ISWTDB Ch43

Chapter 43: The Mute Prince VS The Rakshasa General (9,10)

Feigning reluctance, Ying Zhao sat up and patted the spot next to him. Duanmu Yi immediately sat down and began gently drying Ying Zhao’s hair.

Once Ying Zhao’s hair was completely dry, Duanmu Yi let him lie down again. Ying Zhao blinked at Duanmu Yi’s gentle expression, then turned away awkwardly, avoiding his gaze.

However, he deliberately scooted further into the bed. Seeing this, Duanmu Yi’s eyes flashed with amusement. He moved closer, tucked Ying Zhao in, and then lay down beside him, closing his eyes.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he felt the person beside him move. Then, Ying Zhao rolled over and threw himself into Duanmu Yi’s arms.

Duanmu Yi was stunned, looking at Ying Zhao holding onto his lapel and burying his head in his chest. He then heard the little guy mumbling softly, “I’m drunk, I’m drunk! So cold!”

Duanmu Yi’s face showed a helpless expression. Unable to resist, he patted Ying Zhao’s head. This dishonest little guy, clearly not drunk, yet lying about it! He really wanted to teach him a lesson.

But how should he teach him?

Duanmu Yi couldn’t stop thinking about it. Then it occurred to him that naughty children are usually spanked.

As he thought about it, Duanmu Yi’s face turned red. Looking at the little guy in his arms, he couldn’t help but rub his fingers together.

The freshly bathed little guy smelled nice, and though his words were often sharp and unkind, his lips were soft. He wondered what it would feel like to spank that pert little bottom.

The more Duanmu Yi thought about it, the more his mouth felt dry. He couldn’t help but pull Ying Zhao closer, holding him tight, resting his chin on the top of his head, and finally closing his eyes and calming his breathing.

As for Xiao Bai, who had been watching from the sea of consciousness, he was already blinded by the interaction between the two. He felt that his host’s tricks ran deep.

Indeed, his own cultivation was too shallow. Since following his host, his worldview had been constantly refreshed. For some reason, watching them fall asleep in each other’s arms made Xiao Bai feel a bit choked up.

He wondered if there was something wrong with the system and decided that after completing this task, he would definitely go back for a thorough check.

But Xiao Bai didn’t realize that his choked-up feeling was just from being fed too much dog food.

The next day, Ying Zhao woke up in Duanmu Yi’s arms. He initially thought that upon waking, seeing his man, the other would feel awkward or at a loss.

However, when he opened his eyes, he was met with a gentle face. The tenderness in Duanmu Yi’s eyes made Ying Zhao blush. He coughed lightly and sat up.

Pretending to casually reach for his outer robe, he was surprised when Duanmu Yi beat him to it, handing the robe over and gently draping it over him.

As Ying Zhao sat by the bed, Duanmu Yi knelt down and personally put his shoes on for him. Ying Zhao didn’t know what to say, blushing as he watched his man carefully slip the boots onto his feet.

Holding Ying Zhao’s foot, Duanmu Yi thought to himself, indeed, this is my adorable little guy. Even his feet are so small and delicate, his toes so round and cute.

Unable to resist, he gently pinched Ying Zhao’s foot before tenderly helping him put on his boots. Then, as usual, he carefully dressed Ying Zhao and tied his hair.

Ying Zhao felt that his man was exceptionally considerate today, wondering if yesterday’s events had somehow stimulated him.

Although his actions last night were a bit embarrassing, Ying Zhao loved indulging in some playful intimacy with his man.

In the morning, Duanmu Yi attentively served Ying Zhao food. Watching Ying Zhao’s lips exposed under the lifted mask, Duanmu Yi felt an even stronger urge to kiss him.

If the previous twenty-something years in the deep palace had been dull and lifeless for Duanmu Yi, his days now were like being a walking corpse.

Since the day of their marriage, when this little general broke into his life, Duanmu Yi felt that his entire life had become full of color.

As long as this little guy appeared in front of him, every minute and every second was worth looking forward to. After breakfast, Ying Zhao was supposed to go to court, but Duanmu Yi still held his hand, unwilling to let him go.

For the first time in this world, Ying Zhao saw Duanmu Yi so openly express his feelings towards him. Feeling even happier inside, he still pretended to be aloof and patted Duanmu Yi’s hand, saying:

“Husband knows you can’t bear to let me go, but I have to attend court. I’ll come back to see you later, okay?”

When Duanmu Yi heard Ying Zhao say he would come back to see him, he immediately nodded vigorously. As long as the little guy was willing to stay with him, he had nothing more to wish for.

Standing at the door, watching Ying Zhao’s departing figure, Duanmu Yi hoped in his heart. He hoped the morning court session would end quickly and that the little guy would come back to him soon after returning to the mansion.

It was only when Ying Zhao completely disappeared from his sight that Duanmu Yi reluctantly returned to the room. He saw the inner garment Ying Zhao had changed out of on the bed, blushed, and picked it up.

Recalling yesterday’s romantic moments, Duanmu Yi couldn’t help but bring the inner garment to his nose, feeling that it still carried the sweet scent of the little general, filling his heart with sweetness.

Meanwhile, as Duanmu Yi was lost in the memories of his time with Ying Zhao, Bai Wenxuan woke up from his drunken stupor.

In the morning, when Shumo pushed open the door and entered the room, he had expected to see a romantic scene between Bai Wenxuan and Ying Zhao. However, he found Bai Wenxuan alone, drunk and collapsed on the table.

Shumo hurriedly came to Bai Wenxuan’s side, gently patting his arm and calling out, “Young master! Young master, why are you sleeping here?”

Hearing Shumo’s voice, Bai Wenxuan slowly woke up. He felt stiff all over, his head pounded with the dull pain of a hangover, and he was even a bit nauseous.

Bai Wenxuan took a deep breath, stretching his stiff back. He couldn’t understand why he, normally a good drinker, would get so drunk despite having taken a sobering medicine, to the point that he couldn’t remember what had happened afterward.

Once fully awake, Bai Wenxuan suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. He immediately stood up, walked to the bed, reached under it, and pulled out a brocade box from under the bedboard, hurriedly checking its contents.

Seeing the token still lying safely inside, Bai Wenxuan breathed a sigh of relief. He carefully inspected the room’s furnishings and found no signs of anything being disturbed.

Having been trained since childhood in the Chiyue Kingdom, Bai Wenxuan could tell if he had been drugged. So, had he really just accidentally gotten drunk last night?

Frowning, Bai Wenxuan turned to Shumo and asked, “When did Ying Jingning leave yesterday?”

Hearing Bai Wenxuan’s question, Shumo shook his head.

“Young master, didn’t you say yesterday that you had important matters to discuss with the general and told all the servants in the courtyard to leave? So I don’t know when the general left.”

Bai Wenxuan’s heart grew even more troubled upon hearing this. He quietly summoned the spies he had placed in Ying’s mansion, asking about Ying Zhao’s movements the previous day.

The information he received was that Ying Zhao seemed to have left the room early and had gone to Duanmu Yi’s courtyard.

“Duanmu Yi! It’s that Duanmu Yi again!” Bai Wenxuan gritted his teeth upon hearing the news.

Previously, Ying Zhao had become distant from him because of Duanmu Yi. Yesterday, Bai Wenxuan had gone to great lengths to feign drunkenness and express his feelings to Ying Zhao, even trying to seduce him.

To his surprise, the general, who had always been attentive to him, did not fall for it. Instead, after Bai Wenxuan got drunk, Ying Zhao left and went to find Duanmu Yi.

Thinking of this, Bai Wenxuan gnashed his teeth in hatred, immediately seeing Duanmu Yi as a thorn in his side. It seemed that as long as Duanmu Yi was around, it would be hard for Ying Jingning to pay attention to him again.

Although Bai Wenxuan had plied Ying Zhao with a lot of alcohol yesterday and taken the opportunity to ask what he thought of Duanmu Yi, Ying Zhao had said he had no interest in Duanmu Yi at all.

However, Bai Wenxuan didn’t believe him. Trained in Chiyue for many years, he had undergone all sorts of training.

Having come to Canglan Kingdom, taken on a new identity, and become the so-called first talent of the capital, Bai Wenxuan had carried out countless missions and encountered countless men.

Naturally, he believed that true love didn’t exist, only temporary thrills. Though he had his own methods and had always kept Ying Jingning on a string, he couldn’t help but worry.

Considering that although Duanmu Yi was mute and considered unlucky, he was still handsome and imposing, not inferior in looks to Bai Wenxuan himself.

If Ying Jingning had suddenly developed different feelings and, after experiencing Duanmu Yi, found himself infatuated with him, it wouldn’t be surprising.

With this in mind, Bai Wenxuan furrowed his brows and decided he had to find a foolproof plan to get rid of Duanmu Yi. After careful thought, he called for one of his spies in Ying’s mansion and whispered instructions to him.

The spy nodded upon hearing Bai Wenxuan’s orders and headed towards Duanmu Yi’s courtyard. Watching the servant leave, a vicious glint flashed in Bai Wenxuan’s eyes.

Unexpectedly, this mute had some skills in charming people. But after today, let’s see how you can still stand in this general’s mansion.

Meanwhile, Duanmu Yi was quietly reading in his room when suddenly there was a knock on the door. A servant entered.

Bowing to Duanmu Yi, the servant said, “Your Highness, the general has returned and invites you to the lotus pond in the mansion for a chat.”

Duanmu Yi was puzzled by this because, according to the current time, the morning court session had just ended, so Ying Zhao shouldn’t have returned to the mansion so soon.

Before he had time to think, the servant opposite urged him again: “Your Highness, you should go quickly. Don’t keep the general waiting!”

Duanmu Yi nodded and decided to go and see. After all, if it really was the little general, he couldn’t keep him waiting.

He stood up and followed the servant out of the room. The servant led him to the lotus pond in the Ying residence and then left. Duanmu Yi looked around and saw no one, making him feel even more suspicious.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard footsteps behind him. Duanmu Yi turned around and saw that it was Bai Wenxuan, who had been living in the Ying residence.

Bai Wenxuan looked at him with a malicious smile and said, “What, did you really think the general invited you here?”

Duanmu Yi frowned and looked at Bai Wenxuan. Bai Wenxuan scrutinized Duanmu Yi and a lecherous expression appeared on his face.

“On closer inspection, even though you’re mute, your looks are quite good! I wonder how well you serve that devilish-looking Ying Jingning? If you weren’t in my way, I’d really like to take you for myself.”

As he spoke, Bai Wenxuan reached out to touch Duanmu Yi’s cheek. Duanmu Yi immediately stepped back, avoiding Bai Wenxuan’s touch.

Hearing Bai Wenxuan refer to his little general as a devil, Duanmu Yi felt a deep sense of disgust and his expression darkened further.

Seeing Duanmu Yi avoid him, Bai Wenxuan’s face twisted with anger. He sneered:

“What, are you planning to stay chaste for that ugly monster? Tell me, why are you willing to serve that demon general?”

Seeing Duanmu Yi only glaring at him silently, Bai Wenxuan feigned a look of realization and said with false regret:

“Oh, I forgot! You’re a mute, you can’t speak. Actually, living out your days as a mute prince in the palace wouldn’t be so bad. Even the late emperor said you were unlucky, so why come out and block others’ paths?”

With a glint of malice in his eyes, Bai Wenxuan moved closer and tried to tear off Duanmu Yi’s outer robe. However, Duanmu Yi, surprisingly agile, dodged his attack, only losing a corner of his robe.

Bai Wenxuan frowned and saw his servant Shumo running towards him. He signaled to Shumo with his eyes.

Bai Wenxuan immediately tore a piece of his own sleeve and loosened his collar, then leapt into the lotus pond.

Shumo pointed at Duanmu Yi and shouted, “Help! Someone help! The prince pushed my master into the water!”

At this moment, Ying Zhao had just entered the main gate of the Ying residence, intending to go to his study. Halfway there, he heard a commotion and saw people running towards the lotus pond, hearing someone mention Duanmu Yi’s name.

Ying Zhao’s expression tightened and he quickly followed the crowd. When he arrived, he saw many people gathered around the lotus pond.

Bai Wenxuan seemed to have just been pulled from the water, looking disheveled and unconscious. Standing nearby, Duanmu Yi was pursing his lips, frowning at Bai Wenxuan.

Although Duanmu Yi’s robe was intact, one sleeve had been torn. Seeing Ying Zhao approach, Duanmu Yi looked up and met his gaze.

Ying Zhao then heard Bai Wenxuan’s servant Shumo shouting at him:

“General! General, you’re back! You must seek justice for my master! My master only wanted to admire the lotus flowers by the pond and said there were many carp in it. He sent me to get some fish food. But when I returned, I saw the prince assaulting my master, trying to tear his clothes. My master resisted, and the prince pushed him into the water!”

Upon hearing Shumo’s words, the surrounding people immediately looked at Duanmu Yi, whispering and pointing at him.

A cold light flashed in Ying Zhao’s eyes. He didn’t believe his man would do such a disgraceful thing. This was surely a trap set by Bai Wenxuan to frame Duanmu Yi.

However, he knew he couldn’t openly defend Duanmu Yi in front of everyone. So Ying Zhao raised his head and said to a nearby servant:

“Stop talking about this. Quickly bring a doctor and take Wenxuan back to his room to check on his condition.”

He then turned to Duanmu Yi and, after a moment’s hesitation, hardened his heart and said:

“Bind Duanmu Yi and take him to the main hall. We’ll deal with everything after Wenxuan wakes up.”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s order to bind Duanmu Yi, Shumo’s eyes flashed with joy. He maintained a worried facade while escorting Bai Wenxuan back to the room.

However, as he passed Duanmu Yi, Shumo’s eyes showed obvious glee, which did not escape Ying Zhao’s notice.

Ying Zhao clenched his fists and lowered his gaze. Bai Wenxuan was bold indeed. If he had plotted against Ying Zhao, it might be overlooked. But daring to scheme against his man, Bai Wenxuan would have to swallow the bitter fruit of his actions.

Since this was a play directed by Bai Wenxuan, naturally, when the doctor examined him, he found nothing serious.

Bai Wenxuan soon woke up. When Ying Zhao entered his room to see him, Bai Wenxuan looked at him with reddened eyes, almost in tears.

Taking a deep breath, Bai Wenxuan spoke to Ying Zhao in a sorrowful tone:

“General! General, you must seek justice for me! I never thought the prince would do such a thing to me! Although I’m a man, I understand the importance of reputation. How can I live with this humiliation? How can I face everyone in the Ying residence?”

Ying Zhao watched Bai Wenxuan’s performance without any change in expression, but a cold light flashed in his eyes as he pretended to be concerned and said:

“Wenxuan, don’t get too agitated. What exactly happened? Could there be some misunderstanding?”

To Ying Zhao’s surprise, Bai Wenxuan became even more agitated upon hearing this. He sat up, tugged at his torn sleeve, and raised his arm to show Ying Zhao the scratches on it, shouting:

“General! The evidence is conclusive, and you still think it’s a misunderstanding? Or are you just not planning to seek justice for me?”

Ying Zhao immediately waved his hand, feigning appeasement:

“No, Wenxuan, it’s just that after all, Duanmu Yi is still a royal, holding the title of prince. If the punishment is too severe, it would disrespect His Majesty. This matter is difficult to handle!”

At this point, Ying Zhao stroked his chin, looking somewhat troubled. But he still promised Bai Wenxuan: “But Wenxuan, rest assured, I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation!”

After saying this, Ying Zhao turned and left the room.

As soon as Ying Zhao left, a look of triumph appeared on Bai Wenxuan’s face. If it were any other matter, Duanmu Yi might have been able to get away lightly.

But if the charge was attempted r*pe, Duanmu Yi wouldn’t be able to escape easily. Regardless of his royal status or being a prince, he was now married into the General’s residence.

His status was that of Ying Jingning’s male wife. If a male wife attempted to assault someone else, it would be akin to putting a cuckold’s hat on Ying Jingning, which no husband could tolerate.

So Bai Wenxuan was certain that after this incident, Ying Zhao would definitely develop feelings of disgust towards Duanmu Yi.

Such a significant event in the Ying residence quickly reached the ears of the Old Lady Ying. She rushed to the main hall upon hearing the news and saw Duanmu Yi bound tightly. She hurried over to him.

Just as she was about to untie him, Ying Zhao walked in. Seeing the situation, he could only helplessly say to the Old Lady Ying, “Grandmother, this matter is too serious. I must give Wenxuan an explanation.”

The Old Lady Ying, upon hearing this, angrily struck her cane on the ground and sternly said:

“I don’t believe Yi’er is that kind of person! Jingning, clear your head! Yi’er would never do such a thing!”

Ying Zhao knew the truth of the matter, but at this critical moment, he couldn’t openly defend Duanmu Yi. There were many servants around, and who knew if one of them was a spy for Bai Wenxuan.

So Ying Zhao walked to the Old Lady Ying’s side, pretending to support her, but gently squeezed her hand. The Old Lady Ying noticed and turned to look into Ying Zhao’s eyes.

Seeing the helplessness in his eyes, she understood. She realized that she had rushed over impulsively upon hearing the news but couldn’t bear to see Duanmu Yi punished unjustly.

With a helpless sigh, she said to Ying Zhao, “But Yi’er is ultimately a royal. You absolutely must not punish him too severely, or it would be a slap in the face to the emperor!”

Ying Zhao nodded at the Old Lady Ying and said, “I understand, Grandmother.”

He then turned to Duanmu Yi and said coldly:

“Duanmu Yi, as my male wife, your improper behavior should be severely punished. However, considering this is your first offense, I will give you another chance out of respect for the emperor. You will be punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall for a month and forfeiting six months of your stipend. Reflect on your mistakes before the ancestors of the Ying family. If it happens again, I will expel you from the Ying family, no matter who you are!”

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s cold words, Duanmu Yi looked up sharply, meeting his eyes filled with sorrow and despair.

So the little general really had convicted him. Did he not believe in his innocence? Did he think he had done such a thing, only sparing him severe punishment because of his princely status?