novelden Chapter 146 Obtaining the Princess
Chapter 146 Obtaining the Princess
Wei Wuji frowned, and said in a low but firm voice, "Your Majesty, Xiao Jinyan's plan may not succeed. Princess Yiyang is strong-willed, and if she fights to the death, this matter may be difficult to resolve."
Liu Kun's lips curled into a cold smile as he confidently retorted, "No, Duke Qin is overthinking it."
Upon hearing this, Wei Wuji's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise: "Oh? I see. So, it seems that the two of them have already... succeeded?"
At this moment, inside the palace, the candlelight flickered, illuminating a beautiful yet subtle atmosphere. Xiao Jinyan carefully held the unconscious Liu Lianyue and gently placed her on the soft bed in the palace. His eyes were full of complexity and struggle, as if he were engaged in a silent moral battle.
“Princess, this is the only way I can save you,” Xiao Jinyan murmured, her voice trembling slightly. “Otherwise, you would definitely be violated by that tyrant Liu Kun. Don’t worry, although we are in the same room now, I, Xiao Jinyan, am not someone who would take advantage of someone in distress. I will stay by your side all night to ensure your safety.”
As he spoke, he slowly retreated to the bedside, finding a spot neither too close nor too far to sit down, his gaze never leaving Liu Lianyue's peaceful yet slightly pained sleeping face. The night was deep, and apart from the occasional chirping of insects outside the window, only the faint breathing and heartbeats of the two of them could be heard in the palace, weaving together a silent nocturne.
On the bed, Liu Lianyue, the princess who was usually as proud as a swan and as aloof as a winter plum blossom, was now very helpless.
"I'm thirsty!" she murmured, her voice trembling slightly. Her hands unconsciously reached for the edge of the bed, as if trying to escape this sudden torment. Her movements were frantic and hurried, each one seemingly telling a story of her inner struggle.
Xiao Jinyan's gaze froze the moment it fell on Liu Lianyue; the scene before him filled him with both surprise and worry.
"Princess, what's wrong?"
Liu Lianyue looked up, her usually clear eyes now hazy, as if they could devour everything. Her cheeks flushed even more, and a more alluring smile than ever before appeared on her lips.
She suddenly reached out and pulled Xiao Jinyan into her arms, holding him tightly as if he were her only salvation at that moment.
"I'm thirsty, can you get me some water?" Her voice was choked with sobs, filled with helplessness and longing.
A complex emotion welled up in Xiao Jinyan's heart. He tried to break free, but Liu Lianyue's embrace was like an iron clamp, making him unable to move.
"Princess, please don't be like this. I'll get you some water right away..."
However, Liu Lianyue was no longer able to hear any rational thought; she had lost all reason. She shook Xiao Jinyan's shoulders recklessly.
She shook Xiao Jinyan's shoulders urgently, repeatedly saying, "Quick, get me some water..."
Xiao Jinyan's brows revealed a resolute determination that could not be underestimated as he tried to break free from Liu Lianyue's tightly entwined arms.
"Princess, wake up!"
Xiao Jinyan's voice was deep and powerful, trying to awaken the last vestiges of reason in Liu Lianyue's heart.
However, Liu Lianyue seemed unable to hear any sounds from the outside world.
However, as the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds and quietly slipped into the room, all the beauty was shattered by a sudden scream.
Xiao Jinyan was suddenly jolted awake from his reverie. Before him was Liu Lianyue wrapped in a blanket, her face a mixture of shyness, surprise, and a hint of barely perceptible regret.
"Xiao Jinyan, what are you doing here?"
Inside the room, the morning light and shadows intertwined, the air was filled with the lingering fragrance of last night, and a hint of barely perceptible awkwardness.
Looking at Liu Lianyue before him, Xiao Jinyan felt a mix of emotions: "Princess, don't you remember what happened yesterday?"
Liu Lianyue's brows furrowed with confusion and slight anger: "Xiao Jinyan, what exactly happened yesterday? Why did you appear in my..."
Xiao Jinyan spoke slowly, his voice gentle and refined: "Princess, have you forgotten? Yesterday in Zhaohua Palace, you spoke with your golden words, saying that whoever wrote the best poem would spend a tender spring night with you. And I, Xiao Jinyan, am not talented, but I happen to be the one who wrote the best poem that night."
Upon hearing this, Liu Lianyue's cheeks flushed crimson, her anger intensifying. She retorted coquettishly, "Get lost! I don't care about any poems or anything. I just want to know why you're sleeping in my... wait, this doesn't seem to be my bed!"
She suddenly realized the unfamiliarity of her surroundings, her gaze swept around, and finally settled on the room's layout, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart.
“Princess, please don’t worry, this is indeed not your bed.” Xiao Jinyan gently shook her head, a subtle smile curving her lips. “This is Liu Kun’s bedroom.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Lianyue frowned deeply. She patted her head, trying to clear her chaotic thoughts: "How could this be? I clearly..."
Before she could finish speaking, a look of confusion and fear flashed in her eyes, as if some memory was trying to break through the fog, but remained vague and unclear.
Seeing this, Xiao Jinyan explained softly, "Oh, right, Princess, perhaps Liu Kun had something on your mind last night and secretly got you drunk, which caused you to lose consciousness and that's why this misunderstanding happened."
Upon hearing this, Liu Lianyue frantically slapped her head, her face a mixture of confusion, frustration, and anger: "Oh no, how could this happen? When have I, Liu Lianyue, ever suffered such humiliation! Xiao Jinyan, you must give me a reasonable explanation, or I will never let this go!"
Xiao Jinyan's voice rang out in the silence, tinged with helplessness and embarrassment: "Princess, we did indeed have sex last night, but I was forced into it. You have no idea how wild you were last night, as if you wanted to pour all your emotions into the endless night."
Upon hearing this, Liu Lianyue's face turned pale instantly. She sat up abruptly from the bed, lifted the brocade quilt with one hand, and felt her heart ache when her eyes fell upon that glaring bright red.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back. She was in immense pain, as if her entire world had collapsed at that moment. After a long while, she slowly spoke, her voice barely a whisper: "So be it, it's better than giving it to that villain Liu Kun."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinyan felt a complex mix of emotions. He sighed softly, "Yes, Princess, I will definitely treat you well."
Liu Lianyue looked up, her gaze sharp, and stared directly at Xiao Jinyan: "Xiao Jinyan, you have to take responsibility for this princess."
Xiao Jinyan frowned, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke: "Princess, I already have a wife and a concubine at home. If you want to be a concubine, of course there is no problem."
Upon hearing this, Liu Lianyue's face turned even uglier. She laughed angrily, "How can I, a princess, be a concubine? This is an insult to me!"
Seeing this, Xiao Jinyan quickly explained, "Princess, please calm down. If you want to become powerful, you have to discuss it with my wife. Although she comes from a humble background and is the daughter of a concubine in the Chu State Duke's family, she is gentle and kind. I think she will understand you."
Liu Lianyue sneered, a resolute glint in her eyes: "Xiao Jinyan, what if I... what if I ask you to divorce your wife and marry someone else?"
Xiao Jinyan said firmly yet gently, “Princess, my wife is virtuous and gentle, and has never made a mistake. How could I, Xiao Jinyan, divorce her for my own selfish desires? I would never do such an unjust thing.”
Upon hearing this, tears streamed down Liu Lianyue's face like broken pearls. She bit her lower lip tightly, her voice trembling with resentment: "Then what am I supposed to do? We've already been intimate. You've taken my body, do you really think you can just leave like this without giving me anything in return?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinyan felt a mix of emotions. He sighed softly, his eyes filled with complex feelings: "Princess, please believe me, no matter what, I will do my best to treat you well. In my Xiao family, you will never suffer the slightest grievance."
However, upon hearing this, Liu Lianyue's sorrow did not lessen; instead, it intensified with anger: "You say you're good to me? You wouldn't even divorce me and let me become your master. Is that what you call good? How am I supposed to live with myself?"
Xiao Jinyan shook his head helplessly, trying to explain: "Actually, being a concubine is not entirely bad. In my family, although that concubine is not the principal wife, I have never treated her poorly, and I have always doted on her. How can the feelings between people be bound by titles? Princess, if you are willing, I, Xiao Jinyan, will definitely treat you with sincerity and will not let you suffer the slightest neglect."
Upon hearing this, Liu Lianyue felt as if all her strength had been drained away. She covered her face with her hands and remained silent for a long time.
After a long while, she slowly raised her head, patted her head, and said with a hint of self-deprecation and helplessness, "Ugh, this is so annoying! I only came to Jiankang, and who knew I would run into this kind of trouble."
Xiao Jinyan thought to himself, "Princess, you shouldn't have come. Jiankang, as the capital of the Song Dynasty, has always been the focus of various forces in the court. This place is too complicated!"