Chapter 392: An Imperial Decree! Luo'er is Appointed County Mistress!

Li Qingluo felt as if she had just had another nightmare.

She jolted awake, staring at the canopy for several blinks before her consciousness gradually returned.

"Awake?"

A clear, cold voice sounded in the room.

Li Qingluo lifted her gaze to the low couch by the window, her face full of surprise: "Your Highness, why are you here?"

Duan Rongshi didn't lift his head, merely staring intently at the book in his hands.

"If I'm not here, where should I be?"

Li Qingluo stared at him, seeing only the morning light faintly falling on his head and shoulders.

A cascade of long hair poured down.

His slightly lowered lashes, caught in light and shadow, looked like a fan.

With a slight movement, they turned into a butterfly fluttering its wings.

The butterfly landed on his arm, seemingly unwilling to leave.

Li Qingluo looked toward the window's albizia blossoms, feeling a bit dazed for a moment.

She couldn't tell whether she was still dreaming or truly awake.

Otherwise, how could she see such a picture-perfect scene?

She stared, entranced, boldly scanning him from head to toe, then fixated on his exceptionally handsome face for a while.

Then she slowly lowered her gaze, finally landing on his hands.

One hand held the book, the other turned the pages.

Those fingers were long and straight, like finely carved jade pillars, each joint proportioned perfectly.

Paired with his fair skin, the strong knuckles revealed his innate nobility and elegance with every movement…

Until her eyes fell on the book Duan Rongshi was holding.

Her eyes widened instantly.

"Your Highness!"

"That, that's mine—"

She hastily scrambled out of bed barefoot, lunging forward and reaching to snatch the book.

Duan Rongshi immediately raised his hand high, letting her throw herself against him in her attempt to grab it.

"Yours?"

"Then tell this prince, what's the name of this book?"

Li Qingluo blurted out: "The Regent Prince and Princess's scandalous affairs……"

As she spoke, she almost bit her own tongue.

Her face flushed completely red.

Li Qingluo: ……

It's over.

She simply didn't dare lift her head to meet his gaze.

All she heard was the person above her letting out two cold snorts, "hnh hnh."

"So, you usually like to read these?"

"I just glanced at it—it's all utterly unacceptable stuff."

Li Qingluo opened her mouth to protest: "When have I ever read such things?"

"It's not like that day when Your Highness bit my…… I came back only wanting to study and observe a bit……"

"Besides, I haven't even seriously looked at it a few times."

"On the contrary, you've turned more pages than I have, right?"

Li Qingluo raised her hand, trying to snatch it back again.

But Duan Rongshi seized her wrist in one grip.

His other hand clasped her waist, gently pulling her into his embrace.

"Speak clearly."

"Where did this prince bite you?"

His expression was half-smile, half-not.

He stared at Li Qingluo's eyes without blinking.

Li Qingluo's cheeks were flushed, and she simply couldn't meet his gaze.

Moreover, they were pressed so close together her heart was in a panic.

"Your Highness, this is still my home… When Que'er and the others come later, please let me go quickly."

Duan Rongshi: "They've all been driven out; no one dares to enter."

Saying that, he exerted a little more force, bringing half her body to lie fully atop him.

Yet he leaned back, his entire back against the window.

Li Qingluo feared pressing her front against him would be too awkward, so she could only brace against his chest to create a little space between them.

But the feel beneath her hands was firm, which only made her heart race even more.

"When did you arrive?"

"I seemed to have seen you last night. Could it be that you fed me blood again?"

She blushed, trying to steer the conversation to something proper.

Duan Rongshi merely gave a soft "hng."

His gaze fell on her lips.

There a scab had formed; looking at it, it was quite pitiable.

His eyes deep and secretive, he stared at her tensely, then suddenly asked in a low voice: "Want to try again?"

Li Qingluo: "Try what?"

Duan Rongshi: "I just learned it."

Having said that, he moved his head closer and gently covered her.

Outside the window, flowers bloomed and butterflies danced; insects chirped and birds sang.

A gentle breeze lifted the pink silk-tree flowers on the ground, like pink dandelions, lightly brushing over the silhouettes of the lovely couple before the window…

Their entanglement lasted only a few moments.

Li Qingluo almost couldn't catch her breath.

But since both were beginners, neither was better than the other.

But fortunately, this time there was no recurrence of teeth breaking the lip.

Li Qingluo even felt it was somewhat wonderful.

Duan Rongshi calmly analyzed: "We should change our breath."

Li Qingluo: ……

But just now, she really had been somewhat out of breath……

Li Qingluo, blushing, finally realized she didn't know when she had been pressed onto the couch by him, and he had flipped to be above her?

They were so entwined early in the morning, truly contrary to propriety and morality; Li Qingluo hastily grabbed his arm, wanting to rise.

Duan Rongshi, however, let out a soft hiss, his face turning pale as well.

Li Qingluo: "What's wrong?"

She recalled something.

She reached out and began to pull at his collar.

Duan Rongshi grasped her hand and sat up: "It's fine."

Li Qingluo nervously rose with him and continued to pull at his robes: "Your Highness, don't move."

She pulled his clothes with a serious, earnest expression; Duan Rongshi, helpless, could only half-resist, half-comply, letting her kneel on his chest and strip his garments layer by layer.

From childhood he had trained hard in martial arts, so his body was very sturdy.

His chest and arms were all hard as rock.

Li Qingluo dared not look at the color of his chest, so she only looked at his arms.

Upon seeing that, she was instantly stunned.

On his arms, big and small, new and old, there were actually four or five wounds.

They were still wrapped in bandages.

And the freshest-looking was a new wound on his right upper arm.

"Did you get wounded in this bandit-suppression campaign?"

Li Qingluo reached out and touched it; her eyes were already moist with tears.

Duan Rongshi: "A minor injury is no problem."

She pointed at the new spot with her finger: "And here? Does it hurt?"

Li Qingluo's eyes and nose reddened, her voice trembling with sobs.

Duan Rongshi suddenly felt regret.

Had he known, he shouldn't have let her see.

Originally, that half-resisting, half-complying was deliberately meant to make her feel sorry for him.

Who would have thought that his plan backfired, truly making her feel pain, and his own heart ached even more than hers, by several times.

"It doesn't hurt."

He gently stroked her head with his large hand, about to close his robes, when a shout came from outside the window: "What are you doing!?"

"Luo'er!"

"How could you, how could you do such a thing!?"

"A young lady forcibly stripping a gentleman's robes—what propriety is this!?"

"Hurry up and separate!"

"Separate!!"

"Get down for me!!"

Pei Lao Furen's anguished, heartbroken roar almost made her faint from rage.

She had originally thought Prince Su was a lecher who coveted her well-behaved granddaughter.

Who would have known, her own granddaughter turned out to be a female lecher as well.

Look at her, flinging the window open and boldly stripping Prince Su's upper body—where is any maidenly reserve?

Although knowing they both cherished each other.

This Prince Su, too, for Luo'er's sake disregarded his own safety—truly deep affection!

But after all, they still have no official status; if this gets out, how can a woman like her survive?

"It's utterly outrageous!"

"It's simply inconceivable!"

Pei Lao Furen, furious, was about to storm inside.

Li Qingluo's face turned deathly pale.

She nervously scrambled down the low couch: "It's over, it's over. It's all Your Highness's fault for tempting me..."

Duan Rongshi very calmly pulled up his robe.

"Don't rush. What's meant to come will come sooner or later."

He rose but wasn't going to greet Pei Lao Furen; the two pulled Li Qingluo back to the bedside.

Then he instructed her: "Put on your shoes and socks."

"People from the palace are coming soon."

Li Qingluo then realized she had been running back and forth barefoot in front of him.

After all, she had learned much of the etiquette of noble young ladies; she shyly hurried to hide her feet, while Duan Rongshi grabbed the bed curtain and completely shielded her.

When Pei Lao Furen stormed in angrily, all we heard him say was: "Old General, it's this prince who was rude; don't blame Luo'er."

"If you're going to scold, scold me."

Pei Lao Furen:...

Can she scold him?!.

Ah?!.

Last night he had just saved Luo'er, although he went out midway, but then returned to guard Luo'er without leaving.

A prince of such stature actually rested on the low couch for at most an hour.

In this world, not to mention a prince, even any young man would find it hard to be so attentive and thoughtful.

She, Pei Xiuzhen, saw all this with her own eyes—how could she be someone without conscience?

Moreover, even as Luo'er's grandmother, she would never dare to scold a prince.

What crime would that be?

But he protects Luo'er like this—does he really think everyone else is blind?

Pei Lao Furen was so angry she nearly rolled her eyes and turned away.

All she could do was glare fiercely at the bed-curtained Li Qingluo: "Luo'er, do you have anything to say?!"

Li Qingluo hurriedly knelt on the bed: "Grandmother, Luo'er knows her mistake. Luo'er will never dare again."

As soon as her words fell, Zheng Mama rushed in happily: "Old Lady——"

"Young lady——"

"Someone from the palace has arrived!"

"It's an edict from the Empress Dowager, telling the young lady to come out and receive it!"

Li Qingluo had already put on her shoes and socks; hearing this, she flung open the bed curtain.

She looked at Duan Rongshi: "An imperial edict?"

Duan Rongshi gave a slight nod: "Go."

"I'll come back later to fetch you."

"The edict for the Prince Su's mansion should have arrived by now."

After saying that, he remained composed, respectfully nodded to Pei Lao Furen, then strode away.

It seemed as if, to him, the scene just caught by Pei Lao Furen was not at all embarrassing.

With such composure, Pei Lao Furen silently cursed: "This shamelessness is truly thick-skinned..."

But why would the Empress Dowager issue such an edict?

Pei Lao Furen, too, couldn't be bothered to argue with Li Qingluo anymore; she just told her to hurry up and get dressed to receive the edict.

After Li Qingluo's attire was proper, the grandmother and granddaughter went together to the front hall.

The visitors included, besides the Empress Dowager's attendant Fang GuGu, also a senior eunuch.

"Empress Dowager's edict——"

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Empress Dowager decrees:"

"Now there is Li Qingluo, daughter of the Li family, the eldest granddaughter of the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu, of gentle and virtuous nature, dignified and magnanimous, intelligent and brave."

"In the turmoil at the Southern Mountain Villa, she relied on her quick wit and extraordinary martial skills to resolutely save this humble household's life."

"She possesses both virtue and appearance, her conduct is commendable, and she can serve as a model for women everywhere."

"This humble household is deeply grateful, and therefore I hereby confer upon her the title of Princess of Yaoguang."

"And I grant her a residence, silks, and treasures, to manifest her virtue."

……

"Let it be proclaimed to all under heaven, so that all may hear."

"Such is the imperial command."

"Old General Pei, Miss Li, please receive the edict!"

The senior eunuch, smiling, handed the Empress Dowager's edict to Li Qingluo.

As the grandmother and granddaughter, dazed, reached out to thank him, the eunuch unexpectedly produced another edict from behind his back.

"Don't rush."

"There's still another edict."