Chapter 22 Did you have any misunderstandings about me?

The young man looked indifferent, “I wanted to kill you directly…”

He said the words in a flat tone, not in a murderous tone, but for no reason, he looked cold-blooded, not like just intimidating her.

Yun Fenghuang just felt scared. After all, she speculated she was unlikely to beat him. Now she was the prey, and the young man was the predator. This feeling was… She forced herself to be calm and listen to him with respectful attention. She heard this man said, “But when I was about to do it, I saw the bruise on your neck…”

Then he had compassion for her and decided not to kill her?

Yun Fenghuang curled her lips secretly. She wouldn’t believe such nonsense.

However, he continued, “Then I wanted to see the sequel.”

“…” Yun Fenghuang was confused, “What sequel?”

“There were two possibilities.” The young man said indifferently, “The first one was your target is me; and the second one was it had nothing to do with me, and it’s just an encounter. No matter which one it would be… I was curious about what would happen when you woke up.”

This person might have Hysteria!

How dared he to take such a risk in the Imperial Palace?

It should be known that there were checks and balances among the current main factions, and no faction was more powerful. However, this young man actually dared to take such a risk. She didn’t know it was because he was too arrogant or he had backers.

Yun Fenghuang stared at him and laughed suddenly, “Then, which one do you hope?”

The young man said with interest, “I would like to hear the details.”

“If you hope it concerns you, please secretly send me back to the Imperial Harem before dawn.” Yun Fenghuang said seriously, “I must repay you in the future. If you hope it has nothing to do with you, please do the same thing. As long as I go ashore, I won’t know you and will have no relationship with you. We will be strangers, and I won’t bother you in the future… What do you think?”

“…” After the young man was silent for a moment, he suddenly released her wrist, and sat up slowly.

He was taller than Yun Fenghuang. The height difference was not obvious when he lied down. However, after he got up, the height difference made a commanding meaning when he looked down at Yun Fenghuang, saying, “Okay.”

Yun Fenghuang was surprised for a moment. She just sounded him out, but she did not expect he agreed so fast.

Um…

Under her careful analysis, it was not unreasonable. After all, this young man did not look like a eunuch. Yun Fenghuang needed to ensure her reputation and innocence, and he also needed to avoid arousing suspicion.

So, he would choose to either kill her or cool this matter and not mention it any more.

However, the above were just the thoughts of normal people. Yun Fenghuang was just relieved, she heard the young man say, “The situation in the Imperial Harem is complicated and changeful, and no one can expect what will happen in the next day. You don’t need to pay me back in the future. Just repay me now.”

Yun Fenghuang stunned, and said, “But I don’t have anything valuable with me now…”

“It doesn’t matter.” The young man stared at her with indifferent eyes, but said, “Every minute to sleep with you in the night is precious.”

Yun Fenghuang was speechless.

She forced herself to calm down for a moment and squeezed a fake smile, “It turns out that you are still a gentleman who is scrupulously honest even when there is no one around.”

The young man didn’t seem to recognize the sarcasm in her tone, and said peacefully, “I never force anyone.”

If Yun Fenghuang could beat him, she would screw this man’s head off immediately!

She stared at him for a moment, and then the corners of her mouth curved slightly, “Since it is so, thanks for your care. No words can express my thanks to your great kindness… Goodbye!”

After speaking, she wrapped up the quilt, went down to the ground, lifted her hands to pull a stack of clothes and dresses on the coat hanger, turned and went behind the screen.

After she neatly dressed and tied up her long hair loosely, she went straight out without looking at the young man who was still sitting on the bed.

Then within a few steps, she was forced back to the inner chamber by the dazzling gleam of the blade.

Yun Fenghuang asked, “Is this the so-called never forcing anyone?”

“I mean I never force anyone.” The young man said peacefully. “As for my guards… I certainly won’t force them to not force anyone.”

Yun Fenghuang thought his shameless acting was worth learning. She walked back the stool caved with patterns opposite the bed and sat down, saying, “I’m Mei Ren Ms. Xue of Su Rong Palace. May I have your name, please?”

The young man calmly said, “My father is Duke Yi and I’m Shizi.”

… It was impossible for her to believe him!

If he pretended to be Shizi of other families, Yun Fenghuang couldn’t know whether his words were true or not. After all, she had been well-behaved in Dijing City for the past two years. Except for her uncle and cousin, she hadn’t seen other men. But Yun Qike, Shizi of Duke Yi, was the half-elder-brother of Yun Qingman. At least she and Yun Qingman had been close friends in the past two or three years, so, how could she never see him?

“Shizi Yun.” Yun Fenghuang kept her countenance, saying, “I just joined the Imperial Harem and has not yet slept with His Majesty. If I lose my virginity here, the consequences are self-evident. By then, Shizi, I am afraid that you will not escape the heavy punishment from the royal family, either.”

The young man said indifferently, “On night romance with a gorgeous girl, a happy death thus deserves. Besides, Emperor Chunjia is now relying on my family, so, how can he blame me just for you, an insignificant concubine?”

“Although His Majesty is generous,” Yun Fenghuang said, “but Her Highness has always been thinking highly of palace rules.”

The young man said, “There is no rule in the Imperial Harem to check Yuan Pa (the kerchief to collect the virgin blood) now. If Emperor Chunjia doesn’t say, how can the Empress know? Will the dignified Empress go to Su Rong Palace to eavesdrop in person?”

“You are really thoughtful.” Yun Fenghuang thought.

Yun Fenghuang smiled, “Shizi, you are a young and talented man with a distinguished background. You can get all kinds of beauties, so, why do you choose me, a plain woman, for pastime?”

The young man looked indifferently, “How can an ordinary beauty compare with a concubine in the Imperial Harem? You are the Emperor’s exclusive property. Regardless of your appearance and temperament, your identity can simply arouse my sexual desire.”

“…” Yun Fenghuang was silent for a moment, and suddenly laughed softly, “So, is this the reason why His Majesty rarely goes to Qiong Fang Palace?”

Qiong Fang Palace was the residence of Fu Ren Yaoning.

Fu Ren Yaoning was the legitimate daughter of Duke Zhaowu, the right-hand man of Prince Regent.

The reason she said so was just to identify the young man’s true identity euphemistically.

He was Shizi of Prince Regent, Gongxiang Xiao!

“This is a secret.” Gongxiang Xiao was surprised. Looking at her for a moment, he said slowly, “How do you, an outsider, know it?”

Yun Fenghuang looked back at him for a moment, and tentatively said, “Shizi, if there is anything I can help you, please say it.”

Gongxiang Xiao laughed gloomily, “Cheng Gui Yun, no wonder you were able to make His Majesty’s sweetheart feel wronged but she had no way to avenge as soon as you joined the Imperial Harem. You are really alert, resourceful and considerate… However, I am not clever enough. So, how dare I bother you without any reason, Cheng Gui?”

He wanted to have a deal with her.

The most ready-made one was sleeping with her just proposed by GongXiang Xiao just now…

Honestly, Shizi of Prince Regent looked handsome and was younger than Emperor Chunjia. Yun Fenghuang did not mind having a love affair stealthily with him to cuckold Emperor Chunjia.

But not now.

Gongxiang Xiao had showed obvious intention to take use of her. If she agreed at this moment, it meant that she tacitly approved she was his servant and had to obey him.

She had no taste to be a servant of others.

“… Duke Yi and my uncle are the chief culprits who caused me to join the Imperial Harem.” Yun Fenghuang thought for a moment and said, “But my aunt has always been good to me. That year, I left my hometown for Dijing City from far away. Since then, my aunt has always been regarding me as her daughter and I have always been regarding her as my mother… My uncle’s official position is not high. Although my uncle’s house is next to Duke Yi’s Mansion, it will be easy for you, a Shizi, to do something to them if you want.”

Hearing this, Gongxiang Xiao shook his head, “If this is someone else, I will agree. But Cheng Gui Yun, you are too clever and intelligent, so, I think it’d be better to use a more reliable way.”

His implication was that Yun Fenghuang was foxy. Her affections for her biological aunt were impossible to be comparable to those for her biological parents. The affections between her and her aunt had been cultivated in the past two years. Who knew if it was useful to threaten her aunt or not with her at a crucial time?

“The Imperial Harem is extremely stern, and I haven’t had any trusted attendants around me.” Yun Fenghuang was not surprised by his rejection, and calmly said, “Shizi, may you give me some advice?”

Yun Fenghuang thought that if he still worried, he could arrange his men around her and supervise her. She thought he would agree.

However, Gongxiang Xiao still shook his head, and gave the same reason as before, “If this is someone else, I can recommend a few diligent maids to you, but as for you, Cheng Gui Yun… I remember you don’t lack maids to serve you. If you changed your maids rashly, you may be suspected by others.”

She was the woman who offended Consort Yue as soon as she joined the Imperial Harem. Besides, the key was that she won!

Even if Gongxiang Xiao had the intention to arrange manpower around Yun Fenghuang, how could he tell her before he got the reliable goods on her? Nobody knew if Yun Fenghuang would betray him or not in the future though she vowed solemnly now?

Yun Fenghuang narrowed her eyes, “Although my grade is Cheng Gui now, but it may be raised before long.”

Before Gongxiang Xiao spoke, she continued, “In fact, Shizi, you have no need to be suspicious of me. This encounter may be an unexpected gaining for you, but it’s the same for me.”

Gongxiang Xiao raised his eyebrows.

“It is an accident for me to join the Imperial Harem. It can be said that I joined the Imperial Harem without any preparation.” Yun Fenghuang’s eyes flashed and she spoke frankly with assurance, “Therefore, there is no trusted and useful attendants around me… Shizi, as you know, my aunt’s families are all my relatives in Dijing City. My uncle’s official position is low, and he may not be able to arrange reliable helpers to enter the Imperial Harem to help me. Even if he can do it, how can I trust and use them considering the relationship between him and Duke Yi?”

As for her tribe, “Xie’s Family lived in the north for a very long time. Even though my families care about me, they are too far away to be able to help me.”

As for Yun Fenghuang herself, “It hasn’t been long since I joined the Imperial Harem. It doesn’t matter that I have no trusted attendants now because my grade is still low. However, it will be embarrassing if I need to handle more things after my grade is raised! Shizi, to be honest, I have been worrying about this thing these days. At this time, I encounter you tonight. The fate has mercy on me!”

The more she spoke, the happier she became, and she even began to put forward conditions, “… the eunuchs shall be clever and shrewd, and look white and gentle. In this way, I will have face when taking them out; and considering that the maids will follow me for a long time and they will have many chances to follow me, they shall not only be intelligent and beautiful, but be brave. The maid who grows up with me at a young age is super loyal, but she is dumb and timid. If the time had been limited at that time, I wouldn’t have taken her with me!”

Seeing Gongxiang Xiao look at her expressionlessly, Yun Fenghuang said with confusion, “Shizi, don’t you believe me? Shizi, you wish me to send messages in the Imperial Harem to you, and I want to have a meteoric rise in the Imperial Harem. Isn’t it a win-win cooperation for us? After all, if I have a high grade, it is easier for me to send messages to you, isn’t it? Or you suspect that I don’t have such an aggressive mind?”

Gongxiang Xiao was silent for a long time, and said, “What if you stand the same side with Emperor Chunjia when your grade is high?”

“If I really love His Majesty, just by the scene I slept on the same bed with you…” Yun Fenghuang sneered, “I would have killed myself to preserve chastity for His Majesty, right?”

“… Since you have no intention to preserve chastity for His Majesty,” Gongxiang Xiao meditated for a moment, “why aren’t you willing to sleep with me? In this way, the trust between us will be deeper.”

In this way, it was more convenient for them to cooperate in the future to get the goods of the death penalty on each other, wasn’t it?

Yun Fenghuang glanced at him, and suddenly laughed, “Shizi, you said I am different just now, but why are you muddled now? His Majesty have slept in my residence these two days, but do you see any trust and favoritism I have for him?”

“Do you have any misunderstandings about me?” Yun Fenghuang thought.

It was not easy to sleep with Cheng Gui.

“…” Gongxiang Xiao looked at her, and suddenly felt wronged with no reason. After a long time, he slowly exhaled and said, “Guard!”

After a pause, he said, “Send Cheng Gui to Small Peng Lai.”

The guard explained to her the reason why Shizi made such an arrangement on the road, “Small Peng Lai is not like Small Fang Hu. It is very small, and people can almost see its complete picture at a glance. There are only a few maids being left to clean the island there, and there is even no eunuch there.”

Therefore, it was the most appropriate place for Yun Fenghuang who was “lost carelessly”. She could not only prevent her reputation and integrity from being questioned, but also go back to the Imperial Harem aboveboard.

Of course, one reason Gongxiang Xiao sent her to this island was to find a reliable way, but another was, “there is a maid named Liu Hong, who is loyal, diligent and clever, and looks relatively beautiful there.”

Yun Fenghuang understood. So, when she arrived at Small Peng Lai later, she should look for this maid to send her back. With such a story, when she was prompted in the future, she could ask the maid to follow her with such a logical reason.

… With the help of Shizi of Prince Regent who could make Small Fang Hu as his own yard, it was smooth for Yun Fenghuang to return to the Imperial Harem.

She first bathed under the service of Liu Hong in Small Peng Lai, then changed a clean dress of Liu Hong, and slept comfortably on Liu Hong’s bed at last. During this period, Liu Hong went to report to the maid in charge of the island and negotiated to go to Yan Fu Palace for reporting.

Yun Fenghuang didn’t worry about these troubles. When she was awakened, a boat had been waiting for her. She went on board after she cleaned and dressed up, and was soon sent to the Empress.