Chapter 73 Rui Er, Be Honest

Chapter 73: Rui'er, Be Honest

"What propriety are you talking about? I don't understand."

Her fingertips had just grazed his subtly shifting muscles when, abruptly, Gu Yan seized her wrist.

"Stop provoking me."

Gu Yan's dark eyes blazed, the muscles in his arms taut, veins faintly throbbing—he was clearly at his breaking point.

At first, she resisted, but then seemed to resign herself, letting him have his way. Little did she know, the more she endured, the more Gu Yan delighted in seeing her cheeks flush and her eyelashes tremble with shyness, often pushing her to tears and pleas for mercy before he would relent.

If she ever needed a favor from him, she would take the initiative. A brush of her pinky, a subtle rub, her supple waist working diligently to please and cooperate. Of course, her strength would eventually wane, and she would melt into a pool of yielding softness.

This was the first time Yan Xuerui had so brazenly seduced him. Her skin was fair, her hair dark, her lips red, and the crimson brocade blanket draped over her was smooth and thin, concealing nothing. Gu Yan hooked its edge with his finger; with a mere flick, he could tear it away.

Gu Yan's chest rose and fell. After a long moment, he closed his eyes, unfastened his robe, and draped the outer garment over Yan Xuerui's snow-white, pristine shoulders.

"You don't have to do this."

His voice was hoarse. "Are you short on money, or has someone bullied you?"

"Tell me."

He assumed it was like before—that she had something to ask of him and was offering herself as a sacrifice. A woman presenting herself to him was something he would normally savor, but today was not the opportune moment.

He desired beauty, but he could not let it derail his grand ambitions. To possess beauty, one must first conquer the realm—this was a truth he had always held dear.

Yan Xuerui was so infuriated her heart ached. She couldn't very well admit she'd been drinking too much tonic soup lately and felt a restless emptiness. What would all her past struggles amount to then? He'd be insufferably smug.

Whether from shame or anger, a blush spread across Yan Xuerui's fair face, making her appear even more captivating in the candlelight.

She drew his outer robe tighter around her and turned to sit on the bed. Her long, graceful legs emerged from the open garment, her feet small and delicate, toes rounded, skin gleaming like freshly fallen snow.

"There is indeed something I must inform the Marquis of."

Gu Yan's dark eyes swirled with an unfathomable desire. He fixed his gaze on her and commanded, "Speak."

"Today... I encountered the Crown Princess."

Gu Yan felt that Yan Xuerui's voice tonight was particularly soft and alluring, as if laced with hidden hooks.

"The Crown Princess cordially invited me, but I sensed a trap. Also... today, when I was close to her, I caught her scent."

Yan Xuerui herself was a master perfumer, with an acute sense of smell. Amidst the dozen or so fragrances blended into the Crown Princess's scent, she immediately detected the aroma of musk.

"Musk stimulates blood circulation and dispels stasis, but it is highly dangerous for pregnant women. So many people are watching over the Crown Princess's pregnancy—could someone be secretly harming the royal heir?"

Gu Yan had never divulged anything, so Yan Xuerui knew nothing of the Crown Prince's health. Yet, based solely on a scent, her deduction was remarkably accurate.

"No, the Crown Princess is meticulous. She wouldn't make such a foolish mistake."

When she had given birth, everything from the food she ate to the clothes she wore and the jewelry she adorned had been meticulously checked. For a woman, childbirth was akin to stepping one foot into the underworld. For the sake of herself and her child, no amount of caution was excessive. Putting herself in the Crown Princess's shoes—this was the Crown Prince's offspring, after all.

Yan Xuerui's eyes gleamed as she looked up at Gu Yan. "There's something wrong with the Crown Princess's pregnancy—Mmph—"

She was unaware that her expression at that moment was a hundred times more captivating than when she had revealed her fragrant shoulders and jade legs. Darkness enveloped Yan Xuerui's vision, and in a dizzying swirl, she found herself on the bed. Gu Yan roughly pressed the back of her neck and covered her lips with his.

...

Gu Yan was anything but "gentle," his urgency akin to devouring her whole. Even though Yan Xuerui had been his bedmate for years, she found it difficult to keep up.

Yan Xuerui was kissed nearly breathless. As Gu Yan lowered his head to tug at the blanket covering her, she gasped softly, her hands pushing against his chest.

"Don't."

Gu Yan let out a harsh laugh. She was the one who had just seduced him so enchantingly—what right did she have to say "don't" now?

He gently stroked her face and scoffed, "Rui'er, be honest."

After all these years of intimacy, why play the chaste maiden? Did she enjoy this kind of game?

Yan Xuerui was so angry the corners of her eyes reddened. It was true she had intended to entice him, but she had summoned Gu Yan today to satisfy herself, not to please him.

Appetite and desire were inherent to human nature. In the past, she had only felt oppressed. Even if there was pleasure, under his forceful demands, her body seemed to remember only the pain, and her heart was even more twisted, unable to find release. Now, looking at it with a calm mind, she realized she had been needlessly tormenting herself.

With effort, Yan Xuerui turned over, her long, graceful legs straddling Gu Yan's sturdy waist, looking down at him for the first time.

"Today, I'll take charge."

A peculiar feeling washed over Gu Yan—indescribable, but it suddenly reminded him of the young girl who had once played chess with him, her eyes equally cunning and unyielding.

He curved his lips into a slight smile, his large hand caressing her full hips through the silk blanket, giving them two firm squeezes that sent shivers down Yan Xuerui's spine.

"Fine, you take charge."

...

A night of wild abandon. The bed creaked and swayed. Around midnight, Bi He, thinking something was amiss, was about to lift the curtain and enter when the man's hoarse voice came from inside.

"Get out!"

The familiar, cold tone startled Bi He so much she nearly jumped. She didn't dare linger, but from the corner of her eye, through a gap in the gauzy curtain, she saw her mistress's long, snow-white legs hooked upward. Her legs were beautiful, the arches of her feet tightly stretched, her ten rounded toes curled up like exquisite pearls.

Even Bi He, who had served for so long, blushed, covered her eyes, and ran out, dismissing all the servants.

***

Yan Xuerui was satisfied and slept soundly until daybreak. Gu Yan, however, was not so idle. Nearing the fourth watch, he rose, dressed, and left to pursue his grand endeavors.

After taking two steps out the door, he turned back, using his fingers to clear out the lingering traces. He placed his palm on her flat abdomen, thinking to himself that if not for concern over her health, he would have wanted her to bear him a few more children, to fill the house with sons and grandsons.

There was one thing he hadn't told her: A Yina was pregnant, a discovery made just during the journey.

She was about to become a grandmother.

If both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were pregnant at the same time, she would surely be too shy to show her face. Ah well, Young Slave was already enough to worry her. Adding another would only divert more of her attention—hardly worth it.

He also couldn't bear to put her through the pain of childbirth again.

Regretfully, Gu Yan dismissed the thought, leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead, and departed.

The haven of warmth was sweet, but he could not lose himself in it. There was still much to be done.

...

After that intoxicating and wild night, Yan Xuerui—a woman for twenty years—felt as though the clouds had finally parted, revealing a whole new world. Though she had eventually run out of strength and left it to Gu Yan, the experience was incomparable to the passive endurance of the past.

Her full chest felt clear and unburdened, no longer swollen and stifled.

She had gotten a taste for it and quietly withdrew some of the estate guards. In the past, she had used every means to guard against Gu Yan, but now that she had let her guard down, he no longer came. Yan Xuerui reached out to touch the mark on her shoulder; that day, she had been pretending to sleep, but she had actually heard his words, "Take care."

Yan Xuerui couldn't quite describe the feeling. Gu Yan didn't tell her his plans, only asking her to stay put in the princess's mansion to care for the children, and to let him know if she needed money or people. But in the midst of this situation, who could truly feel at ease?

Feeling troubled, Yan Xuerui finally made time to visit her cousin Zhixu. When she arrived, the small courtyard was already empty, with only two of Fang Zhixu's disciples left behind. They said their master had mostly recovered and had returned to Yangzhou with Mr. Gao to recuperate.

With that, the disciples brought out a letter, saying it was left for her by Fang Zhixu. The gist of it was that after all the turmoil, he had suddenly found clarity. The past was settled, and from then on, with great distance between them, it was best they did not meet again.

Yan Xuerui lowered her gaze and pondered for a long time before softly saying, "I failed Cousin Zhixu."

"What I owe him, I will repay in my next life."

Upon hearing this, the two disciples exchanged a glance, shuddered violently, and dared not utter a word.

Fang Zhixu's departure didn't cause much upheaval in Yan Xuerui's life. She continued to hold Young Slave every day to pay her respects to the Emperor. Besides currying favor, she kept her ears and eyes open and uncovered three things.

First, the Crown Princess was never pregnant at all. There was no so-called "imperial heir"; it was all a fabrication.

Second, the Emperor was aging, his energy waning. A bout of cold had left him relying on strong medications to stay afloat.

Third... her people had found out why the Crown Princess was so enthusiastic. All that talk about "Yun Shu missing her aunt" was utter nonsense. Yun Shu had only been favored for a short while after entering the mansion. Since the Crown Princess's pregnancy—or rather, since Gu Yan was sent away to compile texts—she had completely fallen out of favor.

The Crown Princess wanted to play matchmaker for her, a divorcee.

Yan Xuerui felt helpless. She had three children; even if she truly cut all ties with Gu Yan, she would never remarry in this lifetime. Too many people had seen her during the palace coup. Perhaps it was true, as some said, that she, though middle-aged, still possessed some charm; or perhaps it was simply to humiliate Gu Yan. In any case, a certain widowed official had indeed asked the Crown Princess to propose the match.

This official was a key ally to the Crown Prince and highly trusted by him.

Even more absurdly, the Crown Princess had agreed. Yan Xuerui found it unbelievable. Based on her understanding, the Crown Princess followed the Crown Prince's lead in all things. If she was doing this, it must have been on the Crown Prince's orders.

She was the Crown Prince's elder sister, and even his "former mentor's wife." Yan Xuerui couldn't fathom it no matter how hard she thought—did the Crown Prince hate Gu Yan that much?

This matter truly troubled Yan Xuerui for a long time. The key was that the Crown Princess was pregnant and, somehow managing to persuade him, had even won over the Emperor.

She went to pay her respects daily. During those days when the Emperor was ill with a cold, he held her hand on his sickbed and said with pity, "When I ascend to the heavens, what will become of my lonely Chang Le?"

Yan Xuerui's heart sank, and she hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is mighty and robust; it's just a cold. Please do not overthink it."

The Emperor sighed and relayed what the Crown Princess had said, speaking slowly, "The Empress is jealous. Because of your mother, I fear she may take it out on you in the future."

"Lord Lü's family is prosperous, and he is close to the Crown Prince. It would be a good match. Think it over carefully."

"Only if you live well can I account to your mother in the afterlife."

Yan Xuerui didn't know any Lord Lü. She had never expected the Emperor to spring this on her. Though he spoke in a consultative tone, he was the supreme ruler. If he took a fancy to the idea, a single decree would force her to obediently remarry.

This was the first time since Gu Yan had forced her to be his concubine that Yan Xuerui once again felt powerless against her circumstances. Anger, frustration... a multitude of emotions surged in her heart, all in less than half a day.

On Yan Xuerui's way back to the princess's mansion, the Lord Lü who had sought to marry her passed by a mountain stream on horseback, was crushed by falling rocks, and died, leaving no remains.