Volume 1 Chapter 10: Crimson Curtains Slowly Descend, Lips Entwined

In that fleeting moment, a bold and shocking thought erupted in Xiao Qingyu’s mind.

Without a second of hesitation, she lunged toward Li Chaoyang, throwing her arms around his neck and letting her entire body hang from him. Caught off guard by this sudden move, Li Chaoyang asked, "What is the Grand Princess doing—"

Before he could finish, Xiao Qingyu silenced him with a swift, impulsive kiss. She had long coveted his lips, and emboldened by the alcohol, she finally summoned the courage to act. As their lips met, an unprecedented sensation washed over her. This intimacy ignited the desires hidden deep within her soul.

Unable to help herself, she hungered for more, her hands wandering recklessly over Li Chaoyang’s clothes while her slender, soft fingers clutched his sturdy, powerful waist. Finally, she buried her head deep into the expanse of his chest, greedily breathing in his unique scent. Having completely lost her reason and awareness, she murmured to herself, "So cool!"

A flash of cunning and playfulness crossed Li Chaoyang’s eyes. "You asked for this," he whispered. Before the words had even faded, he swept his arm out and scooped her up into his arms.

Held in his embrace, Xiao Qingyu trembled like a frightened rabbit. Her skin, usually as fair as snow, was now flushed a deep, seductive crimson. Her beautiful eyes, blurred and misty from the intoxication, were filled with tender affection—she was truly a soul-stirring enchantress.

Li Chaoyang strode to the bed and tossed her onto the mattress. He hovered over her, his hands pinning her delicate waist to leave her no room to catch her breath, and lowered his head to kiss her once more.

Slowly, Xiao Qingyu opened her eyes. Through the haze, she caught a glimpse of the handsome face above her. Driven by an unknown force, she climbed up onto him, closing the distance between them. With her limbs wrapped around him like an octopus, she clung to his body. Their clothes were soon cast aside, and Li Chaoyang turned over, taking the lead.

Li Chaoyang gave a light tug on the curtain cord, and the red drapes fell, muffling the sounds of the night, even as the intimacy behind the curtains continued.

***

As the heat faded, Xiao Qingyu, like a kitten seeking warmth, tucked her face into the crook of Li Chaoyang’s neck. Closing her eyes, she greedily inhaled the scent of him. Wrapped in each other’s arms, they drifted into a deep sleep.

When the banquet concluded, Xiao Qingshan was dead drunk. Stumbling and swaying, he eventually collapsed at the entrance of Consort Liu’s palace. Seeing this, Consort Liu furrowed her brows in annoyance and rebuked the attendants sharply, "How much did His Majesty drink? Why didn't any of you stop him?"

"Your Ladyship, please calm your anger..." The attendants looked at one another, trembling in silence, none daring to answer. Usually, Consort Liu was gentle and understanding; they had never seen her this furious.

Seeing no response, Consort Liu sighed helplessly and waved her hand. "Forget it. Carry His Majesty into the palace quickly."

The group scrambled to lift Xiao Qingshan and carried him inside. No sooner had they settled him on the bed than he retched, vomiting up the alcohol he had consumed. The room was instantly filled with the pungent, sickening stench of spirits and bile.

Ziqiu stepped forward, asking, "Your Ladyship, shall I fetch the imperial physician?"

Consort Liu waved her hand gently. "No need. I will attend to him here. You may all withdraw."

After they left, she went to the bedside, carefully cleaning the stains from his clothes, then brought a basin of fresh water to wipe his face and hands with a damp cloth. Once finished, she went to the kitchen and personally prepared a hangover soup.

Just as she was feeding it to him, Ziqiu rushed in, looking frantic. "Your Ladyship, it’s terrible! Something has happened at the Chenfeng Palace!"

Hearing this, Liu Ran asked, "Has something happened to the Grand Princess?"

Ziqiu looked flustered. "The Grand Princess and the Regent are at the Chenfeng Palace..." She hesitated, then added, "Your Ladyship should go see for yourself."

***

Inside the Chenfeng Palace, the two who had been sleeping were jolted awake by a piercing scream. A maid, sent to deliver hangover tea, had pushed open the door and been so horrified by the scene before her that she dropped the tray, shattering the teacup on the floor.

As fate would have it, the banquet had just ended, and the officials were leaving the palace. A group of them happened to be passing by the Chenfeng Palace just as the maid came sprinting out in a panic. This drew everyone’s attention. The Prime Minister stopped the maid and asked in a deep voice, "What is the meaning of this? Why are you shouting and screaming?"

Trembling, the maid stammered, "I... I... I didn't see anything..."

The Prime Minister frowned. "If you saw nothing, why are you so distraught?"

"Speak the truth!" the other officials urged. All eyes were fixed on the maid, brimming with curiosity.

The maid looked up, trembling. "I was ordered to bring hangover tea to the Grand Princess. But when I pushed open the door, I..."

"You what?" the Prime Minister demanded impatiently.

"I saw the Grand Princess lying on the bed with a strange man!" she blurted out.

At these words, the faces of the venerable old ministers turned ashen. Zhao Huainian was incensed, pointing at the maid and shouting, "How dare you spread such lies! If this is false, you are slandering the Grand Princess’s honor. Do you know the penalty for that?"

The maid collapsed to her knees, kowtowing repeatedly. "My lords, have mercy! I would not dare deceive you even if I had the courage of ten thousand men!"

"Whether it is true or false, we shall see for ourselves. There is no need to argue here!" shouted General Wu.