Chapter 8
Zhao Congyun turned around slowly with a smile on his face.
"Li Si, the friendship we shared as classmates years ago isn't enough to excuse you from speaking so recklessly here... What about the Censor? What about the Imperial Censorate? Do you really think I wouldn't dare touch you?"
The imperial censors of this dynasty were appointed and dismissed by the emperor himself, and no one else could interfere. Upon hearing this, Li Si sneered, "Zhao Congyun, you are not only indulging in wine and women, but also defying the law and order, and disregarding the emperor and the country."
These words were so harsh that the people around them gasped.
Zhao Congyun muttered the words "no king, no country," as if mulling over their meaning. He shifted his gaze toward the lake, where the pleasure boat for tonight's cruise lay anchored. Beyond, the moonlight bathed the heavens and earth, casting a brilliant silver glow across everything.
Without any warning, he suddenly stretched out his long arms, grabbed Li Si's neck, dragged him all the way to the lake, and threw him in!
"Your Excellency, the Imperial Censor, why not experience for yourself the magnificent landscape of our Zhao family!"
He then shouted at the bewildered guard, "Let's see who dares to save him!"
No one dared to move.
But everyone could see clearly that Li Si was struggling desperately in the lake - this censor could not even swim, if this continued, wouldn't someone die?
Yue Mingming blinked hard at Uncle Dong, hoping that he could do something, but Uncle Dong looked calm and composed, as if, like his master, he didn't care about Li Si's life or death at all!
"System, can I swim?" Yue Mingming couldn't let Li Si drown, so she decided to risk her life to save him.
"You learned to swim from your brother when you were young, so you're quite good at it."
Yue Mingming was relieved.
Even if Zhao Congyun kicked her down in anger later, at least she could save her life.
Yue Mingming originally wanted to jump down directly, but she was dressed up today and it was really inconvenient for her to move. In the end, she had to pick up a long bamboo pole used for holding a lamp from the shore and stretched forward to hand it to Li Si.
"Li Si, you caught him!" Yue Mingming shouted as if no one was around.
Everyone, including Uncle Dong, looked at her in shock.
Isn't this... equivalent to publicly slapping Zhao Congyun in the face? !
Yue Mingming didn't care about all that. She adjusted her position several times on the shore and finally delivered the bamboo pole to Li Si.
But she forgot that once a drowning person grabs something, he will be dragged down with all his might.
Li Si in the water was extremely strong, and Yue Mingming had no way of holding him back. Instead, he staggered and was about to fall into the lake!
At this moment, a pair of white jade-like hands suddenly reached out and steadily pulled Yue Mingming into their arms.
This time, Zhao Congyun seemed to deliberately maintain his sense of propriety. Although the distance was very close, there was no ambiguity at all.
Yue Mingming met his deep gaze and was stunned for a moment.
He...what's that look?
Zhao Congyun turned his head away and stopped looking at her, but his hands still held her tightly, with no intention of letting go.
Yue Mingming was not polite either. Since there was a stable "weight" hanging next to her, she hurriedly retracted the bamboo pole, inch by inch, and finally pulled up the half-dead Li Si.
Zhao Congyun still refused to let go, and Yue Mingming felt a little embarrassed: "Your Highness, I was wrong! When I get back, I will write you a letter of apology, a letter of guarantee...anything will do!"
"Can you please let me go first?"
Zhao Congyun ignored her, with a serious expression on his face, and pulled her towards the pleasure boat on the shore.
"I'll leave the person to you!"
Before boarding the boat, Zhao Congyun threw out a word, and the guards rushed over to rescue the dying Li Si as if they had been pardoned.
The others looked at each other in bewilderment—
I didn't expect that Zhao Congyun, who had been surrounded by many women, would one day be so obedient to others!
She was almost cuckolded in public, and had to watch her risk her life to save another man, but Zhao Congyun said nothing, implicitly acknowledging that he had let even his rival go...
There is always a way around it!
It seems that the prince truly loves this concubine...!
Regardless of their official positions, the onlookers all looked very interested, and some had already started to inquire about the background of this Miss Yue.
Uncle Dong turned around and let out a long sigh.
After tonight, Yue Mingming's status as the favorite concubine is no longer controversial.
*
"...You did this on purpose?"
In the pleasure boat, Zhao Congyun leaned against the table with his eyes closed, while Uncle Dong made tea and patiently explained things to Yue Mingming.
"Of course! That person was the imperial censor appointed by the emperor. How could the prince really drown him?"
Yue Mingming was surprised and asked, "So Li Si is in cahoots with you? He can actually swim?"
Uncle Dong glanced at Zhao Congyun and shook his head: "We have people in the lake who can rescue him at any time."
Yue Mingming asked, "Aren't you afraid that you might be too late?"
"Based on what he said tonight, he deserves to die!" Zhao Congyun opened his eyes at some point and said coldly.
Uncle Dong hurriedly handed over the hot tea. Zhao Congyun took a sip and his brows relaxed slightly.
Yue Mingming remembered that the system had said that Zhao Congyun hated drinking, but he was toasting and drinking so naturally during the meal!
She admired in her heart that this bastard had the face of an idol and was also a talented actor!
"...You and Li Si knew each other before?" Yue Mingming started gossiping.
Listening to Li Si's words, it seemed that he had a deep grudge against Zhao Congyun, and seemed to be disappointed in him.
"Who is he to be worthy of knowing me?" Zhao Congyun snorted coldly, obviously in a bad mood, speaking with sarcasm.
After a pause, he suddenly changed the subject and directed the fire to her: "I didn't know you had such a relationship with him."
"You said before that you would leave the palace on your own initiative after six months. Did you make an appointment with him?"
"But now that you've got the divorce letter, why don't you leave now? What have you been doing staying with me for the past six months?"
Yue Mingming: …………
She didn't expect Zhao Congyun to be so suspicious and still doubt her!
She had no choice but to flatter him: "I told you to stay and save your life! My father will kill me if I leave! Li Si is just an imperial censor, how can he be as powerful as you, Your Highness?"
"Even if you don't want to tell me, I will find out one day."
Zhao Congyun continued calmly, "I can't figure out your true nature, but I do have a good idea of your style."
"What's my style?" Yue Mingming was curious.
"Reckless, impulsive, uncommitted, bold, and self-willed..."
"Enough, enough!" Yue Mingming was furious: "It's just a little incident tonight, and you're still holding on to it. Are you a man?"
Zhao Congyun sneered: "Oh? What do you think a man should be like? Like Li Si?"
Yue Mingming retorted, "Why do you keep mentioning him? Even if Li Si is a nobody, he's always been a gentleman in front of others. Do you dare to act like that? Didn't you feel uncomfortable pretending to be like that at the banquet just now?"
Zhao Congyun's expression suddenly changed, and he angrily asked Dong Shu, "What did you say to her?"
Uncle Dong tried to smooth things over as if nothing had happened: "Don't be angry, my lady. The prince is praising you!"
Zhao Congyun: ???
Yue Mingming: ???
"Is this how everyone in your palace praises people? It's even worse than scolding them!"
Uncle Dong laughed and said, "If you were calculating or scheming, the prince wouldn't have kept you around, let alone cooperated with him in the play."
Yue Mingming was dissatisfied: "...Am I not cunning?"
Zhao Congyun sneered, "You can't even hide your dislike for me. If your emotions are so easily revealed, how can you even talk about being cunning?"
Yue Mingming was stunned for a moment, then thought about the situation and felt the need to explain: "Well... actually at that time..."
Zhao Congyun, however, regained his usual pride and arrogance. "Whatever you think, I'm not interested at all! But I hope you won't create these 'surprises' again. If I hadn't been so quick to react tonight, thanks to you, tens of thousands of taels of silver would have gone to waste."
"This banquet... cost tens of thousands of taels?"
Yue Mingming thought of the hundreds of thousands of Jiangzhou disaster victims Li Si had mentioned who were starving, and murmured, "Is it worth it?"
Zhao Congyun tilted his head to look at her, as if thinking about something, and finally lowered his eyes and said, "...It's worth it."
Uncle Dong beside him sighed secretly.
At this moment, the sound of a piano suddenly rang out from the center of the lake. Yue Mingming's eyes lit up: "Is that the dancer who played the piano just now?"
Zhao Congyun looked at Uncle Dong.
Uncle Dong nodded slightly, turned around and walked out. Yue Mingming was puzzled. Uncle Dong glanced at them before leaving, a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Why did Uncle Dong leave?" Yue Mingming asked.
"Are you so unwilling to stay with me?" Zhao Congyun said indifferently, and suddenly stood up and walked towards her.
The pleasure boat wasn't as cramped as the carriage, so the two of them had been getting along peacefully. But when Zhao Congyun insisted on coming closer, Yue Mingming felt a little uncomfortable: "What do you want to do now?"
Zhao Congyun remained silent. Although he kept a little distance from her, in Yue Mingming's opinion... it was still too close.
The other person was a golden Buddha, and she couldn't move him. Yue Mingming had no choice but to move out by herself. Zhao Congyun held her down and said, "Don't move."
The next second, the lights in the houseboat suddenly went out!
Yue Mingming was frightened. She thought Zhao Congyun was going to do something inappropriate to her. Just as she was about to scream and call for help, she caught a glimpse of a sharp edge that broke through the window and stabbed towards her!
There seemed to be a buzzing of sword energy in the air.
This is... an assassination?!
Yue Mingming's mind went blank and he stood there in a daze, forgetting even to dodge.
It turns out that TV dramas are all lies. How is it possible to dodge such a fast sword?
She felt that she was doomed this time—
Unlike last time, those sedan bearers were just vicious criminals, but the murderer this time was a professional killer!
The sword flashed in an instant, and Yue Mingming even smelled the faint smell of blood on the blade.
At the critical moment, Zhao Congyun suddenly attacked and pushed her away. The tip of the sword brushed past Yue Mingming's face, and she felt a sharp pain on her cheek.
Not over yet!
In fact, the assassination has just begun!
Yue Mingming was dizzy and hid behind the screen. In the moonlight, she clearly saw six or seven figures rising from the water and leaping into the pleasure boat at an incredible speed.
Everyone rushed towards her, swords in hand. In their eyes, there was no Zhao Congyun, only her!
Yue Mingming knew very well that these people were coming for her!
Her "father" still refused to let her go.
Normally she stays in the palace, where security is tight, making it difficult to take action. Tonight's lake cruise and moon-viewing party is the best opportunity!
…………!!
A thought suddenly flashed through Yue Mingming's mind.
She turned around amidst the flash of swords and sabers, staring blankly at the man who remained calm and composed in the shadows.
"Zhao Congyun, it turns out you already knew this!"
"You set this trap on purpose!"
"This is the real purpose of your hosting this party!"
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