His Majesty is plotting a rebellion? Quickly, summon the Imperial Advisor!

Ji Yuan's furrowed brows relaxed, a look of surprise appearing on her face. Song Siming had clearly told her this. But she had overlooked it.

"I……"

Ji Yuan had a thousand words of defense, but they got stuck in her throat. When she tried to speak, she didn't know what to say.

From the time Xu Bing left in the early morning until his return at noon, a full two hours had passed.

If she had struggled even a little longer, she could have regained her freedom. But she wasted it?

Ji Yuan suddenly felt drenched in sweat, her mind reeling as if she were stuck. This meant that she could have easily escaped, yet…

"Ah!"

"Escape? I disdain this, why would I want to escape?" Ji Yuan forced himself to save face, glaring at Xu Bing.

She had a strong sense that if she continued to dwell on this issue, she would fight Xu Bing to the death.

Seeing that Xu Bing didn't pursue the matter further, Ji Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The two walked down from the restaurant, and on the way, Ji Yuan was still pondering why he had missed such an obvious opportunity to escape.

If it were my former self, I certainly wouldn't have acted this way. I would have been constantly looking for ways to escape.

But gradually, I even got used to it, and my struggles were limited to words.

Could it be...

Do I really like it?

No! Absolutely not! ... Ji Yuan gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and forcibly banished those complicated thoughts.

After leaving Lan Honglou, we walked to Huayue Lake behind it. This lake is deep and large, and because the water in the lake has its own spring warmth, it has never frozen.

Two or three flower boats were parading on the lake.

For distinguished guests of Lan Hong Lou, boating on the lake and appreciating the snow was a uniquely elegant experience. The manager of Lan Hong Lou had already prepared the boat. Seeing Xu Bing and his "wife" disembark, he bowed obsequiously and went to the front, "Sir, the boat is ready, the charcoal is lit. Shall we board now?"

"Mm." Xu Bing nodded.

"Would you like some hot tea..." The shopkeeper stopped mid-sentence, glancing at Ji Yuan out of the corner of his eye.

This lady was exceptionally beautiful and possessed an air of nobility.

Inside the Red Mansion, there are seven or eight women who are skilled in tea art. Their appearance and temperament are impeccable. They are dedicated to brewing tea on the boat and serving distinguished guests.

However, the man was accompanied by his wife. If he heard this, wouldn't he be making trouble for that woman?

Therefore, the shopkeeper wisely kept quiet and stopped discussing the topic.

The shopkeeper led the two to the shore of Flower Moon Lake, where a pleasure boat was moored. The boat was not small, and its decorations were quite luxurious.

A pink gauze curtain hangs down, and from the outside looking in, nothing can be seen. But from the inside looking out, everything is clear.

The innkeeper raised an eyebrow with a mocking smile, watching the two board the boat and drift towards the center of the lake. Finally, he sighed to himself, feeling extremely envious.

Such a beautiful woman, such a handsome young man, drifting together on the lake in the same boat—dry tinder is bound to meet a raging fire; such a magnificent sight! No one else can witness it.

The shopkeeper left.

Meanwhile, the two boarded the boat, which had a place to brew wine and tea, as well as a soft sleeping area. It was small but complete in every way.

Then look to the sides.

A vast expanse stretched out, drifting further and further from the shore, like a lone boat. Ji Yuan inadvertently caught a whiff of a strange fragrance emanating from Xu Bing, and her face immediately flushed, lost in thought.

No wonder this guy forced himself to dress like this...

Heh, in the end, isn't it just that you covet my good looks? All that gentlemanly behavior before was just an act... Ji Yuan crossed her right leg over her left, a posture that exposed her figure even more clearly.

She tossed her long golden hair lightly.

Status: Looking forward to it…

Xu Bing remained unhurried, calmly heating tea, brewing wine, and sipping tea and wine.

He held a ring to calm his mind and improve his spirit, then poured a cup of hot tea and pushed it in front of Ji Yuan. "Your Majesty, the matter of bestowing longevity upon you that I told you before is true."

Ji Yuan took the tea, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Can I live a long life by indulging in pleasure with you?"

She sipped her liquor lightly. "So what? I don't care about living an extra five or ten years. So... Xu Bing, you don't need to use the excuse of 'granting longevity' to try and do something untoward to me."

Ji Yuan sneered as he put down his teacup, raising an eyebrow with utter contempt. "The previous times were my favors. Are you about to become too proud of yourself?"

"You... are nothing more than my amusement."

Ji Yuan believed that one should not lose face or lose face, and that she should be able to take on any stage that was the best she could get.

Even though it's a sensitive matter and difficult to determine who actually benefited, Ji Yuan would never admit to being at a disadvantage. Even if she were, she would find a different way to express it.

"What if I said that an hour adds a day to one's life?" Xu Bing calmly sipped his tea and revealed the truth.

The art of the bedroom requires moderation; practicing for three hours a day is already the limit.

Of course, this was not Xu Bing's limit, but Ji Yuan's limit. Adding one day to one's lifespan for every hour seems simple, but if it were someone else, it could exhaust them to death.

maybe…

He didn't live much longer; instead, he died from exhaustion. But Xu's illness was somewhat special, stemming from a perfect mortal body and a physique honed through repeated training. Furthermore, the Yin-Yang Great Yuan Gong was his primary source of power.

Anyway...

He is terrifyingly strong.

"puff…"

Ji Yuan spat out a mouthful of hot tea, which was then blown into the lake by Xu Bing's wind blade.

Ji Yuan paled, and asked suspiciously and awkwardly, "Xu thief, what are you up to? Can lifespan be measured by... that... hour?"

A spark of light appeared on Xu Bing's fingertip and touched Ji Yuan's brow.

This is the "Art of Knowing Destiny," a minor technique that Xu Bing comprehended from the "Yu Yi Creation Technique." It's not even a minor technique; it's simply a small method for probing the growth of one's own lifespan.

It doesn't even need vital energy.

Ji Yuan activated this technique, her face turning red and then pale. She knew that her lifespan was only a little over sixty years, which meant that... at most, she would wither and die in her sixties.

It's almost halfway done.

He also sensed that his lifespan was indeed slowly increasing when he was ambushed by Xu Bing twice yesterday.

In one day, it seems that the lifespan has increased by about two days.

"My God...is this really true?"

Ji Yuan's eyes widened. The usually arrogant Ji Yuan was now filled with a mixture of confusion and embarrassment.

“This technique has no upper limit.” Xu Bing, like a composed chess player, pushed forward again, forcing Ji Yuan into a difficult situation.

This prompted Ji Yuan to do some calculations.

If she spends one hour a day on it, she will essentially remain young. If she spends two hours a day on it, she can even become younger.

Regardless of lifespan, just considering that feeling, wouldn't she want to experience it again?

"I……"

Ji Yuan suddenly felt his mouth and throat were dry.

"So, Your Majesty... would you like my Imperial Preceptor to grant you longevity?" Xu Bing asked with a smile.

Ji Yuan blinked, pretending to drink even though the cup was already empty. There were some words she simply couldn't bring herself to say.

At this moment, a small boat approached and ran alongside Xu Bing's Emperor's No. 1 flower boat.