The Princess Cannot Escape: The Cunning Prince Is Not to Be Messed With

Chapter 18 Heat Bikini

Inside the study, Ke Shouyi, the Minister of Rites, who was reporting the wedding ceremony procedures to Xiahou Ying, suddenly stopped, his face stiffening slightly.

"Continue." Ignoring the noise outside, Xiahou Ying picked up his teacup and gently brushed away the floating green tea leaves with the lid, his expression indifferent.

Standing behind him, Wei Jun suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for his master.

Ever since the future princess Yin Quan entered the Duan Prince's mansion, the master has not had a single day of peace.

On the one hand, he had to guard against her constant meddling, and on the other hand, he had to deal with the court officials, especially the Grand Preceptor Gu Lounan, whose power had increased rapidly in the past three years.

No one knew Gu Lounan's true origins. Even Xiahou Ying's most elite intelligence unit, "Cat's Eye," only knew part of his identity.

Gu Lounan's identity is like a swamp shrouded in mist, elusive and dangerous.

"The wedding will take place at night. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, all attendants will be accompanied by the Heavenly Wolf Army and the Seven Kill Army, arranged by the Grand Preceptor." As he spoke, Ke Shouyi paused and glanced at Xiahou Ying out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that Xiahou Ying's attention was still focused on his teacup. He wondered what was so interesting about the tea in that cup that could attract him so much.

"After the coronation ceremony at Phoenix Terrace, where the Heaven and Earth were worshipped, the Imperial Advisor arranged a fireworks display in Zhaoyang City..."

"Fireworks display?" Xiahou Ying raised his eyebrows as he looked up from above his teacup, his indifferent tone tinged with a questioning, almost self-talking quality.

"Indeed, the Grand Preceptor arranged the wedding ceremony at night for this fireworks display. I heard that the fireworks were a tribute from Eastern Tibet, with strange shapes and bright colors, and nine different colors in nine different variations."

After listening, Xiahou Ying turned his gaze back to the teacup, returning to his previous nonchalant and carefree state.

Seeing this, Minister of Rites Ke Shouyi's slightly anxious heart slowly relaxed. Just then, a soft, languid female voice, tingling with a numbing sensation and penetrating to the very depths of his soul, suddenly came from the doorway of the study.

"Darling...you haven't come for so long, I've been waiting for you so long..." Along with the voice came the sight of Yin Quan, who was wrapped in two layers of cloth, only covering her private parts. Along with a refreshing and sweet breeze, the Minister of Rites, who was of a certain age, was dumbfounded. He forgot his words, and his eyes didn't even move. He just stared blankly at the cool beauty who was only wearing a few strips, with a graceful figure, snow-white skin, and walking gracefully.

With his brow furrowed, Xiahou Ying tightened his grip on the teacup, but just before crushing it, he withdrew his inner force.

As he stood up and walked forward, each black terrazzo stone he passed was covered with a thin layer of bluish-white frost. Upon closer inspection, one could see alarmingly dense cracks beneath the frost.

With lightning speed, Wei Jun blocked the Minister of Rites's path, his position perfectly positioned to completely shut out the old man's unkempt, wandering gaze.

"Put it on." Xiahou Ying took off his outer robe and draped it over Yin Quan's shoulders. His lips were pursed so tightly that you could hardly see them move when he spoke.

"What? You don't like it? Let me tell you, this is called a bikini. People where I'm from wear these when they swim in the summer." She winked at him and smiled smugly, the kind of smugness that comes from a successful scheme.

His gaze fell upon her, and her dark, clear eyes seemed to hold a whole galaxy of stars, dazzling and brilliant like cosmic dust. Coupled with the slightly upturned corners of her eyes, which swayed like lively fish tails, he suddenly felt that her bold and soul-stirring attire seemed to shake the long-dormant indifference and coldness deep within his soul. He was suddenly unable to look away, and suddenly didn't know how to express the emotions surging deep within his heart at this moment.

“Darling…” Noticing Xiahou Ying’s pause, Yin Quan moved even closer to him, drawing out her words, her body almost pressed against his: “If you don’t speak, I’ll take that as a yes.”

"Your Highness seems to have distinguished guests. This humble subject will not disturb you any longer and will take his leave." Suddenly, at this moment, the Minister of Rites' slightly trembling, low, hoarse voice came from behind Xiahou Ying. Immediately afterward, the Minister, who was already over forty, rushed out of the room with lightning speed. As he passed by Yin Quan, two faint blushes even appeared on his high, prominent cheekbones.

Ke Shouyi's hasty escape brought Xiahou Ying back to his senses, but it also made his expression even colder and more tense than before.

"How was it? Isn't it curvaceous and exquisite? Xiahou Ying, do you admit you were just stunned?" Before he could speak, she moved closer to him, her round, small nose, slightly damp with sweat, even touching his sharply defined, smooth jawline. The instant contact of their hot and cold skin made Xiahou Ying feel as if a thousand thunderbolts were rushing through his body. His brows furrowed, and he stepped back, coldly saying, "You're stepping on me."

Stunned, Yin Quan stared at him blankly until the carved rosewood door closed in front of her before she came to her senses: "Xiahou Ying! Would it kill you to be nicer to me?!"

Suddenly, the door opened, and he looked down at her, handing her a thick stack of books.

Instinctively, she reached out to catch it, and immediately heard Xiahou Ying's noble, aloof, and disdainful voice from above: "Memorize these 'Women's Precepts,' 'Women's Classic,' and 'Founding Etiquette' before the fifth day of the fifth month, otherwise..."

"Drowning in a pig cage? Can't you come up with a more novel way to punish someone?" Interrupting his words, Yin Quan shrugged, her expression one of deep contempt.

"Otherwise, you should be prepared to die of old age in this Prince Duan's mansion." Ignoring her indifference, Xiahou Ying spoke indifferently.

After saying that, he closed the door, blocking Yin Quan, who was already starting to go berserk, from entering the room.

"Master, isn't the punishment a bit too harsh?" Hearing the clattering sounds coming from outside the door, Wei Jun twitched his lips and turned to Xiahou Ying, who remained expressionless.

Hearing this, Xiahou Ying remained silent, his gaze fixed intently and firmly on the memorial. After a long while, he slowly spoke, a barely perceptible hint of helplessness in his clear voice: "Do you think I've been too harsh on her?"

"No..." Wei Jun quickly gave a negative answer, lowered his head, and remained silent.

Xiahou Ying's slender fingers traced the edge of the bright yellow brocade frame of the memorial for a moment. He put down the memorial, stood up, and walked towards the window. He stood silently with his hands behind his back for a while, then turned to look at Wei Jun.

"The wedding ceremony is elaborate and complex, lasting four hours. It includes many royal rituals passed down from our ancestors, such as offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and crowning. If there is even the slightest mistake, it is a capital offense, and even a royal bride is not exempt. She is naturally unruly and fearless. If she is not threatened with her freedom, she will probably end up with a bad reputation for eternity on her wedding day."

Xiahou Ying spoke very slowly, no longer as indifferent, aloof, and superior as usual. Instead, his words carried a hint of helplessness, pity, and weariness.

After hearing this, Wei Jun said no more.

He had followed him for over ten years and knew his personality all too well.

He had thought that a bold and unrestrained woman like Yin Quan could lead her master away from the ever-piling mountains of memorials and allow him to completely shed everything and walk in the sunlight. However, he never expected that it was precisely this bright and dazzling woman who made him sink deeper into the political quagmire and unable to extricate himself from it. He even began to wonder whether meeting the dazzlingly beautiful Yin Quan was a salvation or a tragic fate.