Jing Donghua’s words were absolute confirmation. As for Shi Rongyao, he could never have thought that when the eunuch led them to the road in the Royal Palace, the bamboo on both sides of the road had been painted with overpowering drugs, which could make people unconscious and anesthetic. The bamboo was easy to attract butterflies, which could contribute more to the spread of the drug. However, the eunuch, who seemed to smile and flatter all the way, had taken the medicine early as a matter of fact.
Seeing that the assassin picked out by him carefully was caught by Jing Donghua and Leng Changxi, Shi Rongyao couldn’t accept the fact. However, he got a broken arm and a blind eye. Even Dou Meishuang, his most helpful assistant in West Xia was shot to death by Leng Changxi’s arrow.
Shi Rongyao trembled and stood up, staring at Leng Changxi and Jing Donghua straight. Suddenly, blood came out from the corner of his mouth.
“Shi Rongyao bites his tongue to kill himself,” Qin Yunuan shouted loudly, “Hurry! Someone to stop him! He is still useful.”
It was because Shi Rongyao didn’t want himself to be caught by West Xia people alive and forced to say more secrets that he committed suicide. However, it was good that Qin Yunuan acted fast enough. She ripped the cloth strip from her hemline causally and stuffed it directly into Shi Rongyao’s mouth to keep him from hurting himself more.
“Take him away,” after giving out his order, Jing Donghua said to Leng Changxi, “Did you hear my words just now?”
Leng Changxi didn’t know that Jing Donghua had decided to attack Qi. Now that Jing Donghua announced his decision all of a sudden, it was a real surprise to Leng Changxi.
Leng Changxi nodded. Jing Donghua looked forward. The person standing next to him was Elder Princess, who was still suffering from the shock. However, as soon as she stood beside Jing Donghua, it seemed that her heart became immediately.
“Behave well, then,” Jing Donghua turned his head toward Leng Changxi, with his tone quite stern and eyes full of expectation, “The 200,000 soldiers in black armor are not going to die in vain. If you can’t conquer the capital of Qi and force Sima Ray to raise the flag and surrender, you don’t have to come back to see your mother.”
“Your Majesty,” Leng Changxi was shocked. Did Jing Donghua mean…?
“Why, do you want to take your mother all the way to work, to travel, and to suffer together with the army?” Jing Donghua inclined Leng Changxi at a glance. His words were filled with care to Elder Princess.
Sure. Elder Princess had already endured much hardship in Yeren Valley. It was really a blessing for her to recognize and live with whom she loved. Nevertheless, according to the recent situation, it was the safest to leave her in West Xia.
“I will definitely come back alive to pick my mother,” Leng Changxi bowed his fists.
Jing Donghua turned around. Leading Elder Princess, he swaggered away. While showing off their love, he also turned back and said evilly, “At that time, you shall see whether she is willing to leave with you.”
Stunned, Leng Changxi clenched his fist unexpectedly. Qin Yunuan knew that this implied that he would not be resigned. Then Leng Changxi turned back and said to Qin Yunuan in a childish tone, “Really don’t know what he relies on? Will mother stay in West Xia certainly for him?”
Qin Yunuan shook her head with a big, spoiling smile. She touched Leng Changxi’s head as if she had been coaxing a child, “You are a father and a son. Why do you envy each other and quarrel like that?”
Leng Changxi shook his head, “Don’t bother. I will certainly bring back my mother.”
Qin Yunuan smiled. Actually, this was exactly what Jing Donghua wanted. The odds of attacking Qi this time was no more than 50%. Jing Donghua’s action stimulated Leng Changxi’s desire for victory. In fact, from the bottom of Jing Donghua’s heart, he also hoped sincerely that Leng Changxi could come back alive.
Such great events happened one after another in the Yellow Flag Army camp and the Royal Palace, but the citizens all had merely a smattering of knowledge about them. However, there was a group of storytellers coming from nowhere. They quickly told people that Sima Ray, the Prince Ray of Qi, had been in charge of Qi now, and he tried to assassinate the emperor of West Xia. Also, there were stories describing how Sima Ray ganged up with the Grand Prince of North Di and the Thirteenth Prince of West Xia, connecting the rebellion of the Yellow Flag Army camp to Sima Ray’s invitation in secret. Therefore, the whole city of West Liang got passionate. The fervor soon went across the whole country.
Storytellers in other places all exaggerated the fact according to the initiators’ stories in West Liang. Only after half a month, people in West Xia all hated Sima Ray because he had done devil-like actions like imprisoning his own father and persecuting the faithful and honest.
The storyteller really told lots of details and secrets, which could not be known to an ordinary storyteller. In fact, they were all sent out by Qin Yunuan. Although the emperor was persuaded, morale was the most important when troops were dispatched. Now the hatred towards Sima Ray was spreading in West Xia. It was the best time to send the army into battle.
On the night before leaving, Qin Yunuan was washing the body of Leng Changxi for him with folium artemisiae argyi, which could reduce stress, moisturize the skin, and relieve fatigue. Leng Changxi’s upper body was out of the water exposing his exquisite chest and shapely bicipital muscle. He put his two hands naturally on the edge of the tub, squinting his eyes slightly, and enjoying Qin Yunuan’s considerate service. Qin Yunuan’s small hand went along Leng Changxi’s neck, which was a little stiff because of tiredness, and kneaded the muscle to help him relax.
Leng Changxi gave out a comfortable moan from time to time. At last, he squinted his eyes to add a sentence, “How comfortable it is! Or later you will also take off. I’ll knead for you.”
Simply a sentence made Qin Yunuan immediately blush. Pretending to be angry, she hit Leng Changxi’s chest with her fist, “What are you saying? Be serious.” Her soft fist was held by Leng Changxi tightly in his hands. The wet vapor condensed on Qin Yunuan’s white, smooth skin, and it was instantly transpired into water vapor again by Qin Yunuan’s high body temperature caused by shyness. With water vapor rising, Leng Changxi’s eyes were like shimmering stars, attracting Qin Yunuan’s fixed eyes. An old married couple as they were, each time the intimate contact between them could still let Qin Yunuan’s heart throb, limp and numb for a long time.
“Anyway, after I met you, I have never been serious,” Leng Changxi showed a bright smile and added, “Of course, only to you.”
“Who cares?” Qin Yunuan pretended to push Leng Changxi, but her hands were held more tightly by him.
“Aren’t they your words?” Leng Changxi smiled, “You’ve said that what I give to you cannot be the same as what I give others. So I’m serious in front of others, but I’m as shameless as I can be when I’m in front of you.”
This sentence got Qin Yunuan to laugh completely. Smiling, she pulled Leng Changxi up and carried the small bucket beside the bathtub here. There was pomelo peel soaking in it, and pomelo leaves picked up. According to a folk custom, every time a family met some luck out of trouble, especially when someone in the family had been put into jail despite his innocence, after his safe return, pomelo leaves would be prepared to sprinkle on him to dispel the bad luck.
Qin Yunuan used not to believe in it. After all had happened, she had to believe it for once.
Qin Yunuan used the method nanny taught her in the morning, holding pomelo leaves stained with juice and spraying it on the arms of Leng Changxi three times respectively. Leng Changxi wasn’t agitated at all. He was extremely satisfied when he looked at his little hedgehog busy inside and outside. After his back got spilled, Leng Changxi seemed that still want something more. He turned directly to Qin Yunuan and smiled, “You haven’t sprinkled ahead.”
At this time, Leng Changxi was naked from head to toe. Every inch of his muscles was exposed. Qin Yunuan could not help but glance down and turned her head away, “Not sprinkle anymore. It’s already done.”
“No,” Leng Changxi put Qin Yunuan in his bosom with only one hand, “Sprinkle me in the front. Work cannot be so headless.”
Qin Yunuan put the small barrel in her hand toward Leng Changxi’s hand, “Sprinkle yourself.”
“But that’s not the case,” Leng Changxi smiled and let Qin Yunuan nest in his bosom directly regardless of his whole wet body. Qin Yunuan didn’t wear much so that she could scrub and wash Leng Changxi. In an instant, her coat, as thin as cicada, got wet. The warm water seeped into the strapless dress inside, making her full breasts and thin waist clear to see.
Qin Yunuan only felt that something hard was pressing her from behind. Leng Changxi’s voice, as hot as the sun, was by her ears, low, sexy, and leaving no chance to refuse.
“Can I, Nuan?”
Qin Yunuan lowered her head a little. Just when she squeezed out a word “well”, she was held by Leng Changxi directly into the tub. At that moment, water splashed in the harmonious atmosphere. Romance and passion mixed together. Maner and Ting Xue, who originally stood outside, went away sensibly as soon as they heard the voice inside, leaving the two people to have their last night of passion.
All seemed to be a dream. By the time Qin Yunuan was awake again, she was already lying on the soft bed safely. Lingmaoxiang was burning on the desk to comfort her nerve. Everything that happened last night was like a half-awake dream. Qin Yunuan moved her legs. To her surprise, they were still numb. Well, Leng Changxi really tried his best last night.
No. The situation wasn’t right.
“Maner, Ting Xue,” Qin Yunuan wanted to call their name loudly, but what she really spoke out was no more than a croon. It seemed that she had been drugged. And the person who had drugged her could be nobody else.
Qin Yunuan tried her best to pick up her embroidery shoes on the shelf and threw with all her strength towards the basin shelf. The huge sound finally attracted the attention of people outside.
“Madam, are you awake?” Maner was the first to run in, followed by Ting Xue. Qin Yunuan squinted her eyes a little. It seemed that her being drugged was also connected to the two people.
“Where is Changxi?”
Maner hesitated. Ting Xue said directly, “General has already led his troop to leave the city.”
“Leave the city?” Qin Yunuan was shocked. She promised Leng Changxi that they would leave together. Now he had left without her. He must be afraid that she could meet danger if she went with him. However, Qin Yunuan could only feel she was the safest and the most peaceful when she was with him.
“How long did I sleep?” Qin Yunuan forced herself to get up.
“Madam, don’t push yourself. General has given you the drug that can make you sleep for three days. Now his army must be at the Yunlong Valley now.”
Gosh! Yunlong Valley!
