Offered As A Lucky Bride To The Mad Princess To Ward Off Misfortune - Chapter 72

72: The Emperor’s Stroke and the Shifting Court Dynamics

As soon as the words left her mouth, the sense of humility clinging to Xiao Qiling vanished entirely. Her clear, piercing gaze turned radiant and intense, and a slow smile spread across her face.

Yu Nanqing froze for a moment, her wandering rationality finally snapping back into place. She belatedly realized what Xiao Qiling had tricked her into saying.

Would Xiao Qiling truly care whether she slept in Qinfang Pavilion or Lanshi Garden? Had Yin San ever successfully guarded the gates of Qinfang Pavilion?

Did Xiao Qiling really lack silver? Setting aside the dazzling treasures filling the storehouse, the gold mine left to her by Emperor Wuxuan was more than enough for Xiao Qiling to squander. Not to mention, Yu Nanqing had given her the formula for refining fine salt. Once it was implemented, whether Xiao Qiling obtained a salt license to produce it herself or assisted merchants in refining it, the profits would be immense.

Most importantly, would Xiao Qiling truly be willing to sever ties with her? The mere mention of “divorce” during their intimate moments could drive Xiao Qiling into a frenzy, biting her in a fit of madness. Xiao Qiling would never truly let her go.

Yet, Yu Nanqing had been so easily ensnared by the physician’s words, completely unguarded when Xiao Qiling played the victim.

Once her rationality returned, everything seemed riddled with holes.

Yu Nanqing frowned at Xiao Qiling, about to say something, when she was suddenly kissed.

Xiao Qiling’s movements were fierce and urgent. The wound on Yu Nanqing’s lower lip, bitten earlier by Xiao Qiling, was still oozing bl00d, and the salty, metallic taste spread in her mouth.

Though Yu Nanqing was the one pressing down, she realized as she struggled that Xiao Qiling had, at some point, locked her arms around her waist, holding her tightly in an unbreakable embrace.

In a brief pause between kisses, Yu Nanqing grew even more certain this was all part of Xiao Qiling’s scheme. Seizing a moment to catch her breath, she said, “Let go—I have something to ask you—”

Xiao Qiling released her lips but kept their foreheads pressed together, their touching skin burning hot. Her voice, usually so commanding and steady even when disguised as a man, trembled in that moment. “Qingqing, is it true that you like me? You said you like me, didn’t you? Didn’t you?”

“No, no!” Yu Nanqing refused to admit it. “Didn’t you say you wanted to leave me a way out? Well, I want a divorce right now, Xiao Qiling. You’re despicable! How dare you trick me with those words.”

Yu Nanqing had just said she wanted to be with her day and night, even admitting she liked her. Her current outburst was nothing to Xiao Qiling, who found it harmless.

In fact, the more Yu Nanqing scolded her, the deeper Xiao Qiling’s smile grew. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the dense pink cherry blossoms, casting a soft glow on Xiao Qiling’s shoulders, softening her features.

When Yu Nanqing finally ran out of steam, Xiao Qiling spoke gently, “Our marriage was personally decreed by the Emperor. A divorce would require petitions through the Ministry of Rites, layer by layer. Divorcing would be tantamount to defying an imperial edict. Even if the Emperor approved, there would be consequences. But rest assured, Qingqing, this prince will never let you suffer.”

Yu Nanqing: …

Here it was again—Xiao Qiling’s same coaxing tone that had tricked her earlier.

Yu Nanqing sneered, “Perfect. It’d be best if they banished you to Northern Xinjiang, as far from the capital as possible.”

A flicker of hurt passed through Xiao Qiling’s eyes. “Qingqing will head south, won’t you? Would I still be able to see you then?”

Yu Nanqing remained unmoved, her tone icy. “You definitely wouldn’t.”

Xiao Qiling’s true intentions surfaced. “Then I’ll keep searching until I find you.”

As she spoke, her eyes seemed to glisten with a faint crimson, like smudged rouge, her brows and eyes carrying an irresistible charm.

“Is that alright?”

Yu Nanqing’s breath hitched, her face slowly flushing.

A subtle warmth surged within her, and suddenly, having a Xiao Qiling like this didn’t seem worth fussing over.

“Divorce is too troublesome. It’s not really suitable.”

Yu Nanqing lowered her head, her voice uncertain. “But you can’t be like other princes who stop cherishing what they’ve gained. If you ever wrong me, I’ll throw a divorce letter at you and make sure you never find me again.”

“I won’t.” Xiao Qiling said.

Yu Nanqing looked up.

Xiao Qiling kissed her, her voice tight and moist. “That day will never come. Just thinking about it drives me mad.”

Yu Nanqing’s fingers tightened on Xiao Qiling’s collar. As she was pressed back against the tree trunk, her emotions spiraled out of control, a tingling sensation spreading from her tongue to her heart.

Her body slid downward, only to be pulled back tightly into Xiao Qiling’s embrace.

Yu Nanqing’s fingers slipped into Xiao Qiling’s hair, gently caressing as her voice broke. “Wait… you haven’t said if you like…”

“I like you.” Before Yu Nanqing could finish, Xiao Qiling cut in, retreating to plant soft kisses on her lips, each word punctuated with a kiss.

“I like Qingqing. I like Yu Nanqing. Only you.”

Yu Nanqing was thoroughly appeased but didn’t forget the other matter.

“Are you still going to prepare another way out for me?”

Xiao Qiling didn’t answer. Her kisses deepened, like a sudden storm, then softened into a gentle drizzle as Yu Nanqing gasped in discomfort.

The kisses trailed to her ear, her flushed earlobe drawn into Xiao Qiling’s mouth, kissed tenderly as her voice grew even more seductive.

Yu Nanqing’s lashes trembled, and she lifted her tear-dampened eyes, clinging to a shred of rationality. “Someone… someone might see…”

Xiao Qiling continued kissing her, sticky and lingering. The delicate charm in her peach-blossom eyes was a facade masking unrestrained possessiveness. Her voice, laced with allure, brushed against Yu Nanqing’s ear.

“Qingqing, you just said you’d do everything a husband and wife do.”

She kissed away the moisture at the corner of Yu Nanqing’s lips, leaving them glossy and red.

Yu Nanqing could hardly believe her ears. “It’s broad daylight.”

“Yes, daylight.” Xiao Qiling’s voice lingered, unsatisfied. “You still owe me from last night.”

Xiao Qiling rubbed Yu Nanqing’s lower lip, her gaze lowering without another word. As Prince Ning, raised by the Empress and mentored by Minister Wei, she was refined, noble, and flawless in public.

Her rationality seemed to struggle. Xiao Qiling closed her eyes, her breath scalding. “Let’s go inside, no candles. Is that alright?”

Yu Nanqing bit her lip. “People will hear.”

Xiao Qiling: “Then I’ll send the hidden guards away from the courtyard.”

“No, that won’t do either.” Yu Nanqing’s brows furrowed tightly, unaware she was no longer refusing but instead being led by Xiao Qiling to consider the feasibility of daytime intimacy.

Their shared body heat rose, Xiao Qiling’s wide sleeves enveloping Yu Nanqing completely. As they pressed closer, Yu Nanqing could feel the firm ceremonial belt against her waist.

Xiao Qiling, when dressed in her mansion’s layered skirts, never skimped on adornments, wearing every intricate accessory as taught by the Empress. Yet now, these symbols of restraint were being pressed and disheveled between them, stirring a shameful flush in Yu Nanqing.

It was as if the pristine Prince Ning had truly been pulled into the mortal dust by her.

That “I like you” hadn’t been in vain.

Yu Nanqing said nothing, and Xiao Qiling didn’t push further, though her kisses grew fiercer, more urgent, yet remained just kisses.

It was a silent standoff.

Yu Nanqing’s bl00d felt like molten lava, surging through her. After tasting love, these kisses became a torment, igniting an unbearable heat.

Finally, she pushed Xiao Qiling lightly. Sensing her intent, Xiao Qiling paused.

Yu Nanqing heard herself say, “I can’t walk.”

…

In the Ning Prince’s Mansion, the guards on duty spotted two figures darting across the rooftop. Just as they moved to pursue, Yin San clapped a hand on their shoulders.

Yin San’s cheeks were unnaturally flushed as she gestured in another direction. “Ahem… you all worked hard entering the palace last night. No need to stand guard today—go rest.”

“But we didn’t enter the palace yesterday,” a guard said, puzzled, thinking Yin San had misremembered.

A cool breeze from the rooftop dispelled Yin San’s flush, and her voice returned to its usual coldness. “His Highness has important matters and permits no interruptions.”

Assuming Prince Ning was meeting a confidential court official, the guards saluted and withdrew from Lanshi Garden.

Yin San exhaled, glancing at the tightly shut door, and retreated, her role fulfilled.

Inside, the moment the door closed, Yu Nanqing, still marveling at Xiao Qiling’s peerless lightness skill, was caught off guard as she was pulled back into an embrace.

“Ah, that hurts—”

Yu Nanqing’s face was grazed by the tassels of Xiao Qiling’s phoenix hairpin. As she started to complain, Xiao Qiling caressed her cheek and grabbed her other hand.

Instinctively tensing, Yu Nanqing was led behind the screen.

As they tumbled into the bed curtains, Xiao Qiling lowered her head, her gaze sweeping over Yu Nanqing’s eyes. “Nervous?”

“…Why would I be nervous? Why aren’t you lighting a lamp?” The heavy bed curtains cascaded down, and Yu Nanqing’s heart tightened.

Xiao Qiling’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “There’s still time to back out.”

“I didn’t say I wanted to back out. Xiao Qiling, you’re so talkative.” Yu Nanqing’s tone softened as she bit Xiao Qiling’s chin. Her undergarments were already due for washing—more or less made no difference.

“I saw the guards being sent away. The whole mansion knows Prince Ning is up to no good, yet you keep asking and asking.”

Her teasing, flirtatious tone slipped into Xiao Qiling’s ear, prompting a low chuckle. “Don’t provoke me.”

Yu Nanqing’s ear tickled, and she turned her face away. “Like in the warm pavilion—be gentle.”

“I can’t be gentle.” Xiao Qiling’s voice was slow. “Any gentler, and you won’t feel it. This time, I’m not just serving you—you can’t escape halfway.”

Yu Nanqing huffed. “Who told you to hide your gu poison from me?”

If Xiao Qiling only served her again this time, Yu Nanqing would start wondering if something was wrong with her body.

Xiao Qiling’s kisses descended, and Yu Nanqing lay back, parting her lips to meet them. Her dark hair spilled across the golden silk pillow, her hands guided by Xiao Qiling, fingers interlocking and tightening.

During the prolonged prelude, Yu Nanqing urged Xiao Qiling no fewer than three times.

As they clung together, the tremors from Xiao Qiling’s chest were far clearer than in the pool. Without the water’s buffer, it felt like being wrapped in soft cotton. Yu Nanqing’s mind went blank in an instant, staring dazedly as Xiao Qiling reached to wipe a tear from beneath her eye.

“Still alright?” Xiao Qiling’s voice was tender, her low, chuckling tone sliding to Yu Nanqing’s ear. “So, Qingqing likes me this much.”

She could sense every ounce of Yu Nanqing’s passion without effort.

Yu Nanqing, caught in a frustrating limbo, snapped, “Are you doing this or not?”

Xiao Qiling leaned down, her lips grazing Yu Nanqing’s. “Say you like me again.”

Unable to think clearly, Yu Nanqing’s fading rationality barely managed, “I don’t like you.”

Not only did she not like her, she despised Xiao Qiling. The physical sensations tugged at every nerve, and she tried not to think of Xiao Qiling or the overwhelming pleasure from the warm pavilion. But Xiao Qiling kept calling her name, kissing her relentlessly.

Yu Nanqing felt her defenses crumbling.

Her response clearly didn’t satisfy Xiao Qiling. A shadow flickered in Xiao Qiling’s eyes. She suddenly released Yu Nanqing, and in her stunned gaze, slid back a few inches, then kissed her again, this time with a sharp bite.

Yu Nanqing’s eyes filled with shimmering tears, her unfocused gaze reflecting Xiao Qiling’s magnified face, brimming with vivid affection.

Moments later, as her legs stopped trembling and Xiao Qiling kissed her lips, Yu Nanqing tasted a faint salty tang—unintentionally transferred, fed into her mouth by Xiao Qiling.

Realizing its source, Yu Nanqing burned with shame and fury, raising her hand to strike Xiao Qiling. But even the most skilled martial artists sent by Emperor Wenjing couldn’t gain the upper hand against Xiao Qiling, let alone Yu Nanqing.

Her hand was caught, her legs pinned once more.

Xiao Qiling’s teasing voice rang in her ear. “Didn’t Qingqing say she’d stay with me? Why back out now?”

Indeed, Xiao Qiling hadn’t yet had her fill, and Yu Nanqing had to endure a little longer.

In her refractory period, without the pool’s aid, everything felt more resistant. Uncomfortable, Yu Nanqing mistook it for pain. “Stop, wait—I’m hurting—”

It wasn’t truly pain, just her body’s protective response to avoid overexertion. Yet Xiao Qiling continued, and the resistance gradually faded. Not wanting Xiao Qiling to notice, Yu Nanqing complained, urging her to stop.

Xiao Qiling paused, brushing aside the damp strands on Yu Nanqing’s forehead. Her kisses softened, lingering from Yu Nanqing’s forehead to her nose, finally landing on her lips.

“Does it really hurt?”

Yu Nanqing, too embarrassed to speak, stared at the layered bed curtains, unconsciously brushing against Xiao Qiling’s waist, as if urging her on.

“Does it really hurt?” Xiao Qiling asked again.

Yu Nanqing gazed at Xiao Qiling’s slender, pale neck, watching a bead of sweat trail down.

It fell with a soft pat onto her chest.

Her voice hoarse, Yu Nanqing said, “…I don’t know.”

Xiao Qiling bit back a breath, her voice dripping. “You’re torturing me.”

Yu Nanqing’s words faltered. “I’m not—”

To prove it, she pressed Xiao Qiling’s lower back, one leg slipping out from the bed curtains. Biting her lip, she said, “This is fine, right?”

Even she felt a bit overwhelmed. Before Xiao Qiling could respond, Yu Nanqing raised her arm to cover her eyes.

This gave Xiao Qiling the chance to take control. She seemed to chuckle, holding Yu Nanqing tighter, fiercer. When Yu Nanqing couldn’t bear it, Xiao Qiling whispered in her ear, “Qingqing, I adore you.”

Yu Nanqing’s face flushed crimson. As she lowered her arm, she brushed against Xiao Qiling’s equally red ear.

The urge to silence Xiao Qiling vanished.

She only let out a soft hum, her lips pressing against Xiao Qiling’s chest, feeling the strong heartbeat as she pressed down slightly.

The humid air left Yu Nanqing breathless. When Xiao Qiling bit her shoulder, her heart filled with a strange sense of fulfillment, as if she were wholly complete. In the next moment, she trembled alongside Xiao Qiling.

Yu Nanqing opened her arms, pulling Xiao Qiling close, patting her back soothingly. “Did Your Highness enjoy herself this time?”

Xiao Qiling murmured in agreement, kissing along Yu Nanqing’s neck lightly for a moment before Yu Nanqing spoke first. “Will Your Highness enter the palace today? Will it delay important matters?”

Xiao Qiling shook her head, recounting what Yin Er had reported in the study.

Yu Nanqing only paused when she heard of Emperor Wenjing’s stroke. She showed little curiosity about Xiao Qijun and Xiao Qimin’s actions.

“What a pity we can’t let him taste the gu poison.” Yu Nanqing said, her body slick with sweat and trembling slightly, yet unwilling to let go.

If Emperor Wenjing were afflicted with the same gu poison, she feared he wouldn’t survive, which would disrupt Xiao Qiling’s plans.

Xiao Qiling kissed Yu Nanqing’s eyes, understanding her unspoken words. “He’s so power-hungry, yet unable to govern personally. With Xiao Qijun and Xiao Qimin circling like predators, the court will surely be lively.”

“True.” But Yu Nanqing soon thought of something else, worry creeping into her still-flushed eyes. “The cases exposed by Princess Rongxi are being reexamined. What about Your Highness? Will he do anything to you?”

Xiao Qiling didn’t answer.

Yu Nanqing, thinking Emperor Wenjing had already acted, felt her heart tighten. “Could it be—”

“No.” Xiao Qiling gave a short laugh, smoothing Yu Nanqing’s forehead. “Since Qingqing still has the energy to ponder court affairs, how about another round?”

“Hey, I’m talking about something serious—” Yu Nanqing’s voice was swallowed. She bit her hand, watching as Xiao Qiling slid back a few inches, her gaze dropping with curiosity as she explored.

As Xiao Qiling’s eyes darkened, Yu Nanqing shivered, her lips parting to say something, only to be silenced by Xiao Qiling’s touch. “The books say there’s something wondrous here. Want to try, Qingqing?”