Chapter 352

Long Yelin ascended the throne and did not forget his former consort. It was said that she was originally to be given the position of Noble Consort, but later, because Empress Jian opposed, it was cancelled; nevertheless she was given the rank of Imperial Noble Consort, becoming the foremost among one empress and four consorts. A single step difference makes a world of difference in status. After ascending the throne, the Emperor never once visited the Ice Jade Palace, let alone intimated with Lin Wan.

We need to keep numbers etc. No numbers.

becoming the foremost among one empress and four consorts.

A single step difference makes a world of difference in status.

After ascending the throne, the Emperor never once visited the Ice Jade Palace, let alone intimated with Lin Wan.

Thus the once-favored Lin Wan could only feel resentful, leaning against the pillars of the Ice Jade Palace, gazing until autumn waters were exhausted.

So the once-favored Lin Wan could only hold a bellyful of resentment, leaning against the pillars of Lingyu Hall, gazing until autumn waters were exhausted.

When Hu Xiaotian came to present a gift, Lin Wan was appreciating plum blossoms in the courtyard; led by a palace maid, he came before her and respectfully said, "I, your servant, pay my respects to Imperial Noble Consort Lin."

Lin Wan wore a deep blue cloak, standing with her back turned; her left hand originally held a plum blossom, but hearing Hu Xiaotian's voice, she loosened her grip, the branch sprang back, swaying in the air, yellow petals drifting down, a few sticking to Hu Xiaotian's face; he raised his sleeve and wiped his face.

Lin Wan slowly turned around; indeed she was a beauty, with features like a painting, alluring and moving. Yet compared to Wen Ya's pearls and jade before, she seemed to lack some charm. Compared to Baobao, she also seemed to lack some temperament; beauties indeed need to be compared. However Hu Xiaotian still held some preconceived notions: this Lin Wan was the Emperor's woman, and her background was not simple; deep down he remained fully on guard against her.

Lin Wan glanced at Hu Xiaotian and said, "Anything?"

Hu Xiaotian lowered his head and said, "By order of the Talented Person, I specially present a gift to Imperial Noble Consort Lin." He presented the visitation card and gift with both hands.

Lin Wan signaled the palace maid beside her to take it and let the maid open the gift box. Inside was a pair of jade bracelets; judging by texture and translucency, they should be top-quality. Hu Xiaotian secretly sighed, after all, as the adopted daughter of Minister Wen, her generosity was lavish; sending out so many gifts today, perhaps tens of thousands of taels of silver would just go out like that.

Lin Wan reached out to take the pair of jade bracelets, but when she grasped them, they suddenly slipped from her hand; the palace maid screamed in fright, her face turning pale.

Hu Xiaotian took a swift step forward and caught the bracelets before they hit the ground.

Lin Wan said with deep meaning, "Your reflexes are really not bad."

Hu Xiaotian said, "It's just that my eyes and hands are a bit quicker; Imperial Noble Consort Lin, please hold them steady." He then passed the pair of jade bracelets back.

Lin Wan took the jade bracelets, nodded slightly, and softly said, "Little moustache, come with me."

Hu Xiaotian had already mentally prepared for any possible difficulties; he followed Lin Wan into the Ice Jade Palace, and after entering the chambers, Lin Wan dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs, apparently wanting to speak privately with Hu Xiaotian.

After everyone left, Lin Wan played with the pair of jade bracelets, but this time her hand slipped again; right before Hu Xiaotian's eyes, the bracelet fell to the ground with a clang, shattering to pieces.

Hu Xiaotian was still some distance away, and lacking sufficient mental preparation for her second mishap, he could only watch helplessly as the bracelets shattered; yet in his heart he already understood—this Imperial Noble Consort Lin was doing it on purpose.

Lin Wan said, "My hand slipped, little moustache; why didn't you help me catch it?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Last time I was just a blind cat that bumped into a dead rat; not every time do I have such luck."

Lin Wan chuckled coldly and said, "What do you mean by that?"

Hu Xiaotian bowed and said, "Just a casual remark; Imperial Noble Consort, please don't overthink it."

"You're a cat, I'm a rat? Are you saying I should fear you, or are you threatening me, wanting to eat me?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Imperial Noble Consort Lin is overthinking; even if I had the courage of a bear and leopard, I would not dare be disrespectful to the Imperial Noble Consort."

Lin Wan said, "That's more like it, sigh. My legs suddenly feel sore; please massage them." She leaned sideways on the Noble Consort's chair, legs bared after removing her shoes, her pose extremely alluring.

Hu Xiaotian secretly felt uneasy, not knowing whether Baobao had told Lin Wan that he was a fake eunuch; if so, he would have no secrets before her; yet Hu Xiaotian did not fear her, thinking, "I'm no good person, and you're no good person either; basically you're an underground agent planted by Hong Beimo in the palace, likely intending to harm the Emperor."

Hu Xiaotian answered and walked over, arriving beside Lin Wan; Lin Wan drew her beautiful legs inward a bit, leaving him some space to sit; Hu Xiaotian smelled a rich bodily fragrance emanating from her, it seemed this Imperial Noble Consort had applied plenty of perfume, evidently prepared.

Originally, a eunuch massaging a consort's legs was nothing major; Lin Wan, with her phoenix eyes half-open, looked at Hu Xiaotian and said, "Baobao is under your care; you had better look after her well."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Empress Jian sent us to serve the Talented Person at Bright Moon Palace; from now on we will look after each other."

Lin Wan chuckled and said, "Is that Talented Person of yours handsome?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "She is a peerless beauty in the world."

Lin Wan supported her chin with her hand, lifted her lovely face toward Hu Xiaotian and asked, "How do I compare to you?" Her pose now formed an S-shaped curve, extremely tempting. Hu Xiaotian replied, "Each has its own excellence, like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums."

Lin Wan let out a tinkling laugh like silver bells, then raised her left foot, her silk-socked jade foot pressing against Hu Xiaotian's chest.

Hu Xiaotian thought, "This woman is clearly trying to seduce me"; he hurriedly rose from the Noble Consort's chair and knelt with a thud, trembling as he said, "I misspoke; please forgive me, Imperial Noble Consort Lin."

Lin Wan sat upright, smoothed her hair, and said, "What did you say wrong? Are you saying I cannot compare to your master?"

Hu Xiaotian glanced at Lin Wan with the corner of his eye, only to see her raise her hand; a cold light flashed, and it plunged toward his shoulder. Hu Xiaotian was greatly startled—this woman was certainly not kind, actually striking out to hurt him. He leaned back, pushed off the ground with his feet, and slid backward along the floor for over a zhang. Lin Wan's thrust missed; she slapped the Noble Consort's chair with her right hand, her body soaring like a blue cloud, azure light flashing from her hand as she launched a hairpin toward Hu Xiaotian's chest. Hu Xiaotian tumbled repeatedly; with a clang, the hairpin Lin Wan had shot struck the ground, embedding half an inch deep. Had it hit his body, it would surely have been fatal or injurious.

Hu Xiaotian seized the moment to rise; just as he stood, Lin Wan's attack was already before him—a palm strike; though her palm had not yet arrived, a fierce gust of wind already hit his face. Hu Xiaotian secretly sighed, but seeing her technique, it was surely superior to Baobao's by one notch; he parried each move, and in an instant they had exchanged five palms. Under Lin Wan's assault, Hu Xiaotian kept retreating. Seeing he was about to reach the pillar, he leapt into the air, using the Golden Spider Eight Steps taught by Quan De'an, and in a few scuttling motions instantly climbed onto the beams.

Lin Wan lifted her head and snorted coldly, "Where do you think you're going!" She raised her right hand, another azure light shooting out; Hu Xiaotian's body, hidden behind the pillar, was struck by a sleeve-arrow with a 'dua' sound, deeply embedding into the pillar. Lin Wan tapped the ground with her toes, her body spiraling upward to land steadily on the hall's crossbeam, arms outstretched, each hand holding three icy cold steel needles between her fingers.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Imperial Noble Consort Lin, why press me so hard? If something happened to me, wouldn't you fear exposure of your identity?"

Lin Wan gritted her teeth and said, "If I kill you here, who would know?"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled and said, "That depends on whether you have the ability." Since they had already broken face, there was no need to hold back much.

Lin Wan waved her left hand, three steel needles about an inch long shooting toward Hu Xiaotian; he slid down the pillar with a swoosh, three 'dua' sounds rang above his head as three needles pinned the spot he had just occupied. One missed; Lin Wan waved her right hand, another three needles shooting downward from above.

Hu Xiaotian leapt into the air and landed on the Noble Consort's chair, carrying it as it overturned completely to the ground; three 'tu' sounds rang as the needles pierced the chair's bottom, nearly breaking free.

Hu Xiaotian broke out in a cold sweat; this woman's concealed weapon skill was extraordinary. If it came to close combat, Hu Xiaotian would not fear her, but Lin Wan's long-range shooting kept him from getting close, forcing him to dodge using the palace's pillars and furniture, yet her concealed weapons kept coming. After six needles were fired, she produced another six.

Hu Xiaotian hid behind the Noble Consort's chair, suddenly recalling something; he took out the whistle Li Yuncong had given him from his chest and blew a 'wu' sound.

Lin Wan had been ready to attack, but hearing the whistle she involuntarily let out a scream; Hu Xiaotian shoved the Noble Consort's chair aside and blew the whistle again. Lin Wan collapsed with a thud, hands over her head, wailing, "Don't blow, don't blow..."

Hu Xiaotian's heart filled with joy; wonderful, ha ha, truly marvelous—he never expected Li Yuncong to have unintentionally given him a great killer; with this whistle, he would no longer need to fear harassment from Lin Wan and the Baobao sisters.

Lin Wan, subdued by the whistle, suffered greatly; her pretty face instantly covered in cold sweat, and the steel needles in her hand fell to the ground.

Hu Xiaotian stepped forward slowly; Lin Wan gritted her teeth and said, "You little beast… you dare harm me…"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled and said, "If you refuse a toast, you'll drink a penalty; I treat you as an Imperial Noble Consort to be served, showing you extra courtesy, yet you foul woman actually intend to harm me." He seized Lin Wan's hair and punched her belly; Hu Xiaotian, who had just been chased by her with his head in his hands like a fleeing rat, had long held back his anger; this punch clearly held no mercy, striking Lin Wan so her body arched like a shrimp, and she cried out, "You… so shameless… actually hitting a woman…"

Hu Xiaotian said, "You may kill me, but I may not strike you? What kind of damned logic is that?" He lifted his foot and kicked Lin Wan's buttocks hard, utterly lacking any pity or tenderness.

Lin Wan, after being punched and kicked by him, was now disheveled and wretched; she no longer dared to act arrogantly before Hu Xiaotian, pleading, "Lord Hu, spare my life; I was wrong…"

Hu Xiaotian sneered, "In front of this Lord, you dare call yourself the Palace? What background do you have, really think Zajia doesn't know?" He raised his foot and kicked Lin Wan's buttocks again; kicking that spot seemed somewhat addictive.

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