The Beloved Imperial Consort Chapter 49

When Mu Xi Yao arrived to the front with her people, she discovered that Zhong Zheng Lin was already waiting in the courtyard. He was attired in the blue-green gown, handsomely standing there, his prominently defined side profile cold and solemn.

Such a man, with status, power, and looks. It was no wonder that people would have ideas about him. Mu Xi Yao curled her lips.

“Your Highness,” she slowly walked toward him. While watching the man soften his expression, Mu Xi Yao opened her mouth to verify Tang Hui Ru’s claims. 

“On the night of the twenty-ninth, your Highness didn’t return back to the chamber. Have you encountered that Tang Hui Ru or seen her body?”

Momo said that Tang sisters were carried back to the house. Afterward, the imperial physician came to make diagnosis. It was impossible for them to come into contact. So, it was before that? 

Mu Xi Yao thought of the classical scene between a sister-in-law and older sister’s husband. Her heart trembled.

Wei Zhen originally stood at the side. Hearing cefei inquire in such a bold manner, he was too scared to stay there any longer. He took two steps backward and retreated. 

Wei Zhen still remembered that night. His Highness was extremely angry at the time.

Zhong Zheng Lin was originally waiting for her. Unexpectedly, not only the person came late, as soon as she arrived she began to interrogate him.

Did she put him into her eyes or not¹? Unable to keep his cool, his expression gradually turned bad.

Even though Zhong Zheng Lin was fond of Mu Xi Yao’s frankness, he still wasn’t fond of it to the point she could so bluntly embarrass him and he still had to bear it with delight. No matter how he indulged her, he was still the dignified imperial prince of Great Wei. How could he allow his women to shame him?

Seeing his expression change, Mu Xi Yao thought there was indeed such matter. As a result, she faithfully performed duties of cefei: listened to the instruction of the sixth Highness and then made a decision about whether to take the person as a concubine or not.

“Your Highness, this matter was made known to everyone now. Does your Highness have any plans?” Mu Xi Yao inquired earnestly.

Looking at Mu Xi Yao’s half perplexed and half certain little face, Zhong Zheng Lin’s chest ached out of anger.

He had clearly promised her the eldest son, how would it be possible for him to let a new branch grow out of a knot² during her pregnancy? 

Apart from Danruo courtyard, he went nowhere else. Even so,  he still received only her doubt, unable to make her trust him wholeheartedly. 

Zhong Zheng Lin’s face was as cold as frost, his tone severe. For the first time, he has admonished Mu Xi Yao in front of the servants.

“What kind of impudence are you uttering? Who are you to question whether bendian has done the deed or not?” This man’s assertive and overbearing personality flared up. Hence, his tone became even more unyielding.

Having his anger directed at her, Mu Xi Yao’s expression changed slightly. As she watched the man’s fierce appearance, she instantly silenced, speaking no more.

Mu Xi Yao listened to the man’s tone and then looked at his expression. He didn’t seem to be flying into a rage out of the humiliation. Instead, it looked like he was very discontented with her?

Mu Xi Yao contemplated for a moment, then nodded, “Qie understands.”

She was to blame for not being cautious. She was used to do as she wished. As a result, she has forgot this man’s identity. Big Boss must feel she has meddled too much.

Due to the differences of the two’s understanding,  Mu Xi Yao absolutely didn’t catch the main point. She misunderstood the cause of Zhong Zheng Lin’s anger. She directly attributed the trust problems to power and responsibility issues.

She raised her head and gave him a tiny smile, trying to alleviate the mood, “Does your Highness still want to go to the imperial garden?” Since she couldn’t interfere with this matter, how about changing the subject?

Zhong Zheng Lin has just been angered by her. Yet, in a blink of eyes, this woman has suddenly changed to a smiling face. He truly wasn’t as good-tempered as her. He flung his sleeves and entered the study, saying not even a word. 

Mu Xi Yao stared at departing back of Zhong Zheng Lin. After gazing at the tightly closed doors of the study for a while, she took people and returned back.

Mo Lan felt anxious. She was afraid that her master wouldn’t be able to bear his Highness’s chide since she has always been pampered. If she took this matter to heart and bore anger, it certainly wouldn’t be good for the child.

Just as she was going to give her master a bit of comfort, she discovered her master looked as if nothing happened. She swayed back to Danruo courtyard and played the zither, read books, fed the rabbits as before. 

Mu Xi Yao was, without doubt, fine. She thought it was a matter of course Zhong Zheng Lin would occasionally engage in love-affairs. 

Which Emperor wasn’t blessed with women and surrounded by beauties?

From the first day of learning the existence of Zhong Zheng Lin, she understood what kind of life she would face in the future. Nowadays it was only a little Tang Hui Ru. Mu Xi Yao didn’t put her into the eyes at all. After all, what she asked for was never all of the Zhong Zheng Lin. 

To make it sound a little unpleasant, Mu Xi Yao always carried a materialistic mindset while schemed step by step to this day, to gain Zhong Zheng Lin’s favor.

Compared to the overnight favor, she cared more about being special in Zhong Zheng Lin’s eyes. And to make a man think you’re unique among the many women, you need to tax your mind and exert a great effort. Beside the favor, you also need to have his respect.

Now it seems that she didn’t grasp the situation well and went over the line with her efforts. If one wanted to receive other’s respect one needed to first respect other’s wishes. 

When Zhong Zheng Lin has reprimanded her just now, he must have meant she meddled too much in his business and overstepped. As cefei, though she had to take action and manage the affairs in the estate and the inner yard, she still had no right to handle the imperial prince’s matters. As he said, whether he has done it or not, it was a matter of course. The others had no right to question him. 

In a flash, Mu Xi Yao readjusted the train of thoughts according to her comprehension. Since boss daren³ thinks this cannot do, then it has to be changed. Just as if your supervisor was saying that he wasn’t satisfied with your project. You could only promptly replan and write the new one.

Mu Xi Yao instantly made an adjustment to her road to the beloved consort based on Zhong Zheng Lin’s preferences. His sixth Highness was fond of well-behaved women. In that case, from now on, she mustn’t display too much of familiarity nor bad temper to him, just like how one behaved differently with family and with a close relatives.  As for home flowers and grasses in the estate and wildflowers and grasses from outside the estate, they were all the principal consort’s business. She needn’t bother with them.

After figuring out these points, Mu Xi Yao’s heart relaxed. She felt her future outlook became even more clear and good.

Inside the room, Zhong Zheng Lin opened the book and his sight halted on the page for a long time. He hasn’t moved for half an hour.

He sighed and threw the book to the side. Shortly afterward, he suddenly remembered that woman mentioned by Mu Xi Yao. Only icy coldness was left in his phoenix eyes. Was it that annoying suicidal one who had the impertinence to run to Danruo courtyard and spurt nonsenses?

He made a hand signal, indicating the secret agent to investigate the matter. The sixth Highness lifted up the writing brush to practice calligraphy, in order to calm his mind.

In the noon, they’ve separately used the meal. Mu Xi Yao went to rest while Zhong Zheng Lin was reading the secret report in the study. Very marvelous, indeed.

According to Great Wei’s convention, if Tang Hui Ru was set on implicating him, then she could be considered as having lost her chastity. However, only two families were involved. Directly having their lips kept sealed will do. Zhong Zheng Lin ordered Tian Fu Shan to pass a message to Tang House, strictly prohibiting them to leak the things about this matter. As for that woman, she was free to marry off as she had nothing to do with him.

He then recalled the scene of Mu Xi Yao coming over to question him in the morning. Could it be that she thought he had bed the other woman while she was pregnant?

The sixth Highness firmly believed Mu cefei was feeling jealous. Suddenly, he thought it was pardonable. He has, apparently, has acted too severely.

Zhong Zheng Lin felt amused and vexed. If he wanted to sleep with a woman, why would he wait till now? However, this kind of behavior was inappropriate. The women in the estate would only increase in the future. She was so impetuous, acting according to her temper. If she was being punished by the principal consort, could it be that he even had to find a reason to excuse her, embarrassing thus the principal consort?

Zhong Zheng Lin felt that he still had to go over in a moment and have a good talk with Mu Xi Yao. According to her brightness, she ought to accept his kind reminder. 

“Your Highness?” Watching Zhong Zheng Lin enter the room, Mu Xi Yao ordered Hui Lan to serve tea. With a smile engaging her face, she said, “Your Highness is already free today?” 

Zhong Zheng Lin originally thought the little woman would be peeved. He didn’t expect it wouldn’t be that case at all. She was as delicate as usual. Even her reply was soft, pleasant to one’s ears. Her attitude was very gentle. It was as if the unpleasant incident in the morning didn’t happen.

“You….” Zhong Zheng Lin began and then swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue.

“What’s the matter, your Highness?” Seeing the rare hesitation cross the man’s face, she guessed inwardly: Could it be he was waiting for her to give him a ladder to step down⁴ to eliminate their discord in the morning?

She snickered inside. Such a small thing, yet he couldn’t be frank with it. This man was indeed an aojiao.

“Does your Highness want to talk about the incident in the morning? Qie has thought about it. Qie was in the wrongs. Qie can guarantee there won’t be next time.” Mu Xi Yao openly admittedher mistake. That attitude of hers was so sincere that all that missed there was the part where she would be beating her chest and taking an oath.

Her broad-mindedness made Zhong Zheng Lin not know how to open his mouth. As a result, he could only let it go and not mention it. Only, inside the heart, he had a faint feeling that something seemed to be amiss.

Mu Xi Yao admitted her wrongs. The two were very harmonious, as usual. They could be often seen practicing calligraphy and playing the chess, fishing and strolling in the garden. Everyone in the Danruo courtyard could finally be at ease. They secretly thought their mistress was wise. She knew to admit defeat in advance, earning his Highness’s favor. She didn’t suffer a big loss for a little gain.

However, what everyone didn’t know was that Mu Xi Yao walked further and further away on a strange road. She only thought of catering to the boss’s attitude according to her own understanding of the matter, advancing steadily on her path to pampered consort.

That kind of a nice mutual interaction was completely overlooked by Mu Xi Yao. She just thought it was the indicator of his good mood. This also made her completely omit the existence of the emotional aspect and thus failing to recognize Zhong Zheng Lin’s feelings. 

The following close interaction between Mu Xi Yao and the sixth Highness was like a scheduled program. There was not even the slightest bit of a mishap, becoming increasingly harmonious and amenable. 

Translation Notes: 

[1] Put somebody into the eyes is a Chinese phrase meaning regarding someone importantly

[2] A new branch growing out of a knot is a Chinese idiom; fig. side issues keep arising

[3] Daren means sir, lord

[4] Give one a ladder to step down is fig. way out of an embarrassing situation

Relationship Diagram  (by Sith Kazar)

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