Chapter 77

The Liu residence was originally the old mansion of the Marquis of Ruyang. After it was bestowed upon Liu Changning, it was renovated and refurbished, with every corridor and pavilion becoming a scenic spot.

Liu Changning had never been one to shortchange herself. A few days ago, she invited craftsmen to construct a pool in the inner chamber of the backyard, calling it a hot spring, though that wasn’t quite accurate.

After all, it was artificially constructed and arranged indoors. Compared to a natural hot spring, it fell somewhat short.

The two of them alighted from the carriage, but didn’t make it to the hot spring pool.

Although the long emperor consort had employed various tactics in the carriage, they weren’t truly shameless enough to be wanton in broad daylight.

As soon as they got off the carriage, the personal attendants waiting on the side approached.

The court was now jointly controlled by the two of them. With the Empress being young, all memorials from various regions needed to be handled by them personally. When truly busy, there was no time for romance.

After this bout of busyness, it wasn’t until the hour of xu that they finished reviewing the stack of memorials.

In the warm yellow candlelight, when Pei Yuanshao raised his head, the woman not far away happened to place her wolf-hair brush on the pen rest.

Looking up, her clear eyes were filled with a hint of laughter. She rubbed her wrist, her thin lips curving slightly, and said softly, “It’s late. Would Ashao like to stay at my residence tonight?”

Pei Yuanshao’s eyes were filled with burning intensity. They had been busy for over a month, and the number of times they had made love could be counted on one hand.

It was only today in the carriage that their passion was aroused, but unfortunately, they couldn’t fully indulge.

Now, in the deep of night, with insects chirping and birds calling outside the window. A full moon hung high, scattering moonlight on the ground.

It was a beautiful night. Thinking of the hot spring invitation she had given in the carriage earlier, Pei Yuanshao’s heart stirred. He raised his chin, about to nod.

Who would have thought that a knock would suddenly come from the study door.

The voice of the servant outside was soft and gentle, extremely tender: “My lord, Qiutao saw that you buried yourself in work in the study as soon as you returned from court. It’s quite taxing. This servant went to the kitchen at night to cook a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup for you. Would you like to have a bowl to warm your stomach?”

Qiutao was the eldest son of the head steward Qiu Dafu, originally an old servant of the Marquis of Ruyang’s household.

Later, when this mansion was bestowed upon Liu Changning, it became the Chancellor’s residence.

Liu Changning was busy with government affairs all day and had no time to manage the household matters. She simply kept the capable servants from the former Marquis of Ruyang’s household.

Qiutao, benefiting from being the head steward’s son, was assigned to serve Liu Changning personally.

The Liu residence currently had no male master to manage it. The Chancellor’s power in the court was now at its peak, and she was as beautiful as a deity. Almost all the young men in Jinling City dreamed of marrying Chancellor Liu.

How could Qiutao not be moved!

As they say, the moon is seen first by those near the water tower. As the son of the steward, he had been born and raised as a servant in a noble household. He was well-versed in the four arts through osmosis and was quite handsome, lacking nothing in deportment.

With his own excellent conditions, his thoughts gradually grew heavier.

Unfortunately, Liu Changning disliked having people serve her closely. All miscellaneous matters were handled by her female attendants.

As for dressing and washing up, she did it all herself, not relying on the hands of small servants at all.

Thus, even though he was the lord’s personal attendant, it was just an empty title.

To get Chancellor Liu to look at him more, he thought of other methods, sending food every day.

Fortunately, it wasn’t out of line.

Qiutao was a clever person. When he brought food, he only inquired at the door. If Liu Changning said she didn’t need it, he wouldn’t persist.

He was a patient person. Even if he couldn’t open Chancellor Liu’s door, he believed that over time, she would surely leave a deep impression of him. Then, he could make other plans.

There was no response from inside the study. Qiutao wasn’t in a hurry. He held the soup bowl and said gently, “My lord must not be hungry at the moment. This servant will take it back now. If you want to drink it later, this servant will be waiting outside the door. Just let me know.”

Inside the study.

The long emperor consort slapped the memorial in his hand onto the table with a “pa” sound. He turned his head, leaping over the sandalwood desk.

Straddling Liu Changning’s legs, his peach blossom eyes looked at her with a half-smile, coldly saying, “My lord… Qiutao? Soup?”

His lips curled into a smile that grew wider and wider. He leaned into Liu Changning’s embrace, intentionally pulling out her white jade hairpin.

“This emperor originally thought that Lord Liu was busy every day, diligent in government affairs, burdened by state matters. But I truly didn’t expect that in this vast mansion, you were actually hiding a beauty, probably adding fragrance to your sleeves every day. How truly romantic…”

Pei Yuanshao’s eyes were tinged with blood from jealousy, but he held back the violence in his heart.

Although he knew the woman before him wasn’t the fickle type, just thinking that there were other men secretly coveting her made this stifled anger impossible to swallow.

His lips pressed against her ear, saying ominously, “Does Cangyun have nothing to explain to me?”

Extending his long arm, he casually swept the memorials off the desk, scattering them on the floor with a loud noise.

Qiutao, waiting outside the door, was startled and moved closer to the door again, asking softly, “My lord, has something happened? Do you need this servant to come in and attend to you?”

If he hadn’t spoken, it would have been fine, but as soon as his voice fell, Pei Yuanshao’s anger in his heart grew even stronger. “Attend”? Thinking of the “attending” in the carriage during the day, this knot in his heart became like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

He turned his head and glared at her fiercely, maliciously blowing a hot breath on her neck, saying in a deep voice, “Attend? Heh, does my lord truly intend to attend to this emperor as you said during the day? In my opinion, there’s no need to go to the hot spring. Let’s just attend to it here! Let that little wild cat outside learn properly what it means to attend!”

He spoke word by word, and as he finished, he leaned down and bit her earlobe.

Liu Changning narrowed her eyes, holding back his mischievous hand that was exploring downwards. A hint of a smile spread across her eyes as she reached out to tuck his messy hair behind his ear.

She chuckled lightly, “Shao’er is angry. If you don’t like it, we can arrange for this boy to be sent away tomorrow. Why bother getting upset over an irrelevant person and hurting yourself?”

Pei Yuanshao raised an eyebrow, his lips curled, the smile not reaching his eyes: “Cangyun is this emperor’s Cangyun alone. When other men look at you shyly and coyly, it irritates me terribly! That servant outside makes me uncomfortable, but sending him away would only make people say I’m petty. Why not let him hear how his Lord Liu attends to me? What do you think, wife-master?”

His voice was low and deep, with a hint of seductive hoarseness: “Ashao wants to smell Cangyun’s fragrance. It’s been a month since I’ve smelled it, and now my heart feels terribly empty.”

His ink-black eyes were filled with burning intensity, and his body was not idle either. He actively raised his soft buttocks and sat back down on her lap with a “plop”, the elastic gluteal muscles rubbing back and forth on her legs.

His sculpted lips followed her earlobe, kissing haphazardly. Unfortunately, he had only learned the superficial art of seduction, failing to ignite Liu Changning, but instead making himself sweaty and flushed.

Liu Changning raised an eyebrow, looking at the long emperor consort who was “very skilled” in that area, panting heavily, his eyes dazed and misty. The originally restrained impulse was ruined by his meddling. She had originally planned to allow him hot spring pleasure tonight, and now she didn’t plan to hold back.

Outside the study, the servant with ulterior motives was still speaking words of concern.

The two people inside the room couldn’t continue listening at this point. Liu Changning held back the man on top of her, biting his lips, chuckling softly, and said indulgently, “Shao’er, are you sure about this? The study isn’t as comfortable as the hot spring.”

Pei Yuanshao lifted his eyelids, impatiently pulling down her head: “Mm… As long as wife-master is attending to me, anywhere is comfortable.”

Liu Changning patted his buttocks, the crisp sound echoing in the study. The concerned voice outside paused for a moment, then asked again in confusion: “My lord, did you break a cup or something?”

“Oh? A cup?” Liu Changning leaned down to kiss Pei Yuanshao’s raven-colored eyelashes, her tea-colored eyes full of teasing.

Pei Yuanshao let out a muffled groan, hooking her head down with one hand, complaining, “It seems Cangyun isn’t attending seriously, actually having time to listen to the servant outside… In that case, perhaps this emperor should change into different attire to attend court tomorrow, a silk robe perhaps?”

Liu Changning’s face darkened, the teasing expression fading. She pointed to the sandalwood desk beside her, saying in a low voice, “Does Shao’er want to lie down on it himself, or should your wife carry you up?”

“You said wife-master would attend to this emperor, so of course you should carry me.” The man, now completely undressed, wrapped one arm around her shoulders, his legs hooked around her waist.

His face, white as jade, flushed a light shade of red.

Liu Changning’s heart stirred. She narrowed her eyes and gently placed him on the wooden desk, leaning over to press down on him.

The candlelight flickered, and the two on the desk now had only each other in their eyes and hearts.

The sandalwood desk bore the weight of the two, creaking under the strain as they moved and rolled atop it.

Outside the study, Qiutao’s hand, poised to knock, froze in mid-air.

“Cangyun, mm…” The panting male voice came in fragments: “Chase away that dog outside… mm, slower. This emperor has changed his mind, uh… Cangyun… don’t let other men smell your enticing fragrance! Say you’re mine.”

Qiutao’s eyes widened in shock, the fragmented male voice seemed to moan in his ears.

His lips were still parted, unable to close his mouth, when he heard Lord Liu’s indulgent laugh: “Mm, I’m yours… all yours alone, Shao’er…”

Qiutao’s hands trembled, and the blue and white porcelain plate holding the soup bowl “clattered” to the ground.

From inside, Lord Liu seemed to be restraining something, her cold voice carrying a hint of chilling command as it reached outside the door: “Get lost!”

The tone lacked all the gentleness she had shown to the man inside, echoing in Qiutao’s ears. Qiutao was so frightened that his legs turned to jelly.

Terrified, he supported himself against the door and stumbled away.

Inside the room, Liu Changning lay on top of Pei Yuanshao, her cold face tinged with a light blush. She reached out to wipe the sweat from his straight nose, chuckling softly, “Is Shao’er satisfied now?”

He licked his dry lips, his ink-black eyes alluring, lifting himself to kiss her lips voluntarily, saying with difficulty, “Please, wife-master… give it to Ashao.”

Liu Changning lifted his plump buttocks, her tea-colored eyes deepening two shades more, laughing low and deep: “Good boy, hold on a bit longer. Your wife will take you to the pool.”

The desk was already a mess. Liu Changning, barefoot, picked up the long robe from the ground, haphazardly wrapping it around him and herself. Carrying him, she burst out the door, using her lightness skill to quickly dash towards the hot spring pool chamber.

Pei Yuanshao leaned close to her ear, laughing deeply: “Cangyun, you can’t hold back anymore, can you?” After saying this, he mischievously took her earlobe into his mouth, whispering and nuzzling.

The night was as it was, the cool breeze blowing on their bodies made their heated skin feel even more feverish.

Liu Changning steadily carried the man in her arms, giving his bottom a slap, rebuking in a hoarse voice: “If Shao’er keeps moving around, your wife won’t mind taking you right here.”

Pei Yuanshao was stunned for a moment, then laughed brightly: “Alright then!”

The husband was too skilled, leaving the old cadre speechless.

The hot spring pool wasn’t large, but it was more than enough for the two to indulge in pleasure for a while.

Once inside, Liu Changning no longer had to hold back. She tossed the man in her arms into the pool water. Water droplets splashed onto his crimson lips, and he stuck out his tongue, suggestively licking the droplets into his mouth.

Liu Changning narrowed her eyes, unable to resist cursing in her heart, “Seductive demon.”

Steam curled thickly above the pool water. She stripped off her clothes and jumped in.

The enticing fragrance on her body was fully released as she entered the pool. She reached around his shoulders, pinning him against the pool wall, pressing down on him.

That night, they ascended to the heights of passion, reaching the pinnacle of pleasure together.

When they closed their eyes, Pei Yuanshao’s legs were still trembling. His heart was numb and quivering.

If she hadn’t been supporting his body, he might have drowned in the night’s frenzy of rolling heat.