Aunt Luo hurriedly stepped forward to appease Empress Liang, whose fury could not be restrained. She turned around to look at Prince Ying, who stood quietly in the middle of the palace hall, and said with a tone full of tenderness, "Your Highness, the Empress Goddess is also doing this for your sake. For so many years, she has steered things for you till her heart nearly broke into pieces!"
Xiao Xu lowered his brow, his line of sight falling on the brick before him. If one was to observe him closely, they would discover that the pair of deep, black ink-like pupils was now murky, like the thick fog in the horizons that would not dissipate.
Seeing Xiao Xu not uttering a word, Empress Liang thought he had already compromised, so she leaned back on the golden chair and adjusted her breathing. In a split second, her image of the aloof and remote master of the harem was restored. She calmly lifted her hand to smooth her skirt that had 'a hundred birds looking up at the phoenix' embroidered on it, with her chin up to say, "Xu'er, this time, Mother spent a lot effort to grab hold of Fourth Prince's handle, you have to use it wisely. Although it can't push him into the quagmire in one go, it can still put a stain in hundreds of government official's hearts. Later, add a bit more plans, and I won't have to fear what kind of wave Imperial Concubine Yue will come up with!"
A tint of viciousness suddenly flashed through Empress Liang's eyes, "That Chu Qing-Yan must die, otherwise, she'd attract the attention of hundreds of officials!"
Thin lips pursed flat, the person who hung his head slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes calm and without ripples, "Mother, forgive me, but I this son cannot promise you on this matter."
"What——" She, who was filled with plans, was suddenly splashed with ice-cold water by his words. Empress Liang was so shocked that she lost her composure.
"Chu Qing-Yan saved I your son before. I your son can't bite the hand that feeds him. Therefore, Chu Qing-Yan's life, I your son will definitely protect. I also ask you to please not draw her into these disputes again." Xiao Xu lightly said, his tone resolute as if nobody could change his mind.
"Hehe, even if she saved you, so what? The imperial power above, who didn't have to tread on bloody heads to climb up, step by step? One insignificant life, simply an ant, is not worth you grasping right? Besides, on this earth, no one can resolve Mandara poison. You should still not waste painstaking effort in vain!" Empress Liang furiously looked at this pigheaded son in front of her. She wished she could tear open his head to see what he was thinking? Why did he always have to oppose her!
Xiao Xu felt that continuing to talk to her wouldn't get them anywhere, so with an indifferent expression, he said, "Mother, I your son have already grown up with my own road to walk. So I don't need Mother to worry about it. The night is already dark, so I won't disturb Mother's rest. I your son ask to be excused!"
Empress Liang still wanted to say something, but Xiao Xu didn't wait for her to open her mouth before he nimbly turned around and left with large strides.
Just at this moment, a palace servant entered with a secret report in hand. Seeing Empress Goddess's unhappy complexion, she didn't dare utter a word and directly handed it to Aunt Luo.
Aunt Luo opened the letter and faced Empress Liang to say, "Goddess (1), the spy you planted in His Highness's manor has sent a letter."
"What does it say?" Empress Liang, at this moment, was so furious that her chest moved up and down in bursts. Hearing that a letter had arrived, she thought it was news of Chu Qing-Yan's death, and a burst of happiness flashed through her eyes.
But when Aunt Luo saw the content inside, her eyes opened wide, "Goddess, Chu Qing-Yan has been saved."
A breath choked in Empress Liang's throat. In passing, she grabbed a teacup and smashed it on the floor.
She put in a lot of effort and painstakingly schemed for him, and all she got back was his disdain and contempt. She wanted Chu Qing-Yan to die, yet he was determined to save her! The Liang family's future prospects as well as her beautiful road ahead, all these hopes were placed on him. But he had never taken it to heart and allowed others to humiliate him. He could endure it, but she just couldn't tolerate that slut riding roughshod over her head.
Unwillingness, fury and resentment, one after another, surged up in her heart. Her eyes were red as her hands clamped down on the armrest so hard that blue veins appeared. She vowed she would definitely sit in that position. She'd make the slut's life worse than dying, and one by one, repay her for the grief and bitterness that she suffered for these 20 years.
The crisp and sharp sound of things breaking coming from behind him gradually disappeared into the darkness as he walked forward.
End of May, early June, summertime was already quickly approaching. Just now, passing by the imperial garden, he could even hear one or two frog calls.
But he didn't know why he felt a trace of slight chill. He lifted his eyes in front of him, the lanterns in the palace followed the long hallway, winding and turning with its faint yellow light landing on the greenish stone slab. Only, when it entered his eyes, it looked like a vast area of mist where there was a road ahead but which also seemed to have no road.
Suddenly, he thought fondly of that smiling face in his manor.
The imperial palace was too cold. It was the very first time he felt a little impatient to return to his manor.
The swaying sounds suddenly became strained as he walked with large strides, getting closer and closer to the palace doors.
Inside Prince Ying's manor.
Air Spirit wiped off the sweat on his forehead, his clothes were damp as if he had just been drawn up out of the water. In fact, just now, he merely went to grab a person from Yama, King of Hell. Fortunately, he fought a victorious battle, otherwise, he wouldn't know how to report back to his master in a short while.
He turned around to look at the pale-faced Chu Qing-Yan who was already out of danger and couldn't help but be puzzled. He was staying properly in Sha Nan and was called over to save this little girl by Fire Spirit who was so urgent, rushing as if he was on fire. Although he knew His Highness was bestowed a marriage by His Majesty, he never thought that Chu Qing-Yan would matter. A weak and powerless girl, how was she even worthy enough to match their master?
But once he knew that it was his master's order, he was shocked. He carefully sized up that person. She was clearly still a half-grown child, he couldn't make out her good looks as a woman. When he examined her, he discovered that this child suffered hardship in her early years. Her body was weak and thin, and her blood wasn't sufficient. Fortunately, after stepping into the prince's manor and being nursed for this period of time, her health slightly improved. Only, this time, the highly toxic poison entered her body, he feared that the body would have to be nursed for a longer period of time before it was enough to fully recover.
She clearly didn't have anything that was outstanding, then how was she able to obtain special treatment from Master?
As a result, Air Spirit couldn't help but turn his gaze on Fire Spirit at his side, who had let out a breath of relief. Fire Spirit met his gaze and repeatedly waved his hand. "I know what you want to ask, but I seriously don't know how to answer this question. I can only say that the girl inside had saved His Highness once before. That happened before we returned to the capital."
Air Spirit rolled his eyes at him, "Fancy you still follow beside master, you simply grew a pair of eyes in vain."
Fire Spirit was choked by him, and coldly humphed, saying. "Do you think that us as subordinates can easily guess Master's thoughts? You are simply too naive."
The night breeze gently brushed over, blowing dry the clothes on Air Spirit's body. He flung his sleeves behind him, the night breeze puffing up his clothes with the white clothes fluttering about, immediately giving off an 'immortal to the bone' feeling.
Fire Spirit annoyedly turned his gaze away. Since childhood till now, he hated his fluttering immortal-like posture the most.
Air Spirit didn't care about Fire Spirit's coldness and threw out a sentence, "Just call me if His Highness has any other matters." and left with steps that seem to float on air.
These days on horseback had jolted him to exhaustion. It had been three days and three nights since he had gotten a good shut-eye. Now, his whole person relaxed, and felt that this body wasn't his anymore.
He was a doctor who was obsessed with cleanliness, enduring these few days was already his limit. Right now, his whole body was sticky, and he wished he could immediately take a bath.
Fire Spirit glared at that sleeve that was about to fly and ridiculed in his heart, he was really like a flower-embroidered pillow (2)!
1) Goddess: okay so the Chinese is 娘娘 basically mother, literally translated. It's a way to call the empress since she is the mother of the nation. I decided to translated as Goddess because empress seemed to be too boring.
2) A flower-embroidered pillow; Another way to say a feminine male. A guy who has female habits like obsession with cleanliness, dressed smartly etc. A pretty boy/man.