Chapter 335: Chapter 335: Space Exposed (2)
The emperor looked on coldly. Xuanfei knew they had misunderstood her meaning and awkwardly smiled, explaining, "What I meant was, could it be that Mei, the princess consort is bearing twins? I meant nothing else by it." Seeing the emperor’s displeased expression, she nervously clutched at her handkerchief.
Feng Xuxu watched the selection of consorts with amusement, "Speaking of the twins in my belly, I should thank the emperor. Had His Majesty not ordered the Chief Imperial Physician to take my pulse, how would I have known I was carrying a pair?" She then looked at the emperor, her eyes brimming with a grateful expression.
Kneeling on the ground, Xiu Yang felt extremely wronged. Everything had been going so smoothly, and the consecration ceremony was about to begin. Out came Cheng Yaojin, and now she had been kneeling on the ground for nothing, while her aunt was resting with closed eyes, clenching her fists in secret frustration.
"Eh, what’s going on here?" Feng Xuxu turned her head and saw a frail woman kneeling on the ground, asking curiously.
Dugu Han’s brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Xiu Yang who remained silent on the ground, "Today, I grant Xiu Yang the title of Lianfei, first rank, and bestow upon her the Moon Fairy Palace."
Xiu Yang had finally waited for this moment and quickly bowed her head, prostrating on the ground, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Rise, and take your seat," a commanding voice sounded above her.
After thanking him for the honor, she took her seat.
Meanwhile, Consort Xiao had opened her eyes during Xiu Yang’s consecration, but soon after, closed them again, maintaining a facade of piety and detachment.
Feng Xuxu looked at Xiu Yang, who seemed very familiar. Upon recalling her surname, Xiu, she guessed the woman’s identity and sneered inwardly. One sought to boost her own power through this occasion, while the other aimed to use the emperor to suppress her. What a perfect pair they made!
After a short rest in Xiangyun Palace, the two of them left the Imperial Palace.
As the sky gradually darkened outside, Feng Xuxu suspected there would be rain later in the night. The warm sheds in Summer Garden had not yet been built, and rain at this time would likely delay the work in the fields.
As expected, late into the night the wind roared and rain poured down in large droplets. After an hour, the rain stopped, and when the clouds parted, the sky revealed its bright moonlight.
The two lay embraced in bed, listening quietly to the raindrops still tapping rhythmically on the eaves.
Feng Xuxu stood in front of Dugu Chen and spoke first, "Chen, after you fell off the cliff, where did you go?"
Having seen his wife finally ask the question, Dugu Chen, after weighing the pros and cons, chose to share some innocuous details, omitting the part about rupturing his lung and painfully forcing out the poison; how he had injured himself in desperation to return earlier and endured a pain unimaginable to others, so as to heal himself as quickly as possible.
"After falling off the cliff, I used the dagger in my hand to cut into the rocks continuously, but the fall was too fast. Finally, near the bottom of the cliff, I managed to grab onto a tree branch sticking out from the edge of a rock peak, which saved me. My master was picking herbs at the base of the cliff and rescued me. When I awoke, I was already in a small town in Sunset Kingdom."
"I’m so foolish, I only searched Xueyan Country and forgot to send someone to check the neighboring countries." She felt remorseful. If only she had thought of that sooner, he would not have suffered so much.
"Your master is...?" She had been so caught up in blaming herself that she almost forgot the master he mentioned.
His large hand gently stroked her hair as he smiled softly, "After rescuing me, and seeing my medical skills, he decided to take me as his disciple. He will be coming to Shengdu in a few days."
