High-class Spring Joy

"Brother, I really want to ask too, aren't you even a little curious about who hired us? But what if we finish the job and they don't pay us? I've had enough of this awful place, I'm never coming back."

The man spoke softly, rubbing his arms repeatedly. This wretched place was so cold; he never wanted to come back to this wretched place again.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Are you afraid of waking the people inside if you raise your voice any louder? If you do wake them up, neither of us will get a single penny. You don't want money? Do you think I don't want money either, since you and your widow don't want money? Can you not eat? Can you not eat? Can you not eat? Can you not eat? Can you not eat? Can you not eat? How old are you? Don't you have any sense of propriety?"

The so-called leader started by rebuking them, and only after saying this did he realize that he had said a lot, and his voice was not quiet. If the people inside had not been drugged by their drug, they would probably have woken up by now.

The second brother, who had been hesitant to speak, poked his finger and looked at the person in front of him: "But big brother, your voice seemed even louder just now."

The leader of the men in black fell into an eerie silence.

Unexpectedly, in his anger, he forgot about it.

But the second-in-command in black, upon hearing the voices of his elder brothers and seeing their appearance, quickly spoke up: "But brother, look, the person inside didn't wake up while we were talking. It's obvious this drug is extremely potent. Maybe what they said is true, maybe the drug that person gave us is really strong, and maybe it's a very magical drug. Maybe it really can kill someone in their sleep."

The second man in black clicked his tongue in amazement, expressing great curiosity about the medicine they had obtained: "If this medicine is really that miraculous, then in the future... If you get more of this medicine, wouldn't it be much more convenient for us to earn money when we're on missions? We wouldn't have to risk our lives anymore! This medicine can achieve so much..."

As she said this, she bumped her head and was slapped on the head by the leader of the men in black. "What nonsense are you spouting? Even if such a miraculous medicine really existed, it wouldn't be something you could just get so easily. Do you think such a miraculous medicine, capable of killing someone in their dreams in just a few hours, could be obtained for 11 taels of silver? Do you think it's so easy to get? What are you thinking? Have you been spending all your time with women and ruined your brain? How can your brain be so rotten? Damn it, I don't even want to talk to you anymore!"

"But brother, your voice is getting louder and louder. If you were going to hear me, you should have heard it. It's your voice, isn't it? If anyone should be woken up, it's him who woke you up, right?"

The second brother covered his head and rubbed it, somewhat hesitant to speak, but then pouted in a wronged manner, trying to defend himself.

Seeing that the second-in-command in black had just finished speaking when he saw his elder brother raise his hand, he quickly shut up in fright.

But the Black leader began to ponder what the second brother had said. It was true; if they were sleeping normally, they should have been woken up by them long ago.

If a skilled martial artist could write martial arts techniques, they would be easily alerted by any noise. They wouldn't even need to make a loud sound; just a few clues or a few footsteps would be enough to attract their attention.

Even a normal person would be woken up by them at this time, so it's possible that all the effects are due to that drug.

Although the leader of the men in black was so righteous and indignant when he was disciplining the second-in-command, at this moment the leader of the men in black was also somewhat swayed.

The leader of the men in black looked down at the pipe in his hand. He hadn't blown in too much medicine at once to be cautious, and there was still some left in the pipe.

Looking at the remaining smoke in the pipe, and then at the figure on the bed in the room, now settled and motionless, the words spoken by the second man in black kept replaying in his mind.

It has to be said that although this kid's words were a bit biased and extreme, sometimes what he said was indeed reasonable. They live on the edge and have experienced a lot of things like this, not to mention that most of the jobs they take on are assassination and sabotage.

To put it bluntly, it's their skills that keep them afloat, and with more experience, they're able to survive by making money time and time again.

Even with immense experience and exceptional skills, they are still just mortals. If they encounter an equally skilled enemy, they will inevitably get injured. Such injuries will have far-reaching consequences. They might fail to complete the mission assigned by their clients or kill the person their clients are tasked with killing. In such cases, they will not only be injured and have to seek medical treatment, incurring unnecessary expenses, but they will also not receive their payment. It would be as if they were working for free and getting injured themselves. Moreover, the severity of their injuries would depend on the strength of the enemy.

Moreover, although they are highly skilled, they cannot kill everyone they want to kill. There are always stronger people out there, and they may encounter even more powerful enemies. This is a common and easy occurrence. Although the two brothers have more experience and have been in this line of work for many years, they are by no means invincible.

If such a drug really existed, they would be able to easily achieve their goals when carrying out missions and killing people, while minimizing their losses and casualties and ensuring a higher success rate, without ever getting their hands dirty with blood.

Unfortunately, there's only this much medicine left.

Just then, some noises came from behind, immediately drawing the attention of the leader of the men in black.

After realizing what was happening, the leader of the men in black quickly grabbed the second-in-command and turned to leave. They had sensed the terrifying aura emanating from the newcomer, who was definitely not an ordinary person and possessed exceptional skills!

Moreover, the fact that they were able to get so close before the other party could hear the sound demonstrates the immense skill of their opponent. Furthermore, although this was their first time in the icy, snow-covered city of Mohan, they knew that the city's current situation was quite unique, with many influential figures residing there. While it was true they were living on the edge, they were certainly not foolish enough to risk their lives.

What's the difference between that and giving away your own life?

This story begins half an hour ago.

-

His Highness the Crown Prince's words kept replaying in Grape's mind, lingering endlessly.

Grape always felt that she should do something, but she felt that she should do it as soon as possible, lest things change if she delayed.

Originally, after the banquet today, Grape was summoned by His Highness the Crown Prince to discuss some matters.

They discussed things until very late, but by the time Grape realized it, it was already night. She figured the girl must be too tired to stay awake any longer. Grape had thought that it would be enough time to get there by the time the girl woke up the next day.

For some reason, Grape just lay there on the bed, feeling more and more anxious the longer she lay there, the hotter she felt, the more anxious she became.

But nowadays, with such strict rules of hierarchy, it's hard to tell who the real young lady of General Shen's mansion is!

Real heiress, hahaha…

Shen Yuhe sneered inwardly. What was there to say about truth or falsehood? In the hearts of her parents and brothers, who was the true heiress?

Ignoring her own pain and heartache, she tried her best to persuade her, "It is true that Your Highness comes from a very powerful family, but they are all in the imperial court. Wouldn't it be better if they also had someone in the inner palace to help them? Since Your Highness needs Yuhe as a pawn, you should make the most of her abilities so that Your Highness's efforts in sending Yuhe into the palace will not have been in vain!"

"Just as my brother said, she has a wild mind and is difficult to control. Guards, force-feed her!" Consort Shu sneered. She already resented Shen Yuhe and wouldn't listen to her words.

Without saying a word, Fuling immediately tried to force the bowl of safflower into her mouth.

"No..." Shen Yuhe struggled fiercely, and the despair and resentment in her heart surged up like a tidal wave. No... she was not reconciled, she did not want to repeat the mistakes of her previous life!

But then several old women with wooden sticks surrounded her and pinned her down, preventing her from moving an inch.

Fuling gripped Shen Yuhe's chin tightly, her sharp nails almost digging into her flesh, and said viciously, "What, you can't be arrogant anymore? Just because you served the Emperor once, you really think you're some kind of empress? You dare hit me? Give me a drink!"

Just then, a sudden, urgent cry from outside the door interrupted everything—

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Commander Ning has arrived!"

Consort Shu frowned deeply.

The palace gates were opened, and sunlight streamed in, forcefully dispelling all darkness.

Fuling and the other nannies immediately panicked.

Fu Ling subconsciously loosened her grip on Shen Yuhe. Seeing this, Shen Yuhe forcefully reached out and knocked the bowl out of Fu Ling's hand, spilling the safflower medicine all over the ground.

"Your Highness is in such high spirits so early in the morning."

Shen Yuhe turned around and saw a tall and upright figure coming from behind the light, dressed in a crimson flying fish robe, his clothes fluttering like a rampant and bewitching fire.

The palace maids and nannies were so frightened that they knelt down and bowed their heads in greeting.

Following behind Ning Wu was Eunuch Gao, whom he had met yesterday. He looked at his master, who was sitting down lazily and carelessly to the side, and felt quite helpless.

He said he would bring the imperial decree, but I couldn't help but come along anyway. We only met once last night, so why am I so concerned about Miss Shen?

Ning Wu crossed his long legs casually, rested his head on the armrest with his elbow, and stared at Shen Yuhe without making a sound.

His every move exuded a powerful and wicked aura, making him seem less like a eunuch and more like the master of Yikun Palace than Consort Shu.

Consort Shu gracefully approached Ning Wu: "I wonder if Your Highness has come today with any imperial decree?"

Ning Wu's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he raised his hand.

Eunuch Gao immediately held up the bright yellow imperial edict and said with a smile, "Your Highness, Miss Shen, come and receive the decree!"

Consort Shu was clearly displeased at being interrupted, but faced with the imperial edict, she could only force a smile, step forward, and bow to receive it: "Your Majesty, I receive the edict."

"Now there is Shen Yuhe, who is gentle, kind and virtuous, and has won my heart. She is hereby granted the title of Lady-in-Waiting and is granted residence in Zhongyuxuan!" Eunuch Gao announced the decree.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuhe trembled and looked up in surprise, only to meet Ning Wu's indifferent and cold gaze.

Zhong Yuxuan... was the most remote palace in the harem, the furthest from the Emperor's Qianqing Palace, no different from the Cold Palace.

But it was only a wall away from Ningwu's Directorate of Ceremonial.

Consort Shu narrowed her eyes as she looked at Shen Yuhe, concealing the ruthlessness that flashed in her eyes, and said with a smile, "I really appreciate Eunuch Gao making this trip for my sister."

"Serving the ladies is the duty of servants. The Empress is very favored, and now there is another Consort Shen. Although her rank is not high, she has won the Emperor's heart. In the future, won't the Empress be the only one who stands out in the harem?" Eunuch Gao said with a smile, glancing at the black water stains on the ground without making a sound.

He flattered the Imperial Concubine, but with a smile, he bypassed Consort Shu and handed the imperial edict to Shen Yuhe, who was kneeling on the ground.

"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Shen Yuhe clutched the imperial edict, like a dying woman grasping at a last straw. She knelt before Ning Wu, kowtowing and begging for forgiveness: "The crane cloak I borrowed from the Grand Eunuch yesterday was unfortunately lost this morning. It's all Yuhe's fault. Please, Grand Eunuch, forgive Yuhe this time!"

Ning Wu seemed completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere. Upon hearing this, he raised an eyebrow and glanced at Consort Shu standing to the side, but his words were still directed at Shen Yuhe: "You mean, in this Yikun Palace, someone dares to steal my things?"

"How dare you?! In Your Highness's Yikun Palace, is there any thief who would dare to steal the Eunuch's belongings?" Before Consort Shu could react, Eunuch Gao hurriedly bowed and asked, "Your Highness, please help the Eunuch search for it. That crane-feather cloak is a gift from the Emperor; it truly cannot be lost!"

Consort Shu felt a chill run through her body from Ning Wu's cold and oppressive gaze, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, and she almost couldn't maintain her smile.

She hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Eunuch Gao. My sister is mistaken. As the assistant to the six palaces, how could I not take care of my own Yikun Palace? Of course, such a thing as theft would not happen. My servants brought it to me for safekeeping this morning. The Eunuch's things must not be lost."

After saying that, Consort Shu gave Shen Yuhe a cold look, then waved her hand with a smile: "Someone come here."

Ah!

To think you could use this crane cloak to harm her is utterly delusional!

Upon seeing the old nanny, Shen Yuhe stepped forward with the crane cloak and handed it to Eunuch Gao. She lowered her head and curled her lips.

At this time-

Behind him, Eunuch Gao exclaimed in shock, "How could this be?! This is a crane-feather cloak bestowed by the Emperor himself! What will happen if he sees it?!"

Ning Wu leaned back in his chair, raised an eyebrow with interest, glanced at Shen Yuhe, and smiled slightly.

The little fox is planning to use the "fox borrowing the tiger's power" trick again.

Consort Shu turned around and her pupils suddenly contracted—

The crane cloak had been ripped in several places at some point!

How could this be?!

Ning Wu's crane cloak was damaged in her Yikun Palace and even cut to pieces, which was clearly an attempt to harm her!

Consort Shu then realized what had happened, turned her head and stared intently at Shen Yuhe. It was she who did it!

Consort Shu turned around and glared fiercely at Shen Yuhe. It was her! It must be her!

That crane cloak was a gift from the emperor and belonged to Ning Wu. If it is truly confirmed that she destroyed the crane cloak, Shen Yuhe could probably make her lose her power to assist in managing the six palaces with just a few words!

"Doesn't Consort Shu intend to give us an explanation first?" Ning Wu raised his eyebrows and glanced at Consort Shu, parting his thin, crimson lips. Despite referring to himself as "our family," he showed no trace of effeminacy.

His gaze fell on her so calmly, yet it inexplicably carried an extremely powerful sense of oppression, as if Mount Tai were pressing down on her. This made Consort Shu's scalp tingle, and she retreated repeatedly.

Seizing the opportunity, Shen Yuhe kowtowed to Ning Wu, pleading guilty: "Your Majesty, please understand! Yesterday, His Majesty ordered you to escort me back, which is why I had the privilege of borrowing your crane cloak. I naturally value the cloak more than my own life, and I carefully put it away last night. Who knew it would be gone this morning? If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can summon the palace maids of Yikun Palace to inquire! Even if you gave me the audacity of a bear and the gall of a leopard, I would never dare to damage Your Majesty's crane cloak! Please investigate, Your Majesty!"

"Alright, enough of this. You're driving me crazy." Seeing the little girl keep banging her head on the ground, Ning Wu frowned without showing any emotion. He used the scabbard in his hand to lift her chin, stopping her from hurting herself any further.

He looked up at Consort Shu, not giving her a chance to explain herself: "This little girl is so frightened, she probably doesn't have the guts. So, according to Your Highness, who could have done it?"

While it sounds like a question, it's actually a definitive statement to exclude Shen Yuhe and easily put Consort Shu in a difficult position, either implicating her or forcing her to find a scapegoat!

Consort Shu composed herself and gave a wink to Zhou Mama, who was kneeling on the ground.

Granny Zhou was her mother's dowry maid and her confidante. Seeing the look in her eyes, she immediately understood and hurriedly knelt down, pushing Fuling forward: "Your Majesty, please understand! This morning, Her Majesty instructed Fuling to fetch the crane cloak and keep it safe. It was Fuling who handled it!"

Fuling's face paled instantly. Just as she was about to beg for mercy and explain, a palace maid suddenly appeared behind her and pointed at her, saying, "Your Majesty, it's Fuling! This servant saw Fuling sneaking around Consort Shen's bedside when I got up in the middle of the night. It must be her!!"

"No...it's not me! Your Highness...Your Highness, please save me..." Fuling trembled with fear, her body covered in cold sweat, her eyes filled with terror as she begged for mercy, hoping her mistress would save her this once, but was interrupted by a slap from Consort Shu—

"Snapped!"

"You lowly servant who doesn't know your place! You've always been jealous of my sister, and now that you've entered the palace, you're even more jealous that she can serve the Emperor and gain his favor. Don't you even know your own background? How can you compare to my sister? In the past, I tolerated you because of the bond between mistress and servant, but I never expected you to dare to destroy His Highness's crane cloak without permission. You've committed such a heinous crime, and you still have the nerve to cry foul!" Consort Shu seemed extremely disappointed in Fuling. Every word she spoke was righteous and reasonable. After her angry scolding, she immediately ordered her men to drag Fuling away and beat her to death as a warning to others.

From the moment Fuling was accused, to the moment she was dragged out crying, to the moment she was beaten until she stopped crying and died, the whole ordeal lasted less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Fuling was given almost no chance to speak.

A scapegoat, a murderer to silence witnesses—it couldn't be clearer.

Fortunately, Shen Yuhe wasn't so naive as to think that this crane cloak alone could deliver a real blow to Consort Shu. Apart from the Poria cocos, she had already managed to vent her anger a little.

"I wonder if His Highness has calmed down?" Consort Shu asked, her smile uneasy, as if she was frightened by Ning Wu's oppressive aura.

"Her Highness the Imperial Concubine is indeed ruthless. It is no wonder that the Emperor has granted her the power to assist in managing the six palaces. In the future, we will probably have to trouble Her Highness with many things to do in the affairs of the six palaces."

Ning Wu stood up, and his towering figure startled Consort Shu, who quickly took two steps back.

"I've disturbed Your Highness's mood today. I still have to go to the Qianqing Palace to see the Emperor, so I'll be leaving now." He casually waved his sleeve, glanced at Shen Yuhe, and said meaningfully, "I'll prepare gifts and come to congratulate Your Highness another day."

"Send His Majesty out." Consort Shu hurriedly ordered people to escort Ning Wu out, thinking to herself that she had finally seen this living devil off and could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Thinking this, she turned to look at Shen Yuhe, who was holding the imperial edict, and smiled coldly: "What a scheme, my sister! How dare you try to outwit me in front of His Majesty! Do you really think that just because you serve the Emperor, I can't do anything to you? Guards..."

As Consort Shu was speaking, Eunuch Gao unexpectedly returned: "Your Highness?"

Consort Shu was startled and glared at Shen Yuhe, suppressing her anger, before smiling and asking, "Is there anything else, Eunuch Gao?"

"Look at my memory, I only remembered after we left that Zhongyuxuan is in a remote place. His Majesty specifically instructed me to take Consort Shen there, otherwise what if Consort Shen gets lost? Don't you think so?" Eunuch Gao replied with a smile.

"Since it is His Majesty's will, it is naturally excellent. Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Gao." Consort Shu clenched her hands, and could only suppress her anger as she allowed Eunuch Gao to take Shen Yuhe away.

After they had all finally left, Consort Shu stared in the direction Shen Yuhe had gone, gritting her teeth as she said, "That vile woman, Shen Yuhe, usually acted weak and incompetent, making her the perfect pawn. Little did we know she was a treacherous schemer! She only served the Emperor for one night and yet she became so disobedient, easily killing one of my trusted maids with just a crane cloak. I was so careless!"

"Your Highness, be careful not to upset yourself. In my opinion, it may not necessarily be a bad thing," said Granny Zhou, supporting Consort Shu.

Consort Shu looked at her: "What does the old nanny mean?"

"Although Shen Yuhe served the Emperor, she was merely a lowly concubine, and the residence she was given was Zhongyuxuan, the furthest from the Emperor's Qianqing Palace. This shows her insignificance in the Emperor's eyes; she's nothing to be afraid of." Granny Zhou helped Consort Shu lie back on the chaise longue, massaging her legs as she continued:

"As for Your Majesty wanting her to obey, isn't that a piece of cake? Your Majesty shouldn't forget that in a few days, General Wei will return from the frontier to report to the palace. When the person she has admired since childhood stands before her, how could Shen Yuhe possibly remain unmoved?"

"That's right, Brother Wei has always listened to me the most." Consort Shu slowly smiled.

the other side.

Shen Yuhe finally arrived at Zhongyuxuan with Eunuch Gao, where a palace maid was already waiting in the courtyard.

"Zhong Yuxuan had everything ready early this morning. The servants are all former Zhong Yuxuan staff. Please rest well, Miss, as you've been frightened today." Eunuch Gao gave Shen Yuhe a few brief instructions before leaving with his men.