Chapter 319: My General Must Be Good

In Beicang, there was a vast desert. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a thousand miles of yellow sand where not a blade of grass grew. Who would have thought that a lake lay hidden within this sea of sand?

Countless underground streams flowed into it, keeping its waters abundant even without rain.

Shrubs, reeds, and many nameless wildflowers grew around the lake’s edge. At a glance, it was a true desert oasis.

Birds nested here, and large animals like camels and antelopes survived in this haven.

Xiao Li sat on a rock by the shore, combing her freshly washed hair. Attracted by the glimmer of the gold thread on her clothes, two small birds landed on a nearby rock, tilting their heads to study her.

When Xiao Li looked over, they weren’t afraid. They even hopped onto her clothes on their tiny feet.

Just as they were happily playing, they suddenly sensed something and flew away in a panic.

A dark figure in the water slowly approached Xiao Li, stopping right in front of her before bursting through the surface.

SPLASH!

As the water cascaded off him, a robust male physique was revealed, his wheat-colored skin dazzling in the sun.

Xiao Li glanced at him but didn’t move, continuing to comb her hair. Rong Qing wiped the water from his face and, still half-submerged, looked up at her with undisguised obsession in his eyes.

’The Empress has no idea how captivating she looks right now.’

The sun, the green trees, the lake, the birds and beasts—they all formed a beautiful tapestry. But the most striking part of the picture was the peerless beauty washing by the water’s edge.

She possessed a face so stunning one could never forget it after a single glance. Her long hair was as smooth and lustrous as the finest silk. Worn loose, it softened her sharp, imposing aura, making her appear gentle and enchanting, utterly soul-stealing.

The shimmering ripples on the water’s surface reflected a light that shone like gold, making it seem as if her entire being was aglow.

She didn’t seem mortal, but rather like a celestial fairy from the nine heavens who had descended to this place to rest and wash.

Rong Qing was mesmerized, but then he saw Xiao Li lift her gaze to him and beckon with her finger.

His mind hadn’t even processed it, but his body moved first, drawing closer.

"Your Majesty."

He fought to suppress his improper thoughts as he awaited her command, even forcing himself not to look up at her again.

But a slender, fair hand reached out, its warm, delicate fingertips gently hooking his chin.

Rong Qing was powerless to resist, easily brought under her control.

He obediently raised his head to meet the Empress’s gaze and saw his own reflection in her eyes.

She was studying his face, and he could tell she wasn’t quite satisfied.

Rong Qing’s heart instantly clenched, and the flicker of joy he’d just felt was extinguished.

’Her Majesty still feels nothing for me.’ He understood. He wasn’t the type the Empress liked.

Rong Qing didn’t feel insecure about his appearance—he knew he wasn’t ugly. He just regretted not having the kind of looks the Empress preferred.

He had the rugged, wild features of a virile man, with a firm, chiseled face and sharp, intense eyes, exuding masculinity.

His physique was tall and strong, with well-developed muscles and an eight-pack. Every part of him seemed to brim with latent power, and he radiated the unconcealable aggression of a mature man.

A rugged, rough-hewn man, wild and sensual, with so much sexual tension that a single glance could make one’s knees go weak.

But to each their own.

Xiao Li liked being in control, which was why she was so fond of Feng Yin’s type. Song Junzhan came second, and Lou Yan was also acceptable. Lou Yan’s unique disposition had attracted Xiao Li, allowing her to perfectly unleash her inner malice—to bully him, to torment him, to watch him suffer yet be unable to resist.

Rong Qing, however, was the complete opposite of her aesthetic ideal.

Xiao Li didn’t understand love, but in her mind, desire between men and women was about conquering and being conquered.

Rong Qing was undoubtedly loyal to her, but the loyalty between a ruler and a subject was a different concept from the conquest found in desire.

Still, she greatly enjoyed the tormented, shattered look in Rong Qing’s eyes, especially with his current silver irises, which gave it an indescribable quality.

Her true nature was wicked and obsessive; she loved to control the game and play with people’s hearts.

She loved nothing more than seeing others under her control, trapped with no hope of escape.

So, she slowly lowered her head, drawing closer until their breaths mingled, their lips only a finger’s breadth apart.

And yet, she didn’t kiss him. Her fingertips slid down, tracing the clear lines of his muscles.

Hearing his ragged breathing, Xiao Li’s lips curled into a perverse, wicked smile, like a villainess on the hunt. "My General must be a good boy. No moving without my command, you hear?~~~~"

Rong Qing’s breath came in ragged gasps. His silver eyes were bloodshot, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Even as sweat dripped from his forehead, even as veins bulged from the strain of his restraint, he obeyed her command and did not move an inch.

When Xiao Li had had her fun, she leaned down and placed a light kiss on the corner of his lips, a mischievous glint in her smile. "This is your reward for being obedient."

SPLASH! Someone was about to lose control but could only frustratedly throw himself back into the water.

Rong Qing stayed submerged for a long time—so long that Xiao Li grew impatient—before he finally had to get out.

After that kiss, Rong Qing’s gaze on Xiao Li became even more direct and fiery, but she pretended not to notice.

Plenty of people desired her, but she wasn’t one to charitably give herself away just because someone liked her.

Whether to give or to refuse, the power of life and death was entirely in her hands.

The oasis was wonderful, with water and food, but they couldn’t stay there forever.

After a full day’s rest, they prepared food and water, determined their direction, and set off into the desert.

The endless desert was hardly any easier to traverse than the boundless underground river.

Not only was it difficult to get one’s bearings, but it was also scorching hot.

The dampness that had seeped into their bodies from the underground river evaporated within half a day on the surface.

The underground river had been damp and dark, while the surface was dry and scorching—two complete extremes.

Although they had brought plenty of water, Xiao Li felt like she was going to turn into a human raisin.

’This is torture!’

’I never should have come to Beicang. This damned place is my curse!’

The two of them walked for an entire day, from the morning of the first day until dawn on the second.

They walked and rested intermittently but didn’t dare to slack off.

Just as Xiao Li was about to give up, the sound of camel bells suddenly reached them.

They had encountered a merchant caravan traveling from Yundan, through Beicang, to Longsheng Yizhou.

Rong Qing went to negotiate, explaining that Xiao Li was a noble lady from Beicang fleeing for her life, and he was her guard. They had been pursued by sand bandits and had gotten lost in the desert.

The caravan’s owner was a young man of about thirty. Elegant and refined, a proper gentleman with the air of a scholar, he didn’t look like a merchant at all.

He was struck by Rong Qing’s and Xiao Li’s appearances. The two looked a bit disheveled, but he could tell the material of their clothing was of the highest quality.

The Empress had just conquered Beicang; he’d heard she had imprisoned the royal family and killed many nobles, so it was normal for some to be fleeing for their lives.

After a moment of thought, he agreed to take them along.

The moment she was on the back of a camel, Xiao Li felt for the first time that camels were truly adorable creatures.