The Beloved Imperial Consort Chapter 155

“Your Highness.” He Lian Zhang quickly stood up and bowed to pay his respects upon seeing Zong Zheng Lin enter the room dressed in a dark cyan regular attire.

“Why, is the tea not brewed well?” Zong Zheng Lin didn’t immediately instruct him to rise. His gaze fell on the teacup beside his hand, which contained floral tea brewed by Mu Xi Yao with ‘great care’. There was still over half of it remaining. 

It seemed that the head of He Lian House failed to appreciate Mu Xi Yao’s tea-making skills. 

While He Lian Zhang stood there waiting with head lowered, feeling awkward and unsure of how to reply, he heard the seated Highness casually dismiss his greeting without pressing the matter further.  

“Compared to the last visit, Sir He Lian seems more reserved this time. In the next two days, the Administrative Assistant of the Imperial Academy of Medicine will come to the residence for a follow-up examination. Did Sir He Lian rush to visit the Principal Consort because Sir is afraid that Bendian couldn’t wait for the examination results by the imperial physician and would neglect He Lian’shi?” 

A chill ran through He Lian Zhang’s heart. He understood that His Highness was already displeased and did not wish to directly discuss the issue of clearing He Lian House’s name. At a time like this, it was best to honestly admit his fault and handle the situation with extra care.

“Your Highness, this sub-subject is guilty.” Helpless, He Lian Zhang slowly bent his knees and knelt down, kowtowing. By taking the initiative to humble himself and acknowledge his mistakes, he hoped to ease some of the Sixth Highness’s anger. 

“Oh? Bendian thought that Sir He Lian had everything in the bag, even the dowry was fully prepared, just waiting for Bendian to go to the residence to welcome the person.” 

Beads of sweat started to form on He Lian Zhan’s forehead. He Lian House had indeed prepared He Lian Wei Rui’s bridal dowry. His Highness’s words have made it equivalent to holding him accountable. 

“This subject begs Your Highness’s forgiveness. This subject was foolish and made a mistake. This guilty subject is prepared to receive the punishment.” 

Zong Zheng Lin coldly snorted. Receive the punishment? There would be plenty of opportunities for that later.

“Do you truly believe that no one can discern the intentions of He Lian House? This time, He Lian House was unexpectedly dragged into the matter of the imperial prince’s consort. If it weren’t for someone scheming against you, what plans would you have for He Lian’shi?”

He Lian Zhang dared not utter a single word in response to the Sixth Highness’s inquiries, who casually sat at the head seat. Whether it was about ‘thoughts’ or ‘plans’, if he dared to speak those words, it would be considered an act of treason, punishable by execution for the entire family. With Yuancheng Emperor still in good health, plotting for the future empress position was no different from harboring rebellious intentions against the current ruler. Even if he had the audacity to scheme in his heart, he would never dare to reveal a word of it in front of the Sixth Highness.

Zong Zheng Lin’s tone was chillingly cold. Seeing He Lian Zhang’s evident fear, he chose to change the subject. He Lian Zhang, this person, could still be of use, so it would be wise to keep him in the spotlight for now to divert attention. 

“Since Bendian’s Princess Consort has entered the gates of the prince’s residence, no one is allowed to interfere or cause trouble. Sir He Lian should bear that in mind.” 

He Lian Zhang lowered his body even further. The words of His Highness left him with mixed feelings of joy and worry. 

The joy stemmed from His Highness’s words ‘no one is allowed to interfere or cause trouble’, which implied that the mastermind would not achieve their goal in front of His Highness. Since the Sixth Highness had uttered these words, it naturally meant that He Lian Min Min would be safe. With the root cause eliminated, the He Lian House could successfully extricate itself.

The worry arose from the irony that the He Lian House itself was also included in the category of ‘others’. Now that such an ordinary internal conflict among prominent clans fell into the hands of His Highness; it came at an exorbitant price. 

“When Sir He Lian has some free time, it would be worthwhile to ponder it over. The position of Princess Consort, does your He Lian House want it or not? There are numerous duties within and outside the court, and if the scions of He Lian House find them unsatisfactory, there are plenty of people waiting in line.”

He Lian Zhang prostrated on the ground, trembling with alarm and terror. The meaning behind the Sixth Highness’s words couldn’t have been more clearer. If the He Lian House failed to provide an explanation this time, there would be no room for discussion.

Having spent half of his life in the officialdom and attained the position of Vice Minister of Justice, He Lian Zhang possessed a sharp mind. Despite the unfavorable current situation, if he seized the opportunity and pledged loyalty to His Highness, he could not only avoid a disaster but also steadily soar to great heights alongside His Highness. This content belongs to thehlifestyle.com, if you see this translation elsewhere, it’s been stolen!

Immediate gains were nothing compared to long-term benefits. Sacrificing minor gains at this moment, he only needed to wait for the Sixth Highness…by then, the entire He Lian House would be extraordinarily prominent, wouldn’t it? Understanding the crux of the matter, Sir He Lian’s expression finally relaxed. 

The subsequent developments unfolded almost naturally. He Lian Zhang made up his mind and declared his resolve by choosing his side early on. He gambled everything and firmly bound the interests of the entire clan to the House of the Sixth Prince. 

Zong Zheng Lin sat quietly, his expression unchanged, only making timely sounds to convey his attitude, watching how the old fox He Lian tried to hastily appease him. 

This discussion, which concerned the future of the prestigious He Lian clan, was ultimately concluded under the full direction of the Sixth Highness. The outcome Mu Xi Yao had strived for could be considered a complete success. 

The two of them had a meeting in the study for a good half hour until the Sixth Highness finally provided his unequivocal response. He Lian Zhang, at last, breathed a sigh of relief, his back drenched in sweat.

This Master was truly difficult to deal with. Although the foundation of the He Lian House was preserved this time, it suffered substantial damage. The Sixth Highness had merely expressed his stance in such a cold manner, yet the benefits that slipped through his hands were enough to make all the prestigious families in Shengjing green with envy. With the loss of control over several waterway trade routes, the clan’s income plummeted by over 70 percent.

Fortunately, there was a glimmer of hope for the future; otherwise, Sir He Lian would have been filled with grief and unable to bear the burden.

He Lian Zhang wiped the sweat from his forehead. This meeting was more mentally draining than the interrogation at the Ministry of Justice. The Sixth Highness’s astuteness was so profound that he dared not lose focus for a single moment. 

The scheme, which they believed would lead them to great heights, had ultimately ended in a devastating defeat! Which force was it that had intervened in this matter, practically causing the He Lian House to hit a snag? 

With the massive rock that had been weighing on his mind lifted, He Lian Zhang could finally devote his entire attention to investigating this matter. 

“So quickly resolved?” Mu Xi Yao held onto the big hand Zong Zheng Lin extended to her, using his support to steady herself. 

“Let’s take a walk.” According to Tian Fu Shan’s report, Mu Xi Yao had reduced her time spent walking around recently. She must have been busy scheming and slacking off, neglecting the important affairs.

“Does Jiao Jiao still remember the instructions Bendian left before departure?” He had ordered people to supervise her daily walks, but this woman took advantage of her status and effectively silenced the servants in Danruo Courtyard to the point where no one dared to speak up. 

Zong Zheng Lin half-embraced her and dismissed most of the attendants, leaving only Wei Zhen and Mo Lan following at a distance. With no one around at this moment, it wouldn’t damage Mu Xi Yao’s dignity, so it was a perfect time to settle accounts with her laziness.

Originally, Mu Xi Yao was led by him, moving forward slowly. But upon hearing his words and sensing that things were not going in the right direction, she immediately hooked her free left hand onto the man’s arm and rested her little head slightly against him.

Just as she was about to use a honey trap to get away, she was seen through by the still sharp-witted great boss.

“Pay attention to the road. If you’re heavy with child, you shouldn’t fuss so much.” The Sixth Highness scolded sternly.

Every time he caught Mu Xi Yao in the act, she would always resort to playing dumb to escape the consequences. He hadn’t seen her make even the slightest change. Right now, they were still walking on the path paved with bluestones. After the rain last night, the moss on the road had become slippery, requiring extra caution. Yet this woman leaned against him crookedly, paying no attention to her steps. 

Seeing that the boss was not easily fooled, Mu Xi Yao’s dark and watery eyes turned, and her small hand slipped into the wide sleeve of Zong Zheng Lin’s robe. She lightly caressed his strong arm, putting all her effort to make mischief. 

Boss, before you left, you spoke for a long time, giving instructions about various miscellaneous things. How could Qie possibly remember them all? Qie is no tape recorder, so it’s only normal that Qie is unable to answer. 

“Qie just took a short nap. Mo Lan can vouch for Qie.” That girl had better be clever and not be intimidated by the boss’s commanding presence while standing in front of him and speaking the truth. 

“Why would Bendian need to summon your people to verify? Do you think Tian Fu Shan would dare to cover up for you?” Zong Zheng Lin caught her naughty little hand, held it in his palm, and gently stroked it. 

If it weren’t for the wrong timing, the little woman’s gentle caresses would have had a different captivating charm. The Sixth Highness temporarily suppressed the tenderness in his heart and continued to sternly lecture Mu Xi Yao.

“This pregnancy has already encountered its share of challenges. If Jiao Jiao doesn’t heed the imperial physician’s advice and start walking more diligently when the time comes for delivery and Jiao Jiao endures hardship and throws tantrums, be prepared to face consequences, Jiao Jiao.” As Zong Zheng Lin recalled the turmoil she caused in the delivery room during her first childbirth, his expression turned slightly cold.  

This time, if this woman dares to cause trouble and refuses to listen to Momo’s guidance, she will definitely be taught a lesson. 

Having seen her usual trick fail and instead make the Sixth Highness’s expression get darker, Mu Xi Yao quickly tried to make amends and came up with a new approach to deal with the boss’s unpredictable temper. 

“Ouch!” Mu Xi Yao let out a startled cry, suddenly closing her eyes and furrowing her eyebrows tightly. 

Zong Zheng Lin was startled by the sudden change. He swiftly pulled her into his arms, his expression filled with urgency. 

“What’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell?” She was perfectly fine just now, why did she suddenly cry out in pain? 

As he was worried, the words of reprimand he had in mind earlier naturally slipped away. 

“Some sand got in Qie’s eyes, it hurts.” Mu Xi Yao said with a sobbing voice. She didn’t dare to fake a serious health issue as it would only upset Zong Zheng Lin and bring more harm than good. On the other side, such a superficial ailment like this could be conjured up effortlessly. 

Hearing her say that it was just sand in her eyes, the Sixth Highness gradually eased his worried heart. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything wrong with her belly. He feared encountering accidents as premature delivery could be fatal. 

Zong Zheng Lin was about to comfort this little precious, whose brows were knitted together, but he saw Mu Xi Yao unmindfully rub her eyes straight with her little hands. 

This woman! Grudgingly, Zong Zheng Lin pulled down her erratic hand and lifted her chin slightly. “Be good, once the sand is blown out, it will be fine. Don’t use your hand and hurt your eyes.”

Mu Xi Yao tried hard to maintain her expression that looked sad, as if on the verge of tears. But deep inside, she started to regret it immensely. If she had known that keeping this fragile little white flower¹ expression would be so difficult, she would have found another way to divert the boss’s attention. 

As Zong Zheng Lin’s handsome face approached, about to touch and pull her eyelids, Mu Xu Yao became anxious and hurriedly threw herself into his arms, forgetting to continue her pretense.

What a joke. Having her eyelid pulled by the boss, even if the subsequent actions were full of affection, Mu Xi Yao couldn’t bear to be seen by Zong Zheng Lin in such a foolish manner. No matter how nicely a man spoke, it would be better to have fewer of these ungraceful scenes.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” The little woman’s head shook like a rattle drum, and after a moment, she raised her head and looked at his raised brows with a mischievous smile. This sudden change left Zong Zheng Lin momentarily bewildered.

Taking a closer look, he saw her looking pleased, giggling like a little fox. Well, the Sixth Highness instantly figured out that this woman was just pretending to be unwell, fooling around and playing tricks on him. 

Zong Zheng Lin quickly understood that all this fuss of hers was nothing but an attempt to muddle through and avoid punishment. This tactic infuriated him to the extreme.

Just as he was about to catch her and give her a good lesson, he saw a sudden change in Mu Xi Yao’s expression. She obediently nestled against his chest, too shy to raise her head, her little hands clutching his brocade robe, loosening and then tightening again. 

“Your Highness being so concerned about Qie and keeping Qie in your heart fills Qie with joy.” Mu Xi Yao placed her right hand on his chest and carefully listened to his heartbeat. The sight of such intimacy caused Zong Zheng Lin’s breath to momentarily falter.

Seeing that boss was getting angry, Mu Xi Yao quickly employed a gentle approach, revealing a rare display of tenderness. She wanted to say some romantic words to blind the Sixth Highness, but no matter how much she contemplated, she couldn’t find the appropriate words. In the end, she simply chose the most straightforward ones, which struck deep into Zong Zheng Lin’s heart.

In the critical moment, demoness Mu clung to one single idea: the top priority was to conquer the heart of the Sixth Highness, achieving a resounding success with one decisive move.

Sure enough, the occasional ‘unintentional display of affection’ had the power to subdue the great boss, and any further reprimand became disregarded. 

Upon hearing Mu Xi Yao’s rare and bold expression of affection, a tingling and delightful feeling spread through Zong Zheng Lin’s heart, bringing him immense contentment. The chest touched by Mu Xi Yao gradually heated up. 

In the end, he couldn’t resist her relentless teasing. This demoness had an unparalleled skill in igniting and extinguishing fires!

Zong Zheng Lin sighed helplessly, seizing the chance to bask in the beauty’s attachment.

“Getting more and more naughty, deserves a spanking.” His palm landed on her little derriere, at first with two smacks that were seemingly appropriate, but then the action took on a different tone. 

Mu Xi Yao protested coyly and put up a mild struggle, all the while expressing her grievances incessantly. “Who told Your Highness to always lecture Qie so much that it makes Qie’s head dizzy? In any case, Your Highness is back in the residence, you can personally keep an eye on Qie, Qie’ll be here to listen.” 

What are you going to do about it? Despite talking tough, you’re still letting it go easily, aren’t you? Mu Xi Yao felt extremely pleased with herself inwardly. When dealing with the boss, she needed to employ unexpected tactics to dazzle him and keep him too occupied to settle the scores. 

Having enjoyed enough handsy moments with her and noticing her face flushed from walking, Zong Zheng Lin simply lifted her into his arms and headed toward the pavilion. 

“It’s quite rare for Jiao Jiao to plead Bendian for the constant company. If Bendian has free time, naturally, Bendian will be with Jiao Jiao.” Zong Zheng Lin deliberately distorted her meaning. Seeing her pouting and murmuring, a smile appeared in the corner of his eyes. 

Nowadays, the little woman was getting bolder and bolder, daring to pretend and play tricks in front of him. But her nature hadn’t changed; even when pretending, she still displayed it openly.

Mu Xi Yao hugged his neck, trying to please him as she continued to inquire. “Your Highness hasn’t told Qie yet, did He Lian House pay a heavy price this time?” 

She had worked hard and put in a lot of effort, so there should be some reward in return. Besides, knowing Zong Zheng Lin’s temperament, although he wouldn’t deliberately scheme for He Lian House’s fortune, he wouldn’t vehemently refuse the benefits that come knocking on his door. 

“Just this much ambition.” Zong Zheng Lin chuckled. The little woman insisted on bothering about the outcome, so be it, lest it linger in her heart and burden her mind. 

Strangely enough, among all the account books handed over to her, except for two waterways belonging to the He Lian House that were somewhat special, there was not a single one that lacked advantages compared to others. She didn’t fancy things at home and insisted on going through the trouble of acquiring things from outside. This nature of hers, should he praise her for being skilled in managing the household? 

“The waterway trade routes in the He Lian House’s hand are of no use to Jiao Jiao. However, the shops in Shengjing could be taken over to have some fun with.” The Sixth Highness’s tone made the two people standing outside the pavilion sigh simultaneously. 

If Mistress was willing, would you let her mess around with waterway trade routes as well? If Sir He Lian learnt of it, he would be probably infuriated to the point of spitting blood. Even if it was a shop, it was still a prosperous shop in the capital city, that made a fortune every day. If this business was handed over to Mistress Yao, who knows what unique and peculiar ideas she might come up with? 

Both of them simultaneously thought of those small and exquisite objects inside Jia Yi Workshop, that were high-priced to this day and they couldn’t help but feel that Mistress Yao’s business acumen was truly remarkable. 

“A shop?” Mu Xi Yao expressed dissatisfaction. Having a steward from Jia Yi Workshop come every month to report work and disturb her peaceful days was already extremely annoying. If she accepted another shop, she would be a fool! 

“No shop, Qie wants waterway trade routes.” Within the territory of Great Way, anything involved in waterway transportation was guaranteed to make a profit. This was something that Mu Xi Yao understood well. 

The Sixth Highness wanted to secretly keep this good thing hidden from her and deny her a piece of pie? No way! If you want to play, you have to play in a lucrative and promising business. Did the boss think that she could only thrive in Shengjing? 

Upon seeing her sulking and unhappy, as if she had been bullied by him, Zong Zheng Lin chuckled softly. “Jiao Jiao, do you know where this waterway leads to?” 

“Where?” Mu Xi Yao asked with a sense of righteousness and confidence. There was business no matter where it lead to. As long as there were people, why would one be afraid of not making money?

Wei Zhen’s face twitched. Mistress Yao was indeed extremely bold. She even dared to consider engaging in canal transport along the Jiangnan and Qu Rivers, which was under the watchful eyes of the Yuancheng Emperor due to being a major source of tax revenue. 

Back in the day, the ancestors of He Lian House invested nearly 80 percent of their family fortune into this business, which eventually earned them the favor of the imperial court, allowing them to receive half of the bonuses. Even His Highness wouldn’t dare to intervene openly. These were all private agreements. The change of ownership of shares in the waterway must not be leaked to the Emperor. 

Without understanding anything yet, Mistress Yao was ready to openly confront Yuancheng Emperor?

Zong Zheng Lin patted her mischievous head and teased with a smile, “If Jiao Jiao wants canal transport on the Qu River stretch, Jiao Jiao can enter the palace for an audience with the emperor and present your request directly to him.” 

Mu Xi Yao felt embarrassed. Darn it, she almost ended up snatching money right under Yuancheng Emperor’s territory! Disturbing the ground on Taisui’s head² – they were talking about someone as audacious as her, weren’t they? 

She looked at Zong Zheng Lin pitifully, with an expression as if she couldn’t reap any benefit out of it. That appearance of hers truly amused the Sixth Highness. 

“Jiao Jiao, is your monthly allowance insufficient?” This woman was purely seeking novelty in seeking the waterway. If she was truly asked to manage it properly, she would surely start acting up within a day or two and quit. 

Mu Xi Yao scornfully rolled her eyes. Was she really that useless?

With no hope for the waterway, what about the trade route?

Zong Zheng Lin saw through her intentions and patiently offered an explanation for this troublesome one, “The trade route leads to Jin Dynasty. It takes at least three months to go back and forth and horse bandits are rampant on the road. Does Jiao Jiao want to deal with escort agency³ again? 

Mu Xi Yao completely lost interest after listening to his complicated explanation. 

Damn it, all that effort for nothing. All that money, gone into the pockets of the great boss who came out halfway. If she had known that He Lian House was so poor, she wouldn’t have bothered wasting her energy.

Since demoness Mu felt aggrieved, she naturally couldn’t let the Sixth Highness have a good time alone. She didn’t make a fuss, just looked at him listlessly, which made Zong Zheng Lin narrow his phoenix eyes, and finally he yielded to her wishes. 

“Jiao Jiao has worked for a long time,” Zong Zheng Lin himself felt awkward speaking these words. 

This woman just used her brain a little and came up with an idea in an instant. It would be a considerate gesture of her if it took her half a day. But he had to continue the conversation in this manner; otherwise, she wouldn’t stop making a fuss. “Since the waterway and trade routes are not suitable, how about giving Jiao Jiao estate on the outskirt of the capital as a consolation?” 

Mu Xi Yao was very fond of the crops in the estate, but despite asking for them multiple times, she hadn’t been successful in obtaining them. Zong Zheng Lin was worried that she would use the excuse of inspecting the property to keep going outside the residence. Sending it out now, in fact, appeared to be the right move. It can both silence her arguments and prevent her from sneaking out to cause mischief.

As for why Zong Zheng Lin was convinced that Mu Xi Yao couldn’t wander around, it was simply because he estimated that when the time came, she wouldn’t be in Shengjing. So, where could she sneak off to?

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Translation notes:

[1] Little white flower describes a woman who appears delicate, pitiful, beautiful like a flower, and who is quick to tears. 

[2] Taisui refers to a celestial body, which was believed by Chinese people to bring disaster when people disturb it, thus “Disturbing the ground on Taisui’s head” is an idiom that means to provoke somebody far superior in power or strength. 

[3] Escort agency “镖局” refers to a group of professional armed escorts who provide protection to traveling merchants. 

 

Relationship Diagram  (by Sith Kazar)

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