Chapter 39 A Difficult Situation
This person has always been like this; knowing she was extremely embarrassed, he always accurately grasped her weakness, and every word he uttered was like a heavy hammer blow, shattering her perhaps insignificant sense of shame.
Seeing his interested expression, Chi Ying insincerely praised, "Your Highness doesn't need to learn. You... are exceptionally talented and self-taught. You've already done very well."
Yan Xuecui replied, "But you keep crying out in pain, so it must be because I'm not doing it right. Otherwise, you should be feeling comfortable."
Chi Ying blushed at his words and mumbled, "It's because Your Highness's periods are too long and the frequency too high that I can't handle it. Besides, excessive indulgence is harmful to the body. Your Highness should also consider your health and not be too indulgent, lest you damage your very foundation..."
Yan Xuecui couldn't help but laugh: "Aying, you've been the only one by my side all these years. You've only been here a few times, yet you've already damaged my very foundation. Aren't you utterly useless?"
Chi Ying was powerless to explain. In any case, this person only answered what he wanted to hear and ignored everything else.
Yan Xuecui: "I am plagued by an old ailment and often troubled by emotions, so I occasionally lose control and act without method. This is not a discussion with you, but rather about how to satisfy you without changing the time or frequency..."
Chi Ying: "..."
In truth, she didn't care whether she was satisfied or not; she only considered it part of the task of being a substitute bride. Sharing a room with her was something she had to face. This matter could be difficult or easy, but she was unlucky and happened to encounter a difficult one.
To be fair, he wasn't the kind of cruel person who enjoyed sadism in bed. He was much better than she had imagined. It was just a bit of a torment, but she could grit her teeth and bear it.
He didn't bring it up, so even if Chi Ying harbored resentment, she wouldn't criticize a prince for it.
Besides, he was just teasing her casually. He didn't change the time or the frequency, so what else could he change? The newer version?
Yan Xuecui handed the picture book to her, "Aying, read it to me."
Chi Ying stared at his hand hanging in mid-air, forced herself to take it, and silently stared at the picture book before struggling to speak: "First, the silkworm entwines itself; second, the fish swim side by side..."
Yan Xue pressed for details, "I don't have that much imagination, so how exactly do you do it?"
Chi Ying looked at the obscene patterns and recalled how he had gripped her waist and repeatedly touched her, and her cheeks burned.
She tensed up, embarrassed, and pleaded, "Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for me..."
Yan Xuecui gave a half-smile: "Is this making things difficult for you?"
Chi Ying bit her lower lip, too ashamed to speak.
Afraid that she would cry again, Yan Xuecui reached out and pulled her close, her voice low and deep: "In that case, you choose for yourself, and I'll go along with you. Shall we start with the simplest one?"
Chi Ying remained silent for a long time, then could only softly say "okay."
So he carried her to the bed.
Yan Xuecui placed her palm on the side of her face and said, "Tell me what to do."
Chi Ying's cheeks flushed red. Even though they were just facing each other, with him above her, those unbearable memories flooded her mind, and she began to feel breathless.
The only saving grace was that he couldn't see all the dishevelment and embarrassment her body was displaying, or any expression that revealed her true feelings.
Chi Ying bent her legs, took a deep breath, and said, "I might need to put my feet on your back..."
Yan Xue's Adam's apple bobbed, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
But soon after starting, Chi Ying felt like crying and regretted not doing her homework beforehand instead of blindly choosing a position that looked easy.
He loved hearing her scream out of control, yet he would swallow all her sobs, leaving her restless, drenched in sweat, yet adrift and adrift, unable to find a hand to hold onto, only able to cling tightly to his shoulders and back.
He kissed her face tenderly, licking away the tears that welled up in her eyes, along with the sweat from her temples, bit by bit.
After a long, lingering kiss, Chi Yingti trembled and swayed, opening her hazy, moist eyes to clearly see the same moist redness in his eyes.
She stared, stunned, her mind a complete blank. Instinctively, she cupped his face in her hands, trembling as she moved closer, and gently kissed his eyes.
The moment her lips touched his, Yan Xuecui almost trembled all over.
It was pitch black and silent all around, and my mind went blank for a rare moment.
The warm, moist sensation on my eyelids was so clear.
He heard a rush of blood to his head, like an electric current, and heard his hot breaths and his heart pounding like drums colliding with each other.
Chi Ying froze on the spot.
After a long while, his confused thoughts slowly returned, and he belatedly realized what a transgression he had made, what an unforgivable crime he had committed.
She actually... kissed his eyes.
Almost instantly, she felt a chill run down her spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
She knew that for the blind, especially for the once proud and powerful nobles, the eyes were an extremely fragile place that could not be violated. Even a curious or strange look was an extreme offense and disrespect to them, let alone something like this.
Yan Xue's Adam's apple bobbed, and she suddenly asked, "You kissed me?"
Chi Ying couldn't discern his emotions; she was so nervous she was trembling all over, forgetting that she could actually deny it: "I...I'm sorry, I..."
Yan Xuecui asked, "Why?"
Chi Ying bit her lower lip and could only truthfully reply, "I don't know either..."
I really don't know.
When she met those deep, cold eyes amidst the boundless storm, a strange emotion she had never felt before welled up inside her, difficult to describe. But by the time she realized it, her lips were already on his.
Yan Xuecui chuckled lightly: "You don't know?"
Chi Ying pursed her lips and silently lowered her head.
But the man insisted on shattering her silence.
She tried to cry out in pain and beg for mercy, but it was no use, or she said things he didn't want to hear. She could only be held by him again and again, falling into the endless darkness.
...
News of Consort Li's confinement quickly reached Prince Xuan's residence.
Princess Xuan was utterly astonished to find that her own mother-in-law was behind the banquet of beauties.
She frowned and sighed softly, "Mother has truly been confused about this matter. Given His Highness's current situation, all he needs to do is secure his position in the court. But what Mother has done has not only caused him to lose favor with Father, but also offended the entire Pei family. That warm fragrance..."
"Enough," King Xuan interrupted coldly.
He closed his eyes, his clenched fists bulging with veins.
He knew perfectly well what his mother had done. If she had consulted him beforehand, he would never have agreed to take action at this time. Now, everything was caused by Yan Xuecui! Otherwise, how could the eunuch disguised as a palace maid have been so easily discovered!
Even so, he did not want to see his princess, who came from a scholarly family, arrogantly judging his mother's actions.
In her eyes, using aphrodisiacs to secure favor must be extremely despicable and undignified.
Seeing his gloomy expression, Princess Xuan finally stepped forward and gently patted his back to soothe his emotions.
King Xuan avoided her hand, stood up and exhaled a breath of stale air, only saying, "I'm going to the study tonight, you can make your own arrangements."
After saying that, he left the bedroom directly.
Princess Xuan stared at his retreating figure from afar, her clenched nails digging deep into her palms until they turned white.
King Xuan sat alone in his study, eyes closed, deep in thought, pondering how to plead with his father for leniency.
At this moment, the servant who had met with Baoshan returned and reported that Aunt Xue had been brought to Liumian Lane.
The attendant tentatively asked, "Now that Your Highness has control over Willow Lane, is it possible to make that fake Princess Zhao work for us?"
King Xuan rubbed his temples, pondered for a moment, and said, "No rush."
Yan Xuecui is blind and no longer a threat. Moreover, he is extremely cautious, and any rash actions would only arouse his suspicion.
Chi Ying is powerless; if the assassination attempt fails, she will also die without a burial place.
He had gone to such lengths for this illegitimate daughter of the Chi family, not to send her to her death so easily. Moreover, her death would mean that the name Chi Yingyue would disappear from the world, which would not be good for his future plans.
The treasure fan in Prince Zhao's mansion was enough to serve as his eyes and ears.
As for Chi Ying, he only hopes that she will be grateful for his kindness and will be willing to serve him together with her sister in the future.
The story of Ehuang and Nüying is also a beautiful tale.
Knowing her master's thoughts, the servant carefully said, "According to Baoshan, Princess Zhao has already shared a room with Prince Zhao."
King Xuan curled his lips and sneered, "We've shared a room."
Actually, it was expected. They had been married for two months. If Yan Xuecui were any healthy man, how could he resist touching such a warm and soft woman in his arms?
After pondering for a long time, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Find a way to send some medicine to Baoshan. Sexual intercourse is fine, but don't let her get pregnant."
Not only for his mother, but also for his brother, Prince Rong, he would never allow Yan Xuecui to live, much less leave behind any offspring that could threaten his position.
Rather than causing endless trouble later, it's better to nip her pregnancy in the bud from the start.
...
In early April, the case of the Palace Warmth Incense finally came to a conclusion.
The incident stemmed from the fact that De Gui, the eunuch in charge of preparing bath beans and incense for the palace women, often went out of the palace to buy spices. Some of the palace women secretly sought him out, asking if he had any incense to enhance their sexual pleasure, and offered him a generous reward.
It just so happened that when Degui was out shopping, he had some dealings with the pimps in brothels and learned that a kind of aphrodisiac was popular in brothels, which could make men and women infatuated and addicted to sex. Degui managed to get the recipe and mixed it himself when he returned. He reduced the number of strong and harmful spices and mixed it into this relatively mild aphrodisiac.
Originally, the matter was handled discreetly, but some gossipy palace servant leaked it out, and soon the concubines began to secretly request the incense. De Gui, greedy for the reward money, made aphrodisiac incense for several concubines in the harem.
Kangfu presented the list of confessions made by Degui. Emperor Yongcheng saw that, in addition to Consort Li, the list also included Consort Shu, who was quite favored by him, and several other concubines who were not often favored.
Some of them he only occasionally passed by outside the palace, went in for a short while, and originally did not intend to stay overnight, but on a whim he slept with them.
Looking back now, it wasn't just a passing whim! It was probably all because of that warm, fragrant scent.
Although the ingredients in this aphrodisiac are not as extremely potent as the potent drugs used outside the palace, long-term use can still harm the emperor's health.
Emperor Yongcheng stared fiercely at the people on the list, his eyes almost spitting fire. He immediately stripped them of their titles, banished them to the cold palace, and vowed never to be favored again.
As for Consort Li, she not only used aphrodisiacs to secure the emperor's favor, but also falsely accused the Eighth Prince of having an affair with the Princess Consort of Rui, which disgraced the royal family. However, considering her merit in giving birth to the prince, she was demoted to the lowest rank of concubine and confined to Changchun Palace.
Prince Xuan and Ning Sheng, the Minister of Revenue and brother of Consort Li, went to the palace to plead for mercy, but Emperor Yongcheng sternly rejected their requests.
At this critical juncture, no one dared to risk offending the Emperor by pleading with him. They could only wait for Emperor Hinagashige to calm his anger before trying to find a way to intercede for Consort Li.
On this day, Emperor Yongcheng once again sent someone to summon Yan Xuecui to the palace.
Compared to his tired and gloomy appearance during the few days he was in the palace handling cases, Emperor Yongcheng looked at him again today and saw that he had a golden and jade-like appearance and a calm and composed demeanor, which put his mind at ease.
"Thanks to you for handling the case of the Feast of Beauties. If it weren't for the involvement of the Warm Love Fragrance, I would still be kept in the dark by these vile women!"
Yan Xuecui did not take credit: "It is my duty to share the Emperor's burdens."
Emperor Yongcheng pondered for a moment and then tentatively asked, "You have been retired for two years now. Have you ever thought about continuing to share my burdens?"
Yan Xuecui laughed and said, "Father, you are joking. Your subject is blind and it is already a blessing that I do not cause you any worry. How could I possibly relieve your worries?"
Emperor Yongcheng, seeing that he usually used a bamboo cane and had guards accompanying him for protection, thought that he could move around freely. "You don't need to be so modest. You solved the most difficult cases in the palace in just two days. Doesn't that speak for itself?"
Yan Xuecui's eyes were dull, and she remained silent.
Emperor Yongcheng said, "There are many scoundrels in the court. I need someone to thoroughly investigate the treacherous officials, root out the villains, and eliminate the corrupt practices. You have been talented in both literature and martial arts since childhood, and you are exceptionally intelligent. It would be a pity if you were to remain silent forever. Come back and help me."
Yan Xue sighed, "Your subject is blind, and I fear that I will be unable to read the records."
Emperor Yongcheng waved his hand and said, "As long as you are willing to come, all of this can be easily arranged. In such a large court, surely there are a few scholars who can serve as your right-hand men?"
Yan Xuecui then said, "Your subject has difficulty moving around and it is truly difficult for me to attend duty every day."
Emperor Yongcheng immediately said, "If you have official business to attend to, then attend to official business. At other times, I will allow you to rest at home."
Yan Xue could not refuse, so he said, "In that case, your son can give it a try. But if I do not do a good job, please do not blame me, Father."
Emperor Yongcheng smiled with satisfaction: "As long as you come, no matter how well you do, I will never blame you. Speaking of which, there are two vacant positions, one in the Censorate and the other in the Northern Garrison Command. Which one do you prefer?"
The Censorate was in charge of supervising all officials, while the Northern Garrison Command was in charge of arresting and apprehending criminals. Their powers were similar, but the latter could bypass the three judicial departments and directly interrogate officials, which could be considered as acting first and reporting later.
Yan Xuecui said happily, "Thank you for your trust, Father. Your son will go to the Northern Garrison."
Emperor Yongcheng also agreed: "The Northern Garrison Command is closer to Prince Zhao's residence, so he can return to the residence at any time without wasting time."
Yan Xuecui smiled and agreed.
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Author's note: Work is fine, but I need to be home and spend time with my wife anytime [shy]
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