"Why are you here?" Murong's expression softened slightly when she saw who it was. "You should rest properly; your health isn't much better."
"Your subject has come to apologize." Murong Shi walked step by step toward the bed, the smile in his eyes like a knife, cutting into Chen Momo with pain.
"When I was facing Lord Rong, I didn't notice his illness and made a mistake. It was all my fault. I wonder if any of you are confident that you can cure him?" The first half of the sentence was addressed to the emperor, but the second half was directed at the kneeling people.
Just as the head imperial physician was about to speak, Murong Shi suddenly asked, "Who usually serves Lord Rong?"
"It's me," Shen Mo said, wondering why he wanted to get involved.
"Have you noticed any health problems with your master before?"
"No."
"Have you been keeping watch day and night these past few days?"
"Day and night? No."
"In that case, how could Lord Rong recover without someone taking good care of him? The body cannot recover by medicine alone; recuperation is the key, don't you think, Physician Zhao?" Murong Shi feigned anger.
"Yes, yes, what Your Highness says is absolutely right." At this moment, Zhao Quan quickly nodded.
"Father, what do you think?" Turning to the emperor, Murong Shi gave Shen Mo a sly look.
“Send a few guards over; the palace has enough manpower,” he said, turning to Murong Shi, then looking at Shen Mo with obvious impatience. “As for her…”
"Let her go outside and help out," Murong Shi quickly interrupted him. After hearing Murong Yi's instructions, he said he would arrange everything and respectfully saw Murong Yi off.
Shen Mo was startled and bit her lip hard as she looked at Murong Shi. Her previous words were a veiled plea for herself; otherwise, she might have been enslaved or even killed. But he had arranged for a "guardian" to watch over Rong Yue closely and sent her outside. She was afraid that she would be unable to do anything in the future.
"What are you thinking about?"
Hearing the voice, Shen Mo snapped out of his daze and looked up to be met with the sinister gaze in Murong Shi's eyes. Apart from that dark night, he had never seen a face so close before. He stood there dumbfounded for a long time, then took several steps back in fright at the look in Murong Shi's eyes.
Only then did he realize that besides himself, Rong Yue, who was lying unconscious on the couch, there was no one else in the room.
Seeing the strange look on her face, Murong Shi's lips curled up. "What? Aren't you going to thank me for saving you?"
"Should I be stabbed first before you save me? Well then, thank you." Shen Mo turned his head away, his mind completely devoid of any concept of identity at this moment.
Murong Shi stared at her for a long time, looking closely and helplessly, before slowly saying, "If one day I were to stab you, I would have to admire myself."
Shen Mo pursed her lips, suddenly understanding what he meant.
"Ninth Brother! Ninth Brother!" The door was suddenly pushed open without warning, and the woman in pink rushed in. "I heard you came here to see Lord Zhanqi. How is he?"
"Yes, he will recover soon." Even the imperial physician could not say such a thing, but Murong Shi said it so decisively and confidently. "Let's go, I'm a little tired too." His lazy expression made Tao Yao a little confused.
The room returned to silence, and Shen Mo breathed a sigh of relief. If Tao Yao hadn't suddenly barged in, she really wouldn't have known how to respond to Murong Shi's words.
The next day, the people sent by Murong Shi completely occupied Rong Yue's house, inside and out. Even to see Rong Yue, Shen Mo had to go through several obstacles. What a caged bird!
Having achieved his goal of discerning the Emperor's intentions, Rong Yue was no longer unconscious. However, seeing the large group of strangers before him, he couldn't help but fly into a rage. No one had ever controlled or imprisoned him before, though there might be many more in the future, but Murong Shi was the first. This grudge had actually been brewing since the day he decided to enter the palace.
"What? War!"
"Keep your voice down." Le Chang immediately wanted to rush up and cover Shen Mo's mouth, but then realized that men and women shouldn't touch each other. A bead of cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He quickly looked around and said, "Don't worry too much. This can't really be called a war. The other side is just a few barbarians, but we've sent two large armies. The Emperor gave such a good job to Brother Rong. Think about it yourself." Le Chang didn't hesitate and left after speaking. Recently, Yonghe Hall was full of the Ninth Prince's people, and as the top scholar in the civil service examination, he couldn't get too close.
A few days later, Rong Yue had fully recovered and requested the Emperor to withdraw his "care." The Emperor readily agreed and issued an edict appointing Rong Yue as the General Who Guards the North, ordering him to depart for the Northern Expedition soon. The edict specifically noted that upon his return, a grand ceremony would be held to celebrate his victory. Many people were speculating about the nature of this ceremony, as it contained neither a royal birthday nor a festival. Aside from a few individuals, they certainly knew what this ceremony signified.
On this day, the sky was high and the air was crisp. It was the fifth day since Rong Yue had set off on his campaign. Shen Mo quietly gazed at his reflection in the lake, still holding the fallen leaf he had just used as a flute. It wasn't that he had nothing to do, but rather that he was afraid of making a mistake and dared not even step out of Yonghe Palace.
"Who's there?" I vaguely heard a rustling sound behind me. The heightened senses I'd developed over the past few days were proving useful.
"Ah!" Suddenly a person fell from the tree, using the force to knock her into the river!
Bang! The lake surface was smashed, creating a large ripple. Shen Mo was caught off guard and was pushed in. He swallowed several mouthfuls of lake water and lost consciousness. He vaguely heard someone calling for help.
Feeling a little wet on her neck, Shen Mo felt uncomfortable and unconsciously groaned a few times in her dream. But after a short pause, the sensation overwhelmed her, several times more intense than before, making her feel nauseous.
"Baby...you smell so sweet, let me love you properly...mmm."
The intermittent sounds and touches made Shen Mo open her eyes, only to see a round, chubby head. It was making humming noises near her neck, and its hand was trying to tear at her clothes!
"Ouch~ What are you doing?" She jumped up, clutching her head in pain. The other person looked at the woman who had just woken up and was being rude to her. He gritted his teeth and revealed a fierce expression. "I've been locked up for several days and haven't touched a woman. Don't blame me for not being merciful to you later if you have this attitude!" With that, he pounced on her.
She moved slightly and realized that her feet were bound. The clothes on her chest were torn and disheveled, revealing large areas of her snow-white skin. Humiliation made her tremble, and she could only stare at him fiercely while panting heavily.
The sight made the man's Adam's apple bob. "Don't worry, I'll untie the ropes on your legs right now. If you don't let me, I won't be able to get my hands on you, will I?" As he said he was going to untie her legs, he started to tie her hands as well. In his haste and with Shen Mo struggling, it took him a while to finally bind her hands. He wiped the sweat from his brow and went to untie the ropes on her feet, muttering, "I've never seen such an ungrateful palace maid."
"Master! Master!" A knocking sound suddenly came at the door.
The man paused, realizing it was his servant. He continued working, shouting, "I'm busy right now, get as far away from me as possible!"
"Help, help... Ugh!" Shen Mo finally managed to get the thing out of the man's mouth as he struggled, but before he could even make a sound, he was slapped hard across the face.
"No, Master, the Ninth Prince is here. He says he has something urgent to discuss with you and needs to see you right now. Look..." The person outside the door also seemed very anxious.
"Murong Shi? What could he possibly want from me? Just tell him I'm not here." With a strong tug, Shen Mo's skirt was ripped off. At this moment, the die was cast.
"Really? Second brother, you're not here?"
"Ah! You...you, Ninth Prince, how could you be...here?" The Fifth Prince, who had been pushed several feet away from the bed, was shocked to see Murong Shi suddenly appear. He looked like he had seen a ghost, his face full of fear. He felt a strange sense of guilt in front of him.
But once that feeling of guilt passed, he realized that he was the fifth prince, the emperor's own son. How could he lose his dignity in front of this bastard? He immediately got up, tilted his head back, and shook the only inner robe he was wearing. "What do you want with me, Ninth Brother? Do you need the nanny to teach you the rule that you can't just barge into other people's rooms?"
“No need for that,” Murong Shi ignored him, turned around and covered Shen Mo with the brocade quilt, wrapping her up tightly. Then, without a second thought, she pulled her into her arms and was about to leave. When she looked at the Fifth Prince again, her eyes were icy cold. “You really shouldn’t have touched her!”
The fifth prince was so frightened that he didn't know how to resist and forgot to stop them.
The ropes binding her hands and feet hadn't been untied yet. Shen Mo struggled a few times in Murong Shi's arms, but to no avail. She could only glare at him, glare at him, but for some reason, tears welled up in her eyes.
Author's Note: There will be another update tonight!
Chapter Thirty-Five: Nine Heavens Phoenix
Chapter Thirty-Five
Murong Shi reached out his finger and paused when he touched the hot tears on her cheek. The tears flowed down, and his cool finger was instantly enveloped by the smooth touch. His heart softened as well. "It's alright, don't cry."
“I didn’t cry.” Shen Mo dodged his finger, her face regaining its clarity. “Where are you taking me?” It didn’t seem to be in the direction of Yonghe Palace.
“Rong Yue’s ambition is the entire country, to become a king who reigns supreme.” Murong Shi answered irrelevantly, easily bringing up a topic they usually avoided discussing.
"It's none of your business." It turned out that Murong Shi knew everything. At this moment, she could neither refute nor admit it.
"Oh? It really has nothing to do with you?" Murong Shi forced her to look at him, his eyes shining with an unusual light. "Then do you know how many women the man in that position will have in the future? Do you know how many women will be sacrificed to climb to that position?"
He paused, then added, "Perhaps that includes you too?"
"Then I'll break him down into pieces and use him as a stepping stone!" Shen Mo enunciated each word clearly, and after speaking, he looked at Murong Shi's somewhat annoyed expression with a relieved smile in his eyes.
"I hope your wish comes true." Murong Shi released her, staring intently at her.
Shen Mo then realized that he had been moved from one couch to another. The room was simply furnished, but every detail, from the paintings to the vases, was exquisite, airy, and dry. Shen Mo turned his head. "Is this your bedroom?"
"Indeed, this is my Nine Phoenix Palace."
Nine Phoenixes, Nine Phoenixes, the phoenixes of the nine heavens. Murong Yi actually bestowed such a palace name upon a foreign royal family! Suddenly, a chill ran down his wrist, and Shen Mo struggled incessantly, "What are you doing!" At this moment, he was trying to tear off the brocade quilt he was using to cover himself.
"What are you doing? You don't want to be tied to my bed like this forever," Murong Shi touched his right earlobe. "I don't mind."
"You!" Shen Mo's face flushed slightly, knowing that the clothes that man had just torn off were completely inadequate for protecting the relationship between men and women. "Just call someone to help me."
"Call anyone at random? Who? Should I call a palace maid to let her know that Lord Zhanqi's maid was humiliated by the Ninth Prince? Or should I call a nanny and tell everyone that we're having an affair?" Murong Shi said, but no longer forced her. Instead, he closed his eyes and reached for the ropes, slowly untying them.
The tiny teardrops on his eyelashes hadn't yet been wiped away. Shen Mo gritted his teeth as he looked at that flawless face, but the expected cold touch didn't come. Instead, it was warm and soft. He had actually used his inner strength to warm his palms.
With his foot loosened, Murong Shi opened his eyes the next moment, took out a rope, and frowned when he saw the bloodstains on it. He then closed his eyes again and said, "Stretch out your hand."
Obediently, he let him untie the restraints on his hands. Shen Mo immediately took several feet back and rubbed his aching wrists. "Whether you're Shadow Blade or Murong Shi, I don't know how many other identities you have, but we are still enemies. In the future, you should do less of these kinds of actions that offend people to save the enemy."
A flicker of pain crossed his eyes as Murong Shi drew closer. "Perhaps it doesn't have to be that way."
"You should leave the palace. The young master won't let this go." Shen Mo didn't avoid him.
"Sometimes I really envy Rong Yue. When will a woman who understands me appear in my life?"
"Perhaps it already is." A tender green flashed through Shen Mo's mind.
"You're overthinking it." Murong Shi turned and left, and Shen Mo didn't stop him. He quietly half-hugs himself, pondering how to conduct himself.
An incense stick later, Murong Shi returned, tossing her a set of clean clothes with a wicked grin, "Why aren't you leaving yet? Can't bear to leave?"
"You did this on purpose." Shen Mo looked down at herself and wrapped herself tightly in the quilt.
"Now that I've given you your clothes, you can change and go back. I can't tolerate even half an enemy here." Murong Shi really did seem to be in a position to kick you out.
“The Fifth Prince must be guarding Yonghe Palace.” Shen Mo looked at him, almost certain of it. If that were the case, she would inevitably cause trouble for Rong Yue if she went back.
"But I just heard someone say not to rescue enemies recklessly, so shouldn't I..."
"I have no acquaintances in this palace. I am grateful to the Ninth Prince for taking me in for a few days. I need to avoid the Second Prince's attention for the next few days. I will definitely repay him in the future."
"good!"
Shen Mo stared at him blankly, not expecting him to agree so easily.
"I care more about repaying kindness." Murong Shi left her in the palace like that, then drifted away. He didn't return until dinner time, but he simply put down the food and left again.
"Why are there no servants in your bedchamber?" In the past few days, when she was bored, she tried to sneak around some places, but she was surprised to find that unlike other masters who had a large number of servants, it was desolate like a cold palace.
"I'm not used to having too many strangers around me."
"Wait a minute," Shen Mo stopped him from leaving again. She didn't know what he had been busy with these past few days, but she was eager to know, "When will the young master be back?"
"I have no idea."
“You must know!” Shen Mo simply grabbed him, vaguely feeling a tremor in her wrist.
"It can take anywhere from five days to half a month."
"Then why..." Watching his departing figure, Shen Mo's words, "Why are you avoiding me?" stuck in his throat, and he ultimately couldn't say them...
Shen Mo remembered that year in Ningcheng, it was still the dead of winter and snowing. Rong Yue was drunk, and Shen Mo took it upon herself to write on his Xuan paper. That was the first time she had been so close to him.
Now, eight years later, on this same night, it is Rong Yue's birthday, but there is no snow, no wine, no Rong family mansion in Ningcheng, and not even Rong Yue himself!
Shen Mo sat alone by the pond in the back garden of the Nine Phoenix Palace, clumsily playing a tune of longing with leaves. It was "Late Autumn," a late autumn that hadn't been touched in so long. One was fighting bloody battles on the battlefield, while the other was filled with anxiety in the inner palace. This special night seemed so lonely.
"I've had enough!" Suddenly, her shoulders were forcefully turned around, and the leaves fell into the pool, causing a ripple of light.
"Murong Shi, what's wrong with you?" Shen Mo, who was still trying to struggle, found that Murong Shi was no different from the poisoned Murong Shi she had met in the flower garden last time. His face, which was in pain, looked particularly ethereal in the night. He was breathing slightly, and Shen Mo could even hear him gritting his teeth.
"Xiao Mo, have you ever felt like you're being controlled? I've really had enough of living!" Murong Shi's poisoned hand lost control of its strength, pinching Shen Mo painfully.