Chapter 39039 How can you covet my woman?

The banquet on the painted boat was held on a cruise ship on the Qujiang River in the evening. Yun Sheng and Xie Zhan were sitting in a carriage, one facing south and one facing north, and there was enough room for another person to sit in the middle.

Yun Sheng didn't know what Xie Zhan meant. He had been keeping his eyes slightly closed since he got on the carriage.

She pursed her lips, then glanced sideways and lifted the car curtain.

As the carriage passed through the streets and alleys, there were shops everywhere and noisy crowds of people gathered together.

Yun Sheng was stunned. When had she not been out strolling in these bustling streets and alleys?

When she was in her hometown of Jiankang, she would go to the fields every day to help Mrs. Qian with farm work. During the slack season, she would follow the young girls and wives in the village to the mountains to collect herbs or pick fruits to exchange for money. She would also go to the town to attend the market every few days.

When she arrived at the Marquis' Mansion, the rules were already very strict, and with Mrs. Qian keeping an eye on her, Yun Sheng only went out occasionally.

Later, Xie Zhan took her into the backyard. She counted the number of times she had gone out and could count them on one finger.

Xie Zhan's narrow and long phoenix eyes had opened at some point. He glanced at Yun Sheng, carefully examining the expression between her eyebrows, and suddenly frowned.

She wanted to go out, why didn't she tell him?

The two looked at each other in silence along the way. Yun Sheng followed Xie Zhan in small steps and stepped into the cruise ship.

As soon as she entered the room, the smell of rouge and pollen hit her in the face, making her cough repeatedly.

Dancing on the platform was a Hu woman, her white, tender belly exposed, revealing a slender waist. Her pretty face was covered with a veil, making her exposed eyes even more charming and alluring.

There were several sons of powerful and wealthy people sitting around, staring at the dancing beauty with obscene expressions.

Someone, perhaps having spotted Xie Zhan, hurriedly said respectfully, "Your Majesty has finally arrived. The Crown Prince has been waiting for you in the upper room for a long time."

Xie Zhan hummed softly as a response.

Qin An tilted his head, and his rolling eyes fell uncontrollably on Yun Sheng. Is this the concubine that Marquis Xie cherished and doted on?

She is indeed pretty and has a good figure.

Qin An suddenly felt a little itchy in his heart. He wondered what Xie Hou's woman tasted like.

Yun Sheng's hand was suddenly grabbed by Xie Zhan. The tall and straight figure of the man blocked her from view. Xie Zhan glared at Qin An coldly and said, "Since that's the case, Prince Qin will lead the way."

The Qin family was a declining family of palace marquises. They sent their daughter to the prince's mansion to be a concubine. Only after she married the prince did their lives gradually get better.

Prince Qin An usually served the Crown Prince and fawned over him, but Xie Zhan always looked down on him.

The best rooms were crowded with people, most of whom were the prince's followers. Yun Sheng could only recognize Minister Lu, who had wanted to introduce her to the prince in the past.

The Crown Prince sat at the head of the table, raised his glass, and said with a smile, "I have visited Xingzhi three times, and I have invited him to the banquet. Xingzhi is late, so he must drink three cups of apology as punishment."

"It is indeed my fault." Xie Zhan said so. He wanted to see what the prince was up to.

As he was about to pick up the wine jug, the Crown Prince suddenly pointed at Yun Sheng and said, "How could Marquis Xie's concubine be so ignorant of etiquette? What are you standing there for? Why don't you pour Marquis Xie some wine?"

The Crown Prince looked very disapproving and immediately pulled over the maidservant who was serving beside him and said, "If you are not satisfied with the use of this concubine, Lord Xie, how about I give you a few more beauties?"

Xie Zhan didn't show it on his face, but he sneered in his heart.

The prince's usual method is to place beauties into the backyards of his ministers, and now he even dares to use this trick on him.

He pulled the corner of his lip and said, "Thank you very much for your kindness, Your Highness. However, I am afraid that I am not worthy enough to accept it."

After Xie Zhan finished speaking, his pair of dark and deep phoenix eyes locked onto Yun Sheng.

Yun Sheng moved his fingers slightly and smiled faintly, "Your Highness is right. I will pour wine for the Marquis."

If the prince really stuffed a few more beauties into Xie Zhan's backyard, she was afraid that she would have few peaceful days in the future.

Xie Zhan's brows gradually relaxed. He looked at Yun Sheng's gentle profile, then lowered his gaze to see her wrist, half of which was inadvertently exposed when she poured the wine.

His expression froze. The two of them had not been so harmonious for a long time.

The Crown Prince's face froze. "Everyone outside is saying that the Marquis Xie dotes on his new concubine. It seems that what they say is true. He really doesn't want to let this beautiful woman down."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince is joking." Xie Zhan casually replied.

Qin An sat there with his chin raised, looking at Yun Sheng pouring wine. The beauty lowered her eyebrows, and every frown and smile of hers was charming.

He pulled his concubine to his side, put his arms around her waist and rubbed it twice. The beauty stared at him straight, and he suddenly felt extremely bored and pushed her away again.

Seeing this, the Prince of Anguo, who was sitting opposite, jokingly said, "Prince Qin is truly a playboy. Isn't this your new concubine? How come you're tired of her after just a few days of pampering her?"

Qin An laughed heartily. "She's just a woman. How can you expect me to be loyal to you? The maidservant beside Brother Li looks unfamiliar to me. Could she be a new one?"

"Prince Qin has a good eye. If my brother Qin likes it, you can bring it back home today."

After the Prince of Anguo finished speaking, he pulled the maid beside him and said, "Go, fill Prince Qin's glass with wine."

Qin An's elder sister is quite favored by the prince, so he is also half-brother-in-law to the prince.

Yun Sheng saw that the maid had lowered her head, not daring to show any dissatisfaction.

Then the arrogant and unruly Prince Qin smiled ambiguously and said, "This concubine of mine is quite knowledgeable and interesting. If Brother Li doesn't mind, you can take her back for a few days."

Everyone in the room laughed out loud, as if they were accustomed to the romantic affairs of the rich and powerful, such as the exchange of concubines and maids. Yun Sheng leaned back, twisting her fingers tightly, her face dazed.

She raised her eyes and looked at Xie Zhan, who had just drunk a glass of wine and had an unclear expression.

Yun Sheng looked unhappy. What was Xie Zhan's intention in bringing her here?

The prince glanced at the silent Xie Zhan, then glared at the two of them, saying unhappily, "Alright, sit down, what are you all messing around about? lest Marquis Xie laugh at you."

Xie Zhan said calmly, "Your Highness, there is no need to worry about me."

The prince was in a state of confusion. He didn't know if he could pry some information out of Xie Zhan about the fact that Prince Zhangren was still alive, so as to prevent his father from being troubled day and night.

If Crown Prince Zhangren were really alive, would he still be able to hold on to his position as Crown Prince?

He didn't know what his father was afraid of. The right thing to do was to capture Xie Zhan as soon as possible, otherwise wouldn't it be a waste to push him over to Prince Zhangren's side?

As for the issue of foreign relatives, he can suppress them slowly after he has firmly established himself on the throne, and there is no need to rush.

Men have loved beautiful women since ancient times, but Xie Zhan is not interested in women and has only had one concubine until now.

The prince narrowed his eyes and asked casually, "What do you think of Lord Xie regarding the matter of Crown Prince Zhangren?"

Yun Sheng listened to everyone talking and laughing, and felt his head buzzing. As he became drowsy, the sounds in his ears gradually died down.

Was Xie Zhan reminding her of something? Yun Sheng was sweating profusely. The concubine she had just met had also been favored by the Prince Qin for many days, and it sounded so glorious, but she had never expected that he could be given away at will in one day without any mercy.

The concubine Wen in the mansion in the past was also pitiful. She lost her life.

Yun Sheng's blood ran cold. Xie Zhan's bottom line was not something she could easily test. Perhaps he had already lost his patience.

If her indenture was not still in Xie Zhan's hands, she would have wanted to make plans for herself long ago. Yun Sheng did not want to and was unwilling to be a lonely ghost in a wealthy family.

Qin An, looking dazed, was already stumbling drunkenly. He suddenly staggered to Xie Zhan's table and said, "Come, Lord Xie, this prince offers you a drink."

Xie Zhan frowned and said firmly, "Prince Qin is probably drunk."

Qin An waved his hands and continued haltingly: "I'm not... not drunk. This prince has a good alcohol tolerance and can drink ten or eight more pots of it."

He then narrowed his eyes, glancing at Yun Sheng from time to time, and boasted in a half-drunk and half-awake state, "Marquis Xie's concubine is truly extraordinary. I never expected a country girl to be so beautiful. Marquis Xie, please..."

Yun Sheng was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

Xie Zhan's eyes were as cold as a blade. There was no warmth in his eyes. He just looked at Qin An coldly.

Qin An was numbed by his gaze; the other's intimidating gaze was like staring at a dead object. He finally sobered up, but he was so frightened that he couldn't even straighten his tongue.

The prince finally spoke up, ordering his attendants to bring back this embarrassing "brother-in-law." He then smiled at Xie Zhan and said, "He's drunk and talking nonsense. Marquis Xie, please don't take it to heart."

"Don't worry, Your Highness. This is natural."

Xie Zhan turned his head and saw Yun Sheng's face was as pale as paper.

Intimidated by that arrogant idiot?

After a meal and a few drinks, Xie Zhan refused to eat or drink anything. He was indeed a tough nut to crack. The prince could no longer smile.

Yun Sheng followed behind Xie Zhan. She looked up at him and saw a rare blush on his fierce face, perhaps because he had drunk some wine.

Xie Zhan stopped and said to Yun Sheng calmly, "I have something else to do. You get on the carriage first."

Yun Sheng's body stiffened and he hummed softly.

Both of them were silent for a moment. This was the first sentence they had spoken in recent times.

Yun Sheng felt uneasy in the carriage, and he really couldn't figure out what else Xie Zhan wanted to deal with?

After a moment, she lifted the curtain and asked the driver, "Did you see where the Marquis went just now?"

The driver didn't dare to look at Madam Yun's beautiful face any longer, and hurriedly lowered his head and replied, "It seems to be heading towards the path that Prince Qin takes."

The moonlight made Yun Sheng's face pale. She staggered and fell back into the carriage.

The coachman scratched his head and asked, "What happened to Madam Yun?"

Qin An entered the alley and was about to pee against the wall. He had just taken off half of his pants when someone kicked him twice on his fat butt.

Qin An shuddered with fear and fell to the ground in a panic, cursing, "Who? Who dares to kick me? You old woman, don't you know that my brother-in-law is the Crown Prince? Be careful or I'll kill you."

"I'll kick you, so what?"

Xie Zhan disappeared into the twilight. Qin An looked back and felt as if he had seen a ghost.

"Thank you... Thank you, Lord..." He reminded tremblingly, "Crown Prince, His Royal Highness..."

Xie Zhan was too disdainful to waste words with such a fool. He raised his chin, and the guards immediately pressed Qin An to the ground.

"Who are you? How could you covet my woman?"

He looked down at him, his eyes so cold that it seemed as if he were looking at a dead object. Xie Zhan took two steps forward and stepped on the back of Qin An's hand with his boots expressionlessly.

A painful roar like a man being slaughtered pig was heard from the entrance of the alley.

"Xie, Zhan, you...how dare you..."

Qin An's face was twisted with pain. Xie Zhan watched coldly and then rolled him back and forth heavily.

"Why wouldn't I dare?"

Qin An was so angry that he almost vomited blood, and spat several times at Xie Zhan's departing back.

If he didn't have soldiers, who would he be? How could he be so arrogant?