Disobedient Minister Against Favors

Chapter 14 The gentle man

A smear of rogue powder, red lips, and lightly drawn eyebrows. The mirror projected a stunning beauty.

Scars covered the skin, prompting reverie. Yuelan coated it with powder, yet vague red marks could still be seen.

The shoulder-length bangs are combed on each side of the exquisite cheeks, the black and supple hair was combed into a single bun, and the long hair flowing down from the bun was nestled on the left shoulder. These beautiful accessories, such as the golden bell, exquisite hairpin, and jade tassels, were incomparable to the charming person.

Yuzhen’s eyes were tightly shut, allowing Yuelan to fiddle with him. “Is it done?” he questioned urgently. “I wanted you to disguise me as a palace maid, not to change me into a queen. Aren’t you only inviting trouble for me?”

“All right!” Yuelan remarked slyly, “Prime Minister, please change your clothing!”

Yuzhen opened his eyes slowly and saw a woman’s image in the mirror. He couldn’t help but gasp, believing the mirror to be a magical mirror. Taking a closer look, the main outline was his own, but with rosy cheeks, phoenix eyes, and arched brows, the person he was observing looked like a fairy who had just fallen on earth.

Yuzhen appeared to have beheld the goddess of his dreams, so he murmured modestly, “This is too beautiful.”

He instantly shook his head, embraced his chilled upper body, and changed into the clothing Yuelan had arranged.

The green garment was plain and it was finally worn on his body. The result was quite like ‘pearls covered with grass’, or ‘gold covered with mud’.

The guards guarding the chamber outside had never seen such a beautiful palace maid before, and hurriedly stopped the two of them, “Which palace maid are you? Why haven’t I seen you?”

Yuelan said tactfully, “This is a maidservant of Lady Mingge. She had been kept in the West Hall by Emperor Yan for a long time. You are probably a new guard stationed to keep an eye on my family’s Prime Minister. Naturally, you have never seen her before.”

These people all had a lecherous gaze for Liu Yuzhen. He could obviously feel it even if he bowed his head, and he got disgusted. He feared that he would knock all these guards down as soon as he raised his head because of fury.

Yuelan knew the prime minister had a terrible temper recently, so she quickly answered, “Okay, time is running out. If the Emperor is to blame someone, can you afford it?”

The ignorant guard still persisted in stopping them, “If she was really Lady Mingge’s maidservant, then why are you with her?” As he spoke, he tried to seize Yuzhen’s arm.

Yuzhen immediately leaned his body and darted away. In the blink of an eye, he already stood behind Yuelan, hiding his face and saying nothing, his murderous aura rising in the dark.

“You guys are so bold. Don’t you know why the Emperor left a palace maid in the West Pavillion? So you are not afraid of being chopped off for touching her?”

They were visibly frightened and recoiled.

“The Emperor’s intentions do not need you to speculate. Get out of the way!”

Listening to Yuelan’s confidence, the guards who had just been assigned to guard the chamber were naturally terrified for their lives. This individual was extraordinarily lovely, and if she could be here, she was obviously a woman who could only be owned by the Emperor. As a result, they all returned to their former places and dropped their vigilance.

Fortunately, Yuelan had warned him ahead of time that his walking posture is unusual and serious. If he wants to dress as a palace maid, he must take small steps, lower his hands on each side of his waist, and walk with his head down. Liu Yuzhen struggled to learn, and his ability to do it barely was already impressive.

As soon as he exited the chamber’s outer door, Liu Yuzhen dashed towards the Anning Pavilion, as pointed out by Yuelan.

“Prime Minister, slow down or you’ll be exposed,” Yuelan said from behind.

Yuzhen was in a hurry and took big steps. The clothing, which was initially smaller than him, made a ‘screeching’ sound and a wide slit was formed. His long and exquisite leg was instantly exposed.

He still continued walking despite the tear while simultaneously trying to cover his exposed leg when he suddenly bumped into someone at a junction on the corner. As soon as he bumped into the person, Liu Yuzhen reacted quickly and bounced away. Nonetheless, the man was also taken aback.

Yuzhen retreated to the side of  Yuelan  and bowed his head meekly and remained silent. Yuelan, on the other hand, was so frightened and hastily saluted the man, “This maidservant collided with Daren, this crime deserves death. Please punish this maidservant!”

(t/n Daren-adult, grown-up)

Yuzhen’s voice was different from that of a woman, therefore speaking was out of the question. Besides, he didn’t want to say such compliments at all. “Uh…uhm.”

“It wasn’t you who collided with me, it was her.” The man’s voice seemed to be magnetic and very gentle. The person slowly stepped forward and stretched out his index finger to lift Yuzhen’s chin.

However, Yuzhen turned his head to the side and backed away.

Don’t expect that just because Emperor Yan can harass him as so means he’ll also allow some strangers to harass him as well. Liu Yuzhen made it clear that anyone who dares to tease him will be his debtor. Just wait for him to collect their blood and then let them beg for mercy!

When the man saw he was being ignored, he withdrew his hand. “Haha..” with a small laugh, he left the hallway with one hand clasped behind his back.

Liu Yuzhen cast a furtive glance at him through the corners of his eye. Under the golden light of the setting sun, with catkins flying, he glimpsed a tall man in white walk away while letting his clasp hand behind his back fall back to his side. He was tall and straight, with the air of a scholar, but there was a hint of authority and hegemony about him. His long hair, which resembled a waterfall, was tied at the end with a red silk rope, simple yet noble. It was quite charming.

After a few paces, the man suddenly came to a halt and looked back. Before Yuzhen could avert his gaze, a set of black eyes as gentle as water met his. The man shook his head for a moment, and a tint of regret and disappointment swiftly covered his entire heroic and graceful face. The man turned his head back, walked again until he disappeared from Yuzhen’s sight.

Yuelan always felt that the voice was familiar. She looked up only to see that the man was already far away, and she couldn’t see him clearly, so she could only ask Yuzhen, who was beside her, “Who was that just now?”

“How could I know?” Yuzhen replied without thinking. “We should focus on our purpose at hand. Let’s go.”

Anning Pavilion

A harsh sound of whipping filled the garden.

They were still beyond the pavilion’s walls, but they could clearly hear the loud whip as well as the flirtatious laughter of a very obnoxious man.

Yuzhen couldn’t help but make a disgusted face at something. This grimace wrecked all of his exquisite makeup and revealed the genuine character of just how rude he could get.

“Tsk.”Yuzhen clicked his tongue and sped up his steps. He expertly jumped onto the wall, spun over, twirled, and landed with ease. Liu Yuzhen, who had been doing parkour since childhood, believes that skills are more essential even if the body changes. As long as he is not incapacitated, he may demonstrate this capability.

He landed precisely at Anning Pavilion’s firewood house, which is not too far from the garden.

He hurriedly tidied himself, knocked unconscious a palace maid who had just emerged from the woodshed with a fruit tray, and carried her to the back of an enormous ceramic jar. He reached out and snatched the tray, turned his water snake’s waist and proceeded carefully towards the garden.

(t/n water snake’s waist-skinny waist, described as the graceful figure of a woman.)

His rage was so intense that he forgot that his white thigh was exposed.

“Your Majesty, it’s this person who harmed Ning Xiang. Look, Ning Xiang’s injury hurts so much. Hmph! if you simply whip him twice like this, my hatred won’t be relieved at all,” the man mumbled tenderly, pointing at the man who was bound to an iron pole being whipped in front of him.

“…Then what else do you want to do?” After a long time, a deep voice sounded.

“I want him to be tortured by Ling Chi so that my hatred can be appease!”

(t/n ling chi-put to death by dismembering the body)

Hearing this sentence, Yuzhen couldn’t help shaking his hands. If it weren’t for his quick eyes and quick hands, the fruits in the tray would have already fallen to the ground.