He opened his eyes and lifted the curtain to look outside. “Very soon, should be there in half an hour. Just bear with it a little longer.” He felt heartache seeing the exhausted expressions of his wife and children. Although he had sent Long Yun and others ahead, he still felt unease about the situation in Lingan.
They quickly arrived at Lingan City’s gates.
The gates were heavily guarded, with every passerby being checked. When the carriage passed, it was stopped for an inspection. Only when Long Junhao produced his token did the soldiers kneel and salute, allowing the carriage to proceed into Lingan City under everyone’s watchful eyes.
At the city’s post station, Long Yun was anxiously pacing. When he saw the carriage arrive, he rushed forward excitedly, waiting for Long Junhao to disembark. However, he was startled to see a large and two small figures also getting off.
“Master, why did Madam and the children come? The situation is very dangerous now! There are riots in the city every day, and it’s completely chaotic. The safety of Madam and the children—” Long Yun hesitated.
“Enough! Let’s go inside first,” Long Junhao said, his handsome face turning cold.
“Yes, this subordinate spoke out of turn,” Long Yun thought, cursing his own anxiety for making him forget his place.
Long Junhao led the way, carrying Long Zhen. Lan Lan watched this man who could support the heavens, wondering if she was being too selfish by coming along when she knew he had urgent matters.
The narrative explores complex emotional dynamics, highlighting themes of duty, family, and personal conflict against a backdrop of political unrest in a historical Chinese setting.
Junhao loves her deeply and has sacrificed much for her. She feels she cannot let him down any further.
Lingfeng is a source of pain for her. She longs to see him again and would prefer he declare he no longer loves her rather than remain distant, leaving her tormented by mixed feelings. She acknowledges her greed; she always wants more.
Lost in her thoughts, she fell asleep again, and when she awoke, she found Long Junhao watching her with a mischievous smile.
“You’re finally awake?” he asked, his hands becoming unruly. Feeling his firm body against her, Lan’s face flushed with allure. She giggled at him, then reached out her hand, freeing his desire. Her touch increased in strength, and she observed his struggle, secretly enjoying his heavy breathing. Eventually, he flipped her underneath, and she surrendered to him.
“You little temptress, see how I’ll deal with you,” Long Junhao said, inflamed with desire as he tore off her clothes and gripped her. The slight pain caused Lan to moan in excitement.
When Lan could no longer bear his sweet “torments” and begged for mercy, he pushed deep into her warmth, creating passionate peaks together.
Intoxicating moans filled the room until midnight.
During these days, Long Junhao would leave early and return late while Lan stayed at the post station with their child. She was going crazy from being cooped up.
“Mom, can’t you take us out to play?” Long Zhen and Long Xin asked, their faces filled with longing.
Lan looked helplessly at her children. Their innocent faces made it hard for her to resist. She wanted to go out, but the uncertainty of the outside world made her hesitate.
“Mom, please, let us go out!” Long Xin begged, tearfully.
Seeing her daughter’s tears, Lan’s heart ached. She wiped Xin’s face, saying, “Okay, Mom will take you out for a bit. We’ll come right back.”
“Okay! Okay!” Long Xin laughed, knowing her parents couldn’t resist her plea.
Seeing that Long Yun and others had gone out with Long Junhao, Lan called over hall master Fu Xinan.
“Master Fu, the children want to go out. Could you send a few people with us?” Lan explained. He hesitated but softened at the sight of the children’s tear-stained faces.
“I’ll accompany you,” Fu Xinan said, feeling uneasy.
Before leaving, he called over a boy around eighteen. “Xiao Xi, come with me.”
“Okay!” Xiao Xi responded cheerfully.
Under Fu Xinan’s lead, Lan and her children moved like freed birds. Eventually, they sat down at a bustling restaurant called “Taste Returning House,” overlooking the ground floor.
While enjoying their meal, loud crashes and screams erupted from below. Fu Xinan startled, looking down to see dozens of people in the street. “Princess, something’s wrong. I’ll take the two children first. Xiao Xi, you bring the Princess after us,” he instructed.
“Zhen’er, Xin’er, be good and follow Uncle Xinan. Mom will be right behind you. Don’t be afraid!” Lan told her children.
“Mom, I’m not scared,” the siblings answered in unison.
Fu Xinan tucked a child under each arm, jumping from the second-floor window to the ground, racing towards the post station.
Lan looked expectantly at Xiao Xi. “Xiao Xi, can we fly down?”
Xiao Xi scratched his head. “Princess, my lightness skill isn’t very good.”
“It’s fine, as long as we can get down.” The stairs were not an option.
“Hurry!” Footsteps were climbing the stairs, and the sounds of furniture being thrown had stopped.
“Princess, excuse me,” Xiao Xi said, embracing her and jumping out the window.
When Lan Lan opened her eyes on the ground, she was suddenly surrounded by over a dozen people. Leading them was a handsome man with a chillingly evil smile.
He approached Lan Lan, lifting her chin with his slender fingers. “Tsk tsk tsk, the Rui Wang Fei truly lives up to her reputation. Indeed a natural beauty; no wonder men are enchanted by you.”
“Take your dirty hands off and don’t touch the Wang Fei!” Xiao Xi rushed forward, trying to push the man away.
Instantly, the man grabbed Xiao Xi’s hand, and with a “crack”, Xiao Xi let out a scream. Lan Lan closed her eyes momentarily, then opened them, displaying admirable calmness.
“Alright, who are you?”
I don’t seem to know you.”
“Me? You indeed don’t know me, but there’s someone you won’t find strange – Lin Long.” His expression twisted at the mention of her name.
“Lin Long? So who are you?” Lan Lan was shocked. This woman could cause trouble even after death.
“I’m her brother – Lin Hai. These people are suffering because of you. We’ve been working in Lin An City to lure you here and kill you to avenge my sister.” Lin Hai pointed at the injured shopkeepers and customers inside the inn, his handsome face contorted. Having practiced a dark cultivation technique that grew stronger through intimate relations, he had ruined countless women. His father was ultimately angered enough to disown him.
“Yes, he also said he’s waiting at Dragon Horse Mountain for the master to rescue the princess,” Xiao Xi added.
“Oh no, this is bad. It seems to be targeting the master and the princess. Where is the master? Why hasn’t he returned yet?” Sweat began to pour down Fu Xinan’s forehead. If something happened to the princess, he would lose his head.
While he was at his wit’s end, Long Junhao and his group returned.
“What happened?” Seeing Fu Xinan drenched in sweat and pale, Long Junhao knew something was wrong.
He had a cold expression, tired of recent events, and now more trouble had arisen.
“Master, I’m sorry!” Fu Xinan knelt before Long Junhao.
“Get up and speak.”
“The princess has been kidnapped,” Fu Xinan said, head lowered, afraid of Long Junhao’s gaze.
“What? Say that again? The princess was kidnapped? What kind of hall master are you?” Long Junhao could hardly believe it. Was the Dark Hall really so incompetent?
“Do you know who did it?” he asked coldly, his fist clenched, eyes blazing.
“According to Xiao Xi, it’s the late Crown Prince’s brother-in-law, Lin Hai. He wants the master to meet him at Dragon Horse Mountain,” Fu Xinan replied.
“Bring Xiao Xi here,” Long Junhao commanded.
Moments later, Xiao Xi recounted the events in detail.
