Pampered Consort's Acting Awards - Chapter 58 Part 1

When Xiao Yu pushed open the door and stepped out, Xue Xiangyang and Zhuang Sheng were waiting outside.

“Today’s incident must be kept confidential, otherwise, I’ll strip you of your official position,” Xiao Yu said coldly. His indifferent gaze then fell upon Zhuang Sheng’s face, “As for this debt, I’ll settle it with you later.”

Xiao Yu did not return to the palace after leaving the Ministry of Justice. Instead, he went to Prince Jin’s residence. Passing through the draped flower gate and the long corridor, he arrived at Chang’en Hall.

With practiced ease, he retrieved two jars of fine wine and a jade cup from beneath the bamboo mat.

Raising his hand, he poured a cup and drank it all in one gulp. Before long, one jar was emptied, filling the room with the fragrance of alcohol. However, the man’s eyes remained clear and devoid of any signs of drunkenness.

Xiao Yu bent down, resting his wrist against his brow, and sighed softly. She actually… remembers everything.

He sat there until sunset.

Dark clouds rolled across the sky, and the wind and rain suddenly intensified. Xiao Yu hurried back to the palace, the sound of hooves sinking into the muddy ground. By the time he reached Jingren Palace, his clothes were soaked through.

The palace doors opened without any announcement with a loud “bang.”

Qin Ling put down the small garment she was sewing for Xiao Yun and hurriedly stepped back. Before she could even greet him properly, the man’s scorching chest collided with hers.

Xiao Yu pressed her against the wall and leaned down, directly kissing her lips. The temperature of his kiss was searing, causing Qin Ling to tremble. He held her firmly, eliciting both a sound and a bounce.

“Are your legs still hurting?”

“They’re… They’re better.”

Xiao Yu bent down, his hot breath lingering near her ear, “I want you.”

Qin Ling caught a whiff of alcohol emanating from him.

He’s… drunk?

He was the emperor, and she was a concubine in the imperial harem. If he wanted her, she naturally could not refuse.

Qin Ling slowly closed her eyes, trying to accommodate his height by standing on her tiptoes and embracing his waist.

In an instant, he pressed her onto the bed.

Perhaps it was due to his intoxication, but his biting force was stronger than ever before. It was as if he had shed his composed and self-restrained demeanor, becoming a fierce beast threatening her life.

Qin Ling tilted her neck and softly pleaded, “Your Majesty, please be gentle.”

He seemed drunk, yet also sober.

Xiao Yu tightly restrained her waist, his hot breath spraying her face. He looked at her with eager eyes and asked hoarsely, “Am I in your heart?”

Qin Ling’s fair and slender arm lightly rested on his neck as she softly replied, “The heart of this humble servant naturally belongs to Your Majesty.”

Xiao Yu supported himself with his arm and gazed at her, his eyes understanding the same thing.

He understood it all.

Xiao Yu’s eyes gradually reddened, and after hesitating for a while, he finally voiced the words lingering on his tongue, “Why did you not tell me?”

“Why did I not tell you…what?”

Qin Ling’s heart skipped a beat, and her arm on his shoulder instantly stiffened.

He used the word “me,” as in “I.” 

[T/N: An emperor uses the word ‘we/us’, I might have localized this novel too hard after my hiatus and sometimes just translated it as ‘I/me’, which could lead to confusion. But in this particular conversation, Xiao Yu is using ‘I/me’, which he usually only uses for Su Ling]

Xiao Yu gripped her shoulder, his fingers trembling along with his voice, his deep eyes filled with despair, “Ah Ling, do you know how much I long for you?”

Qin Ling’s heart raced, almost piercing through her chest, yet her gaze remained gentle and caring, unchanged. “Your Majesty, are you drunk?”

“I’m not drunk. I’ve seen Si Yue.”

Si Yue.

Qin Ling felt like she had fallen into an icy lake, her eyes empty as she stared at him.

Time passed silently and imperceptibly.

After a while, she said, “What about Si Yue?”

Their eyes met, and Xiao Yu smiled wryly. His low voice sounded like a whisper, “When you entered the palace, was there even a bit of it for me?”

A tear fell from his eyes, landing on her own.

The warmth of it made her inexplicably want to cry.

“Why did you deceive me? Hm?”

The scorching tears welled up in Qin Ling’s eyes and again flowed from the corners. “The Su family is guilty, but I have already died once. Does Your Majesty still want to punish me for deceiving the emperor?”

Upon hearing her words, the man’s hand involuntarily exerted force, causing Qin Ling’s shoulder to ache from his grip. “Su Ling!”

“What do you want me to say? How do you want me to say it?” Qin Ling suddenly pushed him away, her lips trembling as she looked at him, word by word. “Look closely, I am Qin Ling, the eldest daughter of the Qin family, and you are the emperor, not my third lang. You ask why I didn’t acknowledge you.” Qin Ling murmured, “I know what I am in your eyes. But in the eyes of others, I am the daughter of a condemned traitor, a restless ghost destined to suffer. After entering the palace, I dare not to be happy or to be angry. I have to be cautious… even in acknowledging my own child.” Her voice choked as she chuckled softly, “I dare not even acknowledge my own child.”

As her words fell, his tall figure seemed to be pierced by a sharp arrow, stiff and trembling. This single word, like a knife, rendered him speechless.

He reached out his fingertip to touch the corner of her wet eyes.

Qin Ling suddenly evaded his touch, respectfully supporting herself with her arm and kneeling beside him. “All of this is because of me. Please don’t make things difficult for Miss Si Yue.”

His eyebrows furrowed, “Are you saying all this for Si Yue? Then what about your position in the palace? Is it for Yun’er?”

“If Your Majesty’s anger is difficult to subside, then punish me instead,” Qin Ling said softly.

Xiao Yu looked at her in disbelief. “Is this truly what you want from me?”

Silence enveloped the room as the two of them remained silent. 

He figured her out. This person was determined to be his minister and him her monarch!

Xiao Yu gradually tightened his fists, his gaze growing colder with each passing moment. Every breath he took seemed to send shivers down one’s spine.

Just then, a knock on the door resounded from outside. It was the voice of Eunuch Sheng.

“Your Majesty, Lord Huai urgently requests an audience outside Yangxin Hall.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Ling breathed a sigh of relief. If a courtier had urgent matters to discuss, this man would surely be too occupied to be with her tonight.

Xiao Yu looked at the slight curl of her lips as she relaxed, gritting his teeth. “Do you not want to see me that much?”

“This humble servant dares not.”

Such a respectful statement like that immediately ignited Xiao Yu’s foul temper. He clenched his fists tightly and pounded the edge of the bed in anger before storming out.

The palace doors slammed shut with a resounding thud.

Qin Ling rubbed her knees and rested her hands on the table’s edge, closing her eyes in frustration. She thought she could confess and accept the consequences, but now that she was face to face with him, she realized how difficult it was. A man like him would never give her the opportunity to play dumb.

If he were to ask about Su Huai’an, how should she respond?

Outside, Eunuch Sheng held up an umbrella and said, “It’s chilly outside, Your Majesty. Your clothes are wet. Please change before you leave.”

The wind, accompanied by the cool rain, blew against his face.

With a creaking sound, Zhu Lan and Zhu Xin approached, carrying a brazier and ointment. Qin Ling’s knee injury had not fully healed, and she felt the chill in this damp weather.

As Zhu Lan and Zhu Xin raised their heads, they saw the emperor standing outside, completely drenched. They were startled and quickly paid their respects, but they didn’t dare to ask too much.

“Bring it here,” Xiao Yu said calmly. “You may leave.”

Zhu Lan and Zhu Xin were momentarily stunned before they realized that His Majesty probably wanted the ointment they were holding.

Xiao Yu took it and returned to the hall.

Squeak.

Qin Ling suddenly looked up and saw him approaching. Instinctively, she leaned back.

Xiao Yu strode over, set the brazier aside, squatted down, and held her ankle, lifting her skirt. He heated the ointment over the fire and applied it to her knee when it became more fragrant.

“Between you and me, there have never been any others.”

Qin Ling furrowed her brows and asked, “What do you mean?”

With a serious expression, he lifted his gaze and said each word distinctly, “On the 16th day of the 7th month of the 36th year of the Yongchang era, I married and established a family. Since then, I have taken six concubines: Liu shi, Xue shi, Li shi, He shi, Xu shi, and Qin shi. Until today, I have never engaged in any intimate affairs with them, nor have I enjoyed conjugal love.”

“Why is Your Majesty saying all this?” Qin Ling blurted out.

Xiao Yu clenched his jaw and said, “Because it matters. I assure you, there were none before, and there will be none in the future. Take good care of your injury. When you’re better, I’ll take you horseback riding.”

With that, he looked into her eyes and then turned and left.