The Beloved Imperial Consort Chapter 175

“Your Highness, are you saying that the Eighth Prince has sought the Imperial Noble Consort to ask for He Lian Wei Rui?” Mu Xi Yao’s eyes widened, her long lashes fluttering as she gazed at the person, caught off guard by the sudden development.

Would Zong Zheng Han, without any apparent reason, ask for a woman well-known for her admiration for Zong Zheng Lin? Mu Xi Yao was quite skeptical of his limited broad-mindedness. That man, the mere thought of whom made her uncomfortable, wouldn’t consider accepting He Lian Wei Rui unless there were sufficient benefits. He was not the type to suffer a disadvantage or to appear inferior to Zong Zheng Lin in the eyes of others without justification.

This development truly ‘surprised’ her.

He Lian Wei Rui, indeed unexpected… what a remarkable collusion both inside and outside.

“Your Highness, are you just going to watch a woman who admires you marry someone else, without feeling a bit of heartache? Qie is thinking, if it’s hard for you to let go, Qie could share a story to offer some solace.” Mu Xi Yao, with a playful smile, teased the person across from her, who was focused on the chessboard; her tone was surprisingly similar to how she would coax her son, Cheng Qing.

“Five in a row.” Zong Zheng Lin ignored Mu Xi Yao’s teasing provocations. He merely picked up a white stone and placed it in an inconspicuous spot on the board. Upon closer inspection, the white stones formed a line of five, spelling his victory.

Mu Xi Yao’s smile, radiant as peach blossoms, suddenly froze. She abruptly lowered her head to look at the glaring five chess stones in the bottom right corner of the board, her lips slowly starting to pout.

“Your Highness!” Mu Xi Yao’s brows furrowed, “Why did you not warn Qie earlier?” Zong Zheng Lin had taken advantage of her distraction, winning in a dishonorable manner.

“Are you trying to deny it again, Jiao Jiao? Bendian has reminded you twice already. It’s just that Jiao Jiao was so delighted upon hearing about the edict the Eighth brother requested that you failed to pay attention.” This woman could never sit still during a game of chess; throughout several matches, there was never a moment of quiet.

“How could Qie lose so quickly again? No, no, this won’t do. Your Highness bullies the weak. How can you be so petty with a woman? Let’s play another round!” Mu Xi Yao instantly put aside the teasing of Zong Zheng Lin, scheming on how to secure at least one victory.

Was this man attempting to defy the very heavens or what? She had memorized the chess manual, and though she hadn’t studied it in depth, the first twenty-six moves were etched in her mind. It made no sense for her to have the advantage of the first move yet still end up being overtaken.

To play it safe, Mu Xi Yao, being thick-skinned, silently expressed her affection to Zong Zheng Lin through her shining eyes, “How about Your Highness granting Qie a two-stone advantage?”

Zong Zheng Lin’s action of picking up the chess stone came to a halt. Looking up, he saw the woman seated opposite him making a concerted effort in seeking shortcuts and showing off her cleverness. After watching her smiling face for a moment, Zong Zheng Lin casually tossed the chess stone he was holding, observing as the black stone accurately dropped into the bowl.

“Jiao Jiao, wouldn’t it be better if Bendian just set up a winning five-in-a-row for you and then simply conceded defeat?”

Mu Xi Yao pouted, complaining in a coquettish tone, “Stingy!”

In the Wu Zi Qi¹, Qie is only asking you to give Qie a two-stone handicap, not the far more decisive three-stoned advantage… Knowing she wasn’t in the right, Mu Xi Yao had no ground to continue arguing. The only redeemable quality of this woman’s chess conduct was her awareness of shame.

“Utterly spoiled,” Zong Zheng Lin laughed. The little woman’s skill at chess… to speak the truth, the Sixth Highness could only describe it as ‘abysmal’. Worse than her chess skills was her ‘given an inch, want a mile’ conduct in play. How on earth did Mu Jing Zhen raise such a daughter who was so terribly inept at both needlework and chess? To say she lacked in skill and education wouldn’t be out of place.

“No matter how spoilt, isn’t Your Highness’s indulgence that is to blame? Why bring up complaints now?” You’ve always acted like an autocrat, even confessing your feelings three times. Having second thoughts now? Too late! 

Zong Zheng Lin stood up and lifted the person in his arms. “Since it’s Bendian’s indulgence that is to blame, Bendian will naturally take care of the consequences.” The one thing Zong Zheng Lin least feared was Mu Xi Yao’s various provocations. This woman never learns, and inevitably, she is the one who ends up being taught a lesson. This content belongs to thehlifestyle.com, if you see this translation elsewhere, it’s been stolen!

“Your Highness, Qie still has something to say!” Mu Xi Yao clung to his neck and cried out in fright. If she didn’t interrupt him now, speaking up later would be too late for any regrets.

“Go ahead and speak.” A smile played at the corners of Zong Zheng Lin’s mouth. He turned and carried her into the warm partition of a room. It was intended merely as a small scare, but witnessing the array of dismayed expressions on the little woman’s face always amused the Sixth Highness.

Sitting on the chaise longue by the window, Zong Zheng Lin hugged her and gently stroked the spot between her eyebrows.

“What was it that Jiao Jiao just said about whom Bendian cannot bear to let go of?” He didn’t respond to her teasing just for the sake of a subsequent reckoning.

Mu Xi Yao nuzzled her small head into the man’s palm, appearing utterly compliant. “Your Highness, Qie has been bullied.”

Boss, hurry and pity Qie. As for that matter of what you can or cannot bear, just let it go in one ear and out the other. Qie loves that most.

Zong Zheng Lin knocked on her forehead. This woman truly knew how to make full use of his affection for her to her advantage. But that was fine. If it could make her depend on him and comply, blatantly utilizing his fondness to enact her scheme, then even if Mu Xi Yao became more presumptuous, Zong Zheng Lin would be pleased to see it happen.

Playing along with her little ploys, the Sixth Highness patiently spoke with his darling. “Who is it this time?” Talking about being bullied, there were indeed many who would like to bully her, but alas, the result often left the little woman too embarrassed to continue her complaints.

“It’s the Wei Rui flower, from the house of barbarians, whose admiration for you is so deep that everyone knows. This flower managed to deal Qie a severe blow, leaving Qie unable to reclaim her dignity immediately.”

Zong Zheng Lin was silent at first, but soon, a stifled chuckle broke through. The surname He Lian indeed originated from the barbarian tribes of the previous dynasty and was only incorporated into the Great Wei family names after dynastic changes.

Mu Xi Yao’s way of referring to He Lian Wei Rui made it clear she harbored not the slightest fondness for that woman. Knowing her to possess a fiery nature, always clear about her likes and dislikes, he hadn’t expected her to be so petty as to quibble even over a name.

“If Jiao Jiao says she’s from the house of barbarians, then she certainly can’t bully you. Jiao Jiao’s fierce reputation has already spread far and wide; even the barbarian tribes likely want to avoid you at all costs.” Zong Zheng Lin said this with a straight face, but his words were laced with teasing. With her fiery temperament, how much of a loss could she really suffer? At most, she might feel a bit frustrated.

However, there was no one else but him who could vex Mu Xi Yao. Even in dealing with the Yuancheng Emperor, he could play a double game, ensuring Mu Xi Yao’s safety and well-being.

Zong Zheng Lin has always been arrogant, particularly evident in how he treated his woman.

Mu Xi Yao, visibly annoyed, threw herself at him and fiercely bit his chin. “Your Highness, even if you spurn Qie for being a shrew, that’s not the way to say it.” Seeing the light bite mark on the man’s smooth and handsome face, she finally felt satisfied and left.

“Watch and see. She wants Qie to take a loss without a word? This time, Qie’ll treat it as an act of kindness. There are things Qie stands firm on. Qie will consider it as her being new here and unaware of the rules. What harm is there in letting her off this once?”

Zong Zhen Lin raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue.

If Mu Xi Yao were so easy to talk to and kind-hearted, then the turmoil in Shengjing these past two years wouldn’t have been so incessant and spectacular. Among all the people, Zong Zhen Lin truly couldn’t think of anyone she wouldn’t dare to cross. Perhaps, except for Yuancheng Emperor and the Empress Dowager, there was truly nothing this woman, who ‘bullied the weak and feared the strong’, was afraid of.

Sure enough, the woman who was so pitiful just now, complaining in his arms, suddenly became energetic.

“Qie didn’t enjoy taking this loss in silence. It’s time to quickly turn the tide. That Wei Rui flower, which caused trouble in someone else’s home, thought of taking root in the Eighth Highness’s inner yard? Qie shall send her a grand gift.” Mu Xi Yao looked at Zong Zheng Lin with a cunning smile, her beautiful eyes sparkling. When looking into them, one could immediately tell she might be up to another mischief.

Using her son’s birthday banquet to seduce men? He Lian Wei Rui’s shamelessness was on par with the great boss.

Translation notes:

[1] Wu Zi Qi refers to Five in a Row go board game.

Relationship Diagram  (by Sith Kazar)

Previous Chapter | Table of contents | Next Chapter