Три мандариновые утки и полторы пары

Глава 30

A sharp glint flashed, and Su Shaochu felt a tingling pain shoot through his palm holding the red ribbon. Streams of energy flowed along the red ribbon and rushed into Su Shaochu's body through his palm!

A look of astonishment crossed his face as Zhu Yu slapped him, but Su Shaochu deftly flipped back and leaped onto the table!

"I've said it before, as long as you take the initiative to come to me, it will be the time when my dream comes true."

The two stood facing each other, each bound by a red ribbon. The one with the ribbon around her neck wore a deep smile, while the one threatening her with the ribbon looked pale and bluish.

Su Shaochu inwardly cried out that something was wrong, because the air on the satin had a magnetic ability, making it impossible for him to shake off the satin with his hand. The pain and numbness intensified, rendering his arm almost useless. In addition, his internal energy was gradually dissipating, and he was already feeling weak and tired. He had lost the opportunity to launch a sure-fire attack!

"My dear brother is so thoughtful, using a red ribbon to tie our fate together. How could I, as the prince, be impolite? So I will return the favor with a grand gift—" Zhu Yu held the red ribbon around his neck between his index and middle fingers, his sword intent condensing into his fingers, and a blue rainbow light shone from his fingertips, shooting towards Su Shaochu like a powerful arrow!

The force of the energy burst through the air, its speed and power astonishing Su Shaochu on the table. His remaining internal energy was no match for it. As he leaped away, he drew a dagger from his boot and decided to use the force to jump to the window, then cut the red satin and retreat from the battle!

"As I said, I would return the favor with a grand gift to my beloved brother. How can you simply turn around and leave?"

Seeing through his intentions, Zhu Yu acted even faster, using the red ribbon around his neck to boost his strength, and a powerful surge of energy struck Su Shaochu again!

"Ah!" The figure who came to the window cried out in pain, and the dagger in his hand fell to the ground at the same time. Su Shaochu crashed into the bed next to him, clutching his chest in pain. The energy rushed from his left arm into his heart meridian, and his heart felt as if it had been pierced by sores and holes!

"Why, my dear brother, are you in such a hurry to leave?" Shattering the red ribbon around his neck, Zhu Yu stood before Su Shaochu, a satisfied sneer on his face as he looked at the pained man.

"Let's see... what grand gift... the Third Prince... will give Shao Chu!" The intense pain made it difficult for him to finish his sentence.

He was doomed tonight. Rather than putting up a futile resistance and only worsening his injuries, and considering that Zhu Yu's original intention was to obtain him, Su Shaochu, and that the poison in his blood and qi also depended on him, he had no choice but to swallow the humiliation before him and wait for an opportunity to act, so as not to lose more possible opportunities for future counterattacks.

"This grand gift is—" Zhu Yu raised his hand, a surge of energy swirling the injured Su Shaochu, causing him to fall into Zhu Yu's arms! "Let this prince see your true identity and gender!"

"Third Prince...this grand gift...is completely...unbelievable to me!" Leaning on his arm, looking down at his arrogant and snarling face, Su Shaochu, who had long forgotten what fear was, slowly felt a sense of panic rising within him.

"Strange? Heh heh heh!" He laughed, tearing open Su Shaochu's clothes and reaching inside to grab a piece of silk brocade. His eyes remained fixed on the person clenching their teeth in the armpit. "The sixth son of the Su family, a daughter, belongs to my Tian family—"

The silk brocade that was suddenly torn off was a pale yellow bodice, revealing Bao Ying's bare breasts!

Su Shaochu suddenly closed her eyes, not because of the embarrassment of her naked chest, nor because of the large hand that was caressing her breasts, but because of the wolfish look in her eyes, which was excited and eager to devour her prey, making people tremble!

Overwhelmed by exhaustion and dizziness, Su Shaochu leaned against the crook of his neck, feeling himself being lifted up. In his half-awake state, he seemed to see an entire wall of the study sliding open, revealing candlelight inside, like another world!

Holding "her" in his arms, Zhu Yu stepped into the world behind the wall as if he had obtained a trophy. Then the wall slid back to its original position, and the moonlight shone through the window lattice, quietly illuminating the tranquil and serene study.

【to be continued】

wedge

On Mount Songyan in the eastern region, the snow is white all year round. On the nearby lower peaks, where the sun shines, the snow melts occasionally, adding a touch of green. Under the sunlight, they have a unique white beauty.

As night falls, the silvery moonlight shines on the lakeside below the peaks. In the distance, eagles soar and circle in the night sky. The moonlight reflects the frost, and amidst the verdant mountain walls, a few streaks of bright red flowers adorn the peaks that enchant the surrounding lake.

Tonight, a small boat glides across the lake, its surface shimmering with gold and silver light. The clear, melodious sound of the zither echoes in the misty night.

"Birds roost, fish remain still, the night moon shines deep into the river."

The full moon shines on the lake, enhancing the poetic atmosphere.

"I have nothing to do with my body, only my zither in the boat. The seven strings are my good friends, and my two ears are my confidants."

The voice sounded soft, yet it carried a mellow elegance.

"When the mind is calm, the voice is faint; there is no distinction between past and present."

The sound and music drew a smile from a man in a black robe and yellow shirt in a small pavilion by the lake. He responded with the same music, but unlike the carefree and unrestrained musician on the small boat, his music possessed a more expansive and majestic quality.

In an instant, the zither's melodious strains filled the night, until the water in the small stove on the stone table in the pavilion was steaming, and the strings of the two zithers simultaneously played their final notes.

"It seems that the young master of the Xuanhong family in the Eastern Region is also a person with a refined taste for music." The young man in the small boat raised his furrowed brows and said to the man on the lake shore.

"The zither music of the Ice Moon Prince has a unique and ethereal artistic conception of mountains and rivers."

"Young Master Xuanhong's zither music is quite the charm!"

The boy laughed, quite amazed that the boy's music was not as gentle as his appearance suggested.

"Faced with soaring geese, it's difficult to decipher their calls without catching up," the man said with a meaningful smile. "Please come up to the pavilion, where Zhai Cheng will treat you to some simple wine."

"Very well, let's consider this a farewell drink before leaving the Eastern Region." The young man on the small boat stood up, his elegant figure in a light-colored robe leaping into the air.

The snow-white robes billowing in the night were like white wings spreading out, the figure soaring in the air, reflecting the silver moon in the night sky, clear and beautiful, as if it were about to ride the night breeze.

"The Wild Goose Under the Ice Moon".

The man murmured softly. He knew why everyone outside the Great Wall called him that, and even his attendants were stunned by the rumors about him from beyond the Great Wall.

However, he felt that there was something different about him than he had seen a month ago. The same appearance, the same light-footed skills, and the same place. When the man saw Bingyue Zhiyan, who wanted to go up Songyan Mountain to get rare red fruit as medicine, he was struck by how Bingyue's demeanor and appearance resembled someone who had emerged from frost and snow, unlike the carefree smile he had today.

As the boy stepped onto the pavilion, he generously accepted a cup of warm wine offered by a younger boy and drank it down in one gulp.

"The people around Young Master Xuanhong seem to be quite young." All the people waiting inside and outside the pavilion were boys under the age of fifteen, and each of them had tattoos belonging to the Xuanhong clan on their cheeks near their ears. Several of them stared at him with undisguised curiosity.

"They are all children from the Eastern Region who lost their parents at a young age. After my Xuanhong Clan took them in, they took turns learning martial arts and pharmacology from me, so that they can contribute to the people of the Eastern Region in the future."

The man smiled and patted the young boy who had just handed him the wine. The boy was clearly the youngest in the group. He had big, bright eyes and a small black mole next to his eye, making him look extremely cute. The man couldn't help but smile at the boy, who then shyly hid behind his host.

"Heh." Delightful people always brought him great joy. "The Xuanhong Clan of the Eastern Region is not only peaceful and unassuming, but also the conscience of the Eastern Region. It seems that you... but is there something wrong with my appearance?"

The boy in the snow-white robe was halfway through his sentence when he couldn't help but ask a question, because the other person was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"The Ice Moon Goose is renowned for its chivalry and its lightness of foot and graceful movements, but I fear this goose has a pair, and yesterday's goose is not today's goose." The other party spoke with a hidden meaning, implying something in his words.

On the young man's handsome face, his pupils flickered slightly, then he smiled with admiration.

“Xuan Hong Zhai Cheng, if it weren’t for our different stances, perhaps we could be friends who share a drink and have a good time together.”

Seeing that he was so frank and didn't deny it, the other party couldn't help but respond cheerfully as well.

"But I consider us to be friends who can drink and chat happily together."

Xuan Hong Zhai Cheng, whose face was more jade-like than that of an average man, had a light red birthmark on his left cheek. It blended with his jade-like face as if it were powdered, yet he did not appear to have any feminine effeminacy. On the contrary, when he smiled, he revealed his masculine boldness.

Chapter 1

In the capital city at the end of summer, afternoons are often filled with sudden rainstorms, which only turn into a drizzle when a crescent moon shines brightly in the sky.

For several days in a row, the capital was shrouded in a misty drizzle after nightfall, and even the distant peaks appeared as dark and hazy as if splashed with ink.

Inside a thatched pavilion on a mountainside near the capital, a slender figure with a long whip around his waist waited with his hands behind his back. Beside him were two burly men in strange clothes, holding torches, their bodies bound with ring-shaped blades by thin ropes. The three men blended into the darkness, cold and silent.

When a faint sound came from the gravel path in front of the thatched pavilion, the tall, thin man who had been waiting inside with his hands behind his back turned around and looked at the group of men in black rushing towards him.

Under the torchlight, the man's overly long face made his cheekbones appear even more prominent. What was most striking were his long, narrow eyes, with thick, yellowish whites and pupils that looked like tiny dots, making them appear even more sinister and eerie in the darkness.

"Meng Yansi".

More than a dozen masked men dressed in black, some carrying bows and arrows and others with long knives, knelt down in front of the thatched pavilion to report.

He took out a blue pill from the cloth bag at his waist and ordered it to be distributed. The man's small, beady eyes suddenly lit up with a sharp light as he watched each man in black remove his veil and take the pill before issuing the kill order.

"Master of the Three Emperors' Mansion, those who fail to complete the mission will be executed before dawn!"

"yes."

After receiving the order, a dozen or so burly men in black retreated and then ran down the mountain.

The magnificent Three Emperors' Palace is as splendid as any palace in the capital. Tonight, the palace halls are still filled with singing, dancing, and a lavish banquet to welcome distinguished guests.

Amidst the revelry and music, beautiful dancers, draped in sheer veils of various colors, danced with alluring grace, their slender waists partially exposed. Under the bright lights, their alluring silhouettes swayed with passion, tempting the hearts of the onlookers.

In the main seat at the front, the imperial prince, dressed in noble and gorgeous attire, rested his handsome and flawless face on his hand, looking at the scene before him with a broad smile, but his thoughts were deep and composed.

Before I had you, I only felt a sense of novelty and interest; after I had you, I finally made up my mind about one thing: I want you to belong to me, Zhu Yu, for the rest of your life; I want your love and body, Su Shaochu, for the rest of your life. If you think it's all a dream, a drunken dream, then I will dream it for a lifetime and be drunk for eternity.

Looking back at him, his eyes always held a confident air, and his lips held an enigmatic smile, meeting her gaze with a challenging intensity.

She often dismissed worldly affairs and worldly matters with a nonchalant smile; even when facing a powerful and respected man, she remained calm and composed, showing little sign of panic, as if nothing could enter her heart.

Gazing at the amber wine in the jade cup, his eyes narrowed with rising emotions, a look that was both amused and stern.

"A dream...a drunken stupor?"

Her fingers, gripping the jade cup, tightened slowly. Was this all he existed in her heart?

Once you fall into my hands again, you will never have another chance to escape. Don't blame me for being a heartless devil when that happens.

He has always viewed "beauty" as prey. Once he has identified "beauty" with a woman, regardless of gender, he will use every means to obtain her and then play with her without ever lingering. However, when faced with a woman who remains calm and composed even if Mount Tai collapses before her, and who possesses exceptional wit and wisdom, his heart begins to develop an obsession with her.

"Third Prince, what is disturbing your mood? Is it that these adorable little larks before you are not pleasing to you?" A low, husky female voice asked the noble man who was lounging lazily on the golden brocade couch.

Puzzlingly, he had been smiling and admiring the dancers dancing merrily in front of him, but suddenly he held his wine glass for a long time without drinking, and even his expression changed.

"Does Qi Zhen know that I once possessed a skylark that was unique in the world?" He smiled and drank the wine in his hand, and a maidservant immediately poured another one. "No, to put it another way, it was a soaring roc, proud and confident, as unique as a snow goose in the night, hard not to be captivated by its dazzling beauty."

The Third Prince, Zhu Yu, was always dressed in dazzling, luxurious attire. His gold-red crown was inlaid with a green jade bead, and his black hair, which was as flowing as a woman's satin, was tied up. Pale yellow silk was trimmed with dark purple edges, and his gorgeous robes were decorated with royal patterns made of precious pearls and jade with exquisite embroidery.

His face was incomparably handsome, his expression was languid and leisurely, and his brows were full of unpredictable charm. What remained unchanged was the gold earring made of red beads on one ear.

His tall, slender figure lay across the luxurious couch, his long fingers holding a wine glass adorned with various precious gemstones and gold rings. His innate royal bearing further accentuated the handsome and domineering presence of this imperial prince.

"In the past?" Upon hearing this, the question turned into a mocking tone. "How could someone of the Third Prince's power and influence possibly fail? Or... is it that you, Third Prince, are not ruthless enough?"

Zhu Yu laughed loudly, sat up, and stretched out his hand, which was adorned with pearls and jewels. He used his long fingers to lift up the beautiful face beside him, admiring her stunning beauty that was unlike anything he had ever seen in the Central Plains.

"After many years, Qi Zhen has truly captured my heart."

Long fingers traced her beautiful face, her eyes, beneath the blue eyeshadow, radiated an icy allure and sharpness, like a pair of captivating eyes that could steal one's life.

"The Eastern Region Princess is renowned for her cold beauty beyond the borders. If those eyes of hers are not handled properly, they might not only steal my soul, but also... my life!"

Kroqi Zhen's bright red exotic clothes were extremely eye-catching. Countless fine beads were strung together to form a gauze-like veil covering her face, which was obliquely covered from the left side of her hair bun, half-encircling her face below her nose. However, her high nose bridge and red lips could be seen faintly under the beads, which also made her captivating eyes stand out even more.

"With your delicate features and pale complexion, it is Qi Zhen's good fortune to receive praise from the Third Prince." Under Zhu Yu's penetrating and piercing eyes, she remained unmoved and said bluntly, "It's just a pity that not only is the Third Prince hard to bewitch, but his life is even harder to bewitch."

The four major foreign tribes surrounding the capital city of Tiandu in the Central Plains—the Eastern Regions, the Northern Barbarians, the Western Frontier, and the Southern Origins—have undergone several generations of evolution. From early wars to submission to the Tiandu Dynasty, as time has passed, the foreign tribes and the Central Plains have developed relationships of varying depths through intermarriage, tribute, and commercial exchanges such as technology.

"Does your inability to take my life make you regretful?" Zhu Yu asked, resting his chin on his hand with interest.

"The Eastern Region has received much care from you, Third Prince. Taking your life would be tantamount to taking away the protection of the Eastern Region. At least in terms of benefits, it would not be worthwhile for the Eastern Region."

"Qi Zhen is still so outspoken, openly discussing interests with me, the prince." Zhu Yu was not annoyed by these words, but instead smiled.