Mercenary Princess - Chapter 127
A blissful glow spread across his handsome face. He hooked one arm around Rongyue's soft waist, and tenderly kissed her rosy cheek, sighing softly, "My dear, I love anything you give me. Even if it seems worthless to others, I will cherish it forever, because it's a token of your affection." Raising his left hand, he removed the purple jade ring from his thumb, stroking it lovingly. "Although you only did it in a moment of panic, I've been overjoyed ever since. Because I know that you've finally begun to acknowledge me, to value me, and that I, Tuoba Chen, have begun to hold a place in your heart. Do you know, my dear, I, Tuoba Chen, can have nothing, but I cannot live without your love..."
“Chen…” Rongyue felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She reached out and gently stroked his handsome cheeks with both hands. Then she leaned down and brought her head close to his lips, placing a kiss full of affection on the corner of his lips.
This kiss stirred the deepest emotions within him.
His palms roamed over her back, tracing its curves back and forth, before expertly untying her sash and his large hands restlessly slipping inside...
"I almost forgot!" Rongyue pushed away the infatuated Tuoba Chen, grabbed the edge of the bed, swayed from side to side, got off the bed, and ran barefoot toward the cabinet behind the screen.
Tuoba Chen, panting heavily on the bed, stared at the staggering, petite figure and gritted his teeth in resentment: What a troublesome little thing!
Her vision started to blur again… She rubbed her dizzy head, opened the gilded wooden cabinet with its carved dragons and phoenixes, took out the square package she had hidden in the innermost layer, wrapped tightly in a bright yellow silk, put it in a cup, and stumbled towards the bed…
"careful!"
With quick reflexes, he caught Rongyue, who was about to fall, scooped her up around the waist, and carried her to the bed.
"Why the rush? I can't escape. Honestly, take it easy!"
Ignoring Tuoba Chen's blame, she unwrapped the package layer by layer. When she opened the last layer, she proudly showed it off to him like a treasure: "Look at this! This gift is a once-in-a-millennium find! Ta-da!"
A bright yellow silk ribbon billowed in the air, revealing a painting inlaid with white jade to Tuoba Chen without reservation!
A vast expanse of stars, a bright moon shining high. The darkness is like a canopy, yet the glittering stars and moon reflect each other, adding a silvery glow to the darkness and creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Beneath the stars, in the moonlight, a perfect couple sits embraced in the green grass, gazing deeply into each other's eyes, their eyes seeing only each other, as if in the entire world, only the person before them exists…
On one side of the painting is an inscription, written in a vigorous and powerful style with the wildness of cursive script. Yet, the words convey boundless affection: "May we find one heart to share, and stay together until our hair turns white."
"I wish to find one heart to share with you, and stay together until our hair turns white... Little San, are you serious?" Tuoba Chen excitedly hugged Rongyue in his arms, his heart pounding like a drum. His sweet joy was overflowing, and he wanted to shout it out to let the whole world know his ecstasy.
Did he wait for her? Did he really wait for her? Heaven, could it be that you couldn't bear to see him suffer so much in his love, so you let him achieve his goal and finally win her heart?
He understood perfectly well that for a long time, her feelings for him had been more gratitude than love. That night, she gave herself to him simply because she had been cold for too long and wanted a fleeting moment of warmth from him. Call him shameless, call him ruthless, he was determined to seize her impulse that night, to hold her tight, to possess her! Because he understood that happiness had to be fought for, and opportunities were often fleeting. If he didn't grasp this hard-won chance, when would they ever have a future together? Although he was only possessing her body, he refused to believe that, based on their long-standing companionship, she wouldn't have any feelings for him…
Where there's a will, there's a way. Hasn't he achieved his goal?
The other woman is finally his, both in body and soul...
A soft snore came from my arms. Looking down, I realized that she had fallen into a deep sleep sometime during the night.
He affectionately stroked her peacefully sleeping face, then lowered his head to bring his face close to her fair and delicate features. Listening to her even and shallow breathing, a deep sense of happiness enveloped him...
The hangover had already given Rongyue a throbbing headache, but seeing the sketch made it even worse.
"Oh my god, I actually brought out your birthday present ahead of time! It seems that people who drink really can't keep secrets. I'll have to remember that in the future."
"When you're drunk, you're more than just unable to keep secrets?" Xing's eyes narrowed slightly, and with a raised hand, he tapped Rongyue's forehead: "Little San, from now on, you're not allowed to drink with anyone other than me, understand? Because I'm really afraid that when you get drunk, it's one thing for you to act crazy and sing and make a fuss, but what if you get carried away and start harassing decent men? Then I'll have nowhere to cry."
Adjusting the crown, Rongyue spat lightly, "Stop exaggerating! I didn't!"
"No? Is that so?"
Tuoba Chen's ambiguous tone made Rongyue recall the past, her face flushing slightly. She quickly changed the subject: "Alright, it's almost time for the morning court session, let's go!"
As he spoke, he straightened his clothes, lifted his leg, and stepped towards the palace gate...
After chuckling softly a few times, Tuoba Chen followed Rongyue out of the bedchamber...
Volume Two: The Resolute Heroines' Chronicle, Chapter Fifty-Two: A Shocking Turn of Events (Part One)
"Your subject has a report to make." In the Golden Palace, Imperial Censor Sima Jian stepped forward to present his report.
"Play."
"Recently, a large number of refugees have suddenly flooded into the capital and have settled there. Temples, streets, and other places within the city are overflowing with people. Their numbers are enormous, and for several days they have been begging throughout the capital, severely disrupting the city's order and the lives of its residents. We humbly request Your Majesty to devise a plan for their disposal!"
Refugees? Rongyue frowned: "Are they refugees from the main city?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"But if I remember correctly, I allocated disaster relief funds not long ago, so how come there are still so many refugees!" Could it be that someone is embezzling funds? At this thought, Rongyue's expression suddenly turned stern. If any official dared to embezzle disaster relief supplies, she would punish them severely once investigated!
"Prime Minister Ye!"
"Your subject is here!"
"This matter is entrusted to you!"
"Your subject obeys!"
...
It's strange. Loulan's garrison city was flooded, so why were these refugees flocking to the Loulan imperial city instead of going elsewhere? If he remembered correctly, the neighboring cities were second only to the imperial city in prosperity, and were among Loulan's most important cities. There was no reason for them to go to such lengths. This phenomenon was truly perplexing…
He tossed a few coins to a refugee begging on the street, then glanced at the ragged refugees filling the street, his suspicion deepening. He beckoned to his attendant, gave him a few instructions, and the attendant nodded in agreement before turning and walking into the crowd of refugees…
After being greeted by the officials sent by Rongyue, Dongfang Yao finished his dinner, dismissed the servants, opened the window, and began to contemplate the moon alone.
He mentally reviewed the rebellions that had occurred in Loulan in recent years, then connected them to the current refugee crisis. Reflecting on his attendant's report, he pondered repeatedly, but after a long time, he couldn't find a single flaw. It seemed they really were just a group of ordinary, displaced people…
Was he really overthinking it? But his intuition told him it wasn't that simple...
"Who goes there!"
"I!"
A dark figure leaped into the room through the window and stood arrogantly in front of Dongfang Yao. Upon closer inspection, Dongfang Yao's expression instantly turned cold, and his hands, which were hanging under his sleeves, involuntarily clenched into fists.
What are you doing here?!