Chapter 21: This Prince Will Kill You!
“Your Majesty, Wan er wants to go to Jade Lake and fish, pleeease?” Once Ye Hongyi set down his wine cup, Yao Mowan grabbed his arm and swung it childishly.
“Fish? Wan er wants to eat fish? We’ll have the kitchen make some.” Ye Hongyi stroked Yao Mowan’s hair. He didn’t seem to feel that Yao Mowan’s words were abrupt or inappropriate at all.
“Wan er doesn’t want to eat fish, Wan er just wants to see what a rainbow fish looks like. Second Older Sister wasn’t able to catch it that day, so Wan er wants to help Second Older Sister catch it!” The more Yao Mowan said, the more excited she got. She jumped up to head to Jade Lake but Ye Hongyi pulled her back into his arms.
“What rainbow fish? Consort Li was lying to you!” Ye Hongyi kept Yao Mowan caged in his arms and gazed at her tenderly. He found it both frustrating and funny that she was so naive.
“Second Older Sister wouldn’t lie!” Yao Mowan pouted.
“Your Majesty… Suluan didn’t lie, Suluan really saw a rainbow fish…” There was nothing Yao Suluan could do but stick to her past words. If she remained silent, it would be silently admitting it.
“Your Majesty, let Mowan go! Mowan’s really good at swimming!” Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Hongyi confidently, but Ye Hongyi was looking towards Yao Suluan sternly.
“Since Consort Li was the one that saw the fish, it’s only natural that Consort Li goes to catch it. So go. If you can’t catch it, don’t bother coming back up!” said Ye Hongyi coldly without giving any grounds for negotiation.
“Imperial Older Brother…” Ye Liyu was about to argue when Yao Suluan stopped him.
“Suluan will go catch it right now! Suluan will definitely be able to catch it!” Yao Suluan was panicking a little. If Ye Liyu spoke up for her, Ye Hongyi’s suspicions would be aroused. Rather than let that happen, it would be better to just jump into Jade Lake and take advantage of this chance to ‘snap out of it.’ At the same time, it’d make Ye Liyu pity her more and attack Yao Mowan on her behalf!
A lot of the consorts and concubines started whispering as Yao Suluan left the pavilion. Most of them felt schadenfreude. After this incident, Ye Liyu wasn’t in the mood to bother Ye Junqing anymore and he was too distracted to even respond to some of Ye Hongyi’s questions. All the delicacies tasted like wax in his mouth.
When they got back to Guan Osprey Palace, Yao Mowan stretched her waist with her arms outstretched. As she was heading back, she saw that Yao Suluan was still swimming in Jade Lake. Even though it was midsummer, the water still got cold at night. It seemed that a small cold was unavoidable.
“You made Consort Li jump into Jade Lake on purpose, didn’t you?” Ye Junqing walked in after her and demanded an answer.
“Heat’s risen to her head. I’m just having her jump down to clear her head, it’s good for her.” Yao Mowan walked slowly to the table and took a sip of the green tea that Ting Yue had prepared.
“Even if Consort Li had wronged you, there’s still no need to torment her this way. No matter what, you’re sisters. Actually…” Before Ye Junqing could finish, Yao Mowan suddenly moved up to him, her eyes flashing with sharp light.
“Mowan’s temper is nowhere as good as Prince’s. Ye Liyu was completely stomping on your face, but you had actually been able to endure it for this long. Mowan must admit respect!” If it weren’t for the fact that Ye Liyu was seriously being too excessive, she wouldn’t have tortured Yao Suluan to get at him. However, she had been surprised to find out that Yao Suluan actually had such a relationship with Ye Liyu. If it weren’t for the fact that Ming Yu had delivered this news last night, she wouldn’t have known what to use against Ye Liyu.
“He… He didn’t use to be like this.” Ye Junqing’s eyes turned dim and filled with unconcealable loneliness.
“That’s because you used to possess control of massive military force and was the country’s great commander! A proverb puts it well: When the tree topples, the monkeys scatter. The wall falls because everyone pushes. Prince has personally experienced it this time!” said Yao Mowan indignantly.
“Perhaps…” For once, Ye Junqing didn’t try to refute. However, this was reality, so there was no point in trying to argue against it.
“Has Prince never thought about trying to regain possession of the troops?” Yao Mowan probed slightly.
“It’s good like this. I don’t need to think about anything and can pass my days leisurely. This is something that many people wish for!” Ye Junqing concealed the disappointment in his eyes as he said this. Since Moxin didn’t like for him to possess troops, he’ll let them go. As long as it would allow Moxin to rest in peace down in the Ninth Spring, everything was worth it.
“Sometimes I really feel like Prince is adorably dumb!” Yao Mowan couldn’t help but shake her head. She subconsciously stroked Ye Junqing’s nose. It was a very casual movement, but Ye Junqing jumped up like his tail had been stepped on.
“What are you doing?” Ye Junqing rubbed his nose hard as he looked at Yao Mowan in alarm.
“I’m expressing my friendliness. Prince doesn’t like it?” Yao Mowan feigned innocence. However, her heart was a mess. That gesture had been instinctive, she hadn’t even thought about doing it.
When she first experience rebirth, she felt that she owed Ye Junqing a lot. But as she interacted with him this days, she found that the feelings buried within her heart were not just guilt. As for what it was, she didn’t dare to delve deep into it because she feared the answer.
“I don’t like it! I really don’t like it!” replied Ye Junqing angrily as he turned away and left like he was running for his life. Yao Mowan’s expression only relaxed when Ye Junqing was out of sight and she wiped at the sweat on her forehead.
“Master, after Ye Liyu left the imperial garden, he headed straight to Pure Flower Palace. When this subordinate was heading back, Yao Suluan had already been pulled out of the lake,” reported Yin Xue.
“Yao Suluan is done with acting dumb now. I got it, you may withdraw.” Yao Mowan nodded slightly, then walked back to her bedroom, feeling a little weary.
Perhaps it was because her action last night had really given Ye Junqing a scare, because the next day, Ye Junqing didn’t show up for breakfast. Instead, Ye Liyu appeared.
“Yao Mowan! You deserve to die!” When Ye Liyu rushed into Guan Osprey Palace with a sword, Ting Yue immediately moved to stop him.
“Transcendental Prince, please calm down. No matter what my master did wrong, you still can’t take her punishment into your own hands in the Inner Palace! If His Majesty found out, he’ll punish you!” Ting Yue hastily tried to dissuade him, but he kicked her to the ground.
Pfff…
Ye Liyu had kicked hard. Ting Yue coughed a mouthful of blood. Yao Mowan’s heart filled with fury when she saw the sharp redness on the ground.
“Wuuwuu… Ting Yue, why are you coughing blood… It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?” Yao Mowan kneeled down next to Ting Yue and rubbed the blood on her clothes and the side of her lips.
“Yao Mowan! You witch! This prince will kill you!” Ye Liyu itched to just tear Yao Mowan to pieces whenever he recalled how Yao Suluan had fainted from choking on water and was now bedridden with a severe fever. Fortunately, Yao Mowan had seen that azure figure right as she was about to call out Yin Xue. She couldn’t let Ye Liyu know of Yin Xue’s existence, otherwise it’d be troublesome.
“Stop right now!” As Ye Liyu’s sword was about to reach Yao Mowan, Ye Junqing’s heart seemed to stop. He was seized with a feeling of such intense fear that he couldn’t even breathe. He threw out a bodhi jade without any hesitation. The jade broke when it made contact with the blade, but Ye Liyu’s hands went numb and he dropped the sword.
“Ye Liyu! What are you doing!? Mowan, are you alright?” Ye Junqing rushed to Yao Mowan’s side and helped her up with both hands. When he saw the blood on her clothes and near her lips, his eyes turned ice cold and his heart filled with rage.
“Ye Junqing! Who do you think you are to block this prince’s path? Scram! This prince must kill this witch today!” Ye Liyu picked up the sword and made to stab Yao Mowan again.
__________ Credits: Translated by Chiyomira
