Chapter 156: Princess, Will You Sentence This Slave to Death?
The next time Feng Yin came to the Princess Mansion, his baby face had thinned considerably.
Feng Yin went to investigate the location Xiao Li had told him about. At first, he only saw a mother and her two children and didn’t understand.
But he believed the Princess wouldn’t have given him the address for no reason. There had to be something wrong with the trio.
So, he personally staked out the place for two days, and he finally saw what the Princess wanted him to see.
He Changyu arrived carrying wine, meat, and pastries. When he knocked, the two children opened the door, happily calling him "Daddy."
As the door slowly closed, he watched through the narrowing gap as a gentle-looking woman came forward and intimately took He Changyu’s arm.
His brother-in-law stayed there the entire night, only leaving for his duties at dawn.
When Feng Yin asked his sister why her husband hadn’t been home the previous night, she told him that He Changyu had left the city on business.
Upon further questioning, he learned this wasn’t a recent development. He Changyu was away from home frequently, leaving for a trip almost every ten days. Sometimes he would be gone for several days at a time, and Feng Yu had grown used to it.
Feng Yin found out the woman’s name was Wu Xiuyun. The house had been left to her by her father, as she was an only daughter. Her husband’s name was Li Changshun, and because he had married into her family, their son and daughter had both taken Wu Xiuyun’s surname.
In the eyes of their neighbors, Li Changshun worked as a steward for a noble family outside the city, which was why he could only return home every ten days or so.
But he was very good to his wife. They were a loving couple, and their two children were quite clever.
Every time Li Changshun came back, he would buy all sorts of tasty treats. The mother and her children were always well-fed and well-dressed. Everyone said Li Changshun was a capable and family-oriented man.
The more Feng Yin investigated, the harder it was for him to believe.
If Li Changshun was a good, family-oriented man, then who was his brother-in-law?
His sister had been unable to conceive for years and felt terribly guilty about it. But He Changyu always told her not to rush, that it would happen when the time was right.
Everyone thought he was being considerate of Feng Yu. But who could have guessed that he might already have children of his own and didn’t care if Feng Yu ever had any?
The Feng Family considered him a good son-in-law. Outsiders considered him a good man. His sister called him a good husband.
And yet, this "good man" had another family under a different name, complete with two children—the older of whom was already six.
Six years old!
Six years ago, he hadn’t even married his sister yet!
Feng Yin had read countless books, but not one of them had taught him how to handle such an absurd situation.
Xiao Li looked at his haggard expression and found it both amusing and pitiable.
"Poor little young master. Is this enough to make you question your whole existence?"
Xiao Li leaned on the daybed, propping up her head. "If you don’t have the guts to expose the truth, then just leave it be. Your sister doesn’t know anything, and she’s living a perfectly happy life."
Feng Yin’s expression turned serious. "This is deceit. My sister can’t be lied to for the rest of her life."
"Then solve it," Xiao Li said.
Xiao Li tapped her foot thoughtfully. "Didn’t that Li Changshun claim to be a steward for a noble family? Just have someone dress elegantly and go over there. Have them say they’re a friend of Li Changshun’s and that he’s had an accident—someone broke his legs, and they need his family to come and get him."
"Take the woman with you. If the two children make a fuss, take them along as well."
"You don’t have to do anything else. Just lock the three of them up somewhere. Once he realizes they’re missing, you can see if he can still use his ’Li Changshun’ identity to rescue them."
"If you don’t want your sister to find out, you could just send the three of them far, far away, somewhere He Changyu will never find them. That way, your sister would never have to know."
Feng Yin had never done a bad thing in his life; kidnapping people was truly a bit much for him. He was torn by an intense inner struggle, his young face set in a stern, grave expression.
It was meant to be a serious expression, but on his face, it was somehow just amusing.
Xiao Li casually plucked a peacock feather from a vase and poked his cheek with it.
It tickled so much he couldn’t stand it. He grabbed the feather and gave her an exasperated look. "Princess, please don’t tease me," he chided softly.
Even as he spoke, his gaze drifted unconsciously to Xiao Li’s lips. Their vivid red color was so searing that he quickly looked away, flustered and blushing.
Lou Yan arrived just then. He heard laughter from a distance, and as he rounded the corridor, he saw the Princess lounging on a chair in the sun, with the shy young master sitting on a low stool beside her.
Both of them had smiles in their eyes, and the atmosphere was joyous. Sunlight dappled their forms, creating a beautiful tableau.
It was so bright and beautiful it was painful to see.
Lan Yue announced, "Princess, Mr. Lou is here."
Xiao Li, still holding the peacock feather, twirled it slightly and lazily opened her eyes to look over.
Lou Yan bowed formally. "Your servant is here on the Emperor’s command to deliver a bounty of Dongzhu pearls for the Princess, as well as a reward for Doctor Cen."
The ever-proper Feng Yin stood up. "Princess, I will take my leave now."
Xiao Li waved the feather dismissively. "Go on."
The blush still hadn’t faded from Feng Yin’s cheeks. He wanted to say something more to the Princess, but with others present, he could only depart.
Once Feng Yin was gone, Lou Yan asked, "And where might I find Doctor Cen?"
Xiao Li couldn’t possibly let anyone from the palace go to Song Junzhan’s residence, so she simply said, "Leave the items here. Someone will deliver them to him later."
Lou Yan nodded in understanding. He had the other attendants follow Lan Yue to put the gifts away, while he himself knelt on one knee beside Xiao Li’s daybed.
He casually set aside the pearls gifted by the Emperor. From within his robes, he produced a list and a purple crystal pendant.
"These are your servant’s trusted confidants in the palace. They are at the Princess’s disposal."
"The Palace Attendants close to the Empress Dowager and Chen Pingting have been disposed of by your servant. As for those who might know of the Princess’s visit to the palace, your servant has not spared a single one."
"Chen Pingting’s body has been returned to the Chen Family, with orders forbidding an elaborate burial. The entire Chen Family’s official titles have been demoted by two ranks, and the Emperor is now thoroughly convinced it was an accident."
’The Princess doesn’t lack for treasures, nor does she want true affection. The only things I can offer are my value and this face.’
He slowly reached out, tentatively taking the hand that held the feather. He gently drew it toward himself and placed it against his own neck.
He tilted his head back to look up at her. His dark, cold eyes trembled slightly, his thin lips were pressed into a line, and his jaw was taut, as if a suppressed madness was about to burst forth.
"Now, the only one who knows everything is your servant."
"Princess... will you order my death?"
’Xiao Li had always said that she and Lou Yan were very much alike. On some level, their souls resonated in perfect harmony.’
’But there was one small difference.’
’Xiao Li had a maniacal need for control. She could accept death, she could accept failure, but she would never submit to being controlled by another.’
’Lou Yan, on the other hand, was powerful—a ruthless killer who had clawed his way up the ranks. He appeared devoid of emotion, but that was only because he’d never found anything worth caring for.’
’Once he did, all his emotions would come pouring out with an intensity that was suffocating.’
’Moreover, after so many years in the palace, he was inevitably tinged with the servility of a eunuch.’
’He enjoyed being controlled far more than he enjoyed controlling others.’
’Look at him now. He was literally handing his life over to her, yet he was so excited he looked as if he might faint.’
’Like some kind of perverted masochist!’
’If she were to pick up a whip and flog him right now, wouldn’t he just die from the pleasure?’
Xiao Li didn’t want to reward him, but he was just so damn tempting.
The tip of the feather traced a path upward, from his chest, over his throat, to his chin. It was a weightless touch, yet it made him tilt his head back further, offering up his fragile lifeline in a posture of complete submission.
Xiao Li let go of the feather, switching hands to pinch his chin. "Lord Seal Master... how very obedient."
The moment she finished speaking, she pulled him forward and pressed a hard kiss to his lips.