After Becoming a Concubine, I Took Down the Princess - Chapter 42

Since Liang Xiao entered the court, the time she spent in the residence had been greatly reduced. She still needed to handle some government affairs during the day, and the two of them could only meet in the evening.

The Emperor had given her a position in the Ministry of Rites, in charge of the Bureau of Ceremonial Regulations.

Nearly a month had passed since New Year’s Eve, and the weather had not yet warmed up. The chill of early spring in the second month was biting, and the cold wind seemed to drill into one’s bones.

However, snow was not falling frequently, which Yan Heng regretted deeply.

“I arrived a bit late today. I didn’t expect you to still be waiting for me,” Liang Xiao said, pushing aside the curtain and walking in.

Yan Heng put down the book in her hand and stood up to greet her: “I must see you before I dare to sleep, otherwise, I never feel settled at night.”

Yue Hua had been taken by Hua Zi to the side hall to warm up, leaving the room to the pair of lovers to share intimate and heartfelt words.

Yan Heng complained, “The delicious food made in the residence these past few days has uplifted my spirits so much that I’m having trouble falling asleep at night.”

Liang Xiao took her hand, and the two walked to the bed and sat down: “You are truly a gluttonous little fox, but you must be careful. Eating too much at night can easily lead to indigestion.”

Yan Heng smiled guiltily: “The food and drink at the Princess’s residence are first-rate. With so many delicious things laid out before me, how can I bear to waste them?”

Liang Xiao patted the back of her hand: “It’s good to eat more. I always thought you were a bit frail, but still, don’t overindulge.”

The room was warmed by the fire, and Yan Heng’s clothes were thin, but her complexion was rosy, so it couldn’t really be said that she was physically frail.

Yan Heng was naturally displeased: “When have I ever been frail? I’m clearly very strong.”

This remark instantly made Liang Xiao laugh: “Why can’t I see how strong Ah Heng is?”

Yan Heng ground her teeth and was about to stand up and roll up her sleeves to demonstrate her robust physique to Liang Xiao.

Before she could fully stand up, Liang Xiao pulled her back, and she lost her footing, falling backward onto the bed.

Liang Xiao leaned over her, blocking her lips.

Their bodies pressed together, their faces very close. Their breaths mingled as their lips and teeth intertwined. The flutter of this moment made them forget everything around them.

Yan Heng parted the lapel of Liang Xiao’s outer robe, slipping her hand inside to wrap around Liang Xiao’s waist.

Liang Xiao pulled the tie at Yan Heng’s waist with one hand, and with a gentle tug, her outer skirt instantly loosened.

Yan Heng panicked, withdrawing her hands and pushing lightly on Liang Xiao’s chest, panting as she said, “Your Highness?”

Liang Xiao released her lips, supporting her upper body with one hand braced by Yan Heng’s side, and met her gaze: “What’s wrong?”

Her voice was somewhat low and husky, making Yan Heng’s heart flutter.

Yan Heng slightly shook her legs, and the untied skirt fell to one side, exposing her inner garment: “Why did Your Highness take off my skirt?”

Saying this made her feel ashamed, so her voice was much softer.

With the restriction of the skirt gone, Yan Heng’s upper garment also became loose.

The candlelight in the room burned brightly, revealing the surging desire in Liang Xiao’s eyes.

She lifted one leg to kneel on the edge of the bed to steady her body. One hand remained supporting her on the bed, while the other stroked Yan Heng’s face.

“I want to be a little closer to Ah Heng.”

This was said with emotion, even a hint of longing, causing Yan Heng to drop her guard and proactively lift her head to meet her.

As she licked Liang Xiao’s lips, her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum: “Xiao, you can do anything.”

Liang Xiao’s hands still carried the outdoor chill. When they reached her waist, Yan Heng couldn’t help but shiver.

“Is it cold?” Liang Xiao asked.

Yan Heng shook her head: “No, it’s not cold.” Her heart was pounding rapidly, and her thoughts were in chaos.

Liang Xiao leaned down and held Yan Heng’s upper garment tie with her teeth, gently pulling the knot undone.

Yan Heng’s breath hitched, and she silently closed her eyes.

Liang Xiao’s kisses slowly moved down from her lips, stopping at her waist, only circling her upper body. After all, certain important matters were not for now. For them, such a mere taste was already a feast.

Yan Heng’s hands interlocked around Liang Xiao’s neck. Suddenly, she tightened her arms, even clutching a few strands of Liang Xiao’s hair in her palm.

After an unknown length of time, the candlelight in the room dimmed. The two held each other, quietly helping the other regain their breath.

At first, Liang Xiao took the initiative, but slowly Yan Heng also grasped the technique, and the situation quickly became intense.

However, the two of them didn’t dare to get too carried away, only stopping at a brief taste.

Liang Xiao kissed the tip of Yan Heng’s nose and sat up to straighten her clothes.

Yan Heng also sat up and hugged her from behind.

Neither of them spoke. Any more words of love would be redundant; a simple embrace like this was enough.

“I’ll head back to my room first. I still have some documents to deal with,” Liang Xiao stroked Yan Heng’s face. “I’ll come earlier tomorrow night.”

After speaking, she paused: “If I arrive too late, you can rest first, you don’t need to wait for me.”

Yan Heng cupped the hand that was placed on her face and affectionately rubbed against it.

After seeing Liang Xiao off, Hua Zi pushed the door open and walked in, looking puzzled: “What did the young lady and Your Highness talk about in the room today? Why did it take so long?”

As she spoke, she brought the washing items to Yan Heng.

Yan Heng quietly lowered her head and coughed lightly: “We just chatted casually for a bit.”

There was still some redness on her face. Hua Zi looked at her: “It seems the charcoal fire in the room was burning too high. My lady’s face is red from the heat.”

At this, Yan Heng’s face grew even hotter.

She hadn’t fully recovered from their earlier mischief. Now, with Hua Zi’s intentional or unintentional reminder, those scenes surfaced in her mind again.

Hua Zi handed over a damp cloth: “After you wash up, my lady should rest quickly. Tomorrow will mark one month, and it’s time to call the imperial physician for a check-up.”

Yan Heng washed her face and lay down on the bed, not feeling sleepy yet.

Her spirit was still quite excited. Having tried something new today, her heart was still unsettled.

What about going a step further? How should two women do it?

She stared at the bed-beam, pondering for a long time without a clear answer.

Watching the sunrise and moonset, her eyelids eventually drooped, and she fell into a daze before finally drifting off to sleep.

The weather was nice today, not cold outside. Yan Heng held her hand warmer and strolled around the princess’s small garden, finally heading to Liang Xiao’s study to wait.

Calculating the time, it seemed it was about time for her to finish court.

In the past, Liang Xiao was too busy and never had time to find Yan Heng after court. Today, Yan Heng decided to visit her and keep her company. Although they both lived in the Princess’s residence, the estate was actually terrifyingly large; Yan Heng had even gotten lost while wandering alone.

When Liang Xiao entered the door, she didn’t immediately notice Yan Heng daydreaming on the couch. Only after walking further in did she realize there was an extra person in the room.

She quickened her steps toward Yan Heng, pleasantly surprised: “Why did you come so early?”

Yan Heng stood up and smiled: “I couldn’t stay in my room, so I came to find Your Highness.”

The two first chatted about other things, then Yan Heng brought up the matter of Noble Consort Yu.

Yan Heng tilted her head and asked: “How does Your Highness plan to dig something useful out of Noble Consort Yu’s mouth?”

Liang Xiao gave a faint smile: “We’ve used this method before.”

Yan Heng thought for a moment, then suddenly realized: “Playing the ghost?”

Liang Xiao looked at her approvingly: “Exactly, that’s the method.”

She paused, then continued: “However, this time, it needs to be a little different from the last time.”

Yan Heng blinked, looking at her in confusion: “Different?”

“Precisely,” Liang Xiao held her hand. “This matter requires Ah Heng’s help.”

Ever since Liang Xiao was praised by Liang Shu after attending court, Noble Consort Yu felt annoyed every day. Her son, Liang Mu, was still young and not yet old enough to become an official, making her worry that he wouldn’t be able to compete for the throne.

The vexation in her heart was suppressed, and she spent her days frequently scolding and hitting her servants and smashing things, even Jixing was not spared. Everyone was extremely cautious when serving her.

“My Lady, today’s dinner has arrived,” Jixing called out to her, carrying the food box.

Noble Consort Yu got up and sat at the table, glancing at the plain, watery food, and couldn’t help but lose her temper again: “It’s this same stuff every day. Why don’t I see the dishes from before?”

“It’s because His Majesty heard from Her Imperial Majesty the Empress that the palace’s expenses are too wasteful, and he wants to be frugal,” Jixing said cautiously.

Noble Consort Yu’s expression was already dark, but she reluctantly picked up her chopsticks.

She said bitterly: “Every single person is trying to cross me. I must show you all some color to see. A disfavored Empress dares to comment on my affairs.”

**

Today was the day for the monthly allowance distribution. The Department of Internal Affairs sent over the supplies for the month. The eunuch in charge heard that Noble Consort Yu had been sleeping poorly recently, and to curry favor with her, he even sent over a good amount of calming incense.

As night fell, the people in Noble Consort Yu’s palace were all quiet. No one who valued their life dared to provoke her.

It had been clear weather during the day, but a strong wind suddenly picked up at night.

The wind howled outside, causing the doors and windows to creak. The swaying shadows of the trees hit the paper-covered windows, looking like ghosts coming for her life.

Noble Consort Yu felt an unexplainable chill in her heart, feeling goosebumps all over.

She got up and called for someone: “Jixing, stay in the palace tonight to rest with me.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

As soon as Noble Consort Yu fell asleep, she began to dream vaguely.

She wasn’t usually prone to dreaming; it only happened when her sleep was uneasy.

“Noble Consort, did you miss me?” In the dream, a hazy white shadow slowly approached her. Looking closely, the face was actually that of Consort Lian, who had died many years ago.

Noble Consort Yu in the dream repeatedly backed away: “You, don’t come near me!”

Unexpectedly, another figure suddenly rushed out from behind her: “Noble Consort, were all my family members killed by you?”

It was Cuixing, but her face was not visible, which made her look even scarier.

The voices in her ears grew louder and louder. One moment it was Consort Lian’s “Why did you harm me to this extent,” the next it was Cuixing’s mournful wailing, and then it turned into Yan Heng’s interrogation.

She flailed her hands in the dream, trying to drive away these figures.

“My Lady, My Lady, wake up quickly!” Jixing knelt beside her, shaking her vigorously.

Noble Consort Yu suddenly woke up from the dream, clutching Jixing’s hand as if it were a life raft.

“They, they came for me!” She stared blankly at the ceiling, seemingly not yet having fully recovered.

“My Lady, it must just be a nightmare, don’t worry. No one would dare to come for you,” Jixing comforted her.

Noble Consort Yu looked at her face, slowly letting out a sigh of relief.

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