Volume One, Chapter Five: Chu Linyuan, Let Go, I’m Tired

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“Chu Linyuan, let go of me. I am tired.”

The man pressing against Lin Qingwan’s side could not help but give a low, derisive laugh.

“You dare address me by name? Who gave you the courage? Tired of what? Am I not the one doing all the work?”

He leaned his head against her shoulder, breathing in the faint fragrance of her body. How could this woman be so beguiling?

Lin Qingwan’s face burned red. She wanted to speak, yet no words came. In her previous life, how had she failed to see that he was so shameless?

Chu Linyuan looked at the woman beside him, bent to kiss her cheek, and stroked the love marks on her neck with obvious satisfaction.

He had never liked leaving marks on a woman’s body, but with this woman, he could not control himself. He wished everyone would know she was his.

“The choice of Crown Princess concerns the foundation of the realm. I cannot decide it alone. But if you are willing to remain by my side, I can leave you a place as a secondary consort. What do you say?”

Though only a secondary consort, once he ascended the throne she would become a legitimate imperial consort.

If she bore him a child and learned to please him, raising her even to the rank of Noble Consort would not be impossible.

“No.”

She did not want to be his consort again. She did not want any further entanglement with him.

Hearing her refusal, Chu Linyuan threw back his head and laughed wildly. Then he pressed down on her body and bit hard at her neck.

“Since you prefer to follow me without name or status, I will indulge you.”

“It hurts. Don’t do this.”

Startled by Chu Linyuan’s behavior, Lin Qingwan shoved at the man on top of her and tried to leave the bed, but he seized her ankle and dragged her back.

Just as he gripped her hands and pressed her beneath him, ready to continue, a shout came from the doorway.

“Brother Crown Prince? Are you there?”

“I have something to say to you. You dogs, don’t stop me.”

“Brother Crown Prince!”

Chu Linyuan rose from Lin Qingwan with a cold expression. Seeing the woman beneath him breathe in relief, he gave a mocking smile.

“When I have dealt with the woman outside, I will come back for you.”

He tapped her cheek, his heart filled with wild, unrestrained delight. This was his Eastern Palace, and she still wanted to evade his favor?

Was she guarding her heart for Mo Lingxuan?

What nonsense about chastity belonging to the heart and not the body!

He wanted both body and heart.

He took the outer robe hanging over the screen, threw it on, and pushed open the door.

“What is all this clamor?”

Seeing the Crown Prince emerge, Liu Sisi knelt on the floor.

“Your Highness, this concubine heard that after court today Your Highness hurried out of the city, and upon returning brought a woman into your chamber.”

“My father and elder brother have often told me that I must remind Your Highness at all times to place state affairs first.”

“Even if Your Highness punishes me today, I must still offer faithful counsel, though it may be hard to hear. Your Highness has not yet dealt with today’s memorials. How can you indulge in pleasure like this?”

Chu Linyuan had originally meant to dismiss Liu Sisi and return to his room. But as though suddenly awakened, he turned the ring on his thumb and nodded.

It could not be denied that he had indeed gone too far today, as though he had lost his senses.

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Today’s official business had also not yet been handled. If word of this reached the emperor...

He stepped before Liu Sisi and helped her up.

“I understand. Thanks to Sisi for the reminder. Why not come with me to the study?”

This was the first time Liu Sisi had been treated with such gentleness by the Crown Prince, and she stared at him with wide, confused eyes.

His Highness was not angry? Why was he suddenly being so kind to her?

“I cannot sit still, Your Highness. Why not have Sister Mei keep you company instead?”

Before, she had accompanied him in the study, grinding ink while he reviewed memorials.

Though she could look at him all afternoon, it was not at all entertaining. Better to embroider with the maids in her room, or go to Sister Mei’s place to admire flowers and feed the fish.

“Then I will go to the study now. Does that put Sisi at ease?”

The Liu family was the rising favorite at court, and his father valued them. Naturally, he ought to give them some measure of courtesy.

Liu Sisi smiled and nodded. She had known the Crown Prince was a wise future ruler—how could he possibly sink into lust and neglect the affairs of state?

Seeing the Crown Prince leave, Liu Sisi walked into the Crown Prince’s sleeping chamber.

The little eunuch guarding the door did not know whether he should stop her. He forced a flattering smile. “Lady Liu, His Highness has already left. You still wish to enter here?”

“Move aside. I want to see what kind of enchantress could make Brother Crown Prince act so out of the ordinary.”

With a glance, she signaled to her maid to open the door, then stepped inside.

Seeing the woman seated by the bed, eyes wet with tears, with an air of cool elegance and nobility, Liu Sisi knew at once that her bearing was nothing like that of a girl from some small town.

Her beauty was even greater than that of Ling Ruoxue, the most beautiful woman in the imperial city whom she had seen before—no wonder she had lured Brother Crown Prince away from state affairs.

“Why do you not kneel when you see this lady?”

Lifting her head to look at Liu Sisi, Lin Qingwan bit her lip and walked forward to kneel properly before her.

“Greetings to Lady Liu.”

The maid beside her reacted quickly and immediately brought over a stool to place behind Liu Sisi.

Liu Sisi sat in the chair and looked at the woman kneeling on the floor, so lowly and submissive, and her mood improved a little.

Since Liu Lady did not speak, Lin Qingwan could only remain kneeling by rule.

In her previous life, she had not had much interaction with Lady Liu. Both were Chu Linyuan’s women, both loved the same man, and naturally they were mutually hostile.

“What is your name?”

Liu Sisi glanced at the woman kneeling on the floor, resentment stirring in her chest.

“Commoner woman Lin Qingwan.”

She had been sleeping when that man woke her. He was just as he had been in her last life, utterly obsessed with carnal pleasures.

“I do not care who you are. Brother Crown Prince is the heir apparent. Your delaying him from handling state affairs is your fault.”

She turned toward her maid behind her and ordered, “Slap her.”

“Yes.”

The maid rolled up her sleeves and struck Lin Qingwan’s face hard.

No one knew how many times she was slapped. Lin Qingwan felt both cheeks throbbing and burning, certain her face must already be swollen.

At last she could no longer hold back the blood that had been trapped in her throat and spat it out, raising a hand to wipe the corner of her mouth.

As expected, so long as she remained by Chu Linyuan’s side, there would be endless, undeserved calamity.

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“Stop.”

At Liu Sisi’s command, the maid instantly withdrew her hand.

Seeing the woman she had beaten until she coughed blood, the maid could not help trying to claim credit from her mistress.

“My lady, was my strength sufficient? If not, I would be honored if you would grant me a ruler.”

Liu Sisi waved her hand and frowned at the woman whose face had swollen until it looked three times larger.

“Since this is your first offense, today is only a small lesson. If you dare delay Brother Crown Prince in handling state affairs again, this lady will certainly not let you off so easily.”

She rose from the chair and swept out with a flick of her sleeve.

Before she married into the palace, her parents had instructed her clearly: she need not seek the Crown Prince’s favor, only act as a loyal subject to the sovereign and remind the Crown Prince never to forget the affairs of state.

But she did not want the Crown Prince to dote on anyone else.

*

Inside the study

An Yi knelt before the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness, Lady Liu has slapped Miss Lin in your sleeping chamber.”

Although that woman had already been favored by the prince, since His Highness had not yet granted her a title, he truly did not know how to address her.

After a moment’s thought, An Yi decided to call her Miss instead.

Chu Linyuan flipped open a memorial, the corners of his lips lifting.

“Did she mention me? Did she say to have someone fetch me and ask me to stand up for her?”

“She did not. Miss Lin remained kneeling on the floor without saying a word.”

He slammed the memorial hard onto the desk.

“Very well. Very well indeed. Then leave her alone.”

Thinking of Lin Qingwan’s face, he wondered how badly she had been injured.

He picked up the memorial awaiting his review, but could not calm his mind. His thoughts were full of the woman who had been beaten. He did not know whether she had cried.

After a long moment, he frowned and said to An Yi, “Go fetch the Jade Renewal Ointment and have someone apply it to her.”

“Yes.”

An Yi withdrew at once.

Sitting to the side, Liu Siquan knelt before Chu Linyuan.

“Your Highness, Sisi is still young and somewhat willful. Please forgive her.”

“Rise. I do not blame Sisi.”

Thinking of that woman’s stubbornness, he truly felt she needed a little suffering. Without tasting hardship, she would likely never learn how to please him.

If she had softened today, he would have helped her teach that woman a lesson and vent her anger.

A person was giving herself to him beneath his body, yet in her heart she was still thinking of that Mo Lingxuan?

Chu Linyuan rubbed his brow.

“Go down. I am tired.”