardly stroked Ye Xiaowei's head with affection, just like when she was a child, displaying the loving expression of a father who dotes on his daughter. Everyone present felt that the relationship between the father and daughter was very good, but little did they know that the two were actually irreconcilable enemies.
"Ah! I have no other wish than for you to be healthy and free from illness. Filial piety can be put aside. What's rare is that you, Wei'er, have such filial piety. This is a comfort to me in my old age!"
After saying this, his eyes filled with tears. With his words, his expression, and the atmosphere, it really looked like a father and daughter were about to burst into tears.
Ye Xiaowei felt extremely disgusted. If she weren't still young and not a match for Li Changxi, she might have already pounced on him and killed him.
Ye Xiaowei suppressed her discomfort and kept smiling in an extremely harmless and gentle manner, which almost made her mouth twitch.
He pretended to suddenly realize something and said, "Your subject is truly ignorant of etiquette. Your father came all this way because you were worried about my health, yet I still made you stand here. I am truly ashamed."
After saying that, he took Li Changxi's hand and tried to lead him inside. Li Changxi wasn't an idiot; he knew he couldn't get involved in this situation.
Could it be that the father and daughter were seeking pleasure together in the house? If this gets out, the Crown Princess may not care about losing face, but Li Changxi can't afford to lose face like that.