“Crown Prince of Dongning, it’s been a long time.”

Shen Qianyu sat astride his horse, completely unaware that Qin Rao had already approached him.

Qin Rao was about the same age as him. Both had grown up together in the Nanqing imperial palace, so they could truly be called old acquaintances. But now that many years had passed and they met again, one person’s eyes were full of disgust while the other’s held playful interest.

The woman’s thin lips were painted with bright red rouge. Her eyes and brows were languid and unrestrained, full of seductive charm.

Her slender waist like a willow branch, she half-reclined against a powerfully built man.

The man was bare-chested, carrying Qin Rao on his shoulder. Qin Rao hooked her bare feet, from time to time caressing the man’s lean waist and abdomen. Her movements were naturally seductive—even a blink or a breath could stir the man’s carnal desires.

“Your Highness, the Nanqing princess has arrived.”

Wan Xiao looked up to remind him. Only upon hearing these words did Shen Qianyu turn his head.

“Since the princess has arrived, we depart for the capital today.”

Having said this, Shen Qianyu dismounted and exchanged the handwritten letters from both nations’ rulers with the Nanqing officials on this visit. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he turned to leave.

“Barbarian slave.”

A delicate, seductive voice rang out. Qin Rao leaped down from the tall man and walked barefoot before Shen Qianyu.

“Has the barbarian slave forgotten little Rao’er? Little Rao’er still thinks of you.”

“Since you left Nanqing, no one has helped little Rao’er win the mastiff fighting competitions. You…”

Reaching her hand toward Shen Qianyu’s waist, she was about to hook onto the ribbon at the man’s waist when someone slapped her hand away.

The woman’s pale, soft hand immediately flushed deep red. In mere moments, purple bruises began appearing from below. At a glance one could tell Shen Qianyu hadn’t held back—he’d struck viciously.

“How dare you, you dare to…”

A man in the Nanqing delegation wearing black armor with silver trim was about to rebuke when Wan Xiao cut him off.

Wan Xiao’s brows turned severe as he called out loudly, “How dare you show such disrespect to the Crown Prince!”

He stared directly at Qin Rao, which prompted Qin Rao to hook the corners of her eyes and glance sideways at Wan Xiao.

The two nations’ delegations had barely met before tensions immediately ran high. Zuo Zhengyan, the Junior Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial who had accompanied Shen Qianyu, hurried forward to mediate.

He first lavishly praised Nanqing’s national strength, then complimented Qin Rao from head to toe, causing Qin Rao to repeatedly glance at Shen Qianyu while giggling coquettishly.

From time to time she would reach out her hand or extend her toes to hook at Zuo Zhengyan. The Nanqing delegation found this unremarkable, but it made everyone from Dongning keep their eyes straight ahead, truly unable to bear watching such unseemly behavior.

Zuo Zhengyan was nearly sixty years old. How could he withstand Qin Rao’s conduct?

After saying two sentences, he truly couldn’t endure it and repeatedly begged off, retreating behind Shen Qianyu.

Seeing this, Qin Rao twisted her waist and laughed endlessly. When she laughed until she trembled as if unable to stand, the bare-chested man from earlier knelt on one knee. Qin Rao stepped on his knee and sat back on his shoulder.

Wan Xiao looked at the man with a slight frown, seeming to ponder something.

Upon entering Dongning territory, Qin Rao proposed resting at a postal station for a few days before continuing. Though Shen Qianyu was unwilling, he couldn’t resist the numerous Court of State Ceremonial officials and had no choice but to agree.

However, he truly couldn’t bear staying in the same place as Qin Rao. That very night he moved out of the postal station to set up camp on empty ground at the mountain’s base.

Seeing his agitated appearance, Wan Xiao knew his master was thinking of Chenghui Song again.

“Has Master not seen Chenghui Song for so long that you miss her terribly?”

Shen Qianyu frowned. “Forty-three days.”

It had been forty-three days since he’d last seen Wan’er.

He had sent word to Song Wan through Dong Chang’s hands, but had only received a brief reply from Wan’er in response.

“Has Master not sent any more letters to the palace?”

“Wan’er won’t allow it.”

Shen Qianyu sighed softly, his tone tinged with melancholy.

Wan Xiao smiled secretly at the side, finding his master’s appearance truly amusing.

As the two chatted casually, Wan Xiao suddenly brought up Qin Rao. “That Nanqing princess has a bewitching beauty. Even in Dongning one couldn’t find such an extraordinary beauty. The rumors say the Nanqing princess is devastatingly beautiful, soul-stirring and captivating. It truly wasn’t empty talk.”

“It seems Lady Lianyi’s reputation as the world’s greatest beauty wasn’t merely Nanqing boasting.”

Hearing this, Shen Qianyu scoffed. “She’s worthy of being called a soul-stealing demon.”

Unable to tolerate even half a word of praise from Wan Xiao, he pointed his fingertip at Wan Xiao. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you—stay far away from that soul-stealing demon. Qin Rao is ignorant and senseless, and has always taken pleasure in toying with others. She constantly sprays aphrodisiac drugs on her body to use as powder.”

“Men who stay close to her for long mostly develop problems. Even her attendants—prolonged surging blood and qi damages the body excessively.”

Wan Xiao said, “No wonder I noticed that bare-chested man had bulging, bloodshot eyes. I thought he’d practiced some evil martial art, but it turns out to be this.”

Shen Qianyu nodded and said no more.

As the two conversed in the tent, before long Ji Rong came to report that the Nanqing princess requested an audience.

“I won’t see her.”

The words had barely left his lips when Qin Rao’s seductive voice came through. “How cruel the barbarian slave’s heart is. Even if you don’t remember the affection between us from the past, surely you haven’t forgotten Imperial Physician Yan and Yan Qing?”

Lifting the tent flap with her hand, Qin Rao entered the tent and sat on the wooden couch.

Her dark hair hung loose, her skin surpassing snow in whiteness. She wore a blue gauze dress that extremely suited her beauty. Though the gauze dress revealed nothing when one was walking, now that she sat down, the slightest movement would expose glimpses of the pale bare legs beneath her skirt.

Wan Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly, feeling contempt in his heart.

However, Shen Qianyu said, “Mistaking lasciviousness for charm—even in Dongning’s brothels there probably aren’t such debased and shameless people as the princess.”

“Thank you for the barbarian slave’s praise.”

Shen Qianyu laughed coldly. “I wonder if Lady Lianyi presents such a nauseating appearance before her nephew as well?”

The smile of seductive charm that had been on Qin Rao’s face immediately darkened upon hearing this.

“The entire tent reeks with a foul, pungent stench.”

Having said this, Shen Qianyu didn’t bother with anything else and turned to walk outside. Qin Rao laughed scornfully. “After recovering your identity as Dongning’s Crown Prince, you truly are completely different.”

Climbing up from the couch, she walked toward Shen Qianyu as she spoke. When the two drew closer, Qin Rao raised her hand toward his shoulder.

“Let little Rao’er see if the mark this princess bestowed upon you is still there?”

Having known each other for so long, both knew the other’s sore spots. To say they cut to the bone would not be an exaggeration.

Shen Qianyu’s expression also darkened. He turned and left without another word.

Wan Xiao also quickly followed out. Upon seeing him, Shen Qianyu said, “These next few days, have someone investigate whether there’s a father and daughter surnamed Yan in the Nanqing delegation.”

“If discovered, find an opportunity to rescue them both.”

“This subordinate understands.”

After Wan Xiao left, Shen Qianyu pursed his lips and departed, completely ignoring Qin Rao.

When evening came, Wan Xiao reported that there was indeed a father and daughter surnamed Yan in the Nanqing delegation, but their condition didn’t look good. Moreover, Qin Rao’s subordinates guarded them very strictly, so Dong Chang’s people couldn’t approach easily.

Shen Qianyu knew Qin Rao would certainly use those two to threaten him, so hearing this wasn’t particularly unexpected.

“Forget it. Don’t act rashly.”

“Since she deliberately brought Uncle Yan and his daughter to Dongning, she must intend to use these two as bait to negotiate with this prince. This prince need only wait for her to speak.”