Chapter 19: Tolerating even worse, more ruthless, and more unscrupulous methods...
Inside the imperial study, the emperor was reviewing memorials.
He habitually kept Fangru in this important place where important matters were handled, which was an unspoken exception that was known throughout the palace.
At this moment, Fangru did not stand respectfully with her hands at her sides like an ordinary maid. Instead, she was placed on a low sandalwood couch covered with soft satin by the window, with a plate of chestnut flour cake that she had been eating more of recently on a small table beside her.
She lowered her eyes, trying her best to shrink herself into an invisible ball of air, hoping that the emperor would completely ignore her existence.
She was forced to become this caged bird because her fiancé was falsely accused of colluding with the Northern Barbarians and imprisoned. Every time she stepped into the Qianqing Palace, it was like being slowly sliced to death.
She only hoped that the emperor would never touch her.
The crisp sound of the vermilion brush being set down was particularly startling in the silent hall.
Fangru's fingertips trembled slightly.
Zhou Ling raised his eyes, his gaze falling on her with an unmistakable scrutiny and possessiveness.
He didn't speak immediately, but just looked at her as if admiring a treasure, and this silence was more unsettling than any command.
"Come here." He finally spoke, his voice low and languid, yet carrying an undeniable authority.
Fangru took a deep breath and slowly stepped forward as instructed.
Before she could even stand still, he suddenly reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her staggering a step until she fell into his arms.
"Your Majesty..." she exclaimed, her hand instinctively pressing against his hard chest, the warmth and strength of his body burning her through her clothes.
"Shh." His fingertips touched her lips, stopping her from uttering the words she was about to say.
His gaze was fixed on her, his deep eyes swirling with an undisguised desire, yet also a playful, cat-and-mouse game.
He knew she was afraid, he knew she was unwilling, but this only fueled his desire to control and conquer her.
“Today’s memorials are rather dull,” he said in a low voice. “I’d rather look at you.”
His fingers moved away from her lips and began to slowly unbutton the buttons on her clothes.
His movements were not hasty, even elegant, but every subtle touch carried a burning intent.
Cool fingertips occasionally brushed against the warm skin on her neck, raising a layer of tiny goosebumps.
Fangru was stiff all over, her heart pounding like a drum, but she had to force herself to relax, even tilting her head back slightly to reveal her delicate neck.
She felt nauseous and wanted to vomit, but she could only close her eyes and endure the humiliating flames his fingers ignited on her skin.
His kiss landed on her collarbone, with a biting force.
She could feel the taut muscles beneath his dragon robe and his increasingly heavy breathing.
Humiliation and a forced, against-her-willed physiological reaction intertwined, nearly driving her to the brink of collapse.
The air inside the hall became thick and hot, filled with the scent of desire.
Just as his large hand slipped inside her clothes, grasped her slender waist, and was about to go even further, the anxious voice of the eunuch outside the hall suddenly rang out, breaking the suffocating atmosphere.
"Your Majesty! Urgent report! The leader of the Green Wood Altar of the White Sun Society has been captured and is being escorted outside the palace gates to await trial!"
Zhou Ling's movements suddenly stopped.
The weight and heat of his body on Fangru remained, but the aura of passion and desire instantly cooled.
Fangru could even clearly feel the tension and change in his body muscles in an instant.
In his previous three lives... no, in his previous three lives he would never have stopped at a time like this.
He always had to have his fill before he was done.
Fangru's heart sank suddenly, replaced by a huge surprise and an inexplicable sense of vigilance.
He propped himself up and gave her a complicated look.
The emotions in those eyes hadn't completely subsided, but they were now covered by sharp, cold calculations.
Without hesitation, he turned away, casually pulling over a neatly folded bright yellow dragon robe and covering her almost naked, slightly trembling body.
"Stay." His command was brief and forceful, his absolute imperial composure restored. But before he rose, his fingertips seemed to unconsciously brush against her flushed cheek, a fleeting touch carrying an almost cruel tenderness.
As the palace doors opened and closed, his deep voice, conversing with the eunuchs, could be faintly heard.
The huge uncertainty made Fangru's heart pound.
The White Sun Society? The leader? Is this related to the Shadowless One who infiltrated the Xuanji Banquet? Is this... a glimmer of hope?
Driven by the immense possibility, she almost held her breath, wrapped her dragon robe tightly around herself, and, barefoot, slipped silently behind the screen like a cat, trying her best to listen to the conversation outside.
"...Qingmu Altar...confession...Xuanji Banquet..."
The fragmented words almost froze her blood.
Suddenly, the screen in front of us was violently pulled open!
Zhou Ling returned and stood before her, his tall figure radiating an invisible pressure that completely enveloped her.
His eyes were unfathomable, revealing no emotion, yet they instantly plunged her into an icy abyss.
Fangru's face turned pale, and she instinctively stepped back, but he grabbed her wrist.
He gripped her hard, making her wince in pain, but the next moment, his other hand touched her panicked cheek, his thumb gently wiping away a tear that had somehow slipped down her cheek.
His movements were gentle, yet his gaze was incredibly penetrating.
"Did you hear what you wanted to hear?" he asked.
She froze, her mind blank, and was about to make up an excuse.
He suddenly chuckled softly, a laugh that revealed neither joy nor anger, but rather carried a strange... indulgence?
“This time it was my fault,” he leaned down, very close, his warm breath brushing against her lips again, his tone carrying a hint of guilt, “I was in such a good mood that I left you to handle official business.”
His thumb traced her lower lip again, his eyes darkening: "So, this time, I won't pursue the matter of you eavesdropping."
His fingers slid down, gently lifting her chin and forcing her to look at him.
In those emperor's eyes, the storm had temporarily subsided, but what remained was a more chilling tolerance born of absolute control.
"However, Fangru, remember this: my patience and tolerance will only be shown this once. There will be no next time."
The dragon robe still clung loosely to her body. Beneath the cool, silky satin lay the omnipresent scent of agarwood and ambergris, mingled with the lingering warmth of passion, clinging tightly to her skin like an invisible yet incredibly strong shackle, proclaiming his absolute possession more profoundly than any forceful word.
His deep, tender words, "This is the last time," echoed repeatedly in her ears. Rather than a cold warning, it felt more like the beginning of a dangerous permission granted only for her.
A hidden provocation began to grow in her heart.
Therefore, Fang dares to do it again next time.
She seized an opportunity when Zhou Ling was heading to the training ground, and like the most cautious nocturnal animal, she once again sneaked into the Imperial Study, which symbolized the core of power.
Fingertips flew across the stacks of files, heart pounding like a drum, all in an effort to find any clue that might be related to the White Sun Society's ambush plan at the Xuanji Banquet.
Just as she was completely engrossed in her work, a completely unexpected discovery suddenly came into view!
The Shadowless One... was actually...
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
A deep, familiar voice suddenly rang out at the door, startling Fangru so much that she almost lost her soul.
She turned around abruptly, her fingertips gripping the pages of the book tightly.
Zhou Ling leaned against the door frame, having been watching for an unknown amount of time.
He wasn't wearing military uniform, just a black casual outfit, yet he still exuded an imposing aura.
His gaze slowly swept over her panicked face, then over her chest that rose and fell slightly with tension, finally landing on the file she hadn't had time to hide in her hand. A knowing yet dangerous smile curved his lips.
"It seems you didn't heed my warning at all last time." He walked closer slowly. "This time, I'll have to punish you properly."
His tone was low and ambiguous, and his deep eyes were fixed on her, hinting at some kind of punishment that would make her blush.
Fangru's heart trembled violently. She forced herself to remain calm and put down the file, trying to explain: "I just... wanted to do something beneficial for the people, instead of being trapped in a cage all day long, being a canary that only pleases you."
Zhou Ling did not immediately retaliate, but his lazy aura suddenly vanished.
He slowly walked up to her, his steps steady, and a silent pressure instantly spread out, even the air seemed to freeze.
He didn't raise his voice; instead, it was a few decibels lower than usual. At the same time, he raised his hand, picked up a stray strand of hair from her cheek, and twirled and played with it.
"Benefit the people?" He repeated these four words as if he had heard a very funny joke.
“Fangru, oh Fangru, if you want to do the things of a saint, you must walk the path of an Asura. The things you want to do… are very good. But first,”
He abruptly released her hair and instead grabbed her chin. The force was light, but it forced her to lift her face and look directly into his unfathomable dark eyes, where there was no tenderness, only the surging coldness and insight of a superior.
"You have to learn to be a complete 'bad guy' first."
Every word and phrase was clearly pierced into her eardrums and her mind.
"Because this glorious history, this vast land, the fate of these billions of lives, has always been..." He paused, a hint of scorn and desolation flashing in his eyes, "...all in the hands of the 'bad guys' who know best how to manipulate the rules, exploit people's hearts, and even trample on the good."
"You want to succeed? You want to realize that unrealistic dream in your heart? Then you have to understand the evil in human nature better than them, dare to break the shackles more than them, and be more..."
He moved closer again, their noses almost touching, his gaze locking onto every trace of panic and hesitation in her eyes.
"Worse, more ruthless, and more unscrupulous."
These words, like an ice pick, suddenly pierced Fangru's defenses, bringing a chilling shock.
She had never heard anyone so bluntly and cruelly expose the truth of the world.
Zhou Ling's fingers had already slid down to her slender neck, feeling her rapid pulse. His tone suddenly became languid and intimate, as if the person who had just exposed the dark rules was just her illusion.
“But tonight…” He continued downwards with his fingertips, slowly unbuttoning the buttons on her outer garment.
"Those complicated lessons can be put aside for now. You can start by learning something more practical."
He tilted his head slightly, took her soft earlobe into his mouth, and gently ground it with his teeth. His voice was hoarse, as if it had been soaked in strong liquor, carrying an intense and irrepressible passion that completely engulfed her in an impending storm.
“For example, on me…” He grabbed her forcefully with his other hand, pressing her against him, their bodies pressed tightly together without leaving a gap, “Try it, see how bad you can be.”
...
Zhou Ling was busy with state affairs for several days in a row. The case of the Baiyang Society had far-reaching implications, leaving him no time for the harem.
In the quiet depths of the palace, Fangru, though content with her peace and quiet, inevitably became a thorn in the side of some.
That afternoon, as expected, Consort Xian found a pretext and, accompanied by several palace servants, stormed into Yilan Palace, where Fangru resided. She spoke harshly, accusing Fangru of bewitching the emperor and even threatening to punish her.
Fangru stood quietly with her eyes lowered, without uttering a word.
Fortunately, the Grand Eunuch Delu appeared in time, respectfully but firmly stopping Consort Xian. With just one sentence, "His Majesty has decreed that all affairs of Yilan Palace shall not be disturbed without imperial order," Consort Xian left in a huff.
That night, the lights in the Imperial Study were on until late into the night.
After Zhou Ling finished processing the last stack of memorials and put down his vermilion brush, he remembered this matter.
Delu reported the afternoon's commotion at Yilan Palace in a low voice. Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling simply said, "The Virtuous Consort has been punished for her indiscretion before the Emperor and has been confined to her quarters for three months. Her father has failed to properly educate his daughter and has been fined half a year's salary."
He got up and, without taking a carriage, strolled towards Yilan Palace.
The candlelight inside the hall was dim. Fangru was embroidering something by the window. When she saw him arrive, she put down her needlework, stood up and bowed. Her expression was calm, without any sense of grievance or joy.
Zhou Ling dismissed the palace servants, sat down on the couch, and rubbed his temples. The days of busy work had left a trace of weariness between his brows, but his gaze towards her remained deep and unfathomable. "I have dealt with the matter of Consort Xian." His tone was calm, as if he were merely informing her of a result.
Fangru did not express her gratitude. After a moment of silence, she said softly, "Your Majesty's kindness is both thunder and rain. However, punishing her is meaningless to me."
Zhou Ling raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by her reaction: "Oh? So what do you plan to do?"
Fangru approached him, her tone softening, carrying a barely perceptible hint of probing and pleading: "Your Majesty has been working hard these past few days, and I also feel quite stifled in the palace. If Your Majesty truly wishes to... make me feel better, how about taking me outside the palace for some fresh air? I've heard there's a small shop outside the west city that makes incredibly authentic soup noodles. I just want to enjoy a bowl of hot soup noodles like an ordinary person, and experience the lively atmosphere of the marketplace."
She carefully observed his expression, her voice lower and softer yet clearer, saying, "If Your Majesty were to have the Imperial Guards surround the shops, disturbing the people, it would spoil the fun. I only ask for a moment of true peace and quiet." She paused, looking up into his unfathomable eyes, "Does Your Majesty think I can fly away while I'm by Your Majesty's side?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
