The Perilous Palace Dream - Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Nie Qinglin’s heart skipped a beat—how did Wei Lenghou get here so fast?
Impossible… The only explanation was… he had been following them the whole time!
She could only hope he hadn’t heard her earlier tirade against the “traitorous Wei.”
Xiu Tulie, seeing Wei Lenghou in full armor and clearly prepared for battle, knew this wouldn’t end peacefully.
He turned to grab the young Emperor—only to find the little monarch already sprinting into the woods, robes flapping behind her.
His grasp closed on empty air.
At the same time, Wei Lenghou’s sword swept in with a chilling gust, forcing Xiu Tulie to abandon his pursuit.
Under the cover of night, the two arch-enemies clashed without restraint, fighting with everything they had.
Nie Qinglin now bitterly agreed with the fortune-teller’s words—she truly was cursed with misfortune and a short lifespan!
Her original plan had been simple: scare Xiu Tulie off with the whistle, leave a message about the massacre in Huaxi Village, then slip away. The responding guards would rush to the village and stop the slaughter.
Surely none of them would recognize a mere imperial physician… Zhang Shiyu, innocent and asleep, would escape unharmed… It was the best solution she could think of in that desperate moment.
But the demon Grand Tutor had no intention of playing by the rules.
He had descended upon the quiet woods like a storm.
Since the Grand Tutor and Xiu Tulie were still locked in battle, now was the time to flee!
Dashing deeper into the forest, Nie Qinglin picked a sturdy tree and rolled up her sleeves.
Climbing trees wasn’t one of the Six Arts, but it was a skill she’d picked up at eight years old from the son of a Ministry of Justice official during a summer retreat.
Though small and frail, her lightness was perfect for scaling trees.
Though rusty, the threat of death behind her lent her boundless strength.
In moments, she was up among the branches.
She then hurled the whistle as far as she could, hoping to misdirect pursuers—one last trick, a final “hiding in plain sight.”
“Does Your Majesty plan to come down, or shall I fetch a pole to poke you down?”
Before she could even catch her breath, an icy voice cut through the air.
Nie Qinglin looked down in shock—Wei Lenghou stood beneath the tree, glaring up at her, his expression frigid.
In the distance, Xiu Tulie and his men lay sprawled on the ground, their faces dusted white.
Wei Lenghou had ended the fight with ruthless efficiency—no warrior’s pride, just borrowing the barbarians’ own trick of drugging the Huaxi villagers.
A classic case of “using barbarians to control barbarians!”
How shameless! What kind of shortcut was this?!
Caught red-handed, Nie Qinglin had no choice but to climb down awkwardly.
Distracted, her foot slipped, and she plummeted—only to be caught by a pair of iron-like arms that clamped around her like a vise.
She looked up in panic, meeting Wei Lenghou’s terrifyingly handsome face up close.
His thin lips parted slightly, revealing sharp canines that seemed ready to sink into her throat.
Nie Qinglin knew—she had outsmarted herself.
Any more tricks would only invite humiliation.
No point wasting words now.
The man staring down at her was no fool—he was the master of power plays in Great Wei!
Wei Lenghou remained silent, his gaze terrifyingly cold, until a subordinate approached and whispered, “Grand Tutor, all the Xiongnu in Huaxi Village have been captured, including that physician Zhang. They’re being sent to the capital.”
Nie Qinglin shuddered.
He had been watching the whole time… He knew everything.
Finally, Wei Lenghou moved.
He tightened his grip on her and strode out of the woods, leaping onto a waiting carriage that raced toward the capital.
Nie Qinglin, tossed inside, sat meekly against the carriage wall.
Through the jolts, she stole glances at the man across from her—sitting rigidly, expressionless, but his clenched fists betrayed his fury.
Her teeth ache even more now… Old Hanlin Wu’s history books won’t record a heroic young Emperor, just a pitiful worm beaten to death by a treacherous minister…
The carriage entered the palace through a side gate.
Stepping onto the familiar stone path, Nie Qinglin barely had time to grimace before being dragged inside.
The palace was unchanged—except every kneeling eunuch and maid was unfamiliar.
An Qiao’er was nowhere in sight.
Inside the inner chamber, Wei Lenghou flung her to the ground, the door slamming shut behind him.
“Grand Tutor…”
Nie Qinglin winced, rubbing her sore elbow.
That timid tone usually pleased him—now, it only stoked his rage.
Still acting? Did she think she could fool him like that Xiongnu brute?
Wei Lenghou walked to the couch, picked up a teacup, and pointed at a set of women’s robes on a nearby rack.
“Change.”
Nie Qinglin hesitated.
“Does Your Majesty wish for this ‘traitorous minister’ to force you?”
She scrambled up, grabbed a robe, and moved toward the screen—
“Stop. Here.”
His tone brooked no argument.
Nie Qinglin clenched the fabric.
For An Qiao’er and Zhang Shiyu’s sake, she would endure this humiliation.
Standing by the dragon bed, she lowered a thin gauze curtain—though the light rendered it nearly transparent.
Slowly, she undid her buttons, shedding the oversized outer robe to reveal a delicate frame clad in a red-and-green embroidered undergarment.
“All of it. Remove everything from outside the palace!”
Biting her lip, she stripped completely, quickly pulling on the fresh garments under the unbearable weight of his gaze.
Through the gauze, her slender but unmistakably feminine silhouette was clear.
The entire time, Wei Lenghou remained still—only his piercing phoenix eyes growing darker.
By the time she stepped out, fully dressed, the teacup in his hand had cracked in two.
Her loose hair, freed from the lost headscarf, cascaded like satin over her shoulders.
The low-cut gown hugged her curves, turning her into a porcelain doll of exquisite beauty.
Wei Lenghou extended a hand.
Nie Qinglin placed her delicate fingers in his palm—only to be yanked into his scorching embrace.
His fingers traced her face before pressing against her soft lips.
“Say it. ‘Husband, rest a while…’”
Nie Qinglin trembled.
Those were the words she had called to Zhang Shiyu while he chopped firewood—words Wei Lenghou had clearly overheard.
“Say it!”
His grip tightened painfully.
“H-husband… rest a while…”
He made her repeat it four, five times, then demanded, “Who is your husband?”
“I… I have no husband…”
In an instant, she was pinned to the couch, her hair splayed like a tragic heroine’s.
But Wei Lenghou was no sentimental fool.
“Your answer displeases me. My anger is unchecked—consider your next words carefully, for the sake of Your Majesty’s health.”
Her shoulders felt crushed under his grip.
Tears welled.
“My… my husband is… you.”
“And who am I?”
“The… the Grand Tutor of Great Wei, the Marquis Dingguo, first-rank minister of the court, the regent who governs the nation’s affairs—Wei Lenghou…”
Finally, he smiled—a smile that never reached his eyes.
“‘Hearts entwined in secret harmony, who knows of our midnight flight?’ How romantic. If your ‘husband’ is so mighty, why did you dare elope with a dog physician?”
His hand closed around her throat, threatening to snap it.
“Grand Tutor, you’re being unreasonable! You know the secret I hid—I fled to protect it! How could it be an elopement? I couldn’t risk exposing my identity and causing you trouble!”
Wei Lenghou believed none of it.
The Emperor who had toyed with a murderous Xiongnu prince was no naive fool.
“Since Your Majesty shows such ‘consideration,’ this husband must reciprocate. But after so long outside the palace, I must… inspect you for any damages.”
His icy lips crashed down, his tongue invading as if to devour her soul.
At the same time, his other hand slid under her skirt, fingers like a serpent coiling toward her undergarments.
Nie Qinglin struggled, tears spilling.
When he finally released her lips, she gasped, “Grand Tutor! I was wrong! Please… have mercy! I… I haven’t even had my first bleeding yet!”
It was true—her stunted growth from years of restricted meals had delayed her maturation.
Wei Lenghou paused, then coldly replied, “So what?”
H
Poor Dragon Pearl. Delulu Wei is so mad I don’t think he is going to listen. Thank you for the updates!!