"Would it put you in danger if I found out?" Luo Zhiheng asked unwillingly.
Mu Yunhe nodded without hesitation and said, "If many people in the Divination Palace were to learn of these secrets, I would die."
Luo Zhiheng immediately shut up, as if she hadn't mentioned it at all, and instead laughed, "What's wrong with that woman we caught yesterday? Why didn't she dare to resist as long as I pinched her ear?"
A knowing glint and a hint of joy flashed in Mu Yunhe's eyes. Once she heard she was in danger, she stopped asking questions; she cared more about herself than about those wondrous secrets. Mu Yunhe's mood brightened considerably, and he was naturally willing to explain to the beauty: "Those aren't our kind. They're a race with beast blood, commonly known as fox spirits. Their weakness is in their ears, didn't you see?"
Luo Zhiheng's eyes widened in shock. There really was a fox spirit?! She exclaimed in amazement, "I didn't notice! Yesterday I was so busy watching you fight against that Emperor Xian. It was so exciting, even though it was dangerous."
Mu Yunhe's eyes flashed, and he suddenly laughed, "Would you like a toy?"
"What toy?"
"Have someone bring the woman we caught last night here," Mu Yunhe ordered outside. Xiao Xizi, hearing Mu Yunhe's voice, immediately responded cheerfully.
Soon the little fox spirit got into Mu Yunhe's carriage. At this moment, her ear was being pinched by Murong Qianxue, who was clearly very impatient and wary.
Seeing that Murong Qianxue looked unwell, Luo Zhiheng quickly asked, "How are you? Last night was so chaotic, I completely forgot about you."
Murong Qianxue said nonchalantly, "It's nothing, I was just a little scared. But what can we do with this girl? We can't keep having someone hold her ear, can we? Besides, she's so annoying, she keeps talking nonstop, isn't she afraid of losing all her teeth?"
Luo Zhiheng then took a good look at the little fox spirit. She was actually a very beautiful and cute girl. Although her face was alluring, her listless expression made her look very obedient. She had big eyes, a red mouth, and very smooth and fair skin. Instead of long hair, she had a mushroom-shaped bob. Her petite body was huddled on the carpet, looking at Mu Yunhe with a mixture of fear and pleading.
It really does look like a big doll.
Luo Zhiheng initially disliked this guy, but her appearance was so endearing that it was hard to hate her. She nudged Mu Yunhe and said, "Why does she look like this? She still looks like a child, without any fox spirit qualities."
Mu Yunhe smiled sarcastically: "Don't be fooled by her innocent appearance. Don't forget, foxes are the most cunning."
As soon as Mu Yunhe finished speaking, she raised her hand, and the fox spirit immediately shrank back in terror, but she could not escape Mu Yunhe's vicious hand. She parted the fox spirit's hair and pulled out a sharp object. The more she pulled, the longer it became. The little fox spirit was already trembling and about to scream with tears in her eyes. Mu Yunhe showed no mercy and forcibly pulled out an object about the length of an index finger.
It was pointed and delicate, clearly an ear!
"Oh my god! How could this be? Is it a monster?" Even someone as bold as Murong Qianxue couldn't help but scream.
Luo Zhiheng was so surprised that she almost jumped up from the soft couch. Mu Yunhe said lazily, "Give her to Aheng as a pet. She can play with you in the future. Bully her whenever you want. Be gentle with me when you come back."
Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow. This cunning guy was clearly giving her a plaything to shield him from trouble.
Chapter 1 is here! There will be an extra chapter today! Hua Sha will keep writing diligently. Love you all! Need motivation, haha! Please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets!
323 Ears! My cousin's letter! (Bonus chapter for 21,000 comments)
Updated: 2013-09-12 15:06:02 Word Count: 3580
Although it was meant to be a pet, it was still a person, and the little fox was indeed endearing and unique, so Luo Zhiheng asked, "What's your name?"
The little fox spirit wrinkled her nose, sniffed at Luo Zhiheng, and a look of disgust and disdain flashed across her face. She even snorted coldly, not daring to hit Luo Zhiheng.
Mu Yunhe snorted coldly: "From today onwards, Aheng is your master. If you dare to disobey, I will chop off your ears and serve them as a snack. Don't even think about escaping or harming others. You should know that as long as I want, I can catch you wherever you run. Call me master."
The little fox was very unwilling, but she also greatly respected Mu Yunhe. As soon as Mu Yunhe spoke, she became very obedient and hummed, "Master."
"You don't need to be resentful. Just follow Ah Heng, protect her, and play with her. I can help you become a normal person." Mu Yunhe's casual words made the little fox's eyes light up.
"Really?"
Favors and promises are far better than coercion, and they are more likely to win loyalty. Mu Yunhe nodded and said, "The diviner does not lie."
The little fox was not easily fooled. She asked suspiciously and warily, "Emperor Xian also said she would turn me back into a human, but she didn't succeed. Why should I believe you?"
Although the little foxes are called foxes, they are still human, except that their ears have undergone a transformation, which has never been complete. These creatures, though cunning, are extremely simple-minded and single-minded.
"Hmph, she can't do it at all, so of course you haven't changed. Stick your head out." Mu Yunhe placed his hands on the little fox's two ears, muttering something under his breath, kneading and pinching them. When he let go, the little fox's unique ears were gone, replaced by small, round ears like a human's.
Luo Zhiheng and the other woman were shocked. The little fox was equally surprised. She kept touching her ears and gradually exclaimed with delight, "They're gone! The pointed ears are really gone!"
The little fox knew how to reciprocate kindness, knowing that its future transformation would depend on Mu Yunhe, so it immediately acted obsequiously, its eyes sparkling with joy. This time, it spoke with genuine happiness and willingness: "Master Aheng, my name is Xiaoli. You can call me Lili, Fox, Big Fox, Little Fox, Baby Fox..."
Luo Zhiheng was instantly exasperated: "Stop! Stop, stop right now!" She turned to Mu Yunhe and asked, "Why is he such a chatterbox?"
"From now on, you must not speak when your master forbids you to speak. You must be loyal to your master and protect his safety at all times. Do not let any danger get close to your master, and do not let any man other than me get within one meter of your master. Do you understand?" Mu Yunhe said the last sentence with utmost seriousness.
Murong Qianxue laughed, but Luo Zhiheng felt a sweet warmth in her heart.
Little Fox nodded quickly and said in a soft voice, "Little Fox will definitely protect Master's chastity!"
Luo Zhiheng was stunned, her face turning red. She pointed at her angrily and said, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Little Tanuki pouted and blinked pitifully, saying timidly, "Isn't that what the master meant...?"
"Is that what you mean?" Luo Zhiheng suddenly turned her head, smiling through gritted teeth.
Mu Yunhe said with a half-smile, "What do you think?"
"I think that's what it means." Murong Qianxue was overjoyed. Seeing Luo Zhiheng staring at her, she quickly said, "But how come this thing has two such pointy ears?"
"Because she's a fox. Don't tell anyone about this, otherwise some people might think that having an oddball around us could cause unnecessary trouble." Luo Zhiheng tilted her head and looked at the little fox again, saying, "Since you've already called me master, I'll change your name. Your ears are so special, how about I just call you Ears? Little Hehe?"
Little Li's face immediately scrunched up, looking like she was about to cry. She looked at Mu Yunhe with a pitiful, pleading expression.
Mu Yunhe said indifferently, "Whatever makes you happy, you can call me whatever you want."
From then on, Luo Zhiheng's little tail called him by a name that the little tail couldn't stand: Ears. Luo Zhiheng even generously bestowed the surname Luo upon the little fox, calling him Luo Ears.
The little fox listlessly curled her hands into a cute little fist and fiddled with her ears, a habitual gesture when she was angry or sad. But Mu Yunhe only cared about whether Luo Zhiheng was happy, and didn't care whether the little fox wanted to or not.
The King already knew that Mu Yunhe had woken up, so he sent someone to tell Luo Zhiheng's wet nurse that she had also woken up and asked her to come over.
Luo Zhiheng sensed that the King wanted to talk to her about this, and she also wanted to know what was going on with her mother's clan, so she went. As expected, you didn't bring the little fox.
After Luo Zhiheng alighted from the carriage, Mu Yunhe also got off. It was time to rest, and he needed to find a place to relieve himself, so he and Xiao Xizi went behind a tree not far away. Xiao Xizi and Qi Wan were both in good spirits, so it seemed that yesterday's soul-snatching spell hadn't left them with too many aftereffects.
Just as Mu Yunhe had finished relieving himself and was about to return, he turned around and saw Mu Yunjin standing there. Mu Yunjin's eyes instantly turned icy cold. He hadn't forgotten the good deed Mu Yunjin had done yesterday, even though Mu Yunjin's actions couldn't change the course of events. But Mu Yunjin's actions at that crucial moment were tantamount to betrayal, and he had even pushed Luo Zhiheng out of the picture—something he couldn't tolerate.
"What do you want to say?" Mu Yunhe's voice was cold. He wouldn't give Mu Yunjin a chance, so whatever Mu Yunjin wanted to say would not be forgiven.
Mu Yunjin did not come to seek forgiveness.
Yesterday, Mu Yunhe gave him one shock after another, allowing him to see another Mu Yunhe, a Mu Yunhe whom he almost had to worship. This was something Mu Yunhe found extremely difficult to accept. He didn't know what a diviner was; after all, he was still so young, lacking the experience and knowledge of the elders.
But seeing the pharaohs' care and respect for Mu Yunhe, and considering the power Mu Yunhe had displayed yesterday, Mu Yunjin finally had to face one thing: Mu Yunhe was a strongman! A strongman who had grown up right under his nose, yet whom he had always treated as a sickly weakling. Mu Yunhe's quiet and unassuming growth suddenly filled Mu Yunjin with immense pressure and panic.
He had always harbored a sense of superiority, looking down on Mu Yunhe. His father's sudden appreciation for Mu Yunhe had indeed aroused his resentment and jealousy, but he had always hidden it and remained proud, believing that Mu Yunhe was inferior to him no matter what. But now it seemed that this was not the case. Mu Yunhe had the capital now, and his rise was sudden, catching Mu Yunjin completely off guard! It also finally shattered Mu Yunjin's long-held sense of superiority.
He was disgusted by Mu Yunhe's actions. Therefore, he would no longer treat Mu Yunhe the same way he had before, and would not attempt to save him. Let Mu Yunhe and Luo Zhiheng perish together; in short, Mu Yunhe's growth had already made him unhappy. His mother was right; those who weren't born of the same mother would always have a distance between them. As for Luo Zhiheng, didn't Mu Yunhe care about her? Then he would use what Mu Yunhe cared about most to hurt him, making Mu Yunhe hurt the person he cared about most in return.
"I'm here just to tell you that if I hadn't done what I did yesterday, someone else would have. You know I'm a soldier, and soldiers must prioritize the greater good. We can't risk the safety of so many of us just because of Luo Zhiheng and a wet nurse. You are my father's son, and you should understand my actions. If this causes a rift between us, that would be wrong." Mu Yunjin felt aversion towards Mu Yunhe, but she wouldn't openly break ties with him.
He had already made a pointed remark, verbally belittling and mocking Mu Yunhe for lacking a sense of the bigger picture and being immature. At least at that moment last night, Mu Yunjin should have been on Mu Yunhe's side, but Mu Yunjin betrayed his own people, and now he's suddenly transformed into a sanctimonious figure considering the bigger picture. This shameless nature is somewhat similar to that of Consort Li.
Mu Yunhe was no longer the lazy bum he once was, and naturally, he wouldn't remain silent even knowing the insults directed at him. He spoke righteously, "Regardless of your true purpose in doing what you did yesterday, my wet nurse has been kind to me. You spout so much morality and righteousness, but do you know that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude? My wet nurse has saved me many times, and even her daily care has deeply moved me. How can you sell someone with such a relationship so easily? Have you ever considered that you are my elder half-brother? By doing this, you are pushing me into a state of inhumanity and depravity, worse than a pig or a dog!"
Spouting platitudes about morality and righteousness? You can, and so can I! Perhaps I couldn't before, but now that I'm around Luo Zhiheng, who's quick-witted and adept at manipulating people with words, I'm bound to be influenced by her.
Mu Yunjin hadn't expected Mu Yunhe to be so sharp-tongued, retaliating with the very spear Mu Yunhe had thrown. It seemed he had truly underestimated Mu Yunhe.
"Oh? Is that so? In that case, I really was in the wrong yesterday. In that case, I will apologize to the wet nurse on your behalf. After all, she is just a servant, so there's no need to take it too seriously." Mu Yunjin changed the subject, as if he were doing something for Mu Yunhe.
Mu Yunhe narrowed his eyes, finding Mu Yunjin's shameless act of turning the tables on him quite intriguing. Seeing the hidden meaning in Mu Yunjin's words, Mu Yunhe thought of Consort Li, far away in the Mu Dynasty. No rush, he would soon return to deal with Consort Li.
Mu Yunjin took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Mu Yunhe. His eyes flickered, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, and he hesitated before saying, "This is a letter from Xia Beisong that he asked me to bring back to Luo Zhiheng... but no matter how close they are, Luo Zhiheng is already married, so I can't just give this letter to her directly. I'll pass it on to you so you can give it to Luo Zhiheng."
Seeing the sudden change in expression on Mu Yunhe's usually calm and aloof face, Mu Yunjin's smile flashed with a strange light, then he said casually, "Xia Beisong often talks about Luo Zhiheng back at the front lines. He clearly misses her terribly. He values this letter highly, repeatedly instructing me to deliver it and even asking Luo Zhiheng to reply. Remember to remind Luo Zhiheng to write back to her cousin." Then, with a soft, wistful chuckle, he murmured, "Indeed, childhood sweethearts who grew up together have such deep feelings..."
Mu Yunhe's eyes held an unfathomable gloom, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged as he took the letter.
Second update! That's all for today. I'll keep working hard tomorrow. Do you guys think Mu Yunjin is despicable? Feel free to leave your comments and condemn Mu Yunjin! I'm Mu Yunjin's stepmother. Haha, please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets! Group hug!
324 Heartbreaking! A love letter that pierced his heart! A secret!
Updated: 2013-09-13 15:09:32 Word Count: 7651
Upon entering the Prince's carriage, Luo Zhiheng immediately sensed the oppressive atmosphere. The wet nurse lay listlessly to one side, while the Prince held the sleeping Lou Yun, his brows furrowed in deep thought. Seeing Luo Zhiheng enter, the Prince did not speak immediately, but instead gazed at her with an extremely profound look.
Luo Zhiheng felt quite uncomfortable being stared at, and touched her face, laughing, "Is there something on my face?"
Upon hearing this, the King smiled, his attitude still seemingly aloof, but Luo Zhiheng sensitively noticed a subtle change, such as a touch of warmth and gentleness: "You just seem to have become even more beautiful. Come in and sit down."
As they spoke, Lou Yun shifted uncomfortably in the Prince's arms. He was extremely weak, and the Prince was worried about him, fearing the carriage's jolting would harm him. So, whenever they were in the carriage, the Prince personally carried Lou Yun. This man was also a fortunate man.
Luo Zhiheng's eyes flashed, and she calmly entered and sat down. She held the wet nurse's hand tightly and said with concern, "Wet nurse, how are you? I was really worried about Mu Yunhe last night and neglected you. I'm so sorry."
A hint of unease and gratitude flashed across the wet nurse's face. She quickly said, "It's alright, Your Highness is more important. I understand. You don't need to blame yourself."
Luo Zhiheng smiled, exchanged a few more words with her wet nurse, and then looked at the Prince. During her conversation with the wet nurse, the Prince's gaze had been fixed on her face; she could feel it. Now, when she looked over, she saw his eyes flicker and then subtly shift away. Luo Zhiheng was surprised, but after last night, all her resentment towards the Prince had vanished. Now, she said with some sincerity, "Is there anything you want to say to me?"
This was the first time Luo Zhiheng had willingly used a respectful title for the Prince, because this woman deserved her respect. Regardless of what the Prince had done in the past, his decision yesterday to side with what was right and not with his own relatives was enough to qualify him as someone who put righteousness before family. This magnanimity and courage filled Luo Zhiheng with awe.
The King smiled, his beauty breathtaking: "I have nothing to say, but I am very happy that you have a man like Mu Yunhe to love you. I also hope that you can hold on to a man like Mu Yunhe. He is very good. Whether in the past or now, he is indeed a man worthy of your sincere devotion."
She had once, due to her own emotional setbacks, maliciously tested the two children, and because of her resentment and jealousy, she had delayed letting them know the truth. She always felt that she was superior to others; if someone like her couldn't get the purest love, how could anyone else?
But Luo Zhiheng got what she wanted. Mu Yunhe was lucky to have met Luo Zhiheng, but wasn't Luo Zhiheng lucky too? Her sincerity and dedication earned her Mu Yunhe's pure heart.
In the past, she would never have willingly offered her blessings, and might even have scoffed at them. But not now, because this child is a child with the same blood as her, a child of her clan, and the eldest daughter of her sister.
The more the Prince looked at Luo Zhiheng, the more he liked her. He already admired and liked this child, and now he liked her even more. Therefore, he hoped that Luo Zhiheng could continue to be happy and not suffer the same hardships as her mother.
Luo Zhiheng was truly taken aback by the Prince's sudden display of tenderness. She glanced instinctively at her wet nurse, noticing her moist eyes, which held a hint of gratitude and emotion. A thought struck her; she increasingly felt there was some secret between the two. Was the Prince only being kind to her because of her wet nurse?
"I will. It hasn't been easy for Mu Yunhe and me to get to where we are today, and I will cherish everything we have achieved." Luo Zhiheng said with a smile, but her voice was firm.
"That's good. I'll also be living in the Mu Dynasty from now on, and we might even be neighbors. You can come to me with anything you need, anything at all." The King took a jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Luo Zhiheng, saying, "You must wear this at all times. This jade pendant is something I obtained; it can protect people and bring good fortune. I hope you will be free from illness, disaster, and hardship in the future."