Chapter 11 The Little Goddess on the Cruise Ship

To allow or not to allow?

Wen Miao folded the note and asked Shi Cui and Wan Bi to bring her the veil.

If it were an ordinary person, they would simply refuse, but if it were the current emperor… Wen Miao thought of her maternal grandfather and Meng Jun. After much consideration, she realized that as long as she had something to cling to, she would not be able to completely anger the emperor.

At least she could be thankful that, so far, the other party had not used any more forceful methods to coerce her.

Wen Miao sighed softly, took the veil and gently put it on her head, only instructing Shi Cui and Wan Bi to guard Qin Garden and not to worry about her.

At the back gate of the Xie residence, a carriage was already parked there, silent and still. The guards around it had indifferent expressions, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords, looking like they had been specially trained.

Wen Miao walked slowly towards the carriage. Zhang Ji, the leader of the Imperial Guard, and Xu Sheng, the Grand Eunuch, who were guarding the front of the carriage, nodded and stepped back. Before Wen Miao could get close, the carriage curtain was lifted from the inside.

"Madam, it's been a long time."

The man sitting inside the carriage leaned slightly forward. His voice, no longer hoarse from illness, was deeper and more sensual, possessing a unique sexiness characteristic of mature men.

Wen Miao bowed, skipping the formalities, and simply greeted him with a soft "Your Majesty".

The emperor's lips curled slightly. He stretched out half an arm and held it in front of the beautiful woman whose face was covered by a veil. "I will help you into the carriage, Madam."

Wen Miao was stunned for a moment, then turned her head to look at the attendants around the carriage—

Zhang Ji remained expressionless, but turned his gaze away; Xu Sheng's smile vanished, and he stared blankly at his shoes; as for the others... they all lowered their heads and looked on, as if they hadn't seen anything.

"lady?"

The emperor chuckled softly, as if asking Wen Miao why she hadn't come up yet.

Wen Miao pursed her lips. She didn't look at the emperor's hand, but instead held onto the edge of the carriage herself, preparing to use it for leverage to climb up, when she heard a somewhat helpless sigh.

Even through her sleeves, her arms, still burning hot, were suspended in mid-air around Wen Miao's lower back. Her wrists were loosely held, and with the skillful force applied, her body suddenly became light, and she was lifted up by the emperor, who held her waist.

The carriage curtain swayed and fell, obscuring the last glimpse of the scene. Zhang Ji immediately ordered his men to drive the carriage out of the city.

Inside the carriage at this moment—

After those actions, Wen Miao ended up sitting on the emperor's lap.

Emperor Qian Yuan was tall and robust. He had spent his early years on the battlefield, so his muscles were firm and his fingertips were rough. His presence was obvious when he held Wen Miao's wrist. Almost the instant the two of them got close, Wen Miao felt the air around her thin out, as if she were surrounded by a furnace, and even her breath became hot.

Her head was slightly lowered, her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, and even her ears and cheeks were flushed. She was a little embarrassed and annoyed. She was about to struggle when she sensed that the person behind her was about to brush past the veil and bury his head in the side of her neck.

His high, straight nose pressed against the back of Wen Miao's neck through the veil of his hat, and his hot breath instantly made her tremble all over. She was indeed encircled around the waist and could hardly move an inch.

"His Majesty!"

Wen Miao's eyelashes trembled, her breathing was unsteady, and even her voice was filled with panic.

Emperor Qianyuan tried his best to suppress his breathing and whispered his assurance: "I just want to hug my wife, nothing else."

Wen Miao's chest was still heaving, but perhaps because the emperor's assurances were too cautious at the moment, her breathing slowed down. Seeing that the other party still maintained the original posture for a long time, she breathed a sigh of relief and gradually relaxed.

The atmosphere inside the carriage went from tense to quiet in just a few breaths, and the carriage wheels chugged along, heading out of the city.

A warm breeze blows, and the car curtains flutter.

The emperor held Wen Miao's waist, still keeping her in his arms. At first, Wen Miao straightened her back, trying to keep her distance, but as the carriage swayed, the position became unbearable, especially since Wen Miao's period was approaching, which made things even worse and caused her lower back to ache.

Wen Miao frowned, trying her best not to lean on anyone.

Emperor Qianyuan was aware of the woman's subtle movements in his arms. He looked at Wen Miao, who was trying to get away from him and whose plump figure was becoming more and more prominent. He lowered his eyes and suddenly put his hand on Wen Miao's lower back.

The person in his arms trembled in surprise.

The hand that landed on her lower back was burning hot, and it was slowly pressing and gently rubbing in a clockwise direction with just the right amount of force, relieving Wen Miao's discomfort in her lower back.

"Relax, my lady, let me massage your back."

After a pause, the emperor added, "Just treat me as your servant."

Wen Miao's cheeks were still flushed. She placed her hand on Emperor Qian Yuan's shoulder, trying to ignore the heat on her lower back. "I dare not treat Your Majesty as a servant."

Emperor Qianyuan simply smiled and said, "But I am willing."

I've been willing to do this for a very, very long time.

The carriage traveled all the way out of the capital and finally stopped in front of a manor in the far suburbs.

This manor is nestled against the mountains and beside the water. The mountains behind it are lush and green, and the lake in front is sparkling. A hundred meters further on, there is a small village. Occasionally, the villagers will bring any fresh fruits and vegetables they grow to sell in the manor, saving them the trouble of going to the capital to sell them, which is much more convenient.

Wen Miao followed the emperor into the manor. Everywhere she looked was green, which was refreshing and a stark contrast to the bustling and prosperous Shengjing.

Zhang Ji and Xu Sheng went to settle the carriage, leaving only Wen Miao and Emperor Qian Yuan on the way. After walking a few steps, Wen Miao stopped and spoke for the first time since entering the manor, "What exactly does Your Majesty want from me today?"

Wen Miao sometimes felt that she could never guess what the other person was thinking.

She knew she wasn't clever enough to outwit the ruler of the land, so she could only ask directly, hoping to dispel that vague unease.

Emperor Qianyuan turned around, his quiet gaze falling on Wen Miao, observing her closely, intently, and cautiously.

He had been watching Wen Miao for a long time. At first, he thought he was seeing a beautiful spirit in the cold palace, vaguely separated by the mists of dreams. But as time went by, he, who had struggled to survive in the cold palace as a child, regarded Wen Miao as a source of comfort.

He had seen Wen Miao as a child, her back straight, practicing calligraphy; he had seen Wen Miao feeding abandoned kittens; he had seen her going to school alone with her schoolbag on her back; and he had seen her grow up little by little, from a tender and lovely child into a bright and outstanding young woman…

To him at that time, Wen Miao was a goddess—his goddess alone.

A beautiful and radiant little goddess grew up alongside a prince in the cold palace. He looked at her, but she didn't know him. This companionship, remembered only by one side, lasted for more than ten years. But when the abandoned prince in the cold palace finally stepped into the public eye and rose step by step from a neglected prince to a high position, wanting to hold this prosperous era and pursue the goddess, the emperor, who had become the supreme ruler, was kicked out of his dream by his goddess.

Several years passed, and Emperor Qianyuan never dreamed of Wen Miao again. He sent people to search almost the entire Great Chu, but to no avail.

During that time, Emperor Qian Yuan even felt like he was going crazy. He wanted to fall asleep and see Wen Miao in his dreams, but the more he tried, the less he could sleep, as if it were telling him—this is the punishment for your vain pursuit of the goddess's whereabouts.

Emperor Qianyuan spent a long time getting used to the disappearance of the goddess in his dreams. Just when he thought he had long since broken free from her, the long-lost dream returned once again.

This time, however, his dream contained not only the goddess he longed for, but also another... man.

A man he wished he could tear to pieces, both in his dreams and in reality.

A man who could stand openly and honestly beside Wen Miao, even more so than him.

"……His Majesty?"

The gentle, soothing call brought the emperor back to his senses.

When he lowered his brows and narrowed his eyes, he always exuded a sinister and malevolent aura, which made Wen Miao feel uneasy. But when she looked over again, Emperor Qian Yuan, who had been lost in thought, had returned to normal, with his eyebrows and eyes straight and his face clear and bright.

"Just now, my wife asked me what I wanted to do today."

Emperor Qianyuan raised his hand, hovering it in front of Wen Miao, and looked at her gently and quietly. "I just wanted to take my wife boating on the lake and fishing for some leisure."

Such a gaze is not offensive; on the contrary, it makes the person being gazed at feel valued and respected.

Wen Miao bit her lower lip lightly, feeling a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

"His Majesty surely has no shortage of companions, does he?"

"But all I want is a wife."

This time it's "I", not "朕" (the imperial "I").

Even if it's blasphemous, he will keep her.

When the emperor said this, his gaze was intense, as if he were laying bare his thoughts before Wen Miao.

Wen Miao was stunned for a few seconds because of the emperor's change of self-address. The Qian Yuan Emperor standing in front of her was self-sufficient and simply took Wen Miao's hand in his own.

One large and one small, one scalding hot and one lukewarm.

He said, "Madam, please."

This time, Wen Miao didn't speak or struggle. Instead, she lowered her eyes and yielded to the force with which the other person was holding her.

Everything on the estate had been prepared in advance by servants; all that was missing was for the arrival of more distinguished guests to enjoy it.

The fishing boats on the lake were already laden with food. Emperor Qianyuan took Wen Miao's hand and carefully led her onto the small boat. He then took the oars and, to Wen Miao's surprise, took over the job of "boatman".

The emperor laughed and said, "Why does my lady look at me like that?"

Wen Miao sat on a cushion to the side, raised her hand and took off her veil, "I'm just a little surprised, I didn't expect His Majesty to know how to row a boat."

"I know many other things too."

Emperor Qianyuan volunteered for a northern expedition in his early years. Although he was a prince, he did not have a good time on the expedition because he was not favored by the emperor. He learned to survive, fight, and kill by hunting, making fire, setting up camp, and cooking. He gradually established his reputation, took control of the Xuanjia Army, and ascended the throne.

Only in this way...maybe I can be even slightly worthy of her.

The small fishing boat headed towards the center of the lake, a gentle breeze causing Wen Miao to squint her eyes slightly, creating a unique atmosphere.

Set out a wooden table with tea and food, Wen Miao glanced up and saw a few beads of sweat on the emperor's temples. Seeing that the emperor was still rowing the boat obediently, she poured a cup of tea and carefully pushed it over to him.

"Your Majesty, please have some tea."

Emperor Qianyuan stared intently at Wen Miao until she could no longer bear it and turned her gaze away. Only then did he politely inquire, "I'm holding the oar, so it's not very convenient. Could you please feed me a sip of tea, Madam?"

He was polite, yet he pressed on relentlessly.

A note from the author:

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Although the emperor possessed the empire, he always felt inferior in front of his wife, because he had seen how wonderful and prosperous the world she had once lived in was.

He was selfish; his desire to be a good emperor stemmed from his desire to be by his wife's side.

[Pitiful] Can I have some nutrient solution today? (Appears with a flower in his mouth) (Eagerly)