Chapter 66

Nie Qinglin had become alert because of what Ge Yun’er said, but she hadn’t expected to mistakenly injure the Grand Tutor.

She was somewhat hesitant and uneasy, but when she remembered it was this heartless man who had thrown her into the Sky Prison, yet had now come in the middle of the night to visit the women’s prison, she felt that the blow hadn’t been wasted.

With her eyelids half-lowered, she said, “So late at night, Grand Tutor is quite diligent. Have you come to the Sky Prison for interrogation?”

This had originally been the excuse the Grand Tutor had planned to use, but coming from this little one’s mouth, it sounded somewhat ridiculous.

The Grand Tutor, his face slightly injured, decided to go all the way with shamelessness and gritted his teeth, saying, “Since Your Highness know it’s for interrogation, why did you hide a weapon?”

Nie Qinglin looked at the handsome face that was bleeding, pursed her small lips, and felt she shouldn’t keep being stubborn.

It was better to soothe this stormy and unpredictable Grand Tutor.

So she took out a white silk handkerchief from her chest and leaned in to help the Grand Tutor wipe the blood.

The Grand Tutor’s skin was extremely fair.

No one knew how a man who had guarded the border for many years had managed to keep such a youthful appearance.

Though the red mark was shallow, it still looked like a grave offense.

The Grand Tutor was still glaring with phoenix-like eyes, anger lingering, but slowly he lowered his hand and just sat upright on the short couch, letting the princess gently wipe him.

Once the unique fragrance from dragon pearl’s body again lingered and curled around his nose, that unfulfilled desire surged downward once more.

Forgetting the shallow wound on his face, he suddenly picked up the little one squatting before him and flipped her down onto the bed.

Nie Qinglin let out a soft “Ah” and, under the dim light, clearly saw the desire in the Grand Tutor’s eyes.

She knew he was lawless and once he started acting wildly, he wouldn’t care about anything.

In a moment of panic, she whispered, “Just last night… Yong’an is still unwell. I ask Grand Tutor to show some mercy.”

But the Grand Tutor was already deftly pulling down the silk pants under her skirt, face taut, saying, “Since you’ve entered the Sky Prison, life and death are no longer yours to decide. Let this Lord apply a bit of punishment to discipline a female prisoner bold enough to injure an official!”

His words were harsh, but when he leaned in to kiss her, he was uncommonly gentle, just wrapping her little tongue and sucking softly.

Nie Qinglin was kissed until she couldn’t breathe, and she clearly felt that the Grand Tutor’s hands were becoming increasingly unruly.

She was immediately both ashamed and flustered.

“This is the Sky Prison…how can Grand Tutor act so improperly?”

The Grand Tutor had tasted her fragrant saliva and became even more impatient.

Seeing this little one still trying to resist, he pulled off his belt and tied her two small hands together, fastening them to the iron ring on the prison wall.

Then he undid the sash at her waist.

Seeing this little beauty clad only in a tight undergarment, lying in the shadows of the cell, and with all the sharp hairpins removed before entering prison, her hair now wrapped with a soft cloth and her disheveled dark sideburns made her look utterly pitiful…

How could his little Guo’er be this sweet? He felt he could never get enough of her, day or night.

Though his heart was full of tenderness, his mouth still spoke harshly: “You still refuse to admit your mistake? I’ll bring out the proper punishment stick and let’s see whether you confess or not!”

Dragon pearl’s hands couldn’t break free, so she could only let the Grand Tutor do as he pleased.

Outside the Sky Prison’s No. 1 cell, all the guards had been sent far away by Nanny Shan.

No one could eavesdrop on the details of the Grand Tutor’s interrogation of the convict woman.

Tonight, Wei Lenghou had none of last night’s haste—his excellent “skills” could now be used slowly, employing the delicate techniques of slow roasting the meat.

How could he stop without coaxing out soft moans and low gasps?

Only when the delicate beauty beneath him trembled and burst into tears did he finally relent.

In the dark cell now brimming with heat, the interrogation dragged on for nearly two hours.

By the end, the once-defiant dragon pearl wept and admitted fault, claiming she couldn’t be apart from the Grand Tutor even for a moment.

Only then did he stop the “slow fire” and conclude with a decisive strike to end her torment.

Later, when the Grand Tutor carried the weakened and disheveled princess out of the prison, Nanny Shan rushed forward with a cloak and carefully wrapped her up.

The Grand Tutor had ordered a carriage to be prepared in advance and took his Guo’er out of the prison.

It was the dead of night, and as he needed to escort the princess back to the palace, he also had a contingent of soldiers from the Sky Prison accompany them for protection.

No sooner had the Grand Tutor’s entourage departed than several shadows flitted past.

They tossed several smoke bombs toward the prison entrance, just like when the iron ingots had gone missing.

The powerful fumes swiftly incapacitated the remaining guards.

The figures moved quickly from cell to cell until they found and carried out the unconscious Ge Yuner.

“Lord, we found no trace of the princess. We may have been misinformed…” one of the black-clad figures said nervously.

In the darkness, a man with a fresh scar on the side of his face narrowed his eyes.

He glanced at his unconscious sister and said coldly, “The formula for this ‘Drunken Dream’ incense wasn’t easy to come by, and now it’s all used up. Wei Lenghou’s luck always seems to be one step ahead… Burn the Sky Prison. Since we’re heading to the Southern Frontier soon, we might as well leave the Marquise of Dingguo a little farewell gift.”

He took his sister into his arms and vanished into the shadows.

The fire at the Sky Prison was no less devastating than the one at the villa.

Luckily, the prison was near a water source, and the blaze was quickly contained.

Still, the chaos left people shaken.

When Nie Qinglin heard the news, she was just donning her dragon robes in her bedchamber.

The Emperor was still gravely ill, and she had to make a public appearance to stabilize the turbulent court.

Once on the court floor, the ministers were reassured by the young Emperor’s lively appearance.

But when they looked toward the Grand Tutor, they were stunned.

Just yesterday in the study, he had met with every official one by one, his face smooth and flawless.

How had he gotten that fresh scratch in just one night?

Some of the older ministers with more experience in marital matters instantly understood:

“The Grand Tutor is truly vigorous! After slaying rebels at the city gates and handling affairs till late at night in the study, he still had the strength to spar with his concubine at home. A true iron man! We must follow his example—our wives should at least scratch us up a little, or we aren’t doing our part for the state!”

Though the wound on the Grand Tutor’s face was minor, it clearly reflected his sour mood as he sat on his chair, eyes cold.

Wei Lenghou was still shaken.

If he hadn’t cast aside his pride and visited the prison last night, that girl might not have made it out alive.

When the fire was put out, a deep line of characters had been carved into the white prison wall:

“Traitor Wei, lecherous and cruel—this hatred for stealing my wife and killing my father will never be reconciled!”

It was clear that Ge Qingyuan’s prison break was not simply to save his sister and it was likely aimed at Princess Yong’an.

Though this message never reached the public, when Wei Lenghou saw it with his own eyes, he was absolutely livid.

“That dog! Whose wife is she?! I raised that delicate flower with such care, only for her to be snatched away by the Ge family just as the bridal chamber was about to be set up. And now they dare sneak into the prison and cry injustice?!”

Even if Princess Yong’an’s mourning period ended, people would think he had heavy tastes, raiding Ge Manor and then marrying his rival’s young bride.

The more he thought about it, the more bitter he felt, though he couldn’t announce to the world that the true husband of the princess was none other than him, Wei Lenghou.

No one else had any right to her bed!

Frustrated, he turned and gave a harsh glare to the root cause of all this.

Nie Qinglin had spent the night in the dungeon and had thoroughly reflected.

She was determined to keep her head down and not upset the Grand Tutor again.

So when he glared at her, she quickly lowered her eyes, pretending to be too tired to notice.

Ge Qingyuan was like a poisonous snake lurking in the shadows.

Over the years, he and his father had secretly expanded their influence.

Many shops in the capital were covertly owned by the Ge family, and their wealth was formidable.

That fortune could fund considerable forces, and now the snake had gone to ground before it was spent.

Who knew what kind of storm he might stir next?

The Grand Tutor’s journey to the Southern Frontier was delayed.

Though they rooted out the last of Ge Qingyuan’s spies in the capital, three months later, turmoil broke out in the South.

Princess Qike returned to the capital.

The Grand Tutor, accompanying the Emperor to Mount Youyun for offerings, arranged to meet her privately in a meditation room to discuss the rebellion.

When Qike entered, the Grand Tutor was quietly sipping tea.

She had heard about the unrest in the capital.

Seeing the faint red mark on his face, she was startled.

“Grand Tutor, who hurt you?”

He answered calmly,“Just a minor injury. Princess, please focus on your report about the Southern Frontier.”

It turned out a mysterious master had joined the Southern King’s side, boosting his strength.

He had quickly annexed several neighboring tribes, ruining all the strategies Qike had laid in place.

After their discussion, the two stepped out of the meditation room to visit the woman claiming to be Princess Shaoyang.

Suddenly, Princess Qike leaned close and gently licked the wound on the Grand Tutor’s face.

He pushed her away at once and frowned.

“Princess Qike, what are you doing?”

She smiled and replied,“I’ve been immune to poisons since childhood and have taken many elixirs. My saliva is medicinal. If a scar were to mar your handsome face, how could I let that happen? This is the least I can do.”

As the two spoke, the Emperor, having finished her incense offering, returned to the courtyard and happened to witness the exact moment Qike leaned in to “kiss” the Grand Tutor.

The Grand Tutor, it seemed, was quite popular.

From the Northern Seas to the Southern Frontier, he had no shortage of admirers.

Nie Qinglin’s face remained calm, but she paused in her steps and spoke in a deep voice,

“If Beloved Minister Wei is busy, We shall wait in the front hall. Or, if the Grand Tutor expects to be ‘occupied’ for a few more hours, We can return to the palace first.”

Though irritated by Qike’s presumptuousness, the Grand Tutor did not wish to appear flustered under the Emperor’s teasing words.

Keeping his composure, he simply raised an eyebrow and said,“This humble servant is not particularly busy, Your Majesty. There is, however, a woman claiming to be Princess Shaoyang currently in the temple. I request Your Majesty’s presence in verifying her identity.”

With that, the Emperor’s attention was indeed redirected.

When they reached the carriage parked behind the temple where Qike had left her guest, Nie Qinglin lifted the curtain slightly to look inside.

The woman was slumped over in sleep, clearly exhausted.

But upon closer inspection, her delicate brows and features were unmistakably those of Princess Shaoyang, who had long ago been sent to the north for a political marriage.

The sound of voices outside roused her.

At first, she shrank back in fear.

But when she recognized the figure standing outside the carriage as the Emperor, she immediately choked up and began to cry.

“Your Majesty…”

As it turned out, after Princess Shaoyang was married off to the Xiongnu, the old chanyu fell gravely ill not long after.

It was a pity for this young princess of Great Wei, still in the prime of her life and relegated to little more than an attendant in the chanyu’s tent, serving him medicine day and night.

But as the old chanyu’s condition worsened, his sons, strong and full of youthful energy, began to turn their eyes on their beautiful stepmother…