Chapter 25. She came back not for him, but to humiliate him…
Outside the tent, the night was deep and dark, the silvery light illuminating the entire hunting ground, except for Zhan Yunmei's spot, which was blocked by towering trees and shrouded in darkness.
The night wind carried the melancholy unique to autumn, blowing Zhan Yunmei's long hair beneath her crown. In the darkness, she whispered her instructions.
"Shuniang, investigate carefully to find out who dares to forge my general's seal."
A counterfeit general's seal, used today to deceive the people in the general's mansion, could be used tomorrow to deceive the soldiers in the capital garrison.
Knowing the gravity of the matter, Yao Shuniang unconsciously adopted a serious expression. "This servant will go now."
Before she had taken two steps, Zhan Yunmei gave another order: "Arrange for a few more people to take turns guarding the tents, so there are no gaps in the shift changes. Also, keep an eye on Hualang."
"This servant understands."
Following the moonlight, they headed towards the emperor's tent, where guards stood watch. A female official stepped forward first to pretend to stop Zhan Yunmei.
"General, please wait a moment. Zhang Gechen is discussing matters with His Majesty."
Even during the autumn hunt, the emperor was still burdened with state affairs. Whenever he had free time, he had to attend to government matters. In the nearly one year since the founding of the dynasty, he had not had a single day of complete leisure.
Zhan Yunmei nodded and stepped aside to wait.
A person approached, carrying a bowl of hot soup, walking with their head down, and was also stopped by the female official.
"Lord He, please wait a moment, His Majesty is busy."
He Shijun said "Good" and stepped aside. When he saw Zhan Yunmei there, he was momentarily dazed, but then he returned to normal and bowed, "General Zhan."
Zhan Yunmei smiled and nodded.
The two waited quietly on the side.
Zhan Yunmei's eyes kept lingering on the hot soup in He Shijun's hand, which seemed to be a bowl of shrimp soup. She watched as the soup went from bubbling with steam to cooling down completely.
Serving the emperor something completely cold—does he even want his head? Of course, He Shijun wanted his head.
He tested the temperature with his mouth; the soup was completely cold. He sighed softly and left with the bowl.
Shortly after he left, Zhang Gechen exited the tent and saw Zhan Yunmei waiting outside for a long time. He bowed and greeted her.
Zhan Yunmei returned the greeting and entered through the curtain.
The emperor's tent was enormous and had been prepared months in advance. Unlike other tents, which were simple, the interior was like a palace, complete with long couches, soft chairs, screens, and flower fans.
"Minister Zhan, you've arrived." The Emperor raised his hand slightly, and Zhan Yunmei stepped forward, gesturing for her to sit. "Did you see Minister Zhang just now?"
Zhan Yunmei sat down in the rose chair on the left and said, "I see it."
"Zhang, the Grand Secretary, is still the same old pedantic scholar. This is still the autumn hunt, and guess what he'll say?" The Emperor rested his hand on one side, while in the other he toyed with an unpolished jade stone, balancing yin and yang. "He dares to bring up the matter of establishing an empress, how audacious!"
After he finished speaking, the jade was also thrown out. The fragile jade shattered and separated the moment it hit the ground.
Zhan Yunmei, sensing the danger, quickly got off the chair and knelt on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down."
The emperor's tone shifted, becoming sarcastic and mocking. He adopted a affected manner, mimicking Zhang Gechen, saying, "Your Majesty has long been established, and it is time for you to spread your influence. I dare to offer you some advice." Advise? What advice did he offer? He merely recommended members of his own clan.
Zhan Yunmei had no desire to get involved in the emperor's affairs. She sighed inwardly and advised, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. You are the emperor, the ruler of the world. Whether or not to establish a new emperor is entirely up to you."
Once the matter was settled, the emperor's anger vanished in an instant, or perhaps he wasn't really that angry to begin with, and was just putting on an act for Zhan Yunmei.
She moved her finger and slowly tapped her cheek. "What Zhan Qing said is true."
The emperor was tactful yet direct in his actions, and always liked to feign suffering. Now that Zhan Yunmei had successfully offered her a way out, she naturally took it.
"Minister Zhan, I am very busy and cannot find another way," the Emperor said. "Hua Lang should be with you, right?"
Autumn weather is changeable. When Zhan Yunmei left the camp, it started to rain. The coarse raindrops slanted down the ground, gradually creating mud spots.
The female official handed over an umbrella, saying, "General, please take care."
With one hand holding an umbrella and the other carrying the wide hem of her coat, Zhan Yunmei noticed the wolf blood stained her boots as the cold, fragmented moonlight shone on them.
The thought of wolf blood reminded her of that wolf tooth. Zhan Yunmei took it out, but it was spotless. Although a piece was missing from the curved tooth, it did not diminish its menacing aura.
She touched it.
Make a red string and hang it around Hua Lang's neck. It should look beautiful. A fierce person should wear some fierce-looking ornaments so as not to diminish his evil appearance.
“General,” Yao Shuniang rushed forward, “I have searched everywhere I could. It is inconvenient to enter the tents of the lords, so I cannot search there. At present, there is no trace of the counterfeit seal. However, your private seal has always been kept in the guard room of the Beijing Garrison. Only two people can enter the guard room.”
One was Geng's deputy, and the other was He's deputy general.
Zhan Yunmei's first suspect was Geng Qi, but things went too smoothly. He had always been prejudiced against her, and it would be too obvious if he were to take advantage of her.
Deputy General He? What conflict did she have with her? Never.
As Zhan Yunmei walked, she said, "First, keep an eye on the hunting grounds tomorrow, check for any accidents, then change the private seal, and remember to tell Hua Lang."
"This servant has remembered."
Back in the tent, the oil lamp had gone out, and the tent was quiet and desolate.
Zhan Yunmei gently lifted the curtain, and the sound of rain rushed in. She quickly closed the curtain, but Hua Lang was a light sleeper and couldn't sleep soundly even when he had a fever.
The person on the bed slightly opened their eyes and, through a hazy vision, saw a familiar figure. Instinctively, they reached their hand out from under the covers, wanting to touch her.
That familiar figure pressed down on her, sitting by the couch, bringing the rain outside the tent with her.
Hua Lang felt a slight itch under her nose and sneezed.
Only then did Zhan Yunmei remove the thin cloak that covered her with dust, change into clean clothes, sit back on the couch, and hold Hua Lang's cold hand.
I reached out and felt the temperature on his forehead.
It's still a little hot, but much better than burning her nose earlier.
"Did I disturb you?" Zhan Yunmei's hand slowly touched Hua Lang's cheek and rubbed his face.
He opened his eyes and closed them again, his eyelashes trembling quickly and slightly. "...Mmm."
How smug you are! How did you seduce her just now? Now that you know you're sick, you'll feel sorry for her, so you're acting tough and going after her head over heels.
The phrase "to take advantage of someone's kindness" perfectly describes Hua Lang, this stray dog.
However, Zhan Yunmei falls for this; she likes him this way.
"What should we do? I'll apologize to our Eunuch Hua Lang, okay?" Zhan Yunmei's hand continued to move down, to his thin lips, and her fingertips poked inward.
“Hmm…no,” Hua Lang pursed her lips, preventing Zhan Yunmei from peeking in.
"Why not? Is this apology too lenient? Do you want something else?" Zhan Yunmei said, slowly looking at the chest on the bedside table. She underestimated Hua Lang's level of forbearance. She thought he didn't like this and that he was only with her to make things easier for her, putting on an act for her sake.
I just didn't expect that he might like it, or even be addicted to it.
"Hua Lang, what do you want?" Zhan Yunmei withdrew her hand.
Suddenly losing sensation on her lips, Hua Lang furrowed her eyelids a few times, then weakly opened them, finally regaining some clarity.
Zhan Yunmei said she would be back soon, and this time it actually happened... You must be dreaming.
Hua Lang felt extremely dizzy and his emotions fluctuated wildly. Even though his high fever gradually subsided, the dizziness and headache could not be relieved for a while.
It shouldn't be a dream. In dreams, only the former emperor would order him to die, so why would he dream of Zhan Yunmei?
He was starting to miss those early days, when he was being dramatic every day, and Zhan Yunmei never got angry and let him throw tantrums.
He didn't miss her much, though. He felt that she wasn't indulging him as much now because he was too dramatic, and she had lost patience.
Hua Lang's thoughts were in turmoil. He couldn't relax no matter what he thought about, afraid that Zhan Yunmei would leave again. He struggled to sit up, reached out haphazardly, and hugged her waist.
Amidst her fragrant body, he finally remembered that he hadn't answered her yet.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "General, there's no need for that."
“Okay,” Zhan Yunmei said quickly, feeling the hands behind her moving restlessly, as if searching for a position, trying to hug her tighter.
His anxiety and fear were overly obvious, as if he was afraid she would leave again. Perhaps sick people are more vulnerable. Once he recovers, will he get angry with himself again?
Zhan Yunmei bent down and patted Hua Lang's back through his thin nightgown. She only patted him a few times before stopping and pulling the blanket over him.
He turned his head to the side, wanting to kiss Hua Lang.
I was rejected again.
"Hua Lang, if you keep hiding, get out of the tent," Zhan Yunmei said casually, but the threat was strong.
Hua Lang was startled and shrank back, lifting his head from her embrace. He hurriedly explained, "I'm too sick."
Zhan Yunmei was just trying to scare him, and after receiving an explanation, she felt relieved and curled her lips into a smile.
Hua Lang caught the smile.
He squinted, noticing her meanness. He pulled away from her embrace, dragged the blanket over himself, and lay down, muttering, "What's the point? Does seeing me afraid make the general happy? I bet you have some kind of weird fetish!"
After saying this, his anger only increased, and he also felt aggrieved.
If she can tease him like that, she probably teases others in the same way. The thought of this made him even angrier.
What's the use of getting angry!
Of course, Zhan Yunmei had no idea that Hua Lang was having another internal battle with her. She casually coaxed her with a couple of words and told her to go take a bath.
Wash away your fatigue and go back to bed.
After a few groping attempts, she found Hua Lang's concave waist and pulled him forward to embrace him.
I've been too busy these past few days and haven't been able to come home at night. I haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time, especially since Hua Lang is gone. Sleeping hasn't been as pleasant since then.
Zhan Yunmei wasn't sure what was wrong with her. Maybe she just liked his body? That didn't matter.
She comfortably found the hollow of his neck, buried her face in it, and prepared to have a good sleep, dealing with those complicated matters tomorrow.
Unexpectedly, a cool, wet sensation on her forehead dispelled her drowsiness.
"Crying again?"
Hua Lang shuddered, quickly wiped his face, and snapped, "Nonsense!"
Zhan Yunmei chuckled, drawing out her words, "Yeah, I was just talking nonsense."
A low, husky voice came from the side of his neck, like a fish tail sweeping across his body, causing a tingling sensation.
Hua Lang involuntarily curled up, pressing her legs together.
Shame, humiliation, and unbearable memories all crawled over him, like thorns piercing his flesh, making him afraid to face them yet forced to confront them.
"Hualang, are my hands fun to play with?"
Zhan Yunmei's sudden words startled Hua Lang, who then realized he had been holding her fingertips for a long time.
"I'm sorry," Hua Lang said, embarrassed and trying to leave the overly intimate embrace, but the embrace was too tight.
He probably has a fever again, otherwise why would his face and ears be so hot?
"Tomorrow is the last day of the autumn hunt, come with me," Zhan Yunmei said, placing her hand back into Hua Lang's palm for him to play with. Before drowsiness completely overwhelmed him, she continued to tease him, "You should remember, you're here to help me choose..."
She lost consciousness.
Tears welled up in Hua Lang's eyes. She wanted to push Zhan Yunmei away, but considering how sleepy she was, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
She came back not for him, but to humiliate him once again.
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Author's Note: Please, there's still some content available before midnight!
This time, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it'll be VIP on October 4th. Due to various reasons, I've opted for a reverse VIP system, starting from chapter 24. It's not a long reverse VIP chapter, and there won't be any purchase restrictions for now. Whether you buy the earlier chapters or not doesn't matter; it won't affect anything. I'll try my best to accumulate more chapters and update more frequently later! Love you all~
To be honest, this book can't be written for very long. It's about halfway through now, and the sweet romance is about to start [starry eyes]. Feel free to suggest any side stories you'd like to see, and I'll write them if I can!
Here's a pre-order link for "Blessings to the Princess"
Sweet Princess × Crybaby Eunuch ~ Still the Woman's Favorite Man
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