Chapter 191: I Really Can’t Stand You

Lou Yan’s martial arts were superb. He was tall, and his aura was dark and chillingly hostile. He had all the presence of a dominant lover, but he refused to take the initiative. Instead, he patiently guided and tempted her, using every trick he knew, determined to make Xiao Li be the one to lead them into their mutual ruin.

Xiao Li tried to pull her foot back but couldn’t. Instead, he pressed it down deeper, and she brushed against something... impressive.

The man’s body trembled, and his breathing grew heavy, shamelessly seductive.

She raised an eyebrow, torn between irritation and amusement.

"Are you trying to seduce me, or are you just doing this to get yourself off?"

Lou Yan took her delicate hand and placed it on his own cheek, offering himself up as if he were a sacrifice. His eyes were fixed on her, making no attempt to hide his desire.

"So, Princess... have you been seduced?"

His deep voice was laced with lust, a sound that could make one’s heart go numb with pleasure.

Seeing that Xiao Li remained unmoved, he slowly leaned in to claim her lips.

After being rejected, he lowered his head to kiss her shoulder instead. His lips moved restlessly over the fabric, unable to get enough.

"Princess," he begged, the corners of his eyes turning red. His restraint was reaching its limit.

Xiao Li scoffed. "You’re impossible."

She grabbed his collar, forced him down onto the couch, and lowered her head to sink her teeth into him.

After a bit of rough-and-tumble, a certain someone was kicked off the couch, thoroughly unsatisfied.

His gaze locked onto Xiao Li’s partially exposed arm. The cinnabar dot there was a startling, piercing red, and the sight of it made his destructive urges swell madly.

He lowered his head and placed a kiss on the mark, lingering for a long, long time.

Xiao Li looked down at him, her face flushed the color of rouge, radiant and beautiful. Yet her eyes showed no sign of wavering; they were as calm as if she were a mere spectator.

"You should go now."

Lou Yan straightened his disheveled collar and rose. The air of wanton desire around him dissipated in an instant. He withdrew from his state of unfulfilled lust, and his entire demeanor reverted to its usual dark, cold, and meticulous state.

Their eyes met, and in them was a mutual, unsurprised understanding. Between the two of them, who wasn’t perfectly lucid as they descended into ruin?

"Your Majesty already knows that the envoy from Chi Rong is Prince Chen, but he is concerned about the peace between our nations and doesn’t want to expose him. Prince Yanping and the Nanqi King have long overstayed the time they were supposed to return to their fiefdoms, and His Majesty has been troubled by this recently. Prince Yanping’s ambitions are far too obvious. The Nanqi King’s intentions are unclear for now, but he is by no means harmless. And then there’s Lu Ling... Princess, you must be careful."

After Lou Yan left, Xiao Li remained silent for a long while. Then she gave a soft laugh and raised a hand to rub her brow.

’It’s just a dream... The sooner it ends, the better.’

A Ferghana Horse like Chi Yan was the dream mount for any military general.

When Xiao Li brought the horse back, she didn’t rush to fit it with a bridle and saddle. Instead, she assigned people to care for it and let it roam freely in the rear garden.

Its shimmering, iridescent coat was more captivating than even a peerless beauty. Every last guard in the mansion was so mesmerized they looked like idiots.

Even someone like Song Junzhan, who was not skilled in riding and archery, couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, "What a beautiful horse."

Seeing how enthusiastic everyone was, Xiao Li simply had a table set up in the courtyard so they could all drink, eat, and relax together.

Xiao Li sat in the center of the Wind and Rain Pavilion, accompanied by Rong Qing, Yang Jun, and Song Junzhan. Ziyue, however, couldn’t sit still at all and just circled around the horse.

The wine had just been poured when Chi Yan trotted over, snatched a wine jug in its mouth, tilted its head back, and started drinking.

An entire jug of wine vanished down its throat in the blink of an eye. It set the jug on the ground and looked up toward Xiao Li, clearly wanting more.

Xiao Li was stunned for a moment, but then she smiled.

Song Junzhan immediately voiced her thoughts: "Theoretically, horses shouldn’t drink alcohol. But throughout history, there have been horses that drink, and without exception, they are all one-in-a-million, peerless steeds. Princess, you have truly found a treasure."

Xiao Li picked up another wine jug, opened it, and held it out toward Chi Yan. "Another?"

Chi Yan licked her hand before taking the jug and continuing to drink.

Its intelligent behavior made everyone click their tongues in amazement.

Xiao Li had truly taken a liking to this horse. Watching it frolic in the courtyard, she couldn’t help but drink another jug of wine.

When she came to, she realized her head was spinning a little. For once, she was actually a bit drunk.

Her body swayed, and a hand shot out to steady her. "Careful, Princess."

It was Song Junzhan.

Perhaps she really was drunk. For once, Xiao Li didn’t push him away immediately. Instead, she grabbed his wrist and said, half-joking, "Song Junzhan, if I die one day... you should commit regicide."

Song Junzhan’s expression changed drastically. "Princess, you are drunk."

Xiao Li smiled and released him. "Yes, I am a bit drunk."

Prince Yanping and the Nanqi King had been back for nearly half a year. The Nanqi King had been quiet, staying put and behaving himself, but Prince Yanping was another story entirely.

He was actively making the rounds among powerful court officials. Princess Consort Hui’s maternal family had all arrived in the Capital City, and it seemed there were intentions to marry Princess Jia Ruo into the Shangguan Family. In secret, he had also established ties with the Lu family.

His ambition was blatant, as if he were afraid people *wouldn’t* know what he was up to.

Prince Yanping was eager to make his move. The "favored son of destiny," Prince Chen, had also returned to the Capital City. The Nanqi King and Prince Wei appeared harmless, but later in the plot, the Nanqi King was a contender who could go head-to-head with Prince Chen. And while Prince Wei seemed to lack ambition, the story showed him to be an opportunist who never steadfastly sided with Emperor Xiao Jingyun.

The prerequisites for the struggle over Imperial Power were all in place. The only thing missing was the right opportunity.

Thus far, only the Wang family, the Chen Family, and she, the Princess, actually wanted the Emperor to live. But the Emperor himself was obstinate and conceited, believing himself invincible simply because he was the Emperor. His mind was consumed with thoughts of benevolence and brotherly love, lost in a beautiful dream of an eternal dynasty. He had no idea that his life was already hanging by a thread.

In the original story, the previous owner of this body had died in the second month from a premature birth and subsequent hemorrhage. She had already survived past that point in time. She had changed the original plot. The invading "world consciousness" could no longer follow the old script, so it was accelerating many plot points—for example, the male and female leads’ "groveling for forgiveness" arc, the revelation of their true origins, and... the fight for the throne.

Xiao Li, being drunk, returned to her room first. But after everyone else had dispersed, she met with Rong Qing and Yang Jun in the third-story pavilion.

No one knew what they discussed. That night, however, every guard in the Princess Mansion was equipped with armor and steel sabers.

Moreover, Yang Jun took a group of men and vanished before dawn.

Although the Imperial Palace was large, it wasn’t large enough for a horse race. The Emperor set the venue at the Military Department, which was not far from the palace.

The grounds were open and spacious, and security was tight.

Xiao Li did not enter the palace. Instead, when it was nearly time, she rode directly to the Military Department, flanked by Rong Qing and twenty elite guards.

As it trotted through the streets, Chi Yan’s coloring and physique made for a sight that was impossible to ignore.

They left a trail of astonished gasps in their wake.

Upon their arrival at the Military Department, all eyes were instantly drawn to them.

Chi Rong had sent a total of two Hanxue Horses. The other was not yet tamed, so this one, being rideable, naturally became the center of attention. Listening to the endless chorus of praise and admiration, Xiao Li found herself sharing in the horse’s glory and enjoying a moment in the spotlight.