Ch70 - Disturbances Reemerge

When the curtain of the carriage was lifted, Song Lingxin stepped forward first and bowed in greeting. “Qie welcomes Wang Ye… ah!” Before she could finish, she was startled by the little tiger that suddenly rushed out from within, and she gave a shrill scream. 

The scream startled Xiao Huang, and it roared at her discontentedly. Ge Ruo Yi picked up the little tiger and stood on the side.

“Why are you being so noisy?” Jing Shao came out. He had just jumped out of the carriage, and shot a glance at the woman standing on the side, before he turned and reached out to help the person still in the carriage come down.

Mu Hanzhang wore a wide-sleeved gauze garment over a sapphire blue cotton robe. On his head was a gold-plated crown inlaid with sapphire, which gave him an even more elegant and noble appearance. The thread of faintly discernible anxiety which he had carried had been washed away by the experiences he had gained in battle. His entire being was like the treasure sword Hanzhang pulled from its sheath, grabbing everyone’s attention.

The palace servants were stunned. Miao Xi whispered to Zhi Xi, “Wang Fei is really becoming more and more handsome.” 

“Wang Fei, this servant has been looking forward to your return all day and night!” Yun Zhu came over, extremely excited.

Mu Hanzhang took a look at Song Lingxin. He felt an indescribably uncomfortable feeling in his heart. He turned his head and looked at Jing Shao next to him.

At the same time, Jing Shao also looked over and saw that his Wang Fei wasn’t happy. He hadn’t really felt this way before, but whenever he looked at this concubine now, he would always feel extremely guilty. He couldn’t help but angrily say, “Who allowed you to come out?” He almost forgot about this person. Now he remembered when he saw her: He had given the order before that she wasn’t allowed to leave the east courtyard without the Wang Ye’s consent. Why was she standing here now?

“Wang Ye…” Song Lingxin originally hoped that Cheng Wang would have forgotten about that matter. She had dressed up especially nicely to welcome him, but was unexpectedly exposed immediately.

Jing Shao got angrier just looking at her and was about to explode, when the person next to him grabbed his hand. “Let’s go inside; the wind is strong outside.” Mu Hanzhang pinched his palm. Standing in front of the palace and reprimanding his concubine; what would it look like to outsiders? Besides, Hao Dadao was still with them!

Jing Shao glared at Duo Fu and put his arm around his Wang Fei’s waist. “Let’s go.”

They took care of Hao Dadao with a couple of sentences and the two went in first. Hao Dadao couldn’t say anything about Wang Ye’s family affairs. Housekeeper Yun personally took him to a room to rest. 

Duo Fu’s steamed bun face wrinkled up and he said to Song Lingxin, who was standing on the side with an ashen face, “Consort Song, you better go back to the east courtyard quickly. Don’t get this servant in trouble.”

There was not a single change in even the plants and trees in the palace. After half a year away, there was a strange sense of unfamiliarity and familiarity.

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“I’m tired, I don’t have the energy.” Mu Hanzhang struggled to get free. 

Jing Shao gently nibbled at his white and luscious shoulders, and said ambiguously, “I won’t go all the way; relax, en?”

Mu Hanzhang pressed his lips together at Jing Shao’s words, which had always been untrustworthy, but didn’t push him away. He let Jing Shao’s lightly calloused hands caress his chest all over.

“What are you planning to do… ah, with Consort Song?” Mu Hanzhang leaned back to rest his head on Jing Shao’s shoulder as he looked up at the multicolored cloud carvings on the eaves. Although life on the road was difficult, few things troubled his heart out there. When they just returned to the richly ornamented palace earlier, he unexpectedly felt a little unused to it.

“Jealous?” Hearing his words, Jing Shao paused, then grinned and nibbled on Mu Hanzhang’s ear. 

“You’re royalty; having three or four wives and concubines is natural. Chen… ah!” The finger that suddenly entered his body stirred him up inside, causing him to cry out. Mu Hanzhang bit his lower lip. Although the hot water had relaxed him, the abrupt invasion inevitably caused him some pain.

“You’re not allowed to say those kinds of words!” Jing Shao was a little unhappy. Such words made him feel as if he had returned to before he was reborn. Now that he spent so much time by his side, why was Jun Qing still saying these words?

Mu Hanzhang frowned and endured the unlubricated fingers that were stretching his entrance open. He bit his lip and refused to make a sound.

Seeing him like this, Jing Shao couldn’t help but feel distressed. He calmed down and carefully thought about what Mu Hanzhang said just now, and discovered that they were just sour words said out of jealousy. So, he became happy again. He inched close and dropped kisses on Jun Qing’s face. His hands eased up, and he felt for that familiar spot, kneading and pressing it over and over again. 

Mu Hanzhang pressed his lips together and refused to make a sound, but as Jing Shao’s hands moved more quickly, broken moans still spilled out.

With one hand pressing that sensitive spot and the other stroking Jun Qing’s member which had already hardened and risen up, Jing Shao put his mouth near his ear and softly murmured, “If you satisfy your husband tonight, I’ll immediately divorce her tomorrow, en?”

“Wu…” Mu Hanzhang turned his head to pull his ear away as he said, “If Wang Ye isn’t satisfied, Wang Ye can go find your concubines… ah!” Two fingers with ice-cold fragrant ointment on them squeezed into his body again, rubbing and twisting inside.

“That’s impossible. Besides you, Benwang can’t get hard with anyone else.” Jing Shao smiled and lifted him up slightly. 

“You, ah…” Mu Hanzhang heard his vulgar words, and his handsome face went from pink to red. He was going to say more, when the hands that had been caressing him released him and his body suddenly dropped down so that Jing Shao’s cock that had long been standing up thrust directly into him.

“It hurts…” Mu Hanzhang rested on Jing Shao’s shoulder and panted. In fact, Jing Shao had already prepared him amply and it wasn’t particularly painful. Moaning gently like this seemed more as if he were being coquettish.

Jing Shao practically felt suffocated when he heard this soft cry. He pinched the chin of the person in his arms and kissed him ferociously. “Jun Qing, you’re learning bad things.”

“En?” Mu Hanzhang felt like his mind had gone blank, and didn’t quite understand Jing Shao’s words as he gave a confused, nasally sound. 

Jing Shao smiled at his dazed appearance. In his heart, he was glad that Jun Qing had finally learned to relax in times like these. Stretching out his arms to wrap them around Jun Qing’s waist, he was at ease as he began to move.

Zhi Xi, who had come to deliver the meal, saw the other servants stop. She told them to put down the food and immediately withdraw. She took a look at the tightly shut doors of the inner room, and red-faced, also withdrew. She ran into Ge Ruo Yi, who was holding the tiger, and smiled in welcome. “Miss, the Wang Ye and Wang Fei are inside resting, so don’t go in for now.”

Ge Ruo Yi took a look at this maid who was smiling kindly at her, but had hostility in her eyes. In her heart, she thought, How dull. She held Xiao Huang up and said with a light smile, “Sister, don’t be so polite. My name is Ruo Yi. I am now a maid of the Wang Fei. I hope sister can give me guidance.”

When Zhi Xi heard this, the hostility in her eyes disappeared. She thought it was a beauty whom Wang Ye had brought back from the journey, but it actually turned out to be a maid the Wang Fei took in. 

Inside the room, Jing Shao didn’t know about the small altercation between the maids. Contentedly kissing the reddened corners of Mu Hanzhang’s eyes, he carried him out of the bathtub.

Mu Hanzhang lay limply against Jing Shao’s shoulder, his body sore all over. His body that was originally already tired was now so exhausted that he didn’t even want to lift a finger.

“Hungry?  I’ll have them organize the meal.” Jing Shao put him on the bed and tucked the blanket around him.

“I don’t want to eat anymore,” Mu Hanzhang grumbled and turned on his side away from him. 

Jing Shao put on an undershirt and hugged the man over the blanket, giving him a kiss. “No matter how tired you are, you should eat a little.” Saying that, he left the inner room. Not long after, Zhi Xi carried a bowl of porridge and two side dishes to the small table next to the bed, then lowered her head as she withdrew.

Jing Shao then happily scooped up the person on the bed and held him in his arms before picking up the bowl to feed him.

“When you go to court tomorrow, don’t be impulsive if someone says something to mock you.” Mu Hanzhang took a bite and reached for the spoon, but Jing Shao dodged him.

“En, I have to go to Rui Wang’s palace tomorrow and tell Brother about the Huainan King.” Jing Shao took a bite himself, then scooped another spoonful to feed the other man. 

“Before I go, I’ll first visit Imperial Mother at Fengyi Palace.” Mu Hanzhang shook his head, not wanting to eat any more. “Then I’ll go to the North Marquis’s residence tomorrow.” After a long journey, etiquette dictated that one had to visit one’s parents first. Moreover, he hadn’t heard from his mother in a long while, which made him rather uneasy.

Jing Shao ate the rest of the food and answered with a vague sound of agreement.

The next day, dressed in moon-white princely robes, Jing Shao stood in the golden palace hall once again.

Emperor Hong Zheng was very happy with Jing Shao taking care of the two vassal kings this time. It was rare that he didn’t have a stern face, but he praised Jing Shao generously in front of all the officials. 

“It was due to Imperial Father’s keen foresight; Erchen was just obeying orders,” Jing Shao bowed his head and said humbly. Moreover, he wanted to push the highest honor from these battles to Hao Dadao, the general he had run into by chance.

Emperor Hong Zheng was very satisfied with his behavior. He felt that after his son went out to fight, he had returned with quite a calm and steady temperament. He had an audience with Hao Dadao to meet him. and when he heard that his ancestor was the great general Hao of the previous dynasty, he immediately conferred on him the title of Fearless General.

The Dachen court also echoed the emperor’s praises, while Jing Yu, the fourth prince, bowed his head, the expression on his face indecipherable. The first prince had gone to fight the southern barbarians and still hadn’t returned, while Jing Shao had already pacified the two vassals and brought a strong general back to court! He winked at the official across from him.

Jing Chen’s eyes looked calmly at his younger brother standing in the center of the hall, but one couldn’t tell whether he was happy or angry. 

“Emperor, it is a great victory for Cheng Wang to come back with a decisive win. This is truly worthy of celebration, but rewards should be clear, and punishments even clearer!” An official suddenly stepped forward.

Jing Shao stood straight. He contained his gaze and remained silent, and didn’t react to the man’s words.

After the official waited for a long time and Cheng Wang still didn’t raise his voice to berate him, there was a sudden silence in court, which embarrassed the man. However, he had to go on, and said with a brave face, “As for what the punishment is in relation to, this humble servant believes the Assistant Minister of War would know best.”

As soon as he said this, everyone’s faces suddenly changed. Song An, the Assistant Minister of War, was the biological father of Cheng Wang’s concubine. Now, he was coming forward to criticize Cheng Wang? 

Jing Chen glanced at Song An, who trembled as he stepped forward, and his eyes gradually darkened.

“This official reports to the Emperor that the Cheng Wang’s Wang Fei did not follow the law and stay home to manage the residence, but in fact secretly followed Cheng Wang to the battlefield,” Song An said in a cold sweat.

“That’s right.” The Count of Yongchang also stood up and said in a loud voice, “The Cheng Wang Fei actually ignored etiquette and law, and treated state affairs as a petty matter. This official thinks that this deserves severe punishment. Otherwise, with the Cheng Wang being the first one to defy the law, all the other officers and soldiers will want to bring their wives and children along on campaigns. What would become of things?!”