Senior brother is so awesome!

The following is the main text of the novel "{?$article_title?}" ({?$jieqi_title?}) provided by {?$jieqi_sitename?}. Please enjoy! Suddenly turning his head, he exclaimed, "Don't lie to me! Didn't you marry the Left Prime Minister's eldest daughter today, in the first month of the lunar calendar?!"

This question caused Zhong Zhichen's normally smooth brows to furrow into a deep frown. He looked puzzled, his narrow eyes fixed on the indignant woman before him. "How did you know?"

This rhetorical question only confirmed Qin Yuechan's suspicions, and her heart, which had softened slightly, turned cold again. "If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place." Why would he come looking for her when he already has a wife? Ha! Does he really think she's indiscriminate?

Taking advantage of his unpreparedness, I moved a few steps away from him and turned my head away, unwilling to look at him.

The dim moonlight shone through the cellophane onto her barely clad body. The thin, water-smoky gauze clung to her skin, revealing a pair of crystal-clear feet beneath her skirt. She resembled a fairy from the moon palace, aloof and ethereal, yet alluring like a siren descending on moonlight. Beneath her semi-transparent robe, her curvaceous figure was on full display.

His hardened eyes suddenly darkened, his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and he slowly walked towards her.

Zhong Zhichen's martial arts skills are second only to his master Ye Xianqing. So when his hand wrapped around her slender waist, Qin Yuechan was only then realizing that he had already picked her up and was pinned to the wide bed at top speed. His strong arms held her waist tightly, and his other hand raised both hands above his head!

The masculine aura penetrated straight into my brain, leaving me in a state of chaos!

Her beautiful eyes widened in fury as she glared at the man who was ravaging her. She yelled, "You bastard! Get up! You're married and you still dare to mess with me! Get out!" Perhaps it was the fact that he was married that enraged her, shattering her hopes once more. In any case, she couldn't bear the thought of having any relationship with him; she found him utterly disgusting! Disgusting!

Zhong Zhichen, who had buried his head in her chest, paused upon hearing the curses. He raised his head, his eyebrows slightly raised, and a doting smile played on his lips. To Qin Yuechan, however, this was a deadly wicked smile. He was already so handsome that he was infuriating, but now, with his slightly disheveled hair hanging down over his forehead, he looked even more unrestrained and wild than usual. The curses that were about to spill out of his mouth were stuck in his throat, unable to come out or come down.

"Little girl, you dare to call yourself 'old lady' now? It seems Liu Tingpei has really spoiled you too much." In Sanqing Mountain, his junior sister had always stayed by his side with a cute and obedient demeanor. When had he ever seen her with this demonic aura? As he laughed, he clenched his back teeth. "But with you like this, junior sister, your senior brother wants to conquer you even more!"

His wicked smile turned into cold ice. With a flick of his hand, the gossamer-thin nightgown was torn to shreds. Qin Yuechan watched incredulously as he committed this act of violence, unable to resist. Compared to his skill level, her own abilities were utterly inadequate, like a fish trying to swim. She could only be easily defeated.

She was subjected to all sorts of insults and shouted for help, but the dormitory was eerily quiet, and no one came to her rescue!

Zhong Zhichen stroked her delicate skin and kissed her lingeringly: "In a little while, your senior brother will let you shout even louder. Don't worry, no one will hear you."

Startled, she exclaimed, "What did you do to them?" Wasn't Qing'er highly skilled in martial arts? How could she be so easily defeated?

His hands continued their work, and as he gazed at the writhing body beneath him, a surge of fire rose from his abdomen, almost burning away all his reason. "You have so much leisure time, why don't you care about yourself?"

"You..." Seeing that there was no way anyone would come to save her, she could only endure the waves of tingling he was giving her and say the most unromantic thing, "I've been Liu Tingpei's woman for a long time, and I'm even pregnant with his child. Don't you care?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Zhichen abandoned the alluring body beneath his lips and abruptly leaned forward to kiss those chattering little mouths. Their lips and teeth mingled as they nestled together, indulging in her sweetness. The delicious taste she had savored countless times in her dreams was finally no longer a mirage, but reality. She was finally lying beneath him again.

After tasting her luscious red lips, the heat surged to her ear. He held her delicate earlobe in his mouth and said in a hoarse voice, "Then I will erase his traces."

Before she could even react, a sudden wave of pain jolted her senses. She had been raped by a married man! She glared at the victorious man, wishing she could bite his neck off, her teeth clenched like a little leopard, "Zhong Zhichen, I hate you, I hate you!"

The extreme tightness of the bondage made him sigh involuntarily, but his movements became even more violent. "Hate me, hate me as much as you love me!"

He forcefully declared his ownership of her, ravaging her body. The man's heavy breathing and the woman's curses blended together, creating a moving melody. The large bed, strong enough to support ten people, was violently shaken, and the curses slowly transformed into tender moans, as she bit her lower lip, enduring his longing and love over the past few days...

When she woke up the next day, she looked at the bedroom with its layers of gauze curtains hanging down. It was empty except for her. She couldn't remember how she had fallen asleep the night before. Her mind was filled with images of his repeated attempts to make love to her, tormenting her to the point of ecstasy. Ah, how ambiguous and illicit that word was! But now, she could only secretly hate herself for being so powerless and shameless, for having been forced by him again, and for having actually surrendered to it…

Yang Shanshan, you're not short of men, how could you be so shameless as to get raped and still secretly enjoy it!

She didn't have time to think too much, worried that if Liu Tingpei came to see her and found the room in a mess, it would put Zhong Zhichen in danger.

Dragging her body, which felt like it had been run over, she changed her clothes, covering the bruises on her neck. As she prepared to call someone in to serve her, she caught a glimpse of her torn pajamas under the bed. Looking at the rough marks, the wanton pleasure of last night seemed to resurface. She shook her head violently and picked them up.

Qing'er's service was attentive and meticulous, but the expression on her face betrayed her; she was gloomy and had her head down, as if she was too ashamed to face her.

They dismissed everyone else, leaving only the master and servant.

Looking at the stunning beauty in the mirror, Qin Yuechan asked seemingly casually, "Say what you want to say, why are you looking so down?"

Qing'er hesitated for a moment, then knelt down with a thud and kowtowed, "Master, it is Qing'er who has protected you."

She didn't blame Qing'er. After all, with Zhong Zhichen's martial arts skills, no one in the martial arts world except her master could handle him. She helped Qing'er up with her delicate hands and smiled, "Don't blame yourself, I'm fine."

Qing'er's expression didn't brighten at all upon hearing this. She was his personal maid; how could she not see the bruises on her mistress's neck? Every time the Emperor came, these marks would appear the next day. She may not have experienced the pleasures of love, but that didn't mean she was ignorant of them. The Empress being bullied was her dereliction of duty! The Emperor had chosen her from hundreds of female guards, and she had failed in her duty!

Qin Yuechan understood perfectly well. She patted her hand reassuringly and said gently, "Don't worry, the Emperor won't know. We're in this together now." Behind her soft voice was a subtle warning. She knew how much the Emperor doted on her mistress. Even if she reported the truth, she would only lose her head, while her mistress would certainly be safe. However, no matter what, she would not report it to the Emperor. There was no reason…

After breakfast, Feng Yi, the head maid of Fengchen Palace, relayed a message that the Emperor had returned to Yangxin Palace from Qionghua Palace last night completely drunk, and the four newly appointed concubines who had served him were naturally the ones who had attended him the previous night. This news spread like wildfire, and everyone, from the concubines to the palace maids, was discussing whether the arrival of the four alluring concubines would affect the Empress's favor.

Feng Yi lowered her head, waiting for the Empress's anger. She had been in the harem for ten years and had served five or six concubines. Whenever they heard that the Emperor was staying elsewhere, they would either cry or even physically punish them, the servants. Yesterday, the Empress's methods of dealing with Consort Yun in Qionghua Palace were too cruel. She was afraid that she would be executed if she was not careful. It would be better to just kill herself.

Unexpectedly, after waiting for a while, a soft laugh rang out. Looking up in surprise, she saw a genuine, radiant smile on that stunningly beautiful face, which did not seem fake. Just as she was wondering, she heard the Empress slowly say, "They have been given the opportunity. Now it depends on their ability to keep the Emperor."

As if talking about something unrelated to herself, with a nonchalant and breezy expression, Feng Yi finally understood that the Empress was unintentional, and only someone like her could go further in the treacherous harem.

Qin Yuechan glanced at the sun outside the palace gate, raised her red lips and called to Qing'er, "The sun is shining brightly today, come with me for a walk in the Imperial Garden."

It was autumn, and the Imperial Garden was filled with dazzling chrysanthemums of all colors. She was dressed in a light yellow palace gown, her hair styled in a snake bun, simply wrapped with pearls and adorned with a hairpin. She walked slowly along the clean bluestone path, her beautiful eyes glancing at the colorful blossoms on the ground.

She sighed softly. Ultimately, he wasn't as beautiful as the one Yunting had cultivated. Thinking of him, she felt a deep sense of guilt. She had promised to play with him the next day, but since then, the Emperor had been constantly bothering her, and she returned to the palace after only a few days. There was still a whole year until next year's hunt. She wondered what her position would be when she saw him again. Life was unpredictable, and even a child understood the saying, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger." Although she was quite confident in holding onto Liu Tingpei's heart, she couldn't say that all those men were imperial princes. Since meeting Zhong Zhichen, she had a strong premonition that she would soon see her other senior brothers. For some reason, she preferred to follow Liu Tingpei without a care in the world rather than face them again. She had given herself to them, only to be heartbroken. What would it be like when they met again?

Tired from walking, they saw a small pavilion ahead and led Qing'er there.

But as they drew nearer, they heard the sounds of string and wind instruments, interspersed with a woman's silvery laughter and a man's hearty laughter.

And that laughter was all too familiar to her—it belonged to Liu Tingpei. It seemed those four beauties were serving her very well; they were still lingering together, reluctant to part. She shook her head self-deprecatingly. Now, as Empress, wielding power over the six palaces, she could even sense the feelings Feng Yunshuang had when she was in power. However, she was different; how could a heartless woman be jealous to the point of losing her composure?

Not wanting to interrupt their fun, she lifted her skirt and was about to turn around when someone suddenly shouted, "Isn't that the Empress?"

Alright, with a notification, it would seem petty if she didn't show up. She straightened her expression, put on a faint smile, and stepped forward. Liu Tingpei had already come out to greet her, and as soon as he got close, he put his arm around her waist and was eager to explain.

She looked up and covered his mouth, her beautiful face tilted up, full of understanding, "Your Majesty, as the ruler of a nation, you need not explain to your concubine."

Liu Tingpei drank too much yesterday and didn't even know how he got back to the palace. When he woke up today, he found four stunningly beautiful women lying naked beside him, clothes scattered all over the floor, and the bed a mess. The first thing he did after getting up was to go to Fengchen Palace to "apologize." However, the envoy from Xuanyuan Kingdom invited him, and he couldn't refuse. So he took the four enchanting beauties to the Imperial Garden, where chrysanthemums bloomed everywhere, and drank wine with them. The four beauties took turns serving him, which made him, who was used to delicacies, appreciate the flavor of simple dishes.

When he was with Qin Yuechan, he was always the one making constant efforts to win a smile from the beauty. But when he was with them, he enjoyed the painstaking efforts to please them. These were two extremes, and the latter was clearly more refreshing to him.

Nevertheless, he still felt extremely uncomfortable when he saw her, so he disregarded the presence of the envoy and quickly ran out of the pavilion to explain to her. To his surprise, she forgave him very generously. He was deeply moved, thinking that this was his empress!

He led her into the pavilion with his arm around her slender waist. Qin Yuechan was stunned. It turned out that there were not only four beauties here, but also Qin Muhan, Zhong Zhichen and another envoy. When they saw her, they all stood up and bowed, "Long live the Empress!"

She stared at Zhong Zhichen, who was clasping his hands in a fist salute, and her eyes suddenly twitched. Well, after last night's fierce attack, she was exhausted, but he was perfectly fine, looking refreshed and even more dashing, as if he were bathed in a spring breeze.

Two words popped into my head: smug! This married man forced himself on a married woman, and he's still all smug about it!

Liu Tingpei noticed her unusual behavior and asked softly, "Is the Empress feeling unwell?"

She abruptly looked away, smiled faintly, shook her head, and touched her forehead. "Perhaps I drank too much last night, I'm feeling a little dizzy."

"Your Majesty is now the mother of the nation, and should take even better care of your health." A deep, cold voice rang out, revealing just how sour Qin Muhan's expression was. However, he dared not show it too obviously in front of everyone, but how could she not understand?

Jealous men are indeed unreasonable.

When the Empress arrived, the four beauties naturally gave up their seats. Their alluring faces showed no trace of coquetry, only utmost respect and restraint. Consort Yun's fate last night was too tragic, and none of them dared to offend her. Even though they were under orders, they could only retreat to the sidelines.

The music continued, and she sat there feeling extremely uncomfortable. There were four men present, three of whom had been intimate with her and were even drinking together. Haha, this scene was truly outrageous!

With a polite smile, she sipped her tea, pondering how to escape.

At this moment, a clear voice rang out, "I have long heard that Your Majesty the Empress is a beauty that could topple kingdoms, but now that I have seen you, you are even more beautiful than the rumors say. Your beauty is only found in heaven; how often can one hear of it on earth?"

The arrogant flattery actually came from the envoy next to Zhong Zhichen. Looking up, he was also a handsome young man with delicate features, big eyes and thin lips. However, it seemed like he had seen him somewhere before.

With a slight smile, he asked, "And this gentleman is...?"

Zhong Zhichen picked up the conversation, "This is our military governor, Cui Hao." His expression was normal, his eyes indifferent, as if he were introducing a stranger. It was perfectly normal, but why did she find it so displeasing? You're such a show-off, did you get your Oscar statuette from somewhere?

Despite his inner grumbling, he still maintained proper etiquette, politely looking at Cui Hao and saying in a gentle voice, "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Cui. I am truly unworthy of such praise."

She didn't pay attention to a word they were talking about, but Zhong Zhichen and Qin Muhan kept glancing at her, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. She subconsciously raised her strapless bra to hide her cleavage, but this action startled Liu Tingpei, who was speaking, and his eyes darkened. The other two naturally did the same. Well, she couldn't resist...

Feeling utterly stifled, and seeing the four women standing there without anyone behind her was truly heartbreaking—they were all women, and since she had no intention of making things pleasant for them—she lied and said she had a headache before leaving the table. Liu Tingpei originally wanted to stay with her but couldn't abandon the envoy, so he instructed Qing'er to take good care of the Empress.

She didn't want to go back to that magnificent cage, and she couldn't stand staying in the Imperial Garden. Suddenly, she remembered the punishment she had given Feng Yunshuang last night while she was drunk, and a pang of guilt flashed through her heart. Alas, impulsiveness is indeed a devil, especially when it's a drunken, heartbroken devil. She took a deep breath and had Qing'er lead the way to the Cold Palace.

Since ancient times, the Cold Palace has never been called the Cold Palace. Indeed, how could the emperor's place have such a vulgar name? Chonghua Hall, three characters that have nothing to do with good fortune and auspiciousness, is the name of the Cold Palace of Xuanwu Kingdom.

The guards at the gate were taken aback when they saw her arrive, but then respectfully opened the door and invited her in.

Empresses would never come here unless it was unlucky, because it was considered unlucky. Only when they fell out of favor would they stay here for the rest of their lives, never to rise again.

She wasn't a proper ancient person, and she wouldn't pay attention to such unfounded things. She pushed open the door and went in. It wasn't as desolate as she had imagined. It was no different from an ordinary courtyard, just a little dilapidated, but much better than Qinglin Garden where she lived in the imperial palace.

The nanny leading the way greeted them respectfully all the way. This was the highly sought-after Empress, and she was treated even better than their own mother!

Qin Yuechan learned from her that Consort Feng Yunshuang had not yet been executed. They said they would choose a day for a special person to carry out the execution. After all, she was once the Empress, and they still valued her very much. Hearing that she had not yet been executed, Qin Yuechan breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, otherwise she would have seen Feng Yunshuang in a wine jar, and she would definitely have nightmares every night!

Upon entering the inner room, one sees a woman with a deathly pale face lying in a dilapidated green gauze cabinet; only the occasional rise and fall of her chest reveals that she is still alive.

The old nanny from the Cold Palace, wanting to impress the Empress, suddenly rushed over, grabbed her hair, and pulled her up, cursing, "You dare to sleep when the Empress is here? You've got a death wish!"

Startled awake from her dream, Feng Yunshuang, before she could figure out what was going on, angrily said, "I am the Empress! You dog servant, how dare you disturb my sleep!"

Touching her aching scalp, she caught a whiff of a strange fragrance and finally awoke from her dream of being the Empress. Looking at the woman in pale yellow palace attire beside her, she shrank back into the corner of the bed in fear, crying, "Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!"

---Aside---

I've been getting lazier and lazier lately~ Haha, I'll be earlier tomorrow~ Please forgive me, everyone~