Chapter 285: The Queen's Probe

Massage legs? Knead feet?

Again?

Luo Zijun raised his head and secretly took a glance at this woman before him, who possessed power over the entire world and unparalleled beauty, and his heart could not help but shrink.

Is it a test, or...

After the Queen finished speaking, she had already walked to the beauty couch nearby and lay down on her side, a pair of charming, alluring peach-blossom eyes looking at him with a watery gaze.

"Your Majesty, how about I call for Qing'er to come in?"

Luo Zijun lowered his head and said respectfully.

The Queen raised her willow eyebrows and said coldly: "Why call her in? To drag you away to be castrated? Minister Luo, you keep saying you are loyal to this Palace and willing to serve this Palace like a dog or horse; now that this Palace is just asking you to massage my legs and knead my feet, are you unwilling to do even this small task?"

Threatening again!

Luo Zijun dared not complain and could only say: "Your Majesty, this... this is not appropriate..."

The Queen glared with her beautiful eyes: "Enough nonsense, are you coming or not?"

"Your Majesty..."

"Qing'er, take him to the Jingshen Fang and castrate him immediately!"

Outside the door, Qing'er's respectful voice came immediately: "Yes!"

"Creak..."

The door opened.

Luo Zijun thought to himself: I fear this is still a test.

He immediately said with righteous indignation: "Even if Your Majesty wishes to castrate me, I would never dare to offend Your Majesty, nor would I dare to do anything that violates etiquette toward Your Majesty."

The Queen sneered and said: "If that is the case, then this Palace will grant your wish. Qing'er, take him away, and remember to tell them to use a dull blade."

"Yes!"

Qing'er immediately walked over, grabbed Luo Zijun's arm, and said: "Young Master Luo, let's go."

Luo Zijun stood where he was, not moving.

Qing'er suddenly exerted force, seized his arms, and forcibly dragged him toward the door.

Only after exiting the room did Luo Zijun confirm that this was likely not a test, and certainly not a joke; she really intended to castrate him.

"Wait!"

Luo Zijun hurriedly shouted in a sharp voice, then said toward the study: "Your Majesty, I... I am willing to serve!"

Only then did the Queen let out a cold snort and say: "Bring him in."

Qing'er pushed Luo Zijun into the room and then threatened him again: "The blade in the Jingshen Fang is already prepared, Young Master Luo, you had better behave yourself."

Having said that, she closed the door.

Luo Zijun took a glance at the graceful figure lying on her side on the beauty couch and thought to himself: If I have to knead, I'll knead; at least I won't be the one losing out.

He lowered his head and walked over, still feeling uneasy as he said: "Your Majesty, forgive my bold speculation, but is Your Majesty not intentionally making me do this, only to suddenly charge me with a crime of lèse-majesté and have me beheaded?"

Upon hearing this, the Queen suddenly let out a "puchi" laugh, her face instantly blooming like a flower, full of charm, and the towering peaks on her chest also jumped a few times as she raised her eyebrows and said: "Minister Luo is overthinking; am I that kind of person?"

Immediately, those peach-blossom eyes rippling with spring water looked at him with a watery gaze again, and she comforted him softly: "Minister Luo, do not be afraid; just serve this Palace well. Even if... even if Minister Luo commits some offense, this Palace will pardon you."

Hm?

Luo Zijun's heart skipped a beat. Even if I commit an offense...

What does that mean?

Is this a hint, or is it... a test?

Luo Zijun naturally dared not offend her; he took another step forward, bent his waist before her long, pressed-together legs, and without looking askance, began to clench his fists and gently massage them.

Even through the silky, soft red dress, the delicate and firm sensation still made his heart flutter.

The Queen rested her head on one hand, while the other used a slender, onion-white index finger to hook a lock of black hair falling from her jade shoulder, her watery eyes looking at him in a soul-stirring way.

Luo Zijun kept his eyes lowered, his face full of respect, focusing on massaging her legs.

After a moment, the Queen suddenly spoke: "Alright, help this Palace knead my feet."

Really want me to knead her feet?

Luo Zijun thought to himself: A woman's feet are her most private parts; as the mother of the nation, how can the Queen be so casual?

Could it be that this is the real test?

A look of trepidation immediately appeared on his face, and he lowered his head, saying respectfully: "Your Majesty, forgive me, I only know how to massage shoulders and legs. As for kneading feet... I am not very good at it, and I am too rough, I fear I might hurt Your Majesty..."

The Queen: "Hm? Where are you too rough?"

Luo Zijun paused and hurriedly said: "Too rough, my hands are too rough."

The Queen looked at him sideways with her beautiful eyes shimmering: "It doesn't matter, this Palace likes it when you are a bit rough."

Luo Zijun: "..."

The Queen said indifferently: "Minister Luo, do not underestimate this body of mine. If this Palace were to use its strength, even as a man, I fear you would be forced to throw down your armor and surrender under my hands."

Luo Zijun stole a glance at her slender, curvaceous body and was about to continue declining when the Queen seemed to lose patience, her expression turning cold as she said: "Minister Luo, are you dawdling like this because you want to go to the Jingshen Fang?"

Seeing that it did not seem like a test, Luo Zijun could only say respectfully: "I obey."

As he spoke, he came to the foot of the beauty couch and took a look at those slender, delicate feet, half-hidden under the red dress and wrapped in snow-white silk socks, and silently chanted: Stay calm! Stay calm!

"Start."

The Queen looked at him sideways and urged him.

Luo Zijun dared not hesitate any longer; he bent his waist, his hands trembling slightly as he reached out and grasped one of the small feet.

The moment his hands touched the silk sock on that small foot, he was suddenly stunned.

As he slowly grasped it and began to knead gently, his heart suddenly started beating "thump-thump" rapidly, and his breathing gradually became hurried.

He looked at the silk-socked foot in his hands with a look of shock and suspicion, his brain suddenly buzzing.

This feeling, why is it so familiar, as if...

A monstrous wave suddenly surged in his heart, and those absurd, "terrifying" scenes from the dark night kept appearing in his mind.

From the first time at Hanshan Temple, to the most recent time in the pitch-black room... from the first time, to the eighth time...

Impossible! How could it be possible?

He kept his head lowered, the expression in his eyes shifting, while a giant wave surged in his heart.

That person succeeded time and time again, easily knocking him unconscious and abducting him every single time, whether it was at the Hanshan Temple in the suburbs, at the Guanyin Temple very close to the Royal Palace, or even in the alley of the Bai Family, one of the Four Great Families...

Such powerful strength and audacity—if it were anyone else, it would be impossible to explain, but if it were her... everything could be explained...

But...

Why?

No matter how he thought about it, it just didn't seem possible.

"Official Luo, what is wrong with you?"

The Queen seemed to have noticed his absent-mindedness and snorted coldly, saying, "Could it be that while you are holding this palace's feet, your heart is thinking of your Bai Niangzi?"

Bai Niangzi?

Luo Zijun was stunned, then immediately realized: the Queen must mean the lady of the Bai Family.

"No, this subject is feeling uneasy in his heart, so he is somewhat unable to focus..."

Luo Zijun hurriedly suppressed the wild thoughts in his heart and began to massage earnestly.

Perhaps, perhaps it is just a coincidence?

As the Queen of Daliang, who is above ten thousand people and incomparably noble, how could she possibly...

Impossible, impossible...

How could one determine anything based on just a hint of tactile sensation?

He dared not think any further, keeping his head low, and secretly reminded himself: stay calm, stay calm, it is not her, it is not her...

"Official Luo, I heard that you like women's feet; is there any truth to this?"

At this moment, the Queen suddenly spoke up.

Luo Zijun's movements stalled, his complexion changed instantly, and he said in a panic, "No, this subject does not! It must be some villain slandering this subject! This subject is a scholar, this subject..."

"It is quite normal for a scholar to have this hobby."

The Queen interrupted him, looking at him with a half-smile in her eyes, and said, "What is Official Luo nervous about? This palace was just asking casually; I have no intention of despising, mocking, or blaming you. Men liking women's feet has existed since ancient times, and you are not the only one, Official Luo, so why bother with excuses?"

Luo Zijun said, "This subject... this subject is not making excuses..."

Of course he could not admit to such a thing, he could not admit it even if it killed him, especially since he was currently massaging the feet of this Queen.

"Whether you are making excuses or not, this palace can judge for herself."

The Queen said this in a flat tone, then suddenly asked again, "Official Luo, do you think my feet are better looking, or are your Bai Niangzi's feet better looking?"

Luo Zijun's mouth twitched, and he lowered his head respectfully, saying, "This subject dares not deceive you; this subject has never seen Bai Daxiaojie's feet."

"Oh?"

The Queen's eyebrows flickered, her face full of curiosity: "Strange, Official Luo has been married to her for so long, and you haven't even seen her feet? This palace thought that every night, Official Luo would kneel under her skirt and lick her feet. After all, Bai Daxiaojie is as beautiful as a celestial being and as fair as spring snow."

Luo Zijun heard the sarcasm and mockery in her tone and immediately thought of what the Second Miss Bai had told him—that the Queen and Bai Daxiaojie had known each other since childhood, and the Queen had always been envious and jealous of Bai Daxiaojie's beauty...

He immediately said respectfully, "This subject believes that Bai Daxiaojie's appearance does not compare to even one percent of yours, Your Majesty."

For the sake of the Bai Family, Bai Daxiaojie, and his own safety, he had to butter her up.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared on the Queen's face, and she looked at him with watery eyes, saying, "Does Official Luo mean that you do not want to kneel under her skirt and lick her feet, but rather want to kneel under this palace's skirt and lick this palace's feet, is that it?"

Luo Zijun's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said, "No, this subject has absolutely no such disloyal intent; what this subject meant was..."

The Queen's tone suddenly turned cold: "No? Then does Official Luo think that my feet are not worth you kneeling down to lick?"

"This subject..."

"Official Luo just said that your wife's appearance does not compare to one percent of mine. What is this? You are unwilling to kneel down and lick my feet?"

"No, this subject..."

"Official Luo only needs to answer: willing, or unwilling."

"This subject..."

"Hmph!"

The Queen snorted coldly, and the door suddenly creaked open. Qing'er appeared at the doorway and said, "Your Majesty, the knives in the Jingshen Fang have been sharpened. I specifically had a few notches ground into them to ensure they are both sharp and dull."

Luo Zijun: "..."

"This subject... this subject is willing."

"Creak..."

The door closed.

The room was quiet for a moment, then the Queen suddenly said in a flat tone, "Since you are willing, then Official Luo, kneel down. Official Luo works hard day and night for this palace, pondering state affairs; even if there is no merit, there is still hard work. Since this palace knows of Official Luo's foot fetish, I naturally will not be stingy with rewards."

Having said that, a slender, beautiful foot wrapped in a white sock extended from her red skirt, placed itself on the edge of the couch, and was fully exposed before his eyes. She said, "Official Luo, come."

Luo Zijun: "..."

He suddenly thought of one important thing.

The scent!

He clearly remembered the scent of that female thief!

And right before him was a perfect opportunity!

(End of this chapter)