Luo Yun'e felt as if she would spit blood upon hearing this.
So much money, it was as if she were being asked to empty her family's coffers!
Seeing her frozen in place, Emperor Ye Yao taunted, "Has the Empress not yet offered her thanks?"
Luo Yun'e took a deep breath, clenching her fists tightly. "This concubine thanks Your Majesty for your great grace."
"You may withdraw," Emperor Ye Yao said without even looking at her.
Luo Yun'e pushed herself up from the ground, staggering and nearly falling as she stood.
She shot the little dumpling a hateful glare, and was supported by her maids as she left unsteadily.
Once she was gone, Emperor Ye Yao turned to the little dumpling in his arms, his expression complex. "Little girl, tell me the truth, how is Consort Liang's illness now?"
Su Yunmo clearly saw the worry in Emperor Ye Yao's eyes and her own gaze shifted slightly. "Imperial Uncle is so worried about Consort Liang, why don't you go see her yourself?"
Emperor Ye Yao's body stiffened slightly, and he gave a bitter smile. "I, cannot go."
Nor dare he.
"Never mind, never mind," Emperor Ye Yao shook his head. "Chang Hui, prepare the meal."
He patted the little dumpling's head. "You will dine with me today."
"Okay," Su Yunmo nodded, a hint of seriousness flashing across her eyes.
It seemed His Majesty did not detest or hate Consort Liang as much as she had imagined.
Eunuch Chang had the imperial kitchen prepare a meal.
However, Emperor Ye Yao seemed preoccupied and did not eat much, while Su Yunmo ate a considerable amount.
After the meal, Emperor Ye Yao still had other matters to attend to in the afternoon, so Su Yunmo left the study and headed in the direction of the cold palace.
In the corridor.
Ye Jingcheng approached from the direction of Fengqi Palace, his expression extremely grim.
Su Yunmo bumped into him, a playful smirk playing on her lips.
It seemed Prince Lian was in a bad mood, likely having learned of the Empress's punishment.
Ye Jingcheng also saw her, stopped, and stared at her with a stern face. "Quite a bold move. Did Third Brother teach you this?"
Su Yunmo turned to the eunuch escorting her. "Eunuch, Momo knows the way herself. You can go back first."
"Then this servant shall take his leave." The eunuch bowed to the two of them and then retreated.
Ye Jingcheng also waved his hand, dismissing the servants following him.
Only the two of them remained in the long corridor.
Su Yunmo crossed her arms, smiling at him. "Prince Lian, there's no need to be angry. As the saying goes, parting with wealth averts disaster. It's not a big deal, is it? It's better than the Empress being punished and beaten by His Majesty."
Consort Liang had suffered a great deal at Luo Yun'e's hands back then. She had only made her bleed a little; it was quite generous of her.
Ye Jingcheng ground his teeth.
This girl actually dared to say that. That sum of money was not small!
"Actually, if you think about it, you can't blame me. If anyone's to blame, it's you," Su Yunmo leaned against a pillar, her expression languid, but her words were sharp with sarcasm.
"Who told you not to tell the Empress my true identity? Just telling her I'm your enemy isn't enough. After all, you're so detestable, you have quite a few enemies. How would the dignified Mother of the Nation pay attention to a mere child?"
A cold glint flickered in Ye Jingcheng's eyes.
Su Yunmo tilted her head and smiled, as if suddenly enlightened. "Oh~ I see. Could it be you were afraid the Empress wouldn't believe you? Or perhaps you didn't dare tell the Empress that you once colluded with the current Princess Consort to kill your... mmm!"
The little dumpling's feet instantly left the ground.
Ye Jingcheng gripped her by the collar with one hand, pressing her against the pillar, and made a choking gesture at her neck with the other. "Do you know I can kill you anytime I wish?"
Su Yunmo stared intently at him, her hands gripping his wrists. "The same goes for you. If I wanted to kill you, you would have been dead long ago!"
Killing was simple; all it took was her powers, a mere thought.
This person would instantly be reduced to dust before her!
But she couldn't do that. Ye Jingyu was right; death was too easy. This person didn't deserve it!
Ye Jingcheng narrowed his eyes and suddenly let out a low chuckle. "You've indeed changed. You're not the same as before."
A figure flashed across the opposite side.
Ye Jingcheng pursed his lips, a playful glint in his eyes, and raised his voice. "Momo, you are truly a treasure. I truly regret now, if I had known this, I should have married you earlier."
Su Yunmo frowned.
What madness was this man spouting?
He leaned down, caressing her face with one hand, his eyes filled with a hint of desire. "I truly want to devour you."
A sharp palm strike came whistling through the air.
Ye Jingcheng quickly retreated.
The little dumpling cried out in surprise and fell from mid-air, but she didn't hit the ground, being caught halfway.
Ye Jingyu held her tightly, a fierce anger burning in his dark eyes.
"Ye Jingyu? Why are you here?" The little dumpling was surprised.
Ye Jingyu looked down at her, and with a touch of annoyance, he pressed her head into his chest, holding her close.
"Mmm~ What are you doing... I can't breathe, mmm..." The little dumpling struggled, her hands and feet flailing.
But soon, her struggling hands were also pressed down.
Ye Jingyu looked at the person opposite him with cold, dark eyes. "Does Imperial Brother know that some people cannot be touched?"
Ye Jingcheng flicked his sleeve. "Cannot be touched? Unfortunately, I have already touched them more than once."
He had wondered how long he would hide in the distance, but it seemed he wasn't a very patient fellow. Still, it was rare for the usually pure and detached Prince Yu to be so eager.
"It's different now; things have changed. So, Imperial Brother should be more cautious in the future, lest you make a mistake and cut your hand," Ye Jingyu glanced at him coldly, then stepped past him and strode away.
Ye Jingcheng watched his retreating back, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
*Crack*
A deep fissure appeared in the pillar beside him.
Ye Jingcheng looked at the palm print on it, his eyes darkening.
Meanwhile, the little dumpling was carried out of the corridor towards the cold palace.
Her head was pressed down so hard she was struggling to breathe, her face flushed, and steam seemed to rise from her head. "Let go, you bastard!"
She opened her mouth and bit down on the man's chest without hesitation.
Ye Jingyu let out a muffled grunt of pain, his entire face contorting, and he roughly pulled the little dumpling out of his embrace.
Su Yunmo clutched her small fists, gasping for air, her cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish. "What are you doing?"
Ye Jingyu didn't reply. He vigorously wiped her face with his sleeve, rubbing her cheeks red in just a couple of strokes.
Su Yunmo grew agitated, struggling and crying out as she held onto his arm.
"Dirty," Ye Jingyu uttered the word coldly, his brows furrowed as he pinned her down and rubbed her a few more times according to his own will before stopping. However, a lump of emotion remained stuck in his throat.
Su Yunmo's face hurt from the rubbing, and she opened her mouth to bite him.
Ye Jingyu quickly retracted his hand.
"If you think I'm dirty, then stay away from me and don't touch me!" Su Yunmo kicked him, flipped off the ground, and stomped away angrily.
Ye Jingyu felt the kick to his stomach. Seeing the anger radiating from her forehead, he knew she had misunderstood. He suppressed the annoyance in his chest for the moment and pulled her back before she could leave.
He scooped the little dumpling into his arms. "I wasn't talking about you. I said *he* was dirty."
Su Yunmo snorted, glared at him, and stubbornly turned her head away, refusing to speak to him.