Chapter 32 [32]
【32】/First release
In the capital, the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet is in full swing.
Now that Lu Zhiwan has been promoted to the position of concubine, it is natural for her to sit in the position closest to Xiao Jingting.
Concubine Gu probably felt that sitting alone would seem lonely, so she invited Princess Xiao Lanchun, the daughter of the King of Liaodong, to sit next to her.
Xiao Lanchun was only sixteen years old and had a round face as beautiful as a hibiscus flower. She grew up in Liaodong, where the people were open-minded, and was spoiled by the King of Liaodong, which led to her arrogant and willful temperament.
She had just arrived in the capital and was unfamiliar with the place. Fortunately, the wife of the Prime Minister treated her with special affection, and Concubine Gu also invited her to visit the palace from time to time. Thanks to this relationship, she was soon accepted by the circle of noble ladies in the capital.
Xiao Lanchun knew that her father, the Prince of Liaodong, and Prime Minister Gu were long-time friends, and she also understood that she was going to the capital this time to choose a marriage. She mentally reviewed all the talented people in the capital, and finally felt that she could not pick out another man more outstanding than Gu Rongyu, so she also intended to get close to the Gu family and Concubine Gu to promote this marriage.
Now she sat beside the Imperial Concubine, watching her frequently glance at the Emperor and Concubine Zhao, looking unhappy, and she couldn't help but call out softly, "Sister Yu'er."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Gu withdrew her gaze and turned her face to put on a smile: "What did Lan Chun call me for?"
"This honey-roasted quail is delicious," Xiao Lanchun smiled, pushing the delicacy on the sunflower-patterned silver plate toward Concubine Gu. "Try it while it's hot; it'll lose its flavor if it gets cold."
Concubine Gu pursed her lips in response, picked up a piece with her chopsticks, and put it into her mouth to taste: "It's tender but not greasy, it's really delicious."
She praised it like this, but didn't take a second piece - she really wasn't in the mood.
Normally, she resented His Majesty's exclusive favoritism towards Lu Zhiwan, but at least she had peace and quiet when the two of them weren't around. But in this situation, seeing that seductive Lu Zhiwan sitting next to the Emperor, drinking and dining together, joking and chatting... Her inner annoyance burned like a raging fire, burning ever more fiercely, making her feel uncomfortable all over and unable to eat. She wished she could just drag Lu Zhiwan away from His Majesty and take his place herself.
Xiao Lanchun also understood why Imperial Concubine Gu was upset. After a moment's reflection, she softly advised, "Sister Yu'er, why should you be angry over that kind of person? You are of a different status, and so is she. She was just lucky enough to have caught His Majesty's eye... Nothing lasts forever. Without His Majesty's favor, she would be nothing. But Sister, even without His Majesty's favor, your family background means you will always be the most honored Imperial Concubine in the harem."
Concubine Gu knew that she was comforting herself, but the words sounded strange. What did she mean by "even without favor"? It was as if she was destined not to receive favor.
Besides, who wants to be a concubine forever? She entered the palace aiming for the position of queen.
After all, this little princess was raised at the border and can't even say words of comfort. If her father wasn't the King of Liaodong, she would really not be worthy of her brother.
After calming down a bit, Concubine Gu smiled at Xiao Lanchun: "Don't worry, Lanchun, I understand in my heart."
Xiao Lanchun breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she had comforted her, and then turned to talk to her about the interesting things that had happened in the capital recently.
As they chatted, she mentioned the He family, the Minister of the Imperial Household. "The third young lady of the He family is about the same age as my brother, beautiful and gentle. I had wanted to introduce her to my brother, but her old lady suddenly became seriously ill and doesn't look well. I heard a few days ago that they were already buying white cloth and candles..."
Concubine Gu echoed absentmindedly, "The He family is a family of scholars. Their daughters are well-educated and well-mannered. They are very good."
"Sister Yu'er, do you think so too? Alas, if her old lady really passed away and the funeral was held this year, it would be difficult for my family to come and talk about marriage." Xiao Lanchun shook her head in embarrassment: "My father said that we can stay in the capital for a maximum of six months to finalize our marriage, and he will return to Liaodong after the New Year..."
Concubine Gu asked, "Then you want to go back with me?"
Xiao Lanchun blushed, glanced at Concubine Gu, and couldn't help but speak softly: "It depends on the situation."
Seeing her like this, Concubine Gu understood a little and smiled, "It's Mid-Autumn Festival now, and my brother should be back from Jiangnan soon."
Xiao Lanchun's round face flushed even more red. She took a few sips of the wine before suppressing her embarrassment and turning the conversation back to the He family: "The old lady of the He family is attending the funeral, so the Princess of Yuzhang should be back as well, right?"
Prince Yuzhang, like Prince Liaodong, is a brother of the late emperor. He is the eighth in line of descent and the eighth uncle of the current emperor.
Princess He of Yuzhang was the eldest daughter of the He family and the biological daughter of Old Lady He.
"I've heard that Madam He doted on her eldest daughter the most and was reluctant to let her marry. She waited until she was twenty-one, past her prime, before promising her to Prince Yuzhang. On the wedding day, Madam He burst into tears, and it took repeated persuasion from the ceremonial officer before she finally let go of her daughter's hand and let Lord He carry her on the bridal sedan."
Concubine Gu also had a vague impression of the Princess of Yuzhang. It was probably five or six years ago that Prince Yuzhang returned to Beijing to visit his relatives and brought the princess to the palace to pay a visit.
"The Princess of Yuzhang is a rare beauty. I heard that the little princess she gave birth to is also very graceful and graceful, and is known as the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan. If you come back to attend the funeral this time, you can also have a glimpse of her beauty."
"The most beautiful woman in Jiangnan? What a boast." Xiao Lanchun smiled disapprovingly and looked at Concubine Gu: "If you ask me, only someone as bright and stunning as Sister Yu'er can be called the most beautiful woman."
Concubine Gu was comforted by her words and showed a sincere smile on her face. She temporarily forgot the unpleasantness that Lu Zhiwan brought to her and started chatting with Xiao Lanchun.
The music of stringed instruments is melodious, the singing and dancing are graceful, and the aroma of osmanthus wine is strong.
On such a festive night, Lu Zhiwan, who was sitting at the table, was absent-minded.
During the holidays, people miss their families more, and she is no exception, feeling a little homesick.
She misses her modern parents, relatives and friends. She wonders how they will spend the first Mid-Autumn Festival without her, separated by a world.
But the more I think about this kind of thing that is beyond my control, the more melancholy I feel.
Sighing in his heart, Lu Zhiwan drank a glass of osmanthus wine and forced himself to divert his attention and think about something else.
Then she thought of the original plot——
"The Autumn Examination should be over by now. Gu Rongyu should be returning to the capital soon, right?"
This voice of the heart seemed particularly abrupt among the sounds of stringed instruments.
Xiao Jingting, who was accepting a toast from a court official, narrowed his eyes, scaring the court official who was toasting him. Why did His Majesty suddenly change his expression? Did he say something wrong just now?
This uneasiness did not improve at all until the emperor asked him to sit down.
Lu Zhiwan had no idea that her thoughts would cause a hapless court official to remain sleepless tonight. She was completely immersed in the timeline of the original novel.
According to the book, Gu Rongyu will meet the heroine Xiao Ningning again soon after returning to Beijing. If the encounter in Jinling only left a good impression, then the things that happened in the capital were the beginning of his deep love for Xiao Ningning.
We have to find a way to stop Gu Rongyu from falling in love with Xiao Ningning.
If he hadn't fallen in love with Xiao Ningning, he wouldn't have assisted the male and female protagonists again and again, including but not limited to rescuing the male protagonist, detoxifying Xiao Ningning, opening the city gate for Xiao Ningning's sake, saving the male protagonist for Xiao Ningning, and going blind for Xiao Ningning... He's such a pitiful tool-man, the second male protagonist.
Lu Zhiwan once again felt a wave of resentment and pity in his heart: "Lovesickness is not desirable. Miss Gu, you deserve to be loved well."
"Lu Zhiwan."
A low voice suddenly sounded beside him. Lu Zhiwan was stunned for a moment, then turned around to meet a gloomy handsome face.
"What's wrong with this man? His face is as dark as if I owe him eight million."
"I'm here, Your Majesty. What do you want me to do?" She curved her eyes and smiled sweetly.
"you……"
After saying the word "you", Xiao Jingting pursed his lips, stared at the face pretending to be well-behaved for a long time, and then spoke again: "Don't laugh like that."
Lu Zhiwan: “???”
"You control everything in the world, and now you control how I laugh?"
Before she could speak, she heard the man in the black robe say with a sullen face, "Come here, add some wine and food to me."
As soon as he finished speaking, the young eunuch who was serving at the table put down his chopsticks and stepped back silently.
Lu Zhiwan didn't know what was wrong with this man, but seeing his cold expression that looked like he was not someone to be trifled with, he didn't dare to ask any more questions and hurried forward to serve this ancestor.
Perhaps with a revengeful mentality of "if he doesn't have a good life, then neither can she", not only did he drink heavily himself, but he also asked her to drink one glass after another, until she felt dizzy and had no idea when the party would end.
Only after she lay on the big bed in the bedroom of the Yangxin Palace and drank a bowl of sobering soup with Xia He's help did her mind become clearer.
After taking a shower, it was already late at night.
Lu Zhiwan lay quietly on the bed, waiting for Xiao Jingting to come back from the shower while she continued to think about the original novel - the tragic ending of the original novel could keep her mind clear.
"Prince Yuzhang has always been ambitious, and the appearance of the male protagonist has served as a catalyst to stimulate his ambition. So whether there is a male protagonist or not, it is safer to eliminate the potential threat of Prince Yuzhang as soon as possible."
"The heroine is the biological daughter of Prince Yuzhang. It's probably impossible to establish a good relationship with her."
"As for the male protagonist, his main plot is to become a powerful official, second only to the emperor, and to acquire a group of beauties along the way... He wants to be a powerful official, but can Xiao Jingting tolerate him?"
After attending morning court sessions with Xiao Jingting for several days in a row, and looking at the court officials from the perspective of a superior, to be honest, if he were the emperor, he would not want his officials to become so powerful that they would threaten his position.
What's more, the male protagonist in the original novel is an ambitious and arrogant character. According to the shamelessness of the original novel's gravity, even if he is really recruited and made a minister in the court, Lu Zhiwan is afraid that he will not be able to sleep well at night.
"Gravity in the original novel protects the hero and heroine so much, it seems that reconciliation with them is probably not feasible."
"But Gu Rongyu is a useful talent. We should try to recruit him to our side."
Xiao Jingting had just returned from bathing and was about to step into the bedroom when he heard this vague voice in his heart.
I didn't hear exactly what he said, but the three words "Gu Rongyu" were definitely correct.
The party has been over for so long, and they’ve drunk so much wine, but this woman is still thinking about Gu Rongyu?
His narrow eyes darkened, and Xiao Jingting stood quietly behind the screen for a long time before walking towards the large dragon bed.
Hearing the steady footsteps approaching slowly, Lu Zhiwan's eyelashes trembled twice and he turned his head to look outside.
The man's tall body blocked most of the candlelight. With the light behind him, she could not see his expression clearly. She could only feel the sharp gaze directed at her.
"What's wrong with him? He seems to be in a bad mood tonight? Is it because it's Mid-Autumn Festival and he misses his family too?"
Lu Zhiwan was puzzled and pursed her red lips: "Your Majesty..."
"Shut up."
“…”
"Okay, it seems like you're really in a bad mood."
She shut her mouth in disappointment, made a zipping motion, and moved closer to the bed.
Xiao Jingting got on the bed without saying a word, and raised his hand to put down the golden hook.
Layers of heavy curtains fell, blocking out the candlelight outside, leaving only the dim light of the bed.
In the pitch-black silence, Lu Zhiwan held his breath and carefully watched the actions of the people around him, fearing that the wrath of this active volcano that had erupted for unknown reasons would suddenly spread to him.
"Should we ask him? But he doesn't look like he wants to talk."
"Forget it, let him be alone. I was just thinking about that. Oh, right, wait until Gu Rongyu returns to the capital..."
As soon as the thought came to mind, a big hand suddenly grabbed my waist and pulled me out.
She screamed in surprise, and the next moment, her head was pressed into a warm and solid chest.
He pressed very tightly, as if he wanted to suffocate her to death in his chest.
"Help! I can't breathe!"
Lu Zhiwan tried to put her hand on the man's chest, but the man was too strong and she couldn't break free at all. She could only try to absorb the thin air from between his strong chest muscles.
After a long time, her face turned red and her eyes were full of stars, as if she could see her grandmother at any time. Only then did the hand that was pressing firmly on the back of her head loosen.
“Hoo…Hoo…” Lu Zhiwan gasped for breath, his throat dry. “Your Majesty…what’s wrong with you?”
The tent was silent for two breaths before the man's cold voice rang out: "You disturbed me."
Lu Zhiwan: “???”
"What the hell is he talking about? Ever since he came back from the shower, I've only said 'Your Majesty' once, and I haven't dared to breathe too loudly since then. And he calls me noisy?"
"He's sick, absolutely sick. He's here to pick on me, isn't he?"
She was speechless for a moment, and even wanted to say, "If you think it's noisy, I'll go back to Lifeng Palace to sleep now. I won't serve you anymore. Bye." However, she only thought about it in her mind and didn't dare to say it out loud.
After taking two deep breaths, she tried her best to make her voice sound less resentful: "Then what should I do so as not to disturb Your Majesty?"
"If that bastard told me not to breathe, I would really jump up and die with him."
"Kiss me."
“………”
Lu Zhiwan's head was stuck for a moment, and then he frowned: "Huh?"
"Come, kiss me."
Each word was pronounced with emphasis, with ups and downs, and with incredible clarity.
Lu Zhiwan could no longer use the word "moody" to describe him. She felt that "psychotic" was more appropriate.
Who would complain about her being noisy one moment and want her to kiss him the next?
While he was muttering inwardly, he was pinched on the waist, neither light nor heavy: "Hurry up."
Lu Zhiwan: “…”
"If it weren't for the fact that you're the emperor, I would have slapped you twice."
Adjusting her mindset, she propped up half of her body and stood up. This time, he didn't need to open the curtain. She took the initiative to reach out and hold the man's face. After determining the position of his mouth, she leaned over and kissed him.
When two soft lips touched, it seemed as if one could smell the faint aroma of osmanthus wine.
She pressed her lips against his thin lips, and seeing that he didn't move, she counted to three seconds silently and prepared to let go.
Just as she was about to raise her head, it was pushed down again.
My lips and teeth hit each other unexpectedly, and it hurt a little.
She frowned in pain, and the next moment, the man's tongue came in, prying open her teeth, and robbing her of her breath in a reckless and vicious way.
Lu Zhiwan was stunned for a moment, and only regained consciousness when the man turned over and pressed her down on the bed.
There's something wrong with him.
Something was so wrong, like a mad dog coming at her with a fierce and bared fangs, carrying a terrifying momentum that "could chew this piece of bone with not much meat on it into nothing left in a minute."
The man reluctantly let go of her lips until the root of his tongue was numb from being sucked and his lips were burning with pain.
The tall and strong body did not get off her. His thin lips with a faint scent of wine moved along her jaw, kissing down little by little, and then the head with messy black hair buried deeply in her neck.
First it was a light kiss, then he opened his lips, revealing his fangs, and took a piece of soft meat, slowly rubbing it with his teeth.
Kisses and bites blended together, blurring pleasure and pain.
Lu Zhiwan felt as if her consciousness had been twisted into a thin rope by him, taut and teetering on the edge of breaking.
But he was still teasing and fiddling with her, his tall nose sank into her neck, rubbing it lightly from time to time, as if an electric current was running through her skin, and Lu Zhiwan's toes couldn't help but tense up -
The moment the man's hand reached into the pajamas, the rope broke with a "snap".
"I'm going crazy."
Lu Zhiwan thought about it, his body stiffened and his mind went blank.
But the hand did not go any further, but just held her waist, and the thin calluses on the palm rubbed her delicate skin, making her feel itchy.
"Is this the beginning of a drunken sex scene..."
"Your Majesty..." She dared not move, and her thin voice trembled with nervousness.
The head buried in the neck stopped biting, but did not move away immediately, but continued to hold it in deeply.
If it weren't for the fact that the rise and fall of his chest was so rapid that it couldn't be ignored, Lu Zhiwan would have suspected that he was asleep.
There was silence in the dark tent for a long time before the man raised his head.
Seeing that he had finally made a move, Lu Zhiwan breathed a sigh of relief. However, with most of his body still pressed against her, she didn't dare to relax completely. Her dark eyes were wide open, carefully observing his movements.
Xiao Jingting supported half of his body with one hand, and in the faint light, he looked down at her condescendingly.
Neither of them spoke. One didn't want to speak, and the other didn't dare to speak. In the silent tent, the only sounds were each other's heartbeats and disordered breathing.
After a long while, Xiao Jingting opened his thin lips slightly: "Lu Zhiwan."
He mentioned his full name and surname in a calm tone.
Alarm bells rang in Lu Zhiwan's mind: "He's calling me by my full name again! Every time he calls me by my full name, it's always bad news!"
“…”
The winding curtains were lifted a little, letting in more warm candlelight.
Lu Zhiwan saw the man's cold, handsome face and his deep black eyes that were staring at her with ambiguous meanings.
The look was so serious and calm that she couldn't help but hold her breath.
"You provoked me first. If you dare to betray me, I will kill you with my own hands."
These incoherent words made Lu Zhiwan confused for a moment.
"What does he mean? Who betrayed him?"
"Okay, I admit that I thought about ignoring him and running away, but now we are all tied to the same rope. I have nowhere to run."
"What on earth has irritated him tonight? It's inexplicable."
Lu Zhiwan suppressed the doubts in her heart, replaced them with a sincere expression, raised her hands and hugged the man's neck: "Your Majesty, I am sincere to you and will always love you until death. How could I betray you?"
Under Xiao Jingting's complicated gaze, she pulled his head down——
Her original intention was to ask him to bury his head in her neck again so that she could hug him, but Xiao Jingting subconsciously dodged and the angle was off, so his face was buried directly in her chest.
Xiao Jingting: “…”
Lu Zhiwan: “…”
"Save me, save me, save me!"
"Forget it, just think of it as a small fortune."
Her chest rose and fell slightly, and she tried to ignore the shame of having her chest buried. Her slender fingers stroked the man's head like a little leopard, "Your Majesty, if you are in a bad mood, you can tell me. Although I am stupid, I also want to share your worries..."
The woman's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, and even through the thin fabric of her clothes, one could feel the unique softness of her chest.
Strands of sweet body fragrance rushed into Xiao Jingting's nose, and he felt that the blood in his body was boiling and turned into two streams, one rushing to his head and the other to his abdomen.
His throat rolled up and down twice, and an uncontrollable thought was clamoring in his mind.
At this moment, a question suddenly came from above: "Today is Mid-Autumn Festival. Could it be that Your Majesty is missing his family?"
Xiao Jingting's eyebrows moved slightly, he was silent for a moment, and then he got up from her arms.
He lay down beside him again.
"Looks like I was right?"
"Who does he miss most, the late emperor or his late mother?"
Just as Lu Zhiwan was about to continue asking, the man pulled her into his arms.
"Lu Zhiwan, remember what you just said."
“……?”
"Whether you mean it sincerely or not, since you said it, I will take it as the truth."
In the vast darkness, Xiao Jingting lowered his head, his thin lips pressed against her forehead, his voice very hoarse: "As long as you stay by my side obediently, I will not let you die."
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