The Empress blushed. Even though she looked young, she was still a generation removed from these people.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"No! It's true! And the Emperor's happiness is something only those who actually have a harem can understand; he's truly happy!"

Fang Ruotang, with an honest and straightforward expression, praised the Empress for building a harem.

For example, if she only had one man, given how busy they were, they might not see each other for ten days or half a month.

But when there are many people, one person is busy while another is free, so there are always people around her.

She won't lose her fun.

Especially these days, when six people are around her, she just pouts and someone comes with a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.

It's... pretty good!

She took better care of them than the maids in the house.

The Empress waved her hand awkwardly and chuckled at Cui Shixu, saying, "Be careful your father crawls out of the ground and beats you."

"If he has that ability, I won't say such things." Cui Shixu smiled gently, and from his appearance, you could not tell at all what kind of wild words he had just said.

He seemed terrified that the position of the new crown prince would fall to him, since he was the empress's only son.

He's so outstanding.

"Alright, go away, go away. Just seeing you makes me angry." The Empress's recent resentment could revive a city.

Given her status and position, she could have lived a very comfortable life in Dayong, but suddenly, heavy burdens fell on her shoulders.

What's most infuriating is that not a single old man in the court dared to refute it. That's outrageous. Those old scholars who despise women the most dare not utter a single word when they are needed.

"Oh, then I'll go back with my wife." Cui Shixu said in the gentlest tone, but said the most hurtful thing.

The Empress rubbed her chest.

Enough, enough. A son grows up and can't be kept at home. Keeping him here will only lead to enmity.

Ye Wuxia rolled her eyes at Cui Shixu, who had a shameless look on his face. Even though "wife" was his exclusive title, this guy had heard it and copied it.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Master Ye? Do you think I'm not worthy to call you my wife?" Cui Shixu's handsome face showed a hint of melancholy. "If we didn't have a wedding ceremony, does that mean I'm not your little husband? If that's the case, why did you sleep with me?"

Fang Ruotang choked and looked at Ye Wuxia.

Ye Wuxia smiled gently at her and immediately said, "He's mistaken. How could I think that? We're all brothers."

Fang Ruotang looked away, smiled, and took Cui Shixu's hand, saying, "He said he didn't mean that, so let's go! Let's go back to the Prime Minister's residence together."

Cui Shixu immediately smiled, a bright and beautiful smile, knowing that Fang Ruotang liked to see him smile like that.

The two walked ahead.

Huo Zhige said gloatingly, "You've met your match, haven't you?"

Ye Wuxia looked at Huo Zhige speechlessly and asked, "What, is Xiao Liu now leading you?"

"..." Huo Zhige.

Gu Nancheng leaned closer and asked with a curious look, "How come you all say such things?"

"What did you say?" Ye Wuxia looked at Gu Nancheng with a calm expression, and for a moment she really didn't understand what he was asking.

"It's those insidious words, those that sound like they've suffered some great injustice, words that make people feel sorry for them!"

Ye Wuxia: ...

"Shut up! You're the treacherous one. You should read more books."

"It's insidious."

Since Gu Nancheng can't learn it, he has to try to belittle him.

Ye Wuxia ignored him, but after a while he came closer again, "Although it's a bit insidious, I think it works quite well, and Xiao Ruoruo is very receptive to it. Why don't you teach me?"

Ye Wuxia looked at Gu Nancheng as if he were an idiot.

He was already annoyed that Cui Shixu knew this method, and now someone was eager to learn it. He must be crazy to teach it.

What benefit would he gain from creating another competitor?

"Tsk, you're not magnanimous at all, you don't deserve to be a proper husband." Gu Nancheng glanced at Ye Wuxia, very dissatisfied with him.

Ye Wuxia choked for a moment, then asked with a complicated expression, "Where did you learn all these words?"

He only calls her that when he's having fun with Fang Ruotang in private, so why do they all use it?

Could it be that when he and Fang Ruotang were in the same room, these men were all eavesdropping at his window?

This is outrageous!

Gu Nancheng rolled his eyes at Ye Wuxia and asked speechlessly, "You don't actually think you're the only one who would know what kind of storybooks Ruoruo usually reads, do you?"

Ye Wuxia was taken aback.

"You all saw it?"

“Yes, Gu Yanjin has seen it. I asked Xiao Jingzi, and Xiao Ruoruo has been watching ‘The Cold and Aloof Buddhist Master’ in the Beijing Circle recently. So didn’t you notice? She’s been watching Rong Xing more often lately.”

Ye Wuxia: ...

He has been working hard on his cultivation lately and has no time to keep up with the stories Fang Ruotang is reading.

Fang Ruotang had been spending time with Rong Xing these past few days, and he simply assumed that Rong Xing was the better one at flattering her.

After all, he was like a wooden stake, always standing on Fang Ruotang's left and right sides.

His eyes were fixed on her, watching her every word and action, treating her like a baby.

"Doesn't he... cultivate?"

Ye Wuxia's story is too complicated to explain in a few words.

Ever since Fang Ruotang was kidnapped, he had been desperately seeking power, and he didn't want such a thing to happen again.

"He's been training! I don't think he ever sleeps," Gu Nancheng muttered. "They're all beasts, but Gu Yanjin and Huo Zhige are even more ruthless than him."

Ye Wuxia grinds her teeth.

The competition is too intense.

He still didn't work hard enough, and most importantly, he failed to balance the two.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!