Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 52: Northern ambition(2)

I was a genius in the Earthen Plane.

【Time Travel + Workplace Competition + No Lazing Around + Ambitious Female Lead】Overachiever Shen Wei traveled through time and found herself as the lowest-ranking maid in the grand residence of the Yan Prince.The Yan Prince held a prestigious position, but his consorts were all content to live dull lives. The noble-born princess consort was as tranquil as a chrysanthemum; the concubine sought a life of monogamy; the reincarnated woman was utterly disillusioned with the Yan Prince and had given up on striving for anything; and the other timid concubines dared not make a move…The queen of workplace competition, Shen Wei, declared: Don’t stop me! I’m going to outwork these unambitious slackers!…The Yan Prince had grown accustomed to the stagnant atmosphere in his harem, until a particularly skilled courtesan appeared.This concubine was stunningly beautiful, adept at both literature and dance, hardworking, and always brought him fresh excitement. The Prince couldn’t help but take a second, then a lifetime-long, look at her.Years later, Shen Wei became the all-powerful Imperial Noble Consort, with children and the emperor’s exclusive favor.Meanwhile, the princess consort remained as tranquil as ever; the concubine was aging and had yet to experience a monogamous life; and the reincarnated woman was still eating simple meals in her modest abode…After half a lifetime of striving, Shen Wei finally reached retirement and revealed her true nature, fully embracing a life of leisure. The retired emperor interjected: “You competed for favor just to retire?”Shen Wei snacked on melon seeds: “What else?”Living is all about retirement!The retired emperor was even more surprised to find, in midlife, that other men were vying for his wife’s affections!

[Warning: Mature Content]

“Master, are we going to keep what happened last night a secret between us?”

“For how loud you moaned and cried, Qing-er, I think the whole world has already learned all about it, and your concern is irrelevant.”

Yun Qing-er, the only disciple of the legendary immortal swordmaster Bai Ye, has been hiding her feelings for her master for years. Unaccepted by norms and morals, it is the darkest secret that she swears to bury deep within her heart.

But life has other plans. Bai Ye's desire for her burns hot beneath his solemn appearance. He will teach her not only the art of the sword, but also the pleasures of life that she never knew existed before.

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Smut starts at Chapter 17, with a teaser in Chapter 11. A bit softcore at first but will get wilder quickly as the story moves on :)

Note that this is NOT a typical cultivation romance. Immortals and spiritual power and whatnot are all plot devices… You'll see what I mean in just a few chapters!

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[Sneak Peek]

He pinned me against the poplar tree at the center of the garden. A breeze rustled past, stirring the sunlight sparkling through the autumn foliage above us, and a sprinkle of gold fell over his shoulders. “Say you want me,” he whispered.

“Bai Ye—” I breathed, but the rest of my words were replaced by moans the moment he traced his kisses along my neck and took my earlobe into his mouth.

Familiar tingles roared through me as he nibbled and suckled gently. His hand slid up my chest, and he played with my sensations with his lips and tongue and fingers until my arms trembled around him. All other thoughts vanished from my mind. The only thing I knew was the irresistible feeling of him on me, so overwhelming that my knees started growing weak. I would've fallen if he wasn't pinning me hard against the tree.

“Bai Ye …” I moaned again, clawing at his clothes. “Of course I want you … Right here, right now.”

He let out a soft puff of laughter, and his hand grazed down, gripping the folds of my dress. With a rip of fabric, he tore them away.

When Qin Yan was five years old, she left the capital with her mother and went to the Pingxi Army under the command of her grandfather, Duke of Zhenguo, in the Northwest. When she returned twelve years later, things were different.

After the mother was attacked and disappeared, everyone in the Prime Minister Mansion only knew of Concubine Song, but not her mother, the honorable mistress. They only knew that there was only one Miss Nian in the mansion, and they did not know that there was also her, the only eldest young lady of the first wife.

The concubine took over her mother’s dowry and pretended to be rich and generous to win people’s hearts. The concubine-born younger sister, with the identity that belongs to Qin Yan, was mixed up like a fish in water in the circle of noble daughters in the capital, and she also intended to get involved with Qin Yan’s fiancé.

The people in Prime Minister Mansion thought that Qin Yan could only be at their mercy when she returned to the capital alone. However, they never thought that within a few days of returning to the capital, Qin Yan was granted the title of Princess of Zhaoren by the emperor and given a palace as the Princess Mansion.

When Qin Yan took back the dowry that belonged to her mother, only then did her father Prime Minister Qin and Concubine Song knew that Qin Yan was the owner of Yu Qingfeng, the first bank in Great Xia.

The City Master of Gu City, an important town outside the Northwest Pass, was known as the owner of Yu Qingfeng, the first bank in Great Xia which claimed to be able to reach half the national treasury.

How many secrets have not been uncovered on Qin Yan?

- Description from Novelupdates