CHAPTER 660: CHAPTER 640: THE BEAUTY TRAP 2

Under the moonlight, the beauty was enchanting, her brows and eyes alluring, pink cheeks, and red lips captivating the soul. In the bliss of newlywed passion, Xie Xun couldn’t help but plant a kiss on her lips. He pulled Fengyu tightly into his arms as if wanting to meld her into his very bones and blood. Fengyu was kissed so intensely that she almost couldn’t catch her breath. Luckily, the palace maids and eunuchs were not inside the hall, as Qiuxiang and Chunlu had wisely left the inner chambers after Xie Xun returned, avoiding any disturbances to their intimacy.

Unable to resist, Fengyu clung to his shoulders, enduring his fervent kisses. Xie Xun realized he couldn’t continue acting so recklessly—Fengyu wasn’t feeling well and needed rest. After kissing her deeply, he buried his face against her neck. "Ayu, you smell so good..."

The warmth of his breath made Fengyu’s entire body weak and limp, her skin naturally flushed. She pushed his chest lightly. "Stop hugging me, you’re pressing against me."

"What’s pressing against you?" Xie Xun teased, planting mischievous kisses and biting her neck. His tone was wicked and playful, causing Fengyu’s neck to flush even redder.

Fengyu closed her mouth, refusing to speak further. Xie Xun didn’t let her off, however, deliberately pressing his waist against her. "Ayu, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you embarrassed?"

"Xie Zhixu, don’t be too overboard!"

"The Empress truly has great courage, daring to call the Emperor by name."

"Do you still want to hear about the beauty scheme?" Fengyu said brusquely, changing the topic. Xie Xun didn’t care about any beauty scheme at all. "What I want instead is to see the beauty scheme the Empress plans to use on me."

Fengyu couldn’t help but laugh. This man had truly let his tongue run wild after their marriage, far more audacious than before. "Fine, since you don’t want to hear it, I won’t say anything then."

Xie Xun chuckled, pinching her cheek to calm himself down. He stopped teasing Fengyu. "Ayu, don’t be mad. It’s my fault. So, what’s your idea about this beauty scheme? Dugu Jing loves his blade, not beauties. Besides, he likely wouldn’t fancy our Beining beauties. Beiman adheres strictly to non-intermarriage rules with outsiders; they deeply value beauty within their own tribe."

"Is that so?"

"Beiman is relatively exclusionary."

"I don’t think he seems like it though."

"What’s up with Dugu Jing?"

"Aren’t your people watching him closely? Have they not noticed Dugu Jing frequenting Mudan Building for drinking?"

"Isn’t that normal? A few years ago, when they came to the Capital City, they also visited Mudan Building for flower wine. Each time, someone was watching. Did he take a liking to someone there?" Xie Xun suddenly recalled the incident he and Fengyu had witnessed years ago. "Lady Thirteen, isn’t it?"

"What do you think?"

"How old is Lady Thirteen now?"

"Why are you even discriminating?"

Xie Xun thought that back then it was probably nothing more than a fleeting affair. Moreover, Dugu Jing was young and inexperienced at the time, easily influenced by older women. He found it strange that three years later there could still be a connection between them. This curiosity piqued him further. "Wasn’t Lady Thirteen Yuwen Mao’s mistress?"

That’s to say, the former King Qi. After the fall of Yuwen Jing, King Qi lost his title; however, he wasn’t confined in Qiushan like others. His nobility was stripped, and he was demoted to a commoner. Initially, Xie Xun had planned to incarcerate the royal family within Qiushan entirely. But after Feng Wan divorced and took her child away from Qiushan, dissent rose among the clans. Upon returning to the Capital City, Xie Xun adjusted his policies. Only the former emperor’s immediate line remained in confinement; others were released selectively and demoted to commoners. Elder members of the Yuwen Royal Family stayed imprisoned, but King Qi—being a mere idle prince—was released.

King Qi’s maternal family was affluent, so losing his princely title didn’t greatly affect him.

"It was mere play for them. King Qi originally wanted to take her into the residence as a concubine, but Lady Thirteen didn’t agree. Besides, given the strained relationship we had with the Yuwen Family back then, Lady Thirteen had to avoid suspicion. The original Princess Qi even caused a scene at Mudan Building—an awful fiasco. Lady Thirteen suffered quite a lot then, with no one to back her up, and abandoned the thought early on. She’s naturally carefree; such trifling relationships wouldn’t constrain her." Fengyu spoke softly.

"So, what’s the deal with her and Dugu Jing?"

"I don’t know either." Before Fengyu’s wedding, Lady Thirteen had mentioned Dugu Jing’s frequent visits to Mudan Building and asked Fengyu what to do. Fengyu didn’t think much of it, advising Lady Thirteen not to take it seriously and to do as she pleased. Although Fengyu found Dugu Jing’s repeated trips to Mudan Building peculiar, a sudden inspiration came—if a beauty scheme could successfully ensnare Dugu Jing, it would be a win-win.

But Xie Xun immediately dismissed the idea. "It’s impossible. Dugu Jing isn’t that kind of person."