“Open… your mouth……” The low, hoarse voice carried an enchanting temptation, like a phantom whispering in the dark, making it impossible to resist.
Her rosebud lips parted obediently. It felt as though a ‘little snake’ had slipped inside, lightly nipping here and there before locking her tongue in a passionate embrace, leaving the root of her tongue completely numb.
Her delicate brows furrowed in discomfort. Her hands pushed against his hard chest, but it was like an ant trying to shake a giant tree. Instead, her hands were pinned, and her entire body was locked into his embrace, subjected to an intimate, unbridled, and deeply possessive kiss.
Si Nan lost all her strength and went limp in Xiahou Jin’s arms. She could only let him storm through her mouth, turning her world upside down, as her tightly closed eyelashes gradually grew damp with mist.
Xiahou Jin was utterly entranced by this desperate, lingering entanglement of lips and teeth. It was only when the person in his arms suddenly gasped for breath and stopped responding entirely—going completely limp—that he finally pulled away.
Si Nan had actually fainted. She had passed out from a single deep kiss… If they were to do more in the future…
The moment Xiahou Jin realized the filthy and shocking thoughts emerging in his mind, he clenched his fists tightly, closed his eyes, and silently recited the Cleansing Mind Sutra.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was a bit clearer. Looking down at the sleeping face of the person in his arms, his pupils dilated slightly.
Her flushed little face looked like a delicate flower battered by a rainstorm, evoking an irresistible urge to cherish her. Her originally soft, pink lips were now a vivid crimson, looking as if they might bleed at any moment—a clear sign of having been fiercely loved. He could barely resist leaning in to taste her sweetness once more…
The figures of Morality and Reason fought a frantic battle inside his head.
Ultimately, Xiahou Jin tenderly stroked the corner of Si Nan’s lips, laid her gently on the bed, and carefully tucked her under the blanket. Before leaving, he reluctantly patted the soft, fluffy crown of her head.
Just as Xiahou Jin scaled the wall out of the General’s Mansion, he spotted the senior maidservant who personally attended to his imperial mother.
“Your Highness, the Empress wishes to see you.”
Xiahou Jin’s expression remained neutral, but he was secretly anxious. For his mother’s maid to appear before him so precisely meant she must have been waiting for a long time. Could his mother know…?
“Erchen pays respects to Imperial Mother.”
The Empress wore a light apricot-colored casual robe, paired with an elegant set of twelve golden hairpins—simple yet exquisite. Her gaze carried the supreme majesty of one who stands above all, mixed with a cold, detached indifference.
“During the banquet, this Empress could already tell. You care deeply about Si Nan, the son of the Great General.”
Unsure of his mother’s intentions, Xiahou Jin chose to deflect: “Imperial Mother, when the Great General was young, he dedicated himself to teaching me martial arts. Now that he has traveled far to the border to defend our country, it is only right that Erchen takes extra care of Si Nan and the General’s Mansion.”
The Empress looked at him with indifference. “Are you worried this Empress will move against him?”
Xiahou Jin’s expression turned solemn, and he hurriedly replied, “Imperial Mother! Erchen has absolutely no such intention! If Imperial Mother dislikes Erchen interacting with Si Nan, Erchen will never go near him again!”
“Heh. Look how nervous you are. It seems you truly care about this young general.”
“Imperial Mother—”
“Do not forget that you are the prince most likely to inherit the throne. You promised this Empress that you would fight for it.”
Xiahou Jin’s expression grew heavy. “Imperial Mother, I will definitely fulfill my promise to you.”
To have him sit upon the highest throne had always been his mother’s obsession. In their youth, his Imperial Father and Imperial Mother had known and loved each other deeply, their bond envied by all.
But from the moment his father ascended to that throne, he began to change. To stabilize the court, he began to distribute his favors equally, bestowing titles upon concubines and consorts. The women in the imperial harem grew more numerous by the day.
His mother’s heart froze because of this. She no longer reminisced about the young man who had once been so passionately in love with her—the boy whose eyes held only her.
This was why her obsession ran so deep. She wanted Xiahou Jin to take that seat to prove to his Imperial Father that one could hold the empire secure and bring peace to the land without sacrificing affection, and without relying on filling a harem with concubines.
“If the civil and military officials, as well as the citizens of the Qi Kingdom, find out that you have feelings for a man, you know what the consequences will be.”
“Imperial Mother, Erchen…”
“There is no need to explain before this Empress. A mother knows her own son; do not bother making excuses.”
Knowing he could not hide it, Xiahou Jin could only implore the Empress not to harm Si Nan. “Imperial Mother, rest assured. From this day forward, Erchen will mind his distance and estrange himself from Si Nan. Please do not make things difficult for him.”
“This Empress trusts you can handle it well. I am fatigued. Dismissed.”
Just as Xiahou Jin was preparing to leave, a palace attendant announced: “The Emperor arrives—”
Liu Changning, the Empress, furrowed her willow-shaped brows, her displeasure instantly visible.
“Greetings, Imperial Father.”
Xiahou Yuan stepped into the hall with a bright smile, walking straight toward the Empress.
“Ning’er, a small foreign state visited yesterday and brought the Eastern Pearls you love most. I specially brought them over for you. See if you are pleased with them?”
The Chief Eunuch presented the Eastern Pearls, each as large as a sour jujube, perfectly round, plump, and lustrously white.
No matter how much Liu Changning now disliked the Emperor, her expression softened considerably upon seeing the Eastern Pearls. She truly adored them.
“Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, Erchen shall take his leave.”
The Emperor nodded with satisfaction. “Go on.”
Over at the Prime Minister’s Mansion, Li Quan received a report from his spies stating that Li Bo had paid a daytime visit to the General’s Mansion.
“Where is the young master now?”
“He has returned to the mansion and is resting in his room.”
Li Quan sat in his armchair, his eyes filled with calculation as he pondered.
Li Bo had never associated with anyone from the General’s Mansion before. To visit so suddenly without rhyme or reason could only mean one thing: the thief from that night came from the General’s Mansion!
Li Quan slammed his hands down and stood up excitedly from his chair, his breathing ragged as he let out a furious, mocking laugh!
“What a fine General’s Mansion! What a fine Si Nan! To actually be able to investigate his way to my head—his methods and calculations are clear to see. He usually hides it so well; he actually managed to fool an old man like me!”
It seems Si Nan must be eliminated…
Thinking back to the highly skilled female thief from that night, Li Quan began to think carefully. He had no idea how many more of those experts were hidden around Si Nan. To ensure that eliminating Si Nan would be foolproof and deliver a fatal blow on the first strike, he had to plan this meticulously…
After a long sleep, her head ached slightly. As Si Nan opened her eyes in bed, scenes that made her heart race and her face flush suddenly flashed through her mind, feeling blurry and surreal.
She shook her head. Getting drunk was truly a hassle. To think she had actually had such an outrageous dream for the first time—she actually dreamed that Xiahou Jin was kissing her so tenderly yet urgently. He was so powerful, dominant, and held her so firmly in his grasp, radiating an intense sense of aggression…
Yet, she hadn’t felt the slightest bit of rejection or aversion. Instead… she was willing to sink into the burning heat he brought…
Her cheeks began to burn up. She slapped her face to snap herself out of the fantasy.
Xiahou Jin had already told her not to flatter herself and that they shouldn’t have any contact in the future. What was she doing thinking about him now? She couldn’t truly become someone who imagined affection where there was none.
Wen Xuan and the others knew she had just recovered from a serious illness, so they had specially invited her out for a boat ride on the lake.
Come to think of it, these few days were the Lantern Festival, and the streets of the capital would be bustling and vibrant for three consecutive days.
Opening her wardrobe, she frowned at the rows of black robes. With the Lantern Festival being such a lively, splendid, and colorful event, wouldn’t she be ruining the atmosphere if she wore black?
If she had known, she would have had more clothes made! With plenty of time left before the gathering, getting a custom robe tailored was out of the question, so she could only go buy ready-made clothes.
Yunjin Shop was the largest clothing shop in the capital, and all their garments were made from the finest materials.
“Take down this dark cyan robe for me to try.”
“While this dark cyan robe is noble, it is a bit too dignified and elegant, which doesn’t quite match Young General’s temperament. Why not try this mist-blue long robe instead?”
The gentle, refined voice felt like a sword locked onto her throat, making her heart tremble. Li Bo? Why was he here?
Thanks to her excellent acting skills, she turned around calmly, feigning pleasant surprise and courtesy. “Master Li? What a coincidence!”
Seeing her faint smile, a breeze-like warmth appeared on Li Bo’s face as well.
“This mist-blue robe is hazy and clean; it suits you well. You will definitely look very… good in it……”
Si Nan did not deny Li Bo’s taste. She hadn’t noticed this mist-blue robe tucked away in the corner earlier, but looking closely now, she did think it was beautiful.
“Doesn’t it look a bit too feminine? I am a military general, not a refined and scholarly reader like you. Forget it, forget it.”
“Master Si might as well try it first. If you are not satisfied, you can change into something else.”
Li Bo looked honest and pure, his eyes clear and seemingly devoid of any malice.
“Fine then.”
Si Nan changed into the robe and walked out of the inner room. The light gray-blue color softened her features, making her look exceptionally elegant and ethereal.
Li Bo seemed momentarily stunned, as if he were catching that fleeting glimpse from that fateful night all over again. It also made him more certain of his suspicions.
Seeing Li Bo standing there frozen, his gaze locked directly onto her, Si Nan let out a loud cough!
“How is it?! This young master looks good in anything, right?” Si Nan intentionally spoke loudly and struck a boorish pose.
Yet, the smile on Li Bo’s face didn’t fade; instead, it grew even warmer. “Master Si, this robe suits you perfectly.”
“It looks a bit too feminine. I’ll change into something else.”
“Master Si, this robe can be given to you as a gift.”
“A gift to me?”
“This shop is a property of the Prime Minister’s Mansion. This robe truly suits you. Consider it a token of our friendship; this robe is yours.”
The clothes at Yunjin Shop were very expensive. She was glad not to spend money, but she was also afraid of a trap.
“I’d better—”
“Master Si, I have no other motives. I genuinely wish to make you a friend.” Li Bo’s sincerity made it difficult to refuse.
“Do you have plans tonight, Master Si?”
“I do.”
“Is it… with the Third Highness?”
“No, it’s with Wen Xuan, Jiang Ziping, and the others.”
The smile returned to Li Bo’s face. “The more the merrier. Could you take me along? Consider it a return favor for the robe you are wearing.”
“Alright, then we will meet up at the pastry shop on the south side of the capital’s main street during the hour of the Rooster (5 PM – 7 PM).”
“Then I shall take my leave first.”
“See you tonight.”
Si Nan left the clothing shop with large, swaggering strides. Li Bo stood in front of the shop, watching her leave, his eyes fixed on the empty street corner for a long time.
“Young Master, are you and Master Si friends?”
“Yes. In the future, whenever Master Si comes here, they do not need to pay.”
“Understood.”
“Si Nan! Over here!”
“Wen Xuan! Chu Ziping! How come it’s just the two of you? Where are Liu Xiahui and Zhou Yu?”
“Sigh! Don’t bring it up! Those two scoundrels found themselves sweethearts at some point and went chasing after them! That leaves just the three of us lonely old men to huddle together for warmth.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I brought someone along too.”
Before her voice could fade, she spotted Li Bo and waved at him. “Master Li! Over here!”
Wen Xuan and Chu Ziping were greatly shocked. “The person you brought is the young master of the Prime Minister’s Mansion?!”
“Greetings, everyone.”
“There is no need for everyone to be constrained. Since you are Si Nan’s friends, you are my friends as well. Please speak freely and enjoy the night to the fullest.”
“Ahem, since everyone is here, let’s set off.”