Chapter 53: What a Pipe Dream
SLAP!
The hand he had just been holding was snatched away, and slapped.
"Such insubordination. Aren’t you afraid of losing your head?"
Her chiding tone carried a hint of a smile; she wasn’t truly angry.
The back of his hand didn’t hurt from the slap. There was only a faint, tingling numbness that spread to the depths of his heart—an indescribable sensation.
"The Princess couldn’t bear to let me die."
He wasn’t asking if she could bear it; he was certain she couldn’t.
Lou Yan had never considered himself handsome. In this era, people preferred the classically handsome and proper features of men like Lu Yanzhi, who possessed the noble bearing of a young lord from the great aristocratic families, along with the scholarly air of a well-read man.
Or the cold austerity of Prince Chen, or the gentle warmth of the Emperor. In any case, it would never be his own features—demonic, treacherous, the very image of a villain.
Some feared him, saying his face was as terrifying as a vengeful spirit. Others hated him, calling his methods cruel and utterly inhuman.
He was a eunuch, a slave, the Emperor’s blade. He wasn’t even considered fully human, so there was no need to care about his appearance.
But on more than one occasion, he had seen a look of stunned admiration in Xiao Li’s eyes. She was quite fond of this physical shell of his.
Xiao Li’s hand was in a great deal of pain, and she was in no mood to discuss whether or not she could "bear to" let him die.
Lou Yan didn’t make any further moves. Clasping a hand behind his back, he slowed his pace to match hers.
Lou Yan escorted Xiao Li through two gates before stopping. He then gestured for men to bring a palanquin to take her out of the palace.
The Emperor still had many matters for him to attend to, so he couldn’t be away for too long.
Xiao Li left just like that, so Qian Hui had no choice but to go back with Lu Yanzhi.
"Nanny Qian."
Lu Yanzhi’s weary voice drifted from inside the sedan chair. "The Princess is furious today. How am I supposed to placate her?"
Upon hearing this, Qian Hui looked at the sedan chair in surprise. The curtain was half-parted, and by the light of the moon and lanterns, she could see the Prince Consort’s perfectly sculpted jaw. His lips were pursed, and he seemed to be in a difficult position.
Qian Hui’s heart instantly ached for him. ’The Prince Consort is so wonderful, yet the Princess doesn’t know how to cherish him. She even wanted to kill him today. It’s just so wrong.’
"It’s simple for you to placate the Princess, Prince Consort. Couples quarrel at the head of the bed and make up at the foot. If you just dote on the Princess a bit more, your feelings for each other will naturally become as strong as ever."
She then sighed and continued, "It’s all because of you, Prince Consort, that the Princess seems like a different person now. But it isn’t that she no longer loves you. There’s no hate without love, after all. She was just feeling too wronged before. Coax her a little more, Prince Consort. Once you two consummate your marriage, the Princess will naturally return to her old self."
As Qian Hui imagined this beautiful future, Lu Yanzhi seemed to be swayed, though he still sounded hesitant.
"Today, the Princess saw me holding Xue... the Princess Consort. She was furious..."
Qian Hui was unconcerned. "Prince Consort, you already said you were in a hurry to save someone. It’s the Princess who’s being intolerant and petty. If you just explain it to her properly, she will definitely forgive you."
Lu Yanzhi was silent for a long moment before sighing. "But the Princess won’t even let me near her now, let alone enter her bedchamber."
Sensing an opportunity, Qian Hui’s eyes darted, and she smiled smugly. "That’s a simple matter. As long as you are willing, Prince Consort, this old servant guarantees you two will reconcile and become more loving than ever."
Lu Yanzhi lowered the curtain. "Then... I’ll have to trouble you, Nanny."
-------
When Qian Hui returned, Xiao Li was bathing. She peeked inside and saw several maids attending to her, so her presence wasn’t needed.
An idea came to her, and she left. About thirty minutes later, she returned carrying a tray.
"Princess, it’s time for your medicine."
The mere sight of medicine now gave Xiao Li a headache. She’d been drinking it every day, and felt like she was practically being pickled in it.
Seeing that Xiao Li didn’t want to drink it, Qian Hui began to persuade her earnestly. "Princess, you fainted from exhaustion just yesterday. You absolutely cannot stop taking this medicine. The Imperial Physician even added several tonics. Your body must be properly replenished."
Unable to stand the nagging, Xiao Li took the bowl of medicine and downed it in one gulp.
Only after watching her finish it did Qian Hui smile in satisfaction. Before leaving, she didn’t forget to add a final instruction: "All of you, help the Princess get up at once. Don’t let her soak for too long; it’s bad for her health."
Xiao Li had indeed been soaking for a while. As she pushed herself up from the tub, her legs felt weak the moment her toes touched the floor. ’My body really is too frail,’ she thought. ’I need to resume my martial arts training in a couple of days. I wonder how Rong Qing’s injuries are.’
The moon was as bright as day tonight. She had wanted to go for a walk, but her body was simply too tired. After having Hong Yue apply medicine to her hand, she lay down on her bed.
Drowsiness washed over her, and she was on the verge of falling into a deep sleep when a sudden, searing heat rose from her abdomen, slowly spreading through her limbs.
’It’s so stuffy... so hot... and I’m so thirsty.’
"Hong Yue."
She kicked away the blanket and tried to get out of bed, but only made it halfway up before falling back heavily. Her body was impossibly weak.
And then there were the waves of heat, making her body burn and even beginning to cloud her mind.
"Someone! Hong Yue! Lan Yue!"
Xiao Li realized something was wrong. Even if she were ill, it shouldn’t have come on so aggressively.
This felt more like she had ingested something she shouldn’t have.
’That bowl of medicine Qian Hui brought?’
’And this feeling in my body... why does it feel so much like an aphrodisiac?’
"Princess."
A tall, slender figure walked in, parted the beaded curtain, and arrived at her bedside. It was Lu Yanzhi.
He looked down at Xiao Li on the bed, her face flushed and her clothes in disarray. His eyes held no desire, only a resigned numbness.
The moment Xiao Li saw him, everything became clear.
Her eyes filled with disgust. "You actually had her drug me."
Lu Yanzhi’s hand, which was gripping his lapel, paused. "I didn’t order it. Nanny Qian was just trying to do what’s best for you, Princess. She wants us to consummate our marriage."
He untied his sash and slowly sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Xiao Li with a calm expression. "I am willing to be a real husband to you from now on. If the Princess can give birth to a son or daughter soon, our little family will be even more complete."
’A real husband and wife? A son or a daughter?’
’In his dreams.’
"Lu Yanzhi, your shamelessness is truly astounding. So I suppose it wasn’t you plotting with Liu Xueyin to kill me?"
’So she really did hear me.’
Lu Yanzhi pressed his lips together. "The Princess Consort was just emotional at the time. I only agreed to calm her down; I never truly intended to harm you, Princess."
His gaze fell heavily upon Xiao Li. "The Princess Consort and I have known each other since childhood; you could say we were childhood sweethearts. I only think of her as a younger sister. There’s no need for you to resent her, Princess."
A torrent of emotions churned within Xiao Li, finally coalescing into two words: "You idiot!"
’Does he take me for a fool? How could such a stupid lie possibly work?’
And that wasn’t even mentioning the time she had personally witnessed their "epic, moving" love story with her own eyes.
Right now, he was like a cheating scumbag who’d just been caught, his only excuses being "She’s like a sister to me" and "What you heard were just lies to placate her." If she were to press the issue, she would be the one who wasn’t being magnanimous.
Any other woman with even the slightest affection for him would have probably exploded with rage by now.
It was only because Xiao Li couldn’t care less about him that she could remain so unfazed.
Xiao Li’s attitude—being clearly drugged yet still looking down on him—provoked Lu Yanzhi. Even a refined and reserved noble scion had a temper. He leaned down, his eyes blazing. "I shouldn’t have wasted so many words on you, Princess."
With that, he moved in to kiss her.
Xiao Li mustered all her remaining strength and lashed out with a kick.
"Get out!"