Chapter 15: The Curtain

all the cards on the table.Kill or retreat.There is no third option.Zhao Xuanji's words placed the burden of the difficult choice onto Li Chen.To take Zhao Xuanji's life would be to destabilize the co...Chapter 15: The Door Curtain

This was the first time Li Chen had been proactively held by Zhao Qinglan's hand. He calmly and gently kneaded Zhao Qinglan's delicate and soft hand, saying: "What brilliant plan does the Empress have"

Zhao Qinglan struggled against his hand but found she couldn't break free. She could only temporarily ignore Li Chen's act of taking advantage of her and said urgently, "Why don't you, Your Highness, temporarily put down the regency After all, you are not familiar with current affairs right now. It would be better to learn slowly by following the Chief Minister first. When the time comes, the Chief Minister will naturally return the regency to you."

Li Chen had never expected Zhao Qinglan to consider him, so when she said this, he wasn't angry. He just replied calmly: “The Empress is indeed a good daughter of the Zhao family, thinking about everything for the Chief Minister. She says it’s a win-win solution, but in reality, what’s the difference between this and being deposed”

Zhao Qinglan frowned and said, “What does the prince intend to do”

"How can I, speaking to you, not be tantamount to telling the Grand Councilor directly"

Li Chen chuckled softly, reaching out to gently encircle Zhao Qinglan's slender waist and pull her into his embrace. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, "Since your father has shown such ingratitude, perhaps the palace should collect a little interest from you."

Zhao Qinglan felt as if her body were soaring through the air before landing in Li Chen's arms.

Zhao Qinglan was astonished.

"Prince, do not overstep your bounds!"

Zhao Qinglan roared.

... her majesty was ruined completely, just because of the way she sat in Li Chen's arms.

"How dare you be so greedy"

Li Chen didn't take Zhao Qinglan's threat seriously at all, his palm still moving.

Zhao Qinglan instinctively pressed back against Li Chen's hand, preventing him from going further.

And just at that moment, the voice of the Ninth Prince came from outside the hall.

"Mother, I have memorized the first half of the Qin Before Five Hundred Histories. Mother, do you have time to listen to me recite it now"

The Ninth Prince's voice made Zhao Qinglan's eyes widen.

At this moment, there was only a curtain separating them. Once the curtain was lifted, both their current embarrassing appearances would be exposed to the Ninth Prince's eyes.

This level of excitement and thrill far surpasses the previous ones.

Zhaochenglan instinctively wanted to speak, no matter what she said, hoping to drive the Ninth Prince away at the first opportunity.

But at this critical juncture, Li Chen's reaction was even faster than hers.

"The *Pre-Qin Five Thousand Histories* is over 20,000 words long. Even just the first half, which is relatively simple and superficial, has more than 10,000 words. Ninth Royal Brother, you say you memorized it This Palace doesn't believe you. Go ahead and recite it for me."

Upon hearing Li Chen's voice, the Ninth Prince was astonished and exclaimed, "The, The Crown Prince is also here"

The Ninth Prince widened his eyes, staring intently at the closed curtains. He felt as if countless secrets were hidden within.

He couldn't understand why, even though it was night, the Crown Prince was still in the private inner chamber behind the curtain. They had pulled the curtains closed and were talking, as if they had something very important to say that shouldn't be heard by anyone else.

Li Chen and Zhao Qinglan inside the door curtain naturally didn't know what the Ninth Prince was thinking at this moment, and they didn't need to know.

Li Chen pressed Zhao Qinglan onto the soft bed, supporting himself with one hand on the outside to prevent her from escaping.

Feeling each other's hot breaths and Zhao Qinglan's hateful glare, Li Chen addressed the Ninth Prince outside: "My palace and the Empress have some important matters to discuss. You don't need to meddle. Since you want to recite your lessons, that's a good thing. As your brother, this palace naturally has an obligation to guide you. Just recite it here."

The Ninth Prince outside wore a fluctuating expression. In the end, he gritted his teeth and felt that it was more important to show himself first.

Then, he opened his mouth and fluently recited: "In Qin dynasty before five hundred years, observing those who came before us in history, one can know the rise and fall of today. By studying history broadly, we can distinguish right from wrong..."

The Ninth Prince's voice outside was clear and pleasant, while inside behind the curtain, Zhao Qinglan was being bullied by Li Chen's relentless advances, her face flushed red. Especially with the Ninth Prince's voice seeping through the door, she felt utterly ashamed and conflicted.

"You, you bastard!"

Although she was scolding him, Zhao Qinglan still had to lower her voice so that her words sounded utterly powerless.

His nostrils flared rapidly, and the quickening of his breath made Zhao Qinglan feel ashamed even listening to it himself.

The two of them lay on the soft bed, one above the other, entangled with each other. Although the space wasn't small, it was getting increasingly warm. Their hot breaths made the surrounding air thick and stuffy.

With his chin, Li Chen lifted Zhao Qinglan's collar away from his neck, gazing at the strawberry marks he had planted a few days ago. He leaned close to Zhao Qinglan's ear, his voice a low murmur, and whispered, "What have I done wrong"

This frivolous remark, like a street ruffian molesting a virtuous woman, was so despicable that it made Zhao Qinglan feel humiliated and want to die.

Before she could get angry, Li Chen had already started acting on his own.

"Not..."

Zhao Qinglan refused softly.

She herself didn't notice, but her tone carried a hint of pathos and supplication.

The vivid scene before him made Li Chen feel like a volcano was about to erupt, its surging power unstoppable.

His eyes were already red with anger, and he didn't care about Zhao Qinglan anymore.

Zhao Qinglan exclaimed, raising her hand to stop Li Chen, but because of the large amplitude of her movement, she bumped into the teacup.

Splash.

The teacup fell to the ground with a sharp crack, shattering into pieces.

Zhao Qinglan and Li Chen's movements froze, and outside, the Ninth Prince's recitation also came to an abrupt end.

"Mother, was that your voice just now What's wrong"

Outside the door curtain, Ninth Prince's voice came.

Zhao Qinglan glared at Li Chen with burning hatred. If looks could kill, Li Chen would have been dismembered a thousand times over.

But at this time, she had to say in as calm a tone as possible: "This palace is fine."

"Mother, did the teacup just break Are you hurt"

The Ninth Prince's voice came closer to the door.

Under the projection of candlelight, it was clear to see that the Ninth Prince was gradually approaching on the curtain.

"May I enter, Your Majesty"

When the words reached him, he was almost at the threshold.

At this moment, as long as the Ninth Prince raised his hand to lift the curtain, he could see Li Chen pressing Zhao Qinglan beneath him, one hand even reaching into her clothes.

The atmosphere was incredibly tense.

Bang bang bang.

Li Chen and Zhao Qinglan's hearts were pounding.

Both of their foreheads were beaded with sweat.

While Zhao Qinglan's eyes were flustered, her pretty face was flushed with excitement, but now, besides the flush, there was more of a panicked pallor.

If the Ninth Prince were to stumble upon this scene, no matter what happened in the future, she would be utterly shamed and unable to live on.

"I'm fine, you don't have to come in!"

The Ninth Prince had never heard the Empress scold like that before, and he was a little afraid.

Then it occurred to him that the vicious prince was inside, perhaps having angered his mother.

Thinking of this, the Ninth Prince immediately became anxious.

"My son is worried about his mother, please allow him to confirm that his mother is safe. Then my son will apologize to his mother."

As soon as he finished speaking, the shadow of the Ninth Prince on the curtain had already lifted his hand to push it open.te's secrets. All major national affairs need your Highness to manage them. Therefore, whether it is for the country, the common people, or for your Highness yourself, you must take good care of your...