Wanyan Ping was instantly dumbfounded. "I said I needed time to think!"

Song Qingshu’s voice was muffled. "You can still think now."

Wanyan Ping bit her lip. "Why are you so shameless?" Though reason told her she shouldn’t allow this, the memory of their previous intimacy—far more intense than this—made her resistance waver.

His ki$$es left her flustered, her voice trembling. "If you don’t stop, I’ll stab you with my dagger."

"If you really wanted to stab me, you wouldn’t have warned me first," Song Qingshu chuckled, sliding his hand toward her th!gh. "If I recall correctly, your chastity dagger is hidden here, isn’t it?"

Wanyan Ping remembered that night by the mountain stream when she had given herself to him completely, shyly showing him the dagger. She hadn’t expected him to remember.

She felt the weight on her thigh loosen as he untied the small dagger and tossed it aside. With a sigh, she relented, "Wait… I’m not used to you like this. Change back to my brother-in-law’s face first… then you can continue."

Song Qingshu laughed. "Good thing I’m broad-minded enough not to be jealous of your brother-in-law. Fine, wait a moment." He got up, grabbed the mask from the table, and extinguished the oil lamp in the tent to prevent their shadows from being seen. He didn’t care about rumors, but Wanyan Ping, as a young woman, would be embarrassed.

Noticing his thoughtful gesture, Wanyan Ping understood his consideration and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. ‘No wonder my sister always said he was a gentle and considerate man.'

When he climbed back onto the bed, she said nothing more, silently letting him press down on her.

"Hhng~"

*****

Sometime later, Wanyan Ping's hand brushed against Song Qingshu's cheek—smooth, without a trace of a beard. She gasped in shock. "You lied to me!"

Song Qingshu glanced at the discarded mask and grinned. "You’ll have to get used to my real face sooner or later. But if you miss your brother-in-law, I can always wear his face when we’re together. How’s that?"

"That sounds so wrong!"

"You should consider yourself lucky. Marrying me is like marrying two men. And if you’d like, I can even pretend to be other—"

Before he could finish, Wanyan Ping pummeled him with her fists. "Ugh! You’re getting more and more vulgar!"

Song Qingshu laughed heartily before falling silent, pulling her tightly into his arms. 

The tent was soon filled with heavy breathing and muffled gasps.

***** 

While Song Qingshu was enjoying himself, Prince Changsheng, who had also been thrown into prison, wasn’t so fortunate. Under the emperor’s and Wanyan Liang’s orders, the new interrogators tortured him into confessing to rebellion. They used this opportunity to purge all officials close to him, including the former Palace Commandant Wanyan Tesi.

After reviewing the confession, the emperor emotionlessly issued a secret decree: Prince Changsheng was to be poisoned in his cell.

The once-grand Prince Changsheng residence now stood desolate. Servants and maids had long fled at the first sign of trouble, leaving only the princess consort sitting alone in the main hall.

"Years of effort, destroyed in an instant… Is Heaven truly determined to annihilate our Ming Cult?" Daiqisi muttered, her spirit broken.

The Three Persian Envoys exchanged uneasy glances, equally dejected.

The Wind Envoy couldn’t hold back. "Lady, now isn’t the time for despair. The main sect still needs our help. We can’t give up."

The Cloud Envoy nodded. "He’s right. We must act."

Having lived in Persia for years, their loyalty lay solely with the main sect. They weren’t as emotionally devastated as Daiqisi.

But for her, it was different. She had spent over a decade in the Jin Dynasty. Though she hadn’t loved Prince Changsheng, even a cat or a dog would grow on you after so long. He had treated her well, and watching him die helplessly in prison filled her with guilt.

Hearing their words, Daiqisi finally snapped. "Easy for you to say! With Prince Changsheng dead, all my influence in Jin is gone. What else can we do?"

The Moon Envoy spoke up. "The Jin emperor is infatuated with you. Wouldn’t it be more effective to focus on him than that useless Prince Changsheng? Why not seduce him properly? If necessary, let him take some liberties—it’s not like you’re still a saintess who needs to preserve your purity."

Daiqisi laughed coldly. "Spoken like a fool who’s spent too long in Persia. Powerful men in the Central Plains don’t let women influence them. To them, women are just playthings. If I were the empress or even a high-ranking consort, I might have some sway—enough to forge alliances with officials. But now? I’m the widow of a condemned traitor. Even if the emperor takes me into the palace, would he dare give me a public title? Without status, I’m just a concubine. No official would risk associating with me, let alone let me influence court decisions!"

The Cloud Envoy’s eyes lit up. "Your position is too sensitive, but the Moon Envoy has no such problem. Why not introduce her to the emperor? She may not be as stunning as you, but she’s still a famed Persian beauty. Winning the emperor’s favor and securing a place in the harem should be easy. With the two of you working together and us supporting from within, controlling the palace would be half the battle."

The Moon Envoy paled. "Absolutely not!"

"Why not?" Daiqisi shot back, seizing the chance to throw her own rhetoric back at her. "Aren’t you willing to sacrifice for the main sect? For the Ming Cult?"

Under the others’ expectant gazes, the Moon Envoy panicked. "Of course I’m willing! But such schemes take too long. The main sect may not last that long. Why not just control the emperor directly? Once we have him, we can do anything!" Desperate to avoid bedding the emperor, she racked her brains for alternatives.

Daiqisi’s eyes gleamed. Despite their personal feud, she wouldn’t jeopardize their mission. 

The Moon Envoy’s plan was risky but efficient. "Fine. You’ll pose as my distant cousin. I’ll recommend you to the emperor and bring the Wind and Cloud Envoys into the palace. When the emperor comes to ‘enjoy’ you, we’ll strike. If we take down Da Xingguo quickly, we can seize control of the emperor without alerting anyone!"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read