Chapter 124 Cooking Dog She said she would lie.
The young man was full of vigor and vitality. He pushed Cong Ying against the medicine table, lowered his head, frowned, and pursed his thin lips, with an expression of anger as if his hair had been combed backwards.
Cong Ying was also a little angry, but the two of them were too close, and the heat from his body was transmitted to her through his clothes, reminding her of something inappropriate. Her cheeks, ears, and neck all turned red.
She pushed him away in anger, but he grabbed her wrists and locked them behind her back. He lifted her up and she sat on the edge of the table, with one of her legs as strong as steel squeezed between her knees.
Getting closer, the desire in his eyes was self-evident.
"You're like this again!" Zong Ying's chest heaved with rage, and she held her breath as she scolded him, "Since I came to Xizhou, when have you ever had a serious conversation with me? You always end up chatting and then… Regardless of anything else, at least the King of Jin wouldn't be like you, resorting to physical contact at the slightest disagreement."
Xie Xuanlan curled his lips and sneered, "Do you think he doesn't want to? He just can't. Wasn't he quite restless on his wedding night? He even alarmed the doctor the next day."
A sound exploded in Ying's brain, and her face turned red as blood: "How do you know, you——"
Xie Xuanlan said, "If he can have sex with me, then naturally I can have sex with him too. Sometimes I'm completely unaware, and sometimes I can do it as if it were my own arm. I understand what he's thinking. I know how many times you've done it... Tell me, Ah Ying, who do you think is better, him or me?"
Cong Ying's expression was blank, and she wasn't sure if it was out of shock or shame, but her whole body was trembling slightly.
Xie Xuanlan smiled and bent down to kiss her. Her lips were hot and soft, like balm that melted as soon as it was touched. He couldn't help but increase his strength a little, and his waist and abdomen also moved forward in an ambiguous way.
"It's my good, isn't it?"
Cong Ying really couldn't stand such crazy and incestuous stimulation, and struggled violently to push him away, but this man just kept wrapping around her tighter and tighter like an evil curse, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
"Don't move. You're about to tear the wound open. You'd better just scold me quietly. Don't bother with this body. Otherwise, how can I please you? I'm really inferior to him in every way." He said in a low and hoarse voice, laughing and sighing as if mocking himself.
Cong Ying was trembling and couldn't say a word.
When did his words become like soft knives, stabbing straight into her heart?
After a while, Cong Ying said weakly, "It's fate. This is not my fault."
Xie Xuanlan nodded and whispered in her ear:
"Of course it's not your fault, it's mine and his. His fault is that he's so greedy that he's not satisfied with your life. He's fighting against the heavens and robbing you of this life."
"My mistake was not giving him the way, not helping you, wasting your time and burdening you."
Since learning that Prince Jin was himself in his previous life, Xie Xuanlan has been haunted by this thought from time to time.
If he had not cut off Taoist Taixiao's soul-calling banner in front of Prince Jin's coffin, and had not caused the golden bell to hit Prince Jin's coffin, would he have been replaced unknowingly, and from then on he would have known the world earlier and been able to pity and cherish her.
She doesn't have to endure her own cold stares and questioning, and doesn't have to be torn between taking care of this and that.
She can get what she wants and become a gentleman who is loyal and faithful.
The more he thought about it, the more despair engulfed him like a rising tide. In this world, even a worthless person like Taoist Taixiao was useful, but he...he was the only one who was superfluous.
Before the bitterness welled up in his eyes, Xie Xuanlan covered Cong Ying's eyes, lowered his head and kissed her fiercely, as if this could prove the meaning of his existence.
There was a hint of cruelty in the burning desire. Cong Ying was struggling to say something, but suddenly she tasted a little cold water drop on the tip of her tongue. It was bitter, and she was stunned.
Until his other hand reached into her dress, her whole body tensed up and her tongue went numb. She hesitated but still stopped him.
She stumbled and said, "Here... here is not possible. Let's go back tonight... and then..."
What else? She couldn't say it. Thinking that the person she was facing might not be just Xie Xuanlan, but also the Prince of Jin who was supposed to be far away in Yunjing, she felt a chill all over her body, and her scalp kept bursting.
Fortunately, someone came to rescue her at this time.
The guards reported through the screen, "General, the princess of Western Tartar wants to bite her tongue and commit suicide!"
Xie Xuanlan let go of Zeng Ying and turned away, facing the screen and said unhappily, "Didn't you remove her jaw?"
The personal guard hesitated, and Cong Ying continued, "I asked Ah He to look after her. Maybe Ah He took her back."
Xie Xuanlan said nothing, picked up his clothes and put them on: "Take her to the cell, I'll be there now."
After Xie Xuanlan left, Cong Ying still sat on the edge of the medicine table, calming herself down for a long time until her heartbeat returned to normal.
She thought of the Western Tatar princess whom she had just met briefly, and recalled the rumors about her on the border of Western Province.
This Western Tartar princess' name was Saranduo, meaning "motherly moonlight." She truly nurtured her younger brother like a mother, helping him reclaim the throne from his uncles. During her regency, she focused on internal governance, building cities and raising cattle and horses. She also established trade caravans with the four borderlands, including the Great Zhou. For the people of Western Tartar, Saranduo was a moonlight that provided them with a place to rest and recuperate.
In the past few years, her younger brother grew up and wanted to take back power from his sister, so he opposed all of his sister's political views and repeatedly sent people to provoke the Great Zhou, becoming enemies with the Great Zhou.
When her younger brother got into trouble, her elder sister came to clean up the mess. Sarando's first husband died at the hands of Prince Xuan, and her second husband died at the hands of Xie Xuanlan. Now she is forced to lead the army herself to boost morale, but unfortunately she met the killing god Xie Xuanlan.
Cong Ying heard Cong He calling out from outside: "Sister! Sister! Where are you?"
Cong Ying straightened her clothes and walked out. Seeing Cong He running towards her, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Cong He stamped his feet in anger: "I didn't keep an eye on her! They dragged her away, and I followed them. Who's going to kick me out then?"
After Cong Ying married Prince Jin, Cong He could no longer call Xie Xuanlan his brother-in-law, and always referred to him as "that person", unaware that it sounded more ambiguous. He was secretly happy that Prince Jin heard it without knowing it.
Cong He said, "I saw it! They were heating branding irons and dipping barbed whips in salt water. It was horrible!"
This is an attempt to extract a confession through torture.
Cong Ying thought for a moment, then took Ah He's hand and said, "Let's go and take a look."
The prison cell was located in a corner of the military camp. It was a large cellar dug downwards with only a hole in the top for ventilation. Even when the sun shone during the day, it still seemed dark, damp and cold, and even more eerie at night.
As Cong Ying reached the entrance, she was stopped. She glanced at Cong He, who immediately stepped forward and said, "How dare you! How dare you stop the Imperial Envoy? How many heads do you have!"
The guard said in embarrassment: "But the Marshal ordered..."
Cong He glared: "I don't think you can tell the difference between the big and small kings! Even the commander-in-chief has to obey the imperial envoy!"
She spoke in a loud voice, and a moment later a guard came up from the cell and said, "The Marshal said let them in."
Walking down the earthen steps from Ying, she saw torches on the four corners of the cell, making it brightly lit. Xie Xuanlan was sitting in an armchair with his back to her, with a screen in front of him.
From behind the screen came the sound of a whip being cracked, and Sarando's heavy, suppressed breathing as the whip was cracked.
Xie Xuanlan didn't turn to look at her, his voice calm and cold: "What are you doing here, Your Excellency?"
Cong Ying said, "It is only natural that this envoy should observe the interrogation of such an important prisoner."
Both of them acted in a businesslike manner. Xie Xuanlan was silent for a moment, then stood up, offered her the armchair, and ordered his personal guards, "Go get another chair."
Cong Ying accepted his courtesy, sat down in the armchair, looked around, and fixed his eyes on the face of a personal soldier in the corner.
The personal soldier had an ordinary appearance, except for a fresh whip mark on his face. Seeing Congying staring at her, he lowered his head in embarrassment.
Xie Xuanlan said, "I hit him."
He didn't explain why, but Cong Ying could guess why. Most of the soldiers were rough and crude, having long been estranged from the opposite sex. Seeing the Western Tartar princess, they must have been dishonest during the execution, angering Xie Xuanlan.
Cong Ying said, "How many whips are left? Let Ah He go."
Xie Xuanlan did not comment, turned around the screen, took the whip, and carried out the remaining ten lashes.
Xie Xuanlan asked Salanduo: "Are you still unwilling to speak?"
Sarando made an inarticulate sound.
Xie Xuanlan nodded: "Get the branding iron."
Cong Ying asked, "What is Xie Shuai asking?"
Xie Xuanlan: "The deployment of troops outside the Western Tatar King's city, the location of the granary, and their Khan's battle plan."
The Western Tartar Royal City...Zong Ying's eyelids twitched violently, and he thought, is he planning to attack all at once? That's too radical.
Cong Ying said, "Judging from her attitude, she might not even confess even if she's branded with a branding iron."
"Then continue according to the rules: cut the flesh, remove the bones, and pull out the tendons." Xie Xuanlan paused and said, "Imperial Envoy Jin Gui, do you still want to continue to watch such a bloody punishment?"
Cong Ying remained silent, turning her head to stare at him. Xie Xuanlan sighed silently and asked her in a low voice, "What on earth are you doing here?"
Cong Ying also whispered with a smile: "I am using public power for personal gain. I want you to go back and accompany me."
Xie Xuanlan's eyes suddenly darkened as he looked at her quietly. Although he appeared to be observing her calmly, his heart was actually beating so fast that he couldn't count the beats.
At this time, someone from He poked his head out and said, "The prisoner has fainted! Do you want to splash water on him to wake him up?"
Xie Xuanlan thought for a moment and said, "Forget it, we'll review it tomorrow."
He and Congying left the cell, saying goodbye politely, and went in two different directions. Shortly after Congying rested, a hand parted the green tent and reached in. Two bodies, one cold and one hot, quickly entangled together, and the tent was soon filled with red waves.
In fact, Cong Ying had not yet accepted the absurd situation that there might be more than one person in front of her, but there were more important things to do at the moment. She suppressed her nervousness and embarrassment, her whole body trembling, and slowly turned away her eyes.
Xie Xuanlan turned her face back and said, "Why do you want to save Salandu?"
Cong Ying thought for a moment and said, "I can't bear it."
Xie Xuanlan didn't believe it: "No, it's not."
Cong Ying asked him: "Then why did you insist on asking for information about the Western Tartar King's City? Are you going to take another risk? You were seriously injured—"
Before he finished speaking, the last syllable broke into a rising hum.
Xie Xuanlan smiled in her ear: "Lian Po is not old yet. You will know once the military supervisor tries it."
From Firefly: ...
After another night of tossing and turning until very late, after Xie Xuanlan left, Cong Ying forced herself to get up, dressed, and went to call her from the tent, whispering, "Come on, follow me to the prison cell again."
Cong He's blurry eyes suddenly opened: "Want to do something bad?" Cong Ying nodded: "Yes."
The two returned to the cell, and this time the guards didn't dare stop them. Cong Ying saw Sarando, chained to the rack. She took the wood out of Sarando's mouth and said to her, "Don't bite your tongue yet. I'm here to discuss cooperation with you."
Saranduo glanced at her, twitched his nose, and said in the language of the Great Zhou: "You are Xie Xuanlan's lover."
Cong Ying said, "I am the military supervisor of Xizhou. I am your only hope of leaving this place."
Behind her, Sarandu saw Conghe, who had let the whip go earlier, and she seemed to be lost in thought. She said, "Even if you have to live in exchange, I won't reveal it."
"No, I don't ask about military secrets," Cong Ying said. "I'll let you return to Western Tartar with only one request: temporarily halt the war with the Great Zhou. Take your men and go seize the throne from your brother."
Sarando laughed. "I didn't expect Xie Xuanlan's lover to be a conservative. Don't you Han people have a saying that those with different ideals cannot work together? How did you two get involved?"
Cong Ying said, "Because I can pretend and lie."
Sarando thought about it for a long time. This matter was indeed beneficial to her. If it weren't for the lack of support, she would not have fallen into Xie Xuanlan's hands. Of course, she was willing to settle the score with her brother.
She nodded: "Okay, as long as you can let me go, I will agree to it."
Cong Ying released one of her hands and asked her to write a contract in the language of the Great Zhou. The book contained many words of rebellion against the Khan of Western Tartar and the secrets of her conspiracy to help her brother seize the throne.
If Sarando did not fight the Western Tatar Khan after leaving and revealed the contract, the Western Tatar Khan would not tolerate her either.
Cong Ying accepted the contract and said, "In one or two days, I will fulfill my promise. Please don't die."
She and Cong He left the cell. Cong He couldn't understand the reason behind this. He grabbed Cong Ying's clothes and asked, "Sister, isn't she an enemy? Why did you save her?"
Cong Ying took her hand and said, "Because right now there are more important things than killing the enemy."
"What?"
"Self-preservation."
It was almost dawn at this time, with a streak of pale dawn light appearing in the distant sky, and the cold wind made people's faces feel numb.
Cong Ying's voice was very low, as if he was talking to himself: "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked. The person who cooks the dog is coming. What the hunting dog should do now is not to chase the cunning rabbit, but to turn around and bite the person who cooks the dog to death first."
This is what is meant by "pacifying the country before resisting foreign aggression".
However, this person who cooks the dog not only refers to the upcoming Prince Consort Xuan, but also Princess Chun'an behind Prince Consort Xuan, and herself who was recommended by Princess Chun'an.
"The wind in Xizhou is so cold," Cong Ying gathered her cloak, "I want to go back to Yunjing."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
