The Perilous Palace Dream - Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Nanny Shan quickly led the maids away, retreating to the side.
Nie Qinglin was placed onto the soft mat, silent and unmoving, but her expression darkened slightly.
To be so exposed and engaged in such an indecent act in broad daylight, it was truly humiliating.
The Grand Tutor… he was simply going too far!
Yet Wei Lenghou was completely unfazed.
Standing in front of Nie Qinglin, he began removing his clothes piece by piece.
Soon, he had stripped down to reveal his strong physique.
Even though this body had been revealed in front of her many times before, Nie Qinglin still couldn’t meet his eyes directly.
She could only lower her gaze slightly and say, “To engage in such a carnal act out in the wild… Forgive me, but I cannot comply.”
The Grand Tutor didn’t respond.
He calmly undid his belt and flung it aside, clearly intent on proceeding no matter what.
Nie Qinglin grew both embarrassed and angry.
She threw herself back onto the mat and snapped, “If the Grand Tutor must, then get it over with quickly. Don’t waste time with any unnecessary tricks, just be quick about it. At least don’t give the ministers more reason to be suspicious of why I’ve been gone for so long.”
Before she finished speaking, what answered her was the sudden splash of water.
Splash!
She looked up and saw that Wei Lenghou had leapt into the pond behind them.
Startled, dragon pearl’s eyes widened.
She clearly remembered that the Grand Tutor couldn’t swim.
The pond was deep and when she had come to the palace as an eight-year-old, her nanny had even warned her to stay away from it for fear of falling in.
She jumped up in alarm and looked nervously at the still surface of the water.
Just as she turned to call for help, a figure suddenly surfaced.
Wei Lenghou was treading water, and when he saw her panicked, undressed face, his gaze softened.
He opened his lips slightly and gave her a gentle smile.
“Didn’t I follow Your Majesty’s orders and leap into the water swiftly and decisively? But why does Your Majesty now look so disappointed? Could it be…”
Nie Qinglin’s cheeks flushed crimson as she recalled how reckless and forward her earlier words had sounded.
She was deeply embarrassed!
Wei Lenghou, gazing at her glowing face, chuckled again and said, “The water in this pond comes from cooled hot springs from the mountain. The temperature is just right, perfect for a swim. How about Your Majesty joins me for a round?”
Watching him swim like a fish, Nie Qinglin felt her pounding heart gradually calm down.
“Didn’t you once say you couldn’t swim? Why is it that today you move so effortlessly in the water?”
Wei Lenghou didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he swam slowly to the bank, suddenly grabbed dragon pearl’s ankle, and gave a gentle tug—pulling her into the pond as well.
“Ah—!” Nie Qinglin, completely unprepared, fell into the water but was caught in Wei Lenghou’s arms just in time, avoiding a mouthful of water.
“These past days, since I couldn’t see Your Majesty,” he said, “I had nothing to do in the evenings, so I went to Swallow Lake outside the capital to learn how to swim. After swimming every day for more than ten days, I realized that swimming wasn’t nearly as difficult as I imagined. Once I overcame the psychological hurdle, everything else came naturally…”
What he didn’t say, however, was how tormenting those ten days had been.
Every time he thought about Nie Qinglin’s cold rejection, it felt like his heart was being scorched by fire.
After handling affairs during the day, the nights were the hardest—his pride clashing violently with his yearning.
He was Wei Lenghou.
How could he lower himself to beg for affection like a pitiful man groveling for scraps, especially from a woman who had no place for him in her heart? He repeatedly tried to harden himself, to cast aside that unfeeling little woman.
Yet every time he left the palace, his feet would unconsciously wander a few steps toward Fengchu Palace, only for him to force himself to stop.
Eventually, he would mount his horse and ride to Swallow Lake on the outskirts of the capital.
Under the moonlight, he would plunge into the lake.
From the frantic flailing and choking on water at first, to eventually swimming with ease and it hadn’t taken him long.
What had seemed so impossible in childhood was easily overcome in adulthood.
The near-death experience in Li county had made him realize that his fear of water could be a fatal weakness.
But once he truly desired it, even a deep-rooted fear of water could be conquered.
And yet, the sea of longing, so bitter and vast—no matter how fiercely he swam, he could never cross it…
When he emptied his mind and let his body float on the water, that smiling, mischievous face would slowly appear under the starry night sky.
Every time he closed his eyes, he could vividly picture her sly smile, the sparkle in her large, expressive eyes…
How could he get rid of this weakness too? The all-capable Grand Tutor had no answer—he could only sink deeper and deeper into it… utterly helpless.
Ten days of torment and longing slowly cooled his raging fury.
Wei Lenghou, who had never allowed himself to fall for anyone, had now fallen for a girl with no heart.
Perhaps this was karma.
But if she could so easily slip through his fingers just like that, then he truly wouldn’t be worthy of the title “Marquis of Dingguo,” a man who once commanded armies with unshakable authority.
So when the waters of Swallow Lake finally calmed his heart, the Grand Tutor was able to stand on the bridge with composure, watching the beauty lower her eyes and coldly walk past him without a glance.
He could then calmly take out the jade peach pendant and place it around the fair neck of someone who resisted him.
Even when she showed rejection again, he could take a deep breath and say without a ripple of emotion: “It’s fine.”
So what if she hadn’t fallen for him? If she had become his weakness, then how could he possibly let go?
Still, all of this was difficult to speak of.
If the girl in his arms were to find out, she’d probably only give a light, indifferent smile at the corners of her lips.
At the thought of this, he tightened his arms around her, clutching the small figure closer, worshipping every inch of her delicate body with burning lips and tongue.
The waters of the serene pond rippled softly.
The strong man soon stepped onto the stones by the edge and lightly pressed the young beauty against the side of the pond.
His feverish lips and tongue traced along the edge of her bright yellow collar, chasing after the beads of water rolling down her pink cheeks, eager to explore the secrets hidden beneath her layers of fabric…
Just then, from the other side of the pond near the mountain stream, the soft rustling of grass could be heard.
Wei Lenghou instantly became alert.
He shielded Nie Qinglin with his body and grabbed a dagger from the pile of clothing by the water.
Without hesitation, he flung it straight toward the source of the noise in the thicket.
A girl’s scream followed from the underbrush.
After cloaking the emperor in a mantle, Wei Lenghou summoned the guards who had been standing outside the curtain, now alerted by the noise.
He crossed the pond and entered the thicket, dragging out a girl whose shoulder had been stabbed by the dagger.
Nie Qinglin took a good look and froze.
Wasn’t that wounded, panicked girl..glaring at Wei Lenghou with pain and shock—none other than her sixth brother’s younger maternal cousin, Shen Hong’er?
As it turned out, Shen Hong’er was a playful one.
For days, she had been trying hard to act like a proper noble lady, with her elaborate updo and composed manners, but she couldn’t take it anymore.
That day, the emperor had gone out to practice archery with his ministers and had not brought any of the court ladies with him.
The day before, while walking with her nanny, she had passed by this pond and found the water clear and inviting—perfect for swimming.
So today, while her elder cousin was napping and the nanny had dozed off as well, she snuck out on her own to enjoy a bit of cool relief.
She had just undressed and stepped into the water when she suddenly heard the sound of hooves.
Terrified, she had hurriedly grabbed her clothes and hid in the grass near the mountain stream.
At first, she thought it was just some noble from the palace coming for a stroll.
Surely no one would cross the pond and come to this side.
But unexpectedly, someone did swim across.
After crouching for a while, she peeked through the grass and spotted a young man in bright yellow dragon robes.
Graceful and refined… he looked just like in her memories.
The day she saw Princess Yong’an, she had been unconsciously searching for the emperor’s features on her face.
But now, seeing him in person, her heart wavered again…
But then…that Wei scoundrel actually dragged the elegant emperor into the pond! And then… he pinned him down and kissed him!
Her own cousin, Sixth Prince, hadn’t even said a word about this, and yet here the emperor was, being humiliated like this in the palace!
Burning with righteous indignation, Shen Hong’er steeled her courage.
She groped around the grass for a stone, planning to sneak over and knock that lecherous villain unconscious to rescue the emperor from disgrace.
But before she could act, that Wei scoundrel struck first.
With a single flick of his hand, she was hit in the shoulder and cried out in pain.
“You… You brazen scoundrel Wei! How dare you defile the emperor! That sacred body, those royal lips…how could a brute like you be allowed to touch them!”
Though her wound throbbed in agony and she had been pinned to the ground, Shen Hong’er still summoned the courage to scold the rogue who had dared violate the sovereign.
It had been a long time since anyone dared to reprimand Wei Lenghou to his face, especially a clueless girl who had just stumbled upon a secret she should never have known.
The Grand Tutor’s eyes narrowed, and killing intent flared.
Nie Qinglin, wrapped tightly in her cloak and sitting on the mat, looked at the tearful young girl who still stared desperately toward her, heart in turmoil.
She knew, if she didn’t do something soon, this pond would become Shen Hong’er’s grave.
But… how was she going to save her sixth brother’s little aunt?
“Since you’re already injured, just keep your mouth shut,” Nie Qinglin said, deliberately lowering her voice, “Earlier I accidentally swallowed water while swimming. The Grand Tutor was just helping me catch my breath, how did such a matter become so indecent from your mouth? It’s a good thing the Grand Tutor isn’t holding it against you. Hurry and apologize to him!”
Shen Hong’er, startled by the deliberately hushed reprimand from the young Dragon Pearl, quickly stifled her tears.
Confused and uncertain, she looked between the Grand Tutor and the Emperor, beginning to suspect that maybe… she had misunderstood the whole thing.
“My imperial sister, Princess Yong’an, is quite fond of her,” Nie Qinglin continued, “How about letting her keep the princess company for a while and recover from her injuries? Better that than for Consort Shu to see her and stir up unnecessary gossip. What does the Grand Tutor think?”
How could Wei Lenghou not hear the implication in her words? He looked coldly at the disheveled Shen Hong’er, who was still kneeling on the ground, silent for a moment before finally saying, “Since Your Majesty has finally spoken on the matter, I shall naturally comply. I mistook the movement in the grass for a wild beast and feared it might harm Your Majesty. It was a mistake to injure Miss Shen, please forgive me…”
After giving this perfunctory explanation, the Grand Tutor ordered Nanny Shan to escort Shen Hong’er back to the palace for treatment under soft confinement.
“Since Your Majesty finds this Miss Shen somewhat amusing, then there’s no need for her to return home. Once her injuries are healed, she may be sent directly to the palace to be trained under the supervision of a court matron.”
Nie Qinglin immediately understood, what the Grand Tutor meant was that he wanted her to enter the harem as an imperial consort.
She sighed inwardly.
She had just been thinking about how to get this girl out of the palace.
Who would have thought that this foolish little moth would throw herself straight into the firepit?
“How long does the Grand Tutor intend for me to remain on this throne?” she asked, pulling her cloak closer around her.
Wei Lenghou had dressed himself and now sat beside her.
“I must personally lead the army to subdue the rebellion in the southern frontier. Before that, I hope Your Majesty can stabilize the court, so I may wage this campaign without distraction.”
Nie Qinglin’s eyes widened slightly at his words, and the worries clouding her mind suddenly scattered.
The Southern frontier King had grown powerful, and the situation was now teetering toward splitting the empire in two.
The Xiongnu soldiers were fierce but fought on land.
However, to battle the South, naval forces would be needed.
This wasn’t just Wei Lenghou’s weakness, it was also a major shortcoming for all of Great Wei’s military forces.
“This is no small matter. I hope Lord Wei is confident in victory…”
“I am not,” the Grand Tutor said flatly.
“There’s no telling how long I’ll be gone. The southern tribes are skilled in water combat, and the region is rife with poisons and witchcraft. As a soldier, how dare I claim I’ll return unscathed? My motives are selfish; I think of Your Majesty constantly. If I were to die on the battlefield while Your Majesty were captured by that treacherous Ge Qingyuan, it would feel like my heart was being set aflame. I would only wish to become a vengeful spirit in death to stay by Your Majesty’s side and kill anyone who dares draw near.”
Such absurd words, yet spoken with utmost seriousness, it made Nie Qinglin’s hair stand on end.
The Grand Tutor lowered his phoenix eyes, gazing at the person before him.
He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
“But if I were truly to die in battle, wouldn’t Your Majesty be secretly delighted? With me gone, perhaps Your Majesty’s days would finally be easier?”
Nie Qinglin looked up at the man holding her but found herself unable to muster her usual teasing tone.
Though she had not seen the battle beneath the city walls, she had heard Grand Eunuch Ruan recount it in vivid detail—a world of blood and banners, of iron men in iron armor.
What Wei Lenghou said was no exaggeration.
Once war broke out in the South, anything could happen.
But it was also a battle that could not be avoided.
With Ge Qingyuan stirring up trouble behind the scenes, could the Southern frontier King’s ambitions truly be limited to the southern lands? If Wei Lenghou lost… her own suffering at the hands of Ge Qingyuan would be a minor matter.
The real fear was that rebellion would erupt in the North, and the Central Plains would no longer be a place of peace.
“The Grand Tutor’s concerns… I understand. From now on, I won’t trouble you with harem matters again,” she said softly.
The Grand Tutor said nothing.
He simply stared deeply at her and whispered, “Guo’er… give me a child.”
Nie Qinglin looked up at him and seriously thought for a moment before replying, “If the Grand Tutor truly gives his life for the country, then I am willing to bear a child to continue the bloodline of a Great Wei loyalist.”
Upon hearing her words, the Grand Tutor let his slender fingers linger for a long while on the fair, delicate neck of the little Dragon Pearl—though whether he was savoring the softness of her skin or resisting the urge to twist and snap it, even he wasn’t sure.
That night, the intricate mechanical bed finally served its purpose.
Oiled with vegetable oil and wound tight with tension cords, it jolted and rocked like a wild horse in heat.
Through such stormy chaos, the Grand Tutor—who once couldn’t even handle gentle movement, no longer felt seasick.
Energized and relentless, he tormented her four times in total.
Only when Guo’er looked so pitiful that even her voice had gone hoarse from crying out did he finally release the mechanism.
Standing beside the bed, he pulled her legs back again for one last, ruthless round of love.
It wasn’t until the morning sun peeked over the horizon that his desire was finally sated.
The bed was drenched, and the delicate flower in his arms was so exhausted she couldn’t even open her eyes.
He cradled her gently, and after feeding her warm tea mouth-to-mouth, he carried her to a clean, dry bed.
Nestled in the Grand Tutor’s arms, she quickly drifted off to sleep.
But the Grand Tutor himself had no intention of sleeping.
He lowered his head to look at the damp, sweat-covered girl in his arms.
In the daylight, this Dragon Pearl had spoken with such earnestness—she truly meant it when she said that if he died in battle, she would grant him a child to carry on his legacy.
And yet, no matter how hard he had tried to plant that seed just now, he feared it would still be in vain.
He recalled what the divine physician had said days ago when taking her pulse:
“Why is the young lady’s pulse so chaotic? It seems she recently ingested an aphrodisiac. With her constitution already damaged by taking forbidden medicines too young, and now with her blood and energy further thrown into disorder, it will be very difficult for her to conceive. I fear she may never bear children.”
Those words had filled him with rage at the time.
But the divine physician never exaggerated.
He never spoke without cause.
Could it be… that he and Guo’er would never have a child of their own? A child linked to them by blood?
