Chapter 196: The Aftermath
Translator: Antonia
Stunned for a moment, Mo Qianxue whispered, “You know, Shaoqing? I missed you so much last night. You didn’t come to see me. I was so worried about you…” Her voice was as light as a secret blow of night wind, passing through the empty valley and disappearing before you noticed.
However, Ning Shaoqing managed to grab this ghost of night wind within his palms. He reached out to smooth her hair and, thinking of the fact that she had stayed in jail for the whole last night, suddenly felt miserably, “Don’t worry. I’m here. No one dares to bully you anymore.”
After going back, he would severely punish Ghost and the other guards. From now on, whenever and wherever, he wouldn’t forgive them for holding up Mo Qianxue’s news.
There was deep love in the bottom of his eyes. His voice got lower, rustling like pen-point rubbing against paper. He said that casually, but Mo Qianxue was violently touched, with an unstoppable surge of love going off in her heart, which drowned her and deprived her of reason.
She immediately put her arms around his neck, the first time that she kissed him so passionately on her own initiative.
The two indulged themselves in kissing, as master Ning’s luxurious carriage moving slowly on the street.
When Mo Qianxue almost lost her breath, Ning Shaoqing released her and pecked a kiss on her forehead, “Xuexue, I was so scared too.”
“Of what?”
“I feared you might fall in love with Su Qi when I’m not around; I feared you might always think of Tong Zijing; and I feared you would suddenly behave strange like last time and go back with Feng Yuchen; I feared you kept away from me again…”
Ning Shaoqing’s voice murmured at her ear, languidly, like a beautiful piece of music, carrying warmth puffing on Mo Qianxue’s ear.
Mo Qianxue rubbed her head against his shoulders, surrounded her arms around his waist and felt the heat of his body from beneath the dark-blue brocade clothes.
She realized that he was still Mr. Ning the vinegar jar in the Wang village.
Yet, she was a little surprised that a man like him should fear that she might not love him and that he felt so insecure.
Sweetness and warmth overflowing her eyes into her throat, she teased, “You’re such a fool.”
“Yes, I’m a fool. Your fool forever. Do you want this fool?” Ning Shaoqing tucked her scattered hair to the back of her eyes and then held her face with both hands. It was dreamy.
“Xue, do you know that I seldom slept when you were not around me? Once, I finally fell asleep and I dreamed of you at once. I dreamed that you were hugging me, that we got married and had a lot of children, the elders one in your arms and the second in mine…”
He narrated like this, in a softest voice, with something tumbling in the depth of his eyes, something that almost burst out but was finally suppressed down.
“Xue, do you know that when I woke up, I even didn’t dare to move, fearing that the dream couldn’t continue if I moved a little?”
The words were earnest with love deep as ocean, something that couldn’t be fabricated unless it had really happened.
Mo Qianxue felt bitter, tears brimming her eyes, but she didn’t want their rare meeting to be so sorrowful, so she pinched him with fingers, “A beautiful dream, huh? And you always think of me as a pig that always gives birth to a bunch of piglets…”
Ning Shaoqing pursed lips and accused, “Ouch…Xue, you’re killing your husband.”
Mo Qianxue was clear of her strength and rolled eyes at Ning Shaoqing, laughing lightly, “At most, it’s killing master Ning. You’re not my husband yet…”
The slightly slanting eyes were still wet with tears which now turned into affection and charm tickling Ning Shaoqing’s heart. He hugged her harder as punishment, “I’m not your husband yet? Mo Qianxue, listen, you’re mine for this life. Not only this life, but the next and forever…”
Mo Qianxue looked at in amusement, but the childish declaration seemed to soak her heart in honey, “I told you last time that Su Qi is a friend and Tong Zijing is my brother…”
“Dare you mention them again…”
The next moment, his lips were blocked again.
Ghost, outside, flushing, had to drive the carriage further slower and it almost stopped.
**
Princess Yuhe had been pulling a face since she walked out of her mother’s Kunning Palace.
Reaching the imperial garden, she had no mood to enjoy the beautiful scenery as usual.
What was the Empress? A woman who was crowned in the fight in the inner mansion of the Xie family and then outperformed all other women in the imperial palace. As soon as Princess Yuhe shifted the topic to Ning Shaoqing, she discovered her intention and reprimanded her.
Princess Yuhe was now upset, walked in the imperial garden and sat down in a pavilion. Mother’s words were unpleasant but made sense. An honorable lady would marry until fifteen years old, while princesses mostly married at the age of eighteen.
There were princesses who got married at fifteen but they were uncherished ones whose mothers ranked low. Usually the marriages were out of gaining support from important officials.
This year she turned thirteen, so it was over one year off when she was able to marry someone. But none of the three super families would want the daughter of the Emperor as wife.
Hence, whatever her attitude was, Ning Shaoqing would never marry her as his wife.
In fact, she knew it well, but she still tired.
However, whether she would become madam Ning or no matter who did, she wouldn’t allow this person to be Mo Qianxue—a bitch who had dropped such a disgrace on her.
She was going to think it over…
**
A lot happened in this night.
Something huge happened in the imperial palace. The Emperor who rarely went to the Kunning Palace visited the Empress.
What was rarer was that he stayed for dinner. Yet, the Empress accidentally offended the Emperor by pouring a bowl of juicy all over the Emperor’s robe. In rage, the Emperor announced the edict and grounded the Empress.
As soon as Princess Yuhe returned to her own palace and before she took a breath, she got the news and then took out her whip and personally lashed Bihuan until she was dying. Her mother was grounded, and she had apologized to a girl and must copy scriptures as a penalty.
In the future, she must be more careful. If anything happened again, father wouldn’t tolerate them again. She was afraid that the other women in the harem would sense it and no longer respected her and mother.
Things not only happened in the imperial palace but also in the jail of at the mayor’s office.
The prisoners who had just been thrown in earlier—Ning Shaoqin and Zhao Ergou blamed each other and started a fight. When the jailers arrived to stop them, they already beat each other to death.
The sister Zhao, scared and shocked in prison, should kill herself in the cell.
**
Ning Shaoqing didn’t go inside the Founder mansion after he sent Mo Qianxue back. He just enjoined her a few words and went back to the Ning clan, even without getting off the carriage.
After all, today was his big day and was going to take over all the affairs of the Ning clan.
Nevertheless, before he left, he assigned Ghost to her as her courtyard guard.
This was the most terrible punishment for Ghost.
Originally, he followed around master, proud and excited, because the status of the First Guard of a super family master was equal to that of the Emperor.
He was even more comfortable and enviable than the Close Imperial Guard.
The Emperor stayed in his own cage of the palace all day long, but a master travelled everywhere, without setting too many strict rules…
He happily accepted penalty such as beating and the kind, but now, being trapped in an inner courtyard dwelled by a woman, he was depressed.
However, Ghost never regretted it.
He was only afraid!
Master had said that the lost of a hair on Miss. Mo meant the peeling-off of a layer of his skin.
Master had also said that he must pass on to Miss. Mo as soon and perfect as possible the news about the Emperor, the Empress, the Princess, Mrs. Xie, Mrs. An, and whoever Miss. Mo paid attention to.
Of course, he also needed to report to master whatever happened to Miss. Mo in the first time.
If he was late or made a mistake, he, internal strength be sealed up, would be tied up and thrown to the most popular male brothel to be the top boy for a month.
Certainly, master was considerate and gave him a team of hidden guards, altogether eight people.
The former too hidden guards who had been assigned to Miss. Mo were said to be called back and sent to the Shadow Pavilion.
The result made Ghost’s hair stand on its end. All those who were estimated as incapable would be sent back to the Shadow Pavilion and receive retraining horrible as hell.
Nanny Mo had been waiting outside the palace and returned to the mansion earlier seeing lady went on master Ning’s carriage.
As soon as Mo Qianxue got back, nanny Mo began to personally serve her in changing clothes and bathing and then pressed her to bed for a good rest.
She was tired, indeed, but couldn’t fall asleep when the anger rolled in her chest.
Ghost, his sword in arms, stood cold-faced outside Snow courtyard, like a pillar.
After a brief rest on couch, Mo Qianxue suddenly came up with an idea, sprang up and asked Ghost to take her to hang around in the mansions of the Imperial Tutor and Prime Minister. Then, coming back in a good mood, she fell asleep immediately and didn’t wake up until the next noon.
Hence, early in the morning the next day, the news in the capital, apart from the Empress being grounded, the Princess copying scriptures as penalty, and those who slandered Mo Qianxue all died in an unnatural way, also included another two jokes at dinner table.
The wife of the Imperial Tutor was suddenly bewitched last night and spent the whole night trying to take off her clothes like crazy, a real shame on the mansion.
Therefore, early this morning, the old madam ordered her granddaughter-in-law and a few concubines to set off and offer incense in the Huguo Temple.
Coincidentally, Mrs. An, wife of Prime Minister, fell into a lotus pond when she took a walk in her garden. When lifted up by others, she, soaking wet, already had difficulty breathing. It was said that she caught a severe cold and couldn’t move in bed.
These weren’t the most shocking ones.
It was said that yesterday Head Zhang of the imperial peach-blossom forest got drunk, had a fight with others for a beauty, and died after he accidentally rolled down the staircases.
The news triggered all kinds of discussion among folks…