Chapter 36 Springtime Scenery Within the Palace Walls Leads to Deceit (Part 5) Since that's what she thinks...
"That day, Chang'an fell, flames lit up half the sky, and shouts of battle filled the air... The prince personally led the last imperial guards in a breakout, buying time for women and children to escape, and was struck by several arrows... In the end..."
She choked up and couldn't continue, pausing for a moment before continuing, "When the Princess Consort learned of the terrible news, she was so grief-stricken that she went into labor and gave birth to the young prince at great risk, but then...died from postpartum hemorrhage."
"Before her death, the princess tightly grasped my hand and entrusted the infant prince to me..."
Lady Liu's gaze became distant and pained, as if she had returned to that bloody and desperate night. "I immediately changed into peasant clothes, smeared my face with soot, and, carrying the young prince, mingled among the fleeing people. We hid here and there, living in constant fear, sometimes spending the night in abandoned temples, sometimes subsisting on wild fruits, terrified that the rebels would discover our bloodline from the previous dynasty..."
She paused, her voice growing even lower: "Just when we were about to collapse and starve to death by the roadside, it was General Chu's men who found us."
"At first, I thought... the rebels were investigating bloodlines related to the previous dynasty's royal family and were desperately protecting the young prince... It wasn't until General Chu came in person and presented the jade pendant that the prince had given him as a token that I dared to believe it..."
Granny Sang, who had been silent all along, wiped her eyes and said, "This old servant was only found by General Chu after many twists and turns. Three years ago, General Chu's men found this old servant, who made a living by washing clothes, in a dilapidated nunnery and secretly brought her here."
“This courtyard is secluded. Liangzhou is far from Chang’an, and Governor Nie, who guards the city, is a close friend of General Chu. He secretly protected us… That’s how we were able to live peacefully and raise our young prince to this day.” Madam Liu’s tears rolled down her cheeks again. “If it weren’t for General Chu’s kindness and consideration for our past relationship, risking his life to protect us… we, his servants, and this bloodline of the former royal family would probably have perished long ago…”
She didn't say anything more, but the hardships and gratitude she received were self-evident.
Ye Yixiang listened quietly, her heart churning with turbulent emotions. She subconsciously turned her head and looked at the silent, dark blue figure outside the door.
He... he actually risked everything to secretly find and protect her people when everyone thought the bloodline of the previous dynasty had been wiped out...
Outside the cabin.
As night deepened, the cold dew quietly condensed.
Pei Hong hurried over, bathed in the soft moonlight, and stopped three steps away from Chu Huaili. After bowing respectfully, he whispered, "General, Her Highness the Princess has gone to Lutai Mountain to enjoy the night view, accompanied by Lord Nie. Lord Nie specifically instructed me to tell her that he will definitely keep Her Highness entertained, so you don't need to worry."
Chu Huaili stood with his hands behind his back under the old locust tree in the courtyard, a thin layer of frost already forming on the collar of his black cloak. Hearing this, he nodded slightly: "The road to Lutai Mountain is difficult to travel at night, so I'm sorry to trouble Danzhi."
"Lord Nie said..." Pei Hong's voice was warm, "He was more than happy to be able to share the general's burdens. He also asked his subordinates to pass on the message that in the future, if there are such matters, just come to him."
A faint smile flickered across Chu Huaili's eyes, vanishing in an instant. He looked up at the window lattice not far away, where a slender figure was reflected in the paper window, bending down to tease the child in her arms. His gaze lingered on the shadow for a long time before he whispered, "I understand."
Pei Hong followed his gaze and, understanding his meaning, advised, "It's late and the dew is heavy. Why don't you wait in the carriage, General? I'm afraid the lady is reluctant to come out for the time being."
The way he addressed her as "Madam" was so natural that Chu Huaili paused slightly but didn't correct him. He shook his head, his voice low and firm: "No need, I'll wait for her here."
The night wind swept through the courtyard, carrying withered leaves and causing his robes to flutter. Seeing this, Pei Hong silently retreated to the carriage and stood guard, saying nothing more.
The flickering lamplight cast her silhouette onto the window paper. He saw her lower her head to kiss Cheng'er's forehead, saw her carefully tucking the blanket around the child, and saw her shoulders trembling slightly as she spoke softly with Madam Liu.
After an unknown amount of time, the lights in the room finally went out, and the soft chatter gradually subsided into silence. Chu Huaili unconsciously took half a step forward, then forced himself to stop.
The door creaked open, and the slender figure finally emerged. She stood on the porch, turning back to look at the now-closed door, her eyes brimming with reluctance.
The moonlight, like water, shone on her delicate profile. She raised her hand to gently wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, took a deep breath, and then turned to walk towards the courtyard gate.
She walked up to him and stopped. The moonlight shone on her face, which was still streaked with tears but looked much softer. She raised her head, her gaze filled with complex emotions, and then solemnly bowed to him.
"Thank you, General Chu," her voice was still a little hoarse, but it was no longer as cold and piercing as before. Instead, it carried a heavy and sincere gratitude. "You have protected my Ye clan's bloodline and safeguarded my people. This kindness... is truly profound. Ye Yixiang... will never forget it."
Her aloof manners and the fact that she still referred to herself with her surname caused the warmth that had just risen in Chu Huaili's heart to cool down again.
He took a step closer, the distance between them instantly shrinking. His hot breath almost brushed against her sensitive earlobe, his voice low and suppressed, carrying a barely perceptible plea: "Arao, now... do you understand my heart after all I've done?"
Ye Yixiang lowered her eyes, her long, thick eyelashes like butterfly wings, casting a small, fragile shadow beneath her eyes, obscuring all her true emotions.
"General, you have shown me great kindness," she said lightly, with a deliberate sense of humility that seemed to draw a clear line between herself and others, "This lowly woman... naturally understands."
The word "slut" was like two steel needles, piercing Chu Huaili's eardrums and causing his heart to clench suddenly, his anger and pain rising together.
He clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, and the veins on the back of his hand becoming visible. "What happened at the hot spring villa today was my fault. I took advantage of you, but there were reasons for it..." he tried to explain, his voice filled with a rare anxiety and embarrassment.
“General, there’s no need to say any more.” She abruptly interrupted him, raising her eyes. Her gaze was clear and cold as water, yet unfathomable, as if she had frozen all the surging emotions back into ice. “I know what I should do.”
After saying that, she stopped looking at him, brushed past his tense side with a resolute air, and stepped into the carriage parked to the side.
Chu Huaili stared at the swaying carriage curtain, his chest heaving violently. In the end, he managed to squeeze out a single sentence through gritted teeth, instructing Pei Hong: "Go to the Hot Spring Villa."
"Yes!" Pei Hong immediately accepted the order and signaled the coachman to set off.
The carriage started with a rumble, and inside, the silver charcoal in the animal-shaped stove burned brightly, dispelling the chill of the winter night and warming this small space, even making it feel a little stuffy.
The sedan curtains were drawn, completely blocking out the cold wind from outside.
Ye Yixiang sat quietly in the corner, then suddenly raised her hand, her slender white fingers slowly unbuttoning the first button of her collar, revealing a small section of her fair and jade-like neck.
Chu Huaili's pupils contracted slightly as he looked at her with a mixture of doubt and surprise: "Arao?"
She didn't stop, and even began to take off her moon-white outer robe. She raised her beautiful eyes to look at him, her eyes containing a hint of understanding, even self-mocking sarcasm: "General, didn't you bring me here for this reason?"
She gently tugged at the corners of her lips, revealing a desolate smile. "Could it be... that I've misunderstood again?"
She actually attributed all his struggles, all his feelings, and even his clumsy explanation just now to this? She saw him as a despicable person who took advantage of her kindness and only coveted her body?
A surge of indignation and anger welled up in Chu Huaili's heart at being looked down upon.
Under the flickering firelight, the beauty before him wore only a plain undergarment, the collar slightly open, her black hair cascading down her back. Her delicate face was flushed with a faint blush from the excitement of her earlier outburst, and her eyes, which held a mocking yet undeniably vulnerable quality, were a thousand times more alluring than any direct seduction.
Last night, the image of her soft, melodious moaning uncontrollably flooded my mind, so vivid it seemed to be right before my eyes.
Beneath the robes, the beast that had been forcibly restrained by reason was awakened by her misunderstood "invitation" and the vivid, sensual stimulation before her eyes, and began to stir restlessly.
Was she sizing him up, concluding he wouldn't dare do anything to her here? Was she testing his limits?
Anger and surging desire intertwined and rose, instantly breaching the dam of reason.
Chu Huaili suddenly reached out and pulled the person in front of him, who was constantly testing his patience, into his arms. With his other hand, he raised it and pinched her small chin with an irresistible force, forcing her to look up at him.
His eyes burned with a dark flame, but a fierce, predatory smile curled at the corners of his lips: "Of course!"
He almost gritted his teeth as he acknowledged the "intentions" she had imposed on him. Since that was her opinion, why should he continue to endure it?
Ye Yixiang didn't expect him to respond so directly, even with hostility. Before she could struggle or resist, his hot lips covered hers fiercely, forcefully prying open her teeth with undeniable strength.
A hot and unfamiliar aura, tinged with spiciness, instantly overwhelmed her senses, making her suddenly realize—he must have drunk quite a bit of fiery liquor during the banquet! In an instant, regret and fear, like cold vines, tightly coiled around her heart. She really shouldn't have disturbed a man consumed by alcohol and anger at this moment.
Especially when the burning heat of last night, and the tireless, seemingly crushing force, suddenly flashed through my mind...
She curled up, using both hands and feet to shrink back, wanting only to break free from this unsettling constraint.
However, the arms around her waist were like iron clamps, not loosening their grip but tightening even more, completely blocking all her escape routes.
"Now you know fear?" His deep voice, tinged with hot breath, carried a hint of cruel tenderness. "...Too late."
-----------------------
The author's note: The dog says: If I had known my wife would misunderstand me like this, I wouldn't have been able to bear it!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com