Chapter 72

When Liu Changning walked out of the meditation room, the sky had gradually darkened.

Moonlight spilled onto the pure white snow, making the surroundings a vast expanse of white rather than appearing dark.

Qi Lian Hou was waiting outside the door. Liu Changning nodded to her, a tacit understanding cultivated over many years.

Qi Lian closed her mouth without a sound, quietly following behind her as they walked into a nearby pavilion.

Under the moonlight, Qi Lian stood with her head bowed.

“How is it?” Liu Changning glanced at her, pulling her fur cloak tighter, and asked directly.

Considering that person’s low fever had not subsided, with chills at night and constant nightmares. Although their spirits were better today, she was still worried about leaving them alone in the room.

Liu Changning narrowed her eyes, her sharp gaze sweeping over, clearly intending to keep the conversation brief.

Qi Lian’s expression froze slightly as she stood beside the white-robed lady. The cold wind brushed her face, making her shiver.

Suppressing the hesitation in her heart, she reported systematically: “Everything is proceeding according to your previous plan, my lady. It’s been three days since the palace coup at Taihe Hall, and the situation in Jinling City is basically under control. Among the Three Dukes and Five Marquises, except for the Marquis of Xuanping who didn’t rebel, all participated in this forced abdication. I’ve sent people to control each of their mansions.”

Liu Changning nodded. The rebellion in Jinling City was long anticipated. Although not all the noble clans could be completely uprooted this time, they would certainly be greatly weakened after this incident.

“The Dragon Tiger Guards outside the city gates have all surrendered and disarmed. General Mo is temporarily in charge.”

Liu Changning brushed off the snow from her cloak and instructed calmly: “The crime does not extend to ordinary soldiers. Tell General Mo to investigate carefully before assigning blame.”

“Yes!”

“What about Jing Huan?” It was just a casual question, but the young general beside her suddenly stiffened.

Qi Lian hesitated to raise her head, pausing for a moment before replying with some embarrassment: “My lady, the King of Zhennan… has disappeared. On that day at Taihe Hall, when I led troops to control the situation and then turned back to detain the rebels, we… found no trace of the King of Zhennan in the hall. He seemed to have vanished into thin air! No further trace was found.”

Qi Lian kept her head down, a flash of guilt in her eyes, thinking it was her negligence that led to such an oversight. Full of self-reproach, she unexpectedly felt a pat on her shoulder.

Qi Lian looked up. Under the moonlight, the woman’s face showed little expression, her tea-colored eyes looking at her without reproach.

She comforted: “Aqi, don’t blame yourself! This is not your fault. Jing Huan won’t die…”

Liu Changning sighed, raising her head to look at the starry sky.

She said meaningfully: “The star chart is set, it’s all fate. Aqi, look, has the Morning Star dimmed?…”

Qi Lian was completely bewildered, seeing only a sky full of stars, not knowing which was the Morning Star. Just as she was about to inquire,

The lady in the distance continued on her own: “The star chart merges with the great formation, the Morning Star is positioned within the formation chart, it certainly won’t dim. Defying heaven to change fate can only change one person’s destiny, but cannot affect the fate of this world’s child of destiny, otherwise the star chart would collapse and the world would fall into chaos.”

Her voice grew softer and softer, until Qi Lian could no longer hear clearly.

Her thin lips parted slightly, the corner of her mouth lifting in a faint sneer: “We can’t do anything to him in this life, let him go for now! There will eventually be a time when he has to return.”

――

Inside the meditation room, the charcoal fire was burning brightly.

Liu Changning walked in from outside, covered in frost.

The man on the bed had already opened his eyes wide, and seeing her enter, his eyes lit up brilliantly.

Having just woken up and not seeing her, disappointment had arisen in his heart, but fortunately, she had only been gone for a short while.

Pei Yuanshao’s pale lips unconsciously curved into a smile, his ink-black eyes shining brightly in the candlelight.

The charcoal fire inside the room was warm, while outside the stars were densely scattered.

A full stomach breeds lustful thoughts. These past two days, his spirits had greatly improved. Tonight, with such beautiful scenery, perhaps… hmm, a night of spring passion.

Pei Yuanshao lowered his eyelids, completely concealing the little thoughts in his eyes.

Seeing her approach, he supported himself to sit up, leaning against the headboard.

With his movement, the inner garment slipped down halfway, exposing his shoulder as white as jade to the air.

Liu Changning quickly closed the wooden door, taking two steps in three to reach the bedside. Frowning, she took off her cloak and draped it over him.

Pei Yuanshao dodged for a moment, but couldn’t avoid it. He lowered his head awkwardly, his hands struggling a bit. A fleeting thought flashed in his eyes.

Finally, a lone woman and a widowed man spending time together. In novels, when a woman sees a man’s shoulder half-exposed, she would turn into a beast and pounce on him, doing those shameful things.

But she…

Ignoring his seduction, she wrapped him up like an awkward dumpling.

Pei Yuanshao lowered his eyelids, his mind in turmoil, but his face revealed nothing.

Although he didn’t have a young man’s shyness, he was still a man after all. Tonight he had already taken the initiative to seduce her to this extent… yet she showed no reaction at all.

Wooden woman, could it be that she disliked his current lack of beauty?

Pei Yuanshao kept his head down, a determined smile curling at the corner of his lips.

His struggling movements imperceptibly grew larger, following the force of her tugging, he discreetly let his inner garment slip down another three inches.

His upper body was left with only an open cloak, beneath which his shoulders were as if carved, delicately proportioned. His waist had no excess flesh, his hips round and full.

Liu Changning’s eyes darkened slightly, her face blackening as she pulled up the brocade quilt for him in one motion, saying angrily: “Behave! Don’t expose your body, otherwise…”

“Hmph… otherwise what? Want to hit me again… that place…”

Pei Yuanshao tilted his head back, his face flushed red, his chest heaving, his fair skin glowing with a pearly light under the candlelight.

The woman above him leaned down, her tea-colored eyes fixed on him, a fine crease appearing between her brows, looking both serious and stern, as if she really intended to hit him.

Pei Yuanshao couldn’t help but shrink his neck, gripping the brocade quilt tightly and turning his gaze away, his tone weakening: “If you want… want to touch, gently, it’s not impossible. Hmm…”

His voice grew smaller and smaller, his chest tinted with a light pink.

Seeing her still glowering, showing no tenderness at all, his voice carried a hint of grievance: “Liu Cangyun, are you capable or not? I only suffered a mere arrow wound, it’s been three days, I’m much better now. When you left back then, you promised to return in a year to marry me. Now you’re a whole year late. You should be compensating me! … I just want… want some… you blockhead!”

Under the candlelight, the man’s peach blossom eyes were rimmed with red, looking at her with eyes full of disappointment.

Whether intentionally or not, the brocade quilt slid down from his body once again.

Liu Changning’s gaze followed his knife-carved features downward. The jade-white body of the man on the bed contrasted with the bright red brocade quilt, every inch a temptation.

After several millennia, the dissatisfaction and desire in her heart came gushing forth.

A hint of extremely subtle heat tinged her cool eyes.

She clenched her fist, her eyes deepening, and asked hoarsely: “Compensation? What kind of compensation does my Shao’er want?”

“To… to offer… myself!” Pei Yuanshao turned his gaze away, hanging his head, stammering. A flash of triumphant laughter passed through his ink-black eyes.

He wanted it… After years apart, having experienced life and death separation. Upon reuniting, it seemed only fulfillment could settle the emptiness clamoring in his heart.

But Liu Cangyun was a blockhead of a woman. If he didn’t take the initiative to pursue… to stimulate her, at a time when he was seriously injured, she definitely wouldn’t take him!

If you want something, you have to fight for it yourself.

The Emperor’s Consort gripped the brocade quilt tightly, his heart filled with a shameful pride.

Liu Changning saw him hanging his head silently, his head almost buried in the red embroidered quilt.

Guilt and desire sprouted, the last thread of “reason” in her mind snapped.

She climbed onto the bed, her hands supporting her on either side of him, her eyes surging like the sea.

Seeing him shrink his neck, she raised her hand and deftly stripped off the cloak covering his body, leaning down to press against him.

She said in a low, hoarse voice: “Don’t regret it…”

But unexpectedly, the man before her didn’t play by the rules at all. His hands climbed onto her shoulders, his thin lips curving upwards, hooking her neck, very familiarly pausing by her ear: “Wife-master, I’m cold!”

His voice was deep and mellow, the tone Liu Changning loved most. In the past during their intimate moments, hearing such a voice, she would be unable to resist pressing him against her, loving him fiercely.

For this reason, Pei Yuanshao had specially practiced shyly in his spare time…

Now it seemed the effect was excellent!

The woman before him narrowed her eyes, her lips meeting his.

The familiar scent of herbs and wood on her body gushed out intensely, almost filling his entire nose.

Pei Yuanshao’s lowered eyelids suddenly opened wide, his entire body stiffening like a block of wood.

He closed his eyes, it wasn’t a dream, it was the long-desired fragrance, she was also moved by passion.

His heart was overwhelmed by immense joy, his ink-black eyes shimmering with light.

He gasped for breath in disbelief, that scent in the air that almost made one lose reason seeping into his four limbs and hundred bones through his mouth and nose without resistance.

The intense scent of herbs and wood forced him to gasp for air in big gulps, his eyes gradually becoming misty.

He stared blankly at her deep tea-colored eyes. Her usually cold and clear face was now tinged with the blush of falling into the mortal realm. Pei Yuanshao caressed her jade-white cheek, feeling his heartstrings tremble…

Liu Changning’s forehead beaded with a thin layer of sweat, the man before her breathing on her neck, raising layers upon layers of fine goosebumps.

His lips were no longer deathly pale, under the candlelight they shone with a crimson hue, the corners of his peach blossom eyes tinged red, his eyes filled with the same intense heat as hers.

Liu Changning couldn’t resist, nor could she resist.

Her lips enveloped his earlobe as she said hoarsely: “Be good, Shao’er… If it hurts, tell me.”

She pointed at his wound, a trace of restraint flashing in her eyes.

The man beneath her licked his lips with difficulty, pulling down her neck again: “It doesn’t hurt! Wife-master… Ashao wants it.”

Liu Changning: …

The red-sleeved bed curtains were warm, the room filled with boundless spring scenery.

Liu Changning’s love was extremely restrained. She was originally a self-disciplined and clear-headed person, but tonight, because of the man beneath her.

Her reason collapsed, crossing the line again and again, loving him over and over.

The alluring fragrance enhanced the mood, their souls resonated, their bodies intertwined…

When Pei Yuanshao hazily closed his eyes, he felt that he could never leave the person before him in this life.

Every inch of her body seemed as if it had been specially crafted by heaven just for him. In his heart, he felt that it should have been his… should have been willingly offered to her!

She was not particularly lustful. As a woman, for some unknown reason, she did not like to take the initiative in lovemaking… Each time, obtaining a moment of stolen pleasure was extremely difficult… But today she had released her alluring scent for him, she must have developed love for him!

When she was active, it was a feeling of life and death, satisfying yet dejected for not knowing when the next time would come…

Before falling into deep sleep, Pei Yuanshao pursed his lips, a head full of troublesome thoughts falling onto the pillow, his brows slightly furrowed.

Liu Changning opened her eyes, turning to kiss his furrowed brow.

She got up and left the room.

She called for a nun to bring hot water, and carefully wiped his body.

Under the moonlight, her jade-white fingers roamed over every inch of his body, a hint of light flashing in her tea-colored eyes.

This was her Ziyuan, Chitian, Yuanshao!

He was supposed to be the husband she cared for wholeheartedly, but it had been tens of thousands of years. Even though they had obtained this lifetime together, it was at the cost of him not falling into reincarnation life after life.

Liu Changning narrowed her eyes and looked up at the starry sky outside the room.

The Great Sumeru Reversing Nine-Palace Immortal Formation was still merged with the star chart. As long as the star chart remained unchanged, she would have another chance to go back. This time, she wanted to defy heaven and change fate, to have him life after life.