Chapter 58 What does it matter if we engage in deceit and treachery, killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of our own? In the end…
The flame on the lotus candle holder flickered gently, and the halo swayed accordingly. The two silhouettes on the pale blue curtain also swayed, like reflections in water.
Zheng Lu gazed into the woman's clear, deep eyes, his throat bobbing with difficulty. His fingers trembled slightly, as if he wanted to raise them to gesture something.
Just then, the wick in the candlestick went out.
The room was suddenly plunged into darkness. Chu Yueyuan was momentarily stunned. She quickly reached out and touched the edge of the bed, only to find that Zheng Lu was gone.
There was complete silence all around, and she didn't hear the door open or close. She immediately realized that Zheng Lu was still in the room.
"Zheng Lu?"
She called out, and the next moment, a clanging sound came from behind the screen, as if someone had bumped into the copper washbasin on the shelf.
What was Zheng Lu doing behind the screen? There was only a mahogany wardrobe and a washstand there.
Chu Yueyuan was suspicious. She got up from the bed and, following the sparse light streaming in through the paper window, groped her way to the dressing table. After searching for a while, she finally found the tinderbox on the dressing table.
Just as she was about to light the candlestick with the tinderbox, a warm sensation suddenly pressed against her back. The man leaned down, and his warm, thin lips landed on her neck.
Her fingers trembled, and the flamingo she hadn't yet opened fell to the ground.
To protect against the cold wind, the windows of the post station were covered with extra-thick paper, unlike the clear and bright glass windows in the palace. A few rays of moonlight managed to seep in, and with this faint light, Chu Yueyuan saw a tall man embracing her from behind in the bronze mirror.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, obscuring her features, but the way his lips and teeth moved across her skin seemed strangely familiar.
"Release me."
Chu Yueyuan turned her head to dodge, but the man pursued relentlessly, suddenly biting her earlobe. An indescribable tingling sensation rushed from her spine to the top of her head, spreading through her blood to every part of her body, leaving her mind blank for a moment.
Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, the man pulled her back two steps, and they both fell onto the soft bed. The curtains fell, blocking out the last sliver of light, leaving only the burning breath on her ear.
From bright to dark, Zheng Lu seemed like a different person, like a wolf whose dormant nature only revealed itself in the dark, fiery and intimidating environment.
As she fell onto the bed, he cradled the back of her head with his palm, his kisses following the graceful curve of her neck upwards, forcing her to raise her chin.
Although her jade-like body trembled and her mind was not disturbed, Chu Yueyuan's heart was still pounding wildly and her body was getting hot from the passionate and lingering kiss.
She guessed that Zheng Lu's inability to speak was perhaps a way of proving to her that the man from that night was him.
Chu Yueyuan reached out and shoved the man's strong chest: "Alright! I know it was you that night!"
Upon hearing this, the man abruptly stopped. Although his face was obscured in the darkness, Chu Yueyuan could sense that he was staring intently at her.
Chu Yueyuan took a deep breath to calm her erratic breathing, trying to make her tone sound indifferent: "Zhenglu, I have no mood to favor you tonight. You may go back."
After she finished speaking, she heard the man's breathing become slightly heavier, as if he was annoyed that she could summon him at will and dismiss him at will.
Chu Yueyuan felt a chill run down her spine. In this relationship, she had never considered the other person's feelings. To put it bluntly, she had only used him as a catalyst for detoxification.
Once the illness is cured, it is discarded.
Suspicion arose in his heart, so he took it again to taste it, to see if someone had secretly switched the medicine.
She stroked the man's face in the darkness, her voice softening: "Zhenglu, your musical talent far surpasses that of ordinary people. I have already found a very good musician for you in Shu. Given time, you will surely become a renowned musician. If we ever have the chance to meet again, I will..."
However, before Chu Yueyuan could say "I will learn the xiao from you again," her mouth was suddenly sealed by thin lips.
The kiss came on strong, almost violently, shattering the gasp that escaped from her red lips.
Her tongue was numb from being sucked, and her lips and teeth were filled with the man's almost violent aura.
In a daze, Chu Yueyuan suddenly remembered that when she was in Xixia Kingdom, the Grand Preceptor You had asked her a question—how many men had Lady Chu had?
Chu Yueyuan couldn't answer, so she smiled and changed the subject.
Master You seemed to feel sorry for her, and said with a smile that men in this world are like wine. There is thick and turbid wine, there is mellow and delicate wine, and there is also fruit wine with a good balance of sweet and sour. The taste is different from each other. A woman's youth is short, so she should taste a variety of fine wines to avoid regrets.
Meeting a compatible man is like finding a wine that suits your taste; the spiciness and sweetness blend together, igniting passion within you and easily leading to a state of bliss.
The man's kiss in the darkness was like strong liquor seeping into her throat, with an irresistible, refreshing scent. Chu Yueyuan knew it all too well; it was the liquor she had tasted before, even though the usual incense had been removed, scars had been added, and her identity had changed.
But the faint numbing sensation in her body still made her recognize it immediately.
Chu Yueyuan released her hand from the dagger under the blankets, and at the same time, the silk ribbon tied around her waist also came loose.
The skin exposed to the air radiated a coolness, snow-white as a beautiful jade, and rosy as a plum blossom on snow. Slender, white fingers scratched haphazardly, leaving several bloody marks on the steaming abdominal muscles, eliciting a deep gasp from the man. His large hand mercilessly parted her tightly clasped knees.
The delicate flower stamens are as fine as silk; with the slightest touch, they release fragrant dew that flows endlessly.
Chu Yueyuan gritted her teeth, regretting that she had realized it too late. If it had been a moment earlier, she wouldn't have had to suffer in silence.
Exposing the man's identity now would not only be of no use, but would also be embarrassing, and it would be difficult to know how to get along with him in the future.
It's just that if one person suffers in silence, it's better to make the other person feel uncomfortable too.
Even if we kill a thousand enemies but lose eight hundred of our own, we still win.
Two soft, jade-like arms clung to the man's broad shoulders. Chu Yueyuan deliberately leaned close to his ear and whispered, her voice sweet as honey: "Zhenglu..."
Indeed, nothing drives people mad more than jealousy, especially when lovers are entwined in tender affection and calling out the name of another.
Those skilled in martial arts have far superior vision in the dark. Even though the tent was pitch black, Pei Muwei could still see the woman's clear, dark eyes with a hint of bewilderment, a few strands of wet hair clinging to her snowy cheeks, and her slightly parted, rosy lips whispering the name of another man.
Those tender calls were like dense threads binding his heart, making him wish he could tear open the curtains and let her see clearly who the person in front of him really was.
He had pride and self-respect. The young empress dowager refused to be his wife. This woman, who had trampled on his sincerity time and time again, was not worth his heart.
Since the woman only desires romance, he can provide that too.
Pei Muwei pinched the woman's jade-like chin and sealed her lips with his again. He didn't want to hear any other person's name from her mouth. He either silenced her or let her only hear her clear, sweet voice.
At midnight, a sudden gust of wind rose, and the apricot tree branches outside the inn swayed in the wind, their shadows floating on the snow-white window paper. The tree wished to be still, but the wind would not cease.
————
The moon-shaped incense in the filigree-inlaid red stone incense burner had burned out, and wrinkled clothes were scattered around the bed. A soaking wet hibiscus silk mattress was thrown out of the curtains.
The curtains embroidered with kingfisher patterns were lifted, and a tall, handsome figure quickly stepped off the bed. He went to the table, poured a glass of water, turned back to the bed, gently lifted the woman's head, tilted her head back to drink the warm water, and then bent down to feed her.
The woman was extremely tired and thirsty. She closed her eyes, drank half a cup of water, and then fell into a deep sleep. Her slightly swollen lips were covered with glistening water droplets, like bright red cherries on a branch after the rain, fresh and tempting.
Pei Muwei drank the remaining half cup of water in one gulp. He sat on the edge of the couch wearing a pair of white silk trousers with his feet down, revealing his lean back. There were several fresh, crisscrossing scratches on his back, which showed that the person who did the attack was somewhat driven by personal emotions.
He pressed his long fingers against his brow bone for a moment, suppressing the burning heat in his blood, before glancing sideways at the dimly lit curtains.
The woman lay curled up on her side, her slender, snow-white back shining brightly in the darkness. Her black hair, soaked with sweat, was spread out like seaweed, and her skin still bore the flush of passion that had not yet faded.
Pei Muwei lifted the covers, pulled the soft woman into his arms, reached out to tuck her long hair behind her ears, and gently stroked her fair and rosy cheeks with his long fingers. The sleeping woman seemed to sense something, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she turned her head away and shrank back a little.
The soft warmth against my chest dissipated, and a sudden chill swept over me.
Thinking of the woman's sweet calls just now, Pei Muwei narrowed his eyes, his deep and handsome face becoming even colder under the cold moonlight.
The sweeter she called him, the angrier he became. In the end, he got a little too angry, and because of the woman's special constitution and the fact that she had lost too much water, just like when she took the Jade Branch Trembling Dew last time, she fell into a deep sleep.
Pei Muwei buried his face in the woman's fragrant neck, his thin lips slightly parted, his sharp teeth picking at the soft flesh to bite down, his voice low and husky: "You heartless little thing..."
———
It is said that the deeper you sleep, the more likely you are to dream.
Chu Yueyuan dreamed almost all night, and those were very tiring dreams.
She dreamed that she returned to the palace and sat in the study of the Hall of Diligent Governance, grinding ink.
She didn't know where the Imperial Household Department had purchased the inksticks; they were thick and large, making them difficult to hold. She silently ground the inksticks in circles for a while, but no ink appeared in the inkstone.
The regent, who was reviewing documents behind a rosewood desk carved with cloud and dragon patterns, looked up at her. The man raised his handsome eyebrows slightly and told her that she was not grinding the ink properly, but should hold the ink stick and turn it up and down.
Chu Yueyuan secretly rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that she had been practicing calligraphy for many years, how could she not even know how to grind ink?
She was exhausted, her arms ached and her fingers cramped, but not a single drop of ink came out.
Just as she was about to throw down the inkstone in frustration, the regent suddenly grabbed her wrist. The man's dark eyes held a cool and alluring quality, and his husky voice coaxed her gently. Chu Yueyuan had no choice but to follow his force and turn her wrist up and down.
The man's large palm was very hot, and the veins on the back of his hand were faintly visible, making the inkstone in his palm seem to have turned into a scorching hot iron ingot.
Ink finally appeared in the inkstone, and the faster the grinding, the more ink appeared, almost overflowing.
She asked in surprise, "Pei Qing, is this enough ink?"
The Regent still gripped her wrist tightly, sitting upright behind his desk, yet his hoarse voice, thick with the steam of his clothes, seemed to whisper in her ear: "Not enough, Your Highness, you mustn't slack off..."
Chu Yueyuan had no choice but to endure the soreness in her fingers and continue frantically grinding ink.
With a crash, the purple jade lotus leaf-shaped inkstone shattered into pieces, splashing sticky, warm ink all over her, instantly filling the air with its fragrance...
Chu Yueyuan woke up with a start. She stared blankly at the gold and green curtain with the pattern of the kingfisher for a while, and finally remembered the absurd things that happened in the curtain last night.
Turning his head, he saw that the bed beside him was empty; "Zhenglu" was gone.
She is as sensible as ever.
Chu Yueyuan propped herself up on the bed to get up, but a sudden soreness came from her fingers and wrists, as if she had really been grinding ink all night in her dream, except that there was no ink scent on her fingers, but a faint musky scent.
Despite the aching pain, she reached out and pulled back the bed curtains, calling out in a hoarse voice, "Jin Tong..."
Hearing the commotion, Jin Tong, who was waiting outside the guest room, pushed open the door and entered with a prepared warm water and a handkerchief.
Jin Tong blushed and looked around. Seeing that Zheng Lu was nowhere to be seen, she paused, then murmured, "Strange, I've been guarding the door since before dawn, and I haven't seen anyone come out..."
Chu Yueyuan wiped the lingering musk scent from her fingers with a damp cloth, and sneered inwardly: If he were truly a respectable person who walked through the main gate with dignity, how could he climb into a widow's bed in the middle of the night?
Looking up at the large mahogany top cabinet behind the landscape screen, she couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly.
The cabinet is placed in an odd position, right against the north wall, with its door facing the foot of the bed, which is bad feng shui. If someone were to hide inside the cabinet, with the help of the floor-to-ceiling screen, they could easily see everything on the bed.
Chu Yueyuan didn't check it; she wasn't familiar with mechanical arts, and even if she did, she wouldn't find anything.
After breakfast, Commander Lin knocked on the door to request an audience.
Lin Mu bowed to the young empress dowager who was dressing in front of the mirror and said, "Your Majesty, the troops escorting Zheng Yin and Zheng Lü to Shu are ready to depart immediately."
In the sun-drenched interior, the woman calmly put on a pair of cloisonné pearl earrings, the bright pearl luster making her eyebrows look like emerald feathers and her skin like mutton fat.
Chu Yueyuan nodded slightly: "We've had a connection after all, so I should at least see them off."
As she descended the stairs, she saw that Zheng Yicheng, who had looked disheveled yesterday, was now completely refreshed, his plump face beaming with barely suppressed joy. The surrounding constables all bowed and congratulated him.
"Congratulations on Zheng's promotion! When you get to the capital, if there's an opportunity, don't forget to help out our brothers..."
Zheng Yicheng grinned from ear to ear: "Certainly, certainly, I, Zheng, will never forget you all..."
Chu Yueyuan: ....
First it was Imperial Physician Hu, then Zheng, the Postmaster. Anyone who helped that "Lord Dragon" to secretly switch things out and carry out his plans was promoted three ranks.
She, on the other hand, became a ladder to success.
———
Outside the post station, Zheng Lu and Zheng Lu hung their luggage on either side of their saddles.
After everything was packed up, Zheng Lu took out a jade flute from his bag, his long fingers lovingly stroking it, his eyes filled with reluctance and longing.
Seeing his dejected look, Zheng Yin patted his shoulder and gestured with her hands in a serious manner, meaning that if he wanted to live, he should keep the secret to himself and never tell her!
Zheng Lu shook his head in anguish, raising his hand to gesture: I cannot deceive her!
In the midst of the silent argument, Zheng Lu caught a whiff of familiar footsteps. He looked up, and his clear eyes suddenly lit up.
A woman walked out from under the apricot trees, their pink and white blossoms intertwined. Her shoulders were like those of a sculpted figure, her waist slender and graceful. As she walked, the phoenix pendant with pearls hanging from her waist jingled softly.
Chu Yueyuan had Jin Tong hand the prepared pastry box to the two brothers, and smiled gently: "When I was in Xixia, you accompanied me through a lot of time. As we are about to part, I would like to give you a box of auspicious cakes and wish you all the best in the future."
Zheng Yin clasped her hands and bowed deeply, tears streaming down her face, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for helping us brothers leave the Legacy Pavilion. We can never repay Your Majesty's kindness in this life. If there is an afterlife, we will repay your great kindness by serving you like an ox or a horse."
Chu Yueyuan said gently, "You two are talented, skilled in literature and poetry, with a refined and elegant style. I hope that in the future I can hear the elegant music of your seal script."
As long as Zheng Yin is present, Zheng Lu is usually the one who remains silent. His eyes as he looks at Chu Yueyuan are like black jade stones wet with rain, as if he has something to say but cannot say it all.
With guards watching all around, a single wrong word could send him and his brother not to Shu Prefecture, but to the Yellow Springs.
Zheng Lu stepped forward, presenting the jade flute with one hand, and making a few gestures in the air with the other, while Zheng Yin conveyed his meaning on his behalf:
“Alu said he had nothing of value except this jade flute, which had been with him for many years, and he wanted to offer it to the Queen as a keepsake.”
Chu Yueyuan accepted the jade flute with a smile. Zheng Lu held the other end tightly, his clear eyes fixed on her, a hint of guilt in them.
Seeing her younger brother's reluctant expression, Zheng Yin couldn't help but glance at the burly guard behind her with a trembling heart, and secretly nudged her stunned brother with her elbow.
Zheng Lu reluctantly let go of her hand.
Before mounting their horses, the two turned around again and solemnly bowed to Chu Yueyuan. Then they rode away, their figures gradually disappearing into the rolling yellow dust kicked up by their hooves.
When a person dies, the secrets they carried are also buried with the dust of time.
Chu Yueyuan lowered her head, casually playing with the jade flute in her hand. The flute was delicate and smooth, and one touch was enough to tell that its owner must have taken good care of it.
The xiao flutes that are carried around all year round usually have inscriptions. She turned the jade xiao over and sure enough, she saw the inscription "Yu" on the end where Zheng Lu had just pressed down hard.
She raised her eyebrows slightly, her gaze slowly shifting as if lost in thought.
The character 虞 has multiple meanings, one of which is deception.
For example—deception and intrigue.
If her physical sensations alone gave her a 70-80% guess about the man in the tent, then the answer Zheng Lu left her before leaving was also crucial.
Chu Yueyuan was now completely certain.
"If the Empress Dowager is reluctant, it's not too late to send someone to retrieve it now." The man's voice was cold, carrying a hint of suppressed, icy ferocity.
Chu Yueyuan turned around and met the Regent's dark, narrow phoenix eyes.
She casually put her hands behind her back, smiled, and shook her head: "No, no. Minister Pei has already gilded my reputation. Now I am the Empress Dowager, whose virtues are in harmony with Heaven. If I were to return to the palace with two foreign men, wouldn't I be personally destroying the golden reputation that Minister Pei has built for me?"
It was already shocking that a widowed sister-in-law would go to war with her brother-in-law; if she were to bring back two foreign lovers, the memorials from the remonstrating officials would probably flood the Hall of Diligent Governance.
Pei Muwei stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze lingering on the woman's upturned face.
A woman whose eyes have been nourished by springtime passion still seems to hold a pool of autumn water, and even when she pretends to be silly, she exudes a seven-tenths of tenderness.
The phrase "naturally alluring" is most fitting to describe her; she possesses the beauty of a demon and has cultivated the art of using desire to control desire.
He smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness, I almost forgot that your heart is as firm as stone. You only ask for a night of passion, not for a lifelong commitment."
Chu Yueyuan: ....
Just as the man turned to leave, she couldn't help but say, "Pei Qing, please wait a moment..."
Chu Yueyuan stepped forward and gently tiptoed to close the distance between the emperor and his subject. She could even smell the faint scent of moon scales lingering in the man's black hair.
Pei Muwei saw the woman's beautiful face approach, her dark eyes smiling, her pupils clear and bright, with a hint of cunning gleam in them.
"Isn't Pei Qing curious this time whether 'Zheng Lu's' skill in serving people has improved?"
Men generally tend to be very inquisitive and meticulous in this regard. Pei Muwei's jawline was taut, but he did not stop the young empress dowager from continuing.
Chu Yueyuan blinked, shook her head and sighed softly: "If he were truly a useful person, why would I have let him leave so easily? Pei Qing has always been exceptionally intelligent, how could he not understand such a simple principle?"
The emperor and his minister stared at each other, speechless for a moment. Occasionally, birds would flit through the trees, their chirping filling the sudden silence.
The tall man leaned slightly forward, extending his long arm as if to wrap his arms around her waist. Chu Yueyuan was startled and took a step back like a bird on a branch. Just as she was about to reprimand him with a cold face, she saw him pull the jade flute that Zheng Lu had left behind from her hand.
Pei Muwei casually toyed with the jade flute in his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips:
"Since Your Highness finds 'Zhenglu' useless, then on the way back to the capital, select a few handsome young men to serve in your tent. The people of Great Qi are numerous and outstanding. Does Your Highness prefer a refined scholar, a strong and muscular martial artist, or a charming and eloquent young man?"
His voice was clear and melodious, and his expression was calm and composed. He possessed the bearing of a celestial being, as if a gentle, respectful, and frugal minister were advising his monarch on some long-term strategy.
Chu Yueyuan secretly rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that no matter what kind of handsome young man he was, after the Regent, this middleman, took over, it was all the same old wine in new bottles.
Having been fooled by Pei twice, she should have learned her lesson by now!
Chu Yueyuan took a deep breath, slightly raised her chin, and said calmly, "I don't need you to worry about my private affairs. I hope you will keep your promise and continue to work with me after we return to the palace. When you finally conquer the world, grant me and the Emperor a peaceful end. I will then eat vegetarian food, chant Buddhist scriptures, and write Buddhist sutras by hand every day to pray for the new emperor."
After saying that, Chu Yueyuan snatched the jade flute from the other person's hand and quickly walked onto the carriage that was ready to depart.
Pei Muwei gazed at the little empress dowager's flowing skirt. The woman's graceful figure cast a long, slender shadow in the sunlight, like a tender willow swaying in the spring, charming and lively.
His long eyes narrowed slightly, revealing an undisguised possessiveness, while a dark voice in his heart sneered: "Each gets what they want?"
The young empress dowager is being far too naive.
Last night, he heard a woman softly calling out another man's name. His heart felt like it was being fried in oil. If he let her go, she would become another man's wife and be used as a concubine.
Then he'll never get better in his life.
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