Translator: Juniper
Threat
Apart from the delicate fragrance of the bamboo, there was only the sound of breathing within the study. Huo Qui gave her a long, penetrating look before turning to the other two occupants of the room. “Let’s end this for today. You may leave.”
It was a clear order of dismissal.
His words may have been directed towards Wang Yi and Zhong Yu, but his eyes remained fixed onTang Zhuo Zhuo’s face without letting go of a single nuanced change in her expression.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo knew not what was going through his mind, only that today’s events were purely coincidental. Had she known that the person who came was Wang Yi, she would not have stepped foot into the Main Palace no matter what anyone said.
Seeing him now made her bring to mind his detestable and ugly appearance in the future; to even glimpse more than once assailed her with dizziness.
It was best to arrange a day to inform her father and elder brother of this matter, lest they foster any lingering sense of guilt. That base and wretched person is insatiably avaricious and never satisfied; such a person should just be cast away, exiled, to guard tombs.
Wang Yi and Zhong Yu exchanged a glance, and upon seeing the helplessness within each other’s eyes, bowed their bodies in submission.
“Your subjects will take their leave now.”
Wang Yi was about to step out of the study when Huo Qiu suddenly stood, his hands at his back and with a voice akin to a poison-dipped arrow. “Wang Yi, the date of your wedding is fast approaching so you need not concern yourself with court matters. Consider it a vacation I am allowing you.”
The lean figure of Wang Yi’s body halted. He felt a desperate urge to see that person’s expression and yet he feared the implicit warning embedded within Huo Qiu’s words. Thinking on the dilemma he was currently faced with at court, he could only force a smile through gritted teeth. “Thank you, Your Highness, for your understanding.”
It was impossible for him to not know that Huo Qiu was forcing him to confess before Tang Zhuo’ Zhuo’s face that he had begged for Marquis Ning Yuan’s second daughter’s hand in marriage. How hateful it was that he must bear with it and smile.
Using his influential power thus to oppress a person, the hateful act of stealing his intended wife- he’ll surely get back at him!
Wang Yi’s eyes suddenly darkened with gloom, and he felt as if someone was pinning him down with a stare. Every step became seemingly disembodied and surreal, but he managed to turn that corner and soon, the image of his back disappeared from Tang Zhuo Zhuo’s sight.
“Still haven’t had your fill of looking?”
An icy voice full of sarcasm spoke up from beside her. Huo Qiu had followed her gaze to glimpse at the now empty corner, and asked this with a nonchalant air.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo returned to her senses and gently nudged the pastries she had taken out from the box towards his hand. “Your Highness has been in the midst of discussions for a long time, please have some pastries.”
A faint ray of sunlight came in through the window gap and cast itself upon her charming face impartially, lending to her already beautiful appearance a surrealistic glow.
The more Huo Qiu looked on, the harder it was to control the roiling fire in his heart. Looking at the way she came over with hurried steps reminded him of the night he’d heard she brought out the scroll painting again, and his usually impervious gaze shuttered as if overcome by a blizzard.
Even so, he picked up a piece of decent looking pastry and put it in his mouth. The sticky sweetness spread instantly, yet he felt that everything he swallowed left an astringent taste.
He ate yet it was tasteless.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo lost her confidence and became frightened then, only she mustn’t show any weakness on her face. Huo Qiu’s aura was immensely powerful;he had only frowned and she could already feel the chill emanating from his body.
She remembered that Huo Qiu had always thought of Wang Yi unfavorably, never once acknowledging him with even a glance. Why did he suddenly allow him an audience today?
Recalling Zhong Yuxi begging her for a favor a few days ago and in bringing to mind the two people who left flustered, Tang Zhuo Zhuo pursed her lips and murmured, “That person just now, was he not Zhong Liangdi’s elder brother?”
Huo Qiu walked with measured steps towards the table and lifted the brush, not sparing her another glance. On hearing her question, he merely made a lackluster sound that neither affirmed nor contradicted her question.
But how could he possibly quiet his heart?
The sweet scent of that woman within the study was more prominent than the bamboo fragrance- it was particularly alluring.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo was a little embarrassed and rubbed the tip of her nose, muttered quietly, “He doesn’t seem like the way father described him as.”
Huo Qiu raised his gaze, “Like what?”
Tang Zhuo Zhuo met his gaze and shyly smiled, “Father said to me that the noble son of the Zhong family had unparalleled bravery and a rare aptitude for the role of general; he was someone not just any woman can pair with.”
She had a sincere expression as she spoke. In her previous life, Zhong Yu had been Huo Qiu’s right-hand man and close confidant, aiding him in much. In particular, he brought clarity to an incident revolving around a courtesan as someone’s covert plot.
It could be said that it was mostly directed towards Huo Qiu.
Although she was unwilling to indulge Zhong Yuxi, if it meant helping Huo Qiu, it was nothing to her to put in a good word out of her kindness.
If she said it this way, surely, Huo Qiu should understand her meaning, right?
Huo Qiu halted in raising his brush. His temples were aching and all of a sudden, he threw it to the side as his expression became aggressively ruthless. Gnashing his teeth, he asked, “Miss Tang, what exactly do you want?”
She was too abnormal here: having seen Wang Yi yet neither cry nor make trouble, and didn’t even mention a word about it. It was as if she had become another person and that greatly unsettled him.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo became mute upon feeling the frigidity in his words, not knowing how to respond to him. Her throat became parched and her expression inevitably became aggrieved. “This lowly consort is confounded with fear.”
People are truly strange. In her past life, she was clearly able to remain as steady and dignified as flowing waters, even when facing his fiercest wrath. In this life, it seems that amount of courage has greatly left her. The moment the man was angered, she abruptly became at a loss what to do.
She undoubtedly wanted to be of help to him with all her heart, but she overlooked the fact that her behavioral change was too fast. Nevermind Huo Qiu, who is distrustful by habit, even if she were to happen on herself, she would most likely not believe it either.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo mocked herself lightly in her heart and then, in seeing Huo Qiu’s deathly glare, lowered her body in a bow, “If Your Highness is busy, then this lowly consort will return first.”
Huo Qiu naturally saw that the woman’s face seemed to hold some grievance and for a moment wanted to burst into angry laughter. What exactly did she feel wronged by?
The hand hanging at his side clenched and unclenched as Huo Qiu’s eyes filled with immeasurable cold light. He came to stand before her one step at a time with brows akin to a curved sword and with great momentum, entirely ignoring the smattering of ink dusting his sleeve. Tang Zhuo Zhuo took a few steps back silently, uncertain.
Huo Qiu being like this… Did he want to strangle her to death?
When he noticed her dodging, Huo Qiu ceased his advance, his golden snake embroidered, yellow boots just two, three steps away from Tang Zhuo Zhuo.
He was exceptionally angry. When frowning, he was comparable to the cold-faced king of hell depicted in books. At this moment, he held a sneer on his face, his voice not dissimilar to a harsh, cold night of December, “Tang Zhuo Zhuo, I have a thousand ways to render Wang Yi on the cusps of death so I suggest you not anger me.”
The most laughably ironic part of this matter was that, for Huo Qiu to ensure his lover became somewhat more obedient and sensible, an effective method would be to use Wang Yi as a threat. Recognizing this fact made the smoldering anger in his heart rise to even newer heights but there was no better means.
Desolation? She was afraid she couldn’t get any happier. Were she to be really punished, would he truly have the heart to do so?
Tang Zhuo Zhuo had heard him make such threats numerous times before. Now that she heard it again, she found that the man was extremely awkward, with words that never matched with his intentions.
“If this lowly consort angers Your Highness, will Your Highness crush General Wang to death like one would crush an ant?” Her expression was completely serious and her apricot eyes were soft and clear.
Huo Qiu’s eyes narrowed slightly. Tang Zhuozhuo’s tit-for-tat confrontation made him feel more at ease than her docile and well-behaved appearance in recent days.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo didn’t wait for him to speak and laughed to herself, revealing the two lovely dimples on her face. Even her voice held a crisp sweetness like pears. “If that is the case, then how should this lowly consort anger Your Highness?
Huo Qiu’s anger stilled abruptly. He scrutinized Tang Zhuo Zhuo and ceased fiddling with his jade adorned finger. “I am not a person to be mocked, Jiao Jiao.”
There was a heaviness in the way he said ‘Jiao Jiao’ as if he wanted to tear her to pieces and swallow her into his stomach. Yet there was clearly a faint smile on his face.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo blinked. Ever since the days after her ‘return’, Huo Qiu customarily called her coldly by ‘Miss Tang’, or at most her full name; calling her ‘Jiao Jiao’ came rather abruptly.
What needs to be said clearly should be said with clarity. Since she came here to request for mercy, then this plea naturally will need someone to accept it.
“How could this lowly consort ever dare to mock Your Highness?” She smiled as she picked up the cup of steaming hot tea from the table. She delicately touched the flowers floating atop and her slender fingers immediately turned red.
“Some days ago, this lowly consort was resting well in my chambers when Zhong Liangdi unexpectedly visited. Without uttering more than a greeting, she knelt in front of this lowly consort, begging this lowly consort to intercede and let her meet Your Highness just once.”
A trace of keen interest flashed across Huo Qiu’s eyes. The distance between them began to shorten and their breaths were intermingling. Tang Zhuo Zhuo’s face was flushing as she continued, “From where could this lowly consort possibly have such exceptional ability? Your Highness is busy with governmental affairs, how could this lowly consort possibly create disturbance over such a matter?”
A faint smile finally grew on Huo Qiu’s face. “You didn’t accept?”
“Only that it’s impossible to accept; what does this lowly consort have to conceivably influence Your Highness’ decisions?”
The corner of Tang Zhuo Zhuo’s eyes rose and her illustriously dignified, curved eyebrows twitched upwards as she spoke with a righteous confidence, “Furthermore, how can this lowly consort interfere in a matter from the previous dynasty? Zhong Liangdi is not ignorant of this and yet, she is thick-skinned enough to mention it?”
She had always refused to show the least bit of weakness, especially with that argumentative and unforgiving disposition. Huo Qiu was well and truly smitten.
His usually indifferent looking eyes carried a sliver of a smile as he promptly distanced himself from her a bit.
“Then you weren’t the one who just put in a good word for Zhong Yu*?” He reached out for the dark coloured handkerchief on the desk to clean a blot of ink on the back of his hand. He then asked this question with a sharp, questionable smile in his eyes.
***钟宇- Just in case it gets confusing, that’s Concubine Zhong’s elder brother.
A chill crept up Tang Zhuo Zhuo’s back and she didn’t dare look straight into Huo Qiu’s overly incisive gaze. “It…. it wasn’t so much to put in a good word for the Zhong family’s noble son. It was just a recollection of something father once said and ended up mentioning on a whim.”
Zhong Yu was of immense help to him. She would rather not lose such a talent* if she can ensure that by saying something on a whim.
Zhong Yu was also destined to become a very high official one day, wouldn’t the Zhong family remember this favour then?
As for Zhong Yuxi…… Tang Zhuo Zhuo pursed her lips, her eyes becoming dull.
Huo Qiu watched as she complained before him of Zhong Yuxi’s lack of guilty conscience, wanting to laugh and lock her in his arms to take a good look at her.
From the day they married, never once had she bore a bright smile on her face. As the days went by, he barely remembered that she was once a person who wouldn’t stay still for even a moment. Nowadays, it was to the point where she often remained cooped in Yiqiu Palace without stepping foot out of her chamber doors for over ten days at a time.
Unfortunately, this woman, who had the ability to sway his heart left and right so simply, had him neither in her heart nor eyes.
The index finger of Huo Qiu’s left hand twitched from behind his back. His heart became turbulent like the rolling billows, quite unlike his tranquil and unaffected appearance.
“How is it that I once heard the minister* stand at the courtyard entrance decry every Zhong family member as hypocritical and unfit to appear in public?”
***尚书- minister, I’m guessing is her father…
Tang Zhuo Zhuo looked up at him as her body stilled. Her face slowly flushed red though she remained calmly dignified in her response, “Then this lowly consort must have remembered wrongly.”
No matter how she thought about it, it must have been the result of a father who loved to blurt such blunt words when inebriated.
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