Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 224 Sleeping
When Ye Tinglan sensed Lu Xingzhou and Shen Tang returning in wheelchairs, he was dumbfounded.

For the first time, she took the initiative to go out: "Aren't you two fighting a war to wipe out the whole family?"

"I'm done playing?" Lu Xingzhou replied.

"How long have you been gone? Is that enough time to travel back and forth?"

"From the time they attacked the mountain until their collective surrender, it took about half an incense stick's time..."

"Then why aren't you in charge of post-war work, prisoner resettlement, and resource inventory? What if someone claims to have surrendered but suddenly rebels? What if resources are hidden or embezzled by your subordinates...?"

Lu Xingzhou blinked: "Oh, sir, you're quite knowledgeable."

Shen Tang sat on his lap with her eyes lowered.

The Imperial Advisor certainly understands… although he didn't serve as Imperial Advisor for many years, only ten years ago before the battle against the demon race; before that, he was in the Holy Land. Speaking of which, it seems he took over as the Lord of the Holy Land around that time too. Wait, wasn't that when Lu Xingzhou went south with others as a child?
Anyway, the Imperial Preceptor has been the Imperial Preceptor for ten years, how could she not know all this stuff? Do you really think she's some kind of alchemy master from a reclusive sect?
"I don't understand." Ye Tinglan stared at Shen Tang expressionlessly: "At least the sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect should understand it better than me."

Shen Tang didn't dare to lift her head. She was usually shameless indoors, so it was understandable that the Imperial Advisor couldn't see her. But now, she was being held on Lu Xingzhou's lap, and the Imperial Advisor, who rarely left the house, had suddenly appeared out...

Lu Xingzhou said, "We should give Hall Master Zhang and the others some trust..."

"What about Ah Nuo? Does she also need your trust?"

"Anuo went to search for her baby, or as you'd like to say, sir, she went to buy soy sauce." Lu Xingzhou said this, then skillfully wheeled himself into the room and slammed the door shut.

Ye Tinglan: "..."

We should have dragged you away before this battle. What kind of talk is this? Mission accomplished, now you're celebrating in debauchery, huh?

Gu Yitang, do you really dare?
And right in front of me?

Inside, Lu Xingzhou tumbled onto the bed with Shen Tang in his arms. Shen Tang pushed his shoulders in a panic, saying, "No..."

Lu Xingzhou didn't actually press down on her, but instead playfully pinched her nose and laughed, "Didn't Her Highness the Princess summon me to serve her in bed?"

"I... I was just saying that..." Shen Tang's face turned as red as blood. At that time, she really wasn't just saying it casually, but felt that he was about to leave and her emotions were hard to suppress.

When he returned, he was met with the Imperial Advisor blocking the door. His indifference, tinged with three parts mockery, three parts admonition, and three parts disappointment, stifled any remaining emotions; he had no energy left. If he were a man, he would have been rendered powerless by that glare.

Lu Xingzhou laughed and said, "Your Highness is not pure. Who said that serving the emperor in bed has to involve doing something? Isn't sleeping with him the original meaning of the term 'serving the emperor in bed'?"

Shen Tang: “?”

“Your shoulder is injured, so it’s not good to exercise right now.” Lu Xingzhou picked her up and laid her down fully clothed, saying softly, “We haven’t been able to spend a proper night together these past few days because you’ve been avoiding suspicion. Tonight, while they’re all out buying soy sauce, I want to hold you while we sleep.”

"They went out to buy soy sauce, but your husband didn't go out. Aren't you going to avoid her suspicion?"

"Sir, you still care about this? The Dan Academy even cracks down on early relationships? It's getting late for us."

Shen Tang wanted to laugh. The alchemy academy teacher might not arrest you, but the imperial advisor might arrest me.

Forget it. Anyway, I didn't recognize her in the past two days, so everything has already been overheard. There's no point in trying to cover it up all night, right?

Once Shen Tang was ready to give up, she completely forgot about the Imperial Advisor's gaze, adjusted herself into a comfortable position, and nestled in Lu Xingzhou's arms without moving.

"Sailing..."

"Ok?"

"I feel like every time I encounter a crucial battle, you're always there. Even when you're in the capital, you always manage to get back at just the right time," Shen Tang murmured. "What would I do if you weren't here this time... Two First-Rank Officials, I can only risk losing one at most..."

"Uh, then we should thank Mr. Ye."

"Didn't she also leave the capital because of you...? You were the one who brought her here."

Shen Tang had something else to say: the Imperial Advisor's visit this time clearly had the implication of observation and assessment. Previously, apart from protecting his own life, the Imperial Advisor had not shown any similar intentions. After all, he had spent most of his time in the Heavenly Sword Sect and rarely in the capital, so he was not very familiar with the Imperial Advisor. No one would have any reason to choose a prince or princess they were not familiar with.

The reason we started observing this time was mostly because Lu Xingzhou had given us a little hint.

But these observations seem a bit off... Not only are they love-struck, they're even attacking her...

Shen Tang had no idea how to feel, so she simply nestled in Lu Xingzhou's arms like an ostrich and didn't bother to think about it anymore.

Whatever.

Lu Xingzhou was saying, "If I weren't here, you wouldn't have chosen this confrontational approach. Speaking of which, it just reminds me that when I'm not around, you should focus on your cultivation and development, and not try to stand out in the short term."

"I don't like to be in the limelight either..."

"You dare to challenge a first-rank official today? Aren't you afraid of incurring their wrath?"

Shen Tang smiled slightly but did not answer.

Xingzhou, after all, didn't understand his father well enough... What was truly objectionable wasn't the ability to fight beyond one's level; the ability to surpass levels using the Imperial Extreme World-Shaking Scripture was perfectly natural in his father's eyes. What he feared wasn't that, but rather the speed of cultivation. In his father's eyes, if his other brothers cultivated to the same level as Shen Tang, their combat strength would be roughly the same as Shen Tang's.

As for whether his opinion was right or wrong... Shen Tang couldn't really judge, because he hadn't fought with his brothers before, so it was wrong to be blindly arrogant.

Of course, even if the Emperor doesn't mind overstepping his bounds, one can't be too overtly aggressive, so minor injuries should be exaggerated. One mustn't let him think, "Even I can't do this at this stage," or there might be problems.

A ruler's heart is difficult to fathom, but it is not entirely unfathomable.

Seeing Shen Tang's expression, Lu Xingzhou knew she had her own thoughts, so he said, "You should also have your own opinions. I won't say anything more, but Tangtang..."

"Ok?"

"In the future, if there are any major decisions that could trigger a crisis, it would be best to discuss them with me first."

Shen Tang glanced at him cautiously: "Are you angry?" "No, I'm just afraid things will get out of control, and I'm feeling a bit insecure. At least knowing in advance will give me some peace of mind."

"Don't be angry, I was just hot-blooded back then. You know... our Imperial Extreme World-Shaking Scripture isn't exactly a good cultivation technique..."

Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but laugh.

He wasn't genuinely angry. He always saw himself as a support, never a boss, so why would he want to make decisions about everything? It was more normal for Yuan Muyu to be so autocratic back then; Shen Tang was already pretty much head over heels in love…

In the end, he simply said, "You aspire to be a king, so you should make your own decisions."

"Then... how about someone who is the king serves you?"

Lu Xingzhou: “?”

“I asked you to come and serve me in bed… So serving you in bed is still serving you in bed… You’re about to leave…”

As Shen Tang spoke, she slowly unbuttoned his clothes, gently licking his chest, her large, watery eyes looking up at him, as if she were enjoying it.

Lu Xingzhou patted her head encouragingly.

Shen Tang misunderstood, her pretty face turning even redder as she slowly continued downwards.

Lu Xingzhou: “?”

It wasn't until the boat entered the water that Lu Xingzhou realized what Shen Tang was doing.

Seeing her shy yet hardworking demeanor, I felt a mix of emotions.

Although Pei Chuyun had done this many times before... the teachings of the Charming Maidens' Joyful Union Sect didn't place much importance on modesty. But what kind of education did Shen Tang receive? Royal education, swordsman education—either way, it instilled pride.

And yet, at this very moment when he had just triumphed over his opponents, annihilated their clan, and reigned supreme over Xiazhou, standing at the pinnacle of his life, he so readily bowed down to serve them.

It's as if it's saying that there are no sovereigns or kings in front of you.

Only lovers.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Tang wiped her mouth and leaned back against his shoulder, somewhat resentfully saying, "Why are you taking longer now than before? My shoulder injury is starting to hurt."

"Well... if your body is stronger, this will naturally be stronger too..."

"not good at all."

"Believe me, you'll feel it wasn't long enough later."

"Pah." Shen Tang sighed softly, "I still... don't dare."

Lu Xingzhou hummed in response but didn't say anything else.

Shen Tang said in a low voice, "I will try my best... The spiritual energy in Xiazhou is becoming more and more abundant. With the help of our secret realm, I will strive to break through to the second rank within this year."

Regardless of Gu Zhanting's thoughts or how the situation may change in the future, one's own strength is the most important thing. If one can quickly reach the first rank, who knows, even Gu Zhanting's thoughts might change?

"I will work hard too," Lu Xingzhou said in a low voice. "At least in terms of alchemy, I can already be considered a third-grade alchemist. Who knows, after this trial, I might be able to refine second-grade pills."

If someone is a first-grade alchemist, like Qin Zhiyu, their status in the Great Qian Dynasty is not to be underestimated; even Gu Zhanting must give them full respect.

The young couple in love were trying to envision their future together, while Ye Tinglan in the next room listened and felt increasingly uneasy.

I was relieved to not hear any of those groaning and moaning. The few words about strength and duration were only a couple, a far cry from the previous vulgarities. And the fact that one wanted to break through to the second rank of martial arts and the other to the second rank of alchemy master was quite encouraging…

But the more I think about it, the more I feel that the purpose of your cultivation is just to be able to go to bed?
Did your ancestors, the Great Ancestor and the Great Emperor of the Gu family, know that their descendants were practicing for this reason?
And that disciple! If I'd known you were learning alchemy for this reason, I wouldn't have cared about your talent at all!

Ye Tinglan was so angry that her chest ached, when she heard Shen Tang say, "Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Well, Mr. Ye doesn't want to stay long. But if I insist on lingering for a few more days, I can still find an excuse..."

Ye Tinglan: "..."

“There’s no need to force me to stay,” Shen Tang said. “Just as you came to the capital for our future, this trial is the same. I won’t be greedy for momentary pleasure. But…”

"Ok?"

"You came to the capital and gained Pei Chuyun. Who will be added to your group when you leave this time?"

"I'm innocent! I had my husband with me this time, who else could I have been with?"

Shen Tang almost wanted to say that what she was afraid of was her husband. Don't think I couldn't see that something was wrong with your eyes. How many heads does the Imperial Advisor have to dare to seduce you?
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back down. The Imperial Advisor was listening...

After holding it in for a long time, she could only say resentfully, "No matter what, I'm going to drain you dry first, and see if you still have the energy to flirt with others."

"Hey, hey, what are you doing? We just finished once..."

"That's not enough? If this isn't enough, what makes you think you can be so inclusive, relying on just once a night?"

"What the hell..."

With a gentle grasp, the oars lying across the deck were lifted up again, and the boat began to sway slowly.

As dawn approached, Ye Tinglan could still hear the whispers from next door: "Xingzhou... I really don't want you to leave..."

Lu Xingzhou seemed to have no strength left to answer, as he appeared to have encountered something terrible.

(End of this chapter)