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墨書 Inktalez
“Daring to think and act is not foolish at all,” Feng Yinxiao gently stroked her hair and said softly, “It’s just that neglecting yourself will surely lead to heartbreak. Mother-in-law and your elder brother won’t understand either, because they don’t know about the calamities faced by the Yun Clan in the last life; they only know that you have a cold heart. I don’t want you to end up ruining your reputation.”
“Feng Yinxiao, you could actually scold me a bit. Yun Kexin, haven’t you thought about what consequences this might bring you even if it succeeds? Lord Yun…” Yun Kexin stood stiffly in Feng Yinxiao's embrace, wanting to cry but unable to, feeling extremely distressed. “But you are always so calm and tolerant, silently making me feel uncomfortable. Don’t you fear that I’ll become spoiled?”
“Why would I scold you? It’s very likely that my nature is just like yours,” he tightened his embrace around her, even causing her bones to ache. “It’s because we are both people who have faced calamities and deeply understand that ‘one must be wary of others.’ But others don’t understand, so I must do everything I can to stop you.” Feng Yinxiao pulled Yun Kexin out of his arms, cupping her face with both hands and looking deeply into her eyes. “With your nature, you’ve already ‘turned back to the shore.’ Look, didn’t you rush over that night?”
Yun Kexin brushed his hands away and smiled coldly. “Nature? Feng Yinxiao, you think too highly of me. I let Yun Xiao go not because of any deep sisterly bond but simply because she is not only the daughter of the Fu Family but also surnamed Yun, a rare legitimate daughter of Father. As you said, this matter cannot be hidden forever; Father will definitely be heartbroken. Moreover…” She lowered her head, revealing the most conflicted part of her heart. “No matter in this life or the last, Yun Xiao has never wronged me or the Second House; she has even been very kind to me. I can’t do this… If there are any changes in the future, I can take countermeasures then; for now, she is still just a child.”
“See? I say one thing and you understand it all. How could I worry about spoiling you? Yun Kexin…”
Feng Yinxiao once again lifted her cheeks with both hands and saw her previously pale face gradually flush with color. Her clear eyes glistened with moisture, and her cherry-red lips trembled slightly as she exhaled Ru Lan, resembling a rose ready to bloom, enticing him to pick it. He couldn’t help but lean down and capture her lips in a passionate kiss as if trying to seize all her breath; that faint sweetness ignited an uncontrollable desire within him.
She shyly responded to his bold advances, wrapping her delicate arms around his neck, tilting her head back and standing on tiptoe to allow him to claim her lips and tongue until her breathing became rapid. Only then did he release her, staring dazedly at the blushing girl before him, wishing he could meld her into his body and indulge in her for a lifetime. However, another thought suddenly tightened his brows.
“What’s wrong, Feng Yinxiao? Are you troubled?” Yun Kexin reached out and gently stroked his forehead with her slender fingers.
Feng Yinxiao forced a smile and took her hand to kiss it near his lips. “The emperor wants to see you because you promised several conditions before; it’s time to fulfill them.” His ink-black eyes locked onto hers.
“Oh, that,” Yun Kexin replied with a faint smile as if realizing something. “Then I’ll go to the palace; Feng Yinxiao should accompany me.”
“Yun Kexin, have you considered this carefully?” He was somewhat taken aback by her straightforward response; he had thought she would hesitate or want him to help deflect it. “After what happened last time, I can’t let you meet the emperor again; it’s getting more peculiar.”
“Then what should Feng Yinxiao do? Disobeying orders is no joke,” Yun Kexin shrugged.
“You could feign illness and delay for a few days; the emperor is busy with state affairs and might quickly forget about it.” Feng Yinxiao’s eyes widened in innocence.
“That would still be deceiving the emperor. Forget it, Feng Yinxiao; this is something I promised the emperor before; it cannot be taken lightly. Besides, I’m worried about Fourth Uncle.”
Feng Yinxiao fell silent for a moment before looking at Yun Kexin again and pursing his lips. “Then be careful.”
Yun Kexin patted his head and then stroked the back of his neck as if comforting a child; it was surprisingly effective. Feng Yinxiao broke into a grin and picked up Yun Kexin horizontally as he walked toward the big bed while kissing her.
That night, they talked about many things—about their families, about children, and about the palace's affairs—also discussing what gifts would be appropriate for Yun Ke's upcoming marriage. As they chatted away, they fell asleep back-to-back. The next morning, Feng Yinxiao took Yun Kexin to pay respects at Duke of Wind's place before heading into the palace to meet the emperor. This time they were in the imperial garden admiring flowers; winter plum blossoms bloomed in white, red, yellow, and pink throughout the garden, filling the air with fragrance.
This time the emperor did not ask Feng Yinxiao to step aside but only instructed him to keep some distance behind.
“Yun Kexin regarding matters of the Fu Family, I am handling them impartially,” the emperor said as he walked alongside Yun Kexin until they stopped under a plum tree. “Don’t blame me.”
Yun Kexin thought to herself: Strange? I, Xie, couldn't catch up, yet I said, "Your Majesty, what you did is right. I, as Consort, dare not hold any resentment. The Fu Family Member colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country; they brought this upon themselves and their crimes are unforgivable."
Qin Ke examined Yun Kexin, who stood under the plum tree, and saw no signs of pretense. Upon closer inspection, he found that she had recovered so well, completely unlike a woman who had just given birth. Aside from her changed hairstyle, she stood gracefully like an unmarried girl, slender and elegant. He couldn't help but think of the Empress and sighed inwardly, wondering why there was such a vast difference among women.
"You do not blame me; that puts my mind at ease," Qin Ke smiled and suddenly looked up, casually plucking a plum blossom to hand to Yun Kexin. "Take this; it's for you. The plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden are quite different from those elsewhere."
Yun Kexin chuckled lightly and said, "Your Majesty, casually picking flowers like this disrupts the beautiful scenery here; it’s not good."
Qin Ke raised the corners of his lips: "If there are flowers to be picked, one should pick them without delay; do not wait until there are no flowers left to regret."
Yun Kexin caught the underlying meaning and nodded with some emotion. Then she heard the Emperor let out a low sigh and asked him why he was "sighing."
The Emperor stared at Yun Kexin for a while and said gloomily, "I heard that you gave birth to a son?"
"Yes," Yun Kexin was taken aback—she didn't understand what this had to do with the Emperor's sighing. "It's a boy; he just turned a hundred days old."
Qin Ke noticed the confusion on Yun Kexin's face and teasingly asked, "Do you still remember that I once asked you to promise me three things? We would discuss them when the time comes?"
Yun Kexin nodded respectfully and said, "I remember; this is what a Consort should promise; how could I forget?"
Qin Ke smiled and looked at Yun Kexin. The disappointment and regret in his eyes made his heart tremble as he said, "I hoped that you would give birth to a daughter; instead..."
Is that all? Yun Kexin was stunned: "Your Majesty, Feng Yinxiao also hopes for a daughter, but such matters are beyond our control." Suddenly recalling that Feng Yinxiao had mentioned last time that the Empress gave birth to a dragon son last year, she smiled and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! You have welcomed a dragon son; in the future, there will be more branches and leaves—more children bring more blessings."
However, the Emperor did not seem as pleased as she imagined; he merely chuckled lightly and continued with his previous thoughts:
"I originally wanted your daughter to be a Consort for my son."
So that's what he's troubled about. Yun Kexin felt speechless. At this moment, she was even more grateful that she had given birth to a son. She smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Your Majesty. It's best to let nature take its course in such matters; besides, Consort is of a different status."
"In that case, how about Yun Kexin letting Ling Lang be my adopted son? Once he grows up a bit more, he can come to the palace to serve as a companion reader for my son—just like how I was with Tong Zhichen back then," Qin Ke's eyes brightened.
Yun Kexin frowned: Being a companion reader may seem glamorous but is actually quite exhausting. If the prince is unruly and dislikes studying, he might blame it on the companion reader. The Grand Tutor would also punish the companion reader; it’s really not a good “job.” She wondered how Tong Zhichen managed back then.
"Your Majesty, speaking of Tong Zhichen, I almost forgot—how has Young Master Tong been lately?" Yun Kexin subtly changed the subject. "The Consort must remember how deep his friendship with Your Majesty is."
Qin Ke smiled faintly: "It's rare that you still remember him. He ranked second in this year's Jinshi examination and has already gone to Cangzhou to take up his post as county magistrate. He wanted to come see you before leaving but hesitated and ultimately did not go."
"Second place?" Yun Kexin exclaimed, "Truly worthy of being a grand scholar. When I knew him before, I thought he was smart, diligent, and ambitious—a good seed."
Qin Ke shrugged dismissively, "What’s so good about it? He doesn’t even dare to pursue the person he likes, and in the end, he lacks the courage to meet her. In my eyes, he’s just a pedantic scholar, adhering to old rules."
Yun Kexin pretended not to notice and smiled, "Your Majesty, no matter what, Tong Zhichen's talent is evident. You also have the intention to cultivate and promote him, entrusting him with important responsibilities, right? That is excellent."
The emperor extended his hand, and the warm sunlight filtered through layers of petals, scattering onto his palm. Qin Ke gazed at the mottled shadows in his hand and pondered, "I have never heard you praise me like this. Is this jealousy? It feels strange and awkward."
"Your Majesty, Consort has always respected you," Yun Kexin said helplessly. "When you were still the crown prince, I told you that you are Great Harmony's Blessing. I just praised your ability to recognize talent and your decision to promote Tong Zhichen."
Suddenly, Qin Ke threw his head back and laughed heartily. His cheerful laughter startled the birds in the branches and the bees among the flowers into flight. Then he looked down at Yun Kexin and said:
"Yun Kexin, you've become cunning; you always avoid answering my questions directly. Why? I don’t like this feeling of distance; I prefer the straightforward you from before."
Yun Kexin took a deep breath. Indeed, she didn’t want him to steer the conversation toward personal feelings; she felt it was meaningless, and the subject matter was inappropriate.
"Your Majesty, you are a smart person; you should understand some of these principles, shouldn’t you?"
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