After the Alluring Beauty Was Forced into a Political Marriage - Chapter 26

Shiqin Bari moved back into the Royal Tent.

Lianzhi sat by the couch with his knees pulled to his chest, his head tilted as he watched Shiqin Bari use a dagger to carve meat for him nearby. The blade sliced through the tender meat with a rhythmic sound, and in no time, the meat was cut into small pieces.

“Eat,” Shiqin Bari said, offering a piece on the tip of the blade to Lianzhi’s lips. Lianzhi opened his mouth and took it habitually. Though his health had long since recovered, Shiqin Bari seemed to have developed an addiction to serving him, insisting on doing everything personally.

To be fair, Lianzhi felt that aside from being somewhat heavy-handed and relentless in bed, this young barbarian treated him exceptionally well. As time passed, the resentment in his heart faded. Occasionally, during their intimate moments, he even found pleasure and responded instinctively. A sense of tender affection had actually begun to grow between them.

After Shiqin Bari left, Lianzhi asked Xiao Anzi to bring him his letters. Shiqin Bari had not lied; as long as Lianzhi wrote a letter, he ordered an envoy to deliver it to the post station, returning later with a reply from the Zhou palace.

Lianzhi opened the envelope and carefully read his Imperial Aunt’s letter before turning to his cousin’s.

Lu Jingce had entered the court and been titled the Prince of Chu. Lianzhi was momentarily stunned by the news. Lu Jingce had once told him personally that he did not care for fame or wealth; he only wished to be a leisurely prince, spending his life writing poetry and enjoying romantic pursuits.

“If Lianzhi is by my side, I can die with no regrets,” Lu Jingce had said. At the time, he was eighteen, dressed in white, elegant and poised. He stood under a peach blossom tree with his dark hair flowing, looking as beautiful as an immortal.

By then, Shen Lianzhi had already realized his feelings for him. Those words had made him feel warm all over, as if he were intoxicated. He had stood there in a daze, his cheeks burning. Lu Jingce walked over, brushed a fallen petal from Lianzhi’s shoulder, and pulled him close by the shoulder.

“Lianzhi,” Lu Jingce whispered, glancing at Lianzhi’s reddened ears with a faint smile, “Let it be like this, shall we? Stay by my side forever.”

The past remained vivid in his mind.

Holding the letter, Shen Lianzhi felt as if a thousand needles were pricking him. He forced himself to finish reading. At the end, Lu Jingce wrote, “Lianzhi, if the Great Xia Chanyu treats you well, I am at peace. I only wish to ask you one thing; in your heart, between him and me, who truly treats you better?”

Those words felt like a heavy blow, leaving Lianzhi’s mind reeling.

In his previous letter, Lianzhi had explained everything, writing, “Shiqin Bari pitied my loneliness in Great Xia and allowed me to correspond with the palace. These days, the Chanyu has treated me most kindly.”

He had been so focused on the joy of communicating with his old life that he forgot the nature of his relationship with Lu Jingce. Lu Jingce was not genuinely asking who treated him better; he was asking, in a roundabout way, who was currently in Shen Lianzhi’s heart.

Lianzhi was suddenly overcome with terror. No matter how many vows they had made in the past, that was then. Now he was the Khatun of Great Xia, and Shiqin Bari was his husband. The connection between him and Lu Jingce had become an unspeakable, illicit affair.

And illicit affairs cannot be kept.

Shiqin Bari believed he was only writing to his Imperial Aunt. If he discovered the secret hidden in those envelopes, if he knew of a man like Lu Jingce, Lianzhi dared not think of the consequences. With a racing heart, he quickly crumpled the letter and burned it.

Lianzhi stood up, intending to go out for some fresh air, only to run into Su Rina outside the tent. His heart leaped into his throat, and his face turned deathly pale.

Su Rina was smiling, which was uncharacteristic of her, and her expression seemed much softer. “Is the Khatun going out? My timing is unfortunate.” Despite saying so, she made no move to leave, standing firmly in front of him.

Lianzhi knew she had something to say. He forced a thin smile, wanting only to send her away quickly. “Not at all. Please come in, Eldest Sister.”

Su Rina did not stand on ceremony. She followed Lianzhi inside, and they sat on opposite sides of the wooden table. Su Rina glanced at him and smiled. “The Khatun has been in Great Xia for over half a year now.”

Shen Lianzhi, unsure of her intentions, gave a neutral response. Su Rina did not take offense at his coldness; her temper was unusually good today. She continued, “The Khatun’s health has recovered, but,” she paused suggestively, “this belly of yours, why is there still no news?”

Lianzhi looked up, his expression hardening. “What does the Princess mean by this?”

Su Rina looked back at him, her eyes as deep as dark pools. “Does the Khatun truly not understand?”

“Such things cannot be rushed,” Shen Lianzhi replied, turning his face away from her mocking gaze.

Lianzhi could not conceive; although he was intersex, he did not have a menstrual cycle like a woman. How could he become pregnant? He knew this, but he could not say it. If Su Rina found out, who knew what trouble it would bring? He had to deflect.

“Cannot be rushed?” Su Rina scoffed, examining her fingernails. “Is the Khatun not in a hurry, unwilling, or unable?”

She lowered her voice on the last word. It pierced through Lianzhi’s calm exterior like an arrow. He was panicked inside but kept his face still, looking at her with hooded eyes.

Su Rina knew she had hit the mark. If not for her foolish brother, she would have had this “vixen” strangled long ago, but she could not touch a hair on his head. She hated him deeply; her previous concession had been out of necessity, and she had never truly let go of her anger.

“Whether you are not in a hurry, unwilling, or unable, it does not matter,” Su Rina smiled. “Someone is coming to share the Khatun’s burden.”

Lianzhi’s eyes snapped wide. He looked at Su Rina and finally understood her purpose. Su Rina intended to bring a concubine for Shiqin Bari.

Lianzhi’s mind felt as if it had been hit by a blizzard, vast and empty. Su Rina continued, “Chagan, the King of the Karachin tribe, was a hero in the recent suppression of the rebellion. His only daughter, Princess Nomin, will turn eighteen in a few days. She is as beautiful as a flower; she is a perfect candidate.”

“I think it is good, and naturally, the Chanyu thinks so too. You know the Chanyu is young and often lacks judgment; he likes to defy me, his sister.” Su Rina shook her head as if helpless. “But this time he was obedient; he agreed quite readily!”

Shen Lianzhi was livid. He stood up abruptly, his chest heaving. He looked at her sideways and said, “Princess, please leave. I am tired.”

Su Rina did not linger, leaving with her head held high. Seeing the “male fox spirit” miserable made her feel wonderful.

When Shiqin Bari returned to the tent, Lianzhi was washing himself. Water was scarce on the grasslands, so full baths were rare. Lianzhi dampened a cloth and wiped his body from head to toe.

He wore only thin silk, which partially draped over his slender, porcelain-white body. His long legs were mostly hidden by the fabric, creating a tantalizing view. Shiqin Bari walked over and bit Lianzhi’s shoulder before pulling him into a tight embrace.

He kissed from the crook of Lianzhi’s neck up to his jaw and said, seemingly casually, “Nomin, the daughter of King Chagan, will turn eighteen in a few days. Her father performed great service for the Xia, and my sister wants to personally host a birthday banquet for her. You will come with me.”

“Chagan was the younger brother of the former Khatun; he is closely related to us. It is just a family banquet, so do not be afraid.”

Shen Lianzhi let out a soft laugh and put down the silk cloth. “Just a birthday?”

“I had some free time today and chatted with your Eldest Sister,” Lianzhi said calmly.

He did not state it explicitly, but Shiqin Bari understood. He had expected Su Rina to bring this up to Lianzhi. Shiqin Bari sat up straighter, glancing at Lianzhi. “You know, then. What do you think of it?”

Lianzhi wanted to sneer. However, he repeated Su Rina’s words back to him without emotion, “Me? I think it is excellent.”

“I hear Princess Nomin is as beautiful as a flower. Her father is a hero and the brother of the former Khatun.” Lianzhi laughed lightly. “In the Great Zhou, we call this adding relative to relative. It is a perfect match.”

Seeing him laugh as if he truly approved of the match, Shiqin Bari stared at Lianzhi’s profile. He stared so hard he almost pierced through him, but he could not find a single trace of jealousy or displeasure.

Shiqin Bari was suddenly consumed by rage.

He had no intention of taking Princess Nomin as a concubine; he had only used the topic to test Shen Lianzhi. He remembered how Lianzhi had once told Su Rina to “find someone more suitable” with total indifference. At the time, he had hated that “generosity.” Later, he realized he just hated that Shen Lianzhi did not care about him.

Lately, things had improved between them, but Shiqin Bari still felt uneasy. He held Lianzhi every night, yet he felt he had not truly reached the man’s heart. He was not sure how much Lianzhi felt for him, so he used this clumsy scheme to test him.

He thought that after everything he had done, he should have warmed even a heart of stone. But Shen Lianzhi, he still did not care.

Shiqin Bari did not want a virtuous display. He wanted Lianzhi to be angry, to be jealous, to force him to say he only wanted Lianzhi.

“Is that all you have to say?” Shiqin Bari asked in a low voice.

Lianzhi was stunned, looking up at him, confused. “What, what else could there be?”

He did not finish the sentence, but Shiqin Bari read the rest on his face. Shiqin Bari laughed out of sheer anger. “Fine, Shen Lianzhi, you are truly something!”

He did not want to look at Lianzhi for another second and stormed out. Lianzhi stared at his departing back, and suddenly, he felt a surge of anger too.

He was the one taking a concubine, so what right does he have to be angry? Lianzhi should be the angry one. But what could he say? Su Rina said the Chanyu agreed readily, so it was a settled matter. Lianzhi was unhappy, but what could he do?

Lianzhi had thought he did not care for him. For this barbarian, he felt at most a bit of gratitude and a craving for his warmth so he would not be so lonely. But when he heard the news with his own ears, he could not help but feel a deep sadness.

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