Chapter 22 She rejected his advances.

Zhan Yunmei followed Liang Rong and left the camp. He led her to the outside of the hunting grounds. The area was vast and deserted, and the sky was dark, with only the oil lamps hanging in the same spot providing light.

“Uncle Liang, we’re about to enter the mountains. Let’s talk here,” Zhan Yunmei said calmly.

She was still imagining Hua Lang eating dinner alone in the tent, and knowing his personality, he would probably scold her again, and then suffer in silence.

Although Hua Lang never said anything explicit and rarely took the initiative, she could sense his caution. She used to think he was just trying to please her, but now she felt that he was just afraid and timid.

A stray dog ​​is always timid.

The night breeze brushed against her face, stirring the fine strands of hair at Zhan Yunmei's temples. The distant lights illuminated her hair with a subtle glow, and her eyes held a captivating gentleness.

Liang Rong couldn't help but stare at Zhan Yunmei for a while longer, until she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him slightly, "What, is there something on my face?"

"N-nothing," Liang Rong said, shaking his head in surprise. "General, I just came to tell you that Deputy Geng doesn't seem to respect you very much."

This was no secret; Geng Qi's malice stemmed from two sources: his hostility towards her and his hostility towards Hua Lang, all intertwined.

Liang Rong then said sincerely, "He spread rumors about you, saying that you have a beauty in your tent, and he said all sorts of immoral things."

Zhan Yunmei was surprised; she thought Geng Qi had said something else, such as that she was disloyal to the emperor or mistreated her subordinates.

Her gaze remained calm and unchanged as she softly said, "Deputy Geng has distinguished himself in military achievements, but his knowledge is limited. As long as he doesn't violate any principles, there's no need to pay him any mind—however, he is indeed a beauty."

"..." Liang Rong's eyes widened slightly, hardly believing that these were the words of Zhan Yunmei.

He was a very passionate person. He had never hidden his feelings for Zhan Yunmei when they were in the border town. But he was only sixteen years old at the time, a young man who was still a teenager. After he mustered up the courage to confess his feelings to Zhan Yunmei, she did not show any change in expression. Of course, her unique smile did not change either.

She told him that he was too young, hadn't met many people, and had spent too much time with her, mistaking familiarity and dependence for love.

Liang Rong disagreed with her statement. He stubbornly maintained his youthful appearance, his ears turning red as he said, "Then wait until I grow up."

Now that Liang Rong has come of age, it's no longer appropriate to say he's too young. But before he could even express his feelings, he learned of this news.

His heart skipped a beat. Having a beautiful woman didn't mean he liked her. Maybe the general was just keeping her to relieve his boredom? He could understand.

Then, as usual, Liang Rong smiled and said, "Then I must congratulate the general."

Zhan Yunmei asked, "Is there anything else?"

“Yes,” Liang Rong blurted out, only to realize afterward that there was nothing wrong. He had only brought Zhan Yunmei here to say this, simply because he wanted to spend more time with her.

"What's up?"

"Hmm..." Liang Rong pursed his lips, seemingly trying to hide his embarrassment, "General, is one beauty enough to keep you entertained?"

Zhan Yunmei was surprised. What kind of person was she in his heart? What did he mean by "one is enough to play with"?

She stared at Liang Rong, still not answering, while Liang Rong realized his rudeness and quickly tried to make amends: "General, please don't take it to heart, I was just joking."

Nothing more was said.

Watching Liang Rong's departing figure, Zhan Yunmei called out to her attendant, "Go check the hunting grounds. Tomorrow, the princess will be going into the back mountain. Protect her carefully."

The attendant respectfully replied, "Yes."

Zhan Yunmei thought for a moment, "Never mind, I'll go check it myself."

.

The first day after the inspection was spent hunting in the outer fields. Princess Rongning led the way and hunted a few small animals, showcasing the power of the royal family to the world for the first time. This was an opportunity given to Princess Rongning by the emperor.

Autumn weather is unpredictable. It was still a clear and sunny day. Zhan Yunmei raised her hand to shield her eyes and looked into the distance at Rongning, who was riding his warhorse deeper into the mountains.

The emperor's face showed her satisfaction. She pointed to Rong Ning's fluttering crimson cloak and said, "Rong Ning has the same charm as you did back then."

Zhan Yunmei repeatedly said she dared not, "The princess is far more outstanding than I was back then, and I am still far from being able to compare with her."

The emperor smiled, his eyes narrowed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Zhan Yunmei's humble words. After a while, he raised his hand and beckoned, and Zhan Yunmei lowered her head to listen.

"What do you think of the matters that the ministers were discussing in private earlier, Minister Zhan?"

Zhan Yunmei could attend court to listen to government affairs except for major military and political matters, but she rarely went. She would only go occasionally as a formality, and as soon as she arrived, she would hear the court discussing the matter of the imperial heir.

The emperor of the new dynasty was a young woman who did not take a principal wife, meaning there was no legally recognized empress. Furthermore, the emperor had no children and only had a few relatives from her maternal family.

For the royal family, the most important thing is naturally to have offspring and continue the lineage. Because of the gender difference, the ministers couldn't speak freely. To advise the emperor to have children was tantamount to urging him to conceive. And urging him to conceive was tantamount to asking him to step down from the throne.

This time, the emperor had arranged for Rong Ning to make an appearance during the autumn hunt.

The suggestion to let Princess Rongning display her talents carried a hidden meaning. Who would groom a princess as if she were a crown prince for no reason?

The emperor's question is essentially asking whether she agrees with the ministers' desire for the emperor to have a child.

She thinks it's best not to, at least not now.

However, Zhan Yunmei couldn't bring herself to speak about such matters, so she could only brush it off for the emperor, saying, "As a military officer, I can still earn some respect on the battlefield, but in the court... please forgive me, Your Majesty, I really dare not speak presumptuously."

The two could never agree on such matters. The emperor would sometimes test the waters and sometimes genuinely seek help, while Zhan Yunmei would just keep rambling on.

The emperor smiled helplessly, "What Minister Zhan said is also correct."

Zhan Yunmei smiled with relief and secretly dispatched another group of people to protect the princess.

Everything was normal today. The princess brought a large amount of game back to the camp, skinned the meat, roasted it, and sent two plates to Zhan Yunmei's camp.

Hua Lang received the meat platter.

The servants were not surprised to see him.

Hua Lang placed the meat platter on the table, but did not eat it. Instead, he sat by the low couch and waited for Zhan Yunmei.

She didn't come back last night, and she didn't come back during the day today either. He's been thinking about this for a whole day and night, and hasn't slept a wink.

The aroma of meat wafted from the table, which Hua Lang found overpowering, but since it was a gift from the princess to Zhan Yunmei, he had no right to deal with it for her.

Hua Lang sat at the end of the couch, staring at the embroidery on his knees, without saying a word or moving.

Night fell, the campfire died down, the crowd dispersed, and Hua Lang lifted and lowered the tent flap countless times, but Zhan Yunmei still hadn't returned.

Am I going to be with Liang Rong again today...?

He couldn't help but ask Yao Shuniang today who that was last night. Yao Shuniang said that it was Liang Rong, the emperor's cousin, who had been granted the title of Earl.

Uncle Liang held a high-ranking but nominal position, which was respectable but powerless. However, even a nominal position with no real power was much better than his.

He was merely someone who perished along with the previous dynasty; his existence is illogical.

Hua Lang clenched his fingers, his nails rubbing against his fingertips until they ached, until a layer of skin broke and blood flowed out. Only then did he belatedly come to his senses, rub his fingers together, and wipe the blood on the satin cloth on his knee.

There were hurried footsteps outside the tent. Hua Lang suddenly felt expectant and lifted her eyelids to look.

It was just someone passing by, not Zhan Yunmei.

He sighed silently, a hint of disappointment in his eyes, took off his outer robe, and curled up on the couch.

Hua Lang was well taken care of by Zhan Yunmei and rarely worked day and night anymore. It was already quite remarkable that he could get through this day and night. He covered himself with the quilt and closed his eyes, but sleepiness overwhelmed him.

Sleepiness swept away all his strength, and before he drifted off to sleep, the image of Zhan Yunmei smiling and coaxing him kept replaying in his mind.

The tail of the eye felt cool, as if it were wet.

In her dream, she repeatedly saw the image of the previous emperor hanging himself. In the end, the emperor hung his head and stuck out his tongue, questioning Hua Lang once again why he did not commit suicide.

The emperor approached step by step, and just as he was choking Hua Lang until she could no longer breathe, Hua Lang suddenly woke up, her forehead covered in cold sweat.

"Be good...don't move, okay?"

Behind me was a familiar, soft humming sound. Hearing such a sound after waking from a nightmare, no matter how awkward I felt, I couldn't bear it.

Hua Lang's eyes stung with tears. She closed them briefly, suppressing all her emotions, and said casually, "I was so tired from waiting that I fell asleep."

"I've already told you, there's no need to force yourself to wait for me," Zhan Yunmei said. She had drunk some alcohol the night before, and her sleepiness was mixed with the effects of the alcohol. In addition, the comfortable and pleasant feeling of holding Hua Lang made her unable to open her eyes, and she spoke slowly and listlessly.

To Hua Lang, the first half of her sentence sounded like an accusation. Yes, she had said it many times before: there was no need to wait for him, yet he still brought it up so pettily, using it to test her.

Hua Lang chuckled to himself and remained silent.

"Why is he so silent?" Although Zhan Yunmei was sleepy, she was still conscious. She buried her face in the back of Hua Lang's neck and rubbed against him. She smelled the rich spicy scent on him, like smelling a piece of wood that exuded a woody fragrance. Her mind was a little confused, and she felt that the wood was soft.

So I took a bite.

It was indeed soft, warm, and had a spicy aroma.

She anticipated that Hua Lang would groan, but the tents were next to each other with little soundproofing. Before he could cry out in pain, she reached out and covered his low, ambiguous sobs with her hand.

Zhan Yunmei continued her caresses, having long since figured out Hua Lang's sensitive spots, specifically targeting those areas to elicit an uncontrollable urge.

Joy and sorrow swirled within Hua Lang's body.

The tearing pain on the back of his neck gradually eroded Hua Lang's consciousness. He tilted his head back and unconsciously moved further into the bed.

"Hua Lang..." Zhan Yunmei wasn't drunk before, but now she might really be a little drunk. However, it wouldn't hurt to indulge a little, she laughed.

The pain in the back of her neck continued to flare up, and she whispered, "I'm letting go, don't scream."

Hua Lang nodded with difficulty, and then she let go.

The moment she let go, she wanted to go back.

"It hurts..." Hua Lang groaned softly, his face turning red with anger after realizing that Zhan Yunmei had deliberately teased him.

She pinched his burning earlobe. "Is something wrong again? You're not behaving normally tonight."

Her breath was cool on his neck. Just as Hua Lang raised his hand to touch it, Zhan Yunmei pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms and waist around him.

Hua Lang couldn't move. She kicked her legs a few times in protest, "This servant is not abnormal. General, please don't hug me so tightly, it's hot."

"Is it hot? Hmm... just bear with it."

At this moment, Hua Lang felt wronged. She used to tolerate and go along with him. Was it because she had found someone better than him that she was no longer willing to spare him that little bit of patience?

Hua Lang was completely unable to move.

Let's go along with Zhan Yunmei's suggestion.

He moved gently, wanting to get completely into Zhan Yunmei's embrace.

Unexpectedly, Zhan Yunmei had already fallen into a light sleep. He thought Hua Lang was about to leave her embrace. She moved her lips, and his heart froze, then shattered into pieces.

"I told you not to move around."

She rejected his advances.

Hua Lang blinked, his pride shattered, tears falling along with it. He nodded stiffly, suppressing his trembling, "I understand."

However, she came back, at least she only played outside for one night and came back. During the day she was just busy with the autumn hunt, nothing more.

She probably still likes his body; she's just drunk right now.

Yes, then he still has a tiny, tiny bit of hope.

Hua Lang turned over, and Zhan Yunmei frowned as she was about to speak, but he stepped in front of her and hugged her.

She opened her eyes unexpectedly, only to see a head nestled in her arms. She stroked Hua Lang's nape. This gesture gave Hua Lang the strength to continue her thoughts.

After she fell asleep, Hua Lang slowly raised her head, her gaze fixed on the small box beside the bed.

Thankfully, thankfully, I took them with me when I left the general's mansion.

A note from the author:

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Sorry everyone, I was supposed to update on Thursday or Friday, but I was busy until very late on Thursday, and then I caught a cold on Friday. I was so tired and just wanted to sleep, thinking that a good night's rest would make me feel better. But when I woke up today, it was even worse. I have no energy and I'm still not better. My daytime was wasted too, and I only just finished writing this [crying emoji].