Chapter 9: Pink-faced Peach Blossoms

carriage, Li Yun reluctantly pulled back on the reins slightly to slow down her horse and follow behind the carriage.The carriage passed through the bustling main street, and it was almost evening. T...Chapter 9: Rosy Cheeks Amidst Powdered Faces

"" Madam Zhao immediately took the gold leaf when she heard and bowed to hand it over to Rong Jing.

Rong Jing looked up at Yun Qianyu. At this moment, her head was lowered, so he couldn't see her expression; only her lips were tightly pursed. He turned toward Madam Zhao with a faint smile and said in a warm tone, "Your mistress likes this gold leaf very much; give it to her!"

"Yes!" Madam Zhao handed the gold leaf over to Yun Qianyu.

Yun Qianyu didn't reach out for it but looked up at Rong Jing. She met his gaze, which was no longer displeased; instead, it was warm and gentle. She pursed her lips and reached out to take the gold leaf. Regardless of who this letter-writer was, they must have been closely connected with the previous body she had inherited. Naturally, she couldn't just discard them without a thought. Since she had taken over this body, she would have to accept everything that came with it—both good and bad.

Madam Zhao sensed that there was something amiss between Miss Yun and Young Master Rong but knew it wasn’t her place to intervene. She quietly left the room.

"Come, let me change your medicine." Rong Jing took out two jade bottles from his robe pocket and spoke to Yun Qianyu in a warm tone. Sitting still, Yun Qianyu looked at Rong Jing, pursed her lips, and said, "I have an obstruction in my brain; you should know that."

"Mm!" Rong Jing nodded.

"This letter-writer… I don’t know who they are now." Yun Qianyu shook the gold leaf she held. This tiny piece of gold was incredibly heavy to her, but she felt even heavier than this gold leaf the man standing in front of her was. Therefore, she thought it necessary for him to understand something.

"If you don’t know now, then there’s no need to know; you’ll find out sooner or later." Rong Jing said.

Yun Qianyu arched an eyebrow. She believed that Rong Jing must have known something. "What do you know Aren't you going to tell me anything"

"I only take care of your person, not your affairs." As he said this, Rong Jing had already opened the jade bottle and dripped two clear drops onto his fingertips before applying them on Yun Qianyu’s lip corner where she was bitten.

Yun Qianyu rolled her eyes. The cool sensation instantly alleviated some of the burning numbness in her lip. She thought that everything in Rong Jing's hands was indeed good stuff; if she could continue to enjoy being taken care of by him, it would be worth it. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure you want to take care of me"

"Mm!" Rong Jing used his fingertips to gently apply the medicine evenly, and his finger pads lingered on Yun Qianyu’s lip corner, warming up his expression.

Yun Qianyu looked at Rong Jing unblinkingly. "I’m not easy to manage."

"But I’ve known you for more than just a day," Rong Jing glanced at Yun Qianyu and smiled faintly.

Yun Qianyu’s heart was momentarily shaken by his smile, making her somewhat dizzy. She asked, "So when did you start knowing me" Recalling the conversation she had earlier in her mind, she swallowed back the words that were about to spill out. That must have been a memory of this body, right If that person was the former Rong Jing and the previous owner of this body, then who was she… At the thought, her face darkened as she lowered her head and changed the subject. "That’s enough; if you continue applying medicine on my mouth, I’ll be covered in it."

"When did we start knowing each other It doesn’t matter; you’re still you." Rong Jing’s hand left Yun Qianyu’s lip corner as he disregarded her words. He put down the jade bottle and helped Yun Qianyu roll up her sleeve, revealing the arm bandaged with gauze. Carefully unwrapping it, he saw that while the wound was healing, a large scar remained. Frowning, he said, "Even if we eliminate this scar, there will still be traces left."

Yun Qianyu didn’t speak; she was still stunned by Rong Jing’s words. When did we start knowing each other It doesn’t matter; you’re still you… Although these words were different from what Rong Feng had said, the meaning behind them was the same: a definitive tone. Was she Yun Qianyu then But… What about Li Yun's memories in her mind She clearly remembered being Li Yun and only recently having possessed Yun Qianyu’s body; even if they were alike, there must be differences. How could Rong Feng and Rong Jing be so certain that she was "her"…

"Raise your arm a bit!" Rong Jing moved the basin closer as he saw that Yun Qianyu's arm was hanging low, making it hard for him to work on her wound. He said softly.

Yun Qianyu raised her arm subconsciously, her expression constantly changing.

"Ah, I asked you to raise your arm a bit higher; not that high," Rong Jing looked up helplessly and noticed something was wrong with Yun Qianyu’s expression. He stopped what he was doing and lightly inquired, "What's the matter"

Yun Qianyu watched him with a somewhat troubled mind. Meeting his gentle face calmed her down slightly; she returned to normal as the changing expressions on her face faded away. She immediately lowered her raised arm and smiled at Rong Jing, "I was wondering if you like me from before or now.

Rong Jing's long eyelashes fluttered twice, and he smiled gently, "Who said I like you"

Yun Qianyue remembered that he had never declared his affection for her. Her smile froze on her face; she snorted, "If you don't like me, forget it."

Rong Jing chuckled but remained silent as he lowered his head to continue with what he was doing—cleaning Yun Qianyue's wound with water, applying medicine to it, and bandaging it up. His actions were meticulous and tender.

Yun Qianyue watched Rong Jing the entire time; her eyes followed him as she thought that some people looked good no matter what they did. An action could be a simple act when performed by others but an art form worth appreciating when done by someone like Rong Jing.

After finishing, Rong Jing returned to Yun Qianyue's bedside and looked at her with a gentle gaze, "‘Like’ is too light a word. I…"

"Miss!" Yun Meng hurriedly ran into the courtyard; his voice reached them before he did.

Yun Qianyue glanced out of the window to see Yun Meng in front and Lao Gonggong following closely behind, both rushing over. She frowned at Rong Jing, "Continue what you were saying; don’t mind them."

She had heard from Rong Feng that “‘like’ is too light a word, we are family…” She wanted to hear how Rong Jing would finish his statement about the weight of ‘liking’ someone…

Rong Jing stopped speaking and looked out the window, fixing his gaze on Lao Gonggong. His eyes narrowed slightly, "There must be something wrong."

"Even if there is something urgent, let me finish what I was saying first." Yun Qianyue ignored him; she wanted to hear it. If ‘like’ is too light a word, then what weight does the right term carry

Rong Jing turned his gaze back to Yun Qianyue and suddenly smiled teasingly. He asked gently, "What do you want to hear"

Yun Qianyue blushed and complained, "Are you going to say it or not"

Rong Jing didn’t answer; he turned around and walked towards the door.

Yun Qianyue stretched out her hand to grab Rong Jing but only air met her grasp. Rong Jing didn't stop moving, glancing back at her with a smile, "I no longer have an extra sleeve for you to pull on; it seems I need to make two more sleeves just for you."

Yun Qianyue looked away and harrumphed in annoyance, "If you don’t want to say it, forget it. Do you really think I care"

Rong Jing smiled but didn’t answer; he reached the door and opened it.

"Prince Rong" Lao Gonggong was surprised to see Prince Rong coming out of Yun Qianyue’s room.

"I came to change Miss Yun Qianyue's medicine." Rong Jing looked at Lao Gonggong and put on a more formal, detached smile. "Elder Servant, what is the urgent matter"

Lao Gonggong quickly recovered from his surprise and bowed to Rong Jing. He panted slightly as he said, "Old servant greets Prince Rong; last night Miss Qin of Chancellor’s Manor caught a chill and fell ill with pneumonia. She is bedridden now. The Emperor has instructed me to come for Miss Yun Qianyue."

"Oh Miss Qin got sick at just the right time!" Rong Jing smiled coolly.

"Yes, it couldn’t have been timed any better," Lao Gonggong sighed and continued. "I personally went to Chancellor’s Manor; Miss Qin was indeed pale-faced and weak. She was sluggish as soon as she woke up this morning, and the Imperial Physicians were summoned to Chancellor’s Manor all morning but failed to revive her. How could they possibly proceed with bloodletting" With a sigh, Lao Gonggong added, "But Princess Ye's ritual cannot be delayed; it must be performed at noon. Therefore, the Emperor ordered me to come for Miss Yun Qianyue. Although she is injured, as someone who practices martial arts, her body should be stronger and more resilient than Miss Qin’s."

"I didn’t expect Miss Qin to be so weak; in this aspect, Miss Qin really doesn’t measure up to Miss Yun Qianyue," Rong Jing said noncommittally, then turned back to Yun Qianyue. "Since that is the case, you should go with Elder Servant to the palace."

Yun Qianyue thought it was indeed too convenient for Qin Yuceng to be bedridden just now; she had wanted to visit anyway as letting some blood wouldn’t harm her. She would see how Ye Qian performed her ritual and use the opportunity to investigate any hidden issues. Yun Qianyue got out of bed, walked over to the door, and told Lao Gonggong, "Alright, I’ll go with you now!"

"Then, Miss Qin, please go ahead!" Eunuch Lu nodded eagerly and then turned to Rong Jing, saying: "Prince Regent Jing, earlier the Emperor sent people to Yong王府to invite you. You weren't there. I didn't expect that you would be here changing medicine for Miss Qin. Should you now accompany Miss Qin to the palace"

"There are still some matters in my honorific residence that need handling, so I won’t go to the palace. This matter mainly depends on whether Princess Ye's incantation is precise and whether Miss Qin’s blood will be effective. Even if I go, it won't serve much purpose," Rong Jing shook his head, paused for a moment, then told Eunuch Lu: "Eunuch, please report to His Majesty that Miss Qin has lost too much blood and is now very weak. If Princess Ye uses her blood excessively, it will harm Miss Qin's body. In such a case, if the murderer doesn’t kill Miss Qin secretly but she dies from excessive blood loss, it would be laughable. Even if we find the culprit, it would only be a joke. The Emperor should understand this."

"Prince Regent Jing is right; I will definitely report to His Majesty," Eunuch Lu hurriedly responded respectfully.

Rong Jing said no more and walked towards the door. He turned back after walking two steps, looking at Yun Qianyue with his gaze landing on her lips and eyebrows, reminding her casually: "Miss Qin has been bedridden these days due to injuries, she originally had no feminine image whatsoever; now even less so as you're almost unrecognizable. Since you are going to the palace, shouldn't you at least tidy yourself up a little You don't need to look good, but it would be better if others can bear looking at you."

Yun Qianyue was about to step out of the door but stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing this.

Rong Jing said nothing more and left with a turn.

Of course, Yun Qianyue knew what Rong Jing meant. She felt both ashamed and annoyed, teeth grinding from anger; yet she couldn’t vent it in front of Eunuch Lu and Yun Meng. Seeing that Eunuch Lu looked over at her, she suddenly covered her face with the sleeve of her robe and turned to walk back into the room. With a huff, she said: "I didn't ask you to look! I won’t go! To avoid being told that I have no human form."

"Miss Qin, there's no time for you to get ready now; how can you not go" Eunuch Lu hurriedly said.

"Eunuch Lu, it will be a crime to offend His Majesty’s eyes and face," Rong Jing spoke without turning back, saying indifferently to the eunuch: "it is considered disrespectful towards the Emperor."

Eunuch Lu immediately changed his tone and said helplessly: "Then Miss Qin should hurry up! You have no choice but to go."

Rong Jing ignored Eunuch Lu from then on, maintaining his usual light and elegant pace. In no time at all he left the building.

Yun Meng watched Rong Jing leave; feeling that this Prince Regent Jing seemed different today compared to before, yet couldn’t describe what was different about him. He turned his gaze back to Yun Qianyue who had huffed and gone inside already. Then he looked at Eunuch Lu who was anxiously trying to persuade the girl. "Eunuch, don't worry, Miss Qin is just upset by Prince Regent Jing’s words; she always does what she promises. She said she would go to the palace with you."

"That's good! Otherwise I wouldn't be able to fulfill my mission!" Eunuch Lu wiped sweat off his forehead and glanced at the sky before urging Yun Qianyue again from inside: "Miss Qin, hurry up, there's only half an hour until noon. Princess Ye needs to perform her ritual precisely at noon; we can’t miss that time."

"Understood! Stop nagging like a death messenger ghost! If you’re in such a rush go ahead without me," Yun Qianyue who was still angry shouted out.

Eunuch Lu immediately fell silent, saying somewhat bitterly: "Even if I leave first it won’t be of use; I’ll wait here for Miss Qin then. You... Don't worry, take your time; as long as you get to the palace before noon."

Eunuch Lu had never been so humble towards anyone else. Because of his position as the Emperor's chief eunuch, everyone in Heavenly Capital, including Empress and Imperial Consort Ming who was His Majesty’s most favored concubine, all court officials, even a few princes, treated him with respect and spoke politely to him; not even Crown Prince or other imperial children dared speak harshly. But Yun Qianyue of the Yun王府and Little Prince Ran of De Prince王府never showed any regard for him, unless they were provoked. After seven years of training outside, Little Prince Ran had become more restrained upon his return to the capital city; Eunuch Lu thought that Miss Qin must have changed her temper and not been as easily irritable recently too, only to find out he was wrong. He sighed, even though being scolded by Yun Qianyue, he didn’t dare be angry.

Yun Meng felt that it really wasn't good for Miss Qin to offend Eunuch Lu; the Emperor’s chief eunuch was a very important figure who could talk directly to His Majesty. He leaned close and whispered: "Eunuch, please bear with her a little more; Miss Qin has sustained serious injuries and almost lost an arm without Prince Regent Jing's help. She has been in low spirits cooped up indoors these days... Also..." he paused briefly before whispering: "...Also, Miss Qin is now of age; you know when women are having their menstrual cycle, they tend to be irritable."

Eunuch Lu’s previous discomfort immediately vanished as realization dawned on him. He exclaimed: "So that's it...!" Then he laughed heartily, his old face breaking into a wide smile: "Miss Qin is now of age; I told you so! Miss Qin was much better in temperament recently but is like this again; the Emperor doesn't know yet! When I return, I will definitely report this happy news to His Majesty. The Emperor will surely be pleased when he hears it."

"Empress Dowager knows of course, hasn’t she told the Emperor" Yun Meng asked in puzzlement.

"Because of Prince Regent Jing and Miss Qin’s attempted murder incident, the Emperor hasn't been to the harem for several days. Empress Dowager and other concubines couldn’t see His Majesty; no one has informed him about this matter either, so he naturally wouldn’t know," Eunuch Lu said with a chuckle.

"I understand now!" Yun Meng nodded, seeing that Eunuch Lu wasn't angry anymore, he didn't say anything more.

Eunuch Lu also remained silent and anxiously looked at the door of Yun Qianyue’s room.

Despite their voices being very low, Yun Qianyue still heard most of it. She shivered in disgust with a rather unpleasant expression on her face. So now that her period came she had to make a fuss about it Walking up to the mirror and looking at herself inside, her reflection was still pale but her cheeks were rosy; her lips swollen red from ointment but the wound around them was clear still. She quietly cursed: "He really shouldn't be called Rong Jing, he should be called Rong Bastard!"

After scolding, she thought of his words, "like is too light," and couldn’t help but smile. But as soon as the smile appeared, her wound hurt again, making a sharp sound, and the smile vanished. She pressed on her wound with her fingers and said irritably: "You really are like a dog!"

Although she was scolding him, when she recalled what happened earlier, her face blushed again. Her cheeks were as red as peach blossoms dyed in rouge. After standing in front of the mirror for a while, her blush didn’t fade at all. She wondered if it would be obvious to everyone that she had fallen for someone.

"Miss Qianyue, are you done" Eunuch Lu asked anxiously as he watched the time.

"Not yet! Wait a bit longer!" Yun Qianyue left the mirror and walked over to the basin of clear water. She washed her face for a long time, but even the cool water couldn’t lower the temperature on her cheeks. Using a handkerchief, she wiped away all the water from her face and went back in front of the mirror again. She opened the box on the dressing table and started putting powder on her face.

She could only use her disguise skills now...

"Miss Qianyue, hurry up! If you don’t leave soon, it’ll be too late!" Eunuch Lu probably would have come in if he was allowed to. But since this person was Yun Qianyue and she seemed to be someone that Young Prince Jing protected very much, he didn’t dare.

"Alright, let’s go," Yun Qianyue said after Eunuch Lu finished speaking. She looked at him and walked out of the room.

Eunuch Lu was overjoyed to hear that she was leaving. He quickly followed her without worrying about how pale her face was.

"Miss Yun, you... your face..." Yun Meng had a clear view of Yun Qianyue’s appearance and looked at her in disbelief.

"Eunuch Lu, do I look like someone who would disgrace the heavens" Yun Qianyue stopped walking to ask him without looking at Yun Meng.

Eunuch Lu saw her face. Her face was pale with no hint of blood, even her lips were white. He was shocked. When he looked into Yun Qianyue’s eyes, which seemed to say that she wouldn’t go if he said her appearance would disgrace the heavens, he shook his head hastily and replied in difficulty: "No, it won’t disgrace the heavens! It’ll be fine as long as you’re not hurt severely. Your face looks terrible because of your severe injuries..."

"Alright then, let’s go quickly!" Yun Qianyue endured the thick scent of powder in her nose and cursed Rong Jing silently for making such a mess when she had to clean up the consequences. She would make his face look as bad as hers tomorrow.

"Yes! We have less than an hour until noon, we must hurry!" Eunuch Lu almost ran while walking.

Yun Qianyue looked at the sky and walked faster. She naturally didn’t want to delay this matter any further. She wanted to see what kind of curse from Southern Borderland was used on her and how to find out who was behind it.

The two reached the front gate of Cloud王府 (Cloud Manor) without saying a word.

Yun Qianyue saw that, besides Eunuch Lu’s carriage, there was also another black carriage. This one was exactly like Rong Jing’s earlier carriage that had been pierced with countless arrows. It was made from agarwood and its style was simple but not rustic. The only difference was that this one looked brand new and shiny. Obviously, someone who was rich and powerful destroyed the old one and got a new one. This really lived up to the saying "the old won’t leave without the new coming." She pursed her lips and wondered why he hadn’t left yet.

At this moment, the curtain of his carriage lifted slightly as Rong Jing revealed his face and looked at Yun Qianyue. When he saw her face, his lips twitched fiercely before he quickly turned away unwilling to look at her again.

What a ridiculous expression! Yun Qianyue glared at Rong Jing with an angry eye.

"Young Prince Jing" Eunuch Lu also noticed Rong Jing and asked, "You haven’t returned home"

"The things at my house are trivial. It’s fine if I don’t deal with them," Rong Jing replied. "But as this is a significant matter, I should still come along to see how it develops."

Eunuch Lu was surprised and said happily: "It’s best that Young Prince Jing accompanies us."

Rong Jing hummed and didn’t look at Yun Qianyue. Instead, he said to her, "Hurry up and get in the carriage! If you delay any longer, we’ll miss our time. I shouldn’t have waited for so long if I knew your appearance would be this ghastly."

Yun Qianyue’s heart was filled with anger as she glared at Rong Jing. She finally understood now that this bastard wanted to enter the palace all along; he just wanted to see how she’d come out of her room. So, he first said he wouldn’t go and after causing a mess for her, he waited here calmly while she spent hours in her room getting ready. What baffled her was why this person could be so heartless!

Rong Jing seemed not to notice the extremely angry and ugly face Yun Qianyue was making, as he lowered the curtain and urged her on: "Hurry up!"

Yun Qianyue stood still with her chest puffing out in rage.

"Miss Yun, His Young Lord Ji's carriage is more stable. Since His Young Lord Ji is going too, you should quickly get into His Young Lord Ji's carriage!" Eunuch Lu urged Yun Qianyue and left abruptly to his own carriage. For some reason, whenever His Young Lord Ji was around, there was a reassuring power that made one feel safe even if the sky were to fall. He thought it no wonder why the emperor always mentioned His Young Lord Ji with such a secretive expression.

Yun Qianyue pretended not to hear and followed Eunuch Lu, thinking she didn't want to ride in the same carriage as that rascal.

"Eunuch Lu is an eunuch!" Rong Jing suddenly spoke up, emphasizing the word 'eunuch.'

Yun Qianyue's steps faltered and she abruptly turned around and walked back. She roughly pulled open the carriage curtain to see Xiang Ge frozen in mid-air, stifling a laugh as he dared not look at her. Yun Qianyue glared at him and jumped into the carriage.

Rong Jing gave Yun Qianyue an amused glance, then instructed Xiang Ge, "Drive!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Xiang Ge thought that daylight could also have ghosts. The source of those ghosts was women's powder. He flicked his whip and the carriage left Chancellor’s Manor, quickly and steadily.

Eunuch Lu's carriage followed closely behind, urging its horses to speed up as they raced directly towards the palace.

Inside the carriage, Yun Qianyue couldn't hold back her feet which she had longed to use. She kicked Rong Jing fiercely twice. Rong Jing did not dodge or flinch and just let her kick him. After she finished kicking, his voice was gentle: "Are you satisfied now"

"I'm not satisfied yet, I still want to beat you up." Yun Qianyue said this but didn't make any moves. She knew how strong her feet were; the two kicks had been too forceful, and he hadn't even frowned in response. At that moment, she regretted using excessive strength. Secretly puzzled, she wondered why she felt remorse after kicking him — something she never did before — this truly was getting worse with age. However, most of her anger subsided.

"You're really willing to!" Rong Jing stared at Yun Qianyue's face, seeing the regret in her eyes and his gaze softened with a smile.

"What is there not to be willing You aren't…" Yun Qianyue huffed and wanted to say something but suddenly thought she shouldn't mention "you’re not my…". She changed her words instead: "Don't you know how to dodge"

"Getting kicked twice is better than kicking yourself in a fit of anger. I won’t dodge." Rong Jing smiled and shook his head.

Yun Qianyue looked at Rong Jing, suddenly burst out laughing, "Am I pretty"

Rong Jing rubbed his forehead, "You’d better not laugh; otherwise, you look even more ghastly!"

Yun Qianyue was furious and immediately reached to hit the hand that Rong Jing had on his forehead. She shouted angrily: "Say it, am I pretty"

"Well, this fierce expression is still somewhat tolerable. But no one will look at you," said Rong Jing.

Yun Qianyue immediately moved closer to Rong Jing and pressed her face against his, angrily saying: "I give you another chance; if you say something that displeases me again, I'll smear all the powder from my face onto yours."

Rong Jing reached out and pulled Yun Qianyue close. Seeing her pale face with only her eyes glaring at him in anger, he found it somewhat intimidating — at least enough to make a child cry. He softly laughed: "I didn't know women's powder had this use; it can hide one’s shame!"

Yun Qianyue blushed and was about to react when Rong Jing suddenly leaned close to her face, but she recoiled in shock at the same time he pulled back. He murmured softly, as if addressing Yun Qianyue or himself: "This time I really can't bring myself to do it!"

Hearing this, Yun Qianyue's mouth twitched and a sharp pain followed her action. She angrily said: "I’ll look like this every day from now on, so you'll have your fill of seeing me!"

"They say women adorn themselves for those who please them. If you meticulously apply powder and dress up for my sake alone every day in the future, I would likely laugh myself awake each night," Rong Jing said with a smile.

"Alright, just wait and see. Even if you don't wake up from a smile in your dream, I'll dress like this and visit your bed every night to scare you awake." Yun Qianyue spoke fiercely.

"Visiting my bed every night..." Rong Jing's gaze suddenly brightened as he looked at Yun Qianyue and said with an enigmatic smile: "Welcome any time!"

Yun Qianyue hadn't noticed anything strange until she heard the odd sound in his voice, realizing that he had diverted her thoughts. Her face flushed but her thick powder made it hard to see; in the corner of her eye, she saw a dressing mirror on the carriage wall, and her reflection was as pale as a ghost. Even though her face felt like it was burning hot, there was no change visible. She thought that although this powder had an unpleasant smell, it was actually quite useful—thickening her skin to be as tough as a city wall. She sighed but didn't bother arguing with Rong Jing anymore and tried to push him away.

Rong Jing held onto Yun Qianyue tightly and frowned: "Can't there be some scentless powder"

Yun Qianyue huffed, "I don't know. This stuff makes my face feel uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable but we have to endure it," Rong Jing closed his eyes and seemed to be enduring something as well: "Let's both bear with it!" His expression appeared even more miserable than Yun Qianyue, who was covered in thick powder.

Yun Qianyue opened her eyes wide to look at Rong Jing. After a moment, she felt satisfied—someone else was suffering more than she was! Seeing that he wasn't letting go, she didn't forcefully pull out from his arms but relaxed and let him hold her. As long as it made this guy feel sick, she would do it—like staying close to him so the scent of powder would be even stronger for him.

"You really are..." Rong Jing seemed to understand Yun Qianyue's thoughts and was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Yun Qianyue hummed, finding that this soft cushion felt quite comfortable to lean against.

The two of them didn't speak anymore. The carriage quickly passed through the streets; from the sound of the wheels rolling rapidly over the road, one could imagine how fast it was moving.

Yun Qianyue thought that Xuan Ge’s driving skills were excellent—she drove as fast as a horse would ride. She yawned sleepily and closed her eyes. It didn't feel like long before the carriage stopped.

"Young Master, we're here!" Xuan Ge's voice came from outside.

Yun Qianyue opened her eyes to look at Rong Jing; he tidied up her slightly disheveled hair and whispered: "Today you don't need to say anything, just listen to me. How does that sound"

Yun Qianyue blinked; looking back at him, his gaze was gentle.

In those warm eyes, she suddenly found something—what she had always been chasing in her past life but could never reach. She smiled abruptly: "Alright."

The words spoken, Rong Jing released his grip and Yun Qianyue stepped out of his embrace, reaching up to lift the curtain to look outside.

She saw that they weren't at the palace gate but rather outside the Meridian Gate. Sitting on what was usually an executioner's platform were dozens of people around an elderly emperor wearing a dragon robe; she recognized several figures—Ye Qian, Ye Qingran, and Ye Tianyu among others. Looking ahead to the execution platform, she saw over a hundred black-clad corpses arranged in a circle there—those who had tried to assassinate her and Rong Jing the day before, with Ye Qian standing at the center of the platform.

Extra:

Infinite thanks for everyone's blessings. Ziqing wishes you all a Happy New Year! 2013, let’s be happy and full of energy together!

Thanks to the following readers who sent diamonds, gifts, and flowers:

Lv Nainai (100 diamonds, 1 flower), hkcyl (50 diamonds), Lyy Yangzi (1888 gift), Ranyin Ye (13 diamonds), Anne7655 (10 diamonds), 499415104 (8 diamonds, 800 gifts, 8 flowers), Yangyang Sunshine (5 diamonds, 5 flowers), Mu Zi (5 diamonds), Jolin0880 (5 diamonds), Great Monster (888 gift), TaoTao's Treasure (888 gift), Pure Love Ai (3 diamonds, 521 gift), ABC Xiaxueer (5 diamonds), Hollow Cabbage 000 (5 diamonds), Snowballooi (500 gifts), Dailidx (10 flowers, 168 gifts), Illusory Moon Dance (1 diamond, 124 gifts), Ink Pupil (188 gifts), Youyou's Heart Xian (3 diamonds, 188 gift, 3 flowers), Kikilovejie (3 diamonds, 200 gift), Rainy Drunken Doll (2 diamonds, 2 flowers), Bamboo Melody (2 diamonds).

Remember this website’s domain name.

Use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through pages.mile, waving her hand as she addressed them: "Let's discuss this later tonight. Now find all the account books and let Yu Zhuo and Green Branch help me study household management."Ting Xue immediately...