Chapter 117 Being pinned down on the desk and kissed
Jiang Zhi met his gaze.
It was like the sense of danger of a wild beast lurking in the dark, pouncing on its prey and snapping its throat once it spotted it.
She felt a chill run down her spine, her palms sweating profusely. She tried her best to speak calmly, saying, "I simply don't want to hide. Besides, if the Third Prince wants to harm me, I don't want to sit idly by and wait to die."
"Oh?" Xiao Xuanyou curled his lips. "What are your thoughts?"
Jiang Zhi took a deep breath. "I am now the Princess of Qinghe County, personally appointed by His Majesty. Even if the Third Prince wanted to make a move, he would certainly not dare to do it openly. He would only do something shady in secret."
"And once these things are done, they will inevitably leave clues and traces. As long as I can gather this evidence, even if I cannot bring down the Third Prince, I can at least make him think twice."
"So, what do you plan to do?" Xiao Xuanyou's nose was filled with the sweet fragrance of her after her bath, just like in his dream.
Looking at the moist, crimson lips that kept opening and closing in front of him, he found that he couldn't concentrate on listening to what she was saying.
His Adam's apple bobbed laboriously as he managed to glean some key information from her fragmented words.
Jiang Zhi didn't notice Xiao Xuanyou's suddenly darkened gaze. She only wanted to dispel his idea of sending her out of the capital. "So if Your Highness needs me, I can be a tool in Your Highness's hand. As long as it can bring down the Third Prince, I am willing to be the bait to catch him."
Xie Qi left the capital, and their cooperation was temporarily suspended.
Lu Yuan was now fully aware of her thoughts and would no longer easily trust her.
As for Shen Ci'an—since she had decided to marry him, she certainly couldn't let him get involved in these power struggles.
She just wanted to clear all obstacles from her path before getting married, so she could marry him peacefully.
Since Xiao Xuanyou has ulterior motives towards her, she can turn the tables and use him to achieve her own goals.
However, Xiao Xuanyou refused without even thinking, saying, "I have plenty of knives and bait, I don't need Miss Jiang."
"But I am the sharpest knife and the most tempting bait."
Jiang Zhi looked resolute, but was somewhat surprised by Xiao Xuanyou's rejection.
In his past life, he had a great headache with Xiao Chengjin and tried every means to bring him down.
Now that the best offer is presented to him, why would he refuse?
Xiao Xuanyou chuckled and pinched the soft flesh on her cheek. "If I needed to rely on a woman to secure my position, then I would have lived all these years in vain."
"But Your Highness, there are many things I can do. I only ask that Your Highness allow me to stay in the capital." Jiang Zhi's face showed a pleading expression at the right moment.
Xiao Xuanyou had no choice but to say in a low voice, "It's not impossible for you to stay in the capital, but you have to agree to one request."
"What are the requirements?"
Xiao Xuanyou did not answer, but instead bent down and expressed his demands through his actions.
His dry, burning lips pressed against hers without warning, silencing her gasp. They lingered and caressed, yet carried an urgent restlessness, as if they had been planning this for a long time.
Jiang Zhi was completely trapped in that small space, her back pressed against the edge of the table, her waist tightly held by him.
But that wasn't enough for him. Xiao Xuanyou let out a low breath, grabbed her waist, and easily lifted her onto the desk.
The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk were swept to the ground, and the "Zhao Cheng Jin Zang" that had always been treasured by the Prince of Xiang's mansion now lay silently and forlornly on the ground.
Qingxing, who was waiting outside, was startled by the noise and immediately pushed the door open without thinking. When she saw the scene in the study by candlelight and moonlight, her eyes widened instantly.
What did she see?
The young lady was being kissed by the noble and gentle Crown Prince, who pressed her down on the desk. Her upper body was arched back, like a slender crescent moon.
She couldn't see her young mistress's expression, but she saw that the Crown Prince's movements didn't stop at all because of her intrusion. Instead, he raised his eyes and gave her a cold look, a look full of impatience and icy killing intent, as if her head would roll off the cliff the next second.
Qingxing felt a sudden chill on the back of her neck, realizing she had seen something she shouldn't have. She immediately and quietly closed the study door again, then patted her chest as she stood guard outside.
Phew, thank goodness, I didn't ruin Miss's good time.
But wasn't Miss supposed to be marrying Young Master Cousin? Why is she still entangled with His Highness the Crown Prince?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she shook her head.
It's normal that so many people are fond of such a wonderful young lady.
All I need to do is follow Miss's instructions and guard the study, making sure no one comes in to disturb me.
Jiang Zhi had her back to the door and was completely unaware that Qing Xing had come in and gone out.
She felt as if her very being was imbued with his scent, an irresistible fragrance.
When Xiao Xuanyou finally let go, Jiang Zhi was slightly out of breath, her chest heaving.
Looking at her even more rosy and luscious lips, Xiao Xuanyou's gloomy mood improved considerably, so he mercifully said, "Alright, you can stay in Kyoto, but you must promise to discuss things with me before dealing with Xiao Chengjin. You cannot act alone and must ensure your own safety, understand?"
He was also afraid that she would act on her own initiative and be headstrong. He could not bear the pain of losing her again.
*
The Emperor's decree was issued quickly: the Earl of Loyalty's mansion was raided, and all the male members were exiled.
Yan Wenkang, who was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail and was originally scheduled to be executed in the autumn, had his sentence brought forward and was executed immediately.
Jiang Zhi had been waiting for this day for a long time. The day before Yan Wenkang was to be executed, she bribed a jailer to go to the Ministry of Justice prison to see Yan Wenkang in person.
The Ministry of Justice prison was dark and gloomy, and the stench inside was nauseating.
Jiang Zhi covered her nose with a handkerchief and was led by the jailer to the innermost cell, which was said to hold some of the most heinous death row inmates.
“Miss Jiang, the prisoner Yan Wenkang is being held here. I can only give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, so hurry up,” the jailer instructed. “I brought you in without telling my superiors, so please don’t make any mistakes.”
Jiang Zhi nodded and stuffed a few silver notes into his hand.
The jailer went downstairs with great joy.
Perhaps due to prior arrangements by the Earl of Zhongqin's mansion, Yan Wenkang's cell was not as filthy and chaotic as those outside; it was as clean and tidy as a guest room.
She walked to the cell door and saw Yan Wenkang sitting with his back to her through the bars, looking up at the small, broken window at the highest point of the cell.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but recall her past life, when she was brutally beaten by Yan Wenkang and locked in a woodshed, which was crawling with snakes, insects, and rats that kept surging towards her wounds.
There wasn't even a small window in the woodshed. She turned pale with fright and screamed, but all she heard from the doorway was Yan Wenkang's fierce voice.
"You bitch, you made me lose face in front of my friend and I can't hold my head up high. Today I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
Now he has finally tasted this bitterness.
It's truly a cycle of karma.
"Yan Wenkang, look who I am!" she said coldly.
The people inside the cell did not make a sound.
Jiang Zhi laughed again, "Oh right, I almost forgot that I shot you out of your eyes, so you can't see anything anymore."
However, the person inside did not react at all to her provocation; they just kept their heads up, as if all their attention was drawn to that small window.
Jiang Zhi found it strange.
Yan Wenkang has never been such a calm and collected person.
Why did he react so calmly to the fact that he was the one who started it all?
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