Volume One, Chapter 13: Scoundrel! Shameless and Brazen
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Every sound Qin Qianyue uttered was a bewitching, soul-stirring moan, wildly testing the limits of Shen Yi’s desire, yet always stopping at precisely the right moment.
Shen Yi was enjoying himself immensely, his mood light and pleasant.
It had been a long time since he had felt so relaxed.
Besides, who would not enjoy having a breathtakingly beautiful woman call him “handsome,” praise him endlessly, and flatter him every day? Even if she was a scheming beauty, she was still a thoughtful young lady. Was that not better than fawning over some ethereal fairy?
Qin Qianyue simply wanted Shen Yi to become infatuated with her, drawn in by the lingering charm of her voice—while she herself maintained perfect restraint and never truly crossed the line.
Thus, there was little chance of physical intimacy, yet the ambiguity between them was unmistakable.
The more Shen Yi controlled himself, the bolder Qin Qianyue became. As the two drew ever closer, her breathing grew soft and uneven, like wisps of smoke curling across her face...
Then she gave him another radiant smile and rose to pour the tea.
And yet, even so, Shen Yi continued chatting and laughing with an entirely ordinary expression.
Could it be that he had truly become free of all worldly desires?
Or was her charm no longer what it had once been?
Qin Qianyue secretly clenched her teeth, unwilling to accept it.
His speech and breadth of knowledge in particular gave her the sensation of clouds parting to reveal the sky. Many wondrous phenomena she could not understand became, in his mouth, nothing more than trivial matters.
“When water evaporates, it becomes gaseous water vapor. Once it rises into the sky and encounters cold air, it turns back into liquid—or even solid—before falling down again. That is what we call rain and snow...”
And so on.
His words left her utterly astonished, and even filled her with admiration.
This was true genius—someone who possessed his own unique understanding of all things in the world.
If his ideas were verified and compiled into a book, he might even become a sage who founded an entire school of thought.
“The snow this year is certainly much heavier than in previous years. I heard quite a few people have frozen to death over the past few days...”
“Miss Qin.”
“Yes?”
“It is already the Hour of the Ox.”
“So late already? Then, Consort Prince Shen, please be careful on the road. The paths are slippery in winter...”
“I shall trouble you four days from now.”
“It is no trouble. I hope you can uncover the truth as well. I do not want the ten sisters in the servants’ quarters to have died in vain.”
Watching Shen Yi’s retreating back, Qin Qianyue felt inexplicably melancholy. In the end, he must look down on a woman of her humble origins.
“Miss Qin.”
Suddenly, Shen Yi turned around and smiled.
“I am very glad to have met you. Sleep well. I am off.”
The door closed.
The corners of Qin Qianyue’s lips parted slightly. Warmth spread through her entire body, her eyelids heavy with intoxication, while a tingling sensation like an electric current ran through her.
The feeling was simply too marvelous...
She slowly sat down, remaining perfectly still, reluctant to disturb it.
“Consort Prince Shen, what kind of person are you, really?”
...
The next morning.
The sun shone brightly.
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Yet the cold wind cut even more deeply.
Even inside her room, Princess Changyang could not bring herself to leave the brazier.
Though it burned smokeless white charcoal, the fumes still stung her nose, making it inconvenient for her to read the classics and study.
She gazed at the sunlight beyond the window and murmured worriedly, “I wonder how many commoners will freeze to death this winter.
“Sigh. Father will have another headache.”
“Princess.”
At that moment, Qiuxiang approached in a thick cotton-padded coat, her cheeks flushed red from the cold.
“I asked the guards who were on duty last night. Consort Prince Shen did not return until the latter half of the night.
“He reeked of alcohol, and there was also... a strong scent of rouge and powder on him...”
Princess Changyang sneered repeatedly, mocking him inwardly.
“So this is how you investigate a case? As expected, you are merely going through the motions.”
“With that silver tongue of yours, anyone who did not know better might truly think you possessed some great ability!”
“Now that you have not a penny to your name, let us see how long you can endure! Just wait. One day, you will come begging me for help!”
Princess Changyang was not angry but delighted. She knew that, with the palace experts present, Shen Yi would not dare behave improperly.
Hmph! If he failed to solve the case, she would make sure to punish him severely!
She still bitterly resented the threats he had made against her the day before.
“A dog never changes its appetite!”
At that moment, Matron Wang entered, weak but filled with resentment.
“Princess, he is treating imperial authority with contempt! He must be punished severely!”
“Matron Wang, are you feeling better?”
Princess Changyang wanted to vent her anger on Matron Wang’s behalf, but since her father had issued an order, she could not speak of it openly.
“This little injury is something I can endure!” Matron Wang’s eyes were full of pain, and indeed she was suffering badly. She had nearly died!
The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she became, and the more deeply she hated Shen Yi.
“But I cannot endure that brute Shen’s contempt toward Your Highness! It is an outright challenge to imperial authority!
“Your Highness, we must report this matter to His Majesty and have him destroyed utterly!
“Otherwise, where is the dignity of the imperial house? Where is the prestige of the princess?
“If we allow him to run wild, will he not eventually climb onto the roof and tear off the tiles? Will he not even dare bully the princess?!”
The more Matron Wang spoke, the more venomous her hatred became. The knife wound in her abdomen throbbed faintly, making her feel utterly humiliated.
She was Her Highness’s wet nurse!
In the imperial palace, most people still treated her with considerable respect.
Yet here in the consort prince’s residence, she had been challenged—and even slashed—by a useless heir with neither power nor influence!
Enough was enough!
If word of this spread, how could she continue to command respect in the residence? What would the servants think of her? Where would her authority be?
As she spoke, tears immediately streamed down her face.
“Waaah! This servant has suffered so much, Your Highness...”
Unable to bear seeing her heavily wounded yet so agitated, Princess Changyang said angrily, “Matron Wang, rest assured! I will not let him off!
“Get some proper rest. I am going to teach him a lesson myself!”
Matron Wang’s eyes lit up. With concern written across her face, she said, “Your Highness, I cannot feel at ease letting you go alone. Let me accompany you! And bring Commandant Yang as well!
“Have him take the Imperial Guards and give that brute Shen a proper punishment!”
Hearing this, Princess Changyang hurriedly said, “No! Matron Wang, the weather is cold. You cannot risk anything happening to you again.
“Do not worry. He would never dare show me disrespect. I will be back shortly!
“Qiuxiang, hurry and help Matron Wang back to her room to rest!”
With that, she swept out with several servants in tow, radiating fury.
Clearly, Matron Wang, who had raised the princess herself, did not believe her.
But with Qiuxiang supporting her, there was little else she could say.
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Just as they were about to return to their room, they saw Commandant Yang patrolling on duty.
Meanwhile, Princess Changyang felt a wave of relief after leaving the Eastern Court.
If she truly had to punish Shen Yi, she still could not bring herself to do it.
In her heart, the person she respected most was her father, and what she desired most was his care and affection.
For that reason, she did not wish to disobey his orders.
Besides, with that old gentleman present, even if she truly abandoned her resentment and tried to deal with Shen Yi, she might not succeed.
“Just wait! With the way you squander money, how many days can you possibly last?”
Princess Changyang sneered. Before she knew it, she had arrived at the Western Court.
She hesitated for a moment, wondering whether she should go in and give him a verbal reprimand.
“Greetings, Your Highness!”
At that moment, Shen Liang knelt behind her and respectfully saluted.
A group of servants who looked like craftsmen stood behind him.
Princess Changyang’s expression remained cold.
“Rise.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
She displeasedly glanced at the several people behind him, who stood trembling with their heads lowered.
“Shen Liang, why have you summoned so many servants?”
Shen Liang replied helplessly and nervously, “Your Highness, these are craftsmen whom the heir instructed me to invite. He said he wished to carry out some heating work.”
Princess Changyang frowned.
“He told you to summon them, and you simply did so?
“All of you, listen carefully! Heir Shen is penniless!
“If you finish the work and fail to receive payment, do not expect this princess to take responsibility!”
The people behind Shen Liang exchanged glances, none of them knowing what to do.
Princess Changyang curled her lips into a faint smile and said coolly, “You need not worry either. With this princess here, no one in the consort prince’s residence will dare force you to work without pay.”
Heh. If I cannot punish you, surely I can at least make things difficult for you?
Construction work?
Do you even have the money?
Princess Changyang watched with secret delight as the craftsmen sighed in relief and began to withdraw.
“Wait!”
Shen Liang immediately lowered his head and said helplessly, “Your Highness, the heir has money.”
Princess Changyang froze, then angrily demanded, “How is that possible? Shen Liang! Did I not order you to strip him of everything?”
Shen Liang trembled all over.
“Your Highness, last night the heir was with Liu Xiuyu. He must have borrowed some money from him...”
“Hmph!”
Princess Changyang’s face turned cold. She did not pursue the matter further, merely saying icily, “I would like to see what he is planning.”
Since she had come all this way, she had to reprimand him at least once!
Forward!
She strode into the courtyard with imposing force, her authority unmistakable.
Everyone followed behind her, trembling in fear.
Shen Liang could only smile bitterly inwardly as he followed helplessly.
But just as Princess Changyang swept angrily into the courtyard—
Suddenly—
a startled cry rang out.
“Ah! You lecher! Shen Yi! You shameless brute!”
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