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Chapter 67: Warm Bed

The Imperial Guards were busy cleaning both inside and outside the Ziying Hall, and the bodies piled up in more than ten ox carts. Most of the deceased were rebels driven by self-interest, but there were also many who were not. But what did it matter?

The “rebels” knew there was no way out, and in their desperate attempt, they “accidentally” harmed several trusted aides of the queens or the emperor, which could not be justified.

The emperor, severely weakened, lay in shock on his bed, recuperating in the Changyang Palace, north of the Imperial City. It was called convalescence, but in reality, it was no different from a hasty escape.

No matter how fierce a wolf is, it eventually grows old, with broken fangs. The father and son’s conflict cost him too much.

In the hall, Minister Yu Huanchen bowed and said, “Your Majesty, I did not receive orders from the three sects to lead troops into the palace which would violate military discipline. Eventually this failed to protect the Emperor. Please punish me.”

“The young commander and general were wholeheartedly protecting me, understandable. I pardon you of any wrongdoing.”

The emperor behind the curtain sat up, his voice hoarse and weary. “Today, that rebellious son promised noble titles, gathered the Northern Forbidden Army led by Li Mao, and attempted to seize the palace during the winter festival. Fortunately, the General and his daughter sacrificed themselves to protect me, allowing me to survive this crisis. I remember this in my heart and will surely reward you loyal and righteous generals!”

Minister Yu Huanchen knew this was an excellent opportunity. He glanced discreetly at his father, Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan, enduring the pain, lowered his robe and knelt, “To fulfill my duty is my obligation. Moreover, Your Majesty is benevolent and wise, divinely protected. I dare not seek credit. However, I am old and frail, and my humble daughter is often ill. If Your Majesty allows my little daughter to share the joys of family life under my care, I would be deeply grateful.”

The emperor was not unaware; Yu Yuan wanted him to withdraw the marriage decree. But a ruler does not jest; rescinding the decree at this moment would be admitting fault.

After pondering for a moment, the emperor said, “Yu Yuan is too humble! In ancient times, generals fought in armor at the age of seventy. Yu Yuan, with loyalty and courage in his prime, it is too early to discuss family life now. It is late and snowy; Yu Yuan, you should rest early. Tomorrow, after discussing with the Ministry of Rites, we will talk about merits and rewards again!”

He pretended not to understand, deflecting the matter.

Leaving the Changyang Palace, Yu Yuan felt heavy-hearted. Descending the white jade steps like a heavy ladder, he asked his son, “What happened today in the Ziying Hall when Seventh Prince rescued me?” 

Yu Huanchen understood; his father was inquiring about the fate of those attendants and officials who were “sacrificed.”

Some were close confidants of the emperor and empress, and some were officials involved in or took over the case of the “assassination attempt on the beautiful concubine” six years ago. Yu Huanchen, controlling the remnants of the rebel party, was only a few yards away from the Ziying Hall, with a chance to intervene. But he didn’t.

After this palace upheaval, the court is feared to no longer be the same as before.

Yu Huanchen chose to believe his sister and said, “A few words may not make it clear; father might as well go back and ask Sui Sui.”

Father and son never expected that Sui Sui had disappeared. Hutao knelt in the hall, a large purple mark on the back of her neck, already crying like a tearful person.

“The criminals took advantage of our absence, infiltrated the weakened defense of the Yu Mansion, first knocked out the maids, and then kidnapped Sui Sui.”

Yu Xinyi’s eyes were bloodshot from enduring, angrily saying, “Let me find out who the bastard is; I’ll make sure he pays dearly!”

Yu Huanchen remained calm, approached, and examined the bruise on Hutao’s neck, then asked, “Was there any ransom note left?”

Hutao choked, “This servant searched everywhere, but there was no kidnapping letter.”

“Judging from Hutao’s injury, the attacker must have struck several times to knock her out. It seems like an impatient amateur, and not motivated by wealth.”

Yu Huanchen understood, “Daring to infiltrate the general’s mansion and kidnap someone, it’s no ordinary bandit. Moreover, they took advantage of the chaos in the Yu Mansion while we were trapped in the palace, indicating that they are aware of what was discovered in the palace…”

Yu Xinyi widened her eyes, “Someone from the palace?”

Could it be a lackey of the Crown Prince, seeing the exposure of the situation, abducted her sister to secure bargaining chips for his own life?

Yu Yuan, unable to even take a sip of hot tea, clenched his fist and said, “Immediately investigate who among the rebels escaped the palace in the chaos today!”

Yu Xinyi, with injuries, wanted to follow, but Yu Huanchen stopped her, saying, “Take care of the family, block the news. Especially in these days, the Xue family has been coming and going frequently. Make sure they don’t hear any rumors, to avoid making a big deal out of this.”

Yu Xinyi reluctantly complied.

…

The wind and snow swept through, falling like frosty flowers on the trees.

In the Seventh Prince’s residence, the fluttering snow quickly covered the ground in a deep shade of red. Yu Lingxi was covered in a thick black cloak, creating a clean little space, filled with the faint woody fragrance from Ning Yin’s body.

The mixture of snow and fragrance covered the strong scent of blood in the courtyard.

“Dig out Wang Lingqing’s brain and liver, and feed it to the dogs,” Ning Yin said, and his chest vibrated slightly with his words.

For some reason, Yu Lingxi felt that his tone was not as casually playful as it was in her previous life. Instead, there was a subtle and hard-to-detect coldness and ruthlessness.

Why did he hold a grudge against Wang Lingqing?

Before she could understand this subtle change in Ning Yin’s emotions, the cloak covering the bloodstains loosened and fell, allowing the light to pour down again.

Leaning against his chest, Yu Lingxi raised her head and, along the clean and cold jawline, met those incredibly familiar ink-black eyes. So, she blinked her eyelashes and offered him a smile of reunion after a long separation.

In such a situation, she surprisingly still had the mood to smile.

Ning Yin’s eyebrows moved slightly, and he subconsciously grasped her wrist.

Finding the torn wound from the coarse rope, Yu Lingxi pursed her lips and gently frowned.

Ning Yin suddenly let go of her hand, glanced at her swollen wrist for a moment, and then, instead of holding her hand, grabbed the collar of her wedding dress. Crossing the courtyard, he carried her away like a chick to a sleeping chamber.

Then, without mercy, he kicked open the door.

A glaring warm light greeted them.

The layout and arrangement of this sleeping chamber seemed very familiar, almost similar to the royal palace’s sleeping chamber in the previous life. A strange sense of belonging emerged.

However, now was not the time to think about such things because Ning Yin seemed slightly displeased.

“Slow, take it slow!” Yu Lingxi staggered.

Ning Yin’s pace seemed unhurried, but due to his long legs, she found it quite challenging to keep up. Ignoring her plea, Ning Yin nonchalantly closed the door, carrying Yu Lingxi to the intricately carved wide couch inside.

The floor lamps illuminated like bright stars, the charcoal basin emitted warmth, and the dragon-shaped incense burner released fragrance. However, Ning Yin appeared cold, covered in the frost and snow of a millennium.

He casually tossed the large cloak onto the ground, then sat on the couch, looking at Yu Lingxi, seemingly contemplating how to deal with this gift that had once “humiliated” him.

Undeniably, Yu Lingxi looked stunning in vibrant red, her snow-white skin and black hair making the red dress seem as if it could burn the gaze. Yet, he felt it was obstructive and glaring.

Extremely glaring.

Seeing him squinting his eyes slowly, Yu Lingxi knew it was time to settle the score.

Without any visible movement, a thin, water-like dagger appeared in his fingers, casually twirling.

“Come here,” he said.

After some consideration, Yu Lingxi took two steps towards him. Without lifting his eyes, Ning Yin let her take two slow steps, until her skirt almost touched his knees.

Only then did Ning Yin slowly raise his eyes, and the blade’s tip, seemingly indifferent, moved along her drooping sleeve, crossed her elbow, and landed on her gently gripped waist.

The sensation of the dagger pressing against the fabric was unique, as if through several layers of clothing, one could still feel the sharpness and coldness of the blade. Then, with a flick, there was a subtle sound of fabric tearing. Yu Lingxi’s waistband, which accentuated her curves, fell.

She trembled but stood still.

Ning Yin’s dagger moved upward, landing on the contours of her chest. Another flick, and the belt on her chest broke, and the exquisitely crafted wedding dress sagged to her arms, revealing the pure white undergarments underneath.

Next were the skirt ties.

Luxurious wedding attire was cut open, peeled away by his blade, turning into a pile of exquisite tatters, layer upon layer like blooming flames, stacked at Yu Lingxi’s feet.

Until only the pure white undergarments remained, as pure as snow.

Afraid? Certainly not.

The Yu Lingxi sent into the Wang Mansion in her past life would have been terrified. But the current Yu Lingxi, there was not even time to regret the time-consuming three-month beautiful dress.

Who would be afraid when facing the person they love?

With the dust settling, Ning Yin got what he wanted.

The dark clouds that had accumulated in his heart were gradually dispersing. Each piece of the intricate wedding attire falling from her body marked the most relaxed and liberated moment for her in the past few months.

The torn crimson top still hung on her arms, giving off a charming charm. Yu Lingxi cleared her throat and took it off, letting it fall gracefully at her feet like a splendid sunset.

She could tell that Ning Yin disliked her in this attire, even though the thin undergarments and the middle skirt did not provide much warmth. Even by the charcoal basin, she felt a bit chilly.

Ning Yin was quite satisfied with her understanding and finally put away the short blade in his fingers. Yu Lingxi picked up the cloak he had thrown away and wrapped herself in it. The black fox fur collar complemented her small and fair face.

Ning Yin raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

So, Yu Lingxi took the opportunity to ask softly, “My family doesn’t know I’m visiting the Crown Prince’s mansion. They might worry. Can I send them a letter?”

Ning Yin, with crossed legs, leaned on the couch and chuckled, “What do you think?”

This meant it was not allowed.

A few months ago, she used the excuse of sending a family letter to report her safety and set up a two-day appointment with Yu Huanchen. After daybreak, she left resolutely.

As expected, Ning Yin said in a slow voice, “Lingxi seems to have misunderstood her situation. A gift probably doesn’t have the qualification to make requests.”

He called her Lingxi.

Not “Miss,” nor “Sui Sui.”

Yu Lingxi felt familiar yet somewhat sentimental about this title. However, she remained at ease. With the experience from her past life and a bit of sincere emotion, soothing words almost effortlessly slipped out of her mouth.

“Well, how can one qualify?” She asked with a bright smile, softening her voice.

“No rush,” Ning Yin said meaningfully, “I like to take my time.”

The word “time” was emphasized, as if savoring something.

Unsure of what mischievous plans he had in mind, Yu Lingxi decided to try again, “Even a gift needs some embellishment. In my haste, I forgot to bring the hairpin I wear close to me. It’s the one with blood-red threads, a spiral cloud pattern, and white jade.”

Ning Yin’s raised hand paused.

Then he stood up, his tall figure instantly enveloping Lingxi.

“No need for tricks, Lingxi. It’s useless,” he said, bending down to play with Lingxi’s cold and smooth hair. With a smirk, he continued, “With my cautious and vengeful nature, I won’t stumble in the same place twice.”

After saying this, Ning Yin ignored her.

Someone knocked on the door and presented him with a list.

Ning Yin leaned on the couch and leisurely examined the list, occasionally circling names with a red pen. The room remained quiet, with only the faint sound of crackling charcoal.

Yu Lingxi wasn’t constrained. After standing for a while, she realized her fatigue and found a spot to sit on the footstool nearby. She hugged her knees, resting her chin on them, allowing her ink-black hair to scatter and revealing a small bruise on the back of her tender neck.

Ning Yin’s dark eyes fell silent for a moment, and then he lightly cleared his throat.

Lingxi turned her head, looking at him with a questioning gaze.

“Come up,” Ning Yin closed the list and pointed to the warm bed beside him, “Warm the bed.”

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