frightfiction Chapter 51 I'll Make a Deal with You
Chapter 51 I'll Make a Deal with You
That afternoon, Chu Qingyin moved from Diecui Pavilion to Feixue Palace.
After settling in, the Grand Eunuch Kang Luhai led in the six palace servants bestowed upon him by Pei Yuanling.
Four palace maids and two eunuchs stood in a row in front.
"Raise your heads, let the Noble Consort have a good look at your faces!" Kang Luhai shouted in a shrill voice.
The six people simultaneously raised their heads to look at Chu Qingyin, curtsied, and said, "May Your Highness, the Noble Consort, enjoy boundless blessings."
Chu Qingyin carefully examined the faces of the group. They were all clean-cut and pretty, with clear, bright eyes, clearly newcomers to the palace.
Pei Yuanling was worried that the other concubines would harm her, so he specially arranged for some new people to come.
When did he become so thoughtful?
Chu Qingyin muttered to herself for a moment, then selected two young-looking palace maids to serve in the inner room. She named the maid with the more plain face Yulian and the maid with the more cheerful face Yuyan. The other two maids, who looked more composed, were placed in the outer room and named Qiuxia and Qiuping respectively.
The two eunuchs retained their previous names: Lin Qian and Lin Yu, and were assigned by Kang Luhai.
After finishing her chores, Chu Qingyin was a little tired, so she let Xianglan help her back to her inner room to rest.
As the weather warms up and peach blossoms bloom, it's the season when springtime sleep is so sweet you don't even notice the dawn.
When she woke up again, she opened her eyes to see Pei Yuanling, dressed in a black casual robe, sitting by the bed, quietly gazing at her with his eyes lowered.
Those deep, pool-like eyes seemed to be gazing at some diluted treasure, filled with tenderness.
"Your Majesty?" Chu Qingyin was so startled that she sat up in bed and hurriedly got up to bow to Pei Yuanling, but he stopped her with a raised hand.
"Please sit still, there's no need for formalities."
"Your concubine obeys." Chu Qingyin lowered her long eyelashes.
Pei Yuanling looked at her obedient appearance and couldn't help but find it amusing: "Yinyin, I still prefer your old personality."
Chu Qingyin's eyes flickered slightly, but when she looked up, she feigned confusion: "What was I like before?"
Pei Yuanling gave a faint "hmm," and seeing that she still looked puzzled, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"What I mean is that you don't need to be so reserved in my presence."
Chu Qingyin pursed her lips and said, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, a true dragon, with profound majesty. Ordinary people would inevitably be reserved and respectful when they see you."
But you are not an ordinary person.
Pei Yuanling thought to himself, his thin lips moved slightly, but he didn't insist any further. He simply bent down and picked Chu Qingyin up in his arms: "Now that you're awake, have a meal with me."
The sudden feeling of being suspended in mid-air made Chu Qingyin cry out, and she immediately grabbed the man's clothes.
"I dare not trouble Your Majesty, I can walk on my own..."
Pei Yuanling, however, thoroughly enjoyed Chu Qingyin's complete dependence on him. He glanced at the trembling eyelashes of the person in his arms, and a pleased smile appeared on his originally cold face.
"It's alright, I don't feel tired at all holding you."
Chu Qingyin: "..."
That's bizarre, absolutely bizarre.
She lowered her eyes and remained silent, feigning shyness, until the man carried her to the dark, square dining table.
On the sandalwood table, a variety of delicacies were neatly arranged, including pig's trotters with tofu, crystal jade shrimp, honey-glazed spare ribs, stir-fried quail with bamboo shoots, pan-fried pigeon, and golden jade three delicacies... a total of more than a dozen dishes.
These are all dishes she used to love to eat.
Seeing her surprised expression, Pei Yuanling's eyes filled with a doting smile, "Yinyin, do you like it?"
The man's voice was deep and slow, as if it contained boundless affection, as if he would unconditionally agree to whatever she said at that moment.
Despite her deep affection for Pei Yuanling in the past, Chu Qingyin's cheeks suddenly flushed when she heard him speak to her in such a tone again.
But she quickly calmed down, realizing that now was not the time to indulge in romantic feelings.
After calming herself down, she looked up at the man in front of her, wrapped her two snow-white arms around his neck, and said in a sweet and charming voice, "Your Majesty is so good to me, of course I like it."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanling's smile deepened: "As long as Yinyin likes it."
Chu Qingyin avoided his affectionate gaze, lowered her eyes, and murmured softly, "It's just that Your Majesty treats me so well that I'm truly overwhelmed."
Fear?
Pei Yuanling's smile faded slightly as his gaze swept over Chu Qingyin's face. "Why are you so apprehensive?"
Chu Qingyin bit her lip, her eyes reddening: "Your Majesty treats me so well, I'm afraid... afraid that I will end up like the former Consort Chu, unable to bear Your Majesty's favor, and ultimately meet a tragic end."
"nonsense!"
Pei Yuanling frowned. After speaking, as if he had thought of something, he hugged the woman in his arms even tighter, his low, husky voice trembling slightly: "Don't be afraid, this time I will definitely protect you well."
Sensing the man's worry and fear, Chu Qingyin's previously cold and desolate heart was suddenly touched.
But Pei Yuanling, when I ran to the gates of Zichen Palace to beg you, wanting to tell you that my Chu family had not betrayed the country and had not wronged you, why did you refuse to see me? Why did you not show the slightest pity for the Chu family?
You banished me to the cold palace, pushed me into hell, left me to be humiliated, and finally forced me to commit suicide by poison...
Recalling the chill that felt like falling into an ice cellar, and the intense pain of the poison piercing her intestines, Chu Qingyin's heart instantly froze.
"Your Majesty treats me so well..."
Chu Qingyin was deeply moved. She leaned against Pei Yuanling's chest and said in a soft voice, "Your Majesty, I have a request. I wonder if you would grant it?"
"Whatever you propose, I will certainly grant."
His quick agreement caught Chu Qingyin somewhat off guard.
She composed herself, tilted her head back, and smiled sweetly: "Your Majesty, haven't you heard what my request is yet?"
Pei Yuanling led her to sit down at the dining table. "Then tell me what you think."
Chu Qingyin then adopted the innocent demeanor of a young girl and said softly, "Actually, this request of mine is not entirely for myself, but also for the sake of Consort Chu."
"As a woman myself, and now that I am receiving His Majesty's great favor, I cannot help but feel pity for the deceased Consort."
As she spoke, she glanced up at Pei Yuanling's expression. Seeing that he remained expressionless and showed no reaction, she continued, "I've heard that the Noble Consort and General Chu Muyan were deeply in love. Now that she's passed away, if she has a spirit in heaven, she must be most worried about her brother..."
Upon hearing Chu Muyan's name, a look of understanding flashed in Pei Yuanling's eyes, which he quickly concealed.
Pretending not to see through the woman's intentions, he nodded in agreement, saying, "The siblings do indeed have a deep bond."
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart.
She lost her father at a young age and was practically raised by her brother. If her brother hadn't risked his life on the battlefield to gain power in the Duke's mansion, how could she have the confidence to be so domineering and arrogant in this cannibalistic harem?
"So, how does Your Majesty intend to deal with General Chu?"
"You care about him a lot?" Pei Yuanling asked in return.
Unaware of his intentions, Chu Qingyin feigned composure and said, "It's not that, it's just that I think the Imperial Concubine should also hope that her brother can be brought to a good end."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Yuanling's gaze was fixed on her face, as if trying to discern something from it.
Chu Qingyin, under his intense gaze, dared not flinch, remaining calm and composed as if she had not noticed his actions.
After a long while, Pei Yuanling sighed and gently stroked Chu Qingyin's face with his long fingers, then slowly moved them up to the red mole on her forehead.
"Yinyin, how about we make a deal?"