Chapter 28

The Hecheng hall had an uncommon style.

Holding the blue cloth bag tightly in her hand, Tang Xia swung her green gauzy sleeve intentionally to hide her tender fingers in her cuff.

To her surprise, Chu Tiankuo was in the Hecheng hall, too.

As Tang Xia’s heartbeat stagnated for a moment, she wore an indistinct smile.

With a king’s domineering temperament showing from his eyebrows, Chu Tiankuo cast his eyes calmly on Tang Xia for a moment then looked away slowly.

“Go and look around. I lost it in the seat of Sister Tang the night before.”

Yi Jiazi said in a gentle voice. Tang Xia was not sure if it was because Chu Tiankuo was present that she regarded Yi Jiazi’s voice as exceedingly soft.

Noticing Tang Xia’s cold stare, Yi Jiazi wore a smile and said, “What brought you here, Sister Yue?”

After looking around, Tang Xia found that although Hecheng hall was large, there were only Yi Jiazi, her personal servant girls and Chu Tiankuo standing indifferently in the center of the hall.

[Visitor] Joyful: What about this Yi Jiazi?

[Fans] Lazy Girl: She is just a scheming supporting actress appearing in the middle of the story. (sneer) Look at her, her eyes are fixed on Guard Chu, what a despicable woman…

[Fans] Aliali: She shocks me! When will anchor grow into a scheming woman?

With a smile on her face, Tang Xia said, “Beauty from Southland – Yi Jiazi, what a beautiful name.”

“You may not know as a newcomer that ‘Yue Ji’ is just my title, not my surname.” Tang Xia said.

Letting Yi Jiazi lose her face already as Tang Xia just got here pleased Chu Tiankuo secretly, so he wore an indistinct smile in the corner of his mouth.

Yi Jiazi just remained silent for a moment then apologized immediately, “I hope you can forgive my obtrusion.”

Tang Xia replied with contempt in the bottom of her eyes, “How can people like you if you don’t even know the title of the senior imperial concubine?”

With a soft voice, Tang Xia pretended to be nice and tucked Yi Jiazi’s hair behind her ear.

Having heard Tang Xia’s words, Yi Jiazi’s entire body went rigid, then she raised her body slightly and said, “You are right. I will consult the head steward earnestly later.”

“It is not enough to just consult.” Tang Xia said in a soft voice but with coldness, “I seldom provoke Lengmei myself. I am impressed that you teased her.”

Her long and slender neck highlighting her charm, Yi Jiazi said frowning her thin eyebrows, “It is I who is too obtrusive, and I hope that you can give me some advice.”

“I like an old saying from my motherland which says ‘lighting a lamp for the blind is wasting my strength’.” Tang Xia said.

There was clear coldness contained in Tang Xia’s eyes.

Chu Tiankuo behind her back laughed in a low voice which came into Tang Xia’s ears melodiously.

“Why are you against the new imperial concubine?” Chu Tiankuo asked.

Turning around, Tang Xia found that Chu Tiankuo was standing against the sunlight. Although the light reflected by the armor shined into her eyes, she could see clearly that his eyes were fixed on her.

Holding the cloth bag tightly in her hand, Tang Xia closed her thin lips gently.

“Is he defending her?”

“He just saw her for the second time.” Tang Xia thought.

Turning her head away coldly, Tang Xia tightened the cloth bag in her hand again.

“It is none of your business.”

Hearing her words, Chu Tiankuo frowned his handsome eyebrows.

But he remained silent at last.

“Here comes the emperor-”

Eunuch Shun’s voice came from afar, and everyone froze for a moment then bowed to the emperor.

“Arise, my beloved imperial concubine.” Helian Jue walked near Tang Xia and supported her by hand gently.

Then he moved his eyes to Yi Jiazi and said, “I heard that you lost something in Hecheng hall last night?”

Yi Jiazi bent her knees gently and said, “I appreciate the thoughtfulness of you, Your Majesty. I enjoyed the banquet that you prepared specially for me so much that I lost my pendant from Southland carelessly.”

And Yi Jiazi emphasized the word “specially”.

It was obvious that Helian Jue did not like her making a fuss that he frowned but still asked gently, “Do you remember where you lost it?”

Yi Jiazi replied frowning, “I am not sure yet, but I remember I lost it around Sister Yue Ji’s seat.”

Hearing what Yi Jiazi had said, Tang Xia wore massive coldness in her peach blossom eyes.

“You should remember it clearly.” Tang Xia warned her.

Wearing a trace of a hidden smile, Yi Jiazi said with tears in her eyes, “I definitely remember that clearly.”

“It is I who is to blame. I heard the emperor say that banquet was prepared specially for me, so I was too happy that I even lost the jade pendant my mother gave me.”

Yi Jiazi conveyed the importance of the jade pendant in just a few words.

“I have to admit that this woman is indeed shrewd.” Tang Xia thought.

“If you have seen the jade pendant, please give it back to me.” Yi Jiazi said with a slight tremor. People who knew nothing about her were likely to be deceived easily by her words.

Tang Xia wore much more coldness in her eyes, then Helian Jue interrupted Yi Jiazi’s words with a slight hoot.

“That is enough.” Helian Jue said, “Guard Chu, why are you here?”

Everyone remained silent for a while.

The one guard stayed in a room with two imperial concubines would be a little troublesome if Helian Jue thought it over.

Yi Jiazi bowed to the emperor immediately and replied with tearful eyes, “It is I who sought help from Guard Chu for my pendant.”

“Aware of the importance of the pendant, Guard Chu is just trying to help. I thought as a kungfu master, it would be a piece of cake for Guard Chu to find a pendant.”

Yi Jiazi’s words showed much favoritism for Chu Tiankuo.

Tang Xia regarded her words as full of loopholes with her eyebrows frowned.

“How do you know that Guard Chu is a kungfu master?” Tang Xia asked.

Being prepared, Yi Jiazi replied, “I knew that in the banquet the night before. Your elegant waltz with Guard Chu was enviable. I consulted someone then learned that the waltz demanded a certain basis of kungfu. It turned out that Guard Chu was a kungfu master.”

“So she noticed that the night before.” Tang Xia thought.

Squinting her eyes, Tang Xia became more impatient with Yi Jiazi.

“I made so much effort to deal with the crisis the night before, but she brought it up lightly again.”

Luckily, Helian Jue wore a normal face.

“I have been looking for the pendant for hours but cannot find it due to my incompetence. However, Your Grace’s pendant is of so much importance that we should find it soon.” Chu Tiankuo said aloofly, clenching his fists.

Tang Xia raised her eyebrows slightly.

“Looking for the pendant just for a woman he saw twice? When did Chu Tiankuo become so patient?”

“And he advised Helian Jue to look for it, too? What is wrong with him?”

Helian Jue frowned his eyebrows and said, “Order the servants to look for it.”

Tang Xia fixed her eyes on Chu Tiankuo who wore an obscure look and felt annoyed somewhat.

Having hidden the cloth bag in her hand for such a long time, Tang Xia regarded it as a hot potato, although it reminded her of Chu Tiankuo every time before.

Tang Xia seemed to be in such a bad mood with her eyebrows loosened.

“Never mind that.” Tang Xia’s words attracted the eyes from everyone, “Your Majest, as you need to attend to numerous affairs everyday, I made something just for you.”

Helian Jue was cheered up by her words while Chu Tiankuo who stood at one side raised his eyebrows slightly.

“What did you prepare for me?”

When he completed his sentence, Tang Xia showed the blue cloth bag in her hand.

Helian Jue raised his eyebrows slightly, hinting her to go on.

“What I put in here are some flowers and plants including lavender which can soothe your nerves.” As she finished her words, Tang Xia attached the cloth bag to Helian Jue’s waist elegantly with her fair fingers.

“It is just the color you like.”

Tang Xia looked with a sidelong glance at Helian Jue’s charismatic face that wore an evil but enchanting temperament.

Helian Jue remained silent for a moment then said in a deep voice, “I like it very much.”

Lyuyou standing aside then stepped forward tactfully and said, “She has been sewing the cloth bag for a long time.”

“She seldom does housework but gives a lot of care for you, the emperor. The silk threads used were sewn by her carefully. The stitches that were not so perfect were redone by her so that it becomes a small and exquisite cloth bag now.”

Lyuyou said in a gentle voice, but her words caused Chu Tiankuo, who was standing at one side, to darken his eyes.

Feeling a quiver in his heart, Helian Jue asked happily, “Did you do it by yourself?”

Tang Xia could not let the opportunity to increase Helian Jue’s love for her to escape and said, “Although I fumble with the needlework, I can do it for you every day if you like it.”

Helian Jue stretched his long arms and held Tang Xia in his arms, “I appreciate your efforts, Yue Ji.”

“I have to do my duty, so I have to go now.” Chu Tiankuo’s cold voice ruined the atmosphere of ambiguity. Tang Xia turned her eyes on him – angular face, aquiline nose, and a poker-faced look.

Helian Jue was in such a good mood that he let him go, waving his loose sleeves.

Then Eunuch Shun reminded, “Your Majesty, it is time for you to go to the memorial to the throne in Shangshufang.”

Hearing his words, Helian Jue pushed his nose tip against Tang Xia’s forehead. Then he said with his thin lips grazing her, “I will come back for you.”

“I will wait for you in the hall.” Tang Xia said with a gentle smile.

As Helian Jue’s figure vanished into the distance, Tang Xia came to her senses with total sobriety in the bottom of her eyes.

“What a genius plan.” Yi Jiazi’s voice came from the side, “I am so impressed by what you have done today.”

Tang Xia gazed at Yi Jiazi’s eyes and found out what was hidden in her eyes.

It was desire, endless desire.

What was contained in her eyes did not include her love for Helian Jue.

“You are raising me up too high.” Tang Xia said in a cold voice.

“However, what you did pushed Guard Chu away, is that really good?”

Yi Jiazi opened her red lips gently, and her words shocked Tang Xia anyhow.

“I told Guard Chu was that I would tell you off to the emperor if I could not find my pendant.” Yi Jiazi wore a bigger smile in the corner of her mouth, “I feel pity for Guard Chu that he left all lonely just now.”

Hearing her words, Tang Xia’s voice became cold immediately, “What are you trying to say?”

Yi Jiazi smiled but did not answer it directly, “What I mean is clear enough.”

“Just kindly reminding you, as the imperial concubine, do not fall in love with someone else apart from the emperor.”

As she completed her sentence, she bowed gently to Tang Xia and said, “I have important affairs to attend to, so I have to go now.”

Tang Xia’s eyes froze for a moment.

Although Tang Xia knew that Yi Jiazi’s words were just testing her out, she felt her face scorching hot.

“Chu Tiankuo… Is he looking for the pendant because of me?”

“Is it because of me that he advised calmly that Helian Jue must find the pendant?”

“Your Grace, are you ok?” Lyuyou stepped forward to support Tang Xia’s sleeves and asked.

Tang Xia replied with a wave of her hand and a trace of maliciousness flashed in her eyes.

She got tricked by an NPC.

“Lyuyou, send a message to Yi Jiazi that I will fight back against anyone, I don’t care if the imperial concubine’s status is below mine.”