Phoenix Reigns Over The Nine Heavens - Chapter 37

When she thought of the bland and oil-free meals she had been eating for the past few days, Li Xue felt that such a life was utterly hopeless. Once Brother Heng recovered a bit more, she was determined to have him move back to the Xiao family. She refused to have him suffer any longer. They will live a good life together from now on.

Without Yun Zishu around, she would soon be promoted to the principal wife, officially becoming Brother Heng’s legitimate spouse.

Li Xue fantasized about the arrival of that day. No matter where she went in the future, she would no longer be the “concubine” of the Xiao family but the proper, honorable young mistress of the Xiao family. The attitude of those ladies from aristocratic families would definitely be more polite and respectful to her.

However, after serving Xiao Yunheng for several days, Li Xue was exhausted.

In order to show her gentle and virtuous side, she not only served Xiao Yunheng his meals and water and assisted him with toilet needs but also wiped his body twice a day, morning and evening, to make him feel comfortable and refreshed.

By the end of each day, her back ached and her body was sore. On top of that, the meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—were not to her taste, lacking even a hint of oil. Li Xue could no longer bear it and hurried to the front courtyard to request an audience with Yun Zishu. There she found out Yun Zishu was preparing to go out with Leng Yue and Leng Shuang.

For several days in a row, the sun has been shining brightly, and almost every day has been a pleasant day.

Yun Zishu had been cooped up in the mansion for a long time and was bored to death. She decided to take Leng Yue and Leng Shuang out for a stroll, but she didn’t expect to be stopped by Li Xue.

“Yunzi… Your Highness the Ninth Princess.” Li Xue looked at Yun Zishu, who was dressed in bright and beautiful clothes, and a trace of jealousy flashed in her eyes. However, she spoke in a soft and weak voice, “Can you please send two people to serve Brother Heng? I… I really can’t manage alone…”

Yun Zishu raised an eyebrow: “Tired from handling it alone?”

Li Xue shook her head awkwardly. “No…no, it’s just that there are times when I can’t handle it, and Brother Heng, he…he is, after all, the princess’s husband. Can the princess be a little nicer to him?”

“Husband?” Yun Zishu mocked. “I have already divorced him, don’t you know?”

Li Xue was stunned for a moment: “But didn’t the princess allow him to move in?”

“He’s only living here as a temporary measure, not because I still have feelings for him.” Yun Zishu’s tone was calm and cold. “You can think of it as… I want him to live and die here.”

Li Xue’s expression changed, and she stared at her in disbelief: “Yun Zishu, how can you be so cruel? Brother Heng is your husband; you… you are so vicious…”

“Slap her.”

Leng Shuang walked over and slapped Li Xue’s face four times in a row, causing Li Xue’s cheeks to swell, her vision to blur, and the taste of blood to fill her mouth.

When Leng Shuang stopped, Li Xue’s pale face was already swollen and red.

“You…” Li Xue stiffly covered her face, both surprised and angry, and there was also a trace of fear and unease. “You hit me?”

“This time it’s just a small punishment to warn you.” Yun Zishu looked at her calmly. “While you reside in my mansion, I have the final say. If you dare to be rude to me again in the future, it won’t be as simple as a few slaps.”

With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Li Xue stared blankly at her retreating figure, unable to believe that she had become so… so cold, so brutal, so ruthless?

“Madam Concubine, you should go back.” Matron Ren walked over, her attitude indifferent. “Her Highness the Princess is of noble status. It is not your place as a mere concubine to offend her. Remember this lesson, and if you dare to do it again, Her Highness the Princess will not be so kind.”

Li Xue stood like a statue for a long time before turning around stiffly and walking back to Qingchen Yard, feeling as if she was in a dream.

How did Yun Zishu seem to have changed into an entirely different person?

She used to be so submissive, unable to resist whatever her aunt said because the emperor did not favor her. Even Brother Heng ignored her as his legitimate wife, and she could only endure lonely nights.

But now, now she actually…

Li Xue returned to Qingchen Yard in a daze. Looking at Xiao Yunheng, who was lying on the bed without moving, she couldn’t comprehend how she could have ended up in such a situation.

“Xue’er?” Xiao Yunheng heard the footsteps and turned his head. He saw that Li Xue’s face was red and swollen, and his pupils shrank slightly. “What’s going on?”

Tears welled up in Li Xue’s eyes instantly.

Xiao Yunheng was feeling a little weak himself at this time and really didn’t want to see her crying and sobbing. He suppressed his irritation and said, “Don’t cry at the drop of a hat. What has happened?”

“No, it’s nothing.” Li Xue shook her head, poured a glass of water for Xiao Yunheng, and walked to the bedside. “Husband, have some water.”

Xiao Yunheng drank some water and lay back on the bed. His voice was calm: “Did Yun Zishu order someone to beat you?”

Li Xue bit her lip and nodded gently: “It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt. Brother Heng doesn’t need to worry.”

Xiao Yunheng didn’t speak. His heart was tormented by a sense of powerlessness. At this time, he couldn’t tell whether he hated Yun Zishu more or hated his weak situation more.

In the afternoon, Xiao Yunheng slept for a while. Li Xue took out the silver she had brought with her, gritted her teeth, and clutched a small piece of broken silver in her palm before hurrying out.

She went all the way to the kitchen and called out the cook. She carefully placed the broken silver in the cook’s palm.

The cook was puzzled. “What are you doing?”

Li Xue lowered her head, her expression both aggrieved and helpless. “Brother Heng… no, the imperial consort is weak, and eating those meals that have no oil every day is extremely detrimental to his physical recovery. I hope that Auntie can prepare a roast chicken for Young Master Xiao today… or even half a chicken would do.”

The cook looked at the silver in her palm and nodded slowly, “Alright.”

“Thank you,” Li Xue said, still a little bit uneasy. “Is there one ready-made in the kitchen now? I can just take it with me.”

The cook gave her a meaningful look and nodded faintly. “Wait a moment.” She turned and walked into the kitchen and soon wrapped a roast chicken and handed it to Li Xue.

Li Xue looked at the paper-wrapped package, thanked her a few more times, and then hurried back to Qingchen Yard.

As soon as she entered the room, she impatiently opened the paper package. When she saw that it was a whole roast chicken, her expression brightened a little. She tore off a chicken leg and took a bite.

It’s so delicious!

Li Xue couldn’t help but eat ravenously, wishing she could finish the entire chicken herself. However, looking at Xiao Yunheng, who was still lying on the bed, Li Xue reluctantly tore off a small piece and brought it to the bedside. “Brother Heng, do you want to eat some meat?”

Xiao Yunheng was woken up by her call. He smelled the aroma of meat, and that immediately stirred his appetite. He turned his head, looked up slowly, and saw Li Xue with oil all over her mouth. He couldn’t help but frown. “Where did the meat come from?”

“I exchanged it with the princess’s cook for silver.”

At that moment, Xiao Yunheng felt a little uncomfortable.

Li Xue had always claimed to love him, yet now that she had meat, she ate it herself first before calling him up.

Xiao Yunheng was a little unhappy, his tone calm and devoid of any emotion. “The physician said that eating meat in this state of injuries will not be conducive for my recovery.”