“This prince was wrong, loving a woman who was a facade. I privately thought that although she was cold, she treated me with some gentleness. I loved the moment she lowered her head gently. I never dared hope she was truly virtuous and talented, as ethereal as an immortal. As long as she had once been gentle to me… I could forgive everything. But last night in the meditation room… love, how can I deceive myself that it wasn’t a dream, that she was that person. How laughable, I’ve been too foolish, unwilling to believe the truth. It’s good that she left, leaving completely cuts off my longing. Jing Huan was right, I’ve always been in love with a Liu Changning who was a facade. Faking her death to escape, pretending to be incapable, taking me tonight then leaving without a backwards glance. She not only has no heart, but is a cold and heartless woman. Is such a woman worthy of my love?”

Pei Yuanshao kept criticizing her baseness, ignoring the embarrassment that kept bubbling up in his heart.

He laughed self-mockingly: “From now on, whether she’s Liu Changning or Liu Cangyun, it has nothing to do with me. Tonight’s lovemaking can be considered repayment for the kindness of gifting clothes back then. From now on we have no more entanglements, our ties of affection and obligation are severed.”

The man by the charcoal brazier’s voice got softer and softer. Hong Lian strained her ears but could not hear clearly.

She only saw his thin lips moving, the ink in his eyes so thick it seemed about to drip out.

This night was destined to be an unsettled one. The snow fell ceaselessly, with no sign of stopping, turning all of Nanhua Temple into a world of silver.

—

The second day of the Heaven Worship ceremony.

According to custom, they should be fasting and bathing, worshipping Buddha and meditating, bidding farewell to the Abbot of Ningxin Temple.

The Empress would lead the civil and military officials, starting the imperial procession back to the palace.

But last night was destined to be eventful.

Just as the Empress finished washing up, a group of elder statesmen were kneeling outside the meditation room.

They had heard that last night the Imperial Consort was entangled with a woman in the meditation room. Due to the Imperial Consort’s status, no one dared to intrude. They specially requested the Empress to go personally.

So early in the morning, Empress Mingxing was nervously forced by the cabinet elders to go have breakfast in her elder brother’s room.

She came with an anxious mood, but left her brother’s room with an unstoppable smile on her face.

Outside the Imperial Consort’s meditation room knelt a ground full of elder statesmen in the icy snow.

As court officials making up unfounded slander, their hearts were punishable. But considering it was a first offense, this group of officials led by the Marquis of Dinyuan knelt in the freezing snow for a full hour.

After Pei Yuanshao finished breakfast with his younger sister and walked out, he cast a measured glance at the kneeling lords and calmly brushed the snow from his brow, saying: “Since you all have such leisure, it would be better to hand over the matter of the snow disaster in Western Liang to you to handle. Currently Western Liang is sealed off by heavy snow, the ground is frozen, the farmland has suffered crop damage, and the official granary stores are already insufficient. I see you still have idle minds to concern yourselves with non-existent inner court scandals. Why not all go deal with the Western Liang snow disaster in the coming days? If it’s not handled well, further punishment will be dealt. Little sister, what do you think of this plan?”

The Empress blinked at her elder brother. A hint of majesty showed on her young face: “Very good!”

The dozens of kneeling officials were all pampered nobles used to comfort. They had never before suffered such punishment of kneeling in the snow. They hurriedly agreed to the task, but their faces turned completely black when they started handling the Western Liang matter.

Using the excuse of depleted national coffers, the Imperial Consort did not allocate funds. All disaster relief supplies for Northern Liang had to be provided by the officials present today who had wagged their tongues, otherwise it would be considered dereliction of duty and the Imperial Consort would personally deal further punishment.

Faced with the threat of demotion and dismissal, having their weakness grasped, this group of court officials could only dig into their own pockets, swallowing this bitter pill in order to make amends and silence the rumors.

—

Many things happened last night. While Pei Yuanshao and the Empress were dining, the Taifu sent someone to invite them to discuss matters in the front courtyard of Xiangguo Temple.

When Jing Huan walked out of the meditation room, she saw a ground full of old-generation lords and marquises rising from the snow, having acted on their own initiative. She coldly snorted at these fools with ulterior motives, stepped forward to pay respects to the Empress, then followed the group of officials to the temple’s front courtyard.

This time the Taifu was determined to make a big deal of last night’s events. She sent people to summon all the noble officials in the temple to bear witness and deal with the woman who had attempted to take advantage of the Second Prince in his room last night.

Jing Huan walked alongside Pei Yuanshao. She turned her head to size him up. He wore a dark red straight-collared cotton robe, the collar standing up high to completely cover his usually exposed neck.

“Your Highness’s attire is unusual today…” Jing Huan said meaningfully in a low voice.

The two walked side by side. Due to their different ranks, the others trailed far behind them.

Pei Yuanshao stared at her for a moment. Whether intentional or not, he raised his hand to brush back some non-existent strands of hair from his forehead, tucking them behind his ear.

With his raised hand motion, the deep indentations of teeth marks on the back of his hand clearly appeared before Jing Huan’s eyes.

The Prince of Zhennan, dressed in official robes, had a stiff expression on her face. She slightly pursed her full lips, flames leaping in her eyes: “Last night… it seems Your Highness indeed engaged in such intimate acts with someone.”

Pei Yuanshao curved his lips, tilting his head like a cat who had stolen cream, smiling so his long lashes trembled: “Mmm… the enticing fragrance on her body can make a man experience the ultimate pleasure. Prince, you probably haven’t smelled it yet. Would you like this prince to describe it in detail for you?”

Jing Huan clenched her fingers into a fist. She looked at the pleasure-seeking man before her with sinister eyes.

In her mind appeared the image of her master’s face, cold and pure as a snow mountain, now tainted by worldly dust.

Suddenly anger rose in her heart. Her fist swung fast and fierce, but was barely dodged by the red-robed man before her.

Pei Yuanshao unhurriedly adjusted the collar of his clothes. He said nonchalantly: “Why is the Lord Commander so angry with embarrassment? This prince hasn’t even told you who was in my room last night. How can you be so impatient?”

Jing Huan stared fixedly at the man before her, her voice squeezed out between clenched teeth: “Shut up!”

Before her eyes was a deathly white snow, chilling to the heart. Jing Huan thought, if Pei Yuanshao had defiled her master last night, what should she do? Kill him, kill the Imperial Consort!

Jing Huan’s eyes widened in anger, a bloodthirsty killing intent in her heart.

He dared to touch her master!!!