Luo Zhiheng's gaze met Mu Qingya's without fear. Mu Qingya's eyes held a smile, revealing no other thoughts. Luo Zhiheng smiled elegantly as well, "Of course not. I know Her Highness has been busy, but I simply had urgent business to attend to that day and had to leave. I thought Her Highness would be magnanimous and wouldn't be angry with me, after all, I had already explained to the head eunuch by Her Highness's side that I had to participate in a competition and couldn't be delayed. I'm sure Her Highness is so magnanimous that she won't blame me, right?"
Want to outmaneuver her in front of Mu Yunhe? Dream on!
Luo Zhiheng retorted with a smile. Women have an innate sensitivity to each other; they may not be acquaintances, but if there's hostility between them, they'll sense it immediately. Mu Qingya disliked her, even loathed her—she could sense it. And coincidentally, she disliked Mu Qingya too. Since Mu Qingya was playing dirty tricks, she didn't mind playing along.
Mu Qingya's smile remained unchanged, but her gaze darkened. She waved her hand and said, "We're all family, how could I blame you? You should have told me in person, so as to avoid any misunderstandings between us."
"I wanted to speak to Her Highness in person, but Her Highness is simply too busy. Your chief eunuch is blocking me from seeing you," Luo Zhiheng said immediately.
"So, it was my head eunuch's fault?" Mu Qingya asked, her smile turning cold for a moment.
"Of course! In my humble opinion, such a servant who can't distinguish between close and distant relationships is a useless piece of trash to keep by your side. Why does Your Highness still keep him?" Luo Zhiheng asked, feigning ignorance. 17.
"What kind of servant is a servant? It all depends on whether the master is comfortable using him. As for my servants, I'll just use them to my own pleasure," Mu Qingya said with a faint smile.
Seeing that the two were already at odds as soon as they met, exchanging barbs and refusing to give an inch, Mu Yunhe grew anxious and quickly said without trying to hide her feelings, "It seems that you and Aheng get along very well. Aheng is straightforward and doesn't have many hidden agendas. She says what she thinks. You'll have to be more tolerant of her in the future."
"Of course, even if I didn't care about her, I would still have to consider my own brother. But there's something I don't understand. I raised a pair of very intelligent birds in the room where Luo Zhiheng was supposed to stay, but they've disappeared since then?" Mu Qingya asked with a smile.
Luo Zhiheng was taken aback. She hadn't expected Mu Qingya to ask about the pair of birds. They were a pair of messenger birds, two spies. She had suspected that Mu Qingya had used them to monitor her, or that someone else had used them to monitor Mu Qingya. Now it seemed that it was indeed the former.
"What bird?" Mu Yunhe asked, frowning.
Mu Qingya then looked at the emperor with a charming smile, her expression ambiguous, and said, "Those birds were very intelligent. Your Majesty was afraid I would be lonely, so you specially found them for me to play with. I liked them very much, but now they are gone. And that other bird was only ever lived in by Luo Zhiheng, and it disappeared after she left. How can I be at ease?"
Luo Zhiheng's pupils constricted! The messenger birds were a gift from the Emperor to Mu Qingya? Did Mu Qingya know the purpose of those birds? Did the Emperor suspect Mu Qingya and therefore want to monitor her? Or was it all just a coincidence?
"Luo Zhiheng, do you know where my pair of birds went?" Mu Qingya looked at Luo Zhiheng with a cold gaze.
Luo Zhiheng was taken aback for a moment, then said confidently, "Kill them."
"What?!" Mu Qingya and the emperor exclaimed simultaneously.
Mu Qingya's eyes held a deep sense of sarcasm, while the emperor was filled with annoyance and astonishment.
"Kill them! Those birds were too noisy, they almost pooped on my head! I was so angry that I caught them and killed them. I really didn't know those birds had such a big background. If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have killed them, and I wouldn't have just buried their bodies in the corner of the courtyard. Ah! It's a pity that the birds didn't even leave behind their bodies, because as soon as they died, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Concubine dug them up and ate them raw!" Luo Zhiheng said, feigning annoyance and surprise.
hiss!
Everyone gasped in shock. What did she mean by "eaten raw"?! Those who knew about the Grand Eunuch's heartbreak all turned pale. They understood how cruel and terrifying Luo Zhiheng's words about eating it raw were. They just couldn't believe that Luo Zhiheng would dare to say it so brazenly.
Mu Qingya's gaze flashed with a cold sharpness, but it vanished in an instant.
"Alright! It's just a pair of birds. If you like them, I'll give you a pair another day. Let's talk after the banquet. Don't you have something important to announce today?" The emperor changed the subject at the opportune moment, but his gaze towards Luo Zhiheng was already probing. Could this girl already know the secret of those birds?
"Very well. I have invited everyone here today because I have an important announcement to make. As you all know, I lost my son at a young age and cannot have any more children. His Majesty, out of compassion for me, has allowed me to choose an outstanding descendant from among the people of the Southern Dynasty to adopt. It is said that the people are all subjects of the Emperor, so I will respectfully accept this offer. I have observed that Bai Mingyue, the son of the Bai family, is virtuous and talented, with a dignified appearance, a good family background, and is gentle and refined. He is about the same age as my deceased son, and I find him very suitable. I have invited you all here today so that you may also take a look. If His Majesty agrees, then we will choose an auspicious day to hold the adoption ceremony." Mu Qingya said slowly with a smile.
These words caused an uproar in the audience!
It was like a bolt from the blue. It wasn't that the Imperial Concubine had adopted a son, but why wasn't it someone from within the royal family? Wasn't this confusing the royal bloodline? Everyone thought the Emperor would definitely not agree.
But to everyone's great surprise, the emperor nodded! He said very calmly, "What do you all think? The Imperial Concubine is my beloved concubine. We have been together day and night for many years. I really can't bear to see her suffer the pain of having no children in her later years. I think Bai Mingyue is very good."
People were momentarily confused about the emperor's intentions and dared not utter a sound.
"Your Majesty?!" the Empress roared in shock. Had the Emperor gone mad? How could he allow Mu Qingya to act so recklessly?
Feeling the gazes coming from all directions, Bai Mingyue was filled with arrogance and looked defiantly at Mu Yunhe opposite her.
Mu Yunhe was extremely shocked. He exchanged a glance with Luo Zhiheng, and then subconsciously looked at Bai Mingyue. Seeing his provocation, Mu Yunhe frowned and was about to get up, but Luo Zhiheng grabbed him: "Let's wait and see."
“Your Majesty, I believe…” An old minister stepped forward tremblingly, trying to stop him, but the emperor waved his hand and said abruptly, “That’s it! I have decided to adopt Bai Mingyue to the Consort. The adoption ceremony will be held in three days. You need not say anything more.”
The emperor acted arbitrarily, leaving the ministers bewildered, unable to understand how the matter had been settled so easily. It was utterly absurd.
"How could this happen?" Mu Yunhe murmured in disbelief, "This is not fair to my sister."
Luo Zhiheng pouted and said, "But this was your sister's decision. However, the emperor seems to care more about this adopted son than your sister does."
In the Southern Dynasties, once the emperor's words were finalized, ministers were never allowed to refute or question them. Therefore, the ministers could only offer their reluctant congratulations to the Imperial Concubine and Bai Mingyue with great anxiety.
"I'm so happy to have a son! I heard there's a performance today, isn't there? Hurry up and invite him up." Mu Qingya seemed genuinely delighted. Her gaze fell on Luo Zhiheng, and seeing Luo Zhiheng chatting and laughing with Mu Yunhe, Mu Qingya felt her blood boil.
Laugh now! Soon, you two won't be laughing anymore! The first of two surprises I've prepared for you is coming soon! 16605534
As Mu Qingya finished speaking, palace servants immediately brought out various items, including painting tools. Then, a veiled woman in a cloak came up, bowed, and began to paint. Her paintings were as smooth and swift as flowing water, each picture resembling a snake moving on a sand table.
Luo Zhiheng frowned and said, "Why does this person seem a little familiar to me?"
Mu Yunhe also looked confused, clearly finding the person strangely familiar.
Everyone held their breath, watching in bewilderment at the performance. The woman was completely covered up, her face and body hidden from view, yet her skillful painting technique was astounding. Some couldn't help but murmur, "In the Southern Dynasty, the only young woman with such skillful painting technique is probably Zhuge Hualuan from the painting sage family."
"That can't be right, wasn't her arm already severed by the young prince of the Mu Dynasty?"
"You don't know this, Zhuge Hualuan is a master of both hands, he can paint with both hands."
Amidst the discussions, no one could confirm who the person in front of them was, but it was unlikely to be Zhuge Hualuan. After all, with one arm missing, how could Zhuge Hualuan dare to make a fool of himself again?
However, as time passed, and the woman finally put down her brush, and as the palace maids picked up each scroll one by one, the dozen or so scrolls were displayed in turn, starting with the emperor, to the ministers and their families on the other side. Following this viewing order, the entire hall formed a circle, with the emperor as the starting point and Mu Yunhe as the ending point; the emperor would see it first, and Mu Yunhe would be the last to see it.
The palace maids moved gracefully as the paintings flowed past the Emperor and Empress. The Emperor's usually calm face revealed deep shock, while the Empress was filled with anger and shock.
"My God! What is this?" Mu Qingya exclaimed, her face pale as she looked at the painting and then at Luo Zhiheng, her face full of anger and disbelief.
The scroll was displayed before the ministers, eliciting gasps of astonishment wherever it went. Everyone who saw the scroll blushed, their faces a mixture of embarrassment and mockery. All eyes were fixed on Luo Zhiheng and Mu Yunhe. Their gazes toward Luo Zhiheng were filled with mockery, disdain, and disgust, while their gazes toward Mu Yunhe were filled with only one thing: deep sympathy!
At that moment, both of them realized that these paintings must be related to them, and that they must be something bad!
Mu Yunhe tensed up, grabbing Luo Zhiheng's hand and half-embracing her in his arms, trying to shield her from the gazes of those bastards. His tense voice rang out in a low, deep tone: "Don't be afraid!"
Luo Zhiheng wasn't afraid, but she felt extremely uncomfortable, as if she had done something shameful and had suddenly been exposed in front of everyone, feeling so embarrassed! She loathed the way those people looked at her!
As the scrolls finally came into view, Mu Yunhe's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, filled with rage! Luo Zhiheng's mind went completely blank for a moment!
What are these...?!
Luo Zhiheng stared blankly at Mu Yunhe. She noticed the bluish veins throbbing beneath his pale neck and stiffly asked, "Mu Yunhe, is the man inside... you? That woman looks familiar too..."
How could she look so much like herself?!
The secret hidden deep within Mu Yunhe's heart, the deepest thread of his being, snapped instantly! He stood up abruptly, as if possessed, roaring as he reached for the scrolls. Some were torn to shreds, others were taken away by the frightened palace maids. Mu Yunhe tried to snatch the scrolls back, staggering as he chased after the maids, but how could he possibly catch up with over a dozen scrolls?
Mu Qingya, her voice sharp with righteous indignation, rebuked, "What exactly is going on? Luo Zhiheng, explain to me what's going on in these paintings! Is this how you became Mu Yunhe's wife? A shameless, wanton, and despicable wife? Tell me, are the women in those paintings you?!"
Second update! There's an extra chapter today! Can you guess what's in the painting? Please vote, leave comments, and give me your monthly tickets! My darlings, please support and encourage me!
Chapter 243, Flowing Scroll! Enraged! (Bonus chapter for the forum moderator)
Updated: 2013-08-09 19:18:49 Word Count: 3347
Mu Qingya's angry accusations were like tearing away the last veil of shame from Luo Zhiheng's face! Instantly, embarrassment and shock mingled on Luo Zhiheng's face and in her heart, anger and confusion alternated. Looking at Mu Yunhe's furious appearance, she slowly lowered her head, trembling as she picked up the scroll that Mu Yunhe had torn apart at her feet, her pupils gradually blurring.
These paintings are all very complete and perfectly executed. They clearly depict a story.
In the first painting, amidst a torrential downpour, a carriage appears before the solemn gates of a royal palace. The wind blows open the curtain, revealing a slender leg covered in mutilated remains stained with vivid blood.
In the second painting, a thinly dressed man stares in shock at the carriage, shoving the people around him. The deep despair in his wide eyes is vividly portrayed!
In the third painting, a man pushes aside a middle-aged woman and rushes toward a carriage in the heavy rain.
In the fourth painting, a man falls in the heavy rain.
In the sixth painting, the man finally climbs to the front of the carriage.
Luo Zhiheng's nerves were numb and tense as she trembled as she pieced together the scattered paintings. She suddenly looked up at Mu Yunhe, who was roaring like a madman, "Give me the paintings!!"
The palace maids seemed terrified, throwing the scroll high into the air, the scattered sheets of paper fluttering down. Mu Yunhe hurriedly went to pick them up, his tall frame bent low, as if his spine was bent by the weight of the delicate, gossamer-light scrolls, a picture of humility and panic.
Mu Yunhe stood up, his face pale, clutching what seemed like a wad of waste paper. He tried desperately to tear apart these terrifying memories, but a pale hand reached out from behind and grabbed the paintings. Mu Yunhe's pupils constricted as he slowly turned to look at Luo Zhiheng, his gaze breaking inch by inch, his voice choked and trembling: "Aheng..."
"Give it to me!" The cold voice, as if from the dead of winter, exploded on Luo Zhiheng's bloodless lips.
"Don't look!" Mu Yunhe gritted his teeth, his hands throbbing with veins, gripping the drawing paper tightly. It was a humiliating and heartbreaking past he had tried so hard to hide, one he didn't want to mention, didn't even want to remember. He was even more afraid that Luo Zhiheng would recall it, so after the disaster, if Luo Zhiheng didn't mention it, Mu Yunhe wouldn't speak of it either. He naively thought that this would be a secret forever buried, but he never imagined that this secret would be so bloodily torn open in such a grand setting!
In an instant, the wound in his heart was mangled and bloody!
Luo Zhiheng raised her head slightly, a dazed smile on her pale face, and pried Mu Yunhe's fingers apart one by one, saying with a smile, "Since everyone has seen it, there's no reason why I can't see it."
She practically snatched the items from his hands, suppressing her impending outburst of emotion, and unfolded the remaining scroll.
In the painting, a man carries a disheveled woman, barely clothed, down from the wall; the woman's buttocks are clearly visible... 174.
The moment the painting came into view, Luo Zhiheng's pupils dilated, and her face turned pale and then flushed!
The woman's face was clearly visible, even more lifelike, so when so many people saw her barely clothed, Luo Zhiheng's mind exploded! She trembled all over, her whole body filled with rage!
This is simply the most vulgar and low-grade set of erotic art! While it lacks the obscene and shameful actions, the extensive nudity and numerous bruises covering the body are tantamount to condemning the woman in the paintings! 16606022
Unfaithful, licentious, and shameless!
And yet, so many people saw her like this. Even if it wasn't her, the sight of a face just like hers, with a disheveled body that looked like she'd been in an accident, in the painting was enough to spark speculation and controversy!
This painting alone is enough to ruin Luo Zhiheng!!
"That's not it! I clearly wrapped you in clothes!" Mu Yunhe had obviously also seen the painting; his handsome face was almost contorted as he hurriedly explained to the silent Luo Zhiheng. He was furious on behalf of the painter.
Ultimately, he was still too young and naive. With just one sentence, Mu Yunhe practically admitted the authenticity of everything in the painting!
Boom boom boom!
Deafening gasps and whispers erupted from all directions. In an instant, the name Luo Zhiheng became synonymous with infidelity and depravity!
Luo Zhiheng suddenly looked up, staring at Mu Yunhe in shock: "When...when did all this happen? Why did I never know about it?"
Mu Yunhe closed his eyes tightly, afraid that the fierce hatred in his eyes would be revealed. The sense of powerlessness and rage over the huge changes that had happened today made his head throb.
"Answer me!" The deep pain on Mu Yunhe's face pierced Luo Zhiheng's heart. She roared, but her voice choked with sobs! Had something happened to her that she herself didn't know about? She began to panic; her heart sank little by little, almost convulsing!
"None of this is true! Ah Heng, we can still do what we used to do. Give me the paintings, and I'll destroy them, destroy the person who painted them. She's framing you, Ah Heng, don't believe it." Mu Yunhe was also caught in self-deception. Although he was furious, he didn't want others to question or spy on Luo Zhiheng's body. In that instant, a crazy idea spread through Mu Yunhe's mind: kill everyone here who had seen Ah Heng's body!
"Not real?" Luo Zhiheng's expression was strange. She abruptly flipped to the next picture, which depicted a man holding a woman who was almost completely naked, kneeling on the steps in front of a door. Bright red blood was flowing on the steps, washed further and further away by the heavy rain, gradually thinning out. She found the picture extremely jarring!
Holding up the painting, she smiled and asked him, "So, is the story in this painting true? How did your leg get injured for no reason? And what's with the big scar on your leg now? Mu Yunhe, you said there were no secrets between us, that you didn't want to have any secrets from me! So how do you explain all of this?"
Mu Yunhe was terrified by the half-crying, half-laughing expression on Luo Zhiheng's face. He hugged her tightly, his voice already trembling with sobs, and said fiercely, "Aheng! Calm down, can't you see? Someone is trying to frame you. That's not how it is at all. Be good, don't get agitated. We'll catch and kill the person who framed you, and kill everyone who saw these lies!"