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墨書 Inktalez
As Dongfang Bai's medical clinic gradually began to take shape, it would soon be ready for opening. Everyone was filled with excitement.
At the same time, the birthday of the Empress Dowager was approaching, just ten days away.
With the Empress Dowager's birthday drawing near, the Duke Rui's Residence also started to bustle with activity.
Le Yao Yao learned from others that the current Empress Dowager, formerly known as the Queen, was the biological mother of the reigning Emperor.
It was said that although the late Emperor had three palaces and six courtyards, he had always favored the former Queen immensely, making others envious.
Moreover, the late Emperor had few offspring; apart from the current Emperor and Prince Rui, there were only a few princesses who had married into other countries.
Despite this, it was rumored that the current Emperor and Prince Rui had a very close relationship—one being gentle and refined, while the other was wise and decisive—managing the Celestial Yuan Dynasty with great efficiency.
Additionally, although Prince Rui was not her biological son, the Empress Dowager cared for him deeply.
Thus, this time for the Empress Dowager's birthday, there would be nationwide celebrations, and preparations were underway in Duke Rui's Residence for this grand occasion.
The attitude of the living Yama towards the Empress Dowager's birthday was enough to show how much he valued her.
At this moment, it was noon, and outside, the sun shone brightly.
The golden sun seemed to be filled with endless energy, continuously radiating its scorching charm onto the earth.
The heat made even the leaves droop sadly, and even the breeze carried a fiery warmth.
In the air, one could almost smell something burning.
On a scorching summer day, the heat was unbearable, leaving one feeling restless and drowsy. Just like at this moment with Le Yao Yao.
She dutifully served in the corner of the study, listening to the discussions among several people inside. Her mind kept drifting down toward her chest.
Sigh, she had been so tired lately.
For some reason, she hadn’t been particularly busy, yet every day felt like she hadn’t slept enough.
Especially every morning; if it weren't for having to attend to the living Yama's grooming, she would have loved to sleep in indefinitely.
However, ever since the last time she had teased him, the living Yama had been giving her the cold shoulder.
That icy aura and stern expression seemed to scream "no entry," making her feel a bit uneasy and uncomfortable.
Although Le Yao Yao still hadn’t quite adjusted to the current living Yama, at least he no longer acted recklessly toward her. That should be a good thing, right?
Le Yao Yao thought to herself, her mind heavy and constantly yawning on the side, feeling completely lethargic.
The sight of Le Yao Yao pecking like a chick caught the attention of Leng Junyu, Nangong Junxi, and Dongfang Bai, who were discussing the Empress Dowager's birthday in the study.
"I say, Piglet, have you been out robbing at night lately?"
Nangong Junxi was the first to speak up.
He couldn’t resist teasing Le Yao Yao every day.
Moreover, he wasn’t foolish; he noticed that his senior brother had become even colder than before, especially towards Piglet. It was as if he were an ice block—distant and indifferent.
Yet, the more his senior brother treated Piglet this way, the more curious Nangong Junxi became.
Because that night at Ruyi Inn, the Senior Brother had completely changed.
He was certain that the Senior Brother's transformation was related to Piglet.
However, no matter how he tried to ask, the Senior Brother remained silent, which was driving him crazy.
Just as Nangong Junxi was lost in thought, Zheng Ren stood nearby, and the drowsy Le Yao Yao suddenly woke up when someone called her name.
Her mind was still a bit foggy, but she quickly realized it was Nangong Junxi speaking to her, which ignited a fire within her.
Damn it!
This damned Slave Society! They could change names at will.
Pig!?
You’re the pig!
Your whole family is made up of pigs!
After Le Yao Yao finished cursing in her heart, she smacked her lips, lowered her head, and put on a servile expression, smiling awkwardly as she said,
"Seventh Prince is truly joking. How could this servant possibly do something like climbing over walls into someone else's home?"
Although Le Yao Yao spoke with a humble demeanor, her words were laden with meaning.
Especially when she emphasized the phrase "climbing over walls," Nangong Junxi wasn’t foolish; he could tell she was referring to the time he had first climbed over the wall to enter the palace.
He was being called a thief!
Upon hearing this, Nangong Junxi's handsome face flushed, and soon after, it twisted into a grimace of frustration.
What a sharp-tongued Little Servant! It seemed he couldn't even win in a battle of wits against 'him.'
Realizing this, Nangong Junxi felt even more stifled, his handsome face souring like a stone in a latrine.
Seeing this, Le Yao Yao couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
Hmph! Little brat, he still has a long way to go if he wants to compete with her!
Feeling pleased with herself, Le Yao Yao was no longer sleepy. She blinked her Beautiful Eyes and slowly surveyed her surroundings.
Just then, she locked eyes with Dongfang Bai, who was gazing at her with a smile in his Deep Black Eyes.
Le Yao Yao's delicate face froze for a moment, but as she quickly regained her composure, the corners of her mouth lifted into a faint smile in return.
However, the smile on Le Yao Yao's face lasted less than a moment before she felt a piercing gaze directed straight at her.
Startled, Le Yao Yao immediately turned her head toward the source of the sharp gaze, only to find the imposing face of the living Yama staring back at her.
At that moment, the living Yama held a teacup in one hand, savoring its contents delicately.
His movements were elegant, yet they exuded an icy chill.
Moreover, his Cold Eyes were slightly narrowed as he quietly observed the fragrant tea in his hand, his expression utterly indifferent.
Seeing this, Le Yao Yao couldn't help but feel a surge of confusion.
Just moments ago, she had distinctly sensed a sharp gaze upon her; however, now looking at the living Yama's cold and aloof face, could it be that she had misjudged the situation?
Perhaps so!?
Recently, she had been feeling extremely drowsy, maybe that was why she felt off!
With this thought, Le Yao Yao slowly withdrew her gaze from the living Yama. Just then, she heard Nangong Junxi, who had just been angered by her, suddenly break into a mischievous smile as he looked directly at her. This made Le Yao Yao's scalp tingle and her heart race.
That damn guy must have thought of something bad to mess with her again.
It seemed like they were enemies in a past life, destined to bicker in this one. Neither of them would let the other have it easy, and sure enough—
“Piglet, don’t you have a head full of strange ideas? Here’s your chance to shine! The Empress Dowager’s birthday is coming up; let’s plan some events. What do you think we should do?”
“Uh…”
Seeing that Nangong Junxi had placed the burden of planning the Empress Dowager’s birthday on her shoulders left Le Yao Yao speechless.
“In response to Seventh Prince, I really don’t know anything about this.”
Knowing that Nangong Junxi was doing this on purpose, Le Yao Yao could only respond with a submissive tone.
But inside, she was cursing him out. She knew he had ill intentions.
The Empress Dowager’s birthday! It wasn’t a trivial matter. What if she messed it up? Even if she had ten heads, it wouldn’t be enough to save her. So naturally, she wouldn’t rashly come up with any ideas.
Although Le Yao Yao thought this way, it was clear that Nangong Junxi wasn’t going to let her off so easily this time. He continued speaking.
“Piglet, you’re really too modest! Who doesn’t know that you have the most clever ideas? Old Bai, I mentioned the West River South River incident to you last time, and the Heart Extraction Incident with that cult—those were all ideas from this Piglet!”
As Nangong Junxi said this, he turned to Old Bai.
"Oh, really? Brother Yao is truly a pillar of the nation!"
Hearing Nangong Junxi's words, Dongfang Bai smiled and looked at Le Yao Yao with approval.
Naturally, Le Yao Yao felt a bit proud upon receiving Dongfang Bai's praise.
Especially since it came from Dongfang Bai himself. Looking at his gentle and refined smile, warm like the sunlight in March, it could dispel even the worst of moods.
However, Le Yao Yao still humbly chuckled and said, "Brother Bai, you flatter me. I merely thought to lend a hand last time."
"Wow, I didn't expect Piglet to be so modest! That's quite rare! So this time, the planning for the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration falls entirely on you!"
Before Dongfang Bai could speak, Nangong Junxi chimed in again, insisting that Le Yao Yao take on this task.
Knowing that Nangong Junxi was trying to tease her made Le Yao Yao's teeth itch with frustration.
But she held back; after all, no matter how she put it, she was still a servant and couldn't overstep her bounds.
Thinking this way, Le Yao Yao bit her lip and said, "In response to the Seventh Prince, this servant has never even seen the Empress Dowager's face. I don't know her preferences at all. How could I possibly think of preparing something she would like? The Seventh Prince must be trying to make things difficult for me!"
"Ha! Not having seen the Empress Dowager is no problem. I can tell you what she likes. Listen carefully: the Empress Dowager enjoys some operas and such. However, those troupes in Capital City keep performing the same few pieces over and over again; she must be tired of them by now.
Piglet, you have plenty of clever ideas. See if you can find some better operas or something similar!"
With that, Nangong Junxi placed this heavy burden squarely on Le Yao Yao's shoulders.
Le Yao Yao was at a loss for words.
She was about to say she didn't know, but then she caught a glimpse of Dongfang Bai sitting beside her.
At that moment, Dongfang Bai had a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, his deep black eyes looking at her warmly.
It seemed as if he was expecting her to come up with some interesting idea...
Seeing this, Le Yao Yao's delicate face froze for a moment, and her heart skipped a beat. She held back the words of refusal that were on the tip of her tongue.
For some reason, she wanted to showcase her talents in front of Dongfang Bai and earn his praise...
The sudden thought that surged within her surprised Le Yao Yao, yet she genuinely wished to demonstrate her abilities before this Big Brother and receive his admiration...
Moreover, opera was not unfamiliar to Le Yao Yao. After all, her father used to enjoy listening to it, playing Cantonese opera every morning.
With this in mind, Le Yao Yao felt more confident. Then, as if inspired by a thought, she turned to Nangong Junxi, who was teasingly watching her, and said,
"If it's something like opera, I do have a few pieces in mind. However, it would take me quite some time to prepare. Ah, dealing with these operas every day would surely be exhausting. I wonder how the Seventh Prince would reward me if I did well!?"
Although she wanted to showcase her talent in front of Dongfang Bai, the prospect of earning some silver as motivation made Le Yao Yao even more delighted.
Nangong Junxi had initially thought he would surely catch Le Yao Yao off guard this time. However, seeing her so composed and even asking for a reward left him astonished. He quickly teased her,
"Oh, you little servant! The task isn't even done yet, and you're already asking for rewards? You really think highly of yourself! What if you mess it up? What if the Empress Dowager doesn't like it?!"
"Hehe, what if the Empress Dowager does like it?"
In response to Nangong Junxi's words, Le Yao Yao countered with a question.
The pair of large, round, and bright Beautiful Eyes was now filled with confidence, sparkling like a piece of agate under the sunlight, so beautiful.
Seeing Le Yao Yao's confident gaze, Nangong Junxi's handsome face momentarily froze in surprise. Then, he suddenly clapped his hands and said, "Good! If you can make the Empress Dowager happy this time, this prince will reward you generously!"
"One hundred taels of silver!"
As soon as Nangong Junxi finished speaking, Le Yao Yao immediately raised a finger and called out her price.
After all, it was a rare opportunity to take advantage of the Seventh Prince, and she certainly couldn't let it slip by. Moreover, she really needed the money right now!
She knew she couldn't be a servant in Duke Rui's Residence for the rest of her life, so she had to work hard to earn money!
On the other side, Nangong Junxi was once again taken aback by Le Yao Yao's words.
Although one hundred taels of silver was nothing to him, it was an astronomical sum for these servants!
"You little servant really has the audacity to ask for such a high price!"
"Hehe, thank you for your praise, Seventh Prince. However, if I can truly make the Empress Dowager happy, isn't this small amount worth it?"
Le Yao Yao pretended not to hear Nangong Junxi's sarcasm and replied with a cheerful smile.
Her small face radiated with energy; her Eyes sparkled, and her Red Lips curled into a smile that was as captivating as a blooming flower, making it hard for anyone to look away.
However, the provocation flickering in her eyes was something Nangong Junxi could clearly see.
However, he did not believe that this time Le Yao Yao could succeed!
After all, the Empress Dowager was quite picky. In previous years, during her birthday celebrations, she never showed any signs of enjoyment.
Thinking of this, Nangong Junxi seemed to recall something and said again, "What if you mess it up?"
"Ah, in response to the Seventh Prince, if I mess it up, there's nothing I can do. This task was assigned to me by the Seventh Prince himself," Le Yao Yao replied.
Upon hearing Nangong Junxi's words, Le Yao Yao immediately put on a jealous and innocent expression. She blinked her bright Beautiful Eyes and said pitifully, "You servant think too highly of yourself! If things go well, you expect rewards; if they don't, you blame me."
"Otherwise, I won't handle this matter at all. Just a moment ago, I thought of some good ideas! Now they probably won't be useful anymore. Sigh..."
At the end of her statement, Le Yao Yao deliberately sighed heavily, feigning regret.
Seeing her act so dramatically with her Little Face, Nangong Junxi was naturally infuriated.
However, Dongfang Bai, who was nearby, became interested upon hearing Le Yao Yao's words.
"Oh, Yao Brother, have you really thought of some good ideas?" Dongfang Bai asked in a warm and soothing tone, like a gentle stream flowing by.
Hearing Dongfang Bai's question, Le Yao Yao naturally would not hide anything from him and immediately nodded in response.
"Yes! I wonder if Brother Bai has heard of Wu Song Fights the Tiger?"
“Wu Song Fights the Tiger?”
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Bai displayed a look of confusion.
Seeing this, Le Yao Yao did not explain further and continued to ask, “What about the Eight Stars of Congratulations?”
“None…”
At this, not only did Dongfang Bai show confusion, but even Nangong Junxi beside her was curious.
“Piglet, I’ve never heard of any of this you’re talking about.”
“Hehe, that’s only natural; there’s so much I know!”
As she spoke about this, Le Yao Yao couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.
Seeing this, Nangong Junxi couldn’t help but curl his beautiful Red Lips in disdain and said, “You just keep boasting! What you say sounds nice, but whether the content is good enough to please the Empress Dowager is still unknown!”
“Seventh Prince, whether I’m boasting or not, you’ll find out later!”
“Alright, then this prince will wait and see!”
Thus, Le Yao Yao and Nangong Junxi began to bicker again!
Throughout it all, the living hell remained silent.
However, no one knew that while Le Yao Yao was bickering with Nangong Junxi, the Living Yama had cast a light glance at that smug and confident Little Face.
For the sake of that one hundred taels of silver, Le Yao Yao was determined this time!
Moreover, since there were only ten days left until the Empress Dowager's birthday, time was tight. Therefore, the Living Yama allowed Le Yao Yao to focus on preparing for the Empress Dowager's event without having to serve him.
Although the Living Yama had not said much throughout, his tacit approval for her to plan this matter surprised Le Yao Yao greatly.
After all, it was the Empress Dowager's birthday, which was no small matter. Could it be that the Living Yama truly trusted her that much!?
Regarding the Living Yama's trust, Le Yao Yao felt a mix of surprise and delight. However, his continued indifference left her with a slight discomfort.
Yet, due to the daily preparations for the Empress Dowager's birthday, Le Yao Yao had no time to think about anything else.
This time, she specifically selected several famous Peking Operas and arranged them for the Theatrical Troupe.
These matters were not unfamiliar to Le Yao Yao.
After all, she often participated in such performances back in school.
Thus, she quickly arranged the selected pieces "Wu Song Fights the Tiger" and "Eight Stars Bring Good Fortune" for the Theatrical Troupe to rehearse.
Nangong Junxi and Dongfang Bai also frequently visited the Theatrical Troupe to watch their rehearsals.
Of course, Nangong Junxi only went because he did not believe in Le Yao Yao's abilities.
In his eyes, Le Yao Yao was merely a Little Servant; how could she possibly understand so much? At most, she was just a bit clever.
However, ever since he went to the Theatrical Troupe, he realized that the talent of the Little Servant far exceeded his expectations.
No matter the script, costumes, or props, Le Yao Yao always had unique ideas that impressed even the Head of the Theater Troupe.
He once jokingly said that if Le Yao Yao couldn't find work after leaving the royal residence, she could come to his troupe as a playwright.
Le Yao Yao was naturally delighted by the Head of the Theater Troupe's words.
After all, as a modern individual, being able to promote contemporary classics in this unfamiliar era would be a significant achievement if the Empress Dowager liked it.
It would also bring her glory!
Moreover, upon further reflection, it seemed like a good idea.
After all, in three years, she would leave Duke Rui's Residence. She hadn't thought about what she would do afterward. If possible, writing plays for the troupe would allow her to create modern dramas, which wouldn't be a bad thing.
The more she thought about it, the more motivated Le Yao Yao became in the Theatrical Troupe.
Although she felt exhausted every day and returned to Elegant Breeze Pavilion in the evening just to freshen up briefly before collapsing into bed and falling asleep immediately, she felt that her current life was very fulfilling.
However, since she had been busy with the Empress Dowager's birthday preparations, her activities had mostly been confined to the theater. As a result, she hadn't seen the Living Yama for several days.
It was said that the Living Yama had been extremely busy lately.
He spent a large part of each day in the palace and sometimes even stayed overnight there.
For Le Yao Yao, not seeing the Living Yama every day should have been her dream come true. However, for some reason, whenever she found herself with a moment of free time, that proud and cold face always appeared before her…
At this moment, it was exactly noon, and the sun outside was shining brightly. Le Yao Yao had been busy all day, feeling exhausted like a dog.
So, after finding a bit of free time, she immediately sought out a quiet place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea to rest.
The Mingcheng Opera Troupe was not far from Duke Rui's Residence. It was the best theatrical troupe in the Capital City, often invited to perform for the birthdays of high-ranking noble persons or during grand banquets.
The Mingcheng Opera Troupe occupied a large area, and not far from the back courtyard was a big lake.
It was summer, and the weather was hot enough to scorch someone. However, in the back courtyard, there stood a Centennial Tree.
This Centennial Tree was lush and green; even though the sun blazed outside, standing beneath its branches provided a cool refuge from the heat.
In front of the tree lay a shimmering lake, with gentle breezes causing ripples across its surface.
In the distance, mountains stretched endlessly, towering into the clouds. The reflections of the high peaks danced on the water, creating a scene as beautiful as poetry.
Le Yao Yao lazily lay on the grass beneath the great tree, feeling drowsy.
Recently, she had been incredibly tired.
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