Chapter 25: The Superior One Bows His Head
Chu Yi was pushed to the ground, and a wave of pain spread up from his tailbone. He continued, “Your Majesty is naturally unwilling to kill me. Am I not the best excuse for you to block the ministers’ remonstrances to take consorts? When you’re bored, you can go to my Jingyang Palace to find some amusement… to create the image of me as your favored consort. At the banquet a few days ago, you used my dual identity as Prince Regent and favored consort to refuse all the beauties presented…
Such a useful pawn. It would be a pity to discard it so easily. What does Your Majesty think?”
Sheng Qianheng had already strode to the door. He gave it a hard push, and the wooden door creaked open. The already old door hinges made a piercing sound under the sudden force, like a prelude to the anger raging in both of them.
Chu Yi’s words were like silver needles, piercing his heart. He looked back at Chu Yi, who was still sitting on the floor, and said, “Chu Yi, are you not going to act with Zhen anymore?”
Chu Yi’s eyes stung. He rubbed them several times before realizing he was crying. “Since you don’t believe me, what kind of answer do you expect to get by asking these questions?”
Without looking back, Sheng Qianheng strode out the door. He pulled the door shut forcefully, and it slammed into the frame with a loud “bang,” shaking the dust from the frame.
The sound echoed in the quiet room. Chu Yi’s body trembled slightly. He raised his sleeve to wipe away his tears. Then he slowly stood up, sat back on the bed, and looked at the closed wooden door, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face.
What was wrong with him? He had been acting for more than two months. Why couldn’t he continue acting today? He could have just hugged Sheng Qianheng and said a few more coquettish words to get by, but a momentary loss of control had led to this situation…
Chu Yi didn’t know how long he had been sitting there in a daze. It wasn’t until his feet grew cold that he came back to his senses.
He called out, “Lianfang? Lianfang?”
Only then did Lianfang enter the room. “Madam, what are your… instructions?”
In the flickering candlelight, Lianfang could vaguely see that Chu Yi’s fingertips were stained with blood. She immediately squatted in front of him. “Madam, what happened to your hand?”
Chu Yi looked down and only then noticed the pain in his fingertips. He shook his head slightly. “Where did Sheng Qianheng go?”
Lianfang replied in a low voice, “The young master has booked another room… He told Lianfang to serve you well and help you rest…”
Chu Yi let Lianfang clean the wound on his hand, silently suppressing the anger in his heart, and began to think about how to salvage the current situation.
But in a moment, he thought, who could he tell his grievances to? And how could he relieve them? Chu Yi laughed at himself. He had originally thought that he only needed to please the tyrant, but in the end, he couldn’t play the role of the favored consort all the time.
He was Chu Yi, not some Consort Hui…
It seemed he had to escape from Sheng Qianheng as soon as possible.
Chu Yi asked Lianfang, “How are the tasks I assigned you these past few days?”
Lianfang stood up, leaned close to Chu Yi’s ear, and whispered what she had found out over the past few days.
Chu Yi: “Good. Everything will proceed as planned.”
That night, both Chu Yi and Sheng Qianheng had a sleepless night.
Sheng Qianheng had booked another room but tossed and turned on the bed all night.
The next morning, the head eunuch saw the dark circles under Sheng Qianheng’s eyes and couldn’t help but worry. “Did the young master and madam have a quarrel?”
Sheng Qianheng didn’t answer.
The head eunuch had heard their argument clearly from outside the room. Seeing Sheng Qianheng’s furrowed brow, he slowly spoke, “Young master, may this servant say a few words?”
Sheng Qianheng nodded.
The head eunuch continued, “Everything madam said was indeed your calculation. If I were in madam’s position, this servant would be just as angry. Her own husband married her to shut others’ mouths. And you often test her to see if she’s keeping a lover. Anyone would be angry. Moreover, madam is a smart person. He must have seen through your thoughts from the very beginning, but he endured it until today before venting… It’s inevitable for couples to quarrel. Young master should also try to see things from madam’s perspective…”
Sheng Qianheng was not an unreasonable person, but he couldn’t stand Chu Yi protecting that Jiang Xinrui in every matter. Chu Yi was his wife, not Jiang Xinrui’s wife.
The head eunuch: “Vice Minister Jiang has indeed tried to find madam, but madam has never responded. Even when Vice Minister Jiang disguised himself as a physician to get close, or when he wanted to help madam leave yesterday, madam stood firmly by the young master’s side… Young master, can’t you see it yet?”
Sheng Qianheng gestured for the head eunuch to withdraw. He pondered alone for a long time…
Chu Yi was still unwilling to go back to playing the role of Consort Hui. He acted as if Sheng Qianheng didn’t exist and wandered around the capital with only Moshu.
But every time he saw the secret guards disguised as merchants protecting him in the streets, Chu Yi couldn’t help but think of Sheng Qianheng.
He deliberately went into the Flower-Filled Pavilion with Moshu to lure Sheng Qianheng out. Chu Yi felt his wrist being grabbed and was pulled back a few steps.
He turned around and was about to slap the assailant, but Sheng Qianheng dodged.
Although Chu Yi knew it must be Sheng Qianheng, he hadn’t seen him for two days, and he seemed to have become much more haggard. A look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
He tried to break free from Sheng Qianheng’s hand. “Let go of me.”
Sheng Qianheng could only pull Chu Yi straight into his embrace. He hesitated for a long time before speaking, “Chu Yi, come back with me…”
Chu Yi had thought that Sheng Qianheng would pretend that nothing had happened and continue to act with him. He never expected him to take the initiative to lower himself and seek reconciliation.
“What did you say?”
Sheng Qianheng buried his head in Chu Yi’s shoulder and said in a muffled voice, “I said I shouldn’t have been petty with Jiang Xinrui. I am your husband…”
The corner of Chu Yi’s lip twitched. So he knows his position as the main wife now? Why did he suddenly run over to tell me this?
“It’s improper to be hugging in the street… Let go of me.”
Sheng Qianheng was unwilling. These past few days, he had asked the head eunuch if Chu Yi had come to look for him, and the answer was no. He thought Chu Yi must have been really angered by him.
He just couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild whenever it came to matters concerning Jiang Xinrui and Chu Yi. He didn’t know why…
These past few days, he had been thinking back to the night of their argument when Chu Yi had cried nonstop. It was truly wrong of him to have stormed out. Chu Yi must have cried because he respected and loved him, yet he had only been concerned with competing with Jiang Xinrui.
Hearing Chu Yi’s emotionless words, he asked, “Are you still angry?”
Chu Yi’s anger had long since dissipated. He just hadn’t figured out how to continue the act. Since Sheng Qianheng had given him a way out, he might as well take it.
“How could I not be angry?”
After being reminded by Moshu, the two of them released each other and returned to the inn.
Sheng Qianheng held Chu Yi’s hand all the way and refused to let go, as if he was afraid he would run away.
Just as Chu Yi was pushed into the room by Sheng Qianheng, he lost control of his body in the next moment.
The instant the hot breath fanned across the side of his neck, Chu Yi froze in place.
