Chapter 530: Punishment in the Bedchamber

Under a clear sky with sparse stars, Chen Li lifted a lantern, lighting the road ahead and escorting Chen Wuji into the rear hall; thereafter, like a door god, he stood guard at the gate holding a knife.

Chen Wuji said he should rest early, then returned to his room.

As soon as he pushed the door open, Chen Wuji was stunned by the sight before him, his vision going dark.

Qin Zhanhong wore a skirt with extremely high slits, revealing her fair left leg as she stood with hands on hips, holding a willow whip in her hand.

On the right, Xiao Yuji was clad in sheer gauze, barely visible, the only odd thing being that she held a rolling pin in her hand.

Before them lay a long bench, on which rested a bundle of rope.

"What kind of display is this? Are you going to punish me?" Chen Wuji asked, scanning the surroundings, suspecting there might be other hidden weapons or props nearby.

Qin Zhanhong gave a soft hum, "My lord, you perceive even the finest details—you guessed right. We indeed intend to punish you; confess honestly to avoid fleshly suffering, or if you remain obstinate, don't blame us for being ruthless."

Chen Wuji chuckled, "Then may I ask, ladies, what crime have I committed?"

"The crime of not reporting to the inner chambers and secretly taking an outer concubine!" Xiao Yuji raised her face and shouted arrogantly.

"When did I—" Chen Wuji began, then suddenly realized what Xiao Yuji meant, "Are you talking about Zhang Xiuer?"

"Oh, my lord, you really do have self-awareness, figuring it out so quickly. Then, my lord, would you like to give us an explanation?" Qin Zhanhong pointed at the long bench, "Or strip off your clothes and let us have a little fun, and this matter will be over."

"As for whether our eldest sister will have an opinion, that depends on your abilities, my lord. Anyway, I have already sent word to San Niang about this."

Chen Wuji glanced at the long bench, "How about I explain first?"

"That works!"

"I had some prior involvement with Zhang Xiuer, which just happened spontaneously! As for why I didn't tell you beforehand, that's truly my fault—not that I didn't want to tell you, but I simply forgot." Chen Wuji said sincerely.

"Lately, just how many things have been happening in Hezhou? You've all seen it. I'm almost wishing I had three heads and six arms, busy to the point of exhaustion every day, and many things slip my mind unintentionally."

"Ladies, is this explanation satisfactory?"

Qin Zhanhong turned to ask Xiao Yuji, "Little roasted chicken, are you satisfied?"

Xiao Yuji shook her head, "I am dissatisfied with both your explanation, my lord, and your term of address."

Qin Zhanhong spread her hands, "My lord, you're not satisfied—what should we do?"

"Or you could add another option; even if I set aside my status as Lord of Hezhou, I am still the head of a household—being made to lie down and take a beating is truly unbecoming." Chen Wuji said with a laugh.

Qin Zhanhong said indifferently, "What's the big deal? Lord Qin has done this before, and they were out in an open courtyard, whereas my lord, you're inside a room—no need to worry about being seen."

"That's purely his bad habit; don't compare it to me." Chen Wuji shook his head, "The things Little Lord Qin does are unacceptable to ninety-nine percent of people."

"Think again and give me another option."

Qin Zhanhong and Xiao Yuji exchanged a glance, then smirked in unison as they lifted their long skirts.

"My lord, we each have half an hour; if you can last, this will be considered over, how about that?" Qin Zhanhong wore a wicked smile, her slender hands lightly stroking her own thigh.

Xiao Yuji's eyes were silkily seductive; she lowered her posture, her left hand sliding down from her neck to cradle her full breasts, then continued Qin Zhanhong's words: "If my lord can exceed half an hour, we will persuade San Niang to spare you from this ordeal."

Chen Wuji suddenly realized the two had clearly premeditated this, possibly even rehearsing what to say beforehand.

"All right!" Chen Wuji gritted his teeth and agreed, "Then tonight I'll risk my life to keep the ladies company—it's just an added hour total; who's afraid of whom? Come on, watch me not finish you off!"

Xiao Yuji giggled, "My lord, as the Lord of a Prefecture, how can you lack ambition? You need to aim for more than an hour; besides, with our help, you'll have far less trouble from San Niang's side."

"Otherwise, the two of us will fan the flames, and this matter surely won't be over so easily."

Chen Wuji: ……

Fine, fine, fine—playing a game of interlocking rings, digging pits step by step, right?

"Since you ladies have been so blunt, it seems I must bring out my family's secret skill or die!" Chen Wuji glared, his aura fierce as he charged forward.

First each gave a slap to test the feel, then Chen Wuji charged straight in.

"Whether we go ahead or not, play or not—today we simply can't do it."

"If we add any of those things, lasting half an hour is absolutely impossible."

The only viable tactic now is to occasionally do something else to stall for a moment, resist the allure of these two succubi, and shift our focus.

After all, two half-hours add up to two hours.

This is somewhat beyond Chen Wuji's depth.

Although his physique is somewhat better than before, his overall average is still about half an hour—sometimes he lasts a bit longer when in good shape, sometimes a bit shorter when not.

But wanting both of them to reach that half‑hour limit is still somewhat difficult.

The room shook as if mountains were moving, the moans unceasing.

Yan Qiushui and Shen Lu, sleeping in the outer room and ready to attend at any moment, quietly covered their ears.

"Sis, it's starting again—our master is always like this; aren't you afraid he'll age prematurely?" Shen Lu nestled in Yan Qiushui's arms and asked softly.

Yan Qiushui gave Shen Lu a light pat, "Nonsense, just get used to it."

"I can't get used to it… every few days I have to listen to this racket, I can't even keep my clothes clean." Shen Lu said irritably, "Our master only cares about his own pleasure, giving no thought to anyone else's well‑being."

"We're maids, or we came in willingly—do you think you're a miss? Should the master still worry about your fate?" Yan Qiushui chuckled, "No problem—cover your ears and you won't hear clearly; go to sleep early, and when the master finishes, I'll go boil water to attend."

"Forget it—if all the work is left to you alone, big sister, I'd feel guilty." Shen Lu let go of her hands, sat up straight, and said, "I won't cover my ears; I want to listen openly."

After a while, Shen Lu's voice took on a strange tone as she whispered, "Sis, why don't we… do a little something too? I'm feeling uncomfortable."