Reborn Princess

Shen Lilan felt Zhou Cechen's breath and suddenly realized that she was also drunk.

Zhou Cechen's aura was too strong. Shen Xilan was wrapped in it and her heart beat very fast. She was like a prey, being stared at by Zhou Cechen.

"Shen Lilan," he called her by her full name, "Since you have provoked me, I will not give you room to regret. You have no way out." His voice was so low and hot.

"I don't want to retreat." Shen Lilan looked up at Zhou Cechen's deep eyes, which seemed to be shining in the darkness.

Her voice was stubborn, just like every decision she made, she would not regret it, except for telling Zhou Cechen that she didn't love him in her previous life, she regretted it.

After saying the last word, Zhou Cechen lifted Shen Lilan's chin and kissed her lips.

Shen Lilan's eyelashes trembled slightly and he closed his eyes.

Zhou Cechen's kiss was extremely aggressive. He had been enduring it for a long time, and now it seemed like he had found an outlet, just like a long drought finally ending in a downpour. He was like crazy, wanting more.

Shen Xilan was pressed against the door panel. She raised her head to accept Zhou Cechen's kiss and she also tried to respond to him.

Her response was met with a more passionate kiss from Zhou Cechen.

……

When Yanci, Tang Song and Tang Ling entered Songmoju, the door of the room had been closed.

They looked at each other and didn't move forward.

Tang Song coughed lightly and said, "It seems we are late."

Tang Ling chuckled, "It's not that I'm late, it's that I don't need to come at all. Your prince has his own princess to help him with the antidote."

Several people had to retreat.

In the dark room, Shen Lilan's hand was held by Zhou Cechen, and his hoarse voice reached Shen Lilan's ears, making her ears turn red.

He guided her hand downwards, "Lan'er, help me."

"I'll make you comfortable."

……

After a night of howling cold wind, the wintersweets in the plum garden have quietly bloomed, with red flowers blooming in the white snow.

Birui, wearing a sky-blue jacket and a cape, reached out to pick branches of wintersweet. The green hairpins on her temples swayed left and right with her movements.

Chaoyun held the bamboo basket and reminded Birui, "This branch, this branch is beautiful."

Birui broke off a few branches and handed them to Chaoyun, saying with a smile, "Send them to the queen later. They will surely look beautiful in a white jade porcelain vase."

Yanci stood beside the big rock at the entrance of the plum garden and watched them talking and laughing. He didn't understand why they would be so happy just picking a few flowers outside on such a cold snowy day.

When the wintersweet was delivered, Shen Xilan was looking at the account book, but her eyes were not fixed on the account book. Her gaze was always on the hand holding the pen, and her face was flushed.

Even though she was holding the small lamb hair brush, she felt her palms were burning hot.

"Miss."

Shen Lilan looked up and saw Chao Yun slowly coming in holding wintersweet.

"The wintersweets in the east plum garden are in bloom, and I picked some."

Shen Yanlan put down the brush in his hand and ordered, "Go and get the white jade porcelain bottle from my storeroom."

"Yes."

When Zhou Cechen came in, Shen Xilan was trimming the branches of wintersweet with scissors.

She was wearing a sky-blue jacket and skirt, with her hair loose, and only a magnolia hairpin he gave her was pinned in her hair, with a few strands of black hair falling in front of her forehead.

Her lips are red without any makeup, and her eyebrows are green without any drawing.

Lu Nong was packing up the writing brush, inkstone and inkstone that Shen Xilan had just used. She glanced at the words on them and continued packing.

Just after hanging up Shen Xilan's small lamb-hair brush, she blinked and glanced at the account book again. Was this handwriting written by the princess?

"My queen, your hand is injured. Why are the handwritings so..." Strange.

Shen Xilan was pruning flower branches. When he heard Lunong's words, he almost cut his hand with the scissors.

She swallowed and looked down at her hands, her ears starting to feel hot.

Seeing that Shen Lilan almost hurt herself, Zhou Cechen stepped in and said, "This wintersweet is blooming beautifully."

Shen Lilan's heart beat faster when he looked up and saw Zhou Cechen.

"You all go down." Zhou Cechen ordered.

"Yes."

After Lu Nong and Chao Yun left, Zhou Cechen walked towards Shen Lilan and took the scissors out of her hand.

"Your Majesty."

"Does your hand hurt?" Zhou Cechen asked her.

As soon as Shen Lilan heard these words, everything that happened last night came to his mind.

The experience last night was something she had never experienced in her previous life. Her heart had never beaten so fast, and she had never felt her body so out of control.

Shen Xilan's fingertips moved slightly, and she gently clenched her palms, pretending to be calm.

Seeing that Shen Lilan didn't answer him, Zhou Cechen's eyes dimmed. He reached out and held Shen Lilan's hand and gently kneaded it, "Yesterday, it was my fault for scaring you."

Shen Xilan looked at Zhou Cechen's large hand holding her hand, and she thought of his hand last night.

The flexible hand with distinct bony fingers that was playing tricks on him.

"Are you still feeling unwell?" Shen Lilan asked him.

Zhou Cechen shook his head and said, "I've just asked the doctor to check it. The effect of the medicine has worn off." He turned over Shen Lilan's palm and saw that it was slightly red. Then he said, "Last night I..."

Shen Lilan stretched out his other hand to cover Zhou Cechen's mouth.

"Don't say it." What came into Zhou Cechen's ears was Shen Lilan's charming voice.

Zhou Cechen was stunned for a moment when he saw Shen Lilan’s flushed face and the pair of watery eyes looking at him.

"Okay, I won't mention it."

Shen Lilan: "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't drink that wine, nor would you take Chinese medicine."

Zhou Cechen kneaded Shen Lilan's wrist and paused before continuing to press.

"Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. It's the person who controls everything. I've sent people to investigate this matter."

Shen Lilan asked: "The eight officials' families who were arrested were a cover, so the person behind it is not among these people, right?"

Zhou Cechen looked at Shen Xilan. She had guessed it, but she didn't mention it yesterday, nor did she righteously tell her that this was inappropriate.

"Correct."

Since the day she fell into the water, her behavior has always been unexpected.

"I'm going to the imperial prison." Shen Lilan looked at Zhou Cechen.

Their eyes met, and Zhou Cechen's eyes were dark.

"Okay, I'll let Yanci arrange the carriage."

……

Inside the imperial prison, Shen Lilan and Zhou Cechen walked side by side.

Unlike the Dali Temple, the Imperial Prison was under the jurisdiction of the Jinyiwei Zhenfu Division. Its power had been in the hands of the emperor since the time of the previous emperor. However, after the military rebellion in the 19th year of Yonghe, the power of the Imperial Prison fell into the hands of others. It was not until Zhou Cechen got involved in politics that the power gradually returned to the hands of the emperor. The emperor trusted Zhou Cechen very much, so he gave the military power of the Imperial Prison to him.

The imperial prison was dark, and it became increasingly gloomy as one went deeper.

"Your Highness, we put those eight people in jail yesterday. They cried all night, but nothing unusual was found." A Jinyiwei reported.

Zhou Cechen nodded, and he looked at Shen Lilan, "Let Chunhua Qiushi go with you."

"No."

Zhou Cechen thought she minded that Chunhua Qiushi used to be around him.

"I want you to be with me." Shen Lilan looked at Zhou Cechen.

Zhou Cechen was stunned for a moment and then answered "Okay."

"You wait here," he said to Chunhua, Qiushi and Yanci behind him.

After that, the two of them walked into the prison together.

Most of the imperial prisons were built underground. It became increasingly cold and dark as you went deeper into the prison. Each cell had only one door for access, and the rest of the walls were made of bricks.

Most of the people who were locked up there would never come out alive, and those who did come out would be badly injured, so it was not uncommon for people to be frightened to death in the imperial prison.

Shen Lilan walked inside step by step. The imperial prison was truly dark and gloomy.

Stopping in front of a cell, Zhou Cechen said to Shen Lilan, "I'm here, go in."

Shen Lilan nodded.