Chapter 30 - Coaxing the Wife

Chapter 30 – Coaxing the Wife

Rong Xi cried until she was dizzy and a dull pain throbbed in her head.

Mu Huai had already arrived by her side. His hands grasped her shoulders, and picked her up from behind the desk. He ordered her to look at him.

The man’s voice was barely suppressing his anger as he questioned in a heavy voice, “What exactly happened for you to cry to such a state, even disregarding your own body?”

Hearing Mu Huai mention the fetus in her stomach and also seeing the anger in his eyes he tried to force back, Rong Xi tried to suppress her tears but couldn’t stop crying no matter how hard he tried.

In the end, she hiccuped while crying, looking even more pitiful. Mu Huai’s gaze grew even colder when he saw this.

From the day Rong Xi began to follow him, whenever this timid lady cried, he always looked impatient and annoyed on the surface, but inside, he never knew how to console her. This timid and troublesome woman was about to grind his stone-cold heart to dust.

One Rong Xi was already enough, he really had no mind to pay heed to any other women.

A dark and heavy aura surrounded Mu Huai. His large hands cupped the woman’s warm and pretty face, and he used this fingers to wipe away her tears. His voice had a rare tenderness to them, seeming to coax her to listen to him.

Mu Huai asked her, “Tell me, who provoked you?”

Rong Xi didn’t dare to directly look into the man’s sharp eyes and purposely avoided her gaze. Taking a few breaths, she replied in a low voice, “…Yunlan…Yunlan is dead.”

Mu Huai didn’t understand, “Who is Yunlan?”

Rong Xi slightly lifted her eyes before lowering them again, “That day, this slave’s period didn’t come…the Physician Ye I asked Your Highness to invite to Quyun Palace was named Ye Yunlan. Just now, this slave found out…she had committed suicide a few days ago.”

When she spoke the two words ‘committing suicide’, Rong Xi’s tears began to fall again, but she tried her best to control it.

For some women, they looked terrifying and out of sorts when they cried. But her tears were like peach blossoms carrying rain, like a fairy crying, making people feel pity fo rher.

Rong Xi’s eyes seemingly were dodging his, but in reality, they were also secretly searching his, observing Mu Huai’s attitude.

The man was quite strong, and he unknowingly had a tight grip on her. Her shoulders were sore from his squeezing and she slowly frowned. Mu Huai let go of her shoulders when he saw this.

When he released her, Rong Xi was like a baby bird flying back to its nest as she dove into his arms. Her slender arms wrapped around his waist. When he saw the woman softly and helplessly put her head against his shoulder, Mu Huai’s breath hitched. Her calming scent filled the air.

The pregnant beauty was lying tendering in his arms. Mu Huai calmed his hammering heart as he tried his best to act calm and asked her, “Are you suspecting that female physician’s cause of death?”

Rong Xi didn’t answer him, only a sniffling sound came out from his arms.

Mu Huai slightly frowned, “You’re still pregnant, you don’t care about the child anymore?”

Rong Xi continued to lay against his wide chest, though her voice carried hints of sobbing as she asked, “Your Highness…will you treat this slave and this slave’s child well in the future? This slave has no one to depend on in this world, and no longer has any relatives here. This slave…this slave only has Your Highness. If in the future, Your Highness no longer pities this slave…then after this slave gives birth to the child, this slave might as well just die.”

When Mu Huai heard her say die, his tone immediately turned fierce as he lectured her in a threatening manner, “Under my watch, you dare to seek death?”

Rong Xi looked up, using her glassy eyes to gaze at Mu Huai. They contained both sadness and timidness, but they hooked his soul.

Mu Huai felt a little dazed being stared by her and couldn’t help but remember the two calamitous beauties he had read about in the history books. At this moment, he realized how those originally heroic and wise rulers had been thoroughly bewitched by a woman.

It seemed like he would fall to the same fate as well.

Mu Huai helplessly wiped away Rong Xi’s tears again, “I won’t let you die.”

He slightly leaned over. The tall body cast a shadow over the bed, covering the delicate woman. Mu Huai placed his forehead against Rong Xi’s. The two people’s thick black eyelashes fanned against each other, and he could feel the softness and dampness of her face.

He gave a command to the woman in front of him in a low voice, “Look at me.”

Rong Xi obeyed and looked into his eyes.

The two people were very close together. He saw himself reflected in her teary eyes.

At this moment, Mu Huai asked, “Let me ask you, is there any use in crying? If you cry, will that female physician come back?”

Rong Xi shook her head, “Won’t come back…”

Ye Yunlan wouldn’t, neither would Nanny Huan.

None of them would come back.

Rong Xi’s creased brows quickly relaxed. She forced her voice to keep as gentle and soft as always, no longer containing any hatred.

“If you cry until you fall ill, then what will happen to my child? Hm?”

Not only the child, if she really did fall ill from crying, what would he do. of course, Mu Huai did not voice this thought aloud.

He continued, “If you think that her death is suspicious and want to take revenge, I will help you.”

Seeing the woman’s tears slowly fade away, Mu Huai continued, “In addition, as my woman, you cannot avoid doing certain things. If you were to always cry so delicately like this, how can I give you a higher position in the future?”

One day he will personally raise this woman to the seat of the empress, letting her stand next to him, side by side. As the empress, it was not enough to have his love, she needed to have a certain level of ability to be able to firmly sit on this seat. Her personality was soft, and he could slowly teach her.

Although Mu Huai’s tone wasn’t the nicest, he was clearly coaxing her. Rong Xi liked this trait of Mu Huai’s. Although this man was proud and arrogant, whenever he encountered matters that he could not look past, he would never preach words, giving a stern scolding instead.

The rock that was suspended in her heart seemed fell. Since he had mentioned ranking, then she would at least be made into a concubine.

Rong Xi slowly raised her eyes. Although there were still hints of timidness in them, they were filled with admiration as if he was her king. Mu Huai felt even more sympathy for her. He used his forehead to nuzzle against her soft one.

His voice was very soft but also very solemn, “I allow you to use me as your knife, and I will give you my love.”

The man’s deep eyes seemed to look straight into her heart. Although her actions just now were somewhat sincere, she was mostly acting, all so she could earn even more of his love and sympathy.

But when Mu Huai uttered that sentence just now, her heart seemed to have been electrocuted as it stopped for a moment.

Rong Xi’s voice was sweet as she blinked and asked Mu Huai, “…Then can this slave point this knife at anyone?”

The person she wanted to pierce was the person most likely to be Mu Huai’s wife in the future, as well as Mu Huai’s di mother, also known as Great Qi’s Empress.

Mu Huai indifferently replied, “As long as it’s not regicide, you can pierce anyone you want.”

If she wanted to use this knife to pierce his heart, that was alright too.

He asked, “Or, if you suspect someone, you can tell me. I will help you get rid of that person, behead them and show you their head.”

Rong Xi lost her smile as her pupils wavered.

She didn’t dare to gamble what intentions Mu Huai had towards Di Shiyin, but she had already achieved her goal. She obtained the concubine position, and she had increased the power she had in the palace.

Rong Xi once again leaned into Mu Huai’s arms, and her voice was a little choked up as she called out, “…Your Highness…”

Mu Huai lowered his head to peck her forehead. He carefully adjusted his position so that she was fully in his embrace. He didn’t see how Rong Xi’s fair and dainty hands were holding onto his luxurious brocade robes in a death grip.

Rong Xi closed her eyes, sinking into her thoughts.

Mu Huai had an impatient personality, and he always did things resolutely. Although his methods were ruthless, his style of conducting business was quick and to the point. He never used insidious means of prolonging someone’s suffering.

But since they wanted her life, this was not enough. She wanted her to have a taste of what it meant to be alive but wishing for death.

******

The skies were clear as the snow fell that day. Dew was hanging off the branches in Weiyang Palace as the birds chirped.

Recently, the Empress’s body was unwell. At this moment, she was massaging her forehead as she lazily leaned against the black wooden arhat bed. The arhat bed had exquisite craftmanship, inlaid with silver and gold flecks, carvings of flowers, birds, etc.

The Empress had a weak body and it was difficult for her to get pregnant. At her current age, it was impossible for her to give birth to a child for Zhuang Emperor, and it was one of her lifelong regrets.

Seeing the gentle and elegant Di Shiyin was currently attentively massaging her swollen legs, the Empress’s gaze softened as she inquired in a tender voice, “You’ve been restless these few days, not as talkative as before. Are you thinking about the commoner woman that the Crown prince brought into the Eastern Palace?”

Di Shiyin nodded docilely at the Empress, replying, “Niangniang understands this niece’s heart the best. This niece won’t hide it from niangniang.”

Naturally, she was feeling troubled the last few days about Mu Huai bringing in a woman from outside the palace, but that was not the only matter. The other reason was that there was still no news from the assassins she had dispatched to Hongdu. She had sent people to search, but they couldn’t find that group of assassins, nor their bodies.

Di Shiyin couldn’t confirm whether that woman surnamed Rong was dead or not.

She was pregnant with Mu Huai’s child and would therefore always be a danger.

The Empress sensed what Di Shiyin was thinking and persuaded, “As the Crown prince’s wife, even if there will be concubines in the future, you cannot be overly jealous. There will always be people that will take away a portion of your favor, even getting pregnant. As long as you sit firmly on the seat of the legal wife, then you don’t need to care about those concubines. In the end, a concubine is just a plaything.”

Di Shiyin respectfully noded.

She understood all these principles, but when she thought about how Mu Huai’s first woman was mostly that pock-faced woman named Rong, she felt as if a fishbone was stuck in her throat. She even felt disgusted and wanted to puke. But right now, she should not be thinking about that ugly Rong lady. The mysterious woman in the Eastern Palace was the greatest threat to her right now.

In recent days, she had sent people to see if any information could be found about that woman. However, the Eastern Palace was tightly guarded. The servants were tight-lipped, and she was unable to investigate the identity of the woman.

Some palace servants said that woman was extremely beautiful, and Di Shiyin had guessed as much. If she was not born beautiful, how could she catch the eye of the arrogant and cold Mu Huai?

The Empress could tell what Di Shiyin was thinking and said, “If you want to see that woman, then tomorrow bengong will send someone to call her over to Weiyang Palace. Although that woman has no position, she is still the Crown Prince’s woman. Since bengong is the Empress, it’s appropriate for her to come and give her greetings.”

The Empress thought, just a regular commoner woman with a lowly background. Letting her come to Weiyang Palace was giving her face.

Di Shiyin let out a smile as she respectfully replied, “Many thanks to niangniang.”

That night, Di Shiyin had trouble falling asleep. That woman’s face kept floating in her mind.

The next day, the Crown Prince had sent an attendant to Weiyang Palace instead, saying that woman had suddenly fallen ill, and it was not convenient for her to come to Weiyang Palace to meet the Empress.

But whether that woman truly fell sick or not, who knew the truth?

Spring was right around the corner, and the winter plums in the palace were starting to wither. Di Shiyin wanted to go to the plum garden to pick some winter plums for the Empress.

With a heavy heart, Di Shiyin crossed the Donghua Gate. She looked at the carved walls of the Eastern palace and the pagoda that peeked over.

The clear and pretty pair of eyes carried deep longing and desire in them.

Sooner or later, she would move in. There was no need to rush.

Di Shiyin was proficient in dancing, and her steps seemed to be floating as she led her two palace maids to the plum garden. When she arrived, she saw an unfamiliar woman standing in the picturesque plum forest.

As Di Shiyin drew closer to the woman, her eyes unconsciously widened when she saw her face.

That woman had skin as fair as snow, and her looks were fresh and clear. She had an extremely beautiful face that was also full of strength. The snow was not as white as her skin, and the plum blossoms were not as delicate as her lips and brows.

The pendant hanging between the middle of her brows was currently sparkling under the noon sun. Such a stunner would overwhelm everyone else no matter where she goes, truly too gorgeous.

If it weren’t for the shadow on the ground, Di Shiyin would’ve thought this person was a plum blossom fairy that turned into a mortal.

She unconsciously cupped her own face. She was clearly confident in her own beauty, but the appearance of the stranger in front of her surpassed her by far. In front of this beautiful person, she could only be called a pretty girl.

Who was this woman?

An answer slowly formed in Di Shiyin’s heart, but a panicked feeling also engulfed her.

Dan Xing was standing next to Rong Xi as she spoke in a low voice, “Miss, someone came to the plum garden. This slave sees that it seems to be the Di family’s elder younger miss.”

Rong Xi nodded. Her dainty hand stretched towards the snow-covered plm blossom. When her finger brushed agains the cold snow, her gaze changed as well. What was originally a soft and tender gaze instantly turned cruel.

She hooked up her lips and replied to Dan Xiang, “I understand.”