Chapter 45

Pei Qing's gaze sharpened. The silver whip at his waist coiled around the boy's neck in an instant. Under the boy's terrified gaze, Pei Qing slowly loosened it.

The boy instantly dropped to his knees. The young man's expression was cold, and his words were colder than ancient ice frozen three thousand feet deep. "As long as it can save Her Highness, I don't care whether you do it willingly or under duress."

With those words, the young man put away his whip and left.

Left sitting on the ground alone, clutching his neck and gasping, the boy had yet to recover as he launched into a torrent of abuse. "What bullshit imperial preceptor! He's clearly a butcher! A murderer! What imperial preceptor is that vicious? A wolf in sheep's clothing! A hypocrite! Vicious!"

The boy's words drifted through the air. He thought no one knew, unaware that the hidden guards stationed in the residence had already reported every last word to Lou Yun.

After hearing the hidden guard's account, Lou Yun already regarded Bu'er as a dead man.

Fortunately, aside from being somewhat erratic in his conduct, Bu'er was extremely earnest about helping Lou Yun find the trigger.

He tried eight hundred different methods a day and carefully analyzed the circumstances of Lou Yun's recent episodes.

When he discovered that Pei Qing was the only thing they had in common, he ground his teeth in hatred all the more.

For some reason, perhaps to keep an annoyance out of sight and out of mind, Pei Qing threw himself completely into every stage of the imperial examinations. The wound on his shoulder had also more or less healed. During this time, Lou Yun really did hardly see him outside court.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

Lou Yun was sitting in a rocking chair in the courtyard. Hearing the familiar voice, she thought she was imagining it after waiting so long for Pei Qing to set foot in her residence, and slowly turned her head.

A light sheen of sweat covered the young man's forehead. For him to be sweating when it was not even early spring yet showed just how much of a hurry he had been in.

She raised a hand to wipe away his sweat, reaching a little farther, but still seemed just short of him. She was reclining, after all. Well, I'll sit up. Just as Lou Yun was about to rise, Pei Qing seemed to realize what she wanted to do. He obediently bent down and lowered his head, bringing his face close.

So obedient. A leisurely smile spread from the corners of her lips. She wiped away his beads of sweat and chided, "What are you in such a hurry for?"

The young man's eyes sparkled like a galaxy brimming with starlight. His voice could not conceal his delight and excitement. "Your Highness, he took first place!"

"Who took first place?" Lou Yun asked in amusement. Even if someone had taken first place in something, surely there was no need to be this happy. In what respect was their imperial preceptor not the best under heaven?

Lou Yun smoothed the hair at the young man's forehead, her eyes filled with satisfaction and confidence in her own child.

"Fan Buluo! Fan Buluo took first place! He's the top scholar!"

Pei Qing looked as though he himself had taken first place. No, even if he had become the top scholar himself, he probably would not have been this happy.

At that thought, Lou Yun could not help laughing.

"Good, good. That boy hasn't let his imperial preceptor down."

She said "good" twice in a row, her words coaxing and utterly distracted. She was clearly just humoring him.

"Your Highness!" The imperial preceptor could not help growing a little annoyed. He defended his happiness, enunciating every word. "Fan Buluo is Great Yan's only commoner-born top scholar in the past five years. Do you know what that means?"

"What does it mean?" Lou Yun deliberately played along, prompting him to explain.

"It means implementing the imperial examination system has finally borne fruit. The court is no longer a place where aristocratic clans alone have the final say. Ordinary commoners can also claim a place at court."

Pei Qing went on without pause:

"Though their influence is still weak, Fan Buluo's appearance has undoubtedly set a standard for scholars throughout the land. Look, even those of us born in straw sandals can become top scholars and high officials. As long as this momentum continues, one day Great Yan will escape the aristocratic clans' control."

When he spoke of his aspirations, joy and yearning shone from the young man's features. The fervor in those eyes, carrying such an earnest, innocent heart, was what had always drawn Lou Yun to him.

People always pursued what they lacked, and she was no different. She had also wondered whether, in her previous life, the reason she had been condemned by a thousand fingers and reviled by ten thousand mouths was that her eyes had lacked a trace of the young man's fervor for his country.

So beautiful...

Pei Qing was so beautiful like this...

As she thought this, Lou Yun suddenly slipped a hand behind the young man's head and pressed him down toward her.

She lingered over his lips and tongue, teasing him little by little, seeming to resist while inviting him closer, yet refusing to fully satisfy his desire. Whenever he panted and eagerly followed, Lou Yun wickedly pulled away. When the kisses left him breathless and he thought it was finally over, she leisurely teased him again, drawing his desire back out.

In the end, Pei Qing could no longer bear it. Teased until his head spun, he did not know whether to advance or retreat. Finally, like a puppy fallen into the water, his legs went weak and he collapsed onto Lou Yun.

Lou Yun caught him and shifted him a little higher. Seeing her face suddenly draw close, Pei Qing hastily shook his head in refusal. "No more. It's too much."

"Hmm?" Lou Yun had not originally meant to do that, but Pei Qing brought out her wicked streak again. She deliberately teased him. "I was going to let you off, Imperial Preceptor, but those words sound as though you're accusing me. Hmm?"

"I'm not." Pei Qing lowered his eyes. How could he fail to hear that Lou Yun was deliberately teasing him? But what could he do? As long as it came from Lou Yun, he would submit, however mercilessly she teased him.

"Punish me, Your Highness."

There he went again, Pei Qing.

He seemed to know nothing, so innocent and guileless. In truth, he knew best how to play upon another's heart. Knowing that saying this would soften Lou Yun, he took a mile when given an inch, resorting to this trick whenever he could no longer hold out.

"You do deserve punishment." Lou Yun spoke fiercely and thoroughly bullied him again.

Pei Qing's eyes misted from the kisses, and he answered softly, "Mm."

Lou Yun patted Pei Qing's head, signaling for him to stand.

The boy, who had been hiding behind them for a long time, nearly went mad with jealousy at their intimacy. His expression shifted several times before he managed a slightly more pleasant look and stepped out.

"A Xie, let's try another plan tomorrow." The boy walked over slowly, intending to sit close beside Lou Yun just as Pei Qing had. At a sweep of her gaze, he changed his movement to lifting his robes, pretending to brush away nonexistent dust.

"Mm." Lou Yun had just gained a good mood from Pei Qing and had no intention of ruining it now, so she answered casually.

Bu'er's gaze shifted to Pei Qing: rippling, luminous eyes, cinnabar-red lips, and a posture as straight as a pine or cypress.

Isn't it just a pretty face? Does A Xie have to like him so much? Bu'er inwardly fumed, and a new idea appeared in his mind.

This man has been present every time A Xie has had an episode lately. Could it be because of... that?

The more Bu'er thought about it, the more excited he became. Finally, he waved a sleeve at Lou Yun and ran off.

"A Xie, I'll go prepare right now! I guarantee it'll work. You must wait for me!"

Lou Yun had no idea what had gotten into him. He had barely stayed a moment before darting away. Still, she certainly cared more about Pei Qing right now.

"Since you're so happy, would you be willing to give me all your time today, Imperial Preceptor?"

She had not seen Pei Qing in far too long. Now that he had finally come running over himself, how could she possibly fail to seize the opportunity to keep him here?

"Yes."

Chapter 45

The following day, Lou Yun returned to her residence after attending to her official duties as usual. She saw no sign of Bu'er along the way and found it strange. Why was he so well-behaved today?

The thought did not linger long. As soon as Lou Yun opened her bedroom door, she discovered smoke curling inside. Some unknown incense was burning, and translucent gauze hung everywhere.

Lou Yun, whose nose itched from the choking smoke: ...

In truth, the sight had already given Lou Yun a bad feeling. When the jingling of bells reached her ears, that feeling reached its peak.

"Bu'er, come out," Lou Yun said sternly.

"Coming! Don't be impatient, A Xie~" The boy wore a long veil over his head, and his clothing was thin enough for his skin to show through, leaving both arms entirely exposed. The bells at his waist swayed with his movements, striking one another with crisp chimes.

Lou Yun remained unmoved and merely took another step back. "What are you doing now?" she asked in bewilderment.

"I thought long and hard after going back last night about why that man was there during each of your recent episodes. In the end, I wondered whether the factor that triggers A Zi's curse might be 'lust.' If it's lust, of course I won't lose to such a boring man."

"A Xie, look." Bu'er danced with distinctly exotic steps, his half-veiled face looking all the more exquisite against the hazy light and shadows.

Bu'er was actually quite good-looking. It was just that Lou Yun's heart would only stir for one person.

"Clean this up and leave, please."

Lou Yun turned and walked away. She was probably without a room tonight. She would have to ask Shutang to have someone prepare another one.

"A Xie!"

Someone caught her wrist. Lou Yun frowned and looked down at the person behind her, asking impatiently, "What?"

"It's an attempt to trigger your curse either way. What harm could staying to watch do? Besides, if I really do trigger it, wouldn't that prove the trigger is desire between men and women?" Bu'er tried hard to make Lou Yun stay.

Lou Yun let out a derisive laugh. If the trigger really was this blasted desire between men and women, she would seriously question the brains of whoever had cursed her.

In her previous life, she had never taken a consort or appointed an empress, right up until her death. Was that not enough to prove she had no interest in romance between men and women?

"I told you, it won't work." Lou Yun pulled free of Bu'er's hand.

"Ying Yi."

"Here." Ying Yi appeared before them in a flash.

"Watch him. Make sure he cleans this place up before he leaves," Lou Yun ordered mercilessly. Whoever had turned her room into this mess and made it impossible for her to sleep here would bear the consequences.

"Yes." Having received the order, Ying Yi folded both arms and stood in front of Bu'er, blocking the boy whenever he tried to dart past to either side in pursuit.

"A Xie! You'll regret this!" Furious, the boy clung to Ying Yi's shoulder and shouted after the departing Lou Yun.

"Young Master Bu'er, please." Ying Yi stood immovable as a mountain before Bu'er, refusing to budge an inch no matter how the boy pummeled from either side.