Lu Qiuci recognised Xu Chen before Xu Chen recognised him.
Twenty years ago, the current Emperor was the most graceful and elegant of all the imperial princesses; after the late Emperor’s passing, he became a man of divine grace. Naturally, the Crown Princess born of their union was as ethereal as a celestial being.
Now, several imperial princesses have come of age in the imperial court, and the Sixth Princess’s reputation is no less formidable than that of the Crown Princess, Xu Chen. In the eyes of the officials, the Crown Princess is known for her violent temper and mediocre abilities, inspiring both fear and contempt.
The Sixth Princess, however, is a modest and noble young lady, brimming with talent, and possesses a natural gift for handling state affairs, surpassing the Crown Princess by an immeasurable margin.
Yet, if one were to compare them solely on the basis of appearance, even those who favour the Sixth Princess would be unable to claim that she is more beautiful than the Crown Princess.
Xu Chen’s reputation was simply too terrible—capricious, tyrannical and ruthless, to the point where she had even driven her own tutor to shut himself away and refuse to see her. Under the weight of such a dreadful reputation, few praised her appearance; Lu Qiuci, too, had been unaware of her beauty, and for a moment, he was quite taken aback.
Xu Chen regarded him with a scrutinising gaze; her phoenix-like eyes were as inscrutable as a deep pool, a hint of malevolence winding through her features, pinning him firmly to the spot. It was as though a divine statue had cracked open, revealing a touch of demonic energy, rendering Xu Chen’s demeanour all the more complex and inscrutable—a sight so striking that one could scarcely banish her face from one’s mind once seen.
It took a full two seconds before Lu Qiuci struggled to snap out of his daze, calling out softly, “Your Highness.”
A thought occurred to him: Xu Chen was like a towering mountain, whilst he was but a tiny tree at its foot; should he attempt to take in the mountain’s entirety, he would only lose himself completely within it.
“I didn’t come to see you last night. Are you angry?”
Xu Chen said suddenly to Lu Qiuci.
Hearing Xu Chen’s words, Lu Qiuci was greatly surprised—surprised that Xu Chen would even consider his feelings. Immediately, he grew flustered, for he could not tell whether this remark was a concerned expression of remorse or a warning-laden interrogation.
Lu Qiuci dared not assume it was the former, for whether in her capacity as Crown Princess or as His Consort, he had no right to complain.
Thus, Lu Qiuci lowered his eyelids and said, “I was merely concerned for Your Highness. Not knowing what had befallen you that prevented you from keeping our appointed meeting, my heart was filled with anxiety and unease; I had no room to think of being angry.”
“When I heard this morning that Your Highness had been the target of an assassination attempt, my anxiety only grew; I simply wished to come and see if you were safe.”
With his head bowed and eyes cast down, Lu Qiuci could not see Xu Chen’s face; all that remained in his line of sight was her delicate chin and those faintly rosy lips.
Upon hearing Lu Qiuci’s words, Xu Chen’s beautiful lips immediately curved into a smile; anyone could see she was smiling gently.
Lu Qiuci’s heart began to pound.
His perception of Xu Chen’s gaze upon him felt like a patch of moonlight, both near and far.
“Knock, knock—”
A knock suddenly sounded from outside the side chamber, followed by Lin Yi’s voice: “Your Highness, I have brought the medicinal powder and gauze.”
Xu Chen: “Come in.”
Lin Yi pushed open the door and stepped inside. Spotting Lu Qiuci standing five paces away from Xu Chen, a stir of unease welled up within him.
His young master’s thoughts had always been difficult to fathom, and he was somewhat concerned that Lu Qiuci might have displeased Xu Chen.
Thus, Lin Yi asked hesitantly, “Your Highness, since the Lord is here, shall we ask him to change your dressing?”
Lu Qiuci immediately looked at Lin Yi, somewhat taken aback; his heart began to race, unsure whether Xu Chen would agree.
Xu Chen’s gaze fell upon him. “Would you like to help me change the dressing?”
Lu Qiuci unconsciously clenched his lower teeth and took a step forward.
“Master Lin , let me help His Highness change the dressing.”
Lin Yi smiled, fine lines appearing at the corners of his eyes, and nodded as he handed the tray containing the medicine and gauze to Lu Qiuci.
“In that case, I shall take my leave.”
Lu Qiuci gripped the edges of the tray with both hands, took a deep breath, and walked step by step towards Xu Chen.
As he drew closer to Xu Chen, he immediately caught a faint whiff of blood. Carefully placing the tray on the table, he said, “Your Highness, I shall begin.”
Xu Chen turned his head to look at him and nodded.
Lu Qiuci knelt down on the floor; being slightly taller than average, this height proved rather convenient.
He reached out towards the bandage on Xu Chen’s arm, found the knot, carefully undid it, and then gently unwound it.
Due to the nature of the task, he was almost pressed against Xu Chen’s body; with every movement closer, his heart beat faster, and before long, his ears flushed crimson.
He suddenly realised that this woman—second only to the Emperor and above all others, the most noble of noblewomen—was his wife and mistress.
Whatever she wished to do to him, he could not resist. Lu Qiuci
The bandage was unwound layer by layer, soon falling to the floor. There were dark red bloodstains on the gauze; Lu Qiuci had furrowed his brow without realising it. Judging by the amount of blood, he dared not imagine how deep the wound might be.
Finally, as the last few layers of gauze were about to be removed, Lu Qiuci’s movements grew even more cautious, fearful of tugging at Xu Chen’s wound and causing him pain.
But what he could never have imagined was that the gauze would slip right out of his hands, piling loosely on the floor.
Where the wound should have been on Xu Chen’s arm, the skin was smooth and unblemished; there was not a trace of a wound to be seen.
Lu Qiuci froze in his tracks, his mind reeling with shock. His eyes widened involuntarily, like those of a startled fawn.
He jerked his head up to look at Xu Chen, only to see a smile playing at the corners of Xu Chen’s mouth, accompanied by eyes devoid of any trace of amusement.
Lu Qiuci felt a thunderclap echo in his mind; all rational thought vanished. In that moment, his actions were driven purely by instinct.
If he were truly an animal, his fur would surely be standing on end by now, and he would be frozen in place, unable to move.
After a few breaths, Lu Qiuci, his hands trembling slightly, first took out the medicinal powder and sprinkled it bit by bit onto Xu Chen’s arm—where there was no wound—then picked up the gauze and began to bandage it.
“The wound is so severe; it will certainly hurt as I bandage it. Please bear with it, Your Highness.”
His hands were trembling, as were his lips; it took him twice as long as usual to utter those words.
The sound of his own voice even made him feel as though it were not his own.
Finally, the bandage was reapplied; there were no traces of blood on the fresh gauze. Lu Qiuci tied a gentle knot and prepared to stand up.
But just then, Xu Chen suddenly cupped his cheeks with his ‘injured’ hand, and then those beautiful lips claimed his own.
Xu Chen’s kiss was intense, brimming with an air of inevitability, an absolute command over everything. Lu Qiuci had neither the strength nor the will to resist, and soon parted his lips in response to Xu Chen’s kiss.
Xu Chen imprinted upon him a mark that was utterly unforgettable, belonging solely to Xu Chen.
In the intense dizziness of that kiss, Lu Qiuci found himself, without knowing how, leaning into Xu Chen’s embrace. By the time Xu Chen’s lips parted from his, his hands were already clutching Xu Chen’s sleeve.
“Your Highness?”
Xu Chen: “Mm—”
Xu Chen knew why she had kissed him. He was handsome, met her aesthetic standards, was intelligent and composed, and was, after all, a man who belonged to her. Why shouldn’t she kiss him?
Xu Chen had always kept her emotions in check, but in that moment of the kiss, her feelings were like a raging torrent held back, a few drops seeping through the sturdy dam.
The scent of blood still clung to her, not her own, but that of those who had died the night before.
Xu Chen’s life had been nothing short of tumultuous. She had once fought her way through the cut-throat business world, trampling one rival after another underfoot. In her previous life, whilst she was the CEO of the Xu Group, she held the power of life and death over countless people.
A single decision of hers could elevate a group of people to the heights of success, or reduce another to utter ruin; consequently, countless individuals fawned over her and worked tirelessly for her, hoping merely for a scrap of the resources she held.
Yet, however glorious her past life may have been, she had never before truly held the power to decide life or death with a single thought, as she did now.
The plan had been executed flawlessly. By orchestrating an assassination to purge the Eastern Palace, she had thoroughly cleansed the Crown Princess’s residence—which had been riddled with spies left behind by the previous owner. By the end of last night, every last mole in the Eastern Palace had been eradicated, and those truly loyal to her had been placed in key positions.
From that moment on, the Crown Princess’s residence became a fortress; no one could leak her secrets anymore, and she had secured a space that was entirely safe and under her own control.
Compared to the flawless achievement of her goals, the people she had eliminated stirred no ripples in her heart. She felt no panic; instead, she felt exhilaration and restlessness. A monster called imperial power was awakening within her.
She had seen clearly what her blood craved.
The kiss that now landed upon Lu Qiuci’s lips was an extension of that inner turmoil—a torrent she could not confide to anyone.
It might sound rather abnormal, but then again, she was a madwoman who had spent nearly a decade in a mental asylum. Perhaps she had never been normal to begin with.
Xu Chen twirled a strand of Lu Qiuci’s hair around his finger and whispered softly into his ear, “Day has fully broken. What transpired last night must surely have been reported to Her Majesty’s desk.”
“The mother-emperor will come to visit me. Stay here and keep me company.”
Xu Chen rose, took Lu Qiuci’s hand, and walked out of the side chamber towards the main hall. Lu Qiuci followed behind, looking rather bewildered. Dong Yi, who was standing guard outside, froze in astonishment as he watched a woman exuding an air of nobility lead his young master out. He felt a surge of shame.
He then realised that she was the Crown Princess, and was utterly stunned. He stood there dumbfounded for several seconds before finally managing to move his legs and hurry after them.
Yet he dared not follow too closely, keeping a distance of five paces behind.
Xu Chen knew there was a little tail following behind them; it must be Lu Qiuci’s personal attendant. She gave him no sign of recognition; others would naturally take care of such matters.
Upon returning to the main hall, Xu Chen pulled back the bed curtains and leaned against the bed. Lin Yi brought in another bowl of medicine, handing it to Lu Qiuci and instructing her to feed it to Xu Chen.
Just as Xu Chen had anticipated, no sooner had the two of them settled into their posture than an announcement rang out from outside.
“His Majesty has arrived—”
Hearing the court lady’s voice, Lu Qiuci’s hand holding the spoon trembled involuntarily. He instinctively looked down, meeting Xu Chen’s slightly cool gaze. Lu Qiuci instantly regained his composure, gently scooped up a spoonful of medicine, and fed it into Xu Chen’s mouth.
Before long, a woman clad in a bright yellow imperial robe, embroidered with phoenixes, stepped into the room.
She walked straight towards Xu Chen, and in those few brief breaths, Lu Qiuci witnessed the finest acting in the world.
Xu Chen feigned great difficulty in rising from the bed; in the blink of an eye, her beautiful phoenix-like eyes welled up with tears. She cast an earnest, adoring gaze upon Emperor Yongji and cried, “Mother Emperor—”
“Your humble daughter nearly never saw you again!”
Author’s Note:
Poor little Qiuci, the Crown Princess is going to scare the life out of him, hehe