Chapter 110 The Whip, Punishment

Pei Siyan pulled out a delicate little leather whip from somewhere, stroking it with his fingertips. His dark, calm eyes seemed to be suppressing a small flame of excitement. "Want to try?"

She dared to provoke his bottom line like that, so she should bear the corresponding punishment.

Dou Wenyi felt a chill run through her body, her heart pounding in her chest, fearing that this madman would go berserk at any moment. "Your Highness, please let me explain."

He reached out and expertly pulled open her collar. "Fine, I'll listen to your excuses."

Dou Wenyi knew she was in the wrong; not only had she pawned those treasures behind his back, but today he had caught her red-handed. Her luck was truly terrible...

Her knuckles, hidden beneath her sleeve, were faintly white. Pei Siyan was always meticulous and calculating; who knew how he would react later? It seemed her plan couldn't be kept secret at all. If she didn't say something soon, she might really be doomed here today!

She hesitated before speaking, "Your Highness, I sought out Princess Fu'an because I wanted to join Zheng Zhilong's fleet and send the porcelain from the kilns overseas. I wanted to invest in his fleet."

Pei Siyan raised an eyebrow and said quietly, "Sea transport is very risky. Aren't you afraid of losing the 20,000 taels of silver you just scraped together?"

"In the second year of the Jingtai reign, Zhang Shijing's dozens of ships encountered a waterspout and were almost completely destroyed, with only a few people escaping with their lives. The priceless spices, porcelain, and silks were hidden in the sea and never saw the light of day again."

"Take the ships under the Princess's command, for example. Nearly a third of them were lost last year, and the crew has been replaced several times before they have gradually figured out a safe route. You can imagine how difficult it was."

"Why do you think Zheng Zhilong is exceptionally talented and will become one of the few lucky ones? Don't tell me you predicted it based on your dream?"

Her medical skills were indeed remarkable, but that did not mean she had a talent for business. For example, she sold a white jade chessboard worth more than six thousand taels for a mere one thousand taels and still felt that she had not lost out.

“Your Highness, if you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. At least many of the things I predicted have happened.” Dou Wenyi sighed inwardly.

Without warning, Pei Siyan lowered his head and sealed her lips with his, a near-rampant act of plunder, his tongue entwining with hers...

"Mmm...mmm..."

"Next time, if you dare to look at other men again, I will not let you off easily!" Just as she was about to suffocate, he finally released her with lingering desire, pointing meaningfully at the leather whip.

Dou Wenyi's pupils suddenly contracted, and her face turned deathly pale. He wouldn't actually whip her a few times, would he?

"Don't worry, this is just a little thing to enhance the experience in bed, it won't hurt!"

Dou Wenyi's face turned even uglier.

Pei Siyan toned down his intimidating aura, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Why are you making such a fuss? Are you short of money, or what are you planning to do?"

Dou Wenyi crawled out of his arms and sat on a chair next to him.

After calming herself down, she spoke slowly, "It's not that I'm short of money, it's that you are. To be precise, it's that the Great Zhou's treasury is short of money!"

"Oh? You're so concerned about the country and its people?" Pei Siyan lowered his eyes, taking in her unease and fear.

She is like a delicate flower ravaged by wind and rain, or an elegant bamboo, fragile yet resilient, embodying the most precious patriotism and concern for the people in the world!

This makes it seem like he, the crown prince of the Great Zhou, is neglecting his duties. What should we do?

The more he understood her beauty, the more he couldn't control his emotions, the more he wanted to possess her completely, and the more he hoped that she could trust and rely on him without reservation.

"You even know these things?" His voice was warm and pleasant, yet it contained a hidden sharpness.

"I do know some of it."

"So, you really can predict the future?"

Dou Wenyi nodded, then shook her head.

"Tell me about it?" Pei Siyan's sharp gaze was fixed on her flawless face, clearly showing interest.

"For example, Consort Jiang will replace Consort Tan as Emperor Muzong's most favored consort; the Zhang family will encounter trouble; there will be an extremely cold winter this year, along with a plague; and the Western Barbarians and the Northern Barbarians will both wage war against us..."

With each additional word she spoke, Pei Siyan's face darkened further, but he continued to stare intently, gesturing for her to continue.

Dou Wenyi's eyes were clear and bright as she spoke mysteriously, "For example, when will His Majesty pass away, and who will be the new emperor? When will we go to war with the Northern Barbarians, and will we win? For example, who is your white moonlight, and how did I die!"

She chuckled, "I wish I had that kind of supernatural power too, but too much intelligence leads to a short life, I really don't know."

Pei Siyan's expression changed several times, and he vaguely sensed that her words were not an exaggeration.

Even though she repeatedly denied those statements, the situation between the Western Barbarians and the Northern Barbarians was kept extremely secret from the Great Zhou. Even her father, Dou Bochang, and other important officials in the Ministry of Justice were unaware of the tense situation on the border.

How could a young woman like her, confined to her room, know this?

Take Jiang Wan's identity for example; his people actually found some suspicious points.

Although it sounded unbelievable to others, he believed she truly knew. Unlike those sorcerers who could glimpse the secrets of heaven, she didn't rely on dreams for predictions; perhaps she had some other extraordinary encounter...

Pei Siyan was filled with thoughts, but the only thing he was sure of was that she didn't trust him and still had many things she was hiding from him.

He frowned, his expression unusually serious. "So, the person you really want to get close to is Zheng Zhilong, not the Princess?"

Dou Wenyi nodded slightly. However, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, those who could participate in naval navigation were all high-ranking officials and nobles. They needed the protection of the government to be qualified to sail at sea. Therefore, even if Zheng Zhilong had real skills, he could only rely on the Princess.

"And then what?"

"Stockpile grain, stockpile medicinal herbs..."

Pei Siyan's phoenix eyes darkened, and he made up his mind. "I will have someone keep an eye out."

Dou Wenyi breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing his words. “Pei Siyan, you are the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou. You are responsible for the lives of countless people and are the true future ruler. I hope that one day you can enable the people of the Great Zhou to live a peaceful and prosperous life.”

Now, the Great Zhou's treasury is empty, corruption is rampant, and it is facing a once-in-a-century winter.

Even the court officials were in arrears with their stipends. As the year drew to a close, Emperor Muzong even used a bunch of useless spices to replace the stipends, not to mention how difficult life was for ordinary people.

In the face of such a catastrophe, everywhere was littered with the horrific sight of starving corpses. If he had been prepared, perhaps far fewer people would have died.

Pei Siyan suddenly stood up and approached her, a surge of heat surging in his chest, as if it were about to explode. This was the second time she had mentioned Hai Yanqinghe, so dazzling and pure, making one feel tenderness for her.

In that instant, it was as if the souls of Lian'er in my memory and her in reality had merged!

Perhaps, she was the one he had been searching for all along—Lian'er.

Pei Siyan carefully pulled her into his arms, his voice low and husky, "Yi'er, don't say these things to anyone else. From now on, you should stay by my side, because only I can protect you."

He could sense her unusual behavior, and it was hard to guarantee that Prince Rui wouldn't either. At that point, who knew what kind of turmoil she would be drawn into?

In the silence, the rapid sound of horses' hooves came from the street below. Pei Siyan squinted and glanced down at them.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Chi Yan's voice rang out, "Your Highness, the Imperial City Guard is heading towards this area, saying they are investigating the remnants of the rebel king."