Chapter 41: Was the exchange of words just now Xie Lanzhou's true feeling? ...
The allocation of palace servants proceeded smoothly, and Su Panyue, as the one who proposed the matter, naturally became busy as well.
Because it involved a large number of palace servants, some of them who benefited from it were extremely grateful to her and praised her highly; however, many more palace servants who lost their leisure time or could no longer make extra money were dissatisfied with her arrangements.
As a result, within just a few days, there were many more rumors about her in the palace.
The most common complaint is that she seduced His Majesty with her looks, and that she used some underhanded means to obtain the mere title of "Beauty," yet she acted as if she were some kind of powerful figure, truly believing she had risen to prominence.
Although no one dared to say it in front of her, Su Panyue still overheard these rumors by chance.
Feixue spoke up for her, saying, "What you've done is clearly a good thing. Those gossipy people are truly ignorant of right and wrong. Why don't you find these gossipy people and punish them properly?"
Su Panyue didn't care about these things. "It's too tiring to care what others say."
However, when Xie Lanzhou came to Jingchun Palace to look for her again that night, he brought up the matter again.
She's been quite busy lately and sometimes doesn't bother going to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, so Xie Lanzhou will come to Jingchun Palace on his own initiative, as was the case today.
Lying on the spacious canopy bed, Su Panyue nestled lazily in Xie Lanzhou's arms, pressing her face against his firm chest muscles and resting her small hands on his abs, looking utterly blissful.
They chat casually about what they did that day and what interesting things happened; this has become their daily routine.
Su Panyue didn't mention the criticisms about her, but Xie Lanzhou took the initiative to ask, "There are some unpleasant rumors circulating in the palace. How do you plan to deal with them?"
Su Panyue replied as before, "Your Majesty, it's alright, I don't care."
Xie Lanzhou squeezed her little hands that were fidgeting under the covers and said, "I know you're soft-hearted. I'll kill them all for you, and I guarantee no one will dare to say anything again."
She hadn't seen Xie Lanzhou kill anyone in a long time, so she thought he was joking and teased, "Then wouldn't I become a wicked concubine who brings ruin to the country?"
Xie Lanzhou lowered his eyes to hide the darkness in them, then flipped over and pinned her beneath him. Su Panyue hooked one arm around his neck and used the other to pull down the bed curtains, covering the enchanting spring scene within.
She thought the matter was over, but two days later, while accompanying Xie Lanzhou to review memorials, she discovered that many people had submitted memorials.
They said she was of lowly birth and rank, unworthy to assist in managing the six palaces, and urged His Majesty to quickly select a consort to expand the harem and ensure the continuation of the imperial line.
She had seen similar memorials when she was a palace maid, but she never expected that they would involve her now.
She couldn't help but ask Xie Lanzhou, "When does His Majesty plan to hold a selection of candidates?"
Xie Lanzhou held a secret letter in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed as he looked at something. Upon hearing her words, he simply replied with two words: "I won't choose."
"But the court officials are all urging you, saying it's inappropriate for a beauty like me to manage the harem."
"I told you long ago that I didn't want to get involved, so you should find someone else to take over."
Su Panyue wanted to say something more, but the man pulled her into his arms and made her sit on his lap.
Then she looked down and saw the contents of the secret letter on the table:
The valiant general who had previously led the expedition encountered the enemy head-on, facing a force of 10,000 men sent by the Yan state. He was defeated and retreated to the rear. The Yan state pursued him relentlessly and had already reached the border city.
Su Panyue swallowed hard, feeling a little nervous, and looked at it again in disbelief.
The military maps she gave Sun Shi earlier contained many errors and should have been of little use, so why is this the case?
Xie Lanzhou noticed her reaction but failed to hear what she was thinking. Only then did he realize that he hadn't heard her thoughts much lately.
However, Su Panyue couldn't help but ask, "How could His Majesty's 15,000 elite troops be no match for the Yan Kingdom's 10,000-strong army?"
Seeing the worry on her face, and knowing she was about to collapse, Xie Lanzhou lifted her up and said, "There was a spy in the army, but he has been dealt with."
Su Panyue swallowed nervously and asked, "The spy... how was he dealt with?"
"You really want to know?" Xie Lanzhou asked, raising an eyebrow.
Su Panyue nodded reluctantly.
If I ever get exposed, at least I'll know how I'm going to die in advance.
Hearing her thoughts again, Xie Lanzhou raised his hand and touched her hair, saying in a calm tone, "First, sever the tendons in her hands and feet to prevent her from escaping, then lock her up and interrogate her. If she confesses everything, then pull out her tongue and strangle her to a quick death."
"If you encounter someone stubborn and unwilling to confess, first whip them, then beat them, pulling out their fingers one by one..."
"Oh, alright, alright, there's no need to go into such detail, Your Majesty." Su Panyue broke out in a cold sweat and covered his mouth to interrupt him from continuing.
Then I heard him chuckle softly, his lips brushing against my palm, making it tickle slightly.
Su Panyue let go of his hand and asked in confusion, "What is Your Majesty laughing at?"
“You don’t need to worry, I will never let you go through these things,” Xie Lanzhou replied, resting his head on her neck.
His warm breath sprayed on the side of her neck, but Su Panyue only felt cold all over.
It's wonderful that he doesn't know he's a spy; if he knew that the person next to her in bed was actually a spy, she didn't even dare to think about the consequences.
Forcing a smile, Su Panyue absentmindedly replied with an "okay".
Xie Lanzhou lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before uttering another startling question: "Do you want to be the Empress?"
Su Panyue turned to look at him in disbelief, her lips brushing against his cheek. At such close range, she could only see a hint of seriousness on his face.
She didn't have time to probe the more complex emotions in his eyes before jumping off him and declaring righteously, "I don't want to!"
Seeing the man's probing gaze, Su Panyue explained again: "The Empress is the mother of the nation, and she needs to work hard. My greatest wish in this life is simply to have enough to eat and drink and to live a few more days. I cannot bear such a responsibility."
Xie Lanzhou remained silent for a long time before nodding and writing an imperial edict.
Su Panyue turned her head to look at the contents of the imperial edict, which surprisingly granted her the title of Imperial Concubine.
"Your Majesty, there's no need for the Imperial Concubine. I'm perfectly fine as I am..."
The man's gaze made her feel uneasy, and Su Panyue's voice trailed off.
Xie Lanzhou offered a rare explanation: "This kills two birds with one stone, silencing those old fogies from the previous dynasty and also quelling the rumors circulating in the palace."
His words were reasonable and well-founded, so Su Panyue could only obediently agree.
For her, it seemed like just a change in title, from Lady Su to Consort Su.
However, the palace servants who had been gossiping about her behind her back became increasingly respectful, and no more bad rumors reached her ears.
This was supposed to be the comfortable life she had always dreamed of, but Su Panyue became more and more anxious each day.
He was always concerned about the war on the border, worried that his flawed military map might cost the lives of many soldiers.
Xie Lanzhou, who spent every day with her, could naturally see that she was preoccupied, but he hadn't heard her thoughts for a long time.
Unable to fathom her thoughts, Xie Lanzhou often kept her company, occasionally bringing her interesting little trinkets, and even having a few of the storybooks that were previously forbidden to her be sent over.
But the better he treated her, the more guilty Su Panyue felt. Several times she even wanted to reveal her identity, but each time he stopped her from speaking.
After a week of such torment, good news came from the front lines, and Su Panyue was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
The ever-victorious general held a direct confrontation with the Yan state for three days, suffering three defeats in three battles. The Yan state became arrogant and pursued the general all the way into the heart of the Qi border.
At this moment, Ji Hongxi led his cavalry archers to flank the Yan army from the side, cutting off their supplies and retreat, catching them completely off guard.
The stalemate lasted no more than a day. The five thousand elite troops of Yan who were pursuing them were immediately defeated, and more than three thousand were captured. Qi won a great victory.
Seeing Xie Lanzhou's calm and composed demeanor, Su Panyue belatedly realized that this was all part of his plan.
By deliberately retreating in successive waves to lure the enemy deeper into our territory and minimize our casualties, we aimed to trap them like turtles in a jar at the last moment.
When Eunuch Fu returned to report the good news, he exclaimed, "His Majesty truly has foresight, arranging for General Ji to prepare for the surprise attack well in advance."
Xie Lanzhou glanced at Su Panyue thoughtfully and said, "It's a bit slower than I expected."
Faced with his gaze, Su Panyue couldn't help but feel a little guilty and prepared to make up a reason to retreat.
But the man stopped her: "What will the Imperial Concubine do if she goes back? Stay and help me devise a plan. Which city should we attack next?"
Grandpa Fu quietly slipped out, clearly already used to it.
Su Panyue had no choice but to sit down again, and said awkwardly, "How could this concubine know about these things?"
Xie Lanzhou suddenly asked, "Have you ever been to the State of Yan?"
Su Panyue shook her head: "No."
Xie Lanzhou stared at her for a moment, and then slowly sighed.
"Fine, I won't force you."
Su Panyue was somewhat confused and asked in bewilderment, "What does Your Majesty mean?"
Xie Lanzhou reached out and touched the top of her head, saying in a low voice, "You just need to know that no matter what you do, I will not blame you, and no one can force you to do what you don't want to do."
Su Panyue nodded, somewhat moved: "Your Majesty treats me so well."
"But Your Majesty, could you please let go? You're going to mess up my hair that I finally managed to comb..."
Seeing that her tone was relaxed, a stark contrast to her somber demeanor of the past few days, Xie Lanzhou realized that she was actually worried about the war...
He couldn't help but gently bite her earlobe, and whispered in her ear, "It's alright, it was going to get messed up anyway."
"Hmm?" Su Panyue's ears felt tingly and she didn't realize what he was saying for a moment.
It wasn't until he carried her into the inner room that she realized someone had unleashed their animalistic nature.
Lately, she had been preoccupied with the war and had little interest in romance. Fortunately, Xie Lanzhou hadn't made any advances, so she assumed that he was also preoccupied with the border war and had no interest in romance.
But now, looking at her clothes torn to shreds and thrown on the ground, Su Panyue began to doubt her previous thoughts.
When he started sprinting, his movements so fast that afterimages appeared, Su Panyue realized that this man had been holding back for too long!
She clung tightly to his back, initially only humming softly, but later she could no longer control herself, her voice as melodious as a nightingale's song, releasing all the anxiety she had been feeling for the past few days.
It was unclear how much time had passed, so long that Su Panyue had no strength left, while Xie Lanzhou seemed tireless.
She lay sprawled on the bed and said to him in a coquettish tone, "Okay, okay~ I really can't take it anymore."
The man continued his actions, replying, "Yes, just this once."
Then rest for a moment, and then do it again.
Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Su Panyue blinked, wondering if she was hallucinating. He seemed to have only said four words.
Were those words his true feelings?
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Author's Note: Oh wow, roles have been reversed! Didn't expect that, did you? [Sunglasses]
Man, your dark thoughts are about to be heard by the little girl, hehehehe.
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