Chapter 99 "I submit to the Empress."
The stench of the wild bear wafted on the wind. Even after it fell to the ground, it did not stop howling until it was repeatedly pierced by several spears. Its voice gradually weakened until it breathed its last.
Di Hu staggered back a few steps, clutching his chest and panting heavily, his entire body covered in blood. Not only him, but the remaining guards and the Empress were also splattered with blood.
Xiao Zhuo felt the person in his arms still trembling. She hugged him tightly, as if she wanted to merge herself into his bones and blood.
This moment felt like eternity.
**
Xile Palace.
Yuan Chaolu was helped back to the palace. The palace servants immediately stepped forward and removed her blood-stained outer skirt. Just as they were about to serve the empress a bath, they saw that her face was pale and bloodless, and her eyes were gazing out the window with a vacant look.
Footsteps sounded outside. Yuan Chaolu turned around and saw that it was Xiao Zhuo walking in.
The scene from the hunting grounds flashed before Yuan Chaolu's eyes once again. She calmly observed the fight between the wild bear and Di Hu, silently counting the time in her mind. She knew clearly that the wild bear had been given medicine and would collapse in a few moments. She knew that her husband was skilled in martial arts and would not be hurt. But when the wild bear pounced on him out of control, a fear she had never felt before overwhelmed her and almost swallowed her whole.
Now, in that instant when their eyes met, her frozen blood suddenly began to flow, and she did what she had just felt compelled to do but had refrained from doing because of the others: she quickly stepped forward.
As Xiao Zhuo watched her approach, her eyes were misty and red at the corners. He was about to speak when she threw herself into his arms.
When she forced him to take a step back, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her delicate cheek against his, and sealed his lips with hers.
Two red lips pressed down on mine, their temperature slightly cool, yet her emotions were burning hot, like magma that had been accumulating for a long time erupting, pouring all her feelings into that kiss.
Xiao Zhuo was much taller than her, so she had to stand on tiptoe to reach his lips. It was a bit difficult for her at the moment. She staggered and hugged him as she moved forward until he was against the wall with no way to retreat, but she still refused to let go.
Xiao Zhuo lowered his eyes and met a pair of moist eyes.
Tears welled up in her eyes, falling one by one, sliding down her skin and gathering on her chin. A few fell into his arms, making his chest feel as if it had been branded.
She had never been so proactive before.
She had always been hesitant and reluctant, and even when she took the initiative, it was only after he made the first move. Even when he risked his life to rush upstairs and save her from the raging fire at Jingming Temple, she had never reacted as strongly as she did today.
Yuan Chaolu clutched the fabric of his shirt with her fingertips, her red lips trembling, "I...I'm so scared..."
There were some things she simply didn't know how to say.
His cool, refreshing scent filled my nostrils, and his voice was deep: "What are you afraid of?"
She looked up, tears welling up in her eyes again, as if she had made a tremendous decision, "I was so afraid that I would never see you again."
She captured his cool lips again. As soon as she spoke, she saw a ripple appear in his eyes. Then, his lips pressed harder, becoming extremely deep and fierce, grinding against her senses.
It was an instinctive kiss that ignited everything.
Her body felt as if it were immersed in lava, convulsing uncontrollably with each kiss. Her breath grew shallower and shallower, and she felt dizzy, yet instinctively wanted to take in more breath. She finally managed to push his lips away, only to have him seize the opportunity to invade her tongue.
She was completely overwhelmed by the kiss, her limbs gave way, and she collapsed into his arms. Just as she was about to suffocate, she heard him say, "Thank you for coming to save me today."
He took his hand and placed it on his chest, where his heart was beating rapidly yet steadily, bringing him immense peace of mind.
Their eyes met, and he smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will be your husband for a long time."
**
When the Empress calmed down, Xiao Zhuo walked out of the main hall of Xile Palace, where Di Hu was already waiting.
The imperial physician examined Di Hu's injuries and found that apart from some abrasions and cuts that were bandaged, there was no damage to his bones or muscles.
“You have done very well,” Xiao Zhuo said, standing by the white marble railing beside the high platform. “Tell me, if I were to appoint you, how would you take charge of the various towns in the Northwest?”
Di Hu said, “This place, where Han and non-Han peoples mingle, has just been submitted to the Central Plains and is a time when people’s hearts are unsettled. We must use swift and decisive measures to suppress all unrest in its early stages, otherwise it will cause endless harm. However, if we entrust this matter to officials from the Central Plains, we are afraid that it will be met with strong resistance. It is not modesty of me to say that this matter is best entrusted to me. I have non-Han blood and am already familiar with this place. I am worthy of the task.”
These words were uttered without any modesty. Although Di Hu spoke boldly, he was also uneasy. He saw that the emperor remained calm after hearing them, only looking at the red sun that was about to set below the horizon at the end of the distant mountains.
Di Hu then continued after careful consideration: "Use both kindness and severity. First, reward and appease the people, then reorganize the troops into Daqi. After that, strengthen the Han system, Sinicize the Hu people, and enfeoff meritorious officials so that they will gradually win over the hearts of the people. This cannot be accomplished in a day or two; it requires time."
Next, he announced many policies that he had been planning in his mind for some time.
The emperor was silent for a moment before saying, "I hereby appoint you as the General of Zhendu, in charge of the several cities that have submitted to Daqi, to command military affairs and oversee civil administration. Now go."
Xiao Zhuo said, "You shall set off for the Northwest tomorrow."
The General of the Garrison was responsible for both the defense of the city and the local military and political affairs. The emperor trusted him implicitly, and he could hear the powerful echo in his own chest: "Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your trust."
As dusk fell, Di Hu finished his salutations and was about to take his leave when the Emperor suddenly said, "You killed a tiger with your own hands, broke through a pack of wolves single-handedly, and now you have killed a brown bear before the Emperor."
The evening breeze made the emperor's robes flutter. He slowly turned his head, his eyebrows and eyes facing the setting sun, but his eyes seemed unable to see the sunlight.
What was said in jest was taken to heart by the listener. These words struck Di Hu like a heavy blow. He was already feeling guilty, and in that instant, cold sweat almost covered the back of his neck.
Did the emperor think it was too much of a coincidence?
Before coming, Di Hu had already heard the advice of the Duke of Kaiguo: emperors are magnanimous and tolerant, and one can speak one's mind freely, but one should never have any thoughts about an emperor.
Di Hu smiled and said, "I have escaped death several times, which is truly a stroke of luck and a blessing from heaven. I am fortunate to have gained Your Majesty's favor, and I will certainly do my best to serve Your Majesty."
Xiao Zhuo smiled slightly: "Go ahead."
**
Although Di Hu was appointed a high-ranking officer and left with his orders, the search in the hunting grounds continued until nightfall.
Why did this wild bear appear? How did it manage to bypass the guards' patrols and break in? With such a mess caused during the hunt, Duke Jia Li, the founding duke, would naturally be the first to be held accountable.
The cold wind howled outside, but it couldn't penetrate the warm palace. The candlelight flowed gently across the curtains, spilling over the slender figures sitting by the bed.
Qingheng sat in her wheelchair and moved to the bedside to apply medicine to her, noticing the deep worry hidden between her brows.
Yuan Chaolu said, "My sister's leg was broken at Jingming Temple last time and it hasn't fully recovered yet. It's really too much trouble for you to come and keep me company today."
Yuan Zhaobi said, "I'm always worried about you being alone."
As she spoke, she lowered her voice, "When I arrived, I overheard the guards talking. The Duke of Kaiguo is under orders to investigate today's events."
Yuan Chaolu looked at the gauze on her wrist, moved her wrist, and murmured, "No need to worry."
It cannot be found.
She was extremely cautious, going through all the procedures several times before taking action to ensure that she would not leave any clues. This time, even if they investigated, they would not find any evidence pointing to her actions.
The door opened, and Yuan Zhaobi stopped talking about it. She turned around and saw Xiao Zhuo walking in from outside. She nodded and took her leave.
As soon as Yuan Chaolu saw Xiao Zhuo, she immediately stood up and went to hug him, "Why did it take you so long to come back?"
The young woman rested her head on his chest, her dark hair cascading into his arms, carrying a faint fragrance, showing extreme dependence on him.
Xiao Zhuo said, "You've only been apart for a short while, and you already miss me like this?"
“Aju—” He lowered his cheek, nestled in the crook of her neck, and sighed, his tone drawn out, “That Di Hu recommended by Jia Li has an extremely heavy accent. I can’t understand him at all, and I have to pretend to be profound and understand. In reality, it takes me a long time to decipher a single sentence.”
He stroked her long, dark hair behind her back, and said in a plaintive tone, "If I had known it would turn out this way, I should have let you accompany me to see him. You also grew up in the Northwest."
His voice was languid as he tickled her earlobe. Yuan Chaolu felt extremely itchy and tried to move away, but he held her tightly in his arms and said, "That's because you didn't call me."
"But I am the emperor. If my subjects have to speak and I need an empress to translate for them, it would be too ridiculous."
Yuan Chaolu smiled and asked, "What did you say to him?"
"Previously, several border towns were short of people, so I appointed him to an official position and sent him to take charge."
Yuan Chaolu breathed a sigh of relief; all her hard work over the past few days had finally paid off. However, she noticed a small abrasion on one side of his cheek that hadn't been treated yet. She quickly pulled him down to sit, and just as she was about to get the first-aid kit, he leaned up from behind and pressed against her back.
"I've never seen you treat me this well before; this is extremely unusual."
Yuan Chaolu was stunned.
His long, slender hand reached out from behind and enveloped her fingertips. "Is it because you're still shaken and thinking about what happened during the day, afraid you'll never see me again? But when I rescued you from the fire earlier, I never saw you like this."
His pupils reflected her face as he looked at her with interest.
Yuan Chaolu said, "Where is it?"
She turned around, the candlelight illuminating her face and adding a touch of tenderness to her features. "Because last time I was saved by His Majesty, and this time I saved His Majesty, the situation was extremely critical and dangerous. I thought about it repeatedly..."
Xiao Zhuo asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Yuan Chaolu lowered her eyes to look at the hem of her skirt, then lifted them to rest on his cheek, and whispered, "What if I had arrived a moment later and failed to save His Majesty?"
I couldn't be so indifferent and turn a blind eye to the danger he was in.
What if the bear really loses control? If her actions truly harm him, can she forgive herself?
Just thinking about it made her feel like her heart was being squeezed.
In her daze, she suddenly felt warmth on her fingertips. Xiao Zhuo had taken her hand without her noticing.
"The Empress is so kind to me; I will remember this life-saving grace."
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he chuckled, his voice deep and warm. He slowly lowered his face, his lips barely touching her palm, his eyes brimming with undisguised joy.
"I possess the world, and from now on, whatever the Empress desires or wants to do, I will present it to her with both hands."
This emperor, of noble birth and holding the reins of power, was at this moment nothing more than a mortal being driven by desire.
No woman could resist that.
Yuan Chaolu said, "No matter what I do?"
Xiao Zhuo said, "It doesn't matter what."
Yuan Chaolu approached: "What if you do something bad?"
Xiao Zhuo asked jokingly, "What bad thing did you do?" and then stared at her intently.
The young and handsome emperor lowered his head and placed a kiss on the back of her hand, a gentle kiss that landed on her heart like a butterfly's kiss.
His answer to her was this:
"I submit to the Empress."
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