Chapter 60 Part 2 — Do you want to see what's underneath this jade mask?

"Reporting back to Imperial Consort Ji Niang Niang. Out of the whole Palace, only the East Palace's Crown Prince raises a small fox. His Royal Highness even held the little fox to the Six Floor Pill Tower today."

"The Crown Prince?" Imperial Consort Ji's eyes narrowed but she did not speak. Hearing some sneaking in, her mood became better when she saw it was Ji Yunxue, "Xue-er, what is it?"

Seeing Ji Yunxue's face full of anxiousness, Imperial Consort Ji frowned. Who had made her baby sister so worried?

"Big sister, Xue-er has something to beg of you you." When Ji Yunxue heard the report from the guards outside, not only was she worried about the little fox, but also worried that her sister would be opposed to Nan Gongyin because of this incident.

"You should investigate more thoroughly, are you certain that the Huo Yi Gra.s.s was stolen by the little fox? If it really was the little fox, then pleading big sister to allow Xue-er to go to the East Palace, and tell this to His Royal Highness. Xue-er believes that if it is true, then His Highness, the Crown Prince will surely let the fox hand over the Huo Yi Gra.s.s."

Imperial Consort Ji's beautiful eyes flashed, "Xue-er, have you settled for the East Palace Crown Prince?"

Ji Yunxue's delicate face instantly blushed. It was as beautiful as the flowers in full bloom.

Imperial Consort Ji covered her mouth with her hand and softly laughed, "Our familt's Xue-er has finally grown up, a sweetheart moreover."

"Big sister" Ji Yunxue's feelings being noticed by Imperial Consort Ji made her shy and embarra.s.sed, she softly whined, "you mustn't tease Xue-er."

"Okay, okay, won't tease you anymore." Imperial Consort Ji smiled and walked towards Ji Yunxue, "Since my little sister has opened up and told me, big sister can promise you. But, Xue-er should know how important the Huo Yi Gra.s.s is to big sister, so you must get it back."

"But big sister, what if the Huo Yi Gra.s.s wasn't stolen by the little fox…"

"Xue-er, you can be rest a.s.sured that the big sister will not slander that little fox. Big sister already knows that it was the little fox who had stolen it, there are solid evidence."

Ji Yunxue thought of the peach blossom paw prints in the medicine field, then of Imperial Consort Ji's firm eyes. Could it be that the the little fox really stole the Huo Yi Gra.s.s?

After Ji Yunxue left, an old lady walked out from behind Imperial Consort Ji.

"Miss, do you want to help the Xue brat¹ with the East Palace's Crown Prince?"

The old maid was the dowry maid when Imperial Consort Ji entered the Palace. She had accompanied Imperial Consort Ji since she was a child, and she even grew up from her milk. Their relationship was almost like mother and daughter. The old lady used to call her, Miss, even now when she entered the Palace, the old lady didn't change her method of addressing her.

"I heard that the appearance of the East Palace's Crown Prince is the best in the world. The woman who had seen him won't ever think about rice and tea², becoming mesmerized forever." Imperial Consort Ji's eyes shimmered with brilliance and continued, "If Xue-er married him, it might benefit Ben Gong."

The old maid frowned, and with a low voice, she said, "Could it be that Imperial Consort Ji Niang Niang is ready to help the Crown Prince get the throne?"

Imperial Consort Ji's mouth curved into a smile, "That depends if Nan Gongyin is interesting or not? The Emperor is getting old after all, it is…"

"Miss, you must be thirsty, this old slave shall pour you a cup of water."

Only when the old maid interrupted Imperial Consort Ji, did she realise that she had misspoken, but what about it? She was already pregnant with brother Han's child, could it be that she still had to make the child recognize the Old Emperor as his father?

No, she couldn't bear it anymore. The person she loved was brother Han. She wanted to be with brother Han.'

Now that the little fox knew that the Jin Pill was on the sixth floor, she wasn't in much of a hurry. She followed Nan Gongyin back, and ate a full meal. She was prepared to sleep well, to regain her focus to get to the sixth floor.

Just when the little fox was about to sleep, Nan Gongyin had finished bathing. He walked towards her, hands holding onto a half dried ink painting.

"Little fox, come here."

The little fox raise her fluffy head at the sound of Nan Gongyin's gentle voice. Suddenly, her mouth opened in shock, a single drifted into her mind; the stranger was like jade, the Gongzi was unparalleled³. Although Nan Gongyin wore a jade mask, his appearance was still so beautiful.

The eyes alone was enough to draw people in.

"Little fox, quickly come here."

When Nan Gongyin saw the absent minded little fox, he urged it again.

A certain little fox returned back to reality and shook its head. What happened just then? She stared at Nan Gongyin and was dazed from it? No… No, no, the person she liked was Feng Lingran, she couldn't be swayed.

Once the little fox ran to the side of Nan Gongyin, he lifted her and placed her on the table. Nan Gongyin's jade fingers pointed at the drawing.

"This is a map of the Six Floor Pill Tower. I will tell you where the traps are. You have to remember clearly, understand?"

Ah?

There were traps in the Pill Tower?

The little fox firmly nodded. For this little life, she would solemnly remember so she could come out alive.

As Nan Gongyin explained, his fingers also moved across the map, and the little fox's black eyes followed along with his fingers.

About half an shi chen later.

"Little Fox, can you remember what I had said just now?"

The little fox did not immediately answer Nan Gongyin, but looked at the map. She recalled what Nan Gongyin had explained before nodding her head.

Nan Gongyin nodded in satisfaction. Holding the little fox in his arms, Nan Gongyin's fingers smoothed the fur on its body. His moon like eyes stared at the little fox in his arms with gentle eyes… as if looking at his "qing ren"4…

In just a moment, the little fox was brought to the bed instead of the nest.

The little fox twitched her ears and glanced at Nan Gongyin. Suddenly, she saw the jade mask approaching, and her eyes widen… Nan Gongyin… What do you want to do with Fox?

Nan Gongyin's fingers gripped the jade mask on the face, "Little fox, do you want to see what's underneath this jade mask?"

¹丫头 Brat, could be endearing. Senior people refer to young girls as this.

² 茶饭不思 -a chenyu, literal tl is "Not thinking about tea and rice. Basically means that they are so occupied with something, they don't even have the time to have rice and drink tea. In this context, it meant that the ppl who saw NGY's face would be so occupied of his hotness and not think about anything else.

³ 陌上人如玉，公子世无双 -It's not a chenyu. It came from a poem, which is even worse cuz u'll never know the meaning unless you had actually deciphered the poem. Basically from what I can tell from Baike, its originally used by ancient folks to describe gentle, jade like scholars.

4Qing Ren, Author wrote it in pinyin, but it means lover. So NGY was staring at the little fox like she was his lover.