“General, please.” Eunuch Wan led the way.
Ran Sheng followed Eunuch Wan into the palace hall. Upon entering, he was met with a strong medicinal aroma, indicating the Emperor was indeed gravely ill. He turned towards the bedside, where Fu An was standing guard. Beside him was a man dressed in green, whom Ran Sheng recognized as a retainer of the Prince of Chu, Xiao Qin. It was rumored that Xiao Qin possessed considerable skill and was highly valued by the Prince of Chu.
“Greetings, General.” Xiao Qin rose and bowed.
Ran Sheng nodded, returning the courtesy. His gaze fell upon the Emperor lying on the bed. “Your Majesty, has he fallen asleep again?”
“He said he was feeling a bit drowsy and would take a short rest. He will wake shortly,” Xiao Qin replied softly. He then moved aside, making room for Ran Sheng, who, without suspicion, approached the bedside. As Ran Sheng passed Xiao Qin, he detected a pleasant scent, reminiscent of osmanthus, with a hint of sweetness.
Ran Sheng couldn’t help but frown. He disliked men who adorned themselves with cosmetics, making themselves as fragrant as women. It made one wonder if they were women disguised as men, and it instantly stirred a sense of displeasure within him.
Xiao Qin naturally noticed Ran Sheng’s displeasure. His smile remained unchanged as he watched Ran Sheng sit by the bed, his gaze fixed on the Emperor with apparent concern. His smile deepened.
After sitting for a while, Ran Sheng began to feel drowsy. He attributed it to a day of weariness from his military duties. He pinched himself, reminding himself not to fall asleep, but the drowsiness grew stronger, making it impossible to keep his eyes open. It felt as if someone was subtly urging him in his mind.
*Just rest a little, take a nap.* Ran Sheng felt something was amiss, but his body was no longer under his control. Soon, he slumped to the side, unconscious.
The Prince of Chu emerged from his hiding place. Seeing the unconscious Ran Sheng, he let out a sigh of relief. “Someone, take him away and look after him carefully. Not a single mishap must occur.”
When Ran Sheng awoke, he found himself bound by iron chains. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not budge them.
A flicker of anger flashed in Ran Sheng’s eyes. He hadn’t expected someone like Eunuch Wan to be bought over by the Prince of Chu. The Emperor must be in trouble, and the culprit could only be the Prince of Chu!
Finding that he could not break free, Ran Sheng ceased struggling. The situation had reached this point, and any further resistance would be futile. It was better to conserve his strength and await an opportunity to escape.
The weather was stiflingly hot. Distant thunder rumbled, and a hint of coolness laced the wind. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning split the night sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder that seemed to strike one’s heart, making it pound faster.
Shan Yu Yan pushed open the window, and a cool breeze swept in, ruffling her long hair. She thought she saw a shadow in the darkness, but as she peered closer, the rustling leaves revealed no one.
“Did I imagine it?” Shan Yu Yan murmured to herself, yet an inexplicable sense of unease gnawed at her. She scanned her surroundings again, confirming no suspicious figures were present, before closing the window. Turning around, she discovered someone had entered her room. Her maidservant lay on the floor, unconscious.
“It’s you.” Shan Yu Yan saw the person seated in the room and showed no outward alarm. “Miss Luo, have you come looking for His Highness?”
Luo Bing Qing curled her lips into a sinister smile. “No, I’ve come for you.”
“For me?” Shan Yu Yan stood by the window, her demeanor composed. “That is truly flattering. May I ask what business Miss Luo has with me?”
Luo Bing Qing looked at Shan Yu Yan’s unflappable composure, a mad glint of hatred flashing in her eyes. She had initially believed Shan Yu Yan was allied with the Prince of Qin and could gain status through her child. Instead, she had become a laughingstock, not only entwined with a man posing as the Prince of Qin but also bearing his child. During that time, this woman must have viewed her as nothing more than a clown, a jester!
“Now you are the mistress of the Prince of Qin’s manor, aren’t you? How pleased you must be.”
Shan Yu Yan’s expression was placid. “Miss Luo, you jest. I have never been the mistress of the Prince of Qin’s manor.”
“Quibbling!” Luo Bing Qing’s voice rose. “You shameless wench! You seduced my senior brother, making him send a low-ranking guard to ruin my reputation, treating me like a monkey and playing with me, watching me leap and bound like a clown. Did you find it amusing?”
Shan Yu Yan furrowed her brows slightly. She felt Luo Bing Qing was acting strangely, especially her bloodshot eyes and the venomous smile on her lips. The more she looked, the more unnerved she became.
“I know nothing of your affairs.”
“Lies! You are all liars!” Luo Bing Qing suddenly moved, appearing before Shan Yu Yan in an instant, and grabbed her by the neck. “You think that by harming me, you can become Senior Brother’s woman? I tell you, don’t dream of it! You will never be his woman!”
Shan Yu Yan found it difficult to breathe and frowned. “I have never wished to be the Prince of Qin’s woman.”
“You are truly shameless! Lingering in the Prince of Qin’s manor, yet claiming you don’t want to be his woman. Truly, you want to be a whore and erect a chaste archway. A woman like you should be thrown into a pigsty!”
Shan Yu Yan had always disliked making enemies, but that did not mean she was a pushover. Furthermore, she believed she had never wronged Luo Bing Qing. Luo Bing Qing, failing to achieve her goals and having lost her virginity to Si Feng, was now venting her anger on her, which displeased her greatly. She immediately adopted a cold demeanor.
“It is you who deserves to be thrown into a pigsty! You willingly debased yourself to seduce men, and then attempted to use a child to achieve your objectives. You never truly loved His Highness the Prince of Qin; you only loved the power he possessed and the glory it could bring you…” Su Dan Novel Network
“You’re spouting nonsense!” Luo Bing Qing shoved Shan Yu Yan away. She crashed into a table, causing the teapot on it to fall and shatter. Shan Yu Yan landed directly on the scattered porcelain shards and let out a muffled groan.
Seeing Shan Yu Yan fall onto the broken porcelain, Luo Bing Qing’s face lit up with excitement. She rushed forward, grabbed Shan Yu Yan’s hair, and began to press Shan Yu Yan’s head towards the shards.
Shan Yu Yan stiffened her neck, resisting with all her might. Luo Bing Qing’s excitement grew as she struggled, using both hands to disfigure Shan Yu Yan’s face. Shan Yu Yan reached out, trying to pry Luo Bing Qing’s hands away, but as a martial artist, Luo Bing Qing’s strength was far beyond her ability to resist.
Luo Bing Qing laughed as she pressed Shan Yu Yan’s head down, bit by bit. “Tell me, if this face of yours is covered in scars, will Senior Brother still like you?”
Shan Yu Yan pursed her lips and remained silent, stubbornly enduring. Luo Bing Qing’s intrusion into the Prince of Qin’s manor would surely alert the hidden guards within the estate. If she could just hold on a little longer, the guards would discover the disturbance and come to her rescue.
“Are you waiting for Senior Brother to save you?” Luo Bing Qing asked with a smile. “Don’t dream about it. Senior Brother is in Lan Yue right now, and his heart only belongs to Xiao Man. In his eyes, you are nothing more than a replacement.”