SLLBTT Chapter 31
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 31⊱⊷⋇
Da Huangya waited there with bowed head, but after a while, the "yiyiyi" in the side hall did not stop, and the Snow Wolf King did not come out.
Da Huangya's heart sank. Could it be that the fox demon's tricks were too powerful, keeping the Great King enchanted endlessly? That's......terrible. How will my master handle this?
While Da Huangya was nervously awaiting, he heard the sound of steady footsteps approaching from the main hall.
Da Huangya looked up and saw the Snow Wolf King in a snowy robe, walking from the main hall platform with great dignity, long sleeves fluttering as if a heavenly being descended.
Da Huangya, filled with awe in his heart, quickly knelt down.
The Snow Wolf King said, "Has Beautiful Lady Jiao fallen ill?"
"Umm..." Da Huangya swallowed and, not daring to deceive the Great King, tactfully replied, "I don't know if it's an illness. I've just sent for the royal physician to take a look."
The Snow Wolf King then said, "I will also go and take a look."
As a follower of a previous demon consort, Da Huangya was particularly skilled in this set of operations. When feigning illness, it was crucial not to exaggerate the severity, as it could easily be exposed or lead to trouble. Opt for minor ailments, and avoid specifying them too precisely. Just suggest calling the royal physician for an assessment, letting them make the diagnosis. The royal physicians were shrewd, only speaking in official terms, mentioning things like excessive internal heat or spleen deficiency, making it easier to deceive others.
The Snow Wolf King naturally couldn't imagine that Liu Jiao would employ the tactics of the previous demon consort, so he believed he was truly sick. He abandoned his "diligent governance" tasks, rushing hurriedly to Chunguang Pavilion.
Inside Chunguang Pavilion, Liu Jiao, originally pondering the logic of "the Great King favoring others, oneself not allowed to be jealous" in his bed, was taken aback when halfway through, the royal physician arrived to examine him.
Liu Jiao exclaimed, "Who summoned the royal physician? I'm not sick!"
Ah Ye quickly smiled, "Master, your complexion today is so poor, and you skipped dinner. Worried for your well-being, we invited the royal physician. Let the doctor have a look, it'll put our minds at ease."
However, Liu Jiao shook his head. "I'm not ill."
"What's going on?"
The voice of the Snow Wolf King came from outside the door.
The royal physician and Ah Ye quickly knelt down.
Liu Jiao remained stunned, only snapping back to reality when the Snow Wolf King entered the room. He asked, "Why has the Great King come?"
The Snow Wolf King said, "I heard you were sick, so I came to check on you."
"What about Suisui?"
The Snow Wolf King also hesitated. "What does he have to do with this?"
A hint of embarrassment crossed Liu Jiao's heart as he replied, "Isn't he attending to your needs? You left him alone. What is he supposed to do?"
The Snow Wolf King, somewhat surprised at the words, soon understood and just chuckled. "He wasn't attending to me. I heard he excels in studies, so I kept him for some assignments."
Liu Jiao couldn't conceal his relief. Just moments ago, his face was full of worry, but now the clouds had lifted, and he even laughed. "So that's how it is!"
The Snow Wolf King sat by the bedside and asked Ah Ye, "What's wrong with your master today?"
Ah Ye replied, "Master's complexion wasn't good today, and he skipped dinner."
"Why skip dinner?"
Now that Liu Jiao's concerns were lifted, he felt an emptiness in his stomach. "Yeah, I'm really hungry."
The Snow Wolf King said, "Ah Ye, go prepare a meal. The doctor will check on Beautiful Lady Jiao, and after that, we can have dinner."
The doctor, experienced from three dynasties, knew what was going on with a sniff. He went through the motions, took Liu Jiao's pulse, and mentioned it was just a slight imbalance in the digestive system, probably due to recent weather changes, nothing serious. In the end, he closed his eyes, prescribed hawthorn soup, calling it medicine, and advised, "Let Beautiful Lady Jiao rest well, take this medicine for a couple of days, and it'll be fine."
The Snow Wolf King looked at the prescription, his mind clear as a mirror. He dismissed the doctor and took Liu Jiao to have dinner.
With his appetite opened up, Liu Jiao ate a lot of chicken. Later, he said, "Why is my meal all chicken? Where's the big fish and meat?"
The Snow Wolf King said, "If you want to eat big fish and meat, you can have it once a month, during festivals or banquets. Also, when your status rises, you can have more."
Liu Jiao thought, "So, only high-ranking consorts can have big fish and meat in their daily meals. No wonder the palace intrigues are so intense!"
Liu Jiao then said, "I need to study hard to promote myself soon."
The Snow Wolf King laughed. "Studying isn't just for eating meat. It's to understand principles."
Liu Jiao, feeling troubled, said, "There are too many principles in books, and... and they aren't all correct, right?"
"Of course," the Snow Wolf King said, "Believe but also listen to the words of ancient sages, and you can't go wrong. How long have you been studying to question what's written in books?"
"It's not that... it's not me..." Liu Jiao shook his head and added, "Didn't you say so?"
"When did I say that?" The Snow Wolf King couldn't recall.
"When I mentioned 'the virtues of a consort,' didn't you negate it?"
"Yes, that's right." The Snow Wolf King nodded. "I did say that my Beautiful Lady doesn't need to bother with the virtues of other consorts."
Liu Jiao pondered for a while and then cautiously asked, "Can I feel jealous?"
The Snow Wolf King hesitated and asked with a smile, "Jealous of whom?"
"I..." Liu Jiao shook his head but said, "But I feel jealous of Suisui..."
"You don't need to."
"But... isn't Suisui beautiful and clever? Much better than me. It's only natural that you prefer him."
"This sounds more like you favoring him."
"He's my friend, of course, I like him."
After contemplating for a while at these words, the Snow Wolf King said, "Then I think you should choose your friends more carefully."
"What do you mean? Do you think I shouldn't choose Suisui as my friend?"
"Friends should be loyal. Knowing you might be jealous, Suisui actively tried to please me, seeking for intimate moments. How is that showing loyalty? People who lack loyalty can't be friends."
Liu Jiao was stunned, thought for a while, then said, "But Suisui mentioned he admires you and couldn't help his feelings!"
The Snow Wolf King chuckled. "You believe that?"
"Of course, I believe it." Liu Jiao blinked. "Because I also admire you and can't help my feelings."
The Snow Wolf King felt a stir in his heart and embraced Liu Jiao.
The night lingered, and the evening breeze continued to sway.
The moonlight was gentle, and Suisui was still working on his assignments.
Early the next morning, the news spread throughout the harem, claiming Suisui finally got a chance for intimacy but was snatched away by Liu Jiao feigning illness. Last night, although Suisui arrived at the Snow Wolf King's side hall in the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain, the Snow Wolf King spent the night in the main hall of Chunguang Pavilion.
The rumor circulated inside and outside the palace, solidifying the belief: this Snow Leopard Beautiful Lady was nothing but trouble!