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Chapter Twenty-Six

Towards Meng Shao Jue, this guy……I truly am thoroughly speechless.

Seeing his brows that are long and thick, pretty and perfectly shaped. A pair of phoenix eyes sparkling, even more water-like and charming than that of a woman’s. His nose bridge high and straight, a seeming smile sitting at his lips. Up close, his skin appears fair and smooth, his pores practically non-existent to the naked eye. Such a man like this, even when looking from above, looking from below, looking from the left, looking from the right, looking horizontally, looking vertically, looking from the front, looking from the side, he should be a graceful, handsome and charming individual, responsible for capturing women’s hearts, causing them to feel deeply unsettled through day and night.

But could it be that after travelling into the ancient times, I have developed a strange change in my innate ability to admire men, causing me to not only feel nothing in my heart when faced with such a flower boy, but instead find him……

“You’re so annoying.” I furrow my brows, loosen my brows, smile, then reach out to decisively push away his handsome face that is in very close proximity, my actions carried out in one go, with no nonsense.

The radiantly suave man slightly stiffens upon hearing this, seeing his side profile, it appears that his long and narrow phoenix eyes contains slight shock. “What did you say?” He questions, voice deep and ever so charming.

“You’re really annoying.” I don’t hold back at all in repeating myself, and had even automatically upgraded ‘so’ to ‘really’.

Meng Shao Jue narrows his phoenix eyes, the upturned corners of his eyes suspiciously twitches. But in the end, he is no ordinary person, in face of such rude words of mine, he actually doesn’t show anger and instead smiles, lovingly closing in on me again, saying: “Women always love to speak what their heart doesn’t mean, today I sure have witnessed this.”

I tug up the corners of my lips into a fake smile, “Did you grow up eating daffodils (aka narcissus flowers)?”

“Eh?” Meng Shao Jue raises his brows, “What does that mean?”

I pat his shoulder, “Narcissistic.”

Having said that, I pass by him, going off to find Imperial Sister and Ying Lu. As for Yuwen Xiu and Liu Ru Xu, even a fool would know that there will be no trace of them even if I look back.

Did Meng Shao Jue deliberately block me, or was it perhaps unintentional?

Why would Yuwen Xiu be with Liu Ru Xu?

Yuwen Xiu, Liu Ru Xu. Liu Ru Xu, Yuwen Xiu.

Liu Ru Xu is Meng Shao Jue’s younger cousin, and so? What other information is there on Liu Ru Xu?

Right, Liu Ru Xu has a jade pendant that I find very familiar looking.

……jade pendant?

I can vaguely feel something in my mind crying to leap out, jade pendant, an entire body of hollow areas carved into the jade to form a [female] phoenix, such craftsmanship, extremely exquisite and delicate.

For me to find it so familiar, I’ve seen it before? No, didn’t see it, I……I……

I suddenly feel great shock coming from within, jade pendant, Liu Ru Xu’s jade pendant that I find vaguely familiar to me, it’s not that I’ve seen it, but have heard someone repeatedly describe it in great detail, that person is precisely the one who had took care of the Yun Ze child hostage in the past, Consort Mo……

“Ah-Lan, what are you thinking about?” Ying Lu’s voice pulls me out from my deep thoughts, she brightly smiles as she points at the monkey mask on Imperial Sister’s face, saying: “Take a look at the mask on Fourth Lady’s face, doesn’t it look good?”

Imperial Sister also pulls the mask up and bats her eyes at me, “How is it? Cute, right?”

I’m a little surprised that the two of them had actually gotten along so fast, nodding my head, I go along with them: “Looks nice.”

Ying Lu proudly smiles, “I told you this one’s good, the one you chose before is so ugly.”

Imperial Sister casually grabs a pig face and puts it against Ying Lu’s face, “Yes yes, this one also looks really good for you ah.”

“What is this?”

“Pig.” I watch the two of them have great fun bickering around, just that deep down in my heart, I vaguely get a strange feeling, Ying Lu is linked to Meng Shao Jue, Imperial Sister is linked to Yuwen Xiu, if matters really are like what I’m thinking……then when the time comes, would there still be anyone capable of laughing like this?

Someone stands next to me, Meng Shao Jue lowers his voice, saying: “Young Master – I – grew up eating rice.”

I raise my head to glance at him, not saying a word, like I care if you grew up eating flowers or grew up eating rice, even if you grew up eating chaff, I have no problem with it.

After returning to the palace, Imperial Sister’s mood has brightened up a lot, telling me how witty Meng Shao Jue is, how funny Ying Lu is, how bustling the commoners are, she says with a little dejection: “Ah-Lan, say, why did we have to be born in royalty, should we be ordinary commoners, then there wouldn’t be so many rules, right?”

I of course know where Imperial Sister’s dejection has come from, as Father Emperor’s most doted and most beautiful daughter, Imperial Sister has been known for her elegance, beauty, talents and intellect since a young age, all in all, she is the role model within this palace, within this era, no matter where she goes, she will always be the greatness that everyone chases after and longs for. Just that underlying such perfection, there has always been endurance and self-suppression, Imperial Sister has given up her own liveliness to become a fair lady, what she yearns for but cannot have, is heartfelt laughter and simple happiness.

But Imperial Sister, what you have, could perhaps be someone else’s dreams, what you wish for, could perhaps be easily discarded by others. Rather than yearning for things that you cannot have, why not just cherish what you do have?

Since the ancient times, it is hard to possess all the good.

Not to mention, should you really become a commoner with such beauty, if not held captive by bad men, then you would be seized by corrupt officials, when a time like that comes, it’d be too late for you to even cry.

Imperial Sister and I return to our respective palaces, Xi Xi follows behind me asking about this and that, “Princess, did you enjoying watching the dragon boat race?”

I indifferently say: “It’s alright.”

“Were there many people out there?” She asks again.

“Considerably.”

“Ai~, Princess, I also really wanted to go out and see it ah.” She says with a plaintive expression.

I rest my chin in hand as I look at her, saying: “Xi Xi, Mu Yi became a hero today.”

Xi Xi instantly brightens up, her eyes sparkling, “Ah? There was such thing?”

“En ah.” I nod, “I very pretty young lady fell into the water, then Mu Yi immediately jumped down to save her.”

A dark cloud casts over Xi Xi’s face, “Is that so?”

I shrug, saying in a matter of fact manner, “Of course that isn’t possible.”

Xi Xi lets out a sigh of relief after hearing this, then angrily looks at me, “Princess, you’re toying with this servant.”

I ignore her, speaking on my own accord: “Mu Yi heroically jumping into the water to save a huge group of men, how uninteresting that is, in the novels, usually, it’s always a pretty young lady.”

“Princess, wait until you meet someone you like, you will know, should he save a pretty young lady, just how ‘interesting’ that will be.” Xi Xi says with ill intentions.

I hold up the cup and drink some water, not saying anything in response, so what if I were to like or love someone, that will all be my own problem. To love someone again, and should that person not love you, following the same pattern of torturing you into dying, living again, better dead than alive.

Since it’s like that, it’s better to just not love at all.

When I lay in bed that night, I toss and turn, struggling to sleep, my mind constantly thinking of Meng Shao Jue and Yuwen Xiu, and also Liu Ru Xu’s faces. I remember what Consort Mo had incoherently and repeatedly spoke of back then, was not a [female] phoenix jade, but a [male] phoenix jade. Which also means, what Yuwen Xiu and Liu Ru Xu have is the same pair of jade pendants. Yuwen Xiu has this jade pendant because he is a Yun Ze prince, but what about Liu Ru Xu, and what kind of relation does Liu Ru Xu have with Yun Ze?

Lastly, about Meng Shao Jue, Liu Ru Xu is Meng Shao Jue’s younger cousin, Liu Ru Xu is the younger cousin in the foster care of Meng Shao Jue’s family, Liu Ru Xu being related to Yun Ze, logically, this also means Meng Shao Jue is also related to Yun Ze. Meng Shao Jue is a new and upcoming grain merchant, he and Yuwen Xiu are acquainted because he wishes to take on the business of becoming the army’s food supply, then there’s also something shady going on with the food supplies?

I then think back to the attack on Father Emperor when I was out of the palace, the matter of Yun Zhan being framed, each and every clue is pointing towards the one most likely to frame them – Yun Ze, then the attack this time, has something to do with Yuwen Xiu and also Meng Shao Jue?

The cicadas outside the windows cries with one longer than the other, particularly crisp and clear amongst the silent night, I throw aside my blanket and step out of bed, hatefully saying: “Cry cry cry, once summer comes, you guys just don’t shut up, tomorrow, I’ll have people fry you all to eat!”

I stand there for a while, not feeling sleepy at all, finally deciding to get dressed and go for a stroll outside, my destination being the deserted western side palace.

In the palace, those that like to come out in the middle of the night are a few. I have encountered the flirting little palace maids and eunuchs behind the fake rockery, also encountered consorts and their bodyguards, also witnessed my Father Emperor’s haggard face looking at the moon as he thinks of people of the past (specifically former spouse or friend). Midnight is actually the best time, a time where many ugly and dark matters makes an appearance.

I quietly arrive at the western side palace, it is originally cold and deserted here, after Consort Mo had passed away, it even more so has a gloomy atmosphere, the cicada sounds also weakens once I reach this place, but occasionally there will be a few sounds of a strange cry from something unknown. I stroke my chin, thinking, this place sure is the imperial palace’s most suitable setting for a horror film.

I enter Consort Mo’s room and close the doors, then take out my little oil lamp, inspecting the place, the set up inside here has not gone through much of a change, just that the clothing and belongings that had once been placed around, have all already been taken away. I blow at the table, and as expected, I see the table give rise to a cloud of dust.

Desolation is always accompanied with dust.

I look around this entire room, no matter how I look at it, I just feel that the clues in here should already have been eliminated, but it is in this moment that I happen to spot something.

A small bench that has a pair of footprints.

I immediately squat down to inspect it, oh ho, the footprint isn’t at all small, clearly belonging to a man. Just that when I was wanting to speculate more, I hear some movements from outside the doors, taking the stool, I dodge to the side and hide behind the screen next to the bed, holding my breath, motionless.

Somebody lightly opens the doors and enters, my little heart is sounding “pu-tong” as it beats, feeling a little alarmed. With great difficulty, I hear him make a sound, seeming to be knocking on the wall, I make a careless move of not suppressing my own curiosity as I stick my head out to peek, fortunately that person is knocking on the wall opposite me, I tighten my grip on the stool in my hand, my eyes unblinking as I observe his actions.

That person is dressed in an eunuch costume, steadily stepping onto the little stool, he knocks around on a high area of the wall for a while, finally, I don’t know how but he uses a small knife and pries out a huge square stone. I think to myself, this is the legendary secret compartment ah, secret compartment, f*ck, such a highly situated secret compartment is clearly discriminating against short people ah, so rude.

The eunuch takes something out from the secret compartment, hurriedly stepping down from the stool and placing the thing on the ground, then with one knee on the ground, his back facing me, he constantly shakes his head around, suppressing his excitement as he quietly says: “I found it, I found it, this time I’ve gained great merit!”

I was already unbelievably curious as to what that thing he’s holding is, hearing him say that, I suddenly feel a surge of courage, sneakily stepping out from behind the screen and approach him. I very lightly tiptoe over, that person seems to be so intoxicated in exhilaration, he does not even notice that I am right behind him, I rather mischievously say “hey” from his right side, then when he reflexively turns to look at me, I use my left hand to fiercely swing the stool down at his head.

And then he fainted.

“Happy to share is a kind of great virtue.” I mutter to myself, then look at the fainted eunuch, I say, “Who told you not to share with me?”

I put down the assault weapon and take the thing he dropped, a box. The moment I see the thing inside the box, I freeze, truly a matter of thinking of something and it’ll appear, inside the white cloth, is it not precisely the [male] phoenix jade Consort Mo had spoken of to me? Just as I had wanted to reach out and grab the jade pendant, I see a slightly strange shine from within the cloth, lowering my head for a closer look, I am speechless, who’s so ruthless, to actually hide so many needles within the cloth?

In accordance to the detective dramas I have watched in the past, these needles are definitely poisoned, but because the jade pendant has been placed amongst these needles, I could only take the risk of carefully going for it. And then, in that moment when I put my entire focus on staring at the jade pendant amongst the white cloth, the door behind me is once again opened.

Reality proves, people cannot handle shock.

With one shock and one tremble, one tremble and one carelessness, I get pricked by the needle, then my finger is pained by the prick, I grit my teeth as I turn to look at the person who opened the doors, and towards that person’s face that’s asking to be cursed at, I faint before I could even curse at him.

Before fainting, only one sentence came to mind: Meng Shao Jue you really are so f*cking venomous.