Chapter 192: CH 131

With the sun setting in the distance, Yui Zhi’s prince, Na Lan Xue, along with his attendant Yue Po and a maidservant was in a carriage, riding back to Yi Pavillion. The pavillion wasn’t too large. It consisted of a small courtyard, in the middle of which had a rock garden surrounded by a few planted trees.

Alighting the carriage, Na Lan Xue slowly headed inside the pavilion. As he passed by the rock garden, he could no longer suppress the surging pain in his chest and ended up holding one of the rocks for support as he gasped for breath.

Leaning against the rock, Yue Po sighed and lightly said, “You really have no concern for your own life. Your wounds have yet to heal yet you insist on moving about!”

Na Lan Xue shot him a glance and coldly said, “You sure had enough fun today!” He then furrowed his brows and proceeded up the winding stairs and entered a room on the second floor.

Tailing behind Na Lan Xue, Yue Po pouted. “It was quite fun but not enough. Though I do feel things are getting quite interesting, aii….”  He suddenly sighed and stroked his face with his hand. Narcasistically, he said, “The first time I reveal my face I didn’t expect such a stunned reaction from everyone. My good looks are truly one of a kind!”

Upon hearing this, the maidservant who has carrying a candle let out a laugh and carelessly blew out the flames. “Yue Po shouted, “Very well, Yue Po you actually dare laugh at me?”

The maidservant named Yue Po smiled til her eyes were like two crescent moons.  “Prince, this servant can’t help it.”

“Yue Po, your name is very good. As punishment, this prince shall use your name for a few days!”

“Then what name should this servant use?” the maidservant asked with a smile as she re-lit the candle.

“You….” Yue Po contemplated for a moment then pointed at the burning candle and said, “Your name shall be A Zhu( candle). It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? It’s decided then, you can quickly withdraw!”

With a disgruntled expression on her face, the maidservant reluctantly withdrew.

Sitting on the bed, prince Na Lan Xue slowly removed his mask to reveal his beautiful features. However, his complexion was quite pale as if he was drained of blood.

“Luo, I just wanted to vent some of your anger in your stead. I had no intentions of killing that eunuch but I didn’t expect so many people wanted to do the same. It seems that eunuch has no way to live,” said the attendant Yue Po who was the real prince Na Lan Xue.

Sitting on the bed right now was Ji Feng Li with the identity of Rong Luo. Beneath the candlelight, his face appeared quite emaciated. His lips were white as snow and his deep eyes were void of emotion. Yet he carried an air of gentility that was hard to ignore.

translations at peachblossomgrove . com

“You think Huangfu Wu Shuang detained him in Nei Cheng Yuan to kill him?”asked Ji Feng Li.

Na Lan Xue frowned, then laughed and said, “So Huangfu Wu Shuang is also fond of him.”

Ji Feng Li indifferently said, “Whether he is or isn’t,  it has nothing to do with me.”

Na Lan Xue raised a brow. Beneath the faint candlelight, the cinnabar mark on his forehead was all the more charming. “You don’t intend to go save him? After all, you used to….”

Ji Feng Li indifferently said, “That’s all in the past!” His voice was cold as the breeze blowing across a snow-capped mountain in the middle of winter.

***

Nei Cheng Yuan could be considered a familiar place. After all, Hua Zhu Yu was there just last summer. The head official there was still Zhou Quan. When he stepped out and saw her, he said, “Since you are here, you are no longer a supervising eunuch. You are now a prisoner. Once you step inside, I shall no longer pay respect. Here are the shackles, please wear them.”

Such familiar words, Hua Zhu Yu thought. She slowly extended her hands out to let the prison guards handcuff her. Last year, when Huangfu Wu Shuang came he was also handcuffed, don’t mention a small eunuch like herself.

Through the pitch-black corridor, she entered a dark cell. It was the same cell as the last time she was here. She wasn’t afraid but she felt guilty to have involved Dan Hong. Men and women had to be separated and they were speculated to have been involved so they were imprisoned separately. Hua Zhu Yu did not know how Dan Hong was faring in her prison cell.

Hua Zhu Yu went over and laid down on the haystack, closing her eyes to sleep. After a long, busy day, Hua Zhu Yu was thoroughly exhausted. Moreover, these days she hadn’t been sleeping well. Now that she’s imprisoned, she didn’t need to wait on Huangfu Wu Shuang so she could finally relax a bit.

Very quickly, she dozed off and dreamt of her past. She dreamt of those difficult times she had to endure during training, the very first time she picked up a sword and had to wield it, and the first time she stepped upon the battlefield….

The prison was so cold that Hua Zhu Yu was startled awake. But at this moment, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

The footsteps were quiet and steady, it clearly did not belong to intruders.

Hua Zhu Yu sighed and the cell door opened. There was a big lantern that illuminated the whole cell. The sudden brightness made Hua Zhu Yu stretch out her hand to protect her eyes. After adjusting to the light, she realized it was Huangfu Wu Shuang. He was dressed in plain clothes standing at her cell door.

She knew he would come, after all this matter had to be sorted out. But she didn’t think he would visit in the middle of the night like this.

Huangfu Wu Shuang looked at Hua Zhu Yu lying on the stack of hay and instructed, “Jixiang, give the order to flog Zhou Quan 50 times!” His voice was cold and domineering.

Jixiang was startled. To be flogged 50 times was no different than being beaten to death. But when he took a quick glance at the humble furnishing within the prison cell, he knew how Zhou Quan had offended Huangfu Wu Shuang. Looking at Huangfu Wu Shuang’s furious face, Jixiang could only go to carry out the order.

“All of you withdraw!” Huangfu Wu Shuang order. A few experts tailing behind him placed their lanterns along the walls of the cell and quietly retreated without a sound and closed the door.

Huangfu Wu Shuang went over to Hua Zhu Yu and crouched down on his knees. With a smile, he said, “Xiao Bao Er, I missed you to death.” When Hua Zhu Yu looked up, Huangfu Wu Shuang was very close to her, close enough to see her reflection in his eyes clearly.

She blinked unhappily. With a forced smile, she asked. “Your Majesty, don’t you doubt I’m a fake eunuch?”

“Xiao Bao Er, imprisoning you here is only temporary. After a while, proof that you’re a real eunuch will be released and so will you,” Huangfu Wu Shuang said.

“So to speak, Your Majesty also thinks Xiao Bao Er is a fake eunuch?” Hua Zhu Yu pressed.

“Whether you are a eunuch or not, it doesn’t matter to me. Xiao Bao Er, don’t move, you have a straw in your hair.” Huangfu Wu Shuang suddenly reached out towards her hairbun. “This Zhou Quan’s eyes are truly just for decoration, it seems I must teach him a lesson!”

“This servant is a prisoner, Zhou Quan did nothing wrong. This servant can do it,” Hua Zhu Yu said and leaned back.

“Don’t move.” Huangfu Wu Shuang withdrew his hand and Hua Zhu Yu could feel her bun loosening. She looked down and saw that in Huangfu Wu Shuang’s hand wasn’t a piece of straw but her hair clasp.

Her hair descended, reaching her hips. The dark, long locks accentuated her fair face and clear eyes. After a moment of shock, Hua Zhu Yu could only smile indifferently. It turned out, Huangfu Wu Shuang had doubted her. Perhaps from the moment he entered this cell, he was already thinking of ways to remove her hair clasp.

“You were suspicious after all,” she slowly remarked as she leaned against the wall.

Huangfu Wu Shuang’s eyes were fixated on Hua Zhu Yu. It was as if no matter how long he looked, it wasn’t enough.

Before him was a pair of eyes that were radiant and moving, skin that was fair along with thin, pink lips.  Why, why did he think she was a man!

“Xiao Bao Er, you’re really a woman? Really a woman?” He said incredulously. He smiled happily full of excitement. He was beaming as if there was a light in his heart. He was like a pauper who had suddenly picked up a treasure. His unexpected joy was clearly evident. His handsome face appeared even more wholesome and innocent with such a big smile.

He couldn’t help but reach out his hand to lift up her chin. Hua Zhu Yu tilted her head to avoid his touch.

Huangfu Wu Shuang’s smile faltered and he said somewhat dispirited, “Xiao Bao Er…”

“Why did you suspect I was a woman?” Hua Zhu Yu asked.

Huangfu Wu Shuang replied, “I sent people to take Song Zhao Yi’s pulse to see how far along in her pregnancy she was. But unexpectedly….she’s not pregnant at all. So I suspected the one taking the fetus nurturing medication must be you.”

“So you had soon known that was medication for the fetus.” Hua Zhu Yu coldly stated.

The smile on his lips suddenly froze, Huangfu Wu Shuang slightly lowered his head like a child who knew he had made a mistake. “Xiao Bao Er, I…I knew, but I didn’t know you were using it. I thought…”

“You thought Song Zhao Yi was pregnant, you thought she was pregnant with the former emperor’s child so you poisoned the Blood Lotus! But Wu Shuang ah, what did you tell me in the beginning, you said you would let Emperor Kang off. Yet you weren’t willing to let off his child!”

Huangfu Wu Shuang avoided her gaze as he lowered his head. “Xiao Bao Er, in regards to this matter I was wrong. In the future, I will listen to you on everything! I won’t harm anyone!”

What? Listen to her on everything?

Hua Zhu Yu silently scoffed. She look at Wu Shuang and as if he could read her thoughts, he smiled back at her.

It seems since birth Huangfu Wu Shuang had the talent of getting away with things by flashing his beautiful smile. His smile was clearly poisonous, but people couldn’t help but be poisoned by him.

“Wu Shuang, let me go,” Hua Zhu Yu said. She couldn’t continue on as a eunuch now. She had to leave the palace, leave immediately.

“No!” He said rather overbearingly. His hands slammed against the wall behind her as he moved closer. Sensing her intentions to employ her internal force, he gritted his teeth and hugged her tightly. “You, you really want to leave me? Xiao Bao Er, you’ve been by my side for so long, is your heart not moved in the slightest?”

His warm breath fluttered by her ear as he spoke the words in his heart.

Hua Zhu Yu’s face instantly paled.

It turned out… Huangfu Wu Shuang treats her…..

She tried to push him away only to suddenly realized his immense strength. Pressed against his chest, she sighed. She knew Huangfu Wu SHuang wasn’t as simple as he appeared but at this moment she realized his martial skills were not as weak as it appeared on the surface.

For some reason, she felt inexplicably cold.

“Xiao Bao Er, you’re destined to be mine!” he claimed overbearingly. His head slightly inclined and he took advantage of the opportunity to claim her lips.

Hua Zhu Yu coldly narrowed her eyes and employed her internal force. She slammed her hand against his chest and he was pushed back, striking against the wall of the cell.

Wiping away the blood at the corner of his lips, Huangfu Wu Shuang slowly got up.