Forty-First Chapter
"... Your Majesty wish to hear the truth or a lie?"
He raised an eyebrow, pinched her chin, and brought her face to his eyes. Gazing into her defiant gaze, he parted his lips and said, "A lie."
"Your Majesty's judgment is impeccable, and the well-being of the people is paramount. The list of crimes, the confiscation of property, and the exiles are all executed flawlessly. I am utterly impressed."
"What a hypocritical act of prostration. Look at you. You claim you're not scheming, but you're secretly resentful of my sentence. You used Xiaojing to get my attention, and then what? To overturn your father's case?" He glanced sideways, a slight smile playing on his lips, seemingly used to this tactic. "This trick has been played before, but I'm afraid you're too late. And—it's a pity you're not a woman. If you were willing to throw yourself at me like Rongrong did, perhaps I would have taken pity on you for the comfort you provided and brought your father back from exile."
"..." These words stung Zhu Bafu's ears. She didn't know where the courage came from, but it transformed into a raging fire within Your Majesty. She brushed away the Emperor's hand that was teasing her chin and retorted sharply, "Your Majesty is overthinking it. I have no intention of exonerating my father, nor do I intend to make a name for myself in officialdom. I only wish to earn some money so that my father can live more comfortably in his place of exile. But alas, a mere scholar is powerless. Aside from the money from the Son of Heaven's Disciple, I can't think of any other way to make money. That's all. As for the Young Master —I really have to thank Your Majesty for dismissing my Old Man from office and sending him to exile. Otherwise, if my family hadn't fallen on hard times, I'm afraid I would have been forced to live with the person I was betrothed to as a child, and I would never have had the chance to meet the Young Master."
"... Do you really like Xiaojing that much?"
"I don't know." She turned her head away angrily. "It's not too late to say you like me when the Young Master regains his memory and cuts ties with Your Majesty. Otherwise, even if I were to dig out my heart and soul now, His Your Majesty still wouldn't believe me."
"Pfft." He couldn't help but laugh out loud, reaching out to pat her puffed-up cheek. "You're quite stubborn, aren't you? You get angry over the slightest test? Okay, I was just teasing you."
"Your Majesty's joke has gone too far."
"There's no other way. If I don't properly test the Pig Kid's reaction, I won't know what Pig Kid truly desires, and I won't know how to lure Pig Kid into becoming my person with benefits."
Zhu Bafu glanced sideways at His Your Majesty, sighed deeply, and swung his legs as if to jump off the Your Majesty. "Don't make jokes about the Young Master. And don't drag Young Master into this. Our Zhu Household's affairs have nothing to do with the Young Master."
"So protective of him?" He grabbed her calf, deliberately pulling her closer to him, not letting her leave easily, a deep laugh escaping his throat. "Look at you, all pampered. I never imagined—between you and Xiaojing, you're the dominant one?"
"..." The terms "gong" (dominant partner) and "gong jun" (Cut Sleeve) have all appeared. Your Majesty knows far too much about homosexuality! What kind of trash and poisonous stuff does Your Majesty usually read?!
Author's Note:
Count down, we're almost at volume two, but there's still one extra chapter! Haha, I guess I'll still post the extra chapter~~~~ I'm sure you little gluttons won't refuse any of my treats, mwah~~~
Speaking of choosing sides, Sakura is currently working hard on Volume Two, but the Emperor is catching up quickly and is almost cornering the Young Master. Volume Two contains a scene where the Emperor confesses his feelings!! Spoiler alert!
In short, we're going to give you so much to dream about! Get ready, you little gluttons!
Chapter 41
"However... it doesn't matter. A weak and timid seme like that Pig Kid seems even more interesting."
"Your Majesty, please stop treating me and the Young Master like toys."
"How could that be? You two are my most important ministers, how could I bear to play with you? However, I am a little worried that you, my little lord, have been blinded by love and forgotten that your father is still suffering unjustly in exile."
"... Aren't you tired of playing this trick? I've already told His Your Majesty that I have no interest in my father's case..."
"What if I had it?"
"..."
As if fearing she might still have doubts, His Your Majesty suddenly took her hand, placed it against his brocade lapel, pressed it against his left breast, and repeated in a firm, deep voice, "If I intend to overturn the verdict, what answer will this Pig Kid give me?"
"... Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I..."
The languid peach blossom eyes slowly shed their nonchalant facade, and an innate Emperor aura pierced through her, as if shining through a long-hidden thin robe, shooting unabashedly into her wide eyes. She was stunned by that magnificent dragon aura, and her Your Majesty's palm, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, trembling slightly as it pressed against His Your Majesty's chest.
"Pig Kid, I need your help."
"Me? Your Majesty, I am merely the descendant of a disgraced official with no ambition. How could I possibly..." Her hand was gripped tightly by His Your Majesty, the force causing her to cry out in pain.
"I trust you."
"..."
"In the past, I didn't want to trust anyone but Xiaojing. But now, I'm willing to trust one more person." Leaning forward, he brushed aside the hair covering her forehead, wanting to look deeply into her eyes, to let her know the extent of his feelings. "I believe you won't flatter me insincerely, I believe you look down on my cynical appearance from the bottom of your heart, I believe you will be sincere to me and won't bully Xiaojing. I don't want to be someone who has to hide even when paying respects to my own father anymore, nor do I want to be looked down upon by you and that Xiaojing guy anymore. I am the emperor, I must act as the emperor, I can no longer be a spineless coward who can only stamp documents but can't even utter a word, hiding in the arms of a gentle woman. I want to rule personally, I want to make my own decisions, and I want to stand up for those loyal ministers who have spoken up for me."