Chapter 535: First, ease the anguish of lovesickness!

Duan Rongshi: "At the time, executing that official was forced by circumstances, but I, a commoner, am indeed guilty."

"I, a commoner, am also willing to bear the responsibility. I only beg Your Majesty not to implicate my family in this matter."

The Chu Emperor heard this and laughed "haha".

"What fine stock!"

The Chu Emperor's temperament—Qingyangzi had long figured it out.

Tormented by nightmares for many years, he had long become a tyrant of unpredictable anger.

He does not like people who follow the rules.

Naturally, he also does not like things that follow the rules.

Thus, in the Chu court today, all are slick, treacherous villains and domineering, tyrannical ministers.

The Chu Emperor was not foolish in his youth.

But as his age grows ever higher, he, tormented by nightmares for years without release, also pays ever less attention to state affairs.

Moreover, he gradually became ever more cruel.

If an official who quarrels in court annoys him, he will personally draw his sword and behead that official on the spot.

In the palace, over a hundred corpses lie in a single day—no exaggeration.

Gradually, even though court is held every three days, he rarely appears in person anymore.

Even when he does appear, no one in the former court dares to speak loudly and provoke him.

Throughout the court, only good news is dared to be reported; bad news is not.

Gradually, the court came completely under the control of villains who know how to flatter the emperor's heart.

And in private, the various factional families began to divide into their own camps.

Now, the factional struggles within the Great Chu are fiercest between the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince.

And those who truly remain loyal to the Chu Emperor are now few enough to count on one's fingers.

The Chu Emperor fixed his gaze on the young gentleman before him and curled the corner of his lips.

"I give you an opportunity to redeem yourself through merit and achieve great deeds—do you want it?"

Duan Rongshi: "I, a commoner, kowtow in thanks to Your Majesty."

Li Qingluo felt a sharp clutch in her chest.

"So, accompanying him to the imperial mausoleum is your chance to redeem yourself through merit?"

"Yang Seventh and Zhang Tingji also don't know about this?"

"Besides, what happened when you went to the mausoleum?"

"Ashi, you have a wound on your back."

"Although it is not a bleeding wound."

"But the bloodstains are in lines, and seeing them, Li Qingluo found them shocking."

She couldn't help reaching out, lightly touching with her fingertips again and again.

Duan Rongshi suddenly rose.

He turned and already threw on a thin shirt and put on long pants.

With a head of wet, dripping long hair, he personally peeled off that fake human-skin mask before the mirror.

Turning around, he stood before Li Qingluo once more with his own peerlessly compassionate visage.

"You only saw the scars on my back?"

His voice carried a hint of grievance.

He took her hand and gently brought it to his waist and abdomen.

Here, too, I received several lashes.

Do you want to take a look?

Feeling the firm waist and abdominal muscles, Li Qingluo's heart fluttered.

She involuntarily swallowed, blinked, her face flushed as she lifted her gaze.

Of course I want to look.

Come over.

Saying that, she hooked his sash and went to the inner chamber.

His chest was open.

On his moist, white cleavage still trailed undried droplets of water.

All the way, following the lines, they rolled into his waistband or struck the back of Li Qingluo's hand.

Li Qingluo's steps involuntarily quickened to Xudu.

In the blink of an eye, she had already pushed Duan Rongshi onto the soft bed.

Duan Rongshi involuntarily pulled her into his embrace, pressing close.

"Luo'er, do you miss me?"

The fervor in his eyes almost melted her.

Li Qingluo, however, turned her eyes away.

No speaking.

I want to first look, to see exactly where you are wounded.

She truly shoved him away with one push, then pulled his clothes open to both sides and began to examine him carefully in earnest.

But as she looked and looked, her eyes turned red.

She seemed never to have truly examined before, to see what old wounds he bore all over his body.

Nowadays, both new and old, he hardly has a patch of skin left completely unblemished.

A tear dropped and struck Duan Rongshi's chest.

The heat made his whole body tremble slightly.

All right, no more looking.

He knew this joke couldn't go on any longer.

He firmly pulled her back into his embrace, pressing her close.

Li Qingluo: "No, I haven't finished looking yet!"

She hastily wiped her eyes, braced against his chest, and tried to rise again.

Duan Rongshi sat up as well, holding her high in his arms.

His arms wrapped around her waist in a single motion.

Luo'er, it's not pleasant to look at.

Let's not look any further.

First, help your husband ease my lovesickness, alright?

His voice held a hint of pleading appeasement.

This made Li Qingluo's heart go soft.

She knew it was his hardship-filled childhood and past.

Just like her, she doesn't mind mentioning it, but she doesn't want him to know too clearly.

Because the past is already gone, those memories are not something they wish to dwell on.

Li Qingluo immediately figured it out.

She cupped his face, smiled with relief, and said: "Why not, let me ease my own longing first?"

Their fingers interlaced tightly, and the bed curtains fell softly.

Soon, a heap of clothes lay scattered on the floor.

Although it was broad daylight, the whole manor was theirs alone.

As for the servants and retainers, they had long since kept their distance thoughtfully, emptying the vicinity of Tangdi Residence.

Until the moonlight streamed like water through the carved windows, bathing the interior in a clear glow, did all movement inside Tangdi Residence finally cease.

Li Qingluo drifted off to sleep in a daze.

Duan Rongshi rose quietly, first went to the bathhouse to wash, then dressed neatly and left.

Have them prepare the food so that when the young lady wakes, she can eat.

Zheng Mama smiled brightly at the gate and replied: "Master, rest assured, it's already been prepared."

Duan Rongshi: "Let Leng Dian come over."

By the time he went out in his vigorous attire, Leng Dian had already rushed over.

"Master."

Duan Rongshi: "How is Zhui Yu?"

Leng Dian furrowed his brow and shook his head: "Still hasn't awakened."

Duan Rongshi paused and asked: "Who is attending to him?"

Leng Dian: "It's a young lady named Xi Qiu from the young lady's quarters."

"Her temperament is rather steady."

Duan Rongshi: "Have them keep a closer watch."

Leng Dian: "Yes, Master, are we going out now?"

Duan Rongshi glanced back at the bedroom inside Tangdi Residence.

"Let's go, let's make it quick there and back."

Li Qingluo woke up from hunger in the middle of the night.

Seeing no one beside her, she knew Duan Rongshi must have left the manor again.

Li Qingluo lazily got up, picked up a clean garment from nearby, put it on, and looked at the big bed in disarray.

Not just the bed, the low stand and the table were all in such disarray that she felt embarrassed to recall them.

She hastily got up and put on her outer robe; just as she moved, Que'er's voice came from outside: "Miss? The servant is coming in."

Que'er brought Bao Xia inside.

The two silently began to tidy up everything inside.

Although they felt embarrassed to look up, they seemed to have already anticipated this state.

Li Qingluo had originally wanted to tidy up quickly herself, but now she couldn't hide anything.

"Cough, Que'er, I'd like to drink some water first."

Que'er brought the tea over: "Miss, take it slow. Granny will bring the food shortly."

On that side, Bao Xia tidied up to the window-side low stand, saw a stack of paper on the small wooden table, and respectfully asked: "Miss, may we touch these?"

That was something Duan Rongshi had written by hand in the midst of several events.

Li Qingluo immediately rose: "Don't move. No need to touch that side; I'll tidy it myself."

Bao Xia: "Yes, I will obey."

Thus she came over and, together with Que'er, hastily tidied the bed, replacing the sheets and blankets with new ones.

Li Qingluo's skin was already thick enough anyway.

She simply sat cross-legged on the low stand to watch what Duan Rongshi was writing.

In fact, it was writing the thing he hadn't yet had a chance to say.

Afraid she couldn't wait, I simply wrote it down first so she could see it as soon as she opened her eyes.

As it turned out, three days earlier, the Chu Emperor, accompanied by a personal guard and Duan Rongshi, had gone to the imperial mausoleum actually to steal a corpse.