Chapter 193 Holding him in my arms and kneading him roughly

The red mark around her fair wrist was indeed quite noticeable.

The guard looked troubled. "This..."

If the Crown Prince finds out that he injured the lady of Qingfang Palace, he will probably be punished with a beating.

"Just kidding. You just saved me. As long as you tell me your name, I'll let bygones be bygones."

The guard's face stiffened, his voice hoarse, "Lan Ye."

Jiang Zhi smiled and bent down to look at him curiously, "Lan Ye, your lightness skill is quite good, somewhat like—"

She paused, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, so quick it was almost impossible to catch, "Like the person who knocked me unconscious and kidnapped me that night."

Lan Ye lowered his head even further, "This humble servant is merely following orders."

Jiang Zhi straightened up, holding the hand warmer in her hands, her smile not reaching her eyes, "I know, I didn't mean to blame you."

Since that's the case, I won't feel guilty about taking advantage of him a little.

Before they had exchanged more than a few words, the two maids returned with the items.

As night fell silently, he disappeared into the shadows, and his figure was nowhere to be seen again.

That night, Xiao Xuanyou came to Qingfang Palace as usual and frowned when he saw the marks on Jiang Zhi's wrist, asking her how she got hurt.

Jiang Zhi simply said that she had bumped into the bracelet and brushed it off.

Xiao Xuanyou didn't take it to heart and stayed at her place as usual.

Before dawn the next day, Xiao Xuanyou got up quietly so as not to wake Jiang Zhi, who was still fast asleep. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to get out of bed, Jiang Zhi grabbed his sleeve.

"Why are you up so early?" She was still asleep, her voice soft and mumbling.

Xiao Xuanyou chuckled, leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Did I wake you? Sleep a little longer. I'll have lunch with you when I get back today."

He then took a step to leave.

Jiang Zhi still wouldn't let go, saying, "It's so cold, please keep warm for me, my hands and feet are freezing."

The good thing about him being there is that I don't need a hot water bottle to sleep at night.

Xiao Xuanyou felt helpless, but he rarely saw her so dependent on him, and he felt extremely pleased and at ease, so he lay back down.

"good."

He held her hands in his arms, then used his strong legs to hold her calves, using his body heat to warm the bed for her.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xiao Xuanyou saw that Jiang Zhi's breathing was deep and even, indicating that she had fallen asleep, and then he decided to get up.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he made a move, Jiang Zhi wrapped her arms around him again, saying, "I can't sleep because you woke me up, so I'll punish you by making you change my clothes."

She sat up on the couch, her black hair cascading over her shoulders, her skin as white as snow, and her eyes still soft from just waking up. Compared to her usual aloof and dignified demeanor, she possessed a more unconsciously languid and alluring charm.

Xiao Xuanyou had never seen her like this before.

He gasped for breath, his heart skipped a beat, and he longed to hold her in his arms and caress her tightly.

"I would gladly die for your command." He took the outer robe from the rack and condescended to put it on her.

Jiang Zhi pestered him to draw her eyebrows again, and seeing that the sun was already high, she finally took pity on Xiao Xuanyou and let him leave.

She sat in front of the bronze mirror, casually combing her hair, a smile playing on her lips.

Sure enough, not long after Xiao Xuanyou left, an uninvited guest arrived.

She was a female official in her early thirties, dressed in palace attire, with a thin face.

Her hair was tightly tied back with an ebony hairpin, not a single stray hair was missing, and her gaze on Jiang Zhi carried a rigid coldness.

"Now that you've entered the Eastern Palace, there are some rules you should know. Not content with your nightly entanglements, you even managed to entice the Lord to sleep in late this morning, causing him to miss court. Where did you learn such seductive tricks?"

Jiang Zhi couldn't help but scoff inwardly.

This female official in the backyard of the Eastern Palace is no ordinary person. She was bestowed upon Xiao Xuanyou by the Empress when the Crown Princess was conferred her title, and everyone calls her Aunt Qingxuan.

The Empress wanted her to help Xiao Xuanyou manage the inner court and prevent him from indulging in romantic affairs, lest he not only harm his health but also neglect matters of state.

In her previous life, when Jiang Zhi was summoned to the palace by the Empress, she had seen Aunt Qingxuan by the Empress's side.

At that time, Qingxuan looked at her with nothing but criticism and dissatisfaction. If it weren't for the presence of the Empress, she probably would have already had her, a lowly courtesan, thrown out.

Even so, when the Empress asked her to escort her out of the palace, Qingxuan's cold and mocking words still echoed in her ears: "Miss Jiang has long since lost her reputation, yet instead of committing suicide to atone for her sins, she takes pride in selling her smiles at the door. It is truly astonishing."

Her words weren't even insults, but they felt like a slap in the face to Jiang Zhi, leaving her head bowed and unable to utter a word in rebuttal.

But Jiang Zhi is no longer afraid of her.

"If you behave yourself, you will still have a place in the Eastern Palace. But if you dare to bewitch the Emperor again, you will have to experience the ways of the palace."

As soon as Aunt Qingxuan finished speaking, Jiang Zhi squinted and walked up to her.

Her rigid and cold expression remained unchanged, her lips pressed into a straight line.

Just like in her previous life, she's still annoying.

"Smack!"

Before the other person could react, Jiang Zhi slapped him hard across the face.

"Who do you think you are? His Highness the Crown Prince dotes on me and can't be without me every night. Are you just jealous or envious?"

Jiang Zhi's face showed indignation, perfectly portraying a woman who was arrogant and domineering because of her favor.

Although it was acting, the slaps were real.

Whether the other person was uncomfortable or not is unknown, but Jiang Zhi certainly enjoyed it.

Aunt Qingxuan held immense power in the palace. Not only newcomers to the palace, but even veterans who had been there for several years dared not act recklessly in her presence.

But now, someone has actually slapped him across the face!

She covered half her face, and the calm expression on her face instantly cracked.

"I thought you were someone who knew your place and knew when to advance or retreat, but I didn't expect you to be so short-sighted," she said, laughing angrily. "You've wasted my breath."

“With the Crown Prince doting on me so much, I’m sure I’ll become the Empress of the Nation someday,” Jiang Zhi said with a flippant raised eyebrow. “If you treat me with respect now, I might grant you the title of Noble Lady. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a world of hurt later!”

"Insolence!" Aunt Qingxuan was finally enraged. "Wishful thinking! Your mouth is full of foul language. How could someone as noble and unparalleled as the Crown Prince possibly take a fancy to a woman like you?"

“There’s nothing I can do. The Crown Prince just likes someone like me,” Jiang Zhi said, resting her chin on her hand with a touch of self-pity. “He hates women who use dogma to discipline others, who are rigid and malicious.”

Qingxuan's chest heaved with anger. "Fine, very well. I hope my wife can stay this smug!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeve and left Qingfang Palace.

She was determined to let the Empress know just how much of a woman His Highness the Crown Prince was hiding in the Eastern Palace!

The two maids outside the door were so frightened that they didn't dare to breathe.

This is Aunt Qingxuan, the Empress's right-hand woman, an elder in the palace, who values ​​rules and etiquette the most.

How dare my wife slap and talk back to me like that? Does she think she's lived too long?