Chapter 40 makes it clear: "Now that things have come to this, I really wish I could give birth to an illegitimate son first..."
Hot water had already been prepared in the clean room, and the rising steam drifted over the black lacquered decorations, creating a unique and elegant effect when viewed from afar on the landscape screen.
Jiang Xu withdrew his gaze, staring at Shi Wan's defiant yet stubborn expression, and smiled, "Only when you gain an advantage do you realize how difficult things are today."
Shi Wan knew she couldn't avoid this, and a sense of fear arose in her heart. She said in a complicated tone, "Your Majesty."
This time, when Jiang Xu was addressed by his given name, he seemed displeased. Shi Wan subconsciously changed her address, but after a moment, she still asked, "I knew this would happen, but... there's still something I don't quite understand." After speaking, she paused slightly, and seeing that Jiang Xu still didn't answer, she had no choice but to continue, forcing herself to ask, "Could you please enlighten me?"
Wan'er was always sensible, and seeing this, Jiang Xu's anger subsided temporarily. He nodded and asked, "What do you want to ask?"
Although the man's posture remained the same before and after, the feelings he evoked in Shi Wan were completely different.
For example, at this moment, he still had a half-smile, but intuitively, Shi Wan dared not say anything else that might cross the line.
She spoke softly and gently, in a tone that was almost like a coquettish plea, "I did something wrong before, Your Majesty... do you still hold a grudge?"
"No." Jiang Xu stared at her intently, his eyes deep, then picked her up and carried her to the clean room.
It's hard to tell whether this is true or not, but for now, Shi Wan is only willing to believe it's true.
During the days Jiang Xu was away, she was completely in the dark, trapped under the surveillance of his personal guards, and unable to get any other information.
I thought things would get better if he came back, but instead he took his own life first.
Shi Wan closed her eyes lightly, feeling as if those days when the two of them were still quite happy and carefree were like a dream. Now, when she thought about it, she felt mostly hatred. "Your Majesty's word is as good as gold. You can't just play around with people like that."
Because of deliberate suppression, when it resurfaced, it overflowed uncontrollably, yet the tone contained a faint hint of mockery, "All that I did before..."
They bribed servants, deceived others, and eventually fled.
Are none of these things okay?
Is Jiang Xu such a magnanimous gentleman?
Shi Wan didn't know.
The hot water in the clean room had been running for a while, and the temperature was just right. Shi Wan was suddenly enveloped by the heat. She subconsciously curled up, and her belt was already swaying precariously. Shi Wan had no choice but to lean into Jiang Xu's arms due to the feeling of weightlessness.
The man wrapped one arm around her waist, standing tall and seemingly aware that she had a lot to say. Perhaps because he was in a good mood, his expression softened slightly. "What is it?"
Shi Wan seemed to regain some of her voice, staring at the burning gaze, and said, "You should have known everything I've done long ago. Someone like me..." is as insignificant as an ant, living a precarious life.
"You must be angry because I've provoked you so many times, right?"
Surrounded by a misty haze, Shi Wan could barely make out Jiang Xu's gaze, even though he was right in front of her. She only subconsciously sensed that gaze, which contained not only heat and desire, but also many other emotions she couldn't understand.
He was staring at her intently, without blinking.
"You seem so curious." Jiang Xu removed most of her clothes. "If I don't answer, wouldn't I seem petty?"
"But... shouldn't there be some compensation for this series of problems?"
"Or is it that Liushaotai never taught you these rules?" He appeared calm, but the more he acted this way, the more intense the anger that Shiwan was suppressing burned in her heart.
She had indeed fallen into this person's trap.
Those gentle words were probably just meant to lull her into a false sense of security.
Men are all the same; they will naturally pretend to achieve their goals. However, given Jiang Xu's power and status, if he were to take her by force, Shi Wan would have no way to resist.
His patience has run out, but he's still willing to half-heartedly comply, wearing a gentle mask, so she's actually quite lucky.
This was only a matter of time... Shi Wan comforted herself, and simply let Jiang Xu do as he pleased.
Seeing her obedient, Jiang Xu smiled and said, "This should have happened half a year ago when you were tied up in my Jingbei Army camp. Since it is fate, we should cherish it."
After speaking, the two of them went into the bath together.
After a moment, the water vapor dissipated, and the landscape on the screen flowed slowly, appearing hazy and indistinct, as if heaven and earth had been turned upside down.
The sunlight outside the window was bright, and the reflections of the two figures on the painted screen distorted, gradually smoothing out and overlapping. The woman's sobs came intermittently. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, only the swaying of her slender waist and the gentle unfolding of her flower-like petals could be heard, beads of sweat glistening and disappearing into the water.
......
*
At three quarters past 5 PM, Shi Wan finally awoke slowly.
Opening his eyes, he saw the pale green bed curtains above his head were still there. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that they seemed to be embroidered with bamboo leaves and branches, which was very elegant and closely resembled the pattern on the screen in front of the clean room.
She couldn't be bothered to look any longer. As soon as she turned her head, she saw Jiang Xu resting with his eyes closed beside her. His thick, dark eyebrows, fine eyelashes, and handsome features, combined with his half-naked, honey-colored chest, were all incredibly alluring and impactful.
Shi Wan glanced at the abrupt scratch mark on his left chest, remained silent, and then looked up to see Jiang Xu staring at her intently. "How is it?"
"Did you notice anything?"
Earlier in the clean room, Shi Wan had noticed that this person had many wounds of varying sizes, especially a fresh wound on his left chest that almost ran all the way to his waist and abdomen, which was extremely gruesome. She lowered her eyes and replied, "Your Majesty's journey has not been easy."
Jiang Xu always knew she would agree with him, but in the past few days, as the information he gathered became more detailed and specific, there was a moment when he felt a little resentful of her obedience and tact.
But he was quite happy to accept this flattery, and with a light cough, he said in a good mood, "Since you know that, why did you just keep rubbing it on the wound?"
As dusk fell, the setting sun withdrew most of its light, leaving only a sliver of dark gold to stream into the room. Under the eaves, lanterns hung and lit up one after another, while candles on the tables were already lit, casting a soft glow.
Shi Wan's fair face was illuminated by the candlelight with a warm orange hue, making her appear much more energetic. Jiang Xu noticed her in a daze and kindly brought her a bowl and cup. Instantly, the familiar smell of medicine filled her nostrils.
Coming to her senses, Shi Wan drank it without changing her expression, and waited and waited, but no next bowl came.
Instead of answering, she asked, "What about the other bowl?"
Jiang Xu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and looked at her again, "There's another bowl?" After a couple of breaths, his expression, which had just improved, darkened again, "What do you mean?"
Seeing that he realized it, Shi Wan smiled instead, like a plum blossom blooming in the frost, "Doesn't Your Majesty understand? Why bother?"
"Or have you changed your mind about what you said before?"
"Now that things have come to this, do you really want me to give birth to an illegitimate son first?"
Jiang Xu stared at her and said coldly, "Why are you acting like this for no reason?"
"Could it be that I'm forcing Your Majesty?" Upon hearing Jiang Xu's words, Shi Wan's complex emotions intensified. After her initial resistance, the disheartening realization of the vast difference between them, along with a slight disgust at knowing that Jiang Xu was now interested in her, mingled with that tiny bit of worry and affection, making it hard for her to breathe. "Your Majesty must be careful with your words."
"Otherwise, who are you trying to impress with this pretense?"
Shi Wan seemed to have thought of something and smiled, "Could it be...?" Does she want to relive those days in July again?
Perhaps he has simply lost interest?
Shi Wan concealed her expression and slowly said, "It really is a case of the wicked accusing the guilty first."
"If we're talking about villains, I think it would be more appropriate to use you as an example." Jiang Xu's tone became much calmer. "You got tired of acting and started to act childish."
There are no secrets that stay hidden forever; if you are determined to investigate, the truth will eventually be revealed.
Jiang Xu raised his hand and covered her cherry-red lips. His rough fingertips pressed down lightly, applying some force to wipe away the remaining specks of medicine. His tone was somewhat sarcastic, "To describe the assassin in such detail, is it really a dream?"
When Shi Wan saw that he had brought this up again, she simply remained silent. After a few moments, she said, "Since Your Majesty feels that I have been hiding many things from you, then please bring the contraceptive soup."
This is good for both of them.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xu's gloomy expression vanished, replaced by a calm, utterly calm demeanor. Looking at Shi Wan's indifferent expression, he felt a surge of hatred for some reason.
The feeling was faintly stronger than the resentment and anger at being deceived.
But driven by reason, he understood that Shi Wan's words made sense. He was only twenty-two years old. Although he controlled most of the north, some forces still roamed freely in various places, not to mention... the great revenge was yet to be taken. In addition, the situation in the Southern Yuan court was chaotic, and he had not yet married his wife, so naturally he would not allow the woman in front of him to have a child.
But... Wan'er is so casual.
Are all women from brothels completely indifferent to the concept of chastity?
Jiang Xu felt a surge of hatred in his heart, coldly stood up, and called in the maid who was waiting outside.
Shi Wan stood up in response, and within a few breaths, the maid Hua Lan came with a bowl of medicinal soup. Her dark waist seemed no different from the nourishing soup she had been given earlier.
But she knew in her heart that the two medicines were vastly different in effect.
Hua Lan was facing Shi Wan when she saw her take the medicine cup and drink it all in one gulp. A pang of sadness welled up in her heart. She had seen how well the King had treated the young lady these past few days, and she remembered how much the young lady cared for the King. But now, with this contraceptive medicine being served, everything seemed somewhat ridiculous.
If a woman truly loves her beloved, how could she willingly drink such a harmful medicine?
It seems the girl was just putting on a brave face...
Coming to her senses, Hua Lan dared not look again, silently waiting for a pair of jade-white fingers to emerge from behind the curtain. She took the money and hurriedly left, leaving Jiang Xu and Shi Wan alone.
A man stood with his hands behind his back, his face grim.
A man sat huddled on the couch, his brows furrowed.
Although they were in the same room, it was as if they were separated by the Chu River and Han Border.
It divided the world into two.
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The author's note: 1. "Only the sound of her willow waist swaying and her flower heart gently unfolding" comes from "Miscellaneous Plays: Cui Yingying Waiting for the Moon in the West Chamber: Dreaming of Yingying at the Grass Bridge Inn (Book 4)", written by Wang Shifu of the Yuan Dynasty.
2. “Sweat glistening like beads” comes from “Thirty Rhymes of the Poems of Huizhen”, written by Yuan Zhen of the Tang Dynasty.
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