Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 65
The moonlight was dim, and the pond outside the pavilion was emitting a silvery glow. The evening breeze blew by and the surrounding bushes rustled.
Lu Yan twisted the edge of the cup with his thumb, glanced sideways, and lowered his head, staring in a daze at the carp wagging its tail in the water.
Sui Yu talked to him a lot more, mostly about Shen Zhen. To be precise, it was related to the Shen Zhen, whom he didn’t know.
For example, she could not only climb trees, but also play pitch pot1(pitch-pot game (played at a drinking party, in which the participants threw arrows into a pot)); for another example, she once drank too much fruit wine at a flower-viewing banquet and made a fool of herself. The wife of the Marquis of Yunyang was furious and was about to punish her, but the Crown Prince pleaded for her.
He never knew that she could be so naughty…
She has always been obedient in front of him.
At a quarter past midnight,, a maid from the main courtyard came over holding a golden nanmu painted plate and said, “My Lord, Madam said it was cold at night, so she asked me to bring you some clothes.”
Sui Yu paused, took it, and said softly, “Okay, I understand. Go back and tell Madam not to wait for me tonight. She has just recovered from the cold, so she should rest early.”
“Yes.” The maid bowed.
Lu Yan shook the empty cup and stood up, “It’s getting late, I’ll leave first.”
Sui Yu escorted Lu Yan to the door. Before closing the door, he suddenly said to Yang Zong, “Yang Zong, the wine in my courtyard is a bit intoxicating. Remember to get some fermented glutinous rice juice for your master when you go back.”
Yang Zong said: “Thank you for your reminder, my lord.”
After a moment, Lu Yan whispered, “I have someone to take care of me.”
“Chi, Shi Yan, if you need me, just let me know.” Sui Yu’s smile was still there, but there was a hint of seriousness in his tone.
After leaving Xuanping Marquis Mansion, Lu Yan finally understood why Sui Yu said that this wine was intoxicating.
He had a good alcohol tolerance. He could drink two jars of other types of wine and would sober up almost completely with just a breeze. However, the wine in his yard made him feel light.
When the carriage arrived at Chengyuan, Lu Yan seemed to see two figures of Shen Zhen.
Shen Zhen didn’t know that he would come over tonight. Seeing that his steps were unsteady, she quickly stood up and supported him, that was when she smelled the odor of alcohol.
“My Lord, have you been drinking?” Shen Zhen looked up at him.
Lu Yan grabbed her waist with one hand, curled the corners of his lips, and uttered a low “hmm”.
Shen Zhen was just about to help him sit down, but he actually used his other hand to lift her legs and forced her to wrap them around his waist.
His pupils were a little dilated due to his drunkenness, but he stared into her eyes desperately.
Lu Yan was born with a pair of peach blossom eyes. When he looked at her affectionately, it really gave you the illusion that a prodigal son could not live without her.
Shen Zhen avoided his burning gaze and turned her head away.
But as soon as she moved, the scent of her body could not help but permeate his nose, fragrant and alluring.
The man tightened his hands on her hips, his eyes darkened and then he said almost imperceptibly: “You smell so good, no wonder it attracts so many bees and butterflies.”
Shen Zhen didn’t hear clearly, so she asked softly, “What did My Lord say?”
In the next moment, Lu Yan bit her lips, a little hard and fiercely, or maybe because a drunk person couldn’t control his strength at all.
Shen Zhen felt pain and pushed him with his hands, but his chest was like a solid wall and remained unmoved. In a blink of an eye, she was pressed down on the couch.
Although his movements were heavy, his eyes were as soft as a pool of water.
Zhenzhen, Zhenzhen.
He called her again and again, with a hint of pleading in his drunken tone.
This was the cunning man who, even when drunk, did not forget to plunder the little girl’s sympathy. The orange candle flame swayed in the wind, and as he watched, her resistant gaze softened …
“Blow out the lights.” Shen Zhen pulled his collar and said.
Lu Yan gritted his teeth, pulled away and blew out the candle.
The beautiful moonlight filled the room.
Lu Yan knelt in front of her, holding her ankles and lifting them high.
Admittedly, this is a very easy posture to exert force.Knowing that she couldn’t withstand it, Shen Yan couldn’t help but swallow and murmured in a low voice, “No.”
As soon as the words fell, a hot sensation pressed against the crack of the door of Peach Blossom Spring, “I’ll be gentle.”
Fortunately, this man kept his promise and he never acted recklessly even when the veins on his hands were bulging. When the love reached its deepest point, with Shen Zhen’s gentle voice, Lu Yan grasped her palm and interlocked his fingers with hers, never parting to the end.
After a while, he put his arms around her waist and buried his nose in the crook of her neck. There was still a lingering smell of alcohol on his breath.
Just then, footsteps were heard outside.
Tang Yue asked, “It’s so late. What’s the matter, Guard Yang?”
Yang Zong said to Tang Yue, “Heir Apparent drank a lot of wine today. Remember to give this hangover medicine to Madam2(夫人 Yang Zong used the word furen, which is the term used for a legitimate wife).”
Madam.
As soon as these words were spoken, Shen Zhen, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes.
In fact, ever since the trip to Yangzhou, Yang Zong and Tang Yue often called Shen Zhen like this in private. Lu Yan had heard it twice but never corrected them. As a result, Yang Zong had become accustomed to calling her that.
However, it was the first time Shen Zhen heard this name.
Just across the window, every word he said was clear.
Shen Zhen’s face was full of embarrassment.
Lu Yan tilted his head to look at her, “Did you hear that?”
Shen Zhen’s beautiful eyes moved and then she whispered, “Don’t worry, My Lord, I didn’t hear it.”
Her expression and her tone caught him off guard.
Lu Yan’s eyes became more and more serious and the smile on his face disappeared. The moment his face became stern, the tenderness fled, leaving only the indifference and alienation that she was most familiar with.
Shen Zhen thought that this person was angry about Guard Yang’s slip of the tongue.
Thinking about how Guard Yang had always been nice to her… She bit her lip, poked his frowning brows with her index finger, and said something good for Yang Zong, “Guard Yang just made a slip of the tongue, please don’t punish him, My Lord.”
Lu Yan turned around and looked at her.
A distant scene suddenly appeared before his eyes.
He once asked her, “Do you know who you are?”
She replied, “I am My Lord’s mistress.”
Thinking of this, Lu Yan fell silent.
He was not surprised that she thought like that.
Sui Yu was right, he did bully her a lot.
The man let out a long sigh.
He looked at her seriously and said, “Shen Zhen, he didn’t say anything wrong, why should I punish him?”
——
Li Di was on duty at the Ministry of Works when a servant came running over and whispered, “My Lord, the Marquis of Pingyang met the Crown Prince today.”
Li Di paused and asked seriously, “Is it outside or in the East Palace?”
“It’s the East Palace.”
Li Di was silent for a while.
If they met outside, they could still talk about the old times, but if they met in the East Palace, Marquis Pingyang would clearly stand on the side of the Crown Prince.
Li Di then entered the carriage and the servant asked, “My Lord, are you going back home?”
“No, let’s go to the East Market first.”
——
At dusk, Li Di returned home carrying a food box.
A maid ran over and said, “Yí niánɡ3(The term used for a concubine), the master is back with a food box in his hand. I guess he bought it for you.”
He Wanru smiled, supported her waist with one hand, covered her stomach with the other, and walked slowly towards the door.
But just as she saw him, she saw Li Di walking towards the main courtyard.
He Wanru looked at her lower abdomen, took a deep breath and her eyes became moist.
In fact, Li Di was somewhat fond of Shen Shu, how could He Wanru not know?
But that man drew a big cake for her, always able to pacify her when she was on the verge of collapse.
No one knew that during the time when Li Di and Shen Yu were still in love, He Wanru, Li Di’s legally married wife, once came to Chang’an alone.
The prosperity of Chang’an dazzled her and the streets were crowded with people. She stood in the middle of the crowd, feeling a little breathless.
Just as she was about to return, she stood in the corner and saw Li Di smiling and reaching out to a carriage. Then, a woman wearing a veil came down.
From that moment on, she had been looking forward to the fall of the Shen family, so when the Shen family actually fell, she almost cried with joy.
