Chapter 9: 9.第9章 深宫5

Qin Yihan froze for a moment, then broke into a smile: "The Emperor and the Empress share a deep and devoted love. Naturally, I must stay by her bedside constantly to feel at peace."

Though she was not quite accustomed to his sudden intimacy and ambiguity, Yue Xiyan had no way to resist. Having "just recovered from a serious illness," she was extremely weak. If she had possessed even a shred of strength, she would not have allowed this man to approach her. Using all her strength, she could only manage a single, awkward movement within his embrace.

Seeing her resistance and reluctance, Qin Yihan's face gradually darkened: "No matter what, you are already my Empress; this is a fact that you can never change in your lifetime. I like you, so I treat you well. Do not be ungrateful..." He was the Emperor; among the women before him, which one wasn't well-behaved, sensible, and pleasing to his heart? Why did he happen to have a singular devotion to this dead woman?

Despite thinking this, he regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. The girl had just neutralized the cold poison and her body was still slowly recovering; would saying such things now be inappropriate? Would it make her feel that he was a heartless person? Would it leave her with a bad impression? Various worries and doubts flooded his mind, yet his imperial dignity would never allow him to bow his head to a woman.

"I must go to the morning court. Someone will come to attend to you later." Not wanting to dwell on his irritation any longer, it was better to leave early.

After the morning court, Qin Yihan felt somewhat fatigued and wished to return to his palace to rest. Unexpectedly, he had a "chance encounter" with Consort Yun on the way.

"This concubine greets the Emperor."

Qin Yihan gave a perfunctory gesture to help her up: "My beloved consort, please rise. I wonder, where is my beloved consort heading?"

"This concubine has not seen the Emperor for a long time and has missed him dearly, so... I wished to visit the Imperial Study to see him." After speaking, she lowered her head slightly, appearing shy.

Seeing her act this way, Qin Yihan let out a cold sneer in his heart. As expected, compared to Yue Xiyan, she was lacking by more than just a little. What a laughable, pathetic, foolish woman; did she think he would actually believe her?

He hooked Consort Yun's chin, raised an eyebrow, and said: "State affairs have been busy lately, and I have neglected my beloved consort; this is my fault. I am somewhat tired, and this place is not far from your palace. Why don't I go to your palace to rest... shall we?" His insincere words caused Zhuang Yayun's heart to bloom with joy instantly: "Yes!" Since the Emperor had proactively suggested resting in her palace, that "Joyous Fragrance" would likely go unused.

In the magnificent room, clothes lay scattered messily on the floor.

Within the white silk curtains, shadows of fragrance drifted. The ornate bed swayed, and an ambiguous atmosphere permeated the entire room.

A slender, jade-like hand reached out from the silk curtains, her skin like congealed fat, soft and boneless. A long hand grasped her arm, and a deep voice spoke: "Where is Xiyan?"

The woman's skin was drenched in fragrant sweat, and her hair fell in a messy cascade like a waterfall. Hearing the man's words, her eyes, which had been seductive and silken, instantly turned to shock and disappointment.

In his state of high passion and excitement, the man continued to toil diligently upon the delicate and powerless body, failing to notice that he had called out the wrong name. Their ink-black hair intertwined, much like their once-entwined bodies, as thin beads of sweat seeped from them...

After the storm of passion had passed, Qin Yihan felt a sense of melancholy. Had it been too long since he had touched a woman, to the point that seeing Yue Xiyan's naked body yesterday had such a massive impact that he was even thinking of her while performing this act? Although he had been flustered at the time and hadn't had the chance to fully appreciate her wonderful figure, he vaguely remembered the sensation of holding her as he pulled her from the water...

Accompanied by fatigue, he gradually fell asleep. Beside him, Zhuang Yayun lay, leaving behind a single tear of resentment and humiliation. Her eyes were filled with deep hatred.

--

The tug-of-war between the Emperor and the Empress lasted for several months. In the blink of an eye, warm spring had arrived. Yue Xiyan, whose body had fully recovered, had firmly secured her position as Empress. No one had expected that a sickly woman could actually break the "curse of the three-month soul-snatcher."

Even more unexpected was that the Emperor had not only failed to be "killed off" by her, but the once frail Empress had instead become healthy and full of life.

Some even went so far as to say that Yue Xiyan was the only person capable of holding the position of Empress. It was because Qin Yihan's and Yue Xiyan's fates complemented each other in a cycle of endless life, which was why they had both survived unscathed.

This made the Zhuang family wish they could rush into the Phoenix Palace and execute her immediately. Unfortunately, even the assassins they sent never returned, so naturally, they lacked the courage to do so themselves.

"Xiyan, do you think that Emperor has fallen for you? It seems to me he treats you exceptionally well." They had been here for half a year, and Qin Yihan stayed in the Phoenix Palace every night, never setting foot in any other sleeping quarters. Originally, it was intended that she face the struggles of the inner palace alone, but unexpectedly, he had sent people to protect the Phoenix Palace inside and out so thoroughly that it was airtight. Consequently, the concubines of the inner palace did not dare to come and provoke her easily. For a time, the entire inner palace was filled with grievances.

The Empress Dowager and the high officials of the court felt it was their duty to advise the Emperor on the issue of "distributing his favor evenly." However, they were all rejected one by one by Qin Yihan, who dismissed them as "private matters between husband and wife."

Furthermore, after listening to Yue Xiyan's suggestions, the Retired Emperor finally decided to reside in the palace permanently. This meant that the Retired Emperor was quite satisfied with this daughter-in-law. Although he no longer held great power, his status was still there, which made the Zhuang clan even more afraid to act recklessly. In this way, Yue Xiyan's position was further solidified.

"Indeed, even you have noticed. But what does his falling for me have to do with me? Qingxue, do not forget, he is the Emperor..."

No person and no matter could stop an Emperor's imperial ambitions. It was just that her body had completely recovered. There were no longer any excuses to stand in the way. Fate was truly such a joke. No matter how unwilling you were, you had to face it.

During the morning court, the eunuch raised his voice and chanted: "If there are matters to present, speak! If not, the court is adjourned!"

"Reporting to the Emperor, this official has a memorial to present."

Upon the dragon throne, Qin Yihan possessed an innate majesty: "Granted!"

Heaven knew how much he wanted to call for an immediate adjournment when he saw the Imperial Uncle, Zhuang Yonglin, stand up. But in the face of reality, one must eventually bow; moreover, he was the Emperor and could not cause his uncle to lose face like that. After all, he was a pivotal figure in the court.

"Since ancient times, struggles for the succession have inevitably led to great chaos in the nation. For the sake of long-term stability, this official implores the Emperor to appoint a Crown Prince early."

"This official requests a reconsideration!"

"This official requests a reconsideration!"

...

Qin Yihan let out a cold sneer in his heart; it was exactly as he had expected.

"I do not recall that Consort Yun has any offspring..."

Hearing the Emperor's words, Zhuang Yonglin lowered his head abruptly: "What this official presents is not for personal gain; I ask the Emperor to see clearly."

Raising an eyebrow, Qin Yihan asked: "In Uncle's view, who should inherit the position of Crown Prince?"