Hiss—
At Consort Yan’s words, Pei Liang drew a sharp breath inward.
Over the course of her many lifetimes, she had kept plenty of pretty boys, and more than a few of them had been wild enough to lose their minds in bed.
But someone as ferocious as the Yan Emperor’s Consort was truly a rarity.
Just that one sentence was enough to make one’s imagination run wild. The moment she thought about it even a little, the mental image became impossible to look at.
Although this was a matriarchal world, where every social role between men and women had been reversed, their physical structures—at least outwardly—were more or less the same.
Just imagine it: first, she would fool around with the Yan Emperor’s Consort here.
Then, during the entire wedding ceremony, there certainly wouldn’t be time to bathe and clean herself up, would there?
And that night, she would have to do this and that with the groom. The traces left inside and out—
Good heavens. Even Pei Liang, shameless as she was, could only think: good heavens.
The Yan Emperor’s Consort truly was the father of a nation. His methods were on an entirely different level.
Though Young Master Su had been humiliated into marrying into Prince Liang’s residence, Pei Liang had never really thought of herself as the bride.
But no matter how one looked at it, this was far too stimulating.
Unable to help herself, Pei Liang guiltily turned her eyes aside. “We have yet to leave the Empress Dowager’s chambers. Your Highness, please conduct yourself with some restraint.”
The Yan Emperor’s Consort merely smiled, his expression alluring and dangerous.
“Is this some new game, Prince Liang? I never thought I’d hear the words ‘conduct yourself with restraint’ come from your mouth.”
He reached out and began undoing Pei Liang’s belt. “That hardly sounds like something the bold and valiant woman who beat the Fallen Mountain Immortal Master to a pulp in the Emperor’s chambers just now would say.”
Pei Liang hurriedly caught his hand, doing her best to sound serious and convincing. “Father, at least here, the two of us should not forget our identities and seniority.”
The Yan Emperor’s Consort smiled even more seductively. “I haven’t forgotten. How could I, when I am your father?”
“I have never forgotten that, as the eldest daughter, you should naturally perform every duty on the Emperor’s behalf.”
“Since the Emperor is presently unable to do so, isn’t it only right and proper for you, her daughter, to comfort your father?”
Pei Liang: “…”
No. This man was cheating.
How was he only getting more shameless the longer he talked?
In the past, when Pei Liang played at role-play with pretty boys, she had never dared to take things this far.
Yet now, whatever she did or said seemed pale and powerless by comparison.
Fortunately, her martial prowess was not for show. No matter how much the Yan Emperor’s Consort pestered her, he could not actually force himself on her.
The Yan Emperor’s Consort was not a patient man either. When neither side would yield, he cursed, “Pei Liang, are you impotent now?”
“Bring out that lustful spirit you used to have. You’re still so young—why are you imitating your mother’s uselessness?”
Pei Liang genuinely felt that the Empress was being treated unfairly. The woman was already getting on in years, after all.
Naturally, she could not compare with a young man. Not only had the daughter she raised turned around and stolen her husband, but that husband was now openly mocking and despising her.
Pei Liang wondered whether the Empress’s people were watching this place. If every word the Yan Emperor’s Consort had just spoken were reported back to her, she was afraid the Empress might spit up three pints of blood and die on the spot.
Seeing that Pei Liang stubbornly refused to take the bait, the Yan Emperor’s Consort was so furious that he nearly ground his silver teeth to dust.
His breathtakingly seductive face twisted slightly. Then, without warning, he grabbed Pei Liang’s lapel and tore it open.
He bit down hard on the exposed hollow of her throat, looking as though he intended to tear away a piece of flesh.
Pei Liang hissed. The Yan Emperor’s Consort pulled back at once.
The bite had broken the skin, leaving behind a neat, finely spaced imprint of teeth.
It was not grotesque in the slightest. Instead, it looked so suggestive that anyone could have mistaken it for the telltale mark of a night spent in debauchery.
Only then did the Yan Emperor’s Consort reveal a satisfied, triumphant smile.
“How could a father fail to give the newlywed Prince Liang a distinctive wedding gift?”
With that, he drew Pei Liang’s collar back into place and carefully smoothed out the wrinkles.
He looked at her provocatively, his expression practically saying: Enjoy your wedding night.
Damn it. If Pei Liang had truly been getting married, tonight would certainly not have ended well for her.
The Yan Emperor’s Consort’s move was genuinely vicious.
It was not particularly clever, nor did it involve any finesse or strategy. It was simply brutish and forceful.
But given his status, such arrogance was exactly what suited him.
In an ordinary palace-intrigue novel, the Yan Emperor’s Consort would probably be the ultimate villainous supporting character—the kind who spent the entire story making things difficult and disgusting for the heroine, yet lived comfortably all the way to the final chapter before finally meeting his end.
Pei Liang also felt that he had gone a little too far. If she did not teach him a lesson today, then given his temperament and complete lack of scruples, who knew what outrageous thing he might do next?
So, just as the Yan Emperor’s Consort turned to leave, Pei Liang reached out and yanked him back.
Rip—
The sound of tearing fabric rang through the enclosed space beneath the artificial mountain.
The Yan Emperor’s Consort realized that his clothes had been torn. His expression filled with astonishment, and he was just about to turn around.
But before he could move, a strip of cloth was draped over his eyes and deftly tied into a knot.
His eyes were covered.
Immediately afterward, Pei Liang pressed him against the stone from behind. The uneven, rough surface dug painfully into his pampered, sensitive body.
“You shameless wretch! What are you going to do to me?”
Prince Liang’s breath brushed past his ear, warm enough to make the Yan Emperor’s Consort momentarily dazed.
She gave a soft laugh. “How could I accept Your Highness’s painstaking gift without putting my mind at ease?”
“Of course I must return a grand gift of my own. Only then can I slightly ease the guilt in my heart.”
“Father, your unfilial daughter begs your pardon.”
Pei Liang’s natural voice was a classic smoky contralto. In the several worlds she had visited before, even the character whose face most closely resembled her own in a martial-arts world had possessed a clear, pure voice.
In contrast, the voice of Prince Liang in this world was much closer to Pei Liang’s own.
It was low and sensual, rich with authority.
The Yan Emperor’s Consort’s legs nearly gave way.
Remembering the exquisite agony of that day, anticipation flooded his heart.
Yet for some reason, with his eyes covered and his other senses heightened, there was suddenly a trace of foreboding in Prince Liang’s tone.
Sure enough—
By the time Pei Liang stood up, the Yan Emperor’s Consort had gone completely limp.
He could only keep himself from collapsing by lying against the artificial mountain. By then, he no longer cared how rough the stone felt.
His lips were parted as he gasped for breath. A glistening, disheveled thread of saliva clung to the corner of his mouth, and the dried traces of tears were still visible on his face.
His complexion was flushed, his skin radiating the springlike heat of desire. His clothes were not particularly disordered, yet he exuded an air of utter debauchery.
Pei Liang removed the strip of cloth from his eyes, patted his cheek, and praised him as though rewarding a well-behaved pet.
“As expected of Father.”
“Truly worthy of being the father of a nation—mature and composed. Ordinary young men could never compare.”
Then she leaned close and whispered beside his ear, “You really did manage it. You didn’t make a sound the entire time.”
“Even when I did that to you, you still clenched your teeth and held it in.”
The Yan Emperor’s Consort was so humiliated he could have died of shame.
Looking at Prince Liang’s face, he wanted nothing more than to rake his claws across it, but he no longer had the strength to lift even a finger.
A moment ago, unable to see, his senses had naturally become extraordinarily acute. Every second had felt as though it might claim his life.
He had been utterly lost between the unknown and the dizzying pleasure of being tossed high into the clouds, played with completely in Prince Liang’s palm.
His body had seemed no longer his own. It moved according to her commands; she could make him do whatever she wished.
In the past, even when he was sneaking around, the Yan Emperor’s Consort had always been the one in control.
But during the encounter just now, he had climaxed several times.
As for Prince Liang, she had not even taken off her clothes.
This humiliating treatment made it seem as though she were deliberately playing him for a shameless lecher.
Consort Yan glared at Pei Liang. “You—you dare treat me like this? Just you wait!”
Pei Liang feigned surprise. “Could it be that Father Consort didn’t like it?”
As she spoke, she even put on a disappointed expression. “Then I won’t do it this way next time.”
“You—”
Consort Yan was both furious and flustered. Though he knew she was teasing him, he still panicked at her words, unable to bear the thought of her truly stopping.
Pei Liang could see that they genuinely could not delay any longer. She pulled him to his feet and infused some of her true qi into him.
“Father Consort, please don’t be angry. This method of nourishing the meridians is beneficial to your health.”
Consort Yan closed his eyes. How could he not know that?
Ever since that dead woman had massaged his feet last time, he had felt light as a swallow and entirely refreshed these past few days.
No wonder he could not stop thinking about it. Consort Yan knew very well that he had always been a carefree man who loved to indulge himself. Now that he had discovered such comfort, he was even less willing to deny himself.
Seeing that Prince Liang had softened her tone, he softened as well, wrapping his arms around her and leaning against her.
“I see you’ve become more and more unrestrained ever since you lost the position of Crown Princess.”
“All the things you once dared not do, you’ve done them all today. You’d better be careful.”
“Your imperial mother, that old—hmph!”
Pei Liang knew what he meant.
From the very first day they met, Consort Yan had made no attempt to conceal his hatred for the Empress.
Pei Liang had looked into the matter, and it was no secret. The root of it was simply that the Empress had executed the entire Yan family. Now that Yan Consort was the only one left alive, even the honor of Imperial Consort Yan and the offerings of the entire realm meant nothing to him. To him, he had merely been forced to submit to the enemy who had annihilated his family.
As for the crime that had led to the Yan family’s downfall, the records claimed they had been guilty of massive corruption. Yet even a cursory examination of the case files revealed that some of the evidence could not withstand scrutiny.
It was likely nothing more than a hastily fabricated charge.
For the Yan family to produce an Imperial Consort, they must once have been a top-ranking noble house. What unspeakable reason, then, had caused such a powerful family to be destroyed so abruptly?
Pei Liang instinctively felt there was more to the matter, but this was not the time to investigate it in detail.
The two of them emerged from behind the artificial rockery one after the other. Pei Liang still looked exactly as she had before, her ceremonial robes neat and immaculate.
Consort Yan’s face was slightly flushed. Other than a slit in his outer robe, however, there was little else to give them away.
They had spent quite some time there. Unless the Empress was blind, she would know exactly what this adulterous woman and lecherous man had been doing.
Since Pei Liang had already done it, she could not be bothered to wonder whether the Empress might be angered to death.
If she were being particularly vicious, she might even hope the Empress really did die of anger. In that case, the third imperial daughter would automatically succeed to the throne, and Pei Liang would be spared one step.
The wedding procession had been waiting for a long time. It now proceeded toward the Su residence with grand and imposing momentum.
The feeling was rather novel. Altogether, Pei Liang had lived for several centuries, but this half-real, half-fictitious wedding was still her first marriage.
Today, the unmarried young men of the capital were all biting their handkerchiefs in despair. Along the route Prince Liang’s procession was bound to take, the second floors of inns and restaurants with the best views were filled with young gentlemen casting resentful looks down at her.
Some of the bolder ones even threw handkerchiefs and scented sachets her way.
Whenever Prince Liang looked over, she was met with eyes full of wounded reproach.
Could all this be the original host’s doing?
The original host had consistently ranked at the very top of the capital’s marriage market. With a single breathtaking glance, she had captivated no small number of handsome young men who prized beauty above all else.
They were all members of the appearance-over-everything club. Pei Liang understood. She really did.
She even spotted the brothers Fang Jiu and Fang Shi on the second floor of Tianxiang Tower.
Good heavens. The expression on Fang Jiu’s face made him look like a kept lover who had secretly come out to watch his paramour marry someone else.
It was both masochistic and strangely satisfying.
When the wedding procession arrived at the Su residence, it was not subjected to much obstruction.
The Su family followed every ritual to the letter. The ceremony was grand and lively, and the wedding arrangements for the groom were dignified and lavish.
But as for genuine happiness—especially among the members of the main household—there was something faintly peculiar about it if one looked closely.
Everyone knew what this marriage really was. Su Young Master’s sisters could not be bothered to make things difficult for the bride at the gate.
Fortunately, the surrounding commotion concealed the unnatural expressions of the Su family’s principal members, and the overall atmosphere remained festive.
The groom emerged with his head covered by a red veil, so Pei Liang could not see the legendary beauty of his face.
Yet his bearing and figure alone were enough to draw the eye away from everyone else.
The young servant Little Sheng, dressed in festive clothing beside him, looked as though someone had died. His face still bore traces of tears.
Once the groom had entered the sedan chair, Qingyi dragged Little Sheng aside and scolded him.
“Why are you wearing such a funeral face on a joyous occasion?”
“Are you trying to bring bad luck to your master?”
“Put that miserable expression away at once, or I’ll send you back to the Su residence.”
Little Sheng no longer dared to look like that. He hurriedly wiped his eyes and forced a smile onto his face.
It looked even worse than crying, making Qingyi’s eyelids twitch.
Pei Liang had a strong mind. If necessary, even if one person—or an entire procession—were crying funeral tears, she could sit at the front without changing expression or feeling the slightest embarrassment.
Marrying a person was nothing. Even marrying a ghost would be no problem—
As she thought this, she had no idea that her words would soon come true.
The dowry prepared by the Su family was extraordinarily generous. Even “ten miles of red makeup” would not be enough to describe it.
Of course, the original host was wealthy as well. The Empress’s health had only begun to deteriorate in recent years, and during that time the original host had already seized control of many important departments of the court.
Unfortunately, that fool had been useless. She had blatantly embezzled and accepted bribes from the very things that were already hers. It was no wonder the Empress had grown increasingly disappointed in her.
The original host blamed the Empress for giving her hope only to take it away, but never stopped to reflect on herself.
Given the Empress’s composure and shrewdness, this had clearly not happened overnight.
Just as Pei Liang was mulling over these matters, a heavily armored force collided with the wedding procession.
Hongxiu stepped forward. “Your Highness, it should be General Liu returning from victory. According to the reports we received, General Liu is due back around this time.”
“She should be entering the palace to pay her respects to the Empress.”
Liu?
Pei Liang thought for a moment. Surely it could not be that coincidental.
Still, as a meritorious commander who had guarded the frontier, General Liu naturally deserved to be treated with courtesy.
Pei Liang ordered the wedding procession, “Let General Liu pass first.”
General Liu and her personal guards, who had just been preparing to yield the road, fell silent.
“It is said that the Eldest Imperial Daughter—no, she should be called Prince Liang now. It is said that Prince Liang is arrogant and places the greatest importance on pomp and status. Who would have thought she would actually…”
“Perhaps it was merely a polite gesture,” General Liu said, and her voice was unmistakably that of a man.
“Don’t take it seriously. We should still yield the road.”
But before he had even finished speaking, the other side had already cleared the way. They did not hesitate in the slightest.
Their words had been pleasant, granting the soldiers who guarded the frontier the utmost respect.
No matter how terrible the rumors about Prince Liang’s reputation were, this conduct still warmed the hearts of the travel-weary soldiers.
General Liu was not one to put on airs. He merely raised a fist from a distance toward the noble and handsome figure on horseback, then prepared to urge his horse forward.
But perhaps it was the long red procession, or the sound of the suona and other instruments nearby. One of the horses among the soldiers suddenly took fright.
With a shrill whinny, it lunged forward and crashed directly into General Liu’s horse.
The impact made General Liu’s horse rear in pain. Then it bolted wildly ahead.
The road was only so wide, with countless onlookers gathered along either side. If the horse were allowed to run amok, the consequences would be unthinkable.
General Liu struggled to control its speed, rising from a seated position into a half-crouch on its back so he could react at any moment.
But a horse that had charged into battle and killed enemies was naturally terrifying when it went berserk.
In that brief span of time, it had already nearly barreled into the crowd, and bloodshed seemed imminent.
Sweat broke out across General Liu’s forehead. If there were truly no other choice, he would never be willing to kill his beloved horse.
But—
At the critical moment, a red figure suddenly rushed into view and stood directly before the horse’s hooves.
It was Prince Liang!
General Liu was horrified. He could practically see the gruesome sight of Prince Liang being trampled into a bloody pulp.
But in the next second, she swung out an arm, slipped past the horse’s hooves, and wrapped both arms around its neck.
The horse, which had been utterly out of control a moment earlier, suddenly froze as though struck by lightning, its forelegs still raised high in the air.
Then General Liu distinctly felt the muscles throughout his beloved horse’s body relax. Slowly, it lowered its forelegs.
Its entire head began rubbing messily against Prince Liang, as if it wished nothing more than to become a part of her arms.
That lovesick stallion!
That was the only thought in General Liu’s mind. Then, forgetting that he was still standing on the horse’s back, he lost his balance and toppled off.
In truth, such a minor mishap was something he could have handled easily with his martial arts.
General Liu had been broad and powerfully built since childhood, far taller and more imposing than ordinary men—and even larger than most women. His body was covered in solid muscle, and he would have stood out wherever he went.
Just from his appearance alone, no one would have thought he needed pity or protection.
If he fell, naturally he would simply get back up himself.
General Liu was just about to adjust his posture when a pair of arms moved faster than he did.
They caught him and pulled him into an embrace.
General Liu looked up in a daze and found himself staring into a pair of slightly worried eyes.
Seeing that he was unharmed, Prince Liang gave him a hearty smile. “Are you all right?”
“Y-Yes—no?” General Liu stammered, looking completely dazed.
Prince Liang had been too far away earlier to see him clearly, and his helmet had obscured his features. Now, in the chaos of the runaway horse, the helmet had fallen off somewhere, revealing his face.
Only then did Prince Liang realize that he was an extraordinarily distinctive and handsome man.
He did not possess the delicate, Eastern-style beauty currently in fashion here. He seemed to have some foreign blood, though he was entirely different from Young Master Lianyi of Lianyi House.
Young Master Lianyi resembled an exquisite porcelain doll, while General Liu was a purely rugged and strikingly handsome man of foreign descent.
Years spent enduring harsh weather had left his skin somewhat rough. His beauty was not the kind that looked meticulously carved and polished.
Instead, he possessed a grand, imposing presence, with a unique charm born of time and experience.
His complexion was slightly dark, but his excellent physical condition gave his skin a warm, wheat-colored sheen that was quite alluring. His eyes were blue.
Set against his darker skin, they appeared all the more mysterious and captivating.
When it came to attractive men, Pei Liang had never concealed her appreciation or amazement.
She did not know that her gaze made General Liu so flustered that he sprang to his feet as though startled.
Pei Liang continued stroking the horse with one hand. She took out some of the pastries prepared for the wedding and fed them to it.
After smoothing its neck a few more times, she smiled. “Don’t go running off again.”
Whether or not the horse understood her, she turned to General Liu and said, “General, go on ahead. We’ll meet again another day.”
General Liu had always been straightforward and carefree, but now he did not dare look at her for long. He lowered his head and said, “As Your Highness commands.”
He watched as Prince Liang turned and walked toward the wedding procession.
General Liu glanced at the festive procession and gave himself a self-deprecating smile.
He was just about to leave when he heard one of Prince Liang’s attendants say, “Is Your Highness all right? Why did Your Highness bother? It was only a frightened horse, a trivial matter that that woman—General Liu could have handled with ease.”
“Exactly. Fortunately, Your Highness is highly skilled in martial arts. If the horse had trampled You Highness, that person would have deserved death ten thousand times over. How could someone as exalted as Your Highness be compared with that unwanted freak?”
Prince Liang said impatiently, “I know what I’m doing. General Liu is a meritorious servant of Great Liang. The two of you have spoken insultingly of him. After today, go and receive your punishment yourselves.”
Some of the original owner’s unpleasant habits were bound to show themselves in every aspect.
Pei Liang was not particularly humble herself, but there were things her subordinates could say—and things they absolutely could not.
The original owner had only recently moved out of the palace, and the staff of Prince Liang’s residence were still busy getting everything in order.
Once the household was fully settled, with such terrible habits passed down from the top, it was practically inevitable that the people below would become arrogant and ignorant, blindly make enemies, bully men and women, and abuse their power.
Seeing that Pei Liang was displeased, Hongxiu and Qingyi immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.
Their voices had not been loud, but General Liu’s hearing was sharp enough to catch every word. A battlefield demanded exceptional alertness and the ability to distinguish even the faintest sounds.
His heart warmed, and he thought that the rumors truly could not be trusted.
Then he heard Prince Liang add, “Also, General Liu is an extraordinarily charming man.”
“Strong, sexy, and one of a kind. Don’t judge him by your narrow-minded standards of beauty.”
At those words, General Liu’s entire body stiffened, and his face suddenly turned red as a shrimp.
