Chapter 318: The Number One Person of the Great Yin Dynasty Who Is Not Lustful (x)

A soft glow swayed, filling the sleeping quarters.

Chinu lay on his side on the cloud-patterned brocade quilt, his whole face buried deep in the bedding, refusing to lift his head.

His shoulders rose and fell with his hurried breath, his spine trembling uncontrollably.

Muffled sobs spilled intermittently from the bedding, restrained yet obstinate.

By rights, at such a time Du Shanü ought to say a few words of comfort no matter what.

However, however.

The sympathetic words that usually rolled off her tongue today clung like paste in her throat, not a single flowery phrase could she utter.

Du Shanü's gaze, as if pulled by iron locks and silver hooks, continually turned away from the person before her——

Chinu's breath was still slightly uneven from his journey; now his outer robe hung loosely undone, half his front open, the fabric ruffled by the courtyard breeze......

Now it happened to neatly outline Chinu's straight, lean waist.

The weeping at her ears continued, but Du Shanü's mind had already drifted off to the clouds beyond the ninth heaven.

In the past she had read a saying: 【The Chu king loves slender waists, so many in the palace starve to death】.

This saying is almost universally known, yet few know its most orthodox original wording: 【In former times Lord Ling of Chu loved his officials' slender waists, so his servants made a meal their measure, tightening their belts after breath, rising only after leaning on the wall】.

The difference is that the saying deliberately used 'palace' to obscure the gender of those who flatter superiors, whereas the Chu king's fondness for slender waists was directed not at palace women but at his own officials.

This matter was never simply lust, nor was it women vying for favor.

Essentially, it is the process by which those driven by desire pursue power.

At the Chu king's command, superiors set a taste, inferiors vied to imitate; in the struggle for power, those who did not 'bind their waists' feared falling behind and could only be forced deeper into the mire......

When Du Shanü first read these, she felt only mockery——

Those in high places manipulate power, looking down with amusement.

Those below cringe and flatter superiors, sinking into it.

She thought she had long seen through everything, yet only now did she realize that her own stance was also lofty and aloof.

The Chu king's regard for his officials, Du Shanü's regard for the Chu king......

Perhaps essentially they are the same.

The greater the power, the more ambition runs rampant, and she also comes to understand the...... exhilaration that comes from manipulating power.

This is still under the premise that she has not yet grasped authority.

In that instant she could not imagine what would happen if she truly ascended that throne—would she become another 'Chu king'?

After all......

It's too alluring.

Indeed, it's too alluring.

Now she fully understands why the Chu king deliberately told his officials to please him.

Some people are beauties in life, become gorgeous ghosts in death, and even the corpses they leave behind are lovely corpses.

Chinu flung himself down there, not even showing his face.

All she could see was a bundle of tough, slim, strong waist.

Thinking of the past, to say she does not miss it......

That is surely false.

Du Shanü's expression grew slightly dazed, and she unconsciously swallowed a small mouthful of saliva.

Perhaps because she had delayed too long, Chinu waited left and right, never receiving her coaxing, and at some point his soft sobs gradually subsided.

His waist and back remained taut with neat vigor, while the slight trembling of his shoulders gradually ceased.

He still lay upon the brocade quilt, finally unable to bear his inner torment, he subtly shifted half his body sideways, using the bedding as cover to lift his gaze a little.

Chinu's eye corners still bore undried redness; he furtively glanced askance at Du Shanü standing where she was, and seeing that she was indeed looking at him, he let out a great sigh of relief, then hastily looked away, his voice full of resentful complaint:

"...... This Wife Master is habitually heartless."

"You, you simply do not truly love me!"

"Look around, where in the world is there an emperor who would quarrel over buying two extra oxen for his household!"

"His and Afang's two 'yellow oxen'—could they possibly be worth less than two female cows!"

"How could it be worth her repeatedly speaking harshly to him and making him sell those two oxen?"

"Are those extra oxen?"

"Clearly not!"

"Cow's milk is something that naturally does not keep well."

"In powerful clans, if the master wants a sip of cow's milk, he might need to buy ten or twenty female cows."

"On the stove, hot cow's milk is kept warm all day, twelve double-hours, changed each double-hour; after the period it is poured out, or given to servants......"

"His Wife Master ought to be living such a life!"

"Originally, not being able to let his Wife Master live such a life made him anxious inside."

"Now things are fine, yet even the two female cows he had prepared, his Wife Master also wants to sell!"

"On what grounds sell them?"

"On what grounds sell them?"

"His household's Wife Master should by rights be living well; the matter of money ought to be something he thinks of ways for, Afang thinks of ways for, and all the myriad people of the world think of ways for."

"The Wife Master has already given them so much, done so much; it is only right to go to them and demand back what is due!"

"Why, upon encountering anything, does one's first thought instinctively become to wrong oneself?"

"Chinu feels aggrieved, thinking left and right, yet again he cannot hold back, his eyes reddening."

"Moisture spreads within the brocade quilt, bringing a wave almost enough to make one drown."

This time, his grievance was much smaller, he almost didn't dare to speak, and yet it seemed......

He was just afraid that after speaking, he'd find out his place in Du Shanü's heart wasn't high, which would only hurt him more.

Therefore, that voice was light upon light, as if separated by a layer of the mortal world:

"...... Wife Master, why won't Wife Master coax Ah Nu?"

Back when they swore their sea and mountain vows in bed, Wife Master even said she'd coax him for a lifetime!

He also knows his foul temper makes it impossible to be coaxed for a lifetime, and no one could truly endure that.

He only fears that when the day comes that he grows old and loses favor, he'll be cast aside.

But he's not even old yet!

Now she won't even pity him; wouldn't that be worse later?

Moreover, this time he truly doesn't think he's wrong!

Those two oxen—no, three oxen—clearly said nothing could be sold.

Not to mention selling two of them at once; even missing just one, he'd fight to the death, fight to the death!

Just thinking about that day made Chinu feel an indescribable annoyance; he opened his mouth and bit down hard on the quilt, grinding his teeth.

That movement was indeed not small; Du Shanü could no longer pretend not to see. She hastily gathered her scattered wits, sat beside Chinu, raised her hand to pat her good slave slave, but upon touching, she couldn't help but rub his waist.

Chinu: "?"

Du Shanü: "......"

Du Shanü: "...... Listen to my excuses, no, listen to me coax you."

Chinu vaguely felt something was off, but he couldn't delve deeper.

Because Du Shanü had already lain down gently on Chinu's back, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Du Shanü smelled the cool fragrance at the ends of her good slave slave's hair, stroked the firm line beneath her fingertips, and spoke softly:

"Good slave slave....."

"I've told you many times about our life-and-death sea and mountain vow; saying it again now just feels tiresome."

"I don't not love you; I just feel, like you, that if I endure a little injustice myself, I won't have to wrong you."

Everyone knows to look out for themselves, and Du Shanü is no exception.

But that doesn't mean she won't be moved when she sees others' efforts for her.

All along, everyone has been striving for one thing.

Chinu had suffered two rounds of serious injury in just a short year; Ah Fang's dignity had been owed who knows how much; seeing her still doing 'paid labor' in spring, the Zhoufu had just been taken over, everything lay in ruins, and Liu Ji kept opening and closing his mouth demanding silver before he'd pledge allegiance......

They've done so much for her, so much.

Thus, in that instant, she truly just thought: if she drank a little less, her unborn child would drink a little less, they'd worry a bit less, no need to lose face begging or borrowing, exhausting themselves for her......

Just that.

Just because she loves them, that's all.

Chinu keeps saying she doesn't love him.

However, she merely... loves too much...... that's all.

?? Chinu: ￥%！@#￥%￥*&*You don't really love me at all!

? Shasha: Jibber-jabber, what are you saying? I can't understand, Chinu is so seductive, take a whiff first!

? This is actually a turn-on for the female lead in the author's work; those who fawn aren't necessarily female, those who lust after beauty aren't necessarily male, and it could be completely the opposite.

? Shasha previously couldn't appreciate the perks that come with power and status, but she'll gradually come to understand them.

? (It's so desolate, no one, no feedback, the author is a bit heart‑dead, so she's lacking confidence to continue...... next chapter unknown when, see how it goes.)