Chapter 029: Madam Climbs the Wall?

Chapter 029: Madam Climbs the Wall?

The noblewomen were either performing dances or playing music. The garden buzzed with excitement, and as the banquet reached its climax, the atmosphere grew even more lively.

Sure enough, He An was soon escorted away by the Second Prince's men. Ruan Qinghuan gave Jiang Qi a subtle nod, and Jiang Qi quietly slipped out of the peach forest.

The innermost courtyard of the peach garden was the Second Prince's private residence. Few outsiders ever set foot in this place.

Outside, it was noisy and bustling, but here, all was unusually quiet.

A servant led He An to a courtyard and opened the door. "The prince is waiting for you inside. Please go in."

After a moment of hesitation, He An stepped in. As soon as he entered, the door closed behind him, and the sound of a lock being secured echoed in the air.

He An's expression turned cold as he took in the room.

The room was dim. Behind the eastern curtain, a bed lay with its covers visibly occupied.

On the low table beside the bed, a delicate incense burner sat, smoke wafting through the air.

He An quickly grabbed the teapot and poured it over the incense burner, dousing the flames. Despite this, his mind still felt a little foggy, and an inexplicable heat began to trouble him.

At that moment, the woman on the bed slowly sat up. It was indeed Liu Yueru.

He An's gaze turned dark. "Miss Liu, such behavior truly disgraces the Liu family."

"Why shouldn't I pursue my own happiness? My lord, I truly love you. Even as a concubine, I would be happy."

She moved to throw herself into He An's arms, but he sidestepped, and she missed.

"Did the prince ask you to do this?"

"It is my own wish, my lord. Please take me in. I am willing to serve you with all my heart."

He An began to feel that something was off. Even though he had extinguished the incense burner, the smoke in the room seemed to be getting thicker. He quickly took out the pouch Ruan Qinghuan had given him and covered his mouth with it.

He searched the room for the source of the smoke. If this continued, even if the aphrodisiac incense was out, the smoke alone might cause him to lose his senses.

Thanks to the refreshing incense, his mind cleared a little. He An tried to open the window, but all the windows in the room were sealed shut.

Liu Yueru began to undress. She and He An had both inhaled the aphrodisiac incense. Regardless of her previous interest in He An, even if it were another man, she would likely act the same.

He An felt torn. Out of respect for his old friendship with Liu Zhongju, he did not wish for Liu Yueru to become the Second Prince's puppet. However, her repeated inappropriate behavior indicated that she was not a person who valued herself.

As she undressed until only a thin undergarment remained, He An averted his eyes, disgusted.

A sound came from the roof as tiles were lifted. Jiang Qi threw the bound man into the room. It was the man who had led He An there. Jiang Qi had bound him tightly to prevent any chance of him revealing secrets.

The man's mouth was gagged, and he could only make painful grunting sounds.

"My lord, let's go."

He An nodded, but there was a moment of hesitation in his expression. Should he really leave Liu Yueru behind?

Liu Yueru lunged forward, but He An pushed her onto a chair. Tormented by the effects of the drug and humiliated by He An's repeated rejections, Liu Yueru's frustration turned into anger.

She shouted at He An, "Didn't you hate Ruan Qinghuan, that woman? Then why, why am I not good enough? How do I not measure up to her?"

Liu Yueru panted heavily, "I am the family member of a loyal official. She is nothing but an insignificant common woman who can't even step onto the stage. She doesn't deserve you. That's why I wanted to help you drive her out of the Prime Minister's residence."

"It was me who spread the rumors that she was indecent and kept a lover outside. So what if I did? You still didn't pursue the matter. That shows you have feelings for me, He An. You only sent me away because you had no other choice, didn't you?"

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have brought me back to the Prime Minister's residence on your wedding night. You could have just pretended you didn't receive the letter or had someone else settle me in a guesthouse..."

He An shook his head disappointedly and sighed deeply, "Let's go."

As He An's figure disappeared, Liu Yueru rubbed her dazed eyes. When she saw the servant on the floor bound like a dumpling, she felt a pang of concern and ran forward, "He An, what happened to you? Who tied you up like this?"

As she struggled to untie the ropes on the servant, the moment the servant broke free, his bloodshot eyes glared at Liu Yueru, and he tore off her undergarment.

**

The second prince was having tea and chatting with the crown prince on the second floor. A servant approached and whispered something into the second prince's ear. Upon hearing this, a sinister gleam appeared in the second prince's eyes, accompanied by a smug smile.

He waved his hand, and the servant retreated.

Ruan Qinghuan wanted to check out the inner courtyard but was stopped by the guards at the entrance. It seemed going through the main gate was not an option.

She followed the courtyard wall and came to a peach tree. This tree was closer to the wall and had a branch. With a bit of effort, she might be able to climb over.

As Ruan Qinghuan struggled to climb over the high wall and complained about why they built it so high, she happened to see He An and Jiang Qi under the wall.

Seeing He An staring at her intently, Ruan Qinghuan first pulled her skirt, then arranged her hair, and finally cleared her throat, "Well, I just... wanted to sit here and enjoy the view."

Only when Ruan Qinghuan spoke did Jiang Qi come to his senses. What did he just see?

The lady of the house climbing over the wall?

Ruan Qinghuan felt guilty, realizing her actions were rash and that He An had caught her in the act.

Not to mention the mistress of the Prime Minister's residence, women of this era, especially the noblewomen in the capital, were expected to behave appropriately and be gentle and virtuous. Even something as simple as tiptoeing was done with caution, lest they hurt their delicate waists, let alone climbing walls or trees.

After sending Jiang Qi away, He An finally couldn't help but laugh, "Madam, how do you find the view up there?"

"The view? It's quite good... spacious," Ruan Qinghuan pretended to look around and almost fainted from fright when she saw a group of people heading towards the inner courtyard. It seemed impossible to leave now.

As the group approached, she had no choice but to drop back down from the wall.

He An watched in disbelief as she tumbled down. "Aren't you afraid..."

Before he could finish, Ruan Qinghuan quickly covered his mouth, and they both tumbled into the nearby bushes.

Watching the group head towards the courtyard, He An's expression turned cold.

Ruan Qinghuan, focused on the situation, hadn't noticed she was still holding onto his neck but took the opportunity to boast, "You owe me a big favor today, Lord, and you'll need to repay it someday."

Thinking about how the second prince and his group had come up empty-handed, Ruan Qinghuan felt pleased. Just then, He An's voice came from above, "Isn't it a wife's duty to safeguard her husband's honor?"

Ruan Qinghuan looked up, her forehead brushing against his lips, and suddenly, He An's face loomed close. He moved so quickly that Ruan Qinghuan barely had time to react before he kissed her on the lips.

Before Ruan Qinghuan could fully process what had happened, He An gently pulled her to her feet. "Madam, let's go see what's happening."