I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 64

Yun Shao gently bit into a grape, finding it even sweeter than the purple-gold grapes from years ago.

Wei Ying, seeing the emperor’s tacit approval, confidently sat beside him, leaning against him in a thoroughly enchanting consort-like manner.

The audience below whispered among themselves.

Palace maid Gong Beinu clutched her small handkerchief, fuming: “Why—why is she allowed to sit there?”

Another consort added, “The emperor clearly favors her. Wasn’t Noble Consort Xiao the most favored last year? And now she has stolen the favor from her own sister?”

Gong Beinu huffed.

Seeing Xiao Qianxue sitting alone, having to console herself by eating cakes and drinking wine, Gong Beinu immediately felt much better. As long as Xiao Qianxue was uncomfortable, she was happy!

The Empress Dowager sneered and spoke coldly, “No manners, no rules.”

Wei Ying exchanged a glance with Yun Shao. “Your Majesty, did you hear that?”

Yun Shao shook his head. “Hear what, Ying Ying?”

Wei Ying put on an innocent expression. “The wind is especially noisy today.”

The Empress Dowager ground her silver teeth in anger, glaring at them both. How could a consort sit beside the emperor? But since they pretended not to hear her, she couldn’t shout louder.

Yun Shao, in a very good mood, waved his hand. “Continue the music, continue the dance.”

Leaning on the emperor’s shoulder, Wei Ying looked down at the crowd. Sitting in this position, she could see every small movement below. She saw Gong Beinu pouting and chattering with Li Pin, Xiao Qianxue bowing her head to eat, her lips curling in satisfaction, and Noble Consort and Dong E holding their hearts, looking utterly disappointed.

Sitting so high up, she realized why in class every tiny action she made was so easily caught by the teacher—things could truly be seen this clearly.

At first, she was peeling grapes for the emperor, but eventually, it turned into the emperor peeling grapes for her.

Wei Ying opened her mouth to catch the grape offered by the emperor. Despite the consorts’ envious or shocked gazes, she confidently accepted this favor.

Noticing that the emperor’s expression had softened, she covertly glanced at Prince Luling.

The young prince was quite handsome, no wonder he made the emperor jealous.

“Ying Ying?” Yun Shao, sharp as a little animal, quickly noticed her looking at Prince Luling and turned sour. “What are you looking at?”

Wei Ying pursed her lips and, leaning toward the emperor, whispered in his ear, “He looks like a dog~”

The emperor’s expression sweetened immediately.

“You’re right, Ying Ying!”

Prince Luling suddenly raised his head, meeting the scrutinizing gaze of the emperor and his favored consort, nearly dropping his cup in shock. But the two sitting above smiled at him in unison, their expressions warm, as if looking at a pet dog in their own backyard.

Prince Luling’s mind was filled with question marks.

At that moment, the music and dance ended, and the Empress Dowager coughed twice, smiling at Prince Luling. “Jue’er, come over, let me see you.”

The Empress Dowager had been unable to conceive for years and had poisoned other consorts’ children. The late emperor favored her, so she had taken a child from a collateral line to raise, intending that one day, when the child ascended the throne, she would have some security in the palace.

She had raised Prince Luling for over ten years, treating him as her own, believing only he deserved the throne. When a young emperor suddenly appeared and took the throne, the Empress Dowager harbored resentment.

She glanced at the emperor, a faint smile on her lips, and then said to Prince Luling, “Jue’er, I remember your swordsmanship was quite good. You often performed for me in the palace. Have you neglected your skills at your fief?”

Prince Luling smiled. “I practice every day, never neglected.”

Empress Dowager: “Then perform a sword dance for me, like you did to amuse me when you were a child.”

Prince Luling glanced at the emperor. The emperor frowned, then after a moment’s consideration, slightly nodded. He stepped down, taking the long sword handed by a eunuch.

He twirled the sword with one hand, standing tall in the center of the courtyard.

Yun Shao immediately looked at Wei Ying, noticing her eyes fixed on Prince Luling, her small face sulking, letting out a cold snort.

Wei Ying returned to the present, smiling at the emperor, leaning closer. “Your Majesty, why are you snorting?”

Yun Shao muttered, “You may not look at him.”

Wei Ying curved her eyes, held the emperor’s hand, picked up a handkerchief to wipe the grape juice off her fingers, and as she returned it, brushed his hand with her own.

Yun Shao’s cheeks flushed, dizzy from the enchanting consort, temporarily forgetting to be jealous.

Wei Ying breathed a sigh of relief and thought about how to deal with Prince Luling. In the original story, his sword dance astonished everyone, prompting Gong Beinu to recall Xiao Qianxue. So as long as she could distract Gong Beinu, it would be fine.

She curved her eyebrows, drew a freshly drawn blue card [New Favor], anticipating Prince Luling’s performance.

The blue card flew onto Prince Luling.

He intended to perform his usual heroic sword dance to please the Empress Dowager and subtly irritate the emperor’s cousin. But after twirling the sword, his stance suddenly became coquettish.

Prince Luling gave a bewitching smile to everyone, then began a performance from the underworld.

The performance was astonishingly hilarious.

He danced with devilish steps, sliding across the ground, his supple figure twisting with the sword. The consorts struggled to suppress laughter, feeling their eyes sting and wanting to hide their faces in water.

Noble Consort furrowed her brow, glancing down, almost wanting to seize the sword and strike this otherworldly man.

For a moment, everyone remembered the fear of being controlled by the underworld.

After three unbearable minutes, Gong Beinu was the first to laugh, clutching her stomach: “Hahaha, Prince Luling dances so flirtatiously! I couldn’t dance this provocatively even if I tried!”

Concubine Shu hurriedly twisted her arm, and Gong Beinu quieted.

The other consorts and palace maids then quietly laughed.

Concubine Shu: …

The emperor’s lips curved slightly. “So Prince Luling’s sword dance is so wonderful, filling the palace with laughter.”

Prince Luling tried to explain: “Your Majesty, it’s not—please let me perform again!”

Wei Ying tugged Yun Shao’s sleeve mischievously. “Your Majesty, my eyes hurt, let’s not. Otherwise, I’ll go blind.”

Even if her card could last, her eyes could not endure another round.

Yun Shao, hearing her tease Prince Luling, felt much better and smiled: “If Prince Luling wants to dance, he may perform alone for the Empress Dowager in the future.”

After the emperor spoke, the consorts’ attention shifted to the Empress Dowager, showing surprised expressions.

Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager liked this sort of thing!

No wonder she liked roosters and turtles!

The Empress Dowager covered her face, embarrassed.

Previously, Jue’er’s sword dance was masculine and heroic. How did it become… completely the opposite now—effeminate, almost otherworldly. Time had truly changed him.

As he continued, the palace saw this unusual display—did they think Wei Ying would enjoy such a “hellish” sword dance?

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes, embarrassed, trying to erase the dance from her mind.

Prince Luling wanted to redeem himself, asking for another chance, but the Empress Dowager, not wanting to see him, turned her head: “Rest for now.”

Prince Luling stepped down, wounded.

The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, finally recovering. Though the dance was strange, she had raised him with her own hands and still supported him. “Jue’er meant well and made everyone laugh. I’m glad he came to Shengjing.”

Wei Ying squinted.

This meant if Prince Luling hadn’t come, she wouldn’t be happy? Every word the Empress Dowager said subtly criticized the emperor.

Wei Ying thought this, then looked at Yun Shao. The emperor lowered his gaze, focused on peeling grapes, his long, fair fingers slightly moist.

Noticing her gaze, he brought a grape to her lips, his cold fingers brushing past her lips, then smiled gently—his eyes only on her, ignoring all rumors.

Wei Ying, however, took it to heart, resting her chin in thought, smiling at the Empress Dowager: “Actually, Your Majesty also has a talent performance prepared for the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows in surprise. “What?”

Wei Ying smiled: “It’s a little surprise.”

Yun Shao also asked in surprise: “Ying Ying?”

Wei Ying waved, and the red beads and green wax brought two objects hidden under red cloth. She lifted the cloth and whispered to the emperor: “I saw this hidden in the golden room. You’ll like it.”

The emperor looked at the suona and erhu, dumbfounded. “I can’t play.”

Wei Ying patted his shoulder, smiling: “No matter, you just play the erhu randomly.”

Before he could respond, Wei Ying picked up the suona and jumped with joy, cheerfully saying to the Empress Dowager, “I’m not skilled, but I’ll perform with the emperor.”

The Empress Dowager leaned back in shock.

Wei Ying took a deep breath and blew into the suona with all her might. The piercing sound resounded in the imperial garden, mercilessly assaulting everyone’s ears. The Empress Dowager, directly facing it, felt her scalp tingle, like hundreds of firecrackers exploding. She shuddered and almost fainted, repeatedly sent between near-death and life by the relentless sound.

Finally, the piece ended. The Empress Dowager leaned on the table, thinking: “Finally, it’s over.”

Before passing out, she pointed at Wei Ying, trembling: “Guards! Put her in the Cold Palace!”

A year later, Wei Ying once again achieved the feat of startling the Empress Dowager into fainting twice—and Cold Palace punishment twice. She was proud, secretly cheering, and patted the emperor’s shoulder: “Your Majesty, you played well!”

Yun Shao held the erhu, chin resting on the rod, smiling.

When Prince Luling hurried to support the Empress Dowager, the emperor finally seemed to recall what had just happened. “Concubine Ying’s performance shows filial piety and deserves reward.”

Prince Luling protested: “Your Majesty, she scared the Empress Dowager! Haven’t you forgotten?”

Yun Shao glanced at him, dark eyes sharp, resting her chin thoughtfully. “The suona scared the Empress Dowager. The punishment is fitting. Guards, lock the suona in the storage for two or three years.”

Prince Luling: ???

He shouted: “How can Your Majesty be so cruel, so unfilial?!”

Yun Shao tilted her head. “Locking the suona for a few years can’t calm Prince Luling’s anger? I’ve heard he always cares for the people. How could he be so reckless, even punishing an instrument?”

Wei Ying hugged the suona. “Yes! It’s so cute, how could you punish it~? Let me bear the punishment instead, Your Majesty! Or maybe let me go to the Cold Palace?”

Yun Shao bit his lip: “No.”

Wei Ying: “Your Majesty?”

Finally, Yun Shao said after some struggle: “Fine… you may go to the Cold Palace for one day.”

Wei Ying widened her eyes. One day was too short! Was this a day trip?

“Maybe ten days?” she tried to bargain.

The emperor fiercely opposed: “Impossible!” After struggling, he finally said: “Three days, no more.”

Wei Ying: “Yay!”

Below, Xiao Qianxue: “Yay!”

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