Editor: Otwentyfirst
Hua Zhu Yu clenched her fists tightly to suppress the urge to give him a rain of violent beatings. She looked up at him and flashed a charming smile, saying, "I know that the Crown Prince won't amount to much. Though between us there is affection, it's not so deep that I would devotedly accompany him to the Yellow Springs (h.e.l.l). Since the Left Chancellor has shown interest in me now, a broken-sleeve such as myself won't mind, with Left Chancellor…."
Ji Feng Li didn't expect her to say this. He sat up and propped his elbow on the table, the corners of his lips lifted in a cynical smile, his eyes glinting with callousness. "Unfortunately, this Chancellor doesn't have a broken-sleeve! Seeing that you're a talented individual, I've released you from prison. In the future, you should obediently remain in the Chancellor's Residence. Don't think about causing any trouble!"
"Yuan Bao is indebted to Lord Chancellor and shall remember!" Hua Zhu Yu calmly replied, nearly biting her tongue off. She couldn't depend on Huangfu Wu Shuang since he was imprisoned in Nei Cheng Yuan. She had no choice but to enter the Chancellor's Residence, so no matter how much she despised Ji Feng Li, she had to endure it.
"Well that's good! Xiao Bao Er(little treasure), really is a clever person." Ji Feng Li's brows slightly raised as his phoenix eyes narrowed on the bundle in her hand, "What did Xiao Bao Er buy in the shop?"
Hearing him call her Xiao Bao Er made her feel extremely disgusted. But hearing him mention the shop, her grasp on the bundle of clothes couldn't help but tighten. With a smile, she said, "Just two sets of clothes. Don't tell me the Left Chancellor is interested in them? If you want to take a look, I don't mind."
Ji Feng Li lazily glanced at the bundle in her hands and replied, "This Chancellor isn't interested."
Hearing this, she loosened her grasp on the bundle of clothes. But instantly, a white blur flashed before her eyes and the bundle of clothes were already within Ji Feng Li's hands.
"Not interested doesn't mean I won't take a look. Xiao Bao Er, you're too careless, " Ji Feng Li remarked with a sly smile on his lips as he leaned back in his seat, holding the bundle of clothes.
Hua Zhu Yu was startled. How could she forget how deceitful he was? She feared she raised his suspicions when she held onto the bundle too tightly. She wanted to seize it back at once but she knew she most likely wasn't his opponent. But she had hid the feminine products inside that bundle of clothes. If he saw them, what explanation could she give? She racked her brains and had yet to come up with a plausible excuse when she heard him suspiciously say, "Indeed, you really bought clothes, Xiao Bao Er did not lie. But… what are these?"
She looked up and saw him reclining in his seat, inquisitively looking at the menstrual cloth in his hand. Her face suddenly flushed and she hated that she couldn't find a hole to crawl into. But having been a general for many years, she quickly reined in her emotions, appearing calm and collected. She sized up Ji Feng Li through narrowed eyes. Seeing his puzzled expression and the doubtful look in his ink dark eyes, she realized he had no idea what this cloth was used for.
She was worried about what explanation to give but seeing him like this she was able to calm her unsettled heart. She looked at him with a raised brow and calmly said, "Left Chancellor doesn't know? Naturally, this is used to bandage a wound. If Left Chancellor wants it, you can take it."
Smiling, he said, "It looks a bit strange but this Chancellor isn't injured, what would I need it for?" He put it back in the bundle and returned it to her.
"It's always good to be prepared, you really don't need it?" she calmly asked.
Translations @ peachblossomgrove.com
"No need!" Ji Feng Li propped his chin on his hand and said, "If your wounds haven't healed, just take the bottle of medicine. Bandaging your wound without applying any medicine would be useless."
Hua Zhu Yu did not dare to continue refusing. She quickly retrieved the porcelain bottle from the ground and placed it in her bundle of clothes. Leaning back against her seat, she inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. Little did she expect, the grand Left Chancellor of Southern Kingdom, the one capable of covering the sky with a single hand, the subject of adoration of countless young ladies, with most likely, numerous close female confidantes, to actually not recognize a menstrual cloth. But as long as he didn't know, she was in the clear.
The carriage traveled for quite a distance before finally arriving at the Chancellor's Residence. An attendant rushed over to lift the carriage curtain and Hua Zhu Yu jumped down first, carrying her bundle. She looked ahead and caught sight of the vermilion gates, the 18 steps of white marble stone and the two lion statues stationed on either side of the gate, exuding prestige and grandeur.
Lang Bing brought her to her living quarters which was situated in a secluded courtyard called Xin Yuan (Fragrant Courtyard). Ji Feng Li did not arrange for her to stay with the other guards but instead to live with Lan Bing. To be able to stay in the same place as one of his 3 confidants, should she be feeling honored?
It was already late and the moon was shining brightly in the night sky.
The Left Chancellor Residence was also a well-known place in the capital. Situated behind the residence was a small mountain with a beautiful scenery. If one were stand at the rear window of Feng Yuan, Ji Feng Li's quarters, one could take in the view of the jade lake and countless hills in the far off distance.
At this precise moment, Ji Feng Li was standing near the rear window, gazing at the water lilies scattered on the surface of the lake. The air was redolent with the fragrance of the lilies despite not being in full bloom yet.
"Lord Chancellor, we were defeated on that side!" Tong Shou stepped forward and cautiously reported. "Xiao Yin has already brought Miss Wen into Northern Kingdom, I fear it would be difficult to save her now."
Suddenly turning around, Ji Feng Li's tall slender figure was bathed in the moonlight, a faint hazy mist cast on his handsome face.
"Why?" His voice was light but seemingly there was a tinge of anger that couldn't be concealed.
"We would've succeeded but I heard Eastern Yan's Rui w.a.n.g Dou Qian Jin suddenly appeared. Our people were afraid of revealing their ident.i.ties so they had no choice but to retreat!" Tong Shou helplessly continued, "I fear Miss Wen will have to suffer.'
Ji Feng Li didn't say anything, instead he stood there with downcast eyes that were deep and unfathomable, letting the moonlight sweep across his face.
"Lord Chancellor, must you let that Yuan Bao stay in the residence? Can't say for sure, but he might be a spy of the Northern Kingdom. At the hunt that night, Xiao Yin saved him with no thought for his own safety. He definitely has some sort of relations to North Kingdom," Tong Shou suspiciously said.
Standing on the side, Lan Bing laughed and said, " Tong Shou ah, it's precisely because Xiao Yin saved him regardless of the danger that Lord Chancellor is letting him stay in the residence. I"m afraid this spy is no ordinary spy, it's likely this broken sleeve illness has spread to Northern Kingdom. I heard that all the previous Northern Emperors kept male playthings."
Ji Feng Li narrowed his eyes, and recalled Hua Zhu Yu's words in the carriage, “If Left Chancellor has taken an interest in me, a broken sleeve such as myself doesn’t mind, with Left Chancellor…" Ji Feng Li did not expect him to have the ability to create so much trouble.
"Lan Bing, you must not let him out of your sight, don't give him the opportunity to act alone. It's best if you stay by his side every night too," Tong Shou said to Lan Bing.
Lan Bing opened his eyes wide when he heard this, hurriedly waving his hands around, "If you want someone to sleep with him then you sleep with him. What am I supposed to do if he becomes a beast overnight?!"
"What are you afraid of? He's already lost his thing down there, what can he do to you?!" Tong Shou sneered at Lan Bing.
"That's not necessarily true!"Lan Bing shook his head, "How do you know if he still has it down there or not?"
"You know right away from a glance!" Tong Shou glared at him.
"Silence!" Ji Feng Li spoke out coldly. "The residence is so heavily guarded, is he going to fly out and escape? Lan Bing you just need to be a bit more cautious is all." Although one could not see his face his voice was heavy and had a strong sense of coldness to it.
Tong Shou and Lan Bing hastily shut their mouths. They weren't sure why Lord Chancellor was so angry but they knew to be quiet and withdraw.
Ji Feng Li stood beside the window letting the night breeze flutter through his robe creating a hazy shadow in the moonlight.