“So you instigated the Southern Border rebellion to lure me here?” Chu Li said in a deep voice, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid, like a caged wild beast.
The woman’s voice was as clinging as water, her snake-like waist tightly coiled around Chu Li’s body as she murmured: “How could I? I love you so much.” The woman’s lips lovingly wandered over Chu Li’s chest, her eyes nearly dripping with moisture, her face flushed as she said softly: “I just wanted to see you.”
“Fool!” Chu Li suddenly snorted coldly, saying gravely: “Do you really think Qin Zhiyan would risk making an enemy of me to be your Southern Border’s backing? He’s merely using you as pawns to exhaust my strength. Only someone as stupid as you would believe such nonsense about Great Qin’s southern borders opening to the Ludan people!”
“What are you saying?” The woman was startled and hurriedly asked: “How do you know Qin Zhiyan came to the Southern Border?”
“Hmph,” Chu Li remained noncommittal, not answering, saying coldly: “If I’m not mistaken, in three days, Ludan Chief Tan Tu’s head will arrive at the Northern Border Camp in Huanchao City. What kind of person is Qin Zhiyan? You’re negotiating with a tiger for its skin while feeling smug about it—utterly foolish.”
“That won’t happen,” the woman said firmly: “The Southern Border owes Qin Zhiyan a great debt. Without our Witch Doctor Clan, he would have died long ago.”
“Then you should also know who made Qin Zhiyan into what he is today,” Chu Li said coldly: “However much gratitude you think he should have toward you, that’s how much hatred he should have toward you.”
The woman seemed momentarily flustered, but quickly regained her composure, saying charmingly: “I don’t care. Anyway, I’m tired of being that Southern Border Saint. You promised once that as long as you ascended the throne, you’d make me empress. You can’t go back on your word.”
Chu Li laughed coldly: “Do you think with my current status, I would still entangle myself with you, a Southern Border witch? If you don’t want to die without an intact corpse, go back to the Southern Border immediately and quell the chaotic situation there, or don’t blame me for disregarding past feelings.”
The woman flew into a rage upon hearing this, saying coldly: “Chu Li, do you want to cross the river and destroy the bridge?”
“You and I each took what we needed that day. You helped me stabilize the Southern Border situation, and I helped you ascend to the Saint position. Now everything should end here—each return to our place, no need for further entanglement!”
“Good!” The purple-clothed woman suddenly said gravely: “Indeed no longer the fallen Fourth Prince of those days. I heard that recently Qi’s Empress Dowager Xiao wanted to come to the capital to congratulate your enthronement ceremony but was refused by you, so she went to Crown Prince Qi’an instead. It seems now even that old biddy Empress Dowager Xiao is no longer in your eyes—how could I, Wusi Mei’er, catch your attention?”
“Shut up!” Chu Li snorted coldly, shouting angrily.
“What, did I hit your sore spot?” Wusi Mei’er laughed charmingly, saying gravely: “I heard you even prepared a phoenix seal at your recent enthronement ceremony. I wonder which family’s daughter is so lucky to marry you as empress. I know your prowess in bed crystal clear, Chu Li.”
“Is it that little bitch from the Zhu family?” Wusi Mei’er suddenly stepped forward two paces, picking up the purple garment from the ground, half-covering the white expanse of her chest, slightly raising her eyes and saying faintly: “Or is it that girl who escaped from your palace?”
The previously silent Chu Li suddenly raised his head, his eyes coldly glancing toward Wusi Mei’er’s voluptuous body, his voice low as he said: “What did you say?”
“You’ve been looking for her for a long time, haven’t you?” Wusi Mei’er suddenly laughed charmingly: “With the Black Guards’ capabilities, don’t you find it strange that they haven’t found someone after so long?”
“Qing Xia is in your hands?” Chu Li’s voice suddenly became extremely cold, the surrounding air instantly freezing. His icy gaze seemed about to carve a hole in that woman’s body as he said coldly: “What have you done to her?”
“What could I do to her? I love you so much—how could I bear to destroy something you like?” Wusi Mei’er suddenly laughed seductively, her complexion like a blooming poppy, flashing with demonic light. She slowly walked over, saying softly: “I merely invited her to be my guest. You know I don’t have many friends, and all my precious pets really like her.”
“You used poison on her?”
“Oh!” Wusi Mei’er suddenly covered her mouth, looking very surprised: “Li, how did you know? You really understand me.”
“Wusi Mei’er, I see you’re tired of living,” Chu Li suddenly said coldly, slowly turning his head with an icy gaze: “Do you believe I could strangle you right now?”
“Li, don’t scare me,” Wusi Mei’er gave Chu Li a coquettish glance, saying charmingly: “You know my precious pets only listen to me alone. It doesn’t matter if I die, but if it implicates that beauty you want to make Chu’s empress, wouldn’t that be counterproductive?”
Chu Li’s brow twitched as he said gravely: “Are you threatening me?”
“Oh!” Wusi Mei’er said with a smile: “You saw through me again!”
“Li, you know I’ve never had great ambitions. I just love you too much and can’t help wanting to see you. Why don’t you grant me a fief near the capital? This way the Southern Border war can be easily settled, and you and I can meet often and stay together forever.”
“You want to be the Huainan Prince?” A sharp gleam flashed in Chu Li’s eyes as he asked coldly.
“Hehe, my Li is so smart,” Wusi Mei’er clapped her hands happily: “It’s not like there’s no precedent for women being enfeoffed as princes. Now that the Huainan Prince has fled the country and Huainan is without a master, as the Southern Border Saint, I’m perfectly suited to take over the administration—killing two birds with one stone, isn’t that wonderful?”
“Li, you also know that Wusi Mei’er is very stupid. If she’s rejected, even she doesn’t know what she might do?” Her large eyes rolled gently, waves of color flowing.
Chu Li pondered for a long while, then suddenly said: “First bring her to see me.”
“Li, do you take me for a fool? You brought three thousand Black Guards to see me—how would I dare bring my lifeline with me? If you agree to my request, naturally I’ll give you a lively wife. You don’t know how much she misses you, crying day and night. I feel so sorry for her.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Li’s brow raised, a faint sharp gleam flashing in his eyes as he asked seemingly casually: “Is that so? She misses me very much?”
“Of course,” Wusi Mei’er said with a smile: “That Zhu family girl has no tolerance. Seeing you favoring Miss Zhuang, she forced her out of the palace and even sent people to notify me to kill her together. Of course I didn’t listen to that girl—I’m absolutely loyal to Li and would never do anything to wrong you.”
“Is that so?” Chu Li smiled faintly, sitting up and draping the outer robe from the bed over his shoulders, suddenly raising his head: “In that case, I should thank you.”
“Between you and me, there’s no need for such courtesy,” Wusi Mei’er said, wearing purple gauze and standing before Chu Li. She smiled and stepped forward, gently half-kneeling before Chu Li, her pale palms lightly reaching into Chu Li’s garments, caressing his abdomen as she said softly: “Don’t you understand my feelings for you? You’ve taken my aphrodisiac—would you like Wusi to serve you?”
However, at this moment, Chu Li suddenly smashed the tea bowl beside the bed onto the ground.
The crisp sound of shattering rang loudly in the air. A flurry of footsteps suddenly sounded, the tent flap was yanked open, and countless cold weapons pointed at the woman on the bed.
Wusi Mei’er’s brow twitched as she quickly covered her garments, stood up, and clapped her jade hands twice. The Southern Border soldiers’ blue-green long sabers were drawn from their sheaths, facing those black-clothed, black-armored Southern Chu soldiers with bloodthirsty cold gleams.
It turned out this pair who had just been lovingly entwined on the bed had both stationed their subordinates around the tent, ready to rush out and eliminate the other at the first sign of trouble.
Wusi Mei’er looked coldly at Chu Li, saying icily: “Chu Li, must you tear off all pretense before you’re satisfied?”
“I’ve never liked disobedient women,” Chu Li laughed coldly: “Moreover, you truly disgust me.”
“Good!” Wusi Mei’er sneered, saying gravely: “Then there’s nothing more to say.”
“Between you and me, there’s been nothing to say for a long time.”
With a swoosh, a cold gleam suddenly rose, slashing furiously toward Chu Li. The Black Guards were already prepared, and both sides immediately began fighting. Sword light and blade shadows rang throughout. Countless horses neighed simultaneously, and suddenly it seemed someone outside was driving the war horses to break camp. With a thunderous sound, the tent overhead suddenly disappeared, leaving everyone exposed under the black night.
Countless cold arrows and flowing fire shot skyward. Wusi Mei’er shrieked: “Chu Li, you ambushed me!”
“Haven’t you been plotting against me as well?” Chu Li snorted coldly.
“Even if I die, I’ll drag you down with me!” Wusi Mei’er shouted angrily, waving to a large man beside her: “Nu Ba, twist his head off for me!”
The man called Nu Ba answered in a muffled voice, suddenly roared fiercely, and swung the millstone in his hands toward Chu Li.
Who could have expected someone would use a huge, heavy millstone as a weapon? Fortunately, Chu Li was agile—even having taken the aphrodisiac, he still nimbly sprang up and quickly escaped from the large bed.
With a thunderous crash, the huge bed was instantly smashed to pieces. The Black Guards hurriedly rushed forward with torches, protecting Chu Li, but at this moment, a series of rustling sounds gradually arose. Everyone looked in shock toward those broken bed boards, seeing a thin figure crawl up from within, covered in dust and dirt. Looking around, the figure’s eyes met directly with Chu Li’s.
“Zhuang Qing Xia…” Chu Li could hardly believe his eyes. But seeing her equally panicked expression and remembering she had been hiding under that bed the entire time, a towering rage suddenly surged up. No longer caring about imperial dignity, Chu Li roared furiously: “Why are you here!”