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

Chapter 34 Plotting Treachery

Confined by his figure, Yin Quan was somewhat stunned and confused.

Xiahou Ying's appearance seems a bit off...

She subconsciously reached out and touched his arm, her brow furrowing.

Why is it so cold...

Xiahou Ying felt as if the temperature had been drained from her body, leaving her extremely cold. She looked at him, her lips pressed tightly together, her earlier fear turning into worry.

"Xiahou Ying, you..."

"Go out..." The person in front of him only managed to utter two stiff, hoarse words before losing consciousness and pressing down heavily on Yin Quan.

It felt as if a mountain was pressing down on her. Yin Quan couldn't hold on and was forced to sit on him. If it weren't for the white jade pool behind her, she would probably have been pushed into the water and drowned.

Holding his body, which was growing cold and stiff, Yin Quan looked up at the ceiling, which was also made of white marble, and let out a soft sigh.

What should we do now?

Are we just going to leave it soaking like this?

What if Xiahou Ying wakes up and doesn't remember anything that happened, and thinks I have ulterior motives towards him?

At that point, she'll be in a situation where she can't clear her name no matter what she does.

Just then, she suddenly lowered her gaze and looked down. She saw that Xiahou Ying, who was unconscious, had his eyes slightly closed. His eyelashes were thick and long, covered with water droplets, making them appear even thicker.

His lips, now a blood-red color thanks to the hot water, were no longer a sickly pink, but had returned to their usual crimson hue, appearing alluring in the candlelight.

"Xiahou Ying?" With a slight stirring in her heart, Yin Quan tentatively called out.

no response.

"A germaphobe?"

Still no response.

"A perverted show-off?"

Still no response.

He called out three times in different ways, but the aloof beauty in his arms didn't react. Yin Quan pursed his lips, and a sudden surge of anger rose in his heart for no reason.

She suddenly sank down, plunging Xiahou Ying, who was face down, into the water.

Seeing that the person in her arms was not struggling, she quickly lifted him up again.

Hmph! Serves you right for bullying people all the time!

Xiahou Ying, what goes around comes around! Sooner or later I'll make you kneel at my feet and sing "Conquer"!

Staring at the unconscious beauty in his arms, Yin Quan's lips curled into a wicked smile. As he smiled, a mist rose in his eyes.

A strand of black hair clung to Xiahou Ying's forehead, which was soaked in water. It meandered like a water snake down his temples and into his delicate collarbone. She stared at him and suddenly felt a little itchy.

She looked away and began to count the number of candlesticks beside the bathtub.

One, two... Xiahou Ying's collarbone...

Uh… Yin Quan frowned slightly, bit her lip, and shook her head.

Three, four... those red lips are so tempting, like pink cherry blossoms and fruit. I wonder if they're as sweet as that stuff...

Uh… Yin Quan turned her head away, trying hard not to look into her bosom.

Five, six... six... six...

Damn it! Xiahou Ying! You monster!

"Tell me! You bastard, you drugged me, didn't you?! You must have drugged me!" Yin Quan grabbed Xiahou Ying's neck and shook him violently, furious.

Amidst his anger, his eyes grew increasingly unfocused.

Give me a kiss...

She just gave him a quick kiss... anyway, he wouldn't know...

A kiss won't get you pregnant...

Convincing herself again and again, Yin Quan moved closer to Xiahou Ying, her heart pounding like a drum, "thump" "thump" against her eardrums. She felt herself sweating, but it was quickly dissipated by the steam in the pool.

Just as her lips were half an inch away from his, he suddenly opened his eyes.

Her eyes widened suddenly, and Yin Quan abruptly released her grip, only to have a cold hand suddenly seize the back of her head. At the same time, her lips felt a sudden chill. Then came his overwhelming, crisp breath, like the first wisp of dew in the early morning of late autumn, carrying a hint of pine and bamboo fragrance. In an instant, it was like a bolt of lightning flashing across the night, leaving a dazzling trail of light, flowing and crashing erratically through her body like a colorful ribbon.

Staring in shock at those dark eyes that seemed to shimmer with a faint blue aura, Yin Quan pressed herself against his bare chest, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

Just then, Xiahou Ying suddenly let go and pushed her away. He stood up abruptly, looking down at her with a godlike gaze, his voice as sharp as the cold wind, carrying an icy chill that kept people at a distance: "You shouldn't have provoked me."

After saying that, he leaped out of the pool, leaving Yin Quan alone in the pool.

"Hey, are you shy?" She stood up from the pool, looked at his back, and blinked.

A faint blush appeared behind Xiahou Ying's ears, but he ignored the person behind him.

"That was actually your first kiss, wasn't it? Me too!" He slowly ran his index finger across his lips, where the cold warmth of his kiss seemed to still linger.

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Ying paused slightly, seemingly hesitating for a moment.

"Xiahou Ying, there are no steps in this pool. Can you help me out?"

"Climb out yourself." Xiahou Ying's voice was icy as he turned his back to Yin Quan.

Would it kill you to help me?!

"A person will only die if they are submerged face down in water." After saying that, Xiahou Ying turned and left, leaving Yin Quan alone in the pool staring wide-eyed.

He actually knew all of that!

Damn, so petty! A pervert!

It took a lot of effort to climb out of the smooth white marble pool. Soaked to the bone, Yin Quan walked back to her room, drenched in water.

Seeing her soaking wet and disheveled appearance, Harina was initially surprised, but after noticing her expression, he silently found her some dry clothes to change into.

“Then, your father’s assessment of Xiahou Ying is inaccurate.” Holding a bowl of ginger soup, Yin Quan sat at the table and spoke to Harina in a serious tone.

“Father is the banner chief of our Mongol Tutan Banner, and he would never speak empty words. Father said that Prince Duan is the only person he respects in his life besides the current emperor, and only the fastest horse on the grassland and the highest-flying eagle are worthy of him.” Harina shook his head and looked at Yin Quan more seriously.

Upon hearing this, Yin Quan didn't say anything more, but instead turned her gaze to the wall where the bookshelves were placed, which was the wall they shared.

"Then, your father seems to be very knowledgeable?" After a while, she looked away and looked back at the little girl in front of her, whose dirt had been washed away but whose skin still had fine cracks.

“Of course, my father is Minanaro of the grasslands!” Harina said, a proud gleam on her little face.

"Mi what Luo?" Frowning, Yin Quan was somewhat confused as she heard the word for the first time.

“Minanaro means wisdom.” Harina answered without hesitation, showing no contempt for Yin Quan’s confusion, but patiently explained.

"Do you know what kind of martial arts can make someone's entire body turn cold? So cold that their hands freeze?"

“I don’t know. Martial arts are something that people from the Central Plains practice. We Mongols are good at riding and understand animal languages.” Harina shrugged and shook his head.

After hearing this, Yin Quan didn't ask any further questions, but her gaze drifted towards the bookshelf.

Could it be that he wasn't practicing martial arts... but rather poisoning?

Thinking this, Yin Quan pursed her lips and turned her gaze back.

How is he now? Why is there no sound from next door... Should she go check on him?

Inside the study, Xiahou Ying glanced at the secret letter sent by the informant, then clenched his palm. When he opened his fingers again, only a pinch of powder remained in his palm, which was blown away by the wind without leaving any trace.

He stood up, turned and walked towards the wall facing the door on the north side of the room, where a painting of the sunrise over the sea hung, the work of Yao Zhijing, a famous calligrapher and painter of the previous dynasty.

He reached out and touched the edge of the brocade mounting, his fingers lightly tapping the wall, varying in length and rhythm. Then, a muffled thud like a boulder rubbing against each other was heard, and the wall behind the sun painting slid open to both sides, revealing a crack about the width of a person.

Stepping into the dark crevice in the wall, Xiahou Ying walked down the spiraling stone steps that stretched downwards, seemingly endless. The candlesticks hanging on the stone walls on both sides lit up with each step he took, and then quietly went out behind him like curtains closing.

At the end of the stone steps was a square stone chamber, where a faint candlelight shone, casting long, dark shadows on the black stone walls.

“Ding Haichang, the Vice Minister of War, is dead.” Standing at the entrance of the stone chamber, Xiahou Ying was half-hidden in the darkness and half-exposed in the candlelight. His snow-white robe was bathed in the warm orange light, shimmering with a luminous halo, like pearls and jade. This contrasted sharply with the stone chamber, which was completely dark and even emitted a few eerie green lights under the candlelight, yet it did not seem out of place.

Upon hearing this, the dark figure sitting in the stone chamber moved slightly, as if stirring up a gust of wind, causing the already flickering candlelight in the room to tremble.

Dark shadows flickered on the stone wall, which was dark gray with a faint green glow, but eventually fell silent, as if affected by the low pressure that permeated the air.

"The only witness in this case is dead, and there is no way to verify the truth. Your Highness has helped me out of a sense of justice, and I will remember this kindness. If I survive this ordeal in the future, I will repay you tenfold!" Lu Xun said, and was about to clasp his hands and bow, but the latter shot two stones that hit his knees, stopping him from doing so.

"There might still be room for maneuver in this case..." Xiahou Ying's tone was as indifferent and cold as ever, but his two gazes appeared exceptionally bright in the dim candlelight of the stone chamber, almost tangible.

"The Vice Minister of War, Ding Haichang, is dead. What makes you say this, Your Highness?" A hint of confusion flashed in Lu Xun's eyes as he frowned.

“There is another witness.” Xiahou Ying said, adjusting his sleeves, his gaze toward Lu Xun becoming increasingly clear.

"There's another witness?" After repeating his words, Lu Xun, whose brows had been furrowed, suddenly opened his eyes and his lips moved slightly, but he ultimately did not speak.

Seeing his look of sudden realization, Xiahou Ying raised an eyebrow and continued, "If you want to clear your name, there is only one way: you must have the courage to disregard life and death and the determination to never turn back. Can you do that?"

Staring intently at the snow-white figure before him, who remained calm yet stood as imposing as a mountain, Lu Xun pursed his lips and clasped his hands in a deep fist salute: "My life already belongs to the Western Liang kingdom and its people. My life and death are nothing to worry about! Everything is at Your Highness's command!"

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Ying lowered his eyes and looked at Lu Xun, who was kneeling on one knee at his feet. His dark pupils narrowed slightly, and his expression was complicated. He pursed his lips and remained silent for a while before speaking.