Chapter 60: Doing the Mission in Ten Seconds
Lu Wensheng sat at the table, holding his breath for a few seconds, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Shen Hegui would not suddenly walk out.
She scooped up Xiao Yuan, who was struggling to turn over, and said angrily, "What's the panic! Shen Hegui isn't going to eat you!"
Xiao Yuan was speechless with frustration: [Next time, if the male lead is around, please, please don't pull me out!]
Lu Wensheng couldn't understand it, but chose to respect Xiao Yuan's wishes.
"knew."
Xiao Yuan shrunk back into Lu Wensheng's sleeve as she wished. The Zhaowu Hall was filled with the scent of Shen Hegui. Xiao Yuan kept her eyes wide open, no longer daring to fall asleep.
Lu Wensheng hadn't eaten breakfast before leaving and was feeling a bit hungry. She peered inside a few times, then craned her neck and tentatively asked, "Your Highness, do you need any help?"
Shen Hegui stared at the black figure peeking out from behind the screen, took a deep breath, and said calmly, "No need."
As if reassured, Lu Wensheng happily brought the fish ball soup to himself and filled a large bowl.
The milky white broth, garnished with bright green scallions, was incredibly appetizing. Lu Wensheng took a sip of the delicious soup and then eagerly bit into half a fish ball.
Lu Wensheng: "Xiao Yuan, these fish balls are pretty good, would you like to try some?"
Xiao Yuan was very hungry, but she didn't dare stick her head out, so she could only stubbornly say: "I'm not hungry! I don't want to eat!"
Lu Wensheng saw through it but didn't say anything. He just smiled, took out a handkerchief, wiped a few fish balls and put them in his sleeve, and said in a light tone, "Then I'm relieved. I'll hide a few to take home for Fugui to eat."
Xiao Yuan poked her head out and nudged the snow-white, bouncy fish ball, but couldn't resist taking several bites because she was still annoyed.
Land dogs like to eat fish? Impossible!
It's so delicious! I only took two bites before stopping!
Many tens of seconds later.
It took one last bite!
As dawn broke, Shen Hegui, dressed and walking out, found Lu Wensheng had already finished a large bowl of fish balls. Feeling a bit full, she couldn't help but rub her stomach.
A glass of liquid with a faint blue glow came into view.
Shen Hegui's tone was flat, revealing no emotion: "Drink it?"
Lu Wensheng curiously sniffed Shen Hegui's hand: "What is this? It smells so good! It smells just like Your Highness's. Is it the new wine Your Highness brewed?"
His gaze swept over the back of her neck, which was exposed when she lowered her head. Shen Hegui's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he replied in a low voice, "Hmm, try it and see if you like it."
Seeing Lu Wensheng take it, his gaze, seemingly fixed on her lips, was fixed on her lips with an almost imperceptible expectation.
Lu Wensheng, unsuspecting, leaned closer to smell it and then licked it.
Instantly, an extremely sweet taste exploded on the taste buds, followed by a strong, almost domineering fragrance.
Wine made with spices and sugar?
She looked up at Shen Hegui with some hesitation, just about to ask if she could not drink it, as it seemed the brewing had gone wrong, when she heard Shen Hegui say, "This small cup is hard to come by, it is very precious."
Lu Wensheng: ...I should have known better than to lick it. If I hadn't, I could have gotten it back.
Having found herself in a difficult situation, she closed her eyes, not daring to let it pass through her nose or tongue, and swallowed it directly down her throat. She then flattered him, saying, "It's refreshingly cool on the palate, truly a good thing. It's just that there's a bit too much spice and sugar; it doesn't suit my taste."
Shen Hegui curled his lips and said meaningfully, "The taste of this drink is different for everyone."
Last summer, he accidentally obtained a pair of love-themed Gu. Gu is disgusting and vile. He originally planned to use it on Shen Rui or Shen Zhao, but then he thought that it would be a pity to use it on two people who were about to die. It would be better to use it on him and Lu Wensheng.
But he didn't want Lu Wensheng's body to contain other animals, so he could only infuse the Gu poison into his own venom. Lu Wensheng would take the offspring Gu, and he would take the mother Gu. If their love remained unchanged in the future, the Gu poison would never be activated; if something went wrong, then he couldn't be blamed!
He raised his hand and gently wiped away the liquid that stained Lu Wensheng's lips. He turned to look at the gradually brightening sky outside the palace: "It's dawn. Come with me to court."
"Okay!" I can finally do the mission.
Lu Wensheng wiped his mouth twice with his sleeve, then followed.
*
In the warm spring of March, the main topics of discussion at court were spring plowing and military affairs in the north, with occasional mentions of Qingming Festival sacrifices and spring visits for assessment.
Her official rank would not rise again in the short term, and the Qingming Festival holiday was irrelevant to her. Holding the smooth ivory ceremonial tablet, Lu Wensheng closed her eyes with a sense of peace amidst the buzzing of the meeting.
A bunch of old men went to court, talking about interests rather than efficiency. Some of them argued, so she took a nap first.
Sleeping standing up is a new skill that Lu Wensheng has recently mastered. He uses it every day, and his skill points are already maxed out.
The officials in the court had just enjoyed Lu Wensheng's delicious snacks, and seeing her sleeping openly, they didn't think of reporting her.
Shen Hegui sat high on the throne, taking in the various scenes in the hall. When his gaze swept over the ranks of civil officials, he saw Lu Wensheng's head nodding. Worried that something might happen to her, he got up and got off his high seat without thinking too much.
The Minister of Revenue and the Minister of War were on the verge of fighting over the issue of increasing troops along the coast. When they saw Shen He return from the imperial steps, they hurriedly took a step back to create distance, but continued arguing.
The Minister of War's voice boomed: "Japanese pirates have repeatedly invaded our coastal borders and slaughtered our people. It is now imperative to strengthen our naval forces and fortify our garrisons along the coast! Without a strong army, our coastal defenses will be rendered ineffective. If our gates are wide open, the losses will far exceed the amount of money we have lost! We must not lose sight of the bigger picture!"
The Minister of Revenue immediately retorted, his voice distorted with anger: "I'm losing sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains?! You don't know the cost of firewood, rice, oil, and salt when you're not in charge of the household! This spring, we need money to repair the Yellow River dikes! We need money for the border! And when March ends, we need money for official salaries! And you're asking for millions of taels of silver..."
Shen Hegui dodged the flying spittle and turned to look at Lu Wensheng, somewhat surprised.
The two old men were arguing so fiercely that their faces were red and their voices were booming, yet Lu Wensheng was able to fall asleep.
Although almost all the officials in the court were personally promoted by Shen Hegui, these officials were not close to him, but rather mostly feared him. Therefore, no one dared to remind Lu Wensheng.
In the end, Xiao Yuan, preoccupied with the mission, screamed and woke Lu Wensheng.
Xiao Yuan: [Host, wake up and release the snake! The male lead is standing right next to you! Don't miss this opportunity!]
Xiao Yuan's voice was urgent and shrill, startling Lu Wensheng so much that he trembled, lost his footing, and stumbled backward.
Just as she was about to bump into someone, Shen Hegui frowned and supported her, then asked in a low voice, "I wonder what Lu Qing's opinion is?" The civil officials were standing a little too close together.
Upon hearing Shen Hegui speak, the two ministers immediately stopped arguing and looked at Lu Wensheng.
Lu Wensheng felt a chill run down his spine, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.
"Chen...chen..."
What insights could she possibly have? She didn't listen to a thing!
She thought she was subtly glancing at the officials beside her, hoping to get help, but then suddenly realized that since Shen Hegui had asked the question, she should step out of the queue, hold her court tablet, and bow before answering.
Without thinking, the still-panicked Lu Wensheng crashed headfirst into a solid chest.
The familiar fragrance filled his nostrils, and Lu Wensheng exclaimed "It's over!" several times.
Why is Shen Hegui standing so close to her?! She's only taken half a step!
Sensing Lu Wensheng's panic, Xiao Yuan decided to go all in and bit the tail of the little white snake, hoping to take the opportunity to complete the task and help him out of the predicament.
Suddenly attacked, the white figure darted out, only to be grabbed by Shen Hegui at his vital point.
The slender snake writhed, startling the assembled officials.
"snake!"
"Help!"
"Help! Someone, come to my rescue!"
"Quickly, fetch the imperial physician! His Highness has been bitten by a snake!"
The last shout instantly snapped Lu Wensheng out of her daze. She reacted swiftly, reaching out to pluck the little white snake and then lowering her head to nibble on Shen Hegui's index finger, sucking on it a few times as if to draw out its venom.
Lu Wensheng asked urgently, "Has Xiao Yuan reached the ten-second mark yet?"
Xiao Yuan: [Five seconds left, host, hang in there!]
Five seconds, which is usually an ordinary five seconds, felt like an eternity to Lu Wensheng.
A scent that didn't belong to her spread from her lips and teeth to her nasal cavity, bringing a strange discomfort. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but for a moment, she felt as if hard, bony fingers were pressing down, as if trying to burrow into her mouth.
Lu Wensheng sucked on Shen Hegui's uninjured finger, feeling each second drag on endlessly: "Is it all done yet?"
Almost simultaneously, Xiao Yuan's scream exploded in her mind: [Two, one, not finished? Why?! Ahhh!]
Lu Wensheng felt a lump in his throat and immediately realized the reason.
"You didn't fall! Stop yelling, give it another ten seconds."
Feeling guilty and pressed for time, Lu Wensheng's heart pounded like a drum. Without thinking, she let herself lean towards Shen Hegui, attempting to overwhelm him with her power, but he firmly held her waist.
Caught off guard by the unfathomable and meaningful look in Shen Hegui's eyes, Lu Wensheng panicked even more. Without hesitation, he unleashed his ultimate move: "Xiao Yuan, how many threes are there in π multiplied by π?"
After she finished speaking, Xiao Yuan fell into a deathly silence. A few seconds later, a faint and eerie crackling sound rang in Lu Wensheng's mind.
She successfully charmed Shen Hegui and left two neat rows of teeth marks on his index finger.
Xiao Yuan: [System malfunction... *sizzle*... New side quest issued... *sizzle* Kiss the male lead ten times for ten seconds, time limit for forty-eight hours, congratulations... Host *sizzle* Quest completed, system restarting...]
Lu Wensheng: "..."
I really want to smash Xiaoyuan's turtle shell! Ten ten-second intervals equal one minute and forty seconds—is that all she can do?! Destroy it!
Shen Hegui's body was enormous, so he was only numb for a few breaths before recovering completely. The only one who was truly electrocuted and rendered unable to move was Lu Wensheng.
Amidst the deathly silence of the hall and dozens of pairs of gossipy eyes, Shen Hegui stood up, half-embracing Lu Wensheng, who was sprawled on him, and then reached out to take out the Yellow-shelled Little Yuan and the Little White Spotted Snake.
Shen Hegui, his face expressionless, said in a low voice, "Confiscate both of them."
He attributed his loss of composure to his sudden intimacy with Lu Wensheng, and attributed Lu Wensheng's dozing off in court to his indulging in frivolous pursuits and neglecting his rest.
Lu Wensheng wanted to speak up and fight for it, but found himself so pathetic that he couldn't even open his mouth.
Zhang Chanyi thought Shen Hegui had been bitten by a poisonous snake and ran out breathlessly, asking, "What snake bit you, Your Highness?"
"I had nothing to do, so I came to check if Lu Wensheng had bumped into something. He seems unable to move."
Zhang Chanyi put down his medicine box, examined Lu Wensheng's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and took her pulse. Finally, he concluded: "Lord Lu has suffered a great shock, with excessive yang heat and disordered qi and blood. I can restore her by giving her two acupuncture treatments."
Shen Hegui: "Thank you for your trouble!"
Lu Wensheng rolled her eyes at the needle, which was longer than her palm. She struggled a couple of times before Shen Hegui pulled her into his arms and threatened, "If you miss the mark, you really won't be able to move."
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Author's Note: Something came up, so I'm a little late. Sorry, sorry! [Please!]
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