Chapter 699: Rural Estate (1)

Although Xiao Bojian hated the touch of the woman before him, he hid it well.

“Hmm?”

His tone rose in pitch near the end, making it slightly flirty.

As expected, the woman ate up his act. She giggled girlishly before putting her hands on Xiao Bojian’s naked upper body.

“Sir Xiao, I advise you to give up! Although the emperor doesn’t like Marquis Anyuan much, it’s not to the point where he would break apart Marquis Anyuan and Honoured Lady Jinyi. While Honoured Lady Jinyi’s secret identity is rather grand, it’s not something that can be revealed to the world. Even if the emperor wants to protect her, he wouldn’t do it in the open. Since Honoured Lady Jinyi is already pregnant with Marquis Anyuan’s child, the emperor has slowly abandoned his initial notions.”

Actually, she didn’t really understand the man under her.

He was clearly a bright and strong youth, admired by many of the ladies in the capital. Why did he have to set his heart on the already married Honoured Lady Jinyi? Even if Honoured Lady Jinyi had a somewhat special identity, surely he didn’t have to go this far?

Marquis Anyuan wasn’t a simple man. Furthermore, his second brother, He Erlang, was one of the emperor’s imperial guards...

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

A fierce tempest was broiling under the surface of Xiao Bojian’s gaze, but he didn’t reveal any of it.

Hidden under the brocade blankets, his right hand curled up into a fist, making his knuckles shine white.

He hadn’t thought that the emperor would still be able to put up with He Changdi even after all he had done!

This was what humans were like. They hungered for what they couldn’t get. By now, Chu Lian had already become Xiao Bojian’s obsession.

From what he could see, Chu Lian’s position in the emperor’s heart was even greater than what he had estimated.

Xiao Bojian shut his eyes to hide the possessive glint in his gaze.

After a moment, when he had calmed his emotions, he spoke once again, “Then about Imperial Concubine Wei?”

The woman sent another amorous smile his way, “Rest assured, Sister has already pulled it off without a hitch. In two more months, you and Sixth Prince can simply reel in the net.”

This time, satisfaction leaked out from Xiao Bojian’s smile. His hand slid down to the woman’s round bottom and groped it hard. Following that, he started moving viciously without any mercy.

In the haze of movement, the woman’s face became more indistinct, and finally morphed into that fresh and innocent face of the woman he longed for. Seeing that face in front of him, Xiao Bojian could no longer hold himself back.

It wasn’t until darkness fell over the capital that he finally exited the room.

As for the woman left on the bed behind him, her body was covered in bruises and her eyes had gone dim. When the maidservant waiting outside saw that Xiao Bojian had left with his men, she entered the room, only to be met with the sight of her madam’s abused body. She almost cried out in alarm.

The desolate autumn winds heralded the arrival of October.

At the start of October, news came from Shandong that the five noble houses of Shandong had been completely devoured by House Sima.

Closely following after that came the news that Prince Yinshan had lent his army to the Sixth Prince’s faction.

In the middle of October, Xiao Bojian forced rich merchants to submit and support Sixth Prince financially.

When it came to the start of November, the emperor suddenly fainted in court. Now his illness could no longer be hidden. Information leaked out from the Imperial Physician Institute, saying that the emperor didn’t have many days left.

There was a flurry of activity at court.

The empress didn’t have any sons and Second Prince had been imprisoned, so the battle between Fourth and Sixth Prince had become even fiercer.

The emperor sent out a decree, declaring Prince Wei as his temporary stand-in. Prince Wei would be the one to decide national matters, along with the cabinet.

As the emperor’s illness progressed, there was even more activity both in and out of court.

By the end of November, the two princes’ factions had come to the point where they were clashing on the battlefield.

Chu Lian’s expected delivery date was in the first weeks of December. It wouldn’t be long from now.

The most dangerous place to be in right now was the capital.

The moment He Changdi had returned early this morning, he had ordered Chu Lian’s servants to start packing.

Chu Lian had been in the middle of sewing a tiny child’s undergarment in her warm bedroom. Although she wasn’t good with needlework, she had learned from Xiyan over the past few months. She could still make a little undergarment since it was rather simple.

Hearing He Changdi’s footsteps, she turned to look at him with a smile, “Is something the matter? Why are you back so early today?”

When He Changdi saw that she had set down the needlework in her hands and was about to stand up to greet him, he quickly strode over first and held her.

It was already winter. While the room was kept warm, Chu Lian was still wrapped in layers. Other than her belly, her face hadn’t changed much. Her entire being was wrapped up like a ball. Due to the enormous size of her belly, her circulation wasn’t very good and her feet were swollen. Right now, it was painful for her to walk anywhere.

As long as He Changdi was around, he would always help to massage her legs if he had nothing to do.

“Have you felt anything in your belly today?”

Since it was close to her due date, He Changdi would ask that every day when he returned. Seeing how large she had become, he was on edge and worried for her each day.

Chu Lian smiled faintly and shook her head, “No, the little fellow has been good.”

The little bun in her belly had stopped tormenting her once they had hit the nine month mark.

He Changdi helped her over to a chaise and lowered her down slowly. As he watched Chu Lian drink some nourishing soup, he spoke with a grave expression, “Lian’er, the situation outside is becoming more and more unpredictable. I’m sending you to a rural estate in the outskirts today.”

Chu Lian was astonished, “We can’t stay within the city any longer?”

He Changdi nodded. There was nothing to hide from his own wife, “Xiao Wujing has highly skilled assassins by his side. I’m afraid he’ll try to do something to you.”