Secretly Studying in Bed at Night!

Caught in the vortex of public opinion, Zhu Youning naturally had to find a way to extricate himself.

But resolving this matter was neither difficult nor simple; it primarily depended on how Emperor Zhu Wen viewed the situation.

If Zhu Wen did not care, then it would not matter to Zhu Youning. If Zhu Wen truly harbored suspicions, Zhu Youning would not have an easy time of it.

However, for the moment, Zhu Wen did not seem particularly concerned, continuing to spend his days drowning in the lap of luxury and indulging in carnal pleasures.

Therefore, Zhu Youning was currently merely caught in a storm of public opinion.

This was indeed the truth.

If Zhu Youning truly wished to possess a quarter of the Great Liang Dynasty's territory, it was impossible for him to avoid criticism.

Of course, solving this was also quite simple. Zhu Youning could petition to divide Pinglu into several smaller prefectures, voluntarily shrinking his territory.

However, this was not the only solution.

He could completely mask the contradiction.

He could use a secondary contradiction to cover up the primary one.

He could throw out a bombshell to extract himself from this current whirlpool of public opinion.

As for this bombshell, Zhu Youning was still considering whether or not to drop it.

At this moment, a rugged figure walked into the living room, interrupting Zhu Youning's deep thoughts.

Wu Yi strode in and said in a low voice, "Prince Jun has sent an invitation, requesting the Commander to attend a banquet at Prince Jun's Mansion at the Hour of the Rooster tonight."

As the time for the banquet approached, Zhu Youning took a carriage to the residence of Prince Jun, Zhu Youzhen.

Inside Prince Jun's Mansion, the evening lights had just been lit, and everything was resplendent.

Zhu Youzhen was a man who craved comfort and pleasure; he loved luxury and extravagance in all things.

It was said that he had specially crafted a house-like carriage pulled by dozens of fine horses, decorated inside with gold, silver, and jewels, which he even used when marching to war.

With such arrogance and debauchery during wartime, it was no wonder Zhu Wen did not entrust the elite Longxiang Army to Zhu Youzhen, but gave him the Tianxing Army instead.

Zhu Youzhen loved to indulge, so Prince Jun's Mansion was a place of hedonism, with small banquets every three days and grand ones every five, filled with song, dance, fine wine, and dissipation.

But this was likely only a facade.

It was true that Zhu Youzhen loved pleasure, but he was not a man who only knew how to indulge in comfort.

In front of the hall in Zhu Youzhen's mansion, dozens of dancers with superior looks and graceful figures—some even wearing semi-transparent dresses—were singing and dancing, their long sleeves fluttering, yet not a single dancer was in Zhu Youzhen's embrace. This alone was enough to show that Zhu Youzhen was not without grand ambitions.

It had to be said that the dancers in Zhu Youzhen's mansion were of excellent quality, and even more wonderfully, they wore very little, their skin as smooth as congealed fat, dazzling to the eye.

Thus, Zhu Youning enjoyed the singing and dancing while dining with Zhu Youzhen.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Zhu Youzhen dismissed his attendants, as if he had something to say.

"Brother Ning, is there anything you particularly desire?"

Zhu Youning replied bluntly, "What does Third Brother wish to say?"

"It is always easy to talk to a smart person." Zhu Youzhen chuckled and said, "In the current Great Liang Dynasty, Big Brother is constantly running about for the Xuanming Cult, and Second Brother is a martial arts fanatic; therefore, six or seven out of every ten censors and officials in the court are my people. Brother Ning, I am in the court, and you command the troops. As long as we join forces, won't this Great Liang Dynasty be ours for the taking?"

"What is Third Brother saying?" Zhu Youning feigned ignorance. "This Great Liang Dynasty clearly belongs to His Majesty! As his subjects, we only need to share the burdens for His Majesty."

"Don't play dumb with me." Zhu Youzhen said angrily, "Do you think I don't know what you are thinking?"

Zhu Youning sneered inwardly: You have had the censors impeach me so many times, yet you want to join forces with me? Dream on!

Zhu Youning immediately planned to leave, saying, "I have some matters to attend to, so please excuse me. Third Brother, continue to drink and be merry. Farewell."

That day, just after Zhu Youning had retired from the morning court and returned to Prince An's Mansion, he deliberately put on an angry expression.

Upon returning to the mansion, he went straight to his bedroom. Before long, Miaocheng Tian knocked on the door and entered, saying, "Your Highness, let me massage your shoulders."

"Hmm."

Zhu Youning let Miaocheng Tian walk behind him and said, feigning fury, "That Zhu Youzhen, he truly makes me furious."

"Your Highness, please calm your anger." Miaocheng Tian asked understandingly, "I wonder why Your Highness is angry?"

"That Zhu Youzhen actually impeached me for harboring a private army! It is simply outrageous."

Zhu Youning's words were filled with indignation. After speaking for a moment, his anger seemed to dissipate slightly, and he said, "Why am I telling you this? Forget it, Miao'er, go fetch some water; I want to bathe and change."

During Zhu Youzhen's banquet, Zhu Youning had drunk some wine and was reeking of it, so he intended to bathe to wash away the smell.

Miaocheng Tian had no choice but to have someone bring an oval-shaped wooden tub.

After Zhu Youning removed his clothes, he closed his eyes and soaked in the tub. The surface of the water was constantly emitting thick, steaming white mist, making one feel completely relaxed.

"Your Highness, if there is nothing else, this servant will take her leave."

Miaocheng Tian stood to the side, not knowing what to do, and bowed before preparing to leave.

But how could Zhu Youning let her leave so easily?

Zhu Youning leaned back against the rim of the tub, not even opening his eyes, and said, "Miao'er, come in and help me bathe."

Miaocheng Tian's body stiffened in front of the tub for a few seconds before she bit her lip and replied calmly, "Yes."

A rustling sound echoed, and as the last of her garments fell away, Miaocheng Tian quickly covered her chest and sat down, a splash of water erupting from the tub.

Miaocheng Tian was born with a bewitching charm; not only was her figure graceful, but her hands were also incredibly delicate. Although steam billowed from the water's surface, trying to hide anything behind such a thin veil was simply a case of trying to cover up something only to make it more conspicuous.

Besides, there was no need to hide anything at all right now.

Humans possess five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Aside from sight, the roles played by the other four senses at this moment, and the pleasure they could derive, were the greatest of all.

Two hours later.

Having just bathed, Miaocheng Tian stared blankly at the serene face of Zhu Youning, who had fallen asleep on the bed. He was sleeping soundly, but she didn't have a shred of sleepiness.

After experiencing such things, with her whole body aching, how could she possibly fall asleep?

Of course, even if drowsiness had washed over her, Miaocheng Tian wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway.

"Your Highness? Are you asleep?"

Miaocheng Tian looked at Zhu Youning's face and spoke to test the waters, but Zhu Youning gave no response whatsoever.

As she watched him, she couldn't help but reach out and gently place her hand on his cheek.

To be honest, Zhu Youning's face was not ugly; on the contrary, it was quite handsome, with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, exuding a compelling aura. For some reason, the more Miaocheng Tian looked at him, the more pleasing this man became to her eyes.

Why would I think such a thing?

Miaocheng Tian was suddenly startled. Could it be that one's mindset changes after going through such things?

Shaking her head, Miaocheng Tian asked softly once more, "Your Highness, are you still awake?"

Zhu Youning still did not answer, so Miaocheng Tian tiptoed to put on her clothes and walked out the door.

Arriving at a secluded spot, Miaocheng Tian summoned a carrier pigeon and wrote down the news of the discord between Prince Jun and Prince An in the imperial court, sending it off to Fengxiang.

Afterward, Miaocheng Tian returned to the room.

She looked at the still-slumbering Zhu Youning, felt a slight sense of relief in her heart, and finally closed her eyes to sleep.

However, just as Miaocheng Tian fell into a deep sleep, Zhu Youning suddenly opened his eyes.

Zhu Youning liked to balance work and leisure; now that the leisure was over, it was time for the work. Moreover, because Miaocheng Tian was by his side, Zhu Youning had to work in secret.

Zhu Youning intended to cultivate in secret, then play the pig to eat the tiger.

For some reason, Zhu Youning suddenly thought of his past life, of those people who would play all day without ever studying, only to secretly study under their blankets at night.