“Pity the little girl blocked her path, preventing her from entering. Enraged, she gnashed her teeth and called out from outside, ‘Cousin, look at these ill-bred people. How will you bring them into the palace in the future? Should your cousin teach these servants a good lesson?’”
Yun Xiao’s expression turned cold. She waved her hand, signaling for Li Ruoyun to be brought in. Wanwan obeyed and left, returning shortly with the brightly dressed Li Ruoyun, who entered with a smile, her gaze fixed on Yun Xiao with admiration.
“Our cousin is truly blessed to have married two emperors.”
Truly, a dog’s mouth cannot spit out ivory. Yun Xiao raised her eyes and turned to cast a cold glance at her. The woman, startled, immediately stood obediently by the screen.
Yun Xiao stared at her and spoke slowly, “Li Ruoyun, if you dare to address me as sister again casually, believe it or not, I’ll beat you until you’re spitting teeth.”
Li Ruoyun’s complexion shifted from red to pale. She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, appearing pitiful and evoking a sense of pity. However, Yun Xiao was not swayed. She waved her hand and instructed Wanwan, “Take the young cousin outside.”
Being dismissed so directly, even Li Ruoyun, with her thick skin, could not linger. She had intended to rely on Yun Xiao to find a royal relative to marry, but unexpectedly, this woman showed no leniency. It was truly infuriating.
Wanwan made a gesture of invitation, ushering Li Ruoyun out. The woman stomped her foot and quickly left Yuxuan, heading to the Yun King’s consort’s courtyard to complain.
She had initially thought her aunt would protect her, but her aunt now only devoted herself to Buddha and paid no mind to the affairs of the mansion. Li Ruoyun gained nothing from the encounter and, angered, left the Yun King’s mansion to return to the Li family.
After dismissing Li Ruoyun, Yun Xiao was in her room reading. Just as she turned a few pages, Liu Xing entered from outside the door and respectfully said, “Miss, Zhuifeng and Zhuoyue have arrived.”
“Mm.” Yun Xiao was reclining on a soft couch, reading, her demeanor lazy and casual, yet possessing a chilling aura that dared not be underestimated. Upon hearing Liu Xing’s report, she raised an eyebrow. “What do they want? Let them in.”
Liu Xing retreated, and Zhuifeng and Zhuoyue entered with steady steps.
These two, Zhuifeng and Liu Xing, were similar in their taciturn nature. Zhuoyue, on the other hand, had a bit of playful mischief similar to Jingyun, though they knew the difference in important matters.
“Greetings, Miss.”
Upon entering, both respectfully paid their respects to Yun Xiao.
Yun Xiao signaled for them to dispense with formalities. She wondered why they had appeared, knowing that Zhuoyue secretly monitored her. However, they rarely showed themselves.
“What do you need?”
Yun Xiao spoke unhurriedly, her gaze returning to the book in her hand, flipping through its pages casually. The aura around her was one that commanded respect. Though she appeared harmless, Zhuifeng and Zhuoyue knew the truth and dared not be negligent.
“Reporting to Miss, the Emperor has ordered us to follow Miss from now on. We are thus your subordinates.”
Yun Xiao’s eyebrows shot up at this. Her gaze shifted from the book to Zhuifeng and Zhuoyue, whom she studied for a long moment before finally smiling, albeit with a cold expression.
“Follow me, and then report all my actions to the Emperor? I do not like having two spies. You may return. I already have people with me.”
Hearing Yun Xiao dismiss them, Zhuifeng and Zhuoyue quickly stated earnestly, “The Emperor said that Miss is now our mistress, and therefore we have the right to protect all of Miss’s affairs.”
“Including not divulging my matters to the Emperor?”
Yun Xiao became somewhat interested. Honestly, these two were indeed excellent. If she were to leave the palace in the future, having more people would always be beneficial. Zhuifeng and Zhuoyue’s martial prowess was formidable, no less than Liu Xing and Jingyun.
However, with these two here, who was responsible for protecting Shangguan Yin?
“Then, with you two here, who is protecting the Emperor?”
“Reporting to Miss, those protecting the Emperor now are Zijun and Ziyang. Miss need not worry; their martial arts are superior to ours, and they will ensure the Emperor’s safety.”
Zhuifeng knew Miss was concerned about the Emperor’s safety, so he explained conscientiously. Yun Xiao felt relieved and nodded, “Then you may remain in the Yun King’s mansion.”
“Yes, Miss.”
The two retreated. Yun Xiao looked up at the screen, knowing the Emperor was arranging for Zhuifeng and Zhuoyue to protect her out of concern for her safety.
Now, with the wedding date approaching, there were only a few days left.
The time was too hurried, and as a result, the Yun King’s mansion and the Ministry of Works were in a frenzy. Yun Xiao, however, spent a day in her room sketching a design for a white wedding dress, instructing the imperial tailors to recreate an outfit based on her design.
When this design was handed to the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, it made his eyes sparkle. The style of this dress was something he had never seen before.
However, since it was personally sent by the future Empress, he had no choice but to pass it to the imperial tailors. If there were any questions, they could visit the Yun King’s mansion to consult the future mistress.
In fact, for the wedding dress, Yun Xiao had made full use of Yanxia Luo, designing it to be completely enclosed.
As it was winter, and this was ancient times, to avoid damaging her reputation, she had deliberately designed it conservatively, not revealing any skin. She had only elongated the waistline, making the wedding dress fit her figure better and highlight a woman’s most beautiful aspects.
During the New Year, firecrackers rang out in every alley and street, and the sky was filled with vibrant fireworks. Yun Xiao, along with Wanwan and a few young maids from the mansion, sneaked out to play.
This was her last year of freedom. After this year, she would enter the palace. This time was different from before.
Previously, she had no choice, but this time, she was marrying willingly and had even designed her own wedding dress.
The streets were crowded with people. Besides setting off fireworks, there were various celebratory performances and juggling acts. Shops were adorned with lanterns from end to end, making the entire city of Yanjing seem submerged in a red ocean, a vast expanse of fiery red as far as the eye could see.
The fireworks illuminated the entire sky, leaping and shimmering in a multitude of colors. Many vendors selling snacks appeared, their cries ceaseless. Yun Xiao, Wanwan, and the other young maids each held a skewer of candied hawthorn, like joyful children.
Behind them, Liu Xing, Zhuo Yue, Zhuifeng, and Jingyun followed closely, protecting them. Yun Xiao’s brother, Yun Zhen, also worried about them, so he trailed behind.
On the streets, there were dragon lantern dances and makeshift outdoor stages for opera performances, with continuous bursts of colorful music. In short, New Year’s Eve was a lively night.
After strolling for a while, Yun Xiao began to feel tired. Her body had been different recently; having just experienced intimacy, she tired easily.
Seeing the young maids beside her full of energy, she said to Wanwan that she was returning and told them to play for a while longer.
Wanwan wanted to accompany her back, but Yun Xiao shook her head. Wanwan had always accompanied her; today, she was giving her a day off.
In the end, Qiao'er accompanied her back to the mansion. Liu Xing, Zhuifeng, and her brother Yun Zhen also returned with her, leaving Zhuoyue and Jingyun, the more playful ones, to look after Wanwan and the others.
Upon returning to Yuxuan, Yun Xiao immediately washed up and lay on the bed to read. Qiao'er sat beside her, embroidering a mandarin duck pillowcase for her.