Chapter 41 - How Did He Appear?

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The next morning, Qi Lin was still pulled out of bed by Green Bamboo and a group of maids. They insisted that since she became a concubine, she had to pay her respects to the emperor every day.

But who knew how late she stayed up last night

Afraid that it would take too much time if she dressed herself, Qi Lin let the maids help. Today, she wore a white low-cut dress with a light yellow veil over her head and a green robe tied at the waist by an apricot-yellow sash. She looked very refreshing.

But she was so sleepy; she hadn't been getting enough sleep lately.

"Ah!" Qi Lin yawned and walked with teary eyes.

"Miss, you should follow the rules," Green Bamboo reminded her carefully. "We're here."

“Green Bamboo, it’s strange, isn't it The emperor stays in Drunken Flower Pavilion, a place where courtesans live. It's so natural for him to do this.” On their way there, they didn’t see anyone else. Who would get up at this hour

Only them.

But the air was fresh and refreshing.

"Miss, you don't know that Drunken Flower Pavilion is where officials entertain themselves and it’s an imperial gift. The guests are usually officials or noblemen like Wood Qingfeng," Green Bamboo explained carefully. "Though it's a place of pleasure, because the people who come here have different statuses, their presence has status too. But in this Phoenix Kingdom, it’s still the first place to go since it belongs to Empress Ji."

"Got it." Qi Lin understood that such was the way things worked.

The emperor really was devoted; he could actually do this. But those people were fools; even a god would be driven mad by worshipping in such a place.

Thinking about Wood Qingfeng, she hadn’t seen him for a while. She owed him something. She didn't think of him as someone from another kingdom’s royal family. A person so important could not just be considered a nobleman according to Green Bamboo; he was far more than that.

She still planned to return the item to him when she got a chance.

They arrived at Feng Changqing's courtyard and found out she was the last one there. She scanned around but didn’t see Bu Yao. Qi Lin had heard that Bu Yao was given to Long Ye, while the rest became concubines or empresses. As for her, a mere low-ranking concubine, she naturally received disdain.

“Little sister greets all the sisters,” Qi Lin politely bowed and didn’t mind when others snorted in response.

Xiao Ran was magnanimous enough to tell her to rise but then ignored her.

The rest of them just stared blankly at each other for two hours. The door finally opened, and Jiang Yuanzheng walked out. He flicked his ceremonial whisk and softly announced: “By His Majesty’s order, all beloved consorts are here today to pay their respects. However, due to the emperor's busy schedule, he asks you all to return first without waiting for an audience.”

"I will comply with His Majesty's order... I bid farewell..."

Qi Lin naturally knew that Feng Changqing wasn't busy with official duties, but rather had stayed up too late last night and was still in bed today. It really was a hardship for them to get up so early, only to not even see the Emperor's face in the end. She also wanted to go back and have a good rest.

"Lady Hongxue, please wait a moment," Jiang Yuanchen walked over with her hips swaying, smiling as she approached.

The others looked at Qi Lin in confusion, while Qi Lin tugged awkwardly at the corners of her mouth and ignored the electric sensation on her body, waiting for Jiang Yuanchen to speak.

"The Emperor said," when Jiang Yuanchen got to this part, she purposely raised her voice high. "You worked hard all night long, you must take more tonics when you go back to replenish your body, there's still a long way ahead."

Hehe, hehe, Qi Lin blushed and lowered her head, scratching her ear with her hand. She found that her ears were burning hot and awkwardly smiled.

"The Emperor speaks too highly of me," she said quickly before trying to slip away.

Jiang Yuanchen nodded and returned indoors, turning around to bow down as she walked past the window where Feng Changqing was standing. When she saw him, it nearly scared her half to death.

Feng Changqing actually smiled looking out of the window. It was a smile that Jiang Yuanchen had never seen before; his lips seemed to be raised unintentionally and his cold eyes were like spring water, incredibly gentle.

Even more importantly, he was playing with the hair on his chest.

"Keep looking and I will gouge out your dog's eyes," Feng Changqing had already withdrawn his gaze at this point. Putting on a cold expression, he coldly said, "You are getting bolder."

“Oh my, how dare I Your Majesty’s handsome appearance has attracted me; even celestial fairies could not resist such beauty. How could an ordinary man like me” Jiang Yuanchen bent over and walked past him, knowing that Feng Changqing was in a good mood today. With a smile on his face, he continued to say, "Your Majesty, two days from now will be the last ceremony for worshiping Heaven. King Anbang has already selected candidates to stay in the Baihua Pavilion. Do you want to take a look”

Feng Changqing gave a cold laugh and said, “When it comes to handling matters, I don’t have any concerns about His Highness King Anbang. I actually have something interesting that I would like to discuss with you.”

“Your Majesty truly makes me feel unworthy; it is the luck of eight lifetimes for a servant to be able to follow Your Majesty’s orders. Even if I have to go through mountains of knives or seas of fire…”

"Enough, put away that nonsense," Feng Changqing said impatiently as Jiang Yuanchen immediately knelt down. Feng Changqing didn't bother to care and played with the purple jade finger ring on his thumb, "Do you know about 'Caged Phoenix'"

Caged Phoenix Jiang Yuanchen was slightly startled and shook his head. "I am lacking in knowledge and have never heard of it. Please enlighten me."

"There is a beauty whom I cannot forget... When we don't meet for just one day, my thoughts go wild with desire... My phoenix soars across the ocean to seek its beloved but alas! She is not on that eastern wall... Instead of singing the love song, let me play this zither and express my feelings. If we can’t fly together, I will be lost forever." While speaking, Feng Changqing had already walked over to the desk beside him and was painting on a scroll with his brush, finishing in no time at all. He then looked up at Jiang Yuanchen and asked, "What do you think"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanchen quickly said, “Your Majesty’s masterpiece is truly breathtaking, it so wonderfully presents the emotions of love that I have never seen anything like it before.”

Feng Changqing smiled slightly and threw the brush to one side. "Take a look at this Caged Phoenix, do you think it looks good"

Ejiang Yuan was rather surprised and nodded his head as he walked closer.

The moment he took a look, his legs became weak. He fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!" Big beads of sweat kept sliding down from his forehead while Ejiang Yuan trembled and kneeled on the ground.

Feng Changqing smiled slightly. "Why do you need to beg for your life I just wanted you to take a look. Why would you think that I want to end your life"

"Your humble servant... Your humble servant... Your humble servant did not know that Feng Qiuniang was given by Your Majesty," he said as he hastily took out the Feng Qiuniang hairpin that Bu Yao had gifted him from his chest and raised it above his head, trembling. "If I knew about this before, there’s no way in hell that I would’ve accepted the gift of such a precious item from Miss Bu Yao... No... Your Grace the Queen Consort. Your Majesty"

Looking at the blue-colored Feng Qiuniang hairpin in Ejiang Yuan's hands, the craftsmanship was rather exquisite and it had some kind of charm to it; he was immediately attracted by it.

"Even if it’s a reward, why are you so flustered" he said nonchalantly as he turned around and did not look at Ejiang Yuan any further.

"Your humble servant... Your humble servant is guilty," he said before forcing out a few tears. "That day after I read the imperial edict, I spoke without thinking twice about it. Perhaps Your Grace the Queen Consort misunderstood me Your Majesty, I have served you for so many years. You should be most familiar with my temperament"

"Alright alright, your attitude makes me want to vomit," he said impatiently. He did not even have any thoughts of dealing with this matter and only brought up Ejiang Yuan because Long Ye had mentioned him. It would seem that it was due to Ejiang Yuan having served him for many years that Long Ye hadn’t taken action on his own accord, right "Leave and receive twenty strokes of the cane. Then think about how you can return what you received. I’m reducing your salary by half for six months."

Upon hearing this, Ejiang Yuan quickly thanked him as he cried out to the heavens.

Afeter Ejiang Yuan left, Feng Changqing then called Qin Xiao in. “How is it Did you find anything”

"Your Majesty, all I know is that he came here two years ago and rarely receives visitors. He’s rather obedient and nothing seems unusual about him." Qin Xiao raised his hand to say as he continued, "Although he has met with King Anbo a few times, it was just for some chess matches and tea tasting sessions."

Is that so

The last time I talked to Yu Mu, the two of us coincidentally mentioned the same person. Could this really be an accident

Qilin returned to her Peony Courtyard and was originally planning on sneaking out to look for Yu Mu, but unexpectedly, Lu Zhu came over to tell her that Bu Yao had been waiting in the main hall for a long time.

"What’s wrong What’s it like being an imperial concubine" Bu Yao looked down upon Qilin and swept around the room. "I don’t see Your Majesty giving you any rewards yet, and you still look poor as ever."

Qilin was too lazy to argue with her and simply sat there sipping tea lazily. “What business brings my queen consort here”

The moment she heard the word ‘queen consort’, Bu Yao became enraged. She slammed the table in frustration, grinding her teeth as she said, "Hmph! Do you even have any face to say this"

"My queen consort, look," Qilin pointed at her own face with a smile on her lips. "This is my face. How can you say that I don’t have a face"

"You" Qi Lin's actions infuriated Bu Ruo; she would have liked to disfigure Qi Lin but held back. She continued, "Qi Lin, after using underhanded means against me before, you now pretend to be virtuous Yet, aren't you still the emperor's woman You choose your path of glory while I take mine alone. What did you say about me in front of the emperor that made him assign me to Long Ye"

Qi Lin frowned slightly upon seeing Bu Ruo's anger; it turned out Long Ye was merely infatuated with her unrequitedly. But were the feelings she saw in Bu Ruo's eyes before fake No, they seemed genuine.

Seeing Qi Lin not respond, Bu Ruo thought she was making excuses and became even more infuriated. However, due to her status, she merely stood up angrily, pointing at Qi Lin, "Humph, don't think being a princess can hold me back; one day I'll make you bow down to me."

"Bu Ruo, regarding this matter, I haven't done anything. Have you clearly understood your own heart" Qi Lin retorted without backing down, "Furthermore, what makes you think the emperor would listen to my words In any case, even if it's as you believe, it doesn’t help me to say more. If that’s how you see things, then so be it."

You

Bu Ruo pointed at Qi Lin in anger and frustration, but didn't know how to refute her; she could only leave with a flick of her sleeves.

Because of Bu Ruo's arrival, Qi Lin was also very displeased. In her depression, she changed into the male clothes she usually wore and walked to the back courtyard, dismissing everyone around, intending to climb over the wall for some fresh air. Anyway, Feng Changqing hadn't given any special orders recently not allowing her to leave.

But it wasn’t convenient to go out in men’s clothing openly.

"Lady, be careful, don't fall," Green Bamboo watched Qi Lin anxiously from the side; fortunately she had returned to check and unexpectedly saw Qi Lin climbing over the wall. But there was nothing she could do but worry helplessly: "Hey hey hey, Lady, left left, don’t fall!"

Qi Lin panted as she finally climbed onto the wall, wiping sweat from her face; Green Bamboo looked more exhausted than her with dampened bangs.

She waved dismissively and said, "Oh, don't worry, this isn't hard for me."

Suddenly recalling that in the past she often did this at Bamboo Retreat, she changed her mind. "Green Bamboo, go back to your room; I'll come back after getting some fresh air, you mustn’t follow me. Prepare dinner for me and make sure no one knows about it."

"But"

"No buts, if you're not here, people will think I'm not here as well; isn't that like the parable of the man who says there is no silver in his house when he clearly does" Qi Lin impatiently waved her hand and turned to continue climbing over the wall. But she saw a white figure flying off quickly nearby.

Qi Lin's head instantly buzzed; that person was A-Piao, right Ah yes, A-Piao was what Qi Lin called the man due to his unpredictable appearances, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.

Quickly noting A-Piao’s direction, she decided to follow him but got too excited and lost her balance...

"Lady!" Green Bamboo shouted sharply as she crouched down; hearing a heavy object landing in the next room, she worriedly asked, "Are you okay"

After a while, from the other side of the wall came a pained groan, "I'm fine, not painful at all."; it was just instructions anyway. She picked a direction at random, actually she had considered the possibility but couldn't think of anything else: even with help from the wolves, the other side wer...