The abstinent prince, practicing Buddhism, is seduced by a voluptuous beauty into breaking his vows.

Chapter 104 You dare touch her!

Inside the study, the candlelight flickered.

Ling Feng knelt on one knee, bowing his head to plead guilty: "This humble general is incompetent; the person... escaped."

Xiao Chenyuan stood by the window, gazing at the deep night outside, his face expressionless.

After a long pause, he said calmly, "He came prepared, so it's not your fault."

Ling Feng felt a slight chill in his heart.

Having served the Crown Prince for many years, he knew his master's temperament all too well—the calmer the situation, the more...dangerous it often was.

Moreover… Ling Feng secretly glanced at the Crown Prince's tall and straight back. He had a feeling that His Highness was… deliberately letting him win?

Ling Feng suppressed his doubts and dared not ask any further questions.

The report continued: "The remnants of the Liang Kingdom have been making frequent moves lately. Large sums of money have suddenly flowed through several money shops in Jiangnan, and there have also been some unusual developments on the northern border..."

"They won't cause any trouble." Xiao Chenyuan turned around, walked back to his desk and sat down, lightly tapping the table with his fingertips. "Have the Shadows keep a close eye on them, but don't alert them. I know what they're up to."

"Yes." Ling Feng replied, then hesitated for a moment. "Regarding 'Drunken Dream Inducer,' I have found out that this drug can cause three attacks under certain circumstances, each one more potent than the last. However, after the fall of Liang, the antidote was lost. The Imperial Medical Academy is currently developing an antidote..."

Xiao Chenyuan raised his eyes, the candlelight flickering in them: "Alright."

He paused, then suddenly asked, "Hasn't the Imperial Observatory set the date yet?"

Ling Feng felt a chill run down his spine.

He brought this up many times, but each time His Highness complained that it was too late.

He forced a smile and replied, "Your Highness, the last time it was set for six months later, but you were not satisfied... They are currently working with the Ministry of Rites to recalculate. Several senior officials at the Ministry of Rites are making a big fuss, saying that the Crown Prince's marriage is a matter of national importance, and it simply won't be enough time to prepare everything in less than a year and a half..."

Xiao Chenyuan interrupted him: "I am taking a wife!"

He paused, then said, word by word, "Tell them, at most three months. If not, then they are incompetent and should step down sooner rather than later."

Ling Feng broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

He bowed with a pained expression: "This humble general... obeys."

Inwardly, however, he was groaning: Your Highness, this task is getting more and more difficult! Are those stubborn old men in the Ministry of Rites easy to deal with? Are those mystical old men in the Imperial Observatory easy to talk to?

If you keep pushing them like this... they won't dare to come to you anymore, and they'll tear me apart!

Waaaaah... Your Highness, what if one day you think I'm not doing a good job and you don't want me anymore...?

Xiao Chenyuan seemed to sense his inner turmoil, turned around, and glanced at him: "What's wrong? Is something wrong?"

Ling Feng quickly shook his head: "No, no! This humble general will certainly take care of it!"

The study fell silent again.

Xiao Chenyuan rubbed his temples.

The passion and madness of last night were still vivid in his mind. The image of Su Yaoyao trembling, crying, and begging for mercy beneath him was etched into his mind like a brand.

Three months...

It's still too long.

He wished he could marry her tomorrow, tie her to his waist, and make sure no one could touch a single hair on her head again.

bother.

Xiao Chenyuan closed his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his wrist—it was empty now; the old one had been given to Yaoyao, and the new one had long been taken off.

He suddenly remembered last night, when Su Yaoyao, overcome with emotion, had grabbed his wrist and cried, "Your Highness... your Buddhist beads are digging into me..."

What was his reaction back then?

Oh, he took off his prayer beads and casually tossed them at the foot of the bed.

Looking back now... it's absurd, yet... exhilarating...

Ten years of strict rules and regulations, broken in a single day, led to utter collapse.

---

Meanwhile, a hidden underground palace.

The ever-burning lamp cast a dim light on the stone wall, illuminating a figure kneeling on the ground.

He Qing knelt on the cold ground, his upper body naked. Several hideous whip marks crisscrossed his once fair back, his skin torn and blood trickling down his firm spine and dripping onto the bluestone slab.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his face was as pale as paper, yet he still stood straight, his eyelashes drooping, and he remained silent.

"That kid finally found a weakness, but you kept missing it."

A deep, somber voice echoed from the high seat atop the stone steps. The person was hidden in the shadows, their face obscured, but their voice sounded aged and carried an imposing aura:

"Heqing, this is not your style of doing things."

He Qing lowered her eyelashes and said in a hoarse voice, "It was my fault for not doing a good job, and I am willing to accept the punishment."

"Incompetent?" The man sneered, slowly rising and walking towards him. Black boots stopped in front of him, the toes stained with his blood.

"I think you're doing this on purpose!"

"Don't forget... our national and familial hatred! And your poor aunt—she died without ever seeing her homeland again."

He Qing's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

The man leaned down. "Since you agreed to this, you should know... there's no turning back."

He turned his back to He Qing:

"The business in Yong Kingdom, and the cooperation with Consort Chen... you don't need to worry about them for now, leave them to He Cong. You—"

He paused, his voice carrying an undeniable coldness:

"There are more important things to do."

After saying that, he left without looking back, his imposing voice echoing in the distance.

"Heqing, don't disappoint me again."

He Qing lowered his head, and after a long while, he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"……yes."

"Father."

Another figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

He was a young man in his early twenties, whose face bore a slight resemblance to He Qing, but appeared even more sinister.

His narrow eyes gleamed with a cold light, like a venomous snake lurking in wait.

He walked up to He Qing, squatted down, grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth:

"Brother, Father is right... You've softened your heart."

He reached out and ran his fingertips over the deepest whip mark on He Qing's back, causing He Qing to groan softly.

"What's so great about that woman?" He Cong tilted his head, his eyes flashing with malice. "You failed once or twice and were punished so severely... It breaks my heart..."

He Qing slowly stood up, the movement causing pain in his back wounds, which made cold sweat bead on his forehead. His expression remained unchanged, though he merely glanced at He Cong indifferently.

Mind your own business.

"Oh, still putting on airs as an elder brother?" He Cong raised an eyebrow, leaned closer to him, and lowered his voice, "I say, elder brother, you wouldn't actually have feelings for that Crown Princess..."

He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was clear.

He Qing's eyes turned cold: "It's none of your business."

"How can it be unrelated?" He Cong smiled playfully. "If you can't bring yourself to do it, I can do it for you. Such a beauty, and the Crown Prince's darling... it would be quite exciting to play with her."

Before he could finish speaking, He Qing suddenly grabbed his neck and slammed him against the stone wall!

"He Cong." His voice was terrifyingly low, his eyes surging with murderous intent, "If you dare touch her, I'll make you wish you were dead."

He Cong's face turned blue from being pinched, but he was still laughing, his laughter hoarse and broken: "Cough cough... Getting anxious? It seems... you're really taking it to heart..."

He Qing stared at him for a long time before slowly letting go.

He Cong slid to the ground, coughing while clutching his neck, but still smiled strangely: "Brother, brother... if you do this, Father will be disappointed."

He Qing didn't look at him again, turned around, and walked out of the palace step by step.

The whip marks on his back were still bleeding, and every step he took was excruciatingly painful. Yet his back remained ramrod straight, like a pine tree that refused to bend in the wind and snow.

Only after he stepped out of the underground palace and into the night did he slowly exhale under a withered tree.

The moonlight fell on his pale face, making the bloodstains appear even more glaring.

He reached into his pocket and pulled something out—

These are Su Yaoyao's Epiphyllum earrings.

The earrings gleamed warmly in his palm, as if still carrying a trace of her body heat and a faint scent of white plum blossoms.

Crane stroked the earring, carefully wiping away the bloodstains from it, bit by bit.

In those beautiful peach blossom eyes, there was pain, struggle, longing, and a trace of... a tenderness that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

After a long while, he tightly gripped the earring in his palm and looked up towards the direction of the capital.

The night was deep, and the Milky Way hung low.

The lamp in the East Palace was still lit.