The Beloved Imperial Consort

Mu Xi Yao’s “fault” was caught by Zhong Zheng Lin and she has been fixed by him.
Thus, this day she has risen up at the hour of Wu1.
Mu Xi Yao got angry as soon as she recalled how she was half carried on his arms and shoulders to the room yesterday when they returned to the estate.

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She has kindly reminded him of Zeng Yu’s “deep affections” for him so that he would keep guard against her and won’t fall for her scheme like in the previous lifetime.
In the end, that man not only didn’t appreciate her kindness, but he also framed her for having “other concerns in her minds”.

However, when she remembered how she called him “elder cousin” in retaliation last night and how both love and hate appeared on his handsome face when he heard it, Mu Xi Yao felt she must have overachieved her goal.

As expected.
When they’ve once again gone to consort Shu’s palace to pay respect, the sixth prince’s after-effect flared up.

“Elder cousin!” With an overly sweet smile, Zeng Yu strode over and curtsied to Zhong Zheng Lin.

Zhong Zheng Lin’s expression paused for a moment.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw the little woman curl her lips up.
Sure enough, this little woman deliberately made him feel uneasy.
Nowadays, whenever he heard “elder cousin” his whole body would feel uncomfortable.
His mind was filled up with Mu Xi Yao’s provocative touches of a seductress.
His ears resonated with two words “elder cousin” which were spoken by her soft and mischievous voice that was so sultry it made man’s heart itch.
Recalling how the woman alluringly blossomed under his body like a flower bud opening its stamens, his heart stirred restlessly, unable to sit still.

“If your etiquette is not good then go back and learn it anew.” Zhong Zheng Lin began to admonish her in the presence of everyone in the palace.

In the whole palace, no one called his Highness elder cousin upon seeing him.

Consort Shu first looked at her son’s solemn expression and then at an aggrieved niece whose eyes were slightly red.
For a moment, she felt extremely helpless.
She didn’t know what was going on with this son of hers.
He wasn’t fond of Yu’er since childhood.
Many times, she told him to show tolerance and accommodate her.
Yet, it would always end up like this.

“Yu’er is only a bit young.
What she needs is only a proper education.
Don’t scare her.”

“Mother-consort, would they be lenient toward you inside the palace just because you’re young?” Zhong Zheng Lin’s words secretly pointed to/hinted something.

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Consort Shu was alarmed.
She instantly recalled how noble consort has made things difficult for her both in public and private.
Also, there was consort Chende2 who secretly put spokes on her wheel.
Now that Pin xiuyi was gone, only she and noble consort had adult princes and were in high positions in the palace.
They were currently standing on the spot where the wind and the waves were the fiercest3.
One careless move from her and probably even her son would be implicated.

Compared to her son, the weight of her niece was simply not worth mentioning.
In a blink of eyes, consort Shu has understood merits and drawbacks.
She might as well have her stay at home instead of letting a bad-mannered niece in the palace.
In the future, she will appoint her an honorable marriage and give her more dowry.
Her sister’s entrust will be then justified.

Seeing that she was going to be sent out of the palace, Zeng Yu immediately became anxious.

It was easy to leave the palace, but coming in was extremely difficult.
It was already rare for her to see a sight of the elder cousin.
If she left, how would she have the opportunities to get close to him? Moreover, nothing was wrong with her calling him an elder cousin in the past.
How come today it became such a serious matter that she even had to be driven out of the palace?

Zeng Yu inadvertently glimpsed Mu Xi Yao cover her mouth with a hand and cast Zhong Zheng Lin a meaningful glance.
She immediately came to a realization.
It turned out to be her!

Zeng Yu was so angry that blood surged into her brain. Watching the two “throwing amorous glances at each other and making eyes”, how could she endure it? She was only ten something years old girl who was being spoilt and pampered from childhood, always surrounded by people that flattered her.
Now that she has encountered such a setback, she immediately angrily shout at Mu Xi Yao.

“It’s you.
It’s all your doing, isn’t it? You’re afraid that I will snatch your favor after entering the estate.
Thus, you purposely blew wind at elder cousin’s ear4 and had him alienate me.
You even publicly seduce elder cousin and have him chastise me and send me out of the palace!”

Mu Xi Yao was startled by Zeng Yu’s abrupt accusations.
Negligent, she flipped over the teacup on the table.
Fortunately, tea was tepid and it has only dirtied her clothes.

Mu Xi Yao was secretly infuriated.
She admits to blowing wind, but what was with that seducing blatantly in public? Clearly, it was Zhong Zheng Lin who was shamelessly throwing her meaningful glances!

Consort Shu looked at Zeng Yu with a flabbergasted expression.
Such vulgar and uncultivated manners.
It wasn’t the kind of self-cultivation a noblewoman should have.
Moreover, she was an unbetrothed maiden.
What kind of madness did she speak of? If her words were heard by others, does she still want her reputation or not?”

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Infuriated, consort Shu was about to reprimand her, but Zhong Zheng Lin was faster.

“Words containing nastiness, with absolutely no virtue nor morality.
Send her back so that she can ponder over her mistakes.
If you dare to utter any filthy words ever again, don’t blame bendian for forgetting the past.” Zhong Zheng Lin ordered Wei Zhen to come in and had him take the crying and screaming Zeng Yu down.
His expression was so gloomy it was frightening.

Mu Xi Yao quickly used the excuse of changing the garments and freshening up to escape to the backroom, to avoid the mother-son feel embarrassed.

Miss Zheng, indeed, deserved to be praised for her courage.
Although it was a fit of temporary anger that made her talk irresponsibly, what she didn’t know was that each of the words she wanted to use to belittle Mu Xi Yao had poked into the sixth Highness’s secret thoughts.
It made Zhong Zheng Lin who flew into a rage out of humiliation put her into a house arrest in a disguised form.

Mu Xi Yao marveled that miss Zeng in her girlhood was truly fearless and unreasonable, even more than in the previous lifetime.
Just how long has she appeared on the scene before she found the door closed by Zhong Zheng Lin.
She ought to be able to rest a little, right?

Unfortunately, Mu Xi Yao had too nice thoughts.
Not long after, miss Zheng’s world-shaking deed will prove her “how the tenancy of a shit-stirring5 second female lead” will make her worship Zeng Yu.

Watching Zhong Zheng Lin who sat there upright with a cold and solemn expression, consort Shu sighed inwardly.
It seems that the marriage of this niece of hers will be difficult.
Before, she wanted to let Zhong Zheng Lin pull strings and pick a promising young man who was both talented and handsome to take a good look at.
Now, it looks like Zhong Zheng Lin certainly won’t be willing to do so.

Once a marriage was mentioned, consort Shu suddenly recalled Zhong Zheng Lin’s grand marriage that Yuencheng Emperor mentioned to her the day before yesterday.

“His Majesty has already ordered bengong6 to submit the candidates of your principal consort as soon as possible. It seems that his Majesty wants you to immediately get married after the capping ceremony7.
Moreover, his Majesty has said that taking this advantage he will also add some new members to each estate to make them livelier.
Do you have a principal consort candidate who’s to your liking? Mother-consort will take a look and examine that person on your behalf.”

Grand wedding? Zhong Zheng Lin’s brows slightly creased.

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Only three months were left to capping ceremony.
Selecting the principal consort now was reasonable and fair.
As for the candidate who was to his liking, the sixth Highness slowly fell into deep thoughts.

Mu Xi Yao that woman was the perfect example of eating soft food, but refusing the hard food8.
What’s more, her eating the soft food also depended on her mood.
In addition, she had a bunch of bad shortcomings.
Her biggest shortcoming was that she couldn’t bear to suffer any loss.
If anyone dared to bully her, she will likely make the other one suffer a crushing defeat.

Yet, you just couldn’t sort her out! The little woman’s thoughts were hard to fathom.
Till this day, she was unwilling to fully entrust herself to him and have him protect her.
She was petty from head to the toe, a quick-witted one.
If you were to give her an attitude, she will stay at Danruo Courtyard and ignoring you.
She will hold Cheng Qing with a face filled with content, spending every day happily.

The sixth Highness was most infuriated about this fact.
If he had known earlier that the birth of Cheng Qing would aggravate her win an inch, want a foot behavior9, he shouldn’t have let her have a child so soon.

Zhong Zheng Lin became increasingly cautious.
The future principal consort concerned the peacefulness of the inner yard and balance in the court.
After a moment, the sixth Highness raised the requirement for the principal consort candidate to consort Shu.

“Someone with good family background and of an amiable character.
Her temper should be mild, virtuous and generous.”

Consort Shu looked oddly at Zhong Zheng Lin for a whole while before nodding in approval.
The requirements of her younger son were too much in line with her own thoughts, weren’t they? This kind of temperament and self-cultivation, he didn’t resemble a young man at all.

At that time, what Zhong Zheng Yun has proposed was “someone with gorgeous looks and lithe build.
Her bearing must be elegant and she has to stand out with her talent.”

Consort Shu was very satisfied with Zhong Zheng Lin’s insight in the selection of the principal consort.
However, what she didn’t know was the sixth Highness’s thoughts were altogether a different matter.

If he didn’t feel like his requirements were too harsh, Zhong Zheng Lin would have wanted to add another one: it would be for the best if his principal consort was so virtuous that she had no personality at all.

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Translation notes: 

[1] Hour of Wu means 11 am-1 pm

[2] Consort Chende – Chen is her clan name and De is consort rank which means virtue and goodness (see link section Tang Dynasty )

|3] Where the wind and the waves were the fiercest is a Chinese idiom meaning at the heart of the struggle

[4] Blowing wind at somebody’s ear has a similar meaning to pillow talk

[5] Shit stirred is a Chinese internet slang meaning someone who makes trouble for other people, especially by making known facts that they would prefer to keep secret

[6] Bengong – “this one of the palace” is a replace of the first person pronoun “I” employed by an empress or a high-ranking consort when speaking to a person or an audience of lower rank or status

[7] Capping ceremony is a coming of age ceremony

[8] Eating soft food, but refusing the hard food is a Chinese phrase meaning one can be persuaded by reason but not be cowed by force

[9] Win an inch, want a foot is a Chinese idiom meaning not satisfied with small gains