Xia Zixi heaved a sigh of relief. He had thought that Zhao Changdu's recent actions meant he was going to target him, or that he had found out something.
He hadn't expected that His Majesty would return to the palace. It seemed he was getting on in years and had grown more timid, with the slightest rustle leaving him restless and overcautious.
As such, preoccupied as he was with the name Zhao Changdu, he hadn't been able to fully enjoy himself this afternoon. His body still harbored some of the drug's effects.
If that was the case, he had nothing to worry about. He stretched out his arm and pulled the woman beside him close. "Did you enjoy yourself this afternoon?"
Concubine Wan shifted her shoulders and complained, "Don't move me."
Xia Zixi squeezed the woman's perky bottom and chuckled lowly. "What's with the act? This afternoon you were gazing at me coquettishly as I took you with pleasure beneath me. And now that we've crossed the river, you're dismantling the bridge and refusing to acknowledge me?"
"How can you say that? I just have this vague sense of unease in my heart."
"Oh?" Xia Zixi slid his large hand downward and rested his chin on the woman's shoulder. He said softly, "Is it because you're uncomfortable before the spirit tablet of this sister you've never met?"
The word "sister" made Concubine Wan's body stiffen for an instant.
Xia Zixi kissed the side of her ear from behind, calming her. "What is there to fear? She's dead. It's just a cold spirit tablet. Don't keep living in the past. We have to look forward and plan well for Yang'er."
Concubine Wan's thoughts stirred lightly. She had worked so hard all these years just to get her son to the position of Crown Prince.
That's right, the dead were nothing.
She was Dong Li's most favored concubine. Her son would be the future master of this dynasty. She feared nothing. She was the biggest winner.
Hearing that His Majesty wasn't coming, she dropped the act as well, allowing the man's scalding hands to slowly roam over her body.
Their breathing gradually grew urgent.
She leaned back against the man's broad, sturdy chest, feeling his hand briskly tear open her shirt and vigorously caress her waist and abdomen. Her fox-like narrow eyes slowly narrowed in pleasure.
Xia Zixi best understood how to delight her.
In the dim yellow candlelight, the quiet room grew increasingly gloomy and dark. Amidst the stillness, the candle flames danced and crackled noisily in the darkness.
The man changed positions, burying his head in her chest.
And so, facing those solemn spirit tablets, she panted and moaned in confusion and desire, gazing at the three characters "Nalan Yue" in the center tablet.
Before long, a misty look clouded Concubine Wan's eyes.
Perhaps she was too ecstatic—when it arrived, she couldn't help covering her mouth, but still cried out.
Xia Zixi had drank that rose tea in the afternoon and hadn't fully relieved himself yet. Tonight, he was thoroughly indulging himself.
Concubine Wan was rendered senseless by him, her eyes dazed and vacant like a dying fish in the man's embrace.
Xia Zixi held her like this. Right in front of them was the tightly shut door and two wide open windows.
The window to the right was wide open, letting in a cool breeze.
Concubine Wan's body went limp. She slowly opened her blurred eyes. At first she couldn't see clearly. She blinked forcefully.
Xia Zixi sensed her movement and turned to ask, "What's wrong?"
Concubine Wan didn't speak. She rubbed her eyes and said, "Zixi, did you see someone standing outside the window?"
Xia Zixi's falcon-like eyes glanced toward the window. Outside was pitch black without any figure.
"You must be seeing things wrongly."
Concubine Wan looked out the window again. There was clearly the silhouette of a young girl!
The girl had delicate brows and limpid eyes, gentle and affectionate. Most notably, her eyes were exactly the same as the deceased Nalan Yue's!
She was thunderstruck. She abruptly scrambled out of Xia Zixi's embrace and rushed to the window in three quick steps. "You really didn't see her? She was standing right here! She looks just like Nalan Yue! It's Nalan Yue returned! She's back for us!"
Xia Zixi frowned. He coldly glared at her. "Do you not know where you are? This is Bianjing. Don't mention that name!"
Concubine Wan pressed her lips tightly together and quickly quieted down, allowing herself to be led back into the quiet room by the man.
Although Xia Zixi kept reassuring her, her heart was still thumping erratically. She felt an indescribable terror and fear.
Before she could calm down, she saw the girl who had been standing at the window instantly move to the cotton mat before the spirit tablet.
At this, not just Concubine Wan, even Xia Zixi's brow jumped violently.
The man shouted angrily, "Who are you!"
The girl stood in the shadows. The candlelight from the spirit tablet cast a halo on her small face, making her features somewhat blurry.
Concubine Wan's body tensed up. Her gaze was no longer as calm and composed as that of the favored concubine of a nation.
"Who....who are you, making a disturbance here disguised as a ghost!"
The girl said softly, "The great fire burned me beyond recognition. Concubine Wan, come take a look, look at my face..."
Concubine Wan yelled angrily, "Just who exactly are you!"
"How can you not remember me so quickly?" The girl's tone was plaintive. "Eighteen years ago, in Changzhou of Jiangnan, you and I met once."
Concubine Wan stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "No, no, no...impossible. You can't possibly still be alive! You're already dead! You're dead!"
"Hahahaha, who said I was dead? I've been waiting for you in Jiangnan, but you never came looking for me. So I could only come to Bianjing to find you~"
The girl's tender voice echoed around the quiet room.
Concubine Wan's breathing hitched. She squinted anxiously at the girl's face.
Yet for some reason, it was as if her eyes were veiled by a layer of gauze. She simply couldn't see clearly.
"Zixi, Zixi, hurry and look! See who she is!"
She shook her head forcefully. Her eyes were bloodshot and it felt like her head was stuffed with cotton—painful and unbearable.
Clutching her head, she rushed tormentedly toward the girl.
Xia Zixi grabbed her. "Xue'er! Have you lost your mind?! Get a hold of yourself!"
Concubine Wan was still immersed in her nightmare, ceaselessly uttering gibberish.
Xia Zixi irritably drew his long sword from the wooden rack. "Whether spirit or demon, one strike will reveal the truth!"
Seeing the cold gleam of that long sword, Concubine Wan's pupils suddenly expanded. It was as if she had abruptly returned to that bloody, rain-drenched night eighteen years ago. In a possessed state, she grew agitated. "Zixi, kill her! Hurry and kill her! As long as we kill her, we can take her place and enjoy glory and riches in Bianjing for a lifetime!"
PREVIOUSNEXT
Xia Zixi heaved a sigh of relief. He had thought that Zhao Changdu's recent actions meant he was going to target him, or that he had found out something.
He hadn't expected that His Majesty would return to the palace. It seemed he was getting on in years and had grown more timid, with the slightest rustle leaving him restless and overcautious.
As such, preoccupied as he was with the name Zhao Changdu, he hadn't been able to fully enjoy himself this afternoon. His body still harbored some of the drug's effects.
If that was the case, he had nothing to worry about. He stretched out his arm and pulled the woman beside him close. "Did you enjoy yourself this afternoon?"
Concubine Wan shifted her shoulders and complained, "Don't move me."
Xia Zixi squeezed the woman's perky bottom and chuckled lowly. "What's with the act? This afternoon you were gazing at me coquettishly as I took you with pleasure beneath me. And now that we've crossed the river, you're dismantling the bridge and refusing to acknowledge me?"
"How can you say that? I just have this vague sense of unease in my heart."
"Oh?" Xia Zixi slid his large hand downward and rested his chin on the woman's shoulder. He said softly, "Is it because you're uncomfortable before the spirit tablet of this sister you've never met?"
The word "sister" made Concubine Wan's body stiffen for an instant.
Xia Zixi kissed the side of her ear from behind, calming her. "What is there to fear? She's dead. It's just a cold spirit tablet. Don't keep living in the past. We have to look forward and plan well for Yang'er."
Concubine Wan's thoughts stirred lightly. She had worked so hard all these years just to get her son to the position of Crown Prince.
That's right, the dead were nothing.
She was Dong Li's most favored concubine. Her son would be the future master of this dynasty. She feared nothing. She was the biggest winner.
Hearing that His Majesty wasn't coming, she dropped the act as well, allowing the man's scalding hands to slowly roam over her body.
Their breathing gradually grew urgent.
She leaned back against the man's broad, sturdy chest, feeling his hand briskly tear open her shirt and vigorously caress her waist and abdomen. Her fox-like narrow eyes slowly narrowed in pleasure.
Xia Zixi best understood how to delight her.
In the dim yellow candlelight, the quiet room grew increasingly gloomy and dark. Amidst the stillness, the candle flames danced and crackled noisily in the darkness.
The man changed positions, burying his head in her chest.
And so, facing those solemn spirit tablets, she panted and moaned in confusion and desire, gazing at the three characters "Nalan Yue" in the center tablet.
Before long, a misty look clouded Concubine Wan's eyes.
Perhaps she was too ecstatic—when it arrived, she couldn't help covering her mouth, but still cried out.
Xia Zixi had drank that rose tea in the afternoon and hadn't fully relieved himself yet. Tonight, he was thoroughly indulging himself.
Concubine Wan was rendered senseless by him, her eyes dazed and vacant like a dying fish in the man's embrace.
Xia Zixi held her like this. Right in front of them was the tightly shut door and two wide open windows.
The window to the right was wide open, letting in a cool breeze.
Concubine Wan's body went limp. She slowly opened her blurred eyes. At first she couldn't see clearly. She blinked forcefully.
Xia Zixi sensed her movement and turned to ask, "What's wrong?"
Concubine Wan didn't speak. She rubbed her eyes and said, "Zixi, did you see someone standing outside the window?"
Xia Zixi's falcon-like eyes glanced toward the window. Outside was pitch black without any figure.
"You must be seeing things wrongly."
Concubine Wan looked out the window again. There was clearly the silhouette of a young girl!
The girl had delicate brows and limpid eyes, gentle and affectionate. Most notably, her eyes were exactly the same as the deceased Nalan Yue's!
She was thunderstruck. She abruptly scrambled out of Xia Zixi's embrace and rushed to the window in three quick steps. "You really didn't see her? She was standing right here! She looks just like Nalan Yue! It's Nalan Yue returned! She's back for us!"
Xia Zixi frowned. He coldly glared at her. "Do you not know where you are? This is Bianjing. Don't mention that name!"
Concubine Wan pressed her lips tightly together and quickly quieted down, allowing herself to be led back into the quiet room by the man.
Although Xia Zixi kept reassuring her, her heart was still thumping erratically. She felt an indescribable terror and fear.
Before she could calm down, she saw the girl who had been standing at the window instantly move to the cotton mat before the spirit tablet.
At this, not just Concubine Wan, even Xia Zixi's brow jumped violently.
The man shouted angrily, "Who are you!"
The girl stood in the shadows. The candlelight from the spirit tablet cast a halo on her small face, making her features somewhat blurry.
Concubine Wan's body tensed up. Her gaze was no longer as calm and composed as that of the favored concubine of a nation.
"Who....who are you, making a disturbance here disguised as a ghost!"
The girl said softly, "The great fire burned me beyond recognition. Concubine Wan, come take a look, look at my face..."
Concubine Wan yelled angrily, "Just who exactly are you!"
"How can you not remember me so quickly?" The girl's tone was plaintive. "Eighteen years ago, in Changzhou of Jiangnan, you and I met once."
Concubine Wan stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "No, no, no...impossible. You can't possibly still be alive! You're already dead! You're dead!"
"Hahahaha, who said I was dead? I've been waiting for you in Jiangnan, but you never came looking for me. So I could only come to Bianjing to find you~"
The girl's tender voice echoed around the quiet room.
Concubine Wan's breathing hitched. She squinted anxiously at the girl's face.
Yet for some reason, it was as if her eyes were veiled by a layer of gauze. She simply couldn't see clearly.
"Zixi, Zixi, hurry and look! See who she is!"
She shook her head forcefully. Her eyes were bloodshot and it felt like her head was stuffed with cotton—painful and unbearable.
Clutching her head, she rushed tormentedly toward the girl.
Xia Zixi grabbed her. "Xue'er! Have you lost your mind?! Get a hold of yourself!"
Concubine Wan was still immersed in her nightmare, ceaselessly uttering gibberish.
Xia Zixi irritably drew his long sword from the wooden rack. "Whether spirit or demon, one strike will reveal the truth!"
Seeing the cold gleam of that long sword, Concubine Wan's pupils suddenly expanded. It was as if she had abruptly returned to that bloody, rain-drenched night eighteen years ago. In a possessed state, she grew agitated. "Zixi, kill her! Hurry and kill her! As long as we kill her, we can take her place and enjoy glory and riches in Bianjing for a lifetime!"
PREVIOUSNEXT
