nucmednet Chapter 110 I Didn't Touch Her
Chapter 110 I Didn't Touch Her
In the pitch-black night, Chu Qingyin was frozen in place, held tightly in the man's arms, her waist bound, and dared not move.
She only felt relieved when the familiar scent of ambergris reached her nose.
Hearing her sharp shout, the man did not answer immediately. Instead, he hugged her tighter, his warm breath on her neck sending a shiver through her body.
"You heartless little thing, you can't even recognize me after just one day?"
A deep male voice sounded in her ear. Chu Qingyin pretended to have just noticed him and asked in surprise, "Your Majesty?"
"But...you went to the Empress's palace, why did you come to my humble abode?"
Pei Yuanling didn't answer, but instead asked her, "Do you really expect me to favor the Empress?"
Chu Qingyin fell silent, unsure of what he meant.
He took in many concubines, whether by his own initiative or out of necessity to stabilize the court, these were all his women.
Could she possibly expect him to remain chaste for her and only have sex with her for the rest of his life?
Even when she was Consort Chu and their love was at its peak, she had never received such an honor.
Not to mention now...
Sensing the woman in his arms' low spirits, Pei Yuanling's heart tightened. He straightened her body to face her before gently saying, "Yinyin, I have not touched the Empress."
He spoke in a low voice, as if explaining, or perhaps as making a promise.
Chu Qingyin paused, and suddenly felt a mix of emotions.
In the past, when she was jealous, she had asked Pei Yuanling not to favor other concubines. But he always used the excuse of the unstable political situation to ask her to be understanding.
Now that she has given up hope and no longer has any expectations, what is the meaning of Pei Yuanling's eagerness to bring him to her again?
Her mind was racing, but she feigned timidity and blinked cautiously, "Your Majesty, isn't it inappropriate for you to treat the Empress like this?"
"What, does Yinyin expect me and the Empress to be in perfect harmony, and then with her..."
Pei Yuanling paused, leaned forward, and took Chu Qingyin's earlobe into his mouth, giving it a light bite as if as punishment. Seeing her tremble, he said in a hoarse voice, "Doing such intimate things with her?"
"Your Majesty, you are teasing me again."
Chu Qingyin pouted and buried her head in the man's arms.
Pei Yuanling chuckled softly twice, then reached out and pulled her into his arms.
At first, he simply held her quietly, but after a moment, his large, warm hands slowly moved down her slender waist—
Chu Qingyin's long eyelashes trembled slightly. She hurriedly pressed down on the man's mischievous hand and pleaded pitifully, "Your Majesty, please spare this concubine for one night..."
She was genuinely terrified. How long had it been since Pei Yuanling had touched a woman?
In just these few days, she has been practically skinned alive and broken apart, her body feeling like it was about to fall apart.
Pei Yuanling wasn't annoyed at all, and chuckled lightly, "Don't worry, I won't touch you."
He withdrew his hand from under hers, placing it only on her waist, and slowly kneaded it downwards with neither too much nor too little pressure.
"You mentioned yesterday that this area was very sore?"
He spoke slowly, his tone devoid of any lust.
Chu Qingyin blushed and said in a barely audible voice, "It's... here..."
Pei Yuanling's large hand, which had been resting on her waist, slowly moved and began to knead.
His strength was just right, neither too light nor too heavy, making it extremely comfortable.
Chu Qingyin nestled quietly in his arms, gradually becoming drowsy, and soon closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The cold, white moonlight streamed through the window lattice as Pei Yuanling quietly gazed at her sleeping face, a faint smile playing on his lips.
His voice was low and seemed to carry a deep meaning: "Yinyin, sleep well. With me here, I will never let anyone bully you again."
In contrast to the warm and cheerful atmosphere in Xingyue Palace, the Empress's residence, Lanyue Palace, was filled with resentment.
Empress Wang recalled how the emperor had just grabbed her chin with two long fingers, clearly intending to kiss her...
But he suddenly let go, a clear look of disgust flashing across his handsome face, and then turned and left.
Dressed in a thin nightgown, she couldn't hide her resentment as she smashed the glass jade cup that the emperor had once bestowed upon her to the ground: "What is it about me that he dislikes me so much?"
Lin Qing came running at the sound, took the outer robe from the maidservant beside her, and quickly stepped forward to drape it over Empress Wang's shoulders: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger..."
Empress Wang couldn't swallow her anger. She turned around abruptly to look at Lin Qing, her eyes filled with accusation: "Tell me, am I not beautiful?"
Lin Qing quietly looked at the woman in front of him. Her eyebrows were lightly drawn, and her lips were slightly red. She was still as dignified and beautiful as when he first met her.
Although she was not as radiant and beautiful as Consort Chu or Consort Qiao, she was still a stunning beauty.
"Your Majesty, in this servant's heart you are as beautiful as a fairy."
"Ha, what use is beauty to you? His Majesty doesn't like it." Empress Wang's eyes betrayed her disappointment.
Seeing her like this, Lin Qing couldn't help but feel sorry for her: "Your Majesty, this is not your fault. It is His Majesty who is blind and cannot see your good qualities."
"How dare you! Who gave you the audacity to speak ill of His Majesty!"
"Yes, this servant knows his crime." Lin Qing immediately knelt on the ground and apologized.
Empress Wang glanced at him indifferently, then sighed helplessly: "My aunt and father are urging me to give birth to an imperial heir as soon as possible to consolidate the Wang family's position. But little do they know, His Majesty won't even touch me."
"Your Majesty, there may only be one way to help you now," Lin Qing couldn't help but say.
Empress Wang was slightly taken aback, then lowered her eyes to look at him: "What method?"
Lin Qing cautiously leaned close to her ear and whispered, "This servant knows of a medicine called the Rejuvenation Pill. If a man takes it, his blood and qi will surge..."
Before he could finish speaking, Empress Wang understood. She frowned and looked at him: "You want me to drug His Majesty?"
Lin Qing lowered her head and lowered her voice to a whisper, “Your Majesty, His Majesty is unwilling to share a room with you now. Only this method can ensure that you fulfill your long-cherished wish.”
"..."
Empress Wang's eyes widened slightly. After pondering for a long time, she clenched her fist tightly and gritted her teeth as if she were going to take a gamble, saying, "I entrust this matter to you. Under no circumstances should anyone know about it!"
"The slave understands."
***
The following morning, news that His Majesty had moved from the Empress's Palace to Xingyue Palace in the middle of the night spread throughout the entire inner palace grounds.
While the concubines were gloating over the Empress's misfortune, they were also quite angry about Chu Qingyin's repeated attempts to serve the Emperor, especially Lu Mingzhu.
"His Majesty doesn't even give the Empress any face now; I'm afraid our lives will only get more difficult in the future."
Inside the West Garden, Consort Qin Rong'er sat on a carved wooden chair, sighing with a solemn expression.
After listening to Madam Lu's teachings, Lu Mingzhu understood that Consort Qin was simply trying to incite her to take the lead in dealing with Chu Qingyin.
She smiled faintly: "Sister Qin Fei has been in the palace for many years, so she must understand better than us how fickle the emperor's favor can be. Today it is her, tomorrow it will be me. The real question is who will have the last laugh."
Qinglan, who was serving nearby, glanced at Lu Mingzhu without making a sound. She noticed that the Lu family's daughter had indeed made a lot of progress since the Third Madam Lu's visit a few days ago.
Qin Rong'er hadn't expected Lu Mingzhu to treat her this way. She chuckled awkwardly, then changed the subject, feigning sympathy for Lu Mingzhu: "Sister Lu, you are the chief minister's cousin, so your status is naturally much higher than that of Qiao Qingyin, the daughter of a minister. Now, not only have you been demoted, but you haven't even won His Majesty's favor. Don't you really feel wronged?"
Lu Mingzhu was spoiled by Madam Lu since childhood. In addition, Lu Zhiheng was promoted and others treated her with high regard. She never felt inferior to others.
However, ever since she entered the palace, she has been constantly compared to Qiao Qingyin, which has made her resentful.
Even though she remembered Madam Lu's advice to "be patient and discreet," her emotions were still stirred up. She frowned and sneered, "She's just relying on her pretty face to seduce the emperor. How dare she compare to me?"
Seeing that she had figured it out, a smug smile appeared in Qin Rong'er's eyes, but it was quickly hidden away in an instant.
"That Qiao Qingyin is certainly not as noble as you, Sister Lu. But she is currently favored by the emperor. Judging from her appearance, His Majesty's first prince might come from her womb."