Bai Qingqing knew very well—she had already betrayed Emperor Xia.
Her true identity had been discovered by Lu Chen. Her body had been claimed and controlled by him. At this point, she had no way back.
She had no choice but to surrender.
And more terrifying than that, she had completely accepted Lu Chen in her heart.
To her, there was no real difference between being a tool of Emperor Xia and being a tool of Lu Chen. Both paths led to submission—only the master had changed.
But there was a crucial difference.
She had never felt a sense of belonging among the Shadow Guards. Cold training, brutal discipline, and the suppression of emotion had defined her life for as long as she could remember.
Now, however, she was under Lu Chen's control—not merely physically, but spiritually. That sense of resistance she once possessed had quietly disappeared. It felt… natural.
And yet, she still wasn't used to being Lu Chen's woman.
In the past, when her body was touched—even intimately—she never felt anything. Lu Chen could embrace her, kiss her, press his face against hers, and she would be as unmoved as a stone sculpture.
But now… it was different.
When his skin touched hers, she would feel heat rising uncontrollably from within. Her body would tremble slightly, a strange restlessness flooding her limbs. Her thoughts would scatter like leaves in the wind.
Last night… she could hardly recognize herself.
She had cried out shamelessly under him, her voice echoing in the room like someone else's. She had called him Master, Good Brother, even Good Husband…
She felt like she'd been possessed. There was no other way to explain it.
She even began to doubt whether another soul had entered her body during that moment. Everything felt surreal, as if she'd merely been watching someone else—a version of herself she didn't know existed.
At that moment, Lu Chen was no longer concerned with her verbal obedience. Her heart already belonged to him.
That was enough.
He rolled over gently, wrapping his arms around her delicate waist, lying atop her soft and supple figure. Looking down, he admired her cold yet stunningly beautiful face.
Seeing her cheeks flushed and her long eyelashes trembling slightly, Lu Chen smiled.
The same sensation from last night crept back into Bai Qingqing's body. She could feel that strange tingling again—the warmth bubbling from her core, the sensation of being unmoored.
She instinctively tried to summon her internal force, to suppress the reaction.
But it vanished again, just as it had before.
Bai Qingqing now understood clearly—so long as she was in direct contact with Lu Chen's body, her power would dissipate.
Unless…
Unless they were cultivating feelings together. Only then would her inner force return, forming a cyclical flow with his.
If it was merely intimate skin contact, then her strength would be sealed, and she would be like a helpless lamb in his arms.
Lu Chen saw the faint flicker of resistance in her eyes and chuckled.
The more he looked at her, the more he wanted to tease her. This cold and unyielding beauty—when her walls cracked, it was like seeing snow melt under spring sun.
He wanted to bully her just a little more.
Just then, Bai Qingqing whispered, "Prince… it's time to get up."
Her voice, though faint, was laced with suppressed tension.
Lu Chen smirked. "You're just a maid—when did you become bold enough to command your master?"
He narrowed his eyes mischievously. "It seems someone needs a proper lesson. I'll teach you the rules of this palace myself."
With that, he leaned down, grasped her delicate chin with his fingers, and pressed his lips against hers.
"Mm…"
Her muffled protest melted into the kiss.
***
At the same time—
In the inner courtyard of the palace, Chu Yuqin was already up early and had begun her routine inspection of the grounds.
As she was about to proceed to the next area, a maid approached her in a hurry, her face full of anxiety.
"Madam Chu! Something bad has happened!"
Chu Yuqin raised her brows slightly. "What is it?"
The maid lowered her voice but couldn't hide the panic. "Commander Qin came early this morning to report to the prince, but we couldn't find him. We checked every lady's room—he's not there. The prince seems to have vanished."
Normally, Lu Chen would either emerge from one of the wives' quarters or be found already working in the study by morning.
But today was unusual. The maid had first checked the study, then Lady Mu Zixuan's courtyard, and even Lady Wang's, but Lu Chen was nowhere to be found.
Thinking something terrible had occurred, the maid had rushed to Chu Yuqin.
Chu Yuqin blinked, and then gave a small smile.
So that little rascal had gone fishing last night after all.
She already knew where Lu Chen had gone.
There was no need to panic.
"Don't worry," Chu Yuqin said calmly. "I know where he is. You go attend to your duties."
"Yes, Madam Chu."
The maid gave a bow of relief and quickly left.
Chu Yuqin then walked to Bai Qingqing's courtyard.
As she approached the door, she slowed her pace. He should be getting up soon, she thought.
But before she could knock or call out, she heard faint cries from within the room.
Her steps halted.
The voice was unmistakably Bai Qingqing's.
Even more shockingly—it was full of passion, emotion, life.
For a moment, Chu Yuqin stood frozen.
She wasn't surprised that Lu Chen had bedded Bai Qingqing. What truly astonished her was Bai Qingqing's reaction.
That girl had been raised in the palace from a very young age. For all these years, she had shown no emotion whatsoever.
Even when she was injured, she wouldn't cry or frown.
A spiritual master had once declared that Bai Qingqing had no emotions.
Yet now, that same woman was moaning from within Lu Chen's room like a lovesick maiden.
Is she truly devoid of emotion? Chu Yuqin wondered. Or perhaps… it's only during that kind of thing that she feels something?
Just then, a familiar voice called from inside: "Aunt Chu, what do you want to talk about?"
Lu Chen had sensed her presence.
Of course he had—his spiritual perception was far beyond ordinary now. He had even noticed her peeking the night before.
This wasn't the first time she had been caught.
Chu Yuqin's face reddened slightly.
She remembered the past few times she had stumbled upon Lu Chen and Wang Qingci in the courtyard—she hadn't been able to look away.
She coughed awkwardly and cleared her throat. "Chen'er, Commander Qin is waiting in your study. He said he has something urgent to report."
"Got it," Lu Chen replied lazily. "I'll head there now."
Inside the room, Lu Chen stroked Bai Qingqing's cheek gently and said with a grin, "Xiaobai, it seems you've fully embraced your role."
Bai Qingqing didn't answer. She lay curled on the bed, her face crimson with shame, unable to understand what had come over her.
Was this… who she truly was?
Or had her soul been utterly enslaved—by him?
Not just her body, but even her will.
Lu Chen dressed and turned back to look at her. "Rest for now. I'll come visit you again tonight."
Then he left the room, the sound of his steps fading into the morning air.
Bai Qingqing stared at the ceiling, her expression filled with confusion and turmoil.
***
Lu Chen didn't stop for breakfast.
He went straight to the study.
Inside, Qin Yushan was already waiting.
Upon seeing Lu Chen, he rose quickly and saluted. "Your Highness."
Lu Chen gave a small nod. "Hmm. What news brings you so early, Commander Qin?"
Everyone in the palace knew that Lu Chen preferred to linger in bed with his wives and concubines in the morning. To disturb him so early meant something urgent had occurred.
Qin Yushan's face grew solemn. "Your Highness, a letter has arrived from the capital. Commander Liang has uncovered shocking news—"
He paused, then continued with gravity in his voice, "The Eighth Prince has colluded with the barbarians."
Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.
"The Eighth Prince smuggled large quantities of salt and iron to the Tianlang King through the southern caravans. It's likely that the 300,000-strong barbarian army's southern march is directly tied to his dealings."
He pulled a scroll from his sleeve. "This is the intelligence Commander Liang gathered—confirmed by several witnesses and corroborated with intercepted documents."
Lu Chen took the scroll with a cold expression, opened it, and began to read.
As his eyes scanned line after line, his expression darkened further.
Lu Shuyun…
That traitorous Eighth Prince.
It wasn't enough for him to orchestrate the assassination of his own brother—now he was selling the country out to its enemies?
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