Chapter 29: The Splendid Country Part 2

Her Majesty had never been willing to touch men and had remained abstinent for so many years. Every day, she tormented their Princess with various tricks, leaving their Princess with a sore waist and limp legs, sometimes unable to get out of bed.

Thinking of this, Chuntao’s face flushed red.

Inside Frostfall Hall, the evening meal had long been delivered. Xia Lingyu had already changed her clothes and was sitting beside the round wooden table, waiting for an unknown length of time.

Xiao Luo hadn’t arrived yet, and Xia Lingyu had no inclination to touch her chopsticks. Instead, she sat in deep thought with patient, lowered eyes.

“The Imperial Noble Consort has arrived—” A trembling voice from a eunuch rang out from outside the door.

Xia Lingyu raised her eyes. Xiao Luo was still dressed as plainly as ever and hurried in. Her fair face was faintly flushed with a healthy pink color, making one want to lean in and take a bite.

“Princess.” Xia Lingyu very naturally took her hand and imprisoned her in her embrace, her grip a little tight. “What took you so long?”

Xiao Luo’s eyes became deeply alluring and touching. She said, “I wanted to go out for a walk to clear my mind earlier, and along the way… I took a liking to a palace maid and wanted to take her as my personal attendant.”

Xia Lingyu’s hand moved back to Xiao Luo’s waist, slowly kneading. A tingling numbness spread through Xiao Luo’s entire body, a strange warm current rushing straight to her lower abdomen.

“Mmm, ah… Your Majesty!” Xiao Luo cried out breathlessly, her face flushing with shame, her eyes turning seductive and coy.

“My beloved consort is truly disobedient…” Xia Lingyu leaned close to her earlobe, gently nibbling, and then said through gritted teeth: “To be late for such a trivial matter.”

Xiao Luo felt a little guilty and could only say, “Your Majesty, your subject knows her mistake.”

Xia Lingyu said, “Do you think a simple ‘I know my mistake’ will make Zhen let you off?”

“Then whatever Your Majesty wishes, your subject will obey. How about that?” Xiao Luo glanced at her shyly, her gaze brimming with tender affection, her entire body exuding a bewitching charm.

Xia Lingyu was slightly satisfied. “At least you have some self-awareness. Let’s eat first. Zhen will settle the score with you after the meal.”

She heavily pinched Xiao Luo’s waist, then released her.

After the meal, Xiao Luo obediently went to lie on the Dragon Bed, voluntarily turning herself into a quiet doll.

Xia Lingyu walked over with a smile and stood by the bedside. Half of her face was hidden in darkness, while the other half, illuminated by candlelight, seemed coated with a layer of warm radiance—beautiful, alluring, and unfathomable.

Xiao Luo couldn’t help but stare, spellbound.

At this moment, she had to admit, Xia Lingyu was the most charismatic antagonist in the original novel. Neither the Male Lead nor the Female Lead could compare to the aura she possessed.

“My beloved consort, what are you looking at?” Xia Lingyu fixed her profound, unfathomable gaze on Xiao Luo—her little prey.

Xiao Luo boldly hooked her arms around Xia Lingyu’s neck, tempting her. “Your Majesty is too beautiful. Your subject can’t help but want to push you down. Is Your Majesty willing to be pushed down by your subject?”

Any other emperor would surely never allow a consort to commit such insubordination, to climb over their head.

But Xiao Luo felt that Xia Lingyu was different. No matter how willful she was or how she stirred up trouble, Xia Lingyu would always spoil her.

It was as if they were naturally drawn to each other, meant to be together.

A flicker of amusement crossed Xia Lingyu’s eyes. “Push Zhen down? My beloved consort’s courage is indeed growing. Don’t forget, Zhen still has to punish you tonight.”

Then she hooked her finger under Xiao Luo’s chin and pressed her red lips against hers, their tongues intertwining. She only released Xiao Luo when she had kissed her to the point of suffocation.

Xiao Luo’s eyes were slightly red, like a rabbit bullied to the point of desperation. Unable to resist, she bit Xia Lingyu’s neck, even leaving teeth marks.

“Hiss… It seems my beloved consort’s courage has indeed grown considerably, daring to bite Zhen.” A fiery light burned in Xia Lingyu’s eyes. Yet it wasn’t anger, but pleasure.

The bed curtains fell. The candlelight inside the hall flickered gently, casting the silhouettes of two entangled figures upon the gauze drapes.

In the end, Xia Lingyu held Xiao Luo close and said in a hoarse voice, “Princess, don’t cry.”

Xiao Luo snorted. “I’m not crying.”

Xia Lingyu must be incapable!

Xia Lingyu smiled faintly and took the initiative to massage her thighs. “Alright, how about Zhen rubs them for you? Don’t be angry.”

Even when coaxing someone, her voice carried a seductive hint of pleasure. Recalling what had just happened, Xiao Luo couldn’t help but blush furiously.

She really couldn’t imagine that Xia Lingyu, outwardly such a prim and proper emperor, could have learned such intricate tricks. It somewhat frightened her.

“Why is my beloved consort so good to that palace maid?” Xia Lingyu asked. She had already guessed who that maid was.

Xiao Luo’s heart skipped a beat. She thought for a moment, then had no choice but to lie: “Because she looks like a friend of mine.”

“A friend?” Xia Lingyu’s eyes held a hint of suspicion. She leaned closer and asked, “What kind of friend?”

Her massaging hand paused. Her mind couldn’t help but start wandering.

Xiao Luo gritted her teeth and had no choice but to continue: “A senior palace maid who accompanied me in the Xiao Kingdom’s palace in the past. But that person is already dead.”

With no way to verify the claim against a dead person, Xia Lingyu surely wouldn’t be so demented as to dig up a corpse just to take a look, right?

Hearing this, Xia Lingyu’s gaze turned profound and unfathomable. The corner of her mouth curled slightly. “My beloved consort is truly a sentimental person, remembering even a deceased palace maid for so long.”

“Of course. I am a woman who values loyalty and sentiment,” Xiao Luo said.

Xia Lingyu gave an ambiguous smile. “Good. Valuing loyalty and sentiment.”

Then, the candlelight did not go out for the entire night. The palace servants keeping vigil outside occasionally heard suppressed sounds emanating from within.

The next day, even after Xia Lingyu had returned from morning court, Xiao Luo was still lying on the Dragon Bed as if paralyzed.

“My beloved consort, time to rise.” Xia Lingyu reached out and poked Xiao Luo’s nose.

A little temper flared in Xiao Luo. She turned her body away, her back facing her. “I’m uncomfortable. I need Your Majesty to massage me first. I’ll only get up when you’ve served me to my comfort.”

The palace servants guarding outside heard these words and were frightened out of their wits. The Imperial Noble Consort Xiao was truly growing bolder and bolder, daring to say such things by relying on her favor.

A consort demanding to be served by Her Majesty? If this angered Her Majesty, she’d be spending her days in the Cold Palace from then on.

But to their astonishment, not only was Her Majesty not angry, she actually coaxed the Consort and truly massaged her.

Only after massaging for quite a while did Xiao Luo feel comfortable. She slowly got up and even had Her Majesty serve her in getting dressed.

The palace servants couldn’t bear to watch anymore. One of them couldn’t help but speak up: “Your Majesty, please allow this servant to attend to Her Ladyship.”

“No need. Withdraw,” Xia Lingyu said displeased. Her beloved consort, of course, could only be served by herself. She didn’t trust anyone else—man, woman, or eunuch.

Then, lowering her eyes, she saw the marks on Xiao Luo’s body. Although she hadn’t gone all the way to the final step, she had still tormented Xiao Luo quite enough. A trace of pity rose involuntarily in her heart.

“Your Majesty, don’t look anymore. If you keep looking, your subject will become shy,” Xiao Luo covered her eyes.

Xia Lingyu laughed. “Who would have thought my beloved consort’s face is so thin, that she would actually be shy?”

Most of the time, Xiao Luo gave her an impression of innocent yet wanton charm, like a fox spirit. And yet, Xia Lingyu truly fell for this aspect of Xiao Luo.

…

After breakfast, Xia Lingyu went to the Imperial Study. Xiao Luo boarded her palanquin and was carried back to Azure Phoenix Hall.

Upon returning to the palace, she descended from the palanquin to see Lin Qiao’er and Chuntao waiting for her outside the palace gate.

Lin Qiao’er had already changed into the attire of a First-Rank Palace Maid. Her overall complexion was much better. Seeing Xiao Luo’s strange walking posture, she voluntarily came over to support her.

Xiao Luo leaned on her shoulder and whispered, “Are you doing well here?”

Lin Qiao’er paused, then nodded. “This servant is very well. Thank you, My Lady, for your grace in promoting me.”

Xiao Luo smiled. “No need to call yourself ‘this servant.’ I’m not used to it.” This was the Female Lead, her target of protection.

“Thank you, My Lady.” Lin Qiao’er pursed her lips. She suddenly caught sight of the hickeys on Xiao Luo’s fair neck and felt a pang of discomfort.

Last night, Princess Xiao must have been tormented thoroughly by Her Majesty’s various tricks.

So, after escorting Xiao Luo back to her bedchamber, Lin Qiao’er went to the kitchen and personally prepared a pear soup to soothe the throat, then brought it for Xiao Luo to drink.

“My Lady, this is for your throat. Drinking it will make your throat feel better. And also…”

Lin Qiao’er glanced left and right. Seeing no one around, she pulled a small box of ointment from her bosom and lowered her voice: “Chuntao and I got this from the Imperial Physician. It’s for applying… down there, to reduce swelling. I heard from the Senior Consorts that it works very well. They always used it after serving the Emperor in bed in the past…”

“Cough cough…” Xiao Luo, who was drinking water, nearly spat it out. She glanced at the Female Lead again and felt that even the Female Lead was no longer proper.

Xiao Luo took a sip of the pear soup and said, “Thank you. There’s no need for the ointment.”

Although she very much wished to actually put it to use, she hadn’t yet been… well, that thing.

Lin Qiao’er, thinking she was embarrassed, urged her: “My Lady, don’t be shy. You’ll only feel better after using it.”

Under the Female Lead’s earnest persuasion, Xiao Luo eventually had no choice but to accept it. She even promised to use it later. Only when Lin Qiao’er finally left did she let out a sigh of relief.

The System spoke up again at this moment: 【Quest Triggered—The Secondary Female Lead, Liu Qingying, having learned of the failed mission, plans to offer herself to the Male Lead tonight. Please prevent the Secondary Female Lead from offering herself!】

Oh, this quest had dragged her back to the Secondary Female Lead again. She hadn’t even met the Secondary Female Lead yet.

Xiao Luo racked her brains and finally came up with a good plan.

Xia Wuheng, though the Male Lead, climbed the ranks by relying on various women.

The Female Lead loved him, so she entered the palace to become a high-ranking palace maid and gather intelligence; the Secondary Female Lead loved him, so she won over her father, gaining the support of the Grand General; even all the noble ladies in the Capital City loved him, willing to become his concubines…

That damn bastard of a Male Lead only knew how to fan himself and act pretentious. Apart from his Protagonist Halo, there was not a single redeeming advantage to be found in him.

So, as long as all those women witnessed him making a fool of himself in public, their blind, biased adoration for him would vanish completely.

Xiao Luo pondered. She was now the sole Imperial Noble Consort in the palace, and she also held the Phoenix Seal. Inviting all the noble ladies and distinguished young misses of the Capital City to an evening banquet shouldn’t be a problem, right?

Thus, she issued orders to send out invitations to the noble young ladies. As the Imperial Noble Consort, she wished to establish a rapport with the daughters of high officials, so she organized this networking banquet.

The high officials also wanted to get a sense of this favored consort and all agreed to let their daughters attend, even instructing them to build a good relationship with Imperial Noble Consort Xiao.

Xiao Luo also invited the only man—the world-renowned, jade-tree-in-the-wind, handsome and dashing, His Highness Prince Heng.