Chapter 131 A riot of beauties, plump and slender, carefree and unrestrained...
The women were all beautiful and alluring. Prefect He didn't believe any woman could resist such a grand banquet. Surrounded by beauties, and with her toasts and lively atmosphere, he was sure Zhang Ting would agree.
Prefect He believed the whole affair was foolproof and that he was truly a genius for surviving such a treacherous conspiracy.
She was more cautious than ever before, knowing that her future success in the court depended entirely on this young man.
Prefect He's gaze was as intense as a blazing volcano, as if he wanted to devour the other person whole.
They were being far too attentive and eager. She was merely a lowly county magistrate, and one who had even been demoted. Why should the head of the prefecture treat her with such obsequiousness?
Zhang Ting felt a chill run down her spine from the stare, goosebumps rising all over her body. Could He Yingniang be plotting something against her?!
Reason told her that it couldn't be that bad, she wasn't as beautiful as an angel, but she still couldn't help feeling scared.
Zhang Ting felt as if she had a nail stuck in her buttocks, making her extremely uncomfortable.
She smiled faintly, feigning composure, "Meeting you for the first time, sir, I am indeed impressed by your extraordinary bearing and radiant presence." In reality, she was cautiously observing her surroundings while testing the waters. Oh no, there were heavy guards in all four directions, three layers deep, not even a moth could escape!
She only brought Zheng Er with her, and even if the two of them could take on one person with just one finger, they would still be no match for her.
"Ah, I'm too old for you to match Lord Zhang's charisma," Prefect He said, walking towards her with a somewhat sleazy look on his round, overweight face. She was about to offer a toast!
Zhang Ting chuckled dryly, "No, no." She subconsciously shrank back.
Prefect He has made all the arrangements. He will personally pour wine for Zhang Ting later, and once he is tipsy, he will invite the beauty to serve the dishes.
But plans often go awry. She had just finished pouring a full glass of wine when Zhang Ting shrank back a great distance.
Prefect He asked in surprise, "Lord Zhang, why are you standing so far away?" It is said that body language is a bridge to express closeness, and she hasn't even started her performance yet.
What was this? Zhang Ting wanted to be a hundred feet away from her; she had never been so afraid in her life. She forced a smile, looked left and right, and said, "Hehe, it's cooler here, cooler hehe." Her mind raced, trying to think of a way to escape.
How could this be allowed if they were too far apart? Prefect He followed her over with a cup of wine, saying, "Then this old woman should also come and cool off." She wanted to chat with Zhang Ting and get closer to her. She had flattered many people, but she was inexperienced and awkward with people from below.
Zhang Ting felt a sense of crisis; her mind was racing. This old woman insisted she drink this wine—could there be something wrong with her?
But with the wine already handed to him by his superiors, he had no choice but to act. In the end, he gave Zheng Er a wink, signaling her to immediately lead him out of the He residence if anything went wrong.
He gritted his teeth and drank the wine in one gulp.
Prefect He laughed heartily, patted her shoulder, and Zhang Ting forced a stiff smile, barely managing not to dodge, her heart pounding in her chest.
Fortunately, after drinking it, she only felt a stronger heat in her body, and there was nothing else unusual.
Zhang Ting breathed a sigh of relief, but continued to deal with Prefect He with trepidation. If she had known the prefect was this kind of person, she would never have come to Zhangzhou Prefecture under any circumstances.
Prefect He was overjoyed to find that Zhang Ting's daughter had become much closer to him, so he clapped his hands and served the dishes.
In an instant, all sorts of young men filed in from outside the tent, all dressed only in thin gauze, incredibly cool and refreshing. Some were athletic or slender; some boldly entered, their eyes darting around, shamelessly striking poses, hands on hips, swaying their buttocks, and flirting with their eyes; some were reserved and demure, arms crossed over their chests, cheeks flushed with shyness; some were aloof and indifferent, entering without looking to the side, neither hiding nor shy, openly revealing themselves, which only aroused the desire to tame them; some were pure and lively, their innocent doe eyes fluttering gently, captivating you, then seemingly casually licking their red lips with their tongues…
There were nine boys in total, each with a different style, covering almost every type.
Zheng Er's eyes, which had been somewhat lazy, widened, and he swallowed hard. Good heavens, Prefect He is really going all out to win over our boss!
These women, wow, aren't they all stunning beauties?
Hehe, the boss is in for a treat.
Prefect He struggled to look back, afraid that if he did, he would regret it.
But seeing the woman who remained calmly seated in her original position, without even lifting her eyelids, she couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
To deal with this woman who was indifferent to men, Prefect He skillfully crafted his words: "Lord Zhang, these are all respectable young men from the city. They heard of your charm and volunteered to attend the banquet, saying they would even perform a dance for you."
"These are all men who genuinely admire you; don't let their kindness go to waste."
Hearing Prefect He say this, Zhang Ting completely relaxed, relieved that the old woman had no ill intentions towards her.
With her innocence preserved, she devoted more time to talking with Prefect He.
Since Prefect He insisted on performing the dance, she would appreciate it properly.
So, nine young men of different styles danced barefoot in the bright courtyard. Their graceful figures seemed to rise with the wind, ethereal and otherworldly. At other times, they bent over, the wind blowing into their clothes, revealing their white collarbones, and crimson peach blossoms embraced them. They were both ethereal and alluring, captivating the heart and soul.
Some handsome young men, while displaying their superb dance skills, would not forget to sway their hips and pant, and smile at the onlookers with a charming smile.
Prefect He's eyes turned bloodshot, his blood surging with excitement. He pursed his lips tightly, swallowing hard, afraid that he might drool and lose his composure.
She clutched her chest, intoxicated. Look at this one, so slender and supple, so uninhibited, she'd surely be completely at your mercy; that one, so alluring and fiery, using every trick in the book to seduce, her actions would surely be intoxicating; and then there's that one, so handsome yet innocent and aloof, her cold expression and delicate moans during their encounters, what a sight to behold! And this one, that one… Heavens, which saint could resist!
Prefect He looked on with longing, oh dear! Sending away these fine young men, she felt her heart was breaking.
Tears welled up in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away. Her eyes were busy checking the dance in front of her for any flaws, and she didn't even have time to speak to Zhang Ting directly.
Prefect He looked straight ahead and asked, "Lord Zhang, which one do you think is the best among them?" She thought the flirtatious one was the best, with her small waist and hips that were both slender and round, and she swayed so gracefully!
She subconsciously touched the area under her nose; it was dry. Thankfully, there was no nosebleed.
With so many beauties, Zhang Ting can't possibly enjoy them all. Why not pick a few herself to share the burden with her?
Prefect He rubbed his hands together, itching with desire. What could he do when he was so perceptive? Hehe.
"I appreciate the kindness of these young men, but I am not skilled in dance and cannot distinguish between good and bad." Zhang Ting still had a faint smile on his lips, dignified and composed, utterly proper. His upright and righteous demeanor was completely out of place with the fiery and beautiful dance in the courtyard.
How could he not tell the difference? Look at this one's small waist and hips... Wait, sensing something was wrong, Prefect He's thoughts returned instantly, and he frowned and turned to look at Zhang Ting.
Was she genuinely unable to understand, or was she feigning ignorance?
Upon carefully examining Zhang Ting, Prefect He gasped. His expression remained unchanged, his eyes clear and unwavering. Was she even worthy of being called a woman?
Prefect He felt a chill run down his spine. This woman was not only incredibly intelligent, but also terrifyingly lustful!
She dared not keep even a single one of these resolute women for herself. “Lord Zhang is not skilled in dance, but these young men are excellent dancers and deeply admire you,” she chuckled. “Such devotion moves even an old woman like me. Take them with you! It will fulfill their deep affection.”
Hearing the commotion, the nine boys stopped playing, knelt on the ground, crawled forward, and said pitifully, "My lord, please grant us your wish!"
The others nodded in agreement, and even Zheng Er felt there was nothing wrong with it. It was rare to find such affection from these young people, so how could they be let down?
It's not a bad thing to accept them; I just want to give these lonely young people a home.
Zhang Ting raised his eyelids and glanced indifferently at the several young men in the courtyard. He then turned his gaze to Prefect He and smiled slightly. "Lord He, you may not know this, but I do not enjoy noisy music and dance. The residence in Fengxian County is cramped and cannot accommodate all of you young men. I am truly sorry."
There were many things to do in Fengxian County, and she didn't have much free time to get involved with these men.
Prefect He thought to herself that this was indeed the case, but she was not willing to give up so easily. She waved her hand and told the young men on the ground to come over and pour wine and tea for Zhang Ting.
She refused to believe it!
The two drank heavily, eventually getting Prefect He drunk until he passed out, allowing Zhang Ting to finally leave.
Prefect He was half-drunk and half-awake. He felt hot all over and woke up in a sweat. He drank a lot of water but it didn't help. He then realized something was wrong and called his servants to ask.
I only found out then that the wine served at the banquet had been replaced with a "rejuvenating wine" to celebrate!
She was covered in sweat, but her face changed drastically, and her heart turned ice-cold.
broken!
...
It was already dark outside, with a few lanterns hanging, casting a faint glow.
Zhang Ting had not returned by 11:00 AM, and Zong Suyi was extremely anxious. He barely ate any dinner and paced anxiously under the candlelight.
Was she being made things difficult by the prefect? Well, Prefect He has a close relationship with Xu Pin. Knowing that his wife has come to Zhangzhou Prefecture, he must have to torment her severely to avenge past grievances.
Zong Suyi, dressed in her undergarments, sat worriedly on a round stool, stroking her slightly protruding belly, her brows furrowed as she softly murmured, "Baby, if your mother hasn't returned in a quarter of an hour, shall we go find her?"
The door was pushed open as soon as he finished speaking.
Zheng Er helped her drunken master to sit down on a round stool. This was the master's bedroom, so she didn't dare to stay any longer. She simply gave Zong Suyi a few words of advice and left.
Zong Suyi raised her hand and touched her cheek, frowning with heartache. "How could Prefect He get you so drunk? He really is a heartless devil."
Zhang Ting's face was burning hot. He combed the strands of hair that were stuck to her face, then picked up a fan to cool her down, and asked softly, "Is there anything that hurts?"
Zhang Ting's cheeks flushed, and she slightly opened her eyes. She saw her husband standing in front of her, handsome and gentle, dressed in a plain white undergarment. The candlelight behind him revealed his graceful silhouette, which she had repeatedly caressed. She was familiar with every part of his silhouette, and when she moved her fingers, it seemed as if the warmth of his skin still lingered on them.
She looked away uncomfortably, her mouth dry and feeling like she was being burned by flames, her throat bobbing uncontrollably, and she tugged at her collar in discomfort.
Gradually, Zhang Ting felt her head burning and she was panting heavily. She felt the fire inside her body burning brighter and brighter, and her body was getting hotter and hotter. She was sweating profusely and felt like she was about to explode.
She struggled to her feet, wanting to leave the room; staying any longer would lead to trouble. But Zong Suyi, fearless, rushed over and hugged her.
With a sob in her voice, she said, "My lady, my lady, what's wrong with you..." Her tone was full of worry and fear, but when it fell into Zhang Ting's ears at this moment, it was like a long-awaited rain after a drought, sweet and refreshing.
With a strong will, she pushed him away, swaying slightly before finally regaining her balance.
Even as he lost consciousness, he was still thinking that there was something wrong with the wine, and that the old hag was indeed plotting against him!
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