Nong Nu Jiao

Cen Lingyi got out of bed and discovered that the bedding had been changed.

"Where are my bedding?!"

She looked around, her face turning red.

Those bedding items are too dangerous to be seen by anyone!

"I had Lingzhi sent to be cleaned."

A smile flickered across Yan Chenghui's eyes.

She's shy, and that hasn't changed at all.

"How...how..."

Cen Lingyi stammered with embarrassment.

She had secretly washed those bedding herself before sending them out, at least soaking them before sending them out!

If you just take it out like that and let people see it, what will that look like?

I wonder what kind of rumors will spread this time!

"What?"

Yan Chenghui feigned ignorance.

"It needs to be soaked in water first..."

Cen Lingyi blushed to the roots of her ears and explained to him in a low voice.

She didn't want to say it.

But she worried that he would do it again next time...

He's just a troublemaker for her.

"Didn't you already soak?"

Yan Chenghui looked at her, his eyes showing a hint of innocence.

"you……"

Cen Lingyi pointed at him, and almost burst into tears.

shameless!

What kind of time is this to still say such things!

I absolutely hate it!

Whether he wanted her to get pregnant or sent her things to be washed, he only cared about his own pleasure and didn't consider her at all.

Yan Chenghui gazed at her, his eyes calm and clear.

Cen Lingyi suddenly calmed down, withdrew her hand, and curtsied, saying, "This servant lost her composure for a moment, please forgive me, Your Highness."

How could she forget her identity in her haste?

She still thinks she's the delicate sixth daughter of the Cen family who used to be pampered by him!

He'd love to see her humiliated.

Fortunately, he didn't have a chance to turn on them yet.

Yan Chenghui saw tears welling up in her eyes, yet she was trying to remain calm, and his heart clenched.

"I soaked it in water before letting the Ganoderma lucidum take it away."

He spoke in a calm voice.

Cen Lingyi was startled, looked up at him, and couldn't believe it for a moment.

Such behavior, so thoughtful and meticulous, seemed to bring back the refined and gentle Yan Chenghui of the past.

"You change your clothes first, I'll wait for you in the corridor."

Yan Chenghui turned and left indifferently.

Looking at his tall, straight back, Cen Lingyi could see a deep sense of distance between them.

She raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes. She was overthinking it. How could he possibly go back to the way things were before?

They can't go back.

She calmed herself down, chose an outfit suitable for her status, and went behind the screen to change.

Seeing the marks on her body, she couldn't help but recall last night when he almost knocked her to the ground.

He took her hand and made her touch her belly.

A bulge appeared there.

He asked her if she looked like she was pregnant.

Upon thinking of this, Cen Lingyi spat, covered her flushed face with both hands, rubbed it, and calmed herself down.

After she finished dressing, she came out from behind the screen.

Standing in front of the bronze mirror, he saw the marks on his neck and cursed Yan Chenghui in his mind again.

I took out a curved collar and tied it up to cover the marks on my neck. Fortunately, it was winter, so wearing a curved collar wasn't unusual.

Then, she combed her hair into a neat low bun in front of the mirror, put on an ordinary silver hairpin, washed up, and left the side hall.

Yan Chenghui was indeed waiting under the eaves.

"Your Highness."

She stepped forward and greeted them softly.

Yan Chenghui turned around and glanced at her.

"Let's go."

He took the lead.

On the carriage.

Yan Chenghui sat upright in the main seat, while Cen Lingyi sat on the side by the window, feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Have some snacks."

Yan Chenghui gestured to her.

"I'm not hungry."

Cen Lingyi glanced at it; several exquisite pastries were laid out on the small table.

But she had no appetite.

His Majesty suddenly summoned her; could it be about her father? Is this a blessing or a curse?

She was very worried.

Regardless of her past status, she had very few opportunities to meet Emperor Shengwu.

Emperor Shengwu was so cold and unapproachable.

She was very uneasy.

"Do you want Mother to think I'm mistreating you again?"

Yan Chenghui looked at her.

Cen Lingyi remained silent, obediently took a piece of plum blossom cake, and took a small bite.

It's sweet, with a hint of plum blossom fragrance, and melts in your mouth.

But she had something weighing on her mind that she couldn't swallow.

"Does Your Highness know why His Majesty suddenly summoned me?"

She swallowed a bite of plum blossom cake, hesitated for a moment, and then mustered up the courage to ask him.

It is said that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and Emperor Shengwu is also unpredictable. If she could get some information from Yan Chenghui in advance, she could make preparations early.

"Eat your fill first, then we'll talk."

Yan Chenghui glanced at the pastries in her hand, took a teacup, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it in front of her.

Cen Lingyi was originally unable to eat, but after hearing what he said, she forced herself to eat the plum blossom cake.

"Your Highness, I'm full."

She took a sip of tea and looked at Yan Chenghui.

"After the morning court session, I had already traveled halfway when my father suddenly sent someone to catch up with me, saying he wanted to see you."

Yan Chenghui looked straight ahead and said.

"So, Your Highness doesn't know why His Majesty summoned this servant?"

Cen Lingyi felt disappointed, and her eyes dimmed.

I thought Yan Chenghui would have some useful information.

"Father is in Mother's Ninghe Palace." Yan Chenghui's eyes held a hint of contemplation. "Perhaps the two of them are having some kind of conflict."

Cen Lingyi was stunned upon hearing this, and deliberately glanced at him again.

He wouldn't joke with her.

But, a conflict?

Emperor Shengwu was the Son of Heaven; how dare Consort Xiao have a conflict with him?

She paused for a moment, recalling Emperor Shengwu's terrifying aura.

Emperor Shengwu is even more terrifying than Yan Chenghui when he gets fierce. Does the Imperial Concubine dare to disobey Emperor Shengwu?

But upon closer reflection, when she met Consort Xiao before, she did indeed turn her back to Emperor Shengwu and show him disdain.

"When the time comes, act according to my whims."

Yan Chenghui remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Alright." Cen Lingyi nodded, then added after a moment's thought, "This servant will stay away from you."

Emperor Shengwu is extremely suspicious and unpredictable, so she must be extra careful when they arrive at Ninghe Palace.

Yan Chenghui remained silent, which was taken as tacit consent.

The two walked along the palace path, one in front of the other.

No one spoke; all was quiet except for the soft sound of their footsteps.

As she walked into the vermilion-walled passageway, Cen Lingyi looked up at the narrow sky and sighed inwardly.

She could sense that Consort Xiao was not happy staying in the palace.

She had always wondered how Consort Xiao had managed to rise from the Cold Palace to the position of Consort in just one year.

The only explanation she could think of was that Consort Xiao had the ability, but she just didn't want to use it and preferred to stay in the Cold Palace.

She felt oppressed just looking at that narrow sky, yet Consort Xiao had to face it every day.

Life in the palace was far from as good as outsiders imagined.

At Ninghe Palace, Wangyue was already waiting at the entrance.

"Your Highness, Miss Cen."

She quickly stepped forward and bowed.

Yan Chenghui nodded slightly, asking with his eyes.

Cen Lingyi returned the greeting.

"Only His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine are inside the hall; no one else is allowed in," Wangyue whispered. "Judging from the noise, it seems quite a few things have been smashed. Your Highness and Miss, please be careful."

"Okay, thank you, Auntie."

Cen Lingyi responded softly.

Yan Chenghui entered the courtyard first, and she quickly followed.

Wang Yun stood guard under the eaves with a solemn expression. Upon seeing the two of them, she nodded, knocked on the door, and cautiously reported, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince and Miss Cen have arrived."

Yan Chenghui and Cen Lingyi stood under the corridor waiting.

After a moment of silence in the hall, Emperor Shengwu's voice could be heard.

"Let them in."

Wang Yun opened the door.

Following Yan Chenghui's steps, Cen Lingyi stepped into the main hall of Ninghe Palace.

With just one glance, she was somewhat frightened by the scene inside the hall.

Broken teacups, spilled tea, an overturned table—the floor was a mess, a shocking sight.

Almost nothing in the entire Mingde Hall is intact.

Emperor Shengwu sat on the main seat, his eyes slightly closed and his jaw clenched. A man who rarely showed his emotions had a trace of anger on his face.

It's clear that he was very angry just now.

Consort Xiao had her back to Cen Lingyi and the other woman, her back straight, and looked directly at Emperor Shengwu at the head of the table.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, and the gold and kingfisher feather ornaments were askew, but she showed no sign of backing down, staring straight at Emperor Shengwu.

The atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive.

Yan Chenghui's boot soles ground against the broken porcelain shards, making a soft "crack" sound.

"Father, Mother."

He bowed in greeting.

Cen Lingyi came to her senses, found an empty spot, and knelt down to pay her respects.

"This servant greets Your Majesty and the Noble Consort."

She kept her head down, her posture respectful, but her heart was filled with unease.

Yan Chenghui said that His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine were having a conflict.

This is far from a simple disagreement. The fact that the hall was smashed like this clearly indicates a major conflict between the two parties.

But what does this have to do with her? Why did His Majesty summon her to the palace?

Could it be that she knew the Imperial Concubine favored her and sent her to persuade her?

That makes sense.

"Xiao Liu, get up, don't kneel before him."

Xiao Yulou stepped over the mess and went to help Cen Lingyi.

Yan Chenghui glanced at her sideways.

"I am the ruler of a nation, and she is merely the daughter of a disgraced official. How can she not kneel before me!"

Emperor Shengwu spoke coldly.

"Yan Chongheng, is it meaningful for you to make things difficult for a child regarding matters between us?"

Xiao Yulou raised his head and addressed Emperor Shengwu by his full name without any politeness.

"Your Majesty, this servant should kneel before His Majesty."

Cen Lingyi was terrified and gently pushed Xiao Yulou's hand away.

"I haven't even asked her a question yet, why are you making her get up?"

Emperor Shengwu was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed.

Cen Lingyi lowered her head even further.

She could tell from Emperor Shengwu's emotionless words that he currently harbored some dislike for her.

"What do you want to ask?"

Xiao Yulou released Cen Lingyi and stood beside her, his tone extremely harsh.

"Girl from the Cen family, do you have anything to say to me?"

Emperor Shengwu stared at Cen Lingyi for a moment, his emotions gradually calming down before he spoke slowly.

"This servant has nothing to say to Your Majesty."

Cen Lingyi slowly shook her head.

The only thing she wanted to say to Emperor Shengwu was about her father's case.

But so far, she hasn't met with her father and doesn't have much evidence in her possession.

Besides, Emperor Shengwu was in a fit of anger, so this was clearly not the time to talk about this.

Emperor Shengwu snorted and looked at Xiao Yulou.

That posture seemed to say, "See? I knew it."

Cen Lingyi was completely confused by the two of them and didn't dare to ask, so she could only obediently kneel down.

Xiao Yulou sneered, "With all your tyranny, what would Xiao Liu, a helpless child, dare to say to you?"

Cen Lingyi knelt on the ground, so frightened by her words that she almost collapsed.

How dare the Imperial Concubine speak to His Majesty like that?

This is unusual; the Imperial Concubine is behaving very strangely today.

This is the current emperor! He's not some benevolent ruler; in his anger, he can cause corpses to pile up for miles.

She couldn't help but glance at Yan Chenghui.

Yan Chenghui stood there silently, as if he hadn't heard Consort Xiao's words, his long eyelashes lowered as if he were deep in thought.

"Then I will make you give up completely."

Emperor Shengwu lowered his eyebrows, his imposing aura mixed with anger, and looked at Cen Lingyi.

"Cen family girl, raise your head!"

He gave the order.

Cen Lingyi obediently raised her head and knelt upright.

"From now on, you must answer my questions truthfully. If you dare to lie even a single word, I will immediately order your execution!"

Emperor Shengwu issued a warning.

"I told you, you don't need to take it out on her. If you have a problem, come at me directly."

Before Cen Lingyi could agree, Xiao Yulou spoke first, his tone extremely aggressive.

She raised her chin and looked at Emperor Shengwu, her whole being defiant.

"I was merely reminding her to tell the truth!"

Emperor Shengwu was so angry that his beard stood on end as he glared at Xiao Yulou.

Cen Lingyi finally began to understand.

Emperor Shengwu seems reluctant to touch the Imperial Concubine.

Indeed, if anyone else had dared to challenge Emperor Shengwu like that, they would have been executed long ago.

Consort Xiao's actions were... a sign of being arrogant because of the emperor's favor.