《Beloved Empress》


 Prologue

    <h4>Prologue</h4>


    Huachen country, Yongsheng year two, spring.


    While the emperor was out of the pce on an inspection among the people, the Empress took advantage to have an affair with another man in the viewing tower. The Emperor was turned into a cuckold, the whole pce thundered.


    Upstairs in the viewing tower¡¯s bedroom, the sounds of an enthralled female voice delicately panting mixed with a male¡¯s rough and heavy gasps, carried from the big dragon and phoenix carved bed. Messy clothes were tossed before the bed.


    ¡°Bang!¡± The bedroom door was kicked open, and a cold handsome man walked in.


    Reflected in his eyes was the sight of two bodies tangled together. Seeing this, even if Jun Qian Che could normally control himself very well, he was still unable to conceal his shock and indignation this time.


    The man on top of the empress saw the situation, picked up the clothes from the ground, and jumped out of the window to escape. His speed was astonishingly quick, not letting people see his appearance.


    The guards pursued immediately.


    Shocked, the empress immediately ran out of bed, knelt in front of Jun Qian Che, and holding the hem of his clothes, looked up at him. The stunning face, that could cause the downfall of a nation, was flushed red. The beautiful eyes were sluggish, bright and stirring. The body was only covered by undergarments, the hair was disheveled.


    As such a scene fell into Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes, how could he suppress his anger.


    This same empress, that had kept on proiming her love for him, actually did such a shameless thing with another man in broad daylight.


    His tightly clenched fists made cracking sounds.


    ¡°Your Majesty, listen to my exnation.¡± The empress pleaded.


    Jun Qian Che crouched down, looking at her. One hand mped around her neck. He was furious: ¡°Slut, you always go around rampant, rude and unreasonable, jealous, not even close to the appearance of a country¡¯s mother. We have been indulging you, yet you did such a shameful thing today. Truly wretched.¡±


    The strength of his hand unconsciously increased.


    The empress found it difficult to breathe, unable to make a sound. She felt like she was dying.


    Her maid, Ban Xiang, knelt on the ground, pleading on behalf of her master: ¡°Your Majesty, please spare the Empress!¡±


    Jun Qian Che didn¡¯t let go, the strength in his hand continued to increase. Watching the empress¡¯plexion turn redder, watching her unable to breathe, looking at her pained expression, he was very clear, she would soon lose her life. After her death, he could still use this matter to ce the guilt on Duke Zhen, and deal a fatal blow on the Mo family.


    But when the empress was about to die, Jun Qian Che suddenly shoved her away and got up to leave. Walking out of the bedroom, he coldly ordered: ¡°Whoever dares to say a thing about today, kill without pardon.¡±


    Everyone promptly knelt on the floor in fear.


    The empress immediately rushed out to chase after him: ¡°Your Majesty, listen to my exnation-¡°


    ¡°Empress.¡± She was blocked in front of the door by someone dressed in white, pure like a fairy.


    The empress saw who stopped her, and cursed in anger: ¡°Yang Shihan, you slut, you seduced the emperor, driving a wedge between me and him. I¡¯ll destroy your face today, see whether you can still confuse the emperor afterwards.¡± The empress grabbed the white clothed woman¡¯s hair, while her other hand reached for the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°Empress, don¡¯t-¡°


    The two women were struggling upstairs.


    In a blink of an eye, the two wrestling females suddenly fell from the ten meter high viewing tower.


    Jun Qian Che, who had already gotten out of the tower, heard the screams of the pcedies and turned around. Jumping up, he caught the rapidly falling white clothed woman.


    But the empress plunged to the ground, looked towards Jun Qian Che, and smiled with a touch of despair. Her heart thoroughly dead, she slowly closed her eyes.


    ¡°Empress-¡± Ban Xiang ran down, and fell to the empress¡¯ side, weeping bitterly.


    Notes: I¡¯ll be substituting a lot of terms with simple personal pronouns. I¡¯ll use ¡®We, Us¡¯ for the emperor. Third sister-inw, second elder cousin from the father¡¯s line, etc, all such things will be personal pronouns as well... Ah, my soul is crying. Sorry for butchering you, Chinese familial rtions, orz.


    Sometimes I use <i>empress</i>, and sometimes <i>Empress</i>. The capitalized version is a substitute for <i>empress niang niang</i>, when people are calling her. I won¡¯t bother exining all the painfulnguage butchering I¡¯ll be doing in the future. Just keep in mind there¡¯s a horrible loss of information going on. A whole lot of nuance and the politeness aspect will also be lost. But at least it will be easy to read.


    I¡¯ve started on a new novel, heh. I¡¯m tranting as I read, so there¡¯s my incentive... The synopsis somehow drew me in (I¡¯m extremely petty and love revenge themes). I¡¯ll be switching between the two novels whenever I need a break from one.


    The tower is really just a building with more than one floor. It¡¯s called a <i>lou</i>and I had no better trantion. <i>Storied building</i> sounds too heavy. Here¡¯s a photo as an example.

 Chapter 1

    <h4>001: Crossed over for real</h4>


    Five dayster, in the Phoenix pce, inside the Empress¡¯ bedroom, a cool breeze was blowing in through the window, raising the pink muslin curtains.


    A person with a worried look was standing in front of the copper mirror with a dragon and phoenix carvings.


    For three days since she had woken up, Mo Qiqi couldn¡¯t believe she had crossed over after merely sitting on the toilet.


    Her name was still the same, but the lil¡¯ sis inside the mirror actually had a different appearance: exquisite, delicate, peerless grace, too different from her own sweet and lovely face. Had she really crossed over? Pinching her face: ¡°Ouch!¡±


    ¡°Boohoo, Empress, are you alright?¡± Seeing her master¡¯s unusual behavior, Ban Xiang cried anxiously.


    Mo Qiqi had someints ready, but just as she wanted to loudly burst into tears, she heard the sounds of coordinated weepinging from outside.


    The next second, she saw a pack of gorgeously dressed beauties walking towards her, crying like little birds.


    Mo Qiqi asked Ban Xiang: ¡°What is this? Beauty contest?¡± Since she didn¡¯t have this body¡¯s memories, she didn¡¯t know anyone here.


    ¡°Empress, these are the harem¡¯s concubines!¡± Ban Xiang nced at her worriedly. Ever since the empress woke up, there were many things she couldn¡¯t remember, as if it was a different person.


    Mo Qiqi straightened up her body and looked at the numerous beauties.


    Seeing her, the beauties started crying even louder, almost blowing off the roof.


    Mo Qiqi got annoyed by their crying, and with all the arrogance of an empress, angrily scolded them: ¡°Very good, not sleeping thiste at night, buting here to wail like mourners, I¡¯m still not dead, okay!¡±


    A beauty dressed in a yellow dress said: ¡°Empress, could it be you still don¡¯t know! His Majesty is giving a banquet in Evermerry pce. He wants to confer a title tody Yang, making her a senior concubine. Many officials have gone to congratte him.¡±


    When she heard this, Mo Qiqi shook her head in disapproval: ¡°That¡¯s a happy asion! Why are you all crying? I was wondering who died!¡±


    The crowd of concubines suddenly ceased their crying. Peeking at each other, they started discussing in puzzled whispers: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Normally, whenever the empress hears about His Majesty and Yang Shihan being together, she would fly into a rage. Today she heard His Majesty wanted to confer Yang Shihan a title, and she¡¯s actually this tranquil. Don¡¯t tell me she turned stupid from the fall?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Everyone nodded.


    Dan Xiang was panting with rage: ¡°Yang Shihan, that little slut actually wants to be a senior concubine.¡±


    Mo Qiqi felt like there was something wrong about this. Why was everyone so against this Yang Shihan person? Could this person be adyboy? Or maybe a man?


    She was suddenly very curious about how this body¡¯s owner had died. Three days had passed since she¡¯d crossed over, but besides being in a daze during those three days, she was at a loss, incredulous. She didn¡¯t do anything! Hoping this was a dream and once she woke up, she¡¯d be back in the modern world. But now it looked like she had to face reality. First hang onto her poor life, then figure out a method to go back.


    Leaning close to Ban Xiang, she asked in a low voice: ¡°Ban Xiang, let me ask you, why was I injured and in aa?¡± Wasn¡¯t the previous owner an empress? Who would dare hurt her? Could it be that in order to marry that Yang Shihan person, the emperor schemed against the empress!


    Ban Xiang hesitated. About what happened that day, the emperor had forbidden anything from being said. Thus, she didn¡¯t dare tell the truth to the empress.


    She had no choice but to huff indignantly: ¡°It¡¯s all because of that slut Yang Shihan causing trouble. She had nothing better to do, but went and seduced His Majesty right after she entered the pce, making him fascinated with her, and causing you to get angry all the time.


    Five days ago, you were having a conversation with her in the viewing tower. In the end, that slut deliberately infuriated you, so you started to fight with each other. As a result, both of you fell down from the tower at the same time. Then His Majesty came, but, but His Majesty actually saved that little slut, while you, Empress-¡°


    Ban Xiang strongly breathed in, preparing to turn on the waterworks.


    Seeing her state, Mo Qiqi immediately shouted to stop her: ¡°Alright, stop talking, I got it.¡± Could it be, the previous owner got married to a scummy, heartless man? Hell, if she could go back home, the first thing she would do would be to go and find her own heartless man, beat him up and kick his balls so hard, they¡¯d never be able to drop back down.


    ¡°Empress, don¡¯t be sad, His Majesty is only temporarily bewitched by that fox. His Majesty¡¯s heart will sooner orter return to you. Right now, the top priority is to prevent that fox from entering the pce.¡± The concubines hurriedly incited Mo Qiqi to go and make a disturbance.


    Mo Qiqi smiled with disdain: These concubines are taking me for a fool! It seems like they often made good use of the previous owner!


    Mo Qiqi walked to the phoenix seat and sat down. Looking at these women fighting for a man¡¯s favor, she found it truly ridiculous.


    However, since she had taken over this body for the time being, she had to know, just what was this scummy husband¡¯s name!


    Reaching out to call Ban Xiang over, she asked: ¡°What is the emperor called?¡±


    Ban Xiang replied in a low voice: ¡°His Majesty¡¯s name is Jun Qian Che.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mo Qiqi roared, causing Ban Xiang to tremble in fear and the concubines to stare at her rmed.


    Mo Qiqi spoke to herself: Don¡¯t tell me that scumbag crossed over like me? Good, excellent, this great aunty¡¯s huge enmity has finally found an outlet. See whether I¡¯ll castrate him or not.


    ¡°Ban Xiang, go prepare a dagger.¡± Mo Qiqi narrowed her beautiful eyes, her smile hiding a touch of brutality.


    Ban Xiang was confused: ¡°Empress, what do you want a dagger for?¡±


    ¡°To look for the scumbag.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other: ¡°Scumbag?¡± They didn¡¯t understand the meaning.


    Mo Qiqi exined impatiently: ¡°To look for His Majesty.¡±


    The concubines¡¯ eyes sparkled happily, thinking their instigation was effective.


    Ban Xiang promptly tried to extinguish her master¡¯s fire: ¡°Empress, you can¡¯t bring a sharp weapon when you meet His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Stop with the nonsense, go prepare it quickly.¡± Mo Qiqi snapped back.


    The concubines immediately joined in: ¡°The Empress made you go prepare, you should prepare it at once. A servant girl shouldn¡¯t make so much idle talk.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, go prepare.¡±


    Frightened, Ban Xiang didn¡¯t dare retort again, and immediately went to fetch a dagger.


    Once Mo Qiqi got the dagger, she smiled sinisterly, hid it in her sleeve, and looked at the concubines as she said: ¡°Fellow sisters, lead the way! We¡¯ll go congratte His Majesty.¡± Weren¡¯t the pcedies supposed to bring two flower wreaths as a congrattory gift? Ah, forget it, since she¡¯d just arrived, she shouldn¡¯t make such a big fuss.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>002: Intoxicated with the king¡¯s chest</h4>


    The Festive pce was bustling with noise and excitement, filled with singing and dancing.


    Emperor Jun Qian Che was sitting on the dragon chair, quiet and reserved like the breeze at dawn. His pair of eyes were sharp like unsheathed swords, radiant, yet emitting an elusive darkness, wrapped in a shroud of mystery.


    His refined looks,bined with his proud, arrogant, and domineering countenance, resembled a thousand year old ice. Looking at him could prate one¡¯s heart with the cold.


    Thin lips outlined a grim arc, naturally domineering, just right for a monarch ruling over the world. Making people afraid to look at him directly, yet feel like they should all crawl beneath his feet. Even his physique was impable, absolutely the type of man who could wipe out a maiden¡¯s heart within a second.


    Sitting by his side was a woman dressed in white. Like a lotus flower blooming, she was delicate and pure. This was precisely the leadingdy of the day. The one who had just been conferred the rank of senior consort (guifei), Yang Shihan.


    Following a resounding announcement, the empress led the flock of concubines inside the Festive pce.


    As soon as the various ministers saw her, they started discussing among themselves: ¡°Why did the Empresse?¡±


    ¡°The empress is disposed to jealousy, unreasonable and overbearing. His Majesty suddenly made Miss Yang a senior consort, how could the empress let it pass? She¡¯se to seek trouble with His Majesty!¡±


    Listening to their discussions, Mo Qiqi thought to herself: It seems like the previous owner has offended too many people, huh! The image of a nation¡¯s mother has been obliterated from everyone¡¯s minds long ago!


    Mo Qiqi walked to the center of the pce hall and knelt down to salute: ¡°Greeting His Majesty.¡±


    The concubines followed suit, giving their salutations.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s icy eyes swept over the kneeling Mo Qiqi¡¯s face, and unexpectedly got up to go over there. With a valiant tall figure and an imposing manner, he exuded an oppressive aura that didn¡¯t let people look down on him.


    A pair of ck boots with embroidered dragons appeared before Mo Qiqi¡¯s eyes. One look at the patterns was enough to reveal that person¡¯s identity. No one besides the emperor would dare have the graceful dragon embroidered anywhere on his outfit. In the past, she had only seen such things in the old tombs and had never expected she¡¯d get to see them in the flesh one day.


    Jade-like fingers uncontrobly reached out to the finely sewn dragons on the boots, as she clicked her tongue in praise on the inside: This workmanship really is the best.


    A little higher, she traced the fine dragon robes made of silk. The fine silk was yellow-colored, the dragon was stitched using a gold thread, the pattern was separated in 12 sections. Although it was a casual attire, it was still iparably refined. The embroidered dragon almost looked alive. It could make even a modern personment that the present was inferior to the past!


    Mo Qiqi¡¯s pair of small hands kept fondling Jun Qian Che¡¯s chest, her expression looking possessed. Then she pasted her small face onto the dragon robe to feel the cloth. She waspletely enamored with it: Toofortable.


    But to the spectators, it looked like the Empress was disying her affection. The hunger and thirst were too much, so she urgently needed to entice His Majesty to sate her lust!


    The officials shook their heads and heaved a deep sigh: ¡°Shameless, where does she look like a nation¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Too unrestrained, disgraceful!¡±


    Mo Qiqi was currently immersed in the pleasant texture of the imperial robe.


    A gloomy voice resounded from above her head, deep yet cold, like a thousand year old ice: ¡°Are you this lonely?¡±


    All of a sudden, the small hands was tightly gripped, almost causing Mo Qiqi to cry out in pain.


    When his cial voice entered her ears, it made each cell in Mo Qiqi¡¯s body fill with dread. Lifting up her head in rm, she was met with the sight of a top level, majorly cool bro. Compared to him, those male models and idols could never reach his dashingly handsome looks. Especially that domineering noble aura of the highest quality, nobody could evene close to imitating.


    But this... This was not the Jun Qian Che that she knew. The Jun Qian Che she knew looked like a warm gentleman with a schrly appearance, his voice was also mild. Heavens! It almost turned into a wrongful execution.


    However, even if he wasn¡¯t that Jun Qian Che she knew, he was still equally heartless and even scummier than the other Jun Qian Che. Just look at the previous body owner¡¯s tragic death and you¡¯d know. Watching on unfeelingly as his own wife plunged to death, yet rescuing the mistress, gosh! So vicious and ruthless, as only a monarch could turn out to be. Ruthless scumbag monarch, first ce in scumminess. As her impression of him greatly plummeted, that name got even more detestable. Could it be all men with that name were scum?


    Lowering her head, she snatched back her hands from his grasp and knelt on the floor again. The resentment in her pupils was smoothly hidden away. Her left hand reached out to firmly p her disobedient right hand. Groping that scumbag, damn this great aunty¡¯s bad habit.


    Looking up once more to face the ice-cold man, sheughed and said: ¡°Hehe, Your Majesty, this is my upational disease, please excuse me.¡± She was an archeologist back home. Spending all day long in ancient tombs digging up antiques made her blood boil with excitement. Now that she had the genuine goods before her eyes, how could she hold back the impulse to inspect them!


    ¡°We can see you¡¯re insane. What did youe here to do?¡± An icy voice filled with strong displeasure scared everyone till they didn¡¯t dare to breath heavily.


    Mo Qiqi immediately put on a graceful and dignified expression: ¡°Your Majesty, today is your happy day. I¡¯ve led the numerous little sisters here to congratte you. Congrattions, Your Majesty, enjoy the beauty.¡± Her manner changed so suddenly, the concubines were stunned, staring at her nkly.


    Jun Qian Che evidently also hadn¡¯t expected that. He looked her in the eyes as he asked coldly: ¡°You came to congratte?¡±


    Mo Qiqi spoke with a iparably sincere smile: ¡°Yes, I¡¯vee to congratte Your Majesty wholeheartedly. Wishing Your Majesty and little sister Yang conjugal love, blissfully growing old together, marital harmony, early pregnancy-¡°


    ¡°Good, get up now!¡± Jun Qian Che interrupted her somewhat impatiently.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Interrupting when others spoke, no manners.


    Ban Xiang promptly stepped forward to help her master up.


    ¡°ng!¡± A sound startled everyone in the pce hall. One by one, their lines of sight fell onto the dagger on the floor.


    Seeing this, the concubines smiledcently.


    Mo Qiqi had the urge to knock herself out. How could she forget about the dagger in her sleeve! Bringing a sharp weapon to a meeting with the emperor, and in front of all the officials, that was simply inviting death! Her brain went to work full speed.


    Notes: I suddenly felt cold reading this chapter. I wonder why...


    Okay, even to me Evermerry pce sounded too ridiculous, so I changed to Festive pce. At least that¡¯s a word...

 Chapter 3

    <h4>003: In Unison</h4>


    Seeing this, Yang Shihan immediately panicked in front of the emperor, ming herself: ¡°Empress, it¡¯s my fault, I provoked you before. If you¡¯re angry, kill me! You definitely shouldn¡¯t do such a muddled thing like assassinating His Majesty.¡±


    Mo Qiqi was startled. This white lotus was more like a hidden scorpion ¨C stinging people without revealing its body! This was trapping her to death.


    Jun Qian Che pulled Yang Shihan behind his back and stared at Mo Qiqi waiting for her exnation.


    The corners of Yang Shihan¡¯s mouth shed with a self-satisfied smile, because she understood Mo Qiqi so well. She was arrogant and willful, and didn¡¯t know what patience meant. Her words would surely make her fly into a rage, infuriating the emperor in front of all the officials, and getting in trouble. This time, the emperor would certainly abandon her.


    But this time, Yang Shihan was doomed to be disappointed.


    They only saw Mo Qiqi kneeling again, picking up the dagger from the ground.


    Yang Shihan held onto Jun Qian Che¡¯s arm anxiously: ¡°Your Majesty, be careful!¡±


    The officials also got nervous.


    Jun Qian Che was actually calm andposed, both hands folded at his back, looking at Mo Qiqi. He wanted to see just what kind of an unreasonable thing she would do today.


    But the next second, Mo Qiqi¡¯s response made everyone dumbfounded.


    Mo Qiqi looked up at Jun Qian Che, squeezing out two drops of tears, ming herself in deepest remorse: ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯vee today not only to congratte, but also to admit my mistakes. I shouldn¡¯t have envied sister Yang for obtaining Your Majesty¡¯s favor before, shouldn¡¯t have prevented Your Majesty from letting sister Yang enter the pce, and shouldn¡¯t have lost a nation¡¯s motherposure with sister Yang in the viewing tower. All those are my sins, I¡¯vemitted a heinous crime, but also asking Your Majesty to punish.¡± She presented the dagger with both hands, clearly letting Jun Qian Che judge her crimes.


    Hmph! She achieved enlightenment this way,ing clean in front of all these officials, she didn¡¯t believe he was able to punish her, unless he threw away the image of a country¡¯s ruler. She was convinced there didn¡¯t exist a monarch, who would disregard his own reputation for the sake of a woman.


    Mo Qiqi¡¯s promations astonished Yang Shihan to no end.


    Jun Qian Che also found it very unexpected. Walking back to sit on the dragon chair, he asked in a cold voice: ¡°Did you truly acknowledge your mistakes?¡±


    His impression of Mo Qiqi was that she always pushed the me onto others, she was always right. Even in front of the emperor she remained overbearing. From the concubines in the harem, to the pcedies, there was nobody who didn¡¯t hate her. Therefore, he never had a good impression of her. Her behavior today was really out of his expectations.


    Mo Qiqi looked up at Jun Qian Che, saying earnestly and sincerely: ¡°I truly acknowledge my mistakes. I was gravely wrong, beyond reason. I¡¯m regretting so much my head hurts.¡± Her hand rose to intentionally touch the wound on her head, as she put on a pained appearance. Actually, the pain was in her knees due to the kneeling.


    ¡°Your injury has not yet healed, you can get up first.¡± Jun Qian Che coldly showed mercy.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Finally, she could stop the act. She stood up in a hurry.


    Yang Shihan saw things weren¡¯t developing in the direction she expected, so she immediately adjusted her strategy, arriving at the emperor¡¯s side all delicate and charming: ¡°Your Majesty, everything is my fault. That day I shouldn¡¯t have told the Empress that Your Majesty wants to confer me a rank, then the Empress wouldn¡¯t have been harmed falling from that high building.¡±


    Mo Qiqi was cursing on the inside: This damn white lotus, this is purposely reminding Jun Qian Che and all the officials that the empress was jealous! You don¡¯t know I can be just as petty. You want to act in a y, let this big sis apany you, see whose skill is better.


    ¡°Sister Yang, you can¡¯t me yourself. Although I fell because you pushed me, I¡¯m really not ming you, little sister, it was because the spot I was standing at wasn¡¯t good.¡±


    Everyone listening was mind-blown. Yang Shihan¡¯s pure and holy image in their hearts was shattered.


    Yang Shihan was rmed, breaking out in cold sweat. ¡°Empress, I-¡°


    ¡°Sister Yang, you don¡¯t need to say anything, I understand your heart belongs to His Majesty. You and His Majesty are a perfect match, perfectly suited for each other. I should have been assisting you, but had actually blocked you, so you hated me and did that in your confusion. I understand.


    ¡°After I fell, my mind sobered up. I¡¯ll no longer stop you and His Majesty from being together. Since it concerns your sentiments, I should help this beautiful thing.¡± It had to be known that in the harem whoever was favored was public enemy number one. Since Yang Shihan volunteered to take the spot, she¡¯d happily help her out. She still had to investigate how to go back! There was no free time to y around with this group of women.


    Her words once again shocked Jun Qian Che. ¡°Empress, you really consent to let Shihan enter the pce?¡±


    ¡°I do. The Emperor is revered, should have 3000 beauties. I was wrong before, but I¡¯vee to my senses. From now on I¡¯ll be in unison with Your Majesty, whatever Your Majesty thinks will be my thoughts. As long as there¡¯s a woman Your Majesty likes, she can enter the harem, the more the better.¡± Best if you died of exhaustion. You stud horse, I wish you¡¯d dry up and die on the dragon bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare that the Empress is so virtuous, I¡¯m deeply gratified.¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s speech was as ice-cold as before, andpletely monotone.


    ¡°Later, I¡¯ll certainly change for the better. I¡¯ll strive to be a virtuous empress that can satisfy Your Majesty. I won¡¯t disturb Your Majesty and sister Yang¡¯s good mood any longer, I¡¯m going to retire.¡± She straightened up and turned around to take her leave immediately. Dignified and graceful, yet resolute, she didn¡¯t give anyone the opportunity to detain her.


    Jun Qian Che looked at Mo Qiqi¡¯s back as she departed, feeling an inexplicable sense of loss. Tonight, she was quite strange. So strange, he could hardly recognize her.

 Chapter 4

    <h4>004: Staying over at Phoenix pce</h4>


    Back in Phoenix pce, Mo Qiqi immediately ordered Ban Xiang to prepare water for her. She had to wash her hands well. Thinking how these hands had touched that scummy guy a moment ago, and how they were even grasped by him, she was too disgusted.


    Half an hourter, one could see a dozen copper basins arranged in the Empress¡¯ bedroom, as Mo Qiqi put her all in washing her small fair hands. She had used the water in all dozen basins, yet she still felt her hands were filthy. Quite disgusting.


    At this point, a figure entered the pce and stopped behind Mo Qiqi.


    However, she was washing her hands with single-minded devotion and didn¡¯t realize anything. While washing, she said: ¡°Ban Xiang, bring me two more basins, as well as some soap powder. Thinking how these hands were touched by Jun Qian Che, I really ha-¡± Turning around to look at Ban Xiang, she found the person standing behind her was actually Jun Qian Chen. She got so startled, her legs went soft, almost toppling over.


    Jun Qian Che reached out to seize her slender waist, and gently pulled her into his chest. Their bodies were closely stuck together, as he looked at her with his deep, icy eyes, asking coldly: ¡°Thinking of these hands that were touched by Us, you really what?¡±


    I really hate it so much I could die! But Mo Qiqi didn¡¯t have the guts to say that now. Grinning unnaturally, she said: ¡°I really ha...ve touched an Idol! Too lucky. He he-¡± She pushed him away, creating some distance between them.


    Jun Qian Che sized her up, then passed by her and sat down at the table.


    Mo Qiqi immediately copied him to sit down as well. Watching him with a smile, she said: ¡°Your Majesty, tonight is the big night for you and sister Yang. Coming here to me is not very nice!¡±


    Jun Qian Che looked at her and asked: ¡°Are you in a hurry to send Us off?¡±


    Humph humph! I¡¯ll gratefully see you out.


    ¡°He he, no way, no way. How would I dare to rush Your Majesty. This whole harem belongs to Your Majesty, Your Majesty can go wherever you please. I¡¯m only worried that sister Yang will misunderstand.¡± What is this scumbag trying to do tonight? Even if his mood was fickle, this was simply too quick! He¡¯d just gotten a wife today, and he was already treating her coldly?


    ¡°Shihan is far more generous than you.¡± Jun Qian Che spoke in a chilly voice.


    Mo Qiqi continued to smile: ¡°Right, right, right, or Your Majesty wouldn¡¯t have married her! Your Majesty, why are you looking for me then?¡± The scumbag and the white lotus, what a perfect match!


    ¡°We know that letting Shihan enter the pce makes you unhappy, but you should also be clear, this harem can¡¯t possibly have only you inside. As you are the empress, you must learn generosity.¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s expression was tranquil without any fluctuations, but his words contained a trace of reproach.


    Mo Qiqi immediately raised her right hand, saying with an earnest face: ¡°Your Majesty, the heavens bear my witness, you letting sister Yang enter the pce doesn¡¯t make me the least bit unhappy, for sure. I swear to god, if there¡¯s any unhappiness in my heart, let me be struck by lightning.¡±


    Jun Qian Che red at her annoyed, and smiled mockingly as he said: ¡°After that day, you actually became much more generous.¡±


    That day? Oh! The day the previous owner and Yang Shihan both fell down from the viewing tower, humph! You have the cheek to mention it.


    ¡°He he, I narrowly escaped death, how would I dare not be generous. After that, I will not only be generous, but also virtuous, and I¡¯ll even get rid of my jealousy defect. I¡¯ll definitely be a good empress to the satisfaction of Your Majesty.¡± This great aunty is not like the previous owner who loved you, there¡¯s only disgust, avoid! Therefore, aplishing these things is too easy.


    But Jun Qian Che wasn¡¯t moved by those words, on the contrary, he was somewhat displeased as he couldn¡¯t help but think of the man on that day. Unfortunately, that person had fled too quickly and they had failed to capture him. Anger arouse in his heart, and he suddenly reached out to grip her chin, warning her coldly: ¡°If you dare to do that kind of thing again, I¡¯ll make you wish you were dead.¡±


    That kind of thing? What thing? Her being jealous?


    ¡°He he, You Majesty can feel relieved, I¡¯ve definitely turned over a new leaf, I¡¯m a different person now.¡±


    Jun Qian Che stared at her for a few second, then loosened his grip.


    Mo Qiqi¡¯s scared little heart was thumping away. This Jun Qian Che¡¯s mood was really unstable. She was speaking so nicely, yet had nearly lost her poor life. When she peeked at his expression a moment ago, it looked as if someone had cheated on him. She had to find a way back home as soon as possible. Hanging around such a person, her poor life could fly away at any time!


    ¡°Um, Your Majesty, it¡¯ste. Don¡¯t make sister Yang wait too long. The wedding night is very precious, you should cherish it well.¡± O Great One! Could you go already? This great aunty¡¯s temple is too small, unable to steam you, this huge bun. If you want to jump someone, just look for your senior consort Yang, she¡¯s still waiting to do the nasty with you!


    ¡®Senior consort Yang¡¯, hearing it gave her a femme fatale impression, like the type that seduced the male lead. Hopefully, her result won¡¯t be as miserable as that Tang dynasty¡¯s senior consort Yang. (*Yang Yuhuan or Yang Guifei (719-756), famous Tang beauty, consort of Emperor Xuanzhong, med for extravagance and killed as a scapegoat during the An-Shi Rebellion.)


    Jun Qian Che sized her up, then calmly opened his mouth to say: ¡°Tonight We¡¯re staying over at Phoenix pce.¡±


    ¡°What, absolutely no way.¡± Mo Qiqi promptly had a fit, scraping the chair as she stood up.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>005: Mistakenly breaking into a restricted ce</h4>


    Jun Qian Che swept a nce over her, saying calmly: ¡°Was this not what you¡¯ve always wished for?¡±


    Under Jun Qian Che¡¯s gaze, Mo Qiqi reigned in her anger, sat down again, and started to earnestly persuade him: ¡°Your Majesty, this concerns my generous conduct. Tonight is meant for you and sister Yang to spend together in joy. If you stay overnight at my pce, it would make others gossip. I¡¯ve finally decided to reform, but if you stay here tonight, others will say it was surely because I was jealous, that I didn¡¯t let Your Majesty go to sister Yang. Say, wouldn¡¯t that be unfair to me!¡±


    Jun Qian Che looked at her coldly, then got up to leave.


    Mo Qiqi was a little surprised: What¡¯s this situation? Did I say something wrong again?


    However, seeing him leave, her heart was very happy: ¡°Seeing off Your Majesty.¡± Finally got rid of this nuisance.


    Ban Xiang walked in from outside, asking in confusion: ¡°Empress, His Majesty came to Phoenix pce with great difficulty, why did you make him leave?¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t make him leave, should I have let him stay, huh? Why didn¡¯t you inform me when the emperor came?¡± She poked Ban Xiang¡¯s head.


    Ban Xiang spoke aggrievedly: ¡°It was His Majesty who didn¡¯t let me.¡±


    Mo Qiqi looked at her own hands. Recalling how she¡¯d been held by Jun Qian Che a moment ago, she promptly took off her clothes in disgust, and threw them at Ban Xiang: ¡°These clothes have to be washed well, wash them ten times. No, wait, just throw them away! Don¡¯t let me see these clothes ever again.¡±


    Ban Xiang looked at the clothes in her hands bewildered, and asked: ¡°Empress, how have these clothes offended you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that they¡¯ve offended me, rather, they were touched by someone they shouldn¡¯t have been touched by. Thus, they need to be discarded.¡± Mo Qiqi¡¯s face was resentful.


    Ban Xiang felt bad for the clothes.


    Mo Qiqi continued to wash her hands.


    For the following two weeks, Mo Qiqi didn¡¯t meet Jun Qian Che again. Apparently, the imperial court got very busy recently, and Jun Qian Che was upied with politics during the day, and with Yang Shihan at night, truly bncing the foreign and domestic affairs.


    But Mo Qiqi was also not idling away. On one hand, she was trying to understand the theory of rtivity, on the other hand, she was looking for a way back home. She had paid a visit to almost all the toilets in the pce.


    She had crossed over through a modern age toilet. If she wanted to go back, she needed to use the same method, but with an ancient times toilet. (*toilet/washroom)


    But having spent these days searching, she hadn¡¯t found any peculiar toilets. Now only the toilets in the emperor¡¯s Royal pce remained, that she hadn¡¯t seen. And she definitely couldn¡¯t let go of any opportunities to go back.


    Nightfall. Ban Xiang walked in, carrying the thing Mo Qiqi had requested: ¡°Empress, the artist spent the whole day without food nor drink, and finally finished the blueprint of the Royal pce that you¡¯ve requested. ording to your instructions, he specifically marked the Royal pce¡¯s toilets.¡±


    Mo Qiqi took the map happily: ¡°Great. Ban Xiang, thank you for your trouble.¡±


    Ban Xiang was actually puzzled as she asked: ¡°Empress, why do you need these toilets marked?¡±


    Mo Qiqi chuckled mysteriously and said: ¡°Because the toilet leads the way back home.¡± Ban Xiang scratched her head confused, she didn¡¯t get the meaning of the empress¡¯ words.


    ¡°Ban Xiang, thank you for taking care of me these days, I¡¯m really very grateful to you. I¡¯ll be going, don¡¯t think of me!¡± She solemnly patted Ban Xiang¡¯s shoulder, as if she would truly never return, then ran out with the map.


    Ban Xiang was confused, but she didn¡¯t follow. Each time the empress went to inspect the toilets, she would never let her tag along, saying that she was worried Ban Xiang would see a strange phenomenon and get scared. She was really unable to understand, how were toilets scary? Could it be... Did the empress have an unusual hobby?


    ¡°Miss Ban Xiang...¡± A young man dressed in ck panted as he ran over.


    ¡°Master (artist) Zhao, why have youe?¡±


    Master Zhao gulped a mouthful of air and wheezed: ¡°Miss Ban Xiang, I¡¯vee to tell you that on the blueprint of the Royal pce you just took, there¡¯s a toilet at the top that I¡¯ve marked wrong.¡±


    ¡°Which ce did you mark wrong?¡± Ban Xiang asked dismissively. Wasn¡¯t it just a toilet marked wrong! Was it something worth getting so flustered over!


    Master Zhao said nervously: ¡°I¡¯ve marked the dragon pool where the emperor bathes as a toilet.¡±


    Ban Xiang nodded serenely at first, then opened her eyes wide in shock: ¡°What? But the dragon pool is a restricted area, the emperor doesn¡¯t allow anyone in. If the empress went in, the consequences... Gosh! Quickly go look for the empress!¡±


    But unfortunately, Mo Qiqi, currently holding the map, had arrived in front of the pce hall called the ¡°Dragon Pool¡±.


    Looking at the magnificent pce hall, Mo Qiqi muttered: ¡°This toilet sure is magnificent, the name is also trendy enough, Dragon Pool! Ha ha ha, could it be that once the emperor is finished with his toilet business, he can go and take a bath? Really economical! Perhaps the way to the modern age is inside here, let¡¯s take a quick peek.¡± Looking around and seeing no one, she quietly tiptoed and pushed the gate to enter.


    Once inside, Mo Qiqi was even more convinced that this toilet was outstanding. There wasn¡¯t any scent associated with a toilet, and the interior decor was splendid. It truly was for royal use, so different from average.


    Inside the room were spread relief sculptures and colored motifs. Below, white jade made the floor glitter in the warm light. The roof was made of sandalwood, crystal jade served asnterns, pearls were used for the curtain, and gilded columns supported the foundation. There was a two meter wide agar wood bed with precious raw silk canopy, embroidered with fine designs, iparably delicate.


    On the bed were arranged jade green fragrant pillows, spread over a soft white silk mat, with piled up folded quilts. On the ceiling was suspended a huge luminous pearl, shining like a bright moon.


    Seeing such a grandiose room, Mo Qiqi shook in shock. As an archeologist, she didn¡¯t have the slightest immunity towards these antiques. Following along the pce hall luxuries, she walked step by step toward the inside.


    The further in she went, the more she felt that this ce didn¡¯t look like a toilet. Mist lingered all around, resembling a fairnd. But when a gorgeous bathing pool appeared before her, she was thoroughly stunned. Could this be the legendary imperial bathroom?


    The edges of the pool were richly decorated with agate, while the various appliances in the bath were decorated with amber and pearls. Surrounding the pool was a tform made of white stone with stairs ced on each side, each step gradually descending toward the water.


    The sides and the bottom of the pool were made of white jade, fully engraved with decorative scenery carvings that were ever changing. Whenever the water in the pool rippled, the carved pictures also moved along with the waves as if they were alive, hiding underwater.


    At the sides of the pool, four copper dragons endlessly poured water inside.


    Mo Qiqi stepped forward and held out her hand to touch the water. It wasfortably warm, and even emitting a fragrance. This was probably the ¡°hundred mixed fragrances¡± recorded in the ancient books.


    It was said that when the monarch and his concubine bathed, a hundred scented muslin pouches would be sunk to the bottom of the pool. The pouches were filled with many kinds of herb mixtures, resulting in the ¡°hundred mixed fragrances¡±. Quietly sitting inside the water, they made the pool surface constantly emit a fragrance.


    While Mo Qiqi was curiously studying this pool, an ice-cold voice was heard: ¡°Did you study it well?¡±


    Mo Qiqi was startled: ¡°Who is it?¡± She waved away the curling white mist in front of her, finding that there was actually someone inside the pool. She was shocked speechless: ¡°Your, Your Majesty...¡±


    Notes: If anything slowed down the trantion of this chapter, it was the bathroom description. *grumble*


    An Imperial <i>pool</i>, though it¡¯s pretty bare now.

 Chapter 6

    <strong>Chapter 6</strong>


    <strong>Threatened</strong>


    Jun Qian Che is sitting in the pool; half-submerged. His lofty stature, his bronze sculpted body¡­. His facial features are deep, like a Greek statue. His eyes are deep and cold. He looks wild and unrestrained, giving off a demonic air.


    Mo Qi Qi freezes. When she recovers secondster, she gives him an obsequious smile and says, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is only here to relieve myself in the toilet. Didn''t think<i> chenqie </i>would identally enters Your Majesty''s bathing area. Sorry, carry on! <i>Chenqie</i> retreats first."


    She lifts her feet to retreat.


    "Help scrub <i>zhen''s</i> back," the emperor says in a long and drawn voice, sessfully blocking Mo Qi Qi who intends to slip away.


    Mo Qi Qi freezes midway, secretly having a battle within her head, scrub what? If she really has to help scrub this idiot''s back, she will vomit for three days straight out of disgust. She might even have to stamp her own hands.


    But if she refused, <i>huhu</i>, he is an emperor with absolute authority. Offending him is the same as letting go of one''s own life. God up above, you must not bully people like this.


    After a while of self-persuasion, Mo Qi Qi sumbs to Jun Qian Che''s power in grievance. She slowly makes her way to his back like a wronged daughter-inw. She takes the brush especially used to scrub a person''s back and swings it to the back of his head a couple of time, pretending to hit him.


    Jun Qian Che suddenly turns his head.


    Mo Qi Qi is scared straight, she immediatelyughs dumbly and help him scrub his back. She have to admit, Jun Qian Che''s back is really nice. His biceps are like rock and his abdominal muscles are strong and hard. No matter which woman sees it, she will definitely feels piqued.


    But¡ª- what does that have anything to do with her?


    Mo Qi Qi reluctantly brushes his back, scrubbing it lightly out of obligation.


    Jun Qian Che unhappily says, "You didn''t eat?"


    Mo Qi Qi grimaces and mutters angrily, "<i>Chenqie</i> hasn''t eaten dinner." After that, she increases her strength on the brush.


    She can''t help butin in her heart: Why won''t this idiot make servants serve him in bath? Didn''t Ban Xiang said that Duke Zhen ising back today after a big victory? There will be a banquet tonight. Shouldn''t the emperor be going to Chang Le Pce to wee the soldiers in the dinner spread? Why is he here? And that wretched map, didn''t it say this ce is atrine outhouse? How did it be a bath area?


    <i>Scrub Scrub Scrub</i>


    Mo Qi Qi pours all her energy into that. She exerts too much energy so in the end, the force bes too big.


    Jun Qian Che unhappily stares at her.


    Mo Qi Qi stops in fear, looking at him in grievance before saying, "Your Majesty, too little force is wrong. Too much force is also wrong. <i>Chenqie</i> really can''t do this. Your Majesty might as well call some servants to serve you." She clearly intends to dust off this duty to some other person.


    Jun Qian Che suddenly grabs her wrist and uses force to pull her to him. Mo Qi Qi beautifully falls into the pond, buried in his chest.


    She, who is soaking wet, angrily howls at him, "Jun Qian Che, are you crazy!"


    In the end, she is weed by Jun Qian Che''s ice cold eyes. She is so scared, she starts quivering on the inside. She changes her voice into a sweet and delicate one andughs, "Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is really hungry right now. I want to eat, not bath."


    Jun Qian Che stares at her, his long slender fingers slowly and gently going over her small face. It stops on her enticing lips, he gently caresses it, his voice deep and low, "Is the empress ming <i>zhen</i> for only going to Gui Ning Pce these days? Is that why you keep saying you are hungry?"


    Mo Qi Qi really wants to pay respect to this guy''s ability to misunderstand things; when she said she''s hungry, she exclusively means hungry for food. "Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is hungry in the stomach, wants to eat rice. There is no other meaning." You better forget this empress'' existence, it''s better if we die without crossing path with each other.


    The emperor suddenly turns up, pressuring her underneath him. Mo Qi Qi is cornered into the white jade stone behind her. She tries to react but Jun Qian Che leans into her even harder. This position cannot be any more ambiguous.

 Chapter 7

    <strong>Chapter 7</strong>


    <strong>Help The Empress Change Clothes</strong>


    Jun Qian Che gazes at her in anger, ¡°The man in your heart, who is it?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi nks out and stares at him, her brain stopped moving: What kind of situation is this? Weren¡¯t we talking about the women in his heart? Why is it on me now?


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡ª¡ª uh!¡± Mo Qi Qi wants to tell him that nobody is in her heart, but before she gets the chance to say it, he suddenly leans down and kiss her lips. His kiss is overbearing and unreasonable, as though it is a punishment.


    Once Mo Qi Qi gets over her shock, she immediately protests and pushes him away.


    But Jun Qian Che seems to have a lot of anger inside, he restrain her against the side of the pool tightly, pressing her two hands against the white jade stones.


    Mo Qi Qi is taken aback, is this idiot nning to use force? This despicable man, she must not let him seed! Since she can¡¯t use hands, she might as well use her legs!


    But the moment she lift her legs, Jun Qian Che sees through it and press against it with force. Both her hands and legs cannot be used, there is only one way left.


    As Mo Qi Qi thinks of that, she uses force and bite his lips. Once she did that, the taste of blood spreads. Jun Qian Che frowns and pulls away immediately. He stares at her.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly pushes him away and increases their distance, she points at him and says, ¡°You¡ª- Please have some respect, even though I am your empress, you still can¡¯t force me to do things I don¡¯t like!¡±


    Jun Qian Che suddenly outstretches his arms and pulls her out of the pond.


    Mo Qi Qi nervously tells him, ¡°Wei! What are you nning to do? If you dare to force me, I¡ª I¡ª- I¡ª¡ª I¡ª¨C I will die for you to see! Ah! You hoodlum!¡±


    Now that they¡¯re out of the pond, Mo Qi Qi realizes he isn¡¯t wearing anything on him. She sheepishly turns her head around in embarrassment.


    Jun Qian Che walks in front of a long couch and picks up a ck long robes. ¡°Somebodye,¡± he says coldly.


    Pce maids and eunuchs quickly enter inrge numbers, carrying clothes, headgears and incense. They help Jun Qian Che change clothes.


    Mo Qi Qi twists her own sleeves dry, her heart steeps in anger.


    Jun Qian Che opens his golden mouth again, ¡°Help the empress change clothes.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi is bbergasted and immediately rejects his order, ¡°No need, no need. I¡¯ll change in Feng Yang Pce.¡± He wants her to strip in front of him and so many people. Hehe, she is not as thick-skinned as him.


    A couple of pce maids circle her, humbly speaking, ¡°Your Ladyship, the night is cold. If Your Ladyship goes back like this, you will definitely get sick. Please take off your clothes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Mo Qi Qi ces her two hands in her chest protectively.


    By then, Jun Qian Che has already finished changing, seeing her so uncooperative, he coldly speaks, ¡°Stop being so willful. If you refuse to take it off, <i>zhen</i> can help you.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi really have the urge to attack him, how could he said such embarrassing things in front of so many people? She really wants to dissect his face and see just how thick his skin is.


    ¡°No need, <i>chenqie</i> will do it myself. But <i>chenqie</i> is used to being served by Ban Xiang, can I have Ban Xiang over?¡± Mo Qi Qi sweetly says as she looks at Jun Qian Che.


    Jun Qian Che nces at a middle-aged eunuch and nods.


    Eunuch Lin immediately go and do his bidding.


    Mo Qi Qi continues to be brave, ¡°Your Majesty, can you go out first?¡±


    Jun Qian Che stares at her for a moment before he turns around and leaves. Mo Qi Qi quickly exhales in relief.


    Ban Xiang arrives with her clothes not too longter, ¡°Your Ladyship¡ª¡ª¡ª¡°


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her in dissatisfaction and scolds her, ¡°Why did youe only now? <i>Bengong¡¯s</i> life was almost over!¡±


    Ban Xiang looks at her in grief, ¡°Your Ladyship, this servant has always been in front of the Dragon Pool Hall, but this hall is a restricted ce by the emperor. This servant dares not enter without the emperor¡¯s order.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get that scam painter? He almost harms me to death!¡± Mo Qi Qi angrily adds.


    Ban Xiang quickly exin everything to her, ¡°Your Ladyship, Paint Master Zhao is the pce¡¯s best painter. Your Ladyship¡¯s map was required too hastily, so he mistakenly mark the dragon pool as toilet.¡±


    ¡°Because of his once mistaken mark, I almost could not protect my innocence!¡± Remembering the scene in the pool just now, Qi Qi is really scared ah. She was almost taken by force by that Jun Qian Che.


    A smile emerges on Ban Xiang¡¯s gossip-piqued face, ¡°Your Ladyship, what happened between you and the emperor just now?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi lifts her hand and strikes her yfully in the head, ¡°Nothing close to what you think happened. Hurry and help me change, I want to quickly leave this cursed ce!¡±


    Ban Xiang pulls her lips in disappointment and quickly helps Qi Qi change clothes.


    The moment she finish changing, she walks out thinking Jun Qian Che has left. But he hasn¡¯t.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes fell on her, under the candlelight, she looks refined like jade, like the faint glow of new moon. She looks calm and unfettered, gentle and graceful.


    They have been married for two years but Jun Qian Che has never taken a good look on her because everytime they met, she would always got unreasonably irritating. She would me him for being with other women,ined that she wasn¡¯t happy etc so rather than her appearance, he would always associate her with her temper first. Just thinking about her foul temper makes him want to walk away, who will have the heart to appreciate her beauty?


    Mo Qi Qi sees the way he looks at her and unhappily draws her clothes together and says, ¡°Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> retreats first.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Jun Qian Che taciturnly says and once again block Mo Qi Qi from leaving.

 Chapter 8

    <strong>Chapter 8</strong>


    <strong>Father Doesn¡¯t Look Like A Good Person</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi secretly gives him a big eyeroll before turning around to face him with a bright, brilliant smile, "Your Majesty has any other order?"


    Jun Qian Che pulls Mo Qi Qi and drags her in front of the dressing table, he makes her sit on the seat and takes ab before helping herb her waterfall-like hair.


    Mo Qi Qi looks extremely ttered and says, "Your Majesty, these kind ofbor is best left for Ban Xiang to do. <i>Chenqie</i> does not dare to trouble you." Is this thest act of kindness before death? Just like those death-row prisoners, they were all given good things to eat before everything is over.


    Jun Qian Che looks at Ban Xiang. Ban Xiang quickly step forward with a meaningful nce, receiving the woodenb from him.


    "Arrange a good hairstyle for the empress." Jun Qian Che coldly instructs.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly disagrees, "What good is a hairstyle for in the middle of the night? It will get ruined once I get back anyway, what a bother."


    Jun Qian Che looks at her with stony eyes. Mo Qi Qi tactfully close her mouth.


    Ban Xiang exerts all of her efforts to do a good hairstyle for Mo Qi Qi and in the end picks a golden <i>buyao</i> to be ced on her head. Upon seeing that, Jun Qian Che picks up a couple of round pearls and ce them on her hair so that her hair that is like dark clouds contrast the glimmering pearl beautifully. A beautiful pair of eyes stares at the overflowing splendor with a small simple smile on the lips.


    Mo Qi Qi have to admit, this pearls fits this hairstyle and clothes more than those shy headgear does. Jun Qian Che is indeed a ruler who has seen many beauties, his aesthetic vision is indeed unlike themon people.


    Ban Xiang quickly praise her, "Your Ladyship looks so beautiful tonight."


    Jun Qian Che eyes her from head to toe, simply saying, "Let go!"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at loss, "Go? Go where? Go to Feng Yang Pce?"


    "Chang Le Pce," Jun Qian Che says simply.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s entire face looks confused, "What should I go to Chang Le Pce for? Don¡¯t tell me Your Majesty wants to take me to the banquet."


    "You are <i>zhen¡¯s</i> empress, aren¡¯t you?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s face remains unchanging from the beginning to the end, like a thousand year old iceberg.


    Mo Qi Qi gets up, carefully asking, "Can I not go? I don¡¯t like that kind of lively atmosphere." It¡¯s better for me to use this time to find ways to go back to my own time.


    Jun Qian Che looks a little unpredictable, quietly staring at her. He lifts his hand and runs it through her face and slowly ce his hand at the back of her head. He suddenly leans in and kisses her neck.


    Seeing this, Ban Xiang covers her smile and quietly retreats.


    Mo Qi Qi is dumbfounded, before she even gets to push him away, pain suddenly exudes from her neck. She pushes him away and immediately covers her own neck, "Are you a blood-sucking ghost? Why did you suck my neck!"


    Jun Qian Che does not answer her question and without a change in expression asks, "Don¡¯t the empress want to see Duke Zhen? He really wants to see this daughter of his," without any other words, he pulls her out of the hall.


    The empress dowager has already arrived in Chang Le Pce. The officials and the rest of the concubines have been waiting for a long time too. After a loud announcement, the emperor and the empress enters hand-in-hand.


    The officials and concubines immediately get up and pay their respect, "Greeting the emperor and empress."


    Jun Qian Che leads Mo Qi Qi to their seats and looks over to the crowd before calming speaking, "All of you may sit."


    Everyone immediately sits down. The empress dowager who dressed up elegantly is a little unhappy upon seeing the emperor and empress together. "Why are the emperor and empressing only now? Everyone has been waiting for a long time."


    Jun Qian Che looks at Mo Qi Qi, a rare smile hooked on his lips and purposely speaks in a warm tone, "The empress and <i>zhen</i> had a little dy in the Dragon Pool earlier on."


    Seeing Jun Qian Che smiling for the first time, she has to admit he is charming, but don¡¯t know why she suddenly feels so creeped out by his sudden warmth.


    When the crowd hears the emperor¡¯s words, all their eyes fell on Mo Qi Qi. Upon seeing the kiss mark on her neck, everyone suddenly understand what happened.


    At that moment, a middle aged man dressed in armor stands up, looking powerful and domineering. He looks at the emperor and empress with a satisfied smile, saying, "The emperor and empress have deep affection really makes people envious. Such a blessing to themon people of Hua Chen Kingdom."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the old man who is standing up, she cannot help but lean in on Ban Xiang and says, "This old guy looks so shady. Even though he is old, but from the way he carries himself, his boldness, his posture, even young people cannot win over him. Just look at his eyes, so sharp. Even the manner of his speech is chilly. His sharp eyebrows, the edge of his eyes, they all suggest that he has a vicious personality. Just one look and I can tell this old guy has high ambition, he is not a good person."


    Ban Xiang immediately leans towards her and whispers, "Your Ladyship, that is Duke Zhen, your father."

 Chapter 9

    <strong>Chapter 9</strong>


    <strong>Is He My Real Father?</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi wants to choke herself to death, she was lucky she was only heard by Ban Xiang. If she was heard by other people, they would have been suspicious of her identity.


    Sitting next to Duke Zhen is a mature and steady young man, her brother Mo Cheng Xuan. He looks like a phoenix within mortals ah.


    ¡°Hehe, I was just joking to lighten the atmosphere! Just one look and I can tell my father is loyal and patriotic.¡± Mo Qi Qi finally understands Jun Qian Che¡¯s weird behavior tonight.


    Jun Qian Che looks at Duke Zhen and speaks in delight, ¡°This time, Duke Zhen and General Mo sessfully defeats the enemy¡¯s 300, 000 soldiers with 200, 000 soldiers. It is a great victory. Let us have a drink for Duke Zhen and General Mo.¡±


    The other officials gets up and lifts their cups, saying, ¡°Congrattion to Duke Zhen and General Mo¡¯s triumphant return.¡±


    Duke Zhenughs loudly and raises his cup in a haughty manner, ¡°As Duke Zhen, it is my obligation to help the emperor keep the peace in the country.¡± After that, he drinks the wine.


    As the rest of the officials sits down, the Duke look at his daughter and concernedly inquires, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw Your Ladyship, wonder if Your Ladyship is okay. Is anyone bullying Your Ladyship?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi quickly smiles, ¡°Daddy need not worry, this daughter is fine.¡± Daddy ah! Can you be any more arrogant?


    The empress dowager intervenes in displeasure, ¡°What is Duke Zhen saying? The empress is the mother of the country, who dares to bully her?¡±


    Duke Zhen humphs coldly, ¡°The empress dowager must have think that I am clueless since I am not in the capital. I heard the emperor conferred a new Noble Consort (Guifei), and that Guifei is the one who harmed the empress and almost caused her to lose her life in the viewing tower incident. Isn¡¯t it so?¡±


    Everyone falls into a silence.


    Jun Qian Che endures his anger and coldly speaks, ¡°Since Duke Zhen knew about the empress¡¯ fall in the viewing tower, do you know what she was doing there prior to the fall?¡±


    Duke Zhen is in a loss of words, of course he knows, he just didn¡¯t think Jun Qian Che will openly asks him in front of so many people. If he continues pursuing this matter, he is scared it will ruin his daughter¡¯s reputation and position, so he can only evade the topic, ¡°I only heard that this Yang Guifei who has recently entered the pce seduced the ruler. A beauty who is the root of troubles. That kind of person is best kept away from the emperor.¡±


    The empress dowager is very angry, ¡°Duke Zhen, from who exactly did you hear all that? They actually dared to nder the Guifei!¡±


    Yang Guifei¡¯s father, Official Yang isn¡¯t happy as well, ¡°Duke Zhen, as an official how can you speak of the Guifei like that? How disrespectful!¡±


    ¡°Disrecpectful? Is Official Yang trying to me me? While I went through a bloodbath trying to keep the citizens of Hua Chen Kingdom in peace, my own daughter was being bullied in the pce. How can a father swallow that anger?¡±


    Yang Shi Han stands up, her face full of grievance, ¡°Duke Zhen, <i>bengong</i> has no idea who said such things to you, but <i>bengong</i> definitely did not seduce the emperor, and definitely did not bully the empress as well. Please do not nder me, Duke Zhen.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi puts on an expression that she usually does when watching a good drama, secretly saying: Things has gotten lively ah. Duke Zhen really has foul temper, will he go and twist Yang Guifei¡¯s ears? And this Yang Shi Han is the empress dowager¡¯s niece, she will definitely protect her. If the two starts fighting, it will get even livelier haha¡ª¨C


    This Yang Shi Han¡¯s words really kills people without drawing blood ah! She said she doesn¡¯t know who told Duke Zhen all that while basically implying that she; this empressined to Duke Zhen about her. Aiya! Really a scheming bitch ah!


    As expected, everyone started showing sympathy to Yang Guifei.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes fall on Mo Qi Qi, seeing her unperturbed and looking like she was watching a y makes him a little displeased.


    After noticing his gaze on her, Mo Qi Qi is a little startled. Don¡¯t tell her this idiot too believes that she instigated Duke Zhen to make things hard for Yang Guifei.


    There is also the empress dowager¡¯s malicious eyes.


    Oh God. She is going to die from being ndered! Duke Zhen, are you really my father? Are you really helping your daughter?

 Chapter 10

    <strong>Chapter 10</strong>


    <strong>Broken Lips</strong>


    Before she gets to find the way to travel back to her time, she does not want to offend anyone in the pce, so she immediatelyes to the rescue.


    ¡°nder? I am good at reading people, just one look at you¡ª¡ª¡°


    ¡°Daddy¡ª-¡° Mo Qi Qi cuts off Duke Zhen in a perfect timing. Sheughs, ¡°Daddy must not believe those groundless rumors, some people really likes to create trouble by spreading gossips. Actually, admitting Yang <i>Meimei</i> to the harem is my own idea. Yang <i>Meimei</i> is not only beautiful, she has good personality as well. Her name itself has auspicious meaning, Shi Han, meaning a cultivateddy. Yang <i>Meimei</i> indeed lives up to her name, not only does the emperor likes her, <i>bengong</i> likes her as well. That was why <i>bengong</i> suggested to admit her to the pce. Ever since she entered the pce, Yang <i>Meimei</i> has really good rtionship with <i>bengong</i>. The rtionship between <i>bengong</i> and the emperor is really good as well, we never fought because of Yang <i>Meimei</i>, so daddy must not misunderstand her.¡±


    Suspicious arises in Duke Zhen¡¯s face, ¡°Is what Your Ladyship saying true?¡±


    ¡°It cannot be any truer! The emperor treats <i>bengong</i> really well.¡± Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che and the two of them exchange smiles.


    Duke Zhen nods his head, ¡°If so, daddy is relieved!¡±


    The brewing storm is resolved because of a few words from Mo Qi Qi.


    Duke Zhen scrutinizes his daughter, sensing a great change in her. In the past, she would have seized this chance to try to get rid of Yang Guifei, but she actually speaks up for her enemy today. As her father, he is really suspicious.


    ¡°Prince Qi Xian arrives!¡± a loud announcement suddenlyes from outside.


    And then, the silhouette of a person against the backdrop of light emerges. He is wearing a white <i>changpao</i> embroidered with golden threads. His sleeves billows against the wind as though he is a celestial descending upon the mortals. The belt on his waist has a blood red jade that twinkles in the light, so eye-catching amidst his white clothes. His smooth, fair face exudes beauty and refinement. His dark pupils are seductive and intriguing. His thick eyebrows, his long nose and his gorgeous lips all adds up to his elegance and noble air. He looks cold when he is not smiling, but so warm when he does. The warmth radiating from him is akin to the sunlight entering people¡¯s heart. When she first met Jun Qian Che, she thought she already met the world¡¯s finest man. She never though she would meet someone who is actually more handsome than him.


    Oh, wrong. Jun Qian Che is handsome because he possessed that overbearing and charming air. Before you even realize it, he would already entered your mind. He unknowingly makes you feel that even if you die next, you will not die in vain.


    And this Prince Qi Xian can be described with just one word, beautiful. He is more beautiful than a girl, more enthralling. And he looks so gentle too. He is like a calmke prated by the gentle light of the spring¡¯s sun, can¡¯t help draw people in.


    The rest of the concubines are shocked by Prince Qi Xian¡¯s appearance. Mo Qi Qi can¡¯t help but mumble, ¡°Too beautiful....¡±


    And that little praise of hers actually enters Jun Qian Che¡¯s ears, he looks at her, his eyes dissatisfied and cold.


    Mo Qi Qi feels like a sharp and cold de is being thrust towards her, she turns her head. Turns out it¡¯s Jun Qian Che¡¯s cold pair of eyes. She quickly leans towards him and says, ¡°Hehe, even though Prince Qi Xian is so handsome, but whenpared to Your Majesty, he stillcks a little.¡±


    Jun Qian Che stares at her, the corner of his lips crooked to form a simple smile, one that actually scares Mo Qi Qi: ¡°Remember your own ce.¡±


    This scene, when viewed by another pair of eyes is a very loving scene between the emperor and his wife.


    Upon seeing them, a sh of gloominess can be seen in Prince Qi Xian¡¯s eyes, one that passes quickly and undetected. He steps forward and pays his respect, ¡°Greeting the emperor, the empress dowager, the empress.¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at Prince Qi Xian, simply saying: ¡°Forego the formality, Seventh Imperial Uncle.¡± His cold majestic tone makes people humble.


    When she heard the way he addressed him, Mo Qi Qi was almost choked to death by her own saliva. She leans towards Ban Xiang, quietly whispering, ¡°Ban Xiang, this Prince Qi Xian isn¡¯t the emperor¡¯s brother?¡±


    Ban Xiang whispers back: ¡°Your Ladyship, Prince Qi Xian was Emperor¡¯s Chen Wu youngest son, he is the previous emperor¡¯s most beloved younger brother. Even though he is older than the emperor by only 3 years, he is the emperor¡¯s elder. Your Ladyship, you forgot even Prince Qi Xian?¡± Traces of disbelief shes in her eyes.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly rubs her own head and says, ¡°Ever since the fall in the viewing tower, I forgot a lot of things.¡± From the expression on the girl¡¯s face, it seems like Prince Qi Xian is someone she must remember.


    Feigning amnesia is the trick people who time-travelled love the most. That¡¯s the only way, anyway. If she tells them the spirit in this body has changed, people will think she is a demon and grill her to death!


    Ban Xiang sees the frustration on her mistress¡¯ face and heart-achingly says, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Ladyship. This servant is here! If you have any question, just ask me!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi tenderly and affectionately pinches Ban Xiang¡¯s delicate face: ¡°You are the best.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been hard for Seventh Imperial Uncle; inspecting the livelihood of themon people of Jiangnan on behalf of <i>zhen</i>. Grant him a seat.¡±


    ¡°As a court official, helping Your Majesty is an obligation. I do not dare to consider it hard.¡± Prince Qi Xian¡¯s voice is deep and gentle, like a warm sunlight; making people feel cordial. He goes over and sit in the seat prepared for him.


    Jun Qian Che lifts his cup once again and stately says, ¡°Duke Zhen and Prince Qi Xian both returned after sessfully finishing their tasks, this can be considered a pair of good news. Let us give them a toast once more.¡±


    All officials immediately raise their cups and say pleasing words: ¡°Congrattion Duke Zhen. Congrattion Prince Qi Xian.¡±


    After Prince Qi Xian sits back down upon drinking his wine, his eyes travels to Mo Qi Qi. She lifts her head and identally lock eyes with him.


    When looking at her, Prince Qi Xian¡¯s eyes contains worry, heart-ache and tender love. Mo Qi Qi is a little surprised after receiving such a look, she quickly looks away.


    Yang Shi Han looks at Jun Qian Che in surprise: ¡°Your Majesty, why is your lips broken?¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks over to Mo Qi Qi.

 Chapter 11

    <strong>Chapter 11</strong>


    <strong>Being An Empress Is So Hard</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi really wants to find a hole and flings herself into it. This Yang Shi Han has been favored by Jun Qian Che for half a month, can¡¯t she understand what that broken lips mean? Or is she purposely embarrassing her in front of all these people?


    ¡°Hehe, Your Majesty, eat vegetables,¡± Mo Qi Qi quickly tters Jun Qian Che and picks a vegetable for him. <i>Never p a smiling person</i>, she is so well-behaved, he should repay her with simr courtesy.


    Seeing Jun Qian Che still looking at her, she quickly ce the vegetable in front of his lips: ¡°Say ah!¡±


    Jun Qian Che frowns but still opens his mouth in the end. She quickly stuff the vegetable into his mouth, blocking him from telling them who bit his lips. If the empress dowager finds out, she this little daughter-inw is done for.


    But by the two¡¯s intimate action, people can guess even if they didn¡¯t say it out loud. The empress¡¯ neck has a kiss mark and the emperor¡¯s lips is wounded, seems like the two are not only affectionate, but are also still passionate with each other.


    A sh of deep loss can be seen on Prince Qi Xian¡¯s eyes, he picks up his cup and drinks three cups in a row.


    Noticing the displeasure within him, a trace of slyness lingers in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes.


    After the banquet ends, Mo Qi Qi quickly returns to Feng Yang Pce. Everything that happens tonight is really startling and scary, her soul almost flew out of her body. She swears to herself to keep her distance from Jun Qian Che, from now on. Being with him is too dangerous. A single wrong word and your little life will fly away.


    Ban Xiang happily states: ¡°Your Ladyship, your rtionship with the emperor is a lot better than the past. Seems like the emperor has grown tired of Yang Guifei, his heart has returned to you.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi makes an expression that is akin to avoiding a snake and says, ¡°Enough! I don¡¯t want to have a good rtionship with him! It¡¯s better if we die without crossing paths with each other!¡±


    ¡°With who would you rather die without crossing path with?¡± a low, nice-sounding voice speaks.


    The tea Mo Qi Qi is drinking is sprayed out. She looks over to the person in great shock: ¡°Y-Your Majesty, why are you here? Hehe, I was just joking around with Ban Xiang!¡± Hees and goes without a sound, is he trying to shock people to death?


    Jun Qian Che stares at her unhappily: ¡°You are the empress, mind your bearing.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Qi Qi obediently agrees.


    Jun Qian Che sits in front of the table. Mo Qi Qi quickly goes to him,ughingly saying: ¡°Your Majesty, the y for tonight has ended. The curtain has dropped, you don¡¯t have toe here!¡±


    ¡°y?¡± Jun Qian Che looks at her.


    ¡°Yes! My daddy and brother came back in victory today so we had to act as a loving pair of emperor and empress for them to see. So they can be at ease and serve the emperor even better!¡± Mo Qi Qi says that in a calm manner.


    An unintelligible smile suddenly pans out in Jun Qian Che¡¯s lips, ¡°Since you already knew it was an act from the get-go, why did you y along?¡± Knowing her, she will definitely throw a huge tantrum upon realizing that the nice treatment she got tonight was an act.


    ¡°Because I am the empress? Thinking in behalf of Your Majesty is <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> responsibility.¡± Mo Qi Qi simply says with an elegant smile.


    Jun Qian Che, on the other hand, is cold. ¡°You are definitely more generous than before.¡±


    ¡°Thanking the emperor for the praise. <i>Chenqie</i> will definitely exerts more effort from now on!¡± Mo Qi Qi swears to y the part of a virtuous empress till the very end.


    There isn¡¯t a single strand of delight in Jun Qian Che¡¯s face, in fact, he turns even colder. ¡°Since your father and brother is back, you can go back to Duke Zhen¡¯s residence tomorrow to reunite with them.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> already met them tonight. Is there a need to go back home tomorrow?¡± She still needs to find the toilets and try to find ways to go back! She has no desire to sightsee.


    ¡°This is a decree, is the empress trying to protest against a decree?¡± he nces at her icily.


    Mo Qi Qi is scared: ¡°<i>Chenqie</i> does no dare.¡± What tune is this jerk singing to? The more they contributes towards the country, the more powerful Duke Zhen¡¯s household bes, the more he unfavor the Mo Family and this empress. He is asking her to return to the manor, what is he trying to do? Reading so many history books for so many years, her gut tells her that something is happening.


    ¡°Rest early,¡± Jun Qian Che gets up and leaves.


    Layers of waves suddenly sets in Qi Qi¡¯s heart. Sitting on this seat is really hard.


    She walks in front of the mirror. Upon seeing the kiss mark on her neck, she angrily bellows: ¡°Jun Qian Che you scum! You are not human! Ban Xiang, go and prepare me bath water! I want to bath!¡±


    Ban Xiang cannot understand her: ¡°Your Ladyship, didn¡¯t you bathed in the Dragon Pool?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly because I bathed in the Dragon Pool that I need to clean myself properly! And prepare ten cups of mouthwash!¡± She was actually taken advantage of by that lowly man! Ah~ how disgusting.

 Chapter 12

    <strong>Chapter 12</strong>


    <strong>Keeping the Distance</strong>


    The next morning, the empress¡¯ imperial carriage travels to Duke Zhen¡¯s manor.


    Received by the heroic and solemn Duke Zhen and his charming and attractive Madam, Mo Qi Qi finally understands why she and her brother are so good looking. Having a pair of handsome and beautiful parents, their genes arepletely superior!


    Seeing her daughtering home, the mother is so happy that her eyes got teary. She quickly invites the empress in.


    Walking into the hall, the mother immediately grab the daughter¡¯s hand and heart-aching asks, ¡°Your Ladyship, I heard you fell from the viewing tower a couple of days ago. I heard it was serious, what happened? Tell us, if anybody dared to bully you, your father will definitely not let them off.¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughs warmly, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. Daughter is fine now, everything was an ident. Nobody bullied daughter.¡± If I tell them the emperor bullies me, the first person that will get unlucky is me.


    Mo Qi Qi chats with her parents for a while. After that, the Madam instructs their servants to apany her to her room to rest. And then, she tells the kitchen people to cook them her favorite dishes.


    Mo Qi Qi walks into a beautiful room.


    Ban Xiang speaks in great delight: ¡°Your Ladyship, this is your room before you marries the emperor. Duke Zhen and the Madam instructed the servants to keep the original look.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi scrutinizes the room with a big smile, the question of Duke Zhen being bad or good is put aside for a while. He really treats his daughter with great love, that much she can tell.


    In the modern time, she also has a pair of loving parents. They decorated her room with warmth. Don¡¯t know if she will get the chance to see them again.


    ¡°Greeting the empress,¡± a maid steps in respectfully. ¡°Prince Qi Xian request to meet.¡±


    ¡°We got it, retreat first.¡± Ban Xiang tells the maid.


    Mo Qi Qi is puzzled, ¡°What kind of situation is this? Why is Prince Qi Xian in Duke Zhen¡¯s manor? What kind of rtionship does he have with our manor? Why does he wants to see me?¡±


    Ban Xiang leans close to her and whisper: ¡°Your Ladyship, you really can¡¯t remember about you and Prince Qi Xian before you marry the emperor?¡±


    ¡°Me and Prince Qi Xian? What about us?¡± Mo Qi Qi inquires curiously. Remembering the way Prince Qi Xian looked at herst night, their rtionship didn¡¯t seem to be normal.


    ¡°Prince Qi Xian liked Your Ladyship since you two were little. Duke Zhen was very pleased with the both of you as well. He once had a n to promise you to Prince Qi Xian and you didn¡¯t protest. But after that, Your Ladyship identally met the emperor and fell in love with him. After that, Duke Zhen told you about his n to marry you to Prince Qi Xian once again but you protested his idea. You were adamant in marrying the emperor and wanted to be with him even if you die. Duke Zhen had no other way and could only matchmake you with the emperor.


    The truth is, the emperor managed to get the throne smoothly because of Duke Zhen¡¯s effort. The previous emperor died so suddenly, a lot of princes lifted their hands to have a try for the imperial seat. Back then, three kings and five princes rebelled and tried to snatch the crown prince¡¯s seat. Duke Zhen dispatched his troops to ovee the rebellion. Duke Zhen helped the crown prince captured the rebels and aid him to ascend to the throne smoothly. After the crown prince became the emperor, he appointed Your Ladyship as his empress. Some of the kings and princes were beheaded, some were exiled. Prince Qi Xian was away for border inspection at that time, so he was not involved in the rebellion.¡±


    ¡°The road to be an emperor is indeed hard. Looking at this cruel and heartless Jun Qian Che, no matter what transpired between me and Prince Qi Xian back then, I am the empress now. It is not fitting for us to meet like this. Ban Xiang, go and reject Prince Qi Xian.¡± She has no idea what Jun Qian Che¡¯s n is now that she returns to Duke Zhen¡¯s manor, it is better for her to be more cautious.


    ¡°Your Ladyship¡ª¨C¡° a gentle, warm and nice-sounding voice can be heard.


    Before Ban Xiang even gets to go out and refuse Prince Qi Xian, he took the initiative and enters the room himself. He is wearing a set of white clothes, his sleeves billowing like a celestial. Such a handsome and refined man, women will lose their resistance upon seeing him.


    Even though Mo Qi Qi is enthralled by Prince Qi Xian, the rational part of her tells her that she must be clear-headed. None of the people here has anything to do with her.

 Chapter 13

    <strong>Chapter 13</strong>


    <strong>Things Others Cannot Know</strong>


    "Seventh Imperial Uncle, what a coincidence! You came to Duke Zhen¡¯s manor too." Mo Qi Qi politely greets him. Since the person is already here, it is not polite to kick him out. She believes that term of addressment will draw a clear line between them.


    And the way she addressed him indeed incite a stunned expression on Prince Qi Xian¡¯s face. He appears to be at a loss: "Your Ladyship never called me that before."


    Mo Qi Qi calmly smiles: "Before? I¡¯m sorry Seventh Imperial Uncle, I fell from the viewing tower a couple of days ago. I knocked my head and can no longer remember everything that happened in the past. But Seventh Imperial Uncle is the emperor¡¯s uncle, so you are also <i>bengong¡¯s</i> uncle."


    Prince Qi Xian was initially bitter and disappointed, but upon hearing her exnation, everything turns into a shock: "Your Ladyship, you really can¡¯t remember anything anymore?"


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head: "I really can¡¯t remember anything. I wonder why Seventh Imperial Uncle searches for me?" Deep inside, what she really is saying was: If there¡¯s nothing important, go away! What if the emperor misunderstand once he hears of this?


    Prince Qi Xian actually steps in front of her, gazes at her gently and says: "Your Ladyship, I brought you a jade bracelet from Jiang Nan. I wonder if you likes them?" He takes out a beautiful brocade box and hands it over to her.


    Mo Qi Qi epts the box and opens it; inside is a beautiful, exquisite white jade bracelet. What makes it even more special is the delicate carving on the bracelet; it looks vivid and alive. She has been working in archeological fields for so long, never before has she seen such an exquisite white jade bracelet. She really likes it, but upon remembering their status, she shut the box and hands it back to him. "This gift is too precious, <i>bengong</i> dares not ept them."


    The prince elegantly smiles, "Your Ladyship is the empress, only precious gifts suits your status. I specifically seek this jade bracelet for Your Ladyship, if you don¡¯t like it, just throw it away."


    "Throw it away? Throwing it will be such a waste!" She is an archeologist ah! She has no resistance to precious artifacts like this!


    "Since it has already been gifted to Your Ladyship, it is up to you." Prince Qi Xian simply says.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs: "Since Prince Qi Xian is thoughtful, then <i>bengong</i> will have to ept this. Thank you, Seventh Imperial Uncle."


    "No need to be so courteous." Prince Qi Xian¡¯s eyes has always been on her, full of affection.


    Mo Qi Qi sees Prince Qi Xian who shows no signs of wanting to leave. She can¡¯t help but open her mouth: "Seventh Imperial Uncle, since......"


    "Your Ladyship, the orchids in the courtyard has bloomed, you have always liked orchids. Let us go and see them!" Prince Qi Xian suddenly cuts off her words.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the brocade box, since she already epted them, she is too embarrassed to decline him. In the end, she nods, "Okay." She puts down the brocade box and strolls to the garden with Prince Qi Xian.


    Seeing the full-blooming orchids in the courtyard, he points at a pot and says: "Does Your Ladyship still remember the name of that flower?"


    She looks at that particr flower; it¡¯s orange in color, the flower droops in full bloom and it is in the shape of a barrel: "Is it called morning glory?"


    Prince Qi Xianughs at her; his appearance whileughing resembling the spring¡¯s wind. He shakes his head: "No, this flower is called Chui Xiao Jun Zi Lan. It is a gift from me for your thirteenth birthday. This was your most favorite flower." (<strong>TN</strong>: Apparently, Jun Zi Lan is a flower called Clivia Miniata.)


    Mo Qi Qiughs in embarrassment, "I¡¯m sorry. I really don¡¯t remember them." Who said all women love flowers? I, Mo Qi Qi loves artifacts the most. Love old things the most. She knows nothing about flowers. In fact, she is more interested in the clothes he¡¯s wearing than these flowers.


    Speaking of his clothes, the way it was weaved is too exquisite. It is flimsy and elegant, like a firefly wings. Just one look and one can tell how much considerations were put into making the cloth. The material is so light, even the modern time technology will not be able to replicate the technique. Ancient people¡¯s skills are really awe-inspiring.


    Prince Qi Xian¡¯s notice Mo Qi Qi¡¯s eyes on him and wonderingly asks, "Why are Your Ladyship looking at me like that?"


    Mo Qi Qi quickly retrieves her eyes andughs in embarrassment, "Nothing."


    "Your Ladyship, let¡¯s go over there. There are many other flowers there." He casually grabs Mo Qi Qi¡¯s arms and leads her to that direction.


    At that moment, a dart fly towards Mo Qi Qi. Seeing that, Prince Qi Xian immediately protects her and ce her against his chest. "Be careful, Your Ladyship!"


    She can hear pain in his voice.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly checks him over, "Prince Qi Xian, are you okay?" She ces her hand on his pierced arm that is flowing with blood. She stares at him in shock, "You are injured!"


    Prince Qi Xian looks at the direction the dartes from, a person in ck quickly flees from a dark corner. Mo Qi Qi sees him too.


    Ban Xiang immediately yells, "Catch the assassin!"


    Mo Qi Qi supports Prince Qi Xian to her room, turning to Ban Xiang and says, "Go and call a physician, quick!"


    "Wait!" Prince Qi Xian stops Ban Xiang. He looks at Mo Qi Qi and asks, "Do you know who wants to assassinate you?"


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head.


    Prince Qi Xian lowers his voice and says, "That man in ck just now is one of the emperor¡¯s secret guards. Their main tasks is to do things others cannot know."

 Chapter 14

    <strong>Chapter 14</strong>


    <strong>The Emperor¡¯s Worry</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi is rmed, "Is Prince Qi Xian saying¡ª¡ª The emperor wants to kill me?"


    "Does Your Ladyship thinks the emperor will simply let you be?" Prince Qi Xian looks at her.


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a calm smile, "What you said isn¡¯t wrong. Mo n¡¯s power is too big in both the court and the back pce. We are the thorn within the emperor¡¯s eyes, so he is targeting <i>bengong</i> first, after that, he will go after Mo n."


    "But the emperor can only act in the dark for now, he still has not openly falls out with Mo n. That is why we must never let this assassination attempt goes public, if the emperor finds out, he will find ways to persecute Mo n. By then, he can openly get rid of the entire Mo Family." Prince Qi Xian analyzed.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "What Prince Qi Xian said is true. Let me help you with your injury for now."


    He nods at her.


    After taking care of his wound, Prince Qi Xian is still worried about her. "Are you nning to return to the pce?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods at him, "Of course I have to return, if I don¡¯t, the emperor will definitely send people to Duke Zhen¡¯s manor to ask for me."


    "Aren¡¯t you afraid the emperor will try to harm you again?" he is still very concerned.


    Mo Qi Qi simply says: "Even if I am scared, what can I do? Do you think I will be able to escape this all if I don¡¯t go back? Him attacking me from the dark means that he does not wish to have a falling out with Mo n yet. He wishes me harm while I am outside the pce so he can shirk all the responsibilities. He still doesn¡¯t dare to openly poke Mo n. If anything happens to me while I was in the pce, my father will not let it be at that. It will be inconvenient for him. So it is safer for me to be in the pce for now."


    Prince Qi Xian nods understandingly, "What Your Ladyship said makes sense. Your Ladyship is much more level-headed than before."


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Right, we must not let my father knows about this, yet. I don¡¯t want him to worry and don¡¯t want him to fight with the emperor." Let me travel back to my time first if you guys want to fight. Don¡¯t drag me into this, I just want to find ways to go back to my own life.


    "Your Ladyship, don¡¯t you hate the emperor?" Prince Qi Xian sourly asks. Why is she still thinking for him?


    Mo Qi Qi can only sigh: "What is there to hate for? Even emperors have their own worry." She has no love and no hate for Jun Qian Che.


    But her words carriespletely different meaning in Prince Qi Xian¡¯s ears. No matter what he does for her, he still can¡¯t contest Jun Qian Che¡¯s position in her heart. Even if the emperor wants to kill her, she will still forgive him.


    Mo Qi Qi eats her dinner in Duke Zhen¡¯s manor first before leaving for the pce. But not long after the empress¡¯ imperial carriage leaves the manor, they are faced with yet another assassination attempt. More than ten men in ck surrounds the empress¡¯ carriage.


    Her imperial guards fights the assassins.


    But those assassins are highly trained killers, they easily takes over the imperial guards.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at what is happening outside and can¡¯t stop herself from worrying: Don¡¯t tell her she is really going to die today. There had been an attempt in the middle of the day in Duke Zhen¡¯s manor, and now there is another one.


    While she is worrying over there, her guardian angel appears once again: "Qi Qi¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"


    "Prince Qi Xian¡ª¡ª¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi looks at him in disbelief.


    "Follow me!" he grabs her by the arms and takes her down the carriage before leading her away into a dark alley. At that moment, lighting strikes in the sky, followed by a hair-raising thunder.


    Inside the Imperial Study, Jun Qian Che is busy handling the court matters. When lightning strikes in the sky outside, he raises his head.


    Winds starts to blow violently, seems like heavy rain ising their way. His heart feels a little uneasy.


    At that moment, an injured guard entered the study and reports something.


    When Jun Qian Che hears him, he appears to be very surprised. He gets up and quickly walks out.

 Chapter 15

    <strong>Chapter 15</strong>


    <strong>The Emperor Fainted</strong>


    Rain started to fall without warning, when it hits your body it feels sore.


    Prince Qi Xian brings Mo Qi Qi away to escape the assassins but those assassins are too powerful. They quickly kills the guards and surrounds them.


    Only then did Mo Qi Qi realize that Prince Qi Xian does not know martial arts. She can¡¯t help but me herself, "Seventh Imperial Uncle, it is I who implicates you. Why did you came over to save me if you don¡¯t know martial arts?"


    "I will not let anyone harm you even if I don¡¯t know martial arts." He pulls her to him and press her against his chest protectively.


    Mo Qi Qi is a little touched. This Prince Qi Xian is too warm!


    One of the men in ck listens to their conversation and haughtily says, "Both of you will die today." After he said that, he immediately pulls out his sword and swings it towards the two people.


    At that very moment, more than ten men in whitends near Mo Qi Qi and Prince Qi Xian, apologizingly saying, "Wangye, this subordinate camete. You received a shock."


    "Bai Jiang, you came just in time. Handle all these," after he said that, he grabs Mo Qi Qi and runs off.


    The men in ck and the men in white fights fiercely.


    After the two people runs very far, they are too tired they can¡¯t run anymore. Mo Qi Qi sits on the ground while breathing heavily, letting the rain pours on her body. Prince Qi Xian sits next to her. The two people looks a little embarrassed. They look at each other before bursting outughing.


    Mo Qi Qi cannot refrain frommenting, "Prince Qi Xian, we can be considered having been though life and death together."


    "Looks like the emperor really wants your life, are you still going to return to his side?" Prince Qi Xian¡¯s eyes are full of worry.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s eyes bes firms: "That¡¯s why I must hurry and return to the pce. As long as I return next to him, he will not have the chance to kill me."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Jun Qian Che is riding a horse, taking the imperial guards out of the pce with him. They quickly arrives in the ce where the empress¡¯ carriage is at, there are injured guards but he can¡¯t see Mo Qi Qi anywhere.


    Jun Qian Che immediately asks about the empress¡¯ situation, he only knows that Prince Qi Xian showed up and took the empress away in the direction towards the outer part of the city. He did not stay there for a second longer, he quickly brings his people to search outside the city.


    Rain keeps pouring in, the imperial guard is worried about the emperor¡¯s body and persuade him to go back to the pce, but Jun Qian Che refuses to leave without Mo Qi Qi. Even after his entire body is soaked in rain, he continues leading people to search for her; he wants to see her if she¡¯s alive, see her dead body if she¡¯s dead.


    The time passes by like sands within a person¡¯s palm, the more he hope the time can stop, the faster the time flies.


    Jun Qian Che leads the search for the entire night. They searched the main roads, the little paths, the mountain side, the body of water and yet they still couldn¡¯t find her. When light starts to glow in the horizon, the rain finally stops.


    At that time, a guard came over to report that the empress has already returned to the pce safelyst night, but she did not ask people to inform the emperor because she did not want to disturb the emperor from resting.


    Hearing that, Jun Qian Che¡¯s racing heart finally calms down. After that, he brings his people back to the pce, ordering them to not say a single word to a single soul about his search for the empressst night.


    After arriving back in the pce, it is toote for Jun Qian Che to visit Feng Yang Pce to see Mo Qi Qi and is also toote for him to rest. He immediately puts on his dragon robe to go to the morning meeting.


    The meeting that morning does not have any important agenda, so they quickly disperse. Jun Qian Che carries his fatigued body back to his chamber. The moment his foot stepped into his room, he copsed.

 Chapter 16

    <strong>Chapter 16</strong>


    <strong>Hello! Your Majesty</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi sleeps that day and only wake up after a while. It¡¯s weird that those concubines didn¡¯te today toin about Yang Shi Han. That¡¯s why she gets to sleep in. Those concubines alwayses to her ce everyday because of Yang Shi Han and wish that she, this empress can help them; they really take her as a fool.


    She sits up and stretches, howfortable. She had a hot bath after she got backst night, and after that, drank ginger tea, so she didn¡¯t fall ill. Or else.... Such a cold heavy rain, not falling ill will be weird! Even though it is already spring, the temperature at night is still so cold!


    ¡°Your Ladyship, you are awake,¡± Ban Xiang said as she walk in.


    ¡°En! Morning!¡± Mo Qi Qi put her quilt away and gets off the bed, happily greeting Ban Xiang. She sits in front of the dressing table, wonderingly asking, ¡°Is today a special day? Why didn¡¯t those concubinese to greet me in the morning?¡±


    Ban Xiang takes ab and help her mistressb her hair, ¡°Your Ladyship, I heard the emperor is sick. All the concubines are worried sick so they went to Yu Jing Pce to ask about him. They won¡¯t have the mind to greet Your Ladyship.¡±


    ¡°Sick? What sickness? Will it kill him?¡± Mo Qi Qi asks, taking in delight of other¡¯s suffering. Is this what they call karma? He didn¡¯t get to kill herst night, so he got sick instead?


    ¡°Your Ladyship, don¡¯t speak nonsense. If others heard you, you will be in trouble. I heard the emperor is suffering from fever, would you like to tend for him?¡±


    ¡°Me? Tend for him? Dream on! It¡¯s just a cold, such a big deal over nothing. It¡¯s not even some incurable disease.¡±


    Ban Xiang helplessly shakes her head.


    After eating breakfast, Mo Qi Qi continues studying the map to find the way to go back, she mumbles to herself: ¡°How can I find the way to travel back to my time?¡±


    Ban Xiang, realizing that she really has no intention to visit the emperor, opens her mouth once again: ¡°Your Ladyship, you really won¡¯t go to see the emperor? All the concubines already went there, if you don¡¯t, it will not be too appropriate.¡±


    ¡°What propriety? Colds are really infectious, don¡¯t you know that? What if I got infected by him? Not going!¡± Mo Qi Qi rejects it cold, continuing to analyze the map. But her heart cannot calm down: If she don¡¯t go, will Jun Qian Che suspect that she already knows he ns to kill her? If so, will he take advantage of this illness to ce a non-existent fault on her head? No! She must not let him find an excuse to get rid of her!


    She suddenly stands up.


    Ban Xiang jumps away in shock; ¡°Your Ladyship, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°<i>Bengong</i> thought for a while and decided to give the emperor a face. No matter what, he is still the ruler. If his wife refuse to give him face, how can he raise his head in front of the officials and people?¡± Mo Qi Qi said with an earnest expression.


    ck lines appear on Ban Xiang¡¯s forehead. But at least the empress finally agrees with her.


    Yu Jing Pce,


    Jun Qian Che is reclining on the big dragon bed and looks at the maid carrying a tray of medicine coldly, ¡°Put it over there. You can retreat first!¡±


    The maid respectfully says, ¡°Your Majesty, the physician said this medicine must be drink hot.¡±


    ¡°<i>Zhen</i> understand, you can leave first.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the maid ces the medicine on top of a stool in front of the bed before quickly retreating.


    Jun Qian Che stares at the medicine, he outstretch his hand but the moment he touches the bowl, he retrieves his hand back. He has never drink any medicine ever since he was ten, but smelling the wafting scent of the medicine, he can suddenly remembers back the time when he had to drink tonic when he was little. Bitter beyond words!


    Mo Qi Qi pokes in her head into the room to assess the situation. Didn¡¯t Ban Xiang said the concubines all went here to serve him, where are they? She wouldn¡¯t lie to her, would she?


    ¡°Come on in!¡± A cold, bone-chilling voicees from inside the chamber.


    Hearing his voice, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head automatically aches. She was discovered, slipping away will be toote by now. She can only thicken her face and enters the room, ¡°Hello, Your Majesty! We meet again!¡±

 Chapter 17

    <strong>Chapter 17</strong>


    <strong>The Emperor Fears Medicine</strong>


    He stares at her in displeasure: ¡°You are the empress. Mind your conduct.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a big eye roll in her heart while her face looks elegant and graceful: ¡°Yes! Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Why does the empresses looking for <i>zhen</i>?¡± he looks her up and down. When he didn¡¯t spot a single wound, his heart calms down.


    Mo Qi Qi maintains her virtuousdy fa?ade and shamelessly sits next to the emperor. She grins at him, ¡°Heard the emperor is sick, so <i>chenqie</i>es to visit Your Majesty. Is your fever still there?¡± her hand immediately touches Jun Qian Che¡¯s forehead. She is startled, ¡°So hot! Your Majesty, you¡¯re having a fever!¡±


    Jun Qian Che pushes away her hand, coldly saying, ¡°<i>Zhen</i> is fine.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi eyes the room, ¡°Your Majesty, you are sick, why isn¡¯t there a single person to serve you? What is going on with those concubines? They usually treat you like you are their ancestors, tirelessly talking about you. Why aren¡¯t they here now that you are sick? Your Majesty, don¡¯t be upset, <i>chenqie</i> will call them over to tend to you right now.¡±


    She was about to call for people when Jun Qian Che stops her, ¡°No need. They already came, but <i>zhen</i> told them to retreat. <i>Zhen</i> would like to rest in peace.¡±


    ¡°So it is like that ah! Then <i>chenqie</i> shouldn¡¯t bother you from resting, <i>chenqie</i> retreat first!¡± she gets up and wants to quickly leave.


    ¡°<i>Zhen</i> have something to ask the empress.¡± That simple sentence manage to block Mo Qi Qi.


    She turns around andughs pleasantly, ¡°Your Majesty, a sick person must rest more and speak less.¡± What is he going to ask? Is it about the assassination attemptst night? Is he nning toe clean to her?


    No, she must not give him the opportunity to get rid of her.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s eyes fell on a bowl by the bed, she quickly picks it up and says, ¡°Your Majesty, why haven¡¯t you drink your medicine? No wonder your fever won¡¯t go away, hurry and drink this.¡±


    When Jun Qian Che smells the medicine, he can¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Put it down. <i>Zhen</i> will drink itter, let¡¯s talk about the important thing first.¡±


    ¡°What is more important that Your Majesty¡¯s dragon body? <i>Chenqie</i> will help you,e, be good!¡± Mo Qi Qi¡¯s lips carry a gentle smile, but inside, she is gloating. Jun Qian Che¡¯s shing reaction when he sees the medicine just now made her realize something, this big, high and mighty man is scared of medicine! Hahahaha! Even he has things he fears of? She must made him drink this with her own hands, might as well consider it a small revenge over what she had to go throughst night.


    Jun Qian Che looks at the spoonful of medicine in front of his lips, he really does not want to drink them.


    Mo Qi Qi puts on an act, purposely teasing him, ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared of medicine!¡±


    As the ruler of a country, how can Jun Qian Che admits he is scared of medicines! He stares at her in disdain, ¡°There is nothing <i>zhen</i> fears in this world.¡± He takes the bowl in her hand and finish it in one go. Even though it is very bitter, his face does not show any expression.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly gives him a big thumbs up, ¡°Your Majesty, you are too man!¡± (<strong>TN</strong>: The ¡®man¡¯ here is written in English!)


    ¡°<i>Man</i>?¡± Jun Qian Che looks at her in wonder. (<strong>TN</strong>: the character Jun Qian Che used is pronounced as ¡®man¡¯ in Chinese. It means barbaric.)


    ¡°Hehe, it means you are very manly!¡± she takes the bowl from him and ce it in the small stool. After that, she considerately helps Jun Qian Che fix his quilt. ¡°Your Majesty, you need to rest. Sleep for a while after drinking your medicine. You will be fine soon. <i>Chenqie</i> will not bother you from resting.¡±


    ¡°Sit down!¡± Jun Qian Che sees through her intention from the very beginning. He stops her even before she gets to stand up.


    Mo Qi Qi curses him deep inside before smilingly asking him, ¡°Your Majesty has any other order?¡±


    ¡°Did you had a good time yesterday in Duke Zhen¡¯s manor?¡± Jun Qian Che finally pulls out the big question.


    Since he insist on asking about yesterday¡¯s incident, Mo Qi Qi knows she can¡¯t hide it from him anymore. She carefully replies, ¡°Answering Your Majesty, it¡¯s been a while since <i>chenqie</i> returned to my maiden home. We chatted happily yesterday, father and mother even praised Your Majesty and said you are considerate!¡±


    ¡°Really? <i>Zhen</i> heard Seventh Imperial Uncle came as well.¡± Jun Qian Che calmly asks her that.


    When that enters Mo Qi Qi¡¯s hearing, she is a little startled. She gives him an unnaturalugh, ¡°Yes! It was such a coincidence! Seventh Imperial Uncle was also there!¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at her as he waits for her following words.

 Chapter 18

    <strong>Chapter 18</strong>


    <strong>The Emperor¡¯s Threat</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi can only bite the bullet and lies: ¡°During Seventh Imperial Uncle¡¯s visit in Jiang Nan this time, he got his hand on some exquisite jade products. Your Majesty knows how much <i>chenqie</i> loves jade. When Seventh Imperial Uncle heard about <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> visit to Duke Zhen¡¯s manorst night, he sent <i>chenqie</i> a piece. But <i>chenqie</i> didn¡¯t want them, because first of all, Seventh Imperial Uncle is my elder. As ater generation, how can <i>chenqie</i> ept his gift! Second of all, <i>chenqie</i> is the empress, how can I simply ept other people¡¯s gift? This can be considered a bribe, how can <i>chenqie</i> embarrass the emperor?¡±


    ¡°Seventh Imperial Uncle is so considerate. It is very rare for empress to think about <i>zhen¡¯s</i> face. As for you and Seventh Imperial Uncle, other than difference is generation, there is also a difference in status. One of you is a ruler and the other an official.¡± The emperor¡¯s voice is calm, she cannot sense any emotion from him.


    ¡°What Your Majesty said is right! Not only that, Seventh Imperial Uncle¡¯s taste is different than <i>chenqie</i>! The jade he chose didn¡¯t even fit <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> taste.¡± Sorry, Prince Qi Xian. Actually his taste is really good, but she doesn¡¯t dare to say it in front of the emperor.


    ¡°Did anything else happened yesterday?¡± Jun Qian Che asks with his usual calmness.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s brain quickly spins, secretly thinking: Since he already knows about Prince Qi Xian¡¯s visit to Duke Zhen¡¯s manor, he is purposely asking about what happenedst night to see whether or not she know who tried to kill her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you have no idea how much shock <i>chenqie</i> experiencedst night. After happily chatting with my parents, <i>chenqie</i> encountered an assassination attempt! It was so dangerous, lucky <i>chenqie</i> still have a long life, so <i>chenqie</i> survived the night.¡± Jun Qian Che, you are such a little person, a hypocrite!


    ¡°Assassins? Do you know who tried to assassinate you?¡± Jun Qian Che looks at her, sizing her up with his eyes.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head turns even faster, ¡°Even though <i>chenqie</i> has no idea who tried to kill <i>chenqie</i>, but <i>chenqie</i> thinks the perpetrator is a person who has grudge against the Mo Family. Father recently wins in a war and then <i>chenqie</i> faced an assassination attempt, perhaps it was assassins sent by the enemy kingdom. They are angry that my father had beaten them, so they tried to have <i>chenqie</i> killed to cut off the line between Duke Zhen and Your Majesty. If Hua Chen descends into chaos, the enemy can take advantage of the inner turmoil, by then, we will have havoc on the inside and danger from the outside. What do you think of <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> analysis?¡± I help you drive away the me like this, you should be satisfied!


    Jun Qian Che actually looks at her in scorn, ¡°The empress thinks too much. Things are not asplicated as that. The city is so tightly guarded, how can the enemy¡¯s assassins enters and leave as they please? Perhaps the person who tried to assassinate the empress this time is the person beside you. As long as the empress tries to see everything clearly, you will know who that person is.¡±


    Woah! Is this guyying down all his cards on the table? Of course this granny knows the person is right beside me, he couldn¡¯t be any closer!


    ¡°Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> has always been a little slow. Of course I don¡¯t know who the perpetrator is!¡± Even if I know, I wouldn¡¯t dare to say it out loud.


    Jun Qian Che nce at her icily, ¡°From now on, try to leave the pce a little less.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi secretly huffs in relief,ughingly saying, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> thinks Your Majesty¡¯s illness isn¡¯t that serious, why don¡¯t I retreat first, as to not disturb Your Majesty from resting.¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at her.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him back, waiting for his approval. He¡¯s asked everything he wanted to ask, he should let her go now, right?


    But Jun Qian Che has nomon sense, ¡°<i>Zhen</i> suddenly feels a little hungry. The empress seems so idle anyway, why don¡¯t you cook <i>zhen</i> some porridge?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly have the urge to jump up and p him on the face. Porridge? Is he trying to make something out of nothing? Is the pcecking royal chefs?


    But she onlymented in her heart, her expression is still dutiful and respectful, ¡°Your Majesty, if you want to eat porridge, let me ask the people in the royal kitchen to make it for you. If <i>chenqie</i> make them, Your Majesty might not like them.¡±


    ¡°The empress is not willing to cook for <i>zhen</i>?¡± such a calm tone but it is actually steeped in threat.


    Mo Qi Qi really wants to pull his ears and bellow: Yes, I am not willing! I refuse to cook for a jerk like you!


    What makes it even sadder is: ¡°No. Being able to cook porridge for Your Majesty is <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> fortune.¡±


    ¡°Then, <i>zhen</i> shall trouble the empress. You can find a little kitchen out of the door, in the back courtyard.¡± Jun Qian Che kindly points her the way.


    Mo Qi Qi endures her anger. He repays goodwill will ill-treatment ah, if she knew this will happen, she wouldn¡¯t havee to see him. Such a bully!


    While, in Feng Yang Pce, Prince Qi Xian came to see the empress. The servants told him the empress went to see the emperor, so he decided to wait for a while. But after a long time, Mo Qi Qi did not return, so he left.

 Chapter 19

    <strong>Chapter 19</strong>


    <strong>Making the Emperor Make Fire</strong>


    Jun Qian Che is someone who likes to have everything within his control. He purposely block Mo Qi Qi from leaving to prevent her from meeting up with Prince Qi Xian, Jun Yue Hen.


    Mo Qi Qi angrily makes her way to the kitchen, even though the kitchen is not big, it is well furnished and clean. It is probably used to amodate the emperor¡¯s whims once is a while.


    Jun Qian Che is a very diligent emperor. He will not overlook the court¡¯s matter even when he¡¯s sick, he already told the servants to bring memorials from the Imperial Study to his Yu Jing Pce. After drinking his medicine and feeling a little better, he immediately gets off the bed and sits on his desk, reviewing reports.


    In the blink of an eye, an hour passed. Mo Qi Qi hasn¡¯t returned, he inevitably feels a little worried. Actually, making her cook porridge is just a small punishment from him to her. Based on her personality and bearing, she would not do things like cooking porridge, so why hasn¡¯t she return?


    Jun Qian Che continues reading the memorial, but his mind cannot focus on the report at hand. Bad images start to surface in his heart. He doesn¡¯t have the patience to continue waiting, he gets up and walks out of the chamber.


    Mo Qi Qi who is in the kitchen on the other hand, is hating Jun Qian Che through and through at this moment. Making porridge is a piece of cake for her, but what makes it hard for her is how basic and ancient the appliances here are. No matter what, she was a rich family¡¯s young miss in the modern time, where would she learn how to use this earth-stove thing? That is why ck smokes are rolling out of the kitchen at that very moment.


    Mo Qi Qi crouches in front of the earth stove, blowing the fire until she is half-dead, but no matter how hard she blows, there is only smoke and no fire. She will die from asphyxiation soon.


    <i>Cough Cough Cough</i>


    Jun Qian Che walks in and is greeted by that tragic sight. He wave the smoke away and quickly reprimand Mo Qi Qi, ¡°Mo Qi Qi, <i>zhen</i> told you to cook porridge, not smoke the kitchen!¡±


    She gives him a big eye roll in her heart, and leans in to him jokingly, ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t you think this shrouding smoke make us look like we¡¯re in a celestial dwelling? <i>Cough Cough Cough¡ª-¡°</i>


    He stretch out his hand and knocks her head unhappily, ¡°Trust you to think of that.¡± After that, he grabs her hand and drags her out.


    Now that she is out of the kitchen, heaving in clean air, Mo Qi Qi finally feels like she is alive again. ¡°As expected, the air outside is so fresh!¡±


    Jun Qian Che stares at her in disdain before ridiculingly says, ¡°Didn¡¯t you like the celestial dwelling inside?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, celestial dwelling naturally is only for celestials. Chenqie is just a mortal, I have no fortune to be able to enjoy them. But Your Majesty can go in and experience it for a while if you¡¯d like.¡± A pair of clear eyes mischievously blink at him.


    Jun Qian Che helplessly roll his eyes at her, toozy to deal with her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, why are you here?¡± Mo Qi Qi asks in wonder. Is he here to see her make a fool of herself? This despicable man.


    ¡°Since empress don¡¯t know how to make porridge, you should have just admit it right away. No need to endure everything here.¡± Jun Qian Che scolds her again. When did this woman learned how to be so tolerant?


    Mo Qi Qi is very unhappy when she hears him, ¡°Your Majesty, you must not look down on people! I¡¯ll be honest with you, <i>chenqie</i> is actually very good at cooking!¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at the smoke rolling out of the kitchen before he nce at her.


    Seeing that ridiculing look on his eyes, Mo Qi Qi really wants to hit him until he faints. She angrily says, ¡°<i>Chenqie</i> doesn¡¯t know how to make fire, that¡¯s all!¡±


    Jun Qian Che mocks her, ¡°This is the first time <i>zhen</i> heard about someone who can cook but cannot make fire.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi is not satisfied, ¡°Your Majesty, you have no idea how hard it is to make fire in this earth stove. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try it yourself.¡± I don¡¯t believe you can do it, hmph! How dare youugh at this youngdy, this youngdy will make you look bad too!


    Jun Qian Che nce at her in disdain, ¡°How hard is it to make fire.¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughs in exaggeration, ¡°Then, <i>chenqie</i> shall trouble Your Majesty to make fire. <i>Chenqie</i> will make the porridge, what do you think?¡± Let¡¯s see your capabilities!


    Jun Qian Che stares at her and stride into the kitchen.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly follows him.

 Chapter 20

    <strong>Chapter 20</strong>


    <strong>The Empress Who Is Suffering Grievance</strong>


    Less than fifteen minutester, the fire that would not light under Mo Qi Qi¡¯s effort actually lights up, in fact, it is burning really hard.


    Jun Qian Che nce at Mo Qi Qi, using his eyes to mock her.


    Mo Qi Qi rolls her eyes but still gives him a big thumb up. After that, she takes rice, lotus seeds and some other things to make him Eight-Treasure Porridge. She will not let him look down on her! Just like how he showed off when he makes the fire earlier, she too will show off and give him a delicious porridge!


    Just like that, Hua Chen Kingdom¡¯s most distinguished man and woman bustles busily in a small kitchen.


    Not long after, displeasure rises between the emperor and the empress, ¡°Your Majesty, your fire is too big! My porridge is going to get scorched! Make it smaller! Smaller!¡±


    ¡°Mo Qi Qi, are you toying with <i>zhen</i>?¡± Jun Qian Che snaps unhappily.


    Mo Qi Qi retorts back with a belly full of grievance, ¡°How am I toying with you? This porridge must be cooked with big fire at first and then left to boil slowly with small fire. Can you do it or not!¡±


    ¡°<i>Zhen</i> can¡¯t! You do it,¡± the emperor suddenly quits. He is the ruler of the country, he is actually helping her make fire here and yet there she goes, going all choosy and picky.


    Mo Qi Qi is also angry, she wasmunicating with him so nice and clear and yet he chose to be so unreasonable. Only you can throw tantrum ah? This granny can also throw tantrum, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it!¡± I don¡¯t believe I won¡¯t be able to make the porridge without you!


    All pair of husbands and wives have their own run-in periods, but the one between the emperor and the empress is long and difficult.


    Fifteen minutester, Mo Qi Qi look at the porridge in the bowl with a tearless weeping. Then, she looks at Jun Qian Che.


    Jun Qian Che scornfully says, ¡°This is the porridge the empress cooked? It really makes <i>zhen</i> looks at you with brand new eyes. <i>Zhen</i> punish you to eat vegetarian food for one month.¡±


    ¡°Wei, Your Majesty! How unreasonable can you be? Is it my fault this porridge ends this way? It¡¯s all because of your no-good fire.¡± Mo Qi Qi braves herself and refute him.


    Jun Qian Che res at her.


    Mo Qi Qi does not have the guts to lock eye with him, she droops her head low and mutters in grievance, ¡°Hmph, Your Majesty only like to bully <i>chenqie</i>. Ie to visit Your Majesty out of goodwill after hearing about your illness. If you are not touched, then fine. But you even purposely makes me cook porridge for you. I can clearly cook, the only problem was Your Majesty¡¯s faulty fire, but in the end, you me others after the porridge went bad. I feel so wronged. And now you¡¯re even ring at me like that¡ª¨C huhuhu¡ª-¡± She suddenly feels so wronged. Whenever she cooked for her family members or friends in the modern time, they would all sing praises for her. But after arriving here, not only did she not receives his approval, he even look down on her, bully her. This ce is not fun at all, she wants to go home! She wants to go back to the world that was hers!


    Seeing Mo Qi Qi crying, Jun Qian Che actually feels a fierce tugging in his heart. He is taken aback. He has been with her for two years and the Mo Qi Qi in front of him were always overbearing and haughty. She never showed him a trace of a delicate young maiden air at all, much less her tears.


    So, when faced with this kind of her, he is at loss, ¡°W-Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°You wronged me, of course I will cry! I am obviously a great cook, but you keep denying that, you are purposely bullying me!¡± Mo Qi Qi sniff in grievance.


    Looking at her weeping face that resembles a pear blossom being bathed by rain, Jun Qian Che¡¯s cold heart softens a little. He steps forward and help her wipe the tears. His voice is stiff as he says, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t cry. You don¡¯t have to cook anything from now on.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi wipe her tears and earnestly tells him, ¡°I can really cook! This time, everything is your fault!¡± What is right and what is wrong must be said very clearly. Argh, why did she suddenly cried in front of him? How embarrassing. She is not someone who cries easily ah! Must be because of her homesickness.


    Jun Qian Che helplessly sighs. He grabs her hand and walks away.


    ¡°Wei! What are you doing? Where are you taking me?¡± Mo Qi Qi trots along his big strides.


    Not longter, Jun Qian Che drags her back to Yu Jing Pce.


    Mo Qi Qi flings away his hand in anger, ¡°You should just tell me to follow you back to your resting pce, why did you drag me like that? I¡¯m a grown up, I can walk on my own. Your Majesty¡¯s illness didn¡¯t seem that serious now, <i>chenqie</i> retreat first.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Jun Qian Che blocks her again.


    Mo Qi Qi impatiently res at him, asking, ¡°What is it again! You want to make things hard for me again, aren¡¯t you!¡±


    Jun Qian Che drags her in front of a basin frame, allowing her to look inside the water basin.


    The reflection of Mo Qi Qi in the water basin is so dirty, like a cat.


    She raise her head and res at Jun Qian Che in grievance, ¡°This is all your fault! If you didn¡¯t tell me to cook you porridge, will I be this dirty?¡±


    Jun Qian Che is toozy to bicker with her, he takes a handkerchief, steeps it in the water and use it to clean her face.


    Mo Qi Qi freeze, a little embarrassed. ¡°I can do it myself.¡±


    Jun Qian Che outstretch his hand and take away her hand, personally cleaning her little face with his own hand.


    Mo Qi Qi mocks him on the inside, ¡®Did this jerk ruined his head from the fever? He is acting so kind even when no one can see it here. To whom is he acting all loving for? But being tended to personally by the emperor is something boast-worthy! I will definitely show off to my friends once I travel back to my time. Thisdy had been attended to by the emperor, very few people experience that! Hahahaha¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡®


    While Mo Qi Qi is in a daze, Jun Qian Che has finished cleaning her face for her. He knocks her in the forehead.


    Her wandering mind quicklyes back, angrily rubbing her forehead while saying, ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    Jun Qian Che walks back to his desk, coldly saying, ¡°Help <i>zhen</i> grind the ink.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi points at herself, ¡°Me? Grind ink? I was wondering why you were so kind as to clean my face for me! You have another purpose!¡±


    Jun Qian Che sits in his dragon seat, looking at her.


    Looking at his majestic and overbearing pair of eyes, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s anger quickly disappears. She unwillingly and reluctantly walks to his desk and grind the ink.


    Jun Qian Che picks up his brush and look at her, ¡°With your grinding skill, the ink will not be grinded out until night.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi daydreams of a beautiful fantasy, sshing a basin full of ink to Jun Qian Che while cing her hands on her hips domineeringly: You want ink that much? Is this enough for you? ¡°Hahahahaha¡ª¡ª-¡° Mo Qi Qiughs happily at her own daydream.


    Jun Qian Che furiously p the desk, ¡°Mo Qi Qi¡ª¡ª¡±

 Chapter 21

    <strong>Chapter 21</strong>


    <strong>You Still mes Zhen</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi quickly regains her thoughts, the hand that is grinding the ink moving faster.


    Jun Qian Che tries to restrain his anger, ¡°Have you seen anyone grinding the way you does?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi puts everything down and says in displeasure, ¡°Gentle is wrong, not gentle is also wrong. What should I do to satisfy you?¡±


    Jun Qian Che press down his anger, ¡°You do ording to what <i>zhen</i> says, grinding ink cannot be done rashly. Do not use too much force on the ink block, ce it t against the ink b. Use your force uniformly in a uniform speed towards one direction. That way, the ink you grind will be good and refined.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi did as Jun Qian Che told her to and the ink thates out are indeed different. ¡°Haha, the inkes out! Your Majesty, you are so good!¡± she happily says.


    Jun Qian Che size up her enthusiastic respond, wonderingly asking, ¡°How did you usually prepare your ink for writing? You don¡¯t even know this?¡±


    ¡°I usually don¡¯t have to grind ink ah!¡± Mo Qi Qi blurts out. When she realize Jun Qian Che¡¯s gauging nce on her, she finally realize what she said and quickly tries to remedy everything, ¡°I never grind ink, Ban Xiang usually did them for me, so it¡¯s not weird I don¡¯t know these things.¡± The modern time uses ready-made ink, which modern person knows how to grind them? Very few people even write using brush.


    Jun Qian Che does not continue the topic, he retrieves his gaze and began approving the memorials.


    Mo Qi Qi continues grinding for a while, until her wrist feels sore. She swings her wrist around, saying, ¡°Your Majesty, grinding ink is too tiring.¡±


    ¡°You have an impatient personality, this approach can help nurture your personality better,¡± Jun Qian Che did not even raise his head.


    Mo Qi Qi makes a gun gesture and pretends to shoot him with her hand,ughingly saying, ¡°Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> thinks making porridge is easier, let me make you porridge. <i>Chenqie</i> will find a servant to help me make fire, I guarantee I will give you a satisfying bowl of porridge!¡± Grinding ink is so not fun.


    ¡°You are the mother of the country, not a cook. Can you do something that suits your position for once?¡± he says as he peers over the reports.


    ¡°Is grinding ink something that suits my position? Do you know how aplished you will feel just by cooking!¡±


    Jun Qian Che did not pay her attention.


    Mo Qi Qi stares at his jade-like appearance; his beautiful eyebrows gives him a heroic air. His lips are pursed tight as he frowns, as though something is troubling him, but that very frown makes people feels at awe.


    Seeing him so silent, Mo Qi Qi brace herself and continues, ¡°Your Majesty, since you didn¡¯t speak up, <i>chenqie</i> will take it as your approval. <i>Chenqie</i> will leave first.¡± She turns her body around to leave.


    Jun Qian Che suddenly stretch his hand and grasp her wrist, he uses a little force and pull Mo Qi Qi until she falls against his chest.


    Two pairs of eyes stare at each other. Mo Qi Qi is a little startled by their close distance, she quicklyughs foolishly while patting his chest, ¡°Your Majesty, I am so sorry, I hope I did not hurt you!¡±


    She has no idea that gesture of hers is pretty provocative between men and women. Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes falls on her corbone, that exposed skin is as fair as snow, very alluring and tempting.


    Mo Qi Qi noticed his eyes and quickly cover her chest; ¡°You- What are you looking at?¡± Her sleeves flutter, exposing her fair wrist and the beautiful eye-catching white jade bracelet decorating it.


    The anger within Jun Qian Che rises.


    Mo Qi Qi, noticing his face that is getting gradually colder, gets a little cowardly. She gently speaks, ¡°Your Majesty, let <i>chenqie</i> cook porridge for you. Everyone who ate <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> porridge all loved it very much, Your Majesty will definitely like it!¡±


    Jun Qian Che grip her wrist, his eyes shing in danger. His voice is cold as he asks, ¡°Who ate your porridge before? Seventh Imperial Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Seventh Imperial Uncle?¡± Mo Qi Qi can sense something is wrong somewhere, her eyes falls on the white jade bracelet on her hand, secretly thinking: Don¡¯t tell her he noticed this bracelet was given by Prince Qi Xian? If so, will her lies about not epting the gift earlier count as a crime for deceiving the emperor? She is so done for, how can she exin this? Wait a minute, she shouldn¡¯t scare herself. This bracelet came from Jiang Nan, there is no way the emperor has seen this before. And when Prince Qi Xian gave her the gift yesterday, there was only her, him and Ban Xiang. There is no way Jun Qian Che can find out about it. Perhaps he asks about this because he is unhappy she met up with Prince Qi Xian yesterday. It should not have anything to do with this jade bracelet. Calm down, calm down. Don¡¯t panic.


    She looks at Jun Qian Che andughs at him charmingly, ¡°Your Majesty, what are you talking about? Why would <i>chenqie</i> cook porridge for Prince Qi Xian? <i>Chenqie</i> only cook porridge for <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> parents and brother, other people does not have the honor to taste them. But, if Your Majesty wants to taste them, <i>chenqie</i> will happily cook them for you.¡±


    Jun Qian Che push her coldly, ¡°No need. <i>Zhen</i> is not hungry, continue grinding the ink.¡±


    When she hears the words ¡®grind the ink¡¯, Mo Qi Qi reluctantly stands next to him and continue grinding the ink block. She suddenly has an idea, ¡°Your Majesty, you are sick. Yang <i>Meimei</i> did note to see you?¡±


    Jun Qian Che stares at her coldly, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi smiles embarrassedly, ¡°Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> has no other meaning. <i>Chenqie</i> just want to ask Your Majesty, is Yang <i>Meimei¡¯s</i> ink grinding ability good?¡±


    Jun Qian Che harrumphed coldly, ¡°Shi Han grinds ink really well, you should learn from her.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> has no talent when ites to ink grinding, since Yang <i>Meimei</i> does it well and can satisfy Your Majesty, then why don¡¯t Your Majesty invite Yang <i>Meimei</i> over to grind ink for you? <i>Chenqie</i> will only make Your Majesty unhappy by grinding ink here anyway, so why don¡¯t we send people to invite Yang <i>Meimei</i> over? With Yang <i>Meimei</i> around, Your Majesty¡¯s mood will definitely turns for the better, once your mood gets better, your sickness will gets better as well. The political matters will be solved even faster, after all that busy time, both of you can go all lovey dovey; this can count as aplishing three things in one move ah! How good is that!¡±


    ¡°You still mes <i>zhen</i> for taking Shi Han into the back pce?¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s tone calms down.

 Chapter 22

    <strong>Chapter 22</strong>


    <strong>Why Are you So Fierce</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi quickly waves her hand around, ¡°No! No! Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> swears on the name of the heaven, <i>chenqie</i> does not me you for taking Yang <i>Meimei</i> into the pce. In fact, <i>chenqie</i> is very happy, how can I me Your Majesty? <i>Chenqie</i> told you, <i>chenqie</i> will be a virtuous empress from now on!¡±


    ¡°<i>Zhen</i> only favors Shi Han, you really does not feel unhappy?¡± Jun Qian Che asks.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s eyes are earnest, enthusiastically nodding her head. Her tone is sincere as she says, ¡°Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> does not feel the slightest unhappy over you favoring only Yang Guifei. You are the emperor, it is up to you who you wants to favor over. <i>Chenqie</i> not only will not interfere, <i>chenqie</i> will also support you!¡±


    Jun Qian Che gauge over her expression. His heart feels a little unhappy seeing her truly not having jealousy.


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly change the topic, ¡°But Your Majesty, now that we¡¯re talking about it, <i>chenqie</i> has a suggestion for you.¡±


    ¡°Suggestion?¡± Jun Qian Che scoffs as he direct his eyes back to the memorials, ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, even though your affection with Yang <i>Meimei</i> is a happy thing, but Your Majesty isn¡¯t just any other person. You are the emperor, an emperor is discouraged from training all his love to only one person. Even though you and Yang <i>Meimei</i> are in love with each other, but you must not ignore the other concubines.¡± To tell the truth, she really has no interest in the emperor¡¯s love life, but those concubines visit her everyday toin. How troublesome. Why should she be the one to clean his mess?


    A touch of smile floats in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes, ¡°The empress is jealous?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t nder me! <i>Chenqie</i> is not jealous of Yang <i>Meimei</i>. Ever since Yang <i>Meimei</i> entered the pce, Your Majesty spent every night there. All the other concubines don¡¯t dare toin to you, but they came to me toin. It is really hard for <i>chenqie</i> ah.¡±


    ¡°You are the empress, maintaining a harmonious back pce is your responsibility. This is within your scope,¡± Jun Qian Che simply says.


    Mo Qi Qi curse him in her heart. Your mom! Easy for you to say! ¡°Hehe, even though the back pce is <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> responsibility, but Your Majesty must not purposely make things hard for me. There is little meat for a lot of people, and Your Majesty only gives that meat to Yang <i>Meimei</i>, how can the others be happy? What can <i>chenqie</i> do? Search for other meat to satisfy the rest of the people?¡±


    Jun Qian Che res at her. Mo Qi Qi is scared, her little heart races in fear. She quicklyughs, ¡°Hehe, it was a joke. <i>Chenqie</i> said so much only to tell you one thing, <i>chenqie</i> wish Your Majesty can be more partial, only then will the back pce be at peace and stable, and only then can Your Majesty concentrate on the court matters!¡±


    ¡°Is empress telling <i>zhen</i> to not to go to Yang Guifei¡¯s pce?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty misunderstood <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> meaning. <i>Chenqie</i> is not forbidding you from going to Yang <i>Meimei¡¯s</i> pce, <i>chenqie</i> only wish Your Majesty can spend the night in other pces once in a while. Let the other <i>Meimeis</i> know Your Majesty does not favor only one, that can give them something to look forward to ah!¡± That way this granny can shut those concubines¡¯ mouths and search for ways to go back in peace.


    ¡°Then, in the empress¡¯ opinion, whose pce should <i>zhen</i> go to? Why don¡¯t <i>zhen</i> go to empress¡¯ pce?¡± he suddenly leans in to her with an ambiguous tone.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly refuse him, ¡°Not a good idea.¡±


    Anger rises in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes.


    Mo Qi Qi puts some distance between them and boldly says, ¡°Your Majesty, ever since <i>chenqie</i> fell from the viewing tower, <i>chenqie</i> has been suffering from headache. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t serve Your Majesty. If you don¡¯t want to go to other¡¯s pces, then carry on going to Yang <i>Meimei¡¯s</i> pce! <i>Chenqie</i> will try my best to keep the peace within the back pce, but <i>chenqie</i> would like to give Your Majesty a piece of advice. Your Majesty can favor Yang <i>Meimei</i>, but don¡¯t forget to use contraception! I heard Your Majesty and Yang <i>Meimei</i> are cousins, you two are blood-rted, if Yang <i>Meimei</i> gets pregnant, things will not be good for the child! Have you ever heard that child born from parents who are blood-rted is easily sick? They might have a lot of health issues, by then, not only will the imperial family lose face, Yang <i>Meimei</i> will also suffer. That¡¯s why Your Majesty must remember to use contraception, actually there are many ways to use contraceptive. For example¡ª¡ª-¡°


    ¡°Get out!¡± Jun Qian Che tries to contain his anger.


    Mo Qi Qi continues speaking withoutmon sense, ¡°Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> said this for your own good. <i>Chenqie</i> is also thinking for the future of the imperial family. Adults must not ignore the prospect of their own child¡¯s future just because they are having a good time. Even though you are the emperor and is capable to raise many children, but¡ª¨C¡°


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is full of anger.


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked. She res at him in displeasure. ¡°What are you so fierce about!¡±

 Chapter 23

    <strong>Chapter 23</strong>


    <strong>The Emperor is Gay</strong>


    Eunuch Lin who is outside the doores in and respectfully tells the empress, ¡°Your Ladyship, perhaps you should return to Feng Yang Pce first.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi scowls at Jun Qian Che, ¡°People¡¯s goodwill is repay with anger ah! What kind of a person are you? Hmph!¡± She angrily brush her sleeves and walk away.


    Eunuch Lin studies the emperor¡¯s expression that didn¡¯t look too good and tactfully retreats.


    Mo Qi Qi leaves as she huffs angrily, Eunuch Lin chases after her, ¡°Your Ladyship, please wait.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi stops and look at Eunuch Lin as she furiously speaks, ¡°What? I say, your emperor¡¯s temper is so foul, he is angry all the time! Ungrateful and don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him! How long have you been working for him?¡±


    Eunuch Lin respectfully replies her, ¡°Answering Your Ladyship, this servant has been with His Majesty ever since he was born. Back then, this servant was only 18 years old. In the blink of an eye, 22 years has passed.


    Mo Qi Qi pats Eunuch Lin¡¯s shoulder in pity, ¡°It is not easy ah. Following this temperamental person for so many years, it¡¯s been hard on you. The emperor should give you an award for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship is joking, being able to serve the emperor is this servant¡¯s good fortune. Actually, His Majesty has always been calm and mature ever since he was little. Rarely will he get angry.¡± Eunuch Lin honestly replies. Actually, he doesn¡¯t understand the emperor always lost hisposure everytime he is with the empresstely.


    Mo Qi Qi gets even angrier as she hears that, ¡°If you put it like that, all his anger is directed to me alone? Is it because he thinks I am easily bullied!¡±


    Eunuch Lin quickly help Jun Qian Che speaks, ¡°Your Ladyship misunderstood His Majesty. This servant heard everything Your Ladyship and His Majesty spoke about just now. What happened today isn¡¯t the emperor¡¯s fault.¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughs bitterly, pointing at herself, ¡°Huh! Then, are you saying it is my fault? Everything I said was said for his own good, but he can¡¯t see other people¡¯s good intention. Why are you putting the me on me?¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship, do you really not understand the emperor¡¯s heart?¡± Eunuch Lin earnestly asks.


    Mo Qi Qi scoffs, ¡°He is so emotionally unstable, who can understand his heart? I am not interested to understand anyway. And I¡¯m afraid, he too does not n to let others understand. People who tries to gauge an emperor¡¯s heart is seeking for death.¡±


    Eunuch Lin nce at the resting pce¡¯s door and then drags Mo Qi Qi to the side. He nce at all four directions before he says, ¡°Does Your Ladyship knows why the emperor is sick?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head beforeughing evilly, ¡°Must be becausest night was too cold and he and Yang Guifei were busy sweating around, so he got sick.¡±


    Eunuch Lin sighs, ¡°Your Ladyship, you misunderstood His Majesty. The emperor was worried about Your Ladyship when he found out about you being attackedst night. He did not care about his own dragon body and brought people to search for Your Ladyship. He searched for the entire night in the middle of the rain. Even if the emperor had an iron-strong body, after being soaked by rain the entire night, he is bound to get sick. After he returned to the pce, the emperor forbade anyone from saying a single word, so that the empress dowager wouldn¡¯t find out and reprimand Your Ladyship. His Majesty really care for Your Ladyship. Your Ladyship must know about his heart for you.¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughs coldly, ¡°Hmph. Yes, I understand. I understand it very well!¡± Oh, so he went to search for me? More like searching for my dead body. He was worried the assassins could not kill me, so he went to mend the de. Hmph! He wouldn¡¯t allow people to speak it out because he didn¡¯t want Duke Zhen to know.


    Jun Qian Che, you are not human! Thisdy will put you in mind! Don¡¯t ever let me catch your handle in the future or else, you are so done for.


    Eunuch Lin is relieved, ¡°As long as Your Ladyship understands His Majesty¡¯s heart..... Actually, His Majesty is only cold on the outside.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Because on the inside, he is heartless and full of poison. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Eunuch Lin respectfully replies, ¡°There is nothing else, Your Ladyship.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi heartlessly walk away, cursing Jun Qian Che non-stop deep inside: This is the first time she ever met someone so cold-blooded and heartless like Jun Qian Che. No matter what, he has been married to the owner of this body for two years. He can actually kill her without blinking an eye! After that, he even make his people tell her he got sick because of her. What did he expect? Her moving to tears, out of gratitude? What a joke!


    ¡°Jun Qian Che, you really take me for a fool.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo! Which blind person dared to bump into <i>bengong</i>?¡± Walking out of Yu Jing Pce, Mo Qi Qi is fiercely bumped into by someone. Her forehead aches from the collision and she unpleasantly looks up.


    What she sees is a refined and elegant young man. His lips carries a smile and his skin is really fair and delicate. His eyes carries bright lights, it¡¯s corner slightly raised; giving him a distinguished air. His nose is straight, while his ck hair is shiny and tidy, tied in a half-knot by a purple silk while the rest of his hair is put down. When the wind blows, his hair floats. He is the living embodiment of ancient beautiful male. What a feast to the eye.


    The man pays his respect to Mo Qi Qi humbly, ¡°This official greets Your Ladyship.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi quickly size up the man¡¯s outfits; he is wearing a purple robe, the color for court officials. Looking at the crane pattern embroidered on it, he is a civil official. She quickly guessed the man¡¯s position, this man is so young and yet he is already the prime minister. But, what is the prime minister doing in the emperor¡¯s resting pce? Don¡¯t tell her¡ª¡ª¨C The two people are actually gay. If so, it might actually exin why he gets to be prime minister even though he is so young! Hahaha¡ª¡ª-

 Chapter 24

    <strong>Chapter 24</strong>


    <strong>Making the Emperor Wear Green Hat</strong>


    After mocking Jun Qian Che, she quicklypose herself and gives off that empress air, ¡°Forego the formality, Prime Minister.¡±


    ¡°Thanking Your Ladyhip. This official identally bumped into the empress, hope the empress isn¡¯t upset.¡± The man replies courteously.


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a generousugh, ¡°Since it was not done on purpose, how can <i>bengong</i> gets upset at the prime minister?¡±


    The man is slightly startled as he stares at Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi catches onto the dumbfounded look in his eyes and quickly asks, ¡°Why is the prime minister looking at <i>bengong</i> like that? Is there something wrong with <i>bengong</i>?¡±


    The man retrieves his eyes, ¡°Nothing. It has been a while since this official met Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship changed a lot.¡±


    ¡°Everybody change at one point!¡± Mo Qi Qi smiles, don¡¯t tell her he already sees through her.


    The manughs, ¡°What Your Ladyship said is right. This official heard the empress mumbling about the emperor just now, could it be that the empress got into another fight with the emperor?¡±


    ¡°I am toozy to fight with people like Jun Qian Che who cannot see other people¡¯s good intention!¡± Thinking about Jun Qian Che makes her even angrier.


    The manughs, ¡°Now this is the empress this official remembers. The unruly part of Your Ladyship still hasn¡¯t change.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡ª¨C Hmph! Birds of a feather flock together!¡± Toozy to deal with the man, she angrily strides away.


    The man shakes his head as heughs before striding into Yu Jing Pce.


    After Mo Qi Qi left, Jun Qian Che continues criticizing the memorials. But the scene of the empress and that man in the viewing tower keeps shing in his mind, causing him to brood in anger. He angrily fists his hands, wanting to vent the anger within his chest.


    Prime Minister Chu Ling Xiao walks in and says, ¡°Greeting the emperor.¡±


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s wandering thoughts are pulled back, ¡°Ling Xiao, you are back. What of the thing <i>zhen</i> asked you to investigate?¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao quickly takes out a folder and ces it on the emperor¡¯s dragon desk, ¡°Everything Your Majesty wanted is in here.¡±


    Jun Qian Che takes it and opens it up. He narrows his eyes, giving out a dangerously cold aura, ¡°Mo n¡¯s ambition is really big, they managed to draw in so many people from the previous era.¡±


    ¡°Not only from the previous era, I¡¯m afraid we must not overlook their influence in the military camps.¡± Chu Ling Xiao¡¯s tone is light andid back, as though he is telling a joke.


    The emperor puts away the folder as he says, ¡°<i>Zhen</i> already asked Yi Xiao to investigate the military camps. He should be back in the capital soon.¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao nods, ¡°Since General Han personally went to do the deed, this official believes the investigation will be sessful. When does Your Majesty n to act on Mo n? Mo n¡¯s authority is too big, I¡¯m afraid eradicating them will be a little hard.¡±


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s handsome face is twisted coldly, ¡°Before Mo n¡¯s support bes evenrger, <i>zhen</i> will pull them out one by one until there is nothing left in the end.¡±


    ¡°This official heard the empress puts on a green hat on Your Majesty not too long ago. Why didn¡¯t you take that chance to ce the me on Mo n?¡± Chu Ling Xiao asks wonderingly. (<strong>TN</strong>: Puts on a green hat on someone means cheating on somebody. The person wearing the green hat is the one being cheated on.)


    Now that the matter has been brought up, Jun Qian Che gets even more furious. ¡°Do you think <i>zhen</i> doesn¡¯t want to do that?¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you?¡± Chu Ling Xiao answers his own question, ¡°Ah, this official understands. Duke Zhen and Mo Cheng Xuan were fighting in the war back then, if Your Majesty lifts your hand against the empress and Mo n, they might collude with the enemy against our Hua Chen Kingdom. That, added with the fact that we couldn¡¯t catch the man she was having an affair with makes it hard to move against Mo n. Most importantly¡ª¨C if this news spreads out, it will damage Your Majesty¡¯s name. After all, nothing is more insulting to a man than wearing a green hat.¡±


    Jun Qian Che res at Chu Ling Xiao.


    Chu Ling Xiao only shrugs and says, ¡°What is the point of looking at me like that? At the end of the day, I am still your younger cousin, I care about your private matters. Nothing wrong with that, right? I saw the empress leaving in anger just now, she must be discontented with you again. Careful! She might make you wear a green hat again, oh!¡±


    Jun Qian Che is not angry, in fact heughs, ¡°<i>Zhen</i> heard Imperial Aunt has been trying to find you a wife. Do you want <i>zhen</i> to bestow you an arranged marriage?¡±


    Chu Ling Xiaoughs along with him, ¡°Your Majesty, this official was only joking, don¡¯t be angry! I had only returned to the capital, I still haven¡¯t meet my mother. This official should not bother Your Majesty any longer, this official retreat first.¡± Chu Ling Xiao hastily leaves.


    Jun Qian Che fist his hands in anger as he mutters darkly, ¡°Mo Qi Qi, you betrayed <i>zhen</i> over and over again. You courted death with your own hand. <i>Zhen</i> will not indulge you anymore, don¡¯t me <i>zhen</i>.¡±


    The night is cold, the moon peeks out and bear witness to everything that happens on that quiet night.


    Everything has settled down in Feng Yang Pce.


    Mo Qi Qi had to tend to Jun Qian Che for the better part of the day and was emotionally exhausted. After returning to Feng Yang Pce, she ate dinner and went to bed.


    At that moment, a ck silhouette appears next to Mo Qi Qi¡¯s big rosewood bed. The person quietly sits on her bedside, watching Mo Qi Qi who is sleeping soundly. He slowly raises his palm and concentrates all of his energy to the center of his palm. He directs it to the crown of her head. As his palm nears her head, the energy within it spins vigorously. Jun Qian Che stares at her sleeping face, his heart suddenly turns soft. If he carries on, he knows the energy channeled by his palm can kill her. When the timees, he will dere to the world that the empress suddenly dies from illness. By then, he can root out Mo n¡¯s power in the harem. If Duke Zhen makes a big deal out of this, he will take advantage of that and root out Mo n as a whole. But now, his hand refused to follow his head.


    No, he must kill her tonight. He cannot hesitate any longer. Mo Qi Qi, now that you betrayed <i>zhen</i> with another person, <i>zhen</i> refuse to amodate you. You brought this onto yourself. If you want to me someone, just me your status as a daughter from Mo n. You have been entangled with <i>zhen</i> for two years, it is time to unwind everything.

 Chapter 25

    <strong>Chapter 25</strong>


    <strong>Zhen Did Not Kill Her</strong>


    He raise his hand once again; just as he was about to channel his energy, she suddenly speaks.


    ¡°Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is wrong. Really really wrong.¡±


    ¡°From now on, <i>chenqie</i> will be more generous, more virtuous. <i>Chenqie</i> will no longer be jealous. <i>Chenqie</i> will definitely be an empress that can satisfy Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, even though Prince Qi Xian is so handsome, he stillcks a littlepared to Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Scalding hot ah! Your Majesty, you are sick?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, Your Majesty only likes to bully <i>chenqie</i>.¡±


    ¡°Light is wrong, not light is also wrong! What should I do to satisfy you?¡±


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s hand refuses to move. He has never been an indecisive person, nor was he someone who softens towards women. He has always been swift and ruthless, decisively cold-blooded, but what is happening to him tonight?


    After a moment of hesitation, he retrieves back his hand as he looks at her, his heart rendered aplete mess ¡°Mo Qi Qi, which is the real you?¡±


    And Mo Qi Qi who is immersed in her dream suddenly frowns, stretch out her two hands and blindly hits whatever in her way as she growls, ¡°Jun Qian Che, you bastard!¡±


    Jun Qian Che freezes, unhappily ring at her.


    Mo Qi Qi continues, ¡°You lied to me! You told me you love me, why did you marry another woman behind my back? You piece of trash! I will hit you to death! I will hit you to death¡ª¡ª¡°


    Jun Qian Che grabs one of her dishonest hands as he looks at her, ¡°You really mind me marrying another women? Didn¡¯t you shily told everyone you n to be a virtuous empress? All of those generosities are just an act? You finally learned how to control your temper ah?¡±


    Jun Qian Che has no idea that the Jun Qian Che in her dream is a different person. (<strong>TN</strong>: If you read the story from the beginning, the female lead¡¯s (ex)boyfriend¡¯s name in the modern time is also Jun Qian Che.)


    ¡°Papa, mama, where are you both? I miss you so much¡ª¨C¡° Mo Qi Qi mumbles in her sleep.


    Jun Qian Che cannot understand what she is talking about. Ever since she fell from the viewing tower, her entire person seemed to have changed. Not only did her personality changed, the way she speaks can also be weird at times.


    Mo Qi Qi, who was that man from the other day? And who is the person in your heart?


    Seeing the jade bracelet in her wrist, he suddenly feels furious for no apparent reason. He lets go of her hand, gets up and leaves the room.


    After leaving Feng Yang Pce, Jun Qian Che heads to Gui Ning Pce, Yang Shi Han¡¯s resting pce.


    Yang Shi Han who is wearing an amorous rose red dress looks at Jun Qian Che as he walks in. She quickly runs to his side and clings to his arm, coquettishly saying, ¡°Your Majesty, you havee.¡± She drags him to sit in front of a table. Her beautiful pair of eyes are trained on him, her lips raised upwards. She turns to thedy-in-waits inside and says, ¡°All of you retreat.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    There are only the two of them in the room.


    Yang Shi Han urgently asks, ¡°Your Majesty, did everything went well? Is Mo Qi Qi dead? Will I hear the news of her death tomorrow morning?¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at her and asks, ¡°Do you really wish the empress dead that much?¡±


    Yang Shi Han freezes before sheughs lightly, ¡°Your Majesty, isn¡¯t this what you have always been dreaming of?¡± She burrows herself against Jun Qian Che¡¯s chest before she sweetly speaks, ¡°Auntie have always wished for me to be older cousin¡¯s empress. Didn¡¯t you promised auntie you would consider? Older cousin has never loved Mo Qi Qi, why would you continue to keep her by your side and hurt your own eyes? She is Mo n¡¯s daughter, you cannot keep her around. Get rid of her first before slowly advancing for Mo n.¡±


    ¡°<i>Follow the husband after marriage</i>, since she married <i>zhen</i>, she is <i>zhen¡¯s</i> wife, Jun n¡¯s daughter inw.


    Yang Shi Han is astonished, ¡°What do you mean by that, Your Majesty? You came back from Feng Yang Pce just now, don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t¡ª¡ª¡ª¡°


    ¡°Correct, <i>zhen</i> did not kill her.¡±

 Chapter 26

    <strong>Chapter 26</strong>


    <strong>Fighting For Favor</strong>


    Yang Shi Han cannot believe this, she unhappily says, ¡°Did Your Majesty suddenly feelspassionate? Or ¡ª¡ªdid you fall in love with her?¡±


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s tone is calm as he speaks, ¡°No. <i>Zhen</i> just think this is not the best time to get rid of Mo Qi Qi and Mo n.¡±


    Yang Shi Han looks at Jun Qian Che persuasively, ¡°Your Majesty, indecisiveness is an emperor¡¯s biggest taboo. You must not ruin yourself beyond redemption just because of a woman.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, <i>zhen</i> knows what to do. <i>Zhen</i> will deal with Mo n sooner orter and when Mo Qi Qi¡¯s turnes, <i>zhen</i> will not be light-handed.¡± Coldness shes in Jun Qin Che¡¯s eyes.


    The next day, the sun shines brightly and the air feels fresh, so Mo Qi Qi¡¯s mood is naturally good.


    But some people like to take advantage of her good mood and spoil her day. Early in the morning, the concubines of the harem gather at her pce toin.


    ¡°Your Ladyship, the emperor was sick yesterday so we all went to his pce to serve him. He chased us all out, but in the evening, he went to Gui Ning Pce like usual. I wonder what drug Yang Guifei had put on the emperor, His Majesty is so enthralled by her!¡±


    ¡°True! We don¡¯t know what ck magic Yang Guifei practiced to seduce the emperor and made him favor only her. The emperor did note to our pces for so long!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s even more infuriating is every concubine must pay respect to the empress every morning. That is a rule, but Yang Guifei never abide to them! Your Ladyship, you must not allow her to continue behaving this way, or else, she will no longer view you as the empress.¡±


    ¡°True! True! Your Ladyship, you cannot be courteous with this kind of people!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly sighs in her heart: People says that ces with a lot of women have a lot of problems, they are right. These women cannot sit still if the world is not in chaos. What is even more infuriating is they don¡¯t dare to say all these to the emperor or Yang Guifei, they keep egging her to, instead. Jun Qian Che, since you only n to love Yang Shi Han, why do you keep so many women beside you! He is only troubling his empress! Since she is already in this position, she can only act along.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs as she looks at the bitter expressions of the concubines, ¡°<i>Bengong</i> understand your grievance. <i>Bengong</i> ced everything you said at heart, <i>Bengong</i> went to visit the emperor yesterday and tried all ways to stay in Yu Jing Pce to plead the emperor on behalf of all <i>Meimeis</i>.¡±


    The concubines appear hopeful at what she said. ¡°Then what is the result, Your Ladyship?¡±


    Everyone looks at Mo Qi Qi in anticipation.


    Mo Qi Qi put on a grieving expression and says, ¡°The result? The emperor got really upset and chased <i>bengong</i> out! Yang Guifei is the treasure within the emperor¡¯s heart these days, anyone who bears her ill-intention will receive the emperor¡¯s wrath. <i>Bengong</i> risked my own life to fight for <i>Meimeis¡¯</i> favors; pleading the emperor to be partial, but the emperor refused to listen to <i>bengong</i>. Were it not for <i>bengong¡¯s</i> father and brother¡¯s victorious return from war, the emperor would have med <i>bengong</i> by now.¡± Jun Qian Che, sorry! Who told you to leave this mess, this granny can only use you as the scapegoat. Since you favor only Yang Shi Han, then both of you will have to be the viins this time.


    The concubines are all disappointed, ¡°How can this be?¡±


    ¡°The emperor did not give face to even the empress! From the look of it, Yang Guifei really did seduced the emperor to oblivion.¡±


    ¡°This demon, what should we do about her? Your Ladyship, you have to think of a way to deal with Yang Guifei! His Majesty must not favor her alone! If this goes on, she will threaten the empress¡¯ position!¡±


    The rest of the concubines continues to encourage her. If this was the old empress, she would¡¯ve gone to Yang Guifei long ago to settle the score. Perhaps, she might even kill her! By then, there will be pandemonium. The emperor and the empress dowager will be provoked; and the empress will be a heartless woman whom everybody hates. Yang Guifei will bes the beauty who ruined cities while these people who encouraged her will watch everything ying out from the sideline.


    But, Mo Qi Qi right now has no intention to fight for favor. In fact, she¡¯d like it better if the emperor did not step foot into her pce for the rest of her life. Why would she go around and create trouble?


    Even if Jun Qian Che ns to continue favoring Yang Guifei alone, the most she has to endure is to listen to all theseins. She didn¡¯t really lose anything. Besides, if anything happens, all fingers will be pointed at Yang Shi Han anyway, nothing to do with her really.


    ¡°<i>Meimeis</i>, <i>bengong</i> appreciate all the concern you have towards me, but no matter what, <i>Meimeis</i> have to stay level-headed! Yang Guifei has only entered the pce, His Majesty¡¯s fascination towards her is understandable. Once the fascination wears out, he will naturally remembers all you here. All of you have to be patient!¡± Mo Qi Qi sips on her tea, her tone light andidback.


    Seeing the empress so calm confuses all of the concubines. Ever since her fall in the viewing tower, her personality took a great change.


    ¡°The emperor arrives!¡± an announcementes from outside, exciting all the concubines who have not seen the emperor for such a long time. All of them gets up to wee him.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Note:</strong> Chapter 24, 25 and 26 are sponsored by Cristina!

 Chapter 27

    <strong>Chapter 27</strong>


    <strong>The Emperor¡¯s Reward</strong>


    Jun Qian Che who is wearing casual clothes steps into the hall. The crowd of concubines quickly pays their respect: ¡°<i>Chenqie</i> greets Your Majesty.¡±


    Jun Qian Che didn¡¯t think they will still be in Feng Yang Pce, he coldly dismisses them, ¡°Forego the formality.¡±


    ¡°Thanking the emperor,¡± they quickly get up and promptly circles Jun Qian Che.


    ¡°Your Majesty, how is your illness? No matter how important the court affairs are, you still need to mind your health!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, it has been a while since youst visited <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> pce. You used to love the tea that <i>chenqie</i> makes. When will Your Majesty visit <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> pce again?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, the flowers in the Imperial Garden has bloomed. Would you like to view them with <i>chenqie</i>?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi looks at this scene and secretlyughs. The scene suddenly turns into that of wolves circling amb that is looking at her pitifully. The amused Mo Qi Qi throws her head back andughs even happier. She suddenly feels as though a cold dagger is heading her way. She lifts her head and sees Jun Qian Che looking at her icily.


    She is startled and quickly erases that smile, recing it with an elegant, dignified expression. What Jun Qian Che means by that look is for her to send those concubines away. It is very rare for her to see Jun Qian Che being surrounded helplessly like this, how can she do what he asks her to? She immediately opens her mouth and speaks with grace, ¡°Your Majesty, it is rare for <i>Meimeis</i> to see you. They have been yearning for you. Since you are not busy, why don¡¯t you keep thempany and chat with them?¡±


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes and res at her. Mo Qi Qi shrugs and gives him a helpless look.


    The concubines continue to fusses over him, ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t just stand. Please, sit.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> sees you are getting thinnertely. Didn¡¯t Yang Guifei serve you properly?¡±


    ¡°Yang Guifei has only entered the pce, she didn¡¯t know Your Majesty¡¯s favorite food. You should go to <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> pce, <i>chenqie</i> will personally cook for you!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi is very pleased hearing them: Hahaha! What Xu Pin said is too standard! The emperor has been gracing Yang Guifei, that¡¯s why he is getting thinner. If she puts it like that, it means the emperor overdid it and overexerted himself! They all says that men loses weight doing that, seems like it¡¯s true!


    Seeing that pleased smile on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face, Jun Qian Che gets really angry. The previous Mo Qi Qi would have lost it upon seeing so many women surrounding him. She would have given them a lesson by now. Back then, he thought she was too overbearing and jealous; did not possess a single quality that the mother of the country should possessed. But now, seeing her standing by the sideline like she is watching a good opera y, he suddenly feels angry. He also feels irritated by the bunch of noisy women. ¡°Enough. <i>Zhen</i> has something to speak to the empress. All of you return to your pces first!¡±


    The concubines appear disappointed, ¡°Your Majesty¡ª¡ª¡°


    Seeing this, Mo Qi Qi quickly helps the concubines speak up, ¡°Your Majesty, <i>Meimeis</i> aren¡¯t really outsiders. If you have anything to say to <i>chenqie</i>, you can say it in front of them!¡±


    Jun Qian Che res at her.


    Mo Qi Qi originally wants to say something more, but seeing that pair of icy eyes threatening her, she quickly loses her courage. ¡°<i>Meimeis</i>, <i>bengong</i> suddenly remembers that thing you told <i>bengong</i> just now. <i>Bengong</i> would like to speak of them to the emperor.¡±


    Though they did not waste this precious chance to see the emperor, they must digress to allow the empress to speak for them. The emperor looks angry as it is, if they continue hovering, he might get upset. ¡°<i>Chenqie</i> retreats first.¡±


    They all gradually leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head in disappointment. Such a good drama has ended, what a pity!


    Jun Qian Che coldly questions her, ¡°What were you saying with them? What do you want to say to <i>zhen</i>?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi gives him an eye-roll and helplessly says, ¡°What else? About you favoring only Yang Guifei. I say, you are really something. You were sick yesterday, can¡¯t you rest for even a day? You went and graced Yang Meimei even when you were sick, how can those <i>meimeis</i> not be jealous? They came to <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> ce early in the morning toin and only now did they finally leaves. Your Majesty finally knows how hard <i>chenqie</i> has been having it! This empress¡¯ ce is really not good!¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Jun Qian Che walks to the throne and sit on it.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly seizes the opportunity and sits beside him, smilingly saying, ¡°<i>Chenqie</i> helped ease your burden, perhaps Your Majesty should reward me a little.¡±


    Jun Qian Che stares at her. He outstretches his hand and lifts her exquisite chin. His tone is ambiguous as he says, ¡°How do you want <i>zhen</i> to reward you?¡±

 Chapter 28

    <strong>Chapter 28</strong>


    <strong>The Emperor¡¯s Love</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi is surprised. She foolishlyughs, ¡°Hehe, Your Majesty, you must not think too much. <i>Chenqie</i> has no interest in you. The reward <i>chenqie</i> is talking about is material reward.¡± She quickly pushes away his hand and gets up to create more distance between them. Damn, everybody says that men are half-man and half-beast, but this jerk is a little too much. He can spill his love on anyone just about anywhere.


    Jun Qian Che gets unreasonably furious at what she says. She has no interest in him? Then who is she interested on? That man from the viewing tower?


    Mo Qi Qi studies his expression that didn¡¯t look to good. Must be because his needs aren¡¯t being fulfilled. She quickly tters him with good intention, ¡°Your Majesty, if you need anything from that aspect, <i>chenqie</i> can ask those concubines toe back to fulfill your needs.


    Hearing that, Jun Qian Che outstretch his long hands and grabs Mo Qi Qi by the wrist before forcefully pulling her towards him. Mo Qi Qi falls right into his embrace. In her heart, she secretly curse him: Damn it, this again. Can he change his method?


    She wants to push him away and gets up but Jun Qian Che forces her to stay within the entrapment of his arms. One of his hands is holding her wrist as he looks at her.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s little heart races, she forces herself to smile, ¡°Your Majesty, it is early in the morning. It will not be good if others see. It will not befit your image as the ruler.¡± This trash deserves to die. If you dares to touch even a single hair on this granny¡¯s body, I will cripple you.


    Jun Qian Che scorns at her before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, <i>zhen</i> will not touch you.¡±


    Hearing him, Mo Qi Qi heaves in relief. ¡°Then can Your Majesty let go of <i>chenqie</i>?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t empress wish for a reward from <i>zhen</i>? <i>Zhen</i> will fulfill your desire.¡± He takes off the white jade bracelet on her wrist and then rece it with a glowing and transparent jade bracelet.


    Seeing that bracelet, Mo Qi Qi is so shocked that she is tongue-tied. This is a high-grade emerald jade ah! The color is upright, thick, <i>yang</i> and uniform. The moisture and transparency is good, there is not a single impurities. The most precious part is the decoration on the bracelet, it is curved upwards, and is carved in the form of a pair of vivid dragon and phoenix.


    It heals you and invokes the deepest sighs of appreciation from you: this is a god-level of workmanship ah! Who in the world is capable of making such an exquisite bracelet? She has been working as an archeologist for so many years, this is the first time she sees such a fine piece of jade like this.


    She originally thought that the bracelet given by Prince Qi Xian is already unparalleled, she never thought there will be a bracelet a hundred times more exquisite than that.


    Jun Qian Che looks at the bracelet on her wrist, his lips slowly curving to form a smile, ¡°The empress is the mother of the kingdom. Only this kind of thing is worthy of your identity.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi sits up and hesitantly looks at Jun Qian Che, ¡°Your Majesty, this jade bracelet¡ª¡ª are you giving them to <i>chenqie</i>?&rdquo;


    Jun Qian Che does not answer her question, ¡°Which one do you like better? This Long Feng bracelet or that peony bracelet?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi answers without even thinking, ¡°Of course I like this Long Feng bracelet! This is an excellent piece of work ah!¡±


    ¡°Since the empress likes it that much, then <i>zhen</i> will give it to you.¡± Jun Qian Che generously says. Hearing how much she likes the bracelet, his heart too feels very pleased.


    Mo Qi Qi feels a little ttered over that doting act, she finds it a little hard to believe. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re really giving this to <i>chenqie</i>?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you have always wanted? Wear it with care.¡± Jun Qian Che simply says.


    Mo Qi Qi cannot be any happier. She forgets her ce, forgets that she is now sitting on hisps. Hearing what he said, she happily hugs his neck, ¡°Your Majesty, you are too good! I love you to death!¡±


    Jun Qian Che is taken aback, he looks at her as he murmurs, ¡°This piece of bracelet is enough to win you over?¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughs foolishly, ¡°Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> has no resistance when ites to this kind of things!¡± This can also be considered materialism. Everytime she excavates out jade pieces from excavation site, her heart will race really quickly.


    Seeing her so happy, Jun Qian Che¡¯s mood improves considerably.


    Mo Qi Qi stands up and pulls up her hands. As her sleeves roll down, her fair and supple hand is revealed. When the sunlight hits the bracelet on her hand, she smiles happily from ear to ear.


    When Prince Qi Xian gave her the other bracelet earlier on, she was a little embarrassed. After all, she had done nothing to deserve it. Even though she likes it, epting other people¡¯s things like that is a little embarrassing.


    But the bracelet Jun Qian Che gifted her today can be epted with a peaceful heart. No matter what, they are still husband and wife in name. It is normal for a husband to give his wife a present. Besides, she has to help him take care of the back pce everyday andforts those concubines. She has to work hard even though it didn¡¯t give her any benefit, it is fitting that she receives this bracelet with a peaceful heart.


    Jun Qian Che nces at the peony bracelet that is left on the throne. His eyes shes cunningly. Seeing the Long Feng bracelet being loved so much by Mo Qi Qi, his lips curves up to form an intangible smile, ¡°Since you like it, wear it properly from now on. Do not simply take it off.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi quickly turns around and sits next to him. She pats his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> like this bracelet very much! I will wear it every single day and protect it like it¡¯s my life! Your Majesty, you gave <i>chenqie</i> such a precious gift, <i>chenqie</i> really has no idea how to repay you. Hmm¡ª- why don¡¯t I cook you some delicious meals?¡±


    ¡°No need. <i>Zhen</i> is not hungry. <i>Zhen</i> has another thing to speak with you.¡±

 Chapter 29

    <strong>Chapter 29</strong>


    <strong>The Emperor¡¯s Gift</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly looks alert. She puts her hands against her chest in worry: "Your Majesty, don¡¯t tell me you want to force <i>chenqie</i> to do things <i>chenqie</i> isn¡¯t willing to just because of this bracelet!"


    Jun Qian Che is dumbfounded. He puts out his hand and flicks her forehead, "You spend the entire day thinking about dirty things! <i>Zhen</i> has a serious matter to tell you."


    Mo Qi Qi clicks her tongue while rubbing her forehead. "Your Majesty please speak." If you weren¡¯t being so ambiguous just now, people wouldn¡¯t have misunderstood you.


    "Three days from now, the finale of the martial artspetition that happens once every three years will take ce. All the winners from each regions will enter the pce topete. It will take ce in the military field. <i>Zhen</i> knows how much you like merry things, why don¡¯t you join <i>zhen</i> and attend them?"


    "Ah? Watch martial artspetition? Your Majesty, can <i>chenqie</i> not go?" she blinks at him withrge runny eyes.


    "Is the empress unwilling to go out together with <i>zhen</i>?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice turns unreasonably cold.


    Correct! Thisdy still has to rack her brain to go back to her own time ah! I don¡¯t have the time to apany you anywhere.


    But that can only be said on the inside. On the outside, Mo Qi Qi quickly waves her hand, "No! No! <i>Chenqie</i>¡ª¡ª"


    "Since it isn¡¯t so, then prepare to attend thepetition." He didn¡¯t give her the chance to reject him.


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly stares at him, the scene in her head suddenly turns into another picture: In the martial arts field, thepetition turns into an assassination attempt. A sword is heading his direction. It stabs him in the chest, bloods flows everywhere. In the end, the eyes that are open big shuts down.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly shakes her head. Damn, thepetition will be full of des and swords. Being with him will be so dangerous.


    "What are you thinking of?" Jun Qian Che unpleasantly asks her as he watches her who is in a daze.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly force aughter, "Hehe, nothing! I just think it is very lucky of me to be able to watch thepetition with Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che nce at her, gets up and walks away.


    "Sending the emperor away!" Mo Qi Qi obediently says.


    Once Jun Qian Che left, Mo Qi Qi violently swings her legs. "I will kick you to death, you trash! You¡¯re actually forcing me to do something I don¡¯t like." Her eyes falls on the bracelet on her wrist. Touching it, her heart feels so happy. Since you gave thisdy such a precious gift, thisdy will give you a face.


    Ban Xiang steps inside. Seeing her mistress so happy, she can¡¯t help but ask, "Your Ladyship, why are you so happy? What did His Majesty said to you?


    Mo Qi Qi quickly shows Ban Xiang the bracelet in her hand, "What do you think of this bracelet?"


    Ban Xiang stares at the bracelet in shock: "The Long Feng bracelet!"


    Mo Qi Qi praises her, "Ban Xiang, I really didn¡¯t think you will be this well-versed in arts. Correct! There is a dragon and phoenix engraved on top! You have seen this bracelet before?"


    Ban Xiang looks at Mo Qi Qi in fear before she bursts out in tears, "Your Ladyship, why did you steal this again? It isn¡¯t easy for you and His Majesty to stop fighting. Why did you do something that will anger the emperor? Your Ladyship, you better return it before His Majesty finds out. If the emperor finds out, he will punish you again. Your Ladyship is the empress now, is having this bracelet really that important?"


    Mo Qi Qi is confused upon hearing her. "Ban Xiang, what are you talking about? The emperor gave this bracelet to me just now, why should I return it? I helped him manage the back pce, it is only fitting that he reward me with this."


    Ban Xiang appear delighted, "Your Ladyship, did the emperor really gave this to you? You didn¡¯t steal it?"


    Mo Qi Qi immediately res at her unhappily, "What do you mean by this, Ban Xiang? Do you think <i>bengong</i> is the kind to steal stuff? Even though this bracelet is rare and exquisite, but no matter how precious it is, a person¡¯s integrity is worth more!"


    Ban Xiang blinks at her with her big, bright eyes, "Did Your Ladyship forgot even this bracelet?"


    Mo Qi Qi cannot understand what she is trying to say, "There is a story behind this bracelet?"

 Chapter 30

    <strong>Chapter 30</strong>


    <strong>Harassment</strong>


    Ban Xiang nods at what she said, ¡°Your Ladyship, this isn¡¯t your regr jade bracelet. This bracelet is the token of affection between emperors and empresses of our kingdom throughout the century. Before an emperor marries an empress, he will send her phoenix crown, phoenix robes, phoenix seal and this jade bracelet, to represent the empress¡¯ identity, position, acknowledgement and the emperor¡¯s affection. But two years ago, before your marriage to the emperor, His Majesty only sent you the robes, crown and seal. He did not send the token for affection. You were so furious back then. Had the Eldest Young Master not stopped you, you would¡¯ve strode into the pce to question the emperor.


    Even though the Eldest Young Master stopped you then, Your Ladyship brought it up on your wedding night. His Majesty said he forgot where he ced it. When you heard that, you did not hold back and used him of giving it to another woman. The emperor flung his sleeves and walked away and just like that, your wedding night ends. Everytime you remembered that bracelet you got upset. When you asked His Majesty, he refused to give it to you.


    Once, Your Ladyship took advantage of His Majesty¡¯s going to the morning court and snuck into his chamber to look for that bracelet. In the end, you really found it. When the emperor came back, he was really angry. He ordered you to put down that bracelet. You asked him which cheap woman was he going to give the bracelet to, was it Yang Shi Han? His Majesty got upset and forbade you from leaving Feng Yang Pce for one month. After that, he didn¡¯t visit you for three straight months.¡±


    Remembering the past, Ban Xiang¡¯s face is full of sadness and worry, but then, it quickly change into a smile. ¡°But everything is alright now. His Majesty and Your Ladyship not only bes more loving as days passes, he even personally gave you the bracelet that you have been yearning for. Your Ladyship, this servant is truly happy for you! His Majesty¡¯s heart is finally yours.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly rolls her eyes at her before saying in derision, ¡°With which eyes did you see Jun Qian Che giving his heart to me? And I don¡¯t care about his heart. Him and this bracelet is not the same thing. The only reason I epted this is because of how rare this is. If it was his own person, I wouldn¡¯t want him even if he is covered in money.¡±


    Ban Xiang scratch her head curiously, ¡°Are you ying hard to get to draw His Majesty in? Ever since you fell from the viewing tower, you have changed. You are no longer as impulsive. You even kept your distance from His Majesty. This servant actually thought you have another person in your heart. But now that this servant look at it, Your Ladyship is just using a different method to tackle His Majesty. And this method is a lot more effective than the previous harassment and stalkerish method!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi uses her hand and knock Ban Xiang in the head. She scolds her, ¡°You have a really rich imagination. Let me say this once more, I have no interest in Jun Qian Che! That¡¯s it! Let me repeat this, don¡¯t ever pair me with that leftover ever again! That is an insult to me!¡±


    But, listening to Ban Xiang, the previous owner was pretty pitiful yet hateful at the same time. She brought down the value of women¡¯s face. The other party told her they didn¡¯t love her from the start, and yet she thickened her face and was so adamant to marry him. If you want to marry then fine! But you made such a fuss over this one bracelet, of course people will get tired of you.


    But that Jun Qian Che isn¡¯t any good either. He clearly didn¡¯t love her and yet he agreed to marry her. She wasted her youth on him and in the end died so pitifully.


    But why did he gave me this bracelet? Perhaps, he felt sorry for the original owner and is trying topensate it by giving me this thing.


    Pfft, the person is already dead. To hell with yourpensation!


    Oh, or perhaps he took notice of Mo n¡¯s power and is now trying to win me over by showing me affection.


    Hmph, whatever he means by this, feel free to fight. This youngdy will just watch from the side-line, thisdy wouldn¡¯t side with anyone! It is better if both lose, haha¡ª¨C


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Three dayster, the day of the martial artspetition,


    The finale takes ce in a veryrge open space, all kinds of weapons are there on the field. There is a viewing tform erected in front of the venue. A throne, nobility¡¯s seats, snacks fruits and everything are all ready on top of the tform.


    All officials gets there early, waiting for the emperor¡¯s arrival. Since Mo Qi Qi promised Jun Qian Che to attend it together with him, she woke up early that day.


    Ban Xiang is really happy as she helps Mo Qi Qi gets ready. She takes out almost all of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s clothes, saying she wants to find the most beautiful one that suits her position as the empress.


    Time quickly passes and Ban Xiang still cannot find the outfit that pleased her. Mo Qi Qi loses her patience, ¡°Ban Xiang, can you do this or not? If you take any more of your sweet time, it will be noon soon. I think this outfit is fine. It¡¯s simple, elegant and convenient.¡± Mo Qi Qi picks out an outfit from the heaps.


    Ban Xiang quickly disagrees, ¡°Your Ladyship, this dress is toomon, it does not reflect your position at all. The officials will make fun of you, and then, the emperor will lose face and will be unhappy. Your Ladyship, how about this one? The skirt is long, the color is beautiful. When you walk, it will look really elegant and beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Whatever you say goes! Hurry and help me change.¡± Mo Qi Qi cannot wait to change clothes. Thinking about Jun Qian Che waiting for her with that cold face, she inevitably shudders.

 Chapter 31

    <strong> Chapter 31</strong>


    <strong>People With Stories</strong>


    Now that they had chosen the dress, Ban Xiang moves on to hairstyle.


    Mo Qi Qi impatiently snaps, "You must be a Virgo! Don¡¯t bother doing intricate hairstyles, just do a simple one!"


    "Yes!" Ban Xiang quickly abides. Once she is done with the hair, she helps Mo Qi Qi puts on make up. After a busy session, Ban Xiang is finally done. Mo Qi Qi quickly looks at her own reflection in the mirror, her entire soul is shell-shocked, "God, i-is this human?"


    Ban Xiang looks proud. "Your Ladyship, you used to like this makeup style the most. You always put on this grand appearance everytime you participated in banquets in the past."


    Mo Qi Qi finally understands why Jun Qian Che didn¡¯t like the previous owner. Such a thick makeup, her eyes looks like it belongs to a panda! To put it simple, she can shock people to death. The previous owner has such a beautiful face; she is startlingly beautiful and peerless when bare-faced, but it actually turns so ugly upon putting on this makeup.


    "Help me wash away this makeup! Am I a ghost? Trying to scare people to death?" Mo Qi Qi really hates it.


    Ban Xiang looks aggrieved, "Your Ladyship, you have always instructed this servant to put it like this in the past."


    "From now on, don¡¯t ever put on this kind of make up again. For such an ugly look, it sure waste a lot of time."


    Mo Qi Qi quickly washes her face clean before taking the makeup products on top of the dresser. After putting on a simpleyer of makeup, she looks at Ban Xiang: "What do you think?"


    Ban Xiang stares at Mo Qi Qi in shock, "Your Ladyship, you look so beautiful! Why am I not seeing any trace of makeup?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles arrogantly, "This is called bare makeup. It is the most popr style in the current era. Doesn¡¯t it look a lot better than the one you put on just now?"


    Ban Xiang quickly gives her a thumb up, "It looks really good. Your Ladyship, you have to teach them to this servant!"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will. Now let¡¯s go. The emperor must be getting impatient." She quickly puts on her dress and runs out.


    Jun Qian Che waits for a long time in front of Feng Yang Pce. He did not speak up even though Mo Qi Qi hasn¡¯t show up. He only stands there, he really wants to see if Mo Qi Qi really dares to not attend the championship.


    Eunuch Lin carefully stands by his side, secretly praying for Mo Qi Qi: Empress, why aren¡¯t you here yet? You are so gutsy to make the emperor wait.


    Eunuch Lin is worried the emperor may get impatient so he carefully asks, "Your Majesty, why don¡¯t I send some people to Her Majesty¡¯s chamber?"


    "No need, the person is here." Jun Qian Che expressionlessly says.


    Mo Qi Qi lifts her skirt as she hastily runs to Jun Qian Che¡¯s side. She gives him her ceremonial bow, "<i>Chenqie</i> apologize for making you wait long."


    Ban Xiang quickly admits fault and says, "Your Majesty, it is all this servant¡¯s fault. This servant took too long to choose Her Majesty¡¯s dress. After that, this servant helped her put on a makeup that Her Majesty wasn¡¯t satisfied with, so in the end, she had to change it. It is all this servant¡¯s fault. Your Majesty must not me Her Ladyship."


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes falls on Mo Qi Qi. She is wearing a long green pce¡¯s robe, embroidered with plum blossom of the same color palette. Her skirt is pulled up to her waist, tied by a dark purple sash, showing off her slender figure while still giving off that noble air. Her dress is covered with a light green yarn cloth. Every move she made makes the thin yarn sways in an enthralling way. A jade pendant hangs from her sash, looking refined and elegant. Her wrist is decorated with the Long Feng bracelet. Her ck hair is tied to a simple bun but even then, it suits her greatly. The scent of rose radiates in her hair, such an enthralling fragrance. A golden <i>buyao</i> is ced on her head, iid with jade and precious stones. She puts on pink powder on her face to make that supple and fair skin appear more reddish. Her captivating pair of eyes twinkles and her petal-like lips looks attractive. All in all, her entire face appears exquisite and peerless.


    Jun Qian Che earnestly praises her, "This style fits the empress really well." She finally knows how to be ady.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly bows, "Thanking the emperor for the praise."


    Jun Qian Che grabs her hand. Seeing this, Mo Qi Qiughs in embarrassment, "No need. <i>Chenqie</i> can walk on my own."


    Jun Qian Che has no time to waste with her, he pulls her by the hand and leads her to the military field.


    The officials and participants are all ready, they are only waiting for the emperor.


    His Majesty has always been punctual, yet he iste today. The officials are all wondering why. After a particrly loud announcement, the emperor walks in, hand in hand with the empress.


    The ministers are taken aback as they whispers to one another, "Why is His Majesty bringing the empress along?"


    "Right. No women from the harem have ever taken part in this before."


    Even though the officials are curious, they don¡¯t dare to guess the heart of the emperor. They all quickly pay their respect. "Greeting the emperor. Greeting the empress."


    "Respected officials may rise." Jun Qian Che brings Mo Qi Qi to their seats and sits down.


    Mo Qi Qi turns her head to look at Jun Qian Che. He is wearing a bright yellow dragon robes while sitting on the dragon seat. He appears lofty and above this world. No, he <strong>is</strong> above this world. His ice-like face makes it hard for people to read his thoughts. This seat is high, but it may not necessarily be good. Looking over to the officials down below, they all appears respectful and reverent, but who knows what they are truly like on the inside. So many people eyes this seat like a tiger, wanting to rece him. Even though he is the master of life and death and can determine the life of others with just one word, but he must always be at guard against others. No matter how you think about it, he must be lonely.


    Mo Qi Qi feels like somebody is watching her. She removes her eyes from Jun Qian Che and trains it on Prince Qi Xian. His pair of warm eyes is full of confusion and tinged with sadness. When others look at him, their hearts can¡¯t help but aches on his behalf. Prince Qi Xian should be someone with a story behind him.


    Jun Qian Che suddenly looks at Mo Qi Qi.

 Chapter 32

    <strong>Chapter 32</strong>


    <strong>Unsuitable Term of Addressment</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi retrieves her eyes in surprise. She quickly looks at him and gives him an obligatory smile.


    Jun Qian Che looks away.


    A man wearing the court¡¯s uniform walks in front of them. The pattern of Qilin is embroidered on his uniform, signifying his position as a first-ranked military official. He should be this dynasty¡¯s general. From what she knows, there is a young general in court, his name is¡ª¨C Han Yi Xiao. He is Jun Qian Che¡¯s trusted aide.


    He is tall and robust, his skin the color of bronze. His facial appearance is clear and deep, like an exquisite carving. His eyes are dark and deep, haughty and somber. He has a demonic charm in him, apletely different category of handsome men.


    The man respectfully makes his way in front of them and kneels, "This general greets Your Majesty."


    "Forgo the formality, Official Han. You have been in the military camp in Sheng Jiang for so many days. You came back at the right time, you can watch thepetition together with us." Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is calm.


    Han Yi Xiao respectfully answers him, "Yes." After that, he goes over to sit in one of the side seats.


    With the sound of a drum, thepetition begins. Thepetition is fierce. If men wants to be sessful in this ancient time, you have to pass the imperial examination for schrs and thispetition for martial arts practitioners. They must seize this opportunity. If they win, they can be glorious and sessful. But if they miss this chance, they will have to live the rest of their lives in obscurity.


    That¡¯s why each and every one of them cherishes this chance and tries their best to be the champion.


    Right now, it is apetition between a group of twos. If you lose, you¡¯re out. If you win, you continue fighting.


    Mo Qi Qi was initially interested, but after an incense stick of time, the interest fades. They goes around fighting here and there, her eyes are getting tired watching them. She yawns, suddenly sleepy. She leans in to Jun Qian Che and whispers, "Your Majesty, how long will this go on?"


    Jun Qian Che replies her with: "The interesting part willeter. Just be a little patience, empress."


    "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> suddenly has the urge to relieve myself." Mo Qi Qi tries to find an excuse to stroll around.


    Jun Qian Che replies with a cold, taciturn voice, "Return quickly."


    Mo Qi Qi quickly gets up and leaves. Seeing Mo Qi Qi leaving, Prince Qi Xian too surreptitiously leaves his seat.


    As thepetition goes on, Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes falls on the empty seat of Prince Qi Xian, anger slowly bubbling inside him.


    Mo Qi Qi finally breathes in relief now that she is out of Jun Qian Che¡¯s sight. She digs her ears as she mumbles, "The shing of weapons is so noisy, it¡¯s like they want to burst people¡¯s eardrums off. So ufortable."


    "So Your Ladyship too, sneaks out to get some fresh air." A warm and sweet sounding voice can be heard.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly turns around. "Who is it?" Seeing the person in front of her, she breathes out in relief. "It is Qi Xian Wang ah! You scared me. Why did youe out?"


    Jun Yue Hen smiles warmly, a little embarrassed as he replies, "Thispetition is interesting to people who knows martial arts. They can tell the moves in just a nce. But for people like me, they are pretty boring."


    Mo Qi Qi quickly steps forward and grasps Prince Qi Xian¡¯s hand: "Simr feeling! Simr feeling ah! I finally found a bosom friend!"


    Jun Yue Hen looks a little startled, "Qi Qi, aren¡¯t you well-versed in martial art? From how I see it, you should be enjoying today¡¯spetition."


    Huh? The previous owner knows martial arts? Why didn¡¯t Ban Xiang tell her?


    "Hehe, Prince Qi Xian, I will not hide this from you. Ever since I fell from the viewing tower, I not only lost my memory, I also lost my ability to practice martial arts! The me right now is just a fragile youngdy."


    Jun Yue Hen looks surprised, but quicklyforts her, "No wonder you didn¡¯t put up a fight when we bumped into those assassins back then. Don¡¯t be sad, Qi Qi. It is okay for ady to not know martial arts. You are now the empress, there will be people protecting you. From now on, no matter what happens, I will definitely protect you."


    Mo Qi Qi is touched, "Seventh Imperial Uncle, you are too nice."


    "Did the emperor knows all these?" Jun Yue Hen asks.


    She shakes her head, "I haven¡¯t told him. I don¡¯t think he is interested to know, as well."


    "Did His Majesty make things hard for you these days? I went to visit you a couple of days ago, but the emperor was sick. You went to see him so I didn¡¯t get to see you. Ever since the emperor¡¯s assassination attempt on you failed, I had been worrying about you." Jun Yue Hen looks at her, eyes filled with worry.


    Mo Qi Qi happilyughs, "Seventh Imperial Uncle need not worry, ever since I returns to the pce, I no longer encounters any assassins. I think the emperor is taking Mo n¡¯s power very seriously, so he doesn¡¯t dare to act rashly. Even though he did make things hard for me at times, they are all small and petty things."


    "Hearing you saying that, I can finally be at peace. Apanying a ruler is like apanying a tiger, Qi Qi has to be careful."


    "Thank you for the worry, Seventh Imperial Uncle. I will be careful!" Mo Qi Qi gives him a bright, brilliant smile.


    Jun Yue Hen¡¯s smile fades a little, "Qi Qi, can you call me Yue Hen like you did in the past when no one is around? Hearing you calling me Seventh Imperial Uncle is really awkward."


    "This¡ª- isn¡¯t too appropriate!" Even though their age is about the same, he is still the elder generation.

 Chapter 33

    <strong>Chapter 33</strong>


    <strong>Can Pass Off As Ladyboy</strong>


    "You used to tell me that even though our positions are different, we are still close friends. Since we are close friends, why shouldn¡¯t we call each other by the name? Qi Qi, you no longer consider me your friend?" His captivating pair of phoenix eyes are trained on her.


    Mo Qi Qi is not a pretentious person. Since Prince Qi Xian had ignored his own safety to save her life, in her heart, he is not only a close friend, but is also her benefactor. Even though she has no idea how long she will be in this ce, having a bosom friend isn¡¯t a bad idea. She quickly agrees, "Alright. From now on, when there is no other person, I will call you by your name, Yue Hen."


    Jun Yue Henughs. People always view him as a warm-hearted king. Elegant, handsome and extraordinary. But only he knows what his true personality is; he is the type that is hard to fall in love. But once he does, he will only see that person. He originally thought he can spend the rest of his days with her, who would¡¯ve thought that the emperor would came into the picture and stole her away. He made the woman he loves the most his empress.


    Since he can no longer be the person beside her, he now wishes to be the person who will protect her. Even if he can only look at her from afar; stealing nces at her direction, as long as she is well, everything else is fine.


    "Qi Qi, we should go back now, or else the emperor will be worried." Jun Yue Hen reminds her. Even though he cherishes this little moment with her, he does not wish to bring her trouble. He can only suppress the pain and send her back to that man¡¯s side.


    Mo Qi Qi mumbles, "I really don¡¯t want to watch thepetition. So boring."


    "Qi Qi must not be annoyed, thepetition should end soon." Jun Yue Henforts her with a warm tone.


    She sighs, "Let¡¯s hope so. Let¡¯s go back!" She walks back withrge strides. After a few steps, she notices that Jun Yue Hen isn¡¯t following her. She stops and turns around to look at him curiously. "Yue Hen, why aren¡¯t youing with me?"


    Jun Yue Henughs warmly, "If wee back together, the emperor will be suspicious. You go back first, I will follow youter."


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a thumb up, "You are very thoughtful. I¡¯ll go back first." She waves at him before walking away in light steps.


    Watching her back silhouette, the smile on his lips fades sadly. Qi Qi, do you know why I like walking behind you ever since we were little? Because I love seeing the way you walk, the way you move, yourughter, your frowns. Even your back silhouette is captivating. One more reason is because I want to be able to be the first one to protect you should anything happens to you. You are walking away from me again today, but why do I feel like you are getting farther and farther away? Even farther than in the past. I am really scared that one day, you will no longer be within my eyesight and I can no longer seek you out. Qi Qi, I will definitely protect you. I will not let anyone harm you. Don¡¯t be afraid. Walk with courage. Every time you look back, I will definitely be behind you, silently protecting you.


    Mo Qi Qi sits back next to Jun Qian Che.


    With his eyes still on the field, Jun Qian Che opens his mouth, "What took you so long?"


    Mo Qi Qi turns to him with a pair of brilliant eyes and replies him with a warm tone, "<i>Chenqie</i> thought the views outside were beautiful, so I took a longer time to admire them. What is the progress of thepetition?" She quickly changes the topic.


    Jun Qian Che replies her coldly, "We are at the marksmanship phase. We should get the winner soon."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, earnestly watching the game. Bing the winner isn¡¯t easy. First you have the martial arts phase, the marksmanship phase, the archery phase, horse riding phase, the wresting phase before you determine the winner in the end. After that, you can enter the military camp as a general.


    Yue Hen casually returns to his seat.


    Right now, a petite and handsome young man shines amidst the bunch of burly men. Not only is he good at martial arts, his marksmanship, archery skill, horse riding skill and wresting skill are also top notch.


    Mo Qi Qi cannot help herself from praising him, "Your Majesty, this young man is really capable. Not only does he possess an extraordinary look, his martial ability is also superior. If Your Majesty gets this kind of talent to serve you, Your Majesty will be like a tiger with wings."


    Jun Qian Che looks at the young man in the field and asks her in slight interest, "Do you recognize that person?" He trains his eyes on Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head andughs, "Your Majesty is joking. <i>Chenqie</i> has been in the pce for so long, how can I know anyone from outside?"


    "Do you wish that young man will be the champion of thispetition?" Jun Qian Che continues looking at her.


    Mo Qi Qi truthfully answers him, "Your Majesty, the winner of thispetition is not up to <i>chenqie</i>, it is up to their ability. But <i>chenqie</i> thinks that young man will most likely win, he is really capable."


    "<i>Zhen</i> believes in empress¡¯ eyes."


    Mo Qi Qi freezes, why is Jun Qian Che acknowledging what she thinks? She turns her head to look at him.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes are back on the field.


    The finalpetition is very fierce, out of the bunch, one emerges as the winner. That person is the one Mo Qi Qi predicted to win¡ªBai Jiu.


    Mo Qi Qi is very happy, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> was right! He wins!"


    "Empress indeed have a pair of wise eyes. The empress might as well personally reward the champion of thispetition." Jun Qian Che calmly says.


    Eunuch Lin personally carries the robe for the winner to the empress. Ban Xiang takes over. Mo Qi Qi gets up and bows to Jun Qian Che before walking to the center of the field where the winner is at.


    Bai Jiu earnestly waits on the field for his robe. When he sees it, heughs happily.


    Mo Qi Qi walks to him in a dignified manner before congratting him with an elegant smile, "Congrattion for winning thispetition."


    Bai Jiu winks at Mo Qi Qi as he smiles happily.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly thought he is too brave. He actually dares to tease the empress in front of so many people. The emperor is right over there ah! He is inviting death. He is lucky the crowd is far away or else his head will roll before he even gets to put on the champion¡¯s hat.


    But she has to admit, this man is really exquisite. Even women ought to envy him. If he puts on women¡¯s clothing, he can easily pass as adyboy.


    Mo Qi Qi takes the winner¡¯s outfit from Ban Xiang and hands it over to him. After that, she walks back to Jun Qian Che.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Note:</strong> Chapter 31, 32 and 33 are sponsored by Anna!

 Chapter 34

    <strong>Chapter 34</strong>


    <strong>Like Rearing A Rabbit</strong>


    Jun Qian Che stands up, his face showing a pleasant expression, "Thend of Hua Chen is rich and bountiful, producing generations of talented people. The champion this time is young and capable. ording to the rules of thepetition, the winner will enter a military camp as a general and will have the choice to enter any camp of his choice. <i>Zhen</i> wonder which camp will the champion choose this time."


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s older brother, Mo Cheng Xuan takes the initiative to get up. He bows towards the emperor and says, "Your Majesty, this general admires the winner and hopes he can enter this general¡¯s Hua Nan camp."


    Mo Qi Qi whistles in her heart: OMG, is my brother trying to recruit talented people to his side?


    Even though this is only the third time she sees Mo Cheng Xuan after time travelling to this body, the Mo Chen Xuan in her eyes is someone refined and elegant. He is not crude despite being a military general. In fact, when you look at him, he gives off the feeling that is simr to the gentleness of clear breeze and bright moon. He appears easy-going, he is not calctive like others. Seeing him trying to snatch this winner makes Mo Qi Qi a little suspicious. He seems to have lost his usualposure.


    Jun Qian Che turns over to Bai Jiu, "Would you like to go to General Mo¡¯s Hua Nan camp?"


    Bai Qiu immediately and tactlessly rejects the offer, "Answering Your Majesty, thismoner does not want to go to General Mo¡¯s camp. Thismoner wish to enter the Great General Han¡¯s Hua Bei camp and be his subordinate."


    The ministers who hear him cannot stop themselves from whispering to each other: "The champion this time really cannot differentiate the good from the bad. Does he know how many people can only dream to enter Hua Nan¡¯s camp? General Mo personally invited him yet he wouldn¡¯t even give him a face!"


    "Aiya, he has offended the Mo n. He is done for."


    Han Yi Xiao is very unhappy when he hears them. General Mo¡¯s camp and his Hua Bei camp both belong to the emperor, why are they separating the two camps as though they belongs to two different entities?


    Mo Cheng Xuan looks at Bai Jiu in discontent. Bai Jiu does not show any fear and tip his chin high at his direction.


    Mo Cheng Xuan¡¯s eyes turn to Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi can only shrug and gives him a helpless expression. She sighs in her heart: Brother ah, who told you to try and rob away the person! See how embarrassing this has be? Even though Mo n is famous and influential, not everyone will look up to us! People like Bai Jiu who isn¡¯t afraid of anything will never fear Mo n!


    She refuse to get involved in this muddy affair. At this moment, Mo Qi Qi does not know Bai Jiu¡¯s true identity. If she does, she would¡¯ve made him enter Mo Cheng Xuan¡¯s camp even if she has to put her little life on the line.


    Jun Qian Che turns to Han Yi Xiao, "General Han, is there any appropriate position for him in your camp?"


    Han Xiao Yi respectfully bows but his voice is indifferent, "Answering Your Majesty, this general¡¯s camp coincidentally is in need of a Cavalry General. Since the champion¡¯s horse riding ability is good, this general believes he is qualified enough to assume that position."


    Jun Qian Che then issues an order, "<i>Zhen</i> appoints Martial Art Champion, Bai Jiu as General Han¡¯s Cavalry General."


    Bai Jiu kneels to receive the order, "Thanking Your Majesty¡¯s grace!" After that, she turns to General Han and earnestly promise him, "Great General Han does not have to worry. This general will definitely lives up to your expectation. From now on, I am under Great General Han¡¯s care, your every wish is mymand."


    Han Xiao Yi replies him solemnly, "General Bai made a slip of words. As officials, we are all under His Majesty¡¯smand."


    Bai Jiu quickly and reverently replies, "Yes! This general will be loyal to His Majesty to death!"


    Just like that, thepetition that happens once every three years ends. The winner is ecstatic while the losers can only leave in despair.


    After leaving thepetition, Mo Qi Qi heads to her room and studies the map to find the way to return to her time.


    Once dinner is set, Ban Xiang calls for her.


    Mo Qi Qi touches her rumbling, empty stomach and scrambles to the dinner table. Seeing the table being filled with vegetarian meals, she picks up a pair of chopstick and angrily pokes at the dishes, "Did Jun Qian Che think he is raising a rabbit? What is the difference between eating these greens and eating grass?" Even though she isn¡¯t aplete carnivore, she is also not a herbivore ah! You need a bnced diet of meat and vegetables to be healthy ma! She hasn¡¯t seen meat for so many days now, she really wants to eat them.


    Ban Xiang tries to cate her, "Your Ladyship, eat a little more! Take this as a lesson, don¡¯t ever offend His Majesty again."


    "When did I offend him? He was clearly trying to make things hard for me! Ban Xiang, you y referee, isn¡¯t keeping the fire the most important thing in cooking porridge? He was the one who did a bad job at keeping the fire in control and yet he turned the me on me. Something is seriously wrong with him! Crazy!"


    "Your Ladyship, His Majesty is the ruler of our kingdom; him making a fire for someone else is already something unthinkable, why are you even upset at him?" Ban Xiang sincerely shares her view.


    This differing point of view is definitely due to the differences of their mindset ah.


    Mo Qi Qi is dumbfounded, "Oh! So you mean I should be thanking him instead! On whose side are you really?"


    "Of course this servant will side with Your Ladyship! But¡ª¨C never mind! Let¡¯s not talk about this. Your Ladyship, you haven¡¯t eat since afternoon, you have to eat a little more."


    "I want to vomit every time I see the color green! I don¡¯t want to eat anymore!" She flings her chopstick to the table and goes back to her chamber to check the map once again. She wants to leave this unreasonable ce as fast as she can.


    Ban Xiang sighs seeing the tableful of vegetables. Her Ladyship¡¯s temperament has changed a lot. If it were in the past, she would have been ecstatic if the emperor makes fire for her, but now, her heart is not moved no matter what the emperor does for her. Don¡¯t tell her the empress has a change of heart and no longer likes the emperor! Don¡¯t tell her¡ª¨C the empress is in love with that man in the viewing tower the other day!


    Ban Xiang is scared witless at her own thoughts. She clutches her mouth in fear.


    Night falls and Mo Qi Qi has gone to rest. The entire Feng Yang Pce is so quiet you can even hear the sound of a pin dropping. Ban Xiang sits on the little steps in front of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s hall, taking a quick nap.


    A tall and lofty silhouette appears and directly enters the hall. Eunuch Lin shakes his head at the sleeping Ban Xiang. He steps forward and knocks her in the head.


    Ban Xiang yelps as she wakes up, "Who hit me!"


    "Shhh!" Eunuch Lin signals her to be quiet. Seeing the person in front of her, Ban Xiang hastily stands up and respectfully greets him, "Eunuch Lin, why are you here?"


    Eunuch Lin nces at the hall.


    Ban Xiang turns around and sees the shadow of the emperor entering the hall. "His Majesty is visiting our Lady¡¯s chamber tonight?" she happily asks.


    "Shhh. Don¡¯t disturb them."


    Ban Xiang nods, her lips curling up to form a delighted smile. She is genuinely happy for Her Ladyship; seems like the emperor is finally acknowledging Her Ladyship¡¯s sincere heart.


    Mo Qi Qi who was busy scrutinizing the imperial pce¡¯s map ends up falling asleep on the long mahogany table.


    When Jun Qian Che reaches the table, he outstretches his hand, nning to wake her up. But seeing her sleeping so soundly, he suddenly cannot bring himself to. He shakes his head before lifting her up and carries her to her chamber.

 Chapter 35

    <strong>Chapter 35</strong>


    <strong>Biting His Tongue</strong>


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Okay if any of you is ufortable with intimate scenes, you can skip this chapter.)


    Mo Qi Qi is in deep sleep; dreaming a really beautiful dream. In that dream, she is sitting in front of a table full of delicacies. Seeing the mouth-watering dishes, she is extremely delighted.


    Jun Qian Che gently ce her on the phoenix bed before sitting on the bedside. He looks at the smile that is hanging at the corner of her lips; it makes her looks a little foolish.


    It is rare for him to see her in this kind of peace. He has never admire her from such a close distance before. She is truly beautiful. A lot of people praises Shi Han for being pretty, but the truth is, she only appears pretty because she carries herself in a warm and gentle manner. If he is topare them both, Mo Qi Qi is far more beautiful than Shi Han; just her rotten temper is notorious and has offended a lot of people. The first thing they think of upon hearing her name is her awful personality and not her beautiful face. Besides, the way she used to put make up on didn¡¯t do justice to her face. It covers her beauty rather than making her prettier.


    The bare-faced her that is currently sleeping right now is a sight to behold.


    "Hahaha¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi suddenlyughs out.


    Jun Qian Che puts out his hand and caresses her face, murmuring, "Who can make youugh in your dream? Did you meet Seventh Imperial Uncle outside the field today? What did he say to you? Is he the person in your dream?"


    There is a roasted duck in front of Mo Qi Qi in her dream. She tries to grab onto it while saying, "Darling, I miss you to death!" The moment her hand touches the roasted duck, the duck suddenly flies away. Mo Qi Qi hastily chases after it: "Don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t leave me!"


    Hearing her faint mumbling, Jun Qian Che leans in to hear her better. Mo Qi Qi suddenly wraps her arms around his neck while happily saying, "Finally got you! You are mine! I forbid you from leaving me!"


    Hearing that, Jun Qian Che feels a burst of bitterness. He puts out his hand, intending to wake her up.


    Before he gets to do that, Mo Qi Qi suddenly purse her lips and peck him in the lips: "Come here, darling! Let me kiss you first before eating you!"


    In the dream, Mo Qi Qi hugs the roasted duck and gives it a kiss. When it tries to struggle away from her, she holds it tighter and gives it another kiss. Outside the dream, Mo Qi Qi is grabbing Jun Qian Che by the neck as she purses her lips to kiss him.


    Jun Qian Che wants to push her away, but the force she uses is really big. She forcibly pulls him towards her before locking their lips together. He wants to use force but he is afraid he will hurt her.


    Mo Qi Qi is relentless, she continues kissing him while mumbling: "Don¡¯t leave me. I want to eat you."


    The way her soft and sweet lips keeps kissing him makes his entire body heats up. He outstretch his hand. He originally wanted to wake her up, but that hand ends up stroking her soft hair instead. He kisses her back.


    That soft pair of lips gives him an indescribable amount of temptation; their kiss turns deeper.


    The dreaming Mo Qi Qi smile; the roasted duck actually takes the initiative to ster itself onto her lips; volunteering to be eaten.


    Mo Qi Qi pokes out her tongue and licks the roasted duck; it taste good! She opens her mouth, preparing to eat it; but just as she does that, she can feel something slipping into her mouth.


    She secretly ponders: Did the roasted duck entered her mouth on it¡¯s own? If so, then, hehe she will not be courteous! She immediately bites into the duck with her teeth.


    In the end, the pitiful Jun Qian Che frowns before pulling away.


    The roasted duck in Mo Qi Qi¡¯s dream suddenly disappears! She waves around, searching for it in panic; "My delicious¡ª- My delicious¡ª¨C"


    Her hands continues waving around, searching for the non-existent duck.


    Seeing this, Jun Qian Che knocks her in the forehead.


    "Ah!" Mo Qi Qi wakes up in shock while clutching her forehead. She angrily sits up, "Who attacked me?"


    Seeing the person in front of her, she looks at him in surprise: "Y-Your Majesty, what are you doing here?"


    Jun Qian Che res at her unnervingly, his eyes icy.


    There is a great tremor in Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart: What is he doing here in the middle of the night? Why is he ring at people like that instead of sleeping? Is he nning to shock people to death!


    "Hehe, what¡¯s wrong, Your Majesty? Bad mood?" she smiles charmingly as she looks at Jun Qian Che. But then, upon spotting something at the corner of his lips, she stares at him in surprise. "Your Majesty, your mouth is bleeding! What happened? Are you injured?"


    Now that she pointed it out, a burst of pain can suddenly be felt inside his mouth. Jun Qian Che frowns unhappily.


    Mo Qi Qi can sense that something is wrong, she leans towards him: "Your Majesty, open your mouth and let <i>chenqie</i> have a look!"


    He only glowers at her in displeasure before opening his mouth.


    Mo Qi Qi is startled: "Your Majesty, your tongue is wounded. It¡¯s bleeding! Who did this! Eh, but your tongue is inside your own mouth, how did it get wounded?" She suddenly smiles ambiguously while patting his chest nosily, "Did Yang Meimei bit you? Hahaha! Just take it easy! No wonder your face is so bad tonight, you are upset! Aiya! Honesty, you shouldn¡¯t me Yang Meimei. If you hadn¡¯t poked your tongue into her mouth on the first ce, she wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to bite you! All kinds of rtionship needs a sentimental appeal; even though yours is a little too bloody, at least it¡¯s special! You cannot me Yang Meimei!"


    "Mo Qi Qi, why do you keep bringing up Shi Han everytime you opens your mouth? And why are you ming your own wrongdoing on her?" Jun Qian Che snaps angrily. There is that throbbing pain inside his mouth every time he speaks.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Note:</strong> Chapter 35 is sponsored by Lauren!

 Chapter 36

    <strong>Chapter 36</strong>


    <strong>Bandaging The Tongue</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi unhappily res at him before she refutes him, "Your Majesty, you must not nder <i>chenqie</i>. <i>Chenqie</i> knows you don¡¯t like <i>chenqie</i>; always trying to find excuses to make things hard for <i>chenqie</i>. But these kind of things cannot be med on others! I have always kept my distance from you; don¡¯t say bite your tongue, even the chance to bite your lips¡ª¨C" she suddenly pauses before fiddling with her hair in embarrassment. "Of course, that incident in the dragon pool was just an ident. Who told you to force yourself on others? But you must not me me this time! Clearly it was you and Yang Meimei who got out of control while being affectionate with each other, why are you putting the me on me?"


    "me?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s anger continues to intensify.


    Mo Qi Qi continuesining with a face full of grievance, "Correct, me! <i>Chenqie</i> was peacefully sleeping in my own chamber, but you sneaked into here and disrupt <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> sweet dream! I was dreaming about so many delicious delicacies!" Mo Qi Qi appears dreamy as she recalls her dream, "That fragrant roasted duck was right within my palm. I managed to get a taste of it¡¯s meat when I bit into it¡ª¡ª-"


    Bit? Mo Qi Qi stares at Jun Qian Che with bulged eyes.


    He icily asks her, "Finally remembered everything?"


    Mo Qi Qi finds this hard to believe, "Your Majesty, you¡ª you must not scare me! How could I bite your tongue? Oh! I knew it! You must have took advantage of me while I was sleeping! Huhu, how can a person be so despicable? How hypocritical! A ruler behaving like a small town thug!" Thinking about how he secretly kissed her, she wants to vomit.


    "Preposterous!" Jun Qian Che angrily snaps.


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked by his outburst. She stares at him in grievance before murmuring, "Did <i>chenqie</i> said anything wrong?"


    "You were the one who took the initiative to kiss <i>zhen</i>." Jun Qian Che points out.


    Mo Qi Qiughs in exaggeration, "I kissed you? What a joke. Do you think you could take advantage of me while I was sleeping and I wouldn¡¯t know¡ª¡ª- Oh! Oh God! Don¡¯t tell me I mistook you for the roasted duck!"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s face darkens.


    "Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I didn¡¯t know the roasted duck was you. Calm down. Calm down ah! Why don¡¯t you let <i>chenqie</i> bandage your tongue? Eh, hehe, I don¡¯t think tongue can be bandaged though."


    Mo Qi Qi feels like she is sitting in front of an iceberg. So cold. She uses her best ability and warmth to melt this iceberg, "Your Majesty, why don¡¯t we call the imperial physician to give you ointment." After that, she replies to herself. "I don¡¯t think we can apply ointment either. Seems like we can only let it heal on it¡¯s own. Will it swell tomorrow? Will you have to go to the morning court with a swollen tongue? Will the officials make fun of you? Ha ha ha¡ª¡ª"


    Mo Qi Qi imagines Jun Qian Che with a swollen tongue and is amused by her own imagination.


    Jun Qian Che coldly threatens her, "You better pray <i>zhen¡¯s</i> tongue wouldn¡¯t end up the way you said it will. Do you know what punishment will befall someone who purposely injures the emperor?" After he said that, he gets up and leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi sits on her bed in frustration. Huhu, Jun Qian Che that big bully! Why did he came to her instead of sleeping on the first ce? If she had known this will happen, she would¡¯ve bite his tongue off so he can no longer speaks.


    "Ah! He cannot sit still as long as I am still alive!" Mo Qi Qi angrily bellowed.


    Jun Qian Che who is outside the door smiles when he heard that. That idiot, did she really think he will tell this matter to others? He is still the emperor, he needs to care for his own image.


    Seeing the emperor leaving, Ban Xiang anxiously runs inside, "Your Ladyship, why did the emperor leave? Did you two fight again?"


    "I don¡¯t have the mood to fight with him! I want to go home! Go home!" Mo Qi Qi angrily beats her own chest and stamp her feet.


    The next day, Mo Qi Qi wakes up early and instructs Ban Xiang to assess the situation in the morning court. She tells her to check the emperor¡¯s condition.


    Ban Xiang returns and tells her that the emperor is fine; the morning court goes on just like usual.


    But Mo Qi Qi is still nervous; she is worried that Jun Qian Che¡¯s condition will be discovered by his attendants during breakfast. She personally make him porridge in Feng Yang Pce¡¯s kitchen and send it over to him, wanting to gauge his mood. Please don¡¯t tell her he will really do what he said he willst night.


    Jun Qian Che goes back to his Yu Jing Pce after the morning court and change his court robe into a regr robe.


    Once the servants serve breakfast, Jun Qian Che sits in front of the table.


    Eunuch Lin quickly motions at the dishes, "Your Majesty, these are your favorite meals."


    Jun Qian Che picks up a pair of chopstick and taste one of the dishes. A piercing pain can suddenly be felt in his tongue; he frowns.


    Seeing that, Eunuch Lin anxiously asks, "Your Majesty, is it not up to your taste?"


    Jun Qian Che simply says, "No. <i>Zhen</i> is not hungry."


    "The empress arrives!" An announcementes from outside.


    Eunuch Lin is very surprised, "Why did the empresse?"


    As he said that, Mo Qi Qi already walks into the hall while carrying a tray. When she arrives in front of Jun Qian Che, she curtseys as she speaks with a tender voice, "<i>Chenqie</i> greets Your Majesty."


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Note:</strong> Let us all pray for Jun Qian Che¡¯s tongue and Mo Qi Qi¡¯s life XD

 Chapter 37

    <strong>Chapter 37</strong>


    <strong>Disturbing Good Thing</strong>


    "Why are you here?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is cold as he asked.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly put the tray on the table while smiling warmly, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> personally made you this porridge. Hope you will like them." After that, she turns to the servants imposingly before saying, "<i>Bengong</i> will personally serve His Majesty breakfast. All of you retreat."


    "Yes." The servants immediately retreat.


    There is only Mo Qi Qi and Jun Qian Che in the hall now.


    Mo Qi Qi sits next to him with a brilliant smile, "Your Majesty, how is your tongue? <i>Chenqie</i> knows your tongue hurts and cannot eat these foods, that¡¯s why I deliberately cooked this porridge. You won¡¯t have to chew them, you can swallow them directly."


    Jun Qian Che looks at the porridge on the table ridiculingly, "How thoughtful of you."


    "Serving Your Majesty is <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> responsibility. <i>Chenqie</i> dare not ck. Here, let <i>chenqie</i> feed you." On one hand, she is holding the bowl, on another, she is scooping up porridge for Jun Qian Che. Now that she did all these, he ought to give her face and not tell this to others.


    After tasting her porridge, Jun Qian Che is a little startled, "You cooked this?"


    Mo Qi Qi proudly shows off, "Of course! Delicious, isn¡¯t it?"


    Jun Qian Che gives her an eye roll, "Not really."


    Mo Qi Qi has the urge to hit the table, but didn¡¯t have the guts to. She can only bitterly say, "Right, Your Majesty is the emperor. You are used to everything luxurious since you were young. <i>Chenqie¡¯s</i> porridge is not good enough for your taste. Since Your Majesty didn¡¯t like them, then don¡¯t eat them."


    She put the bowl on the table in displeasure.


    Jun Qian Che is toozy to argue with her. He picks up the bowl and continues eating. The bowl turns empty pretty fast.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him quizzically, "I thought Your Majesty didn¡¯t like them..."


    "<i>Zhen</i> didn¡¯t want to work with empty stomach." What he is trying to imply is since his tongue is injured, he can only eat porridge. No matter how unappetizing they are, he can only force himself to eat them. But the truth is, he likes the porridge. He purposely angers her because he didn¡¯t want to see Mo Qi Qi getting all arrogant over that.


    Seeing him drinking the porridge, all the anger within her disperses. Sheughs as she looks at him, "Your Majesty, how is your tongue? Show <i>chenqie</i>...."


    "No need!" Jun Qian Che¡¯s face darkens. Rememberingst night, anger rises in his stomach.


    "Aiya! What are you embarrassed for? Come! Open your mouth for me to see!" Mo Qi Qi inches closer to him as she smiles beautifully.


    "<i>Zhen</i> said no need!" he pushes her away.


    Mo Qi Qi insists, "Just open it for a moment! If you won¡¯t open, I will use my hand to force open them!" She takes out her hand to intimidate him.


    Jun Qian Che icily threatens her, "Try it if you dare."


    "Complying to Your Majesty¡¯s order!" Mo Qi Qi takes that opportunity and shamelessly pulls his cheeks.


    Jun Qian Che didn¡¯t think that Mo Qi Qi would actually do that, he angrily reprimands her, "Mo Qi Qi, are you tired of living?"


    "Your Majesty, you were the one who told <i>chenqie</i> to try. Open your mouth."


    "Get out!"


    One is pushing and one is pulling, in the end, the two people engage in a scuffle.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s rotten temper res up. She originally wanted to tease this iceberg. Seeing him angry satisfies her. But since he refused to give her face, she will not back down. Amidst the scuffle, she ends up sitting on hisps as she tries to force his mouth open. Lucky Jun Qian Che is sitting on the dragon throne that can amodate heavy weight. If not, both of them would have fallen by now.


    Neither of them realizes how ambiguous their position is; how disorderly they appear.


    "Mo Qi Qi¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C"


    "This official greets the emperor, the empress." A sweet-sounding male voice can be heard. He looks at the throne, tongue-tied.


    Mo Qi Qi turns around. It is Chu Ling Xiao. She has no idea when he entered the hall.


    Chu Ling Xiao looks at the two people, purposely looking embarrassed as he asks, "Did I interrupted Your Majesties good thing?" His eyes are actually filled with interest.


    Good thing? Mo Qi Qi originally has no reaction, but when her eyes falls on Jun Qian Che¡¯s ice cold face, she finally realizes that she is sitting on hisps. Her face immediately reddens like crayfish as she puts some distance between them. She busily fixes her own clothes, "<i>Bengong</i> was just ying around with His Majesty." But why does her exnation sounds wrong the more she thinks about it?


    A charmingughter is formed on Chu Ling Xiao¡¯s face.


    Mo Qi Qi cleverly turns the table back on him, "The morning court has just ended and yet the prime minister is already looking for the emperor. Your rtionship with him is really good."


    Why did he alwayses looking for Jun Qian Che in his resting pce? Seems like their rtionship really isn¡¯t that simple. Don¡¯t tell her the two of them are really engaging in the romance of broken sleeves? Haha, Jun Qian Che unexpectedly eats both men and women!


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Romance of broken sleeves is love between men and men.)


    "This official has an important thing to report to the emperor." Chu Ling Xiao smiles elegantly.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "<i>Bengong</i> understand. Undertand..." Important? Affection is indeed important. "Your Majesty, then <i>chenqie</i> shall not bother you and Prime Minister Chu¡¯s important thing. <i>Chenqie</i> leave first." She leaves the hall with a secretive smile.


    Seeing Mo Qi Qi, Chu Ling Xiao looks at Jun Qian Che wonderingly, "The smile the empress had before leaving was pretty weird."


    "No need to pay attention to her." Jun Qian Che¡¯s face is really bad.


    Chu Ling Xiaoughs nastily, "Your Majesty, what happened just now? Was the empress always this persistent and forceful? She actually¡ª¨C forced herself on Your Majesty. No wonder you avoided her like gue every time you meet her."


    Danger shes in Jun Qian Che¡¯s cold eyes.


    Chu Ling Xiao quicklyforts him, "But the empress is a lot prettier now than in the past. She found the most suitable make up for herself."


    Jun Qian Che didn¡¯t make any sound.


    Afraid to have invoke the emperor¡¯s wrath, he expertly changes the topic, "Your Majesty, this official have investigated that thing you asked me to."


    The cold air surrounding Jun Qian Che finally weakens a little, "How is it?"


    "It is just as you expected." Chu Ling Xiao hands him a folder.


    Light shes in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes after he reads the folder.


    "Your Majesty, do I need to inform General Han?"


    Jun Qian Che puts away the folder, "You can inform himter. <i>Zhen</i> has something else to talk to you, let¡¯s go to the Imperial Study."


    The two of them make their way out of the hall.


    After leaving the hall, Mo Qi Qi did not immediately leave. Hering to check on Jun Qian Che was just an excuse. Her main aim is to go to Yu Jing Pce¡¯s toilet. She had been checking the rest of toilets in the pce these past few days and she still couldn¡¯t find the way to go back. So now, she is putting her hope in Jun Qian Che¡¯s toilet.


    In the past life, she went to that toilet to find ways to punish that cold-hearted Jun Qian Che; but in the end, she identally time-travelled to this ce instead. So she thinks the way to go back must have something to do with the ancient era¡¯s Jun Qian Che. The toilet he used is most promising ce.


    Mo Qi Qi takes out Yu Jing Pce¡¯s map. When she spots the location of the toilet, her face is filled with delight. She looks at the hall where Jun Qian Che ate his breakfast earlier on. After that, she sneakily made her way to the toilet.


    Unfortunately, to go to the toilet, you need to pass the dining hall so when Jun Qian Che and Chu Ling Xiao walks out, they bump into the sneaky and thief-like Mo Qi Qi.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Note:</strong> Chapter 37 is sponsored by Lauren!

 Chapter 38

    <h4><strong>Together With a Strange Man</strong></h4>


    Seeing that, Chu Ling Xiao immediately speaks out in interest, "Your Ladyship, didn¡¯t you left? Why are you still here? Don¡¯t tell me you love the emperor too much and could not bear to leave."


    Mo Qi Qi res at Chu Ling Xiao unhappily as she says, "Prime Minister, you can randomly eats but you can never randomly speaks! With what eyes are you seeing me unwilling to part with the emperor?"


    What she said made him froze. Is the empress possessed? If this was in the past, she would have proudly admit to caring about the emperor, but now she actually looks disgusted by the idea. The world is indeed ever-changing. The empress no longer cares about the emperor, this is truly shocking.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart is really unhappy when he heard that, but none of it shows on his emotionless face. "Where are you going to, empress?"


    Huh! Mo Qi Qi can imagine a flock of crows flying over her head. Was she that obvious; like she was trying to sneak in somewhere? Such a sharp eyes! Since he asked, might as well..... She clutches her stomach with a pained expression, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> has a stomachache. Can <i>chenqie</i> use your bathroom for a moment?"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes shes mockingly before he coldly speaks, "Use your own in Feng Yang Pce."


    Mo Qi Qi froze for a moment before she continues putting effort in her performance, "Your Majesty, don¡¯t be so stingy! I will just borrow it for a moment."


    "Only <i>zhen</i> can use <i>zhen¡¯s</i> bathroom. Go back to your Feng Yang Pce." Jun Qian Che emotionlessly chase her away.


    "You¡ª¨C" Mo Qi Qi angrily points at her.


    Jun Qian Che coldheartedly leaves an order, "Kill anyone who dares to let the empress use <i>zhen¡¯s</i> bathroom." After saying that, he walks away withrge strides. Mo Qi Qi angrily points at the leaving Jun Qian Che, so angry she cannot find any words to say.


    Chu Ling Xiao steps up to her with a sympathetic look on his face, "Your Ladyship, hurry and go. Things might get back if you dys things like that." After that, heughs nastily and follows Jun Qian Che.


    "You¡ªBoth of you! Jun Qian Che, you cheapskate! Hmph!" Mo Qi Qi stomps her feet on the ground angrily.


    Chu Ling Xiao who chased after Jun Qian Che speaks out in worry, "Your Majesty, aren¡¯t you afraid the empress cannot hold it in and ends up doing something that embarrasses you?"


    Jun Qian Che snorts in disdain, "She is just pretending. Don¡¯t bother with her."


    Mo Qi Qi returns to her Feng Yang Pce in anger.


    Seeing the look on her face, Ban Xiang asks her in concern, "Your Ladyship, what happened? Weren¡¯t you sending porridge to His Majesty? Why do you look so furious? His Majesty didn¡¯t eat your porridge?"


    "Don¡¯t bring up that trash! I kindheartedly gave him porridge early in the morning yet he won¡¯t even let me use his toilet! What a dog shit emperor! He is so stingy, how is he the master of themon popce? I bet, that emperor will sooner orter¡ª¡ª-"


    Ban Xiang jumps over and covers her mouth.


    Mo Qi Qi angrily push her hand away, "What are you doing, Ban Xiang? Even you are bullying <i>bengong</i>?"


    Ban Xiang looks aggrieved, "Your Ladyship, how can this servant bully you? This servant is just afraid you will say disrespectful things. If other people hears you and this reaches the emperor¡¯s ears, you will be sent to death."


    "I am not afraid of him! I cannot travel back, what is the difference between me right now and dying? Hu hu hu......." Mo Qi Qimented as she weeps tearlessly. Why did she meet such a heartless trash like him?


    "Your Ladyship," a pce maid enters respectfully, "General Bai wishes to see you."


    Mo Qi Qi retrieves herposure as she asks, "General Bai? Which General Bai? <i>Bengong</i> doesn¡¯t know him, turn him away."


    The maid retreats away butes back momentster, "Your Ladyship, General Bai said that he was the winner of the tournament the other day. You personally rewarded him that day, he is here to thank you for that."


    Mo Qi Qi impatiently replies, "Tell him that the emperor was the one who told <i>bengong</i> to reward him. If he wants to thank someone, thank the emperor."


    Hearing that, Ban Xiang immediately stops her, "Your Ladyship, you have to meet this champion."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her, puzzled, "Why? <i>Bengong</i> knew him before?"


    Since the other maid is still here, Ban Xiang didn¡¯t reply her. She only says, "Your Ladyship, since the champion is already here, it is discourteous to turn him away. It is against the rules."


    "Aiya, the pce has so many rules. Alright, let him in." Mo Qi Qi fixes her clothes before she sits down. One day of not travelling back to her own time is one day of her acting as the empress of Hua Chen Kingdom. She must y this role well if she didn¡¯t want the emotionally unstable Jun Qian Che to target her.


    The pce maid retreats to invite General Bai in. Very quickly, General Bai who is wearing the red robe of the champion walks in. "Bai Jiu greets Your Ladyship."


    "No need to be so courteous, General Bai." Mo Qi Qi speaks out elegantly.


    "Thanking the empress." Bai Jiu gets up and smiles brilliantly at Mo Qi Qi before ncing at the maids around them.


    Suspicion rise within Mo Qi Qi: From the way the kid acts, it seems like he wants her to send all the maids away. What is he trying to do? On the tournament the other day, he actually winked at her. Seems like this brat has guts. He actually dares to get all indecent at her. He actually dares to seek for her today; does he really have the guts to desire the empress? If he really has impure ideas towards her, she will not be courteous. She hates trash like these the most.


    Seeing the quiet Mo Qi Qi, Ban Xiang speaks up on her behalf, "All of you retreat first."


    "Yes." The pce maids all retreat away.


    Mo Qi Qi turns to Ban Xiang, half serious and half joking, "Ban Xiang, you are getting more and more gutsy. You actually dares to send those people away without <i>bengong¡¯s</i> permission. Should <i>bengong</i> give you a promotion?"


    Ban Xiang is scared, "Don¡¯t be angry, Your Ladyship. This servant is only doing this for you."


    "For me?" Mo Qi Qi points at herself before bitterlyughing, "More like harming me! You make me and a male stranger cooped inside a room together. Let¡¯s not talk about whether or not I can protect my life, if this spreads out, how good will it be for my reputation?"


    Ban Xiang looks puzzled, "Male stranger? Where?"


    Mo Qi Qi knocks her in the head before scolding her, "Are you blind? Is he not a person?" She points at Bai Jiu.


    Bai Jiu looks stunned hearing her.


    Ban Xiang helplessly sighs, "Your Ladyship, don¡¯t tell me you forgot even her?"


    <strong>serene:</strong> You can also read it !

 Chapter 39

    <h4><strong>The Empress¡¯ Secret Lover</strong></h4>


    "I knew this person?" Don¡¯t tell her this young man is a secret lover that the previous owner kept? Oh, things will get messy! If Jun Qian Che finds out, she will be in deep trouble.


    After recovering her thoughts, Bai Jiuughs, "Seems like my disguise is working, even Second Sister cannot recognize me!"


    "Second Sister? Who is Second Sister?" Mo Qi Qi asks in wonder.


    Bai Jiu points at her, "You!"


    Mo Qi Qi is furious upon hearing that, "You wretched thing, you dare to call <i>bengong</i> crazy! You must be tired of living!"


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Second Sister is ¡¯Er Jie¡¯ in Chinese. ¡¯Er¡¯ is also the ng to call people crazy/stupid.)


    Bai Jiuughs out loud, "Second Sister, your temper is getting worse by the day. I have been calling you that ever since I was little, why are you suddenly upset at the way I addressed you?" After that, Bai Jiu takes off his headgear and his long hair flows down like a waterfall.


    Mo Qi Qi is stunned when she looks at Bai Jiu, "A-a woman?" After that, she looks at Ban Xiang.


    Ban Xiang leans onto Mo Qi Qi and whispers, "Your Ladyship, this is the Third Miss, your younger sister."


    "What? M-my sister?" Mo Qi Qi looks like she has been struck by thunder.


    Bai Jiu seems curious, "Second Sister, what¡¯s wrong? I am your younger sister, Mo Jiu Jiu ah! I am only wearing men¡¯s clothing, there shouldn¡¯t be any drastic changes in me. Even Ban Xiang saw right through my disguise, why couldn¡¯t you?"


    "That....." Mo Qi Qi scratch her own head before sending Ban Xiang a look.


    Ban Xiang nods understandingly before exining on her behalf, "Third Miss, Her Ladyship knocked her head when she fell off the viewing tower the other day. She lost all of her memories."


    Bai Jiu is shocked, "She lost her memories?"


    "Sshhh! <i>Xiao Mei</i>, only Ban Xiang knows about this! I didn¡¯t tell anyone, I didn¡¯t want Father and Mother to worry! You must keep this a secret!" Mo Qi Qi carefully tells her.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Xiao Mei means little sister.)


    Bai Jiu nods, "<i>Xiao Mei</i> understand sister¡¯s worry. After all, you are the empress. Losing your memories will get a lot of people talking. It will be bad for you and Mo n. Don¡¯t worry, <i>xiao mei</i> will keep this a secret!"


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Thank you, <i>xiao mei</i>! But, <i>xiao mei</i>, you are a woman, why did you participate in the martial arts tournament? This is a crime of deceiving the emperor. If His Majesty finds out, not only will you lose your life, the entire Mo n will be implicated along with you."


    Bai Jiuughs confidently, "Don¡¯t worry, Second Sister! I will be really careful, no one will find out!"


    "<i>Xiao mei</i>, this matter cannot be solved by just being careful. You are at the army camp, you will work with men all the time. How will you keep this a secret from them?" Mo Qi Qi tries very hard to persuade her. If this matter is exposed, it will implicate her, the empress, herself.


    "Second Sister, don¡¯t even bother persuading me anymore. I have done a lot of deliberation before participating in the tournament; I have to enter the camp. No one will change my mind!" Bai Jiu stubbornly insists.


    "But, you have to think for Mo n ah! No wonder Eldest Brother stepped out to offer you a ce in his camp that day, he saw right through you! Since Eldest Brother could, others could as well. Oh right! The emperor asked me if I recognized you that day, perhaps he already saw right through you!" Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart suddenly jumps. Oh God! If Jun Qian Che knows this, wouldn¡¯t he grip her little life to death? If she knew her identity from the start, she would have done anything to make her enter Mo Cheng Xuan¡¯s camp.


    Bai Jiu immediatelyforts her, "Second Sister is this worried because you lost your memory. Actually, I was extremely weak when I was born. Father and Mother were worried they couldn¡¯t keep me alive so they handed me over to a Master in the jianghu, my shifu. In the past sixteen years of my life, I have only asionally returned to Duke Zhen¡¯s manor. Even the servants in the manor barely knows me, much less the people from outside. It is impossible for the emperor to recognize me."


    Hearing what she said, Mo Qi Qi gradually feels reassured. But still, she does not agree with her staying in the army barrack. "<i>Xiao mei</i>, you are a girl, why are you so adamant to live in the army barrack? Even if the emperor doesn¡¯t know you are Mo n¡¯s Third Miss, what if he knows you are a girl? This is a crime! <i>Xiao mei</i>, the army camp isn¡¯t a good ce to y with, I think you should leave the camp."


    "Second Sister, I didn¡¯t go there to y." Bai Jiu¡¯s face looks earnest.


    Mo Qi Qi asks her in wonder, "Then what are you there for?"


    "Stop asking, Second Sister. <i>Xiao mei</i> will not tell you for now. You just do your thing as the empress, don¡¯t bother with the rest. If you do, you will get worried. <i>Xiao mei</i> has her own reason for doing things." Bai Jiu¡¯s smile is very bright.


    But Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart still cannot ease down.


    Bai Jiu stays there for a while before leaving. Mo Qi Qi can feel the guillotine hanging right above her neck, she feels as though it is going to drop on her real soon. She touches her neck, shivering. "No! I must find the way to travel back and I need to find it quick! Every member of Mo n is such a mess, they will put me to death one day! The Father is arrogant to death, he didn¡¯t care for even the emperor, a typical case of a monkey trying to reach for the sky! The little sister on the other hand, wants to go against the sky. She dressed up as a man and went around winning a martial art tournament. The crime of deceiving the emperor is enough to put the entire household under the chopping block! She is not above the sky! Hu hu, wearing the title of the ¡¯Miss of Mo n¡¯, everyone will be implicated by her ah. I need to leave this ce quick!"


    She quickly takes out the map of the pce and studies it.


    <strong>serene:</strong> Chapter 39 is sponsored by Rabikah!

 Chapter 40

    <strong>Chapter 40</strong>


    <strong>The Emperor¡¯s Subtle Tactics</strong>


    The moment Bai Jiu steps out of the pce, she bumps into Mo Cheng Xuan and is immediately dragged back home.


    Inside the Mo Manor¡¯s hall, Mo Cheng Xuan scolds her, "<i>Xiao mei</i>, you are too courageous. You actuallypeted in the marital arts tournament! You even entered Han Yi Xiao¡¯s camp! Are you tired of living?"


    "Do not worry, Older Brother. I will not let anyone discover my identity."


    "Do you think Han Yi Xiao is stupid? He is still young and is already a Great General. Do you think he gets that title for fun?" Mo Cheng Xuan is really furious.


    "What happened? Why are you two fighting?" Duke Zhen and his wife walk in. The madam curiously looks at the two.


    Seeing his daughter, Duke Zhen is really happy, "Jiu Jiu, when did youe? Come and let Father see you! You have gotten thinner."


    "Father, daughter misses you and Mother too much, that¡¯s why." Mo Jiu Jiu coquettishly replies him.


    Duke Zhen¡¯s heart aches, "Do not leave anymore, after this. Stay here and quietly enjoy the prosperity of Mo n. Xuan Er, your sister has only arrived. Why did you scold her?"


    Mo Cheng Xuan angrily replies him, "Father, why don¡¯t you ask her what she did."


    Duke Zhen and his wife turn to Jiu Jiu curiously.


    She scratches her head before confessing her participation in the martial arts tournament. Her mother is worried after hearing her, "Jiu Jiu, you are too bold! This is the crime of deceiving the emperor! If the emperor finds out¡ª¡ª¡ª-"


    Duke Zhen haughtily pats his own chest, "Ya~, no worries! Anything happens and you still have Father! Jiu Jiu, you did well! Father supports you!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan is stunned, "Father, Jiu Jiu did such a preposterous thing and you actually backs her?"


    "What is there to be upset of? Even though Jiu Jiu is a woman, she doesn¡¯t know how to do her eyebrows. Even those men aren¡¯t her equals. Her victory in the tournament showcases her ability. The emperor should be happy he has someone as talented as Jiu Jiu at his disposal. Jiu Jiu, don¡¯t worry and be your General in peace. If anything happens, you still have Father!"


    Mo Jiu Jiu is delighted by what he said. She coquettishly pulls his arms, "Father, thank you for supporting Jiu Jiu. You are the best!"


    Duke Zhen smiles happily from ear to ear.


    The madam is still worried, "Laoye, this is not good. Hua Chen Kingdom has rules; women are not allowed to be officials."


    "Don¡¯t worry. This old bone has spent his entire life fighting for the imperial family. If anything happens, the emperor will give this old thing a face. Had it not been for me, will he have sessfully sit on the emperor¡¯s seat?" Duke Zhen insolently says.


    Mo Jiu Jiu immediatelyforts her mother, "Don¡¯t worry, Mother. Daughter will wear a proper disguise, nobody will ever know!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan disagrees, "Father, son thinks it is better for Jiu Jiu to leave the camp. This is no trivial matter."


    Duke Zhen sighs, "Xuan Er, you are too cautious when doing things, so unlike Father. From how Father sees it, Jiu Jiu entering the camp has more advantages than disadvantages. Even though Mo n has power, we are pretty much in the dark when ites what goes on in that Han brat¡¯s Hua Bei Camp. If the emperor wants to act against Mo n one day, he will definitely use the soldiers from Hua Bei Camp. By then, our ignorance will be a great disadvantage. Now that Jiu Jiu has sessfully entered the camp, everything that happens there will be within our palm. We will be the first to know if the emperor ns something. Jiu Jiu, you must gain Han Yi Xiao¡¯s trust as well as the confidential files inside the camp."


    Mo Jiu Jiu earnestly nods, "Yes, Father. Do not worry, I will definitely gain Han Yi Xiao¡¯s trust."


    "Hahaha, good! As expected of my daughter!" Duke Zhenughs happily.


    Mo Cheng Xuan helplessly sighs before walking away. Upon seeing that, the madam follows him, "Xuan Er¡ª¨C"


    Mo Cheng Xuan stops in his track, "Mother."


    His mother gives him a gentle smile, "Xuan Er, Mother knows that you are aposed and responsible child. You love your sisters and cares about your family members. You must be really worried about Jiu Jiu entering the camp, but what your Father said isn¡¯t wrong. With Jiu Jiu in Hua Bei Camp, you can keep tracks with every movement that camp made. You will understand the emperor even more."


    "But has Mother even considered that once Jiu Jiu¡¯s identity is exposed, it will be a fatal blow for Mo n? Don¡¯t you think Father spoiled my sisters too much? Father had been strict to me ever since I was little and I understand that. I am the eldest child of Mo n after all. But he is unreasonably lenient to <i>Er Mei</i> and <i>Xiao Mei.</i> Even though they are girls, they still have to be admonished every time they make mistakes instead of just blindly siding with them like this. <i>Er Mei</i> is the empress, the mother of this nation. She should be benevolent and virtuous, but ever since she married the emperor, she bes haughty, overbearing and jealous. She fights with him all day. She didn¡¯t have the bearing of an empress at all. Father knows but didn¡¯t scold her. He encourages her instead. He praises her for being brave, not fearing even the Son of the Heaven. The rtionship between the emperor and empress bes more and more estranged by the day. Had it not been for Mo n, the emperor would have deposed her long ago. And now, <i>Xiao Mei</i> daringly enters a military camp. Father indulges her yet again. Son is worried Father will only end up implicating them." Mo Cheng Xuan is really worried of his sisters. They are his blood sisters, he loves them so much. He doesn¡¯t want anything to happen to them. Right now, they are bncing themselves on top of a de. His Father is under the impression that the emperor cannot do without Mo n, that the emperor fears Mo n. That is why he never puts the emperor in his eyes. He thinks he can settle everything should anything goes wrong.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Er Mei - Second Sister (Mo Qi Qi.))


    But from how he sees it, even though the emperor is young, he is very shrewd and calctive. Every steps he made is made under deep scrutiny. If he wishes to get rid of Mo n one day, he is afraid his Father will not be able to do anything against him.


    <strong>serene</strong>: Chapter 40! Mo Cheng Xuan and the mother are the only normal people in their family....

 Chapter 41

    <strong>Chapter 41</strong>


    <strong>The Change</strong>


    The mother sighs, "You know your Father best. He is a ve to his daughters. Whatever they say is more important to him than an imperial edict. Remember when your Father wanted to take in concubines back then? Qi Qi won¡¯t let him, so he quickly sent everyone away. He is willing to do anything as long as Qi Qi and Jiu Jiu are happy. To him, his daughters¡¯ words are always right; whatever the rest of us says are of no use."


    "If Qi Qi does not change, the husband and wife rtion between her and the emperor will be over soon. And if Jiu Jiu continues being nonsensical, she will kill the entire Mo n along with her." Mo Cheng Xuan anxiouslyments.


    His motherforts him, "Don¡¯t be too worried, Xuan Er. Jiu Jiu must have been momentarily curious. She will get bored and leaves the camp soon. Mother will talk to her."


    "I hope Mother is right." Mo Cheng Xuan helplessly shakes his head.


    Night arrives and the dark sky is filled with stars. Yu Jing Pce is quiet at the moment. Even the sound of leaves rustling from the wind can be heard.


    A sneaky figure can be seen approaching Yu Jing Pce, looking around before going straight for the emperor¡¯s toilet.


    That person is none other than Mo Qi Qi. Since she failed her endeavour in broad daylight, she decides to take her chance under the cover of the night.


    Mo Jiu Jiu¡¯s victory in the tournament and her entrance to the military camp strengthen her resolve even more. She refuse to stay here to be buried with the rest of the Mo n.


    She already dispatched her people and finds out that Jun Qian Che has already gone to Yang Shi Han¡¯s Gui Ning Pce. At this moment, he should be entangled with the beauty on the sheets. She has to take this chance to check his toilet tonight, hopefully it can send her back to her time.


    Mo Qi Qi very easily enters Jun Qian Che¡¯s toilet; the toilet he uses is indeed different from the one the rest of the people use. It is so luxurious and gaudy.


    Mo Qi Qi knocks around the toilet, hoping something out of the ordinary will happen.


    The lighting in the toilet is dim and Mo Qi Qi is preupied with her search. She continues searching on the other side of the silken divider until her hand falls on something warm. She curiously looks up before gasping in horror, "Y-Your Majesty!" She is actually touching Jun Qian Che¡¯s leg.


    She looks down, and upon seeing whatever it is she happens to be seeing, she screams, "Ah!! A rogue!"


    Jun Qian Che immediately yells at her, "Get lost!"


    Mo Qi Qi runs out in fear.


    After a while, in Jun Qian Che¡¯s resting pce, he is sitting on the couch while ring at Mo Qi Qi. She, on the other hand, acts like a timid daughter inw, toying with her hands with her head lowered down.


    "Speak! What were you trying to attempt in <i>zhen¡¯s</i> toilette at night?" Jun Qian Che finally speaks up. Even though his tone is calm, it still brings an oppressing air to those who hears him.


    "Trying to attempt?" Mo Qi Qi froze a little before looking up. Then she smiles, her eyes all crinkled, "Your Majesty, the words you used are a little too grave. What can <i>chenqie</i> possibly be attempting in Your Majesty¡¯s toilet? <i>Chenqie</i> was only worried you forgot to bring toilet paper with you to the toilet, that¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> came to check on you!" Damn, didn¡¯t he go to Yang Shi Han¡¯s pce? Why did he return?


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes, giving off dangerous air.


    Seeing him not believing a single thing she said, she changes her expression, inhaling sharply beforementing, "Actually, Your Majesty, ever since <i>chenqie</i> injured your tongue the other night, <i>chenqie</i> could not eat and could not sleep at night. Every time <i>chenqie</i> thinks about Your Majesty and Yang Meimei not being able to use your tongues while loving each other, <i>chenqie</i> will be filled with remorse! Huhu...."


    "Oh really.." Jun Qian Qi¡¯s voice is icy and murderous.


    Gah! Mo Qi Qi froze, finding it hard to continue acting.


    She changes her words once again, grinning as she says, "Your Majesty, to tell the truth, the only reason <i>chenqie</i>es tonight is because <i>chenqie</i> wants to see you. Like people say, once someone goes crazy over someone else, anything is possible. Your Majesty should know better, what <i>chenqie</i> feels like ever since <i>chenqie</i> married you. <i>Chenqie</i> got even crazier over you! The only attempt <i>chenqie</i> will make is to be able to be together with you. Time is an obstacle, seeing you once makes <i>chenqie</i> wants to see you even more. That¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> seized this opportunity to see you!" Ugh! Mo Qi Qi, why don¡¯t you just run your head into the wall? Can youe up with anything more disgusting than this?


    Jun Qian Che looks at her. Even though he knows she is only saying all that to save her own skin, his heart feels inexplicably happy. "You don¡¯t regret marrying <i>zhen</i>?"


    Mo Qi Qi immediately shakes her head, "No way! Marrying Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is like a dung beetle who has just fallen into a pit of dung! There are food and water! My life is easy and peaceful as well, how can I¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C"


    "Mo Qi Qi!" Jun Qian Che angrily clenches his teeth.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately tries to exin, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is not likening you to a pile of dung! <i>Chenqie</i> just wants to say that being with you is <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> fortune!" She quickly made her way next to him and help massage his shoulders, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is not good at speaking but you must know that <i>chenqie</i> is loyal to you through life or death. If <i>chenqie</i> shows any signs of disloyalty or infidelity, <i>chenqie</i> will be struck by lightning!"


    <i>Rumble</i>. Thunder suddenly roars outside.


    Mo Qi Qi is scared that she jumps into the couch. Meeting Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes, sheughs in embarrassment, "Hehe, it must have been aiming for another person. There are too many liars in this worldtely. Your Majesty must not misunderstand me."


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes are cold like ice as he quietly approaches her, "<i>Zhen</i> wants to know; what kind of woman can be considered as disloyal in the empress¡¯ book? Is it when they climb on bed with another man?"


    "Er¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi froze a little, not understanding why he is asking her that. Facing Jun Qian Che¡¯s approaching body, she scoots backwards in fear. "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> think¡ª Ah!" Jun Qian Che suddenly grabs her shoulders and presses her down the long couch.


    Mo Qi Qi is scared to the point where she cannot speak. Watching Jun Qian Che who is so close to her, her heart jumps violently.


    Jun Qian Che tips up her chin with his slender hand before he slowly leans into her.


    The sudden change of scene turns Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head nk. She even forgot to push him away.

 Chapter 42

    <strong>Chapter 42</strong>


    <strong>Will Not Be Bearing Your Child</strong>


    Jun Qian Che slowly leans onto her, the coldness in his eyes gradually turning gentle. When his lips is about to fall on hers, the gentleness in his eyes turns to coldness and disgust.


    Just as Mo Qi Qi thought this night would end in a disaster and she would be humiliated by Jun Qian Che, he lets go of her chin and sits up straight.


    Mo Qi Qi froze for a while; surprised, curious, suspicious.


    Jun Qian Che turns to re at her before mockingly saying, "Do not worry, <i>zhen</i> will not touch you." Upon remembering that scene in the viewing tower, his heart will be filled with so much anger he does not know where to vent them.


    Hearing him saying that, Mo Qi Qi secretly heaves in relief.


    "It is a good thing that Your Majesty has a clear understanding of what you want in your bedroom matter." He must be indulging Yang Shihan; Mo Qi Qi really needs to start thanking her. She helped her dodge this disaster.


    "Your Majesty, if there is nothing else, <i>chenqie</i> really should return to Feng Yang Pce. Your Majesty must be tired from ying with Yang Meimei, rest early. Tomorrow, you still have to attend the morning court." She get up and was about to slip away when Jun Qian Che speaks.


    "<i>Zhen</i> wants to know why the empress is so interested in the pce¡¯s toilets." He looks at her appraisingly.


    Mo Qi Qi froze. Damn, she keeps circling around trouble. Jun Qian Che¡¯s good memory is so troublesome.


    She scratches her head, her brain turning like a gear, "Your Majesty, why would anyone be interested in toilets? <i>Chenqie</i> only checked every single toilet we have for your sake!"


    "For <i>zhen¡¯s</i> sake?" Jun Qian Che questioningly nces at her. He really cannot find the corrtion between toilets and himself.


    Mo Qi Qi nods with an earnest expression, "Correct, as Your Majesty¡¯s empress, <i>chenqie</i> needs to think about you all the time. Summer will be here soon, the weather will get really hot. You can only imagine the smell of the toilets then. There are so many people around you, if the toilets are unhygienic; maggots, flies, mosquitoes and dung beetle will all¡ª"


    "Alright." Jun Qian Che cannot bring himself to listen anymore. "These kinds of matters will be managed by servants; no need for you to worry about them, you will lose conduct."


    Mo Qi Qi secretlyughs. Hmph, serve him right! He must be disgusted to the core. "Yes. Your Majesty, why don¡¯t <i>chenqie</i> give you a riddle?" She quickly and expertly changes the subject. ¡¯There are five good brothers with different heights. They work together all day asbours. Do you know what the answer is?"


    Jun Qian Che stares at her coldly, "Are you trying to humor a child?"


    Uh!


    "Hehe, is it too simple? <i>Chenqie</i> will change it to a hard one. Listen carefully, Ba Jie saw a beauty drenched by the rain. The answer is a song, do you know what it is?"


    Jun Qian Che stares at her without saying anything.


    Mo Qi Qi giggles, "You don¡¯t know the answer? The answer is ¡¯Looking at flower through mists.¡¯ Ha ha ha! Here¡¯s another one; a big mouth kiss a small mouth! The answer is only one word. Your Majesty, hurry and guess this!" Mo Qi Qi scoots closer to Jun Qian Che and pokes his arm with her elbow.


    Jun Qian Che sighs helplessly.


    Mo Qi Qi rolls her eyes and proceeds to mock him, "The answer is so simple yet you didn¡¯t even know it! It¡¯s ¡¯lu¡¯ ah! I really don¡¯t know how you became this kingdom¡¯s emperor. Let me test you again; run naked. The answer is a saying."


    (<strong>TN</strong>: I have no idea what her riddles mean. I googled and ¡¯Lu¡¯ supposedly means pitchpipe."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che. When he doesn¡¯t answer her, she answers it herself, "¡¯Without a single thread¡¯ ah! You don¡¯t even know such a simple thing! Another one, another one; ¡¯It drinks up urine, mothers are trouble-less because of it.¡¯ What is it? Ha ha ha, it¡¯s diapers! Oh wait, you¡¯ve never seen them! There¡¯s another one; from a girl to a woman. It is the name of a ce. What is it?"


    "Mo Qi Qi¡ª¨C" Jun Qian Che cannot take it anymore and angrily glowers at her.


    Mo Qi Qi is taken by surprise and shot up from where she sat. There is a look of grievance at her face before she turns to him in fury, "What the hell? I am trying to make you happy, why are you getting all upset? The riddles I gave you are already on the lowest level, why are you ming me if you are dumb enough to not know them? Why don¡¯t I give you an even easier one; a couple is sitting on a dog¡¯s body. The answer is one word, what is it?"


    "Mo Qi Qi, where did you learn all this crude things? Never mind your bad conducts, as an empress, you even speak in an unsophisticated manner; how are you going to be an honourable figure to the concubines andmon people if you are going to act like this? How are you going to teach our princes and princesses in the future?" Jun Qian Che angrily scolds her.


    Mo Qi Qi lowers her head and mumbles, "You have no children at the moment though. And I don¡¯t n on giving you one either."


    "What did you say?" Jun Qian Che dangerously narrows his eyes, giving off dangerous air.


    Mo Qi Qi raises her head to look at him before sheughs boisterously, "Hehe, Your Majesty, what <i>chenqie</i> is trying to say is there are no outsiders in this room at the moment. It will bring no harm if we joke around and telling riddles. In front of others however, <i>chenqie</i> vows to be a virtuous and elegant empress. I will not embarrass you!"


    Jun Qian Che gets up and stands in front of her before touching her chin and speaking coldly, "Then, for whom does the empress n on giving birth for?"


    Huh? Damn, he heard that? He is pushing me into a dead end.


    "Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is only neen this year. Still young. No need to rush when ites to bearing children." I do not care whom I am going to have children with, as long as it is not you.


    Jun Qian Che stares at her for a moment before letting go of her chin. "It iste, you should go back," he coldly says.


    Uh, Mo Qi Qi finds it hard to believe that he is letting go of her this easily. He clearly heard her. She froze and falls into a daze.


    Seeing her, a trace of ambiguous look appears in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes, "Why? Do you want to stay for the night to serve <i>zhen</i>?"


    "Ah! No! No! <i>Chenqie</i> is leaving now!" Mo Qi Qi immediately gets up and slips away.


    Seeing her who is fleeing in panic, the corner of Jun Qian Che¡¯s lips is raised. She has changed to the point where he cannot recognize her.


    Leaving Yu Jing Pce, Mo Qi Qi pats her chest in relief, "It was so dangerous... Being with people like Jun Qian Che is too dangerous!"


    After returning to Feng Yang Pce, Mo Qi Qi tells everything that she encountered tonight to Ban Xiang. She originally thought Ban Xiang would share her relief at being let off easily, who would have thought that the girl will exim in glee.


    "Your Ladyship, you and His Majesty are bing more loving! I believe he will pour all his love to you soon, instead of Yang Guifei. When that happens, Yang Guifei will have nothing to be proud of anymore!"


    Mo Qi Qi res at her in disbelief, "Ban Xiang, your eyes are not good yet you like to y expert. With what eyes did you see me and Jun Qian Che getting all lovey-dovey?"


    "Your Ladyship, you lost your memory. You cannot remember your previous interaction with His Majesty. Back then, all you two did was fight. Both of you will start fighting the moment you see each other. It will always end with the emperor leaving angrily. But now, both of you can be with each other for a long time without getting upset with each other. His Majesty even took his own initiative to visit Feng Yang Pce and even gave you the Feng Huang bracelet. I can see that he is slowly starting to love you."


    Mo Qi Qi touches her forehead, "Ban Xiang, do not scare <i>bengong</i>. Me and him are impossible."


    "Your Ladyship is joking. You and His Majesty are husband and wife, if you don¡¯t love him, who will you love?" Ban Xiang grins.


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly feels cold wind surrounding her body; a feeling of danger can be sensed in her heart. If what Ban Xiang said is right, then her staying here is really really dangerous. She can be eaten anytime. No way! No way! She cannot allow that trash to take advantage of her! It doesn¡¯t matter if Ban Xiang is right or not, what is important right now it to take Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes off of her and onto someone else. He he¡ª¨C


    An evil smile appears on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face.

 Chapter 43

    <strong>Chapter 43</strong>


    <strong>To Fight for Favor</strong>


    Early the next morning, all the concubines go to Feng Yang Pce to give Mo Qi Qi their morning greeting. Something out of the ordinary happens this morning, Yang Shi Han who has entered the pce for a couple of days actually goes to her pce this morning. That makes the rest of the concubines really curious, whispering amongst themselves.


    "Why is Yang Guifei here? She has never bothered greeting the empress from the day she entered the pce."


    "We will have an interesting drama today. The empress will definitely not let her off."


    Yang Shi Han walks in wearing a white dress while putting on a pure yet noble-looking make-up. Her chin is slightly tilted while a beautiful smile can be seen on her lips. Arrogance and disdain can be seen in her eyes as she sits right next to the empress¡¯ seat.


    Seeing that, everyone are immediately upset, "Yang Guifei, you are too bold! You actually didn¡¯t pay respect upon seeing the empress."


    "Correct! Even if you are favoured, you are only a concubine! If you disrespect the empress like that, what will happen to our system?"


    "Your Ladyship, Yang Guifei is too disrespectful."


    Hearing theints from the concubines, deep down inside, Mo Qi Qi understands that they are trying to pit her against Yang Shi Han, or at least subdue her! Yang Shi Han has been receiving the sole favour from Jun Qian Che ever since she entered the pce. The former empress would have properly schooled Yang Shi Han by now, but the current Mo Qi Qi will not. In fact, she is grateful towards her. It is because of her that Jun Qian Che does not ce any desire on this empress of his. That is how she managed to protect her body after all.


    Having seen enough of their drama, Mo Qi Qi calmly speaks up, "Do not be angry, <i>meimeis</i>. We are all sisters, why must we fight each other in this manner?"


    The concubines are stunned upon seeing the empress¡¯ tolerance towards Yang Shi Han. Zhao Pin does not believe the empress will be that generous, "Your Ladyship, Yang Guifei is arrogant after receiving favour, she does not bother paying respect upon seeing you. How can her disrespectful acts be tolerated?"


    Yang Shi Han covers her smile using a fan, "Your Ladyship, it isn¡¯t that <i>chenqie</i> isn¡¯t willing to bow down to you, just the emperor once said that <i>chenqie</i> is exempted from any rules or ceremonial obligation in the harem. Moreover, <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> knees have been hurting these past few days, so it is a little inconvenient."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Yang Shi Han who is raising her eyebrows beforeughing brilliantly, "<i>Bengong</i> understands. Yang Meimei have to serve in the chamber every night, it is understandable that you are tired. It is okay, from now on, treat <i>bengong¡¯s</i> pce like your own home. No need for too many formalities."


    "Your Ladyship¡ª" the rest of the concubines are not satisfied.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Other <i>meimeis</i> should not be too shrewd. Since the emperor said that, we should listen to him. How about this then; all <i>meimeis</i> are now allowed to not pay formal respect in <i>bengong¡¯s</i> pce, if you does not feel like doing it. We are all sisters after all, there is no need to be so formal."


    Yang Shi Han looks at Mo Qi Qi suspiciously before scornfully smiling, "Your Ladyship changed a lot ever since you fell from the viewing tower. <i>Chengie</i> have heard about it from other people, but only after seeing it myself am I now convinced." She assesses Mo Qi Qi¡¯s expression as she says that. What makes her even more surprised is there is not a single trace of anger in Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face. The former Mo Qi Qi would have thrown tantrum long ago.


    "Yang Meimei praises me too much. <i>Bengong</i> was too young and impulsive back then and did a lot of things that hurt all of you. Now that <i>bengong</i> thinks about it, everything is so embarrassing. From now on, <i>bengong</i> wants to have good rtionships with all <i>meimeis</i>. <i>Bengong</i> will be a virtuous empress; one that is worthy of the emperor¡¯s approval and <i>meimeis¡¯</i> respect. Since we are all sisters, we should all get along. Only when the harem is peaceful will the emperor¡¯s troubles lessen; he will be able to focus on the court matters and foster an even more prosperous kingdom."


    Yang Shi Hanughs drily, "Your Ladyship¡¯s words are really touching, hopefully you will really do as you said. Aiya, His Majesty was at it for too longst night, <i>chenqie</i> is still tired from it. Your Ladyship, <i>chenqie</i> will leave first to recuperate. <i>Chenqie</i> still needs to serve His Majesty at bed tonight!" She gets up and sweeps her eyes over the crowd, the corner of her lips raised mockingly.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s elegant smile did not change, "Since it is like that, <i>meimei</i> should hurry and leave. Serving His Majesty is the most important thing."


    Yang Shi Han¡¯s smile stiffens before she turns around to leave.


    "Your Ladyship, just look at her! How infuriating!"


    "Your Ladyship, Yang Guifei got all arrogant over being favoured. You must not indulge her!"


    "Correct! If this goes on, she will not give face to anyone! Your Ladyship, you are the master of the harem, how can you let her run rampant like that?"


    Once Yang Shi Han left, the concubines startining.


    Mo Qi Qi listens to them until her ears buzz. She digs her ears for good measure before speaking in an amiable manner, "Calm down, <i>meimeis</i>. Speak properly."


    "Your Ladyship, if you treat people like her well, they will think you are easily bullied."


    "Your Ladyship, you really need to teach Yang Guifei a lesson. Show her your abilities."


    "Your Ladyship, you are Duke Zhen¡¯s daughter. You do not have to fear her."


    Realizing that those concubines have no intention to stop, she finally loses her patience, "That¡¯s enough, be quiet!"


    Her tone is very imposing, the noisy hall finally silence down. All eyes are on Mo Qi Qi, their hearts quivering in fear.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at them unhappily before coldly speaking up, "Do all of you really think <i>bengong</i> cannot see what you are nning for? Since all of you are so angry, why didn¡¯t any of you speak up when Yang Shi Han was here just now? Now that the person is gone, all of you are suddenly brave. You want <i>bengong</i> to fight with Yang Shi Han while all of you watches from the sideline. Even if <i>bengong</i> did what you wanted me to, what will you get in the end? Do you think the emperor will go to your pces? If you have the time to gossip like this, why don¡¯t you spent this spare time figuring out how to get the emperor¡¯s heart? What is the point ofining to <i>bengong</i>? If you have the ability to, why don¡¯t you steal the favour from Yang Shi Han?" These women have no capabilities; they only know how to get jealous and muddle things up.


    One of the concubines speaks up in grievance, "It¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t try to figure out how to get the emperor¡¯s heart. His Majesty is too cold, we don¡¯t dare to get close to him."


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, "The emperor is not cold, just the person he is warm to is not you all. As long as all of you try your best to get his heart, he will gradually warm up to you."


    The crowd look at each other as they frown, "Your Ladyship, we are willing to try our best to get his heart, but how can we do that when we can¡¯t even see him?"


    "Right! And even if we do have the luck to see him, we don¡¯t know his likes and dislikes. We lost before we even began."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles warmly, "Seems like all <i>meimeis</i> have the heart to serve His Majesty."


    "It was hard for us to even enter the pce, of course we are eager to serve His Majesty. As long as we bear him children, our lives will be set. It¡¯s a pity..."


    Mo Qi Qi immediatelyforts them, "Do not worry, <i>meimeis</i>. You can all count on <i>bengong</i>."

 Chapter 44

    <strong>Chapter 44</strong>


    <strong>How to Get the Emperor¡¯s Liking</strong>


    The concubines are curious: "What do you mean, Your Ladyship?"


    "What <i>bengong</i> means by this is that <i>bengong</i> will teach all of you how to get the emperor¡¯s heart. <i>Bengong</i> will try to figure out what he likes and then train all of you to fit his ideal type. Then, we will try to find ways to show all of you to him and send each and every one of you to the dragon bed." Mo Qi Qi confidently raises her head.


    The concubines find that hard to believe, "Are you telling the truth, Your Ladyship? Don¡¯t tell me you are upset at Yang Guifei but doesn¡¯t dare to do anything about it, so now you are nning to use us as your punching bag."


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly sighs, "Xia Fei, saying that is akin to insulting <i>bengong</i>. If <i>bengong</i> really wants to use you as a punching bag, there are lot more effective and easier ways to do it without having to go through all this fuss. The emperor belongs to everyone. As the empress, <i>bengong¡¯s</i> first and foremost responsibility is to make sure his favour is evenly divided and help all of you get children. <i>Bengong</i> only wants to help meimeis." By helping all of them, her life will be a lot easier. It doesn¡¯t matter if Ban Xiang is right or wrong, she must guard against every possibilities. She must not let Jun Qian Che ce his desire on her. The best way for now is to send women to him to divert his attention.


    Xia Fei¡¯s forehead is full of sweat, "Your Ladyship, <i>chenqie</i> was too narrow-minded. <i>Chenqie</i> was wrong."


    Mo Qi Qi waves her hand and generously saying, "Never mind, <i>bengong</i> does not me you. Meimeis, all of you should return to your own pces first. <i>Bengong</i> needs to carefully study everything we need to do, first. Give <i>bengong</i> three days, hopefully <i>bengong</i> cane up with something that will help all of you receive favour."


    The concubines are delighted; they immediately get up to thank her. "Thank you, Your Ladyship."


    "No need. No need. Leave first!" Mo Qi Qi waves her hand off.


    The concubines retreat.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately returns to her original nature and no longer maintains the grace of an empress, simply lying on the phoenix seat. She prop her two legs on the armrest while sighing, "My ears finally gets a break. So many of them have so many things so say, how noisy!"


    Ban Xiang is uneasy, "Your Ladyship, you really wants to help them gain favour?"


    Mo Qi Qi takes a piece of grape and stuffs it in her mouth. Her voice is really casual as she says, "Of course! Anything wrong with that?"


    Ban Xiang immediately tries to talk her out of it, "Your Ladyship, you must not be so muddle-headed! If everyone in the harem receives favour, the distance between you and His Majesty that has only diminished will be pulled further apart again. If you help them receive favour, they will not thank you. Instead, they will behave exactly like Yang Guifei,pletely disrespecting you."


    Mo Qi Qi does not care, "It¡¯s alright. Women should get each other¡¯s back. Why must a woman makes things difficult for another woman?" As long as Jun Qian Che keeps his distance from her, who cares about who he beds?


    "Your Ladyship¡ª¡ª¡ª-"


    "Alright, stop wasting my time. I am hungry, go and prepare me breakfast!"


    Ban Xiang helplessly sighs before retreating.


    Mo Qi Qi eyes this luxurious pce before sighing in frustration.


    She already checked Jun Qian Che¡¯s toiletst night and didn¡¯t spot anything weird. Does that means the road to go back to her own dimension isn¡¯t in Jun Qian Che¡¯s toilet? Where can it be, then?


    She jumps up and enters her chamber before taking out the map to inspect it.


    Looking at the map, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart is filled with grief. She helplessly lies on the table: she has been to every single toilets in the pce at least once yet she still cannot travel back to her old life. Don¡¯t tell her she will have to spend the rest of her life here?


    "Huhu, God up above, the joke is too big this time! Even thinking about having to spend an entire lifetime with Jun Qian Che kills me in the heart~"


    "How does it kills you in your heart?" An imposingly cold voice can be heard from outside. Jun Qian Che enters inrge strides, his face so dark that it frightens her.


    Mo Qi Qi reluctantly gets up and pays her respect, "Greeting Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che kneels as he sits on the opposite side of the low-table, looking at her coldly as he asks, "Empress still hasn¡¯t answered <i>zhen¡¯s</i> question."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him before giving out a forcedughter, "What <i>chenqie</i> means by that is <i>chenqie</i> will still happily lives even if my heart dies!" Pooh! She means her heart will die, but she doesn¡¯t dare to say that! If she says that, he will eat her alive!


    Jun Qian Che silently looks at her.


    Mo Qi Qi on the other hand, appearszy to care for her appearance. She rubs her nose, digs her ears and fiddles with her hair.


    Jun Qian Che coldly opens his mouth again, "As the empress, you must possess the conduct and the virtue of the mother of the kingdom. What you are representing isn¡¯t only yourself, but also the entire imperial line; you are representing zhen¡¯s face. You must show a good example to the womenfolk of our kingdom. Just look at you; you can¡¯t even sit straight, not that you¡¯d do a fairly good job standing either. Your words are crude, your mouth has no lid, your¡ª"


    "Wei! That is enough!" Mo Qi Qi impatiently cuts him off. She gives him face and he goes around crossing that line.


    Jun Qian Che unhappily scolds her, "Cutting of <i>zhen¡¯s</i> words, do you know how disrespectful and how big of an offense that is?"


    Disrespectful; she hears that word a lot of times today.


    "Hehe, Your Majesty, are your tongue all healed up now? <i>Chenqie</i> didn¡¯t cut you off on purpose, <i>chenqie</i> was only worried for your wound. You speak so much, what if the wound reopens?"


    Jun Qian Che res at her; speaking to her is no better than ying guqin for a cow.


    Mo Qi Qi appears impatient too, "Your Majesty, the morning court has only ended and you are already here to scold <i>chenqie</i>; did anything bad happens in court and now you choose to go here to vent on <i>chenqie</i>? If so, then carry on. As long as Your Majesty manage to vent, <i>chenqie</i> is willing to be scolded!" Hmph! She don¡¯t believe the emperor will continue scolding her after hearing that.


    What Mo Qi Qi said indeed manage to hold Jun Qian Che¡¯s mouth. He does not prolong that matter and instead says, "Imperial grandmother went to Fushan to pray for the imperial family. She will return here in a couple of days. You should order people to clean up her Yong Shou pce, do not give her the reason toin about you."


    Imperial grandmother? Isn¡¯t that the grand empress dowager; Jun Qian Che¡¯s grandmother? The womenfolk of Jun n sure have long lives.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> understands."


    "This servant greets Your Majesty. Your Ladyship, breakfast is here. Will you be having it with His Majesty?" Ban Xiang proceed to match-makes the moment she enters.


    Just as Jun Qian Che is about to speak, Mo Qi Qi cuts him off, "Your Majesty isn¡¯t used to the food in Feng Yang Pce. What if you get a stomach ache? You should go to Gui Ning Pce. Yang Meimei came earlier and said she was too tired because of youst night. Her body is a little ufortable, you should give her a visit. Her body will definitely get better after seeing you!"


    <strong>serene:</strong> Chapter 44 is sponsored by Marie!

 Chapter 45

    <strong>Chapter 45</strong>


    <strong>Rose Garden</strong>


    Jun Qian Che res at her, cold air radiating from his entire body. She feels like she is in the middle of an ice cave.


    Just as she racks her brain to figure out a way to get out of that sticky situation, Jun Qian Che suddenly gets up and leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly sighs in relief. She quickly gets up and pays her parting respect, "Sending Your Majesty off."


    Ban Xiang frowns as she approaches Mo Qi Qi with a bitter face, "Your Ladyship, it is hard for us to have His Majesty here, why did you chase him off to Gui Ning Pce?"


    "<i>Bengong</i> does not care for him. Since somebody else does, it is better <i>bengong</i> to match make them together! Alright, let the matter rest. <i>Bengong</i> is hungry to death! Let¡¯s eat!" Mo Qi Qi then walks outside.


    Ban Xiang helplessly sighs.


    For the next couple of days, Mo Qi Qi does not start any trouble. She does note to see Jun Qian Che as well.


    But she isn¡¯t entirely idle either; she invites the concubines to her pce and trains them, hoping to mold them into the kind that Jun Qian Che likes. If a lot of the concubines gets favoured, the distance between her and Jun Qian Che will be farther. As long as she still hasn¡¯t find her way home, it is better for her to get as little contact with Jun Qian Che as possible. She never takes the initiative to search for him lest she ends up provoking him, so in a hindsight, Jun Qian Che¡¯s life too has been peaceful for the past couple of days.


    And that peace makes Jun Qian Che a little suspicious. This is so unlike Mo Qi Qi. Even though they had been married for two years, they are not real husband and wife yet. Even so, they usually frequently meet each other. He would never take the initiative to find her, it is always her looking for him using so many excuses. She will usuallye in peace but leaves in anger.


    Now that she is quiet over there, he finds it hard to get used to this situation.


    Mo Qi Qi is giving the concubines a harsh training, "Meimeis, this is the guide that <i>bengong</i> wrote for you on how to seduce an emperor; from the way you dressed and put on your make up, to how to maintain your beauty and your diets. This should be enough. As long as you follow this guide and <i>bengong¡¯s</i> training, <i>bengong</i> dares to say you will be His Majesty¡¯s favourite soon."


    Hearing that, the concubines are happy to no end, "That is great!"


    Some of them are still worried though, "Your Ladyship, why are you helping us? If His Majesty dotes on us, won¡¯t his visit to your pce be less?"


    Mo Qi Qi replies in an upright manner, "Fang Jieyu is asking the right question. The previous <i>bengong</i> definitely wouldn¡¯t have done this, but the current <i>bengong</i> has had an enlightenment; if one wants to gain a man¡¯s heart, it cannot be done by pestering and angering him everyday. It is through catering to his heart¡¯s desire, making him happy. If he is happy, even if he does note over, <i>bengong</i> will still be happy for him. That is why <i>bengong</i> wants to help meimeis; if <i>bengong</i> cannot be the one to give him happiness, <i>bengong</i> would rather have meimeis do it on my behalf. <i>Bengong</i> will be contented if the emperor is happy."


    Hearing that, the concubines are touched to no end, "How touching! Your Ladyship, your love for His Majesty is too deep! If he knows just how sincere your love is, he would have definitely leaves Yang Guifei and goes to you!"


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked senseless upon hearing that. She immediately gives them an order, "Meimeis, all that is being said must only be kept amongst us! It must never be spread outside! <i>Bengong</i> does not want His Majesty to know; he might feel guilty. You must also keep this training a secret. Do not tell anyone. If His Majesty finds out, there will be no element of surprise."


    The concubines reply her in unison, "Yes. We will listen to Your Ladyship."


    Mo Qi Qi nods in satisfaction: If she is really unlucky and is unable to travel back to her old life, she as the empress must establish a good rtionship with these concubines so she can have a peaceful, worry-free life.


    "Since meimeis are aspiring for His Majesty¡¯s affection, we must not waste any more time. Let us start our training! Let us begin with our very first agenda, beauty! The first thing a man sees in a woman is her beauty. Having a face that is charming enough to attract men is the most basic thing a woman need. If you don¡¯t have the ability to attract them with your face, this is already a lost battle. Today, <i>bengong</i> would like to introduce three kinds of facial masks to all of you. Use them ording to your skin¡¯s condition. The first one is¡ª-"


    Mo Qi Qi begins exining.


    The concubines listen to her attentively, nodding their heads in agreement. They think all the things Mo Qi Qi says are very reasonable.


    After a lengthy exnation that involves applying self-made mask, Mo Qi Qi personally demonstrate how to apply the mask and how to make them so they can regrly do it in their own pces.


    Once women find something to be busy with, they will make themselves scarce. Once they are at peace, she will be at peace too.


    After applying the masks, those concubines pat their own cheeks while looking at the mirror. They grins happily, "Your Ladyship, this rose essence mask is really good! My skin feels so supple and soft!"


    "Yes! I agree! I wonder how this rose essence is made."


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Do not be so anxious, meimeis. Since all of you wants to learn, <i>bengong</i> will naturally teach you. Actually, it is not hard to make this rose essence. You can make them as long as you have roses." The sk of rose essence she has with her are made from roses that Ban Xiang brought for her. She made it herself. Since she knows how to make it, she decides to share it with everyone.


    "Roses? There is a rose garden behind the imperial garden. There are many kinds of roses there. Why don¡¯t we go there and pick the flowers?"


    Mo Qi Qi is surprised, "Alright! Let¡¯s go now!"


    "Alright!"


    She then leads the concubines out of Feng Yang Pce.


    They soon arrive in the rose garden. Even the colourful roses pale inparison whenpared with their colourful and luxurious clothing.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in appreciation upon seeing the sea of roses, "I never thought the ancient people will be this romantic. They actually nted this many roses."


    Just as she is about to pick the petal of a rose, a vision resurfaces in her mind. That of a young man and woman in wedding garments, holding hand in the middle of a garden. The vision in her mind and the one in her eyes merges: rose garden. She thought this ce look familiar; she remembers everything now. That trash Jun Qian Che from the modern time married another girl in a rose garden. Back then, she had been furious. She had wanted to rush forward and condemn them but ended up not doing so. Instead, she rushed towards a toilet next to the garden. She had wanted to pick up a basin of water and poured it on them, but an ident happened and she ended up traveling to this ce.


    Toilet?


    Mo Qi Qi immediately asks Ban Xiang if there is a toilet near this garden.


    Ban Xiang shakes her head and says no.


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly wants to cry. She forces herself to be strong; she must not give up, she must not be so pessimistic. Perhaps, the road to go home is right under her feet. As long as she works hard, she will definitely finds a way.


    She tries to visualize the setting of the modern time rose garden and tries to estimate where the toilet will be in this ancient time.


    After evaluating the terrain, her eyes fall on an empty plot ofnd on the western side of the garden. She happily praises herself, "Mo Qi Qi, you are too smart. You have hope now! Ban Xiang, go and find me a shovel."


    Ban Xiang scratches her head in wonder; her mistress has been muttering to herself. What is she nning to do? Why is she asking for a shovel? "Your Ladyship, what do you want to do with a shovel?"


    "I have something I need it for. Hurry up!" Mo Qi Qi is too impatient to exin everything, she only wants to go back to her time.


    Ban Xiang doesn¡¯t ask anymore and immediately does her bidding.


    Before Ban Xiang even returns, Mo Qi Qi is already impatient and has started digging the ground with her golden hairpin. She is confident now; this spot will take her back to the modern time.


    Ban Xiang very quickly returns with a shovel, "Your Ladyship, here is your shovel."


    "Great!" Mo Qi Qi takes the shovel and begins shovelling the ground.


    The rest of the concubines who are picking flowers does not understand what the empress is nning to do. They circle her in curiosity.


    After a while, Mo Qi Qi has managed to dig out a good-sized pit. No matter what, she is an archaeologist. Digging things up is normal for her.


    Mo Qi Qi continues digging relentlessly. At this very moment, someone speaks up, "There is something under the soil!"


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart jumps. In her mind, visions of jadeite artefact, golden artefact and ancient tombs begins to surface. She shakes her head: No. Now is not the time. She is not an archaeologist right now. She is only someone who wants to find her way back home.


    Don¡¯t tell her that this ce will really transport her back to her time?


    Mo Qi Qi immediately crouches to check the thing underneath the soil. Once she does that, she realizes that something is not right. Based on her observational skill and intuition as an archaeologist, she knows that the thing underneath the soil isn¡¯t a road. It is some kind of a fabric.


    Mo Qi Qi ws on that object and wipes the soil off of it to get a clearer look. A dead body appears and the concubines scream in horror before running away.

 Chapter 46

    <strong>Chapter 46 </strong>


    <strong>The Emperor¡¯s Appreciation</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi gets up and turns to Ban Xiang, "Go and find two people to dig this body out."


    "Yes." Ban Xiang then instructs two eunuchs to dig out the dead body from the dirt.


    Once they dug it out, they realizes that the corpse¡¯s face is rotten beyond recognition. A plum blossom-shaped jade pendant hangs from her waist. One of the consorts yelps in shock, "It is the missing Dong <i>Fei</i>! Look at that pendant!"


    All eyes fall on the pendant.


    Speaking about it; Hua Chen Kingdom¡¯s harem is arranged in this manner; the one in the highest position is the empress. Below her is the Guifei. And then, there are the four Feis. However, Hua Chen Kingdom¡¯s <i>Fei</i>s are not named as ¡¯Xian¡¯, ¡¯Shu¡¯, ¡¯De¡¯ and ¡¯Gui¡¯ and are instead named as ¡¯Chun¡¯, ¡¯Xia¡¯, ¡¯Qiu¡¯, ¡¯Dong¡¯.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Xian (ÏÍ), Shu (Êç), De (µÂ), Gui (¹ó)are the titles given to the Feis (Consort) in the Tang Dynasty + some other more dynasties. As for Hua Chen Kingdom¡¯s, the Chun, Xia, Qiu, Dong refers to the four seasons. Chun (´º) = Spring. Xia (ÏÄ) = Summer. Qiu (Çï) = Autumn. Dong (¶¬) = Winter.)


    All four Feis have their very own personalized pendants. Chun Fei¡¯s is one in the shape of orchid, Xia Fei¡¯s is in the shape of lotus, Qiu Fei¡¯s is in the shape of chrysanthemum and Dong Fei¡¯s is in the shape of plum blossom.


    Because of that, it isn¡¯t hard to determine her identity after seeing that pendant.


    This matter very quickly reaches Jun Qian Che¡¯s ears.


    He was coincidentally in the empress dowager¡¯s pce with Yang Shi Han. After he was informed of the matter, the empress dowager and Yang Shi Han follows him to the garden.


    After asking about the situation, the empress dowager who is dressing beautifully looks at Mo Qi Qi sharply, "Empress, why did you suddenly go around digging up the ground? Did you know there was a dead body underneath?"


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head turns like gear; telling the truth is out of the question. If she tells the truth, they will either mistake her as an evil paranormal entity or use her of the sin of lying to the emperor. She smartly replies her, "Your Ladyship, me and fellow meimeis are idle and bored. So we decided toe here to pick roses. <i>Chenqie</i> noticed there is an emptynd here that does not have any flower, <i>chenqie</i> thought it was a loss. <i>Chenqie</i> was trying to loosen the soil before asking people to nt roses here so this area will not be wasted. <i>Chenqie</i> did not think we would dig out a corpse."


    Yang Shi Han nces at the pit before scoffing mockingly, "Your Ladyship ns to nt roses in a hole this deep? This is the first time <i>chenqie</i> sees someone nting a flower in a pit."


    Mo Qi Qi really wants to hit Yang Shi Han at the moment, but she only holds it in and replies her, "Informing the empress dowager, <i>chenqie</i> has never nted flower before so <i>chenqie</i> did not know how deep the hole should be. It was not even that deep in the beginning. It only got this deep after we dug out the soil after spotting the corpse. All fellow <i>meimeis</i> over here can be <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> witnesses."


    Mo Qi Qi is confident the rest of the consorts will help her. They are all jealous of Yang Shi Han, they naturally will not stand on her side.


    As expected, the rest of the concubines agree with her, "Right! Right! The pit is originally shallow."


    Mo Qi Qi arrogantly raises her eyebrows at Yang Shi Han.


    Yang Shi Han simplyughs before opening her mouth again, "<i>Chenqie</i> heard, before Dong <i>Fei</i> disappeared, she was called into Feng Yang Pce and was scolded by the empress. After Dong <i>Fei</i> disappeared, the empress said she had beenmitting adultery and had ran away with her lover. People were sent to look for her, but they failed. The matter gradually bes forgotten, but we actually found her dead body here today. Your Ladyship the empress, <i>chenqie</i> is dim-witted. Can you please tell me what is going on right now?"


    "This¡ª¨C" That was all done by the original Mo Qi Qi, what does that has anything to do with her?


    Yang Shi Han continues speaking, "The empress has always been at odds with the rest of the concubines in the harem, why did you suddenly bring them here to pick flowers? Are you trying to use Dong <i>Fei</i>¡¯s corpse as a way to threaten them? To tell them to be obedient and listen only to you? If so, don¡¯t you think this is too much? The punishment of harming innocent concubines is death. By doing this, the empress has scared all the <i>meimeis</i>."


    Hearing that, the rest of the concubines are consumed by fear, "No wonder the empress has been treating us so well these past few days! She has this nned out for us!"


    "So the empress has been pretending to be kind and generous?"


    Hearing what the concubines are saying, Yang Shi Han looks at Mo Qi Qi with traces of arrogance in her eyes. She knows Mo Qi Qi will lose her cool. Even though Mo Qi Qi is downright domineering all the time, as though she does not fear even the emperor, she can be pretty clumsy once something happens. She would not know how to protect herself. The emperor would have thrown her away by now had it not been for Mo n.


    Now that Yang Shi Han has ced a new offense on top of her head, she is sure Mo Qi Qi¡¯s mind would be a mess by now. Once one¡¯s mind scatters, how could they find the way to shrug off the usation?


    Mo Qi Qi on the other hand, has seen through Yang Shi Han¡¯s intention. She smiles indifferently, her heart calm like water, "Yang Guifei says that <i>bengong</i> killed Dong <i>Fei</i> with your own mouth; do you have any proof? If you do not have any, this can be considered a nder. What punishment should be given to someone who has ndered the empress?"


    "You¡ª- I¡ª¨C" Yang Shi Han is suddenly at a loss for words.


    Mo Qi Qi continues speaking, "Ever since <i>bengong</i> was pushed by Yang Guifei in the viewing tower, <i>bengong</i> starts understanding a lot of things. <i>Bengong</i> realized <i>bengong</i> was too harsh on fellow meimeis in the past, causing feuds in the harem. From then on, <i>bengong</i> made up my mind to be a virtuous empress and got rid of my bad conducts from the past. <i>Bengong</i> was determined to get along with all <i>meimeis</i>, creating a peaceful atmosphere amongst us. That was what <i>bengong</i> has been doing for the past few days. <i>Bengong</i> brought them all here today to appreciate flowers, wishing to take advantage of the warm spring weather to tighten rtionships with everyone. Why did <i>bengong¡¯s</i> kind intentiones out so differently when ites out of Yang Guifei¡¯s mouth? If Dong <i>Fei</i> was really killed by <i>bengong</i>, why would <i>bengong</i> even bother to dig out her corpse and bring trouble to myself?


    <i>Bengong</i> is confident there is foul y in Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death. She still has lingering grievance and has taken advantage of <i>bengong</i> visiting here so we could discover her corpse. As for who killed her, we need to investigate it thoroughly first. Yang Guifei has always visited the pce even before you were instated as Guifei, I am sure you are familiar with Dong <i>Fei</i> yourself. Who knows if she has done something to offend you? You even dared to push <i>bengong</i> from the viewing tower, is there anything you would not dare to do? Fellow <i>meimeis</i>, do you agree with <i>bengong¡¯s</i> reasoning?" Mo Qi Qi says while maintaining herposure.


    Hearing that, the rest of the concubines immediately stand by Mo Qi Qi¡¯s side, "Correct! Your Ladyship¡¯s reasoning is very urate! I heard Yang Guifei and Dong <i>Fei</i> both wore the same dress once and that made Yang Guifei really unhappy. Who knows if that incident made Yang Guifei hates Dong <i>Fei</i>!"


    "True! The empress is honourable and straightforward. If we have done something wrong, she would just point it out to us; she would not use this kind of method to scare us! We believe in the empress¡¯ innocence!"


    "Yes, we believe in the empress!"


    Yang Shi Han angrily res at Mo Qi Qi. She never thought Mo Qi Qi would make those concubines who hated her so much to stand by her side.


    Mo Qi Qi is not surprised by those concubines¡¯ support. After all, she only has Yang Shi Han to thank for this. She is solely favoured and has be themon enemy of the entire pce.


    Yang Shi Han immediately finds an excuse for herself, "Even though <i>bengong</i> and Dong <i>Fei</i> wore the same clothes once, we were not at odds because of that matter. <i>Bengong</i> is not that familiar with Dong <i>Fei</i> because <i>bengong</i> has not even entered the pce when Dong <i>Fei</i> disappeared. No matter how you look at it, this matter has nothing to do with me. Please do not nder other people, Your Ladyship the empress. We do not know if Dong <i>Fei</i> was really killed by the empress, but what we do know was that thest person she met was the empress. No matter what, the empress cannot dodge suspicion. Your Majesty, you must bring <i>chenqie</i> justice. You must not let Dong <i>Fei</i> die in grievance either." Yang Shi Han immediately clings onto Jun Qian Che in a spoiled manner.


    Appreciation shes in the quiet Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes as he looks at Mo Qi Qi. He never thought she would be so calm and level-headed. How surprising.


    <strong>Serene</strong>: Chapter 46 is sponsored by Vivian!

 Chapter 47

    <strong>Chapter 47</strong>


    <strong>The Empress is Grounded</strong>


    The empress dowager who has been quiet suddenly speaks up, "<i>Aijia</i> believes that this has nothing to do with Yang Guifei. <i>Aijia</i> agrees with her; since thest person Dong <i>Fei</i> met before she went missing was the empress, there is no way for the empress to wash your hands off this matter. From how <i>aijia</i> sees it, the empress should¡ª-"


    "From now on, the empress is not allowed to leave Feng Yang Pce while we investigate this matter. Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> corpse will be ced in her own pce for now. The rest of you can go back to your pces," Jun Qian Che coldly speaks up, interrupting what the empress dowager was about to say.


    The rest of the concubines curtsies in front of him, "Yes, Your Majesty." Then, they leave.


    Mo Qi Qi furiously res at Jun Qian Che: He actually believed Yang Shihan! He actually believed that she killed Dong <i>Fei</i>!


    "Hmph!" Mo Qi Qi angrily walks away.


    The empress dowager unhappily turns to Jun Qian Che, "Che Er, why is it only that? You should have ordered the Ministry of Justice to conduct a trial on her. Do you honestly believe she has nothing to do with this? Don¡¯t you think you are being too partial towards her?"


    Jun Qian Che calmly replies her, "Imperial mother, this son is not siding with the empress. Just, even though a life is lost in the harem, if we involve the Ministry of Justice in this, it will only bring adverse effect to the name of the imperial n. Moreover, the power of Mo n is not to be underestimated. This son onlyes to that decision after a heavy consideration"


    "Don¡¯t tell <i>aijia</i> Your Majesty ns to simply let this be?" the empress dowager disagrees.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes are icy and his tone has cooled down a lot, "<i>Zhen</i> will dispatch people to investigate this matter. <i>Zhen</i> would never spare anyone who dares to harm someone else in the pce."


    Hearing that, Yang Shi Han asks, "If we finds out that it is indeed done by the empress, will you punish her, Your Majesty?"


    A cold light shes in the empress dowager¡¯s eyes, "If it is indeed done by Mo Qi Qi, Your Majesty should use this chance to kill the fowl to warn the monkey and warn the Mo n. Even if you don¡¯t kill her, you must at least depose her from her empress position and sends her to the cold pce. What do you think of my suggestion, Che Er?"


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Kill the fowl to warn the monkey (ɱ¼¦ÙÓºï) = Punish someone to warn the others.)


    Jun Qian Che nods lightly, "What imperial mother said is right. If it is indeed done by Mo Qi Qi, <i>zhen</i> will definitely punish her heavily. It is about time for us to lighten the Mo n¡¯s power, anyway."


    The empress dowager and Yang Shi Han exchange a look beforeughing.


    Mo Qi Qi angrily walks back to her own Feng Yang Pce, getting even more furious as time passes.


    Seeing her expression, Ban Xiang immediatelyforts her, "Do not worry, Your Ladyship. With Duke Zhen around, the emperor will not dare to do anything to you."


    "Do not speak of Jun Qian Che in front of me! Thinking about him upsets me! The discovery of Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> corpse was idental. Yang Shi Han actually suspects me of killing her and that damn Jun Qian Che actually believes her! How hateful! What kind of husband doesn¡¯t trust his own wife! Being married to Jun Qian Che is me having shitty luck!"


    "Your Ladyship, actually this cannot be med on His Majesty." Ban Xiang whispers after forcing herself to be brave.


    When she hears that, Mo Qi Qi res at Ban Xiang, "What do you mean by that, Ban Xiang? If I don¡¯t me Jun Qian Che, who do I me? Myself? Don¡¯t tell me that you too think that I killed Dong <i>Fei</i>!"


    Ban Xiang immediately waves her hands, "No! No! This servant believes in Your Ladyship."


    "Then why are you speaking for him? What benefit will he give you?" Mo Qi Qi asks in anger.


    Ban Xiang¡¯s face is full of grievance, "How can you say that to this servant, Your Ladyship? This servant is your maid, one that has apanied you since we were both little. I am the closest person to you. No matter what other people promise me, I will never betray you. Besides, the emperor would never bother to try and bribe me anyway. The reason I said that was because you indeed had met Dong <i>Fei</i> before she disappeared. I suppose, that was why His Majesty grounded you. What you said to me was a real injustice!"


    "Alright. I was just too upset at Jun Qian Che. I was saying it out of anger, you need not take it to heart. Let me ask you this, did I really summoned Dong <i>Fei</i> over before she disappeared?" Don¡¯t tell her Dong <i>Fei</i> was really murdered by the original owner of this body? If so, does that means she will have to bear the brunt for her? Huhu, how can she be so unlucky?


    Ban Xiang nods, "Your Ladyship indeed summoned her over prior to her disappearance. In fact, you reprimanded her really hard, that day."


    Property of ? ;


    "Reprimanded her? What do you mean? How hard was really hard?" Mo Qi Qi gulps heavily as she anxiously waits for Ban Xiang¡¯s answer.


    Ban Xiang reminisces that day, "Dong <i>Fei</i> was haughty and arrogant because she was personally chosen by the empress dowager to serve His Majesty. She considered the empress dowager as her backing, so she was rarely courteous to the people she met including Your Ladyship. Your Ladyship could not tolerate her and summoned her to Feng Yang Pce, 3 months ago. Dong <i>Fei</i> dared to talk back to you back then, so you got angry and called for people to hit her."


    "Hit her? Hit her where? Was her injuries serious?" Mo Qi Qi finds it hard to even breathe, at this moment.


    Ban Xiang nods again, "It was pretty serious, back then. You ordered Dong <i>Fei</i> to be hit 20 times. She ended up bleeding and instead of asking people to stop, you got even angrier. You gave her a few ps and told her you would give her a life worse than death. And then, you kicked her out."


    "We originally thought Dong <i>Fei</i> would go andin to His Majesty and the empress dowager, but she instead suppressed the matter. Two dayster, news broke out from Dong Xue Pce, saying that Dong <i>Fei</i> had disappeared. His Majesty ordered for her to be searched but after more than ten days, they found nothing. Your Ladyship told His Majesty that she hadmitted adultery and had ran off with her lover. When you disclosed that, His Majesty was furious and reprimanded you. After that, Dong <i>Fei</i> could not be found, so the matter gradually became forgotten."


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s forehead is full of sweats when she hears that: Damn, the previous owner was basically seeking death with every move she took. Had it not been for Mo n¡¯s power, the previous owner would have died long ago. Not only did she hit the innocent Dong <i>Fei</i>, she even imed that she ran off with her secret lover. She was basically telling everyone that the emperor had been cuckolded. She was as good as pping him in the face. Huhu, no wonder Jun Qian Che had angrily grounded her.


    "If you put it like that, does that means that Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death really has something to do with <i>bengong</i>? Did I ordered people to kill her and bury her in the rose garden? Dong <i>Fei</i> did not die in peace, so she took advantage of me going to the garden today and make me identally dig her out..." Mo Qi Qi guesses.


    Ban Xiang looks at the door in shock. When she makes sure that no one is around, she whispers to her, "Your Ladyship, how on earth did you came to that conclusion? Even though you had punished her before her death, 20 hits and a couple of ps would not kill her! The one who harmed her was someone else. Someone is ying intrigue; killing Dong <i>Fei</i> to nder Your Ladyship."


    "If someone wanted to harm me, they wouldn¡¯t bother to bury her corpse. That doesn¡¯t make sense, " Mo Qi Qi says in confusion.

 Chapter 48

    <strong>Chapter 48</strong>


    <strong>The Man Who Trusts Her</strong>


    Ban Xiang nods in agreement, "What Your Ladyship said is right. But, I can say this for sure, Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death has nothing to do with you. The twenty hits were a lot, but it wouldn¡¯t jeopardize her life."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "What you said is right as well. Never mind, just forget it. If something is going to happen, it will happen. I can only sit and wait."


    "Do not worry, Your Ladyship. No matter what happens, you have Duke Zhen¡¯s manor to support you," Ban Xiang optimistically says.


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly shakes her head while smiling: She never considers her maiden family¡¯s power as an advantage. A tall tree courts winds. In history, most kings were wary of powerful ns like the Mos. Mo n¡¯s haughtiness will only be temporary. For the emperor, bringing down the Mo n is just a matter of time. Perhaps, he might even use this as an excuse to weaken Mo n¡¯s clout. Ugh! She is the daughter of Mo n who has been made the empress; she is a mere chess piece from the very beginning. In the end, she will be a discarded piece. If she really cannot travel back to her own time, she must start making deliberation for her future. Otherwise, she can only wait to be sent to the guillotine.


    After returning to his imperial study, Jun Qian Che summons the Prime Minister.


    Night arrives. After eating dinner, Mo Qi Qi does not feel sleepy. She sends her maids to rest while she strolls in her courtyard in boredom.


    She wonders how Jun Qian Che ns on dealing with her. Will he send people to investigate this or will he take this chance to weaken Mo n?


    The more she thinks, the more nervous she bes.


    A shadow suddenly slips into Feng Yang Pce and approaches Mo Qi Qi, "Your Ladyship¡ª-"


    Mo Qi Qi whose mind was drifting around, is taken aback. She has no idea how she ends up standing here in front of a guard who is dressed in ck. The guard is keeping his head lowered.


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly conjures up a scene in her head: The moment the guard raises his head, he pulls out his sword from it¡¯s scabbard and brandish it towards her.


    Thinking of that frightens her. She retreats two steps and res at that man, "W-Who are you? Did the emperor sent you here to kill <i>bengong</i>?" Other than Jun Qian Che, nobody else has the ability to send assassins to kill her right in the middle of the pce.


    "Qi Qi, it is me," the man raises his head, revealing a peerlessly handsome face.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s jumping heart immediately calms down again. She is overjoyed, "Yue Hen, it is you!"


    Jun Yue Hen looks at her with a face full of worry, "I heard about what happened to you today. I was worried, that¡¯s why I sneaked into here while impersonating a guard. Are you alright, Qi Qi? Did the emperor hurt you?"


    Mo Qi Qi immediately turns the question around, "Did you see any injuries on me?


    Jun Yue Hen smiles, "As long as you are alright."


    "Don¡¯t worry. Jun Qian Che will not be able to do anything to me without any proof. No matter what, I am still his empress; and I have the backing of Duke Zhen¡¯s manor to boot. He will not do anything reckless. But, I am still happy that I get to see you. I was looking for someone to chat with me. Yue Hen, will youe into my chamber with me?"


    Just as she turns around to return to her chamber, Jun Yue Hen suddenly pulls her back.


    Mo Qi Qi freezes and turns around to look at him.


    Jun Yue Hen¡¯s eyes are full of pain, "Qi Qi,e with me. We will leave the pce together. It is too dangerous for you to remain in the pce. I¡¯m afraid, the emperor will aim for you!"


    Mo Qi Qi discreetly pulls her hand back before fixing her hair and saying, "What are you talking about, Yue Hen? Even though you and I are friends in private, you are my uncle in name. What you said just now is not only inappropriate, but also dangerous."


    "Qi Qi, I am really worried about you. A life is lost in the harem, this is no trivial matter. You are the empress, it is really dangerous for you now that you have been dragged into this." Jun Yue Hen expresses the worry that has been guing his heart.


    Mo Qi Qiforts him, "Don¡¯t worry. I believe in my innocence. I did not kill Dong <i>Fei</i>. Even if Jun Qian Che wants to root me out, he still needs sufficient evidence. Yue Hen, don¡¯t tell me you think I killed Dong <i>Fei</i>?"


    Jun Yue Hen shakes his head, "I believe in you. But what about Jun Qian Che? Aren¡¯t you worried that he will target you? You are the mistress of the harem. A life is lost; he can easily use you of neglecting your duty. It is not hard to gather up excuses if he feels like it."


    Mo Qi Qi sighs before smiling, "I believe that Jun Qian Che¡¯s main priority is peace. Peace is not obtained by mere luck. If he wants to root me out and ced usations on my head, it will tarnish his reputation and magnanimity. As a ruler, a good reputation is a must. He will not go that far."


    "Thank you for worrying about me, Yue Hen, but the world is vast and it belonged to the emperor. If I leave now, I will be a very probably culprit in Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death. I will have to bear the name of a murderer for the rest of my life. Even if I do managed to run from the pce, I would have to spend the rest of my life trying to evade capture. I do not want that kind of life. Even if I will have to leave the pce one day, I want to leave with my head held high. That way, I can in freedom, do you understand?"


    Jun Yue Hen nods, "Qi Qi, you have changed. You are more careful and calm now, a lot better than how you used to be."


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "I am not as good as what you said. Honestly, I am really impulsive most of the time. Just, this time, it involves my life. I had to think and ponder carefully."


    "Qi Qi, no matter what your choice may be, I will always stand with you. I will trust you, support you, protect you...." Jun Yue Hen is looking at her with a pair of eyes full of love and affection.


    Seeing that look in Jun Yue Hen¡¯s eyes, Mo Qi Qi quickly bes enthralled. She never knew a man¡¯s eyes can be so gentle, so enthralling. But then, remembering the wounds that trash from her past life inflicted on her, she retrieves her gaze. She must not trust men easily anymore; she must not love easily either.


    The way she avoids his eyes makes Jun Yue Hen¡¯s heart falls. However, he does not intend to waste this rare opportunity with that slight disappointment. He smiles, "Qi Qi, let me y you a song."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright!"


    The two of them sits on a stone bench nearby with the blossoming flowers acting as their background. The golden lights ofnterns highlight their figures. The moon¡¯s silvery light prates the cracks of the trees and falls on them, creating a beautiful and mystical atmosphere. The two of them sit side by side, resembling celestials from up above.


    Jun Yue Hen takes out his jade flute and ys out a song.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Miscarriage


    Mo Qi Qi tilts her head to look at Jun Yue Hen; his side profile looks so handsome . Actually, he looks handsome no matter from what angle one looks from . He looks really enticing; perfect from all angles . If he was born in the modern time, he would have be a household superstar .


    His music resembles him; gentle, heart-wrenching and enthralling . The night wind blows gently, lifting his long dark hair . Flower petals falls from the trees above them, it is as though it is raining flowers . It makes him looks like a celestial and adds to the charm of his song .


    Once his song ends, he turns to look at her and notices a couple of flower petals resting on top of her hair . He casually lifts his hand and carefully takes it off; the gentleness of his action is as though he is touching a priceless treasure .


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in her heart: The previous owner must have been blind . She must have been really muddle-headed . Why didn¡¯t she marry such a nice man and had instead married a temperamental ice-block who didn¡¯t even love her? She had wasted the 7th king¡¯s deep love .


    However, the current Mo Qi Qi is no longer the old Mo Qi Qi . She will not like Jun Qian Che or Jun Yue Hen . She will not easily trust men anymore . Both of them are the people she cannot love and scorn . She must control her heart and not fall for either of them .


    ¡°Yue Hen, it iste and I am sleepy . You should go back and rest early!¡± Mo Qi Qi says with a smile as she gets up . Honestly, she enjoys being friend with Jun Yue Hen . He is very warm, like a dependable older brother . He can give her peace and stability whenever her mind gets messy . But since he can never be more than a friend, she does not wish to give him hope .


    Jun Yue Hen gets up; the way he looks at her is really gentle and warm, ¡°Rest early, Qi Qi . If you ever need my help, just send someone to inform me and I will do everything I can to help you . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi nods, ¡°I will . Good night . ¡±


    Jun Yue Hen looks at her with a pair of affectionate eyes before walking away .


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head and sighs, ¡°Love is when a couple spend their lives together . It is a pity her head was muddled . She made the wrong choice and now, neither could have their happy ending . ¡± She gives a great yawn before walking back to her own room .


    The next few days are peaceful . Other than unable to leave Feng Yang Pce, everything remains the same for Mo Qi Qi, be it her clothes or her meals . Her ears have been given a rest for these past few days . Since she is now a suspect, those concubines cannot enter Feng Yang Pce to give her their greetings . As a result, Mo Qi Qi is able to have a fewin-free days .


    In the blink of an eye, 5 days passed . An esteemed (or rather, uninvited) guestes to Feng Yang Pce .


    ¡°This official greets Your Ladyship,¡± Chu Ling Xiao pays Mo Qi Qi his respect the moment he steps into Feng Yang Pce .


    Mo Qi Qi who is sitting on the phoenix seat asks him, ¡°What is the purpose of Prime Minister¡¯s visit to Feng Yang Pce?¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao smiles amicably, ¡°Answering Your Ladyship, this official is investigating Dong Fei¡¯s death under His Majesty¡¯s order . This official discovered a few questionable things and decides to pay Your Ladyship a visit . ¡±


    ¡°If you have question, just baidu it!¡± blurts Mo Qi Qi . The 7th king already sent people to inform her about Jun Qian Che instructing Chu Ling Xiao to investigate the death . Since nothing happened these past few days, she thought the emperor had simply let the matter be, after contemting over Mo n¡¯s influence . She didn¡¯t think this dude will continue to pursue the matter . He is indeed worthy of being Jun Qian Che¡¯s best friend .


    (TN: Baidu is the Chinese version of google . She is basically telling him to google it . )


    ¡°Who is baidu?¡± Chu Ling Xiao asks with an earnest face .


    Mo Qi Qi bursts out inughter before waving her arm away, ¡°Nobody . It was just a joke!¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao feels like he is being teased . He clears his throat awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid, once the question is asked, Your Ladyship will no longer be in the mood to joke around . ¡±


    ¡°The Prime Minister is so serious; did you find anything incriminating against bengong?¡± Mo Qi Qi calmly asks though her heart is already in a furore .


    ¡°Not really . This matter is not really incriminating, but this official still has to question you . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi is an impatient girl; her patience runs thin at the way Chu Ling Xiao drags things on, ¡°Just say whatever it is you need to say . Stop beating around the bush . Bengong is a very busy person, bengong has no time to chat idly with you!¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao chokes a little before he smiles, ¡°Since Your Ladyship wants to get over this quickly, this official will go straight to the point . When we autopsied Dong Fei¡¯s corpse, we discovered injuries on her body . It is as though someone had purposely hit her before she died . Did you punish her when she was here?¡±


    Eh? It has been so many months and they still finds out? But yeah, it isn¡¯t really mind-blowing . In her field of work, a person can die 2000 years ago and they can still figure out how .


    Mo Qi Qi decides to be honest, ¡°Yes . Bengong had summoned her here, prior to her death . Because she was disrespectful, bengong ordered her to be hit twenty times . Bengong also pped her a couple of times . But it wasn¡¯t serious enough to cause her death . ¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao nods lightly, ¡°It really wasn¡¯t grave enough to endanger her life, but investigation shows that before Dong Fei died, she suffered a miscarriage . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi is so shocked that she has to hold the hand-rail to remain calm, ¡°What? Dong Fei was¡ª- Dong Fei was pregnant?¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao¡¯s tone is firm as he speaks, ¡°Yes . She was 2 months pregnant when the miscarriage happened . Your Ladyship doesn¡¯t know that?¡±


    ¡°How was I supposed to know? If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have asked people to hit her!¡± Mo Qi Qi weeps tearlessly . All of these are the disasters brought by the previous owner! Why is she so unlucky as to entered her body? Great, just great . One corpse but two lives; she is so going to die for this! No wonder Ban Xiang said that Dong Fei was bleeding back then, she was having a miscarriage! The previous owner was too cruel; if she knew Dong Fei was pregnant, that means she purposely did that to harm both the mother and the child . Huhu, what is she going to do now?


    Mo Qi Qi forces herself to appear calm . She looks at Chu Ling Xiao before calmly saying, ¡°Even if bengong did cause the miscarriage, Dong Fei was only at the early stage of pregnancy . The miscarriage shouldn¡¯t have posed any risk to her life . Dong Fei¡¯s death is anotherpletely unrted matter . ¡± Even though she has never been pregnant before, she knows that a miscarriage at the early stage of pregnancy will not pose any risk to the mother¡¯s life .


    Chu Ling Xiao respectfully replies her, ¡°It is up to His Majesty to determine whether there is another reason or not . ¡±


    ¡°What? Everything is up to Jun Qian Che?¡± Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart immediately tenses up . Jun Qian Che has been looking for excuses to get rid of her . If he finds out that she had not only punished Dong Fei, but had also killed his child, he will not let her off . Huhu, why is her life so tragic?

 Chapter 50

    <strong>Chapter 50</strong>


    <strong>Disown All Rtives</strong>


    "Hehe," Mo Qi Qi gets up and walks towards Chu Ling Xiao, gifting him a bright smile. "Since the emperor gives you such a big responsibility and trust, why don¡¯t you use this authority to turn this big matter into small? If you do that, <i>bengong</i> will heavily thank you and the Mo n will remember your grace and will repay your help in the future."


    Chu Ling Xiaoughs elegantly, "Since the emperor trusts this official, how can this official disappoints him? This official will report everything to him as it is."


    "You¡ª" Anger surges inside Mo Qi Qi like waves of currents. She res at Chu Ling Xiao with gritted teeth, "Prime Minister, don¡¯t tell <i>bengong</i> you¡¯d rather drink a cup of coercion than kindness? Don¡¯t forget, you are still in <i>bengong¡¯s</i> pce. A little word from <i>bengong</i> is enough to make you lose your life."


    Chu Ling Xiao maintains his calm smile, "The empress must not try to intimidate this official. This official too,es from the imperial n. Even though this official does not grow up in the pce, this official understands the tricks of the people in the harem. Threatening others is just their method of bullying people."


    "Oh really?" Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows as she looks at him in utter dislike, "But the method <i>bengong</i> is nning to use today is not that." After she says that, Mo Qi Qi suddenly takes off her brocade belt.


    Seeing that, Chu Ling Xiao immediately retreats two steps, "Your Ladyship! W-What are you doing?"


    Mo Qi Qiughs mockingly, "<i>Bengong</i> is letting the Prime Minister see <i>bengong¡¯s</i> trick." Then, she screams for the people outside, "Prime Minister, how dare you be so preposterous in front of <i>bengong</i>? Somebodye! The Prime Minister has lost conduct¡ª-"


    Hearing that, Chu Ling Xiao immediately steps forward and blocks Mo Qi Qi¡¯s mouth, "Your Ladyship, you must not harm this official in that manner."


    Mo Qi Qi pushes his hand away, arrogantly raising her brows while threatening him, "What do you think of <i>bengong¡¯s</i> trick? If this incident spreads out, what will His Majesty do? Even if he trusts you, your reputation will be ruined. In order to save face, he will still kick you out of the capital and when that happens, your position and power will be gone. Tsk tsk tsk, it does you more harm than good ah!"


    Chu Ling Xiao stares at Mo Qi Qi, stunned. He never thought he will be trapped inside the hand of this brainless empress. He used to make fun of her in front of the emperor in the past, now he feels like pping his own mouth.


    "What do you want this official to do, Your Ladyship? This official will listen to whatever it is." In the end, Chu Ling Xiao can onlypromise. If she continues screaming; it will be as she says it will. Regardless of whether the emperor trusts him, he will not continue to keep him by his side.


    Mo Qi Qiughs arrogantly, "That is the correct choice! <i>Bengong¡¯s</i> request is very simple; tell His Majesty that Dong <i>Fei</i> was disrespectful and <i>bengong</i> ordered her to be hit 20 times. The rest, you can keep to yourself."


    Chu Ling Xiao purposely pretends to be nervous, "Your Ladyship, that is basically deceiving the emperor!"


    "If you and I don¡¯t tell, His Majesty will not know that." Mo Qi Qi is very happy, so her way of thinking is way simpler as well.


    "Your Ladyship, you are underestimating His Majesty¡¯s wisdom," Chu Ling Xiao says again.


    Mo Qi Qi res at him indignantly, "What? Are you unwilling to help <i>bengong</i>? Aiya, why is the weather so hot today?" she fans her cor over.


    Chu Ling Xiao immediately panics, "I will! How can this official not help?" Despite that, he still gives Mo Qi Qi¡¯s neck an interested nce.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately tightens her cor, "What are you looking at?"


    Chu Ling Xiaoughs rottenly, "Everyone says that Yang Guifei is prettier and more beautiful than you, but from how this official sees it, Your Ladyship is prettier than her."


    Mo Qi Qi arrogantly raises her nose, "Be gone with these honeyed woods, <i>bengong</i> is fool-proof to them. Remember your promise. If you dare to sell <i>bengong</i> out, <i>bengong</i> will let you see!" Then, she points at his man part.


    Chu Ling Xiao covers it while panicking.


    Mo Qi Qiughs conceitedly, "Alright, <i>bengong</i> knows the Prime Minister is busy. <i>Bengong</i> will not keep you for long, you can see yourself out!" Now that the thing that has been worrying her has been settled, she sits in her phoenix seat in relief, drinking a fine tea.


    When Chu Ling Xiao goes to Jun Qian Che¡¯s imperial study to report the result of the autopsy, he purposely leaves out the miscarriage part.


    "So that is how it goes, Your Majesty. Although the empress did meet Dong <i>Fei</i> before her death and ordered her to be hit 20 times, the hits were not enough to cause her death. There is another reason to Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death."


    Jun Qian Che calmly asks while criticizing a memorial, "Is there anything else you need to add, Prime Minister?"


    Chu Ling Xiao thinks for a while: There is something that he purposely omitted when talking with Mo Qi Qi earlier on; there are three fingerprints on Dong Fei¡¯s back. Based on his investigation on Mo Qi Qi, she knows the Three-Fingertips Arts. If she pressed three fingers on another person¡¯s body, it will potentially kill the other person. Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death seems to be caused by that. He did not question her about it back in Feng Yang Pce because he nned on directly reporting it to the emperor,ter. But now, he suddenly hesitates. It is not because he fears Mo Qi Qi¡¯s threat; he simply has the sudden desire to hide that matter.


    After a moment of hesitation, he respectfully replies, "That is all that this official manage to investigates."


    The brush on Jun Qian Che¡¯s hand suddenly stops. He slowly raise his eyes as his dark pupils gives Chu Ling Xiao a look that resembles a piercing arrow. He slowly speaks, "Prime Minister, what did the Mo n or the empress promised you that you dared tomit the crime of deceiving the emperor?"


    Chu Ling Xiao is taken aback before he quickly kneels down, "Your Majesty, this official is dull."


    "Dull? Why does the result that <i>zhen</i> gets is different from the Prime Minister¡¯s? <i>Zhen</i> heard Dong Fei was two months pregnant before her death. There are three fingerprints on her back; those are the cause of her death. The empress practices the Art of the Three Fingerprints. You did not manage to dig out all that?" His voice is really calm, but it actually gives Chu Ling Xiao goose-bumps. Even though his rtionship with the emperor is normally good, the emperor is still a ruler who is earnest when ites to duty. It is very hard to deceive him; if one crosses him, the emperor will definitely disown them even if they are his rtives. He told her the emperor is hard to deceive; the empress is going to harm him to death this time!

 Chapter 51

    <strong>Chapter 51</strong>


    <strong>An Emperor¡¯s Words Are Final</strong>


    "Please forgive me, Your Majesty!" Chu Ling Xiao immediately admits fault.


    "Speak. Why were you willing to bear the crime of deceiving the emperor?" Jun Qian Che continues criticizing memorials, as though he doesn¡¯t care about this at all.


    But Chu Ling Xiao knows him really well; the calmer he appears, the more he cares. If he continue lying and infuriating him, he is going to lose his life. Sorry, empress!


    And so, Chu Ling Xiao divulge the threats that he received in Feng Yang Pce, "That was what happened, Your Majesty. This official did not want to deceive you, but this official had no other way."


    "No other way?" he trained his sharp eyes on Chu Ling Xiao, though there is a trace of smile on his eyes. This Mo Qi Qi is getting more and more interesting, she actually dared to do that. If this was the old her, she would have made a fuss until she overturned the world.


    But, he understands Chu Ling Xiao really well as well. If he secretly didn¡¯t want to help Mo Qi Qi, he wouldn¡¯t have heeded to her threats. This Mo Qi Qi is really capable, she even managed to win over Chu Ling Xiao.


    Seeing Jun Qian Che whose anger is now dissipating, Chu Ling Xiaoughs, "Your Majesty, this official is just an official. One is the empress, and the other is you, this official cannot afford to offend any one of you. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che looks at Chu Ling Xiao and coldly says, "Remember, everything happened the way you put it earlier. Dong <i>Fei</i> did meet the empress before her death and was punished with 20 hits, but it was not grave enough as to cause her to die. This matter has nothing to do with the empress. Dong <i>Fei</i> was never pregnant and she was never attacked using the Art of San Zhi."


    Hearing that, Chu Ling Xiao¡¯s lips curls up, "Yes, Your Majesty. The affection between Your Majesty and Her Ladyship is getting deeper; this official never thought that Your Majesty would ever cover up something for a woman."


    Jun Qian Che gives him a sharp look.


    Chu Ling Xiao is startled and immediately tries to change the topic, "As for Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> case, we need to find the murderer to close the case!"


    "This case has nothing to do with you, now. <i>Zhen</i> has <i>zhen¡¯s</i> own arrangement." A cold light shes in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes. He does not want this matter to grow big, so he really needs to solve this fast.


    Nightes and since Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> murder case has not been solved, everyone who lives in the pce retreats to their own room early. They doesn¡¯t dare to roam around at night anymore.


    Mo Qi Qi too, sends her people away early. She sits in the courtyard all by herself, holding antern. She lights up thentern before releasing it, watching it fly up into the night sky.


    As thentern flies higher, she remembers the firstntern she ever released with her parents. She was so young then, and the view of thentern flying further had seemed so magical. Her mother told her that she can make a wish to antern, it wille true. Since then, she has taken a habit to releasingnterns at night.


    Mo Qi Qi sps her hands together before closing her eyes, "Dearntern, if you can really grant wishes, please help me leave this ce sooner. If I stay here any longer, I will go crazy."


    Jun Qian Che who is walking into her pce, overhears that. Anger rises in his heart. He picks up a stone and uses his internal power to shoot thentern down. Thentern crashes to the ground.


    Seeing thentern on the ground, Mo Qi Qi feels very frustrated, "Hu hu, is my wish really that hard to be granted?"


    "Correct. Don¡¯t even dream of having that wish fulfilled in this entire lifetime," an imposing voice can be heard.


    Mo Qi Qi looks up and sees Jun Qian Che walking to her inrge steps.


    She unwillingly curtsies before him, "Greeting, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che continues walking to her inrge strides before seizing her wrist. He res at her.


    Mo Qi Qi frowns unhappily as pain spreads in her wrist, "Your Majesty, you are hurting me."


    "Speak! Why do you want to leave the pce? Who do you want to be with? Is it the 7<sup>th</sup> imperial uncle? Or is there any other man?" Jun Qian Che seems to have lost control of his emotion.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s attention is on her pained wrist, so she did not really pay any attention to what he says. "What the hell are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand you!"


    "You don¡¯t understand? Weren¡¯t you wishing to leave the pce just now? You were the one who was adamant to enter the pce back then! Why are you in a hurry to leave now? Is there someone that you like waiting for you out there?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes are filled with dangerous fury.


    Mo Qi Qi struggles to free her hand, "Let go! It hurts!"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes falls on her wrist and only then does he realized that he has lost control. He immediately lets go of her hand.


    Mo Qi Qi rubs her reddened wrist and angrily scolds him, "Your Majesty, does it serve you any purpose toe here at night to bully me just because you cannot sleep? If you are bored, go and find Yang Meimei!"


    "Do not bring up other women in front of <i>zhen</i>!" Jun Qian Che struggles to contain his anger. He coldly reminds her, "Do not forget your own position. The entire back pce belongs to <i>zhen</i>, <i>zhen</i> is free to go wherever <i>zhen</i> wants!"


    "Yeah, yeah, yeah! <i>Chenqie</i> has no right to interfere! But <i>chenqie</i> is currently the suspect of a murder, it is inappropriate for Your Majesty to be here!" Her mood is already bad today and this jerk decides toe here to find fault! He must have think that she is easy to be bullied! If he piss her off today, she will bite him to death!


    "You still know that you are a suspect in a murder case? You sure have enough guts to threaten the kingdom¡¯s prime minister, stacking a crime on top of another crime. From how <i>zhen</i> looks at it, you no longer wants to keep your head intact." By now, Jun Qian Che has recovered hisposure.


    Mo Qi Qi unconsciously touches her neck. Sweats are formed on her forehead as she forces herself tough, "He he, the prime minister told you everything?" That Chu Ling Xiao doesn¡¯t want to live anymore! How dare he sells out this granny? She will castrate him the next time she meets him!


    "Did you really think that your petty trick would work?" Jun Qian Che looks at her in disdain.


    Mo Qi Qi really wants to give his big mouth a good p. How arrogant and haughty! Unfortunately, she only possesses the heart of a thief, not the courage of a thief. She does not even has the time to day-dream right now.


    She rushes to him and hugs his arm coquettishly, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> was just ying a trick on him! I didn¡¯t know he took it seriously! Even if <i>chenqie</i> has ten times more bravery than <i>chenqie</i> currently possesses, <i>chenqie</i> still wouldn¡¯t have the guts to threaten the prime minister!" She blinks innocently.


    The displeasure in Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart gradually goes away, in fact, he surprisingly says "You are the empress, what is wrong with you threatening him?" Chu Ling Xiao, that brat usually dared to make fun of even him; who would have thought that Mo Qi Qi would have the ability to sort him out?


    Mo Qi Qi is stunned when she hears that, "Huh? Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is a little slow.... Are you being honest or....."


    "<i>Zhen</i> will not pursue this any further, this time," Jun Qian Che looks at her, not answering the question.


    |


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart blossoms with joy as shepletely forgets her anger. She curtsies in front of him, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"


    "You have not answered <i>zhen¡¯s</i> question. Why do you wish to leave the pce?" Remembering the wish and that grief on her face, Jun Qian Che feels as though his heart has been stabbed by a dagger.


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly sighs, she is really angry on the inside. His memory is really good, she can twist him around so many times and he will still go back to the original topic.


    In order to keep her head, Mo Qi Qi can only put on another performance. Admitting the truth or agreeing with him about his theory of her having another man outside are both a no-go, so she can only put her acting skill to use in order to escape this crisis.


    Mo Qi Qi takes out her handkerchief and dabs it on her nose, pretending to cry, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is having a really hard time!"


    "A hard time?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s head is full of question marks.


    Mo Qi Qi sobs while saying, "Although <i>chenqie</i> is the esteemed empress, every steps <i>chenqie</i> takes has to be taken cautiously. I have to go through my days in fear. It is said that one will feel cold at the top; only after entering the pce does <i>chenqie</i> understand that. The empress¡¯ seat seem glorious and easy, but there are so many women coveting this seat both inside and outside the pce. The fight is fierce and the pressure is high. Every single thing that <i>chenqie</i> does are watched by so many eyes, waiting to catch <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> fault so they can report it to you. So many people wants to harm <i>chenqie</i>, it is so hard that <i>chenqie</i> cannot sleep and eat in peace. Now, this Dong <i>Fei</i> thing happened. <i>Chenqie</i> is really being framed this time, this is an even bigger injustice than that of Dou E¡¯s! <i>Chenqie</i> heard that Dong <i>Fei</i> was having an affair and was cheating on Your Majesty, so <i>chenqie</i> brought her in to be questioned. She was rude and insolent, so <i>chenqie</i> ordered her to be hit twenty times. Who would have known that she would die? Someone is purposely framing <i>chenqie</i>! All leads are currently pointing towards <i>chenqie</i>, <i>chenqie</i> is really scared; that¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> wants to leave the pce. Though the life in the pce is luxurious, there are dangers lurking in every corner! Rather than living in fear all the time, <i>chenqie</i> would rather leave the pce. Though the life of amoner is a little harder, at least it is safer, both mentally and physically. Your Majesty, please grant <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> wish!"


    Mo Qi Qi cries whileining about her hardship, grievance and suffering. It is true that she is being wronged; she does not even know Dong Fei!


    Seeing this, Jun Qian Che¡¯s ice-cold heart softens. He sighs, "Alright, don¡¯t cry. <i>Zhen</i> will investigate this properly, you will not be wronged. Don¡¯t be afraid, as long as <i>zhen</i> is here, <i>zhen</i> will not let anyone harm you."


    Mo Qi Qi looks up, herrge round eyes glistening in tears as she pitifully looks at him, "Really?"


    "An emperor¡¯s words are final." Jun Qian Che takes her handkerchief and helps wipe her face.


    Mo Qi Qiughs happily; with these tears, she managed to lock in Jun Qian Che that idiot! She is as good as those Oscar-winning actresses.


    As he helps her wipe her tears, Jun Qian Che looks at her. Her long hair are draped behind her, tied by a pink ribbon. She is wearing a set of pink dress. Under the moonlight, her face is exceptionally beautiful. Her skin is fair, like snow. She looks unparalleled, making it hard for people to look away. She is beautiful in an ethereal way.


    Jun Qian Che stares at her like an idiot. His eyes are on her lips as he slowly leans in.


    Seeing him leaning forward, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart jumps. Should she reciprocate his action? But she does not love him, she does not wish to turn her back on her heart.


    But, if she push him away, will she be able to coddle him out of his anger? She feels very conflicted.


    Aiya! Never mind, it is just a kiss! Just give him a face this time, she will just rinse her mouth and brush her teeth a couple more timester. Her life is more important.


    And so, Mo Qi Qi stands there stiffly and grits her teeth, standing there with her eyes closed like a soldier stepping into the battlefield.

 Chapter 52

    <strong>Chapter 52</strong>


    <strong>I Will Take You Out of the Pce</strong>


    As Jun Qian Che leans in closer, so close as though their lips are about to touch, the scene in the viewing tower resurfaces in his mind. He withdraws back and turns around.


    Mo Qi Qi who has been waiting for his kiss finds it weird that it is noting. She opens her eyes and finds Jun Qian Che¡¯s back facing her.


    Her head are full of question marks, though she is still relieved that she didn¡¯t have to kiss him. Lucky, lucky. To prevent this from happening again, she quickly change the topic, "Your Majesty, the moon is so beautiful tonight. Let¡¯s make a couple more skynterns."


    Jun Qian Che turns around to face her and unexpectedly nods.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles happily and runs to her chamber to get all the necessary things.


    "Your Majesty, let <i>chenqie</i> teach you." Mo Qi Qi feels very proud that she gets to be Jun Qian Che¡¯s teacher. Ha ha ha, so even he has things he didn¡¯t know. See how this teacher will teach you!


    However, as time passes, Mo Qi Qi bes dumbfounded. She only gave him a simple description and Jun Qian Che is already able to create argentern.


    Seeing this, Mo Qi Qi sighs, discouraged.


    Jun Qian Che looks at the disheartened look on her face and asks, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Mo Qi Qi mutters a smallin, "Your Majesty, can¡¯t you give face to other people? You are so smart, you makes me feel embarrassed."


    The corner of Jun Qian Che¡¯s lips curls up, forming a faint smile.


    Mo Qi Qi is stunned when she sees that smile.


    When he senses the sudden silence in the atmosphere, he turns his head and sees her smiling happily while staring at him in a daze.


    Jun Qian Che knocks her in the head.


    "It hurts!" Mo Qi Qi¡¯s wandering mind quickly goes back to earth. She rubs the spot that has just been hit, "Why did you hit <i>chenqie</i>?"


    "What are you in a daze for? Aren¡¯t you going to make thenterns?" Jun Qian Che asks her.


    Mo Qi Qi gives him an infuriated look, "It was all your fault! Why did you look so handsome when you smile?"


    Dark lines appear on Jun Qian Che¡¯s head; he is really helpless when ites to this girl.


    Not longter, the two of them finish making threenterns.


    Mo Qi Qi lights up the first one. When she releases it, it slowly ascends to the sky. In order to give face to Jun Qian Che, her first wish is, "Kong Ming Lantern, I hope the kingdom will be prosperous and peaceful till the ends of time."


    When she lights up and released the second one, her wish is, "I hope Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> case will be closed soon. I hope she will rest in peace and I hope my innocence will be proven." She nce at Jun Qian Che, purposely saying that for him to hear.


    Jun Qian Che simply dismisses that, "If you profess that wish to <i>zhen</i>, perhaps <i>zhen</i> can fulfil that much faster than thentern can."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles warmly, "Now that the emperor has heard my wish, will you make it happen faster?"


    Jun Qian Che lightly raise his eyebrows, "It depends on the empress¡¯ performance."


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s eyes turn calctive. She immediately gives thestntern to Jun Qian Che, "Your Majesty, thisntern is for you." She obediently looks as him, as though asking, am I doing good?


    Jun Qian Che takes thentern, lights it up and lets it fly to the sky. He did not make any wish.


    Mo Qi Qi kindly reminds him, "Your Majesty, you can make a wish. The Kong Mingntern will fulfil it for you!"


    Jun Qian Che calmly opens his mouth, "If <i>zhen</i> wish for it to fly back down, will it fly back down?"


    Damn! Mo Qi Qi feels like a crow just passed over her head. This piece of...... Must he be such a spoilsport?


    "Your Majesty, your wish is too damn impossible." Mo Qi Qi helplessly says.


    Jun Qian Che remains as calm as ever, "Willnterns be able to fulfil wishes? It is merely self-deception."


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, "You are ruining such a beautiful and magical thing!"


    "Let themon people fiddle with these kinds of self-deception. You are different, you are <i>zhen¡¯s</i> empress. Whatever wish you have will have higher chances of being fulfilled if you share them with <i>zhen</i>."


    Mo Qi Qi res at him, secretly thinking: Then, my wish right now is for you to leave! Will you help me fulfil that?


    Jun Qian Che unhappily res at her. He gets up, flings his sleeves before swiftly leaving.


    |


    Mo Qi Qi is surprised: Oh mom! Don¡¯t tell her he can read minds? That man is so scary, like a ghost!


    Mo Qi Qi uneasily looks around, cold sweat forming on her forehead. She runs back to her room.


    The next day, the 7<sup>th</sup> wangye sneaks into Mo Qi Qi¡¯s pce. Mo Qi Qi who was taking her afternoon nap can feel another person¡¯s presence on her bedside; she opens her eyes and is so surprised that she almost screams out loud.


    Jun Yue Hen immediately covers her mouth, "Qi Qi, it is me." After she calms down a little, he takes his hand away from her mouth.


    Mo Qi Qi jumps up and looks out of the window to the people outside. She whispers to him, "Yue Hen, you are too bold! There are so many imperial guards outside, aren¡¯t you afraid of being discovered? If they discover you, they will report everything to the emperor! Jun Qian Che is so suspicious, what if he thinks we are having an affair? He will kill us!"


    Jun Yue He¡¯s face appears anxious, "I don¡¯t care anymore!"


    "Did anything happen? You seem so worried and anxious." Mo Qi Qi has started to panic as well.


    "Qi Qi, listen to me. ording to the person I sent to secretly investigate Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death, Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death has something to do with you."


    "What?" Mo Qi Qi is so shocked that she is having a hard time to breathe: "Yue Hen, could you be mistaken? How can it has anything to do with me?" Was the previous owner really the one who ordered people to kill Dong <i>Fei</i>?


    "There was an injury on Dong Fei¡¯s back; inflicted by someone who knows the Art of San Zhi. It is the most usible cause of death. Very few people knows that art; in the pce, only you knows how to do it." Jun Yue Hen truthfully says.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately flies into a rage, "What is the Art of San Zhi? I don¡¯t even know any martial arts at the moment! I just want to dismantle this stupid pce!"


    "Qi Qi, don¡¯t be impulsive. Listen to me. I naturally believe you, but what about the emperor? After all, before Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death, you were the only one who didn¡¯t get along with her. Besides, there had been no incidents or assassination attempts before Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> disappearance, so you are the most probable culprit. It is very possible for you to be convicted." Jun Yue Hen says.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face turns bitter, "What should I do? I am so dead! Hu hu, why is my life so tragic?"


    "Don¡¯t be afraid, Qi Qi! I will not let anyone harm you! Tonight, once the sky is dark, I will take you out of the pce. We will leave the capital and will go to a ce where the emperor cannot find us." Jun Yue Hen earnestly promises as he looks at her.


    <strong>Serene</strong>: This chapter was brought to you by Meropi!

 Chapter 53

    <strong>Chapter 53</strong>


    <strong>Who Should I Trust?</strong>


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a guilty look, "Yue Hen, I don¡¯t want to implicate you. You know that if I run away, I will be a runaway convict. If you run away from me, you will not only lose your title, but also your life!"


    "I don¡¯t care for all that. As long as I can take you out of here safely, I can live without all that," Jun Yue Hen confesses emotionally.


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked by what Jun Yue Hen said. She is touched. There is actually a man like him in this world; she regrets the fact that she is not the Mo Qi Qi that he loves.


    "Yue Hen, I think you should re-consider this. I am not worthy of all that." She does not wish to have emotional entanglement with any man at this moment. No matter how in love Jun Yue Hen is, she does not want to have any romantic rtionship with him.


    "I am willing to do this myself, I will not me anyone. Once nightes, I will send someone to take you out. I will be waiting for you outside the pce. I will leave first." Jun Yue Hen leaves without listening to Mo Qi Qi¡¯s reply.


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly sighs, if possible, she really does not want to owe Jun Yue Hen anything, but there does not seem to be any other option right now. She should leave the pce first and figure out the restter.


    Duke Zhen¡¯s Manor,


    Duke Zhen has been busy with Sheng Jiang Military Camp. Though he is Mo Cheng Xuan¡¯s father, they are in charge of different camps.


    Duke Zhen¡¯s Sheng Jiang Military Camp is Hua Chen Kingdom¡¯s biggest camp. It holds the power of the other four big military camps.


    Mo Cheng Xuan is in charge of Hua Nan Military Camp, one of the four Tong, Xi, Bei and Nan Camps. The power that Mo n wield is really big.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Tong = East, Bei = North, Xi = West, Nan = South.)


    Today, when the Duke returns to the manor, he finds out about the house-arrest that has been imposed on his daughter. He is furious, "The emperor actually dares to impose a house-arrest on the empress? Does he even has me in his eyes? I was busy in the camp doing things for him and yet he repays it by bullying my daughter? I will go to the pce and talk some sense into him!"


    After saying that, the Duke walks out while huffing in anger.


    Seeing this, his wife and his son quickly stops him.


    "Please calm down, Father."


    "Laoye, calm down first."


    Duke Zhen unhappily res at them, "Qi Qi is our daughter. Now that her life and death is uncertain, how am I supposed to calm down? As for you Xuan Er, Qi Qi is your little sister. You are in the capital all along, why didn¡¯t you do something to help her?"


    Mo Cheng Xuan patiently tries to persuade him, "Father, the empress is only facing a temporary house arrest, she has not been convicted yet. Do not be hasty, Father. I believe the emperor will dispatch people to investigate this matter properly."


    Duke Zhen¡¯s wife echoes Mo Cheng Xuan, "What Xuan Er said is right. Laoye, you have only returned, you should rest. I believe that with you here, the emperor will not make things hard for Qi Qi."


    Duke Zhen nods, "What <i>furen</i> said is right. The emperor probably does not dare to do anything to Qi Qi. If he dares to convict Qi Qi, I will make him regret it!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan sighs.


    The day passes really quickly, in the blink of an eye, it is already night.


    In Feng Yang Pce, Mo Qi Qi anxiously paces in her room. After Jun Yue Hen left earlier on, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart has been in an uproar.


    Her heart tells her to leave the pce with Jun Yue Hen, but if she does, she will automatically be a run-away convict. By then, Jun Qian Che cane up with 1000 excuses to kill her. If she stays here and bravely face everything, she might be able to figure out the way to clean her hands off this matter. She believes that with Mo n¡¯s power, Jun Qian Che will not be able to go after her life.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart feels very tangled at the moment, she does not know what to do.


    Ban Xiang tries tofort her, "Your Ladyship, you should stop pacing. You have been doing that since noon."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Ban Xiang uncertainly, "Ban Xiang, do you think I should leave with the 7<sup>th</sup> king?"


    Ban Xiang scratches her head. After thinking hard for a moment, she shakes her head.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately grabs her by the arm, "You think I shouldn¡¯t leave too, right?"


    Ban Xiang shakes her head.


    Mo Qi Qi impatiently scolds her, "You shake your head to everything that I asked you! What do you mean by that?!"


    "Your Ladyship, this servant does not know whether or not you should leave with wangye," Ban Xiang replies with a low voice.


    Mo Qi Qi looks up to the sky and screams, "Ah! Can somebody help me decide?!"


    At that moment, a guard enters and pays respect to her, "Greeting Your Ladyship the empress."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the unfamiliar guard before asking, "Who are you? Why are you here?"


    The guard lowers his voice, "Your Ladyship, this subordinate is sent here by the 7<sup>th</sup> king to take you out of the pce."


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked, "The 7<sup>th</sup> king really wants to sneak <i>bengong</i> out of the pce?"


    "Your Ladyship, the 7<sup>th</sup> wangye is currently waiting for you inside a carriage, outside the pce. We must hasten, Your Ladyship. This subordinate will try his best to take you out of the pce smoothly," the guard respectfully replies.


    Mo Qi Qi hesitates; can she really just go? Though she has no feeling for Jun Qian Che, she is still his empress. Would running away with Jun Yue Hen be considered as elopement? With that kind of title ced over her head, how will she live from now on? Women in ancient times cares about their reputation the most. If she is known as a married woman who has an affair, everyone will be out to get her.


    Jun Qian Che is the emperor. He will not tolerate over being cheated on. He will definitely release warrant on them and by then, even the powerful Mo n will not be able to do anything to help them. The public will side with the victim for cases like these. If she leaves, Jun Qian Che will automatically be the victim. If Mo n tries to interfere with anything, they will draw public outrage.


    But if she doesn¡¯t go, she will be convicted for sure. Is she supposed to just stay here waiting for death? What should she do? What should she do?


    Seeing Mo Qi Qi falling into a daze, the guard speaks up, "Your Ladyship, should we go now?"


    "<i>Bengong</i> still need to pack, wait for <i>bengong</i> outside. <i>Bengong</i> will be done soon." Mo Qi Qi sends away the guard, hoping she will have some time to make a reasonable decision.


    The guard retreats outside.


    Ban Xiang quickly asks her, "Your Ladyship, you haven¡¯t made your decision yet?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "My brain is a mess right now. I don¡¯t know what to do."


    Ban Xiang gives her a suggestion, "Why don¡¯t we sneak out to meet Duke Zhen and see what he has to say?"


    Mo Qi Qi immediately shoots the idea down, "No! Father¡¯s temper is too vtile. If we seek him out, he will march into the pce with his troops! Things will get even uglier"


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly remembers what Jun Qian Che saidst night.


    <i>"I hope Dong Fei¡¯s case will be closed soon. I hope she will rest in peace and I hope my innocence will be proven."</i>


    <i>"If you profess that wish to zhen, perhaps zhen can fulfil that much faster than thentern can."</i>


    <i>"Now that the emperor has heard my wish, will you make it happen faster?"</i>


    <i>"It depends on the empress¡¯ performance."</i>


    Remembering those words, a thought suddenly surfaced in Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart: Perhaps I should trust Jun Qian Che this one time.

 Chapter 54

    <strong>Chapter 54</strong>


    <strong>Scheming Boy</strong>


    Ban Xiang looks out to the sky outside, "Your Ladyship, if you want to run away with the 7<sup>th</sup> king, you must hasten. If you waste any more time, you will get discovered."


    At that moment, a little maid rushes into Mo Qi Qi¡¯s chamber with a delighted face, "Your Ladyship, there is a good news! The guards outside Feng Yang Pce have been sent away! His Majesty has retracted the order of your house-arrest! Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> case has been solved, she was murdered by her two maids. They hated her because she was cruel to them. They took advantage of you punishing her as a cover and murdered her. They buried her in the rose garden. If the corpse is discovered, the me would lie on you. The emperor has ordered the prime minister to investigate everything and has announced your innocence."


    Mo Qi Qi is stunned.


    Ban Xiang happily exims, "This is great, Your Ladyship! Congrattion, Your Ladyship! Your misfortune has started to turn into a blessing!"


    Mo Qi Qi continues standing there in a daze; she finds this hard to believe. What is going on? From what the 7<sup>th</sup> king said, it will be hard to divert the me from her. Jun Qian Che should know all that, why didn¡¯t he convict her?


    "The emperor has arrived!" A voice announced from outside, pulling Mo Qi Qi back from her daze.


    Jun Qian Che is wearing a ck robe embroidered with golden threads. He walks in withrge strides, looking so overbearing and dominant.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately curtsies, "Greeting, Your Majesty."


    "Get up," Jun Qian Che looks at her, his two hands tucked on his back.


    "Yes, Your Majesty." She stands up and smiles happily at him while asking, "It is sote, why is Your Majesty here?"


    <>


    Jun Qian Che replies, "To see if the empress is still here."


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked as she maintains her smile, "Your Majesty knows how to crack a joke. It is night, if <i>chenqie</i> is not in here, where else should <i>chenqie</i> be?" Don¡¯t tell her this jerk knows about her n to run away with the 7<sup>th</sup> king? No way; if he knows, he would have ordered her execution long ago instead of talking so calmly to her like this. She should stop scaring herself.


    "You must have known by now, about Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> case." Jun Qian Che walks past Mo Qi Qi and sits on one of the main seats.


    Mo Qi Qi turns around to face him and obediently nods, "Yes."


    "Now that this matter has ended, the empress can put her worry to rest." Jun Qian Che drinks the tea that Ban Xiang has just served.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles as a tangle forms in her heart. What does he mean by that? Is he hinting at the truth? If she continues to pretend that she doesn¡¯t know anything, will it piss him off? Honestly, even she doesn¡¯t know if Dong <i>Fei</i> was really murdered by the previous owner. Jun Qian Che has basically helped her; should she be good and admit fault? But if she does, what if he takes this chance to threaten her? Such dilemmas.


    After making a long consideration, Mo Qi Qi decides to be honest, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> heard that Dong <i>Fei</i> died because of her miscarriage and her injury from the Art of San Zhi. Back then, <i>chenqie</i> didn¡¯t know that she was carrying the dragon seed and had caused her to have a miscarriage, that really was <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> fault. And then, that injury from the Art of San Zhi¡ª"


    "That is enough. The investigation shows that she was harmed by her two maids. It has nothing to do with you, remember that."


    Mo Qi Qi is stunned. She curtsies in front of him, "Yes, <i>chenqie</i> will remember that." What Jun Qian Che means by that is, it does not matter if she harmed Dong <i>Fei</i>. He will not pursue the matter. Since when has he be so benevolent? Does he have any other motive? Oh, she gets it now! It must be because of Mo n¡¯s influence. He hopes that he will receive Mo n¡¯s loyalty if he spares her. He also wants her to be thankful to him and in turn, speaks in favour of him in front of Duke Zhen. Hehe, Jun Qian Che is such a scheming boy.


    After saying that, the two of them falls into a silence.


    The gear in Mo Qi Qi¡¯s brain turns, hoping to find excuses to make Jun Qian Che leave, but too many things has happened today and her brain has been fried.


    This time, Jun Qian Che surprisingly breaks the silence, "<i>Zhen</i> is tired from reading memorials all day. Why don¡¯t you y <i>zhen</i> a song?"


    Tired? This iceberg face knows how to feel tired? Doesn¡¯t he know that for other people, he is the source of that tiredness?


    "Hehe, Your Majesty, since you are tired, you should go back and rest. You should not stay up all night listening to songs." Asking this miss to y guqin is as good as asking for direction from a blind person; like asking to borrow ab from a monk.


    Jun Qian Che looks at Mo Qi Qi, his voice turning a lot icier, "The empress is not willing to y for <i>zhen</i>?"


    Mo Qi Qi really wants to answer ¡¯yes¡¯ but she finds Jun Qian Che really intimidating. She can only turn her back on her own heart, "No, Your Majesty! How can I not be willing to y you a song? It is because¡ª¡ª- It is because <i>chenqie</i> identally spilled hot tea on chenqie¡¯s hand this afternoon. It hurts, so <i>chenqie</i> is not capable of ying anything at the moment. Why don¡¯t I dance instead?" Mo Qi Qi immediately warms up her neck. She learned to study dance in her past life, so she is very good at dancing. As for musical instrument, she is pretty much illiterate.


    Hearing about her hands unwittingly makes Jun Qian Che a little worried. His face remains cold and his voice is as icy as ever when he speaks, "Come here."


    "Huh?" Mo Qi Qi looks scared, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> cannot y you a song because <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> hand is injured. Don¡¯t tell <i>chenqie</i> this deserves a capital punishment?" Don¡¯t tell her this jerk wants to use this excuse to punish her?


    Jun Qian Che is toozy to waste any more words with her. He pulls her over and lets her sit next to him. He lifts her hand and discovers a red mark at the back of her left hand.


    Mo Qi Qi was not lying. She was too worried by what the 7<sup>th</sup> king told her and had identally spilled tea on her own hand. Lucky the water was not scalding hot.


    "You are so useless. You can¡¯t even drink tea without injuring yourself," Jun Qian Che coldly scolds her.


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi bes furious, "Yes, <i>chenqie</i> is useless! Not as good as Yang meimei. Since it is like that, why do youe here? If you are here to anger <i>chenqie</i>, you have achieved your purpose! Now leave!"


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes. He stands up before snappily saying, "Unreasonable!" And then, he flings his sleeves and walk away.


    Mo Qi Qi sticks her tongue out at Jun Qian Che¡¯s back.


    Ban Xiang helplessly sighs, "Your Ladyship, why can¡¯t you speak with His Majesty properly?"


    "I could not speak to him properly?! He was the one who was finding fault! Never mind, let¡¯s not talk about that spoilsport! I am sleepy; prepare the bath water. After that, I am going to bed." Mo Qi Qi walks into her inner chamber. Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> case has ended. No matter why Jun Qian Che did what he did, she is safe for now. Now that her heart has eased down, sleepiness and fatigue immediately kicks in.


    After bathing, Mo Qi Qi sits in front of her vanity tob her hair.


    At that time, Eunuch Lin suddenlyes over, "This servant greets Your Ladyship."


    "Eunuch Lin, why are you here instead of serving the emperor?" Mo Qi Qi finds this weird.


    Eunuch Lin takes out a porcin bottle, "Your Ladyship, His Majesty knew that you injured your hand, so he sent this servant to send this medicine to you. This medicine will be really useful to treat the wound in your hand."


    <strong>Serene</strong>: This chapter was brought to you by Mckenzie.

 Chapter 55

    <strong>Chapter 55</strong>


    <strong>Unwanted Challenge</strong>


    Ban Xiang immediately epts the bottle.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Tell His Majesty that <i>bengong</i> said thank you."


    "Yes! Then, this servant shall retreat first." Eunuch Li retreats away.


    Ban Xiang is really happy with this progress, "Your Ladyship, His Majesty treats you really well. Even though you were rude to him, he cares about you just the same."


    Mo Qi Qi harrumphs coldly, "He probably didn¡¯t want other people to think that he is a bad husband, that¡¯s why he pretended to be nice and sent me that."


    Hearing that, Ban Xiang helplessly sighs, "Your Ladyship, let me apply it on your wound."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright."


    The news of the empress being vindicated has reached Jun Yue Hen, but he continues to wait for her outside, hoping she will choose to leave with him.


    In the end, all he gets is disappointment. Jun Yue Hen waited outside the pce like an idiot for an entire night. By the time the sun rises, Mo Qi Qi still has not appeared.


    One of his female servants, Wen Xuan tries to persuade him, "Wangye, Her Ladyship is noting. You should go."


    Jun Yue Henughs bitterly, "No matter how he treats her, the person she choose will always be him. Qi Qi, you are so foolish. He will not give you the happiness you wanted. Why can¡¯t you see that?" He shakes his head helplessly before walking away.


    Mo Qi Qi sleeps a very peaceful sleep; she has forgotten the matter with Jun Yue Hen long ago.


    When the other concubines hears about her being vindicated, theyes over to Feng Yang Pce to congratte her.


    <>


    "The heavens helped Your Ladyship because you are innocent."


    "The empress is our lucky star, no one will be able to harm her!"


    Mo Qi Qiughs happily before straightforwardly saying, "All of you are so sweet-lipped. Sincere or not, <i>bengong</i> is really happy to hear all that. Since <i>bengong</i> has been dered innocent, <i>bengong</i> can now help Meimeis fight for favour. Let¡¯s continue studying about how to attract a ruler¡¯s heart. Today, <i>bengong</i> is going to teach all of you how to seduce the emperor using your bodies!" She gives those concubines an ambiguous look.


    Those concubines put on shy looks, "You sounded too brazen, Your Ladyship! Using our bodies to seduce the emperor? Don¡¯t tell us you want us to undress the moment we see him?"


    "Aiya, don¡¯t you think this is a little immoral? Hehe...."


    Xia Fei immediately touches her own chest before speaking in confidence, "If we are talking about our bodies, <i>chenqie</i> is confident <i>chenqie</i> will not lose to anyone."


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly gives them a big eyeroll, "Oh please. Can you people not be so dirty-minded? By saying ¡¯using your body to seduce the ruler¡¯, I meant using your bodynguage! Make him see your love; draw him in using your beauty. I am not asking you all to act like those women in the brothels. Granted, your motive is to sleep with the emperor, but before that; you must learn how to take care of yourself, how to carry yourself. You must make yourself more valuable. You must make him want you more once you sleep with him once. Once these lessons end, settling His Majesty will be a trip to the park!"


    Hearing those promises, the concubines¡¯ hearts leaps in joy, "Your Ladyship, let¡¯s not waste time! Let¡¯s begin now!"


    Mo Qi Qi pokes fun of Yue <i>Pin</i>, "Yue <i>Pin</i>, you sure are hasty!"


    Yue Pin covers her face shyly, "Your Ladyship, y-you made fun of <i>chenqie</i>! <i>Chenqie</i> is not talking to you anymore!"


    Mo Qi Qiughs happily, "Alright, alright, alright. Not making fun of you anymore! Let¡¯s start our lesson now!"


    Feng Yang Pce is filled with the boisterous chirpings of the concubines.


    Hua Bei Camp,


    The Hua Bei Camp is the camp under the care of Han Yi Xiao. Today, Bai Jiues to assume her new position. She changed into her official armors before being led by Han Yi Xiao to the camp to be introduced to the troops. After introducing her, Han Yi Xiao returns to his own barrack.


    Bai Jiu looks at the soldiers in front before respectfully greeting them, "This is this general¡¯s first time here, I hope all of you will give me a lot of teachings. Let¡¯s work together to make this camp even stronger!"


    "Haha, a frail, girly little kid like you wants to make this camp stronger? What a joke!" A burly, thirty-year-old-something guy ridicules her.


    The rest of the crowdughs.


    Bai Jiu smiles mockingly, "If I am not wrong, you should be the Deputy General of this camp, Chi Cheng, right?"


    "Correct, that is me! What, do you have a problem with me, General Bai?" Chi Cheng looks at Bai Jiu haughtily. She looks so frail and thin,pletely not suitable to be leading a camp.


    Bai Jiu naturally can see through Chi Cheng; she raise her thick eyebrows before saying, "This is the first time this General meets Deputy Chi, how can I have anything against you? It is more like Deputy Chi is the one not satisfied with me! I know, I am young and thin. I have only entered the camp and is immediately appointed as the General. I know a lot of people are unhappy because of that. But a General is not appointed based on how old he is or how long he has been in the military. A General is appointed based on his physical ability and his wisdom; which by the way, I believe I do not lose to any of you. If any of you is unhappy with this,e forward and let¡¯s learn from each other. We¡¯ll see if I deserve this ce or not."


    Chi Cheng howls inughter, "You are so young, yet your tone is so big. If I beat you this time, I¡¯m afraid, you will not be able to stay here any longer."


    Bai Jiu boldly says, "If any of you beats me today, I will leave this camp. I will never step into this camp in the future!"


    Chi Cheng roars, "Alright! Remember your promise! If I beat you today, you will leave Hua Bei Camp and will not show your face here in the future!"


    Bai Jiu nods, "Alright. But what if I win?"


    Chi Cheng readily answers her, "If I lose to you, I will leave the camp. I will be amoner!"


    Bai Jiu answers him, "Alright! The rest of the people here are our witnesses! Deputy General, please!"


    "Be my guest!"


    The two of them walks to an empty training field. The situation is tense and full of hostility. The two of them takes a spear each before having a go at each other.


    Chi Cheng is really good at martial arts. The only reason he remains a Deputy for so many years is due to his hot-temper. He is unable to keep his cool during vtile times. Although he is very powerful on the battlefield, he is not suitable to lead people; that is why Han Yi Xiao never promoted him.


    As for Chi Cheng, though he never really cares for positions and stuff, he is not willing to have a young brat working as his superior. He is worried that this brat will end up ruining the camp.


    The duel bes fierce. The rest of the soldiers watch them dumbfoundedly. They never thought that Bai Jiu would be that good, especially since she looks so weak.


    Chi Cheng originally did not expect much from Bai Jiu. He thought she was just an ignorant kid who didn¡¯t know where she stood. However, after a couple of strikes, he can no longer be at ease. He begins to fight her whole-heartedly.


    The news about their duel spreads like a wildfire and before long, it reaches the ears of Han Yi Xiao.


    Han Yi Xiao is very calm when one of his people tells him that, "Alright, you can retreat."


    "Yes!" That soldier then leaves.


    Han Yi Xiao puts down the report in his hand, a smile making it¡¯s way to his face. He gets up and walks out of his barrack.


    <strong>Serene</strong>: This chapter was brought to you by Mckenzie.

 Chapter 56

    <b>Chapter 56</b>


    <b>Excitement</b>


    The camp¡¯s training ground are full of people watching the fight. They finally understand what ¡¯an expert meeting his equal¡¯ means. The fight is too intense; too exciting.


    When Han Yi Xiao reaches the field, one of the soldiers who saw him wanted to announce his arrival, but he stops that soldier and simply watches the fight in silence.


    After a lot of strikester, Chi Cheng starts to feel worn out. Bai Jiu, on the other hand is getting even faster, her moves are unpredictable.


    Han Yi Xiao secretly order one of his people to bring two horses over. Seeing the horses, Bai Jiu immediately exims, "Since the Deputy General is from the cavalry camp, you must be really good at horse-back riding. Why don¡¯t wepare our horse-riding abilities?" She flies over and settles herself on top of one of the horses.


    Chi Cheng is not willing to be outdone. He flies and sits on the other horse and the battle continues.


    However, Bai Jiu¡¯s martial arts moves are really weird, Chi Cheng has never seen this before. After a couple of strikester, Bai Jiu pushes Chi Cheng off his horse.


    One must know that for a cavalry soldier, being pushed out of his horse is the biggest humiliation they can get.


    Chi Cheng¡¯s face turns ugly. Remembering the bold words he uttered just now, Chi Cheng feels like he does not have the face to face the crowd.


    Bai Jiuughs as she asks Chi Cheng, "Deputy General, do you still want to duel with me?"¡¯


    Chi Cheng sighs, "General Bai, you have won. I have lost. I will honor our deal and leave the camp." He turns around to leave. By addressing her as General Bai, he has acknowledged her ability as a general.


    Seeing that, Bai Jiuughs roguishly, "Please wait, Deputy General Chi."


    <>


    Chi Cheng stops, not turning around to face her. He coldly asks her, "Is there anything else, General Bai?"


    Bai Jiu raises her eyebrows, "Deputy Chi, shouldn¡¯t you be following my order as I am your General?"


    Chi Cheng turns around in displeasure, "Aren¡¯t I honouring our promise, what else do you want?"


    Bai Jiuughs crudely, "Nothing! I just don¡¯t want to let Deputy go! I don¡¯t want the cavalry team to lose such a good soldier, that¡¯s why I want to sincerely invite the Deputy to stay."


    Chi Cheng freezes as he looks at Bai Jiu, not understanding why so.


    Bai Jiu continues speaking, "Actually, I should be thanking the Deputy. I know a lot of people are unhappy with me, they think I am not worthy of this position. They probably changed their mind after watching our duel." She looks at the crowd before asking, "Any of you still unhappy? Come on out and duel with this general. If any of you managed to beat me, I will leave this camp!"


    The crowd look at each other before shaking their heads. They know they are not Bai Jiu¡¯s opponents, "The general is mighty."


    Bai Jiuughs while looking at Chi Cheng, "See, Deputy Chi? They are finally epting me because of you. I should be thanking you! You have been in the cavalry for so long; even though I might be able to beat you in martial arts, I am still not as good as you in other things. I will still need a lot of your teachings in the future! I hope you can stay and help me manage the cavalry camp so that our camp can be even more formidable. I hope you can forgive me; I am young and therefore reckless. If I offend you somewhere, do forgive me. Do not keep it at heart."


    These sugary words from Bai Jiu are really useful against Chi Cheng. One must know that soldiers are usually straightforward. Getting their hearts is not hard; you must beat them first, show them your abilities, make them respect you. Once you get their respect, soften your hands a little and say some nice things that can soften their hearts. If you do all that in the right order, they will pledge their loyalty to you through life and death. Chi Cheng may seem temperamental from the outside, but he is actually very simple on the inside. Appeasing him is very easy; just win over him and she will be 90% done. The remaining 10% will be gained by utilizing his love for the camp. Though he promised to leave if he lose, he didn¡¯t think he would actually lose. He underestimated his enemy. Now that he has to leave, his heart will be filled with yearning and regret. But, in order to honor his promise, he must live up to what he said he would. It is during this time that she needs to give him face, so that he will stay. If she does, he is 100% hers.


    Sure enough, Chi Cheng bes really touched when he hears that. He kneels on the ground and pays her respect, "This subordinate will try his best to help General Bai, from now on! Thank you for giving me this opportunity, General Bai!"


    Bai Jiu immediately steps forward and helps him up, "Please get up, Deputy Chi. From now on, we are all brothers. No need for so many formalities."


    After this incident, the soldiers no longer have any qualms about Bai Jiu bing their General. In fact, they thought the emperor and the Great General did really good by giving her the control of the cavalry soldiers.


    After that fanfare, Han Yi Xiao and Bai Jiu walk to the cavalry camp together.


    Bai Jiu looks at Han Yi Xiao, looking a little guilty, "I did not think this would reach the Great General¡¯s ears. I was too reckless."


    Han Yi Xiao shakes his head, a touch of smile hanging at the corner of his lips, "I believe, that is a part of General¡¯s n."


    Bai Jiu is stunned for a moment before sheughs, "In the end, I got discovered by the Great General. I am too inexperienced."


    "You did well. You are so young and inexperienced and are already appointed as a General. A lot of people are naturally unhappy with that. What you did today has banished the cavalry¡¯s worries. Chi Cheng is held in high-esteem in the cavalry camp, the soldiers are all supportive of him. With his martial arts ability, he is already qualified to be the cavalry camp¡¯s General. However, he is too reckless and emotional when making decisions. In troubled times, one needs to be calm and level-headed when making decisions, that is why I haven¡¯t promoted him. Now that you¡¯ve had him by your side, no other soldiers would dare to have other ideas. Even if they do, Chi Cheng will help you settle that. Your move is really impressive; I need to thank you for giving Chi Cheng a lesson. Chi Cheng is a very good person, but he always underestimates his enemies. I¡¯ve told him that so many times, but he never changed. Now that you have beaten him, you have basically given him a lesson."


    Hearing Han Yi Xiao praising her, Bai Jiu is really happy. "Then, that means that you are not angry at this subordinate?"


    "You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, why should I be angry? Although we don¡¯t have to speak with great reasonings every day, like those literary officials, we cannot simply depend on brute force. We need to use intrigue as well. The best kind of officials are those who can bnce brains with strength. From now on, the cavalry camp will be under your care. The soldiers will be your brothers. Their way of thinking is very simple; as long as you treat them earnestly, they will repay it with earnest loyalty." Han Yi Xiao responsibly advices Bai Jiu. He personally appointed her; he hopes he didn¡¯t make a wrong decision.


    Han Yi Xiao¡¯s advice is very valuable. Bai Jiu feels touched, "Thank you for your teaching, the Great General. I will definitely do as you taught me to do. The cavalry camp will unite as one, we will not disappoint you!"


    Han Yi Xiao nods in satiafaction, "Heroes are born from youngsters, I believe in you."


    Bai Jiu is happy, like a little child. "Great General, I have only arrived, so I am not very familiar with the surroundings. Can you help me know this ce better?"


    Han Yi Xiao who originally nned to go back to his barrack agrees to her request, "Let¡¯s go."


    Bai Jiu happily follows him.


    In order to not to have awkward silence, Bai Jiu quickly finds another topic.


    Feng Yang Pce is very lively today. Mo Qi Qi wants to train the concubines and she needs to do that based on their existing physical conditions.


    She tells them about yoga and dances, and the concubines are learning from her in great interest. Learning and ying are now fused together.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the concubines who are ying really happily before asking them proudly, "Meimeis, all of you finally knows how to be a woman after learning so many body-shaping movements. The moral of the story: No woman can win over a man¡¯s appreciation without doing anything! No woman can contend against another without polishing themselves. No man is willing to drill through your outer appearance to seek for your inner beauty! You must fight to get what you want. If you want to live the life you wanted, it will have to depend on your own effort! Sure, we are not the emperor. We do not know what the emperor wants. But we must try and think from another person¡¯s view. If we are men, would we fall for jealous women who throw a fuss everyday? No, right? So, we must cut off that bad habit, we must change. We must be pretty, inside and out. Only then, will we be the perfect beauty. Now, bengong wants to teach you a dance. Bengong assures you that if the emperor sees this dance, he will bepletely mesmerized!"


    The concubines perk up upon hearing that, "What kind of dance? Please teach us, Your Ladyship!"


    <b>Serene</b>: This chapter was brought to you by Mckenzie.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    The Empress Who is Showing Skin


    Mo Qi Qi gives them a mysterious smile, ¡°Wait a minute, bengong will go and change. Bengong will be back!¡± She immediately goes to her chamber.


    After a moment, Mo Qi Qi who has changed her dress, walks back to them.


    The concubines are all tongue-tied.


    Mo Qi Qi is wearing a yellow Indian dancing attire. A light, thin veil is draping from her head, while golden tassels are hanging in front of her forehead, making her look exotic. She is wearing a strapless blouse with a deep V opening, showing ample chest. Her navel is exposed, decorated with crystal stones, making the sight even more delectable. Her skirt that are iid with crystals reaches her ankle, while she steps on the floor barefooted, looking morous and attractive.


    Mo Qi Qi is grateful for the previous owner¡¯s perfect body. If she was born in the modern time and wears sexy outfits, men would throw themselves onto her feet. It was unfortunate that the previous owner was born in the ancient times; she had to wear thick pce¡¯s dresses everyday, covering her perfect body.


    The concubines are a little worried when they see Mo Qi Qi¡¯s outfit, ¡°Your Ladyship, your dress is a little inappropriate. Our Hua Chen Kingdom puts the most importance on women¡¯s conducts. This dress is too revealing, if the emperor see this, he will be angry!¡±


    ¡°Right! If we dress like this, not only we will not attract the emperor, we will also get punished!¡±


    The concubines are a little worried.


    Mo Qi Qi quicklyforts them, ¡°Aiya! You think too much! Be honest, doesn¡¯t this dress looks pretty? Bengong personally designed this and ordered people to make this!¡±


    The concubines speak at the same time, ¡°Pretty! It highlights the beauty of a woman even more!¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughs, ¡°Then, this is enough. Men always says that a woman speaks theplete opposite of what she feels; honestly, they are just the same! They preach about minding what we wear where in fact they get attracted to women who expose their skin! Our emperor is such a depressing person. He looks so upright, but he is probably even worse than other men outside! We are his consorts, what is so inappropriate about dressing like this in front of him?¡±


    Hearing that, the concubines nod, ¡°What Your Ladyship said isn¡¯t wrong.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi nods at them in satisfaction, ¡°Since all of you agreed with bengong, watch and learn the dance moves properly. This dance is called the ¡®Indian Dance¡¯, it is very beautiful.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi gets into position, teaching the concubines all the moves. Her movement is brisk and light, like a swallow. It is as though she ispletely pliant and boneless, like a cloud.


    Every move she makes mesmerizes the concubines who are watching her.


    < < 24. <<<|


    Jun Qian Che is discussing some matter with Chu Ling Xiao in the imperial study. A servantes in and reports to him about the empress inviting all the concubines to Feng Yang Pce. The sounds of merryughter can be heard from time to time.


    Jun Qian Che does not think much of it. He knows that Mo Qi Qi likes ying aroundtely, he is toozy to bother with her.


    Though he does not know what Mo Qi Qi is currently ying with, he is not curious to know about it.


    However, Chu Ling Xiao is a really curious and nosy person. He is always attracted to new and refreshing things, so once they finished their discussion, he brings Mo Qi Qi up, ¡°Your Majesty, aren¡¯t you going to Feng Yang Pce to look at the empress? Aren¡¯t you worried that she is jealous and does this to your concubines?¡± He motions a de going under his neck.


    Jun Qian Che dismissively says, ¡°Mo Qi Qi does not have that much guts.¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao can see that Jun Qian Che really does not have the interest to go to her pce, but he is really curious. He keeps persuading him, ¡°Your Majesty, the Grand Empress Dowager will return to the pce in two days. Her Ladyship went to Fo Shan to pray for the kingdom and the imperial n, there will be a banquet to wee her home. The officials and their noble daughters will be participating in the banquet, I wonder how the preparation is going on? Aren¡¯t you worried that the empress willmit any mistakes? Where will you put your face if anything happens?¡±


    (TN: The Grand Empress Dowager is a level higher than Empress Dowager. She is Jun Qian Che¡¯s grandma.)


    What Chu Ling Xiao says draw Jun Qian Che¡¯s attention; his heart is not at ease with Mo Qi Qi handling things.


    Seeing this, Chu Ling Xiao continues speaking, ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t this official apanies you to Feng Yang Pce? Although this minister is not that familiar with the Grand Empress Dowager, at least I know a thing or two about what she likes; I can be of help. You have been busy for so long, you should rest a little.¡±


    <<<<


    Jun Qian Che feels uneasy thinking about Mo Qi Qi¡¯s preparation for the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s return to the pce. He puts down the brush in his hand before standing up, ¡°Let go!¡±


    He walks out of the imperial study.


    Chu Ling Xiao smiles proudly before following him. The current empress is really interesting.


    Jun Qian Che and Chu Ling Xiao steps into Feng Yang Pce.


    Who would have known that the moment they enter Feng Yang Pce, they would be greeted by the beautiful and revealing sight of Mo Qi Qi. She is performing a dance that they haven¡¯t seen before.


    Sitting on some cushions in the courtyard are the rest of the concubine, watching Mo Qi Qi in concentration.


    White petals of flowers from a nearby tree are blown by wind, floating beautifully around the dancing person.


    This is a sight one can only see in a painting; a beautiful view, a beautiful woman, a beautiful dance. What an enchanting view.


    <<<<


    Although Jun Qian Che has to admit that her dance is beautiful, he cannot bring himself to be happy when he sees her clothes. Anger rises in his heart.


    Chu Ling Xiao cannot stop himself from praising her, ¡°Too beautiful. I have been ying with flowers for so many years; I have never seen such a beautiful person performing such a beautiful dance!¡±


    After saying that, he can feel a sharp prating re falling on him.


    Chu Ling Xiao turns to look at him in fear, only to find Jun Qian Che¡¯s murderous, icy pair of eyes on him. He forces himself tough, ¡°Your Majesty, this official is only praising the empress!¡±


    ¡°Leave now.¡± Jun Qian Che coldly says.


    >> >>


    Chu Ling Xiao appears wronged and reluctant. Such a wonderful dance is being performed by such a beautiful woman; not being able to watch it is worse than death for a casanova like him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this official is merely enjoying the performance, this official has no other intention!¡±


    ¡°Will you believe it if zhen says that zhen will ask the Physician Department to bring over something that will make you blind?¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is very solemn and earnest.


    Chu Ling Xiao immediately covers his own eyes; although the beauty is very attractive, without a pair of eyes, he cannot even see her. And so, he can only leave in a hurry.


    Jun Qian Che walks to Mo Qi Qi with cold air surrounding him.


    The concubines who are immersed in the dance did not even notice Jun Qian Che¡¯s arrival until he is right in front of them. They get up and greet him, ¡°Greeting, Your Majesty!¡±


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes are on Mo Qi Qi.


    His sudden arrival interrupts her performance. She stops dancing and curtsies before him, ¡°Chenqie greets Your Majesty.¡±


    The rest of the concubines are ecstatic to meet him; one of them enthusiastically invites him over, ¡°Your Majesty, the empress is teaching us a dance. Do watch her performance with us!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie will make you some tea!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, you must be tired from reading memorials all day long. Let chenqie massage you a little.¡±


    Jun Qian Che does not have the patience to deal with them; he coldly orders, ¡°All of you may retreat!¡±


    The concubines are taken aback, ¡°Your Majesty¡ª¨C¡°


    Mo Qi Qi speaks up on behalf of the concubines, ¡°Your Majesty, it is not easy for Meimeis to see you. Why don¡¯t you let them stay and keeps youpany?¡±


    What Mo Qi Qi says makes the anger within Jun Qian Che multiplies, ¡°Leave if you don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    |


    >>>> >


    Seeing him so upset, none of the concubines dares to stay. All of them curtsy before walking away.


    Jun Qian Che sweeps his eyes over the servants around the ce.


    They immediately retreat away.


    Although Mo Qi Qi is only seen by the concubines and some maids and eunuchs, he still feels displeased. He does not want her beauty to be seen by anyone, including women.


    There are only him and her in the huge Feng Yang Pce, at the moment.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    The Emperor¡¯s Orientation


    Mo Qi Qi unhappily made a face at him, before asking, ¡°What are you doing, Your Majesty? We were ying so happily. You spoiled everything and even chased them away.¡±


    Jun Qian Che sweeps his eyes over her before speaking in displeasure, ¡°What are you wearing? You are the empress and are dressed so improperly; what kind of example are you showing to the rest of the concubines?¡±


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi angrily retorts back, ¡°Your Majesty, do you even know how to appreciate beautiful things? This dress is so beautiful. What do you mean by improper? You are so uptight. Besides, I am wearing this in my own pce, seen by only women and half-men. If you don¡¯t want to see this, you shouldn¡¯te! Chenqie did not even invite you over.¡± She angrily sits on one of the cushions in front of a short table.


    Jun Qian Che tries his best to swallow his anger. He does not want to fight with her. He opens his robe and throws it to her body.


    Mo Qi Qi rebelliously glowers at him, ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear this!¡± She throws his robe to the ground.


    Jun Qian Che sits opposite her before speaking in a majestic, inarguable voice, ¡°If you are too tired of living, zhen does not mind helping you.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª-¡° In the blink of an eye, Mo Qi Qi loses her will to fight. She unwillingly picks up the robe from the ground and drapes it over her body, ¡°Are you happy now, Your Majesty?!¡±


    Jun Qian Che gives her a look before his eyes falls on her half-exposed chest.


    Mo Qi Qi follows his eyesight and immediately covers it using the robe, ¡°Your Majesty, you have such ungentlemanly eyes.¡± He is indeed deprived.


    Jun Qian Che harrumphs icily, ¡°Do not forget your position, empress.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, having nothing to say. Ugh! Why did the previous owner married this guy? What he means by that is she is his person, he is allowed to look as much as he wants. Such a shameless guy; he thinks too highly of himself that he might as well just ascend the sky.


    ¡°Your Majesty sure is idle today; you have time to visit chenqie,¡± Mo Qi Qi changes the topic.


    ¡°Zhen came here to ask you about the preparation to receive imperial grandmother back into the pce.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi confidently smiles, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty! Things are going smooth. Imperial grandmother¡¯s pce has been cleaned thoroughly. Everything for the banquet has been prepared as well. The preparation in the imperial kitchen has been going smooth, everything will be up to imperial grandmother¡¯s liking.¡±


    ¡°Good. Imperial grandmother ce the most importance on the face and reputation of the imperial n. Nothing must go wrong during the banquet,¡± Jun Qian Che indifferently says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen! If it is handled by chenqie, Your Majesty does not need to worry about anything!¡± Honestly, she didn¡¯t have to do much. She only needs to instruct her people and everything will be handled by them.


    ¡°What have you prepared for imperial grandmother?¡± Jun Qian Che asks.


    Mo Qi Qi freezes, almost choked by her own saliva, ¡°W-what? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The imperial grandmother went to pray for the kingdom and the imperial n. As someone of theter generation, you should be proud for having that kind of elder. Although you cannot join her in the temple, you can always do something to make her happy. As the grand daughter inw and the mother of this kingdom, you have your own responsibility. All the concubines, wangfeis and princesses have prepared something for her, how can you be left behind?¡± Jun Qian Che says.


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head turns like a gear. ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t chenqie perform that dance for imperial grandmother?¡±


    < < 24. <<<|


    Jun Qian Che is angry when he hears that, ¡°If you dress like that in front of imperial grandmother, you are going to make her angry instead of happy. The imperial n will lose face because of you.¡±


    ¡°I can wear something less revealing~! I will perform the Dun Huang dance. Your Majesty, let me perform it in front of you! Wait a minute!¡± Without waiting for Jun Qian Che¡¯s reply, Mo Qi Qi goes to her chamber to change. This time, Mo Qi Qi changes into her Dun Huang dancing attire.


    Jun Qian Che still feels unhappy when he sees Mo Qi Qi changing into this dress. He must admit, she looks very beautiful. But, seeing how much skin she is exposing; he suddenly has the desire to kill her when he imagines her going out like this in the banquet.


    Mo Qi Qi can see that Jun Qian Che is not happy, so she quickly tries to appease him, ¡°Your Majesty, look at the dance first. As for the dress, if you don¡¯t like it, I will change into something more conservative when the timees.¡±


    After saying that, she begins to dance. Her clear face apanied by her floating red skirt and ck hair makes her look like a fairy. She is like a celestial figure whom has graced his dream. The sun emits a warm light and under a beautiful tree, an unbelievably beautiful woman is performing a graceful dance. Her hands and feet are light, like clouds. She looks so elegant and at ease while twisting the ribbons in her hand.


    Jun Qian Che is immersed in the beauty in front of him; he never knew that the usually unscrupulous her would have this attractive side.


    Under her graceful steps, he gets to see a different side of her. Honestly, a solemn-looking her is very beautiful; so beautiful that people cannot look away. He never knew she can dance; has other men seen this? Thinking of that, anger rises in Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart. The sight of her dancing this in front of another man is ying continuously inside his head.


    ¡®That is enough! Stop dancing!¡± He bellows angrily.


    Mo Qi Qi who is immersed in her dance, receives a shock. Shees to a sudden halt while making a twirl, causing her to stumble backwards.


    Seeing this, Jun Qian Che immediately gets up and catches her, pulling her straight into his chest.


    A fragrant and soft body is in his arms; Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart unwittingly jumps. He looks at the person inside his arms, his eyes eventually falling on her seductive chest.


    <


    Seeing this, Mo Qi Qi pushes him away. The two of them looks at each other, a murderous air flowing around them.


    Jun Qian Che looks away and goes back to his seat.


    Mo Qi Qi angrily follows him, ¡°Your Majesty, are you sick? I was dancing well, why did you suddenly yells at me to stop? Do you know how dangerous that was? I almost sprain my ankle!¡±


    Jun Qian Che simply replies her with, ¡°Dancing with that kind of dress is not in good taste. Do you want zhen to let you go out looking so crass like that?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly has the urge to bite him, ¡°Your Majesty, can you stop criticizing everything chenqie does? What do you mean by tasteless and crass? Your eyes have problem! The people from the Tang Dynasty epted this dance just fine, why not you?¡±


    What Mo Qi Qi does not know that, rather than the dress, Jun Qian Che has a problem with his wife being the one wearing it. If it was other people, it would be possible for him to look at it with aesthetical eyes. He cannot bear to see his wife wearing this dress while performing this dance in front of other people. After all, his mentality is that of a ruler who rules over a kingdom.


    ¡°Tang Dynasty?¡± Jun Qian Che repeats the strange phrase he hears from her.


    Mo Qi Qi freezes, ¡°T-They are some people that you¡¯ve never heard of. Your Majesty, are you incapable of appreciating the beauty of a dance? How can you not like that dance?¡±


    ¡°You are the empress, not a dancer. It is improper for you to be dancing in front of the officials,¡± Jun Qian Che firmly says.


    Mo Qi Qi pouts before angrily asking, ¡°What should I do for imperial grandmother, then?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you y her a song?¡± Jun Qian Che suggests.


    <


    Mo Qi Qi scratches her head, a little embarrassed, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to.¡±


    ¡°Then, once she returns home, go and keep herpany. y chess with her.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi continues speaking in shame, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to.¡±


    ¡°Then, go and draw something for her,¡± Jun Qian Che helplessly says.


    Mo Qi Qi scratches her head again, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know that, either.¡±


    ¡°You should at least be able to write some poem or calligraphy for her, right?!¡± Jun Qian Che angrily asks.


    <


    She lowers her head to the table, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Just what is it that you can do then, Mo Qi Qi? Before you entered the pce, the Duke and the Duchess of Zhen kept raving about your skills in art and music. Where did they all go?¡± his voice is full of mocking.


    Mo Qi Qi fights back, ¡°Which parents doesn¡¯t exaggerate when ites to their children? The empress dowager does it too; she calls you everything from literate, formidable, to smart and handsome and considerate!¡±


    ¡°Am I not?¡± Jun Qian Che asks in displeasure.


    Mo Qi Qi scoffs at him, suddenly singing a song while making some cute dance moves, ¡°¡¯I feel so terribly cute, my heart is blooming in joy~!¡¯ Ha ha ha, Your Majesty, you are too in love with yourself! How can you even put the word ¡®considerate¡¯ next to your name? You are so thick-skinned!¡±


    (TN: The first line in her dialogue refers to this song.)


    ¡°Mo Qi Qi!¡± Jun Qian Che angrily roars.


    Mo Qi Qi is so scared that she starts to tremble. She mumbles softly, ¡°Chenqie was just telling the truth. You said you are a wise ruler, why can¡¯t you even ept other people¡¯s opinion?¡±


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes as he looks at her from head to toe.


    Mo Qi Qi can¡¯t help but gulp when she sees the look on his face. She is a little scared; did she pissed off this guy?


    Jun Qian Che takes out his hand and lifts her chin. He narrows his eyes before leaning close to her.


    There is this crisp scent on her. The closer he gets, the more enchanted he bes. Her soft and supple skin, her exceptional facial features, her seductive vicles and her soft mounds...


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s body starts to react. The anger in his heart gradually disperses as he drowns himself in her beauty. The urge to get even closer to her is really strong in his heart. He slowly leans in closer until their noses touch.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart jumps as she debates about what she should do.


    However, a momentter, Jun Qian Che pulls away, putting some distance between them.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief as she looks at him.


    Jun Qian Che looks back at her, his eyes icy.


    Mo Qi Qi approaches him carefully before whispering, ¡°Your Majesty, these kind of things are not embarrassing. Chenqie can understand you!¡±


    ¡°Understand what?¡± Jun Qian Che looks at her, not understanding what she means.


    |


    Mo Qi Qiughs rottenly before patting him in the shoulder, ¡°There is nothing embarrassing about not having the same orientation as everyone else. Gay love is love too.¡±

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    A Punishing Kiss


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± Jun Qian Che frowns unhappily; why is it so hard tomunicate with her?


    ¡°Are you embarrassed?¡± Mo Qi Qi points at Jun Qian Che. She sits next to him and bump her shoulder against his while giggling, ¡°Aiya, I am an open-minded person! I will not discriminate against you!¡±


    Jun Qian Che still cannot understand her. He stares at her.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles coyly. She whispers to him, ¡°What I was trying to say is... You and the Prime Minister are indulged in the passion of cut sleeve. You two are kind ofpatible, actually.¡±


    (TN: The passion of cut sleeve refers to homosexual rtionship.)


    ¡°Mo Qi Qi¡ª-¡° Jun Qian Che is furious beyond words. He ms on the table angrily.


    Mo Qi Qi is so shocked that her entire body trembles. She moves away from him and cowardly says, ¡°Did chenqie said anything wrong? Everytime chenqie met the Prime Minister, it would be in your resting pce. Plus, you do not seem to have any interest in women. Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. I will keep this secret for you.¡±


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes dangerously before slowly approaching Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi leans backwards in fear as she looks at him with arge pair of eyes.


    He continues leaning in closer, to the point where she is leaning back too much and is pretty much lying on the soft cushion now.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart unwittingly jumps faster as she nervously tries to calm him down, ¡°Your Majesty, the Buddist teaching tells us that one must contain his anger. The one who could not is bound to lose his sanity. Contain your anger; if there is anything you are unhappy with, we can talk it out. Hehe.....¡±


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes suddenly moves away from her face. It goes down and falls on her fair, ample chest. He unconsciously swallows heavily. The anger in his eyes slowly turns to appreciation and desire. His body starts reacting as a strange feeling that he has never felt before fills his entire body.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately covers her chest before ring at Jun Qian Che, ¡°What are you looking at, Your Majesty?¡±


    They look at each other, just this time, Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes are burning in heat and want.


    Mo Qi Qi is surprised when she sees that; she pushes him away.


    Jun Qian Che restrain her hands, his voice is low and ambiguous as he speaks, ¡°Zhen will let you know, whether or not zhen is interested in women.¡± He lowers his head and kisses her in the lips.


    ¡°En!¡± Mo Qi Qi wants to push him away, but her hands are constrained by him while his body is pressing against her from on top. She does not have the ability to push him away at all. She can only move her head away in hopes that it will put him to a stop.


    However, Jun Qian Che¡¯s kiss is overbearing, he does not give her the opportunity to resist at all.


    Mo Qi Qi wants to cry. She was really wrong. How could she forgot that incident in the Dragon Pool?


    < < 24. <<<|


    Jun Qian Che originally only wanted to give her a lesson, but once his bodyes in contact with her¡¯s, his mind bes filled with desire. The kiss that was meant as a punishment now turns deeper.


    It bes soft and intimate.


    Mo Qi Qi who was resisting, is now sinking into his kiss. She forgets to fight him as she gives him a tentative response. The two of them drown themselves in this strange yet beautiful kiss.


    Her response encourages Jun Qian Che even further. He lets go of her hands and starts caressing her hair.


    As for Jun Yue Hen, although he is disappointed that Mo Qi Qi did not show up, he is still worried about her. He enters the pce today to look at her, to see if the emperor has done anything in the dark to punish her.


    He finds it weird that there are no guards and maids guarding the entrance of Feng Yang Pce. He is worried that something might really happen to Mo Qi Qi. He rushes inside.


    What he sees the moment he steps inside sends shockwaves throughout his entire body. His feet remain numb on the ground, not moving.


    The two people who are kissing on top of the soft cushion does not realized his presence. They are too engrossed with each other.


    Jun Yue Hen can hear his own heart breaking. He slowly turns around and walks away.


    Jun Qian Che holds Mo Qi Qi¡¯s hand as he uses his other hand to undress her. Just as he is about to do that, the scene from the viewing tower shes in his head. Mo Qi Qi with another man.....


    He can no longer keep his cool, he immediately sits up and puts some distance between them. Mo Qi Qi who is muddle-headed from the kiss quickly sits up, looking embarrassed.


    <


    Jun Qian Che coldly ridicules her, ¡°Do you still believe that zhen has no interest in women?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª-¡° She res at him angrily. Turns out that kiss was just to prove his point! Despicable. Jun Qian Che, you trash. You actually dares to humiliate this grandma? I will remember this! Try and get close to me again in the future! See if I don¡¯t castrate you!


    ¡°You are the empress, pay more attention to your words! You will not be lucky everytime,¡± after saying those cold words, he walks away.


    ¡°Ya!¡± Mo Qi Qi stomps her feet angrily, ¡°Jun Qian Che, you wretched thing! You took advantage of this granny and still had the cheek to threaten me? So what if you are the emperor?!¡±


    Ban Xiang runs out to check on her. When she sees that her mistress is just fine, she sighs in relief.


    When Jun Yue Hen returns to his manor, his entire being seems soulless. He does not say anything despite being asked repeatedly.


    Bai Jiang and Wen Xuan look at each other in concern.


    In the blink of an eye, two days passed and the grand empress dowager finally returns to the pce. The empress personally leads all the concubines to wee her at the harem¡¯s entrance.


    The grand empress dowager unboards a beaufitul carriage. The empress dowager is the first to step forward to greet her, ¡°Greeting the grand empress dowager. Wee home, imperial mother.¡±


    ¡°No need for so many formalities, empress dowager,¡± the grand empress dowager kindly says.


    The empress dowager help the grand empress dowager walk; all in all, it is a scene of harmony between a mother and her daughter-inw.


    <


    Mo Qi Qi leads the concubine to pay the grand empress dowager respect, ¡°Chenqie greets the grand empress dowager. Wee back, imperial grandmother.¡±


    The grand empress dowager gives her a kind smile, ¡°Get up.¡± She walks to Mo Qi Qi and holds her hand, praising her, ¡°It has been a few months since west met, the empress has gotten prettier.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart blooms like a flower. She smile as she curtsies, ¡°Thank you for the praise, imperial grandmother.¡± The grand empress dowager looks so amicable and kind. She looks very pretty despite her age, it is clear that she was a great beauty once.


    And then, she looks at the empress dowager who is standing next to the grand empress dowager. The difference is like night and day. Although the empress dowager is elegant and beautiful just the same, the way they treat their daughter-inws are too different!


    Mo Qi Qi and the empress dowager personally send the grand empress dowager to her pce. They chat a little before leaving, wanting the grandmother to have a good rest.


    The empress dowager and Mo Qi Qi walks out of Yong Shou Pce together. She looks at Mo Qi Qi in apparent dislike, ¡°The banquet must go on smoothly, tonight. Nothing should go wrong.¡±


    <


    Mo Qi Qi obediently replies her, ¡°Yes, imperial mother.¡±


    The empress dowager nce at her before walking away.


    Mo Qi Qi heaves a long sigh, ¡°Getting along with another person is so tiring! When will I be the most powerful woman in the back pce?¡±


    After that unpleasant encounter with Jun Qian Che back then, she has never seen him again.


    Nearing dusk, Eunuch Lines over, saying that the emperor has something to give to the empress to be given to the grand empress dowager.


    After Mo Qi Qi epts the item, Eunuch Lin leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the brocade box in her hand, a scornful smile is sketched on her face.


    Ban Xiang is really curious as to what that box contain, ¡°Your Ladyship, what is inside that box?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi ridicules Jun Qian Che, ¡°Such a small box, there probably isn¡¯t anything worthwhile inside! It is probably just a jade bangle. He is afraid that I didn¡¯t prepare any gift for the grand empress dowager. He does not want to lose face. Hmph, he looks down on people too much. I am so multi-talented, how can I not prepare anything?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it, Your Ladyship? Anything that the emperor sent shouldn¡¯t be bad.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows at her, ¡°Since you want to look at it so much, okay.¡± She slowly opens the brocade box, revealing a pearl inside it.


    Ban Xiang is pretty disappointed to see that, ¡°This servant thought it would be a treasure or some sort. Turns out, it is only a pearl. Your Ladyship understands His Majesty really well.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi is stunned in shock when she sees that pearl.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Ladyship?¡± Ban Xiang is worried when she sees Mo Qi Qi staring at the bead in a stupor. ¡°Your Ladyship, although this pearl is nothing much, at least His Majesty still puts you in his mind. Do not be too disappointed.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi picks up the pearl, she could barely conceal her excitement, ¡°I didn¡¯t think Jun Qian Che could be this generous! He actually sent such a precious pearl.¡±


    Ban Xiang looks at the pearl curiously, ¡°This pearl looks ordinary. It doesn¡¯t look as pretty as other pearls. Why are you calling this precious, Your Ladyship?¡±


    ¡°What do you know? This is not a regr pearl. Go and blow off all the candles in this room,¡± Mo Qi Qi instructs her.


    Ban Xiang does not know what she is trying to prove, but she does the bidding anyway.


    All the candles in the room are slowly blown off until the only light left is the soft light emitted by the pearl. Under the dark sky, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s room is illuminated with a soft light.


    |


    Ban Xiang is shocked, ¡°Your Ladyship, this is a Ye Ming pearl!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi nods, ¡°Correct! This is a very rare Ye Ming pearl. It is unlikely for you to find another, anywhere else. She managed to discover a Ye Ming pearl during her job, in the past life, but that Ye Ming pearl was nothingpared to this.


    ¡°Hehe, didn¡¯t this servant told you that His Majesty¡¯s gift are bound to be good?¡± Ban Xiang stares at the pearl happily.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately teases her, ¡°Then why did you looked so disappointed earlier on?¡±


    Ban Xiang covers her face coquettishly, ¡°This servant was too rash, please do not poke fun of this servant, Your Ladyship. ce it back in it¡¯s box. Your Ladyship¡¯s gift will be the best tonight.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi possessively hugs the pearl before solemnly saying, ¡°This baby belongs to me now! Who says that I will be giving this to the grand empress dowager?¡±

 Chapter 60

    <strong>Chapter 60</strong>


    <strong>A Tired Heart</strong>


    Ban Xiang feels like a crow has just passed over her head. She noisily reminds Mo Qi Qi, "But, Your Ladyship, that pearl is clearly¡­."


    "Now that it is in my hand, it belongs to me now. As for the gift for the grand empress dowager, I have my own arrangement." Mo Qi Qi gives her a sneaky smile.


    Nightes, and the banquet to wee the grand empress dowager has started. Chang Le Pce is full of merry air.


    Mo Qi Qi does not go to look for Jun Qian Che and goes to Chang Le Pce by herself. She already went there once, so she already knows the way. No need to follow him around, like a little pet.


    She identally stumbles upon the 7<sup>th</sup> wang outside Chang Le Pce. Mo Qi Qi suddenly remembers their promise and quickly calls for him, "7<sup>th</sup> imperial uncle!"


    Jun Yue Hen pays her his respect, "Greeting, Your Ladyship."


    Mo Qi Qi drags Jun Yue Hen away to a secluded spot.


    This happens to be seen by Jun Qian Che. His eyes turn icy as he steps into Chang Le Pce.


    "What is wrong, Qi Qi?" Jun Yue Hen asks in concern.


    Mo Qi Qi lets go of Jun Yue Hen''s arm before looking at him in guilt, "I''m sorry, Yue Hen! We promised to run away, but I had to break my promise. Everything is fine, now."


    A touch of desteness shes in Jun Yue Hen''s eyes before he simply smiles, "No need to feel guilty, Qi Qi. We promised to run away because we were worried about Dong Fei''s case. Who would have thought that the emperor would have exonerated you? Staying is right. After all, being the empress is every girl''s dream, and you and the emperor have be more and more loving as days pass¡ª-"


    "Stop!" Mo Qi Qi cuts him off. "Yue Hen, I am not staying for the empress'' position. Even though so many women want to be the empress, I don''t. I know that high ces are cold. It seems glorious but the truth is the life is meaningless and empty!"


    "Since it isn''t for the position, you must have chosen to stay for the emperor." Jun Yue Hen''s voice bes lower.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly tries to exin everything to him, "No! Jun Qian Che and I are not meant to be, not for this lifetime and not for the next eight lifetimes! I am unwilling to leave him? Pft, there is nothing I want more than to tear him into pieces!"


    "Qi Qi, you must not speak so carelessly!" Jun Yue Hen looks around uneasily.


    "I just hate that Jun Qian Che. I am only staying because it is not the right time to leave. Once I want to leave, I will leave without even looking back!" Mo Qi Qi harshly says.


    Hearing that, the sadness that lingers in Jun Yue Hen''s heart is immediately swept away. He looks at Mo Qi Qi in deep affection, "Whenever you want to leave, you just need to say it to me. I will definitely help you!"


    "Uh, nicely said! Nicely said!" She looks away from Jun Yue Hen''s enchanting eyes. She''s afraid that if she looks on for too long, she will be taken by his beautiful eyes.


    < < 24. <<<<


    Mo Qi Qi and Jun Yue Hen walk back to Chang Le Pce separately.


    Mo Qi Qi sits next to Jun Qian Che.


    He looks at her before icily asking, "What took you so long?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at him while replying, "Your Majesty, you know that women take a long time to dress up."


    Jun Qian Che does not pursue the matter.


    The banquet starts and the dancing and singingmences. Mo Qi Qi specifically asks the dancers and musicians to follow her instruction and the result is a series of beautiful performances. Everyone watch the performances in a daze.


    Mo Qi Qi has also added new cuisines to the menu, ones that she have asked the imperial chefs to learn prior. It receives a really good feedback from the crowd.


    All the officials are busy buttering up to the grand empress dowager, all in all, the entire atmosphere is merry and joyful.


    The grand empress dowager is really pleased with the banquet. "<i>Aijia</i> heard that the banquet this time is arranged by the empress. You have gotten so good at handling things, you are more and more thoughtful as days pass," she praises Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi gets up and respectfully reply her, "It is Qi Qi''s responsibility. As long as imperial grandmother likes them, everything is worthwhile!"


    "<i>Aijia</i> likes it very much. This is the best banquet <i>aijia</i> has ever seen," the grand empress dowager sincerely praises her.


    <


    Mo Qi Qi is happy that her hardwork is being acknowledged by other people. This is an honor for her. Now that the grand empress dowager has appeared, she is finally feeling some warmth in this pce.


    Seeing his daughter getting praised, Duke Zhen cannot help himself from speaking, "Your Ladyship, your ability is indeed remarkable, but please pay attention to your health as well."


    The grand empress dowagerughs, "Seems like Duke Zhen is really fond of his daughter."


    Mo Qi Qiughs as well, "Don''t worry, Father. <i>Bengong</i> only needs to give the instructions, everything else are done by the maids."


    "Sometimes, thinking is even more tiring thanbour," Duke Zhen says.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at him, "Using one''s brain actually helps with one''s health. It improves one''s memory in the old age. We need to move our brains and our hands more often." Stop talking, Father! You are scolding the emperor for making me work! This is my responsibility as the empress, there is nothing hard about this!


    The empress dowager scoffs coldly, "Duke Zhen, the empress is the mistress of the back pce. All banquets, big or small are her responbilities. In the past, the empress is not very familiar with how the pce works, <i>aijia</i> has to do all these on her behalf. Now, she has been here for two years, it is time for her to learn these things."


    Duke Zhen looks like he still wants to speak and Mo Qi Qi immediately cuts him off, "Imperial mother is right! This daughter will learn more from you!"


    "Let''s give a toast to the grand empress dowager! It has been hard on imperial grandmother, traveling so far to pray for the kingdom!" Jun Qian Che stops that conversation at just the right time. Everyone has seen Duke Zhen''s misconduct. Although they did not say anything, they probably will understand why, if Duke Zhen is to be weeded out in the future.


    Jun Qian Che is not amodating Duke Zhen because he fears him, but because he knows Duke Zhen will invoke public outrage.


    <


    Everyone''s attention are diverted somewhere else. They all get up and offer the grand empress dowager a cup of wine.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly sighs in relief, lucky Jun Qian Che changed the topic in time before things get bigger.


    After that, all the concubines, kings'' consorts and princesses hand over their presents to the grand empress dowager.


    When Mo Qi Qi''s turn arrives, she takes out a beautiful box and hands it to the grand empress dowager, "Imperial grandmother, Qi Qi knows that your journey to Foshan was tiring and long, it must have taken a great toll on your skin. It is a heartbreaking thing to be happening to such a beautiful person like you. <i>Chenqie</i> has especially made you rose oil, rose water, milk cream and eye cream to protect your skin. Once you use it, your skin will be supple and glowy, like a baby''s skin. I hope you like this, imperial grandmother!" When she opens the beautiful box, one can see little jars and bottles.


    A maid takes it to the grand empress dowager and she picks up a bottle before smelling it, "It smells so good! Did you make it yourself, Qi Qi?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Yes. Do you like it, imperial grandmother?"


    <


    "Of course! <i>Aijia</i> loves it very much! This is very thoughtful of you, empress," the grand empress dowager really likes it.


    "If it suits your skin, Qi Qi will make more for you, imperial grandmother!" Mo Qi Qi smartly says.


    The grand empress dowager happily nods, "It has been months since west meet, the empress has gotten even cleverer."


    Mo Qi Qi goes back to sit next to Jun Qian Che and the banquet goes on. The banquet is very enjoyable this time, from the performances to the meals. No wonder everyone wants to be a minister.


    Jun Yue Hen''s eyes are on Mo Qi Qi. She has changed a lot. She has be a lot more noticeable, a lot more charming.


    Mo Qi Qi raises her head and her eyes are interlocked with Jun Yue Hen''s. She gives him a beautiful smile before raising a cup, as though saying, I carefully selected this wine. It is very good. Drink more.


    Jun Qian Che turns his head to look at her at that very moment.


    Mo Qi Qi awkwardly rubs her own lips, "Hehe, <i>chenqie''s</i> teeth is itchy."


    Jun Qian Che does not reply her and finish his wine in one go.


    She secretly chokes inside, he is like half-man and half tiger. Her heart feels so tired. Had she not suspected that her way back home is located in the pce, she would have run long ago. She does not want to be his empress. She is like a puppet; bullied and oppressed.


    Jun Qian Che''s mood is very bad tonight. Ever since he saw Mo Qi Qi dragging Jun Yue Hen to a secluded ce, his heart plunged to the bottom of his stomach. Fury is suppressed inside him. And now, Mo Qi Qi dares to exchange meaningful looks with Jun Yue Hen right in front of him. Does he, this husband, even exist in her eyes?


    Jun Qian Che drinks up a couple more cups.


    After the banquet ends, everyone disperse back to their home.


    Mo Qi Qi drags her tired body back to Feng Yang Pce, ready to take a bath and go to bed.


    For the past few days, she has been restless over this banquet. Just like what Duke Zhen said, although she only needed to order people around, exerting one''s brain is tiring just the same. She looks casual but she honestly spent a lot of efforts on everything. She knows that if she messes up, people will act up and use her ipetence against her and Mo n. Now that the banquet has ended, she can finally be at peace.


    Now that her worry is put to rest, her entire body suddenly feels tired and exhausted.


    Ban Xiang prepares hot water and sprinkles rose petals in the tub. Mo Qi Qi sits there and rxed.


    <


    After bathing andbing her hair, Mo Qi Qi sits on her bed, yawning and ready to go to sleep.


    It is during that moment that an announcement can be heard from outside, "Greeting, Your Majesty."


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly sighs, "It is sote, why is he here? He does not want to let other people live anymore." She feels so upset on the inside, but she still curtsies in respect when she sees him. She is under his roof, so she has no other choice but to lower her head. No matter how one look at it, he is like her parent who provides her with food and shelter.


    "<i>Chenqie</i> greets Your Majesty," Mo Qi Qi curtsies in front of Jun Qian Che who has just walked in.


    <strong>Serene</strong>: This chapter was brought to you by Mckenzie!

 Chapter 61

    <strong>Chapter 61</strong>


    <strong>There Must Be Something</strong>


    "You may get up!" Jun Qian Che walks past her and sits on a long couch.


    Mo Qi Qi turns around to face him and discover the tinge of drunkenness on his face. His cheeks are red and he is covered in the smell of wine. She cannot help but frown, "How much did you drank, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes fall on her. He narrows his eyes as he looks at her from head to toe.


    Under the candlelight, her skin looks fair and smooth, like jade. It seems to glow, like a dim moonlight. She is wearing a thin, white nightwear, fitting her slender body perfectly, revealing and concealing just the right amount of things. Her dark eyes are gleaming with light while her dark long locks are let loose. She looks like some kind of celestial being.


    Jun Qian Che is momentarily stunned as he got lost in the beauty before him.


    When Mo Qi Qi notices the way he is looking at her, she thought he is angry, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is not purposely dressing like this to anger you. <i>Chenqie</i> didn¡¯t even know you wille, please wait for a moment, <i>chenqie</i> will change."


    "No need to change it, there are no outsiders here," Jun Qian Che calmly stops her. What he means by that is he is her husband, she can dress like this in front of him.


    "Yes!" Mo Qi Qi obediently says, indulging him so he can leave faster. "Why is Your Majesty here in the middle of the night?"


    "Is <i>zhen</i> not allowed to be here without a reason?" Jun Qian Che asks, displeased.


    Mo Qi Qi rush to exin herself, "That is not what <i>chenqie</i> means! Just, Your Majesty drank too much tonight, you should rest early so you don¡¯t miss the morning court tomorrow."


    "Why didn¡¯t you give imperial grandmother the Ye Ming pearl?" Jun Qian Che looks at her.


    Mo Qi Qi freezes. This bastard still remembers that even after drinking this much? She quickly sits next to him and massage his shoulders. Sheughs while trying to exin herself, "Your Majesty, it is not that <i>chenqie</i> does not want to give the pearl to imperial grandmother, but when ites to gifts, it needs to be given with consideration. It is about what they like, what they need. Imperial grandmother is the grand empress dowager, what kind of treasures have she not seen? The Ye Ming pearl may be a treasure, but it may not necessarily be what imperial grandmother need or like. Women care about their appearance the most, that¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> gave her a skincare set. <i>Chenqie</i> hope that Your Majesty is not angry at <i>chenqie</i> for calling my own shot!"


    Jun Qian Che sighs, "Never mind, things have passed anyway."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty. Then¡ª- the Ye Ming pearl?" Mo Qi Qi experimentally inquires.


    How can Jun Qian Che not know what she wants?


    "You can keep it if you¡¯d like. If you don¡¯t like it, you can reward it to other people."


    "Reward it to other people?" Mo Qi Qi is not stupid enough to reward such a precious treasure to other people.


    "Hehe, how can <i>chenqie</i> simply gift Your Majesty¡¯s gift to other people? <i>Chenqie</i> should treasure it instead."


    Jun Qian Che stares at her.


    She feels a little awkward by the way he is looking at her, "Hehe, what¡¯s wrong? Did <i>chenqie</i> said anything wrong?"


    Jun Qian Che raise his hand and caresses her face.


    Seeing this, she immediately gets up and avoids contact. She gives him an unnatural smile, "Your Majesty, you must be ufortable from drinking so much. <i>Chenqie</i> will ask Ban Xiang to cook you some porridge, so you can freshen up."


    Jun Qian Che grabs her in the shoulder and pulls her over to him, letting her fall into his chest. The sweet smell of flower petals reach his nose.


    He looks at her while mumbling, "You smell so good."


    Her heart starts racing uncontrobly. She forces herself tough, "Your Majesty, if you like this scent, <i>chenqie</i> can teach Yang Meimei how to make them, so you can smell it everyday!" If she had known earlier, she would have rubbed durian all over her body.


    Jun Qian Che caresses her soft face with his fingers. His voice is deep as he says, "Why must we go through so much trouble? If <i>zhen</i> likes it, <i>zhen</i> can juste over to the empress. We have been married for two years and we still haven¡¯t consummate our marriage. Why don¡¯t you serve <i>zhen</i> tonight?"


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart might as well jump out of her chest. She quickly rejects him, "No."


    He narrows his eyes dangerously, "You are rejecting to serve <i>zhen</i>?"


    <


    "It is not that <i>chenqie</i> does not want to serve you, just, <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> body is not well. My head hurts. Ever since <i>chenqie</i> fell from the viewing tower, <i>chenqie</i> keeps having headaches. It hurts so much right now," she massage her head.


    The dangerous look in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes is exacerbated even further upon the mentioning of the viewing tower¡¯s fall.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly converse with herself: Don¡¯t tell me this bastard cannot control his lust and is going to kill if he doesn¡¯t get what he wants? Huhu, no way! If I have to choose between my body and my life, I will definitely choose my life! Without my life, what is the point of having my body?


    And so, Mo Qi Qi pitifully looks at Jun Qian Che, "If Your Majesty really wants <i>chenqie</i> to serve, <i>chenqie</i> will serve you even if my headache is killing me." She is saying that so pitifully, she refuse to believe that he won¡¯t budge.


    He angrily grabs her wrist before icily asking, "Who was the man in the viewing tower?"


    Mo Qi Qi frowns, enduring the pain in her wrist before asking, "What are you talking about, Your Majesty? <i>Chenqie</i> does not understand you."


    "Can¡¯t understand <i>zhen</i>? Mo Qi Qi, stop pretending to be a fool. <i>Zhen</i> saw it with <i>zhen¡¯s</i> own eyes!" The force he exerts unconsciously bes bigger.


    Mo Qi Qi struggles to understand what he is trying to imply.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes fall on the jade bangle in her wrist. Her thin sleeve slides down to her elbow, revealing her fair wrist. The white jade bangle is a thorn to his eyes. Cold air practically radiates from him as he asks her, "Why aren¡¯t you wearing the bangle that <i>zhen</i> gave you? You don¡¯t like it anymore?"


    That bangle was something that she used to yearn for, even in her dreams. Now that she has it, she no longer has the desire to put it on. Seems like her heart has really changed.


    <


    Mo Qi Qi quickly tries to excuse herself to him, "<i>Chenqie</i> likes everything that Your Majesty gave <i>chenqie</i>. Just, <i>chenqie</i> thought this bangle looked good when paired with <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> dress. That¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> put this on." She is telling the truth, that is really what happened.


    But Jun Qian Che does not buy it. The grand empress dowager has returned to the pce and Mo Qi Qi and the 7<sup>th</sup> imperial king have gotten closer, how can he not understand what she and Mo n are ying at?


    Hepose himself. He lets go of her wrist and calmly ask, "Did you arrivingte to the banquet had anything to do with this bangle?" Mo Qi Qi, I am giving you a chance. I hope you will not waste it away.


    Mo Qi Qi leans away from his embrace before saying, "You are right! <i>Chenqie</i> spent half a day just to figure out which essories looks good with <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> dress. <i>Chenqie</i> had simr conflict with imperial grandmother¡¯s gift as well. <i>Chenqie</i> didn¡¯t know what to gift her, the Ye Ming Pearl or <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> hand-made skincare sets. Deliberating over everything caused <i>chenqie</i> to bete, us women are really troublesome, no?"


    Jun Qian Che is very disappointed in her, though he does not show it on his face. Mo Qi Qi, you still chose him, in the end. Then, you should not me <i>zhen</i>.


    "Your Majesty, are you thirsty? Let <i>chenqie</i> pour you a cup of tea!" Mo Qi Qi walks to a table and pour a cup of tea.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her back profile, "Who exactly are you?"


    <


    Mo Qi Qi freezes. She turns around and looks at him, confused, "What are you talking about, Your Majesty? <i>Chenqie</i> is your empress. Did you drink too much?"


    He gets up and walks to her, "Although <i>zhen¡¯s</i> empress was stubborn and unruly, she was very good in arts and was an excellent chess yer. She was very good in verses as well. The only thing she could not do was dance. The current empress seems to be theplete opposite of the old one."


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head turns like a gear, "Are you doubting <i>chenqie</i> just because of that? <i>Chenqie</i> have always known how to dance, <i>chenqie</i> secretly learned them from the dancing girls in Duke Zhen¡¯s manor. <i>Chenqie</i> originally wanted to dance for you, but you always ignored <i>chenqie</i>, so <i>chenqie</i> never really had the chance to. As for arts, <i>chenqie</i> is good at drawing and writing poems. <i>Chenqie</i> only wanted to anger you that day. If you don¡¯t believe me, <i>chenqie</i> can recite a poem for you! <i>¡¯The moon was bright in front of my bed, the snow was piled on the ground. I looked up to the moon and bowed down when reminded of my hometown.¡¯</i> I can recite another one!"


    (<strong>TN</strong>: She is reciting a poem from the Tang Dynasty.)


    "That is enough. <i>Zhen</i> believes you. It iste, you should rest." Jun Qian Che walks out of her chamber.


    Mo Qi Qi heaves a long sigh, "How dangerous! Jun Qian Che has gotten suspicious. Oh right, why did he mean by ¡¯that man in the viewing tower¡¯? This is not the first time he brought this up. What happened on the day Mo Qi Qi fell? I must dig that out, or else, I would die without even knowing why! Oh, so sleepy. Let me sleep first to recharge my energy."


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s mood is foul as he walks out of Feng Yang Pce. Mo Qi Qi, did you really think <i>zhen</i> is an idiot? <i>Zhen</i> has amodated you so much, and you still lied. Perhaps, you really want <i>zhen</i> to kill you...


    The sun is high up in the sky when Mo Qi Qi wakes up the next day. Her sleep was very sweet and all the fatigue is no longer here. She sits in front of the mirror while Ban Xiang helps her do her hair.


    Mo Qi Qi is suddenly reminded of what Jun Qian Che said on the previous night. "Ban Xiang, did anything happened when I fell from the viewing tower back then? Did I do anything wrong?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s face was so unpleasant when the viewing tower incident was mentioned. Something seemed to have pissed him off.


    Ban Xiang looks at her in shock, "Did you remember anything, Your Ladyship?"


    "No, but I could feel that something big had happened that day. I felt like I did something really bad that day," Mo Qi Qi tries to guess.


    Ban Xiang secretly sighs in relief beforeughing, "You think too much, Your Ladyship. If you did anything bad, the emperor would have punished you. Don¡¯t overthink things. Breakfast is ready,e and eat them."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright." Seems like she will not be able to get anything out of Ban Xiang. She gets up and walks out.


    Ban Xiang pounds her own chest, her heart dropping to her stomach. Lucky the empress did not pursue the matter. The emperor ordered them not to speak of the incident, if the empress had pressed on, she wouldn¡¯t know how to answer her.


    For the next couple of days, Mo Qi Qi is busy digging out the viewing tower incident. Unfortunately, everyone keeps their lips shut. Some say they don¡¯t know, some say they are not sure, while some say nothing happened at all. What they do not know is their answers only made her even more suspicious.


    Since nobody dares to speak about the fall, it means that someone has ordered them to keep their mouths shut. Only a handful of people have that authority; the grand empress dowager, the empress dowager, the emperor and herself. The grand empress dowager was not in the pce during that incident, so asking her is out of the question. The empress dowager, on the other hand, loathes her. Asking her about that will only bring trouble to herself.


    That leaves her with only Jun Qian Che. She wonders what she did to piss him off that much. Asking him is dangerous, but not asking means that she is being kept in the dark. And that will not give her a peace of mind.


    After making a long consideration, Mo Qi Qi decides to go to Jun Qian Che¡¯s pce to ask him about this. She must find out about everything the previous owner did. Knowing everything at least gives her the chance to fight. If she is in the dark, she has no chance to fight at all.


    <


    <strong>Serene: </strong>This chapter was brought to you by Mckenzie.

 Chapter 62

    <strong>Chapter 62</strong>


    <strong>Thinking Too Much</strong>


    In the imperial study, Jun Qian Che is busy reading a memorial. A very beautiful woman is standing next to him; she is none other than Yang Shi Han.


    "<i>Biaoge</i>, I heard you haven¡¯t gone to the empress¡¯ pce for a couple of days now. Did you two fight?" Yang Shi Han curiously asks while grinding him ink.


    Jun Qian Che icily speaks without even raising his head, "That is between <i>zhen</i> and the empress. No need for you to interfere."


    "<i>Chenqie</i> naturally does not dare to interfere in things between Your Majesty and Her Ladyship. But, aren¡¯t you curious about what the empress has been up to these past few days, Your Majesty?" Yang Shi Han secretly gauge his reaction.


    Jun Qian Che carelessly asks, "What is the empress up to?"


    "<i>Biaoge</i>, you may not know this, but the empress has been inquiring about the viewing tower incident. What is she trying to say? She was clearly caught red-handed and is now pretending to be ignorant about it. It is almost like she wants to remind everyone of what she had done! She knows that you did not manage to catch her lover. With Duke Zhen backing her, she thinks that she can prance around the pce looking all haughty. She is being too shameless!"


    "What are you trying to say?" Jun Qian Che impatiently asks.


    "Your Majesty, what <i>chenqie</i> is trying to say is the empress gave you a green hat and is actually busy announcing that to the entire pce. Why is she still here? Why haven¡¯t you deposed her yet? Even if Duke Zhen objects to it, what the empress did was more than enough to deserve that."


    "<i>Zhen</i> has <i>zhen¡¯s</i> own discretion in this matter, there is no need for you to point everything out," Jun Qian Che sounds very unhappy.


    "<i>Biaoge</i>, don¡¯t tell me that you have fallen in love with Mo Qi Qi? Don¡¯t forget who her father is! Mo n is very close to the 7<sup>th</sup> wang and the grand empress dowager. They will turn against you, sooner orter. Yesterday, the 7<sup>th</sup> wang entered the pce. He said he wanted to greet the grand empress dowager, but the grand empress dowager ended up inviting the empress as well. They chatted for a long time, who knows what they did in Yong Shou Pce."


    "That is enough! If there is nothing else, you can leave," Jun Qian Che impatiently shoos her away.


    "<i>Biaoge</i>¡ª"


    "Go!" He angrily says.


    Yang Shi Han purse her lips and angrily leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi is holding a bowl of soup as she stands in front of the imperial study. She decided to start her investigation from Jun Qian Che.


    When Yang Shi Han angrily walks out of the imperial study, she bumps into Mo Qi Qi. She approaches her, looking at the bowl she is holding before haughtily asking, "What are you carrying?"


    Mo Qi Qi purposely makes herself look dignified and elegant, "<i>Bengong</i> personally made His Majesty soup."


    Yang Shi Han scoffs, "You personally made it? Who are you trying to fool? Perhaps you put poison inside!"


    "Yang Guifei, please take a good look on who you are talking to. Although <i>bengong</i> said that we do not have to be too courteous with each other since we are sisters, that does not means that you are allowed to be downright disrespectful. Do this again and <i>bengong</i> will handle this ording to the pce rules," Mo Qi Qi use her position to scare Yang Shi Han off.


    "You¡ª-" Although Yang Shi Han is angry, she needs to take Mo Qi Qi¡¯s identity into consideration. No matter what she says, Mo Qi Qi is still the empress.


    Mo Qi Qi is really happy seeing Yang Shi Han looking deted. She lifts her chin and arrogantly walks into the study.


    Yang Shi Han angrily stomps her feet before leaving in a huff.


    Mo Qi Qi elegantly walks over to Jun Qian Che and ce the bowl on the table, "Greeting Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che looks at the bowl, "What is this?" He is very surprised that she is taking the initiative to look for him. Although she does this a lot in the past, she has stopped doing this after the fall from the viewing tower.


    <


    "Hehe, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> personally made you soup. <i>Chenqie</i> hears that you have been really busytely and is worried that you wouldn¡¯t eat right. Hopefully, this soup can help recharge your body," Mo Qi Qi tries her best to sound virtuous.


    "You made this yourself?" Jun Qian Che looks like he has a hard time believing that. When did she learn all these?


    "Of course! <i>Chenqie</i> learned to cook because of Your Majesty! Go on and taste it!" she spoons it up and offers to feed him.


    Jun Qian Che hesitates for a moment before drinking it.


    "How does it taste like? Do you like it?" Mo Qi Qi asks.


    Jun Qian Che stares at her icily, "Whatever it is, just say it! No need to run around in a circle."


    Huh! The smile on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face turns rigid. Can he not be so straight-forward? How embarrassing.


    "Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> does not really have any hidden intention for doing this. <i>Chenqie</i> only wants to look after you." How on earth should she open that topic? Will she end up pissing him off?


    "You already see <i>zhen</i>, you can leave now," Jun Qian Che heartlessly chase her away.


    Mo Qi Qi looks a little shaken, but she manage to maintain her smile, "Hehe, actually <i>chenqie</i> has something to ask you. <i>Chenqie</i> hasmitted a wrong. <i>Chenqie</i> has hidden something from you," Mo Qi Qi bows her head, looking all guilty and pitiful.


    When he hears that, Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart races up. Don¡¯t tell him that she wants a showdown. Don¡¯t tell him that she wants to say that the man she likes is not him, but rather the 7<sup>th</sup> wang. If she really made that choice, he will really kill her.


    He calm himself down before saying, "Speak."


    Mo Qi Qi anxiously tugs on her own dress before lowly saying, "Your Majesty, after <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> fall from the viewing tower, <i>chenqie</i> ends up forgetting a lot of things. It is what physicians would call¡ª amnesia."


    "Amnesia?" Jun Qian Che looks at her, confused.


    <


    "It means forgetting everything that happened before the fall. Didn¡¯t you asked <i>chenqie</i> who <i>chenqie</i> was? You said that <i>chenqie</i> has changed. <i>Chenqie</i> didn¡¯t tell you the truth then. The truth is, <i>chenqie</i> has lost my memories. <i>Chenqie</i> haspletely forgotten my past, <i>chenqie</i> don¡¯t even know martial arts now. <i>Chenqie</i> hesitated to tell you this because <i>chenqie</i> was afraid that you would be upset. <i>Chenqie</i> thought that with Ban Xiang by <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> side, <i>chenqie</i> can ask her anything <i>chenqie</i> doesn¡¯t know and that no one will suspect anything. Since the gods arranged this for <i>chenqie</i>, <i>chenqie</i> thought that it must be because <i>chenqie</i> had no memories worth cherishing in the past. Starting a new life wasn¡¯t such a bad idea. But who would have known that even Ban Xiang has things she doesn¡¯t know. <i>Chenqie</i> asked her about happened before the <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> fall and she said nothing happened. However, everytime Your Majesty brought up the viewing tower¡¯s fall, you would get upset and kept asking who that person was. Something must have happened back then. After contemting for a long time, <i>chenqie</i> decided to fess up. What was it that happened in the viewing tower? And who was the person you were talking about?"


    Jun Qian Che looks at her incredulously, "Are you telling the truth?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "<i>Chenqie</i> think you have long suspected this as well. <i>Chenqie</i> no longer remembers anything. Can you tell <i>chenqie</i> what happened in the viewing tower?"


    Jun Qian Che quicklypose himself, "Actually, Ban Xiang was telling the truth. Nothing happened. It¡¯s just that one of the maids from your pce stole <i>zhen¡¯s</i> most beloved painting. The guards chased after her and she fleed to the viewing tower. You and <i>zhen</i> went after her there and just as zhen was about to take care of her, a masked man came and took her away. We still didn¡¯t know who that man was. Since that maid was from your pce, <i>zhen</i> thought that you knew who that man was but didn¡¯t want to tell <i>zhen</i>, that was why <i>zhen</i> was so angry," Jun Qian Che smoothly constructed a lie.


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "So it was like that! <i>Chenqie</i> thought <i>chenqie</i>mitted a crime or something. Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty! <i>Chenqie</i> will try my best to regain my memories! We will definitely catch that guy!"


    "Since you have forgotten the past, no need to dwell on it," he unexpectedly says. If she really forgot that man, he can pretend that the incident never happened. Just like what she said, they can have a new beginning together. If she lost her memories, she also lost all those years worth of memories with the 7<sup>th</sup> wang. That way, she will no longer love the 7<sup>th</sup> wang.


    "You don¡¯t mind me losing my memories, Your Majesty?" Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che, pretending to be worried.


    "You are <i>zhen¡¯s</i> empress. No matter what you forget or what you be, you are still <i>zhen¡¯s</i> empress. Since you already forgot everything in the past, <i>zhen</i> will help you create new memories for the future," Jun Qian Che earnestly says.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Since you are busy, <i>chenqie</i> shall not disturb you any longer." She curtsies before him before leaving.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her retreating back, hoping that she is not lying to him. If she lost her memories, he is willing to stand beside her, making new memories with her. He just hope that she will no longer harbour other men in her heart.


    Mo Qi Qi walks out of the imperial study before staring at the blue sky, looking very disappointed. Jun Qian Che has not been honest with her. He would not be so angry if it was a mere theft. What exactly did the previous owner did before her untimely death? The more people try to conceal it from her, the more anxious she bes.


    In the blink of an eye, a couple of days passed and Mo Qi Qi still hasn¡¯t found her answer.


    Ban Xiang tries to persuade her, "Your Ladyship, what happened that day was exactly like what His Majesty said. Why would the emperor lie at you? Stop thinking too much. Why don¡¯t you keep the grand empress dowagerpany in Yong Shou Pce?"


    <strong>Serene</strong>: This chapter was brought to you by Mckenzie.


    <

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Hearts Existing in Harmony


    ¡°Sure. It has been a while since bengong went to visit the grand empress dowager. Let¡¯s go,¡± Mo Qi Qi decides to put the matter aside, for now. Since she cannot get anything out of anyone, what is the point of stressing over it?


    Spring is starting to fade as summer steps in. The weather has gotten a lot hotter, while varieties of flowers are blooming in the imperial garden.


    She chats with grand empress dowager in the imperial garden.


    ¡°Qi Qi, you seemed very busy these past few days. You didn¡¯t have time to look for imperial grandmother,¡± the grand empress dowager good-naturedly says.


    ¡°It is honestly nothing big. Qi Qi is just busy with a couple of small things,¡± she does not want to burden the grand empress dowager with her problem.


    ¡°Imperial grandmother is really happy seeing you getting more and more mature. Although being an empress is a morous position, it is also very stressful. Every little thing in the pce needs to go through you. The emperor is busy in court, so he can¡¯t help much when ites to the back pce. It has been hard on you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, imperial grandmother. I will share the emperor¡¯s burden,¡± Mo Qi Qi obediently says.


    The grand empress dowagerughs in satisfaction, ¡°If there is anything you need help with, feel free toe to imperial grandmother. You can go and seek for your 7th imperial uncle as well. Although you two are of different generations, you still pretty much grew up with him. He will definitely help you.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi nods, ¡°Qi Qi will remember imperial grandmother¡¯s words.¡±


    When Mo Qi Qi returns to Feng Yang Pce in the evening, her mood has lighten considerably. ¡°Ban Xiang, go and bring all these ingredients from the imperial kitchen. Put it in Feng Yang Pce¡¯s kitchen. Bengong will personally cook, tonight.¡±


    Ban Xiang asks her in surprise, ¡°You are personally cooking tonight, Your Ladyship?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi finds it hard to contain her excitement, ¡°Correct! Bengong will invite someone over!¡±


    Ban Xiang scratches her own head, ¡°Invite someone over? Who? His Majesty?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s happy little face turns rigid, ¡°Mind your mouth! I¡¯d rather invite a pig over than to invite Jun Qian Che that trash! The person I am inviting is the 7th wang.¡±


    ¡°The 7th wang? Your Ladyship, it iste at night. Inviting the 7th wang over like this¡­. What if the emperor finds out?¡±


    ¡°If you and I don¡¯t tell, how will the emperor know? He won¡¯te to Feng Yang Pce if he doesn¡¯t have to, anyway. I have been good these past few days, I didn¡¯t cause any trouble, so he has no reason toe over. Go to the imperial kitchen first, then go and secretly invite the 7th wang.¡±


    Ban Xiang is really worried about this, ¡°Why are you inviting the 7th wang, Your Ladyship?¡±


    ¡°I have something I need to ask him. Stop asking so much! Just go!¡± Mo Qi Qi says.


    Ban Xiang does not dare to quibble, she immediately goes to do the bidding.


    Since they wouldn¡¯t tell her what happened that day, she can only ask Jun Yue Hen. She believes that he will tell her everything she needs to know.


    When nightes, everything is ready and Mo Qi Qi is only waiting for Jun Yue Hen.


    Jun Yue Hen can be said to be pretty responsive. As long as Mo Qi Qi calls for him, no matter how risky it is, he will do everything he can to go to her.


    A little eunuch follows Ban Xiang to Feng Yang Pce. The moment he arrives in front of Mo Qi Qi, he raise his head to look at her.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees his face, she bursts out inughter, ¡°Yue Hen, what are you wearing? If your admirers find out that the most beautiful man in Hua Chen Kingdom has be a eunuch, they will cry themselves to sleep! Ha ha ha!¡±


    Jun Yue Hen seems really embarrassed by her reaction, ¡°Stopughing at me, Qi Qi. It is not easy to enter the pce at night. Only when I am wearing this will I not bring any trouble to you.¡±


    Touched, Mo Qi Qi pats him in the chest, ¡°You are indeed a good friend! Come and sit! I prepared a feast for you!¡±


    They both sit in front of the table.


    He looks at the sumptuous dinner on the table before curiously asking, ¡°Qi Qi, why did you suddenly invite me over.¡±


    ¡°Aiya! You and I are good friends! You took care of me ever since I was little and keeps helping me even after I entered the pce. I am very thankful to you. I can only repay you by cooking you dinner,¡± Mo Qi Qi does not go straight to the point. She does not want to scare him right off the bat.


    <


    Inside the imperial study, Jun Qian Che has finally finished reading memorials after a busy day. There are so many things he needs to take care of in court, so he goes to rest reallyte every day. Lucky Mo Qi Qi has been good and does not add any trouble.


    Eunuch Lin steps forward, ¡°Your Majesty, do you want to have your dinner in Yu Jing Pce or do you want to go to any consort¡¯s pce?¡±


    ¡°Return to Yu Jing Pce,¡± Jun Qian Che gets up.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this servant heard that the empress had sent people to collect ingredients from the imperial kitchen. She personally cooked tonight. Her Ladyship heard that Your Majesty has been tiredtely, so she wanted to cook something for you to eat. Why don¡¯t you eat dinner in the empress¡¯ pce, Your Majesty?¡±


    Jun Qian Cheughs mockingly, ¡°Mo Qi Qi and cooking?¡± He has seen her in the kitchen. The entire kitchen was full of smoke just because she decided she wanted to cook porridge. Hearing about her being able to cook is really funny.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s see if the empress has managed to set Feng Yang Pce¡¯s kitchen on fire.¡± Jun Qian Che heads towards Feng Yang Pce.


    In Gui Ning Pce, Yang Shi Han is sitting on her grand seat, looking at her beautiful nails.


    Her personal maid, Qian Er walks into the room and says, ¡°Your Ladyship, His Majesty already went to the empress¡¯ pce. He will note here. Dinner is ready, would you like to dine now?¡±


    ¡°He went to Mo Qi Qi¡¯s?¡± A haughty smile can be seen on Yang Shi Han¡¯s face. ¡°Good! Extremely good! We will get to see a good show tonight!¡±


    Qian Er cannot understand her, ¡°Why did you send people to tell Eunuch Lin about the empress cooking tonight, Your Ladyship? Eunuch Lin is the person His Majesty trusts the most. Aren¡¯t you basically encouraging His Majesty to go to the empress¡¯ pce?¡±


    Yang Shi Han beautifully smiles, ¡°What do you know? Sometimes, loosening the grip is better than holding tight. Bengong is hungry, serve the dinner!¡±


    Feng Yang Pce,


    Jun Yue Hen looks at the dishes in disbelief. ¡°You cooked all these yourself, Qi Qi?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi proudly nods, ¡°Correct! Surprising, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Very surprising! When did you learned how to cook?¡± Jun Yue Hen is very touched. She actually cooked for him.


    ¡°Recently! Hurry and taste it! Do you like it or not?¡± She picks up a chopstick and ce a piece of sparerib on Jun Yue Hen¡¯s bowl.


    Just as Jun Yue Hen is about to taste it, an elderly servantes by, ¡°This servant greets Your Ladyship the empress, the 7th king.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi is surprised. She scolds Ban Xiang who walks in with that maid, ¡°Such a phenomenal job you are doing, Ban Xiang! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to let anyone in?¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship, Li momo is the grand empress dowager¡¯s personal maid. The grand empress dowager has something to give you.¡±


    Li momo is a very bright person, ¡°No need to worry, Your Ladyship. This servant is only here to give you the grand empress dowager¡¯s gift. This servant does not see anything else.¡±


    Jun Yue Henforts her too, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Qi Qi. Li momo is imperial mother¡¯s confidante. She knows what she ought or ought not to say. Li momo, what did imperial mother told you to send?¡±


    Li momo puts down a jar of wine on the table, ¡°Your Ladyship, this is a fruit wine that the grand empress dowager brought from her trip. Her Ladyship likes it so much that she brought back 3 jars; one for herself, the other for the empress dowager, and thest one, for you.¡±


    ¡°Go back and tell imperial grandmother that bengong said thank you. Bengong will definitely taste this wine,¡± Mo Qi Qi elegantly says.


    ¡°Yes, please excuse this servant,¡± Li momo then leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Ban Xiang, ¡°Go and guard outside. Do not let anyone in!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ban Xiang retreats away.


    Mo Qi Qi picks up the jar and happily says, ¡°The grand empress dowager loves me too much! Yue Hen, let¡¯s taste this wine together!¡±


    Jun Yue Hen nods, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Just as Mo Qi Qi is about to pour the wine for Jun Yue Hen, an announcement can be heard from outside. ¡°The emperor arrives!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi is so shocked that the jar almost slips from her hands. She really wish this is just a dream.


    Jun Yue Hen immediately saves the jar beforeforting her, ¡°Do not panic, Qi Qi.¡±


    ¡°Why did hee? What should I do? What should I do? Why am I so unlucky? Yue Hen, you go and hide inside my chamber first. I will try and chase him away!¡± Mo Qi Qi pulls Jun Yue Hen into her chamber.


    Seeing the panicking Mo Qi Qi, he grabs her two shoulders beforeforting her, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Qi Qi! You haven¡¯t done anything that wronged His Majesty. Calm down first. Do not let him sense anything off, do not give him reasons to be suspicious.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi nods, ¡°Right! Right! Right! You are right! I need to calm down! I will go and wee him in, now.¡± She takes a deep breath and walks out, forcing herself to calm down.


    When Jun Qian Che walks in, the smell of the dishes hits him in the nose.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Mo Qi Qi smiles before curtsying.


    ¡°You may get up,¡± both of his hands are ced behind him.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± Mo Qi Qi continue smiling at him.


    Jun Qian Che looks at the table behind her. He is very surprised when he see the dishes on the table. However, when his eyes fall on the two sets of bowls and chopsticks, his eyes turn icy.


    When she notices him looking at the bowls, sheughs while exining herself, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie made these dishes myself. Chenqie originally wanted to invite you over, but after tasting it earlier, chenqie realized that they didn¡¯t taste that good. Chenqie don¡¯t want you tough at my cooking skill, so chenqie didn¡¯t invite you. Who would have thought that our hearts would be in such a harmony, you came by on your own ord. Hehe¡ª¡°

 Chapter 64

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    "Oh really? The empress seems to have cooked a lot, zhen is surprised," Jun Qian Che''s voice is calm. It is hard to detect any emotion from his voice.


    Mo Qi Qi speaks on, "Ever since <i>chenqie</i> destroyed that porridge right in front of Your Majesty back then and gotughed at, <i>chenqie</i>strived to cook better."


    "<i>Zhen</i> didn''t think that the empress would care so much about what <i>zhen</i> said," Jun Qian Che stares at her with an unfathomable look.


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Of course <i>chenqie</i> will care about what you have to say! You are my husband, my sky. Everything you said will be etched firmly inside <i>chenqie''s</i> heart."


    The corner of his lips curls up in a faint smile. "You are getting better at speaking." Even though he knows that she is lying, he still feels very pleased when he hears that.


    "Hehe, you praised me too much, Your Majesty. It is sote, you must have eaten dinner by now. These mediocre dishes that <i>chenqie</i>cooked must have smelled really bad in front of you right now. Why don''t you go to Yang Meimei''s pce? Yang Meimei is really good at making perfumes, her chamber must be smelling so good right now," Mo Qi Qi starts chasing the person away.


    Seeing this, Eunuch Lin immediately speaks up, "Actually Your Ladyship, His Majesty had been so busy that he had no time to eat. His Majesty came here to eat dinner with you."


    Jun Qian Che looks at him coldly, "You speak too much."


    Eunuch Lin smiles before retreating to the back.


    "Hehe, it''s been hard on Your Majesty. However, the dishes here might not suit your pte, you better¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi leaves her word hanging, trusting Jun Qian Che to understand what she is implying.


    Jun Qian Che does not wish to fight with her today. He simply turns around to leave. Just as he does that, he can see the shadow of someone hiding behind a beaded curtain inside her chamber. Anger rises within his heart. He tries to rein in his anger as he icily speaks, "<i>Zhen</i> is not hungry yet. You can ask your maids to cook something new. <i>Zhen</i> will just rest inside your chamber, first."


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi immediately tries to stop him, "You can''t go in there, Your Majesty!"


    The anxiety that she is showcasing makes Jun Qian Che even more furious, "Why can''t <i>zhen</i> enter your room?"


    "That¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi''s head turns like a gear, "<i>Chenqie''s</i> chamber is too messy. <i>Chenqie</i> was trying to find a dress earlier this afternoon and ended up turning the entire room upside down. <i>Chenqie</i> didn''t know that you would be here, so chenqie did not bother to clean it up. <i>Chenqie</i> does not want to look sloppy in front of you!"


    "Since <i>zhen</i> decided to marry you, that means that <i>zhen</i> is prepared to ept every sides of you. A little messiness is alright, just ask some people to clean it up," Jun Qian Che insists in going to her room.


    Mo Qi Qi naturally does not want him to go there. If he discovered Jun Yue Hen over there, they will not be able to excuse themselves even if they have 100 mouths. "Your Majesty!" She suddenly buries herself against his chest and wraps her arms around his neck. She looks at him conquettishly, "<i>Chenqie</i> does not want to let you see all that! You have been busy the entire day, you must be hungry. You should not rest or drink any tea before eating. Let''s eat together, first. Although <i>chenqie</i> is not entirely satisfied with what <i>chenqie</i>cooked tonight, they actually tastes pretty decent. Why don''t you give it a little taste first, see if it suits your tastebuds. If there is anything you don''t like, you can point it out to <i>chenqie</i>, so <i>chenqie</i>can cook better next time!" She blinks her eyes prettily at him.


    Although he knows that she is only doing this to protect the man inside her room, he cannot bear to reject her suggestion. He is also a little afraid to see what he will find inside. He does not know how to punish her.


    He nods.


    Mo Qi Qi happily clings onto his arm and leads him to the table. "Come and sit, Your Majesty!" She lets Jun Qian Che sits in front of the table before feigning a sneeze, "Achoo! The night is so cold, <i>chenqie</i> will just grab a cloak for a moment. Please wait, <i>chenqie</i> will be right back!"


    Jun Qian Che tries his best to rein in the anger inside his heart. His eyes gradually bs icier.


    As soon as Mo Qi Qi enters her chamber, she pulls Jun Yue Hen out before whispering, "Yue Hen, hurry and leave. Jun Qian Che will not be leaving anytime soon. If he catches you here, we are both dead."


    "Qi Qi, I am worried about you," Jun Yue Hen feels like something is off, he is worried she will encounter danger.


    Mo Qi Qi confidently tells him, "Don''t worry! I am his empress, he cannot just kill me! However, if he finds you here, he will get the excuse to do just that, so you better leave! Sneak out through the window! Hurry!" she pushes Jun Yue Hen to the window.


    Although Jun Yue Hen is worried, he also knows that staying here will only add to her trouble, so he can only leave. "Be careful, Qi Qi."


    "I will. Go!" Mo Qi Qi motions him to hurry up.


    Once Jun Yue Hen left, Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief. She runs to her closet and picks out a robe before putting it around her body.


    She then goes back to the table outside and sits in front of Jun Qian Che, "Hehe, sorry for making you wait, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che holds in his anger before simply saying, "It''s okay, <i>zhen</i>remembers you saying that women takes a lot of time when dressing up."


    Mo Qi Qi pretentiously covers her smile with her hand, "You actually remembered that, Your Majesty?"


    "As long as you are the one saying it, <i>zhen</i> will remember everything," he looks at her earnestly when he says that.


    Seeing how sincere he is while saying that, Mo Qi Qi feels guilty. In order to make up to that guilt, she quickly picks up a piece of dish for him, "Your Majesty, go on and taste the fish that <i>chenqie</i>cooked."


    Jun Qian Che looks at the tableware in front of him, "Change the tableware."


    "Yes!" Eunuch Lin immediately instructs people to change the tableware.


    A new set of chopsticks and bowl are thenid in front of the emperor.


    Mo Qi Qi feels pretty diffident despite putting on a casual expression on her face, "Your Majesty, don''t tell <i>chenqie</i> that you think someone had done something to the previous ones?" Did that trash smelled anything off?


    "<i>Zhen</i> does not like to use jade tableware," Jun Qian Che calmly says.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief, "So it is like that! <i>Chenqie</i> will remember this. If youe over to Feng Yang Pce in the future, <i>chenqie</i> will take note to inform my people to keep jade tableware away." From today onwards, she will change all the tableware in Feng Yang Pce to jadeware. See if he will stille.


    "Let''s eat!" Jun Qian Che does not want to see her trying so hard to say things she doesn''t mean.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately tries to butter up to him by picking him dishes, "Your Majesty, go on and taste this!"


    Jun Qian Che looks at the bowl in front of him. He picks the piece of dish up and slowly eats it.


    She stares at him withrge, anticipating eyes. "How is it? It is good?"


    Jun Qian Che nods, "It is not bad. Who would have thought that the empress would be good at cooking."


    "Thank you for praising <i>chenqie</i>, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> thought you wouldn''t like it, that''s why <i>chenqie</i> didn''t dare to invite you over," Mo Qi Qi tries her best to smile, looking a little nervous.


    Jun Qian Che stares at her; just imagining about her learning cooking for another man makes him furious. Everything on this table are prepared for someone else.


    "Eat some more, Your Majesty," Seeing Jun Qian Che not picking up any dishes, she picks them out for him.


    As he eats more, the dishes gradually grows tasteless. His heart is in a messy state at the moment.


    Seeing him in a daze, she feigns concern, "You seem to have something on your mind, Your Majesty. Did anything happened?"


    Jun Qian Che gathers up his thoughts before simply saying, "Nothing. There are just too many things going on in the courttely."


    "It has been hard on you. You really should eat more nutritious things for your health. Why don''t you drink this soup? This soup has all the best ingredients, especially for men," she continues butter up to him.


    However, the harder she tries, the angrier he bes. People only gets this nice because they did something guilty. Had Mo Qi Qi really done something that made her feel sorry towards him?


    "Why aren''t you eating, Your Majesty?" she looks at him; she can tell that something is off tonight.


    He puts down his chopsticks, "<i>Zhen</i> is not hungry, you can go on and eat."


    "Not hungry? How can you not be hungry after working the entire day? You must be too tired."


    "Yes, <i>zhen</i> is tired. Pour <i>zhen</i> a cup of wine," Jun Qian Che looks at the wine jar on the table.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly curses him in her heart: This trash''s nose sure is good. The grand empress dowager has only sent it, and he already wants to have a go at it. But everything is still good, she can chase him away once he is drunk.


    She immediately picks up the wine jar, "If you are really tired, you really should drink a little wine. <i>Chenqie</i> has a jar of wine here, why don''t you give it a taste, Your Majesty?" She pours a cup and hands it over to him.


    Jun Qian Che takes it. The moment the scent of the wine reaches his nose, his hand freezes a little. He looks at it before directing his eyes to Mo Qi Qi, "You really want <i>zhen</i> to drink this wine?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles sweetly, "It is just a cup of wine, it is not a big deal! Are you afraid you would get drunk, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Cheughs mockingly, "<i>Zhen</i> hope the empress will not regret this." And then, he drinks it in one go.


    Seeing that, she pours him another cup, "It is just a jar of wine. Although it is a good one, <i>chenqie</i> does not really like it very much. Drink as much as you want, Your Majesty," so you will get drunk and leave!


    Jun Qian Che drinks another cup. Mo Qi Qi pours him another, "Your Majesty, drink it some more if you''d like. If you get drunk, chenqie will send you home." Hehe, once you''re drunk, I will draw caricature on your face!


    Jun Qian Che does not say anything and continues drinking.


    Seeing him drinking so much and is still pretty much unaffected, Mo Qi Qi can''t help but ask, "Your Majesty, you already drank three cups, aren''t you drunk yet?"


    Jun Qian Che coldly says, "This is a fruit wine, it is very hard to make people drunk."


    "So it is like that! The wine must have tastes really good, <i>chenqie</i>wants to give it a try," she wants to pour herself a cup.


    Jun Qian Che suddenly takes the jar away from her, "You really shouldn''t drink that."


    Mo Qi Qi unhappily res at him, "Your Majesty, the wine is <i>chenqie''s</i>, why can''t <i>chenqie</i> drink it? You are too unreasonable!"


    "This is yours? You prepared this wine?" Jun Qian Che''s voice turns colder as he speaks.


    <


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked by the change in his voice. She simply nods like a coward, "Yes. Why? Am I not allowed to?"


    ''<i>Bang''</i>


    Jun Qian Che throws the jar onto the floor, causing it to break. The wine inside flows out and the surrounding air is filled with the sweet scent of fruits.

 Chapter 65

    If you are having problems seeing the chapter list on the indexes and front page, please delete your entire browser cache.Unfortunately, that is currently, the only way to fix the issue at the moment. Thank you.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Warning! This chapter contains non-con.)


    Mo Qi Qi stands up in shock, "What is wrong, Your Majesty? Did <i>chenqie</i> said anything wrong?" This guy is too temperamental. She is already treating him so cautiously, what else does he wants?


    Seeing the current atmosphere, Ban Xiang immediately steps forward to help her Mistress, "Do you not like the wine, Your Majesty? Do you want this servant to change it for you?"


    "Get lost! All of you get lost!" Jun Qian Che yells at them.


    The servants all tremble as they leave.


    Ban Xiang and Eunuch Lin looks at their respective masters in worry before walking away.


    Eunuch Lin has followed the emperor for such a long time, he has never seen the emperor this furious before. The empress didn''t say anything wrong, why is he so angry?


    Jun Qian Che res at Mo Qi Qi as he slowly approaches her.


    Mo Qi Qi retreats backwards in fear.


    Jun Qian Che continues approaching her.


    She takes a deep breath before saying, "Y-Your Majesty, whatever it is, let''s talk it over properly. A gentleman will not raise his hand on a woman."


    "Talk it over?" He suddenly pulls her by the wrist before dragging her into her chamber.


    "Your Majesty, it hurts! Let go of me."


    Jun Qian Che ignores her. The moment they enter her chamber, he realizes that it is empty. There is no one other than the two of them there; only her dresses are strewn about everywhere.


    Noticing that his hold on her wrist has loosened, Mo Qi Qi pulls her hand back before running to her bed and gathering all her dresses. She stuffs them over inside her closet. Then, she turns at Jun Qian Che, smiling, "<i>Chenqie</i> didn''t lie to you, right? <i>Chenqie''s</i> room is very messy, <i>chenqie</i>didn''t want you to see that?"


    "That is enough!" Jun Qian Che yells at her before approaching her once again. He wraps his hands around her throat before icily saying, "Mo Qi Qi, do you really take <i>zhen</i> for a fool? Do you really believe that your lies are fool-proof?"


    "W-What are you saying, Your Majesty?" She struggles against the tightening hold he has around her neck.


    A cold light shes in Jun Qian Che''s eyes, "Do you actually think that <i>zhen</i> wouldn''t dare to kill you?"


    "<i>Chenqie</i> didn''t do anything wrong? Under what basis are you going to kill <i>chenqie</i>?" Mo Qi Qi stares at him fiercely.


    Jun Qian Cheughs mockingly, "Didn''t do anything wrong? Mo Qi Qi, you are really good at pretending to lose your memory! <i>Zhen</i> actually believed you, but you ended up exposing yourself tonight! If you have really lost your memories, you wouldn''t have met that man again, you wouldn''t have cooked such a feast for him. Speak up, who is that man?" Jun Qian Che unconsciously increases the force of his hands.


    Mo Qi Qi finds it hard to breathe. She tries to push his hands away, hoping he will calm down.


    Seeing her face turning red and the pained expression on her face, Jun Qian Che knows that if he uses a little bit more force, he can end her life. He has no idea why his hands start trembling at that thought; just the idea of her leaving him forever hurts him so much.


    Noticing that he is in a daze, Mo Qi Qi seizes that opportunity to break free from him and quickly runs away. Before she even gets far away, he appears in front of her, blocking her way.


    Seeing the dark look on his face, she retreats backwards in fear. Jun Qian Che continues cornering her, until he has her trapped between him and the bed.


    Jun Yue Hen who has sneaked out of Feng Yang Pce feels uneasy to leave Mo Qi Qi behind. He wants to go back to see how she is doing.


    Bai Jiang and Wen Xuan appear in front of him, stopping him, "Wangye, it is better for you to leave the pce quickly. If the emperor finds out that you are here at night, it will not end well for you," Wen Xuan tries to reason with him.


    Jun Yue Hen feels uneasy, "I am worried about Qi Qi. I want to see how she is doing."


    "Wangye, the empress is the emperor''s wife. He will not harm her for no reason," Wen Xuan continues trying to persuade him.


    "The emperor is really smart. What if he figures out that Qi Qi cooked everything for me?"


    Bai Jiang speaks up, "Don''t worry, wangye. No matter how suspicious the emperor is, as long as he hasn''t caught the person, there is little he can do about it. If you return there and got caught by the emperor, it will harm the empress even more."


    Wen Xuan nods in agreement, "Bai Jiang is right, wangye. We better leave."


    "No, this king is worried for Qi Qi. I want to check on her," Jun Yue Hen wants to go back.


    Bai Jiang and Wen Xuan exchange a look before giving a light blow to Jun Yue Hen''s head, causing him to pass out.


    Then, they carry him away.


    As for Mo Qi Qi who is being cornered inside her own room, she feels really scared. She can only continue fighting to save her own life. She tries to coax him, "Your Majesty, let''s talk properly. Violence does not solve anything. <i>Chenqie</i> does not know what <i>chenqie</i> said to offend you. If there is anything you are unhappy with, you can point it out. <i>Chenqie</i> will try to change."


    "Change? Can you really change? <i>Zhen</i> already gave you a chance, but you never change. Does <i>zhen</i> amodates you too much or do you think that with Mo n next to you, <i>zhen</i> wouldn''t do anything to you?" Jun Qian Che tries his best to rein in his anger, but the scene in the viewing tower keeps reying on his head. Thinking about how she ns on doing that again tonight makes him beyond furious.


    "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> does not know what <i>chenqie</i> did to anger you. Please speak clearly." Mo Qi Qi looks at him innocently. Is this man ying riddles?


    "Is it really you don''t know what you did wrong or you never thought what you did was wrong?" Jun Qian Che can feel himself gradually losing control. Thinking of her being with another man makes him go insane. If this goes on, he might really hurt her. No, he must leave. He shouldn''t be here with her, right now.


    Jun Qian Che wants to walk away but his legs won''t move. It is as though his feet are glued to the ground. The heat that is pooling inside his body is spreading. He tries to use his inner power to oppress it, but it ends up spreading even faster. It is as though his body has been set on fire. The impulse to rush towards her is mounting. He thinks too highly of himself; he had always thought he would be able to control his own body and needs, but now, he realizes that it is hard to do that in front of her.


    Mo Qi Qi can sense something off, "What''s wrong, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Che icily stares at her, "This is your own deed, why are you even asking zhen?"


    "Your Majesty, you are saying things that <i>chenqie</i> can''t understand, again," Mo Qi Qi mutters under her breath.


    Seeing how cute she is looking makes the heat inside Jun Qian Che''s body to spread even faster. He wants to leave but cannot bring himself to, so he can only scolds Mo Qi Qi, "Get out."


    Mo Qi Qi feels really helpless with the way he is acting at the moment, "This is <i>chenqie''s</i> pce and <i>chenqie</i> is the one getting kicked out?"


    "Stop with that nonsense and go." Jun Qian Che''s voice turns hoarse as he tries to control himself.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs before muttering to herself, "Fine."


    However, the moment she walks past him, Jun Qian Che lost control and pulls her over. He drops her on the bed before pressing himself from on top of her.


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked, "What are you doing, Your Majesty?"


    "What am I doing? Are you really asking that?" Jun Qian Che''s eyes are burning in needs.


    "Don''t you dare, Jun Qian Che! Although I am your empress, there is no love between us. I don''t like you. Please respect my decision," Mo Qi Qi hurries to clear things up after seeing the wanton desire in his eyes.


    "Respect your decision? When have you done the same to <i>zhen</i>? You are <i>zhen''s</i> empress and yet you are telling <i>zhen</i> that the man you love isn''t <i>zhen</i>. Who is it that you love, then?" Jun Qian Che furiously asks. His anger is mixed with his desire; no matter how strong he is, he can never win over that.


    "The person I love¡ª- en! L-let go¡ª-" Before Mo Qi Qi even gets to finish speaking, he leans down and kisses her. He is too scared to hear what she is about to say, so he can only stop her in that manner.


    Honestly, Mo Qi Qi isn''t in love with anyone. What she wanted to tell him was: '' The person I love has nothing to do with you! The point is it is not you!''


    <


    The moment his lips touches her''s, Jun Qian Che starts wanting more and more.


    Mo Qi Qi struggles with all her might. He ignores her. He did everything she wanted him to, he amodated her so much and all she did was lie and lie to him. She actually got into an affair with another man. He cannot hold it in any longer.


    "Jun Qian Che, you disgusting human being. Let go of me! No! Let go of me¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi struggle with every ounce of energy she has. She does not want to do this with a man she doesn''t love. Even though this person is her husband by name, the spirit inside isn''t his wife. She cannot ept him.


    Jun Qian Che has lost control. He coldly speaks in her ears, "Since you want a man so much, <i>zhen</i> will fulfil your wish."

 Chapter 66

    If you are having problems seeing the chapter list on the indexes and front page, please delete your entire browser cache.Unfortunately, that is currently, the only way to fix the issue at the moment. Thank you.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Warning! This chapter contains non-con!)


    "You are not human! Get lost¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi struggles against him.


    Her frail body is not strong enough to push him away. He restrains her two arms with one hand, rendering her immobile.


    With a harsh tug, he takes off her dress.


    Mo Qi Qi knows that she cannot escape this, she simply closes her eyes in shame. She bites her lips, trying her best to bear it all.


    "Ah¡­¡­" A wave of pain hits her. The tearing pain is too much for her to handle and she ends up biting Jun Qian Che in the shoulder.


    The night is deep and the imperial pce is silent. The silver moonlight falls on the flowers outside while crickets sing, creating a quaint atmosphere.


    Feng Yang Pce is so quiet that even the sound of pin dropping can be heard. Because of the emperor''s anger, everyone is careful while doing their jobs. As the night grows older, everyone retreats to rest until it is only Eunuch Lin and Ban Xiang left. At the moment, the bedroom inside Feng Yang Pce is a sight that is inappropriate for others to see.


    The bed that has been there for two years has finally weed it''s male owner, witnessing the first union between the emperor and the empress.


    Mo Qi Qi closes her eyes in disgrace, praying that all these will end soon.


    Although Jun Qian Che does not have the intention to hurt her, he has reached the point of no return. He desperately wants her, recing his fury with bodily desire.


    Mo Qi Qi does not have any idea how much time has passed. She has to endure this humiliation for a long time. Just as she thinks her body is about to disintegrate, ites to an end.


    As Jun Qian Che moves away from her, he can see droplets of blood on the bedsheet. Shock, shame, self-me, regret and anger mix in his heart. He gets down from the bed and gets dressed once again. He wants to leave, he does not want to see her looking at him in disgust and hatred.


    After he leaves, Mo Qi Qi gets up and inspects her ''graced'' body. She pulls the bedsheet and wraps it around her body. When she remembers what he did to her, she covers her face with her hands and cries.


    Jun Qian Che who is walking past the doorway hears the sound of her weeping. He pauses in his steps. The sound of her cry pierces through his heart. He really wants to give his own face a couple of ps. He wants to go back to see her, but he knows that she will be even sadder at the sight of him. He can only leave.


    Once he left, Ban Xiang rushes in. She sits by the bedside, looking at Mo Qi Qi who is weeping like a broken person. "Your Ladyship, please do not cry¡­¡­ Huhu¡­.." She ends up bursting into tears as well.


    After sobbing her eyes out, Mo Qi Qi wipes her tears away. She forces herself to calm down as she puts on a dress, "I want to take a bath. Change all the beddings on the bed, I do not want to see them anymore. Nobody is allowed to speak about what happened tonight."


    "Yes!" Ban Xiang immediately goes to do the bidding.


    3 nightster, the moon is bright as the winds blow gently. Despite the beauty of the night, Mo Qi Qi remains solemn. It has been three days since she locks herself inside her own pce, refusing to see anyone.


    She stares at her own reflection as she sits in front of the mirror. She touches her own strange yet familiar face, "Although we are different, I consider us the same entity the moment I entered your body. I thought I did not care about your body, but when he took your chastity by force, I realized that I really cared on your behalf. All of your feelings and sorrow have seeped into my very soul."


    I hate you, Jun Qian Che! You humiliated me to this extent, I will kill you to wash this humiliation away!


    She takes a deep breath, regaining her optimism. She points at herself in the mirror, "Cheer up a little, Mo Qi Qi! You only slept with that trash! No big deal! No matter what, he is still the emperor! So many women wants to sleep with him, but none of them gets the chance to! You should be happy, you are legally the empress! Serving him is part of your job description! If you want to take revenge, you must pretend that nothing has happened. When he least expect it, kill him."


    A scene suddenly appears inside Mo Qi Qi''s head, of her chatting idly with Jun Qian Che. When he lowers his guard down, she puts poison in his tea. After he drinks it, he spits out blood. He points at Mo Qi Qi usingly, ''Y-You actually dared to poison <i>zhen</i>?''


    Mo Qi Qi leans towards him before pulling his earlobe, ''What ''you''? Hmph, you dared to bully me? This is the result of treating me like that! Go and die! Hahaha¡ª-''


    "Hahaha¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi is amused by her own daydream, "Even you have this day, Jun Qian Che."


    Hearing Mo Qi Qiughing, Ban Xiang leans towards her before curiously asking, "What is so funny, Your Ladyship?"


    Mo Qi Qi snaps out of her daydream, "Huh? Didn''t you left to prepare dinner? When did youe back?"


    "This servant is already here for a while, just decided not to bother you upon seeing you immersed in your thoughts. You have not smiled for three days, now that you have, this servant is relieved. Are you still angry at the emperor, Your Ladyship?" Ban Xiang carefully asks. Her heart aches so much seeing her mistress so sad. At least, she is beginning to smile again now.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, "What is the point of being angry? It cannot change what had happened. It is not worthy for me to waste my emotion getting angry over that trash."


    "Your Ladyship is right! Even if you are angry, the emperor wouldn''t know that, what is the point of getting emotionally riled up all by yourself? Honestly, His Majesty can already be considered treating you well. His heart has you!" Ban Xiang happily says. She is so relieved to see her Mistress returning to the way she used to be.


    Mo Qi Qi gets really angry when she hears what Ban Xiang has to say. She knocks her in the head before asking, "What did Jun Qian Che gave you for you to speak so much on his behalf!"


    "Your Ladyship, this servant is not paid off by His Majesty. His Majesty genuinely¡ª-"


    Mo Qi Qi res at her.


    Ban Xiang can only relent, "Alright, this servant shall stop speaking. Your Ladyship, dinner is ready. You have not eaten anything for three days, please eat something this time."


    Mo Qi Qi rubs her own stomach, "Now that you said it, I feel really hungry. Let''s go."


    Yu Jing Pce,


    The past three days has not been kind to Mo Qi Qi, but it has been worse for Jun Qian Che. Never has he felt so confused for the past 22 years of his life.


    He has always been clear on what he wants ever since he was young. He has worked really hard to achieve his goal, to get to where he is today. No matter what happened, he strived to be calm and unaffected by external factors.


    But when he is facing Mo Qi Qi, all the restrains that he have worked so hard to built is easily broken. He could calmly deal with the past Mo Qi Qi, although she could affect his emotions, he never really lost control. However, after she fell from the viewing tower, it is as though she has changed.


    His heart feels constricted, but there is no one he can talk to. Everyone envies his seat, but nobody knows how lonely and cold it feels up there.


    He looks at the wine in front of him, sending all of his servants away before he starts drinking.


    Today, Chu Ling Xiao is dragged by his mother to eat dinner with the empress dowager. He knows what his mother really wants; she wants to take this chance to discuss about his marriage with the empress dowager. She wants the empress dowager to pick a suitable girl for him.


    After eating dinner, he sneaks out after taking advantage of his mother chatting with the empress dowager. One must know that the empress dowager cares a lot about his marriage. No prizes to guessing what the twodies are going to talk about when together. If he does not escape, they might find a girl to downright serve him for the night.


    Chu Ling Xiao originally nned to return to his own manor, but he suddenly remembers Jun Qian Che who seems distracted and absent-mindedtely. Curiosity rises in his heart.


    Jun Qian Che and him are cousins, they grew up together, so each understands the other pretty well. It is very rare to see Jun Qian Che in this condition.


    He hears that the empress has been locking herself up in her pce, refusing to meet anyone. Did they fight? But the emperor is the kind who is unaffected even if a mountain is toppling in front of him, what made him be this way? He makes his way to Yu Jing Pce with his curiosity in tow.


    From afar, he can see Eunuch Lin pacing in front of the emperor''s chamber.


    Chu Ling Xiao walks over to him and greets him, "Eunuch Lin, are you pretending to be an ant?"


    "The Prime Minister." Eunuch Lin greets him respectfully. "What do you mean by that, Prime Minister?"


    Chu Ling Xiaoughs rottenly, "Because ants pace around when collecting food! Hahaha¡ª-"


    <


    Eunuch Lin helplesslyughs, "Do not make fun of this servant, Prime Minister. This servant is worried about His Majesty¡­."


    "Worried about His Majesty? Oh, are you worried because the emperor would not grace anyone from the harem? Honestly, even I am worried about that. Let me tell you this, the emperor is an adult now, he is not a teenager anymore. He still refuses to touch any women. Does he have any hidden illness?" Chu Ling Xiao asked curiously like an old gossiper.

 Chapter 67

    Eunuch Lin immediatelyes to his master¡¯s defense, "The Prime Minister must not speak thoughtlessly. His Majesty did not touch his concubines because he puts too much importance in feelings, because he has not met anyone he likes."


    "There are 3000 beauties inside the pce, each beautiful in their own ways. Howe not even one of them managed to attract him? Something must be really wrong with him. Oh right, why are you standing here? Is the emperor asleep? It is still too early!" Chu Ling Xiao finally sensed something off.


    Eunuch Lin sighs, "His Majesty is in a bad mood. He kicked us all out and drinks all by himself inside."


    "Him? Drinking? Hahaha, am I hearing this wrong? He is a very controlled person in both bed and drinking matters. He never drinks unless he has to, mostly in pce¡¯s banquets. Something must have really gone wrong. Let me check him out," Chu Ling Xiao walks into the room in anticipation.


    Jun Qian Che is sitting in front of a table while drinking, he looks fairly drunk. There is a bitter smile on his lips as he downs cups after cups of wine.


    Chu Ling Xiao sits next to him, looking stunned, "Your Majesty, you are drinking wine like it is water."


    Jun Qian Che nces at him icily, "Why are you here?"


    Chu Ling Xiao shrugs, "I thought you looked off these past few days, so I came to take a look. Why are you drinking in sorrow here? Did you fight with the empress?"


    His hand pauses for a moment upon the mentioning of Mo Qi Qi before he continues drinking.


    Seeing his reaction, Chu Ling Xiao pours himself a cup, "Since Your Majesty wants to drink, this official will drink with you."


    After 3 cups and noticing that Jun Qian Che has gotten tipsier, Chu Ling Xiao curiously asks, "Did something happened, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Cheughs bitterly, "Ling Xiao, do you think <i>zhen</i> is pitiful?"


    "Pitiful? Are you joking, Your Majesty? Everything under the sky belongs to you. You only need to wave your hand to get what you want. If you are pitiful, everyone else are worse."


    "You are right, <i>zhen</i> can get everything that <i>zhen</i> wants with a simplemand. Everything, everything but her heart." Jun Qian Cheughs bitterly as he downs another cup. The bitter taste of the wine is nothingpared to the one in his heart.


    "Are you talking about the empress, Your Majesty? Did you two fight?" He thought the emperor does not care for the empress...


    "Fight? <i>Zhen</i> can only wish so. She tries too hard in front of <i>zhen</i>, she has be too cautious. It makes <i>zhen</i> really angry." The grip he has on the cup tightens.


    Chu Ling Xiao looks at the cup in his hand, he looks like he is going to break it, "You are the emperor, which woman wouldn¡¯t try hard and be cautious in front of you? Do you want her to fight with you everyday in front of everyone?"


    "She is not any other woman; she is <i>zhen¡¯s</i> wife, <i>zhen¡¯s</i> empress. The one whom <i>zhen</i> will hold hands with until <i>zhen</i> dies. Our road is still long ahead of us. <i>Zhen</i> only wants her to be honest in front of <i>zhen</i>, to be the person she really is. Seeing her acting that way makes <i>zhen</i> feels tired on her behalf."


    Chu Ling Xiao finds it hard to believe that those emotional words areing from Jun Qian Che¡¯s mouth. That ice block has fallen in love?


    Impossible!


    Mo Qi Qi actually has the ability to break his fa?ade.


    "You must have drank too much, Your Majesty. You are actually saying such touching words."


    "<i>Zhen</i> have always thought that <i>zhen</i> knows her; <i>zhen</i> believed in what <i>zhen</i> could see. Only now did <i>zhen</i> realized that maybe <i>zhen</i>had misunderstood her. What the eyes could see and the ears could hear might not always be the truth."


    He suddenly remembers what she said to him in the viewing tower, "Your Majesty, please listen to <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> exnation. Someone has trapped<i> chenqie</i>, <i>chenqie</i> has never wronged you!"


    "You cheap woman, you actually dared to betray <i>zhen</i>? Do you think <i>zhen</i> is blind?"


    "Haha¡ª betrayed?"


    "What are youughing at?"


    "Who exactly is the one who betrayed whom between the two of us? We have been married for two years, but how have you treated me? You have never stayed with me. There is only that lowly Yang Shi Han in your heart!"


    "Mo Qi Qi, you are arrogant, overbearing, jealous, totally unworthy of your position as the mother of the nation. <i>Zhen</i> amodated you, turning a blind eye at everything you have done. You know that <i>zhen</i>is the ruler of the kingdom, <i>zhen</i> cannot be monogamous."


    "No, I don¡¯t! Why must I dedicate my heart and soul for you if you won¡¯t do the same for me? If you dislike me so much, why did you marry me? Was it because you wanted to borrow my father¡¯s military power so that you could ascend the throne peacefully?" she finally gathered up the courage to ask him the question that she feared the most.


    He did not answer her, silently acknowledging it.


    "Hahaha, so it was only wishful thinking on my part! You have never loved me! Jun Qian Che, I hate you! I want to humiliate you! I will make you the biggestughingstock in the world!"


    Jun Qian Cheughs bitterly when he remembers that incident: he always thought he could read people, but turns out he couldn¡¯t read her. He misunderstood her, she really was innocent.


    "Your Majesty, have you fallen in love with the empress?" Chu Ling Xiao directly asks.


    "Love?" Jun Qian Cheughs mockingly. "<i>Zhen</i> will never fall for any woman, much less one whoes from Mo n. <i>Zhen</i> only feels guilty, that is all."


    Chu Ling Xiaoughs while shaking his head, "You will never fall in love with her or you don¡¯t have the guts to? I¡¯m afraid, you know that better than anyone else. Things like love and emotion have never been clear anyway. Let¡¯s drink!"


    Although alcohol makes one even more sorrowful, at least it can temporarily help them forget their problem.


    The next day, Feng Yang Pce¡¯s door is finally opened again. Mo Qi Qi gathers herself up to face a brand new day.


    She is not the type that dwells in sorrow, so she gathers up her courage to face what is ahead of her.


    When the rest of the concubines find out that the empress is now willing to meet them, they rush to Feng Yang Pce in worry.


    "Your Ladyship, we were so worried when we heard that you refused to meet anyone. We thought something has happened!"


    "Right! Right! Did you fight with His Majesty, Your Ladyship?"


    Mo Qi Qi who is sitting on the phoenix seat looks at them as they speak. She used to find them troublesome and noisy. She was only nice to them because she didn¡¯t want them to conspire against her. But now, she finds them warm and fulfilling. It doesn¡¯t matter if they are being real or are only feigning concern, chatting with them makes her happy. No matter what, they are all pitiful in their own ways. They are so young and are forced to enter the pce to keep their families safe. They have to tread on thin ice. If they receive favour, they will be the subject of another¡¯s envy. If they don¡¯t receive favour, they will be ridiculed by everyone, including servants. Being in their spots are not easy. She can be considered a little luckypared to them.


    "Thank you for your concerns, sisters. <i>Bengong</i> just needed a little rest, that is all," Mo Qi Qi smiles as she looks at them.


    The concubinesugh, "As long as you are fine, Your Ladyship. We thought you and the emperor had a big fight. You refused to meet anyone for a couple of days while His Majesty seems so busy that he hadn¡¯t had time to meet Yang Shi Han. You must not fight with His Majesty, Your Ladyship. You will only end up pushing him to Yang Shi Han. At the end of the day, you will be the one suffering a loss."


    "Chun Fei is right, Your Ladyship! You must try and get along with His Majesty. With your beauty and your background, Yang Shi Han will never catch up to you!"


    "True! Yang Shi Han always thought she is pretty, but honestly, you are a lot prettier than her!"


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Enough. Let¡¯s not talk about unpleasant things. A few days have passed, <i>bengong</i> is curious about meimeis¡¯ yoga and dancing skills."


    The concubines smile happily, "The dances and the yoga that you taught us are really good. We feel so refreshed!"


    "<i>Bengong</i> is d that all of you like it. Today, <i>bengong</i> would like to teach all of you a new set of skill." Mo Qi Qi purposely tries to sound mysterious.


    Everyone listens to her curiously, "What is it, Your Ladyship?"


    "<i>Bengong</i> is going to teach you a special kind of virtue: singing." She looks at the concubines who are dressed beautifully. She nods in satisfaction. "Let¡¯s go to the courtyard to dance and sing together."


    "Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!"


    They follow Mo Qi Qi outside.


    After the morning court ends, Jun Qian Che finds out that Feng Yang Pce has opened it¡¯s door once more.


    There is this inexplicable excitement in him. He goes to Feng Yang Pce directly without taking his breakfast. He just wants to see if she is doing okay. Remembering what happened that night, his heart is filled with remorse.


    He can hear the sound ofughter as he stands outside Feng Yang Pce¡¯s gate.


    Eunuch Lin wants to announce his arrival, but he stops him.


    Eunuch Lin asks him curiously, "Aren¡¯t you going in, Your Majesty?"


    "No. They are ying happily, do not bother her," Jun Qian Che rests his gaze on Mo Qi Qi. She is looking at everyone while smiling brightly. Even the sun pales inparison to that smile. Who would have thought that she would be ying so happily with the concubines that she used to regard as her enemies? Why is it so? It is because her heart is not longer how it used to be. A woman will not be jealous if she does not love that man. Mo Qi Qi, what should <i>zhen</i> do with you?


    Mo Qi Qi is looking at the concubines happily, "Meimeis must have worked so hard with your dancings, these past few days. <i>Bengong</i> is very happy. The emperor will be touched if he knows this. Next, <i>bengong</i> would like to teach all of you a song called, ¡¯The Most Romantic Thing¡¯!


    ¡¯Back to back, sitting on a rug,


    Listening to music, talking about our dreams


    I hope, you will be even softer and gentler over time,


    And you hope that you are the one in my heart,


    I said I wanted to give you a romantic dream,


    Thank you for taking me to paradise,


    I am not afraid if it will take my whole life,


    I cherish every moment with you,


    I know what the most romantic thing is,


    It is to grow old with you,


    Smiling along the journey,


    From walking, to sitting on a rocking chair, just talking,


    I know what the most romantic thing is,


    It is to grow old with you,


    Until we both have grey hair, and we can no longer walk,


    I still want for you to be the treasure of my heart.¡¯"


    (<strong>TN</strong>: The credit for the trantion of the lyrics is .)


    Something stirs inside Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart as he listens to her song. He wonders how it will be like if they grow old together.


    Impossible. Mo n will have to go, sooner orter. He and Mo Qi Qi will be enemies in the future. He knows all that, so why did he even bother imagining what could have been?


    He shakes his head and turns around to walk away. Now that he has seen her, his heart is at peace.


    "Your Majesty¡ª-" he bumps into Qiu Fei who has just arrived. She didn¡¯t think that her tardiness would result to her identally meeting the emperor. She has a hard time hiding her delight, "Greeting, Your Majesty."


    Qiu Fei¡¯s voice attracts the attention of everyone inside the courtyard. They turn to the entrance and are shocked to find the emperor there. They run over to him and surround him, "Your Majesty¡ª-"


    Jun Qian Che wants to cry. Everyone envies him for having 3000 beauties, but to him, they are all troublesome.


    He turns around and looks at the courtyard again.


    Mo Qi Qi is still standing at her original spot, smiling mockingly while shaking her head.


    He opens his mouth coldly, "<i>Zhen</i> has something to say to the empress. All of you should retreat first."

 Chapter 68

    Creator - sereneandtranquilEditor - sereneandtranquil


    The rest of the concubines are a bit reluctant to do that, but they do not have the guts to defy him. They can only curtsy before leaving with heavy hearts.


    Jun Qian Che enters Feng Yang Pce. Now that he has been discovered, he might as well confront her about what happened the other night.


    Now that they are meeting again, there is this certain embarrassment lingering between them. They are originally a pair of husband and wife, but now that they have consummated their marriage, by force at that, there is this slight awkwardness between them.


    Both of them stand in the courtyard, looking at each other awkwardly.


    Mo Qi Qi does not like this atmosphere and tries to lighten the atmosphere, "Look at how popr you are, Your Majesty! All the meimeis were so happy when they saw you, why didn¡¯t you let them stay?"


    "Are you okay?" Jun Qian Che does not wish to talk about those women.


    His words bring back all the resentment that Mo Qi Qi has been trying to conceal. She looks away, trying her best to appear light-hearted. "I am fine! I eat fine, I sleep fine! There are so many meimeis apanying me to y, to dance, my life is naturally good!"


    "<i>Zhen</i> was out of control that night. <i>Zhen</i> will not force you in the future, <i>zhen</i> will....." Jun Qian Che earnestly promises her.


    "<i>Chenqie</i> has forgotten everything that happened that night. Do not bring it up anymore, let¡¯s just pretend it never happened." Mo Qi Qi pretends tough indifferently.


    Jun Qian Che gives her a long look before turning around and leaving helplessly.


    As Mo Qi Qi stares at his retreating back, she mumbles to herself, "Useless jerk, what is the point of saying all that after doing what you did? Trash. I will give you your retribution, just wait," after saying that, she turns away, plotting ways to get rid of Jun Qian Che.


    The night is dark and gloomy, perfect to do something one wouldn¡¯t want others to know.


    The servants in Yu Jing Pce have gone to rest.


    A ck-clothed figure shadily approach Jun Qian Che¡¯s resting chamber. The person pokes a bamboo stick through the window and blows into it. White smoke floats out of the stick.


    Mo Qi Qi puts away the bamboo stick and starts counting inside her head: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9...


    "Ban Xiang said that this fainting smoke is very powerful. By the count of 10, even the most powerful person will lose consciousness. Hpmh, Jun Qian Che, you dared to force this grannie, see if this grannie won¡¯t finish you today!"


    And so, Mo Qi Qi carefully lowers her body before pushing open the door. Lucky the door is not locked. Seems like even the gods are nning to help her tonight.


    Mo Qi Qi enters the chamber as she carefully eyes her surrounding, no one is in the outer chamber. She smiles arrogantly, seems like she did the right thing by putting the fainting smoke into the room. Then, she carefully creeps into the inner chamber. Since she is too focused on the inner chamber, she identally kicks an antique vase.


    She immediately stoops down to stop it from falling. She pats her chest in relief, "How dangerous."


    She continues making her way to the dragon bed. She stoops down in front of the bed carefully, not wanting to make her presence known. The wooden carving of the rosewood bed draws her attention. She caresses it gently while appreciating it in her heart: This is indeed worthy of being an emperor¡¯s bed. The flowers are vivid and lifelike, what an excellent showcase of craftsmanship. What did they used to carve it so realistically? The ancient people are indeed wondrous!


    After a moment of distraction, Mo Qi Qi holds herself together. She knocks herself in the head, "What on earth is wrong with you, Mo Qi Qi! You are here to kill Jun Qian Che, why are you getting distracted by his bed?"


    She looks around the room again before getting up. Jun Qian Che is lying on top of the bed with his eyes close, asleep.


    Seeing him in deep sleep, she sighs in relief. Then, she sits on the dragon bed, looking at the sleeping Jun Qian Che while pointing at him angrily, "Aren¡¯t you super capable, Jun Qian Che? Even you are not immune against this grannie¡¯s sleeping smoke! You actually dared to force yourself on thisdy, I will send you to the King of the Underworld! The world will change owner tomorrow. Yue Hen will be a better ruler than you!" She reaches for the dagger that she had secured on her waist earlier on, but it is no longer there. She looks for it hastily, "Where is it? I clearly brought it!" She suddenly remembers something.


    She picked up the dagger and prepared to take it with her on her mission. But then, she grew worried and decided to ask Ban Xiang to bring a piece of meat so that she could test the sharpness of the de. The dagger gave the meat a clean cut, easing her worry. And then, she puts the dagger on a table before she went to change. After changing, she put the bamboo stick containing the fainting smoke on her belt and then got thirsty and decided to drink a cup of water. All the while, Ban Xiang was persuading her not to do this. She wouldn¡¯t listen and then ran out. Damn, she forgot the dagger!


    Huhu, what a rotten luck! Everything is ready except for the weapon itself! Even the fainting smoke is something that Ban Xiang had to acquire from some people in the jianghu, it is rare and hard to find.


    She looks at the sleeping Jun Qian Che. This is such a good chance, it will be a great loss if she does not take it.


    No way, she must kill Jun Qian Che tonight. She onlycks the weapon ma~, there are many ways out there to kill a person. She looks at a nearby vase, smirking. "Found it!"


    She runs to the vase and picks it up, ready to smash it on the ground. She can use the ss to cut Jun Qian Che¡¯s vein. Maybe, she can even make it out to be suicide. Hahaha, you are a genius, Mo Qi Qi.


    But, just as she is about to throw it to the floor, she cannot bring herself to. This is a top-quality vase, very rare. The process of making it is veryplicated. There are not many of these that survive the test of time, if she manage to bring this to the modern time, it will be very valuable. Modern people cannot imitate this kind of workmanship. She also feels bad towards the master who made this, he ought to have invested a lot of effort and time in making this. No, she cannot do this. Nobody knows how much her heart breaks everytime they uncover a site only to discover that the antiques are broken. What a pity.


    She puts the vase back to it¡¯s original ce, "Sorry, I almost disfigured you!"


    She needs to find another way. She sits on the bedside, staring at Jun Qian Che¡¯s neck. She narrows her eyes, "The neck is the most important part of a human body. Maybe if I strangle him.... Sorry, Jun Qian Che!" As she prepares to strangle him, she finds herself unable to move her hands.


    The sleeping him is too different from the regr him. Right now, he looks like a child who has not guards at all. His long eyshes are curled prettily under the candlelight, looking like two small fans.


    His thick eyebrows are like those in paintings while his nose is high, as though it has been chiselled out of stone. His lips are thin while his skin is smoother than those cosmetic endorsers on tv. There is no w in his facial features.


    She has always thought that Jun Yue Hen is handsome in an unparalleled way, but to be honest, Jun Qian Che does not lose to him in any way. Just, he usually looks so cold and solemn, so people usually do not have the guts to look at him in the face. Even those who dares to look at him will be too intimdated by his iciness to appreciate his good looks.


    Jun Qian Che, the gods have given you such a handsome face, it is a pity you did not use it to seduce people. Instead of using your looks to your advantage, you used you indifference to push people away. People like you are only hated by other people.


    She picks up a pillow and raises it on top of his face, "Sorry! This very day will be your death anniversary next year." Just as the pillow touches his face, she picks it up again. "No, if I use this way to kill him, he will die in an ugly manner. It will be too scary." The image of a jiangshi appears inside her head. She drops the pillow in fear.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: A Jiangshi is a Chinese zombie.)


    Three of her killing methods have been rejected, Mo Qi Qi is distressed now. How on earth should she kill him?


    She looks around again. In the end, her eyes fall on a sword hanging on the wall. She picks it out from it¡¯s scabbard. The sword gleams under the cold light. With just one nce, she can tell that this is a finely forged sword. If she use this on him, he might not even feel the pain before he passes.


    She returns to the bed: Jun Qian Che, you must not me me. You were the one who wronged me. In your next life, you must learn to be a little warmer. People do not like those who are too cold.


    She swings the sword towards him. When the sword is inches away from him, she stops. She keeps telling herself to do it, but her hands won¡¯t listen to her.


    She helplessly sighs, "You are so useless, Mo Qi Qi. You can¡¯t even do something as easy as swinging the sword." Since she cannot bring herself to kill him, why don¡¯t she just disfigure him? Her eyes fall on that part between his legs.


    She smirks: "Who knows how many women you have hurt. If I get rid of ¡¯that¡¯, you will not be able to do anything even if you wish to. I can save many women from getting hurt if I do that."


    Hehe, if an emperor bes a eunuch, it will be written in the annals of history. He will beughed at for generations toe. It will be even worse than death. Let¡¯s see if he will still be that arrogant after she cuts it off.

 Chapter 69

    Creator - sereneandtranquilEditor - sereneandtranquilIt¡¯s disheartening. When you see morements on a site that has stolen your work, it tells you those readers spit on you. When they thank thieves for the chapter, have engrossing conversations, and support others...It tells us as creators that you do not care for the work we put in.


    Out of all therge sites out there, JFB receives probably the least in terms of donations. Doesn¡¯t phase us. But the creators that provide you with chapters sometimes 5-10x a week, and you can¡¯t even read the chapter on the very tform they put their work on? That is another story. That is you disregarding everything that we are.


    Some may ask, ¡¯What is the point of continuing?¡¯, if you despise us so much. You rather read from thieves.


    To those I see read on Fantasy-Books, with JFB every day, I thank you. I notice you. Sarcht, GonZ555, Mesmerised, Nisem, jppe, Belkar, LightDX, jhodyac, GM_Rusaku, DOHere, Shirou, and a few others. I¡¯ve noticed you. You have supported Fantasy-books/JFB for a while just from yourments here and there.


    And there are a few who have donated. It is you that keep us going. As for those few thousand people (yes, thousands) that spit on us, reading and thanking those that steal from us.


    You disgust me. And I¡¯m proud to tell you.


    -Sincerely,


    J.


    Mo Qi Qi slowly points the sword towards a man¡¯s most important ce. The scene of that night suddenly reys in her head. The reminder of that tearing pain scares her as she looks at that part of his body.


    What happened that night continues swimming inside her head: his rush, his overbearing ways, his gentleness, his care......


    She moves the sword away from him, allowing it to fall on the floor. Then, she covers her face before running out.


    Jun Qian Che slowly opens his eyes and stares at where she just stood.


    He sits up and stares at the sword on the floor, relieved. He was right. He noticed her from the very beginning, he sensed her every moves. He pretended to sleep to see what she wanted to do.


    When he heard that she wanted to kill him, he remained there, peeking at her while she tried to figure out ways to kill him. She looked adorable when she almost dropped the vase. As she picked up a pillow, and then a sword, he made a gamble. She wouldn¡¯t do it. In the end, he was right.


    "Mo Qi Qi, tonight, <i>zhen</i> gave you the chance to kill <i>zhen</i>, to repay <i>zhen¡¯s</i> fault. This opportunity will note again. You are Mo n¡¯s daughter..... If you still choose to side with 7th imperial uncle, then fine, do not regret it."


    As Mo Qi Qi returns to Feng Yang Pce, she mutters to herself, "Why didn¡¯t I do it? He was already unconscious, what was I afraid of? Just one swing and it would have been over! I would have gotten my vengeance and I would even be the empress dowager, why couldn¡¯t I do it?"


    "Your Ladyship! Your Ladyship!" Ban Xiang runs over to her.


    "What is wrong, Ban Xiang?" Mo Qi Qi curiously asks Ban Xiang.


    Ban Xiang heaves heavily as she says, "Killing the emperor is not child¡¯s y. You must think thrice. Even if you managed to kill His Majesty, what will be of Mo n? If there is any evidence left, you will be killed and the entire MO\o n will be buried with you!"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Ban Xiang and teases her, "Are you sleep-walking, Ban Xiang? Why are you only saying this now? Don¡¯t you think you are toote?"


    "Toote? Huhuhuhu, you mean you already killed His Majesty? How are you so fast, Your Ladyship? This servant has just contemted over whether or not I should inform Duke Zhen or the 7th wang so that they wille and help you! No matter what, you and His Majesty were a pair of husband and wife! Do you really have no feelings for each other? You two were sopatible with each other, why did you kill him? Huhu¡ª¡ª¡ª-"


    "Ban Xiang, did you tell Duke Zhen and the 7th wang about <i>bengong¡¯s</i> n?" Mo Qi Qi asks with a racing heart. If they know, this matter will be big. Duke Zhen might even rush into the pce with his troops!


    Ban Xiang sniffles, "This servant wanted to, but the pce gate was locked, this servant could not leave. What should we do, Your Ladyship? Will anyone suspect you over the emperor¡¯s death? Huhu, we better run, Your Ladyship!"


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly sighs, knocking Ban Xiang in the head, "When did I tell you I killed Jun Qian Che?"


    Ban Xiang sniffles again, "Didn¡¯t you said that this servant came toote? Didn¡¯t that mean that you already killed His Majesty?"


    "Aiya, I was just saying that for the sake of saying! If I really killed the emperor, do you think I would be so idle as to chat with you in here, right now? Do you think I am a contract killer, at ease despite having taken a life?!"


    Ban Xiang smiles despite her snot and tears, "Does that mean you didn¡¯t kill him? Hehe, I knew it! His Majesty treats you so well, you wouldn¡¯t have the heart to kill him!"


    "Wei, Ban Xiang, can you not speak so carelessly? If Jun Qian Che really treated me well, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to kill him! I didn¡¯t kill him not because I didn¡¯t have the heart to, but because I didn¡¯t want him to have an easy death! He was unconscious, he wouldn¡¯t feel the pain. It would be too easy on him! If you hate a person, you want them to die in pain. Besides, judging from the night sky, this is not a good night to kill a person. So, I spared him for now." She said all these for both Ban Xiang and herself; otherwise she really doesn¡¯t know why she couldn¡¯t kill him.


    "That¡¯s it?" Ban Xiang asks suspiciously.


    Mo Qi Qi firmly says, "Of course! Alright, it iste at night, let¡¯s not talk about killing someone while standing here. What if we bump into ghosts? <i>Bengong</i> is tired, let¡¯s return to our pce."


    As Ban Xiang looks at the back profile of her master who is hastily leaving, she smiles, "Her Ladyship cannot bear to hurt His Majesty. Hihi....." A cold wind blows by. Ban Xiang looks around, the entire path is dark. Remembering about the ghost that Mo Qi Qi told her, she runs after her master, "Your Ladyship, wait!"


    In the blink of an eye, a couple of days passed. Today, Feng Yang Pce wees two esteemed guests, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s mother and older brother.


    Although it is said that consorts aren¡¯t allowed to regrly meet their family, the empress is an exception. The power of Mo n is too big, so the emperor treats them extremely well. They are allowed to regrly enter the pce to meet the empress.


    It has been a couple of days since the Mo Madam did not meet her daughter, she misses her so much. She has not been able to visit Mo Qi Qi because of Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death. She was worried that the emperor would mistreat her daughter, so she brings Mo Cheng Xuan with her to visit Mo Qi Qi today.


    Mo Qi Qi is surprised by their visit, "Mother, Brother,e on and sit." She intimately beckons them over.


    After sitting down, the mother hold the daughter¡¯s hand in concern, "It has been a while since west met, Your Ladyship. Are you doing alright?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "I am fine, Mother, do not worry." Although she was also a rich young miss in her previous life, she was taught really well. She was not arrogant and condescending. She was the type that would try her best to not to worry her parents.


    Now that she has entered this body, the previous owner¡¯s family members are also her family members. She will notin about her problem with Jun Qian Che to them lest she worries them.


    "Your Ladyship seems like you have lost weight. Do you have any problem?" the mother is still worried.


    Mo Qi Qi touches her own face, "Really? Then my diet is sessful."


    "Diet?" her mother looks at her in surprise.


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Yeah. Have you heard of this saying, mother: Gain weight in January and you will be unrecognizable in February, if you don¡¯t lose weight in March, you will be depressed in April. People will make fun of you in May and you will not have any boyfriend in June, you will get tanned in July and will stay indoor in August. You will gain more weight in September and gets rejected on a blind date in October. You will be alone in November and will have no bust-waist-hips in December. Bust-waist-hips are really important, that is why I need to diet, so that I can show my curves when summeres."


    Her mother gives her a look of disapproval, "You are not fat, Your Ladyship. Your body is perfect, so many people are jealous of you."


    Mo Qi Qiughs.


    Her mother continues looking at her in worry, "Did His Majesty told you to lose weight?"


    Mo Qi Qi immediately shakes her head, "No, no. His Majesty has no requirement when ites to our figures. Daughter thinks that slimming down a little is better."


    Her mother disagrees with her, "It is still better for women to have a little more flesh. Men will like it more. Do not lose any more weight, it will not look pretty."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright, I will listen to Mother. I will not lose weight anymore."


    Her mother sighs in relief, "That is good. Your Ladyship, your father was worried about Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> incident the other day. He almost went to the pce to look for His Majesty, but he was stopped by your brother. This matter is now solved and it has been determined that it has nothing to do with you. Mother is still worried nheless; did His Majesty punish you in secret?"


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "No, His Majesty treated me really well. Thank you for stopping Father, Brother. Things would have gotten really messy if you hadn¡¯t. His Majesty said that since I had nothing to do with it, he will not do anything to me."


    Her mother and Mo Cheng Xuan exchange a look.


    Mo Cheng Xuan asks her, "His Majesty really said that?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Yes. Do you think I would lie to you, Brother?"


    "Brother naturally believes in what you said. Your Ladyship has gotten a lot calmer and more mature," Mo Cheng Xuan emotionally says. If this had been in the past, she would have informed Duke Zhen before anything even happens. The emperor would have to suppress everything regardless if it was indeed her or not. She actually handled it calmly, this time. The way the emperor handled this is very curious as well.


    Although he had stopped his father from making rash moves, he still sent people to secretly investigate Dong <i>Fei¡¯s</i> death. She died from injuries inflicted from the Art of San Zhi, a kind of art that Mo Qi Qi is very good at. It didn¡¯t matter if she did it or not, the emperor could have persecuted her for it all the same. Hadn¡¯t he been trying to root out Mo n? This had been a very good opportunity, why didn¡¯t he take it?


    "People will grow up. I was so rash in the past, I was really bad. Not only did I caused all of you to be worried about me, I also caused all of you to be a joke in front of everyone else. I ended up embarrassing His Majesty as well. I will strive to be a virtuous empress in the future, I will not worry you all anymore." Mo Qi Qi smiles sweetly.


    Mo Cheng Xuan praises her when he hears that, "Brother is really happy for you now that you have changed. Mo n will always be your family. If you stumble across any problem, do not fret over it by yourself. We will be there for you."


    Their mother nods, "Your brother is right."


    "Do not worry, Mother, Brother; I will." She really likes this mother and brother, they are so simr to her past ones. They give her the feeling of familial warmth in this strange ce.


    Her mother pulls her hand once more before saying, "Your Ladyship, you have been married for two years. It is about time for you to give His Majesty a little prince. Once you do, you will no longer have to worry about anything."

 Chapter 70

    Creator - sereneandtranquilEditor - sereneandtranquilWe¡¯ll sponsor a chapter of the novel of your choice for the first person to be our 250th follower. So, if you have friends, get them to join. Let your friends or association know andnd that 250 mark! @everyone


    Mo Cheng Xuan excuses himself when he notices that they are going to persist with womanly topics.


    Mo Qi Qi almost chokes to death on her tea when she hears her mother, "Mother, can I please trouble you not to crack a joke right when I am drinking? I almost choke to death!"


    "This child! Mother is being serious! It was not a joke!" her mother says in gentle aggravation.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her in horror, "You were serious? Mother, please get rid of those thoughts! I would rather die than to give birth to Jun Qian Che¡¯s child!"


    "Why are you saying that, Your Ladyship? You have always liked His Majesty. Hadn¡¯t it been your dream to give His Majesty children?" the Duchess looks at her child curiously. Her daughter has changed too much, to the point where she barely recognizes her anymore.


    "Huh? That was the old Mo Qi Qi! I no longer harbour those thoughts. Life is so short, why should we live it in hardship? I only want to live in peace." The thing she wants the most right now is to go back to her own world.


    Seeing the earnest look on her child¡¯s face, the Duchess cautiously asks her, "Do you not love His Majesty anymore, Your Ladyship? Or maybe¡ª- you think that the 7th king suits you better? Honestly, both the 7th king and His Majesty are good. Marrying either one of them is good."


    "The 7th king is indeed good. He is warmer, kinder and more handsome than His Majesty. But what does that have to do with me? Both of them does not suit me, to be honest." Yue Hen is good, but there will always be an invisible line separating them. Being the wife of an imperial family member is too tiring, if she has a choice, they will not be in them.


    Her mother sighs, "Wretched destiny, ah! Your father wanted to marry you off to the 7th wang back then, but you were hell-bent on marrying His Majesty. Now that you got what you wanted, you realized that you are notpatible with him. But do not worry. If you want to be with the 7th wang, your father can arrange everything for you."


    "I think you¡¯ve misunderstood me, Mother. I never said I want to marry the 7th wang. Being the empress is not that bad, honestly." Stop tossing me around. Be it the emperor or the 7th king, they are both imperial family members.


    If she divorce Jun Qian Che and marries Jun Yue Hen, she will still have to meet Jun Qian Che in the future. How awkward will that be! Besides, she cannot afford to leave the pce yet. Her way back to her own world might be here.


    Her mother smiles when she hears that, "If you want to protect this position, you can. Your father will just make the 7th king the emperor, you can be the empress."


    Mo Qi Qi covers her mouth in surprise, "Mother, you actually dared to say such taboo words?"


    Her mother smiles, "The only reason the emperor managed to ascend the throne so easily was because Mo n was supporting him. Your father only supported him because you liked him, and because he promised you the position of his empress. Now that you no longer like him and still wants to be the empress, your father can arrange the person you like to be the emperor so that you can keep your position."


    Mo Qi Qiments over the previous owner¡¯s fate: You were too pitiful. The man that you wanted so much only used you to get his throne. You were a mere pawn.


    "Does Father have the intention to rebel, Mother?" Mo Qi Qi cautiously asks. If Duke Zhen really wants to rebel, she must find the way back to her world before he even begins.


    Her mother shakes her head, "Mother does not know matters regarding the men."


    Mo Cheng Xuan waits for his mother outside Feng Yang Pce.


    Yang Shi Han who is on her way to the imperial study spots his tall and lean physique from afar. A sly smile is formed on her lips as she changes route, heading straight towards Feng Yang Pce.


    "<i>Bengong</i> was wondering who is standing over here, turns out it is the capable Great General Mo!" Yang Shi Han says while carrying a small smile, her voice gentle and sweet to the ears.


    Mo Cheng Xuan cups his fists in front of her, "Greeting, Your Ladyship."


    "You are being too courteous, General Mo. You must be here to see the empress. The empress is too much, how can she let her own brother wait outside like this!" Yang Shi Han unhappily says.


    Mo Cheng Xuan remains calm as he says, "You misunderstood the empress, Your Ladyship. Mother and the empress are chatting inside, so this general decided to wait outside until they finish."


    "Oh, so it is like that! <i>Bengong</i> indeed misunderstood the empress. But still, you are a guest. What will people say if they see you waiting outside like this? They might say that the imperial pce is discourteous towards guests. Why don¡¯t you sit in <i>bengong¡¯s</i> pce while you wait? Let <i>bengong</i> entertain you on behalf of the empress," Yang Shi Han enthusiastically says.


    Mo Cheng Xuan looks at her in shock, "Thank you for your kind intention, Your Ladyship, but this General is a man, it is not proper for me to sit in your pce."


    Yang Shi Han covers her smile, "What is there to be improper? Will you be doing something you ought not to do?"


    "This General does not dare to! Just, this is the harem, inviting a man to your pce will taint your reputation. It is better for this general to wait for Mother here," Mo Cheng Xuan calmly rejects her offer.


    Yang Shi Han sighs, "Ah, <i>bengong</i> have always heard that General is brave and awe-insprising, <i>bengong</i> didn¡¯t think that you will pay that much importance to etiquette. Since you refused <i>bengong¡¯s</i> offer, <i>bengong</i> should not force you. But still, <i>bengong</i> really admires you. Ever since <i>bengong</i> was little, <i>bengong</i> have always looked up to great heroes. <i>Bengong</i> always thought that heroes are admirable and brave, especially in the battlefield. <i>Bengong</i> have heard of your famed reputation, <i>bengong</i> have always wanted to meet you. Although we¡¯ve met during banquets, we¡¯ve never really met directly. Today can be considered a pleasant coincidence. <i>Bengong</i> heard that you crushed the enemy¡¯s 300,000 troops with only 100,000 troops a while ago. You are too remarkable, General Mo. You have worked hard for our Hua Chen Kingdom. Let <i>bengong</i> give this tonic to you to convey <i>bengong¡¯s</i> gratitude over your hard work. This was originally meant for the emperor, but since <i>bengong</i> bumped into our kingdom¡¯s trusted official along the way, might as well give it to him," Yang Shi Han personally picks up a bowl on a tray that is being carried by a maid. She hands the bowl over to Mo Cheng Xuan.


    Mo Cheng Xuan carefully says, "This is a tonic that you brewed for His Majesty, this General dares not drink it."


    "No need to be so courteous, General. This is just a bowl of tonic. <i>Bengong</i> will just ask people to brew some more for His Majesty," Yang Shi Han persistently offers the bowl to Mo Cheng Xuan.


    Mo Cheng Xuan declines, "Thank you for your kind intention, Your Ladyship, but this General will not receive this."


    "It is alright, drink it."


    "No, thank you."


    The two people keep pushing and pulling. In the end, they end up spilling the tonic on Yang Shi Han¡¯s beautiful gown.


    She snaps angrily at him, "You sure are gutsy, Mo Cheng Xuan! It is one thing to reject <i>bengong¡¯s</i>kind gift, but you actually dared to spill it on <i>bengong</i>!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan politely says, "Please forgive me, Your Ladyship. It was unintentional."


    "Hmph! It was clearly done on purpose. You must have done that to let out some steam since <i>bengong</i> is more favoured than the empress!" Yang Shi Han says angrily.


    "It really was not done on purpose, Your Ladyship. This bowl was meant for His Majesty, this General naturally did not dare to drink it. You were the one who kept insisting...."


    "Are you trying to say that this is all <i>bengong¡¯s</i> own fault?" Yang Shi Han demanded.


    "This General does not dare to." Mo Cheng Xuan is not very good when ites to talking to women.


    "Does not dare to? That means that deep inside, you are really ming <i>bengong</i>!" Yang Shi Han purposely does not let the matter go.


    Mo Cheng Xuan does not know how to exin himself, "Since Your Ladyship thinks that this General is at fault, this General can only give in. Please forgive me for spilling the tonic on you, Your Ladyship."


    Yang Shi Han¡¯s eyes light up as she smiles arrogantly, "If you dare to do it, you must be prepared to admit it. Since General has admitted fault, <i>bengong</i> naturally will have to punish you, but punishment will have to wait until after <i>bengong</i> changed. Please follow <i>bengong</i> to Gui Ning Pce."


    "Yes!" Mo Cheng Xuan follows her to Gui Ning Pce. This Yang Guifei appears fragile and gentle, but the truth is, her personality is theplete opposite. No wonder Qi Qi hates her so much. She enjoys making things hard for other people, Qi Qi naturally will not tolerate that.


    The smell of incense fills Gui Ning Pce. It is not thick and overbearing like other incense. Instead, this one feels light and cooling.


    Mo Cheng Xuan stands inside the entertaining hall. Although he is here to receive punishment, he does not show any trace of fear at all.


    Yang Shi Han orders her people, "All of you may leave first. <i>Bengong</i> has something to say to the general."


    "Yes!" Her servants retreat, leaving only her and Mo Cheng Xuan inside the hall.


    He respectfully looks at her, "How will you punish this General, Your Ladyship?"


    Yang Shi Han nces at him before arrogantly saying, "What are you hasty for? <i>Bengong</i> is still soaking wet. Wait here while <i>bengong</i> change. After that, <i>bengong</i> wille up with a suitable punishment."


    "Yes," Mo Cheng Xuan calmly replies.


    Yang Shi Han walks into her chamber with a smirk. Mo Cheng Xuan, <i>bengong</i> kindly invited you but you refused toe and forced <i>bengong</i> to resort to this method. You must not me <i>bengong</i>!


    Yang Shi Han goes to change while Mo Cheng Xuan obediently waits outside. He is indeed a calm and level-headed young man. His temperament is theplete opposite of his father¡¯s.


    She picks up a dress that she likes before slowly changing into it.


    Not longter, a scream can be heard from inside her chamber, "Ah! Help!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan who hears that scream hesitates over what he should do. That is the Guifei¡¯s chamber, a man must not enter it.


    "Ah! Do note over! Go away! Go away!" Yang Shi Han screams from inside her room.


    After a moment of hesitation, Mo Cheng Xuan rushes in, "What happened, Your Ladyship?"


    "Ah!" Yang Shi Han screams in horror when she sees him.


    Mo Cheng Xuan really wants to poke his own eyes out.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    <strong>Serene</strong>: What an idiot smh

 Chapter 71

    Creator - sereneandtranquil Editor - sereneandtranquil We''ll sponsor a chapter of the novel of your choice for the first person to be our 250th follower. So, if you have friends, get them to join. Let your friends or association know andnd that 250 mark! @everyone


    At the moment, Yang Shi Han is only wearng her inner garments. Although the important parts are all concealed, men aren''t supposed to even look at women''s feet, let alone anywhere else.


    Yang Shi Han hastily covers her own chest.


    Mo Cheng Xuan immediately turns around, "Please forgive me, Your Ladyship. This general didn''t do it on purpose!"


    "You are too much, Mo Cheng Xuan. Not only were you disrespectful towards <i>bengong</i>, you actually dared to enter <i>bengong''s</i> private chamber! You must be tired on living!"


    Her servants who hear her scream rush in, "What happened, Your Ladyship?"


    By now, Yang Shi Han has already properly put on her dress. She nces at her servants icily, "Are you people blind? Didn''t you see that General Mo has rushed into <i>bengong''s</i> private chamber?"


    Yang Shi Han''s personal maid, Qing Er unhappily says, "You are too preposterous, General Mo. No men can simply enter Her Ladyship''s chamber!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan tries to exin himself: "Yang Guifei, this general heard you calling for help and thought someone had attacked you. This general did not do this intentionally."


    Yang Shi Han walks in front of him and stares at him before saying, "Let <i>bengong</i> ask you something, General Mo. Do you find <i>bengong</i> beautiful?" She is wearing a palevender dress at the moment,yered with thin gauze. She looks particrly beautiful and refined. Her long hair are flying gracefully at the moment due to the wind from the window. She is wearing some pearl ornaments in the shape of flowers on her head, making her look as though she is glowing. Her skin is fair and smooth. She looks like a celestial being from the heaven. Her fingers are slender and her skin is creamy and her smile is charming, inciting emotions that one cannotprehend. She looks at him almost haughtily, waiting for his reply.


    He looks back at her while calmly saying, "Beautiful."


    Yang Shi Han smiles arrogantly, "Since you think <i>bengong</i> is beautiful, you must have harboured some ill-intention towards <i>bengong</i>. That was why you trespassed into <i>bengong''s</i> chamber."


    Mo Cheng Xuan continues exining himself, "You''ve misunderstood, Your Ladyship. This general has said it just now, this general heard you screaming for help, that was why this general rushed in."


    "Hmph, stop lying. <i>Bengong''s</i> Gui Ning Pce has always been tightly-guarded, never mind an assassin, even a fly cannot fly in! <i>Bengong</i> was only screaming because there was a cockroach." Yang Shi Han looks at him with her chin tipped high.


    Hearing her words, Mo Cheng Xuan realizes that he was the one who had been impulsive, "It was this general who lost conduct, please forgive me! This general is willing to be punished. I will wait outside while you sort your appearance out, Your Ladyship."


    Yang Shi Han smiles proudly as she looks at Mo Cheng Xuan who is walking out: How can there be someone so righteous in this world? Idiot.


    After a moment, she walks out and sits on her designated seat. She looks at Mo Cheng Xuan and imposingly asks him, "Mo Cheng Xuan, you wronged <i>bengong</i> again. A mistake on top of a mistake. How do you think <i>bengong</i> should punish you?"


    Mo Qi Qi very quickly finds out about Yang Shi Han taking her brother away.


    Sheforts her worried mother, "Please wait for us here, Mother. We will return soon."


    She rushes to Gui Ning Pce and hears that question just in time. She cuts them off, "Who do you think you are to punish <i>bengong''s</i> brother?"


    Seeing Mo Qi Qi who is walking in, Yang Shi Han smiles arrogantly, "The empress sure came fast. Since you are here, please mediate over this matter for <i>chenqie</i>. General Mo not only spilled the soup that <i>chenqie</i> prepared for His Majesty, he also rushed into <i>chenqie''s</i> chamber while <i>chenqie</i> was changing! What kind of punishment do you think he should get, Your Ladyship?"


    "Hmph, that is only from your side! How can <i>bengong</i> believe anything if ites from only one side of the story!" Mo Qi Qi res at Yang Shi Han.


    Yang Shi Han smiles, "Alright, you can ask General Mo himself if <i>chenqie</i> was lying."


    Mo Qi Qi turns to Mo Cheng Xuan, "<i>Ge</i>, was Yang Guifei telling the truth?"


    Mo Cheng Xuan nods, "Yang Guifei was telling the truth."


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly has the desire to knock him in the head. Must this brother be so honest? When faced with the sly Yang Shi Han, even the truth might not be the truth. She is here to save him, but now that he said that, how is she going to do just that?


    Yang Shi Han raises her brow haughtily at Mo Qi Qi, "You heard it yourself, Your Ladyship. <i>Chenqie</i> was not framing him."


    "I don''t believe you. My brother is not that kind of person," Mo Qi Qi retorts back. Although she has only meet Mo Cheng Xuan for a couple of times, she can tell that he is a very upright person. He is a rule-abider and is also very collected. There must be something wrong in this.


    "Your brother admitted it himself, are you still trying to make excuses for him?" Yang Shi Han mockinglyughs.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Yang Shi Han in disdain, "<i>Bengong</i> wants to know something. If you were on your way to send soup to His Majesty, what were you doing in front of Feng Yang Pce? It was not in the way. Did you purposely went to Feng Yang Pce with ill-intention?"


    "Please be mindful of your words, Your Ladyship. The pce is so big, it is up to <i>chenqie</i> to take whichever route <i>chenqie</i> wanted! There is no rule against that," Yang Shi Han arrogantly retorts back.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "There is indeed no rule against that. You can pass by <i>bengong''s</i> pce, but why did you stop when you saw <i>bengong''s</i> brother? How did he end up spilling soup on you?"


    "<i>Chenqie</i> was just kind-heartedly offering him the soup. It is okay if he wants to reject it, but he actually spilled it on <i>chenqie</i>! He was too disrespectful!"


    Mo Qi Qi looks like she has finally caught onto something, "Oh, so it is like that? Hm. Let <i>bengong</i> tell you something, Yang Guifei. <i>Bengong''s</i> brother is not the only one who does not dare to drink your soup, even <i>bengong</i> does not have the guts to! That was meant for His Majesty, if he drinks it, people will say that he was preposterous and took the emperor''s things. That is a very big crime! Rather than bearing that crime, it is better if he simply spills it on you! At least he will only be called ''disrespectful''!"


    "You¡ª" Yang Shi Han angrily says.


    Mo Cheng Xuan suddenly speaks up, "This general did not spill it on ident. It simply spilled when this general was rejecting it."


    Mo Qi Qi shrugs, "Did you hear that, Yang Meimei? My brother did not do it on purpose!"


    Yang Shi Han rebuts them, "Does saying he didn''t do it on purpose automatically means that he really didn''t do it on purpose? He is your brother, you will naturally believe him. <i>Bengong</i> does not! Even if <i>bengong</i> can let that go, he actually sneaked into <i>bengong''s</i> chamber afterwards to peek at <i>bengong</i> while <i>bengong</i> was changing! <i>Bengong</i> is the emperor''s most loved woman! If the emperor knows, he might even kill him!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan earnestly says, "This is really this general''s fault. This general will seek punishment in front of the emperor, now." He turns around to walk out.


    Before Mo Qi Qi even gets to stop him, Yang Shi Han shrieks at him angrily, "You stop right there! Do not bring this in front of His Majesty!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan looks at her in confusion, "Why not? This general saw you while you were changing clothes, it is only right for this general to seek punishment in front of the emperor."


    Mo Qi Qi tugs at his sleeves and whispers to him, "Have you gone mad, <i>Ge</i>? You may really lose your life. He will lose so much face if this matter spreads."


    "Since Imitted a blunder, it is only natural for me to bear the punishment," Mo Cheng Xuan says with a righteous air.


    Mo Qi Qi wants to vomit blood. Can this brother not be so gentlemanly? Why couldn''t he be as temperamental as their father? If he is like their father, Yang Shi Han would be done long ago.


    "What punishment? Yang Shi Han clearly framed you! She has always been wary of my position. Since she cannot do anything to me, she decided to target my family members! She is too despicable, just wait and see how I handle her," Mo Qi Qi whispers back.


    "Yang Shi Han, my brother will not be interested in watching you change. You must have done something that made him rushed over," Mo Qi Qi res at him.


    Yang Shi Hanughs mockingly, "Then go on and ask him whether or not he saw me undressing."


    "I¡ª¡ª¡ª-" Mo Cheng Xuan does not know what to say to that. He had indeed seen her without her dress.


    Mo Qi Qi speaks up, "There is something wrong here. If my brother had really purposely peeked at you, why wouldn''t you let him meet the emperor?"


    Yang Shi Han momentarily freezes before saying, "Do you think everyone is like you; shameless? If this matter spread, where will <i>bengong</i> put my face? <i>Bengong</i> wouldn''t let him meet the emperor because <i>bengong</i> didn''t want the matter to turn big!"


    When Mo Cheng Xuan hears that, he nods in agreement, "You were right, Your Ladyship. This generalcked tact."


    "<i>Ge</i>, why are you speaking up for her? She wants to punish you!" Mo Qi Qi tugs at her brother''s arm.


    Mo Cheng Xuan turns to her with an earnest face, "It is true, a woman''s reputation is really important."


    Mo Qi Qi ps her own forehead, "You are too stupid! You usually looked so brilliant, yet why are you turning into a malleable fool when in front of Yang Shi Han? Can''t you see that Yang Shi Han is taking advantage of the situation?"


    "Please don''t put it that way, Your Ladyship. It was indeed I, who was too impulsive," Mo Cheng Xuan says.


    Mo Qi Qi is downright speechless now.


    "Since General Mo is admitting fault, do not me <i>bengong</i> for punishing you."


    Mo Qi Qi points at Yang Shi Han angrily, "Do not step over the line, Yang Shi Han! Do you really think my brother will not act against you!"


    Yang Shi Han says, "Are you threatening <i>chenqie</i>, Your Ladyship? <i>Chenqie</i> originally did not want to punish him too hard, he is still after all, a meritous official of Hua Chen Kingdom. <i>Bengong</i>does not wish to be hated by themon people. <i>Chenqie</i> originally wanted him to atone his mistakes bypensating <i>chenqie</i> with a brand new dress, but who would have thought that the empress would be rushing over, using <i>chenqie</i> things. Now, <i>chenqie</i> is really angry. If the empress does not wish for <i>chenqie</i> to make this matter big, you should kneel and ask for forgiveness. Perhaps, <i>chenqie</i> will let go of your brother."


    Seeing Yang Shi Han purposely making things hard for his sister, Mo Cheng Xuan speaks up unhappily, "Yang Guifei, let the guilty one bear his own punishment. This has nothing to do with the empress, stop making things hard for her. You yourself are currentlymitting a big ethical blunder."


    Yang Shi Han angrily snaps at him, "Mo Cheng Xuan, you are the one whomitted the crime, you have no right to speak at the moment! I just want her to kneel in front of me! If she doesn''t, you two should not even dream of leaving this ce."


    "Don''t cross the line, Yang Shi Han," scolds Mo Qi Qi.


    Yang Shi Han haughtily tips her chin, "Don''t cross the line? Even the empress knows that there is a line not to be crossed? Wasn''t this something that you yourself used to do? You humiliated me in this manner as well, have you forgotten? If you don''t want this matter to reach the emperor, you better do as I ask."


    Mo Qi Qi scoffs at her, "You must be dreaming. Since it has reached this step, let''s bring this matter to His Majesty."


    "What is there to be bring to <i>zhen</i>?" speak of Cao Cao and Cao Caoes. Jun Qian Che is actually here.

 Chapter 72

    Creator - sereneandtranquilEditor - sereneandtranquil


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    Everyone bows to greet him, "Greeting, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che sits on the main seat. He waves them off, "All of you may get up. What is going on, what are the empress and General Mo doing here in Gui Ning Pce?"


    Now that Jun Qian Che is here, Yang Shi Han changes approach and sheds tears pitifully, "Your Majesty, the empress and General Mo are bullying <i>chenqie</i>."


    Mo Qi Qi is utterly dumbfounded when she hears that, "What a pity you are not an actress, Yang Shi Han! You were the one who was making things hard for us, now you are saying that we are the one bullying you?"


    "Just listen to her, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> is just a weak woman, how can <i>chenqie</i> bully both the empress and General Mo? You must give <i>chenqie</i> justice, Your Majesty," Yang Shi Han¡¯s pitiful look sure can move the hardest heart.


    Mo Qi Qi is having a hard time reining in her emotions. She points at Yang Shi Han usingly, "Yang Shi Han, don¡¯t think that I wouldn¡¯t dare to punish you just because you are Jun Qian Che¡¯s beloved consort! I will teach you a lesson today, so that you¡¯d only speak the truth from now on!"


    She rushes towards Yang Shi Han, only to be stopped by her brother. "Cease your anger, Your Ladyship."


    "Do not stop me, <i>Ge</i>. Yang Guifei is too despicable!"


    Jun Qian Che icily opens his mouth, "That is enough, empress. Do you not see <i>zhen</i> in here?"


    Mo Qi Qi momentarily calms down as she earnestly addresses Jun Qian Che, "Please cease your anger, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> simply lost control after hearing Yang Guifei¡¯s lies."


    "The empress hates it when people lie as well?" Jun Qian Che calmly asks, though one can somehow sense the slight usation underneath his voice.


    Mo Qi Qi does not think too much of it and quickly says, "Of course! Who likes it when they are being lied to? Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> knows that you favors Yang Guifei, but please investigate this matter properly. Yang Guifei was the one who started it, yet she went around using everyone else."


    Jun Qian Che turns to Yang Shi Han, "What is going on?"


    Yang Shi Han tells him everything from the beginning till the end.


    After hearing Yang Shi Han¡¯s exnation, Jun Qian Che turns to Mo Cheng Xuan, "Is Yang Guifei telling the truth, Official Mo?"


    Mo Cheng Xuan respectfully replies him, "Her Ladyship was telling the truth. Please punish this official, Your Majesty."


    Mo Qi Qi immediately helps Mo Cheng Xuan up, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> does not believe what my brother said. The fact that he rejected Yang Guifei¡¯s soup signifies his loyalty to you. If he had drank it, he would be branded as a preposterous official. Even Yang Guifei¡¯s name would be dragged through the mud along with his. One is a consort and the other is an official, just how inappropriate would it be if he drank the soup she made in the middle of the back pce. As for my brother rushing into Yang Guifei¡¯s private chamber, it was not his even his fault. Yang Guifei screamed for her life over a little cockroach, did the cockroach threatened to take her life? It is one¡¯s natural instinct to assume that Yang Guifei¡¯s life is in danger the moment she screamed for her life, my brother is a military general, it is his instinct to protect the weak. Besides, Yang Guifei wasn¡¯tpletely bare, then. What is the problem?"


    "You¡ª- Did you hear the empress, Your Majesty? Is she implying that she wants her brother to see <i>chenqie</i>pletely naked?" Yang Shi Han looks at Jun Qian Che in grievance.


    "Your Ladyship, that was not what the empress means," Mo Cheng Xuan tries to back his sister.


    Mo Qi Qi is unruffled, "Hmph, even if you werepletely naked, my brother still wouldn¡¯t be willing to look at you! My brother is so perfect, there are so many girls wanting to be with him. As for you? Hmph. You are not worthy of him! Who do you think you are, a young maiden?" The one man that suits you is Jun Qian Che, that trash.


    "You¡ª You¡ª-"¡¯ Yang Shi Han is so angry that she does not know what to say.


    Jun Qian Che unhappily reprimands her, "Mind your bearing, empress. Do not speak nonsense."


    "<i>Chenqie</i> was not speaking nonsense, Your Majesty! You are too biased towards Yang Guifei! You scolded me for wearing a dancing dress, saying that it was too revealing, but look at what Yang Guifei is wearing! The material is so thin! You can clearly see her shoulders, the opening of the cor is too big as well, pretty much the top part of her chest is being unted. Maybe, she was trying to seduce my brother, but my brother¡¯s mental strength was too strong, so she could only resort to this method. There are so many beautiful women near my brother, why would he look at her?"


    "You- You- You¡ª" Yang Shi Han is so angry that her face turns red.


    Jun Qian Che res at Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi clicks her tongue.


    Yang Shi Han turns to Jun Qian Che coquettishly, "Your Majesty, you must give <i>chenqie</i> justice! The empress is mocking <i>chenqie</i> in that manner! General Mo acts upright in front of others, but the truth is he tried to molest <i>chenqie</i> earlier on!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan is shocked, "You must not nder this General, Your Ladyship! When did this General tried to molest you?"


    "You did! Had Qing Er not rushed in as fast as she could, who knows what you would have done to <i>bengong</i>!" Yang Shi Han sends Qing Er a look.


    Qing Er backs her mistress up, "Answering Your Majesty, this servant heard Guifei Niang Niang screaming for help and had rushed in. This servant saw General Mo inside Her Ladyship¡¯s chamber, standing very close to her. It was clear that his intention was not good."


    Mo Qi Qi snaps angrily, "Stop ndering innocent people, Yang Shi Han! If my brother had tried to molest you, why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier?"


    "I was trying to protect my reputation, earlier. I didn¡¯t want others to talk about me behind my back. But now, I have made up my mind. I don¡¯t care what people want to say, I will tell it like it is! I must not let him harm other people in the future," Yang Shi Han puts on an aggrieved look.


    Mo Cheng Xuan sneers coldly, "Who would have thought that you are this kind of person, Yang Guifei."


    "How dare you speak like that towards <i>bengong</i>, Mo Cheng Xuan? To be hearing that from the mouth of the offender...." Yang Shi Han reprimands him before sending a provocative look towards Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi clenches her fists angrily, "Yang Guifei speaks without any basis. Relying on your personal maid as the witness is too far-fetched. Please do not listen to only one side, Your Majesty!"


    Yang Shi Han quickly grabs Jun Qian Che¡¯s arm and coquettishly says, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is telling the truth."


    Jun Qian Che inconspicuously takes his arm away from her before looking at her coldly, "<i>Zhen</i> can differentiate between the truth and whatnot. This matter is done here, the empress and General Mo can leave."


    Yang Shi Han looks at him in dissatisfaction, "Your Majesty, General Mo was preposterous towards <i>chenqie</i>, are you really letting him go?"


    Mo Qi Qi gives Yang Shi Han a big eyeroll before curtsying in front of Jun Qian Che, "Your Majesty is wise and fair. <i>Chenqie</i> would like to retreat first. <i>Ge</i>, let¡¯s go."


    Mo Cheng Xuan cups his fists respectfully, "This general shall retreat first."


    Once Mo Qi Qi and Mo Cheng Xuan leaves, Yang Shi Han unhappily turns towards Jun Qian Che, "Why did you let them go, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Che looks at her icily, "What else is there to do; kill Mo Cheng Xuan?"


    "<i>Chenqie</i> wasn¡¯t asking you to kill him. Just punish him a little, to lighten Mo n¡¯s power. Haven¡¯t you always wanted to root out Mo n?" Yang Shi Han mumbles under her breath.


    "Of course <i>zhen</i> wants to root out Mo n, but not using these petty methods. Your petty little trick is useless when ites to <i>zhen¡¯s</i>bigger n. It doesn¡¯t do you any help, either. If you want a man¡¯s heart, you shouldn¡¯t make him remember you in a way that makes him loathe you. Do not use this kind of methods again. You will only lower yourself. You will only make Mo Cheng Xuan hate you even more."


    Yang Shi Han nods, "Yes, I understand."


    Mo Qi Qi and Mo Cheng Xuan make their way back to Feng Yang Pce.


    She is still furious with what has happened, "Yang Shi Han is too despicable. She actually used this kind of method to harm you. How hateful!"


    Mo Cheng Xuan simply smiles.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him curiously, "What are you smiling at, <i>ge</i>? You almost got harmed to death by Yang Shi Han!"


    "It was not that serious. I am smiling because I am happy for you. You have changed, Qi Qi. You have be a lot calmer, you are no longer impulsive as you used to be. You have learned to rein in your anger. I have been worried about you ever since you entered the pce. I was afraid that you would be too impulsive to control your temper and offends everyone you see, especially the emperor. Now that I know that is not the case, I am relieved."


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qiughs, "<i>Ge</i>, I shouldn¡¯t have let you worry over me like that, in the past. That was not right on my part. Don¡¯t worry, I will protect myself well, from now on. You don¡¯t have to worry about me, anymore. <i>Ge</i>, are you really not angry over what had happened today?"


    Mo Cheng Xuan smiles elegantly, "Not really. Yang Guifei is not really evil, she was just pampered while growing, she is used to having things her way. She wants to be on top of everyone else. Now that you are the empress and she has to settle with being below you, it does not sit well with her. She wants to figure out ways to anger you. If you are angry, that means that you have taken her bait." Honestly, Yang Shi Han¡¯s personality is like the past Qi Qi. Seeing her reminds him of the younger version of his sister.


    "Hmph, Yang Shi Han is too deceitful. <i>Ge</i>, you are the Great General Mo, it is impossible for you not to see what she was ying at, why did you deliberately y along? You seem to be purposely yielding to her," Mo Qi Qi turns to him curiously.


    Mo Cheng Xuan simply smiles, "Mo n and Yang n have always been at odds with each other. It is natural for her to be hostile towards me. Although I knew she was going for something, I knew it was merely womanly wiles, I didn¡¯t want to make things worse for the two ns." The truth is, she always seem so familiar to him. But he cannot remember how. When he heard her calling for help, he disregarded logic and rushed in to save her. He was genuinely worried about her safety; in fact, that incident was the first blunder that he has evermitted.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head while smiling, "<i>Ge</i>, this is the first time I am seeing such a generous man. She did so much to you and you still speak about her so indifferently. Still, you are right. It is a waste to even invest anger towards someone like Yang Shi Han."


    "Not angry anymore?" Mo Cheng Xuan looks at his sister.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles happily, "With such a generous brother next to me, how can I be angry? It will make me look petty! <i>Ge</i>, you are too perfect. Whoever ends up marrying you will be the luckiest woman in the world. Do you have someone that you like, <i>ge</i>?"


    Mo Cheng Xuan smiles, "No need to worry about your brother¡¯s marriage."


    "<i>Ge</i>, I don¡¯t care what sort of woman you bring back home as long as she is not like Yang Shi Han. Too despicable," Mo Qi Qi harrumphs angrily.


    Mo Cheng Xuan smiles at her.

 Chapter 73

    Once the Duchess made sure that her son is alright, she chats a little bit more with Mo Qi Qi before leaving the pce.


    What Yang Shihan pulled today has escted their rivalry to another level. Although Yang Shihan and the previous owner did not get along, the current Mo Qi Qi has not have any confrontation with her after arriving in this ce. Mo Qi Qi does not want to be anyone¡¯s enemy in the harem, but her trick this time was too despicable. If she dares to do it again, Mo Qi Qi will not tolerate her.


    Ever since Jun Qian Che forced her that night, the distance between the two of them grew. They hardly meet back then, now even more so.


    Although they don¡¯t directly meet each other, Jun Qian Che will always sneak into Feng Yang Pce to secretly watch her.


    The pce is grand and mysterious under the shades of the night sky.


    Mo Qi Qi, who cannot sleep, goes out to the courtyard and paces around. The summer night is enchantingly quiet, the stars twinkle brightly in the sky, like bright diamonds. It¡¯s a perfect night for fantasy.


    The wind blows gently, causing the willow leaves to rustle.


    She closes her eyes, enjoying the summer breeze. The breeze feels really warm, to the point where it can creep into one¡¯s heart.


    Mo Qi Qi savors the beautiful feeling by herself. When she closes her eyes, her other senses be sharper. She can hear a movement in front of her. She opens her eyes, only to see the figure of a man in a fluttering white robe, standing in front of her. That man possesses a peerless face, his eyes are warm. He looks like a celestial that has justnded from the sky, too good to be true.


    "Yue Hen? What are you doing here?" she asks curiously, happy at the same time. He is her first and only friend in this ce.


    "I was worried about you, so I sneaked into the pce to see you. I was so worried that night, when the emperor suddenly came. I wanted to see you the day after, but His Majesty suddenly gave me a task that required me to leave the capital. I have only returned today. I knew I had to see you, my heart would not be at peace, otherwise. Did the emperor make things hard for you that night?" Jun Yue Hen¡¯s eyes are full of worry.


    That night is the night that she wants to forget the most. She does not tell anyone about it because she does not wish to be reminded of it. She does not want to worry Jun Yue Hen, so she smiles at him brightly, "Do I look like someone who has been through torture?"


    Jun Yue Hen looks at her from head to toe before smiling, "Seeing you like this, I am no longer worried."


    Mo Qi Qi pats him in the chest, "Don¡¯t worry. Luck is with me. No one can harm me!"


    When Jun Yue Hen looks at her, his eyes are full of affection and longing.


    That look in his eyes makes Mo Qi Qi wants to run.


    Jun Yue Hen suddenly gathers her into his chest and hugs her tight, "Qi Qi¡ª-" His voice contains immeasurable amount of love and longing.


    At this moment, a man in ck is watching everything unfold from arge tree just outside Feng Yang Pce. His dark clothes blend in really well with the dark night. Seeing the two people inside the courtyard, fury and jealousy rises within him.


    The stunned Mo Qi Qi regains herposure and quickly puts some distance between her and Jun Yue Hen, "What is wrong, Yue Hen? Did something happened to you while you were out of the capital?"


    Jun Yue Hen smiles, "No, I am just too happy to see you doing fine. Sorry, I lost conduct."


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "It¡¯s okay, we are friends, aren¡¯t we? Sharing a hug is normal between friends." Perhaps, hugging someone of the opposite gender is scandalous in this era, especially towards the women. But Mo Qi Qi is from the modern era, a hug is nothing to her.


    "Lets sit and chat!" Mo Qi Qi sits on a bench under a huge tree.


    Jun Yue Hen sits next to her, chatting happily.


    He tells her of the interesting things he encountered when he was out of the capital.


    Mo Qi Qi fills him in on thetest updates inside the pce as well.


    Jun Yue Hen looks at her curiously, "You teach the other concubines how to sing?"


    When she sees that incredulous look on Jun Yue Hen¡¯s face, she fakes an angry face, "What is that expression on your face, Yue Hen? Are you looking down on me?"


    Jun Yue Hen shakes his head, "No, just I never heard Qi Qi singing before. I am curious."


    Mo Qi Qi rubs her nose proudly before saying, "I am a very good singer. Would you like to hear my singing?"


    Jun Yue Hen immediately nods, "Yes."


    Mo Qi Qi clears her throat before saying, "Let me broaden your horizon tonight. What should I sing?" After contemting a little, she happily says, "Let me sing a song titled <i>¡¯You Makes Me Happy and Sad¡¯.</i>


    <i>Love until the end, overflowing water is hard to stop; love is unhurried, hate is unhurried</i>


    <i>Why is it when I can no longer urge you to stay, that I think of your tenderness?</i>


    <i>Give me concern for me to free myself from worry, share the worries with me</i>


    <i>I¡¯m waiting in deep, unending night; crying alone, suffering alone</i>


    <i>I want to say, "I really love you"; I want to say, "I¡¯ve wronged you"</i>


    <i>Crying, you say our affinity¡¯s already over; it¡¯s hard to continue, hard to continue</i>


    <i>Just please give me a little time, and give me a little regard</i>


    <i>Don¡¯t take everything away with you</i>


    <i>Just please give me a little more space, and give me a little more tenderness</i>


    <i>Don¡¯t let me suffer like this</i>


    <i>The kind of woman you are, letting me be happy, letting me be sad</i>


    <i>Letting me bepletely willing to give my everything for you."</i>


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Song- https://.youtube/watch?v=vqTXMw9zdto )


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Lyrics - )


    When he hears that song, Jun Yue Hen takes out his jade flute and begins ying a song. Under the tree, the two of them beautifullyplements each other, one singing, and one ying a song. It is a beautiful sight.


    The man who is watching them not far away feels indescribable emotions filling his chest. He flies off, leaving the ce. That man is none other than Jun Qian Che. After what happened that night, he does not know how to face Mo Qi Qi. In the end, he resorts to secretly watching her from afar every night. He did not expect to see this.


    As he made his way back to Yu Jing Pce, his heart heavy with emotions, he has to acknowledge one fact: they looked good together. He has never seen Mo Qi Qi that happy. She was not pretending to be someone else when with Jun Yue Hen. She has never done that with him; sitting next to him and chatting properly. Everytime they meet, they would part in a bitter manner.


    Mo Qi Qi, if you are that happy with Jun Yue Hen, why did you picked me back then? You must be regretting your choice so hard, right now.


    What Jun Qian Che does not know is that Mo Qi Qi is only honest and genuine with Jun Yue Hen because she considers him her friend. That¡¯s why she can go around joking with him. Jun Qian Che on the other hand, is the emperor. No woman will dare to be their real self in front of him.


    Once the song ends, Mo Qi Qi turns to Jun Yue Hen, "You are a genius when ites to music. This is your first time listening to that song and you are already able to y a tune toplement it." If he is born in the modern time, he will be a really famous musician.


    Jun Yue Hen shakes his head, "In front of Qi Qi, I am nothing. I didn¡¯t think you would be that good in singing. We have known each other all our lives, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard you singing. You really impressed me. That song is beautifully written."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him earnestly, "To be honest, once you cannot back out of love and that love is going nowhere, one should learn to let go. Once you let you, your mind will no longer be troubled. Once you let go, you will realize that there are better things waiting for you out there. You no longer have to wait, it is not worth it." She purposely picked that song to tell him to let go of her. She cannot return his love, he will only get hurt.


    How can Jun Yue Hen not understand the meaning behind her words? He smiles bitterly, "If one can let go so easily, it is not love that he has. Even if I am not destined to be with her in this lifetime, I only wish for her to live happily."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "To tell the truth, even if some people cannot be life partners, they can still be great friends. There is no hatred and betrayal in friendship. One can live without love, but not without friendship."


    Jun Yue Hen smiles warmly, suppressing the bitterness in his heart. He nods at her, "Qi Qi is right. Being friends for a lifetime is good enough." It doesn¡¯t matter if I cannot get you. As long as I can protect you when you are weak, I will be happy.


    Everything that needs to be said has been said, Mo Qi Qi does not wish to continue talking about this awkward topic. She changes the conversation, "There is something I need to ask you, Yue Hen. The same question I wanted to ask you the other night, when Jun Qian Che came and ruined everything."


    "What is it? Go on and ask, Qi Qi. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know," Jun Yue Hen looks at her with a pair of doting eyes.


    "What happened during the day I fell from the viewing tower? Do you know what happened?" Nobody is willing to tell her anything about that incident. Her only hope is Jun Yue Hen.


    Jun Yue Hen freezes at that question. He avoids the topic rather awkwardly, "Why do you suddenly ask me of that, Qi Qi? Did anyone say anything?"


    "No one says anything. I noticed it on my own. Something must have happened that day. His Majesty gets really angry everytime the viewing tower¡¯s fall is mentioned. I forgot everything and being the only one kept in the dark isn¡¯t a very pleasant position to be in. I¡¯m afraid, if I ended up angering His Majesty and have my head chopped off, I still wouldn¡¯t know what I did to offend him. I need to know, Yue Hen. Please tell me," Mo Qi Qi grabs his arm imploringly. Judging from the look in his eyes, she knows he knows whatever transpired that day.


    "This- Qi Qi- I, I am not very informed about what really happened¡ª-" Jun Yue Hen stutters indecisively.


    "You definitely know something! Just look at the way you stuttered! What happened that day, Yue Hen? Why won¡¯t anyone tell me?" In order to get the answer, she ended up losing a woman¡¯s most treasured thing, and even then, she hadn¡¯t managed to get the answer. She is inconsble.


    "Qi Qi, that matter has passed. The emperor will not pursue the matter, just leave it be," Jun Yue Hen persuades her.


    Mo Qi Qi persistently says, "No, I must know! I need to know what happened, or else, I will not be at peace! Please tell me, Yue Hen! I promise I will not tell anyone I knew it from you! You are my best friend, if even you are not willing to tell me, nobody will. I do not want to be ridiculed by Yang Shi Han without knowing why."


    Jun Yue Hen hesitates for a while before nodding, "I will tell you, but promise me you will calm down."


    Mo Qi Qi nods anxiously, "I promise I will not be impulsive! Hurry and tell me!"


    Jun Yue Hen looks at her before solemnly saying, "His Majesty forbade anyone from talking about this. Otherwise, they will be sentenced to death."


    Mo Qi Qi covers her mouth in surprise, "So serious? What is it? What happened?"


    Jun Yue Hen hesitates a bit. He finds it hard to tell her this, "That day, the emperor caught you having an affair with another man in the viewing tower."

 Chapter 74

    "What? Affair?" Mo Qi Qi stands up, scandalized.


    Jun Yue Hen quickly forces her to sit back down, "You promised me you will not be impulsive. The night is so quiet and your voice is so loud, what if other people hear you?"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him incredulously, close to tears, "How could this be? How could Mo Qi Qi did that?" Wuwu, no wonder Jun Qian Che always got so angry whenever they mentioned this. Aiya! No wonder he always looked so cold. If it was another man, she probably would have been killed by now. Never mind the ancient times, even men from modern times would not be able to tolerate straying wives.


    "Could the emperor perhaps been mistaken? If I really had an affair, why didn¡¯t the emperor kill me?" Mo Qi Qi tries to reason.


    "I only heard about this from people at the pce, I didn¡¯t personally see everything. I heard, when the emperor entered the viewing tower, that man fled while you were left there, your dress in disarray. Perhaps, the emperor suppressed the news from spreading because of Mo n¡¯s power. And maybe, he also wanted to save his own face, as well as the image of the imperial n."


    Mo Qi Qi nods in agreement, "You are right. No one will spread the news of getting cheated on by one¡¯s own spouse. No matter how angry he was, he could only hide the matter, otherwise, he would really lose face as the ruler of the kingdom. Everyone wouldugh at him. The incident would be recorded in the historical annals and theter generations would make fun of him." Wuwu, previous owner-ah! Did you have to y in this manner? You are already dead and are leaving all these mess for me to pick up! Did I owe you anything in the past life? I always thought he was trashy. I wanted to kill him when he forced me that night, but at least, I was his legal wife. What about you? You were fooling around with unknown men! Let me find a tofu block to kill myself with!


    She always thought that Jun Qian Che owed her one, but now, it feels theplete opposite! The previous owner will harm her to death!


    Jun Qian Che, I can stop ming you for forcing me, just can you forget what the previous owner did back then? Let¡¯s start afresh! Huhu, but you are from the ancient era and is the emperor to boot, you will not let me off. I am going to die! I am going to die!


    Jun Yue Hen studies Mo Qi Qi¡¯s anxious face, "Don¡¯t be nervous, Qi Qi. This matter has passed. The emperor has forbade people from bringing this up, I don¡¯t think he will bring this up again in the future."


    Mo Qi Qi does not share that view, "He will never get over this! If I am a man, even I will not get over this! If he really got over it, he would not bring it up from time to time. He only spared my life back then to save his own face. Once people forget about this, he will try to find excuses to get rid of me so that he can vent his anger! I can just see him remembering the viewing tower incident everytime he sees me. No wonder he is always angry! Ai!" Mo Qi Qi unconsciously shudders.


    "If I had known you would be this worried, I wouldn¡¯t have told you," Jun Yue Hen regretfully says.


    Mo Qi Qi thinks otherwise, "Yue Hen, you did right by telling me everything! Otherwise, I would never know why Jun Qian Che always got so angry whenever I mentioned the viewing tower. If he kill me one day, I would probably think I was innocent! Now that I know everything, I must make my preparation for the future! Yue Hen, I want to leave the pce!" She looks at Jun Yue Hen earnestly.


    Jun Yue Hen is very surprised with what she said. "Am I hearing things wrong? You want to leave the pce?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods solemnly. "You are not hearing wrong, I want to leave the pce. If I stay here, I will really get killed. Even though the Mo n is really powerful, if Jun Qian Che really puts his mind into killing me, no one will be able to stop him. Once he killed me, he can just put some usations on me, and Mo n probably won¡¯t be able to do anything. Even if Mo n wants to avenge me, what is the point when I am already dead?"


    "But, are you willing to leave everything you have?" Jun Yue Hen studies every single change in her expression.


    "What is there to be unwilling over? The empress position? Nothing is more important to me than my own life!" Mo Qi Qi resolutely says.


    "Since Qi Qi has made her mind, I will help you," Jun Yue Hen earnestly says.


    "This¡ª- Yue Hen, I do not wish to drag you into this mess. If I leave this way, Jun Qian Che will definitely order people to pursue me. If you get dragged into this, you are screwed. You won¡¯t be able to keep your position." Mo Qi Qi does not wish to owe him anything.


    Jun Yue Hen does not care about things like that, "Power, money and riches are only worldly materials. If you can let go of your empress position, I can also let go of my own position. If you leave on your own, I will be worried of your safety. I want to keep youpany, traversing the world is also a kind of luxury."


    "Yue Hen¡ª" Mo Qi Qi is very touched, but she cannot be that self-centered. "Yue Hen, I will not let you do that. I cannot give you anything, I cannot promise you anything as well, so I will not ept anything from you."


    "Aren¡¯t we friends, Qi Qi? What does friendship means? What does it entails? Friends help each other when they are in trouble. By doing this, I am not only helping you, but also myself. I am very tired with my current life. Everyone in court thinks I am always up to something. The emperor is very cautious of me, he does not trust me. Rather than continuing to live this tiring life, might as well leave. It is better to live life in a simpler manner. Qi Qi, if you really consider me your friend, let me help you," Jun Yue Hen insists.


    Mo Qi Qi is very touched. She did not think Jun Yue Hen would be willing to let go of everything for her. Even though she does not love him now, who is to say she will still not like him in the future? If she cannot travel back to her time, might as well marry someone warm and gentle like Jun Yue Hen.


    "Alright, we will leave together," Mo Qi Qi finally agrees.


    Jun Yue Hen is happy beyond belief, "Great. I will go back and prepare everything and n our escape. We will meet outside the pce at 11pm. I will send someone to take you out of the pce."


    "Alright, we will meet 3 dayster, at 11pm," Mo Qi Qi quickly replies.


    Jun Yue Hen is very happy, "Then, I will go and prepare everything." After that, he leaves.


    In the blink of an eye, 3 days have passed. For the past few days, Mo Qi Qi have been busy preparing everything that she will need to take with her. Honestly, she does not need to take too many things. Too many things will hinder their escape. The most important thing is she needs to bring enough money as well as a couple of dresses to change into. Other than that, she only needs to be worried about the escape itself. Because of that, she has asked Ban Xiang to bring her Hua Chen Kingdom¡¯s map.


    When Ban Xiang found out that she ns to leave, Ban Xiang insists on escaping with her. Mo Qi Qi does not want to bring her along, lest she ends up dragging Ban Xiang into the mess.


    But Ban Xiang said that she is already inside the mess. She is the empress¡¯ personal maid. If the empress ran off, the emperor will deal with the personal maid first.


    Mo Qi Qi could see her point. Besides, having Ban Xiang with her out there will give her someone to lean on. They can take care of each other.


    The sky gradually turns dark. Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang have prepared everything. Now, all they need to do is to wait for other people to sleep. Then, they will escape.


    Mo Qi Qi studies the map and points at something to Ban Xiang, "Ban Xiang, we will leave through Shen Wu Gate."


    Ban Xiang is very surprised, "Your Ladyship, didn¡¯t you promised the 7th wang to meet him in Hua Yang Gate? Why are you changing the escape route?"


    "After thinking this through, I¡¯ve decided to not drag Yue Hen into this. He is an imperial prince, his future is bright. He is so young, so promising. Not only will he be able to help themon people, he can also help the Grand Empress Dowager in the future. If he leaves, imperial grandmother will be so worried. Besides, I cannot promise him love or marriage, what is the point of taking him with us? This will not be fair towards him. Besides, I do not wish to owe him anything. I have made my decision. We will not follow his escape route, we will run through the opposite direction," Mo Qi Qi guiltily says. She really does not wish to owe Jun Yue Hen anything. Although she might end up falling in love with him after being with him throughout this journey, it is only just a possibility. Although Jun Yue Hen is very kind, they might not bepatible with each other. Besides, he might not necessarily be someone with no ambition. Which man in the imperial family does not wish to be the emperor? She does not want him to give up on his ambition for her, what if he regrets itter?


    "You are leaving the emperor and is also rejecting the 7th wang, what are you going to do, Your Ladyship?" Ban Xiang is very worried.


    Mo Qi Qi knocks her in the head, "If you have time to be worried of that, might as well use that time to figure out our escape route. If we are discovered, we will not be able to even keep our lives. With no men toplicate things, our lives will be easier."


    Ban Xiang nods, "Correct. It does not matter who you choose, Your Ladyship! As long as you bring me along!"


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Hearing that makes me feel so good. Let¡¯s go!"


    Both of them carry their bags as they walk out.


    The night is very dark and the moon is high up in the sky.


    Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang use the moonlight to guide them to Shen Wu gate.


    When she looks at the sky, Mo Qi Qi sees thousands of twinkling eyes, staring at them, watching their every movement. She can almost imagine the stars watching them, talking about them, which then reaches Jun Qian Che¡¯s ears. And then, an angry Jun Qian Che woulde, bringing his angry people with him.


    Mo Qi Qi is scared, shaking her head in fear before pointing at the stars angrily, "Stop watching us, little stars! Close your eyes!"


    Ban Xiangughs, "What are you doing, Your Ladyship? Why are you picking a fight with the stars?"


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, "Trying to find amusement in the midst of trouble. Once we leave the pce, we will have to go through really hard times."

 Chapter 75

    Ban Xiang suddenly stops and looks at Mo Qi Qi before asking, "Are you regretting everything, Your Ladyship? If you want, we can always go back!"


    "What do you mean by notte? If we return to my pce, we are only going to wait for our deaths. What if the emperor is unhappy one day and decides to <i>kacha</i> my neck? Let¡¯s go!" Both of them continue hurrying towards Shen Wu Gate.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Kacha is the sound effect for karate-chop.)


    Ban Xiang helplessly shakes her head.


    On the other side, Jun Qian Che is walking while chatting with Han Yi Xiao.


    "How did it go, Yi Xiao?" Jun Qian Che asks.


    Han Yi Xiao respectfully replies him, "Everything has been done ording to your instruction, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che nods before he stops at one end of an arch bridge, "No need to make a fuss over <i>zhen¡¯s</i> trip this year. No need to take many people either. We must not alert themon people. <i>Zhen</i> wants to make a surprise visit to <i>zhen¡¯s</i> officials to see how they normally conduct things."


    "Yes! This general will keep that in mind!" Han Yi Xiao replies.


    Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang are on the other side of the said arch bridge. Ban Xiang whispers something to Mo Qi Qi, "Your Ladyship, the Shen Wu Gate is located right beyond this arch bridge."


    Mo Qi Qi cannot contain her excitement, "Great! We can leave this golden cage soon! Come on, hurry up!" Both of them cross the bridge.


    Jun Qian Che and Han Yi Xiao also start to make their way across the bridge.


    Both parties bump into each other in the middle of the bridge.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: The picture above is that of an arch bridge. Due to the way they are constructed, we usually cannot see who is on the other side of the bridge unless we are at the center of the bridge. )


    When Mo Qi Qi spots the iing people, she quickly turns around and runs away.


    Although Jun Qian Che is surprised by what he sees, he keeps his calm. When he sees that hastily running figure, he slowly says, "Stop!"


    That calm voice contains a lot of threats in Mo Qi Qi¡¯s ears. Her legs listen to that threat instead of logic and immediately stop moving.


    Jun Qian Che slowly moves towards her. When he sees that bag of bundle that she keeps wrapped around her shoulder, he struggles to suppress his anger. "Turn around," he calmly says.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart wants to run, but her body refuses to listen. She turns around to face him. She smiles when she looks at him, enthusiastically greeting him, "Hehe, what a coincidence, Your Majesty!"


    Jun Qian Che inconspicuously sweeps his eyes over her, "Where are you going sote at night, empress?"


    "Huh? Nowhere, really! <i>Chenqie</i> thought the moon looks really good tonight, so <i>chenqie</i> came out to appreciate the moon." When she points at the sky, the moon that was hung so brightly in the sky is now covered in clouds. She awkwardly grins at him, "Hehe, maybe the moon is embarrassed. You are too handsome that the moon is too embarrassed to see you! Hehe¡ª-" She really hated him before, but when she found out about what the previous owner did to him, her hatred mellows down. Jun Qian Che is too pitiful. He is the ruler of the entire kingdom, but his own wife goes around humiliating him.


    "Wearing that? Is this kind of in cotton dresspatible with your position?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice bes icy.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s brain turns like a gear, "<i>Chenqie</i> ate too much during dinner, so <i>chenqie</i> wanted to exercise a little. It is hard to walk while wearing pce dresses, so <i>chenqie</i> chose to wear this. It absorbs sweat really well and is easy to walk in."


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes fall on the bundle in her shoulders, "Exercising while carrying a bag?"


    Huh! "Hehe, this is called weight-lifting. It helps with exercise." She purposely jogs in her ce in front of him, before turning to Han Yi Xiao, "You must have heard of this method, General Han, you must have used it in your camp!"


    Han Yi Xiao calmly and indifferently replies her, "But you are not a soldier, Your Ladyship."


    ck crows fly past Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head.


    This Han Yi Xiao is too good at talking back!


    "Hehe, your General Han is very good at joking, Your Majesty. Are people not allowed to carry weights if they are not soldiers?"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s face bes uglier by the second. He coldly looks at her, "Speak honestly!"


    When she realizes that her performance is not of any use in front of Jun Qian Che, Mo Qi Qi takes a deep breath before earnestly looking at him, "The world is big, Your Majesty. I want to see them."


    "You want to leave the pce."


    "Hehe, you understood what I meant? You are so smart," she gives Jun Qian Che a thumbs up.


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes dangerously, "You are the empress."


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips as she unwillingly retorts back, "I know, empresses are not allowed to simply leave the pce." She hands over the bundle to Ban Xiang before unhappily turning to Jun Qian Che, "Is there anything else you would like to say, Your Majesty? If not, <i>chenqie</i> should returns to <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> pce."


    "Tomorrow, <i>zhen</i> will leave the pce to check on the wellbeing of themon people," Jun Qian Che casually says.


    Mo Qi Qi turns back around with a face with barely concealed excitement, "Really? That is great! I hope you have a wonderful journey, Your Majesty! I hope you can help lessen themon people¡¯s plight!" I hope you die outside! I will be promoted to be the empress dowager, I will not have to run anymore!


    Jun Qian Che can read Mo Qi Qi¡¯s thought. He unhappily says, "Don¡¯t even dream about it. If <i>zhen</i> dies outside, the unluckiest person will be you. If you want to be the empress dowager, you will have to give birth to <i>zhen¡¯s</i> child first! If not, you will not be able to be one!"


    "Hehe, then <i>chenqie</i> does not want to be one. From now onwards, <i>chenqie</i> will not even harbour the thoughts of bing one!" She would rather die than to give him a child!


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart is full of anger.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly says, "The night is deep, Your Majesty. You will go on a trip starting from tomorrow, you should rest early so that you can start your day all refreshed. <i>Chenqie</i> will obediently wait for your return in the pce!"


    "You wille with <i>zhen</i>," Jun Qian Che calmly states.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s temper res up, "What? No! I don¡¯t want to."


    "You want to resist the emperor¡¯s decree?" Jun Qian Che icily asks.


    Mo Qi Qi fight back, "What is the point of taking <i>chenqie</i> with you? <i>Chenqie</i> does not understand things like that!"


    "You said you want to visit the outside world! <i>Zhen</i> wants to fulfil your wish! At least you can leave the pce in an upright manner."


    "<i>Chenqie</i> wants to see the rivers and the mountains while the purpose of this trip is to see themon people¡¯s plight, how is it the same?" If she had known he will leave tomorrow, she would have wait until tomorrow before running away. Now look what happened! She got caught and now has to follow him on his trip. Don¡¯t tell her he is nning to order his people to get rid of her during this trip? Wuwuwu, Jun Qian Che is too cruel!


    "There is no difference between the two. You should be grateful that <i>zhen</i> is giving you what you want. No need to thank <i>zhen</i>, go home and starts packing. <i>Zhen</i> will wait for you in Hua Yang Gate tomorrow." With that parting word, Jun Qian Che walks away from her.


    Mo Qi Qi sits on the ground helplessly, almost in tears, "You are too despicable, Jun Qian Che! Wuwuwu¡ª-"


    Her n to flee has failed and now she has toe with Jun Qian Che on his trip. No matter how she thinks about it, her road ahead feels more and more dangerous.


    Mo Qi Qi spends the rest of the night gued by nightmares.


    When the sky lights up, Ban Xiang helps her bath, change and do her hair.


    "It is not early anymore, Your Ladyship. We should join His Majesty in Hua Yang Gate."


    "I don¡¯t want to go with him! I really don¡¯t want to go with him! Why don¡¯t you go and tell him that I am sick and cannot join him!"


    Ban Xiang hesitantly looks at her, "Do you think His Majesty will believe you?"


    "Ah! Wuwuwuwuwu, did I owe him something in our past life? Why, God, why? Just kill me!" Mo Qi Qi looks at the sky and yells.


    As for Jun Qian Che, he and his entourage are set to go. They are only waiting for Mo Qi Qi.


    Han Yi Xiao will follow him on this trip while Chu Ling Xiao will stay in the capital to oversee the court along with Duke Zhen. If he brings Mo Qi Qi with him, the Mo n will not dare to act preposterous unless they are willing to forfeit the empress¡¯ life. But, judging from Duke Zhen¡¯s personality, he will not jeopardize his daughter¡¯s life over anything.


    When the empress still hasn¡¯t arrived, Han Yi Xiao respectfully speaks with Jun Qian Che, "Should we dispatch people to invite the empress over?"


    "She does not have the guts to not toe. Keep on waiting," Jun Qian Che calmly says.


    "Yes!" his entourage reply.


    Under the entourage¡¯s expectant gazes, Mo Qi Qi reluctantly gets dragged over by Ban Xiang.


    "Your Majesty-" she unwillingly greets Jun Qian Che.


    "Let¡¯s set forth!" Jun Qian Che announces, before grabbing Mo Qi Qi¡¯s hand and leading her towards a carriage.


    From the corner of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s eyes, she can see Jun Yue Hen staring at her.


    He smiles at her.


    Jun Qian Che helps her get on the carriage that they will use throughout the trip.


    The dozens of people dressed as merchants then leave the pce.


    Inside the carriage, Jun Qian Che studies Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face and the dark circles adorning her eyes, "You didn¡¯t rest wellst night?"


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, "I had a nightmarest night, how could I sleep?"


    "Nightmare? What did you dream of?" Jun Qian Che asks in interest.


    Mo Qi Qi thinks for a while before saying, "<i>Chenqie</i> dreamed of you killing <i>chenqie</i>."


    Jun Qian Che does not make any sound.


    She carefully asks him, "You will not do that, will you?"


    Jun Qian Che suddenly closes his eyes, not answering her question. If he really wants to kill her, she wouldn¡¯t be alive right now. Is he that unreliable in her eyes? Never mind, just let her think what she wants to think.


    Mo Qi Qi bes worried when she does not get any reply. Is she right? Is he really nning to take advantage of this trip to construct an ¡¯ident¡¯ to get rid of her? Wuwu, no! She must find another chance to run!


    The carriage¡¯s speed begins to pick up after they leave the capital. Jun Qian Che and Mo Qi Qi does not speak with each other.


    After one day worth of journey, Han Yi Xiao asks for Jun Qian Che¡¯s permission to rest out in the forest area, near a creek. Jun Qian Che gets down from the carriage and walks towards the river.


    Mo Qi Qi opens the curtain on her window and identally sees a familiar figure. She gets down from the carriage, wondering if she has seen wrong.

 Chapter 76

    Mo Qi Qi quietly follows that person from behind before whispering, "Jiu Jiu, is that you?"


    Mo Jiu Jiu turns around and smiles wide when she sees Mo Qi Qi, "General Bai Jiu greets the empress!"


    Mo Qi Qi holds her forehead, suddenly feeling faint. She looks around and once making sure no one is watching them, she pulls Jiu Jiu to the side, "Why are you here, Jiu Jiu?"


    "I asked General Han to bring me here," Bai Jiu replies happily.


    Mo Qi Qi wants to cry, "You shouldn¡¯t havee! Do you know how smart the emperor is? He can probably read minds! Aren¡¯t you scared that he will notice that you are a girl posing as a boy? The crime of deceiving the emperor warrants the death penalty!"


    Mo Jiu Jiu has an optimistic view to everything: "Don¡¯t worry, Second Sister! I will be very careful. The emperor can read your mind because you two are a pair of husband and wife. Both of you have telephatic connection with each other. I am different, we do not know each other well. He will not notice anything off as long as I keep my distance!"


    "I do not have any telephatic connection with him! Anyway, since you are here, be careful. With you by my side, I feel a little safer."


    Bai Jiu smiles, "Don¡¯t worry, Second Sister! I will protect you and His Majesty well."


    "Protecting me alone is enough. The emperor has enough people protecting him as it is."


    Mo Jiu Jiuughs, "Yes, Your Ladyship. This General will put his life on the line to protect you!"


    "Stop being so roguish! Go and do your work!"


    "Alright, I¡¯m leaving," Jiu Jiu says before walking away.


    It is at that time that Jun Yue Hen slowly makes his way towards Mo Qi Qi, "Qi Qi¡ª¡ª-"


    Mo Qi Qi turns to him in shock, "Yue Hen, why are you here?"


    Jun Yue Hen smiles bitterly, "The edict to order me to join this trip suddenly came,st night. I had to stop waiting because of that. I was so worried about you."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him, dispirited, "Don¡¯t even bring it up. I got caughtst night and got forced to join this trip as well."


    "The emperor now knows that you are trying to run away?" Jun Yue Hen anxiously asks.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Yue Hen. I didn¡¯t tell him that I was trying to run away with you. I told him that I only wanted to look at the world outside the pce. I am scared. I think Jun Qian Che brings me along because he wants to find the opportunity to kill me," Mo Qi Qi shares her thoughts with Jun Yue Hen.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Qi Qi. I am here. I will protect you," Yue Henforts her.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at him brightly as she nods, "I have to admit, I was very relieved when I saw you earlier on." Although Jun Yue Hen does not know martial arts, having him with her makes her feel safe. "I will leave first. I don¡¯t want Jun Qian Che to see us. He will get suspicious."


    Jun Yue Hen nods and can only watch as Mo Qi Qi walks towards Jun Qian Che.


    After getting down from the carriage, Jun Qian Che has been standing by the river with his hand on his back, looking very calm.


    Mo Qi Qi stops by his side and follows his line of sight. "What are you looking at, Your Majesty? Is there a treasure inside the river? You are looking at it with such concentration...."


    "Treasure?" Jun Qian Che looks at her?


    "Treasure as in money! Gold, money, jades, they are all treasures!"


    Jun Qian Cheughs at her in disdain.


    "What are youughing at? Did <i>chenqie</i> say anything wrong?" You rude bas*ard!


    "From how <i>zhen</i> looks at it, things that can bepared to money and gold are not treasures," Jun Qian Che calmly says.


    Mo Qi Qi sneers at him, "You are the emperor, of course gold means nothing to you. You can get everything you want as long as you say it, of course you do not see the value of gold!"


    Jun Qian Che looks at her quietly, not saying anything.


    Very quickly, the Imperial Kitchen Department has finished cooking dinner. Eating the meals after such a long journey is very exciting.


    After dinner, Han Yi Xiao invites them to rest. He is in charge of amodation and has arranged to ce the emperor and the empress under the same tent. Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi quickly objects, "No! <i>Bengong</i> does not want to stay in the same tent as the emperor!"


    Everyone looks at the empress in rm. The empress must have gone mad, she actually objects to staying under the same tent with the emperor.


    In order to protect her own life, she quickly says, "Your Majesty must be really tired after traveling the entire day. I am a messy sleeper, what if I ends up bothering your rest? Perhaps, it is better if I share a tent with my maid, Ban Xiang. Please forgive my impudence, Your Majesty."


    Han Yi Xiao looks at Jun Qian Che with a difficult expression.


    "Listen to the empress," Jun Qian Che calmly says.


    "Yes!"


    Mo Qi Qi secretly sighs in relief. Being in the same room as Jun Qian Che feels really awkward after that incident, she really does not want to share a tent with him.


    And so, Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang go to their designated tent.


    After they enter the tent, Ban Xiang regretfully says, "Why did you refuse to share the tent with His Majesty, Your Ladyship? It is not easy for you to get the chance to cultivate your feelings with His Majesty. Back in the pce, His Majesty only favors Yang Guifei and never visits you. You must take this chance to win His Majesty¡¯s affection and bear him a child! Only then will you be able to solidify your position!" Ban Xiang daydreams happily.


    Mo Qi Qi knocks her in the head, "You are very good at writing fiction! Cultivating feelings with him? Hmph! No need! Bear him a child? I might as well die! You seem to like Jun Qian Che a lot, praising him at every chance you get. Why don¡¯t <strong>you</strong> share a tent with him and cultivate your feelings together?"


    Ban Xiang looks at her in grievance, "Stop making fun of this servant, Your Ladyship! This servant is just thinking for you! How can this servant ever bear any wishful thinking towards the emperor?"


    "Neither do I, so let¡¯s stop talking about him! Don¡¯t ever try to praise him in front of me again! Go to sleep!" Mo Qi Qi walks towards the bed.


    Ban Xiang can only sigh.


    They continue the journey on the next day and reach a ce called ¡¯Qing Shui County¡¯. They rent a huge courtyard that can ce all of the entourage of the trip.


    Since the purpose of this trip is to monitor the lives of themon people, Jun Qian Che does not wish to alert the local officials of their presence.


    This is the first time Mo Qi Qi has ridden a carriage for this long. Even though her seat is padded, her butt still hurts. After the rooms are assigned, she quickly runs to her¡¯s to rest. Afterst night, Han Yi Xiao rooms her with Ban Xiang again.


    Mo Qi Qi lies on the bed with an appreciative sigh, "This bed is sofortable!"


    "You can sleep if you want to, Your Ladyship. This servant will wake you when it is time for lunch," Ban Xiang considerately says.


    Mo Qi Qi thinks for a moment, "I am so tired. If I wake up by lunch time, I will eat, but if not, no need to wake me. I just want to get a proper sleep. After that, I will stroll around the city for dinner!" Hehe, she saw a brothel on their way to this ce, just now. It is not easy for her to get to this era, it is not easy for her to leave the pce, might as well give the brothel a look. Brothels are the ce where modern people are most curious of.


    Ban Xiang nods, "Alright! Then this servant shall not hinder you from resting."


    Mo Qi Qi lies on the bed and starts sleeping. By the time she wakes up, the sky outside is already dark.


    When Mo Qi Qi notice that the room is already lit withnterns, she jumps up from her bed. She runs to the window and when she sees the dark sky, she unhappily mutters to herself, "It is already sote."


    Ban Xiang walks in while carrying a tray of dinner. When she sees that Mo Qi Qi is awake, she smiles, "You are finally awake, Your Ladyship. You slept for a long time this time. The sky is already so dark."


    "I know! Hurry and help me change!" Mo Qi Qi quickly takes out a bundle of cloth that she has prepared from early on. It contains men¡¯s clothing.


    Ban Xiang picks up the clothes and looks at Mo Qi Qi curiously, "Are you going out disguised as a man, Your Ladyship? You told me to prepare this when we were trying to run awayst night, what are you going to use it for?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles secretively, "To go to a brothel, ah!" Honestly, she asked Ban Xiang to prepare this so that she could run away from the pce easier, but who would have thought that they would get caught. At least, this clothings still has it¡¯s use now. She can wear it to go to brothels.


    Ban Xiang looks at her with bulged eyes, "Brothel? Have you gone mad, Your Ladyship? That is a man¡¯s ce, not ours! There are only prostitutes inside, women like us shouldn¡¯t even enter that kind of ce!"


    "I am going in wearing men¡¯s clothing," Mo Qi Qi tries to persuade her.


    "But, what if His Majesty finds out?" Ban Xiang asks in worry.


    "He will not know! I will be careful. Once I left, you will stay here and pretend to be me, sleeping. If anyone asks, just tell them you are too tired and to not to bother you."


    "What if His Majesty looks for you?" Ban Xiang is still uneasy.


    "He will not! The journey was so long, he is probably tired himself! He will not ask for me. Don¡¯t worry, just help me change!" Mo Qi Qi excitedly says. If she manage to travel back to her own time, she will unt her experience to her professors and colleagues.


    Ban Xiang helps her change and does her hair. Mo Qi Qi nods in satisfaction at the end result. "Not bad, a pretty gentleman! Just the type that women likes! Then, I will go first!"


    "Ai, aren¡¯t you going to eat dinner before leaving, Your Ladyship?" Ban Xiang asks.


    "No," Mo Qi Qi pats her money bag. "I have money. I will go first."


    Ban Xiang wants to stop her, but Mo Qi Qi has already left the room. She puts her hands together and starts praying, "I hope Her Ladyship will not get caught! I hope she will return in one piece!"


    Mo Qi Qi uses whatever memory she has to sessfully navigate her way to the brothel: ¡¯Guo Se Tower¡¯. She looks at the people walking in and out and smiles happily, spreading out her fan and fanning herself like a dandy young master.


    Just as she enters the premise, a gaudily dressed old woman greets her with a face-splitting smile.


    Mo Qi Qi feels a shiver running through her back. This old woman! Can she not be so scary at night like this?


    "Aiya! What a handsome young master! This must be your first time here! Our Guo Se Tower has the best kind of beauty there is! I assure you that you will be satisfied, young master!" the woman beckons her over like the devil herself. Heavy scent of powder radiates from her.


    Mo Qi Qi is secretly grateful that she has not eaten anything. Otherwise, she would have thrown up already.


    "Hehe, good. But I have only gotten here, I want to listen to songs first and then eat. And then, I want to see the beauties. I want two of them." She takes out a gold ingot.


    The old woman¡¯s eyes be big. Although this brothel can be considered busy, it is nothingpared to the one in the capital. No matter how big her appetite for money is, there are few wealthy patrons here. She bes momentarily stunned with the gold ingot in Mo Qi Qi¡¯s hand. She quickly leads her to a room on the second floor where she can eat and watch the performance downstairs without getting bothered.


    Mo Qi Qi nods in satisfaction. "This room is not bad. Please bring some meals over. The better you treat this young mis¡ª this young master, the more tips you will get."


    "Yes, yes, yes! I will prepare everything now!" the old woman says with a huge smile before leaving. She secretly thinks: What a good night, this is. So many handsome rich men havee, on the same night. Haha, this is her lucky day!


    Mo Qi Qi leisurely rests in her room, watching the performance downstairs in aid-back manner. She hasn¡¯t eaten lunch and dinner, she is so hungry.


    "Drink some water, first," she pours herself two cups of water.


    On the room next to her¡¯s, two handsome men are sitting there, watching the performance downstairs while chatting.


    "Your Majesty, Mi Guo Chang really came to the brothel."


    Those two men are none other than Jun Qian Che and Han Yi Xiao.

 Chapter 77

    "These local officials took advantage of their distance from the capital. Whenever they sent in reports, it was all about how good everything is. Only when zhen is here does zhen realized how themoners have been living," Jun Qian Che coldly says.


    "Please do not be angry, Your Majesty."


    "Go and spy on him. Who are those people who came with him, and what is it are they after?" Jun Qian Che coldly says.


    "Yes!" Han Yi Xiao immediately leaves to do the bidding.


    Jun Qian Che looks at the performance downstairs with a frown. Although the performance is very elegant, it still feels noisy to him.


    Mo Qi Qi, on the other hand, is waiting inside her room patiently.


    The old pimp is very fast and efficient. Within such a short amount of time, she has returned with a bunch of dishes and two lovelydies.


    "Young Master, everything that you asked for is here," the olddy gives Mo Qi Qi an inviting look.


    Mo Qi Qi wants to throw up. She picks up another piece of gold and gives it to her, "This master is very satisfied. This is your reward."


    The olddy epts the money happily, "Young Master is very generous!"


    "Alright, hurry and leave!" Mo Qi Qi waves her off. She will lose her appetite the longer thedy is here.


    The olddy hides her smile before saying, "I understand, I understand! Both of you must treat Young Master properly!" Then, she leaves.


    When the two beauties see how generous Mo Qi Qi, they are happy beyond words. They rush towards Mo Qi Qi before saying, "Let us serve you food, Young Master!"


    Mo Qi Qi jumps up in shock and tries to avoid them, "Men and women must keep some distance between them! I want to eat food, not you guys. Please stay away from me."


    Both women stand on their original spots in grievance.


    Mo Qi Qi sits back down before looking at them again, "Both of you can sit down!"


    The two of them smile happily and quickly sit next to Mo Qi Qi, "What do you want to eat, Young Master? I will pick it up for you!"


    "No need, no need. I will pick it up myself," Mo Qi Qi picks up her chopsticks before picking her own food.


    One of the girls carries a jar of wine over, "Come and drink some wine, Young Master!"


    Mo Qi Qi quickly rejects her offer, "No, thank you. I cannot drink. Let¡¯s just eat. Come, let¡¯s eat together!" In the middle of it all, Mo Qi Qi suddenly feels like she needs to go to the toilet. She must have drank too much tea, she needs to pee!


    She puts down her chopsticks and looks at the two beauties, "Excuse me, where is the toilet?"


    The two of them eagerly reply her, "Why don¡¯t we take you there?"


    "No need, no need. Just tell me, I will go by myself."


    The twodies give her the direction of the toilet in disappointment.


    Mo Qi Qi rushes towards the direction of the toilet. However, the moment she gets there, she realizes that there is only the men¡¯s toilet. Mo Qi Qi wants to cry, "Wuwu, what should I do?" She really wants to pee. Just as she made her mind to just use the men¡¯s toilet, a familiar figure appears in front of her.


    She quickly turns around in shock, preparing to flee.


    A scary voice can be heard from behind her, "Stop."


    Mo Qi Qi obediently stays put and purposely makes her voice coarse, "What¡¯s wrong, Young Master? Why are you stopping me?"


    "Mo Qi Qi¡ª-" that scary voice is full of anger. Even from their distance, Mo Qi Qi can feel a chill running through her back from his iciness. She shudders. Why is she so unlucky? She actually bumped into Jun Qian Che! Wuwu, she is going to die! No, she must not get caught! She only needs to run! As long as she manage to run away, he will not be able to do anything to her. She does not believe that he will have the guts to tell the world that she went to the brothel without any proofs to back him up.


    After making up her mind, Mo Qi Qi prepares her legs to run.


    And so, she lifts her legs and runs off.


    A secondter: "Aiya, who is blocking my way?" She lifts her head and sees a familiar face. "Y-Your Majesty, you...you¡ª-" Seems like she can only butter him up to get out of this situation. She gives him a silly grin, "What a coincidence, Your Majesty!"


    How is this bastard so quick? Does he know Ling Bo Wei Bu?


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Ling Bo Wei Bu is a type of martial arts.)


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s face is very dark, "Mo Qi Qi, you better has a good exnation about this!"


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly clutches her stomach with a pained look on her face, "Your Majesty, I indeed ns on exining everything. Just, I need to pee so bad. I need to use the toilet. There is no toilet for women here. Can you please help me check if the toilet is empty? Please!" she begs Jun Qian Che.


    Jun Qian Che does not want to care for her, but his legs do not listen to him and enters the toilet to check it for her.


    Very quickly, he walks back out before icily saying, "Get in."


    Mo Qi Qi runs inside. She suddenly stops mid-way and turns to him threateningly, "Do not peek, oh! Help me keep guard outside!"


    Jun Qian Che res at her, toozy to deal with her.


    After using the toilet, Mo Qi Qi quickly tries to find the way to escape the toilet. But, after looking for a long time, she cannot find any other way other than the exit, and so, she can only obediently walks out.


    Jun Qian Che nces at her before walking off.


    She obediently follows him from behind.


    Who would have thought that he is walking towards the room that Mo Qi Qi has been using.


    At that moment, the two beauties cannot endure the wait and have walked out of the room, trying to find her. When they see her, they run towards her happily, "You are finally back, Young Master! What took you so long?"


    "Hehe, there were too many people in the toilet. Sorry for keeping you two waiting," Mo Qi Qi still has the time to idly chat with other people.


    When Jun Qian Che throws a cold nce her way, she quickly stands straight. She takes out two gold ingots, one for each beauty, and says, "This Young Master has other matters to attend to. This is for each of you to buy rouge and powder!"


    The two beauties are so happy when they see the gold. They quickly ept it and bow in front of her, "Then, we will not bother Young Master anymore!" Then, they walk away.


    Mo Qi Qi follows Jun Qian Che to the private room next to hers. His is more elegant than hers.


    She looks around in wonder, "Why aren¡¯t there any people?"


    "Why? Who do you want to be here?" Jun Qian Che coldly asks.


    Mo Qi Qiughs roguishly, "Women, of course! Why else are you here? Who would have thought that you would have such a heavy taste, Your Majesty! There are so many beauties inside the pce, yet you wouldn¡¯t look at any of them. Who would have thought that it is women from the brothels that you like! Why? Are they more coquettish?"


    "Mo Qi Qi¡ª-" Jun Qian Che tries his best to rein in his anger.


    Mo Qi Qi takes that as the cue to shut up, "Fine, since you want some face, chenqie will not say anything."


    "Why are you here?" Jun Qian Che solemnly asks before he sits down.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head turns like a gear, "<i>Chenqie</i> is here to look for Your Majesty."


    "Look for <i>zhen</i>? How did you know <i>zhen</i> is here?" Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes dangerously.


    Mo Qi Qi looks around, "From rumors!"


    "Nonsense!" Jun Qian Che scolds her.


    Seeing that she has no way of lying to him, she can only be honest, "<i>Chenqie</i> has always been curious as to how brothels look like. <i>Chenqie</i> wanted to know why men likeing to this ce so much. <i>Chenqie</i> wanted to see the dance, to eat the food, to see the beauties. Who would have thought that <i>chenqie</i> would bump into you?"


    "Do you know what kind of ce brothels are? You are a woman, it is dangerous for you toe here!" Jun Qian Che is worried for her safety.


    Mo Qi Qi disagrees, "What is there to be afraid of? <i>Chenqie</i> is here dressed as a man, it is very safe. You are the one who shouldn¡¯t be here. You are the emperor, what if there are assasins?"


    Jun Qian Che pats his own forehead, why is it so hard tomunicate with her? She is so beautiful. Even when dressed a man, people will get attracted to her.


    When Jun Qian Che does not speak, she arrogantly says, "What? You have nothing to say right?"


    Jun Qian Che res at her,pletely speechless.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly sits next to him and starts buttering up, "Alright, don¡¯t be angry, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> only came here out of curiousity, <i>chenqie</i> will note to this kind of ce again. Honestly, this ce is not as fun as <i>chenqie</i> thought it would be. There is nothing really interesting here, it ispletely inferior to our imperial pce. But if you like this ce, feel free to call a few beauties to serve you. Do you want <i>chenqie</i> to ask the old pimp to pick out a few beauties for you? Honestly, the old pimp isn¡¯t that bad herself!" Mo Qi Qi struggles to contain herughter. A scene surfaces in her mind: one of the old pimp taking Jun Qian Che into her bosom before pouncing on him.


    "Hahahahahaha¡ª-" Mo Qi Qiughs happily.


    Jun Qian Che takes the fan in her hand and uses it to knock her in the head with.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s daydream is cut short and she quickly looks at Jun Qian Che in grievance, "Why did you hit me, Your Majesty!"


    "You are the empress, mind your bearing," Jun Qian Che unhappily reprimands her.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, "We are not even in the pce, why are you so troublesome?"


    "Troublesome? Why? Do you find the imperial pce tiring?" Jun Qian Che asks.


    Mo Qi Qi helpless says, "Of course! There are too many rules. Everything you do is wrong!"


    "That means that you are too unscrupulous. When we get back, go and read the pce¡¯s rules."


    Jun Qian Che says it so casually, but the effect on Mo Qi Qi is mind-numbing.


    "What? Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> really does not like reading books. Can I not read them?" she grabs his arm pamperedly. She cannot even read most of the characters on those books!


    Jun Qian Che looks at her before simply saying, "Then, it will depend on your performance for the next couple of days."


    Mo Qi Qi quickly holds out her palm, as though swearing an oath, "<i>Chenqie</i> will definitely be obedient for the next couple of days. When we go out, <i>chenqie</i> will listen to you. If Your Majesty wants <i>chenqie</i> to go east, <i>chenqie</i> will not go west. If Your Majesty wants <i>chenqie</i> to drive out a dog, <i>chenqie</i> will not hit a chicken! If Your Majesty wants <i>chenqie</i> to belch, <i>chenqie</i> will not fart! If Your Majesty¡ª-"


    "Enough, you are being absurd again!" Jun Qian Che unhappily stops her. Who knows where she learns all these crude words from!


    "Hehe, the point is <i>chenqie</i> will listen to only you!" she quickly pours him a cup of tea.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s anger slowly dissipates. He slowly says, "<i>Zhen</i> is not asking you to listen to <i>zhen</i>regardless of what. Just, there are ces you must not go, no matter how curious you are."


    Mo Qi Qi nods repeatedly, "Understand! Understand! ces like this brothel!"


    "It is good that you understand."


    "Hehe, <i>chenqie</i> should go then, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> must not disturb your happy hour!" If she had known that she would bump into him here, she wouldn¡¯t havee here even if her life depends on it!

 Chapter 78

    "<i>Zhen</i> is here for a business, this is not what you think it is," Jun Qian Che impatiently exins.


    Mo Qi Qiughs roguishly, "No need to exin anything to <i>chenqie</i>, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> understand!"


    "What do you understand?" Why does he feel like they are not talking about the same thing right now?


    Mo Qi Qi pats his shoulder, "Aiya, this kind of thing does not need to be said so clearly. <i>Chenqie</i> will not me you!"


    "Mo Qi Qi, <i>zhen</i> really wants to open your head and see what is inside," Jun Qian Che does not know what else to say.


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi smiles uneasily before scooting away, putting some distance between them, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is already so amodating towards you, why do you still want to cut off <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> head? What a bully."


    Jun Qian Che wants to exin himself, but feels like talking to her wastes too much time. In the end, he simply waves his arm off, "Never mind, never mind." Let her think what she wants to think.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles happily, "Thank you for not killing <i>chenqie</i>!"


    "Your Majesty¡ª-" Han Yi Xiao walks in. He is very surprised when he sees Mo Qi Qi sitting next to Jun Qian Che, "Your Ladyship, you¡ª what are you doing here?"


    Mo Qi Qi sighs while shaking her head when she sees Han Yi Xiao, "It is true what people say, it is always the quiet ones. Both of you always act so aloof, so upright, who would have thought that this is your taste."


    When Han Yi Xiao hears that, he quickly tries to exin himself, "You misunderstood us, Your Ladyship. This General and His Majesty are here for a business. It is not what you think it is."


    "Business? Hahaha, yes this is also considered a business. You will only harm yourself if you hold back for too long," Mo Qi Qiughs while ridiculing them.


    "You misunderstood us, Your Ladyship. The thing is...."


    Jun Qian Che cuts him off, "No need to exin to her, Yi Xiao."


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows, "See, even the emperor admitted it. No need to cover up things for me, I am a very reasonable person. I can understand you guys. Long live themon sense! Go and do your business, I will leave first," she tries to slip away again.


    Jun Qian Che speaks up, "Stop."


    Mo Qi Qi unhappily turns around to look at him, "What? Don¡¯t tell me Your Majesty wants <i>chenqie</i> to be here while you two get busy? <i>Chenqie</i> is not that perverted. Gross!"


    "Mo Qi Qi¡ª-" Jun Qian Che angrily scowls.


    She obediently shuts up.


    Jun Qian Che turns to Han Yi Xiao, "Have you investigated everything?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty," General Han respectfully reports to him.


    Jun Qian Che nods in satisfaction before getting up, "Let¡¯s go."


    "Go where?" Mo Qi Qi asks him in wonder.


    "Go back," Jun Qian Che simply says before walking away.


    Mo Qi Qi follows him from behind while asking, "We are leaving just like this? Aren¡¯t you going to call for some beauties?"


    Jun Qian Che simply res at her, toozy to talk to her.


    Han Yi Xiao goes downstairs before them to prepare the carriage.


    Mo Qi Qi follows Jun Qian Che from behind as they leave the room. On the staircase, they bump into a drunk middle-aged man. He is fat and greasy, and when he sees Mo Qi Qi, his eyes light up. He swallows heavily, "Who would have thought that Guo Se Tower would have such an unparalleled beauty...."


    Mo Qi Qi snaps at him, "What the hell are you talking about? I am a man! You drank too much."


    The manughs, "Others might not see that you are a woman dressed as a man, but I who have seen so many beauties in my lifetime, can! Little beauty¡ª" he made grabby hands towards Mo Qi Qi.


    Just as Jun Qian Che is about to kick the man off the stairs, Mo Qi Qi hides behind him, scared, "My hubby is right here, don¡¯t you daree towards me!"


    Jun Qian Che looks at her, confused.


    "Hubby means husband," Mo Qi Qi exins.


    Hearing that, the manughs, "So you are not a worker here! Are you here to catch your husband in the act, then?"


    Jun Qian Che stares at Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly says, "No, absolutely no. It is normal for men to seek for other flowers. I am here to tell my husband to pick a few beauties. If he really likes any of them, we will buy her and bring her home with us!"


    The man gives Jun Qian Che a thumbs up, "You are so blessed, Young Master. I am so jealous of you, you get to marry such a virtuous wife! So different from my tigress back home. If she knows I am here, I am dead!"


    "You are still here though. Seems like your wife are not fierce enough," Mo Qi Qi pokes fun of him.


    The manughs, "Women..... They are so fierce, but when it is time to hit you, they will not have the heart to."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in disdain, "Hmph! If it were me, I would have cut it off!"


    That man immediately covers his private part, "Women.... They say one thing, but means another... You are on your own, Young Master!" The man then runs off.


    Mo Qi Qi turns to Jun Qian Che while smiling arrogantly, "See how awesome I am!"


    "You still think you are safe just because you are wearing men¡¯s clothing?" Jun Qian Che coldly asks.


    She clicks her tongue, unable to find any reply. She didn¡¯t think it would be so easy for people to see through her disguise.


    Both of them leave Guo Se Tower.


    Han Yi Xiao is already waiting for them by the carriage.


    Jun Qian Che walks towards the carriage. Mo Qi Qi, on the other hand, remains in her original spot.


    Jun Qian Che turns around to look at her, "Why aren¡¯t youing?"


    Mo Qi Qi pats her own tummy before saying, "I have not eaten since lunch. I almost ate dinner in Guo Se Tower just now, but you caught me before I get to eat. I am so hungry. I will go and find something to eat, you can leave first, Your Majesty." Ever since she arrived in this era, she has not managed to taste any of the kingdom¡¯smon snacks. She must seize this chance to try them out!


    Jun Qian Che says something towards Han Yi Xiao. Not longter, Han Yi Xiao leaves with the carriage.


    Mo Qi Qi is very surprised when she sees that, "Why didn¡¯t you leave with General Han, Your Majesty?"


    "Didn¡¯t you say you want to eat? Let¡¯s go?" he is not brave enough to let her wander around on her own. People would target her and then sell her and she would still help them count the money.


    "You want to eat with <i>chenqie</i>?" Mo Qi Qi is surprised by this sudden kindness.


    "We are not in the pce, no need to address yourself as such."


    Mo Qi Qi nods in agreement, "You are right. Since you are here disguised as amoner, we should y the part. I will call you Che Che, then!"


    Jun Qian Che almost died from choking from his own saliva. He res at her.


    Upon being the receiving end of that re Mo Qi Qi smiles like an idiot, "You don¡¯t like that name? Why don¡¯t I call you Little Qian Qian, then?"


    "You just enjoy angering <i>zhen</i>, aren¡¯t you, Mo Qi Qi?" Jun Qian Che tries his best to rein in his anger.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "It was just a joke, don¡¯t be angry. How about ¡¯Husband¡¯? Do you like that one?" She sweetly says while approaching him. The smile on her face is beautiful, but also fake.


    Jun Qian Che does not reply her, meaning that he agrees. "Let¡¯s go." He walks forward. The truth is, he is very pleased with that term of addressment. They have been married for two years, he finally feels some sort of intimacy with her.


    Mo Qi Qi follows him while talking non-stop, "Honestly, you don¡¯t have toe with me. Your status is very special. What if someone suddenly attacks you?"


    "You are worried about me?" Jun Qian Che stops in his steps as he looks at her.


    Mo Qi Qi rubs her neck before honestly saying, "I just thought that if someone tries to assassinate you, I will get dragged into the danger."


    Jun Qian Che suddenly wants to choke her to death. She lies when she is supposed to tell the truth, and tells the truth when she is supposed to lie.


    He is toozy to argue with her.


    Both of them walk along the street. Jun Qian Che stops in front of a restaurant.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Mo Qi Qi curiously asks.


    Jun Qian Che motions towards the restaurant.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees the restaurant, she quickly says, "Husband, I don¡¯t want to eat in a restaurant."


    "Where do you want to eat then?" Jun Qian Che calmly asks.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles happily, "I saw a couple of street stalls when I was passing by earlier. I want to eat there."


    Jun Qian Che disagrees with her, "Those things are not clean."


    Mo Qi Qi sticks to her desire, "It will be fine! They are clean even though they are street-side stalls. It is alright to asionally eat them." The food in the ancient times are all natural, no need to worry about eating dangerous things. Worst toe, you will only get diarrhoea. She believes in her own stomach, she will be just fine.


    Jun Qian Che hesitates a little.


    Mo Qi Qi pamperedly grabs his arm and coquettishly says, "Let¡¯s go! Just once, Husband!"


    When ites to her, Jun Qian Che is scared of this method the most. He can only helplessly nods, "Just once, alright."


    Mo Qi Qi is very happy when she hears that, "That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s go!" She then drags Jun Qian Che towards a small street lined with stalls.


    Although the day is already turning dark, there are still a lot of people about. The street is lined with stalls on both sides. The stalls all hangnterns to light things up. To put it simple, it is a beautiful sight.


    Mo Qi Qi drags Jun Qian Che into the crowd. They stood out amongst the crowd, very inconspicuous. They look like a couple of sweethearts in the modern world, trying on ancient clothings for their uing wedding ceremony. It is a pity that cameras aren¡¯t invented yet, no one could record this scene and make itst forever.


    Enticing aromas drift to their noses. The long lines across the street are mostly upied by snacks stalls and hawkers. They even ce tables and stools in front of their little shop, so that their customers can sit. It is a very lively street.


    This scene reminds Mo Qi Qi of modern street stalls. Although the timeline and setting is very different, the feeling it gives her is the same.


    Jun Qian Che is shocked senseless by what he sees. He never knew such a ce exists amongst themon people. Although he was born in this era, he is an imperial family member, so he never frequents this kind of ce.


    Had it not been for Mo Qi Qi, he probably would never know this kind of ce exists.


    When she sees the stunned Jun Qian Che, she yfully pokes him in the arm, "Dumbfounded, aren¡¯t you? Their aroma makes me feel really hungry."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    <strong>serene</strong>: A lot of people have asked us this, so this novel will be updated once a week.

 Chapter 79

    Jun Qian Che stares at her, not saying anything.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles and drags him towards a stall.


    Seeing the two of theming over, the stall¡¯s owner quickly wees them enthusiastically, "Wee, gentlemen! Our stall¡¯s beef noodle is a family recipe from 100 years ago! I assure you the taste is authentic!"


    "Look at our chicken! The skin is very crispy and the flesh is very tender, please try our stall!" Another stall¡¯s owner excitedly beckons them over.


    Instead of choosing any of the two stalls, Mo Qi Qi drags Jun Qian Che to sit in a stall that is selling skewers. That stall¡¯s owner wees them warmly, "What would you like to eat, gentlemen?"


    "Please bring us your grilled skewers," Mo Qi Qi excitedly replies.


    "Yes, alright, please wait for a moment," the old owner quickly prepares their order.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her curiously, "There are so many stalls, why did you pick this one?"


    Mo Qi Qi rolls her eyes at him, "Different stalls are serving different dishes. I want to eat skewers, so I naturally pick this ce! Do you think this ce is your imperial kitchen that serves different meals at the same time?"


    Jun Qian Che nods, enlightened.


    The owner quickly sends their skewers over, "Please eat, gentlemen. There are more toe!"


    "Yes, thank you," Mo Qi Qi politely replies.


    The boss returns to grill more skewers.


    Just as Mo Qi Qi is about to eat, she notices that Jun Qian Che has not moved. She kindly gives him her skewer, "Try this, Husband."


    Jun Qian Che looks at the skewer offered to him. It looks unhygienic, he hesitates a little.


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly rolls her eyes, "Don¡¯t judge it based on it¡¯s look. I guarantee you it will taste good. Try it!"


    Jun Qian Che hesitates some more, "I am not hungry, you eat."


    "It¡¯s not like this skewer is going to hit you, just try it!" she persistently gives it to him.


    When Jun Qian Che notices that people are starting to stare at him, he epts the skewer.


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "That¡¯s a good boy! When in Rome, do as the Romans do! Dig in!" She picks another skewer for herself. Just as she is about to eat, she notices that Jun Qian Che is picking at themb meat with a pair of chopsticks.


    She sighs, "Oh, Husband, just because you have never eaten pork before does not mean that you do not know how pigs look like. You do not eat skewers like that, you eat it like this!" She eats the meat straight from the skewer like a proper gentleman before giving it a thumbs up, "How delicious!


    Jun Qian Che frowns, "But it does not seem very polite."


    Mo Qi Qi almost vomits blood when she hears that, "Oh Husband, can you not put a damper to my mood? Let¡¯s only care about politeness and etiquette once we return to the pce. Loosen up a little!" She gives the skewer a fierce bite. She really must seize this opportunity to run away in this trip. Who knew that the life outside the pce is so fun? She had been cooped up inside the pce for so long and had to miss out on so much fun.


    Jun Qian Che bes quiet.


    Mo Qi Qi knows that that means that he agrees with her; that makes her really happy, "Give it a taste, husband. This is a freshmb meat, it tastes even better than the ones in the modern times."


    "Modern times? You have tasted this before?" Jun Qian Che quickly catches on to the important parts of her sentence.


    Mo Qi Qi is momentarily frozen before quickly smiling, "Hehe, when I was younger, before I entered the pce."


    "Where is ¡¯modern times?" Jun Qian Che persistently asks.


    Mo Qi Qi thinks for a moment, "I don¡¯t remember where it is. I believe ¡¯modern times¡¯ is the name of the shop that I used to frequent when I was younger."


    Jun Qian Che no longer pursues the matter.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief, "Give it a try, Husband. It¡¯s very good."


    Jun Qian Che hesitates for a moment, before eating it directly from the stick like Mo Qi Qi did.


    Mo Qi Qi eagerly looks at him, "How?"


    "The color is good and the meat is full of fat. The vour is slightly spicy and refreshing, neither oily nor greasy. The meat is very tender, what a unique vour."


    Mo Qi Qi is momentarily stunned, "I never knew one could use so many words to describe a dish! Awesome!" She gives him a thumbs up. This Jun Qian Che is the type that will still be the leader of the mass no matter in what era he is born to.


    "If you like it, eat a little more, Husband!" she gives him a couple more sticks.


    Mo Qi Qi proceeds to eat happily. She pats her full stomach, "How blissful! This is the happiest I have been, these days!" She felt very trapped inside the pce, without any freedom to do what she wanted to do. She finally gets to do what she wants today.


    "A simple dish is enough to make you happy. Your happiness is too simple," Jun Qian Chements.


    Mo Qi Qi gives him an innocent smile, "Correct! My happiness is very simple. I am a woman with no ambition, living a worry-free life with enough food and clothes are enough for me. But, even that is hard to obtain."


    Jun Qian Che gets up, "Let¡¯s go."


    Mo Qi Qi puts some silver pieces on the table before following Jun Qian Che.


    Why does it feels like Jun Qian Che is angry? "Did I say anything wrong, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is very calm when he replies her, "No. What you said is not wrong. Being able to do what you want will indeed make one happy, but how many people have that kind of privilege in this world?"


    Mo Qi Qi quickly points at him, "You, ah! No one in this world can do as they please, no one but you! You are sitting at the top of the world, the entirend is yours, no one can do anything to you."


    Jun Qian Che stops walking and turns to her, "Do you really think that <i>zhen</i> can do whatever <i>zhen</i> wants?"


    Mo Qi Qi scratches her head, "Am I wrong?"


    A bitter smile appears on Jun Qian Che¡¯s face as he shakes his head, "Let¡¯s go." He is thest person in this world who could do as he pleases. He owns a lot of things, but whates with it are a lot of vignce and care. One wrong move and he will lose everything.


    Both of them walk back to the inn in silence.


    Jun Qian Che suddenlys stops in his steps and looks at Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi looks back at him in surprise, "Why are you looking at <i>chenqie</i> like that, Your Majesty?"


    He lifts his hand and slowly directs it to her face.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heartbeat suddenly quickens. She quickly says, "Your Majesty, please promise <i>chenqie</i> you will not force <i>chenqie</i> to do things that <i>chenqie</i> does not like." If you dare to act discourteous to this youngdy again, I will scream and tell this world what kind of a person you really are!


    Jun Qian Che ignores her and slowly wipes something from the corner of her lips, "You are the empress and yet you ate without caring for etiquette."


    Mo Qi Qiughs awkwardly when she realizes what just happened, "Hehe, <i>chenqie</i> was wrong. Lucky no one sees it."


    "It iste, go and rest," Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is as low and maic as ever.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "You should rest early as well, Your Majesty. Good night!" She waves at him before running towards her room.


    As he looks at her retreating back, he smiles. She is bing more and more different from the Mo Qi Qi that he knows. The new side of her is very cute.


    As for Mo Qi Qi, she quickly returns to her room and closes the door.


    Ban Xiang happily wees her, "You are finally back, Your Ladyship! Lucky the emperor did not call for you tonight, we are safe!"


    Mo Qi Qi goes to the table and pours herself some tea, "<i>Bengong</i> was really unlucky tonight."


    Ban Xiang bes worried, "Did you encounter any danger outside, Your Ladyship? Are you injured?"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her earnestly before saying, "I bumped into the emperor while I was at the brothel. Does that count as ¡¯dangerous¡¯ in your book?"


    Ban Xiang sits down in shock, her little facepletely pale. Tears glisten in her eyes, "Are you joking with this servant, Your Ladyship?"


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly sighs, "I want this to be a joke as well, unfortunately, it is true."


    Ban Xian¡¯s tears fall non-stop, "Wuwu, how could this be? His Majesty must be so angry. The mother of the kingdom visits the brothel, if words of ites out, His Majesty will lose face! The ministers will start submitting petition to admonish you! The empress dowager will be angry as well! How will His Majesty deal with you?"


    "His Majesty did not say anything. He was angry at first, but after that, we left the brothel together. Then, we went and eat at a street-side stall. He did not say anything about punishing me. Oh my God, don¡¯t tell me he is nning to write this down first and then use this against me in the future!" Mo Qi Qi covers her mouth in shock.


    Ban Xiang sniffs heavily, "Wuwu, this is all this servant¡¯s fault. This servant should have tried to stop you."


    Now that Ban Xiang has put it that way, this matter indeed sounds serious. This matter involves Jun Qian Che¡¯s face. He does not make a big deal of this now because he does not want the matter to spread out, causing him to be made fun of by the people. Once they return to the pce, he will deal with her for sure. She will lose her life! No! She must try to find the opportunity to run before they return to the pce.


    In the courtyard outside, the uneasy Han Yi Xiao personally patrols the courtyard to make sure that no harm should befall the emperor.


    After patrolling the entire perimeter once, he turns around to return to his own room. It is then that he is greeted by Bai Jiu, "Great General."


    "General Bai, it iste, why haven¡¯t you gone to rest?" he inquires in surprise.


    "You haven¡¯t gone to rest yourself, Great General. Since we are here to protect His Majesty and Her Ladyship, we must not neglect our duties. We must do our best to ensure their safety!" To be honest, she is only here because she saw him outside just now.


    "You are so responsible even though you have only been here for a short while. If the emperor finds out, His Majesty will reward you," Han Yi Xiao praises her.


    Bai Jiuughs happily, "This General dares not guess His Majesty¡¯s opinion of this General. But since this General works under you, this General is really happy to have received your words of praises."


    "You did well. This General was not wrong when making you the General of the Cavalry," Han Yi Xiao sincerely says. He really likes this Bai Jiu. Although young, Bai Jiu is capable and quick-witted, very fast in battle. No wonder the emperor picked him to join this trip.


    "Thank you, Great General. This General will work even harder in the future!" Bai Jiu is extremely happy.


    Both of them return to their own rooms while chatting idly.


    "If I remember right, your record states that you came from Qing Shui County. Am I right, General Bai?" Han Yi Xiao casually asks.


    Bai Jiu is frozen. "Correct, this General¡¯s ancestral home is in Qing Shui County."


    "What a coincidence. Our first stop is Qing Shui County. You should take this chance to visit your family home, General Bai."


    Bai Jiu shakes her head whileughing, "It is this General¡¯s privilege to follow His Majesty on this trip, this General does not dare to make a private trip. This General wish to protect His Majesty the best he can."


    Han Yi Xiao smiles, "It is rare to find such a loyal officer, but it will be such a waste to not to visit your family home while you are already here. I will try and ask for the emperor¡¯s permission to let you go out tomorrow. As your superior, I will keep youpany. Your family will be really happy to see you in this position."


    Han Yi Xiao usually treats his subordinates solemnly, full of discipline. If this had been another person, they would have cried in gratitude. But since this is Bai Jiu, this bes a problem. She is the Mo n¡¯s Third Young Miss! She simply wrote Qing Shui County as her hometown back then because she had once travelled to this ce with her shifu. The truth is, she does not even know this ce well. Where should she find this non-esistant home of hers?

 Chapter 80

    When Han Yi Xiao notices that Bai Jiu is keeping her head down and not saying anything, he bes curious, "What is wrong, General Bai? Is it too sudden? Do you feel unprepared?"


    Bai Jiu shakes her head, pretending to look heartbroken as she looks at Han Yi Xiao, "To tell you the truth, Great General, I do not know where my home is. I am an orphan. I wandered the streets in my youth. People bullied me a lot back then, because I was a beggar. One day, I bumped into a martial artist from jianghu. He took me in as his disciple and took care of me. I gradually forgot about my past. When I grew older, I asked him where I was from. He told me he found me in Qing Shui County. Since then, I assumed that Qing Shui County was my ce of origin, but to tell the truth, I cannot say for sure. This General is touched by your kindness, Great General, but this General has no ce to go back to."


    Han Yi Xiao feels regretful when he hears that, "Who would have thought that your past is so tragic. I am sorry for bringing up that painful memory."


    Bai Jiu shakes her head, "It is not your fault, Great General. It is this General who did not write it clearly on the record."


    "Have you tried to find your birth parents?"


    Bai Jiu shakes her head, "No. Maybe they disliked me, hence why they threw me away. If so, why must I show up in front of them again? I will only make them unhappy."


    "Do not think that way, General Bai. No parents would willingly throw out their own children. Perhaps they had their own trouble. If they know where you are standing today, they will be very proud of you," Han Yi Xiaoforts her.


    Bai Jiuughs, "Perhaps! I hope they didn¡¯t abandon me because they hated me." Lying is indeed tiring. One has to pile lies on top of another lie! He will be very angry once he finds out everything one day.


    The next day, Jun Qian Che and Han Yi Xiao left early in the morning to do their business.


    Mo Qi Qi takes out a map. She has constructed an escape route. Jun Qian Che is going north. The next stop will be Hong Yang County, and then Chang Ming County and then Bing Shui Prefecture. Going further north will be arge forest. She is going to take advantage of that forest to escape from there.


    "7th wang," she can hear Ban Xiang greeting someone outside.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly puts the map away. She does not want anyone to find out about her escape n, this time. She needs to run away as quietly as possible.


    "This king is looking to see Her Ladyship. Is Her Ladyship free?" Jun Yue Hen¡¯s gentle voice can be heard asking.


    "Let the 7th imperial uncle in," Mo Qi Qi says from inside.


    Ban Xiang immediately opens the door, allowing Jun Yue Hen in.


    "Your Ladyship," Jun Yue Hen respectfully cups his fists in front of her.


    "No need for formalities, imperial uncle. Please sit."


    "Thank you, Your Ladyship," Jun Yue Hen sits down.


    In order to avoid rumors, Ban Xiang does not close the door down.


    Mo Qi Qi personally pours Jun Yue Hen a cup of tea and hands it over to him, "Is there something you want to talk about, imperial uncle?"


    "We were in a hurry throughout the journey yesterday, how are you taking it? This official knows medicinal arts, feel free to seek this official if you feel ufortable."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles warmly, "Thank you for your concern, imperial uncle. <i>Bengong</i> is just fine."


    After chatting idly for a while, Jun Yue Hen lowers his voice, "Do you remember our promise to leave the pce together, Your Ladyship? This trip ended up ruining our n, but since we are both out of the pce now, might as well take this chance to flee."


    Mo Qi Qi cautiously looks outside, "Why are you suddenly bringing that up, Yue Hen! If somebody hears us and tells Jun Qian Che, we are going to lose our lives!" Such tacit understanding they have!


    "I just want to take you away from here as fast as possible, Qi Qi. I am very worried about you, you look so restless whenever you are with the emperor," Jun Yue Hen looks at her earnestly.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "No need to worry about me, Yue Hen. Even if I did something wrong, His Majesty will still have my father to consider. He still needs to think twice before doing anything towards me. I don¡¯t think the trip this time presents us with any good chance of escaping. The emperor is not bringing that many people with him. We have to show our faces in front of him everyday. If we suddenly go missing, he will quickly figure everything out. He will order his people to chase after us and then, he can take that chance to get rid of us and then casually say that we encountered ident. We must not run, not right now. Wait until we return to the pce. He will be busy with the court by then and would not have time to look for me everyday." Please forgive me for lying to you, Yue Hen. I do not want to implicate you nor do I want to push you to a route in which you cannot go back from.


    Jun Yue Hen nods when he hears that, "What Qi Qi says indeed makes sense. I will listen to you. Let¡¯s talk about this when we return to the pce again. I should leave first, in case if people are getting suspicious.¡¯


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright." There are so many people outside, who knows which one of them is Jun Qian Che¡¯s spy? They shouldn¡¯t be alone for too long.


    Just as Jun Yue Hen walks towards the door, he crosses path with Jun Qian Che who ising in.


    Jun Yue Hen bows in front of him, "Greeting, Your Majesty.¡¯


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes as he speaks in a low and icy voice, "What is the 7th imperial uncle doing here?"


    Mo Qi Qi quickly runs towards them when she hears his voice, "Your Majesty, you are here! The 7th imperial uncle is here to inquire over <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> health. He knows medicine and is willing to help <i>chenqie</i> so that <i>chenqie</i> does not fall ill and ends up dying the trip."


    Jun Qian Che calmly looks at her, "Are you ufortable anywhere, empress?"


    Mo Qi Qi rubs her head, "<i>Chenqie</i> didn¡¯t rest wellst night, so <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> head hurts a little. Nothing big, really."


    Jun Qian Che coldly says, "<i>Zhen</i> brings imperial physicians along in this trip, no need to trouble the 7th imperial uncle. Ban Xiang, summon a physician!"


    "Yes!" Ban Xiang looks at Mo Qi Qi before walking away.


    Jun Qian Che continues speaking icily, "Do you have anything else, 7th imperial uncle?"


    "This official shall retreat first," Jun Yue Hen leaves them.


    Jun Qian Che looks at Mo Qi Qi before he walks into her room.


    She quickly follows him from behind.


    He sits in front of the table while Mo Qi Qi hastily pours him tea like the brown-noser she is, "<i>Chenqie</i> heard that Your Majesty was out with General Han since early in the morning. You two must be really busy, here drink some tea."


    He does not ept the tea.


    She secretly rolls her eyes before cing the cup in front of him, "You must not misunderstand us, Your Majesty. We were only chatting. We grew up together and he is our elder, it is natural for him to care about <i>chenqie</i>. Besides, there are so many people outside, what could we possible do?"


    "Are you ming <i>zhen</i> for bringing too many guards?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is icy.


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "You are very good at joking, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> and the 7th imperial uncle are really innocent!" He sure is good at finding fault on other people¡¯s words.


    When he hears the word ¡¯innocent¡¯, the jealousy in his heart gradually fades away. He cannot help but remember that night; she really had been innocent. He misunderstood her back then. Now, he knows that one cannot simply believe what their eyes are showing them. The jealousy inside him disappears as he looks at her before speaking gently, "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. Did you say your head hurts? Does it still hurts?"


    Mo Qi Qi did not think he would simply let the matter be. She looks at him in surprise, "You are not angry, Your Majesty?"


    "<i>Zhen</i> believes in you."


    Although the sentence is very simple, it makes Mo Qi Qi very happy. "Thank you, Your Majesty." She thought he would never let the matter be. Who knew he would change so much after leaving the pce?


    "Does your head still hurts?" Jun Qian Che continues asking in worry. After that fall from the viewing tower, she keepsining about headache. Even though he does not know whether she is telling the truth or not, his heart unwittingly worries whenever she says that.


    Mo Qi Qi rubs her head, "It does not hurt anymore. With Your Majesty, the Son of the Heavens here, all forms of illnesses have ran away!" But her head did hurt earlier in the morning. Perhaps, it was due to that fall from the tower.


    Jun Qian Cheughs, amused by her words, "Nonsense."


    "<i>Chenqie</i> is telling the truth! Your Majesty can drive away demons and heals illnesses!"


    "That is enough, just let the imperial physician check you."


    Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Caoes. An imperial physician follows Ban Xiang into the room.


    After checking Mo Qi Qi¡¯s pulse, the imperial physician presents his diagnosis, "There is no problem about Her Ladyship¡¯s health. Her headaches probably stem from the fall from the viewing tower. It was such a high fall, so it was bound to leave it¡¯s mark. Her Ladyship has notpletely recovered from that fall."


    Ever since Mo Qi Qi found out about what the original owner did in the viewing tower, she bes fearful of anyone mentioning the incident in front of Jun Qian Che.


    What she does not know is that after that night, Jun Qian Che has changed his mind. He no longer thinks that she was having an affair. In fact, he now believes that someone has framed her.


    Mo Qi Qi carefully reads Jun Qian Che¡¯s face before saying, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> head does not hurt anymore. It¡¯s okay now, it¡¯s okay now."


    Jun Qian Che trains his eyes on the physician, "Since she has notpletely recovered, why haven¡¯t you been helping her recover?"


    "This- This is this official¡¯s negligence! This official will prescribe Her Ladyship with medicines right away!" The physician breaks out in cold sweat. The emperor never cared about the empress before, so none of them bothered to prescribe her with medicine after she woke up.


    "Help the empress recuperate properly. If anything happens to the empress, <i>zhen</i> will heavily punish you," Jun Qian Che warns him icily.


    "Yes, this official will help the empress recuperate properly!" the physician¡¯s voice trembles a little as he speaks.


    Seeing this, Mo Qi Qi quickly speaks up, "Actually, Your Majesty must not me Imperial Physician Feng. It was <i>chenqie</i> who would not let him prescribe medicine. <i>Chenqie</i> thought <i>chenqie</i> was just fine and did not need any medicine. <i>Chenqie</i> will be more careful in the future, everything will be fine as long as <i>chenqie</i> does not identally knock <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> head again."


    Imperial Physician Feng is really touched seeing Mo Qi Qi speaking up for him. The empress has be really generous. If this was in the past, she would have goaded the emperor into punishing him.


    "The empress is hurt in the head, the most important part of the body. Her injury cannot be treated so simply, she must be treated properly. She needs to take medicine," although Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is calm, it is enough to cause the physician to start sweating bullets.


    "Yes, this official will brew her medicine right now!" Imperial Physician Feng hastily retreats.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly gives Jun Qian Che a giant eye-roll: is he really worried about her or is he nning something else? She did not want to drink the medicine, what if it contains poison?


    "If you feel ufortable in the future, you must not hesitate to summon the imperial physicians. Do not just hold it in," Jun Qian Che reminds her.


    Mo Qi Qi obediently replies him, "Yes, <i>chenqie</i> understand!" Isn¡¯t he making a big deal out of nothing? It is just a headache, it will not kill her. In fact, getting it treated might get her killed even faster. She does not believe that he harbors any form of kind intention towards her. There must be something behind this.


    "If you are fine, pack up. We will leave this ce," Jun Qian Che changes the topic.


    Mo Qi Qi is a little surprised, "We are leaving? Are we going to continue the journey?" If so, does that means that she is getting one step closer to sessfully finishing her escape n?


    "You will know when the timees," Jun Qian Che gets up and leaves.


    Once he is out of sight, Mo Qi Qi purses her lips before mocking him, "What are you pretending to be cool for? I am not curious the slightest!"

 Chapter 81

    Ban Xiang proceeds to pack up as fast as she can.


    As Ban Xiang is busy packing, the imperial physician sends the freshly brewed medicine over.


    Mo Qi Qi tells him to retreat first as she wants to wait for it to cool down before drinking it.


    The moment the imperial physician left, she pours the medicine out.


    Ban Xiang looks at her confused, "Why did you pour it out, Your Ladyship? His Majesty ordered the physician to brew that for your head injury."


    Mo Qi Qi does not share the same appreciation, "My head is fine now. Don¡¯t you think it is suspicious that Jun Qian Che suddenly asked the physician to give me medicine? Didn¡¯t you say that me going to the brothel embarrassed him? What if he is taking this chance to slip poison in my medicine?"


    Ban Xiang covers her mouth in shock, "His Majesty wants to kill you?"


    "Very possibly. Come on, let¡¯s go and join Jun Qian Che outside!"


    Both of them walk out of the room.


    After Mo Qi Qi boards the carriage, Jun Qian Che orders his people to continue the journey.


    Not longter, the carriage stops again. Jun Qian Che suddenly says, "Get off."


    Mo Qi Qi gets down from the carriage with a question mark hovering above her head. She discovers that they are standing in front of Qing Shui County¡¯s Government Office. "I thought we were going to continue the journey? Why are we stopping here?"


    "The purpose of this trip is to see how local officials usually conduct their business. The official in charge of Qing Shui County is irresponsible and corrupted. He harms themon people, rapes the womenfolk, frequents the brothel and colludes with the local thugs to oppress themon people. He has drawn the ire of themon people. If we let this go on, themon people will direct their hatred towards the court. He needs to be taken care of."


    Mo Qi Qi puts two and two together, "So, you really went to the brothel for a business? You were trying to catch the official in the act?" Although she is asking, she pretty much knows the answer deep inside.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her coldly, "What do you think?"


    Mo Qi Qiughs awkwardly.


    Jun Qian Che walks towards the building. Bai Jiu follows him from behind and hits the gong for a very long time, but no one bothersing to tend to them.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: There were gongs ced in front of Government Offices back then. Themon people usually hit the gong if they have something to report.)


    Han Yi Xiao then brings a couple of people with him to the back courtyard to see if anyone is there. What greets them is the sight of the official having fun with beauties.


    Han Yi Xiao drags him to Great Hall and flings him in front of Jun Qian Che.


    The official is very angry at them. He keeps shouting at them, asking who they are and threatening to chop their heads.


    He even dares to say that thisnd is far from the capital and from the court. No one can stop him from doing anything here. In here, he is the emperor.


    When Han Yi Xiao takes out the imperial token, the official is scared witless.


    Han Yi Xiao lists his offences one by one and even brings forth a couple of local people as witnesses. He even catches the trashy friend that apanied the official to the brothelst night.


    All evidence are pointing at him, the official cannot find it in him to defend himself. Jun Qian Che orders him and his entire family to be beheaded, as even his family members are very corrupted.


    Themon people personally watch the official getting his head chopped off. They repeatedly chant ¡¯long live the emperor¡¯.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees all these with her own eyes, she finally realizes how big the power the emperor possesses. Just one word and lives are immediately lost.


    But no matter how she thinks about it, chopping the head of the official 100 times is still not enough to pay for what he did. So many women had been harmed by him. Many of them had to sell their bodies to the brothel in the end.


    Now that this trash has been killed, better days are awaiting those who live in the county.


    Jun Qian Che instates a new magistrate. Although he has not been here for a long time, Jun Qian Che is very efficient. He personally hears themon people talking about the magistrate¡¯s atrocities as well as a lower staff of his that has been helping themon people in the dark. That official is very talented and exceptional, just he used to be oppressed by the previous magistrate and could not showcase his full skills. Now that Jun Qian Che has made him the new magistrate, themon people are very happy.


    Because of that, the entourage leaves very early the next morning, as to not alert themon people. When the sun has risen, themon people gather in the Government Office, wanting to thank the emperor and to present him with local delicacies. When they find out that he has left, they all sigh in regret.


    Back then, under the former magistrate¡¯s oppression, they thought that the emperor and the court were useless. Now that they have seen how upright the emperor is, their hearts are in peace. They are now able to anticipate theiring days, under the rule of the kind ruler.


    Mo Qi Qi who had to be woken up before the sun was even up is very unhappy at the moment. She res at Jun Qian Che as she sits opposite him inside the carriage, "Your Majesty, I know that your power is very big, but did you really have to wake people up before the sun is even up! I am so sleepy!"


    "<i>Zhen</i> does not want too many people to know about our trip this time. Now that the problem in Qing Shui County has been resolved, we should leave as quickly as possible."


    "Yes, you are the emperor, whatever you say goes!" Mo Qi Qi says in irritation. Even if they are on a trip, they do not have to be so hasty to resume the journey..


    To tell the truth, Jun Qian Che wants to take this chance to go to as many ces as he could to help as many people as possible. Only then, will he be able to sleep in peace at night.


    As the ruler, there are a lot of things that he ispletely helpless to do. He wants to personally do so many things, but he knows that it is physically impossible. He is stuck at the court. Now that he has the chance to see everything with his own eyes, he wants to see as many things as he can. But how could Mo Qi Qi understand the heart of an emperor?


    "If you are sleepy, go on and sleep," he calmly says. He can understand where Mo Qi Qi ising from. She has been spoiled ever since she was born, it is natural that she cannot endure hardship.


    What he does not know is that rather than unable to endure hardship, Mo Qi Qi simply hates it when other people disturb her sleep.


    They are sharing a carriage and the atmosphere ispletely quiet. He is silent in nature while Mo Qi Qi does not want to risk saying anything that could anger him. After seeing the extent of his authority, all the previous memories of her antagonizing himes flooding back. She is so scared of him now. Even though she has a lot of things to say to him, she keeps everything to himself. She closes her eyes and the sleepiness kicks back in. In the end, she falls asleep despite not nning to.


    Her body sways with the movement of the carriage. At one point, she almost fall.


    Jun Qian Che quickly swoops in and sits next to her, resting her head against his chest, so that she can sleep better.


    His chest is broad andfortable. She unconsciously buries herself deeper against his chest, sleepingfortably.


    Her fresh scent reaches his nose and he looks down at the sleeping Mo Qi Qi, smiling lightly. He hugs her tighter. His heart feels so full, so warm.


    How good would it be if she is not Mo Chang Xiao¡¯s daughter? He would have treated her really well. Unfortunately, that is a fact that cannot be changed.


    Mo Qi Qi continues sleeping soundly. Even her dream is a good one.


    When she wakes up and discovers that she is in another person¡¯s embrace, she slowly looks up and locks eyes with Jun Qian Che¡¯s deep eyes. She awkwardly puts some distance between them and fixes her hair, "How did <i>chenqie</i> end up sleeping next to you, Your Majesty?" Wasn¡¯t he sitting opposite her? Don¡¯t tell her he was trying to take advantage of her while she was sleeping? Wuwuwuwu, this pervert!


    Jun Qian Che knows that she is currently thinking nonsense, but he does not want to tell the truth, "<i>Zhen</i> saw you sleeping and the carriage was rocking. <i>Zhen</i> was just steadying you, lest you fall and then me <i>zhen</i> for waking you up so early in the morning."


    Mo Qi Qiughs awkwardly, understanding his meaning.


    They reach Hong Yang County at the end of the day. They rent a courtyard before investigating the current magistrate of the county. The official in this county seems to be very capable and upright. They can see that from the way of living of themon people here. Their houses are so clean and the people are dressed beautifully. The streets are very lively and there are hardly any beggars.


    The result of their investigation is indeed satisfactory. Themon people are full of praises for the official, he is very well-loved. Jun Qian Che is very pleased when he hears that, seeing his officials so close to themon people is exactly what he wants!


    They stay there for three days before leaving for the next destination, Chang Ming County.


    The magistrate here is not that bad as well, just, he has a little affinity towards alcohol. Despite that, his rtionship with themon people is not bad. When he is sober, he will do his best to help themon people solve their issues. Because of that, themon people have some kind of mixed feelings towards him.


    When Jun Qian Che hears that, he sends some people to cosy as merchants. They invite him drink to wine and purposely lets him get drunk. Once the official is drunk, he sends people to beat the gong in front of the government office, telling the official that there are bandits piging through the city.


    The officialughs when he hears that, and then, promptly falls asleep.


    On the next day, when the official wakes up, he finds his residentpletely ransacked. There are dead bodies littering the floor. He staggers outside and walks out of the gate, only to find more dead people on the street.


    He copses to the ground and cry, ming himself for causing the death of themon people. Had he not been drunk, he would have been able to order people to properly subdue the bandits. He picks up a sword, nning to end his own life.


    It is then that Jun Qian Che appears in front of him. Jun Qian Che informs him of his identity.


    When the official realizes that the emperor is standing in front of him, he kneels on the ground and admits his crime, "This is all this official¡¯s fault, Your Majesty! There were peopleing to the office yesterday to report that bandits were robbing the city, but this official was drunk and thought that it was a joke. This official did not do anything to stop the bandits and caused the death of so many innocent people. This official deserves to die! Please grant this official the death penalty!"


    "You finally understand how dangerous it is for a magistrate to have a muddled mind? Chang Ming County is a very important county to the kingdom. Not only is it the economic hub of the eastern part of the kingdom, it also borders another kingdom in the west. It¡¯s northern part on the other hand, stations a battalion of soldiers. If anything happens to it, it will affect our economy as well as our troops. Your responsibility is very heavy. What if our enemy figures out your weakness and takes advantage of it to invade? Regretting it will be toote, by then," Jun Qian Che calmly reproaches him.


    The magistrate admits his fault while crying, "This official was wrong. If only this official can turn back time. Unfortunately¡ª- Please sentence this official to death, Your Majesty!"


    "Get up! This is just a lesson from <i>zhen</i>. You better fix your drinking issue. <i>Zhen</i> hope you can learn from this."


    The official looks at Jun Qian Che curiously, "This officialmitted such a big crime, are you not going to punish this official, Your Majesty?"


    At that moment, all the people who are ying dead get up.


    The official is shocked senseless, "W-What is going on?"


    Han Yi Xiao steps forward, "This is His Majesty¡¯s lesson for you. His Majesty knew that you love drinking and always messed things up when drunk. Lucky you have not messed up anything big yet. After seeing your dedication towards themon people when you are not drunk, His Majesty decided to give you another chance. His Majesty arranged all this to give you a lesson."


    The official smiles amidst his tears before he kowtows, "Thank you for giving this official this lesson, Your Majesty! From this day onwards, this official will not drink anymore! This official will do his best to serve themon people! If this official touch any drop of wine again, this official will personally end his own life!"


    Themon people who are listening to them are very pleased, "Sir, you are good in everything, except when you are drunk! If you will not touch wine anymore, we will no longer have any worry!"


    "Yes! I agree!" the crowd agrees.


    "Do not worry, my beloved people! I will not touch wine anymore!" the official promises them.


    "Acknowledging one¡¯s fault and aspiring to change it is a good trait. Remember this day. Although everything is just a set-up today, what you saw earlier might really happen one day if you do not stop drinking."


    "Do not worry, Your Majesty. This official dares not drink again after this," he promises Jun Qian Che.


    Jun Qian Che nods in satisfaction, "Since this is so, <i>zhen</i> will give you another chance. <i>Zhen</i> will send people to secretly watch you. If you do not change your way, <i>zhen</i> will punish you heavily."


    "Yes, Your Majesty! This official will not disappoint you!"


    After this matter is settled, Jun Qian Che does not stay for long and quickly leaves for the next destination, Bing Shui Town.


    This is a very old town, with history and culture of it¡¯s own.


    The people here are very hardworking and hospitable.


    They stop to stay in this town.


    Although this town is fine in it¡¯s own right, there are ¡¯mice¡¯ that are causing trouble here.


    After staying here for a few days, Jun Qian Che personally witness those thugs bullying themon people.


    Jun Qian Che orders his people to capture those thugs and exiles them up to the north.


    As for Mo Qi Qi, she really likes this town. It has that old and ancient charm that archeologists like her likes.


    What is even more coincidental is that she actually encounters grave-robbers here. They have been arrested by the authority.

 Chapter 82

    The tomb has been dug out and all the treasures buried with it have been taken out. Mo Qi Qi looks at those treasures, stunned.


    After doing her research, she finds out that this tomb belongs to a Wangye from the previous dynasty.


    When she sees those priceless treasures, she approaches Jun Qian Che before saying, "Your Majesty, now that we have dug all those things out, those things now belong to the kingdom. Let¡¯s bring them back with us to the capital."


    "No, Rui Wangye will be given avish reburial, and all those things that have been unearthed will be buried back with him," Jun Qian Che solemnly says.


    "Yes," the county¡¯s magistrate immediately goes to do the bidding.


    After they return to their temporary abode, Mo Qi Qi unhappily turns to Jun Qian Che and scolds him, "Your Majesty, why did you tell them to rebury the treasures that have been dug out? Andvish reburial? What were you thinking? It is just the tomb of a Wangye from the previous dynasty, why are you giving him so much respect?"


    Jun Qian Che signals her to sit down.


    Mo Qi Qi angrily sits down. She really likes those relics, reburying them will be such a waste!


    "<i>Zhen</i> is treating thete Rui Wang in respect because he had a merit to our kingdom," he softly says.


    "A merit? He is already dead for more than 200 years. What kind of merit could he possibly give? Besides, he is from the previous dynasty!" Mo Qi Qi really cannot understand this person.


    Jun Qian Che calmly exins everything, "Thest emperor of the previous dynasty was someone debauched and unreasonable. The people were living in hardship. He kept drawing themon people¡¯s anger until they formed a rebellion against him. <i>Zhen¡¯s</i> imperial ancestor who was the then general could not bear to see the situation and ordered the soldiers under him to rebel against the kingdom. The rebellion went on for a couple of years. When imperial ancestor was almost sessful in his endeavour, a minister who was working under the then emperor tried to conspire against him. He wanted to kill imperial ancestor. When the then emperor¡¯s young brother, Rui Wang heard about the matter, he sent his people to inform imperial ancestor about the matter. They were friends you see. He did not me imperial ancestor for rebelling. His warning enabled imperial ancestor to put forth all necessary cautions. The emperor¡¯s n failed and imperial ancestor captured the imperial pce. He killed the emperor and seized the throne. Later, imperial ancestor wanted Rui Wang to stay in the court, and was even willing to appoint him as the regent. However, Rui Wang did not like engaging in the power struggle in court. He also felt guilty for betraying his own brother to save his friend, and so, he left imperial ancestor a letter before secretly leaving.


    In his letter, he said that he support imperial ancestor as the emperor and he hoped that imperial ancestor would be able to give themon people the peace and stability that they deserved. He vowed to never return to the capital. Imperial ancestor was touched when he read the letter. He ordered his people to search for Rui Wang, and at the same time, governed the kingdom as best as he could, as to not disappoint Rui Wang who had high hopes for him. Rui Wang was nowhere to be found and imperial ancestor would never see him again, in his lifetime. Before he died, imperial ancestor told his heir to continue searching for Rui Wang, and to treat him and his descendants kindly. <i>Zhen</i> was fortunate enough to find Rui Wangye and fulfilled imperial ancestor¡¯s wish. <i>Zhen</i> will try to find his descendants next. <i>Zhen</i> wants to reward them as per what imperial ancestor once requested."


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, full of emotion, "Who knew that Rui Wangye would have that kind of connection to the kingdom.... Does he have any descendants?"


    "<i>Zhen</i> don¡¯t know. But if he does, they are probably living here at the moment."


    "But, do you really think it is wise to look for his descendants? I believe Rui Wangye must have hidden his identity after leaving the capital. People probably didn¡¯t know who he was. That was why imperial ancestor never managed to find him. I¡¯m sure that even his descendants does not know who he was. If he really does have some descendants lying around somewhere, they have probably been living asmoners all their life. If you suddenly turn their lives upside down, some of them who have greedy hearts will probably make use of their identity as the descendants of the previous kingdom¡¯s royalty to create trouble. It will not be beneficial to the court or to them. Let¡¯s not disturb his descendants as per Rui Wang¡¯s wish. Let him rest in peace," Mo Qi Qi innocently says.


    Jun Qian Che is very surprised when he hears that. He did not expect Mo Qi Qi who lives a sheltered life to be able toe up with that.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees him staring at her like that, sheughs, worried, "<i>Chenqie</i> was just saying, Your Majesty. If you think <i>chenqie</i> is wrong, you can pretend you didn¡¯t hear a thing. <i>Chenqie</i> has no other meaning."


    "The empress said it very clearly, how could <i>zhen</i> pretend not to hear anything?" Jun Qian Che leisurely sips on his tea.


    Mo Qi Qi really wants to p her own mouth. She feels like she has just patted a tiger on it¡¯s back. "Your Majesty, you are a just ruler, you should allow other people to express their opinions. Even if what <i>chenqie</i> said went against you, you should not be so petty towards a girl. <i>Chenqie</i>will not mindlessly give <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> opinions again."


    "<i>Zhen</i> thinks that what the empress said is very reasonable. <i>Zhen</i> decides to adopt it," Jun Qian Che puts down his cup and looks at her.


    Mo Qi Qi is momentarily stunned before sheughs in relief, "You scared <i>chenqie</i> to death, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> thought you were angry."


    "What you said was right. This matter has been going on for far too long, <i>zhen</i> shouldn¡¯t disturb Rui Wang¡¯s descendants. This matter should end now. Reburying Rui Wang with honor should be enough to fulfil the promise to imperial ancestor."


    Mo Qi Qi takes that as the cue to butter him up, "Your Majesty is smart, no wonder you are the emperor of the kingdom. Your name will be remembered for generations toe! You are¡ª¨C"


    "Alright, that is enough. Give it back," Jun Qian Che changes the topic.


    Mo Qi Qi pretends to be clueless, "Give what back? What are you talking about, Your Majesty? <i>Chenqie</i> cannot understand you."


    "The jade pendant from Rui Wang¡¯s tomb," Jun Qian Che goes straight to the point without holding back.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart stops for a good few seconds before she continues to y dumb, "What jade pendant, Your Majesty? There was no jade pendant found as far as <i>chenqie</i> remember. Are you trying to make things hard for <i>chenqie</i>?"


    "<i>Zhen</i> already told you that everything must be put back with Rui Wang. That jade pendant in particr must be returned. Do you think <i>zhen</i> didn¡¯t see you secretly stealing the jade pendant from on top of Rui Wang?"


    Now that she has been exposed, Mo Qi Qi resorts to anger, "It is just a jade pendant! Rui Wang has so many treasures with him, I am sure he will not mind losing this pendant! Just consider it as giving it to theter generation!"


    "You can take anything you want, but you must return this jade pendant. Do you know why Rui Wang brought this with him to the grave? Because imperial ancestor¡¯s name was Jun Yu Heng. This pendant was given to him by imperial ancestor. This was Rui Wang¡¯s way of saying that he would forever be with imperial ancestor and that their brotherhood would always exist. This was his way of telling people that he did not me imperial ancestor. This pendant was really important for him. When imperial ancestor died, he too was buried with a pearl that Rui Wang once gave him," Jun Qian Che tells her everything he knows.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Yu Heng means jade pendant.)


    Mo Qi Qi takes out the pendant before mumbling to herself, "Who would have thought that they would have such a deep feeling for each other? Alright, I¡¯m returning it to you," she obediently gives it back to him. If she had known this from the start, she would have taken something else. Just, this pendant is just too pretty.


    Jun Qian Che takes it back and gets up. Before leaving, he gives her a parting word, "Remember your position as the empress. Do not do this again."


    Mo Qi Qi curtsies in front of him, "Yes." Then, she secretly scrunches her nose.


    Jun Qian Che then leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi leans on the long couch in grief. Amidst her sadness, she remembers her n to escape. She suddenly jumps back up, "There will be a thick forest in front. The best ce for me to run away. I need to prepare everything, I must be sessful this time!" She takes out her map and starts studying it.


    The little town is very quiet at night, unlike the lively capital. There is the sound of the temple¡¯s bell ringing from afar. Although it sounds really distant, it can be heard clearly amidst the silence of the night.


    Since it has just rained, the air feels moist and cool.


    After she finished inspecting the map, she prepares to retire to bed. Just then, she hears a loudmotion outside, "Protect the emperor!"


    "What is going on?" Mo Qi Qi walks out of her room, curious. When she sees a bunch of ck-clothed men fighting the guards in the courtyard, she covers her mouth in shock.


    Han Yi Xiao and Bai Jiu are amongst the guards battling the assassins.


    Jun Qian Che, on the other hand, is watching the scene calmly, a look of disdain shing in his eyes.


    As Mo Qi Qi watches Bai Jiu and Han Yi Xiao killing the assassins one by one, she gives them two thumbs up. Just as she thought that the assassins are going to die for sure, one of them noticed her and quickly brandishes his sword towards her.


    Mo Qi Qi stares at him, dumbfounded.


    When Jun Qian Che sees that, he kicks a sword towards that assassin, nning to stab him to death before he gets the chance to harm Mo Qi Qi. But then, Jun Yue Hen already rushes forward and shields Mo Qi Qi from in front, receiving the blow for her.


    "7th Imperial Uncle!" Mo Qi Qi looks at him in shock as the assassin¡¯s de stabs him in the shoulder.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s swordes two seconds toote. When it hits the assassin from behind, the assassin falls on the ground, dead.


    Realizing that they are losing, the rest of the assassins start retreating.


    Han Yi Xiao wants to give a chase, but Jun Qian Che stops him, "No need to chase after them."


    Jun Yue Hen¡¯s face is deathly pale, but when he sees how worried Mo Qi Qi is for him, he smiles, "This official isfine. Do not worry about this official, Your Ladyship."


    "Call the imperial physicians!" Han Yi Xiao orders one of his people.


    Jun Qian Che walks to Jun Yue Hen, eyeing him from head to toe before saying, "It rained just now. You do not know martial arts, it is safer for you to stay indoor." He looks at Jun Yue Hen¡¯s wet shoes.


    Jun Yue Hen also looks at his own shoes, "The flowers in the back courtyard are blooming beautifully. This official wanted to view them, but who would have thought that this official would see this scene upon returning back. As long as Your Majesty and Her Ladyship are alright....." Jun Yue Hen¡¯s voice is very weak.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly speaks up, "Stop talking, 7th imperial uncle! You should return to your room first." She tries to help him up to send him to his room.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s face promptly turns ugly.


    Bai Jiu sees that and quickly snaps at her people, "What are you two waiting for? Hurry and help the 7th King return to his room!"


    "Yes!" the two guards step forward and help lead Jun Yue Hen back to his room.


    The imperial physicianes soon after. He helps check Jun Yue Hen¡¯s wound before applying medicine on the wound and bandaging it. The wound is neither very deep nor is it heavily bleeding. Jun Yue Hen¡¯s life is not in danger.


    Jun Qian Che looks at the worried Mo Qi Qi before coldly saying, "The 7th Imperial Uncle¡¯s wound is not deep. You can go to rest now, Empress. All of you should retreat first, let the 7th Imperial Uncle rest properly!" After saying that, Jun Qian Che leaves.


    "How are you feeling, Yue Hen?" Mo Qi Qi asks in worry. After all, he got injured in order to protect her.


    Jun Yue Henforts her, "I am fine. You should go and rest."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright. You should rest properly as well. I will look for you tomorrow."


    "Alright," Jun Yue Hen gives her a bright smile so that she will stop worrying.


    After Mo Qi Qi walks out of Jun Yue Hen¡¯s room, she angrily march towards Jun Qian Che¡¯s room, "Your Majesty!"

 Chapter 83

    When Jun Qian Che sees Mo Qi Qiing over with an angry look on her face, he calmly says, "It iste now, why is the Empress looking for <i>zhen</i>?"


    "Your Majesty, even if you dislike <i>chenqie</i>, the 7th Imperial Uncle risked his life to save <i>chenqie</i>! The least you could do is to treat him courteously. Don¡¯t you think you were too cold to the 7th Imperial Uncle just now? No matter what, he is still your imperial uncle!"


    "Imperial uncle?" a sh of mockery can be seen on Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes, "You are right, he is indeed <i>zhen¡¯s</i> imperial uncle. But he is also <i>zhen¡¯s</i> official. As an official, it is his duty to protect <i>zhen</i>."


    Seeing him looking so unbothered upsets Mo Qi Qi even more, "His duty? Each and every life is precious! How could you take someone else¡¯s life so lightly?"


    "Take someone¡¯s life lightly? He is just a Wangye, is his life more precious than <i>zhen</i> and the Empress¡¯?"


    "You really were too much to him tonight, Your Majesty."


    "<i>Zhen</i> was too much? Mo Qi Qi, you could not differentiate ck from white and still dared toe here to reason with <i>zhen</i>. <i>Zhen</i> was already treating him good enough! Don¡¯t you use your head when thinking, Mo Qi Qi? Those assassins were really powerful and yet they only managed to stab him in the shoulder, don¡¯t you think something is off?" Jun Qian Che tries to hold in his anger.


    Mo Qi Qi sneers at him, "What else are you wishing for? Do you wish the assassin had killed him off instead? People says that all rulers are heartless, now I finally see it with my own eyes! Hmph!" She angrily leaves his room.


    Jun Qian Che is very angry as well. He clenches his fists. Mo Qi Qi, you fool!


    The next day, Mo Qi Qi wakes up really early. She personally cooked some porridge for Jun Yue Hen and sends it over to him. Jun Yue Hen is very happy when he sees her.


    When Jun Qian Che finds out, he overturns arge pot of vinegar and ignores her.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Overturns arge pot of vinegar means being consumed by jealousy.)


    Han Yi Xiao walks into Jun Qian Che¡¯s room, "Your Majesty."


    "How did the investigation go?"


    "The assassins are well-trained and prepared, they did not leave any trace."


    Jun Qian Che sneers coldly, "He has always been careful. But no matter how careful one is, they are bound to show their tails. Although <i>zhen</i> cannot find any evidence linking this to him this time, <i>zhen</i> will use this as a way to get rid of them in the future. For the moment being, do not let the news of this matter spread."


    "Yes! When will we be leaving, Your Majesty? This ce does not seem safe," Han Yi Xiao sounds very worried.


    "We will resume the journey right away."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Han Yi Xiao then leaves to oversee the preparation to continue the journey.


    When Mo Qi Qi finds out that they are going to resume the journey soon, she angrily march away to look for Jun Qian Che. She coincidentally bumps into him in the courtyard, "Your Majesty, are you really going to resume the journey?"


    "Yes. Why? Does the Empress have any other view?"


    "Are you doing this deliberately, Your Majesty? Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to stay here for a couple more days to oversee Rui Wang¡¯s reburial? Now that the 7th Imperial Uncle is injured, you suddenly want to continue the journey? Are you nning to get the 7th Imperial Uncle killed?"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s face is cold as he icily says, "Please remember who you are talking to, Empress."


    "I¡ª¡ª¡ª"


    "Your Majesty, Your Ladyship-" Jun Yue Hen walks out of his room. He could hear them arguing from far away. "You don¡¯t have to worry about this official, Your Ladyship. This official is fine. We can continue the journey."


    Jun Qian Che looks at Mo Qi Qi, as though saying, ¡¯See? Even he is saying he is fine!¡¯


    Mo Qi Qi is still dissatisfied, "What about Rui Wang¡¯s reburial? Aren¡¯t you worried about that? What if someone stole Rui Wang¡¯s treasures? How will you answer to our imperial ancestor then?"


    Jun Qian Che sneers, "The town¡¯s magistrate will handle the reburial. And don¡¯t worry, only the Empress has the guts to steal things like that."


    "I¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi does not know how to answer to that, so she can only change the topic, "What aboutst night¡¯s assassins? Aren¡¯t you going to investigate them?"


    Now that she is talking about the assassins, Jun Qian Che turns his attention to Jun Yue Hen, "Did you know who the assassins were, Imperial Uncle?"


    Jun Yue Hen freezes a little before smiling warmly, "This official does not know them, Your Majesty. Could it be the remaining family members of Qing Shui County¡¯s former magistrate? Your Majesty killed his entire family, so perhaps, some who survived tried to exact revenge."


    Mo Qi Qi agrees with him, "It is possible. Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> think that the 7th Imperial Uncle is right. Although you have punished a lot of people along this trip, you punished that magistrate the hardest. That darned man had so many women, who knew if he had illegitimate children lying somewhere? Although you ordered the entire family to be killed, the illegitimate children are like fishes that managed to slip through the. They probably colluded with theirte father¡¯s former friends to attack Your Majesty. If so, we cannot leave, Your Majesty! We must investigate this matter thoroughly! The 7th Imperial Uncle is just too smart! One sentence from him and I immediately bes inspired!" That is always the case in dramas.


    Jun Qian Cheughs heartily, full of mocking, "Your imagination is just too rich, Empress. This ce is not safe, we must leave soon." He walks to the gate, not wanting to waste more words with her. She actually dared to praise Jun Yue Hen in front of him! That woman is just too ungrateful!


    Mo Qi Qi made a face towards Jun Qian Che¡¯s back before worriedly walking over to Jun Yue Hen, "Is your wound really alright, Yue Hen? Can you really continue the journey?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I am fine."


    "This is all my fault. I caused this. Why were you so foolish, Yue Hen? You shouldn¡¯t have blocked the sword for me! Lucky the assassin¡¯s aim was not good, otherwise, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life!"


    Jun Yue Hen smiles at her warmly beforeforting her, "Aren¡¯t I alright now? You don¡¯t have to feel guilty. I did everything willingly. As long as you are fine."


    "Thank you, Yue Hen," Mo Qi Qi sincerely thank him. That was the third time he has saved her life. She has no idea how she could repay him. Seems like she really need to leave soon. She needs to put a distance between herself and the members of the imperial family. If she continues staying here, she will owe him more and more. Her debt towards him is already big enough as it is.


    "Qi Qi, you don¡¯t have to be courteous towards me," Jun Yue Hen says, looking at her full of love.


    She smiles, avoiding eye-contact.


    Ban Xiang walks over to them, "Your Ladyship, His Majesty tells you to hurry up and board the carriage."


    "Alright, Jun Qian Che is too cold-blooded. Let¡¯s go, Yue Hen!"


    Jun Yue Hen nods.


    After boarding the carriage, Mo Qi Qi does not utter a single word to Jun Qian Che whom she considers very cruel. He has been very heartless towards Jun Yue Hen. Although people says that the imperial family is cold-blooded, his Imperial Uncle has been injured, will it kill him to dy the trip for two or three more days? He is deliberately making things hard for Yue Hen!


    Jun Qian Che also ignores her. In his opinion, she is without a brain. He cannot connect with her.


    As they move further onwards, they reach the 1000-miles forest that Mo Qi Qi has been yearning to reach. Although calling it a 1000-miles forest is an exaggeration, the forest is truly big. They will not be able to pass through it today. She must seize this chance to escape!


    Even though Jun Yue Hen is injured after saving her yesterday, she still must take this chance to run away. Let people call her cruel if they want to. If she doesn¡¯t take this chance, she will not get any other chances to flee.


    Later in the evening, the entourage stops and sets camp to rest for the night.


    Jun Qian Che closes his eyes as they wait inside the carriage for the servants to finish setting up the tents.


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a nce before quietly getting off the carriage. She goes to Jun Yue Hen to ask about his condition.


    Luckily, his health is in a good condition. Although his wound is bleeding a little because of the bumpy ride, the imperial physician has administered medicine to the wound.


    After the tents are set, Jun Qian Che walks into his tent and leisurely starts to drink some tea.


    Mo Qi Qi walks in and stops right in front of him.


    "How is the 7th Imperial Uncle¡¯s wound?" he calmly asks.


    Mo Qi Qi scrunches her face at him, "You still know to care about the 7th Imperial Uncle? His wound has started bleeding again because of the journey!"


    Jun Qian Che appears unperturbed, "It is just a wound in the shoulder. So what if it bleeds a little? It will not kill him."


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly has the urge to rush towards him and chokes him to death, "Yes, of course not! After all, the wound is not on your body! You took care of your body since you were young, how could you possibly know the pain of getting stabbed!" You only know how to speak, why don¡¯t you try getting stabbed for once?


    Jun Qian Che suddenly starts taking off his robe.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees this, she takes a couple of steps backwards to put some distance between them, "You- What are you doing? If you try to force <i>chenqie</i> again, <i>chenqie</i> will die for you to see!"


    Jun Qian Che rolls his eyes at her and takes off his frontpel, showing her his chest, "Whose wound do you think is worse, <i>zhen¡¯s</i> or his?"


    Mo Qi Qi covers her mouth in shock. She finally notices a blue-ish scar on Jun Qian Che¡¯s chest, right on the area of the heart, "Your Majesty, you- you were injured too?" Aren¡¯t you the emperor? Howe there are people out there who can hurt you?


    Jun Qian Che puts on his robe again, calmly saying, "<i>Zhen</i> was ina for one month. The imperial physicians all said that <i>zhen</i> would not survive it, but <i>zhen</i> was lucky. <i>Zhen</i>, above everyone else, knows the pain of a stab wound. Do you still think that <i>zhen</i> does not know what the 7th Imperial Uncle is going through?" He will never forget this stab wound. Although there are medicines that can fade the scar, he wants to keep it as it is as a reminder to never take anyone lightly.


    "I¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi does not know what to say. Who knew that even Jun Qian Che have gone through this. It really is not good to be a member of the imperial family. She really really wants to leave now. "There are not enough medicine, Your Majesty. The physicians are all worried that if we continue the journey tomorrow, the wound will bleed again. <i>Chenqie</i> ns to pick some herbs that can facilitate blood clot."


    "Let the imperial physicians pick them. You must be tired after the long journey, you should rest early." Jun Qian Che does not permit her because he does not want anything to happen to her.


    Mo Qi Qi obediently curtsies in front of him, "Yes, <i>chenqie</i> should retreat first." Then, she leaves.


    Although she did not receive Jun Qian Che¡¯s permission, she never considered listening to him anyway.


    Ban Xiang happily greets her as she steps into the tent, "You are here, Your Ladyship. This servant has prepared tea and some pastries for you. Why don¡¯t you eat them first, Your Ladyship? Dinner will still be a while from now."


    Mo Qi Qi looks around, "I am not hungry. Prepare me a bamboo basket, Ban Xiang. I want to pick some herbs for the 7th Imperial Uncle¡¯s wound."


    Ban Xiang looks at her in worry, "You want to pick herbs, Your Ladyship? The sky is going to turn dark soon and it looks like it is going to rain, what if something happens to you?"


    "No way, don¡¯t worry. There are so many of us here, who would be stupid enough to attack me? His Majesty already gave me his permission. I will return very quickly, before the sky even darken. Now, where is my basket?"


    When Ban Xiang hears that the emperor already agreed to letting her go, she gives in, "Alright, this servant will look for the basket. Then, we will go together."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright, hurry and go."


    Ban Xiang leaves.


    The moment Ban Xiang is out of sight, Mo Qi Qi takes out her bundle and takes off her dress, putting on a man¡¯s clothing in exchange. She even adds anotheryer of the imperial guards¡¯ uniform on top, just to be safe. Then, she makes sure that she has the map and all her money with her before quietly sneaking out of the tent.


    In order to avoid suspicion, Mo Qi Qi does not bring her bundle with her. As long as she has her money, she will be able to buy everything she wantster.


    After she sneaks out of the tent, she looks around. Everyone seems too busy to be paying attention to her, so, she quietly slips away.

 Chapter 84

    A couple of guards somehow spot her running into the forest, "Where are you going?"


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart jumps up in shock. Without turning around, she nervously replies them, "I need to pee really badly...."


    Since there is quite a distance between them, the guards do not recognize her and simply leaves her be.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly runs deeper into the forest.


    After she has run for a while, she pats her chest in relief, "How dangerous! Lucky they didn¡¯t discover me! Hehe, who would have thought that my escape would run this smoothly? If I continue running tonight, they will never catch up to me!" She takes off the guard¡¯s uniform but keeps the man¡¯s clothings on her. She begins walking around, hoping she can leave this forest by tonight.


    The sky very quickly turns dark. It had been grey throughout the day, and now, even at night, the sky seems to be filled with rain clouds. Not longter, rain begins pouring down.


    Mo Qi Qi covers her head before looking at the sky in resentment, "Please do not toy with me like this, God! It wasn¡¯t easy for me to run away, and now this.... Do you want me to die?"


    She looks around. Since the sun has set, she cannot see her surrounding clearly. She wonders if there are people living in this forest. If she cannot find a ce to stay for the night, she is going to get sick for sure!


    Mo Qi Qi runs towards a tree to take cover and not longter, "Ah!"


    By the time she regains her bearing, she discovers that she is inside arge pit. There are leaves and branches under the pit. This must be an animal trap set by hunters!


    She wants to cry. Never mind the rain, she actually fell into a pit! Why is she so unlucky? What if another animal also falls into this pit? Wouldn¡¯t she be a feast then? No, she must climb her way up!


    Easier said than done! The pit is pretty deep and the rain makes everything slippery. After failing a couple of times, she sits on the ground mournfully, "Wuwu, don¡¯t tell me I will die here tonight?"


    The camp on the other hand, is in a furore.


    Mo Qi Qi was already gone by the time Ban Xiang returns. She looks for her around the camp, but cannot find her. She then thought that Mo Qi Qi has gone to the surrounding shrubbery to pick herbs, but she is also nowhere to be found over there. When it starts raining, Ban Xiang grows worried and report everything to Jun Qian Che.


    When Jun Qian Che hears her, his heartbeat picks up. "<i>Zhen</i> never gave her the permission to pick herbs! What are you standing there for? Hurry and dispatch people to look for her!" he angrily says.


    Guards and soldiers begin searching for Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Qian Che feels very uneasy sitting inside the tent, he picks up an umbre and joins the search party.


    The forest is soon full of the sound of people calling for her: "Your Ladyship¡ª-"


    Everyone braves the heavy rain to look for Mo Qi Qi, including Jun Qian Che, "Mo Qi Qi¡ª¡ª"


    Mo Qi Qi, on the other hand, stares at the sky in tears. Droplets of rain ps her in the face. She quickly wipes them and gets up, trying to climb up once again. No matter what, she cannot just sit here and wait for her death.


    She tries to climb up for a couple more times. When she fails again, she helplessly begins shouting for help, "Help! Help! Anyone out there?" She hopes that someone will pass this ce and save her. If she had known this would happen, she would not have run tonight.


    "Your Ladyship! Your Ladyship¡ª-" the sound of people calling for her is swallowed by the sound of the rain.


    Jun Qian Che ignores his identity and continues looking for her, "Mo Qi Qi¡ª¡ª¡ª-"


    Mo Qi Qi can pick up the sound of people calling for her. Her heart is filled with delight, "Someone is looking for me? Shit, Jun Qian Che must have found out that I am gone. He must have sent people to chase after me. No, I must not let them find me!" But, after thinking about it, she did not tell anyone that she wanted to run. If they discover her, she can simply tell them that she has been looking for herbs for the 7th Wang and identally fell into an animal trap. She will only get scolded by Jun Qian Che at most, he will not kill her. it is more important to escape this pit. If water starts pooling inside the pit, wouldn¡¯t she drown to death?


    With that in mind, she jumps up and yells, "Help! I am here!"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s hearing is very good. He stops in his steps, trying to hear better. The rain is too noisy for him to pinpoint to source of her voice urately.


    "Help! Help! I am here!" that voice can be heard again.


    Jun Qian Che quickly moves closer to the source of that voice.


    "Help! Help me!" that voice is bing clearer to his ears. That is indeed Mo Qi Qi¡¯s voice.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart begins to rx as a relieved smile can be seen on his face. He quickly makes his move towards that voice.


    "Help! Help!" Seems like Mo Qi Qi has gotten tired. Her voice has turned soft.


    By then, Jun Qian Che has gotten really close to the pit that he can hear her voice clearly despite the rain. As he makes his way closer to the pit, a sh of silver pass by him. He stops in his steps.


    He is well-practised in martial arts and has been on the battlefield before, so he is especially sensitive to hidden weapons. He narrows his eyes as he tries to sense any kind of movement from his surrounding. Although the sound of raindrops hitting the dead leaves is very loud, he can sense a different kind of movement underneath the rain; someone is here.


    If his guess is right, he is currently surrounded by assassins. He is all by himself right now, the assassins must be nning to take this chance to attack him while he is without his guards.


    Mo Qi Qi is just in front, he must not let them know that she is there lest they try to hurt her. She is not in grave danger as of now, the most important thing is to lead the assassins away from her before saving her.


    With that in mind, Jun Qian Che turns around and walks to the opposite direction.


    The assassins quietly follow him.


    After a while, the assassins finally lose their patience and block Jun Qian Che¡¯s way.


    Jun Qian Che looks at the assassins surrounding him, sneering coldly, "You finally came out."


    "You noticed us?" the leader amongst the assassins says.


    Jun Qian Che looks at them in disdain, "Let¡¯s see if the likes of you can really kill <i>zhen</i>."


    "You dog emperor! We will send you to your grave today! Let¡¯s see who can save you now!"


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head at them ridiculingly, "Then, <i>zhen</i> will have to see whether or not you people have that ability."


    "Alright, let¡¯s go brothers! End this dog emperor¡¯s life!" Those bunch of assassins immediately lunge at Jun Qian Che at that cue.


    Jun Qian Che calmly swerves the umbre in his hand. An assassin¡¯s sword immediately slices the umbre into two.


    He flies up and starts taking on the assassins mid-air.


    The fight goes on amidst the rain. Jun Qian Che twists an assassin¡¯s wrist and takes away his sword.


    With a sword in hand, Jun Qian Che bes even more invincible. Although he is being attacked by more than 10 people at one time, he does not seem panicked at all.


    With a swing of his sword, even raindrops breaks into smaller droplets. He leaps mid-air and circles around, creating a really beautiful view.


    Mo Qi Qi, on the other hand, is anxiously waiting for help. She ispletely weak at the moment that even her voice has gone coarse, "Help! Help¡ª-"


    "Qi Qi!" A familiar voice can be heard.


    When Mo Qi Qi hears that voice, her eyes light up as hope begins to fill her, "Here! I am here!"


    A white silhouette can be seen looking at her from above. When that person sees her, he smiles in relief, "Qi Qi!"


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s nose feels sour when she sees that man. She begins to weep happily, "Yue Hen, it is really you! I thought I was hallucinating!"


    "Don¡¯t be scared, Qi Qi! I will pull you up!" Jun Yue Hen looks for a strong and sturdy vine and throws it to her. "Grab hold of the vine, Qi Qi! I will pull you up!"


    "Alright!" Mo Qi Qi nods. Once she securely ties the vine around her waist, Jun Yue Hen begins pulling her up.


    After a lot of effort, she finally manages to climb out of the pit. She sighs in relief, "I finally managed to climb up! I thought I would die down there!"


    Jun Yue Hen wipes the traces of muds marring her face dotingly, "How did you fall into the pit?"


    "Hehe, I identally fell!" Mo Qi Qi scratches her head.


    "Qi Qi, why are you here on the first ce?" Jun Yue Hen curiously looks at her.


    She continues scratching her head, "This¡ª¡ª" If she tells him that she had nned to run away on her own without telling him, he will be hurt for sure.


    "Actually, Yue Hen, I¡ª¡ª" Mo Qi Qi¡¯s words remain stuck inside her throat when she sees blood seeping from Jun Yue Hen¡¯s shoulder, "Yue Hen, your wound is bleeding again. You must have used too much force when you were pulling me out earlier! I am so sorry! You shouldn¡¯t havee out on the first ce! It is currently raining, what if your wound gets infected?"


    When he sees how worried she is, Jun Yue Hen smiles warmly, "Don¡¯t worry, I will be fine."


    "How could you even smile right now? Let¡¯s go back and get it looked at by physicians!" She picks up an umbre that Jun Yue Hen has tossed on the ground and leads him back to the camp.


    In another part of the forest, Jun Qian Che is still duelling with those assassins. Although there are dozens of assassins there, they are not on Jun Qian Che¡¯s level. The leader looks at his fallenrades. If they don¡¯t leave now, all of them will die under Jun Qian Che¡¯s hand. He sends a look towards hispanions. An injured assassin who is lying on the ground then throws a needle towards Jun Qian Che.


    Jun Qian Che can sense something offing from behind him. He tries to dodge but it is toote. The needle pierces through his arm.


    "You wretched thing!" Jun Qian Che yells at the assassin before aiming his sword at the man, ending his life.


    He can feel his arm turning numb.


    The rest of the assassins take that chance to run away.


    He does not chase after them because he is worried about Mo Qi Qi. He ignores the needle inside his arm and quickly runs towards the ce where Mo Qi Qi is trapped.

 Chapter 85

    Jun Qian Che rushes towards the animal trap where Mo Qi Qi identally fell through, but by the time he gets there, the pit is already empty. Someone must have pulled Mo Qi Qi up, though he doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s his own people or the assassins. He is worried for her safety, he hopes that she is fine. He wants to make sure she is fine, so he uses <i>qinggong</i> to fly back towards the camp.


    When he does not see her back in the camp, his heart grows even more worried. Just as he is about to turn around to continue searching for her, he feels a burst of dizziness and copses on the ground.


    Han Yi Xiao who has just gotten there, immediately helps him get up, "Are you alright, Your Majesty?"


    "<i>Zhen</i> is fine. Have you found the Empress?" Jun Qian Che looks at Han Yi Xiao.


    Han Yi Xiao nods, "Yes. Since the sky is dark and the road is slippery, the rest of the soldiers are escorting Her Ladyship back. This General is worried about your safety, so this General used <i>qinggong</i> to return first."


    When he hears that Mo Qi Qi is safe, Jun Qian Che puts his worry to rest.


    Later, inside Jun Qian Che¡¯s tent, Han Yi Xiao grows worried when he sees the ck needle, "Your Majesty, this needle is poisonous."


    Jun Qian Che calmly replies him, "It corrodes the bones."


    Han Yi Xiao nods, "Yes, this is a very powerful poison. The moment the needle pierces one¡¯s skin, the poison will start to spread. There are very little poisons out there that can take someone¡¯s life. As for this one, although it does not kill immediately, it will give it¡¯s victim a lot of torment. The victim will start suffering from dizziness, chest pain and willter falls into aa. Once the poison spread into the victim¡¯s internal organs, the victim will die. Where did you find this needle, Your Majesty?"


    "An assassin."


    Han Yi Xiao looks at him in shock, "You are poisoned, Your Majesty?"


    "Ssh, lower your voice. Do not let anyone else know that <i>zhen</i> went to look for the Empress tonight. Do not let anyone know that <i>zhen</i> has been poisoned as well. It is very important to keep this incident under tight wrap," instructs Jun Qian Che.


    Han Yi Xiao nods, "But the poison inside your body......"


    "<i>Zhen</i> will find someone to cure it. Start the journey to return to the pce tomorrow."


    "You are back, Your Ladyship. You scared this servant to death!" Ban Xiang¡¯s voice can be heard from outside.


    Jun Qian Che turns to Han Yi Xiao, "Tell the Empress toe in."


    "Yes," Han Yi Xiao immediately walks out.


    Soon, a pathetic looking Mo Qi Qi walks in, followed by Jun Yue Hen.


    Displeasure rises inside Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart when he sees them walking in together, though he does not show it on his face.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees him sitting there all clean and idle, anger rises inside her heart. Even the injured Jun Yue Hen ran around looking for her out there. Jun Qian Che is such a good husband ah! What a heartless and cold-blooded bas*tard!


    "Where were you?" Jun Qian Che icily asks her.


    Mo Qi Qi bad-temperedly replies him, "Answering Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> went to pick herbs. Lucky the 7th Imperial Uncle found <i>chenqie</i>, otherwise, <i>chenqie</i> would have died tonight."


    Jun Qian Che looks at Jun Yue Hen before sneering coldly, "The 7th Imperial Uncle sure cares deeply about the Empress. You braved the rain despite your injury just to look for her."


    When Mo Qi Qi realizes that Jun Qian Che is going to mock Jun Yue Hen again, she quickly talks back, "Your Majesty, didn¡¯t you say that the 7th Imperial Uncle is an official and that it is his duty to protect us? Are you ming him for saving <i>chenqie</i> tonight?"


    Jun Qian Che unhappily res at Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Yue Hen tries to save the situation, "Your Ladyship, His Majesty was actually very worried about you."


    "Hmph, he does a really good job at hiding it!" Mo Qi Qi looks at him in disdain.


    Jun Qian Che suddenly gets up and walks towards Mo Qi Qi, his entire body radiating with an intimidating aura.


    Mo Qi Qi takes a step back, "Why are you looking at <i>chenqie</i> like that?"


    "<i>Zhen</i> wants to know where you were nning to go to, tonight," he narrows his eyes icily at her.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart crumbles cowardly, though she managed to keep a calm front, "<i>Chenqie</i> already told you that the imperial physicians¡¯ supplies are dwindling really fast. <i>Chenqie</i> only wanted to help, but who would have thought that it would rain and that <i>chenqie</i> would fall into an animal trap?"


    "Continue lying," Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is cold and piercing.


    Mo Qi Qi swallows heavily, "<i>Chenqie</i> is not lying."


    Jun Qian Che suddenly pulls out a roll of paper made of cow¡¯s skin that she has been cing on her belt, "What is this?"


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heartbeat rises as she inwardly panicks, "Just a piece of paper."


    "Really? Why does it look like a map to <i>zhen</i>?" Jun Qian Che opens the paper. Although it is wet, the clear outline of the map can still be seen.


    Mo Qi Qi refuses to admit everything even as facts are being presented in front of her, "What could the map even represent? <i>Chenqie</i> only brought the map because <i>chenqie</i> did not want to get lost."


    "Then why does <i>zhen</i> feels like the Empress was trying to run away?" Jun Qian Che is not in the mood to waste words with her, so he quickly goes straight to the point.


    Jun Yue Hen looks at Mo Qi Qi in surprise.


    When Jun Qian Che sees that, he coldly says, "Your wound is bleeding again, 7th Imperial Uncle. You should return to your tent and have your wound looked at. The rest of you can go, <i>zhen</i> would like to speak to the Empress privately."


    "Yes!" Everyone else quickly retreats, leaving only Jun Qian Che and Mo Qi Qi inside the tent.


    Jun Qian Che returns to his seat and sits down, "Speak. Why were you trying to run away?"


    Mo Qi Qi refuses to admit anything, "<i>Chenqie</i> was not trying to run away. <i>Chenqie</i> already told you, <i>chenqie</i> was just trying to pick herbs."


    "Really? Picking herbs requires you to wear men¡¯s disguise?" he looks at her from head to toe.


    "It is because men¡¯s clothings are simpler and morefortable to wear if one wants to look for herbs in the middle of a forest."


    "You sure are wasting a lot of effort for another man. Do not forget your identity, you are <i>zhen¡¯s</i>Empress. <i>Zhen</i> can punish you just for doing this," Jun Qian Che threatens her.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him fearlessly, "Everyone saw how the 7th Imperial Uncle saved <i>chenqie</i>. <i>Chenqie</i> was just trying to repay his grace by picking herbs for him. If Your Majesty punish <i>chenqie</i> for doing that, the entire world will call you heartless. Are you willing to risk your reputation just for this?"


    The corner of Jun Qian Che¡¯s lips rises as he faintly smiles, "The Empress sure knows how to speak." Ungrateful <i>yatou</i>.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Yatou means girl.)


    Mo Qi Qi arrogantly replies him, "Thank you for that praise, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes before he calmly speaks, "Do not try to test <i>zhen¡¯s</i> patience, Mo Qi Qi. If <i>zhen</i> really wants someone¡¯s life, there are a lot ways for <i>zhen</i> to get it. Do not think that <i>zhen</i> will always have the patience to listen to your lies."


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart shrivels from fright, "<i>Chenqie</i> is not lying, Your Majesty. You should try to trust other people more."


    "Should <i>zhen</i> invite the imperial physicians over and ask them if they are really running out of medicines?" Jun Qian Che looks at her tensely.


    Mo Qi Qi scolds Jun Qian Che inside her heart: Rude bas*ard, don¡¯t you know that it is rude to call out another person¡¯s lie out loud?


    She cannot run from this anymore. She must think of another exsuse to save herself. If she honestly reply him and tell him that she is running away to save herself because of what the previous owner did in the viewing tower, he might as well take this chance to kill her at this very spot. No, she must find another excuse.


    Got one!


    Mo Qi Qi is very quick-witted and quickly puts on a pitiful look, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> did not really want to run away, but <i>chenqie</i> was afraid."


    "Afraid? What is there to be afraid of?" asks Jun Qian Che.


    Mo Qi Qi sniffles a couple of times, "Because of what happened in Qing Shui County. <i>Chenqie</i>went to a brothel and actually bumped into you there. Although this matter has passed, <i>chenqie</i>is still afraid of the repercussions. <i>Chenqie</i> is the Mother of the Kingdom yet <i>chenqie</i> actually dared to go to such a promiscuous ce and make you lose face. Although <i>chenqie</i> was on disguise and Your Majesty did not really pursue the matter back then, that does not means that you did not take it to heart. What if you decide to punish <i>chenqie</i> for it once we return to the pce? That¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> ran away."


    Jun Qian Che looks at her expression and cannot find anything off. For the time being, he choose to believe her.


    To tell the truth, that is indeed one of the reasons why Mo Qi Qi decided to run tonight. That¡¯s why she appears very truthful when she says it.


    "Even you are capable of feeling fear," Jun Qian Che mocks her.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, "Of course. Your Majesty actually went to a brothel and was caught by <i>chenqie</i>. You naturally wouldn¡¯t want that to be spread out."


    Jun Qian Che res at her.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly changes her tune, "It is also bad for <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> reputation since <i>chenqie</i> was also there."


    "Mo Qi Qi, it does not matter if you are telling the truth or not, <i>zhen</i> will not pursue the matter for the time being. Just, remember this: if <i>zhen</i> really wants to kill you, feel free to run away as far as you can, <i>zhen</i> will still be able to get to you. You better forget your n to run away. No matter what, <i>zhen</i> have <i>zhen¡¯s</i> own methods to get you back." Without <i>zhen¡¯s</i> permission, do not even dream to go somewhere else.


    "What methods?" Mo Qi Qi curiously asks him. One must know oneself as well as the enemy before engaging in a fight.


    Jun Qian Che res at her again.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly lowers her head in fear.


    Seeing her all wet and dirty, Jun Qian Che impatiently snaps at her, "Go and clean yourself! You do not look like the Mother of the Kingdom at all!"


    Mo Qi Qi originally wants to talk back, but, in order to avoid looking at his hateful face any longer, she swallows her retort, "<i>Chenqie</i> will leave then." She quickly walks away.


    After she left, Jun Qian Che quickly hold his chest. It hurts.


    Han Yi Xiao who has been worried about the Emperor¡¯s health quickly walks back in after the Empress left. When he notices how pale Jun Qian Che seems, he immediately steps forward, "Your Majesty, the poison is spreading."


    Jun Qian Che endures the pain, "It¡¯s alright. <i>Zhen</i> used qinggong to get here earlier on, so the poison is spreading faster."


    Han Yi Xiao looks at him in concern, "Using internal and external energy should be avoided as it will make the Shi Gu Poison spread even faster. You should ask your imperial physicians to neutralize the poison, Your Majesty!"


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head, "No, <i>zhen</i> does not want this matter to spread. One more person in the knowing increases the chance of the news spreading. No one else must know this, understand?"


    "Yes, this General understand. Let this General use <i>yungong</i> to help you subdue the poison for now!"


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Yungong is a method in which a person channels his inner qi into another person¡¯s body.)


    Jun Qian Che nods.

 Chapter 86

    Mo Qi Qi grumpily returns to her own tent. Since she is soaked thorough, she changes her clothes to a clean one, all the while scolding Jun Qian Che non-stop, "Too cold-blooded! Too ruthless! His own Empress had gone missing, not only didn¡¯t he help to look for her, he went and scold her instead! Such a cold-blooded jerk!"


    Ban Xiang, who has been helping her change does not say anything.


    After a while, Mo Qi Qi senses something off with her, "Why are you so quiet today, Ban Xiang?"


    Ban Xiang lowers her head while sniffling, "Do you not like this servant anymore, Your Ladyship? Did this servant do anything wrong?"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her in surprise, "No! You have been doing very well! I like you very much! You are the closest person to me! It is because you are by my side that I am able to survive this weird ce! Although we are different in status, I really consider you as my own sister!"


    "Then why didn¡¯t you bring this servant with you when you were trying to run away?" Ban Xiang finally voices her discontent, tears streaming down her face.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly helps her wipe her tears before looking at her fondly, "Don¡¯t cry, Ban Xiang!" Although Ban Xiang have always liked to cry, this time seems different. Her silent sobs seems toe purely from the sadness of her heart.


    "Ban Xiang, I did not take you with me not because I do not like you, but because I care too much about you. Me escaping is not a small matter. Jun Qian Che will definitely pursue me. Before I am sure of how my future will shape, I refuse to drag you down with me. You are so cute and your future is so bright, you must find a good man who loves you as you are. I want you to be happy, and that will be impossible if you were to run with me." Mo Qi Qi gently coaxes her.


    Ban Xiang looks at her with an earnest expression on her face, "Your Ladyship, I have followed you since we were young. I have never been away from you. I have made up my mind; I want to be with you forever. It doesn¡¯t matter what you are; an esteemed Young Miss or the Empress or a fugitive, I do not want to be away from you. I am an orphan, you are the only one I have."


    Mo Qi Qi is very touched by Ban Xiang¡¯s words. She hugs Ban Xiang affectionately, "Silly girl. How did I meet such a loyal <i>yatou</i> like you?"


    "Please do not abandon this servant again, Your Ladyship. This servant does not fear hardship!" says Ban Xiang earnestly.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, touched. She pinches her cheeks, "Don¡¯t worry. I will take you with me, next time!"


    Ban Xiang smiles despite her tears, "Thank you, Your Ladyship!"


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head while smiling, "What a foolish girl. But now, it is going to be hard for us to run again." She sits in front of the table mournfully.


    "You still ns to run away?" Bai Jiu asks while walking in from outside.


    "Why are you here, Jiu Jiu?" Mo Qi Qi looks at Bai Jiu in surprise.


    Bai Jiu sits in front of her, a look of concern on her face, "Second Sister, you really were too bold today. Lucky His Majesty was benevolent and did not pursue the matter. Otherwise, you would have lost your life already."


    "Are you saying that I should be thankful towards that Jun Qian Che instead?" Mo Qi Qi looks at her in displeasure.


    "Second Sister, you are the Empress. You are someone other girls can only dream to be. Why do you want to run away? Although I do not know about the state of your rtionship with His Majesty, I can see that he treats you really well during this trip." She really thinks that the Emperor treats her sister well. Although the Emperor looks very cold all the time and never says kind words to her sister, she can see that his eyes are gentle when he is looking at her sister. He was really worried when she went missing, just he didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    Ban Xiang who is standing on the sideline nods in agreement, "Right, the Third Miss is right."


    "What right? With what eyes did you two see him treats me well? Both of you are siding with him; who is your master, him or me? Who is your sister, him or me? Why are you two purposely choosing to see only his good side and overlooks everything else?" Mo Qi Qi res at the two girls. If he really treats her well, he wouldn¡¯t have tried to kill her. If he really treats her well, he wouldn¡¯t have forcefully took her that night. Whenever he spoke to her, he would only utter threatening words.


    "Second Sister, I think His Majesty really cares about you. When he found out that you went missing, he ordered everyone to look for you, not leaving even a single guard by his side. Doesn¡¯t that means that he really cares about you?" says Bai Jiu. What Bai Jiu does not know is that Jun Qian Che actually personally braved the rain to look for Mo Qi Qi after sending everyone away.


    Mo Qi Qi sneers, "As if! He was only doing that for show! No matter what, I am still his Empress in name. If his own Empress went missing and he did not order people to look for her, people would call him heartless. In fact, I bet he wished that I was dead. At least, that way he would not have to personally kill me and raise the ire of the Duke Zhen¡¯s Residence. That was why he was that angry when Imperial Uncle brought me back safely!"


    Bai Jiu scratches her head, "I think you are a little biased against His Majesty. Everyone says that, in love, the people at the side-line will have the clearest view. I think they are right."


    "I am biased against him? Mo Jiu Jiu, just whose sister are you? Why do you keep speaking up for him? There is no love between me and Jun Qian Che on the first ce, so there is nothing for people at the side-line like you to see!" Mo Qi Qi unhappily scolds her.


    Mo Jiu Jiu looks at her in surprise, "What did you say? There is no love between you two? Weren¡¯t you in love with him though? You were willing to die just to marry him back then. It has only been two years and you already regret it?" Is it really that easy to fall out of love?


    "Correct, I started regretting it long ago!" Mo Qi Qi angrily replies. The previous owner must have been blind to have liked Jun Qian Che.


    Mo Jiu Jiu sighs regretfully, "Who would have thought that you would take love so lightly? Loving someone shouldst throughout your entire lifetime. Once you set your heart into it, you should not regret it for the rest of your life. No matter how hard things get, you must persevere. Although things are hard between you and His Majesty, you cannot simply say you do not love!"


    "Huh! Even a little girl like you wants to teach me about love! What do you know? Have you ever been in love before?" asks Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Jiu Jiu purses her lips, "Although I have never been in love before, I know that once I love someone, I will stick with it till the end. Second Sister, you have made things really difficult for everyone because of your escape attempt tonight. Please do not repeat that silly action in the future. If His Majesty does not want to let you go, you will not be able to run, no matter how hard you try. I am going first, think about what I said."


    As Bai Jiu left, Mo Qi Qi points at her back profile angrily, "That girl! She actually came to reprimand me!"


    Ban Xiang swallows heavily before gathering her courage to say, "Your Ladyship, this servant actually kind of agree with the Third Miss."


    "I¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi turns that using finger towards Ban Xiang, beforementing with a bitter face, "Wuwuwu, what kind of hardship is this! There is no one out there who can understand my plight!"


    Ban Xiang secretlyughs at her.


    The rain gradually stops.


    The smell of rain mixed with dirt and dead leaves feel particrly refreshing.


    Mo Qi Qi lies on her bed, repeating today¡¯s event inside her head. Jun Yue Hen¡¯s expression as he left Jun Qian Che¡¯s tent earlier left a deep impression on her. In his eyes, there were disappointment and sadness. Mo Qi Qi feels really guilty when she remembers that, to the point where she cannot sleep. She gets up from her bed. She wants to see Jun Yue Hen. She wonders how his wound is.


    With that in mind, Mo Qi Qi puts on her shoes and walks to the exit. Since Ban Xiang is asleep, she tries to make as little noise as possible.


    The night is dark, and thepound is empty, save for the guards lining up around the perimeter.


    Once Mo Qi Qi sees that the coast is clear, she immediately runs towards Jun Yue Hen¡¯s tent. Once outside the entrance, she whispers, "Yue Hen, are you asleep?" His lights are still on, so he probably is still awake.


    Jun Yue Hen is currently sitting in front of a table, in a daze. When he hears Mo Qi Qi¡¯s voice, he quickly says, "I am still awake."


    Mo Qi Qi quietly enters the tent.


    "It is already sote, Qi Qi, why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?" Jun Yue Hen feels a little disappointed again when he sees her.


    Mo Qi Qi sits in front of him, "You are also still awake."


    Jun Yue Hen forces himself to smile, "I am not sleepy."


    "How is your injury, Yue Hen?" Mo Qi Qi looks at his arm.


    "It is fine, no need to worry, Qi Qi."


    "As long as it¡¯s fine. You shouldn¡¯t have looked for me earlier on," Mo Qi Qi lowers her head guiltily.


    Since she brought it up herself, Jun Yue Hen immediately says, "Why did you lie to me, Qi Qi?"


    "I¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Yue Hen in guilt, "I¡¯m sorry!"


    "Don¡¯t you trust me, Qi Qi?" asks Jun Yue Hen, hurt.


    "Don¡¯t even say that, Yue Hen! I trust you!"


    "If you really trust me, you wouldn¡¯t have tried to run all by yourself! I told you that we should take this chance to escape, but you told me now is not the time. In the end, you tried to run away all by yourself," Jun Yue Hen¡¯s voice is very low.


    "Don¡¯t misunderstand me, Yue Hen. It is not that I don¡¯t trust you, I just don¡¯t want to trouble you. Everytime you get close to me, you get injured. You already saved my life three times in the span of a couple of months. Your injury this time makes me feel so guilty. Taking you with me on the run will bring nothing good to you. You have such a bright future, I do not wish to drag you down with me."


    Jun Yue Hen grabs her by the hand impulsively, "Qi Qi, being able to be with you is the best possible oue for me. I am willing to lose my life as long as you are safe."


    "It is exactly because of that, that I cannot take you with me. I do not want to harm you," Mo Qi Qi quietly removes her hand from his grasp.


    Jun Yue Hen takes her action to heart. His heart bes empty as he smiles bitterly, "In the end, you still consider me as an outsider."


    "You are my best friend, Yue Hen. You will forever be my best friend, but that is the limit. I cannot promise you anything else. I am Jun Qian Che¡¯s Empress. As long as he is unwilling to let me go, I will never be able to get rid of that title. Stop wasting your time on me. You deserve a better woman. Now that my attempt to escape has failed, I have think things through. Rather than running away and living the rest of my life as a fearful fugitive, it is better for me to stay by his side and be his Empress. Perhaps, if I am careful enough, I can still live a peaceful life. This time, me running away without telling you is entirely my fault. I am sorry. I hope you are not angry. The night is deep and your body is injured, you should rest early. I will leave first." Mo Qi Qi gets up and leaves, now that she has said the things she needed to say. It does not matter whether or not she manage to escape the pce, the point is she and Jun Yue Hen will never be together. Now that she has said all these, she hopes he will let go. She hopes he will not sacrifice himself for her again because she really cannot return his love.


    After she left, Jun Yue Hen smiles bitterly: Qi Qi, you clearly know about my feelings for you. Why did you keep rejecting me so cruelly? I am willing to let go of everything for you, even my own life! Since you choose to be by his side, I will continue protecting you from the dark, ensuring your safety. Protecting you from anything that might hurt you. Whenever you feel tired, like you cannot go on any longer, feel free to look behind you for you will see me standing there, supporting you. I will forever be by your side.


    Mo Qi Qi returns to her tent with a light heart. She knows what Jun Yue Hen feels for her, but she really cannot ept him. He is too good for her. She cannot cause him any more harm. Although he will be in pain for the moment, he will be fine once he thinks things through. After all, she is Jun Qian Che¡¯s Empress and she will probably be stuck with that title till the day she dies. God, what should she do to travel back to her own world?


    Since her attempt to escape has failed, she should return to the pce and figure out the way to return to her world. As for now, she should go to sleep.


    The next day, the sun is bright in the sky, lighting the wet ground and trees so beautifully.


    The journey back to the pcemences. Although people are surprised that they are suddenly returning to the pce, no one dares to question the Emperor¡¯s decision.


    Mo Qi Qi and Jun Qian Che sit on the same carriage. Jun Qian Che sits with his eyes closed, meditating, while Mo Qi Qi looks out of the window curiously. "Your Majesty, it is not easy for us to leave the pce, why are we suddenly returning? Did something happen in the court?"


    "Why? Do you wish that something has happened in the court?" Jun Qian Che replies her without opening his eyes.


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a big eyeroll, ¡¯"What are you saying, Your Majesty? If something happens to the court, you will be worried. As your Empress, <i>chenqie</i> will be worried as well."


    "You really should be worried if anything happens in the court. Before we left, <i>zhen</i> entrusted the court to Duke Zhen and the Prime Minister. If anything happens, Duke Zhen will not be able to avoid responsibility." Jun Qian Che slowly opens his eyes to look at her. What she does not know is that he got poisoned while looking for her yesterday. The reason they are hastily returning to the pce is so that he can neutralize the poison.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-<strong>serene:</strong> This was supposed to be uploaded on Sunday, but the site was undergoing a maintenance then. Sorry for the wait! ??

 Chapter 87

    Mo Qi Qiughs sillily, "Your Majesty sure knows how to crack a joke! Our Hua Chen Kingdom is prosperous, what could possibly happen? No need to worry about anything, Your Majesty!"


    "<i>Zhen</i> is not worried. If <i>zhen</i> is worried, <i>zhen</i> would not have handed over the court matters to them," says Jun Qian Che lightly. The truth is he has made a careful contemtion of each and every step before taking them.


    Mo Qi Qi feels like talking to him only wastes time, so she quickly shuts up. She is toozy to care about these things. Besides, everything rests on him. If he says they leave, they leave; if he wants them to return to the pce, no one would dare to suggest otherwise. As for she, the only role she has to perform is as the spectator.


    The carriage moves very fast. They continue the journey without resting, even at night.


    She originally expect the journey to be smooth-sailing, but who would have thought that the assasins would be so persistent to kill Jun Qian Che. They are getting anxious now that Jun Qian Che is returning to the imperial pce. The Emperor rarely leaves the pce, so they must take this chance to properly end his life, otherwise, attacking him once he reach the pce will be hard.


    And so, dozens of assassins appear on the muddy road of the mountainside. There are more of them this timepared tost time.


    The guards pull the reins of their horses and stop.


    Mo Qi Qi opens the curtain to look outside before quickly lowering them in fear. "The assassins sure know how to pick the ce. They actually chose to ambush us in a rocky cliffside. There are so many assassins this time, we are done for!" She looks at Jun Qian Che who is still calmly sitting there with his eyes closed. She unhappily snaps at him, "You are still in the mood to sleep, Your Majesty? We are surrounded by assassins!"


    "Don¡¯t panic. If something is to happen, there is nothing we can do to stop it," Jun Qian Che calmly says.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him, aggrieved, "Being with Your Majesty is so dangerous. There are assassins everywhere. We can¡¯t even travel in peace."


    Jun Qian Che opens his eyes to look at her, smiling, "Don¡¯t you find this thrilling, Empress? You should be grateful that you married <i>zhen</i>. Otherwise, your married life would have bore you to death!"


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a fakeughter, "Haha, you are right! I am thankful to you for giving me this thrill! In fact, I am thanking your ancestors as well!"


    "Stop being so preposterous!" scolds Jun Qian Che in dissatisfaction.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, "Aren¡¯t you worried that you are going to die here, Your Majesty?"


    "Can worrying solve anything? If you have the time to worry, why don¡¯t you use it to figure out how to get rid of these assassins instead?" says Jun Qian Che casually.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart almost jumps out of her chest when she hears the sounds of fighting outside. Do not call her a coward; she has lived all her life in a peaceful country, she has never seen this kind of scene in her previous life. Fear is only natural for someone like her.


    When Jun Qian Che sees that, he holds her hand before starting tofort her, "Don¡¯t worry. <i>Zhen</i>is here. <i>Zhen</i> will not let anyone hurt you. The carriage is not safe, let¡¯s go," he holds her hand as he leads her down the carriage.


    With him holding her hand, the fear inside her heart slowly dissipates.


    The fight outside is very deadly.


    Jun Yue Hen has also gotten off his carriage and is watching the battle from the sideline.


    Mo Qi Qi walks over to him in worry, "Yue Hen, you do not know martial arts and is injured, you better go to a safer ce."


    Her worry made Jun Yue Hen¡¯s heart feels very warm, "Thank you for your worry, Your Ladyship. You must be careful as well."


    Jun Qian Che pulls Mo Qi Qi over to him and buries her against his chest before earnestly saying, "She is <i>zhen¡¯s</i> empress. <i>Zhen</i> is the one responsible for her safety, no need to worry about her, Imperial Uncle."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him,pletely speechless at his behaviour.


    At that moment, an assassin spots Jun Qian Che and quickly flies over to him, directing a blow towards his direction.


    Jun Qian Che looks at Mo Qi Qi before saying, "Stay here. Do not go anywhere." Then, he too flies towards that assassin and starts battling him.


    Although Mo Qi Qi is scared, her heart calms down a little when she remembers what he said, that he will not let anyone hurt her.


    She trains her eyes on him, who would have thought that he would be so powerful in martial arts? Now that she thinks about it, Jun Qian Che is still pretty good despite his cold face, haughty ways and condescending words. He is good in both strategy and battle, possessing the brain and the strength. He governs the kingdom really well. He also has a good-looking face to match his good body. If he was born in the modern times, he would have be the hero in every teenage girl¡¯s dreams!


    <i>Pei Pei Pei</i>! What on earth did she just say? What ¡¯pretty good¡¯? He is pretty good in being a trash! Since he raped her, she hopes that he will be killed by assassins this time!


    (<strong>TN</strong>: <i>Pei</i> is the sound of spitting. She basically spitted on his name thrice.)


    Although the assassins are many in numbers, Jun Qian Che has picked all the capable guards with them this time. Although there are not many of them in number, they are all strong in their own worth. It is not easy for the assassins to handle them. In the end, quite a number of the assassins die.


    When the leader amongst the assassins notices that, he bes anxious. His eyes fall on Mo Qi Qi who is watching the show from the sideline. He flies towards her, directing a blow.


    Mo Qi Qi jumps up in shock.


    "Careful, Qi Qi!" screams Yue Hen.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly runs away.


    Jun Qian Che is curently surrounded by assassins. He tries to shrug them off because he wants to check on Mo Qi Qi. Once his mind is in a mess, it is easy for him to be a target.


    When one of the assassins notices Jun Qian Che¡¯s distraction, he swings his sword towards Jun Qian Che whose eyes are trained on Mo Qi Qi.


    That movement is noticed by Han Yi Xiao who immediately kills the assassin he is duelling with before flying towards them and stabbing the said assassin with his sword.


    With Han Yi Xiao there, Jun Qian Che immediately runs after Mo Qi Qi.


    As for Mo Qi Qi, she runs off until she reaches a dead end at the side of the cliff.


    The assassin that chased after herughs coldly, "Go on, run! I want to see where you want to run off to!" The assassin then swings his sword towards her.


    Jun Qian Che is still a distance away from them. When he sees what is happening, he uses his inner force to shoot his sword towards that assassin¡¯s wrist, disregarding the fact that it will speed up the spreading of the poison inside his body.


    His sword hits the assassin in the wrist and the assassin¡¯s sword falls to the ground.


    Unwilling to give up, the assassin pushes Mo Qi Qi in the chest.


    "Ah!" Mo Qi Qi falls backwards, into the steep chasm.


    "Mo Qi Qi¡ª¨C" Without even thinking, Jun Qian Che uses his inner force to fly down the chasm, hoping to get to her before it is toote.


    Seeing that, everyone there immediately stops fighting as they watch the scene unfolding, stunned.


    The imperial guards immediately run towards the side of the cliff, while the assassins withdraw, having achieved their aim.


    The cliff is very deep that they cannot see it¡¯s bottom. They cannot see the Emperor or the Empress anywhere. "Your Majesty¡ª¨C Your Ladyship¡ª-" calls some of them in grief.


    Jun Yue Hen also runs to the cliff before kneeling on the ground helplessly, "Qi Qi¡ª¨C"


    Bai Jiu refuses to ept what she just saw. She shakes her head, "No way, the Emperor and the Empress will not die! I want to go down to look for them!"


    Just as she is about to jump, Han Yi Xiao holds her back. "Calm down, General Bai."


    Bai Jiu shrugs him off, "General Han, I already swore to protect His Majesty and Her Ladyship. It is due to our negligence that they fell down. I want to look for them!"


    "I understand your feelings, General Bai, but we cannot lose ourposure at times like this. His Majesty and Her Ladyship are still waiting for our help, how can we be of help if we lose our ability to think carefully? His Majesty and Her Ladyship are protected by the heavens, I sincerely believe that they are safe. For now, let¡¯s find a better way to go down." Han Yi Xiao puts his hands on Bai Jiu¡¯s shouldersfortingly.


    Who would have thought that the usually cool-headed Bai Jiu would lose his cool?


    What Han Yi Xiao does not know is that the ones who fell are her sister and her brother-inw, how could she keep her cool? Although she was raised in the Jianghu and is ustomed to the matter of life and deaths, she has never seen her own loved ones dying. If her sister really die, how will she face her parentster?


    While the people above the cliff are busy worrying, the people below the cliff are no better.


    Jun Qian Che who has jumped off the cliff after Mo Qi Qi manages to get hold of her hand. He pulls her up with one hand while his other hand is grabbing a rock, the only thing preventing them from falling to their deaths.


    Mo Qi Qi is touched. She didn¡¯t think that Jun Qian Che would jump off the cliff just to save her. However, when she looks at the bottomless chasm and at his hand that is holding onto a rock, she bes worried, "You shouldn¡¯t have jumped off to save me."


    "Don¡¯t waste your words. <i>Zhen</i> promised you <i>zhen</i> would protect you," Jun Qian Che holds on to the rock as he tries to figure out ways to go up. Since he is poisoned and has used too much inner force just now, he can no longer use <i>qinggong</i>. He looks around; there are no vines here that can be used to climb up and the rock that he is holding onto is not stable. The rock itself is not that big, yet it has to carry the weight of two people. The rock has turned loose now. Coincidentally, the hand that he used to grab onto the rock with is the hand that has been poisoned. His arm feelspletely numb now. He can only force himself to hold on to it.


    Mo Qi Qi can see that he is struggling, "Let go of my hand, Your Majesty! If you go on doing this, both of us will die for sure! Without me acting as a burden, you will be able to use martial arts to go up."


    "Enough, <i>zhen</i> will not let go of you," Jun Qian Che admonishes her. If he really ns on letting go, he wouldn¡¯t have jumped off after her.


    Mo Qi Qi does not wish to implicate him. Although she normally hates him, she does not want him to die, much less in order to save her. She does not want to owe him anything. Although she really fears dying, when pushes to a shove, she will be able to ept it with an open heart. Perhaps, if she dies here, she will go back to her own world!


    With that in mind, Mo Qi Qi bes determined. She does not want to leave this era while owing him something, so she quickly shrugs her hand out of his grasp, "Let go!"


    "Are you mad, Mo Qi Qi?" Jun Qian Che refuses to let go.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him angrily, "Do you know how much I hate you, Jun Qian Che? I feel like I am in a prison whenever I am with you. I am not free, I am not happy, I cannot be myself. I have to live my days in fear, one wrong word and I could end up offending you, so I had to try so hard to butter you up. What I really cannot ept was the way you forced me that night. I know that I am your Empress, but I am also a person. How could you treat your own wife like that? You did not respect my wish, you humiliated me, trampled on me. I hate you so much for that. Now, whatever it was between us is finally over. Although you are not a good husband, I have to admit that you are a good Emperor. Let go of my hand, Jun Qian Che. Set me free. Go back and be a fair ruler. Let the people live prosperously."


    "Mo Qi Qi, <i>zhen</i> will definitely save you from this ce."


    "I do not need you to save me, I do not want to owe you anything. I do not want to take this rtionship to the next life," she struggles against his grasp.


    Jun Qian Che refuses to let go no matter what. When her hand starts slipping from his grasp, Jun Qian Che shakes his head, unwilling to ept it, "Mo Qi Qi, don¡¯t!"


    She smiles at him before whispering, "Goodbye."


    Her hand slips down from his grasp and she falls down the chasm.


    <strong>Serene</strong>: Wow, talk about cliffhanger, right?

 Chapter 88

    "Mo Qi Qi¡ª-" screams Jun Qian Che. He lets go of the rock and plunges down the chasm right after her.


    ¡¯<i>Ssh¡¯</i>


    The sound of water sshing can be heard as he falls into a river. He sinks down before slowly floating up. He wipes the water from his face as he looks all around him. The scenery is very beautiful, as though a painting has juste to life, but he is not in the situation to admire it. His heart sinks when he fails to find the person that he is looking for. "Mo Qi Qi! Mo Qi Qi, where are you!" he shouts for her.


    He swims around, trying to find her.


    After a long time of searching, he fails to find any traces of her. He bes even more worried as he continues his search.


    The river is very long, and the direction that Jun Qian Che is swimming towards is theplete opposite of the direction that Mo Qi Qi took.


    After Mo Qi Qi falls into the river, she seems to have heard the sound of Jun Qian Che calling for her. She must have heard wrong! Without her to drag him down, Jun Qian Che has probably flew up the cliff using whatever energy he has left. She struggles for a moment under the water. Lucky she knows how to swim, so, at least, she will not drown to death in this ce. She swims to the riverbank, hoping to find someone who can help her get out of this ce.


    As she sits on the riverbank, soaking wet, she looks at the cliff that she fell from. She cannot even see where the peak of the cliff is. She could almost cry, "How am I still alive after falling from that height? Now what? Not only have I failed to return to my own time, I am also stuck in this ce with no way up. There is no one around, what if I bump into a wild beast? Wuwu, I am so going to die here! From either hunger or from being a wild beast¡¯s food. If I had known that there is a river here, I would have dragged Jun Qian Che down with me. At least it will be safer with him around. No! I cannot just sit here and wait for my death! Since the Heavens have allowed me to live, it means that it is not my time to die yet. I will definitely find a way to get out of this ce!"


    She gets up, spiriting back into her heart. She walks along the riverbank, trying to find her way out of the gorge.


    Jun Qian Che swims along the current of the river because he assumes that Mo Qi Qi has been washed up by the current.


    His long arduous search turns out to be futile. Since he is very tired and has been poisoned and is therefore under the risk of drowning himself, he swims towards the riverbank, intending to try and find her from there.


    After he reaches the riverbank, he walks along the banks, following the current to continue his search for her. Somehow, a tiny voice can be heard inside his heart saying; ¡¯Go back. Turn around.¡¯ Jun Qian Che does not know why his instinct tells him so. He hesitates for a moment, before deciding to follow his heart.


    He turns around and walks the opposite way.


    Mo Qi Qi drags her soaking wet body along the riverbank. Something tells her that she should turn around. She shakes her head, trying to will that feeling away. She wonders why her heart tells her so. Perhaps there are imperial guards over there, looking for her. She stops in her steps. Deciding to follow her instinct, she turns around and walks the opposite way, hoping that she will really find someone who can help her get out of this gorge.


    15 minutester, a man and a woman¡¯s path crosses at the riverbank. They are about 10 metres away from each other. Both of them stop walking and look at each other in disbelief. Joy fills their eyes as their eyes lock.


    For a couple of seconds, neither of them speaks. Then, they start walking towards each other. The distance between them feels like millions of lightyears away, and although not much time has passed, they feel as though they have been away from each other for far too long.


    When Jun Qian Che sees her, the weight in his heart slowly dissipates.


    As for Mo Qi Qi, she wants tough upon seeing the dishevelled Jun Qian Che, but somehow, she doesn¡¯t. Her nose feels sour and she feels like she is going to cry. Something pools in her eyes. She holds it in and tries to appear as calm as possible, "What are you doing here?"


    Jun Qian Che does not answer her. Only the Heavens know how scared he had been for her. He suddenly pulls her towards him and hugs her tight, like someone who has just recovered his precious treasure. If possible, he really wants to put her inside him, to make her a part of himself, to let her run through his veins.


    After living for 22 years, he finally knows what fear is.


    Mo Qi Qi is stunned by his sudden action. Her heart momentarily blooms, but the joy is cut short by how tight he is embracing her. She feels like she is going to stop breathing soon, "Y-Y-Your Majesty! I can¡¯t breathe!"


    Hearing her, Jun Qian Che loosens his hold and looks at her without any words.


    Mo Qi Qi feels a little weirded out at being stared at like that. Sheughs sillily, "Why are you looking at <i>chenqie</i> like that, Your Majesty? Is there something on <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> face?" The quieter he is, the more scared she bes.


    "Mo Qi Qi, your bravery sure exceeds the sky! How dare you let go of <i>zhen¡¯s</i> hand? Have you forgotten what <i>zhen</i> said? Without <i>zhen¡¯s</i> permission, do not even dare to consider leaving <i>zhen¡¯s</i>side!" scolds Jun Qian Che after collecting himself. He really wants to choke this stubborn woman to death.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly tries to excuse herself, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> was only thinking on your behalf! The situation was so dangerous! It is alright for <i>chenqie</i> to die, <i>chenqie</i> is only a little woman. You are different! You are the Emperor! If you die because of <i>chenqie</i>, <i>chenqie</i> will be cursed by the future generation! <i>Chenqie</i> will be branded as the sinner who harmed their Emperor to death!"


    "That is not for you to worry about! What you should worry about is how to live!" Jun Qian Che yells at her angrily.


    Being yelled at like that makes Mo Qi Qi angry as well. Remembering that he had jumped after her makes her even angrier. "What right do you have to scold me, Jun Qian Che? Alrhough I am your Empress, I have the power to decide my own life and death! Didn¡¯t I say I didn¡¯t want to drag you down with me? Why did you jump after me anyway? Do you really want to make me the icon of notoriety in history? What will happen to the kingdom if you die? What will happen to themon people? To the consorts in the pce? Why on earth did you jump off after me? Do you want me to owe you a favour? I will not think it that way! In fact, I think you are stupid, you are a fool! Do you really think that you are saving me? You are harming me! If themon people know of this, they will call me a star of cmity! The courtiers will think of me as a pretty face who has ruined a kingdom and the imperial censors will write me down as the demonic Empress who seduced the Emperor into oblivion! After I die, people will, mmph¡ª-"


    Without waiting for her to finish, Jun Qian Che pulls her towards him and kisses her hard on the lips. He does not want to hear what she has to say. Does she even know how worried he was for her? How scared he was for her? She actually dares to bring up the word ¡¯<i>die¡¯</i> right now? Even if she dies, he will chase her to the Underworld. Even then, he will not let go of her.


    He originally wanted to stop her from speaking, but the moment their lips touch, his head turns light as her soft lips draws him in. He does not want this to end. Perhaps, she is right. Perhaps, she indeed has the ability to seduce him into oblivion.


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked senseless by the kiss. The kiss feels gentle and warm, so unlike anything he has been before. This kiss seems to contain care, concern, fear, affection, and his unwillingness to part¡ª-


    She is taken by surprise by her own thoughts. She quickly drives the unrealistically happy thoughts away.


    Did you actually think that Jun Qian Che cares about you? Stop dreaming!


    She pushes him away angrily, "You took advantage of me again! You promised you wouldn¡¯t force me to do things I don¡¯t want to do!"


    He looks at her silently.


    She sneers coldly, "What are you looking at? Don¡¯t you even dare to think that I will be thankful to you just because you jumped off a cliff for me! It is your fault that I fell down on the first ce! Being with you is so dangerous. I told you I didn¡¯t want to join you in this trip, but noooo, you just had to insist! Now we are trapped in a gorge, are you happy now? You will really harm me to death one day!" Why did you jump after me, Jun Qian Che? Why were you so foolish?


    "Your day won¡¯t beplete if you don¡¯t infuriate me, is it, Mo Qi Qi?" scolds Jun Qian Che. This ungrateful <i>yatou</i>! He did all this just to save her!


    "So what if it is?" Mo Qi Qi gathers her courage to retort back. They are trapped inside a gorge, right now, just the two of them. His title as the Emperor is currently worthless.


    "You¡ª-"


    "What ¡¯<i>you¡¯</i>?" goads Mo Qi Qi again. She has no idea if they will ever be able to escape this gorge. If they can¡¯t, then she will bully this guy to her heart¡¯s content as they wait for their deaths. He used to bully her so much back in the pce, she must take this chance to repay his ¡¯grace¡¯.


    "You must be tired of living, Mo Qi Qi," Jun Qian Che threatens her coldly.


    Sheughs at him mockingly, "Hahaha, just look at where we are, Jun Qian Che! Do you think you can still scare me? Do you honestly believe that I am afraid of you? You usually looked so lonely back in the pce, so I pitied you and let you bully me. I, Mo Qi Qi, has never feared anyone ever since I was born! I was never scared of you. I only kept giving in to you to give you face, but you didn¡¯t know that and thought yourself so formidable! Do you think you are a celestial figure? Hahaha, so funny!"


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes coldly, "<i>Zhen</i> never knew you have this much courage in you, Mo Qi Qi."


    "It¡¯s alright. Knowing about it now is not toote. You better say some pleasant things to this Young Miss if you want to live what remaining life you have in peace," Mo Qi Qi sweeps her fringe like a dandy yboy.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her before slowly closing their distance.


    Mo Qi Qi slowly retreats backwards, "Jun Qian Che, a real gentleman will use reason instead of brute force! Don¡¯t you ever think that I will be afraid of you just because you know martial arts!"


    Jun Qian Cheughs rakishly, "Don¡¯t worry, <i>zhen</i> will not kill you. The scenery here is too beautiful to be marred by blood. Since we are married, don¡¯t you think we should be doing something else? Don¡¯t worry, this ce is very secluded, no one will see us."


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart drops as she points at him angrily, "Let me warn you, Jun Qian Che, don¡¯t you even try to do anything despicable to me. I can ept you forcing me once, but if you try to do it again, I will¡ª- I will¡ª-"


    Jun Qian Che tips her chin before ambiguously asking, "What will you do, Mo Qi Qi?"

 Chapter 89

    Mo Qi Qi inhales sharply before saying, "Then, I will die for you to see! Wuwuwu¡ª-"


    Seeing her looking so pitiful, the anger inside Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart dissipates. He lets go of her chin before mocking her, "Do you only have so much endurance, paper tiger?"


    "How can I possibly endure that kind of thing? That will be an insult to my very being!" retorts Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her in disdain, "Do you even have the guts tomit suicide though?"


    "You¡ª- You¡ª¡ª You¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi is so angry that she cannot figure out what to say. This jerk has such a poisonous tongue that she suddenly feels light-headed. Stars dance in front of her eyes as her legs turn weak. She staggers to the ground.


    "Mo Qi Qi!" Jun Qian Che catches her.


    She points at him usingly, mumbling, "This is all your fault for angering me so much. Turns out, people can really die from anger...." She slowly closes her eyes.


    "Mo Qi Qi¡ª-" Jun Qian Che anxiously calls her, but she shows no response at all.


    He checks her pulse and sighs in relief when he realizes that her heart is still beating. His eyes fall on her chest when he remembers that she has been striked in the chest by the assassin before falling down the cliff. He opens her cor, but then hesitates for a while. In the end, he opens her cor anyway, revealing her chest to his eyes. He sees a red palm mark on her chest. This must be the reason why she fainted. Her breathing is really faint and weak, if he does not do anything to help her, she will die.


    He helps her sit up before he himself sits behind her. He gathers his energy and channels <i>yungong</i>to her body.


    He has been poisoned and should not be using his inner power. He has used up his inner power to save her today; if he uses <i>yungong</i> again, his own life will be in danger. However, he does not care about all that. All he knows is that he must save Mo Qi Qi.


    He puts his palms on her back as he channels his energy to her.


    Two hourster, sweat fills his forehead as he sits behind her. He feels lethargic, but he must make himself strong in order to help Mo Qi Qi.


    <i>Cough</i>. He spits a mouthful of blood, but does not stop what he is doing for even a second.


    15 minutester, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s internal injury has fully healed. Jun Qian Che puts his palms away from her back in relief.


    Since she is still unconscious, he puts her against his chest so that she can recover properly.


    Momentster, hershes flutter as her eyelids move. She slowly opens her eyes, only to find Jun Qian Che¡¯s heartbreakingly good-looking face right in front of her.


    Jun Qian Che sighs in relief before gently asking, "How are you feeling?"


    She is not used to hearing such a gentle tone from him. She rolls her eyes at him before saying, "So I am not dead? Lucky me."


    Hearing that, he pushes her away and stands up, coldly saying, "Heartless woman!"


    Mo Qi Qi gets up as well, while muttering curses under her breath. She tries to fix her dress. Although the dress is half-dry now, it still makes her ufortable.


    Jun Qian Che can see her difort, "There is a little cave in front. We can make a fire and let our clothes dry over there. Be mindful of your health, you will catch a cold if this goes on." He walks towards the cave after saying that.


    Mo Qi Qi follows him from behind.


    The cave is not really little and the air inside is really cool. If this had been summer, this cave would feel like an air-conditioned room. Unfortunately, the temperature below the cliff is not the same as the temperature above the cliff. The gorge feels like it is enveloped in perpetual cool spring. The air down here is pretty chilly, this cave, even more so. The fact that they are soaking wet does not help the matter.


    "Your Majesty, hurry and make a fire! It is so cold in here!"


    "Go and look for fire woods,"mands Jun Qian Che icily.


    Mo Qi Qi points at herself incredulously, "Me? What will you be doing then?"


    "<i>Zhen</i> will wait for you here."


    Mo Qi Qi sneers at him, "How could you even bring yourself to say that, Your Majesty? A big grown man stays here idly while I, this weakdy, has to go look for firewood? Isn¡¯t this too much?"


    "This is an order, stop wasting time!" says Jun Qian Che imposingly.


    Deep inside, Mo Qi Qi is still somewhat intimidated by him. Although she is not willing to do the bidding, she does not dare to retort more. She can only resort to fishing for sympathy, "What if there are beasts around? Aren¡¯t you worried for <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> safety?"


    "Don¡¯t wander off too far, then. If anything happens, scream for help," Jun Qian Che is not touched by her pitiful look.


    Mo Qi Qi almost vomits blood when she hears that. Since his heart is made of steel, it is pointless trying to reason with him. She stalks off angrily.


    The moment Mo Qi Qi left, Jun Qian Che frowns as he clutches his chest. His chest feels so tight.


    He purposely drove Mo Qi Qi away so that she will not see him in this condition.


    He calms himself and tries his best to even out his breathing. He tries to endure the pain that the poison inflicts as it spreads inside his body. He can only hope that they can cure it in time.


    Mo Qi Qi, on the other hand, is not aware of Jun Qian Che¡¯s consideration. She scolds him while picking fire woods. She looks around as an idea strikes her. She smirks deviously as she looks at the direction of the cave before screaming, "Help!"


    Jun Qian Che ns to rest after he manages to subdue the poison temporarily. When he hears Mo Qi Qi¡¯s scream for help, he jumps up and runs outside as fast as he can.


    When he sees Mo Qi Qi standing not far away,ughing at him, anger rises in his heart.


    She raises her brows haughtily at him before saying, "I just wanted to see if you really are going toe to save me."


    "Do not test <i>zhen¡¯s</i> patience," Jun Qian Che returns to the cave unhappily.


    Mo Qi Qi clicks her tongue in distaste.


    When Mo Qi Qi returns to the cave with her stack of fire woods, she discovers that Jun Qian Che has already started a fire. She marches up to him in anger, "You already started a fire? Why did you tell me to look for fire woods then? Is it so fun teasing me?"


    Jun Qian Che is toozy to exin anything, "Hurry and take off your clothes."


    She puts her hands on her chest protectively, "W-What are you trying to do?"


    Jun Qian Che feels as though his entire lifetime¡¯s supply of patience has already been used up by her. He really wants to knock her unconscious to save himself from all the trouble.


    "Dry your clothes," says Jun Qian Che patiently.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him cautiously, "Don¡¯t tell me you are nning to do something again?"


    "If you drag this on, Mo Qi Qi, <i>zhen</i> does not mind taking off your clothes for you," threatens Jun Qian Che.


    Mo Qi Qi takes a couple of steps back, "Go out, then! Wait outside!"


    Jun Qian Che looks at her in disdain before turning around and walking out.


    "Don¡¯t peek!" she warns him cautiously, just in case.


    Jun Qian Che suddenly stops in his steps. Without turning around, he says, "Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself."


    "What do you mean by that?" asks Mo Qi Qi, confused.


    Jun Qian Che turns around and looks at her from head to toe. Then, he walks out of the cave without saying anything.


    Mo Qi Qi scratches her head.


    Realization suddenly dawns her: is he trying to say that she is not good looking enough for him to bother peeking at her?


    "You despicable Jun Qian Che!" yells Mo Qi Qi from inside the cave.


    Jun Qian Che who is standing outside, smiles when he hears that.


    Mo Qi Qi curses Jun Qian Che as she takes off her clothes, "Trash! Calls me ugly after taking advantage of me; wiping everything clean after eating! So what if I am ugly, did I tell you to look at me? Hateful, hateful, hateful!"


    She hangs her clothes on a little stick that Jun Qian Che hangs above the fire. Her clothes dry very quickly. After putting them back on, she walks out of the cave, only to find Jun Qian Che missing from there. She unconsciously panics, "Don¡¯t tell me that jerk left me here all by myself. I only forbade him from peeking, did he have to be this heartless? Is he really intending to leave me here to die? I am not wrong in calling him ¡¯trash."¡¯ Mo Qi Qi sits on a nearby rock helplessly. She looks at the cliff; she cannot even see the peak. She really wants to cry. She has been in this weird dynasty for a few months already and never once had she had a peaceful day. It is either living in fear inside the pce, or being the receiving end of a sword. Her life is so pitiful.


    She lowers her head destely.

 Chapter 90

    Jun Qian Che carries a pheasant as he walks back towards the cave. He spots Mo Qi Qi sitting outside, hugging her legs as she rest her head on her knees like a helpless child. She looks distressed.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart aches at that sight. "What¡¯s wrong?" asks him, his voiceced with worry.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly looks up when she hears that familiar voice. Upon seeing Jun Qian Che standing not far away, she runs towards him and embraces him tightly. "Jun Qian Che!" She wraps her arms around him tight as she buries her head on his chest.


    Her action takes Jun Qian Che by surprise. He looks at her, even more worried now, "What happened?"


    "You didn¡¯t leave me. I thought you left. Where on earth were you?" she looks up at him before punching him in the chest.


    He shows her the pheasant, "It is past lunch time, you must be hungry. I went to catch something to eat. You¡ª- You thought I left you?" Joy rises in his heart. She is starting to learn to depend on him.


    "Hmph, I couldn¡¯t care less about you! I just didn¡¯t want other people to ask me where you are after I escape this ce! What if you got eaten by a wild beast? How should I answer to other people? They will me me for not taking care of you!" Mo Qi Qi raises her chin proudly.


    Jun Qian Che does not want to embarrass her by calling out her lies, so he simply says, "Let¡¯s go."


    Mo Qi Qi follows him back into the cave.


    An hourter, the cave is filled with the aroma of roasted pheasant.


    The hungry Mo Qi Qi swallows heavily as she looks at the tempting pheasant.


    Jun Qian Che smiles when he sees her and hands her the pheasant¡¯s leg.


    Mo Qi Qi shamelessly takes it and starts eating, all the while, nodding in appreciation, "It¡¯s good! It¡¯s really delicious!"


    Seeing her eating so heartily makes Jun Qian Che happy. Looks like she has really recovered from the palm strike. He finally lets go of his worry.


    She finishes the leg very fast.


    Jun Qian Che gives her the other leg.


    This time, she gets a little embarrassed, "You haven¡¯t eaten yet, Your Majesty. You should eat this one. I will eat one of the wings, instead."


    "<i>Zhen</i> is not hungry, you go on and eat," he insists on giving it to her.


    Mo Qi Qi is defenceless against that temptation and quickly epts the offering.


    Jun Qian Che eats very little, the rest of the pheasant is eaten by Mo Qi Qi.


    She pats her full stomach happily, "It was just too good!"


    "Full?" asks Jun Qian Che.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Yes, I am so full. Who would have thought that Your Majesty could hunt animals, start a fire and even cook! <i>Chenqie</i> never knew you could do all this."


    "<i>Zhen</i> has to know all that in order to go to the battlefield," says Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in surprise, "You have been in the battlefield before?"


    Jun Qian Che trains his eyes on her, "Have you forgotten all that, Empress? You even snuck out of the pce to follow <i>zhen</i> but was discovered during the journey. <i>Zhen</i> ordered you to be sent back to the pce."


    Mo Qi Qi avoids eye-contact while scratching her head, "For real? Who would have thought that <i>chenqie</i> was that unruly and crazy?"


    "You forgot all that?" Jun Qian Che eyes her carefully.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him before sneering, "Honorable people sure have short memories, Your Majesty. Didn¡¯t <i>chenqie</i> told you that <i>chenqie</i> lost my memories after falling from the viewing tower?"


    Jun Qian Che studies her face intently, as though trying to sense any lies.


    "Why are you looking at <i>chenqie</i> like that? You don¡¯t believe <i>chenqie</i>?" asks Mo Qi Qi.


    "No, just <i>zhen</i> has never seen something like this before," Jun Qian Che looks away.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, "That still means that you don¡¯t believe <i>chenqie</i>."


    Jun Qian Che does not pursue the topic. It does not matter if he believes her or not. The point is, she is his wife and nothing will ever change that fact. It does not matter that her personality has changed.


    <i>Mo Qi Qi, it does not matter whether or not you have really lost your memories.</i><i>You will forever be zhen¡¯s woman.</i><i>Do not even dream of leaving zhen¡¯s side.</i>


    "Let¡¯s go!" Jun Qian Che suddenly says, walking out of the cave.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in confusion as she hastily chases after him, "Where are we going, Your Majesty?"


    "You want to be stuck here forever?" asks Jun Qian Che in return.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "No."


    "Then let¡¯s find our way out," says Jun Qian Che as he walks forward inrge strides.


    Mo Qi Qi half-runs to keep up with his pace.


    Whilst both of them are busy trying to find the exit down below, the people up above are also busy figuring out ways to go down.


    Jun Yue Hen¡¯s heart aches so much as he sits under a tree near the edge of the cliff. If anything happens to Qi Qi, what is the point of living?


    Bai Jiang and Wen Xuan try tofort him, "Do not be so worried, Wangye. Her Ladyship must be fine!"


    "Yes, Wangye. General Han is trying toe up with ways to save her. He will definitely figure out the way to go down to save Her Ladyship."


    Jun Yue Hen¡¯s face is expressionless as he mumbles, "This is all my fault. I already promised her I will not let anything happen to her. In the end, she is still in danger. Go and help General Han, let this King sit here for a while longer."


    "Yes!" The two people immediately retreat away. They are both still worried about the 7th Wang. If anything happens to the Empress, the 7th Wang will crumble with her.


    Han Yi Xiao leads the team to search for the method to climb down the cliff. Bai Jiu helps him, gued with worry. If something really happened to her sister, how should she answer to their parents?


    Ban Xiang, on the other hand, cries through the entire thing.


    As for Mo Qi Qi and Jun Qian Che, they follow the flow of the stream to find their way out, believing they will find either people or an exit if they do so. After all, the river has to flow somewhere.


    After a couple of hours, Mo Qi Qi is already tired and can only force herself to walk on. Jun Qian Che is still doing fine.


    She really does not have the energy to take even a single step. When she sees that the sun is setting and they still haven¡¯t found any sort of exit, her spirit copses. She sits on the ground,pletely drained, "I can¡¯t go on. We walked so long for nothing. If we don¡¯t die from being trapped in this ce, then we shall die from fatigue."


    Jun Qian Che stops to look at her.


    Without waiting for him to speak, Mo Qi Qi speaks first, "Mock me if you¡¯d like, there¡¯s no use to it. Either way, I refuse to walk on. If you want to go, feel free to go. I would rather die here than to walk on for nothing."


    Jun Qian Che walks back to her without saying a single word.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him, scared, "W-What are you trying to do? You want to hit me? Go on! I will not listen to you even if you hit me to death."


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head helplessly. He really admires her ability to conjure up scenes inside her head. He pulls her up.


    "What are you doing?" asks Mo Qi Qi in worry.


    Jun Qian Che does not wish to waste words with her. He carries her on his back and continues walking.


    Mo Qi Qi calms down when she finally understands his intention. A sweet smile is formed on her lips as she speaks to him gently for once, "You are tired too, Your Majesty. It will be too much for your body if you carry <i>chenqie</i> like this."


    "<i>Zhen</i> is not tired," says Jun Qian Che as he walks on.


    Warmth creeps into Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart for reasons even she cannot tell. She feels like she is unafraid even if there is no exit as long as he is there with her.


    Jun Qian Che carries her for a long time.


    Just when Mo Qi Qi is about to give up hope altogether, hope appears before their faces. Amidst the darkness and trees lies a small vige.


    There are light and smoke inside the houses, meaning that they are inhabited.


    Mo Qi Qi happily pats Jun Qian Che in the shoulders, "Hurry and put me down, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che puts her down.


    Mo Qi Qi runs a few steps before happily jumping on her feet, "Someone is cooking! This vige is definitely inhabited!"


    Jun Qian Che walks towards her before calmly saying, "You finally have your energy back?"


    Mo Qi Qiughs sillily, "After receiving hope? Naturally. Hehe, it has been hard on you, Your Majesty." She pounds on his arm coquettishly.


    Jun Qian Che frowns lightly. The arm she is pounding on is the one that has been poisoned.


    Seeing his expression, Mo Qi Qi inquires in worry, "What is wrong, Your Majesty? Did <i>chenqie</i> hit you too hard?"


    "Nothing. Later on, remember to mind the way you address me." To be honest, rather than as an Emperor, he would rather she address to him as a husband.


    Mo Qi Qi nods obediently, "I understand. I must not address you as ¡¯Your Majesty¡¯. We cannot leak our identities."


    "Let¡¯s go."


    Both of them walk closer to the vige.


    A bunch of children are ying together while an old woman watches them with a serene smile from under a tree.


    Young men are busy chopping woods while young wives cook in their kitchens, waiting for their husbands¡¯ return.


    All eyes fall on them as they enter the vige.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s face is cold and solemn while Mo Qi Qi¡¯s is adorned with a brilliant smile.


    She secretly tugs on his sleeves before whispering, "Please, can you at least try to smile? You will scare them off."


    Jun Qian Che looks at Mo Qi Qi, forcing a smile on his lips.


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly sighs, "Never mind. There is actually someone who does not know how to smile in this world. Stop smiling. I will try and get acquainted with the people here."


    The vigers start to gather upon seeing the two strangers. Since this little vige is under a cliff, visitors must be very rare here. They are surprised and somewhat diffident.


    Mo Qi Qi waves at him friendlily, "Hello, grandpas, grandmas, sirs, madams, brothers and sisters! Sorry for bothering you! We actually fell down from a cliff and have been trying to find our way out when we stumbled upon your vige. Don¡¯t worry, we are not bad people! We will not harm you!"


    The vigers look at each other before a middle-aged man steps forth to ask them, "Where are you from? How did you fall down from the cliff?"


    "We are from the capital and have been travelling south to visit rtives. We were ambushed by robbers along the way. We gave them our money, but they pushed us down anyway. Lucky our luck is big. We fell into a river and did not die," says Mo Qi Qi.


    The crowd nods, believing Mo Qi Qi, "Don¡¯t be sad. Money can be recovered, but not your lives."


    "Yes! Your lives are more important than money. Don¡¯t be sad. As long as you are still alive, nothing else matters."


    Seeing the vigers¡¯ kind disposition, Mo Qi Qi smiles, touched, "Thank you. The day is getting dark now and we have been walking the entire day. I wonder if it is possible for us to stay in this vige for a night? Just to rest?"


    The vigers smile as they nod, "Of course! Of course! We have an amodation for you. You can stay there for the night. We will help you to the exit tomorrow."


    Mo Qi Qi is very happy when she hears that. She exchange a look with Jun Qian Che before saying, "Thank you so much! You are so kind"


    The crowd smiles back at them.


    One of them suddenly pipes in, "What kind of rtionship do you have with each other? We will put it in mind while we arrange your amodation."


    Mo Qi Qi immediately pulls Jun Qian Che over to her, "He is my brother. Hehe. My brother does not like to speak and looks very serious all the time, but don¡¯t worry, he is not a bad person."


    Jun Qian Che res at her unhappily. Her face does not even turn red from lying.


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows while smiling, "Why don¡¯t you greet everyone, brother!"

 Chapter 91

    Jun Qian Che looks at the crowd before solemnly saying, "She is my wife."


    Mo Qi Qiughs awkwardly before promptly giving Jun Qian Che a re.


    Everyoneughs. "We know. You two don¡¯t look like siblings at all. You two look really good together. Verypatible," says a middle-ageddy.


    Another person pipes in, "You two must have eloped. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t tell the truth."


    Seeing the vigerspletely trusting Jun Qian Che, Mo Qi Qi can only, though reluctantly, admits that they are married. She points at her own face, feigning ignorance, "Is there the word ¡¯elope¡¯ written on our foreheads? How did all of you know?"


    Jun Qian Che res at her unhappily upon seeing that acting skill.


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows at him provokingly, secretly praising herself for being so good at acting.


    The vigers are amused by Mo Qi Qi¡¯s words, "No. You two simply look like a pair of husband and wife."


    Jun Qian Che is really happy to hear that while Mo Qi Qi secretly curses under her breath: Impossible! How could they possibly look like a pair of husband and wife?


    "What are your surnames?" one of the vigers asks.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "My surname is Mo and his is Jun."


    "Mr. Jun, Miss Mo," the vigers respectfully greets them.


    "Howe your surnames are simr to the two most honourable surnames in our kingdom? Jun is the surname of our Emperor and Mo is the surname of our Empress," says one of the young men.


    Mo Qi Qiughs guiltily, "That is just a coincidence. How can wepare to the noble Emperor and Empress. Who would have thought that you would know what their surnames are."


    That young manughs, "Do not think that we are not updated to the outside world just because we live under a cliff. There is a passage that leads out of this ce so we frequently goes to town to buy things. We are pretty updated with what is going on outside."


    Mo Qi Qi and Jun Qian Che exchange a look.


    "There is a way out?" asks Mo Qi Qi exuberantly.


    "Yes! Don¡¯t worry about getting out!"


    "This is too good!" smiles Mo Qi Qi brightly.


    The middle-aged man in the beginning steps forward again, "Mr. Jun, Miss Mo, I am this vige¡¯s head. Wee to our vige. The day is dark, both of you can rest at my home. We have an empty room over there."


    "We will have to bother you, then," says Jun Qian Che.


    "You are too courteous, Mr. Jun. Please," invites the vige¡¯s head friendlily.


    They both follow the head to his home. The crowd begins to disperse, returning to their own respective houses.


    Upon reaching the vige head¡¯s house, they are greeted with a sumptuous meal prepared by the vige head¡¯s wife.


    The people in this vige are really friendly and kind. They are not hostile towards strangers like some vigers ought to be. The views are great too. Although the vige is located at the bottom of a cliff, the scenery is heavenly. There are trees and flowers everywhere.


    After dinner, they chat with the vige head and his wife in the courtyard for a while, before resting early for the night.


    The wife leads them to an empty room, "This room belongs to my son and my daughter-inw. They live in the city and rarelye home, so this room has been empty. I¡¯ve already changed the beddings and the quilts. Rest early."


    "Thank you," says Jun Qian Che politely.


    The vige head¡¯s wife shakes her head, "As long as you don¡¯t mind staying in this room."


    "This ce is really pretty, we like it very much, how could we possibly mind staying here? Thank you, Auntie!" says Mo Qi Qi happily.


    "You are too polite, Miss Mo. Rest early," says the head¡¯s wife before leaving.


    Mo Qi Qi looks around happily, "This ce is really good. The scenery is beautiful, the air is refreshing, the vigers are friendly, everything is peaceful, I never knew such a ce existed!"


    Jun Qian Che sits in front of a table calmly, "You like this ce?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Yes! This ce is like a celestial¡¯s dwelling! So surreal! The people are so nice!"


    "The vigers here are indeed nice, but you are not suited to this ce," says Jun Qian Che, not bothering to be courteous.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him curiously, "Why?"


    "The vigers here are honest and kind. You, on the other hand, speaks lies after lies," says him heartlessly.


    Mo Qi Qi res at him angrily, "When did I speak lies after lies? I was only telling a white lie! I didn¡¯t want to risk exposing our identities."


    "You lied to them and told them we were siblings. Was it really done to protect our identities? You did not even look guilty when they found out that you were lying," Jun Qian Che is very dissatisfied with that part.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, "They wouldn¡¯t have known had you not told them! I told them we were siblings in hope that when they arrange the aodations, they would consider the restriction between men and women and puts us separately! Now look what happened! We have to share a room and there is only one bed! How are we supposed to sleep?" Her entire stomach is full of grievance and dissatisfaction.


    Jun Qian Che gets up and walks towards her.


    Mo Qi Qi retreats backwards upon seeing that.


    He walks past her and sits at the edge of the bed.


    "Your Majesty, where am I going to sleep if you sleep on the bed?" asks Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Qian Che looks at the two mattresses on top of the bed and picks one up, tossing it towards Mo Qi Qi. Then, he points at the floor.


    "Why should I be the one to sleep on the floor? How could you bully a woman like this, Your Majesty? You are too ungentlemanly!" she snaps at him angrily.


    "Mo Qi Qi, you actually dare to speak to <i>zhen</i> in that manner?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is very icy.


    Intimidated, Mo Qi Qi can only relent, albeit unwillingly, "Fine, I will sleep on the floor! You are the honourable and precious His Majesty the Emperor, how could you possibly sleep on the floor?" Mo Qi Qi puts the mattress and the quilt on the floor before lying there.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her before lying on the bed, his back against her. His face is pale and his forehead is covered with sweat. He touches his chest; the poison is acting up again.


    Mo Qi Qi also turns her back against Jun Qian Che, scolding him with whatever energy she has left, in her heart. Since she is really tired, she falls asleep really quickly,pletely oblivious to Jun Qian Che¡¯s suffering.


    Jun Qian Che does his best to endure the pain. He does not want Mo Qi Qi to know.


    By now, the moon has quietly crept across the sky, sitting prettily above the treetops.


    After a while, Jun Qian Che finally manages to restrain the poison. He is leftpletely tired and weak.


    The windows are not closed and cold wind slowly creeps into the room. Jun Qian Che gets up and closes the windows. When he turns back around, his eyes fall on the sleeping Mo Qi Qi.


    She is smiling in her sleep, probably dreaming about something really good.


    Jun Qian Che stares at her,pletely stunned. To tell the truth, she is very beautiful when she is quiet. Her features are exquisite, her skin is smooth. As for her personality, although there are a lot of drawbacks over there, it is also very rare.


    She is optimistic, strong, entric. So many things have happened today and she is still able to fall asleep like this, that means that her mental strength is really strong. Although her mouth said that she was giving up, she actually managed to persevere. Who would have thought that a rich young miss like her would be able to walk for so many hours with him? That alone is very impressive.


    What Jun Qian Che does not know is that this Mo Qi Qi was actually an archaeologist in her past life. Although she was also rich, she was not spoiled. She had to travel very far with her team to search for archeological remains. She had climbed mountains and waded through waters and never once had she been left behind from her team. Sleepless nights were not umon and hard work was required to preserve the artifacts.


    Jun Qian Che walks towards her and swoops down. He carries her up towards the bed before gently cing her there. He wraps her body with a nket. Then, he returns to her previous sleeping spot and lies there, facing her. His lips curl up as he quietly stares at her. He slowly falls asleep.


    The sun filters through the windows and a well-slept Mo Qi Qi sits up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She looks around, her head slowly catching up with her current situation, "Right, we are at this vige and are sleeping in the vige head¡¯s house. Where is Jun Qian Che?" She opens the quilt and sits on the edge of the bed. It is then that she suddenly realizes something. She scratches her head, "Weren¡¯t I sleeping on the floor? Why am I on the bed?"


    She tries to remember what happenedst night and has no recollection of getting on the bed. "Did Jun Qian Che carry me here?" She quickly checks her clothes and finds nothing off. Lucky the jerk didn¡¯t take advantage of her.


    When she imagines the sight of Jun Qian Che carrying her to the bed, her cheeks turn red. She smiles sweetly.


    She puts on her shoes and fixes her hair. Since she is not familiar with the way women do their hair in this era, she ties her hair in a simple ponytail.


    She hears some voices outside, so she walks to the window only to find Jun Qian Che crouching in front of a four year old boy outside.


    The boy is holding a small ball and is currently chatting with Jun Qian Che.


    That child is the vige head¡¯s grandson. They saw him yesterday during dinner.


    This is the first time Mo Qi Qi sees Jun Qian Che with a child. His face is a lot warmer than usual and he is particrly patient as he teaches the boy how to kick the ball. Who would have thought that he would have this side of him?


    A peculiar thought suddenly flits through her head: if she really cannot return to her own world, living with him in this world as a pair of normal husband and wife is not too bad. Living idly and watching the days go by, that kind of life ought to be idyllic.


    She fervently shakes her head, "What on earth are you thinking about, Mo Qi Qi? You actually wanted that thousand-year old iceberg to be your husband? Have you gone mad? Eww...." She shudders in distaste.


    Jun Qian Che walks into the room and finds her talking to herself, "What are you muttering about?"


    Mo Qi Qi turns around in shock. Only then does she realized that he has already entered the room. She rolls her eyes in irritation, "People can actually die out of shock, you know."


    Jun Qian Che ignores that sentence and simply sits in front of the table, "Come and eat breakfast."


    Mo Qi Qi finally realizes that there are actually some dishes on the table. "Why are they here? Did you carry them over?"


    "You won¡¯t wake up, I could hardly let the family starve the entire morning away just to wait for you," Jun Qian Che heartlessly admonishes her.


    She purses her lips. But still, the thought of him being so considerate makes her a little happy. She eats a bun, "Come and eat with me, Your Majesty."


    "I¡¯ve already eaten."


    "Oh. I will not be courteous then. You were ying so happily with that child just now. Do you like children, Your Majesty?" asks Mo Qi Qi as she eats.

 Chapter 92

    Jun Qian Che simply says, "<i>Zhen</i> does not hate them."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in surprise, raising her eyebrows, "Since you don¡¯t hate them, why don¡¯t you make some with the concubines in your harem?"


    Jun Qian Che res at her.


    She stares back at him in confusion, "Why are you looking at <i>chenqie</i> like that, Your Majesty? Did <i>chenqie</i> said anything wrong?"


    "The first child will be closely affiliated to the throne and will be considered as the most likely candidate to inherit," says Jun Qian Che, secretly reading her expression.


    Mo Qi Qi does not seem to worry about it at all, "Good; as long as he is your child."


    "Do you really not understand <i>zhen</i>¡¯s meaning or are you only pretending not to?" Jun Qian Che finds it hard to understand Mo Qi Qi these days.


    "<i>Chenqie</i> is not wrong though. It does not matter who gives birth to them, the most important thing is they are your flesh and blood, isn¡¯t it so?" says Mo Qi Qi innocently.


    "Do you really think so?" Jun Qian Che studies her expression intently.


    Mo Qi Qi nods earnestly, "Of course!"


    Jun Qian Che sneers, "Giving birth to the heir will determine the fate of the kingdom, <i>zhen</i> cannot simply decide on it before weighing every options carefully. One wrong move and the court will be in an uproar, the back pce will be a warzone."


    Mo Qi Qi sighs emotionally,"I really cannot understand what is in you people¡¯s minds. Is there a need to worry so much over having a child? Little children are so cute, theye to this world with a heart as clean as a piece of nk paper; as long as you colour it carefully, they can be happy. It is because of you people¡¯s so-called consideration and trickery that they have to live their life surrounded by intrigue from the moment they were born. Such a tiring existence. It is no wonder that they grow up killing their family members without a shred of mercy. Everyone says that there is no such thing as familial love in the imperial family, but the truth is, that only happens because you lot instill too much negativity in a child¡¯s life from the get-go; it is an unhealthy upbringing."


    "That is enough, just eat," says Jun Qian Che, not wishing to further the topic. The current her is very naive,pletely different from how she used to be. In the past, all she could think about was how to solidify her position and how to climb onto his bed. Now, she could actually talk about imperial children so calmly; she has indeed changed.


    After breakfast, they go to the vige head to ask him about the way out.


    The head kindly offers to personally send them off. They thank him before following him as they walk out of the vige.


    The path leading out of the vige is filled with vigers, gathering to send them off. They even prepared a ration of dry food for them, as well as ample amount of silver for their journey home.


    Mo Qi Qi and Jun Qian Che originally reject their offer. However, the vigers persist and under constant persuasion, they finally ept the food but adamantly refuse the money.


    Realizing that they really are not going to ept the silver, the vigers cease from forcing them.


    After bidding the vigers goodbye, the two of them follow the vige head to the river, where a small boat is waiting for them.


    They sit on the boat as the vige head navigates them away.


    Two hourster, the boat passes under a small bridge. The vige head brings the boat to the bank and anchors it there. He turns to them amiably, "Mr. Jun, Miss Mo, once you cross that bridge, you will find a little forest. Beyond that little forest, you will find a road. Just follow that road and you will be well on your way home."


    "Thank you, sir. We will not be able to find our way out without your help," says Mo Qi Qi in gratitude.


    "You are too courteous, Miss Mo. I wish you two the very best."


    "Good deeds will be repaid with kindness," says Jun Qian Che sincerely.


    The vige headughs before waving at them, "Take care, I will leave first!"


    "Goodbye, vige head sir!" Mo Qi Qi waves back at him enthusiastically.


    Once the vige head¡¯s boat is far away, Mo Qi Qi and Jun Qian Che cross the bridge.


    Mo Qi Qi, already unhappy with him to begin with, turns to him angrily, "Your Honorable Majesty the Emperor, I know that you are the ruler of themon people, but you had been in a sticky situation and someone had willingly helped you, could you at least lower your precious self to thank him? The vige head is not young and yet he rowed the boat for hours to help us, the least you could do was thank him! That¡¯s what people call mon courtesy!¡¯"


    "Are you admonishing <i>zhen</i>?" Jun Qian Che res at her, offended.


    "<i>Chenqie</i> is not admonishing you, <i>chenqie</i> is only telling you how to interact with strangers!" says Mo Qi Qi smoothly.


    "They are all <i>zhen</i>¡¯s people; in what way did <i>zhen</i> not know how to interact with them?"


    "Just because they are your people does not means that you automatically know how to get along with them. You are in charge of their livelihood, yes, but that does not mean that you know how to mingle with them," Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows tauntingly at him. She has always been friendly and knows how to ingratiates herself with strangers; she sure feels a sense of superiority over Jun Qian Che at the moment.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her in disdain, "<i>Zhen</i> rules over them; there is no need for <i>zhen</i> to mingle with them."


    Mo Qi Qi almost chokes on her own breath when she hears that, "How arrogant! So what if you rule over them? Does that means that you do not have tomunicate with them? Don¡¯t you ever heard the saying, ¡¯the government and the people are one¡¯? Only when you truly know the people that you are ruling can you finally rule effectively. You need to understand their concerns, their worries. You need to share their burden. Only then can the kingdom be prosperous!"


    "<i>Zhen</i> has always encouraged officers to associate with themon people, but <i>zhen</i> is not your regr official. <i>Zhen¡¯s </i>purpose is not to solely serve themon people, but also to serve the entire world. Peace can only be kept through the appearance of majesty and power. <i>Zhen</i> cannot lose that appearance in front of themon people," exins Jun Qian Che patiently.


    "But I am sure you could put that pretense down when they do not even know who you are! How could you repay the vige head¡¯s kindness and the vigers¡¯ warm wee with such indifference? Or perhaps, you thought that since they are your people, it is only their responsibility to treat you kindly! In fact, I bet you think that they should be thanking you instead, for giving them such a peaceful kingdom!" Is his heart really made of stone?


    "Once we are safe, <i>zhen</i> will order people to reward them!" It is not that he is indifferent to his people, he is just used to concealing his feelings. He will remember other people¡¯s kindness, but he will not say anything to anyone. He is the Emperor. Sometimes, treating other people well will only harm them, so he needs to be extra careful in everything he does.


    "Do you think they want your reward? They didn¡¯t even know who we are and were not even expecting anything in return when they helped us. They helped us purely out of the kindness of their hearts. It is only right for you to express gratitude when someone helps you. This has nothing to do with rewards, nothing at all! Didn¡¯t anyone teach you how to thank people when you were little?" He does not even have the basicmon sense.


    Mo Qi Qi does not know how imperial children are raised and has therefore mistook his action as rudeness.


    "No," says Jun Qian Che casually as he walks on withrge strides. All that he was ever taught was how to protect his position, how to win the throne. No one has ever taught him how to interact with other people, because the son of the Heaven is above everyone else.


    Mo Qi Qi stops in her steps and stares at his tall and lean back profile. She shakes her head, "Too heartless! Hey, wait for me!"


    After passing through the forest, the two of them stumble upon the road that the vige head has told them.


    Mo Qi Qi jumps up happily, "Hahaha, the vige head did not lie to us! This is too great! But¡ª- how do we return to the pce? What if General Han thought we¡¯re dead and report that to the court? Goodness, there will be chaos!"


    Jun Qian Che knocks her in the head.


    "Why on earth did you hit my head for?" snarls Mo Qi Qi angrily.


    "Please keep the power of your imagination to yourself. Let¡¯s find a way to rejoin our entourage."


    Mo Qi Qi rubs her pained head sulkily, "We don¡¯t even know where we are, how are we supposed to rejoin them?"


    "Geographically-challenged....." mocks Jun Qian Che unkindly.


    Unwilling to take that lying down, she retorts back, "I have never been here before, how am I supposed to know which way to take? Besides, how do you know they haven¡¯t left? I think, we better wait here for someone to pass by. There ought to be merchants passing by, we can hitch a ride back to the capital," Mo Qi Qi sits on the ground.


    Jun Qian Che is very confident with General Han, "They will not leave, let¡¯s look for them." He starts walking off.


    Mo Qi Qi hastily runs after him, "Wait for me! You are so stubborn, you know that? It¡¯s better if we just wait for a carriage to pass by, at least then, we can look for them while sitting down."


    "Are you so brave as to share a carriage with a stranger?" asks Jun Qian Che coldly.


    "What is there to be afraid of?" asks Mo Qi Qi bravely.


    Jun Qian Che suddenly stops in his steps and whispers to her, "Aren¡¯t you scared that we might bump into the assassins that have tried to kill us? Perhaps, they are watching us in the dark right now."


    Mo Qi Qi hugs his arm, scared. She looks all around them cautiously, "<i>Chenqie</i> is not brave, Your Majesty. Please do not scare chenqie."


    A sh of roguish smile can be seen on Jun Qian Che¡¯s face before he walks on.


    General Han, on the other hand, has managed to figure out the way to go down the cliff. From an encountered passerby, he finds out that there is a road leading towards the bottom of the cliff. After asking for a detailed description of the road and where it leads to, he leads a select few of his men towards the road.


    As Mo Qi Qi and Jun Qian Che walks on, they suddenly hear the sound of horse hooves.


    She jumps up to him and hugs his arm, "Is it the assassins?"


    Jun Qian Che listens to sound of the hooves before smiling, "Yi Xiao and the rest are here."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him half-believing and half-not, "How do you know? Are you a dog with sensitive ears?"


    Jun Qian Che res at her.


    "<i>Chenqie</i> was praising you!" exins Mo Qi Qi hastily.


    More than a dozen horses make their way towards them. Mo Qi Qi can see Han Yi Xiao leading the rest of the imperial guards towards them.


    When Han Yi Xiao spots them, he pulls the reign of his horse and jumps off it. He walks towards them withrge strides before kneeling on the ground, "Greeting Your Majesty, Your Ladyship! This General has failed to protect you, please punish this General heavily!"


    "How could we possibly me you for this, General Han? The assassins ambushed us, none of us were prepared for the attack! This incident cannot be med on you. Life is precious, don¡¯t just go around asking for punishment," says Mo Qi Qi benevolently.


    Han Yi Xiao is very surprised to hear that. Is this really the Empress? She actually said that ¡¯life is precious¡¯; the very person who used to punish people to death in the past. Last time, a little guard identally touched her. She got so furious and ordered him to be killed. He happened to stumble upon that scene and had tried to plead for mercy on the little guard¡¯s behalf, but the Empress got even angrier and imed that he was taking advantage of the Emperor¡¯s trust and was disrespecting her. In the end, she sentenced them both to death. Lucky the Emperor came over and took control of the situation. Had this been the old her, none of the imperial guards here should even dream to escape death.


    The fact that she is not pursuing their derelictions of duty is very surprising. Did she hurt her head from the fall?


    Han Yi Xiao looks at Jun Qian Che, who remains calm and collected.


    "Alright, get up. This is not your fault," says Jun Qian Che.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees Bai Jiu, she blinks at her meaningfully.


    Bai Jiu finally smiles, the first one in the day.


    The two of them as well as the rescue party returns to where Jun Yue Hen and the rest are waiting.


    When Jun Yue Hen sees that they have returned safely, he runs over to greet them joyfully, "This official greets Your Majesty and Your Ladyship! Your safety is a blessing to the kingdom, blessing to the people!"


    Jun Qian Che gets off from his horse and helps Mo Qi Qi down before turning to Jun Yue Hen. "You may get up, 7th Imperial Uncle," says Jun Qian Che calmly.


    The rest of the crowd promptly kneels, "Greeting Your Majesty, Your Ladyship!"


    Jun Qian Che looks at the crowd before sweeping his eyes over Jun Yue Hen, "<i>Zhen</i> is the Son of the Heaven and has received heavenly protection. Some people harbours ill-intention and tried to harm <i>zhen</i>, but with the heaven¡¯s blessing, <i>zhen</i> managed to return safely. One must not harbour too much greed, it might end up consuming themselves. Alright, pack up, we will continue the journey."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    serene: Sorry for the dy, got a little ill TT

 Chapter 93

    "Yes!" the crowd immediately prepares to continue the journey.


    Ban Xiang runs up to Mo Qi Qi, crying tears of happiness, "You are finally back, Your Ladyship! This servant was so worried! Wuwu¡ª-"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at her before wiping her tearsfortingly, "Alright, enough crying. Haven¡¯t I safely returned now?"


    After Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang returns to her tent to change, Bai Jiu sneaks after them, "Second Sister...."


    Mo Qi Qi jumps up in shock, "Mo Jiu Jiu, haven¡¯t you heard that a person could die from shock? My soul almost flew out of my body because of you!"


    Bai Jiu grasps her hands, checking her from head to toe, "Let me see you, Second Sister! Are you really alright, falling from such a height? If you feel sick anywhere, you must let the imperial physicians know! Do not simply hold it in!"


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart warms up when she sees how worried Mo Jiu Jiu is for her. Although Jiu Jiu dresses like a man, her heart is warm and considerate like a woman. Mo Qi Qi has always has good feelings for this sister of hers. Although she can be weird, her care and love for her family is genuine.


    Seeing Mo Qi Qi smiling so foolishly, Mo Jiu Jiu bes even more worried, "What are you smiling at, Second Sister? Did you hit your head somewhere?"


    Mo Qi Qi knocks her in the head dotingly, "Why? Do you want your sister to hurt her head from the fall? I am fine. You know me the best, do you think I will endure it if I am sick anywhere? I am really fine."


    "Really? Even after falling from such a height?" Mo Jiu Jiu circles her in worry.


    "Of course! I am the kingdom¡¯s Empress! My body is so precious and noble, the gods out there are looking after me! It is just a cliff, how could it hurt me? Rx!"


    Seeing her sister acting like she usually does, Mo Jiu Jiu sighs in relief, "I am d that you are fine. You scared me to death! If anything happens to you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to face Mother. If something had really happened to you, I would jump off the cliff as well. I wouldn¡¯t have the face to return home."


    Mo Qi Qi discourteously knocks her in the head, "You foolish child, what are you even talking about? Never mind now; even if something did happen to me, you are not allowed to do something so foolish! Do you want our parents to lose their two daughters at the same time?"


    Bai Jiu leans her head on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s shoulder coquettishly, "I don¡¯t care! I only want to protect my sister! If I cannot protect you, I will follow you, at least you will not be lonely!"


    "Silly child! Does this means that I have just saved your life?" says Mo Qi Qi. She is starting to like this little sister more and more. She is so straightforward and sincere.


    Bai Jiu smiles, "Yes! You saved my life! You must be really careful with this little sister¡¯s life, from now on, Second Sister!"


    Mo Qi Qiughs in amusement, "You are really..... Anyway, you have been living in the army barracks for a while now, are you tired of it yet? You need to leave fast, before people figures out who you are!"


    "You have changed, Sister. You have be more careful, more generous as well," confesses Mo Jiu Jiu.


    Mo Qi Qi tries to smile at her calmly, "Really? How was I in the past?"


    "You used to be very haughty. You did not care for anyone but yourself. You did not know how to talk to people, how to care for them," says Mo Jiu Jiu without holding back.


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Really? I must have been really hateful!" If you stay in the barrack, people might find out who you are and drag me into the mess, how could I not care?


    "It does not matter how you were in the past, or how you are now, you are still my sister. I love you. But still, I have to say I love the current you better. It is easier to get along with you now. I don¡¯t have to worry about what I say and how you will take it," Bai Jiu clicks her tongue before smiling brightly.


    Mo Qi Qi finds her very cute, "It does not matter who I am, the one in the past, or the one right now, we both love this little sister very much. Just, the past me did not know how to express that love, did not know how to be considerate towards other people. I will try to change and be someone that everyone can like. But still, Jiu Jiu, are you sure you want to stay in the camp? You are ying with your life, just what exactly do you seek in the camp that you refuses to leave?"


    Bai Jiu gives her a mysterious smile, "Stop worrying about me, Sister! I know how to take care of myself. I cannot leave the camp yet as there is something I need to do there."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Since you are so sure about this, I will not force you. I hope that you will keep the Mo n in mind, be careful. This is no small matter."


    "I will keep that in mind, Sister. I must not stay long, I should leave first," Bai Jiu sneaks out of the tent.


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly sighs, "This kid is hopeless."


    Jun Qian Che, on the other hand, enters his own tent and changes his clothes. After that, he begins discussing about the assassination attempt with Han Yi Xiao. It is then that his poison starts spreading again. This one is worse than before. He spits a mouthful of blood before passing out.


    He is very lucky to have Han Yi Xiao nearby, who promptly helps him suppress the poison for the time being.


    Jun Qian Che stands up calmly, "<i>Zhen</i> feels fine now."


    "Your Majesty, the poison inside your body is spreading even faster. That means that you have maxed out your inner power. The Empress received a heavy strike when she got pushed down the cliff. She is fine now, you must have used <i>yungong</i> to help her. Why did you take your own life so lightly, Your Majesty? Using <i>yungong</i> while suffering from that poison will forfeit one¡¯s life," says Han Yi Xiao, worried.


    "Nothing will happen," says Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Han Yi Xiao shakes his head helplessly. Who knew the Emperor cares for the Empress to that degree? The Empress, on the other hand, treats him so distastefully, always trying to find faults. Why must he do this to himself? But still, the Emperor¡¯s decision is not something that he, a little official, can ponder upon. He just wish that their journey back to the pce will be without any obstruction. The Emperor needs the cure as fast as possible.


    After Jun Qian Che and Mo Qi Qi rest for a moment inside their respective tents, the journey continues. With the rate in which the poison is spreading, Jun Qian Che cannot afford any further dy.


    Mo Qi Qi, who is ignorant of Jun Qian Che¡¯s current predicament, is very unhappy with how hasty the journey is.


    Both of them are sitting inside the same carriage; Jun Qian Che calm and quiet, while Mo Qi Qi, restless and furious.


    "Your Majesty, it is not easy for us to escape death, couldn¡¯t we at least rest properly for at least one day before resuming the journey? Our bodies are made of flesh, not iron. We are not made to endure such a long journey!"


    "You can rest once we return to the pce," says Jun Qian Che coldly.


    "If we wait until we get to the pce, I could close my eyes for forever because then I would have been dead from fatigue!" disagrees Mo Qi Qi.


    "Stop speaking nonsense," Jun Qian Che res at her; he really hates the way she keeps bringing up the word ¡¯dead¡¯.


    "<i>Chenqie</i> is not speaking nonsense; <i>chenqie</i> is really tired." So many things have happened, she ispletely drained. She just wants a good night sleep. This bas**ard on the other hand, is just so hasty to get back. Just what is so urgent in the pce that he is anxiously rushing back in this manner?


    A thought suddenly shes in Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head. Sheughs roguishly at him, "Your Majesty, are you rushing back because you¡¯re missing Yang Meimei? We have been away for close to a month, you ought to miss her!"


    Jun Qian Che res at her unhappily. "Do you actually think that you understand <i>zhen</i>?" he asks warningly.


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows confidently, "<i>Chenqie</i> believes that <i>chenqie</i> understands you, yes."


    Jun Qian Che sneers in disdain, "Stop trying to figure out what <i>zhen</i> thinks; you will never get it."


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips in grievance, "What is so hard to guess? Men like you can never live without touching a woman for one month. If <i>chenqie</i> had known, <i>chenqie</i> would have told Yang Meimei toe with us. At least, you will have someone to make you happy; someone who will be there when you need to¡ª- Haha¡ª¨C"


    Jun Qian Che tries to suppress his anger as he says, "Stop speaking! If you want to stay alive, return to the pce quietly."


    "What do you mean?" asks Mo Qi Qi in confusion.


    "Our whereabout has been discovered. If we don¡¯t return now, we will get ambushed once more. Are you sure you want to dy our return and wait for the assassins to catch up to us?" he looks at her while raising his eyebrows.


    Mo Qi Qi starts shaking, "Your Majesty, let¡¯s return to the pce as fast as we can! <i>Chenqie</i>yearns to see all the sisters in the pce!"


    A sh of smile can be seen on Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes.


    10 dayster,


    The beautifully dressed concubines are waiting to wee the entourage back to the pce. They already received the news of the Emperor and Empress¡¯ return and had spent the morning preparing themselves.


    "Why aren¡¯t they here yet?" asks a concubine.


    "Right! I thought they are already really close to the pce; why aren¡¯t they here yet?"


    Hearing that, Yang Shi Han toys with her red fingernails before sneering, "What are you lot so anxious for? It¡¯s not like His Majesty is going to spare any of you a nce. He only has <i>bengong</i> in his heart. His Majesty will not see you even if you wait for him here."


    Xia Fei is not happy to hear that, "Yang Guifei, His Majesty belongs to all of us, not you alone. Please mind your words."


    "Right! If His Majesty only has you in his heart, why does he always take the Empress with him whenever he leaves the pce, never you?"


    Yang Shi Hanughs haughtily, "Before leaving, the Emperor did asked <i>bengong</i> if <i>bengong</i> wanted to go with him. <i>Bengong</i> said no, because <i>bengong</i> did not want my skin to be tanned, that¡¯s why His Majesty brought the Empress instead. The Empress ought to thank <i>bengong</i> for giving her the opportunity."


    The rest of the concubinesugh exagerratedly. "Aiya, how funny! Do you take us for fools, Your Ladyship? Which concubines would say no if His Majesty wanted to take them out? Don¡¯t lie to us just to save face, Your Ladyship!" one of them says.


    "Haha, correct!" quips another concubine.


    Yang Shi Han glowers at them angrily, "The only reason His Majesty took the Empress with him is so that Duke Zhen will sit quietly in court! Do any of you here actually thinks that His Majesty likes the Empress? Stop dreaming! The only person inside His Majesty¡¯s heart is <i>bengong</i>! If any of you here continues aggravating <i>bengong</i>, <i>bengong</i> willin to His Majesty and ruin your lives inside the pce!"


    The rest of the concubines obediently keep their mouths shut at that threat. Although they don¡¯t like Yang <i>Guifei</i>, she is still a <i>Guifei</i>, her position is right below the Empress. If they offend her, the one losing will only be themselves. The task of teaching her a lesson can only fall on the Empress¡¯ shoulders.


    Seeing the concubines knowing their ces and keeping their mouths shut, Yang Shi Han smiles proudly, "At least you know where you stand. Get your acts together once the Emperores. Don¡¯t annoy him by being overbearing. The first pce that he will go to will be <i>bengong¡¯s</i>, so don¡¯t even dream of trying to attract his attention."


    Although angered by her words, the rest of the concubines merely keep their anger inside their hearts.


    The entourage slowlyes into view. Han Yi Xiao and Bai Jiu ride their respective horses as they lead the Emperor and Empress¡¯ carriage in front.


    The officials are all gathering outside the pce, weing the entourage. When the carriagees into view, they kneel on the ground, "Greeting to the Emperor and Empress."


    The carriage stops when it reaches the entrance to the imperial pce.


    Jun Qian Che holds Mo Qi Qi¡¯s hand as they get down from the carriage. He turns to the officials solemnly, "All of you may get up."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," the officials stand up.


    Jun Qian Che walks towards the imperial pce while holding Mo Qi Qi¡¯s hand, where they are thereafter weed by the concubines.


    Now that their beloved Emperor is back, the concubines immediately curtsy in front of him, "Greeting the Emperor and Empress."


    "All of you may get up," says Jun Qian Che calmly,pletely indifferent to all the women before him.


    Mo Qi Qi approaches him before whispering, "Your Majesty, my sisters must have missed you a lot. All of them rushed here just to wee you. Why don¡¯t you give them a little smile so as to not appear so cold?"


    "<i>Zhen</i> does not get paid to smile," says Jun Qian Che unhappily.


    Mo Qi Qi does not know whether tough or to cry, "Please, Your Majesty. These are all your women. Do you need to get paid to smile in front of your own people?"

 Chapter 94

    "<i>Zhen</i> does not need you to teach <i>zhen</i>," res Jun Qian Che. Never once had he ever considered these women as his.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips: An unteachable child!


    "You are back, Your Majesty," the concubines begin surrounding Jun Qian Che.


    "You must be tired, Your Majesty. You have lost weight."


    "How was the journey, Your Majesty? <i>Chenqie</i> hope it was fine."


    "Your Majesty¡ª¨C"


    Jun Qian Che finds them noisy.


    Yang Guifei stands quietly on the sideline, smiling beautifully.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her before walking towards her.


    When the rest of the concubines see him walking towards her, their hearts are filled with jealousy but none of them dares toin.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees that, she mutters under her breath, "He said he did not miss Yang Shi Han. There are so many women in front of him, but he wouldn¡¯t look at any of them and would only look at Yang Shi Han. His mouth says one thing, but his heart says another." Even she fails to notice the sourness in her voice.


    Yang Shi Han looks delighted to see him as she hugs his arm, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> missed you to death!"


    Mo Qi Qi cannot help but shudder when she hears Yang Shi Han¡¯s exceptionally sweet voice: Ew, Jun Qian Che actually likes this type of woman? She cannot stand them.


    "<i>Zhen</i> feels a little tired, return to Gui Ning Pce," says Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Yang Shi Han curtsies happily, "Yes, Your Majesty! <i>Chenqie</i> has already asked the kitchen to prepare all your favourite dishes!" She hugs Jun Qian Che¡¯s arm as they leave, not forgetting to raise her eyebrows proudly at the gaping concubines.


    The concubines are angry beyond words to see that. They all begin surrounding Mo Qi Qi now, "Your Ladyship, see that Yang Guifei? His Majesty has only returned and she already seduced him away!"


    "Your rtionship with His Majesty has only gotten better, you must not allow her to ruin it again!"


    "Correct! You must not amodate Yang Guifei too much, Your Ladyship! You have just returned to the pce with His Majesty, by right, he should have gone to your pce!"


    Mo Qi Qiughs when she hears that, "Don¡¯t be angry, sisters. If His Majesty did not want to go to Gui Ning Pce on the first ce, Yang Guifei would not have been able to seduce him into going no matter how hard she tries. <i>Bengong</i> believe everyone saw it yourself; it was His Majesty who went to Yang Guifei and talked to her, not the other way around." Seems like Jun Qian Che really likes Yang Shi Han.


    "Yang Shi Han must have used ck magic to seduce him! Did you know what Yang Guifei told us, Your Ladyship? She said the Emperor only took you with him because she didn¡¯t want to go with him. She also said that His Majesty only took you with him so that Duke Zhen would manage the court properly."


    "Yang Guifei really said all that?" says Mo Qi Qi, pretending to be angry.


    Seeing Mo Qi Qi upset, the rest of the concubines agree with the first one, "True! We heard it ourselves!"


    "Yang Guifei is too much! She has always been arrogant, but this time, she actually dared to say all that about <i>bengong</i>? Does she think that <i>bengong</i> is that easy to bully? Sisters, let us all return to Feng Yang Pce first to update <i>bengong</i> on the back pce¡¯s current affairs!" Mo Qi Qi is not really angry, she is only doing this for show. If she does not y along, they will never be appeased. They will alienate her, and that will only lead to them conspiring against her. As for Jun Qian Che taking her to the trip to keep Duke Zhen in check, the truth is even she has long suspected that, so she is not really surprised to hear that.


    As for Yang Shi Han, Mo Qi Qi is really angry with her, but forpletely different reason. She still cannot get over how Yang Shi Han had tried to harm her brotherst time. She will definitely teach Yang Shi Han a lesson once she gets the chance.


    However, things are not as Mo Qi Qi think they are.


    Mo Cheng Xuan is not an idiot; how could he not see through Yang Shi Han¡¯s n? The truth is he followed Yang Shi Han to Gui Ning Pce to purposely fall for Yang Shi Han¡¯s n and create a misunderstanding between her and the Emperor. Even if the misunderstanding could be cleared, it would still create a drift between the Emperor and Yang Guifei. Yang Guifei actually allowed a male official to enter her resting pce, it ought to make the Emperor unhappy. Once they drift away, Qi Qi would have the chance to obtain the Emperor¡¯s affection. He wanted to see the Emperor looking at Yang Shi Han in distaste.


    Butter, the Emperor came andpletely suppressed the matter. He abandoned his attempt to sow discord between the Emperor and Yang Guifei because he suddenly found himself pathetic for resorting to such a lowly method. How embarrassing. It is better for Qi Qi and the Emperor to figure out their own feelings. Outside interference would only work temporarily. If they really have no feelings for each other, their lives together will be full of trials.


    That was why he felt really guilty when he saw Yang Guifei earlier. Lucky the Emperor did not mind what happened back then. If things between her and the Emperor really became troubled because of him, he would feel very despicable.


    After arriving in Gui Ning Pce, Jun Qian Che orders all servants to leave and then tells Yang Shi Han to close the door.


    The servants exchanges smiles when they see that. The Emperor really loves their Mistress. Their Mistress is so lucky to be favoured so much by the Emperor.


    After closing the door, Yang Shi Han turns towards him and buries her face on his chest while giggling, "Your Majesty, people willugh at you for being so eager despite having just returned. The Empress will throw another temper tantrum."


    Jun Qian Che quietly pushes her away, "Stop fooling around." He touches his chest before sitting on the main seat. His face is pale and his forehead is full of sweat.


    Yang Shi Han walks to him in concern, "What happened?"


    "Shi Han, I got poisoned. Shi Gu Poison. It has been spreading since the journey back," Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is weak.


    Yang Shi Han sits next to him and checks his pulse with a grave look on her face, as though apletely different person from the one in front of the concubines just now.


    After checking his pulse, she turns to him solemnly, "Why did you let the poison spread so fast, Cousin? I already told you about Shi Gu Poison before; one cannot use their inner power or <i>yungong</i> if they identally ingest the poison. Did you use yours?"


    Jun Qian Che nods, "Yes, but what has passed has passed. Will you be able to neutralize the poison?"


    Yang Shi Han sighs before proudly saying, "The poison inside your body is really powerful. If you are looking at any other healer, they wouldn¡¯t be able to protect your life. But since you are looking at your clever and highly-skilled cousin who has a really good understanding about the said poison, your life will be spared."


    "How long will it take?" asks Jun Qian Che calmly.


    "If you have not used up your internal power, it would only take 3 days. But, since you did, the poison has spread far too seriously, you will have to take both the cure and a series of medicated bath. It will take half a month topletely rid your body off the toxin."


    "<i>Zhen</i> understands. Only you can know about this matter, do not tell anyone else," orders Jun Qian Che.


    "Alright. I will give you a pill to control the poison from spreading." Yang Shi Han heads to her bedroom and walks out with a small jar. There are ck pills inside the jar. She picks one up and hands it to Jun Qian Che.


    After taking that pill, Jun Qian Che¡¯s body is no longer pained.


    "How do you feel?" asks Yang Shi Han.


    "It¡¯s alright now," says Jun Qian Che calmly.


    "Take this bottle with you. Eat one pill everytime the poison acts up. It will temporarily subdue the poison. As for curing the poison, I will do my best to help you!"


    Jun Qian Che nods.


    Yang Shi Han sits next to him and looks at him curiously, "Your Majesty, did something happen with the Empress on that trip?"


    "What do you mean?" Jun Qian Che does not know what she is trying to imply.


    Yang Shi Han purses her lips, "Do you really not know or are you only pretending to, Your Majesty? I am talking about that thing that happened between men and women! The Empress has always been eyeing you like a hawk, don¡¯t tell me she didn¡¯t seize that chance to climb unto your bed?"


    Jun Qian Che looks at her, his eyes shing in displeasure. Does she think that this Mo Qi Qi is the same as the old Mo Qi Qi? The current Mo Qi Qi wants to have nothing to do with him.


    Upon receiving Jun Qian Che¡¯s threatening re, Yang Shi Han obediently changes the topic, "The trip must have been hard on you. Why don¡¯t <i>chenqie</i> call for the maids to serve lunch? You can rest after eating."


    Jun Qian Che gets up, "<i>Zhen</i> wants to visit the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager first."


    "<i>Chenqie</i> wille with you!" Yang Shi Han stands up as well.


    Jun Qian Che hesitates for a moment before nodding.


    In Feng Yang Pce, Mo Qi Qi finally manages to send the concubines away after such a long arduous effort. She leans against the phoenix seat tiredly before sighing, "Aiya, mommy! People says that three women gathered together is enough to perform a stage y; I on the other hand, have a bunch of them, all singing at the same time! I cannot take this anymore! Jun Qian Che, that trash! Why did he take in so many women, on the first ce, creating so much trouble for me? Did I owe him in the past life?"


    Ban Xiang, who is walking in while clutching a tray of tea, smiles at her warmly, "Drink some tea, Your Ladyship."


    Mo Qi Qi takes the cup while sighing, "I spoke for too long, I am so thirsty. It is only you who cares for me, Ban Xiang."


    "Your Ladyship, this servant knows that things are hard for you, but it has always been like this for Empresses. Don¡¯t be upset,"forts Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs benevolently, "Although things are hard for <i>bengong</i>, it is harder for the other concubines, so <i>bengong</i> does not me them. I am tired, I want to sleep for now!"


    "You cannot sleep yet, Your Ladyship. You have been away for so long, you must meet the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager first to let them know that everything is alright," reminds Ban Xiang.


    Three ck lines appear on top of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head, "What? I had to endure such a tiring journey with Jun Qian Che. Now that I am back, I have to reassure them instead of them reassuring me? Where is the logic in that?"


    "Ssh, lower your voice, Your Ladyship. Even walls have ears. It has always been like that for Empresses. Being able to go with His Majesty was a blessing, you must not call it a hardship in front of the Grand Empress Dowager," says Ban Xiang earnestly.


    Mo Qi Qi wants to cry, "Based on what you said, you want me to thank them instead, because their good son/grandson took me out of the pce?"


    Ban Xiang nods, "Yes."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her with a bitter face, "Who made such a rule? The imperial family is too unreasonable! The womenfolk out there are trying so hard to enter the pce, I wonder if they know how hard it is to live inside the harem. It is better to live as a normal daughter-inw in amon family. At least someone will care for you. Inside the pce, everything that awaits you is rules. Wuwuwu, why is my life so hard?"


    "Are you going or not, Your Ladyship?" asks Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, "Go of course! Even to thest of my breath, I will face the Jun Family with fire inside my soul! Let¡¯s go!"


    Ban Xiang secretlyughs: the Empress has de for a mouth, but tofu for a heart.

 Chapter 95

    Inside Yong Shou Pce, the Grand Empress Dowager is pleased to know that the Emperor and Empress have returned. She asked her servants to prepare their favourite dishes and even invites the Empress Dowager to her pce so that they can dine together in a big family.


    Jun Qian Che brings Yang Shi Han with him to greet them, "Grandson greets Imperial Grandmother, son greets Imperial Mother."


    "Forego the formality, Your Majesty. Come and sit," says the Grand Empress Dowager with a benevolent smile.


    Yang Shi Han obediently curtsies in front of them, not looking arrogant for once, "<i>Chenqie</i> greets the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager."


    The Grand Empress Dowager gives her the kind smile she gave Jun Qian Che, "No need for formalities, Yang Guifei. <i>Aijia</i> watched you grow up into thedy that you are today and has long considers you are one of our own. Now that you are the Emperor¡¯s Guifei, you don¡¯t have to treat <i>aijia</i> with so much courtesy."


    "Thank you, Your Ladyship," says Yang Shi Han politely.


    The Empress Dowager proceeds to tease her, "Imperial mother, Shi Han, this child has been too doted upon back at home. Now that she is inside the pce, she does not know any rules. You must not encourage her."


    The Grand Empress Dowager smiles, "They are all children. This is the peak of their youth, the time for them to y around without a care in the world. We ought to give them some leeway."


    "You dotes on them too much, Imperial Mother."


    "The Empress arrives!" an announcementes from outside.


    The Grand Empress Dowager smiles even more, "The Empress has be more and more considerate! If this was in the past, she wouldn¡¯t have bothereding since she is too tired. She has matured!"


    The Empress Dowager on the other hand, appears displeased at Mo Qi Qi¡¯s arrival.


    Mo Qi Qi walks in wearing her phoenix robe. When she realizes that the Empress Dowager, Jun Qian Che and Yang Shi Han are all here, she secretly thank the gods for making here here. Otherwise, they would have reprimanded her behind her back for beingzy.


    "Qi Qi greets Imperial Grandmother, Imperial Mother and the Emperor," greets Mo Qi Qi while curtsying.


    The Grand Empress Dowager looks at her fondly, "No need for formality. Come and sit next to Imperial Grandmother!"


    "Yes," Mo Qi Qi gets up and sits next to the Grand Empress Dowager.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her in surprise. The former her did not have any regard for other people. She would not do things that she did not like. She did not care for even the Grand Empress Dowager. In fact, she used to be pretty distant from their Imperial Grandmother. But now, she has be very generous with people. She tries her best to do things and have gotten really close to the Grand Empress Dowager. Perhaps, Mo n has made their choice.


    The Grand Empress Dowager takes Mo Qi Qi¡¯s hand affectionately, "Have you lost weight, Empress?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles sweetly at her, "Qi Qi is fine, Imperial Grandmother."


    "You have indeed lost weight. Did the Emperor not take good care of you? You must tell Imperial Grandmother if he bullies you, Imperial Grandmother will help you," teases the Grand Empress Dowager.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che, who looks back at her coldly.


    She really wants to tell the Grand Empress Dowager what really happened; how the Emperor kept bullying her, scolding her, threatening her, but in the end, since she still wants to live, she keeps it back down. "His Majesty treated Qi Qi really well, Imperial Grandmother. He even made roasted pheasant for Qi Qi! In fact, Qi Qi has gained weight! You only see that Qi Qi has lost weight because you dotes on Qi Qi so much."


    The Grand Empress Dowager, "His Majesty actually bothers taking care of someone else? Are you lying to Imperial Grandmother, Qi Qi?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles brightly, "Qi Qi would never dare to lie to you, Imperial Grandmother! His Majesty took great care of Qi Qi!" Thest part she says while looking at Jun Qian Che, as though gritting her teeth at him.


    The Grand Empress Dowager sighs in relief, "<i>Aijia</i> can finally rx hearing what Qi Qi said. Both of you have finally learned to get along with each other after two years. This is good."


    Yang Shi Han looks at Jun Qian Che coquettishly, "Who knew the Emperor would be so considerate outside? If <i>chenqie</i> had known, <i>chenqie</i> would havee with you."


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi sighs in regret: If it had been you, he would have been kind and warm for sure, but since it was only me, it was all orders and threats. Had I known, I would have insists in youing along!


    Jun Qian Che seems to really love Yang Shi Han; he actually abandoned so many waiting concubines and went to her Gui Ning Pce immediately after returning. He even brings her with him to greet the Grand Empress Dowager. This kind of love can only be dreamed of by the rest of his concubines!


    The Empress Dowager looks at Yang Shi Han dotingly, "This child; how could you say that in front of the Grand Empress Dowager?"


    The Grand Empress Dowager smiles kindly, "It¡¯s nothing. Shi Han is straight-forward in temperament, <i>aijia</i> likes her."


    "You dotes on her too much, Imperial Mother," says the Empress Dowager, visibly happy.


    As they chat on, a maiden who appears to be around 16-17 years old approaches them. She is wearing a green dress, her skirt embroidered with beautiful blue butterflies,yered by thinyer of muslin. She looks gentle and light, as though a slight breeze can whisk her away. Her long dark hair flows with the breeze; she simply looks so dainty and fragile and can easily melt one¡¯s heart.


    Underneath that green dress is a skin so beautiful that no one couldpare with. She is very pale, and slightly pinkish, almost giving her the dainty and sickly look. Elegance and noble bearing practically radiates from her.


    The maiden walks over to them before curtsying, "Ya Xian greets the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the Empress and the Guifei," her voice is soft and lilting. A sweet-spoken beauty with such an aura; what an eye-catching beauty. Never mind men, even women will find her to their liking.


    Mo Qi Qi wonders who she is; when did she enter the pce? Is she Jun Qian Che¡¯s new concubine?


    The Grand Empress Dowager motions her to get up, looking at her with a visibly fond expression, "Hurry and get up. Come and let Grandmother see you better."


    The girl simply smiles as she makes her way to the Grand Empress Dowager.


    If the Grand Empress Dowager addresses herself as Grandmother when speaking to the girl, that means that this girl is Jun Qian Che¡¯s cousin. This Jun Qian Che! Is he nning to make a move on every single female cousin that he has? Too trashy!


    "How are you, Ya Xian? Do you feel ufortably anywhere?" the Grand Empress Dowager looks at Ya Xian in worry.


    Ya Xian shakes her head, "Do not worry, Grandmother, I am fine."


    The Grand Empress Dowager turns to everyone, "Once Ya Xian found out that Your Majesty and the Empress are returning today, she was hell-bent on cooking something for you two. It is rare for this child to do that kind of thing."


    The Empress Dowager regards her with fondness as well, "You shouldn¡¯t have bothered, Ya Xian. Just leave it to the servants. If anything happens to you, Imperial Mother will be worried."


    Ya Xian smiles gently, "Don¡¯t worry, Imperial Grandmother, Ya Xian¡¯s health has been really goodtely. In fact, I am happy that I can actually cook something for Che <i>gege</i>." She smiles shyly as she looks at Jun Qian Che.


    Mo Qi Qi finally realizes something upon seeing that scene. From the look of it, Ya Xian seems to like Jun Qian Che. Just look at that shy smile; so pretty! Che <i>gege</i>, hahaha. Who knew that Jun Qian Che has his own Lin Meimei, the world is indeed a huge ce.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Lin Meimei refers to gentle and dainty women.)


    When Jun Qian Che reads the expression on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face, anger rises in his heart. He turns to Ya Xian, "When did you arrive, Xiao Xian? How is your health?"


    Mo Qi Qi is even more surprised when she hears that. What an intimate way of addressing someone! Are they tantly flirting in front of everyone here?


    Ya Xian does not dare to make eye contact with Jun Qian Che. She lowers her eyes shyly, "Half a month ago. My health is just fine, thank you for your concern, Che <i>gege</i>."


    Yang Shi Han speaks up, "Your Majesty, Ya Xian <i>jiejie</i> returns looking so healthy after visiting her rtive in the south. She looks a lot better nowadays."


    Jun Qian Che nods lightly.


    Ya Xian turns to Mo Qi Qi with a smile, "The trip must have been hard for you, Your Ladyship. Did you encounter any interesting thing?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at Ya Xian in a friendly manner, "It was not hard, it was not hard at all. I will tell you everythingter."


    Ya Xian smiles at her back, "That will be great!" Surprise shes in her eyes; she did not expect the Empress to actually smile at her, much less speak to her so kindly. The Empress does not hate her any longer?


    "Lunch is here, everyone must be hungry. It is rare for us to gather like this. Let us taste our Ya Xian¡¯s cooking today," the Grand Empress Dowager gets up and leads everyone to the dining hall.


    The servants have already prepared all the dishes. The Grand Empress Dowager invites everyone to sit. Mo Qi Qi who is famished to begin with has the urge to rush to the roasted duck. But since she is not the big boss amongst the lot, she can only hold herself back, pretending to be graceful.


    The Grand Empress Dowager begins the pre-lunch speech, "Lunch today is prepared to wee back the Emperor and Empress after a long arduous month that they spent to take care of themon people. Our kingdom is lucky to have them as rulers. Let us give them a toast!"


    Everyone raises their cup before drinking it. That is the cue to begin eating.


    Mo Qi Qi picks up a huge roasted duck¡¯s leg, eating it with her mouth open.


    Jun Qian Che who sits next to her frowns at her unhappily.


    Mo Qi Qi can sense a pair of cold eyes looking at her. She turns to him, almost choking at the duck inside her mouth when she sees the way he is looking at her. She forcibly swallows the lump of meat before quietly asking, "Why are you looking at <i>chenqie</i> instead of eating, Your Majesty? <i>Chenqie</i> is not good enough to eat."


    "Be mindful of your bearing," reminds Jun Qian Che unhappily.


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly rolls her eyes at him before reluctantly saying, "Got it."


    Ya Xian looks at Jun Qian Che shyly before picking him a dish, "Che <i>gege</i>, Ya Xian made this fish dish for you. Why don¡¯t you give it a taste?"


    Jun Qian Che picks the piece of fish up and tastes it.


    Ya Xian looks at her anxiously, "How is it?"


    Defying all logic, Jun Qian Che actually smiles at her before gently saying, "Not bad."


    Mo Qi Qi is stunned when she sees that smile on Jun Qian Che¡¯s face, her chopsticks hovering mid-air. Seems like Jun Qian Che is very satisfied with this cousin sister. Not only did he eat her cooking, he actually smiled at her! The sun must have risen from the west. Seems like Yang Shi Han has a toughpetitor now.


    When she remembers his expression and what he said when he ate her cooking, there is a world of difference between that and this. As long as the person that he likes make it, even a urine will smell good! As for her¡¯s, no matter how good it is, it is still a trash to him!


    She chews a little harder on her food.

 Chapter 96

    Jun Qian Che looks at Mo Qi Qi and can sense her anger. His heart bes somewhat happier.


    Mo Qi Qi looks back at him and gives him a perfunctory smile.


    As for Ya Xian, she bes really happy after receiving his praise. She eats happily.


    Mo Qi Qi is curious. Is that fish really that good? It actually makes Jun Qian Che smile. She takes a small piece of the fish, "I also want to try Ya Xian¡¯s fish."


    She eats the small piece while Ya Xian looks at her nervously.


    "How is it, Your Ladyship? Do you like it?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "It¡¯s so good! No wonder it made His Majesty smile, it tastes really good! It tastes even better than mine! Xiao Xian, you really must teach me how to make this one day!"


    When Jun Qian Che sees her smiling so happily, displeasure fills his heart. She is not jealous of even Xiao Xian anymore. She has changed.


    Ya Xian smiles shyly upon receiving Mo Qi Qi¡¯s praise, "Xiao Xian is happy that Your Ladyship likes it. You like cooking as well, Your Ladyship?"


    The Empress used to hate the smell of kitchens. Whenever someone from the kitchen passed by her, she would cover her nose while frowning at the person. A good round of scolding would usually follows.


    "Of course! Cooking can be very fulfilling, especially if you receive other people¡¯s nods of approval. But still, it is better to cook only for someone that you actually like. Otherwise, it can get pretty pointless," she res at Jun Qian Che angrily upon saying that.


    Jun Qian Che is suddenly reminded of the tableful of dishes that she made that night. Did she make it for the person that she likes? Unluckily for her, he came by and ruined her good will.


    Inside the dining hall, some people are eating happily, while some are brooding.


    After lunch, Mo Qi Qi stifles a yawn. In the end, she cannot take it anymore and stands up, "Imperial Grandmother, Imperial Mother, Qi Qi is too sleepy. Qi Qi would like to request to leave first."


    The Empress Dowager frowns at her, "You have been away for so long and has just returned. You should keep the Grand Empress Dowagerpany even more. Even Imperial Mother has not rest, why are you unruly as to do it before her?"


    Mo Qi Qi lowers her head, aggrieved. Jun Qian Che had insisted on continuing the journey even at night, so she had not had the chance to sleep. Now that she has returned to the pce, she has to keep all these peoplepany. She truly is very sleepy.


    Seeing this, Jun Qian Che quickly speaks up, "Imperial Mother, the Empress did not get to restst night. It is better to let her rest first."


    The Grand Empress Dowagerughs teasingly when she hears that, "Don¡¯t get so angry, Empress Dowager. From the way <i>aijia</i> looks at it, the Empress is really sleepy. It is normal for a young couple to give into indulgence when they are together. They have worked hard to continue the imperial line. They might have children soon, you should be happy instead."


    Mo Qi Qi wants to choke herself to death when she hears that. The Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s imagination is too rich! And that Jun Qian Che¡ª will speaking more words cost him gold? Will it kill him if he adds ¡¯because we had to travel through the night¡¯?


    "Imperial Grandmother, things are not¡ª-"


    "That¡¯s enough, Imperial Grandmother knows that you are shy, we are not ming you. Since you are sleepy, you should go and rest first. It has been hard on you," the Grand Empress Dowager smiles kindly.


    Mo Qi Qi does not have the energy to correct her; let them misunderstand if they want to. After all, she is actually Jun Qian Che¡¯s wife in name.


    After leaving Yong Shou Pce, Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief. The imperial family is just too tiring. They might be called family, but everything is full of rules and etiquette, even in speech. There is no sense of intimacy at all.


    The moment she reaches her pce, she hits the sack and falls straight asleep.


    As for Jun Qian Che, after leaving Yong Shou Pce, he heads towards the imperial study, forgoing rest. Although he is awake throughout the night just like Mo Qi Qi, he does not have the privilege to rest, owing to his identity as the ruler of the kingdom.


    Since he left the pce for a long period of time, there are a lot of things that he needs to catch up to, particrly in the court.


    Duke Zhen and Chu Ling Xiao are already waiting for him inside the imperial study.


    Jun Qian Che sits in front of the dragon desk as he looks at Duke Zhen and Chu Ling Xiao who are standing in front of him, "Did anything happen during <i>zhen¡¯s</i> absence?"


    Duke Zhen speaks first without giving Chu Ling Xiao the chance to speak, "Please ease your worry, Your Majesty. With this official in charge, no one dared to create trouble."


    Chu Ling Xiao helplessly shakes his head.


    Jun Qian Che is very unhappy when he hears that, but he manages to keep a calm demeanor, "Duke Zhen has served the kingdom for three different courts, no one would dare to create trouble for you."


    "Hahaha, Your Majesty allowed this official to be in charge, this official naturally dares not disappoint you. Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. The court will remain peaceful just the same even if you stay outside for a couple more months," says Duke Zhen proudly, as though the credit to keeping the kingdom safe lies only on his shoulders. He sounds as though the kingdom will perish without him.


    Chu Ling Xiao simply stands on the sideline, not saying a word.


    After asking about some things, Jun Qian Che says, "It has been hard on you, Duke Zhen. Now that <i>zhen</i> is back, you can rest a bit more."


    "This official is not tired. If Your Majesty has no other things to ask, this official shall retreat first. It has been a while since this official saw the Empress. Who knew if she encountered any hardship during the trip this time," he turns around and walks away.


    "Seems like Duke Zhen is a step toote. The Empress is tired from the journey and has gone to rest. You should not bother her resting," says Jun Qian Che.


    Duke Zhen is shocked, as though he did not expect the Emperor to actually care about the Empress. After regaining hisposure, he smiles while nodding, "Since it is so, this official will visit the Empress another time. This official shall take his leave first."


    Duke Zhen left.


    Jun Qian Che clenches his fists in anger.


    Chu Ling Xiao sighs while shaking his head, "The old man Mo is getting more and more arrogant."


    "One of these days, <i>zhen</i> will make him regret it. Did anything happen in court these past few days?" asks Jun Qian Che coldly.


    "Nothing big really. Just, the old Mo has been reprimanding all the officials that used to offend him. Although he did not dare to do anything big because the Empress was with you, he did order a couple of officials to be hit. The rest of the officials are really scared of him now. Lucky you came back in time."


    "<i>Zhen</i> will endure his arrogance for a couple more days. Go and inquire after the officials that he punished. They will be useful to us since they now hate Duke Zhen."


    Chu Ling Xiao nods, "Yes, Your Majesty. General Han told this official that Your Majesty encountered a couple of assassination attempts this time. Are you alright?"


    "<i>Zhen</i> is fine," Jun Qian Che does not want many people to know that he has gotten poisoned. It is not that he does not trust Chu Ling Xiao, he simply does not wish to worry him.


    "Do you know who ordered those assassins?" asks Chu Ling Xiao.


    A cold air fills Jun Qian Che eyes as he icily says, "Who else if not for them?"


    "Since Your Majesty know that it is them, when will you retaliate?" whispers Chu Ling Xiao.


    "Now is not the right time, they have been really careful as to not leave any trace leading back to them. If <i>zhen</i> suddenly attacks them, <i>zhen</i> will draw the court and themon people¡¯s ire for attacking someone without any basis," replies Jun Qian Che.


    "You are right. But with them by your side, it is easy for them to attack you," says Chu Ling Xiao in worry.


    Jun Qian Che does not share that view, "They will not. It will be too easy for <i>zhen</i> to link it back to them.


    The night sky erases thest bit of light from the sky. Stars twinkle in the sky, like little bits of glittering sands on a dark canvas.


    Mo Qi Qi has been sleeping since after lunch and is only slowly waking up now. She stretches her waistzily as she sits up, "Feels so good."


    "You are finally awake," says a cold, icy voice.


    Mo Qi Qi snaps her head towards the direction of that voice in shock. She finds Jun Qian Che sitting on one of the seats nearby, casually staring at her.


    She jumps down from the bed unhappily, "Why are you here, Your Majesty?" Why is this jerk here? Did he take advantage of her sleeping to sneak into her room? Why? Is he nning to do some other shady things?


    Seeing her in a daze, Jun Qian Che snaps, "Stop thinking nonsense. <i>Zhen</i> is here to talk to you."


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi lowers her guard a little and sits on the side of her bed, "What is so important as to make Your Majesty personallye over?"


    "Duke Zhen wanted to visit you after lunch, but <i>zhen</i> stopped him and told him that you need to rest. He loves his daughter, so he wille back tomorrow. <i>Zhen</i> believes you know what you should or should not say," says Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Unfortunately, the person it is intended to can only see it as threat and intimidation, "What do you mean, Your Majesty? <i>Chenqie</i> cannot understand you."


    Jun Qian Che suddenly has the impulse to hit her in the head. She likes to act smart when she is not supposed to, but is unexpectedly dim-witted when she needs her wit the most.


    When she sees the irritation on his face, she cautiously says, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is not purposely angering you. <i>Chenqie</i> really does not know what the so-called ¡¯things to say and things not to say¡¯ are. Maybe you should teach <i>chenqie</i> what to tell him, so that <i>chenqie</i> will not say anything wrong."


    Jun Qian Che thinks for a moment before saying, "Never mind, up to you!"


    Mo Qi Qi res at him, dissatisfied, "What do you mean by ¡¯up to you¡¯? If I end up saying the wrong things, will you not punish me in retaliation?"


    Jun Qian Che regards her icily, "You have said the wrong things enough. <i>Zhen</i> still remembers what you said at the bottom of the cliff."


    Heart drumming heavily, Mo Qi Qi opts to y dumb, "Hehe, what did <i>chenqie</i> say? <i>Chenqie</i> does not remember."


    Jun Qian Che gets up and sits next to her, looking at her.


    Mo Qi Qi shuffles away from him in shock, putting some distance between them. She will never forget the way he forced her on this very bed that night. "Your Majesty, you¡ª- Why are you looking at <i>chenqie</i> like that?"


    "Didn¡¯t you forget what you said that day? <i>Zhen</i> wants to help you remember them. If <i>zhen¡¯s</i>memory is right, this is what you said: <i>Jun Qian Che, do you think you can still scare me?</i><i>Do you honestly believe that I am afraid of you? You usually looked so lonely back in the pce, so I pitied you and allowed you to bully me.</i><i>I, Mo Qi Qi, has never feared anyone ever since I was born!</i><i>I was never truly scared of you.</i><i>I only kept giving in to you to give you face, but you didn¡¯t know that and thought yourself so formidable!</i><i>What a joke!</i><i>Did zhen miss any word?"</i>


    Mo Qi Qi smiles tteringly at him, "Hehe, <i>chenqie</i> was just joking with you, Your Majesty! Did you take them seriously?"


    Might as well just kill her, God! That jerk¡¯s memory is too good. He actually remembers what she said, word by word! Wuwuwu, did shemit a huge sin in her past life?

 Chapter 97

    "<i>Zhen</i> can take it seriously, but can also take it as a joke. It all depends on the Empress¡¯ performance," Jun Qian Che looks at her, his voice calm and free of any emotion.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him pitifully: what does he mean by that? What does he means by performance? He wants her to offer herself to him? Wuwu, no way! A scene suddenly surfaces inside the imaginative part of her brain: Jun Qian Che tips her chin and forces her to look at him. He wraps his other treacherous hand around her body. Then, he takes off the brocade belt around her waist. Then, he takes off her dress, his treacherous hands continuing it¡¯s treacherous exploration around her body. He touches her cheeks, and then her neck, and then her chest. Then, he leans closer, nting his lips on hers. He presses his body on top of her,pletely suppressing her.


    She suddenly remembers that sharp pain that she felt during her first time. "No! No!!" she suddenly screams.


    Jun Qian Che (the real one) looks at her, perplexed. When she starts screaming, he speaks with a cold voice, "What on earth are you doing?"


    Mo Qi Qi is brought back to reality and looks at him awkwardly, "Hehe, Your Majesty...."


    Cold air practically radiates from every pore of his body as he says, "What kind of a person <i>zhen</i> is, inside your head?"


    Mo Qi Qi clicks her tongue, "Nothing really. Just a little trashy, a little dirty....."


    "Trashy? Dirty?" Mo Qi Qi sessfully brings out anger inside his voice.


    Mo Qi Qi quickly exins herself, "You cannot me <i>chenqie</i>! You really did something dirty, did you not?"


    Jun Qian Che looks at the bed. That¡¯s the thing he regrets doing the most in this lifetime; forcing her. He really did not have the intention to do that back then, just, he lost control.


    He stands up quietly before wordlessly leaving.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief once he is gone. When she remembers the way she disrespected him back at the bottom of the cliff, cold wind runs thrugh her back. Had she known that they would be able to return to the pce alive, she wouldn¡¯t have done all that. He is just waiting for the right time to use that action against her. Wuwuwu, she is so done for!


    The next day, Mo Qi Qi begins studying the pce¡¯s map again after breakfast.


    Ban Xiang looks at her in confusion, "Why are you reading the map again, Your Ladyship?"


    Mo Qi Qi sighs helplessly, "Out of desperation-ah!" Jun Qian Che¡¯s mood is too vtile. Living with a man like him is too dangerous. If she really wants to live, she should figure out the way to return to her old world.


    "The weather is really good, Your Ladyship. I heard that the lotus in Wangyue Lake has bloomed, would you like to see them, Your Ladyship?" tempts Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi sticks to her map and waves her off, "Nothing to look at over there, I¡¯m not going!"


    "Then, why don¡¯t you invite the concubines to chat with you? The viewing tower is the coolest ce to be at during summer. Why don¡¯t you drink tea with the concubines over there?" Ban Xiang continues suggesting.


    Mo Qi Qi starts getting goosebump the moment she hears the words ¡¯the viewing tower¡¯. She remembers what Jun Yue Hen told her, about what she did in that ce back then. And then, Jun Qian Che¡¯s cold face appears inside her head. She shakes her head, "No, not going. Don¡¯t bring up the viewing tower to me ever again."


    When Ban Xiang sees Mo Qi Qi¡¯s emotional reaction, she carefully inquires, "Your Ladyship¡ª Did you remember anything from your past, Your Ladyship?"


    "I don¡¯t remember anything. I simply don¡¯t like that ce," Mo Qi Qi forces herself to appear calm.


    Ban Xiang secretly sighs in relief.


    Mo Qi Qi originally wants to scold Ban Xiang for not telling her what really happened inside the viewing tower, but for her own good, she keeps her mouth shut.


    "Then, why don¡¯t this servant tell a story for you," says Ban Xiang, continuously interrupting Mo Qi Qi¡¯s concentration.


    Losing her patience, Mo Qi Qi res at Ban Xiang in discontent, "Ban Xiang, can you stop chirping like a cricket next to my ears? I just want to study this map in peace, I don¡¯t want to go anywhere, I don¡¯t want to hear anything either. I just want peace and quiet! Peace and quiet!"


    Ban Xiang lowers her head, sulking.


    Mo Qi Qi feels like she was too harsh and quickly softens her voice, "I didn¡¯t mean to scold you, Ban Xiang, just this map is really important to me. Why won¡¯t you let me read it?"


    Ban Xiang looks up at Mo Qi Qi in worry, "Your Ladyship, this servant does not want you to study this map. Everytime you do that, you will do something outrageous next. You either make a fool of yourself in front of others or ends up angering His Majesty. This servant does not want anything bad to happen to you."


    Mo Qi Qi did not expect that the girl will be worried about that. She grabs Ban Xiang¡¯s hand and pats it repeatedly, "Thank you for worrying about me, Ban Xiang. I know that a lot of you cannot understand why I do certain things, and truthfully speaking, I don¡¯t know how to exin it either. Maybe you will understand me one day." Once I sessfully travelled back to my own time, you lot will finally understand why I hugged this map and wouldn¡¯t let go. Since the ce that I arrived at was the imperial pce, I believe that the way out is also here, just, I still couldn¡¯t find it.


    "Your Ladyship, this servant only wants you to be fine. Please do not anger His Majesty again, please do not fight with him again," says Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "I understand. I will give in to His Majesty even more, after this. I will do more and speaks less."


    Ban Xiangughs happily, "That will be great, Your Ladyship! You must cultivate more feelings between you and His Majesty. Once you stabilize your position, you can give birth to little princes!"


    Mo Qi Qi simplyughs mirthlessly. Perhaps a lot of women out there would love to give birth to Jun Qian Che¡¯s children, but not her. Definitely not her.


    "Ugh," Mo Qi Qi suddenly gets a bout of nausea, as though the food inside her stomach are rumbling to get out.


    "What is wrong, Your Ladyship?" inquires Ban Xiang worrily.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "Nothing. We left the pce for too long and my stomach hasn¡¯t gotten used to the pce¡¯s food yet."


    "This servant better call a physician over," says Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi stops her, "That¡¯s enough, no need to make a big deal out of something small. This is just a case of unsettled stomach. If we make a big deal out of this, the Empress Dowager will call me spoilt again."


    "Are you sure, Your Ladyship? It is better to get immediate treatment if you are ill," Ban Xiang is still worried.


    Mo Qi Qiughs, pinching her smooth cheeks, "I am really alright. I feel thirsty, go and help me brew some tea!"


    "Yes!" Ban Xiang immediately leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs happily, "There is finally some peace. Ban Xiang, that brat, is just too noisy!"


    Then, she goes back to studying the map.


    At that moment, a little eunuch runs over before reporting, "Your Ladyship, Duke Zhen is here."


    "What?" asks Mo Qi Qi in surprise. Then, she mumbles to herself, "Jun Qian Che was right; the old man reallyes. Invite him in."


    "Yes," the eunuch leaves to invite her father in.


    Mo Qi Qi hastily rolls up the map.


    "Hahaha¡ª" a heavy voice that belongs to a man in his middle age fills the pce. Duke Zhen walks in whileughing.


    Mo Qi Qi gets up and wees him, "Come on in, dad."


    Duke Zhen cups his fists in front of her, "This official greets the Empress."


    Mo Qi Qi lifts his hands up, "No need for so many formalities, dad."


    Duke Zhen stands up straight, "Although I am your father, you are still the ruler while I am still the official that serves you. We must not forgo etiquette."


    Mo Qi Qiughs. She hears that this old man won¡¯t even bow properly in front of the Emperor. Seems like he will only remember etiquette when he is standing in front of his own daughter. He is doing this to remind everyone of who she is, and to never disrespect her.


    Mo Qi Qi is touched by Duke Zhen¡¯s thoughtfulness for his own daughter.


    "Hurry and sit, old dad," Mo Qi Qi personally pulls out a seat for him. No matter what, this old man is still her father as long as she is inside this body. One with power and temper as well. She must never do anything that will displease him.


    Duke Zhen looks at his daughter, smiling.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him uneasily, "Why are you looking at daughter like that, old dad? Is there something wrong with daughter?"


    Duke Zhenughs, "Qi Qi, you just called me ¡¯old dad¡¯. That is the first time you ever called me that."


    Huh! Mo Qi Qi looks at him awkwardly. She was very close with her real father in the past life and got used to calling him that. She never stopped to think that she shouldn¡¯t this time.


    Sheughs at him awkwardly, "Daughter happened to hear other people calling their father that, during the trip out of the pce this time. Daughter wanted to try it herself. If you don¡¯t like it, dad, daughter will refrain from calling you that from now on."


    Duke Zhen quickly says, "Who says this old dad don¡¯t like that? This old dad likes that term of addressment very much. It sounds very intimate. From now on, call me ¡¯old dad¡¯!"


    Mo Qi Qiughs happily. Who would have thought that even Duke Zhen have a cute side of him? "Yes, old dad!"


    "Ai, hahahaha!" Duke Zhenughs uproariously.


    When Ban Xiang heard that Duke Zhen hase, she walks into the hall while carrying a tray of tea, "Old master, this servant has brought you your favourite tea!"


    Duke Zhen takes a sip, "Ban Xiang, this brat¡¯s tea making skill has improved a lot! With her taking care of Qi Qi, my heart is at peace!"


    Ban Xiang smiles, "Don¡¯t worry, old master! This servant will do her best to take care of Her Ladyship! This servant is willing to tread on fire for Her Ladyship!"


    Duke Zhen nods in satisfaction, "En! Qi Qi made the right decision when she took you to the pce with her back then. If anyone dares to bully her, you must quickly inform Duke Zhen¡¯s manor! Do not allow anyone to bully our Qi Qi, understand!"


    Ban Xiang curtsies obediently, "Yes, old master! This servant will remember that!"


    Duke Zhen nods happily.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart warms up. Who would have known that Duke Zhen would dote on this daughter to this degree? She smiles, "Don¡¯t worry, old dad! Daughter is the Empress, who would dare to bully daughter?"


    "Although you say that, there will always be someone out there who does not know their ce. Qi Qi, do not forget that you have our Mo n as your maiden home. We will always be behind you. If you face any trouble, if anyone hurts you, hurry and tell dad, alright? Dad will protect you even if it means giving up my life to do so," says Duke Zhen sincerely.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, touched. "Daughter will remember that, dad." No wonder the old owner was so arrogant; with such a father to pamper and amodate her, it would be even weirder if she didn¡¯t.


    "Qi Qi, did His Majesty take good care of you during the trip this time? Did he protect you well?" Duke Zhen changes the topic. This is his motive ofing today. His heart is not at peace, giving his daughter away to marry Jun Qian Che. Honestly, it is not that he does not trust Jun Qian Che. Just, he dotes on his daughter too much that he feels that no other man could protect her as he could.


    Mo Qi Qi is taken aback for a moment before she says, "Yes, yes, yes His Majesty took really good care of daughter! He did not bully daughter at all!" Old dad, what is the point of asking me this? If I tell you the truth, you will stomp your way to him and demand an answer. He will not call you out, but once you leave, I will be miserable under his hand!


    "Really? His Majesty did not bully you? He did not threaten you at all?" Duke Zhen finds that a little hard to believe.

 Chapter 98

    "Hehe, stop blindly guessing, old dad. Things between His Majesty and daughter are very well. His Majesty even personally roasted a pheasant for daughter during the trip outst time," says Mo Qi Qi. She smiles sweetly. That roasted pheasant has been the best thing that she has ever tasted.


    Duke Zhen is very surprised to hear that, "Are you telling the truth, Qi Qi?"


    "Of course!" smiles Mo Qi Qi.


    Duke Zhen finally believes her when he sees that smile on her face. He looks on haughtily, "He finally knows how to butter up to you! Hmph!"


    "Butter up? That is a heavy usation, dad! His Majesty is the ruler of our kingdom, he does not need to butter up to anyone," Mo Qi Qi feels like there is another underlying meaning behind Duke Zhen¡¯s words.


    Duke Zhen smiles proudly, "He still needs to borrow Mo n¡¯s power even if he is the Emperor. Had it not been for us Mo n, the throne would have a different owner already."


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked to hear that. She looks out of the door carefully before saying, "Old dad, why are you saying such scandalous things here! Be careful! Even walls have ears."Wuwu, if this reaches Jun Qian Che, she is ruined. Old dad-ah, are you trying to harm me to death?


    Duke Zhen remains haughty, "This old head is not scared of anyone reporting back to him, it¡¯s not like this old dad was lying. Qi Qi, how did you be so fearful and careful? This is not the precious daughter that old dad remembers."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him bitterly, "Dad, daughter is the Empress. Not only does daughter need to manage the back pce, daughter also needs to be the role model for the womenfolk out there. How can this daughter not be careful? Daughter used to be stubborn and unruly back then, but that was only because daughter was young. Now that daughter has grown up, it is time for daughter to get her acts together. Please have more care with your words, dad, after all, this is the pce. Too much of anything is not good."


    "Hahaha¡ª" Duke Zhenughs heartily. "What are you so afraid of, Qi Qi? As long as this old dad is still here, as long as Mo n is still here, no one will dare to touch you no matter what you do. Be confident, be yourself. Dad will be there to protect you!"


    Mo Qi Qi rubs her forehead; is this old man trying to get her killed? In the end, she cannot stop herself from asking, "Dad¡ª- are you nning to betray His Majesty?"


    Duke Zhen looks at her in shock. He looks outside cautiously before turning to her, his voice a mere whisper now, "Qi Qi, although dad did tell you to stop being fearful, some things really cannot be simply said."


    "Dad, daughter is not simply saying these things. We encountered a lot of assassination attempts during the tripst time. The 7<sup>th</sup> wang got injured while trying to save daughter. The other time, daughter and His Majesty actually fell down from a cliff."


    "What? You fell down from a cliff? Are you injured? Hurry and tell dad!" asks Duke Zhen, panicking.


    Mo Qi Qiforts him, "Don¡¯t worry dad, daughter is fine. If daughter is hurt, daughter wouldn¡¯t be talking to you right now. What Qi Qi want to ask is if you were the one who sent those assassins." Who else would have that much courage other than this crazy father of hers?


    Duke Zhen looks at his daughter earnestly, "Silly child, if it was me, would I have allowed them to hurt you? His Majesty took you with him and left me in charge of the court. Although it might look as though he was giving me power, he knew I wouldn¡¯t do anything reckless with you by his side."


    "If it wasn¡¯t you, who sent those assassins?" Mo Qi Qi scratches her head. She does not know that many people here, so she can¡¯t really make a good guess.


    Duke Zhenforts her, "Stop thinking about these matters. The Emperor will handle this. Now that you are back inside the pce, no one can hurt you anymore."


    Mo Qi Qiughs.


    After chatting for a while more, Duke Zhen left.


    Mo Qi Qi returns to checking her map.


    Ban Xiang walks into the room, carrying a tray of pastries for her to snack on.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees those snacks, she is suddenly reminded of Ya Xian. She pats the seat next to her, beckoning Ban Xiang to sit, "Ban Xiang, I would like to ask you some things about Miss Ya Xian. Is there any problem with her health? Does she enter the pce often? How is her rtionship with His Majesty?"


    Ban Xiang sits next to her and replies her questions in details, "Miss Ya Xian is Princess Chang Sheng¡¯s daughter, which makes her the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s granddaughter. When Princess Chang Sheng was 18 years old, she married someone surnamed Gong who lived in the South. Although he was not an official, he was very rich. They were very happy together. Later, she gave birth to a daughter, Miss Ya Xian. They doted on this daughter very much. Princess Chang Sheng would often take her with her to the pce to meet the Grand Empress Dowager. But, who would have thought that Princess Chang Sheng was not destined to reach old age. When Miss Ya Xian was 6, something that shook the entire kingdom happened to their household. The entire Gong household were massacred by bandits in the dead of the night. Some people said that the blood flowed for miles and miles away. Both Princess Chang Sheng and her husband died. Before the bandits got to them, Princess Chang Sheng and her husband hid Miss Ya Xian inside a water barrel. The barrel was not full, but the water level reached her stomach, causing her to have a really weak body afterwards. After hiding her, both Princess Chang Sheng and her husband were murdered. The next morning, the officials in charge of the city heard of the incident and led soldiers to save them. But by then, over hundreds of people who lived in the Gong residence were already dead. They heard Miss Ya Xian crying inside the water barrel and pulled her out. It was the beginning of winter back then, so the weather was really cold. Miss Ya Xian¡¯s body bes really weak afterwards. When the Grand Empress Dowager found out about what happened to the Gong residence, she wept so hard that she passed out. Princess Chang Sheng was her favourite daughter. When Her Ladyship found out that Miss Ya Xian was still alive, she ordered her to be taken to the pce. That was 12 years ago. Since then, Miss Ya Xian has been living inside the pce. She went to the south to visit some distant rtives a couple of months back, so she hasn¡¯t been around."


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head in pity, "No wonder I didn¡¯t see her after I woke up from mya. Her past is too tragic, lucky she has Imperial Grandmother to dote on her. Does that mean that she and the Emperor are childhood sweethearts? Anyway, do you know who killed all those people in Gong residence?"


    Ban Xiang shakes her head. "This servant does not know that. After what happened to her family, Miss Ya Xian has been living inside the pce, so yes, she did grew up with His Majesty. Since she is weak, His Majesty takes good care of her. But don¡¯t worry, Your Ladyship! It doesn¡¯t matter that they grew up together, the one that His Majesty married is still you!" says Ban Xiang proudly.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head while smiling, "No need tofort me, I am not that clueless. The only reason Jun Qian Yu makes me the Empress is only because of Mo n. If there had been no Mo n, it would have been Gong Ya Xian or Yang Shi Han. After all, they suit the position more than I do. I will not get angry. If you think about it, Gong Ya Xian is really nice! She is warm-hearted, gentle, beautiful. She suits Jun Qian Che really well. Their personalities match perfectly!"


    "What are you talking about, Your Ladyship? You are His Majesty¡¯s¡ª¨C Your Majesty!" Ban Xiang can sense that someone has just walked into the room. When she turns her head around, she finds the Emperor standing by the doorway. She quickly gets up and curtsies before him.


    Mo Qi Qi follows the direction that she is looking at and jumps up in shock when she sees Jun Qian Che, to the point where she hits the floor. She clumsily stands up and curtsies as well, "Greeting Your Majesty! When did youe, Your Majesty? Why was there no announcement?"


    Jun Qian Che looks at Ban Xiang.


    Ban Xiang immediately retreats.


    Jun Qian Che walks to the little table and kneels on top of the cushion opposite Mo Qi Qi, "If there had been an announcement, <i>zhen</i> would not get to hear the Empress¡¯ real feeling."


    Mo Qi Qiughs awkwardly, though she is secretly cursing him: Rude bas*ard! Nobody honourable goes around eavesdropping on other people¡¯s conversation and you are the Emperor to boot!


    "Hehe, Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> was not speaking ill of you!" Lucky she did not trash-talk him this time. At least, she can protect her life. This man is too dangerous, one cannot becent around him.


    "Really?" says Jun Qian Che calmly.


    "Of course! <i>Chenqie</i> was talking about Ya Xian. She is kind and gentle and warm, and she can cook really well too! It will be our loss if we let her marry another man. Why don¡¯t you take her into your harem? Now, that will be better than handing her over to a strange man, wouldn¡¯t it?" Mo Qi Qi is being so benevolent this time, she believes that he will at least praise her, if not reward her!


    Unfortunately, reality is often different from expectation. When Jun Qian Che turns to face her, his eyes are full of displeasure.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart almost stop for a moment before she gathers enough courage to say, "W-What¡¯s with that expression, Your Majesty? Did <i>chenqie</i> say anything wrong?"


    "You are bing more and more generous," Jun Qian Che tries his best to suppress his anger. Does she really not know what he feels?

 Chapter 99

    "Hehe, thank you for that praise, Your Majesty. It is indeed <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> goal to be a benevolent and virtuous Empress. <i>Chenqie</i> will work hard to achieve that goal. Never mind Miss Ya Xian, <i>chenqie</i> will not object even if Your Majesty wants to take every single unmarried maiden out there into the pce," Mo Qi Qi continues speaking,pletely unaware of Jun Qian Che¡¯s anger.


    The look on Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes turn cold as he warningly says, "That¡¯s enough."


    "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> mean every word that <i>chenqie</i> said! They are all true!" Mo Qi Qi pats her chest whole-heartedly.


    Jun Qian Che res at her angrily before stalking off.


    "Wei, Your Majesty! Are you leaving just like that?" When Jun Qian Che does not as much as turn his head around to address her, Mo Qi Qi scowls, "What the hell? Hees and goes as he pleases! I have been so benevolent, the least he could do was to reward me!" She shakes her head helplessly.


    Ban Xiang rushes in. Just as Ban Xiang is about to speak, Mo Qi Qi blocks her mouth, "Are you going to ask, <i>¡¯Did you fight with His Majesty again, Your Ladyship? Why did he left as soon as he got here</i>?¡¯"


    Ban Xiang nods.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her in grievance, "It was not my fault this time. I was speaking so kindly, it was him who got really rude and left without saying anything. How rude!"


    Ban Xiang helplessly sighs, "Why is it so hard for you two to get along?"


    "It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s him! He is mentally unstable! He throws temper tantrum for no good reason! You don¡¯t have to be rude to invoke his anger! He really is too tiring!" She spreads out her map and begins studying it once again. She refuses to waste her time on someone like him.


    After studying the map, Mo Qi Qi gets ready for a field trip outside. She checks the map again. ording to the Board of Astronomy, something was different in the sky the day the previous owner fell from the viewing tower. They are still investigating that phenomenon; just what exactly was different? Does it has anything to do with her getting here? If she manage to figure out what it was, does that means that she has a chance to return to her own time?


    Without realizing it, she reaches the rose garden. She looks at the name t grievously: she originally thought she could figure out a way to return to her old life here, but not only did she fail, she also almost lost her own life in the process. Wuwu, why does it feels like ill luck has been circling around her ever since she got here?


    "Qi Qi¡ª-" a gentle voice calls her.


    Mo Qi Qi turns around and finds Jun Yue Hen standing behind her. She looks at him in surprise, "Yue Hen? What are you doing here?"


    Jun Yue Hen walks towards her with a warm smile, "I entered the pce to greet my Imperial Mother. I was just about to return home. What about you? What are you doing here?"


    Mo Qi Qi quickly puts away the map on her hand before smiling sheepishly, "Nothing, I am just strolling around."


    Jun Yue Hen eyes the map that she is currently hiding behind her, "Qi Qi, are you still nning to run away?"


    Damn! She quickly shakes her head, "No, I am not nning to run away anymore." Not yet, because she still needs to study the map properly.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her in worry, "I am worried about you. My heart will not be at peace as long as you still live inside the pce."


    "Why are you saying this, Yue Hen?" Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart picks up it¡¯s pace when she sees the heavy expression on his face.


    Jun Yue Hen looks at her solemnly, "Qi Qi, you almost died twice during the trip out this time. Don¡¯t you think someone has been trying to kill you?"


    "Kill me? I don¡¯t think that is very urate. More like someone tried to kill Jun Qian Che and I merely got in the way," says Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Yue Hen¡¯s face bes heavier, "Are you sure His Majesty was the real target?"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him perplexed, "What do you mean? Don¡¯t tell me the real target was me?"


    "Qi Qi, don¡¯t you feel like those assassins were the aplice of those who tried to assassinate you on your way back from Duke Zhen¡¯s manor back then?"


    The scenes of the previous assassination attempts resurfaced inside Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head. If those assassins weren¡¯t dispatched by her father, don¡¯t tell her it was..... Jun Qian Che? There were two attempts, and both times, the target was her. The first time, Yue Hen saved her. The second time, she got pushed down a cliff. Although Jun Qian Che jumped down with her, that does not mean that he had no connections to the assassins.


    He was too calm while facing those assassins back then. He did not seem worried at all. Maybe he regretted it when they pushed her down that cliff. Her father was holding the court. If she died in that manner, her father would snap and seize that chance to rebel. Or maybe he was only doing that for show, to garner her trust, so that she would only say good things about him to her father.


    His <i>qinggong</i> is very high, he would not have died even if he fell down from that height. Was it really for show?


    What those assassins wore and their martial arts method were indeed simr to the ones that attacked her on her way from Duke Zhen¡¯s manor.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Yue Hen, "The assassins were sent by Jun Qian Che. Their goal was simple enough; they were to kill me. The target was never Jun Qian Che."


    "I could not think of anyone other than him," confesses Jun Yue Hen, worried.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "You are right. Who else would want to kill me other than Jun Qian Che? He would never be able to live with a woman who has betrayed him, so killing me is just a matter of time."


    "Qi Qi, you only need to tell me if you want to leave the pce. I will put my life on the line if it means getting you out," Jun Yue Hen looks at her with a face full of love.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Lucky I have you as a friend, Yue Hen. Otherwise, I won¡¯t even have anyone I can be honest with. I am not in a rush to leave the pce. Jun Qian Che does not know that I suspect him, so I am still safe for now. I will need to properly consider when and how I should leave the pce, first. Once I did, I will tell you."


    Jun Yue Hen nods, "Alright, I will wait for your news. It is not convenient for me to be inside the pce for long, I should leave first."


    "Alright, goodbye!" Mo Qi Qi waves at him.


    Jun Yue Hen reluctantly leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s mood bes heavy. Although she does not have a good impression of Jun Qian Che, she never truly suspected him of trying to harm her. He jumped after her when she fell down from a cliff. Although she never verbally thanked him, she was actually very thankful deep inside. But now, she feels cheated. She feels so foolish, so ridiculous. She has no idea how she should act when she see him next.


    Do you really hate me that much, Jun Qian Che? Do you not feel even a drop of affection for me? No matter what, I am still your wife.


    Mo Qi Qi lowers her head and walks off dejectedly.


    When she crosses path with Chu Ling Xiao, he walks towards her while waving at her.


    She does not notice his presence and simply walks off with her head lowered, treating him as though he is one with air.


    Chu Ling Xiao points incredulously at himself before mumbling, "This handsome fe waves at her and she actually did not see me? Is she too high and mighty to see anyone else?" He runs after her, "Your Ladyship the Empress, what are you thinking? You look so distracted."


    Mo Qi Qi finally snaps out of her reverie. She forces herself to appear calm in front of Chu Ling Xiao. "<i>Bengong</i> was not thinking about anything in particr. What are you doing in the harem, Prime Minister? You are an official, it is not good for an official to linger inside the harem."


    Chu Ling Xiao smiles, "I am here to greet my Imperial Aunt, the Empress Dowager."


    Huh? Ban Xiang did tell her that Chu Ling Xiao is Princess Chang¡¯s son, and is therefore Jun Qian Che¡¯s cousin. That indeed makes him the Empress Dowager¡¯s nephew.


    ¡¯Then, hurry and leave once you made your greeting. This is the harem. His Majesty¡¯s concubines live here, it is not good for you to wander around," says Mo Qi Qi mercilessly. Who care whose son he is! She is the female owner of the harem, she can do as she pleases, and now she is determined to make Jun Qian Che¡¯s confidantes her enemies!


    "Are you chasing this official away, Your Ladyship? Why didn¡¯t you do the same to 7<sup>th</sup> Imperial Uncle? You two even chatted for a long time!"ughs Chu Ling Xiao.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in shock, "You eavesdropped on our conversation!" If he heard them, will he tell Jun Qian Che? This is dangerous....


    Chu Ling Xiao shakes his head helplessly, "I wish. Unfortunately, I was too far away to hear anything."


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief, "You should be grateful that you did not hear anything, otherwise¡ª¡ª you wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave the pce alive today." If he really heard something, she must figure out a way to take care of him. She will sacrifice other people if it means she gets to protect her own life.


    "What do you mean, Your Ladyship? Do you have something going on with 7<sup>th</sup> Imperial Uncle? Something other people cannot see?" teases Chu Ling Xiao.


    Mo Qi Qi res at him before sneering icily, "No matter what that something is, it couldn¡¯t be worse than your good Emperor¡¯s deeds. You are his close confidante, birds of a feather stick together! You are both good for nothing! Hmph!" She walks away, toozy to waste time on him.


    Chu Ling Xiao quickly follows her, "What do you mean, Your Ladyship? What did His Majesty do? And what do you mean by birds of a feather? Please exin clearly, Your Ladyship!"


    Mo Qi Qi abruptly stops in her steps.


    Chu Ling Xiao who has been following her closely stops abruptly as well, almost bumping into her.


    She turns around towards him angrily, "You want me to speak clearly? You are always where Jun Qian Che is, is it possible for you not to know what he did? Do you think <i>bengong</i> is a child!"


    Chu Ling Xiao looks at her in confusion, "This official does not understand what you are trying to say, Your Ladyship. Don¡¯t tell me His Majesty fell for another beauty and wants to take her into his pce and now you are jealous? Honestly, there is nothing for you to worry about, Your Ladyship. No matter how many women there are inside the harem, His Majesty will never neglect you. He is very fair."


    "Stop fooling around! I am not talking about women! I would not care even if he fills the harem to the brim! What I was talking about was; he as the ruler of the Kingdom, actually bullied a fragile woman behind everyone¡¯s back! How shameless!" When she remembers how Jun Qian Che sent those assassins after her, fury fills her to the stomach.

 Chapter 100

    "Your Ladyship.... You actually called His Majesty shameless? T-This is disrespectful," whispers Chu Ling Xiao carefully. Who would have thought that Mo Qi Qi would get braver and braver by the day?


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in contempt, "Hmph, go on and tell him then! Let him kill me!"


    Chu Ling Xiao smiles, "Your Ladyship, this official is not one of those loud-mouthed lot. If your mood is bad, feel free to vent on this official, this official promise he will keep your secret." Maybe if she vents a little more, he can finally figure out what caused her to be this furious to begin with.


    "Hmph, stop it with those empty words! Do you take me for a fool? You promised you would keep my secret with the Dong <i>Fei</i> incident, but didn¡¯t you sold me out to Jun Qian Che in the end? You are lucky I forgot to settle the score with you!" res Mo Qi Qi.


    Chu Ling Xiao looks at her in grievance, "Your Ladyship, you cannot me this official for that. His Majesty was too smart and figured it out on his own, this official had no other choice but to tell the truth. But look, His Majesty did not punish you at all. It means that His Majesty still cared for you!"


    "Stop trying to whitewash him! Get lost!" Mo Qi Qi does not want to waste any more words with him.


    Chu Ling Xiao looks at her retreating back, his beautiful pair of eyes shing in apprehension, "Your Ladyship, no one is pure and innocent inside the pce. Do not simply believe what other people say. You should believe in what you see instead."


    Mo Qi Qi stops in her steps for a moment before walking away.


    Chu Ling Xiao shakes his head in disappointment before leaving as well.


    Mo Qi Qi and Jun Qian Che does not meet for the next couple of days. She heard that a foreign envoy hase to court. The entire court is buzzing over that matter.


    Mo Qi Qi does not want to seek Jun Qian Che because she has no idea how she should face him. She used to be thankful to him. After all, he disregarded his own life to save her. But now, the saviour has turned into the enemy. What if she fails to control her emotions and does something impulsive?


    These days, other than studying the map, she spent most of her free time teaching the concubines how to seduce men. Her life has been considerably busy that she feels tired and sleepy all the time.


    Today, the sun is already high up in the sky by the time she gets off her bed,zily stretching her waist.


    Ban Xiang has alreadyid out her clothes next to the bed, waiting to serve her. "How is your sleep, Your Ladyship?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "It¡¯s good."


    "This servant wonder what is wrong with Your Ladyshiptely, you keep getting sleepy. You take long hours of sleep everyday. Are you sick? Would you like me to invite physicians over?" says Ban Xiang.


    "It¡¯s just a couple more hours of sleep, what is the big deal? Everybody knows that people get sleepy more easily during spring! Besides, I have been so busy that it is normal for me to sleep more! Hurry and help me change! I still need to teach the concubines yoga today!" replies Mo Qi Qi noisily.


    Seeing her mistress in a pretty good mood, Ban Xiang mentally admonishes herself for thinking too much.


    After breakfast, Mo Qi Qi brings the harem¡¯s concubines to one of Imperial Garden¡¯s pavilions. She orders the servants to ce the yoga mats on the floor, before she herself begins practicing some yoga poses. Seeing such a beautiful woman in such a graceful pose surrounded by such a beautiful scenery causes everyone there to gape in surprise.


    When it is the concubines¡¯ turn to practice the pose, she personally corrects whichever aspect is wrong, "Yu <i>Jieyu</i>, your arms need to be straight, your waist too."


    "Chun <i>Fei</i>, you are bending too much. Be careful, you might hurt your waist."


    "Huh, I was wondering who is here, turns out it is the Empress," a mocking voice drifts by. Mo Qi Qi already knows who the owner of the voice is without even turning her head around. No one other than Yang Shi Han dares to be disrespectful towards her inside the pce.


    "Ya Xian greets the Empress," a gentle voice follows suit.


    Mo Qi Qi turns around and immediately helps Gong Ya Xian up, "Your health is not that good, no need to have so many etiquettes."


    "Thank you, Your Ladyship," replies Ya Xian gently with a warm smile.


    Mo Qi Qi then turns pointedly at Yang Shi Han, her voice a lot colder now, "You are a Guifei for nothing, Yang Guifei. You don¡¯t even know basic etiquettes. You should learn from Ya Xian."


    Yang Shi Han angrily res at Mo Qi Qi back.


    Toozy to deal with Yang Shi Han, Mo Qi Qi turns back around and addresses the rest of the concubines, "Continue practicing! Don¡¯t get distracted!"


    Seeing this, Yang Shi Han angrily reproaches the concubines, "How outrageous! <i>Bengong</i> is standing right here and none of you are curtsying in front of <i>bengong</i>!"


    Just as the concubines are about to pay their respect, Mo Qi Qi stops them, "Continue practicing, no need to stop!" Then, she turns to Yang Shi Han angrily, "Even Guifei cares about rules and etiquettes? Even you yourself cannot follow the rules, who are you to admonish other people? If you want respect, you must learn to respect other people first! Next time, curtsy in front of <i>bengong</i> if you want them to curtsy in front of you."


    "You¡ª¨C" Yang Shi Han points at her angrily, wanting to retort back but cannot figure out how.


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows arrogantly. Hmph, this Yang Shi Han always struts around all arrogant, never giving this Empress a face. Does she think that she fears her? She originally did not want to make her an enemy. Having an enemy inside the pce means having internal intrigue, something that she does not n to engage on. But Yang Shi Han keeps toeing the limit, so don¡¯t me her for retaliating. Mo Qi Qi¡¯s patience has run out the moment Yang Shi Han tried to trick Mo Cheng Xuan.


    When Gong Ya Xian sees the concubines making weird yet beautiful poses, she asks Mo Qi Qi curiously, "What are you doing, Your Ladyship?"


    Mo Qi Qi proudly replies her, "<i>Bengong</i> is teaching them yoga! Not only is it a form of exercise, it can help you lose weight and helps you obtain a prettier figure. Your health isn¡¯t that good, is it, Ya Xian? You should try this out! It will make you healthier!"


    Yang Shi Han immediately sneers when she hears that, "Make her healthier? More like harm her! Ya Xian¡¯s body is so weak, how is it possible for her to do such a rigorous exercise? What if she injures herself? Ya Xian, she tried to harm you loads of times in the past, she definitely does not have any good intention towards you. Don¡¯t listen to her!"


    Mo Qi Qi scoffs back, "Whatever."


    Gong Ya Xian smiles gently, "Your Ladyship the Empress, Your Ladyship Yang Guifei, we are all family, let¡¯s not disrupt the harmony. The Empress is worried about Ya Xian¡¯s health, and Ya Xian is thankful for that. Yang Guifei is worried for Ya Xian¡¯s safety, Ya Xian is also thankful for that. Ya Xian might not be able to learn this yoga thing from the Empress today, but if Ya Xian has time, Ya Xian would love it if the Empress can teach Ya Xian some simple moves. I think my body can take it if it¡¯s something simple."


    "It is still Ya Xian who knows how to speak," says Mo Qi Qi, implicitly scolding Yang Shi Han. Both of them re at each other.


    Gong Ya Xian smiles.


    Mo Qi Qi quietly studies Gong Ya Xian; no wonder she is well-liked by everyone. She is so soft-spoken, so gentle, so kind. No wonder Jun Qian Che actually smiled in front of her; she is so loveable. If only her health is better.....


    Unlike that Yang Shi Han, who struts around looking down on people, as though everyone belongs under the sole of her feet.


    "Aiya, my waist!" Yu <i>Jieyu</i> suddenly shrieks while Mo Qi Qi is in the middle of a silent war with Yang Shi Han.


    "Are you alright, Yu <i>Jieyu</i>?" Mo Qi Qi rushes towards her, personally checking her waist. "It¡¯s not strained, but you should still rest over there."


    A couple of servants escort Yu <i>Jieyu</i> to rest.


    Yang Shi Hanughs uproariously, "You lot sure are stupid! Do you honestly believe that the Empress will help you win over the Emperor¡¯s heart? If learning all these can help you obtain His Majesty¡¯s heart, the Empress would have received favour long time ago. Someone who can¡¯t even receive favour is teaching other people how to receive favour! How funny!"


    The other concubines who cannot stomach seeing Yang Shi Han so arrogant immediately helps Mo Qi Qi speak, "We believe in the Empress. Even if we cannot obtain His Majesty¡¯s favour, we can still be happy with ourselves if we have good figures!"


    "Correct! A woman must pamper herself every once in a while! We love learning yoga!"


    Yang Shi Hanughs at them in disdain, "<i>Bengong</i> just pity you all, no matter what, none of you will ever get His Majesty¡¯s love. You lot can only console yourself in this manner, by ying around with the Empress. Who knows, an ident might happen and you will at least get to meet His Majesty! Hahaha! How funny! You lot must have turned dumb from heartache; have you forgotten how she used to treat you all? Should I call you stupid or na?ve?"


    "Yang Guifei, you¡ª¨C" The concubines are furious beyond words now. Despite their anger, none of them dares to be disrespectful towards Yang Guifei. After all, her rank is higher than theirs.


    Seeing this, Mo Qi Qi mocks her back, "Yang Guifei is the type that speaks without thinking. How long could you possibly serve the Emperor? Fellow Meimeis are doing this, not only to receive imperial favour, but to also help them understand life better. There are more to life than just fighting for favour. If you put in too much effort on a man, you will end up neglecting yourself, wasting your youth away. At least, if they will be happier if they focus on themselves. A woman must not put all their eggs in one basket when ites to a man, much less a king. An Emperor¡¯s love is too short-lived. A couple of yearster, a bunch of beauties will enter the pce and steal his heart, and then, what will be of you? Are you going to spend the rest of your lifeining? That¡¯s why you must notugh at them, Yang Guifei. They might not receive favour, but at least they are happy."


    The rest of the concubines nod in agreement, "Correct! Correct! The most important thing is yourself!"


    Yang Shi Han looks at them in disdain, "Aiya, <i>bengong</i> really pity you all. Since you cannot receive favour, you can only console yourself in this manner. Ya Xian, let¡¯s not waste our time on these people who are busy licking their wounds in vain. Let¡¯s go." Yang Shi Han walks away with her chin tipped high.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head whileughing.


    Gong Ya Xian walks over to Mo Qi Qi before whispering, "Your Ladyship, do not take Yang Guifei¡¯s words to heart. She did not have any intention of offending you. Perhaps, she was not in a good mood."


    Mo Qi Qi generously says, "Don¡¯t worry, I will not take it to heart. I will not waste my time on someone like that."


    "Ya Xian should go first," Gong Ya Xian curtsies in front of her.


    Unlike Mo Qi Qi, the rest of the concubines are furious, "Just look at Yang Guifei, Your Ladyship! She really is too much!"

 Chapter 101

    Mo Qi Qi goodnaturedlyforts them, "Let¡¯s not let her ruin our mood. Since we all know that she is the one at fault, let¡¯s not get angry. Why must we punish ourselves over her mistake? Let¡¯s continue practicing."


    "Alright! Alright!" the rest of the concubines say, appeased.


    Since the weather is getting warmer, Mo Qi Qi has ordered people to prepare sour plum soup for them. They tastes so good under the hot sun.


    As for Yang Shi Han, she heads straight for the imperial study after that incident. "Your Majesty, you must give <i>chenqie</i> justice!" Yang Shi Han walks over to him coquettishly and looks at him in grievance.


    Jun Qian Che nces at her before returning to his memorial, "What happened?"


    "Someone bullied <i>chenqie</i>,"ined Yang Shi Han.


    A mocking smile can be seen at the corner of Jun Qian Che¡¯s lips before he says, "Someone actually dared to bully this Guifei? Who would have that much courage inside the pce?"


    "Who else if not your Empress? Hmph! She has never liked <i>chenqie</i>. Now that <i>chenqie</i> has entered the pce and be a Guifei, she hates <i>chenqie</i> even more! She keeps trying to bully <i>chenqie</i>! <i>Chenqie</i> bumped into her in the Imperial Garden just now and she admonished <i>chenqie</i> really severely! Your Majesty, you must give <i>chenqie</i> her justice!" she tugs on his arm coquettishly.


    Jun Qian Che stares at her before asking, "How did the Empress admonish you?" He usually does not care about whatever is happening inside the harem, but he is kind of interested when ites to Mo Qi Qi.


    Yang Shi Han begin reiterating what happened in the Imperial Garden just now, just she distorts it a little to be biased towards herself, "After that, the Empress said that men cannot be counted on. She also said that not getting Your Majesty¡¯s love is alright as long as she can live happily. Is that something that the Mother of the Kingdom should be saying? Does that means that young maidens out there should follow her footsteps and starts taking their husbands for granted?"


    Husband? Bitterness rises inside Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart. The thing is, Mo Qi Qi probably does not even consider him her husband now. That¡¯s why she no longer covets his love.


    "This is an important matter, Your Majesty. You must not let this slide," says Yang Shi Han, fanning the fire.


    Jun Qian Che nods, "<i>Zhen</i> understand. <i>Zhen</i> will handle this. You should leave first."


    "Yes. You must not forget about this, Your Majesty! <i>Chenqie</i> shall retreat first." The moment Yang Shi Han steps out of the imperial study, she smirks proudly, ¡¯Mo Qi Qi, I want to see how long you can be haughty for. Hmph, I will treat you the way you treated me back then!"


    After dinner, the idle Mo Qi Qi suddenly decides to learn embroidery from Ban Xiang. Unfortunately, she is not very good at it and ends up piercing her fingers more than the fabric itself.


    Just as she ismenting over herck of womanly skills, an announcementes from outside, informing them of Jun Qian Che¡¯s arrival.


    "Why is this trashing over sote at night?" groans Mo Qi Qi to herself.


    Jun Qian Che walks in and Mo Qi Qi elegantly curtsies in front of him, "<i>Chenqie</i> greets Your Majesty."


    "Forego the formality," says Jun Qian Che simply before sitting in front of the table.


    Mo Qi Qi mumbles inside her heart: if you really want to forego the formality, why did you wait for me to curtsy first before saying that? Lame~


    Jun Qian Che looks at the embroidering tools on the table before looking at Mo Qi Qi, "These are yours?"


    Mo Qi Qi hastily puts them away and hands them over to Ban Xiang, "Hehe, <i>chenqie</i> was idle and had nothing else to do, so <i>chenqie</i> decided to learn a little from Ban Xiang."


    "What are you nning to make?" asks Jun Qian Che, trying to sound casual.


    Mo Qi Qi thinks for a moment, "<i>Chenqie</i> ns to make a bird." She wants to be a little bird that can freely fly out of this cage.


    "Who are you nning to give it to?" asks Jun Qian Che while sipping on tea. Although he tries to appear casual, his heart is beating rather rapidly as he waits for her answer.


    "<i>Chenqie</i> has not really considered that part. <i>Chenqie</i> told you, this is just a heat of the moment thing." It¡¯s not like I will give it to you anyway, hmph! You tried to kill me over and over again. If only I can chase you out of my pce!


    "You indeed should learn these things. They might help improve your temperament," says Jun Qian Che calmly. To tell the truth, he really wants a scented pouch from her, but, as the Emperor, he cannot really ask for it from her. He hoped that she can understand the hint, but turns out, Mo Qi Qi is duller than he thought.


    "You are right, Your Majesty! <i>Chenqie</i> should learn these things whenever <i>chenqie</i> has time. Anyway, it is sote now, why haven¡¯t you gone to rest?" smiles Mo Qi Qi, hoping he will leave as soon as he can.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her.


    The smile on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face turns rigid for a moment, but she continues smiling anyway.


    "<i>Zhen</i> heard that something unpleasant has transpired between the Empress and Yang Guifei earlier today," Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is calm, without any hint of emotion.


    Mo Qi Qi grumbles in dissatisfaction, "Oh, so Yang Guifeiined at you again! That¡¯s why you are here tonight! To interrogate <i>chenqie</i>! To punish <i>chenqie</i>!"


    Jun Qian Che frowns before helplessly saying, "<i>Zhen</i> did not say that <i>zhen</i> is here to question or punish you."


    "Since you believed Yang Guifei, doesn¡¯t that mean that you are here to question <i>chenqie</i>? After all, Yang Guifei is the woman that you love, you will believe in anything she said! As for <i>chenqie</i>, whatever <i>chenqie</i> does is wrong. If you really think <i>chenqie</i> does not deserve this position, why don¡¯t you just depose <i>chenqie</i> and make Yang Guifei your Empress!" At least I won¡¯t have to handle so many women for you everyday.


    "Is <i>zhen</i> that unreasonable to you?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is a lot colder now. Why does she keep treating him with such enmity?


    "<i>Chenqie</i> does not have that much guts," says Mo Qi Qi in grievance, tacitly affirming his question.


    Jun Qian Che res at her for a good few seconds before leaving angrily.


    Mo Qi Qi scowls at him behind his back, "Hmph, go on, get angry. It was not my fault to begin with!"


    For the next couple of days, Mo Qi Qi continues studying the map. She begins visiting the toilets inside the pce as well.


    As for Jun Qian Che, although he does not know why she is so fascinated with toilets, since she does not cause any trouble, he is toozy to deal with her. The court is very busy at the moment anyway.


    Today, a foreign king is visiting the kingdom and Jun Qian Che has arranged a reception to wee him in.


    Mo Qi Qi is overjoyed when she hears that because that means that Jun Qian Che will not be in Yu Jing Pce. This is her chance to check his toilet. She got there tootest time, by then, he had already reached Yu Jing Pce. She must not repeat the same mistake this time.


    And so, clutching her map, Mo Qi Qi sneakily makes her way to Yu Jing Pce.


    As for the visiting foreign king, the court is encountering a little problem right now: no one can understand what he is saying.


    Jun Qian Che and the ministers can only stare at the king as he speaks animatedly.


    "What is the king saying?"


    "I have no idea. Thenguage that he is speaking in does not seem toe from the western region."


    "Oh," sighs the foreign king in frustration.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes light up when he hears that familiar phrase. His head goes straight to Mo Qi Qi; she always speaks unintelligible words in front of him. She seems to say that word a lot too. He turns to Eunuch Lin, "Hurry and dispatch the Empress over."


    "Yes!" Eunuch Lin immediately goes to fetch Mo Qi Qi. It is when Eunuch Lin passes Yu Jing Pce does he see Mo Qi Qi standing there, skulking around like a thief.


    Eunuch Lin walks over to her with a question mark hovering above his head.


    Mo Qi Qi has been waiting for the guards in charge to march to other ces, and when they do, she rushes towards Yu Jing Pce¡¯s gate. It is then that she hears a voice behind her greeting her, "This servant greets the Empress."


    S*it! Mo Qi Qi almost copse on the ground. Why is she so unlucky? That voice belongs to Eunuch Lin, he has always been inseparable from Jun Qian Che. She lowers her head like a guilty child before turning around to get herself out of this mess. "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is wrong. <i>Chenqie</i> shouldn¡¯t have sneaked into Yu Jing Pce."


    Eunuch Lin respectfully replies her, "Are you looking for His Majesty, Your Ladyship? His Majesty is at the court, he is not here."


    Mo Qi Qi quickly raises her head. When she realizes that there is only Eunuch Lin in front of her, she sighs in relief. Then, she awkwardly fixes her messy hair before saying, "Since His Majesty is not here, <i>bengong</i> shall leave first."


    "Please wait a minute, Your Ladyship," says Eunuch Lin respectfully.


    "What is it, Eunuch Lin?" asks Mo Qi Qi impatiently.


    "Your Ladyship, His Majesty has invited you over to the court," replies Eunuch Lin.


    Mo Qi Qi massages her forehead while mumbling to herself, "Don¡¯t tell me Jun Qian Che has a superpower and can see into the future? He knew I am going to be here today, so he ordered his eunuch to wait for me here." Then, she turns to Eunuch Lin, "Do you know why His Majesty is calling for <i>bengong</i>? The court is a ce for men, it is inappropriate for <i>bengong</i> to be there."


    "This servant has no idea why His Majesty called you over, but His Majesty is waiting, it is not good to make His Majesty wait for too long," replies Eunuch Lin politely while smiling.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head helplessly. In the end, she simply consoles herself with thinking that this might be a blessing, and not a bad thing; and if it is indeed a bad thing, it¡¯s not like she can escape it anyway. She pats herself in the chest before saying, "Alright, let¡¯s go!"


    She follows Eunuch Lin to the court, where the ministers are all still trying to figure out what the foreign king is trying to say.


    When Mo Qi Qi walks in, she greets Jun Qian Che particrly jovially out of guilt. "Your Majesty!" she waves at him with a big smile on her face.


    The foreign king sees that gesture and excitedly holds her hand, "This is great!"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s face turns blue when he sees the king holding her hand.

 Chapter 102

    When Mo Qi Qi hears what the foreign king said, she gets really excited and grasps his hands just as tight, overwhelmed and speechless.


    Jun Qian Che unhappily clears his throat.


    That grabs Mo Qi Qi¡¯s attention, causing her to turn towards him. When she sees the dark expression on his face, she bes curious. Why does he look so angry?


    When Jun Qian Che res at their entwining hands, she follows his gaze and finally realizes what they have been doing. Her heart jumps in shock. She lets go of the King¡¯s hand and talks to him in English, exining that the people in Hua Chen Kingdom puts importance to segregation between men and women. Touching any body part of a female is considered disrespectful.


    When the King hears that, he immediately apologizes to Jun Qian Che politely.


    Jun Qian Che turns to Mo Qi Qi curiously, "Do you understand what the King is saying, Empress? And what did you say to him?"


    Mo Qi Qi quickly trantes everything for him, "Answering Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> told him that Hua Chen Kingdom puts importance into segregation between genders and that he cannot simply touch a woman. He replied that he did not know there is such a thing and has offered Your Majesty a courteous apology."


    "Do you really understand hisnguage, Empress?" asks Jun Qian Che calmly. Although he appears calm and guessed that Mo Qi Qi speaks thisnguage, it is still very surprising to hear it from her own mouth.


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly feels superior over this lot! Turns out Jun Qian Che and these bunch of old ministers cannot understand thisnguage! Hahaha! Turns out, there will be a moment where even Jun Qian Che will have to ask her for help! Even he has things he cannot do!


    Mo Qi Qi arrogantly replies him, "Answering Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> can understand him. Thenguage that he is speaking on is English. <i>Chenqie</i> coincidentally can converse in that."


    The other ministers sigh in relief before hurriedly buttering up to her, "Oh, the Empress is too outstanding."


    "True! Who knew the Empress could speak a foreignnguage, how talented! She isn¡¯t Duke Zhen¡¯s daughter for nothing!"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che¡¯s face before adding, "These praises are too much for <i>bengong</i>. <i>Bengong</i> is the Emperor¡¯s Empress, it is <i>bengong¡¯s</i> responsibility and honor to share his burden."


    Only then does the look on Jun Qian Che¡¯s face improve. He looks at Mo Qi Qi before calmly saying, "Then, ask the King what he has been talking about. He seemed rather anxious."


    Mo Qi Qi nods before talking to the King in English. Once the King shares his side of the story, she finally understands why he has been looking so restless.


    "Replying to Your Majesty, the foreign King¡¯s entourage identally bumped into and injured a man outside the city. The man called his friends and demanded money forpensation. The entourage tried to reason with them since they do not have Hua Chen¡¯s money with them. They offered to give them goods from the west, instead. The men refused and the two sides fought. The interpreter got hit as well. Now, the Queen has been taken hostage by those people. They demand 10,000 liang of silver within four hours. Two hours have passed now. <i>Chenqie</i> hope Your Majesty will send people to save the Queen."


    Jun Qian Che is enraged when he hears that, "How could that happen! <i>Zhen</i> did not expect there to be such people in Hua Chen Kingdom. They actually dared to attack foreign entourage!"


    "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> think that this has been staged by those people to extort money. You need to hurry and save the Queen. If anything happens to her while she is in Hua Chen Kingdom, it will not be good for us."


    "Somebodye! Take people with you to where the Queen has been detained. Incarcerate the perpetrators and send them to the Punishment Bureau to be handled!" orders Jun Qian Che solemnly.


    "Yes!" the imperial guards are immediately on the move.


    It did not take them very long to save the Queen. When the Queen and King are reunited, they embrace each other while weeping; they clearly have deep affection for each other.


    The King turns to Mo Qi Qi and thank her from the bottom of his heart.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles generously at them while replying courteously.


    The foreign Queen asks about Mo Qi Qi¡¯s identity, and it is only then does the King realize that she is the Empress. The pair thank her formally.


    Jun Qian Che orders the servant to prepare the foreign royalty some ce to stay and lets them rest first. He will then arrange a banquetter, to properly wee them.


    The King and Queen returns to rest first. The rest of the ministers retreat as well.


    Now that she serves no purpose any longer, Mo Qi Qi turns to Jun Qian Che before curtsying, "If there is nothing else, <i>chenqie</i> would like to retreat first."


    Just as she is about to walk away, Jun Qian Che suddenly speaks, "<i>Zhen</i> would like to know how the Empress know thatnguage. Why have you never spoken it before? <i>Zhen</i> could tell that even Duke Zhen was surprised. You seem to owe <i>zhen</i> an exnation, Empress."


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly feels like strangling Jun Qian Che. This piece of trash, utterly ungrateful towards his benefactor! The King and Queen have just left and he immediately finds fault on her! If she had known this, she would not have helped him!


    Although her heart says that, her lips says theplete opposite. She looks around shadily before saying, "It is a magical story, Your Majesty! One day, <i>chenqie</i> had a dream. A celestial offered to give <i>chenqie</i> a special set of skill. <i>Chenqie</i> said yes, because why not? When <i>chenqie</i> woke up, <i>chenqie</i> realized that <i>chenqie</i> suddenly knew how to speak English. That¡¯s how it went. Can you believe it, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes before speaking icily, "Go on and speak nonsense, Mo Qi Qi. See if <i>zhen</i> will not kill you."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles arrogantly, "You will not. You need <i>chenqie</i> as a trantor."


    Jun Qian Che nces at him, "At least you still have some wit inside that head of yours."


    Mo Qi Qi clicks her tongue while smiling.


    Jun Qian Che gets up and walks towards her, "Go back to your pce. There will be a banquet for the foreign entourageter, do not bete."


    Mo Qi Qi curtsy in front of him, "Yes. <i>Chenqie</i> shall retreat first."


    Ban Xiang greets Mo Qi Qi in worry when she returns to Feng Yang Pce, "You are back, Your Ladyship. Were you discovered?"


    Mo Qi Qi scowls, "I think Jun Qian Che is my star of cmity. He always ruins my n!"


    Ban Xiang grows even more worried when she hears that, "You were discovered?"


    "No, I was not discovered. I was dragged straight to court, instead!"


    Ban Xiang gasps, "The court? Don¡¯t tell this servant that His Majesty intended to punish you in front of all the ministers?"


    Mo Qi Qi immediately breaks the suspense and turns to Ban Xiang happily, "Nope. His Majesty needed my help." Then, she begins telling Ban Xiang everything.


    Ban Xiang smiles happily, "You are too outstanding, Your Ladyship! His Majesty ought to hold you in higher esteem now!"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her in disdain, "Never mind that. I will be happy if he only as much as give me less trouble after this!"


    "Why are you saying so, Your Ladyship? All the concubines inside the pce wish to attract His Majesty¡¯s attention, why are you dismissing this so lightly?" Suspicion begins to rise inside Ban Xiang¡¯s heart. Could a person change so much from amnesia?


    "Other people are other people, that is their business. Never mind that, let¡¯s talk about the foreign King instead. I did not expect to meet an English speaker here. It feels like fate." Although their skin colors are different, this encounter somehow feels intimate. She used to work with a lot of foreigners in her line of work back then, but it is rare to meet them here. She must treat the King and Queen well; who knows, they might return the favorter in the future.


    With that in mind, Mo Qi Qi stands up excitedly, "Ban Xiang, let¡¯s go to the imperial kitchen!"


    Ban Xiang does not understand why she suddenly wants to go to the imperial kitchen, but she does not ask any question and simply follows the lead.


    The banquetter in the night is very lively. Officials bring their wives and daughters to the pce for the banquet, and when they see the Empressmunicating with the royal couple in English, their respect for her magnifies tenfold.


    The dishes prepared are sumptuous and grand, truly fit for a king.


    However, a new problem arises. The royal couple does not know how to use chopsticks. They can only look at the tantalizing dishes, but cannot eat. The situation gets a little awkward.

 Chapter 103

    Because this is those westerners¡¯ first time in Hua Chen Kingdom, the people of Hua Chen Kingdom does not know their eating habits.


    When the Empress Dowager sees this, she asks them, "What is wrong, Foreign King and Queen? Are the meals not suitable to your taste?"


    The King and Queen does not understand what the Empress Dowager had said and can only turn to Mo Qi Qi to serve as a trantor.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles and tells them that the Empress Dowager is inviting them to eat.


    The King and Queen exchange an awkward smile.


    Mo Qi Qi turns to Ban Xiang and whispers something to her.


    Very quickly, two eunuchs from the Imperial Kitchen walks in while carrying knives and forks.


    Jun Qian Che looks at Mo Qi Qi curiously.


    Mo Qi Qi simply smiles, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> especially prepared this for the King and Queen." Then, she leans in closer to him and whispers, "Their eating etiquette is different from ours. They don¡¯t use chopsticks, they usually use forks and knives."


    Jun Qian Che nods in understanding, "How did the Empress know all these?"


    "Huh? Hehe, <i>chenqie</i> heard it from the King and Queen themselves," Mo Qi Qi lies smoothly. After all, Jun Qian Che does not speak thenguage, so he cannot really ask the couple, can he?


    Jun Qian Che lets the matter go.


    When the knives and forks are served, the couple stands up and courteously thank Jun Qian Che and Mo Qi Qi. They express their gratitude at the warm treatment. They felt that the kingdom has been treating them very kindly, and that the rtionship between the two countries will be even more prosperous from now on.


    Mo Qi Qi picks up a delicious dish and eats it. Her stomach suddenly feels ufortable and she retches a couple of times.


    Jun Qian Che hands her a cup of water.


    Mo Qi Qi epts it and drinks it. Only then does she feel a little better.


    "Are you ill, Empress?" asks Jun Qian Che in worry.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "No. <i>Chenqie</i> probably ate something bad."


    Ban Xiang refuses to let this go, "Her Ladyship has been quite illtely. This servant wanted to invite the Imperial Physician so many times, but Her Ladyship kept saying that she was fine."


    Mo Qi Qi res at Ban Xiang, "Nonsense! We are talking about <i>bengong¡¯s</i> health, <i>bengong</i> naturally knows better. Your Majesty, don¡¯t listen to this girl. <i>Chenqie</i> really is fine."


    Jun Qian Che does not ask further and diverts his eyes to the stage.


    The banquet runs really smoothly. The King and Queen are very pleased, and Jun Qian Che is satisfied by the course of things as well.


    After returning to Feng Yang Pce, Mo Qi Qi heads straight to bed to rest.


    Ban Xiang approaches her in worry, "Your Ladyship, are you ill anywhere?"


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, "I¡¯m not ill, I¡¯m just tired."


    "Your Ladyship, this servant think it is better if you just invite a physician over," suggests Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly stands up and res at Ban Xiang, "Good for you to bring it up! Who told you to tell Jun Qian Che I was ill? There is no need for him to get involved in my business!"


    "But, Your Ladyship, His Majesty is your husband. You should tell him if you are ill, so that he can care for you," replies Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi scowls, "I do not seek his care! In fact, it¡¯s better for him to stay as far away from me as¡ª¨C"


    "The Emperor arrives!" an announcementes from outside, cutting her short.


    Mo Qi Qi flings herself to the bed before wailing, "Wuwuwuwu, can¡¯t I ever get a break? He just won¡¯t let me off, won¡¯t he? It is already sote, what is he doinging over this time of the night? Thisdy has no time and energy left to bicker with him!"


    Ban Xiang, on the other hand, is enthusiastic, "Your Ladyship, hurry and wee His Majesty in!"


    Mo Qi Qi sighs before tiredly standing up, "Ah, why is my life so tragic?"


    Jun Qian Che slowly walks in.


    Mo Qi Qi respectfully curtsies in front of him, "<i>Chenqie</i> greets Your Majesty."


    "You may get up," replies Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Mo Qi Qi waves at him while smiling brightly, "Hurry and sit, Your Majesty! Ban Xiang, quick and pour His Majesty some tea."


    "No need," Jun Qian Che stops Ban Xiang. "Come in, Imperial Physician Wang."


    A middle-aged man in purple robe walks in before respectfully greeting her, "This official greets Your Ladyship."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che in confusion, "What are you doing, Your Majesty?"


    "Aren¡¯t you ill, Empress? Let the physician check you. An illness must be treated from the very beginning before it worsens." Jun Qian Che is cold-faced, but his heart is actually very considerate. Although he did not say anything during the banquet, he actually remembered it in his heart. He is worried about her.


    Mo Qi Qi rejects that kindness, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is really not ill! There is no need to be checked!"


    "If you are sick or not, we will only know once the physician checks you. Besides, it is good to have regr check-ups," replies Jun Qian Che firmly.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs helplessly, "Fine, whatever Your Majesty says, goes. Hurry then, Imperial Physician Wang. <i>Bengong</i> is tired and want to sleep early." She sulkily sits in front of a table and puts out her wrist for him to check. Other people are touched by Jun Qian Che¡¯s consideration, but since Mo Qi Qi does not feel anything for him, she only feels disdain. In fact, she is scolding him in her heart, for making a big deal out of nothing.


    What is this is only a plot? What if he intentionally brought this physician over to give her false diagnosis and then administers poison to her, pretending it to be medicine? She has already set her heart to never drink anything this physician might give her.


    Imperial Physician Wang respectfully approaches her and put white cloth on top of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s wrist. Then, he checks her pulse.


    The physician is very careful with his examination, asionally moving his hands across her wrist to get a better reading of her pulse.


    Having run out of patience, Mo Qi Qi snaps, "Can you do it or not, Imperial Physician Wang? You are taking too long and hasn¡¯t evene up with anything!"


    Even Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart is beating fast at the moment. He inquires worrily, "Is there something wrong with the Empress¡¯ health?"


    Imeprial Physician Wang stands up with arge smile on his face, "Congrattion, Your Majesty, Your Ladyship! Her Ladyship is with a child! She is two months pregnant!"


    "What did you say?!" Mo Qi Qi quickly stands up and res at the physician. Then, her sight turns ck and she does not remember anything afterwards.


    "Empress¡ª¨C" Jun Qian Che is very quick to catch her. He carries her to the bed and puts her there, allowing the physician to check why she fainted.


    After checking her pulse again, he says, "Her Ladyship was too emotional, that¡¯s why she fainted. She is not in any apparent danger. She will wake up soon. However, the pregnancy is less than 3 months old, this is the most dangerous phase of a pregnancy. Her Ladyship needs to be really careful."


    Jun Qian Che turns to the physician, "You are in charge of the Empress¡¯ health. Help her take good care of her health."


    "Yes, this official will immediately brew some medicine for Her Ladyship," The physician retreats.


    Ban Xiang is pleased beyond words. She curtsies in front of Jun Qian Che, "Congrattion, Your Majesty."


    Eunuch Lin congrattes Jun Qian Che as well.


    Jun Qian Che, on the other hand, remains calm, "Both of you may go, first."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," both Ban Xiang and Eunuch Lin leaves with apparent gleeness on their faces.


    Outside the pce, Ban Xiang and Eunuch Lin exchange a look while smiling.


    Eunuch Lin sighs, "His Majesty finally has an heir! This is great! This is great!" His eyes are rimmed with tears.


    Ban Xiang is weeping from happiness as well, "Our Empress has finally has her day! Thank you, gods up there!"


    Jun Qian Che is sitting on the bedside, looking at the unconscious Mo Qi Qi. His heart is in aplicated spot right now. He never thought he would have a child this quick. This child is an ident, they are not prepared for this.


    Right now, Mo n is getting closer and closer to his 7<sup>th</sup> Imperial Uncle. The threat to the court is big. The child hase at such a wrong time.


    Why did you faint, Mo Qi Qi? Is it out of happiness or sadness? Do you want this child?


    He continues sitting on the bedside while watching her, waiting for her to wake up.

 Chapter 104

    After around one hour, Mo Qi Qi slowly opens her eyes.


    "You are awake?" she can hear Jun Qian Che¡¯s calm and collected voice saying.


    She hastily sits up and stares at him, "Why are you here, Your Majesty? What happened?"


    "The Imperial Physician said that you were too emotional and fainted. Other than that, nothing is wrong with your health," replies him calmly.


    When she remembers what happened prior to her losing consciousness, she looks at him intently, "Your Majesty, was the Imperial Physician pranking <i>chenqie</i>? How is it possible that <i>chenqie</i> is pregnant?"


    Jun Qin Che stares at her, his voice turning a lot colder, "Do you think they will dare to joke about things like this?"


    A forlorn expression appears on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face, "No way! It was just one time and I immediately became pregnant? Why am I so unlucky?"


    "Do you really loath the idea of bearing <i>zhen¡¯s</i> child?" asks Jun Qian Che in discontent.


    "Your Majesty, it is not that <i>chenqie</i> is unhappy, it¡¯s just that, this child should not even be here on the first ce. If this child is born, Mo n will be twice as powerful. When the timees, I¡¯m afraid, even you will not be able to subdue them, Your Majesty," retorts Mo Qi Qi. She does not want this child. She does not want to have a child with Jun Qian Che, of all people. She detests him. That night was a nightmare. Whenever she looks at this child in the future, she will be reminded of what he did to her that night.


    "These things are not for the Empress to fret over. It iste, rest early. Now that you are carrying a child, get your acts together. Don¡¯t run around blindly again. <i>Zhen</i> will visit you again," after saying that, Jun Qian Che stands up and leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s chest is full of fury.


    Once the Emperor left, Ban Xiang runs in with a bright smile on her face, "Congrattion, Your Ladyship."


    Mo Qi Qi res at her, "What is there to congratte about? Right now, all I want to do is to kill myself. I should have listened to you. I should have called in the physician long ago. That way, I could have gotten rid of this child without Jun Qian Che knowing." Now that Jun Qian Che knows everything, the child¡¯s fate liespletely in his palm. If he decides he does not want this child, she will offer incense to his ancestors to show gratitude. If he wants this child, then, she might as well just kill him and his entire family. Gods up above, she only wants a simple life, both in this lifetime and in her previous lifetime. Why must you test her so?


    Ban Xiang bes worried when she hears that, "How could you even have that kind of thoughts, Your Ladyship? This is your child, your flesh and blood. How could you even have the thoughts of harming him?"


    "But this child should not even be here on the first ce! I was too negligent. My period has note and I did not even think much of it. I thought my cycle was interrupted because I was too shocked by the assassins. Who would have thought..... I don¡¯t want to live anymore!"


    "Don¡¯t be upset, Your Ladyship. Hadn¡¯t you always wanted to give birth to His Majesty¡¯s child to strengthen your position? If this child is a prince, no one can even touch your position in the future," replies Ban Xiang optimistically.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs heavily, "Ban Xiang, you are too na?ve. You have no idea how dirty the pce is. Do you think that all the problems will be solved once the child is born? He or she will have Mo n behind them. There are so many women inside the harem, do you think they will let my child grow up in peace?"


    Ban Xiang remains optimistic, "This servant thinks that as long as His Majesty is there to protect the little prince or princess, nothing bad can befall them."


    Mo Qi Qi sneers, "The first one to act would probably be His Majesty himself."


    Ban Xiang gasps in shock, "Your Ladyship! Even a tiger will not eat it¡¯s own cub!"


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in regret. "The imperial family is worse than a tiger. The child¡¯s fate now restpletely on the father¡¯s hand. Never mind all this. Now that Jun Qian Che knows, we will see what he¡¯d do next. If he really intends to get rid of this child, I will thank him from the bottom of my heart. Enough with this, go to sleep!" Mo Qi Qi lies on her bed and closes her eyes, avoiding from thinking about this matter.


    As for Jun Qian Che, even he is not in peace after he returns to Yu Jing Pce. His mind is equally messed as Mo Qi Qi¡¯s after receiving the shocking news. He really needs to consider everything carefully.


    The next day, the news of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s pregnancy spreads through the pce, shocking the masses. Some people does not believe it, others are even bolder by stating that the child is not the Emperor¡¯s.


    Once the news reaches Jun Qian Che, he decrees that anyone who discusses the Empress¡¯ pregnancy and thereby, indirectly harming the Empress¡¯ health, will be killed as a punishment for their crime.


    After that decree, the situation slowly quiets down.


    When Mo Qi Qi finds out about those rumors, she really wants to salute the pce¡¯s people for their overactive imagination. At the same time, she too realizes that there is no smoke without fire, and that the previous owner indeed had something going on with an unknown man.


    Deep down inside, she actually hoped that the rumors would spread even faster, so that Jun Qian Che would be pushed to a corner with nowhere else to go but to save face (by getting rid of the child.) However, she did not expect him to suppress the rumors so quickly and effectively.


    When the concubines found out that Mo Qi Qi is with a child, the bunch of them gathers in her pce early in the morning to congratte her.


    Mo Qi Qi is afraid that the rest of the concubines will hate her for this, so she quickly exins herself, "Meimeis, <i>bengong</i> assure you that this child is indeed an ident. We were only together once, who would have thought...... <i>Bengong</i> wish it is one of you here, who is carrying this child."


    The rest of the concubines on the other hand, are feeling pretty generous about this, "Your Ladyship, you do not have to exin anything to us. We are very happy for you. Better you than Yang Guifei. If this has been Yang Guifei, she would tip her nose so high that it would reach the heavens already. You having this child will be good to all of us, we will support you."


    Mo Qi Qi immediately reassures them, "Don¡¯t worry, <i>bengong</i> is sincere towards all of you. <i>Bengong</i> will always support you. Even if <i>bengong</i> have a child, <i>bengong</i> will continue helping you lot gain favour."


    The concubinesughs shily, "We are relieved to hear that. Your Ladyship, you have to safely give birth to this child for our sake."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at them in confusion, "What do you mean? Did His Majesty say something to you all?"


    The concubines collectively sigh, "We usually never even get to meet His Majesty, much less get the opportunity to have him speak to us. It¡¯s just that, we thought that once you give birth to this child, His Majesty will frequently visit you. We will get to see him as well."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, understanding their intention, "Oh, so that¡¯s why all of you are happy that I am pregnant. Your dedication towards His Majesty is just..... <i>Bengong</i> is touched on his behalf. He will be touched if he knows this as well." You trash, Jun Qian Che. You collect so many young girls at the prime of their youth here and then neglects them.


    "Her Ladyship Yang Guifei arrives!" an announcementes from outside.


    Yang Shi Han elegantly walks in, dressed in yellow. She looks at Mo Qi Qi before saying, "Greeting the Empress." She nods lightly, refusing to curtsy, showing just how arrogant she can be.


    Mo Qi Qi is toozy to deal with her and simply says, "<i>Bengong</i> didn¡¯t think that even Guifei woulde to greet <i>bengong</i> this morning. What a precious guest. Go on and sit."


    Yang Shi Han sits at the front-most seat. She looks at Mo Qi Qi beforeughingly speaking, as though cracking a joke, "The entire pce is bustling this morning, saying that the Empress is pregnant. <i>Chenqie</i> wonders if it is true or not, and hase to check it myself."


    It is Xia Fei who replies first, "Who would dare to lie when ites to this? <i>Chenqie</i> think it is more like Guifei cannot bring yourself to believe it."


    Yang Guifei covers her smile elegantly, "It does not matter whether <i>bengong</i> believes it or not, what matters is if the Emperor does. <i>Bengong</i> never heard of His Majesty ever spending the night in Feng Yang Pce, so how could it be possible that the Empress is suddenly pregnant? Unless the father of the child is someone else."


    "You sure are bold, Yang Guifei! How dare you speak such treacherous words towards the Empress? This is enough to get you exiled into the Cold Pce!" the rest of the concubines are enraged.


    Yang Shi Han remains unaffected by their outburst, "<i>Bengong</i> is just telling the truth. Why are you lot so anxious? Is there some truth in <i>bengong¡¯s</i> words perhaps?"


    Mo Qi Qi is calm throughout the entire exchange. She did not let anyone know what happened that night, so it is only natural for them to be oblivious of what Jun Qian Che had done.


    Yang Shi Han continues attacking, "Why is the Empress so quiet? Is <i>chenqie</i> right, Your Ladyship? Is that why you have no words to say?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles gently before calmly saying, "Since Guifei is carrying suspicion, Guifei will not believe anything <i>bengong</i> says regardless. Perhaps it is better if you ask His Majesty directly. Ask him if this child is his. Ask him if he has ever stayed the night in Feng Yang Pce."

 Chapter 105

    Yang Shi Han is rendered speechless by what Mo Qi Qi said. She grew up with Jun Qian Che, she knows him the best out of this lot. If the child is not Jun Qian Che¡¯s, the news of the pregnancy would not even get to spread because he would have gotten rid of it before anything arises. Who would have thought... He hates Mo Qi Qi so much, who knew he would actually want her. He even let her carry his child. This surprised Yang Shi Han so much.


    The other concubines does not want to miss this chance to mock her, "Yang Guifei, out of all of us here, His Majesty loves you the most. He graces you the most as well. Why aren¡¯t you carrying yet? Don¡¯t tell us something is wrong with your body?"


    Another concubine jumps in, "The Empress is pregnant, that means that nothing is wrong with His Majesty¡¯s body. Seems like the problem is with you."


    "What nonsense! The only reason <i>bengong</i> is not pregnant is because His Majesty dotes on <i>bengong</i> too much! He said that <i>bengong</i> is too young to have children. <i>Bengong</i> should wait for a couple more years. He also said that he wants <i>bengong</i> to keep himpany as much as <i>bengong</i> can. After all, one will not be able to serve during the duration of their pregnancy. 10 months is a long time!" Yang Shi Han purposely angers them.


    She seeded. The other concubines are jealous beyond words.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, not knowing what to say.


    Now that she has reached her aim, Yang Shi Han proudly stands up, "The morning court is ending soon, <i>chenqie</i> needs to greet the Empress Dowager along with the Emperor. <i>Chenqie</i> should leave first, Empress." She looks at the remaining concubines with an amused scoff before walking away.


    The concubines huff angrily.


    "Yang Guifei is just too much, Your Ladyship!" one of themins at Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qiforts them, "Don¡¯t be angry, Meimeis. If you get angry, it will take it¡¯s toll on your bodies. Now, let¡¯s hear this one joke that <i>bengong</i> has for you."


    With Mo Qi Qi smoothing over the tension, the anger slowly subsides.


    As for Jun Qian Che, he got summoned to the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce right after the morning court. It is in front of Ci Yue Pce that he bumps into Yang Shi Han.


    "<i>Chenqie</i> greets Your Majesty," says Yang Shi Han warmly as she curtsies.


    "Guifei is also here to greet the Empress Dowager?" asks Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Yang Shi Han walks next to Jun Qian Che before whispering, "<i>Chenqie</i> is here to help Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che res at her.


    She smiles at him brightly while raising her eyebrows suggestively.


    He ignores her and walks into Ci Yue Pce. She immediately walks after him.


    Inside the Empress Dowager¡¯s resting pce, the Empress Dowager is sitting on her seat while drinking tea when the two of them walks in.


    "Son greets Imperial Mother."


    "Shi Han greets the Empress Dowager," she curtsies in front of the Empress Dowager.


    "Both of you may sit," says the Empress Dowager coldly. She sends her personal maid, Lu Momo a look. The maid obeys and quickly waves all the servants away.


    The Empress Dowager looks at Jun Qian Che furiously, "Don¡¯t you owe <i>aijia</i> an exnation, Your Majesty? What is with the news of the Empress¡¯ pregnancy? Is the child yours? The news keep spreading this morning, you are losing so much face!"


    Jun Qian Che looks at his mother calmly, "What are you even saying, Imperial Mother? She is son¡¯s Empress, the child is naturally son¡¯s."


    The Empress Dowager harrumphs coldly, "Don¡¯t you ever dare to think that Imperial Mother does not know what she did in the viewing tower! Although you ordered that matter to be suppressed, people are still talking about it in the dark. And you have been spending the nights at Shi Han¡¯s pce and never at the Empress¡¯, from where does the childes from?"


    Yang Shi Han agrees with her, "Imperial Aunt is right, something is wrong with this matter."


    Jun Qian Che unhappily sends a re her way.


    She quickly stays quiet.


    "Your Majesty, this matter is very big, you must not be muddle-headed," pleads the Empress Dowager.


    Jun Qian Che firmly replies her, "Imperial Mother, the child is indeed son¡¯s, son can guarantee that."


    Yang Shi Han earnestly analyses the matter, "But you have never spent the night at her ce! Did you two get together during the trip out? But I heard that you two were living separately. Besides, the timing isn¡¯t right. You were away for a month while the child in the Empress¡¯ stomach is already two months old. That means that she got pregnant while she was still inside the pce. The viewing tower was 3 months ago, so that is not it either. Don¡¯t tell me the man has been sneaking inside the pce to meet the Empress all these while?"


    "Yang Shi Han!" Jun Qian Che sends a warning look her way.


    Yang Shi Han purses her lips, "<i>Chenqie</i> was just analysing."


    The Empress Dowager sides with Yang Shi Han, "Don¡¯t vent your anger on Shi Han. What she said is right. Did you ever spend the night at the Empress¡¯ pce, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Che awkwardly tries to exin everything, "Imperial Mother, a man does not need to spend the night at a woman¡¯s ce to create children."


    Yang Shi Han puts two and two together, "Oh, so Your Majesty means that even though you never spent the night at Feng Yang Pce, you still frequently enters the Empress¡¯ bedchamber! You two have gotten intimate and the child is definitely yours! Imperial Aunt, do you understand it now? His Majesty hasn¡¯t been going to Shi Han¡¯s pce alone, he has been visiting the Empress¡¯ pce as well! That child is definitely his!"


    Disappointment flickers on the Empress Dowager¡¯s face, "You are too muddle-headed, Che Er! So muddle-headed. Didn¡¯t you hate Mo Qi Qi? Why did you consummate your marriage with her? Even if you couldn¡¯t resist her temptation, why were you so foolish as to allow her to carry your child! The Mo n is powerful enough on their own, now that Mo Qi Qi has gotten pregnant, they will only get even more powerful! You have always been level-headed and calm, what made you so impulsive this time?"


    "That night was an ident. Son did not mean to grace Mo Qi Qi," replies Jun Qian Che in truth. His head has been a mess ever since he found out about Mo Qi Qi¡¯s pregnancy. Despite everything, he feels grateful on the inside. Lucky it was him who went to her pce that night. Had he note, the child right now would have been someone else¡¯s.


    "Then, what do you n to do? The child cannot stay! Mo n will get more and more preposterous and it will be hard for us to get rid of them in the future. Imperial Mother thinks that¡ª¨C"


    "Son will take care of this matter, Imperial Mother. You do not have to fret over this," says Jun Qian Che as he looks at his mother.


    "Can you truly handle this? What if you get haunted by guilt afterwards?" asks the Empress Dowager.


    "Imperial Mother, son is aware of his own position. Son isn¡¯t just Mo Qi Qi¡¯s husband and the father of our child, son is the Emperor of the kingdom. What son needs to protect isn¡¯t just one or two person, but the entire Hua Chen Kingdom. Son can differentiate between what can be let go and what cannot," a cold, calcting look shes on Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes.


    The Empress Dowager nods in satisfaction, "Alright, Imperial Mother believe that you know what is wrong and what is right. You need to be ruthless when the time calls for it. Although even a tiger will not eat it¡¯s own cub, sometimes you just can¡¯t help it when you are in the imperial n."


    "Son understands." Jun Qian Che stands up and bows to the Empress Dowager, "Son has other matters to tend to, son seek permission to leave first."


    The Empress Dowager nods, "Go on, if you are busy."


    Yang Shi Han stands up after him, "Imperial Aunt, Shi Han should go as well."


    She chases after Jun Qian Che, "Wait for <i>chenqie</i>, Your Majesty!"


    Jun Qian Che stops walking and looks at her coldly, "Was that the way for you to help <i>zhen</i>?"


    Yang Shi Han raises her eyebrows, "You clearly know that it is impossible for you to be with Mo Qi Qi, why can¡¯t you bear to do something when ites to her? This child shouldn¡¯t be here on the first ce, the sooner he leaves the better. Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is doing this for your own good! <i>Chenqie</i> does not wish to see you getting overwhelmed by Mo n in court and then by Mo Qi Qi and her children once you return to the pce. You must not be soft-hearted. You are the ruler, sometimes, cruelty is a necessary. If you want children, there is a stream of women who are ready to give them to you! If you want to love a woman, feel free to love anyone you want, just not Mo Qi Qi. I thought you know that!"


    "<i>Zhen</i> knows clearly what there is to do, there is no need for you to teach <i>zhen</i>," Jun Qian Che walks away inrge strides.


    Yang Shi Han stomps her feet angrily, "I was just trying to help! Hmph, what is so good about Mo Qi Qi, anyway!"

 Chapter 106

    Jun Qian Che returns to his study and begins reading the mounting memorials. He had hoped that it would help get his mind off Mo Qi Qi¡¯s pregnancy, unfortunately that is not the case. No matter what he does, the sight of Mo Qi Qi smiling keeps floating in front of him.


    He puts down the memorial at hand and lets his mind wander off. A particr scene floats inside his head, of Mo Qi Qi ying with a little child in a garden full of blooming flowers. They are ying hide and seek and are hiding amongst the flowers and he is standing there, watching them from a corner. The child sees him and begins running towards him, "Give me a hug, Imperial Father! A hug!"


    Although he cannot tell if the child is a boy or a girl, he can tell that he himself is very happy.


    "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is seeking attendance," Eunuch Lin reports from the doorway.


    Disturbed from his daydream, Jun Qian Che calmly says, "Let him in." Deep inside, he wonders what is going on with himself. Why is he suddenly fantasizing about the child? That child cannot stay, that child must go.


    "This official greets Your Majesty," says Chu Ling Xiao.


    "You may stand up," by now, Jun Qian Che has already got himself together. "Didn¡¯t <i>zhen</i> order you to escort the foreign King and Queen to tour the capital? Why are you here?"


    "Answering Your Majesty, the King and Queen have heard of the Empress¡¯ pregnancy and have gone there to congratte Her Ladyship. They decide to postpone the trip to tomorrow, so this official is here to report that."


    Jun Qian Che nods, "<i>Zhen</i> understands. Since it is so, you can return to your manor for now."


    Chu Ling Xiao does not immediately leaves. He lingers there, looking like he wants to say something but does not know if he should.


    "Is there anything else, Prime Minister?" asks Jun Qian Che.


    Chu Ling Xiao thinks for a moment before finally saying, "Your Majesty, this official would like to butt into something that this official ought not to. Are you going to let the child live?"


    Right now, what Jun Qian Che hates the most is other people asking him that, unfortunately, the barrage of people asking that question does not show any signs of slowing down. "Whatever it is you want to say, say it directly," says Jun Qian Che coldly.


    Chu Ling Xiaoughs awkwardly, "What this official means is that the Empress Dowager will definitely object to this child. Although the child belongs to Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager will always love you more. She will not want to see you suffer under the hands of Mo n because of this child. If this child is a boy, Duke Zhen will definitely rally the other ministers to coerce you into making him the Crown Prince. If anything happens to you after that, the throne will go to the child. That means that there will be even more attempts on your life after that. The child will be a puppet Emperor, and the entire Hua Chen Kingdom will be under Mo n."


    "So, you are also here to persuade <i>zhen</i> to get rid of the child?" without him realizing, his tone has gotten a lot icier.


    Chu Ling Xiao is so scared that even his heart is getting goosebump. But still, he gathers his courage to say, "You are still young, Your Majesty. You can have more children after this. Do not let one thing affect the bigger n. You must think thrice."


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is cold as he says, "<i>Zhen</i> understand. <i>Zhen</i> knows what there is to do, you can go first."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Chu Ling Xiao knows that Jun Qian Che must be devastated right now. Even though he does not like Mo Qi Qi, that child is still his. It is normal for him to feel torned. Chu Ling Xiao does not dare to linger and immediately leaves.


    Jun Qian Che is no longer in the mood to review memorials. He stands up and walks out of the imperial study.


    Feng Yang Pce is very lively today. Just as Mo Qi Qi sends off the concubines, the foreign King and Queen arrive to offer their congrattion.


    Mo Qi Qi beckons them to sit under a pavilion in the courtyard and lets Ban Xiang serves them pastries. She even lets them taste her home-made sour plum soup, which they like very much. They repeatedly thank her for her kindness.


    The truth is, she is not doing this to be kind on behalf of Jun Qian Che. She has her own n.


    She smiles happily as she chats with the couple.


    Everyone assumes that she is happy because she is pregnant, but only she knows the truth.


    Jun Qian Che watches them from afar. He trains his eyes on her as she chats happily with the Queen. Although he does not know what they are talking about, seeing her so happy makes him happy as well.


    Once they are through with polite talks, Mo Qi Qi immediately puts forth her agenda.


    She shows them a painting.


    Jun Qian Che, due to the distance, cannot see what the painting is. He wonders what she is trying to pull.


    As for that painting itself, it is not of some national secret, but instead, it is the drawing of a modern toilet bowl. It even has a flush.


    Mo Qi Qi uses English to ask them if they have this sort of toilet bowl in their country.


    The couple shakes their heads.


    Mo Qi Qi feels a little disappointed. If there is such a toilet in this era, she thought it would be in the west. She hopes to build a modern toilet in the pce. Maybe, if she has the correct model for setting, she will be able to go back to her time.


    The foreign King smiles, "Why don¡¯t you give us this drawing, Your Ladyship? We will bring it home and try to build it there. Once we seed, we will send a prototype to you."


    Mo Qi Qi is pleased beyond words. She thanks them happily. As long as there is a ray of light, she will not lose hope.


    She made them promise her not to tell anyone, especially Jun Qian Che.


    They assume that she is trying to surprise him, but only she knows the truth.


    The only reason she has not sought the help of Hua Chen Kingdom¡¯s craftsmen is out of fear that Jun Qian Che would find out. He might get suspicious and think that she is up to no good. His intention towards her is not pure to begin with and she is afraid that he only needs a little provocation to lift his hand to kill her.


    The King and Queen will not be here for long. Once they create a prototype and send it to her, she will just say that is it a gift. By then, she will say that it might need a sink and everything else too, and Jun Qian Che will have nothing to say. Hahahaha! This is what people call pre-meditation!


    Jun Qian Che lingers there for a while and only leaves once he has taken a good look of her. Now that he has seen her, his heart has calmed down a little. There are more things waiting for him in the imperial study and he cannot afford to loosen up for even a moment.


    The news of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s pregnancy has reached the nobles of the capital, so naturally, Duke Zhen¡¯s manor also knows.


    Duke Zhen and the Duchess quickly enter the pce, bringing a lot of supplement food for Mo Qi Qi.


    The mother is very happy to see her daughter, "Mother did not think that our Qi Qi would carry His Majesty¡¯s child. You must take good care of yourself and the child that you are carrying. For a woman, pregnancy is the most troublesome thing. If there is anything you would like to eat, do not hesitate to tell Mother."


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "No need to trouble yourself, Mother. The pce has everything."


    Duke Zhen is still worried, "The things inside the pce are not safe. You need to be extra careful, Your Ladyship. Be mindful of what you eat and who you are keepingpanies with. Only keep the people that you trust beside you. How about this, Father will ask His Majesty to let a couple of servants from our manor to enter the pce to serve you?"


    Mo Qi Qi quickly stops him, "No need for all that, old dad. Daughter already trust everyone inside Feng Yang Pce. Daughter has just gotten pregnant. If we send people to serve daughter, it will show that we does not trust His Majesty. His Majesty might get angry."


    "What is there for His Majesty to get angry about? Father is only thinking for Qi Qi and the baby. This is also His Majesty¡¯s child, His Majesty should be happy instead," replies Duke Zhen.


    Mo Qi Qi massages her forehead; this old dad is acting up again.


    Duke Zhen sighs when he sees his daughter¡¯s silence, "Fine, fine, fine. Old dad will listen to Your Ladyship. Since you don¡¯t want more people, we will not send more people, alright?"


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Thank you, old dad!"


    Duke Zhenughs, "Why are you so courteous towards your own dad? You have changed, now that you are bing a mother yourself. You must take care of yourself. If anyone dares to bully you, tell dad. Dad will take care of them for you!"


    Mo Qi Qi hesitates for a moment, "Old dad, you really want this child to be born?"


    <strong>Serene</strong>: Damn, Duke Zhen is #dadgoal!

 Chapter 107

    Duke Zhen is momentarily taken aback, "What do you mean, Your Ladyship?"


    Mo Qi Qi looks around cautiously before whispering, "Are you truly loyal to the Emperor, old dad?"


    Duke Zhen looks stunned before heughs, "You should concentrate on your pregnancy, Your Ladyship, you need not worry about anything else. It does not matter who the Emperor is, old dad will not let anyone harm this child. This is old dad¡¯s first grandchild. If anyone dares toy a finger on this child, old dad will teach them a thorough lesson."


    Seeing this, the Duchessforts her, "Your Ladyship, a woman must not think too much when she is carrying a child. Let the menfolk take care of their own business. You just need to focus on safely delivering our first grandchild. No matter what happens, you will always be dad and mom¡¯s little girl. This child will always be our beloved grandchild."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, touched. It does not matter if Duke Zhen is potentially a crooked officer and might be a wanted criminal in the future, the love that they have for this daughter is heart-warming and immense. They truly love her, theyr truly dote on her, and that is enough. She will no longer worry about the court. Even if the kingdom changes ruler, what does that has anything to do with her? Right now, all she is waiting for is for when Jun Qian Che is going to start acting against this child. Even she can tell that nothing good will be brought to him by this pregnancy. It is pretty much impossible for him to leave this child be.


    The Duke and Duchess stay for a while longer before leaving.


    Three days quickly pass, and Mo Qi Qi has not seen Jun Qian Che even once. She feels a little aggrieved: that b*****d! He usually runs over even when there is nothing to do, for the sole purpose of angering her. Now that she is pregnant, he has conveniently disappeared. What is he ying at? Is he nning to let her and the child fend for themselves?


    Hmph! Since he isn¡¯ting, she will look for him instead! She wants to ask him what he is nning to do. The foetus is developing, if the pregnancy has matured and he suddenly decides to get rid of the child, the impact will be great for her body.


    And so, Mo Qi Qi walks over to Yu Jing Pce with a displeased look on her face.


    The morning court has just ended and the Emperor is eating his breakfast, so Mo Qi Qi pretty much catches him at the right time. He has been avoiding her these past few days. He does not know how to face this pregnancy of hers.


    Mo Qi Qi sits next to him before warmly greeting him, "Morning, Your Majesty!"


    Jun Qian Che looks at her, "Why are you here?"


    Mo Qi Qi puts on a fake smile, "<i>Chenqie</i> has not seen you for a couple of days, so chenqie is here to see you. Is there anything can <i>chenqie</i> help you with? The foreign King and Queen are still here, do you want <i>chenqie</i> to continue acting as an interpreter?"


    "No need, the King¡¯s personal interpreter has resumed his post."


    Mo Qi Qi sneers, "He is the King¡¯s personal interpreter, he is bound to speak for his King. Even if the King secretly curses you, you will not know better and will still treat them with a happy face. Won¡¯t you end up bing aughingstock then?"


    Jun Qian Che calmly replies her, "No need to worry about all that, Empress. <i>Zhen</i> has also hired another local interpreter to assist <i>zhen</i>. He is very trustworthy."


    Dang! Who would have thought that this trash would be so thorough? Just look at him! Who could be so elegant while eating? Although this is not the first time she has seen him while he eats, this is the first time she realizes how elegant his movements are. His lips look so tantalizing and his fingers are long and pretty. The chopsticks in his hand looks like a pair of artpiece instead of a pair of cutlery.


    "Is there anything else, Empress?"


    Mo Qi Qi is too busy in her fantasy to hear that.


    Jun Qian Che is a little surprised when she does not answer. He turns to look at her and when he finds her lost in a daydream, he snaps in annoyance, "What are you even thinking about, Mo Qi Qi!"


    Surprised by that outburst, Mo Qi Qi snaps out from her thoughts and smiles at him awkwardly, "Nothing!"


    "Do you have any other thing to say? If not, feel free to leave," Jun Qian Che heartlessly chases her away. To tell the truth, he is scared that she will bring up about her pregnancy.


    "Are you that busytely, Your Majesty?" murmurs Mo Qi Qi in discontent. How dare he chase her off? To tell the truth, she has been waiting for the opening to talk about their child. She wants to gauge his mood, but it seems that his mood isn¡¯t really that great right now.


    "En," replies Jun Qian Che simply.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly rolls her eyes, "Wonder what it is that you are so busy with?"


    Jun Qian Che looks at her.


    She quicklyughs, "Hehe, don¡¯t misunderstand chenqie, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> has no intention to interfere with politics, just, <i>chenqie</i> is worried about you. No matter how busy you are, healthes first."


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about all that, Empress. You only need to take care of yourself," replies Jun Qian Che.


    Now that Jun Qian Che has conveniently turns the topic to her, Mo Qi Qi seizes the chance to say, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is here today to discuss about our child¡ª"


    "That is enough, Empress. <i>Zhen</i> has something to discuss with the foreign King. Anything else can wait untilter," Jun Qian Che suddenly stands up and leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi stomps her foot angrily, "He really is too much! Hmph! Go on and hide, you can¡¯t hide forever! I will wait until you make your decision!" She angrily leaves.


    After leaving Yu Jing Pce, Jun Qian Che turns around. When he realizes that Mo Qi Qi has not chased after him, he secretly sighs in relief. He really does not know how to talk about their child with her. So, he can only run away.


    Mo Qi Qi returns to Feng Yang Pce with a chest full of fury. When she reaches the courtyard, a maid informs her that the 7<sup>th</sup> King is there to congratte the Empress for her pregnancy.


    When Mo Qi Qi hears that, she quickly walks to her resting pce.


    Jun Yue Hen is sitting quietly on one of the seats inside her resting pce. When he sees her walking in, he immediately stands up and bows towards her. "This official greets the Empress."


    "No need to be so courteous, 7<sup>th</sup> imperial uncle. Please, sit," says Mo Qi Qi as she sits on the phoenix seat. With so many people around, she must maintain proper decorum between her and Jun Yue Hen.


    After sitting down, Jun Yue Hen looks at Mo Qi Qi before warmly asking, "This official heard that the Empress is pregnant and is here to congratte you. This official hope that you can bear even more imperial children for His Majesty in the future."


    "That is very kind of you, 7<sup>th</sup> imperial uncle." Mo Qi Qi looks at all the servants nearby, "All of you may leave."


    "Yes!" the servants slowly leave the pce.


    Disappointment fills Jun Yue Hen¡¯s face as he destely says, "I didn¡¯t think His Majesty would actually let you bear his child."


    "This child is an ident, I don¡¯t think Jun Qian Che will leave it be," replies Mo Qi Qi.


    "What about you, Qi Qi? Do you want this child? If you want this child, I will help you," Jun Yue Hen sincerely says, though his heart is filled with bitterness.


    serene: Hello, I am back (hopefully TT). Sorry for not updating for a while. I was moving house and it was so tiring and was taking like forever! In the process of settling down now, so I hope I can churn out updates more regrly.

 Chapter 108

    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head resolutely, "No."


    Jun Yue Hen looks at her in shock, "Really, Qi Qi? Haven¡¯t you always wanted to give His Majesty a child?"


    "Maybe in the past, but not anymore. Let¡¯s not talk about what the child ought to represent in the future; if this child is born, I will never be able to cut ties from Jun Qian Che, perhaps till the day I die. This child must not be born, I don¡¯t want to have anything to with Jun Qian Che."


    Happiness surges through Jun Yue Hen¡¯s heart when she says that. The fire of his love for her burns brightly again.


    "Qi Qi, I will support you no matter what your decision is. No matter what happen, I will stand behind you and support you," promises Jun Yue Hen.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Thank you, Yue Hen. I am very lucky to have you as a friend."


    Jun Yue Hen smiles: Qi Qi, I do not wish to remain your friend. Perhaps, I will have the chance to give you happiness one day.


    He gets up, "It is not proper for me to stay here for long. I should leave first. If there is anything you need, just send someone to me."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "I will."


    Jun Yue Hen then leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs heavily, "Jun Yue Hen is such a good man. It¡¯s a pity the old owner didn¡¯t choose him. It¡¯s a pity I don¡¯t love him as well."


    "Your Ladyship, your tonic is here! Drink it while it¡¯s hot," Ban Xiang walks in while carrying a tray.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the bowl on top of the tray, "What is this?"


    "This is blood bird¡¯s nest, Your Ladyship. The physician also added some more things that are beneficial for the foetus, this is very nourishing! Hurry and drink it, Your Ladyship!"


    The bowl smells thickly of Chinese medicine. Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "I don¡¯t want to, take it away!" If this is prepared by Jun Qian Che¡¯s people, she must not simply drink it. Never mind the abortion tonic, what if it¡¯s downright poison? Wouldn¡¯t she die for nothing then?


    "But Your Ladyship¡ª- His Majesty personally ordered Imperial Physician Wang to prepare this for you. Wouldn¡¯t His Majesty¡¯s good grace fly out of the window if you refuse to drink this?"


    Now that Jun Qian Che¡¯s name has been publicly brought up, fury rises inside Mo Qi Qi¡¯s stomach. She wants to drink this even less now. She res at Ban Xiang, "Whose servant girl are you? Jun Qian Che¡¯s or mine? I said I don¡¯t want it, so take it away!"


    "Your Ladyship, you are currently with a child. Do not anger yourself. This servant will take this away right away." Ban Xiang immediately carries the tray away.


    Mo Qi Qi grits her teeth, "Jun Qian Che sure is good when ites to performing in public! Hmph!"


    The day passes by, and night arrives. The night scene in Hua Bei Camp is pretty hectic. Soldiers are resting inside the tents after a long day of hard work. They are men who have sacrificed their lives and youth for the kingdom, leaving behind the warmth of their homes and the loving embrace of their loved ones.


    Bai Jiu leaves her quarters and strolls outside the camp. It is then that she sees a man in a horse heading her way. When the moonlight shone on the figure, she realizes who it is, "Great General sir!"


    Han Yi Xiao pulls the rope of his horse, prompting it to stop. Then, he looks at Bai Jiu, "It is sote, what are you doing outside the camp?"


    Bai Jiu smiles at him warmly, "I couldn¡¯t sleep. The moon looked alright, so I decided to stroll around. Besides, I want to see how the camp looks like at night. I¡¯ve been here for a while, but I haven¡¯t seen the camp at night, yet."


    Han Yi Xiao¡¯s voice is solemn as he says, "You have worked really hard after entering the camp. It¡¯s been hard on you."


    Bai Jiu waves him off, "No, not really. I like this way of living, so it¡¯s not hard for me. Can you walk with me, Great General? It¡¯s a bit boring walking by myself. Besides, I don¡¯t know this ce that well. What if I walked into somewhere I am not allowed to?"


    Han Yi Xiao hesitates for a moment before nodding.


    When the guards in charge of the night watch see that, they lead Han Yi Xiao¡¯s horse away.


    Both of them walk quietly, the silence only broken by the sound of birds and animals from the nearby forest.


    Han Yi Xiao walks silently while Bai Jiu eyes him in interest, "Why are you only back at this time of the night? Did something happen?"


    "His Majesty summoned me earlier. I have just returned from the imperial pce."


    "Oh! You are the great hero of our kingdom, the Emperor¡¯s trusted aide. You are what the rest of us aspire to be!" praises Bai Jiu continuously.


    Han Yi Xiao remains calm instead of swelling in pride despite the barrage ofpliments, "The most important thing is the loyalty to His Majesty, and then, the sense of responsibility towards themon people, towards your own job. As long as one abides to that, everyone can be sessful. There is nothing to be envious about. You, on the other hand, managed to win the martial artspetition despite your age. One must not underestimate you."


    Bai Jiu smiles happily, "To receive thatpliment from you is an honor for me. I will continue to work hard!" How good does it feels to be acknowledged by him!


    Both of them continue walking in silence while Bai Jiu racks her brain for topics of conversation, "I wonder if you happen to see the Empress earlier. Is she alright? Is she still in shock over the assassination attempts back then?"


    Han Yi Xiao looks at her, a certain light shing in his eyes as he casually says, "You sure are very worried about the Empress, General Bai."


    Damn! "Hehe, this General is an official to the Kingdom, it is only natural for me to worry about the Emperor and Empress. His Majesty trusted me and gave me the honor to be one of those in charge of their safety. In the end, I didn¡¯t do my job properly and caused them to fall off a cliff. Lucky the gods were protecting His and Her Majesty, otherwise, I would be cursed by the entire kingdom. His Majesty is honourable and calm, he had probably experienced many kinds of situation and is used to it. Her Ladyship however, is a different case. Everyone knows that she is the pearl within Duke Zhen¡¯s palm, she has been under a lot of protection and care ever since she was born. Now, she is the honourable Mother of the Kingdom, living in luxury inside the pce. When would she have time to get used to people trying to kill her? The assassination attempts during the trip must have shocked her to the core. That¡¯s why I asked. If that question was inappropriate, please help educate me, sir," replies Bai Jiu smartly.


    Han Yi Xiao¡¯s suspicion immediately dissolves. His lips carry the trace of a smile as he says, "You did not say anything wrong, I was the one who think too much. No matter how dainty the Empress is, she is still Duke Zhen¡¯s daughter, and she also knows martial arts. She is not the same as other young maidens. She will be able adjust easily to any situation. Also, she is currently pregnant."


    Bai Jiu looks at him in shock, "Really? The Empress is pregnant! This is a great news! This is His Majesty¡¯s first child! If this is a boy, this child will be the future Crown Prince!" Mo Jiu Jiu is genuinely happy for her sister. This has been her sister¡¯s life-long dream, who would have thought that she would be able to achieve it?


    Han Yi Xiao stops in his steps and looks at her in earnest, "Do you really think the Empress should give birth to this child?"


    Bai Jiu freezes as she looks at him in confusion, "What do you mean, Great General?"


    Han Yi Xiao looks at her before sitting at a nearby slope, looking at the night view.


    Bai Jiu sits next to him, "You seem worried, Great General."


    Han Yi Xiao smiles, "General Bai is really good at reading other people¡¯s mood. You are right. I am worried about the child inside the Empress¡¯ stomach."


    Bai Jiuughs, "What is there for you to worry about, Great General! That child is the Emperor¡¯s, not yours!"


    "Because this child will directly impact the future of our Kingdom," says Han Yi Xiao, thinking really far ahead.


    Bai Jiu cannot grasp the meaning behind his words. She shakes her head a couple of times in confusion, "This General is dim-witted and cannot understand you, Great General."


    Han Yi Xiao looks at Bai Jiu before saying, "You have always been smart, General Bai, why are you suddenly so muddle-headed? The Empress is Duke Zhen¡¯s daughter. Duke Zhen¡¯s manor is powerful enough on it¡¯s own, half of the court are already on their side. They also have the power to close to half of the army that the Kingdom have. Just think about this. Won¡¯t Mo n pose too much threat for His Majesty with this child around?"


    If the child is a princess, then it would be fine. Females cannot interfere with court. However, if it¡¯s a prince, Duke Zhen will definitely do everything he can to force the Emperor to instate the child as the Crown Prince.


    "If the Empress gives birth to a child, that child automatically bes a primary prince or princess. What is wrong with making the child the Crown Prince?" asks Bai Jiu earnestly.


    "There will be nothing wrong with it if the Empress isn¡¯t Duke Zhen¡¯s daughter. Unfortunately, she is. The child, if a boy, will only add up to Duke Zhen¡¯s already colossal power. By then, Duke Zhen¡¯s manor will be more powerful than His Majesty himself. Do you think they will still care about the Emperor? If they have conflict with the Emperor in the future, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for them to rally around and force the Emperor to abdicate, handing the throne over to the little prince? By then, the entire Kingdom will belong to them. By then, loyal officials will be on the chopping block, while their crooked cronies will obtain glory. The entire kingdom will be in shambles." Hatred shes in Han Yi Xiao¡¯s eyes.


    When Bai Jiu hears all that, she suddenly has the desire to stand up and give him a piece of her mind. However, wary of exposing her identity, she can only say, "I think you think too much, Great General. Although Duke Zhen really is powerful, I don¡¯t think he is gutsy enough to take His Majesty head on. Besides, the child that the Empress bear will be surnamed Jun, how could it be possible for him to be a pawn under Duke Zhen¡¯s hand? People say that once a daughter is married, she belongs to her husband. That means that the Empress is already the Emperor¡¯s. Her Ladyship loves His Majesty so deeply, she will never allow Duke Zhen to harm the Emperor. Duke Zhen, on the other hand, loves his daughter so much, he will definitely listen to her."


    Han Yi Xiao sneers, "Mo Chang Xiao is a crooked and corrupted official. He is capable of doing anything when ites to power. He could sell his own brothers, what is there that he could not do?"


    Bai Jiu mutters to herself angrily under her breath, her heart long ago ready to argue with him. However, in order to protect her identity and to understand Han Yi Xiao even better, she can only keep quiet. She repeatedly tells herself to keep quiet, otherwise, everything that she has done will be in vain.


    Bai Jiu pretends to put on a curious expression, "You seem to hate Duke Zhen so much, Great General. Did anything happen between you two?" Han Yi Xiao seems to hate Mo n so much. It shows on his face.

 Chapter 109

    "Anything? It isn¡¯t as simple as ¡¯anything¡¯. Han n and Mo n are sworn enemies. He killed my father. Nothing is worse than having one¡¯s parents killed. I will give it back to him, one day."


    Bai Jiu stares at him, shocked, "Impossible! Didn¡¯t Great General Han die in the battlefield? What does that has anything to do with Duke Zhen?"


    Han Yi Xiao resentfully replies her, "Back then, my father and Mo Chang Xiao went to the border together to lead the army. One time, the enemy surrounded them. They agreed to fight the enemy together. My father decided to lead the first half of the army as decoy, to draw the enemy to a valley between two mountains. Mo Chang Xiao was to ambush the enemyter. Mo Chang Xiao went back on his words and didn¡¯te. My father and all 3000 soldiers under him died for nothing. My father¡¯s corpse was full of arrows. He died a hero. Later, Mo Chang Xiao used that very same tactic, one that my father came up with, and sessfully defeated the enemy. He took all the credit for it. My father¡¯s corpse was brought from the borderter. I would never forget the way his body looked like. I was only 10. It was then that I swore to myself to enter the army. I would find the way to get rid of Mo Chang Xiao myself."


    "Impossible," mumbles Bai Jiu. She could never believe her father would do something like that. "Are you alright, Great General?" she looks at Han Yi Xiao.


    Han Yi Xiao calmly replies her, "I¡¯m fine. Just, remembering all those memories makes me even more determined to avenge my father¡¯s death."


    "Perhaps there is some misunderstanding," says Bai Jiu. She refuses to believe her father is that kind of a person.


    "Misunderstanding? My father¡¯s own confidante escaped death and told us all these, do you think it could be fake? Mo Chang Xiao is a greedy and corrupted official," says Han Yi Xiao.


    Bai Jiu does not know how to defend her father; she can only sigh.


    Han Yi Xiao looks at her and sighs self-deprecatingly, "I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have told you all these. After all, this is my family affair."


    Bai Jiu shakes her head, "No, no. Actually, I really respect thete Great General Han. I¡¯ve always thought that he died in the battlefield, I¡¯ve never expected anything more sinister behind his death."


    "He will not die in vain," states Han Yi Xiao resolutely.


    Bai Jiu nods. Not wanting to speak further of the heavy topic, she steers the conversation to something rtively lighter. She points at the moon, "Look at the moon, Great General. How pretty. Even though it¡¯s not a full-moon, it is still beautiful in it¡¯s own imperfect way."


    Han Yi Xiaoughs, "You sure are different from the crowd. Other people likes full moon, you¡¯re the only person I know who likes half-moon."


    "If there are too many perfect things, it will be an imperfection," Bai Jiu raises an eyebrow while smiling.


    Han Yi Xiao nods in agreement, "Who would have thought that someone so young would be so deep, how admirable. It iste, rest early. There are many things we need to do tomorrow."


    Bai Jiu nods. She gets up and returns to the camp with Han Yi Xiao.


    A couple of days passed and the Foreign King and Queen begin their journey home. Jun Qian Che personally sends them off.


    Mo Qi Qi has not seen Jun Qian Che for these past couple of days. He used to visit Feng Yang Pce even when there was nothing pressing, but now, that has changed. Mo Qi Qi knows that he is trying to avoid the pregnancy, and so, decides to visit Yu Jing Pce herself. She wants to know what he is nning to do about the child.


    After lunch, Mo Qi Qi sends Ban Xiang to make sure that Jun Qian Che is at Yu Jing Pce first, before secretly making her way there.


    Just as she is about to slip in, she spots Imperial Physician Wang huffily making his way over. Is Jun Qian Che sick? Probably not, no one has make a fuss yet. So, does that means.... Oh no! Don¡¯t tell her Physician Wang is here because Jun Qian Che wants to discuss with him about how to get rid of her! No, she must hear what they are about to say! If Jun Qian Che wants to kill her, she will send a message to Duke Zhen! Let him siege the pce to save her if need to be, as long as she lives! She hides near a window, hidden from view, perfect for eavesdropping.


    Jun Qian Che is sitting on a dragon-carved throne when the physician walks in.


    "This official greets Your Majesty!"


    "You may stand," Jun Qian Yu puts away the book in his hand as he turns to Imperial Physician Wang, "How is the Empresstely, Imperial Physician Wang?"


    Mo Qi Qi who is standing near the window mumbles to herself, "Even you know how to worry about this grandma? Hmph, heartless bas*ard!"


    Imperial Physician Wang replies her, "Her Ladyship is fine, Your Majesty. Her pregnancy is going on smoothly too."


    Jun Qian Che nods lightly, "Good. <i>Zhen</i> wants to know something; will it be bad for a pregnant mother to suffer miscarriage two months into her pregnancy?"


    Imperial Physician Wang is shocked when he hears that, "Your Majesty, this¡ª¡ª-"


    "No need to ask questions. Just answer <i>zhen</i>," Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is calm as usual.


    Mo Qi Qi is delighted when she hears that: Jun Qian Che is finally going to act! Hurry and answer him, Imperial Physician Wang!


    Imperial Physician Wang does not dare to ask questions and simply says, "Answering Your Majesty, a miscarriage is bound to affect the mother. However, a foetus that is less than 2 months old is really small. This is the point of time in which a miscarriage hurts the mother¡¯s body the least."


    Jun Qian Che is quiet for a moment before he says, "Prepare a bowl of abortion tonic. Send it to <i>zhen</i> tonight."


    Imperial Physician Wang is shocked, but does not dare to ask much upon remembering earlier threat. He simply says, "Yes."


    "Alright, you can go," Jun Qian Che picks up his book again and continues reading it.


    Imperial Physician Wang respectfully takes his leave.


    The pressure that has been weighing down Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart is relieved when she hears their conversation. She pats her own stomach, "I¡¯m sorry." She turns around and leaves now that she has gotten what she came here for.


    A light shes in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes as he slowly walks towards that particr window. A dark look fills his eyes as he looks at Mo Qi Qi¡¯s retreating back. No one can tell what he is feeling at that moment.


    Mo Qi Qi returns to her pce in a good mood, humming a tune.


    Ban Xiang wees her. When she sees how light-hearted Mo Qi Qi seems, she cannot stop herself from asking, "What happened, Your Ladyship? You seem to be in such a good mood." The Empress had been pretty depressed after she found out about her pregnancy. She is finally smiling again today.


    Mo Qi Qi struggles to keep her smile in check, "Something good happened. I will finally be relieved of my burden today. Hahahaha."


    Although Ban Xiang cannot understand what she is saying, she is happy seeing Mo Qi Qi so happy, "You are carrying a child, Your Ladyship. You should rest more. I think you should take an afternoon nap."


    The now-carefree Mo Qi Qi does feel sleepy. She yawns, "Now that you say it, I am feeling a little sleepy. Alright, I should take a nap." She heads towards her chamber.


    She falls asleep really quickly. Unfortunately, the sleep is not a good one. It is gued by a dream.

 Chapter 110

    In her dream, a child is calling out to her, "Save me, Imperial Mother! Save me! Imperial Father wants to kill me! My parents don¡¯t want me, what should I do? Wuwuwu, I don¡¯t want to go, I want to be your child! Please don¡¯t throw me away! Please save me!"


    Although she cannot see how that child looks like, she can feel the pain that overpowers her heart when she hears the child sobbing.


    The child chases after her and tugs at her dress from behind, "Please save me, Imperial Mother. Imperial Father wants to kill me. I don¡¯t want to die."


    Her heart seems to have been teared into pieces. She turns around to face the child and crouches before him, taking his hand lovingly, "Don¡¯t be scared, Imperial Mother is here. I will not let anyone hurt you. I will protect you. Don¡¯t be afraid." She hugs the childfortingly and her heart is immediately filled with happiness. A voice inside her firmly tells her to protect the child.


    The child suddenly disappears. Panic conquers her heart as she hastily search for him, "Sweetheart, where are you? Come to me!"


    "Save me, Imperial Mother! Help!" she can hear the child screaming from afar.


    She follows the voice and finds the child being dragged away by two guards. Jun Qian Che is overseeing everything from the sideline. She runs up to him and tugs him in the arm anxiously, "Your Majesty, someone is trying to hurt our child! Do something!"


    Jun Qian Che does not move and simply smiles icily.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head fearfully when she sees the meaning behind the smile, "No. He is so young. He is so pitiful!"


    Jun Qian Che walks closer to her before pushing her to the ground harshly.


    "Ah!" screams Mo Qi Qi as she hits the ground. Her stomach hurts. She pats her stomach with her hand and her hand is immediately covered in blood. "My child! My child!"


    "Argh, no!" screams Mo Qi Qi as she wakes up from that nightmare. She touches her stomach while looking around. She finally calms down when she figured out it is just a dream. Although that dream has been messy and unrealistic, the pain that she felt in her heart was not. Her entire body is covered in sweat.


    Ban Xiang rushes in when she hears Mo Qi Qi screaming, "What happened, Your Ladyship?"


    She sits on the bedside and looks at Mo Qi Qi. She wipes the sweat on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face with a handkerchief while repeating her question, "What happened?"


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "Nothing, just had a nighmare."


    Ban Xiangughs when she hears that, "So you had a nightmare. Don¡¯t worry, Your Ladyship. It is just a dream. It¡¯s not real."


    "Ban Xiang, do you think I will be able to protect the child that I am carrying?" asks Mo Qi Qi.


    Ban Xiang nods confidently, "Of course! This is your and His Majesty¡¯s first child! Both of you love him so much, of course he will be just fine. You worry too much, Your Ladyship."


    "Really?" But his father is already determined to get rid of him, will he even has the chance to be born? She has always wanted to get rid of the child, but now that Jun Qian Che is going to do just that, why is she suddenly so unwilling to let him finish it?


    "He will be fine! A child will grow up happily so long as he receives the love of his parents," replies Ban Xiang optimistically.


    Mo Qi Qi forces herself to smile.


    She has always been set on getting rid of the foetus, but after that dream, she finds her resolve weakened. Although the pregnancy is only at it¡¯s early stage, the foetus already has a life. Wouldn¡¯t it be cruel to abort it like that? People say that children have pre-destined affinity with their parents. Since it has already been set, why can¡¯t she just keep the child? Some people could only dream to be given a child, since she already has been given one, will it really be okay to kill it with her own hands?


    Even a tiger will not eat it¡¯s own cub. She keeps on calling Jun Qian Che cruel, but is she actually any different? She had always looked forward to having this child aborted; is that something a mother should feel?


    How could you be so heartless, Mo Qi Qi? No matter how much you hate Jun Qian Che, the child is innocent! He only wants to be by your side, to feel your love, is that too much to ask?


    Other people would be excited upon receiving the news of their pregnancy. She, on the other hand? The first thing she thought of was that the child needs to go!


    The child in her body has been there for two months. They have been sharing the same blood, eating the same food. She cannot bear to lose this child-ah! What should she do!


    Mo Qi Qi pats her stomach gently: Good child. Please do not hate me.


    When Ban Xiang sees Mo Qi Qi adrift in her thoughts, she secretly walks out before returning while carrying something, "Look at this, Your Ladyship."


    "What is it?" Mo Qi Qi opens the clothes that Ban Xiang brought and quickly realizes that they are children¡¯s clothes. She smiles, "How cute!"


    "The little prince or princess can wear this once they are born!" replies Ban Xiang excitedly.


    The smile on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face turns rigid as she puts the clothes back down, "Put them away."


    Ban Xiang can sense her downturning mood, "You don¡¯t like them, Your Ladyship? His Majesty sent people to send us these."


    "What did you say? Jun Qian Che sent all these clothes?" asks Mo Qi Qi in shock.


    Ban Xiang nods as she continues smiling, "Yes! Didn¡¯t think His Majesty would love the little prince so much! He already asked people to tailor the little prince¡¯s clothes!"


    Doubts begin to bloom inside Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart as she eyes the clothes. What on earth is Jun Qian Che ying at? He clearly already asked Imperial Physician Wang to brew the abortion tonic, why did he suddenly send her these clothes? Oh, he must be trying to put on a y in front of everyone else! He is trying to put on the doting father front, while secretly tries to kill the child in the dark. If anything happens to the child, he can just say that it is an ident and then y the part of the grieving father. No one will be able to point the me on him.


    Sweetheart, your father is cold-hearted and calctive, will mommy be able to protect you?


    The sun slowly sets in the horizon. It shouldn¡¯t be long now. Jun Qian Che will walk in with the abortion tonic anytime soon. The thread of destiny between her and the child is slowly thinning. Although she had always wished to get an abortion, now that the time is running close, she finds that she cannot bear to part from her baby after all.


    She secretly prays for a miracle. She secretly prays for the child¡¯s safety. Deep down inside, she knows that it is impossible. The foetus¡¯ own father is dead set on killing it.

 Chapter 111

    The sky slowly turns dark. The stars are now blinking prettily at mortals from high above. The moon, on the other hand, is hidden by dark clouds.


    "The Emperor has arrived!" someone announces from outside. Mo Qi Qi trembles when she hears that. It feels as though the entire Feng Yang Pce is quaking alongside her.


    Mo Qi Qi forces herself to calm down. No matter what she feels, everything is toote now. She must calm down and wee Jun Qian Che warmly.


    Jun Qian Che walks in withrge strides, followed by Imperial Physician Wang.


    The physician is holding a tray with a bowl perched on top of it. Mo Qi Qi knows that the bowl contains the abortion tonic.


    Since she knows she cannot avoid what is toe, she can only greet Jun Qian Che calmly, "<i>Chenqie</i> greets Your Majesty."


    "You are pregnant, you should not perform these sort of ceremonial greetings anymore," says Jun Qian Che as he sits in front of a table.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," says Mo Qi Qi before sitting opposite him.


    Both of them look at each other without saying a word.


    After a moment of silence, Jun Qian Che speaks up, "<i>Zhen</i> has been busy entertaining the foreign entouragetely and has been neglecting the Empress. How is your health?"


    Mo Qi Qi picks up the teapot and pours some tea into a cup for Jun Qian Che. "<i>Chenqie</i> is just fine. Thank you, Your Majesty," she smiles at him prettily.


    "That¡¯s good. The Empress is now carrying a child, you need to be more careful," reminds Jun Qian Che.


    Mo Qi Qi curtseys as she continues smiling, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> will be careful." After tonight, there will be nothing left for her to worry for. She has always thought Jun Qian Che is cold. Now, she realizes that he is also hypocritical.


    "<i>Zhen</i> heard that even moving is hard for a pregnant woman. This will be <i>zhen¡¯s</i> first child, Empress needs to really take care of your health. Yourplexion hasn¡¯t been looking goodtely, so <i>zhen</i> asked Imperial Physician Wang to brew you some tonic. Drink it while it¡¯s still warm," Jun Qian Che personally hands her the bowl. He quietly eyes her.


    Mo Qi Qi knows what the content of this bowl is. Since Jun Qian Che is putting on an act and does not know that she knows, she must not let him see through her.


    Sweetheart, although mother did not n to get you and had been more than eager to see you go, but now, mother cannot bear to part from you. However, mother does not have any choice. Your father is the Emperor, he is too powerful for me to take on. If he wants someone dead, no one can escape that fate. Mother is too weak to protect you, I¡¯m sorry.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head goes a thousand mile an hour as she picks up the bowl. People say that even a tiger will not eat it¡¯s own cub. Could Jun Qian Che truly be that heartless? If she beg him, will he listen? No, he will not. He will think that she ns to use the child as a pawn to add to Mo n¡¯s power.


    Perhaps, he is only testing her? If she takes this tonic, it means that she is not nning to use the child as a tool for power against him. If she passes the test, will he leave the child alone?


    Sweetheart, let¡¯s gamble together. If we win, mother will be able to save you. If we lose, then, please don¡¯t me mother.


    After making up her mind, Mo Qi Qi lifts the bowl.


    When Jun Qian Che sees that, he says, "There is no rush, Empress. Careful, it¡¯s hot." Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart is beating really fast. Although the child is an ident, wouldn¡¯t it be too cruel to just get rid of it?


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at him warmly, "It¡¯s no longer hot."


    Anger and disappointment sh in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes. His voice is cold when he says, "Do you have anything to say to <i>zhen</i>?" Just say it, Mo Qi Qi. I will promise you anything.


    Imperial Physician Wang waits for the answer anxiously, fisting his hands as he stands in the sideline: Just say it, Your Ladyship. If you want to keep this child, His Majesty will definitely agree with you.


    Mo Qi Qi continues smiling as she shakes her head, "<i>Chenqie</i> has nothing to say." She picks up the bowl.


    Just as she is about to drink it, Jun Qian Che stands up and ps the bowl away from her hands. The bowl is smashed on the floor as the ck-coloured tonic inside spills out.


    Imperial Physician Wang secretly sighs in relief.


    All the other pce servants immediately kneel on the floor.


    Jun Qian Che stares at Mo Qi Qi in fury.


    Mo Qi Qi continues smiling at him, "What¡¯s wrong, Your Majesty? The tonic is all wasted now."


    Jun Qian Che tries his best to suppress his anger as he says, "<i>Zhen</i> suddenly remembers that the Empress is pregnant. You must be careful before drinking or eating anything."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles beautifully before saying, "Anything that Your Majesty brought ought to have been inspected carefully beforehand. There wouldn¡¯t be anything in it that will harm <i>chenqie</i> and our child."


    A mixture of disappointment, anger and heartache can be seen swirling in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes as he approaches her. "<i>Zhen</i> want this child, the Empress must do all you can to protect it. If anything happens to <i>zhen¡¯s</i> child, <i>zhen</i> will make sure the entire Feng Yang Pce and Mo n will be buried alongside it," he whispers.


    Then, he flings his sleeves and walks away.


    Imperial Physician Wang looks at the broken bowl happily before following Jun Qian Che.


    After Jun Qian Che left, Mo Qi Qi takes a couple of deep breaths before patting her stomach lovingly, "We won, sweetheart. Your father is not cruel enough to kill you." Tears of happiness flow from her eyes.


    Ban Xiangforts her, "Don¡¯t cry, Your Ladyship. Perhaps, His Majesty was in a bad mood, that¡¯s why he threw a temper tantrum at you. You are with a child. Don¡¯t cry, it will not be good for your child."


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head whileughing, "I¡¯m not crying, I am just too happy." In the end, Jun Qian Che is not that heartless.


    Even long after leaving Feng Yang Pce, the anger inside Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart refuses to subside. Is Mo Qi Qi really that unwilling to give birth to his child? He even dispatched people to send her some children¡¯s clothing, in hope that they will make her attached to the child she is carrying. In the end, it didn¡¯t work.


    She knew what was inside the bowl, yet she wanted to drink it anyway. How could she be so heartless? Although neither of them nned to get this child, it is already here, how cruel would it be to simply reject him?


    He only wanted to test her; to test her feelings for him, for their child. Who would have thought he would lose so thoroughly? She really does not love him anymore. Has he really been reced by that man? Just who is that man? Why does she keep yearning after him and is willing to be so cruel for him?


    It does not matter whether she is willing or not, she will have to give birth to this child. He does not care that she hates him, he will not let her go.


    It does not matter what the child¡¯s birth will represent, he will not let her hurt their child. And no one will be able to touch anyone that he has vowed to protect.

 Chapter 112

    "Your Majesty¡ª-" says Imperial Physician Wang as he follows Jun Qian Che from behind. He gathers enough courage to say, "Does this official need to re-brew the special tonic for Her Ladyship?" Truth be told, the physician has an inkling that he does not have to anymore, but Jun Qian Che is just too hard to fathom that it is simply better to ask.


    "No need. Do not bring this incident up to other people," replies Jun Qian Che coldly.


    "Yes," replies Imperial Physician Wang respectfully, secretly happy for the unborn child.


    "From now onwards, you are in charge of the Empress¡¯ pregnancy. Take good care of her, nothing bad should happen to <i>zhen¡¯s</i> child. Otherwise, <i>zhen</i> will hold you ountable."


    "Yes, this official will do everything to ensure the safety of the Empress¡¯ child," replies the imperial physician in deference.


    "And the Empress herself," adds Jun Qian Che. He grew up in the pce and knows what war amongst the womenfolk is like. A pregnant woman will be the main target of everyone. In the surface, everyone will be fine and harmonious. On the back however, is where all the schemingmences. One wants the mother to die, other wants the child to die, another wants both mother and child to die. Although Mo Qi Qi¡¯s rtionship with the other consorts have been goodtely, that does not mean that everyone will wish her well. Better safe than sorry.


    "Yes," replies Imperial Physician Wang.


    "Alright, you are no longer needed here. You can go."


    "Yes," Imperial Physician Wang quietly retreats.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s chest suddenly feels a burst of pain and he suddenly vomits blood.


    Eunuch Lin is quick to run to him. "What is wrong, Your Majesty? This old servant will immediately call Imperial Physician Wang back."


    "Stop!" says Jun Qian Che. "You are not allowed to let this matter spread. We¡¯ll head over to Gui Ning Pce."


    "Yes!" replies Eunuch Lin as he escorts him to Gui Ning Pce.


    When Jun Qian Che reaches Gui Ning Pce, pretty much everyone can see that something is wrong with him. Yang Shi Han on the other hand, runs over to him coquettishly while saying, "Your Majesty, why are you only here now? <i>Chenqie</i> have been waiting for you for so long!" She turns to her servants, "All of you may go."


    "Yes."


    Once all the servants have left them, Yang Shi Han immediately helps Jun Qian Che sit, "Hurry and sit, Your Majesty."


    "What is wrong with His Majesty, Your Ladyship?" asks Eunuch Lin in worry.


    Yang Shi Han can only smile, "Don¡¯t worry, Eunuch Lin. His Majesty has only been poisoned."


    "Poisoned? Who would dare to poison His Majesty? How is His Majesty now?" Eunuch Lin bes even more worried when he heard what Yang Shi Han said.


    Yang Shi Han smiles casually, "Don¡¯t worry. Now that he is here, even if he is on hisst breath, <i>bengong</i> will still be able to pull him back from the Underworld Gates. The poison inside His Majesty¡¯s body is not recent. It has been there since thest trip out of the pce."


    Eunuch Lin is stumped when he hears that, "It has been there for so long? This old servant didn¡¯t notice anything off with His Majesty¡¯s health. This is all this servant¡¯s fault for failing to take care of His Majesty properly!"


    Jun Qian Che calmly says, "There is no need to me yourself. This has nothing to do with you." He pretty much grew up under Eunuch Lin¡¯s care. Although they are a pair of master and servant, Jun Qian Che feels a certain kind soft spot for Eunuch Lin. He does not want him to feel guilty over something that he has no fault in.


    Yang Shi Hanforts the old eunuch as well, "Don¡¯t worry, Eunuch Lin. With <i>bengong</i> here, nothing will happen to His Majesty. He is almostpletely cured now, he only needs one treatment left."


    "Then why did His Majesty vomit blood? It looked pretty serious," Eunuch Lin is still worried.


    Yang Shi Han sighs, "That question, you need to ask His Majesty himself. Did anything happen that pissed him off? He clearly knows there is still remnants of poison inside his body, why didn¡¯t he control his temper? Never mind a poisoned man, even a regr man will vomit blood if you anger him enough. Things will get a little tricky, but <i>bengong</i> will be able to help him. Don¡¯t worry."


    Eunuch Lin calms down a lot when he hears that.


    Jun Qian Che turns to Eunuch Lin, "You may go and wait outside. Do not let anybody in."


    "Yes," Eunuch Lin walks out.


    Yang Shi Han helps prepare Jun Qian Che¡¯s herbal bath and the medicines that he will need to take. Once everything is prepared, she heads over to Jun Qian Che and calmly says, "The bath is ready, you can bath now."


    Jun Qian Che gets up and walks to her private chamber.


    Beyond the portable screen shielding the bath tub from view, smoke can be seen curling into the air. Arge wooden bath tub is ced behind the screen. The colour of the water filling it is brown.


    Jun Qian Che takes off his robes, leaving only his pants and climbs into the bath tub, sitting there and soaking the medicine in.


    Yang Shi Han walks in with a tray full of herbs and asionally adds more of those herbs to the bath water from time to time.


    Jun Qian Che puts his arms on the sides of the bath tub as he closes his eyes. He can feel the bath water warming up his body.


    While putting more herbs, Yang Shi Han cannot contain her curiosity and directly asks him, "I heard Your Majesty went to the Empress¡¯ pce with Imperial Physician Wang. Did everything happen smoothly?"


    Jun Qian Che does not open his eyes as he replies her, "What are you trying to say?"


    A beautiful smile appears on Yang Shi Han¡¯s face, "Even Your Majesty has learned to y stupid? <i>Chenqie</i> is naturally talking about the child inside the Empress¡¯ stomach. The child is already two months old, you cannot dy it any longer. Did you forget what Aunt said?"


    Jun Qian Che coldly replies her, "This is <i>zhen¡¯s</i> personal business, other people are not allowed to interfere."


    "Other people?" Yang Shi Han shakes her head whileughing, "Aunt¡¯s heart will break if she hears you! She is your mother, how could she be ¡¯other people¡¯? If even Aunt is ¡¯other people¡¯, who in this world is not ¡¯other people¡¯ to you? Don¡¯t tell me that in Your Majesty¡¯s heart, the Empress and her child are your real family? You threw up blood after leaving the Empress¡¯ pce, did you two fight? Is it because of the child? The Empress wanted the child and could not ept that her child is gone, so she threw a temper tantrum and fought with you. Is that what happened?"


    Jun Qian Che simply says, "<i>Zhen</i> can only wish that she wanted the child, that she fought with <i>zhen </i>over the child¡¯s safety. Tonight, she was too obedient. It angered <i>zhen</i>."


    Yang Shi Han pauses in the middle of adding herbs and looks at him in confusion, "What are you saying? Are you saying that you regret getting rid of the child?"


    Jun Qian Che opens his eyes and looks at her warningly, "That is <i>zhen¡¯s</i> child, <i>zhen</i> will not allow anyone toy a hand on <i>zhen¡¯s</i> child."


    Yang Shi Han looks at him incredulously, "Your Majesty, you¡ª- Do you even know what you are saying? That child is Mo Qi Qi¡¯s. If the child is born, you will never be able to sever your ties with Mo n."


    "The blood flowing inside the child¡¯s vein is <i>zhen¡¯s</i>. He or she will be born bearing the imperial surname, the child has nothing to do with Mo n," replies Jun Qian Che firmly.


    Yang Shi Hanughs helplessly, "You have gone mad. The Emperor has gone mad. Do you know what sort of threat that child will pose if he is born?"


    "<i>Zhen</i> has thought about it, but <i>zhen</i> is not worried. <i>Zhen</i> is the father, it is <i>zhen¡¯s</i> responsibility to make sure the child is born safely," says Jun Qian Che, love and gentleness shing in his eyes.

 Chapter 113

    "But you are not just the child¡¯s father, you are also the Emperor! You cannot only think about the child, you must also think about the kingdom! The Mo n are too powerful. They are like a big tree, their branches have already slithered into the imperial pce. Now, you are at the point at which you either cut it off or live it with for the rest of your life. With this child around, they will be able to control the entire court. It would be toote for you to regret it then!" Yang Shi Han is worried for themon people.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her before calmly saying, "Is it really because you don¡¯t want zhen to regret it or is there a personal reason behind your reasonings? <i>Zhen</i> knows about the history between you and the Empress. You just want to see her fall, isn¡¯t it?"


    Yang Shi Han avoids from looking into his eyes, "<i>Chenqie</i> is only thinking for Your Majesty and themon people! This has nothing to do with personal grievance. Even the Empress Dowager does not wish for this child to be born. Older people are more experienced, you should listen to Imperial Aunt, Your Majesty!"


    "<i>Zhen</i> knows what should be done, zhen does not need you to teach <i>zhen</i>. <i>Zhen</i> has made <i>zhen¡¯s</i> decision," Jun Qian Che closes his eyes, no longer wish to speak of the matter.


    Yang Shi Han also keeps quiet and concentrates fully on curing the poison.


    The next day, Mo Qi Qi sits quietly in front of her vanity right after waking up, lost in her thoughts. She looks at her reflection in the mirror, "Mo Qi Qi, Jun Qian Che already said that he wants this child, what are you still worried for? Even a tiger will not eat it¡¯s own cub, much less him. After all, we are talking about taking a life. It is easy for him to say he wants to get rid of it, but when the timees for action, he still wouldn¡¯t have the heart to. Didn¡¯t that happen to you too; you were so eager to get abortion, but then suddenly decided to protect the child atst minute. After all, blood is thicker than water. But Jun Qian Che¡¯s temperament is not normal; what if he changes his mind and decides he wants to get rid of the child after all? Aiya, how troublesome! A while ago, I was stressing over how to get rid of the child, and now, I¡¯m stressing over how to protect it! Why is life so tiring? Mo Qi Qi, if you are still that uneasy, why don¡¯t you reaffirm it with Jun Qian Che? That¡¯s better than the guessing games that you engage by yourself here!"


    She suddenly stands up while happily saying, "Right, I could test the water there over at Jun Qian Che¡¯s pce! Let¡¯s see if he ns to stick to his words! The court ought to have ended by now!" Now that she has decided to go, she marches on fiercely.


    Ban Xiang who has been waiting outside looks at her in confusion, "Where are you going, Your Ladyship? Breakfast is ready, you can eat now."


    "Skipping breakfast for now. I need to find His Majesty, there is a little matter at hand," says Mo Qi Qi as she rushes out of Feng Yang Pce.


    "Slow down, Your Ladyship! Be careful when you walk," reminds Ban Xiang in worry, though a joyful expression can be seen on her face. "Their rtionship is getting better and better. Once the imperial child is born, it will get even better. Even Yang Guifei wouldn¡¯t be able to get between them!" she mumbles to herself happily.


    Mo Qi Qi reaches Yu Jing Pce in record time. She asks a guard if the Emperor is there. He replies her saying that the Emperor has just returned from the morning court.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief and immediately walks in. Jun Qian Che is busy everyday. The moment after the morning court in which he takes his breakfast is the only free time he has in the entire day. It is really not easy to meet this guy. Now that she managed to catch him during his only free time, she must seize this chance to check him and his mood.


    She slips into Yu Jing Pce and only stops right when she is in front of Jun Qian Che¡¯s resting chamber. She takes a deep breath and adjusts her breathing. Then, she fixes her clothes and her hair. She must be the kind of woman he wants to see when she is in front of him. Otherwise, he¡¯d scold her again. Once everything is in order, she makes her elegant entrance.


    Jun Qian Che is sitting in front of a long table filled with delicacies when Mo Qi Qi walks in.


    She curtsies in front of him respectfully, "<i>Chenqie</i> greets Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che is a little surprised to see her there. He thought that after the ugly altercation yesterday, he wouldn¡¯t look for her, and she in turn, would avoid appearing in front of him. Especially since she would be angry and disappointed over his wanting to let their child live. Then, why is she here? Don¡¯t tell him she is nning to persuade him to change his mind?


    Jun Qian Che inevitably bes angry again. "Why are you here?" he snaps coldly.


    Mo Qi Qi walks over to him and orders the servants to put a chair next to him.


    The servants immediately fetch her a chair.


    She sits down and calmly says, "All of you may go. <i>Bengong</i> has something to discuss with His Majesty."


    "Yes," the servants retreat in an orderly manner.


    Jun Qian Che does not stop her.


    After the servants have left, Jun Qian Che speaks first, "Why did youe to find <i>zhen</i>?"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the delicacies filling every inch of the table, "You are still eating breakfast. Why don¡¯t you eat first, we can talkter." She tries her best to appease him. If he is happy, the chance of their child surviving will be even bigger.


    Now that she has said that, Jun Qian Che¡¯s appetite for breakfast is gone, "Whatever it is you want to say, you can say it now. <i>Zhen</i> will be busy after breakfast. <i>Zhen</i> will have no time to listen to your words."


    Huh? Mo Qi Qi looks at him awkwardly. Can this man speak with more consideration towards others? However, since he already put it that way..... "Since it is so, <i>chenqie</i> will say it now. Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> identally angered you when you came to Feng Yang Pcest night, so now, <i>chenqie</i> is here to apologize."


    "Apologize? Do you even know what you did wrong?" asks Jun Qian Che coldly.


    Huh? A question mark appears on top of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head. Sheughs awkwardly, "Hehe, no matter what it was that <i>chenqie</i> did wrong, since you are angry, it is only <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> responsibility to apologize."


    Jun Qian Che res at her angrily, "Since you did not even know what you did wrong, what is the point of apologizing?" scolds Jun Qian Che. This woman..... Is she purposely acting dumb?


    Mo Qi Qi pouts pitifully, "Don¡¯t be angry, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> knows that <i>chenqie</i> is bad at speaking. Everytime <i>chenqie</i> speaks, you get angry. But still, it¡¯s not like <i>chenqie</i> did it on purpose. Since you don¡¯t like it, <i>chenqie</i> will change. <i>Chenqie</i> will change everything that you are not happy with. <i>Chenqie</i> will be a generous and virtuous Empress."


    Jun Qian Che does not want to listen to her anymore. His voice gets even colder as he says, "That¡¯s what you wanted to say? Since you said everything you wanted to say, you can go."


    "There is something else that <i>chenqie</i> wants to talk about. <i>Chenqie</i> wants to talk about our child," says Mo Qi Qi.


    ¡¯<i>Our child¡¯</i>? Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart unwittingly melts when he hears that. Yes, that is indeed their child. Although what happened that night was without her consent, the child is still biologically theirs. Their blood is running inside the child¡¯s vein. The child is binding them together in ways that are beyond intimate. The coldness in the air dissipates as he speaks, "What¡¯s wrong with our child?"

 Chapter 114

    "Your Majesty,st night, you said that you n to keep this child. Was that said out of anger or did you really mean that?" asks Mo Qi Qi carefully, trying to avoid angering him. Just because she has grown to love the child does not mean that Jun Qian Che will love the child as well. After all, there are so many women in the harem. If he wants a child, he can just pick someone at random to bear the child for him. As for herself, although the child is an ident, it is also something that will not happen easily to her.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her earnestly, "What do you think, Empress?"


    Huh? This piece of¡ª- He actually dares to return the question to her? If she knows, she wouldn¡¯t have asked him, wouldn¡¯t she? They don¡¯t even know each other that well. How should she answer him? If she answers him too eagerly, would he think that she is eager for the child to be born so that she could use him to expand Mo n¡¯s power? Would that displease him enough and prompts him to order the killing of both her and the child? No, she must act like she does not care. Perhaps, it is the only way she could protect her child.


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a blooming smile, "<i>Chenqie</i> does not dare to guess Your Majesty¡¯s feelings."


    "<i>Zhen</i> will not me you, just speak your mind," replies Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Mo Qi Qi continues smiling, "Since it is so, <i>chenqie</i> will have to gather my courage and guess that it was only said out of anger."


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s face ispletely neutral. She cannot read his expression as he say, "What makes you think so, Empress?"


    Mo Qi Qi pretends to helplessly sigh, "It is because of Mo n, of course! My father is Duke Zhen, my brother is a Great General. We wield too much power over the military. Everyone says that Mo n is too powerful and has made Your Majesty wary. If this child is born, he or she will be Duke Zhen¡¯s grandchild. That is a thread of rtionship that Your Majesty can never sever. It will be better for Your Majesty to sever that tie before it can be fully formed."


    Jun Qian Che tries his best to suppress the anger blooming inside his heart; he is right, she is only here to abort the pregnancy. How cruel is Mo Qi Qi; to be willing to kill a child just because she does not want to have anything to do with him.


    "That is what you think it is, Empress?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "<i>Chenqie</i> is not very smart and can onlye to that conclusion. If <i>chenqie</i> said wrong, please do not be angry and let¡¯s take it as <i>chenqie</i> never said anything."


    "What about you? Don¡¯t you want to expand Mo n¡¯s power even a little? If the child is a prince, he might get to rule one day. Hasn¡¯t it always been your dream to be the Empress Dowager? If the child is born, you are one step closer to your dream!" says Jun Qian Che in a neutral tone, making it hard for others to read him.


    Mo Qi Qi can onlyugh innocently, "Your Majesty sure knows how to joke with <i>chenqie</i>! <i>Chenqie</i> was just joking back then, why did you take it seriously? <i>Chenqie</i> is still so young, <i>chenqie</i> does not want to be the Empress Dowager! <i>Chenqie</i> only want to keep Your Majestypany till the end of time." She smiles at Jun Qian Che sweetly.


    It does not matter whether she is being sincere or not, her words work on Jun Qian Che just the same. He is very happy to hear all that. "So you mean, you want to get rid of the child?" he persistently asks her.


    Mo Qi Qi is stumped. When did she say that? She was only trying to tter him, alright? Huhu, gods up above, please send a celestial to help me out! Talking to this bas*ard is too tiring!


    "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> did not say <i>chenqie</i> does not want this child. <i>Chenqie</i> is your wife; you are <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> sky, you get to decide everything, <i>chenqie</i> will listen to you!" Pooh, can you be even more gross, Mo Qi Qi? Sweetheart, mommy is putting your life on your father¡¯s palm. Everything depends on him, now.


    Jun Qian Che res at her coldly, "Listen to <i>zhen</i>, Mo Qi Qi. <i>Zhen</i> does not care what your feeling for the child is, <i>zhen</i> does not care if you like him or hate him; since <i>zhen</i> decides that he will be born, nothing will change <i>zhen¡¯s</i> mind. <i>Zhen</i> already told you <i>zhen</i> wants this child, so you better get your acts together and give birth to him properly. If you dare to pull anything behind everybody¡¯s back, <i>zhen</i> will not spare you!"


    Mo Qi Qi uses everything she has to suppress the joy that is threatening to break on her expression. She looks at him innocently and aggrievedly, "Really, are you sure? Is this your final decision?"


    "Monarchs do not give their words lightly! Don¡¯t let <i>zhen</i> repeat myself," Jun Qian Che grits his teeth angrily. Just look at that expression on her face. Is she that reluctant to have children with him?


    Mo Qi Qi immediately waves him off, "Alright, <i>chenqie</i> heard it clearly this time."


    Jun Qian Che studies her expression and spots the joy that she has been trying so hard to conceal. He cannot believe his own eyes; did he see wrong?


    Mo Qi Qi tries her best to look normal. She does not want to appear too happy. If he finds out what she really feels, he might change his mind.


    The tacit understanding between the two of them ispletely non-existent. The marriage still has a long way to go.


    "Your Majesty, don¡¯t you worry that Mo n will pose threat to the court if this child is born?" In the end, Mo Qi Qi cannot stop herself from asking the most curious question of them all. What made Jun Qian Che decide to keep the child?


    Jun Qian Che concentrates on the table in front of him while saying, "The child is <i>zhen¡¯s</i>, <i>zhen</i> believe in <i>zhen¡¯s</i> own decision. <i>Zhen</i> will handle the court, there is no need to drag an innocent child into this. You shouldn¡¯t be worrying about this, Empress. You should concentrate more on your health."


    Mo Qi Qi obediently nods, "Alright, <i>chenqie</i> understand."


    "Did you eat breakfast?" Jun Qian Che¡¯s tone is casual, but the truth is, he is really worried about her.


    She shakes her head, "No, I¡¯m not really hungry."


    Jun Qian Che scolds her in frustration, "You are now pregnant, you shouldn¡¯t skip meals! Even if you are not hungry, the child inside you might be. <i>Zhen</i> want <i>zhen¡¯s</i> child toe into the world all round and healthy!" The truth is, his heart aches more for the child¡¯s mother. She is very thin. It is not good for her to be skipping meals.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her little mouth, "<i>Chenqie</i> understand. <i>Chenqie</i> will not be skipping meals from now on. <i>Chenqie</i> will return to Feng Yang Pce to eat now." She gets up.


    "Sit down!" Jun Qian Che stops her.


    She looks at him in confusion, "Is there anything else?"


    "Sit down and eat here. Bring the Empress her eating utensils!" Jun Qian Che orders a servant.


    The servant immediately brings a bowl and a pair of chopsticks over.


    Jun Qian Che picks a dish for her and puts it inside her bowl, "Eat."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at him happily, "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    Honestly, if only one of them does not speak so infuriatingly and the other less suspicious and jealous, the two of them actually looks really good together.


    Mo Qi Qi eats a couple of mouthfuls before she is oveed by nausea. She covers her mouth.

 Chapter 115

    Jun Qian Che follows her out and pats her in the back soothingly.


    Mo Qi Qi puts up her hand to keep him at bay, "Just ignore <i>chenqie</i>, Your Majesty. Go and eat your breakfast, do not let <i>chenqie</i> affect your appetite."


    Jun Qian Che remains quiet and does not leave. He continues standing behind her and gently patting her back.


    Once her stomach settles a little, she stands up straight and turns to face Jun Qian Che. "I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> disturbed your breakfast," she mutters self-depracatingly.


    "Will you feel this sick everytime you eat?" asks Jun Qian Che, his heart aching. He does not know whether leaving her with this child is good or not.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles unaffectedly, "All pregnant women out there have to go through this. He is already considered good. This will not happen all the time, only assionally."


    "Just inform the imperial kitchen if you want to eat anything. Tell them to make your favorite dishes. That should reduce the difort," says Jun Qian Che.


    His worry slowly warms Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart even though it is only due to the child, "Yes, Your Majesty."


    A eunuch heads over to them before bowing respectfully, "Greeting Your Majesty. The Empress Dowager has invited you to Ci Ning Pce to chat with her."


    "<i>Zhen</i> understands. You may go," replies Jun Qian Che calmly.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," the eunuch slowly walks away.


    Mo Qi Qi turns to Jun Qian Che in worry, "Your Majesty, perhaps the Empress Dowager wants to talk to you about <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> pregnancy."


    "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t think too much. Since <i>zhen</i> has decided to keep this child, <i>zhen</i> will protect both of you. No one can hurt him,"forts Jun Qian Che.


    A faint smile is formed on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s lips, "Thank you, Your Majesty. You better go to the Empress Dowager now. Since <i>chenqie</i> cannot eat anything right now, <i>chenqie</i> will leave first." She curtsies in front of him before leaving.


    Jun Qian Che then heads over to Ci Ning Pce inrge strides.


    The Empress Dowager has been waiting for him with a displeased look on her face.


    Jun Qian Che walks in and bows in front of his mother, "Greeting, Imperial Mother."


    "You still remember that <i>aijia</i> is your mother," reprimands the Empress Dowager.


    Jun Qian Che looks at his mother before asking, "What is wrong, Imperial Mother? Did someone anger you?"


    The Empress Dowager tries her best to calm her fury. This is the first time she has been so angry at her own son, "Who else, other than you? Did you forget what you said a couple of days ago? You said the Empress¡¯ child must not stay. So many days have passed and the pregnancy is going on just fine, don¡¯t you think you owe Imperial Mother an exnation?"


    The truth is, the Empress Dowager has found out about what happenedst night and has panicked and called the Emperor in.


    Jun Qian Che is not one to bend his will to smooth things over, so he honestly replies her, "Imperial Mother, son has decided to keep the child."


    "What did you say?" the Empress Dowager stands up from her seat angrily. She is so angry that her body is shaking, "Did you forget who Mo Qi Qi is? Did you forget the way Duke Zhen threatened you before you ascended the throne back then? Did you forget how powerful Mo n is? Did you forget your responsibility? Your identity?"


    "Imperial Mother, son did not forget any of that. But what son will not forget even more is how happy son was when son found out that Mo Qi Qi is carrying son¡¯s child. After thinking it through, son wants the child. Yes, he or she will be Duke Zhen¡¯s grandchild, but more than that, he or she will also be son¡¯s flesh and blood. Zhen does not have the heart to hurt the child."


    The Empress Dowager is even angrier now, "Muddle-headed, you are too muddle-headed. <i>Aijia</i> could see thattely, Mo Qi Qi has sessfully seduced you to the point where you have lost your rationality. Never mind getting her pregnant, you now actually want to keep the child! Do you want to anger Imperial Mother to death? If Imperial Mother has to do it myself, I will! You need to protect your position, you need to protect the kingdom! Imperial Mother will send someone to do it cleanly! No one will be able to pin the me on us."


    "Stop making things hard for son, Imperial Mother," retorts Jun Qian Che.


    "Hard?" the Empress Dowager smiles sadly. "Imperial Mother is only thinking for you! You are Imperial Mother¡¯s child. Everything that Imperial Mother does will be for your own good, yet you actually said that Imperial Mother is making things hard for you? You unfilial child!"


    Jun Qian Che looks at his mother before saying, "Imperial Mother, what if Imperial Father decided to get rid of me when he found out you were pregnant, 22 years ago? What would you do?"


    "I¡ª-" The Empress Dowager is rendered speechless.


    Jun Qian Che continues attacking, "What would you do? Would you fight to keep me alive or would you listen to him?"


    The Empress Dowager looks at him resolutely, "Your Imperial Father would never do that. He loved you so much."


    Loved? Jun Qian Che sneers before continue attacking, "What if he decided he didn¡¯t want me?"


    The Empress Dowager did not even hesitate before saying, "I would have protected you with my own life." She shakes her head while smiling.


    "There might be fathers out there who doesn¡¯t want their own child, but son is not one of them," replies Jun Qian Che earnestly.


    The Empress Dowager softens her tone, "There are no fathers out there who doesn¡¯t want their children. If they do, they simply have their own difficulties."


    Jun Qian Che coldly replies her, "No matter what that difficulty is, it is not worthy of hurting an innocent child over. Even a tiger will not eat it¡¯s own cub. Imperial Mother would have protected your child with your life, so is son. Son will make sure the child is born safely. Son will also make sure that no one can use him or her as a political tool. He or she will be son¡¯s first child, will be surnamed Jun. Our hearts will be with each other."


    The Empress Dowager does not know how to reply to that. He is right, even a tiger will not eat it¡¯s own cub. How cruel would it be to persuade him to kill his own child? "But, danger and uncertainty will always be around if the child is born," the Empress Dowager still has lingering worries.


    "The child is not even born yet. No one knows what the future hold, how could we make decisions based on something that we don¡¯t even know for sure? Perhaps things will not be as bad as we predicted. Son does not wish to worry about this now. Son only wish to raise son¡¯s child properly. Hopefully, Imperial Mother will support son¡¯s decision."


    The Empress Dowager sighs helplessly, "Imperial Mother understands your personality. Once you made up your mind, no one will be able to change it. Imperial Mother can only hope that you won¡¯te to regret thister."


    "Son will never regret this," replies Jun Qian Che firmly. That child belongs to Mo Qi Qi and him; their blood are flowing inside the child¡¯s vein. He would never regret his decision.

 Chapter 116

    As for Mo Qi Qi, she coincidentally meets one of the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s servants. The servant tells her that the Grand Empress Dowager invited her to Yong Shou Pce. And so, instead of returning to Feng Yang Pce, Mo Qi Qi changes her direction to Yong Shou Pce.


    ¡°Qi Qi greets the Grand Empress Dowager,¡± Mo Qi Qi curtsies in front of the Grand Empress Dowager. She did not expect to see Jun Yue Hen sitting next to the Grand Empress Dowager.


    The Grand Empress Dowager immediately speaks up, ¡°Hurry and get up! You are pregnant, there is no need for such formality. Hurry and help the Empress sit!¡±


    Two maids obediently helps Mo Qi Qi sit.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, ¡°No need for such troubles, Imperial Grandmother. Qi Qi¡¯s body is still light, it¡¯s not that hard to curtsy.¡± After Mo Qi Qi settles down, she looks at Jun Yue Hen, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect the 7th imperial uncle to also be here. What a coincidence.¡±


    Jun Yue Hen cups his fists while bowing in front of her, ¡°Your Ladyship.¡±


    The Grand Empress Dowager eyes Mo Qi Qi in details, ¡°You must not becent, Qi Qi. Although your body is still light, the first three months of a pregnancy is the most dangerous period of time. The foetus is not stable, it is very easy for idents to happen.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi nods, understanding her meaning, ¡°Qi Qi understand. Thank you for your teaching, Imperial Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°This is your first pregnancy, you have no experience prior to this. If there is anything you do not understand, feel free to ask Imperial Grandmother. You must make sure the child is born safely. Just thinking that Imperial Grandmother will be able to hold a great grandchild in a couple more months makes me smile even in my sleep!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi smiles shyly, ¡°Thank you for your love, Imperial Grandmother. Qi Qi will not disappoint you! Qi Qi will definitely give birth to a healthy great grandchild for you!¡±


    The Grand Empress Dowager is so happy that she cannot contain the smile on her face, ¡°Good, good, good.¡±


    Jun Yue Hen, on the other hand, cannot help but feel disappointed by what he heard.


    Gong Ya Xian walks in while carrying a tray of pastries. She curtsies in front of Mo Qi Qi, ¡°Ya Xian greets the Empress.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi greets her warmly, ¡°Hurry and get up, Ya Xian. We are all family, there is no need for such formalities.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Ladyship. Ya Xian personally prepared these pastries for you when Ya Xian heard that you are here. I hope you will like it, Empress.¡± She puts the tray on a small table next to Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the exquisite pastries in appreciation, ¡°How pretty! You are indeed extraordinary, Ya Xian! Not only are you pretty, you are also talented!¡±


    Gong Ya Xian appears overwhelmed by her kind words.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her in confusion, ¡°Why are you looking at bengong like that, Ya Xian? Did bengong say anything wrong?¡±


    Ya Xian looks away while shaking her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that Ya Xian is too happy to be praised by you.¡±


    The Grand Empres Dowager teases Mo Qi Qi, ¡°Qi Qi, Imperial Grandmother noticed that you have changed a lot after Imperial Grandmother returned from Fo Shan. You have never praised anyone in the past and particrly treated Ya Xian with hostility. You did not like the fact that she grew up with His Majesty and was close to him, so you used to nitpick at everything she did. Never mind Ya Xian, even Imperial Grandmother is surprised to hear you right now.¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughs awkwardly, ¡°I used to be arrogant and ignorant, lucky Imperial Grandmother did not hate me and still dotes on me. Lucky, Ya Xian meimei also does not detest me and continues to treat me so well. I am touched. It was all my fault back then. Please forgive me, Imperial Grandmother. And do not take it to heart, Ya Xian. I will not be like that anymore. I will be a good Empress.¡±


    The Grand Empress Dowager smiles in appreciation, ¡°Good, good, good. The Empress is bing more and more likeable. No wonder you get to bear the Emperor¡¯s child. You are so virtuous, it is not surprising that the Emperor likes you. If you go on this way, you will be able to mend your rtionship with His Majesty. Don¡¯t you agree, old Seven?¡± the Grand Empress Dowager looks at her own son.


    Jun Yue Hen nods slightly, ¡°You are right, Imperial Mother.¡±


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    Mo Qi Qi smiles shyly, ¡°Stop praising Qi Qi, Imperial Grandmother! Qi Qi is embarrassed now.¡±


    Gong Ya Xian smiles beautifully before softly saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether we are talking about the past Empress or the current Empress, both are very outstanding. In the past, the Empress was straight-forward and gives off the air of a magnificent heroine. Now, the Empress is virtuous and gentle, very kind towards other people. Either side of you is very attractive, so your rtionship with His Majesty will only gets better and better.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi turns to the Grand Empress Dowager, ¡°Just listen to Ya Xian, Imperial Grandmother! The attractive one out of us two is her! Never mind men, even women might fall in love with her.¡±


    ¡°Stop making fun of Ya Xian, Your Ladyship,¡± mutters Ya Xian shyly.


    ¡°Bengong is not making fun of you! Ya Xian is 18 this year, you are already at a marriageable age!¡±


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    Ya Xian pales. In the past, the Empress kept bringing up the topic of her marriage, eager to marry her off. Is she going to do this again, today?


    Without waiting for Mo Qi Qi to finish, Gong Ya Xian cuts her off, ¡°Ya Xian does not wish to marry. Ya Xian wish to keep Grandmotherpany forever.¡±


    The Grand Empress Dowager sighs helplessly, ¡°Aijia keeps telling her the same thing, but she keeps refusing. Ya Xian¡¯s health is not good, aijia is also worried to send her out. This matter worries aijia a lot.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi smiles cunningly, ¡°Imperial Grandmother can stop worrying about this matter, Qi Qi has just the right candidate! Ya Xian meimei will be happy and Imperial Grandmother will get to see her a lot!¡±


    Gong Ya Xian continues refusing, ¡°Your Ladyship, please stop worrying about Ya Xian¡¯s marriage. Ya Xian has vowed to remain unmarried in this lifetime. It does not matter who that man is, Ya Xian will not marry him.¡±


    The Grand Empress Dowager is displeased to hear that, ¡°This child! Do not say such silly words. Which young maiden wouldn¡¯t want to marry? Grandma is old now, grandma won¡¯t be able to keep youpany for long. You must find an honorable gentleman that suits you who can take care of you for the rest of your life. Empress, hurry and tell Imperial Grandmother whose family¡¯s Young Master you have in mind! Let Imperial Grandmother see if he is right.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi gives them a secretive smile, ¡°You know him, Imperial Grandmother! In fact, we all do. He is your good grandson, the Emperor!¡±


    The Grand Empress Dowager, Jun Yue Hen and Ya Xian all stare at her in shock. They did not expect her to suggest the Emperor. She used to guard against Ya Xian in the past, forbidding her from trying to approach Jun Qian Che. And now, she actually suggests to marry off Ya Xian to Jun Qian Che? This is too shocking! She really has changed.


    Mo Qi Qi is confused when she sees their reaction, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I say anything wrong?¡±


    The Grand Empress Dowager earnestly asks her, ¡°Did you mean it, Empress?¡±

 Chapter 117

    Mo Qi Qi continues giving them an elegant and virtuous smile, "Qi Qi wouldn¡¯t dare to speak nonsense in front of you, Imperial Grandmother. Qi Qi sincerely wish that Ya Xian can be happy with His Majesty. Qi Qi kept on obstructing them in the past, disregarding their feelings for each other. Qi Qi has been feeling very guilty about that. Now that Qi Qi is having a child, Qi Qi has grown mature. Qi Qi does not care about anything else other than this child. Now, Qi Qi is willing to give Ya Xian and His Majesty my blessing, just like how I gave Yang Guifei and His Majesty my blessing back then."


    The Grand Empress Dowager is overjoyed, "<i>Aijia</i> have always understand Ya Xian the best. She has been unwilling to marry because her heart is already upied by His Majesty. Just, <i>aijia</i> didn¡¯t want to ruin Qi Qi and His Majesty¡¯s rtionship for Ya Xian. Ya Xian wouldn¡¯t want that either, that¡¯s why none of us ever brought it up to you, Empress. Who would have thought you would personally bring it up yourself? You have grown more mature, Empress. Imperial Grandmother is very happy with you. Hurry and thank the Empress, Ya Xian!"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Ya Xian before teasing her, "Ya Xian, don¡¯t tell <i>bengong</i> you are going to reject this proposal as well?"


    Gong Ya Xian smiles shyly before curtsying, "Thank you, Your Ladyship."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles happily, "No need to thank <i>bengong</i>. From now onwards, we will be like sisters, there is no need to be so courteous."


    Gong Ya Xian¡¯s cheeks redden.


    After chatting for a while more, the Grand Empress Dowager grow sleepy and is sent to rest by Ya Xian.


    Mo Qi Qi and Jun Yue Hen leave together. They slowly stroll in the courtyard together.


    After walking in silence, Jun Yue Hen speaks first, "Qi Qi, are you really going to let Ya Xian marry His Majesty?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Did you think I was joking?"


    "But you used to hate Ya Xian. You would get so angry whenever you saw them together," Jun Yue Hen looks at her in disbelief.


    "If you care for someone, you would naturally want to be the only one inside that person¡¯s eyes, that person¡¯s heart. But when you don¡¯t care for someone, you won¡¯t care who he likes or who he marry. I have no feelings for Jun Qian Che right now. If by doing this makes me a good person, then, why not?" The more women he has, the more things he will have on his te. He will not have time to care for her or her child. Once the child is born, she must make sure to add even more women to him so that he can be distracted by those beauties enough to forget about Feng Yang Pce.


    "Do you mean it, Qi Qi? You don¡¯t like the Emperor anymore?" asks Jun Yue Hen, his heart lifting in joy.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him before earnestly saying, "I mean it, I no longer love Jun Qian Che. I have no feelings for men anymore." What she means by that is, she does not love anyone, neither Jun Qian Che nor himself.


    Unfortunately, Jun Yue Hen only focuses on the first part of her sentence. As long as she does not love Jun Qian Che, he will have a chance!


    "Qi Qi, you don¡¯t love him anymore. Do you still want to stay by his side?" Jun Yue Hen couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, "Although I had ns to leave before, I can¡¯t now. Not when I am carrying his child."


    "Has he told you what he ns for this child?" asks Jun Yue Hen.


    Mo Qi Qi stops in her steps before looking at him, "The Emperor has decided to keep this child."


    Jun Yue Hen is surprised, "What? His Majesty- he, he wants to keep this child?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Surprising, isn¡¯t it? I was shocked too. I thought he didn¡¯t mean it at first, so I went to him again this morning to inquire his decision. In the end, his decision didn¡¯t change. He even told me to give birth to a healthy child."


    "What about you, Qi Qi? If you don¡¯t want this child, I can help you," Jun Qian Che looks at her, waiting for her answer.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, "Before yesterday, all I wanted was for this child to disappear. But then, I had a dream yesterday. I saw this cute child in my dream, begging me to save him. After I woke up, I made the decision to do everything I can to save my baby. I want to give birth to him safely."


    Jun Yue Hen feels as though his heart has just been cut up with knife. It hurts. He should have known she would feel this way. When his Imperial Mother inquired after the child earlier, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face was full of joy.


    "I thought you don¡¯t love His Majesty? If this child is born, you will forever be tied to His Majesty." This is the aspect that worry Jun Yue Hen the most. Back then, when she told him she didn¡¯t want this child, he was pleased. Although the child is innocent and that it would be really cruel to simply abort it, as long as this child is out of the picture, he will still have a chance with Mo Qi Qi, no matter how small. Now that she has decided to keep this child, he is scared. Scared that she wille to love Jun Qian Che again because of this child.


    "Right now, I don¡¯t want to think too much. Even if I want to leave Jun Qian Che one day, I will take my child with me. I refuse to let him live under constant intrigue. Besides, even if the child is born, I will not love Jun Qian Che again. I am not keeping this child out of love for Jun Qian Che, but out of the thread of destiny connecting me and my child. If I decide to leave, I know that I will be able to leave without looking back," Mo Qi Qi¡¯s eyes are earnest. When she looks at Jun Yue Hen, she appears a little apologetic, "Yue Hen, you must think me so fickle. I was so adamant to reject this baby just a few days ago, and now, all I want to do is to protect him."


    Jun Yue Hen shakes his head, "All women have maternal love within them. The baby is your flesh and blood, it is natural for you to love him or her. I once told you that I would support you no matter what, that promise still stand. You don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed towards me. If you want to protect this child, I will protect the child with you. I am sure he or she will grow up cute and pretty like Qi Qi."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles happily, "Thank you, Yue Hen."


    "Qi Qi, saying that will make me feel like an outsider."


    Mo Qi Qi nods in agreement, "Correct, you are my bestest friend and confidante. Words like that are unnecessary for us!"


    Jun Yue Hen smiles warmly. Although he feels disappointed whenever he hears the word ¡¯friend¡¯ from her, he does not show it to her. It doesn¡¯t matter what they are, it¡¯s enough as long as he can see her often.


    Summer nights are beautiful on their own right despite of the heat.


    Perhaps it¡¯s because Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart is no longer weighed down by anything, so she feels like the moon and the stars are especially pretty tonight.


    She sits in front of the table in the courtyard, drinking tea while admiring the view.


    This is usually the kind of time that one hates to be disturbed the most. Unfortunately, a certain someone missed the memo.


    Jun Qian Che walks into Feng Yang Pce inrge strides, the expression on his face ugly. When he sees Mo Qi Qi leisurely sitting there while sipping tea, the displeasure within him grows even more.


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 Chapter 118

    Mo Qi Qi is busy admiring the view and did not notice Jun Qian Che¡¯s entrance.


    It is not until Jun Qian Che is seated right in front of her did she finally been made aware of his presence. The tea that she has just sipped almost choke her to death due to the shock. <i>Cough Cough Cough¡ª</i>


    Ban Xiang gives her aforting pat in the back.


    Jun Qian Che can¡¯t stop himself from scolding her when he sees what happened, "You are going to be a mother. How could you still be so careless?"


    Mo Qi Qi shoots him a nasty look, "You are one to speak! If you hadn¡¯t suddenly appeared out of nowhere, <i>chenqie</i> wouldn¡¯t have choked! It¡¯ste, Your Majesty! What are you doing here instead of being with Yang Meimei?"


    "You are <i>zhen¡¯s</i> Empress, is <i>zhen</i> not allowed here?" shot Jun Qian Che, equally nasty.


    Mo Qi Qi gives him a perfunctory smile, "Of course you can, of course you can! You are the Emperor. Never mind <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> pce, you can go anywhere you please within Hua Sheng Kingdom!"


    "Why did you promise Imperial Grandmother to marry Ya Xian off to <i>zhen</i>?" questions Jun Qian Che unhappily.


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows elegantly, "Looks like there really is no secret inside the pce! You actually found out. Since you already know everything, <i>chenqie</i> will just tell the truth. The truth is, <i>chenqie</i> only did that for your own good! <i>Chenqie</i> is currently pregnant and cannot serve you to the fullest. There are so many sisters inside the harem, yet you refused to even spare them a look and instead pours all your needs into Yang Guifei alone. So many concubines are starting to be unhappy with that. Besides, Yang Guifei has been here for a while, you will get sick of her sooner orter. Who will fulfill your needs then? That¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> decided to recruit some beauties for you. <i>Chenqie</i> can tell that Ya Xian likes Your Majesty. You treat Ya Xian well as well, so <i>chenqie</i> decided to unite you two."


    Jun Qian Che sneers coldly, "You sure are generous." His heart is currently filled with fury.


    Mo Qi Qi did not pick up the anger and takes his words as apliment, "Thank you for that praise, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> will try even harder from now on. Not only will <i>chenqie</i> be generous, chenqie will also be virtuous. When do you n on canonizing Ya Xian, Your Majesty? Out of the four <i>feis</i>, we stillck a Dong <i>Fei</i>. Why don¡¯t we install her as Dong <i>Fei</i>?"


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes dangerously, "You should stop dreaming, <i>zhen</i> will never take her in as a consort."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him incredulously, "Why not? Both of you clearly want to be with each other? Don¡¯t be a heartbreaker, the entire world will conspire against you!"


    Jun Qian Che cannot help from exining himself in fury, "<i>Zhen¡¯s</i> rtionship with Ya Xian has always been purely tonic. She is like <i>zhen¡¯s</i> little sister!"


    "So what if she¡¯s like a little sister? A little sister can also be a woman! Isn¡¯t Yang Shi Han a great example of that?" persuades Mo Qi Qi patiently, though in her heart, she says: Now, you worry about sister and such. Why did you not feel that way when you marry your own cousin? What a hypocrite.


    "Ya Xian and Shi Han are different," retorts Jun Qian Che firmly.


    Mo Qi Qi unhappily retorts back, "How are they different? I already promised the Grand Empress Dowager and Ya Xian. If you won¡¯t marry her, what should I say to them? How will I look like to the entire world? Ya Xian will hate me to death!"


    "That¡¯s your problem! You created it, now you solve it," replies Jun Qian Che coldly.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly curses Jun Qian Che for being so heartless and unfair. This is rted to him, why should she bear the brunt of his decision on her own? No way! Since he¡¯s the one refusing to marry, let him tell the Grand Empress Dowager and Ya Xian himself! She refuse to be the bad guy!


    And so, Mo Qi Qi begins disying her superb acting skill. She sobs in grievance, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> was only thinking for your own good! The Empress Dowager has always desired grandchildren from you. You can ignore things like that, but <i>chenqie</i> is the owner of the back pce, <i>chenqie</i> cannot ignore them. If you don¡¯t have children, the people at court will say <i>chenqie</i> purposely stopped you from visiting other concubines. They will call <i>chenqie</i> names! How is that fair? Ya Xian is kind and virtuous and has deep affection for you. Imperial Grandmother worries about her and couldn¡¯t bear to send her out to marry, so <i>chenqie</i> thought, might as well keep her inside the pce, because why not, right? Ya Xian will be able to keep the Grand Empress Dowagerpany and serve you at the same time. We will also be able to fulfill Ya Xian¡¯s desire to be with you. We¡¯re hitting three birds with one stone! How perfect would everything be? Who would have thought Your Majesty would say no! You even expect <i>chenqie</i> to say it to the Grand Empress Dowager and Ya Xian.... Wu wu wu..... <i>Chenqie</i> is carrying a child. Waking up every morning is a torture for <i>chenqie</i>! <i>Chenqie</i> originally thought that <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> life would be at peace since <i>chenqie</i> did a good deed today, but who would have thought Your Majesty woulde here to stress <i>chenqie</i> out. You sure likes to bully <i>chenqie</i>, to bully <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> child! Wuwuwuwu, did you see your Imperial Father, my child? He does not love you at all, wuwuwu. Our lives are so hard," wails Mo Qi Qi whole-heartedly, in tears.


    Jun Qian Che is very upset to hear all that, "Who allows you to speak nonsense to our child? Did <i>zhen</i> ever say <i>zhen</i> does not love him?" She actually dared to say he is here to stress her out? What about him? The anger and grievance that he is currently holding back are beyond words! He clearly does not have feelings for Ya Xian, who told her to do all those things?


    "You don¡¯t love our child, alright! <i>Chenqie</i> already gave the Grand Empress Dowager <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> assurance, and now, you are going around rejecting our n, you are clearly undermining <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> authority, ah! You even told me to solve it myself, how do I even begin to solve this? If <i>chenqie</i> goes to the Grand Empress Dowager now, she would be really unhappy! She might even kill <i>chenqie</i> out of anger! And what about Ya Xian? What if she grows to resent <i>chenqie</i>? How should <i>chenqie</i> show my face in the harem after this? Wuwuwu, Your Majesty likes to bully <i>chenqie</i>, <i>chenqie</i> does not want to live anymore, wuwuwu," sobs Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart aches when he sees her like that. Although he knows she is only acting, his heart is moved anyway. Besides, she is carrying a child right now. Asking her to figure this out herself will indeed make things hard for her. It won¡¯t be good for their child either, if she is emotionally stressed. And so, Jun Qian Che gives in first, "Alright, stop acting. <i>Zhen</i> will handle this."


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s tears are immediately ceased. She smiles at him, tears and snots and all, "Your Majesty, a ruler must keep to his words. Since you said that, you must follow through."


    Jun Qian Che helplessly shakes his head, why did he marry such a woman? "<i>Zhen</i> will naturally follow through. As for you, mind your own business from now on, stop caring about things like these. Remember, you are carrying a child. The most important thing for you is to make sure your pregnancy is going smoothly."


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, "Alright, <i>chenqie</i> will remember your teaching!"


    Now that the problem is solved, Mo Qi Qi is rxed once more. She takes a leisure sip of her tea before saying, "Your Majesty, there are so many women inside your harem, why won¡¯t you add one Gong Ya Xian to the number? It would hardly make a difference. You are going to break her heart, you know?"

 Chapter 119

    "<i>Zhen</i> is only thinking for her own good. She is not like the women in the harem, <i>zhen</i> does not want to ruin her happiness."


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "I really can¡¯t understand you men...."


    Jun Qian Che does not wish to continue the topic. Instead, he turns to her, "How is your health today? Did you eat properly?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "The baby has been good today. <i>Chenqie</i> is fine. Your Majesty, it iste, shouldn¡¯t you go to Yang Meimei?"


    Jun Qian Che res at her.


    She smiles at him sweetly, "Be careful as you walk, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> will not send you off," she waves at him, tantly chasing him away.


    The anger inside Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart is reignited once more. He gets up and walks off angrily.


    "Goodbye, Your Majesty," says Mo Qi Qi sweetly.


    Jun Qian Che leaves in anger. She has always been good at angering him.


    After he left, Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief. People are right, keeping an Emperor¡¯spany is the same as befriending a tiger. He is so tiring. She really cannot understand why the other concubines are so hell-bent on attracting him. They must be tired of living.


    The next day, right after the morning court, Jun Qian Che pays the Grand Empress Dowager a visit.


    "Grandson greets Imperial Grandmother," Jun Qian Che greets her respectfully.


    The Grand Empress Dowager gives him a benevolent smile, "No need to be so formal,e and sit."


    "Thank you, Imperial Grandmother," replies Jun Qian Che as he sits down.


    When Gong Ya Xian finds out that Jun Qian Che is there, she dresses up prettity and heads over to greet them.


    The Grand Empress Dowager happily beckons Gong Ya Xian to sit next to her. She smiles at the two of them, "Che Er, Ya Xian..... No wonder the Empress wants to pair you two off. You two look so good together. The man is handsome and the woman is pretty, both of you are match-made in heaven."


    Gong Ya Xian lowers her head shyly while muttering, "Grandmother¡ª-"


    Jun Qian Che, on the other hand, remains calm, "Imperial Grandmother, grandson is actually here to talk to you regarding that matter."


    The Grand Empress Dowager smiles in joy, "Oh, so you already knew? Are you here because you are eager to marry Ya Xian? You want to marry her as soon as you can? As long as you two are happy, Imperial Grandmother will have no objection."


    "Imperial Grandmother, grandson will have to disappoint you. Grandson is here today to say that grandson has no n to marry Ya Xian," replies Jun Qian Che emotionlessly.


    The Grand Empress Dowager turns to him in shock.


    Gong Ya Xian looks on destely.


    "Why are you so cruel, Che Er? Did the Empress regret her decision and argued with you?" asks the Grand Empress Dowager.


    "No, this has nothing to do with the Empress. This is what Grandson wants. All these while, Grandson has only viewed Ya Xian as a younger sister and nothing more," exins Jun Qian Che.


    The Grand Empress Dowagerughs, "Even brotherly love can turn into something more. Both of you suit each other so well, you will be able toe to love herter. Weren¡¯t you like a brother to Yang Guifei back then? Aren¡¯t you two doing well right now? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what Ya Xian feels for you. Won¡¯t you give the girl a chance?"


    "Imperial Grandmother, Ya Xian is a good woman, she will be able to find someone good for her, in the future. Grandson does not wish to ruin her happiness. There are a lot of things going on in court, Grandson has no time to think about anything else. Please forgive Grandson, Imperial Grandmother. Ya Xian, <i>zhen</i> will help you find a good husband," exins Jun Qian Che without holding back.


    The Grand Empress Dowager still refuses to let it go, "Why don¡¯t you consider it some more, Che Er? Even the Empress thinks you two would be good together. You two¡ª-"


    After seeing what has happened, Gong Ya Xian pats her grandmother¡¯s arm as she forces herself to smile, "Don¡¯t make things hard for His Majesty, Grandmother. To be honest, Ya Xian only see him as a brother, as well. All these while, Ya Xian have always treated him with respect and reverence, but only those of a younger sister¡¯s to her brother. So please do not make things hard for us."


    The Grand Empress Dowager sighs, "Since both of you are saying the same thing, <i>aijia</i> cannot force you two. <i>Aijia</i> originally thought that <i>aijia</i> could see both of you together. From the look of things, when the timees for her to marry, she will still have to live outside the pce."


    Gong Ya Xian smiles warmly, "Ya Xian cannot bear to part from Grandmother. Ya Xian is willing to spend the rest of her life to apany Grandmother."


    The Grand Empress Dowager looks at her in yful displeasure, "This child, such foolish words. Once girls grow up, they need to get married. To be happy. It doesn¡¯t matter if you are close to Grandmother or not, if you are happy, Grandmother would be happy for you."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Imperial Grandmother. Even if Ya Xian marries someday, she can enter the pce whenever she pleased to see you."


    The Grand Empress Dowager smiles, "You are right, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che chats with the Grand Empress Dowager for a while longer before leaving.


    Gong Ya Xian runs after him outside, "Brother Che¡ª"


    Jun Qian Che stops and turns to her, "Yes, what is it, Ya Xian?"


    Gong Ya Xian smiles shyly, "Your Majesty, please do not me the Empress for trying to match us off. She was only thinking for your own good. The Empress has changed a lot. She has be more virtuous and kind, Ya Xian really admire her."


    "Don¡¯t worry, <i>zhen</i> will not me the Empress. As for you, <i>zhen</i> hope you will not resent the Empress for this."


    Gong Ya Xian smiles, "What are you saying, Your Majesty? Why would Ya Xian hate the Empress? The Empress meant well. Both of you are very lovingtely, it makes people envious."


    "<i>Zhen</i> still has matters to attend to, you should keep Imperial Grandmotherpany."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Ya Xian curtsies in front of him.


    Jun Qian Che then leaves.


    And so, the matter is settled. Unfortunately, the news already spread inside the pce. When the servants learned that the Emperor rejected Gong Ya Xian, a lot of assumptions are made. Some people express sympathy, thinking Miss Gong would look really good next to the Emperor. Some other mocks Gong Ya Xian for trying to climb a higher branch, only to falls t on the ground. Since the Emperor himself said no, Miss Gong will never have this chance again in the future.


    Some other says that this is all part of the Empress¡¯ greater n. She goes around telling everyone she is matching the two people, only to threaten the Emperor using the child in private, and so, using this chance to kill the match once and for all.


    All in all, a lot of opinions are thrown around.


    The Grand Empress Dowager and Gong Ya Xian are in the imperial garden when they hear some of those talks. The Grand Empress Dowager is furious. "These servants are preposterous, they actually dare to gossip about their masters in private! Don¡¯t be upset, Ya Xian. Grandmother will punish them heavily!"


    "Don¡¯t be angry, Grandmother!" Gong Ya Xian stops the Empress Dowager. "It¡¯s nothing. Ya Xian is not upset."


    "How dare they cken your name," mutters Grand Empress Dowager angrily.


    Gong Ya Xian simply smiles, "People will talk about everyone, not just Ya Xian. Ever since Ya Xian lost my parents and live with you, people have been talking about Ya Xian non-stop, but Ya Xian does not care about what they say. As long as Grandmother loves me, I will have noin. Right now, these people are talking because they do not know the truth. That¡¯s why theye up with all these spections. If you punish them, it will not only validates their spection, it will also makes things hard for Ya Xian inside the pce. Ya Xian has a clear conscience, there is no need to pay any of these people any attention. They will stop once the matter dies down. If you punish them, it will fan the me even further. Ya Xian will feel guilty for upsetting you."


    The Grand Empress Dowager takes Gong Ya Xian¡¯s hand, "You-ah... Why are you so kind? You always think for other people and always ends up swallowing all your grievances to yourself. Things have been hard on you. If your mother sees you now, just how much would her heart ache? This is all Grandmother¡¯s fault for not taking proper care of you."


    Gong Ya Xian shakes her head, "Don¡¯t say that, Grandmother. Ya Xian knows how much Grandmother love Ya Xian. Ya Xian is thankful for that. Had it not been for you, Ya Xian would have died long ago."


    "You foolish child, stop saying such inauspicious things! You are so good, why didn¡¯t the Emperor like you? If you marry the Emperor, you would have been able to stay by Grandmother¡¯s side forever," the Grand Empress Dowager shakes her head in disappointment.


    Gong Ya Xian smiles at her warmly, "To be honest, being the Emperor¡¯s little sister is good as well. If I marry him and be his consort, there wille a time where I lose his favour. How painful would it be to watch him with another woman? I woulde to resent him. If I view him as my brother, I will never be disappointed by him. That is not bad, at all. Ya Xian hase to understand things, so please do not be disappointed, Grandmother. Ya Xian believe that someone, somewhere, is destined for Ya Xian, someone that will belong exclusively to Ya Xian."


    The Grand Empress Dowagerughs and pats her hand, "Hearing you say that makes Grandmother relieved. Grandmother was worried you would not be able to get over this."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Grandmother. Ya Xian is not that weak," she smiles at her beautifully.


    A couple of the maids are still obliviously gossiping, "That Miss Gong is so weak, and His Majesty so strong. If she marries the Emperor, she would never be able to take care of him in bed. His Majesty must have seen thating, that¡¯s why he rejected her. If he identally hurts her, how would he reply to the Grand Empress Dowager?"


    "It must have been so! In fact, the Emperor must have given her a try and finds her performance unsatisfactory, hence the rejection! Hahahaha¡ª-"


    "This must have been the Empress¡¯ n to begin with. She knows everything and made a fanfare of match-making the two together, purposely trying to snuff out their mes. She knew he wouldn¡¯t marry her. The Empress is really clever!"


    "Naturally! If she is not clever, she wouldn¡¯t have been the first one to bear His Majesty¡¯s child. Just look at Yang Guifei! She serves His Majesty in bed pretty much everyday, and even she is not pregnant yet. Something is off!"


    "Even Yang Guifei cannot win over the Empress, much less the weak Miss Gong. She is always sick, which men would even begin to like her? She is not good enough for the Emperor!"


    "What on earth are you people saying?" a powerful voice bellows as Mo Qi Qi stands in front of the three maids who have been busy gossiping while pulling out weeds from a flowerbed.

 Chapter 120

    The three maids are shocked by her presence. They kneel on the ground, "Your Ladyship the Empress."


    Ban Xiang points at them in anger, "You three are too preposterous! How dare you gossip about your masters behind their backs? You must be tired of living!"


    The three maids kowtow in front of them, "Please forgive us, Your Ladyship! We were wrong! Please forgive us!"


    Mo Qi Qi sneers icily, "Forgive you? Now you know to be afraid, why weren¡¯t you afraid before? How dare you speak of things you do not know, and fan the me of gossips? <i>Bengong</i> hates people like you the most! Now that <i>bengong</i> caught you three in the act, <i>bengong</i> must punish you heavily to warn the others! Let¡¯s see if they dare to speak nonsense again, in the future!


    "Please spare us, Your Ladyship! Please spare us¡ª-" the maids continue kowtowing.


    Seeing this, Gong Ya Xian immediately walks towards them to plead for mercy, "Please cease your anger, Your Ladyship!"


    Upon seeing Gong Ya Xian and the Grand Empress Dowager, Mo Qi Qi immediately curtsies, "Qi Qi greets Imperial Grandmother."


    The Grand Empress Dowager quickly say, "You are with child, Empress, no need for such formalities."


    "Thank you, Imperial Grandmother." Then, Mo Qi Qi turns to Gong Ya Xian in pity, "Ya Xian, this is all <i>bengong¡¯s</i> fault. <i>Bengong</i> caused you to be the subject of such rumors. <i>Bengong</i> will punish them heavily on your behalf."


    Gong Ya Xian shakes her head before warmly saying, "Ya Xian is fine, Your Ladyship. There is no need to be angry. Please do not punish them, either."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her fondly, "It is exactly because you are too kind to them that they are treating you this way, Ya Xian. They are too disrespectful, did you hear what they say? If <i>bengong</i> does not punish them today, they will be even more uncontroble in the future."


    Gong Ya Xian smiles beautifully, "Is there someone out there who does not talk about people behind their back? Is there someone out there who does not get talked about in private? You must not be angry, Your Ladyship. What if it affects your health? You are with a child, you must be careful. To tell the truth, Ya Xian is really not affected by this."


    "Ya Xian, you are too kind to people," replies Mo Qi Qi in affection.


    "You should not be too emotional, Empress. Take good care of your pregnancy. If anything happens to the child, the Emperor will be furious and might resent Ya Xian for causing it. Ya Xian is an unfortunate child, she lost her parents long ago. <i>Aijia</i> took her into the pce and caused her to be the subject of gossips since then. Whenever <i>aijia</i> caught the gossipers, <i>aijia</i> wanted to punish them, but this child kept intervening on their behalf. She is too kind. Kindness is a rare trait in the imperial pce and <i>aijia</i> wants to help her preserve that quality," says the Grand Empress Dowager.


    Mo Qi Qi holds Gong Ya Xian¡¯s hand before saying, "It¡¯s been hard on you, Ya Xian. Don¡¯t worry, from now on, <i>bengong</i> will not let anyone bully you." Mo Qi Qi feels a little guilty towards her because of Jun Qian Che. She feels responsible over this matter.


    "Ya Xian is very happy to be loved by both the Empress and Grandmother," replies Ya Xian with a gentle smile.


    Mo Qi Qi turns towards the three maids angrily, "However, these three really need to be punished today. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch, if we don¡¯t teach them a lesson, these types of matters will never cease. One of you will have to die today to teach everyone a lesson."


    The three maids immediately kowtow for mercy, "Please spare us, Your Ladyship! Please spare us! We will not dare to do this again!"


    "Your Ladyship¡ª-" intervenes Ya Xian.


    Mo Qi Qi puts up a hand to stop her, "Ya Xian, <i>bengong</i> knows you are kind and does not wish to punish them. However, <i>bengong</i> is the owner of the back pce, <i>bengong</i> cannot just ignore this. You three can pick which one amongst you that you want dead."


    The three maids exchange looks before desperately kowtowing again, "Please spare us, Your Ladyship. Please spare us!"


    "It is toote to be sorry. One of you has to die. If you want to live, tell <i>bengong</i> who instructed you three to talk about Miss Ya Xian and the Emperor in the garden," Mo Qi Qi smiles at them wickedly.


    The three maids exchange looks.


    Ban Xiang points at them angrily, "Have you think it through? The Empress does not wish to waste time on you. Tell us who the perpetrator is!"


    After exchanging another look, the three maids shake their heads profusely, "No one ordered us anything, Your Ladyship. It¡¯s all our fault for not holding back our mouths!"


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "So you won¡¯t say? Alright, don¡¯t me <i>bengong</i> for being cruel. Guards!"


    Realizing that the Empress really intends to kill them, the three maids turn to the Grand Empress Dowager and Ya Xian, "Please save us, Your Ladyship and Miss Gong! We were wrong, we will not do this again!"


    Gong Ya Xian looks at them, torned.


    The Grand Empress Dowager speaks first, "Empress, since they know their fault and Ya Xian does not wish to pursue this matter, let¡¯s just leave this matter be."


    Mo Qi Qi insistently replies her, "We cannot let this matter go, Imperial Grandmother. If we don¡¯t punish them today, the rules of the harem will always be ignored. As for these three, how dare they beg for Imperial Grandmother¡¯s mercy after what they did? They really don¡¯t know their own ce!"


    "Please forgive us, Grand Empress Dowager! We will not do it again! Please give us another chance!" the three desperately kowtows in front of the Grand Empress Dowager.


    The Grand Empress Dowager looks torned as well, "They look so pitiful, Empress. Just spare them this one time. <i>Aijia</i> believe they will no longer dare to gossip about their masters in the future. You are pregnant, it will be inauspicious for your child if you kill people. You need to collect good karma for your child, so give them lighter punishment."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the maids, "Since the Grand Empress Dowager personally spoke for you, <i>bengong</i> have to give you face. However, you will not be able to escape punishment. All of you are banished to the Nu Yi Department. Remember this lesson."


    Nu Yi Department is where punished servants are sent to. They will have the hardest chores there. They will not be able to eat or sleep well. They will also be frequently punished. Even if they are not technically dead, they will be half-dead anyway.


    The three servants look at her, stumped.


    Ban Xiang is furious, "The Empress already spared your lives, why aren¡¯t you thanking Her Ladyship? Are you not satisfied with the punishment?"


    The three kowtows in gratitude, "Thank you for sparing our lives, Your Ladyship!" Even though they are sent to the harshest department, at least they will still be alive.


    "Take them away," orders Mo Qi Qi lightly.


    Guards immediately appear to take the three maids away.


    Mo Qi Qi turns to the Grand Empress Dowager and smiles sweetly, "Are you alright with Qi Qi¡¯s punishment, Imperial Grandmother?"

 Chapter 121

    The Grand Empress Dowager sighs, "Although life in Nu Yi Department is hard, they indeedmitted a huge mistake. They deserve that punishment. You did well, Imperial Grandmother is pleased."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles happily before stepping closer towards Gong Ya Xian and holding her hand, "Ya Xian, I was at fault for making decisions without consulting you and His Majesty. Especially when it directly concerned you two. All of this happened because of me. I truly regret my action." That Jun Qian Che! He pretty much already married all the avable maidens out there, what difference would one Gong Ya Xian bring? Just marry her! Now look at the awkward spot he has put the poor girl in!


    Gong Ya Xian smiles at her warmly, "You should not say that, Your Ladyship. It is Ya Xian who does not have such luck. Now that you have punished the three maids, no one will dare to talk about this matter again. Let¡¯s just forget about all this."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright, we will never speak of this matter again! Imperial Grandmother, Qi Qi has things to attend to. Qi Qi should leave first."


    The Grand Empress Dowager nods, "Alright, Empress."


    Mo Qi Qi then leaves.


    The Grand Empress Dowager sighs before patting Ya Xian in the back, "The Empress really has changed."


    Ya Xian nods in agreement.


    As for Mo Qi Qi, she and Ban Xiang leave the imperial garden.


    Ban Xiang is a little curious, "Your Ladyship, why did you punish the three maids so heavily? It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how much the people inside the pce love gossips. You usually closed one eye to them, why did you react so greatly this time? Besides, they were talking about Miss Ya Xian, not you."


    Mo Qi Qi gives her an indiscernible smile, "Do you really think it was just idle gossip? The Grand Empress Dowager and Ya Xian were not that far away from them, did they really not notice their presence?"


    Ban Xiang bes even more puzzled, "You mean, they knew the Grand Empress Dowager and Miss Ya Xian were standing nearby and that they purposely said all that for them to hear? They were too preposterous!"


    "They have someone backing them up, they naturally dared to be preposterous," sneers Mo Qi Qi.


    "Someone backed them up?" Ban Xiang finally realized the gravity of the situation.


    "I was the one who came up with the idea to marry Ya Xian off to His Majesty, but the Emperor rejected the idea. Someone wants to take this chance to ruin my rtionship with Ya Xian, hence them secretly instructing people to spread rumors," deduced Mo Qi Qi.


    Ban Xiang nods in agreement, "You are right, Your Ladyship. No wonder you kept telling them to say who instructed them."


    "To tell the truth, <i>bengong</i> had no intention to kill them. <i>Bengong</i> only wanted to warn the perpetrator to stop messing around. <i>Bengong</i> knew they¡¯d never fess up, so when the Grand Empress Dowager spoke for them, <i>bengong</i> immediately agreed to lighten the sentence. Hopefully, the perpetrator will retract their ws."


    "Who do you think the perpetrator is?" asks Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi shrugs, "There are a lot of people inside the pce who dislikes <i>bengong</i>."


    "Do you think it could be¡ª- Yang Guifei?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Perhaps, but I don¡¯t know for sure." Suspicion shes in her eyes.


    Ban Xiangughs, "It doesn¡¯t matter who the perpetrator is, the point is His Majesty rejected Miss Ya Xian! It means that in his heart, he cares for you the most!"


    Mo Qi Qi scoffs in disdain, "Don¡¯t try to tter me, I don¡¯t care for his love! Why did he reject Gong Ya Xian? Is it because he does not like her? Does this means <i>bengong</i> will have to look for other beauties for him?"


    "Don¡¯t make blind assumptions, Your Ladyship," quips in Ban Xiang quickly. "You are currently with a child, you should focus on your pregnancy. Don¡¯t think of things that will only upset you. It is good that His Majesty does not wish to marry Miss Gong. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯d prefer fighting with more women for favor?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles wickedly, "Wrong! <i>Bengong</i> has never been favored by His Majesty to begin with! If there is a fight for favor, only Yang Guifei would engage in them! For the goodness of my own child, <i>bengong</i> must help His Majesty fill the harem!" Hehe, it will only be merrier if there are more women. Right now a lot of people are jealous of her for being pregnant. Yang Shi Han, being the only one favored by the Emperor ought to be jealous too. Who knows what n she already concocted for this child? Moreover, Mo Qi Qi still cannot be certain Jun Qian Che really ns to let this child live.


    In order the shift the focus from her child, she needs to admit more women into the harem. Let Yang Shi Han battles with them all! Let Yang Guifei and Jun Qian Che¡¯s focus shift elsewhere!


    With that in mind, Mo Qi Qi prepares a grand n.


    And so, on the next day, Mo Qi Qi gathers everyone and announces that the selection for new concubines will be held early. All noble households are to send a list of daughters that will participate in the selection. It will be held three days from now.


    With that, the harem is in a furore once more. Nobody can understand the reason behind the Empress¡¯ action. Some spectes that she is trying to secure her child¡¯s ce by ttering the Emperor. In short, a lot of spections are thrown around.


    When the news reaches Jun Qian Che¡¯s ears, he suddenly has the urge to choke her to death. Is the crowd of women in the harem not big enough for her?


    ording to the rules of the kingdom, when a new Emperor inherits the throne, other than appointing an Empress, he also needs to fill the harem to ensure the birth of future sessors. Jun Qian Che did not object. After all, the court was unstable at the time and he needed the ministers¡¯ support. Pretty much everyone chosen into the harem have connections to the court.


    Around 20 new concubines were selected in the very first selection. Back then, Mo Qi Qi was so angry that she smashed all the furnitures inside Feng Yang Pce.


    Back then, Jun Qian Che was preupied with the court and had no mood to deal with her.


    More people send beauties to the harem afterwards, so the number grew.


    However, Jun Qian Che himself rarely visit the harem. In a way, those women are like mere ornaments. Sometimes, he even feels bad for them for wasting their glory years like this.


    Afterwards, due to the guilt, he would reject any offer to expand his harem because he did not want to waste anyone¡¯s youth. If he has the chance, he would willingly give his concubines their freedom.


    But now, Mo Qi Qi is actually taking the initiative to expand his harem! Fire rises in his heart.


    He is too busy and does not have the opportunity to immediately confront her. Once he is done though, he will look for her. Since she is capable enough to anger him, let¡¯s hope she is also capable enough to douse that anger.

 Chapter 122

    "Achoo¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi, who is busy checking the portraits that the kingdom¡¯s noble families have sent, suddenly sneezes. She rubs her nose in irritation, "Who is talking about me behind my back?"


    "His Majesty must be missing you, Your Ladyship," teases Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi scowls in disdain before picking up one of the portraits, "Who cares about him? There are so many beauties here, <i>bengong</i> hope at least one of them will suit His Majesty¡¯s taste. Just look at this one, she is pretty and youthful. If I am a man, I would definitely like this type of women."


    Ban Xiang scowls, "Yes, these women are pretty, but their beauty is nothingpared to your¡¯s. I don¡¯t think His Majesty will like them."


    Mo Qi Qi res at Ban Xiang, annoyed, "Please think twice before speaking, Ban Xiang! Whilst it is true that <i>bengong</i> is pretty, <i>bengong</i> disagree with yourst sentence. What do you mean His Majesty will not like them? If he does not like them, who will he like?" Mo Qi Qi suddenlyughs wickedly, "Why don¡¯t we ask the painter to paint you as well, Ban Xiang? Let¡¯s put your portrait here. His Majesty might like you!"


    Ban Xiang pouts, "Stop making fun of this servant, Your Ladyship. You know that this servant only wish to stay by your side. This servant has no n to marry."


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head in regret, "Seems like Jun Qian Che is not that great of a man, after all. You¡¯d rather be a servant than to be his concubine. Poor guy."


    Ban Xiang tries to warmly persuade her, "Your Ladyship, it is not that this servant think His Majesty is a bad man, it is just that this servant knows her own ce. His Majesty is an outstanding man. He is the top when ites to everything; be it in appearance, in position, in intelligence and in status. No one is above him. He is perfect. Only Your Ladyship, who is also perfect, is good enough to stand next to him. Don¡¯t think too much, Your Ladyship. As for these portraits, this servant will help you throw them away." Ban Xiang starts collecting the portraits.


    Mo Qi Qi jumps up and bends over the table, blocking her from taking the portraits away, "Don¡¯t touch them! These are for His Majesty! If anything happens to any of the portrait, will you be able to take responsibility?"


    Ban Xiang feels like crying. She feels really bad for the Emperor, at the moment.


    Mo Qi Qi spends better part of the day checking the portraits. Just as she is resting her tired eyes, she can feel a sudden burst of chillness in the air. She cannot help but shudder. The weather has been getting warmertely, where is this sudden coldnessing from? She slowly opens her eyes and jumps up in shock when she sees the figure standing in front of her. Even her voice unconsciously tremble when she speaks to him, "Y-Your Majesty, why are you here? Why didn¡¯t anyone announce your arrival?"


    Jun Qian Che is toozy to answer her question. He purposely forbade the servants from announcing his arrival. He wanted to see for himself, what she has been so busy about.


    His fixes his cold gaze on her, causing her hair to rise ominously. She avoids eye-contact and pretends to fix her clothes, "Why are you looking at <i>chenqie</i> like that, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes at her, causing her to feel as though she has been enveloped by a bubble of cold air.


    "<i>Zhen</i> is here to see what kind of trick the Empress is ying," replies him coldly.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him, stunned, "Trick? <i>Chenqie</i> is not ying any trick, hehe. <i>Chenqie</i> does not dare to y any trick in front of the wise and all-knowing Majesty. In fact, <i>chenqie</i> is doing theplete opposite. <i>Chenqie</i> is helping Your Majesty find marital bliss. Come and look, Your Majesty." Mo Qi Qi slips past him and walks towards the table. She motions at the dozens of scrolls on the table, "Do you know what these are, Your Majesty? These are the portraits of various beauties! <i>Chenqie</i> is helping you prepare for the new concubine¡¯s selection. Come and see if there is any that you like!" Mo Qi Qi graciously and warmly invites him to check the portraits.


    Jun Qian Che does not look at the scrolls and instead watches her unflinchingly, "Is the number of consorts in the harem not enough for Empress?"


    Mo Qi Qi nods without hesitation, "Indeed, there are not enough concubines in the harem. Just look at how big the harem is! There are so many empty pces and courtyards right now. If you think about it, Your Majesty only has around 30 concubines. You are supposed to have like 3000 beauties, 30 is nowhere near enough. That¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> thought we should expand the harem. The pce will get livelier, and we will be able to have more chances to further the imperial line."


    Jun Qian Che continues speaking icily, "Have you forgotten the ancestral rule? The selection will only be done once every three years. <i>Zhen</i> has only been ruling for two years, and the first selection has already been done during <i>zhen¡¯s</i> ascension. We are not supposed to have any selection until next year."


    "Next year?" By then, she would have already given birth. What will be the point of working so hard, then? She is only doing this to distract the Emperor from her pregnancy, this matter cannot wait until next year.


    She smiles, "Your Majesty, rules are made by people! Besides, what is wrong with holding it one year early? Just look at this beauty, Your Majesty! How fascinating and morous!" She opens one of the scrolls and show it to Jun Qian Che.


    The look in his eyes bes icier.


    When he remains quiet, Mo Qi Qi puts the scroll down and picks another, "Since you don¡¯t like the morous type, why don¡¯t you take a look at this one? How innocent and pure, she looks like a fairy amongst mortals. Very pleasing to the eyes!"


    Jun Qian Che does not say anything and Mo Qi Qi immediately picks another scroll, "This one is not bad as well! She looks pure and morous at the same time! Although looking pure and morous at the same time might look weird on other women, it suits her really well! She is an example of excellence amongst the best. This one should satisfy you atst, no, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Che reaches out and throws the scroll to the floor, causing it to tear into two.


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked by his outburst. She feigns courage and looks at him steadily, "If you don¡¯t like them, you can just say it, Your Majesty. No need to get angry.


    The look on Jun Qian Che¡¯s face is borderline dangerous now. Had he not taken into ount the state of her pregnancy, he would have given her a good scolding long ago, "Do not forget your ce, Empress. You cannot simply change our ancestralw as you please. You can push it back if you¡¯d like, but you cannot bring it forward. Do you want themon people to think that <i>zhen</i> is a lecherous ruler? Stop the selection immediately. <i>Zhen</i> does not want to hear anything about it tomorrow."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him hesitantly, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> already released the order for the selection tomence. All the avable young maidens are currently preparing for the selection. Even their portraits have been sent over. It is not good to cancel it so suddenly. Let¡¯s just get on with it."

 Chapter 123

    "That is your problem, Empress. It has nothing to do with <i>zhen</i>. <i>Zhen</i> only wants to see the result. You better start thinking of ways to get yourself out of this," after saying that, he res at her for good measure before turning around and storming out.


    "Hey, Your Majesty! Don¡¯t go!" calls Mo Qi Qi. Jun Qian Che does not even turn around and soon disappears from her sight.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the scrolls on the table forlornly, "Wuwuwu, you really likes bullying me, Jun Qian Che!" She already released the order to the residences of the nobles, how could she suddenly take it back now? Wouldn¡¯t that offend the nobles? On the other hand, she cannot afford to take Jun Qian Che¡¯s words lightly either. Ah, you are so cruel, Jun Qian Che~.


    In the end, Mo Qi Qi sends messengers to the residences of the nobilities in the dead of the night, canceling the selection.


    The noble young misses who are already prepared to enter the pce are heart-broken beyond words. And their fathers, who have been nning to climb a higher branch through their daughters, could only sigh while shaking their heads, quietly resenting the Empress.


    Although many of the officials are unhappy with the Empress for the sudden canction, none dares to voice theirints out of respect for her position and to Mo n.


    The news of the canction spreads inside the pce as well. The concubines are all murmuring to each other, "I knew she isn¡¯t that generous!"


    "I think this is just a plot from the Empress. She wanted to see which eligible young maidens have secret intentions towards His Majesty. And then, she will quietly pluck one by one out."


    "I think you¡¯re actually right! The Empress is famous for her jealousy!"


    "Hahaha¡ª-" their pces are filled withughter and gossips. The canction of the selection is a good thing for them, after all.


    Although the selection itself has been canceled, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s n to find a diverting beauty for Jun Qian Che has not. Since Jun Qian Che cares about the ancestral rules, she will pick the beauties from other ces.


    Although there is a time limit for the official nation-wide selection, it is still possible to take in any beauty from outside and privately confer them a title if they suit the Emperor¡¯s taste. And so, Mo Qi Qi sends her people to test the waters outside the pce. She orders them to bring in any famous beauty, which she will then ce next to Jun Qian Che. She does not believe he will not be moved.


    Jun Qian Che is reading a book under thentern when he sees a small eunuch leading a thinly dressed woman in.


    When the beauty sees Jun Qian Che, the smile on her face deepens. She stares at him like a fool; she¡¯s heard rumors of how handsome the Emperor is. However, she is just amon girl. Never in her life had she expected to catch his eye and to be especially picked to enter the pce to serve him. Her heart thumps loudly. She gets shy when she sees his handsome face. Her face is pink now. She can die with no regret tomorrow, if she gets to serve this man in bed tonight.


    Jun Qian Che frowns unhappily. How could a random woman simply enter his chamber?


    The eunuch respectfully steps forward, "Your Majesty, this servant is following the Empress¡¯ order to send this beauty over, to serve you for the night."


    When Jun Qian Che heard Mo Qi Qi¡¯s intention, he is so angry that he almost dropped his book. "Get lost," he says coldly.


    The beauty immediately lowers her head in fear.


    The eunuch gathers his courage to say, "Your Majesty, the Empress said that you have been working too hard. This servant needs to make sure that this beauty serves Your Majesty well to help Your Majesty rx." He pulls the maiden over by the sleeve and sends her a look.


    As for the maiden, although she is scared of Jun Qian Che, she feels like she can die without regret if she gets to serve him. And so, she gathers her courage to approach him and speaks with a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, please let thismoner help you rest."


    ¡¯<i>Bang¡¯</i>


    Jun Qian Che angrily ms the book on a table.


    The maiden and the eunuch tremble in fear.


    The eunuch immediately pulls the maiden over by the sleeve before saying, "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go." He quickly leads her out.


    The next day, Mo Qi Qi begins interrogating the eunuch. The eunuch remembers the Emperor¡¯s anger timidly, "Please do not even bring it up, Your Ladyship. Last night, this servant brought the beauty in. His Majesty only spared her a nce before angrily telling us to get lost."


    Mo Qi Qi is a little disappointed to hear that, "This Jun Qian Che really does not know how to appreciate beauty. Perhaps, it was the number that he was unhappy with. Tonight, take in two of them with you."


    The eunuch looks at her hesitantly, "Two? That- that doesn¡¯t sound right, Your Ladyship."


    "What isn¡¯t right about that? Didn¡¯t you say that His Majesty only kicked her out after giving her a nce? From the sound of it, it is not that His Majesty did not have the ¡¯<i>need¡¯</i>, it¡¯s just that she didn¡¯t suit his taste. Tonight, <i>bengong</i> will personally pick the twodies that we will send to serve him. <i>Bengong</i> hope that His Majesty will be satisfied with them. If he does, your future will be boundless!"


    In the pce, everyone wants to climb higher. In this ce, the higher one is, the better they are treated. If you have nothing, you will be treated like nothing as well.


    And so, despite fearing Jun Qian Che, the small eunuch decides to try his luck anyway.


    When the nightes, Jun Qian Che returns to his chamber after bathing, only to find the eunuch from yesterday, this time nked by twodies.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s anger rises once more. "This is from the Empress again?" asks Jun Qian Che coldly.


    The eunuch does not dare to look at him in the face and can only nod with his head lowered, "Yes."


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes before he snaps, "Get lost!"


    The eunuch hastily leads the women away.


    When Mo Qi Qi questions him the next day, the eunuch looks at her with a pained face, "Don¡¯t even ask, Your Ladyship. His Majesty did not even spare them a nce before kicking us out."


    Mo Qi Qi is annoyed now. "What is wrong with this Jun Qian Che? Is he cold in that ¡¯part¡¯? Could it be that my method is wrong?" she mutters to herself. People says that cold-natured men who speaks little are all sexually frustrated. Could it be that he is tired of being served on a silver tter all the time and only likes active people on his bed? Haha, she will send two really active ones tonight, to fan the fire in his heart.


    And so, Mo Qi Qi orders the eunuch to return again tonight.


    The eunuch is so scared that he kneels on the ground. He really does not want to face the Emperor¡¯s wrath again.


    Mo Qi Qi resorts to threat this time, "You are scared of His Majesty¡¯s wrath? Aren¡¯t you scared of <i>bengong¡¯s</i>? If His Majesty is angry, he will be furious at worst. <i>Bengong</i>, however, will not hesitate to take your life!"


    He is one of the lowest-ranked eunuchs, he really cannot afford to offend the Empress. In the end, he can only bite the bullet and does the bidding.


    Nightes and Jun Qian Che who had been busy all day retreats to his bed early. Unfortunately, he cannot sleep. Mo Qi Qi had been sending him women for the past two nights, will she pull some stunts again tonight? In the end, he can only lie on his bed, sleeppletely evading him. When he thinks of the way she pushed him towards other women, a strange kind of fire burns inside his heart.

 Chapter 124

    The little eunuch leads two women outside the Emperor¡¯s resting chamber. Remembering what he had to experience the previous time, he does not have the guts to enter this time. "Both of you can get in on your own. If His Majesty asks, tell him that it is the Empress¡¯ intention."


    The two women follow his instruction. Although they fear the Emperor, the thoughts of being able to serve the Emperor helps them ovee said fear.


    Jun Qian Che is lying on his bed with his eyes closed, contemting things.


    The twodies quietly walk towards the dragon bed.


    Jun Qian Che has very good hearing. Although the twodies do not make a sound as they walk, he can hear their breathing. He immediately opens his eyes.


    The twodies are each wearing a thin cloak. They smile as they curtsy, "Greeting, Your Majesty."


    Before Jun Qian Che even gets to say anything, they drop their cloaks, revealing their naked bodies.


    Jun Qian Che looks away before coldly saying, "Get lost."


    The beauties are unwilling to leave. It is not easy for them to step foot inside the pce, if they get to serve the Emperor, they will be able to soar high. And so, they gather their courage to approach him, "Your Majesty, please let these servants serve you for the night."


    Jun Qian Che waves them off and puts down the canopy of his bed, keeping thedies out. "If you don¡¯t leave now, <i>zhen</i> will order people to sell you to a brothel. You will serve countless of men over there."


    When the two beauties hear that, they wrap the cloaks around their bodies in fear before bolting out.


    The only reason they were able to gulp down their feminine shyness to be willing to serve the Emperor is only because he is handsome and can give them glory. However, despite everything, they are still young maidens. They do not want to serve men in a brothel. All in all, Jun Qian Che¡¯s threat works very well.


    Once thedies left, Jun Qian Che pinches the space between his eyebrows. His heart is bitter. Mo Qi Qi sure is persistent. Now that the people sent have been sent, he can now sleep in peace.


    As for the twodies, they weep beautifully in Feng Yang Pce, rying everything that happened in Yu Jing Pce to Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart aches for them as sheforts them. She orders people to reward them with silver and beautiful dresses before sending them out of the pce.


    Afterwards, Mo Qi Qi lost her desire to sleep. She really cannot understand Jun Qian Che. Two such beautiful women stood in front of him, utterly naked and he was utterly unmoved. Is he even a man? Is his self-control really that strong? Hmph, she refuse to believe that! If his self-control really is great, he wouldn¡¯t have forced her that night! That being said, he definitely has needs over there. Perhaps, it is her method that is wrong.


    Did he reject those women because they were from outside? His heart was uneasy, hence he refused to touch them.


    If that is the case, she can simply let the harem¡¯s concubines serve him! But first, she needs to groom them a little. The spirit to fight for the Emperor¡¯s favor has been weaktely, she needs to encourage them first.


    If his own women serve him, Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart should be at peace.


    And so, the next day, Feng Yang Pce is bustling once again.


    The concubines gather in the courtyard, watching Mo Qi Qi who is standing in front of a table curiously. Why did she call them over? And what is that beautiful box on top of the table?


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the crowd, beaming brightly. Her voice is gentle as she speaks, "Dear meimeis, <i>bengong</i> bet that you have heard of the news that <i>bengong</i> had been sending His Majesty beautiful women."


    When they hear that, the concubines¡¯ faces be downcasted. They resent her a little for doing that.


    Mo Qi Qi does not wish to be everybody¡¯s target because of what she had done, so she quickly and sweetly exins herself, "<i>Bengong</i> think that meimeis have misunderstood <i>bengong</i>. <i>Bengong</i> did not send those beauties to His Majesty to wrestle you out of your seats. <i>Bengong</i> bet that meimeis have also heard that His Majesty did not bed a single one of them."


    Thedies nod.


    Mo Qi Qi can see that their spirits are lifting, "To tell the truth, that is all part of <i>bengong¡¯s</i> n."


    The concubines look at each other in shock.


    Mo Qi Qi continues speaking, "Meimeis, could it be that you really does not understand <i>bengong</i>? <i>Bengong</i> loves His Majesty so much, is it possible that <i>bengong</i> would invite women from outside to fight over His Majesty¡¯s love? <i>Bengong</i> only did all that to kill those desires that those women from outside harbored. All of you know that His Majesty is handsome and extraordinary, so many maidens plotted so many tricks just to try and enter the pce to be His Majesty¡¯s woman. It is tedious to block their attempts one by one, so might as well strike first! Pick a couple of women from outside to serve His Majesty. If His Majesty did not like them, they would naturally get sent back out. Once they get sent back out, they would admit that they could not get His Majesty¡¯s attention. The news would naturally spread and all the other young maidens would grow to realize that His Majesty does not likemon girls. They will slowly let go of their desire to enter the pce. Besides, thedies that <i>bengong</i> picked looked pretty upon one nce, but they were definitely not His Majesty¡¯s type, so <i>bengong</i> was sure he wouldn¡¯t bed them."


    "So it is like that,"prehension dawns upon the concubines¡¯ faces.


    Mo Qi Qi continues her little speech, "Although <i>bengong</i> does not want outsiders to get His Majesty¡¯s love, <i>bengong</i> will not mind if it¡¯s <i>bengong¡¯s</i> meimeis from the pce. As your sister, <i>bengong</i> hopes that you will all get to serve His Majesty. Hopefully, one day, you will be as lucky as <i>bengong</i> so as to carry His Majesty¡¯s child. His Majesty has been on the throne for 2 years and he haven¡¯t have any children. A lot of unsavory rumors used to spread because of this. Although the rumors are pretty much squashed now, since <i>bengong</i> is pregnant, having just one child in the middle of the huge pce will be too lonely. So, <i>bengong</i> hopes that meimeis will be able to get His Majesty¡¯s favor and bear your own children."


    When the concubines hear that, they almost weep, "Who does not want to get His Majesty¡¯s love, to bear His Majesty¡¯s child? However, none of us is as lucky as Your Ladyship. His Majesty rarely visits the harem, and even if he does, he only visits Yang Guifei. Never mind getting His Majesty¡¯s favor, we cannot even get a glimpse of his face!"


    Mo Qi Qi puts on an ached expression when she hears theirints, "<i>Bengong¡¯s</i> heart aches for you all. <i>Bengong</i> does not wish to be selfish and hogs all the bliss; <i>bengong</i> cannot bear to see you all unhappy. So, <i>bengong</i> came up with an idea. Why don¡¯t you take the initiative to go to His Majesty and serve him? Seize your own chance and invite His Majesty¡¯s imperial favor!"


    "This¡ª-" the concubines exchanges looks. None of them has the guts to do that.

 Chapter 125

    One of the bolder concubines step out, "Are you joking with us, Your Ladyship? No one can enter the Emperor¡¯s pce without summon. We will get punished!"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her in shock. Punished? Really? She has been going in and out of his pce without his summon and she has never been punished for it. Perhaps it¡¯s because she never got as far as to his resting chamber? But even so, punishing people for that is just too much.


    What Mo Qi Qi does not know is that a concubine once sneaked into Jun Qian Che¡¯s pce, infuriating him. Ever since that incident, he decreed that no one can enter his pce without summon. Otherwise, a heavy punishment will await them.


    As for Mo Qi Qi repeatedly trespassing into his pce yet never getting punished for her transgression, she has no idea why he hasn¡¯t done it yet. Since she does not know, she can only interpret it as him giving the Mo n a face.


    As for the concubines, none of them said anything to her because the order was explicitly addressed towards the concubines, and since the Empress isn¡¯t a concubine, the rule does not apply to her.


    And as for Jun Qian Che, the only reason he hasn¡¯t punished the women from the past few nights is solely due to Mo Qi Qi. She is pregnant and it is bad omen for him to punish people, especially those who were following her orders. Besides he knows that the fight between women could get even scarier than those between men.


    Mo Qi Qi continues persuading the concubines in order to give them courage, "Meimeis, there is no need for you to be scared of anything; the Emperor is not a tiger, he will not eat you alive. You lot are too inactive, that¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t obtain His Majesty¡¯s favour. You should learn from Yang Guifei! She sters herself to his side even when there is nothing for her to do, no wonder the Emperor dotes on her so much!"


    The concubines are still scared. Even if they stered themselves to the Emperor, he might still not like them.


    Seeing their reaction, Mo Qi Qi tries harder, "You should be confident, Meimeis! Women are the prettiest when they are confident. You must walk with your shoulders straight and your head held high, only then will men find you irresistible!"


    One of the concubines speak up, "Why don¡¯t you teach us, Your Ladyship? To be able to be favoured by His Majesty until you are pregnant, there must be something about you that mesmerizes him. You must know what kind of women that he likes. Why don¡¯t you point us out to the right direction, Your Ladyship?"


    The rest agrees with her, "She is right, Your Ladyship! Please teach us! Since we are family, better us than the women outside! Please guide us, Your Ladyship!"


    Mo Qi Qi already nned to guide them to begin with, but since they opened their mouths first, she must take this chance to y the good guy, "Since Meimeis personally asked, how could <i>bengong</i> not help you? <i>Bengong</i> must do my best to teach you all today!"


    The crowd is overjoyed to hear that.


    Mo Qi Qi already prepared pretty dresses and gorgeous ornaments for them. She lets them change and then teaches them the proper way to apply natural make-up. After the little makeover, all the concubines seem to have changed person.


    Their make-up styles were too thick before. Now that they have washed away the thick powder and rouge, all of them look refreshing and beautiful. Even Mo Qi Qi, as a woman,pletely melts when she sees them, much less Jun Qian Che. If Jun Qian Che is still unmoved, then the problem lies with him.


    The concubines peer at their reflections in the mirror. They love the new make-up style so much that they curtsies in front of Mo Qi Qi in gratitude.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at them before asking, "Does the new style suits you all? Do you feel confident now? Do you think His Majesty will like the new you better?"


    The concubines smile back confidently. One of them replies her, "Your Ladyship, <i>chenqie</i> feels very confident after changing <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> style. His Majesty should like the way <i>chenqie</i> currently looks."


    Mo Qi Qi feelsforted by the satisfaction on their faces. Good that they didn¡¯t waste the effort that she has spent on them. Next, she would like to make an even bigger promation.


    She looks at the crowd, "<i>Bengong</i> is very happy to see how confident you have all be. Today, <i>bengong</i> would like to make a big announcement. Do you see this box? Do you know what it contains?"


    The concubines shake their heads.


    Mo Qi Qi opens the lid, revealing the treasure hidden inside.


    The concubines are shocked to see what is inside.


    "T-The phoenix seal," one of them says.


    Although they know the phoenix seal is in the Empress¡¯ hand, none of them have ever seen it ever since it was given to the Empress during the coronation.


    The entire seal is made of green jade. A pair of phoenixes is engraved on it, looking very much alive. Surrounding the phoenixes are blossoming peonies. Each and every petal is carved intricately, showing just how precious the phoenix seal is.


    The concubines stare at it without blinking, wondering why the Empress brought it out on the first ce.


    Mo Qi Qi is satisfied to see the utter fascination on their faces. It doesn¡¯t matter if they are fascinated by it¡¯s look or by the power that it wields, Mo Qi Qi is happy as long as she has their interest.


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows, "Do you like this seal?"


    They nod, and then, promptly shake their heads.


    Mo Qi Qi frowns in confusion, "What do you all mean by that? Do you like it or not?"


    The concubines exchange looks, none of them brave enough to speak.


    Mo Qi Qi seems to be able to read their hearts. She smiles, "Today, in Feng Yang Pce, we are all going to speak to each other freely, disregarding our identities. Let¡¯s speak to each other like real sisters. <i>Bengong</i> will not me you for anything that you say."


    For a moment, the concubines are all quiet, before one of them steps out, "Do you mean it, Your Ladyship?"


    "Of course, so talk freely. Say whatever you want to say. <i>Bengong</i> only wish to know if you like this phoenix seal."


    They all nod.


    One of them speaks, "The phoenix seal is so beautiful, who wouldn¡¯t like it? However, we also know that not everyone has the privilege to use it. You are the Empress, the Mother of the Empire. Only you are distinguished enough to use this. As for us, we are but little concubines. Seeing it from afar is privileged enough for us."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Zhao Pin, you have such a glib tongue." Whenever she says Zhao Pin, she always feels like she is saying ¡¯job opening¡¯ hahaha.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: ¡¯Job opening¡¯ (ÕÐƸ, zhao pin) sounds the same as Zhao Pin (ÕÔæÉ))


    Zhao Pin, who has no idea Mo Qi Qi has been secretly calling her such, is embarrassed to be praised by her in public.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the crowd, "Yes, the phoenix seal is special, and not everyone can touch it, however, <i>bengong</i> would like to give you all a chance. A chance to see how it feels like to carry the phoenix seal for one day."


    The concubines are shocked to hear that, "Y-Your Ladyship, you must be joking!"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at them earnestly, "Does <i>bengong</i> look like I am joking? <i>Bengong</i> means every word. All of you are witnesses to what <i>bengong</i> is about to say: if any of you manages to serve His Majesty on the dragon bed today, you will get to use the phoenix seal for one day. You will get to sit on the phoenix seat. You can experience what it is like to be the Empress for one day."


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 Chapter 126

    The concubines look at her in disbelief. They feel like they are in the middle of a dream, "Your Ladyship, your joke is a little too much."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at them earnestly, "<i>Bengong</i> is not joking. As long as one of you managed to serve His Majesty, and perhaps receive his continual favour, just like Yang Guifei, <i>bengong</i> will let you use the phoenix seal and exercise authority as the Empress for a month!"


    The concubines look at her, stupefied.


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows yfully at the crowd, "Is there anyone amongst you who is interested in <i>bengong¡¯s</i> offer?"


    All eyes fall on the beautiful and tempting phoenix seal.


    Just how many women in history willingly forfeited their lives just for the chance to wield this seal and to sit on the phoenix seat? Dying will be worth it if it means they can hold both for a month. Just¡ª¨C why exactly is the Empress doing all this?


    Doubts begin to rise inside their hearts. They are worried that the Empress is only doing this to test their hearts.


    One of them speaks up, "Your Ladyship, since you love His Majesty, why would you let us serve him? Won¡¯t you get angry? Won¡¯t you get jealous?"


    The rest nod at that; that is exactly what they have been worrying about.


    A sweet smile is formed on the Empress¡¯ lips as she pats her t stomach, "It is true that <i>bengong</i> loved His Majesty. <i>Bengong</i> went through a lot just to marry him. But now, things are different. <i>Bengong</i> is now with a child. A lot of things have be clear to <i>bengong</i> now that <i>bengong</i> is pregnant. In the past, <i>bengong</i> used to get very jealous whenever someone tried to approach His Majesty. But now that <i>bengong</i> think about it, what was there to be jealous of? It¡¯s not like His Majesty belongs to <i>bengong</i> alone. Being graced by His Majesty alone is a great honor. <i>Bengong</i> is very lucky to be gifted with this child. Now that <i>bengong</i> is happy, <i>bengong</i> can now clearly see what is happenning around <i>bengong</i>. What you are going through now is what <i>bengong</i> had been going through before. The tormenting wait for even one chance. <i>Bengong¡¯s</i> heart aches for you. <i>Bengong</i> regrets making things hard for you back then. Although our identities are different, we are all collectively known as one thing: His Majesty¡¯s women. Now that <i>bengong</i> has gotten what <i>bengong</i> wished for, <i>bengong</i> wants to help you next. <i>Bengong</i> is pregnant and cannot serve, and His Majesty cannot always only favours Yang Guifei. Everything is just too unfair for the rest of you.


    <i>Bengong</i> knows that all of you are feeling down right now. You feel like as long as Yang Guifei is around, no one will get the chance to serve. To tell the truth, that is merely your own brain taunting you. You put yourself down, causing you to lose your confidence. You let yourself go. How could the Emperor possibly like you now? That¡¯s why all of you must be strong, you must continue to fight for favor. Now that you have changed your style, all that is left for you to do is to seek His Majesty. He will definitely like your new image. You must discuss it amongst yourselves. Go to His Majesty in groups of twos or threes; there will definitely be one that catches His Majesty¡¯s eye. Do not give up, as long as there is even a sliver of hope."


    Under Mo Qi Qi¡¯s encouragement, the concubines¡¯ spirit to fight begins to lift.


    But still, there is one of them who still worries, "Your Ladyship, His Majesty released an edict that forbade concubines from entering his pce without summons."


    Mo Qi Qi rubs her nose, "Don¡¯t be afraid, <i>bengong</i> has a way! <i>Bengong</i> has this one pendant that allows one to enter Yu Jing Pce. No one will dare to stop you!"


    The concubines are ecstatic when they see the pendant.


    "This was given by <i>bengong¡¯s</i> father when <i>bengong</i> first entered the pce."


    Duke Zhen was worried that his daughter would get mistreated inside the pce and no one would know; and so, he gave her the pendant that thete Emperor bestowed him. If anyone dared to pull anything with her, she would have the authority to leave and enter the pce as she pleased. This pendant not only allowed her to enter the Forbidden City, but also every single pce in the back pce. This goes on to show just how much thete Emperor trusted Duke Zhen.


    The fact that Duke Zhen gave this precious pendant to his beloved daughter, on the other hand, shows just how much he dotes on her.


    And so, when the sun sets, a crowd of concubines gather outside Yu Jing Pce. They enter in group of twos, one by one.


    When each group walks in, Jun Qian Che only utters one word, "Out." He only gives them a simple nce, as though he does not even want to give them the chance to approach him.


    By the time thest of the groups walk in, they keep their heads down, not daring to look at him.


    Jun Qian Che, who is reading a book, speaks without even lifting his head, "Are there more waiting outside?"


    The two concubines shake their heads, "No, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che lightly raises his eyebrows, "Good. It is said that nobody stopped you because you entered using the Empress¡¯ token, is it true?"


    The twodies nod, "Yes." They are shaking, not out of fear, but out of excitement. The groups before them got kicked out so quickly. The only thing the Emperor said to them was ¡¯Out!¡¯ When ites to their turn, on the other hand, the Emperor actually speaks with them. Does this means they will have the chance to serve for tonight?


    Jun Qian Che continues speaking coldly, "Take out the pendant."


    The two concubines exchange a look. This has been lent to them by the Empress to allow them ess into Yu Jing Pce. If the Emperor confiscates it, how will they exin it to the Empress?


    Jun Qian Che is toozy to waste any more time with them, so he simply says, "It is either the pendant or your lives. Choose."


    The twodies¡¯ legs turn soft after they hear that. Although it will be hard to exin the loss of the pendant to the Empress, it¡¯s not like they were the ones begging to borrow it. The Empress came up with the idea herself, so it is very unlikely that she will me them in this. Besides, if they don¡¯t hand it over right now, they will lose their lives! They immediately take out the pendant and ces it on top of the table in front of Jun Qian Che.


    And so, Jun Qian Che heartlessly speaks again, "Out!"


    They both rush out.


    Some of the concubines who are waiting outside to see how this ys out are disappointed when thest two does note out. They thought the Emperor picked them for sure. And so, they decide to leave with their heartspletely crushed.


    However, before they can even turn around, the two concubines rush out, their foreheadpletely covered in sweat.


    Thedies circle around the two curiously, "What is going on? You did note out for the longest time, so we thought His Majesty picked you two!"


    The two concubines shake their heads profusely, "No. His Majesty took away the pendant!"


    "Huh?" exims the crowd in shock. "What are we supposed to say to the Empress tomorrow?"


    "Yeah! Her Ladyship kindly came up with this n just to let us meet the Emperor, but in the end, not only did we fail, we also lost her pendant! We are so terrible!"


    "His Majesty wanted it, did you expect us to say no? Never mind all this, let¡¯s just apologize to the Empress tomorrow. From the look of it, there is only Yang Guifei in His Majesty¡¯s heart right now, he is not interested in us."


    The concubines slowly leave the frontyard of Yu Jing Pce in disappointment.


    Inside Yu Jing¡¯s pce, Jun Qian Che¡¯s grip on the pendant tightens as his face turns cold. This was given to Duke Zhen by thete Emperor. Duke Zhen lovingly gave it to her so that she could use it whenever she got into trouble, but instead, she used it to help other women. He did not expect her to take this out. He definitely underestimated the level of her so-called generosity and kindness.


    He has been disturbed the entire night and seeing this pendant only serves to anger him. He furiously throws his book to the floor and heads over to Feng Yang Pce inrge strides.


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 Chapter 127

    Mo Qi Qi, who has not yet received the news of what had happened to the concubines, is lounging casually in front of a table. "So many of them have gone to him, I believe there will at least be one who moves Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart."


    Ban Xiang, who had adamantly disagreed from the very beginning, does not share her happiness, "Your Ladyship, you are also one of His Majesty¡¯s women. Are you truly not angry, seeing them seducing him in hoardes?"


    She replies her goodnaturedly, "What is there to be angry about? His Majesty does not belong to <i>bengong</i> alone. <i>Bengong</i> is very generous."


    "........"


    "You truly are generous," a stern voice speaks up before Ban Xiang even gets to speak.


    Mo Qi Qi jumps up in shock when she sees Jun Qian Che who suddenly shows up inside her pce. She swallows heavily when she sees the ugly look on his face. "Your Majesty, w-why are you here?" she smiles obsequiously.


    Jun Qian Che nces at Ban Xiang.


    Ban Xiang retreats away in fear.


    The room now only upies the both of them.


    Mo Qi Qi takes two steps back, out of fear. Only when there is more distance between them does she have better chances of running.


    Jun Qian Che takes out the pendant before coldly saying, "The Empress seems to owe <i>zhen</i> an exnation."


    Mo Qi Qi very much wanted to snatch the pendant away the moment she sees it with him, but he scares her, so she can onlyugh awkwardly, "This was given to <i>chenqie</i> by <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> father when <i>chenqie</i> was entering the pce."


    Jun Qian Che smiles coldly, "Duke Zhen sure dotes on his daughter. <i>Zhen</i> believes that Duke Zhen gave it to you so that you could use it in times of need. What pressing need does the Empress has today that you had to take it out?"


    "Er, actually, it is like this, Your Majesty." Mo Qi Qi begins racking her brain for a usible excuse, "ording to the reading of the stars chart, tonight is an auspicious night for the union of men and women. It is a perfect night to conceive. It is said that even the child conceived from the union tonight will be auspicious. <i>Chenqie</i> did not want to waste this chance, so <i>chenqie</i> sent the other concubines to serve Your Majesty. You can relieve your stress and the other concubines can get what they desire; two birds with one stone."


    "Oh really?" Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes as he steps closer to her.


    Mo Qi Qi stumbles backwards until she falls on top of her throne. There is no way out for her.


    Jun Qian Che picks up her chin and forces her to look at him.


    Mo Qi Qi swallows heavily,pletely scared, "Your Majesty, whatever it is, we can reason with words. There is no need to use violence. <i>Chenqie</i> is carrying your child, wouldn¡¯t you regret it if something happens to the baby?"


    "Empress is purposely angering <i>zhen</i> like this, could it be because you actually want something to happen to the child? <i>Zhen</i> wants to keep the child, so even if you don¡¯t, you can¡¯t do anything to it. With no other way to go, you purposely angered <i>zhen</i> so that <i>zhen</i> would punish you and in the process, indirectly hurt our baby." Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes are sharp.


    Mo Qi Qi is shocked to hear that. Her conscience is clear, she would never hurt the child. In fact, she only does all this to protect the baby.


    "Your Majesty, you misunderstood <i>chenqie</i>. <i>Chenqie</i> is only thinking for your own good. <i>Chenqie</i> is pregnant and cannot serve, that¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> ordered the other meimeis to serve you. Is there any one of them that you like?" she blinks herrge eyes charmingly.


    Jun Qian Che lets go of her chin, "No." He sits on the throne right next to her¡¯s.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips in disappointment. Her eyes fall on the pendant that he is holding. She stealthily made a grab for it, but he is faster and lifts it above their heads. He is much taller than her, so she cannot reach it even if she tries. She sighs in disappointment, "Your Majesty, that was given to <i>chenqie</i> by <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> father. You should return it to the original owner."


    Jun Qian Che raises his eyebrows in disdain, "Return it to the original owner? Duke Zhen gave it to you so you could use it during emergency, but instead, you used it to help other women approach <i>zhen</i>! Duke Zhen would be furious if he knows! You reduced the value of this pendant to that level! This pendant was given by thete Emperor to Duke Zhen, so technically, <i>zhen</i> is the original owner."


    "You are being unreasonable, Your Majesty!" uses Mo Qi Qi.


    "<i>Zhen</i> is only teaching you a lesson. From now on, you must not act recklessly. You must not lie to <i>zhen</i> either," replies Jun Qian Che coldly.


    Deep deep deep down inside, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s conscience pricked. But her face remains undefeated, "When did <i>chenqie</i> ever lie to you?"


    "You are still talking back? You tried to use the phoenix seal as the reward for bedding <i>zhen</i>. Even offered them the phoenix seat for a month! Weren¡¯t all that the rewards that you promised the concubines?"


    "Er¡ª¨C" In the blink of an eye, Mo Qi Qi is rendered speechless. She always thought that he was too busy to pay attention to her, she did not expect him to know everything.


    "What? You have nothing to say now?" Jun Qian Che looks at her coldly.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles foolishly, "<i>Chenqie</i> was only thinking for Your Majesty¡¯s happiness. Tonight is indeed an auspicious night, that¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> arranged all that! Isn¡¯t <i>chenqie</i> generous, Your Majesty? Will <i>chenqie</i> get a reward?"


    Jun Qian Che raises an eyebrow before smiling roguishly. He leans closer towards her and picks up her chin again, "You are indeed generous. Since this is an auspicious night, <i>zhen</i> rewards you by letting you spend the night with <i>zhen</i>. What do you think?"


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 Chapter 128

    "No way! No, <i>chenqie</i> is already pregnant, what is the point of doing that? This opportunity should go to the other Meimeis," Mo Qi Qi hastily shakes her head, panicking.


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes dangerously as he icily says, "Had you not been pregnant, <i>zhen</i> would have given you a long scolding long ago. Mo Qi Qi, try and send women to <i>zhen¡¯s</i> pce again and you will see what <i>zhen</i> does to you." After saying that, he leaves in anger.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the token in his hand as he walks away. "This wretched Jun Qian Che, how ungrateful could one be? I worked so hard to pick beauties for you and instead of thanking me, you actually scold me and took away my things? Just what do you take me for? Does my anger and feelings mean nothing to you?" she angrily mumbles.


    Wuwu, her anger indeed means nothing to him. He is the Emperor, no matter how angry she is, she still cannot escape his little palm. She canin all she wants and all he needs to do is to lift a finger and she would have to immediately quiet down. Ah~, the feeling of being suppressed is really not good.


    "Ah~" Mo Qi Qi screams in frustration.


    The next day, all the concubines visit her to apologize over having lost the pendant. Mo Qi Qi does not me them. After all, she was the one who gave it to them. Now that it has been taken away, she can only me it on her bad luck.


    Despite everything, Mo Qi Qi has not given up on her n. After a long day of critical thinking, a very unconventional idea rises inside her head.


    Since he sent away all the beauties that she sent, it means that he does not like beauties. Could it be that he likes¡ª¨C ugly women instead? No way, unless there is a problem with his standard of beauty.


    Since women would not do, it means that he has a special preference. Could it be that¡ª¨C he likes men?


    No way? If he likes men, what about the baby inside her? She could still remember clearly what he did to her that night. Or maybe¡ª¡ª- He was angered that night, so he was able to ignore her gender. He definitely regretted it afterwards, once his mind was clear. Is that why he was not interested in everyone she sent his way?


    But, if he likes men, why would he regrly visit Yang Shihan? It does not make sense. Maybe¡ª- Yang Shihan is only his beard and he never really touched her. Otherwise, why isn¡¯t she pregnant yet despite serving pretty much every night? As for her, he only touched her once and she is immediately with child.


    Mo Qi Qi is rmed by her own train of thoughts. Many men with that preference use beards to hide their preference from the people around them! Oh God, Jun Qian Che likes men!


    By now, Mo Qi Qi is already sure that she is right.


    "Since he has a special preference, let¡¯s just send a bunch of pretty-looking men over to him. He will definitely be satisfied, hehe," sheughs roguishly when she imagines the sight of Jun Qian Che with another man.


    Two nightster, Jun Qian Che is already resting on his bed when around a dozen of men walk in. All of them are handsome; some in a masculine way, others in feminine bashfulness.


    Jun Qian Che sits up on his bed before angrily addressing the eunuch that leads those men in, "Preposterous! What are you doing here?"


    Cold sweat covers the eunuch¡¯s forehead as he timidly answers, "A-Answering Your Majesty, the Empress ordered them to serve Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che is furious, extremely furious. Never mind sending him women, she has actually started sending him men! "Out!" he coldly orders.


    The little eunuch hastily leaves with those men, secretly thinking: I knew it. I told the Empress this will not work. His Majesty is so masculine, how is it possible he would like men?


    This time, Mo Qi Qi secretly followed them. When she sees them getting kicked out, she immediately runs up to them, "What happened? You got kicked out again?"


    The eunuch looks at her hesitantly, "Your Ladyship, His Majesty is really angry this time."


    Mo Qi Qi waves them off, signaling them to leave.


    The group scampers out timidly.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che¡¯s brightly lit room, anger slowly rising inside her heart. Why is this Jun Qian Che so hard to please? He does not want women, he does not want men either, what exactly does he want, then?


    Seems like this grandma will have to personally question him.


    She walks in, with anger and questions inside her head.


    She has been in Yu Jing Pce before, but this is her first time inside his resting chamber. When she reaches the doorway, her steps falter. What if she is directly entering the tiger¡¯s mouth? But then again, she is pregnant, he couldn¡¯t do anything to her. With her worries slightly eased, she walks in.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s chest is heaving heavily; he has never been this angry for the past 22 years of his life.


    Mo Qi Qi has not realized that she haspletely exhausted his patience. She walks in and begins speaking without any courtesy, "What is the situation with you, Your Majesty? None of them managed to move your heart? It was not easy for <i>chenqie</i> to order people to look for them! There are pretty ones, strong ones, ones that lookpletely like women, what else do you want?" Then, she shamelessly sits next to him before continuing her rant, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> knows that it is hard to ept when one has a broken sleeve. Much less you, the Emperor. It will not be good for your reputation. But you don¡¯t have to worry, now that <i>chenqie</i> knows about this, <i>chenqie</i> will help you keep this secret. We can secretly sneak people in and out of your chamber. No one will ever know! Your Majesty, be honest, did you like anyone from the group earlier? If you do, tell <i>chenqie</i>. <i>Chenqie</i> will bring him right back!"


    (<strong>TN</strong>: When a man has a broken sleeve, it means that he likes men.)


    Jun Qian Che slowly turns his head and res at her.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles brightly, "Your Majesty, are you perhaps touched by what <i>chenqie</i> said? You don¡¯t have to; <i>chenqie</i> aspires to be a virtuous Empress. If Your Majesty is happy, <i>chenqie</i> is happy as well. Feel free to indulge on those men, with the child inside <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> belly, no one will ever suspect anything."


    Jun Qian Che tips up her chin and leans closer to her, to the point where the tips of their noses touch, "Mo Qi Qi, listen to this carefully: <i>zhen</i>.does.not.like.men!"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in shock: Was she wrong?


    "Your Majesty, are you only saying that because you are afraid that <i>chenqie</i> will tell others?" Mo Qi Qi finds this a little hard to believe. If he does not like men, why did he reject those women?


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 Chapter 129

    Jun Qian Che lets go of her chin before looking at her stomach, "If <i>zhen</i> likes men, who is the father of the child you are carrying?"


    Huh! "Hehe, maybe that night was an ident?" Perhaps he lost the ability to distinguish between men and women after getting drunk.


    "That night was indeed a mistake," confesses Jun Qian Che faintly. He really did not intend to hurt her that night, just, he lost control after drinking the spiked wine. She must really hate him, right now.


    Mo Qi Qi, however, takes it the wrong way and immediately jumps up before pointing usingly at him, "I knew it! You really engage in the passion of a broken sleeve!"


    Jun Qian Che frowns, before coldly repeating himself, "Mo Qi Qi, <i>zhen</i> will say it again, <i>zhen</i> does not like men!"


    Mo Qi Qi scratches her head in confusion before analyzing everything he told her one by one: he does not like men; that night was an ident, he does not like women either¡ª- does that mean¡ª-


    "Your Majesty, could it be that you have a hidden illness down there? If you do, do not hesitate to tell <i>chenqie</i>. <i>Chenqie</i> will arrange it to be treated secretly." See how virtuous she is? Even she is about to burst to tears by her own kindness. That seems to be the correct answer to her questions. He likes women, just, his body refuse to cooperate with his heart.


    "Hidden illness?" Jun Qian Che frowns.


    "Erectile disfunction? You want to bed women, but your body simply can¡¯t cooperate," exins Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Qian Che really wants to kill a certain someone right now. If she is not carrying a child, he would have choked her out of anger by now. He looks at her icily, "Really? Is that what you think after that night?"


    Huh? Her face mes up when she thinks of what happened that night. It was really painful and he was just too big. But still, that night was only an ident.


    Mo Qi Qi dodges the question, "Your Majesty, even you admit that that was an ident. Maybe it only happened because you had a drink that night. Tell you what, you should try drinking a cup or two before bedding women. Let¡¯s see if it works!"


    Jun Qian Che raises his sword-like eyebrows, the look in his eyes turning dangerous. He grabs hold of her wrist and pulls her over.


    Mo Qi Qi, who utterly did not see thating, is pulled straight into his chest. Their eyes interlocked, and a strangely seductive smile can be seen on Jun Qian Che¡¯s lips. He slowly corners her backwards, "Tonight, the Empress will serve <i>zhen</i>."


    "What?" she stares at him wide-eyed.


    Before she can protest, Jun Qian Che carries her into the dragon bed before pressing his body on top of her. Taking a note of her state of pregnancy, Jun Qian Che leaves a gap between him and her stomach.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees Jun Qian Che¡¯s extremely handsome face hovering above her¡¯s, her breathing bes weak. She tries to smile, "Your Majesty, whatever it is, let¡¯s talk it out. This position makes talking very hard."


    Jun Qian Che caresses her little face gently. "Didn¡¯t you say <i>zhen</i> has a hidden disease? We will see it with our own eyes tonight; whether or not <i>zhen</i> really has a problem down there," his voice is low and ambiguous.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at his burning eyes. It makes her feels as though she is on fire. She remembers that he also looked at her this way, that particr night. Before he imed her as though she was his.


    By now, Mo Qi Qi already realized how dangerous the situation has be. She tries to push him off, but unfortunately is too frail to do any real damage.


    Jun Qian Che originally nned to only scare her a little. However, upon being in such close proximity to her, he finds his body slowly responding. That ce that she used of being disfunctional slowly grows bigger, as though to prove it¡¯s health to her before her own eyes.


    Seeing her pink lips, he can feel himself losing control again. He really wants to taste it. He leans down and captures her lips in a kiss.


    Mo Qi Qi is frozen from shock. At this moment, she really regrets suspecting Jun Qian Che¡¯s sexuality.


    She begins resisting when she regains herposure, but Jun Qian Che refuses to let go and begins deepening the kiss. While struggling, she bumps into a certain body part of his that haspletely woken up by now. Completely shocked, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart begins running amok. When she remembers what happened that night; the shame, the fear, she really fears that Jun Qian Che might repeat it again tonight. And so, overwhelmed with fear, Mo Qi Qi, who does not wish for history to repeat itself, lifts up her knee and kicks him where it hurts.


    "Ah!" a pained scream can be heard from him. Jun Qian Che, who has been intoxicated by the kiss, immediately lets go.


    Mo Qi Qi hastily sits up, before looking at him in worry, "Y-Your Majesty, are you alright?" In her panic, she actually used a lot of force. She only intended to make him stop, she did not wish to injure him, least of all down there. If something really happens to him down there because of her, she might really lose her life.


    Jun Qian Che res at her angrily while grimacing in pain, "Summon the physician!"


    Mo Qi Qi pretends the problem lies with him, "<i>Chenqie</i> just knew you have a problem down there!"


    Jun Qian Che looks at her darkly.


    The physician arrived really fast. After examining him with the bed curtain drawn down, the physician announces his verdict, "It is not injured, Your Majesty. Please do not worry."


    He emerges from beyond the curtain and begins packing his medical briefcase. When he walks past Mo Qi Qi, he cannot help but bow, "Your Ladyship¡¯s pregnancy has not reached 3 months. It is best not to engage in any activity inside the bedroom for now. If it is really urgent, you may, just try and cease from doing it too roughly. It might hurt the baby. This official will retreat first."


    "Wei¡ª I¡ª¨C" Mo Qi Qi wants to exin everything, but Imperial Physician Wang quickly left.


    She can just read the usations in his eyes: Your Ladyship managed to seduce His Majesty but did it too roughly and in the end, injured him. Please be mindful, from now on.


    This entire thing is just too unfair. Being the Emperor¡¯s woman is just not fun. Jun Qian Che was the one at fault, but everyone looked at her as though she was the one who tried to seduce him! Where is the justice in this world?


    She res at Jun Qian Che who is sitting on the dragon bed, "Did you hear that, Your Majesty? <i>Chenqie¡¯s</i> pregnancy is not even 3 months old, <i>chenqie</i> needs to be careful!"


    "Come here!" orders Jun Qian Che coldly.


    She takes two steps back, intimidated, "W-Why? What are you gonna do?"


    "This is an order," Jun Qian Che uses the imposing tone of an Emperor. He does not believe she will be daring enough to leave.


    Mo Qi Qi really wants to leave; or at least bump her head into something. At least, if she is unconscious, she won¡¯t have to face him.


    Although she usuallymits mistakes and offends him on daily basis, he usually keeps a blind eye to everything she did. But now, she hardly think he is going to turn a blind eye on her kicking the lifeline of the future generation of the imperial line. If she adds on to her list of offenses and leave despite him telling her not to, he will get really angry, probably even to the point of cutting off her head. If he really sentenced her to death in a fit of anger, even the powerful Mo n cannot do anything.


    And so, she obediently listens to him and slowly approaches him. If he still dares to act unscrupulous after all that has transpired, then, he can¡¯t me anyone but himself.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    <strong>Serene</strong>: Guys, I will be taking a two-and-a-half month leave starting from October. I will sit for a national exam starting from November to mid-December and would like to use October to prepare mentally. Pray for me ><


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 Chapter 130

    As Mo Qi Qi steps closer to him, she wishes that she is stepping away from him instead. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Although she tries to take her time, she reaches him in just a couple of seconds.


    When she looks at him, she immediately puts on a pitiful look, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> did not mean to kick you. It¡¯s just that¡ª <i>chenqie</i> was scared. <i>Chenqie</i> bes really afraid when <i>chenqie</i> remembers what happened that night. Furthermore, <i>chenqie</i> is pregnant now. What if Your Majesty lost control and identally hurts the baby? That¡¯s why <i>chenqie</i> kicked you away. Y-Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> was wrong! Please don¡¯t be angry." As a person, one must know when to give in. Although she hates him to death in her heart, she has no other choice but to bend down. After all, he is the Emperor. Even if she adamantly goes against him, she is still the one who is bound to lose.


    To tell the truth, Jun Qian Che¡¯s anger was gone long ago. Although he was angry when she first kicked him, he still did not miss the fear in her eyes when she struggled against him. He really regrets what he did that night. He can see what it did to her.


    He did not even mean to do anything to her. After all, what could he possibly do to a pregnant woman? It¡¯s just that, he only wanted to kiss her. He did not expect to frighten her to that degree. Seeing her reaction made him hate himself.


    Mo Qi Qi keeps her head lowered, not daring to look at him in the eyes, so she did not see the regret currently lingering on his face.


    Jun Qian Che pulls her over by the hand once more, just this time, he lets her have the chance to push him off if she wishes to.


    Once he made sure Mo Qi Qi is not going to struggle against him, he lets her sit on the dragon bed.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart jumps wildly. She thought that Jun Qian Che¡¯s desire has finally overpowered everything else. She quickly speaks up, "Your Majesty, the physician just now said that <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> pregnancy is not yet 3 months old. It is not good for <i>chenqie</i> to serve in bed, it might harm the foetus."


    Jun Qian Che ignores her. He is not a man who is ruled by lust. He has managed to calm down after the stunts she pulled on him just now. Even if he desires her, he knows that the time is not suitable to act on his feelings. "Do you feel ufortable anywhere? Did you bump your stomach on anything just now?" he asks gently.


    Mo Qi Qi is stunned. She did not expect him to ask that, much less in such a gentle voice. She thought he is still angry. She looks at him in the eyes, only to find love and affection instead of anger as she expected.


    This is the first time she has ever seen such a look on his eyes. She lowers her head shyly, before shaking her head, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> is fine. What about you? Does it still hurt?"


    Jun Qian Che smiles, "Even you know how to care about <i>zhen</i>?"


    When she sees that teasing smile on his face, the discontent inside her heart rises, "You were the one who lost your manners first. You cannot me <i>chenqie</i>. Instead, you should be touched by <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> concern over your wellbeing."


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head whileughing. He pinches her nose, "You are really¡ª- You just have to talk back, don¡¯t you? Even if it¡¯s unreasonable."


    The kiss and the shocking manner he is treating her with right now, makes her heart skips a beat. "Who says <i>chenqie</i> is unreasonable? It wasn¡¯t <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> fault on the first ce?"


    Jun Qian Che is toozy to bicker with her, lest it esctes into another argument.


    When Mo Qi Qi realizes he is making a concession, her heart leaps in joy, "Are you really fine, Your Majesty?"


    "Everything is fine. Didn¡¯t the physician tell you? Just, from now on, you are not allowed to question <i>zhen¡¯s</i> preference," warns Jun Qian Che imposingly.


    After everything that happened, Mo Qi Qi wouldn¡¯t even dare to question his sexuality. One could think that the previous incident was fueled by alcohol, but tonight, she has seen with her own pair of eyes that he doesn¡¯t need any fuel to do what he wants. All in all, she will never question his sexuality or virility again.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. The night is deep, Your Majesty should rest. <i>Chenqie</i> will leave first," Mo Qi Qi gets up to leave.


    Jun Qian Che blocks her from leaving.


    She looks at him in confusion, "What is it, Your Majesty?"


    Seeing the cautious look on her face, Jun Qian Che feels like crying. In the end, he simply says, "Empress, <i>zhen</i> already said that you will serve for the night."


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips in discontent, "But <i>chenqie</i> already told you that <i>chenqie</i> cannot. <i>Chenqie</i> is pregnant. Why don¡¯t we call any of the other Meimeis?"


    His face turns cold, "No."


    "Your Majesty, you are purposely making things hard for <i>chenqie</i>. <i>Chenqie</i> already told you that <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> pregnancy prevents <i>chenqie</i> from serving," reminds Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her earnestly, "Don¡¯t worry, <i>zhen</i> will not do anything to you. You just need to sleep here for tonight. You sent so many men into <i>zhen¡¯s</i> chamber¡ª- <i>Zhen</i> has been ruling for 2 years and still does not have children, that fact alone causes so many rumors to float out there. You sending men over will only fuel those rumors even more. It does not matter that <i>zhen</i> already drove them away. You must stay for the night to dispel those rumors. You caused this, so you must take responsibility." Honestly, he does not care about those rumors. He does not care about what other people think. The only reason for him to say all that is because he wants her to stay. He wants her by his side and it doesn¡¯t matter if they cannot do anything more than a simple sleep.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him, still half-in-doubts, "You don¡¯t want <i>chenqie</i> to leave so we could kill those rumors, is it? You don¡¯t intend to do anything else?"


    "Yes. You are pregnant, what could <i>zhen</i> possibly do to you?" replies Jun Qian Che helplessly.


    She studies his expression before deeming his arguments valid enough. "Just a simple sleep, no dirty thoughts, alright?"


    Jun Qian Che nods.


    Mo Qi Qi calms down a little and lies on the bed. A secondter, she turns to him again, "Your Majesty, just to be safe, you should sleep on the long couch."


    Jun Qian Che is unhappy to hear that, "This is <i>zhen¡¯s</i> pce, <i>zhen¡¯s</i> dragon bed, why should <i>zhen</i> sleep on the long couch?" He lies down next to her.


    "So you want <i>chenqie</i> to sleep on the long couch? <i>Chenqie</i> is carrying your child!" snaps Mo Qi Qi.


    His voice turns cold when he says, "The bed is so big, couldn¡¯t it amodate both of us? What will people say if they see the Emperor and Empress sleeping separately?"


    <strong>serene</strong>: Guys, for those who did not know, I will be taking a 2 1/2 months leave starting from October. I¡¯ll be sitting for a super important exam. Please pray for me TT


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 Chapter 131

    "People wouldn¡¯t even know," retorts Mo Qi Qi, unconvinced.


    Jun Qian Che turns around before coldly saying, "If you refuse to sleep with <i>zhen</i>, you will have to sleep on the long couch. If you fell and hurt the baby, you must not me <i>zhen</i>."


    "You¡ª-" Mo Qi Qi looks at the couch that is less than one metre wide. She is not a graceful-sleeper, she might indeed fall over if she sleeps there. She would not have been worried, if she is not pregnant. However, she is currently carrying a child and the pregnancy is not even 3 months old. A simple stumble might pose great danger. Besides, the dragon bed is so big; 5 to 6 people can easily sleep side-by-side and there would still be some spaces to spare. There is no need to worry about space if they sleep there.


    For the sake of the baby that she is carrying, Mo Qi Qi decides to bite the bullet. She climbs onto the bed, as far away from him as possible, before slowly drifting to sleep.


    Jun Qian Che listens to her movement stealthily. When he takes note of her uniform breathing, he slowly turns around. By now, Mo Qi Qi is already asleep. The great distance separating them displeases him.


    Since she refused to get close to him, he can only be the one who reduces that distance.


    He quietly scoots over to her. He stares at her, drinking in the details of her face, imprinting her pretty face on his mind.


    Even the simple act of looking at her makes him feel as though he is about to lose control. He nts a gentle kiss on her forehead before closing his eyes, wanting to sleep.


    She has a certain scent with her. Not the scent of rouge, but the clear, crisp scent that people usually has. He can smell it really clearly now that he is lying so close to her. He likes her scent, it calms him down. He slowly drifts into sleep.


    Sleeping next to her tonight allows him to sleep soundly. He has never slept this well, after ascending the throne two years ago.


    He was usually busy with politics. Even when the issue at hand has been solved, there were more things for him to worry about, so he usually has a hard time sleeping at night.


    At certain nights, when he really cannot sleep, he would open a book and read until he gets sleepy.


    However, that is not the case tonight. He is able to sleep well. This can be regarded as the best sleep that Jun Qian Che has ever had for the past 2 years.


    The next day, Jun Qian Che wakes up really early. When he sees her sleeping with such an unguarded expression, like a worry-free child, he bes reluctant to look away.


    No wonder his 7<sup>th</sup> Imperial Uncle fell so hard for her and refused to let go. Not even after she entered the pce and became the Empress. He never knew she is this attractive. He used to avoid her, so he did not really have the chance to look at her properly. Now that he has taken a good look, he finally realized how enchanting she is.


    Has his 7<sup>th</sup> Imperial Uncle seen how attractive she is? A burst of sour feeling suddenly fills his heart. She is his Empress. Only he has the right to see her beauty, no other men can.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if his 7<sup>th</sup> Imperial Uncle appreciates her beauty. In the end, he can only yearn for her from afar. He can never obtain her.


    Mo Qi Qi, it does not matter how much we hate in each other the past. From now on, <i>zhen</i> will treat you and our child well. <i>Zhen</i> will not let you go.


    Jun Qian Che leaves the bed as quietly as possible. He does not wish the wake her. He change into another robe to attend the morning court. He nts a kiss on her forehead, and leaves even though he is reluctant to.


    As for Mo Qi Qi, the moment she wakes up, she hesitates over whether or not she should open her eyes. She does not know how to face Jun Qian Che. How awkward would it be?


    Even so, she cannot possibly stay this way all day! After quietly persuading herself, she slowly opens one eye. When she realized that she is the only person on the bed, she quickly opens both eyes. She sits up and looks around.


    "You are awake, Your Ladyship," Ban Xiang appears in front of her.


    Disappointment sweeps over Mo Qi Qi. Although she was afraid of the awkwardness that would ensue if she sees him, not seeing him unexpectedly makes her sad.


    Seeing the expression on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face, Ban Xiang curiously looks at her, "What¡¯s wrong, Your Ladyship?"


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "Nothing."


    Ban Xiangughs teasingly, "Your Ladyship, are you disappointed that His Majesty is not here?"


    Mo Qi Qi did not expect the jumpy Ban Xiang would actually see through her. Is she that obvious? She touches her face and pretends to re at Ban Xiang, "What nonsense! I am d that Jun Qian Che is not here! Why should I be disappointed? You better mind your words!"


    Ban Xiangughs to herself before changing the topic, "Your Ladyship, didn¡¯t you follow Eunuch Xiao Shun Zi to see how His Majesty would deal with those men? How did it end up with you being the one on the dragon bed?" She covers a smile shyly, "His Majesty sure is something. Your Ladyship is pregnant, he should have controlled himself."


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face reddens at that. She knocks on Ban Xiang in the head before scolding her, "What on earth is inside your head? We did not do anythingst night. We simply slept on the same bed."


    Ban Xiang thought she was merely being shy, so she nodded, "Yes, yes, yes, you did not do anything. Your Ladyship, it iste now. You should get up." It is clear, from her face, that she does not believe that.


    Mo Qi Qi opens her mouth to exin herself further, but in the end, decides against it. After all, she is carrying Jun Qian Che¡¯s child right now. They have crossed that border long ago. Let other people think what they might.


    Mo Qi Qi gets up and returns to Feng Yang Pce with Ban Xiang.


    In the meantime, the news of the Empress staying at Yu Jing Pce for the night has spread throughout the Forbidden City. Certain people originally wanted to use this chance to spread the rumor about the Emperor¡¯s sexual orientation, but now that the Emperor has kicked those men out and instead lets the Empress stay, the verdict is pretty much clear now. They can no longer use this to discredit the Emperor¡¯s reputation.


    Ban Xiang originally wanted to persuade the Empress to stay, so she and the Emperor can have breakfast together. The head-strong Mo Qi Qi refuses, so, she gives in.


    Jun Qian Che on the other hand, quickly concludes the morning court and rushes back to Yu Jing Pce, hoping to have his breakfast with Mo Qi Qi. Unfortunately, she already left. Disappointment sweeps over him.


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 Chapter 132

    After Mo Qi Qi returns to Feng Yang Pce, she eats her breakfast and rests.


    When she thinks of everything that happened these past few days, she can only sigh over how confusing Jun Qian Che can be.


    When she remembers how he almost forced her against night, she begins to worry for her own safety.


    She does not love Jun Qian Che. It¡¯s true that she is carrying his child at the moment, but having a child with him does not mean that she will actually ept him in her life.


    Besides, she is not sure that he will keep his promise. What if he still ends up hurting their child one day?


    She originally thought she could distract him with beautiful men and women, but it failed. In fact, his attention seemed to be focused solely on her. This is not a good thing.


    If she truly cannot distract him, shouldn¡¯t she be looking for a way out?


    She has tried so hard and still cannot find the way back to her universe. Perhaps, the way back isn¡¯t in the pce. Or perhaps, there is no way back to begin with.


    If that is the case, then, what is the point of staying here? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to run as far away from the pce as possible? If she managed to escape, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Jun Qian Che harming her child ever again. She also would no longer have to live in constant fear.


    After making up her mind, Mo Qi Qi begins devising her escape route. Leaving the pce will not be easy. She must figure out a way to guarantee sess. Otherwise, getting caught will be catastrophic.


    And so, Mo Qi Qi locks herself inside the pce for two days, devising her n. In the end, she decides to disguise herself as a pce maid and sneaks out when the guards are changing shifts tonight.


    Ban Xiang found out about her n and is adamant to be brought along.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees Ban Xiang crying so pitifully, her heart softens and she decides to bring her along.


    By the time the sky has darkened, one can only see two pce maids sneakily heading towards the Forbidden City¡¯s main gate. To avoid suspicion, Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang did not take anything with them. Whatever it is they need, they can simply buy it outside,ter on.


    One needs a special medallion in order to leave the pce, moreover so at this time of the night.


    The two imed to be maids from Feng Yang Pce and that the Empress has been afflicted with headaches ever since her fall from the viewing tower. Whenever she has a bout of headache, she will need to take certain medicines from outside the pce, since the prescription from the pce is not working for her. The Empress¡¯ head hurts again today and they have both been sent on that errand.


    Even after hearing that long exnation, the guards firmly say, "Please show us the special medallion."


    Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang exchange a look. Ban Xiang slowly takes out a medallion.


    To tell the truth, not every pce will have the special medallion that grants exit. Not even the servants from the Empress¡¯ pce.


    The Internal Affairs Department will usually take care of everything. Representatives from each pce would only need to fetch whatever they need from the department. The type of servants that own the special medallion are the ones who frequently leaves the pce for official matters outside, like certain staff from the Imperial Kitchen. Even then, their names would be registered.


    Other than those people, the rest would have to ask for special permission from the Internal Affairs Department. As for the consorts, they would even need permission from the Emperor.


    And so, in order to pass through the gate, they must show the guards the medallion that has issued by the Internal Affairs Department.


    Despite so, the guards also knew that the Empress has a special medallion that was gifted to her family by thete Emperor. It had been used multiple times by her maids before. That is why the guards have not been suspicious when they heard the two maids are from Feng Yang Pce. They only need to show the medallion and they are free to go.


    Ban Xiang takes out a medallion from her sleeves and hands it over to one of the guards.


    The guards only nce at it from afar and did not personally touch it. "You may pass," one of them says politely.


    The medallion that Ban Xiang apparently carries was bestowed by thete Emperor. These lowly guards wouldn¡¯t dare to touch it. It would be considered disrespectful and heads would roll.


    Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang did not expect this to go on so smoothly. They exchange relieved smile with each other, before walking ahead. There is only a single door separating them and the world outside. Once they pass through that door, they are free. They can begin a new chapter in life.


    Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang anxiously march on.


    Just then, a voice speaks up, "Stop them!"


    When the guards realized that the one who spoke was Eunuch Lin, they immediately follow the order. Although the two maids carry thete Emperor¡¯s medallion, Eunuch Lin is the eunuch that personally serves the Emperor. There must be a valid reason behind every order.


    The guards immediately form arge cross with theirnces, blocking the two girls¡¯ way.


    Mo Qi Qi did not expect Eunuch Lin would make a sudden appearance. She lowers her head to avoid getting recognized.


    Only Ban Xiang turns around to greet Eunuch Lin. She smiles at him, "It iste, Eunuch Lin. What are you doing here? This servant is under Her Ladyship¡¯s order to buy something, I will return real quick!"


    When Ban Xiang sees another approaching figure, she gasps in shock. She immediately kneels down, "Greeting Your Majesty."


    The guards follow suit, "Greeting Your Majesty."


    Mo Qi Qi is frozen in her spot, not knowing what to do. She did not expect herself to be so unfortunate. She wonders if this is truly a coincidence or if he purposely waited here to catch her.


    Her intuition tells her that it is thetter, but her n was pretty much fool-proof, it¡¯s impossible for him to find out!


    Jun Qian Che looks at Mo Qi Qi who is rooted in her spot before coldly asking, "What are you doing here sote, Empress?"


    Hearing that, the guards immediately greet her, "Greeting the Empress."


    Realizing that her identity has been exposed, Mo Qi Qi turns around andughs like a fool, "Your Majesty! What a coincidence!"


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s face is dark as he says, "Come to <i>zhen</i>."


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips before obediently walking over to him. "Your Majesty¡ª-" she says cautiously.


    "Are you leaving the pce, Empress?" asks Jun Qian Che.


    In Mo Qi Qi¡¯s mind, now that she has been caught, she will die either way, so might as well tell him the truth. She is toozy to lie to him anymore. Besides, with Mo n around, he might not dare to kill her. Perhaps, he might even send her off personally if he knows that she wants to leave. After all, he might not have the heart to kill the child. However, having the child around might make him uneasy. Might as well let her go to the farthest end of the world.


    And so, Mo Qi Qi gathers her courage and says, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> wants to leave the pce. <i>Chenqie</i> hates pce life and wish to leave the imperial pce."


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 Chapter 133

    The imperial guards look on in shock. The Empress was trying to escape! Lucky the Emperor is here, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.


    Eunuch Lin chokes a little, when he hears Mo Qi Qi¡¯s frank words.


    Even Jun Qian Che did not see iting. An icy smile is formed on his lips, "Do you mean it, Empress? Are you really tired of the pce?" Jun Qian Che only managed to catch her because he got worried after she locked herself up inside her pce. Previously, she was busy sending women to his side, but all movement suddenly stopped from her part, raising his curiosity. He thought she was sick and sent secret guards to monitor her. Just imagine his shock when they reported that she was trying to escape instead.


    Jun Qian Chew as furious, but he did not show it. Instead, he ordered the guards to return to Feng Yang Pce to continue monitoring her. He had hoped that she only said it in the heat of the moment, out of anger. He did not think that she would actually do it tonight. He is very disappointed, very heart-broken. The Mo Qi Qi who used to put her entire heart into bing the Empress is really gone.


    That determination she has is now used for something else; her desire to leave the pce. And for whom? Is it for his 7<sup>th</sup> Imperial Uncle? She must have regretted entering the pce. Only after she entered the pce did she realize that the 7<sup>th</sup> Imperial Uncle is better for her, so now she is trying to return to him.


    Mo Qi Qi, you are currently carrying <i>zhen¡¯s</i> child and yet you are still adamant to leave, has your heart truly died for <i>zhen</i>? Although <i>zhen</i> wants to grab onto you and does not let go, doing that would only hurt you. Does that mean <i>zhen</i> truly has to let you go? Is letting go really that easy?


    Why did you change? Why did you make <i>zhen</i> like you? If only you continued the way you were, <i>zhen</i> wouldn¡¯t have fallen for you. If <i>zhen</i> did not like you, letting you go would¡¯ve been only too easy. In fact, that was what <i>zhen</i> used to hope for. But now, that is the hardest thing for <i>zhen</i> to do.


    As for Mo Qi Qi, the moment she heard Jun Qian Che¡¯s question, she wanted to say, "Yes!" However, Ban Xiang stops her and drags her back by the sleeves, shaking her head profusely.


    Mo Qi Qi knows that Ban Xiang is worried for her. However, although putting it so honestly might be dangerous, it might also give her hope. Jun Qian Che might let her leave. If she did not, she would lose both her chance and her hope.


    Seeing her quiet, as though she is thinking how to put things into words, Jun Qian Che quickly say, "Be honest! If you really want to leave, <i>zhen</i> will fulfill your wish!"


    Jun Qian Che has no idea how much courage he has used up just to say that, and he has no idea how he managed to say it so smoothly. Perhaps it is because he does not wish to see her hurting.


    Mo Qi Qi, <i>zhen</i> will only give you this one chance! If you really want to leave, <i>zhen</i> will swallow the pain and let you go. Hurry and answer <i>zhen</i>, otherwise, <i>zhen</i> might change my mind.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in surprise. She did not expect him to be so kind! Joy blooms in her heart.


    However, Ban Xiang does not think the Emperor would let go of the Empress that easily. She fears the Emperor is only testing them. If the Empress says yes, the Emperor might capture her and banish her to the Cold Pce. As the Empress¡¯ personal maid, she cannot just sit and watch her Mistress going down the road of no return. Before Mo Qi Qi jumps at the chance to answer Jun Qian Che¡¯s offer, she quietly whispers to her, "Your Ladyship, this servant has just remembered something. There is a toilet at the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce, but only she can use it. You have not tried that ce." The Empress has been interested in toilets ever since that fall from the viewing tower. In fact, she once told Ban Xiang that she would have left the pce long ago had it not been for the toilets. Ban Xiang suspects that only toilets can make her change her mind, right now.


    The words that are about toe out of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s mouth is immediately swallowed back. She looks at Ban Xiang, half-convinced, "Why didn¡¯t you say it sooner?"


    Ban Xiang scratches her head, "This servant was afraid that you might sneak into the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce. Her Ladyship does not like you that much to begin with, sneaking into her pce might worsen your rtionship with her."


    Mo Qi Qi knocks on Ban Xiang in the head, "You ah! I almost lost this chance!"


    Although protecting the child is a pressing matter, returning to her universe is even more pressing. If the way back is really inside the pce, then, she must stay here regardless of how dangerous it is.


    And so, Jun Qian Che who has already prepared himself for the worst finds Mo Qi Qi turning back towards him with a brilliant smile on her face, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> does not want to leave the pce."


    Jun Qian Che looks at her in shock and confusion.


    Mo Qi Qi scratches her head awkwardly, "<i>Chenqie</i> was too bored earlier and decided to test the guards¡¯ discerning ability. <i>Chenqie</i> wanted to see if <i>chenqie</i> could leave the pce. <i>Chenqie</i> was really close to seeding, but Your Majesty came. You must have a thousand eyes, Your Majesty!"


    "Do you mean it, Empress?" asks Jun Qian Che. Although he knows she was lying about the whole testing the guards thing, he is ecstatic that she decides not to leave. If only Jun Qian Che knows that Mo Qi Qi is only staying for a toilet and that he, the Emperor has just lost to a toilet, heads would probably roll tonight.


    "Of course! <i>Chenqie</i> only said what <i>chenqie</i> said to test Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> wanted to see if you care for <i>chenqie</i>. Who would¡¯ve thought Your Majesty would let <i>chenqie</i> leave! <i>Chenqie</i> has lost face-ah! <i>Chenqie</i> is currently carrying your child, how could <i>chenqie</i> possibly leave? You made me so sad, Your Majesty," says Mo Qi Qi coyly.


    Jun Qian Che can finally let go of his worry. He pretends to re at her, "You still remember that you are pregnant? What are you doing here in the dead of the night, creating ruckus?"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Your Majesty, you only said that because you are angry, right?" Since she has decided to stay, she needs to regain some of her dignity. Otherwise, if it spreads out that the Empress tried to leave and the Emperor did not even stop her, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to lift her head inside the pce after this.


    Jun Qian Che also wants to help her regain her pride. After all, she is pregnant and he does not want others to think lightly of her and by extension, their child. "En."


    Mo Qi Qiughs and walks over to him. She hugs his arm coquettishly, "Please don¡¯t be angry, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> will stop creating ruckus after this."


    When the guards hear that, they realized that anger means love. They must never offend the Empress in the future.


    "In consideration for the child you are carrying, <i>zhen</i> will forgive you this one time." This is your own choice, Mo Qi Qi. There will never be this chance again in the future. <i>Zhen</i> will hold on to you tight.


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 Chapter 134

    After thinking about it, Jun Qian Che actually regrets offering her a way out. What if she actually chose to leave? Would he bear to let her go? A gentleman could never take back his words, so had she chosen to leave, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything to stop her. Fortunately, she chose to stay. He is beyond happy right now.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," Mo Qi Qi curtsies in front of him.


    Jun Qian Che looks at the guards. There is no particr expression on his face, but his voice is imposing when he says, "The Empress did a good job testing you tonight. This is a lesson for all of you. The Empress no longer has thete Emperor¡¯s medallion. What she showed you earlier is just a regr pendant. Thete Emperor¡¯s medallion is currently in <i>zhen¡¯s</i> hand. Feng Yang Pce no longer has the special medallion. From now onwards, all of you must check everyone thoroughly. Make sure they have permission to leave or enter the pce. Do not be negligent in your duties, otherwise, how could you ensure the safety of the imperial pce?"


    Mo Qi Qi is a little dumbfounded when she heard Jun Qian Che. Isn¡¯t he basically demolishing her escape route? What if she decides to escape again, in the future? How would she do it without thete Emperor¡¯s medallion? The guards were already tricked once, now that they have been reprimanded, they will not fall for it again.


    Tonight, it could be said that the guards have received a very important lesson. They kneel on the ground, "These servants were wrong. Please punish us, Your Majesty."


    Seeing this, Mo Qi Qi jumps to their rescue, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> was just ying tricks on them. Please do not punish them."


    Jun Qian Che nods, "Since the Empress has spoken, <i>zhen</i> will spare you this time. If this happens again, everyone will be punished." Jun Qian Che does not wish to raise people¡¯s ire against Mo Qi Qi. If he punish them this time, they will definitely harbor hatred for Mo Qi Qi. It will make it easy for people to use them as a tool against her, in the future. And so, it is genuinely due to Mo Qi Qi that he is letting them go. Since they have gotten reprimanded, they will be more careful in the future. Someimes, kindness is better than punishment.


    The guards immediately thank them in gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty and Your Ladyship."


    And so, the matter ends just like that. Although Mo Qi Qi is a little disappointed that she failed to escape, the idea of the Empress Dowager¡¯s toilet motivates her a little.


    Mo Qi Qi did not see Jun Qian Che for the next couple of days.


    There is a perilous matter that has been guing Jun Qian Che these past few days.


    Jun Qian Che sits on the dragon chair emotionlessly, watching the red-faced ministers arguing below.


    ¡¯The Marquis of Ning Nan secretly hid a dragon robe, it is clear that he has the intention to rebel. We must kill nine generations of his n!" says one minister.


    "If the Marquis of Ning Nan really has the intention to rebel, would he really keep the dragon robe so haphazardly and made it so easy for others to discover it? It is clear that someone is trying to harm him," says another.


    "He is an esteemed Marquis, who on their right mind would have the guts to nder him? He clearly did it on his own!"


    "If the Marquis really is terrible, he would not have let Duke Zhen and his troops ransack his residence. He even forbade his own guards from hurting Duke Zhen¡¯s people! The Marquis of Ning Nan is innocent!"


    "That is exactly what he wants you to think! Knowing that his deeds were about to be discovered, he acted like he was so upright to arouse other people¡¯s sympathy."


    Duke Zhen stands on the sideline, watching the fight with a slight smile on his face.


    Realizing that the arguments are not going to end anytime soon, Chu Ling Xiao speaks up, "Please hear this Prime Minister out, fellow ministers. Arguing like this will get us nowhere, let¡¯s listen to His Majesty¡¯s verdict."


    The ministers stop quarreling and turns towards Jun Qian Che, "Your Majesty, please investigate this matter and determine the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s innocence."


    "Your Majesty, the Marquis is treacherous. He must be punished!"


    Jun Qian Che speaks calmly in a way that makes it hard for others to guess his thoughts, "<i>Zhen</i> understands this matter. Duke Zhen discovered a dragon robe in the Marquis¡¯ keeping. However, owning a dragon robe does not means he has the intention to rebel. How did you find out about the dragon robe, Duke Zhen?"


    Duke Zhen steps out before replying in a haughty manner, "Answering Your Majesty, this official received a secret report saying the Marquis of Ning Nan desires the crown. He has secretly gathered his own private army and has his own dragon robe. That¡¯s why this official brought troops to search his residence. In the end, we did discover a dragon robe in his keeping. It is clear that the Marquis is greedy and treacherous."


    Chu Ling Xiao steps out, "We have no idea who it is that reported the Marquis. Whatever it is he has to say, he should have brought it up in court. Whether it is true or not, His Majesty can make his own decision."


    Duke Zhen replies him in disdain, "Since it is a secret note, it naturally does not have the sender¡¯s name."


    Chu Ling Xiaoughs, "Duke Zhen actually brought troops to search a Marquis¡¯ residence over an anonymous letter? Without even gaining His Majesty¡¯s approval? Don¡¯t you think you are too bold, Duke Zhen? What if this Prime Minister also received an anonymous letter? Does that give this Prime Minister the right to search other official¡¯s homes? Wouldn¡¯t the country be at chaos, then?"


    Duke Zhen replies him proudly, "This General is only thinking for the kingdom. This General did not notify the Emperor beforehand because this General did not wish to give the Marquis a chance to hide the dragon robe. Although this General¡¯s approach is inadequate, it is undeniable that a dragon robe has been found at the Marquis¡¯ residence. Please investigate the matter, Your Majesty."


    A cold light shes through Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes and disappears as quickly as it came. He looks at Duke Zhen before saying, "<i>Zhen</i> can understand Duke Zhen¡¯s worry, <i>zhen</i> will not me you. However, this matter needs to be investigated further." Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes fall on Jun Yue Hen, "Imperial uncle, what is your view on this matter?"


    Jun Yue Hen remains indifferent and unruffled as he steps out before gently saying, "Although there is a dragon robe found, it is not enough to convict the Marquis of his crime. This matter needs to be investigated thoroughly."


    Jun Qian Che raises his eyebrows, "You are of the same opinion as <i>zhen</i>, imperial uncle. This matter will be investigated by General Han Yi Xiao. Hopefully, we can get an answer soon."


    However, Duke Zhen is still adamant on his views, "Your Majesty, this General already discovered the dragon robe inside his residence. This matter needs no further investigation."


    "Convicting the Marquis over the dragon robe is not enough, people will feel dissatisfied. The Marquis of Ning Nan exerts quite an influence in Ning Nan, this matter needs to be investigated well," replies Jun Qian Che.


    Duke Zhen refuses to let go, "Your Majesty, it does not matter if he has the intention to rebel or not; hiding a dragon robe itself is enough to get one killed." He looks as Jun Qian Che, as though forcing Jun Qian Che to kill the Marquis.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    <strong>Serene</strong>: Only the Emperor can wear the dragon robe (a robe with dragons embroidered on it.) The only other person who can wear it is the Crown Prince, but even then, the number of ws of the dragon on the Crown Prince¡¯s robe must be less than the Emperor¡¯s.


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 Chapter 135

    Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice bes colder as he says, "<i>Zhen</i> has seen neither the dragon robe nor the Marquis of Ning Nan himself. Persecuting him without proof will be too unfair. <i>Zhen</i> will only decide on the punishment upon questioning the Marquis myself. That¡¯s enough, the court this morning shall end now. The discussion will continue tomorrow." Jun Qian Che gets up and leaves.


    The ministers kneel before him respectfully, "Long live the Emperor."


    Jun Qian Che returns to the imperial study in anger. He clenches his fists tight in an attempt to quell the anger inside his heart.


    Chu Ling Xiao walks in not longter, "This official greets Your Majesty."


    "Ling Xiao, investigate this matter secretly. And inform Yi Xiao to secretly protect the Marquis of Ning Nan on the way to the capital. Someone is bound to lift their hands against him," orders Jun Qian Che.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. There must be a certain someone behind all this," replies Chu Ling Xiao.


    A cold look shes in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes, "Duke Zhen was far away in Camp Sheng Jing, and yet he still went out of his way to search the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s residence, his intention is clear."


    "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Ning Nan is our supporter that we secretly nted in the south. It will not be good if we let Duke Zhen get rid of him," says Chu Ling Xiao in worry.


    "That¡¯s why we must protect the Marquis at all cost. We must not let Duke Zhen get what he wants," replies Jun Qian Che coldly.


    "Yes, this official will immediately look for Yi Xiao."


    Jun Qian Che nods.


    Chu Ling Xiao leaves the imperial study.


    On another part of the pce, the bored and idle Mo Qi Qi takes a stroll around the harem. She quickly notices how happy everyone looks today. She turns to Ban Xiang in confusion, "Is there a special asion today? Why does everyone look so excited?"


    Ban Xiangughs before saying, "Your Ladyship, today is the 7<sup>th</sup> day of the 7<sup>th</sup> month! The Qixi Festival is celebrated grandly in our Hua Chen Kingdom. Young men and women would gather by the riverside and releasenterns. They will also go to Yue Lao Temple to make a wish before hanging their true love¡¯s knot under the Marriage Tree. The streets and the marketce will be packed. Lovers will give their significant others gifts, so today can be considered an auspicious day. This is to celebrate the meeting of the Cowherder and the Weaver Girl. All the unmarried people are hoping to meet their other half in the near future."


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Qixi Festival is like Chinese Valentine¡¯s Day.)


    Mo Qi Qi nods in understanding, "So, it is like that. No wonder those pce maids look so happy. Will there be a celebration in the pce?"


    Ban Xiang shakes her head, "No, but pce maids will still find ways to secretly gift their loved ones with love tokens like scented pouch. As for the concubines, they will personally prepare something to be given to the Emperor."


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in disappointment, "Why can¡¯t we celebrate it inside the pce? There are so many people here, the celebration would have been merry. You should have informed <i>bengong</i> earlier, <i>bengong</i> would have arranged it."


    Ban Xiang secretively whispers, "Your Ladyship, today is the Qixi Festival. Why don¡¯t you send His Majesty a little gift to represent your love for him?"


    Mo Qi Qiughs at her exagerratingly before checking Ban Xiang¡¯s forehead, "Are you ill? How on earth did you even manage to say that nonsense so openly? You want me to give Jun Qian Che a gift? What a joke! Since today is the Qixi Festival, <i>bengong</i> will give you a leave! You can leave the pce and look for your lover outside!"


    Ban Xiang immediately reddens, "You are making fun of this servant again, Your Ladyship! This servant has no lover!"


    "Hahaha," Mo Qi Qiughs at her in amusement.


    Jun Qian Che is busy in the imperial study the entire day and only returned to Yu Jing Pce for dinner. As for Mo Qi Qi, she finds that the night is still young after eating dinner. She is not sleepy at all. That, aided by Ban Xiang¡¯s description of the festival outside makes her feel restless. "Ban Xiang, let¡¯s sneak out of the pce tonight and join the merriment! I want to see how it¡¯s like outside!"


    The moment Ban Xiang hears that, cold sweat fills her forehead, "You want to sneak out of the pce? No! His Majesty will be furious if he finds out! If we arete by even one minute, the pce¡¯s gate would be closed and we won¡¯t be able to get in!"


    "We¡¯ll go early and return early! His Majesty will never know! It won¡¯t take long!" Mo Qi Qi negotiates with Ban Xiang.


    Ban Xiang does not dare to promise anything, "No. Please do not make things hard for this servant, Your Ladyship. You are currently with a child. There are so many people on the streets out there, what if they bump into you? If anything happens to you, His Majesty would never spare this servant! Perhaps, Your Ladyship should ask for His Majesty¡¯s permission first. If he agrees, this servant will keep youpany." Ban Xiang regrets telling her about the festival today. In the end, she could only use the Emperor¡¯s name to suppress the Empress¡¯ desire. She originally thought it would kick the idea out of her Mistress¡¯ head, however, contrary to her expectation, Mo Qi Qi suddenly jumps up.


    "You are right, Ban Xiang! I should ask for Jun Qian Che¡¯s opinion. I will go to him right now. If he won¡¯t let me, I will cry and throw a temper tantrum in front of him. I am pregnant, so he will never kill me. I¡¯ll continueining until he agree with me!" Mo Qi Qi has always been the type that does whatever she wants, so she immediately rushes out of Feng Yang Pce.


    "Please slow down, Your Ladyship," Ban Xiang sighs.


    Mo Qi Qi heads straight towards Yu Jing Pce and directly enters Jun Qian Che¡¯s resting chamber.


    Jun Qian Che is currently reading in front of a table. The dim light casted upon his figure gives him an indifferent air. He is currently lowering his head, even the warmth of the light cannot warm up his cold countenance. Hs phoenix eyes are long and narrow, his nose bridge is high and his lips are thin and proud. The most eye-catching thing is the dragon headgear on top of his head. It made him look magnificent and formidable at the same time.


    Mo Qi Qi stomps her way to his side while smiling, "You are reading, Your Majesty?"


    Jun Qian Che has already sensed her presence from the moment she cautiously poked her head in by the door. However, he did not say anything since he wanted to see what she wants to do.


    "En," he replies simply.


    "What kind of book?" Mo Qi Qi leans towards him.


    He shows her the title.


    When Mo Qi Qi sees the traditional characters on the title, the smile on her face turns awkward, "Hehe, it looks soplicated. <i>Chenqie</i> cannot understand a single word."


    Jun Qian Che puts down the book before asking, "Is there something you want to say?"


    Mo Qi Qi scratches her neck, "Nothing. Just <i>chenqie</i> wanted to see if you are asleep."


    Jun Qian Che looks at her.


    Mo Qi Qiughs awkwardly.


    Jun Qian Che picks up the book before dismissing her, "If there is nothing else, the Empress can leave."


    Mo Qi Qi chokes a little before giving him a perfunctory smile, "Your Majesty, it was not easy for <i>chenqie</i> toe over and you¡¯re already kicking <i>chenqie</i> out? To tell the truth, <i>chenqie</i> has a little request."


    Jun Qian Che has seen thising long ago. Even a ghost would not believe it if she says shees with no intention.


    "What is it?" asks Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips before jumping straight to the point, "It¡¯s the Qixi Festival today. <i>Chenqie</i> heard it¡¯s really lively outside. <i>Chenqie</i> wants to take a look...."


    Jun Qian Che immediately res at her, "Mo Qi Qi, you are the Empress! Do you think it suits your position to leave the pce in the dead of the night? Besides, you are pregnant. It is not safe. <i>Zhen</i> will not let you."


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 Chapter 136 part1

    Mo Qi Qi is just about to lose her temper when she remembers that she is here to beg him. She swallows her anger and put on the good little wife look, "Your Majesty, although <i>chenqie</i> is the Empress, <i>chenqie</i> is also a part of Hua Chen Kingdom. <i>Chenqie</i> wants to see the lives of themon people and how they celebrate festivals."


    "The Qixi Festival is an annual thing, you can go next year. You are currently pregnant, you should not go out," Jun Qian Che is still worried.


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips in grievance, "Your Majesty, it is because <i>chenqie</i> is pregnant that <i>chenqie</i> wants to see it this year. Ever since <i>chenqie</i> got pregnant, there are so many things <i>chenqie</i> cannot do. Your Majesty is always busy and cannot keep <i>chenqie</i>pany; <i>chenqie</i> has no friends here. The other consorts treat <i>chenqie</i> with respect because <i>chenqie</i> is the Empress, no one dares to treat <i>chenqie</i> like an equal. <i>Chenqie</i> is just so bored. Besides, everyone says that giving birth is like putting one foot in the Underworld. Who knows if the delivery will smooth? Perhaps, <i>chenqie</i> won¡¯t even have the chance to attend it next year."


    "Do not speak nonsense!" Other than anger, heartache and worry also dominates Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart upon hearing that. He looks at her earnestly, "You are <i>zhen¡¯s</i> Empress. The child that you are carrying is <i>zhen¡¯s</i> child. You are not the same as other women out there. <i>Zhen</i> will find the best midwife out there. <i>Zhen¡¯s</i> prince or princess will be the most distinguished child in the kingdom, the delivery will be fine. Nothing will happen to you. Do not worry about such things."


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, "Life is unpredictable. <i>Chenqie</i> wants to live in the present time! <i>Chenqie</i> wants to go this year, <i>chenqie</i> does not want to go next year. The festival will be different each year, <i>chenqie</i> ns to attend it everytime. This year, <i>chenqie</i> can take the child there with me. Next year, <i>chenqie</i> will carry him there. The next next year, he can already walk, so <i>chenqie</i> only needs to hold his hand. Life is mystery; who knows, perhaps <i>chenqie</i> could find out about his predestined affinity this year."


    Jun Qian Che scolds her bad-naturedly upon hearing that, "Nonsense! You don¡¯t even know the gender of the baby! What predestined affinity!"


    Mo Qi Qi raises her eyebrows confidently, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> has this feeling that the baby is a boy. Women have sixth sense, you know."


    "Do you hope that the baby is a boy?" asks Jun Qian Che.


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "Not really. I¡¯m okay with either. Actually, I¡¯d like a girl better; however, it is not about what I¡¯d like. We can only know after giving birth. Please give <i>chenqie</i> permission to go, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> just wants to walk around. <i>Chenqie</i> will return real quick. <i>Chenqie</i> will not go to crowded ces, in fact, <i>chenqie</i> will only stand on the roadside, watching the merriment! Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> has been so bored to the point of getting illtely. Please give <i>chenqie</i> the permission to go. Your Majesty¡ª¨C" Mo Qi Qi takes out her special skills and begins tugging at his sleeves coquettishly.


    Jun Qian Che is the weakest when she acts in this manner. Even though he clearly knows that she is only doing all this to get what she wants, he cannot help from falling for her tricks. He sighs, "Alright, <i>zhen</i> agrees."


    Mo Qi Qi jumps up, "Yay! This is great!"


    Jun Qian Che res at her.


    She immediately rubs her stomach whileughing, "Hehe, <i>chenqie</i> forgot <i>chenqie</i> is pregnant. Thank you, Your Majesty."


    After seeing her frazzled state, how could Jun Qian Che feel eased enough to let her leave the pce now? "<i>Zhen</i> will go with you," he helplessly says.


    Three ck lines appear on top of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s head. What is the point of going out if he is going toe along? He is so uptight, he would forbid her from doing everything she wants. With that in mind, Mo Qi Qi gives him a brilliant smile, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> knows that you work really hard. <i>Chenqie</i> heard that things are really busy in the court these days, so it is better for Your Majesty to rest. <i>Chenqie¡¯s</i> heart aches for you. How is it possible that <i>chenqie</i> would let you apany <i>chenqie</i> out, knowing that you are tired? That would be too inconsiderate. If the Empress Dowager knows, she would definitely be unhappy at <i>chenqie</i>! It is better for you to stay here and read. Ban Xiang alone is enough to keep <i>chenqie</i>pany. She is a very careful person, Your Majesty need not worry about <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> safety. She will not let <i>chenqie</i> go to ces that aren¡¯t safe. What do you think, Your Majesty?" Mo Qi Qi blinks innocently at him.


    Now that she has said all that, how could he, the Emperor of the kingdom, thickens his face and insists on following? He lightly nods, "It is up to you, Empress. Be careful when outside."


    "<i>Chenqie</i> will be careful, Your Majesty! <i>Chenqie</i> will return safely, don¡¯t worry! <i>Chenqie</i> will leave first!" she curtsies happily before leaving.


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head helplessly. Right now, Mo Qi Qi is indeed loveable and full of life. However, it also means that she is restless. She is currently with child, he cannot help but worry about her.


    Mo Qi Qi returns to Feng Yang Pce in joy and told Ban Xiang everything.


    Ban Xiang feels like crying when she heard everything. This is not a good news for her. She knows her Mistress the best. Is it really possible that the Empress would sit still upon seeing the crowded streets with her own eyes? If anything happens to the Empress, the Emperor would order her to be killed by a thousand cuts! Wuwuwu, her life is full of trials and tribtions! Why would the Emperor allow the Empress to go, on the first ce?


    After Mo Qi Qi finished changing, she looks at Ban Xiang who is still sulking there. "Ban Xiang, aren¡¯t you going to change? If you won¡¯t change, <i>bengong</i> will go by myself!"


    "This servant will change right away!" Ban Xiang immediately changes to amoner¡¯s attire.


    An hourter, the two beautiful women dressed as men walks down the streets of the capital. The festive air is palpable as they stroll down a huge street.


    "How fun! There are so many people here," says Mo Qi Qi appreciatively.


    "True. It is not everyday that young men and women are all free to roam down the streets," says Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Ban Xiang before poking fun at her, "Ban Xiang, look around! There are so many handsome men here! Pick one and <i>bengong</i> will put up a proposal for you!"


    Ban Xiang looks at her shyly, "You are making fun of this servant again, Miss. This servant won¡¯t talk to you."


    "Hahaha," Mo Qi Qiughs, amused.


    Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang stops under a Marriage Tree. There are true love¡¯s knots and locks hanging on it¡¯s branches. Men and women wrote their wishes on a red strip of paper and tied it to the knots and locks.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the true love¡¯s knots with a curious smile. She reads the wishes while slowly circling the tree. Preupies with reading other people¡¯s wishes, she did not bother to mind her way. In the end, she bumps into someone. "I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t¡ª-"


    "I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª-" the person she has bumped into is also apologizing. They look at each other, stunned. Then, theyugh.


    "Yue Hen! What a coincidence!" Mo Qi Qi exims in surprise.


    Jun Yue Hen looks at her in pleasant surprise, "What are you doing here, Qi Qi!"


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at him happily, "Ban Xiang told me that today is the Qixi Festival and that the streets would be really lively. I was curious and asked for His Majesty¡¯s permission to leave the pce."


    Jun Yue Hen looks even more surprised, "His Majesty agreed to let you out?"


    "Yes! Jun Qian Che could be considered to have done a really good deed this time," Mo Qi Qi nods.


    Jun Yue Hen¡¯s face slowly turns somber.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in confusion, "What¡¯s wrong, Yue Hen? What is your expression so dark? Is there anything wrong?"


    Jun Yue Hen looks at Mo Qi Qi before whispering cautiously at her, "You must be extra careful tonight, Qi Qi."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in confusion beforeprehension dawns her, "You mean Jun Qian Che purposely let me out of the pce so he could order his people to attack me outside?"


    Jun Yue Hen lowers his voice, "This is only a guess. Perhaps he won¡¯t do anything to you since you are carrying his child."


    "I don¡¯t think so. He has so many women in the inner pce, it will only be too easy for him if he wants a child. If he really wants to do something, he would not care about this child! Your assumption is not baseless at all! Jun Qian Che was usually filial to rules and etiquettes, why did he suddenly agree to let me out? He agreed so easily too! There must be something behind this! At first, I was grateful, but now, I kind of regret begging him. Didn¡¯t I basically inform him with my own mouth that I am leaving the pce and will thus be vulnerable! What was I so stupid! I forgive and forget way too easily!"


    "Don¡¯t be too pessimistic. Perhaps, we think too much,"forts Yue Hen.


    "Let¡¯s hope so!" mumbles Mo Qi Qi. There is a shred of hope for Jun Qian Che inside her heart. Hopefully, he will not let her down.


    Jun Yue Hen smiles, "Qi Qi, since you are already out, let¡¯s walk around! It is so merry tonight, let¡¯s go and releasenterns on the riverside."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright, let¡¯s go."


    The three of them head towards the city¡¯s moat together.


    Ban Xiang sighs as she observe the two of them. How on earth did they end up bumping into the 7<sup>th</sup> king? If the Emperor finds out that the two of them are spending the Qixi Festival together, he might end up misunderstanding the situation. By then, the Empress will not be able to shrug off me even if she has 100 mouths. The 7<sup>th</sup> king is another thing! Even though they grew up together, the Empress is now the Empress, the wife to the Emperor. He is considered her imperial uncle. He should have taken measures to avoid her!


    She needs to keep her mouth shut over what transpires tonight. She must never implicate the Empress.


    Ban Xiang hurries alongside them.


    Upon reaching the riverside, they discover many beautifulnterns littering the riverbank. There are many morenterns floating on the river; one is shaped like a lotus, another like a doll. There is even one in the shape of a boat ridden by two paper humans.


    She did not expect Hua Chen Kingdom¡¯s Qixi celebration to be so magnificent. In the end, she feels as though her decision to leave the pce today is right. If she did not see this, she would probably regret it until the day she dies. She is sure that Jun Qian Che has never even seen such a merry atmosphere. He is too cooped up inside the pce to deal with political issues to live properly. What a pitiful guy!


    Aiya! Why on earth is she suddenly thinking about him! She shakes her head to throw that mental image out of her mind.


    Jun Yue Hen looks at her before saying, "Let¡¯s go and buy some Yinyuan Lanterns, Qi Qi."


    (<strong>TN</strong>: (ÒöÔµµÆ) yin yuan deng = Predestined Affinity Lantern. That is kind of the direct trantion. I tried to find the exact English term for it, but failed haha.)


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright."


    After looking around, Jun Yue Hen picks up twonterns; one in the shape of lotus, the other in the shape of a pair of lovers.


    Mo Qi Qi picks the couple-shapedntern.


    Jun Yue Hen hands her a brush, "I borrowed it from the boss. You can write whatever you wish on a piece of paper and stuff it inside thentern. If someone picks it up, he or she has predestined affinity with you. Your wish wille true."


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "For real? What if it¡¯s picked up by a viin? Does that mean I¡¯d have to be that viin¡¯s wife?"


    Heughs, "It¡¯s just a myth. Even if it¡¯s picked up by someone,, nothing will happen if you don¡¯t like him. It is only considered predestined affinity if you two pick up each other¡¯snterns."


    Mo Qi Qi nods and proceeds to write something on a piece of paper. Then, she puts the paper inside thentern and releases it.


    She hands the brush over to Jun Yue Hen, "Why don¡¯t you write something too, Yue Hen? I hope you will soon encounter the <i>wangfei</i> that you like."


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Wangfei (Íõåú): a king¡¯s official wife.)


    He epts the brush and begins writing something. He then puts the paper inside thentern and releases it into the river.


    "What did you write, Yue Hen?" asks Mo Qi Qi as she looks at the floatingnterns.


    "What about you? What did you write?" asks him.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at him mysteriously, "Not telling you."


    "Then, I¡¯m also not telling you," replies Yue Hen in a simr manner.


    They look at each other andugh.


    Jun Yue Hen looks at thenterns on the riverside before turning to Mo Qi Qi, "Qi Qi, I¡¯ll go and buy some fireworks. Wait for me here."


    "Alright!" she waves at him happily. Hua Chen Kingdom is indeed prosperous! They already invented pretty fireworks!


    At the same time, on the opposite riverbank, a tall and lofty figure picks up antern after releasing one. He picks up the paper stuffed inside it and stares at the paper in shock.


    <i>¡¯I hope I will find my other half and that we will never part from each other. -Mo Qi Qi.¡¯</i>


    A smile is formed on his lips. He picks up thentern and leaves.


    As for Jun Yue Hen, buying firework is just an excuse. The truth is, he wants to go to the opposite riverbank to seek Mo Qi Qi¡¯sntern. He also ns to push his ownntern towards her. Although he knows that this method is too childish and unreasonable, he still wants to give it a try.


    That¡¯s why he purposely left a mark on herntern to make it easy for him to find it, a single ¡¯qi¡¯ character. But even after looking for it for such a long time, he still cannot spot it. He slowly panics.


    Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang are standing on the riverside, waiting for Jun Yue Hen to return.


    "Your Ladyship, what did you write on the paper?" asks Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at her secretively, "Do you want to know?"


    Ban Xiang nods.


    "Then go look for it on the opposite bank!" Mo Qi Qiughs loudly.


    Ban Xiang immediately detes upon hearing that.


    Mo Qi Qi quietly begins questioning herself. She was betrayed by a man in her past life, why did she write that?


    ¡¯<i>I hope I will find my other half and that we will never part from each other.¡¯</i>


    This is too weird! Why on earth did she even think of writing that on the first ce! She should have wished for Jun Qian Che¡¯s early passing instead.


    Ban Xiang looks at thenterns floating around the river, "Your Ladyship, based on the rules, you should pick up antern after releasing one. Look, there are so manynterns on the river. Pick one!"


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, "I am already married, what is the point of picking up a Yinyuan Lantern? Let thesenterns be picked by those who should."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    <strong>Serene</strong>: Guys, the chapters are getting longer and longer, I will have to divide them by parts. Otherwise, it will take too long for a single chapter to be released.


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 Chapter 136 part2

    Ban Xiang tries to persuade her to pick up antern, "That is just a myth, Your Ladyship. Although you are married, let¡¯s just give it a try. Just for fun. It¡¯s not everyday we got to go out."


    Mo Qi Qi nods in agreement, "You have a point. Besides, I refuse to acknowledge Jun Qian Che as my predestined other half! Maybe, I will get to meet my true soulmate if I pick out antern!" Out of curiosity, Mo Qi Qi picks up antern that is flowing close to her and lifts the paper stuffed inside it.


    ¡¯<i>Let¡¯s grow old together and hold hands until our hairs turn white. Till death do us apart. -Jun Qian Che.¡¯</i>


    Mo Qi Qi immediately crumples the paper in shock upon reading that. She looks around, her heart beating wildly. Is this a prank? Why was Jun Qian Che¡¯s name on the paper? He should be cooped up inside the pce reading books. It is impossible that he is here now. Impossible! There are so many people in this world; perhaps there¡¯s another Jun Qian Che out there. Yes. Perhaps they only share a name!


    Seeing her reaction, Ban Xiang bes curious, "What¡¯s written there, Your Ladyship? Why did you crumple it?"


    Mo Qi Qi res at her, "There is nothing written on it! It¡¯s all your fault! Why did you tell me to pick it up! If His Majesty finds out, he will use me of having an affair! No one must find out I picked up antern tonight, do you understand me?"


    Ban Xiang is taken aback by her outburst. She nods, "Yes, Your Ladyship."


    Mo Qi Qi is furious inside. Hmph, Jun Qian Che deserves to die! It¡¯s not easy for her to escape from his crafty hands inside the pce and now that she is outside, she still has encounter someone with that same name!


    Jun Yue Hen returns from the opposite bank in disappointment. Is there really no destiny between him and Mo Qi Qi? He had tried so hard and still couldn¡¯t find herntern.


    He tells himself to stop thinking too much. There are so manynterns, it is not surprising that he fails to find hers. Besides, this is just a myth! Ifnterns can determine other people¡¯s fate, what is the point of having matchmakers then? How could there be so many silly men and women out there? He needs to stop taking this seriously.


    He lifts the fireworks in hand and smiles as he approaches Mo Qi Qi, "Qi Qi¡ª-"


    Mo Qi Qi turns to him before jokingly saying, "You are finally back, Yue Hen. You took so long, I thought you got lost. There are shops selling fireworks here, you didn¡¯t have to go to the opposite side to buy them!"


    He smiles, "I heard this shop¡¯s fireworks are the best. They are also the safest. The little extra distance is worth it."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "You are right, quality matters most. Let¡¯s do it over there."


    "Alright." They walk to an empty space and lights up the tip of one of the fireworks.


    Pretty lights in the shape of flowers fill the open air before dispersing like little stars. Although the fireworks went out as quickly as they came, the beautiful impression it madests in people¡¯s hearts.


    Mo Qi Qi lights up two of the little firework sticks in her hands, watching them as they emit beautiful lights. Then, she helps Ban Xiang and Jun Yue Hen light up theirs by sharing her fire. She jumps excitedly as she appreciates the lights.


    "Miss, be careful. You are pregnant," reminds Ban Xiang.


    "Yes. Be careful, Qi Qi," adds Yue Hen.


    Mo Qi Qi grins at them, "No biggie! I know my own body! My child is strong!"


    After ying with fireworks, Ban Xiang urges Mo Qi Qi to return to the pce in case if the Emperor is worried.


    However, it is not easy for them to leave the pce, so how could Mo Qi Qi willingly return so early? She insists on visiting Yue Lao Temple.


    Seeing Mo Qi Qi so happy, Jun Yue Hen decides to fulfill her wish.


    Mo Qi Qi pats him in the shoulder, pleased, "You are indeed my good friend, Yue Hen! Let¡¯s go!"


    In the end, since both Masters have decided so, Ban Xiang could only follow them.


    On the way there, Jun Yue Hen keeps inquiring over Mo Qi Qi¡¯s condition; if she is tired, or if she feels sick.


    She shakes her head, touched by his concern. He loves the previous owner and not only is he not jealous that she is carrying another man¡¯s child, he is also considerate of the baby. He is such a good man. This kind of man is so hard to find.


    There are many other people heading to Yue Lao Temple, mostly young men and women who are keen to know about their future destiny.


    Be it in the future or the ancient times, marriage is always the one big matter that everyone is concerned about. Men aspire to marry virtuousdies to have a peaceful family life, while young women wish to marry handsome gentlemen to ensure a happy marriage life. It is pretty much an important life event for everyone.


    Yue Lao Temple is located in the middle of a hill. The hill is not that high and the road is t and wide, so there are many people walking to and from the temple. Some even ride carriages.


    Ever since Mo Qi Qi arrived in this time, the only time she has ever been out was when Jun Qian Che took her out during that long and perilous trip, in which both of them fell off a cliff midway. Other times, she was cooped up inside the back pce. Although Jun Yue Hen offers to rent a carriage to make it easier for her, Mo Qi Qi refuses cause she prefers to walk.


    As the three of them walk closer to the temple, they suddenly spot an old man copsing in front of them.


    "That old man just fell, let¡¯s help him up," says Mo Qi Qi in worry.


    Jun Yue Hen stops her, "Qi Qi, you are pregnant, it will be inconvenient. I will help him up. You and Ban Xiang walk slowly." Jun Yue Hen rushes to the old man¡¯s aid.


    "Today, it¡¯s mostly young people outside. What is an old man doing here?" asks Ban Xiang curiously.


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Why? Are old people not allowed to pursue their happiness? Have you ever heard of ¡¯finding love at dusk¡¯? Or perhaps he is praying for his children! There are so many possibilities."


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Finding love at dusk refers to falling in love at old age.)


    Ban Xiang nods in agreement, "You have a point, Miss. Let¡¯s go."


    The old man thanked Jun Yue Hen profusely after he helped him.


    At that very moment, a carriage speeds over out of control from the hill, drawing gasps and screams from the pedestrians on the road.


    Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang look at the direction of themotion and find the carriage heading straight towards them.


    They could hear Jun Yue Hen hollering, "Be careful, Qi Qi!"


    Ban Xiang stands in front of Qi Qi, hoping to protect her, but Mo Qi Qi pushes her aside.


    Jun Yue Hen rushes towards Mo Qi Qi while she stays rooted in her spot, closing her eyes in dread. Deep down inside, she knows she will not be able to escape this trouble today.


    At that very moment, a ck silhouette appears midair and literally flies towards Mo Qi Qi. He picks her up and flies into the air.


    Mo Qi Qi can feel that her feet are no longer touching the ground. She quickly opens her eyes, and promptly regrets doing so. Perhaps, keeping her eyes closed will be better than opening it and seeing the person right in front of her. Who would have thought that the person who saved her would be Jun Qian Che? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be in the pce? Why is he suddenly here?


    What Mo Qi Qi does not know is that it is impossible for Jun Qian Che to remain calm once he let her leave the pce, so he changed into normal attire and secretly followed her.


    Mo Qi Qi looks down and finds everyone below staring at them in shock.


    She suddenly feels like she is a star in the center of attention. She smiles and waves at them daintily, as though it was all a show and she hadn¡¯t just literally escaped cmity.


    Jun Qian Che does not know what to say at the tant disy of mboyance.


    Everyone who witnessed the near-ident is overjoyed by her lucky escape.


    Ban Xiang, who got pushed away by Mo Qi Qi did not expect the Emperor would suddenly appear to save the day. The tears on her eyes quickly turn to tears of joy.


    Jun Yue Hen looks at them from below. Although he is disappointed, he is also relieved.


    Some of the pedestrians who know martial arts immediately subdue the carriage. The driver of the carriage thank them. ording to him, the horse was spooked by a crow as it travelled down the hill. Lucky no one is hurt, otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous.


    Jun Qian Chends on the ground gently while holding Mo Qi Qi tight.


    "Thank you," giggles Mo Qi Qi coyly.


    "Was this what you meant by keeping yourself safe?" asks Jun Qian Che, displeased.


    Mo Qi Qi pouts, "Everything happened so suddenly, I did not see iting."


    The driver of the carriage rushes down to thank them.


    Jun Qian Che eyes the carriage before coldly saying, "It¡¯s alright. Be careful from now on."


    "Yes, yes, yes." The driver expresses his gratitude at them before leaving.


    Jun Yue Hen steps forward before nodding respectfully. Since they are currently out and about, he does not wish to expose Jun Qian Che¡¯s identity.


    One of the people crowding them speaks up, "Are you alright, Miss?"


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "Don¡¯t worry, everyone. I am fine."


    "Lucky this young gentleman is here to save you. Otherwise, the situation would have turned really ugly," says another.


    Mo Qi Qi turns to Jun Qian Che and smiles at him sweetly.


    Jun Qian Che looks back at her before calmly saying, "She is my wife. Thank you for your concern."


    Comprehension suddenly dawns everyone, "So you two are married! No wonder you anxiously rushed over the moment she was in danger!"


    "You two look good together."


    "Yes! The young man is so handsome and the youngdy is so beautiful!" Everyone begins praising the couple.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart is filled with joy when he hears all that.


    As for Mo Qi Qi, she is used to hearing this, so she simply ys along.


    Ban Xiang watches the loving couple happily from the sideline.


    Only Jun Yue Hen watches the scene in utter bleakness.


    After that precarious event, everyone returns to doing what they were doing prior.


    "Why are you here, Husband?" asks Mo Qi Qi as she looks at Jun Qian Che. She chose to call him that because calling him by the usual term of addressment will expose his identity and might causemotion.


    Jun Qian Che is overjoyed to hear that. He cannot help but nce at Jun Yue Hen, whose eyes sh in surprise and sadness before quickly calming down.


    Jun Qian Che returns to Mo Qi Qi before indifferently saying, "You are too muddle-headed, I could not stop worrying. Lucky I got here in time, otherwise¡ª¨C You owe me your life."


    Mo Qi Qi suddenly remembers what Jun Yue Hen told her. She also begins putting the pieces together: of the rogue carriage, of Jun Qian Che generously forgiving the driver.... "Hmph, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know who arranged all this....." she mutters to herself.


    Jun Qian Che could not hear her clearly, "What did you say?"


    Mo Qi Qi forces herself to smile, "Yes, I am only alive thanks to Husband! If you had not been here, I would have been in deep trouble. I owe you my life."


    "Since I saved you, your life now belongs to me," deres Jun Qian Che overbearingly.


    Mo Qi Qi sneers, "Yes." Hmph, you are the Emperor! It does not matter if you save me or not, my life will always be in your hands! I just can¡¯t understand why you try to get me killed on one hand and then saves me on another hand! What are you trying to pull? Are you hoping that by saving me, I will be grateful to you and obediently gives you this child? If so, everything you¡¯ve done is pointless. I will definitely give birth to this child, just, it won¡¯t be because of you.


    She turns to the Yue Lao Temple nearby and happily says, "Look, Husband! Yue Lao Temple is just right there! Let¡¯s go!"


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 Chapter 136 part3

    "Wife, Yue Lao Temple is where unmarried people go to in order to ask for divine blessing for their future married life. You are already married, what is the point of joining the merriment? Perhaps, it will be good for 7<sup>th</sup> Uncle. You should go there and pray; perhaps, you will find a wife soon," says Jun Qian Che coldly.


    Jun Yue Hen simply smiles, "It¡¯s only a superstition, there is no need to put much thought to it."


    "Even so, now that you are here, it is better to give it a try. We will not get in your way. Let¡¯s go, Wife," he wraps his arm around Mo Qi Qi¡¯s shoulder before leaving without even looking back.


    Mo Qi Qi is displeased, but she dares notin. She could only send an apologetic look Yue Hen¡¯s way.


    Jun Yue Hen gives her a warm smile. His eyes turns cold as he watches Jun Qian Che leading her down the hill with his arm around her shoulders.


    Although Mo Qi Qi ys along, she is not very happy deep inside, "You are so unreasonable and overbearing, Jun Qian Che! It¡¯s not easy to climb this hill; we are now so close to the temple, why can¡¯t we give it a look? There is nothing wrong with visiting Yue Lao Temple despite being married! Isn¡¯t it unreasonable to simply left the 7<sup>th</sup> Uncle there? He is too pitiful!"


    "If you really pity him, you should let him go inside! Maybe if he found his other half, he would cease yearning for something that is not his!" replies Jun Qian Che coldly.


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly shakes her head, "You simply are too overbearing. It is not everyday that I get to leave the pce and now that you are here, everything goes to waste. Visiting Yue Lao Temple is supposed to be the highlight of Qixi Festival!"


    Jun Qian Che stops in his steps and looks at her.


    Shocked, Mo Qi Qi looks back at him timidly, "W-Why are you looking at me like that? Is it wrong to express one¡¯s opinion?"


    "Are you pig-headed, Mo Qi Qi? Do you honestly believe that the carriage just now was just an ident? Do you think Yue Lao Temple is safe?" asks Jun Qian Che.


    "So you are saying that the carriage purposely tried to run me over? And that if I insist on visiting Yue Lao Temple, I might be in further danger?" asks Mo Qi Qi in shock. Hmph, of course I know that! You are the mastermind behind everything. Otherwise, how did you appear at just the right time?


    "Lucky you still have a little piece of brain left," mocks Jun Qian Che.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him proudly, "Of course I have brain! I also know that being with people like you is dangerous! You bring danger with you everywhere you go! There is always someone out there who wants to kill you! Perhaps, the real target in Yue Lao Temple was you!"


    "It does not matter who the real target is. If <i>zhen</i> takes you away, then it is only for your own good," says Jun Qian Che coldly as he continues climbing down the hill. He walks a little slower, in consideration for her, hoping she can catch up easily.


    Mo Qi Qi follows him whileining, "But if you¡¯re really worried about me, you should have left me with 7<sup>th</sup> Uncle and leave by yourself. Only then would I be free of danger."


    Jun Qian Che immediately stops walking and res at her.


    Mo Qi Qi takes a step back, intimidated, "What? I am only telling the truth!"


    "You are just so ungrateful, Mo Qi Qi. You cannot differentiate between truth and lies," toozy to talk to her, Jun Qian Che walks away inrge strides.


    Mo Qi Qi stomps her feet while angrily mumbling to herself, "As the ruler of the kingdom, how could he scold people in that manner? Where is his virtue as a ruler? Hmph! He is going to anger me to death! I can¡¯t believe my Qixi Festival is going to end in this manner! He simply is my star of cmity!"


    Ban Xiang steps forward tofort her, "Don¡¯t be sad, Your Ladyship. His Majesty only cares about you."


    "Stop making excuses for him!" scolds Mo Qi Qi.


    Ban Xiang nods cautiously before saying, "Let¡¯s go home, Your Ladyship."


    Mo Qi Qi sighs before reluctantly climbs down the hill.


    Jun Qian Che waits her at the foot of the hill and only continues walking once Mo Qi Qi reaches him. They walk past the lively streets and head back towards the pce. As they walk farther, the streets gradually turns empty and quiet.


    The night is deep and windy. Dusts float in the air from the wind while trees rustle in the distance.


    They are the only people around this part of the city. All the shops lining the road are closed and not a single pedestrian is out and about. Now, Mo Qi Qi has watched a lot of historical dramas, and from experience, she knows that this is the best atmosphere to get jumped at by bandits. She walks faster to catch up to Jun Qian Che and hugs his arm tight fearfully.


    This little movement of hers makes Jun Qian Che so happy because it means that she still knows how to depend on him when things get scary.


    Women¡¯s intuitions are rarely wrong. Just as Mo Qi Qi is quietly worrying about how this night might turn out, more than 10 men in ck descends from the sky, surrounding them.


    Ban Xiang runs up to Mo Qi Qi in fear and holds onto her sleeve.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che, scared.


    Jun Qian Che looks at back herfortingly, "Don¡¯t be scared. <i>Zhen</i> is here."


    Mo Qi Qi stares at Jun Qian Che, a little aggrieved, "Stop ying around, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> will not leave the pce anymore, after this."


    Jun Qian Che does not understand what she means by that, but he knows that she tend to say random things at the randomest times. Besides, now is not the right time to ask her to borate.


    One of the men in ck sneers at Jun Qian Che, "Dog Emperor, you actually dared to leave the pce? They will be mourning for your first death anniversary, on this day next year."


    Jun Qian Che sneers, "Let¡¯s see if you have the ability to kill <i>zhen</i>."


    Hearing that, cold sweat begins to break out on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s forehead, "Your Majesty, these are not your people?"


    Jun Qian Che res at her admonishingly, "What on earth are you talking about? Stay here and don¡¯t move, <i>zhen</i> will not let them hurt you." After saying that, Jun Qian Che flies up and leads the assassins away so they could not get close to Mo Qi Qi.


    The assassins immediately begin attacking Jun Qian Che in hoardes.


    Jun Qian Che does not have any weapon with him and could only fight by hand. He strikes an assassin in the chest, causing him to fall down to the ground while spitting blood.


    Although Jun Qian Che¡¯s movements are neither quick nor slow, they are all full of impact, leaving no space for the assassins to get close to him.


    However, there are too many people against one; two of the assassins realized that. They seize the chance to attack him from behind.


    "Careful, they are behind you!" warns Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Qian Che saw through their n long ago. A disdainful smile can be seen on his face as he takes two steps back and grab the weapon off the assassin in one hand and strikes him at the crown of his head with another hand. It¡¯s a move that renders anyone helpless. As the other assassin gets closer to him, Jun Qian Che gives him a heavy strike to the chest. The assassin falls to the ground, spitting out blood.


    In the blink of an eye, three assassins are down. Realizing that the situation is not in their favour, the rest begins to panic. If they still fail to kill Jun Qian Che even when he is alone outside the pce, how are they supposed to face their Master after this? And so, in order to kill Jun Qian Che, they shift the focus towards Mo Qi Qi. They can tell that he cares a lot for her. They know that by attacking Mo Qi Qi, they will be able to distract Jun Qian Che from fighting. Although their Master explicitly told them to not harm the Empress, using the Empress as a distraction should be alright.


    With that in mind, one of the assassins made a move towards her.


    Ban Xiang screams when she sees that, "Your Ladyship!"


    That attracts Jun Qian Che¡¯s attention. When he sees those assassins advancing towards Mo Qi Qi, he immediately flies over to them. Although he knows that it is unlikely for them to hurt her, he also knows that des have no eyes. Regret will be useless if anything happens to her. He is not in the position to simply sit back and watch everything unfold.


    The moment Jun Qian Chends next to Mo Qi Qi, one of the assassins immediately swings his sword towards him. Jun Qian Che tries to avoid the blow, but is toote in doing so. Blood seeps from the gash on one of his shoulders.


    "Your Majesty, you are hurt," points out Mo Qi Qi in worry.


    Jun Qian Che smiles at her to calm her down before striking the assassin with his palm, sending him flying a few metres away.


    The sword that he left on the ground is picked up by Jun Qian Che, who then, uses it to strike another assassin.


    In a matter of minutes, half of the assassins are down. The rest are furious for their fallenrades. They group together to strike Jun Qian Che at the same time.


    At that moment, the secret imperial guards show up and begin battling the assassins.


    Very quickly, pretty much each and every single one of the assassins is injured. Realizing their slim chance of winning, they abandon their mission and flee.


    The leader of the secret guards kneels in front of the rest, "We werete toe to your rescue. Please punish us, Your Majesty!"


    "Get up, Ye Ying. <i>Zhen</i> was the one who quietly left the pce and did not let you follow <i>zhen</i>, this is not your fault. All of you can leave," says Jun Qian Che quietly.


    "Your Majesty, your injury¡ª-" Ye Ying is worried about Jun Qian Che¡¯s injury.


    Jun Qian Che smiles, "This is nothing. You may leave."


    "Yes!" the dozens of guards disappear as quickly as they came.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at their lightning-quick movement in shock, "Why didn¡¯t you order them to escort you back to the pce, Your Majesty?"


    "The secret guards are supposed to stay hidden. They can only appear when <i>zhen</i> is in danger. Now that the danger is over, they must return to hiding. Let¡¯s go back to the pce," exins Jun Qian Che.


    "Wait!" Mo Qi Qi stops him.


    Jun Qian Che stops and looks at her in confusion.


    She takes out her brocade handkerchief and wrap it around Jun Qian Che¡¯s wound, "You are going to bleed yourself dry by the time you reach the imperial pce."


    Her little action warms Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart. Traces ofughter can be seen on his eyes.


    When she looks at him and finds theyer of amusement on his eyes, Mo Qi Qi cannot stop herself from scolding him, "You can still smile even after getting injured? Do you think you are made of iron? Are you incapable of feeling pain?"


    What she does not know is that no matter how painful his wound can be, everything bes alright when she cares for him.


    When they reach the entrance to the pce, Jun Qian Che turns to her, "You and Ban Xiang should go first."


    She looks at him in confusion, "Aren¡¯t youing in?"


    "Of course <i>zhen</i> has to go back. But <i>zhen</i> cannot let them see <i>zhen</i> in this condition," replies Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs before looking at him in pity, "Being an Emperor is indeed hard. You can¡¯t even let others know you¡¯re injured. It¡¯s too hard on you."


    Jun Qian Che knocks her in the head.


    She pats her aching head, dissatisfied, "Why did you hit me?"


    "You had the nerve get angry when <i>zhen</i> called you an idiot. Zhen got injured in order to save you. If the guards see this, the news will spread. Imperial Mother will not spare you. Idiot!" Jun Qian Che teases her bad-naturedly.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart warms up when she hears that. She stares at him.


    Jun Qian Che then takes a giant leap and flies into the pce.


    "See, Your Ladyship! His Majesty treats you so well! He thinks about you all the time! Aren¡¯t you touched?" asks Ban Xiang happily.


    "Stop talking for him! Who knows what rotten idea he has in his mind!" warns Mo Qi Qi.


    Ban Xiang helplessly sighs while shaking her head. She has no idea when the Emperor and the Empress will actually patch up. She feels like there is a giant milky way separating the two right now, but it¡¯s alright; she believes that just like the Weaver and the Herder, the two will unite sooner orter.


    Mo Qi Qi and Ban Xiang enter the pce with a specially-issued medallion. They directly return to Feng Yang Pce. Although a lot of things happened tonight, the general mood between them is still pleasant.


    Mo Qi Qi enters Feng Yang Pce only to find Jun Qian Che sitting inside her resting chamber. She runs over to him in shock, "Your Majesty! Why are you here? Didn¡¯t you return to Yu Jing Pce?"


    Jun Qian Che cannot help but bitterly say, "You are too heartless."


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips, "Why are you calling me heartless? If I am indeed heartless, I wouldn¡¯t have left the 7<sup>th</sup> Uncle by himself and left with you."


    "You are <i>zhen¡¯s</i> Empress. Are you saying that you shouldn¡¯t have left with <i>zhen</i>?" snaps Jun Qian Che, displeased.


    She simply nods, not wanting to get into argument with him, "Whatever you say goes. It iste, Your Majesty. You should leave."


    Jun Qian Che looks at her, "Help take care of <i>zhen¡¯s</i> wound."


    She gasps in shock, "Right! How could I forget you are injured!" She sits next to him before gently saying, "Your Majesty, let <i>chenqie</i> see your wound."


    Jun Qian Che stretches out his arm.


    Mo Qi Qi inspects it cautiously. "Why is the wound so deep? Does it hurt?" She looks at him earnestly.


    He smiles at her, "It¡¯s fine. Just put medicine on it."


    At this moment, Mo Qi Qi is very impressed by him. Such a deep wound and instead of frowning, he is actually still capable of smiling! If the situation is in reverse and she is the one who got hurt in his ce, she would have been so pissed and would have dragged him to hell and back! She really iscking in terms of temperament whenpared to him.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty. If I had not been adamant to go out, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt," apologizes Mo Qi Qi, ming herself.


    Jun Qian Che calmly replies her, "This is not your fault. People who wants to kill zhen would try any method they could to assassinate <i>zhen</i> regardless of the circumstances."


    "But if you had not left the pce, those assassins wouldn¡¯t have gotten the chance to try, to begin with!" Mo Qi Qi still feels very guilty. It was his own fault for sneaking out of the pce to tail after her, but perhaps he was just worried about their child.


    "That¡¯s enough. Stop thinking about that. Do you want zhen¡¯s arm to be crippled?" Jun Qian Che looks at his arm that is still bleeding.


    The muddle-headed Mo Qi Qi knocks herself in the head, "Just look at me, all scatter-brained!"


    Mo Qi Qi carefully medicates his wound before bandaging it properly.


    Jun Qian Che looks at her before suddenly asking, "When we were surrounded by assassins, the Empress asked <i>zhen</i> if they were <i>zhen¡¯s</i> people. What do you mean by that?" Why did she say that? Did someone say something to her?


    <strong>serene:</strong> Sorry for the dyed update guys. I got a new part-time job and is still trying to settle in. It¡¯d get better once I learn to manage my time TT


    Psst! Psst! Click here and join our YouTube Channel

 Chapter 137 part1

    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s hands that have been busy bandaging his wound stops mid-air. She quietlyments her fate in her heart; although she has always known that this bas*ard has good memories, she did not expect him to remember what she said when they were under distress. His brain sure has great capacity.


    Should she tell him she knows that the previous assassination attempts were done by him?


    If she did, what would he do? Would he quickly get rid of her so that she wouldn¡¯t have the chance to report to the Mo n? Now that she thinks about it, that sounds very possible! Jun Qian Che is definitely a cruel and cold-hearted person. Just look at right now; his wound is so deep and he is not even making the slightest sound of pain. Is there anything that he cannot do? Although the ambush might not be done by him, the carriage ¡¯ident¡¯ was definitely linked to him. He probably wanted to kill her and the baby but ended up changing his mindst minute, perhaps due to his conscience or something. But that alone is enough to show how cold-hearted this man is. If he knows that she knows, he would definitely kill her to shut her mouth. She must not tell him the truth.


    "What is it that you are thinking about again?" asks Jun Qian Che when she remains quiet for too long.


    Mo Qi Qi pretends to concentrate on bandaging his wound before faking a displeased countenance, "Nothing, really. <i>Chenqie</i> just thought that Your Majesty initially forbade <i>chenqie</i> from going out, but then changed your mind. And when you followed <i>chenqie</i>, <i>chenqie</i> kept disagreeing with you, so <i>chenqie</i> thought that you were merely taking that chance to teach <i>chenqie</i> a lesson. To scare <i>chenqie</i> so that <i>chenqie</i> would never go out again. So that <i>chenqie</i> would obediently stay in Feng Yang Pce to give birth. <i>Chenqie</i> did not expect them to be real assassins, much less that they would actually injure you."


    Jun Qian Che looks like he does not know whether he shouldugh or cry, "How exactly does your brain work, Mo Qi Qi? Does <i>zhen</i> look that jobless and idle to you? Do you think <i>zhen</i> has nothing better to do? If <i>zhen</i> really did not want you to leave the pce, do you think you would have been able to leave on the first ce? You actually thought those assassins were sent by <i>zhen</i>? You are the most foolish woman <i>zhen</i> has ever encountered!"


    "You keep calling me stupid! If I really am stupid, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to marry you! I wouldn¡¯t willingly bear your child!" retorts Mo Qi Qi bad-temperedly.


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart leaps in joy when he hears that. She is now willing to give birth to the child; does that mean that she has epted the baby?


    "That¡¯s enough. <i>Chenqie</i> has bandaged your wound. <i>Chenqie</i> has limited skill and could only do this much. Your wound is deep, it is better for you to get it checked by an imperial physician," says Mo Qi Qi uneasily.


    Jun Qian Che does not share that view, "Your skills are not bad, there is no need to get it checked."


    "Isn¡¯t Imperial Physician Wang your people, Your Majesty? You could call upon him to take a look. Your wound is deep, if you don¡¯t treat it properly, it might get infected."


    Jun Qian Che calmly replies her, "Although he is indeed loyal to zhen, people might notice if he takes herbs from the store-room. One less person knowing is less chances for this news to spread out. Remember this, do not let any other person know. Imperial Mother will definitely me you."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," says Mo Qi Qi sincerely.


    Jun Qian Che regards her haughtily, "You don¡¯t need to thank <i>zhen</i>. <i>Zhen</i> is only doing this for the child. From now onwards, <i>zhen</i> will have to count on you to treat <i>zhen¡¯s</i> wound. Practice your bandaging skills. Hopefully, it will be even better next time."


    Mo Qi Qi purses her lips while muttering, "Yes, <i>chenqie</i> understands." Hmph, I knew you wouldn¡¯t be that nice. Turns out, jumping in front of me and blocking a sword for me was only done for the child that I am carrying! This heartless man!


    Jun Qian Che gets up, "It iste, you should rest early." He leaves Feng Yang Pce inrge strides.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart suddenly drops into her stomach. She has no idea why she suddenly feels so lonely.


    The streets of the capital remain lively, themon people continuing their merry celebration,pletely ignorant of the intrigue that shrouds the imperial n. Although the lives of themon popce are hard and trying, at least, they get to live freely. The members of the imperial n, on the other hand, have to live precariously despite having power within their grasp. What a tiring existence!


    Mo Cheng Xuan returns from the army barrack today and rides his horse into the city when he catches sight of all the liveliness of the Qi Xi Festival. There are so many people out and about. He dismounts from his horse and orders his subordinate to take his horse home. He intends to return to the manor on foot.


    A faint smile is formed on Mo Cheng Xuan¡¯s face as he looks at the loving couples around him. Some of them are exchanging gifts. He walks past a stall selling red threads. His legs unwittingly stop. In his head, he suddenly remembers a certain someone saying, <i>¡¯Since today is the Qixi Festival, I will give you this. I hope this red thread will help you find the woman that you lik. Here, let me put it on for you!¡¯</i>


    Mo Cheng Xuan smiles when he remembers that beautiful young man. So many years have passed, he cannot even remember clearly what that boy looked like. But, he still wears that red thread to this very day. He looks at the red thread that is tied around his wrist. The thread is long and he is able to loosen it whenever it starts to get tight. He has no idea why he allowed that boy to put this on him back then, and why he never takes it off after all these years. That boy ought to have grown considerably now. Perhaps, he is even married.


    He watches the couples around him as he walks past them. They must be happy, right now.


    Although he is currently of age to get married, he still has not found the girl that he wants to spend his life with. His mother had tried to set him up with a number of young maidens in the past, yet none of them managed to capture his heart. Instead of marrying someone he does not like and condemn them to a lifetime of unhappiness, he chose to remain a bachelor. Isn¡¯t this better? Living freely without being tied down...


    "Let¡¯s go over there, that ce looks so lively," a young man dressed in pure white says to his valet, who is dressed in green robe.


    The green-robed valet whispers to the young man, "It iste, Your Ladyship. We should go home."


    The white-robed ¡¯young master¡¯ res at the valet, "How many times do I need to remind you; call me ¡¯Young Master!¡¯"


    "Yes, Young Master," the valet purses his lips in grievance.


    The young master happily walks on, "Hurry up! Let¡¯s go over there!" He turns around and waves his valet over and immediately bumps into someone, "Ouch!" He turns around and points at the offender angrily, "Did you walk with your eyes closed?"


    "Who was the one who walked without looking?" replies the person who bumped into him coolly.


    The young master thought that the voice sounded familiar. He looks up and their eyes lock. Both of them stare at each other in shock.


    "The Great General Mo," says Yang Shi Han haughtily. The truth is, the ¡¯young master¡¯ in white is none other than Yang Shi Han, who certainly has bones to pick with Mo Cheng Xuan.


    "Yang Guifei!" Never in a million years would Mo Cheng Xuan guess that the unreasonable youth is Yang Shi Han. On second thoughts.....


    "What do you mean by ¡¯Yang Guifei¡¯? Right now, I am Young Master Yang. Have you no eyes, General Mo?" sneers Yang Shi Han while raising her brows.


    Mo Cheng Xuan is toozy to argue with her. He simply nods, "Alright. Excuse me, Young Master Yang."


    He steps away from her.


    "Stop right there!" orders Yang Shi Han unhappily.


    Mo Cheng Xuan continues walking.


    She steps in front of him to block him from leaving, "I forbid you from leaving!"


    "Is there anything else, Young Master Yang?" asks Mo Cheng Xuan, annoyed. He really does not wish to get involved in her unreasonable ways. There are so many people in the streets; if anyone recognized them, their reputations will be ruined.


    "You bumped into me, are you nning to just leave?" Yang Shi Han purposely made things difficult.


    Mo Cheng Xuan only wants to leave as quickly as he could, so he simply says, "I am sorry, Young Master Yang. I did not see you. It is all my fault. I owe you one. Is that enough?" He steps away from her.


    Yang Shi Han refuses to budge and chases after him. She pulls his arm back, "A simple sorry is not enough. You are the General of an army. You have great strength. I think my arm is broken because of the impact. Go on and touch it if you don¡¯t believe me!" She holds out her arm to him.


    A light shes through Mo Cheng Xuan¡¯s eyes. He wonders if Yang Shi Han is idle and therefore has nothing better to do, or if she simply thought that he is easy to bully based on their previous encounters. This time, he will not back down. He looks at her arm, "Since you feel grievously injured, Young Master Yang, let me take you to that clinic up in front. Let¡¯s get you checked up by a physician. Once you get checked, I will leave. Please!"


    Taken slightly aback, Yang Shi Han retrieves her arm, "I am of esteemed status, how could I let a simple physician check me?"


    "If so, then let us go to the pce to have you checked by an imperial physician. Let¡¯s see if you are indeed injured."


    A look of worry shes through her face, "Hmph! Do I need you to escort me if I want to see an imperial physician? I am only doing this to make you admit fault, who would have thought that General Mo would purposely make trouble."


    Mo Cheng Xuan does not know whether he shouldugh or cry; just who exactly is purposely making trouble? The saying that ¡¯women and small-minded people are so hard to deal with¡¯ rings true.


    Mo Cheng Xuan is exceptionally observant. He did not miss the worry that flitted through Yang Shi Han¡¯s face earlier. "Young Master Yang, sneaking out of the pce is a big crime. Are you sure you want to make this matter bigger?" says he calmly.


    "I¡ª- You actually dared to threaten me!" she res at him in displeasure. This wooden dummy sure is smart.


    "This General dares not. This General only wishes to go home. Please cooperate, Young Master Yang," replies Mo Cheng Xuan truthfully.


    Yang Shi Han eyes him from top to bottom, "It is not like you have a wife waiting for you at home. What are you so hasty about? Today is the Qixi Festival. Don¡¯t you want to take this opportunity to go out and chance upon your future betrothed?"


    "Marriage is determined by the heavens. There is no need to purposely seek it. When the right timees, it will present itself."


    Yang Shi Hanughs, "You sounds so confident, Great General Mo."


    "It is not that this General is confident. It is just that things like marriagese naturally; it cannot be predicted or controlled."


    "I wonder what you mean by ¡¯naturally?¡¯" Yang Shi Han looks at him curiously.


    "I will not burden Young Master Yang with all that," Mo Cheng Xuan smiles.


    "You¡ª- Mo Cheng Xuan, I am speaking to you properly. Can you not be so distant?" Yang Shi Han purses her lips. She no longer appears haughty and instead is looking coquettish like a normal girl.


    Mo Cheng Xuan is stunned to see this side of her. He did not expect that even she would have a moment where she is not overbearing and troublesome.


    "This is a private matter, I simply did not wish to trouble Your Ladyship," replies Mo Cheng Xuan in a warm tone.


    Hearing his much friendlier tone, Yang Shi Han smiles at him brilliantly. She looks at him apologetically, "General Mo, the incident a couple of days ago was all my fault. I purposely created trouble for you. To tell the truth, I was just in my usual tantrum that day. I just wanted to tease you a little, as well as anger the Empress in the process. I did not expect you to take it so seriously. I am not holding you back right now to make things hard for you. Instead, I merely wish to apologize for what happened that day. I hope you can be the bigger person and forgive my transgression."


    This is the first time Mo Cheng Xuan has ever seen such a gentle side of Yang Shi Han. He looks at her, shocked. Since she has said all that, as a man, he can only be chivalrous, "Your Ladyship is too courteous. This General has forgotten that matter long ago."


    Yang Shi Han smiles happily, "That¡¯s great! My heart can be at peace now. If you don¡¯t mind, let¡¯s go have a drink together! Take it as a truce from me!"


    "Your Ladyship is too polite. It is dark, you should return to the pce," replies Mo Cheng Xuan respectfully.


    Yang Shi Han purposely gives him a torned look, "If you are unwilling, it means that you still haven¡¯t forgiven me."


    "It isn¡¯t¡ª¨C"


    "Since it is not so, there is a tavern in front, let¡¯s drink and chat together," continues Yang Shi Han persistently.


    Mo Cheng Xuan appears hesitant, "This¡ª This will go against etiquette."


    "Aiya, who cares about etiquettes! You are a General, why do you care so much for etiquettes? Let¡¯s go!" She drags him towards the tavern without giving him any chance to refuse.


    "Your Ladyship¡ª-"


    "Don¡¯t call me that. Call me Young Master Yang. If my identity got exposed, it will not be good for you either," teases Yang Shi Han.


    Mo Cheng Xuan nods, "Yes, Young Master Yang."


    Yang Shi Han leads him into the tavern and climbs up to the second floor before choosing a table right next to the window. "Xiao Er, bring in two jugs of good wine!" she calls.


    "Alright, please wait a moment, honorable guests," replies Xiao Er before getting busy.


    Mo Cheng Xuan continues regarding her with a worried look, "Young Master Yang, you really should return to the pce. Drinking wine is not good."


    Yang Shi Hanughs before poking fun at him, "If I end up drunk, you can let me stay the night at Duke Zhen¡¯s manor. You can send me to the pce tomorrow."


    "Please stop teasing this General, Young Master Yang," says Mo Cheng Xuan, rmed.


    "Hahaha¡ª" Yang Shi Hanughs loudly, "Just look at that panicking look on your face. I was just joking!"


    Xiao Eres to their table with the wines they ordered.


    Yang Shi Han personally pours a cup and lifts it in front of Mo Cheng Xuan before boldly saying, "I was the one at fault the other day, Great General Mo. Let me use this cup of wine to apologize!"


    "Uh¡ª-" Before Mo Cheng Xuan gets to say anything, Yang Shi Han already finished the drink.


    Mo Cheng Xuan could only pour another cup and drink it himself.


    Seeing that, Yang Shi Han smiles, "Does that mean that General Mo has forgiven me?"


    "This General already said that it¡¯s all in the past. This General does not hold any grudge."


    "General Mo is so generous, Shi Han is impressed. Does that means that Shi Han can now call you a friend?" asks Yang Shi Han while smiling.


    Mo Cheng Xuan is stunned. He replies her in an upright manner, "Young Master Yang is joking. I am an official while you the ruler, how can there be friendship between us?"


    "What official and ruler? I do not want to be your ruler. I admire you, I want to be your friend!" says Yang Shi Han childishly.


    "This¡ª" Mo Cheng Xuan hesitates. There must be a line between men and women. Besides, she is the Emperor¡¯s consort who hails from the Yang n, who is enemy with his Mo n. It is not possible for them to have anything to do with each other.


    "Do you hate me because of the Empress?" asks Yang Shi Han, aggrieved. "To tell the truth, I did not mean to create an enmity with the Empress; just she used to make things so hard for me. Finding my fault, punishing me for unreasonable things, humiliating me. Nobody dared to bully me since I was little, yet the Empress kept going after me. I could only retaliate."


    Mo Cheng Xuan sighs, "I understand Qi Qi¡¯s temper the best. I know she used to purposely create trouble, it¡¯s all our fault for spoiling her. But now, both of you are His Majesty¡¯s women, why can¡¯t you try to get along with each other? Both of you are putting His Majesty in a really hard ce by going after each other like this."


    "I don¡¯t think His Majesty is in a hard ce at all. His heart has long been biased towards her, he just didn¡¯t know it yet. Moreover, she is now pregnant, she haspletely secured her ce in his heart. If we continue to fight, His Majesty would only scold me. To tell the truth, I am also aggrieved," says Yang Shi Han pitifully.


    Mo Cheng Xuan looks at her in disbelief, "You are His Majesty¡¯s most beloved consort, why would the Emperor scold you in favor of Qi Qi?"


    Yang Shi Han sighs, "You have no idea what is really going on behind everything. Right now, I cannot say much, but one day, you will understand. What you see may not necessarily be the truth. Certain people can be secretive. Other people can only guess. They will secretly and slowly divulge their affection. I am only a victim when ites to the rtionship between the Emperor and Empress. Nobody will ever know my suffering."


    The more Mo Cheng Xuan listens, the more confused he bes, "This General cannot understand a single word you said, Your Ladyship."


    "You don¡¯t need to understand anything right now. You only need to tell me if you are willing to be my friend. Who knows, I might actually tell you my secrets one day," Yang Shi Han raises her brows while smiling at him sweetly.


    Mo Cheng Xuan hesitates for a moment before nodding, "Alright."


    <strong>serene</strong>: Forgive me for theck of update guys. Stay safe.


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 Chapter 137 part2

    Yang Shi Hanughs happily, "That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s give each other a toast to celebrate this!" She proceeds to gulp down another cup of wine.


    Mo Cheng Xuan feels as though he has encountered a different Yang Shi Han tonight. The Yang Shi Han that no one else has ever seen and understand. Bold, straightforward, honest, she truly is charming. He also finds her a little familiar. He looks at her, "I hope you and the Empress will get along after this. Do not be each other¡¯s enemies."


    Yang Shi Han raises her chin haughtily, "Being friends with you does not mean that I am friends with Mo Qi Qi. Only fate knows what the future has in store for both of us. With regards to our friendship, I will not mess with her if she leaves me alone."


    Mo Cheng Xuanughs, "Then, on behalf of Qi Qi, I would like to thank Your Ladyship¡¯s generosity."


    Yang Shi Han raises her brows yfully before looking out of the window to the merriment below. Sheughs, "Is it fate that we meet each other tonight?"


    Mo Cheng Xuan is stunned. Just as he is about to say that he dares not have any ¡¯fate¡¯ with her considering that she is His Majesty¡¯s woman, he finds himself hesitating. He has no idea why he always finds her so familiar. In the end, he expresses his doubt, "Your Ladyship, have we met long before all this?"


    Sh stares at him,pletely taken aback. Then, sheughs. "What do you mean, General Mo? Although we are now meeting outside the pce, Shi Han is not a promiscuous youngdy. Shi Han has always acted ordingly, even before entering the pce. Back then, other than entering the pce to visit the Empress Dowager, Shi Han would quietly stay inside my boudoir at Yang Manor."


    "You misunderstood this General, Your Ladyship. This General merely thought you looked really familiar, as though we knew each other. That¡¯s why this General asked. This General is at fault for speaking rashly," exins Mo Cheng Xuan.


    "You feel as though you have known me before, General Mo?" asked Yang Shi Han with barely concealed glee.


    Mo Cheng Xuan nods honestly, "Yes."


    Yang Shi Hanughs before poking fun at him, "Perhaps we had a rtionship in our past lives, that¡¯s why I looked familiar to you."


    "Your Ladyship is joking,"ughs Mo Cheng Xuan.


    They chat for a bit more before Mo Cheng Xuan urges Yang Shi Han to return to the pce.


    She agrees with him and gets up to leave.


    He is not assured of their safety and insists on escorting them to the pce, making Yang Shi Han very happy.


    Since she snuck out of the pce on the first ce, she first has to change into a pce maid¡¯s dress behind arge tree. After that, she bids Mo Cheng Xuan goodbye before smoothly entering the pce.


    For Mo Cheng Xuan, their meeting tonight was an ident.


    For Yang Shi Han, their meeting was a delightful surprise. After she returns to her pce, she recalls the encounter with a sweet smile on her lips.


    In a forest outside the capital, a man dressed inpletely ck, paired with a ck fur robe stands with his face covered by a silver mask. Nobody could see his face, but his eyes are burning with anger as he res at another man-in-ck who is kneeling before him. "You useless piece of trash," he says coldly. He waves an arm and the kneeling man is immediately thrown back a few metres into the air. Hends between the trees, vomiting blood.


    The man immediately mbers back towards his master, admitting fault, "Please spare us, Master."


    "Spare you? You still have the gall to ask for mercy? Jun Qian Che left the pce all by himself and even then all of you failed to kill him! What is the point of keeping you?" admonished the man coldly.


    "That dog emperor was indeed alone at first. But, when we surrounded him with our forces, the secret guards suddenly appeared. They outnumbered us, so we had no other choice but to retreat. Please give us another chance, Master. We will not fail you, next time."


    The Master narrows his eyes, "Alright, since all you have followed me for many years, I will spare you all this one time. For now, the mission to kill Jun Qian Che is aborted. Your new priority will be to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan. He must never reach the capital alive. I will give you more people for this mission. If you fail again, I will give you a life that is worse than death."


    "Yes, this subordinate will not disappoint you again," replies the man.


    The Master nods, "All of you may leave."


    "Yes!" the assassins immediately leave the forest.


    Another shadow suddenly appears behind the Master.


    The Master turns around, smiling.


    The new arrival is displeased, "I don¡¯t care what you wanna do, I just want you to spare the Empress. Why did you aim for the Empress using the carriage?"


    The Master fiddles with the jade ring on his thumb absent-mindedly, "I¡¯ve never thought of hurting the Empress. Just, she is now carrying a child. I wish to help her get rid of the baby, so that she canpletely cut contact with Jun Qian Che."


    "You really can¡¯t stand the child that she is carrying?" the new arrival asks icily.


    The man shakes his head whileughing, "It is not that I can¡¯t stand the child. I just wish that she canpletely cut off ties with Jun Qian Che. As long as the child is around, they will never be able to extricate themselves from each other. Once the child is born, the Empress might form a bond with the Emperor. By then, the child bes our enemy. We must get rid of it. I know that you cannot bear to hurt the Empress, but you must remember that short-term pain is better than long-term pain. The Empress is still young, she will be able to conceive again, after this. To tell the truth, Jun Qian Che is only sparing the child so that he could use it to threaten the Empress and Mo n into submission, in the future. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t see that?"


    "I don¡¯t care whose enemy that child will be! All I know is that if you hurt her, I will not spare you!" warns the man coldly.


    The man in the silver maskughs, "Don¡¯t worry. I care about Qi Qi more than anyone else. I will not hurt her."


    The two look at each other for a while, before tacitly changing the topic, "What do you n to do with the Marquis of Ning Nan?"


    A cold glint shes through the Master¡¯s eyes, "The Marquis of Ning Nan is a force that Jun Qian Che secretly cultivated. He is a very strong force, at that. He is a big threat to all of us, we must take care of him. I already sent people to make sure he will never reach the capital alive. If we don¡¯t, he will definitely pose a great risk for us, in the future."


    The new arrival nods in agreement, "I agree. I will also send my people to rid ourselves of him. Hopefully, the Marquis will not be alive for long."


    They look at each other beforeughing together.


    The next day, Jun Qian Che attends the morning court as usual. Although his wound still hurts, he barely shows it on his face.


    During the meeting, Duke Zhen once again brings up the matter of the Marquis of Ning Nan. He wants Jun Qian Che to quickly release the decree to kill the Marquis. He does not like the fact that the general consensus is that the Marquis must be brought to the capital for questioning. What if something happens during the journey and the Marquis is saved by hisrades?


    However, Jun Qian Che is equally resolute in his decision. He insists on having the Marquis brought to the capital to be tried before him. All of this is to prevent any mistakes in sentencing him.


    Although Duke Zhen is not happy with Jun Qian Che¡¯s decision, he still knows his own ce. He is only a minister while the other is the ruler, it is not fitting for him to stubbornly express his opinion in front of so many people at court. The Emperor is no longer the youth who needed his support two years back. The Emperor can now stand on his own two feet and fight him off. Hmph, the Duke secretly sneers. Since you are so stubborn, you must not me me. Do you really think your wings are strong and sturdy? In front of this old man, your wings are still tender and not fitting to fly.


    After the morning court, Jun Qian Che heads to Feng Yang Pce to have his wound redressed by Mo Qi Qi.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly gauges his mood. He looks particrly solemn today. She originally does not intend to talk much today, however, her curiosity got the best of her, "Did something happen at court this morning, Your Majesty? You seem to be in a bad mood."


    Jun Qian Che looks at her, "You are interested in political matters, Empress? Did Duke Zhen say anything to you?"


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head before truthfully replying, "<i>Chenqie</i> is not interested in politics at all. <i>Chenqie</i> knows that the harem is not allowed to interfere with court. Besides, <i>chenqie</i> hasn¡¯t meet Duke Zhentely, so <i>chenqie</i> has not talked to him. Your Majesty, don¡¯t tell me you are unhappy because of my dad? Did my dad say something wrong again?" Her dad is so arrogant and is not afraid to say just about anything. Wuwu, don¡¯t tell her that Jun Qian Che is going to redirect his anger on her instead?


    "No, it has nothing to do with Duke Zhen. <i>Zhen</i> is only thinking about the Marquis of Ning Nan," replies Jun Qian Che calmly. He does not wish to worry her. He will not burden her with Duke Zhen¡¯s misdemeanor. Although she is Duke Zhen¡¯s daughter, she is also his wife and the mother of his child. Whatever it is that the Mo n do, it has nothing to do with her.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs in relief when she hears that, "I am relieved to hear that. What did the Marquis do to make you unhappy?"


    Jun Qian Che eyes her for a moment before saying, "The Marquis of Ning Nan hid a dragon robe."


    Mo Qi Qi nods uncaringly before saying, "Oh."


    Jun Qian Che is a little surprised seeing her calm response, "You don¡¯t think this is a big matter?"


    <strong>serene:</strong> Hi, guys! Thest part of chapter 137~ More mysteries for us haha.


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 Chapter 138 part1

    Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che with her clear and innocent eyes, "Why? Is it a big deal?" Everyone likes collecting. Some people like collecting jades, others antique vases and paintings. Perhaps, that Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s hobby is collecting the dragon robe! Big deal! In the modern world, those filming crew also made dragon robes to be worn by movie stars! She herself likes to collect jade and essories. In the past, whenever she went to work and got to touch those ancient female clothing, she would wonder about who wore them and how they looked like. How those people¡¯s lives might be and who they loved. The more she wondered, the more interested she became.


    For an archeologisting from the modern time, she simply considered these things as hobbies. There is nothing more to it than that.


    When Jun Qian Che sees the innocence in her eyes, he feels as though she has be even more unreadable. She looks at simple things in aplicated manner, and in reverse, view convoluted things in a startlingly simple way.


    "Keeping a dragon robe is as good as rebelling. His entire family will be killed if convicted," reminds Jun Qian Che.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s slow brain finally catches up to reality. She is currently in the ancient time; what does the dragon robe represent? The dragon robe is something that only the Emperor can wear. If someone else is in possession of the dragon robe, it will indeed be regarded as treason. This Marquis of Ning Nan ought to know what the dragon robe implies, having been born in the ancient time. Seems like he really has the intention to rebel.


    "Who would have thought that the Marquis would be so presumptuous? No wonder you are in such a bad mood! He deserves to die!" Mo Qi Qi exaggerates her reaction. To tell the truth, she has no idea who this Marquis of Ning Nan is, and what he has to do with anything. She only said all that to y along with Jun Qian Che.


    Her words attract Jun Qian Che¡¯s attention, "Do you truly think that the Marquis of Ning Nan deserves to die?"


    She nods, "Of course! Treason is not a small crime. It will harm both the kingdom and themon people. This kind of people will only hurt the kingdom. You must not be soft-hearted, he deserves to be punished severely. There is no need to be upset over this kind of people, Your Majesty. If they needed to be killed, just kill them."


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes before getting up and leaving.


    Mo QI Qi stares at his retreating back while scratching her head curiously. "What is going on? Did I say anything wrong? I clearly said what he wanted to hear. Don¡¯t tell me there is actually more behind what is really going on?" she mutters to herself.


    She shakes her head,pletely uninterested to think about the matter.


    She gets up and stretches her waist, "I think I ate too much breakfast. I should walk around in the courtyard a little." She heads towards the door.


    By the time she reaches the doorway, Ban Xiang rushes in, "Your Ladyship¡ª-"


    "What are you so hasty about, Ban Xiang? Is someone chasing you, trying to kill you?" teases Mo Qi Qi.


    Ban Xiang approaches her and whispers to her ears, "Your Ladyship, the 7<sup>th</sup> King wishes to see you. This servant did not dare to inform you earlier and could only wait until the Emperor left."


    "The 7<sup>th</sup> Imperial Uncle? Where is he?" asks the curious Mo Qi Qi.


    Not longter, Ban Xiang leads a eunuch in. He cups his fists in front of her, "Your Ladyship¡ª-" Then, he raises his head.


    Mo Qi Qiughs, "Yue Hen, you are all dressed up again. Whenever I see you dressed as a eunuch, I could always imagine a group of maidens crying in front of me. They adore you so much, they would never be able to ept it if you ends up bing a eunuch. Hahaha¡ª-"


    Jun Yue Hen does not know whether he shouldugh or cry, "You are poking fun of me again, Your Ladyship. I hastily entered the pce this time because I¡¯m worried about you."


    Mo Qi Qi slowly twirls in front of him, "I am fine. What is there to worry about?"


    Ban Xiang slowly heads to the door to stand guard, lest someone tries to eavesdrop.


    Mo Qi Qi, on the other hand, beckons Jun Yue Hen over, "Come and sit, Yue Hen. Let¡¯s chat."


    After they sit down, Jun Yue Hen expresses his concern, "Qi Qi, did the Emperor scold you after sending you back, yesterday?"


    She shakes her head, "No, he didn¡¯t. Didn¡¯t I tell you that he permitted me to leave the pce yesterday? I didn¡¯t sneak out. What is there for him to scold me over? However, something really scary happened yesterday."


    Jun Yue Hen feels as though his heart has been pinched when he hears that, "What happened?"


    She begins recounting yesterday¡¯s ordeal to him.


    Yue Hen ends up sweating cold sweat on their behalf after hearing her story, "Someone actually dared to attempt to assassinate the Emperor in the imperial city? The assassins are too preposterous and bold. This is all my fault. I should have followed you twost night."


    Mo Qi Qi immediately shakes her head, "No. Lucky you weren¡¯t with us. You don¡¯t know martial arts, it¡¯d be even more precarious had you been with us. Lucky Jun Qian Che practiced diligently. He helped us out of that sticky situation yesterday."


    Jun Yue Hen hesitated for a moment, "Don¡¯t you think something is off with the assassinsst night, Qi Qi? The Emperor left the pce in secretst night, how did they find out? Could it be that it¡¯s the same case as thest expedition? Could it be that the real target was you, and hurting the Emperor was just a coincidence?"


    Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Yue Hen and eyes him carefully. What does he mean by that? Why did he say that to begin with?


    Jun Yue Hen seems embarrassed at being stared at, "What¡¯s wrong, Qi Qi? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Mo Qi Qiughs awkwardly, "You mean that the assassins were sent by Jun Qian Che? Although he got hurt, it was identally done; or perhaps they purposely injured him to make me trust him more. Is that what you mean?" Isn¡¯t that what Jun Yue Hen basically implied?


    He nods, "It is possible. After all, the assassins were targeting you. Perhaps, there was a reason behind why the Emperor took the blow for you."


    Mo Qi Qi is a little skeptical, "But what on earth would he get from acting all heroic in front of me? His injury was pretty serious. And why would he try to gain my trust? I don¡¯t think I am that important in his eyes."


    Jun Yue Hen shakes his head, "Don¡¯t underestimate yourself. You are from Mo n and is the pearl within Duke Zhen¡¯s palm. One word of support from Duke Zhen would help His Majesty greatly at court. If he won your trust, you would speak for him in front of your father. His Majesty¡¯s dealings at court would be much easier. Besides, the court has been a messtely, all because of the Marquis of Ning Nan. His Majesty has had a hard time trying to make a ruling, so he would definitely need your help and support. Duke Zhen adamantly wants the Marquis to be killed. His Majesty, on the other hand, wants the Marquis to be brought to the capital to be tried. His Majesty must have been worried that your dad would interfere, so he would like to cate Duke Zhen through you. If you tell your father that His Majesty saved your life, he would definitely be grateful to the Emperor. When the timees, he will agree with whatever His Majesty said. This will help the Emperor so much, as he did not really want to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan."


    Mo Qi Qi finally puts two and two together, "No wonder he brought up about the Marquis of Ning Nan, just now! He told me the Marquis hid a dragon robe and that it¡¯s a crime that can get his entire family killed. He even asked me if my dad said anything it to me. He asked me if the Marquis should be killed and when I said yes, he got so upset and left. I was wondering why! Turns out he did not want the Marquis killed and when I said something that was thepletely opposite of what he wanted to hear, he got angry!"


    Jun Yue Hen nods, "Correct. Based onws, the Emperor shouldn¡¯t have brought up politics in front of you, to begin with. The fact that he brought it up means that he wanted your backing, and when he didn¡¯t get it, he got furious. He must have thought it pointless to have blocked the sword for you, now."


    Mo Qi Qi is indignant, "Hmph! Who would have thought Jun Qian Che would y intrigues so well! How despicable! I almost got deceived by him! But still, hiding a dragon robe is a big crime. Why wouldn¡¯t Jun Qian Che kill the Marquis of Ning Nan?"


    "This¡ª-" Jun Yue Hen hesitates for a moment.


    Mo Qi Qi is even more curious now, "What is it? Is there something going on behind this as well?"


    "Qi Qi, promise me you won¡¯t be angry once I tell you," says Jun Yue Hen, to be safe.


    Sheughs, "It is not like I know this Marquis of Ning Nan! What is it? Just tell me!"


    Jun Yue Hen slowly begins the story, "The Marquis of Ning Nan has a daughter, around the same age as the Emperor. When the Marquis of Ning Nan still lived in the capital and the Emperor was only the Crown Prince, they were pretty close. The daughter would follow the Marquis of Ning Nan to the Crown Prince¡¯s Pce whenever there was a chance. It is said that he used to like her, then. He had wanted to make her his Crown Prince¡¯s Consort, andter, his Empress. But in the end, in order inherit the throne smoothly, he married you instead. The Marquis¡¯ daughter was fierce and stubborn, how could she bear being under another woman? And so, she impulsively married a schr. The Crown Prince was heartbroken then, but there was nothing he could do. He felt as though he had wronged the Marquis and his daughter, as though he owed them. Perhaps, this is why the Marquis of Ning Nan nned to revolt to begin with. After all, he promised to marry his daughter and to make her the Empress, but then went around breaking that promise. His daughter¡¯s reputation was ruined and he became aughing stock; who wouldn¡¯t be angry? That¡¯s probably why the Emperor is being lenient towards them. Because of the guilt inside his heart. However, your dad is a very righteous person. He would never let the Emperor¡¯s personal feelings affect his judgement. That¡¯s why the Emperor needs to use you."


    Mo Qi Qi is beyond furious, "Jun Qian Che is the trashiest trash of them all! He actually ruined two women¡¯s happiness just so he could secure his throne! This kind of person will never experience true love until the day he dies! He habitually uses women to get what he wants! I despise that kind of men the most! Hmph, I will never help him! He made a wrong move this time! Could it be that he still fancies the Marquis¡¯ daughter and intends to use this chance to have her for himself?" She never thought Jun Qian Che would stoop so low.


    "Qi Qi, you promised me you wouldn¡¯t get angry. Remember that you are carrying a child," reminds Yue Hen warmly.


    She looks at her stomach, "I will never get angry over that man. I hope my child will not follow his example."


    "The thing has passed. The Marquis¡¯ daughter is married. She will never try to wrestle the Empress¡¯ position from you. Although the Emperor might still be hopeful, the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager will never let him, out of consideration for the imperial n."


    "That¡¯s not certain. Who knows, the Emperor might change her surname and takes her into the harem," Mo Qi Qi mutters to herself.


    "Are you jealous, Qi Qi?" inquires Jun Yue Hen.


    Sheughs, "Me? Jealous? You are too funny, Yue Hen. Why would I get jealous over Jun Qian Che? He can have any girl he wants! What does that has anything to do with me? He is an utter trash, I feel like vomiting whenever I see him! Why would I get jealous?"


    "Qi Qi, seeing you all safe and sound makes me really relieved. You should be careful here, do not be too careless," reminds Jun Yue Hen.


    She nods, "Don¡¯t worry. Jun Qian Che will not pull anything while I am in here. If anything happens to me whilst I am in the pce, my father would not spare him!" From the looks of it, she would have to go out less in the future. She needs to see if the foreign king will be able to construct the toilet in the way she wanted. If he could, she can try and see if it will help her return to her own time. If it doesn¡¯t work, then, she would have to reconsider whether or not she should remain in the pce.


    Once he is assured that Mo Qi Qi is fine, Jun Yue Hen does not linger.


    After he left, her heart is in a turmoil. She begins recounting the eventsst night. She feels like Yue Hen¡¯s guess is not right.


    Although she does not know martial arts, she could tell that those assassins really intended to kill Jun Qian Che. Them suddenly targeting her was only to distract him.


    When the sword was directed towards her, Jun Qian Che actually disregarded everything else and immediately rushed to her rescue. He only avoided fatal injury because he managed to move his body so that the sword did not hit any critical body parts. Had he not done so, the assassins would have seeded in killing him. She does not feel that the attack was staged.


    As for the matter regarding the Marquis of Ning Nan, he actually did not say anything to her. He only began telling her about the hidden dragon robe because she insisted on asking him. Even after everything, he did not ask her to tell her father anything. Perhaps Yue Hen thinks too much?


    Or could it be that Jun Qian Che acted too well and managed to deceive her eyes?


    Mo Qi Qiments her fate while supporting her cheek with her hand: Men from the imperial household are so hard to understand. She really cannot understand their intrigue; be it Jun Qian Che or Jun Yue Hen. She cannot see through either of them.


    Why is it that whenever something happened, Jun Yue Hen would always warn her to be cautious of Jun Qian Che? If Jun Qian Che really cannot be trusted, then, is Jun Yue Hen really that trustworthy? It is true that Mo n¡¯s power can threaten Jun Qian Che, but as of now, they have no falling out.


    She only trusts Jun Yue Hen because he grew up with the previous owner and was in love with her. He also put himself in danger to save her, so she ends up trusting him. However, a person¡¯s heart is hard to read and sometimes, eyes can deceive.


    She feels like Jun Qian Che is not as bad as Jun Yue Hen makes him out to be. In fact, she has gotten to know him bettertely and feels like he is not really that trashy after all.


    Wuwu, if only she possesses a pair of eyes that can see a person¡¯s heart! That way, she would never have to worry about truly knowing a person¡¯s personality.


    "That¡¯s enough! Let¡¯s go to the Imperial Garden for a walk!" she gets up and walks out of her chamber.


    It is true that enemies encounter each other on a narrow bridge.


    Mo Qi Qi bumps into Yang Shi Han at the Imperial Garden. They look at each other, their eyes shing in hatred and disdain as they walk towards each other.


    By the time they stand face-to-face, Yang Shi Han remembers what she said to Mo Cheng Xuan; that she would not fight Mo Qi Qi as long as she does not provoke her. Out of courtesy for Mo Cheng Xuan, Yang Shi Han decides to give Mo Qi Qi face. She curtsies, "This consort greets the Empress."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Get up, Yang Guifei. It is rare for you to remember the rules of conduct."


    Yang Shi Han smiles back, "<i>Chenqie</i> has always remembered the rules of conduct. Your Ladyship is with child and your pregnancy is not yet 3 months old, you should rest more."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles amiably, "<i>Bengong¡¯s</i> health has always been good, so it¡¯s natural for the child to be strong as well. No need to worry, Yang Guifei, <i>bengong</i> will not let anyone harm the child."


    Yang Shi Han gives her a dazzling smile, "I hope you will give birth to the child smoothly. When the timees, the mother can benefit from the child and obtain His Majesty¡¯s affection."


    Mo Qi Qi covers her smile with her hand, "For a mother, affection or not is no longer important. The most important thing is the child will give the mother support. With that support, everything else are but fleeting matters. What about you, Meimei? You have entered the pce and obtained His Majesty¡¯s love, why aren¡¯t you with child yet? Could it be that you are sick somewhere? If you do, you must get it treated immediately, lest the Empress Dowager gets worried." To be honest, it¡¯s only natural that they are having trouble conceiving! That¡¯s what you get for marrying a close rtive!


    "Thank you for worrying, Empress. <i>Chenqie¡¯s</i> health is just fine. It¡¯s just that <i>chenqie</i> is still young and does not wish to have children yet. When the timees, <i>chenqie</i> will naturally conceive!" replies Yang Shi Han confidently.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Hope you are right."


    "<i>Chenqie</i> still needs to greet the Empress Dowager. <i>Chenqie</i> should leave first."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Goodbye."


    Yang Shi Han leaves haughtily.


    Mo Qi Qi smiles while shaking her head.


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 Chapter 138 part2

    "Your Ladyship¡ª" The moment Yang Shihan left, a bunch of concubines immediately rush towards Mo Qi Qi, surrounding her and swarming her with questions.


    "Was that Yang Guifei just now? Did she disrespect you again?"


    "Your Ladyship, you are currently pregnant. You have nothing to fear. If she disrepects you again, just report it to His Majesty. He will definitely reprimand her."


    "Indeed. Ever since she entered the pce, Yang Guifei rarely attends her morning greeting, and the few times that she did, she would be so arrogant and overbearing. Now that you are pregnant, you must take this chance to teach her a lesson. Since you are carrying his child, His Majesty would cease supporting Yang Guifei."


    Mo Qi Qi smiles at them, "The situation is not as grave as you are making it out to be, sisters. Yang Guifei was perfectly respectful just now. You think too much."


    The crowd is momentarily stunned and the atmosphere bes slightly awkward, "Yang Guifei must have be more cautious about offending you now that you are pregnant."


    "Correct. If you end up giving birth to a boy, Yang Guifei will not longer be able to get all haughty in front of you. That¡¯s why she decides to be low-key for now; so that you will not have an excuse to get even with herter."


    "Yang Guifei is too crafty."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at them beforeughing, "I have not seen the rest of you for days. Now that we have the chance to meet, let¡¯s stop talking about her. Lret¡¯s sit down and chat."


    "Alright! Sure!"


    The group head towards a pavilion in the middle of the garden. Under the shade of the pavilion, with light breeze blowing through the hot summer air, chatting with the other concubines in the middle of the beautiful garden is indeed a pleasant thing to do.


    "What have you been busy with these days? Why didn¡¯t you visit <i>bengong</i> at Feng Yang Pce?" asks Mo Qi Qi curiously. She suddenly realizes that the concubines had been rather quiet these past few days.


    Someone speaks up, "Didn¡¯t you know? After His Majesty found out about your pregnancy, he forbade us from going to Feng Yang Pce unless it¡¯s for an emergency. He said your pregnancy is not yet 3 months old and is still in a very fragile state. If there are too many people and we end up stressing you out, it might hurt the baby. If that happens, His Majesty will hold us ountable. That¡¯s why none of us dared to bother you."


    Mo Qi Qi seems a little surprised, "Really? No one told <i>bengong</i> anything."


    One of the concubines cover her smile coyly, "It¡¯s because His Majesty cares about you too much. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t tell you."


    "You two are getting more and more loving! We are so envious of you!"


    Mo Qi Qi brushes it off, denying it, "Please don¡¯t misunderstand us. We are not how you think we are. In fact, our rtionship did not progress at all. We don¡¯t love each other. This child is only conceived by ident and luck. His Majesty could not care less about me. He only cares about the child that I am carrying. He clearly knows I like lively atmosphere and yet he forbade you all froming. He clearly wants me to die out of boredom. Did you honestly believe he cares about me?" She puts an aggrieved look as she faces thedies.


    The concubines hasten tofort her, "You cannot look at it that way, Your Ladyship. The child is inside you, so, in a way, caring about the child also means that he cares about you."


    "She is right! You are currently with child, you must take care of yourself. Everything that His Majesty did was only for your own good."


    "You are close to 3-months pregnant now. Once the 3 months period has passed, we will head over to your pce to y."


    "Right! Right!"


    Mo Qi Qiughs as she jokes around with them happily, "In the end, it¡¯s only my sisters who treat me the best. You make <i>bengong</i> so happy. If <i>bengong</i> had not bump into all of you here, <i>bengong</i> would have thought that <i>bengong</i> had offended you somehow."


    "Impossible! We like the Empress now! Although we could not see you, we have been practicing all the things that you taught us; yoga, dancing, singing.... If the opportunity arises, we should perform in front of you to make you happy."


    Mo Qi Qi ps happily, "Alright, alright! You promised <i>bengong</i>! Once the 3-month period is over, all of you muste to Feng Yang Pce and perform for <i>bengong</i>."


    "Definitely!" promised the concubines. Sound ofughters reverberates through the garden as thedies chat happily.


    Gong Ya Xian who happens to walk nearby could hear the sound ofughter. She could not help but inquire a nearby pce maid. When she found out that the sound ofughteres from the Empress and a couple of concubines, she smiles. The Empress has indeed changed. If this had been in the past, she would never believe that the Empress would be able to sit and chat civilly with the concubines of the back pce.


    Gong Ya Xian decides to change her direction; she does not wish to ruin the atmosphere. Even if she joins them, she wouldn¡¯t know what to say. After all, they are the Emperor¡¯s women while she is only an imperial rtive, aplete outsider. She sighs and walks away.


    As they chat, some of the concubines begin serving pastries and tea.


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the assortment of pastries on the table, "Who would have thought that Consort Chun is this talented at cooking? All the pastries you made are exquisite, <i>bengong</i> is reluctant to eat them!"


    Consort Chun smiles shyly, "Please do not tease this consort, Your Ladyship. Before entering the pce, this consort was idle and had nothing better to do, so this consort decided to learn how to make pastries. Being able to make pastries for Your Ladyship is an honor. As long as Your Ladyship does not hate them, this consort would be beyond happy."


    Mo Qi Qi pretends to be displeased, "If you keep speaking like that, <i>bengong</i> will be unhappy. You have kindly made pastries for <i>bengong</i>, how could <i>bengong</i> ever dislike them? Let¡¯s eat together, sisters."


    Mo Qi Qi picks up a piece of pastry.


    Seeing her action, Ban Xiang says, "Your Ladyship, it needs to be checked before you can eat them."


    Ban Xiang¡¯s words embarrass Consort Chun.


    Mo Qi Qi is aware how dangerous the pce can be, but she, who came from the modern time is still not used to living her life walking around eggshells. The way Ban Xiang openly voiced her suspicion and the clear embarrassment on Consort Chun¡¯s face makes her feel embarrassed as well. She looks at Ban Xiang, "We are all sisters, what is there to check for?"


    Ban Xiang respectfully replies her, "Your Ladyship, now that you are pregnant, His Majesty ordered us to be careful with what you eat and wear."


    Mo Qi Qi feels a little exasperated deep inside: Jun Qian Che sure does a lot of things behind her back! He might as well directly order her to fast!


    Consort Chun merelyughs, "Your Ladyship, we are all happy for you. The Emperor really cares for you. What Miss Ban Xiang said is not wrong; you should check all the things that you eat beforehand. It will put both you and <i>chenqie</i> at ease."


    The rest agree with her, "Right! Right!"


    Mo Qi Qi helplessly shakes her head before sighing, "Alright, then. Check it."


    Ban Xiang takes out a silver needle and uses it to check the pastries and tea. Then, she lets a few maids test the food. When nothing out of the ordinary happens, she turns to Mo Qi Qi in relief, "Your Ladyship, the pastries and tea are safe. You can have them."


    Mo Qi Qi shakes her head whileughing, "All of you are really¡ª! You are making a mountain out of a molehill. We are all sisters, how could there be anything wrong with this pastry?" She picks up a piece of the pastry with the elegance of a true Empress and covers her mouth with her wide sleeve before eating it.


    After taking a bite, Mo Qi Qi cannot help but praise Consort Chun, "The pastry that Consort Chun made is really good! Go and give it a try, sisters."


    "Of course! Sure!" the rest of the concubines nod in agreement before taking a piece of the pastries each.


    They continue to chat happily until lunch. After the little rendezvous is over, they disperse and return to their respective pces.


    After eating lunch, Mo Qi Qi takes a couple of turns in her courtyard before retreating to her chamber for her afternoon nap. Although the life in the pce can be dangerous, it can also be idyllic and pleasant. At least, someone is taking care of all her needs. Being a parasite is not necessarily a bad thing. She has always been an unambitious person; as long as she can live in peace, she is happy.


    Jun Qian Che on the other hand, is busy everyday. Everyone envies him, but no one knows the difficulties that this position offers. He has to deal with national problems everyday. One little mistake can bring fatal consequences, so he dares not neglect anything.


    The court is riddled with conflictstely, so now, he has even less time to rest.


    He has been busy inside the Imperial Study the entire day and could only return to Yu Jing Pce by dinnertime. After eating his dinner, he takes a short rest on his dragon chair.


    Mo Qi Qi sneakily enters Yu Jing Pce to see what Jun Qian Che is up to. Who knows, perhaps she would hit a jackpot and catch him in the act with a woman or something! She forbids the guards from announcing her arrival. In the end, after entering Yu Jing pce, she bes a little disappointed. She was hoping to get some juicy gossip about the Emperor and is instead greeted with the sight of him sleeping on his dragon chair. What a boring man!


    She stops stooping sneakily and immediately stands up straight before walking over to him.


    "Your¡ª" Just as she is about to wake him up, Eunuch Lin stops her with a silent gesture. He motions towards the Emperor, implying that he is too tired and that she should let him rest.


    Mo Qi Qi nods before waving him off, gesturing him to leave.


    The eunuch quietly leaves.


    Mo Qi Qi carefully approaches Jun Qian Che and silently waves her palm in front of his face. He does not even stir. She purses her lips; she thought he was made of iron! Turns out, even he is human and knows how to feel tired!


    She quietly sits next to him and looks at him,pletely mesmerized by his sleeping face.


    <strong>Serene: </strong> Dang Mo Qi Qi~ *O* Staring at him like a creep....


    I also like the fact that she has began questioning the things that Yue Hen told her!


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 Chapter 139 part1

    His ink-like dark hair is arranged neatly into his dragon headgear. His thick and sword-like eyebrows are solemn and majestic, and his eyes are closed, effectively blocking the cold look that he always wears. Hisshes are long, making him look surprisingly cute. His tall nose, his tempting lips, his alluring face..... If he is not the Emperor, he ought to be surrounded by women all the time. However, since he is the monarch of their country, he exudes an unapproachable air. Other people can only watch him from afar, no one would dare to approach him. What a waste of this attractive face.


    "Hmm," Mo Qi Qi sighs.


    "Who is it?" the alert Jun Qian Che immediately wakes up.


    He is a little shocked to see Mo Qi Qi next to him, "When did youe, Empress?"


    She gives him a brilliant smile, "Just a moment ago. <i>Chenqie</i> saw that you were asleep and did not want to bother you, but <i>chenqie</i> ended up waking you anyway." She suddenly feels bad for him. Being an Emperor is really not easy. He can¡¯t even sleep in peace. Poor guy.


    "What is the matter, Empress?" Jun Qian Che sits straight as he looks at her. It only takes him a moment topletely wake up.


    Mo Qi Qi sighs while shaking her head helplessly, "Your Majesty, you are too busy that you forgot everything. Have you forgotten about your injury? <i>Chenqie</i> waited for you toe so that <i>chenqie</i> could redress your wound, but you didn¡¯te, so <i>chenqie</i> could onlye and look for you at Yu Jing Pce."


    A burst of joy can be felt inside Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart when he hears that, "You¡¯re worried about <i>zhen¡¯s</i> injury?" At least, she still remembers that he is injured.


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Of course. Have you forgotten that you got injured because of <i>chenqie</i>? If other people discover this, <i>chenqie</i> would be in deep trouble."


    The joy in his heart immediately disperses, "So it is like that."


    "Obviously. What else?" Mo Qi Qi looks at him with herrge and clear eyes.


    He shakes his head, "Nothing. Go on and apply the medicine."


    "Yes." Mo Qi Qi runs over to close the door before returning to Jun Qian Che and redressing his wound.


    Now that she is with him, Mo Qi Qi cannot help but remember what Jun Yue Hen told her about the Marquis of Ning Nan. She wants to ask Jun Qian Che about it, but keeps hesitating over whether or not she should. Due to her distraction, she identally applies too much force while redressing his wound.


    Jun Qian Che frowns lightly as he looks at her, "What is it? Say it. Otherwise, <i>zhen¡¯s</i> wound might start bleeding again."


    Mo Qi Qi looks at his wound in surprise, "Sorry, Your Majesty. <i>Chenqie</i> got distracted."


    "Something is troubling you?" Although it¡¯s a question, it has been uttered certainly.


    She hesitates for a moment before nodding honestly.


    "Just say what you want to say," replies Jun Qian Che calmly.


    She lowers her head as she continues bandaging his wound, murmuring, "What if you get angry?"


    "If you don¡¯t say it, <i>zhen</i> will get angrier. Whatever it is, just say it. <i>Zhen</i> will not me you," says Jun Qian Che steadily.


    Mo Qi Qi looks up at him happily before saying, "Alright, you promised! You must not get upset if <i>chenqie</i> identally said anything that hurts you."


    Jun Qian Che made an assenting sound.


    Hurt? What could possibly hurt him?


    Mo Qi Qi gathers her courage before opening her mouth, "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> remembers that you asked <i>chenqie</i> about the Marquis of Ning Nan. <i>Chenqie</i> replied you by saying that the Marquis deserved to die. You got angry and left. So <i>chenqie</i> was wondering what could possibly anger you to that extent. In the end, <i>chenqie</i> finally figured it out. Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i>¡ª"


    Jun Qian Che cuts her off, "You were worried about <i>zhen¡¯s</i> mood?"


    Huh? Instead of asking her this, he should have asked her what she figured out. This man really has nomon sense.


    "Hehe, of course <i>chenqie</i> was worried. Your mood directly affects chenqie¡¯s life, as well as the baby¡¯s."


    Jun Qian Che feels very helpless and frustrated when he hears that, "Go on."


    "Your Majesty, <i>chenqie</i> realized you were angry because <i>chenqie</i> said something that you did not want to hear. <i>Chenqie</i> said that Marquis must be killed, which is something that you probably disagree with. You don¡¯t want to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan," probes Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Qian Che pretends to be surprised as he says, "Oh, you actually figured that out."


    Mo Qi Qi nods, "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "You are pretty clever, Empress," Jun Qian Che gives her a rare praise.


    "So <i>chenqie</i> is right?" Mo Qi Qi looks at him earnestly.


    "Yes, you¡¯re right. <i>Zhen</i> does not want to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan," replies Jun Qian Che in a straightforward manner.


    Mo Qi Qi continues probing carefully, "The Marquis of Ning Nanmitted such a big crime and yet you¡¯re actually unwilling to kill him. There must be a reason behind that."


    Jun Qian Che nods, "Yes, there is a reason behind that."


    She continues gathering her courage to say, "<i>Chenqie</i> heard that Your Majesty had something going on with the Marquis¡¯ daughter. Is that true?"


    He looks at her, "You¡¯ve already met her before, haven¡¯t you?"


    "Uh? Hehe, did you forget what <i>chenqie</i> told you, Your Majesty? <i>Chenqie</i> have lost all my memories, I forgot everything. Can you tell me the story between you and the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s daughter? <i>Chenqie</i> is quite curious about the two of you," Mo Qi Qi smiles at him sweetly.


    Jun Qian Che nces at her before saying, "To tell the truth, this is not something shameful that other people must never know. Since the Empress wants to know, <i>zhen</i> will tell you."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," she looks at him in anticipation. Deep inside though, she is cursing him. Pah, nothing shameful you say! How shameless can one be! He mistreated another man¡¯s daughter and ims it is nothing to be shameful about. How thick-skinned can one be? Even the walls are not as thick as his face!


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes drift away as he begins telling his story, "Ning Xuan Yu is the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s only daughter. She is the pearl within the Marquis¡¯ palm. We knew each other ever since we were little¡ª-"


    "You knew each other since little? Does that mean you two were childhood sweethearts?" interrupts Mo Qi Qi.


    Jun Qian Che nces at her, "We were Apprenticeship Siblings. I am older by two years old. We learned under the same Shifu, so I was her Senior Brother."


    "You two are Apprenticeship Siblings.... Does that mean that Ning Xuan Yu also knows martial arts?" Mo Qi Qi is surprised. Jun Yue Hen did not say this.


    Jun Qian Che nods unhappily, "Yes, Xuan Yu loves martial arts. She thought, women that know martial arts are cool. She is straightforward and honest. She has her own ideas and will not let anyone tell her otherwise. She has always been different from other girls."


    "Since she is so different from other girls, Your Majesty must have liked her a lot," Mo Qi Qi nosily raises her eyebrows.


    Jun Qian Che unhappily reprimands her, "Do you even want to listen, Mo Qi Qi? Can you please not interrupt when someone else is talking?"


    She nods, "Alright, alright. <i>Chenqie</i> will keep quiet. Go on, go on....." You won¡¯t let others interfere when you speak, but somehow, it¡¯s alright if you¡¯re the one doing it! Unreasonable jerk!


    "Although she has always been different from other girls, in my eyes, she is only a little sister. We know each other too well, so we¡¯ve always treated each other intimately. Like family."


    "Only as family?" Mo Qi Qi could not help but ask.


    He res at her.


    "<i>Chenqie</i> is wrong," she immediately shuts her mouth.


    Jun Qian Che rolls his eyes before he continues speaking, "Learning from Shifu all those years were the best times of my life. They were the happiest memories I have. Back then, all we cared about was learning martial arts. We did not have to think of anything else. Our lives were so simple. However, I was the Crown Prince and could not live outside the pce for too long. I had to return to the pce and could only practice privately using my Shifu¡¯s secret manual. Xuan Yu, on the other hand, continued learning under Shifu outside. In the blink of an eye, we grew up. After finishing her apprenticeship, Xuan Yu returned to the Ning Residence. Back then, her father was only a 3<sup>rd</sup> level courtier who was based at the capital, so we met often. She would often visit the Crown Prince¡¯s residence. Since she grew up traversing the jianghu, she did not know about etiquette. Although she could be considered a noble young miss in the capital, she did not carry herself as such. Whenever she visited the Crown Prince¡¯s residence, she would joke around with me, disregarding boundaries between men and women. I know her personality, but other people did not. They thought we both liked each other. I tried exining to protect her reputation, but she stopped me. This kind of things, the more you try to exin, the more people would speak. She said that what other people said did not matter. What mattered was our conscience were clear. I thought she had a point, so I stopped trying to exin things.


    We merely treated each other as siblings, but somehow, rumors about our rtionship reached myte Imperial Father. Imperial Father wanted to bestow us a marriage edict. When I found out, I immediately exined everything to him. Although we managed to stop the marriage edict, the rumors about us kept getting worse. The situation at court back then was unstable, so her father and I frequently meet, sometimes in secrecy. Everyone thought it was because I had entanglements with his daughter. Then, Imperial Father got ill and I was too distracted to pay any attention to the rumors. When Xuan Yu¡¯s mother heard about the rumors, she was furious. She asked her what our rtionship was and Xuan Yu told her that I was only her Senior Brother and that there was nothing going on between us. When her mother heard that, she decided to marry Xuan Yu off to subdue those rumors. Xuan Yu refused, but after her mother refused to back down, she relented and agreed to meet the man that her mother arranged for her. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the two of them actually ended up liking each other. Although the man was only a weak schr, he was good-looking and refined and waspletely to Xuan Yu¡¯s liking.


    That man, on the other hand, liked Xuan Yu¡¯s honesty. He liked that she did not pretend to be someone else. They werepatible with each other and liked each other very much. Xuan Yu married the schr. Later, Imperial Father passed away and there was a power struggle amongst the princes for the throne. With Duke Zhen¡¯s help, <i>zhen</i> ascended the throne, married you and made you the Empress.


    However, the matter did not end there. Because everything happened so quickly, everyone thought that <i>zhen</i> forsook her and married someone else for the throne. People thought that she married the schr out of spite. Very few people know what really happened. Neither of us bothered to set the story straight because it did not affect our rtionship anyway. As long as we know the truth, that was enough. Besides, her husband trusted her and the rumors did not affect their rtionship. They are now happily married and have settled in the south where they gave birth to a son and a daughter. So that¡¯s our story. You heard about our rumors before and asked <i>zhen</i> about it. <i>Zhen</i> exined everything but you did not believe <i>zhen</i>. You adamantly believed that there was something between <i>zhen</i> and Xuan Yu. You even wanted <i>zhen</i> to kill Xuan Yu to prove our innocence. We used to fight a lot over this. Today, <i>zhen</i> is telling you the same thing all over again. Would the Empress believe <i>zhen</i> this time, or would you be just like two years ago, thinking that <i>zhen</i> secretly loved Xuan Yu?" asks Jun Qian Che.


    Without even thinking, Mo Qi Qi shakes her head, "No. <i>Chenqie</i> believes that someone like Xuan Yu would never like Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che frowns, "Why do you say that?" He feels like there are words hidden behind her words.


    She raises her brows before murmuring, "Because you are cold and boring. Marrying you is like living inside a golden cage. It¡¯s luxurious but stifling. There will be no freedom. Someone like Xuan Yu who is used to traveling freely would never willingly settle down inside this cage. Not only that, she would also have topete for love with so many women. She would never be that stupid."


    Jun Qian Che tries to control his anger, "Does that mean the Empress regrets marrying <i>zhen</i>?"


    "I¡ª¨C" Mo Qi Qi naturally want to say she regrets everything, but under his intimidating re, how would she dare to say it to his face? Sheughs like a fool, "Hehe, <i>chenqie¡¯s</i> personality is not the same as Xuan Yu, so we naturally want different things. <i>Chenqie</i> does not dare to regret anything."


    Not dare to regret anything basically means that she regrets it. Jun Qian Che is very unhappy.


    She immediately lowers her head and continues dressing his wound.


    Jun Qian Che suddenly pulls her chin to make her look at him. He slowly leans in.


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart begins pounding heavily as he slowly approaches. Even she does not know why her heart is acting this way.


    Jun Qian Che stops inches from her face. He looks at her as he overbearingly warns her, "It does not matter if you regret this or not. You picked this path, so you could only go through with it. Without <i>zhen¡¯s</i> permission, do not even dream of leaving."


    Mo Qi Qi inwardly gives him a big eye-roll, but outwardly gives him a flowery smile, "Yes, yes, yes. <i>Chenqie</i> does not dare to leave. <i>Chenqie</i> is currently carrying Your Majesty¡¯s child, where else could <i>chenqie</i> go? Hehe, <i>chenqie</i> has finished bandaging your wound, Your Majesty."


    Jun Qian Che lets go of her.


    Mo Qi Qi remains curious, "So that¡¯s why Your Majesty does not want to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan? For the sake of Ning Xuan Yu?"


    "No," replies Jun Qian Che firmly.


    "Why, then?" Mo Qi Qi looks at him, confused.


    He looks at her.


    She immediately understands his meaning, "<i>Chenqie</i> shouldn¡¯t have asked about politics. <i>Chenqie</i> overstepped the limit."


    "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this. <i>Zhen</i> heard that you met the other concubines at the imperial garden earlier," states Jun Qian Che.


    She nods earnestly, "Yes. We bumped into each other. <i>Chenqie</i> did not know Your Majesty forbade them from visiting <i>chenqie</i>."


    "You are pregnant, you should rest more. They are too noisy, they will disturb you and the baby." Jun Qian Che¡¯s tone is calm, but deep inside, he really cares about the mother and child.


    "But being all by myself is too boring. Chatting with them is pretty fun."


    "Mo Qi Qi, you have be more and more na?ve. You actually trusts the other concubines from the pce," mocks Jun Qian Che.


    She purses her lips, "Your Majesty, if they know that you talk of them in this manner, it would break their hearts." Although she knows that the concubines at the pce are not all nice, they benefit her more than harm her.


    A disdainful smile flits through Jun Qian Che¡¯s face. What is it to him if their hearts break?


    "If there is nothing else, you can go. You are currently pregnant, it is not good for you to stay upte," says Jun Qian Che calmly.


    Mo Qi Qi stands up and curtsies, "Yes, <i>chenqie</i> will leave first." Then, she leaves.


    As she walks out of Yu Jing Pce, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart is filled with apprehension. What Jun Yue Hen said ispletely different from what Jun Qian Che said about him and Ning Xuan Yu. Which one of them is telling the truth? Jun Qian Che has no reason to lie to her. Besides, when he was telling the story, his eyes were calm and his tone waspletely indifferent. She cannot sense any hint of regret or affection from him towards Ning Xuan Yu.


    However, Jun Yue Hen has no reason to lie to her either. Could it be that Jun Yue Hen did not know what was going on and ended up believing the rumors? That¡¯s why he told her all those things? That appears to be the likeliest thing.


    If so, Jun Qian Che did not really forsake Ning Xuan Yu, so he is not really that much of a scumbag after all. A light smile is formed on her lips.


    This time, Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart is unconsciously biased towards Jun Qian Che, choosing to trust him over the rumors.


    The court is in tension over the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s matter and the Marquis¡¯ return to the capital is mired with difficulties.


    Han Yi Xiao takes Bai Jiu to Ning Nan to escort the Marquis to the capital.


    On the way to the capital, themon people frequently gathers around them and proim their trust to the Marquis, believing him to be innocent of the charges brought upon him. In their hearts, they know that the Marquis of Ning Nan is a good official.


    Amongst the crowd, stand a pair of goodlooking man and woman. The man possesses the elegant and refined air of a schr, while the woman is startlingly beautiful but with a trace of courage in her eyes.


    As the captive carriage drives past them, the woman touches the hilt of the sword hanging from her waist. The man stops her and shakes his head refrainingly.


    The woman nces at him, and in the end, could only watch as the captive carriage carrying the Marquis of Ning Nan passes them.


    As the carriage moves farther and farther away, the worry inside the woman¡¯s eyes deepens, "Why wouldn¡¯t you let me save my father, Husband?"


    He smiles at her warmly, "Father-inw is innocent, Wife. Once he reached the capital, His Majesty will absolve him of all usations. Don¡¯t you trust His Majesty?"


    She sighs, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe in my Senior Brother, it¡¯s just that the capital is too far away. The journey will be tough and my father is already old. What if his body couldn¡¯t take it?" That woman is none other than Ning Xuan Yu, the woman whom Jun Qian Che and Mo Qi Qi had been talking about. The man is her husband, Wen Zi Feng.


    Wen Zi Feng tries tofort her, "Don¡¯t worry, although father-inw is old, he practices martial arts diligently and is very healthy. Father-inw didn¡¯t object to Duke Zhen¡¯s demand to search his property because he knew he was innocent. He intends to appear in front of the Emperor to proim his innocence and maintain his reputation in front of themon people. If you really try to save him, he may not necessarily be willing to follow you. Besides, do you really think you canpete with General Han? There are so many people here, what if Duke Zhen¡¯s people decide to take advantage of the chaos to kill father-inw? He can just im that father-inw¡¯s death has been idental. Father-inw would have lost his chance to clear his reputation, he would die as a criminal. It would implicate the entire Ning n. People would curse his name. And if the opposite happens, and you ends up getting caught along with him, you would be sent to the capital as well. Wouldn¡¯t that put His Majesty in a hard ce? By then, it does not matter if father-inw is guilty or not, the point is you are guilty of your own crime. It would be hard for His Majesty to protect you."


    Ning Xuan Yu cannot help but look at him in appreciation upon hearing his analysis, "Lucky you are here, Husband. Otherwise, I would have messed everything up with my clumsiness."


    "Idiot. We are family, why are you saying such courteous words? Don¡¯t worry, with General Han to protect him, nothing will happen to father-inw. Let¡¯s sneak into the capital as well. It¡¯ll be easier to obtain news about father-inw if we¡¯re there," suggests Wen Zi Feng.


    Ning Xuan Yu smiles, "I thought so, as well. I want to enter the pce and ask my Senior Brother how he ns to deal with my father."


    They look at each other before beginning to prepare everything they need to go to the capital.


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 Chapter 139.2

    Chapter 139.2


    Han Yi Xiao and Bai Jiu safely escorted the Marquis of Ning Nan out of the City of Ning Nan . They hasten their journey to the capital .


    Although Han Yi Xiao could sense an unweed presence amongst the crowd in the city, he did not do anything about it because they hadn¡¯t try anything yet . It is safer for themon people for him to sit back for now .


    Without the crowd to dampen their journey, Han Yi Xiao orders them to speed up . Half a dayter, they reach a huge forest . Seeing the huge sun in the sky and his tired subordinates, he orders them to rest for 2 hours . They would continue the journey afterward .


    Bai Jiu looks around, ¡°General, can I go around and look for water sources? Ourrades will need them . It is just too hot, today . ¡±


    He nods, ¡°Be careful . Don¡¯t go too far . ¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Jiu takes her water jar with her as she walks away .


    Han Yi Xiao orders his soldiers to remain vignt, lest someone tries to snatch their prisoner away .


    The soldiers follow his order and remain alert even while resting .


    Bai Jiu walks to a clearing and stops next to a creek . ¡°Come on out,¡± she says to no one in particr .


    The sound of wind whirring can be heard and a man in ck immediately appears behind her .


    She turns around, before she coldly speaks, ¡°Wu Feng, you are my father¡¯s personaly guard . What are you doing here, instead of following him?¡±


    The man called Wu Feng respectfully replies her, ¡°The Third Miss, the Duke Zhen ordered me to send you a letter . ¡± He hands her a letter .


    She epts the letter while mumbling, ¡°What is it that he has to ask you toe all the way over?¡±


    When she finally reads the letter, she turns to Wu Feng in surprise, ¡°Go back to him first . Tell him that I¡¯ve epted his letter . I will have my own n . ¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Wu Feng¡¯s silhouette immediately disappears .


    Bai Jiu takes the letter with her as she sits on a small rock next to the creek . She looks at the simple yet powerful words on the letter, ¡®Jiu Jiu, find a chance to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan . Do not let him reach the capital alive . ¡¯ Although killing people is nothing new to her, but to ask her to kill someone while being around Han Yi Xiao is truly making things difficult for her . It is not that she is not confident enough, it¡¯s just that she does not know how much this will affect Han Yi Xiao .


    His Majesty ordered Han Yi Xiao to escort the Marquis of Ning Nan to the capital . If anything happens to the Marquis on the way, Han Yi Xiao will be punished! If that happens, that basically means that she harmed him . She feels conflicted .


    Bai Jiu lifts the letter, her heart a mess . To tell the truth, she understands her dad¡¯s difficulty . He was the one who found the dragon robe in the Marquis¡¯ possession . If they reach the capital and the Marquis is convicted of his crime, then everything will be fine . But if he is acquitted however, it would put her father in a precarious spot . Perhaps, someone will even use him of trying to frame a loyal official .


    More importantly, her father might indeed be guilty of that . As a daughter, she should be doing her best to relieve his worry, but now, she is in a really tight spot .


    While she is busy weighing her options, she can hear the soft sound of footstepsing over . Although the sound is very subtle, she luckily caught it and immediately hides the letter inside her sleeve .


    A deep and maic voice can be heard behind her, ¡°Why are you sitting there, General Bai?¡±


    She turns around to face Han Yi Xiao, smiling, ¡°Why are you here, General Han?¡±


    He walks over to her, ¡°You were taking too long to return, I thought you got into trouble, so I went ahead and look for you . Since you found a water source, why didn¡¯t youe back?¡± He surreptitiously eyes her .


    She looks at him guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, General Han . It¡¯s just that I felt faint . I thought I wanted to throw up, I feel really sick, so I just sat here to rest for a while . Sorry for dying . ¡±


    Han Yi Xiao immediately crouches in front of her in worry when he hears that, ¡°You must have gotten heat stroke . The weather is just too hot and we have been traveling for too long . I have neglected your health, all of you . ¡±


    She shakes her head, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, General Han . I am the one who is too frail . I am fine now . I only need a little rest . Don¡¯t worry, General Han . ¡±


    ¡°Are you really fine?¡± Han Yi Xiao is still worried .


    Sheughs, ¡°Yes, I am fine . I practice martial arts, so this is not a big deal for me . Let me take some water for ourrades first . ¡±


    She gets up .


    Han Yi Xiao takes the water jar from her, ¡°I¡¯ll get it . ¡± He personally crouches by the creek to fill the jar with water .


    A small smile is formed on Bai Jiu¡¯s lips as she looks at Han Yi Xiao who is filing the jar with a serious look on his face . Although he looks cold, he is very warm inside .


    Han Yi Xiao and Bai Jiu returns to their troop together . They let the soldiers drink their fill first before resuming the journey .


    Bai Jiu takes the jar with her to where the Marquis of Ning Nan is . She nces at Han Yi Xiao who is discussing something with some of the soldiers . She secretly takes out a small paper stuffed with something that she has hidden behind her belt . Just as she is about to pour the content into the jar, Han Yi Xiao suddenly walks over to her, ¡°What are you doing there, General Bai? We¡¯re going to continue the journey . Your horse is at the back, you should go and retrieve it . ¡±


    Bai Jiu immediately hides the paper bag . She turns to him while smiling, ¡°General Han, the weather is just too hot . We¡¯ve all drink water except for the Marquis of Ning Nan . Although he is only a prisoner, the Emperor has repeatedly told us to make sure he reach the capital safely . If anything happens to him along the way, how would we answer to His Majesty?¡±


    Han Yi Xiao nods in agreement, ¡°You are right, I have been too negligent . Someonee and give him water . ¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± another soldier immediately steps forward and hand the Marquis a jar of water .


    After watching the Marquis drink the water, Han Yi Xiao approaches the carriage and touches one of it¡¯s iron bar . The bar that he touches sizzles from the heat . ¡°Let him out of the prisoner¡¯s cart . ¡±


    The soldiers under him look at him uneasily, ¡°Great General Han, he is a prisoner . It is not right to let him out of the cart . Besides, he knows martial arts . What if he runs?¡±


    Han Yi Xiao appears confident as he says, ¡°This General is sure he will not run away . If he really intends to run, he would not have given himself up so easily back then . Once we reach the next town, prepare a proper carriage for him . He can use it to enter the capital . ¡±


    ¡°This¡ª¨C¡° the soldiers exchange looks with one another .


    ¡°What are you waiting for? His Majesty ordered us to bring him to the capital alive . If anything happens to him along the way, you will not get out of this alive,¡± says Han Yi Xiao coldly .


    Hearing that, some of the soldiers near him immediately open the carriage and loosen the rope that binds the Marquis . Then, they help him get down the carriage .


    They immediately continue the journey by horse .


    Bai Jiu who is riding next to Han Yi Xiao looks at him, ¡°General Han, could it be that you believe the Marquis had no intention to rebel? Is that why you treat him so kindly?¡±


    ¡°Correct, this General believe he is innocent,¡± replies the General in earnest .


    ¡°But Duke Zhen found a dragon robe in his residence . If he has no intention to rebel, why would he secretly hide a dragon robe?¡± asks Bai Jiu .


    ¡°Just because there is a dragon robe does not mean that the Marquis is the one who hid it . Mo Chang Xiao, that old fox, will do anything to rid himself of people he does not like . Once we return to the capital, His Majesty will definitely prove the Marquis¡¯ innocence,¡± replies him in a cold manner .


    Bai Jiu knows that he will get upset whenever her father is brought into topic, so she immediately closes the conversation .


    The group continues their journey into the night, before resting at a small resthouse in the nearest town . They let the soldiers rest for the night and will continue the journey the next day .


    The next morning, the sun is barely up when Han Yi Xiao woke his soldiers to continue their journey . A proper carriage has been prepared for the Marquis of Ning Nan .


    The Marquis of Ning Nan is very quiet along the way . He did not say much and merely follows Han Yi Xiao¡¯s arrangement . He rests when asked to rest and continue to journey when Han Yi Xiao deemed it so .


    Han Yi Xiao knows that once they are out of this town, there will be no more township or vige for a good part of their journey . They will have to spend the night in the wildnerness tonight, which is a good chance for someone else to try and pull something . And so, before the nightes, he picks a small sloped area to be their base camp for the night .


    After all, they are out in the open, while their enemies are watching them in the dark . At least, camping in a slope will make it hard for their enemies to hide if they decide to ambush them .


    After setting their camp, the soldiers begin making fire . When they are outside, everything is simple . They only need to fill their stomachs, which is easy for martial arts practitioners who know how to hunt .


    And so, in the slope, a bunch of tents are erected where the delicious and tempting smell of roasted animals wafts through the air .


    Bai Jiu runs out of her tent and gulps when she sees the roasted pheasants and rabbits, ¡°Who caught them? They smell so good!¡±


    Herradesugh at her, ¡°Did the worm inside your stomach incite you toe over?¡±


    (<strong>TN</strong>: They are saying that she is only joining them because she¡¯s hungry . )


    She replies him in a straightforward manner . ¡°Of course! It¡¯d be weirder if it doesn¡¯t . It smells so good . Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    The soldier she has been talking to shakes his head, ¡°No . Just wait . It¡¯s gonna be done, soon . ¡±


    Sheughs at him before asking, ¡°Where is the Great General?¡±


    ¡°The Great General is uneasy and has decided to check the surrounding to get to know the terrain better,¡± replies that soldier .


    She nods before walking away from the camp, hoping to find Han Yi Xiao .


    After walking for a while, she finally discovers Han Yi Xiao . His tall figure stands loftily under the night sky . Although the sky is dark, the moonlight shines on him, making him look even more majestic and mysterious . He looks around the area like a falcon, drinking in every single detail of the terrain .


    She walks over to him, ¡°General Han, why didn¡¯t you call for me? You should bring someone with you if you want to patrol . ¡±


    He looks away, ¡°Everyone is so tired, they need to rest . We will need to continue the journey tomorrow . ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re travelling with us, and if you don¡¯t feel tired, how could the rest of us do?¡± she smiles at him brilliantly .


    Looking at the way she smiles, Han Yi Xiao suddenly feels very envious of her . Her personality is straight-forward andid-back . Although she will get serious when it is time to train, she would immediately be buddies with the other soldiers once training is over . She never seems to run out of energy and she is always in a good mood as well, in fact, he barely ever sees her angry . She handles everything in such a carefree way, and her smile has always been this bright .


    Noticing the way Han Yi Xiao is looking at her, Bai Jiu lowers her head embarrassedly, ¡°Did this General say anything wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Han Yi Xiao finally notices his transgression . He clears his throat to cover the awkwardness, ¡°I¡¯m sorry . I was thinking about something else . Why aren¡¯t you resting inside your tent?¡±


    She happily replies him, ¡°I thought the sky looks particrly beautiful tonight . It¡¯d be such a waste to spend it cooped up inside a tent . Besides, I can check up on you along the way . ¡±


    Han Yi Xiao looks into the distance, ¡°I¡¯m afraid someone is going to ruin the beauty of the night . ¡±


    She looks at him, ¡°Did you discover something, General Han?¡±


    He looks away, ¡°Let¡¯s go back . Our dinner should be ready by now . ¡± He turns around and leaves .


    Bai Jiu looks around, a certain glint in her eyes, before she goes on to follow Han Yi Xiao .


    Dinner is indeed waiting for them when they return .


    Han Yi Xiao orders one of his soldiers to send the Marquis some chicken legs and side dishes . Then, he lets them off to rest early . He orders them to remain alert in their rest, and not to sleep too deeply . They are in middle of the wilderness and anything could happen here .


    The soldiers go to rest and before long, the night is filled with the sound of crickets chirping .


    Bai Jiu lies inside her tent, unable to sleep .


    Han Yi Xiao, not daring to be any less vignt is still wide awake as well .


    His tent is erected right next to the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s . If there is any wind blowing against the tent¡¯s wall, he would be the first to know .


    Just as the soldiers are drifting to sleep, a group of men dressed in ck sneaks into the encampment .


    Han Yi Xiao who is lying inside his tent while closing his eyes can hear the sound of light footsteps outside . He immediately gets up and runs outside his tent, rushing towards the tent right next to his .


    He enters the tent only to find the Marquis of Ning Nan engaging in a fight with two assassins at the same time . He is lucky that the Marquis knows martial arts and is capable of holding them off . That is also why he ordered his people to untie the Marquis, so that he would be able to defend himself should certain people decided to go for him .


    Han Yi Xiao looks at the assassins icily, ¡°You people sure are bold . You actually dare to attack the Marquis of Ning Nan . You are looking for death . ¡± He unsheathes his sword and swings it towards the assassins .


    Bai Jiu is the first to rush in, after hearing the ruckus . She immediately joins to fight to help Han Yi Xiao .


    Once things have reached that stage, the remaining assassins hiding under the slope begin joining theirrades .


    The soldiers who have been awakened by all that noise join in on the fight as well .


    The sound of battle is unceasing in the middle of the forest . The cold glint of lights from the swords shes about as men battle against each other .


    Inside the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s tent, one of the assassins tries to escape . Han Yi Xiao runs after him, but not before telling Bai Jiu, ¡°Protect the Marquis of Ning Nan, General Bai . ¡±


    Bai Jiu and the remaining assassin battle it out . The assassin is heavy-handed and wants her life, while Bai Jiu fights him as though she is intending to toy with him .


    In the end, the assassin realizes that he cannot beat Bai Jiu and decides to retreat .


    Inside the tent, there is only Bai Jiu and the Marquis of Ning Nan now .


    Bai Jiu initially wanted to run after the assassin, but she suddenly remembers about her father¡¯s letter, asking her to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan .


    A train of thoughts shes through her mind: if she kills the Marquis of Ning Nan, although that would mean failing Han Yi Xiao¡¯s trust on her, she also knows that he will not really me her for this . After all, they were ambushed by assassins . In fact, she can just me it on those assassins . If anything, he would only me her for her ipetence . And at worst, he would only punish her for failing to do her duties .


    Besides, the Emperor¡¯s rtionship with Han Yi Xiao is really nice . His Majesty definitely trusts him, he wouldn¡¯t punish him heavily over this matter . All things considered, this is the best chance she¡¯s got to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan .


    Her hand tightens around the hilt of her sword, intending to turn around and immediately strike the Marquis without anyone knowing .


    ¡°General Bai,¡± the Marquis of Ning Nan speaks up, just as she is about to end his life .


    Her heart skips a beat before she slowly turns around to face him, ¡°Yes, sir?¡±


    The Marquis of Ning Nan looks at what is happening outside in worry, ¡°The fight seems fierce outside . There might be a lot of injuries . I think you should go outside and help the Great General Han . ¡±


    She looks at him, ¡°But General Han told me to stay here to protect you . ¡±


    The Marquis shakes his head while smiling, ¡°I am already old, living and death barely makes any difference to me . It¡¯s different for General Han and the other soldiers . They are still young and are still at the peak of their lives . Our kingdom needs them, especially General Han . He is trusted by the Emperor and will go on to do even more for His Majesty . He will be sorely needed by the empire and it¡¯s people . He needs to be kept safe . You don¡¯t have to worry about me . Ie from a martial arts background . If some assassins do manage to break in, I will be able to fend them off . Hurry and help yourrades . ¡±


    Hearing his words, Bai Jiu suddenly loses the intention to kill . He is such a thoughtful Marquis who cares about other people, is he truly guilty of the crimes he has been used of? Or could it be that it is all her father¡¯s doing?


    ¡°Go, General Bai . If Great General Han mes you, I will exin everything to him,¡± urges the Marquis .


    ¡°Then, be careful,¡± she gives him a long look before rushing out of the tent .


    Bai Jiu immediately joins Han Yi Xiao and the rest of the soldiers in the fight .


    Han Yi Xiao is furious when he sees her, ¡°What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay in the tent with the Marquis?¡±


    Bai Jiu replies him as she fights, ¡°He told me to go . He could take care of himself, he said . He wanted me to help you . ¡±


    Han Yi Xiao does not reply her and concentrates on the fight .


    When it bes known that the Marquis of Ning Nan is left without protection, the assassins exchange looks amongst themselves . Two of the assassins made a beeline towards the Marquis¡¯ tent while the rest covers for them .


    Realizing what they are about to do, Han Yi Xiao kicks the assassin that he is battling before flying towards the Marquis¡¯ tent as well .


    Bai Jiu intends to follow him . However, she has her hands full with all the assassins that are battling her .


    The Marquis of Ning Nan fights off the two assassins that went for him before rushing out of his tent .


    Han Yi Xiao appears next to him in no time, helping him fight them off .


    There are still more assassins hiding in the dark . When they realize that there is only Han Yi Xiao protecting the Marquis, they immediately made their presence known and surround the two people .


    Han Yi Xiao would never be intimidated by these few people . His prized sword dances around like a water snake, and in the blink of an eye, a number of assassins fell .


    A couple more assassins who are hiding in the dark realize that they are not Han Yi Xiao¡¯s match . In the end, they resort to an underhanded method and takes out their cross-bow .


    Taking advantage of Han Yi Xiao¡¯s distraction, they aim an arrow towards him and lets it slice through the air .


    Bai Jiu manages to kill two assassins before she could finally join Han Yi Xiao . When she realized what the assassins have done, she rushes towards Han Yi Xiao, ¡°Be careful, General Han!¡± In the end, the arrow burrows itself on her back .


    ¡°General Bai¡ª-¡° Han Yi Xiao is furious . He throws his sword in a perfect arc towards the direction of the arrow . The sound of three people screaming follows soon after . The sword returns to him where he gracefully catches it with one hand, and Bai Jiu in the other hand . Everything happened so fast the people have trouble grasping the gravity of the situation .


    The assassins realize that they are not going to win tonight . Many of them are seriously injured and if they continue fighting, they might get wiped out . The leader whistles and the assassins immediately disperse .


    The soldiers want to go after them, but are stopped by Han Yi Xiao . ¡°Don¡¯t chase after them . Protect the Marquis of Ning Nan . ¡±


    The soldiers surround them and eye Bai Jiu¡¯s injury in worry, ¡°How are you doing, General Bai?¡±


    Bai Jiu¡¯s forehead is covered in sweat as she tries to smile at them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine . ¡± Her face is pale and her lips colourless . Even her voice sounds weak .


    Han Yi Xiao picks her up, ¡°Protect the Marquis of Ning Nan . The assassins mighte back . I will take care of General Bai¡¯s injury . ¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± the soldiers reply him passionately .


    Han Yi Xiao takes Bai Jiu into a tent and lets her sit on a cushion . He lets her rest her forehead on his shoulder as he moves his hand towards her waist to remove her belt .


    Bai Jiu immediately stops his hand, ¡°W-What are you doing, General Han?¡±

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140


    Han Yi Xiao is very calm at the moment . Once you¡¯ve been on the battlefield, you would learn to keep your emotions in check during the most nerve-wrecking moments . ¡°I need to take off your clothes to check your wound . It¡¯s covered in blood,¡± he says calmly .


    Bai Jiu feels a little embarrassed, ¡°I feel a little cold, so let¡¯s not take it off . Just tear off the fabric on my back, where the arrow is lodged . ¡±


    Han Yi Xiao nods, ¡°Alright . ¡± He helps her lie down on the mat . He grasps the arrow that has been lodged on her back and says, ¡°Please bear it for a moment . ¡±


    She nods at him, ¡°Go on . I can endure it . ¡±


    Han Yi Xiao tightens his grasp around the arrow and takes a deep breath before quickly pulling it out . Blood immediately spurts out from the wound .


    A couple of soldiers arrive, bringing hot water and clean clothes .


    Han Yi Xiao quickly tries to stop the blood flow . He tears the back fabric of her shirt, revealing the wound that has turned ck .


    He could not help but curse, ¡°Despicable bastards . ¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± asks Bai Jiu .


    ¡°The arrow-head wasced with poison,¡± replies him truthfully .


    She smiles, ¡°Since they intend to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan, they naturally have to resort to underhanded methods . Could you tell what kind of poison it is? Will I survive?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such ominous things . This General will not let anything happen to you . Just bear with it for a moment,¡± says Han Yi Xiao before lowering his head and sucking the poison out of the wound .


    (<strong>TN</strong>: :OOOOOOOOOO #AmShook)


    Her back feels warm and Bai Jiu¡¯s heart unwittingly increases it¡¯s beats . Her face reddens and her wound suddenly doesn¡¯t hurt anymore . She puts her head down, worrying about him, ¡°You must not do that, General Han! What if you identally swallow some of the poison?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry . It will be fine,¡± replies Han Yi Xiao calmly as he spit the ck blood that he sucked from the wound . He repeats the process until the blood that he sucked out is red in colour . It is only then that he heaves a sigh of relief .


    He helps Bai Jiu sits up, ¡°I¡¯m worried that the poison might spread through your blood, so now, I¡¯m going to help youpletely eliminate the poison through internal power . ¡±


    Bai Jiu looks at him before nodding .


    Han Yi Xiao could tell that there is something wrong based on the look on Bai Jiu¡¯s face, ¡°Why is your face so red, General Bai? Are you in pain somewhere?¡± He quickly touches her hand and immediately finds it hot . ¡°Why is your hand so hot, General Bai? Are you having a fever?¡±


    She quickly shakes her head, ¡°No . It¡¯s just that the weather is too warm . I¡¯m fine . ¡±


    ¡°If you feel sick somewhere, you must tell me,¡± reminds Han Yi Xiao .


    She nods .


    He sits behind her and begins channelling his inner power to eliminate the poison .


    Once he managed to get rid of all traces of poison inside her body, he lets her lie down again . He cleans her wound, applies medicines on it and wraps it with a bandage . Only after all that is done did he finally let his guard down . ¡°Alright, the wound has been cleaned . It¡¯s very deep, so it might take a while topletely recover . ¡±


    She smiles at him in amusement, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, General Han . I am young and strong, this little injury is nothing . ¡±


    Now that she no longer appears burning up, Han Yi Xiao cannot help but scold her, ¡°Who told you to block the arrow for me? Do you know how dangerous that was? You are lucky the poison is not highly toxic, otherwise you would have died . ¡±


    Ths is the first time Han Yi Xiao has ever scolded Bai Jiu after she entered the camp . Although she feels a little intimidated seeing such a stern version of him, she knows that he is only upset because he cares about her . She smiles .


    Han Yi Xiao bes angrier when he sees her smile, ¡°You are actually smiling after going through all that? Are you really that tired of living?¡±


    She looks at him earnestly, ¡°Of couse I want to live . I still want to learn from you . But, if we are topare the value of our lives, between you and me, your life is much much more important . That¡¯s why I can happily take an arrow for you . If I have to do it again, I will . ¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to do that for me . I am your Great General, it is my responsibility to protect you . I don¡¯t need any of you to endanger your own life to protect me,¡± says Han Yi Xiao resentfully . It is always him protecting someone else; this is the first time someone is protecting him . That protection ising from someone so young and weak too, someone who has not even been in the camp for too long . Seeing her getting hurt, hurts him so much .


    ¡°We are your subordinate, we ought to protect you,¡± retorts Bai Jiu .


    ¡°Your responsibility is not to protect me, but to protect the country and it¡¯s people . ¡±


    ¡°In my opinion protecting you is the most important thing . You are the pir of the country, the protector of the realm . As long as you¡¯re fine, the kingdom will be fine, no one would dare to try to invade our kingdom . Protecting you is even more important than protecting the kingdom and the people . ¡± She is just a young girl, she is not particrly brave or ambitious . She will be happy as long as she managed to protect the person that she cared for .


    Han Yi Xiao sighs helplessly as he looks at her, ¡°Looks like this General will have to reiterate your responsibilities one by one, once we return to the capital . ¡±


    She smiles, ¡°Alright, feel free to reiterate everything to me once we reach the capital . ¡±


    He looks at her solemnly, ¡°This General will say it once and for all; do not ever do that again, no matter what the situation is . ¡±


    Bai Jiu lowers her head and did not reply him .


    Han Yi Xiao refuses to let the matter rest, ¡°Did you hear me? Answer me . ¡±


    Bai Jiu hugs herself, ¡°I feel so cold . ¡±


    He shakes his head helplessly before pulling her over and hugging her to keep her warm . ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± It is in the middle of summer, and no one expected this to happen, so no one bothered to take any nket with them . She has just been poisoned, it is normal for her to feel cold .


    She blushes again while nodding, ¡°Much better . ¡±


    She smiles sweetly while in his embrace . She closes her eyes and slowly drifts to sleep .


    When Han Yi Xiao hears her uniform breathing and knows that she has fallen asleep, he gently puts her down and covers her with his outer coat . Then, he walks out .


    The other soldiers dare not sleep inside their tents . Instead, they huddle outside their tents while leaning against each other to sleep .


    When Han Yi Xiao sees this sight, he says, ¡°All of you can rest inside your tents . The assassins will note back tonight . ¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± reply his subordinates .


    Although Han Yi Xiao told his subordinates that the assassins aren¡¯ting back, he dares not loosen his guard . He only wishes for his soldiers to get ample rest so that they can continue the journey properly tomorrow . He sits under a tree near the camp and looks around . His position enables him to see everything under the slope clearly . He nces at Bai Jiu¡¯s tent before closing his eyes to rest .


    Han Yi Xiao is the type that really cares for hisrades . He does not mind bearing all the difficulties as long as hisrades could rest properly .


    The next day, when the sky is already bright, the soldiers leave their tents only to find their General sleeping under a tree outside . They feel guilty yet impressed at the same time .


    When Han Yi Xiao wakes up and finds the other soldiers already awake, he stands up and approaches them .


    ¡°General, we shouldn¡¯t have let you sleep outside all by yourself while we rest inside our tents . This is all our fault,¡± says one of the soldiers self-deprecatingly .


    Han Yi Xiao speaks in an even tone, ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel guilty over anything . This General thought the tent was too hot and decided to rest outside . Alright prepare breaktfast . Then, we¡¯ll pack up and continue our journey . ¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the soldiers begin to efficiently do their duties .


    Bai Jiu slept really wellst night . She sits up after waking up, and when she sees the coat that is covering her, she smiles sweetly . Her face turns red when she remembers what happened yesterday .


    When Han Yi Xiao walks in, it is into the sight of Bai Jiu deep in thoughts, ¡°What are you thinking about, General Bai? You look so out of it . ¡±


    Disturbed from her thoughts, Bai Jiu blushes and avoids eye-contact from him . ¡°Nothing . It¡¯s just that this General thought that I sure am blessed with long life . I thought I would¡¯ve died for sure . ¡±


    ¡°Stop speaking nonsense . All the other soldiers keep saying that you are blessed with luck . You will definitely live until you are 100 years old . ¡± Han Yi Xiao sits next to her . When he notices her red face, he bes worried, ¡°Do you still feel sick, General Bai? Why is your face so red? Are you having a fever?¡± He checks her forehead .


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, General Han . It¡¯s just that the weather is too warm today,¡± she quickly replies him .


    Han Yi Xiao withdraws his hand, ¡°The weather is indeed warm today . It will be even worse at noon . I wonder if your body will be able to take it . ¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, General . This little injury is nothing to me . What is an injury to a martial artist? Let¡¯s hurry back to the capital . Once we hand the Marquis of Ning Nan to His Majesty, all our work will be done,¡± insists Bai Jiu .


    Han Yi Xiao nods .


    She hands him back his coat, ¡°Thank you for this, General Han . ¡±


    He takes it, ¡°Your clothes is drenched with blood, you should change it . Otherwise, the people in the next vige we¡¯re passing through will be frightened by the sight of you . If you can¡¯t do it yourself, I can help you . ¡±


    Bai Jiu immediately rejects his offer, ¡°There is not need to trouble General Han . I can do it myself . ¡±


    He nods, ¡°Alright, then I will not bother General Bai . Come out for breakfast after you¡¯ve changed . ¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will be there soon . "


    Han Yi Xiao walks out of the tent .


    Bai Jiu lets out a sigh before muttering, ¡°Han Yi Xiao, would you still treat me like this if you know I¡¯m a woman? You would probably kick me out of the army, no? Or perhaps, you¡¯d follow the militaryw and kill me . You would never be able to ept my identity as Duke Zhen¡¯s daughter . ¡± Thinking about all that made the usually optimistic Bai Jiu sullen .


    Breakfast is ready .


    When Bai Jiu walks out of her tent after changing her clothes, her back feels sore . The wound aches . However, she must bear the pain . No matter how painful it gets, she must not expose her identity as a female .


    When the other soldiers see her, they immediately crowd around her in concern, ¡°How is your injury, General Bai?¡±


    ¡°Does it still hurt, General Bai?¡±


    She smiles at them brightly, ¡°Thank you for your concern, brothers . I am fine . Although the wound hurts a little, it no longer hurts once I heard how worried everyone is . See, your concern is more effective than medicines!¡±


    The other soldiersugh, ¡°Looking at the way you¡¯re teasing us, it looks like you¡¯re really fine now . ¡±


    ¡°If you really like our words of concern, we¡¯ll each say one to you everyday, what do you think of my suggestion?¡±


    Another soldier quips in, ¡°I agree . Just don¡¯t get annoyed, General Bai!¡±


    Bai Jiu raises her eyebrows, ¡°Who¡¯d get annoyed by sweet words? I¡¯m just afraid you guys would get annoyed saying it! Hahaha¡ª-¡°


    ¡°Hahaha¡ª¡° the others burst intoughter as well .


    Han Yi Xiao shakes his head while smiling . She is already injured to that degree and yet she is still able tough like nothing is wrong; he really admires her . She is like the camp¡¯s happy pill . Wherever she is, there will be sounds ofughter .


    Another soldier speaks up, ¡°General Bai, you are injured because you were trying to protect the Great General Han . All of us here really admire you . Once we rest for the night, we will catch pheasants and hares for you . We will roast it for you . We will help you get better even quicker . ¡±


    Bai Jiu points at them one by one, ¡°You promised me! You must never break it . ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a promise!¡± reply herrades .


    When the Marquis of Ning Nan sees this, he turns to Han Yi Xiao, ¡°This General Bai is a rare talent . He will definitely be a pir of the country in the future . You sure have good eyes, to have hired such a person under you . ¡±


    A trace of smile can be detected on Han Yi Xiao¡¯s lips . He is really d that he has selected her back during the martial arts tournament . She does her jobs really well and has never let him down .


    They resume their journey after breakfast . Han Yi Xiao lets Bai Jiu shares the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s carriage out of concern for her injury .


    Bai Jiu initially refused, but after everyone else persuaded her, she could only agree .


    Frankly speaking, now that they are sitting inside the same carriage, this is the best chance that Bai Jiu could ever get to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan . She could just give him a slow-acting poison that would ensure his death before they reach the capital . However, she has nowpletely abandoned the n to kill him .


    She saw how hard Han Yi Xiao tried to protect the Marquis of Ning Nanst night; to the point where hepletely disregarded his own safety . She knows that the Marquis¡¯ safety is really important for Han Yi Xiao . Although she does not know what is really going on between the Emperor, the Marquis and her Father, all she knows is that it is really important for the Marquis to live . Although killing the Marquis would be helping her father, she also knows that doing so would affect so many innocent people . That¡¯s why she decided that she¡¯d help send the Marquis to the capital . Whether he is innocent or guilty of the crime used of him, only the Emperor could determine that .


    The Marquis of Ning Nan looks at Bai Jiu, who has been quiet from the moment she boarded the carriage . He smiles benevolently, ¡°General Bai is a young hero . The Great General Han must be proud to have you as a subordinate . ¡±


    Bai Jiuughs as she looks at him, ¡°Don¡¯t praise this General, Your Grace . This General might get cocky . ¡±


    The Marquis shakes his head while smiling, ¡°You will not . This old man has always prided himself in knowing how to read people . Certain people are young and capable, yet reeks with arrogance . People like that can never achieve big things . As for you however, you are young, capable and righteous . I cannot see any trace of proudness at all . You mix well with your subordinates without paying attention to ranks, you will never get cocky . Last night, by blocking that sword, you saved both General Han and myself . If anything had happened to General Han, this old man would have perished as well . In a way, you saved two livesst night . ¡±


    Bai Jiu shakes her head, ¡°Your Grace, I am not as great as you make me out to be . Both you and General Han are blessed, even if I hadn¡¯t been there, nothing would¡¯ve happened to you . In fact, this General failed to properly protect you yesterday . You suffered a fright and was almost injured, this General failed in his duties . I should be apologizing to you right now . ¡±


    The Marquisughs, ¡°If we¡¯re going by your logic, it is still this old man¡¯s fault for forcing you to help General Han . ¡±


    She shakes her head, ¡°No, no . You were only worried about General Han . ¡±


    The Marquis of Ning Nan smiles, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not bring up the past . Just that, the next time a simr situation crops up, take care of your own safety first . Do not put yourself in harm¡¯s way just to save this old man . ¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, do you really not fear death?¡± whenever she interacts with the Marquis, she feels as though he is not really a bad guy .


    Heughs, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t fear death? But if death has a value, then, there is not need to fear it anymore . ¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like someone who ns on rebelling . Why did you hide a dragon robe? Could it be that someone framed you?¡± inquires Bai Jiu cautiously .


    He calmly smiles, ¡°Right now, corrupted officials are powerful at court . His Majesty wishes to pluck them out, but they have grown too powerful . They are too arrogant and harm other officials that gets in their way . I don¡¯t mind dying, I just hate the fact that I might die before seeing that person fall . ¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Duke Zhen?¡± guesses Bai Jiu .


    The Marquis smiles helplessly, ¡°He was loyal once and kept the kingdom safe, but now that he¡¯s had a taste of power, he¡¯s changed . General Bai, the kingdom will need your help as the future descendants . You lot are young and capable, His Majesty will need your service . You must share His Majesty¡¯s burden; the kingdom¡¯s burden . ¡±


    Bai Jiu¡¯s mind drifts away: could it be that her Father is really a traitor? Is it possible that everyone is misunderstanding him?


    When they reached the next town, they rest in a posthouse where they can eat and rest in peace .


    After dinner, Bai Jiu returns to her room and stares at the night sky from her window . She feels a little down . She feels even more depressed when she realizes that it¡¯s possible that her father¡¯s the one behind the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s trouble .


    -Knock Knock-


    Someone is knocking on her door .


    Broken from her reverie, Bai Jiu says, ¡°Come in . ¡±


    Han Yi Xiao opens the door and walks in, ¡°General Bai . ¡±


    Seeing him immediately made her smile, ¡°Great General Han, why are you here?¡±


    He takes out a bottle of medicine, ¡°I am here to check on your injury . You¡¯ve been inside a bumpy carriage the entire day, your wound must have reopened by now . Let me put this on your wound . ¡±


    Bai Jiu immediately rejects his offer, ¡°No need for that, Great General Han . I was sitting snugly the entire time, my wound didn¡¯t reopen . ¡±


    ¡°Even if it didn¡¯t reopen, I will still need to apply this medicine on your wound . You are injured on your back, it¡¯s not convenient for you to apply this by yourself . I will help you put it on . Go and sit on the bed,¡± orders Han Yi Xiao .


    Bai Jiu¡¯s heart immediately picks up it¡¯s pace . Back then, she was able to find an excuse to make him tear the fabric of her clothes around the injured spot, but now, what sort of excuse could she possibly conjure? Letting him apply the wound the normal way would require her to expose her shoulders, and quite possibly her identity as a woman . No, she must not let him apply it on her!


    When he sees her standing rooted in her spot without moving, he asks, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, General Bai?¡±


    ¡°Uh, hehe . You are esteemed and noble, how could I make you do something as menial as applying medicine on my wound? That would be too much, isn¡¯t it? Just put it there, General Han . I would put it on myself,¡± Bai Jiu quickly says .


    Han Yi Xiao smiles, ¡°Everyone is family once we¡¯re outside, there is no need to talk about ranks whatsoever . Besides, you got injured in order to save me, it is natural for me to help you recover . Come and sit . ¡± He pulls Bai Jiu over .


    Bai Jiu immediately steps back and refuses him, ¡°N-no need . I don¡¯t like being shirtless in front of other people . So, I¡¯ll just apply it on my own . Thank you for your kind intention, General Han . ¡±


    Han Yi Xiao looks at Bai Jiu, confused . He eyes her from head to toe, ¡°General Bai, you and I are both men, why are you so anxious about letting me put on medicines on your wound?¡±


    ¡°I- Actually it is like this . I¡¯ve been thin and slender my whole life . Whenever I y around in the rivers with my mates, they would make fun of me for having a girly built . It¡¯s not obvious when I¡¯m dressed, but when I¡¯m not, I apparently have the figure of a girl . Since then, I¡¯ve always hated having to take off my clothes in front of other people,¡± Bai Jiues up with a quick lie . Although she really hates lying to him, she has no other choice .


    Han Yi Xiao smiles, ¡°So it is like that . No wonder you keep refusing whenever the other soldiers wants to take you to a river . I¡¯ve always thought that was weird . Turns out you have your own reason . ¡±


    Bai Jiu pretends to be embarrassed, ¡°Do you also think my built resembles a girl¡¯s?¡±


    He nods, ¡°Your built is indeed a slenderer than normal men, but who says that only women are allowed to be slender? You don¡¯t have to pay attention to what other people say . Besides, if we¡¯re talking about martial arts, you are much better than those men with thick muscles . You don¡¯t have to feel inferior . The other soldiers will neverugh at you . ¡±


    ¡°My childhood memories have scarred me,¡± mutters Bai Jiu .


    ¡°Since it is so, I will not force General Bai . I will put this bottle here, you can put it on your own . If there is any inconvenience, feel free to look for me . ¡±


    She nods, ¡°Alright . Thank you, General Han . ¡±


    ¡°Once you apply the medicine, rest early . ¡± Han Yi Xiao puts the bottle on top of a table before walking out of the room .


    Bai Jiu heaves a long sigh of relief as she pats her chest, ¡°How precarious . ¡±


    Meanwhile, in the imperial pce, Mo Qi Qi has been supervising the healing of Jun Qian Che¡¯s injury . She is d to see it healing properly, ¡°It¡¯s healing well, Your Majesty . You will bepletely fine in no time . Just remember to not touch water for now . ¡±


    He nods, ¡°En, zhen knows . ¡±


    She helps apply medicine on his wound before wrapping it with a bandage . Then, she helps him put on his clothes .


    ¡°Sit down,¡± he says after she¡¯s done .


    She sits next to him . The atmosphere is pretty awkward at the moment . In order to break the silence, Mo Qi Qi begins picking up some pastries from the table, ¡°Eat these pastries, Your Majesty . Chun Fei made these herself . She¡¯s been sending me these everyday . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at the pastries before putting them back down, ¡°Zhen is not hungry . ¡±


    ¡°Not hungry? Then, drink some tea! Chenqie will brew some for you right away!¡± She gets up .


    Jun Qian Che suddenly pulls her by her hand, causing her tond straight into his embrace .


    Mo Qi Qi looks at him in shock beforeughing awkwardly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you tonight, Your Majesty?¡± What on earth is this bas*tard trying to do? Don¡¯t be scared, Mo Qi Qi . Your pregnancy is not yet 3 months long, he will not dare to do anything . With that in mind, Mo Qi Qi begins calming down .


    ¡°Mo Qi Qi, do you believe zhen when I say I will protect you and the child properly?¡± asks Jun Qian Che earnestly .

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    Mo Qi Qi does not know why he would suddenly ask her that . She smiles at him, ¡°Chenqie believes that no one will be able to harm anyone that you truly intend to protect . ¡± What she means by that is that she is aware that the one he wants to protect is not her . He is only saying all those mushy things because he wants her to give birth safely .


    ¡°Zhen will not let anyone hurt you two,¡± promises Jun Qian Che earnestly .


    She nods before quickly getting up and away from his embrace . She looks at him while smiling sweetly, ¡°It iste, Your Majesty . You should go to rest . Chenqie is pregnant and cannot serve you tonight, you should go to others¡¯ pces . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at her, knowing very well that she is kicking him out . He helplessly gets up .


    ¡°Good night, Your Majesty,¡± Mo Qi Qi curtseys in front of him .


    Jun Qian Che suddenly stops in his steps and looks at the te of pastries on top of the table, ¡°Empress, the pastries that Chun Fei made seems delicious, zhen would like to take them back to Yu Jing Pce with me . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi picks the te up and hands it over to him, ¡°Go on and have it if you¡¯d like . ¡±


    Eunuch Lin takes it on his behalf .


    Jun Qian Che then leaves .


    She watches his retreating silhouette, a smile slowly forming on her lips . ¡°You must not me me, Chun Fei . You brought this upon yourself . ¡±


    Ban Xiang walks over to her, utterly confused, ¡°Did His Majesty really like those pastries that Chun Fei made? If he really wants them, he could¡¯ve asked Chun Fei to make it for him . Why would he take yours? Those should have gone to the little prince that you are carrying . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi smiles mysteriously, ¡°Silly girl . Do you really think Chun Fei would be that kind to bengong? Why on earth would she make pastries every day just to tter me?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that it isn¡¯t so?¡± Ban Xiang is still confused .


    ¡°Of course not . She put something inside those pastries,¡± reveals Mo Qi Qi . Although she came from the modern times and does not know how to participate in harem fights, she did managed to get some exposure from those dramas and novels that she took up on . She still knows what pregnant women should or should not do .


    ¡°What could she possibly put in there?¡± Ban Xiang has a hard time believing her . ¡°This servant checked all the pastries that she sent over, there wasn¡¯t any poison in them . Besides, all the concubines ate it that day in the imperial garden . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s smile bes cold, ¡°She added musk in them . Musk promotes blood cirction and eliminates stasis . If pregnant women take them, they will suffer a miscarriage . It is the worst possible thing a pregnantdy could take . However, it is not poison; that¡¯s why your silver needle didn¡¯t pick it up . That¡¯s why it¡¯s safe for the other concubines as well . It will affect them if they consume it for a long period of time, though . As for pregnant women on the other hand... . . It would be dangerous for them to eat those pastries . ¡± If Chun Fei had used any other poison, Mo Qi Qi probably wouldn¡¯t have known . But since she used musk, Mo Qi Qi smelled it¡¯s distinctive scent from the get-go .


    In her other life, her grandfather suffered from chest pain and had to use muscone which helped to dte arteries to increase blood flow . That¡¯s how she¡¯d be so familiar with the smell of musk . Chun Fei did try to mask the smell with the smell of her pastries . She also limited the amount she used so that it wouldn¡¯t be obvious; however, Mo Qi Qi detected it either way .


    Ban Xiang immediately bes worried, ¡°How on earth did that happen? If I remember correctly, you ate some of it in the imperial garden that day . You also ate one in front of Chun Fei earlier today! Let¡¯s invite a physician to do a check-up!¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughs, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ban Xiang . How could I eat it after knowing the truth? I didn¡¯t eat any of them . I blocked the view with my sleeve and pretended to eat them, but I secretly threw them inside my handkerchief . ¡±


    Ban Xiang immediately sighs in relief, ¡°You¡¯re too incredible! You scared this servant! This Chun Fei is too despicable! I thought she was nice for making pastries for you . Who would have thought she harbored ill-intention underneath her kindness . Your Ladyship, since you already know, why didn¡¯t you tell His Majesty?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi smiles sneakily, ¡°Do you think Jun Qian Che is an idiot? I purposely served him the pastries so that he could see something is off . Bengong didn¡¯t say it out loud because bengong wanted to see how Jun Qian Che ns to punish Chun Fei . This is His Majesty¡¯s first child . No matter how jealous someone is, no one would dare to tantly make a move to harm the child . He or she would offend both the Emperor and Mo n . No one would be that foolish . However, Chun Fei actually did it . Someone must have instructed her from behind . ¡±


    Ban Xiang immediately understood what she has been trying to say, ¡°Your Ladyship, are you suspecting His Majesty? You think he is the one who instructed Chun Fei to harm you? Your Ladyship, this is his own child!¡±


    ¡°Although this is indeed his child, I can never bring myself to believe that he truly intends to keep it . Perhaps he was just giving me a show, with all those grand words about wanting me to give birth safely . What if he secretly ordered people to harm us? By the time something truly happened, no one would be able to point a finger at him . That¡¯s why I want to take this opportunity to gauge Jun Qian Che¡¯s reaction . If he keeps quiet, it means he really is the one behind Chun Fei¡¯s actions . If it¡¯s really him, I will be careful with everything he sends me . I will never trust him again . ¡±


    ¡°But what if he punishes Chun Fei?¡± asks Ban Xiang curiously .


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll have to look at the weight of the punishment before making judgement . Alright, I¡¯m tired . I want to go to bed . ¡±


    ¡°Yes . ¡± Ban Xiang immediately escorts Mo Qi Qi to her bed . She gets afraid whenever she remembers about what Chun Fei tried to do .


    Jun Qian Che, on the other hand, takes a detour after leaving Feng Yang Pce . Instead of returning to Yu Jing Pce, he heads to Chun Nuan Pce .


    His arrival takes Chun Fei by surprise . She makes sure she is presentable before leaving her chamber to greet him, ¡°Chenqie greets Your Majesty . ¡±


    ¡°Get up,¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice is as icy as ever .


    Chun Fei is already used to his tone . In fact, all the concubines in the pce are already used to his indifference .


    Jun Qian Che sits down while Chun Fei happily regards him, ¡°Your Majesty, it is not often that you visit chenqie here . Chenqie is very happy . Your Majesty, chenqie have been trying to learn how to make pastries,tely . Would you like to have a taste?¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that,¡± Jun Qian Che calmly stops her, his voice leveled and calm . ¡°Zhen came here to bring you a te of pastries . Bring it in, Eunuch Lin . ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Eunuch Lin walks in, carrying the te from Feng Yang Pce .


    When Chun Fei sees what Eunuch Lin is carrying, her heart sinks while she maintains a calm fa?ade outwardly .


    Jun Qian Che looks at her, ¡°Look at the pastries that zhen brought and go on andpare it to yours . ¡±


    Eunuch Lin puts the te in front of Chun Fei .


    Chun Fei obviously could tell that these had been the ones she had given the Empress, but she cannot tell what the Emperor is trying to do and whether he has discovered what she has done . She could only put on an act and pretends to scrutinize the pastries, ¡°They look so scrumptuous . They must be made by the imperial kitchen . ¡±


    ¡°Really? Then my beloved consort should give it a taste,¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes are cold .


    Chun Fei takes a bite and gathers her courage to say, ¡°The vor is not bad . It¡¯s really good . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes, his tone intimidating as he say, ¡°You made these yourself . Could it be that even you cannot stomach them?¡±


    Despite her shock, she managed to maintain a calm expression, ¡°These were made by chenqie? How did you get them?¡± Could it be that the Emperor really found out about her little tricks?


    Jun Qian Che replies her coolly, ¡°Zhen saw these in the Empress¡¯ pce . Zhen thought they looked nice so zhen asked the Empress for them . The Empress said that they were made by you . ¡±


    Chun Feiughs, ¡°So these are from the Empress¡¯ pce? Chenqie indeed sent some to the Empress earlier this morning . No wonder they looked so familiar . Chenqie didn¡¯t say a word because chenqie never thought you would take away the pastries from the Empress . If Your Majesty wanted them, you should¡¯ve asked . Chenqie would¡¯ve made you some . These were meant for the Empress and the little prince . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che gets up and approaches her with a cold look in his eyes . Then, he angrily throws the te that Eunuch Lin is holding to the ground .


    The tends on the floor noisily .


    Chun Fei and the maids who are assigned to Chun Nuan Pce immediately kneel in fear .


    ¡°The rest of you can retreat . Zhen has something to say to Chun Fei,¡± orders Jun Qian Che coldly .


    The maids who were originally happy for Chun Fei are now frightened to death . They originally thought the Emperor had nned to grace Chun Fei for the night; who would have thought he would throw such a huge temper tantrum instead? What exactly did Chun Fei do that angered him to that extent? The maids quietly retreats,pletely terrified of his outburst .


    Chun Fei puts on an innocent and confused face as she faces him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Chun Fei, are you going to continue acting in front of zhen? You clearly know what those pastries contain,¡± reprimands the Emperor . She actually dares to harm his child! She truly wishes to seek death .


    ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie has no idea what you are talking about,¡± Chun Fei continues to feign ignorance .


    ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t understand what zhen is talking about, zhen will exin everything to you one by one . Those pastries contain musk . If zhen remember correctly, Chun Fei¡¯s specialty is not in baking, but in perfumery, so you must be aware of the effects that musk have on women, especially pregnant women . You clearly know the Empress is pregnant, and yet youced her food with musk . What exactly are you trying to do?¡±


    Chun Fei shakes her head, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie did not... . ¡±


    ¡°You are still trying to shrug off me! Are you trying to say that you didn¡¯t make these pastries?¡± Jun Qian Che has never been this furious before .


    Realizing that she has no way to escape this, Chun Fei could only admit everything, ¡°Fine, chenqie did it . Chenqie- Chenqie was jealous of the Empress! She is pregnant with your child! Chenqie had a burst of jealousy and momentarily lost my mind! Your Majesty, chenqie is wrong! Please forgive me!¡± Chun Fei grabs the corner of his sleeve as she begs .


    He kicks her away, ¡°Momentarily lost your mind? Zhen heard you had been sending her these for many days . You dare call it momentary?¡±


    Chun Fei helplessly sits on the floor, smiling bitterly, ¡°Since Your Majesty saw through it, chenqie will not hide it from you . You¡¯re right, it wasn¡¯t a momentary thing . Chenqie nned this through and through . Chenqie hates the Empress and envies her so much . We are all your women, yet only she gets to carry your child? What right does she have to carry your child? She¡¯s arrogant and jealous . She keeps bullying the rest of us . You used to hate her, so we used to only resent her at worst . But now, you have started treating her better and better . You even let her carry your child . Chenqie bes jealous . In what way is chenqie inferior to her? Chenqie does not lose to her in any way, be it in looks, talents or physique . Why would you treat her well while refusing to even nce at the rest of us? Chenqie refuse to ept it! That¡¯s why chenqie wants to kill the baby . If that child is born, the Empress will be even worse and will make it hell for the rest of us . ¡±


    ¡°Zhen heard that the Empress has been treating all of you well . She even taught you singing and dancing . ¡±


    Chun Fei scoffs, ¡°Hahaha, everyone has been deceived by the Empress . She was just pretending to be nice, so that others would call her virtuous and kind . That¡¯s the only way she could win your affection; and as expected, she bes pregnant not long after that . The Empress sure has a lot of tricks under her sleeves . She used the rest of us to get what she wants . Your Majesty, the Empress is not as simple as she appears to be! You need to keep your guard against her! I only did this for your own good . Mo n is already too powerful on it¡¯s own . Duke Zhen keeps offending you . If you let the Empress give birth to the child, Mo n will get oven more arrogant . Chenqie did this for you!¡± After her long rant, she bursts into tears .


    Jun Qian Che sneers, ¡°Nonsense . Do you think zhen would believe you? If you were really worried about zhen and Mo n, you wouldn¡¯t have done this . Tell the truth, who ordered you to do this?¡±


    Chun Fei looks at him firmly, ¡°Your Majesty, no one told chenqie to do anything . Chenqie simply hates the Empress . ¡±


    ¡°You can keep quiet if you¡¯d like . But you must remember what happens to those who try to poison an Empress and an imperial child . ¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie knows what awaits chenqie, and chenqie is willing to ept them . The only thing is chenqie feels guilty towards Your Majesty and towards the kingdom for failing to kill the Empress¡¯ baby . ¡± Chun Fei expresses her regret .


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes sh murderously, ¡°Do you think everything will be alright as long as you take all the me? Do you genuinely believe that the one behind everything will be able to protect your family?¡±


    Chun Fei looks at Jun Qian Che in shock .


    Jun Qian Che smiles coldly, ¡°As long as zhen wants to kill someone, no one will be able to save them . Zhen will give you one more chance to fess up . Who told you to do it? If you tell the truth, zhen might spare your life . ¡±


    Chun Fei is shaken . She only did all this to protect her family . If she really ends up harming her family instead, she would be the treacherous one who ruined her n! No, she must tell the Emperor the truth . She must not let anything happen to her family .


    She looks up and faces him with a remorseful look on her face, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie will tell you everything . The one who instructed chenqie is¨C¡± Before Chun Fei even finishes speaking, she vomits blood and falls to the floor .


    Jun Qian Che helps hold her up and checks her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Chun Fei?¡±


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, chenqie... . ¡± She slowly closes her eyes, without ever getting the chance to expose the real perpetrator .


    Jun Qian Che turns to Eunuch Lin, ¡°Bring Yang Guifei over . ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Eunuch Lin immediately goes to do the bidding .


    Yang Guifei soon arrives . She cannot help butin when she sees Jun Qian Che, ¡°It¡¯ste at night, Your Majesty . Why did you sneak chenqie into Chun Nuan Pce?¡±


    ¡°Chun Fei died after getting poisoned . Check what kind of poison it is,¡± replies Jun Qian Che calmly .


    Yang Guifei is surprised to hear that . She approaches Chun Fei¡¯s body that is lying on the bed before quickly checking her . She receives her answer fairly quickly, ¡°Your Majesty, she has been poisoned with Wei Xin Poison . ¡±


    ¡°Wei Xin Poison? Is it highly toxic?¡± asks Jun Qian Che .


    She sighs, ¡°Definitely . It is very rare as well . It¡¯s not easy to obtain this poison because it uses the Art of Gu . It¡¯s called the Wei Xin Poison because whoever eats them will swear allegiance to the one who gave it to them . If they break their allegiance, the poison will spread, and they will die . ¡±


    (<strong>TN:</strong> The Art of Gu is when you put several poisonous creatures in one sealed container . They will start eating each other and it is believed that their poisons will mix, making the surviving creature more poisonous than ever . )


    ¡°How cruel . No wonder Chun Fei copsed the moment she tried to expose the perpetrator . The poison acted really fast . ¡±


    ¡°That is the power of that poison . Sometimes, the victim doesn¡¯t even know they had been poisoned . The poison is odorless and tasteless . They couldce it in one¡¯s tea, one¡¯s pastry . They only have to trick the victim into the swearing allegiance afterwards and the poison will immediately begin to take effect . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che clenches his fist, ¡°The perpetrator sure tried his best to erase his traces . ¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, why did youe to Chun Nuan Pce tonight? And what perpetrator are you talking about?¡± asks Yang Guifei .


    Jun Qian Che walks out of the chamber, ¡°Look at the pastries on the floor . Then, you¡¯d understand . ¡±


    Yang Shi Han walks over to the scattered pastries and picks one up . She sniffs it, ¡°They contain musk . ¡±


    ¡°Zhen took all these from the Empress . Chun Fei had been giving these to her for the past couple of days,¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s tone begins to calm .


    Yang Shi Han shakes her head whileughing, ¡°I was wondering why Chun Fei had been so kind towards the Empress! Turns out she had her own motive . ¡±


    ¡°Chun Fei didn¡¯t have that courage . Someone forced her to do it,¡± remarks Jun Qian Che calmly .


    ¡°How do you n on dealing with Chun Fei¡¯s matter? How should we say she died? We need to give a proper answer to the harem and her family,¡± says Yang Shi Han .


    ¡°Eunuch Lin, make an announcement tomorrow, saying that Chun Fei has died from sudden illness,¡± instructs Jun Qian Che .


    ¡°Yes,¡± replies Eunuch Lin respectfully .


    ¡°Do you think Chun Fei¡¯s family will believe it?¡±


    ¡°Chun Fei almost killed zhen¡¯s child! They are in no ce to question anything . Zhen will talk to them about this,¡± a certain light shes in Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes .


    ¡°It iste . You can all go back,¡± says Jun Qian Che before leaving .


    Yang Guifei leaves as quietly as she came, shaking her head in regret at the beautiful Chun Fei¡¯s early death .


    The next morning, Chun Fei¡¯s death has been announced throughout the back pce . Everyone is shocked . Yesterday, they were all envious of her because the Emperor visited her, and now, she is actually dead .


    Rumors about her death begin to circte . Some says that she offended the Emperor and was put to death .


    Other says that she hadmitted something wrong and when the Emperor came to question her, shemitted suicide .


    Another says that she had been ill recently and when the Emperor came to visit her, she became too happy and excited and died .


    In other words, a lot of theories are out there . They could only discuss it secretly because as far as everyone is concerned, Chun Fei died from sudden illness .


    As for Mo Qi Qi, after she gets up and gets ready, she picks up a cup of water as per her habit .


    Just as she takes a sip, Ban Xiang rushes in, ¡°Your Ladyship, something bad has happened!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her casually, ¡°What is the rush? Is the Emperor dead?¡± She then takes another sip of her water .


    ¡°Chun Fei is dead,¡± informs Ban Xiang .


    Poof¡ª- Mo Qi Qi sprays the water that she has been drinking to Ban Xiang¡¯s face .


    The corner of Ban Xiang¡¯s lips twitches as she looks at Mo Qi Qi in grievance, ¡°Your Ladyship, I had just finished doing my makeup . You ruined it, and now I have to do it again... . Wuwuwu¡ª¡°


    Mo Qi Qi puts down her cup resolutely, ¡°Come . Let¡¯s go to Chun Nuan Pce . ¡±


    Ban Xiang rubs her face, ¡°But my makeup is ruined . Can this servant fix them first before going?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi impatiently snaps, ¡°Look at the situation around you! Is this the right time to do your makeup? Don¡¯t do it . In fact, it¡¯s better for you to go looking like this, as though you¡¯ve just cried . People will think you were mourning for Chun Fei . Let¡¯s go . ¡± She drags Ban Xiang away without giving her chance to refuse .


    Ban Xiang feels aggrieved, but did not dare to refute her master and simply lets Mo Qi Qi drags her off .


    When they reach the entrance to Chun Nuan Pce, they are greeted with the sound of weeping .


    Mo Qi Qi lets go of Ban Xiang before gracefully walking in .


    ¡°Wuwu, how could you just leave, Chun Fei?¡± one of the grieving people weeps .


    Other concubines from the harem also attend the mourning, ¡°You left so suddenly, sister . We did not have the chance to meet you for onest time . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi walks in . There is a coffin in the middle of the receiving hall, which is left uncovered .


    She walks on .


    When the other concubines sense her presence, they quickly go tofort her, ¡°Your Ladyship, you are pregnant . You must not let your grief ovees you . ¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship, we know how good your rtionship with Chun Fei was . She always made you pastries . Now that she is suddenly dead, you must be heartbroken . However, you must restrain your grief for the sake of the child that you are carrying . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi steps towards the coffin . There is a white piece of cloth that is covering the dead body . She picks it up, intending to take onest look at Chun Fei .


    Ban Xiang immediately tries to stop her, ¡°Your Ladyship, Chun Fei is already dead . Let her leave peacefully . ¡±


    The other concubines agree with her, ¡°Yes, Your Ladyship . Don¡¯t look . It will only break your heart even more . ¡± The truth is, they are too scared too look .


    Mo Qi Qi lets go of the white cloth before heartbrokenly saying, ¡°Bengong did not think you would simply just leave . It¡¯s all bengong¡¯s fault . ¡±


    ¡°You must not say that, Your Ladyship . You treated her really well . You couldn¡¯t have possibly known that she would contract sudden illness and would die,¡± one of the concubines say .


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not like you possesses medical skills . You couldn¡¯t possibly conduct a health check-up for us everyday . It¡¯s not your fault that Chun Fei¡¯s life is short . ¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship, you are with child, you must not be too emotional . Why don¡¯t we leave first? If we stay here, you would only get more agitated,¡± says Ban Xiang .


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s right . You should go first, Your Ladyship . We will keep herpany on your behalf,¡± agrees another concubine .


    Mo Qi Qi nods, ¡°Alright . All of you must stay strong . ¡±


    Everyone nods .


    Mo Qi Qi leaves Chun Nuan Pce while sighing deeply, ¡°She was just fine yesterday . Who would¡¯ve thought she would suddenly die?¡±


    Ban Xiang is not as sympathetic, ¡°Your Ladyship, Chun Fei brought this unto herself . She shouldn¡¯t have tried to harm you . Serve her right . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi stares at Ban Xiang before smiling bitterly, ¡°Who would have thought that you, who usually cries a lot and is softhearted could also be merciless . Looks like you are not as weak as you appear to be . ¡±


    Ban Xiang looks at her, aggrieved, ¡°Your Ladyship, this servant only thinks that it¡¯s unfair to you . This servant can be softhearted in all matters regarding you, but if someone tries to hurt you, this servant can be merciless as well . This servant wouldn¡¯t mind them dead if it means protecting you . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi smiles, ¡°Bengong knows that you are loyal . It¡¯s just that Chun Fei died so suddenly that it surprised me . Bengong thought that Jun Qian Che would only question her; give her a house-arrest or something, or demotes her to the position of a Daying or a Meiren . At worst, he would just send her to the Cold Pce . Bengong didn¡¯t expect him to directly kill her . ¡±


    Ban Xiang smiles, ¡°It means His Majesty cares about you and the little prince!¡±


    ¡°But why do bengong feels like His Majesty is only doing this to shut her mouth once and for all?¡± As in he was afraid that Chun Fei would expose him, and so he decided to get rid of her .


    ¡°You are overthinking this, Your Ladyship . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi looks at the sky grievously, ¡°Why is it so hard to live inside the pce? Wuwu, who can tell me who the good and bad people are?¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship, this servant thinks you should believe in His Majesty . After all, he is your husband . Now that you two are having children, you should be even more united in the face of all your trials and tribtions . His Majesty will protect you from any form of harm,¡± says Ban Xiang earnestly .


    Mo Qi Qi sighs, ¡°But could I truly count on him? Although a married couple should be united, we are not your normal married couple . There are power and Mo n standing between us . Could I truly count on him? And would he truly be willing to stand beside me?¡± There are too many things standing between her and Jun Qian Che . Other than Mo n, there is the 7th Imperial Uncle . There is also that man from the viewing tower . All of these are detrimental to their rtionship . And that child she is carrying; she does not know if giving birth to the child would be a blessing or a curse . Life is too hard . Every step proves to be surprising .


    Hearing her master¡¯s words, Ban Xiang¡¯s heart sinks as well .

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142


    The thing that Jun Qian Che did is notify the He n of Chun Fei¡¯s death . They rush to the pce, only to be ambushed by assassins along the way . Lucky the Emperor sent the imperial army, otherwise Chun Fei¡¯s father and brother would have died .


    Chun Fei¡¯s father is a second-ranked officer in the court, while her brother is a third-ranked officer . They are usually close to the Mo n .


    They are marched into Jun Qian Che¡¯s study in a haggard manner .


    Jun Qian Che is shocked to see them in that state, ¡°What happened to both of you, beloved officials?¡±


    Chun Fei¡¯s father, He Guang Yuan is saddened and infuriated by the incident, ¡°Your Majesty, we rushed over as soon as we heard about Chun Fei¡¯s death . Who would have thought we would be ambushed by assassins along the way? Lucky the imperial guards that Your Majesty dispatched arrived in time, otherwise, we would have all died . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che is furious, ¡°Preposterous . They actually dared to do that, right in front of the Heaven¡¯s Son? Zhen will send people to capture them . ¡±


    Chun Fei¡¯s brother, He Ming Chang has one question, ¡°Your Majesty, this official is still confused about something . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at him, ¡°Feel free to ask, Official He . ¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, this official wonders why Chun Fei¡¯s suddenly contracted an illness and died, and not long after that, we were pursued by assassins . And why did you send imperial guards to escort us? Could it be that Chun Fei did not die from illness?¡± guesses He Ming Chang .


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head sadly, ¡°No wonder you are one of the most outstanding young officials in court . You tend to notice the little details . You are right . Chun Fei did not die of illness . She was poisoned . ¡±


    Her family listens in shock .


    Her mother copses and weeps on the floor when she hears that, ¡°Your Majesty, someone has harmed Chun Fei to death! You must investigate the matter and give Chun Fei her justice . ¡±


    ¡°Someonee and help Madam He stand up,¡± orders Jun Qian Che .


    ¡°Yes,¡± two pce maidse in and help her up .


    Chun Fei¡¯s father speaks destely, ¡°Your Majesty, who would be so bold as to poison Chun Fei in the harem?¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at them sadly, ¡°Zhen has already ordered people to secretly investigate this matter . Zhen ordered people to dere her death to be due of sudden illness as to not startle the true perpetrator . Based on the findings, Chun Fei actually died from the Wei Xin Poison . ¡±


    ¡°Wei Xin Poison? What sort of poison is that?¡± her family looks at the Emperor, confused .


    Jun Qian Che nces at Eunuch Lin .


    Eunuch Lin steps forward and begins exining the effects of the poison .


    Her family listens to the exnation with increasing shock, ¡°There is actually such poison in this world?¡±


    Her brother quips in, ¡°Since this kind of poison only affects those who betrayed someone else, does that mean that Chun Fei had done something that would require her to take that oath on the first ce?¡±


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes bes cold, ¡°Chun Fei added musk to the pastries that she made for the Empress . She wanted to poison the child that the Empress is carrying . Zhen went over to question her . Zhen thought that since this is her first offence, zhen would only give her a house arrest for a month . She was grateful to hear that, and just when she was about to confess, she died . ¡±


    Her family are horrified to hear that, ¡°This- How could Chun Fei do such a thing?¡±


    They originally resented Jun Qian Che because they felt that he had not protected Chun Fei as well as he should have been, and that he had forsook her . And so, the feeling of dread rises within their hearts when they heard what he said . The Empress is carrying the Emperor¡¯s first child, one that His Majesty reportedly cared a lot for . If anything had happened to the baby, their entire family would die along with the child .


    When Jun Qian Che sees how edgy and frightened they have be, a cold smile is formed on his lips . His tone remains warm though, as he say, ¡°Official He, Madam He, no need to worry . If zhen had intended to punish you all, zhen would have announced it long ago . Zhen didn¡¯t want to implicate the innocent He n because zhen knew that Chun Fei had been instructed by someone else . ¡±


    Her father immediately speaks, ¡°Your Majesty is wise! Chun Fei had been benevolent and kind ever since she was a child . She waspassionate even towards ants; she would never dare to harm the prince . Someone must have threatened her . ¡±


    ¡°Zhen also felt that there is something more to this, that¡¯s why zhen didn¡¯t make the matter known to the public . The real perpetrator must have feared that you would know the truth, that¡¯s why he or she tried to assassinate you on your way to the pce . That¡¯s exactly what zhen feared, that¡¯s why zhen sent the Yulin guards to escort you . Fortunately, Chun Fei had been protecting you all from above, otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous . The perpetrator is just too cruel,¡± says Jun Qian Che sternly .


    Chun Fei¡¯s brother is furious, ¡°The perpetrator didn¡¯t want us to know . It means that theye from the court . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che nods, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what zhen guessed . The baby is zhen¡¯s first child; the perpetrator must havee from the court to be interested on the baby on the first ce . Zhen will definitely send people to secretly investigate this matter . ¡±


    Chun Fei¡¯s father is touched, ¡°Thank you for not announcing this to the public, Your Majesty . Not only are you mindful about Chun Fei¡¯s reputation, you are also extremely generous towards our n . This official will definitely be loyal to you and repay your grace!¡±


    ¡°You are too courteous, Minister He . Please, get up . Chun Fei was zhen¡¯s consort, and both of you are zhen¡¯s officials, of course zhen has to be lenient . Unfortunately, the real perpetrator is still atrge . Not only did Chun Fei die for nothing, zhen¡¯s child is also still in danger . Zhen is afraid that he or she would ckmail another concubine to do the dirty work on their behalf . ¡±


    Chun Fei¡¯s fatherforts him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty . The Empress and the baby are innocent people, they will be protected by the heavens . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che nods before summoning the head of Yulin Guards in . He asks him if he managed to capture any assassins .


    ¡°Your Majesty, the assassins are too sly and we didn¡¯t manage to capture anyone alive . However, this official managed to pick up a medallion from one of them,¡± replies the Head of the Yulin Guards .


    Jun Qian Che checks the medallion for any signs of ownership and can find none . ¡°This medallion is too non-descript and cannot help us identify the owner . One thing for sure, whoever that person may be, he has some entanglements with zhen in a way . ¡±


    Chun Fei¡¯s father and brother exchange a certain look, but none of them says a word .


    Jun Qian Che looks at them, ¡°Official He, Madam He, zhen would like to ask you to not be too sad over Chun Fei¡¯s demise . Zhen will order someone to investigate the matter . She will not die for nothing . You are all allowed to grief and take onest look at Chun Fei . ¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Your Majesty . This official will retreat first,¡± they retreat from the audience and are led towards Chun Nuan Pce .


    The moment they left, the leader of the secret imperial guards, Ye Ying appears and kneels before Jun Qian Che, ¡°This subordinate greets Your Majesty . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che looks at the medallion before meaningfully looking at Ye Ying, ¡°You did really well this time . You may go . ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty . ¡± Ye Ying disappears in a sh .


    Jun Qian Che looks at the medallion before smiling arrogantly . The truth is that the assassins who tried to kill Chun Fei¡¯s family had not been the real perpetrators, but his own secret guards in disguise . He was purposely putting on a show and had intended to let Chun Fei¡¯s father and brother see this medallion . He believes they know to whom that medallion belongs to . He wants to them to begin having an idea on whom the perpetrator can be . Let them have an internal discord first . He can reap the benefitster .


    After paying their respect at Chun Fei¡¯s memorial, the He n left . Although Chun Fei was their daughter, she had been married to the imperial n and is considered to be part of the imperial n . They cannot stay any longer than that .


    Her mother ispletely heartbroken and could not stop weeping .


    Her father and brother on the other hand, are stewing in resentment .


    Upon returning to their residence, the two men immediately head to their study to discuss the matter .


    Her brother faces their father as he says, ¡°Father, the medallion that the Yulin Guards picked up looked simr to the one Duke Zhen gave us . Could it be that Duke Zhen is the one who threatened my sister to kill the Empress¡¯ baby?¡±


    He Guang Yuan sits in front of his desk, deep in thought, ¡°Do not rush into conclusions . Think properly . The child that the Empress is carrying is Duke Zhen¡¯s grandchild, if it¡¯s a boy, he will be the Crown Prince . Why would Duke Zhen wants to kill it?¡±


    He Ming Chang nods in agreement, ¡°That makes sense, Father . But that medallion indeed belongs to Duke Zhen . Only he would have it . ¡±


    ¡°Think about it, Chang Er . If you take Duke Zhen out of the picture; who wouldn¡¯t want the Empress to give birth safely?¡±


    He Ming Chang considers everything properly, ¡°Could it be the Emperor? The Mo n is already as powerful as it is . If the Empress gives birth to a boy, they will grow to be even more powerful . It might pose a risk to even the Emperor . ¡±


    He Guang Yuan shakes his head, ¡°Although the birth of the child might put some risk on the Emperor¡¯s position as it might increase the power of Mo n, if you look at it from another perspective, the birth of a son might help the Emperor even more . Duke Zhen will be bound to him, as long as the child lives . Once the child bes the Emperor, Mo n¡¯s power will be preserved forever . In order for that to happen, the Emperor must stay on the throne and pass it peacefully when the timees . And so, with this child around, Duke Zhen will not only not go against His Majesty, but will also help His Majesty stay in power . His Majesty must have known this, that¡¯s why he cares so much about the baby . If it¡¯s indeed His Majesty, he wouldn¡¯t have questioned your sister and caused her to die when she tried to reveal who the perpetrator is . ¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not His Majesty, who could it be? Could it be an enemy of the Mo n?¡± guesses He Ming Chang .


    He Guang Yuan shakes his head, ¡°Any enemy of the Mo n would be the Emperor¡¯s people . Since His Majesty wants to keep the baby, no one would dare to try something behind his back . ¡±


    He Ming Chang nods in agreement, ¡°You have a point, Father . Then, who could it be?¡± He suddenly narrows his eyes, ¡°Could it be¡ª- the 7th King?¡±


    He Guang Yuan nods, ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve already heard about the 7th King¡¯s feelings for the Empress . Before the Empress married the Emperor, Duke Zhen had nned to marry her off to the 7th King . It¡¯s just that the Empress had liked the Emperor from the very start, and Duke Zhen had no other choice but to marry her off to the Emperor and help him secure his throne . The Emperor has grown tough these past two years and refused to rely on Mo n anymore . His Majesty has been indifferent to the Empress as well, and Duke Zhen knows that . He had been nning to ditch the Emperor for the 7th King . But now, the Empress has gotten pregnant . This is a threat to the 7th King . This is not only a stumbling block in his love life, but also in politic . It¡¯d be hard for him to continue receiving Duke Zhen¡¯s support, and it¡¯d be hard for him to seed in his political endeavor without Duke Zhen¡¯s support . The rtionship between the Empress and the Emperor has been improvingtely, and if the Empress chooses to speak on His Majesty¡¯s behalf, it¡¯d be very likely that the loving Duke Zhen will listen to his daughter and extend his support to the Emperor . That¡¯s why the 7th King is thest person who¡¯d want this child to be born . If the child does not survive, he would continue to get Duke Zhen¡¯s support . The Empress might also leave the Emperor in due time . The 7th King wants the child gone, but could not do it himself because he might get exposed and the Empress and Mo n would never forgive him . So, he chose someone from the harem, your sister . She was gentle and weak-willed . He would only need to threat her a little for her toply . ¡±


    He Ming Chang is furious, ¡°The 7th King is too despicable! He actually did that to my innocent sister! We need to tell Duke Zhen about this . If he knows, he would never help the 7th King again!¡±


    He Guang Yuan extends his hand and stops him, ¡°Do not be too hasty . This is only a guess, we have no proof . What if Duke Zhen really knows about this and tacitly agreed with the 7th King? If we go to him and tell him all this, we might end up exposing ourselves . ¡±


    ¡°Why would Duke Zhen agree to killing his own grandchild?¡± asks He Ming Chang uncertainly .


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible . Although Mo n¡¯s power will increase with the birth of the child, the child is still His Majesty¡¯s flesh and blood . What if the child sides with His Majesty once he grows up? Wouldn¡¯t it spell doom to the Mo n? It¡¯s not impossible that he decided to spare himself the trouble from the get-go,¡± replies He Guang Yuan, worried .


    ¡°Then what should we do? Will my sister die in vain?¡± He Ming Chang is enraged on his sister¡¯s behalf .


    He Guang Yuan¡¯s eyes are full of fury, ¡°Your sister will not die for nothing . But now, we will no longer support the 7th King . Otherwise, your sister would roll in her grave . ¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to continue following Duke Zhen, Father?¡± asks He Ming Chang .


    He Guang Yuan shakes his head, ¡°No . Neither the 7th King nor Duke Zhen could be relied on right now . The Emperor would get rid of them sooner orter . No matter how powerful the Mo n is right now, the Emperor would still pluck them out one by one . The best n is to stay loyal to theEmperor . After all, Mo n and the 7th King are wayward and treacherous . Even if they managed to rebel one day, they still wouldn¡¯t receive public¡¯s support . Besides, His Majesty have said it very clearly earlier today . He did not announce what your sister did to the public to protect the He n . If we still didn¡¯t get our acts together, he will definitely announce it to the public . By then, His Majesty didn¡¯t need to do anything . Mo n themselves would handle us . If we side with the Emperor instead, he would help us find the perpetrator that harmed your sister . ¡±


    He Ming Chang adds, ¡°Father, I told you to not side with Duke Zhen when he first tried to recruit you . You didn¡¯t listen to me and insisted on supporting them . Now look what happened . ¡±


    ¡°I should have listened to you and stayed loyal to His Majesty . Instead, I got greedy and ended up harming your sister . I really regret everything . From now on, I will stay loyal to His Majesty and my conscience,¡± replies He Guang Yuan in regret .


    He Ming Chang nods .


    Night slowly creeps in, and the imperial city looks splendid and majestic .


    In a forest outside the capital, a man dressed in ck and wearing a silver mask stands straight while looking at the moon sadly .


    Another man dressed inpletely ck appears before him and kneels on one knee, ¡°Master, I have a bad news . I ordered some people to keep an eye on the He n . They were on the way to the imperial pce to attend Chun Fei¡¯s memorial and got ambushed by assassins along the way . The Emperor sent soldiers and managed to save them . ¡±


    A cold look shes on the man¡¯s eyes, ¡°Chun Fei, that wretched woman tried to sell me out . Lucky I gave her the Wei Xin Poison . I do not care that she died, but I did not expect that Official He would be ambushed . I was not the one who sent those assassins . ¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t send them, where could they possiblye from?¡± asks the subordinate .


    A certain look shes in the man¡¯s eyes, ¡°Those people must¡¯ve been Jun Qian Che¡¯s shadow soldiers . He must have ordered them to pretend to be our people to sway Official He to His Majesty¡¯s side . ¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s exin everything to Official He! Tell him that we did not send those people . He must not fall for His Majesty¡¯s trick . ¡±


    Anger shes in that man¡¯s eyes, ¡°His Majesty kept this matter under wrap, only he and the He n knows . If we suddenly rush over to Official He and try to exin our stance, wouldn¡¯t it make us appear suspicious? Like a thief using others of thievery? Besides, we are indeed responsible for Chun Fei¡¯s death, are we not? All Official He have right now are his spections, he has no proof . He cannot be certain that he is right . If we go to him right now, we as good as confessed to killing his daughter . We need to wait for changes before doing anything . ¡±


    ¡°Master, if Official He and his son really intend to side with the Emperor, let¡¯s kill them right now and rid ourselves of potential trouble,¡± suggests the subordinate .


    The man remains calm as he says, ¡°We cannot do anything right now . People in court and at the harem are already gossiping about Chun Fei¡¯s death, suspecting foul y . Since her death is rted to the harem, the Emperor couldn¡¯t publicly investigate the matter . In order to win over Official He and his son, His Majesty chose to conceal the matter, and in turn make them feel gratitude towards him . If we kill them now, this matter will directly involve the court and Jun Qian Che will no longer stand by and watch . By then, he will purposely let everyone know that Chun Fei had tried to harm the child that the Empress is carrying . Mo n will definitely not keep quiet . If the investigation leads them to me, I would be in really deep trouble . That is exactly what Jun Qian Che wants right now; for us to make this matter bigger . Let¡¯s not give him what he wants . Let this matter regarding Chun Fei rest . Do not get involved any way with anyone from He n . Do not give Jun Qian Che an excuse to continue probing into the matter . ¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± replies the subordinate .


    ¡°What about the matter regarding the Marquis of Ning Nan? Why isn¡¯t there any update by now?¡± the man looks at his subordinate coldly .


    The aide trembles before carefully replying him, ¡°I think¡ª they failed in their task . ¡±


    ¡°How could they fail in something so simple? A bunch of useless filth! Tell them I will not spare them if they fail in this,¡± says the man in displeasure .


    ¡°Yes, master!¡± the aide trembles as he replies .


    On the other hand, Jun Qian Che is still busy discussing things with Chu Ling Xiao in the imperial study .


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you sure that you will be able to keep the two Officials He loyal to you?¡± asks Chu Ling Xiao, worried .


    Jun Qian Che smiles mysteriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after the assassination attempt, they will no longer stay loyal to Duke Zhen . They will also never turn to the 7th King . And so, they can only count on zhen . That¡¯s the only way for them to give Chun Fei her justice . That¡¯s also the only way for them to escape certain death . They know that once zhen publicizes what Chun Fei did, He n will never see the light of the day again . ¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao nods before saying, ¡°This official think it¡¯s better to take advantage of this Chun Fei thing and secretly kill her father and brother . All the officials in court will definitely raise an issue to give them justice . By then, Your Majesty can just announce what Chun Fei did to everyone . They will immediately me Duke Zhen for the deaths because Chun Fei tried to harm his unborn grandchild . We can seize that chance to investigate the real perpetrator and rid ourselves of future trouble . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head, ¡°It¡¯s not that zhen hadn¡¯t thought of that . Perhaps, that¡¯s also what the real perpetrator expects, that¡¯s why he or she hadn¡¯t try to kill them yet . Killing them would bring zhen no good . If two officials get killed at the same time, it would bring cause chaos at court and themon people . It would make zhen appear ipetent and unable to protect his officials . It would only give way to waves of rumors . Besides, if they die and Chun Fei¡¯s deed came to light, most people would suspect Duke Zhen, but there are also some people who would suspect zhen . After all, it was zhen¡¯s child that Chun Fei tried to harm, and punishment for harming imperial bloodline would be exterminating the entire n . The case would immediatelye to close and zhen wouldn¡¯t be any closer to finding the real perpetrator . The gap between zhen and Mo n will also be wider because zhen had killed Duke Zhen¡¯s followers . Now, on the other hand, zhen could make use of the two officials, and at the same time, threaten Duke Zhen and the real perpetrator . This is really good for zhen . ¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao smiles at him, embarrassed, ¡°In the end, Your Majesty is the one who thinks everything through . This official had been too careless . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head, ¡°There are two sides to everything . Both choices have it¡¯s own pros and cons, zhen could only choose the one with that would give zhen the biggest advantage . That way, less people would get hurt . ¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao nods in agreement, ¡°Looks like Your Majesty truly intends to let the child live . ¡±


    ¡°The child is innocent, zhen will no longer even consider the possibility of hurting him . He is zhen¡¯s child, zhen believes that his birth would only give zhen good things . ¡± A look of pleasure flits through his eyes as he thinks about the child that Mo Qi Qi is carrying .


    ¡°It is said that people usually loses their rationale whenever feelings are involved, this official has always thought that someone so driven and wise like Your Majesty would be an exception to that, but looks like you are not,¡± says Chu Ling Xiao, half-joking .


    ¡°Zhen think that zhen has made the right choice . Zhen would definitely regret it if zhen killed the baby, back then,¡± replies Jun Qian Che earnestly .


    Chu Ling Xiao sighs, ¡°Looks like Your Majesty has really fallen in love with the Empress . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che does not reply him and remains silent .


    ¡°What about the Empress Dowager? She will give you a really hard time . She hates the Mo n? That¡¯s why she despises the Empress,¡± asks Chu Ling Xiao, worried .


    ¡°That is zhen¡¯s personal matter, zhen will not trouble the Prime Minister with them . As for the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s matter, you must handle it with care . Do not let Duke Zhen get what he wants,¡± reminds Jun Qian Che .


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty . This official has sent people to investigate everything, we will definitely acquit the Marquis from all the usations . ¡±


    In Feng Yang Pce, Mo Qi Qi sits in front of the dining table while staring at the dishes that have just beenid out . She nces out of the door from time to time, ¡°Maybe he isn¡¯ting tonight . ¡±


    Ban Xiang secretlyughs when she sees this, ¡°Your Ladyship, maybe you should eat first . His Majesty might be busy and could note tonight . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi looks away from the door and res at Ban Xiang, ¡°Nonsense! Bengong is not waiting for him! Bengong is just not hungry at the moment . ¡± Ever since Jun Qian Che got injured on the night of the Qixi Festival, he has beening over every night to get his wound treated and at the same time, eat dinner together . And now, it is already past dinnertime and he still hasn¡¯te .


    Actually, a person¡¯s habit is hard to change . Jun Qian Che has been having dinner with her for the past couple of days and she has gotten used to his presence . Now that he is noting, she suddenly feels a little empty .


    Ban Xiang continues teasing her, ¡°Your Ladyship, do not deny it . This servant can see that you already like His Majesty . You miss him whenever he is not around . ¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, why would bengong miss him? Bengong wants him toe because there is something bengong would like to ask him . ¡± Deep down inside, Mo Qi Qi keeps telling herself this: She will definitely not fall for Jun Qian Che! She wants him toe, not because she wants to see him, but because she wants to treat his wound and get everything done and over with . That¡¯s the only way she can go to sleep in peace . If other people finds out he¡¯s been injured, she¡¯d be in deep trouble . Besides, she only wants him toe today because she wants to ask him about Chun Fei, and not because she likes him like what Ban Xiang said!


    ¡°Ooh,¡± says Ban Xiang, dragging her word purposely .


    ¡°What is there to ¡®oh¡¯ about?¡± asks Mo Qi Qi, confused .


    ¡°Your Ladyship, is it wrong for this servant to say ¡®oh?¡¯¡± asks Ban Xiang, looking aggrieved .


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s wrong! If you want to say something, say it directly! ¡®Oh¡¯ is not a proper answer,¡± replies Mo Qi Qi displeased .


    ¡°Ban Xiang, are you angering the Empress again?¡± a deep and majestic voice can suddenly be heard . A casually-dressed Jun Qian Che walks in . He hase right after his little discussion with Chu Ling Xiao .


    Ban Xiang immediately curtsies when she sees Jun Qian Che, ¡°This servant greets Your Majesty . ¡± Then, she purposely looks at them, aggrieved, ¡°If you hadn¡¯te, Her Ladyship would have poured her grievance on this servant . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi is furious, ¡°Nonsense! When did bengong pour my grievance on you? Don¡¯t nder bengong! Both of you are bullying me!¡±

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143


    Ban Xiang pretends to be frightened, ¡°Your Majesty, this servant dares not nder Her Ladyship . She is the one who is in a bad mood and keeps venting on this servant . ¡±


    Seeing the familiar and intimate way the twodies interact made Jun Qian Che a little jealous . At the same time, he really admires Mo Qi Qi¡¯s generosity towards her servants . If this was in the past, never mind joking around like this, she would have punished them if they as much as spoke to her in the wrong tone .


    Mo Qi Qi turns to him,ining, ¡°Your Majesty, just look at how glib her tongue is . Would chenqie even have the chance to vent my anger at her?¡±


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head while smiling . He walks towards the table and stares at the untouched dishes and cutleries . ¡°It is sote, Empress . Haven¡¯t you eaten your dinner?¡±


    Ban Xiang immediately seized the chance to speak, ¡°Your Majesty, Her Ladyship had been waiting for you . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi immediately denies it, ¡°Says who? Bengong simply had no appetite!¡±


    ¡°See, Your Majesty? Without you around, the Empress didn¡¯t even have the appetite to eat,¡± Ban Xiangughs .


    Mo Qi Qi looks at her, pissed off, ¡°You are getting bolder and bolder each day . Will you believe it if bengong tells you bengong would punish you heavily?¡±


    Ban Xiang immediately acquiesced, ¡°This servant will shut up now . ¡±


    Seeing this, Jun Qian Che immediately say, ¡°All of you may go . ¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± all the servants immediately retreat .


    Mo Qi Qi begins pouring her grievances at him, ¡°Did you see that, Your Majesty? Being an Empress is really not good . Chenqie gets teased by them everyday, life is just so hard . ¡±


    He smiles, ¡°That¡¯s because you spoiled them too much . ¡±


    She bes even more aggrieved, ¡°Even you are helping them bully chenqie . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che does not continue the conversation . He looks at the dishes, ¡°It is sote, why haven¡¯t you eaten dinner yet? A pregnant woman cannot be left hungry . ¡±


    ¡°Chenqie really wasn¡¯t hungry, just now . But now, chenqie is a little bit hungry, ¡°she picks up her chopsticks and begins eating .


    Jun Qian Che shakes his head, though deep inside, he feels touched and warm . It doesn¡¯t matter if what Ban Xiang said had been true; it feels really heart-warming knowing that someone is waiting up just to have dinner with you .


    He helps her pick up some dishes, ¡°Eat more . ¡±


    She looks at him before teasing him, ¡°Your Majesty, aren¡¯t you afraid that your Empress would gain weight?¡±


    He remains earnest as he replies, ¡°No problem, zhen can afford to raise you . ¡±


    Although her heart is leaping with joy, Mo Qi Qi maintains an unhappy outward appearance, ¡°Chenqie knows Your Majesty can afford it; it¡¯s just that it ruins my image . It will embarrass you and you will have to end up deposing this Empress . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s hand stops midair as he looks at her sincerely, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t leave this position by your own will, zhen will never depose you . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s heart swells as she smiles faintly . She does not prolong the topic, ¡°Hurry and eat, Your Majesty . ¡± Even if you don¡¯t depose me, I may not necessarily want to stay here .


    The two of them continue eating dinner quietly .


    After dinner, Mo Qi Qi reapplies medicine on Jun Qian Che¡¯s wound before wrapping it with a bandage .


    After she finishes her task, she smiles, ¡°Your wound might need a little more time to heal . The wound is very deep . Since you don¡¯t want other people to know and you are too stubborn to wear a cast, it might take even longer to heal than usual . ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright . It¡¯s zhen¡¯s left arm anyway . Zhen hardly uses it,¡± replies Jun Qian Che .


    Mo Qi Qi sits in front of him .


    He looks at her, ¡°Is there anything you would like to say to zhen?¡±


    She smiles sheepishly, ¡°There is nothing that we can hide from you . Your Majesty is indeed perceptive and brilliant . ¡±


    ¡°Just say it, don¡¯t waste zhen¡¯s time with empty words,¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s tone is mild .


    ¡°If chenqie ends up saying something wrong, please don¡¯t put it to heart,¡± says Mo Qi Qi as she looks at him .


    ¡°Just say it, zhen will not me you,¡± he nods .


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty . ¡± She begins to calm down before going straight to the point, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie would like to speak about Chun Fei . Her death is too sudden . It makes one think that life is too fleeting and that nothing is permanent . ¡±


    ¡°Her death is not sudden at all . The Empress should have seen iting,¡± replies Jun Qian Che meaningfully .


    Since Jun Qian Che has spoken so directly, Mo Qi Qi does not wish to beat around the bush . ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie knew that Chun Fei added musk to my food from the very beginning . Chenqie purposely let you know so that you would warn Chun Fei, chenqie did not really want her dead . ¡±


    ¡°Then, how do you think zhen should have handled her?¡± questions Jun Qian Che .


    Mo Qi Qi replies him honestly, ¡°Warn her a little . Ground her . Demote her . Or if you want to be a little harsher, banish her to the Cold Pce . What is the point of saying all these now? She is dead . ¡±


    ¡°Chun Fei deserves to die for what she did . Zhen is already being generous by sparing her maiden family . She tried to poison zhen¡¯s child . She deserves to die a thousand deaths,¡± replies Jun Qian Che coldly .


    ¡°Although what Chun Fei did was despicable, nothing really happened to the baby . Chenqie discovered everything in advance . Your Majesty shouldn¡¯t have been so heavy-handed,¡± Mo Qi Qi has got to admit that ancient people can be very cruel . Do a mistake and off with your head! Never mind dying itself, the fact that you could drag your entire family with you to the grave is even scarier! Lucky Jun Qian Che did not drag He n into the mess; otherwise, she would have felt even guiltier . If she had known that this would have resulted in Chun Fei¡¯s death, she would have handled everything herself . She actually ended up causing Chun Fei¡¯s death, just because she wanted to test Jun Qian Che¡¯s innocence . She feels so guilty towards Chun Fei .


    ¡°And what if you didn¡¯t find out in advance?¡± retorts Jun Qian Che .


    She does not know how to answer him .


    His tone is cold as he says, ¡°We have to rid ourselves of potential trouble . Zhen¡¯s heart feels at ease at Chun Fei¡¯s death . ¡±


    ¡°You were her husband; don¡¯t you feel a shred of affection for your own consort? A day together as a husband and wife is worth 100 days of grace! After all, Chun Fei had been in the pce for years now . Don¡¯t you feel anything for her?¡± probes Mo Qi Qi .


    Jun Qian Che looks at her . ¡°If there is something you want to say, say it directly . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi stares at him, a little taken aback at being caught despite having been so tactful . Since it hase to this point, she will not hold back anymore . ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie does not think that Chun Fei could have been so bold as to make an enemy out of Mo n and chenqie . Even if she did not care for herself, she would¡¯ve cared for her family and for Your Majesty . That¡¯s why chenqie think there is someone who had been instigating Chun Fei from behind . The way Your Majesty immediately killed Chun Fei made me feel like you killed her to shut her up . ¡±¡¯


    Displeasure immediately grows inside Jun Qian Che, ¡°Are you implying that zhen is the real perpetrator?¡±


    Although Mo Qi Qi is secretly terrified, she put on a courageous front, ¡°Who else would have that much power? Chun Fei would never have dared to do all that without your permission! Now that things have reached this stage, you decided not to publicize this matter because you feel like you owe her something . That¡¯s why you are being generous towards He n as well . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che sneers, ¡°So that¡¯s why you gave me those pastries . In your eyes, there is no way for zhen toe out of this innocently! If zhen did not punish Chun Fei, it would be because zhen was the instigator; but now that Chun Fei is dead, it is because zhen wanted to kill her to get rid of a witness . ¡± Jun Qian Che gets up to leave .


    Seeing that, Mo Qi Qi immediately stands up as well,¡±You can always exin everything, if it¡¯s not you!¡±


    Jun Qian Che stops in his steps . His voice is cold as he says, ¡°Seems like the Empress is determined to me it all on zhen, regardless . What is the point of saying anything? What difference does it make?¡±


    ¡°Chenqie would like to hear an exnation from you,¡± replies Mo Qi Qi anxiously .


    Jun Qian Che is taken aback upon hearing that .


    She runs up to him and res at him, ¡°Why is it that everytime something happens, you wouldn¡¯t say a single thing and would always leave me guessing? How am I supposed to know it has nothing to do with you if you don¡¯t tell me anything? I am not a worm living inside your stomach; I cannot read your thoughts . I¡¯d rather not try to guess your thoughts anyway . ¡±


    ¡°Will you even believe what zhen says?¡± he stares at her as he asks that .


    Mo Qi Qi chokes up a little at that question before looking away from him, ¡°At least I¡¯d be able to make my own judgement . If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯d automatically suspect you . I¡¯d go around making the most presumptuous guesses . Does Chun Fei¡¯s death really has nothing to do with you?¡±


    Jun Qian Che grabs her by the shoulder and forces her to look at him, ¡°Then listen to me, Mo Qi Qi . Zhen has never asked Chun Fei to harm you and the child that you¡¯re carrying . From the moment zhen decided to keep this child, zhen has never even thought of getting rid of it . Zhen will do my best to ensure your safety . And zhen did not kill Chun Fei . The perpetrator fed her with a poison called ¡®Wei Xin¡¯ . The poison will be activated the moment she tried to reveal the identity of the perpetrator . She almost confessed everything to zhen, but the poison acted fast . Her death had nothing to do with zhen . The only reason zhen did not publicize the matter is because zhen did not want the news of this incident to spread . And zhen only spared the He n because they were innocent . Chun Fei was forced by someone else to be a chesspiece; if zhen killed He n because of that, zhen would only be helping the perpetrator get rid of more enemies . Do you understand what zhen is trying to say?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi nods, ¡°Chenqie understands the general gists of it . Chenqie does not really want to understand the motive of the perpetrator or how this matter impacts the court . Chenqie also cannot bring myself to ask about the animosity between Your Majesty and the Mo n . In fact, as a mother, the only thing that chenqie can do right now is to make sure that chenqie will give birth smoothly . Chenqie really does not wish for this child to be entangled with matters at court . Chenqie knows that Your Majesty is a bit threatened by this child . After all, Mo n is already so powerful at court . However, chenqie would like to beg for your leniency . Please spare the child, your blood is flowing inside the child¡¯s vein . ¡±


    ¡°Qi Qi, the child is mine . It has nothing to do with what is going on with Mo n . Zhen wish you will not be so suspicious towards zhen,¡± says Jun Qian Che earnestly .


    She looks back at him and can see sincerity in his eyes, ¡°Your Majesty¡ª¡°


    ¡°Qi Qi, do you believe that zhen will protect both of you?¡± asks Jun Qian Che sincerely .


    She stares at him for a moment, the corner of her lips curling . She nods, ¡°Chenqie believe in Your Majesty . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che is ted to hear that . It no longer mattered that she misunderstood him and wrongfully used him; he is fine now that she trusts him .


    He stares at her, unable to look away,pletely taken in by her beauty .


    She is beautiful . He never got the chance to fully appreciate her beauty back then; and now, he couldn¡¯t either . She¡¯d always try her best to evade him whenever he tries to approach her .


    Mo Qi Qi blushes under his gaze, her heart skipping a beat .


    Jun Qian Che stares at her, slowly leaning in . Her features are slowly magnified in his eyes as he closes the distance . Even at such a close distance, he cannot find any imperfection in her face .


    He closes in on her, intending to kiss her . This time, she does not avoid him, and instead closes her eyes in anticipation .


    His heart jumps in glee as his lips touch hers . Emotion overwhelms him .


    ¡°Your Majesty-,¡± Qian Er suddenly rushes in .


    They immediately pull away . Mo Qi Qi turns around, not knowing how to face him .


    Jun Qian Che clears his throat in displeasure, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Ban Xiang who rushes in after Qian Er feels like choking the other girl out of anger . She initially wanted to drag Qian Er out, but the girl is too quick and managed to evade her .


    Qian Er is also shocked upon seeing the scene before her . She did not expect to see the Emperor so intimate with the Empress . She is stunned for a long time before being brought back to earth by Jun Qian Che¡¯s stern voice, ¡°Your Majesty, Her Ladyship the Guifeiined of feeling ill . She invited Your Majesty to visit her in her pce . ¡±


    ¡°What does Her Ladyship being ill has got to do with His Majesty? Shouldn¡¯t you be seeking an imperial physician instead?¡± Ban Xiang voices her displeasure .


    Qian Er arrogantly rolls her eyes at Ban Xiang, ¡°Her Ladyship wishes to see His Majesty . If he doesn¡¯te, she refuse to see a physician . ¡±


    Just as Ban Xiang is about to give her a piece of her mind, Mo Qi Qi turns around and smiles, having gotten herself together . ¡°Your Majesty, you better go to see Yang Meimei . She must be missing you . Besides, chenqie is sleepy and wishes to rest early . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s generosity does not sit well with Jun Qian Che . Had this been the previous her, never mind letting him go, she would have stomped over to Shi Han to give her a good scolding . He used to be irritated by her, he felt that she was too jealous and narrow-minded . He didn¡¯t expect to actually be missing that side of her right now . This is too weird .


    Jun Qian Che stares at Mo Qi Qi and leaves without saying a word .


    What he did not understand is he used to hate her jealousy and possessiveness because he loathed her . Now that he hase to love her, her generosity and virtue when ites to sharing his love only serves to anger him .


    Qian Er gives Ban Xiang a gloating look before leaving .


    Ban Xiang stomps her feet angrily before sneering, ¡°What are you so proud of? If your Yang Guifei is that capable, why isn¡¯t she pregnant like Our Ladyship yet?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi smiles before helplessly shaking her head . Deep down inside though, a huge question mark is rearing its ugly end on her heart . Why didn¡¯t she reject Jun Qian Che¡¯s advances, earlier? She could no longer feel those feeling of loathing and hatred that she used to feel for him . What on earth is wrong with her? Did her taste change after getting pregnant?


    What a cursed night!


    Ban Xiang turns to Mo Qi Qi in exasperation, ¡°Your Ladyship, why did you let His Majesty go? Yang Guifei really is too much! She actually sent someone here to fetch the Emperor just to take him away from you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Bengong is with child and cannot serve His Majesty for the night, it is good that he went to Yang Guifei . ¡± Mo Qi Qi turns around and returns to her inner chamber, her heart slowly sinking .


    On another hand, Jun Qian Che walks into Gui Ning Pce . There is a physician there, checking Yang Shi Han¡¯s pulse .


    He steps into the room, asking, ¡°What is wrong with Yang Guifei?¡±


    Yang Shi Han immediately puts on a coquettish appearance, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie has been feeling so lethargictely . Chenqie has no appetite during meals and only craves sour things . ¡± Her pitiful appearance is so effective that it would melt anyone¡¯s heart .


    Jun Qian Che turns to the physician, ¡°Is there anything wrong with Yang Guifei?¡±


    The imperial physician gets up and smiles at the brilliantly, ¡°Congrattion, Your Majesty and Your Ladyship! Yang Guifei is with child!¡±


    Jun Qian Che freezes momentarily before looking at Yang Shi Han .


    She lowers her head in embarrassment and pats her stomach softly, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie is honored to be carrying your child . ¡±


    All the pce maids inside the chamber curtsy, ¡°Congrattion, Your Majesty and Your Ladyship . ¡±


    Without a trace of tion in his face, Jun Qian Che waves them off, ¡°That¡¯s enough . All of you may leave . Zhen would like to speak to Yang Guifei . ¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the maids retreat with arge smile on their faces, thinking that their mistress¡¯ time hase .


    Yang Shi Han looks at Jun Qian Che before happily saying, ¡°Congrattion, Your Majesty! You are going to be the father of two children!¡±


    He res at her, ¡°Exin . ¡±


    She purposely gives him a confused look, ¡°What are you saying, Your Majesty? Chenqie don¡¯t understand you . Aren¡¯t you happy that chenqie is carrying your child?¡±


    ¡°Enough, Shi Han . Stop fooling around . Zhen is not in the mood for any of your jokes,¡± states Jun Qian Che, angry .


    Yang Shi Han raises her eyebrows, ¡°Chenqie is not joking, either . Chenqie is pregnant with your child, and the baby is going to be a boy . ¡±


    ¡°Speak the truth,¡± says Jun Qian Che icily as he seats himself in front of a table .


    Yang Shi Han mbers off her bed and sits opposite him, pouring herself a cup of tea, ¡°This is Aunt¡¯s order . ¡±


    ¡°Why would imperial mother do this?¡± asked Jun Qian Che in slight anger .


    Yang Shi Han toyed with the teacup in her hand while saying, ¡°It¡¯s simple! She wanted you to get rid of the Empress¡¯ child, but you couldn¡¯t bring yourself to . Aunt is afraid that the child the Empress is carrying will bolster Mo n¡¯s power, in the future . By then, it¡¯d be toote for us to do anything about it . She also feared that you haspletely fallen in love with Mo Qi Qi and has lost your sanity in the process . You already fell for Mo Qi Qi¡¯s beauty trap . Aunt didn¡¯t want Hua Chen Kingdom to fall to other people¡¯s hands, so she told me to get pregnant as well . It¡¯d be fine if the child that Mo Qi Qi is carrying is a princess, but if it¡¯s a prince, Aunt would like for me to have a boy that she could supportter on, to make him the Crown Prince . So that¡¯s why chenqie is ¡®pregnant¡¯ right now, with a boy to boot . ¡±


    ¡°How could imperial mother do this? And as for you, never mind you not talking her out of this, why on earth are you joining her in this mess? What are you going to do once 10 months have passed?¡± Jun Qian Che struggled to contain his anger .


    Yang Shi Han casually replied him, ¡°This will depend on Your Majesty¡¯s performance . You should take advantage of this couple of months to sleep with your other concubines and pray that they get pregnant as well . Once they give birth, you can just give the baby to chenqie . If none of them gets pregnant, that¡¯s fine as well . We can just take a baby from outside . A child takes more than one day to grow and you are still young . You still have 20 to 30 years to get children . You still have a lot of opportunities to instate your heir . Everything is fine as long as the Crown Prince isn¡¯t someone from the Empress¡¯ line . ¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! All of these are nonsense! Imperial mother shouldn¡¯t have done this!¡± Jun Qian Che clenched his fists in anger .


    Yang Shi Han shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s no other way . She beats you to it . News about my pregnancy should have spread in the pce by now . ¡±


    ¡°Zhen will not let imperial mother do something so senseless!¡± Jun Qian Che got up and left angrily .


    Yang Shi Han sighed theatrically, ¡°Everyone became senseless in the face of love, ah . ¡±


    The news of Yang Shi Han¡¯s pregnancy spread like wildfire inside the pce . In time, it reached Mo Qi Qi¡¯s ears .


    ¡°Bad news, Your Ladyship! Bad bad news!¡± huffed Ban Xiang as she ran inside Mo Qi Qi¡¯s chamber .


    Mo Qi Qi who was already lying in bed, sat up angrily, ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night! What are you doing kicking up such a fuss instead of going to bed? Did Chun Fei¡¯s dead bodye back to life or what?¡±


    Ban Xiang¡¯s spirit almost left her when she heard Mo Qi Qi¡¯s scary words . She shook her head, ¡°No, Your Ladyship . It¡¯s Yang Guifei¡ª¡°


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Yang Guifei? Did she die from a mysterious illness like Chun Fei?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be better, actually,¡± muttered Ban Xiang softly .


    ¡°What is it, then?¡± asked Mo Qi Qi impatiently .


    Ban Xiang replied her angrily, ¡°Yang Guifei is pregnant . ¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant?¡± Mo Qi Qi could feel her heart sinking, but then she forced herself to smile . ¡°This is great news! Why are you making it out to be so horrible? They say good newse in pairs . His Majesty must be ecstatic . ¡±


    ¡°What good is that for us? You were originally the only one pregnant in the harem, so His Majesty constantly came over to keep youpany . Your rtionship has improved so much . Now that this has happened, it will be a blow to your rtionship with him!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi disagreed with her, ¡°How could you say that, Ban Xiang? His Majesty does not belong to me, he is to be shared with the rest of the harem . Now that Yang Guifei is pregnant, we should be happy for His Majesty . When Qian Er came earlier, didn¡¯t you challenge her to have Yang Guifei pregnant too? Your mouth is so glib . Your words havee true and those people should really be thanking you . ¡± To be honest, Yang Guifei getting pregnant was not surprising . She was the Emperor¡¯s favorite consort . She herself got pregnant after just one night, much less Yang Shi Han got visited practically every other night . Her not being pregnant would be weirder, honestly .


    Ban Xiang pped her own mouth, ¡°This stupid useless mouth . It came through if it¡¯s bad, but never did if it¡¯s good . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughed, ¡°Alright, stop angering yourself . Bengong getting pregnant is a good news, and so is Yang Guifei getting pregnant . Let¡¯s stop minding other people¡¯s business . It iste, go to bed . ¡±


    She went back to bed and turned over so that her back was facing Ban Xiang .


    Ban Xiang looked at the silhouette of her back, her heart suddenly aching on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s behalf .


    Mo Qi Qi forced herself to keep smiling, telling herself: this is good . Jun Qian Che loved Yang Shi Han so much, he must be overjoyed now that she¡¯s pregnant . That¡¯s good . It would take his attention off of her . Who knows, now that Yang Shi Han is pregnant, he might stop paying so much attention to her child . Once the timees and she really could not return back to her world, she would definitely leave the pce and take her child with her . And Jun Qian Che wouldn¡¯t mind .


    She forced her eyes shut and told herself to go to sleep .


    <strong>Serene</strong>: I feel like Yang Shi Han is their biggest shipper and anti-fan at the same time lolz .

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144


    Chun Fei funeral rites soon ended . Since the court was busy and she was only a Consort, the procedure of the rites was fairly simple .


    After sending her off, the scandal revolving around her death slowly died down and on the surface, the pce calmed down once more .


    Another piece of news was dominating, not only the pce, but also the court: Yang Guifei¡¯s pregnancy .


    After ending the morning court, Jun Qian Che visited his mother to discuss the matter .


    The Empress Dowager was a little unhappy to see her son, ¡°Turns out Your Majesty still remembered you have a mother . ¡±


    ¡°The court has been too busytely . However, imperial son should have made time to visit imperial mother anyway . It is imperial son¡¯s fault, please forgive me,¡± said Jun Qian Che self-deprecatingly . To tell the truth, he had neglected visiting his imperial mother because he did not want her to discover that he was injured . He might be able to hide it from others, but not his perceptive imperial mother . Whenever he came by, she wouldment over his health and would sometimes check his arm to see if he had gotten thinner . To be honest, had it been up to him, he would have marched up here the very night he discovered the plot revolving around Yang Shi Han¡¯s pregnancy, but because he didn¡¯t want to get caught, he dyed it until this morning . This was the only way he could protect Mo Qi Qi .


    Now that the injury had been healing well and Chun Fei¡¯s death had been settled, he felt like it was time for him to speak to his mother .


    The Empress Dowager regarded him in displeasure, ¡°Even when busy, you still had managed to squeeze in time to visit the Empress over there . Looks like the rtionship between the two of you has be more and more loving . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che only visited Mo Qi Qi every night to treat his wound, but he naturally could not say that out loud to his mother . He only said, ¡°The Empress is pregnant, it is only proper for imperial son to care about her, so that she could give imperial mother a healthy grandchild . ¡± He purposely brought up the pregnancy topic .


    The Empress Dowager was even unhappier to hear that, ¡°If aijia wants a grandchild, aijia could get it from other people . It is only a grandchild from Mo Qi Qi that aijia does not like . Now that Shi Han is also pregnant, Your Majesty should be with Shi Han more . ¡± She knew that this was the reason her son was here this morning, so she went straight to the point .


    Since his mother was being direct, Jun Qian Che decided to go for the same approach, ¡°Imperial mother, imperial son thinks this matter involving Shi Han¡¯s pregnancy is not proper . ¡±


    ¡°What is so improper about this?¡± asked the Empress Dowager .


    Jun Qian Che respectfully replied her, ¡°Shi Han is faking a pregnancy . If this matter got out, it would bring danger to her and the entire Yang n . ¡±


    ¡°As long as aijia and Your Majesty say that Shi Han is pregnant, no one will dare to say otherwise,¡± replied the Empress Dowager willfully .


    ¡°And what happens 10 monthster? Do you really n to bring a child from outside to pretend to be zhen¡¯s child? Are you really nning to give the kingdom to some outsider?¡± Jun Qian Che did not expect his mother to take such an extreme measure just to counterattack the Empress¡¯ pregnancy .


    ¡°So you still care about handing the throne to your bloodline? You still care about who gets to inherit the kingdom? If the child that Mo Qi Qi is carrying survives, the ruler of the kingdom might change surnames! Rather than letting that happen, aijia might as well take a child from outside . At least the ruler will still be surnamed ¡®Jun,¡¯¡± replied the Empress Dowager angrily .


    ¡°Imperial mother, the child that the Empress is carrying is son¡¯s flesh and blood . He or she will be a true member of the imperial n . Why is it so hard for you to ept the child?¡±


    ¡°Because he or she will also be carrying Mo n¡¯s blood, and that is a threat to the imperial n . This is the only thing that imperial mother can do to ensure that the future monarch will not be surnamed ¡®Mo¡¯, unless of course, you impregnate other consorts and have heirs . Once the Empress gives birth to her child, do you honestly think you can still control Duke Zhen? As a member of the imperial n, imperial mother must do everything to make sure the seat of power remains with the Jun n . Otherwise, I will not be able to face your imperial father once I die,¡± said the Empress Dowager sorrowfully .


    Jun Qian Che med himself when he saw the state of his mother¡¯s emotion . However, he intends to protect Mo Qi Qi and their child . He turned to his mother, unwavering, ¡°Imperial mother, son does not intend to touch any woman other than Mo Qi Qi in this lifetime . I¡¯m afraid, the only grandchildren that you are going to get are going toe from Mo Qi Qi . Imperial son cannot guarantee that Mo Qi Qi¡¯s child isn¡¯t going to be the Crown Prince . This son can, however promise to protect the kingdom that our ancestors left us . If doing what you¡¯re doing makes you happy, then feel free to continue . Imperial son has other things to tend to and shall leave first,¡± Jun Qian Che turned around and left .


    He had listened to everything his mother said since he was young . He would just nod at her every request, and would agree to whomever she wanted to induct into the harem . After all, she¡¯d had it hard too . She had paid too much price just to see her son sit on the dragon throne . He just wanted her to be happy . Besides, he did not even like those women . What difference would it bring, adding or removing another one? The back pce was big and could amodate them anyway .


    But now, she actually wanted him to kill his own child . Although people said that monarchs could afford to be heartless, he could not bring himself to be that ruthless . He knew he¡¯s got enough power to protect his own wife, and yet his own mother kept goading him to hurt his own family . He really did not want to hurt his mother, but if filial piety meant he¡¯d have to kill his unborn child, then his mother left him with no choice .


    Seeing her son leaving, the Empress Dowager mmed her hand on the armrest . She frowned from the pain .


    Lu Momo spoke up in worry, ¡°Does your hand hurt, Your Ladyship?¡±


    The Empress Dowager shook her head, ¡°The pain in my hand is nothingpared to the one in my heart . The Emperor has always listened to aijia, yet this time, he actually went against aijia just for that Mo Qi Qi . Who knew what sort of tricks she has used to deceive him like this! He haspletely lost it . The kingdom is going to go to ruins in his hand! Aijia will never let Mo Qi Qi give birth to that child! That will be as good as the Emperor handing over the seat of the kingdom to Mo n himself!¡±


    Lu Momo tried to persuade her, ¡°There is no need to go that far, Your Ladyship . It doesn¡¯t matter whose daughter Mo Qi Qi is; the point is she is now the Emperor¡¯s wife . Her child will be His Majesty¡¯s flesh and blood . It will be your own grandchild . You were asking His Majesty to kill his own child; how could he possibly acquiesce to that?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say that aijia is too cruel? Mo Qi Qi is not good enough for the Emperor! The nature of her rtionship with the 7th King prior to entering the harem is still unclear to this day . And then, after entering the pce, she terrorized everyone with her jealousy and possessiveness, and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, she went and have an affair with another man! Aijia will never acknowledge such as a woman as the Empress! We don¡¯t even know for sure if the child she¡¯s carrying belongs to the Emperor! That¡¯s why aijia wanted His Majesty to get rid of the child!¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship, don¡¯t you think His Majesty would know if the child belongs to him or not? He is not muddle-headed,¡± muttered Lu Momo thoughtfully .


    ¡°His Majesty has been so busy with the court, when on earth would he have the time to care about the back pce? As for the paternity of the child, he is being thoroughly captivated by Mo Qi Qi right now, he would believe anything she said . We cannot say for sure that he won¡¯t be muddle-headed for her . It doesn¡¯t matter who the child really belongs to, it is better to be safe than sorry . We must not taint the imperial bloodline . Aijia would rather have His Majesty hate me now than having to face our ancestors in disgraceter . Not only must we remove the child, we also need to get rid of the Empress . Otherwise, the Emperor will never look at anyone but her . Once she¡¯s gone, His Majesty would be more open to looking at other women . Mo Qi Qi is nothing but a liability . A beautiful face will only lead to destruction,¡± said the Empress Dowager harshly .


    Lu Momo originally wanted to speak more on behalf of the Emperor, but then, she decided to keep her mouth shut after seeing how furious the Empress Dowager was .


    After leaving the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce, Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart was a mess . He did not like going against his mother either, but she left him with no other choice . He went to Luo Yue Pavilion and stood near theke, calming himself down .


    Today, Jun Yue Hen entered the pce to greet the Grand Empress Dowager . They invited Mo Qi Qi along to keep Grand Empress Dowagerpany .


    The Grand Empress Dowager took them out of Shou Ning Pce to stroll around the back pce .


    After walking around for a while, she rested under a pavilion, apanied by Gong Ya Xian . Jun Yue Hen and Mo Qi Qi on the other hand, continued strolling around .


    They leisurely walked around until they reached a deserted spot . Jun Yue Hen suddenly stopped walking and turned to Mo Qi Qi in worry, ¡°Have you been doing well, Qi Qi?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve been doing fine . What¡¯s wrong, Yue Hen? You seem anxious . ¡±


    ¡°I took advantage of visiting imperial mother to see you . That¡¯s why we invited you along . So many things have happenedtely, I was worried about you . Chun Fei died so suddenly, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not as simple as a sudden illness . I heard that Yang Guifei is also pregnant . I¡¯m worried that His Majesty would no longer view kindly of your pregnancy . What if he decides to do something?¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughed elegantly, ¡°You think too much, Yue Hen . Although Yang Shi Han is also pregnant, that does not change the fact that I¡¯m carrying Jun Qian Che¡¯s child . He will not be biased . ¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°You are too innocent, Qi Qi . The fight for favor in the harem has always been vicious, especially once children are involved . The Emperor might have decided to keep your pregnancy at first because this will be his first child, but now that Yang Guifei is also pregnant, your pregnancy might no longer seem that important to him . What if he decided to something to your pregnancy just to keep Mo n in check?¡±


    ¡°I trust Jun Qian Che . He will not do that . This is his child, he will not be so cruel,¡± replied Mo Qi Qi firmly .


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that he is not just a father, Qi Qi . ¡±


    Mo Qi Qi looked at him oddly .


    Jun Yue Hen felt a little conscious after being looked at like that, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Qi Qi?¡±


    ¡°Tell me the truth, Yue Hen . Do you really wish to see my child born safely?¡± asked Mo Qi Qi as she looked at him .


    He looked at her earnestly, ¡°Of course I wish to see your child born safely . I can see that you love the child so much . ¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I am very happy to hear that . I will do my best to make sure I¡¯d give birth safely . I believe that Jun Qian Che will protect this child too, considering that he is the father . ¡± A blissful smile flitted across Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face .


    Jun Yue Hen felt as though his heart had been pierced . He could not help from bitterly saying, ¡°But you must not forget the carriage incident during the Qixi Festival . Although he decided to spare you in the end, it could not be denied that he had intentions to kill you and the child at first . Are you sure he would not have such thoughts in the future?¡±


    ¡°As you¡¯ve said, although Jun Qian Che had the intentions to kill us, he decided not to, in the end . So, I should be able to trust him with the child . Let¡¯s not talk about this, from now on,¡± it was possible that Jun Qian Che had wavered once, but she trusted that he no longer would, in the future .


    ¡°Qi Qi seems to trust His Majesty more and more,¡± Jun Yue Hen¡¯s heart had this feeling of disappointment that he could not describe .


    She smiled, ¡°Because he promised to protect me and our child . ¡±


    ¡°So you trust him?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I trust him . ¡±


    Jun Yue Hen smiled, shrouded by bitterness .


    ¡°Are you sure Chun Fei died from sudden illness?¡± he changed the topic .


    She shook her head, ¡°Of course not . The Emperor told me she was killed . The perpetrator fed her with some sort of Wei Xin Poison . ¡±


    ¡°Wei Xin Poison?¡± Jun Yue Hen looked at her in surprise .


    Mo Qi Qi told Jun Yue Hen what she knew .


    Jun Yue Hen was shocked to hear what she had to say . ¡°I didn¡¯t know there¡¯s such a kind of poison in this world . The perpetrator is terrifying . Do you have any suspicions as to who the perpetrator is? Who is cruel enough to kill an unborn baby?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I initially thought it was Jun Qian Che, but he said it wasn¡¯t him . So, I don¡¯t really have any suspect right now,¡± replied Mo Qi Qi truthfully . She really trusted Jun Yue Hen and wouldn¡¯t hide anything from him .


    ¡°You believe him?¡± asked Jun Yue Hen .


    Mo Qi Qi nodded confidently, ¡°I believe that it¡¯s really not him . If he really wanted to kill my baby, he wouldn¡¯t bother to do it in such a roundabout way . There was no need to involve Chun Fei either, much less the need to kill her . ¡±


    ¡°Perhaps His Majesty is trying to rope in Chun Fei¡¯s father and brother . They do possess some power over the army,¡± guessed Yue Hen .


    She looked at him in shock, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°I know you¡¯d rather not believe that His Majesty would actually do something to your baby . After all, even if you two didn¡¯t like each other, he is still the father of the child . If the child somehow survived and found up, it¡¯d destroy him or her . But that doesn¡¯t mean that you could just ignore certain things . Chun Fei¡¯s father and brother were actually your father¡¯s people . They were loyal to him . It was impossible for His Majesty to not know that . Mo n is already powerful on its own . If Mo n is supported by the He n who holds the power over the capital¡¯s army, it¡¯d pose too great a risk for His Majesty . His Majesty couldn¡¯t just get rid of the He n without any reason; it¡¯d not only displease the ministers, but it¡¯d also be pointless because your father would definitelye to their rescue . So now the Emperor took advantage of Chun Fei¡¯s death . She only died because she tried to poison you, so the He n must have resented you . They¡¯d draw back their support from Mo n and would instead lean towards His Majesty, giving him more power . The court would be stable once again . That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t publicize what Chun Fei did . It¡¯s not that he was benevolent . He only let them live because he didn¡¯t want them to die . He wanted their loyalty and support . This is his biggest asset; his ability to manipte . Very few people can win over the Emperor . So many princes tried to get their hands on the throne back then, and in the end, he was the one who was able to secure the spot . Qi Qi, I am only telling you this because I want you to be careful . What you see and what you hear may not necessarily be the truth . ¡±


    ¡°What proof do you have to say all this, Yue Hen?¡± Mo Qi Qi still couldn¡¯t bring herself to trust his words .


    ¡°I have no proof for now . His Majesty will not leave any loopholes whenever he does things . It¡¯s alright for you not to believe me, after all, this is just a deduction . However, I still want you to be careful . This is the pce, every step you take will be frightening . ¡±


    ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, Yue Hen . Don¡¯t worry, I will judge everything rationally . If Jun Qian Che really did all those things, I believe that I will be able to find traces that lead it all back to him in the end . ¡±


    Jun Yue Hen nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right . ¡±


    Without realizing it, both of them reached Luo Yue Pavilion . They continued chatting happily by theke .


    Jun Qian Che who was resting underneath the pavilion took a deep breath and was just about to leave when he spotted the two of them . Jealousy quietly rose inside his heart as he watched them chatting without a care for the world . He walked over to them .


    ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, Yue Hen . I am so lucky I get to know you,¡± thanked Mo Qi Qi earnestly .


    Jun Yue Hen smiled .


    It was then that they saw Jun Qian Che walking over to them . They exchanged a look in shock .


    ¡°This official greets Your Majesty,¡± bowed Jun Yue Hen .


    Mo Qi Qi smiled, ¡°Chenqie greets Your Majesty . ¡±


    ¡°Are you here to greet the imperial grandmother, 7th Uncle?¡± asked Jun Qian Che evenly .


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± replied Jun Yue Hen calmly .


    Mo Qi Qi hurriedly exined, ¡°Imperial grandmother is just over there! We walked with her for a while, but then she said she was tired, so Ya Xian is keeping herpany at the moment . ¡±


    Jun Qian Che walked over to Mo Qi Qi and looked at her . He wiped her forehead with his hand, as he would to a spoiled child, ¡°The day is hot, Empress . And you are pregnant . You shouldn¡¯t be out in the sun for too long . Look at you, all sweaty . ¡±


    His unexpected public disy of affection caught her a little off-guard, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty . ¡±


    He grabbed her by the hand, ¡°Let zhen send you back to your chamber . 7th Uncle, please inform imperial grandmother that zhen is sending the Empress back to her pce . ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± replied Jun Yue Hen formally .


    Jun Qian Che led Mo Qi Qi away, leaving Jun Yue Hen to stare at their retreating silhouettes in disappointment and concern .


    After reaching Feng Yang Pce, Jun Qian Che sent all the servants away, leaving them alone in her chamber .


    She looked at him anxiously before saying, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand anything, Your Majesty . 7th imperial uncle and I were just chatting, we¡ª-¡°


    ¡°Qi Qi¡ª¡° Jun Qian Che suddenly hugged her tight .


    She was momentarily stunned by his action . ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Majesty?¡± asked her in worry .


    ¡°Don¡¯t move . Zhen just wants to hug you,¡± muttered Jun Qian Che . There were so many words that he wished to say to her, but couldn¡¯t . She was with child and he did not wish to worry her . Be it the pressure from the court or the pressure from the Empress Dowager, he could only keep it all to himself . Despite everything, he was still a mortal; even he felt tired . Even he yearned for affection every once in a while . The harem was big and was filled with so many women, yet not a single one of them could give him the warmth that he needed . Only when he was with her would he feel at peace and warm . Seeing her chatting with the 7th King made him so jealous, and so worried . He was worried that she would leave him, one day . Qi Qi, please don¡¯t make me regret my decision . Zhen could disregard everything that imperial mother said, just, don¡¯t disappoint zhen . Zhen really cares for you and our child .


    The longer he kept quiet, the more worried Mo Qi Qi became .


    ¡°Did something happen at court, Your Majesty?¡±

 Chapter 145

    Jun Qian Che let go of her and cradled her face, genuinely asking, ¡°Do you trust that zhen will keep you both safe?¡±


    She nodded at him with a firm gaze, ¡°Chenqie believes in you.¡±


    Pleasure rose through Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart. He pecked her on the lips before calmly saying, ¡°Rest first, Empress. Zhen will tend to other things now.¡± He let go of her and left.


    She turned around and red at his retreating back in utter disbelief, ¡°Jun Qian Che, you piece of trash! You took advantage of me in broad daylight!¡±


    She touched her lips; she could still feel the warmth of his lips there. Although it was only a quick peck, it felt overpoweringly sweet. The corner of her lips curled as her face turned scarlet.


    She caressed her cheeks as she sat on the phoenix seat, mumbling to herself, ¡°Jun Qian Che really is a basta*d. I would never like such a man! I am only barely tolerating his kisses because¡ª because I¡¯m pregnant. I¡¯m only giving him face. Right. I still hate him, deep down inside. Of course.¡± She could only deny the strange feelings that she felt for him. The truth was her feelings for him had changed without her even knowing.


    Ban Xiang rushed in. When she saw her mistress sitting on the phoenix seat while smiling to herself, she stepped forward and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Ladyship?¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± Mo Qi Qi screamed when she realized Ban Xiang was there. ¡°What the hell, Ban Xiang? You came out of nowhere! You scared me!¡±


    Ban Xiang pursed her lips, ¡°You were the one who didn¡¯t see me entering, Your Ladyship. I was the one who was scared. This servant was originally keeping the Grand Empress Dowagerpany. Then, she wanted me to send you and the 7th King some pastries. I went over to you, only to be told that the Emperor had taken you away. This servant was worried sick, so I rushed back as fast as I could. Where is His Majesty, Your Ladyship? Is he displeased at you?¡±


    ¡°Why would His Majesty be displeased at me?¡± asked Mo Qi Qi.


    ¡°Did His Majesty get angry when he saw you and the 7th King together?¡± asked Ban Xiang in worry.


    Mo Qi Qi shook her head, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. The person that Jun Qian Che likes is Yang Shi Han, so he wouldn¡¯t care who I was with.¡±


    Ban Xiang was overjoyed, ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t think so. This servant thinks that His Majesty trusted you; that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t get angry.¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughed exaggeratingly, ¡°He trusted me? What a funny little joke! The thing is, out of all the women in his harem, I¡¯m the one he least trusted! He probably didn¡¯t scold me because I¡¯m carrying his child!¡±


    Ban Xiang shook her head before curiously asking, ¡°Why were you smiling to yourself just now, Your Ladyship?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face unwittingly turned red when Ban Xiang brought up the matter, as though Ban Xiang could somehow see that she had been kissed, ¡°I wasn¡¯t smiling! I- I was just thinking about the child that I¡¯m carrying.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh,¡± Ban Xiang dragged her voice meaningfully.


    Mo Qi Qi red at her, ¡°Don¡¯t use that tone when you speak! Bengong is tired and would like to rest!¡± Then, she walked to her resting chamber.


    After she lied down on her bed though, Mo Qi Qi couldn¡¯t sleep. Everything that happened today kept reying inside her mind, forming a giant question mark.


    Why did Jun Yue Hen keep warning her about Jun Qian Che every time they meet? Be it the assassins, or the carriage, or even Chun Fei, he would always point it all back to Jun Qian Che. Were those things really connected to Jun Qian Che, or was it just Jun Yue Hen¡¯s deep feelings on enmity that caused him to unconditionally suspect Jun Qian Che?


    Was Jun Qian Che really that ruthless? Was he really capable of killing his own wife for the kingdom? After spending so much time with Jun Qian Chetely, she felt like he was not that horrible as to do all those deeds that Jun Yue Hen imed he did.


    Could it be that Jun Qian Che was just really that good at acting? Or maybe Yue Hen just misunderstood him?


    Just who was lying between them? Jun Qian Che kept calling her dumb, but he never really said anything to her. He always left her pondering and guessing. How could she possibly see through everything without assistance?


    She could tell that Yue Hen had no ill intention towards herself. His concerns were genuine, but he worried too much. He was too suspicious of everything and was too quick to me Jun Qian Che.


    Jun Qian Che, I am willing to believe your words. I know that you now genuinely want to see our child born safely, so I¡¯m willing to forgive you even though you intended to kill us before. Since I don¡¯t love you, I am willing to be a generous Empress. As long as you no longer have any intention to kill us, I am willing to get along with you. Perhaps this is what a virtuous Empress ought to do.


    Two dayster, Mo Qi Qi was in the backyard, studying the diagrams of a hot-air balloon. Back then, all the time-travel novels that she used to read always include scenes of the main character introducing modern inventions in ancient times, drawing admiration from the ancient people. Since she had nothing better to do, might as well do it. If it worked, she could use it to traverse thend of the Kingdom. Or if things went south in the pce, she could use it to escape. With all that in mind, her enthusiasm grew stronger. She vowed to make this work.


    Just as Mo Qi Qi was in full work-mode, Ban Xiang ran in, ¡°Your Ladyship, Eunuch Lin came by just now, with a decree.¡±


    ¡°A decree? What did Jun Qian Che say? Don¡¯t tell me he wants me to study pce¡¯s etiquette?¡± asked Mo Qi Qi without even looking up.


    Ban Xiang shook her head, ¡°No, Your Ladyship. His Majesty informed you that tomorrow is the annual summer hunt. He wants you to attend it.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi looked up in displeasure, ¡°The weather is so hot and they want to go hunting? Are they insane? Tell His Majesty that bengong won¡¯te. It¡¯s too hot.¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship, everyone from the imperial family and the nobles will be there. Even you, and the rest of the consorts. Princesses from the noble ns will also be attending. It¡¯s a huge get-together. Even the generals will bring their wives with them. It will be fun and merry. How could you not go?¡±


    ¡°The sun is like poison, even animals won¡¯t go out of their hiding ce! Besides, I¡¯m pregnant, I shouldn¡¯t take part in such a vigorous excursion.¡± Mo Qi Qi really had no intention to go.


    ¡°Your Ladyship, you are the Empress. It¡¯s alright for anyone else not to go, but not you,¡± reminded Ban Xiang.


    Mo Qi Qi wanted to cry, ¡°You¡¯re bullying me on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship, this hunt has been done every year ever since the founding of the kingdom; it is not purposely created to torment you. Don¡¯t worry, though. You are pregnant, so they will not make you take part in the hunt. You can just watch the hunt and the archerypetition from the sideline. It will be fun.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi sighed helplessly, ¡°Why is my life like this? I still have to do social niceties even after getting pregnant.¡±


    The next day, everyone had to head straight to the imperial hunting ground after breakfast. She heard that the imperial hunting ground was located outside the capital city and that imperial guards and servants had gone there before them to secure the ground. Members of the imperial n had been bustling out of the capital first thing in the morning.


    After the morning court, Jun Qian Che personally came to apany Mo Qi Qi to the hunting ground.


    Both of them sat inside the same pnquin, a loving couple in the eyes of others.


    Jun Qian Che looked at Mo Qi Qi and said, ¡°Once we reach the hunting ground, be good and stay still. Do not run amok. You are pregnant, be careful.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi pursed her lips, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want anything to happen to chenqie, you might as well let chenqie stay at the pce. It¡¯d be safer that way.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think the pce is safe?¡± asked Jun Qian Che. If she was not by his side, he would not feel at peace no matter how safe a ce might seem.


    What he said reminded her of Chun Fei. She shrugged, ¡°You have a point, Your Majesty. With so many people gone, it¡¯d be easy for others to hurt chenqie. Thank you for your deep care, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°As long as you know it,¡± replied Jun Qian Che proudly.


    Mo Qi Qi secretly stuck out her tongue at him.


    She looked at the carriages behind them, ¡°Your Majesty, is imperial grandmother and the Empress Dowagering?¡±


    Jun Qian Che nodded.


    She shook her head, ¡°The weather is so warm and imperial grandmother is so old, what if her body can¡¯t take all the heat?¡±


    An inscrutable smile was formed on Jun Qian Che¡¯s lips, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Imperial grandmother is so healthy, nothing will happen to her. Zhen initially wanted to postpone the hunt until the weather is a bit cooler, it was imperial grandmother who was adamant to do it now.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi looked at him in shock, ¡°Imperial grandmother is really something! Even us younger people couldn¡¯t take the heat, but she could!¡±


    The corner of Jun Qian Che¡¯s lips curled even more as a shrewd look shed through his eyes.


    She looked at his shoulder in worry, ¡°Will you be partaking in the hunt, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Of course. As were the previous years.¡±


    ¡°But you are injured this year! You shouldn¡¯t go hunting,¡± said Mo Qi Qi, uneasy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once we¡¯re there, zhen would act ording to the circumstances,¡±forted Jun Qian Che.


    She nodded.


    They soon arrived at the hunting ground. The imperial hunting ground was indeed worthy of its name; not only was it huge, but the views were also great. The atmosphere up there was cooler than the one below the mountain. The air was also refreshing. No wonder the Grand Empress Dowager wanted toe so much. Coming here in the dead of the summer was really cooling.


    Jun Qian Che led Mo Qi Qi to a tent. There were chairs and tables set up under a pavilion in front of the tent, facing an open field that would be used for martial artspetitionter. There were even little targets for the archerypetitionter.


    He looked at the crowd, ¡°Is everyone here?¡±


    Chu Ling Xiao stepped forward and respectfully replied, ¡°Answering Your Majesty, the royals and the generals who are going topete in thepetitionter are all ready.¡±


    Jun Qian Che nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Alright, since everyone is ready, the hunt will begin now. The person who caught the most game will be rewarded.¡±


    Seeing this, the Grand Empress Dowager said, ¡°Your Majesty has always been the best in the hunting event. You always caught the most prey. Will you be able to defend your position this year? Imperial grandmother can¡¯t wait to see it!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi looked around for a while, before suddenly clutching her stomach with a pained look on her face, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie¡¯s stomach hurts.¡±


    Jun Qian Che immediately grasped her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Empress?¡±


    She grabbed his hand tight, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie¡¯s stomach hurts. Is anything wrong with our baby?¡±


    ¡°What happened? Summon the physician! Don¡¯t worry, Empress. Nothing will happen to our child!¡±forted Jun Qian Che.


    One of the noble madams said, ¡°Perhaps the Empress is having a fetal restlessness.¡±


    ¡°Summon imperial physicians and servants to take care of the Empress. Don¡¯t worry and just go to the hunt, Your Majesty. Aijia will help you take care of her,¡± quipped the Grand Empress Dowager.


    Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi coquettishly clutched Jun Qian Che even tighter, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie refuse to let you go to the hunt! Stay here and keep chenqiepany.¡±


    The Empress Dowager was furious when she heard that, ¡°Stop with that nonsense, Empress. His Majesty has always liked hunting, but the court is always busy and he never had time. It is not easy for him to find the time to be here today, and yet you won¡¯t let him go! Where is your etiquette?¡±


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Just in case:


    The Grand Empress Dowager = Jun Qian Che¡¯s grandma (Jun Yue Hen¡¯s mom)The Empress Dowager = Jun Qian Che¡¯s mom.)


    Duke Zhen unhappily snapped, ¡°Your Ladyship, is this hunt more important than the Empress¡¯ pregnancy?¡±


    ¡°Imperial mother and Duke Zhen, both of you may stop arguing. Zhen will not take part in the hunt this year. Zhen is worried about the Empress. The hunt has officially begun, you all may leave now. Empress, let us go to the tent so that you can rest.¡± Without waiting for any response, he led Mo Qi Qi inside their tent.


    Duke Zhen smiled triumphantly.


    The crowd began to urge their horses to gallop to the forest to start hunting.


    The Empress Dowager was furious. She felt that her son only cared about his wife and hadpletely disrespected her in public.


    Seeing the look on her face, Yang Shi Han quicklyforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Aunt. We will have the hunt again next year. The Empress is pregnant this year, the circumstance is a bit special. It is normal for him to worry about her.¡±


    The Empress Dowager sighed helplessly while shaking her head, ¡°Beautiful women will only lead to destruction, ah.¡±


    As for the couple in question, Jun Qian Che led Mo Qi Qi inside the tent, ¡°Lie down on the bed and rest, first.¡±


    She grabbed him by the arm happily, ¡°Did chenqie do well, Your Majesty?¡±


    Jun Qian Che stared at the suddenly invigorated her, ¡°Your stomach¡ª¡°


    ¡°Hehe, chenqie is fine. Chenqie heard the Grand Empress Dowager telling you to go hunting and was worried about your injury, so chenqie faked it for everyone to see.¡± Mo Qi Qi raised her eyebrows arrogantly.


    Jun Qian Che had never truly understood the saying ¡®worry makes one lose their equanimity¡¯ until today. He actually did not realize that she had been acting. He had been protecting her so thoroughly during the journey here, so how was it possible for her to even get fetal restlessness? This girl really...


    ¡°Chenqie did well, didn¡¯t I? Why aren¡¯t you praising chenqie?¡± she looked at him, disappointed.


    He flicked her gently on the forehead, ¡°You are so.... Did you know how worried zhen was?¡±


    ¡°Chenqie was only doing it for you! Your injury is still not healed and hunting requires great physical exertion, what if something went wrong?¡±


    He stared at her, ¡°To tell the truth, there was nothing for you to worry about. Zhen originally nned to shrug off my guards after I entered the forest. Then, zhen would use my internal energy to shoot at some prey. None would be the wiser.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi disagreed, ¡°Your injury hasn¡¯t healed, you shouldn¡¯t be using your internal energy. Besides, you are the Emperor. Who knows how many people secretly want to hurt you! What if you encountered assassins after leaving your guards? Wouldn¡¯t it be even more dangerous? Perhaps, the assassins who tried to kill you the other day are waiting for their chances here! Chenqie feels like chenqie¡¯s solution is the best way out!¡±


    Jun Qian Che shook her head whileughing.


    When Mo Qi Qi saw the sweat on his forehead, she couldn¡¯t help but saying, ¡°Since you don¡¯t have to go hunting, perhaps you can take off your armor, Your Majesty. The weather is so hot, your wound might get worse if it gets wet.¡±


    What she saidpletely warmed Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart. A faint smile was formed on his lips as he took off his armor.


    She was still worried, ¡°Let me have a look at your wound, Your Majesty.¡±


    Jun Qian Che sat on the bed and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing half of his shoulder.


    She took off the bandage and inspected the wound. It was all red and and swollen. ¡°Just look at how red your wound is! Lucky you already took off your armor! If you had continued wearing it throughout the way, the wound would have gotten worse for sure.¡± She blew on the wound softly.


    Seeing her actions made Jun Qian Che smile again.


    ¡°Let chenqie help you re-dress the wound, Your Majesty.¡± After letting the wound dry a little, Mo Qi Qi wrapped it with a brand new bandage.


    Just as she was in the process of redressing the wound, they suddenly heard footsteps outside.


    ¡°Imperial physician, hurry and check the Empress¡¯ pulse,¡± they could hear the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s voice speaking outside.


    Mo Qi Qi was shocked. She immediately hid the bandage under the nket before forcing Jun Qian Che to lie down. She climbed on top of him and hid his exposed arm with her wide sleeves. Then, she wrapped his other arm around her waist suggestively.


    This was the scene that greeted those people when they came in. The obvious conclusion was drawn once they saw the Empress on top of the half-naked Emperor on the bed.


    Seeing them, Mo Qi Qi pretended to hide her face on Jun Qian Che¡¯s chest in embarrassment.


    The Empress Dowager pointed at them furiously, ¡°You two¡ª You two¡ª- Preposterous!¡± Then, she left in anger.


    The Grand Empress Dowager on the other hand,ughed sheepishly, ¡°Che Er and Qi Qi, imperial grandmother knows that you are young. However, Qi Qi is pregnant, so Che Er should control your urges.¡±


    ¡°Yes, imperial grandmother,¡± replied Jun Qian Che.


    The Grand Empress Dowager turned to the physician, ¡°Everyone should leave first. Come backter to check the Empress¡¯ pulse.¡±


    In another part of the camp, Yang Shi Han was busy trying to cate the furious Empress Dowager. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Aunt. You¡¯ll get sick.¡±


    ¡°Just look at what has be of your cousin! He actually lost his sense of propriety over a woman! People will beughing at him if they find out!¡±


    Yang Shi Hanughed, ¡°Aunt, no oneughs at things like this. My cousin is young and virile, this ispletely normal. In the past, the people at court were actually worried that he had hidden illness! There were so many women in the harem, and yet not a single one was pregnant. My cousin did not seem interested in anyone, either. At least now, the rumors are squashed. We should be thanking Mo Qi Qi instead.¡±


    ¡°Thank her? Aijia would rather kick her out of the pce! What kind of method did she use to make your cousin so obsessed with her?¡± asked the Empress Dowager heatedly.


    Yang Shi Han pulled her to a seat and poured a cup of tea for her, ¡°Aunt, the weather is hot so temper is running low. Please drink some tea to dispel your anger.¡±


    The Empress Dowager smiled at her, ¡°Aunt is lucky to have you. You and Che Er would have been so good together, and yet¡ª¡°


    ¡°Aunt, it does not matter what my rtionship with my cousin is. No matter what, Shi Han will always be filial to you,¡± she hugged the Empress Dowager¡¯s arm coyly.


    The Empress Dowagerughed happily.


    Back to the Emperor¡¯s tent, Mo Qi Qi immediately sat up the moment the Grand Empress Dowager left. She patted her chest in relief, ¡°That was close! Lucky chenqie reacted quickly. They almost found out about your injury. Your Majesty, did chenqie identally press on your wound?¡±


    Jun Qian Che shook his head as he stared at her, ¡°No.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi had tried to open her outer garment haphazardly, revealing her fair shoulders. She was wearing an inner garment, which only stood to mesmerize him more.


    When she realized where he was looking, she immediately covered her chest in displeasure, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re looking, Your Majesty!¡±


    He suddenly leaned in towards her.


    She took a couple of steps back nervously, ¡°What are you doing, Your Majesty?¡±

 Chapter 146.1

    Jun Qian Che raised his eyebrows, ¡°Since everyone is misunderstanding the situation anyway, let¡¯s make it a reality.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi was shocked to hear that. She warned him, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie is only around 3 months pregnant, this is the most precarious period in pregnancy. You better not act rashly.¡±


    Jun Qian Che lowered his eyes from her face to her chest, before swallowing heavily. He did not expect his body to start reacting this strongly. In order for her not to find out, he climbed down the bed and put on his robe, before disdainfully saying, ¡°There is nothing to look at anyway.¡±


    She pointed at him angrily, ¡°You- You- You¡ª¡°


    ¡°Put on your clothes and let the physician check your pulse,¡± Jun Qian Che struggled to make his voice normal.


    Mo Qi Qi angrily fixed her clothes on, ¡°There is no need to check chenqie¡¯s pulse. Chenqie is as healthy as ever.¡±


    ¡°If you want to act, act until the end. Otherwise, what you did just now would go to waste. Come on in, Imperial Physician Wang.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The physician checked the Empress¡¯ pulse, and in the end, said that she waspletely fine.


    Only then did Jun Qian Che finally put his worry to rest.


    After the hunt, they both left the tent to award the winner. General Han Yi Xiao was not here today as he was escorting the Marquis of Ning Nan to the capital, so thepetitioncked a strong contender for the top spot.


    The winner this year, with the most hunt was Mo Cheng Xuan.


    In the previous years, Mo Cheng Xuan did not partake in the hunt as he was always busy at the border and at the barrack. His winning this year proved just how extraordinarily talented he was. It was a pity he was Duke Zhen¡¯s son. Otherwise, the Emperor would have treasured him so much more.


    When Yang Shi Han heard who the winner was, she smiled happily while looking at him. Perhaps a coincidence, but he too was looking at her. As their gazes met, a tacit understanding flowed between the two of them.


    Jun Qian Che rewarded Mo Cheng Xuan with his prize.


    The animals that they caught were taken to the imperial kitchen to be cooked. Everyone was just waiting to be served.


    Before lunchmenced though, there were many more interesting events held.


    First, the imperial family members went and yed cuju. It was very simr to modern-day ser. Mo Qi Qi sighed in appreciation; Hua Chen Kingdom was really a prosperous nation.


    Next was the horseback ridingpetition. People were doing martial arts and shooting arrows while riding horses. This would have been Bai Jiu¡¯s event. It was a pity she was under General Han¡¯s battalion and had to escort the Marquis alongside him. They actually lost this event to another battalion.


    Even so, Mo Qi Qi secretly sighed in relief. After all, Bai Jiu was a girl. She was practically deceiving the Emperor. If she got discovered, the entire Mo n would be in deep trouble, Mo Qi Qi included.


    The horse-back riding events were followed by martial artspetition, andstly, archery.


    Archers stood 10 metres away from the target and shoot their shot. Their points were recorded by Eunuch You and all the winners would be handsomely rewarded.


    Before long, the archerypetition ended. Just as lunch was about to be served, the Grand Empress Dowager suddenly turned to Jun Qian Che while smiling benevolently, ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s a pity you could not join the hunt earlier. You¡¯ve always loved martial arts ever since you were a young boy. Imperial grandmother bet your hand was itching when you watched the fiercepetitions just now. Imperial grandmother knows you¡¯re a great hunter, however, imperial grandmother had never actually seen you in action. Why don¡¯t you show us your excellence in archery, today? It could make up for you not participating in the hunt.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi anxiously turned towards the Grand Empress Dowager, ¡°Imperial grandmother, everyone must be fatigued and hungry from all the festivity this morning. Qi Qi think it¡¯s better to send everyone to lunch. His Majesty can show us his talents next year.¡±


    The Grand Empress Dowagerughed, ¡°Aijia knows that you¡¯re worried for His Majesty, Empress. But archery will not tire him out, in fact, it¡¯d make him feel even better. He¡¯d always love martial arts. If he hadn¡¯t been born as the Crown Prince and was instead born in a regr family, he probably would have traversed the jianghu or enter the military. Aijia knows the soldiers are hungry, but aijia bet that they are more eager to see His Majesty¡¯s skills over their lunch. It will not take too long. To tell the truth, aijia has selfish intentions. Aijia wants to see His Majesty in all his glory. Aijia is old and this could be the only chance for aijia to witness His Majesty with a bow in hand.¡±


    ¡°You are in great health, imperial grandmother. You will definitely live to be 100 years old,¡± replied Mo Qi Qi sweetly. ¡®We couldn¡¯t worsen Jun Qian Che¡¯s injury just because of your little selfish intention, though,¡¯ thought her resentfully. But now that she thought about it, the Grand Empress Dowager didn¡¯t really know the Emperor was injured, so she couldn¡¯t really me her.


    The Grand Empress Dowagerughed happily.


    The Empress Dowager on the other hand, regarded Mo Qi Qi in irritation, ¡°Empress, you already stopped His Majesty from participating in the hunt, are you going to deprive him of archery as well? The soldiers will not mind eating a littleter. Your Majesty, since the Grand Empress Dowager wishes to see your skills, let her and the rest of the officials see it.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi turned to Jun Qian Che sadly, as though saying: Your Majesty, chenqie has tried my best. If I had known, I would have just let you go hunting as you originally nned.


    Jun Qian Che gave her a consoling look, as though saying: don¡¯t worry, everything will be fine.


    He got up, saying, ¡°It has been a while since zhenst hold a bow and arrow, zhen has indeed been wanting to wield them. Since imperial grandmother wishes to see them, zhen will concede. Bring in a bow and an arrow.¡± He could no longer avoid it and could only get it done and over with as fast as he could.


    ¡°The Emperor is mighty!¡± chanted the people.


    Whilst everyone was anticipating to see the Emperor¡¯s skill, Mo Qi Qi was worried.


    Jun Qian Che picked up the bow and aimed at the distant target, narrowing his eyes. There was a swishing sound as he released the arrow that pierced through the air like wind. Then, it hit the center of the target.


    ¡°Great job! Your Majesty is heroic and mighty!¡± chanted the spectators.


    Jun Qian Che handed the bow over to a guard and said, ¡°Let the lunch be served!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi eyed his arm in worry. A healing wound would never withstand the exertion it took to wield a bow. However, with so many people around, she could only keep her worries hidden.


    After lunch, many people strolled around the hunting ground to admire the view.


    Once they returned to their tent, Mo Qi Qi immediately checked his injury. His wound had indeed reopened. Her heart ached when she realized that he had put on an act just so no one would disover his injury, ¡°Your Majesty, your wound is bleeding again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Hurry and put medicine on it. Don¡¯t let anyone see it.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she immediately applied medication and helped him wrap the injury.


    On another part of the hunting ground, the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were strolling together, admiring the view. The Grand Empress Dowager sighed in regret, ¡°Time has passed so quickly. In the blind of an eye, we are both old. I can still remember the moment you entered the pce. You were only around Qi Qi¡¯s age. You were extraordinary and astonishing and had gained thete Emperor¡¯s deep love.¡±


    The Empress Dowager exhaled, ¡°You are right. Back then, you were the person that imperial father loved the most. Now, imperial father is gone, and so is the previous Emperor. There are only the two of us left, guarding the memories of what used to be.¡±


    ¡°Having beautiful memories is a blessing. We are lucky to be loved so deeply by the men we loved the most. Seeing Che Er and Qi Qi reminds me of my younger days. The imperial n¡¯s emperors used to be born on the battlefield. They would ride horses and engage in battles while wielding glorious weapons. It¡¯s a grievance for Che Er to not be able to spread his wings on the battlefield. However, seeing him loving the Empress really pleases aijia. Che Er is finally all grown up. He finally knows how to love a person,¡± the Grand Empress Dowager smiled in relief and happiness.


    The Empress Dowager, however, did not share that sentiment, ¡°Even if he wants to spoil a woman, he shouldn¡¯t only listen to her. Just look at him! He decided not to go hunting just because she told him to. If this goes on, the Empress will be spoiled!¡±


    The Grand Empress Dowager patted the Empress¡¯ hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Che Er and Qi Qi are both sensible children. But there seems to be something wrong with Che Er today.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say so, imperial mother?¡± asked the Empress Dowager.


    The Grand Empress Dowager recounted her observation, ¡°Aijia feels like there was something wrong with the Emperor¡¯s body. Just now, when His Majesty was pulling the string of the bow, his hand was shaking. Maybe aijia is old and there is something wrong with aijia¡¯s eyesight. Perhaps aijia saw it wrong. If his hand was shaking, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to hit the center of the target. Don¡¯t worry, Empress Dowager. His Majesty has been close to you ever since he was little. If there is something wrong with him, he wouldn¡¯t hide it from you.¡±


    The Empress Dowagerughed even though her heart was in a pinch.


    On a different part of the ground, Yang Shi Han walked around until she spotted Mo Cheng Xuan standing near a cliff. With a pleased heart, she strode over to him, ¡°General Mo.¡±


    Mo Cheng Xuan who was originally immersed in his thought was surprised to see Yang Shi Han next to him, ¡°What a coincidence, Your Ladyship.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re fated together,¡± teased Yang Shi Han.


    Mo Cheng Xuanughed awkwardly at the way she teased him, ¡°Your Ladyship is joking.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking. The pce is huge and yet we still met each other. The roads in the capital were bustling during Qi Xi Festival and yet we encountered each other. There are so many people going around in this huge hunting ground, and it is you that I see. If this isn¡¯t fate, then what is it?¡± replied Yang Shi Han directly.


    Mo Cheng Xuan smiled as he looked at her, ¡°This General heard that Your Ladyship is pregnant. Congrattion.¡±


    Yang Shi Han so very wanted to tell him that her pregnancy was fake, and yet, she drew back the words before she could say it. ¡°What is there congratte about?¡± she said instead.


    ¡°Your Ladyship does not seem too pleased,¡± he gauged her expression.


    She stared at the cliff nearby. She couldn¡¯t see the bottom. She smiled bitterly, ¡°What is there to be pleased about? Do you think it is easy to be an Emperor¡¯s child? If it¡¯s a princess, marrying a gentleman would be the best oue while marrying diplomatically would be the worst one. It¡¯d be worse for princes. He would have to grapple in a power struggle from the moment he was born. There would always be people who¡¯d want to harm him. I¡¯ve never wished to have children. I wish to live my life happily, without having to worry over the lives of other people. This child is an ident.¡±


    ¡°Please do not say that, Your Ladyship. His Majesty loves you so deeply; this child will be deeply loved as well. No one will dare to harm the child. The only person who has to worry is the Empress. She should be really careful with her pregnancy,¡± stated Mo Cheng Xuan in worry.


    Yang Shi Han shook her head while smiling, ¡°You fool.¡±


    He looked at her in confusion, ¡°Why do you say that, Your Ladyship?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s the truth,¡± she tipped her chin haughtily.


    He was not in the mood to interpret her meaning, ¡°Can this General ask you of just one thing, Your Ladyship?¡±


    She raised her eyebrows, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Both you and the Empress are pregnant at the same time. This General knows that you have the Emperor and the Empress Dowager¡¯s deep love; this child will definitely be born safely. But this General cannot say the same about the Empress¡¯ child. This General would like to ask you to take care of the Empress and her child. Make sure no one hurts them. If you do that, this General will be utterly grateful to you,¡± said Mo Cheng Xuan earnestly.


    She raised her eyebrows frivolously, ¡°Why should I promise you that? What if we both give birth to boys? The boys will be fighting for the throne. Mo n is so powerful, they would definitely use their might to forcibly instate her child as the Crown Prince. In fact, they might even kill my child to clear the path for the Empress¡¯ child.¡±


    ¡°No, they will not. This General can assure you that much. If your child ends up being a boy, the Mo n will not harm him,¡± Mo Cheng Xuan raised his hand and swore.


    She looked around, ¡°I never believe in oaths that are made so lightly. If you want to make me believe you, you have to do three things.¡±


    ¡°What is it? As long as this General could do it, this General would,¡± he readily agreed.


    Sheughed, ¡°You sure are a good brother. I don¡¯t know what my terms are. Once I figure it out, I will inform you.¡±


    ¡°This¡ª¡° he looked at her hesitantly.


    She patted him in the arm, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask you to betray Mo n, the court, the people, or the army. Are you on?¡±


    He contemted it for a moment before nodding, ¡°Alright, this General promised Your Ladyship.¡±


    She smiled at him happily, ¡°Then, I also promise to take care of the Empress and her child.¡±


    They looked at each other and smiled.


    ¡°It is cold, Your Ladyship. You should go back.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back. Keep mepany a while longer.¡±


    He looked at her and nodded.


    She peered down at the cliff curiously, ¡°What do you think is under there, General Mo?¡± She took another step before slipping on a loose rock.


    Mo Cheng Xuan reacted quickly and pulled her back, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± the loose rock that she stepped on already rolled down the cliff into the bottomless abyss. She was lucky Mo Cheng Xuan pulled her back in time.


    She smoothly turned around and grabbed him hard, causing them both to tumble backward.


    Mo Cheng Xuan tried to get up unhappily, but she hugged his neck and refused to let go.


    ¡°What are you doing, Your Ladyship? Are you trying toy false charges on me again?¡± he asked unhappily.


    She forced him to look at her, their eyes locked as she stared at him mesmerizingly. ¡°Why? Do you have impure intentions towards me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Mo Cheng Xuan firmly. Just what did she take him for? She pretended to fall and purposely turned her body around so that they would fall on the ground, him on top of her. He felt a little angry now.


    ¡°Why? Am I not pretty?¡± she stared at him enchantingly.


    He looked away and could not answer her.


    She gave him a beautiful smile, ¡°Bengong really admire General Mo. Even before the hunt started, bengong knew you were going to win it. Bengong hasn¡¯t congratted you yet.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, now please let go, Your Ladyship,¡± his tone had cooled down considerably.


    Hearing that, she hugged him even tighter, ¡°What would you do if I won¡¯t? Bengong purposely stepped on a loose rock just now to see if you would save bengong. You did. Bengong has won.¡±


    ¡°You- You are mad!¡± Mo Cheng Xuan felt furious. He felt deceived.


    She looked at him arrogantly, ¡°You¡¯re angry. Is it because bengong could have fallen?¡±


    ¡°Please remember your ce, Your Ladyship.¡± He slowly increased his strength and pulled her hands off him. He stood up and walked away. She was too bold. She actually used herself and her child for a joke. She could have really fallen.


    Seeing this, Yang Shi Han looked around before sitting up, clutching her stomach, ¡°My stomach hurts!¡±


    Hearing that, Mo Cheng Xuan rushed back towards her. He crouched in front of her in worry, ¡°What is wrong, Your Ladyship?¡±


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Like bruhhhhh, how many times are you gonna fall for that? Even I feel tired for you TOT)


    ¡°My stomach hurt, General Mo! You were pressing in on it earlier, something must have happened to the child!¡± cried Yang Shi Han in pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This General will look for a physician right away,¡± Mo Cheng Xuan med himself.


    ¡°No, carry me to a physician!¡± She pulled his hand and looked at him pitifully, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me all alone in here. I¡¯m scared.¡±


    He eyed her from head to toe, and then pushed her hands away, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me!¡±


    Sheughed, ¡°You¡¯ve improved! You actually managed to see through my act!¡±


    He got up and walked away angrily.


    ¡°If you leave like this, aren¡¯t you scared bengong would go to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager and im you tried to hurt my pregnancy? Bengong does not want this child anyway, dragging you into the mess would only be a bonus. You might end up dead!¡± she said casually.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: She insane. Run, bro, runnnnn.)


    He exhaled icily, ¡°Could you at least change your tactics if you want to threaten people? Do it if you want to. This General¡¯s conscience is clear, therefore, this General has no fear.¡± Then, he continued walking.


    She got up and chased after him. Then, she blocked his way.


    ¡°Just what is it that you want, Your Ladyship?¡± Mo Cheng Xuan always thought he had a good temperament, but he felt like he was really running out of patience now.


    She smiled haughtily, ¡°You care for me. You were willing to risk your life to save me when you thought I was in danger.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood the situation, Your Ladyship. That was this General¡¯s responsibility as an official,¡± then, he walked around her and left.


    She turned around and smiled at his retreating back, ¡°You fool.¡±

 Chapter 146.2

    After the hunt, everyone returned to the pce.


    The event today could be considered a sess; no one was hurt or injured.


    Mo Qi Qi returned to Feng Yang Pce and copsed into her phoenix seat to rest.


    Ban Xiang carried a cup of tea over, ¡°Drink some tea, Your Ladyship.¡±


    Mo Qi Qiughed, ¡°You are so considerate. I wish I would give birth to a daughter. Everyone says that a daughter is a mother¡¯s greatest treasure.¡±


    Ban Xiang frowned, ¡°Your Ladyship, you must give birth to a boy. He would be the Crown Prince!¡±


    Mo Qi Qi patted her stomach and smiled. Honestly, it didn¡¯t matter what the gender of the baby was. The most important thing was for the baby to be healthy. As for the line of session and what-not, that all depended on Jun Qian Che. She¡¯d rather prefer for her son to not be the Crown Prince. That position was too lofty and lonely, so many people would be vying for it. Even if he somehow managed to ascend to the throne, he would bepletely alone; isted from the rest of the people in the world. That would be so unfortunate. That¡¯s why she¡¯d rather it be a daughter. There¡¯d be less problem that way.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired to death today. Lucky I managed toe back alive,¡± sighed Mo Qi Qi as she handed the cup to Ban Xiang.


    Ban Xiang looked at her in confusion, ¡°But you didn¡¯t even do anything, Your Ladyship. How could you be tired?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi looked at her bitterly, ¡°It is my heart that is tired, ah!¡± She had been so worried about Jun Qian Che¡¯s injury being discovered that she spent the entire time fretting over it. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest when the Grand Empress Dowager asked the Emperor to participate in archery. Lucky Jun Qian Che had high endurance. He was able to put on a perfect performance even though the wound re-opened. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to protect her own life!


    Jun Qian Che, on the other hand, had just returned to Yu Jing Pce and changed into fresh clothing when a Momo from the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce arrived.


    ¡°This old servant greets Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here, Lu Momo?¡± asked Jun Qian Che coldly.


    The Momo respectfully replied him, ¡°Your Majesty, this servant has been sent by the Empress Dowager, who wishes to invite you to Ci Yue Pce.¡±


    ¡°Imperial mother wishes to see zhen?¡± An uneasy feeling rose in his heart. However, since his imperial mother had already sent people to call him in, he had no other choice but to go.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± said Jun Qian Che calmly as he walked out of Yu Jing Pce.


    Lu Momo immediately followed him.


    As they walked to Ci Yue Pce, Jun Qian Che could not put his worry to rest. He asked Lu Momo, ¡°Do you know why imperial mother wishes to see zhen?¡±


    Lu Momo shook her head, ¡°This servant does not know why.¡±


    Jun Qian Che stopped asking questions and simply continued walking to Ci Yue Pce.


    Lu Momo approached him a little closer and whispered, ¡°Your Majesty, Her Ladyship the Empress Dowager seems to be in a terrible mood after returning from the hunting ground. This servant advises you to tread carefully.¡±


    His steps slowed down a little as his heart was weighed over by worry.


    He bowed when he reached the sitting room of Ci Yue Pce, ¡°Imperial son greets imperial mother.¡±


    ¡°Sit,¡± the Empress Dowager¡¯s tone was very light.


    Yang Shi Han was also there. He looked at her, wanting to know if she knew why they were there.


    She shook her head at him, mirroring his confusion.


    He turned to his mother respectfully, ¡°Imperial son would like to inquire as to why imperial mother called both of us here.¡±


    ¡°If imperial mother stopped caring about you, there mighte a day when imperial mother wouldn¡¯t even know you were harmed by others,¡± the Empress Dowager¡¯s tone was displeased.


    He smiled lightly, ¡°Why would imperial mother say that?¡±


    The Empress Dowager turned him, no longer bothering with protocol, ¡°Then open your robes and let imperial mother see your body!¡±


    He froze momentarily before smiling awkwardly, ¡°Imperial mother, that would be a bit inappropriate.¡±


    ¡°What is so inappropriate with that? I am your birth mother and Shi Han is your Guifei. No one wouldugh or gossip about you!¡± said the Empress Dowager firmly.


    Jun Qian Che was a bit embarrassed as he said, ¡°Imperial mother, I am a grown up now, no longer a child.¡±


    (<strong>TN</strong>: lmaoooo, why am I living for this interaction??)


    The Empress Dowager nodded, ¡°Alright, there is no need to take off your robe. Just open it enough to reveal your shoulders.¡±


    By now, Jun Qian Che¡¯s spection as to why he was called over was as good as confirmed. He had wished that there was a different reason and that his imperial mother hadn¡¯t found out, but it appeared that she had.


    ¡°Imperial mother, did someone say something to you?¡± Jun Qian Che¡¯s voice was a lot colder now.


    The Empress Dowager was furious as she said, ¡°No one said anything to me! You are my son, the child that I gave birth to! Imperial mother would know if you got even a little bit injured. My heart would hurt! Imperial mother could see your arms trembling while doing archery earlier. Imperial mother could see that something was wrong. Hurry and let us check your shoulders.¡±


    Yang Shi Han walked over to him and sniffed his shoulder, ¡°Smells like medicine. You really are injured, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 147.1

    <h4>Chapter 147 Part 1: Don¡¯t Ruin My Vibe</h4>


    Jun Qian Che knew he couldn¡¯t hide it any longer, so he decided toe clean, ¡°Imperial mother, son¡¯s left arm has indeed been wounded, but it has been healing well. Son didn¡¯t want you to worry, that¡¯s why son didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so, or is it because you want to protect someone else? Imperial mother has asked the imperial physicians¡¯ courtyard; none of them knows you¡¯ve been injured. Even if you didn¡¯t want to tell imperial mother, you should¡¯ve at least seek treatment from them. But you did not do that! Instead, you¡¯ve been running off to the Empress¡¯ pce every night without ever spending the night. How weird does that sound? Imperial mother guess that the Empress has something to do with your injury and you didn¡¯t want people to know that. You refused to seek treatment just to cover up for the Empress, so that Mother wouldn¡¯t know. Am I right?¡± analyzed the Empress Dowager calmly.


    Jun Qian Che refuted what she said, ¡°Zhen¡¯s injury has nothing to do with the Empress. The only reason zhen did not let this be checked by the imperial physicians is because zhen did not think it was a big deal. The injury is in zhen¡¯s arm, so zhen could easily treat it myself. There are a lot of things going on at courttely, so zhen did not wish to make this matter known lest the officials make a mountain out of a molehill. It could lead to an instability at the court.¡±


    The Empress Dowager looked at him in displeasure, ¡°Aijia does not believe what you said. Aijia would like to question the Empress personally.¡± After saying that, she got up and walked out of the hall.


    Jun Qian Che knew his mother¡¯s temper. No one could change her mind once she decided upon something, so in the end, he could only follow her and hope that Mo Qi Qi wouldn¡¯t admit to anything.


    Yang Shi Han walked alongside him and poke fun of him, ¡°Cousin brother, Shi Han did not think you would care for the Empress so much. You took Shi Han by surprise.¡±¡¯


    He red at her, angry at her for spilling the beans.


    On the other hand, Mo Qi Qi had been resting on top of the phoenix seat for a while now. After rxing for a moment longer, she stood up and began walking around. She picked up a bunch of grapes and leisurely ate them as she walked around. She patted her stomach in a motherly manner, ¡°Sweetie, mummy is eating grapes! Eat as much as you¡¯d like!¡±


    ¡°The Empress Dowager has arrived!¡± came an announcement from outside.


    Mo Qi Qi was so shocked that she identally swallowed a grape whole. She clutched her throat in panic, ¡°Wuwu¡ª¡°


    Seeing this, Ban Xiang became concerned, ¡°What is wrong, Your Ladyship?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi pointed at the grapes with a pained expression, before using her other hand to point at her own throat, ¡°Argh! ¨CCough cough-¡°


    Understanding the situation, Ban Xiang immediately patted her back. Unfortunately, her pats were too light and didn¡¯t really do anything.


    Mo Qi Qi motioned her to use more force.


    She nodded, agreeing. ¡°Your Ladyship, please forgive me.¡± She took a deep breath and delivered a heavy blow to her back.


    ¨CCough¨C


    Her heavy-handed method caused the grape to flew out of Mo Qi Qi¡¯s mouth.


    It just happened that the Empress Dowager was walking in right at this time. The grape flew towards her and would have hit her straight in the be had the quick-minded Jun Qian Che not grabbed it in time. He red at Mo Qi Qi.


    She looked at him innocently.


    He signaled her to quickly curtsy.


    Understanding him, she immediately curtsied in front of the Empress Dowager, ¡°This daughter greets the Empress Dowager.¡±


    The Empress Dowager was furious, ¡°How dare you attack aijia!¡±


    She waved her arms, trying to exin herself, ¡°Your Ladyship, this daughter did not mean to do that. This daughter was too shocked to hear the announcement from outside and ended up choking on a grape. Ban Xiang helped take it out, but it happened right when you were walking in! That really happened! This daughter had no intention to hurt you!¡±


    Jun Qian Che pretended to scold her, ¡°Empress, you are about to be a mother soon, and yet you are still so immature! What if the grape remained stuck inside your throat and couldn¡¯t be taken out? It would also be dangerous to the baby.¡±


    She obediently nodded, ¡°Yes, chenqie knows her fault. Chenqie will be more careful while eating grapes in the future.¡±


    The Empress Dowager remained displeased: how could this even count as scolding her? He was clearly worried about her even though the one who almost got injured was his own mother! It was true what they said: once married, a son would only remember the wife and forget the mother! Right now, all there was in his heart were the Empress and their child.


    Jun Qian Che looked at the Empress, ¡°Hurry and invite imperial mother to sit.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi quickly stepped forward and respectfully said, ¡°Wee, imperial mother. It is Feng Yang Pce¡¯s honor to have you here, right now. Please sit, imperial mother.¡±


    The Empress Dowager gave her a nce of disdain before walking to the main seat in the hall.


    Mo Qi Qi looked at Jun Qian Che and tacitly ask what was going on. Why did the Empress Dowager suddenlye? Did something happen? Should she¡ª


    Just then, the Empress Dowager settled herself on the seat.


    Mo Qi Qi stood there, lookingpletely dignified and elegant, her lips carrying the trace of a gentle smile. Her heart though, was running wild. The Empress Dowager had nevere here ever since she entered Mo Qi Qi¡¯s body. The Empress Dowager had never evene to ask about her pregnancy. And yet, here she was today. Her instinct told her that something went wrong.


    Jun Qian Che leaned into her and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Just go with the flow.¡±


    She looked at him, before nodding.


    The Empress Dowager got even more annoyed upon seeing the way those two make eyes at each other. She focused her attention on Mo Qi Qi, ¡°Empress, do you know what brought aijia to Feng Yang Pce today?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi¡¯s eyes brightened as she smiled, ¡°Your Ladyship must havee for your unborn grandchild! Do not worry, Your Ladyship, this daughter will definitely give birth to your grandchild safely.¡±


    The fact that Mo Qi Qi brought up the baby made the Empress Dowager even more furious. Her own son actually turned against her for this child! Why would she even want to see this so-called grandchild of hers? They didn¡¯t even know for sure if it was really her grandchild! She had never liked nor had even the slightest desire to care for the child that Mo Qi Qi was carrying.


    ¡°The child isn¡¯t even born yet, what is there for aijia to look at?¡± replied the Empress Dowager coldly.


    Mo Qi Qi continued guessing, ¡°Then, are you here to visit Feng Yang Pce? To visit a pce that you once lived in? Your Ladyship must be missing thete Emperor, and decided toe here to reminisce all your fond memories together.¡±


    ¡°Presumptuous!¡± snapped the Empress Dowager. ¡°Is aijia¡¯s rtionship with thete Emperor something that you, someone from theter generation, couldment on?¡±


    ¡°This daughter is notmenting, and is merely jealous of the love you shared with thete Emperor,¡± exined Mo Qi Qi.


    The Empress Dowager remained cold as she said, ¡°Are you insisting on being glib?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi pursed her lips, ¡°This daughter dares not.¡±


    Jun Qian Che spoke up, ¡°Imperial mother, the Empress is currently pregnant. Please do not scare her off.¡±


    The Empress Dowager nced at him in anger. She felt like speaking anything more than necessary with Mo Qi Qi would be a waste of words, so she went straight to the point, ¡°Did you know that His Majesty injured his arm?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi was startled, she did not expect the Empress Dowager to found out about it. She was done for, so done for! No, she must calm down! Didn¡¯t Jun Qian Che tell her to go with the flow? It was time to test her acting skills! No matter what, she must not let it be known that Jun Qian Che got injured because of her! The Empress Dowager would skin her alive!


    An arrogant smile appeared on the Empress Dowager¡¯s lips when she saw the stunned look on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s face, ¡°Are you afraid now that things are out in the open?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi immediately grabbed Jun Qian Che¡¯s arm in worry, ¡°You¡¯re injured, Your Majesty? Which arm? Who did it to you? Hurry and let chenqie see it!¡±


    Jun Qian Che was really impressed by her acting chops. She was already being cornered by the Empress Dowager, and yet she managed to keep a cool head and perform. He really had no idea where this version of her came from.


    He took her by the hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Empress. It is just a small injury, there is no need to worry.¡± This girl actually patted him where he was injured; could be she be more considerate next time?


    Seeing his expression, Mo Qi Qi knew that she had identally touched his wound. She apologized to him with her eyes, having not done it on purpose.


    Jun Qian Che replied with a look that urged her to keep acting. At the right moment, the two were capable of tacitly understanding each other.


    Upon seeing the look on Jun Qian Che¡¯s face, Mo Qi Qi continued acting, ¡°You are the monarch of the kingdom, if it¡¯s you, there is no such thing as a big or a small injury. Who could be so bold as to injure Your Majesty? If chenqie got her hands on him, chenqie would give him the death of a thousand cuts! How did you get injured, by the way? Did you fall for an unwilling beauty who rejected you? And once rejected, you forced yourself upon her anyway, and got injured?¡±


    Jun Qian Che red at her.


    Mo Qi Qi forced herself to tear up and said, ¡°Your Majesty, do you know how much it hurts chenqie to know that you¡¯re injured? Why didn¡¯t you tell chenqie?¡±


    ¡°Did you really not know, Empress?¡± came the Empress Dowager¡¯s stern voice.


    Mo Qi Qi looked at her and pretended to wipe her tears sadly, ¡°Your Ladyship, this daughter really does not know. His Majesty hasn¡¯t told me anything.¡±


    ¡°If aijia remembers correctly, His Majesty has been visiting the Empress¡¯ pce for the past couple of days. Didn¡¯t you notice anything wrong with him?¡± questioned the Empress Dowager coldly.


    Mo Qi Qi reproached herself, ¡°This is all chenqie¡¯s fault. Ever since chenqie got pregnant, chenqie would only care for the child that chenqie is carrying. Chenqie neglected His Majesty. His Majesty only came to Feng Yang Pce to chat about chenqie¡¯s unborn child, so chenqie got sidetracked and didn¡¯t pay attention to His Majesty¡¯s health.¡±


    The Empress Dowager sneered coldly, ¡°This is the Empress¡¯ first child, it is understandable for you to care for your baby. His Majesty must¡¯ve not wanted to worry you, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t tell you. This part, he resembled thete Emperor. Since the Empress is unaware of the matter, aijia will not me you.¡± She turned her gaze to Eunuch Lin. ¡°Eunuch Lin, you have served His Majesty for a very long time. You never leave his side, you must have known what happened to the Emperor.¡±


    Eunuch Lin immediately knelt on the floor, ¡°Answering the Empress Dowager, this old servant was also unaware of His Majesty¡¯s injury. It is all this servant¡¯s fault for being negligent, please punish this servant ordingly.¡±


    ¡°Even you didn¡¯t know?¡± the Empress Dowager seemed to get colder, ¡°You are His Majesty¡¯s personal eunuch, how could you not know that the Emperor got injured! You want to be punished? Will punishing you even be enough? The Emperor is only injured this time, but what if it has been worse? Would you be able to take responsibility then? His Majesty has been too busy with the courttely and did not have time to properly discipline you, so all of you have been going around cking off! You did not even know His Majesty got injured, so this is no longer just a matter of negligence. If aijia does not punish you properly this time, none of you would change! On the basis of you taking care of His Majesty for that long, aijia will not mutte your dead body. Aijia will bestow upon you a white silk to hang yourself with, instead.¡±


    ¡°Imperial mother, this son¡¯s injury has nothing to do with Eunuch Lin. Wouldn¡¯t it be too much to punish Eunuch Lin?¡± said Jun Qian Che in discontent.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this old servant failed to serve you well, this servant deserves to die. This servant only wishes to serve you in the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°This matter has nothing to do with you, stop trying to put the me on yourself,¡± said Jun Qian Che sternly.


    ¡°How could it have nothing to do with him? As the Emperor¡¯s personal servant, not only did he fail to protect His Majesty, he was even ignorant of the fact that his master got injured. What is the point of keeping him? Today, aijia will not only kill Eunuch Lin, but also your personal guards and the Yulin Army. Aijia would like to ask them what really happened and how you really got injured,¡± replied the Empress Dowager coldly.


    ¡°Imperial mother, this son purposely hid the injury from them. How could you me them for not knowing?¡± Jun Qian Che continued protecting his people.


    The Empress Dowager remained adamant, ¡°Protecting you is their responsibility. Unless someone here would like toe forth and confess, aijia would kill everyone that failed you! None of them could escape this! Someonee and summon His Majesty¡¯s personal guards as well as the Yulin Army here!¡±


    Dear Readers. Scrapers have recently been devasting our views. At this rate, the site ( ) might...let¡¯s just hope it doesn¡¯te to that. If you are reading on a scraper site. Please don¡¯t.


    Mo Qi Qi immediately stepped forward, ¡°Imperial mother, there is no need to go through all that trouble. This daughter knows how His Majesty got injured. Please let everyone else go.¡±


    The Empress Dowager looked at her son with an expression of surprise before directing her eyes to Mo Qi Qi, ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t the Empress implete ignorance of His Majesty¡¯s injury earlier?¡±


    ¡°This daughter was too scared just now. After seeing so many people about to be implicated for this, this daughter cannot let that happen.¡±


    The Empress Dowager¡¯s face was grave as she said, ¡°Go on then, Empress. Do you have something to do with His Majestys injury?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi was surprised to hear that and immediately exined herself, ¡°Your Ladyship, His Majesty was injured because he was trying to save this daughter, but this daughter definitely did not injure him.¡±


    ¡°Then how did it happen?¡± asked the Empress Dowager angrily.


    Jun Qian Che immediately spoke up, ¡°Imperial mother, this son¡¯s injury is¡ª-¡°


    ¡°Do not speak, Your Majesty. Aijia would like to hear the Empress¡¯ exnation,¡± the Empress Dowager cut him off furiously.


    Mo Qi Qi looked at Jun Qian Che and smiled, ¡°Your Majesty, you don¡¯t have to keep covering things up for chenqie.¡± Although Mo Qi Qi was aplete coward who fears death, she could not let innocent people die to save her own skin. After all, the Empress Dowager was only making such a big fuss to force her to tell the truth. She might as well do it, who knew, she might even return to her own time after losing her head in this one.


    ¡°Your Ladyship, since you want to hear what happened, this daughter will not keep anything from you. On the night of the Qixi Festival, this daughter was curious to see how themon people celebrate the festival in the capital. This daughter begged His Majesty to let this daughter out. He originally said no because he did not want anything to happen to this daughter out there. However, this daughter kept pestering him and in the end, he agreed. This daughter left the pce with a maid and originally nned to return to the pce soon, but then, this daughter bumped into the 7th King. We walked around a little, and on the way to Yue Lao Temple, this daughter almost got hit by a carriage. Luckily His Majesty appeared in time to save this daughter. After that incident, he escorted this daughter back to the pce. On the way back, we encountered assassins. The assassins were targeting this daughter, but His Majesty saved this daughter again and got injured. That¡¯s why His Majesty has beening to Feng Yang Pce, to get his wound treated.¡±


    The Empress Dowager was livid, ¡°How bold of you to sneak out of the pce for a date with the 7th King during Qixi Festival! Do you even care for His Majesty?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi pped her own forehead! How could she possibly be so honest? Why did she tell the Empress Dowager about her encounter with Yue Hen?


    Jun Qian Che immediately spoke up on Mo Qi Qi¡¯s behalf, ¡°Imperial mother, the Empress said it loud and clear: she only identally bumped into the 7th King outside.¡±


    ¡°A coincidence? You actually believed that?¡± questioned the Empress Dowager testily.


    Jun Qian Che replied her in full confidence, ¡°This son believes it.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡° the Empress Dowager was momentarily taken aback by the Emperor¡¯s reply.


    Mo Qi Qi was touched to hear him vouching for her.


    ¡°The Empress has mistreated you to that extent, and yet you are still taking her side! Even if the encounter with the 7th King had been incidental, the fact remains that she caused you to be injured and hid that matter afterwards, depriving you from proper treatment from imperial physicians. Empress, are you trying to get His Majesty killed?¡± scolded the Empress Dowager gravely.


    ¡°This daughter did not!¡± Mo Qi Qi protested her innocence.


    ¡°Imperial mother, it was this son that didn¡¯t allow the Empress to make the matter known to public. This son did not wish to worry you. And this son wanted to prevent gossips as well,¡± insisted Jun Qian Che as he sided with her.


    ¡°Aijia really does not know what kind of medicine that the Empress used to bewitch you. Why do you keep siding with her? Regardless, the Empress snuck out of the pce, which is already breaking pce¡¯s rules. Then, she covered up your injury, which is a crime on top of another crime. If aijia does not punish her today, it¡¯d be hard for aijia to face the public. The Empress really needs to be punished,¡± dered the Empress Dowager.


    ¡°Imperial mother, it was son who allowed the Empress to leave the pce. It was also this son who didn¡¯t let her disclose to this son¡¯s injury to others. If anyone needs to be punished, it would be this son,¡± replied Jun Qian Che firmly.


    Mo Qi Qi pped her forehead again. Jun Qian Che, this fool. The Empress Dowager was already mad, and all that anger was due to her concern for her only son. That¡¯s why she was so hell-bent on punishing her. However, she was pregnant. She believed the Empress Dowager would not punish her too heavily, having taken that into ount. At most, she would only be given a house-arrest for a while. As long as he did not speak up, this matter would just end there. The more he spoke for her, the more enraged the Empress Dowager would be. He was only fanning the fire! Jun Qian Che, you have so many women, and yetck understanding towards women, ah!

 Chapter 147.2

    ¡°Your Majesty, this entire incident is caused by the Empress, aijia have to punish her. Stop protecting her,¡± said the Empress Dowager while barely controlling her anger. What a good son she had! He only cared for Mo Qi Qi! He went against her in front of so many people, he really disappointed her.


    Just as Jun Qian Che was about to reply her, Mo Qi Qi grabbed his sleeve and shook her head at him. Then, she obediently turned towards the Empress Dowager, ¡°Your Ladyship, it is true that His Majesty¡¯s injury was caused by this daughter. This daughter is willing to be punished by you.¡±


    The Empress Dowager nodded proudly, ¡°The Empress sure is obedient. You must not me aijia for whatever happens after this. How do you think aijia should punish you?¡±


    ¡°It is all up to Your Ladyship,¡± replied Mo Qi Qi obediently.


    Seeing this, Yang Shi Han spoke up, ¡°Your Ladyship, Shi Han has a suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then feel free to share it,¡± the Empress Dowager shared a tacit smile with her.


    Yang Shi Han turned to Mo Qi Qi, who in turn, gave her a big eye-roll.


    Jun Qian Che red at Yang Shi Han in anger.


    Yang Shi Han turned towards the Empress Dowager and sweetly said, ¡°Your Ladyship, since the Empressmitted an error and couldn¡¯t be properly punished due to her pregnancy, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to order her to stay by your side to learn rules and etiquettes?¡±


    Hearing that, the Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Shi Han¡¯s idea is very good. Aijia could tell that the Empress hasn¡¯t properly learned pce etiquettes even though she has entered the pce for quite a while. From tomorrow onwards, the Empress is to move into Ci Yue Pce. Aijia will teach you rules and etiquettes that must be observed while living in the pce.¡±


    Jun Qian Che was worried when he heard that, ¡°Imperial mother¡ª¡°


    ¡°What is wrong? Is aijia¡¯s method not satisfactory to you, Your Majesty?¡± the Empress Dowager¡¯s face darkened.


    Jun Qian Che honestly replied her, ¡°Imperial mother, the Empress is with child. What if she is not used to Ci Yue Pce after moving there? What if it affects her pregnancy? Please be more light-handed, on ount of the Empress¡¯ pregnancy.¡±


    Mo Qi Qi pped her own forehead: could this Jun Qian Che stop adding oil to fire? Couldn¡¯t he see how angry the Empress Dowager was? Just pretend to listen to her first. Once her anger dissipated, then you may continue making your case! Did she need to even teach him that? Was he trying to get her killed?


    Just as the Empress Dowager was about to speak, Mo Qi Qi spoke first, ¡°Your Ladyship, this daughter is willing to learn from you at Ci Yue Pce.¡± To tell the truth, she truly was d to be living at Ci Yue Pce. This was an excellent opportunity for her! She¡¯d never gotten the chance to check the toilets at Ci Yue Pce before. This was a good chance for her to start exploring Ci Yue Pce.


    Jun Qian Che stared at Mo Qi Qi in displeasure. Didn¡¯t she know the Empress Dowager dislike her? Why would she agree to the punishment?


    Mo Qi Qi threw him a bright smile.


    The Empress Dowager smiled victoriously, ¡°The Empress is sensible. This matter ends here. Aijia is tired and would like to rest. Your Majesty, go and get your wound checked at Gui Ning Pce. Let Shi Han have a look at it.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Jun Qian Che simply.


    The Empress Dowager then left.


    Yang Shi Han looked at Jun Qian Che while smiling brilliantly, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie will wait for you at chenqie¡¯s pce.¡± She nced at Mo Qi Qi before haughtily walking away.


    After everyone left, Jun Qian Che turned to Mo Qi Qi angrily, ¡°Mo Qi Qi, why on earth did you agree to imperial mother¡¯s decision? Are you that tired of living?¡± Although he was outwardly rebuking her, his heart was actually weighed down with concern.


    Mo Qi Qi regarded him furiously, ¡°You have the nerve to talk! It is you who didn¡¯t want chenqie to live! You kept adding oil to fire despite clearly knowing how furious the Empress Dowager was! Were you wishing to anger her enough for her to call for my execution?¡±


    ¡°How ungrateful you are! Zhen was speaking for you!¡± Jun Qian Che felt aggrieved, this girl really could not understand his good intention.


    ¡°Did you know you almost cause chenqie¡¯s death earlier? The Empress Dowager was only angry because she was worried about you. You are her son, so she couldn¡¯t do anything to you. In the end, she could only direct her anger to me. I would have done the same if I were in her ce,¡± Mo Qi Qi sat in front of the table while pursing her lips unhappily.


    Jun Qian Che sat next to her in confusion. ¡°You are actually siding with imperial mother?¡± asked Jun Qian Che incredulously. The Empress Dowager had hated Mo Qi Qi from the moment she entered the pce, so Mo Qi Qi had always treated the Empress Dowager with equal enmity. She used toin about his mother to him all the time, causing him to feel as though shecked filial piety. What happened today really shocked him!


    ¡°Chenqie is not siding with the Empress Dowager, it¡¯s just that chenqie is with child now and will be a mother in a few months time. It is not easy to carry a child for 10 months, much less to raise him until he grows up. And what if that son grows distant from you once he is all grown up, that too, over another woman? How disappointing and heart-breaking would that be? That was why you ended up angering her more, earlier. Had you not intervened, she probably would have just given chenqie a house arrest. Just look at how things went! Now chenqie have to spend a month by her side!¡± Although she appeared deste on the outside, she was secretly celebrating the news inside.


    ¡°Zhen was not thinking that far ahead,¡± Jun Qian Che thought she sounded reasonable.


    Mo Qi Qi sighed, ¡°Men are too callous and crude. You, in particr, have been clever your whole life, but foolish in this one instance.¡±


    Jun Qian Che coughed purposefully.


    She immediately smiled at him, ¡°Hehe, chenqie spoke wrong.¡±


    ¡°Zhen was indeedcking the insights just now, but rest assured, zhen would speak to imperial mother and make sure you will not have to stay with her.¡± Jun Qian Che really could not stop worrying. His imperial mother had been trying to get rid of the child. If he lets her go there, wouldn¡¯t it be equivalent to sending her to a tiger¡¯sir? He would never let that happen.


    Mo Qi Qi waved her arms at him, ¡°No, no, no! Stop interfering! Things might get worse!¡± I am willing to go to Ci Yue Pce! Jun Qian Che, don¡¯t ruin my good luck!

 Chapter 148.1

    ¡°You are willing to go to imperial mother¡¯s pce?¡±


    Mo Qi Qi shrugged her shoulders nonmitally, ¡°Isn¡¯t it for just one month? It would be over soon.¡±


    ¡°Are you an idiot, Mo Qi Qi?¡± red Jun Qian Che unhappily.


    Sheughed, ¡°Your Majesty, chenqie know what is in your mind. I am well aware of the Empress Dowager¡¯s dislike towards me and my pregnancy. You are worried that I won¡¯t be able to protect the baby once I am there. Chenqie thinks it¡¯s the other way around. Chenqie feels like moving into Ci Yue Pce would protect the baby better.¡±


    Jun Qian Che frowned in confusion.


    She smiled and said, ¡°You really don¡¯t understand women. Just think about it, Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager only hates this baby because chenqiees from the Mo n. That is why she didn¡¯t even bother to visit chenqie after finding out about chenqie¡¯s pregnancy. Chenqie also did not have the opportunity to endear myself to her, so our rtionship only worsened. However, if I take this opportunity to be with her for a month, she would have to see the progress of my pregnancy every day. Who knows, she might slowly grow fond of the baby! Once a person develops feelings, it would be hard for it to go away. When the timees, the Empress Dowager would no longer have any intention to see the child goes. Besides, she currently couldn¡¯t stand the baby. The matter of her ordering me to live at Ci Yue Pce for a month ought to spread soon. If anything happens to me while staying at Ci Yue Pce, it woud be her reputation on the line. For the sake of her reputation, she wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to me for that one month. On this front, I still have to thank Yang Shi Han for giving me that.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you thinking way too simply?¡± Jun Qian Che was still uneasy.


    Mo Qi Qi scrunched her face at him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you thinking too much? The Empress Dowager is still your birth mother, no matter how much she dislikes me, the baby is still yours. She would still put that into consideration.¡±


    Jun Qian Che secretly sighed. There were some things that he simply couldn¡¯t say to Mo Qi Qi. Mo Qi Qiing from Mo n was just one of the reasons why his imperial mother wanted to get rid of the child. The other reason behind the Empress Dowager¡¯s dislike of the baby was because she didn¡¯t think the child belonged to him. He couldn¡¯t say this to Mo Qi Qi. Since she already lost her memories of the past, then, they should just forget about the incident in the viewing tower altogether.


    After leaving Mo Qi Qi¡¯s pce, Jun Qian Che headed straight to Yang Shi Han¡¯s pce with an ice-cold face.


    Yang Shi Han smiled upon seeing him before hugging his arm, ¡°What took you so long, Your Majesty? Chenqie has been waiting for a long time. Hurry and sit. Let chenqie check your wound.¡±


    Jun Qian Che red at her angrily, ¡°Why did you harm the Empress?¡±


    She gave him a surprised look, ¡°What are you talking about, Your Majesty? Chenqie cannot understand you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t put on an act in front of me, why did you send Mo Qi Qi to imperial mother?¡± asked Jun Qian Che straight-forwardly.


    Sheughed, ¡°Chenqie was helping you, Your Majesty. The current Mo Qi Qi sure is full of charms, she is even able to melt your icy heart. She really is impressive. Your Majesty had never go against imperial aunt before, this is the first time!¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Jun Qian Che did not like the double-meaning way she said things.


    Yang Shi Han checked his wound and uncooperatively said, ¡°Your wound is so deep, Your Majesty. Lucky the Empress Dowager did not see it, or Mo Qi Qi could have lost her head. The wound has recently re-opened, should be during the archerypetition, no? Lucky you were able to bear it. Reopened wounds are usually more painful that the initial injury itself. Don¡¯t you think Mo Qi Qi is the bane of your existence? First, you were poisoned because of her. After you were poisoned, you had to help her heal her injury. You almost died. It wasn¡¯t easy for us to neutralize the poison, and yet here you are again, getting injured because of her. She sure has an abundance of charms! Now that she is so likeable, do you think the Empress Dowager might like her?¡±


    Jun Qian Che understood Yang Shi Han¡¯s meaning, ¡°This is why you want her to go to imperial mother¡¯s side?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes. She even managed to melt the ice-hearted you, I want to see if she could score the Empress Dowager as well.¡±


    The anger inside Jun Qian Che¡¯s heart disappeared. ¡°I thought you hated Mo Qi Qi. Why are you helping her?¡± asked him, puzzled.


    Yang Shi Han raised her eyebrows, ¡°I am not helping her. I have my own selfish intention. If the Empress Dowager actually ended up liking Mo Qi Qi, then I¡¯ll chalk it off to her good luck. If the Empress Dowager still hates her though, that would be fun to watch. Who knows, she might actually die at Ci Yue Pce! By that time, you must not me chenqie. It was Mo Qi Qi who was unlucky!¡±


    Jun Qian Che¡¯s eyes were firm as he said, ¡°Zhen will not let anything happen to her.¡±


    Yang Shi Han shook her head while smiling. The truth was, she did all this entirely due to Mo Cheng Xuan. Since she promised him she would help protect Mo Qi Qi¡¯s pregnancy, she must really do it. Once she seeded, he would owe her three favors and by then, he could not even dream of escaping her!


    The news of the Empress getting punished quickly reached Duke Zhen¡¯s residence.


    Duke Zhen was furious, his heart aching over the fate of his daughter. He wanted to enter the pce and have an audience with the Empress Dowager, yet was stopped by Mo Cheng Xuan.


    ¡°Do not be rash, Father.¡±


    ¡°Your sister is being bullied by other people, how could you expect me to calm down? I heard it was all that Yang Guifei¡¯s idea to send your sister to serve the Empress Dowager for a month! Your sister is pregnant! If anything happens to her, I will turn the entire pce upside down. I will kill that seductive woman right now! Let¡¯s see if anyone dares to say anything about it,¡± said Duke Zhen, putting all the me on Yang Shi Han.


    Mo Cheng Xuan stopped his father, ¡°Father, please listen to this son. Although this was all Yang Guifei¡¯s idea, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps Qi Qi could take this chance to cultivate a better rtionship with the Empress Dowager.¡±


    ¡°What is there to cultivate! Qi Qi is the pearl within my palm, she does not need to go around buttering other people up! Even the honorable Empress Dowager does not deserve to be served by my daughter.¡±


    ¡°What if Qi Qi is willing?¡± asked Mo Cheng Xuan.


    Duke Zhenughed in disdain, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Why would my, Mo Chang Xiao¡¯s daughter, be willing to serve other people?¡±


    ¡°Father, you should be aware by now why the Emperor got injured this time. His Majesty only got injured because he blocked a sword for Qi Qi. This is enough to prove His Majesty¡¯s feelings for her. Qi Qi has always wanted His Majesty to treat her well. Right now, even though she has been punished to stay with the Empress Dowager, Qi Qi would have done it willingly. If she is not alright with this, she would¡¯ve sent people over long ago. She would¡¯ve wanted you to argue her case for her. And yet, she hasn¡¯t said anything. That means she is willing to let this happen. You must not interfere with their budding rtionship, Father.¡±


    Duke Zhen sneered, ¡°From how I see it, the Emperor didn¡¯t do it for Qi Qi, but rather for their child that she is carrying. He only blocked the sword because he did not want anything to happen to his child. His Majesty has always been full of schemes and intrigue, that¡¯s why he¡¯s been able to twist Qi Qi around his little finger. Why else would Qi Qi be so adamant to marry him after just meeting him once? Father was given no other choice but to back his im to the throne. The throne originally belonged to the 7th King. He grew up with Qi Qi and has an elegant temperament to boot, they would¡¯ve been better off together. He would¡¯ve been able to protect her. And yet she went around and chose His Majesty, giving herself so much trouble down the line.¡±


    ¡°Father, can¡¯t you see that Qi Qi only considers the 7th King as her brother. They have no romantic feelings for each other even though they grew up together. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn¡¯t have been able to break them apart even if he showed up. Now, their rtionship is bing more and more loving. They are even having a child together. You should be supporting them, Father,¡± said Mo Cheng Xuan meaningfully.


    Duke Zhen looked at his son andughed, before firmly saying, ¡°Father naturally knows who to support. So what if Qi Qi is having a child? That is not enough to change Father¡¯s mind. Father will listen to you this time and will not enter the pce. However, if anything happens to Qi Qi, Father will make them regret it,¡± a murderous look shed in Duke Zhen¡¯s eyes.


    Mo Cheng Xuan secretly sighed in relief. He hoped that Qi Qi made the right choice back then.


    The next day, Han Yi Xiao and Bai Jiu sessfully escorted the imprisoned Marquis of Ning Nan back to the capital. They had encountered four to five assassination attempts on the way to the capital. They did not expect the assassins to be that resolute. Lucky they managed to ovee the odds andpleted the task that the Emperor assigned them to do.


    Han Yi Xiao was grateful that he took Bai Jiu with him this time. His martial arts level was really high. If he hadn¡¯t gambled his own life to ensure the Marquis¡¯ safety, the Marquis would have died. There was no denying his contribution this time.


    During the morning court, Han Yi Xiao praised Bai Jiu¡¯s valor in front of the Emperor and the entire court officials. The Emperor praised Bai Jiu and rewarded her with some things.


    Bai Jiu was happy to receive Han Yi Xiao¡¯s approval, but had to look away when she locked eyes with her father.


    Jun Qian Che questioned the Marquis of Ning Nan regarding his alleged rebellion.


    The Marquis denied all allegations.


    The Emperor ordered the trial to take ce three days from now, taking into ount the Marquis¡¯ exhausting journey.


    In order to ensure his safety, the Marquis was sent to Han Yi Xiao¡¯s residence.


    After the morning court, Chu Ling Xiao went to the imperial study to have an audience with the Emperor. He had managed to gather evidence to prove the Marquis¡¯ innocence, but they were not sufficient. The dragon robe was still too big of an evidence to be ignored. After all, so many people personally saw it being taken out of the Marquis¡¯ possession.


    Lucky the dragon robe had not been shown to the court yet. The officials had only heard about it, they had not yet personally seen it.


    The most important task right now would be to find the dragon robe and destroy it. If Duke Zhen couldn¡¯t submit it as an evidence, they wouldn¡¯t have to indict the Marquis of a crime he did notmit due to insufficient evidence. That was also the reason why Jun Qian Che never asked Duke Zhen to present the dragon robe at court. He even said he wanted to wait until the Marquis reach the capital to begin reviewing the evidences. Jun Qian Che admitted he only wanted to dy the time and secretly take care of the dragon robe. Unfortunately, Duke Zhen was too sly and guarded the dragon robe too well. They couldn¡¯t do anything to it yet. That was why Jun Qian Che dyed it for three more days.


    Since Bai Jiu managed to escort the Marquis safely to the capital, the Emperor was pleased and granted her two days long of rest.


    After thanking His Majesty¡¯s grace, Bai Jiu left the imperial pce and returned to her residence, one that the Emperor rewarded her after winning the tournament.


    She returned to her chamber and asked not to be bothered by anyone.


    When night came, she snuck out and headed straight to Duke Zhen¡¯s manor. She had not seen her parents in quite a while. She missed them and wished to see them.


    ¡°Father! Mother!¡± Mo Jiu Jiu ran into her parents¡¯ chamber and hugged her parents.


    When the Duchess saw her daughter, her heart ached, ¡°You silly girl. You finally remember your parents? Have you any idea how worried Mother was?¡±


    Mo Jiu Jiu hugged her mother tighter, ¡°Mother, your child is back. Your child has been too busytely and couldn¡¯t see you. Your child really misses you!¡±


    ¡°You are really! Why would a girl go around entering an army camp and making things hard for yourself?¡± Her mother looked at her heart-achingly.


    Mo Jiu Jiu happily replied her, ¡°Because your child loves the army! Being there makes me happy!¡±


    ¡°You are really... You should have been born a man...¡± The Duchess shook her head helplessly.


    Mo Jiu Jiu looked at her father before poking fun of him, ¡°What is wrong with you, Father? You don¡¯t look too happy. Did Mother do something to upset you? Tell this daughter and I¡¯ll be the judge of everything!¡±


    Duke Zhen looked at his daughter unhappily and said, ¡°Jiu Jiu, Father thought that you going to Han Yi Xiao¡¯s camp would help Father. Father didn¡¯t expect you to disappoint Father this much.¡±


    Mo Ji Jiu looked at her Father, ¡°Are you talking about the Marquis of Ning Nan?¡±


    Duke Zhen stared her down, ¡°Turns out you still remember about that matter! Father thought you forgot about it. If you forgot about it, Father could still forgive you. However, you remember my instruction perfectly well. Why didn¡¯t you execute it? Based on your ability, killing the Marquis of Ning Nan shouldn¡¯t be hard. Why didn¡¯t you do it? Why did you put your life into protecting him instead? You better exin yourself properly or else Father would be disappointed in you.¡±


    She truthfully replied her father, ¡°Because along the way, I realized that the Marquis of Ning Nan doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person. I felt like he was a good person. That¡¯s why I protected him. I wanted him to reach the capital safely and be tried by the Emperor.¡±


    Duke Zhen sneered, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person? Father is the one who exposed the Marqui¡¯ treachery, are you saying that Father is the bad guy?¡±


    Mo Jiu Jiu gathered her courage and said, ¡°Then let Jiu Jiu ask Father. Did you have anything to do with the usations against the Marquis? Did you frame him?¡±


    ¡°Preposterous! How dare you speak to your Father like that!¡± raged Duke Zhen.


    She bravely looked at him, ¡°Father, since I was young, my shifu taught me to live in such a way that I would have a clear conscience. That way I would be able to live without any worry. This daughter have always remembered shifu¡¯s teaching and have always practiced it. That is because in daughter¡¯s heart, daughter have always had a role model. That person is you. Father is a warrior who risks his life to protect the kingdom. You are someone whom the Emperor counts on and whom the people love. Daughter has always been proud of having such a father. I swore to be someone exactly like you. Although I am a girl, I wanted to be someone that you are proud of. That is why I entered the army. Just like you, I want to be someone useful. Someone who can protect the country. However, after entering the court, this daughter realized that other people view you differently. So many people say all the wrong things about you; they call you a treacherous official. There were times where this daughter wanted to step up and tell them that they were wrong; that you are not a corrupted official. You are a good person, a brave warrior who fiercely protects the kingdom. They shouldn¡¯t speak of you in that manner. But slowly, daughter realized that it wasn¡¯t them who were wrong. It was this daughter who didn¡¯t understand you enough. Espeically during the debacle surrounding the Marquis of Ning Nan.¡±


    Duke Zhen sneered, ¡°So you feel that other people are right and that your father is a corrupted official?¡±


    ¡°Father, this daughter only wish to ask you this: did you have anything to do with the dragon robe that they found at the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s residence? Did you order people to nt it there? Are you deliberate framing the Marquis?¡± asked Mo Jiu Jiu earnestly as she looked at her father.


    ¡°You¡ª-¡° Duke Zhen raises his hand angrily, overcame by the desire to hit her. All his life, he loved his two daughters the most. The older one was straightforward and innocent, while the younger one was quirky and entric. No matter what other people said about the two girls, as their father, he always thought they were the best. Never would he imagine that his beloved daughter would one day use him of this.


    Duke Zhenughed angrily, ¡°Good! Good! Good! This is my good daughter! She actually uses me of being a corrupted official! This is really good!¡±

 Chapter 148.2

    <h4>Chapter 148.2</h4>


    ¡°Father, this daughter wishes that you would always be the hero in this daughter¡¯s heart, someone that everyone else respects. This daughter does not wish for you to be the person whom everyone secretly points and curses at.¡± Mo Jiu Jiu backtracked, secretly scolding herself. No matter what, she had worded herself too strongly just now. It didn¡¯t matter what sort of a person her father was, she could not speak to him like that as a daughter.


    ¡°Father does not me you, Jiu Jiu. Father understands that certain things are beyond your control when you are an official at court. You are still young and do not understand what you saw. There are some things that Father has no other choice but do. Who knows how many people secretly wants me dead. Father¡¯s head could be chopped off any second. Father wants you to live a worry-free life, that is why Father must work hard. Otherwise, our Mo n would have gone extinct long ago,¡± Duke Zhen exined the current circumstance surrounding their family.


    Mo Jiu Jiu looked at her father earnestly, ¡°Do not worry, Father. Daughter is all grown up now. Daughter will share your burden with you. This daughter also has the responsibility to uphold the Mo n¡¯s prestige. This daughter will not disappoint you.¡±


    Duke Zhen patted his daughter¡¯s shoulder proudly, ¡°From the very beginning, my children are my source of pride! None of you have ever disappointed me.¡±


    Mo Jiu Jiu smiled mischievously, ¡°Then, Jiu Jiu will work hard to be an even greater person so that me and my siblings could make you proud even more.¡±


    Duke Zhenughed happily, ¡°Good! You¡¯re ambitious! You truly are Mo Chang Xiao¡¯s daughter!¡±


    Mo Jiu Jiu smiled happily before looking at her father, ¡°Father, will the Marquis of Ning Nan¡¯s matter really affect our Mo n? Will daughter not killing him impact your n?¡±


    Duke Zhenforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Who do you think your father is? Who, in this entire kingdom, could shake our n? Who has that guts and ability?¡±


    Mo Jiu Jiuughed, ¡°My father is the best!¡± Despite saying that, she couldn¡¯t help but worry. Mo n¡¯s power had always been something that made the Emperor wary. Would the Emperor really take action against Mo n? Han Yi Xiao was bound to support the Emperor. As the daughter of Mo n, she had a responsibility to protect Mo n¡¯s prestige.


    The Duchess took her hand affectionately, ¡°Jiu Jiu, you have lost weight ever since you entered that camp! You have gotten tanned as well. Why don¡¯t you leave the camp? You are a girl, if you continue staying there, your reputation will be ruined!¡±


    ¡°Mother, I am no longer a girl. I am a soldier through and through, just take it that you have another son,¡± she joked as she wrapped her arm around her mother¡¯s shoulder.


    Her mother red at her, ¡°You have always been so crooked! You are already 17 years old, you have reached the age for matrimony. Come back to the manor and get your acts together. It is time for you to find a gentleman husband.¡±


    Mo Jiu Jiu coquettishly replied her, ¡°Mother, your daughter does not wish to marry anyone just yet. This daughter wish to keep you and Fatherpany. Could it be that you don¡¯t like this daughter anymore and wants her out of the house?¡± She looked at her father in a spoiled manner.


    Duke Zhen put on the head-of-the-family look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jiu Jiu. You are still young. You can wait for two more years before getting married. If you don¡¯t wish to get married, it¡¯s alright, your Father will keep you!¡±


    The Duchess looked at the Duke in displeasure, ¡°What are you even saying? If we wait any longer, she will be an old maid! Who would want her then? Daugthers should be married off at their prettiest, flower-like age.¡±


    ¡°My, Mo Chang Xiao¡¯s daughter will be able to get married no matter what age they are. As soon as she wishes to get married, suitors will immediately step onto our threshold. Besides, Xuan Er is not married yet, so what are you rushing Jiu Jiu for?¡± Duke Zhen sided with her daughter.


    Mo Jiu Jiu winked at her father.


    The Duchess sighed, ¡°What exactly is going on with Xuan Er? He is all grown up and yet he refuses to marry. Does he already have someone in his heart, or is he suffering from something unspeakable?¡±


    Mo Jiu Jiu tightened her arm around her motherfortingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. Older Brother is so aplished, if he wishes to get married, so many maidens would line up for a chance to get him. Just, right now, he wishes to focus on the army, so he¡¯s had no time to do anything else. Once he¡¯s got time, he will definitely bring back a beautiful daughter-inw for you, and maybe even a healthy little grandchild.¡±


    Hearing that made the mother happy, ¡°If that¡¯s true, then Mother will hope for nothing else. All three of you worry me so much.¡±


    Mo Jiu Jiu stuck out her tongue andughed.


    Duke Zhen looked at his daughter and said, ¡°Alright. Didn¡¯t His Majesty give you a two-day leave? Stay here and keep your motherpany for these two days.¡±


    Mo Jiu Jiu nodded happily, ¡°Alright. It is alreadyte, Mother and Father. You two should rest. Jiu Jiu will return to her chamber, first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you are also tired. Go and rest,¡± said the Duke fondly.


    Mo Jiu Jiu left them.


    The Duchess looked at her husband unhappily, ¡°Husband, you spoiled our children too much. Jiu Jiu is a girl who runs around in the army camp, and yet you didn¡¯t rebuke her. I originally thought that she wouldn¡¯t be there for long. I thought she was just curious. But it has been months, and her curiosity hasn¡¯t subsided and instead, she only seems to like it more and more. Old master, why don¡¯t you find some time to talk some sense into her? Tell her to resign her post and return here. I cannot find peace as long as she¡¯s there.¡±


    Duke Zhenughed andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Madam. Jiu Jiu is clever. She is able to stay right under Han Yi Xiao¡¯s care for this long without exposing her true identity. Our Jiu Jiu is extraordinary. Don¡¯t worry. It iste, let¡¯s rest.¡±


    ¡°You really spoil her too much,¡± scolded the Duchess.


    Duke Zhenughed wickedly, ¡°Then now is the time for me to spoil my wife.¡± He picked up his wife and walked towards their bed.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Ew.)


    The Duchess looked embarrassed as she softly said, ¡°We are already so old. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed of saying that?¡±


    Duke Zhen, arrogant as always said, ¡°So what, if we¡¯re old? Who dares to say anything, if I am trying to love my own wife?¡±


    The Duchess smiled helplessly, but her face was full of happiness.


    In Gui Ning Pce, Jun Qian Che had immediately returned to Yu Jing Pce after having his wound tended to by Yang Shi Han.


    After bathing, Yang Shi Han sent all her attendants away as she yed chess by herself inside her chamber.


    As she sat in her chair alone, with the candle light highlighting her extremely beautiful face. Her emerald gauze skirt embroidered with golden peonies swept the floor. She lowered her head, revealing the simple bun on her head that was held together by a white jade hairpin. Her morous pce dresses and jewelries were gone and yet, she still managed to retain her elegance and luxuriousness. Her beautiful eyes were set on the chessboard, as a smile adorned her face.


    Someone was watching her from the dark, unwilling to disturb her.


    She must have been a fallen deity who had somehow entered the mortal realm. The air surrounding her waspletely different from other girls¡¯. He truly wished to approach her and speak to her, and yet, he did not wish to disturb her peace. He might as well treat her as though she was a precious painting that he could appreciate and protect from afar.


    Yang Shi Han picked up a white chesspiece and put it on the chessboard before saying, ¡°How long will it take for you to announce your presence?¡±


    The man in hiding was surprised. He stepped out and let the candlelight illuminate his handsome face. Yang Shi Han¡¯s heart unwittingly sped up as she gave him an alluring smile that people would find hard to look away from. ¡°It iste. Why are you here?¡±


    Mo Cheng Xuan felt a little awkward, ¡°Sorry for disturbing Your Ladyship.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I am bored anyway. Would you like to y chess with me?¡± asked Yang Shi Han.


    Mo Cheng Xuan hesitated for a moment before nodding and sitting opposite her.


    They sat in front of the chessboard, looking at each other, before tacitly looking away and setting their eyes on the chessboard.


    Yang Shi Han said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue this game. It¡¯s ck¡¯s turn to go, please be my guest, General Mo.¡±


    Mo Cheng Xuan picked up a ck piece and put it down.


    Yang Shi Han ced her piece after him while lightly saying, ¡°There must be a reason why General Mo came thiste.¡±


    ¡°This General would like to thank Your Ladyship,¡± replied Mo Cheng Xuan.


    She looked at him in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re thanking bengong? Bengong don¡¯t remember doing anything that warrants your gratitude towards me.¡±


    ¡°This General heard that the Emperor got injured while trying to save the Empress. This General also heard that the Empress Dowager wanted to punish the Empress, and that it was you who suggested to send the Empress to the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce as punishment.¡±


    Yang Shi Hanughed, ¡°Turns out you are here to scold me. I was the one who caused the Empress to be sent to the Empress Dowager. Your entire family must really hate me right now.¡±


    He looked at her before earnestly saying, ¡°This General does not hate you at all. Your Ladyship did that to help the Empress. The Empress and the Empress Dowager couldn¡¯t stand each other, this was the perfect chance to improve their rtionship. If Qi Qi seized this chance well, she might be able to cultivate a loving rtionship with her mother-inw.¡±


    Yang Shi Han was touched. She did not expect him to understand her that well. The truth was she did all that for him. She shot him an arrogant smile, ¡°Bengong is not that kind. If things improved between the Empress and the Empress Dowager, where would bengong stand in the future? Bengong only did that for bengong¡¯s own good. Bengong knows that the Empress Dowager could not stand the Empress, so bengong sent the Empress there in order to give her a hard time. Once she riled up the Empress Dowager enough, the Empress Dowager will definitely scheme to have her pregnancy aborted. So, by helping Mo Qi Qi, I was only helping her dig her own grave. After all, I have always coveted her position.¡±


    Mo Cheng Xuan stared at her directly in the eyes.


    Yang Shi Han looked away first, ¡°Great General, it is inappropriate for you to look at bengong like that. If the Emperor finds out, you will not escape it unscathed even if you have 10 lives.¡±


    ¡°This General was checking the validity behind what Your Ladyship said. Why did you keep saying things that would get you misunderstood even though that was clearly not what you meant.¡± Mo Cheng Xuan could see from her eyes that she was not being truthful.


    Yang Shi Han shook her head whileughing, ¡°A person¡¯s heart is the hardest thing to understand. How could you possibly know that bengong was lying just by looking at bengong? How funny is that?¡±


    ¡°Qi Qi once told me that eyes are the windows to a person¡¯s soul. If you want to know what that person is thinking, you only need to look at their eyes. That is how this General know that you haven¡¯t been truthful,¡± exined Mo Cheng Xuan earnestly.


    Yang Shi Hanughed, ¡°Who would have thought that the Empress could say something so profound? How admirable. You are right, the reason bengong sent her to the Empress Dowager this time, is to give her a chance to prove herself. Whatever happens after this depends on her fortune. However, bengong did not do all this for Mo Qi Qi. Bengong did it for¡ª General.¡±


    Mo Cheng Xuan¡¯s hand froze, before he smiled, ¡°Thank you, Your Ladyship.¡±


    ¡°Is thanking me enough to repay me?¡± Yang Shi Han looked at him while smiling puzzlingly.


    Mo Cheng Xuan avoided her gaze while saying, ¡°Then, what do you want this General to do?¡±


    Yang Shi Han suddenly stood up and walked seductively towards him. She settled herself on hisp.


    He was shocked and tried to get her off of him, but she took that chance to wrap her arms around her neck. ¡°Great General¡ª¡° Her voice was charmingly soft as she spoke, ¡°Since you want to thank bengong, it is better to thank me through what I like.¡¯


    ¡°Thie General does not know what you like,¡± said Mo Cheng Xuan as he withdrew from her as best as he could.


    Yang Shi Han purposely positioned herself closer to him, pressing her chest on his, ¡°Great General, all the women in the harem are lonely in their own way. The night is frighteningly lonely, making it hard for us to fall asleep. Why don¡¯t you keep bengongpany tonight?¡± She buried her head on his chest. Her improper hands began fondling his chest.


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Wth.)


    He grabbed her hand and stared at her sternly, ¡°Please remember your position, Your Ladyship. You are our Noble Consort.¡± He tried to push her away.


    Yang Shi Han wouldn¡¯t let him win and hugged him tighter whileughing, ¡°Since I am the Noble Consort, what are you doing in bengong¡¯s pce sote in the night? Is that your self-respect?¡±


    (<strong>TN</strong>: Touche tho.)


    ¡°I¡ª¡° Mo Cheng Xuan didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Yang Shi Han touched his cheeks with her slender fingers, while smiling beautifully, ¡°Great General, am I beautiful?¡± She deliberately fiddled with her dress, revealing the skin on her neck and chest.


    Mo Cheng Xuan quickly looked away while coldly saying, ¡°Please remember your ce, Your Ladyship.¡±


    Yang Shi Han purposely turned his head to make him look at her, ¡°Great General, you and I are both alone in here. Let¡¯s not waste this auspicious night. Why don¡¯t we¡ª-¡°


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