Chapter 38: "Then I'll just take you by force, won't I?"
The sound of Yun Sheng's heartbeat almost drowned out Xiao Xu's voice.
"No……"
She tried to remain calm and deny it, but her voice was already trembling with guilt.
She didn't come to her senses until the soldiers in front of the palace gates saluted loudly.
She steadied her voice and repeated, "I didn't mean to prove anything. I just heard Azhi mention this today, so I just told you casually."
Yun Sheng changed the subject: "By the way, I saw Azhi in the palace today. Azhi and several other young ladies will also be performing at the palace banquet, so I've been able to see her whenever I come to the palace these past few days."
"She came to chat with me for a while, so I was delayed for a bit and ended up practicing a little later."
"My practice today went quite smoothly. The tone of that zither is excellent. As long as I practice diligently, I'm sure I'll be fine for the palace banquet. That's why I want to come earlier tomorrow."
"However, I will not go with you. Even if I go earlier, it will not be earlier than the time when you go to court."
Yun Sheng kept rambling on and on until they boarded the carriage.
She glared at him, annoyed: "Why am I the one doing all the talking?"
What are you looking at?
She seemed unaware that her earlier chattering out of guilt was quite endearing.
Xiao Xu raised the corners of his mouth, his gaze moving from her opening and closing lips to meeting her eyes: "Look at you."
Yun Sheng immediately raised her hand to cover her mouth and stepped back.
This action elicited a soft chuckle from Xiao Xu.
Where could she hide in the enclosed space of the carriage? The furthest she could go was within arm's reach of being pulled back.
When Yun Sheng's wrist was grasped, with a slight jolt of the carriage, she fell into his arms without Xiao Xu even having to exert much force.
Yun Sheng was pressed into the corner of the carriage and had no choice but to share a long kiss with Xiao Xu.
After they separated, Yun Sheng was panting heavily. She pursed her lips, which were burning and numb from the kiss, turned her head away, and did not go any further, nor did she speak to Xiao Xu again.
As the carriage drove through the streets, the commotion kept the intimate, ambiguous atmosphere inside lingering.
Xiao Xu sighed softly, "I have something important to tell you in detail, but if you don't pay attention to me, there's no way to talk about it."
Yun Sheng ignored him, as if she hadn't heard him.
Xiao Xu said, "It's a very important matter."
Yun Sheng couldn't see his expression, but he sounded very serious. After hesitating for a moment, she turned back to look at him.
Xiao Xu returned her gaze, as if he wouldn't continue speaking if she ignored him.
"What is the important matter?"
As soon as she spoke, Xiao Xu's eyes crinkled with laughter.
Yun Sheng immediately realized she had been tricked: "You lied to me?"
Xiao Xu quickly grabbed her hand as she tried to push him away: "No, I have something important to discuss."
Yun Sheng's hand was gripped in his palm.
Xiao Xu said slowly, "I will attend the palace banquet on Qixi Festival, and I will be with you then."
"..."
After Xiao Xu finished speaking, Yun Sheng didn't react for a long time.
Only after he squeezed her fingers did Yun Sheng say, "Are you done?"
Xiao Xu frowned slightly. Although he had indeed brought up this trivial matter to coax her into paying attention to him, Yun Sheng's reaction was too indifferent.
"You don't want me to come with you?"
Yun Sheng muttered, "What do you mean, 'come with me'? We won't be together."
Yun Sheng noticed a rare look of confusion in Xiao Xu's eyes.
She gave him a few more strange looks, and when she realized he was genuinely puzzled, she couldn't help but be surprised: "Don't you know that men and women are seated separately at the Qixi Palace Banquet? We're not in the same place."
A moment of silence fell over the carriage.
Yun Sheng gradually realized that it was understandable that Xiao Xu seemed unaware, as he had never attended the Qixi Palace Banquet before.
Unlike other banquets, the Qixi Palace Banquet imitates the theme of the Magpie Bridge meeting. The palace specially set up a Milky Way scene, with a winding stream as the boundary. The female relatives followed the Imperial Concubine to the pavilions and terraces on the south bank to enjoy the Qiqiao Festival, showing the beauty and ingenuity of the girls. The emperor and his ministers followed His Majesty to the north bank to compose poems, write couplets, and appreciate calligraphy and painting.
Although the sounds of string and wind instruments could be heard and the lights could be seen, the people on the opposite bank could not be seen due to the water mist.
Xiao Xu's expression was not obvious, only his pupils contracted slightly, and then he said in a deep voice, "Therefore, I cannot see you playing the zither."
"No, you can't."
Yun Sheng did not say that not only could they not see the singing and dancing on the south bank, but on the day of the palace banquet, men and women could not walk together from the palace gate.
Xiao Xu remained silent for a while, seemingly lost in thought.
Yun Sheng said, "It's not that we're not together at all. After all, we're still in the palace. We can enjoy the fireworks together at the end of the banquet, and then we can meet again by crossing the Nine-Bend Bridge afterward."
Two years ago, she wondered if she could see Xiao Ling at such a palace banquet. Even in this kind of setting, she could still meet him at the Nine-Bend Bridge. So she asked someone to inquire and learned that the person from the Zhao Prince's Mansion was the second young master, Xiao Min, and that it had been Xiao Min for the past few years.
Yun Sheng blinked, then suddenly realized: "Did you go there specifically because of me?"
Xiao Xu did not deny it and quickly agreed, but because of the unexpected format, he seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
Yun Sheng didn't take his dissatisfaction to heart, after all, the Qixi Palace Banquet had always been like this, and this year was not special.
She couldn't help but wonder why he had gone to the banquet specifically for her.
The unsolved question was once again denied by seemingly reasonable reasons, and she seemed to be falling into the trap of so-called confirmation again.
Yun Sheng shook off these thoughts. Even the book didn't explain why that person kept denying an answer, and she couldn't figure it out either, so she simply stopped thinking about it.
*
In the following days, Yun Sheng went to the palace every day to practice the zither, and her selection of pieces became increasingly refined.
It wasn't until it rained that day that Yun Sheng woke up to a gloomy sky, which made her think for a moment that it was still dark.
"Green Bamboo, what time is it?"
"Your Highness, it is already 7:00 AM. It is raining today, and the sky looks dark."
The rain pattered softly outside the window. Yun Sheng turned her head to look out the window, where raindrops formed a continuous line, creating a hazy rain curtain that blurred the distant scenery.
"Your Highness, this servant will help you change your clothes."
Yun Sheng lazily got up, leaning on Cui Zhu's hand. Listening to the soft sound of the rain, she couldn't muster any interest.
She thought for a moment and said, "The weather is not good today, so I will not go to the palace. Please send someone to inform the palace later."
"yes."
"Also, give Changyu a message and tell him he doesn't need to pick me up later."
After changing her clothes and washing up, Yun Sheng did a simple grooming.
When I opened the door, the sky had already lost its gloom and was now tinged with a grayish-white halo. However, the rain had not stopped; instead, it had become even more intense, with large raindrops pelting down densely. The clouds hung low, and there was no sign of sunshine.
It seems she'll have to stay indoors today.
After a few days of such a fulfilling and busy period, the sudden quiet time feels a bit strange.
Yun Sheng closed the door and walked back, stopping in front of the partition screen.
She lowered her eyes slightly, but out of the corner of her eye she still caught sight of the seven-stringed zither sitting quietly in the spacious area on the west side of the room.
Just seeing the zither made her blush with embarrassment, her eyes trembled, and she stood there motionless for a moment.
After returning to his residence from the palace yesterday, Xiao Xu suddenly found a zither from somewhere and, on the grounds that he couldn't hear her playing the zither at the Qixi Palace Banquet, asked her to play it for him in his room.
His original words were gentle, and his voice was low and magnetic.
He whispered in her ear, as if bewitching her, "May I be the first listener of this piece?"
Yun Sheng didn't think it was unacceptable. After thinking it over, he realized that if he wasn't allowed to be the first listener, he wouldn't even have a chance to hear anything. So he agreed and sat down in front of the seven-stringed zither.
The melody of this piece is melodious and graceful, with the clear and melodious sound of the zither flowing from her fingertips.
However, just as the music was about to reach its climax, a sudden, halting sound abruptly shattered the mood.
Xiao Xu appeared very close to her without her noticing, and leaned down to gently kiss her neck.
The warm breath brushed against her skin, and the strings under Yun Sheng's fingers trembled, emitting a few chaotic sounds.
But this wicked man then called out in a hoarse voice, "Sheng Sheng, keep playing."
Xiao Xu's palm enveloped her.
He could even play this piece. He held her hand and led her, like a tender duet. The occasional tremolo of the strings seemed no longer a flaw, but produced a unique melody.
Later, the piece was completed, but the sound did not stop.
At this moment, Yun Sheng took a deep breath and pulled herself out of her thoughts. No matter how much she thought about it, she still couldn't change the fact that she hadn't been able to do what Granny Wenxin had reminded her to do.
She was even relieved that yesterday it was his turn to act up elsewhere, and if she couldn't push him away again today, at least it would be her turn to choose the place.
After standing there for a while, with no one else in the room, Yun Sheng composed herself and walked towards the zither with a flushed face.
The zither that Xiao Xu found was of excellent quality and must be quite valuable. It was no less than the zithers in the palace, and its sound was even more melodious, stirring the heart with every pluck of the strings.
Facing the west window, Yun Sheng, accompanied by the sound of rain outside, began to immerse herself in playing the zither.
The rain continued in the afternoon, and a servant brought news that Xiao Xu was busy today and would not be returning for dinner.
It wasn't until dusk that Xiao Xu returned to Prince Zhao's residence.
He didn't go back to the East Courtyard first; there were still some minor details to deal with.
Mu Shan asked, "Your Highness, shall we send a message to the Crown Princess first?"
Xiao Xu said, "No need, it won't take long."
Based on his understanding of Yun Sheng, she was most likely taking a bath at this time, and he should have finished his work and returned to his room by the time she finished bathing.
He then asked, "Has she eaten?"
"Your Highness, when I went to the kitchen to give instructions about dinner just now, the servants there said that the Crown Princess had already eaten dinner very early today."
Xiao Xu nodded, pushed open the study door, and went inside.
Mu Shan did not follow. After a while, the small kitchen delivered Xiao Xu's meal, and he took the food box and went into the house.
While Xiao Xu temporarily set aside his official duties to have a meal, Mu Shan reported, "Your Highness, the matter you previously instructed us to investigate has yielded results."
"Speak."
“You remember correctly, the young master’s mother did stay at the Prince’s mansion for a period of time, but the Princess was not at the mansion during that time.”
Xiao Xu paused slightly with his chopsticks, frowned, and pondered for a moment.
The "back then" he was referring to was when he was young, during the time when Shen Yuewan was still away from home and had no contact with Xiao Qingchuan.
As Shen Yuewan's cousin, Yang Shi is staying here alone, even though Shen Yuewan no longer associates with the Prince Zhao's residence. This is quite strange.
Even more strangely, Xiao Xu, though young at the time, vaguely remembered that there was such a strange woman in the mansion when his mother was not around, but the other servants in the mansion had no idea about it.
When asked at first, many people couldn't tell whether Yang stayed at the Prince Zhao's residence before or after Shen Yuewan returned. Following common sense, people naturally assumed that Yang stayed there temporarily as a cousin after Shen Yuewan returned to the Prince Zhao's residence.
Mu Shan continued, "Madam Yang passed away more than ten years ago. During her lifetime, she had a strained relationship with her husband's family, and apart from the Princess, she had no other close relatives or friends. It is very difficult to learn more about Madam Yang now. This is all the information I have been able to find recently."
After a long silence, Xiao Xu suddenly said, "Come to think of it, Yang Qinhuai's age seems to match the years when the Yang family stayed at the Prince Zhao's residence?"
Mu Shan was startled: "Your Highness, you mean..."
"I'm just guessing, I have no evidence." Xiao Xu paused for a moment and then instructed, "Try to find out if anything special happened to Yang in the capital that year, or if she did anything strange at home. Also, send someone to Mother's hometown. I remember Mother saying that Yang lived with her since childhood, so we should be able to find some useful information in their hometown."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After about an incense stick's time, Xiao Xu finished dealing with all the matters and returned to the East Courtyard.
After taking a bath, Yun Sheng was sitting on the bed reading a storybook. She was reading the last sequel to "Rural Sexual Affairs". Cui Zhu had found it for her the day before yesterday. It was only because it rained today and she didn't go to the palace to practice the zither that she had the opportunity to read it. She was almost at the end now.
I thought Xiao Xu wouldn't come back so early, since he couldn't even come back for dinner.
Unexpectedly, he was only a short time late for dinner, and he entered the room without making a sound.
When Yun Sheng saw the flickering light and shadow on the book, her heart stopped. She hurriedly hid the storybook under her pillow, but it was too late.
Xiao Xu stood by the bed and held out his hand to her: "Take it out."
"Xiao Changyu, you can't do this!"
"how?"
Xiao Xu remained calm as he bent down and reached under his pillow.
Yun Sheng tried to stop him, but she couldn't stop him at all.
Xiao Xu's fingertips touched the edges of the book as he pulled it out, asking, "What is it this time? How many husbands? How many brothers?"
His voice was cold, which made Yun Sheng feel uneasy.
It wasn't fear of him that made me panic, but my own storybook that made me panic.
Just thinking about those two storybooks made Yun Sheng's eyes droop: "You confiscated both of them and you still complain."
As he spoke, Xiao Xu had already taken out the book and glanced at the cover.
Rural Sexual Affairs
Yun Sheng said, "That's not how it was originally. There was only one husband and one wife."
She said she was about to stand up from the bed to get the storybook back, but Xiao Xu dodged her by sidestepping, and then he raised his hand to open the book.
The poor young widow, having just lost her husband, encountered a bandit. The bandit was fierce and strong; he wasn't after money, but only the beauty of the mountains. The beauty wept bitterly, vowing to resist to the death, but her tears only excited the bandit more.
“You ignorant bandit, how can you compare to my husband? I would never submit to you.”
"That short-lived, frail scholar probably couldn't even muster the strength to do what you're supposed to do, little lady. Submit to me, and I'll make you happy day and night, and cherish you dearly from now on."
Xiao Xu's brow twitched, and he lowered his arm, looking at Yun Sheng as well: "Is this the husband and wife you were talking about?"
Remembering something, Yun Sheng quickly explained, "They really were a couple."
For some reason, Xiao Xu asked again today, "A couple forcibly taken?"
"……no."
Because this is a sequel, and a sequel is a continuation of the original story, this time the author reconstructed a fictional identity for the two protagonists of the original story, namely the young widow and the mountain bandit.
But they were originally just that rural couple, loving and affectionate, making love and having sex.
But Yun Sheng didn't know how to explain it. If she revealed the fact that there was a sequel, wouldn't that expose her original work as well?
Yun Sheng said, "They are imitating; this is the charm of a young lady in her boudoir."
Xiao Xu frowned slowly, as if he had touched on something he did not understand.
Seeing that he was lost in thought, Yun Sheng took the opportunity to grab the storybook.
Xiao Xu suddenly leaned forward and pressed down on him.
Yun Sheng was already kneeling on the bed, and being enveloped by an overwhelming shadow in front of her, she unconsciously leaned back.
Before she could get her hands on the storybook, her waist was supported, and Xiao Xu knelt on one knee by the bed, bending down to kiss her.
He gently bit her lips, licking them until they were wet before slipping his tongue inside to entwine with hers.
The sounds of sticky, intimate kisses drifted from the bed.
When he reached out to undo her nightgown, Yun Sheng regained some composure and shrank back, turning her head to hide.
Xiao Xu held her chin with one hand and looked down at her from above.
After a moment of silence, she said, "You still miss your dead husband?"
"…………"
Yun Sheng moved her lips, and a tear that welled up from the intense kiss slid down her cheek.
The beauty shed tears, a sight that evoked pity in me. Her disheveled robes half-concealed her figure, and her soft voice was almost inaudible: "I must guard him for him, please... let me go."
Xiao Xu tightened his grip, forcing out another tear from her.
The beauty's eyelashes trembled, and when she looked up, her eyes were filled with a pitiful gaze as she looked at him, shivering beneath him.
Xiao Xu's breath hitched, and he gripped her leg tightly with his other hand, lifting her onto his shoulder.
"Then I'll just take you by force, okay?"
Yun Sheng could no longer speak, as her lips above her mouth were also forcibly taken.
...
*
The last sequel to "Rural Sexual Affairs" was saved, and when Yun Sheng woke up the next day, he saw it still safely placed on his bedside table.
But she was ruined by those boudoir pleasures.
Xiao Xu not only took her by force, but also carried her to the desk and used an unpainted brush to trace her skin inch by inch, repeatedly asking whether the weak scholar had more knowledge or he was stronger.
It rained for three days in a row, and Yun Sheng did not go to the palace for three days, instead practicing with the seven-stringed zither at home.
Later, the rain stopped, but the weather remained gloomy. She had already practiced that piece of music until she knew it by heart, so she decided not to go to the palace again.
Xiao Xu became quite busy, returning home every night and sometimes even missing dinner.
Yun Sheng, taking advantage of this, and coupled with the embarrassment and annoyance of their previous intimate encounters, finally managed to calm him down for a few days.
Until the eve of Qixi Festival, the sky was full of stars, which foreshadowed a fine and clear day.
When Yun Sheng came out of the bathing room, Xiao Xu was already on the bed.
Because of the upcoming festival, he has a rare moment of leisure today.
Xiao Xu leaned against the headboard, holding a book in his hand.
As Yun Sheng walked, she looked around and discovered that it was the same book, "Langhuan Miscellaneous Records".
Before she could get quite close, Xiao Xu looked up from his book upon hearing the sound.
Yun Sheng asked, "How long have you been reading this book? Why haven't you finished it yet?"
If it were her, she could finish reading a storybook in a day or two.
Xiao Xu said, "I don't usually have time to read leisurely books. I can only steal a moment from my busy schedule. Even if I can read ten lines at a glance, it still takes me a long time to finish reading a book."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Sheng walked to the bedside and, taking him by surprise, snatched the book from his hands.
"Then I'll let you taste the pain of not seeing an end!"
Yun Sheng smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling. Taking advantage of the fact that Xiao Xu was lying on the couch without shoes and socks and could not possibly catch up with her, she smugly grabbed the book and ran behind the screen.
Xiao Xu leaned quietly against the couch, listening to the tinkling sounds behind the screen. It wasn't hard to guess that Yun Sheng was searching for the place where the book was hidden.
The sound came from one place to another, and after listening for a while, he couldn't help but close his eyes and chuckle.
Didn't they confiscate that book from last time? Didn't she read the ending?
After a moment, Xiao Xu set off to catch up with her.
Just as he got out of bed and put on his shoes, the constant noise suddenly stopped.
It wasn't a quiet stop because it was well hidden, but rather an abrupt halt.
Xiao Xu looked up in the direction where the sound had stopped. It was by the east window, perhaps near the bookshelf next to the desk, but he couldn't see what was happening there through the screen.
"Sheng Sheng?"
Xiao Xu called out softly, but received no response.
He stepped forward and walked around the screen, where he saw Yun Sheng standing in front of the bookshelf.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed on something above the bookshelf.
Xiao Xu's eyes changed slightly, and he suddenly realized something, so he quickened his pace and walked behind her.
On the bookshelf, there were several books on the left and right sides of the uppermost shelf, but no books in the center, instead a gold seal made of dried flowers in the shape of a lotus.
Yun Sheng stared intently at the lotus-shaped gold seal. She knew Xiao Xu was approaching, but she didn't turn around to look at him.
The square gold stamp is edged with gold foil, and the transparent glass reveals a complete lotus flower inside.
She moved her lips, her expression shifting repeatedly, before finally whispering, "You also attended the Lotus Banquet that year."
Two years ago, at the Lotus Banquet hosted by Princess De'an, each guest received a lotus-shaped gold stamp sealed in gold foil as a souvenir.
Xiao Xu's tone was devoid of emotion: "Yes, I participated."
"I didn't realize you liked this lotus-shaped gold seal. I hadn't even noticed it before, placing it in such a conspicuous spot."
Because Xiao Xu was taller, that space was in a position that Yun Sheng wouldn't notice unless she looked up.
If she hadn't been searching for the hidden location of the books, she doesn't know when she would have found them again.
However, if she could, she wished she hadn't seen it.
Some past events surfaced in her mind, disturbing Yun Sheng's thoughts.
The gifts were exquisite, but to the various nobles and royalty, they were just unremarkable trinket. Unless they had special significance, they were mostly stored in warehouses and rarely seen over time.
Yun Sheng's piece was carefully preserved in the cabinet by her bedside until she got married.
Because that lotus banquet was the banquet where she and Xiao Ling pledged their love.
Xiao Ling first met her at the Lotus Banquet in a place unknown to her. After the banquet, she learned from her parents that the young man from the Zhao Prince's Mansion was in love with her and wanted to propose marriage to the Yun Mansion. Then, she secretly went to see Xiao Ling.
She always believed that they were mutually satisfied and in love, and that their relationship began at that lotus banquet.
However, things don't always go as planned. In the end, Xiao Ling ran away from the wedding, while she married Xiao Xu instead.
Now, she suddenly discovers that Xiao Xu also attended the Lotus Banquet that year.
She couldn't help but think, what if it had been Xiao Xu, not Xiao Ling, who had looked at her back then?
So what about them...?
"Because that lotus banquet has special meaning for me, I met the woman I admired at that banquet."
Yun Sheng was startled and suddenly turned around.
Xiao Xu said, "However, she rejected me."
————————!!————————
The reason Sheng Sheng misunderstood that Xiao Ling was at the Lotus Banquet is explained in Chapter 1. [Shrug]
The misunderstanding won't last long; he should confess in the next chapter.
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