(Note: This timeline corresponds to the Emperor and Empress’s joint northern campaign, during their journey from Shu Province to the Fenzhou office of the Jiankang Route Pacification Commission. Meng Tinghui’s appointment as Empress and her enfeoffment had become widely known throughout the nation. At this time, Huang Bo had not yet returned to the army, and the northern front had tilted decisively in their favor. This event corresponds to the earlier mentioned “barren mountains and clear lake” episode.)
——
——
Night of Gengchen, Ninth Month, Autumn, Second Year of Jingxuan.
It had been nearly half a month since the imperial army marched north from Shu Province. While passing through Junzhou, they encountered Han Peng’s troops, who had been summoned north from Zizhou. Upon seeing the imperial entourage leading the army here, Han Peng naturally dared not presume precedence and immediately set up camp against the mountains, deferentially awaiting imperial instructions.
As the two armies combined camps, their banners obscured the sky, felt tents spread wide, and endless rows of military tents cast a somber, iron-scented darkness over the barren mountain range.
·
He had originally intended to search for her, but upon rounding the bend of the mountain ahead, what met his eyes was this expanse of emerald water—a tranquil lake pouring its serenity into the landscape.
The barren mountain seemed to fracture here, with distant peaks rising in harmonious disorder, partially veiling the lingering sunset. Even she, standing by the lakeside, was gilded with a soft golden hue.
Her hearing was sharp; recognizing the hoofbeats behind her, she knew it was him. She turned swiftly, smiling at him through the twilight. “How did you find this place?”
He was still mesmerized by the lake’s beauty, but his gaze warmed at her smile. Dismounting deftly, he patted his black steed’s flank, sending it to drink by the lake, then walked alone to her side.
The evening breeze gently brushed the hair at her forehead, lifting a faint mist that veiled her eyes.
“So beautiful,” she murmured softly, as if afraid to disturb the secluded scenery.
He wrapped an arm around her waist. “Do you like this place? You slipped away alone to admire the lake in the mountains while I was discussing matters with Han Peng?”
She smiled faintly. “Who would have imagined such scenery behind these barren mountains when we set camp this morning?” Raising a hand to point east, she glanced at him. “If not for Qingyun running wild, I might never have found this place.”
Spotting the chestnut-red steed in the distance, he tightened his hold on her waist. “If not for you running wild, I might never have found this place either.”
She feigned annoyance, but upon seeing his slightly teasing expression, lowered her gaze and leaned into his embrace. Gazing at the crimson clouds stretching across the horizon, she whispered after a long pause, “The world holds countless beautiful scenes we cannot always visit. Yet, merely knowing these vast lands are the empire in your grasp fills my heart with contentment.”
A subtle shift crossed his brow, his voice laced with deeper meaning. “But this land is not solely the Ying clan’s empire—it is also the fief of you, Meng Tinghui.” To avoid pressing the sword against her, he unfastened it from his waist and hung it on a nearby branch.
Hearing his words, she glanced up and caught sight of the sword, abruptly recalling the day in the Hall of Profound Thought before leaving the capital, when she had first held it. Only now did she grasp the profound implications hidden in his words that day.
How could she have foreseen today’s reality back then?
As if reading her thoughts, he cupped her chin, tilting her face up. His eyes darkened, and he leaned in to kiss her.
She breathed lightly, never one for coyness, and after marching thousands of li with the army, such moments of mountain-and-lake beauty were rare in camp life. Stirred by his touch, a flicker of warmth ignited within her, quietly burning.
The unruly clip-clop of Qingyun’s hooves broke into their awareness, and with a long whinny, the horse dashed before them in an instant.Her face flushed as she opened her eyes, meeting Qingyun's innocent, dark, and bright horse-like gaze. She felt a wave of embarrassment and pushed him away, saying, "And right in front of the horse..."
His hands had already boldly slipped into her clothes, and he whispered in her ear, "Before we left the capital, in the Hall of Profound Thought, what did you promise me? Do you still remember?"
His actions made her gasp lightly again. She leaned against his shoulder, frowning slightly, and couldn't resist biting him through his robe.
Of course, she remembered clearly.
At that time, she had thought they were parting for good. Despite his status as the Son of Heaven, he had humbly asked her for a promise—how could she have refused?
Later, when war raged outside Shu Province, she had galloped out of the city on horseback just to intercept his imperial carriage. In that moment, all she could think was that no matter what she owed him, she would repay it in this lifetime.
"A child..." Her hands clasped behind his shoulders as she whispered softly, "I promised to bear you a child."
He chuckled deeply, turning his head to kiss her earlobe. His hand, already inside her clothes, swiftly moved upward, and when he heard her uncontrollable soft moan, he slowly ventured downward again, only to be hastily blocked by her hand.
"What's wrong?" His voice was laced with heat.
Her ears flushed crimson as she glared at him. "There are two armies encamped at the foot of the mountain. If someone comes looking for us up here, you might not care about the dignity of the Son of Heaven, but I still have to preserve some face..."
She had thought that incident behind the Di residence, inside the imperial carriage, was already the height of impropriety. Who would have guessed that now, even in this desolate mountain during a military campaign, he would not hold back?
His dark eyes held a hint of ember-red, as if scorched by fire. Without letting her finish, he gripped her waist and turned her around, pressing her against a nearby tree. He lowered his head to gently kiss the nape of her neck, his hands growing more forceful as he ignored her resistance and continued his exploration downward. His voice was hoarse as he said, "That time you teased me in the Eastern Palace, did you care even the slightest bit about face then?"
Her legs grew weak from his touch, and his words sent a shiver down her spine. She knew exactly which incident he was referring to and felt a wave of awkwardness. Just as she was about to retort, his caresses overwhelmed her, and her body surrendered long before her mind could resist.
A breeze carrying the dampness of the lake drifted over. The sky darkened, and the flickering torchlights at the camp entrance below danced like stars, drawing closer to the mountainside.
In her dazed state, he pulled her hands and pressed them against the tree bark. His breathing grew heavier behind her, and his voice was utterly parched as he said, "Hold on tight."
Hold on tight...
Before she could react, he thrust into her forcefully. With a deep, satisfied groan, his grip on her waist tightened.
She couldn't hold back a sharp cry, her hands pressing desperately against the rough bark. Waves of tingling pleasure shot up her spine to the crown of her head, obliterating her consciousness.
Indeed, from then until now, whenever she encountered him, when had she ever cared even the slightest bit about face?
It was the same in the Hall of Preserved Harmony, the same in the Eastern Palace, the same in the hot springs of Western Mountain, the same behind the Di residence—not to mention every time in the Hall of Profound Thought, each moment had been soul-stirring and bone-melting...
"Your Majesty!"
A distant shout suddenly echoed through the wilderness, and the torchlights in the distance seemed to draw much closer.
Her scattered senses snapped back instantly, her heart leaping into her throat. Her body tensed and shivered reflexively. "It's Chai Shao!"
He had been kissing her tenderly, but her shiver made him grunt softly. The rhythm of his movements abruptly quickened, each thrust fierce and relentless. He gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound.She was pressed until her whole body went limp, yet dared not make a sound, fearing she might attract Chai Shao and the officers searching for them. Biting her lip, she clung tightly to the tree trunk, letting him indulge to his heart's content.
"Your Majesty!" "Are Your Majesty and the Empress here?"
The distant yet near calls of the searchers drifted to her ears, and her consciousness wavered in and out. Her fingers involuntarily dug into the bark, the sensation overwhelmingly intense—so much so she could barely catch her breath. All the blood in her body surged to one place, scalded by his heat, then rushed back along her limbs and meridians to her heart...
In the end, she could no longer hold onto the tree trunk, instinctively reaching back to touch him instead, gripping his wrist with desperate force as her entire body trembled, nearly convulsing.
He trembled lightly along with her, biting the side of her neck, his breath scorchingly hot against her skin, his body drenched in sweat.
A long time passed before she gradually regained her senses, her knees buckling as she fell backward into his embrace.
He held her, planting light and heavy kisses on her still-quivering red lips. Desire resurged in his eyes, tinged with a hint of tenderness, and the curve of his lips was utterly intoxicating.
After resting for a long while, she finally lifted her eyes to look around. The torchlights were gone, and Chai Shao and the others' voices had faded away, easing her mind somewhat.
But in a fleeting glance, she noticed Qingyun had also vanished, stirring a fresh wave of anxiety.
He, however, appeared perfectly composed, massaging her waist as he said slowly, "Chai Shao must have seen the two horses and taken them. He’s no fool."
She froze for a moment before understanding dawned, her face flushing crimson once more. "This... I truly have no face left now!" she exclaimed in distress.
He chuckled leisurely, "What is there to fear? I told you, Chai Shao is no fool."
She pushed him away in a huff, but he only drew closer again, tugging at her dress and making her panic. "Why are you still not done?" she cried.
"Such a fine night, such a beautiful scene," his voice was like an aphrodisiac needle, piercing straight into her ears. "Give me a child tonight, won’t you?"
OpenNovel