Chapter 33 King Zhao might really like her.
Chi Ying was completely deprived of her breath, and her heart was also devoured by him.
Her mind was filled with an unprecedented emptiness. She looked up at the top of the tent and watched the intricate and gorgeous patterns collide and crowd each other, becoming blurry from clear. She felt as if she had been caught in a huge vortex, and her life and death were in his hands.
Knowing that she felt full and satisfied at that moment, and that the torment and emptiness brought by the warm fragrance were slowly being satisfied, she should have felt great. But for some reason, she suddenly just wanted to cry.
The long period of hesitation and anxiety has reached its peak at this moment.
At this time last year, she was picking bamboo shoots and mushrooms on the mountain, and might have slipped and fallen on the wet mountain ground after the rain, covered in mud. She never imagined that one day she would be intimately entwined with such a nobleman, enjoying the ultimate pleasure.
Although Chi Yingyue forced this marriage upon her, and she had no choice in the matter, it doesn't change the fact that she's a fake.
If things have come to this point, and he discovers the truth in the future, she will probably die without a burial place.
Would he pity himself? Probably not.
He had experienced too many assassinations and betrayals, and never easily trusted anyone; perhaps he still hadn't shaken off his suspicions about her.
Even now, before her identity has been exposed, he is already like this. What will happen when he finds out everything in the future, and discovers that her identity is fake and she is full of lies? How could such a noble and proud person as him tolerate being deceived, and how could he be soft-hearted towards her?
It is also painful.
It reminded her of the whip that had struck her below the navel before. The moment the whip fell, her skin and flesh tore open in excruciating pain. Even though she tried her best to endure it, she couldn't help but scream out uncontrollably.
But the person whipping her did not stop. The rough whip lashed her mercilessly, the handle grinding hard against her wounds. The person interrogated her relentlessly, again and again. She was soaked in sweat, her fingers clenched so tightly on the mattress that they turned white, and her whole body was almost convulsing.
Yet beneath that bewilderment and pain lay a trace of indescribable pleasure that made her tremble and her scalp tingle.
She even burst into tears.
Hearing the sobbing beneath her, Yan Xuecui had no choice but to slow her movements slightly. She touched the woman's wet cheek with her fingertips and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why are you crying like this?"
Chi Ying found it difficult to describe this feeling, and her mind was blank for a time. After catching her breath for a long time, she still didn't know how to answer.
Yan Xue gently kissed away the tears on her cheeks and said softly, "Aying, I am blind and cannot see your expression, yet you remain silent. How can I know if I have been too gentle or too harsh?"
His movements were forceful, almost like a beating, but his voice was surprisingly gentle, coaxing her to speak.
At this point, Chi Ying no longer had the energy to distinguish whether he was calling her "A Ying" or "A Ying," so let's just assume he was calling her "A Ying."
“I…I just said,” she said, her face flushed and her voice weak, “you didn’t hear me.”
Yan Xuecui was silent for a moment, recalling that she had indeed said "slow down" when she couldn't bear it anymore, but he didn't agree and continued: "Don't you want to detoxify quickly?"
Chi Ying explained helplessly, "I feel... it should have been resolved already."
So much time has passed, even the most potent poison should have been neutralized by now.
Seeing that King Zhao's eyes were red and the veins on his forehead were bulging, she couldn't help but ask, "Has Your Highness not been cured of the poison yet?"
Yan Xuecui heard her own hoarse voice: "Mmm."
Chi Ying sensed the tension there, and her body tensed up instinctively. But then she heard his heavy breathing and the large hand gripping her wrist almost crushing her.
Chi Ying had no choice but to whisper, "Your Highness! My hand hurts..."
Yan Xuecui's eyes were bloodshot, her heart burning with anguish. However, she couldn't take back what she had just said, so she slowly withdrew her hands and said in a hoarse voice, "Hold me."
Rather than being pinned down and unable to move, changing positions might be better. Chi Ying tremblingly reached out and gently wrapped her arms around his waist, but the distance between them became even closer. She then realized that what she had just done was far from his limit.
Amidst the wind and rain, his body trembled even more violently.
Chi Ying watched helplessly as the light of day gradually dimmed, eventually plunging her into an endless, pitch-black night.
Inside the tent, only the sounds of their lips entwined could be heard, sweat mingling with tears, their overly heavy breathing mixed with uncontrolled groans, all intertwined with the dripping of the water clock beneath the window.
...
Fufeng Hall.
Meanwhile, King Xuan told his wife to return to her residence first, while he himself escorted his mother, Consort Li, back to Yongchun Palace.
Consort Li was over thirty years old, but she was very well-preserved. Her appearance was still as beautiful as a peach blossom in her youth, and every gesture she made exuded the dignified and majestic air of someone who had long held a high position in the harem.
Prince Xuan entered the hall and dismissed everyone. His expression turned serious. “Mother Consort has been too hasty this time. There are many coincidences at today’s banquet. The Censorate may find something amiss.”
Consort Li leaned against the brocade pillows on the chaise longue, taking a sip of tea with little concern. "The banquet for all beauties was organized by the Empress, and the Princess Consort and the Eighth Prince requested to enter the side hall themselves. What does this have to do with me?"
King Xuan had only harbored doubts at first, but now, upon hearing these words, he knew that his mother must have been the one stirring things up behind the scenes.
He speculated: "Did the Consort tamper with the wine that Princess Rui and the Eighth Prince drank?"
Consort Li chuckled: "You underestimate your mother's intelligence."
Prince Xuan: "Regardless, Mother should discuss this with me before acting. Secret planning inevitably leaves traces. Those people taken away by the Imperial Prison will likely implicate Mother if they do..."
Consort Li interrupted, "Don't worry, even if you are forced to confess, this matter will not implicate you. As for the truth, those idiots in the Censorate have no chance of finding it out."
Her certainty eased King Xuan's worries somewhat.
But this does not mean that he approves of the matter. "My eighth brother is still young, his talent is mediocre, and he is far from having the ability to stand on his own."
Consort Li said, "So what if he's young? So what if he's mediocre? The Pei family is a century-old family. Old Master Pei is highly respected, and Pei Zhi commands an army of 100,000. If the Eighth Prince agrees to this marriage, his ambition will swell overnight. With this powerful regional official as his father-in-law, do you think he won't develop a desire to compete for the throne?"
King Xuan was filled with complex emotions and remained silent, his eyes lowered.
Consort Li snorted coldly and reminded him, "Don't think that just because Prince Rong has lost power, you can rest easy now that you have the Ning and Fu families as your backers. The most important thing right now is for you and Jingze to have an heir as soon as possible. Prince Rui and his wife bring their heir to the palace to show off every few days. Your father is very fond of him and would like to give him the Pearl of the East Sea to play with as a marble. Don't you understand the importance of having an heir? His Majesty has not yet established a crown prince. Who knows what he is planning? Moreover, he takes elixirs every day and is becoming stronger and healthier than before. In the future, there will be many imperial grandsons running around. It will just be a matter of who will be favored by him the most."
King Xuan lowered his eyes and said, "I understand."
No one knows that he actually has a child, but he cannot reveal it to the public for the time being.
His wife, Fu Jingze's grandfather, Fu Min, the Grand Secretary of the court, always advocated establishing the eldest son of the legitimate wife. Back then, he took a liking to the eldest son of the emperor, Prince Ding, Yan Xueji, who was both learned and skilled in martial arts. He originally intended to marry his granddaughter to him, but Prince Ding died young. Since his granddaughter's marriage could not be delayed, he settled for second best and chose him instead.
When he was engaged to the Fu family, the two sides privately agreed that his eldest son must be born to Fu Jingze, and he readily agreed. In this way, the Fu family would definitely give him their full support.
Unfortunately, after two years of marriage, his wife still hadn't conceived, and their sex life became routine with little tenderness or affection. Over time, it inevitably became dull and boring.
Since last year, his elder brothers have all taken concubines, while he can only stay with his dignified but boring wife, wearily waiting for the arrival of an heir.
Until last year, at a polo match, he met a bright and beautiful woman, and his heart stirred. He wanted to take her as a concubine, but his mother resolutely refused, advising him not to let romantic feelings interfere with important matters. She said that everything should be discussed after the dust had settled, and once he became the crown prince and inherited the throne, he could have any woman he wanted.
He could only continue to wait.
Unexpectedly, not long after, the mother, with a series of clever words, persuaded the father to betroth the woman to Prince Zhao as his princess, thus completely extinguishing his hopes.
He was depressed for a long time because of this and had already let go of his feelings and stopped thinking about it. But then he saw Chi Yingyue on the street. She was about to get married but was hiding her identity and living alone in a villa.
After several tentative conversations, he confessed his love to her. The young girl, unable to resist his advances, immediately revealed the whole story of her half-sister's arranged marriage.
He was secretly surprised, but also delighted. He seduced her into becoming his mistress. After spending a few days with her, he discovered that she was lively, bold, and charming, completely different from his wife at home. He became infatuated with her and couldn't extricate himself.
Unexpectedly, after several nights of lovemaking, she became pregnant. He was overjoyed and almost lost his mind. After calming down, considering the many inconveniences, he could only temporarily hide the news of Yingyue's pregnancy from her, and he could not even tell his mother the truth.
Princess Zhao was pregnant with his eldest son.
If such immoral, unfilial, and unjust acts were to spread, it would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to him, far worse than what Lao Ba is in today.
After leaving the palace, King Xuan went to a separate garden.
Chi Yingyue has been troubled by the fact that she cannot wear cosmetics during her pregnancy. Today, she ordered her maid to pick a lot of fresh flowers and tried to make her own cosmetics and perfumes, referring to the methods passed down in ancient books.
He often came over, and Chi Yingyue was no longer as respectful and courteous as before. She raised her eyes and called out "Your Highness," her lips curving into a radiant smile: "Your Highness, come and see, I just applied my nail polish today!"
She spread her five fingers and looked at it repeatedly, muttering softly, "It's just that it's missing cinnabar and musk, so the color is a bit pale."
King Xuan didn't look at her fingernails; his gaze was fixed on her beautiful face after she removed her bright makeup, which looked even more and more like the Princess Zhao he had seen today.
The image of the woman at the banquet, with her skin as smooth as jade and her cheeks flushed as if drunk, smiling sweetly at him, still sent a lingering shiver down his spine when he thought about it.
His intuition told him that his seventh brother might really like her.
Brothers sometimes share similar aesthetic tastes, and their views on beauty can subtly influence each other.
His younger brother was quite accomplished in jade, porcelain, calligraphy and painting, and was highly praised by the Grand Tutors and Grand Secretaries.
So while the seventh brother was studying calligraphy and painting, he was also studying him.
He tried to understand what his seventh brother admired and appreciated what his seventh brother admired. Over time, they began to like the same music and the same calligraphy and painting. He would speak his own opinion before the Grand Tutor asked his seventh brother for his opinion, and thus began to receive the Grand Tutor's attention and appreciation.
Occasionally, he would doubt his own taste, wondering if it was truly what he liked, or if he only thought his seventh brother would like it, but that didn't matter anymore.
As long as he gets what he wants, nothing else matters.
The Chi family's daughter is very beautiful, and he guessed that his seventh brother would like her. However, his seventh brother's actions before and after the banquet today surprised him.
He would pull her to kiss him under the artificial hill, their fingers intertwined openly in front of everyone. He always subconsciously stayed very close to her, just as Jingze said, they couldn't be apart for a moment.
He even had the illusion that his seventh brother might kiss her at any moment.
She had also drunk wine at the banquet today. Before leaving, slightly tipsy, she leaned against him softly and bonelessly, their fingers intertwined.
What will they do when they go back?
With the seventh brother blind, what can they do?
Prince Zhao's residence, Shuyu Studio.
After calling for water three times, Chi Ying changed into clean nightgown and finally drifted off to sleep.
Yan Xuecui, however, could not sleep.
He stroked her warm cheeks, her slender neck, and the twin lotus flowers on her undergarment, feeling the texture of every embroidery thread and the pulse of every beat.
The long-dormant body experienced unprecedented satisfaction, and the pleasure that arose from the blood flowed into every part of the body, like warm water filling parched earth.
Listening to the warm, deep breaths of the person beside him, he finally couldn't resist and leaned down to kiss them.
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Author's Note: Thank you so much for the nutrient solution, everyone! There will still be 50 random red envelopes in the comments section. Thank you all for your support! [Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please]
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