354: Chapter 354 The Crown Prince's Scheme

After hearing this, Feng Ming couldn't help but sigh deeply, a bitter smile spreading across his face. "King Haoyue is pushing me straight into a fire pit!"

"You don't have a choice." Xun Luoyuan looked at him, her tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.

How could Feng Ming not understand?

Tonight's setup was clearly designed to force him to pick a side.

If the Third Prince had set the trap, as long as something happened between him and Xun Luoyuan, the Crown Prince would surely vent his anger on him. To survive, he would have no choice but to seek refuge with the Third Prince.

If the Crown Prince had set the trap, then the Crown Prince could step in to protect him under the guise of "guarding the Commandery Princess's reputation." He might even suggest that Feng Ming marry the Commandery Princess. In this way, he would not only gain the support of King Xibei but also ensure Feng Ming's eternal gratitude, and Qian Prefecture would completely fall under the Crown Prince's control.

Thinking of this, Feng Ming's heart sank. If one calculated it this way, the possibility of the Crown Prince being the mastermind was even greater, as his potential gains were more significant.

Not only would he secure Feng Ming's allegiance, but he could also win over King Xibei, killing two birds with one stone.

As for the Third Prince, the risks and rewards were disproportionate.

After this deduction, no matter who was behind it, Feng Ming felt a chill in his heart. Since ancient times, power struggles had always been filled with blood and gore, and the battle for the throne was even more so—insidious and ruthless.

This was evident from the fact that after Feng Ming was ambushed, he wasn't killed but instead appeared in Xun Luoyuan's room.

Their goal was to force him to choose a side.

But picking a side in the struggle for the throne was not easy; a single misstep could lead to the extermination of one's entire clan.

"Commandery Princess, do you think I have any other choice?"

After he asked, Commandery Princess didn't answer but instead let out a soft moan. "Mm-hmm!"

Feng Ming was all too familiar with that sound.

He was instantly startled. This wasn't his Qingfeng Courtyard, and the person before him wasn't his wife. Right now, they were both caught in someone else's scheme; they couldn't afford any mistakes.

Feng Ming immediately turned to look at Commandery Princess, and what he saw left him dumbfounded.

"Holy crap, Commandery Princess, when did you lean on my shoulder?"

Moreover, her face was flushed, and she was drenched in a fragrant sweat.

Feng Ming was bewildered. "Wait, Xun Luoyuan, didn't I give you a cooling pill? Don't tell me you didn't take it?"

"Mm-hmm..." Xun Luoyuan moaned, tugging at her collar as she said, "I took it before you arrived. Even then, although I felt something was wrong, I could suppress it and remained clear-headed. Everything started going wrong the moment you appeared. Can't you feel it?"

Hearing this, Feng Ming immediately checked his own body, only to find that the medicinal effect had merely weakened slightly, but it wasn't nearly as exaggerated as Xun Luoyuan's state.

He was about to mention this when his gaze fell upon Xun Luoyuan. Her skin was a rosy white, and beads of crystal-clear sweat hung on her snowy neck. This caused Feng Ming to momentarily daze, feeling somewhat tempted.

However, in the next moment, Feng Ming snapped out of it and shook his head. Now was not the time to lust after beauty. If he lost control, his entire clan could be wiped out.

He still wanted to return as soon as possible to see Shuwan and his child.

Calming down, Feng Ming realized he had overlooked a very important matter: the natural attraction between opposite sexes.

There was nothing wrong with the Medicinal Pill, and it could indeed suppress the medicinal properties, but it couldn't completely neutralize them. It had to be released once within three days to be fully cleared.

This had led Feng Ming to subconsciously believe that taking the pill would be enough. But that premise applied if he were alone. Now, with a member of the opposite sex present, both his physical and subconscious reactions were different.

This was why, during their time together, even though the medicinal effect had been suppressed, they still involuntarily wanted to get closer, to the point where it felt like their reason was being destroyed.

After the medicinal effect took hold of the Commandery Princess, the seductive state she displayed made it difficult for Feng Ming to control himself. But he still had some reason left, so he hurriedly urged her, "Commandery Princess, hold on! Only by enduring this can we jump out of the trap and turn the tables."

The Commandery Princess's voice was soft and delicate, and she said somewhat irritably, "Easier said than done. How am I supposed to control this?"

Hearing this, Feng Ming quickly said, "After taking the pill, if you resolve it yourself once, the poison can be completely cleared. Why don't we each find a place to take care of it?"

After saying this, Feng Ming stood up, intending to go handle it himself. But the Commandery Princess grabbed him. "No, you're not allowed to go! This is my private room. Don't you dare do something so disgusting near me."

"You're a man; you can resolve it anywhere. But what about me?"

Feng Ming looked shocked. "No way, isn't this something you can just do with your hands?"

The Xun Luoyuan's face instantly turned an intense crimson. "I... I could never do such a thing."

As she spoke, Xun Luoyuan's breathing noticeably quickened.

At a time like this, resolving such a matter was indeed very awkward, but wasn't it the only way?

No one expected that when a man and a woman were in the same room, the effect of this drug would be more than doubled.

"How about we put some distance between us? Maybe we'll feel a bit better if we're further apart."

Having said that, regardless of whether Xun Luoyuan agreed, Feng Ming climbed onto the bed and went to the other side. Leaning against the edge of the bed, he and Xun Luoyuan crouched separately, ignoring each other.

It had to be said that this was indeed effective. Feng Ming clearly felt the wicked fire in his lower abdomen subside quite a bit, but a thought kept nagging at his mind.

"There's clearly a woman in the room, so why make yourself suffer like this? Why endure it? The Commandery Princess is as beautiful as a flower; don't you want to try?"

This thought kept flashing in Feng Ming's mind, to the point where he couldn't help but look at the Xun Luoyuan.

Meanwhile, Xun Luoyuan had at some point rested her head on the bed. Her face was flushed, and she was staring at Feng Ming with seductive eyes.

Meeting Feng Ming's gaze, Xun Luoyuan felt a mix of shame and anger. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You bastard, you aren't staring at me while resolving your own problem, are you? You bastard, if you really dare to do that, I'll definitely kill you."

Feng Ming immediately felt wronged. "Wait, am I really that much of a pervert in your eyes? Besides, you're the one who's been staring at me. Your gaze is so intense, it's hard not to notice."

Xun Luoyuan panted heavily and said, "I don't want to either, but isn't it just too unbearable? How about..."

Before Xun Luoyuan could finish, Feng Ming immediately refused. "No way! You want me to help you solve it? Impossible. You have hands, you know your own body, and you know where your sensitive spots are..."

"Shut up! I said I wouldn't do that even if it killed me." Hearing Feng Ming's words, Xun Luoyuan instantly flew into a rage and began to scold him. "Besides, what I meant was, I don't like the Crown Prince anyway, and I don't mind that you're already married and have several wives."

"For me, marrying anyone is just getting married. Why don't I just marry you?"

Feng Ming was starting to sweat. He felt that the Xun Luoyuan was about to lose her resolve.

Xun Luoyuan actually started crawling across the bed toward him.

Seeing this, Feng Ming panicked. "Stop! Go back! Don't move!"