Chapter 32 The Enchantress 2

Chapter 32: The Siren 2

Lu Yunjian spirited A Wu away without a sound.

As he held her and stepped out of Yanxiang Temple, she heard the clashing of blades from within, along with faint flames leaping into the sky.

Lu Yunjian tilted his head slightly, his slit eyes glinting ominously in the firelight.

He gave a faint smirk: "Nie San has killed. He wanted to save you, but it's too late."

He stroked A Wu’s cheek: "Perfect. Let him take the blame."

A Wu turned her face away, thinking to herself—Nie San and Lu Yunjian were both dogs—equally rotten!

By then, the fire in Yanxiang Temple had spread, and troops swarmed in. Judging by their uniforms, they were the Crown Prince’s men—clearly, he had arrived.

Hope flared in her chest. Even if the Crown Prince hated her, he would surely rescue her. She wanted him.

Lu Yunjian had been watching A Wu intently under the firelight, observing the hope in her eyes. He sneered: "What? Waiting for *Mo Yao* to rescue you? Do you really think he can? Still a wet-behind-the-ears brat!"

With that, he abruptly turned, spurred the horse into a breakneck gallop with A Wu in tow.

The mountain path was already treacherous, and riding at such speed was dangerous. A Wu was jolted mercilessly, terrified, clutching his robes tightly and curling into his embrace.

Lu Yunjian’s large hand gripped her waist, shielding her within his cloak.

He bent close, breathing ragged in her ear: "Couldn’t bear to be without me?"

Hearing his voice, A Wu bristled. In her fury, she forgot her fear and shoved at him wildly, as if she’d rather die than endure him.

But she was too weak to fight back. Lu Yunjian only held her tighter, leaving her no room to struggle.

He slowed the horse slightly, gripping the reins as he crushed her against him, pressing her against his chest.

Then, with a satisfied sigh, he murmured: "A Wu is mine again."

A Wu seethed with resentment but could say nothing.

Lu Yunjian: "You should know who I am by now."

A Wu retorted mockingly: "Oh, *Your Eminence*, the Imperial Uncle!"

Lu Yunjian whispered: "Yesterday, I went to report to His Majesty and caught wind of the news, so I rushed here."

A Wu ignored him.

Lu Yunjian: "Aren’t you curious who set you up?"

A Wu turned her face away: "Of course I know!"

Lu Yunjian tutted: "Oh?"

A Wu: "The Crown Princess’s lackeys, obviously!"

Lu Yunjian chuckled: "A Wu is so clever. Yesterday, that woman made a scene in the palace, bawling her eyes out, saying she’d found Nie San."

A Wu listened: "Just as I thought. Nie San was always a snake in the grass!"

Lu Yunjian’s fingers soothingly stroked her back: "A Wu, now you understand—every man out there’s a liar. They’ll all sweet-talk you rotten."

A Wu sneered, "You’re one to talk! If you could track me down so quickly, you must have been watching the Crown Princess all along. You knew she set me up, but you just let me walk into it!"

As they spoke, dawn broke, and they had already reached the foot of the mountain.

Glancing around and seeing no one, A Wu said, "Let me go."

Lu Yunjian replied, "Let you go? So you can run away?"

Caught but unashamed, A Wu shot back: "Why shouldn’t I run? Should I stay by your side as your concubine? You wouldn’t dare keep me! Aren’t you afraid the Crown Prince will stab you to death?"

First the Crown Prince, then the Emperor—who’d be bold enough to take her now?

His lips curled in a taunting smirk. "What, other men’s leftovers don’t remember their first?"

A Wu retorted, "What can I say? They outclass you in every way. Only after leaving you did I realize how vast the world is and what a real man is like!"

His eyes darkened like gathering thunderclouds. "Is that so? A Wu, if I recall correctly, you used to enjoy me quite a bit—"

A Wu flew at him, cracking a slap across his cheek.

The sound rang out sharply.

Her bravado faltered—she hadn’t expected him not to dodge. With his reflexes, he shouldn’t have been hit so easily.

Lu Yunjian narrowed his eyes, glaring coldly at her.

She batted her lashes, all faux innocence. "I didn’t mean to."

She absolutely meant to.

Watching her pathetic act, Lu Yunjian sneered, "Scared now? Afraid I’ll hit you back?"

Biting her lip, A Wu whispered meekly, "Go on, finish me..."

Lu Yunjian barked a humorless laugh. "Even when you infuriated me in the past, did I ever lay a hand on you?"

A Wu fell silent—he truly never had.

Lu Yunjian’s laugh was a blade’s edge. "A Wu, don’t forget—you came crawling to me first."

A Wu flinched, a shadow of shame crossing her face. "So what?!"

His expression hardened, teeth clenched. "You were the one who provoked me first."

Back then, she’d lost her village, lost her first love—With a face like hers? She’d have been torn apart in the mob. She had no choice but to find a man to rely on.

Just as fast, her spine stiffened. "I slept with you, and you protected me. Debt paid. I never deceived you—that was the deal from the start!"

They had agreed to part ways afterward, but he’s the one who chained her down, forbade her from ending the pregnancy!

That lit A Wu’s fuse. "Yes! And you were the one who found me a man! You sold me off! You sucked me dry and tossed the husk!"

All she owed him was safe passage—but him? He bent her to his will, forbade her from ending the pregnancy, poured her into the Crown Prince’s bed—he’d scraped the marrow from her bones!

She provoked him, expecting a cold retort, but to her surprise, he fell silent, merely gazing at her with a mournful gaze.

This took A Wu aback.

She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, but inwardly thought that perhaps she could endure for now and wait for a chance to escape later.

Lu Yunjian watched as she lowered her lashes, appearing meek and compliant.

This softened his expression. He raised his hand and gently brushed aside a stray lock of hair by her ear.

As he did so, his fingers paused, lightly grazing her pearl-like, delicate earlobe, satisfied when he saw her shiver slightly.

His voice was low and chilling: "Did the Crown Prince like touching you here?"

A Wu instantly flared up, wanting to curse at him between gritted teeth, but she held back.

The Crown Prince had doted on her, doing everything he could to please her in bed, serving her with reverence.

But she had no desire to share anything about the Crown Prince with Lu Yunjian. The Crown Prince was a man of purity, far purer than Lu Yunjian or Nie San, and the Emperor couldn’t even compare to him.

Though she had no future with such a man and didn’t love him, he was someone worth treasuring in her heart—not a memory to be dragged out for comparison or mockery.

Someone as sharp as Lu Yunjian naturally noticed this.

He let out a cold, bitter laugh: "What, after eighty-four days in his bed, you’ve fallen in love?"

Eighty-four days—Lu Yunjian bit out the number through clenched teeth.

Hearing this, A Wu found it absurd, downright hilarious.

He was the one who had handed her over to the Crown Prince!

Using the finest medicines to cultivate her into a peerless beauty, then gifting her to the Crown Prince!

When she and the Crown Prince were lost in passion between the silks, shouldn’t he have been secretly rejoicing at the success of his scheme?

Wasn’t the whole point to plant her beside the Crown Prince as a sleeper agent? How dare he now lash out with such bitterness!

So she struck back bluntly: "Some men, even after a thousand nights, still breed revulsion in one's heart. Others, after just one night, become unforgettable."

She tilted her head, deliberately provoking him: "Seventh Lord, which one do you think you are?"

Lu Yunjian arched a brow and chuckled.

His lips brushed faintly against her ear before he mocked venomously: "A Wu, tell me, how good was this man who became unforgettable after just one night? Seventh Lord wants to learn—teach me."

This version of Lu Yunjian made A Wu tremble, her flesh creeping with terror. She snapped furiously: "Go to hell!"

Lu Yunjian suddenly closed in, his face devilishly handsome yet menacing: "What, don’t want to say? Then Seventh Lord will just have to see for himself whether the Crown Prince’s touch has enhanced your beauty. Come, let me take a look."

With that, his fingers hooked onto her collar, poised to rip it apart.

Agh—

A Wu screamed!

She didn’t want this—in this desolate place, in broad daylight—how could he bully her like this!

A Wu writhed desperately, trying to break free, but Lu Yunjian’s grip was like steel shackles. She kicked and clawed, but it was no use.

In her panic, the embroidered lapel was torn open, revealing the white satin underrobe beneath.

A Wu's eyes brimmed with tears, her teeth clenched in hatred.

Lu Yunjian's large, slightly calloused hand roughly raked over her waist. "Here—how did he touch you? How did he caress you? How many times a night did he—"

A Wu thrashed against him. "I don't want you! Let me go, you bastard!"

Lu Yunjian's voice was cold and mocking. "Can the Crown Prince give you the pleasure I can? He's just a callow youth—what does he know? What can he offer you? I, Lu Yunjian, control the Eastern Sea Naval Forces. Even his father, the Emperor, must show me deference. What is he compared to that? Did you really think you'd reached some higher station? Did you think you could escape my grasp? You heartless, ungrateful woman!"

Unable to break free, A Wu collapsed into his arms, large teardrops falling one after another.

Seeing her fragile state, Lu Yunjian couldn't help but lower his head to kiss her eyelids. "Such a poor little thing. The moment you see your Seventh Brother (Seven), you can't control yourself. You never truly liked him, did you?"

A Wu stared at the curve of his lips—so close, so treacherous, so cruel, yet alluring in their fullness.

Her gaze fixed there, she gave a fierce snarl, opening her mouth to bite down hard.

The sudden sting made Lu Yunjian pause.

Then, he withdrew from her, raising an elegant finger to lightly dab at his lip.

Crimson blood smeared against his alabaster fingertip.

Lu Yunjian stared at the blood, his gaze burning.

There had once been tenderness between them—but now, she bit without mercy.

He lifted his eyes, dark with menace. "Oh? Biting me? Would you rather consume me?"

A Wu raised her head defiantly. "I truly despise you! If not for you, perhaps I would have found my brother by now! I could have!"

As she spoke, the tears in her eyes flickered like torches in the night.

She wept, "It's all your fault... I'll never find him again. All the villagers left—they'd boarded the ships, leaving only me behind."

But Lu Yunjian's heart sank.

The "brother" she spoke of wasn't her kin—it was that neighbor boy, her childhood sweetheart!

The moment she heard news of him, she rushed off without so much as a backward glance, not even sparing him a glance.

He sighed. "A Wu, did you really think boarding that ship would—"

His words were cut off by the sound of rapid hoofbeats—someone was approaching!

Hearing this, a flicker of hope stirred in A Wu's heart.

Lu Yunjian wrapped his cloak around her shivering form, pulling her close.

Soon, the carriage and horses drew near.

At the sight of the ostentatious carriage, A Wu's heart slowly sank. She realized how foolish her earlier hope had been.

Without Lu Yunjian, there would still be others. No one could save her now.

This was the Emperor's disfavor, the Crown Princess's machinations. The Crown Prince couldn't save her, Nie San wouldn't save her—death awaited her.

The carriage and horses soon arrived. A Wu heard them halt and felt Lu Yunjian go rigid against her.

A Wu was baffled—who could make even Lu Yunjian hesitate?

She wanted to peek, but Lu Yunjian pushed her head down, keeping her tucked inside the cloak.

Then, she heard a voice say, "Yunjian."

The voice was gentle yet authoritative.

At the sound, A Wu stiffened before suddenly realizing—

Could this be... the Empress?

The Empress came to Nanqiongzi? Here?

Was this the same Empress who traveled with her full royal entourage? How could she—

She sneaked a glance through a gap in the cloak, catching only a glimpse of the ornate carriage and the procession of eunuchs and maids. The Empress herself remained unseen, still inside the carriage.

Lu Yunjian rode forward to pay respects, still holding A Wu in his arms without letting her show her face.

The Empress's voice came from the carriage: "Yunjian, I accompanied the Crown Prince to Nanqiongzi and just learned that Yanxiang Temple caught fire last night. Nie San abducted a runaway Taoist nun. Have you seen them?"

Lu Yunjian smiled. "Your Majesty, this lowly official has not."

The Empress: "Is that so? Then what is it you're holding in your arms?"

Lu Yunjian draped his chin atop A Wu's head. "This is my concubine."

The Empress: "I’ll see her myself."

Lu Yunjian hesitated slightly.

The Empress’s voice iced over. "What? Yunjian, is your concubine not presentable?"

Lu Yunjian: "Of course."

With that, he dismounted, still wrapping A Wu in the cloak, and carried her as eunuchs and attendants led him onto the carriage.

This was no ordinary carriage—it was spacious and opulent, more like a movable palace.

Once Lu Yunjian stepped inside, attendants spread a carpet before silently retreating behind the curtains.

Undeterred, Lu Yunjian cradled the cloak-wrapped bundle in his arms and bowed to the Empress.

The Empress's gaze had been fixed on the cloak from the start.

It was a Jiang silk cloak with shadowed patterns lined with black fox fur, its material and craftsmanship of the finest quality. The intricate, subdued patterns radiated understated opulence—yet from its edges escaped a lock of glossy black hair.

That silken tress swayed gently between the man's slender fingers, adding a touch of unspoken intimacy.

The Empress narrowed her eyes slightly and breathed, "A concubine?"

Lu Yunjian chuckled. "Yes, but Your Majesty, this concubine is simple and untrained in etiquette. I fear she may offend you."

The Empress slowly lifted her gaze to meet Lu Yunjian's. "Yunjian, we’re all kin here. There’s no need for such formality."

Hearing this, A Wu's heart clenched tightly.

She had always known Lu Yunjian was shameless—but never imagined he could be to *this* degree!

Now with her robes in disarray, he intended to humiliate her like this, exposing her before outsiders, letting them feast their eyes on her humiliation!

A Wu clutched the fox fur of the cloak tightly with both hands, her body shaking violently.

Lu Yunjian lowered his gaze, observing the quivering strands of hair and the tightly grasped cloak. He was drinking in her tension and terror—she was like crushed leaves mercilessly battered by the wind in the fading sunset.

Yet he showed no trace of pity. His long, powerful fingers gripped the cloak and pulled it open.

Nestled within the cloak, A Wu felt the force. She tried to resist but soon gave up.

What was tearing away her last shred of dignity was the supreme authority of the throne, an irresistible masculine strength. She had always been nothing more than a plaything they had groomed, a meticulously groomed offering.

Her taut fingers suddenly slackened, and her trembling body stilled.

As the cloak fell open, the woman within was revealed to all.

Her sweat-dampened hair was disheveled, her outer robe torn. The thin white undergarment clung tightly to her, the twin mounds of pristine snow trembling faintly with her ragged breaths.

Her jade-like skin bore shocking red marks, as if she had endured relentless torment—broken, pitiful, disheveled, and provocative in an undeniable way.

Only two maids and Madam Su were present. Madam Su kept her eyes lowered, not daring to look closely.

The Empress stared fixedly at this seductive and fragrant scene, her regal composure fracturing.

Lu Yunjian murmured with false affection, "Your Majesty, you see—this is my cherished consort."

The Empress stiffly regarded A Wu for a long moment before finally turning to Lu Yunjian.

"You're insane."

Those were her only words.

Lu Yunjian replied, "Oh?"

The Empress, in her phoenix crown and court robes, lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and stepped forward.

Lying in Lu Yunjian’s arms, A Wu caught the scent of the Empress—an imperial, restrained perfume.

The Empress parted her crimson lips and spoke in a soft voice, "Yunjian, today I received word that the Taoist nun Miao Zhen from Yanxiang Temple has violated monastic vows, fleeing in shame with Nie San. The news reached Fengtian Hall, and now Nie San has escalated matters by setting fires and abducting Miao Zhen. Yanxiang Temple is currently hunting down this adulterous pair. Early this morning, the Crown Prince arrived at the temple. Upon learning that Nie San had taken Miao Zhen, he erupted in fury, hellbent on hunting her down for answers."

She paused, looking at Lu Yunjian. "The Emperor, concerned that the Crown Prince might act unbecomingly in his fury, commanded my personal intervention to rein him in. Now, I am fully responsible for this matter."

As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on Lu Yunjian.

Her voice was low and swift, concise—in just a few words, she laid out her precarious position.

She had to resolve this matter swiftly, before it escalates beyond control and compromises her standing as Empress.

Lowering her long lashes, she looked at Lu Yunjian. "Yunjian, what do you suggest? Our captured Miao Zhen has slipped away. How am I to explain this to the Emperor?"

She smiled faintly. "Or do you mean to defy reason itself, sheltering a runaway nun!"

Lu Yunjian’s slender fingers combed through A Wu’s tangled locks. "Your Majesty, as I’ve said—this is my consort."

Just as his words fell, a voice spoke up—faint yet unignorable.

"I am not."

A shadow crossed Lu Yunjian's face as he looked down at A Wu.

The Empress also turned her gaze toward A Wu.

Under their combined gaze, A Wu's delicate yet resolute hands pushed Lu Yunjian away before she slowly rose to her feet.

Her hair spilled loose, her robes tangled—this was her lowest moment.

Yet she no longer cared.

Exposed yet unashamed, she stood tall between the two, her slender figure poised with grace, meeting their surprised gazes.

The Empress frowned slightly as she observed the woman before her.

Lustrous like polished jade, her figure alluring, her body teasingly revealed—even as a woman, the Empress felt her pulse quicken at the sight.

No wonder she had stirred the Crown Prince’s heart, driven Nie San and Lu Yunjian to risk everything to save her in the same night, and even troubled the Emperor himself.

She was a natural-born temptress, the kind who topples kingdoms.

It left them torn—should she be killed to eliminate the threat, or controlled and used for one’s own ends?

A Wu studied the Empress before her. As she did, she realized the Empress knew everything about her past.

Perhaps the Empress was the true mastermind behind it all.

With a sly smile, she said, "Before taking vows, I was Ning Wu. Once, I served in the Crown Prince’s chambers before leaving worldly life by the Emperor’s order and taking vows at Yanxiang Temple under Abbess Lingguan Song, adopting the dharma name Miao Zhen."

Lu Yunjian snapped impatiently, "Have you gone mad?"

The Empress remained silent, her gaze measured and icy.

A Wu continued, "Later, I ran off with a lover in sin. Yanxiang Temple captured me, intending to punish me. I own my sins and will take my punishment."

Lu Yunjian stared at her, his face darkening.

Lifting her sharp chin, A Wu parted her rosy lips to deliver cruel words: "As for Lord Lu, this humble nun does not know him. He intercepted me on the road, insisting I become his concubine."

The Empress murmured, "Oh..."

A Wu cast a fleeting glance at Lu Yunjian and sighed, "He’s a revolting sight, with a tiny prick that couldn’t outsize a bedbug. Why would I ever want him?"

Revolting sight... His tiny prick couldn't outsize a bedbug...

Lu Yunjian’s jaw clenched, a vein pulsed at his temple.

Born into a noble family, his striking looks had earned him endless praise as a peerless gentleman. By his late teens, he had noblewomen swooning across the capital. A single visit to the Flower Banquet would earn him piles of perfumed letters!

And now, she called him a revolting sight!

Not to mention that other remark...

The Empress observed A Wu, her gaze drifting briefly over her alluring curves before she chuckled. "Yunjian, you see? She’s clearly that runaway nun, not your concubine. The refined Zhen’an Marquis House won’t be soiled by a common whore."

"Prick"—originally referring to a spindle on a loom—was vulgar slang, words never spoken within the halls of the Zhen’an Marquis House.

Lu Yunjian’s face darkened.

With a wave of her hand, the Empress commanded, "Get her dressed and remove her."

Immediately, maids stepped forward, wrapping A Wu in a large robe and leading her away from the palanquin.

A Wu stepped down without looking back.

Lu Yunjian’s gaze followed her until the hem of her robe disappeared, then he slowly averted his gaze.

Now, only the Empress and Lu Yunjian remained in the palanquin, and the atmosphere turned silent.

Emotionally, they had grown up together since childhood; logically, their interests were tightly bound, leaving them interdependent. With such a relationship, was there anything they couldn’t discuss properly?

The Empress sighed softly, her voice tinged with melancholy. "No matter the past, now she is the Crown Prince’s former concubine, someone the Emperor sent to Yanxiang Taoist Temple. Yunjian, you can’t take back an arrow once shot. Do you really think she can still be yours?"

Lu Yunjian pressed his lips together, his gaze drifting absently to the side.

A cloisonné incense burner emitted warmth, filled with the finest red-bamboo charcoal, suffusing the palanquin with a gentle fragrance.

After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Sister, since she has escaped, let the former Taoist nun be considered dead. I wish to keep her by my side—she’ll be useful."

*Sister.*

A complex emotion flickered in the Empress’s eyes.

He rarely called her *Sister*. Now that he did, was it to plead for that girl?

The Empress arched a delicate brow. "Useful?"

Her tone was meaningful. "What use could she have for you? Such a rare beauty—what could be more fitting than placing her beside the Crown Prince?"

She needed to secure every advantage, to gain more leverage for herself.

Hearing this, Lu Yunjian’s lips thinned slightly, his expression complicated.

The Empress chuckled. "Don’t forget who trained her and personally sent her away in the first place."

Her voice was soft, yet it was like a stone dropped in water, causing a crack in Lu Yunjian’s calm.

He clenched his teeth lightly.

The Empress studied him closely, her breath fragrant. "What, Yunjian? Do you regret it now? Can’t bear to part with her?"

Lu Yunjian lowered his eyes and murmured, "Some regret, but not enough."

The Empress laughed softly—a pleasant sound, more like a playful young woman than an empress.

She said with a smile, "Besides, if she stays by your side, as what? Do you really wish for Guanglan to one day find out—"

Lu Yunjian abruptly cut her off. "Sister, no need to say more."

The Empress nodded in understanding. "If you’ve realized, then all the better."

She narrowed her eyes. "The Zhen’an Marquisate’s thousand warships are anchored in the Eastern Sea. All these years, with the Emperor’s suspicions, how have I swallowed my pride? If not for my caution, those ships would have long switched allegiance. Don’t you know this?"

Lu Yunjian’s jaw tightened. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and finally said, "What are you asking for?"

The Empress smiled. "The Crown Prince wants her—naturally, she should be handed over to him. With Nie San as a cover, all your actions can be concealed. Blame it all on Nie San, and I will see her returned myself."

Her tone was indifferent. "Execute anyone who needs to die. No loose ends."

Lu Yunjian raised his eyes and met her gaze.

The Empress: "As for her life or death, what does it matter? It's all up to the Crown Prince's will."

She said leisurely, "She's your protégée—such a rare beauty. Didn't you examine her today? Do you really think the Crown Prince would bear to watch her perish?"

Lifting her splendid skirt, she turned and walked to the window, gazing at the fading autumn landscape outside. With a smile, she added, "These past few days, the Emperor has been in poor spirits, displeased with the Crown Prince. Tell me, could she seduce him into reckless fury, making him defy the Emperor for her sake?"

Lu Yunjian's lips parted stiffly as he replied, "She could."

After months apart, she had shed her former innocence, now in full, dazzling bloom—even the lotus by the marsh in May paled in comparison to her breathtaking beauty.