Chapter 53: Sweet Words Like the Reflection of the Moon
Ye Zixiao ah, this consort has already burned all boats to bet everything on you. You want to turn back? It's already too late. As for Duan Zirou, she really had to die.
When Yao Suluan's thoughts got here, she subconsciously glanced back and found that Ling Yun was already gone. The bloodstain on the ground was a ghastly sight.
"How is it? Isn't it very in defiance of the natural order?" After leaving the willow forest outside of Pure Flowers Palace, Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with an excited expression. Beneath her eyelashes, her eyes sparkled like stars.
Even though Yao Suluan and Ye Zixiao hadn't had a complete falling out, if they wanted to continue collaborating, they had to first deal with the issue of Duan Zirou and Duan Zirou just happened to be the very source of their conflict. So for the time being, neither of them would be making any big moves. Although this play was a little long, it would definitely be entertaining.
"Yao Suluan is seriously daring! How could she do something this shameless!? I really don't understand why Moxin would've thought that she was gentle and virtuous!" Ye Junqing was still outraged by what he saw.
Yao Mowan's heart abruptly tightened. That's right, she had seriously been blind to have missed how treacherous and cunning Yao Suluan was.
"This won't do. This prince must report this to His Majesty!" declared Ye Junqing fiercely. Just as he was about to turn around, Yao Mowan spoke.
"When did Prince become so loyal to His Majesty? You're even fretting over his trifling family matters for him?" When Ye Junqing heard the ridicule in Yao Mowan's tone, he immediately turned around to refute.
"How is this a trifling matter? Ye Zixiao and Yao Suluan are having an affair! This is the crime of deceiving the monarch!"
"What does their crimes have to do with Prince? And why should Prince travel this path of muddy water? Even if you inform His Majesty of this, His Majesty wouldn't feel grateful to you in the least. Instead, people with ulterior motives will say that you're harboring unfathomable motives and trying to ruin the relationship between His Majesty and the luminescent prince in order to make a comeback. Even me, who knows the whole truth, feels like Prince is just meddling too much in other people's affairs," analyzed Yao Mowan concisely as she slowly continued walking.
Ye Junqing took a moment to think about it, then felt that Yao Mowan was really right.
"So you don't plan to expose them in front of His Majesty?" asked Ye Junqing.
"Of course!"
"Then why were you eavesdropping? This prince's legs are still numb from that…" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan with slight annoyance.
"There's nothing to do, so of course I have to find some form of entertainment!" replied Yao Mowan.
"Do you think that this prince would believe that? From what this prince knows about you, you're the type that wouldn't bother to get up and do anything even at the threat of death if there was no benefit to you. You couldn't be trying to get some money out of this, right?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in sudden realization. Back then she had spent five hundred thousand taels of gold to buy Linxi. Five hundred thousand taels ah! Even the national treasure only has a few five hundred thousand taels!
"That's actually a pretty good idea. Why didn't Mowan think of that? Prince sure is intelligent!" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing as she sighed this praise.
"You're flattering me. I'm nowhere as intelligent as you!" Although Yao Mowan's expression was sincere, in Ye Junqing's eyes, the word sincere seemed a million miles away from that face.
That night, when Ye Zixiao appeared in Pure Flowers Palace, Yao Suluan was in the middle of combing her hair.
"Does it still hurt?" Ye Zixiao walked over to Yao Suluan's side with soft steps and gently stroked her slightly swollen cheek.
"I wouldn't dare. How could the slap that Prince bestowed possibly hurt?" replied Yao Suluan with a cold smile.
"The situation was complicated so that was all this prince could do. Isn't this prince here to apologize now? Beauty, if you're angry, just slap this prince to vent your anger, alright?" Ye Zixiao's appearance cause the trepidation in Yao Suluan's heart to settle. His presence here showed that he still desired the throne.
"Forget it, it was also Suluan's fault for being too hasty. If it weren't for the fact that Luminescent Princess was about to expose us in front of His Majesty, Suluan wouldn't have had Ling Yun attack either. However, through this, at least Suluan finally understands that it's Luminescent Princess that's the most important in Prince's heart. It's fortunate that Suluan has never sought too much, otherwise Suluan would've been so disappointed." Yao Suluan restrained the vicious currents in her eyes and casually set down the comb to get up and turn towards Ye Zixiao.
"In this prince's heart, it's the throne that's the most important. The woman that can help this prince obtain that throne is the woman that is most important to this prince." Ye Zixiao has never been stingy with his unrealistic sweet words that were like the reflection of the moon in the lake.
"Don't worry, Beauty, this prince has already arranged everything. There's just one thing this prince doesn't understand. We've been very careful to keep this matter secret, so how did Zirou find out?" This was Ye Zixiao's true motive in coming here. He knew that Zirou only entered the palace a handful of times each month, so normally there was no way she'd find out his involvement with Yao Suluan. Someone had definitely told her about it. If they didn't find the person behind this, it'd be hard for them to make any more moves.
"Suluan had also been thinking about this after Prince left. Prince, do you still remember that Noble Lady Duan had visited Pure Flowers Palace a couple days ago?" Yao Suluan held Ye Zixiao's hand and walked to the bed as she undid her waist belt.
"I remember. You mean… The problem lies with Duan Xiaoyan?" asked Ye Zixiao.
"That's right. When Duan Xiaoyan entered Pure Flowers Palace, she was wearing a distinctive fragrance. That perfume wasn't made in the imperial palace, so it was probably a gift from the luminescent princess. That night when Prince visited Suluan, the fragrance must have stuck on you, which aroused Luminescent Princess's suspicions. Now that I think about it, it was probably just a coincidence." Yao Suluan took off her garments and gently stroked Ye Zixiao's collar.
In reality, after Ye Zixiao left, Yao Suluan had sent people to investigate Yao Mowan's movements after Ye Zixiao left yesterday and found out that Yao Mowan had visited Intoxicating Fragrance Residence that day, so she had no doubt that this was Yao Mowan's doing. However, she didn't tell Ye Zixiao about this because she was worried that Ye Zixiao would abandon her and choose to collaborate with Yao Mowan instead if he found out that Yao Mowan wasn't a fool. If that actually happened, it would be too late for regrets.
Yao Suluan didn't mind the fact that Yao Mowan knew about her involvement with Ye Zixiao. Right now, her most important task was to find someone to get rid of Duan Zirou!
Meanwhile, Li Qingqing had barely ran off with Wu Zicheng for ten days before they were captured by Yao Zhenting. When Li Qingqing and Wu Zicheng returned to the imperial city, they found out that Wu Residence had been exterminated due to a groundless crime and all the members of Li Residence had been imprisoned by Yao Zhenting.
Inside Guan Osprey Palace, Yao Mowan was currently discussing the matter of women and money with Ye Junqing.
"In reality, if Prince has need for it, you really can visit Harmony Pleasure Quarters. Although it's a little pricy, the ladies are very beautiful. If Prince is in financial straits, Mowan can lend you some money. How's ten thousand taels? Enough?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing in total earnest as she suggested this.
"This prince has no need, and this prince doesn't need money either!" Ye Junqing kept his head down and ate, refusing to look at Yao Mowan. He had already explained himself very clearly, why wasn't it getting through to her!?
Right at this time, Liu Xing walked in respectfully.
"Reporting, Your Highness, news has come from the prime minister's residence that the lord has already caught Li Qingqing and Wu Zicheng brought them back to the residence."
"What about Boan?" Yao Mowan looked towards Liu Xing with her brows lifted.
"By the time they were found, the child was already no longer with them," replied Liu Xing.
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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira
