Chapter 857: Yet he has no scruples

Baili Yuanlong was looking for Long Feiye on urgent business. He assumed that His Highness was resting in the main barracks, but he couldn’t find him anywhere. Then he searched around the area but still found no sign. Han Yunxi’s tent was the only place left.

Xu Donglin wouldn’t budge. Baili Yuanlong had been arguing with him for awhile now, but he hadn’t raised his voice until now. Long Feiye and Han Yunxi had been too engrossed in each other to notice before this, either. Now Baili Yuanlong was so furious that he was reduced to shouting, making him impossible to ignore. Xu Donglin had been afraid that he couldn’t hold him back, so he provoked the man on purpose to remind the couple inside the tent.

“General Baili, it’s not that this subordinate won’t let you in, but that it’s inconvenient. May the general please calm your anger and excuse me,” Xu Donglin had said this line ten times already, but he kept repeating himself.

“Inconvenient? For this long? Call her out immediately!” Baili Yuanlong had some brains of his own. If he couldn’t find Long Feiye, he’d just find Han Yunxi. After staying in the military for so long, he’d always dealt with his troops in a savage and unyielding manner. He was no fool either--calling Han Yunxi out could count as a test!

“General Baili, it’s not that this subordinate won’t call the princess out, but that it’s really inconvenient. I ask that the general--”

“To calm my anger and excuse you!” Baili Yuanlong interrupted furiously. He was already sick of Xu Donglin’s pretending. “Xu Donglin, if you don’t call her out today, this general will hold you responsible!”

“The general can naturally hold this subordinate responsible, but I ask that you tell His Highness Crown Prince first before you interrogate me,” Xu Donglin stood up straight. He had assumed Chu Xifeng’s position as head of the shadow guards. Although Baili Yuanlong had more military might in his hands, their positions were equal! He wasn’t that easy to bully!

“When the army is out, the rules of the sovereign can be disregarded! Even more, when dealing with a trifling guard like you!” Baili Yuanlong said before shoving Xu Donglin aside.

At this moment, Zhao mama slipped out from the side and stood in front of Baili Yuanlong with arms spread to block his way. “General Baili, the West Qin princess is changing her clothes. The ten chests of clothes she required just arrived, so it’s really inconvenient right now. General Baili, the West Qin princess is still a hostage...” she lowered her voice, “As well as his...”

Before she could finish, Bail Yuanlong slapped her aside, straight into Xu Donglin. He was forced to catch Zhao mama lest she tumble to the ground. Then Baili Yuanlong strode right into the tent. Zhao mama exchanged panicked looks with Xu Donglin before she chased after him.

Inside, the tent was littered with Han Yunxi’s clothes and shoes, but she was nowhere in sight. Baili Yuanlong stood unmoving as he stared at the curtain in the middle of the tent. Although he was crude and rash, he only dared to charge in this far. Beyond the partition was Han Yunxi’s bedchambers, which he would never enter. At this moment, he realized how important it was to get her a servant girl as soon as possible.

Zhao mama stood right behind General Baili. Her old, sharp eyes immediately picked up on a certain book lying in the right hand corner of the curtain. Half of its pages were showing, revealing its contents as the same secret court manual she’d gifted the princess. In a flash, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She only felt that Baili Yuanlong deserved a thousand cuts right now!

Baili Yuanlong wasn’t stupid. How could his argument with Xu Donglin not alarm Han Yunxi despite all the noise? Unless something was afoot, Han Yunxi’s personality would have her charging out ages ago. It was unfathomable that she’d still be shrinking away like a turtle after he barged indoors. He was 100 percent certain that Han Yunxi was up to something fishy and 80 percent gambling that His Highness was here too.

If His Highness is not only here, but in the inner chambers, then this is big, Baili Yuanlong mused. He harbored guesses in his heart, which was why he’d lost his temper so quickly over his urgent business. When he imagined the things that could have happened here, he felt unwell all over! But now he was at a loss. He couldn’t advance or retreat, so what was he to do?

He wasn’t resigned to withdrawing just like that; moreover, he really had urgent news to report. But he neither dared or was willing to go in. He wasn’t willing because these were basic rules of etiquette. Even if this was a simple servant girl instead of Han Yunxi, he wouldn’t charge into her bedroom; he didn’t dare because of their statuses. Even if His Highness was inside, he wouldn’t go in either, because he was his lord and sovereign.

Baili Yuanlong’s gaze flickered before they caught sight of the item below the curtain. But he only saw it as a book and didn’t know of its contents. He stepped forward for a closer look, and that’s when the pages of the book turned!

But there was no breeze inside the tent! Even if there was one, it wouldn’t necessarily turn the page. It was stuck beneath the curtains, making it difficult to move. Obviously, a person had flipped it instead.

So the person behind the curtain is flipping through the book?

At this very moment, Long Feiye and Han Yunxi were still lying on the edge of the tatami mat, very close to the curtain. Long Feiye was on his side, one hand propping up his head as the other lifted his hand. A single motion from his fingers sent an invisible energy floating like a breeze to accurately flip a page of the little black book. Once again, a new page revealed itself, its contents enough to stun one and turn their face and ears red! Long Feiye only glanced at the content without interest, more amused by the reactions on a certain woman’s face. They were much more riveting than any book!

Han Yunxi was so embarrassed that her face was practically on fire. Like a ruddy red apple, she hung her head, wanting to cry but having no tears. If there was a crack on the ground, she wouldn’t bury her head in it now, because she wanted to smash her head to death instead!

So shameful! How am I supposed to live after this?!

She knew Baili Yuanlong was right outside and wanted to stop Long Feiye, but how? Didn’t he know Baili Yuanlong was here too? Yet he was flipping the pages on purpose to attract attention. Just what was he thinking? With her like this now, she was certain he wouldn’t let Baili Yuanlong charge in. The general didn’t have the gall himself either. But was he smearing her on purpose in front of the other man? Baili Yuanlong couldn’t be sure that Long Feiye was inside, but he knew she was! What would he think of her?

Han Yunxi only felt that her heroic name had been ruined at Zhao mama’s hands, then thoroughly destroyed by Long Feiye’s fingers!

Long Feiye only looked at her with interest. When she neither spoke nor lifted her head, he moved his fingers away to send another page turning. At the same time, Baili Yuanlong finally recognized the contents of the book and flushed scarlet. It was unclear whether he was embarrassed or indignant. Very soon, his red face turned dark as his hands formed into fists. Anger dashed to his brow as he glared at the book and became the very image of the black-faced King of Hell. He was taking deep breaths to calm himself down. Many times, he opened his mouth to speak, but was too angry to get out a word. How he wished that he’d guessed wrong, that His Highness wasn’t inside, that it was only that slut Han Yunxi!

In the end, he was left with no alternatives but to glare at Zhao mama. She had been trying to find ways to distract Baili Yuanlong so she could kick the book back under the curtains, but who knew the couple inside would play this out instead! Even though they heard intruders, they were still so calmly flipping through the book!

Are they...still reading?

Zhao mama’s three views were completely overturned. She had no way to judge His Highness, but her impression of the princess had done a 360 degree turn! She looks so proper on the surface, but deep down she’s actually ***[1] and shameless! Those two books are meant for her private viewing. How could she...how could she take them out to read with His Highness? Alright, so they read it, but why are they still acting so unbridled with outsiders present?

Zhao mama didn’t cry, but she still had to wipe at her eyes. Hot and bitter tears laid in wait! She didn’t have to worry about His Highness and the princess after all! Was she simply blind and fretting over nothing? I should just go and quietly make my aged hen stew.

As Baili Yuanlong fumed and raged, Zhao mama lowered her head, bowed her waist, and timidly backed out of the tent. Xu Donglin was burning with impatience as he asked, “Zhao mama, what’s going on? What happened?”

Baili Yuanlong might have the guts to charge inside, but Xu Donglin didn’t even dare to enter the outer partition of the tent. Zhao mama patted his shoulders as she said earnestly, “Boy, be good and obedient. There’s nothing His Highness and the princess can’t do, so don’t worry!”

As she finished, she left, leaving Xu Donglin stunned behind her. Meanwhile, silence reigned inside the tent except for the sound of flipping pages. Baili Yuanlong looked like a fiendish god as he stood there stock still, staring at the book. In the inner chambers, Long Feiye was in a great mood. Even Baili Yuanlong’s temper couldn’t affect him a smidgen. He enjoyed Han Yunxi’s coy expressions as his smile widened. Soon enough, he couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter.

“Heheh! Haha!”

He stopped turning the pages of the book to pick her up with both arms and rest her against his body. Grinning at her he acted as wicked, unbridled, and joyful as he liked! To Baili Yuanlong, his unruly laughs were simply like a mourning keel for the deceased! He couldn’t deceive himself any further--his East Qin crown prince, the sole heir of the East Qin Dynasty, was defying all conventions by immersing himself in the West Qin princess’s boudoir!

Han Yunxi couldn’t accept this and punched Long Feiye’s chest as she murmured, “Enough, you! What do you want to do?”

“Where did those two books come from?” Long Feiye asked instead.

“Let me go! That’s enough!” Han Yunxi was both flustered and exasperated. If this kept on, how were they supposed to keep up their act? Did he really want her to spend the rest of her days in a jail cell? Or did he want to fall out with Baili Yuanlong and incite internal strife?

“You won’t say?” he ignored her worries and protests. “I’ll ask you one more time, who gave it to you?”

“You...” Before she could finish, he flipped her over and pinned her underneath, his eyes cold.

Finally, Han Yunxi grew afraid. She warned him in a low tone, “Long Feiye, have you gone mad?” When he ignored her yet again, Han Yunxi finally capitulated. “Zhao mama gave it to me two days ago!”

“Did you finish reading it all?” Long Feiye asked next.

1. *** was part of the original raws. Feel free to fill in the blanks. :)