Chapter 71: Even the King of Pleasures wants to enjoy himself for a while.

The tone of the King of Jin's voice was not loud, but when it fell into Cong Ying's ears, every word was as clear as falling pearls.

"As long as you break off your engagement with the Xie family, you won't have to go against your master's position. Although Old Censor Jiang has offended her, the Jiang family is now disbanded. With your repeated secret assistance, your master will no longer doubt you. As long as you agree, Ah Ying..."

Cong Ying shook her head gently, her attitude gentle yet firm: "I will not break off my engagement with Saburo, Your Highness."

"How can you be so stubborn!"

Cong Ying lowered her brows and smiled, explaining, "Your Majesty and the Xie family have a long-standing feud and are political enemies. If I marry into the Xie family, I can concentrate on my studies, oblivious to their disputes, and harm your Majesty. But if I become your Majesty's official, earning a salary and serving loyally, I will inevitably do things that harm Sanlang and Madam Xie. Repaying kindness with enmity is not my wish."

She is not a person who is good at flattery, but if you try to reason with her, you will not get the upper hand.

Prince Jin was speechless for a long time after hearing her words. He sighed, "You think about Mrs. Xie and your master, but have you ever thought about yourself? Being confined to the harem is not the life you longed for."

Cong Ying asked in return, "Your Highness, how do you know I don't want to? You are not a fish, so how can you know the joy of a fish?"

The King of Jin was practically amused by her tactless words and retorted, "You are not me, so how do you know that I don't know the joy of fish?"

In her previous life, she had been married for several years. She lived in the Xie family's backyard, but her heart was nowhere to be found. She didn't like to play mahjong with others, nor did she like to go out for banquets and socialize. She spent the whole day in gloomy thought, taking care of the flowers and plants in the yard and the dead books in the room, and she rarely smiled.

At that time, he mistakenly thought that she didn't like him, but was thinking about other wild men outside, such as Du Rupan.

Third Young Master Xie was proud and refused to be coaxed, so the couple never opened up to each other. It wasn't until today, when he saw her from afar, radiantly standing on the high altar, putting the proud to shame and attracting the attention of the noble, that he finally understood what she truly desired.

Thinking of all the grievances she had endured in her past life, the Prince of Jin softened his tone and gently advised her, "You don't have to be a wife of the Xie family, nor do you have to be a subject of your master. You can be the Princess of Jin. This position will allow you to assist your master and take care of the Xie family. Moreover, you won't be bound by the rules of aristocratic families. Whether you want to take in orphans or establish a school, I will do whatever you want."

Cong Ying was stunned for a moment, feeling both shocked and confused: Why did the King of Jin treat her like this?

She asked in confusion, "What is it that Your Highness is seeking?"

The King of Jin said, "I have told you before that what I ask is that you may have whatever you desire in this lifetime."

Cong Ying sighed and said, "I cannot bear your highness's deep kindness, and I cannot betray Sanlang's affection... Your highness, this is what I wish for."

"You...are simply stubborn!"

Prince Jin was so angry that he held his chest and gasped deeply, forcing himself to swallow the rising blood back into his stomach. He looked like a sick crane washed by frost and dew, with red lips and pale face. Only a pair of dark eyes like pearls and jade were staring at her intently.

The deeper the love, the deeper the hatred...it turns out to be the hatred of being unable to live up to expectations.

Cong Ying didn't dare to look him in the eye, and silently bowed her head and said, "Your Highness, Prince Jin, I will take my leave..."

＊

When Cong Ying returned home, dusk was drawing to a close. Zi Su was standing beneath the screen wall, hanging a lit lantern from the eaves. Seeing Cong Ying return, she raised her chin toward the upper room and whispered, "The Third Young Master has been here for a long time and hasn't left yet."

Cong Ying nodded, said he understood, straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and then stepped through the second door.

It was peony season, with crimson and purple vying for beauty. In the dim light, Xie Xuanlan, dressed in a crimson robe, stood with his hands behind his back, instructing Cong He on how to discern distance by listening to sounds and draw his bow to shoot at sparrows perched on the target.

The peony branches swayed in the wind past the corners of his clothes, the ripples of his brocade robe resembled flowing water, and he stood still like the moon in the water.

Only the corners of his eyes were slightly curved upwards, as if the only remaining sunlight in the dark courtyard was gathered by him and poured into his dark pupils, which were almost dazzling.

Zong Ying's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and the image of King Jin appeared in her mind. She hurriedly lowered her head and calmed down.

It's really strange, how are they similar?

She thinks of Sanlang when she sees Prince Jin, and thinks of Prince Jin when she sees Sanlang. Is she crazy?

"Are you back?"

Xie Xuanlan walked towards her with a slight smile on his face and a calm tone. He did not look unhappy, nor did he seem to want to get to the bottom of things.

"Sister! Sister!" Cong He put down his bow and rushed into Cong Ying's arms like a little deer.

She had been recuperating in good health during her time at Xuandu Temple, and the collision was very strong, almost knocking Zong Ying over. Fortunately, Xie Xuanlan held her steadily and held her shoulders from behind.

Cong He was a little embarrassed: "I'm so happy, sister, I can shoot at fifty paces!"

Xie Xuanlan smiled and said, "If you can shoot three arrows in one breath, it will be even more powerful."

Cong He straightened up when he heard this: "I'll go practice now!"

After saying that, he actually stopped sticking to Cong Ying, walked over, drew his bow and arrow, and shot at the target.

Cong Ying couldn't help but wonder: "Why does she listen to you so much?"

Xie Xuanlan said, "I promised that if she could hit three targets within a breath, I would give her a rhinoceros horn and ox sinew bow and take her to the Fengchen Guards' training ground to compete with the bowmen under my command."

Cong Ying couldn't help but laugh after hearing this: "As long as she's happy, I'm glad. I haven't figured out how to tell her about mother and brother yet."

"She already knows."

Cong Ying was slightly stunned: "Huh?"

Xie Xuanlan explained, "I picked her up from Xuandu Temple and brought her to Jisu Garden. She walked around and asked about you first, then about my mother and my brother. I told her that my brother had gotten into trouble and that my mother had taken him out of the capital and that he would never come back. Ah He was stunned for a moment, then smiled again and said, 'As long as my sister still wants me, that's all I need.'"

After hearing this, Congying felt sad and soft in the heart. She turned her face away and pressed the corner of her eyes.

"So, Ah Ying," Xie Xuanlan's voice fell gently into her ears, "Don't hesitate to do what you want to do. Don't sacrifice yourself for others. Ah He and I both hope for the best for you."

He was referring to the Jiang family's past, but unexpectedly, after hearing this, Cong Ying raised her voice slightly: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Xie Xuanlan frowned and looked at her.

"When have I ever been hesitant, or when have I ever wronged myself? I... I haven't..."

Seeing his puzzled expression, Cong Ying realized that she was being overly sensitive and suspicious because of King Jin's words, so she gradually fell silent.

Xie Xuanlan smiled and said, "Why? Who provoked you?"

Cong Ying was silent for a moment, then shook his head gently: "Sanlang, come with me."

Xie Xuanlan sensed that she was preoccupied, but he didn't know why, so he had no choice but to follow her through the moon-shaped gate, along the wind and rain corridor, through clusters of gorgeous peonies, and pushed the door open to walk into the upper room where she lived.

The lights in the upper room have not been turned on yet, the afterglow is dim and the shadows are hazy.

Cong Ying took his hand and walked up the stone steps in front of the bedroom, then pushed the door open with a creak.

Xie Xuanlan paused on the steps, raised his eyes and looked at Cong Ying. He saw that her long eyelashes were slightly lowered, and she bit her lips lightly without saying a word. The shadows of the ice cracks on the door were reflected on her face, swaying gently in the wind, like tear marks on rippling water.

She didn't rush him, nor did she drive him away. She just tilted her head and waited.

Just like the beautiful peony in the courtyard that brushes against your clothes unintentionally but leaves a lingering fragrance.

Xie Xuanlan's thoughts were in a mess. He dared to think but not to believe. He only felt his heart beating like a drum and his soul was possessed by his expression. He followed her into the house involuntarily and closed the door behind him.

Click.

The sound of the lock being locked severed the thread of clarity. Cong Ying turned and threw herself into his arms. Then her jaw was lifted up and a cold and eager kiss fell upon her.

The shallow pecking gradually turned into deep grinding, their breaths intertwined, and gradually went down, and the hairpin and ring both fell to the ground.

Xie Xuanlan's hands grasped the tie around her waist, and his eager breaths fell into her ears: "Is it really possible?"

Cong Ying said nothing. After her breathing calmed down a bit, she climbed up his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips.

In this way, countless worries were thrown behind her. Even if the king of heaven knocked on the door today, she would still enjoy herself for a while. Xie Xuanlan picked her up by the waist, turned around the screen, lifted the bead curtain, and stepped into the bed.

There was a dressing table on the outside of the bed and a tent couch on the inside. Xie Xuanlan held her against the dressing table, unwilling to let go of his lips and teeth, while loosening her hair and undressing her. His fingers with distinct joints and slightly calloused skin lingered along her spine, as if caressing a rare treasure, and he was extremely restrained and couldn't let go.

I lowered my hand and felt a hard object protruding from the upper half of the dressing table. I wanted to push the object down, but suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my heart.

When he raised his hand, he saw a deep cut on himself, with blood oozing out.

Cong Ying suddenly woke up with a start: "San Lang!"

She quickly pushed him up, used a tinder to light the crane-patterned lamp, and looked everywhere for something to bandage him.

Xie Xuanlan was burning with anger. He casually pulled her belt to wrap it around him, then bent down and kissed her: "It's okay, don't worry about it..."

Cong Ying's belt was made of light green gauze. She saw the bloodstains seeping through layer by layer, like blooming blood-colored frost flowers. Her heart skipped a beat and she refused to fight with him anymore. She hurriedly put on her clothes, tied her hair, and went out to find some hemostatic powder and bandages.

Xie Xuanlan leaned against the rose chair, closed his eyes and calmed down the burning desire in his body. He put his injured hand on the armrest and let her do what she wanted.

...I have maintained a calm mind for twenty-three years, but today I realize it is just a drop in the bucket.

After a long while, Ying Ying apologized and whispered, "Just bandage it up briefly, but you still need to see a doctor to avoid scarring."

From the sound of it, it seems that he is not allowed to stay tonight.

Xie Xuanlan sighed and picked up the culprit from the dressing table. Seeing that it was a half bronze mirror, it looked very familiar. He couldn't help but frown and said, "Why is this thing here with you? And you put it next to the bed?"

Cong Ying thought he was unhappy about being injured, so she explained, "This is the Mirror of the World given to me by the Crimson Cloud Crown Master. It has some history, and I just thought it was fun."

"A gift from the Master of the Crimson Cloud Crown?"

Xie Xuanlan was surprised and took a closer look, only to discover that the back of the bronze mirror had the words "世" (world) and "鉴" (mirror) written on it, not "照" (reflection) or "宝" (treasure). In other words, it wasn't the two halves that Prince Jin had taken away.

"世" and "鉴" are half a mirror, but "照" and "宝" are two half mirrors. This is really weird.

Xie Xuanlan sneered: "Prince Jin also has half, I thought he gave it to you."

When King Jin was suddenly mentioned, Cong Ying's eyes flickered.

Xie Xuanlan didn't miss the change in her expression and asked tentatively, "You met him today. Did he say anything to you?"

Cong Ying didn't comment, but only said, "Sanlang, you have to be careful of King Jin."