Chapter 23 Eyelashes trembled slightly, tears welled in eyes.
Yun Kui, resigned to her fate, waited miserably until the seventh day.
She asked a familiar cook in the kitchen for wine, hoping that she wouldn't suffer too much before she died.
Seeing that she was not in good condition and worried that drinking might cause problems, especially since she was the one who was supposed to serve the emperor, the cook kindly made her a bowl of sweet fermented rice balls to satisfy her craving.
Yun Kui had no appetite for the past few days and her stomach was empty. She ate the whole bowl and was actually quite tipsy.
When people are drunk, they tend to boast, act crazy, and reminisce about the past. Unfortunately, there's no one around to listen to her boasting, so she can only cry as she recounts her miserable life.
During the years she lived with her uncle as a child, she had no parents and no relatives to love her. She was bullied and insulted by her neighbors and friends, who laughed at her for her mother's lack of virtue and her father for abandoning his wife and daughter.
Later, when she learned that her aunt was going to marry her off to an old wealthy man in his fifties, she desperately tried to escape from home. At her lowest point, she was worse off than a beggar on the street.
Later, after entering the palace, just when she thought she could at least have enough to eat and wear, she was coveted by a hunchbacked old eunuch who wanted to take her as a concubine. If it weren't for Aunt Bizan passing by and saving her, she probably wouldn't have escaped that time either.
Later, after entering the Imperial Kitchen, life began to get better.
No matter how bitter or tiring the past was, she could grit her teeth and get through it. As long as she was alive, there was hope of leaving the palace, marrying a respectable man, and never having to live a life of dependence, wandering and subservience again.
But everything changed after she entered the Eastern Palace.
She experienced the fear of walking on a knife's edge countless times, witnessing living people die before her eyes. Those in power treated human life as worthless, and in their eyes she was nothing more than a tiny ant, forced into their clutches with no ability to resist.
Obeying orders means death, disobeying orders also means death.
I've cried enough, what else can I do?
She had never killed a chicken in her life, let alone dared to poison anyone, especially since this person was the Crown Prince, who was second only to the Emperor. In front of him, she wouldn't even have a chance to make a move, and even if she did, her fate would only be more tragic than Caiju's.
But she just couldn't swallow this insult!
Although it wasn't the Crown Prince who forced her to take the seven-day powder, he was still involved!
Her tragic life began in the Eastern Palace, and her current predicament is all because of this despicable Crown Prince!
Why should she be implicated by the Crown Prince and suffer innocent harm?
Why should the masterminds who committed these evil deeds remain hidden in the shadows, while these innocent palace maids are pushed out to their deaths?
She hadn't lived enough, hadn't had a single happy day, her dream of getting married had been dashed, and she hadn't even enjoyed the company of a man once!
If this were outside the palace, she would definitely use her ten taels of gold to buy a strong and burly man for some fun! Money is just an external thing; you can't take it with you when you die. She wouldn't leave it to anyone; she wanted to enjoy herself before she died!
But what could she do in the palace? She couldn't leave the Eastern Palace, and having an affair with a guard was also a dead end. She was going to die herself, but she couldn't drag others down with her.
After much thought, the only three-legged man she could currently contact was that bastard prince!
So what if they're prestigious? So what if they're untouchable?
We're all going to die anyway!
Either he'll kill the Crown Prince, or he'll stab him until his intestines rupture and he dies on his bed, scaring him to death!
In the past, the Crown Prince would put his arm around her waist and caress her chest, and she never fought back, only daring to think about it in her heart. But why couldn't she see or touch him?
"Drink today, for tomorrow we die; life is over, so let it be." Yun Kui had already made up her mind: tonight she was going to do the things she had always wanted to do but never dared to do!
She wants to sleep with the Crown Prince!
She wanted to hold him down and kiss him passionately!
She wanted to touch his chest muscles, his abs, and touch his entire body!
Otherwise, wouldn't all those stories, fire-avoidance diagrams, and the scenes of lovemaking in her dreams have been for nothing?
She can't take knowledge to her grave!
After crying her fill, she took advantage of the slight intoxication brought on by the sweet fermented rice balls and ran to the Crown Prince's palace. When she saw the man sitting on the couch with his majestic and elegant appearance, she impulsively pounced on him and kissed him.
In fact, when she met the Crown Prince's dark eyes, she had a moment of hesitation, but she was quickly swayed by the effects of the alcohol and bewitched by his unparalleled handsome appearance. Moreover, time was of the essence and the task was urgent, so she could not afford to delay and decided to go straight to the point!
She was just too nervous, especially the moment her lips touched his; her blood rushed to her head, and even her eyelashes trembled violently.
The Crown Prince had considered that she might come to him for help, or she might take a desperate gamble by poisoning him in exchange for the antidote to the Seven-Day Powder, but he never expected that she would be so audacious!
In the past, all the women who tried to seduce him had put on a gentle and tender or charming appearance, but none of them had pounced on him so headlong like she did.
"You are utterly outrageous."
The prince grabbed her by the neck and forced her to look at him.
The moment the girl looked up, a tear, about to fall from the corner of her reddened eyes, landed with a "plop" on the back of his hand.
He paused, momentarily stunned.
Yun Kui also saw that tear. She felt dizzy and her attention was only on that large and beautiful hand, slender and jade-like, with distinct joints and prominent light blue veins that exuded a sense of power.
This hand could control any part of her body...
As if possessed, she wiped the tear from the back of his hand, then tremblingly took his hand and slowly placed it on her slender, soft waist.
The crown prince stared into her shimmering dark eyes. Although he did as she said, his expression was cold and intimidating.
"Your Highness," she swallowed nervously, desperately trying to reason with him, "could you please pretend nothing happened?"
The crown prince curled his lip and said, "I am a dead man."
Yun Kui lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze, but... there was no turning back now that the arrow had been released. She had already kissed him, and even if she knelt down and begged for mercy, she would not escape death.
Given that, what else does she have to worry about!
She gritted her teeth and kissed those tightly pursed lips again.
There's a saying that goes, "What you learn from books is never enough." When I was young, there was a student living next door to my uncle's house who would recite his lessons every day, swaying his head back and forth. I was fortunate enough to hear a few lines of scripture. This poem is perfect to describe my current situation.
She had thoroughly studied the art of avoiding fire and even dreamed of countless scenes of kissing, but when it came to her own experience, she became quite awkward and clumsy.
She tried hard to ignore those dark, intense eyes; even a single glance made her nervous.
But the man's burning breath was so close, carrying an undeniable sense of danger. Her breathing became unsteady, her chest heaving erratically, and even her teeth chattered against his lips.
Why was it that in the dream, Aunt Bizan easily kissed the commander of the honor guard's lips? They were always like dry tinder, instantly ignited the moment they touched, just like a spark falling into a stove. That's how Aunt Bizan kissed him…
The more anxious she was, the more her lips trembled.
This road is blocked, so after dawdling for a while, I simply gave up.
In a fit of rage, she went to undo his belt again, and touched his abs first!
Although she didn't know why the prince didn't resist, she didn't have time to think about it. Like a madwoman eager to steal a kiss, she recklessly tore open the prince's belt and reached inside.
But I never expected there to be layer upon layer inside.
The Crown Prince's arrow poison had been cured and his injuries had improved. Unlike when he was seriously injured and only wore a loose-fitting undergarment, the Crown Prince's everyday clothes were much more complicated than those of ordinary guards. She was so nervous that she completely forgot the details of changing clothes that Aunt Wei had taught her. She couldn't tear or rip them apart, and she was sweating profusely with anxiety.
The prince could no longer bear it and grabbed the little hand that was groping around, pulling it up sharply.
Yun Kui gasped in surprise. By the time she realized what was happening, he had already flipped her over and pinned her down, his flailing hands held above her head, forcing her to meet the man's intense and sharp gaze.
"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
The man's grip was extremely strong, and he easily pinned her down. Yun Kui couldn't even move a finger. Thinking that she had died halfway through, and that it was over before it even began, she was filled with grief and indignation.
"Kill me if you want! It would be better to just slit my throat than to die a quick and painless death with my intestines ripped out."
"So what if he's the crown prince? If I were the emperor, I'd kill you all!"
"If you're so amazing, why don't you kiss me to death!"
As soon as the thought left her lips, the man's cool, moist lips suddenly covered hers, and Yun Kui's eyes widened instantly.
"No... are you serious?"
"He probably has no idea what I'm thinking..."
The kiss was not gentle; it was a punishment for her recklessness and impetuosity.
Filled with cold rage, the prince pressed his thin lips heavily against her two soft, rosy lips, forcefully prying open her teeth.
Although she seemed to have come for this very reason, she still instinctively panicked and trembled in the face of such a fierce and intense kiss.
The man's grip was as tight as an iron clamp, leaving her no room to back down.
He ruthlessly invaded all her breath, and her cheeks turned bright red, a red that rose from the rush of blood and spread from her ears to her cheeks and neck. Her limbs also slowly softened into a puddle of water due to his sweeping onslaught.
She had seen his tongue before; it was clearly soft and tender. She never expected that when he became forceful, it would be so heavy that it felt like he wanted to crush her.
"Waaaah, it doesn't taste good at all."
Hearing her thoughts, the prince bit her lips hard.
Outside the palace gate, Cao Yuanlu couldn't hear the conversation inside. Fearing that Yun Kui might do something foolish in her desperation and anger His Highness, and also worried about His Highness's safety, he couldn't help but walk closer and take a look inside.
That one glance was incredible! His Highness actually pressed the person down on the bed and kissed him!
His face flushed red, and he quickly and quietly withdrew.
The crown prince opened his eyes upon hearing footsteps. Looking at the pitiful little face in front of him, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with tears. Something in his heart seemed to be touched for no reason.
The man remained silent for a long time before finally slowing down his strength, transforming his fierce invasion into licking and sucking that varied in intensity.
The little girl beneath him struggled to breathe between their lips, her hair disheveled, her eyes red-rimmed, and her slender white wrists appearing particularly frail and weak in his palm.
So bold, yet so pitiful.
But the more pitiful she seemed, the more he wanted to bully her, to bite her hard, to make her feel pain! He wanted her to regret her actions today, to see if she would dare to be so shameless and audacious again!
Anger surged within him, and the kisses between his lips became increasingly forceful. Even though he knew she was already on the verge of death, he still clung to her, unwilling to let go.
Finally, Yun Kui couldn't bear it any longer, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed and pleaded, "Your Highness..."
"No, I can't take it anymore..."
She really felt like she was going to die. She couldn't breathe, her bones felt weak and her muscles were limp. Her lips were both painful and numb, and her whole body was numb and she couldn't feel anything. Even without him pressing down on her wrists, she couldn't lift them at all.
"The seven-day period is probably coming to an end."
"Is the intestines already severed? Is the stomach starting to rot...?"
Upon hearing her thoughts, the Crown Prince frowned.
He pinched her chin with his fingers, his fingertips tracing her lips, which he had kissed until they were stunningly red. His voice was slightly hoarse: "What exactly did you come here for today?"
Yun Kui finally broke free of her restraints, panting heavily, and it took her a long time to calm down.
She tried to suppress her inner pain, but her shoulders involuntarily hunched over, and she said weakly, "Your Highness, this servant is about to die, and will no longer be able to serve you..."
"Is that so?" The crown prince seemed unconcerned.
"How cold-blooded."
She was about to die, and he couldn't be bothered to say anything more, not even asking "Why are you about to die?"
Yun Kui felt a desolate chill in her heart and sobbed softly, "For the sake of the few times we've slept together, Your Highness, could you grant me a complete corpse?"
The crown prince sneered.
"Forget it, his intestines are all ripped out and his body is rotten; what good is a whole corpse now?"
Yun Kui suddenly thought of something and looked at him hopefully: "You are knowledgeable and experienced, do you know of any way to die without pain and without looking too ugly?"
The prince replied coolly, "No."
Yun Kui's eyes reddened again, and she stopped pretending to be gentle and weak. She sighed and resigned herself to her fate.
"You're a useless prince, you can't be relied on at all, and you'll only drag me down with you."
The crown prince scoffed, "If you hate me so much, why don't you kill me?"
Yun Kui clenched her teeth, too lazy to answer.
"I'm not like you, killing people just like that."
After a while, she came up to him again like a clingy kitten and tentatively asked, "Your Highness, in consideration of the time I have served you, could you grant this servant's last wish before she dies?"
Crown Prince: "Tell me about it."
Yun Kui hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "This servant wants to... wants to serve you one last time. May I help you change your clothes?"
The Crown Prince sneered. This girl's face was full of flattery. Was she trying to be gentle since the hard approach wasn't working?
Yun Kui cried and said, "To tell you the truth, someone poisoned me and told me to kill you before they would give me the antidote... But I am loyal to Your Highness and would rather die than harm you in the slightest."
The Crown Prince smiled enigmatically: "So, I should be grateful to you."
“That’s not what I meant…” Yun Kui hurriedly shook her head. “Rumors say Your Highness is ruthless, but I don’t believe it. I only think that although Your Highness is domineering and mighty, you are also gentle and kind. I only have one wish before I die, and that is to see Your Highness’s injuries heal with my own eyes. Then I can leave in peace…”
"I've already experienced kissing, and it was absolutely terrible."
"Sigh, my breasts felt really good when I massaged them before."
Crown Prince: ...
"With this kind of skill, I can't even hope to sleep with him. I'm about to die, why bother making things so tiring... I just want to look and touch him, enjoy myself one last time before going to hell, sob sob sob..."
The crown prince's face darkened. "Let's retire for the night."
Yun Kui stood there stunned, staring at him with wide, almond-shaped eyes.
"No...did I misspoke or is he deaf? I'm about to die, and he still expects me to sleep with him?!"
"Aren't you afraid I'll die in his bed?!"
The crown prince glanced at her, his imposing presence leaving no room for argument.
Yun Kui got up in a daze, smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress from his weight, but in the end she didn't take off her clothes. If she were to take off her clothes and die naked on the prince's bed, it would be too unsightly... What would the Black and White Impermanence think of her? And how would she explain it when she went down to the King of Hell?
It's better to dress neatly.
Before she could make a move, she saw the Crown Prince avoid her as if she were a thief, and walk behind the screen to undress himself.
Yun Kui: ...
"You stingy person, you drink cold water!"
After the Crown Prince got into bed, she reluctantly walked to the bedside. "Your Highness, I really wasn't joking..."
The Crown Prince interrupted coldly: "I never repeat myself."
Yun Kui gritted her teeth, threw down her embroidered shoes, and climbed onto the bed.
The dying man had no scruples; he grabbed the brocade quilt and squeezed next to him.
Although the two had shared a bed, the Crown Prince's brocade quilt was large and warm, more than enough to sleep three or four people. In the past, when he was willing to get close, the two would be pressed tightly together. When he was not interested, she would not take the initiative to come up to him to curry favor. It was as if there was an insurmountable chasm between the two of them, and the middle part was cold.
Today she stopped thinking about it. After all, he was the one who asked her to come up, so why should she be polite?
She leaned closer, their body temperatures meeting. His breath was noticeably hotter. As soon as Yun Kui touched his strong arm, a strange tingling sensation surged through her fingertips.
For some reason, she recalled the stimulating sensation of his lips and tongue entwining as he pinned her down, the sensation spreading from her throat and tongue all the way to her heart, making every nerve burn.
It's a feeling that's hard to describe, and it doesn't seem to be entirely painful.
But it certainly wasn't pleasant either.
She hesitated, her small hand slowly pressing against his firm arm. Even through a layer of clothing, she could feel the bulging veins and muscles of his upper arm.
I feel quite content just lounging around like this for a while.
But once people are satisfied, they are easily tempted to take advantage.
She quietly raised her eyes and saw that he had his eyes closed and seemed not to care about her, so she boldly reached her hand in further.
Wearing only a thin undergarment, it was easy to slip her hand inside. The prince was still wrapped in bandages, so she went to the area where there were no bandages.
The prince's skin was not as delicate as a woman's, but it was by no means rough either. It was a strong and robust beauty with a masculine aura, and it had a slightly bitter woody fragrance.
Rather than saying her hand was against his chest, it would be more accurate to say that his bulging pectoral muscles filled her palm, but not excessively thick or swollen. Any larger and it would be a bit frightening. His was just right, firm, supple, and with a slight bounce when pressed.
But as soon as she pressed it, the man's breathing became heavy, and his body seemed to tense up. He couldn't press it any further.
Yun Kui clung tightly to him, her ears burning slightly.
She had imagined countless times that she would marry a man as tall and strong as him, and that she would nestle in his warm and broad embrace every night, just like she was now. She loved this indescribable sense of security, as if someone could protect her and hold up the sky for her.
It's a pity she's about to die.
She had never done anything wrong in her life, so how could she have ended up in such a miserable and tragic state?
She sobbed softly in his arms, her tears quickly soaking his nightgown.
"Thank you, Your Highness..."
The words "Let me touch your pectoral muscles" were never spoken.
In return, she decided to tell him some life-or-death secrets before she died: "A few days ago, Her Majesty the Empress gave me a bottle of secret medicine and told me to give it to His Highness, saying that His Highness would favor me more after taking the medicine. But before I could use it, I had a dream."
Seeing that he was neither curious nor even indifferent, she gritted her teeth and said seriously, "After His Highness used that secret medicine in the dream, he bled from all seven orifices and died a very ugly death."
Crown Prince: "..."
Yun Kui pointed to the sky and swore: "This servant did not make any threats."
Crown Prince: "Hmm."
Yun Kui: "...Your Highness isn't surprised at all?"
"It feels like talking to a brick wall."
The crown prince's face darkened slightly.
Yun Kui sighed. As intelligent as His Highness is, he should understand what she means.
A dying man's words are often kind; otherwise, she wouldn't dare to sow discord between the Crown Prince and the Empress with a mere dream and no evidence whatsoever.
After giving her final instructions, she sighed, "This servant never imagined that I could take advantage of you before I die. I have no regrets in this life..."
Sobbing softly, she felt a surge of malice and cautiously reached her hand inside.
Until she touched a strange bump, she curiously scratched it with her fingertip. The person beside her suddenly jolted, grabbed her misbehaving hand, and said through gritted teeth, "You've really gone too far tonight!"
Yun Kui was stunned for a moment before she realized what it was. She laughed and said, "We've already been reckless enough, so what's one more time?"
The night was already deep, and the water clock dripped slowly, leaving her with little time.
At this moment, Yun Kui was full of courage. Even though he was holding her hand, she didn't care. She swept her other hand across and unexpectedly grabbed his chest.
Crown Prince: "..."
He took a deep breath, his face grim, and forced a laugh through gritted teeth: "You'll regret this."
"Then you can regret it when you get to the King of Hell's palace!"
Undeterred, Yun Kui flipped over and pinned the Crown Prince to the bed. "Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you. I love your body and want to take advantage of you every day! I've seen many strong men in my dreams, but I've never seen one as handsome as Your Highness. You're always so secretive, it's so boring. Your Highness won't let me touch you, but I'll touch you anyway. This is nothing! I want to count Your Highness's abs properly. Oh right, I haven't even touched Your Highness yet..."
Yun Kui became increasingly audacious in her speech, and the Crown Prince's expression grew increasingly grim, to the point where he seemed ready to kill.
Until a series of crisp water droplets came from the copper hourglass.
Midnight has arrived.
Yun Kui's body suddenly stiffened; the sound of dripping water pinned her to the spot like nails, rendering her unable to move.
It's the eighth day.
Strictly speaking, the seventh day officially ended yesterday at Shenshi (3-5 PM), but she didn't die. She thought that the poison might take effect at Zishi (11 PM-1 AM), which is why she dared to act recklessly and cause trouble for the Crown Prince.
But it is indeed the eighth day now.
Yun Kui broke out in a cold sweat, and at the same time, a flame shot up from her spine.
He lowered his head tremblingly, meeting a face filled with extreme anger.
Her mind was in complete chaos, and she couldn't calm down at all. Her body went limp, and she collapsed, her half-dead body crashing into the man's chest.
The crown prince was furious and shoved the man away, ordering him to kneel.
Yun Kui acted faster than she thought. Before she could figure out why, she had already slid onto the pedal and knelt down in a daze.
The prince fastened his belt and sat up, exuding a chilling aura.
Outside the hall, Cao Yuanlu had been keeping an eye on the movements inside. Seeing this, he couldn't resist any longer and quickly and quietly entered the hall.
Recalling what Yun Kui had done and said, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he sighed repeatedly: "Miss, you... Alas, actually, the day after you were poisoned, His Highness asked Physician He for the antidote for the Seven-Day Powder and put it in the small pear soup you drank. Your poison was cured long ago."
Yun Kui collapsed to the ground.
Has her poison been cured long ago?
Then what about her seven days of fear and anxiety?
And then there was all the tantrums, the unreasonable demands, the rude remarks...
Her mind was a jumbled mess. The joy of being alive was quickly overwhelmed by the fear of her earlier misdeeds. She dared not recall what she had done, but those shameful memories, like small fish surfacing before a heavy rain, eagerly tried to escape.
Fueled by alcohol, she forcibly kissed the prince.
Actually, I wasn't really drunk; I was just giving myself the confidence to act out.
She not only groped the Crown Prince, but also went further, pinching his chest several times, saying she wanted to take advantage of him every day, and even threatening to touch his little prince...
Yun Kui closed her eyes in pain.
"I'd rather be dead. If I were dead, I wouldn't have to face all of this..."
So even she had moments of fear. The Crown Prince sneered and looked at Cao Yuanlu: "How should one be punished for daring to seduce someone who has climbed into your bedchamber?"
Yun Kui knelt on the ground with her head down, trembling all over.
Cao Yuanlu recalled the scene of his prince forcibly kissing someone earlier, and said with a thoughtful smile, "Those with ill intentions deserve to be killed, but Yun Kui did not harm Your Highness. If Your Highness likes her, keeping her is not a bad idea..."
Before tonight, Cao Yuanlu might not have fully trusted her, but after this incident, he realized that although this girl was bold and reckless, she had a very kind heart. She would rather die from poison than harm His Highness. Cao Yuanlu could now completely rest assured that she would serve His Highness in the future.
The Crown Prince's gaze was indifferent: "She stays, and you take the punishment for her?"
Cao Yuanlu chuckled awkwardly: "She spoke wildly and was incredibly audacious; she should be given a little punishment."
"Punishment is definitely necessary; otherwise, where will His Highness's authority be?"
Crown Prince: "..."
Yun Kui buried her head in the ground, wishing she could shrink herself into a ball and find a hole to crawl into.
"Let them punish me then. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Heaven made me take advantage of His Highness the Crown Prince, so I should pay the price."
"But what can he punish me for? He might as well take this opportunity to get rid of me! To be honest, I'm quite envious of the master of ceremonies. He can go back to the Imperial Household Department and be reassigned. Anyway, no matter where I work, it won't be more terrifying than working in the Eastern Palace! As long as I'm not by the side of the living devil, the Empress and those people won't bother me anymore."
"They're not going to chop my hand off just because I touched his little bud?! Oh my god, I might as well die..."
A sound like the cracking of a fist when it's clenched and the joints are dislocating came from above. Yun Kui waited anxiously for her fate.
"Starting tomorrow, go to Donghua Gate to guard the palace gate in my stead."
She looked up in surprise: "Watching...watching the palace gates?"
The Crown Prince looked at her coldly: "Are you saying someone poisoned you? Since you didn't die, that person will definitely reappear. You can only return to Chengguang Palace to serve when you find the mastermind."
"Great! At this critical juncture, the further away from that living devil, the better!"
Crown Prince: "..."
Yun Kui suppressed her joy and bowed to express her gratitude.
She was too ashamed to stay in Chengguang Hall any longer and slunk away.
Back in the side hall, he lay on the bed with his arms and legs spread out in a "big" shape. He then rubbed his arms and patted his stomach to make sure his body was still warm and soft before letting out a long sigh.
She didn't die!
It's unbelievable that the Crown Prince, who is usually so disliked, would be willing to save her.
Yun Kui excitedly rolled around on the bed twice, then got out of bed and randomly performed two sets of boxing, before stiffly dancing the Red Silk Dance that the clerk always showed off.
After she was tired from dancing and lay down on the bed, she pondered for a moment and then went to dig out the poison and lip rouge from the bottom of the box.
And then there was that thick stack of silver notes… She hesitated for a long time, but gritted her teeth and stuffed them into her pocket before heading to Chengguang Hall to hand them over.
Chengguang Hall.
The prince closed his eyes, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
My mind is filled with the image of that girl spouting nonsense and acting recklessly.
What did she take him for? A male prostitute, a gigolo, or one of those bodyguards who sell their bodies?
They're utterly courting death.
The punishment he gave was too lenient. He should throw her into the torture chamber and let her experience all the cruel tortures before she will behave.
But with her delicate skin, she hadn't even exerted much force before he gripped her wrists, leaving red marks. If he tied her up and hung her on the rack, who knows how swollen she would become. And if he lashed her twice more, she would shed a whole vat of tears.
The prince inexplicably recalled her tearful appearance when she was pinned beneath him, her eyes flushed and alluring, her small nose red, and even her eyelashes covered with tears. Her lips, which he had kissed, were slightly parted, like petals crushed in a downpour, like a bewitching enchantress.
Tonight's events felt very different from the usual feeling of her sleeping beside me.
His eyes were dark, and he felt a dull pain in his head. He was suddenly a little restless.
At this moment, Cao Yuanlu reported from outside the hall: "Yun Kui requests an audience with Your Highness."
What are you doing here so late?
The crown prince closed his eyes briefly: "Summon him."
Yun Kui entered with her sleeves full of bottles and jars. She bowed to the Crown Prince and said softly, "I was not thinking clearly just now and have not yet thanked Your Highness for saving my life."
The crown prince ignored her, staring intently at her, his eyes faintly glowing with a deep, burning red.
Yun Kui laid out the items she had brought in a row on the footboard in front of the Crown Prince's bed, saying, "This servant has come to present the poison we received to Your Highness."
The prince looked at the porcelain vases.
Yun Kui pointed to the leftmost bottle, "This is a secret medicine given to me by the Empress. This other bottle was given to me by a young eunuch I didn't know. And this poisonous lip rouge was also given to me by a palace maid I didn't recognize. And... this thousand taels of silver note is also a favor she gave me."
All she had to do was hand over everything she had acquired. As for whether it was poison or what kind of poison it was, she didn't know; the Crown Prince would investigate.
Yun Kui followed his gaze to the exquisite black lacquer box inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Thinking that the Crown Prince did not know the purpose of the lip rouge, she kindly explained, "The mastermind probably thought that I was deeply favored by His Highness, so he made me wear this lip rouge before making love to him. His Highness ate the rouge on my lips..."
"Alright."
The crown prince interrupted him with a dark face and a cold voice.
Yun Kui pursed her lips, then looked at the stack of silver notes. Even though she was reluctant, she had no choice but to hand them over. If she didn't hand them over today, and they were found later, she wouldn't be able to explain herself no matter how hard she tried.
After hesitating for a long time, she squeezed out through her teeth, "Your Highness may take these silver notes if you like them."
Crown Prince: "..."
It's as if he didn't take her secret stash of money.
The Crown Prince picked up the stack of silver notes expressionlessly, called Qin Ge in, and instructed him: "Go and find out where these silver notes came from."
Yun Kui watched expectantly as Qin Ge accepted the order and withdrew.
"My money, sob sob, it's leaving me before I even had a chance to enjoy it..."
"You know what, although this Guard Qin looks strong and imposing, his waist is quite slender."
However, with the Crown Prince in front, she couldn't keep her eyes on him, so she looked away once he had walked away.
Turning her head, she was suddenly confronted with the Crown Prince's gloomy and cold face, and Yun Kui trembled in fright.
"He's so fierce."
"But he looks really good when he's fierce."
"I wish I could touch it again sometime!"
Recalling the places her fingertips had just touched, she licked her lips, still savoring the memory.
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