Chapter 3 003 Gathering Courage, Greedily Seizing
The withered branches stood tall, pointing to the thick snow, which seemed to be melting but not quite under the setting sun. Ice flowers bloomed, and the trees were covered with silvery beads. Qingli, still half-conscious, turned around and weakly comforted her, "It's okay, you'll feel better after you go back and warm up."
Inside the east wing, Qi Zhaoxin watched him enter and strode forward to greet him, saying, "The Prince of Dingxi is back, and he's in a rage."
Meng Qingshan understood what he meant; it meant that moving around within the manor would be even more difficult. He sat down at the table, past Qi Zhaoxin, pondered for a moment, and then reassured him, "How are their defenses?"
"One patrol every quarter of an hour, in groups of seven."
"Proceed according to plan."
It was already a perilous situation, and now it was like a knife to his throat. One wrong move and he would be doomed. The Prince of Dingxi held a large army and was not someone to be fooled. Qi Zhaoxin's brows were furrowed tightly, and his worry was practically written all over his face.
Meng Qingshan's face was ashen, his gaze calm and deep as he stared ahead. His hair was thick and black, tied up with a high crown, and he was both awe-inspiring and resolute, exuding an inexplicable power that commanded respect. He was determined to face any danger, even if it meant facing mountains of knives and seas of fire. A gust of wind blew by, and the candlelight on the table flickered, casting a chilling light in his brown eyes.
Inside Taoyuan Pavilion, the warmth that followed her stiffness brought a ache to her bones. Qingli sipped the ginger soup, the spiciness spreading through her throat. After a moment, her limbs relaxed, and a sweet aftertaste began to linger on her tongue. She told Jiang Yue and Jiang Zhao to go and rest. She had brought the two of them from her previous home, and their bond was much stronger than that with Ying Shui and Ying Yue. If it were any of the hardships she had endured over the past five years, it would have been thanks to the two of them protecting and admonishing her. Otherwise, she estimated she would have been begging for death long ago.
Yingshui and Yingyue exchanged a glance, knowing that the lady had an exceptionally good temperament, but as maids of the Prince of Dingxi's mansion, they always kept a distance and served her with utmost care. Heavy, slow footsteps echoed on the stairs, and Qingli paused, her eyes showing extreme annoyance. However, when the person appeared at the door, she had already concealed her emotions well, replacing them with a wronged and depressed look, her eyes filled with tears and pitiful.
Her face was like a painting, her eyes slightly red, framed by shimmering mist. She stubbornly stared fixedly, refusing to let her eyes fall. But her eyelashes finally couldn't bear the soreness and fluttered down like dewdrops on leaves in the morning, leaving a trail of dampness on her cold skin, revealing her suffering.
The Prince of Dingxi, a powerful and ruthless ruler, held immense power and the lives of countless people in his hands. He had long since become cold and indifferent, but upon seeing her expectant eyes, even the hardest steel would soften into tenderness. He recalled how she had come with local officials, her flawless beauty shining brightly in the palace. He had been willing to endure infamy to win her over. He sat beside her, comforting her shoulders and back. "I acquired two boxes of South Sea purple pearls the other day. I will have them delivered later."
The burning sensation of her fingers made Qingli's back stiffen. She scoffed inwardly, already recognizing that this was the favor shown by the Prince of Dingxi. It was nothing more than a calculated move to gain the support of the Jiang family, the maternal relatives of the Princess Consort of the Capital. Back then, Duxingqi had imprisoned her in this pavilion, acting as if his master was high above her and demanded her gratitude. But on what grounds did he have to do that?
The Prince of Dingxi was clearly displeased with her silence, thinking she was being spoiled and arrogant. He snorted coldly, thinking that it was only right for the Princess to use some means to regulate the rules of the inner quarters. Without rules, there can be no order. The Princess's vision was shallow, and her methods were nothing more than the same. A box of purple pearls was worth a thousand miles, more than enough to repay the torment she had suffered. The Prince of Dingxi's face darkened, and the room fell silent instantly. The chilling atmosphere in the room grew thicker and thicker, to the point that Yingshui and Yingyue trembled in the back.
Just as the calm turned to panic, a soft sob broke the stiffness. The delicate, uneasy voice softened the cold, stern face of the Prince of Dingxi. He sighed, but how could someone of his noble status speak softly? His words of comfort carried a command: "Tonight at Taoyuan Pavilion."
The sobbing clearly stopped, and Qingli unconsciously shifted her body, moving a little distance away. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to resist pushing him away, but how could he allow her to refuse? She simply wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, no longer willing to release any emotions, and returned to her calm and aloof demeanor. The Prince of Dingxi felt a slight warmth in his heart, and his hands became even softer. He realized that she wasn't taking advantage of his favor, but rather relying on pity to draw him to her side. Thinking of the enchanting moments of the past few days, he could no longer resist.
Qingli tried her best to suppress her subconscious urge to push him away. Her fingers were already turning bluish-white from the force she exerted. She closed her eyes, held her breath, and waited for the agonizing hours to come.
A commotion erupted, and the hurried footsteps shook the ground.
Qingli placed her hand on Dingxi Wang's chest. Seeing Dingxi Wang looking down at her, she realized that this action had clearly crossed his line. The anger in his eyes was undisguised and fell into her eyes, causing Qingli to tremble.
"Catch the thief!" The shouts came from afar, followed by waves of panic.
The Prince of Dingxi lost his mind and suddenly stood up, his body radiating violence. This little thief was courting death, repeatedly treating the Prince of Dingxi's mansion as if it were his own territory. If he didn't take his life today, how could he vent his hatred? He threw down the words, "I'll come back later."
Qingli finally took a breath, her body going limp as she collapsed onto the low couch. Hearing the panicked shouts, she wasn't particularly afraid, since it wasn't her concern. All she needed to do was control her emotions before he came back. With that in mind, she gave the order, her voice brimming with obvious exhaustion, "Extinguish the candles."
Yingshui knew that the lady disliked bright lights at night, otherwise she would never be able to fall asleep. So the prince placed a luminous pearl in the corner. The light gauze curtains were lowered, and the dim light made the outlines blurry, but it was not so dark that it was impossible to serve her. Yingshui wanted to remind the prince that he would be here soon, but seeing that she had already turned around and closed her eyes, she quietly extinguished the candle and retreated with Yingyue to the side room on the first floor.
Tonight, the moon is bright and the stars are few. A thick fog is rising, and the white light of the snow illuminates the cold, shimmering world. Above the Prince of Dingxi's mansion, a figure leaps and soars, pursued by several men who are sometimes near and sometimes far. Each time they catch up and engage in combat, the man wields his knife as if descending from the sky. His strength is like subduing tigers and dragons, and his swift and fierce moves leave the guards behind no time to defend themselves, making the guards of the mansion furious.
Unexpectedly, this person disdained the guards of the Prince's Mansion and caused chaos in different courtyards. Women screamed, old women chased after them, teacups shattered, and tables and chairs were askew and in disarray, echoing like a curse.
"How many people are there exactly?!" The Prince of Dingxi stared fiercely at Rongde below him.
Rongde wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, still reeling from the fear of facing the thief head-on. To make matters worse, as soon as he opened the study door, a ferocious demon suddenly appeared before him, its face marked with sharp, protruding fangs, bloodshot eyes, and a deathly pale complexion, its entire body covered in black hair. Rongde's eyes widened, his throat felt like it was being choked, and he fell straight backward. A dark shadow flew past his face before he screamed hysterically.
“One.” Rongde held up one finger, his eyes blazing with fury as he looked at the Prince of Dingxi. He then bent his finger and lowered it, intending to salvage the situation as a servant. “The documents in the study are in disarray, but nothing is missing. The imperial bloodstone seal is missing.”
That seal belonged to the previous emperor. When Dingxi Prince left the capital, the emperor distributed the seals issued by the previous emperor to them in order to demonstrate his benevolence. The seal was blood red, as bright as cinnabar, and was priceless. However, Dingxi Prince was not worried about that. Although the documents in the room were messy, they were all neatly arranged now, with not a single one missing. Therefore, he was only taking money and not stealing information.
The shouts and clanging sounds from the backyard were still coming. The Prince of Dingxi rubbed his temples. The little thief was causing trouble, and he had lost his patience. He ordered that even if they had to turn the palace upside down tonight, they should capture him. The Prince of Dingxi stood up and said, "Let's go and see if it has affected General Meng."
Qingli was awakened by a piercing sound, but upon closer listening, she only heard a buzzing sound. Turning around, she saw a large, imposing figure in the room and couldn't help but gasp softly, clutching her chest as she called out, "Your Highness?"
The figure seemed to move slightly, then paused for a moment before walking towards the bed. Qingli had once again become the docile and obedient concubine. Qingli understood that if she wanted to plan for the future, she could not afford to offend the Prince of Dingxi. She moved further in according to the Prince of Dingxi's preferences, sinking into the depths of the canopy bed, where her vision darkened even more.
The rustling sound of undressing was particularly noticeable in the quiet attic. Her skin was as translucent as lychee flesh, her figure slender, her rounded shoulders like stars in the night sky, her bone structure beautiful and smooth, her neck hollow deep, and her full breasts about to burst out from under her light blue dress. She was busy on her own, and after undressing, she lifted the outer brocade quilt and looked out of the bed.
Qingli felt that the light tonight stretched the figure of the Prince of Dingxi to an immense size, projecting it above her head and completely oppressing her. She couldn't bear this feeling of being completely suppressed, feeling like a lamb to the slaughter, and her heart was inexplicably tense. She thought he was silently scrutinizing her, annoyed by her rejection that evening.
Qingli, having come to her senses, decided not to torture herself anymore. She propped herself up, her long, slender arms emerging from under the brocade quilt, passing through layers of gauze curtains. The smooth, cool fabric of the curtains caused goosebumps to rise on her arms, and she trembled inexplicably. She didn't know why the Prince of Dingxi was being so demanding tonight. He used to be impatient, but tonight he was calm yet passionate. She could clearly hear his heavy breathing.
"Your Highness, let me help you undress."
He was tall and imposing, and she couldn't tell what kind of clothes he was wearing. Qingli groped around, even sitting up completely and half-kneeling in front of him, hugging his waist. Hearing a heavy groan from above her, she clenched her fingers, her cheeks flushed, and she became even more anxious. She couldn't call for a maid to light a candle, and she complained again that he didn't know how to move, like a stone. At least the places she touched were becoming increasingly stiff.
Qingli found the spot after a moment, but unexpectedly, a large hand, as big as a fan, covered her hand underneath. She looked up in confusion, feeling a little uneasy. The Prince of Dingxi's thoughts were hard to fathom. If something was wrong, he would always torment her. She had to get through this ordeal. Qingli supported herself with that hand and placed it on her body, whispering shyly and ambiguously, "Your Highness, don't you love me anymore?"
"This concubine..." Qingli stumbled forward, but unexpectedly, the hand in front of her grabbed her private parts. Her flesh was soft and delicate, how could she withstand such force? She couldn't help but cry out in pain and subconsciously tried to pull away, but her hand was still gripping the unbuttoned collar, and he pressed straight down on her.
Heavi as a thousand pounds, Qingli was half-bent over, unable to move at all. Her face was buried in the hard chest, and she smelled a cold, dark iron scent. The cold and intimidating smell made her body stiffen for a moment. This scent was too familiar. It was the scent that had lingered in front of her for more than ten years. Now it filled her chest, and she was afraid from the bottom of her heart.
She knew it was the memory from her childhood that caused the timidity etched into her bones to surface. But five years had passed, and she had nothing to fear anymore. She just felt inexplicably impatient and wanted to end everything as soon as possible. She reached out her fingers from under her and touched the person on top of her. Suddenly, it felt like an explosion, making her feel extremely abrupt.
The person on top of her supported her, and she felt a scrutinizing gaze scanning her face—domineering, forceful, and oppressive. This intimidating gaze made Qingli lower her eyes involuntarily, her long, curled eyelashes completely obscuring her vision. She remained silent, seemingly waiting for something.
Qingli sensed something was wrong and dared not move an inch. She obediently closed her eyes, slightly raised her chin, pouted her rosy lips, and leaned in with the warmth of her breath. It was cool and soft, and the exposed stubble pricked her, making her flinch. But she mustered her courage and greedily took it in.
Her movements were clumsy, but it was Qingli's best effort. In the past, she only needed to endure quietly and never needed to do anything on her own initiative. She had never paid attention to what movements she should make. At this moment, her whole body was tense, stiff and mechanical.
The noise outside grew louder, and the footsteps climbing the steps were almost at the door when Qingli suddenly opened her eyes.
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