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墨書 Inktalez
Tang Zisu gave Liu Yang a good person card and casually mentioned that she was running away with the ball. This green hat really doesn't suit a public figure like you, does it? It's impossible for us, but if you don't mind, we can be friends. I can eat and drink for free; how does that sound?
Indeed, after Tang Zisu finished speaking, Liu Yang's eyes lingered on her abdomen, furrowing his brows for quite a while. It was so long that Tang Zisu thought he might just slap her out of the carriage and say goodbye. Suddenly, he looked up, clapped his hands, and laughed heartily. His exaggerated demeanor scared Tang Zisu so much that she trembled all over. He leaned forward, cornering Tang Zisu, pressing his hands on her shoulders. Tang Zisu stammered, "What do you want to do?"
In the corner, the Chubby Cat suddenly sensed Tang Zisu's fear. It meowed and jumped onto Liu Yang's shoulder, arching its back, fluffing up its fur, and extending its claws to scratch Liu Yang's cheek. However, it was no longer the imposing Strange Beast Mafu; Liu Yang easily swatted it aside. The cat's round little body spun like a ball and bumped into the leg of the small table in the carriage, fainting.
At this moment, Tang Zisu couldn't care less about the little cat. She secretly gritted her teeth and clenched her palms: If you dare to do anything to me, I'll roast you! But I wonder if this fire will still work after getting hurt.
Liu Yang continued with an expression full of excitement. He shook Tang Zisu's shoulders vigorously as if he might shake the baby in her belly out: "Wife, this is fantastic! I get to be a dad without any effort—marrying big and getting small! This is a stroke of good luck from heaven! Hahaha!"
What was with this three-part laugh? Could it be that this prince really came from some mental hospital?
Tang Zisu awkwardly asked, "Are you okay, Your Highness?"
"I'm great! Just thinking about it makes me excited! Do you think it's a boy or a girl? If it's a boy, I'll take him to shoot arrows and ride horses; if it's a girl, you'll teach her to write and embroider. By the way, what should we name the child? Let me think... if it's a boy, we'll call him Liu Han; if it's a girl, we'll call her Liu Ying. This is wonderful! I'm finally going to have a child!"
Although Tang Zisu couldn't bring herself to love him with all his sweating and excitement, she felt somewhat touched inside. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad idea after all; it wouldn't be forever. At least the child would have a father—a tall, rich, handsome one—who would eventually be part of the second generation of wealth and power.
Tang Zisu gently pushed him away: "Your Highness, let me think about it." However, Huaiyang Wang's greatest talent was talking to himself. So throughout the journey, he rambled on energetically about preparing the nursery, which guests to invite for the wedding, and needing to go to the palace to meet the emperor...
The next day, Liu Yang indeed entered the palace to request an imperial decree for marriage. The emperor personally granted their union, and they were set to hold their grand wedding in ten days.
Outside, snow had been falling for an entire day, creating a vast white landscape. A plum branch stretched over from outside and swayed gracefully against the gauzy window.
The well-rested little cat Horse Abdomen nimbly leaped onto her lap. It purred contentedly while rubbing its chubby head against Tang Zisu's hand, strongly demanding some scratches.
Tang Zisu stroked its fur, her hand reaching to scratch the layers of fat under its chin. Horse Abdomen comfortably closed its eyes, looking like a lord waiting to be served.
Tang Zisu chuckled, "You've become quite charming as a cat."
The little kitten raised its chin and shook its whiskers, saying, "Let's leave once the snow stops!"
Tang Zisu paused her movements, asking, "Leave? Where to?"
The little kitten's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you really want to stay and marry this flamboyant prince?"
Tang Zisu laughed. "Flamboyant? Where did you learn that new word?"
"I learned it from you. Isn't someone who wears embroidered butterfly clothes flamboyant? Are you leaving or not?"
Tang Zisu held the little kitten's chin with one hand and replied, "Where can I go? I'm a woman carrying a child, without any money, and I have you, a gluttonous little kitten. How would we survive out there?"
The little kitten sat upright on Tang Zisu's lap, looking very serious. "That's just an excuse. If you expect to rely on this man to heal the wounds that man caused you, that's too naive."
Tang Zisu playfully pinched the little kitten, which let out a small meow and jumped to another chair to stare back at her.
Tang Zisu sighed lightly in defeat. "I don't; you're overthinking it."
Ever since Horse Abdomen turned into a cat, although it still had that lifeless face, its intelligence had clearly increased. It spoke more fluently now. Tang Zisu found it strange; when Horse Abdomen was human, it was dumber than an animal, but as an animal, it was smarter than a human. She couldn't understand the logic behind it.
Tang Zisu then spoke seriously to Horse Abdomen. "Listen, I'm doing this for all of us. It's freezing outside; where can we go? Let's stay here for a while."
Horse Abdomen snorted coldly, "What about the wedding in ten days? Are you really going to let the child take the Liu surname? Master, if Liu Yang were a good person, that would be one thing, but he definitely has ulterior motives and is ambitious."
"You’re at it again. I have nothing left except for the child in my belly. What could he possibly want from me? As a prince, what kind of beautiful women hasn’t he seen? Why would he be infatuated with me? Besides, he’s just a somewhat foolish idle prince; don’t speak so badly of him."
Horse Abdomen really wanted to go over and give this Silly Goose a good knock. "An idle prince? Haven't you seen how many experts are in his residence, all arranged in a formidable manner? Liu Yang is also a hidden master; you can't even keep up with his cunning. Don’t let him fool you."
Tang Zisu looked deeply at Horse Abdomen, her gaze intense. If it weren't for the layer of cat fur covering her, Horse Abdomen felt she would definitely be blushing. Tang Zisu said softly, "Are you saying he’s pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger? That can’t be right; what does a prince have to do with me?"
"You can even get involved with Peacock King, so why not with a mere prince?" Horse Abdomen’s sarcastic words hurt Tang Zisu. She lowered her head, her long eyelashes hiding the sorrow in her eyes, but the sadness inside her couldn’t be contained, seeping out through her pores and coloring the air with loneliness.
Horse Abdomen felt quite distressed. After pausing for a moment, she said softly, "Are you still feeling sad?"
Tang Zisu smiled, though it looked worse than crying. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you believe me if I say I'm not sad? Forget it; I won’t discuss feelings with a cat. How about we sneak into the prince's residence tonight and see what tricks Liu Yang is up to?"
"Tricks?" Horse Abdomen looked at Tang Zisu in confusion. Don’t keep bringing up cats; I feel like I’m being targeted here.
That night, Tang Zisu and the cat stealthily slipped out of the house.
However, after taking just two steps, a black-clad Assassin quietly blocked her path: "Princess, it's snowing heavily and the road is slippery; you should go back and rest."
Tang Zisu pouted unhappily. Just as she was about to turn around, she suddenly smiled brightly: "I want to see the prince; where is he?"
The Assassin stopped her: "Princess, the prince is receiving guests and there are important matters at hand."
Tang Zisu immediately put on a jealous expression typical of a legitimate princess: "Are you kidding me? Who would come to see him at this hour? I bet they’ll end up on his bed before long."
Assassin was surprised: Oh no, there's a killing intent. This princess has quite the jealousy; it seems she wants to have a late-night rendezvous with the prince!
"Are you taking me or not? If you don't, I'll tell the prince that you bullied me and mistreated my cat."
Assassin's face looked like a bitter melon as he glared at Fat Cat on the ground, thinking, "Do I owe you money?"
The little cat squinted with a face full of grievances, thinking, "You’re dragging me into this too? It seems we really can't play happily anymore!"
Under Tang Zisu's persistent persuasion, Assassin took her to the study and quickly retreated. A couple fighting is too terrifying; he definitely didn't want to be cannon fodder.
Tang Zisu pressed against the door, looking just like a jealous little mistress. Horse Abdomen coldly stared at her, thinking, "Do you really have to be so realistic? I feel like your eyeballs are about to pop out."
Inside, two men were talking; one was Liu Yang, and the other sounded very familiar to Tang Zisu, but she couldn't recall who it was. She nearly pressed her ear against the door.
The conversation inside ceased, gradually replaced by gasping sounds, accompanied by the man's *!!!!
Suddenly, Tang Zisu felt she had grasped an important clue. No wonder Liu Yang wanted to marry her; no wonder he wanted their child to carry the Liu surname. So! He! Is! A! Lame! Man!
Excitement surged through Tang Zisu, this was huge gossip.
Horse Abdomen looked at her with confusion, silently asking if she was okay.
Of course she was fine, in fact, she was better than ever. She winked at Horse Abdomen, thinking that man's *moment is worth a thousand gold pieces; it must not be disturbed.
Just as she prepared to leave, the door creaked open. Liu Yang, wearing a robe, opened the door and looked at Tang Zisu in surprise. "Wife, why aren't you asleep so late?"
Liu Yang's chest was impressive, but what stood out even more were the faint purple marks on it. Tang Zisu leaned over his shoulder to look inside the room, having just heard that Liu Yang was the one below. She was curious about who was pressing him down.
Inside the room stood a man in a blue robe, poised and elegant, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, truly a handsome man. However, when Tang Zisu saw him, her eyes turned red in an instant. It was you, Dongfang Muze.
Dongfang Muze was not surprised to see Tang Zisu. He rose gracefully and slightly bowed, saying, "Greetings, Princess."
Tang Zisu's hand gripped Liu Yang's clothing, nearly tearing it off. Her fingers felt cold and her eyes blazed with fury. "Dongfang Muze, you bastard, I will kill you."
Liu Yang was taken aback. He held Tang Zisu and said, "Wife, don't be anxious. Mr. Dongfang and I are not in the kind of relationship you think."
Tang Zisu stomped her feet in Liu Yang's embrace. "I don't care what your relationship is; I want to kill that despicable person who only knows how to frame others."
Dongfang Muze held a cup of fragrant tea and smiled as if basking in spring sunshine. "Princess, I am honored to be welcomed in such a special way by an old acquaintance."
Liu Yang suddenly felt something was off. He asked, "Wife, could he be that heartless man?"
Damn it, Liu Yang! Are you thinking outside the box? How could someone as distinguished as Tang Zisu possibly be interested in this despicable scoundrel?
Sure enough, Tang Zisu gritted her teeth and said, "He doesn't deserve it. He is my enemy—an irreconcilable enemy."
Dongfang Muze smiled and said, "Princess, why do you say that? It must be a misunderstanding."
Misunderstanding my foot! The pain of being skinned alive in Infinite Cave still haunts me in my dreams.
There were some things Tang Zisu didn't want Liu Yang to know, so she said, "Dongfang Muze, I didn't expect you to be the prince's lover. Today we will settle both old and new scores."
Liu Yang felt an overwhelming sense of joy. "Wife, are you jealous? Don't worry, I'm only interested in women; I have no inappropriate thoughts about Mr. Dongfang."
What a pitiful guy!
Tang Zisu seized the opportunity to act dramatically, leaving Horse Abdomen stunned. This woman was indeed a great actress; her performance was truly moving!
With all the commotion, everyone in the Wang residence came out. Liu Yang had to coax and persuade Tang Zisu back to her room. After a long while, he finally left when the sky began to brighten. As soon as he was far away, Tang Zisu sprang up from the couch and said to Horse Abdomen, who was curled up by the heater, "You were right; Liu Yang really has issues!"
Horse Abdomen snorted, too lazy to respond to this newly crowned diva, elegantly licking its paws.
Tang Zisu poked its round belly. "The wound is healing well. I'm talking to you; why are you ignoring me?"
Horse Abdomen slowly replied, "That Dongfang is very dangerous."
"Yes, he's quite formidable and very cunning." Tang Zisu then recounted her troubles with Dongfang Muze to Horse Abdomen, adding at the end, "He's really hard to deal with, but I'm not afraid of him. I must find out why he wants to harm me."
"What I mean is that he is truly dangerous. I think your being here might be part of his trap. We should escape as soon as possible, foolish master."
Tang Zisu shook her head. "We absolutely cannot leave; I can't carry the burden of murder on my conscience."
Horse Abdomen sighed and curled up to sleep. If this woman wanted to court disaster, it could only accompany her; after all, she was its master.
The next day, the weather cleared up, and the bright sun illuminated the freshly fallen snow and cold plum blossoms, creating a breathtaking scene.
Liu Yang cheerfully entered Tang Zisu's room holding a large vase with a single plum blossom in it. He brushed off the snow from his clothes and said, "Wife, it's a nice day today; let me take you out for a stroll."
Tang Zisu was particularly unwilling: "Your Highness, you should stay busy. I can go with Manju."
Liu Yang stroked the little cat's fur, and sure enough, it provoked Horse Abdomen to puff up and bare its teeth. Liu Yang asked, "Wife, why does your cat have such a strange name? Shouldn't cats be called Little Flower or Little Yellow?"
Tang Zisu picked up Horse Abdomen, proudly raising her chin: "I can name my cat whatever I like. If I named it Liu Yang, would you have any objections?"
Liu Yang laughed heartily: "Wife can call it whatever she wants. If you keep mentioning my name every day, I can only think that you really like me."
He had never seen someone so self-absorbed; could they not be narcissistic?
The two of them and the cat sat in the carriage as they headed out. As soon as they left the palace gate, Tang Zisu lifted the curtain to look outside. Although she was used to the hustle and bustle of the big city, this place was truly a paradise compared to Peacock Valley and the Demon Realm. The streets were lively with people coming and going.
Liu Yang held her hand that was lifting the curtain and breathed on it softly. His Peach Blossom Eyes were filled with the clarity of snow and the fragrance of plum blossoms, creating a mesmerizing effect. Tang Zisu blushed and recalled a line of poetry: "The Bright Moon Over the Vast Sea, Pearls Like Dew," which seemed fitting.
To cover up her embarrassment, Tang Zisu withdrew her hand. Half of her face was exposed to the cold wind carrying remnants of snow, making her cheeks feel hot. She secretly scolded herself for not being calm and imposing enough; she felt like she couldn't hold back.
The bustling crowd outside was lively; it had been a long time since Tang Zisu had seen so many people, especially those dressed in ancient costumes like in a play. She became completely absorbed in watching them.
Suddenly, a man and woman caught Tang Zisu's eye. She opened her mouth to call out but quickly closed it again, pretending to cough loudly.
Liu Yang lowered the curtain and covered Tang Zisu with a blanket, gently saying, "It's still cold outside; be careful not to catch a chill."
Tang Zisu rolled her eyes and grabbed Liu Yang's sleeve: "Stop the carriage; I need to relieve myself."
Liu Yang sighed; this was truly a case of a lazy donkey taking too long to do its business. He instructed someone to stop the carriage and looked around until he spotted a fabric shop. He whispered a few words to Assassin, who then entered the shop to negotiate with the Boss. Meanwhile, Tang Zisu anxiously said, "Do I really need to bathe and burn incense just to use the toilet? I can't hold it much longer."
Liu Yang reached out to help her down, but she jumped down by herself. "What does it matter to you if I go to the Toilet? Just wait." Tang Zisu hurriedly ran off, holding her light blue dress trimmed with white fox fur. Her pet also jumped down from the carriage to follow her. Liu Yang frowned, resting his chin on his hand. "This cat has to follow her just to go to the Toilet? I'll see when she comes back whether it's male or female."
However, Tang Zisu did not enter the fabric shop; instead, she went straight to the nearby Pastry Shop. Liu Yang furrowed his brow and instructed the Assassin, "Go check it out."
The Assassin obviously could not follow her inside, so they had to stand guard at the door of the shop, acting as sentinels for the Pastry Shop.
Tang Zisu was not mistaken; the man and woman indeed entered the shop. The girl sampled various pastries while eating and said, "This Dragon Phoenix Cake isn't as good as I thought. Why is it still sold at such a high price?"
Upon hearing that voice, Tang Zisu's heart raced. She called out, "Softy." The girl turned around, and it was indeed Softy.
"High Priestess," Softy said with tears in her eyes. "How did you end up here?"
Lang Ye, who was beside Softy, was also surprised to see Tang Zisu. He furrowed his thick brows and said, "That day I followed you and Horse Abdomen to look for you at Peacock Lake. I only saw bloodstains but couldn't find you. How did you come to the capital?"
Tang Zisu replied coldly, "What do you want with me? To see if I'm dead or to stab me again?"
Lang Ye said, "I've severed ties with him and was driven out from there."
Tang Zisu gasped but didn't know how to respond. Softy looked puzzled and asked, "What are you two talking about? Lang Ye, didn't you say High Priestess has been doing well? How did she end up in the capital?"
Lang Ye: .......
Tang Zisu said, "You can call me Tang Zisu now. This is a long story, and there are people waiting for me outside. Why don't you both come back with me? I'm currently staying at Huaiyang Prince's Mansion."
"Huaiyang Prince's Mansion?" The small man who had been keeping his head down finally looked up and spoke.
“Zhang Ermao?” Tang Zisu exclaimed upon seeing them together. “How did you end up together?” It seemed that a lot had happened, and they really needed to gather and discuss it in detail.
Zhang Ermao said to Lang Ye: “Let’s go; staying here is an opportunity.”
Suddenly, Tang Zisu found Zhang Ermao unfamiliar, not only was he no longer stuttering, but he also exuded an imposing presence, almost regal.
Lang Ye replied, “Alright, if you think it’s convenient, Tang Zisu, we can go. Actually, it’s not just us; Little Fish and Jumping are coming too.”
There were indeed quite a few people. Tang Zisu thought for a moment and said, “Do you know who is in the Wang residence? Dongfang Muze. I have no problem with anyone else, but I’m worried that if Lang Ye goes, it might raise his suspicions. How about we make you a little more inconspicuous and turn you into a dog?”
Lang Ye scoffed and turned his head wildly, indicating his disagreement. Softy gently shook his hand: “Lang Ye, why don’t you just stay away from us?”
With another scoff, Lang Ye spun around and indeed transformed into a dog. However, it was not the majestic form of the Wolf King, but rather a small black puppy that looked like it had just been weaned—adorably cute.
Tang Zisu chuckled: “Lang Ye, you’re so cute! Come here for a hug.”
Softy, startled, quickly picked up Lang Ye: “Tang Zisu, he’s already made such a sacrifice; you can’t bully him.” Suddenly, Tang Zisu caught on to something. She looked at Softy, pointed at Lang Ye, and moved her two thumbs together: “You two? Hmm?”
Softy blushed at her teasing, while Lang Ye barked at Tang Zisu: “Hurry up; someone is coming in.”
“Kitty, come here; I’ve found you a companion.” Tang Zisu called out to the waiting Horse Abdomen, who nodded at Lang Ye.
Footsteps approached from outside. Lang Ye blew a puff of air at the Boss, who had just entered and was hit by a freeze spell. The Boss scratched his head, trying to remember what he was supposed to do but couldn’t recall and went off to busy himself with something else.
Meanwhile, Liu Yang, having waited outside for quite some time without seeing Tang Zisu, decided to walk in by himself.
Tang Zisu smiled as she approached, "Prince, what a coincidence! I happened to run into my friends here. They traveled a long way to the capital, and I would like them to stay at the Wangfu for a few days."
Liu Yang's seemingly indifferent gaze swept over Softy and Zhang Ermao's faces. For some reason, Zhang Ermao's eyes felt oddly familiar to him. He smiled and nodded, "Wife is the mistress of the Wangfu; she can invite whoever she wants."
"Great, thank you, Prince. There are still two at the inn, so I will have Assassin go pick them up."
Softy and Lang Ye exchanged glances in silence. When did she become the princess?
The group returned to the Wangfu, and Liu Yang arranged for everyone to settle in before heading to the palace. Tang Zisu gathered everyone in her room, and they each recounted what had happened recently. When Tang Zisu learned that Zhang Ermao was possessed by the soul of the current Emperor Liu Hui, she and her companion Horse Abdomen were stunned!
"He is the emperor? Then who is the emperor in the palace? Liu Yang goes to the palace every day!"
Liu Hui replied, "Naturally, it's the ghost occupying my body. I have been in the capital for several days now, and everyone on the streets is praising my capable cousin—Huaiyang Wang Liu Yang."
"Do you suspect he is up to something?" Tang Zisu suddenly felt that certain events might be interconnected in a significant way.
Zhang Ermao remained silent, staring at the carved window and said, "I must go to the palace; I want to see which impostor it is."
Tang Zisu furrowed her brows in thought, "I might have a way. The day after tomorrow, I need to go to the palace to thank the emperor; perhaps I can bring you along to sneak in. But what happens afterward will depend on you."
Liu Hui nodded. His gaze was deep as the sea; in truth, it didn't matter who became emperor. However, if one did not care for the people and brought disaster upon them, no matter how capable they were, they were unworthy of their position.
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