Only children choose-I'm the emperor!

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

Li Chen had just finished morning court and was eating lunch when a eunuch's voice rang out beyond the door.

He was no stranger to the Empress Dowager, but he did not know her very well either.

In the past, he had only seen her occasionally. Over the last few days, they had interacted more often because of his accession.

"It seems I've come at an unfortunate time. I hope I'm not disturbing Your Majesty's meal?"

The Empress Dowager spoke softly and gently, exuding the distinctive allure of a mature woman.

At her fully ripened age, every curve of her body was enchanting.

Women in the imperial palace cared most about their looks and figures.

Who knew how many years the Empress Dowager had spent maintaining that figure?

Her every gesture seemed filled with endless temptation.

Her full bosom, in particular, could send one's imagination wandering without end. This was why Li Chen's gaze remained so clear when he was outside-he had already endured tremendous trials.

After speaking, the Empress Dowager waved a hand. The surrounding maids and eunuchs all withdrew, closing the door behind them.

She was about to lay a trap for Li Chen, so she had dismissed everyone else to keep word from getting out.

Li Chen was somewhat bewildered. I'm eating hot pot. Won't closing the door make it hot in here?

Without another word, the Empress Dowager sat down beside Li Chen.

She was about to say something, but the food before her caught her attention.

"Your Majesty, what is this? Why is it bubbling?"

For lunch, Li Chen was eating hot pot, which he had developed himself based on his memories.

The steaming aroma of meat filled the air, instantly stirring the most primal appetite.

Red oil churned in the hot pot. Golden bubbles rose incessantly, then suddenly burst with little popping sounds.

Inside the pot, the bright red slices of beef were as thin as cicada wings, each with clear marbling and tender flesh.

"It's called hot pot."

As he spoke, Li Chen lifted a slice of beef with his chopsticks. Juices immediately seeped out and dripped onto the broth, sending delicate ripples across its surface. Their rich, savory flavor seemed capable of melting the taste buds in an instant.

There were also emerald-green vegetables, made even brighter and more tempting after their baptism in the red oil. Mingling with the beef, tofu, and other ingredients, they were nothing short of perfect.

This was already the fourteenth version of Li Chen's homemade hot pot base. Anything that satisfied even him was naturally no ordinary fare.

After all, he had previously been a prince. Aside from cultivating, researching these things was all he did while holed up in the palace.

Noticing that the Empress Dowager kept staring at the meat between his chopsticks, Li Chen casually asked, "Would you like some?"

The Empress Dowager swallowed. "Oh, how could I possibly impose?"

Despite her words, her beautiful eyes seemed to tell Li Chen: Ask me again, and I'll dig in straightaway.

By now, she had completely forgotten what she had intended to say when she came.

After all, she had been waiting for news and had not eaten lunch yet.

To maintain her figure, she could not eat oily, spicy food like this. Her meals had always been light.

The smell of the hot pot had lured the greedy little worms in her belly right out.

"I prepared a little too much food today. I probably won't finish it, and throwing it away would be a waste."

"Very well. Since Your Majesty puts it that way, I'll help you eat some. We mustn't waste food."

Once Li Chen gave her an excuse, the Empress Dowager's appetite conquered her reason, and she eagerly picked up her chopsticks.

Under Li Chen's guidance, she gripped a piece of meat with her chopsticks and lowered it into the pot.

She swished it through the broth a few times, and an even richer aroma immediately wafted out.

It was as though some marvelous reaction had occurred between the meat and the hot pot.

The moment Li Chen said it was ready, the Empress Dowager eagerly began tasting it.

With one bite, the delicious slice of meat filled her mouth. Its fragrance spread from her mouth to her nose, making her whole body feel as though it were floating.

As she slowly chewed, she savored the broth spilling from the meat, its lingering flavor utterly irresistible.

In an instant, she was lost in it.

"Your Majesty, this beef must come from the Snowfield Spirit Yak of the continent's far north, correct?"

"That's right. Snowfield Spirit Yaks live atop the snowy mountains in the far north. They feed on frost grass and grow up drinking snowmelt. Their meat is delicious and delicate, melting in your mouth."

"And this tofu must be Ice Lotus Jade Tofu from the far north as well."

"Yes. It's made by grinding the juice of Iceheart Lotuses, which grow only in the far north, together with carefully selected soybeans from spirit fields. These ingredients absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Besides tasting good, they can improve your cultivation."

As she ate, the Empress Dowager praised the ingredients, as well as Li Chen's knack for enjoying life.

She also asked which chef Li Chen had hired to prepare it. When she learned he had made it himself, her admiration grew even greater.

Once you ate someone's food, your tongue softened toward them.

Since the Empress Dowager had already ordered the door shut, and the hot pot itself was mildly spicy, the room grew hot.

For someone accustomed to light food like her, every bite made her hotter.

Once someone became hooked on eating, though, none of that mattered.

To cool herself down, she loosened her clothes without a thought for appearances, opening her neckline wide.

Sitting beside her, Li Chen could not avoid looking even if he wanted to. It was difficult to tear his gaze from the snowy white depths of her cleavage.

Li Chen thought, My lunch is pretty "light" today. I only made it mildly spicy, and you already can't handle it. If it were extra spicy, wouldn't you strip right out of your clothes?

Li Chen did not eat much of this lunch. By the end, the Empress Dowager was practically eating alone, and she had thrown all restraint aside.

Before long, her lower belly had bulged slightly, and only then was the meal finished.

Just how delicious was it? Put it this way: the Empress Dowager had almost eaten the hot pot base itself.

"Empress Dowager, surely you didn't come here just for a meal?"

Only after Li Chen's reminder did the Empress Dowager remember what she had wanted to say.

"Your Majesty, while you were a prince, was there anyone who held your heart?"

The Empress Dowager had actually been laying her plans all along. She had ordered her subordinates to incite the Second Prince and the third prince to cause trouble, seeking ways to put pressure on Li Chen.

Once Li Chen felt pressured, he would need someone to rely on. Then the Empress Dowager could extend an olive branch, help resolve his troubles, and win his trust.

Even setting aside Li Chen's status as emperor, his Saint Realm cultivation was enough to make countless major powers kneel to recruit him.

Any faction with a Saint Realm powerhouse stood above all those without one.

Thus, wherever Li Chen went, he was an irresistible prize.

To build a good relationship with Li Chen, the Empress Dowager had prepared another move: whispers on the pillow.

This plan was not to be underestimated. Since ancient times, even heroes had struggled to pass the barrier of a beautiful woman, and many monarchs were highly susceptible to this tactic-unless Li Chen was a eunuch.

The Empress Dowager only needed to arrange for her own people to enter the palace, preferably bearing Li Chen children. That way, she could keep him firmly under her control.

The Empress Dowager had never intended to harm Li Chen. She simply wanted to gain benefits from him.

"No."

Li Chen answered honestly. After all, he rarely went out. Aside from the women of the inner palace, he had hardly met any women.

But precisely because he had seen so many of these women, the "ordinary" women he encountered outside held little appeal for him.

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager continued, "Your Majesty, now that you have ascended the throne, you should spread your branches and leaves as soon as possible, leaving descendants for the imperial family."

Li Chen actually wanted to fall back on a stock response, something like telling her to handle it herself since she had brought it up.

But something felt a little off, so he could only say, "Since you say that, Empress Dowager, do you have any suitable candidates?"

Hearing his question, the Empress Dowager took the list she had prepared long beforehand from her sleeve.

The list contained ten women's names, drawn from aristocratic clans, hereditary nobility, sects, vassal princes' households, and the like.

Eight of them belonged to the Empress Dowager's faction. Whether in looks, refinement, or talent, all these women met with her approval.

After all, she wanted to win Li Chen over. There was no need to send him crooked melons and cracked dates only to offend him.

But she could not make it too obvious either, so the Empress Dowager had added two more.

Both were renowned beauties, but exceptionally cold and aloof.

She did not believe Li Chen would pick those two.

"Your Majesty, which one has caught your eye? I can summon them into the palace."

This was the Empress Dowager's ploy. After all, anyone who dared to be so aloof had a Saint Realm powerhouse backing her. What appeared to be a choice was, in fact, a compulsory answer.

Who could have guessed that Li Chen would simply tuck the list into his sleeve? His manner seemed to say: Only children choose-I'm the emperor!