Seeing the large patch of blood stains, Ye You was initially stunned, then grew angry, saying: “You bitch! Refusing to toast is punishable!” He took big strides towards Jiang Ruan. In his eyes, this woman was ungrateful – considering Jiang Ruan was her good fortune, yet she ruined his interest like this. If he didn’t torture Jiang Ruan into kneeling to beg for mercy today, he wouldn’t be Ye You!
The short sword was extremely sharp, a rare treasure from Yibao Pavillion. Although Jiang Ruan’s stab wasn’t 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.
“Third Prince, if you take one more step forward, don’t blame this princess for not giving you face and injuring your life. You can only go complain to the King of Hell,” she said.
This successfully stopped Ye You’s movement. He looked at Jiang Ruan suspiciously, then laughed loudly, his eyes burning with anger: “Princess, I advise you not to try any tricks. My men are outside – do you really have a way out?”
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: “Does Your Highness know what this is?”
Ye You’s gaze fell on the bangle on Jiang Ruan’s wrist. The blood jade bangle emanated a faint blue glow, clearly not an ordinary object. Earlier he had just thought it was Jiang Ruan’s precious jewelry, but now he didn’t know what it was.
“It’s 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,” Jiang Ruan said calmly. “Your Highness is too close. This princess is afraid that with one accidental press of the switch, Your Highness’ life would be snuffed out.”
Ye You was first astonished, then furious, laughing loudly: “You dare threaten me?”
“Whether it’s a threat or not, Your Highness can find out by trying,” 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 You’s interest. He smiled sweetly, “This prince knows the princess is afraid inside, but there’s 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 Dowager’s adopted granddaughter.” His gaze lingered on Jiang Ruan’s snowy neck. “Princess, don’t be afraid. This prince will be gentle.”
The reason Ye You didn’t take Jiang Ruan’s words to heart was because he was certain she wouldn’t dare harm him – after all, he was a prince, and the crime of killing a prince would mean death, even for the Empress Dowager’s 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.
“What don’t 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?” She raised her head defiantly, her laughter almost defiant. “If Your Highness doesn’t believe me, you’re welcome to come forward. But I too would like to know – whose movements are faster, yours or the poisoned needles in this Blood Moon Bangle?”
Ye You had intended to mock this woman’s overestimation of her abilities. Over the years, he had toyed with so many women – 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 Ruan’s eyes, his intention to approach froze. Those limpid pools were like a deep, icy abyss – 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 Ruan’s forehead. The longer she stayed in this room filled with aphrodisiac incense, the stronger the drug’s effects became. Even the pain from the wound on her arm could hardly conceal the burning heat within.
In truth, there wasn’t a single poisoned needle left in the blood jade bangle – 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 – 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 didn’t know what to do, but when he saw Jiang Ruan’s increasingly flushed face and rapid breathing, he immediately understood. After so many years immersed in intimacy between men and women, he’d 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: “Princess, with such a stubborn attitude, this prince won’t force you. But if you come begging me later, this prince may not oblige.”
Though his urges were hard to bear, he still valued his life greatly. The drug’s potency was intense – just a taste would muddle one’s 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 couldn’t escape. He just had to wait for the drug to take full effect.
The thoughts occurring to Ye You also crossed Jiang Ruan’s 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 “bang”, 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 couldn’t 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 Ruan’s bloody arm. His usually deep eyes were now filled with a stormy darkness.
“Xiao Shao,” Jiang Ruan said, staring at him.
“It’s me,” 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 Shao’s long sword at his waist was still dripping with blood.
“King Jin Ying, what… what… what are you trying to do? Are you rebelling?” 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, “Help, help.” His face was filled with fear, a stark contrast to his previous arrogance.
(End of the chapter)
