Side Story 5: Where Did the Vixen Come From? Part 2
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A few seconds of silence settled around them, and Yan Ran managed to swallow her anxiety before asking another question, “So, you mean, the Third Princess has already entered the palace?”
“Yes.” Leng Ruofeng nodded calmly and added, while looking at Yan Ran’s ashen face, “Yun Er also mentioned…”
“…What?” Yan Ran’s sense of foreboding grew stronger.
“She said she’s going to the Grand Tutor’s wife and the Shangshu’s wife, and she’s taking Xiang Er with her for company. She wants to make things lively.”
“What!” Yan Ran almost couldn’t contain his exclamation upon hearing Leng Ruofeng’s words. He noticed someone looking their way and quickly lowered his voice while his lips twitched uncontrollably.
Make things lively? I bet the Third Princess is afraid the world isn’t chaotic enough! Bringing those people into the palace – if she actually encounters certain people where she shouldn’t, won’t it cause a huge uproar right there and then?
Yan Ran gave a helpless look to Shao Zitang and shook his head. How could these two remain so composed? This is clearly about to become a huge mess.
After inwardly complaining for a while, Yan Ran seemed to think of something and looked at Leng Ruofeng with difficulty. “Ruofeng, let’s say… if your wife and the Emperor were to have a conflict, whose side would you take?”
Leng Ruofeng furrowed his brows slightly, without a hint of hesitation, and replied matter-of-factly, “My wife.”
“Why?” Yan Ran was shocked, staring at Leng Ruofeng’s profile with astonishment.
Leng Ruofeng glanced at him and uttered a statement, “Yun Er can bear me children? Can the Emperor?”
“Pff…” Yan Ran was utterly speechless. This guy, he’s so cold and icy, and yet he can be so straightforward. Truly silent but deadly, the type that doesn’t speak unless it’s earth-shattering.
“True, that makes sense, uh-huh.” Yan Ran pondered for a moment and nodded repeatedly. Indeed, if the Emperor really did find a new love, and all those who supported the Third Princess were to clash with him, he should stand by his wife’s side.
Brother, although I’d like to support you, this is ultimately a case of you being fickle and unreliable first. I’m just maintaining a fair and just perspective on this matter. So, don’t blame me, amen…
Yan Ran engaged in a bunch of internal monologues, feeling like a reborn person, blissfully unaware that the palace maids lurking by the corner were all staring at them with varying degrees of astonishment.
Listening to the conversation between his two friends, Shao Zitang’s lips twitched involuntarily. After a moment of silence, he couldn’t help but utter two words in exasperation, “You idiots.”
While the three of them carried on their private conversation as if no one else existed, the restless court officials finally started to become more and more impatient.
Several esteemed senior officials exchanged glances, and one among them stepped forward and addressed, “Your Majesty, we’ve heard that a assassin intruded into the palace yesterday, and we are deeply concerned. We wonder if Your Majesty has been harmed, and where is the assassin now? We believe that such an audacious intrusion might have been orchestrated by someone behind the scenes. We humbly suggest that, given the audacity of this assassin, there may be an instigator involved. We implore Your Majesty to…”
Before he could finish, Feng Tingye impatiently interrupted, “An assassin? Who said there was an assassin in the palace yesterday? How come I know nothing about it?”
The senior official who spoke was stunned, his expression one of disbelief as he raised his head. “Your Majesty…”
Feng Tingye stood up from the dragon throne and looked down at the officials from a higher vantage point. He chuckled lightly, “I thought that you esteemed gentlemen were the pillars of the court, possessing knowledge and grace above the ordinary. The notion that rumors stop at the wise should apply to you. It seems I overestimated you.”
Feng Tingye’s veiled mockery caused the officials who were initially preparing to voice their agreement with the senior official’s proposal to shift their stance. Several senior officials who had planned to support the senior official were visibly surprised, and their expressions became quite vivid.
“Your Majesty, your insight is keen. I was merely concerned for Your Majesty’s safety. A sudden intrusion by a stranger into the palace is a worrisome matter. Your Majesty’s benevolence and tolerance are well-known, but it’s possible that someone with ulterior motives might exploit Your Majesty’s magnanimity to harm you. Your Majesty’s well-being is of the utmost importance, and we cannot afford any lapse in security. We implore Your Majesty to give this serious consideration!”
As this official spoke, the atmosphere in the court grew tense and delicate.
Yan Ran and the others exchanged looks, utterly dumbfounded by the audacity of the person who had spoken. Ulterior motives, exploiting the Emperor’s magnanimity? Was this person blatantly telling everyone that their Emperor had been infatuated by a female assassin, losing his reason and judgment? Regardless of the truth of the matter, even if it were true, it pertained to the Emperor’s harem matters. Even if anyone were to mediate, it should be the Empress Dowager as the head of the harem. Who gave this official the right to meddle and give his opinions? Essentially, the Emperor looked at a woman, and he actually needed the opinions of civil and military officials to decide whether to bring her into the palace or not? Nowadays, there are truly some strange people around. They’ve seen the absurd, but never this level of absurdity.
“By Lord Yan’s perspective, if I don’t take action against this intruder into the harem, I’m not astute or wise, and I’m letting down your loyal and devoted hearts?” Feng Tingye’s tone remained polite as he said this, but his demeanor had undergone a noticeable shift.
A massive wave of pressure emanated from him, sweeping through the court. All the officials below turned pale in unison.
The official named Yan directly felt the killing intent radiating toward him. Terrified, he went weak in the knees and knelt down, trembling, “I… I didn’t mean that, I was merely concerned about potential threats within the harem that could endanger Your Majesty…”
“This point, Lord Yan, you need not worry about. The person you referred to as having ulterior motives, I not only know her, but she is also already a member of the harem. I’m more certain of this than anyone else. As for how to handle this matter, I have my own plans. You people who know nothing should not meddle, give unsolicited advice, or criticize the palace affairs. In three days’ time, the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration will take place in the Imperial Garden. At that time, we will also celebrate the return of a dear one. By then, all of you should open your eyes wide and see who this dear one is. Do not provoke someone you cannot afford to offend. As for now, shut your mouths and do not let me hear any rumors or criticisms about those in the palace from your mouths. Otherwise, I don’t mind sending you to join the Grand Tutor and the Grand Scholar from a year ago.”
As Feng Tingye spoke, the entire court was struck with awe. Over the past year, due to the loss of his beloved, Feng Tingye had restrained himself considerably compared to a year ago. He no longer exuded the same sharp edge as he once did. This temporary relaxation had allowed those who were once intimidated by Feng Tingye’s sternness to regain their confidence. Their actions had gradually returned to resembling Feng Tingye’s initial fearless reign.
However, they had forgotten that a slumbering lion was still the king of the forest. With a mere swipe of its paw, it could easily tear apart any other creature nearby. Not to mention, the lion had completely awakened due to someone’s return, now in a heightened state of alert, guarding the precious treasure that had finally returned to its embrace. In this state, to dare pull a hair from the lion’s mouth was to court death!
The group of officials remained dazed for a moment before snapping back to reality. They hurriedly knelt down and shouted, “Long live the Emperor.”
Other officials, awakened from their stupor by the sound, quickly followed suit. For a while, the phrase “Long live the Emperor” echoed incessantly over the Imperial Hall.
Feng Tingye cast a cold glance at the officials, as though looking at a group of insignificant ants, his eyes filled with mockery.
After a while, Feng Tingye said in a cold tone, “Dismissed.” Without lingering, he turned and left the Imperial Hall.
The officials let out a collective sigh of relief as Feng Tingye departed. However, Yan Ran and the others exchanged glances and nodded in unison. They retreated to the side, then headed towards the direction of the study.
Feng Tingye seemed to have anticipated that these people would follow him, so he paused his steps, turned his head, and smiled at them in a somewhat amused manner.
“Do the esteemed gentlemen have other matters to discuss?”
…
Yan Ran and the others looked at the triumphant appearance of Feng Tingye’s face, and their lips couldn’t help but twitch. They resisted the impulse to rush forward and beat someone up directly. After taking a deep breath, Yan Ran asked, “Alright, what’s the deal with that female assassin?”
Feng Tingye glanced at the three of them, but his lips slightly curled up: “As mentioned earlier, it’s just an old acquaintance who has returned.”
The three of them were stunned when they saw Feng Tingye’s undisguised pure smile.
Since Xia Yuqing fell off the cliff with Xia Mingxuan a year ago, they had never seen even a hint of a smile on this man’s face.
They would never forget that day a year ago when they secretly surrounded the black-clad people while everyone’s attention was focused on Xia Yuqing and Feng Tingye. They had planned to approach those people at the moment Feng Tingye approached Xia Mingxuan to eliminate obstacles for him, allowing him to smoothly bring back Xia Yuqing. However, they never expected that Xia Yuqing had quietly brought the handgun that the crown prince often used for mischief, and they certainly didn’t expect that she would hesitate to aim the gun at Xia Mingxuan at that moment, choosing a method of mutual destruction.
They had always thought that this girl was timid, but they never expected her to be the bravest and the most ruthless at that critical moment. Ruthless to others, even more ruthless to herself.
As the situation on this side changed unexpectedly, when they rushed over to apprehend people, it was already too late. They helplessly watched her, like a kite with a broken string, fall into the abyss along with Xia Mingxuan. They witnessed their always carefree friend in unbearable pain but was powerless to stop it.
They would never forget the terrifying expression on Feng Tingye’s face when they found Xia Yuqing’s body on the cliff. Fortunately, at that time, they searched the bottom of the cliff and never found Xia Mingxuan’s body. Otherwise, they had no doubt that even if that person had become an unambiguously dead corpse, Feng Tingye would still have torn him to pieces.
However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, after holding Xia Yuqing’s body for a whole night, Feng Tingye suddenly returned to normal the next morning. Facing everyone’s surprised gaze, he only left a sentence, “She is not Ai Fei, Ai Fei is not dead, she will definitely come back,” shattering everyone’s expectations.
At that time, they had almost thought that the blow of losing that girl had driven Feng Tingye mad. Yet later on, they discovered that apart from becoming somewhat unpredictable in his moods and not smiling anymore, he hadn’t really changed much. His attitude toward those women who were trying to get into the palace had not wavered, and he wasn’t any different from before. They weren’t sure whether they should let go of the worry they held for him or continue to hold onto it. But now…
Shao Zitang thought back to everything that had happened a year ago and linked it to Feng Tingye’s recent words. A glimmer of light flashed through his eyes, and he pondered, “Old friend? Is it a person we all know, or just someone known to His Majesty alone?”
Shao Zitang’s meaningful question caused Yan Ran and Leng Ruofeng to freeze simultaneously, and a certain speculation floated up in their minds.
“It couldn’t be…”
As they looked at Feng Tingye, who was facing them with an inquiring gaze, a faint smile appeared on his lips. “Since you’re so curious, why not come with me and see for yourselves if you recognize this person?”
Feng Tingye glanced upward at the sun radiating warmth, calculating that Xia Yuqing should be awake and getting ready by now. He wondered how interesting her reaction would be when she saw the surprise he had prepared for her.
The three exchanged glances, witnessing the playful smirk returning to Feng Tingye’s face after a long absence. After a moment of eye contact, a slight chill seemed to crawl up their backs. Could it be… that it really was what they were thinking?!
Meanwhile, blissfully unaware that she was about to become a rare animal under observation, Xia Yuqing sat before her vanity mirror. She was enjoying Lu Rui’s attentive service while also trying to handle Lu Rui’s rapid-fire questions.
“Niang Niang, where have you been all this time? At that time, Cui Er Jiejie and Young Master Su returned to the palace covered in blood, saying that you were taken away by criminals. We were all terrified.”
Xia Yuqing suddenly remembered how she was taken away by the Fourth Royal Brother, and how Cui Er the two had struggled so hard. They seemed to have suffered some injuries.
“How’s Cui Er and Senior Brother now? Are their injuries severe? Are they okay now?”
Seeing Xia Yuqing suddenly turn her head, Lu Rui, unusually assertive, pushed Xia Yuqing’s head back, redirecting her attention. She said irritably, “Niang Niang, focus on your own matters. Cui Er Jiejie and Young Master Su have recovered from their injuries. Don’t change the topic. Confession will be treated leniently, resistance will be severe. Let me continue.”
“… Oh.” Xia Yuqing responded with a speechless expression. She inwardly complained. Why did Lu Rui’s temper become like this in just a month? Could it be that during the time I wasn’t here, Second Senior Brother spoiled her?
“Finally, after waiting for everyone to return, we didn’t expect that they would bring back… Niang Niang’s…” Lu Rui paused, seemingly lost in her memories for a moment. Her voice trembled as she continued, “They said that Niang Niang fell from a ten-thousand-foot cliff and… But we didn’t want to believe that Niang Niang was gone just like that. Emperor was also adamant that you didn’t die, that you would definitely come back. It’s strange, isn’t it? Even though we had seen Niang Niang’s body, we all believed Emperor’s words. We felt that he was right—Niang Niang hadn’t left. Someday, you would come back.”
Xia Yuqing felt a slight tremor in her heart upon hearing this, feeling incredibly fortunate to have chosen to return. She was grateful that she came back to this place where so many people were waiting for her.
“Speaking of which…” Lu Rui saw that Xia Yuqing didn’t respond and a teasing smile appeared on her face. She chuckled, “I have to say something on behalf of His Majesty. Niang Niang, during the year you were away, His Majesty didn’t touch any other women, remaining as pure as jade until now. Just for this reason, shouldn’t you…”
“…” Lu Rui, how did you become like this in just a month? All corrupted by Second Senior Brother! Second Senior Brother is truly an unbridled person. What on earth did he do to my pure and kind little Lu Rui during the time I wasn’t here? He actually turned her into someone so… hard to ward off! She also explained why the Ultra Seme Lord was so impatient suddenly last night. It turns out… turns out… he hasn’t touched a woman in a whole year and was feeling desperate! Unfortunately, she happened to collide with the muzzle so miserably, isn’t that a tragedy?!
In her mind, Xia Yuqing sighed for a few seconds. She tilted her head back at a 45-degree angle to the bright and sunny sky, with a mix of melancholy and concern. This Ultra Seme Lord is so petty and narrow-minded. Could he possibly have kept a record of all this year’s activities and be waiting for me to come back and settle the score? Am I now burdened with a huge debt?! Is it too late for me to regret returning to the modern era?
Thinking of this possibility, Xia Yuqing’s internal little person quietly shed two wide-noodle tears. Suddenly, Xia Yuqing seemed to notice something and stiffened. She widened her eyes and turned to look at Lu Rui. “Lu Rui, just now… what did you say? A year? Did you say that from when I fell off the cliff until now… it’s been… a year?”
Lu Rui didn’t expect Xia Yuqing to ask this. She froze for a moment, her confusion apparent. “Yes, Niang Niang… You didn’t know?”
Niang Niang doesn’t know about this? Could it be that you were unconscious all this time or trapped somewhere in the darkness, unable to tell whether it’s day or night? Lu Rui’s mind began to race, imagining all sorts of possibilities, and her inner little person couldn’t help but scream in response to her own imaginings.
Completely oblivious to the fact that her innocent question had turned into various synonyms for suffering and hardships in someone else’s mind, Xia Yuqing was lost in her own thoughts. She was thinking about how a year had passed. She had only been in the modern world for a short month, so how had it suddenly become a year?
Stunned for a few seconds, Xia Yuqing suddenly recalled that when she returned to this world, An Jinyu had told her that she had been unconscious for nearly four months. At that time, she had been unaware. Could it be that time passed differently in different eras? She had spent nearly four years in this world, which translated to four months in the modern era. So, although she had been gone for a month, it was already a year here.
Yes, that must be it. Yunxi, her birth mother, had mentioned that she had arrived two years before her, totaling over twenty months. In other words, over twenty years. When her birth mother had just arrived, she hadn’t been married yet. Looking at it that way, it did make sense. D*mn, she hadn’t realized this. Thankfully, she had only been away for a month. If she had hesitated for a year or two, when she returned, wouldn’t everyone else be a generation ahead of her?!
Thinking of this possibility, Xia Yuqing was completely dumbfounded.
“Niang Niang, Niang Niang, what’s wrong?” Lu Rui was worried by Xia Yuqing’s distracted state and called her several times.
Xia Yuqing snapped out of her thoughts and cleared her throat. “It’s nothing, really. My memory hasn’t been great lately. I got a bit confused, that’s all.”
Lu Rui gave Xia Yuqing a doubtful look, and her speculations headed down the same path as her previous ones, never to return.
After a moment, seeing that Xia Yuqing didn’t want to dwell on the issue, Lu Rui sighed in relief and brought the conversation back. “Niang Niang, you haven’t told me how your appearance has changed so drastically…”
Could it be that she had been forced to change her appearance and identity due to being victimized by villains? Oh, my poor Niang Niang!
Hearing Lu Rui’s words, Xia Yuqing subconsciously touched her own face and turned to look at the reflection in the bronze mirror. Though not as beautiful as before, her features were still delicate and refreshing.
“Is this face ugly? I think it’s not bad.”
Lu Rui twitched her lips. “…Niang Niang, I didn’t say this face is ugly. I’m just wondering why your face has changed so drastically from before.”
Xia Yuqing coughed awkwardly again. “Lu Rui, it’s a very long story.”
Lu Rui rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Niang Niang, don’t try to deceive me. I told you before, you can make the long story short.”
“…”
Just as Xia Yuqing was struggling with how to explain her changed appearance and identity to Lu Rui, a sudden commotion from outside saved her.
“Third Princess, Miss Liu, and several other ladies, you can’t go in! Before His Majesty left, he ordered that no one could enter without his permission. If anyone enters without permission, we servants will be held accountable. Please don’t make it difficult for us!”
Xia Yuqing’s eyes brightened at the voice of the eunuch. Third Princess, Miss Liu? Were they referring to the Third Royal Sister and Xiang Er?
But before Xia Yuqing could be too happy, a familiar voice rang out, brimming with arrogance, “Today, we happen to want to go in. I will personally explain it to Royal Cousin. We’ll bear any consequences. Now, step aside!”
“That’s right, today, we’re coming in whether you like it or not. Step aside obediently, or don’t blame this princess for not being polite with this whip in my hand.”
Just as arrogant and domineering as before, accompanied by the familiar sound of a whip cracking, their identities were unmistakable. Xia Yuqing could almost outline the familiar figure dressed in red through the closed door.
“Hey, Third Princess, Miss Liu… don’t… don’t…, someone come block them!”
The noises outside were getting louder, Xia Yuqing couldn’t hold back any longer. She stood up, wanting to see these sisters and loved ones she had been apart from for just a month, yet it felt like a lifetime.
However, before Xia Yuqing could even stand up properly, a deafening crash resounded from outside. The enormous doors of the Qianqing Palace were forcefully kicked open from the outside, crashing down with a thunderous noise.
As wooden planks hit the ground, clouds of dust rose, and within the swirling haze, two familiar figures stepped into the room. The gaze of one of them was sharp and filled with a sinister glare. She scanned her surroundings with an air of dominance. She sneered, “Who’s the vixen that dared to appear here and seduce my Royal Cousin? Get out of here!”
Xia Yuqing froze in place, and suddenly, an image from the past flashed before her eyes. She couldn’t help but feel that this scene seemed… a bit familiar!
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