Xuanyuan Yonghao noticed the conflicted expression on Su Yan’s face, pretended to ponder for a moment, and then spoke up,
"Do you find it inconvenient and wish to offer it to the palace after the banquet disperses?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yan immediately nodded,
"Yes, the servant will not disturb Your Highness any longer and shall take her leave now."
As she turned to leave, Xuanyuan Yonghao grabbed her arm and pulled her back,
This time, he embraced her tightly in his arms, completely ignoring the fact that there were others standing just two meters away.
Xuanyuan Yonghao whispered into her fair earlobe, taking a soft bite.
His tone inexplicably softened,
"Rest assured, if I’m not satisfied, I won’t ask you for silver."
Upon hearing this, Su Yan suddenly looked up, her eyes brimming with moistness,
"Really?"
Her voice was suddenly spirited.
Xuanyuan Yonghao, smiling, rested his head on her shoulder,
"You can compensate with something else."
Su Yan was momentarily bewildered. Something else?
"Such as?"
"For example, cleanse yourself thoroughly and willingly lie down on my bed."
He no longer hid his desire; after going round and round for so many days, he just couldn’t hold back any longer.
Su Yan was slow to grasp the implication of his words, while Xiao Hua became excited,
"Ah! How embarrassing!"
Xuanyuan Yonghao pressed closer to her, his cheeks grinding against hers, his voice husky,
"Are you willing?"
His brazen seduction demanded an answer.
His intense gaze was pressing, causing Su Yan to instinctively dodge,
"The servant needs to consider it."
Her soft-spoken tone
Sounded rather pleasant in Xuanyuan Yonghao’s ears.
The smile on the corner of his lips deepened,
"Alright, take your time to consider."
After their ambiguous entanglement had ended, he finally let Su Yan go.
Su Yan touched her cheek and couldn’t help but notice that it was redder than before.
She walked back the way she had come, and just as she was about to step onto the path,
General Lin Liqiang and Prime Minister Zhao Ziyang came face to face with her.
Upon seeing Su Yan, Lin Liqiang knew that His Highness had just been indulging in a romantic tryst with the maid.
For the sake of a woman, he had neglected important matters.
Lin Liqiang gave an involuntary snort.
Su Yan stopped in her tracks and inadvertently looked up,
listening to Lin Liqiang, whose voice was severe and stern,
"Women bring disaster to the nation."
After Su Yan had left, Zhao Ziyang shook his head with a smile, his tone gentle,
"Why pick on her?"
Lin Liqiang shook his head,
"How would this general pick on a mere woman? It’s just that I do not wish for His Highness to be sidetracked by romantic entanglements."
He paused, then added,
"Moreover, her identity is suspicious; she might even be an enemy’s spy sent to execute a honey trap."
Zhao Ziyang looked at Lin Liqiang, who was set in his ways, understanding that no advice would be heeded,
So he stopped trying, only shaking his head and laughing.
The two then walked towards the pond.
Under the pitch-black night sky, the moon shone brightly; indeed, a refreshing and delightful evening.
As Su Yan walked down the path, something came to her mind. She pulled out a black box from her sleeve, hiding in the shadows of the bushes, and whispered,
"Don’t forget our agreement."
"Hiss Hiss Hiss Hiss Hiss Hiss"
After hearing the response, Su Yan was reassured. After pondering, she discarded the box and took out the yellow medicine pills, stowing them in the cuff of her sleeve.
Only after all of this did she continue along the path back.
At the banquet, one after another, officials, ministers, princes, and princesses arrived.
Xuanyuan Yonghao, along with generals and prime ministers, also entered the banquet one after another.