Seeing the large patch of blood stains, Ye You was initially stunned, then grew angry, saying: âYou bitch! Refusing to toast is punishable!â He took big strides towards Jiang Ruan. In his eyes, this woman was ungrateful â considering Jiang Ruan was her good fortune, yet she ruined his interest like this. If he didnât torture Jiang Ruan into kneeling to beg for mercy today, he wouldnât be Ye You!
The short sword was extremely sharp, a rare treasure from Yibao Pavillion. Although Jiang Ruanâs stab wasnât deep, it was painful enough to clear her mind. When she looked at Ye You again, it was no longer as muddled as before.
Ye You walked up to Jiang Ruan and tried to pull her up from the ground. Suddenly, Jiang Ruan extended her hand and placed it on the blood jade bangle on her wrist.
âThird Prince, if you take one more step forward, donât blame this princess for not giving you face and injuring your life. You can only go complain to the King of Hell,â she said.
This successfully stopped Ye Youâs movement. He looked at Jiang Ruan suspiciously, then laughed loudly, his eyes burning with anger: âPrincess, I advise you not to try any tricks. My men are outside â do you really have a way out?â
Jiang Ruan stared at him coldly, shaking the bangle on her wrist and curling her lips into a cruel smile, her voice as chilling as a mountain spring: âDoes Your Highness know what this is?â
Ye Youâs gaze fell on the bangle on Jiang Ruanâs wrist. The blood jade bangle emanated a faint blue glow, clearly not an ordinary object. Earlier he had just thought it was Jiang Ruanâs precious jewelry, but now he didnât know what it was.
âItâs called the Blood Moon Bangle, from Yibao Pavilion in the capital. Inside are nine poisoned needles, each coated with a toxin that seals the throat upon contact with blood,â Jiang Ruan said calmly. âYour Highness is too close. This princess is afraid that with one accidental press of the switch, Your Highnessâ life would be snuffed out.â
Ye You was first astonished, then furious, laughing loudly: âYou dare threaten me?â
âWhether itâs a threat or not, Your Highness can find out by trying,â Jiang Ruan replied.
Ye You stared at Jiang Ruan in disbelief. This legendary beauty favored by the Empress Dowager, the Princess of Hongan, showed not a hint of fear. Completely unlike the women he had toyed with before, her uniqueness immediately piqued Ye Youâs interest. He smiled sweetly, âThis prince knows the princess is afraid inside, but thereâs no need for this bangle charade. If anything happens to me, how can the princess escape the consequences? Plotting against a royal prince, the princess would surely face the death penalty, no matter that she is the Empress Dowagerâs adopted granddaughter.â His gaze lingered on Jiang Ruanâs snowy neck. âPrincess, donât be afraid. This prince will be gentle.â
The reason Ye You didnât take Jiang Ruanâs words to heart was because he was certain she wouldnât dare harm him â after all, he was a prince, and the crime of killing a prince would mean death, even for the Empress Dowagerâs adopted granddaughter.
Jiang Ruan let out a mocking laugh, looking at Ye You like he was a joke. Her arm was already drenched in a large patch of blood, her pale pink dress stained crimson red. Yet she smiled beautifully, extraordinarily alluring, with a brutal sort of beauty about her.
âWhat donât I dare? Your Highness is lecherous and unvirtuous, having toyed with innumerable women. If I fall into your hands tonight, my only path is the path of death. Since death awaits either way, what does it matter if one more person accompanies me in the grave?â She raised her head defiantly, her laughter almost defiant. âIf Your Highness doesnât believe me, youâre welcome to come forward. But I too would like to know â whose movements are faster, yours or the poisoned needles in this Blood Moon Bangle?â
Ye You had intended to mock this womanâs overestimation of her abilities. Over the years, he had toyed with so many women â no matter how feisty or chaste they claimed to be, they all ended up under his control in the end. However, when he saw Jiang Ruanâs eyes, his intention to approach froze. Those limpid pools were like a deep, icy abyss â an all too familiar gaze, like the man-eating demons depicted on temple murals.
How could a woman have such a fierce look?
Ye You was frozen, unable to advance or retreat.
Beads of cold sweat formed on Jiang Ruanâs forehead. The longer she stayed in this room filled with aphrodisiac incense, the stronger the drugâs effects became. Even the pain from the wound on her arm could hardly conceal the burning heat within.
In truth, there wasnât a single poisoned needle left in the blood jade bangle â the silver needles had been used up when those guards surrounded her earlier. Her words now were merely to scare Ye You. But why was Tian Zhu still not here â had something gone wrong?
Jiang Ruan felt an unbearable, ant-like itch in her heart, a moan nearly slipping from her lips. But she bit her lower lip hard, forcibly swallowing that urge to moan.
Ye You didnât know what to do, but when he saw Jiang Ruanâs increasingly flushed face and rapid breathing, he immediately understood. After so many years immersed in intimacy between men and women, heâd be a failure not to recognize when someone was aroused. His heart leapt with joy, for he knew the potency of that drug better than anyone. With this realization, Ye You no longer felt rushed. He retreated and sat on the bed, calmly telling Jiang Ruan: âPrincess, with such a stubborn attitude, this prince wonât force you. But if you come begging me later, this prince may not oblige.â
Though his urges were hard to bear, he still valued his life greatly. The drugâs potency was intense â just a taste would muddle oneâs senses. Jiang Ruan had displayed remarkable self-control, but even so, given more time, lust would overcome her and she would inevitably beg Ye You for intimacy in a senseless daze.
Thinking of this, Ye You let out a cold laugh, waiting patiently for the show. With his men guarding outside, Jiang Ruan couldnât escape. He just had to wait for the drug to take full effect.
The thoughts occurring to Ye You also crossed Jiang Ruanâs mind. But she currently lacked the strength to protect herself, with no more poisoned needles in the blood jade bangle. As the aphrodisiac overwhelmed her, making her body terribly uncomfortable, her gaze fell on the short sword before her. Steeling her resolve, she prepared to stab herself again.
Suddenly, there was a loud âbangâ, and the entire door seemed to be kicked open from the outside. A tall and slender figure stood amidst the dust. Upon seeing this familiar silhouette, Jiang Ruan couldnât help but be taken aback.
Ye You was also startled and quickly jumped up from the bed. The person from outside walked straight into the room, dressed in dark brocade clothes, with eyes as cold as the edge of a knife. He walked past Jiang Ruan, his gaze falling on Jiang Ruanâs bloody arm. His usually deep eyes were now filled with a stormy darkness.
âXiao Shao,â Jiang Ruan said, staring at him.
âItâs me,â Xiao Shao replied, bending down to pick her up. When the dust settled, Jiang Ruan and Ye You finally saw that all the guards outside were haphazardly sprawled on the ground, each with a thin line of blood at their throats, all killed by a single stroke. Xiao Shaoâs long sword at his waist was still dripping with blood.
âKing Jin Ying, what⦠what⦠what are you trying to do? Are you rebelling?â Ye You stammered, his legs shaking with fear. If anyone were to say that he was the most notorious playboy in the Great Jin Dynasty, no one could rival him. But this King Jin Ying was not an easy opponent. He was the leader of a hundred thousand brocade-clad guards who dared to refute the emperor. Who would dare to underestimate him under the heavens? In a panic, he cried out, âHelp, help.â His face was filled with fear, a stark contrast to his previous arrogance.