The Beloved Imperial Consort - Chapter 103

“Can you stand?” Zhong Zheng Ming looked at the woman who was draped over him while clutching his front lapels  and asked softly. 

Mu Xi Yao wanted to die from embarrassment. When she thought about the complexion of Zhong Zheng Lin behind her, her hair stood on end. 

“Not letting go of him?” Zhong Zheng Lin grabbed her left shoulder. His tone was not good. 

“The leg cramps…” unfortunately caused her an embarrassment at this time. Mu Xi Yao’s face turned red. Her voice was as weak as a mosquito. 

Zhong Zheng Lin stared at the back of her head that was hung down and nodded to Zhong Zheng Ming. Subsequently, he picked the person up into his arms. After excusing themselves, he carried Mu Xi Yao and headed to the side room in the east wing. 

Sir Mu and lady Yu were so scared by Mu Xi Yao their hearts trembled with fear. Even now, the mere thought stroke terror in them.

“My lord, how come this child is this negligent? She’s in her eighth-month pregnancy, after all. If anything was to happen to her, it would be fatal!” There was an old saying that said the seven will live and the eight will die1a Chinese old saying that believed that since 7-month-old fetus was still small, it was easy to give birth to. What’s more, the babies born at the time were more likely to survive. On the contrary, the 8-month-old fetus was big and since there was no caesarean section in ancient time, if a mother run into a situation where baby’s position in the womb was not correct, she will likely face a difficult birth and the baby also probably won’t survive[/efn_note. The scare made lady Yu break into cold sweat. She looked at sir Mu and complained to him about how worrisome was his daughter. 

Although Mu Jing Zheng was usually a bit strait-laced person, he doted greatly on this younger daughter of his. He was already frightened by the earlier scene. Yet, his spouse was secretly blaming him right now for indulging their girl and not disciplining her properly. Sir Mu helplessly shook his head. It was clearly a fault indulged by womenfolk. 

Zhong Zheng Ming stood in the pavilion with hands crossed behind his back, watching the two depart. Afterward, he sat back to appease the two elders and speak good things on behalf of Mu Xi Yao. 

“The sister-in-law had a leg cramp and was unable to stand. It can’t be blamed on her.” The sweet scent on the woman’s body just now….Zhong Zheng Lin recalled with a slight nostalgy.

He called to mind the complete trust she displayed when she gripped tightly his front pieces. It should have been directed to the sixth, shouldn’t it? Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so embarrassed. 

Mu Xi Ting couldn’t hear anything. Her mind was filled only with the silhouette of his Highness getting up quickly and the never seen tenderness in his eyes when he shielded Mu Xi Yao. As it turns out, all the gentleness he usually showed was merely an appeasement. It couldn’t compare to that brief moment of panic. 

“Why don’t you say you’ve burnt your hand?” Zhong Zheng Ming held her right hand and inspected the red and swollen flesh. 

Did she hurt her hand? Mu Xi Ting looked at the soup bowl on the table that was knocked over. She remained silent and drooped her head.  

The soup wasn’t hers but his Highness’s who was next to her. At that time, his Highness has dashed out without any care. She didn’t hurt. No matter how her hand hurt, it couldn’t compare to her heartache. 

——

Mu Xi Yao was curled up in Zhong Zheng Lin’ arms. She rubbed softly her cheeks against his chest, pouting coquettishly. 

Darn. How long do you plan to be angry, boss? Give her a precise time so that she could take a rest. 

When Zhong Zheng Lin recalled Zhong Zheng Ming’s unconcealed concern, his eyes turned into a frost. Having an idea about his woman in front of him? 

He turned to look at Mu Xi Yao’s aggrieved expression. He was unable to contain his anger. She even thinks that she’s been wronged. 

At the critical moment, this woman has thrown herself into the arms of another man. He was obviously at the side, yet she has completely ignored him. And now, she had the nerve to play pitiful? 

“Jiao Jiao, how do you want to get yourself out?” 

Zhong Zheng Lin’s phoenix eyes watched her intently. The dangerous glint inside them was clear and palpable. 

When Mu Xi Yao called to mind the main culprit, she suddenly had confidence. She dismissed the wronged expression she had just now and pouted her lips. She pointed at his chest with her index finger while shifting blame to him. 

“Your Highness, that lousy thumb ring of yours is too ordinary. How come everyone has it? Didn’t qie just now glimpsed the thumb ring and has thus recognized the wrong person? How about you change it to a better one? This one is too shabby.”

Zhong Zheng Lin was caught off guard by her sudden change. He then heard her reason with the thumb ring. Her tone was full of contempt. 

The sixth Highness’s anger had no way to be let out. He wished he could fix her. 

“You don’t recognize this thumb ring?” 

“Huh?” How his anger showed no sign of decline? Mu Xi Yao was baffled. She grabbed his big hand to size it up carefully. 

“Your Highness, why can’t qie recognize it at all? Isn’t it a thing you wear and wander around with every day? If qie could recognize it, would qie have thrown myself in the wrong direction?” 

What a sloppy thing. Did it have to have an origin no matter what? Mu Xi Yao truly believed that the ring was something his sixth Highness has specifically used to put on airs. When men played a hard to read character, especially someone who was in high position and wielded power, didn’t they always love to rub their thumb rings and fiddle with it to appear particularly cool? 

This woman was truly…. Zhong Zheng Lin knew not how to lecture her. To say she was ignorant, she still remembered this thumb ring. To say she was attentive, she has never noticed that he was not the only one to own this thumb ring. 

When he thought of it this way, the sixth Highness suddenly felt strange. Don’t tell him he had to commend her for never paying attention to other men? Did he truly wrong her? 

Zhong Zheng Lin leaned over. Seeing her staring at him and not willing to give in, he stroke her head. 

“This ring is an imperial prince’s official seal.” Zhong Zheng Lin cleared her confusion. 

Official seal? How was it used? Mu Xi Yao pulled up his fingers and moved them back and forth. 

“It’s merely a symbol now. In the past, the front of the thumb ring was slightly raised. It could be used as a seal.” 

Oh, she’s learnt new knowledge. Mu Xi Yao nodded, but then she became puzzled, “All the princes own one?” How come she didn’t notice it before? 

“Yes. Wearing a thumb ring is a rule in the imperial clan. It doesn’t matter whether it’s on the left or right hand.” 

“That’s it. Such an inaccurate matter. Qie didn’t take note of it.” Mu Xi Yao was in the right. Since it was uncertain on which hand was the thumb ring worn, she was even more innocent in this. 

“Are you blaming bendian for informing you too late?” Zhong Zheng Lin put the person on the bed. He then folded his arms and leaned over to watch her as he stood at the edge of the bed. 

Aojiao! Mu Xi Yao pouted. When boss was being unreasonable, he liked to exert his dominance on her. 

“Your Highness.” Mu Xi Yao softly called the person. She reached out her hands and requested a hug. She wanted a human pillow, a natural cooling medium….

———

Sir Mu has been sitting with the fifth Highness for a long time. Seeing no trace of the person who has said he will be back soon, they immediately knew he won’t return. 

“Since sixth brother has other important matters, bendian will go first. Sir Mu needn’t see bendian off. If bendian gets free, bendian will accompany shufei to pay more visits.” 

Mu Xi Ting reluctantly parted with concubine Wu. She took Zhong Zheng Ming’s hand and set foot on to the carriage. 

The carriage slowly advanced forward. As Mu Xi Ting watched attentively the fifth Highness’s gentle side profile, she only felt that the whole carriage has brightened up with him. How great would it be if it was always this peaceful and harmonious?

“Why are you looking at bendian with such expression?” 

Being caught red-handed, Mu Xi Ting’s face blushed. She mumbled, “Your Highness is good-looking. Qie was besotted.” 

Zhong Zheng Ming lied down on a cool couch. He revealed a gentle smile, “You’re indeed sisters. Your elder sister has also complimented bendian in such a way.” However, Mu Xi Yao was using those words to annoy him. When he recalled how she stroke first to gain the initiative, Zhong Zheng Ming laughed and shook his head. When has he ever blamed her for that? 

Mu Xi Ting’s heart instantly turned cold, “Your Highness was acquainted with sister before?” 

According to that woman’s words, his Highness has been interested in Mu Xi Yao since a long time ago. 

Zhong Zheng Ming seemed to be recalling. Being acquainted with? He was afraid that she was never under such impression. 

“Hardly. The first time bendian met you sisters was outside of Diao Xiang House, just happening to encounter the startled horse accident. Afterward, she paid bendian a visit to express her thanks.” 

Mu Xi Ting’s heart gripped tightly. He’s been thinking about her since such a long time ago? At the time, they were still just xiunus. 

Xiunu? Mu Xi Ting suddenly called to mind how the fifth princess consort was warm to her at the beginning, calling her intimately sister Mu. Later on, for some unknown reasons, her attitude suddenly changed, becoming unusually cold. There was also the occasional gossip among princess consorts that involved talks about his Highness’s attentiveness to her and him deliberately taking her as his shufei. 

Before selection, his Highness has never seen her. Why did he treat her particularly generously? Mu Xi Ting recalled that “pay a visit to express thanks” and her face turned deathly pale. What if….what if they got the wrong person? 

The long-standing puzzlement suddenly found its answer. Mu Xi Ting was panic-struck. Was she actually that contemptible that even the role of substitute had to be snatched from someone else? 

Translation notes:

[1] Seven will survive and the eight will die is a Chinese old saying that believed that since 7-month-old fetus was still small, it was easy to give birth to. What’s more, the babies born at the time were more likely to survive. On the contrary, the 8-month-old fetus was big and since there was no caesarean section in ancient time, if a mother run into a situation where baby’s position in the womb was not correct, she will likely face a difficult birth and the baby also probably won’t survive