Chapter 61 [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Asura.
Yu Jing had been staying in Guizhou City for over half a month, and after drinking traditional Chinese medicine for almost half a month, she felt much better. Summer had arrived, the rainy season in Guizhou was over, and the past few days had been sunny and warm. The weather had also gotten quite hot, and it was getting warmer indoors.
Yu Jing sat in the room, a maid fanning her with a round fan. Ayu brought over a liniment for the scar and said to Yu Jing, "Your Majesty, this servant is giving this to you..."
Before Ayu could finish speaking, a voice rang out from outside: "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Lord Xie requests an audience."
Yu Jing's gaze fell on the ointment on A Yu's hand: "Leave it for now."
"Yes," Ayu replied, placing the ointment on the table beside her. "Then this servant will go and summon Lord Xie."
"Hmm," Yu Jing replied indifferently.
Xie Xuan had been out suppressing bandits with Han Qingzhou for the past few days and rarely returned to the city. He hadn't been back for almost half a month. Now that he was back, he was going crazy missing Yu Jing. He had never known that missing someone could be so unbearable. After returning to his residence, Xie Xuan took a bath and went straight to Yu Jing's room.
With a creak, the door opened, and Xie Xuan looked up to see A Yu coming out of the room: "Lord Xie, the Empress Dowager summons you in."
"Thank you," Xie Xuan replied, stepping into the room. The gauze curtain was lifted, and Xie Xuan could see Yu Jing at a glance. She wore an apricot-colored wide-sleeved long robe, embroidered with bright orange phoenix tail flowers. The robe slipped slightly off her shoulders, revealing her fair and beautiful collarbone, which looked even brighter than the sun outside. Xie Xuan's gaze lingered for a moment, then he bowed slightly and greeted Yu Jing, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"Get up," Yu Jing said, looking at Xie Xuan. Xie Xuan looked unwell, as if he hadn't rested well these past few days.
Because the ointment was placed in such an obvious spot, Xie Xuan's gaze immediately fell upon it. Remembering what the female physician had said earlier, he lowered his eyes.
Before Xie Xuan could speak, Yu Jing spoke first: "You may all step back."
"Yes." They all responded and withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the room.
"Does Your Majesty wish to apply medicine?" Xie Xuan stood up abruptly, walked to the small table, and picked up the ointment that A-Yu had placed on the table earlier. By the time Yu Jing came to her senses, Xie Xuan was already in front of her.
Xie Xuan leaned close. He stood there, while Yu Jing leaned against the couch, raising his eyelids to look at Xie Xuan. He had lost weight, and his features were more deep-set and striking. Xie Xuan lowered his gaze. Yu Jing's makeup was clean, his lipstick a bright red, and the scent of powder was faint yet alluring. Xie Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he reached out to lift the slightly upturned part of Yu Jing's dress.
Yu Jing felt a chill on her shoulder; her outer garment had fallen to her elbows, exposing a large expanse of her snow-white neck and shoulders. Yu Jing stood there, stunned, when the straps at her chest were untied, and her breathing became heavy and involuntary. Xie Xuan half-squatted down to look Yu Jing in the eye at her wound. Yu Jing thought Xie Xuan would open the ointment and apply it, but unexpectedly, the next second, she felt a warm sensation on her right chest.
Yu Jing's clothes were now half-open, and Xie Xuan...
"Your Majesty, may I administer the medicine to you later?"
"Hmm..." Yu Jing replied absentmindedly.
...
"Have the bandits been wiped out?" Yu Jing asked.
"Hmm." Xie Xuan responded in a muffled voice, his hands still applying medicine to Yu Jing. "In a few days, we'll be able to return to the palace."
"Okay," Yu Jing replied calmly.
"Magpie."
"Hmm?" Yu Jing looked down at Xie Xuan with some confusion.
"I don't want to go back to the palace," Xie Xuan said, his expression somewhat aggrieved. Yu Jing was taken aback; she hadn't expected to see such a childlike look on Xie Xuan's face. Her hand unconsciously reached out and touched Xie Xuan's cheek.
"Please inform them that I wish to see the Empress Dowager."
Ayu was surprised that Su Siyang would come. She glanced at the door and whispered, "Lord Su, please come back later. The Empress Dowager is not in a position to see you right now."
Su Siyang's expression darkened, and he looked at Ayu with a hint of inquiry. Ayu felt a little uneasy under Su Siyang's gaze, and lowered her head, unsure of what to say. After all, Sheng Hua's relationship with Su Siyang was unusual before, and now it seemed to be with Xie Xuan... It was really hard to figure out.
"Is Lord Xie inside?" Su Siyang asked directly. Ayu choked, unsure how to respond. Su Siyang knew he couldn't glean anything from Ayu, so he turned to the maid standing beside her. "What do you say?"
The maid was not as composed as Ayu. Startled by Su Siyang's words, she immediately replied, "This servant knows nothing!"
Su Siyang then looked at Ayu, whose scalp tingled. She braced herself and called out into the room, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Lord Su requests an audience."
Yu Jing and Xie Xuan were inside when they heard A Yu's voice. Xie Xuan's first reaction was to check on Yu Jing's expression. For some reason, Yu Jing felt guilty upon hearing Su Siyang's name, as if she were having an affair with Xie Xuan. Even though she had already broken things off with him completely, it was probably because of Sheng Hua's condition.
Seeing Yu Jing's slightly guilty expression, Xie Xuan felt a surge of jealousy. He grabbed Yu Jing's chin and kissed her. Xie Xuan kissed her forcefully, and Yu Jing couldn't breathe for a moment. After the kiss, Xie Xuan reached out and lifted Yu Jing's outer robe, straightening his own clothes. "Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now."
Yu Jing knew Xie Xuan was doing it on purpose, but she couldn't do anything about it. It made sense, though, since Sheng Hua's relationship with Su Siyang had indeed been complicated before, so it was no wonder he was jealous. After all, Xie Xuan's heart and soul were now completely devoted to her.
He expected to hear Yu Jing's voice, but instead heard footsteps inside. The door opened, and Xie Xuan stood in the doorway. Although his clothes were neat, his lips were unusually red. If Su Siyang still didn't know what had happened, he would be too oblivious.
When Qinghong went to Jinzhu Village to inquire about the matter, she learned that they were husband and wife, but strangely, they didn't sleep together. Su Siyang felt something was wrong, but what could he do? If he killed everyone in Jinzhu Village, given Shenghua's stubborn nature, she would probably never speak to him again for the rest of her life.
But he never expected to see Xie Xuan like this.
"This humble official greets Lord Su."
Lord Su raised a cold laugh: "Lord Xie rushed back so urgently, just to report to the Empress Dowager?"
"Yes, that's all I have to say. I've already spoken to the Empress Dowager, so Lord Su doesn't need to make this trip." Xie Xuan met Su Siyang's probing gaze directly and spoke.
Su Siyang scoffed coldly. He never imagined that he would one day be rebuffed by someone so much younger than him. Su Siyang felt a headache coming on. He used to think that Xie Xuan, though a military commander, was still polite, but now he was truly vulgar and unbearable. His face darkened, and he met Xie Xuan's provocative gaze with some displeasure. Now that he thought about it, the strangeness of Shenghua began when Xie Xuan went to guard the Cining Palace.
"Then thank you very much." Su Siyang gritted his teeth, turned around and left.
After Su Siyang left, Xie Xuan turned around and glanced inside. Only then did he realize he had acted impulsively. He wondered if Yu Jing would be angry. Thinking this, Xie Xuan sighed softly, deciding to coax her another time. Since returning to Guizhou with Yu Jing, his mind and emotions had been easily swayed by everything she did.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Ayu returned to the room, and she knew a little about what had happened. "Lord Su seems to be quite angry."
Yu Jing lightly tapped her temples. Su Siyang's anger was understandable, but there was nothing she could do. The person he loved, Sheng Hua, was already dead. Besides, he wasn't on her mission, and knowing he wouldn't reveal his secret with Sheng Hua, she let him be.
The bandits have been wiped out, and we've lingered in Guizhou for quite some time now; it's time to return to the capital.
When Yu Jing returned to the palace, Qi Jin, Zhang Qingcen, and a group of concubines were already waiting at the palace gate.
"Your subject and concubine greet Your Majesty." They bowed and paid their respects to Yu Jing. Yu Jing, supported by A Yu, stepped off the carriage. Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar place, and Qi Jin and the others, she felt as if she had been transported to another world.
"Get up."
"Yes." They stood up in response.
"I heard that Mother was injured. Is your injury healed?" Qi Jin hurriedly stepped forward and asked with concern.
"It's alright, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty," Yu Jing replied.
"Mother, the sedan chair is ready. You must be tired after your long journey. Please return to the palace to rest for a while. I will come to see you again tonight," Qi Jin replied.
Yu Jing glanced at Zhang Qingcen, saw her looking at her with concern, smiled at her, and indicated that she was alright.
Back at Cining Palace, Yu Jing slept for a long time. When she woke up, it was already night.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty and the Empress have been waiting at the gate for a while now," Ayu said to Yu Jing when she heard that Yu Jing had woken up.
"Why didn't you wake me up just now?" Yu Jing asked casually upon hearing this.
"His Majesty instructed us not to disturb the Empress Dowager."
Yu Jing had never been able to understand Qi Jin, nor did she know whether his respect for Sheng Hua was genuine or just feigned flattery. If it was genuine respect, that would be fine, but if it was just feigned flattery, then he was certainly putting on a very good show.
"Let them in," Yu Jing instructed.
"Yes." As soon as Ayu finished speaking, Qi Jin and Zhang Qingcen entered through the palace gate.
Seeing them slowly walk in, dressed in heavy, luxurious clothes, Yu Jing suddenly felt a pang of emotion. When she first came to the palace, she thought everything about it was wonderful. Now that she had seen the free and comfortable life outside, returning to the palace only made her feel constrained.
The palace is full of rules; one cannot speak or act as one pleases. But then she thought, as long as she completes her task, she can return to Heaven. Once back in Heaven, she will definitely take a good stroll through the mortal realm. Thinking of this, Yu Jing's mood suddenly lightened.
Qi Jin and Zhang Qingcen came over, but after exchanging some polite words, Yu Jing found it boring and sent them back.
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