Dongfang Heng kissed her wantonly, without any restraint, his arms tightly wrapped around her slender body, his strength so great that he wanted to knead her into his very bones.
Shen Lixue was having trouble breathing, her face flushed crimson, and her beautiful eyes were misty with tears, making her look hazy and pitiful. Her slender body, whether from the hot water or some other reason, had a faint pinkish hue, as soft as a pool of spring water. A soft murmur escaped her lips: "I...can't...breathe..."
Dongfang Heng reluctantly left her for a moment, looking at her slightly swollen cherry lips and hazy, watery eyes. A hint of a smile flashed in his sharp eyes. He gently touched her smooth forehead with his full forehead and said in a deep voice, "Let's get some rest tonight. I promise I won't bother you!"
"Really?" Shen Lixue's mouth was slightly open, her breathing rapid, the warm scent of pine resin spraying onto her face, her dark eyes bright as the night.
Dongfang Heng's heart fluttered, and he gently kissed her eyelids: "When have I ever lied to you!"
When has he ever lied to her? It seems he's lied to her quite a few times about these kinds of things!
Soaking in hot water, her blood circulated rapidly. Shen Lixue was exhausted and sleepy, too lazy to argue with Dongfang Heng. She leaned close to his chest and closed her eyes: "I'm tired, don't bother me!"
Dongfang Heng's jade-like fingers gently brushed over Shen Lixue's smooth, black hair: "It's almost time for breakfast. Have breakfast before you go to sleep!"
"I'm not eating anymore, I'm so sleepy!" Shen Lixue buried her face in Dongfang Heng's arms, closed her eyes tightly, and her breathing gradually became even.
Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue, whose brows were slightly furrowed, and gently kissed her smooth forehead like a dragonfly skimming the water: "Rest if you're tired. I'm going to find Father to discuss dealing with the Duke of Mu's mansion!"
The words "Duke Mu's Mansion" struck Shen Lixue's ears like a long, drawn-out bell, instantly clearing her hazy thoughts. She abruptly opened her eyes, looked at Dongfang Heng, and her beautiful eyes shone brightly: "You want to deal with Duke Mu's Mansion?"
"You're tired, get some rest. Leave this to me and Father!" Dongfang Heng's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He knew she was interested in this matter. He took a large cotton handkerchief and wrapped it around Shen Lixue completely. "I'll carry you to bed to rest."
"I'm not sleepy anymore, tell me your plan!" Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Heng, her beautiful eyes sparkling, full of energy.
"Consort Shu sent a message by carrier pigeon to Duke Mu and his eldest son, asking them to return to the capital as soon as possible..." Dongfang Heng said in a low voice, avoiding the main point.
Shen Lixue frowned slightly: "The border is so far from the capital. Even if they ride at full speed, it will take them at least ten days to arrive!"
Dongfang Heng smiled, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "Ten days is enough time for us to arrange everything!"
"You've already come up with a plan?" Shen Lixue stretched out her arms from under the cotton handkerchief, hugged Dongfang Heng's neck, rested her small face against his chest, and looked up at him: "What plan? Tell me quickly!"
The fragrance of the woman's skin wafted gently with the heat. Dongfang Heng glanced at Shen Lixue, whose smooth, black hair cascaded down her back, making her breathtakingly beautiful. A hint of cunning flickered in her clear eyes, like a sly little fox, as she subtly probed for the information she wanted to know: "The Duke of Mu has been leading troops on the border for many years. Do you know what generals in the army fear most?"
"What is the most taboo thing?" Shen Lixue had never been to the border and did not know the weaknesses of the soldiers. Her clear eyes were as black as night, and when she blinked gently, they were filled with a thin layer of misty water. Dongfang Heng's heart fluttered when he saw her. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed!"
They actually tricked her!
A surge of anger rose in Shen Lixue's chest. Her clenched teeth and scream pierced the clouds and echoed through the sky, shocking everyone in the courtyard: "Dongfang Heng!"
Eight days later, the sound of horses' hooves echoed along the official road. Shen Lixue stood on the pavilion, her cool gaze looking through the wide-open window at the billowing smoke on the official road. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly: "The Duke of Mu only took eight days to get back to the capital. His speed is truly fast!"
Standing behind Shen Lixue, Dongfang Heng reached out and embraced her, his smooth chin lightly touching her soft shoulder. His sharp gaze swept over the group of people galloping along the official road: "The ancestral home where we've lived for generations has been mortgaged to someone else. The situation is urgent, so Duke Mu will naturally rush to the capital!"
Shen Lixue glanced at Dongfang Heng: "Is everything arranged?"
"The trap has been set, just waiting for Duke Mu to fall into it!" A cold glint flashed in Dongfang Heng's sharp eyes.
A gust of cold wind blew by, and Shen Lixue's slender body trembled. Dongfang Heng waved his hand to close the window, and looking at Shen Lixue's slightly pale face, his gaze narrowed slightly: "Lixue, you haven't been feeling well lately. Should we call a doctor to take a look?"
"Am I not feeling well?" Shen Lixue looked up at Dongfang Heng. She had been eating and sleeping normally lately and hadn't noticed anything wrong with herself.
"She does look a little unwell!" Dongfang Heng wasn't sure if Shen Lixue was sick. Apart from sleeping longer in the morning and at noon and becoming a bit picky about food, she seemed no different from usual.
Recalling the madness of last night, Shen Lixue's face flushed with a rosy hue. Dongfang Heng had been intimate with her almost every night until midnight, and she had to get up early the next morning to change the Holy King's dressings. With insufficient rest, it was no wonder that she looked unwell: "Don't bother me tonight. I'll definitely be in good spirits tomorrow!"
"Let's talk about this tonight." Dongfang Heng's sharp eyes flashed. Newlyweds should naturally be affectionate and tender. Holding a beauty in one's arms, only being able to look but not touch, is unacceptable. His deep gaze looked through the window at the distant sky: "Father has made all the arrangements. Let's watch the excitement at the Duke of Mu's mansion first!"
In Chang Le Palace, Consort Shu, dressed in a deep blue palace gown and adorned with an elegant headdress and jade hairpin, stood gracefully before the lattice window, wielding a wolf-hair brush on white Xuan paper, her white jade teardrop earrings swaying back and forth with her movements.
Her cold gaze fell upon the Xuan paper, and the silhouette of a man gradually emerged on the white paper. Her delicate white hand gently caressed the man's jade-like face. Her cold gaze softened, as if she were lost in beautiful memories.
Suddenly, something occurred to her, and a shadow fell over her beautiful eyes. She grabbed the drawing paper with her slender hand and tore it to shreds. Pieces of rice paper scattered all over the ground, and her heart felt empty, with nowhere to settle.
"Your Majesty!" When the little palace maid pushed open the door and walked in, she saw this scene: white paper scraps were scattered all over the floor, and Consort Shu stood in the middle of the fragments, noble and proud, yet full of anger, loneliness, and desolation. The little palace maid had never seen Consort Shu like this before, and she was stunned for a moment.
"What is it?" Consort Shu suddenly raised her eyelids, her beautiful eyes flashing with sharpness and coldness, making people dare not look directly at her.
The young palace maid was startled and quickly lowered her head, not daring to look her in the eye: "Your Majesty, it is Duke Mu..."
"He's back in the capital!" Consort Shu's voice softened. Calculating the days, if he traveled at breakneck speed, he should be back by now. Next, she could begin to devise a plan to deal with him…
"Your Majesty, Duke Mu has indeed returned to the capital. However, when he entered the Duke Mu's villa, he was arrested by the officials. The old lady was shocked and angry, vomited blood, and fainted..." The little palace maid was overwhelmed by Consort Shu's sharp aura and her voice grew softer and softer.
"What? You were arrested by the officials the moment you stepped into the villa? What exactly happened?" Consort Shu's beautiful eyes flashed with a sharp light. Which official was so reckless as to dare to touch the Duke of Mu, who had made great military achievements?
Seeing Consort Shu's anger, the young palace maid lowered her head even further: "Your Majesty, the officials said that someone has reported that Duke Mu has embezzled a huge amount of the soldiers' pay at the border, so..."
Consort Shu felt a sudden thud; her slender body trembled, and she couldn't help but fall backward. One sentence kept echoing in her mind: "The Duke of Mu embezzled the border soldiers' pay..."
"Your Highness!" The young palace maid exclaimed in surprise, rushing forward to support Consort Shu.
"I'm fine!" Consort Shu shook off the little palace maid, a mocking smile playing on her lips: Ha, embezzling the soldiers' pay, what a fitting charge. The soldiers on the frontier are risking their lives, and they have wives, children, and elderly parents at home. Embezzling their money is like drinking the blood and flesh of their families, and it will only incite public anger. Duke Mu, who has committed such a serious crime, will never have a good end.
"Which official arrested Duke Mu?"
The young official lowered her head and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, it is Lord Zhao from the Jingzhao Prefecture!"
Consort Shu's gaze sharpened; the Jingzhao Prefecture belonged to the Prince of Yan!
The image of Old Madam Mu crying and complaining echoed in her mind: "The Prince of Yan helped a strange couple against the Duke of Mu's mansion. It's pitiful that our ancestral home, where we've lived for generations, has been given away for nothing..."
Mu Tao owed gambling debts, and it was understandable that the Prince of Yan would prioritize justice over personal connections and order the entire Mu family to relocate. However, this time, the Duke of Mu embezzled soldiers' pay, which didn't bother him, yet he actually ordered the Jingzhao Prefecture to arrest the Duke of Mu. Something was amiss.
Where is Duke Mu now?
The palace maid curtsied and said, "Your Majesty, he's in the Jingzhao Prefecture prison!"