/
“Mistress, cefei sent people to guard those two courtyards you have ordered this servant to keep a close watch on.” Zhu Jin reported back to Wan Jing Wen in hesitation.
“When did it happen?” Wan Jing Wen frowned. How could it be so coincidental?
“This servant received the news as soon as sir Wei came out of Danruo Courtyard early this morning.”
It shouldn’t be. In the previous life, lady Mu was only a concubine. When the incident with the rebels happened, she was already gravely ill. Afterward, she muddled along without any aim like a good-for-nothing. She has never risen to prominence nor fallen from grace. She didn’t even have a capable maidservant around her so it wasn’t possible for her to know these things in such detail.
Could it be that she wasn’t reborn and instead was like her, reincarnated to someone else with the memories of the previous life? In that case, who is she?
Wan Jing Wen kept guessing about Mu Xi Yao’s identity over and over. The more she contemplated the more confused she was. Nothing made sense. In the end, she began to question whether she made a mistake. Was Mu Xi Yao none of the harem women from her memories?
Wan Jing Wen found that all of her experiences from the previous life would change as long as they were related to Mu Xi Yao. Nowadays, many things changed beyond recognition. And the memories she relied on, apart from being able to deal with lady He Lian, they didn’t work on Mu Xi Yao.
“Mistress, cefei has started to pay attention to those two courtyards now. Should we quickly withdraw our people?” Zhu Jin felt that ever since she followed her mistress, she never experienced so many times that matters had to be left unfinished. Since entering the prince’s residence, the mistress’s several plans had to be chopped in half at the waist. If this continues, she feared that things will not go well.
As Wan Jing Wen recalled the information she received in the past few days, except for the servant girl who had an illicit relationship with a manservant from the outer courtyard, there were no other valuable clues. Now that Mu Xi Yao made a move, could she be more competent than her?
She’d like to see how capable was that woman who was weird no matter how she thought about her. “We bide our time. Tell them to play their parts and not give themselves away.” From the start, this thing had nothing to do with her. Her people will remain there. If they receive the news immediately after something happens, wouldn’t it be even better? As for lady He Lian that woman, did she truly think that since she was surrounded by her trusted aids, she will be absolutely safe? She better forget about sleeping soundly and living without worries!
——
“Your Highness, the climate in Shuzhong is hot and humid. You have to protect yourself against poisonous insects in summer. Also, you have to stay far away from that witchcraft and gu worm1 something.” Mu Xi Yao deliberately read several books that introduced Shuzhong. After reorganising the messy thoughts in her mind, she was now folding her fingers and carefully explaining to Zhong Zheng Lin matters involving traveling.
The sixth Highness lazily leaned against the daybed. As he watched the little woman’s seriousness, a smile appeared in his phoenix eyes.
He finally managed to tame a bit the rabbit. She no longer packed up the baggage as if doing her duty and merely attended to him as a cefei.
Just as Zhong Zheng Lin was sighting about Mu Xi Yao being hard to deal with, he heard the little woman exclaim. She abruptly raised a serious issue.
“Your Highness,” Mu Xi Yao’s beautiful eyes widened, “does the tribe of sorcerers in Shuzhong have something like a holy maiden? Will there be some secret black spell such as a spell that is able to control one’s soul or other strange sorceries? Is it possible that they will recite a few spells in front of you and you will lose your memories and forget about qie?”
The last sentence was the main point. She often heard Zhong Zheng Lin mention secret spells and medicine of Shuzhong. Mu Xi Yao worried that a mere Holy Spirit Pill couldn’t save the life of the boss. Since there existed something like an evil cult, she better take precautions in advance.
Otherwise, if boss chanced upon a memory loss like in the melodrama, she the favored consort would have to start to fight anew, wouldn’t she? Wouldn’t it be like killing her? Isn’t it tiring, to start “love you after marriage” when you already had a child together?
If his Highness brought back a holy maiden to play a white lotus flower2. and “life savior”, Mu Xi Yao thought that she could say goodbye to a comfortable life.
As Zhong Zheng Lin watched her staring at him and demanding an answer in such an earnest fashion, he was suddenly in a great mood.
“Jiao Jiao is again indulging in flights of fancy. At this point, the tribe of sorcerers is left only with a reputation. They are able to predict a bit the change of weather and the grain growing. The holy maiden of the sorcerer tribe was never heard of. The great sorcerer of the sorcerer tribe was an old woman.
As for worrying that bendian will forget Jiao Jiao, that’s truly a groundless fear. Didn’t Jiao Jiao say that you’re bendian’s dearest3.? How can bendian lose bendian’s own heart?” Zhong Zheng Lin became more delighted as he spoke. He got up, took her into his arms, and planted a kiss on her soft and pink cheek. He stroked the top of her head while thinking that the little woman was truly adorable. “Jiao Jiao needn’t be so awkward. It’s unavoidable for a woman to be embarrassed for making a request on parting.”
Mu Xi Yao’s chin was clasped by him and slowly she was immersed in a deep kiss. She was very resentful inside. The sixth Highness was talking to himself. His imagination was always filled with only one kind of thought: going only along to his wishes and ignoring the rest.
Did she mean what the boss thought of? This man’s skin was as thick as a brick. What’s more, a gold brick. He was pretty narcissistic. If it wasn’t for fear of him meeting an accident, she would peacefully live a leisure life in the courtyard and not bother with the stinky man.
“Tomorrow, bendian will leave early. Jiao Jiao shall not get up and see bendian off.” Zhong Zheng Lin hugged her and kneaded her soft earlobe. He was reluctant to have little woman get up early and go through such fuss.
Mu Xi Yao pulled down his hand and stuffed her little hand into his palm. She closed her eyes and fell off sweetly.
Zhong Zheng Lin embraced her waist and tightened his arms slightly. The emotions he felt inside his heart were beyond words. This woman usually was unwilling to say any affectionate words. But, her detail-oriented side made one’s heart skip a throb. Seeing her peaceful sleeping face, for the first time ever, Zhong Zheng Lin was somewhat not used to it. After tomorrow, the little woman won’t be by his side. He will be sleeping alone each night. How did he handle those previous days?
For the first time in his life, the sixth Highness felt that he was a little soft. A feeling of “hating to part” arose in him. It totally disagreed with his usual firm and decisive style.
He took a look at the little woman who was sleeping soundly. There was no trace of distress or sadness on her face. Zhong Zheng Lin gnashed his teeth hatefully. Since meeting him, the one behaving unusually has been always him. This little white-eyed wolf4., on the contrary, lived comfortably.
Propping up his body, he planted a kiss on Mu Xi Yao’s cheek and then finally set his mind at rest and went to sleep. When he returns back to the capital, it should be Cheng Qing’s first-year celebration5.. He has to bring a good gift to his son.
——
Early in the next morning, the women from the inner yard all came led by He Lian Min Min. The only one absent was Mu cefei from Danruo Courtyard who never paid attention to the etiquette.
Since they were sending Zhong Zheng Lin off, the eyes of the present women were filled with their reluctance to part with him. The atmosphere was quiet. Only one person was ecstatic, looking affectionately at Zhong Zheng Lin.
“Elder cousin!” Zeng Yu rushed over and grabbed the end of Zhong Zheng Lin’s sleeve with teary eyes as if she was about to faint.
She was finally out of confinement. As soon as she got out, she learned that Zhong Zheng Lin was going to Shuzhong to put down the rebellion. Her cousin was going to exchange blows with real swords and spears6.. This was absolutely an outrage!
“Elder cousin, wouldn’t it better for his Majesty to change it to the crown prince to head to Shuzhong and you stay in Shengjing? The crown prince was the heir to the Great Wei. Aren’t these things exactly what he should be handling?”
He Lian Min Min’s expression changed. As expected, his Highness’s face darkened.
“He Lian’shi, discipline her properly.” Once these words fell, he ruthlessly flicked his sleeve and called the servant to lead the horse to him.
“Elder cousin!” Zeng Yu sobbed while hurriedly taking a few steps forward. She still bewailed, “I’m just worried about your wellbeing. Why do you dislike it so much? You’re holding that Mu’shi dear in your heart like a treasure and what is the result? She didn’t come to see you off at all. She completely disregards you!”
Zhong Zheng Lin suddenly turned around, a cold light gleaming in his phoenix eyes. Time after time, this foolish woman provoked his anger. This time, she broke his big taboo. It was no one’s business to clamor about Mu Xi Yao’s feelings for him.
Zhong Zheng Lin who cared deeply about Mu Xi Yao’s feelings allowed no outsiders to sow discord that would spoil the two’s relationship.
“Tian Fu Shan, send her to the Qingyun Temple to meditate. If mother consort asks, report to her what she said just now.”
After mounting a horse, Zhong Zheng Lin gave He Lian Min Min last instruction: “Take good care of the residence” and then kicked the horse and left.
Yan Cheng Zhou brought along the guards. The group consisted of more than one hundred and fifty members who marched in a majestic manner. They were wearing bright armors, divided into two rows and following Zhong Zheng Lin’s fast pace. The dust that arose by them also seemed to be enveloped by the air of war.
“Chief steward, do as his Highness ordered.” He Lian Min Min cast a gaze at Zeng Yu, as if looking at a madwoman. She then took the rest of the people to the main house to use a meal.
Since appearing, Zeng Yu showed no bright side of hers. As soon as she spoke, she was bound to stir his Highness’s anger. Ordinary people lacked such an ability. Yet, she wanted to compete with Mu Xi Yao with such a crazy personality. What else was it if not wishful thinking?
Nowadays, she even shot her mouth off, daring to make impertinent remarks about his Majesty and the crown prince. Did she wish the whole residence to receive punishment together with her?
Tian Fu Shan dragged the crying and kicking woman down, tied her, and sent her to Qingyun Temple. This was his second time taking the lady cousin to receive punishment. This errand wasn’t easy at all.
The Qingyun Temple was rumored to be the most impoverished and the harshest temple in Shengjing. The women that were taken in were all spurned by their husband’s family. They were sent to receive strict discipline and rework themselves. Not only was living there full of hardships, there were also monks who checked their assignments each day. Anyone who did not follow the rules would be beaten by the cane. They never treated women with leniency. Every ten days, the women had to visit people and commit good deeds. If they dared to turn their back on the tasks and not do the best of their abilities, they would be deprived of food for three days as punishment, making them so hungry till their legs and feet would go soft.
The most dreadful thing was the nuns’ discipline. If one didn’t listen to their teaching and failed the examination, they would be sent to the critter courtyard in the back garden. Only when they learnt the obedience they could not be accompanied by beasts.
Although his Highness was indifferent to women, he was never ruthless toward them. Now, the lady cousin was sent over there. She will have a hard time there with her spoilt temper.
“There is actually a place like Qingyun Temple in the capital?” Mu Xi Yao stared at Wei Zhen with curiosity.
A cold shiver run down sir Wei’s spine upon her gauging. Shoot! Mistress Yao had such a fondness of troublemaking. He absolutely mustn’t pique her interest in that place.
“Mistress, Qingyun Temple was specially established for those ascetic monks and noblewomen who made mistakes. No meat diet is offered inside. What’s more, several womenfolk who were confined there were driven crazy.”
As soon as Mu Xi Yao heard that the place offered no good Buddhist food and it was filled with resentful women, she immediately lost interest.
Wei Zhen secretly thought that it was a close call. If mistress Yao went there
he dared not to imagine his Highness’s face.
“What’s the situation over there?” Mu Xi Yao placed the note Wei Zhen brought back on the table, put the pieces together, and examined them carefully.
“Third miss was put into the house arrest by his fifth Highness. Her maidservant was sent to the laundry room to run errands as punishment. When the shadow guard went there, shufei’s complexion looked good. She was sitting by herself and dazing.”
She still got the energy to daze? In other words, her days weren’t too bad. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have the mood to sit quietly. Well, let her slowly think about it. If she doesn’t learn her lesson, the inner yard will, sooner or later, become her burial ground.
“Is there no movement in the inner yard?” Mu Xi Yao picked up the shredded papers. She carefully put them into her pouch and handed them to Hui Lan to keep it temporarily for her. These shredded papers could drove the final nail in some people’s coffin.
“The two courtyards are very quiet. The womenfolk almost don’t go out at all.” Wei Zhen replied truthfully.
“Their mind is surprisingly calm. They want to watch the way the wind is blowing7., don’t they? Fluke is unacceptable. Many times, the more one takes chances the more disappointed one is bound to be. In that case, let her take a closer look.” Mu Xi Yao supported herself with Mo Lan’s hand and stood up.
“Take the guards and have them surround Lantai and Zhuyin Courtyards. No one is allowed to enter or leave without permission. Tomorrow afternoon, the concubines of the two courtyards will be one by one investigated in Danruo Courtyard. If they dare to violate the order, report it to the principal consort. They will be punished with domestic discipline.”
Translation notes:
[1] Gu worm is a legendary venomous insect often used in black magic practices (for more information click here)
[2] White lotus flower is a Chinese phrase used to describe a woman who pretends to be weak
[3] Dearest in Chinese is written as “濃氖氖” which means the apex of heart hence when ZZL spoke about losing his heart he was also referring to this “濃氖氖” apex of the heart
[4] White-eyed wolf refers to someone ungrateful
[5] A first-year celebration is an important custom on a child’s first birthday where parents place an assortment of articles in front of their child, and the child is supposed to choose from the articles (for more information click here)
[6] Real swords, real spears is a Chinese idiom that means very much for real
[7] The way the wind is blowing is a phrase referring to trends/how things are developing