Chapter 41 He would not be a substitute, only loyal to the sword…
These words were extremely provocative, comparing a dignified general to a male prostitute in a brothel, and demanding that He Beiqing condescend to become a tool for pleasing women—it was truly audacious.
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room stared wide-eyed, especially the male prostitutes at the brothel, who glanced at He Beiqing with shock and trepidation.
They were all worried that he would get angry and lock Jiang Shuifu up in a fit of rage, and what if that implicated them?
The peach felt a little guilty; the young lady's words were really too much. After all, she was a general.
Most importantly, the young lady's status is no longer what it used to be. High-ranking officials and powerful ministers can deal with a divorced woman with ease.
Jiang Shuifu showed no fear. She has always been clear about her likes and dislikes, and she takes revenge for every wrong done to her. Having been oppressed for too long, even the slightest injustice can trigger her self-protective mechanism.
She didn't back down at all. With her eyes upturned, she looked haughtily at the man who had barged in and tried to drive her away without any explanation. The pomegranate-shaped gemstone hairpin in her hair trembled and shimmered with a luxurious and dazzling luster.
He Beiqing's gaze remained fixed on Jiang Shuifu. The ease and nonchalance in his eyes faded, replaced by a growing depth.
Unlike Shen Jizhao, whose expression remained impassive, concealed by layers of coldness hidden deep in the ocean, the darkness in his eyes, representing the ebb and flow of emotions, was now much clearer and more readily discernible.
He seemed more surprised than angry.
Jiang Shuifu was completely baffled by his emotions. What was he surprised about? Shouldn't he be angry?
But she forgot that not everyone is Shen Jizhao.
At this moment, He Beiqing was a foot away from her, maintaining a suitable and measured distance.
Perhaps it was because her words were too unruly and so different from the virtuous woman he had heard about before, that he unconsciously paused in his steps, then stopped and stared at her.
The next moment, he finally spoke, his voice several degrees colder than usual:
"Go down and receive your punishment!"
The guards on both sides immediately sprang into action, drawing their knives and striding forward to hold them to Jiang Shuifu and Pan Tao's heads, taking them away.
They were tall and strong, and having handled many cases, they naturally exuded an imposing aura. The two frail women were powerless against them.
Pan Tao quickly stepped in front of Jiang Shuifu. Jiang Shuifu's mind went blank for a moment, but she was not frightened or pale. She just looked at He Beiqing with indifferent eyes, her tone questioning and full of the tension of a game.
The guards kept closing in, and just as the blade was about to slice into her neck, the glint of the blade blinded her. He Beiqing remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on her, yet strangely vacant.
He remained motionless and did not stop her. Jiang Shuifu glared at him angrily, then quickly turned her head away, dodging the attack as there was no way to avoid it.
The knife then swiftly changed direction, gripping her tightly.
Just as the knife was about to reach her, He Beiqing drew his sword. The blooming fire lotus slowly unfolded its beauty, blooming extremely brightly. In an instant, it deflected the guard's knife and then kicked the guard away.
After this ordeal, even Jiang Shuifu, with her usually good temper, couldn't control herself. Her face scrunched up and wrinkled, her expression quite vivid. It looked like she was about to yell at him in the next moment, but suddenly she leaned her whole body back, causing the pomegranate flower gem hairpin on her head to almost fall off, as if she had fainted.
He Beiqing was the first to see it. He glanced at the maid beside her, but Pan Tao was still in shock and remained unmoved.
Oh well, it's his turn again.
His sword changed direction and went to her waist. At that moment, the pomegranate flower jeweled hairpin in her hair finally gave way and slipped off.
He never bothered to examine her closely, so this was the first time he noticed the fiery red pomegranate hairpin, and the next moment, the hairpin was in his hand.
Before he could let go, the already dizzy person grabbed his hand that was covering the sword sheath, as if a drowning person were grasping at a straw.
He could feel her hand holding his, warm and delicate, enveloping him.
He was both surprised and agitated, and almost immediately tried to get away.
The more she struggled, the tighter she held on.
He could only stare at the half-closed-eye woman with a warning look, but as soon as he met her eyes, he gave up the idea.
He can't do it.
Within two breaths, he was too exhausted to struggle.
His sword sheath was worn.
Her hairpin worn down his sword.
He stared blankly for a long time, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
He suddenly lost his strength, his body hunched over, and he slumped to the ground, still staring intently at his sword.
At this moment, Jiang Shuifu slowly woke up and, seeing that she was almost trapped in his arms, pushed him away and hummed a few times:
"Shameless!"
He Beiqing had no interest in dealing with her; he simply stroked the damaged scabbard in a daze.
The peaches also witnessed what had just happened and cursed at him for a long time.
Only when they were exhausted did He Beiqing shift his gaze, raise his head with a somber face. Much of his former youthful vigor had vanished, replaced by a deep sorrow and melancholy, along with a hint of restrained resentment.
Pan Tao was afraid that he would do something to Jiang Shuifu again, so she shielded her with her body.
He Beiqing slowly rose, his sword pressed against the floor tiles, his movements swift and decisive, exuding a dangerous aura.
He fixed his gaze on the two women embracing each other, or more precisely, on Jiang Shuifu.
His strides were so large that he cornered them in just a few steps. Then, he bent down and squatted, extending his large, powerful hands covered in thick calluses.
Jiang Shuifu didn't know what he was going to do, but she wasn't one to be bullied, and she was ready to kick him until she broke his bones.
But he was faster than her; in an instant, his hand touched her head.
She instinctively stepped back, creating a considerable distance between them, but he neither stopped nor moved forward, maintaining an arm's length distance as he continued his actions.
She was furious. Just before she could kick him, he reached out with his fingertips and the jeweled hairpin was caught behind her ear.
Jiang Shuifu was taken aback, then touched it.
He Beiqing smiled gently, a youthful elegance radiating from his lips. He then picked up his sword, stood up, and casually hung it at his waist. He looked at her with utmost seriousness and said:
"Return the hairpin to the lady. If it falls again, I will not pick it up again."
He was very careful not to insert the hairpin directly into her hair, nor did he touch a single stray strand of her hair.
He maintained a clear distance from her from beginning to end.
He Beiqing then turned around and reprimanded the guards:
"Get out of here right now! You barged in so rashly and startled Lady Jiang. You deserve to be punished!"
After dismissing his men, He Beiqing walked back to Jiang Shuifu and bowed to her in apology.
Jiang Shuifu was extremely displeased, and immediately interrupted his pretentious act by sticking the hairpin into her hair:
"General, you don't need to pretend. I know you did it on purpose, but you broke into my room, detained my people, and now you want to kick me out. That's too domineering!"
That scene just now was his reminder to her; she wouldn't be so stupid as to not see that.
His instructions were unclear, making it hard not to suspect his true purpose. And then he only saved her at the last moment. With his excellent skills, it was impossible that he couldn't have stopped her earlier. Instead, he waited until she turned her head away, was at a disadvantage, and seemed to admit defeat before he made his move.
It's clear that the man in front of you is ambitious.
He Beiqing hadn't expected her to be so insightful and observant. He admitted that there was indeed some reason for that, but more importantly, he felt a sense of familiarity.
He hurriedly said he dared not:
"You flatter me, madam. For a moment, I was momentarily distracted; your gaze just now reminded me of someone..."
He didn't finish his sentence, and then stopped talking.
Seeing his hesitant expression, Jiang Shuifu guessed what he meant, and she scoffed dismissively:
"General He's eyes are quite ill, aren't they? You wouldn't be thinking... that he looks like Shen Jizhao, would you?"
He Beiqing hadn't expected her to be so blunt in pointing out his feelings. Her disdainful look seemed to confirm his suspicions; she no longer had any feelings for the Crown Prince. He feared the Crown Prince had a long way to go.
Thinking of His Highness the Crown Prince, He Beiqing composed himself, unconsciously becoming even more respectful towards her. He stopped teasing her and sincerely apologized again.
"What happened just now was my fault, and it will never happen again. I hope you will forgive me, madam. However, I still maintain that you cannot stay in this place."
Seeing that she wouldn't listen, he paused for a moment and then offered a second method:
"Or, you can come again tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuifu's mind suddenly shifted. With so many officials present today, could it be that there was some official business going on, which was why they wanted to send her away?
As she pondered the possibility of this situation, He Beiqing stepped forward again, this time keeping a mere five steps away from her. He bowed, gesturing for her to proceed.
"Well then, I've known you for quite some time and we're practically friends. It's no big deal for friends to exchange ideas. I've practiced martial arts for many years, and my favorite is sword dance. If I have the chance, I'll perform a dance to apologize to you!"
Jiang Shuifu's eyes darted around. He had already said so much, what else could she do? Judging from his expression, she had no choice but to leave today. Rather than be chased away by him, she might as well go along with him.
The atmosphere inside the room gradually eased, but she still looked at him with disdain and was unwilling to leave in a huff. Just as she was thinking of regaining some face, the open door suddenly shoved in a group of people dressed in brightly colored clothes.
"My lord, this is my music."
"I am exquisite."
······
Next, a male voice appeared:
"This humble servant is Yunzhu."
There were four people who barged in: three women and one man, all of whom appeared to be the newly selected courtesans.
Jiang Shuifu's eyes lit up the moment she saw the man. It was him, that male prostitute. So his name was Yunzhu.
Then, these people knelt down, their heads bowed so low and delicate, as if they were about to cling to someone and be plucked at any moment.
Jiang Shuifu belatedly realized that they were a bit strange. The strange thing was that they weren't dressed in revealing clothes at all, but rather in very furry clothes, and each of them was dressed like a raccoon dog.
These courtesans hadn't expected there to be others among them. Upon seeing Jiang Shuifu's face, their eyes widened in surprise. They then put even more effort into showing themselves off, deliberately revealing a corner of their "tails" and glancing gracefully at the distinguished man above them.
He Beiqing then noticed the people on the ground. He was already used to it; these people only had so many ways to win people over. But could someone tell him what those things between their legs were?
And what's the deal with that male prostitute?
His face grew increasingly frozen, his crimson lips becoming even more moist with anger. He was an easygoing person, usually enjoying conversation and banter, but this scene...
He turned his stiff neck, and his subordinates, who dared not laugh, strained their necks to keep it down. One could only imagine how they would ridicule him behind his back.
While a man might be charming enough to discuss politics at a dinner table, he didn't want to be charming in front of so many people, regardless of gender.
The huge room seemed extremely empty, like a stagnant pool, so a sneer was all the more obvious.
He Beiqing's attention was drawn to this blatant sarcasm. He turned to Jiang Shuifu, and although his face remained calm, his eyes betrayed his displeasure.
The prefect outside the door kept winking at him, asking if he was satisfied, and was extremely obsequious.
Now, even a fool could tell what was going on. His eyelids twitched, he laughed in exasperation, and his red lips curved into a wanton smile.
That old bastard pretends not to understand serious matters, but he racks his brains over these frivolous affairs, thinking more and worse than anyone else.
As the saying goes, one cannot hit a smiling face. These courtesans were innocent, and he waved his hand to let them get up. The courtesans thought he had accepted them and happily climbed towards him, except for Yunzhu, whose steps were slow.
However, He Beiqing did not let them touch him. His body moved forward unconsciously, forgetting all manners and propriety, and headed towards Jiang Shuifu.
As Jiang Shuifu saw him approaching her, she immediately stepped back. This man was not to be trifled with. She merely chuckled; what was he planning to do?
Although Jiang Shuifu's eyes crinkled with laughter, she knew when to stop, and left with the peaches.
"So that's why you wanted me to leave. Fine, Peach, let's go!"
He Beiqing stopped walking and didn't speak. He thought that the goal had been achieved.
Although he felt somewhat embarrassed during this process, he did not say anything to end the charade, letting her see the joke and vent her anger before he could finally send this big shot away.
Jiang Shuifu was in a great mood and swayed as she walked away. But before she reached the door, a voice came from behind her, a lazy voice mixed with a hint of coldness.
"I will not be a substitute, I do not love, I am loyal only to this sword."
She then realized that he was answering her question, which he had deliberately used to embarrass and mock him.
She didn't care about his answer; she suddenly turned around and smiled brightly and mischievously.
"General He, do you also want this male prostitute?"
He Beiqing hadn't expected her to turn around, much less that her lively eyes would flutter so intensely.
I just made a bet with her.
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