VBNWDW - Chapter 145

Chapter 145

Night fell.

The capital, which had been bustling all day, finally settled into silence. The grand army dispersed, each soldier seeking out their family. As for the rewards, those would have to wait a few days until the court had finished its official tally.

Now that Zhong Jueyu had claimed the throne, the former residence of the Grand Princess was no longer suitable for her. Little God of Wealth Luo had specially donated a large sum to have the imperial palace renovated before everyone's return, and it was now ready for occupancy.

Candlelight illuminated the vermilion palace walls. Palace maids and eunuchs hurried about, more efficient than ever, terrified of neglecting their new master on the very first day.

Luo Yueqing, finding the previous emperor's bedchamber inauspicious, had taken it upon herself to expand Zhong Jueyu's former residence, Changyang Palace, to serve as their future sleeping quarters.

Zhong Jueyu had no objection to this, but she couldn't help but nag about other things. "There was no need to spend so much silver on the palace. Just having them clean it would have been fine."

Standing on the other side, Luo Yueqing took the outer robe she removed, casually draped it over a wooden rack, and said, "How was it unnecessary? It's not like you'll be sleeping here alone…"

She paused abruptly, her expression one of exaggerated shock. "Zhong Jinyan, don't tell me you've found someone else while you were away and are planning to kick me out to live somewhere else?"

"How could I!"

Zhong Jueyu couldn't help but raise her voice. The woman who remained unflappable on the battlefield was flustered by a single sentence from Luo Yueqing. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

She moved closer to Luo Yueqing and, managing to steady her voice, explained, "I meant that if you didn't like Changyang Palace, you should have let them take money from the national treasury for renovations. There was no need for you to pay for it yourself."

So, she was worried about Luo Yueqing's wallet.

One could only wonder what the civil and military officials would think if they heard this, but Luo Yueqing was clearly satisfied.

She raised her eyebrows and said, "Your treasury is so empty, a mouse that got in would have to go ice skating."

Zhong Jueyu coughed.

When the late empress was alive, the treasury had been quite full, enough to fund the lavish construction of the Grand Princess's residence. But after her death, the father and son duo had no idea how to govern, and could only watch as the treasury dwindled day by day. The two subsequent wars between Liang and Chu had been extremely costly, and now they owed a huge debt to the Little God of Wealth Luo.

Zhong Jueyu thought for a moment, then said, "Then I'll pay for it out of my own pocket. I'll have someone reimburse you later."

She wasn't referring to the money from her original princess residence, but to the reparations from this military campaign.

This time, they had conquered three cities in a row. Although they couldn't harm the common people, the wealthy households and nobles had to pay a hefty sum as a token of their surrender. Added to that were the war reparations from the defeated Great Chu, which amounted to a very considerable sum.

But Luo Yueqing just rolled her eyes. "Everyone in the capital calls me Little God of Wealth Luo now. Who cares about your little bit of money?"

Zhong Jueyu, now the emperor, could only smile wryly and persuade her, "But that's still too much money."

Her gaze shifted to the side, where the old windows had been replaced with a kind of transparent glass that could completely block out wind and rain while still offering a clear view of the outside.

Looking up, the glazed tiles on the eaves were a different, opaque yellow glass. And then there was the long mirror placed nearby, which, by some unknown method, could clearly reflect a person's image.

Zhong Jueyu had only been gone for a year, yet she felt a dazed sense of having been away for more than a decade.

Luo Yueqing said nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? The entire glass factory is mine."

"Right," Zhong Jueyu replied, then suddenly remembered something. "I'll tell them tomorrow. From now on, all businesses under your name will be exempt from taxes."

The dim candlelight fell on her face, softening the icy edge she had gained on the border, leaving only a gentle warmth.

In front of Luo Yueqing, she was an emperor who didn't act like an emperor, a great general who didn't act like a great general. She was more like a fatuous ruler who would light the beacon towers for a laugh.

Luo Yueqing laughed helplessly, teasing, "If Prime Minister Meng finds out, he'll try to persuade you to retract that decree even if it means knocking his head on the floor until he dies."

She was, after all, the biggest taxpayer in Great Liang. Meng Yunshan was counting on the next batch of tax revenue to arrive quickly and replenish the empty treasury.

Zhong Jueyu frowned and immediately said, "Don't mind him…"

"Alright, Your Majesty, how long are you going to procrastinate?" Luo Yueqing cut her off directly.

She looked Zhong Jueyu up and down, dissatisfied. "From the moment we started, how long are you going to dawdle?"

Zhong Jueyu's expression froze. Her tone instantly became stiff as she unconsciously tugged at her collar and took a step back. "I'll go by myself. You woke up early today to wait at the city gate, you must be tired by now. You should lie down and rest."

Her words were logical and even quite considerate.

But Luo Yueqing wasn't buying it. She tilted her head and looked at her, her doubt unconcealed.

Zhong Jueyu averted her gaze and was about to walk away in a fluster. "I'm going to bathe first."

Her back tensed, and she fled as if escaping. But just as she opened the door, she heard a choked sob, and her steps halted abruptly.

"If you're tired of me, just say so. Why beat around the bush like this? I'll leave and sleep somewhere else right now."

Luo Yueqing was genuinely hurt. She had waited painstakingly for over a year, only to be met with this kind of rejection. It was just a bath, yet Zhong Jueyu had delayed for so long, as if she were afraid of her getting close.

Zhong Jueyu quickly turned and embraced her, coaxing in a low voice, "How could I ever be tired of you?"

Luo Yueqing's eyes were red. She turned her head away, ignoring her.

"Alright, alright, you can come with me," Zhong Jueyu conceded helplessly.

"I'm not going. As if anyone's so desperate. I'm going to pack my things and move next door right now," Luo Yueqing said in a terrible tone.

Hearing this, alarm bells went off in Zhong Jueyu's head. "You will not," she said at once.

But the other woman ignored her and started to walk away.

Zhong Jueyu wrapped one arm around her waist and scooped her up by the legs, carrying her horizontally as she strode towards the bathroom.

Silence fell. The one in her arms was sulking and wouldn't speak, and the one holding her didn't know how to coax her. Only the sound of footsteps remained.

Changyang Palace originally had only a single small room for bathing. Luo Yueqing, finding it too small, had a pool excavated behind the palace and diverted the hot spring water from the original bedchamber to it. A sheltered corridor was built to connect them, to prevent catching a chill in the winter.

There were no servants waiting in the corridor. The path was quiet and deserted, with only the flickering candlelight. Their shadows on the ground clung together, inseparable.

Zhong Jueyu lowered her eyes slightly, noticing that a patch of her collar was already damp. She pressed her lips together tightly.

She had truly been wronged. This ancestor of hers had never suffered such treatment from Zhong Jueyu. After leading her back to the palace during the day, Zhong Jueyu had been busy handling other matters. The pile of issues that Meng Yunshan couldn't decide on had grown into a small mountain, all awaiting her decision.

Luo Yueqing had waited for her until late at night. Not only did she not receive any praise for the expensively renovated palace, but she was nagged at instead. Things that were once permitted were now deliberately avoided. Compounded by her long-standing yearning, tears streamed endlessly from the corners of her eyes.

Pushing open the large doors, a wave of hot steam rushed out, carrying the rich scent of sulfur. Before even stepping into the water, a thin layer of sweat began to form.

Zhong Jueyu didn't pause, walking down the steps and into the pool.

Her bare feet submerged into the warm water, her slender ankles turning a faint crimson. Then, her white inner clothes became soaked, followed by Luo Yueqing, who was held in her arms.

The pool wall was built with a stone platform for resting.

Zhong Jueyu sat down on the platform. The water level was just below her collarbones—whether by coincidence or careful consideration, it was hard to say.

"Not angry anymore?" Zhong Jueyu didn't have time to dwell on such things. She lowered her head and coaxed her softly.

The person in her arms refused to acknowledge her, not even willing to hook her arms around her neck. She simply curled up in her embrace, burying her head in the crook of her neck.

The hot spring water was warm, heating her entire body, which only made the tears feel colder, their path down her skin felt with stark clarity.

"I was wrong," Zhong Jueyu sighed softly, pulling her closer. "If the Little God of Wealth keeps crying, you'll cry all your fortune away."

At these words, Luo Yueqing finally reacted, looking up to shout, "You're the one who'll cry their fortune away, you penniless emperor!"

She was crying hard. Her fair face was flushed a peachy pink, and the area around her eyes was even redder. Her clear, almond-shaped eyes were shrouded in mist, shimmering like shattered gems. Her muffled voice, thick with tears, was exceptionally pitiful.

Zhong Jueyu's heart clenched at the sight, her resistance completely crumbling. Her voice softened further as she explained, "I was afraid you'd be sad if you saw it. I didn't think I'd make you angry instead."

Luo Yueqing couldn't stop crying, but she caught the key point. She hiccupped before asking, "See what?"

She understood in an instant. "You're injured?" she said quickly.

Zhong Jueyu reached up to wipe the tears from the corner of her eye and could only admit, "It was just a minor injury. It's already healed."

How could something Zhong Jueyu deliberately hid be a minor injury? Even a fool could tell something was wrong.

Luo Yueqing frowned. "When were you injured? How come I didn't know?"

Although they were in different places, they exchanged letters every month. Zhong Jueyu would write about where she went, a beautiful sunset she saw, and when it snowed. She shared every trivial detail, yet she had deliberately concealed the most important thing.

The tears that had pooled in her eyes fell, reflecting the candlelight, more dazzling than any crystal.

Zhong Jueyu's back was pressed tightly against the stone wall, an unspeakable tension in her body.

She forced out the words, "I didn't mean to…"

But Luo Yueqing ignored her. Unable to stop her sobs, she cried while furiously pulling open the other woman's collar. "Zhong Jueyu, you're dead!"

Her barely visible Adam's apple bobbed. Zhong Jueyu tried to speak, but her clothes were already pulled open. The water rippled, revealing a coin-sized scar. Even with the best medicine, a deep indentation remained, as if an arrow had been shot towards her heart.

Fingertips brushed over the spot, just diagonally above her heart. She could fully imagine the danger of that moment. If she hadn't dodged in time, she would be looking at Zhong Jueyu's corpse right now.

Zhong Jueyu was a little uncomfortable. She turned her head away and said, "It wasn't that serious. I was only in bed for a few days."

The other woman didn't believe her. Those so-called "few days" were probably half a month before she could even get out of bed.

The tears she had been holding back welled up again, falling like a string of pearls and creating ripples on the water's surface.

Zhong Jueyu saw her and quickly hugged her again, coaxing, "It doesn't hurt. It's all in the past."

But Luo Yueqing's eyebrows shot up, and she cursed, both angry and annoyed, "Zhong Jueyu, what right do you have to hide this from me!"

She said it so quickly that she started hiccupping from the force of her anger, her body jerking with each one.

Zhong Jueyu wanted to be afraid but couldn't help but laugh. She could only hold her, trying to suppress her amusement as she coaxed, "I was just afraid you'd worry."

The other woman felt her imposing manner vanish completely and grew so angry she refused to speak.

But Zhong Jueyu lowered her head and kissed the corner of her eye. "Don't be angry. Didn't you say you were going to punish me?"

Her voice was husky from the steam, carrying an indescribable, seductive charm. "How does the Little Daoist wish to punish Us?"

She said "Us" so naturally, she must have used it many times on the border. It was only upon seeing Luo Yueqing that she had tried to change her form of address. Saying it again now created a strange feeling.

Soft lips brushed over the teardrops, leaving a trail of imprints.

She spoke again. "Surely you're not going to punish Us while crying?"

She took hold of the other's wrist. The hand that had been resting on the scar was pulled downward, pressed against a high, swelling curve.

The thin fabric, soaked through with water, offered no concealment. Even with it between them, one could clearly feel the texture of the skin beneath.

This person was very bad. Realizing that words couldn't placate her, she began to use other methods—her most skilled and frequently used tactic.

Luo Yueqing was still crying and didn't cooperate, but she didn't resist either.

Thin lips moved upward, nibbling on an earlobe. The tip of her tongue deliberately slid over the rounded, soft flesh. Her husky tone was laced with seduction. "Does the Little Daoist not miss Us at all?"

The next words were a little difficult to say. Zhong Jueyu paused, a hint of embarrassment showing, but she persisted. "We missed you very much."

Missed what? How did she miss her?

There was no need to ask these questions. Zhong Jueyu had already provided the answer.

The captured wrist was pulled downward again, sliding past a flat abdomen to the place enveloped by the clear water.

Scalding breath coiled around a sensitive earlobe.

"Little Daoist, do you not miss Us?"

Water splashed, making a crisp sound.

Someone let out a muffled groan, and outside, a light rain finally began to fall.

Previous Table of Contents Next