Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

Consort Wan, who also possessed some cultivation, understood that the threshold shouldn't have tripped Xiao Chengren, but the room was quiet and no one responded.

She waited for a while, but no man appeared. A look of disappointment flashed across her face, and she lay back down on the bed.

Xiao Chengren was probably so preoccupied with the matter of the Fifth Prince that he didn't notice the threshold and tripped.

Chu Mingkong did not show himself because he went out with Xiao Chengren. He was still angry and wanted to mess with him a few more times, but then he thought better of it. He sneaked into the imperial kitchen, knocked out the cooks inside, and used the kitchen to make a bowl of longevity noodles.

In this world, there's no tradition of eating birthday cakes. The most common way to celebrate is to cook a bowl of longevity noodles, with an egg and pig's trotters added as an exception. Even in wealthy families with a lavish banquet, longevity noodles are indispensable.

"Don't push yourself any further, or this time your clothes will rip off and our relationship will be ruined!"

Praying, Chu Mingkong cooked the longevity noodles, covered them with his clothes, and carried them to Huaxian Palace so that no one would see a bowl of noodles floating in the air.

"Consort Wan, get up and have some noodles."

Chapter 76 Do you want me to call you Mother Consort? (44/51)

Consort Wan's cultivation level was not yet high enough to sustain her life by absorbing spiritual energy, so food was essential. Just now, she even wondered if she was hallucinating from Chu Mingkong's voice because she was too weak.

It wouldn't be strange if he came to the palace to ask any questions, but how could he inexplicably ask her to eat noodles?

However, upon hearing the windows and doors slowly closing, Consort Wan realized she wasn't hallucinating; he really had come.

The pale and weak Consort Wan opened her eyes and looked at the tall and handsome young man walking towards her. The light shining through the paper bed cast a halo behind him. In addition, Consort Wan had been lying down for a long time and suddenly got up. Her eyes were blurry and Chu Mingkong was in a blur.

Her son was handsome; one could tell he was an exceptionally good-looking child just by looking at his physique. When she woke up feeling unwell, he would be by her bedside watching over her—this was the picture of happiness that Consort Wan painted in her mind.

"My son..." she murmured.

Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned...

When her vision cleared again, the blurry figure transformed into Chu Mingkong, who sat calmly beside her bed. Consort Wan composed herself and asked:

Why are you here?

"I heard that the Fifth Prince has gone down the path of self-inflicted disaster, so I came to the palace to visit Consort Wan. I also cooked you a bowl of noodles. The maid said you haven't eaten in a long time, so I made it rather light. Have some."

Chu Mingkong wanted to bring the soup to her to eat in bed, but it was actually very inconvenient to eat there, and she might spill it. Chu Mingkong doubted whether she could hold the soup bowl steadily, so he decided to help her sit up to eat.

As for the questions you want to ask, there are definitely some. It's not too late to feed her first.

Even without makeup, Consort Wan was still beautiful and elegant. A few buttons on her inner garment were undone, and her fair and delicate breasts were faintly visible. Chu Mingkong saw her standing motionless by the bed, wondering if she was puzzled by the meaning of cooking noodles or something else.

He grew impatient and scooped up Consort Wan's delicate body into his arms, carrying her to the table to sit down.

Consort Wan held her chopsticks, looking at the noodles with scallions and eggs. Although simple, the noodles looked so appetizing that it must have taken some thought to arrange them.

“This side…?” She turned to look at Chu Mingkong beside her.

"I ran to the imperial kitchen, knocked out the palace maids there, and borrowed the kitchen to make this for you. The noodles shouldn't taste too bad."

"Is this longevity noodles?" That's what Consort Wan wanted to ask.

"Yes, people outside were talking about Consort Wan, and they happened to mention your birthday, so I came in to visit you. Eat first, the noodles won't taste good if they're left to soak for too long."

"...This is wonderful. It looks even better than the food served in the imperial kitchen. My son has never properly celebrated my birthday since he grew up; he always just sends someone a gift to settle things."

Consort Wan silently ate her noodles with her head down. At this moment, she was no longer a consort, but just a pitiful woman.

Perhaps Consort Wan found the noodle soup too bland, for salty tears occasionally dripped into the broth.

Chu Mingkong had no interest in the system notification sound in his mind. He went to the dressing table, took a comb, and carefully combed her hair.

After eating the hot soup noodles, Consort Wan's complexion improved considerably. From Chu Mingkong's perspective, her crystal earlobes gradually turned pink. He couldn't help but touch them, and Consort Wan did not resist.

Seeing that she had almost finished eating, Chu Mingkong said:

"I just heard you mention 'my son,' so you're still thinking about the Fifth Prince, aren't you? I won't say anything nice about him, but if you want, I can dress up as him a little and talk to you. But Consort Wan, don't expect me to look too much like him."

This was a proposal that appealed to Consort Wan. Even though she had personally brought her son to his current state, it was impossible for her not to think of his good qualities. If her son had someone as filial as Chu Mingkong, then no matter how much he misbehaved outside, it wouldn't be a flaw.

But she shook her head with a bitter smile:

"No, it's too unlike him. Mingkong, you're so much better than my son... The obedient son I remember was only when he was little. He's completely different now that he's grown up. The young man I imagined has grown into someone like you. I so envy my sister for having a son like you..."

Chu Mingkong helped her back to the bedside and sat her down, saying:

"I wasn't particularly envious. She didn't treat me like a son, she wasn't close to me, and she didn't do anything excessive to me. That's about it."

"That's because she doesn't know how to cherish it!" Consort Wan said angrily, but her momentum faltered again after she finished speaking, realizing that there was no point in saying it.

Princess Chu's biological son was no less than anyone else's, so she naturally didn't care about a son she had taken in. Besides, people from aristocratic families valued blood ties more than anything else. In Princess Chu's eyes, Chu Mingkong's identity was that of an outsider who had usurped everything that her biological son should have had.

"It doesn't matter whether I cherish her or not, because I haven't been very close to her. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've made longevity noodles for an elder."

"So that means, Mingkong, you're closer to me than to your mother?"

That's not wrong.

Chu Mingkong thought there was nothing wrong with what he said. He felt the time was right, and he had already done his part in offering condolences. It was time to get down to business. If he delayed any longer, he would have to use a new Dust-Free Talisman.

"Consort Wan, I have a few questions for you."

Having regained her composure, Consort Wan was exceptionally sharp-minded. As soon as Chu Mingkong finished speaking, she made a difficult request.

"If you acknowledge me as your mother and treat me as close as your birth mother, then I can answer you."

This request is both difficult and easy. It seems like it's just a matter of Chu Mingkong giving a word. He can't just enter the palace casually anyway, and Consort Wan also faces risks when leaving the palace. The two don't see each other often, so Chu Mingkong doesn't need to spend too much energy being the son of this beautiful consort who has lost her child.

However, if it were a transaction, Chu Mingkong wasn't used to being perfunctory; having a clear conscience was more important than anything else. Consort Wan's words clearly indicated that she was using what Consort Wan knew and her subsequent cooperation as bargaining chips.

"That's quite difficult. You need to understand that it's impossible for me to truly acknowledge you as my mother. Also, my way of being close to elders might be a little different from what you imagine," Chu Mingkong frankly told him.

Beautiful older women, in particular, are considered high-risk by him; getting close to them can have serious consequences.

“I know, just like you did just now is enough. Since my sister doesn’t acknowledge you as her son, I will…” Consort Wan suddenly bit her lip, seemingly with some fear and lingering apprehension.

If Chu Mingkong could pretend to be her son for the rest of his life, or just until they could never see each other again, what would be wrong with that?

But if she pretends and then stops, wouldn't that be the same as being betrayed and hurt twice by her son? Moreover, if a caring child like Chu Mingkong were to betray her again, Consort Wan fears that she would suffer even deeper and more painful hurt.

It would be better to die directly than to suffer such a blow and then die.

Chu Mingkong hesitated, "It's difficult to keep things the way they were just now, because I'm more used to treating an elder like you like a lover, which you might not be able to accept."

Chapter 77 A Forced Attack

After a fresh rain in the empty mountains, the weather turned autumnal in the evening. It turns out that even this imperial palace and grotto-heaven are subject to seasonal changes. The light rain falling in Huaxian Palace, like scattered beads, just happened to cover up Consort Wan's humming.

Consort Wan's plain white undergarment lay to the side, her graceful waist leaning against Chu Mingkong's chest. A strong masculine aura enveloped her, and Consort Wan felt her mind go sluggish, unable to think, completely confused by the man's scent and body temperature.

So this is how he treats his elders. It's quite different from the common understanding in the world. It really is... a complete mismatch.

But Chu Mingkong hadn't touched her or violated her yet. He just made her close her legs to feel and consider. The fierce threat standing on her soft, pink thighs radiated heat. Chu Mingkong's voice came from behind Consort Wan's shoulder.

"You want me to be good to you, but that's one of the prices. Given your status, you might not be able to accept it, and you might even have to do many embarrassing things with me afterwards."

When Consort Wan went to the library to plead for the Fifth Prince, she sincerely said she would exchange her chastity for her son's life. But now everything has changed drastically. The deal to plead for the prince's life is no longer needed, or rather, it was already done. Just because the Fifth Prince later betrayed his birth mother doesn't mean the deal between Chu Mingkong and her is null and void.

At that time, Chu Mingkong did spare the Fifth Prince's life and even considered her feelings, only injuring his leg with an arrow. From that moment on, she had already lost her virginity to Chu Mingkong. Consort Wan still remembered this incident.

Now that everything has changed beyond recognition, Chu Mingkong made her a deal: to exchange her body for his meticulous filial piety. In the end... the terms of the deal remained the same; she still had to exchange her body for her son, and in return, she would get someone even better to her, someone who would treat her like a lover.

It seems there's nothing wrong with it.

Her tender heart was transformed into various shapes by his palm, and he had a firm grasp on her thoughts.

Consort Wan nodded, panting, "Yes, but we can't use this place in the palace; we have to leave the palace first..."

Chu Mingkong straightened up slightly, then shuffled away: "Is it because we'll be discovered?"

Consort Wan nodded, "It is said that it will."

This reminded Chu Mingkong of the stories he'd read in those erotic novels. Some of those stories were based on historical figures who were executed for adultery, and they all mentioned the strict rules of the imperial harem, where the purity of concubines was strictly observed, and any act of infidelity would be discovered. Chu Mingkong had always been curious about how they were discovered—caught red-handed?

In retrospect, it seems that there must have been some force within the palace monitoring the concubines, and this surveillance would only be exposed when they did something that would harm the royal bloodline.

Once you leave the palace, it's fine, and there's no harm in using toys for self-pleasure. Jin Yu once said that many concubines in the harem kept jade dildos.

Sigh, let's think about it later. Thinking about it now is just a downer. Chu Mingkong doesn't necessarily have to go to Peach Blossom Spring.

"The enchantress's face is like a flower glistening with dew, her jade-like figure radiating light in the rear courtyard... I want to play this."

Chu Mingkong slapped her on the round spot, and Consort Wan felt his heat, a tingling sensation spreading from her buttocks to her heart. Without needing further explanation, Consort Wan, her eyes filled with seductive allure, had already turned her charming body over and knelt on the embroidered couch.

Soon, she bit the blanket, her delicate eyebrows furrowing in pain, her hands searching for something to grasp. Chu Mingkong's large hand came to meet hers and held her soft hand in his palm.

"What happened to me, the attack on me when I went to Beijing, is it related to the Xiao family?"

Consort Wan shook her head and after a long pause, said, "Someone in Xiling reported your travel route, but the messenger died unexpectedly. The Xiao family was not affected... Ah... As far as I know, the Xiao family has never dabbled in the power of extreme Yin."

"Does Consort Wan belong to the Xiao family or the Wan family?"

"Minister Wan owed the Xiao family a debt in the past, so my father had me adopted out to avoid the situation of two concubines from one family, thus avoiding suspicion."

Minister Wan owes the Xiao family something, which means that the Minister's family is just helping to raise someone else's daughter. However, since a concubine was born into the family, he must have benefited a lot himself.

"How much does Consort Wan know about the Emperor's illness?"

"I don't know. After the Emperor had children in his early years, he rarely paid attention to the harem and left it to the Empress to manage."

"So what has he been doing?"

“Cultivation...seeking scriptures and inquiries everywhere, consulting Taoist sects, Buddhist sects, and I heard that he even asked Nightblade to search for various dual cultivation methods.”

"I see. Then, Consort Wan, could you please keep an eye out for who attacked me back then?"

Chu Mingkong stopped asking questions. His primary task was to enter the palace and appease Consort Wan to prevent the Cui family from being implicated. He had already exceeded his mission.

He was focused on the beautiful woman beneath him, but Consort Wan seemed to be in a low mood. She suddenly became depressed, which Chu Mingkong sensed from her response. She had been trying to win him over and close the path to his heart, but now she seemed less inclined to move.

"what happened?"

"You said you would treat me like your mother, but I haven't heard that yet..."

Chu Mingkong was taken aback. Did she want him to call her name now, or was she afraid that he would go back on his word later and wanted to accept a deposit first to put his mind at ease? Since the other party was like this, Chu Mingkong didn't stand on ceremony. He leaned close to her ear and whispered an intimate nickname.

Consort Wan's stunning beauty became even more captivating, her mesmerizing eyes swirling with intoxicating emotions, and she entangled Chu Mingkong fiercely.

"So beautiful, let me show you what you look like now."