Translator – Xiao He Lian
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Chapter 41
The carriage continued to move forward. Shen Zhenxian held the edge of the carriage with her hands, her eyes were lost in thought and she remained silent all the way.
As the breeze blew by, Lu Yan opened the curtain of the carriage with one hand and said to Shen Zhen, “It looks like we will get to the next station by night. Are you hungry?”
Shen Zhen shook her head, “I’m not hungry.”
Lu Yan raised his hand and pinched her ears and said, “Tell me if you’re hungry, okay?”
Shen Zhen let him rub her earlobes and whispered, “Thank you, My Lord.”
Lu Yan raised an eyebrow.
Although he subconsciously felt that she was a little depressed, he didn’t think about it deeply, he just rubbed his temples and closed his eyes.
In order to get to the next destination earlier, the group had no intention of watching the beautiful scenery, they galloped all the way without daring to rest.
Finally around Xushi1(the period of the day from 7 pm to 9 pm), they arrived at the inn.
Shen Zhen helped Lu Yan to get off the carriage.
They took a short rest and started distributing food and water. At this moment, Fuman came over with a medicine bottle and said, “Miss Shen, I saw that your feet were not healed yet, so I brought you some medicine. Just apply the ointment in the morning and at night.”
Shen Zhen took it, paused, and then said, “Thank you, Miss Bai.”
Fuman was startled when he heard her change of title and then said: “Miss Shen, please don’t be polite.”
Hearing her politely say “Miss Bai”, Lu Yan suddenly remembered what he had said…
Could it be that she was in such a low mood because of the words “reputation”?
With that in mind, when he looked at Shen Zhen again, the more he felt that this was the case.
However, Lu Yan, the instigator, would not go out of his way to explain it even if he knew that he had hit Shen Zhen’s sore spot. After all, in his opinion, this kind of thing would get better after a while, depending on her temperament.
At least, that’s what he thought then.
As for Shen Zhen, it didn’t take long for her to adjust her emotions as expected.
The sky suddenly darkened and the mountain wind began to pick up. Shen Zhen put down the kettle in her hand and said to Lu Yan, “My Lord, it’s getting late. Let me help you go inside the inn to rest.”
Lu Yan was seriously injured and really needed more rest now, so he nodded and put his hand on her shoulder.
At the same time, Fuman, who was drinking porridge, put down the spoon in her hand, and her eyes gradually drifted away as the two people followed left.
Bai Daonian patted her forehead, “A’ya, what are you looking at?”
Fuman came back to her senses, shook her head and said, “No, nothing.”
Bai Daonian glanced at her suspiciously, then looked back. Suddenly his face changed drastically and he said seriously: “A’ya, is it that you have a crush on Lord Lu.”
As soon as these words came out, Fuman’s head shook like a rattle.
Bai Daonian sighed.
They had been imprisoned by Zhao Chong for more than a year. A’ya was treated like a thin horse. If Lord Lu hadn’t appeared in time, they wouldn’t have known how long they would have lived under Zhao Chong… She fell in love with her savior, which was normal, but she still has a marriage contract in the Western Region…
Fuman looked at her brother’s eyes and knew that he got it completely wrong. In order to make him relax, Fuman had no choice but to tell one thing that was hidden in her heart.
When they were in Yangzhou, Lu Yan often took Fuman in and out of the governor’s mansion. Although she was pretending to be a Concubine, some physical contact was unavoidable. In order not to make Zhao Chong suspicious, once, when Fuman was serving wine to them, she naturally took Lu Yan’s arm.
Lu Yan was also extremely cooperative at the time and Zhao Chong was very satisfied with the love in his eyes. Who knew that as soon as he left Zhao Chong’s house, Fuman saw that Lu Yan’s entire face fell, and the alienation between his eyebrows was clearly visible.
Especially his action of wiping his wrist easily shattered her self-esteem…
After that, when Fuman talked to him, he would never say two words if he could explain it clearly in one word.
——
Shen Zhen carefully helped him into the guest room of the inn, looked up at him and said, “I will change your clothes for you.”
Lu Yan said “hmm”, faced her, and slowly opened his arms.
Shen Zhen put her hands around his waist, deftly untied his girdle, carefully avoiding his wounds, and took off his fine clothes.
He looked down at her, and for some reason, he suddenly recalled how she couldn’t even untie her girdle when she first became his mistress. At that time, she was like a frightened elk in the forest, unable to run away.
The process of taming her greatly satisfied his desire to conquer.
Lu Yan lifted her chin with his index finger and looked at her beautiful features with a half-smile. Such movements always had a hint of flirting and Shen Zhen’s little hands subconsciously clenched, not daring to move.
His right eyelid jumped involuntarily2(If I’m not wrong when someone’s eyelid jumps involuntarily it means that something bad is about to happen??).
However, which man in the world could stand her expression of letting others take advantage of her? He held her waist wantonly, lowered his head and kissed her.
The little girl had been languid all day, and he could probably guess what was going on in her mind.
Shen Zhen froze, put her hands against his chest and whispered: “My Lord, be careful with your wound.”
A proud and hard-hearted person like Lu Yan knows very well what methods can be used to induce people to give in. If he really encounters someone else who can make trouble, he will keep them until their tears run dry .
And even if they cry tears of blood, he might not even look at them twice.
But whenever he faced Shen Zhen, he felt more at a loss. She didn’t act or make trouble and she didn’t dare to lose her temper with him.
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Usually, he should have enjoyed this, but seeing her red eyes, he felt distressed in the end.
Lu Yan sighed, rubbed her hair and said, “Did my words make you feel wronged?”
Shen Zhen looked up at him without reacting for a long time, but his eyes were so soft, softer than she had ever seen before.
After she understood what he meant, her eyes immediately turned red.
When a little girl is vulnerable, she is most afraid of being coaxed.
Poor Lu Yan, the two wounds on his body had not yet healed and his heart ached faintly.
It was really a self inflicted injury; he thinks.
He hugged her, stroked her back and said bluntly, “It’s okay.”
Who would have thought that such two blunt words, and not even a sweet word, would make this man almost lose his tongue3(I think she ended up crying harder? lol).
As the night grew darker, Lu Yan raised his hand to brush away the hair from her temples, then lowered his head to bite her snow-white neck.
The place she touched was tingling and sensitive, causing Shen Zhen to gasp twice uncontrollably. Her breath penetrated into his ears, almost burning his bones.
He couldn’t help it, He really couldn’t help it.
His Adam’s apple slowly rolled and he looked into her eyes.
Shen Zhen had no idea what kind of storm was brewing under his calm pupils.
“Don’t move.” The man’s voice was hoarse, like a magnetic force, which made her heart tremble.
He held her dishonest little hand with one hand and untied the ribbon on her front with the other.
The lake blue peach blossom mist jacket, the plain white skirt, and the two-color satin peacock bellyband fell to the ground one by one.
The blush on Shen Zhen’s cheeks was as red as the evening clouds and the way she bit her lower lip and trembled lightly was the most powerful drug in the world.
Seeing the scenery in front of him, how could Lu Yan still feel the pain in his body? Even if someone gives him another blow now, I’m afraid he would be able to withstand it.
He took her back to the couch, then leaned over and pressed her down.
If he followed this posture, his wound would definitely bleed. Shen Zhen resisted and said firmly: “Don’t bend over.”
Lu Yan kissed her ear and said, “Then what do you want me to do?”
How can she match his strength? She knew that talking more would be useless, so she had no choice but to resist like a carp.
Unexpectedly, this man said to her in a coaxing tone: “Zhen Zhen, be good. If you don’t want me to continue bleeding, then be good.”
However, no matter how good she was, the wound still burst open.
When it was almost dawn, Yang Zong still woke up Doctor Bai…
——
They returned to the capital in the early days of the third lunar month.
It was the spring of the 16th year of Yuanqing, the second day of the third lunar month.
Different from the dream, this time, Lu Yan personally handed the evidence into the hands of the Emperor.
Emperor Cheng Yuan gently twisted the Buddhist beads in his hand, making a clicking sound. Everyone in the Tingzheng Palace knew that this was a sign that the emperor would become very angry.
Next to Zhou Shu’an, Nie Yuan knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing.
Emperor Cheng Yuan held the report in his hand, shook it up and down and then threw it on the table with a “pop” sound, “You are so brave, third prince!”
Judging from the evidence brought back by Lu Yan, more than half of the money in Zhao Chong’s hands was given to the Mu family, the maternal family of the third prince Xiao Cheng.
This result was both unexpected but reasonable. Although the Mu family holds military power and is extremely powerful, the cost of raising soldiers, especially private soldiers, was too high. Raising private soldiers requires money and food like running water. Without a golden mountain to support it, it can be said that it was impossible.
But raising private soldiers, smelting iron, embezzling, and selling out officials are already stepping on the emperor’s bottom line. With all the human and material evidence, the Mu family was in trouble this time.
Even if Emperor Cheng Yuan didn’t like the crown prince, he would not allow anyone to surpass him to pursue the idea of surpassing the throne.
Emperor Cheng Yuan suddenly coughed twice, and the servant hurriedly bowed forward, “Your Majesty, do you want the imperial doctor to come and take a look?”
Emperor Chengyuan waved his hand and said to everyone: “Everyone, leave.” Then he said to Lu Yan: “Third nephew, you stay.”
Pretty soon, Emperor Cheng Yuan and Lu Yan were the only two people left in the hall.
Emperor Cheng Yuan said slowly: “Did you meet a miracle doctor in Yangzhou?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yan froze.
Sure enough, whether it is in the previous life or in this life, the emperor had the intention of supporting the crown prince.
Lu Yan lifted his robe and knelt down and said first, “I am always concerned about your majesty’s well-being. After confirming that the man’s medical skills were extraordinary, I invited him back to Chang’an.”
Needless to say that there is no emperor in this world who dislikes longevity, especially an emperor who loves power like Emperor Cheng Yuan. He wishes there was an elixir of immortality in the world.
After listening to Lu Yan’s words, Emperor Chengyuan couldn’t help but the light in his eyes couldn’t help but soften. Everyone in the court was planning who to follow after his death and his sons were not as good as his nephew.
Emperor Chengyuan personally helped him up and then said: “Third Nephew, I heard that you were seriously injured when you went to Yangzhou, but are you feeling better now?”
Lu Yan said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I’m fine now.”
Emperor Chengyuan narrowed his eyes and said, “That’s good, otherwise your mother will definitely blame me.”
The emperor was silent for a long time, and then said: “Then you can bring Doctor Bai into the palace tomorrow. The crown prince’s illness has become more serious now.”
