Jennifer, Ashley, Mochakat9 – Thanks for your support, guys! ? It keeps me going ? Happy reading! ??

Chapter 88: Foot Bells

When Yu Lingxi woke up, her waist was still sore. Clothes and a small booklet were scattered on the ground. Ning Yin, rarely not an early riser, lay on the side of the couch, taking a nap with a loosely buttoned shirt revealing a firm silhouette.

Yu Lingxi lowered her eyes and examined carefully. The magnificent tattoo had faded away, turning into a cold white once again. Unable to resist, she extended her index finger and touched the spot on her chest. Ning Yin caught her hand as soon as it touched, holding it in his palm.

“Do you want to see the seal?” He opened his eyelashes, his jet-black eyes filled with a lively smile.

Yu Lingxi moved her sore waist and tactfully withdrew her finger, saying, “No, no, I have to pay respects at the temple today.”

Ning Yin remained indifferent, murmuring, “I would like to see the seal every year.”

Having said that, he slowly lifted the blanket and leaned down to kiss her. When palace maids came in to tidy up, Yu Lingxi couldn’t bear to watch. Fortunately, the palace attendants in the royal mansion were well-trained. They wouldn’t look at what they shouldn’t, and they wouldn’t ask what they shouldn’t. She managed to regain some composure, reminiscent of her past life as a seductive woman.

Not to mention that she was now a proper consort, and gradually, she became more at ease.

At the third hour, after Yu Lingxi finished grooming, wearing a dignified gown with golden hairpins and ornaments shining, she and Ning Yin took a carriage to the Grand Temple for the ritual.

The Imperial Guards were responsible for clearing the way, while Yu Xinyi led a hundred riders to guard on both sides of the carriage. Seeing her sister being well taken care of, her face looked even more charming than before. This valiant female warrior revealed a approving smile in her eyes.

“Sister, how is Xue Cen doing?” Before getting on the carriage, Yu Lingxi took the opportunity to ask her sister.

“He spat blood this morning but didn’t die. Yu Huanchen and the imperial physician are taking turns to treat him day and night,” Yu Xinyi replied. As she spoke about this matter, she was full of anger. “That fool took all the blame upon himself. He claimed sole responsibility for poisoning, trying to die in atonement. Who would believe that Xue Erlang, who is powerless, would commit murder? At such a critical moment, he is still trying to defend the real culprit. I really don’t know what’s going on in his head.”

Yu Lingxi pressed her lips tightly. She knew that from the moment Xue Cen drank that poisoned wine, he had no intention of living. The hatred of losing his fiance and the desire for revenge against the Prince’s assassination were two different things. The former only required one person’s life, while the latter would affect the entire family.

Xue Cen wanted to use his death to protect the Xue family. Naively, he believed that there could be a perfect solution in the world.

“What are you thinking about, little Yu?”

The carriage sank a bit as Ning Yin, dressed in a sand-purple royal robe, sat down.

Yu Lingxi regained her senses and smiled, “The sky looks a bit gloomy; I wonder if it will rain.”

The sun was obscured by clouds, and the wind made the carriage bells jingle.

Ning Yin lifted his eyelids and then smirked, “Really? From what I see, the sunlight is quite dazzling.”

Yu Lingxi glanced at the dim sky outside the palace walls and chuckled, “You’re teasing me again. Where is the sunlight?”

Ning Yin remained silent, gazing at her for a while before pointing at her bright eyes from a distance. Her eyelashes trembled lightly, capturing fragments of light, resembling the flow of a galaxy.

The Grand Temple was solemn, with rows of ancestral tablets standing like a forest. Bright lights reflected on Ning Yin’s calm and indifferent face. He showed no reverence for these things, and when he glanced at the spirit tablets, there was even a hint of casual mockery.

If not for announcing to the world that Yu Lingxi was his wife and making the officials bow to her, Ning Yin probably wouldn’t bother stepping foot in this place.

After the perfunctory visit to the Grand Temple, the carriage set off back to the palace.

Following the protocol, after paying respects at the temple, the Princess Consort needed to visit the Emperor at Changyang Palace.

“The old Emperor enjoys it; the Imperial Garden and Penglai Pond look beautiful in spring,” Ning Yin remarked. “If you have nothing important, you can go there. No need to visit Changyang Palace; it’s not clean.”

Ning Yin was the first person to express disdain for the cleanliness of the Emperor’s residence.

“Aren’t you going to the palace?” Yu Lingxi asked anxiously.

“Can’t bear to part with me?” Ning Yin seemed to laugh slowly, his voice elegant and deep. “If you want to catch fish, you can amuse yourself; I won’t go to Changyang Palace.”

The fish he mentioned naturally referred to those that escaped the net.

Xue Cen?

After some thought, Yu Lingxi held Ning Yin’s hand, smiling as she said, “Husband, there’s something I want to tell you. Don’t be angry.”

Ning Yin glanced at her, his eyes deep and calm.

Yu Lingxi always felt that Ning Yin must already know what she was going to say. His beautiful and cold eyes could always see through everything.

“If possible, I want you to spare Xue Cen’s life.”

Her eyes were clear, and she said it calmly.

Ning Yin raised an eyebrow, showing no particular expression. “You should know that I am not a magnanimous person.”

“Because I know, that’s why I don’t want any involvement. But if Xue Cen sacrifices himself, it will be a permanent memory between us. Perhaps many years later, I will still remember the poisoned wine he drank.”

Yu Lingxi, using the cover of her sleeve, held Ning Yin’s fingers and said, “I don’t want it to be like this.”

Between her and Ning Yin, there was no need for anyone else’s interference. And using Xue Cen’s foolishness to let the real culprit escape unpunished was also not acceptable. Ning Yin reversed their hands, holding her fingertips without expressing approval or disapproval.

“Do you find the sound of these golden bells pleasant?” He asked a completely unrelated question.

Yu Lingxi was momentarily confused. Following his gaze, she looked towards two strands of delicate golden bells swaying gently with the movement of the carriage, producing a melodious sound.

She smiled softly, “Very pleasant.”

Ning Yin put on a serious and mysterious look, narrowing his eyes slowly, calculating something.

“Before the sunset, I’ll come to pick you up,” he said before getting off the carriage.

…

Ning Yin changed to a horse-drawn carriage and went to the Dali Temple.

Inside the main hall where official affairs were handled, a dirty-looking man was huddled in a corner, absentmindedly carving a wooden figurine.

Prince An, ranking third among the princes, was a complete fool. When the Crown Prince attempted a palace coup last year, Prince Ning swiftly cleared the court with thunderous authority. The Emperor, perhaps sensing something, granted titles to the third prince, a complete fool, and moved him to a palace outside.

The third prince was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, but he still looked like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, slim with thin cheeks, giving him a somewhat androgynous and delicate appearance.

His awkward and clumsy demeanor, suddenly brought to this unfamiliar place, appeared quite timid and lost. His fingernails were filled with wood chips, and blood oozed from the cuts. Ning Yin observed him with interest as he played with the wooden figurine, showing no impatience.

“The congratulatory gift from the third prince for my wedding has been received by this prince,” Ning Yin said indifferently. “Now, it’s time for this prince to return the favor.”

“Who are you?” The third prince seemed not to understand his words, tilting his head slightly.

His eyes were very dark, almost devoid of gloss, giving him an overall appearance of a puppet or a clay figure.

“The wooden figure in your hand is not interesting,” Ning Yin tapped his fingertips, “this prince will give you a moving one, how about that?”

With a slight lift of his eyes, attendants brought forward a person.

It was Xue Song.

He was bound to a wooden stake, avoiding eye contact with the third prince, glaring angrily at Ning Yin.

“Do it if you have the guts!” Xue Song shouted angrily.

“Kill? You’re not qualified enough,” Ning Yin adjusted his sleeve, “this prince just got married, and it’s not suitable to shed blood.”

“You…”

Soon, Xue Song couldn’t even complete a full sentence and could only emit painful screams.

Two quarters of an hour later, Xue Song’s joints were all limp. Ning Yin used a whip to lift his hand, and it hung limply. Touching his leg, it swayed slightly, as if a few more threads could manipulate him to do anything.

“Do you like this puppet?” Ning Yin threw away the whip and asked with satisfaction.

The third prince, looking at the seemingly lifeless Xue Song, stared blankly for a while before stuttering, “Li… like.”

Ning Yin nodded, “There is a reason why the third prince can live till the end. It’s a pity…”

He laughed and reached for the back of the third prince’s head, saying, “Too bad, if one remains a fool for a lifetime, one can live longer.”

“What are you doing?” Xue Song widened his eyes, yelling, “Let him go!”

Memories flashed through Xue Song’s mind, recalling the years he spent leaning on someone, enduring humiliation and having heartfelt discussions. In the Xue family, he lived in obscurity, existing in the shadows. His master was the only one who believed in his abilities, entrusting his life to him.

For that trust, he was willing to sacrifice everything. But now, he could only watch as that frail figure fell to the ground softly, his gaze gradually turning into the empty and vacant look of a wooden figure.

“Ah! Ah!”

The despairing wails echoed in the hall, abruptly ceasing at some point, returning to silence.

Ning Yin took the handkerchief handed by an attendant, casually visiting the prison.

Perhaps due to a prior arrangement by Yu Huanchen, Xue Cen did not suffer mistreatment. He had a separate room, well-maintained and tidy, with all the necessities. Seeing Ning Yin emerge from the darkness, Xue Cen’s sickly face showed a trace of surprise, quickly followed by acceptance.

“No need for further interrogation, I’ve confessed to everything. Everything was done by me without authorization,” he leaned against the wall with closed eyes, lips displaying a mysterious shade of red, “Behead me or let me die from poisoning; it’s up to your discretion.”

Ning Yin scrutinized Xue Cen’s miserable state for a long time, as if observing some extraordinary human phenomenon. Then he reached a conclusion, “Your mind is gone, but your thick skin remains.”

Xue Cen was infuriated, choking on coughs, his pale face showing a flush of humiliation.

Ning Yin, in a hurry to meet Yu Lingxi, had no time for idle talk. He took out the last Baijie Pill left by the apothecary and ordered someone to forcefully feed it to Xue Cen.

“You make me eat this… uh, uh!” Xue Cen resisted in vain, his eyes moist and red. He knelt on the ground, holding his throat, choking with tears in his eyes. The ‘Hundred Flowers Poison’ currently had no antidote. This pill could only suppress its toxicity, barely leaving him with a lifeline.

Ning Yin sneered leisurely, stepped out of the prison. The darkness gradually faded from his indifferent face, and a faint smile appeared in his half-closed eyes. Death was the release of the weak. Living with some sins was more interesting. So, from the beginning, he had no intention of letting Xue Cen die.

It seemed that Yu Lingxi had underestimated him.

Surprisingly, he even opened his mouth to make such a small request.

“Your Highness, where should we go next?” At the entrance of the Dali Temple, an attendant inquired.

Ning Yin glanced at the sky; it was still early.

After some thought, he said, “Go to the market’s gold shop.”

He wanted to hear Sui Shui’s bell ringing.

…

Just after the rooster crowed, Ning Yin did come to pick up Yu Lingxi.

After wandering for half a day, Yu Lingxi returned to the mansion, exhausted, and leaned on the bed.

“You’re delicate,” Ning Yin said.

Although he spoke these words, he sat on the edge of the bed, lifted her leg onto his knee, lifted her skirt, and grasped the well-proportioned and delicate flesh, gently kneading it.

The warmth from the man’s palm spread along the skin, tightly pressed against it. Yu Lingxi raised her tiptoes in dissatisfaction and said, “It’s all because of what you did last night.”

Ning Yin increased the pressure slightly and deliberately asked, “What happened last night?”

When he moved, a faint sound of tinkling bells came from his sleeves, like the chirping of cicadas but more crisp. Yu Lingxi glared at him, and the warm light from the flower hairpin on her forehead was exceptionally bright.

Thinking of something, she looked down, following Ning Yin’s slender and immaculate hand on his pristine robe, without seeing any traces of blood.

“How did the matter with the Xue family go?” Yu Lingxi propped herself up and asked.

Ning Yin, as if reading her thoughts, teased with a casual smile, “Within the first seven days of marriage with Sui Sui, this prince won’t kill anyone.”

As for those who seek death on their own, that was beyond his control.

Yu Lingxi made an “oh” sound and thought for a moment, “So, Xue Cen is still alive… uh!”

Ning Yin lightly pinched her inner thigh, displeased, “Thinking about other men at this time, you should be punished.”

Yu Lingxi raised the corners of her enchanting eyes and wasn’t fooled. The little madman wouldn’t show genuine anger. The more displeased he looked, the more he was finding an excuse to play tricks.

As expected, Ning Yin’s hand continued to move upward, and Yu Lingxi immediately softened her gaze, pulling her knees close to his arm.

The tinkling sound, like cicadas but not quite, came from his sleeves again.

Yu Lingxi quickly changed the subject, “There’s something making noise on you.”

Ning Yin remained unmoved.

With his shadow enveloping her, Yu Lingxi’s body tensed. She spoke in a hurry, “There really is a sound.”

Ning Yin withdrew his hand and took out a square brocade box from his sleeve.

Opening it revealed two gold bells strung on a red cord.

The bells were about the size of a candy, intricately crafted with lifelike embossed patterns. Ning Yin shook the bells, producing a clear, cicada-like sound.

“I almost forgot about these.”

Ning Yin grasped Yu Lingxi’s foot, attempting to pull it back. He tied the red cord adorned with gold bells around her ankle. The vibrant red cord and sparkling gold bells contrasted beautifully with her fair skin, making it look like refined jade, exceptionally enchanting.

However, Yu Lingxi quickly realized that the sound of these gold bells was lower than regular ones. With the slightest movement, they buzzed like cicadas, making her ankle itch.

“Sui Sui said she liked the sound of bells, so I had a pair made for her. Originally, they were meant to be bitten in the mouth, but unfortunately, the copper tongues inside aren’t installed properly yet…”

Ning Yin flicked the bells with his finger, enjoying the sight of her body trembling slightly. He blinked and asked, “Do you still like them?”

Yu Lingxi bit her lip, unable to speak.

The gold bells rang throughout the night. It turned out that the little madman had asked her during the day whether she liked the sound of gold bells, and he was planning this all along.

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