Sharing the same bed

"grown ups."

Li Wanli stood still and called out softly.

Xie Qi turned his head to look over.

The woman stood bathed in the warm glow of the lamplight, her pale yellow nightgown slightly open at the neckline, revealing a section of her alabaster neck. Her gaze slowly descended, her fair skin disappearing into the undulating curves, and the faint dampness intensified the mysterious floral fragrance.

A dark blue vein throbbed on the side of his neck. He closed the book with his clean, long fingers and stood up. The movement pulled at the muscles in his back, and the fabric of his nightgown stretched out the sharp curve of his shoulder blades.

"Let's settle in," he said, his voice three degrees lower than usual.

Upon hearing this, Li Wan was stunned for a moment, then realized that he was asking her to stay here tonight!

"No, sir, I am..."

Her words were interrupted by the look Xie Qi gave her.

"Stop being so noisy. It's New Year's Eve today. I'll give you some face and keep quiet."

Li Wan choked, watching him sit on the black lacquered and gold-painted bed, about to lie down, and finally couldn't help but speak out.

"I meant to say the Third Prince..."

The moment Xiao Xian's name was uttered, a tall figure swept in like a gust of wind. In the blink of an eye, a strong hand gripped the back of her neck, forcing her slender neck to tilt back.

"Jiang Feiwan, are you sure you want to talk about other men in front of my bed?"

The man's angry voice pierced her ear, making Li Wan freeze.

Although she didn't know what was wrong with him, she had a feeling that if she said another word, he would crush her neck.

He's the kind of guy who can snap a hungry wolf's neck with a single blow.

Li Wan, as if treasuring her life, quickly pursed her pink lips, tilted her head back, and used her wet eyes to signal that she would stop talking.

The man looked at her for a long time, then slowly released the restraint on the back of her neck, and she breathed a deep sigh of relief.

midnight.

Xie Qi's bed was so large it was unsettling.

Li Wan lay stiffly on the outermost side, the edge of the brocade quilt digging into her waist, causing a slight itch.

Xie Qi lay flat on the inside, his eyes closed, his breathing steady, his hands resting on the brocade quilt with distinct knuckles, rising and falling slightly with the lines of his chest muscles.

She carefully maintained her posture, afraid of disturbing the unpredictable man beside her.

I came here to talk to him, but I didn't get to say a word and have to stay here all night feeling stifled.

She knew Xie Qi wouldn't bother with her, and that sharing a bed with her was only to appease the old lady, so she wasn't afraid of what he might do.

The man's presence was so strong that she couldn't ignore him even if she wanted to, so she could only close her eyes tightly and try to fall asleep.

"Bang! Whoosh!"

A gust of wind suddenly slammed the window frame with a loud bang.

Li Wan woke up with a start, her body instinctively shrinking back. Just as she was about to roll off the bed, a warm hand suddenly covered her waist.

The palm, burning hot, pressed against the skin through the thin nightgown.

Before Li Wan could react, she was pulled to the side by a force. In a dizzying moment, she crashed into a hard, warm embrace.

The sound of shallow breathing accompanied by the sound of a heartbeat rang in my ears.

Li Wan quietly raised her eyes, looking past his handsome thin lips, and saw that the man had his eyes closed and his breathing was still steady.

"Truly a master! Even while asleep, his movements are so agile," Li Wan thought to herself in admiration.

She immediately tried to break free from his embrace, but found that the arm wrapped around her waist remained motionless.

Never mind, I'll just sleep like this.

After tossing and turning for half the night, Li Wan was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open. With a helpless sigh, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

However, as the woman's breathing deepened, in the darkness, the man's eyes suddenly opened, and his prominent Adam's apple bobbed slightly...

The next day.

When Li Wan woke up, her pillow was empty, and only a few folds remained on the other side of the brocade quilt.

"The girl is awake."

Xiuzhu gently lifted the curtain. "The young master has gone to practice his sword. Granny Zhao was worried that you wouldn't be used to the maids here, so she specially asked me to come and serve you."

Li Wan nodded, got up to wash and dress, and Xiuzhu brought a green short jacket and long skirt with gold embroidery to help her change.

"Young lady, what's wrong with you?"

Xiuzhu, who was tying her hair up, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Li Wan turned to look in the mirror and saw several dark red finger marks on her fair and delicate neck, with bruises around the edges.

Xiuzhu's expression suddenly changed, and she asked in a low voice, "Was it your son-in-law who did that to you last night?"

Li Wan knew she had misunderstood, but she was too lazy to explain and simply said it was nothing.

Breakfast was served in the east side room of Zhenyun Hall. Just as Li Wan sat down, footsteps could be heard outside.

Xie Qi, dressed in a dark, narrow-sleeved casual outfit, stepped across the threshold. A dark, gold-embroidered belt accentuated his broad shoulders and slender build, and he still carried the chill of the cold.

“My lord.” Li Wan stood up.

Xie Qi glanced at her, then sat down on the round stool with a flourish. "Sit."

Even the breakfast here is much more lavish than at Yingyueju. On the black lacquered and gold-painted square table, there are sweet white porcelain bowls filled with rice porridge, crystal shrimp dumplings with their pink fillings showing through, and two bowls of sour bamboo shoot and chicken skin soup steaming hot.

The two ate in silence.

Li Wan didn't dare to eat too much, and stopped eating when she was only about 80% full.

Xie Qi patiently waited for her to finish rinsing her mouth before saying, "Today is the first day of the month. There is a banquet in the palace. You must come with me."

Li Wan suddenly looked up: "To the palace?"

Although she had been a noblewoman for a time, the palace had always been a place that was out of reach for her.

Seeing her shocked expression, Xie Qi raised an eyebrow. "The eldest daughter of the Jiang family, she used to frequently visit the palace when she was young, how come she acts as if she has never been there before?"

Li Wan quickly composed herself and explained in a low voice, "It's just that I haven't been there in a long time, and I'm afraid I might be impolite."

Xie Qi looked at her, his bent fingertips tapping casually on the table. "There are mistakes, there are mistakes. You just married into the Marquis's mansion. If you are impolite, you are also disgracing Minister Jiang."

...Li Wan choked.

Disdainful of arguing with him, Li Wan curled her fingers and tentatively opened her mouth.

“My lord, I suddenly remembered that I met two young masters of the Lin family at the manor last time. The Lin family is your maternal grandparents’ family, but I don’t know much about them. Wouldn’t it be awkward if we met at a banquet or elsewhere?”

Xie Qi took a sip of tea and asked calmly, "What do you want to know?"

"My uncle was with them back then, it was... Young Master Lin, what happened to him?"

Li Wan was afraid that asking Lin Youke directly would be abrupt, so she asked Lin Kanghuan, who seemed like a fool, first.

"He suffered a serious illness in his childhood, and after waking up, he lost his mental capacity, becoming like a child."

Xie Qi glanced at her and added, "He's a playboy. If you run into him, stay away from him."

Even if he didn't say it, Li Wan knew it; she didn't want to be pestered by a grown man and called "little fairy" again.

"And what about Young Master Lin the Second?"

Seeing that Xie Qi's expression remained unchanged, Li Wan continued, "That day I saw Young Master Lin with the Fourth Prince. Could it be that he's with the Fourth Prince...?"

You're overthinking it.

Xie Qi interrupted her, "You Ke is in poor health and stays in his residence all year round. He has not been involved with anyone in the court. Although he is aloof, he is kind at heart. Do not be suspicious of him."

It seemed Xie Qi had never doubted Lin Youke. Li Wan's heart sank, but she still asked, unwilling to give up, "You and Young Master Lin have a very good relationship?"

Xie Qi stopped playing with the teacup between his fingers, remained silent for a few moments, and then said solemnly, "When I was a child, I was in danger and You Ke risked his life to save me. Since then, his body has also been ruined."

"So that's how it is."

Li Wan lowered her eyes. No wonder Xie Qi, who was almost demonically intelligent, had such a tragic end in his previous life. It turned out that he was plotted against by the person he trusted most.

Fortunately, he was not told directly about Xiao Xian's collusion with Lin Youke.

Given Xie Qi's attitude towards her, how could he possibly believe that Lin Youke intended to harm him based solely on her word? On the contrary, he would think that this was a fabrication by her and Xiao Xian, intended to sow discord between him and the Lin family.

Li Wan clenched her fist and thought to herself, "If we catch the thief red-handed, the facts will be laid out before us, and Xie Qi will have no choice but to believe it."

Today's palace banquet may be the perfect opportunity to get closer to Lin Youke.

After finishing her breakfast, Li Wan returned to Yingyue Residence to rest for a while before being served by Xiuzhu and Xiuhe to prepare for the palace banquet that night.

Since this was her first time entering the palace as Madam Xie, she couldn't afford to make any mistakes in her attire. Even the old lady sent Kang Mama to deliver a gold hairpin to her.

Even with her hair styled in a married woman's updo, the young woman is still stunningly beautiful.

Xiuzhu secured the last pearl hairpin, unable to resist praising it.

Li Wan followed Xiu Zhu's gaze to the bronze mirror.

The woman in the mirror wore a scarlet brocade jacket and skirt with gold brocade, and a gold hairpin with pearls in her hair. Her face was beautiful and fair, and she truly looked like a pampered lady from a high-class family.

However, the person in the mirror is both familiar and unfamiliar.

Stepping out of Yingyue Residence, Xie Qi stood outside the moon gate. He wore a black robe with arrow-sleeved sleeves, the gold cloud patterns on it looking imposing in the sunlight. A jade belt fastened his narrow waist, and his black hair was all tied up in a red-gold crown.

His gaze met Li Wan's across the distance, and after a moment he turned his head and said, "Let's go."

As the carriage entered the Vermilion Bird Gate, Li Wan couldn't help but curiously lift the curtain.

The palace lanterns were magnificent, illuminating the golden tiles and red walls as if it were daytime. Numerous luxurious carriages drove in with them, and then eunuchs led them into the palace.

Upon entering the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a warm fragrance wafted over.

As soon as Li Wan sat down with the family members of the ministers, she felt a strong gaze upon her.

She looked to her side and met a pair of cold, sharp eyes.

It was the very person who had sent assassins to kill her, Princess Qiongying.

Last time she was kidnapped and killed, Li Wan didn't let her father pursue the matter because she was afraid of her father, Chief Minister Chen.

Now, facing this ruthless noblewoman, Li Wan straightened her back and fearlessly cast a provocative glance at her: If you have the guts, come to the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion again and kill her!

Sure enough, after Princess Qiongying understood her gaze, her hands, which were resting on the low table, turned white from gripping them so tightly.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

With a summons, this silent battle of wits finally came to an end.

Li Wan bowed in greeting, following the others.

The emperor was not as tall and majestic as she had imagined. The recent loss of his son must have made him look very old. His bright yellow dragon robe hung loosely on his shoulders, and his jade belt barely held his thin waist together.

He only sat on the throne for a short while before his cough drowned out the music, and he was helped back to his bedchamber by the old eunuch beside him.

A moment later, the old eunuch Cao Shun returned and whispered something to Xie Qi. Xie Qi glanced at Li Wan, trying to signal her to wait for him to return quietly. Unfortunately, Li Wan was holding silver chopsticks and frowning as she stared at the food on the plate.

She couldn't even spare a glance for him.

Xie Qi sneered and got up to follow Cao Shun to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Li Wan did not notice Xie Qi leaving the table. She had eaten little for lunch today and thought that the banquet in the palace would be delicious and plentiful, so she could enjoy it properly.

Unexpectedly, the food in the palace looked tempting, but it was all prepared in the imperial kitchen and then transported to the banquet table after passing through most of the palace.

On a cold winter day, the food is already cold, and after taking a bite, your stomach feels stuffy.

Fortunately, a palace maid behind her poured her a cup of hot wine, which made her feel better after she drank it.

Setting down her wine glass, she quietly looked around, trying to find the Lin family members, only to find that Princess Qiongying was looking at her again.

Just as Li Wan was about to roll her eyes back, she realized that her gaze was fixed on the wine glass she had just put down.

Li Wan frowned. Was there something wrong with this wine?

At this moment, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was filled with a strong medicinal smell, and even the ambergris could not mask the bitterness.

The emperor leaned against the bright yellow brocade rug, his eyes deep-set, only showing light when he opened them.

Xie Qi and Crown Prince Xiao Yu stood three steps away from the bed, the heat from the underfloor heating slowly seeping up through their boots.

"Is Xie Qing's injury any better?" the emperor asked in a hoarse voice.

Xie Qi bowed slightly: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am now out of danger."

"While you were recuperating, the third prince captured the assassin and interrogated him, and has confirmed that it was the Empress..."

The emperor coughed violently, and the eunuch quickly offered him ginseng tea, which the emperor pushed away.

"The Empress mobilized the private army raised by the Fourth Prince to assassinate you and the Third Prince. I have confined her to Kunning Palace, and she is not allowed to leave the palace without my permission. She is no different from a deposed Empress."

Chaos turned his gaze to Xie Qi, "Minister Xie, are you satisfied with this?"

Xie Qi's face showed no emotion, and he said calmly, "Your Majesty is wise, and I dare not disagree."

The emperor sighed heavily, looking at the gilded incense burner in the hall. The ashes of the calming incense burning inside fell in a flurry, just like his increasingly frail body.

"I know that all my sons..." he gasped heavily, "are hoping that I will soon ascend to paradise."

Crown Prince Xiao Yu stepped forward at the opportune moment: "Your subject is terrified. Your subject is willing to exchange his own life for Your Majesty's health for ten thousand years."

"Alright." The emperor suddenly gripped the brocade quilt tightly, his knuckles protruding like withered branches. "Since you are the crown prince, you shall oversee the country from this day forward. Xie Qi, you... cough cough... you shall assist the crown prince."

The candlelight flickered inside the hall, illuminating the crown prince's slightly upturned lips.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

"Your subject obeys the decree."

The two walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The Crown Prince could not hide his delight, "Minister Xie truly commands my utmost respect."

"First, use the death of the fourth brother to make the father suspicious of the third brother, and then lure the mother to make a move that will completely destroy her power. This plan, which kills three birds with one stone, is truly ingenious."

"Your Highness is too kind," Xie Qi replied calmly, the palace lanterns casting his shadow long and short.

The Crown Prince paused slightly, glancing sideways. “There is one thing I don’t understand. On the day the Empress sent assassins, you had already escaped, so why did you turn back to save the Jiang family girl? Even I know that she is my third brother’s woman.”

Xie Qi glanced at him sideways, clearly not wanting to answer.

Xiao Yu shrugged and didn't press the matter further.

A moment later, a young eunuch came silently and quickly, whispering a few words in Xie Qi's ear.

Xie Qi's pupils darkened slightly as he addressed the Crown Prince, "I have urgent business to attend to and must take my leave first."

After saying that, he strode away.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

With His Majesty gone, everyone in the hall relaxed and became more at ease.

Out of the corner of her eye, Li Wan caught a glimpse of an extremely thin and tall figure walking out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Her eyes lit up; it was Lin Youke.

According to the rules, Lin Youke, as a son of a concubine in the Lin family, was not qualified to attend the New Year's Eve banquet in the palace. However, since the eldest son of the legitimate wife was mentally challenged, the Lin family could only rely on this son of a concubine.

Li Wan's mind raced. Lin Youke had just left his seat, and she wondered why.

She pursed her lips, got up, and decided to quietly follow them.

The palace lanterns under the corridor swayed in the wind. Li Wan lifted her skirt and walked briskly. Lin Youke's bluish-gray figure appeared and disappeared among the mahogany pillars.

Li Wan looked around and realized that the direction he was heading was the location of the inner palace.

What is a man from outside the palace doing in the harem?

While wondering what was going on, she walked to the corner of the corridor and suddenly a faint medicinal fragrance wafted over. Caught off guard, she stumbled into the shadow of a gray brocade and looked up to meet a pair of dark, bright eyes like those of a hawk.

"Sister-in-law."

Lin Youke's hoarse, sickly voice sounded even more jarring in this deserted place, instantly sending chills down Li Wan's spine, who was already startled.