Chapter 55: The Marquis’s Second Imprisonment

Chapter 55: Marquis of Jingbian's Second Time in Jail

Ling Yehan's face flushed crimson, yet he found their reasoning sound—Xiao Chen wouldn't need to exert much effort, and it would still satisfy his desires.

Qing Yue, noticing his interest, spoke up:

"Perhaps let me demonstrate on you, so you may grasp the technique."

Ling Yehan immediately shook his head:

"No need. I’ll just watch you two."

Qing Yue chuckled teasingly and poured Ling Yehan a cup of clear liquor:

"Have a drink, young master, and I’ll show you right away."

Ling Yehan declined, worried he might return to the palace smelling of alcohol.

Qing Yue didn’t press further; in their line of work, pleasing the client was paramount. He glanced at Shu Xuan, and the two understood each other perfectly, without any shyness.

Ling Yehan watched as Qing Yue knelt before Shu Xuan, his hands wandering over Shu Xuan's stomach. Qing Yue glanced sideways at Ling Yehan, with a seductive look as he said:

"Pay close attention, young master. Using your mouth should start gently, with skillful licking—gentle but firm, slow and deep. A skilled tongue will surely make your esteemed guest feel as if his soul is being drawn out."

Ling Yehan was grateful for his veil; otherwise, his face would have been beet red.

Qing Yue’s hands lingered for a while before moving downward, burying his face between Shu Xuan’s legs. Soon, the sounds of sucking and licking filled the room. Shu Xuan’s see-through robe had already fallen off, revealing his slender neck glistening with sweat as he arched back on the couch, moaning uncontrollably.

Ling Yehan had never witnessed such a scene. The thought of using these techniques to serve Xiao Chen made his heart pound like a drum. In his distraction, he mistakenly picked up the wine instead of water and drank it in one gulp. The slightly spicy liquid burned his throat, only fueling the fire within him.

Meanwhile, a black carriage adorned with auspicious cloud patterns emerged from the Donghua Gate. Escorting it were imperial guards disguised as ordinary servants, while Commander Xing led an actual squad of guards following at a distance.

The sun had set, and night was falling. The carriage moved slowly along the smooth bluestone pavement of Suzaku Street. Inside, Xiao Chen reclined on a soft couch, his wide light purple sleeves draping over the edge. Though his eyes were closed, his weariness was evident. His slender fingers pressed against his waist; even the slight jostling of the carriage sent waves of pain through his lower back. The growing child inside him pressed against his stomach, making it difficult to breathe in his reclined position.

Impatiently, he pushed the window open a crack to get some air. Zhang Fu, walking alongside the carriage, wore a worried expression. The emperor had just undergone acupuncture, skipped dinner, and should have been resting. If anything happened due to this excursion, the consequences would be unthinkable.

After the two men in front of him finally finished, Ling Yehan breathed a sigh of relief. Realizing it was getting late, he prepared to return to the palace. Qing Yue, seeing him about to leave, smiled and said:

"Young master, don’t rush off. There’s quite a show in the pavilion tonight. You’ll regret missing it for the rest of your life."

Ling Yehan hadn’t come for entertainment and saw no reason to stay. It was already late, and he needed to hurry back.

As he stood up, Qing Yue straightened his sheer robe and walked to the window, which had been covered by a curtain. He pulled the curtain aside, and Ling Yehan instinctively looked out. To his surprise, the window overlooked a garden with a hot spring pool, its surface shrouded in mist like a fairyland. In the center of the pool was a platform draped in moon-white gauze, with a faint human figure visible inside.

At that moment, he noticed all the curtained windows on the third floor had been opened, each facing the hot spring pool below.

Qing Yue leaned closer and whispered:

"Now you understand why the third-floor rooms are so expensive, young master? Ours faces the pool directly. You’re in for a treat today."

Ling Yehan assumed the person in the lotus platform must be a top-tier entertainer, but to him, all men looked the same except for Xiao Chen.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard the madam’s voice from downstairs:

"Sorry to keep you waiting, but tonight will not disappoint. Raise the curtains!"

Four slender men stepped forward and drew back the moon-white gauze. The fabric fluttered down like moonlight, scattering across the water and revealing the figure within. Ling Yehan froze in his tracks, his expression darkening. Gasps of astonishment echoed from the surrounding rooms.

The person in the pool had long black hair cascading over their shoulders, their sheer robe floating around them in the water. Their face was exquisitely beautiful, with lashes like crow feathers shading their eyes—a picture of delicate allure. Yet, it wasn’t just their beauty that drew gasps. What stunned the onlookers was the prominently rounded belly, bulging like a pregnant woman's belly, visible beneath the gauzy fabric.

"Is that a man or a woman? Why does he have a big belly?"

"Maybe it’s neither! Haha..."

"What a rare beauty! Whether it’s a man, woman, or something in between, I’ll take them!"

Whispers and exclamations rose and fell like waves. Ling Yehan stood by the window, his expression icy, his knuckles white as he gripped the windowsill.

The madam’s voice rang out again:

"You are all well-traveled and knowledgeable. Surely you’ve heard of the Luo people? Luo men can bear children, though their tribe was wiped out in the previous dynasty. Tonight, this Master Mozhu is a rare descendant of the Luo people. Just seeing him is worth your visit!"

"The Luo people? I thought they were just a myth. They actually exist?"

"I’ve read about them in ancient texts, but I never believed it. Can men really give birth?"

"Name your price for the night! I’ve never played with a pregnant man before."

The mocking words pierced Ling Yehan’s ears. Though he didn’t know the person in the pool, the malice directed at the Luo man felt like an insult to Xiao Chen. The derogatory remarks seemed aimed at Xiao Chen himself, igniting a fury within him. The audacity of this establishment!

Just as he resolved to buy the man and shut down the pavilion, chaos erupted downstairs. The sounds of footsteps, shouts, and clanging armor filled the air:

"Who are you? Let go of me!"

"An assassin targeted the emperor in the palace, and the culprit is hiding here. By His Majesty’s decree, everyone in the Clear Brilliance Pavilion is to be detained. Take them away!"

Ling Yehan recognized Commander Xing’s voice and panicked at the news of an assassination attempt. He rushed downstairs but was seized by two imperial guards before he could even reach the third-floor staircase. Struggling was futile, and he couldn’t reveal his identity. As he was forcibly escorted down, he called out to Commander Xing:

"Commander Xing!"

He was sure Commander Xing would recognize his voice, but the commander ignored him, waving dismissively:

"Take him away."

Commander Xing’s attitude could only mean one thing: Xiao Chen had given explicit orders. Did Xiao Chen know he was here? Ling Yehan’s heart sank.

Commander Xing had come expecting to detain Ling Yehan, but his expression changed when he saw the pregnant man. He immediately ordered the man to be clothed and held separately.

Outside the pavilion, the moonlight cast a cold glow on the bluestone pavement of Suzaku Street. In the distance, a modest yet dignified black carriage came into view. When Ling Yehan spotted Zhang Fu standing beside it, his heart sank completely.

Zhang Fu, seeing the veiled Ling Yehan being escorted out, approached the carriage window and said:

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Jingbian is here. Shall we bring him over?"

Xiao Chen, plagued by discomfort and the child’s restless movements, was in no mood. His waist throbbed with pain, and his face was pale:

"Bring him over to anger me to death? Detain him."

No one disobeys imperial orders. Ling Yehan didn’t dare cause a scene in the street. The fact that Xiao Chen had left the palace in his condition meant he was furious. And worse—what if he thought Ling Yehan had come here for pleasure? Ling Yehan broke into a cold sweat, afraid to struggle free and confront Xiao Chen, lest he provoke another episode like last time.

That night, over a hundred people were thrown into the prison of the Supreme Court. The Marquis of Jingbian, however, was an exception. Given his noble status, he was locked alone in the woodshed where dogs were once kept in the court’s backyard.

Xu Zhuo, the chief minister of the Supreme Court, hurried over in his official robes upon hearing that Commander Xing had personally brought detainees. But before he could enter the backyard, imperial guards stopped him.

"By His Majesty’s decree, all personnel of the Supreme Court are to withdraw to the front yard. The backyard and prison are now under the guard’s jurisdiction. So it is decreed."

The last time the imperial guards had surrounded the Supreme Court was when the Marquis of Jingbian was imprisoned and the emperor visited in person. Had that troublemaker angered the emperor again?

The black carriage stopped at the backyard’s side gate. Only then did Xiao Chen speak:

"Did you check everyone who was in Ling Yehan's room earlier?"

"Yes, Commander Xing brought the two out separately."

Xiao Chen stretched at his waist:

"Go interrogate those two."

"Yes."

After Zhang Fu left, Xiao Chen called for Xing Fang again:

"Have someone take the man from before to the annex and have Xu Yuan examine him privately before conducting a secret interrogation."

After saying this, Xiao Chen lifted the curtain and, supported by Zhang Chunlai, got down from the carriage. He was draped in a black cloak, and under the night sky, his silhouette was hard to make out.

"Where is that bastard?"

Xing Fang replied cautiously:

"In the woodshed."

Xiao Chen waved his hand lightly, and Xing Fang immediately led the way, walking slowly. By the time Xiao Chen reached the woodshed, he was short of breath. Xing Fang opened the door, and Ling Yehan, tied to a post, immediately looked toward the entrance. When he saw Xiao Chen, he felt both guilty and worried:

"Brother."

Servants had already brought a cushioned chair, helping Xiao Chen inside to sit down before tactfully withdrawing with Xing Fang. Xiao Chen lifted his gaze slightly, his expression faint and unreadable:

"Yesterday, you told me you thought of me all day, and today you ended up on a male prostitute's bed. The Marquis of Jingbian really has some talent."

Ling Yehan wanted to gesture but found his hands tied:

"Brother, I wasn't there for fun. Please don’t misunderstand."

Now he truly felt as if he had a hundred mouths and still couldn’t talk his way out of this.

"Oh? If not for pleasure, did you go there to study?"

Ling Yehan... "Really, why can't bedroom skills count as studying?"