The Beloved Imperial Consort - Chapter 64
“You’re neither residential guards nor women. Then you are,” the corners of Mu Xi Yao’s lips curled up. Full of interest, she looked at the opposite side, “The Flying Guillotine?”
The six men who were about to take action instantly froze. Momentarily, they were all stunned inside.
How did this woman learn about the secret of the The Flying Guillotine? Was it because she had an unusual identity or the sixth Highness already knew?
The brows of their leader were tightly knitted. He stared at Mu Xi Yao who was surrounded by a relaxed and leisure air, being very wary of her. Just as he was contemplating whether he should stop the operation and quickly go back to report to his superior, he heard that woman speak up again.
“Are Hua Meis who were sent back to you a few days ago to your satisfaction?” The zither note she played was slow. The sound made people’s hair stand on end in the spacious and empty hall.
The men clad in black couldn’t keep calm anymore. Sweat started to ooze from their foreheads.
This woman surely wasn’t the favored consort in the inner yard. She was even familiar with such an important matter of the prince’s estate. Her identity was certainly dreadful.
Previously, he has heard the news that Yuancheng Emperor governed a branch of secret guards that were usually well-hidden. They undertook only big cases and have never failed.
Could it be this woman’s background was connected to it? As he was alarmed and unsettled, intending to retreat, he saw the woman on the opposite side slowly get up.
“Since you aren’t fond of tea and, in addition, sir does not like zither music, how about going to the estate and have a talk with qie?” As she finished, her pair of beautiful eyes stared straight at the visitors, a smile engaging her face.
Seeing that circumstances were not in their favor, the men clad in black immediately wanted to flee. However, as soon as they made a step, their whole body became paralyzed, losing their strength in a flash. They didn’t even manage to crack the poison pill in their mouth.
Mu Xi Yao looked at the four silhouettes that subsequently came down from the beam. She has accurately found out the secret guards from their estate. Her beautiful eyes blinked. She had then, with a face full of sympathy, waved a silk fabric before their faces.
After waiting for another moment, she extinguished incense in the burner and called Mo Lan inside.
Mo Lan had set only one foot inside and, already, she couldn’t refrain herself from crying in alarm when she entered. Her head felt dizzy as she looked at the men clad in black attire on the floor who have appeared out of blue. Then, she looked at her master who stood intact in the hall. She even reached out her tiptoe to kick a bit the man sprawled on the floor.
When Wei Zhen burst in, he just happened to catch sight of Mo Lan pulling at mistress Yao who was kicking people. There were men clad in black chaotically lying on the floor with disbelieving expressions and two secret guards who were in the middle of getting up.
“Get out the poisonous pill from their mouth and plug it. Afterward, tie them up and bring them back to the palace.” Mu Xi Yao conveniently pointed at Wei Zhen.
Mu Xi Yao took along with her the still jabbering Mo Lan. With a cheerful mood, she went down and picked the little bun. She waited for Wei Zhen to tidy up everything as she watched the bustling crowd at the river bank.
As the great Wei commander listened to the secret guards’ incoherent report, he was utterly confused.
This was mistress Yao’s doing? What were The Flying Guillotine and Hua Mei the secret guards spoke about? Furthermore, the men clad in black collapsed as soon as they heard the zither mistress Yao played??
Wei Zhen felt like he has picked up a hot potato. He better take the person back to his Highness. It would be for the best. As for that legendary brilliant mistress Yao, it was not in his abilities to manage her.
When Zhong Zheng Lin received the news in the study, Mu Xi Yao has already coaxed the little bun to sleep. Currently, she lied in the Shuangyan pool, immersing herself in a warm bath.
Listening to the secret guards’ and Wei Zheng’s report, Zhong Zheng Lin’s brows knitted into a tight frown. His finger stroked the leaf vein bookmark, remaining silent.
All the signs indicated that Mu Xi Yao was long prepared. She actually has made herself a bait and even brought along his son?? A dangerous glint flashed through Zhong Zheng Lin’s eyes.
There was also The Flying Guillotine and Hua Mei she spoke about. These were clearly the forces he was currently investigating. Unfortunately, his secret guards were in the midst of probing the code names, yet his cefei, on the contrary, was actually quite capable and could accurately call their names without thinking.
How did Mu Xi Yao learn about Zhong Zheng Chun’s secrets? Could it be there was something peculiar about her identity? In addition, there was her ability to distinguish poisons and the way to use them. From where did she learn it?
Zhong Zheng Lin looked at the secret report in his hand that was presented to him in the past. In them, Mu Xi Yao’s family background and growth experience were both abnormally clean. There was simply nothing that would support her today’s doing. Not to mention her reaction that made people raise their eyebrows. She was a woman from the inner yard, yet she displayed no fear and acted so logically and cool-headed when facing a matter of life and death.
Zhong Zheng Lin caressed the bookmark for the last time. He then put it back on the book page and closed the book. He thought that the most important thing now was to deal with those assassins.
He ordered Yan Cheng Zhou to take down the people and interrogate them. Zhong Zheng Lin quietly sat in the study and contemplated for the whole night. On the next day, he summoned Di Wu Yi Zhao. After a secret discussion, the two of them wrote the result of the investigation and the cause of the incident into the memorial. It was just they have completely erased traces of Mu Xi Yao’s involvement, replacing her with the estate’s guard.
After reading the memorial, Yuancheng Emperor dispatched people to collect the evidence from the sixth prince’s estate. When they came back to the palace, they submitted two special tokens, tattoo design and the remnant of poison used by the culprits when he committed “suicide”.
This incident concerned a serious crime of the assassination of the imperial family member. Therefore, Yuancheng Emperor paid special attention to this matter. He dispatched the secret guard to turn over the whole Shengjin. Ultimately, in the suburbs of Shengjin, they’ve captured ten something people with tattoo imprint, among them were even two women.
Under the Ministry of Justice’s torture, only two of them couldn’t stand the integration and have confessed. The rest of the people would rather die than submit.
Yuancheng Emperor, watching the two blindly implicating the crown prince without elaborating, immediately broke into a rage. He ordered to have all ten people beheaded in the middle of the street. Afterward, he rebuked angrily in the court that the one behind this case had an ambition of wild wolves1. Later, an official statement was issued which ordered all the criminals with the flying guillotine tattoo in Great Wei and its borders to be arrested.
After this incident, Yuancheng Emperor even more strictly monitored each imperial prince’s forces. Especially the first prince Zhong Zheng Chun who was the most suspicious. Although there wasn’t definite proof, the secret guard has scouted out that there was a remnant of the same poison’s prescription in a private house. After investigation, it was discovered that the deed of that property belonged to a female household member of one of Zhong Zheng Chun’s subordinate official.
The first prince was summoned to the doorway of Yuancheng Emperor’s study. There was no chide. He merely threw at him a title deed, leaving him kneeling on the steps by himself till he passed out.
Mu Xi Yao didn’t care about the rumor that Zhong Zheng Chun has incurred the wrath of the Emperor at all. She currently worried that Zhong Zheng Lin won’t be able to process it all.
The sixth prince, since receiving Wei Zhen’s report, hasn’t come to rest in Danruo courtyard for three consecutive days. He didn’t even go to see his son, Cheng Qing. It seems that he was at odds with her.
Mu Xi Yao looked at the plum forest outside the window. Her beautiful brows creased into a frown. It was easy to compete for the favor. However, there was no shortcut to gaining trust. What’s more, this time, she did it too clean. Based on Zhong Zheng Lin’s suspicious nature, she will likely have to wait for some time before that man could let go of his stubbornness.
This operation was her biggest sincerity toward Zhong Zheng Lin. Just, it was unbeknownst to her whether he could throw away his suspiciousness of a monarch and make an equal return.
Since being treated coldly by Yuancheng Emperor, the first prince Zhong Zheng Chun hasn’t been in the study for three days. He has drowned his sorrows in alcohol all day long. His temper was violent and prone to rage. Even the advisors in the estate avoided him.
It was the appearance of the noble consort’s father, duke of An Guo, that has finally pacified his restless mood. Upon hearing foolish things Zhong Zheng Lin has done, duke of An Guo closed his eyes and said nothing. He was actually very wary of Mu cefei mentioned by his grandson.
He didn’t know much about the flying guillotine or Hua Mei. However, to be able to make Zhong Zheng Chun’s people gone forever overnight, he clearly has fallen to the other person’s trap. If the sixth Highness has detected some clues and set up this death trap then it still wasn’t that bad. However, if that woman had such resourcefulness then it was far from good.
Zhong Zheng Lin was already experienced and knowledgeable, a real poker face. A few years ago, he’s acquired an extremely outstanding advisor – Di Wu Yi Zhao. He was already like a tiger that has grown wings2. If he also got a woman who was equal to a tactician to oversee the inner yard now, the sixth prince’s estate would be like a city that was protected by a wall of metal and a moat of boiling water3. It would be difficult for them to destabilize.
As duke of An Guo looked at his disappointing grandson, he could only sigh at the bottom of his heart. Heaven didn’t treat well House of Li for having such rude and unresourceful offspring. The future outlook of An Guo House was worrying.
These days, even the crown prince was disliked by his Imperial Majesty. His Majesty has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction over the crown prince’s errands in the Ministry of Revenue. This sixth Highness indeed stood out too much. If they don’t suppress him as soon as possible, once he establishes his powers it will be too late for them to regret.
Since they couldn’t confront him openly, the inner yard, on the contrary, was well worth to try. Merely, they needed to grasp the timing well. Apparently, it wasn’t far from the sixth Highness’s grand wedding. It was truly like a godsend opportunity.
Duke of An Guo had a secret conversation with Zhong Zheng Chun. Afterward, the first prince reorganized flags and drums4 and has even progressed a little compared to before.
Translation notes:
[1] An ambition of wild wolves is a Chinese idiom meaning rapacious designs
[2] Like a tiger that has grown wings is a Chinese idiom meaning with redoubled power
[3] A city that was protected by a wall of metal and a moat of boiling water is a Chinese idiom meaning well fortified; invulnerable to attack
[4] Reorganized flags and drums is a Chinese idiom meaning to regroup after a setback; to prepare for new initiatives; to attempt a comeback
