"I lured them a little, leading them to a specific alley. It was only because those five were so audacious and reckless that they fell for it." Dongfang Heng's voice was deep, and a cold glint flashed in his obsidian-like eyes.
Shen Lixue frowned: "Although the Emperor executed the five of them, he did not take any further action. Dongfang Zhan's power has not suffered much damage or disruption."
“The Emperor’s lack of action does not mean he has no suspicions.” Dongfang Heng’s lips curled into a smile, extremely faint, yet profoundly unfathomable.
"You mean the Emperor is secretly keeping an eye on those born in the year and month of the zodiac?" Shen Lixue hadn't had much contact with the Emperor, but she felt that he was cunning and unfathomable. Sending people to secretly monitor others was entirely in line with his character.
Dongfang Heng nodded, his sharp eyes unfathomable: "His Majesty is a wise ruler with his own judgment. After the results of the new ritual to consult the heavens appeared, he sent people to investigate several people born in the year and month of Yang, and only after confirming that there were no suspicious points did he agree to let them enter the various fortresses."
"Some of them were Dongfang Zhan's men, while others were not. Relying on their special birthdays, they suddenly rose to prominence, which inevitably made them arrogant and caused resentment among the soldiers. Fortunately, there were not many of them, so the matter did not escalate and did not reach the Emperor's ears."
"Of the five people involved in this incident, one is one of Dongfang Zhan's men, while the other four are not. However, they have abused their power to oppress the people, which will surely enrage the emperor. He will also order people to secretly investigate the true identities of those born on special occasions and their every move in the army. The truth will soon come to light..."
"The Emperor is wholeheartedly devoted to Dongfang Zhan and wants to pass the throne to him. Even if he knows that Dongfang Zhan has planted people in secret, he may not necessarily blame him. In fact, he may be pleased with Dongfang Zhan's meticulousness and brilliant strategies and will not eliminate them at all."
Shen Lixue had a lot of contact with Dongfang Zhan. He was gentle yet ruthless, decisive and efficient. He was more outstanding than the Crown Prince and more suitable to be emperor. If he were not their enemy, he would be a capable and wise ruler of the Qingyan generation.
"If the emperor himself finds out the truth and has a secret talk with Dongfang Zhan, this is probably the outcome." Dongfang Heng is very clear about the emperor's favoritism towards Dongfang Zhan, and the emperor will certainly not stop Dongfang Zhan from interfering in military affairs.
"What do you want to do?" Dongfang Heng's voice was calm and even, but Shen Lixue could hear the subtle unspoken meaning in his words.
"Strike at Dongfang Zhan before the Emperor discovers the truth." Dongfang Heng looked at the bright sun in the sky, his obsidian-like eyes unfathomable.
Shen Lixue stared intently at Dongfang Heng: "You've come up with a plan?"
"Preparations are already underway." Dongfang Heng smiled slightly, his smile exuding an indescribable charm and allure.
"What plan?" Shen Lixue's beautiful eyes sparkled with anticipation. Dongfang Zhan was extremely intelligent, and a plan to deal with him would require careful planning and could not be taken lightly.
Dongfang Heng kissed Shen Lixue's full forehead: "The plan has only been partially implemented and is not perfect yet. I will tell you when I have perfected it."
"Then tell me about that small part." The more mysterious Dongfang Heng's plan was, the more Shen Lixue wanted to know.
Dongfang Heng looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "Be careful, walls have ears." Fengsong Courtyard was full of his confidants, so he had to be careful to prevent anyone from watching from afar.
"Then you can whisper in my ear. No one else can see your lip movements or hear your voice, and it will also be a good opportunity to give our child prenatal education," Shen Lixue suggested mysteriously.
Dongfang Heng gently stroked Shen Lixue's swollen belly with his jade-like fingers and asked in confusion, "Can my plan also be used as prenatal education?" Shen Lixue had previously said that beautiful music was the best prenatal education.
"Talking to the fetus more is also part of prenatal education. If the fetus hears more schemes from a young age, it will be smarter and more cunning after birth." With a cunning father as a role model, the fetus will be influenced by his surroundings after birth and will definitely become more cunning.
"Then I'll play the flute for you." Dongfang Heng heard that the first child is usually more attached to the mother. Before he was even born, he had already taken away most of Shen Lixue. If she were born and was even more cunning than him, she would definitely take the whole child away. Wouldn't that be a huge loss for him?
Shen Lixue's eyes darted around, and she slowly stretched her long arms behind Dongfang Heng's neck, breathing softly into his ear: "I want to hear your plan." Since discussion wouldn't work, Shen Lixue resorted to using her beauty to her advantage.
With a soft, warm body in his arms, and the unique fragrance of Shen Lixue lingering in his nostrils, Dongfang Heng felt a little distracted. He pressed his thin lips to Shen Lixue's cherry lips and gently kissed her. The soft, fragrant touch made him unable to resist.
His nimble tongue deftly parted her pearly teeth, probing into her mouth, constantly expanding its territory. The light, tentative kisses turned into a passionate, deep kiss, as intense as a storm.
Shen Lixue almost couldn't bear it. Her beautiful eyes welled up with tears, and her soft, shallow breaths turned into rapid gasps. Her small hands clutched Dongfang Heng's clothes in protest: "Heng... Heng... I... can't breathe..."
Dongfang Heng reluctantly left Shen Lixue for a moment, looking into her dreamy, beautiful eyes. His dark pupils were unfathomable. His jade-like fingers gently caressed her rosy cheeks. The warm temperature emanating from his fingertips made a smile flicker deep in his eyes.
"What exactly is the plan?" Shen Lixue asked breathlessly, her beautiful eyes glazed over, still focused on her objective.
A smile flashed in Dongfang Heng's sharp eyes as he leaned down and gently kissed Shen Lixue's eyelids: "You are pregnant and need to rest more, and you should also keep a good mood. Hearing the plan will definitely make you worried, which is not good for you and the baby. I will take care of this matter. You can rest and take care of your pregnancy at home. Once this is over, I will tell you the whole plan."
Two balls of anger suddenly ignited in Shen Lixue's beautiful eyes. She didn't want to reveal her plan, so why didn't he tell her sooner? She had deliberately set up a honey trap, but he had taken full advantage of her without getting any information. She had truly lost both her wife and her army.
Shen Lixue punched him hard a few times, then rested her head on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. She pouted helplessly. Dongfang Heng, that cunning god, had made up his mind not to tell her the plan, so no matter how much she schemed, it would be useless.
"Then you must tell me about the plan afterward." She wanted to hear the plan so that Dongfang Heng could refine it. He didn't want her to worry, so she didn't ask. She just wanted him to be safe and sound.
"Don't worry, there's nothing to hide afterward. I'll tell you everything." Dongfang Heng lightly touched her cherry lips, and seeing her angry gaze, his smile deepened. He could handle the affairs of the court. Li Xue was pregnant, and he didn't want her to worry too much. "I'll play the flute for you."
Dongfang Heng used a white jade flute, which was placed on the small table in front of him. He gently picked it up and brought it to his lips. The beautiful music slowly rose in the courtyard, gentle and soft, like a flowing stream or a babbling spring, melodious and pleasing to the ear.
The maids and servants nearby all stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction from which the music was coming. They were all surprised. It was Prince An playing the flute. His voice was so beautiful. They hadn’t heard it in a long time.
Dongfang Xun was reading in his study when he heard the music. He was startled and looked through the wide-open window toward Fengsong Courtyard with a gentle gaze.
The sound of the xiao was beautiful and dreamlike, as if it had come alive. No one but Dongfang Heng could play such a beautiful xiao. He had married a smart and beautiful wife and was about to become a father, enjoying the bliss of family life. He was in a good mood, and the sound of the xiao was filled with happiness and harmony. He even envied Dongfang Heng a little.
Putting down his book, Dongfang Xun looked at the bright sun in the sky and sighed softly: If Dongfang Heng hadn't rushed to Shen Lixue's bedside to hold her on the day of her full moon sixteen years ago, he would be the one with Shen Lixue now, and he would be the one who is happy and joyful.
Unfortunately, time cannot be turned back, and the past cannot be undone. His younger brother was smarter and had better judgment than him from a young age, and naturally he would be happier than him as he grew up. Li Xue and he were a perfect match and very much in love. Seeing them living a harmonious and happy life, he, as the older brother, was also very happy.
In the Maple Pine Courtyard, Dongfang Heng, dressed in white, held a jade flute and played it elegantly. Shen Lixue nestled in his arms, listening intently. The fetus in her womb seemed to hear the beautiful sound as well, and the family of three was very quiet. The family of three basked in the sunlight, happy and content.
The beautiful sound of the flute soared into the air, echoing from Maple Pine Courtyard and carrying far and wide through the surrounding air. It was melodious and captivating.
As the music ended, Dongfang Heng put down the white jade flute. The clear and melodious music stopped, and Fengsong Courtyard instantly fell silent. He heard even breathing from his arms. He looked down and saw Shen Lixue lying in his arms, already asleep. Her eyes were slightly closed, her eyelashes were curled, and her beautiful face was fair with a rosy glow. Her peaceful and serene sleeping face was so beautiful that one could not bear to defile her.
Dongfang Heng smiled helplessly. As expected of a pregnant woman, she could fall asleep listening to his flute playing. Although the music he played was very soft, the sound came from above her head. Most people would be woken up by the noise, but she slept so soundly that she didn't seem disturbed at all.
He carried Shen Lixue in his arms and strode into the room. He carefully placed her on the bed, took off her outer and inner clothes, gently covered her with a quilt, sat on the edge of the bed, and lowered his head to kiss her cherry-red lips.
Dongfang Zhan is very clever and cunning. To deal with him, you have to be unprepared and take him by surprise. Although his plan is perfect, he still needs to find the right opportunity to stir up some people's minds. Once their minds are in turmoil, they will make mistakes. That's when the opportunity he's been waiting for will arrive.
However, opportunities are rare and unpredictable, and he didn't know how long it would take to arrive. If it didn't come for a long time, he would change his plans. Therefore, it wasn't that he didn't want to talk about the specific strategy, but rather that it was difficult for him to do so.
"Your Highness." Zi Mo's deliberately low voice rang out from outside.
Dongfang Heng tucked the blanket in and strode out: "What is it?"
Zi Mo whispered a few words, and Dongfang Heng's brows furrowed, a sharp glint flashing in his deep eyes. It was truly a stroke of luck; the opportunity had come so quickly. "Instruct them to proceed according to the original plan, without making any mistakes."
Dongfang Heng's magnetic voice carried an indescribable chill and authority. Zi Mo hurriedly replied, "Yes!" With a turn of his body, his tall figure disappeared, followed by a slight whooshing sound as he quickly left Fengsong Courtyard.