Hearing these shameless words, Ye Luan blushed and kicked him.
Xiao Chi Zhan did not dare to push her too hard. He gently squeezed, then immediately withdrew.
His slender, clean fingers were stained with blood, which made her face flush and her heart race. Suddenly, she recalled the scenes of him biting her like a mad dog in the past.
"I'll get you a cloth to wipe it."
Xiao Chi Zhan's words pulled Ye Luan back from her thoughts. She silently cursed herself before saying, "No need. Go and call a嬷嬷 for me."
Xiao Chi Zhan didn't reply and turned to leave.
As soon as he was gone, she quickly took off her dirty clothes, waiting for the嬷嬷 to come and give her sanitary napkins. To her surprise, Xiao Chi Zhan walked in with a basin of water.
He wet a cloth and was about to wipe her.
Ye Luan was stunned and quickly pushed him away, "No need, I can do it myself."
Xiao Chi Zhan lowered his eyes, "I'll help you. You still have a wound on your chest."
"Really, no need. You go out."
She was wearing only a肚兜, which was no different from being completely naked.
But Xiao Chi Zhan didn't listen at all. He took the cloth and reached under the covers, not finding it dirty at all, and wiped her.
Ye Luan's entire body stiffened. The warm cloth slid over her, and the pain in her abdomen inexplicably lessened.
"Give it to me."
The atmosphere in the room was too intimate. She couldn't bear it and snatched the cloth away, wiping herself.
"Your Highness, you cannot touch me without my consent."
Xiao Chi Zhan glanced sideways and said "oh," washed his hands, then went to find sanitary napkins. He tidied her up and tucked her in properly.
"You are injured and unwell. Why don't you stay a few more days before leaving?"
He stood by the bed, looking down at her, his tone not as forceful as before, with a hint of negotiation.
Ye Luan remembered what the guards had said and asked, "Are the city gates really closed?"
Xiao Chi Zhan said lightly, "Yes."
"Is what Your Highness said true?"
She sat on the bed, raising her obsidian-like fox eyes to look directly at him.
The ferocity in his heart flashed by. She didn't trust him and was always guarding against him!
"Your Highness, you should be honest with those around you. I will not deceive you in the future."
Is that so?
Xiao Chi Zhan suppressed the violence in his heart, his eyebrows slightly raised, and he said, "I did not lie to you. The city gates are indeed closed."
Hearing this, Ye Luan nodded slightly.
"Then are you still leaving?"
"Since the city gates are closed, how can I leave? Can Your Highness escort me out?"
Xiao Chi Zhan said, "It is not appropriate for me to abuse my power for personal gain. How about waiting until the city gates open, and then you can go?"
"Mm."
At this moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Your Highness, the soup is here."
Three maids entered in single file, carrying soup.
After Xiao Chi Zhan instructed them to put the soup down, he sent them away.
"Which one do you want to drink? They are all good medicine to relieve your abdominal pain."
Ye Luan said, "Give me the ginger tea."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chi Zhan sat by the bed with the soup, "I'll feed you."
"No need, I'll drink it myself."
His expression slightly stiffened. He watched her snatch the bowl, a shadow of darkness flashing in his eyes so quickly that it was imperceptible.
It's so damn hard to pretend.
If it were him, he would have forcefully embraced her and fed her.
He couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly, staring at her as she drank the soup.
The maiden had a face as clean as porcelain. Her long, curled eyelashes drooped, indifferent and cold.
He suddenly remembered her seductive demeanor in bed, clinging to him like a vixen.
As he thought, the corners of his lips curved into a faint arc, and his aura became gloomy and dangerous.
Ye Luan felt that the surroundings were strange, but when she looked up, she saw him smiling at her, his eyes gentle and soft.
"Finished?"
Would the always ruthless and murderous madman suddenly change?
Ye Luan lowered her eyes, recalling the events of the past few days.
"Candied fruit."
Clean, slender fingers offered a plate of candied fruit.
Ye Luan pursed her lips, absentmindedly picking one and putting it in her mouth.
"Thank you."
Hearing her distant words, a coldness filled Xiao Chi Zhan's eyes, as if all his gentle masks had been shed, replaced by a terrifying ferocity.
"Your Highness, I want to sleep for a while. You should go and attend to your business."
He heard her voice and lowered his eyes, his expression now one of gentleness. "Luan Luan, then you rest. I will go deal with official matters."
"Alright."
As soon as Xiao Chi Zhan stepped out the door, his entire demeanor changed.
His eyes were terrifying, his thin lips tightly pressed together, his jawline tense. His handsome, bewitching features were indifferent and icy, as if covered in a layer of frost.
Xue Ren followed behind, not daring to say a word.
"Prepare the horses."
Xiao Chi Zhan went directly out of the mansion and rode to the military camp.
Northern Di and Great Liang had fought many wars in the past few years. Northern Di had plundered south multiple times, but in recent years, the tribes had been fighting amongst themselves, leading to division and a weakening of their strength.
This time, Tan Tai Ye marched on Northern Di to recapture the cities in the foothills of Haixing Mountain.
Currently, with frequent wars, the world was in chaos.
The mountain pass was breached, and the Great Liang army marched unimpeded into Yan City, occupying the land in its central region. For the sake of tribal peace, the Northern Di army had retreated to the Ling Mountain area, seeking peace with Great Liang.
The envoy had been waiting in the tent for a long time. kanδん
When Xiao Chi Zhan entered the tent, he saw a group of people already seated inside.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Several generals from Great Liang stood up to salute.
The envoys from Northern Di also stood up, their right hands folded across their chests. The leader was a man named Kalu Tu.
"We hear that Your Highness has been privately searching for the whereabouts of Han Dan Zhu recently. This is our Western Regions Snow Mountain Sacred Treasure, presented as a token of our sincerity."
Xiao Chi Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the jade box on the table, and smiled coldly.
"Kalu Tu, your information is truly extensive."
The man in the main seat gazed at them deliberately. Although he was smiling, there was no warmth in his voice; it was cruel and unruly.
It had long been rumored that the Dingbei King of Great Liang was treacherous, insidious, ruthless, and a killer, the true ruler of Great Liang.
After ascending to power, he controlled state affairs internally, implemented harsh policies, and built the Qulu River, causing the common people to grumble.
Externally, he expanded his territory and campaigned north several times, repeatedly breaking through the passes of the Western Regions and recapturing the Shuobian Beidu region that Great Liang had lost over a decade ago.
A few years ago, he personally led a campaign against Xirong, ascended Chongfeng in the north, surrounded the Chanyu, and massacred nearly 200,000 people in Wusun, turning the land into a river of blood, a living hell.
Later, he marched into the imperial capital and annexed many nomadic tribes in the northern frontier, making them pay tribute to Great Liang year after year, achieving unparalleled merit.
However, his methods on the battlefield were too cruel and bloody, shocking the world. He had a very bad reputation in the northern and western regions, known for his tyranny.
Especially during the recent unrest in the Nine Provinces, he attacked our Northern Di without any legitimate reason. If not for the turmoil among the various states, Great Liang would have already been attacked by all of them.
They would not have to be so humiliated here, seeking peace.
"Your Highness, please do not mock me. This Han Dan Zhu is a rare treasure, encountered once in a hundred years, difficult to find a second one in the world. We are willing to hand it over to Your Highness as a gesture of our sincerity in seeking peace."