Chapter 5 You Have No Shame

  After listening, Ye Yusan didn't go into a daze, nor was she surprised, and she wasn't particularly moved either. Because the things that were supposed to move her had already done so during the day. It was like listening to a story, after hearing it, analyzing the plot, then inserting her own role into it, thinking carefully about what kind of role would be more suitable for her in front of Nan Mu Xuan.

  The silence, the courtyard became quiet. The sound of the wind blowing through the leaves was clear and distinct, even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be heard. When someone approached, it was even more audible.

  Who could it be at this late hour?

  The little fish stood up and stretched its neck towards the gate of the courtyard.

  A tall figure appeared at the gate of the courtyard, followed by a woman. Tonight's moonlight was very bright, and it could be clearly seen that the woman was Yatou Bing'er. In the daytime, she still wore coarse cloth clothes, but in the evening, she changed into expensive silk fabrics, closely following Nanmu Yu who walked ahead into the courtyard.

  Ye Yuxuan wasn't surprised that Xiao Bing would appear like this, anyway, the appearance of Bing'er was just to prove that she was a discarded wife. However, this proved that Nan Mu Yu had put in a lot of thought for that woman named Xiao Ruoleng. It's believed that soon, after using Bing'er's hands to clean up herself, he would openly bring that woman named Xiao Ruoleng into the palace.

  A sarcastic smile inadvertently appeared on his face as he saw Nan Mu Yu walking in with Bing Er, her head hung low.

  "Didn't the Ye family teach you even the most basic etiquette? You don't even know how to pay respects when I, the Emperor, arrive?" Nan Mu Yu gazed at Ye Yuxuan with a hint of a smile in his eyes, and an inexplicable glint flickered in their depths.

  Ye Yuxuan didn't refute, walked out of the pavilion, reluctantly stepped forward and bowed slightly: "I've seen the Crown Prince, I didn't know it was so late, what brings you here?"

  "Haha......hahaha......" Nan Mu Yu tilted his head back and laughed maniacally, sizing Ye Yuxuan up from top to bottom. He reached out a hand, intending to lift her chin.

  Ye Yuxuan turned her head away with a strong expression, a look of disgust on her face. Looking at the quiet courtyard again, she suddenly thought of that terrifying face she saw today. If it was nighttime, those with timid hearts would definitely be scared to death.

  "I heard you met your old lover today." Nan Mu Yu's hand was no longer gentle, and he slapped Ye Yu Shan's face with force. The warm eyes from earlier were now covered in a cold frost, and he sneered through gritted teeth: "Ye Yu Shan, don't forget your current identity. You may not care about your reputation, but I do. As the daughter of the Duke and my concubine, you dare to flirt with Prince Xuan? Aren't you afraid of being beheaded?"

  Ye Yuxuan calmly looked at Nan Mu Yu, she didn't want to explain, since it had all been seen, the more she tried to clarify, the darker it would become.

  "You're still quite honest, that's admitting to being entangled with Nan Mu Xuan. Since that's the case, why didn't you just marry Nan Mu Xuan back then? Why did you have to tear apart His Highness and Ruo Lian? How can there be such a despicable woman like you in this world?" Nan Mu Yu's words became more and more agitated, his grip also becoming tighter and tighter, causing the pale face to turn red, but she just stared at him silently.

  The wind gradually grew stronger, blowing so hard that Ye Yuxuan's eyes couldn't stay open. Ye Yuxuan closed her eyes and let Nanmu Yu's insults wash over her without intending to retort. Anyway, she was also helpless, if anyone was to blame, it could only be the too-green prince who couldn't handle the brainy and calculating Prime Minister Xiang.

  Damn woman!

  Actually took what I said as nothing but rumors.

  Nan Mu's eyes were about to pop out, seeing Ye Yuxuan just closing her eyes, not saying a word, and ignoring him. In his anger, he shook her arm vigorously, almost begging her to open her eyes and take another look at him.

  "Your Highness, if you've finished scolding and have vented enough, may I return to my rest now?" Ye Yuxuan lazily rubbed her ears, which were about to fall asleep, and slowly opened her eyes to glance at Nanmu Yu.

  Her gaze at Nan Mu Yu, she saw hatred, the kind of hatred that could kill, and also saw the helplessness hidden in his eyes. She removed his hand, her expression calm, and glanced at Bing Er and Xiao Yu. The two maids bowed slightly and obediently retreated from the courtyard.

  "What? Is there something shameful that can't be let known to others?" Nan Mu Yu grasped Ye Yu Xiang's hand, his sharp gaze piercing through her.

  Hehe!

  Ye Yuxuan's mouth curved into a subtle, enigmatic smile as she wriggled free from his grasp. Her tone was flat and even as she said, "If you want to bring that woman in, I won't have any objections, on the condition that you stop disturbing my life. Besides, I married you not out of my own will; if anyone's to blame, it's because your standing with the Emperor is inferior to that of Prime Minister Xiang."

  "You..."

  Nan Mu Yu was like being poked in a sore spot, and with one slap, he slapped Ye Yuxuan's face.

  Her face stung with pain, but Ye Yusan didn't get angry. Stubbornly turning her face back, she met the gaze of Nan Mu Yu, her expression still as calm as stagnant water, and her tone still serene: "Your Highness, this palace doesn't resist not because it's incompetent, but because it won't stoop to the level of someone too immature!"

  He narrowed his eyes, and in the narrow field of vision, he saw Ye Yuxuan's sarcasm. He leaned in, coldly growling: "A sharp-tongued woman, indeed worthy of being Ye Liefeng's daughter. However, you'd better remember this for me. Whether you're willing or not, this is the Zhao Ming Palace, and once you marry in, you must follow its rules. If I find out again that you're still entangled with Nan Mu Xuan, don't blame me for being merciless."

  Ye Yuxuan took a few steps back, looked around the quiet courtyard, and smelled the faint scent of flowers in the air. Although they were not her favorite flowers, the subtle fragrance was still pleasant. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she shook her head helplessly: "Your Highness, Nanmuxuan is the Crown Prince, the son of Empress Lian. He moves freely within the palace, how can he be controlled by me? As long as you can keep Nanmuxuan from disturbing me, I guarantee that I will not do anything to embarrass you, the Crown Prince."

  Nan Mu Yu's eyes gazed at Ye Yu Xiang with suspicion. Had she really lost those two years of memories, and that was why she had forgotten the feelings between her and Nan Mu Xuan?

  "This palace also wants to recall what happened in those two years? But...” Ye Yusan saw through Nanmu Yu's doubts with one glance, and felt depressed about this matter. Memories are things that no one can clearly explain, even if they are recovered, it's not necessarily a blessing."

  Under the moonlight, Ye Yuxuan's pale face showed a hint of sorrow. Nan Mu Yu looked at her expression and furrowed his brow. Before she married into the palace, he had already sent someone to investigate this woman. Although she was born as the legitimate daughter, she and her mother lived like servants.

  He wasn't a cold-blooded animal, so he had a thread of sympathy. His goal wasn't her, but the powerful Ye Lie Feng behind her. Since his purpose in meeting Xiao Ruo Lian was already achieved ahead of time, he didn't plan on continuing to make things difficult for her. With his hands behind his back, he slowly walked towards the gate of the courtyard.

  Looking up at the sky, the moon became somewhat blurred. However, it was this blur that suddenly reminded him of another thing. Turning his head around, he seriously warned her: "Remember, don't get close to Huangling Palace again. That place is not only a forbidden palace, but also often haunted by ghosts. If you don't want to die, don't go there again."

  Ye Yuxuan didn't respond, but she heard the warning with kindness in Nanmu Yu's tone. However, she could feel Nanmu Yu's hatred and disgust towards Huahong Palace, which was probably influenced by the Empress Dowager.

  The queen and Xiufei were sisters, who entered the palace together that year and both received the emperor's favor. However, Xiufei gave birth to a daughter named Nanmuyue, while the queen gave birth to the crown prince Nanmu Yu, and coincidentally, Lianfei also gave birth to the second prince Nanmuxuan on the same day.

  Later, it was said that Consort Xiu had an affair with the inner guard and was caught by the Emperor. In a fit of rage, the Emperor turned Huahong Palace into a cold palace. Later, there was a fire in the palace, and everyone inside was burned to death.

  "Possible. Who is that woman with half of her face covered by hair I saw today? That long, scary face is like a ghost from hell, and for a woman, it's definitely worse than death."

  "Master, it's getting late, you should rest early too?" As soon as Nan Mu left, Xiao Yu anxiously entered the courtyard.

  The sound of the little fish brought Ye Yuxuan's thoughts back, and she looked up to see that Nanmu Yu had already disappeared from the gate. She pulled her gaze back onto the little fish, and the curiosity in her heart grew stronger, eager to know who the woman she saw during the day was. It seemed that Jing Gonggong still had a hidden meaning about that woman.

  "Master, has the young master bullied you?" Little Fish asked in a low voice.

  Ye Yuxuan blinked her eyes, leaned in and whispered something in Xiaoyu's ear. Xiaoyu's face changed greatly after hearing it, and she shook her head flusteredly.

  "Go!" Ye Yusan gave a serious command to the little fish.

  "Yes!" The little fish could only honestly respond and retreat.

  ……

  As the night deepened, in the quiet palace, occasionally a maid or eunuch would walk along the long corridor. The palace guards armed with weapons patrolled back and forth around the palaces of the imperial consorts and emperor. However, as one walked further east, there were fewer and fewer people, even the guards rarely went that way.

  Legend has it that at midnight, Huálíng Palace can hear a woman's crying voice, and from time to time, there is also a woman's singing voice, which sounds like Xiù Fēi's clear and melodious voice. The emperor was suspicious and sent someone to investigate, but the person who went in came out with a pale face, describing seeing a woman wearing a white long dress floating in mid-air.

  The empress invited a high-ranking monk to perform a ritual at the Huahong Palace, but the monk died that night. The emperor was furious when he found out and scolded the empress, who then dared not to cause any more trouble. From then on, the Huahong Palace had rumors of being haunted. As a result, people in the palace avoided going near it whenever possible.

  A great fire had long since ravaged the Hua Ling Palace, leaving nothing of value behind. The Emperor turned a blind eye to the guards' negligence. By the first watch of the night, the guards rarely patrolled this area, and as long as one passed through the front palaces, the courtyards near the Hua Ling Palace were deserted.

  The night wind was a bit cool, and in the quiet of the night, the rustling sound of leaves could be heard clearly. The closer we got to Huahang Palace, the stronger the chill in the air became.

  Ye Yuxuan swapped clothes with Xiaoyu, and Xiaoyu lay in the house pretending to be herself. She disguised herself as a servant girl and left the courtyard. Sneaking around to the back of the courtyard, she observed for a while and found that the person tailing her had not detected anything. Following the route they took during the day, she made her way to Huaheng Palace.

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