Chapter 102 Sense of Crisis
Pei Huaijin could only bite the bullet and explain, his tone full of helplessness: "Lord Wang said that these are all family members with clean backgrounds, specially presented to Your Highness, hoping that they can keep Your Highness company and help pass the time."
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Qingci couldn't help but mutter to herself.
Are these men out of their minds?!
Do you really think that women will like the same kind of men as men?
These three women in front of me are nothing short of "seductive and cheap," and they clearly need men, not women.
In fact, Pei Huaijin was also feeling a bit uneasy.
He was reluctant to present this gift on behalf of Wang Qiao, but His Highness was surrounded by beautiful women, and he was unsure whether His Highness would... like this kind of thing. He was afraid that a direct refusal would displease His Highness, so he reluctantly brought the person along.
Seeing that His Highness remained silent, he tentatively asked, "If Your Highness finds it unpalatable, I will send someone to return it?"
“No need,” Li Yuanzhao finally spoke, a half-smile on his face. “Keep it.”
Upon hearing this, Pei Huaijin, Su Qingci, and Chen Yanqing were all stunned.
Upon hearing this, the three men's faces instantly lit up with wild joy, and they hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Highness! We will certainly serve you well!"
After Su Qingci followed Pei Huaijin out of the princess's study, she frowned and pondered the whole way.
Why did Your Highness keep those three pretentious men?
Is this a case of indiscriminate indulgence in both meat and vegetables? Or is it a sacrifice for the country?
She couldn't understand it, she really couldn't understand it.
Chen Yanqing, however, felt a strong sense of crisis.
He suddenly realized that he had not been able to get close to Li Yuanzhao since the aphrodisiac incident.
Even when he subtly hinted or even explicitly stated it, Li Yuanzhao remained unmoved, as if he were completely oblivious to romance.
He's a man, he has dignity and a sense of shame, okay?
That day, as night fell, he served Li Yuanzhao as usual, helping him change his clothes.
This time, however, he moved exceptionally slowly.
He removed her outer garment and changed her into a soft nightgown. His fingertips brushed against her shoulders and neck intentionally or unintentionally, tying and untying the sash again and again, lingering for a long time.
He would steal glances at Li Yuanzhao every now and then, hoping to gain even a little attention from her.
But Li Yuanzhao didn't look at him once from beginning to end.
After he finally finished his "busy" work, Li Yuanzhao instructed, "Go down."
Chen Yanqing froze instantly.
He's been hinting so obviously, how could he not seduce her?
This gave him an unprecedented sense of frustration.
He stood frozen in place, hesitated for a moment, and suddenly had a do-or-die idea.
Opportunities are something you have to fight for, so why not give it your all today?
With that thought in mind, he steeled himself, mustered his courage, and leaned down slightly to kiss her lips.
To his surprise, Li Yuanzhao reacted extremely quickly. Before he could get close, he raised his hand and pressed down on his face, turning his head to the side without any mercy, abruptly interrupting his actions.
Immediately afterwards, her icy voice rang out.
"Chen Yanqing, have I been too lenient with you? So much so that you dare to act so recklessly?"
The color drained from Chen Yanqing's face instantly. He quickly broke free from her grasp and knelt down to beg for forgiveness.
"Your Highness, please forgive me! I... acted foolishly for a moment, and I will never do it again!"
Only then did he suddenly realize that he had truly overstepped his bounds this time.
He was always dazzled by Li Yuanzhao's occasional gentleness and special treatment, mistaking it for affection.
But he forgot that she was the high and mighty Princess Zhenguo, the "ruler" to whom he had to bow down.
The saying "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger" perfectly describes Li Yuanzhao's situation.
For example, right now, one moment she can completely ignore his dawdling and deliberate seduction; the next moment she can instantly turn cold because of his lack of discretion.
In the blink of an eye, it could plunge him into hell.
Li Yuanzhao didn't look at him again, but said indifferently, "Go down and receive ten strokes of the cane."
Chen Yanqing dared not have the slightest thought of offense and quickly withdrew from the bedchamber.
Only after closing the door did he realize that his palms and back were soaked with cold sweat.
However, aside from the stroke of luck that he was only punished with ten strokes of the cane, an unprecedented self-doubt suddenly gripped his mind.
Why was Li Yuanzhao no longer willing to get close to him?
Could it be that he didn't perform well last time with the aphrodisiac, and disappointed her?
But he thought he had performed quite well that night, and even secretly pondered how to make her even more satisfied...
Could it be that he was too confident and actually didn't do a good job?
He couldn't help but recall the insults used in folk culture.
Could it be that I am really just a "silver-plated spearhead," looking respectable but actually useless?
No, absolutely not!
He couldn't just be relegated to the "cold palace" by Li Yuanzhao and never have another chance.
Three days later, Chen Yanqing finally managed to stop Xiao Lingdang outside the Imperial Medical Bureau, limping along.
When Little Bell saw him, her expression changed almost imperceptibly.
But then she noticed people staring at her curiously, so she quickly suppressed her emotions and led Chen Yanqing to an unused side hall.
"You were looking for me?"
Upon entering, Xiaolingdang deliberately took a half-step back, creating distance, and her tone was clearly distant.
Ever since she realized that she had misjudged His Highness's feelings for Chen Yanqing, she had been restless.
She initially thought His Highness kept him by his side out of affection, but later, seeing that His Highness's attitude was not like that, she privately asked Ru Mo and learned that His Highness actually loathed Chen Yanqing's face.
Only then did she realize the enormity of her mistake.
But she dared not tell His Highness the truth.
If His Highness finds out that she acted on her own initiative, the consequences will be unimaginable.
But she really didn't understand what was wrong with her. Why did she feel like her mind wasn't clear when she was with him, and why did she inexplicably give him the antidote?
She was filled with remorse afterward and tried her best to remedy the situation by secretly adding a lot of deadly poison to his human skin mask, all of which could cause his face to ulcerate and develop sores.
But after observing him closely these past few days, she found that Chen Yanqing was completely unharmed.
This made her even more convinced that there was something strange about this kid.
So she was particularly afraid of seeing him, and would avoid him whenever possible.
Unexpectedly, she was caught red-handed by him today, and hearing his ambiguous words, Xiaolingdang became even more vigilant.
Chen Yanqing, oblivious to her unease, lowered his voice and said, "Young...Lord Lin, I would like to ask you for a certain medicine."
"What medicine?"
"It's... that kind of drug that makes people... stronger?"
Chen Yanqing's words were evasive, and her ears turned slightly red.
"Medicine to improve health?"
Little Bell frowned. The Imperial Medical Bureau had plenty of nourishing prescriptions, so why did he have to come specifically to ask her?
"Well... not entirely."
What is that?
Chen Yanqing's voice trailed off, "It's... in that area... the stronger one..."
"Which aspect? Young Master Chen, please speak frankly. What kind of medicine do you want?"
Little Bell patiently pressed for answers, but her unease only deepened.
This person is acting so mysteriously, could it be that he has discovered something?
Chen Yanqing steeled his resolve and finally managed to squeeze out three words.
"Aphrodisiac."
Little Bell's eyes sharpened, and she instantly became alert. "Who's it for?"
"Feed... His Highness's horse!" Chen Yanqing thought quickly. "It's probably in heat, but it looks weak and listless..."
Little Bell said expressionlessly, "There are veterinarians in the palace. When a horse is sick, it should be given veterinary medicine. How can it be given human medicine indiscriminately?"
"Actually... it was a friend of mine who asked me to ask," Chen Yanqing hurriedly changed his story.
Little Bell stared at him for a long time, then suddenly raised an eyebrow: "Young Master Chen, could it be... that you want to use it yourself?"
Chen Yanqing blushed instantly. If his intentions were discovered, what difference would it make from stripping naked and running wildly down the street?
Little Bell realized she had hit the nail on the head, but she wasn't interested in asking any further questions. She just wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
"Yes, I do. Wait here, I'll get it for you."
She turned around, took a small porcelain bottle from deep inside the medicine cabinet, and put it in his hand.
Chen Yanqing took the porcelain bottle as if it were a treasure, and a smile instantly bloomed on his face. He quickly bowed to the little bell and said, "Thank you, Doctor Lin."
"You're welcome, go ahead."
He turned and walked to the door. Little Bell looked at his back and for some reason couldn't help but remind him, "This medicine is strong, so use it sparingly, or your body won't be able to handle it."
Chen Yanqing paused, turned back, smiled, and replied, "I know," before quickly leaving the side hall.
After he left, Little Bell came to her senses and suddenly slapped herself hard across the face.
What's wrong with her? Why is she so concerned about his health?
This person is truly "toxic"; I must stay away from him in the future!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com