Frost for a Thousand Years

Song Shi'an pushed open the courtyard gate and went inside, but the house doors were also closed.

Although it's already evening, isn't this a bit too peaceful?

When I came back, she didn't even greet me?
Confused, Song Shi'an pushed open the inner door again.

However, as soon as the door was opened, a woman was seen sitting in the main room with a faint smile on her face, as if she were waiting for someone.

"This shouldn't be the reaction."

Song Shi'an looked her over and asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Then what should we do?" Xinyue asked in return.

“We should be more excited, logically speaking,” Song Shi’an said.

Hearing this, Xinyue recalled that scene. It was indeed a great pleasure when she gritted her teeth, drew the bow to its fullest extent, and shot the Duke of Li through the head. But now she was unusually calm and said, "I originally thought that as long as I killed that person, I could smile even if I died. Or rather, I would be overjoyed every day when I thought of that moment. But it seems that my feelings are not that intense."

"What are you talking about?" Song Shi'an retorted. "I said you must be excited to see me after all this time."

Xin Yue was used to his childishness, but she smiled gently and nodded: "Yes, you seem very calm, but you're secretly overjoyed."

This woman was surprisingly frank.

"What were your feelings after killing him?" Song Shi'an asked with concern.

What does revenge feel like?

Xiao Wei is also seeking revenge.

Xin Yue is also seeking revenge.

But if you succeed in getting revenge, are you really happy?
Mentioning this matter, Xin Yue's expression gradually became serious. Slowly, she placed one hand on her chest, gently clutching the hem of her dress. After pondering for a while, she finally spoke, "I feel relieved."

Just a sigh of relief?

"Finally, I can survive."

Xin Yue raised her head, looked at Song Shi'an, and said sincerely.

She used to be a revenge machine. As long as she could tear that person to pieces, she would accept any price, even selling her soul to the devil.

If I kill the Duke of Li, will I die the next day?
Completely OK.

Moreover, he believed that killing must be done personally with a sword or knife, by killing one's enemy with one's own hands.

No one is allowed to interfere.

Cut that man into mincemeat.

But at that time, she did not take that risk and fight to the death with that Duke of Li.

Under the sun, she openly picked up her bow and shot her enemies one arrow at a time.

“From now on, Xinyue will live for herself.” Song Shi’an walked up to her, gently stroking her soft cheek with his hand, and said softly.

If all you see is hatred, then life will be empty after you've taken your revenge.

If we want to keep going, we have to start rediscovering the meaning of life.

Fortunately, Xin Yue had already found something to fill her emptiness halfway there.

“Okay.” Xin Yue looked at Song Shi’an and nodded. “I will listen to most of what you say from now on.”

"You can just listen to everything, what do you mean by 'listen to most of them'?" Song Shi'an was a little speechless. He was acting so rational when he was confessing his feelings, as if he was afraid of having to fulfill his promise.

"Thank you so much." Xin Yue looked at Song Shi'an and said sincerely, "Shi'an."

“My father wrote that after the Empress Dowager gave the order, Sheng’an City was completely sealed off,” Song Shi’an said. “Among them, he mobilized Ye Changqing’s officials in the capital to seal off the Duke of Li’s mansion.”

There is also Zhao Lie's mansion.

These two nobles, who had family members involved, did not flee.

Some of the families that were not directly involved in the Duke of Li's rebellion fled before Sheng'an was safely under the control of Song Jing and Ouyang Ke.

The tough become tougher, and the cowardly become cowardly.

This is the problem that aristocratic classes have.

People are not united.

"Mm." Xinyue nodded, without saying much more.

“It’s hard to say about Zhao Lie, but the Duke of Li will definitely exterminate his entire clan,” Song Shi’an asked. “Or, why don’t you pick a few to chop up for fun?”

“I don’t have that kind of fetish,” Xin Yue said nonchalantly. “My anger was completely released at that moment. As for those people, let them perish as they please. It doesn’t matter if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.”

She has truly let go.

"Alright, then let the Wu family just disappear like that."

There is also Wu Jing, but he has left the Duke's office, and the other nobles are disloyal to him. Sooner or later, he will be nothing but bones in a tomb. Song Shi'an will surely destroy him.

"Do you want to rest for a while?" Xin Yue asked, looking at him, who appeared travel-worn.

A major war is an extremely tiring affair, especially a prolonged battle.

Song Shi'an looked visibly exhausted, clearly indicating he hadn't been getting enough sleep in recent days.

"Then I'll take a bath first."

Song Shi'an stretched his neck and walked into the inner room.

"Okay, I'll find you some clothes."

Xinyue immediately got up and helped him pack his clothes.

Song Shi'an was taken aback, looking at her back: "You look like a married woman."

"..."

Xin Yue felt that he meant his wife, but she didn't know how to respond to that, so she pretended not to hear it and went to help Song Shi'an tidy up his clothes. She also asked the maid to fill the bathtub with hot water.

Song Shi'an leaned back in the chair in front of his desk and picked up the most recent memorial to read.

The emperor was indeed Wei Yixuan, but all these memorials were first sent to Song Shi'an for review.

You can call him the Executive Vice Emperor.

“This Young Master He is really enthusiastic. He was even happier than me when I won the battle. He is already one of the Nine Ministers. If we want him to rise further... let’s make him Grand Tutor. It’s good that the son of Great Wei needs to be trained.”

“The Great Wei sounds even more rebellious,” Xin Yue retorted.

"By the way, did you see Xiao Wei when you came back from over there?" Song Shi'an asked.

"No." Xinyue shook her head and said, "I can tell you miss him a lot."

"It's just the affection between ruler and subject, nothing that's so mushy," Song Shi'an waved his hand and said.

“But he was quite mushy,” Xin Yue said. “Do you know why these officials from Huai County picked you up halfway?”

"Did he give the instructions?" Song Shi'an asked.

“Originally, those people all wanted to curry favor with the King of Qin first,” Xin Yue said. “However, he directly rejected them, saying that it was a matter for civil officials and he would not get involved, and he wouldn’t even see them once. Those people then became sensible, found out your whereabouts, and went to pay their respects to you.”

"Am I overshadowing the master with my achievements?" Song Shi'an said, resting his chin on his hand.

“If this achievement were given to anyone else, they would deserve to die a thousand times over,” Xin Yue said. “Only the Sixth Prince could watch you grow powerful and influential.”

"Should I be a little more careful?" Song Shi'an asked.

“That’s why I said it was a bit cheesy,” Xin Yue said subtly. “A King of Qin who has no suspicion of his subjects shows that he doesn’t care about the world. Besides, he’s all alone.”

"What do you mean?" Song Shi'an said speechlessly. "I'm also unmarried, does that mean I have homosexual tendencies?"

"Then if you marry Sun Jinhua, you'll get rid of this homosexual suspicion, won't you?" Xinyue snorted.

“Received.” Song Shi’an.

"?"

The maidservant, hearing the two flirting, was a little flustered and quickly lowered her head, forcing herself to say, "My lord, the hot water is ready." "Hmm, you may go now," Xin Yue said to her.

"Yes." The maid left.

Song Shi'an then took off his clothes, stripped completely naked, and entered the large bath tub.

Xin Yue, carrying him on her back, put the clothes away and sat down on the edge of the bed.

He was clearly somewhat uncomfortable.

In the past, her relationship with Song Shi'an was quite open and relaxed.

But for some reason, I felt a little lost.

"Are you thinking of giving Song Qin to him in marriage?" Xin Yue took the initiative to start a conversation and asked.

“I’m still hesitating about this,” Song Shi’an said. “I’m already on good terms with Xiao Wei, so it doesn’t seem like I need a marriage alliance to strengthen that relationship. And if he has the support of 'patriotic' nobles, it will be more helpful if he really does hand over power to the emperor.”

Upon hearing his words, Xin Yue's expression immediately darkened, and she said with considerable displeasure, "You know perfectly well that Song Qin admires Xiao Wei, yet you still insist on this kind of political marriage. As her elder brother, is power all you have on your mind?"

“I know Song Qin admires him,” Song Shi’an explained, “but Xiao Wei’s feelings for her are clearly like those of a brother and sister.”

"Then whose feelings for him resemble love?"

"I do not know."

"So why didn't you arrange a marriage for him a long time ago?" Xin Yue said. "Anyway, at least Song Qin would be happy that way."

Girl, help! Girl is here!

"Hey Xinyue," Song Shi'an said, looking at the woman who was unusually engrossed in conversation, "you care so much about other people's affairs, but what about your own?"

That's where the awkward part lies.

When faced with a difficult question, Xinyue fell silent again.

"Do you remember what you promised me?" Song Shi'an stared at her and asked again.

“It seems…” Xin Yue looked away and said, “I think so.”

"Since you remember, tell me how you agreed to it back then," Song Shi'an asked again.

"How come I remember things from the past so clearly..."

Xinyue now finally understands why marriages require a matchmaker.

Without a matchmaker to bring them together, there are some things that are truly hard to say.

Song Shi'an was clearly forcing an ancient woman to say "I love you" in a very explicit way.

All I can say is, it's really fun.

"Xinyue, give me a cloth." Song Shi'an suddenly said.

"Oh well."

Xinyue got up, took a cloth and held it out to him.

The next moment, Song Shi'an suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside.

With a thud, she plunged inside.

The water in the bathtub overflowed and splashed around, staining the bluestone floor black.

With a heart as clear as a lotus emerging from water, she raised her completely wet face and looked at Song Shi'an with some anger: "Are you a child?"

But a child wouldn't look at her like that.

Xin Yue's dark blue robe was half-transparent from the heat, and the lines of her shoulders and neck emerged from the damp silk, revealing a hazy, warm jade-like outline. Her high ponytail swept across the rising steam, and the thin silver bells hanging from the ends of her hair disappeared into the water, creating several silent ripples.

"You are so beautiful."

Song Shi'an smiled and gently lowered his hand along her cheek.

Following the warm water droplets lingering on her snow-white neck, the touch of my fingers swept across her collarbone.

And with his other hand, he quietly untied his belt.

"..." Xin Yue's heart suddenly raced.

Her robe billowed open in the ripples, revealing the delicate contours of her breasts beneath the soaked white gauze undergarment, like rouge stains spreading on rice paper...

The clothes that had been undone were casually tossed aside by Song Shi'an.

She was now wearing an elegant and silky satin undergarment and panties that covered her buttocks.

Beneath the sheer, water-colored silk, her spine undulated gently like a snow-capped mountain under the moonlight. Floating petals clung to the pulse on the side of her neck, rising and falling with her breath on her alabaster skin...

She hadn't been soaking for long when her face turned rosy, as if she were drunk, making her look particularly dreamy.

"No need to wait until the wedding..."

Before Xin Yue could even open her mouth to ask, Song Shi'an grasped her slender neck, closed his eyes, and brought his lips close to hers.

Seeing his lips getting closer and closer, Xin Yue closed her eyes and said, "No need."

With each kiss, pieces of clothing fell off like petals being peeled away, landing on the edge of the bathtub.

The two embraced deeply, their skin pressed together, their bodies intertwined...

The high, black ponytail was also untied by Song Shi'an, who was obsessed with long hair, and flowed down like a waterfall.

Suddenly, Song Shi'an asked seriously, "Are you injured?"

"No," Xin Yue denied.

“Were you injured when you killed Wu Qing? I felt a scar on your back,” Song Shi’an said.

“Nonsense, I listened to you and didn’t do anything myself, so how could I have gotten hurt?” Xin Yue retorted.

"Turn around."

"Go ahead and turn."

Xin Yue turned her back to Song Shi'an, leaving him with an extremely beautiful back view.

“Stand up,” Song Shi’an said.

Xin Yue did as she was told, adding, "You'd better find the scar, or apologize properly."

"Bend down."

"?" Xin Yue blushed instantly.

But as soon as the other person finished speaking, he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her down.

She could only lower her head, gripping the edge of the basin with both hands, her back to him, in this extremely shameful position...

His cheeks were bright red: "Are you done yet? Have you found it...?"

The candlelight flickered in the medicinal mist, casting a flowing honeyed glow on her back. Xin Yue's soaked black hair clung to the arch of her neck, and droplets of water slid down her spine, gathering into trembling points of light in the hollow of her lumbosacral region.

Her waist slumped into a breathtaking arc, her tailbone like a jade bead half-submerged in water, appearing and disappearing in the rising steam. Floating petals clung to her legs, gently patting her full buttocks with the ripples; each time a petal slipped away, it briefly revealed the delicate curves of her skin…

Song Shi'an's hands slowly caressed her back, all the way down to her waist.

The lightning-fast touch made Xinyue feel a little itchy, and her flushed face turned away: "How long are you going to...?"

A pair of shallow dimples on the lower back were gently held by two thumbs.

Xin Yue watched helplessly as Song Shi'an launched a sneak attack, then quickly turned her face away and went back inside.

With her chest pressed tightly against the tub wall, her fingers could only grip the embossed edge of the tub tightly as she lowered her head and bit her lip...

"Isn't this finding the scar?"

"Please shut up." (End of Chapter)