Chapter 54 How dare she mingle with other men like this?
The Forbidden City.
Morning dew clung to the glazed tiles of Chengqian Palace. Chuntang's hand, holding a golden basin, suddenly trembled, and the warm water splashed onto the peacock blue brocade carpet.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me!" She knelt down to wipe herself, the silver butterfly antennae in her hair trembling incessantly.
Cen Yuwei covered her mouth, coughed, and waved her hand, saying, "Go down."
"Be more careful next time," Aunt Xueyu said as she walked in from outside.
Along with Aunt Xueyu came the familiar, nauseating smell of medicine.
"Auntie, I don't want to take my medicine today," Cen Yuwei frowned.
Aunt Xueyu naturally agreed, and was about to persuade her when Cen Yuwei suddenly turned her head and asked, "Aunt, His Majesty still refuses to see me."
"His Majesty simply doesn't want to pass on his illness to you," Aunt Xueyu advised. "Now that His Majesty is ill, none of the court officials can see him."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a palace maid announced from outside, "Deputy General Cen requests an audience."
The two exchanged a glance, and for some reason, Aunt Xueyu's eyelids twitched heavily.
After Vice General Cen entered, Cen Yuwei left only Aunt Xueyu by her side to serve her.
"Coming to my Chengqian Palace so early in the morning, Lieutenant Cen, is there something you need?"
Vice General Cen knelt down, lifting his robe, and said, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has already left the palace."
"What did you say?" Cen Yuwei didn't hear clearly at first.
"His Majesty has been away from the palace for several days; the news from the post station came back that he had already left Zhenyuan."
It wasn't until Vice General Cen left that Cen Yuwei seemed to react, grabbing Aunt Xueyu's hand and asking, "His Majesty left the palace? What did he go to do? The Turks won't cause trouble in spring, and the Japanese pirates haven't made any major moves recently. He hasn't wiped out the Turks or quelled the Japanese pirates. Although the southwest is restless, there's no immediate trouble. And Yunnan is even less likely to be targeted at this time. Brother Yin'an wouldn't dare to touch the Ding family in Yunnan."
Aunt Xueyu suddenly thought of something, and her expression changed slightly.
"You figured it out too, didn't you?" Cen Yuwei suddenly stood up, her pale face turning angry and twisted in an instant. "He must have gone to find that bitch. Brother Yin'an must have gone to find her."
"Your Majesty, please don't overthink it."
"No, no, no, I wasn't thinking anything," she said, clutching her handkerchief. In her turmoil, she suddenly started coughing uncontrollably.
Xueyu was startled and quickly stepped forward to pat her back gently to comfort her while pouring tea.
But by the time the hot tea was poured and I looked up again, the cough had stopped.
With trembling shoulders, Cen Yuwei removed the handkerchief from her lips, revealing a streak of scarlet blood on the snow-white fabric.
"Your Majesty," Xueyu's heart skipped a beat.
Yunxi especially enjoyed watching Ding Xian's flustered yet forced composure.
So, clutching her newly brewed wine, she decided to climb over the wall to find him today.
Just thinking about how Ding Xian would look when she suddenly appeared on the wall made her feel restless and itchy.
She was skilled in light-footed martial arts, nimbly vaulting over the wall from the backyard and deftly stepping on the rooftops to run towards Ding Xian's courtyard.
Although she had only been there once, Ding Xian's three-story stilted house remained a vivid memory for her.
Soon, when she reached Ding Xian's rooftop carrying the wine jar, she heard someone calling Ding Xian.
The two sat under the grape trellis by the east wall. One was naturally Ding Xian, and the other was Yun Xi, whom he had never met before. He looked a little younger but had the air of a dashing rogue.
"What are you thinking about? Why haven't you said anything for so long?" Qi Wenxuan asked, waving his folding fan.
"No, I wasn't thinking about anything." Ding Xian came back to his senses and, to cover up his thoughts, picked up the tea on the table and took a sip.
But because he drank it too fast, he almost choked.
With a snap, Qi Wenxuan closed the fan in his hand and asked with great interest, "You've been so absent-minded these past two days, are you perhaps lovesick?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Ding Xian was startled and almost stood up from his chair.
"You're just making things worse." Qi Wenxuan leisurely looked him up and down.
His gaze made Ding Xian feel extremely uncomfortable, but he forced himself to endure it because he couldn't bring himself to speak.
"Why don't you tell me? I might be able to offer some advice. It's better than you tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep." He lightly tapped the edge of his fan against the dark blue satin hem of his robe, then leaned closer and asked, "Tell me, which family's daughter have you taken a fancy to?"
Ding Xian stared at him for a long time, then finally seemed unable to hold back any longer and turned her face away, saying, "No, not a woman."
Qi Wenxuan's eyes lit up. "It can't be a married woman, or a charming young woman?"
"No." Upon hearing this, Ding Xian rolled her eyes at him defiantly.
"Not a woman?" Qi Wenxuan shook his head. "Then what is it?"
A few breaths later, he suddenly sat up straight, glared at Ding Xian, and asked, "Do you prefer men?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Ding Xian was so frightened that she immediately covered his mouth.
Qi Wenxuan immediately brushed his hand away, tried to shrink himself into the rattan chair, and stared at Ding Xian warily. "Brother Ding, I have no homosexual tendencies."
“Me neither!” Ding Xian sat back in the rattan chair, looking conflicted. “I don’t like men either, but I feel happy whenever I see Brother Wu, and I can’t help but think of him.”
"Wu Yun?" Qi Wenxuan sat up straight again and stared at Ding Xian as he asked.
On the rooftop, Yunxi smiled and touched her chin.
I never expected to hear my own name called.
If they were in a teahouse at this time, she would definitely order a plate of beef and a plate of melon seeds from the waiter.
"How...how did you know?" Ding Xian asked, looking shocked.
"Tsk tsk tsk," Qi Wenxuan said with a look of disgust, "The way you practically offered your money to Young Master Wu when you met him was obvious to anyone."
"Is it that obvious?" Ding Xian didn't believe it.
Qi Wenxuan waved his fan. "Isn't it obvious? Last time you went boating on the lake with him, I greeted you but you didn't hear me."
"Then what do you think I should do?" Ding Xian was very distressed. "If only he were a woman, no, no, whether he is a woman or a man, I cough cough."
That's too blunt; they're just too embarrassed to say it out loud.
Seeing his expression, Qi Wenxuan couldn't help but ask, "Then when will you ask him what he thinks?"
"No, no, no," Ding Xian waved his hands repeatedly, as if frightened.
Qi Wenxuan: "What are you afraid of?"
"What if Brother Wu doesn't like me? We won't even be able to be friends anymore," Ding Xian frowned and sighed. "I don't want him to hate me."
Seeing his love-struck appearance, Qi Wenxuan found it somewhat amusing. Before his smile could fully bloom, he suddenly remembered something, his eyes lighting up as he said, "I recently obtained a kind of Rouge Intoxication."
"What is that?" Ding Xian asked casually.
With a snap, Qi Wenxuan closed his fan, moved closer to Ding Xian, and lowered his voice to say, "This is a good treasure. If you want to know whether Young Master Wu is interested in you or not, just drip this Rouge Intoxication into the wine. If he is not interested in you, he will not react. But if he is interested in you, he will definitely be infatuated and speak his true feelings."
"Does such a thing really exist?" Ding Xian's eyes lit up.
"Of course, would I lie to you?" Qi Wenxuan patted his chest and assured him. Although he had lied, even if the Rouge Intoxication was unintentional, just one cup would make one feel confused and infatuated. Thinking of this, he felt a little guilty and immediately said, "Besides, there is an antidote for the Rouge Intoxication. When Young Master Wu can't take it anymore, you can give him the antidote."
"What do you mean by 'can't take it anymore'?" Ding Xian asked anxiously.
"It's nothing, it's nothing," Qi Wenxuan waved his hand. "I'll have a servant bring it to you when I get back."
Ding Xian thought for a moment, then asked with lingering concern, "Won't this harm Young Master Wu's health?"
"It won't hurt you, don't worry." Qi Wenxuan calmly drank a cup of tea.
Yunxi rolled off the roof.
Rouge Intoxication?
She smiled, a hint of something in her eyes. She was actually quite curious to experience what it felt like to be completely infatuated.
Holding the wine jar, she was actually starting to look forward to tomorrow.
When Yunxi returned to Hongxiuzhao, she even hummed "The Fairy Couple".
While holding onto the largest pillar, she even spun around with a smile.
At this moment, she was in a good mood, and everything that had happened in the Forbidden City seemed to have happened many years ago.
She was so happy she almost forgot.
She didn't know that Xiao Shenjing was only a hundred miles away from Dali.
A series of rapid hoofbeats kicked up dust on the official road.
The tall figure was the first to be seen.
Behind him followed a merchant disguised as an inspector.
Yunxi was genuinely worried that Ding Xian would feel embarrassed, so she sat on the third floor early, watching the show on the first floor while keeping an eye on the main entrance.
At this moment, a group of people stepped into the gates of Dali.
Amidst the bustling crowd, hooves rose high, and Xiao Shenjing sat upright atop one of them.
The inspector, who had been waiting on the street, immediately bowed and knelt on one knee.
Xiao Shenjing sat high on horseback and asked, "Where is she?"
"Reporting to the young master, the young lady has been at Hongxiuzhai all day." After saying this, he respectfully handed over a booklet. "This booklet records everything the young lady has done and said these past few days."
Xiao Shenjing reached out and took it.
After flipping through a few pages, I was shocked to see that she not only disguised herself as a man and went boating on the lake with others, but also dared to drink until late at night, returning home with a smile on her face.
The young emperor's face suddenly turned cold.
However, the further he turned, the colder his expression became.
Not content with frequently going out for drinks, she also started making wine with a man named Ding Xian.
They still dare to make a one-year agreement?
How dare she fool around with other men like this? Does she really think he can't find her?
At this moment, the bright lights shone on the young emperor's profile, creating an interplay of light and shadow that hinted at an indescribable darkness and danger.
The next moment, he frowned and coldly uttered two words: "Lead the way."
The inspector immediately turned around and ran towards the direction of the red sleeves.
Seeing Xiao Shenjing's expression, Dao Yi inwardly groaned.
His Majesty rarely shows his emotions, but when facing Miss Yunxi, her stubbornness and refusal to yield an inch always manage to anger him.
This time, after escaping the palace, she had to stay in brothels and theaters, and she even got entangled with other men.
It's obvious that His Majesty must be very angry right now, and given Yunxi's stubborn nature of never admitting her mistakes, their meeting will surely be another fierce battle.
Sighing inwardly, Dao Yi instructed Dao Er beside him, "This time, under no circumstances can we allow Miss Yunxi to harm His Majesty again. This place is not under the absolute control of the imperial court."
Before Dao Yi could finish speaking, Dao Er nodded emphatically.
Yunxi had no idea that a group of people were riding towards her on the main street of Dali.
She waited for Ding Xian with great interest, eager to experience what it felt like to be infatuated.
Fortunately, amidst the bustling activity at Hongxiuzhao, she finally spotted a familiar figure while perched on the third floor.
Today he was wearing a moon-white Taoist robe again, with a white jade hairpin in his hair.
Every corner is meticulously decorated.
Clean and refreshing is what Yunxi likes.
Yunxi casually walked to the top of the stairs on the second floor and asked with a surprised look, "Oh, Brother Ding, what brings you here tonight?"
Ding Xian's face flushed red at the thought of what he was about to do, and he said with a guilty conscience, "I have nothing to do tonight, come and sit down."
Yunxi pretended to be nonchalant and laughed heartily, "Perfect timing! I haven't seen Brother Ding for a few days. Tonight, I'll enjoy my newly brewed wine with Brother Ding."
“Okay!” Ding Xian nodded immediately.
As she led Ding Xian to a room on the second floor, she casually asked, "Brother Ding, you came alone today. Would you like me to call some ladies with similar tastes to keep you company?"
"Brother Wu, are you busy?" Ding Xian asked, looking disappointed.
"No." Yunxi chuckled lightly, then said in a deliberately serious tone, "I'm just afraid you'll feel bored if I'm all alone and there's no beautiful woman to keep you company."
Sure enough, Ding Xian immediately replied, "How could that be? Brother Wu is enough to keep me company."
After saying that, he suddenly realized that what he had said was a bit rash. He looked up at Yunxi and saw that the latter was completely unaware of what he had said, so he felt relieved.
Yunxi pretended not to notice and said with a smile, "Alright, I'll go get my newly brewed wine. After we've finished drinking, we'll go down to watch the newly rehearsed play."
“Okay.” Ding Xian never objected to what Yun Xi said.
Just as Yunxi carried the wine jar from the third floor into the room on the second floor,
As dusk approached, the gilded peacock on the red-sleeved gate's lintel just happened to peck away at the last ray of sunlight.
When the lanterns on the eaves turned the vermilion gate amber, the building was already surrounded by disguised inspectors.
A tall, slender figure slowly stepped into what is known as the First Neighborhood of Dali.
A strand of her black hair, bound by a jade crown, was lifted by the night breeze, and the cloud patterns embroidered with silver thread on her lapel shimmered in the light of the lantern.
His face was as fair as jade, and his eyes as black as lacquer.
The newcomer's presence made even the newly hung glass lanterns under the eaves across the street pale in comparison.
Watching him ascend the steps, even the old man selling apricot milk by the door forgot to call out his wares.
The overwhelming noise and bustle caused Xiao Shenjing to frown almost imperceptibly as soon as he entered the gate.
His expression clearly showed his disdain.
"Make way." Dao Er used his arm to push away the drunkard who was rubbing against him.
Xiao Shenjing frowned slightly, raised his hand to cover his nose, and the scent of agarwood wafted out from his sleeve.
"Young master, why do you look so unfamiliar?" Hongxiu asked with a smile, swaying her light red skirt.
Xiao Shenjing's nail-painted fingertips were about to poke the silver-embroidered cranes and clouds on his lapel when he calmly used his folding fan to deflect them.
Hongxiu chuckled lightly, concealing her inner surprise.
She was incredibly shrewd in judging people; someone as naturally noble as this could not possibly have the refinement that comes from an ordinary wealthy family.
Upon entering this brothel, he stood out like a crane among chickens.
Such demeanor definitely indicates an unapproachable and noble status.
Hongxiu couldn't help but think of Yunxi's past offenses against the current emperor, so her heart skipped a beat. She lifted her skirt and followed, greeting him, "Young master, do you have a girl you like? Let me..."
Xiao Shenjing turned around and stared at her.
Those phoenix eyes are so intimidating.
With just one glance, he swallowed all of Hongxiu's words back down his throat.
Just as she was thinking about what to say, Xiao Shenjing spoke up and asked, "Yunxi, where is she?"
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