"Lady Xiao—"
"Xiao Mingzhu, wait a moment—"
After leaving the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, Xiao Mingzhu felt that the sky seemed bluer than ever.
Even the warm breeze blowing by was especially refreshing.
Just as she was enjoying this moment of ease and pleasure, an annoying fly insisted on coming over to spoil her mood.
"Your Highness, the Prince of Jing, is there anything else you need to order? I'm in a hurry to fetch my dowry. If I'm late, I might not make it today."
Jun Wuhao: "..."
He had been drenched by the rain, and there was a sense of lightness about him. Looking at Xiao Mingzhu's face, he didn't feel as disgusted as before.
On the contrary, seeing how she seemed eager to have nothing to do with him, as if he were something dirty.
"It seems there's nothing. Your Highness, the Prince of Jing, must be very busy with his beauties. I wouldn't dare to delay your important matters."
"Mingzhu—"
"Farewell, Your Highness, the Prince of Jing!"
Xiao Mingzhu rolled her eyes so hard that it seemed they would turn over. She had never found the name "Mingzhu" so jarring.
Not giving this annoying fly another chance to speak, she loudly saw him off.
Jun Wuhao: "..."
The palace servants around seemed to look over as well. Jun Wuhao's face darkened, then turned green. Finally, he left with a cold face and a flick of his sleeve.
Xiao Mingzhu looked at him with cold disgust and then changed direction to leave the palace.
It was as if the palace path that the "fly" had flown over would leave something dirty behind.
Inside the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, after the Prince of Jing and his entourage left, only Jun Wuyuan and Ling Shan remained in the hall, still very close to each other.
The atmosphere was momentarily stagnant.
The Grand Dowager knew exactly what these two were lingering for, but she couldn't help feeling annoyed.
However, Jun Wuyuan seemed to truly regard the Grand Dowager as his "kind mother" and was affectionately intimate without a care in the world.
[Although Lady Xiao is brave and charming, isn't this dull-witted fellow paying too much attention to her?]
Jun Wuyuan concealed the darkness in his eyes. His fingers played with Ling Shan's slender fingers as if he were holding a beloved toy.
Ling Shan: "..."
She rolled her eyes silently in her heart, but her fingers quietly hooked his little finger. The meaning was self - evident.
At least in Jun Wuyuan's view, they were in perfect harmony.
Their cooperation was seamless, and it was a kind of irresistible and fascinating pleasure.
"What's wrong, Shan'er?"
With just a glance, Ling Shan "intuitively" leaned her head on Jun Wuyuan's shoulder.
The next moment, Jun Wuyuan's worried voice rang out.
"Did you walk too much today and your wound start hurting again? It's my fault. I even forgot about the rewards. Otherwise, the Grand Dowager wouldn't have to worry so much for me."
"It's not Your Majesty's or the Grand Dowager's fault. It's just that my body is too weak."
"..."
The Grand Dowager: "..."
Their words with hidden meanings successfully made the Grand Dowager so speechless that she almost threw the teacup and left.
"It was my oversight today. I just wanted to have a good chat with Ling Shan and forgot about your injury."
Seeing the intimacy between the two, the Grand Dowager constantly persuaded herself in her heart:
Spend money to avoid trouble. At least the plan to get her into the emperor's bed is going smoothly.
Be patient, just be a bit more patient.
It will be fine when things calm down.
"Ling Shan is brave, loyal, and has rendered great service in protecting the emperor. The emperor and I will surely reward you handsomely. Don't worry.
Since the emperor has bestowed upon you the position of the in - charge maid in front of the emperor, then I'll be a bit vulgar. A Qin, bring up my rewards."
[I'd like to hear how vulgar it is. Otherwise...]
Ling Shan sat even more weakly on Jun Wuyuan's lap and almost pricked up her ears.
Without delay, the palace servants came in one by one, each holding a dazzling array of treasures. They lined up, bowed, and then stood still.
A box of South Sea pearls, a pair of jade ruyi scepters, a glazed lotus lamp, a delicate jade chess set... a hundred taels of gold, countless medicinal herbs, two bolts of shimmering brocade...
Ling Shan's eyes were almost blinded by the brilliance. Well?
A hundred taels of gold, and those South Sea pearls...
Ling Shan's eyes were fixed on them, and she felt much happier.
Jun Wuyuan scanned the items and quietly curled the corner of his lips for a moment.
This time, the Grand Dowager and the Wang family had really made a huge sacrifice. These valuable items were comparable to his own private treasury as the emperor.
Especially the Grand Dowager, who looked kind and gentle on the surface, but her tense body and slightly stiff eyes.
All of them showed the suppressed anger of the Grand Dowager.
There's a saying, isn't there?
Seeing the enemy unhappy makes him happy.
Glancing at Ling Shan, whose eyes were shining, Jun Wuyuan fell into thought.
He reached out and gently patted Ling Shan's waist. "The Grand Dowager's rewards are quite generous. Do you like them, Shan'er?"
[Ask for more. How can you be a lion if you don't open your mouth wide?]
Ling Shan immediately understood. She carefully looked at the Grand Dowager.
"No matter how many rewards the Grand Dowager bestows, it's all my fortune. I like them."
As soon as she finished speaking, the expressions of the palace servants in the hall froze for a moment.
Something about this statement just didn't sound right.
An outsider might think that Miss Ling Shan looked down on these rewards.
Fearing the famous tyrant in the hall, the palace servants had their suspicions but didn't dare to look up or show it.
The Grand Dowager's eyes darkened.
Looking coldly at these two insatiable people, she wanted to hear what else they could say that was so shameless.
"These are just mere treasures. How could the Grand Dowager care about them?"
Jun Wuyuan comforted her with a look of concern on his face. "I remember there's a blood - red coral in the Grand Dowager's palace, as well as snow - mountain ginseng and white fox fur..."
For every item he mentioned, the Grand Dowager's face darkened a bit more, as if a storm was coming.
"I wonder if the Grand Dowager is willing to bestow them on Shan'er, this meritorious servant?"
Ling Shan wanted to laugh but on the surface, she timidly dissuaded him.
"Your Majesty, absolutely not. The Grand Dowager's rewards are already more than enough. I'm not blessed enough to accept them..."
"Nonsense!"
Jun Wuyuan tightened his embrace. He corrected her unhappily. "What do you mean by not being blessed enough? I like you. I like having you by my side day and night. I can't be separated from you for a moment. My Shan'er is the most blessed person."
The Grand Dowager's knitted brows relaxed.
Can't be separated day and night?
Does that mean...
Thinking like this, a glimmer of hope seemed to rise in her heart. These were just rewards after all.
She could afford them.
However, whether she had really served the emperor in his bed still needed to be verified.
If it was true, the Grand Dowager would surely take good care of Ling Shan.
If it was false, there would be no need to keep this person.
She couldn't lose both the lady and the soldiers.
Ling Shan, who had taken away countless rewards, was still being held on Jun Wuyuan's lap in the imperial carriage, with his arm around her waist.
For some reason, a chill ran down her back.
"Your Majesty, are you really giving all these wonderful things to me?"
Jun Wuyuan's long fingers casually pinched the soft flesh around her waist as if he didn't notice the slight tremor of her delicate body.
"Do you like them, Shan'er?"
[Do you like these worldly possessions more than me?]
Ling Shan: "?"
Men are not as good as gold and silver. Isn't this the simplest truth?