136 · Chapter 136

Yun Rong proposed exchanging the value simply because she was terrified.

After Yan Jiarou revealed to Xiao Che the truth about being secretly abused by Lü Zhu, Xiao Che immediately ordered Lü Zhu to be sent to the Yeting Palace. That night, she was flogged thirty times, and when she was recognized in the Yeting Palace the next day, she had lost her left hand.

She twisted and pinched Yan Jiarou's arm with her left hand, and he then crippled her left hand.

Yan Jiarou now has a deep understanding of how much Xiao Che favors her.

But Yan Jiarou seemed unconvinced: "...He wasn't standing up for me. Forget it...I can't reason with you guys."

It's no wonder Yan Jiarou didn't believe it, because after executing Lü Zhu, Xiao Che had given her a long lecture: "You think I did this to avenge you? Yan Jiarou, don't flatter yourself. This is called making an example of someone. If you don't behave, that's what will happen to you."

In fact, the reason why Yunrong became friends with her was because of the name Xiao Che gave her, which was quite similar to her mother's name.

Her mother was named Lianrou, because her maternal grandmother's name contained the character "rou" (柔), and her maternal grandfather loved her maternal grandmother very much, so he gave her mother such a name.

Lian Rou and Mu Xiao, aren't they just similar in nature?

Xiao and Xiao are homophones... So that's why Xiao Che gave her this name.

Should I make her fall in love with him?

That's fine.

He had loved her for over ten years, a love that was both painful and exhausting. For the rest of his life, he would let her love him instead.

It's not fair to blame Yun Rong for being afraid to go to the Zichen Palace that day. It was just after the Green Pearl incident, so everyone was naturally on edge. And on that particular day, Xiao Che had mistakenly drunk deer blood wine.

As everyone knows, this wine can enhance sexual function. On his way back to the Zichen Palace that day, Xiao Che was already feeling restless, and the corners of his eyes were red.

Xiao Che was a man who was indifferent to women and cold-hearted. Any palace maid who tried to seduce him usually met a bad end.

Yunrong feared that after he drank the medicated wine, he might impulsively use the palace maids around him as an antidote, only to regret it upon waking up and inevitably take his anger out on them.

If that's the case, then for her, who is on duty tonight, it's truly an undeserved disaster.

The only solution now is to find Yan Jiarou to take her place. Firstly, rumors are rampant in the palace, and she may have already done this with Xiao Che, so it won't make a difference if she does it again.

Secondly, Xiao Che dotes on Yan Jiarou even more, so even if there is any conflict, he probably won't hold it against her.

She then begged Yan Jiarou to agree to help her with her shift.

Yan Jiarou was soft-hearted, and seeing Yun Rong's desperate pleas, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. However, she had her concerns: "...No, if I go to the inner palace to stand guard while he's mistakenly drinking the deer blood wine, he'll definitely think I'm seducing him..."

Yun Rong was taken aback. He looked up at her beautiful and charming face, which was more beautiful than a begonia. His gaze moved down to her ample bosom and slender waist. He thought to himself, "Have you been seducing him a lot lately?"

However, she didn't reveal the truth at the time, and just kept crying, saying that her legs were so scared that she was destined not to be able to work tonight. If Yan Jiarou refused to help her and offended the emperor, she would only have one way out: death.

Yan Jiarou was simple-minded and easily swayed. In the end, she couldn't resist her pleading and said, "Alright, stop crying and stop saying such things. You'll be fine. I'll help you."

She thought that Yun Rong was about the same height as her, and her eyes were somewhat similar. If she wore a veil and changed into her lantern-bearing maid's clothes, Xiao Che should not find out that she was an imposter.

This way, I can help Yun Rong without exposing myself.

Yes, that's what we did. She's very smart!

Inside the Zichen Palace, all the palace servants had been dismissed by Xiao Che and sent outside.

Deep within the bedchamber, bright yellow curtains hung low, and all was silent except for the faint sound of a man's low, suppressed breathing.

A hand emerged from the gap in the bed curtains and rested on the edge of the bed. The fingers slowly closed, and the veins on the back of the hand were bulging and knotted under the fair skin, like a bowstring stretched to its limit, showing that it was trying its best to endure something.

Suddenly, the palace door creaked open from the outside.

Someone was slowly walking towards him.

As he approached and stopped behind the curtain, the delicate fragrance of flowers had already filled his nostrils, and he immediately recognized who it was.

Before he could speak, the figure outside the curtain gracefully curtsied, seemingly holding a lacquered tray in her hand, and deliberately lowered her voice: "Your Majesty, Yunrong has brought you some hangover soup, which may alleviate your discomfort."

Yunrong?

Xiao Che frowned slightly inside the tent.

What is that silly girl Yan Jiarou up to now?

Yan Jiarou was bowing, waiting for Xiao Che to speak, but after a while there was still no movement. Just as she was about to try to speak, the bright yellow curtain was suddenly lifted from the inside.

Yan Jiarou was startled and subconsciously looked up, only to meet Xiao Che's eyes.

Her glassy eyes were tinged with passion, and the corners of her eyes were faintly tinged with red.

Her usually jade-like face was now flushed with a faint blush, and her breathing was much heavier than usual.

His eyes were misty, giving them a slightly drunken, hazy look that made them all the more alluring and enticing, tempting women to risk their lives for him.

Moving the gaze downwards, one sees his slightly loosened snow-white nightgown, revealing clearly defined muscles. He has broad shoulders and back, but his waist and abdomen are extremely narrow, with bulging veins running down his back, disappearing slightly below his V-line...

Yan Jiarou seemed to have thought of something, and her face, hidden under her veil, immediately burned with embarrassment.

The back of his hand, his waist and abdomen, and... there, how come he was surrounded by Qingjing everywhere.

She pursed her lips, thinking to herself that the deer blood wine was indeed potent. Xiao Che's current state was no different from when she herself had suffered a strange illness.

He must be in so much pain. She couldn't bear to see him suffer even a little bit. She wanted to help him so badly...

Xiao Che looked at her; her light-colored eyes were already swayed by lust, yet a trace of clarity remained.

His scrutinizing gaze swept over her face inch by inch.

Yan Jiarou was startled and immediately lowered her head.

A soft chuckle came from above, accompanied by a low pant. He paused for a moment, then asked with a playful tone, "Yun Rong?"

Yan Jiarou was taken aback, and it took her a while to realize that she was being addressed: "This servant is here."

"Why would you wear a veil for no reason?"

“...This servant has recently developed a rash on her face, which is unsightly and I fear it may offend Your Majesty.”

Xiao Che responded in a hoarse voice, "Oh?"

He noticed that she had specially changed into palace attire, so it seemed that she was really serious about impersonating Yun Rong. But why would she pretend to be someone else and come to him for no reason?

Did he think he wouldn't recognize her just because she was wearing a veil? This idiot, does he really think all those times in bed were for nothing?

No, what on earth is she thinking?

He chuckled very softly, his gaze suddenly falling on her front. Perhaps she had changed into her palace attire in too much of a hurry and hadn't had time to tidy herself up properly. Besides, the size of other people's clothes didn't fit her well, and the collar was too low for her. With her half-bowed posture, from his angle, he could just see the curves of her breasts, the half-exposed, voluptuous flesh, dazzlingly white...

His eyes darkened for a moment, and he felt his body becoming increasingly restless. The blood vessels on the side of his neck throbbed, eager to find an outlet.

He originally intended to weather the storm on his own, but he has now changed his mind.

The silly rabbit, oblivious to his impending doom, came knocking on his door again, trying to seduce him with seductive poses. Coming at this crucial moment, does she really want to be roughed up by him? Has she been raised too lowly?

Indeed, how could a body that had been trained by him possibly be able to leave him?

But I was still afraid he wouldn't agree, so I pretended to be someone else?

Well, he hasn't vented his anger yet. Just because he doesn't want to touch her doesn't mean he doesn't want to touch "others".

Why not enjoy the rabbit meat that's been delivered to your door?

Seeing that there was still no movement from above, Yan Jiarou cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, hangover soup?" After delivering the hangover soup, she should be able to leave, right? For some reason, she felt uneasy, as if she was being watched by something. Was this palace unclean today?

Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Che reached out and pulled her into his arms. Caught off guard, she couldn't help but cry out in surprise. The lacquer tray in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter, spilling soup all over her. She was soaked and felt sticky and uncomfortable. Her spoiled princess temper flared up again, but she didn't dare to get angry. She could only call out to him in a wronged tone, "Your Majesty..."

Ugh, why is he doing this again... He should have told her before hugging her. She wouldn't have refused.

...Huh? But why is he hugging her? Isn't she "Yun Rong" now?

Before she could think further, his hot breath enveloped her from behind. He leaned against her neck, chuckled softly, and said in a hoarse voice, "Why bother with hangover soup? The antidote is right here."

Yan Jiarou blinked, turned her head slightly, and her beautiful, clear eyes revealed a hint of confusion: "...A ready-made antidote?"

"Hmm." Xiao Che chuckled enigmatically. His large hand slowly caressed her mouth, her clothes, damp with soup, clung to her body, making her mouth appear even more prominent.

It is white, smooth, and tender, like solidified fat.

But he was brutally violated without any pity.

"So delicious, so white, it's like I'm carrying a pair of little rabbits."

Xiao Che chuckled softly, deliberately leaning close to her ear, his tone light and teasing, with a hint of mischievousness: "How about I call you Little Rabbit?"

Yan Jiarou's face was flushed from being rubbed, and her head was spinning. She just nodded obediently and said, "Okay..."

But... something seems off. Her mind slowly raced, and she vaguely thought: Her zodiac sign is Rabbit, and Xiao Che said that she was born fair and soft, cute and timid, just like a little rabbit, so he sometimes called her that.

Isn't this her exclusive title? She's now called "Yunrong," so why does Xiao Che call her that too?

Her eyes immediately welled up with tears; she was unhappy.

And only then did she belatedly realize that Xiao Che had just rubbed her breasts! How could he rub "Yun Rong's" breasts? He could only rub hers.

She's really getting angry.

She tried to push him away, but Xiao Che was too strong, and she couldn't budge him. She was both angry and upset, but couldn't show it, so she could only whisper, "Your Majesty, please don't do this..."

"How am I, hmm?"

Xiao Che looked at her with a half-smile, and lightly lifted her chin with his fingers.

The scorching heat slowly approached, and he suppressed a low, panting voice: "I eat the king's food, and I share the king's worries."

"Your Majesty, I have mistakenly drunk deer blood wine and am feeling unwell. You should know how to help me, shouldn't you?"