The Dragon's Flower

chocolily

XH 112

“Mother Empress is good friends with Duke Heng since childhood, but she’s unaware of his feelings for her. Her eyes only have Father Emperor in it.”

“Poor Duke Heng.”

Xiao Hua could imagine the teenager Duke Heng wooing the beautiful and single Empress, but due to her being dense or being a lovesick girl, she ignored the best husband candidate right in front of her. In Xiao Hua’s opinion, Duke Heng would be a better husband compared to the Emperor!

Duke Heng does not have any concubines – she had asked around - while the Emperor has too much of them!

“In my previous life, when eighth brother and Concubine Heng died, most of us assumed that it was the eldest brother, with the help of Mother Empress, that murdered them and blamed it on our enemies. That’s why Duke Heng hated Mother Empress and resigned from the prime minister’s position. His retirement was sad news to us, for we lost a bright, intelligent man to depression and hatred.”

No wonder he would hate politics and the royal family. Duke Heng had indeed cooperated with the heroine to clean up the royal family in the novel but the reason he gave was rather vague, nothing personal but rather being the voice that represented the scholar fraction.

“If it’s not the Crown Prince and Empress that killed the Eighth Prince and his mother… then who did it?” Xiao Hua asked.

Anger could be seen in the Third Prince's eyes. “It’s Concubine He. She killed Concubine Heng due to fear of eighth brother’s maternal family… as well as sealing her mouth permanently for knowing Long Shan is not the Father Emperor’s biological son.”

Xiao Hua wanted to say a lot of things, but in the end, none of it could correctly represent what she felt. She knew she should not be shocked at how bloodthirsty Concubine He was, as Le Xiao Ting had seen how venomous those concubines could be in those Chinese dramas she had watched.

She bet that King Yama, who governed Hell, was working overtime during that era! There would likely chaos too when a dead concubine meets another dead concubine that also happened to be her killer!

Catfight!

“Did you tell the truth to Duke Heng?”

“I had dropped enough evidence for him to pick up and conclude the truth by himself.”

Xiao Hua sighed in pity. The family members of the royal concubines lived a rather stressful life. Their lives would depend on the concubine’s behavior and conduct in the palace!

“I can see now why Duke Heng would help you instead of the heroine. But what about Lord Yang Ling?”

The Third Prince laughed. “I just have to show off my talents and since then, he worships me.”

Xiao Hua: ‘...’ My boyfriend, I love and admire you, but there’s a limit to self-confidence!

He laughed even louder when he saw the plain disbelief on his little flower’s adorable face. “My archery is something Liu Chu Chu can never defeat. As long as the arrows are made of wood, I will never be defeated.”

She gets it now. The Third Prince controls plants, including trees! But this young lady’s common sense could not accept it!

“The arrows are made from dead trees. It’s impossible to control dead trees, isn’t it?”

Dead things can’t obey commands! Except for ghosts!

“Do you know about spirits? Just like humans, plants have spirits as well. The best weapon crafter usually seals the material’s spirit so that the weapon won’t be fragile. That goes for the arrows that I’ve used as well. So long as there is a spirit in the wood, I can command them to move as I wish.”

So OP[1]! This young lady wants cool power too!

“Does Lord Yang Ling know about your archery skills?” Xiao Hua asked carefully. If Yang Ling knew the truth, she could imagine him vomit blood in anger.

“He should have guessed for I had not hidden my ability to command over plants. Yang Ling and everyone would not care about it as our weapon is considered a part of us. The capability to use our weapon is considered as our personal skill.”

Xiao Hua: ‘…’ So open-minded! (⊙_⊙)

In her original world, if opponent A had used a normal gun and opponent B had used a machine gun, everyone would have already throw vegetables and screamed that opponent B was cheating.

The Third Prince had indeed used his skills to dazzle Yang Ling, but he was still a man! “Your Highness-”

“Call me by my name.”

The shock loosens her jaw and she could not stop her face from blushing prettily, in Long Zhu’s opinion. She let out a soft squeal when he leaned closer to capture her lips with his own, giving her a gentle kiss.

“Whenever you blush this way, I just want to touch you.”

It was hard to stop her blush from deepening when he said it after hearing that! It also does not help that he did not step back after kissing her, speaking with their lips lightly touching, giving her feather-light caress that made her lips itch.

Predictably, her fierce blush earned her another kiss, but this time it was deeper. Xiao Hua was only able to pull herself away after being ravaged for a whole minute. “Wait, Your Highness-”

“My name,” The Third Prince repeated with a voice deeper than usual.

To stop the hungry wolf, Xiao Hua covered his mouth with her palms to stop him from kissing her again. It took another moment to gather her scattered thoughts that the kiss had mercilessly blew them away.

Xiao Hua took a deep breath to soothe her frazzled nerves. All the while, in her mind and outside, she had called him the Third Prince. But it would be weird to call your boyfriend like that.

Shyly, she parted her mouth and mumbled, “L-Long Zhu- Ah!”

She had never thought the hungry wolf would suddenly attack her! He should have calmed down after she pronounced his name but why did he act in the opposite manner?

“Are...are you alright?” the Third Prince asked worriedly when Xiao Hua looked exhausted and her body had unknowingly ended up on his lap.

“Y-You are dangerous…” To my health!

Forcing her dead weight body to stand up, she said in a shaky voice, “I... I will go now…”

If she stays any longer, she might truly get eaten by the wolf hidden under the sheep’s skin!

The Third Prince looked reluctant, but the book had said to take it slowly and must not force her. Even if he wished to continue touching her, holding her, and kissing her, he must rein his desires before he scared her away.

He used his inner energy to cool down the fire in him and gave his little flower a harmless, gentle smile. “I’ve decided what to ask from you as a payment for the loans you used to purchase the pearls.”

“...What is it?” Xiao Hua asked warily, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the love bite the Third Prince had given her.

The twinkle in his phoenix shaped eyes and the mischievous smile mesmerized her. He stood up and leaned closer to her, whispering as if sharing a secret, “Give me a kiss before you leave tonight.”

“B…B…But!”

“You have the intention to break your promise?”

“I didn't say that!” Xiao Hua exclaimed as she glared at the grinning wolf.

“Then, give me a kiss.”

“You had already kissed me just now!” And so many times too!

“You have to be the one that kisses me.”

Xiao Hua: ‘…’ You always make sure to have the final word, don’t you?!

The Third Prince had leaned down, so Xiao Hua does not need to tiptoe much to kiss his waiting lips. Much to Long Zhu’s disappointment, she only brushed her lips against his before quickly pulling away.

“Can you hug me until I fall asleep?” The Third Prince opened his arms invitingly with his recently acquired puppy eyes skill.

“No,” Xiao Hua said frostily. If she did that, he will ask for more. What’s next, pat his back and sing until he falls asleep?

Without waiting for permission to dismiss, she angrily stomped out of his room and headed straight to hers.

Long Zhu did not bother hiding his laughter so his little flower could hear it as she walked away. Since the day his little flower had accepted him, he was constantly happy.

His fingers caressed his swollen lips, remembering the sweet taste of her lips that he had kissed earlier. His little flower immediately assumed to kiss his mouth when he had never said she had to kiss there.

If she’s unwilling to kiss him, she would have spotted that blind spot.

Information:

[1]OP - I'm using the gaming term, so it means 'overpowered', too powerful!