35 3.6 (1/2)

[A/N: Sorry everyone, the word count was getting out of hand, so I've redistributed. There's a new part at the end of 3.5!]

Before Emperor Taihe could reach Consort Jing's suite, however, he found a group of unconscious bodies on the hallway's marble floor. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that a palace guard had attacked several eunuchs. While this was odd in itself, the critical detail was that these eunuchs weren't Consort Jing's. Rather, their identification badges were stamped with the symbol of the crown prince.

The officials paused, exchanging meaningful glances.

Apparently, the rumors of a conflict between the prince and the consort were true, although it was baffling what either side intended or how this scene had come about. Unlike the purely curious discussions of the crowd, in the shadows, the crown prince's faction was frantically sending a messenger to inform him of their failure.

But Lu Guanting barely paused at the sight before striding onward. So, Zhang Hua had prevented this part of the crown prince's scheme. How would he prove his purity? As Lu Guanting had predicted, there was no movement when he experimentally pushed the doors, making him lower his eyes to hide the satisfied glint that flashed across them.

Zhang Hua, Zhang Hua, really lived up to expectations ah.

The crowd didn't disperse as they should have at the sign of trouble, too caught up in the mystery. Instead, they watched avidly as the emperor stepped back and nodded, so that two of his personal eunuchs came forward and forcefully shoved the doors open.

Inside, several loud crashes sounded, shocking the onlookers.

The noise had come from the pile of overturned furniture which had been blocking entry to the consort's suite, while items were scattered haphazardly from the center table to the door that led to the gardens. Despite the wind flowing in through the terrace door, which had been left ajar, the sweet smell of alcohol still permeated the room, wafting from a shattered, blood-covered wine flask on the carved table.

It looked like the consort had been drinking, then suddenly ran out in a panic.

Combined with the guard's flushed face and the shameful stains on his uniform, it was easy to put together what must have happened. An intoxicated servant attempting to break into the beautiful consort's rooms, the frightened consort determinedly barricading his doors and running away...the sole point that remained vague was whom the crown prince's servants had been helping.

The emperor's face darkened, but he kept silent, advancing straight to the gardens. Luckily, it was easy to trace the consort's route, because just when the trail seemed lost, they happened to come across leads like a dropped hairpin, some broken tree branches, or bloody handprints on a stone.

The group restlessly pursued these clues until they arrived at the edge of a forest, reaching a small lake. At last, they found Consort Jing swaying in the middle of the water.

His hair hung wetly down his back while his thin gown, which had turned half-transparent from the water, carelessly hung off his shoulders. With his closed eyes and feverish cheeks, the consort's thoughts were unclear. But whether the consort meant to simply refresh himself or commit suicide out of shame, the picture of a solitary beauty soaking wistfully stirred up the hearts of everyone present.

Narrowing in on that figure, Lu Guanting's pupils shrank.

What did Zhang Hua mean by staging such a scene? By now, the emperor was certain that nothing had happened to the consort and that the traces of his rushed escape were merely a ruse. Then what did he hope to do, displaying such a seductive appearance?

Regardless of Zhang Hua's intent, Emperor Taihe turned around, glancing lightly over the crowd behind him. He'd allowed them to spectate so far in order to serve as witnesses and gossipmongers if Zhang Hua failed, but this, they were not worthy of appreciating. Noticing his displeasure, the emperor's eunuchs swiftly herded the others away.

When those unrelated people left, only the two remained, separated by an expanse of water.

They were both silent for so long that the rustling of small animals and the chirping of birds could be heard.

Still, Chen Yu didn't acknowledge the emperor, busy trying to cool his body down. Who would have guessed that this aphrodisiac would genuinely work, and so potently at that? In other lives, such medicine had rarely showed any effect at all.

But when Lu Guanting sliced through the water to stand in front of him, Chen Yu could no longer ignore him. His lashes fluttered open to bare his black, misty eyes, a bead of water splashing onto his red cheek and sliding down to his sharp chin then along his soft throat.

At this distance, Lu Guanting couldn't miss the scent of jujube wine coming from those pouting lips, and he realized why Zhang Hua was so dazed. It seemed the crown prince had invested quite a bit into buying a quality aphrodisiac, Zhang Hua was so sensitive now that even the gentle swaying of the water around him made him shiver and moan.

A smirk unconsciously formed on Lu Guanting's thin lips as he stepped closer and closer. The consort had been teasing him for many, many days.

Standing a finger's length away from that tense body, Lu Guanting didn't touch him, only leaned over and whispered, ”Beloved consort, come tell this emperor what's wrong.”

That deep voice and the hot breath that washed over his ear made Chen Yu shudder uncontrollably, his legs softening so that he fell into Lu Guanting's waiting embrace.

Damn it, this tall, masculine body was his type on any regular day. Having been weakened by the drug, he absolutely couldn't resist anymore.

So Chen Yu leaned bonelessly against the broad chest with his head bowed, trying to neaten his robes with trembling fingers, and inadvertently exposed the vulnerable nape of his neck while bringing the pervert's attention to the bloodstains he'd gotten from breaking the wine flask. Almost reflexively, Lu Guanting seized the tender, white hands. When Chen Yu stared at their intertwined hands for a moment then raised a red-rimmed, half-lidded gaze, that was the finishing blow.

With that glance, Lu Guanting was in no mood to continue getting Zhang Hua back for his previous refusals. He lifted the heated body up into his arms and stalked over to lay him down on a nearby stone ledge that was large enough to accommodate Zhang Hua's head to his hips.

Without even stripping their clothes off properly, he stepped between Zhang Hua's slender legs that hung over the edge of the rock and leaned over to taste those juicy lips, his large hands palming the slippery heat below. When the stimulation was too much, so that Chen Yu involuntarily thrust his hips up and squeezed his thighs around Lu Guanting's waist, the pervert released a hoarse laugh but didn't delay, thrusting into him impatiently.

Their ambiguous moans and pants echoed in the open space, continuing on until late evening.

At a distance, the eunuchs who were standing guard lowered their heads, unable to laugh or cry. Although it was excellent that the emperor had finally caught the consort, couldn't he have succeeded in a less conspicuous place? These lowly servants truly had no way to face those noble bodies after this...

By the time Lu Guanting finished, Chen Yu had long lost consciousness, so that he had no idea that the emperor had carefully wiped him off and rearranged his clothes before carrying him to Consort Jing's suite.

---

The next morning, despite the fact that he woke up with a sore body, Chen Yu was quite pleased, full of anticipation for the upcoming drama.