Ye Mu wanted to walk past her, but Zhao Yiqin was stubbornly blocking the door. Ye Mu snickered, “Empress Dowager is speaking too critically. I only wanted to see how bad the fire is on your side of the palace. I was anxious and worried about your safety which was why I suddenly charged in. You misunderstand my good intentions.”
Zhao Yiqin glared even more intensely at Ye Mu. She already realized what Ye Mu wanted to do.
“Empress Dowager isn’t going to invite me in to sit a little? Or rather, do you already have someone else inside?”
Ye Mu raised her head to smirk at her.
Zhao Yiqin snorted. The man that was inside should have already left by now. She shifted her body aside, “How impudent! I want to see what you’re plotting to want to enter so badly!”
Ye Mu went inside to take a peek. She discovered there wasn’t anyone inside, but she wasn’t disappointed. Sure enough, not long after, there was an imperial guard at the doorway that shouted, “Miss Ye, we’ve captured someone who has jumped out of the Empress Dowager’s dwellings.”
“Oh?” Ye Mu headed outside. Zhao Yiqin didn’t think Ye Mu would surround her facility so thoroughly. She suddenly grabbed Ye Mu’s hand!
“What exactly do you want to do? Are you trying to slander me so that you can suppress the scandal concerning the emperor?!”
Zhao Yiqin’s fingernails dug deep into Ye Mu, but her expression remained unchanged and calm.
“Empress Dowager, what is this? You couldn’t even catch a thief like this?”
She shook off Zhao Yiqin’s hand, “I really want to take a closer look at this little thief who jumped out of the Empress Dowager’s room. Let’s see what he could have stolen!”
Zhao Yiqin gritted her teeth as she saw how Ye Mu turned around without looking back. With her disordered outfit, she followed tightly on Ye Mu’s heels as they headed outside.
In the courtyard, besides Zhao Yiqin’s trusted aides and the imperial guards, there was a man covered only by a meager garment who was forced to kneel on the ground. He was panicking and repeatedly muttering “Oh no!” If anyone found out that he slept with the Empress Dowager, he was definitely toast!
Now, the only one who could save him was Zhao Yiqin herself. When he saw her heading over, he wanted to go to her side, but was held immobile by an imperial guard.
“Is this the little thief?” Ye Mu pretended to cover her eyes with her hands, “How come he doesn’t have any pants on?”
None of Zhao Yiqin’s people dared to speak. This is a mess. With this many imperial soldiers, if they didn’t subdue the current situation, the Empress Dowager’s affair would be spread throughout the country for everyone to know!
The flower knight could feel the tension suffocating him. However, since Zhao Yiqin was very fond of him when she saw his face, he thought for sure that she would save him!
Hence, he opened his mouth and yelled, “Empress Dowager, please quickly tell them that I… that I’m not a thief!”
Everyone’s attention turned towards the Empress Dowager. Zhao Yiqin’s complexion became extremely unsightly. Yet, the Flower Knight, determined to save his life, crawled a few steps forward towards her, “My Queen Mother, quickly save me, didn’t you say…”
At that moment Zhao Yiqin abruptly rushed forward!
She took the sabre from one of the closest imperial guards and, within seconds, stabbed the stomach of the Flower knight!
It was a pity his sentence was left unfinished, and he died with his eyes wide open. How could she do this? Didn’t she say that she really liked me?!
This was truly an unforeseen event that no one could have anticipated.
Zhao Yiqin’s jade face was stained with blood. She dropped the sword and turned her head to smile at Ye Mu.
“Thank you Miss Ye for your concern for my safety. I have misunderstood you. There actually was a thief!”
She used her own hand to wipe the blood off, before coldly sneering, “But everything is fine now. Since this person is dead, I am safe. If there is nothing else, Miss Ye should go back to the emperor’s side!”
For a split second, Ye Mu was astonished but she quickly recovered her cool. She watched the fire burning not far from where they stood; as it continued to burn, black smoke soared up into the sky. However, not a single person tried to stop the fire. Ye Mu couldn’t help but lightly chuckle.
“Empress Dowager is so decisive. Ye Mu must concede. Since the thief is already dead, then Ye Mu will take her leave. I hope Empress Dowager makes sure to rest up. Don’t let what happened unsettle you.”
After finishing speaking, she left accompanied by the people she brought. Notably, Ye Mu wasn’t feigning her calm demeanor. Obtaining information on Zhao Yiqin’s scandal was actually easier than expected. Since the flower knight from today was of little significance, Zhao Yiqin killed him off to defend herself. Even so, she couldn’t completely hide the truth. They simply have to wait and see!
After Ye Mu left with the guards, Zhao Yiqin’s trusted aides promptly tried to control the flames. However, the fire was too big and nearly destroyed the entire courtyard. Zhao Yiqin glanced over at the corpse on the ground, her eyes holding evil intentions… when suddenly two people came in to drag the dead body away.
“Where are you towing the body?” Zhao Yiqin asked menacingly.
The two servants who were in the process of disposing of the body knelt down! They stuttered, “Tak-taking it to the unmarked burial-mounds…?”
“Idiots!” Zhao Yiqin pointed to the courtyard on the other side and said angrily, “Can’t you see the big fire over there? Just drag it over there and burn it. Don’t leave behind any evidence!”
“Yes, definitely, we will do as commanded!”
The two servants rushed away. Meanwhile, Zhao Yiqin gazed at the sky with slightly warped eyes as the large flame continued to grow.
“Empress Dowager, in this maid’s opinion, it would seem the emperor is watching us intently…”
Zhao Yiqin snorted, “I had assumed the emperor would kill Wen Ze or possibly even engage in conflict with the Wen family to preserve his image. I never would have thought he would outsmart the situation and come up with the method of covering gossip by creating other rumors. He is truly vile!”
“Then, what should we do now?” asked the senior maid with a frown.“That Ye Mu is also not an easy person to handle. She relies on the emperor’s limitless doting, such that she isn’t afraid of doing anything. Whoever dares to obstruct her path would be beaten down regardless of the laws. How can that be considered proper? For us, she is truly a big obstacle.”
Her words made Zhao Yiqin’s eyes light up.
“You’re right.” Zhao Yiqin said cooly. Her bloodstained face highlighted her disturbing appearance.
“Looks like it is time to get rid of her!”
“How would we achieve that?” the trusted aide asked, “She doesn’t leave the imperial palace often and she is also very secretive. Even the death of 500 skilled martial art masters from a few years back couldn’t even be connected to her! Without any inside information, how can we make any move against her?”
Recounting the incident from the past, Zhao Yiqin despised Ye Mu even more! Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her skin. “In that case, let’s settle the past and current grudges together in one go!”
Her pearly eyes turned to look at her servant as she said maliciously, “As for Ye Mu, she isn’t invincible. Doesn’t she go to the Tianshou Temple every month? I still have the Silent Master who can act for my sake.”
Bringing up the Silent Master, the old maid became quiet as Zhao Yiqin whispered her plan into the servant’s ear,
“Will this plan work?” The senior maid was shocked! She gravely muttered, “The Silent Master and Ye Mu have a pretty good relationship, so he couldn’t possibly agree to this right?”
Zhao Yiqin scoffed, “These past few years, if it hadn’t been for me who told the Silent Master to look after her, how could that slut be doing so well? You simply need to go and tell him what I’ve said, whether he agrees or not isn’t his decision to make!”
The old maid nodded, bowed, and quickly retreated.
Zhao Yiqin watched the figure disappear into the distance. The black smoke and flames continued to rage behind her, and she couldn’t help but laugh grimly.
“Oh Ye Mu, dearest Ye Mu, it was you who first courted death. You can’t blame me for doing this!”
After Ye Mu arrived at the imperial palace, she went straight to Mo Linyuan and reported what happened,
“You see what I mean? She is truly a ruthless woman, who won’t yield easily, especially when we’re trying to capture information to use against her.”
Once she finished, Ye Mu shrugged her arms a little helplessly.
Having just left court, Mo Linyuan was wearing a refined dragon robe. He had a dignified presence while sitting in an imperial chair. He then beckoned her to come over, “You have already done a very good job.”
Once Ye Mu arrived beside him, he praised her. He originally had a relatively comfortable smile, but soon after, his eyebrows knitted like he had a headache. “Today during court, due to the continuous argument concerning the gossip issues, we’ve quarreled to the point of unexpectedly bringing up the topic of me being single and not married yet. They truly just want to humiliate me!”
His eyes held a frigid glint which disappeared in a flash. Right then, someone came in to report something, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Wen seeks an audience with you!”
Mo Linyuan and Ye Mu looked at each other. Mo Linyuan replied, “Let him in.”
Soon after, Wen Ze walked in wearing his official robes. He looked awful, like he was plagued by a heavy consciousness and couldn’t get enough sleep.
“My sovereign.” He prostrated himself, before he promptly stated his demand, “Please let this old official resign and return to his hometown!”
Mo Linyuan and Ye Mu were both stunned. Since they were surrounded by trusted aides, Mo Linyuan didn’t hesitate to ask about the taboo topic, “Why would the Prime Minister ask for such a thing?”
Wen Ze, in front of everyone, calmly declared, “There’s no need to hide from Your Majesty, this official truly admired the previous esteemed Empress! Right now, someone is using this official to attack her reputation as well as badly influencing Your Majesty. That’s why due to this situation, this official cannot attend the imperial court meetings anymore!”
Even though the Wen family was the most influential aristocratic family standing, if he had to face people gossiping and accusing him of using an illegitimate child to seize the country, he wouldn’t be able to withstand that kind of continuous verbal attack.
He believed that the best method right now was for him to live in seclusion for a brief moment, to create a facade of having fallen out of favor.
Moreover, if he didn’t do this, and waited until the emperor couldn’t handle the pressure anymore… when the king had to make his move, it would already be too late. Wen Ze just thought that he should take the initiative to show his devotion and loyalty.
Mo Linyuan remained silent. Ye Mu, who stood beside him, spoke merrily,
“Prime MInister Wen is truly loyal, it is as clear as the sun and moon. Surely those who started the rumors only did it out of envy of the great relationship between the Prime Minister and His Majesty. That’s why these slandering comments appeared. Truthfully, if there had to be someone missing in the imperial court, we wouldn’t want to have you of all people missing!”
“But…” Wen Ze glanced over at Mo Linyuan with a complex expression. Since Mo Linyuan’s recent slaughtering of the two big families, Wen Ze has been afraid of him. It has also made the other top advising officials fearful of him. Wen Ze was truly worried that, if he didn’t take the initiative to hand over his authority, Mo Linyuan would directly decapitate him.
If Mo Linyuan really made his move… that’s why in order to preserve his life, why not hand over his power to the king?
Mo Linyuan finally replied, “You are overthinking.”
Mo Linyuan said begrudgingly, “I already have a solution for this issue. You don’t have to worry about it.”
We Ze still didn’t quite comprehend what he heard, so Ye Mu took him aside and shared her plan with him.
Wen Ze’s eyes brightened, “Miss Ye is truly clever. Then, is there any way this official can help?”
Mo Linyuan and Ye Mu glanced at each other before exclaiming, “Of course!”
“What can I do?” Wen Ze really wanted to help. If he couldn’t contribute anything to the emperor in these dire moments, it would be detrimental for everyone one of them.
Ye Mu leaned closer to him, whispering the plan in his ear.
“Find someone who looks similar to the Silent Master?” Wen Ze had a puzzled expression.
Ye Mu nodded, “I noticed that the Flower Knight who was killed by the Empress Dowager today had a face very similar to the Silent Master. I think that there could be a connection between the two.”
Wen Ze agreed, “I understand. There aren’t many that look like the Silent Master, but this official will do his best to find someone who matches his likeness.”
Ye Mu bowed her head. Afterwards, they exchanged a few more words before Wen Ze eventually left. Mo Linyuan couldn’t help but ask,
“These past few years, you’ve been spending time with the Silent Master and have become quite acquainted with him. What are your thoughts on the Silent Monk?”
Ye Mu didn’t hesitate to reply, “I feel that he is a great guy!”
Ye Mu’s words made Mo Linyuan a little upset. However, after pondering for a bit… The other guy was just a simple monk, so what was the big deal?
He pulled Ye Mu towards him and pinched her chin to meet her gaze. His phoenix-like eyes assessed her with a droopy, slumber-like appearance.
“Besides being a great guy… What else?”
Ye Mu contemplated, before she remarked, “Honestly I know that, these past few years, you have been suspicious of the Silent Master. However, he has helped me suppress my evil energy. Plus, he seems genuine and doesn’t find me bothersome… But I sense that the Silent Monk and the Empress Dowager have a relationship that we can’t even fathom. He doesn’t seem like someone who would yield under the influence of power, let alone, someone who indulges in worldly mortal affairs to gain advantages.”
“You trust him to that extent?” Mo Linyuan narrowed his eyes. His refined jaw shifted as he clenched his teeth with a somewhat sullen expression.
Ye Mu reached out to grab onto his sleeve, “I’m not saying I trust him. I am just trusting my own intuition! Besides, I already have my own arrangements of how I’ll handle this.”
Mo Linyuan didn’t want to continue discussing this. To change the subject, his hands reached aside to grab a book. Within it held two small maps.
“Can you take a look at this…?”
“…The city boundary map?!” Ye Mu’s eyes bulged out when she saw them. Elated, she questioned, “Were these from the Zhou and Zhong family residence?”
Mo Linyuan nodded, “The Empress Dowager also has one piece. Before I got ahold of these two sections, the Empress Dowager sent someone to look for these two, most definitely because she did not want to have them fall into our hands.”
Ye Mu, feeling a little smug, and proudly exclaimed, “But they still fell in our possession!”
Having spoken, she happily skipped towards the wall on the other end to press a secret button. Instantly, a hidden passage appeared before her and revealed another piece of the city boundary map. Uniting this with the other two, she discovered that there was still one big piece missing at one of the most important parts of the geographical design.
“Ah… I wonder when we will finally collect the whole map!”
After her initial enthusiasm passed, Ye Mu now felt a little melancholic. Since the beginning, she knew that this map would be very difficult to obtain… Now that so many years have already passed, there is still hope.
Mo Linyuan, having witnessed her excitement, couldn’t help but chuckle before he asked, “Do you really want the treasures that badly?”
Since he had raided the two big influential families, the state treasury was now full of wealth. Seeing her behavior, he laughingly stated, “Anything in my state treasury is all yours. Yet, you still want more treasures? You truly are a little money grubber!”
Ye Mu laughed nervously. She carefully hid the map and placed it back inside the hidden passway before she replied subconsciously, “Actually, I am not interested in the money at all!”
Having said this, she almost accidently told the real truth. But once she remembered Mo Linyuan had feelings for her, she once again subconsciously resisted spilling the beans.
“Oh? Then what do you want the map for then?”
Mo Linyuan seemed to have finally realized something was up. However, his smile remained unchanged as he sat in front of the table. With one hand resting on his jaw, he tilted his head as he questioned her.
Ye Mu felt she should tell him… but also felt that she shouldn’t tell him… in the end, she mumbled,
“Just know that, the moment you find the treasure, the truth will be revealed!”
Although she felt that Mo Linyuan was a genuinely good person in her heart, she was always only concerned about this extremely important progress in the historical story. As a result, she could only internally apologize for her hesitation!
Having realized this, she felt a little uncomfortable. She glanced over at Mo Linyuan with guilt visible as their eyes met.
Feeling Ye Mu’s guilt, his heart twisted. When did Mo Linyuan become so perceptive? His smile widened as he beckoned her over with his hand.
“Come here.”
Ye Mu obediently shuffled over. Once she entered Mo Linyuan’s embrace, he finally let out a content sigh. His breath brushed her neck.
“Little Mu’er, do you know why I have been fighting so desperately these past few years?”
In recent years, Mo Linyuan has truly been working incredibly hard. Ye Mu calculated the time period. Based on history, he should still be concealing his strength and keeping a low profile at this time. But right now, he was taking risks and showing off his abilities openly.
She deduced that it probably had something to do with her appearance which caused this progression in history.
Ye Mu pointed at herself, “Is it because of me?”
“Yes.” Mo Linyuan’s exquisite face softened, as he blissfully regarded her, “I did it for you. I’m glad this little girl still has some conscience to know that I’m doing this for her.”
Hearing him say that, she couldn’t help but stared blankly at him.
Mo Linyuan, with a warm smile and earnest eyes, murmured, “Because I want to be able to protect you… take care of you… I want you to be carefree without worries for the rest of your life. Can you understand where my feelings are coming from?”
As Ye Mu listened intently, she became uneasy as she glanced up at him. She bit her lip, not knowing what to say…
But it would appear Mo Linyuan didn’t intend to let her speak.
“Unknowingly, I conceived the idea of spoiling you… to continuously pamper you for a lifetime. A lifetime is truly a long time, but even when I die and need to be *buried with a partner, I want to be buried together with you… only you.”
(*The original 合葬, is the concept of a husband and wife being buried together after death. Meaning, even to death he doesn’t want to part with her.)
Hearing his words, Ye Mu felt even more culpable. On one hand, she had the dedicated and loving Mo Linyuan… On the other hand, she had her dad and family to return to! Her heart was utterly tangled that she couldn’t think or speak at the moment. Mo Linyuan would be hurt if he knew, but she also felt she should tell him the real truth because she couldn’t let him continue falling any deeper in love with her!
A while later, Ye Mu finally made up her mind! She felt that, for the sake of obtaining the city boundary map, she needed to tell Mo Linyuan because he had a right to know!
Just as she was about to summon her courage to speak, abruptly, someone rushed in to report pertinent information. The servant shouted across the door!
“Your Majesty, not good! The Grand Tutor has come across an ambush, this is a matter of life and death!”
Hearing this, Ye Mu immediately jumped out of Mo Linyuan’s arms!
“What? Something happened to the Grand Tutor?!” He was Mo Linyuan’s maternal grandfather, how could something happen to him?
Who dared to make a move against him?
Mo Linyuan frowned in displeasure. Just a little more and he would have coaxed little Mu’er to tell him the real truth! She was just about to say it! This servant entered way too soon!
But this person did bring pertinent news… Mo Linyuan couldn’t delay any longer and could only go take care of this in-person.
“Little Mu’er, you must stay in the imperial palace. You’ve already done enough these past few days. You don’t need to leave the palace for this issue. I suspect, Empress Dowager is currently targeting you!”
Ye Mu nodded. She had already trespassed in Empress Dowager’s territory with guards, which was a big offense. Zhao Yiqin is also not someone who would take the offense lightly. Without a doubt, she hated Ye Mu’s guts. This would most likely be a scheme planned for Ye Mu.