Chapter 85 Men are both jealous and petty...

The eunuch came to report that Prime Minister Song had left, and Xiao Dao returned to his palace, not wanting to run into Song Jie.

There were no palace maids serving her in the hall, so Yu Shu sat in front of the dressing table and removed her phoenix crown herself.

Xiao Dao walked over behind her and reached out to remove the hairpin for her, lifting the heavy phoenix crown down. Seeing that her forehead was red from being pressed down, he placed his palm on it and rubbed it. "This crown is too heavy. I'll have them alter it tomorrow to make it lighter."

Xie Yushu looked at Xiaodao in the mirror. He bent down and was taking off her earrings, carefully smoothing her hair, and said softly, "Why didn't you call Jinye and Yinya in to serve you?"

This time, Xiao Dao specially arranged positions for Jin Ye, Yin Ya, and Granny Xi Zhi in the palace so they could accompany her into the palace.

Knowing that she was used to having her own people around her, the palace maids were not used to serving her.

"I'm still used to doing these things myself," Xie Yushu said truthfully. In fact, she had never been used to being served personally since she transmigrated.

Xiao Dao thought she was saying that she had developed this habit because she had suffered hardships since childhood and had no maids to serve her. He felt a little sad and went to get a wet cloth to wipe the rouge and powder off her face, saying, "I'll learn how. I'll do these things from now on and serve you."

"The emperor is serving me." Xie Yushu smiled and leaned her head gently against his chest. "Then I must enjoy it."

Xiao Dao smiled, cupping her face in one hand and gently wiping away the rouge from her skin with the other. "I love that you enjoy being cared for by me. Whether I'm a beggar or an emperor, I'll always be your Xiao Dao."

Xie Yushu looked up at him, grabbed his collar, said nothing, but pulled him down and kissed him.

He had only intended to give her a light kiss, but after just touching her lips, Xiao Dao couldn't help but cup her face and kiss her even deeper.

When the kiss reached its climax, the hand that was holding Xie Yushu's face couldn't help but stroke her neck. The hand lingered on her delicate collarbone beneath her clothes, not daring to go any deeper.

Xie Yushu grasped his hand, slipped it inside her clothes to touch the necklace, and warmed her body with his hand.

His hands trembled violently, his breathing was rapid, and his whole body was burning hot. He didn't know what to do except touch and kiss. In his dazed state, he felt Xie Yushu's warm fingers touch the scar on his chest, which made his breathing even more erratic.

Xie Yushu grabbed his belt, turned her head to end the kiss, and said breathlessly, "Squat down, squat down."

Xiao Dao blushed, his eyes were unfocused, and he could not think straight. He simply obeyed the order and squatted down.

Xie Yushu placed one foot on his knee, her face flushed, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'll teach you how to serve me..."

As she cradled Xiao Dao's head close, his mind went completely blank, like fireworks bursting into flames...

#

The next day, Xiao Dao almost missed the morning court session. Jin Ye had to report to him several times before Xiao Dao finally woke up.

He had been making a lot of noise late last night, and he couldn't bear to wake Xie Yushu in his arms. He tiptoed out of bed, hurriedly put on his clothes, and quickly went out to ask Jin Ye to keep the noise down.

The palace maids and eunuchs outside were already waiting with a change of clothes. They were all stunned when they saw Xiaodao come out with his hair down and wearing an outer robe.

Xiao Dao held his shoes in his hand, waved to them, and whispered, "Go to the side hall to wash up, don't wake the Empress."

Even though they knew that the emperor favored the empress, these palace maids and eunuchs had never seen the new emperor like this before.

Only Jinye and Yinya were already used to it. They whispered to the other women to go to the side hall to serve the emperor, while they quietly brought hot water into the bedchamber to take care of their young mistresses.

Even after becoming Empress, Miss Yushu remained their dearest young lady.

Upon entering the inner hall, one sees clothes scattered on the floor, and the young lady lying on the bed with her arms bare, fast asleep.

Yinya tiptoed to pick up the clothes on the ground. When she saw five or six used fish bladders on the basin, her face turned red. Although she was not yet married, she had been taught by the old nanny in the palace before entering the palace and knew what they were for and how to dispose of them. However, she did not quite understand why her mistress, who had already become the empress, still needed to avoid having children.

Moreover, the Imperial Household Department keeps records of the Emperor and Empress's intimate moments. If they find out that Miss used this, won't they impeach her again?

Unable to make up her mind, she secretly beckoned to Jin Ye, showed her the thing, and asked her what to do.

Jin Ye glanced outside the hall and whispered, "Before the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department arrive, secretly dispose of these things and don't let anyone else know."

Yinya nodded.

Xie Yushu slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking up. As the only empress in the harem, she did not need to meet with other concubines according to the rules, nor did she need to pay respects to the empress dowager.

She originally wanted to bring Wan Susu back to the palace, but Wan Susu said she was used to living in Yuqing Temple and did not want to return to the palace.

She didn't force her, but instead had Xiao Dao issue an imperial edict lifting Wan Susu's confinement order, allowing Wan Susu to freely enter and leave Yuqing Temple.

She had just gotten up and was sitting on the bed in a daze when the system appeared in her mind.

Yeah?

Xie Yushu brought up the system interface and saw that the female supporting character's main quest had increased by 20% last night and was now 80% complete.

so much?

Worried? Worried she won't be a good empress? Worried it'll all be a pipe dream?

Perhaps becoming empress was too far-fetched for the female supporting character Yu Shu, and she had no sense of reality about it.

No rush. Xie Yushu himself was also taking on such a high-ranking official position for the first time.

She glanced at it again and, sure enough, Song Jie had gained 5 points of "green hat value" last night. He hadn't slept all night, spending all his time overthinking.

Someone else whispered a kiss: "Has Your Majesty risen?"

Jin Ye went out to ask questions and came back in a short while later, saying, "Your Highness is Xiao Danlu, the eunuch by His Majesty's side. His Majesty sent him to convey that after the morning court session, His Majesty was again entangled with those ministers discussing matters, and told Your Highness not to wait for His Majesty to have breakfast." Then she smiled and said, "His Majesty is afraid that Your Highness will be hungry while waiting for him."

“Our young lady would never let herself go hungry,” Yinya said knowingly.

Jin Ye hurriedly said, "You should call me Your Majesty the Empress. Why can't you change your way of addressing me?"

Xie Yushu didn't like to follow those rules with them, and got out of bed with a smile, saying, "It's alright, being in the palace is just like being at home. Just be careful when you go out, because all the officials are watching me now."

"I know." Yinya went over to help her put on her outer robe, and then helped her wash up and have breakfast.

Jin Ye opened the window a crack to let in some fresh air, then turned back to Xie Yushu with delight and said, "Your Majesty, it's snowing outside."

Xie Yushu walked to the window in surprise and looked outside. He saw a gloomy sky with snowflakes the size of rice grains falling: "I thought it wouldn't snow this winter, but I didn't expect it to snow so soon before spring."

She watched as the fine snow dampened the ground, and then she saw a slender figure walking in from outside the palace gate in the distance.

It turned out to be Song Jie.

He walked slowly towards the palace gate without an umbrella, dressed in court attire. He seemed lost in thought, his eyes lowered. Fine snowflakes fell on his temples and quickly melted. By the time he reached the front of the hall and looked up to see Xie Yushu, a small patch of his hair was already wet.

His gaze fell on Xie Yushu's face, and he was stunned for a moment. She was so beautiful. She was leaning against the window with her hair down, and her fair face had only one pair of eyes that shone like stars.

But for no apparent reason, the red marks that had appeared on Xiao Dao's neck that morning flashed into his mind—the scattered red marks, were they left by her?

She was happy last night, wasn't she? The knife must have satisfied her, right?

Song Jie's heart was filled with dark jealousy. He once thought he could accept her as empress, because she did not become empress to become Xiao Dao's empress, but to become emperor.

Becoming empress was merely her first step into the imperial court.

But last night, on their wedding night, he couldn't help but think: What did Xiao Dao do to deserve becoming her second husband? Without Xie Yushu, he would have been nothing more than a beggar and a servant, but now Xie Yushu helped him ascend the throne and became his empress.

Why? How could he possibly deserve so much love from Xie Yushu? And for the next few years, he could even be with Xie Yushu legitimately, and he might even betray Xie Yushu by choosing concubines.

Song Jie felt it was too slow. When could Xie Yushu become emperor? Unless Xiao Dao died, but Xiao Dao couldn't die before Xie Yushu had laid the groundwork for the previous dynasty and gained control of the world...

Last night, he thought pessimistically: perhaps before Xiaodao died, he would have already succumbed to his own weakness and passed away first.

"Aren't you cold, Prime Minister Song?" Xie Yushu smiled slowly at him from the window.

That smile was one that indicated he had been expecting to come.

Yes, she was absolutely certain of winning him over; she had him completely under her thumb.

Song Jie walked to the palace gate, and the gate opened for him.

He went inside and saw Xie Yushu sitting at the table having breakfast.

She simply pointed to the chair next to her, and Song Jie was already happy. At least she still needed him and was willing to see him.

"Is there anything important at court today?" Xie Yushu asked him while eating, and then asked Jinye to give him another pair of chopsticks.

Song Jie took the chopsticks, and the jealousy in his heart faded a little. Although he wasn't the one who had his wedding night last night, he was the one having dinner with him this morning.

At least in Xie Yushu's mind, he was more useful than Xiaodao.

Song Jie told her some important matters, picked up a piece of food for her, and said, "There is another important matter. Liang Shou and the others brought up the matter of enriching the harem today, and they are probably discussing this matter with the new emperor right now."

He looked at Xie Yushu's expression and said, "Although we cannot select concubines during the national mourning period, we can select noble ladies from prominent families to serve the new emperor for the sake of the imperial heir. I guess when those imperial relatives and ladies of noble birth come to visit you today, they will mention this matter to you. After all, it is the empress's responsibility to consider the imperial heir for the sake of the emperor."

No one can accept the idea of ​​taking a concubine to procreate for their husband on the very first day of marriage.

Xie Yushu just smiled and said, "It's only the first day since I was made empress, and they're already so eager to expand the emperor's harem. It seems they really look down on me as empress."

“If you disagree, they will impeach you on the grounds of jealousy.” Song Jie looked at her and said, “If you can endure it, the best way is to temporarily comply with these old ministers, and then remove them one by one and replace them with your own people.”

"Endure what? Endure and pretend to be magnanimous, to be a good first wife?" Xie Yushu laughed, put down her chopsticks and said, "If I become empress and still have to be bound by these men's rules, then why should I become empress?"

She looked at Song Jie: "You men are really insidious and cunning. The previous dynasty couldn't beat me, so they sent their daughters into the palace to force me to fight with them. In the end, I might kill some women to win, or get pregnant to protect my position as empress. In the end, I will still become empress according to their rules."

“But I never wanted to be empress.” She took the handkerchief Jinzhi offered and wiped her hands. “I wanted to be emperor.”

Song Jie looked at her and couldn't help but smile. He gently placed his hand on her knee under the table and said softly, "Yu Shu, this throne should have been yours. I hope you will never be misled by love and affection."

His hands were icy cold as he held her knees through her thin nightgown, and he couldn't help but caress them with his thumbs.

Xie Yushu didn't shake his hand off, leaned back in his chair and looked at him with a sneer: "I think it's you men who are both jealous and petty."

He didn't deny it, but he moved closer to her and wanted to talk to her.

The sound of a eunuch bowing could be heard outside the palace gate: "Greetings, Your Majesty."

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Author's note: October has been terrible for me. My cat just recovered from urinary retention, and my dog ​​was found to have a cyst on his abdomen and needs surgery tomorrow. But don't worry, I've already saved tomorrow's update, and I'll update as usual at 6 PM tomorrow.