Chapter 51: Let's Go, There's a Good Show to Watch
"Prince, don't you want to know what Mowan's heading off to do?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows in a sly look.
"I don't!" answered Ye Junqing decisively.
"It's something in complete defiance of the natural order. Don't regret missing it later." Yao Mowan lifted her brows, then let go of Ye Junqing to head towards Pure Flowers Palace. After a few seconds, Ye Junqing appeared next to Yao Mowan.
"Didn't you say you weren't coming?" asked Yao Mowan teasingly.
"This prince is worried about regretting," replied Ye Junqing unwillingly. Yao Mowan laughed softly. The sight of her smile was as beautiful as peach blossoms in the autumn wind. As her hair was lifted by the breeze, her unique fragrance seemed to surrounded Ye Junqing. He felt his heart fill with countless ripples and the emotions that he had hidden deep in his heart stirred.
By the time Yao Mowan pulled Ye Junqing over to sit down at the table outside the window of Pure Flowers Palace, Ye Junqing's facial color was very dark.
"By 'in complete defiance of the natural order,' you mean to just eavesdrop on other people? How is this in complete defiance of the natural order at all?" Ye Junqing felt like he was already starting to regret things.
"Shhh. Mowan guarantees that Prince won't be disappointed, so just listen." Yao Mowan indicated for Ye Junqing to be quiet, then turned to focus on listening.
Duan Zirou's sudden appearance surprised Yao Suluan a little. Although she knew that there was no impenetrable wall in the world, she still hadn't expected for Duan Zirou to find out this quickly.
"Princess, don't you know to curtsy upon seeing Her Highness?" When Duan Zirou stopped in the very center of the room with a cold expression, Ming Yu walked up to remind her.
"Zirou wishes to talk privately with Consort Li about something." Duan Zirou's expression was like ice and there was no trace of warmth in her tone, much less any trace of respect. Upon hearing this, Ming Yu looked towards Yao Suluan.
"This consort feels that there's no need. Ming Yu, see Luminescent Princess out." Yao Suluan gave a cold humph. It seemed that a good chance to test Ye Zixiao had come. If he really could kill Duan Zirou, then that meant that she didn't pick the wrong person.
"Since Consort Li doesn't wish to listen, then it seems that Zirou has no choice but to visit His Majesty instead!" said Duan Zirou indifferently as she turned to leave. However, Yao Suluan now stopped her.
"Ming Yu, guard the doors!" Yao Suluan's eyes darkened as she got up and slowly approached Duan Zirou.
"If Luminescent Princess has something to say, please say it quickly. This consort's time is very precious." As Yao Suluan sized Duan Zirou up from close range, her confidence faded a little.
Although the woman in front of her wasn't wearing any makeup, her looks were still captivating enough to topple a city. Her brows were like brush strokes, her eyes were bright and clear as a jade lake, and with her jasper nose and pink lips, she was the model of the word beauty. However, when she saw the knife wound on Duan Zirou's neck that extended deep below her collar, her confidence surged up again. After all, which man didn't want the woman beneath them to have perfectly fair, flawless skin?
"Zirou only wants to warn Consort Li that some boundaries, once crossed, can never be taken back! Zirou hopes that Consort Li will be sensible and turn back," said Duan Zirou coldly.
"Ha! This consort didn't really understand, please speak more clearly," said Yao Suluan with a provoking expression.
"Alright, then Zirou will get straight to the point. Zirou hopes that Consort Li will stop meeting with Zixiao. Otherwise, if this matter spreads, both you and Zixiao must face the crime of deceiving the monarch!" The night she left the palace, her suspicions that Ye Zixiao and Yao Suluan were having an affair were confirmed.
She didn't know how she survived that night. There had been no way for her to vent her feelings except for to cry. She had thought about making this news public so that Ye Zixiao and Yao Suluan would face the public's scorn and contempt, but after a night struggling with herself, she got rid of that crazy idea.
They had already been married for such a long time. They had been in love for over a dozen years, since they were children, and had gone through countless trials together. There was no way she could bring herself to destroy this man with her own hands. Hence, after silently considering things for three days, she decided to visit Yao Suluan alone.
"Did Luminescent Princess see this consort meet with Luminescent Prince? Let's set aside the fact that you haven't and say that you have. Even if you saw with your own eyes, it's still not this consort's problem! Ye Zixiao has his own feet. If he didn't want to come, he wouldn't be here even if this consort pressed a knife against his neck. In reality, you shouldn't be here bothering me. As the luminescent princess, you didn't have the ability to make your own man stay with you, so the problem lies with you. What does it have to do with this consort?" Yao Suluan sneered as she stared at the scar on Duan Zirou's neck with an expression of contempt.
"Consort Li, watch yourself!" Duan Zirou never imagined that Yao Suluan would say such coarse, rude things and became indignant.
"Watch myself? The one that needs to watch herself is you, Duan Zirou! Who do you think you are? You're nothing but a little princess, but you actually dare to come to this consort's place to cause a ruckus?" Yao Suluan glowered at Duan Zirou, then leisurely walked back to the chaise lounge to sit down.
"Consort Li, how can you be so shameless! As a consort of His Majesty, it's a complete offense of public morals for you to do this, but you're actually trying to twist things around! You seriously don't know shame!" Duan Zirou turned around indignantly and glared at Yao Suluan. She thought that as a daughter of the Yao Residence, Yao Suluan would cry in shame when such an ugly matter was expose and beg her not to reveal this matter, but Yao Suluan had actually reacted so overbearingly as if she was completely in the right.
"This consort will warn you to be careful with your words. Don't know shame isn't a phrase that should be used to describe people that sincerely care for each other," said Yao Suluan calmly.
"The one Zixiao loves is me! How could he possibly care about you!" Duan Zirou walked towards Yao Suluan angrily even as tears whirled in her eyes.
"Luminescent Princess, things have already gotten to this point, so are you still going to keep lying to yourself? If Ye Zixiao loved you, he wouldn't risk this heavy crime to visit this consort. It's only because he loves this consort too much, that's why he can't stop himself. However, this consort doesn't regret anything. It's only after being together with Zixiao that this consort finally found out what love tender and soft as water meant." Yao Suluan leisurely lifted her painted nails to admire the color as she spoke. Every single sentence she spoke seemed to stab Duan Zirou's heart like a blade.
"Yao Suluan! You're intolerable! Zirou will be reporting this to His Majesty right now!" Duan Zirou's eyes were filled with anger as she turned to leave.
"Then go! At that time, it won't just be this consort that faces repercussions, Ye Zixiao will too! The crime of having an affair with a woman of the inner palace is enough for His Majesty to have him executed!" Yao Suluan got up with a cold laugh and walked over to Duan Zirou slowly.
"He betrayed me, so he deserves it!" said Duan Zirou firmly. She forced herself to hold back her tears, but she couldn't bring herself to continue walking.
"The rumors all say that Luminescent Princess's love for Luminescent Prince is deeper than the four seas, but it seems that this isn't really the case. You can't tolerate him just because he did something that all the men in the world do? Luminescent Princess's oath of undying love is sure cheap." Yao Suluan took in Duan Zirou's pale face, then her heart hardened.
"All the men in the world can do it, but he's the only one that can't!" Duan Zirou's eyes were hazy with tears and her voice was filled with grief and resentment.
"Isn't Luminescent Prince also a man? Everyone has a heart that loves beauty. All else aside, just based on that disgusting scar on your neck, it's obvious that Luminescent Prince definitely dislike lying on the bed next to you," said Yao Suluan with a sneer.
"You!" Still, Duan Zirou forced herself not to let her tears fall as she moved to storm out of the palace.
"Ling Yun! Stop the luminescent princess!" shouted Yao Suluan when she saw that Duan Zirou had made her choice. Almost simultaneously, Ling Yun appeared in front of Duan Zirou with a conflicted and helpless expression.
__________
Credits: Translated by Chiyomira
[Chiyomira's Corner]
Enjoy~
Announcements~
Lol, this is pretty late, but when I first finally got this site going, I was going to give a warning to Celestial fans not to use the $1 pledge to read ahead, because it ends on an awful cliffhanger. I… forgot.