Startled, he tried to withdraw his hand, but she wouldn’t let go. Her enchanting eyes and soft lips entangled him. He was surprised to find himself like the easily embarrassed youth from over a decade ago. His heart tightened, and he returned his finger, deliberately stirring in her mouth, competing with her—anger and pleasure mingled with shame gradually overtook him.
Outside the screen, the Prince of Jin came to his senses. Gu Lianchang knew a secret—this eunuch’s power was greater than he imagined. He needed to pull him to his side and borrow his strength to eliminate the Crown Prince.
He mustered his concentration and earnestly persuaded him: “Since Master Gu already knows, I’m even more at ease.”
Master Gu, who inherits the throne, depends on His Majesty. That person is domineering, but if my father wakes up and issues an imperial decree or speaks clearly, the situation will change. Master Gu is likely preventing me from approaching my father for this reason. I’m worried that if my father speaks, that person might harm him.
“I’ll arrange an opportunity for you to attend to the sick,” Gu Lianchang said.
The Prince of Jin was overjoyed. Did this mean he would help him? He excitedly said, “Master Gu’s righteousness will be remembered by me. When my father wakes up and order is restored, I will repay you!”
Gu Lianchang responded coldly, “No need for formalities. I am His Majesty’s subject and will do everything according to His Majesty’s wishes.”
The Prince of Jin was too weak. Pampered by the Emperor’s favor for years, he hadn’t engaged with power. The Crown Prince had court officials and allies, while the Prince of Jin only had the Virtuous Consort. Wei Shu could easily eliminate him. By helping the Prince of Jin now, he could maximize damage to Wei Shu with minimal effort.
The Prince of Jin continued thanking outside: “Master Gu is truly a loyal subject, understanding righteousness. If I succeed, I will ensure Master Gu’s position as a high-ranking official.”
Gu Lianchang didn’t hear his words, his fingers being teased, accumulated desires surging. He suddenly lowered his head and kissed the center of the peony.
Ruan Ning almost cried out. His kiss was passionate, both a kiss and a bite, teasing with his tongue, alternately making her go limp or feel pain. Initially, she silently cursed the eunuch, but later her mind fogged, and she began to breathe slightly.
Gu Lianchang covered her mouth—this was his exclusive whisper, not to be heard by other men.
At this moment, the Prince of Jin spoke again: “There’s one more thing I want to tell you. The messenger misunderstood my intentions regarding the Jade Consort. I regret this. The Jade Consort is innocent, forced against her will. She’s been resisting and hasn’t been subdued. I believe she’s also a pitiful person. Master Gu, I want to spare her life.”
The person beneath him still had her eyes closed, unconsciously moaning softly, apparently not hearing the Prince’s words. Gu Lianchang gently moved his lips away and said softly, “Isn’t she excellent leverage?”
The Prince of Jin found his voice strange, his breath uneven, no longer as cold as before. He said, “Although this affair is excellent leverage, it’s just that person’s sin. The Jade Consort is innocent – if she loses her life because of this, I’ll feel uneasy. Master Gu, after this breaks out, I want to take her out of the palace and keep her from seeing anyone.”
Gu Lianchang sneered. Who would believe he would sympathize with a woman when he shows no mercy even to his own brother? He likely has designs on her, like Wei Shu.
He looked at the woman in the dim starlight, already aroused, soft and delicate like a silken thread hanging under the eaves, every strand reaching out to him, begging for affection.
Gu Lianchang loosened his collar, exposing a bit of skin, and pressed his body against hers. She was like a burning snake, coiling around him.
“Your Highness, rest assured, I will spare her life,” he held her tightly, feeling her incomparable delicate and seductive touch, yet his voice remained clear, “It’s late; I won’t see you out.”
The Prince of Jin was stunned. He was being dismissed? A royal prince ordered around by a eunuch? However, this was not the moment to get angry. He forced a laugh, “Then this prince will take his leave. If the Supervisor has any matters, just send someone to the Chuxiu Palace to inform my mother.”
He walked out into the darkness, and Zhang Jing was waiting, silently leading him out from under the corridor. At that moment, the Prince of Jin heard a seductive moan from inside the room, stirring his blood.
Gu Lianchang was hiding a woman? Such an extraordinary beauty existed in the world!
Though he wanted to investigate, he controlled his impulse and walked out, his body burning with heat. A thought flashed: if this woman were compared with Imperial Consort Yu, who would be superior?
Favored by the emperor, he still burned with desire when he returned to his palace.
“Summon Zhang Beauty,” he urgently ordered a young eunuch. Spotting a palace maid holding towels, he embraced her and started to tear at her clothes.
When Zhang Beauty arrived, the room was filled with the woman’s soft cries. Displeased, she saw an unfamiliar palace maid on the bed, making her even unhappier. The Prince of Jin pulled her over, gasping, “You come too.”
No matter how hard he thrust, his thoughts could not focus on the two young bodies.
It was not unusual for a powerful eunuch to secretly keep a woman, but who was Gu Lianchang hiding? How could she be so enchanting? Was she someone from the palace?
He moved violently, trying to provoke the woman beneath him to cry out, but no sound compared to what he had just heard.
The room remained pitch dark. Suddenly, a few soft sounds echoed as the screens before the bed fell, interrupting the woman’s low moan.
Ruan Ning awakened from her intoxicated state to find herself pressed against Gu Lianchang, his lips covering hers. Ashamed and angry, she kicked him aside and covered her face with a blanket.
How embarrassing to be bewitched by a eunuch.
Gu Lianchang felt vexed. She should have been a plaything, yet he was filled with anxiety, wanting to please her to the point of knocking over the screen to disrupt their entanglement.
This woman’s allure was indeed unparalleled. Even he could not resist, and neither could Wei Shu or the Prince of Jin.
The Prince of Jin. Anger crept into his voice: “When did you get involved with the Prince of Jin?”
Ruan Ning was bewildered.
She had never seen the Prince of Jin. How could she be involved?
With a whoosh, the blanket covering her head was lifted. Gu Lianchang looked at her and said softly, “When he walked out just now, you made a sound. You knew someone was outside. Do you know no shame?”
Ruan Ning, in her shame and anger, forgot to be cautious and gritted her teeth: “What about you? You knew there were people outside the screen and still did that. Do you know shame?”
Gu Lianchang wanted to laugh. This was the first time someone had questioned him like this. Shame? As a palace eunuch, what shame did he have left? If he hadn’t abandoned shame, he would have died over a decade ago.
His fingers traced her lips as he said softly, “It seems we both don’t know much about shame. That’s fine.”
He stretched his legs off the bed, lit a candle, and walked over with a box of silver needles, his gaze cold: “Let’s continue.”
Ruan Ning immediately surrendered. She tugged at his clothes and begged, “Supervisor, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have made a sound. Please don’t prick me. It really hurts.”
A barely perceptible smile flashed in Gu Lianchang’s eyes, but his voice remained icy: “No.”
