Chapter 151 [Milk Bath]

Quanzhou.

City Lord's Mansion.

The night was dark and hazy, shrouded in fog.

During the nights in Northern Qi, the sky would be foggy and gray.

When daybreak came, the leaves and flowers in the yard and the wilderness were all covered with dew.

The temperature difference in Northern Qi was quite large. It might be sunny in the morning and hail in the afternoon. It was not a rare event.

It was also quite cold at night, and the soldiers from Qing State were a little uncomfortable with this place when they first arrived.

The same is true for Li Chengqian.

Fortunately, he has natural hand warmers and a beautiful woman who warms his bed.

In the steaming bathtub, flower petals are floating on the water and there is a faint floral scent in the steam.

After Xia Lan took off all her clothes, she got into the bathtub and gently wiped Li Chengqian's back.

As night fell, darkness seeped through the window lattices and spread to every corner of the room.

The air in the room is filled with a faint floral scent, accompanied by the mist of water vapor, creating a quiet and warm atmosphere.

In the darkness, Xia Lan walked into the house lightly, her movements graceful and calm.

She gently undressed her clothes and placed each piece carefully aside.

The clothes fell off one by one, revealing her delicate and plump figure.

She slowly stepped into the bathtub that had been prepared long ago. The water in the tub was of moderate temperature. A few rose petals floated on the water, emitting a faint fragrance.

The water vapor is rising, and the temperature and humidity in the bathroom are just right, allowing people to relax both physically and mentally.

Her skin looked smoother and more delicate under the nourishment of water, like the most exquisite porcelain.

After a while, she began to rub Li Chengqian's back gently, her technique was skillful and gentle.

Every movement of hers was full of care, as if conveying a kind of silent comfort.

One can feel her attentiveness and thoughtfulness, and a warm feeling wells up in one's heart.

On this quiet night, the interaction between the two was full of warmth and trust.

There are no words, only actions and feelings, which convey each other's emotions silently.

Xia Lan is not as mature and elegant as Li Yunrui, not as delicate and charming as Si Lili, and not as gentle as Chunmei. She is the kind of girl who is pleasing to the eye.

At first glance, there is nothing stunningly stunning.

However, the more I look at her, the more I feel that she is extraordinary and has a profound charm.

"Your Highness, the news has been confirmed. The young Emperor of Northern Qi did propose a marriage negotiation."

Xia Lan gently wiped Li Chengqian's back while summarizing and reporting some of the intelligence that had just arrived.

"The war here just ended not long ago, and her peace letter was delivered to the Qing Palace. This is quite fast." Li Chengqian laughed.

"What do you mean, Your Highness?"

Xia Lan didn't notice it at first, but now she suddenly realized that the speed of the message was too fast.

"This marriage proposal letter must have been sent from Northern Qi before the war started, or before I left Beijing.

It is very likely that there were two such negotiation letters, one for each of the three possible outcomes: a great victory, a great defeat, and a draw.

That’s why the news came so quickly.”

"Your Highness is wise!" Xia Lan exclaimed in admiration, and then asked in confusion:
"But why did the young emperor of Northern Qi do this?
Could it be that she has been plotting against you from the beginning and planning to marry you?"

Li Chengqian closed his eyes and enjoyed Xia Lan's milk bath massage.

"This little emperor is no ordinary person. He has been able to hold on to his power despite the tyranny of the old queen mother over the years, and has not been gradually sidelined and turned into a puppet. He is definitely not an ordinary person."

"So, she had already calculated that the Saint of Northern Qi might be captured alive by His Highness. That's really not easy!
The purpose of the marriage is to negotiate and also to save the life of the Saint of Northern Qi."

Li Chengqian never looked down on the little emperor.

"What's her purpose in doing this?"

Li Chengqian fell into deep thought, somewhat puzzled.

He could guess that the little emperor seemed to have been planning this for a long time, and that the game was not small, but for a moment Li Chengqian was a little confused as to her motives.

"Forget it, it won't be too late to ask her in bed later." He thought secretly. "Your Highness, what should we do next? Should we return to the court?" Xia Lan asked.

"No hurry, let's do something first."

"What's the matter?"

Xia Lan's doubts disappeared in an instant.

She understood what "business" was.

With a milk bath as an offering, which man can remain indifferent?

Li Chengqian is a normal man.

Not long after, a slight "hmm ah ah" sound was heard in the house, and the voice was very low.

An hour later, Xia Lan had no strength left, and Li Chengqian let her go.

He picked her up and put her on the bed, covered her with a quilt, and Li Chengqian also lay down in it.

The next morning, news of the North-South negotiations and preparations for marriage had spread widely in the two states.

The people of Northern Qi were the most indignant.

"What a coward!"

"Yes, not only did he lose the battle, but now he has to give the Saint to him."

The second half of the sentence is what made the men of Northern Qi most indignant.

Now that Northern Qi has been defeated, peace talks are inevitable.

Most of them had no choice but to accept it.

Because peace talks are the only and best option.

However, the marriage also involves the Holy Maiden of Northern Qi. Those hot-blooded men who have long coveted their own Holy Maiden are absolutely unwilling to do so.

What's worse is that Emperor Qing has already agreed to the young emperor of Northern Qi's suggestion of marriage and peace talks.

Li Chengqian will return to Beijing soon to prepare for his wedding.

Moreover, after Li Chengqian married Haitang Duoduo, he had to personally send her to Northern Qi to sign a peace treaty.

When I woke up in the morning, Xia Lan was still sleeping soundly.

Her body was tossed and turned last night, and she was sleeping soundly now.

Li Chengqian did not wake her up, but let her continue to rest.

When he came outside, Qiu Zhu had been waiting for a long time.

"Your Highness, an imperial decree has come from Kyoto, asking you to return to the capital immediately. All matters concerning the wedding are already being prepared. You can get married as soon as you return to Kyoto."

As he spoke, Qiu Zhu handed over the imperial edict.

Li Chengqian was too lazy to read it and directly ordered: "Go down and prepare. We will set off for Beijing tomorrow."

"Yes!"

When Qiu Zhu turned to leave, he glanced at Xia Lan, who was lying on the bed in the room and still sleeping soundly. There was something ambiguous in his expression.

"After the marriage, I need to personally send Haitang Duoduo to Northern Qi and then sign a negotiation agreement..."

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes slightly, with a thoughtful look on his face.

"The little emperor seems to want me to go to Shangjing, Northern Qi?
What is her purpose?"

Li Chengqian seemed to have thought of something but couldn't be sure.

"This is in line with Emperor Qing's wishes..." Li Chengqian smiled.

Emperor Qing's temple plan originally intended to have Fan Xian escort Sean back to the country and then obtain information related to the temple.

Now that things have developed in this way, isn't it exactly what he wants?

but……

"Pass on my order. Fan Xian will lead the army to guard the border. Without my order, you are not allowed to return to the capital."

"Yes!"

Old man, let me see what you can do now.

(End of this chapter)