Chapter 49. If you are on fire.
It seems that things have come full circle, and he has returned to asking Yuan Chaolu how he should repay her.
The tent was silent, with only the long, drawn-out sound of rain.
Yuan Chaolu asked, "Then what does Your Majesty think our relationship is?"
Yuan Chaolu said, "Your Majesty has been on the throne for three years, yet there is not a single woman in the harem. Is it because Your Majesty is unwilling to marry, or is it because Your Majesty had women in the past but never made it public?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the emperor frowned, seemingly displeased with the second half of her sentence.
"It is precisely because I do not know, and do not know how Your Majesty will treat me, that I am so hesitant. Does Your Majesty intend to expose me to the world, or does Your Majesty intend to keep me hidden?"
Her slender fingertips caressed the man's cheek. "Your Majesty helped me, so naturally I will offer everything I have to Your Majesty to repay you properly. However, my agreement to marry Lord Pei was because Lord Pei was willing to take me as his principal wife and made many promises to me."
Her fingertips traced his lips upwards, reaching the bridge of his high nose. "And what about Your Majesty?"
The candlelight cast a soft glow on the man's features, giving him a languid and alluring look. Yuan Chaolu boldly touched his fingertips, only to have them enveloped by his outstretched fingers the next moment. "What can Pei Xi promise you? I can promise you more, as long as you are sincere to me and have no deception whatsoever."
fool?
Yuan Chaolu felt a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck, as if she were being pierced through by his gaze and pinned to the bed. But soon the warm incense rose and evaporated the cold sweat. She said, "Of course not."
The emperor smiled slightly: "Since you have no secrets, then I will not let you down."
**
When Xiao Zhuo left the tent, the sky and earth were shrouded in darkness, and a torrential downpour was pouring down.
Zhong Changjun had been watching the tent from the shadows. When the emperor came out, he immediately stepped forward and held the umbrella over the emperor's head. "Your Majesty."
The emperor's face was indifferent. As soon as he stepped out of the tent, his entire demeanor became distant, completely different from the dashing figure he had been inside.
"Go to Xile Palace."
The journey up the mountain was slippery due to the rain. By the time we reached Xile Palace, it was already midnight. Inside the palace, dim candles were lit. Xiao Zhuo stood by the window, feeling the cold wind blowing on him. Only then did the scent of incense on his body completely dissipate in the wind.
Before today, he never imagined he would do such a thing, secretly colluding with his minister's fiancée, lowering his posture to seduce the woman, and using every means to tempt her.
But she was about to get married, so there were some things he had to do.
Aphrodisiac incense is indeed very effective. After being immersed in the fragrance, one's actions are unlike one's own, yet clearly still true to oneself.
A few days ago, the nightmares came on fiercely, and he felt a burning sensation in his dreams that he had nowhere to release. Today, he finally released a little bit of it.
Xiao Zhuo took a sip of hot wine, his fingertips pressed against his forehead acupoint. His clothes fluttered in the cold wind, yet he still felt as if he were on fire.
**
The torrential rain lasted all night and finally stopped in the early morning.
Pei Xi did not sleep all night. The next morning, he walked towards the Yuan Dynasty tent in the morning dew, but was stopped by two guards.
“Lord Pei, Miss Yuan is still resting. You should return first. His Majesty has ordered us to stay here and guard Miss Yuan.”
"Your Majesty?" Pei Xi looked at the two soldiers, a smile playing on his lips.
The soldier replied, "Yes, His Majesty will tell you the details of the matter personally. There's no need to disturb the Second Miss."
Pei Xi's eyes flashed with surprise. The numerous signs over the past few days indicated that his fiancée had an unusual relationship with the emperor. All the answers were almost obvious, but he did not expect that the emperor would be the first to tear off the veil of secrecy and meet him directly.
This is indeed the emperor's style of doing things, without any hesitation or fuss.
Pei Xi glanced at the tent and said, "Okay."
However, he still managed to arrange a meeting with Yuan Chaolu in the evening.
The sky was ablaze with fiery clouds, and the glow of the sunset was like fish scales covering the horizon. Under the sky, the girl walked step by step up the grassy slope. Pei Xi turned around and saw that her light red dress was shining brightly in the sunset.
Her stray hairs fluttered wildly in the wind, which she tucked behind her ear with her fingertips.
"Lord Pei."
"Second Miss—"
The two spoke almost simultaneously. Yuan Chao was taken aback, but Pei Xi spoke first, asking, "When did this happen?"
Yuan Chaolu said, "Your Excellency means..."
"You know what I'm talking about. When did the Second Miss and His Majesty begin their relationship?"
He paused, then walked to her side. “Actually, I already have the answer in my heart. In fact, I can’t say that I was earlier than His Majesty. Moreover, the opportunity to meet the Second Miss and to witness her riding the Heavenly Horse at the Martial Arts Review Ground was also because of His Majesty.”
"Please don't say that, sir." Yuan Chaolu reached out and grasped his wrist.
Pei Xi's indifferent gaze lifted from her hand and landed on her beautiful face.
"Since you've come up like this, I really don't know what to do. I do have a thousand and one unspeakable difficulties in this matter."
Pei Xi took a step closer. "Could it be that His Majesty forced you?"
“It was my previous murder of Lu Yu that made His Majesty aware of it,” Yuan Chaolu observed Pei Xi’s expression. She saw that his eyes were clear and calm, as if he were scrutinizing her, but he tried his best to maintain a calm demeanor. “His Majesty was furious when he discovered that our marriage was to cover up Lu Yu’s disappearance. You know His Majesty’s temperament; he has never tolerated any wrongdoing. I was originally the fiancée of the Prince of Yan. I committed such a serious crime of deceiving the emperor and implicated the Pei family. The best way is to sever my relationship with Lord Pei, take all the blame myself, and let myself make amends with His Majesty.”
"My relationship with Lord Pei was never pure to begin with. The marriage was started because of Lu Yu, and I don't want to ruin Lord Pei's life because of it."
Yuan Chaolu was never a pure and virtuous woman. She was willing to pay any price to achieve her goals. In the end, men were just stepping stones for her.
To say she betrayed Pei Xi?
There was no question of betrayal in terms of feelings, because she didn't particularly like the emperor, and treated Pei Xi no differently than the emperor.
In fact, it might be better for Pei Xi to get away from her now, rather than have his revenge plan exposed in the future.
The emperor asked her if she had lied to him, and of course she had. She was full of secrets; her past as an adopted daughter of a scholarly family was fabricated, and the deep affection she showed the emperor now was all fake.
If the man in front of her knew that she had been a slave girl for the Helan family, perhaps a hidden scourge like Helan Yi would emerge in the future.
Can these aristocratic young men from wealthy and powerful families accept this?
Could the emperor accept this?
"Thank you so much, Lord Pei, for saving me from this dire situation. I am naturally grateful," she said, her eyes red as she stepped forward, concealing her tear-streaked eyes with her sleeve, yet still managing a smile. "If possible, I hope we can continue to get along as before, but I'm afraid that's no longer possible. I will always remember your kindness, and if you ever need my help, I will do my utmost."
Regardless of the circumstances, at least Pei Xi shouldn't harbor hatred towards her.
"But it's just that I'm not destined to be with Lord Pei."
Pei Xi's deep gaze fell on her face. Suddenly, he grasped her wrist and pulled her closer. The man's eyes surged like waves in a calm sea.
He once told her that he liked her... Yuan Chaolu only truly felt it when she saw him like that.
Pei Xi said softly, "The allocation of the nation's money and grain, and the changes in taxes, are all calculated and predicted by me. I am best at predicting things. I have known His Majesty for more than ten years and have always seen His Majesty calm and self-possessed. I have never seen any woman by His Majesty's side. I do not think that the Second Miss is any different to His Majesty."
"What can the Second Miss gain by His Majesty's side? Will His Majesty grant her the position of principal wife like I have?"
Yuan Chaolu gripped Pei Xi's hand tightly, "My lord."
Pei Xi said, "Second Miss, it's not too late to turn back now; you can make your own decision."
"What do you mean, sir?"
Pei Xi tucked her stray hairs behind her ears. "If the Second Miss is still willing to marry me, then I will naturally speak to His Majesty about it."
The Yuan Dynasty was utterly shocked; they never imagined Pei Xi would say such a thing. Hadn't the Emperor said that Pei Xi, being opportunistic and avoiding harm, would naturally prioritize profit?
Why would I go against the Emperor for her sake?
Yuan Chaolu said, "My lord, I really don't want you to do so much for me."
Pei Xi simply looked at her quietly, "Or is it that the Second Miss is unwilling to marry me?"
Yuan Chaolu shook her head. "Of course not."
Pei Xi said, "Alright, but I also believe that His Majesty would never do something like forcibly taking away a subject's fiancée."
After saying that, he left without looking back.
Yuan Chaolu turned her head and watched his figure walk down the grassy slope, the grass blades rustling in the wind.
The sunset glow stretched to the horizon, illuminating Pei Xi's receding figure as she walked further and further away.
Having known Pei Xi for so long, I've never seen him show any emotional fluctuations, but his words just now clearly contained anger. Yet, even now, he's still willing to give himself a way out...
Pei Xi's words were already extremely simple—
Did she become the emperor's mistress? And how would the emperor treat her?
Yuan Chaolu was unaware of this and had no intention of pursuing it.
In any case, she also kept many secrets and never truly told the emperor.
Yuan Chaolu's robes fluttered in the evening breeze, blending into the vibrant sunset glow.
She had something important to do tonight; meeting Pei Xi in the evening had taken up far too much of her time.
**
In the afternoon, Yuan Chaolu sent a secret letter to Helan Zhen.
At this moment, the secret letter lay quietly on Helan Zhen's desk.
"Is Miss Helan really going to see Yuan Chaolu?" The old woman stepped forward with a teacup, looking at Helan Zhen's anxious expression. "She has always been wicked and cunning."
Helan Zhen's hand holding the teacup turned white. "That day in the jungle, she overheard my instructions to my men about the plan. In her letter, she said that if I didn't keep the appointment tonight, she would report the Helan family's scheme against Lu Runlan to the Empress Dowager. How could I not go?"
Helan Zhen raised her hand and lifted the tent flap. The sun was setting in the west, and it was almost time to keep the appointment.
A cold glint appeared in Helan Zhen's eyes as she asked, "Are the archers ready?"
The old woman stepped forward and followed her out. "Miss, please think carefully. That vile woman has already curried favor with Lord Pei. If you rashly shoot an arrow at her, what will happen if Lord Pei investigates afterwards?"
Helan Zhen laughed and said, "She wanted to ruin the marriage between the Helan family and the Lu family. If my brother were here today, he would not let her go. She is courting death."
"Besides, I've deployed archers in the shadows, not directly at her, as that would be too obvious. I have my own plan."
Seeing a glimmer of light in Helan Zhen's eyes, the nanny quickly followed her.
Helan Zhen left the old woman outside and entered the forest alone through a secluded path. The setting sun shone on her path, and when she reached the depths of the forest, the light was extremely dazzling.
A slender figure stood under the lush tree. When Helan Zhen stepped over the grass, the person heard the footsteps and turned around.
Helan Zhen looked her up and down and said, "You are dressed very differently now."
Yuan Chaolu said, "She still can't compare to Miss Helan."
Hearing her compare herself to the other woman, Helan Zhen chuckled softly, "But you are truly audacious to ask me to meet here. Do you know that this is His Majesty's resting place for the wild beast, the Golden Lion? Other ferocious beasts often roam the area. What if they suddenly appear and harm you or me?"
Yuan Chaolu said, "A place where we can meet Miss Helan must be secluded. Only here are there few people, so no one will witness the Helan family's scheme, right?"
Helan Zhen's smile faded, and she slowly stepped forward: "Speak, what benefits do you want from me?"
Yuan Chaolu smiled and asked, "When will your elder brother, Helan Yi, arrive in the capital?"
Why are you asking this?
"First answer me, when will Helan Yi arrive in the capital?"
Helan Zhen understood, her long skirt trailing around Yuan Chaolu, and said, "Chaolu, are you still so afraid of my brother? But no matter how fast your marriage is, it can't be faster than the day my brother comes to the capital. I already told him in my letter how you have had affairs with the Prince of Yan and Pei Xi during this time."
"You are a slave girl of my Helan family. It is your honor to have won my brother's favor. In the eyes of outsiders, you are my brother's woman. After all this, how dare you dream of marrying into a noble family?"
"With the war at the front coming to an end, His Majesty values you highly. The day you enter the capital next month to receive your title will also be the day your past will be exposed."
Yuan Chaolu smiled slightly and remained silent.
Helan Zhen stared at her and said, "So, you're going to use this matter to make a deal with me? You want to hide your past forever."
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