Chapter 34 Xiao Shenjing, get out of here!
Xiao Shenjing lowered his thick eyelashes, his eyes half-closed, his expression indescribably cold and aloof.
Dao Er didn't dare to look any longer and quickly looked away.
The setting sun melts into gold, and the evening clouds merge like jade.
Even as dusk falls, the light remains intense.
Yet it inexplicably makes people feel depressed.
Even the eunuchs and maids behind him held their breath, afraid that they might make a mistake by breathing.
Despite being separated by a wall, Yunxi didn't sense the chilling silence at all; instead, the more she talked, the more she missed Xu Yuansi.
I wonder how he is now.
She couldn't help but sigh.
The distance was too great for Xiao Shenjing to hear Yun Xi's sigh.
Just as she was about to take a step, she heard a voice inside asking, "Sister Yunxi, what's wrong? Why are you sighing?"
"Zhuju misses my husband."
Xiao Shenjing pursed his thin lips, and his face darkened instantly.
"Husband?" Zhu Ju's mouth dropped open. "Sister Yunxi, are you already married?"
"Of course." Yunxi blinked, then suddenly remembered something and excitedly shared, "Let me tell you, while Commander Dao's physique is certainly excellent, I prefer my husband."
"Sister, please stop talking." Zhu Ju's face turned bright red instantly, and she quickly covered her face in embarrassment.
"Haha, really don't want to listen?" Yunxi asked deliberately.
"Keep going, keep going, it's so embarrassing!" Zhu Ju said, but her fingers, which were covering her face, parted slightly, clearly showing her curiosity.
This adorable appearance made Yunxi laugh out loud, and she happily recalled the past. "Let me tell you, I used to think that my husband was a thin, weak scholar, but one day when I was boating, I stepped on my clothes and fell into the lake. My husband thought I couldn't swim, so he jumped into the water without thinking."
"And then, and then?" Zhu Ju asked immediately, her face flushed and her heart pounding.
Yunxi, resting her chin on her hand, laughed and said, "I wanted to play around, so I pretended to choke on water. My husband was so scared that he swam over quickly. It was summer then, and everyone's clothes were very light."
"Yunxi!" Before she could finish speaking, a voice suddenly interrupted her.
This gave Yunxi and Zhuju a big fright.
The two of them instinctively looked towards the archway.
A tall figure emerged from the archway first.
He was walking in the golden sunset, yet his eyes were as cold as if frost had settled on an autumn day.
"Xiao Shenjing, what are you doing here?" Yunxi stood up almost instinctively and blocked Zhu Ju's way.
Upon hearing the name, Zhu Ju's eyes trembled and her legs went weak.
He knelt down on the ground with a thud and stammered, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Nobody paid any attention to her.
"What am I doing here?" Xiao Shenjing stared at her and sneered, "Have you forgotten that every inch of the ground beneath your feet belongs to me!"
"What brings Your Majesty here?" Yunxi was furious at the sight of him and couldn't help but retort, "As the supreme ruler, you can't possibly have come all this way just to see a lowly slave like me, can you?"
Sharp and sarcastic, leaving no room for compromise.
"You really think you're something special?" Xiao Shenjing pulled out a handkerchief and threw it directly at Yunxi's face. "Take a good look at what this is."
The handkerchief landed on Yunxi's face, and she was so agitated that her eyes instantly turned red.
I immediately understood what it was.
Why wasn't it destroyed back then?
There was no regret, no fear or cowardice in her eyes, only anger—anger at destroying evidence.
This is undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire.
"You've got some nerve, daring to scheme against and even deceive me. Now that the evidence is irrefutable, all you can think about is making excuses and covering up your mistakes. You don't even realize you've done anything wrong." Xiao Shenjing moved closer, his eyes icy cold. "Yunxi, do you really think I can't do anything to you?"
Wrong wrong wrong
He always wanted her to admit her mistakes, but she never felt that she was wrong, so why should she admit her mistakes?
She glared angrily, as if all the humiliation she had suffered during this period was about to erupt like lava and be poured onto Xiao Shenjing without any regard for anything else. However, the suppressed and fearful sobs behind her brought her back to her senses.
Barely suppressing her rage, she quickly told the person behind her, "Zhu Ju, you go first."
Just as Zhu Ju was about to get up, Xiao Shenjing snorted coldly.
The sound that burst forth from her nasal cavity struck Zhu Ju with the force of a thousand pounds.
She trembled so badly that her legs shook, and she dared not move again.
Yunxi couldn't bear to look at her.
She knew that if she contradicted Xiao Shenjing again, she would be caught in the crossfire.
She suppressed her anger and lowered her head. "Xiao Shenjing, everyone has a time when they are young and ignorant. But I have already atoneed for the mistakes I made back then in the palace. I will never do such a foolish thing again."
From the moment she fell off the cliff, she had completely let go of the man in front of her.
Those who lose her will lose her forever; those who love her will love her forever.
Therefore, she will never do anything so foolish and impulsive again because of this man.
Xiao Shenjing stared at her head, remaining silent for a long time.
Just when Yunxi thought he had let go and forgiven her, her chin was suddenly lifted up by warm fingers.
"Yunxi." Staring at her with dark, phoenix-shaped eyes, he said, "I'm only giving you one last chance. Put away your other thoughts and stay obediently in this palace."
Yunxi's blood boiled, but she forced herself to ask, "I already know I was wrong and I'm willing to be punished, but you still won't let me go?"
"Why would I let you go?" Recalling what she had just said, Xiao Shenjing shoved her face away, his expression full of disgust. "Let you go out and inform that filthy alien race, making you look pathetic and wretched?"
"You heard everything?" Yunxi recalled all the things she had just said and looked at her with disdain. "A dignified ruler of a country would actually do such a despicable thing as eavesdropping."
Xiao Shenjing felt a breath stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.
"What did I do wrong?" Yunxi felt a surge of anger. "As an emperor, to eavesdrop on other people's private moments is utterly despicable!"
"Husband and wife?" Xiao Shenjing suddenly sneered, staring at her with a venomous gaze. "What kind of husband and wife are you if you haven't had a wedding ceremony? One day, I will have his head chopped off and brought before you, so that you can give up on this idea completely."
Yunxi clenched her fists tightly, pursing her lips, not wanting to provoke the madman in front of her any further.
The mere mention of that alien race made her feel as if someone had stepped on her Achilles' heel, leaving her timid and speechless.
Xiao Shenjing felt a vein throb violently on his forehead.
A fire instantly ignited in my heart.
When Yunxi returned, she noticed that the palace maids in the room were secretly glancing at her from time to time.
Many palace maids brought her their own food to eat.
She was in no mood for it and refused to answer any of the offers, no matter how much she pleaded.
Even the most foolish person knows that the palace is a dangerous place, and one must be careful about what one eats.
Although she didn't think there was any need to be poisoned, what if someone disliked her?
After learning what had happened the day before, Dao Yi didn't dare to breathe loudly when he saw Xiao Shenjing the next day.
This morning, after court, Xiao Shenjing practiced martial arts for half an hour longer than usual.
The sparring partner, Dao Yi, was so timid and hesitant that he broke out in a cold sweat.
When he took off his armor, revealing his muscular upper body, Xiao Shenjing's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he reprimanded him with a stern face, "What kind of behavior is this, with your clothes disheveled!"
He was so frightened that he quickly put on his armor.
Dao Yi was naturally tall and strong, and with such a physique, wearing armor made him appear even more majestic and imposing.
Even though Xiao Shenjing was half a head taller than him, he still looked quite thin standing next to Dao Yi.
That day, Dao Yi clearly noticed that Xiao Shenjing was looking at him much more often.
It gave him the creeps.
Finally, Xiao Shenjing seemed to get tired of it and asked him to switch Dao Er.
Out of sight, out of mind.
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.
After reviewing the memorials, Xiao Shenjing suddenly glanced at Fu Shun and said, "Go and summon Yunxi to serve me."
We spoiled her too much each day, which made her increasingly arrogant and unruly, taking advantage of our kindness.
Yunxi got up early that day to practice martial arts.
Thinking about what Xiao Shenjing had said, she only wished she could escape the palace as soon as possible.
Therefore, he practiced even harder.
When the sun was high in the sky, she was sweating profusely from exhaustion and was about to go to the vegetable garden to slack off when she discovered that the head eunuch and the head nanny were waiting for her with several other people.
She had many things to do that day.
More than a dozen people supervised her watering, weeding, and harvesting, and she was also required to deliver the vegetables to the imperial kitchen for pickling and drying.
Meanwhile, the neighboring basil was also transferred to another location.
She knew that this was Xiao Shenjing, that scoundrel, punishing her for talking back yesterday.
Besides cursing him in his heart all day, he became increasingly worried about Xu Yuansi's situation.
Yunxi had been exploited for two days straight, and just as she was about to give up, exhausted and on the verge of quitting, Fushun relayed the Emperor's decree, ordering her to "serve before the Emperor" that very night.
"What does 'serving before the emperor' mean?" Yunxi asked.
"Miss Yunxi will know when she goes there," Fu Shun said with a slight smile.
Yunxi returned the smile with a slight smile.
She wished that Xiao Shenjing would never remember her for the rest of his life.
Once she has recovered from her injuries, she can begin planning her escape.
After all, she had used the excuse of getting lost to explore the palace area quite often these days.
Yunxi pursed her lips, wondering what crazy thing Xiao Shenjing was going to do to torment her this time.
At this time, the sun had not yet completely set, and the August weather still carried the heat of summer.
After a day's work, she followed behind Grandpa Fu, covered in sweat.
When Yunxi arrived at the Qianqing Palace, her cheeks were flushed and her forehead was covered with a thin layer of sweat.
"Your Majesty, Miss Yunxi has arrived," Eunuch Fu announced from outside the door.
When Yunxi entered the bedchamber, she saw Xiao Shenjing being helped by palace maids to change his clothes.
She glanced at it once and immediately lowered her head, as if afraid that looking at it for too long would give her a sty.
Although Xiao Shenjing's physique seemed to be no worse than Dao Yi's.
His back was straight as an iron painting, and his abdominal muscles were as thick as silver hooks; he was truly a strong and muscular man!
But what does it have to do with her?
Yunxi yawned listlessly.
Seeing this, Xiao Shenjing lowered his eyelashes and glanced at her with displeasure. "You're covered in dust and dirt, and you've made a mess of my palace."
"Your Majesty, this servant takes her leave." Yunxi was so happy that she immediately lowered her eyes and turned to leave without any hesitation.
"Stop! Did I give you permission to leave?" Just as he took two steps, Xiao Shenjing's voice rang out from behind him.
"Your Majesty, is there anything else?" Yunxi turned around and asked respectfully.
"Go and wash yourself clean quickly." Xiao Shenjing said with a look of disgust.
Yunxi had been working herself to the bone all day, and had walked for most of the day to get here from the inner garden, but when she heard this request, all her fatigue vanished. She stared at him warily, "Xiao Shenjing, what exactly do you want?"
Staring at her expression, Xiao Shenjing revealed a mocking smile. "What do you think I'm going to do to you?"
Clearly not wanting to waste words with her, he glanced directly at the palace maid behind him and said, "Take her to the bath."
Yunxi doesn't like being waited on.
Not to mention being completely naked and exposed to others, she chased all the maids out.
After she took off her skirt and stepped into the hot spring pool, she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
Ah, that feels so good.
As a low-ranking palace maid, she was not only doing menial and tiring work, but also had no place to bathe.
Even if there were large bathhouses, they were given priority to high-ranking palace maids.
She can only use it after they've finished.
By then it was almost time to lock the doors, and we still had to report to the head nanny.
Sometimes Yunxi would find it annoying, so she would find a place to boil a bucket of water and pour it over her head.
She hadn't had a proper bath in a long time.
The warm water washed away her fatigue from the past few days, and she comfortably rested her hands on the edge of the pool, closing her eyes to enjoy the moment.
She had been trying to fall asleep, but she was just too tired.
I can't sleep well even if I sleep on the roof every day. These past two days, I've also been watched by a group of nannies and eunuchs, and I have to do things from morning till night.
If she tried to run away, these people wouldn't use force. But whenever she tried, they would say, "If she doesn't do a good job, everyone will be punished along with her."
Yunxi was most afraid of implicating others, so he could only work honestly.
At this moment, she was like a bowstring stretched to its limit. She had just closed her eyes to enjoy the moment, but after a while, her head tilted to the side and she actually fell asleep.
After Xiao Shenjing finished tidying up, he waited a few more moments and found that Yunxi still hadn't come out.
He walked around the screen and headed towards the bathhouse behind it.
Upon discovering that the palace maids were all guarding outside the door, he was about to bow to them when Xiao Shenjing waved him off.
He wanted to see what Yunxi was doing inside.
He walked slowly past the twelve-panel sandalwood screen, his wide sleeves of his black dragon robe brushing against the gilded dragon pattern.
The gilded lion-shaped incense burner exhaled wisps of ambergris smoke. Yunxi curled up beside the white marble hot spring pool, the hot spring water gurgling over her fingertips hanging by the pool. Her cheeks looked as if they were stained with peach blossom juice in spring, fair with a touch of blush.
She was sleeping so soundly that her black hair was spread out on the white jade steps, like pine soot ink spilled in an inkstone.
Suddenly, ripples spread across the surface of the pool. Yunxi shifted her body, revealing a cinnabar mole below her collarbone.
Xiao Shenjing's Adam's apple suddenly bobbed.
Staring at her slightly parted, rosy lips, which seemed to be at one's mercy, she looked so innocent and docile.
Xiao Shenjing did not leave. Instead, after a while, he lifted his robe and squatted down.
"Yunxi," he said, his fingertips brushing against the water droplets on her hair.
He lowered his eyes, watching the water droplets fall from the ends of his hair onto the cinnabar mole on his collarbone, running down his porcelain-white skin and disappearing into a faint scar.
Xiao Shenjing suddenly withdrew his hand, and the Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist struck the white marble pool wall, causing all eighteen Canaan sandalwood beads to tremble.
After several breaths, he called out, "Yunxi!"
The sound finally woke Yunxi.
Her eyelashes trembled, and her eyes slowly opened as her eyeballs rolled rapidly.
Yunxi slept so soundly that she was momentarily dazed as she watched the rising steam.
Until she caught a glimpse of something dark out of the corner of her eye, she instinctively turned her head and saw a familiar face.
The man was standing brazenly by the bathtub, staring down at her.
Their eyes met, and Yunxi's expression changed drastically. She immediately hugged herself and shouted, "Xiao Shenjing, get out of here!"
This blunt and arrogant tone almost made Xiao Shenjing laugh out loud.
"Get me out?" His half-closed phoenix eyes held a glimmer of light. "Do you even know where you are?"
Yunxi was now fully awake and quickly glanced around at her surroundings.
At this moment, she was on Xiao Shenjing's territory, and she knew that she was the one who should leave, but so what?
"I know," she said defiantly. "You're the one who made me take a shower, not the other way around, so you're the one who should get out!"
Even when you're in the wrong, you can still be arrogant.
Since Xiao Shenjing ascended to the throne, apart from Yun Xi, no one has dared to speak to him in such a tone.
He instinctively frowned, about to reprimand her, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the hideous scars on her left arm.
New and old wounds intertwined, like cracks bursting in porcelain, strikingly obvious.
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