Chapter Twenty (Part 1)
The palace guards apprehended the assassins.

But the assassins hid poison under their tongues. They swallowed it, blood dripped out of their mouths and they died.

The emperor commanded the palace guards to investigate who was responsible for the assassination attempt. Then the emperor ordered the imperial physicians to follow him to his chamber because Pei Zhang was injured.

During the banquet Pei Zhang wasn’t sitting near the emperor but he flew to save the emperor the moment he heard assassins entered the palace. But an assassin’s sword stabbed Pei Zhang’s body while he was protecting the emperor.

Inside the emperor’s chamber, many imperial physicians surrounded the unconscious Pei Zhang.

‘If anything happens to seventh prince, I’ll bury all of you together with him,’ the emperor threatened.

Consort Mu stood near the bed and she cried at the sight of her unconscious son.

The empress feigned concern for Pei Zhang’s life. But her heart regretted Pei Zhang didn’t die immediately after being stabbed. It also feared Pei Zhang would wake up and his bond with the emperor would grow stronger enough for the emperor to make Pei Zhang the crown prince instead of Pei Lam.

Pei Lam stood beside his mother and he was in deep thought about the situation.

Consort La was holding a sleeping Pei Khan in her arms. Pei Khan stirred in his sleep when he heard the emperor’s loud voice. Pei Khan raised his head from his mother’s chest, he didn’t see anyone wanted to harm him and continued to sleep on his mother’s chest.

Pei Jin was gaging everyone’s expressions. He noticed Pei Khan was startled by the emperor, Pei Khan’s head raised and laid back on Consort La’s chest to sleep. Then he looked at the tired Yan Shi Ning who stood beside him and his heart beckoned Pei Zhang to wake up so that he and Yan Shi Ning could go home to bathe and sleep.

Pei Jin wasn’t worried about Pei Zhang’s life. He knew if Pei Zhang died that easily then he wasn’t Pei Zhang. Also, the assassins that entered the palace that night were strange.

The assassins were too familiar with the palace surroundings and chose a night when the imperial families were gathered and unarmed. It meant the person who hired the assassins was someone who knew the palace surroundings and when was a good opportunity for an ambush attack. Even if he was beaten to death, he wouldn’t believe that everyone in the emperor’s chamber was innocent.

Pei Jin’s eyes swept over the emperor, empress, the emperor’s consorts, princes and imperial physicians. But he didn’t discover anything unusual about their expressions.

‘Seventh prince is saved by his ancestor’s good deeds,’ the head imperial physician said. ‘His body is stable and he’ll recover after resting for a period.’

The emperor and Consort Mu sighed in relief but the empress smiled coldly.

‘Xiao Zhang is injured, he can stay here while he’s recovering,’ the emperor said.

Everyone was shocked by the emperor’s words. When a prince who wasn’t the crown prince was allowed to remain in the palace had a significant meaning.

The emperor’s eyes swept over everyone in his chamber. Finally he looked at Yan Shi Ning and nodded his head. ‘It’s late, everyone can leave.’

Under the full moon, Pei Jin hugged Yan Shi Ning inside the horse carriage. She didn’t struggle and felt safe being protected by him. His words of reassurance after the attack echoed in her heart, ‘don’t be scared, I’m here.’

Yan Shi Ning wasn’t scared as long as she had Pei Jin. Whether she was a six-year-old being bullied, a twelve-year-old being chased by fierce dog or an eighteen-year-old being attacked… as long as he was with her, he would always protect her with his life.

Yan Shi Ning’s eyes stung. She knew clearly the scoundrel who always bullied her was the only one who truly cared about her and was good to her.

‘Why are you crying?’ Pei Jin asked and searched for a handkerchief to wipe Yan Shi Ning’s tears.

Yan Shi Ning silently wrapped her arms around Pei Jin’s neck and hugged him tightly.

Yan Shi Ning startled Pei Jin. It was the second time Yan Shi Ning initiated a hug. The first time was many years ago. That day she was chased by a fierce dog and the moment she saw him she cried and hugged him.

Pei Jin gently patted Yan Shi Ning’s back. ‘Wife, what do you want to do by falling on my chest?’

Yan Shi Ning heard Pei Jin’s teasing tone and she bit his neck.

Pei Jin felt Yan Shi Ning’s soft warm lips on his skin and immediately his little brother woke up. He wrapped his arms around her waist. Her teeth let go of his neck, he looked at her beautiful face under the moonlight that shone through the window and his lips leaned closer to her lips.

Suddenly the horse carriage halted.

‘Ninth prince, mistress, you’re home,’ the groomsman said.

Yan Shi Ning saw the frustration on Pei Jin’s face and she laughed.

Pei Jin hit Yan Shi Ning’s bottom. ‘Don’t worry, tonight will be a long night.’

Yan Shi Ning immediately stopped laughing.

***

End of Chapter Twenty (Part 1)

Chapter Twenty (Part 2 of 2)
A bath after a long day would soothe tired bodies.

Yan Shi Ning ran to the bath tub of warm water and took off her dress. She saw the hole on a sleeve and felt a little regret. Luckily the rest of the dress wasn’t torn.

Yan Shi Ning took off her inner robes and was about to take off her undergarments but someone hugged her from behind.

‘Wife, let’s bathe together,’ Pei Jin said in a husky tone.

Yan Shi Ning felt Pei Jin’s bare hard chest pressed against her back. Her legs wobbled and her head spun. She turned her head around and spoke softly. ‘Let’s not.’

Yan Shi Ning saw Pei Jin only wore his outer robe, she panicked and looked away from him. Although she slept on the same bed with him for a few nights, he wore his undergarments to bed.

Pei Jin smiled at the sight of Yan Shi Ning’s flushed face. ‘But your husband wants to bathe with you.’

Pei Jin carried Yan Shi Ning in his arms and leapt into the bath tub.

Yan Shi Ning held onto the edge of the bath tub and wanted to jump out but Pei Jin captured her hands… and began to take off her undergarments.

Yan Shi Ning risked her life to stop Pei Jin taking off her undergarments. But her undergarments had two ribbon knots that he assessed for many days to find out the fastest way to untie them. So her undergarments were swiftly tossed out of the bath tub.

‘Ah!’ Yan Shi Ning cried out.

Yan Shi Ning quickly hid her naked body beneath the flower petals that were floating above the water surface. She looked at Pei Jin, his outer robe was tossed out of the bath tub too.

Yan Shi Ning’s face felt like it was melting at the sight of Pei Jin’s masculine naked body. She quickly turned her back to him but he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He was in a sitting position and her body ended up sitting on his lap.

‘Big brother, what do you want to do?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.

Pei Jin nibbled on Yan Shi Ning’s earlobe. ‘Wife, what do you think?’

Yan Shi Ning felt something hard under her bottom. ‘Big brother, didn’t you promise you wouldn’t force me?’

‘I’m not forcing you,’ Pei Jin said.

Yan Shi Ning felt she wasted her thoughts earlier thinking mouthy boy was a good person.

Pei Jin’s hugged Yan Shi Ning too tightly for her to escape. She felt his hands rubbed her breasts. Her misty eyes focused on her abandoned undergarments outside the bath tub.

‘Big brother, you haven’t washed your body properly,’ Yan Shi Ning said.

‘Wife, you don’t want to wash your body properly?’ Pei Jin asked. ‘You can’t wait any longer? Alright, I’ll oblige you.’

Pei Jin carried Yan Shi Ning out of the bath tub. He grabbed a wash cloth, dried their bodies and carried her onto the bed.

‘Big brother, let me wear my clothes,’ Yan Shi Ning said.

‘It’ll be troublesome to wear clothes and take it off again,’ Pei Jin said.

Pei Jin laid on top of Yan Shi Ning. He bit her neck while his hands stroked the sensitive spots on her body.

A pleasurable sensation melted Yan Shi Ning’s body. ‘Big brother, you’re a liar.’

‘When did I lie to you?’ Pei Jin asked.

‘Big brother, you said you wouldn’t force yourself on me,’ Yan Shi Ning said.

‘But I remember someone said I didn’t need to endure anymore,’ Pei Jin said.

Yan Shi Ning saw Pei Jin smiled like a fox and she panicked.  ‘At that time I wanted to repay a favor I owed you.’

‘I want to repay a favor I owe you too,’ Pei Jin said.

Pei Jin licked his lips and kissed Yan Shi Ning’s lips.

‘Umm…’ Yan Shi Ning moaned.

Pei Jin’s tongue stroked Yan Shi Ning’s tongue and her will power to resist him wavered. When her head spun from lack of air, his lips released her lips and she took a deep breath. She didn’t get a chance to open her mouth because his lips engulfed her lips again.

Pei Jin gasped for air. In the past he didn’t take off Yan Shi Ning’s undergarments because he feared he would lose control. Finally he could admire her naked body that made his heart jump excitedly.

Pei Jin’s eyes roamed over Yan Shi Ning’s collar bone, soft breasts, slim waist and her long slender legs… his body was on the verge of exploding. He roughly spread her legs.

Yan Shi Ning felt her legs parted. She pushed his chest but failed to push his body off her body.

‘Shi Ning, give it to me,’ Pei Jin whispered in Yan Shi Ning’s ear.

Pei Jin’s gentle request entered Yan Shi Ning’s ear and travelled to her heart. She looked at the intense desire in his eyes and her heart trembled.

Yan Shi Ning reciprocated Pei Jin’s kiss.

Pei Jin’s lips moved tenderly from Yan Shi Ning’s lips down to her collar bone, breasts, stomach and waist. He wanted to relax her body before causing her body pain.

Yan Shi Ning felt too nervous and her whole body tensed. Pei Jin’s kisses on her body made her feel like she was drifting in the middle of the sea and she didn’t know where to swim to for shelter.

A while later Yan Shi Ning felt Pei Jin’s fingers stroked between her thighs. Suddenly she felt something slowly released from her stomach and she pushed his chest hard.

‘You can’t!’ Yan Shi Ning warned.

Yan Shi Ning’s outburst startled Pei Jin.

‘Why?’ Pei Jin asked.

Yan Shi Ning bit her lower lip. ‘I think my step-aunt arrived…’

Pei Jin looked down and saw a speck of blood on Yan Shi Ning’s thigh and he almost spatted out blood. Heavens! Why would the heavens tease a person in that way? Why didn’t the heavens let the assassins stab him to death?

***

End of Chapter Twenty (Part 2 of 2)