Chapter 64 Getting Dirty: "This is punishment."
Before sunset, the winter weather was even colder, especially with the lack of sunlight and the wind was biting. Therefore, Wen Miao returned to Taiji Palace in a palace sedan chair.
According to the old calendar, only the emperor was usually allowed to travel in a sedan chair within the palace. Consorts and female relatives also had the right to ride in a sedan chair only if the emperor granted their permission.
But Wen Miao is different.
From the moment she first entered the palace, before she became empress, she enjoyed all the privileges and preferential treatment in the Great Chu imperial court.
Although Emperor Qianyuan was the emperor of Great Chu, the supreme ruler, his possessiveness towards the imperial power he held was less than one percent of his possessiveness towards Wen Miao.
He couldn't accept Wen Miao leaving his sight, couldn't accept Wen Miao becoming someone else's wife, couldn't accept Wen Miao not looking at him or liking him.
However, if the object of this request were the imperial power that others would fight tooth and nail for, even at the cost of their lives, Emperor Qianyuan would be remarkably generous with it.
He even willingly regarded this power as part of his "charm" and "capital," like a male peacock displaying its tail feathers, trying his best to present it to Wen Miao, even if his empress only glanced at him for wealth or power.
It was precisely because of Emperor Qianyuan's open and straightforward attitude that everyone in the palace regarded Wen Miao as the second master of the Great Chu Imperial Court, and even more so than Emperor Qianyuan himself in many ways.
Now, on the blue brick ground where the snow has been swept away in winter, palace servants carry palanquins slowly by, with brick-red palace walls standing on both sides, blocking out the harsh winter winds.
Xu Sheng and Zhang Ji were still waiting in front of Taiji Palace. Wen Miao got off the sedan chair and gently instructed Xu Sheng to have the imperial kitchen prepare the meal, which would be delivered directly to them in a short while.
While the palace servants were preparing dinner, Wen Miao pushed open the door and entered the hall. She was alone, without any eunuchs or servants following her.
The Taiji Palace was warm. A large, gilded incense burner was placed in the center of the main hall. Its intricate carvings revealed a kind of ancient and old-fashioned, yet exceptionally expensive, static beauty. Inside, there was agarwood, a special incense used by the emperors of the Great Chu Dynasty. Its fragrance was deep, mellow, and rich, like a cold spring breaking through rocks.
Wen Miao's nose twitched slightly as she gently sniffed the scent inside the palace.
When she had amnesia, she always felt that Emperor Qian Yuan had a very familiar scent, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It smelled very good, with a pure sense of maturity, deep and gentle, not pungent, and even gave her an inexplicable sense of security.
Now that her memories have returned and she has recounted all the events that happened after last winter, Wen Miao can easily realize the meaning behind this fragrance.
...Those dreams actually happened.
She was familiar with Shen Xiang because when she was seriously ill during her time travel last winter, Emperor Qian Yuan personally carried her, took care of her, and fed her medicine without relying on anyone else.
Her familiarity with the furnishings of Taiji Palace stemmed from the fact that she had recuperated there. Even though she had been in a daze and her consciousness was clouded, she could still see the furnishings of the palace in the gaps between her feverish and delirious moments.
Wen Miao slightly lifted the hem of her skirt, which hung down to cover her feet, and walked past the landscape screen in the front hall, past the incense burner with wisps of smoke, until she reached a more inner position, where she saw Emperor Qian Yuan, who sat quietly on a soft couch, looking at her with a straight back.
He exuded a refined and composed aura, but the look in his eyes as he gazed at her was anything but innocent.
...It's too hot and burning.
Wen Miao had no doubt that if those thin iron chains hadn't been binding Emperor Qian Yuan's wrists, he would probably have jumped up the moment he saw her and pounced on her like a vicious dog.
She slightly avoided Emperor Qian Yuan's overly intense gaze, temporarily ignoring his stare, before her gaze fell upon the small wooden table supporting the couch.
Two-thirds of the memorials on the small wooden table had been reviewed and were neatly stacked to the side. The ink on the inkstone looked like it had just dried, and the brush with its slightly upturned tip rested on the brush rest, with dark ink stains faintly visible.
Clearly, after she left, Emperor Qian Yuan took the time to deal with these matters seriously.
"Vast and boundless..."
Emperor Qianyuan spoke up at the opportune moment, seemingly dissatisfied that Wen Miao was ignoring him and focusing on the memorials on the table.
Why bother looking at all that random, irrelevant stuff?
Isn't it better to keep our eyes on him?
He's been so well-behaved... Will Miaomiao reward him?
Emperor Qianyuan pondered deeply, his heart churning with intense, dark desires.
His empress was always so beautiful and dignified, so pure and aloof, as bright as the moon... He both wanted to kneel and submit to her, to lift her up high and never let her fall to the ground; and he also wanted to morbidly and cruelly destroy her graceful and gentle appearance, to devour her completely and merge her with himself.
But he didn't dare.
...afraid of frightening his wife.
Wen Miao felt a tingling sensation in the back of her neck and spine from Emperor Qian Yuan's mesmerizing gaze. Those gazes seemed tangible, almost penetrating her clothes and skin, reaching the depths of her soul that made her tremble.
She paused for a moment, then walked closer, her fingers landing on the thin chain, preparing to untie it.
But the next second, her fair fingers were gently pressed down by the heel of Emperor Qian Yuan's other hand.
Wen Miao tried to break free from the other's hand, but although Emperor Qian Yuan's strength was not great, it was not enough for her to shake him off. Just as she was about to ask him to let go, Emperor Qian Yuan suddenly held her hand and lowered his head to kiss it.
His burning lips kissed Wenmiao's slightly cool fingertips.
"...Does the Empress intend to release me?"
He sat there, his hands bound, carefully holding Wen Miao's hands, but with an extremely strong sense of aggression.
When Wen Miao lowered her gaze to look into Emperor Qian Yuan's eyes, she found that his pupils were frighteningly black, and even his pupils were tightly shrunk to pinpoints.
Danger!
Wen Miao's eyelashes trembled, her breath hitched slightly, and the overwhelming aggression had an astonishing force that made her instinctively lean back slightly.
The entire incident occurred within a few breaths.
The delicate chains binding the emperor's wrists jingled and tinkled, while Wen Miao was pulled up by the waist and knees, and in an instant, she straddled Emperor Qian Yuan's lap.
The layers of warm-toned skirts blend and overlap with the emperor's dark robes, creating a striking contrast between the two colors, one light and one dark, yet they are excessively harmonious.
Clearly a captive who has lost his freedom and whose hands are bound, he is now launching a fierce attack, pressing his only master step by step.
Wen Miao had no way to avoid it.
Or rather, she hadn't realized that the thin metal chain in Emperor Qian Yuan's hands was like a small toy that could break at any moment.
...It was a miscalculation.
Fortunately, she hadn't intended to hide in the first place.
The big dog, who had been working peacefully all afternoon without seeing its owner, deserves a small reward.
—A reward he could collect himself.
So, Wen Miao relaxed her control over her body and, yielding to the external force, sat completely into the other person's taut, hard, and hot chest.
He was instantly embraced tightly.
When the tall, muscular man tilted his head back to kiss her, he exuded an extremely terrifying possessiveness. Even though Wen Miao was in a superior position at the moment, she was still completely suppressed by him in matters of the heart.
...there was no opening to break free.
The doors and windows of Taiji Palace were all tightly closed. The Imperial Kitchen would prepare the meals for the Emperor and Empress in advance, but because the work was meticulous, it took some distance to deliver the food from the Imperial Kitchen to Taiji Palace. Therefore, during this time, only Wen Miao and Emperor Qian Yuan were in the entire Taiji Palace.
Those closed doors and windows were enough to shut out everything, whether it was rapid breathing, weak sobs, or anything else.
At this moment, with no palace servants or attendants around, the emperor, emboldened and unaware that he had already obtained the empress's permission, became even more audacious.
He kissed away the sounds that escaped from Wen Miao's lips, his hand, bound by the thin chain, tightly wrapped around the other's lower back. Seeing that it was inconvenient to move with his other hand, he simply used a clever trick to break the chain, leaving half of it hanging on his wrist. He raised his hand and firmly pressed down on the back of Wen Miao's neck to prevent the other from retreating and escaping.
He looked up and kissed his wife.
He only loosened his grip slightly after he had completely swallowed the lip rouge from the queen's lips and licked and kissed her petal-like lips until they were somewhat swollen and erotic.
His queen nearly couldn't breathe, and could only lean against him, her starry eyes filled with misty tears, her lips red and wet, her long, beautiful swan neck adorned with fine sweat, her chest heaving, causing the jade key to tremble incessantly.
Emperor Qianyuan still wore the thin chain he had torn on his wrist. While kissing Wen Miao's ear, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Does the Empress want to untie the chain you yourself put on me?"
Wen Miao's cheeks flushed red, and her lips were burning hot from the friction; she didn't even dare to lick the heat with the tip of her tongue.
She breathed softly, her lips slightly parted, her gaze falling on the thin chain that had broken in two. "...Didn't you already tear it apart?"
“They are different.”
Emperor Qian Yuan listened to Wen Miao's soft and weak voice, still lingering from the intense kiss, as if it were naturally infused with a hint of moisture. His chest trembled, and his throat became dry as he swallowed a few times.
He repeated, "...It's different."
Wen Miaoping, her breathing even, felt that Emperor Qianyuan was holding her a little too tightly, so she pushed him away and sat up slightly while asking, "Don't tell me you want to wear it all the time?"
The emperor, who was holding Wenmiao in his arms, let out a heavy sigh.
Wen Miao paused, noticing something unusual that was hard to ignore. She immediately pursed her lips, but the corners of her eyes and earlobes turned even redder, her beauty surpassing that of peonies and peach blossoms in an instant.
Emperor Qianyuan said in a low, hoarse voice, "If the Empress is willing to keep it on, then I intend to keep it on forever."
It can be worn anywhere.
...How can this not be considered a mark placed on him by the Empress?
If the empress is willing, he will naturally wear it with great pleasure.
Wen Miao remained silent, her lips pursed.
But the emperor, who was panting heavily and whose chest was heaving, slowly took Wen Miao's hand, staring intently at her flushed cheeks, and gently pulled her snow-white hand down onto his black robe.
He lowered his head, resting his head on Wen Miao's shoulder, pleading with his wife to help him.
Inside the Taiji Palace, an underground heating system was burning, sending up plumes of steam. Wen Miao, her temples damp with sweat, was being held by Emperor Qian Yuan. The intense heat emanating from the room carried a humid, enveloping atmosphere.
He has been holding back for a long time.
Sometimes Emperor Qian Yuan felt like a wild and vicious beast. As early as today, when Wen Miao held the thin chain and tied it to his wrists, he couldn't help but feel excited.
He was obsessed with everything Wen Miao brought him, including rewards, punishments, and lessons.
So he willingly endured the whole afternoon, not touching it, ignoring the burning heat overflowing inside his body, holding the brush, and reviewing those rambling, nonsensical memorials that made one feel detached from worldly desires.
The initial excitement had diminished considerably due to handling official business, but when the familiar footsteps approached, and when the doors of the Taiji Palace were pushed open from the outside, and the familiar fragrance once again mingled with the sandalwood incense inside the hall, Emperor Qian Yuan knew that his end was near...
Even when the empress arrived late and didn't say a word, he was already completely excited as soon as she pushed open the door and walked in.
He was hopelessly trapped by his wife and was so engrossed in her that he had no intention of breaking free.
At this moment, seeing that Wen Miao seemed to have softened, Emperor Qian Yuan nuzzled the side of Wen Miao's neck with his nose and once again begged for a reward—
“…Vast.”
"I feel so uncomfortable..."
He was begging for mercy and showing weakness.
Wen Miao lowered her eyes and relaxed the grip on her arms. She was embraced by Emperor Qian Yuan and knelt face to face in his arms. Perhaps out of shyness, she turned her head slightly to avoid his gaze, only her ears could catch the emperor's heavy and disordered breathing.
This time, not too long had passed.
Perhaps because Emperor Qianyuan had been in a state of bulging excitement intermittently throughout the afternoon, the Empress, who held immense appeal for the emperor, indulged his actions and desires—especially after he regained his memories. For Emperor Qianyuan, this psychological satisfaction far outweighed his physical satisfaction.
It was so intense it nearly made his soul tremble.
However, this "soon" was still a long and agonizing time for Wen Miao.
After it was over, she was still kneeling in Emperor Qian Yuan's arms, her clothes slightly disheveled, her wide sleeves covering her trembling hands, and the rest of her exposed skin was tinged with a thin, soft red, even her pupils were moist.
Emperor Qianyuan still wore the delicate chain on his wrist. He carefully held Wen Miao's hand and wiped her beautifully shaped fingers clean one by one. He even frowned as he wiped them and said in a hoarse voice, "...I have dirtied the Empress's hands."
"Don't speak."
Wen Miao glared at the other party with a hint of anger, and was about to say something when she heard Xu Sheng's voice coming from outside the hall.
— Dinner has been served.
Wen Miao swallowed her words, took a handkerchief, walked to the side to wash her hands again, and asked Emperor Qian Yuan to clean herself up before she asked Xu Sheng to bring in her dinner.
The Taiji Palace, which had been closed for a long time, finally welcomed its first batch of palace servants today. Everyone carefully lowered their heads, set the dinner table, and then quietly withdrew.
After Wen Miao sat down, she noticed that Emperor Qian Yuan was still wearing that bright metal chain on his wrist, and he hadn't taken it off at all.
Wen Miao: "...Do you really have to wear it all the time?"
Emperor Qianyuan slowly and deliberately served food to Wen Miao, showing that everything he did was for the sake of the Empress.
He looked at Wen Miao and said in a low voice, "Miao Miao, there are some things... I really can't help it..."
From their first meeting in her dream until now, it was a story told by Emperor Qian Yuan to Wen Miao. Even now, she has only known Emperor Qian Yuan for a year at most.
For Emperor Qian Yuan, however, those were a real decade or so, a period where reality and dreams intertwined, and a period of obsession gradually nurtured by the emperor's yearning, longing, love, and infatuation.
It is deeper, stronger, and more intense than love.
Emperor Qian Yuan even thought that if Wen Miao had shown even the slightest aversion or resistance earlier, he probably wouldn't be able to sit opposite Wen Miao with such satisfaction as he does now.
Even though he knew he was wrong, he couldn't help himself...
He would actually chain his wife up and hide her between the beds in the Taiji Palace, so that only he would know of her existence.
Emperor Qianyuan had been ill for a long time.
It's the kind that can't be cured.
Rather than letting his empress uncontrollably bind Wen Miao's wrist with this thin chain one day, it would be better for her to do it first—to tie him up.
Wen Miao raised her hand and fiddled with the broken chain, resting her chin on her hand as she said, "But it can't hold you."
Emperor Qianyuan paused, then said in a hoarse voice, "But it can remind me."
Even earlier—when he was rubbing against Wen Miao's neck, Emperor Qian Yuan had indeed thought about defiling his wife, about doing something even more outrageous and wicked.
But in the end, the thin chain swaying on his wrist brought him back to his senses, suppressing that terrifying, dark lust.
He was terminally ill; even his consciousness seemed to have split into two—
One is the self that secretly promised Wen Miao during their wedding to cherish and take care of her; the other is the self that is now becoming increasingly crazy and out of control, only wanting to dirty and make his wife cry.
He used to be able to use the former as a rein to restrain his behavior, but ever since Wen Miao regained her memories, the latter thought in Emperor Qian Yuan's mind has become stronger and stronger, almost consuming his remaining rationality.
Wen Miao's ears and the redness around her eyes hadn't yet reached her calves. She stared at Emperor Qian Yuan for a while, and suddenly remembered the way Emperor Qian Yuan had looked at her on the soft couch earlier.
It was dark and heavy, concealing a strong thirst that could devour anyone who looked at it if they weren't careful.
Wen Miao truly felt a sense of oppression emanating from the emperor; it was a subtle meaning that could be conveyed without words and was perceptible to her.
—At that moment, for at least a few seconds, Emperor Qian Yuan genuinely wanted her to kiss away the things that belonged to him that clung to her fingertips.
But then, as the delicate chain on the other's wrist clashed, Emperor Qian Yuan seemed to suppress his thoughts, gradually relaxing and instead carefully wiping Wen Miao's hand with a handkerchief.
The thoughts of 'badness' and 'cherish' shifted in an instant, with the latter ultimately prevailing.
Wen Miao noticed the evil desire that arose in the emperor's heart at that moment; Emperor Qian Yuan also knew that his wicked thoughts had been discovered by Wen Miao.
But it doesn't matter, he's already revealed far too many terrible things to the Queen...
Wen Miao snapped out of her reverie and said softly, "Then let's wear it for now, and wait..."
She paused, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, but considering Emperor Qian Yuan's current sickly condition, she continued:
"...If you feel you still need it after a while, just get a new one made."
Otherwise, it would be rather strange for an emperor to wear a broken iron chain on his wrist, wouldn't it? Besides, probably no normal person would do such a thing on their own initiative.
...It really looks like things are going badly.
There were no further problems during the rest of the evening dinner.
After Emperor Qianyuan served Wen Miao the dishes, he began to eat what was in his own bowl. However, every now and then, he couldn't help but look up and glance at Wen Miao, as if he were secretly hoping for something.
Wen Miao had exhausted a lot of mental and physical energy that afternoon, focusing only on eating and not paying much attention to Emperor Qian Yuan's subtle actions.
Even though she felt very hungry earlier, her appetite was already fixed. When she was about 70-80% full, she felt slightly bloated and stopped eating.
The porcelain bowls used by the emperor and empress in the palace were always exquisite. The rim of the bowl had delicate floral and bird patterns, and there was still a small portion of imperial tribute rice left at the bottom of the bowl. The rice was off-white in color and the grains were plump.
Wen Miao pushed the bowl a little further away, and the next second Emperor Qian Yuan asked in a low voice, "...Has the Empress finished eating?"
Wen Miao paused, then slowly nodded.
Emperor Qian Yuan thought for a moment, then slowly reached out. The silver chain on his wrist gleamed in the candlelight, making a strong impression. It swayed and flashed past Wen Miao's eyes before finally landing on the porcelain bowl in front of her.
Wen Miao remained silent, only turning her head to look at the emperor.
The person being watched remained calm, and with a slight effort in his fingers, he took the bowl.
...it was not stopped.
The queen neither slapped his hand away nor told him "no".
The aura that had been gathering around Emperor Qianyuan gradually relaxed, his eyes filled with satisfaction. He naturally took the Empress's leftovers and said, "...I know what I like to eat now?"
That was a small task Wen Miao gave him after they got married: to find out what he really liked to eat.
Wen Miao's fingertips trembled slightly.
She looked over, her gaze softening instantly, filled with a gentle warmth like flowing spring water, and asked softly, "So, what do you like to eat?"
Emperor Qianyuan said, enunciating each word clearly: "Rice."
Wen Miao: "..."
She paused for a moment, first looking at Emperor Qian Yuan's serious expression, then at the tribute rice in his bowl—which included the little bit of leftover rice she had left.
Wen Miao sighed inwardly, picked up her jade chopsticks again, picked up a few pieces of vegetables and meat, and placed them in Emperor Qian Yuan's bowl.
She asked, "Do you like it?"
Emperor Qian Yuan looked serious, as if savoring the food, and then nodded, "I like it."
Feeling both helpless and amused, Wen Miao simply put a little bit of each dish on Emperor Qian Yuan's plate. Sure enough, he liked everything she put on his plate and ate with great satisfaction.
...It looks like it's easy to take care of.
After the meal, the palace servants cleared the table, and Emperor Qianyuan, still wearing his fine chain, sat on the soft couch, casually reviewing the memorials.
Behind the screen not far away, warm water vapor wafted, and the occasional sound of water made Emperor Qianyuan uneasy, and he couldn't help but look at the screen.
He longed to be by the Empress's side.
He longed to personally serve the Empress... during her bath.
But Miaomiao wouldn't allow it.
Thinking of this, Emperor Qianyuan pressed his lips together, his expression slightly grim. He stared somewhat irritably at the memorial in his hand, which contained over a thousand words of nonsense, and forced down a few words—
"All useless words."
Finally, the agonizing period that had been so difficult for Emperor Qian Yuan was over, and Wen Miao emerged from behind the screen, her clothes still damp.
Emperor Qianyuan got up and, without needing the palace servants to change the water, quickly washed himself in the water that still carried the empress's fragrance, then put on his nightgown and hurried to his bed.
He had only just reached the bedside when he saw his beautiful and elegant empress sitting sideways on the dragon bed, her long black hair casually draped behind her, her bare, fair feet slightly curled, a smile on her face, her hands gently stroking behind her back as she took out a thin chain, the end of which was hanging on the dragon neck wood carving above the bed.
Emperor Qian Yuan paused slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his breath gradually becoming hot.
Wen Miao raised her eyes, her starry gaze fixed on the Emperor of Great Chu, and said softly:
"Your Majesty, you mustn't touch me tonight."
"—This is punishment."
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Author's Note: A perverted dog-like emperor completely manipulated by his empress [Please!]
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