Chapter 19 - 3#

Instead, it was him, Xiao Cuan, who lay flat on the couch, staring at the hidden patterns on the curtains, counting the beats of the night watchman’s clapper coming from outside the hall, having not slept all night.

It shouldn’t be like this.

The one who couldn’t sleep should be Yanzhi.

It should be Yanzhi tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and then he would naturally pick Yanzhi up and hold him in his arms, placing him on his lap.

Even if Yanzhi’s illness hadn’t fully recovered and they couldn’t perform sexual acts, he could still hold Yanzhi, talk to him, coax him, and let Yanzhi help him with his hands or feet.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Why wasn’t Yanzhi crying?

Why wasn’t Yanzhi sad?

How could Yanzhi sleep so soundly?

How could Yanzhi… how could he seem not to care about him anymore?

Xiao Cuan didn’t understand.

Xiao Cuan thought for a whole night, used the system to deduce for a whole night, and still didn’t understand what exactly was going on.

Yanzhi blinked his eyes forcefully, trying his best to suppress the soreness in them, and said seriously: “I am no longer sad.”

“Your Majesty lives for ten thousand years, the Empress for a thousand years, but my life is only a few short decades. I have to serve by Your Majesty’s side; I can’t be sad all the time.”

“I would die. If I am sad and heartbroken all the time, I will die of pain.”

Xiao Cuan was silent, and the hand holding him also loosened slightly.

Yanzhi lowered his head, trying to break free from the Emperor’s restraint.

But in the next moment, Xiao Cuan gripped his wrist again and pulled him in front of the selection candidates.

“You choose.”

Yanzhi pursed his lips: “Yes.”

The candidates stood in a row for selection.

Yanzhi said “sorry” in his heart, then raised his head and looked at the young masters.

In the line, Bian Mingyu met his gaze and even blinked at him.

Yanzhi couldn’t help but look at him a few more times and curved his eyes at him.

But Yanzhi didn’t intend to choose him.

Young Master Bian was lively by nature and not suited for the palace.

Lord Bian also didn’t want him to enter the palace.

So Yanzhi quickly moved his gaze away, opened his eyes wide, and tried to match the people in front of him with the names on the roster.

This is Young Master Lin, this is Young Master Wang, this is…

Yanzhi’s eyes were blurred, and finally he said: “Replying to Your Majesty, I have poor judgment and cannot choose.”

But Xiao Cuan would not allow his refusal: “Choose!”

“But…”

“Didn’t I tell you before? Choose a few more. I’ll appoint several Empresses, and you’ll have more masters.”

Xiao Cuan didn’t look at him, but just looked coldly at the candidates.

“Then…” Yanzhi hesitated for a long while, and finally said: “I think Young Master Liu has outstanding virtue and is worthy of being Empress.”

“And?” Xiao Cuan asked.

“There’s also Young Master Yu, who has outstanding talent and is… also worthy of being Empress.”

“Anymore?”

“There’s also Young Master Xu, Young Master Chen, Young Master Lin…”

“Good.” Xiao Cuan gritted his teeth tightly and nodded slightly. “You have good eyes.”

“Thank… thank Your Majesty.”

Yanzhi lowered his head, and before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly felt himself being lifted into the air.

Xiao Cuan grabbed the back of his legs and directly hoisted him onto his shoulder.

“Your Majesty!” Yanzhi was panicked.

Hoisting him, Xiao Cuan strode outside while loudly issuing the decree—

“Did you all hear that? Young Master Yanzhi has chosen the five young masters Liu, Yu, Xu, Chen, and Lin as Empresses.”

“These five people are respectively titled as Empress of Central Heaven, Left Heaven, Right Heaven, Above Heaven, and Below Heaven.”

Five Empresses? How could such a thing happen in the world?

The crowd was as if struck by lightning, and everyone was stunned, not knowing how to react.

Until Xiao Cuan turned his head and said sternly—

“Young Master Yanzhi’s meaning, are you all not going to carry it out?!”

After saying this, he carried Yanzhi, crossed the threshold, and strode out of the Zhaoyang Hall.

Leaving only the stunned and shocked crowd, standing in place, unable to recover for a long time.

“This…”

“What does His Majesty mean by this?”

“Is it possible that His Majesty really wants to appoint five Empresses?”

“His Majesty expanded the territory and stabilized the world. Even if he appoints five Empresses, I’m afraid it’s not impossible.”

“You guys think too much.” Bian Mingyu in the crowd glanced in the direction of the hall door and said flatly, “Wait and see. His Majesty will only appoint one Empress.”

Hearing this, they actually began to compliment each other.

“Then it must be Young Master Liu.”

“I think it’s Young Master Yu.”

Bian Mingyu frowned and silently moved away from this group of people.

A bunch of idiots. It’s obvious that His Majesty’s big temper today wasn’t for them.

It’s just hard on Yanzhi; I heard he was sick a few days ago.

Just then, the crowd also began to talk about Yanzhi.

“His Majesty really dotes on him, actually letting him choose the people.”

“If he enters the palace in the future, this Yanzhi will probably be difficult to deal with.”

“Let’s wait and see. Before the imperial decree comes down, none of us knows what His Majesty’s intention really is.”

*

Tall boots stepped on the stone steps.

Xiao Cuan’s face was taut, his expression ashen, carrying Yanzhi, heading toward the Taiji Hall.

Yanzhi had been caught several times and knew that struggling was useless, so he simply stopped moving, lying obediently on the Emperor’s shoulder, waiting for the Emperor to put him down.

Anyway, it was impossible for the Emperor to carry him for a lifetime.

And so it was.

Before long, the Emperor carried him back to the Taiji Hall.

The Emperor kicked open the main hall door, strode in, and tossed him onto the couch.

Yanzhi just wanted to scramble up when Xiao Cuan suddenly leaned in close.

He grabbed Yanzhi’s collar, pulled him in front of him, and wouldn’t let him escape.

Xiao Cuan asked: “Are you satisfied now?”

The curtains blocked the daylight, making Yanzhi unable to see his expression clearly.

But Yanzhi would still answer this question.

“As long as Your Majesty is satisfied, I will…”

Before he could finish, Xiao Cuan pinched his chin and kissed him.

Still needs to be kissed!

Yanzhi’s mouth only says things he doesn’t like to hear.

And yet he actually thought he answered very well!

It was useless to say more to him.

No matter how much he said, he wouldn’t understand.

When hearing words he didn’t like to hear again, just block his mouth and make him quiet!

While kissing Yanzhi, Xiao Cuan moved over him, pressed him onto the couch, and reached out to unbuckle his belt.

Yanzhi understood and also reached out to unfasten his own clothes.

It was better for him to unfasten them himself than to have them torn by His Majesty.

But in the next moment, His Majesty gripped both of his hands, restraining his movements.

Xiao Cuan raised his head slightly, and the lips and tongues that were originally entangled separated.

“The sickness isn’t better. Use your hands—”

He paused and then changed his words.

“Use your feet.”

Xiao Cuan leaned down and continued to kiss Yanzhi.

While kissing, he picked Yanzhi up, piled soft pillows and quilts into a seat, and placed Yanzhi on it, letting him lean against it.

This time, Xiao Cuan deliberately used less force. He didn’t bite like a wolf, but kissed and licked like a dog.

Yanzhi’s lips, eyes, cheeks, neck, wrists, and ankles.

When the warm and powerful touch fell on his ankle, Yanzhi, who was originally dizzy from the kissing, suddenly reacted, snapped his eyes open, his whole body twitched, and he hurriedly tried to pull his foot back.

He was panicked: “Your Majesty…”

But Xiao Cuan held his ankle firmly, making it impossible for him to struggle.

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty!”

Yanzhi’s feet were thin and delicate, with well-defined joints. Under the fair skin, there were faint blue tiny blood vessels flowing.

When Xiao Cuan raised his ankle, leaned down, and when the fine kisses fell on it, Yanzhi finally couldn’t hold back and called out the Emperor’s name directly.

“Your Majesty… Xiao Cuan… let go! Let go of me!”

He struggled vigorously, kicking his feet forcefully, wanting to kick the other party away, but was held firmly by the other party.

Xiao Cuan used only one hand to hold both of his feet.

In the next moment, he was pulled forward, and his feet also followed and stepped down.

“Xiao Cuan!”

Xiao Cuan raised his head and caught two teardrops that fell because Yanzhi was anxious and afraid.

He was finally satisfied, grinned, revealed his sharp canine teeth, and gave Yanzhi an extremely malicious smile.

Holding Yanzhi’s feet, he forced him to bend his legs. Like a hunting beast, he pounced forward and used the tip of his tongue to curl away the teardrops on Yanzhi’s cheeks.

Strange, Yanzhi’s tears weren’t salty or bitter, but—

“Sweet.”

Xiao Cuan pressed tightly against him and laughed in a low voice.

“I knew it. I knew it—”

“I knew it, you still like me.”

“You still cry, which shows you still like me.”

Yanzhi denied loudly: “I don’t!”

He was just frightened!

He didn’t! He didn’t like His Majesty anymore!

He had long since stopped liking His Majesty! This was completely a slander!

Yanzhi suddenly became excited, struggled vigorously again, pushed with his hands, kicked with his feet, bit with his teeth, wanting to break free from Xiao Cuan’s restraint.

“Let go! Please Your Majesty let go! Since Your Majesty has appointed an Empress, then you should remain chaste for the Empress to prepare for the grand wedding!”

“The Empress hasn’t entered the palace yet; it doesn’t count. Besides, I’ve appointed five Empresses. Which Empress should I remain chaste for? You tell me.”

“I don’t know either, but Your Majesty can’t…”

With a “thump”—

Yanzhi gave a heavy kick to Xiao Cuan’s chest.

In an instant, the air seemed to freeze.

Xiao Cuan’s face darkened, and he looked down.

Yanzhi took advantage of the fact that he hadn’t reacted yet, hurriedly pulled back his feet, and hid in the corner of the couch, as far away from him as possible, preparing to escape.

At the same time, Xiao Cuan suddenly pounced forward, grabbed his collar, and pulled him back.

Forcing his face to face him, meeting his gaze.

“You dare kick me?”

“I…”

“No?”

Although Yanzhi was afraid, afraid that His Majesty would bite him again, so afraid that he trembled instinctively.

But this time, he sniffed his nose and tried his best to calm his mind.

“No… no.”

“Even feet aren’t okay?”

“No.” Yanzhi’s face was serious. “I don’t want to. I don’t want to do this kind of thing with Your Majesty.”

Xiao Cuan suddenly withdrew his hand, pulled him closer, and stared firmly at him, as if he wanted to lock him with his gaze.

Yanzhi knew that even if he said “no,” it would be useless. His Majesty would still force him.

But he just wanted to say “no.”

If he didn’t want to in his heart, he would say “don’t want to”!

Even if His Majesty forced him, he would still say “don’t want to”!

Yanzhi himself couldn’t see it, but his gaze was becoming more and more determined, more and more brave, more and more bold.

It seemed that a bird was about to be released from the cage by him.

Just then, it was actually the always powerful and domineering Xiao Cuan who was defeated.

He let go of his hand, released Yanzhi, and got out of bed.

Before leaving, he forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart and kicked the couch underneath Yanzhi.

The couch shook, and Yanzhi on the couch also shook.

Xiao Cuan turned and left, slammed the hall door shut, and said sternly—

“Summon Bian Ying and Liu Xun into the palace to discuss the matter of the grand wedding ceremony for the Empress!”