Chapter 80 The third kiss was filled with lust and possessive aggression...
The morning mist gradually dissipated, and the warm sun shone into the house through the carved window lattices.
Luo Wan opened her eyes, and the first person she saw was Jiang Cichen, sitting by the window. He rested his forehead on one hand, seemingly dozing off. The soft morning light outlined his clear silhouette, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyes.
Luo Wan gently sat up, and the bed made a slight sound, instantly waking up the young man next to him.
"Awake?" Jiang Cichen walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He lifted her wrist and took her pulse very naturally. His frown gradually relaxed as his pulse steadied.
Jiang Cichen carefully adjusted her cuffs, raised his eyes to look into her eyes, remained silent for a moment, and slowly slid down from her clear pupils, finally stopping on her plump pale pink lips.
Crazy thoughts arose in his mind, sweeping away all his rationality.
Luo Wan only felt a tightening around her waist, and the next second, his kiss fell.
He didn't kiss her lightly like he did the first time, but instead he held her waist, sucking and twisting her greedily, almost out of control, as if he wanted to tear her apart and eat her up.
Luo Wan reacted, struggled violently, and reached out to push him. Compared with Jiang Cichen, she had no internal strength, so this push with such force actually evolved into a different meaning.
Jiang Cichen briefly released her waist, then quickly grasped her restless hands, twisting them behind her back. Luo Wan was instantly like a puppet being manipulated, forced to tilt her head back, enduring his lustful and possessive invasion.
Luo Wan opened her eyes and looked at him. His brows, which had been relaxed, were now slightly furrowed, as if he was forbearing and restraining himself, or as if he was deeply trapped in it.
It was not until Luo Wan started coughing unexpectedly due to the overly intense kiss that Jiang Cichen let go of her as if waking from a dream.
Luo Wan's breathing was unstable and he glared at him angrily.
Isn't he taking it for granted?
Jiang Cichen saw the anger in her eyes, but he was not moved at all. He just said softly, "I'll go get you some medicine."
The housekeeper had informed Jiang Cichen that Luo Wan had been returned to Qiao'er, so during the two days she was comatose, Jiang Cichen was the one who was guarding her, except for the maid who came to change her clothes.
The doctor who was treating the patient would come to check his pulse regularly, and Xie Yan and Chen Nanyuan also visited him during this period.
The decoction was cooked by the housekeeper himself, watching over the fire. When the housekeeper saw Jiang Cichen, he quickly scooped out the boiled medicine and handed it to him.
Jiang Cichen looked at the bowl of thick black medicine, and an indescribable emotion arose in his heart.
The doctor who came to see her earlier said that Luo Wan not only inhaled the smoke powder, but also had a powerful catalytic drug in her body that was fighting against her own internal strength. Only then did he find the medicine bottle from her sleeve.
He hated her, hated that Luo Wan would rather fight to the death than believe that he would save her. But he hated himself even more, hated that his indulgence in her and his tolerance of King Sheng had led to the current situation.
*
Ever since her narrow escape at the teahouse that day, Luo Wan had harbored a persistent suspicion. After leaving the Northern Kingdom, Jiang Cichen no longer had any secret guards under his command. Whose men were those who had fought the men in black that day?
She was lost in thought when the door was gently pushed open and Jiang Cichen walked in holding a bowl of medicine.
Jiang Cichen picked up the spoon and stirred it slowly a few times, then blew it cool carefully before handing it to her lips.
Luo Wan didn't drink, but asked: "Where did the secret guard come from that day?"
"The prince's men." Jiang Cichen answered straightforwardly.
Luo Wan hadn't seen Xiao Ce at all during the entire fight. She didn't believe someone who viewed Xu Lian'er as a pawn would come to her rescue. But Jiang Cichen had spoken these words, and he wouldn't lie to her.
She pressed on, "Did the prince send someone to rescue Xu Lian'er?"
Jiang Cichen said, "He lent him to me."
Luo Wan was even more puzzled: "You are not a princeling, why is he willing to lend people to you?"
Jiang Cichen's tone remained even: "It is now."
Luo Wan was stunned for a moment before she suddenly understood what he meant.
So in order to save her, Jiang Cichen was forced to borrow troops from the prince and become someone standing by the prince's side.
Luo Wan stared at him: "You don't have to do this for me."
Jiang Cichen seemed not to hear her words. He only pushed the medicine spoon forward half an inch and looked at her calmly: "Can I take the medicine now?"
The two of them confronted each other silently for a moment, and Luo Wan took the bowl from his hand and drank it all in one gulp.
Jiang Cichen took the empty bowl, stood up and cleaned up, and casually said, "I'll be leaving for the expedition in two days. I won't be in the mansion this afternoon. If you need anything, just tell the housekeeper. If you're bored, go find Xie Yan and Chen Nanyuan..."
"Jiang Cichen." Luo Wan interrupted him, "When did you become so long-winded?"
*
Tired of lying on the couch in the morning, Luo Wan casually strolled around the mansion. When he reached the front yard, he found that the servant who used to sweep the floor there had replaced his face with a new one.
Luo Wan looked at the new servant and asked, "Where is the servant who was sweeping here before?"
The servant bowed his head and said, "It seems he was transferred to another place."
The trees were still and the wind was still, the afternoon sun a bit scorching. Luo Wan wandered from the front yard to the backyard. The housekeeper, fearing she might catch a gust of wind, fetched a cloak and put it on her.
Luo Wan sat on the swing and swayed gently: "Housekeeper, do you know where the servant who delivered the letter to me was transferred to?"
"What servant?" the butler pretended to be dumb.
Luo Wan said, "It was the servant who was sweeping the front yard and brought me the letter."
The housekeeper hesitated: "Well..."
If it was an ordinary transfer, the housekeeper wouldn't have to be so vague. The servant was most likely implicated by her. Luo Wan didn't know where he was transferred to.
She said calmly, "If he is punished because of me, then let him come back and continue to work."
Luo Wan wasn't a heartless person, willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. She simply felt that delivering the letter was the servants' job, and they were simply fulfilling their duties. Furthermore, going to the appointment was her own choice.
Ultimately, the culprits of this incident are those men in black, and involving a servant in it seems narrow-minded.
"Yes." The butler responded and retreated.
The yard was empty for a while, and Luo Wan saw a tabby cat quietly walking over the wall, its tail raised high. Luo Wan found it quite amusing. Suddenly, the tabby cat was frightened and ran away from the wall.
Immediately afterwards, the voices of "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Crown Princess" came from far and near, from the front yard all the way to the back yard.
Luo Wan didn't get up, still swinging gently. Xiao Ce and the Crown Princess walked in together. Xiao Ce looked uneasy, but the Crown Princess looked at him with a bit of concern.
"No need to bow!" The Crown Princess frowned. "I heard you were injured by a gangster a few days ago, so I came to see you. Are you feeling better now?"
Xiao Ce hummed aside, "It seems she doesn't want to salute either."
No one paid attention to what he said.
Luo Wan nodded: "Thank you for your concern, Princess. Everything is fine now."
Xiao Ce grabbed the Crown Princess by the back of her collar and pulled her back a few steps, saying, "Just now when I came here, I saw that the peonies in the garden were in full bloom. Go pick a few branches and bring them back to the palace to put in a vase."
The Crown Princess looked back at him and said, "It's not like there are no peonies in the East Palace."
Xiao Ce said: "Nothing is as good as General Lingyun's Mansion."
“…”
The Crown Princess now realized that Xiao Ce was deliberately sending her away. She glanced at Luo Wan, who was sitting on the swing with a calm expression. The latter smiled at her. So the Crown Princess said nothing more and left the backyard with her maid.
The thin, gentle atmosphere just now dissipated instantly with the departure of the Crown Princess. Xiao Ce turned around, the anger in his eyes no longer concealed.
"Master Tingyu Tower." he said.
Luo Wan wasn't surprised that her identity was revealed. She tilted her head slightly and asked, "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"
"I have a question in my mind," Xiao Ce said, "I would like to ask the host for an answer."
Luo Wan said calmly, "Go ahead."
Xiao Ce didn't mince words and asked directly, "What do you want from staying with Jiang Cichen?"
Luo Wan tapped the ground with her toes and the swing stopped.
Xiao Ce continued, "Achen grew up in a military camp and was sent off to fight just as he was beginning to understand the ways of the world. Unlike Miss Luo, who has been roaming the martial arts world for many years, he has only come into contact with a few women. It's normal for him to be tempted."
Luo Wan raised his eyes, and their gazes met for a moment, and the air immediately filled with the smell of gunpowder.
Xiao Ce is the most protective of his people. He is only soft-hearted towards those close to him.
He had previously persuaded Jiang Cichen to join him in the great cause. He and Xiao Qing were of the same bloodline as the Queen, and the Queen's family had made great contributions to the Yun Kingdom. That position must be occupied by someone of her bloodline.
However, at that time, Jiang Cichen only had hatred in his heart and did not agree to the alliance.
But he later agreed.
So Xiao Ce had to re-examine this woman from the martial arts world beside Jiang Cichen. Apart from her beauty, she had no other advantages. She was sophisticated and cunning.
"So what?" Luo Wan asked back.
Xiao Ce said, "You know how Ah Chen feels about you. If you have no feelings for Ah Chen, please be kind. No matter what you want, Yun Nation can give it to you as long as it is within our ability."
Luo Wan smiled lightly when she heard that. She didn't expect that someone like Xiao Ce would actually advise her to show mercy. Then, had he ever shown mercy to Miss Xu and the Crown Princess?
He thought he was protecting the Crown Princess, but had he ever asked her if she was willing? He trapped the Crown Princess in the Eastern Palace, giving her neither freedom nor love.
Only he and Miss Xu knew his love for the Crown Princess.
If he truly wanted the Crown Princess to be safe, he shouldn't have married her in the first place. Xu Lian'er suffered torture for him, yet he refused to even send reinforcements.
Luo Wan said, "According to your Highness, how can I show mercy?"
"A short pain is worse than a long one," Xiao Ce paused and said in a deep voice, "Leave Achen."
Luo Wan lifted her toes off the ground, and the swing began to swing again. She smiled and said, "Okay."
"What's good about that?!" Xie Yan suddenly appeared out of nowhere and interrupted the conversation between the two. "Your Highness, this is a private matter between Ah Chen and Luo Wan. No matter what happened between them, Ah Chen should speak for himself."
Xiao Ce pointed at Luo Wan and said to Xie Yan, "This woman is so heartless! Ah Chen has done so much for her, yet she just agreed to leave so readily. It's obvious that she has no feelings for Ah Chen at all. There are so many beautiful women in the world, he can't have any woman he wants. Why would he hang himself on this tree?"
Xie Yan said with a hint of meaning, "Your Highness, you should know better than to hang yourself on a tree."
Luo Wan was tired of listening, yawned, and stood up from the swing: "Tell me after you have discussed it."
Luo Wan turned around and went back to his yard.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and the mandala wind chimes in the yard were spinning gently. The reflected light and shadows spread across the white walls and gently rubbed into the eyes.
*
The peace talks between Yun State and Xiliang ultimately failed, and the only brief ceasefire between Weizhou and Yangzhou ended completely with the departure of Prince Xiliang.
The war has reignited, and if the imperial court wants to completely capture Yangzhou, it has to send reinforcements.
The army will set out the day after tomorrow, and the general's seal, which symbolizes the highest military power in Yun Kingdom, has been handed to Jiang Cichen. This is exactly what King Sheng has been scheming to get.
King Sheng thought he had set up a foolproof trap. If Jiang Cichen agreed to the deal, he would have to hand over the general's seal with both hands. If he refused, and privately mobilized troops to save one person, he would be disregarding military discipline and failing to distinguish between public and private.
By then, the imperial censors and retainers that Prince Sheng had already arranged would submit their reports. Could Jiang Cichen still hold on to his position as general after mobilizing troops for a woman?
As for the strength of the Crown Prince's secret guards, Prince Sheng knew it all too well; at most, they were 50-50. Furthermore, he also held the Crown Prince's beloved in his hands, so he was betting that the Crown Prince wouldn't take any risks.
Who would have thought that at the critical moment of the transaction, a hidden arrow flew out from somewhere and pierced directly into the throat of King Sheng's deputy general, and the leader of the men in black died on the spot.
Jiang Cichen was a real madman, who actually led the group of secret guards to fight to the death without caring about anything.
At this point, King Sheng actually developed some admiration for him.
Outside the Xuanzheng Hall, Jiang Cichen and Prince Sheng walked down the long steps one after the other.
Prince Sheng suddenly turned around and said with a smile, "I hope General Lingyun returns triumphantly."
Jiang Cichen ignored King Sheng and looked up at the slowly setting sun behind him. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, resting it on King Sheng's face, and said, "Definitely."
*
After Jiang Cichen returned home, he first explained the expeditionary arrangements to Xie Yan and Chen Nanyuan. The army would advance in two directions: one heading directly to the northern border, and the other returning to Weizhou for reinforcements.
After everything was settled, he learned from Xie Yan that Crown Prince Xiao Ce had come to the mansion in the afternoon.
Spring was drawing to a close, and the long summer of Yun Country was about to begin. The grass and trees in the courtyard had just been trimmed to a lush, round shape. A gust of wind blew, and the clusters of them swayed gracefully, like adorable tumblers.
Jiang Cichen stood outside Luo Wan's yard for a long time before walking into the yard.
When I entered the yard, I found that the mandala wind chimes that used to hang all over the yard had all been taken down and disappeared without a trace.
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