Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

Ignoring the group, Chu Mingkong bypassed the guards of the Shangguan family and easily entered the backyard of the women's quarters, arriving at the courtyard belonging to Shangguan Rong.

The mansion was also filled with a festive scene and atmosphere, with servants coming and going wearing happy smiles and little red jackets.

This joy belongs to them; from now on, they will be servants of the Crown Princess's family, and their status outside will rise accordingly.

If the Crown Prince ascends the throne in due time and the Crown Princess becomes Empress, then they will be servants of the Empress's maternal family, belonging to the imperial family's maternal relatives, and their status will be extraordinary.

But at this very moment, the so-called "Crown Princess's" boudoir courtyard was deserted, with only a few lonely magpies perched on the branches.

Chu Mingkong intended to knock, but fearing he would disturb the servants, he chose to push the door open and enter directly.

Her boudoir was also decorated with festive colors, and untouched food was laid out on the table.

Shangguan Rong herself was in the room, but she was sitting sullenly on the edge of the bed, with several bottles of wine scattered on the floor, which was out of place with the atmosphere in the mansion.

Like oil that can't dissolve in water, others are others, and she is herself.

"Why didn't you knock?" Shangguan Rong looked at him, her face flushed, though the blush was from alcohol.

Fortunately, he seemed relatively sober and not truly drunk to the point of being incoherent.

"Because I sneaked into the bride's room, luckily, I was worried that if I didn't knock, it would be troublesome if I pushed the door open and bumped into you changing clothes."

Chu Mingkong closed the window to prevent others from seeing another man in the bride's room.

He pulled up a chair, sat down next to Shangguan Rong, and glanced at the food on the table.

"I remember you said you hated drinking because it affects your brain, so how come you started drinking yourself? And you even drank several bottles without eating anything."

"I don't want to eat," Shangguan Rong replied crisply.

"Then I'll make you some noodles?"

"it is good."

It was past cooking time and the kitchen was empty, so Chu Mingkong slipped out and made a bowl of plain noodles with whatever ingredients were available, then took it to Shangguan Rong's room.

To be honest, Chu Mingkong had considered putting drugs in the powder, since the Blue Sky White Clouds cigarettes he had been smoking recently contained Hehuan Dew, but he didn't do it in the end.

It was clear that Shangguan Rong was in a bad mood; you could tell from her drinking alone. When Chu Mingkong made her some noodles, she slurped them down in no time.

"I want wine," she asked Chu Mingkong.

Chu Mingkong could prove this to her: Shangguan Rong had hardly ever asked him to do anything before; it was all Chu Mingkong who had licked her boots.

The only time this girl made a strong request of him was on the day they broke up and argued; she wanted Chu Mingkong not to be so spineless.

If we disregard this request, then this is the first time I've asked him for alcohol.

"My wine is too good. You just finished drinking this rubbish. You need to slow down, otherwise the flavor won't have dissipated and you won't be able to appreciate how good my wine is. Tell me what's wrong with you."

Chu Mingkong poured her a cup of tea and listened patiently as she poured out her grievances, patting her back from time to time to soothe her breathing.

"I hate being a girl, and I hate being born into this kind of family... I think about a lot of things, but I can't do anything about it, just because I'm a woman!"

"Yes, the Shangguan family gave me a comfortable life, status, and resources, but was it useful? In the end, I couldn't make any decisions for myself and could only listen to my family..."

"Since fate has decreed this, why not give me a body of mediocrity? What use are these things I have now? Why not share them with some of my cousins? My father often nags me that I've consumed all the family's talent. Mingkong, he's more polite and friendly to you than to me!"

"I really want to loudly reject this marriage proposal; it's perfunctory, abrupt, and lacks any sincerity... *hiccup*"

Hearing her let out a cute hiccup, Chu Mingkong almost burst out laughing, but thankfully he had received professional training.

He really doesn't laugh easily; he's much more dedicated than those two lousy guys.

"But I can't refuse, even though I've taught the Crown Prince and know he's a foolish and arrogant person who doesn't realize it. I still can't refuse, because it would implicate my family, and my mother..."

Isn't that how it is under secular dynasties?

The royal family heard that the girl was beautiful, and that a certain family had produced a beautiful daughter. They sent betrothal gifts to the ten-year-old girl and arranged for her to enter the palace to serve the emperor when she was thirteen or fourteen.

Faced with such a dowry, most families could only express their gratitude for the emperor's boundless grace, hoping that their daughters would receive the emperor's favor.

If he refused, the emperor wouldn't do anything to him at the time, but he would definitely find some other reason to deal with him afterward, and then force his daughter to enter the palace as a criminal to atone for her sins. Then, after she was used up, she might be thrown into the brothel to become an official prostitute.

Whether it was the effects of the alcohol or not, Shangguan Rong, with her eyes glazed over and her mind unclear, grasped Chu Mingkong's wrist.

She swayed and collapsed into his arms, breathing out warm, indistinct breaths:

"Mingkong, please hear my request one more time... I need the antidote, I need to cultivate secretly, and then I need to find an opportunity to sever my father-daughter relationship with the Shangguan family, and then I need to find an opportunity to escape the Tianji Empire."

------

PS: There will be more tonight.

Chapter Sixty-Three: Licking Her Antidote

Seeing that Chu Mingkong did not respond to her for a long time, Shangguan Rong used the table to support herself and stood up.

"I know, I remember now. You said you'd only give me the antidote if I wore a skirt... I bought a skirt."

As a young lady from a wealthy family, she didn't know where the maid had put her newly bought dresses. All she could see was a red bridal gown, but she was not in a position to do such a complicated thing as dressing herself.

After struggling for a while, she collapsed onto the bright red quilt with a miserable expression, like a little girl crying because she wasn't allowed to buy candied hawthorns.

"Mingkong, help me put it on, I can't get it on..."

His drunken antics are kind of cute.

It seems that looks are still important. Beautiful people have it easy. Chu Mingkong used to think that when he saw those drunkards acting crazy, he just wanted to throw them into the river to sober them up.

He reeked of alcohol and was unpleasant to be around.

Shangguan Rong's cultivation technique was not yet complete, but that didn't mean she would be drunk by a few jugs of ordinary wine. Even Aunt Gu, with her "fitness" level of cultivation, could dissipate most of the alcohol by circulating her spiritual energy through her spiritual meridians.

Perhaps she didn't want to think clearly about her situation, lest she realize her powerlessness once again.

Chu Mingkong circulated his spiritual power to slightly alleviate some of the drunkenness in Shangguan Rong's body, but he did not point it out.

Unless explicitly stated, she is currently in a state dominated by intoxication.

Since Shangguan Rong didn't say she was sober, Chu Mingkong assumed she was still drunk.

"Then I'll help Miss Shangguan change her dress. If I'm uncomfortable, please let me know."

This is actually telling Shangguan Rong that if you don't want to, you should refuse.

Shangguan Rong did not respond to his words. Chu Mingkong waited a few seconds and then took off her men's clothing.

Practice makes perfect, and without the previous exploration, this time the shedding was exceptionally fast.

Could it be that she's really given up on herself? Shangguan Rong is indeed a rather conservative girl, so conservative that she doesn't even have many dresses in her wardrobe.

Now we've let him pull his clothes off like this.

After putting on a red bellyband and dressing her in a red phoenix and dragon wedding gown, Chu Mingkong also finished her makeup. In fact, it was just applying lipstick and lip gloss, and then adding a red plum blossom decoration to her forehead, which was enough to make her look stunning.

With bright eyes and white teeth, a rosy complexion, and stunning beauty, she was a dashing woman dressed as a man one moment, and in the next moment she exuded a myriad of feminine charms.

Moreover, she is beautiful from head to toe, and every part of her body is fair and delicate.

Chu Mingkong also exchanged a pair of red stockings from the Silver Thief System for Shangguan Rong to wear. The matching colors made her look even more beautiful and alluring.

"Those fortune tellers are truly skilled; 'stunningly beautiful' is the perfect description for you... Are you really planning to take the antidote?"

After waiting a while, the beautiful woman nestled in his arms, still with her eyes half-closed and her long eyelashes trembling, whispered:

"Hmm... The antidote you gave me last time has worn off... I... I haven't been able to sleep these past few days, and every time I wake up the water in the teapot is still warm."

"That must be really painful," Chu Mingkong replied gently, with sympathy in his heart.

Even the most powerful Yang techniques are not as wonderful as the "vitality" they symbolize; in most cases, they are harmful.

Chu Mingkong heard that helpless voice coming from his arms again:

"And I really do intend to master the martial arts... I'll find a way to sever ties with my family so I won't be a burden to my mother, then escape the palace and find a quiet place... I'll become so strong that no master in the palace can stop me."

After saying this, Shangguan Rong muttered a lot of information and her own speculations. She guessed that a force wanted to ambush Chu Mingkong's master, using the Joyful Zen as bait to keep her attention, spreading lies that it could bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded.

Chu Mingkong was stunned. He should have just come and asked her directly. Why did he bother asking around?

This carefree and leisurely man's intelligence-gathering ability is not as good as that of a bride-to-be confined to her boudoir.

Chu Mingkong used his internal energy to pour a cup of tea from a distance. It was just ordinary tea, and given Shangguan Rong's current condition, drinking another cup of tea would basically dispel the effects of the alcohol.

He said, however:

"This is alcohol, very strong alcohol. You might do something foolish after drinking it. I'll give you the antidote in a moment. I'm not kidding, you might not be able to take the antidote if I don't get you completely drunk."

I... also plan to take your body!

The woman's delicate body trembled slightly, but she made no comment.

Seeing this, Chu Mingkong didn't hide anything and explained frankly, "I need your body for dual cultivation. I have to leave the capital to do something important, and I can't do it otherwise..."

That cup of tea, which was falsely claimed to be "strong liquor," was actually just a pretense, a mask, giving everyone an excuse to cover up their misdeeds.

Especially for a girl like Shangguan Rong, who is proud by nature, it is unlikely that she would be willing to be compliant. She couldn't even get past her own conscience, so she needed such an excuse to give herself a way out and convince her own heart.

—Her true intention was not to have anything to do with Chu Mingkong, but she was drunk.

However, if Shangguan Rong really doesn't want to, she can refuse, because she really isn't drunk at all.

Chu Mingkong held the teacup to the woman's red lips. Upon smelling the faint aroma of tea, Shangguan Rong understood his meaning. She slowly drank the tea and was helped to lie down on the bed by him.

In truth, Shangguan Rong still had some questions. She guessed that the antidote might be something bad, but she couldn't figure out exactly what it was.

But when she heard the sound of Chu Mingkong untying his belt, and felt a subtle, hot breath getting closer and closer to her face, she knew what it was.

Shangguan Rong suddenly realized what the antidote Chu Mingkong had given her while she was unconscious was.

It's sticky in my throat and has a fishy smell...

She truly believed it was refined poisonous blood, how could it be...?

Chu Mingkong stroked Shangguan Rong's pretty face, when suddenly his fingers were wet with the woman's tears. He panicked, "Don't cry..."

Shangguan Rong did not accept the "mask" that Chu Mingkong had left for her.

She opened her eyes, her bright eyes, still wet with tears, stared at Chu Mingkong. She bit her red lips, pointed to her private parts, and said vengefully:

"You need to take the 'antidote' too!"

In the Heavenly Empire, aside from situations of unequal status, it is not a very honorable thing for a man to serve a woman.