SLLBTT Chapter 30
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 30⊱⊷⋇
As early as when Queen Ming took Suisui to the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain, arrangements had been made to register Suisui for tonight's intimate attendance in the palace system.
The announcement of Suisui's intimate attendance immediately caused a sensation.
This meant that Liu Jiao's "consecutive intimate attendance" record was broken, and he was no longer the first consort enjoying the exclusive favor of having a "special chamber."
However, Liu Jiao, the "record holder," remained blissfully unaware. In the evening, he was still playing with his large tail in the backyard of Chunguang Pavilion. Bai Juan came out from the side hall and, upon seeing Liu Jiao, felt displeased. He's chasing butterflies right in front of me! Isn't he clearly showing me his attitude?
Bai Juan raised his voice, "Beautiful Lady Jiao is in good spirits!"
Liu Jiao stopped and smiled. "Yes, do you want to play too?"
However, Bai Juan replied, "I am also a butterfly. I can't stand seeing others chase butterflies."
Liu Jiao insisted, "I haven't harmed the butterflies. I'm just playing with them."
Bai Juan, unconvinced but not arguing, thought about the recent news of Suisui attending intimate sessions. Seeing Liu Jiao carefree, he was certain he didn't know about it yet.
Bai Juan couldn't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude. "Beautiful Lady Jiao has been close to Suisui recently, right? Why not go to Bilian Pavilion and chase butterflies together?"
Liu Jiao said, "It's almost dinner time. I'm going after eating."
Bai Juan chuckled. "That's true, but he went to the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain. He probably won't have time to play with you tonight. He has to accompany the Snow Wolf King."
Liu Jiao's face changed drastically. "What did you say? Suisui went to the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain?"
Seeing Liu Jiao turn pale, Bai Juan gloated, "Yes! Haven't you heard? He went for an intimate session."
Liu Jiao felt as if he had been struck by lightning, unable to recover for a long time.
Bai Juan, self-satisfied, turned and walked away.
Liu Jiao, however, felt extremely uncomfortable.
Suisui went to the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain for an intimate session?
Liu Jiao sat on the grass in a daze, butterflies fluttering around him, but he had lost all interest in chasing them.
He didn't know how long he had been sitting there in a daze. When he finally snapped out of it, it was because he sensed movement in the grass. He perked up his ears, turned around, and saw Leng Jiao munching on grass.
"Huh?" Liu Jiao was startled, only then realizing it was mealtime.
Even though it was mealtime, Liu Jiao surprisingly had no appetite.
This was really unusual, considering he usually got hungry quite easily.
Leng Jiao chewed on grass while looking at Liu Jiao and asked, "Why isn't Beautiful Lady Jiao going to eat?"
Liu Jiao, looking uneasy, said, "I... I don't have the appetite."
"Is it because you're not feeling well? Should I call the doctor to check on you?"
"No, it's not..."
"Is it something bothering you emotionally?"
Liu Jiao hesitated, feeling exposed, and slowly nodded. "Yeah, a bit."
"Is it because of Suisui's intimate session?"
Liu Jiao felt a pang in his heart. "Yeah."
Leng Jiao fell silent for a moment, then said, "If someone else asks you this, you can't say it like this."
"Why?" Liu Jiao asked, puzzled.
"Because 'not being jealous' is a virtue for consorts," Leng Jiao explained. "If you express jealousy, the censors will seize on it."
Liu Jiao felt frustrated. "Do the censors really enjoy making a fuss? They should be the ones studying and taking exams. Why do I have to be the one to study and take exams..."
Leng Jiao remained silent, continuing to munch on grass.
Liu Jiao, ultimately a kind-hearted soul, convinced himself after much thought. "But that's true. The censors can talk eloquently without studying and exams. It's not like me, who is a bit foolish and needs to study more. Besides, not being jealous is indeed a virtue. Moreover, Suisui is my friend. How can I be jealous of my friend?"
Listening to Liu Jiao, Leng Jiao nodded in approval. "Beautiful Lady Jiao truly has a generous heart!"
Liu Jiao, thinking Leng Jiao was praising him, shook his head guiltily. "No, I don't have such a generous heart. I understand the reasoning, but... I just can't..."
Leng Jiao didn't speak.
Liu Jiao then asked Leng Jiao, "What about you? Do you get jealous?"
"I don't get jealous."
"Why?"
"Because not being jealous is a virtue for consorts."
Liu Jiao was left confused by Leng Jiao's explanation. After pondering for a while, he said, "In any case, consorts shouldn't be jealous, is that the meaning?"
"That's the meaning."
Liu Jiao returned to his room looking bewildered, not eating his meal, just lying in bed. Da Huangya and Ah Ye, seeing Liu Jiao not eating, grew anxious and asked him what was wrong.
Liu Jiao didn't respond, just buried himself in the blanket, repeatedly saying to himself, "I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous..."
Da Huangya and Ah Ye, hearing this murmuring, became extremely worried. Ah Ye remarked, "I bet Master is probably jealous."
Da Huangya nodded and said, "Exactly! Like how I often tell myself 'I don't want a late-night snack, I don't want a late-night snack'... that's when I actually want one! When Master says he's not jealous, it means he is jealous."
"Then we must share Master's worries and help him through this."
"That's easy," Da Huangya said. "I served under a minor demon consort in the previous dynasty. I understand this well."
"Oh? How so?"
Da Huangya flapped his wings and hurried to the imperial physician's office, then trotted to the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain. He informed Hong Huli, "Our master is sick. Please come and see."
Hong Huli, being an experienced figure in the palace, recognized it as a trick commonly used by low-ranking consorts. Nonetheless, he feigned ignorance and said, "Beautiful Lady Jiao is sick? That's serious. I'll inform the Snow Wolf King right away."
Da Huangya agreed and glanced at the side hall where the intimate session was happening. Lights were still on, and faint cries of the little fox demon could be heard. Hearing this, Da Huangya started calculating the time, "Wow, this fox demon is something else. The endurance during intimate sessions is impressive. Even more enduring than my former master!"