However, You Shuyao didn't deny it; she simply remained silent because she thought that if Huo Jingsha knew she had pushed Concubine Shao into the water, he might despise her for it. She knew very well that he hated the women in his harem who were jealous, scheming, and resorting to underhanded tactics to win his favor. Concubine Shao was a shrewd woman, which was why she was willing to risk her life to use such a method.
It seems the woman bestowed by the Emperor is more intelligent than the other concubines.
When she was his personal maid, she would often hear the head steward report that one concubine was fighting with another. But whenever this happened, Huo Jingsha couldn't be bothered to intervene. Regardless of who was right or wrong, he would simply tell the head steward to punish them both, and then ignore both of them, never going to their rooms again. He even once coldly ordered, "If they fight to the death, don't bother reporting to me. Just wrap them in straw mats and bury them. Anyway, other women will be brought in, which will make room for me."
These words were so cruel. From then on, the concubines all understood a truth... If they wanted to stay in the Huo family for a long time, they couldn't rely on scheming and using tricks to win favor. Not only would they not attract the master's attention, but they would also be neglected, and even if they died, no one would even glance at them.
Therefore, Aunt Shao's move was a double blow, hurting both of them. She knew in her heart that since she was no longer favored, but didn't want to see You Shuyao gain power, she might as well drag someone down with her so that Huo Jingsha would also get tired of the two of them and suffer neglect in the backyard.
You Shuyao was also thinking that if Huo Jingsha ignored her, there wouldn't be so many people guarding her. Maybe he would even send her to some overgrown, neglected courtyard. Wouldn't that give her a chance to escape from the mansion?
Hmm! Not bad! While others see falling out of favor as being confined to the cold palace, she sees it as the road to happiness.
Now she let Aunt Shao make a big fuss, not intending to say a word in defense. No matter how anxious Chunlu and the others looked, she just watched Aunt Shao's performance with amusement. This was the only thing that had made her feel interested since she returned to the manor.
In the evening, You Shuyao sat leisurely in the house, waiting for Huo Jingsha's judgment.
Aunt Shao dared to cause such a scene because she was bestowed upon her by the Emperor. Even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner. Huo Jingsha had to respect the Emperor's feelings and couldn't punish Aunt Shao too harshly. But she was different. She was a maid who had risen through the ranks, with no background or status. It would be best if Huo Jingsha found her an eyesore and didn't let her stay overnight. Even if she was forced to sleep in a shed, she would be happy to accept it.
However, this time Shu Yao was truly dreaming – wishful thinking! As soon as the time came, Huo Jingsha appeared in her room right on time.
Upon entering, he walked straight towards her, and without a word, pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist protectively, pressing their bodies tightly together. His lips brushed against her ear, and he whispered softly in a voice only the two of them could hear…
“I know about Aunt Shao’s matter. I’m not afraid. I’ve already made her get the punishment she deserved. How dare she be so reckless as to frame you. I will never tolerate that.”
You Shuyao looked at him in surprise. What did he just say? He knew that Aunt Shao was framing her?
"How do you know she's framing me?" Chunlu and the other three clearly didn't see it at the time, so how can he be so sure of himself?
“Besides Chunlu and the other three, I have also placed other bodyguards around you.”
These words were like fireworks igniting in Shu Yao's ears, exploding and making her head buzz. As her eyes glazed over, she felt his breath still brushing against her ear.
"Don't worry, those guards are specially trained female bodyguards. I won't give other men the chance to secretly covet you. Only I can see your body, You Shuyao!"
Those...? It seems there are more than one bodyguard, many.
You Shuyao broke out in a cold sweat. So there were hidden guards watching her from the shadows. All her wanderings and sneaky attempts to escape these past few days had been seen clearly by them.
"That wicked woman won't make things difficult for you anymore." The wicked woman refers to Aunt Shao.
You Shuyao asked in fear, "How...how did you deal with Consort Shao?" She thought that because of the Emperor's sake, he wouldn't dare to do anything to Consort Shao, and at most he would just punish her by deducting a few months' salary.
Huo Jingsha immediately looked apologetic. "Yao'er, she was bestowed upon us by the Emperor. I cannot punish her too harshly. I must consider the Emperor's feelings to some extent."
You Shuyao felt a sense of relief. That's more like it. Although Aunt Shao had schemed against her, she didn't take such petty tricks seriously, especially since she was unharmed. Therefore, she harbored no hatred towards Aunt Shao. Even if Huo Jingsha was angry, she would probably only give her a few lashes as a warning to others!
Just as I was thinking this, he suddenly spoke with a gloomy and sinister expression.
"So I just had someone force-feed her a bowl of medicine to poison her voice and make her hoarse... Let's see how she'll call for help when she's courting death again."
Hearing his still unsatisfied tone, You Shuyao froze again, her eyes widening in shock. Such a beautiful woman, rendered mute by poison, and he even said, "I can't punish her too harshly." Sigh! She didn't know what to say.
"Don't be afraid. I know all about the treacherous tricks of the women in the backyard, but as my woman, you don't need to care about those power struggles in the backyard. If anyone offends you in the future, you can send Chunlu and the others to punish them. I'll back you up in everything. Just make sure no one dies." As he said this, he held her hand tenderly and pressed it to his lips. "If you really want to kill someone... then ask Yueping to handle it. I don't want to dirty your hands."
Good heavens… You Shuyao stared blankly at him, noticing the tiny sparkles in his eyes. Logically, she should have shown gratitude, but she couldn't help but respond with a retort of sarcasm.
"What about those concubines in the back courtyard? Aren't they your women too?" The implication was that you should protect them as well. After what he just said, it felt like the women in the back courtyard were less valuable than the dogs in the mansion, and that you could kill whoever you wanted.
Upon hearing this, Huo Jingsha smiled wickedly.
He was already handsome, and when he smiled like that, he became even more stunning, captivating all who beheld him and bringing ruin to the country, with a touch of wicked cunning.
Oh no, why does she feel her heart beating a little faster?
“In my mind, they were just gifts sent by various people to curry favor. Sometimes, I would go to their rooms to sit for a while, just to avoid suspicion, and then leave after a short while. But in reality, I never touched any of them, and they were all still virgins. They could not be considered my women at all.”
This… You Shuyao finally couldn’t hide her expression and was stunned by his words.
"My lord... didn't touch them?" How could that be! So this cold-blooded man is actually quite chaste?
"I don't want to touch people who aren't to my liking. I keep them as virgins, and if necessary, I can give them away as gifts. It's the best of both worlds."
Shu Yao was stunned once again by such shocking and outrageous remarks. He didn't want to touch anyone who wasn't his type! And then he wanted to treat living people like gifts, giving them away like that? She couldn't help but feel contempt; only a beast could say such things!
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