The girl Fu An brought in was very pretty and slender. She had an oval face, big eyes, fair skin and a calm look. She looked like a law-abiding person.
The emperor put on his robe. He was not a lustful devil, so he would not drag a girl to his bed as soon as he saw her. If he liked her, he would make the girls worship and adore him and regard him as their god. How could the god be the same as the lecher in a brothel? If he did not like her, it would not cause any physical harm to himself.
He was sitting at the desk at the moment, tapping his fingers on the table while staring at the person, wondering in his heart, the person was obviously the best in appearance, and their temperament was similar, but she was not as stunning as that man at all.
The white dress and white cape looked like the one in the dream, but the spirit was totally different from what he had dreamt. The emperor sighed secretly and thought, could it be because she was not a pregnant woman? So it felt totally wrong.
But he couldn’t seem to find any pregnant women in his palace, and even if he found one, he wouldn’t suggest it. He had no interest in being a stranger’s father, let alone his own.
Fu An silently asked all the palace people to leave, and only Xiao Yun and the palace maid were left in the bedroom.
Yue Lian lowered her eyes. It was already the fourth month of the lunar calendar, and the temperature was not low even at night. She was wearing a thick white fox fur cloak and ran all the way with Fu An. Her body was already half wet with sweat, and there was a layer of sweat on her forehead, with her temples slightly wet.
Feeling the unabashed gaze of the man above her, Yue Lian clenched her folded hands even tighter, her face flushed with shame, she became even more nervous, her heart pounded, and she sweated even faster.
Above her stood the sovereign of a nation — the most handsome emperor in the history of Da Ning. He was generous with his favor and had no one in his harem. If she were to receive his favor, she would become the foremost lady of the harem — his very first woman — a position of great significance. If she could, by her own means, maintain his affection and even by luck bear the imperial heir, then everything would become possible for her.
Everyone in the realm knew how eager the court officials were for His Majesty to marry and produce an heir. Even if the emperor only meant to indulge himself without giving her an official title, once the ministers learned of such joyous news, they would surely advocate on her behalf. She wouldn’t be left nameless and without standing.
Yue Lian grew even more excited and nervous. She spoke softly: “Your Majesty…”
Xiao Yun withdrew his gaze, clearly disinterested, and asked lazily, “What’s your name?”
The voice from above was languid and husky, with a touch of hoarseness — the kind that could make one’s legs go weak and head spin. Yue Lian blushed furiously, her voice barely audible: “Yue Lian ‘Yue’ as in moon, and ‘Lian’ as in lotus.”
Xiao Yun gave a faint “Mm.”
Yue Lian coyly asked, “May this servant come closer?”
Xiao Yun suddenly frowned. In the dream, he had been the one forcing his sister-in-law. This woman taking the initiative — it just wasn’t the same.
Before Xiao Yun could respond, Yue Lian had already mustered the courage to step forward. Xiao Yun stopped tapping on the table and looked up at her, thinking to himself—how was it that a young lady like her had a waist even thicker than Xie Caiqing, who was four months pregnant?
The emperor observed her with a hint of amusement on his lips, saying nothing. He remained still, one leg crossed over the other, lounging lazily yet imposing. His index finger rested against his lower lip, and his dark eyes were unfathomable.
Yue Lian felt uneasy. Based on the rumors she had heard about His Majesty, she had expected him to pull her into an embrace, whisper sweet nothings, and take her to bed without hesitation. Yet, to her surprise, he maintained this enigmatic and unreadable demeanor.
“Your Majesty—”
“Do you consider your waist to be slim among women?”
Yue Lian froze, her face turning crimson. She replied in a low voice, “…Yes, Your Majesty. I am quite slender.”
Xiao Yun thought to himself—then how was it that she, a young lady, was built even broader than some men?
Xie Caiqing, for instance, felt significantly heavier when held, yet his waist was narrower, and his hips were shapelier.
“Your Majesty…”
The emperor remained silent for a long while, making the atmosphere stifling. Yue Lian, thinking that as the Son of Heaven, he would not lower himself too quickly, bit her lip and, with a flushed face, moved forward to throw herself into his arms. However, Xiao Yun swiftly grabbed her wrist and pulled her upright, frowning. How was it that, after years of palace etiquette training, she was bolder than most men?
If only Xie Caiqing had even a fraction of her initiative.
“What are you doing?” Xiao Yun asked, feigning confusion.
“Your Majesty…” Yue Lian gazed at the large hand gripping her wrist, her eyes filled with longing. She hesitated but did not resist. “Your Majesty… oh, you’re hurting me… it hurts…”
Xiao Yun immediately let go, thinking to himself—her hands weren’t even as soft as Xie Caiqing’s, yet her bones were larger than his.
Even when she acted coy, she wasn’t as effective as a man.
The emperor fell silent again. What should have been a passionate, mutual embrace had turned into an awkward one-sided game. His earlier motion of pushing her away was completely devoid of tenderness. Yue Lian, embarrassed and frustrated, steeled herself and tried again.
“….Your Majesty, this cloak is quite warm… may I remove it?”
Xiao Yun waved a hand dismissively. He had no interest in seeing her wear it any longer.
Encouraged, Yue Lian shyly said, “Your Majesty, my body is untouched… You are my first man—”
The moment she unfastened the cloak, a strong wave of sweat stench hit him. Xiao Yun was caught completely off guard.
How did a young lady manage to smell like a barracks full of sweaty soldiers? Xie Caiqing’s sweat was fragrant. That was what a proper lady should smell like. He had thought women must naturally be more fragrant than Xie Caiqing—but apparently not.
In that case, the only thing that set a female apart from Xie Caiqing was the ability to bear children.
Recalling his dream from the other night, Xiao Yun felt an inexplicable sense of loss, quickly followed by irritation.
If the person were his, he could simply tie a fabric bundle around his stomach and play pretend. If only Xie Caiqing would wear a white dress…
Yue Lian, having removed her cloak, began untying her outer robe, revealing her slender figure. Noticing the emperor’s Adam’s apple bob slightly and his gaze deepen, she thought he was finally interested. Delighted, she once again moved toward him.
But before she could reach him, Xiao Yun pushed her away and said with a pleasant smile, “A brief conversation with you has put me in a much better mood. You’ve done well. Go back and rest early.”
Yue Lian looked utterly stunned.
Still in a daze, she was led away by the equally bewildered Fu An. Meanwhile, Xiao Yun stood up and paced irritably before suddenly remembering something.
“Yin—”
Then he recalled that Yin Xian had been reassigned. With no one else around, he rummaged through his belongings and finally found it.
It was a pristine white handkerchief, embroidered with two fish playfully circling each other.
Yin Xian had it cleaned and returned to him, neatly folded in the cabinet.
Even though it had been washed, it still carried Xie Caiqing’s scent.
Xiao Yun couldn’t quite describe the fragrance—it was a cool scent with a hint of warmth, yet behind it, there was something intangible. Something abstract, something instinctual. It easily stirred emotions—passion, joy, irritation, excitement—all at once.
Lowering his gaze, he noticed that, now that Yue Lian was gone, the “little emperor” had once again stood at attention. His expression turned blank.
What the h*ll?
This was bad.
Had he really imprinted on Xie Caiqing? A beautiful woman throwing herself into his arms meant nothing, but a mere handkerchief did?
What kind of spell had Xie Caiqing put on him to make him so fixated?
Xiao Yun, looking utterly incredulous, flicked himself twice.
D*mn it. Get down, you useless fool. Always embarrassing me at critical moments—do you have no shame?
Unfortunately, his body had a mind of its own, stubbornly resisting. Xiao Yun sucked in a breath, his brows knitting in frustration.
How dare it defy him? Did it not fear getting chopped—No, that wouldn’t be right.
Clearly, the problem wasn’t with him.
It was that palace maid named star something. She was simply incompetent.
The thought put Xiao Yun at ease. His gaze landed on the handkerchief, and a wicked smile curled his lips.
He suddenly had an interesting idea.
——
Late at night, Fu An carried the handkerchief to be laundered, his expression deeply troubled. The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became.
His Majesty would rather spend time with a piece of cloth than lay with a warm, responsive woman who could bear heirs for the imperial bloodline. Did this mean… His Majesty had some unspeakable issue?
A chill ran down his spine.
If that were true, it would explain why, despite being of age for four years, the emperor had taken no concubines. Why he repeatedly dismissed the court’s urging to select an empress. Why, even when he finally brought a palace maiden into his chambers, he sent her away untouched—and instead spent the entire night alone behind drawn bed curtains.
Fu An turned pale as he thought of the miserable fate of his former master, who had meddled in imperial matters.
He swore to himself—he must keep this secret to his grave.
And he must silence that palace maid immediately.
….
The Top Scholar’s Residence
Xie Caiqing had always been a light sleeper, and lately, counting the days had made him anxious, making it even harder to rest. Just as he had finally dozed off, the light knocking on his door from outside woke him up, leaving him a little irritable.
He buried his head under the pillow, counted to thirty, then mustered the energy to get up. Throwing on an outer robe, he opened the door for Ru Shi with a faint, calm smile.
“What is it?” He slowly lit a candle, walked back to the table, and poured Ru Shi a cup of tea.
Behind him, Ru Shi closed the door tightly and reported, in a voice devoid of emotion:
“Xiao Yun summoned a palace maid late at night.”
The faint smile on Xie Caiqing’s face faltered slightly. He remained composed and replied, “Mm, I see. Tell me the details.”
“She went in for barely half a stick of incense before coming out.”
Xie Caiqing raised a brow in surprise. “That short?”
To his knowledge, a normal man could last at least a full incense stick.
Four incense sticks made up two hours.
Xiao Yun had only lasted for half of one, and that was including the time spent undressing and whispering sweet nothings.
That meant—he didn’t even measure up to Xie Caiqing himself.
Ru Shi coughed lightly, feeling a subtle sense of pride rise within him.
Xie Caiqing asked in a serious tone, “Are you sure it was summoning for favor?”
“Our people happened to be standing guard outside tonight. When the palace maid entered, she was wearing a white dress and a white fox fur cloak. When she left, both her outer robe and cloak were gone.”
Xie Caiqing found this odd. “Why wear a cloak in such hot weather?”
“Exactly. She was sweating buckets. Even our people were confused.”
Xie Caiqing didn’t dwell on it and asked, “What did she look like?”
“Delicate and dainty. Very pale, very beautiful.”
Xie Caiqing nodded, thinking to himself that he did bear some resemblance to that girl. No wonder things had been progressing smoothly—he was just lucky enough to match Xiao Yun’s taste.
He said plainly, “He is the emperor. This is entirely normal. There’s no need to report such matters in the future.”
