Tantai Ye let out a cold sneer, his eyes sharp and ruthless. "Acting under orders? Whose orders are you following? Have you clearly identified who the true master of the Tantai clan is?"
Qiu He's back was soaked with a layer of sweat from fear.
The general, in league with the Prince of Dingbei, had purged the entire Tantai clan, not even sparing the master, and now held absolute power.
Apart from the Madam and the Old Madam, who could still exert some influence over the general, almost no one could restrain him.
Now, with the Old Madam suffering from a heart ailment and requesting his return, was he going to show no respect at all?
Tantai Ye was annoyed and unwilling to bother. He turned to go back inside. Just as he was about to push the door open, he paused and looked back.
"Go back and tell the Old Madam to seek imperial physicians for her heart condition. I am not a doctor, and I find it very bothersome when she seeks me out in the middle of the night."
Qiu He trembled. He could already imagine the furious uproar from the Old Madam and the Master when he returned.
"Still not leaving!"
Tantai Ye said, looking at the guards at the courtyard entrance. They understood immediately, strode forward, and escorted Qiu He away.
Qiu He dared not resist and left with the guards.
"Ying Yi."
Ying Yi, who had been lurking in the shadows, appeared immediately upon hearing the command.
"General."
Tantai Ye coldly fiddled with the thumb ring on his hand. He raised his dark, gloomy eyes and glanced at the room before speaking in a deep voice.
"Go tell Old General Wei that Wei Qingge will return to the border with him."
"Yes."
The commotion outside was loud enough for Lan Murou to hear everything.
She watched the man who walked in, swallowing nervously.
His temper was truly unpredictable; when his anger flared, he showed no regard for anyone's status.
Now, the Old Madam of the old manor had summoned him, and he had refused to go, even throwing such a tantrum. She could imagine how they were slandering her behind her back in the old manor.
"What's with that expression? What are you afraid of?"
Tantai Ye uncomfortably tugged at his robe and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Lan Murou pursed her lips slightly, her tear-reddened eyes slightly swollen and glistening, looking pitiful.
Seeing her like this, his hardened heart softened slightly.
"Will you dare to run again in the future?"
Hearing his tone, which was no longer as terrifying, Lan Murou's palms turned slightly pale. She didn't understand why he had changed again. Was he trying to scare her into submission?
"Hmm?"
His voice turned icy.
Lan Murou quickly looked up and replied, "I won't run anymore."
She didn't care what he thought; being locked to the bed in such a humiliating manner was too disgusting.
"General, can you release me?"
Tantai Ye reached out, gripped her chin, and warned her.
"As long as I am here, no one can harm you. If you dare to have any other thoughts and try to escape from me because of someone irrelevant, I will not be lenient next time."
His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice carried an unyielding, cold cruelty that made Lan Murou somewhat afraid.
This man, having long held a high position, was accustomed to others' submission and could not tolerate anyone challenging his authority.
She lowered her eyes and nodded.
She had figured it out. What Ah Luan had said was right; Tantai Ye would not kill her, at most he would just scare her.
"What? What are you thinking about?" His cold hand held her chin, tightening its grip. "Do you think I won't touch you?"
As soon as he spoke, Lan Murou's heart skipped a beat. She maintained a calm demeanor, looking at him with slightly reddened eyes, biting her lip without speaking.
Seeing her submission, Tantai Ye's rage and ferocity lessened slightly. He stared at her coldly for a moment before releasing her.
He leaned against the bedside, his gaze making Lan Murou tremble and feel a chill.
What bad idea was he concocting? He clearly had no good intentions.
She swallowed and said softly, "General, can you release me first?"
It was so humiliating.
"You know what I want to hear."
"----" Lan Murou was silent for a moment, then moved her lips slightly and called out softly and sweetly, "Husband."
As soon as the word left her lips, Tantai Ye felt the anger from the entire night subside considerably. He was silent for a moment, then reached out and unlocked the mechanism.
Lan Murou immediately rolled over and covered herself with the nearby quilt. Her limbs were no longer stiffly bound, and she unconsciously moved her body under the quilt, relieving the stiffness.
Tantai Ye paid no mind to this, directly lifting the quilt and pulling her into his arms. He strode towards the study at the back.
She was slightly surprised, but she really didn't want to deal with this moody dog, so she didn't voice her question.
"Aren't people from scholarly families like yours most bound by their promises?"
What did he mean by that?!
Tantai Ye placed her in front of the desk, took out the Xuan paper, and shoved the brush into her hand. "Write."
Lan Murou was completely naked, held tightly from behind by him, and forced to lean over the desk. She felt immensely embarrassed.
"Write what?"
"Write that you, Lan Murou, will never leave Tantai Ye."
"-----"
Was he sick? Was he crazy?
Lan Murou suddenly felt like laughing. How twisted must his psychology be?
Since being by his side, she had long since lost her sense of propriety and shame. What promise did she still care about?
A sudden pain shot through her waist. His fiery breath enveloped her entire body, making her uncomfortable.
She was silent for a moment and picked up the brush.
Tantai Ye held her from behind and saw the characters she was writing on the Xuan paper. He curled his lips slightly. Her handwriting was beautiful, delicate and elegant, flowing like water.
"Stamp your fingerprint."
Boring.
Lan Murou put down the brush, took the red ink, and pressed her finger lightly.
Tantai Ye released her, picked up the Xuan paper, and gently blew on it. After it dried, he folded it and placed it in the drawer's document clip.
"If you have any ulterior motives in the future, I will make dozens of copies of this and post them on the notices in Gusu."
Upon hearing this, Lan Murou's body stiffened. How could he be so insidious? Wasn't he ashamed?
Tantai Ye paid no mind to her thoughts. In any case, he was accustomed to being despicable; as long as he could scare her into submission, that was enough.
He let out a cold snort, bent down, and scooped her up, carrying her back to the room.
-----
The next day, after dinner, Wei Qingge heard the news from her grandfather that she was to go to the border, which shocked her into a huge fuss.
She had only just returned and hadn't had a chance to speak much with Brother Liu. She didn't want to go back.
However, her grandfather's attitude was extremely firm, and he intended to send her off tomorrow. Enraged, she skipped dinner and confidently set out to settle the score with Tantai Ye.
But before she could even enter the General's mansion, she dejectedly retreated.
That scoundrel, that cunning villain.
He had actually incited her grandfather to send her back to the border.
How long had she been back? And now they were forcing her to leave because she had helped Murou escape.
Right now, she didn't want to return to the border, nor did she want to be forced away so forcefully. If she left, what would happen to Murou, who was completely at his mercy?
After much deliberation, Wei Qingge felt that only Brother Liu could help her.
She paused and then quietly sneaked to the Prime Minister's mansion.
She had visited frequently in her childhood and knew exactly where Liu Rongruo lived. After climbing over the wall, she was discovered by the guards.
"Miss Wei?!"
Wei Qingge hadn't wanted to be discovered, but her martial arts skills were too poor, and she had alerted the guards so quickly.
She had no choice but to say, "Is Brother Liu in the study?"
The guard respectfully replied, "The Prime Minister is in his room. Allow me to announce your arrival."
"Oh, no need, no need. I have urgent business with him."
Saying this, Wei Qingge rushed straight in, without the guards even having a chance to stop her.
Liu Rongruo was sitting in a chair. Hearing the commotion, he immediately picked up the clothes on the ground and covered the person on him.
As Wei Qingge burst in, she saw a seductive woman sitting in Brother Liu's embrace. As she turned to look at her, her eyes were misty, languid, and enchanting.
The wide robe enveloped her, subtly revealing a graceful figure, a full bosom, and long legs straddling Liu Rongruo's waist, with a hint of playful pretense.
She gasped, covering her mouth, her face flushing crimson.
"Oh, who is this little sister?"