Late at night, the cold Nining Palace was shrouded in steam.
Pei Qing had just finished dressing when she heard Zhi Lan’s voice from outside the screen: “Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived.”
In the past, hearing this would make Pei Qing smile faintly, and she would order someone to fetch Xiao Ji'an from Xuyang Palace and have the kitchen prepare a light and appetizing midnight snack. But now, hearing these words made her heart tremble slightly.
The day after the state funeral was the enthronement ceremony, followed immediately by the empress's coronation. While the enthronement went off without a hitch, during the empress's coronation, the man beside her wore a dark expression from start to finish, scaring the eunuch reading the decree pale.
Although the court ministers were shocked, after some consideration, they somewhat understood the reasoning behind the imperial edict that had passed the throne from brother to brother.
A child under the age of five ascending the throne, with neighboring nations eyeing the kingdom and potential internal turmoil, could easily spark bloody power struggles.
But if the fierce and ruthless Nanchuan King took the throne, things would be different. The man’s reputation preceded him—while the literary emperor had his strategies, the martial emperor wielded fearsome power.
Moreover, this Nanchuan King didn’t seem to be the violent and brutal figure rumors made him out to be. His fierce defense of the palace, fighting against overwhelming odds without retreating, was an act of great righteousness.
It was rumored that the Nanchuan King had yet to marry, but with one decree to adopt the prince and another to keep Pei Qing as empress, he had suddenly found himself with a son and a wife upon ascending the throne. It was no wonder he was deeply displeased.
The ministers were both fearful and impressed as they saw the new emperor’s clearly unhappy face. Despite everything, he had still followed the late emperor's decree to the letter, proving himself both benevolent and righteous.
But what they didn’t know was that Xiao Yuan was dissatisfied not because of the decree itself, but because he felt the empress's coronation ceremony wasn’t grand enough. He had dismissed the grand plans prepared by the Ministry of Rites because Pei Qing had gently persuaded him to keep it simple, leaving him unable to argue.
“Aren’t you done bathing yet?” Xiao Yuan’s familiar voice rang out inside the hall as he casually walked in, “Well, that’s perfect. We can bathe together.”
He nonchalantly shed his dragon robe as Zhi Lan quickly made her exit.
Pei Qing was about to step out and ended up bumping right into his chest. His warm breath enveloped her as Xiao Yuan looked down at her and teased, “In such a hurry?”
Pei Qing’s face burned with embarrassment. “N-no.”
Xiao Yuan stared at her blushing cheeks, unable to help swallowing. His gaze was so direct and intense that Pei Qing gently pushed him away. “You... still have injuries. I’ve prepared a medicinal bath. You should take care of that first.”
The steam in the room was making the air stiflingly hot. While he bathed, Pei Qing stepped out, fetched clean undergarments, and set them aside before getting some ointment. She turned back at the sound of water sloshing, only to see Xiao Yuan walking toward her with his robe loosely draped over his muscular frame, water droplets tracing down his chest to his abdomen, soaking his clothes and making his well-defined physique even more enticing.
She quickly looked away. “Why didn’t you tie your robe properly? If you catch a chill, your wounds will never heal.”
Seeing her bashful demeanor, Xiao Yuan found her reaction quite amusing. He lazily sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m going to take it off anyway, so why bother with the tie?”
Pei Qing was startled by his boldness. How could he say something so shameless with such nonchalance?
Xiao Yuan beckoned her closer. “Applying ointment requires taking off clothes, so why are you so surprised?”
“Hm?” It suddenly dawned on Pei Qing what he was implying, and she felt even more embarrassed. She held the ointment but hesitated to approach. “Maybe General Chu should help you instead. He knows better how to apply medicine for battle wounds.”
Xiao Yuan frowned. “I made him a general, not so he could spend all his time in the harem. Things are calm now, but if he dares to come to the harem, I’ll cut off his legs, dry them out, and feed them to the dogs.”
Out at the capital’s outskirts, while inspecting the military stockpile, Chu Li sneezed heavily.
The man’s menacing tone was somewhat effective. Pei Qing moved closer with the ointment. “General Chu treats you so well. Why are you always so harsh on him?”
Her delicate fingers dipped into the ointment, gently applying it to his wound. The sensation made Xiao Yuan feel a ticklish itch. He leaned back, one leg casually propped up, and toyed with a strand of her hair. “I treat you well, so why do you still try to push me away?”
As he spoke, he grabbed her hand. “I don’t want to frighten you, but Qing’er, I can’t hold back for much longer.”
In the past, he had refrained out of respect for her, intending to wait until their wedding night. After their reunion, he had been tempted to disregard her wishes, knowing he could use that plea for help to justify anything he wanted.
But her tears had been like knives—each one a cut—leaving him unable to act.
Hearing the grievance in his voice, Pei Qing lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes. “I’m not rejecting you... I’m just worried about your injuries.”
“Oh, so that’s what you’re worried about?”
Pei Qing didn’t see the triumphant glint in his eyes. She only felt his hand slide inside her robe, making her shiver, yet she didn’t pull away.
Xiao Yuan leaned in closer, his hands already working to undo her clothes, as he feigned a casual tone. “In that case, why don’t you take a look for me? There’s a wound on my abdomen—I’m not sure if it’s affecting anything else.”
Pei Qing immediately looked up, her face full of concern. “Where?”
“You’ll find out soon,” Xiao Yuan chuckled, leaning in to capture her lips in a kiss.
0 Comments