Chapter 52 The Emperor and Miss Yuan the Second!
As their lips touched, Yuan Chaolu felt as if a fire had ignited within her body.
She smelled the fragrance and realized that her body had been producing strange reactions little by little under the influence of this fragrance.
The moment his lips parted, Yuan Chaolu reached out to kiss him again, but his palm slowly gripped her neck.
Yuan Chaolu noticed a glossy sheen on his lips, and traces of her lipstick at the corners. She murmured, "Your Majesty..."
The man did not move again; his eyes were dark and deep, though calm, they held a surge of intense emotions.
Yuan Chaolu gripped the back of his shirt tightly with her fingertips. "It's so hot. I feel like there's something wrong with the scent in the room..."
Yuan Chaolu said in a dazed voice, "I'm not feeling well, could you please take a look?"
Her body went limp and she pulled the man down to sit with her, leaning him against the table.
"It seems she has a fever again," Xiao Zhuo said, his fingertips touching her lips as she leaned closer. "But I'm not a royal physician, what can I do for you?"
"If Your Majesty is unwilling to see me, then please find a royal physician for me." She held her head in her hands, as if she were in a daze.
She frowned slightly and took Xiao Zhuo's hand. "Your Majesty's hands are extremely cold..."
Her fingertips brushed against the thumb ring on his thumb, and the cool sensation reminded her of the last time he used his fingers to do that to her, he slowly removed the thumb ring and placed it aside.
"It's so hot..." she said, though she was fully awake.
Xiao Zhuo gazed at her face. Yuan Chaolu had mentioned the Helan family several times tonight. He wanted to ask her about it, but each time he was about to speak, she interrupted him.
Yuan Chaolu's cheeks flushed red as she tentatively touched his jade belt. Her five fingers pressed lightly through the brocade robe, and she felt Xiao Zhuo's waist and abdomen suddenly tighten. The man's waist and abdomen were strong and powerful, and his muscles trembled slightly under her palm, clearly aroused.
Seeing this, she became even bolder and simply snuggled into his arms.
Just then, a gust of hot air rushed into the tent, startling her so much that she trembled and threw herself into Xiao Zhuo's arms.
Xiao Zhuo said, "It is a golden lion."
Yuan Chaolu turned around and saw a burly figure slowly walking towards them in the dark light, with the golden leopard crouching down beside them.
Taking advantage of this moment, Yuan Chaolu untied the belt around his waist.
She nestled against him, but even the slightest movement in that position stirred a subtle ripple between them.
The fragrance inside the tent was thick, enveloping the woman's scent, seeping in through the gap in his collar, and burning hot as it rolled across his chest.
Xiao Zhuo could feel her every small movement, like fine needles, sending a tingling, itchy sensation deep in his lower abdomen.
Over the years, he lived a lazy life, indifferent to worldly affairs. He had never even felt any passion for a woman.
The original intention of bringing Yuan Chaolu to the palace was simply to see what other things she could do, and hopefully to pique his interest.
He just hadn't expected that she could do so much more than he had imagined.
He raised his hand and stroked her cheek, like a wolf rising to its full glory. His uncontrollable member pressed against her, and Yuan Chaolu's body stiffened slightly through the brocade, before she lowered her waist slightly.
In the darkness, the two faced off. Yuan Chaolu whispered in his ear, "It's so hot," her hand gripping his clothes tighter and tighter until they were wrinkled.
A few beads of sweat appeared on his fair face and forehead, while Yuan Chaolu was also suffering greatly.
The fragrance tonight was extremely rich, consuming one's reason. She bit down on the rusty, bloody taste on her tongue, forcing herself to contend with him, determined to gain the upper hand.
She took his wrist and slowly brought her hand to his. "Your Majesty's hands are long and slender, much larger than mine."
The girl's slender fingers slipped between his fingers, rubbing back and forth, over and over again.
Xiao Zhuo looked at the intertwined fingers, then raised his gaze to her cheek.
She was trembling slightly, clearly afraid, yet still stubbornly refusing to bow her head. Xiao Zhuo chuckled softly, the vibration of his chest coming through their contact point, causing her expression to change several times. In retaliation, she bumped into him rather roughly.
The next moment, Xiao Zhuo suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Yuan Chaolu let out a soft cry before being thrown over and pinned against a table. Then, her hand was violently pulled away by the person behind her.
"I am busy with countless affairs of state, rising early and retiring late. The imperial physicians must be overworked, but I have yet to find a way to relieve their burden." His voice was slightly hoarse, with a hint of languid weariness. The moonlight bathed him in a cool glow, making him seem like an immortal.
Yuan Chaolu's fingertips trembled, trying to pull away, but were firmly held by his slender fingers.
“I’m grateful to Miss Yuan Er,” he said, his thumb stroking her wrist intimately, “to share some of my burdens in state affairs.”
The Yuan Dynasty made my scalp tingle.
**
Thin clouds lingered around the moon; it was time to rest, and the candlelight in the tent on the grassy slope gradually dimmed.
Prince Xiao Luozhi of Yan was also preparing to rest when he heard a familiar voice outside the tent, "Your Highness Prince Yan?"
After Prince Anle entered, he pulled him to the tent entrance to leave.
Xiao Luo asked, "What is it?"
Prince Anle said, "You don't know? I just saw it. It seems a man entered Miss Yuan's tent."
His expression turned serious, a stark contrast to his previous nonchalant attitude. "Would you like to come along and take a look?"
Xiao Luozhi's smile gradually faded. She pulled her arm out of his arms and slowly walked into the tent. "It would be bad for Miss Yuan's private affairs if I were to intrude on them."
“Aren’t you curious?” Prince Anle stepped forward. “You used to be very close to her. Now she’s on the verge of marriage with Lord Pei, and she’s also getting along well with a man who’s appeared out of nowhere. If it were me, I would definitely find out. I’m keeping an eye on this for Your Highness.”
Xiao Luozhi hesitated for a moment.
Prince Anle said, "His Highness Prince Yan has been entrusted with an important task by His Majesty. This time, he is in charge of the dispatch and security of the guards at the hunting grounds. Recently, small animals have been sneaking into some tents at night. His Highness has used this as an excuse to check on them."
Xiao Luozhi nodded and said, "Alright."
"Let's go!" Prince Anle led him outside.
Upon hearing that wild animals had entered the nearby tents, the people knew that the Prince of Yan needed to check each one to ensure nothing bad happened, and they cooperated with the search. The tents, whose candles had been extinguished, were lit up again one by one.
As they continued forward, Xiao Luozhi looked up and saw that Yuan Chaolu's tent was getting closer and closer, but no candlelight was lit there.
The commotion outside the tent naturally reached Yuan Chaolu's ears.
She leaned over the table, feeling the coolness of it on her cheeks, while her nose was pressed against the incense burner.
The incense in the burner was burning brightly, and the heat wafted out a rich fragrance that seeped into her lungs with her breath, making her feel weak all over and a warm current flowing through her heart.
The heat spread from her lower abdomen to all directions, and her fingertips unconsciously curled up, but she heard a sigh from the person behind her.
She closed her hands, but he forcefully pried them open one by one until her palms were fully open, with an irresistible force.
"Your Majesty..." Her voice was barely audible, her eyes were flushed with a faint red, and her long eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings.
Xiao Zhuo placed his other hand on her slender nape, the cool touch contrasting sharply with the scalding fragrance, causing her to tilt her head back on the table.
"Is the Second Miss so unwilling to share my burdens and solve my problems?"
Yuan Chaolu shook her head, her heart pounding, a thin layer of sweat forming from her ears to her neck. "There are people investigating outside, Your Majesty needs to hurry."
"Since this is a matter of state, we must not rush things. I hope the Second Miss will be understanding."
Yuan Chaolu finally understood what it meant to be trapped in one's own web.
Her hands and feet felt sore, and at the same time, a strange feeling of bloating came over her lower abdomen, causing her to close her legs.
Xiao Zhuo clearly noticed her unusual behavior. His slender fingers stroked behind her ear, and the calloused fingertips made her feel weak.
She turned around and met his dark phoenix eyes, which were fixed on her through the beads of sweat. His warm breath brushed against her ear, creating a stark contrast with the cool moonlight around them.
Yuan Chaolu clenched her fists, and the next moment she saw Xiao Zhuo tilt his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
Footsteps approached from outside, and a young man's voice rang out: "I have been ordered to inspect the tents. Miss Yuan, an official just reported seeing a wild beast enter a nearby tent. To ensure the safety of all the officials and their wives, we need to inspect each tent. I hope you will cooperate."
Yuan Chaolu raised her voice and said, "No..."
The voice was so weak and feeble that Yuan Chaolu had no choice but to sit up and say, "Your Highness, please rest assured, no wild beasts have entered."
But as soon as she finished speaking, she was surprised to find that the golden lion was still lying in the corner.
Could it be that the golden lion just entered and disturbed the outsiders?
Yuan Chaolu hurriedly pulled her hand away, but instead, her large hand completely enveloped him to comfort him, and each breath he exhaled landed on the back of her neck.
The warm breath seemed to have a life of its own, traveling along her slender neck and stirring a slight tremor.
Her ears flushed red as she tried to dodge, but he grabbed her waist and pressed her against the narrow low table, rendering her completely immobile.
Her back was pressed against his chest, so close that they could hear each other's heartbeats, which were especially clear in the quiet tent.
The Prince of Yan said, “This matter is of great importance. Beasts are cunning and may be hiding somewhere at this moment. They might attack people at night. I would like to ask Miss Yuan to come out of the tent so that I can search the place and everyone can feel at ease.”
Inside the tent, Yuan Chaolu finally withdrew her hand from Xiao Zhuo's grasp.
Before he could catch his breath, the golden lion awoke from its slumber and let out a low roar.
"Miss Yuan?" The Prince of Yan's voice suddenly rang out from outside the tent, "That wild beast is in your tent, are you alright!"
"Your Highness, it's nothing!" Yuan Chaolu hurriedly stood up, glancing down at her disheveled skirt. Her palm touched a damp patch, and her eyes immediately filled with shame and anger, yet she dared not look at him.
Xiao Zhuo's eyes darkened, and his voice was hoarse: "Go change your clothes, and I'll have Jin Ni leave."
Yuan Chaolu hurriedly got up, and in her movement, the incense burner on the table fell down with a "crash," scattering incense ash all over the floor. She didn't have time to clean it up, and quickly went around to the screen to change her clothes.
The commotion inside the tent had already reached the outside. Xiao Luozhi frowned and stared intently at the tent. He had only come to test her, and if she insisted on not seeing him, he would not force his way in. Unexpectedly, the roar of a wild beast came from inside the tent.
Then came another low growl from a wild beast, and the Prince of Yan ordered his guards to raise their spears.
Xiao Luozhi took the torch, lifted the curtain, and went inside.
In an instant, the flickering firelight dispelled the darkness inside the tent, illuminating the tall, imposing figure clearly.
The light was blinding to Xiao Luozhi, so he squinted and finally made out the person through the lingering incense smoke.
The man standing there was none other than the aloof and noble emperor. He calmly tied the jade belt around his waist with his fingers and slowly raised his head.
"What wild animals are you looking for?" Xiao Zhuo's eyes were cold. "I am here."
The air inside and outside the tent seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Startled, Prince Anle hastily knelt down. His exclamation was like a stone thrown into a lake, and in an instant, all the guards knelt down.
The torchlight flickered above the bowed heads of the crowd, and the hem of the emperor's robe gradually emerged from within.
Xiao Luozhi stood frozen at the tent entrance, his gaze fixed on the floor-to-ceiling screen.
A slender figure emerged from behind the screen. Her hair was disheveled, her hairpins were in disarray, and there were still ambiguous red marks on her lips and a lingering flush on her cheeks.
The moment their eyes met, she lowered her face in alarm; her expression, as if she had just been bullied, said it all.
Xiao Luozhi turned to look at the person in front of him, his voice trembling with disbelief: "Royal brother?"
Not only him, but everyone outside the tent was also caught off guard by this scene.
The emperor was found alone in a tent late at night with the second young lady of the Yuan family.
The aloof and self-possessed emperor, having reigned for several years, had an empty harem, and it was widely rumored that he was indifferent to women. Who would have thought that on a hunting night, he would secretly meet with a female official late at night?
Not to mention that this woman is the fiancée of the emperor's important minister, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and the beauty that His Highness Prince Yan has been pursuing relentlessly!
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Author's note: Morning Dew: Yes, we are dealing with state affairs.
Xiao Zhuo: The affairs of state are too numerous and piling up; I cannot handle them all by myself.
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