The Emperor’s Favorite Imperial Concubine From the Northeast - Chapter 7

NOTE: the title of this chapter is 举高高 jǔ gāo gāo, which is an internet buzzword (from 要亲亲要抱抱要举高高, and means ‘to kiss, hug and lift high’) and is usually used when partners in a couple spoil each other! (This expression will be used right at the end of the chapter as well!)

What heart of a shijun was unpredictable, rather the heart of an emperor was unpredictable!

Just then, no matter what words he was spouting, points would be added to his favorability score. Why did it suddenly start dropping?

Ye Yang and Feng Luan gazed at each other. Unexpectedly, Feng Luan sneered and said, “break a boulder with your chest? How will you learn to break a boulder with your chest with such a body?”

Ye Yang, “Actually no, no……”

Feng Luan raised an eyebrow and inquired, “what do you really want to learn?”

Ye Yang, “……”

He carefully thought about it with trepidation, recalling that Feng Luan had mentioned something to him before.

Feng Luan did speak about being adept at horsemanship and archery from childhood before; under the current circumstances, he was still obedient despite being frightened, and thus, it was more wise to settle for something Feng Luan told of in the past.

Ye Yang responded earnestly, “I want to learn to ride a horse and to shoot a bow.”

Feng Luan’s mood finally improved a tad. “When you’ll feel better, zhen will teach you.”

Ye Yang, “……”

Dog emperor.

He had just used foul language inwardly, when Feng Luan, out of the blue, rose to his feet and startled him; yet, Feng Luan only asked Kang Ning for his accordion book that he had not finished reading to be sent here. He seemed to be dead set on resting in his chamber for the night, but Ye Yang hoped he would leave as soon as possible.

Although he couldn’t force Feng Luan to chase after Chu Lian, he had a plan to cause the tyrant to leave after nurturing a distaste for him.

This tyrant was fond of frail and cultured beauties—he relished the face, but not the person. Supposing that the elegant beauty did anything considered to be frightfully uncouth, Feng Luan should lose interest in the individual there and then.

Having thought so, Ye Yang simply sat on the edge of his bed and glanced at his legs.

He who was the foot man was the essence of all rough men.

He didn’t believe Feng Luan could be sexually interested in a person who crossed their feet, picking at one while wearing a flip flop on the other.

Ye Yang had just woken up, wearing only his bedclothes and no shoes or socks. Looking under the bed, there was a pair of upturned cloth shoes, which were incredibly exquisite. He moved to the bedside and stepped on the shoes.

Not having his pair of flip flops, he should be able to make do with cloth shoes.

Feng Luan kept mum, yet his eyes followed his actions. When he saw him shove his feet into his shoes, he parted his lips and asked softly, “Yun shijun, what are you doing?”

Ye Yang seated himself on the edge of the bed, spread his legs, placing one of his legs on the other knee. Thinking that he had assumed the appearance of a boorish, belligerent individual, he began shaking his legs.

His figure was garbed in only a single layer of bedclothes of good quality, which appeared to be made of silk. With his movements, his trouser slid upwards, exposing a part of his calf and a slender ankle. The cloth shoes, which were about to hang off his toes, were brightly colored and delightful, contrasting against his milky skin, white as the snow, underneath which light greenish-blue veins could be vaguely perceived.

Ye Yang had not yet noticed—he was still shaking his legs and shoes, and as he was about to stretch out his hand to pick at his foot, he realized that Feng Luan was staring in the opposite direction, as if there was something wrong.

Ye Yang bowed his head and glanced at his legs.

The bare calf was thin and ivory, the cloth shoes hanging from the tips of his feet resembling high heels, just like those pictured in sexy photographs. At the moment, the depicted scene was not only far from being vulgar and discourteous, but also inexplicably erotic.

Ye Yang, “……”

Qjla, kts vlvc’a Tec Tjcu tjnf ifu tjlg?

Lbk mbeiv j mbjgrf wjc cba tjnf! Ofu! Ljlg!

Po tlr ifur kfgfc’a ijmxlcu atf tjlg, atlr qfgobgwjcmf kbeiv’nf slfivfv aklmf atf gfreia klat tjio atf foobga. Mfcu Oejc kbeiv’nf yffc rmjgfv jkjs lwwfvljafis. Dfmjerf bo atlr, tf tjv wjvf atf jmalbc bo qlmxlcu ja tlr offa ibbx ilxf tf kjr rfvemlcu atf batfg. Lf mbeivc’a vb atlr. Lf tjv ab olcv j kjs ab rwbbat bnfg atf jwylueber jawbrqtfgf.

Ye Yang, “……Brother, have you eaten?”

Feng Luan, “……”

Ye Yang awkwardly put his legs down, tugged his trouser down, peeked at Feng Luan and managed to regain some confidence, “I’m…… I’m really starving, but there’s nothing left here for us. Only some cabbage bang zi and sliced potatoes. Shall we stew them for an hour?”

Feng Luan, “……”

Feng Luan lifted his hand to receive the booklet from Kang Ning. He was quite unruffled, his favorability score remaining unchanged. He only furrowed his brows, remarking in an unapproving manner, “you really ought to learn court etiquette.”

Kang Ning replied, “Yun shijun is already learning court etiquette.”

“Change the tutor,” Feng Luan’s eyes glided over Ye Yang’s legs for a while and commented, “what kind of teaching is this?”

Ye Yang was on tenterhooks for a moment.

It was specified in the novel that Feng Luan was a tyrant, able to even murder his own brother. If he commanded for the teaching Mama to be changed, he wouldn’t want Mama Li to be killed, would he?

Ye Yang hurried to say, “Your Majesty, Mama Li didn’t commit a grave mistake. Please consider it twice.”

Feng Luan looked at him strangely, “what do you think zhen wants to do?”

Ye Yang, “er……”

He stammered for a moment, feeling indescribably sheepish, and had no choice but to dart his eyes somewhere else swiftly and attempt to change the subject of the conversation, uttering, “……Your Majesty, what happened to the assassin from last night?”

Feng Luan turned over a page of the booklet and answered calmly, “killed him.”

Ye Yang, “……wasn’t an interrogation necessary?”

Feng Luan rejoined, “zhen already knows who it was.”

Ye Yang studied him curiously, yet Feng Luan no longer talked. Compared with the previous jolly atmosphere during which he joked, Feng Luan seemed to be a bit aloof and ceased communicating with him. The only thing he did was scan the memorial for the emperor held in his hand.

Ye Yang glued his lips shut.

Naturally, this was something that he was supposed to be kept in the dark about. He really shouldn’t talk much. Noticing that Feng Luan didn’t wish to chat with him again, he simply lay down again on his side and remained silent. After eating and drinking his medicine, he soon fell asleep.

He rested for too long in the daytime, and for some reason, he had nightmares repeatedly. He woke up several times in a panic, yet when his eyes landed on Feng Luan, who was still sleeping on the soft couch outside, he dared not disturb him. He was about to close his eyes and slumber again, however he discerned Feng Luan talking in his sleep, seemingly having nightmares himself.

Ye Yang rolled over quietly, hugging the quilt.

Listening more to him meant having his favorability score decrease. Last time, Feng Luan found that he had roused and his favorability score dropped. Having learnt his lesson, he decided to act as if he had heard nothing.

Yet, he called to mind when Feng Luan had previously mumbled in his sleep and couldn’t help but wonder again.

Who was that ‘Ah Yue’ Feng Luan had mentioned?

……

The next day, when Ye Yang stirred, Feng Luan had already gone to court.

He was sipping his medicine, when he turned around and came face to face with Mama Li holding on to the door frame, looking at him with tearful eyes.

Ye Yang’s heart thumped, feeling shocked and having a bad premonition.

“Young Master! This slave is leaving!” cried Mama Li, wiping her tears. “His Majesty has ordered that this slave cannot stay by your side anymore!”

Ye Yang, “ah……”

His thoughts drifted to the jade stick and the pornographic pictures given to him by Mama Li, and he couldn’t wait for Mama Li to leave even faster.

In spite of everything, he could’ve never imagined that Mama Li would drag a little maid and place her bag filled with secret treasures that she was carrying on her back around the little maid’s neck. The little girl staggered from its weight, while Mama Li fixed her weepy gaze and declared, “Young Master, Wan Juan is the apprentice specially taught by this slave. Let Wan Juan follow you in the future!”

Ye Yang, “……this is unnecessary.”

Wan Juan was pushed forward by Mama Li—she bowed furiously to Ye Yang, who was frightened and walked several steps back.

“This slave has studied carefully, the matter of the Holy Favor has been imprinted on the body and mind.” Wan Juan raised her head and looked fixedly at Ye Yang. She was nervous and stuttered, “t, t, t, t, this servant will definitely help the Young Master win the Sacred Heart!”

Ye Yang, “……”

Ye Yang could feel his head aching even more.

Catching sight of the eager eyes of the two, he suddenly remembered an event, grabbed Mama Li’s arm and queried, “Mama Li, how long have you been in the palace for?”

Mama Li patted her chest and assured him, “this slave has been in the palace for more than 20 years, watched His Majesty grow up and knows each of His Majesty’s preferences!”

Ye Yang did not want to know Feng Luan’s preferences. He was burning with curiosity to know about Feng Luan’s sleep-talking.

He thought to quickly ask Mama Li about it before she took her leave; therefore, he lowered his voice and requested the information, “do…… Do you know anyone in the palace named Ah Yue, or whose name has Yue in it?”

Before he could finish the sentence, Mama Li hastened to raise her hand and cover his mouth, her face contorting from terror. She lowered her voice and came close to Ye Yang, along with Wan Juan, and advised, “Young Master, such words cannot be spoken. Were His Majesty to hear this, he’d certainly be furious.”

Ye Yang asked, “why?”

Mama Li replied, “Young Master…… Have you ever heard of King Shen Yang?”

Ye Yang had an epiphany.

He didn’t know who Ah Yue was, however he was familiar with Prince Shen Yang, since he’d read about him in the book.

He was Feng Luan’s younger brother from the same mother. In the novel, it was explained that Feng Luan murdered his father and older brother for the sake of ascending to the throne—but, that was only a rumor. The late emperor was suddenly afflicted with an illness, causing some people to spread the rumor and blame Feng Luan for this. It was indeed true that he had killed his older brother, as, at that time, several princes were actively competing for the throne and scheming was commonplace, among which Feng Luan was the most ruthless. In addition to getting rid of some of his older half brothers, he didn’t even spare his younger brother, to whom he was related by blood, Prince Shen Yang Feng Yue. He stepped on the blood and bones of his closest relatives to ascend to the throne, and slaughtered the opposing political parties. He took the throne in only a month, killing hundreds of people and gaining the title of ‘tyrant’ from the public.

But, Ye Yang felt that, when Feng Luan was sleep-talking that day, he looked clearly…… incredibly guilty.

If Ah Yue was, in fact, Prince Shen Yang, then this was all one big confusing mess, which had little to do with him. He didn’t need to pay attention to this; rather, he should eat his melons. It was also time to see Mama Li off.

Ye Yang was injured. He had the flu before and walking around would, inevitably, affect the wound. Therefore, Wan Juan sent Mama Li out and vivaciously jumped right back to her spot, eager to offer advice to Ye Yang.

Ye Yang had already picked up the bowl with medicine and was drinking it as she went on.

“Young Master was wounded for His Majesty,” Wan Juan clarified seriously, “if His Majesty comes here again, tell His Majesty that your shoulder hurts and that you want His Majesty to rub it!”

Ye Yang choked on the medicine.

“No, no, the wound will hurt,” Wan Juan rejected her own idea. “Then…… let His Majesty blow on it!”

Having said these words, she puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips, appearing to be overly proud.

Ye Yang coughed a few times and deliberately retorted, “blow on it? Does that mean acting coquettishly?”

Wan Juan’s eyes lit up, “Young Master! What a great idea!”

Ye Yang, “……”

Wan Juan took another step forward and was about to continue to make suggestions, when the servants outside the chamber shouted, “this servant kowtows before His Imperial Majesty!”

Ye Yang sighed deeply.

What even was this? How come Feng Luan still wanted to stay in his palace?

Wan Juan was taken aback and fell on her knees. As Feng Luan strode inside the chamber, he glanced at her and asked in passing, “a new maid? You look somewhat unfamiliar.”

Ye Yang wasted no time to answer, “yes, this is the garlic peeling little girl, that…… Juan, greet His Majesty.”

Feng Luan, “……”

His favorability score remained unchanged; it was apparently Wan Juan’s first time seeing Feng Luan. She stumbled nervously over her words, yet still stubbornly insisted on finishing the sentence.

“Servant Wan Juan… kowtows before His Imperial Majesty,” she spoke anxiously. “Your Majesty, Young Mas…… no, Yun shijun was just saying that his shoulder hurts.”

Ye Yang, “……”

No way? With this lousy plan she really turned and sold him out?!

Feng Luan was slightly stunned, gazed at Ye Yang, wavered for a bit, then inquired, “does your injury hurt? Do you want to call for the imperial physician?”

Ye Yang, “……”

He looked at Wan Juan as her forehead was glued to the ground. Peering at her from his angle, he happened to see half of Wan Juan’s face, which was not hidden by her arm.

With her big eyes, she winked at him desperately.

Ye Yang settled on acting as if he didn’t see her. “No, no, that’s not important, it doesn’t hurt.”

Before he could even finish talking, Wan Juan raised her head, hating iron for not becoming steel.

“Your Majesty!” Wan Juan spoke loudly, “shijun said! Physical pain is nothing! As long as the heart is comforted!”

Feng Luan was startled by her howling and stared blankly at her, “……huh?”

Ye Yang grabbed her and hollered, “it’s a flesh wound! It doesn’t matter!”

Nevertheless, that still didn’t cover Wan Juan’s following words:

“Shijun said! The wound hurts!” Wan Juan shouted. “He wanted His Majesty to kiss him, hug him and lift! Him! High!”

Ye Yang, “……”

Feng Luan, “……”