Chapter 26 Don't Touch Me in Broad Daylight
2203 Words
"Aye. Thank you, master. We'll excuse ourselves."
Outside the Wutong Garden, the two maidservants curtsied to Leng Qingtang promptly and then walked towards Prince Chen.
Prince Chen rolled about on the ground and kicked in the air, refusing to cooperate or get up.
"No! No! I won't go back. I haven't played enough! Go away. Go away!"
Holding the stuffed tiger, Prince Chen raised his head and spat at the two maidservants.
One woman pretended to be panicked and suddenly yelled at him, "Your Grace, Her Majesty is here."
These words worked like magic. Immediately, Prince Chen settled down, sitting cross-legged and crumpling his slender body into a ball.
His dirty face was so fraught with terror and fear that even those young and fine features were twisted.
"No, no! Your Majesty, please don't hit me, don't hit me."
Prince Chen seemed really terrified by the maid's words. He kept weeping in his arms as if the abusive past had been imprinted his body and soul. Now that he was triggered again, he couldn't help but hide around, looking hilarious but pathetic.
"Your Grace. Please. Be careful with what you said!"
The other old woman frowned uneasily, covering his mouth with her hand. Unexpectedly, Prince Chen suddenly opened his mouth and bit her fingers deeply. The woman screamed and quickly pulled her hand away.
That old hand with bark-like skin ended up with two lines of teeth marks and foul-smelling saliva.
That instantly turned the maidservant's stomach. It was only because of Leng Qingtang's presence that she managed not to vomit.
Meanwhile, Prince Chen beside her began to cry loudly. The tears cascaded down and left two dark traces on his dusty face, which looked like an ugly melon.
The first maid who scared him before rushed over in anger and wrenched his arms behind him.
He shook his head and sobbed in the grievance,
"Tiger... my tiger... woo... You're bullying me and robbing my tiger...."
The bitten maid was irritated. She picked up the stuffed tiger and tucked it under her arm. Then the two women together dragged the crying prince through the corner door and went all the way towards Wutong Garden swiftly.
Leng Qingtang stood outside the corner door and sighed shortly, shaking his head resignedly and sympathetically.
Prince Chen's experience reminded him of Gu Yunxi, who did have a similar fate as the prince.
Both of them were of noble birth yet afflicted with a miserable childhood. As a result, their young selves were traumatized physically and mentally, incapable of living like normal people....
Suddenly, a shocking idea occurred to Leng Qingtang.
His beautiful eyes narrowed, the light from the deep of which were hence concealed by his long eyelashes.
Cheng Wanli saw that the Master did not move for a long time and gazed at the corner door in a ponderable manner, so he asked in a low voice,
"My Master, what are you looking at?"
A complicated and gloomy smile showed on Leng Qingtang's jade-like fair face. He muttered,
"I'm thinking about a problem. If one wants to control the Emperor and command the nobles, should he put a swaddled infant or a retarded prince on the throne? Which would serve his reign better?"
Cheng Wanli immediately understood. He lowered his eyes and smiled. With a flattering voice so low that was only hearable to them, he answered,
"My Master, naturally the brainless fool should be the Emperor. An infant will always grow up, but a fool... will never grow smart again."
"Interesting..."
Leng Qingtang withdrew his gaze from the corner door, inside which lights flickered. Looking at each other, the two shared a tacit smile.
.
In the morning, Gu Yunxi was sitting in her room in Southern Residence, cracking walnuts on the table edge.
The Master had entered the court to meet the Emperor. The captains were busy with their duties, and Xiao Xiaoshen did not come to her either.
The basket of walnuts on the table was brought by the depot worker, Sun Bing, from his hometown. They were homegrown and freshly dried. Sun brought a whole package to her. Free today, Gu Yunxi planned to c***k them all open so she could use the kernels as a filling for sugar cakes.
A servant reported outside her room,
"Lord Yun, Lord Ming of the Western Depot is asking for you?"
"Ming Lan?"
Gu Yunxi was surprised. She opened the door and asked, "What for?"
"He came to see the Master, but he was still in court. So Lord Ming asked for you. Now he's waiting outside the Eastern Depot."
Gu Yunxi frowned, knowing that something was wrong.
She still remembered the day she first came to the Eastern Depot, when she first met Ming Lan. He had been frivolous and pawing on her even before the eyes of the Master. She still shuddered on the thought of his malicious eyes on her.
It was not long before he deliberately embarrassed her at the end of last month. How could he have the nerve to come to the Eastern Depot and ask for her by name?
The wicked eunuch. What did he want to do?
Gu Yunxi pursed her lips in contemplation for a while, and told the servant, "Go find Lord Xiao and ask him to look for me outside the Eastern Depot. It's urgent!"
The servant left with the order.
The rank-fourth sword-bearing guard Xiao Xiaoshan was the Master's close guard. Ever since she came to the Eastern Depot, Leng Qingtang never brought him out but sent him to her company just in case.
Gu Yunxi wandered in the courtyard for a moment. After considering closely the various possibilities and countermeasures, she strode calmly out of the Eastern Depot.
Not far from the gate, a luxuriously decorated carriage waited.
It was made of elegant and precious sandalwood. Diamond-shaped hollows were carved on its four walls, which were draped with exquisite purple silk. Under a curtain of light blue crepe, the windows on the left and right were inlaid with gold foil and colorful gems.
Gu Yunxi walked out of the gate of the Eastern Depot, but there was no sight of Ming Lan. She only saw Qin Zhong leaning on the side of the wheel and the driver beside the tall horses.
Qin Zhong first saw Gu Yunxi and turned to speak to someone inside the curtain. Soon, an elegant fair hand lifted the pale blue curtain, and the head of Ming Lan popped out.
Recent days had been glorious for him.
The Western Depot was under intense construction. Observatory Director invoked some ancient theories to search for the right place and finally selected a good lot in Xijing Gate of the capital city. And soon the construction of the depot building went on day and night. The Imperial Court also allocated a house in midtown Langtian Lane three miles away from Xijing Gate to be used exclusively as the Western Depot Master's mansion.
Ming Lan turned from the Chief Eunuch of Yongning Palace into the powerful Master of the Western Depot. Wearing the white master's robe embroidered with crane and python, and the tall black velvet cap with dark clouds pattern, even a luscious man like him appeared imposing.
After the morning ritual, he saw on his way out that the sedan of the Eastern Depot Master was still there. Leng must have stayed for some important matters. Ming Lan waited for a while in the dark and then ordered Qin Zhong to go to the Eastern Depot by detour first.
Today he was obviously prepared.
Seeing the graceful figure coming to him, Ming Lan smiled.
Despite uneasiness and disgust in her heart, Gu Yunxi stopped in front of the carriage and saluted,
"I came as you asked, Master Ming. Greetings."
Her voice was as sweet as chime sounds, and her attitude was obedient as a lamb. It only took two simple words, "Master Ming", to melt Ming Lan's body and give him a heavenly sensation.
Ming Lan stuck out his upper body impatiently from the carriage. Harboring an evil desire, his eyes were fixed on Gu Yunxi's bowed head.
"Yun Guaner, I haven't seen you in a few days. I miss you so much!"
Unable to reply properly, Gu Yunxi simply remained silent.
Sharp laughter pierced Yunxi's ears. Unlike Leng Qingtang, Ming could not be mistaken as anything but a eunuch.
"Did your Master not take you to court today?"
Gu Yunxi shook her head, not daring to look up at him.
A slender finger invaded her vision and lifted her jaws.
All of a sudden, a large face, beautiful like a peach flower, appeared in her eyes. The skin of his forehead was extremely fair against the tall black velvet cap.
Leng Qingtang's skin was also very fair, like a charming warm jade, white and radiant. Nonetheless, Ming Lan's skin was almost white as snow and pale as a ghost.
In the meantime, Ming Lan was also carefully observing the pretty facial features close at hand.
The delicate brows, the almond-shaped eyes, the petite nose, the pink lips, and the glittering eyes. They were all filled with shock and consternation.
He glanced sharply at her ears and noticed something.
One corner of Ming Lan's mouth tilted into an obscure smile.
Both of her ears were extraordinarily delicate and fair as jade. And the two earlobes were round, soft and fine.
However, in the middle of the small piece of warm and soft-touching flesh, there was a tiny hole....
Ming Lan had the answer in his mind.
Gu Yunxi stunned briefly and then pulled her head to the side. A fire blazed up in her heart, burning her with anger and indignation.
Staring fiercely at Ming Lan, she opposed heavily,
"Master Ming, please behave yourself, and don't strike me like that in broad daylight!"
A peculiarly complicated gaze wandered on Gu Yunxi's grim face. After a moment of silence, Ming Lan stared at her wide and angry eyes and asked abruptly,
"Did your mentor... do this to you as well?"
"..."
Gu Yunxi's face instantly became pale, and then turned burning red.
Deep down, she was gravely and offended by Ming Lan's rudeness, but what mattered most was to leave immediately.
Smothering extreme shock and panic, Gu Yunxi took a quick step back and spoke firmly and coldly,
"Lord Ming, if there is nothing else, please leave!"
Ming Lan leaned against the door frame of the carriage and chuckled at Gu Yunxi's discomposure.
In his eyes, she was more like a teased kitten with her hair standing on end, snarling at her opponent ceaselessly. However, the more she was like this, the more he liked her.
"I went all the way for you, are you chasing me away just after a few words?"
Ming Lan smirked, looked down at Gu Yunxi up from the carriage in a condescending manner.
"The Master is returning soon, and I have something else to do. Please excuse me."
Gu Yunxi replied curtly and turned to leave.
Qin Zhong jumped from beside the wheel to quickly block her path.
"Boy, our Master is not finished with you yet!"
Qin Zhong was young and handsome, but his face was emotionless. The sight of this freezing cold man trembled her, deterring her from moving further as if her feet were locked on the ground.
A palm came suddenly from the other side of her body, clutching her wrist forcibly.
"Ouch..." She moaned. The hand was wet and cold, sending a strong discomfort and endless fear to Gu Yunxi.
Ming Lan clenched Gu Yunxi's arm and pulled her to the carriage. He lowered his eyes complacently, harvesting her panic and shame into his eyes.
"You'd better tell me the truth. Is Yun Guaner a name given by Lord Leng? What is... your real name?!"
Gu Yunxi burst into fear!
Ming Lan was extremely observant. Was there something wrong with her disguise? Did he find out? That was why he was so aggressive.
"I don't understand your meaning! Please let go!"
Gu Yunxi pretended to be calm, but her heart was pumping fast. She tried hard to twist her wrist out of his wet and grasping hand.
Ming Lan watched her struggle with great interest. Gentle as a breeze, he whispered,
"If you don't tell the truth, it will cause trouble for Lord Leng."
What a shameless person! Ming Lan, who had once address "Master Leng" with all obedience, now with a serpent robe on, started to call him "Lord Leng".
As a last thought, Gu Yunxi suddenly stopped struggling and raised her eyebrows to stare at Ming Lan.
He was slightly surprised, thinking she was willing to obey. Therefore, he moved closer to her and suggested seductively,
"Would you like to come with me to the Master's mansion and have a chat? We've got all sorts of fun there..."
Gu Yunxi's did not move but smiled at him. The smile was intoxicating, like water waves sparkling in soft light.
His eyes were blazing with desire.
Before he could react, Gu Yunxi retreated backward with all her force. Still gripping her, Ming Lan was unbalanced and dragged out the carriage.
- Writer
