“Oh? A surprise for me? I’m looking forward to it,” Jin Mo smiled like a gentle spring breeze.
Feng Qingyin stepped back, covering her nose as hot blood trickled down. Wiping away the blood, she glared at the disheveled person before her, feeling wronged.
She was heartless for sneaking into the palace to become the empress without a word! Did she know the pain he endured searching for her day and night? His heart sank further with each place he searched, only to discover she had become a royal consort in the inner palace.
“Little Yinyin?” I was stunned, tears gushed down, and I leaped into his embrace, crying silently.
“Ling’er…” Feng Qingyin was momentarily taken aback, but his heart softened. The impulse to scold her vanished, leaving only a sense of satisfaction.
“Hmm… Little Yinyin, why did you only come now?” I whined, nestled on his shoulder, desperately absorbing his warmth.
“You still say, if you hadn’t run away without a word, how could I have…” He stopped mid-sentence. After the storm, there’s always a rainbow; seeing her again made all the hardship worthwhile. Those crazy days were no longer important, right?
Sensing his unfinished words, I tilted my face up to study him: Though still in the same blue robe with a gentle smile, his gaunt face and bloodshot eyes revealed the toll of his struggles. I could imagine the scene after a long search when he finally learned of my whereabouts and prepared himself. How could such a sight not break one’s heart?
Tiptoeing, I pressed my lips against his.
Suddenly realizing something was wrong, I said, “Shouldn’t border garrison troops be sent out? Why are the imperial city’s elite troops being transferred?” Cold sweat followed my words.
There were only two elite troops in the imperial city – one was the palace’s forbidden guard, the other my father’s iron army…
Swallowing hard, my voice trembled: “No… go tell my father, don’t agree! Quickly!” I tried to push him outside. Jin Mo’s move was too vicious! This was no longer just a battle against frontier tribes! If not stopped soon, the imperial city would be transformed drastically!
“It’s already too late.” Feng Qingyin’s words chilled me to the bone.
Standing in a daze, my heart raced at the thought of Jin Mo’s deviousness surrounding the tea leaf incident, the pretext for sending troops, and the looming threat of court bloodshed. I collapsed to the ground, realizing the absurdity of the situation: I had only taken some expired tea leaves.
Now, the once harmless Jin Mo had transformed from a little white rabbit into a big bad wolf.
I cried in Feng Qingyin’s arms, expressing my despair over my father’s stubbornness. Despite my pleas for him to resign, he insisted he was innocent and believed the Emperor would recognize his loyalty. But Jin Mo had long held a grudge against him.
“It’s okay; we’ll kidnap Uncle Shi and escape together,” Feng Qingyin suggested, but her lack of experience made her plan naïve.
“Do you think Father will join us? I’m afraid he’ll choose to face his fate instead.” My heartache had left me numb, but my thoughts were slowly coming together.
“Then… perhaps we should talk to Jin Mo?” Feng Qingyin began, then hesitated, realizing the futility of such an attempt.
Yet her words sparked my own thoughts.
Since there’s no hope with father, we’ll break through from Jin Mo’s side! We absolutely cannot sit and wait for death!
Action follows thought. I stood up: “Little Qingqing, let’s go talk to Jin Mo!” If that doesn’t work, I’ll beat him until he agrees to spare my father! An evil laugh escaped as I raised my fist to display my muscle. Those twelve years at Phoenix Mountain were no joke!
Surrounded by maids and eunuchs, I arrived at Jin Mo’s Dragon Brilliance Palace. I cleared everyone away, pulled Little Qingqing, and charged toward Jin Mo’s inner chambers.
Jin Mo gradually regained consciousness, opening his eyes to find himself tightly bound on the bed, with his upper body clothing mysteriously gone.
“Little Mo Mo~” I stood five steps away, waving a handkerchief at him.
Jin Mo trembled, goosebumps spreading across his skin.
“I heard you borrowed troops from our father?” I took a step forward, casting a flirtatious glance. Then I pressed my eyes, damn it, even winking caused a cramp!
“You… what do you want?” His voice trembled.
“I don’t want anything, just want you to spare my father!” I quickly darted to his side, looking at him pleadingly.
Jin Mo stared wide-eyed at the woman blinking and winking at him, moving closer and sitting beside him. This was blatant intimidation! Every hair on Jin Mo’s body stood on end, red spots gradually appearing on his arms. If not for the last remnant of rationality, he would have burst into tears.
I rubbed my still-twitching eye. At a critical moment, how could I cramp up? Checking his pants, thankfully, nothing else was scared out.
Jin Mo shook even more violently, the bed creaking audibly. Women were indeed terrifying creatures!
Seeing him near his panic threshold, I chuckled: “So, agree to spare my father, and I’ll stop harassing you, okay?”
Jin Mo instinctively retorted: “Not a chance!”
“Hmm? Okay then… I’m so sleepy… Mo Mo, let me use you as a pillow?” I yawned, preparing to flop onto him.
“Ah—you, stay away from me!!” Jin Mo twisted his body desperately, but his bound hands and feet prevented movement.
“Hey, you won’t agree~~ How about sparing my father!” I suddenly brought my face close.
“Fine fine, just don’t come near!” Red spots had spread to Jin Mo’s face.
“What’s this?” I curiously reached out to touch; it looked like a rash. Jin Mo breaks out in a rash when a woman gets too close? So that’s it—psychological reaction causing an allergic response.
At my proximity, Jin Mo rolled his eyes and passed out again.
What else do you want!
Jin Mo tightly pulled the blanket over himself, resembling a small, frightened creature. He hoped she wouldn’t come any closer, as the rash on his body hadn’t subsided yet, and another incident would drive him crazy.
“Jin Mo, be good~ I’m here to check on you~” I said with a mischievous laugh. If he continued to feign illness, our father wouldn’t be pleased.
“No, no, no need for the Empress to worry…” Jin Mo shrank back towards the dragon bed. “Ah—”
I leaped forward and caught him as he fell off the bed.
The formerly quiet imperial palace soon heard an extraordinary high-pitched voice belonging to their young Emperor.
Inside the Longying Palace, palace maids gasped, exchanging suspicious glances.
“No—ah, no!!” Their noble and brave Emperor struggled desperately.
“Hehe, be good, listen.” The beautiful Empress laughed, a hint of wicked glee in her tone.
“Woo— what do you want?” The Emperor’s voice turned tearful.
“Don’t move!” A slap echoed on his back. Oh no, the Empress had laid her claws on him! Poor Emperor, his eighteen-year-old chastity might not survive this.
“Ah— it hurts! What are you doing!” The Emperor roared, seemingly ready to resist.
“Why are you yelling? If pinching doesn’t work, I’ll try another method.” The Empress clearly had sadistic tendencies, actually pinching the Emperor! Should someone rush in to rescue him?
To go or not to go, that is the question.
“What is this? Are you going to use this? Heavens! No!” Poor Emperor, tormented by another tactic. No wonder the Empress takes three days off after each visit; surviving this ordeal would be a miracle.
“Stop moving! Don’t you know how difficult you’re making it for me to aim?” The Empress is formidable.
Another round of crying and struggling ensued.
“Phew, that’s enough for today. I’ll come every morning from now on.” The eunuchs and palace maids were shocked; the Empress is truly ruthless! Coming every day?
