His forehead twitched as something instantly rushed to his head.

He clenched his fists, his voice containing anger: “Mingyan Chu, get in here!”

“Yes, yes.” Outside the door, Mingyan Chu hurriedly scrambled up from the ground.

Before his hand could touch the door, it was suddenly thrown open, and after a pain in his stomach, he was kicked to the ground again.

“Your Majesty,” Mingyan Chu winced in pain, carefully and aggrievedly saying: “Wasn’t it you who told this servant to come in—”

Lian Yu’s eyes were frosty cold to the extreme. Mingyan Chu was stunned for a moment, but being quick-witted, he immediately understood. This master was drunk and had called him in, but then immediately thought of that person being unclothed… so he became the scapegoat.

This master was always accustomed to being wise and mighty, so naturally wouldn’t admit to oversight, but what did this have to do with him… Mingyan Chu waited for orders with a mournful face as Lian Yu’s voice coldly descended from above: “Immediately send people out of the palace to chase down Zhuque and tell her – if she doesn’t bring the antidote back with her, I’ll immediately kill that Wuqing. And you too.”

After speaking, he no longer looked at him, turned around and entered the room.

“No one is allowed to come in.”

Inside, his voice was cloud-like, clearly still carrying great anger, but also audibly trembling with suppression.

The gauze curtains added several parts haziness, yet inexplicably increased an indescribable charm.

Under the bed was a pile of scattered clothing.

Red silk skirts, white undergarments…

Among the palace concubines there was no lack of seductive ones. He’d seen such scenes before – her figure wasn’t the best either… The burning wine vapors were forcibly suppressed as Lian Yu lowered his head and slowly sat at the table’s edge.

It was already deep winter. Though a warming brazier burned before the bed, the tea on the table had long grown cold as ice. Lian Yu reached out to pour himself a cup of tea and drank it in one gulp.

He drank three cups in succession.

“Hot, uncomfortable…” Not far away, a voice with extreme suppression yet still revealing choking sobs came low and hoarse.

Lian Yu’s heart felt as if pierced by something. His hand gripped the cup tightly, but finally he stood up with a sharp sound.

When he realized what he had done, he was already standing outside the bed curtains.

The person on the bed with tightly closed eyes was like a small white fish, her black hair scattered on the pillow. Though the rouge and powder had clearly been washed from her face, it was still flushed red as grease, making her skin appear even more tender and white, as if water could be pinched from it with a touch.

But fish don’t have hands. She seemed to be relieving some kind of pain, frowning with fine beads of sweat on her forehead, her hands randomly stroking her body, the raised places being roughly kneaded until slightly deformed, with several pale blue marks scattered about.

His eyes turned red watching this!

Only one sound reached his ears – a cup overturning, porcelain fragments scattering.

The cup had fallen.

Suzhen felt uncomfortable all over!

Her mind vaguely flashed with the earlier scene. Several martial arts-capable palace women had forcibly grabbed her and brought her to the courtyard. Even though she was accustomed to seeing corpses, that ground covered with blood and flesh, the tragic scene of dismembered bodies, still nearly made her vomit.

Those palace servants told her that their master had just vented his anger here, and if she dared threaten with death, her people would suffer the same fate.

Then she was brought back to the room and again forcibly made to drink a bowl of broth, and then they stripped off her clothes…

She was extremely angry and hateful, wanting to get up and dress, but suddenly her whole body felt as if burning with fire. An indescribable feeling rushed up – stifling heat, yet also very hot, really wanting someone to touch her… Her mind began to blur, love and hate suddenly emptied, only wanting to throw off this painful feeling on her body.

A coolness came from above. She couldn’t care about much else and reached out to hook onto it, hearing a low gasp. That thing seemed to want to leave. Her foot instinctively circled up, wanting to stop it, but her mind seemed to have another voice saying: No, you can’t do this!

She cried and endured, then let go of her hand, but that thing suddenly pressed down heavily – very heavy, very solid. Something rushed into her mouth, forcing her to open it, then hooked her tongue and sucked forcefully. Other streams of coolness flowed down her neck, winding over her body. She hummed softly with comfort – it was better than when she touched herself…

She heard another gasp, and the weight pressing on her body grew heavier. Her tongue was also sucked numb. She reached out wanting to touch something, encountering a slightly protruding soft bone. That place seemed to be swallowing something up and down, with intense breath – it was wine. She felt somewhat greedy, pushed away what was in her mouth, slid down herself, and licked at the soft bone.

“You’re trying to force me to death.”

Vaguely, that thing gritted its teeth and cursed angrily in her ear, holding her deadly tight. She felt pain, and simultaneously a bloody smell rushed into her nose. She found it unpleasant and used both hands and feet: “No, blood…”

But that thing wouldn’t let go. Though she was made comfortable, she instinctively feared the heavy, fierce bloody smell on his clothes and couldn’t help crying out. That thing sighed low: “I’ll go wash…”

The weight on her body quickly lightened, but she was rapidly patted several times, her body becoming unable to move. A quilt came down, wrapping her tightly, and then she heard that thing talking with people.

“Heating this water takes time. Your Majesty will probably have to wait a bit. The palace has hot springs…”

“Not going anywhere. Just have them bring cold water.”

“But in this cold weather…”

“I said cold water!”

“Yes.”

“Have people been sent out?”

“Sent, sent.”

Soon she heard sounds of several people entering, door closing sounds, and the sound of water splashing.

She didn’t know what was happening in the room. That uncomfortable feeling came again, from her stomach to her lower body – hot, empty, itchy. She had nothing to depend on, but her whole body seemed locked, unable to move. She couldn’t help crying out in pain…

That thing quickly came over, gently patting her body a few times. Then she could move again. He seemed to carry coolness throughout his body. She reached out to scratch at him, wrapping him with hands and feet, resisting the strange empty feeling below.

“Really want to kill you.”

She heard a voice gritting its teeth. Something cool was sent into that place… She bit her teeth and trembled, her legs sinking into the bedding. She didn’t know how much time passed before she shuddered and cried out. That thing also moaned, completely opposite to her – he seemed to be desperately enduring something, his voice hoarse and suppressed.

She relaxed considerably. Soon that painful feeling came again, and she unconsciously moved toward that thing.

After who knows how long, after several times, she finally felt much more comfortable. Thoroughly exhausted, covered in sweat, she half-fainted.

Hazily, some places on her back were dry and slightly itchy. She instinctively pulled at him, hearing him ask helplessly: “Where?”

“Here…” she spoke somewhat confusedly.

That thing then gently scratched for her, softly coaxing her to sleep. She couldn’t help but shed tears, as if in a trance returning to her mother’s embrace.

However, after that wave of heat passed, the cold sweat all over became more obvious. Though covered with thick bedding, she still felt her feet were uncomfortably cold and couldn’t help kicking a few times.

Soon, a pair of dry, warm palms covered her feet, placing them somewhere.

That place was warm, soft yet firm. Unfortunately, a rough scar-like thing above ruined this comfort.

Feeling it uncomfortable against her feet, she kicked hard several times.

He grunted and swatted her calf once. She felt some pain and cried out, then kicked hard several times before feeling satisfied. He swatted again, but this time extremely lightly, more like the earlier scratching. She quickly fell asleep.

In her dreams, her lower abdomen began to ache and swell again. She twisted uncomfortably a few times. That thing came up again to bite her tongue. His mouth seemed to contain something, but he didn’t immediately give it to her. Instead, he hooked and sucked for quite a while before feeding the sweet-scented pill into her mouth…

Three hours earlier, at the Quan mansion.

After Quan Feitong drank Lian Yu’s toast, he gritted his teeth and begged pardon, saying the bride was suddenly feeling unwell. Lian Yu smiled and said it didn’t matter, telling him to go see the bride as the priority. So he left all the guests and went to the bridal chamber. In the front hall, Li Zhaoting as a fellow disciple, along with several deputy stewards, took responsibility for entertaining guests. Chao Huang and the chief steward quietly withdrew and followed after him.

Quan Feitong’s face was iron-blue as he looked at the large bed, where only an unconscious wedding coordinator lay. Both the bride and the bride’s friend were gone.

He immediately went out to question the door guards, who said two maids had helped the drunken wedding coordinator and Supervisor Zhou out of the mansion. Without another word, Quan Feitong had Chao Huang select people to pursue them. Soon they reported back that there were carriage wheel tracks all along the way, and they had split up to give chase.

Chao Huang frowned deeply. Quan Feitong had already punched the door, knowing this was a deception that could not be undone.

He strode back to the bridal chamber.

The steward picked up the teacup from the table and splashed it on the wedding coordinator’s face. She trembled all over and opened her eyes, but they still flashed with confusion: “What’s happening—”

Before she could finish half a sentence, she was slapped across the face, her mouth nearly knocked askew. She looked around in panic, only seeing that noble man in bright red wedding attire standing before her with a face like frost.

In those narrow phoenix eyes, there was no longer the usual gentle smile, only heavy killing intent!

“Where has my wife gone, and that Little Zhou?” His tone was sinister as he stared at her.

The wedding coordinator’s heart pounded. She knew this Prime Minister Quan was unlike that young lady – he truly had a velvet glove over an iron fist. If she didn’t answer well, her life would be hard to preserve!

She tremblingly spoke: “Replying to Prime Minister, at that time we three ate some food from the table and fainted. First Little Zhou, then the madam, and finally this old woman. The… the food in the mansion has problems. This old woman truly knows nothing – spare my life, my lord!”

She fell to her knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

The old woman’s subtext was: It was food from your household that caused problems – it has nothing to do with me.

Hearing this, Chao Huang flew into a rage and was about to strike her head with his palm, but unexpectedly Quan Feitong reached out to stop him: “Spare her life, otherwise when my elder sister-in-law learns of this later, she’ll be unhappy.”

“Get out,” he shouted coldly, his slender fingers pointing toward the door. “If you dare spread gossip about today’s events or say one extra word outside, then wait to see your family members’ heads separated from their bodies, corpses exposed on the streets.”

The wedding coordinator felt as if granted amnesty, hurriedly agreeing with trembling voice, and ran out with a face covered in tears and snot.

“Wait.” The man suddenly spoke again.

She trembled and fearfully turned back, waiting for his judgment. Who knew he would say lightly: “Go with the steward to the accounting office and collect two thousand taels of silver.”

The wedding coordinator left crying and laughing, experiencing both shock and joy like ice and fire.

Chao Huang was somewhat astonished. In the past, this wedding coordinator would have died many times over, but unexpectedly…

“Big brother?”

Quan Feitong seemed to know what he wanted to ask, lowering his eyes: “She said to reward this old woman.”

For a moment, Chao Huang didn’t know what to say.

Quan Feitong’s eyes had already swept sharply over the ground. There were scattered pottery shards, as well as bird’s nest, white fungus, lotus seeds, lily and other items. His gaze flickered, then swept over the food on the table – all in pairs.

“Big brother, what do you think?” Chao Huang knew he’d seen some clues. Quan Feitong’s expression was cold as ice: “That Little Zhou is very likely Lian Yu’s person. I’m afraid from the Court of Judicial Review fire onwards, Lian Yu has been scheming. His people couldn’t get in, so he forced your sister-in-law to actively go out and meet them. With the Court of Judicial Review in that state, how could your sister-in-law not bring the remaining people back? With this Little Zhou here, there are too many things she could do – drugging, letting people into the mansion, disguising as a maid.”

“Of course, maybe he’d already planted someone long ago. After all, that Little Zhou also fainted and was carried out. Whether it’s real or fake is unclear. Lian Yu, oh Lian Yu, you’ve certainly improved – drinking wine in the front courtyard while setting fires in the back.”

His facial muscles twitched. Suddenly he swept his sleeve, and the table thundered with noise as everything was swept to the floor.

“Big brother, with sister-in-law missing, should we report this outside?” Seeing this, Chao Huang asked quietly.

“Don’t report.” Quan Feitong coldly spat out two words.

“Spreading this news would play right into Lian Yu’s hands and give him a good laugh. Besides, when this gets out, a woman disappearing – people will inevitably think certain things. When she comes back, she’ll bear an unclean reputation. How can that be allowed?”

“Mm, Chao Huang understands. Big brother, we can definitely get her back – it’s just a matter of sooner or later. For now you must stay calm, don’t do anything—”

“You’re afraid I’ll lead troops to storm the palace?” Quan Feitong laughed coldly. “Chao Huang, I know what to do when. It’s just one woman.”

“Just one woman.” His gaze became somewhat distant. After a long while, a trace of tension appeared in his eyes as he said quietly: “Do you think Lian Yu can resist… touching her?”

“Senior brother,” At this time Li Zhaoting, who had just finished handling the front courtyard guests, walked in to check the situation. Hearing this, he spoke before Chao Huang could: “Senior brother needn’t worry. Lian Yu has three thousand concubines in his harem.”

He paused, then said: “Even if he is ultimately a young man who might have done intimate things for novelty’s sake before, now that Consort Gu has returned, how could he easily do anything to a discarded woman? Snatching her away is mostly just to get back at senior brother. Besides, Feng… Feng Suzhen would probably rather kill herself than do anything to disgrace her family.”

…

Li Zhaoting’s words still echoed faintly in Quan Feitong’s mind, but the sky outside was already dotted with stars – dark, bright, distant. The banquet had long ended, guests had all been seen off, leaving only him lazily lying on the couch where she had previously slept.

The door was suddenly pushed gently open, and a gray shadow slowly paced in.

“Master.” The newcomer spoke with lowered head.

Quan Feitong’s eyes narrowed dangerously: “Master? When have you ever truly considered me your master? Speak – what position have you mixed into over there now?”

“Thanks to master’s blessing, I’m now the deputy of that person’s most trusted subordinate.”

“Mm, await my orders at all times.”

“Yes! If there are no other orders, this subordinate will take leave first.” The person said softly.

“Wait.” Quan Feitong’s gaze moved, calling back these swift steps, saying lightly: “Your master married tonight. Have a drink before you go.”

“Thank you master, but this subordinate cannot hold liquor…”

“Oh?” Quan Feitong smiled strangely. “Are you unable to hold liquor, or do you not want to drink this cup of wedding wine from me?”

Something struck her eyelids, slightly painful – it seemed to be sunlight. Suzhen slowly opened her eyes.

However, what quickly seized her vision wasn’t sunlight or anything else, but that sleeping face before her eyes – half-circles of blue-black under his eyes, elegant brows and straight nose, emanating a clear yet slightly arrogant aura.

Her head and neck rested on his arm, his other hand clasped tightly across her waist.

She was burned by this scene, stiffening completely there.

Last night under the drug’s control she had lost her reason and couldn’t remember what she’d done at all, but when she looked down, she was completely naked, her skin covered with those marks. He wore a white undergarment, not fastened, and a stretch of firm, slightly knotted muscle was thus displayed before her eyes.

Her mind suddenly went blank, her whole body cold and trembling. In such a state, she had actually done such filthy things with him?

She slapped herself across the face.

“What are you doing!”

The voice roared hoarsely from his mouth. He sat up abruptly, seizing her wrist. A pair of noble black eyes flickered with flames yet emanated cold air – extremely frightening.

Suzhen remembered the scene she’d seen yesterday of corpses strewn about, the bloody and mangled scene.

Thinking of the people from the Court of Judicial Review, for a moment she didn’t dare to defy him.

But her heart clearly harbored a fire that burned her most uncomfortably.

Finally, she still smiled and asked him: “You keep saying you love Gu Xiluo, yet now you steal another’s wife and do such things – what does that make you?”

Lian Yu was ultimately an emperor. Though he’d also come through hard times, since ascending the throne he’d engaged in battles of wit and strength with powerful ministers, managing the realm with perfect order. When had he ever suffered such humiliation and abuse? Provoked by her, anger rose in his heart, and he immediately laughed coldly: “Drugging you was my subordinates’ idea, thinking you and I still had something. Since you know I’m noble as the Son of Heaven, could I possibly use a woman touched by another? I also promised Aluo – last night I didn’t truly do anything with you at all.”

“Didn’t truly do anything with you” – these words loosened that taut string in Suzhen’s mind. However, that coldly composed “I also promised Aluo” was like a basin of cold water poured over her head in the depths of winter.

Over there, he had already thrown off the covers and gotten out of bed, pulling his undergarment together, then putting on the black dragon robe that palace servants had delivered in the middle of the night, neatly folded beside the couch. Soon he appeared before her with clear spirit and composed manner.

He said nothing more and opened the door to leave.

“Lian Yu, you brought me here to punish me for marrying? Because I’ve been used by you, even though I’m now like discarded bones, I still can’t marry anyone, is that it?” She curved her lips, asking with even herself finding it laughable.

“Marry? Hmm, marry!” Lian Yu snorted through his nose, not turning back, his voice completely cold.

“You can marry, naturally you can marry. It’s just that since you and I once had some past affection, even though it’s no more now, I cannot watch you lose your life. Quan Feitong’s treason is a matter of sooner or later. Following him, you have only a dead end.”

The door slammed shut heavily.

This time Suzhen didn’t shout, much less go mad.

Oh, so there was still such affection! A trace of past love and a scale or claw of guilt – should she smile and thank him for this grace?

In his subordinates’ eyes, what was she – a tool to relieve his desires?

Actually, he needn’t threaten her with Zhuiming and the others anymore. She wasn’t leaving.

The plan’s timing had moved up, which was also good.

She got out of bed and picked up the scattered clothing on the floor, her hand quickly reaching into the inner garment’s sleeve pocket. They had been hasty when removing her clothes and hadn’t noticed things in her clothing. That item was still there, hadn’t fallen out.

However, now that the Court of Judicial Review people were in his hands, she had to think carefully about how not to be threatened.

She remembered there were replacement clothes in the room’s wardrobe. After simple washing and grooming, she went to get them and changed. Then sitting quietly for a long time, she made up her mind. A thin smile finally floated on her lips – it was finally about to end.

Before this, she wanted to do one last thing. She slowly opened the door and said to the several palace women outside: “I want to drink wine. I heard there’s a large wine cellar in the palace. Can I go there?”

The palace women quickly exchanged glances, thinking of the Son of Heaven staying here last night, thinking of Mingyan Chu’s instructions before leaving – whatever the girl wanted, if the palace had it, give it all. This wine cellar shouldn’t be a big matter, so they agreed, completely changing from yesterday’s rough attitude, only saying: “Please, miss.”

When Lian Yu returned to the imperial study with Mingyan Chu, Zhuque and the other two had already knelt outside for half the night, and soon there was one more – Mingyan Chu. Lian Yu didn’t tell them to rise, only slowly sat down in the courtyard, his hand touching his lips, his eyes full of fierce color, not speaking for a long while. The several people exchanged glances, crying out in their hearts.

“Lian Yu.”

The courtyard was filled with terrible silence until a laugh from outside the gate broke this frost-stiff atmosphere.

Lian Yu slightly raised his head. Aluo led Mei’er and Baihu in from outside, originally smiling and chatting. Seeing Xuanwu and the others’ condition, her heart skipped, then she steadied herself and cried out in surprise: “Your face…”

“Who laid hands on you…”

Lian Yu pulled at his lips, answering lightly: “It’s nothing. Last night when I returned, I had some dispute with mother empress over whether to let uncle’s son Murong Ding take charge of military power. Mother empress said I was unfilial.”

He stopped there. Aluo stepped forward, stroking and examining with heartache: “After all, she’s not your birth mother. This hand is too heavy – why didn’t you apply medicine!”

She was about to have Mei’er fetch medicine but was stopped by Lian Yu covering her hand: “Just small wounds and small pain. What did you come to find me for?”

“Mm, last night I drank some good wine at my senior brother’s mansion, and my wine craving was stirred up. I heard the palace has a specially-made wine cellar that stores fine wines. I want to go select some to warm and drink.” She held his hand and smiled slightly.

Baihu had said he’d specially built a wine cellar in the palace for that person. That person married last night – she wanted to strike while the iron was hot and remove this person’s last trace of shadow from his heart!

Lian Yu seemed not to have expected her to bring this up, his gaze deepening with a moment of silence.

“Wine hurts the body and shouldn’t be indulged in. Let me have the imperial kitchen make some fashionable sweets for you – how about that?” After a while, he held her shoulder and gently suggested.

“No, I only want to drink wine.” Aluo’s eyes showed a trace of disappointment as she slowly said: “Or is that your heart’s treasure that you can’t bear to share even a bit with me?”

“I overstepped, Your Majesty.” She bent down in a bow and walked away with Mei’er. “Wine hurts the body, but in those first years away from you, how many days didn’t I drown my sorrows in wine? Why do you only now come to talk to me about harming my health?”

The voice carried bitterness, coming word by word from ahead.

Lian Yu frowned and strode forward, turning her around and wiping the tear traces from her eyes: “Alright, I’ll take you there.”