Volume 2 Chapter 97
Chapter 97: You're Too Naive
"An Bingshan, pass down the command to assign thirty guards to keep watch around Pure Flowers Palace. Without our decree, no one is allowed to approach!" Ye Hongyi bellowed this command before flinging his sleeves back and leaving angrily.
Once Ye Hongyi left, An Bingshan followed his instructions and transferred guards over to keep Yao Suluan imprisoned in Pure Flowers Palace. Ming Yu took advantage of this chance to ask An Bingshan to transfer her out of this position. Yao Suluan would definitely hold a grudge against her after this incident, so leaving was the best choice.
That night, Ye Hongyi kept his promise and had a banquet at Splendid Veneer Palace to celebrate Wang Qinruo's work.
The moment he stepped into Splendid Veneer Palace, he was met by an elegant, refreshing fragrance that seemed to soothe his very soul. It was like standing in a sea of flowers, the fragrance was soft and irresistibly enticing.
"This subject wife Qinruo kowtows in salute to Your Majesty." A soft pleasant voice greeted him. Wang Qinruo had dressed herself especially carefully for tonight.
She was wearing a faint pink upper garment that was paired with a soft emerald green skirt that showed off her delicate waist. The jade belt around her waist complemented the cloud sea design of her skirt and her hair was done up in the graceful flying fairy style and adorned with a jade phoenix hairpin. As she spoke, the tassels on the hairpin swayed slightly, further emphasizing her delicate beauty.
"My dear consort, please rise…" Ye Hongyi stepped forward to help Wang Qinruo up. The instant he made contact with her skin, he felt its flawless softness distinctly. It was fair with faint pink, even more perfect that the skin of girls in the prime of youth and that faint fragrance her body emitted made people feel the uncontrollable desire to get closer.
"Your Majesty…" When Wang Qinruo sensed the scorching heat in Ye Hongyi's eyes, she pressed her lips together slightly and bashfully lowered her eyes as she blushed.
"Beloved consort, you smell so nice!" Ye Hongyi didn't ask how this was achieved and just pulled Wang Qinruo gently into his arms to enjoy the faint fragrance coming from her.
"Your Majesty, this subject wife will pour some wine for you." Wang Qinruo lifted the wine jar with her slender fingers to pour Ye Hongyi a cup.
"How long has it been since we've eaten together? My dear consort, you've truly made a great contribution this time in ferreting out Yao Suluan secret contact. This is the fruit wine we had the imperial kitchen specially prepare, we're sure that you'll like it." As Ye Hongyi spoke, he lifted the slender-neck wine pot and personally poured a cup for Wang Qinruo.
"Your Highness…" Huo Feng abruptly stepped forward with a concerned expression when she saw Wang Qinruo lift the cup.
"Huo Feng, there's nothing else for you to do here, so withdraw." Wang Qinruo glanced over coldly at Huo Feng. Huo Feng still wanted to step forward, but when she saw that Wang Qinruo's gaze was becoming even colder, she suppressed her urge and backed away again. However, she refused to leave the main hall. If anything happened to Master, even if it was at the price of her life, she would make Ye Hongyi pay for it with his life!
"Come! Let us toast!" Ye Hongyi was in a great mood and immediately lifted his cup while looking towards Wang Qinruo happily.
It was a festive dinner and both of them drank heartily during the entire course of it all. The banquet only ended when Ye Hongyi's intoxicated eyes started shining with faint desire.
"Your Majesty, you've gotten drunk. This subject wife will call Eunuch An in to help you back." Wang Qinruo reached over to help up Ye Hongyi who was lying on the chair as she said this bashfully. However, her heart was filled with anticipation and longing.
"Help us back? Beloved consort, do you really want us to leave?" Ye Hongyi looked over hazily as he lifted Wang Qinruo's chin and abruptly kissed her. It was such a sudden and fierce kiss that Wang Qinruo was completely caught off guard.
"Mmph…" Wang Qinruo stood there, dumbstruck, allowing Ye Hongyi to take what he desired. Her heart pounded uncontrollably. As Ye Hongyi's kiss intensified, Wang Qinruo felt her limbs going weak.
"Beloved consort, you smell so good…" said Ye Hongyi softly. He tilted his head to kiss Wang Qinruo's ears as he impatiently ripped off her garments. When he saw that the two large words in front of Wang Qinruo's chest had turned into two blood-colored roses, he felt his lower body react intensely. He lifted Wang Qinruo in a princess hold and strode towards the bedroom.
Ye Hongyi didn't even kick the door close, so Huo Feng only snapped out of her daze when she started hearing suggestive sounds come from the bedroom. She had never imagined that things would turn out this way. The situation had turned out completely different from what she had been prepared for.
In Guan Osprey Palace, Yao Mowan exhibited no surprise when she heard what Huo Feng said.
"So you came to ask this consort to share imperial favor with Consort Shu?" As Yao Mowan looked at Huo Feng, her heart ached slightly. Wang Qinruo had definitely accumulated several lifetimes of fortune to obtain such a great servant.
"Since Your Highness doesn't care about imperial favor, please just grant my master's wish. It's rare that His Majesty didn't try to kill Master and was even willing to stay in Splendid Veneer Palace. My master has waited over twenty years for this and she has finally obtained what she desired after all these years of effort. Huo Feng begs Your Highness to allow them to be together!" As Huo Feng spoke, she knelt down in front of Yao Mowan.
"Do you really think that Ye Hongyi would let your master off?" Yao Mowan slowly got up and reached out to help Huo Feng up.
"With things like this, how could Huo Feng not believe?" Back then when she saw her master drink that cup of fruit wine, she had already resolved herself to face an outcome of certain death. However, thankfully it had been a false alarm.
"In reality, His Majesty had only put Yao Suluan under house arrest in Pure Flowers Palace. You can probably guess what this means." Yao Mowan knew that this plan wouldn't cause Yao Suluan's death and furthermore, she had no intention of letting Yao Suluan die.
"His Majesty… He suspects that Xiao Shunzi isn't the real contact?" Huo Feng looked towards Yao Mowan in realization.
"Did you really think that everything would be fine if we just got a random person to use as scapegoat? His Majesty has placed Yao Suluan under house arrest for three days. After three days, if news spread regarding Eldest Sister's death, then that means Xiao Shunzi isn't the person His Majesty is looking for." Yao Mowan nodded slightly.
"Then what do we do? If His Majesty finds out that Xiao Shunzi is a fake, then he'll definitely take his anger out on Master! What do I do? Even though His Majesty has finally started to like Master!" Huo Feng looked towards Yao Mowan in panic. The severity of the situation had finally gotten through to her.
"Huo Feng, have you become muddled too after following Consort Shu for too long? You should know even better than this consort what His Majesty is like. His Majesty hadn't spared Consort Shu due to benevolence. He's waiting. Three days later, if there really isn't any news, he'll make his final decision! If there is no more value in keeping Consort Shu around, do you think he would hold off due to one night of passion?" Yao Mowan shook her head and sighed as she looked towards Huo Feng. She had been Ye Hongyi's wife for seven years and had even given birth to a son for him, but how had she ended up?
"But…" Huo Feng looked towards Yao Mowan, bewildered. She really didn't know what to do.
"After three days, if news really starts to spread, it'd be best if you take Consort Shu and leave," said Yao Mowan.
"Without His Majesty, Master will lose all interest in living…" said Huo Feng, her expression conflicted.
This three day wait was difficult for everyone. However, Wang Qinruo was the only who was waiting with both fear and anticipation.
Inside Splendid Veneer Palace, Wang Qinruo was sitting in front of the mirror and looking rapaciously at the beautiful face reflected back at her as her lips curved in a slight smile. His Majesty had stayed the night in Splendid Veneer Palace for two nights in a row. The events that she had never dared to hope for had happened. The bitterness was finally over and the sweetness was here. She had finally entered His Majesty's eyes.
"Your Highness, An Bingshan came earlier and said that His Majesty would be coming a little later." Wang Qinruo only snapped out of her daydreams when Huo Feng walked over to speak to her.
"Then what about dinner? Did His Majesty say that he would be having dinner in Splendid Veneer Palace?" Qinruo lifted her brows as she looked over, her eyes bright. Huo Feng could see that in this moment, her master was truly happy.
"No. An Bingshan said that His Majesty would be coming after having dinner… Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered for Yao Suluan to be placed under house arrest. He's clearly skeptical of whether or not Xiao Shunzi is really the person we're trying to find. Your Highness, have you ever considered what would happen if it turned out that Xiao Shunzi wasn't the right person… His Majesty…" Huo Feng looked towards Wang Qinruo worriedly.
__________Credits: Translated by Chiyomira
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