Chapter 485 - Proper Palace Intrigue (24)
Chapter 485 : Proper Palace Intrigue (24)
Ming Jin told her that Yuwen Mo had been a very amicable person. Regardless of whether he was interacting with his own people or a hostage from another country, he treated them very well.
But 16 years ago, Ming Jin had been sent to Yunyin Temple with the reason that his life was in danger due to possession by evil spirits.
Ming Jin had been too young to understand back then, so he could only do what others told him to.
He didn’t have many memories from that period of time. Everything he knew came from investigating after he had grown up.
Yuwen Mo’s entire household had been executed on the grounds of harbouring thoughts of rebellion.
Shi Sheng propped up her jaw, her gaze landing on the aged imperial edict.
‘If Yuwen Mo had this edict, he should’ve taken it out if he wanted to become emperor. There’s no way he would’ve waited for his brother to sit on the throne for that many years before rebelling, right?
The preceding emperor reigned for more than 30 years. Why did he only find fault with Yuwen Mo halfway through then?
Or maybe the preceding emperor didn’t discover that this edict existed till then?’
This seemed to be the only explanation that fit.
“You told me this just like that? You’re not afraid that I’m actually on Yuwen Xun’s side?” Shi Sheng reined back her scattered thoughts, giving Ming Jin a fake smile.
Ming Jin’s expression was filled with gentleness and warmth that had the power to draw people in. He stared at Shi Sheng for several seconds before slowly speaking, “Then I’ll crush his empire.”
“Since you have that ability, why are you still here?”
A light swirled in Ming Jin’s eyes. “Because you’re here.”
“The consequences for getting me fired up are very serious.” Shi Sheng knocked the table. “Can you handle it?”
‘Fired up?’ Ming Jin didn’t really understand the meaning behind this phrase, but he knew what her latter sentence meant.
“Of course.”
Shi Sheng leaned closer to Ming Jin and pinched his chin. “But being mine means you’ll have to obey me in everything.”
“Apart from when we’re in the bedroom, I promise to be utterly obedient to you.”
Shi Sheng released him with a look of pity on her face. “What a shame. You have to listen to me on the bed too, so we aren’t compatible.”
‘We should just meet again in the next world!’
Her scalp tingled from the thought of being with someone filled with schemes and machinations, who could turn on her at anytime.
Ming Jin frowned, a struggle visible in the depths of his eyes. In the end, he didn’t say anything, simply getting up and leaving.
‘As expected, all men are really stubborn when it comes to bedroom matters ah!’
Shi Sheng felt like her “Pear Dies For Peach” quest ought to be completed after she got the imperial edict. After all, it never said anything about helping Yuwen Mo reveal the truth.
‘Yep, the imperial clan is full of politics. Gotta break up the leads as soon as possible, then leave this damn place.’
……
Because the young prince’s condition gradually began to improve, Yuwen Xun felt joy despite his worry. He’d been accompanying his precious little treasure for the past few days now.
“Father, I don’t want to drink anymore.” Yuwen Jing face was all scrunched up.
“Don’t be wilful!” Yuwen Xun chided as he fed his son personally. “How are you to get better if you don’t take your medicine?”
Yuwen Jing could only finish the medicine with a bitter look on his face.
“Father, I don’t want to live here anymore.” Yuwen Jing grabbed Yuwen Xun’s sleeve and spoke pitifully.
“What is it?”
Yuwen Jing pursed his lips rather timidly, his gaze floating to the maids and eunuchs waiting outside.
Yuwen Xun’s brows furrowed and he waved a hand to dismiss them.
That same day, Yuwen Jing was moved to one of the side palaces attached to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Everyone who had been serving him was thrown into the dungeons.
Yuwen Xun just so happened to be present as Lu Ruo entered the room.
“Your Majesty.” Lu Ruo curtseyed.
Because Lu Ruo had used her ancestral remedy to save Yuwen Jing, Yuwen Xun had allowed her to visit his son any time. But his expression today looked a bit off.
Lu Ruo was confused inwardly.
‘What’s this man angry about now? As expected, the phrase “accompanying a monarch is like being with a tiger” is completely accurate.’ Lu Ruo thought to herself with her head lowered.
Yuwen Xun comforted Yuwen Jing before getting Lu Ruo to follow him out.
Lu Ruo felt more apprehensive. ‘Is someone trying to frame me again?’
“An Zhao Yi, give me(z) a sample of the medicine you fed Jing’er before.”
“Ah?” ‘You’re asking me for medicine?’
Yuwen Xun’s expression was a bit unsightly, so Lu Ruo hurriedly pulled out a porcelain bottle from her sleeve. ‘Luckily I didn’t finish all the meds I bought from System the last time.’
Yuwen Xun left after taking the medicine, leaving Lu Ruo utterly befuddled.
“System, what’s with him?”
“Yuwen Xun’s favourability of you has dropped to 50.”
“Ah?” ‘I didn’t even do anything! Wasn’t it 60 before? How come it dropped to 50?’
“Host, allow me to remind you that the medicine you purchased was only starter-level medicine—it couldn’t have possibly cured Yuwen Jing.”
Lu Ruo felt like she’d been struck by lightning on a clear day.
After a good long while, she muttered, “Then…how’d he recover?”
“I have detected an energy wave on him. It should be Zhuang Qiong.”
‘Zhuang Qiong…’
“What is her favourability of me?”
“Sorry, but I am unable to determine that.”
“Why???” Lu Ruo was a bit anxious. The ability to see someone’s favourability towards her had appeared with her system levelling up. Ever since she had this, she was very clear as to who meant her well and who wished her ill.
“She may have a higher level system, so I am unable…”
Ever since that day, Lu Ruo’s luck turned for the worse—she was banished to the cold palace on grounds of deceiving the Emperor.
By contrast, Yuwen Jing had helped to speak up for Shi Sheng to the ML.
While she’d been in his quarters, Yuwen Jing had woken up once and managed to vaguely recognise her.
As Shi Sheng looked at the stuff Yuwen Xun had sent to her, she really felt like rejecting them. ‘ML-sama, we have a deep enmity—what’s with suddenly cosying up to me(lz)??? Don’t think this’ll make me let you off the hook!’
……
Yuwen Xun’s birthday on the 9th day of the 9th month.
The tributary state, Xi Liang Kingdom, sent their Second Prince over to congratulate.
As for their Eldest Prince? He was a hostage in Dong Jin.
As the Eldest Prince of the Xi Liang Kingdom, Ming Jin naturally had to attend.
And perhaps due to Yuwen Jing speaking up for her once more, as the State Teacher, Shi Sheng was honoured with a seat too.
Of course, Shi Sheng didn’t know the reason why. She just thought the ML might have gone mad.
That or he was plotting something again.
Shi Sheng’s seat wasn’t very high or low in the arrangement. Ming Jin was seated diagonally across from her, his head lowered, his thoughts unknown.
Shi Sheng felt he was rather pitiful, being unable to return to his own land and held hostage here instead.
“State Teacher.” Yuwen Jing’s tiny frame swayed as he stood before Shi Sheng.
“What?” Shi Sheng lifted her head to look at him.
Yuwen Jing balled up both hands into fists and very ceremoniously bowed at the waist. “Thank you for saving my life, State Teacher.”
Shi Sheng, “…” ‘This brat could recognise me despite the delirium? Really now!’
“Why did the young prince thank her?”
“His Majesty actually really let her be State Teacher! How come our proposals were completely useless?”
“Shh! What do you know? That one’s got some tricks up her sleeve. Who knows? What if she actually does have some ability?”
The odd happenings at Star-Plucking Tower had spread throughout the streets.
Not being able to enter through the door, not being able to find the way out even if one managed to get in, seeing a white figure floating at the top of the tower in the middle of the night, etcetera.
Some said a devil lived within Star-Plucking Tower, while others said it was an immortal.
Basically all sorts of wild speculations were afoot.