Chapter 1575: 【Night Raid the Fragrant Chamber】（Lower）

Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly, gazing at the bewitching beauty before him, his heart fluttering involuntarily. Though he had roamed through flowery groves and seen countless beauties of the world, none matched Xue Lingjun's bewitching, fiery allure—she was unique. Though Xue Lingjun was as lovely as peach and plum blossoms, her mind was unfathomably deep; otherwise Xue Shengkang would not have entrusted her with great responsibility back then. Yet after Xue Shengkang's death, the power and influence of this Da Yong Grand Princess waned considerably. Faced with the suspicion and suppression of the new ruler Xue Daohong, she had no choice but to restrain her sharp edges, opting for prudent self-preservation. Compared to her status during Xue Shengkang's reign, she had fallen dramatically.

Confronted by Hu Xiaotian, Xue Lingjun did not choose to retreat; instead she stepped forward, her towering bosom nearly pressing against him. A pair of alluring phoenix eyes fixed on him, exhaling a fragrant breath, her pretty face brimming with springtime charm as she coquettishly asked, "What do you want? Exactly what do you intend to do to me?"

Hu Xiaotian clearly understood what sort of person he faced, and from his few encounters with Xue Lingjun, when had she ever truly treated him sincerely? This woman appeared charming and flirtatious on the surface, but inside she was as steadfast as a rock; winning her heart was no easy task.

Hu Xiaotian whispered, "You don't know what I want?"

Xue Lingjun's pretty face flushed, becoming even more enchantingly lovely; she spat softly, "Scoundrel, aren't you afraid I'll scream?"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled, "If we're together, I should be the one feeling endangered."

"Are you afraid I'll eat you?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "Women are tigers, and Lady Jun is the fiercest kind of tiger—she devours people without spitting out bones."

"Pah!" Xue Lingjun's expression shifted instantly; her smiling face vanished, replaced instantly by a layer of stern frost. She turned and walked to the desk, sitting down with an aloof posture that kept others at a distance: "Speak. Why have you come all this way to see me?"

Hu Xiaotian took two steps toward her: "I'd like Lady Jun to do me a small favor."

Xue Lingjun blinked her eyes, instantly guessing his purpose: "You want me to help you rescue someone?"

Hu Xiaotian praised, "Lady Jun is truly ice‑snow smart; in your presence I always feel as if I'm being stripped bare. My visit this time concerns the Shen Nong Society—Liu Changsheng and his son are honest folk who have done me favors; I beg you to intervene and save them."

Xue Lingjun gave a cold laugh: "You're trying to harm me!" She paused, then continued: "The case of Yuan Jiang's assassination attempt on the Emperor involves many parties. Liu Changsheng and his son are linked to one of the assassins. Now, at such a time, everyone avoids involvement, yet you want me to step forward—do you also wish to drag me into this? Are you truly seeking my help, or trying to ruin me?"

Hu Xiaotian clasped his fists: "If I had no other choice, I would not trouble Lady Jun to act."

Xue Lingjun's delicate brows furrowed slightly, her beautiful eyes flickering nonstop: "You and my second elder brother are sworn brothers. You don't go to him but come to me…" She paused, then asked: "Did you see him? Is it him who sent you to me?"

Hu Xiaotian secretly admired, Xue Lingjun truly had cultivated to perfection; with a little thought she grasped the crux of the matter. When discussing business, he naturally dared not jest, adopting a solemn tone: "Unless Empress Dowager Jiang steps in, this matter is hard to resolve."

Xue Lingjun sighed: "You don't understand Da Yong's affairs. Since the assassination attempt, over three hundred people have been imprisoned due to implication, most of them innocent. You think the Emperor doesn't know? He knows perfectly well; he's merely using this opportunity. Who would invite trouble upon themselves at such a time?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "You mean Xue Daohong is exploiting this to set a trap? Using these people to lure you into the jar?"

Xue Lingjun replied, "Perhaps it's not his own idea, but it certainly isn't unrelated to him."

Hu Xiaotian had also heard rumors about Da Yong's current situation and understood that the days of Xue Shengjing, Xue Lingjun, and other royals were not easy. From Xue Lingjun's tone he could tell she did not blame all present misfortunes solely on Xue Daohong.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Lady Jun, before I came I didn't know your difficulties. If it truly is inconvenient for you to intervene, I won't press you."

Xue Lingjun coldly stared at him: "Do you think I'm deliberately making excuses for you?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I certainly don't mean that."

Xue Lingjun bit her cherry lips, then smiled faintly: "You little rascal, are you saying I won't help you?"

Hu Xiaotian had already prepared to leave, but hearing her words he stopped his steps, deliberately saying: "Lady Jun, please don't make things difficult for yourself."

Xue Lingjun silently cursed this sly fellow—he was clearly playing hard to get, deep down wishing she would speak up for him, yet she had to put on airs. She felt an itch of hatred in her teeth, lifted her foot and kicked Hu Xiaotian's body: "What are you pretending? Do you think I don't know your little tricks?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed, his gaze falling on Xue Lingjun's long dress burned through with a hole; through the tear he could faintly see her crystal‑clear jade‑like legs.

Xue Lingjun keenly caught his look and coquettishly asked, "What are you looking at?"

Hu Xiaotian replied, "I'm a bit hungry; I've heard beauty can be a feast, so I'm testing the saying."

Xue Lingjun bit her cherry lips, her face a mix of shyness and allure: "You want to eat me? I'm so scared…" Though she spoke of fear, she actively moved closer to Hu Xiaotian, seeming somewhat frightened and nervous yet also shy and unable to restrain herself; her chest rose and fell rapidly with her breath, growing ever more tempting.

Seeing Xue Lingjun's appearance, Hu Xiaotian nearly spurted nosebleed, but he could distinguish priorities—Xue Lingjun was no simpleton; being with her was like playing with fire, a careless move could ignite disaster. He also did not believe she would sincerely help him.

Sure enough, Xue Lingjun then proposed a condition: "I'll help you rescue Liu Changsheng and his son—how will you repay me?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "How do you want me to repay you? Money or power you already lack nothing; why not… I offer myself to you?"

When Xue Lingjun saw Hu Xiaotian leaning in, she burst into giggles, extending her right index finger to press against his chest to keep him from approaching further. She could see clearly: though Hu Xiaotian was flirtatious by nature, this sort of talent would not easily fall in love; his words held little credibility. Today's fawning was merely because he had a request; once she helped him succeed, he might change his face, have her do the work, and then push the bodily risk onto her—she would suffer a great loss. Seeing his lustful look, she could not rule out that he merely wanted to play around for fun; did she really think the Grand Princess was a woman anyone could take?

Xue Lingjun said, "You? I can't trust you!" Her slender fingers lightly tapped his chest: "How about helping me kill someone?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Who? Who's so unlucky to catch your eye?" Indeed, things were not as easy as imagined; Xue Lingjun would not readily agree to help him.

Xue Lingjun said, "Jian Rongxin!"

Upon hearing the name Jian Rongxin, Hu Xiaotian's heart jolted—he never expected Xue Lingjun to ask him to kill this person. Jian Rongxin is the wife of Li Chen Zhou, a talented lady of Da Yong. What grudge does Xue Lingjun hold against her? Does she intend to strike at Li Chen Zhou by killing Jian Rongxin? If so, why not strike Li Chen Zhou directly? Hu Xiaotian suddenly recalled the rumor he'd heard: before the Grand Princess Xue Lingjun Yunying married, the Da Yong imperial family had once proposed a marriage alliance to Li Chen Zhou, only to be rejected. Could it be that because of this, Xue Lingjun turned love into hatred toward Li Chen Zhou, giving rise to the thought of killing Jian Rongxin?

A sour thought rose in Hu Xiaotian's heart: perhaps Xue Lingjun had always loved Li Chen Zhou! He concealed his feelings well, not revealing his true emotions, and said softly: "Are you planning to use this method to strike at Li Chen Zhou?"

Xue Lingjun nodded: "Li Chen Zhou presses our royal clan step by step; if we let him continue, our clan's living space will likely be squeezed dry. Only by giving him a lesson can we make him retreat when facing difficulty."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Aren't you afraid this will provoke him instead? I've heard they are deeply devoted; if Jian Rongxin truly dies, Li Chen Zhou might do something even more extreme."

Xue Lingjun's lips curled with a cold smile: "You don't know he won't just sink into oblivion, never to recover?"

A chill rose from Hu Xiaotian's heart; in his mind Xue Lingjun now held no allure whatsoever—this woman's cold‑blooded ruthlessness was no less than Qiqi's. Working with her must be done with double caution. He nodded: "I know little about Jian Rongxin; I'll handle this matter, but you need to provide some conveniences."

Xue Lingjun cooed, "If we succeed, I'll reward you handsomely." Though she was alluringly charming, in Hu Xiaotian's eyes she seemed merely affected and soft.

Hu Xiaotian said, "One thing puzzles me: why don't you royals join forces to face the threat together?" This was exactly the question he could not fathom. Even back in Bohai State, Xue Daohong had wanted to eliminate both Prince Yan Xue Shengjing and Grand Princess Xue Lingjun at once; logically they should have united against a common enemy, yet they rarely cooperated. Was it that they secretly joined forces behind the scenes, keeping it hidden? Or did they also have a grudge preventing cooperation?

Xue Lingjun said, "Li Chen Zhou is no fool; if we siblings join forces, we'll only give him a handle to exploit."

Hu Xiaotian doubted the answer would be that simple; it seemed the two brothers rarely communicated, otherwise Xue Shengjing wouldn't have sent him to seek Xue Lingjun's aid. He whispered: "Please take care of Liu Changsheng and his son, Lady Jun."

Xue Lingjun said, "One life for two—accomplish that, and I will surely keep my promise. This deal is very profitable for you!"

Please follow Zhangyu's public account stonesquid, just returned home, striving to regain form, tonight I'll try for another update! (To be continued~^~)