The concubine was charming and alluring, and the ruthless prince coaxed her day and night.

Chapter 79 Promoted to Concubine

As the ladder descended, Zhao Yunzheng led Xu Jiaojiao to the window, then opened it and looked out at the night view.

A cool night breeze caressed my face, dispelling the summer heat and bringing me great comfort.

As the highest point in Kyoto, this place is quiet and beautiful. As always, Zhao Yunzheng's deep gaze slowly swept over the people in the city under the cover of night.

Whenever he seeks a moment of peace, the observatory is his favorite place to go, and now he shares this place with Xu Jiaojiao.

"Jiaojiao, isn't the night view of Kyoto beautiful?"

The man's voice was low and husky, carrying an endless allure.

Xu Jiaojiao's eyelashes fluttered, and she nodded slightly: "Very beautiful..."

It may be cold up there, but the view is exceptionally beautiful.

Within Kyoto, lights flickered like scattered stars across the land, making the city's silhouette appear both mysterious and solemn in the night…

The man's deep voice, with its seductive power, whispered in her ear, "There's something even more beautiful coming..."

Xu Jiaojiao hesitated and turned to look at the man beside her: "What is it?"

The man smiled mysteriously, then took out a signal arrow from his sleeve and shot it into the sky outside the window.

"call out!"

The whistle-drop arrow flew like a shooting star, leaving a brilliant trail of sparks in the air before bursting open in mid-air.

With the sound of the whistle, bursts of dazzling sparks rose from all directions of Kyoto, soaring into the sky.

"Bang bang bang..."

Sparks exploded in the sky, and colorful fireworks bloomed in the heavens.

Xu Jiaojiao's red lips parted slightly, her eyes revealing surprise.

Pedestrians on the street were also attracted by the grand fireworks display, stopping their hurried steps to watch.

Before transmigrating to this strange world, Xu Jiaojiao had seen many fireworks displays, which were far more dazzling and spectacular than the ones being shown now. However, none of them could compare to the awe-inspiring experience of this one.

In this day and age, making fireworks is not easy. To have fireworks set off all over the city like this shows how much effort and money Prince Chen has put in.

She succeeded; Prince Chen had truly fallen for her…

Such intense love made Xu Jiaojiao's nose tingle.

She couldn't help but turn around and hug Zhao Yunzheng's lean waist: "Your Highness, thank you..."

Hearing the sob in her voice, Zhao Yunzheng looked down at her.

Seeing that her eyes were indeed wet, he raised his hand and gently wiped them with his fingertips: "Why are you crying?"

Xu Jiaojiao lowered her head in embarrassment, too shy to look the man in the eye: "Perhaps it was windy and I accidentally got something in my eyes."

The man chuckled indulgently, his large hand around Xu Jiaojiao's waist tightening slightly: "Jiaojiao, do you like this Qixi Festival gift?"

Xu Jiaojiao looked at the fireworks outside the window, nodded slightly, and said in a trembling voice, "I like it..."

"That's good..."

As the last firework faded, Zhao Yunzheng withdrew his gaze, then turned around and picked up a small brocade box made of golden nanmu wood from the desk in the room. He opened it and handed it to Xu Jiaojiao with a serious look in his eyes.

"As I have said, life is like fireworks, fleeting and not necessarily as dazzling and spectacular as fireworks."

Life is too short for me to have any regrets.

"Jiaojiao, as a prince, I cannot promise you a lifetime of monogamy. All I can do is protect you and treat you with the same sincerity I would show to a wife."

Looking at the pair of mandarin duck jade pendants that Zhao Yunzheng handed over, Xu Jiaojiao's mind went blank.

What is Prince Chen doing?

Confess your love?

Would a man as ruthless and cold-blooded as Prince Chen reveal his true feelings to a woman?

Xu Jiaojiao was somewhat taken aback and couldn't quite believe it.

Seeing her in a daze, Zhao Yunzheng raised an eyebrow: "This pair of mandarin duck jade pendants was carved by my own hand. There is only one pair in the world. Jiaojiao, you must remember to carry this jade pendant with you at all times."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jiaojiao realized that Prince Chen was indeed wearing the other half of the mandarin duck jade pendant around his neck.

At that moment, a strong sour feeling filled the tip of my nose.

Xu Jiaojiao's eyes reddened again, but a sweet and touched smile appeared on her lips: "Your Highness, would you mind putting this on for me?"

Zhao Yunzheng chuckled and nodded: "Of course."

He reached out and took the mandarin duck jade pendant from the golden nanmu box, and gently put it on Xu Jiaojiao's wrist.

Just as he finished wearing the jade pendant and was about to withdraw his hand, the little woman in front of him reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, then stood on tiptoe and gently kissed his lips.

Zhao Yunzheng's eyelashes trembled, and his eyes darkened.

The woman before him had a blush of ambiguity at the corners of her eyes, and her shimmering eyes possessed a captivating charm that stirred the soul, like a gentle feather lightly brushing against Zhao Yunzheng's heart.

He could never resist her seduction.

Zhao Yunzheng chuckled, his large hand slowly sliding down Xu Jiaojiao's slender waist, his eyes growing increasingly aggressive.

Sensing the man's change, Xu Jiaojiao gently pushed his hand away, turned to look out the window, and said with a sweet laugh, "Your Highness, we're still outside the manor..."

The coy, hesitant gesture seemed like a silent invitation.

Zhao Yunzheng reached out and put his arm around her waist, his voice low and filled with suppressed desire.

"Jiaojiao knows my heart, so why does she still deliberately seduce me?"

Zhao Yunzheng held Xu Jiaojiao's waist, making her turn her back to him, and placed her hands on the windowsill of the carved window. Then he pulled off her thin gauze dress.

Xu Jiaojiao turned her head, her eyes filled with surprise.

Does Prince Chen want to be here?

Tonight is the first time Zhao Yunzheng has confessed his feelings to a woman.

Here, in the quiet and deserted place, he only wanted to be himself for once, indulging in unbridled debauchery with Xu Jiaojiao.

Zhao Yunzheng stood behind her, raising her hand high above her head, and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, the observatory is high in the clouds, no one can see into this place..."

……

The next day, Xu Jiaojiao woke up in her own Yuhua Courtyard.

As soon as she woke up, Lianye and the other servants knelt all over the room, their faces beaming with joy.

"Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Master!"

Xu Jiaojiao was taken aback: "What's the joy about?"

Lianye smiled, her eyes crinkling: "This morning, the Prince personally escorted you back to Yuhua Courtyard, and before leaving, he even promoted your rank. You are now..."

Everyone burst into laughter, and Zhang Yan looked up as Lian Ye finished speaking: "She's already a concubine!"

Concubine?

A flicker of surprise crossed Xu Jiaojiao's mind.

Like the imperial harem, the inner quarters of the royal family had a strict hierarchy and promotion system.

She was a slave who was sold to a wealthy family at a young age and signed a death contract. She belonged to the slave class, which was only slightly higher than the lowest class.

Given her status, unless she bore children or made outstanding contributions to the household, she would likely have remained a concubine or maidservant for the rest of her life.

Even in the present era, many women who were once slaves, even if they bore children for their masters, could not escape the fate of being bought, sold, and enslaved.

She has not yet given birth to any children and has made no contribution to the Prince's residence, yet Prince Chen has made an exception and promoted her to the rank of concubine. This will likely cause a huge uproar in both the court and the inner quarters of the Prince's residence...