Chapter 190 - Deities Don't Die
The gentle moonlight shone in through the window and painted a layer of silver light on the ground. Only a single lamp was on in the corner of the room and it was dim. Shen Ziqiao came out from behind the screen. She wore a white outfit where her jet-black hair was scattered behind her back. Her eyes were gentle like water and her face was flushed. She looked like the dew of a magnolia in the morning. She looked up to see the man lying in bed freshened up and smiling at her.
“What are you looking at?” Shen Ziqiao sat in front of the mirror and picked up a balance de chine calabash-shaped box. She scooped out some jasmine ointment and rubbed it against her palm, patting it against her face gently.
He watched as Shen Ziqiao skillfully patted the jasmine ointment against her face and then gently rubbed it apart with her fingers...
He felt good having her by his side.
“Jiao Jiao.” Qi Zheng exclaimed in a low voice and looked at her with a bright gaze.
Shen Ziqiao looked back at him and asked, “What? Oh, right. The crown prince has gotten married right?”
“Come over.” His deep and magnetic voice sounded irresistible. “Come here and I’ll tell you.”
She didn’t believe in his words at all! Shen Ziqiao didn’t walk towards him. Instead, she walked further and leaned against a window. “You can tell me from there. I can hear it.”
As she leaned against it, the collar slightly revealed her smooth skin and slim collarbone. Her swan-yellow undergarment was faintly discernible. Qi Zheng’s gaze darkened and his voice became deep, “Be good, come here and let me hug you. I’ll tell you about the palace matters afterwards.”
“Hug? Why? You won’t just be hugging me then.” Shen Ziqiao hmphed and rejected decisively. He tried that several times. Every time, he said that he was just going to hug her but then other things happened as well.
Qi Zheng laughed softly. “Jiao Jiao, you’ve gotten quite brazen after your journey to Minyue.”
She actually rejected him! She had never tried in the past. This little girl was usually tactful and knew that she wasn’t his match. Therefore, she was always obedient. Yet, she dared to reject him this time!
Shen Ziqiao recalled back to the first time where she wouldn’t let him have his way. Her expression changed slightly recalling the consequences. “I just came back from Minyue and you’re bullying me!”
Qi Zheng stepped across.
He must be lying! Shen Ziqiao didn’t believe that he just wanted to hug her.
...But he really did just hug her to talk.
Qi Zheng teased her like a little white rabbit, curling her hair and brushing it against her arm as he hugged her. “His Highness had gotten married half a month ago. He’s good now.”
Shen Ziqiao didn’t care about whether Beitang Zhenjing had married the crown prince or not. “Did Sheng Peiyin cause trouble to the crown princess?”
Why wouldn’t she?! Qi Zheng knew that Sheng Peiyin used to be a female official in the palace and knew that she seduced the crown prince before as well. “There is more to the crown princess than meets the eye.”
“How so?” Shen Ziqiao’s eyes brightened. She rolled over and laid on top of him, asking in interest. Did she miss some amazing palace battle?
Qi Zheng lowered his head and his gaze landed on her open collar. He said slowly, “Sheng Peiyin and Imperial Consort Sun had already fallen out. She had someone find the crown prince and wanted to join hands with him…”
“The crown prince went to meet her?” Shen Ziqiao asked hurriedly.
“Yes.” Qi Zheng let go of her hair and patted her shoulders gently. “Sheng Peiyin’s condition was that after the crown prince ascended the throne, he had to bestow her the title of an imperial concubine.”
Shen Ziqiao was speechless. She didn’t even feel strange hearing such melodramatic words from Sheng Peiyin’s mouth.
“Sheng Peiyin and Spiritual Master Zhou instigated the emperor to go to the Tianxuan Mountain again. Coincidentally enough, the empress brought little imperial grandson to pay respects to the emperor. When the emperor saw him, he joked around, exclaiming that he’ll take little imperial grandson to cultivate too. Guess what he said?” Qi Zheng exclaimed in a casual tone. The smile on his handsome face was like the sunny sky. She was in a great mood seeing his smile.
“What did he say?” Shen Ziqiao asked. She couldn’t shift her gaze away from his smile.
Men were trouble when they were too handsome! Trouble!
Qi Zheng told Shen Ziqiao about what happened in the palace today...
When he went to pay respects, Spiritual Master Zhou and Sheng Peiyin were both present. Spiritual Master Zhou took out a pill and said that the emperor would be able to cultivate into a deity after taking this pill in the Tianxuan Mountain. The little grandson asked innocently whether there were really deities in this world. Spiritual Master Zhou hurriedly agreed.
“Had Spiritual Master Zhou seen a deity before?” Little imperial grandson asked Spiritual Master Zhou in shock, his gaze full of respect.
Spiritual Master Zhou waved his sleeves and exclaimed profoundly, “You’ll be able to see one if you’re fated.”
The emperor said by the side, “Spiritual Master Zhou is a deity. I’ve seen him before.”
“Grandfather emperor, this grandson heard that deities don’t die?” Little grandson continued to ask.
“Deities are immortals.” This was the reason why the emperor was so engrossed in concocting pills.
Little imperial grandson looked at Spiritual Master Zhou respectfully and curiously. “That Spiritual Master Zhou can really be immortal? If he could, then why don’t you teach grandfather emperor how to become a deity?”
The emperor immediately said, “Spiritual Master Zhou is naturally an immortal. He’s already two hundred years old.”
“Grandfather emperor is lying.” Little imperial grandson shook his head firmly as if saying that he couldn’t trick him.
“You don’t believe me? Then try.” The emperor was unhappy that he lost face in front of his most loved little imperial grandson.
The little imperial grandson thought about it before saying, “Grandfather emperor, have Spiritual Master Zhou jump into a well. If he hasn’t died two hours later, then I’ll accompany grandfather emperor to concoct pills, as well as mother and father.”
The emperor laughed out loud. If he was able to prove that, the crown prince and the empress wouldn’t annoy him in the future either.
“Okay.” He was in a good mood. He didn’t notice that Spiritual Master Zhou’s face had already paled and Sheng Peiyin was going to stop him.
The empress immediately said, “Invite Spiritual Master Zhou to the well.”
The eunuch outside seemed to be waiting for this moment. Before Sheng Peiyin and Spiritual Master Zhou could say anything, he had people pull him away.
“...” Shen Ziqiao was flabbergasted hearing this. She didn’t know what to say.
It was unclear when Qi Zheng’s hands had already slipped under her clothes. His warm palm was against her back. “Spiritual Master Zhou is still inside the well right now.”
Shen Ziqiao finally couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “It seems like he really became a deity. Who taught little imperial grandson this?”
“Who knows?” Qi Zheng smiled faintly.
“You did!” Shen Ziqiao smiled. “Since Spiritual Master Zhou had ascended to heaven, Sheng Peiyin’s days in the palace won’t be so good anymore.”
The empress and Beitang Zhenjing probably won’t allow to continue doing as she wanted in the palace anymore.
She was probably going to ascend to heaven like Spiritual Master Zhou.
Without Ma Junfeng and the Spiritual Master Zhou, and then her fallout with Imperial Consort Sun, who else could help her?
“The emperor might be a little awake.” Qi Zheng sighed. He had waited two hours and he hadn’t seen Spiritual Master Zhou float up yet. The emperor left with an unwell expression. Not long later, he had someone move the furnace to concoct pills out of the palace hall.
Shen Ziqiao asked, “Then what about the third prince?”
“He’s crippled.” Qi Zheng said simply, not wanting to discuss this anymore.
“Ah, that’s great. Every cloud has a silver lining.” Shen Ziqiao smiled. She felt as if tomorrow was going to be a great day.
Qi Zheng hugged her and pressed her down, sucking her neck. “Right, every cloud has a silver lining. Let’s celebrate.”
Shen Ziqiao felt needy. “Celebrate...what?...no…”
Not long later, her protests turned to moans.
The next day, Qi Zheng finally recovered and returned to the residence. There were bags under Shen Ziqiao’s eyes. She lazily leaned in a certain energetic person’s arms. “I haven’t been back in the city for a month or so now. Will grandmother and father be suspicious?”
Qi Zheng stayed silent for a while before saying slowly, “Three days after leaving the capital, grandmother and father had come to visit me.”
Hm? Shen Ziqiao blinked her eyes, not feeling tired anymore.
“What did you say?” Shen Ziqiao sat up and widened her eyes at him. “Say it again!”
Qi Zheng glanced at the dark bags under her eyes and he felt bad. He secretly blamed himself for being too hasty last night. “Don’t worry. Grandmother and father didn’t say anything.”
Since they knew that he was pretending to be injured, they naturally knew everything.
“You just need to stay in the village and take care of me.” They were just doing this for outsiders. As long as outsiders believed that he had been recuperating for a month, then that was fine.
Shen Ziqiao sighed. She got startled!
They returned to Duke An residence to find that the atmosphere in the family seemed to be a bit unusual. Although the residence was decorated with lanterns and colored banners, and there was a festive feeling, every servant wore a nervous expression and there was no joyous atmosphere at all.
“What happened?” Shen Ziqiao asked confusedly.
“Let’s go pay respects to grandmother first.” Qi Zheng lifted his brows. He naturally knew what Xiao Gu had been busy with lately. But he was a bit confused with the atmosphere in the family.
After they arrived at Old Madam Qi’s place, they finally understood why the servants were so careful.
The mistress that Duke An had in the past came to request Old Madam Qi’s presence with her daughter.
The first day that Nee Hu appeared in the Qi Family, it was unclear how Gu Daiqin had slipped and fell. It had hurt her baby and she was now resting in peace.
Glancing at the mother and daughter on their knees in front of Old Madam Qi, Qi Zheng’s gaze darkened and he didn’t bother to conceal his murderous intent. The mother and daughter’s face paled but they looked at Qi Zheng stubbornly.
“You guys are back.” Old Madam Qi’s expression looked as if ice had finally melted when she saw Shen Ziqiao and Qi Zheng. She wore a faint smile.
“Grandmother.” Shen Ziqiao smiled and greeted.
Xiao Gu felt her heart aching just sitting there. She didn’t think that Nee Hu would dare to appear in the Qi Family again. A month ago, she had heard that they were in the capital. She did everything she could to chase them away. Who knew that they actually came to beg the Old Madam?
What she hated most was that Qi Zheng was actually safe and sound!
“Has Zheng’er recovered?” Old Madam Qi acted as though the mother and daughter weren’t here. She smiled at Qi Zheng.