Chapter 17#

Take Down That Emperor (17)#

“Shen Jue, I’ve finally won once.”

Murong Xiu’s voice trembled slightly, the corners of his eyes reddening as he tightly embraced the youth in his arms, as if clinging to his only lifeline.

He had been nothing more than a puppet emperor, but Shen Jue had helped him defeat the Regent for the first time. Murong Xiu felt an indescribable exhilaration. Recalling the Regent’s expression during the morning court, he almost wanted to burst out laughing.

Shen Jue, caught in the embrace, frowned slightly.

To him, whether it was Murong Xiu or the Regent, they were merely people within the mirror. Unless necessary, he had no desire to be close to them.

“That’s truly wonderful, Your Majesty,” Shen Jue said softly, trying to extricate himself from the other’s arms without drawing attention. But Murong Xiu seemed too overjoyed—not only did he hold Shen Jue tightly, but he also ruffled Shen Jue’s hair a couple of times.

Shen Jue: “…”

Shen Jue had no choice but to let Murong Xiu hold him. However, after a while, when Murong Xiu still showed no sign of letting go, he raised his voice slightly. “Your Majesty?”

Murong Xiu had initially embraced Shen Jue out of joy, but once he did, he found the person in his arms felt far too pleasant to hold, and he couldn’t help but become dazed. Murong Xiu had always detested physical contact, and ever since encountering the Regent, his aversion had only deepened. But he never expected holding Shen Jue to feel so comfortable.

Murong Xiu was naturally cold-bodied, but Shen Jue was as warm as a little stove. In the midst of winter, holding him was simply delightful—it was like cuddling a small, soft, warm stove that wouldn’t burn him.

Startled by Shen Jue’s sudden call, Murong Xiu flinched, quickly releasing his hold, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face.

Shen Jue naturally didn’t miss Murong Xiu’s expression. After watching for a moment, he smiled. “Your Majesty must be tired after the morning court. Have some hot tea—I’ve just brewed it. It’s your favorite, Misty Water Tea.”

Murong Xiu, still feeling awkward about his earlier actions, barely listened to Shen Jue’s words and simply nodded.

Seeing him stand frozen in place, Shen Jue raised an eyebrow and, without hesitation, reached out and took Murong Xiu’s hand.

He was testing Murong Xiu.

Everything Shen Jue did was to make Murong Xiu fall in love with him. As a cultivator, he was naturally patient, so he had calmly waited for Murong Xiu’s heart to stir. Although Murong Xiu was fickle by nature, once he became emotionally invested, he would turn stubborn. So as long as Murong Xiu’s heart began to move, everything would become easy.

Shen Jue deliberately held Murong Xiu’s hand to gauge his feelings.

“Your Majesty must be so overjoyed that you’ve forgotten to move. Let your servant lead you to have some tea,” Shen Jue said with a smile, pulling Murong Xiu forward.

Murong Xiu lowered his gaze, looking at Shen Jue’s hand holding his.

That hand wasn’t particularly attractive—it bore many scars—but it was very warm. His own ice-cold hand seemed to absorb that warmth.

When Shen Jue saw that Murong Xiu neither scolded him nor pulled away, he understood a bit more.

Now that Murong Xiu’s heart was stirring, he could begin to reel in the net. But before doing so, he would administer a potent dose of medicine.

A mere stirring of the heart was not enough.

Shen Jue wanted Murong Xiu’s complete devotion.

…

After finishing his tea, Murong Xiu told Shen Jue what had happened during the morning court. Shi Jian’an had personally denounced the Regent for his many crimes, even producing evidence. The Regent’s face immediately darkened, looking as if he wanted to draw his sword and cut Shi Jian’an down on the spot.

The officials who had previously suffered losses immediately stood up to echo Shi Jian’an. Seeing this, Murong Xiu seized the opportunity to publicly rebuke the Regent. Not only did he dismiss You Congxuan from his post in the Regent’s presence and throw him directly into the Imperial Prison, but he also ordered the Regent to go home and reflect on his mistakes and then submit a written confession.

The Regent was left speechless in his own defense, and with Shi Jian’an’s betrayal, he had no choice but to accept.

When You Congxuan realized he was about to be thrown into the Imperial Prison, panic-stricken, he crawled on his knees to the Regent and begged for mercy. The Regent, however, kicked him away. “Get lost!”

You Congxuan was knocked back, spitting a mouthful of blood. Thinking about the Imperial Prison and uncertain whether he would survive, he recalled how he had always been subservient to the Regent, even letting the man do as he pleased in bed. Who would have thought this heartless lover would be so cold? Bitterness rose in his heart, and regardless of the consequences, he shouted, “Your Highness, that’s not how you treated me in bed back then! You said I was the best person you’d ever seen, and that you’d never tire of looking at this face and this body even for a lifetime.”

The Regent never expected You Congxuan to reveal their relationship in the grand hall. Shocked and furious, he immediately moved to kill You Congxuan, but Shi Jian’an, already on guard, quickly stepped in front of him. “Your Highness, Lord You has not yet been convicted—you cannot lay a hand on him!”

You Congxuan wiped the blood from his lips and looked at the Regent with hatred in his eyes. “As expected, Your Highness is fickle and heartless. If I had known this would happen, I should never have believed your sweet talk. What happened to me today will be your fate tomorrow—believe it or not?”

The Regent’s face turned even darker.

Seated high on the dragon throne, Murong Xiu watched this farce with a faint smirk. “I didn’t expect to see such a spectacle. Ni Xinyan, I thought you were merely on good terms with Lord You, but it turns out your bond runs much deeper.”

Hearing this, the Regent looked up at Murong Xiu. Seeing the mockery on his face, his heart ached, and he found himself unable to speak. He had been blind, mistaking You Congxuan for Murong Xiu’s substitute, and had even been smug about it. Now it was clear that You Congxuan wasn’t even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Murong Xiu—and yet he had let Murong Xiu witness this disgrace.

The Regent cared deeply about his pride, and even more about losing face before Murong Xiu. So after being mocked, he felt a wave of despondency and lost all will to lash out.

Murong Xiu emerged victorious in the court, which was why, after the session ended, he had embraced Shen Jue.

After listening to Murong Xiu’s account, Shen Jue also smiled. “That’s really wonderful.” Looking at Murong Xiu, he said gently, “But Your Majesty must not be too elated. The Regent’s greatest reliance is his military power. Your next step should be to dismantle his military authority.”

Hearing this, Murong Xiu’s expression turned serious. “But the Regent’s soldiers have fought by his side through life and death. How am I supposed to dismantle that?”

Shen Jue’s eyes flickered. After a moment, he leaned close to Murong Xiu’s ear and whispered something.

Murong Xiu froze—the ear that Shen Jue had leaned into felt numb, as if it no longer belonged to him.

Liang Rong, who had come in to deliver memorials, happened to see Shen Jue whispering into Murong Xiu’s ear. His expression shifted immediately, and he quickly withdrew. After stepping out, his face turned calculating.

He had always thought that Murong Xiu favored Shen Jue far too much, and that Shen Jue appeared to have no real merits—yet Murong Xiu liked him, even eating and sleeping alongside him. So it turned out that they were in that kind of relationship.

Liang Rong couldn’t help but sneer coldly, a plan forming in his mind.

That little fox-spirit Shen Jue dared to seduce the emperor—he was as good as dead.