Chapter 75 Is pressuring her trying to cheat him?
The rain poured incessantly from the eaves outside the palace, and the cool, damp air gradually seeped into the room, dissipating the stench of blood that filled the floor. On the red mirror formed by the congealed blood, two figures were reflected, one standing and one bound. The tall, standing figure slowly pressed down on the neck of the person imprisoned on the rack, causing the figure on the rack to sway violently.
Feng Tan was held by the neck by Xiao Yinshi, unable to even turn her head. Xiao Yinshi's thin lips stopped at Feng Tan's lips, his dark eyes filled with a predatory gaze as he looked at her resisting expression. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he chuckled softly against her cheek, "Princess Yongle has truly deceived everyone all this way... It's just a pity that her efforts failed at the last moment, and she's been tortured into this pitiful state..."
Feng Tan's already pale face turned bright red from Xiao Yinshi's forceful grip. As he watched the color tinge her cheeks, he slowly released his fingers from Feng Tan's neck and instead touched her Adam's apple.
Finally, the air could flow freely into her lungs. Feng Tan met the man's eerie, dark eyes and said hatefully, "Xiao Yinshi, since you wanted me to fail, why didn't you expose me directly from the beginning? Instead, you pretended to help me and ordered the Shen family army to betray us and kill my husband!"
Xiao Yinshi stroked Feng Tan's fake Adam's apple, then forcefully peeled it off her delicate neck, saying in a low voice, "I didn't do it. Shen Shiyi and I are investigating this matter."
Feng Tan gasped in pain as the man's fingers caressed her neck, the menacing malice sending shivers down her spine. Xiao Yinshi watched the goosebumps rising on her bare shoulders, neck, and arms, a slight smile playing on his lips, before moving his fingers down again.
Xiao Yinshi wrapped the breast strap around his fingers again and again, and with each loop he untied, he would bring his arm behind Feng Tan's back. The man's deep, cold woody scent grew even more chilling with his wanton movements, causing Feng Tan to cry out, "Xiao Yinshi, what the hell are you doing?! Stop!"
Feng Tan was very well-mannered; she would use veiled insults rather than openly swear, and the few times she did use direct insults were all for Xiao Yinshi.
Feng Tan's current caged-beast-like intimidation couldn't shake Xiao Yinshi in the slightest. He continued to untie her bodice strap, ignoring his lewd gaze. His movements were even quite elegant. He met Feng Tan's eyes, which were filled with resentment, anxiety, and shame, and said, "What do you think?"
The sound of rain pattering on the palace roof seemed to be muffled by the rain as Feng Tan admitted, "I am a woman."
Their eyes met, and Xiao Yinshi's gaze turned cold as he said, "Do you still remember your answer in the library?"
"Lord Feng Tanfeng, are you male or female?"
"Xiao Yinshi, how about we make a bet? If I were a man, you would repay me for insulting and humiliating me with a slap. If I were a woman..."
"If you were a woman, what would you do?"
"You may take this body tonight."
Feng Tan's lips twitched, but she clearly couldn't repeat those words. Xiao Yinshi looked at her, a playful smile curving his lips. He tightened his grip on her bra strap, pulling her closer to him. "You said you'd give me this body. What, you don't remember?"
Feng Tan said, "I don't remember."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yinshi raised an eyebrow. Was she trying to cheat him? He chuckled and peeled off her bra straps one by one. When he saw the tender spring scenery beneath, his eyes suddenly darkened, and he suppressed the overwhelming urge to devour her.
Looking up at Feng Tan again, she squeezed her eyes shut, a mixture of suppressed emotions and shame swirling within her. She tried to detach her consciousness from her body and ignore the humiliation of being locked on the rack and at the mercy of others, but clearly... she failed.
Xiao Yinshi cut the removed breast wrap into four pieces before slowly wrapping the main strap back around Feng Tan's chest. He took out the wound medicine he had obtained from Menghe Nabul from his bosom, peeled off Feng Tan's tattered outer garment, looked at the bloody holes on her bare arms, and gently sprinkled the medicine powder on them.
Feng Tan flinched as she was stung by the powder. When she glanced at Xiao Yin, the man's expression was serious. He lightly tapped the medicine bottle with his long fingers to ensure that the powder was absorbed by the wound. A hint of sarcasm appeared on her lips, and she closed her eyes tightly again.
Including the bloodstains from the whipping, there were a total of five wounds. A bottle of wound medicine was just used up. After applying the medicine, Xiao Yinshi put a fever-reducing pill in Feng Tan's mouth and then took a brand-new prison uniform for her to wear.
The candles in the hall were about to burn out, and the dim light of the night concealed the surging lust in Xiao Yinshi's eyes, and covered up his innate evil nature, allowing Feng Tan to hear only the gentleness in his voice, "Give yourself to me, and I will save you."
The light was too dim for Feng Tan to see the abnormal redness at the corner of his eyes, but that didn't stop her from being certain of his wicked nature. So she said sarcastically, "Keep dreaming."
The feigned gentleness shattered instantly. Xiao Yinshi leaned down and lightly kissed Feng Tan's neck with his thin lips. Then, his teeth pierced the girl's skin, and after a tiny bead of blood appeared, he licked it off with his tongue.
Feng Tan winced in pain, raised his head, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Xiao Yinshi, you are truly a mad...dog...You were once the crown prince of Dahua. With such a status, aren't you afraid I'll expose you?"
Xiao Yinshi did not answer, but his teeth sank deeper into her flesh.
Feng Tan finally realized that from the moment he discovered she was a woman, Xiao Yinshi, this mad dog, had become extremely excited. He tried his best to suppress it, and was so thirsty that he drank blood to quench his lust.
As the candle wax was about to burn out, in the dim light, Feng Tan saw a totem quietly appearing on the back of Xiao Yinshi's neck as he leaned down. Just as she was about to get a clearer look, the candle went out, and the hall was plunged into darkness.
In the thick darkness of the night, a decadent atmosphere grew, and Xiao Yinshi pressed his thin lips against her neck, breathing heavily, "What Heaven bestows is destiny, what all things receive is nature... You are my nature."
Feng Tan said, "...Get lost."
***
When Zhu Qi saw Xiao Yinshi come out of the hall, he quickly opened his umbrella and went to greet him, saying loudly, "Master, the palace just issued an imperial decree that you must go to the Taiji Hall to report after you have finished the interrogation!"
The rain subsided a bit, and Xiao Yinshi said, "Has Shen Shiyi returned to Hua with the delegation? We also need to set off and go back to inform them immediately."
Zhu Qi was taken aback, glancing instinctively at the now-dark interrogation room, and asked, "But what did Lord Feng reveal? Is he going to expose your identity? Should we...?"
Zhu Qi made a clicking gesture, and Xiao Yinshi smiled and said, "No need, I have my own arrangements for her."
Having followed Xiao Yinshi for so many years, Zhu Qi rarely felt Xiao Yinshi's joyful mood. He glanced at the interrogation room again, his mind a complete blank, and replied, "Yes, after rescuing Shen Ze tonight, Shen Shiyi immediately led the delegation out of the capital. On the way, she ordered her confidants to interrogate the Shen family army one by one and found some clues... However, it is not advisable to make a judgment immediately. She said that she would explain in detail when you get the Dahuang defense map and return to Huachao."
"Yes, it's time to set off." Xiao Yinshi mounted his horse, glanced back at the Northern Garrison, and spurred his horse toward the palace.
The palace was brightly lit. Tonight, a great change had taken place in the capital. Emperor Chongming was unable to sleep, pondering the events repeatedly. The cinnabar in the purple-gold alms bowl on his desk was as red as blood. He lightly dipped his brush in the ink and circled between the names of Feng Tan and Feng Youming, but he could not make sense of any connection between them.
"How did Ke Fengtan get involved with Shen Shiyi and Shen Ze, and the Silver-Masked Man? Could it be that he had some connection with the Silver-Masked Man during his trip to the Linzhang sea area?" Emperor Chongming stood up, leaning on the table, and walked to a spot in the hall where he could look down at the sea of clouds, pondering deeply.
Jiang Lili put a cloak on him and said, "It's raining heavily. Your Majesty, standing here might harm your health."
Emperor Chongming waved his hand to indicate that it was alright. The blue-robed eunuch on duty outside the hall hurriedly came in to report, "Your Majesty, the Chief Censor has arrived."
Emperor Chongming said, "Summon."
Xiao Yinshi entered the hall, greeted Emperor Chongming, and said, "Your Majesty, the preliminary investigation of Feng Tan has yielded some results."
Emperor Chongming gazed at Xiao Yinshi's figure standing in the distance, then walked away from the edge of the clouds and approached him. He looked deeply at Xiao Yinshi and said, "It's been more than ten years. I trust you the most in handling matters, my dear minister. Tell me about it."
Xiao Yinshi said, "Eight years ago, when Feng Youming was in Linzhou, he saved a boy and personally cared for him for several days. That boy was Feng Tan. Because of this relationship, Feng Tan regarded Feng Youming as his benefactor. He was a grateful person, and after Feng Youming fell into misfortune, he studied diligently for many years and finally passed the imperial examination. Everything he did after arriving at the court was to save Feng Youming from the imperial prison. When the attempt to overturn the case in the Golden Palace failed, Feng Tan found Shen Shiyi, who also wanted to go to the imperial prison to save people, as his accomplice. Together with the Red Sleeve Pavilion and the Imperial Dragon Battalion, they used a feint to rescue Feng Youming. As for the Silver-Masked Venerable, the reason has not yet been investigated, but..."
Xiao Yinshi pretended to be deep in thought, and Emperor Chongming frowned, pressing for an answer: "But what?"
"However, judging from his demeanor, it seems that he has a secret relationship with Feng Tan. But Feng Tan refuses to talk about it anymore. When the interrogation reached this point, she fainted."
The story is a mix of truth and falsehood, and apart from Xiao Yinshi and Feng Tan, no one can tell the truth from the falsehood. Now that Feng Tan has completely severed her affection for Emperor Chongming, no one will know the truth or falsehood of the confession that Xiao Yinshi fabricated by taking advantage of Emperor Chongming's trust in him.
The situation was shrouded in mystery. Emperor Chongming, his expression solemn, returned to his desk and sat down again, rubbing his brow as he said, "The whereabouts of the courtesans of the Red Sleeve Pavilion, the location of the Imperial Dragon Camp... The Imperial Dragon Camp, I truly underestimated them! Eight years ago, they caused chaos in the capital and even killed my beloved wife! Now they've returned, rescuing all the courtesans. Hmph, what audacity! My Great Emperor cannot be slaughtered. We must apprehend them. Do you, my esteemed minister, have any good strategies?"
Xiao Yinshi stood below the steps, the flickering candlelight casting shadows on his three-dimensional features. Although the colors were warm, they added a sense of coldness and solemnity. "Since they are so loyal and righteous, Your Majesty might as well use Feng Tan as bait to lure them out."
"Waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump," Emperor Chongming picked up his vermilion brush, touched Feng Tan's name, and said, "It's feasible. Immediately order the officials of the Court of Judicial Review to draft the charges against them, and make sure they betray him and are exiled to the frontier!"
After Xiao Yinshi withdrew, the heavy rain gradually stopped, and the water clock dripped softly in the Taiji Hall. Emperor Chongming called out softly, "Weishengxian."
Wei Shengxian appeared in response, bowed, and asked, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
Emperor Chongming's eyes flashed with a sharp and ruthless light as he said, "You will personally lead a contingent of Imperial Guards. Once the women who came to rescue Feng Tan appear, shoot Feng Tan immediately. This man is learned and talented, but his knowledge is treacherous. Da Huang cannot keep him alive!"
The emperor's cinnabar brush fell on the two characters "Feng Tan" on the Xuan paper, leaving a bright red mark.
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