Chapter 32 Qi Yue Wu Yi Part 4
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The sound of horse hooves approached, and a familiar figure in red appeared before his eyes. Xuanji’s face changed and as she raised her hand a row of female guards swept forward to meet the enemy. But the figure on the black horse was not afraid at all. Bright red clothes were blown up by the wind, like a phoenix flower dancing in the green mountains.
The horse raised its front hoofs directly against a pointed blade and stopped with a long neigh.
Helian Rongchuan raised his eyebrows and stretched out his arms to the incoming person.
The bell rang crisply, and Helian Jue jumped off her horse rushing straight to Helian Rongchuan:
“Second brother, you made it easy for me to find you!”
The tone was full of joy, but the beautiful apricot-coloured eyes were full of tears.
The corners of Helian Rongchuan’s mouth curled, and he joked: “Oh, to go as far as crying? What a true wonder!”
Helian Jue punched Helian Rongchuan in the chest with an angry but smiling face.
Helian Rongchuan frowned and immediately calmed down.
Xuanji looked alert: “Who are you?!”
Helian Jue turned around and looked at Xuanji carefully from bottom to top.
Girls her age have always tended to be hostile toward beautiful women, so she replied casually: “I am his sister, the third princess of Dongyun and who are you?”
Days ago Helian Jue was taking care of merchandise to be shipped via the Jiaolu River and luckily happened to avoid the massacre that took place in Qixia Village. When she returned, she saw the bloody remains of the village and frantically looked for Helian Rongchuan. Listening to the guidance of the surviving villagers, she looked along the Jiaolu River under the cliff, but she couldn’t find her brother. With faint hope in her heart, she guessed that Helian Rongchuan might have been rescued by others, so she searched for convoys along the way finally catching up to them.
Xuanji was about to speak, but Helian Rongchuan took the lead, gently grabbing her by the waist. He said to Helian Jue: “She is my saviour and your future sister-in-law.”
Xuanji suddenly raised her head, surprised. Looking at Helian Rongchuan shyly she said: “Your Royal Highness, this isn’t a joking matter! I will take it seriously!”
Helian Rongchuan looked at her with a smile: “Whether it’s a joke or not depends on the princess’s decision.”
Xuanji lowered her head, like a shy midsummer red lotus.
Helian Jue stared at the two dumbfounded. She opened her mouth, but couldn’t find anything to say.
The two teams of carriages moved faster than just Xuanji’s group and in a blink of an eye, they had reached a small town at the border of Dongyun.
Seeing that Xuanji went back to the guest room to freshen up, Helian Jue curled her fingertips around the bell in her braid and sneaked into Helian Rongchuan’s room.
“I know what you want to ask.” Helian Rongchuan took a sip of his tea and put down the teacup: “Yes, I want to marry her.”
Helian Jue gently touched her second brother’s forehead: “When you fell from the cliff, did you land on your head?”
Helian Rongchuan: “…”
Helian Jue was straightforward: “This woman has a problem.”
Helian Rongchuan didn’t even raise his eyebrows. He asked calmly: “Oh, yeah? What’s the problem?”
“Can’t you see it?” Helian Jue retorted: “Or, you are trying to piss off a certain someone? You should know that he shot you an arrow that day because—”
“Because he wanted to kill me.” Helian Rongchuan interrupted her hastily, his eyes straying to the door.
As the sun set, a shadow of a small figure was projected from the edge of the door.
Helian Jue caught on and immediately changed the subject.
—————————————-
The past half a month had been particularly unsatisfactory for Xue Zhaoyi.
Just a few weeks ago, she was newly pregnant and still the most favoured concubine in the palace. There were even rumours that the emperor had already decided to make her an imperial concubine. In addition, since the harem had no empress, once she was conferred the title and gave birth to a prince, won’t she be the rightful master of the harem?
Xue Zhaoyi laid down on the chaise, stroking her still flat lower abdomen. She was daydreaming of the day she’d take charge of the harem.
However, half a month ago, her smile disappeared from her face. She heard several people whispering about an extra person in the harem.
A man.
It was not uncommon to live with one or two men in the harem. Emperors often kept male pets to satisfy their whims and needs. In a worst-case scenario, the so-called pet would just be kicked out of the bed by Murong Xiu, discarded like a useless toy.
But this man was different. Never before had a man lived in the harem for so long. Or even more so lived in the hall of the empress – Zhaohua Hall. It had always remained vacant.
Murong Xiu had not been to her quarters since that man showed up. Even though Xue Zhaoyi pretended to be unwell during pregnancy, Murong Xiu just sent the imperial physician to come for a consultation. But he himself did not even step into Xue Zhaoyi’s space once. Instead, he went straight to the man’s residence.
Xue Zhaoyi’s nails gripped the silk veil of Su embroidery, feeling puzzled and itching with hatred. Even if she was pregnant and couldn’t sleep with him, Murong Xiu would never be so ruthless.
She didn’t know what nasty charms were used by that male pet to confuse the emperor. Xue Zhaoyi listened to people’s private speculations about the male pet and grew angrier and angrier by the day.
Xue Zhaoyi slapped a palm on the table and stood up abruptly. The little maid next to her was shocked.
“Order a carriage to Zhaohua Hall!”
When the little eunuch stepped into the courtyard behind Zhaohua Hall, Yan Changqing was standing under the crabapple tree in a daze. The blooming white crabapple blossoms were like brilliant clouds, covering most of the small square sky in the courtyard. Occasionally one or two birds flew by, but they disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The little eunuch finished his report tremblingly expecting the worst. As soon as he looked up and saw Yan Changqing’s silent and expressionless profile, he whispered a prayer to Buddha in his heart. Not waiting for him to speak, he quickly continued:
“This slave… …This slave knows that it’s not appropriate, please do not be angry. This slave will send them back…”
Before he could finish, an angry female voice sounded from behind: “What a bold slave daring to refute the face of Ben Gong!”
The word “slave” was used to address the little eunuch, but secretly it was intended for Yan Changqing. Xue Zhaoyi strode into the courtyard with a belly that was yet not prominent.
On the way here she made up her mind. This new pet didn’t know good from bad and had to be taught a lesson. He had to know who can be played with and who was the future empress of the harem!
However, all her thoughts vanished the second Yan Changqing turned around.
Xue Zhaoyi looked at Yan Changqing in disbelief.
How could this man look so similar to her!
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