Pampered Consort's Acting Awards - Chapter 30

The dense love at that time

“Ah Ling, I want a child.”

Before she agreed, Xiao Yu raised his hand and restrained her slender and fair neck, tilted his head, and kissed her lips.

His strength was very light.

Like when a dragonfly touches the water lightly, like when a raindrop kisses a flower petal.

Su Ling raised her hand to hold his lapels, and he followed her movement by prying open her teeth and invaded her mind.

It turned out the meeting of lips and teeth together tasted so wonderful.

Xiao Yu’s grip on her hip became tighter, while Su Ling was already leaning against the red sandalwood side screen, seemingly out of breath and could only make a few gasping sounds.

But such an intoxicating whisper sounded like feigning anger coquettishly, making the man’s eyes turn darker.

His breathing became rough and his voice hoarse: “Should I carry you to the back?” The ‘back’ in the man’s mouth referred to the couch behind the red sandalwood side screen.

The curtain of the painted boat was hung high, covering everything inside, and the red light inside the room was spilled on the young lady’s face.

Su Ling raised her hand to his chest, looked into his eyes, shook her head, and said while gasping: “We can’t do this. This is a painted boat, there are people everywhere…”

Not to mention they have not consummated up to this day.

At this place, let alone shower, they wouldn’t have any clothes to change.

Xiao Yu seemed to read her mind. The corners of his mouth curled up. He leaned forward and whispered to her: “Then, shall we go back?”

‘Go back’. How could Su Ling not understand these two words?

Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked at him in a daze. After hesitating for a while, she nodded her head.

This was just one of a man’s schemes.

Sleeping together with her on the same couch during these few days must be to put down her vigilance. After that, holding hands, hugging, day after day, step by step, the constant perseverance of the young lad yielded success, making the high wall within the young lady’s heart crack.

They left the painted boat, got on the carriage, and went back.

The wind was very cold that night. Xiao Yu held the reins in one hand and held her waist with the other.

The sound of the horse’s hoof was not hurried or slow, just like him, always calm and restrained.

Thus, this was the first time Su Ling witnessed his outside appearance differ from his inner reality.

The hot temperature on her waist could prove it.

At the moment they were living in a big three-building courtyard in Suzhou.

He pulled her past the gate, and as his steps became more hurried, they almost bumped into the inner room of the master courtyard’s door.

As soon as he entered the room, he bit the corner of her lips, bite after bite, as if there was no tomorrow.

As breathing became disordered, clothes slipped off one after another.

The black cloak, the peach-colored skirt, the moon-white short coat, the navy blue sash. Hers. His. All overlapped on the ground.

The curtain fell slowly as the two people’s necks intersected with each other.

Xiao Yu arched his back while holding her jade-like smooth shoulders and kissing her collarbone. The alluring curve led him astray and could not go back.

Su Ling kicked his calf with her toes and said in a faint voice, “Don’t… Don’t bite me.”

It was as if the man did not hear her.

The lower his eyes looked, the more he could not move away.

The saying was indeed true. The mountains convergence, shading in the clouds to offset the moon.

[T/N: shading in the clouds to offset the moon is a painting technique that can be used as a metaphorical description. It means “renders the surrounding things to highlight the central thing”. Here guessing the ‘highlighted’ thing in this verse is the ‘mountains’, which is, to put it bluntly, the brea- chest. *coughs*]

Su Ling was made anxious by the look in his eyes and immediately raised her hands to block his sight, “Don’t look.”

Seeing that he didn’t react in the slightest, Su Ling unconsciously said in a lower voice: “Stop looking…” The tone even sounded frail.

Xiao Yu suppressed his smile, and without any effort grabbed her hands and pressed it on top of her head.

Afterwards, the scorching hot chest pressed down.

With the help of the light, he could see her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Avoiding him.

He didn’t know if it was out of anxiety or unwillingness.

Xiao Yu’s eyebrows tightened slightly, but the strength of his grip on her wrists did not relax. He made a gentle rubbing motion instead, as if thinking about something.

After a short silence, he moved his hand, slowly but surely, passing her shoulder, towards her delicate and flushed earlobe. Then slowly said in a deep voice: “Ah Ling, I know you’re blaming me. You’re blaming me because I married you for benefits, blaming me because I ruined your chance of a normal marriage.”

“How should I compensate you?”

This was probably the longest time they’ve ever spent just looking at each other.

Xiao Yu was thinking: From now on, forget the youth of the He family and let us have a good time together. You are the wife that I officially wed, I will not mistreat you.

Su Ling was thinking: We cannot separate, but life must go on. Since today you are being somewhat sincere, I will believe you this once.

Just this once.

So she gently nodded. Agreeing.

The young lady’s eyes were sincere and solemn, as if making a big decision.

A smile suddenly overflowed from the corner of Xiao Yu’s mouth after he saw it.

The dense love at that time. Tireless. Enthusiastic. Even somewhat rude and impetuous. The kind that makes people feel ecstatic. Su Ling’s back arched like the crescent moon, instinctively panting—

Xiao Yu and Qin Ling woke up in an instant.

The shower of love within his eyes had not dissipated yet, and his surroundings felt hot.

Qin Ling held her breath and pretended to sleep with toes curled up. It was as if her heart had gone to her throat.

She didn’t shout out just now.

She didn’t…

The man by her side did not dare to move as well.

He naturally knew what kind of changes were made to his body.

The ambiguous dream stopped and everything was silent for a moment.

The two had their eyes closed, each thinking about it and continued to pretend to sleep.

The dream was long, making it feel somewhat real when they woke up, as if the present was the 36th year of Yongchang era.

Fortunately the feeling lasted only for a moment.

Qin Ling resisted the strangeness of her body and opened her eyes as if nothing happened.

She raised her hand to move the hair at her temples behind her ears, then naturally looked at the sky outside and whispered: “Your Majesty, it’s not early anymore. It’s time to get up.”

Xiao Yu’s lower jaw tensed, and he said in a deep voice: “In a while.”

It was the gloomy, husky tone that she was all too familiar with and had just warmed up to.

Qin Ling involuntarily took a glance down at the ‘curious coincidence’ before meeting his face awkwardly.

“Go out.” He said in a cold voice, “Call someone in to serve me.”

An abnormal fire was suppressed in the man’s tone, and Qin Ling hurriedly wore her shoes on the ground and opened the door to call Gonggong Sheng.

The door closed with a creak.

Xiao Yu sat up, opened the quilt, looked down, and held his temple.

He must be going crazy.

Really crazy.

After a long while, Gonggong Sheng put a big cloak on Xiao Yu. Seeing the dark blue under his eyes, he couldn’t help saying: “Did Your Majesty not rest well yesterday?”

However, Xiao Yu acted as if he did not hear him, and left Jingyang Palace with a cold face straight away.

And went to the morning court as usual.

Where the civil and military officials were waiting.

Jiang Chengyuan, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue said: “According to the information submitted by the local, the earthquake in Liaodong this time is very similar to the disaster in the 30th year of Yongchang era, however, the officials of Liaodong requested more than twice the amount of the disaster relief money back then.”

“This official wishes to go to Liaodong personally to clarify the number of buildings that collapsed and human casualties before allocating the money.”

As soon as the words came out, everyone squeezed sweat for the officials of Liaodong.

This was Lord Jiang, the famous miser.

[T/N: Lord Jiang’s son was mentioned in Chapter 4 — Acting. The one youth who wants to buy Si Yue]

“I allow it.” Xiao Yu replied: “However, since a disaster has occured, it is necessary for the victims to be able to eat first, and to stabilize food prices.”

Jiang Chengyuan: “This official understands.”

Xiao Yu checked through the memorials from the left to the right. One by one, the civil and military officials stepped out one after another.

Every day in the court, except for what is important to discuss, the next things are the loud argument between the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court about how a certain case should be judged, and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue rebuking each other for how they handle the fund.

The quarrel of the officials became louder and louder, but Xiao Yu’s thoughts gradually wandered.

All in his mind was that daughter of the Qin family, Qin Ling.

There were too many suspicious things about her.

For example, why both the consort dowager and Yun’er said that she does not have mole?

Another example, the source of poison in her body could not be found.

He turned the entire harem over and over. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he had dug up the ground three feet under, but not a clue could be found.

Thinking about the poison, and then thinking about the recent dreams…

Xiao Yu firmly pressed the white jade thumb ring on his hand, as if suppressing some greedy thoughts.

It was not that he didn’t know how absurd the idea was.

Physician Ning said that Zimuxiang poison is very strong, and if one overdoses, they will suffocate and die immediately with no time to save them.

Then… how did the daughter of the Qin family enter the palace? What about the poison?

Gonggong Sheng was looking at Xiao Yu with a puzzled look.

His Majesty was obsessed with official duties. There has never been an absent-minded expression on his face.

What was going on today?

At this time, the dispute in the hall gradually weakened, and Xiao Yu suddenly raised his eyes and said: “Since there is nothing urgent, let us end today’s court.”

However, after these words came out, Jiang Zhongting, the director of the Ministry of Rites, said: “This official has something to say.”

Xiao Yu was already used to it.

It was like this every day. If he did not say to disperse, everything was in peace, and the moment he said to disperse, someone would get out of the queue.

Xiao Yu patiently said: “What else is there, beloved official Jiang?”

[T/N: I know it sounds weird, but it is normal for emperors to call their officials “beloved official”]

Jiang Zhongting: “The crown prince has not been established, and the empress position has been empty for a long time. If it keeps going like this, it may shake the country. Asking Your Majesty to do something about it as soon as possible.”

Immediately, everyone followed in unison and persuaded: “Asking your Majesty to make a decision.”

Persuade what persuade. In fact, every official here was clear that regarding this matter, His Majesty had simply been pretending to be deaf.

They never expected that Xiao Yu would actually ask, “In beloved officials’ mind, who should be the empress?”

As soon as the words came out, the civil and military officials began to look at each other, and the scene became more subtle.

Each of the Xue, He, Xu, and Liu families had their own person in their minds…

The burning morning sun hung high in the sky. Hundreds of officials walked out in a line from the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Today’s morning court was especially lively, everyone’s heads were joined together in groups. Clearly they were discussing what had happened today.

“Is His Majesty seriously going to establish an empress?”

“Who knows?”

“In your opinion, which daughter of which family does His Majesty have his mind on?”

“80% should be on the daugher of the Liu family. After all, Liu Gelao has a high prestige in the court.”

“I have a different opinion. I think it must be the daughter of the Xu family.”

“…”

Let alone the officials, even Gonggong Sheng was at a loss regarding the emperor’s actions today.

Gonggong Sheng followed Xiao Yu in small quick steps. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

Currently, all the six palaces have been occupied. Jieyu Qin, who was quite favored recently, would be criticized for her identity and raising the eldest prince. How could she afford to be the master of the harem?

If the daughter of the Qin family was established as the empress, not to mention the officials, the empress dowager surely would not let this matter pass.

But what would happen to the eldest prince if other people became the empress?

The eldest prince could only speak after he saw Jieyu Qin…

When he was still puzzled over the matter, a young eunuch suddenly reported that because the temperature dropped sharply last night, the eldest prince caught a cold this morning.

Hearing this, Xiao Yu turned around and hurriedly walked towards Shou’an Palace.

There were braziers beside the couch of Nuan Pavilion, and the room was warm.

The little meat dumpling on the couch was leaning on his side with his hands placed randomly. His back was undulating from breathing, and drops of sweat wetted his forehead.

Momo Yuan stood at the side with an empty bowl and said in a low voice: “His Highness has drunk the medicine before falling asleep.”

Xiao Yu sat down beside him, reached out, and took the veil placed on the round stool. Then he leaned down and wiped his sweat.

The groggy meat dumpling seemed to feel the touch and unconsciously arched towards it. Soon, his round face was resting on the back of Xiao Yu’s hand.

Xiao Yu’s hand stiffened, but he did not go any further.

Almost a shichen later, the meat dumpling finally slept peacefully, and his body was not so hot anymore.

Thinking of the government affairs piling up like a mountain, Xiao Yu stood up quietly and was about to leave, but then he heard Xiao Yun humming, “Mum, don’t go.”

Yangxin Hall.

While grinding the ink, Gonggong Sheng recalled the emperor’s face suddenly sinking when he left Shou’an Palace.

The eldest prince had never seen his mother since he was a child, so that “mum” call should not be calling the late empress, but that…

Gonggong Sheng silently cursed Jieyu Qin’s good fate. Xiao Yu suddenly put down his brush, and said with his eyebrows knitted: “Spread my verbal decree. The eldest prince is affected by the wind and has caught a cold, he cannot be disturbed. Shuyi Xu will take care of him for the time being.”

Shuyi Xu?

Not Jieyu Qin?

Translator’s note:

Haiii, advance chapters will be updated in the next few days ya. Happy new year for everyone and thank you for staying with me QAQ