Chapter 127 Emboldened

Guan Suyi couldn’t hide her face from Hunnar’s laughter. After thinking about it carefully, she understood what was wrong, and immediately reprimanded, “Stop laughing, that thing that stuck in your brain, it’s very vulgar!”

Emperor Sheng Yuan showed an innocent expression, “Why Madam take your anger on me again? Wasn’t it you who think crookedly before? You even scolded me for not being able to talk properly, that is called confidence of one own conviction. Madam, you are becoming more and more self-willed, and I don’t believe you’re also this unreasonable in front of Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies.” After the words fell he was stunned for a while, and then burst into laughter, “Oh, I get it. Madam can only do this in front of me, because with me, you can throw away all the pretense and show your true selves. You know that I’m not going to tell anyone, and I’m not going to hurt you.”

The more he laughed, the happier he was, and once it gets started there’s no stopping it.

Guan Suyi, who had never dared to turn back, was about to explode with anger. She wanted to flung her sleeves and leave, but then feeling like she had lost, she couldn’t help but feel resentful. After thinking for a while, she simply turned around and walked towards Hunnar. She sat on the bench opposite him, but not at all in the dignified posture of the past, rather outstretched one of her hand and rest it on the railing, her fingertips flicked the muslin shawl without a moment’s hesitation, one hand gently supported her chin, and looked at him with her coquettish eyes. She tilted her legs together, causing the hem of her skirt that was embroidered with willow leaves spilled all over the ground, gold and silver threads reflecting the light from the lake, like falling stars, really dazzling.

Emperor Sheng Yuan was stunned for a moment, his laughter stopped abruptly, and his breathing became heavier. He clearly knew that it was extremely rude, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Madam. From her cloud-like black hair to her graceful figure, to a small jade piece tied to her ankle, he could linger back and forth repeatedly.

Finally, as if he couldn’t bear the great pain, he abruptly turned his head away, and even through his thick beard, his bronze-colored skin was a little flushed. The former Madam was like the flower in the high mountain, and he did not dare to climb it for fear of sullying her; the present Madam was a worldly beauty, but she had grown many thorns, making him want to pick her up, but also afraid of damaging her.

He loved her talent, her temperament, her looks, and even her stubborn willfulness hidden under her dignified exterior. He wanted to get her whole selves, not the helplessness and compromise under the oppression of power. He tried hard to control his body’s reaction, but then he heard Madam laugh evilly, she said, “Didn’t you laugh before? Why don’t you continue laughing?”

“Madam, you try to confuse me with your beauty!” Emperor Sheng Yuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was only today that he realized that being too beautiful could also become a weapon.

“Wine doesn’t make men drunk, men get themselves intoxicated. Lust doesn’t overpower men, men surrender themselves to lust. It’s you whose mind  doesn’t right, how can you blame me?” Guan Suyi smiled beautifully, she really looked radiant.

Emperor Sheng Yuan, who wanted to glance at her quickly, became dizzy again. He quickly took off his robe, threw it in the air, and ordered, “Minglan, put on the coat for your master. The wind in this lake is cold, and the water vapor can soak the body, afraid she will freeze if sit for a long time.”

Guan Suyi caught the black robe that was fluttering in the wind, and chuckled, “I once followed my grandfather to Mohe. In winter, the water dripped into ice, and it was cold to the bone marrow. He also dug up the frozen river and let me swim twice a day to strengthen my body. What is this little lake breeze?”

Emperor Sheng Yuan glanced at her quickly, his gaze stayed for a moment on her graceful collarbone and tall chest, and then moved away hastily, said in a hoarse voice, “Madam should be more considerate of me, and put on the robe. If you don’t wear it, I won’t even dare to look at you in the eye today.”

“Why? Am I not beautiful?” The more he showed weakness, the more excited Guan Suyi became.

“It is precisely because you are so beautiful that I dare not look at you. Madam, ordinary people may have more rational nature rather than wild nature, able to control their desires very well. But don’t forget, I was raised by pack of wolves, and full of wildness in my bones, and once it was provoked, it’s bound to devour the prey that doesn’t stop dangling in front of my eyes, especially if the prey is the most difficult-to-find delicacy in the world.”

In order to show that what he was serious, he deeply gazed at Madam with his bloodshot eyes.

Guan Suyi’s proud smile slowly faded, and she put on the robe without saying a word. She knew that if this person was determined, he would never give her any room to resist. It’s okay to compete, but it also need to be done in moderation.

Minglan didn’t dare to disobey the Holy Order, so she stepped forward tremblingly and tied her miss’ clothes. The robe was very wide, the cuffs were still a little long after it rolled up five or six times, and the hem was spread all over the floor like a quilt.

Guan Suyi couldn’t let it be, so she had to hold the extra fabric on her knees, and the tip of her nose gently sniffed the man’s ambergris scent. It was domineering and profound, which cause her heart to tremble slightly, and somehow her cheeks were red. Without any better option she fiddled with the embroidery on the fabric, as if she was very interested in the craftsmanship.

Emperor Sheng Yuan was much more at ease, looked at the petite Madam who was shrunken in his clothes like a little girl, before he walked to her side and took a seat, and began to speak after the distance between them was only two feet away.

“Madam, you are very different today.”

“Really? Just changed the clothes.”

“No, it’s definitely not because of your clothes, afraid you’ve even changed your temperament. If it was the usual you, you would definitely fight those scholars in Bodhi Garden, argue with them one by one to the point they wouldn’t be able to refute, but you didn’t do that, you just flung your sleeves and leave. You seems to no longer care what others say about you, and just follow your heart’s desires.”

Guan Suyi glanced at him unexpectedly, raised her eyebrows and said, “Yes, I want to change to a less suffocating way of living, can’t I?”

“You can. With me behind you, you can do whatever you want, say whatever you want, and if you want something, no matter how rare and precious, just tell me and I will deliver it to you. Is it because of me that you changed? Madam, can I understand it like this?” Emperor Sheng Yuan leaned forward, his eyes sharp.

Guan Suyi was dumbfounded but she no longer avoided his gaze, instead looked into his eyes as well, and laughed lightly, “You are right but also not. The reason why I changed is because I myself want to change, but who gave me the courage to change, I have to admit, it is you. Without me noticing, in front of you, I had thrown away all the pretense and restored my true self, to have generosity and benevolence, even more, rebelling against the orthodoxy. What I wanted to do but didn’t dare to do, what I wanted to say but didn’t dare to say in the past, to you, I can do and say it without any hesitation. Because I know that in the world, only you that will not be surprised, even my family may not be able to accept my truest self.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan’s breathing was stagnant and his tone was tense, “Then what am I to Madam?”

“A friend?” Guan Suyi replied uncertainly.

“No, I don’t want to be your friend, I want to be your husband. Madam, it’s a good thing that you’re no longer run away from your feeling towards me. With your words today, I believe that in the near future, you will definitely accept me wholeheartedly. Madam, I like your change.” Emperor Sheng Yuan laughed heartily, full of the happiness that his long-cherished wish was about to be fulfilled.

Guan Suyi leaned back and calmly said, “I just have the courage to examine myself and be honest with myself, which seems to give you an inaccurate hint? I will never marry into the palace and compete for one man’s affection with your three thousand beauties. Managing one Zhao Mansion has completely exhausted me, then how can I face the Three Palaces and Sixth Courtyard? Our relationship stops here, isn’t it good?”

“No, Madam, you must marry me, there’s no need to consider anything else.” Emperor Sheng Yuan showed a hint of his domineering style. The Mynah, who had been looking for him for a long time, flew down from the sky, and as soon as his master untied the silk thread that bound his mouth, he said, “Madam marry Zhen, Madam marry Zhen.”

Guan Suyi was annoyed by the domineering attitudes of these two master and pet, and her desire to have a good talk faded away. She dug out a few grains of rice from her purse and throw it far away, “Go.”

The Mynah immediately chased after the rices, and after landing, he tooted, tooted, pecking at the food, and didn’t make any more noise.

Emperor Sheng Yuan looked at her with a smile, and sighed, “Madam, you actually already knew that you’re just stubbornly resisting. There are only two final outcomes, first you will marry me willingly, and second you will marry me reluctantly. Either way, you will have to marry me.”

Guan Suyi untied the belt, took off his robe, and threw it right in his face, sneered, “Really? Maybe there is another ending, that is, I will immediately go to Qingyun Nunnery, ten miles away, to become a nun, so that you could not get what you ask for for the rest of your life. You can’t force to marry a nun and let her grow her black hair overnight, can you? You’re very right, the reason why I dare to be so presumptuous is all because of the confidence you gave me. If you have the ability then just kidnap me now.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan took off the robe on his head and said to her back as she walked away quickly, “Madam, it’s not that I don’t have the ability, but I have to consider your reputation. You don’t care what others think about you, but I do. If you really become a nun, I will find an excuse to seal the Qingyun Nunnery and order all the nuns to return to the secular world. You see, I have a way to deal with you, but I just can’t bear it.”

Guan Suyi paused in her footsteps, then turned her head to look at him deeply, and then she left in disbelief.

The person was already far away, but the strong fragrance still remained on the robe. Emperor Sheng Yuan couldn’t bear the lake wind to blow the smell away, so he put it into a ball and squeezed it in his hand, but after walking halfway he changed his mind, and slowly put it on. In this way, Madam’s scent clung to his body like an illusory embrace, enough to soothe his longing soul.

Guan Suyi walked slowly around the bamboo forest in the outer courtyard twice, feeling that the literary gathering was about to start, she went to Bodhi Garden. The young men and women who gathered here before had retreated to the corner, and in the middle were placed many low tables and futons, all of which were prepared for the great names of present age. Old Master Guan, Father Guan, Master Xuan Guang… Even Xu Guangzhi was on this list. It seemed that the publication of “Subset Commentary” had indeed changed the tide for him. After this imperial examination, it’s unknown how many Confucian scholars would throw themselves to become his disciple. At that time, fame and fortune would come rolling in, and he could try to become official again.

While thinking about it, Guan Suyi slowly stepped into the courtyard gate, and saw that everyone present looked at her, full of ridicule.

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