Chapter 57: Solo 38 She twisted his ear,...

She stroked his face with her hand. He had become much more reserved these days, but he would always reveal a bit of ferocity at times like this.

She gently rubbed the roughness of his jaw with her fingertips, which felt a bit prickly. He subsided a little from his fierce look and just stared at her, his breath hot.

"We still need you, Chen Jinshi, please go down."

He took his pillow and placed it under her waist, then bared his fangs and bit down on her.

She embedded her ten fingers into his hair, tilted her neck back like a swan, and let out a soft hum from her throat.

Now I can finally do whatever I want in this yard. No one can disturb me, and no one can hear those noises.

He no longer needed to cover her lips; he loved letting her express herself loudly, her warm breath mingling with her sweat. He felt her delicacy, her warmth, her slight trembling.

He gently let go and waited for her to calm down. She couldn't help but raise her hand to ruffle his hair. He waited for her obediently.

She exhaled gently, lifted his head up and held it to her chest. She lowered her head and kissed his lips.

His hand slowly moved up along her waist, as if tracing her outline, from her slender waist to her soft shoulders.

"Am..." There was moisture in his eyes and a satisfied sigh in his throat.

The body with terrifying power was now obediently allowing her to caress and admire it.

Chen Ying felt like she was enjoying a man who was enduring his desires and waiting for her favor.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her body towards him, which was a permission.

This was followed by the sound of undisguised panting in my ear.

Chen Ying didn't say anything, but just reached out, put her arms around his shoulders and neck, let his face bury in her neck, and bit it.

Only at such times, when she touched his hot body bursting with power, and listened to his warm breath and undisguised heavy breathing, she was no longer the indifferent bystander to life, but was truly needed and loved.

She needed to be held by Chen Jinshi, needed by Chen Jinshi, needed by him, needed by him, needed by him.

He never suppressed his desires.

Outside the window, branches rustled in the evening breeze. Inside, the golden wood bed was sturdy and stable, and the bedding was filled with a salty and astringent smell. Chen Jinshi buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing rapidly, and he gently kissed the side of her neck.

"Am, you wet my pillow." He rubbed his nose against her delicate skin.

"Yeah." She could still breathe heavily in her throat and heard his soft chuckle.

Chen Ying received an invitation from the Shen family, saying that next month is her grandmother's 70th birthday.

She didn't know when the Shen family had been contacting her, intentionally or unintentionally. She understood what they meant. They simply felt that her, their granddaughter, was worth interacting with.

On this day, Chen Ying prepared gifts and went there in a carriage.

Most of the guests in the courtyard were relatives, and she didn't know any of them, so she just dealt with them with a smile.

Someone came up from behind her, and when she turned around, it was her uncle Shen Zhongli.

"Sakura, this is the first time I'm meeting you."

Chen Ying was startled, then smiled and quickly recognized the other person: "It's my uncle. I received a gift from my uncle."

Shen Zhongli took her wrist and said, "Come with me. I'll take you to see your grandmother."

Chen Ying followed his force and walked forward, passing through the noisy crowd in the courtyard, bypassing the screen wall with the old osmanthus tree, and arrived at the wing room in the backyard.

Old Mrs. Shen, Mrs. Lou, was sitting on the soft couch by the window, holding a string of Buddhist beads in her hand.

Chen Ying stepped forward slowly: "Greetings to Grandma."

The old lady opened her cloudy eyes and looked at her for a moment without saying anything.

Shen Zhongli stepped forward and said, "Mother, Xiaoying is here to celebrate your birthday."

The old lady finally spoke: "She looks just like her, very pretty. She's not young anymore, is she? Is it time for marriage?"

Chen Ying lowered her eyes: "Not yet."

The old lady paused while holding the Buddhist beads, and suddenly said, "I heard that Third Young Master Xie is interested in you. The Xie family is not bad."

Chen Ying was a little surprised: "How did you know?"

"Mrs. Xie mentioned you at the Yang Mansion banquet. You'll know if you ask around."

Furthermore, it was no secret that Xie Qingyue visited the Chen Mansion the day before his departure.

Chen Ying clenched her sleeves and didn't deny it, but said: "Grandma, is this the only reason you met me?"

"A girl needs someone who understands her feelings. Besides, you are now inseparable from my Shen family, so I am naturally concerned about your marriage. As long as you agree to the Xie family, I will add a dowry for you."

Chen Ying's brows knitted slightly, she was very disgusted by these words.

For the first time, she understood Chen Jinshi.

Because she almost blurted out: "Grandmother is willing to recognize me because she can use me to climb up the Xie family's high branch?"

"You and the Shen family are now on the same boat, Shen Ying, I am doing this for your own good."

Shen Zhongli quickly opened his mouth and said, "Mother, Xiaoying has only been here a few times, please don't scare her."

Even if Chen Ying couldn't say the above words, she was afraid to say that she had been secretly having an affair with Chen Jinshi for a long time.

She warned herself to maintain her dignity, just as she had taught Chen Jin.

When Chen Ying raised her head, a gentle smile had returned to her face, but it was a very faint smile. "Grandmother, I appreciate your kindness. But Master Xie has been stationed at the northern border, and Chen Ying now wishes to stay in the capital."

The old lady didn't seem to think this was a problem. "When he returns at the end of the year to marry you, you can move into the Xie family's house and stay in Beijing to manage his backyard. What's wrong with that?"

Chen Ying didn't say anything else. She really had nothing to say to this old lady.

He just wanted to make sure that Xie Qingyue had no ulterior motives behind this matter. He knew that this would only backfire.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. The second young master of the Chen family works in the Hanlin Academy. He must be very busy on weekdays." The old lady asked again.

"It's busy, but he can handle it."

"You have a niece who just came of age this year. She's old enough to get married. You should meet her."

As she spoke, the old lady winked at Shen Zhongli. Shen Zhongli glanced at Chen Ying, sighed, and was about to call someone.

Chen Ying paused slightly, her face expressionless.

But he opened his mouth and said, "Grandmother, Jinshi is now highly valued by Prime Minister Yang, and his fifth daughter also admires Jinshi very much."

The old lady's face darkened. "You look down on your own daughter, yet you still speak for others. Don't you think that if the young lady of the Yang family marries you, will she respect you?"

Chen Ying smiled and said, "As a mother, I naturally have to find the best for him."

When she turned around, her eyes were calm.

Shen Zhongli was about to take a step forward when he stopped and stood awkwardly at the door, not knowing whether to go forward or backward.

"Okay, mother, Sakura just arrived, please invite her out to the banquet."

Chen Ying went out with her uncle, with a look of annoyance on her face, and kept thinking in her heart that Chen Jinshi was hers, hers.

Not to mention the niece of the Shen family, even the daughter of the Prime Minister...

This thought went around in her mind, and her steps became lighter.

Shen Zhongli walked beside her and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her expression soften. He advised, "Xiaoying, your grandmother is just like that. She's always been worried about family matters. You mustn't take it to heart. If she hadn't strongly stopped it, your mother wouldn't have... Well, let's not talk about the past."

"Don't worry, uncle. I understand." Chen Ying nodded.

Shen Zhongli inherited the Shen family's habits in doing things, he was domineering and tough. If she had not come to recognize her relationship, Chen Jinxing would probably have been suppressed by her uncle for a long time in the Imperial Hospital.

But Shen Zhongli was extremely gentle towards his family, and Chen Ying could feel it a little.

She hesitated for only a moment, but still did not tell her uncle about her mother alone.

When she came to Jinling from Loufan, her mother specifically told her to act as if she were dead in front of the Shen family.

Chen Ying didn't stay in the Shen family for long, but when she came out of the Shen family, she unexpectedly met someone.

A young eunuch in a gray robe walked out quietly, his footsteps as light as the wind. He walked straight to her, bowed slightly, and lowered his voice to a very low voice: "Miss Shen, my master invites you. Please move aside and have a chat."

When the young eunuch spoke, his eyes were fixed on the ground. Only the dark-patterned palace badge hanging low around his waist revealed his master's identity.

Chen Ying paused. Although she didn't want to be involved in these things, there was no way she would disobey that person.

"Please lead the way."

The young eunuch brought a dark black carriage and asked her to get in. The carriage turned a few streets and arrived at a secluded and elegant courtyard.

There were a few bamboos planted in the yard, moss on both sides of the stone slabs, and a faint orchid fragrance floating in the air. The man must not have burned sandalwood today.

The scenery here was very much to her liking. The young eunuch led her into the main room. There was only a green-glazed porcelain lamp lit in the room, and the light was soft. A man in casual clothes, with his long hair tied up with a black jade hairpin, was sitting by the bed reading a book.

Chen Ying knelt and saluted: "Greetings, Your Highness."

Xuan Che raised his hand to signal her to stand up, and said calmly: "No need to be so polite."

The young eunuch stepped back and closed the door.

Chen Ying was startled, but then she heard the prince say, "Miss Chen, I really admire you foreign women. You are not like the Central Plains women who always have so many rules. It is not easy for me to get along with them."

Chen Ying opened her mouth and agreed to be alone in a room with the prince.

The prince raised his hand and motioned for her to sit down: "I have a personal matter that I would like to ask for your help."

Chen Ying sat down as she was told, and smelled the extremely clear orchid fragrance.

"Your Highness, please speak."

"Ever since my mother came in, I've been feeling a tightness in my chest and having trouble sleeping at night. The Imperial Physician has prescribed many prescriptions, but they haven't been very effective." The Crown Prince personally poured her tea. "But it's true. Those people in the Imperial Hospital all rose to prominence through connections and favors. The Empress Dowager is old, so it's possible she's been bewitched. Father can only follow her wishes."

Chen Ying was startled and felt something was wrong. Chen Jinxing was indeed introduced to the Imperial Medical Bureau by Prince An's Mansion and went in to the Empress Dowager.

From what the Crown Prince said, I'm afraid the Imperial Medical Office will have to be reorganized after the Empress Dowager passes away.

"I've heard that Miss Shen is good at using Mongolian medicine and medicinal food to regulate the body, especially prescriptions for calming the mind. I wonder if you could come to the palace and show it to my mother?"

The prince pushed the teacup in front of her. Chen Ying's fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly, and she felt a chill in her heart.

"Your Highness, thank you for your compliment. I only have a basic understanding of northern Chinese medicine, and I cannot compare to the expertise of the imperial physicians. If I were to treat the Empress rashly, I would be held accountable if something went wrong."

Xuan Che's eyes fell on her face, with a look of understanding, as if he could sympathize with her difficulties: "Miss Shen, there is no need to be so modest. Those people in the Imperial Hospital are used to following the rules. They use the prescriptions over and over again. As long as there are no mistakes, they may not be the right ones for the disease." After saying this, he changed his expression and whispered weakly, "Miss Shen, please have pity on us. We are just born into the royal family and have a noble status, but it is very rare for others to treat us sincerely."

Chen Ying's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and she looked up at the prince. The earnestness of weakness in his eyes did not seem fake.

He seemed to know exactly how to handle her, even though it was only their second meeting.

Chen Ying will not be shaken by interests, nor will she be oppressed by power, but she can't stand this.

"I can give it a try. However, the diagnosis and treatment must be done carefully. Your Highness, please allow me to review the Empress's daily records and past pulse records first."

Hearing this, Xuan Che's eyes instantly lost some of the weakness in his eyes, revealing a relaxed smile. He took a booklet from the table and handed it to her: "This is the daily records of the Queen Mother for the past six months and the prescriptions written by the Imperial Hospital. Miss Shen, you can take a closer look."

Chen Ying took the booklet, her fingertips touching the delicate brocade cover, and she lowered her head to open it. The handwriting inside was neat, recording in detail the queen's daily diet, daily routine, and the prescriptions issued by the Imperial Hospital. Most of them were conventional medicinal herbs for calming the mind. It was indeed as the prince said, following the rules would hardly produce results.

She put the book away and looked up, saying, "Let me read it carefully first."

Xuan Che nodded: "Well, in about three days, after the Eastern Palace Imperial Lecture is over, I will take you into the palace."

His eyes fell on the pattern embroidered on the sachet at her waist, and he suddenly smiled and said, "What kind of sachet does Doctor Shen like to use in autumn? It smells like grass and wood."

Chen Ying looked down at the sachet around her waist. It was made of dried sweet pine and wild chrysanthemum, with a simple orchid pattern embroidered on the fabric. She made it herself.

"Your Highness, in the dry autumn weather, I usually make sachets of sweet pine and wild chrysanthemum mixed with a small amount of dried tangerine peel. They can calm the mind and clear dry air, and are gentler than incense."

Xuan Che's eyes lit up when he heard this: "I've made a note of this. I'll ask my subordinates to do the same thing someday."

After hearing this, Chen Ying was stunned. After hesitating for a moment, she took off the sachet from her waist and gave it to him: "Since Your Highness likes it, if you don't mind, you can take it."

Since he said that, she couldn't refuse to give it to him.

But he was also very polite and did not ask her for it.

But if she didn't give it to him, it would seem that she was extremely ungrateful.

He accepted it without hesitation because: Northern women generally don't have the habit of using sachets as tokens of love.

"This is something Miss Shen made by herself. I like it very much." He said gently and reached out to take it.

"You are welcome, Your Highness."

He put it to his nose and sniffed it. The crispness of the spikenard mixed with the subtle fragrance of the wild chrysanthemum was indeed more refreshing than incense. He smiled and accepted it. "In that case, I would be disrespectful to refuse it. If Miss Shen encounters difficulties in the capital in the future, please send someone to the East Palace to pass on the message. I will do my best to help."

Chen Ying stood up and bowed to take her leave: "It's getting late, I will take my leave first."

Xuan Che nodded and signaled the eunuch to take her out again.

After she left, he lowered his head, tied the sachet around his waist, and chuckled.

When Chen Jinshi returned from the Hanlin Academy, Chen Ying was sitting in the courtyard looking through the Queen's pulse records. Seeing him come back, she waved to him and said, "Come here, sit down and drink your medicine."

She pushed a bowl of medicine over and Chen Jinshi walked over and sat down. Although the medicine smelled a little different from usual, he drank it without hesitation.

The bitter taste spread across her tongue, and she handed over a piece of candied fruit.

He wiped the medicine that oozed from the corner of his mouth: "Am, it's not dark yet."

"I know. This is a decoction to soothe the nerves."

Chen Jinshi held a candied fruit in his mouth, the sweetness diluting the bitterness of the medicine. He lowered his head to look at the pulse chart in Chen Ying's hand, buried his head in her shoulder and said, "Who's bothering you again?"

She paused, shook her head, and didn't say anything directly.

He asked again: "How about your visit to the Shen family today?"

Chen Ying put down the pulse case, looked into the air for a while, and then said, "My grandmother wants me to marry Xie Qingyue."

Chen Jinshi's head, which was buried in her shoulder, suddenly lifted up. The tenderness in his eyes instantly faded a little, and became fierce: "She is really annoying."

Chen Ying frowned and looked at him: "Don't be disrespectful to your grandmother."

His Adam's apple moved, and he held her shoulders tightly: "Who the hell is she?"

Until he saw the warning in her eyes, he gradually backed off, avoided her gaze, and softened: "So what do you say?"

Chen Ying smiled faintly: "Of course I won't listen to her."

Chen Jinshi's tense shoulders gradually relaxed: "I'm sorry."

"Why apologize?"

He continued to bury his head in her neck, his voice muffled: "Because I can't marry you."

Although he knew that this was not what she wanted, women living in the capital would always be troubled by the word "marriage".

Maybe she regretted it, too?

"I was wondering... after I've established myself in the court, could I ask the Emperor for permission to marry me?"

Chen Ying was shocked and murmured, "No, how could the emperor allow such a treasonous thing?"

"But what can I do, Am?"

She sensed his helplessness and grievance and simply said, "This is something you should have been prepared for from the very beginning, Chen Jinshi."

At first she just said they could try.

Never means faithfulness, never means forever. Du Lan is not that kind of person. Her nature is polygamous, just like she never really rejected Xie Qingyue.

She is definitely not someone who would do anything for love.

There were many other aspects of her life besides him.

"Amu, please don't leave me. Never leave Chen Jinshi."

He looked so pitiful that she couldn't bear to give him up.

"I won't give up on you."

She turned her head to kiss him, and he was like a puppy nestled in its owner's arms. The moment she leaned in, he opened his lips to receive her kiss.

When she twisted his ears, he would moan in pain and pleasure.

The Eastern Palace Imperial Lecture was held as scheduled.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, the air was filled with the scent of sandalwood incense, and desks were arranged in order, with important officials of the court and Hanlin scholars sitting on both sides.

Crown Prince Xuan Che was dressed in casual clothes, sitting upright at the top, listening calmly to the lecturer's lecture on "Zizhi Tongjian".

As an attendant of the Hanlin Academy, Chen Jinshi stood at the last seat with a pen and paper in hand, his eyes fixed on the record book on the desk.

When the lecturer reached the point of "be close to virtuous officials and stay away from villains," Xuan Che suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, his tone calm but carrying the authority of a crown prince: "Teacher, you are absolutely right. However, to distinguish between virtuous officials and villains, we must observe their actions and examine their hearts, not just their family background."

As he finished speaking, he stood up and paced around, and suddenly his eyes fell on Chen Jinshi, who was sitting at the last seat. The reason was simple: Lord Chen had the same sachet tied around his waist as him.

Xuan Che smiled slightly: "Master Chen, what are your thoughts?"

Chen Jinshi paused, his hand gripping the pen in his hand. He raised his eyes and met the Crown Prince's gaze. Seeing his gaze resting gently on him, he suppressed his surprise, bowed, and spoke in a steady tone, "Your Highness, I believe that trust is the most important thing to be close to virtuous ministers, and to be clear-headed when staying away from villains. As Your Highness said, family background is not enough to rely on, but if you can judge people's hearts by their actions and determine merit by actual performance, you can reassure virtuous ministers and prevent villains from taking advantage."

He is now very good at saying such clichés, and those in power generally like to hear them.

Until he suddenly saw the sachet on the prince's waist, the texture of the fabric, the orchid pattern...

His gaze fixed on the prince as he tied it around his waist in a dignified manner, a dark anger rising from his heart.

The love affair filled with the scent of sandalwood came to mind.

How could he not know that his mother really wanted to be with the prince.

Although as a human being, there are many things in the mind, and it is possible that there are things as unbearable and crazy as possible in the mind. Maybe she just had a fleeting thought, but he knew it.

That's different.

The prince was born into a noble family. He was kind and dignified to others, had a gentle temperament, and was extremely majestic.

It's perfectly normal for Eminem to miss him.

He vaguely sensed that the prince's gaze on him became more approving, and later even intimate.

"What Lord Chen said is exactly what I want. From now on, you should always attend the imperial lectures in the Eastern Palace."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone knew that Chen Jinshi was about to rise to the top.

Chen Jinshi bowed in response, his expression showing no emotion. His hands were hidden under his wide sleeves, and his nails were almost digging into his flesh.

The prince is gentle and must be more gentle than him in bed.

Oh!

Back in the mansion, Chen Yingzhen sat at the stone table and boiled medicine.

Seeing him come back, she smiled and asked, "Did the Crown Prince's lecture go well today? Did he like you?"

Chen Jinshi stepped closer: "Thanks to you, he likes me very much."

Chen Ying was stunned, her wrist had been pinched by him.

The tip of his tongue penetrated forcefully, sucking domineeringly, and she felt that her tongue was about to be broken off at the root.

"He seemed to treat me as a junior."

He pressed her back against the stone table, and his palm just happened to rest there, so she wasn't hurt by the impact.

He grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her with a ferocity he had never felt before.

A strange light flashed in Chen Ying's eyes. When she gave the sachet to the prince the day before yesterday, she thought that Chen Jinshi would see it at the Eastern Palace's imperial lecture today.

She was not sure whether the prince would hang the sachet around his waist today.

Now it is confirmed.

So, what should we do?

When he let her go, his fingertips caressed her lips, which were swollen from kissing. Dark currents surged in his eyes, and his voice was hoarse as if tempered by sand.

"Amu, Chen Jinshi really doesn't know what to do with you."

There was a faint, crazy light flashing in Chen Ying's eyes.

What came out of his mouth was: "Chen Jinshi, it's time for you to live a normal life again."

"What is a normal life?" He stroked her lips and asked with his head tilted.

"Open your eyes and look at your classmates, colleagues, and childhood playmates. Who hasn't married a wife of equal status? That's the life you deserve."

"But I think you are the best."

Chen Ying was silent for a long time, and finally opened her mouth: "I'm not the best, that's what I promised your father, to take good care of you, so... maybe you misunderstood that feeling."

"Am, are you saying that my desire to fuck you to death on the couch is a case of mistaken identity?"

“…”

His face softened in an instant, looking pitiful: "But, Am, I have given you everything." He took her hand and squeezed it against his chest.

Chen Ying was stunned. Yes.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong." She apologized immediately.

"I forgive you." He lowered his head.