Male Lead Is Always That Heartless

Chapter 29

At Chenshi (*), the carriage slowly started its journey. 

T/N: 7-9 am

Xiao Yan glanced at the three white porcelain jars neatly displayed on the small table in the carriage. 

Sour plums. 

But he never loved sour plums. 

He closed his eyes lightly and secretly sighed. 

“Stop.” 

The imperial driver strangled his horse at the sound, “What are Your Majesty’s orders?” 

“Send someone to invite Noble Lady Gu to come.” 

Once again, Gu Yi called to ride in the imperial carriage with Xiao Yan. When she entered the carriage, she saw Xiao Yan’s expression, timidly crouched to the ground to pay her respects, and said, “I thank Your Majesty for your great favor.” 

“Get up.” 

Gu Yi raised her head and carefully glanced at Xiao Yan. Seeing that his eyebrows were like raven feathers and his long eyebrows were slightly converged, she summoned her courage and said, “Is Your Majesty angry with me?” 

Xiao Yan saw that she anxiously blinked. 

“Noble Lady Gu, why do you say that?” 

He even called her Noble Lady Gu, so why did he still ask? 

“Although stupid, I have watched His Majesty’s every move. Thus, I can guess.” 

Gu Yi’s eyebrows trembled, “For example …… at Chenshi (*) today, His Majesty ignored me.” 

Xiao Yan laughed coldly, “Then why did you excuse yourself first?” 

Gu Yi paused and said earnestly, “I saw that Talent Lady Zhao has come, so I leave tactfully. Talent Lady Zhao was favored last night, and I expected that she would be the one to accompany the Emperor this morning!” 

The snow on Xiao Yan’s face melted, “So are you …… jealous?” 

Gu Yi shook her head and denied, “I did not!” 

Liar. 

Xiao Yan’s lips slightly raised but still said coldly: “Gu Yi, isn’t your intention to use Talent Lady Zhao? What’s wrong now? Did you regret it?” 

Gu Yi couldn’t tell him these horrible plot game rules, so she deflated and said, “Whatever Your Majesty says. I know I’m wrong.” 

Her tone was so disrespectful, but Xiao Yan’s heart’s depression dispersed a few points. Being jealous was not a significant offense. He even looked forward to Gu Yi being jealous instead of scheming all day, treating the Emperor’s heart as gains and losses, and secretly thinking about calculating him.

Gu Yi was inwardly depressed, but Xiao Yan’s face turned clear, and he handed her a white porcelain jar. “Inside are newly made sour plums.” 

Gu Yi took it and angrily ate one. It was so sour that her teeth fell. 

Doggy Xiao! You still use sour plums to double attacks! When I leave the palace as a rich woman, I’ll raise ten or eight beautiful men and live to the fullest! 

Xiao Yan saw her eating sour plums as if she were venting her anger, scrunching her eyebrows, and he couldn’t help but laugh. 

* 

Zhao Wan sat in her carriage and looked at her new personal palace maid, Xiu He. She was only fifteen years old and originally a palace maid in the Wu Shan Palace. She wore a palace uniform that had been washed until it faded, glancing at her tremblingly: “I heard that this trip to the capital would take a whole day. Would you like to have some refreshments, Talent Lady?” 

Zhao Wan shook her head and softly said, “No need to bother. I’m not hungry either.” 

Xiu He blinked, “Mama instructed me: as the Emperor has favored you for the first time, you should rest today.” 

The bitterness in Zhao Wan’s heart spread out. She didn’t understand why the Emperor had left last night. 

How long would she wait to see Xiao Yan again with the whole harem at the palace? 

After traveling for half a day, the sound of people outside the carriage increases. 

Lady of Fairness Gong lifted the curtain and looked out. The city gate could be seen. 

Chunya sighed: “Lady of Fairness, hold back a little more. We’re almost there.” 

Lady of Fairness Gong chuckled, “When His Majesty returns to the palace, there is suddenly a beautiful Talent Lady Zhao by his side. I wonder how wonderful the harem will be.” 

Although the Talent Lady’s grade was low, the Emperor chose her himself and not from the selection. 

It was okay with one Noble Lady Gu, but now there was another Talent Lady Zhao — 

She closed the curtain and sighed: “Liu Piaopiao should not be able to sit still ……” 

Chunya echoed, “October is almost here. Consort De has always loved that Cuiwan game (*). This year, she should also call the concubines to play. You should take care of your ankle during this period.” 

T/N: Chuiwan (Chinese: 捶丸; pinyin: chuíwán; lit. ‘ball-hitting’) was a game in ancient China. Its rules resemble modern golf.

There was a series of horses neighing outside the carriage. It was the sound of the guards riding horses to clear the way. They were finally going to enter the city. After traveling through the palace gates, except for the Emperor’s carriage, the rest of the people must get out of the carriage and walk. 

Gu Yi rubbed her calves and looked at Xiao Yan. If she kept sitting down, she could not straighten her legs. 

Xiao Yan leaned against the carriage’s wall, still flipping through a book. 

Gu Yi deliberated momentarily and said, “Your Majesty, we’re almost there, so I’d better get out of the carriage.” 

Xiao Yan hummed. 

Gu Yi called out, “Please stop the carriage.” 

The carriage did not stop. 

Gu Yi awkwardly said, “Your Majesty …….” 

Xiao Yan put down the book in his hand, “Stop.” 

The imperial driver immediately pulled the reins tighter. 

The palace staff lifted the curtain, and Gu Yi, holding her leg hummer, alighted from the Emperor’s carriage. 

Gu Yi slowly walked on the palace road as the imperial carriage continued. Tao Jia greeted her from the back. 

“Noble Lady has worked hard. When we return to the palace later, I’ll massage you!” 

Gu Yi nodded and said, “Tao Jia, you treat me best!” 

Zhao Wan got out of the carriage, and at a glance, she saw Noble Lady Gu traveling slowly in front of her. Traveling in the same carriage as the Emperor was a great honor. In the future, she would live in the same hall as Noble Lady Gu. 

Gu Yi dragged her stiff legs back to the Heluo Hall. When she was about to enter the hall, she looked back and saw two palace lanterns in the distance behind her. Fixing her eyes on them, she saw Zhao Wan, who was coming to stay in the Heluo Hall’s side hall. 

In the book, Beauty Wan lives in Jianjia Hall, adjacent to the Luoying Hall, where Consort De lives, and the two fight a lot. But now that Zhao Talent will live in the Heluo Hall, she may still have to continue to correct the plot. 

Gu Yi’s heart was as stuffed as the sea, but things had come to this. There was no way out, only to wait for the day when she could leave the palace as a rich woman! 

At this moment, she put her heart in the right place and decided to keep the female lead out of the pleasantries for the time being this evening. When she lived in the Xiuyi Hall’s side hall, she often wished that Lady of Fairness Wang would leave her alone. 

After Gu Yi thought about it, her steps did not stop, and she stepped straight into the main chamber of Heluo Hall. 

Zhao Wan slightly paused when she saw her back before entering the hall. 

Xiu He asked, “Talent Lady, what should we do? Do we still have to greet Noble Lady Gu?” 

Zhao Wan tilted her head to look at the night sky’s darkness, “No, I’ll just go to the main hall earlier to pay respects tomorrow.” 

Gu Yi was so tired that her bones were about to fall apart. After bathing, she lay on the bed and let Tao Jia massage her. 

Tao Jia’s hands were strong, and she accurately found the acupoints. 

Gu Yi comfortably enjoyed for a while, somewhat embarrassed: “Okay! You also sat in the carriage for a day and tired. Rest early!” 

Tao Jia laughed: “I’m not tired. I’ll loosen up your legs so when you wake up tomorrow, you won’t feel pain.” 

Gu Yi: “Then …… okay.” 

Before Chenshi (7-9 am), Zhao Wan woke up in the side hall. She looked at the bed curtain above her head, lost in thought. 

Heluo Hall. The Emperor tried to make her a pawn in Noble Lady Gu’s hands. She had no one to rely on, and Noble Lady Gu’s care for her, who had just entered the palace, was critical. 

And the Emperor’s favor —

Zhao Wan rolled over. She would hold the Emperor’s favor as much as possible one day. 

Xiu He heard the movement in the bed and asked softly, “Is Talent Lady awake?” 

Zhao Wan rose, “En, help me to freshen up.” 

After waiting a while and seeing Xiu He brought the water basin, Zhao Wan asked, “Is Noble Lady Gu awake?” 

Xiu He shook her head, “When I went out to fetch water, I saw that the lights were still dark, and the palace guards were not moving.” 

Zhao Wan nodded, “I see. Wait for a while, and then go take a look.” 

Gu Yi finally woke up at Sishi (9-11 am). After the massage, she slept well. She stretched and began to freshen up. 

Tao Jia asked, “What would you like to eat today? The weather has cooled down recently. Let’s have congee for breakfast and let the kitchen send a hotpot for dinner?” 

Gu Yi nodded, “Yes, yes, do that! Put mutton and white radish in the pot.” 

Tao Jia tilted her head. “It’s not even October yet. We’ll eat mutton after October. By then, the grassland sheep should be sent to the palace. It’s delicious! Have a beef pot at night. Find a master with good knife skills to slice it thinly, and make it tender.” 

Gu Yi: “Just do as you say!” 

After deciding on dinner, she finally felt a purpose for the whole day.

Gu Yi washed up quickly. She was drinking congee when she heard the palace staff say that Talent Lady Zhao from the side hall had come to pay respects. 

Gu Yi once again put her heart in the right place. She wanted to avoid keeping the female lead waiting for too long and planned to deal with it early. 

Tao Jia, however, quickly gave her another bowl of congee, “Noble Lady, don’t be in a hurry. This congee is boiled with just the right amount of heat. Try another bowl; this pickled radish is also delicious!” 

Gu Yi put down the bowl and said earnestly, “Be lenient with others but be strict with yourself. Our Heluo Hall is not the place that only wants to suppress people.” 

A fight between groups is irrational! The female lead’s aura was unbreakable! 

Tao Jia beeped, “I understand. But if you don’t establish authority, it will be difficult when she receives favor in the future.” 

In the future, she will receive favors and take the leading position in the middle palace. After the six palaces are scattered, she will stand on top of the harem. 

Gu Yi sighed, “I entrust my heart to the bright moon, but how the bright moon is not something I should worry about.” 

Tao Jia mumbled a cry, “Noble Lady ……” but she did not persuade again. 

Gu Yi quickly went to the main hall to see Zhao Wan. She saw her wearing hairpins on her head and white and green clothes, but her face was haggard. 

Zhao Wan bowed and said, “Greetings.” 

Gu Yi smiled, “Get up.” She smoothly sat down on the pear blossom chair and beckoned, “You also sit.” 

Zhao Wan got up and sat with a lowered head, “Thank you, Noble Lady.”