Nangong Yi heard that Cai Wei had prepared a meal waiting for his return, and his mood instantly improved. Because he was in a good mood, his originally somber face showed a few hints of a smile, and he even casually answered her question.
"The Royal Consort is naturally my daughter-in-law, whom you’ve seen inside the palace, Lady Mu Caiwei!"
As he spoke, he had already stepped out of the shed, leaving Helana behind, without telling anyone how to take care of her!
Upon hearing Nangong Yi unabashedly call Mu Caiwei his daughter-in-law and Royal Consort, Helana felt like she had been pricked by needles. The pain turned her face pale, and as she clutched her chest, she stared blankly at Nangong Yi’s retreating figure and, in an instant, tears fell like rain...
Behind her, the two guards stood quietly, their experience telling them that now was not the time to speak or move, lest they draw fire upon themselves and become her venting fodder!
However, just because they didn’t move didn’t mean others wouldn’t. Several Meng slave men inside the shed, seeing Helana’s pear blossom with rain, pitiful expression, felt an itch in their hearts as if scratched by a cat, and they couldn’t hold back any longer.
The women of the Meng slaves were tall and robust, with plain looks and coarse behaviors, and they were all mutilated. Every time they engaged in that matter inside the tent, they suffered great pain, gritting their teeth and wailing, crying out for their parents. Their already unpleasant faces bore expressions akin to ghosts, incomparable to the water-like temperament and flower-like faces of the Great Jin women. According to those who had frequented the brothels of Great Jin, the cries of Great Jin women were melodious and pleasing to the ear, nothing like the wailing and howling of the Meng slave women.
Helana, devastated by her tears, suddenly saw several men from the shed approaching her. They, they were actually parading their privates in broad daylight, with their members held high, all vigorous and ready to spring into action, terrifying her into a scream. Forgetting her sorrow, she scrambled away as fast as she could...
The men burst out laughing heartily. Although they had lustful intentions towards her, they did not dare to actually do anything to her. After all, she was acquainted with King Qin, and even if she was not favored by him, her attire and demeanor revealed that she was no ordinary person. Thus, they merely teased her a bit, and seeing her panic-stricken, disheveled state, they were thoroughly satisfied!
When Nangong Yi returned to the tent, he saw his woman sitting next to the table, mixing a bowl of sauce with chopsticks. On the table, there was a strangely shaped pot, made of brass with a thick base, underneath which burned fiery red charcoal. The pot bubbled with burning hot soup, and in the center of the soup was a tube about a foot high that narrowed as it ascended, capped with a thin lid at the top, its purpose unknown.
Aside from this odd pot, there were a few plates on the table, each holding raw cabbage, black fungus, seafood, potato slices, and meat slices cut thinner than paper.
"You’re back, Your Highness King Qin. You must be tired, go wash your hands and let’s eat!"
Cai Wei playfully smiled, placing a bowl of sauce she had already picked at his spot, and began mixing her own bowl.
Nangong Yi washed his hands, then returned to the table and laughed, "Madam, what are you brewing? What is this?"
Seeing this, Cai Wei added a plate of meat into the pot, followed by two large crabs and two large prawns, "It’s hotpot, meant to reward Your Highness King Qin for your hard work!"