Chapter 27: Cold War

  "Master Wang, Master Wang. Please spare her. If this continues, Miss will be beaten to death..." Zi'er, with tears streaming down her face, couldn't bear the sight of her mistress writhing in pain on the ground. She quickly took a few steps forward and knelt before Mo Yunxuan, grabbing hold of the long whip with all her might, knowing that if she wasn't careful, her own life would be forfeit.

  Xia Zi Li's face was contorted in pain as she shrunk into the corner, her small body curled up, her eyes fixed on Mo Yun Xuan with intense fear, trembling violently.

  Mo Yunxuan's face was still pale and cold, looking at this appearance of Xia Ziyu, her black eyes did not have too much fluctuation, her clear and cold gaze was icy, but there was no sign of raising her hand again.

  Zi'er knew at a glance that her obstruction had succeeded, and hastily put down the thick, cold whip in her hand. She took a few steps forward to Xia Ziwei, gently embracing him halfway in her arms.

  "Miss... Miss..." A few soft calls, and then looking at Xia Zi's somewhat stunned expression, icy tears rolled down from her eyes.

  "Housekeeper!" he shouted loudly

  The housekeeper immediately came forward with a respectful attitude

  "Have this house cleaned up and tell the kitchen to re-make the meal and bring it back, serve Princess Wang."

  Then, his gaze shifted to Xia Ziyu

  "If I let His Majesty know you're being stubborn again. Next time, I guarantee he'll make sure you never forget it—"

  Mo Yunxuan gave her a cold glance, shivered slightly, turned around expressionlessly, and casually tossed the whip onto the tray held by the guard. With his hands clasped behind him, he strode out in big steps.

  "Zi'er." Watching Mo Yunxuan's tall and majestic back figure gradually disappear into the distance, Xia Ziyu grasped Zi'er's hand with a pained expression "I hate him. I hate him..."

  For several days in a row, the soft and melodious sound of the guqin has been drifting out from the small pavilion in the backyard of Tianju Garden.

  On the crimson pavilion, thin as silkworm wings, pink as misty clouds, was blown open by the cold wind from time to time. Behind the pavilion were large areas of high-branching plum trees, elegant plum blossoms blooming on every branch, with a subtle and distant fragrance, set against the vast expanse of snowy white in the sky.

  In the attic, on a long, hollowed-out black wood table, a high-quality jade qin, decorated with rhino jade and gold colors, each string of the qin, plump and slender, like the fine and long fingernails reflecting silver-white light, lightly hooked, is a clear and trembling note.

  The person playing the zither wore a snow-white ermine cloak, with soft and white fur wrapping her small body. She knelt on a soft cushion, and the luxurious fur spread out on the floor. Her noble hair was styled in a high bun, with a gold-embroidered peony inserted into her hair. Three golden hairpins were slanted into her temples. Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows were naturally green, and her lips were red without any makeup. Two small purple-gold glass beads hung from her delicate earlobes, swaying gently to create beautiful curves.

  Next to it, on a low table, an incense burner was placed, with swirling smoke coming out of the fish mouth.

  "Miss, let's have some water first—"

  Zi'er brought up hot tea

  Xia Zi's fingers seemed to have not heard, the faint sorrow between her eyebrows that couldn't be waved away, her slender fingers tirelessly plucking and strumming the strings of the guqin, releasing a string of clear and soft melodies like water.

  From the attic down to the poolside, separated by a fake hill, two slender and elegant figures stood with their backs to each other. The wind lifted the hems of their robes, and their raven-black hair fluttered in the air. Their deep, mysterious eyes gazed at the snow falling into the water.

  Luoyu's eyes, like wind-blown wheat, gazed up at the pavilion, a smile playing on her lips. "It's been this way for several days now..."

  "Never mind her—"

  Faint eyes without ripples

  "Master, there's a general outside who specifically wants to see the princess - " The steward came running up in the snowy ground.

  Mo Yunxuan didn't say a word, but Luo Yufeng beside him was extremely enthusiastic.

  "General. What general—"

  "Yes. General Huangfu——"

  "The princess is currently indisposed and cannot receive visitors—"

  He coldly threw out a sentence and Mo Yun Xuan didn't even bother lifting an eyebrow, turning around and leaving immediately.

  "It's not good for her to be so depressed all the time. In two days, isn't there a banquet in the imperial palace? The empress has invited all the concubines and princes as well as the wives of high-ranking officials to come to the palace to admire the plum blossoms. Maybe with more people around, she'll feel better."