"So this is the beauty you found for me?!"
Within Weiyang Palace, inside Zichen Hall, surrounded by a sea of men, the young emperor’s fury reached its peak. His long sword pointed straight ahead.
The so-called "beauties" he pointed at all gracefully covered their faces with silk handkerchiefs, letting out soft, coy laughs. Their gazes brimmed with a thousand unspoken charms.
Jing Xuan: "..."
He should have just died alongside his father back then.
Yet, the one being questioned, Gu Fang, remained utterly calm and composed. Seated comfortably at his desk, he leisurely rolled up his sleeves and lit a Bantian Yao incense lamp, speaking with unhurried ease,
"Each of these ten beauties was chosen according to Your Majesty’s preferences. What now? Could it be that Your Majesty is displeased?"
Jing Xuan: "..."
Did he look like he was pleased?!
Yes, he had indeed once said that he liked men who were burly, bearded, dark-skinned, big-eyed, thick-browed. In other words men who were completely unlike Gu Fang in every possible way.
But that was only because he had been forced to admit his fondness for men at the time. He hadn’t wanted this scheming beast to gain any advantage, so he had simply made up some nonsense on the spot.
Who would have thought that in just one day, Gu Fang would actually find him ten of these absurdly outrageous specimens?!
The worst part was he couldn’t deny it.
Because if he did, it would confirm that everything he had said at the Hua Manor had been a complete lie.
But he was a fool, a useless ruler, an absurd joke of an emperor.
There was no way he could be intelligent enough to predict Gu Fang’s schemes and play along accordingly.
So now, he could only be pleased.
Even if he wasn’t pleased, he had to be pleased.
Jing Xuan forced a twisted smile. "Pleased! Why wouldn’t I be pleased? With an imperial uncle like you, who goes to such great lengths to share my burdens and solve my troubles, my joy knows no bounds!"
Gu Fang calmly sipped his tea and humbly replied, "It is merely my duty. Your Majesty flatters me."
Jing Xuan raised both hands, about to bring his sword down upon Gu Fang’s neck.
Then, Gu Fang lightly blew on his tea and lazily added,
"It’s just that… I wonder how these ten beauties compare to the ones the Grand Consort is about to send. I wonder which will win Your Majesty’s favor."
Jing Xuan, mid-swing: "?"
Grand Consort?
Beauties?
About to send them?
The ten “delicate flowers” around him had already scrambled his thoughts. Now, as realization hit, Jing Xuan suddenly turned his gaze toward the corner of the hall.
There sat a small, beautiful child dressed in the formal robes of a prince, bearing a striking resemblance to him. The boy was calmly perched on the steps, munching on a honeydew melon.
Sensing Jing Xuan’s gaze, the child simply looked up, wiped his mouth, and nonchalantly let out an "Oh."
"Mother Consort did tell me to inform Imperial Brother. Uncle’s family has decided to send my lovely little cousin into the palace to accompany Mother Consort today. So, Mother Consort wanted Imperial Brother to be prepared… to face a formidable enemy."
With that, the child lowered his head again and continued munching his melon, utterly unfazed.
Jing Xuan: "..."
Such an important matter, why did this little brat not say so earlier?
This little brat was none other than his half-brother, Jing Yi.
Back when their father was still a prince in the northern territories, he had only one legitimate wife, Jing Xuan’s mother. The two were deeply devoted to each other, and even after he ascended the throne, she remained his only empress, and Jing Xuan his only son.
Under normal circumstances, such a story would be praised as a tale of unwavering love and loyalty, a perfect union of dragon and phoenix.
But their father had become an emperor. An emperor who seized his throne through rebellion, without legitimacy.
Thus, the memorials from the court officials came flying in like a snowstorm, filling the archives with written protests. His father had been so enraged that he nearly ordered the immediate execution of those who led the opposition.
It was his mother who, without hesitation, drew her sword and slashed through the sleeves of both their robes.
"You are the emperor. I am the empress. We stand above the masses, walking a path paved with the blood of countless soldiers. What right do we have to speak of love, loyalty, or undying devotion? So stop this nonsense. Instead of dwelling on sentiment, why don’t you focus on leaving our son a stable empire!"
With that, she acted swiftly, selecting four concubines for his father.
Each choice was made with precise political calculation, carefully balancing the power dynamics of the court. Three of these concubines came from families that, within the following years, were exposed for their crimes and executed, their entire households wiped out.
The three women were then sent to the national monastery, where they spent the rest of their days under the light of oil lamps and Buddhist scriptures.
The only one who remained was Lin Shi, the daughter of a low-ranking fifth-grade censor. She had been chosen as a concubine to garner the support of the struggling scholar-officials.
When Jing Xuan’s mother, worn down by years of toil and old injuries, fell critically ill, she took Lin Shi’s hand before she passed and entrusted her with Jing Xuan’s future. From that moment, Lin Shi became the sole remaining consort in the palace.
Jing Xuan never knew what truly transpired between Lin Shi and his mother. He only knew that on the day his father passed away, while chaos and bloodshed engulfed the palace, Lin Shi who was barely in her early twenties at the time rushed forward without hesitation and took an arrow meant for him.
That arrow nearly cost Lin Shi her life.
And with that arrow, the entire world learned that his father had left behind a posthumous child.
Overnight, Minister Jiang Yue suddenly claimed kinship with Lin Shi. Somehow, his mother became a distant branch of Lin Shi’s maternal family, and just like that, Jing Yue inexplicably became Jing Yi’s "maternal uncle" too.
Lin Shi, barely recovered from unconsciousness, was so furious that she cursed the entire Jiang family for three days and nights from within Cuiwei Palace, calling them shameless beyond measure.
But for the sake of the child in her womb, for her powerless father who was still a lowly official, and most importantly, for Jing Xuan whose imperial position was hanging by a thread, Lin Shi now the Grand Consort had no choice but to swallow her anger and acknowledge this sudden external kinship.
With that, Minister Jiang Yue who was already at the height of his power, solidified his position even further.
In response, the Prime Minister Shi, Hua Song, wasted no time in sending his son, Hua Ting into the palace to serve as the young emperor’s study companion.
With the former emperor’s personally appointed regent minister, imperial tutor, and Prince Regent, Gu Fang, the court had since formed a three-way power struggle, leaving the young emperor as nothing more than a puppet ruler, completely powerless.
In recent years, Gu Fang’s iron-fisted rule and control over the military had given him an undeniable edge over the others, but since both ministers, Minister Jiang Yue and Prime Minister Hua Song were backed by powerful aristocratic clans, a delicate balance had been maintained.
Thus, the moment last night’s scandal between him and Hua Ting at the Hua Manor leaked, Minister Jiang Yue would be the first to panic.
Jing Xuan had expected this.
But what he hadn’t expected was that, even after he had gone to such great lengths to ruin his own reputation, the Minister was still desperate enough to throw his own daughter into the firepit.
"What kind of beast is this man? He’s so obsessed with the empress’s seat. Why doesn’t he just enter the palace and take the position himself?!"
Jing Xuan, furious beyond reason, blurted out nonsense.
Jing Yi, still chewing his melon, blinked innocently. "Eh? Imperial Brother, can men become empresses too?"
Jing Xuan: "?"
Gu Fang lightly tapped his teacup and lazily responded, "This subject is also quite curious."
Jing Xuan: "..."
Curious my ass.
"If you two won’t shut up, then stop eating my melons and drinking my tea!"
Just as he finished scolding them, a eunuch’s voice rang out from outside the hall.
"Report! Grand Consort accompanied by Minister Jiang Yue and his daughter, Jiang Yingxue request an audience!"
Jing Xuan bit his lip instinctively.
Why was she here so soon?
Couldn’t that old consort have stalled them a little longer?
Meanwhile, the other beast sitting calmly beneath his sword was still sipping his tea, completely unbothered.
"It seems the ten beauties this subject has prepared for Your Majesty will soon prove useful in easing Your Majesty’s troubles."
"Screw you useful !"
Jing Xuan snapped without hesitation.
It should have been useful.
After all, the Minister’s youngest daughter was known for being delicate, proud, and utterly intolerant of incompetent men and frivolous playboys.
So as long as he cemented his reputation as a debauched, man-loving fool, the Jiang family would undoubtedly raise a fuss, delaying the empress selection yet again.
But with these ten 'men' standing here, how the hell was he supposed to sell it?!
Did Gu Fang really think everyone was as gullible as Hua Ting?
If only. If the Minister Jiang Yue were even one percent as easy to fool as Hua Ting, he wouldn’t have been pushed into such a desperate corner all these years.
And to make things worse, Gu Fang was still here.
When two beasts collide, one is bound to be wounded.
And in the end, the one who suffered the most would always be him—the pitiful emperor caught between them.
Fueled by rage, Jing Xuan swung his sword down. The tea table in front of Gu Fang split cleanly into two symmetrical halves.
Gu Fang blew on his tea and calmly praised, "Excellent swordsmanship."
Jing Xuan, gritting his teeth, "Not as good as you."
With that, he spun around and barked at the ten men.
"All of you get to the rear hall immediately and prepare to bathe and dress me!"
"Oh~"
The ten burly men instantly flushed red, their faces darkening as they let out a soft, bashful giggle. With a flick of their silk handkerchiefs, they cooed,
"Your Majesty, you’re so naughty~"
Jing Xuan: "..."
"To hell with your naughty!"
I'll show you what true 'naughty' really looks like!
Jing Xuan kicked each of the ten burly men straight into the rear hall, one after another.
Then, without missing a beat, he strode over to Jing Yi, grabbed the melon rind from his little brother’s finished snack, and slapped it right onto that pretty little face.
"Kids shouldn’t be looking at things they’re not supposed to!"
After saying that, he scooped up the brat and tossed him into Fu Chang’s arms.
"Cover his ears properly!"
Finally, he whirled around, his sword angrily pointing at Gu Fang, who was still sitting leisurely amid the wreckage of the tea table.
"And you, get out of here! Immediately!"
Gu Fang was surprisingly obedient. He took a slow sip of tea and said mildly,
"This subject shall of course obey His Majesty’s orders. However, I wonder where exactly does His Majesty wish for me to 'roll'?"
As he spoke, he lifted his gaze slightly, looking directly at Jing Xuan.
Dressed in simple, unruffled azure robes, he remained untouched by the chaos around him. His cool, slender phoenix eyes were as calm as ever like the clear reflection of the moon in still water, unwavering and serene.
Yet, Jing Xuan was acutely aware, the main entrance was blocked.
And in broad daylight, flipping out of a window inside Zichen Hall was clearly not an option.
That left only one exit,
The rear hall, where he bathed and rested.
The absurd memories surged forth once more.
Jing Xuan’s ears instantly burned red.
"Don't even think about it!"
His clear, youthful voice carried the unmistakable sharpness of flustered embarrassment.
Gu Fang still composed, merely replied,
"Your Majesty, this subject hasn’t thought of anything."
Jing Xuan stiffened slightly.
Gu Fang continued,
"Or… could it be that His Majesty is thinking of something that even this subject dares not think of?"
As he spoke, his deep, tranquil eyes met Jing Xuan’s directly calm, steady, and open like the first light of dawn.
There was something about his gaze. An almost scorching intensity, as if it were peering straight into one's soul.
And yet, when Jing Xuan tried to look deeper, all he saw was a thin, ungraspable mist. Ethereal and distant, just as always.
Which only made Jing Xuan, whose mind had already conjured up a thousand ridiculous scenarios, feel even more guilty.
Jing Xuan: "..."
Fortunately, before Gu Fang could continue pressing, the urgent voice of a young eunuch sounded at the door once again.
"Minister Jiang Yue! His Majesty is bathing and changing! How can you just barge in like this?"
Jing Xuan was instantly startled and instinctively turned his head.
In response, a commanding middle-aged voice rang out, full of authority,
"Bathing and changing? Just now, I clearly heard a commotion from the main hall! Could it be that His Majesty is secretly summoning some important minister?!"
The terrified young eunuch hurriedly denied.
"Minister Jiang Yue, what are you saying! There’s no such thing! Inside the hall, there are only the ten male beauties that Prince Xiangding gifted to His Majesty! Where would there be any important minister?"
"Ten?!"
"Male beauties?!"
Two female voices simultaneously cried out in shock.
The middle-aged man’s fury instantly escalated.
"Then I must see for myself, just what kind of ten male beauties could possibly make His Majesty shut himself away, bathing and changing, instead of attending court in broad daylight!"
With that, the sound of intense struggle and resistance erupted from outside the hall, reminiscent of a furious legal wife storming into a brothel to catch an unfaithful husband in the act.
And yet, inside the hall, the supposed adulterer still had the nerve to leisurely set down his teacup and offer a calm remark.
"Forcing entry into the emperor’s sleeping quarters, such a minister is truly committing treason."
Jing Xuan: "..."
Treason?! You’re the real treasonous one here!
You two damn scoundrels, who’s any better than the other?!
Yet before he could retort, the great doors of the hall suddenly crashed open with a violent bang, allowing sunlight to stream through the gaps.
Jing Xuan had no time to think, gritting his teeth, he yanked Gu Fang along and bolted toward the rear hall at full speed.
Only to rush straight into a scene more horrifying than he could have ever imagined.
The once spacious bathhouse was now packed to the brim with the ten burly men, each having already stripped down to their waists, baring muscular chests as broad as bears' while blushing shyly.
Jing Xuan: "???"
Before he could even process the horror, he suddenly felt his footing slip.
Looking down, he realized he had stepped directly onto a silk handkerchief tossed aside by one of the burly men.
Combine that with the slippery jade steps lining the bath’s edge, and the momentum of his full-speed sprint,
Jing Xuan’s eyes widened in terror, his grip on Gu Fang’s sleeve tightening with unprecedented force.
And so, just as Minister Jiang Yue, accompanied by Grand Consort and Jiang Yingxue, forcefully burst into the rear hall,
The first thing they heard was,
SPLASH
A massive splash of water.
Followed immediately by their young emperor’s utterly furious, petulant, and embarrassed cry.
"You bastard! Are you made of stone?! You’re crushing me, it hurts!"
His normally arrogant voice was now tinged with a faint, unintentional quiver, as if he was on the verge of tears from sheer pain.
Followed by a low, hazy murmur from another person.
"Crying again? But I clearly held back this time."
Minister Jiang Yue: "...."
Grand Consort: "...."
Jiang Yingxue: "...."
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