After being reborn, the aloof prime minister was once again forced by a tyrant.

Xiao Jingchen felt feverish all over and, holding Yu Shu's hand, said, "My poison is acting up badly. We shouldn't delay. Let's go inside quickly... and get some detoxification."

Yu Shu looked down at him, her eyes gentle and docile, and readily agreed, "Okay."

The two entered together, and Xiao Jingchen closed the door behind him. He was already impatient, and he tore open his clothes in a few quick movements, complaining indistinctly, "It's so hot... This damn poison is getting more and more outrageous."

"Yu Shu, tell me what this medicine is made of. Why is it getting more and more potent each time? I was able to control it in the courtyard, but when you pressed it with your finger, it felt like I was soaking in hot water, burning me from the inside out."

Yu Shu draped her cloak over the screen and stood quietly, watching him take off his outer robe, inner garment, and inner clothes one by one, until finally even his shoes and socks were kicked off in disarray, leaving him standing naked on the edge of the bed.

Those two round, firm mounds and those slender, white legs were all captured by Yu Shu's eyes. His eyes were dark, but his face still maintained that gentle and tender expression.

Xiao Jingchen stripped himself completely naked, looked up and saw Yu Shu still standing by the door without moving, and immediately became anxious, rushing over to pull at his belt.

"Why aren't you taking your clothes off yet? Do you need me to help you? How old are you? Still acting like before, needing to be served when you dress and undress. None of your maids are willing to take care of you; only I spoil you. I wonder how you managed all those years alone in the Northern Barbarians. Did you also beg for help to undress while shedding tears?"

Yu Shu smiled upon hearing this, her eyes curving into two crescent moons, her voice soft and gentle: "Yes. It's hard to bear living alone. In winter, the charcoal fire doesn't burn brightly, your hands and feet are freezing, and you can't even put on your clothes properly. You can only huddle under the blankets and slowly linger."

"I always think that if Your Highness were here, you would do the same thing as before, complaining that I'm troublesome but taking care of everything for me meticulously. So Your Highness, please be kinder to me and don't leave me again."

These words softened Xiao Jingchen's heart. He softened his movements and gently helped the other man undress, layer by layer, while saying, "It hurts! It hurts! I'm so sorry! You're my good brother, who else would I care for if not you?"

As soon as the word "brother" was uttered, the smile on Yu Shu's face gradually faded.

"Does Your Highness still consider me a brother?"

Xiao Jingchen, completely oblivious to the danger, continued tugging at his undergarment while casually saying, "We're practically brothers, aren't we? We've lived and eaten together for half a year, done all sorts of things... what else are we but brothers? Good brothers, blood brothers, even closer than blood brothers! Alright, stop talking, hurry up, the poison's really taking effect, you'll see—"

He grabbed Yu Shu's hand and pressed it against his body: "Feel it, look how hot it is! If we don't get rid of the poison soon, your brother will really die here."

Yu Shu's palm landed on his lower abdomen, the skin beneath her palm was burning hot and the muscles were taut.

His eyes darkened, and he suddenly grabbed Xiao Jingchen by the back of the neck and pushed him backward.

With a muffled thud, Xiao Jingchen's back slammed against the door. Before he could recover, Yu Shu had already pressed down on him. He was half a head taller than Xiao Jingchen, and his weight enveloped him completely in shadow.

"Who wants to be brothers with Your Highness?" Yu Shu's voice was low, close to his ear. "After that night, does Your Highness still think we're just brothers?"

Xiao Jingchen was stunned by his words, swallowed hard, and chuckled dryly, "Well, that was just me behaving inappropriately while drunk... Besides, didn't you... feel better too...?"

Yu Shu stopped speaking and just stared at him, her eyes filled with gloom.

"Yu... Yu Shu?" Xiao Jingchen felt uneasy under his gaze and couldn't help but shrink back. "Why aren't you saying anything? I'm telling the truth. Think about that night, you cried, but you didn't stop eating afterwards... um!"

Before she could finish speaking, Yu Shu lowered her head and bit his neck. The bite was extremely fierce; the sharp tips of her teeth pierced his flesh, and Xiao Jingchen could even feel beads of blood seeping out.

"Ah—! Yu Shu! You're like a dog! Why are you biting me!" Xiao Jingchen was both in pain and shocked, and raised his hand to push his head.

Ke Yushu's arms had somehow wrapped around his back, tightly gripping his waist and locking him in place, making him unable to move.

Having bitten enough, Yu Shu slowly loosened her teeth, extended her tongue, and very gently licked the bleeding tooth mark. The movement was gentle, a stark contrast to her previous ferocity.

Xiao Jingchen felt both pain and itching, and couldn't help but whimper.

"Your Highness." Yu Shu's lips brushed against his neck, her hot breath caressing the wound, "Do you know what I'm thinking every time you say we're 'brothers'?"

"What...what are you thinking about..." Xiao Jingchen's voice trembled.

"I want to take every single bone in your body apart, one by one." Yu Shu slowly raised her face, curving into a soft, harmless smile, "and then put it back together according to my preferences. Put it back together so that you can only turn your legs apart when facing me."

Xiao Jingchen felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and the previous alluring heat was immediately dispelled by most of it.

He stammered, "What nonsense are you talking about... You're not usually like this..."

Seeing the fear on his face, Yu Shu tilted her head and said in a muffled voice, "I'm sorry, I've had another attack."

Seeing that he hadn't moved for a long time, Xiao Jingchen mustered up his courage and carefully turned his face back to the center. He was immediately stunned—Yu Shu's eyes were red, and tears were welling up in his eyes, as if he had a lot of grievances.

"W-What's wrong with you? I-I'm not blaming you. I'm just wondering, this is the second time you've done this. You've suddenly become so scary."

Yu Shu burst into tears, her voice choked with sobs: "Ever since you slept with me and ran away, I've occasionally lost control of myself. The witch doctor said I've probably been traumatized and gone mad. The people over there are even more afraid of me now, and if Your Highness is also afraid of me and hates me..."

Xiao Jingchen was increasingly shocked as he listened. Before he could finish speaking, he hugged him tightly, saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't expect it to be this serious. I... I will definitely find a way to cure you! Let go of me, let's go to the palace now and let the imperial physicians take a good look at you."

Yu Shu smiled, her eyes crinkling, tears still visible, yet her smile remained as gentle as ever: "No need. I don't want others to know I have this illness. The witch doctor said that as long as everything goes smoothly for me, I won't have a relapse. So..."

He gently pinched Xiao Jingchen's chin, forcing him to look up: "Tangtang, you have to be obedient and not make me angry. If you make me have a fit, I don't know what outrageous things I might do to you."

Xiao Jingchen met his gaze. Those eyes were as deep as a cold pool, unfathomable, yet the corners of his eyes drooped slightly, and his eyelashes trembled gently, making him seem extremely pitiful.

Xiao Jingchen said timidly, "I...I'll be good. If you don't like me talking about brothers, I won't. Whatever you say goes, okay?"

"Really? Your Highness, you must keep your word. If I hear those two words again..."

"It's a promise, it's a promise!" Xiao Jingchen nodded vigorously. "Let me go first, let's go to the bed and slowly detoxify. It's really uncomfortable to be pressed against the door like this..."

"To the bed?" Yu Shu chuckled softly, finally releasing his back, but instead of moving away, she took his hand and guided him to her chest. "What's the rush, Your Highness? I haven't finished taking off my clothes yet. Didn't you say you'd help me undress?"

Led by him, Xiao Jingchen's fingertips touched the thin inner garment, where the skin was warm and the texture was distinct.

He swallowed hard, and the fever that had subsided in his head suddenly returned. He yanked off the sash of Yu Shu's undergarment, and her inner garment slipped down.

Yu Shu was born with an excellent physique. She wasn't overly muscular, but had everything she needed, with smooth muscle lines and fair skin that felt like warm jade to the touch.

Xiao Jingchen stared, his eyes wide, and murmured, "Yu Shu, you... are so beautiful."

"What's so pretty about it?" Yu Shu asked deliberately.

Xiao Jingchen stared at his well-proportioned and firm waist and abdomen, his gaze sliding down a few more degrees, and he let out a very soft gulp: "Beautiful everywhere..."

As he spoke, he reached out and touched her, from her chest muscles to her abs, and from her abs to her lower back, becoming more and more reluctant to let go.

Yu Shu didn't stop him, letting him touch her, and looked down at his infatuated expression, quite enjoying it.

Xiao Jingchen touched it for a while, then suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering the important matter. Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand, his fingertips still rubbing against the other person's waist one last time, before turning around, bending down and rummaging through the bedside, pulling out a small celadon jar, and starting to fiddle with it himself.

"You, you take off your pants first, and lie down on the bed. I'm telling you now, this time I'll be on top, so you're not allowed to cry or push me away. I'll give you whatever you want; you can choose any treasure from my treasury."

He made arrangements on his own, completely unaware that Yu Shu was already standing behind him, looking down at his slightly slumped waistline and the two rounded breasts illuminated by the warm light of the oil lamp.

"Does Your Highness wish to be on top?" Yu Shu asked softly.

Xiao Jingchen didn't even turn his head: "Of course! Last time you got away with it without even realizing it, so it's my turn this time. You may not say it, but I can tell you're still a little afraid of pain. I promise you, I'll be very gentle—ah!"

He cried out in surprise as Yu Shu swept him up from behind and pinned him to the canopy bed.

"Yu Shu! What are you doing!" Xiao Jingchen glared at him.

"Fuck you."

Xiao Jingchen was speechless, choked by his blunt words. He was both anxious and embarrassed. He struggled to get up, but was held down and couldn't move at all.

He tried everything he could, lowering his voice to plead, "Yu Shu, good Yu Shu, look at me, I'm in such a state..."

He looked down at his embarrassing state and unconsciously began to whine, "This time, please let me be on top, okay? Please. I promise I'll be gentle and won't hurt you."

He always thought that Yu Shu was beautiful, her crying was pitiful, and her voice was gentle and soft; she was the one who should be the one being violated.

"no."

"Why?" Xiao Jingchen's eyes widened.

"Your Highness, have you forgotten that the poison in your body is yin in nature? It needs to be infused with yang energy so that yin and yang can interact and force the poison out little by little?" Yu Shu said seriously. "If yin and yang are reversed, not only will the medicine not be effective, but the poison will also enter your heart and lungs, causing you to die suddenly."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchen felt a sudden weakness in his lower back, and he couldn't even straighten up: "How can this poison be so insidious! This won't work, that won't work either!"

"Your Highness will have to be down here." Yu Shu's tone was gentle, and her appearance was exceptionally docile and kind. "Your Highness, please don't be afraid, Yu Shu will be gentle."

Xiao Jingchen's lips twitched violently. Last time Yu Shu said "gently," his voice was hoarse for three days.

But at this moment, his manhood was painfully hard, and his whole body felt like it was on fire. He didn't care about being gentle anymore: "Come on! Stop dawdling!"

Yu Shu chuckled softly, then slowly took the small celadon jar from his hand, scooped some out and warmed it in her palm, then dipped her fingertips in it and slowly rubbed it from Xiao Jingchen's ribs down to his navel, finally moving it to the most important area.

"Your Highness is so anxious." Yu Shu deliberately tormented him slowly, forcing out Xiao Jingchen's sobs. "Is the poison so potent? It's only been half a month, and Your Highness already... misses me so much?"

"Who misses you!" Xiao Jingchen retorted stubbornly. "Why would I miss you? I'm poisoned, not lovesick!"

"oh."

Yu Shu smiled without saying a word. Her hands were incredibly skilled, and in no time she had Xiao Jingchen in a daze, panting with his mouth open, his arched back collapsing limply.

"Yu Shu... hurry..." Xiao Jingchen reached out and hooked his arm around Yu Shu's neck, pulling her closer to him, urging urgently, "I want you... if you don't give it to me soon, I'll die..."

Yu Shu kissed his reddened eyelids and whispered, "Alright, Your Highness, I will do as you say."

But Xiao Jingchen quickly realized that Yu Shu was as gentle as he was when he was dressed, but as fierce as he was when he was undressed. He said "gently" and "I will listen to Your Highness", but in less than half a cup of tea's time, Xiao Jingchen was tormented by him until he was crying and screaming, and his voice was hoarse.

"Yu Shu... Ah! You said you'd be gentler... Waaah..."

"If you're too gentle, you won't be able to detoxify." Yu Shu's voice was still gentle, but her breathing was terribly disordered. "Your Highness, please bear with it. In order to completely remove the poison, you need to let your yang energy flow into your body."

"That doesn't have to be... even fiercer than last time..."

"Yu Shu... Shu Shu..."

"Why is Tangtang so prone to acting spoiled?" Yu Shu kissed away the tears at the corners of his eyes. "It breaks my heart to see you like this, but I have to continue. If I give up halfway, not only will the poison not be cured, but it will also have a backlash. Your Highness doesn't want to wake up tomorrow feeling even worse than you are today, does he?"

Xiao Jingchen buried his face in the brocade quilt, sobbing and saying, "But my stomach is so bloated," looking pitiful. The more he acted like this, the more Yu Shu found it difficult to control herself.

By the middle of the night, Xiao Jingchen had lost count of how many times he had been "cured of the poison." He only remembered Yu Shu carrying him to the bathroom and then carrying him back, over and over again, without end.

He broke down and begged for mercy: "Waaah, Yu Shu, you're killing me! Stop here for today, we'll do it again tomorrow... ah..."

In his hazy consciousness, he heard Yu Shu whisper in his ear, "Tangtang, you really are... so stupid it's endearing."

Xiao Jingchen wanted to argue that he wasn't stupid, but before he could utter a word, he had already lost consciousness.

When I woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.

When Xiao Jingchen opened his eyes, the bed beside him was empty, and the blankets were cold, indicating that the person had been up for quite some time. He tried to sit up, but his whole body felt weak and his back was too limp to move, so he couldn't help but hiss.

"Dishonest glutinous rice balls!"

Despite the cursing, he still had to find the person. He leaned against the wall, got off the bed, hastily put on an outer robe, and shuffled out.

Turning the corner of the corridor, he smelled the aroma of food. Xiao Jingchen's stomach rumbled, and he realized that he hadn't eaten a single grain of rice since yesterday and was starving.

He followed the aroma to the main hall, where he found the table laden with dishes—crab meat lion's head meatballs, sweet and sour mandarin fish, cherry basil, and steamed chicken in vinegar, all of which were his favorites.

Yu Shu was carrying the last bowl of green rice porridge out of the kitchen. When she saw him, her eyes crinkled into a smile: "You're awake? Come and sit down. You must be starving since yesterday."

Looking at the table full of dishes, and then at Yu Shu wearing an apron, Xiao Jingchen felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He ran over and sat down, saying, "Yu Shu, you're so good to me."

"Eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold." Yu Shu served him porridge, then picked out a piece of fish, carefully removed the bones, and put it in his bowl.

While wolfing down his food, Xiao Jingchen mumbled a compliment: "Yu Shu, your cooking seems even better than it was half a month ago! It's so delicious, so delicious! Make it for me again tonight!"

Yu Shu smiled and said, "Okay, eat slowly, be careful not to choke."

Xiao Jingchen nodded repeatedly: "Mhm, mhm, mhm."

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Xiao Jingchen patted his round belly and decided to go out for a walk to digest. But as soon as he reached the front yard, he heard a cacophony of voices outside, more lively than a market.

He peeked through the crack in the door and his face turned green. The doorway was completely blocked by court officials, all dressed in scarlet robes, looking like they were demanding payment.

Xiao Jingchen pulled his neck back, turned around and pounced on Yu Shu, hugging his arm and shaking it, complaining, "It's all your fault for attracting them! These people are like leeches, once they start sticking to us, they never stop. Now we can't even leave the house."

Yu Shu affectionately patted his head and said gently, "Don't worry, I have a way."

The commotion at the entrance grew louder and louder. Xiao Jingchen heard the old steward shouting hoarsely, "His Highness is not here! His Highness is really not here! Gentlemen, please return!"

"Nonsense! We clearly saw him yesterday! We have urgent business to discuss with His Highness and must see him today!"

"Yes! This is a matter of national importance, we can't delay! Lord Qi, take some men and guard the side gate, don't let His Highness escape again!"

Xiao Jingchen's face turned even greener upon hearing this. Just as he was about to ask what method was available, he saw Yu Shu take out a black iron whistle from her sleeve, place it to her lips, and gently blow it.

The whistle's clear, melodious sound was unlike the ordinary sound of metal instruments; it sounded more like the low growl of some kind of animal.

Not long after, a low wolf howl came from somewhere. Xiao Jingchen's hair stood on end.

A massive white shadow silently strode in from outside the moon gate. It was as tall as a person, entirely white, and its vertical emerald pupils gleamed eerily in the sunlight. It was an enormous snow wolf of astonishing size.

Xiao Jingchen was startled at first, then recognized it as Yu Shu's mount, "Little White." He had fed this wolf countless roasted lamb legs in the Northern Di before, and had even secretly ridden it once.

"Little White!" he called out tentatively.

Hearing the sound, the snow wolf's ears twitched slightly, and it leaped to Xiao Jingchen in three quick steps, its huge head burying its head against his waist, emitting a low growl from its nose.

Xiao Jingchen stumbled a step from being nudged by it, but couldn't help laughing, reaching out to scratch behind its ear: "Goodness, you still recognize me!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Bai let out a "woof," stood on its hind legs, and pounced on Xiao Jingchen, knocking him to the ground. Without a word, it rubbed its wolfish face against his, then licked him from his face to his neck, making Xiao Jingchen both ticklish and laugh: "Xiao Bai, have mercy! You're crushing me! Get up!"

Xiao Bai then got up and stretched out another front paw. Xiao Jingchen grabbed its paw and used it to stand up, his clothes already covered in wolf fur.

Yu Shu watched quietly from the side, a smile in her eyes: "Xiao Bai is very perceptive; it likes you very much. Ever since you left, it has missed you terribly, howling all day long, and at night it keeps scratching at my door, thinking that I chased you away and that's why I can't get any rest. It doesn't know that Tang Tang is heartless; she ran away on her own and didn't even want it anymore."

While dodging Xiao Bai's enthusiastic tongue, Xiao Jingchen said, "How could I not want it! It wasn't even here the day I left, and I was sad for a long time..."

Suddenly, a muffled "bang" resounded from the front gate, and the gate was smashed open. Several officials in red robes rushed in first, led by the Grand Tutor Zhou Rong and the Minister of Rites Zhao Qian, followed by seven or eight young and strong attendants.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

A group of people rushed in and immediately spotted a huge snow wolf sitting beside Xiao Jingchen. Its emerald green eyes stared coldly at them, and a deep roar escaped from its throat, causing the plum blossoms in the courtyard to rustle.

Zhou Rong's legs went weak, and he almost knelt. Zhao Qian's hand, holding the memorial, froze in mid-air, his lips trembling as he stammered, "Your Highness... this... this is..."

Seeing their cowardly behavior, Xiao Jingchen finally felt a little better. He straightened his back, deliberately moved closer to Xiaobai, and raised his chin: "I said I don't receive guests, why did you still force your way in? Do you even respect me?!"

Zhou Rong finally managed to steady himself and took two steps forward, his voice trembling as he said, "Your Highness, please forgive us! We have urgent matters to report! This…"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Bai bared his teeth, revealing two rows of sharp, white teeth. Zhou Rong and the others all took three steps back in unison.

Xiao Jingchen was secretly pleased, but he coughed casually and said, "Alright, alright, what do you want? Now that you've finished, hurry up and leave. I want to go out and have some fun."

Zhou Rong and Zhao Qian exchanged a glance, and finally mustered their courage to speak: "Your Highness, the foundation of the nation is weak and still unresolved... After much deliberation, we have come to urge Your Highness to prioritize the well-being of the state and to appoint a princess consort as soon as possible to ensure the continuation of the imperial line. The Duke of Wei's family has a young granddaughter, who is sixteen years old, dignified and gentle, perhaps..."

As he spoke, he pulled a portrait from his sleeve. Xiao Jingchen was so annoyed that he thought it was another blind date. Just as he was about to explode, Xiao Bai suddenly let out a low growl, lifted its front paws off the ground, and made a move to pounce.

The portrait in Zhou Rong's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and he fell backward, landing flat on his back. His entourage was terrified, their faces pale, and they retreated towards the door without even bothering to help him up.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Quickly, quickly shut this beast up!" Zhao Qian clung to the door frame, trembling with fear.

Xiao Jingchen suppressed a laugh, looking completely innocent: "Xiaobai usually doesn't bite people. Maybe it's just that it's not happy to smell the old oily smell on you guys."

"Your Highness!"

"Alright, alright, I'll talk to it." Xiao Jingchen pretended to pat Little White's head, then whispered in its ear, "Good wolf, don't bite them. These people are full of sour words, they're not tasty. I'll buy you a whole lamb to eat later."

Xiao Bai seemed to understand human speech, letting out a low "woof" before squatting down again. However, its pair of green eyes remained fixed on the court officials, and a threatening growl rolled from its throat.

Xiao Jingchen raised his head and said with a smile, "My lords, Xiao Bai is in a bad mood, and even I can't control it. You may all return today, and it can come back another day when it's in a better mood."

Zhou Rong was helped up by his attendants, his legs still trembling. He opened his mouth, but ultimately dared not speak again. The group of people had come with great momentum, but left in a flurry, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Jingchen was so proud of himself that his tail practically wagging in the air. He turned to Yu Shu and said, "Little White is so majestic! Can it stay a few more days? With it here, those old fogies won't dare to come knocking again!"

Looking into his bright eyes, Yu Shu said gently, "I'll give it to you."

"I'm giving this to you." Yu Shu took a few steps closer, bent down, and patted Xiao Bai's big head. "Xiao Bai, from today onwards, you'll be with Tang Tang. Protect him well and don't let any unrelated people get close to him."

Little White let out a "woof," as if in agreement.

"Yu Shu..." Xiao Jingchen's heart was burning, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

This snow wolf is a sacred animal of the Northern Barbarians. Yu Shu raised it from a cub to adulthood, and it carried him out of the encirclement during the internal strife of the Northern Barbarians. They were as close as brothers. And you just gave it to him so casually?

Yu Shu straightened up and smiled at him gently: "Once you ride it, those courtiers won't be able to get close to you. You can go wherever you want."

Xiao Jingchen was deeply moved and threw himself into his arms without thinking: "Yu Shu, you are so good to me, I don't know how to repay you."