Chapter 24 - Amusing Awakening

Ling’s reaction to her position in my bed the following morning was both amusing and worrying.

When her breathing pattern changed, she felt my warmth and snuggled closer. And I pushed one of her rebellious bangs behind her ear, relishing in the sense of closeness.

But my gesture also alerted her waking mind.

Her eyes blinked open groggily and stared at my smiling face for a moment.

“Huh?”

I saw recognition in her eyes, but she couldn’t comprehend why I was in bed with her.

“Wha-wha-?” I placed my hand over her lips and closed in to whisper in her ear.

“Easy there. You are fine, everything is fine.”

As we laid there, I was able to witness the moment her brain engaged and became aware of our current situation: her arm and leg draped over me, and our naked bodies under the covers.

“Oh ancestors, forgive this Xiao Ling for breaking protocol!” she began to tear up and looked at me as if she had offended me. “Master Shen! Ling has done something unforgivable- I-I-”

I hugged her and made soothing noises. “You have done nothing to offend, Xiao Ling. If anyone should ask for forgiveness, it is this idiot Master of yours.”

Calling myself an idiot was both innocent and on purpose. I had always loved the way she stood up to those that offended me, especially the servants. “No! No! Master is blameless! Xiao Ling is wicked and seduced you-”

“Xiao Ling” I growled in her ear and she stopped her mumblings. “You are not wicked.” I caressed her cheek with my hand “You are precious to me, and I will not allow anyone to badmouth you, even yourself.”

She lowered her eyes and bit her lip.

I sighed. “Let me explain what happened.”

After my explanation, the petite woman was fuming for all the wrong reasons.

“How dare they poison great Master Shen!” her eyes flashed with barely suppressed anger. I was sure she would go out and lash out at them with all the fury of her tiny frame could muster, but she was still naked, and I was greedy enough to not want anyone else to see her like that.

To ease the tiger, I brought her to my arms and kissed her on the lips before she could protest.

Moments later, she was pliable and purring like a kitten.

She looked up at me through impossible long lashes, her lips red and swollen from my kiss.

“I will make them draw you a bath” I said and I saw in her face that she wanted to protest, but I lifted a finger, and she went silent. “Take your time this morning, I must speak with Fa Min before we address the issue.”

Ling pouted at my command but acquiesced.

I dressed up quickly and left my room, asking the first person I saw to warm water for a bath and take the tub to my room. They bowed profoundly and got going.

I then walked to Min’s room and knocked on the frame.

“Come in.”

As I entered, I found him sitting by the window, looking at the grounds outside.

He took one look at me and smiled teasingly “So who clawed onto your bed last night?”

I frowned and critically watched him until he began shifting under my gaze.

“Someone crawled into your bed last night.” I wasn’t asking, and he didn’t bother denying it. I nodded. “We need to talk.”

I told him what I had overheard the previous night and he went pale before the anger made itself present in his usually affable face.

“Who would-?”

“I don’t know yet, but I intend to figure it out.” Our eyes met and he nodded at my silent question.

“I will help.”

“Good, because I find myself at a crossroad where every option seems bad.”

“What do you think?”

“With my rank as a prince, I can claim that they poisoned us in an attempt to kill us, and have their heads placed on pikes by the end of the day. The state won’t even bat an eye, but the town might find some trouble in the coming years for harboring traitors. I won’t even need to find the evidence.” I shrugged at the idiocy of it: as part of the Imperial family, my word was held as law and no amount of evidence would contradict it unless they invoked the emperor himself. “People would see me as strong but ruthless, and whatever backing I have among the people will crumble.

“If, however, I find the poison and only punish the members of the family responsible –which will most likely be scapegoats–, my mercy will be seen as a weakness, and whoever is in charge will continue to use commoners to come at me.”

I sighed.

No matter what I did, I would lose. Either I sacrificed the faith of the people or put their lives in peril.

Fa Min was silent for a moment “do you have any idea who might be behind this?”

I shook my head “I’m thinking of someone in the palace, but how could they have known what way we would take…? The only ones we told our plans were my family and the sailors… and I don’t want to think there might be a traitor among them.”

“Or there might have been an informant in the Xiang port where we boarded. It was no secret that we were going to the Fa Estate in Liang. They only needed to have people in each port on the Ji River.”

I frowned but nodded. “If we want a chance at finding the culprit, we’ll need to find the poison.”

He nodded and smiled “We will be more careful in the future, but for now I give thanks that the ones attempting to murder us are idiots.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, not finding humor in the situation.

“I mean, they’re up against the strongest Kung-fu master in recent history and they pick slow-acting poison? They have clearly underestimated you.”

I snorted. It was true. But the thing was that a fast-acting poison would only make people look guilty. And murdering a prince, honorary or not, would bring down great misfortune to the entire town where it happened.

I left my friend to his own thoughts while I made my way to my room. Inside, Ling had finished her bath and was in the process of getting dressed. I watched her with a smile, enjoying the knowledge that the woman was mine…. But at the same time, I dreaded it. Being with me would mean a life of scorn from the powers that be, and it might be even worse if she were to fall pregnant.

In these times, the only known contraceptive remedies were herbs and teas, and I didn’t have any notion of how effective they were.

I was truly out of my depth here. I needed counsel, but the only two people I trusted to give it to me, would also be incredibly angered at my blunder.

“Master Shen?” Ling caught me staring and her cheeks reddened. I chuckled and approached her

“How do you feel?” I asked, looking her over. Other than her radiant smile, there was no outer indication of our previous thirst. I had been careful not to leave visible marks on her exposed skin.

Ling bit her lip and looked down “Ling is fine, Master. A bit sore, but…”

“But?” I raised an eyebrow and lifted her face by the chin so she wouldn’t be able to avoid my eyes.

“Xiao Ling is embarrassed to say.”

I chuckled “Tell me”

She sighed and her eyes heated up. “Master Shen is a good lover, Xiao Ling is… wanton.”

I blinked in surprise. It had never occurred to me that she would say that, and I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped my lips.

“Master makes fun of this Xiao Ling.” She pouted, but her eyes were bright and loving.

“Forgive me, it had not occurred to me that I would make you like this.” I drowned her protests by kissing her again, while my hands caressed her behind. She gasped into my mouth and wiggled her body inside my arms.

“Master-” her voice was breathless and her whole body pressed flush to mine.

I kissed her again before my hands fell on the sash that kept her clothes in place and tugged on it until it came off.

“One last time before facing the day..” I acquiesced and she went willingly with me to bed.