The setting sun – is unspeakably beautiful, only it is approaching nightfall (Li Shangyin).
All ages are beautiful. HBAG – Chapter Thirty-Six (Part 1) contains mature content. Readers need to be of a beautiful mature age to read chapter thirty-six (Part 1).
Chapter Thirty-Six (Part 1)
Yan Shi Ning undressed Pei Jin and herself then she pushed him onto the bed. She straddled his legs, his hands cupped her breasts and she mounted him.
Pei Jin kissed Yan Shi Ning’s pursed lips and their tongues swirled together. He knew she hated pain, usually he would wait until she was wet between her thighs before joining their bodies. Her initiating their lovemaking flamed his desire and pierced his heart, he knew she was counteracting her mental pain with physical pain.
Yan Shi Ning pressed her palms on Pei Jin’s chest and sat still above him. He was deep inside her and the pain helped numb the pain in her heart. He caressed her lower back and kissed the tears on her face. His tenderness made her forget pain and she began to ride him. Each time she raised and lowered her body, he penetrated her deeper.
A long time later Yan Shi Ning’s body spasmed, Pei Jin’s body climaxed and spurted semen inside her.
The following morning Pei Jin woke up and was happy there was no distant look in Yan Shi Ning’s eyes but she was staring intensely at the ceiling.
Pei Jin rolled over and rubbed himself between Yan Shi Ning’s thighs. ‘Wife, last night you were so strong. This morning my waist and back hurts. But… it was pleasurable. Wife, do you want me again?’
Yan Shi Ning heard Pei Jin’s teasing words and she blushed.
‘Pei Jin, are you hiding anything else from me?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
Pei Jin reluctantly rolled off Yan Shi Ning’s body and explained everything to Yan Shi Ning.
Yan Shi Ning’s body turned cold after she heard Princess Kang Hua wanted to kill her too.
‘So you didn’t eat me on our wedding night because I was poisoned?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
‘My wife is more intelligent than I thought,’ Pei Jin teased.
Yan Shi Ning kicked Pei Jin’s leg and berated herself for wasting energy by thinking he was a gentleman who truly wanted to wait until she was willing.
Pei Jin caught Yan Shi Ning’s leg and wrapped it around his waist. ‘Wife, let’s talk about something more primitive.’
Yan Shi Ning bit Pei Jin’s arm and vented a little of her anger.
Pei Jin rubbed his pitiful arm. ‘Wife, what plan did you think of?’
Yan Shi Ning didn’t believe Pei Jin didn’t act out a plan of his own after he knew her mother was killed. ‘Pei Jin, you can tell me what you’ve done first.’
Pei Jin confessed about how he had been slowly making Princess Kang Hua suffer.
‘You’re too soft on her,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘I want her to suffer more.’
‘Wife, what do you want to do?’ Pei Jin asked.
‘She wants her daughter to be the crown prince’s wife,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘I don’t want her wish to be granted. I want Yan Shi Ting’s fake pregnancy exposed on her wedding day and I want all of them to die suffering.’
‘Wife, we shared the same thoughts,’ Pei Jin said. ‘I’ve sent Bei Dou to spread the news at Fu Qing. I forgot to tell you, the owner of Fu Qing is seventh brother.’
‘Seventh prince?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
‘Um,’ Pei Jin said. ‘In the past I wondered how seventh brother gained many supporters. Now I know he used his supporters’ secrets to blackmail them.’
‘Is that why you plan to borrow his dagger?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
‘The crown prince marrying Yan Shi Ting isn’t a serious threat to seventh brother,’ Pei Jin said. ‘But after seventh brother knows the truth, he won’t resist to damage the crown prince’s credibility in front of imperial father. I know seventh brother will wait until the wedding to expose Yan Shi Ting’s deceit. Then seventh brother will think he’s the biggest winner after the Yan Manor, the empress and the crown prince’s reputations are ruined.’
‘Doesn’t it mean we’re helping seventh prince?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
‘It doesn’t have to mean we’re helping seventh brother,’ Pei Jin said.
‘Pei Jin, do you want to become the emperor?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
Yan Shi Ning thought that Pei Jin was most suited to be the emperor compared to his brothers.
Pei Jin saw Yan Shi Ning was truly curious and he whispered something in her ear.
Yan Shi Ning heard what Pei Jin whispered and she smiled.
‘You want to take revenge on the empress and I want to take revenge on Princess Kang Hua,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘This way they’ll both pay with their blood and lives.’
‘What about Yan Jing?’ Pei Jin asked.
***
End of Chapter Thirty-Six (Part 1)
‘He’s my father,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘But his ambition is the reason why my mother was killed. I don’t need him to die. It’s enough that he loses his position in the imperial court.’
Pei Jin nodded his head. He couldn’t predict what his father would do to Yan Jing. But if his father wanted to execute Yan Jing then he would make a little plea to save Yan Jing’s life, because he and Yan Shi Ning knew in Yan Jing’s eyes being demoted was worse than dying.
‘Wife, why do you think Yan Jing suspects Yan Shi Ting isn’t his blood daughter?’ Pei Jin asked. ‘Why hasn’t he done anything to investigate the situation all these years? He’s not someone who would spare a person for deceiving him. I’ve sent someone to investigate Yan Shi Ting’s birth, but I haven’t received any evidence.’
‘Perhaps he’s either misunderstood or is certain Yan Shi Ting isn’t his daughter,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘It’s possible Princess Kang Hua convinced him that he has no evidence to confirm his suspicions. But you said that Princess Kang Hua panicked after she received copies of those two letters. So I think Yan Shi Ting isn’t my father’s blood daughter.’
‘Pei Jin, I want you to give me one of those letters,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘I want to show it my father. I want to see what his reaction is when he knows the daughter he loved since she was born isn’t his blood daughter.’
‘Yan-Shi-Ning!’ Pei Jin cried out. ‘Give back my loveable lively little lion!’
Yan Shi Ning smiled at Pei Jin. ‘Pei Jin, don’t worry. I’m still me, I won’t change.’
At the Yan Manor, Yan Jing thought that recently nothing had been smooth for him. He was ashamed of his youngest daughter’s behaviour before her wedding, it caused him to lose the emperor’s favor. Princess Kang Hua’s health was suddenly poor and Gentleman Su asked him to pay for the costs of Yan Shi Ting’s dresses and shoes.
Yan Jing did want to pay Gentleman Su, but the total cost shook his body and he asked Gentleman Su to receive the silver taels from Princess Kang Hua.
‘Prime Minister Yan, I did ask Princess Kang Hua,’ Gentleman Su said. ‘But she said she was unwell and asked me to come back another day. Honestly, I need the money to pay my merchants and dressmakers.’
Yan Jing tactfully asked Gentleman Su to come back another day then he looked for Princess Kang Hua in the Yan Manor. He didn’t know how many silver taels Princess Kang Hua possessed and he had never asked. But he knew she wasn’t a pauper so he couldn’t understand why she couldn’t pay Gentleman Su.
Yan Jing found Princess Kang Hua in her chamber and he asked her about the silver taels owed to Gentleman Su.
‘My silver taels has no relation to you,’ Princess Kang Hua said coldly.
Yan Jing thought Princess Kang Hua’s cold arrogance was too much. He suppressed his disdain and retreated toward the calligraphy room.
On the way to the calligraphy room Yan Jing was surprised to see his oldest daughter arrived at the Yan Manor to visit him.
‘Shi Ning?’ Yan Jing asked.
Yan Shi Ning smiled charmingly at Yan Jing. ‘Father, I came to give Shi Ting a pair of jade bracelets. It’ll look beautiful on her wrists.’
Yan Jing was proud of his oldest daughter who was gentle and considerate. ‘Shi Ning, you’re a good person.’
Yan Jing accepted the jade bracelets and he noticed Yan Shi Ning hesitated to ask him something. ‘Shi Ning, is something wrong?’
Yan Shi Ning bit her lower lip and spoke in a shaky voice. ‘Father… I… this… I didn’t intend to tell father about this. But forgive me father, I can’t hide this from you.’
Yan Jing had never seen Yan Shi Ning looked so sad and anxious like she did that she did that day. ‘Shi Ning, if anything bad happened you can tell me and I promise I’ll give you justice.’
Yan Shi Ning’s heart laughed coldly. She pulled out a letter and passed it to Yan Jing. ‘Father, last night someone delivered this to my husband’s manor. After I read it I was shocked and I wanted to ask father about this.’
Yan Jing read the letter and his body stiffened, it was clearly the letter he wrote to Dung Thi… it was his calligraphy and the same paper he used that year.
***
End of Chapter Thirty-Six (Part 2 of 2)