Chapter 28: Encountering the Beast Zhao Mingyu
Mo Yiran, who was sipping tea, spat it out instantly upon hearing the exclamation, "I like you so much, you're so handsome!" He immediately regretted bringing Yuan Qian'er into the palace. How could this girl blurt out a confession the moment they met?
"Qian'er, what are you saying? Do you know Qinghua?"
Yuan Qian'er said excitedly, "No, it's just that His Majesty looks exactly like my idol! Haha, this is a dream come true. It's a pity I don't have a phone, or I could have taken a picture."
"What is an idol? What is a phone, and what is taking a picture?" Mo Yiran felt unsettled. The fact that a man could make Qian'er act so wildly gave him a deep sense of insecurity.
"An idol, simply put, is someone you admire. A phone is a communication tool used to contact people, and it has a camera function that can record images you want to keep—that's taking a picture," Yuan Qian'er explained vaguely, unsure if he understood.
"Then do you like him?" Mo Yiran asked nervously; this was his biggest concern.
"I like him, but it's purely out of admiration; there are no other feelings involved." Yuan Qian'er felt it necessary to clarify, lest His Majesty and Mo Yiran be startled, as ancient thinking was relatively conservative.
"Not that kind of liking? That's good!" Mo Yiran breathed a sigh of relief.
Watching Mo Yiran's reaction, Bing Qinghua couldn't help but say meaningfully, "So this is you now? It seems you still have a lot of work to do!"
Mo Yiran rolled his eyes at him, harboring a fleeting desire to beat Bing Qinghua into a pulp so that Qian'er wouldn't stare at his face with heart-shaped eyes and drool.
"Qian'er, since you've greeted His Majesty, why don't you go wander around the Imperial Garden? I have something to discuss with Qinghua, and I'll come find you in a bit."
"Alright! Your Majesty, you are my idol, so you have to look out for me in the future! I'll come visit you often when I have time." Yuan Qian'er was overjoyed. She had previously assumed all emperors were decrepit old men, but to her surprise, he was actually a handsome man. His image in her heart instantly became much more impressive!
"Very well, I shall look out for you from now on!" Bing Qinghua quite liked Yuan Qian'er's personality. In this palace filled with daily schemes and backstabbing, it was rare to find someone as straightforward as she was.
After Yuan Qian'er left, Mo Yiran began to warn Bing Qinghua, instructing him to stay away from her, speak less, and avoid attracting her attention. Bing Qinghua listened with patience; he had never seen his friend act so fussy and long-winded, and he decided to store these moments away to tease him later.
In the Imperial Garden, Yuan Qian'er strolled through the flowers. The sunlight hitting her face gave her an ethereal beauty, and her flowing dress moved with her, making her look like a sprite wandering through the thicket.
In the distance, Zhao Mingyu, who had entered the palace to visit his sister, the Noble Consort Zhao, was passing through the garden on his way out when he spotted a great beauty playing alone. Assuming she was just another newly arrived maid, he was struck by the urge to snatch her away as a concubine.
Zhao Mingyu, the son of the current Prime Minister, was a total beast who stopped at nothing. He frequently saw women he liked—married or not—and would simply seize them to ravage, discarding them once he grew bored. Everyone in the capital feared him, all because he had a Prime Minister for a father.
Unaware that she had been targeted by a predator, Yuan Qian'er continued her stroll. Suddenly, a wall of flesh blocked her path. She looked up, didn't recognize the man, and tried to step around him. To her surprise, the man moved deliberately to match her every move. Yuan Qian'er spoke up, "Excuse me, please move aside."
"Hey, beauty, where are you going? Why don't you come with me? I'll take you as my concubine, and I guarantee you'll live a life of comfort and pleasure!" The man blocking her way was none other than Zhao Mingyu.