201 The Coveter’s Ending

The sun on the morning of winter slowly rose up. The sky turned into a colorful, magnificent world. Cottony clouds flashed with golden-red brilliance. The dazzling red rose slowly, and for an instant, thousands of golden light lit up the sky pink clouds and a rainbow. Early morning in the winter was quiet. Clear and sweet birdsong rang through Ming wang manor. The air was fresh and flowing with a floral scent, refreshing one’s heart. Such a beautiful morning gave people a serene feeling.

Feng Yi Xuan woke up a while ago. Gazing at Nian Nian sleeping in arms, his heart was full. Recalling last night’s intimacy, Feng Yi Xuan felt his body starting to stir. Because of his consideration for Nian Nian’s tiny body, he’s been very attentive since the night he had Nian Nian help him, not allowing his desire to frighten off the girl in his arms. But last night the alcohol rushed to his head, paired with being in the bathing pool, plus Nian Nian was touched, he lost control as he kissed her. In the end, he had Nian Nian use her hands to solve his desire.

Feng Yi Xua massaged Lan You Nian’s small hands under the blankets. Remembering Nian Nian’s red teary eyes from being kissed, Feng Yi Xuan’s lips curled upwards. Ever since the last time he learned of the magic of Nian Nian’s small hands, it took a while for him to come last night in the pool. Though he felt good, after the fact, looking at Nian Nian’s red hands, Feng Yi Xuan felt his heart ache. He was really afraid he will be unable to stop himself taking Nian Nian one day.

Lan You Nian opened her eyes, dazed. Her big eyes were dazed, blinking like a cute thing. Then, looking at her hands that were being massaged, Lan You Nian’s cheeks flushed red. Lifting her head, she shot a glare at Feng Yi Xuan, very angrily saying, “Pervert!”

Feng Yi Xuan choked. Recalling last night carefully, it appears he pressured Nian Nian into using her hands to help him. But Feng Yi Xuan will not confess to being a pervert. He pecked the top of Lan You Nian’s hair, smiling, “You are my woman. How am I a pervert?”

Lan You Nian’s teeth itched. She grabbed Feng Yi Xuan and took a bite of him, but she didn’t use much force and let go, threatening, “When did I become your woman? Hmph!”

Feng Yi Xuan’s eyes narrowed with danger upon hearing this. “How aren’t you my woman? Or do you want to become a woman right now?” He didn’t like to hear these words. They belonged to each other.

Lan You Nian knew her words made Feng Yi Xuan unhappy. Feeling Feng Yi Xuan’s hands becoming restless in the blankets, Lan You Nian plead for mercy, “I am!” But the hands in the blankets didn’t stop, so Lan You Nian continued, “Lan You Nian is Feng Yi Xuan’s! Forever!”

Only then did Feng Yi Xuan stop his hands. Actually, he didn’t really want to stop. The skin under his touch was slippery like mutton fat jade, so soft it made Feng Yi Xuan reluctant to tear his hands away. But he knew if he continued, he will really make Nian Nian angry.

“Is there morning court this morning?” Lan You Nian watched at Feng Yi Xuan got out of bed, tucked in the blankets, and grabbed the outfit on the hanger to dress himself.

Feng Yi Xuan put on the outer robe, nodding, “En, it is necessary to attend this morning’s court assembly. There’s still time for you to sleep some more. After I get back from court, I’ll eat the morning meal with you.” Usually, he didn’t need to go to morning court, but he must be present for the important court assemblies. This was his responsibility.

“Mhm, okay!” Lan You Nian snuggled into the blankets, only revealing her head outside, cute like a little toddler. Feng Yi Xuan kissed Lan You Nian’s forehead, and walked out of the room to attend morning court. As for Lan You Nian, she didn’t feel sleepy at all after Feng Yi Xuan left, so she got out of bed.

“Young miss, you’re awake?” Lan Qu’s voice drifted in from outside.

Lan You Nian was surprised, because Lan Qu was at Lan manor last night. Lan You Nian replied, “En!”

Lan Qu walked into the room and guessed her young miss’s surprise, saying, “Last night young miss and Ming wang didn’t come back, so I knew young miss came to Ming wang manor to rest, so I let Lan Ren send me over, so young miss will have someone to serve you!”

Lan You Nian allowed Lan Qu to brush her hand, asking curiously, “Where did you rest last night?” After all, there wasn’t a single female in Ming wang manor.

“Young miss, rest assured, An San prepared a place for me. If young miss were to rest in Ming wang manor in the future, I will be able to serve young miss here!” Lan Qu beamed, sighing in admiration over young miss’s beautiful looks.

After washing up, Lan You Nian walked out of the room. Because she wanted to wait until Feng Yi Xuan came back to eat together, Lan You Nian strolled around in Ming wang manor with Lan Qu out of boredom. The manor has been swept clean, without a single snowflake. Lan You Nian had to admire the speed of Ming wang manor’s manservants.

“Wangfei!” Steward Uncle Feng exclaimed when he saw Lan You Nian, “It’s so cold out. Why doesn’t wangfei rest in the room? This old slave will have someone to set up a charcoal fire in the grand hall! Why don’t wangfei go to the grand hall to sit? If you get cold, wangye will die of heartache!”

Lan You Nian chuckled dryly. She knew this elder was sincerely concerned about her, but why does every single person consider her made of porcelain. What Lan You Nian doesn’t know is that her outward appearance was too deceptive, making people unconsciously feel she is frail, not a pretentious frailty but a genuine frailty.

Lan You Nian wanted to say something. A guard came over to Lan You Nian saying, “Wangfei, there are two women outside asking to see wangye!” On a normal occasion, they would inform the steward and the steward would have them intercept the women, but now wangfei was in the manor, the one to make the decision was wangfei.

“Oh?” Lan You Nian wondered who would visit Ming wang manor at the start of the new year. Could it be some rotten peach blossoms? “Have you asked whose family the women are from?” Lan You Nian asked.

“Answering wangfei, one is the legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Manor, the other says she is the Dowager Empress’s grandniece. Do you need this subordinate to chase them off?” The guard asked. Their entire Ming wang manor was united: they won’t allow for anyone to bully wangfei!

“Let them in!” a soul-touching smile emerged on Lan You Nian’s beautiful face, her slightly curved eyebrows were smiling, but the eyes under her brows were piercingly cold, “Oh right, bring them in from the back door. Not just anyone can enter Ming wang manor’s front doors!”

The back doors were entered by those who didn’t have presentable identities. If concubines and such weren’t favored, they can only enter from the side doors. For Lan You Nian to have them enter the back doors, wasn’t that saying they weren’t even worthy of being concubines?

“Yes!” Though Ming wang manor didn’t allow for a single female to enter, since wangfei gave the orders, the guard followed her command. Wangye already said wangfei’s words were the same as wangye’s, any disrespect to wangfei was disrespecting wangye.

“Uncle Feng, prepare some tea. This is Ming wang manor’s first guest of the year!” Lan You Nian said to Uncle Feng.

“Yes! This old slave will go prepare!” Uncle Feng said and left, wondering where in the manor was inferior tea leaves. When he still wasn’t able to think of where there were inferior tea leaves, in the end, he dug out the tea leaves that have been gathering dust in the warehouse for ten years. They’ve already been nibbled on rats and were unbearable to look at.

~*~*~

“What? You want this young miss to use the back doors!” Yu Qing gaped in disbelief at the guard. She was aware what kind of persons walked through the back doors. These people actually let her walk through the back doors! She had the Empress Dowager as a backer!

“Little sister Yu Qing, don’t get mad!” An Si Yan gently persuaded. Father told her she must help this Yu Qing enter Ming wang manor and become Ming wang’s woman. That way there will be animosity between Ming wang manor and General’s manor. If it wasn’t for her Father’s orders, plus her hatred for Lan You Nian, she’ll be happy as long as Lan You Nian wasn’t living well; otherwise, why would she be accompanying this stupid girl standing here?

“How could I not be angry? Hmph! I’ll go back right now to tell Grandaunt to have Ming wang let me enter!” Yu Qing stated naively. In her eyes, the person at the top was the Dowager Empress. Even Ming wang should listen to the Empress Dowager.

The guards were speechless, hearing Yu Qing ignorant words. Not to mention the Dowager Empress, even the Emperor was powerless against their master. This girl looked decent so is there something wrong with her brains? Compared to these pretentious young ladies, their Ming wang manor’s wangfei was courteous and approachable.

An Si Yan’s brows furrowed from Yu Qing’s naivety. She pulled Yu Qing over to the side, saying, “Little sister Yu Qing, calm down. As long as you see Ming wang, use the drug you have on you, then you will become Ming wang manor’s mistress. Then, isn’t everything up to little sister Yu Qing?”

Hearing this, Yu Qing didn’t make anymore fuss and her face turned red, looking uneasily at An Yi San, “Sister An, is this really okay? If we fail…”

An Si Yan grabbed Yu Qing’s hand, wearing a sisterly affectionate look as she assured, “How can we fail? Little sister Yu Qing, you’re so pretty, how can Ming wang not be moved? Little sister Yu Qing should know how difficult it is to enter Ming wang manor, but isn’t little sister Yu Qing going in?”

Considering this, Yu Qing agreed. Usually, even those high court officials can’t enter Ming wang manor, but isn’t she able to enter? It looks like Ming wang wasn’t unfeeling towards her, but in consideration of General Manor’s face, he didn’t accept her.

“Why aren’t you leading the way!?” Yu Qing thought she will soon become Ming wang manor’s mistress and assumed a haughty air with the guard.

The guard expressionlessly led the two through the back doors, completely ignoring Yu Qing’s expression. Such a woman, even they felt disgust towards, not to mention their master.

An Yi San and Yu Qing followed the guard into Ming wang manor. On the way, the manservants spared them a sympathetic look. They knew wangfei was in the manor. They wondered how wangfei will deal with these two people. Thinking this, the manservants really wanted to join in the fun.

An Si Yan and Yu Qing were awestruck by Ming wang manor’s majestic decoration and layout. Every corner emitted an exquisiteness and luxuriousness they have never seen, even more sumptuous than the imperial palace, but it was a restrained sumptuousness.

Yu Qing’s eyes became even more greedy. Once she married Ming wang, not only can she obtain that incomparably handsome man, she can live at this beautiful place, as well as the status so many people admired. Yu Qing clenched the medicine bundle on her.

An Yi Yan was awestruck by the sight before her eyes. Her Prime Minister Manor was already pretty sumptuous, but in comparison to Ming wang manor, there was really nothing to compare. At this moment, An Si Yan caught the look in Yu Qing’s eyes. If such a woman were to marry Ming wang, then father’s plans will definitely succeed.

The two of them were led to a side hall by the guard. Lan You Nian wouldn’t see these two people in the main hall. For Lan You Nian, these two weren’t worthy of entering Ming wang manor’s main hall. When the two of them saw Lan You Nian, they were taken aback. They said in unison, “Why is it you?”

Lan You Nian didn’t drink tea in the morning, so Lan Qu brewed a flower tea and put it down by Lan You Nian’s hand. Lan You Nian took a sip, beaming as she said, “Why wouldn’t it be me?”

“This is Ming wang manor. Why would you be here?” Yu Qing demanded in fury. She believed Lan You Nian stole her man, neglecting the fact Feng Yi Xuan belonged to Lan You Nian from the very start, and she was only a clown.

“I am Ming wang’s future wife. Of course I’d come to visit Ming wang on the first day of the new year!” Lan You Nian said humorously. She really hated having someone coveting Feng Yi Xuan, which is why she let these two in, “What about you? Why did you come to Ming wang manor?”

“I…” Yu Qing looked at Lan You Nian in panic, deliberately saying, “I admire Ming wang, so I came to Ming wang manor to see him. What? I can’t?”

“What about you, An family’s eldest young miss? Do you admire this young miss’s future husband as well?” Lan You Nian asked. She already felt uncomfortable inside. Admire? Not just anyone can admire her, Lan You Nian’s, man.

“Miss Lan is mistaken, but Miss Lan isn’t Ming wang manor’s mistress yet, I’m afraid…” An Si Yan said smiling, pointing out Lan You Nian hasn’t married Ming wang yet.

“It’s fine since I will in the future!” Lan You Nian didn’t put such provocation in her eye. She said to Uncle Lan, “Uncle Feng, serve the two young ladies tea. They’ve been standing at the doorway for so long, they might be thirsty.”

“Yes!” Uncle Feng had two manservants serve the two tea, and grinned as he said to Lan You Nian,”This old slave heard that some thick-skinned people don’t get thirsty!”

Lan Qu snickered, not expecting Uncle Feng to have such a side.

An Si Yan and Yu Qing wanted to call names but remembering this wasn’t their own residence but Ming wang manor, the two of them could only pick up the tea for a sip, to suppress the fury in their hearts. But upon taking one sip, they spewed it out at the same time.

“What tea is this! Is it even drinkable!?” Yu Qing stood up.

At this very moment, a figure entered in from outside. Yu Qing immediately turned frail, weeping as she looked at Lan You Nian, “Miss Lan, you-you are being excessive. Even if you don’t like me, you shouldn’t humiliate me like this!”

Feng Yi Xuan hurried back as soon as morning court ended. He remembered he still had to come back to eat together with Nian Nian. But as soon as he came back, he found Nian Nian wasn’t sleeping but awake, so he hurried over to the side hall and heard Yu Qing’s words. His brows furrowed. How did these people enter Ming wang manor? It won’t be good if they made Nian Nian upset.

When Yu Qing saw Feng Yi Xuan’s eyebrows furrow, she thought it was displeasure with Lan You Nian and prepared to pounce on Feng Yi Xuan to ask for comfort. But before she could reach Feng Yi Xuan, she was tossed to the side by a blast of air from one of Feng Yi Xuan’s palms. Her entire body sailed into one of the chairs in the hall, appearing heavily injured.

It was from Yu Qing’s fall that caused the thing Yu Qing had on her to roll onto the floor. Lan You Nian said to Lan Qu beside her, “Bring it over!”

Yu Qing’s head was bleeding from the tumble. Her forehead that was already smashed by the cup Feng Yi Xuan threw yesterday added a new wound, but when she saw the object on the floor, Yu Qing hurried to pick it up, frightfully, but Lan Qu stomped on Yu Qing’s hand and scooped up the medicinal package on the floor.

“No, that is mine! Give it back to me!” Yu Qing shouted, but Lan Qu didn’t spare her a glance as she handed the medicine bundle to Lan You Nian.

Lan You Nian unwrapped the medicine bundle and smelled it, her face becoming ugly. It looks like some people just never learn…

“Uncle Feng, send Eldest Miss An and Miss Yu Qing out of the manor!” Saying this, Lan You Nian and Feng Yi Xuan left the side hall and headed to the main hall to eat their meal.

The two came to the main hall to have the morning meal. Feng Yi Xuan said smilingly, “If you’re not happy, just kill them. It isn’t good to get mad for no reason!” In Feng Yi Xuan’s eyes, it wasn’t important if something was right or wrong. Those who provoked Nian Nian’s displeasure all deserved to die!

“Hmph!” Lan You Nian slammed down the chopsticks, “Since she dares to use such drugs to seduce you, killing her would be too cheap!”

Feng Yi Xuan enveloped Lan You Nian into his arms and settled her down on his thigh as he fed Lan You Nian food, asking without much concern, “Then what do you want to do?”

“Doesn’t that Yu Qing like to use aphrodisiacs? Since it is so, give her some aphrodisiacs and throw her into a den of beggars!” Lan You Nian said as she ate, her legs swaying, not feeling there was anything wrong with the situation.

“An Yi!” Feng Yi Xuan shouted. An Yi immediately walked in through the doors, “Do as wangfei says!”

“Yes!” An Yi left with his orders. As for this Yu Qing who doesn’t recognize the consequences, he only expressed his pleasure in her misfortune for daring to covet master and offend their matriarch, hmph!

“Xuan, it seems the Empress’s faction is becoming restless to interfere with the affairs of Ming wang manor!” Lan You Nian’s eyes were unfathomable as she said this.

Feng Yi Xuan’s hands that were grabbing food with the chopsticks didn’t stop, his eyes flashing with a cold violence, “Recently, it appears Prime Minister An is preparing troops and soldiers. It won’t be far off!” Feng Yi Xuan won’t conceal this top-secret matter from Lan You Nian. He was aware of Lan You Nian’s abilities, so he was willing to tell her.

“How certain are you?” Lan You Nian asked. There were too many mishaps that can happen during the battle for the throne.

Feng Yi Xuan listened to Lan You Nian’s concerns, his eyes warming as he said, “Nothing can go amiss. We just need to wait for the prey to swallow the bait!”

~*~*~

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