Chapter 40 - The Empress Has Been Targeted

The weather is gorgeous today. It was a bright and sunny morning. White, fluffy clouds drifted across the sky. The whole landscape in the imperial palace was bathed with the warm glow of the rising sun.

People have started early morning, going to work, working on the farm, open their business and some have gone to their class. Even in the morning, children are happily running around, playing with their peers.

However, inside the imperial bedchamber, it feels like there are thunderstorms and heavy rain that can make someone feel gloomy the whole day.

Xiu Ying lifts his lids for a few seconds then he closes it back. He frowns.

'Damn you beast! I don't even have the energy to lift my fingers! It pained all over!'

Xiu Ying tried to turn his body, he groans in pain. He can't move so much as an arm starts to wrap around his waist as he moved.

"Good morning, baobei." A deep and husky voice said.

'Go to hell with your 'good' morning!' Xiu Ying cursed inwardly.

He ignores Zhang Wei and tried to remove his arm but he was pulled closer. "Where are you going? Let's sleep some more. You must be tired."

"Ha. Ha. Ha. You do know I was tired but you still continue doing it more than five times during my first time?!"

Xiu Ying has lost counted after the fifth round. He no longer cares about the count. Seven? Nine? Probably more than ten. Last night, he just wished he'll be transmigrated back to his world when they did it. The emperor is insatiable! He keeps asking for more.

At first, he did it hard but it was unbearable as Xiu Ying can't take it. But then, in the last round, Zhang Wei purposely did it very slow. He didn't want the last round to end fast so he took his sweet time moving in and out of the warm hole. And it is still torture for Xiu Ying.

Zhang Wei hugs Xiu Ying tight and buries his face on Xiu Ying's hair. "Can't help it. My wife is so sweet and sexy. Self-control is beyond my capability."

"Oh...beyond your capability? But I guess sleeping alone for one month is within your capability right? You've done during your whole life before this, for sure you can do it again."

Zhang Wei suddenly pulls Xiu Ying into a very tight embrace, making Xiu Ying winces. His back is still hurt.

"Ba- baobei... Don't say something scary like that. How could I sleep alone? I've gotten used to having you with me. If you're not sleeping with me, I can't fall asleep." Zhang Wei whines.

"Then don't sleep. After days of sleepless nights, I'm sure the very next few days, you'll sleep soundly." Xiu Ying still struggling to remove the arms around his waist. The pain in his back makes him too weak to move.

"Baobei... My wife... I'm sorry okay? I promise I'll try to tone it down a little bit. I won't do too hard. I'm sorry. Forgive me, baobei." Zhang Wei rubs his face against Xiu Ying's back of the head.

Xiu Ying sighs. "Can't you just release me? Don't you need to attend the morning court? Why are you still here?" He tried to shoo his husband away.

"It's okay. Yesterday, I've told father that I won't attend the morning court today. I ask him to help me handle it. Father nodded but I caught him glared at me." He pouts.

Zhang Wei still clearly remembers how Li Shizen squinted and glared at him when he was too bashful to mention that he might not attend the morning court. As an elder, for sure Li Shizen could understand the meaning behind it.

Xiu Ying hits on Zhang Wei's arm, making the place he hit reddened. "Good for you! How could you so easily said you won't attend the morning court and ask my father to handle it."

Even if Zhang Wei didn't mention the cause of absence, other people can understand it! Xiu Ying cupped his face with his palm. It is too embarrassing!

While Xiu Ying still thinking about how he should act when he meets his father later, he suddenly yelps.

"Ah!"

He was carried by Zhang Wei. Both of them are stark naked. Xiu Ying turned red. He wants to release himself but he feels weird to wiggle around. His body shrinks, trying to hide something that should be hidden.

"Let me down. I can walk on my own." Xiu Ying didn't even look at Zhang Wei when he said this.

"Nope. You can't even get off the bed. How can you walk on your own?" Zhang Wei carries him to the imperial bathtub. Carefully he puts him down, into the warm water. Then, he gets into the tub too.

Xiu Ying quickly tries to put a distance between them. It's not a good thing to stay too near to Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei watched with a faint smile. Xiu Ying struggles to walk in the bathtub, adding up with his condition, he stepped slowly and holding onto the tub to support himself. Zhang Wei bit inside his mouth, holding his laugh. His wife is so cute!

With his long legs, only a few steps are needed to reach his wife who is running away from him.

"Ah!"

Xiu Ying lets out a scream when he was pulled to sit on Zhang Wei's lap. Their position is too weird!

They are facing each other, sitting in the tub with Xiu Ying on Zhang Wei's laps. Xiu Ying tried to push himself away but a pair of arms locked him.

"Are you scared of me, baobei?" Zhang Wei noticed Xiu Ying keeps avoiding his gaze.

Xiu Ying mumbles. "How can I not scared of you when you keep looking at me like you're going to eat me." His low voice still could be heard, as his voice echoed and they're sitting too close to each other.

Zhang Wei chuckles and it makes Xiu Ying glared at him. 'You already did me like this and now you dare to laugh?!'

"Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just you're so cute. Don't you know, your every existence is too mesmerizing. So beautiful. So sexy. I can't get enough of you. Even after we did a lot of time last night, I'm still..."

Xiu Ying frowns when Zhang Wei lefts his sentences hanging. But then his eyes bulge when he feels something hard poking his back. Xiu Ying's eyes tremble. Last night's scenes keep replaying in his head.

However, no matter how hard he tried to resist, the poor empress ends up being eaten by the beast emperor. The groans and moans lasted for a while.

The female servants quickly leave the imperial bedchamber while the guards who can't leave, can only take a deep breath and calming themselves down or humming a song loudly to distract their hearing.

When the emperor takes a step outside, his face is glowing and beaming. Meanwhile, the empress who is lying on the bed looks like his soul has left his body.

Zhang Wei reminds everyone not to disturb his empress. Only come into the room when the empress called them.

When it is almost lunchtime, Jing Yi tried to check on Xiu Ying. He slowly pushed open the door and peek his head over it. He walks inside when he saw Xiu Ying is awake but still lying flatly, staring in the air, in a daze.

Jing Yi calls him softly, "Your Highness?"

Xiu Ying has become the empress so it was inappropriate to call Xiu Ying as 'young master'. Jing Yi calls him a few times before he was jerked out of the trance.

"Ohh? Jing Yi..." With so much difficulty, Xiu Ying tried to sit up. Jing Yi quickly runs over to help him. When he sits up, the loosen robe reveals those purplish and bite marks all over his neck, collarbone and down to his chest.

With those kinds of marks and Xiu Ying's current condition, Jing Yi can't imagine how many times they did last night. Judging from the emperor's figure, Jing Yi bet he is an untamed beast in bed. Jing Yi sends his condolences to his master in his heart.

Jing Yi helps Xiu Ying to lean on the bedhead. Then he brings a tray of food to the bed. Even though it was less than twenty steps from the bed to the dining table, but to Xiu Ying, it feels like he is walking over a bed of embers.

When Xiu Ying is about to have his lunch, the door was opened and the emperor walks in with a big smile. Jing Yi quickly leaves the couple alone.

"What are you doing here? You just left and now you're back?" Xiu Ying squinted at his husband who casually takes a seat beside him.

"Having lunch with my wife." Zhang Wei takes the chopsticks, picks up the dishes and brings it to Xiu Ying's mouth.

No energy left to argue, Xiu Ying opens his mouth obediently. After lunch, the royal couple went to the imperial garden. Zhang Wei insisted to carry Xiu Ying in princess style. So Xiu Ying can only hide his face in the crook of Zhang Wei's neck. The servants who saw them can't help but turn "kyaaa!" mode.

Sitting in the gazebo, with Xiu Ying in Zhang Wei's arms, enjoying the breeze. How they wish every day is like this. Calming, unstressful, no problems to think of.

However, lives are not always beautiful. Even in a fairytale, the main character gonna went through bad days before getting their happily ever after.

.......

Inside the VIP room in Beauty House, four men are sitting together. Two of them look at the man with the highest position among them, then look at each other. The other one, calmly sipping his tea. Meanwhile, the man with the highest position, holding a portrait, caressing it and smiles like he was lovestruck.

"My Lord, you really like that portrait? Seems like you can't take your eyes off of it," said Yu Chenyi.

The man he called 'My Lord' was the regent of the South Empire, Yu Zhougong. Yu Zhougong is in his early 40s. He started to serve the previous emperor of the South Empire when he was just 20. Then, he climbs his way until he became a regent. The emperor is in his mid-20s. He was rumored to be illiterate and lascivious. Therefore, he was appointed as the regent and help to rule the South Empire.

He secretly came to Wu Empire after received an invitation from Yu Chenyi to witness the coronation of the empress. Openly came is out of the question as South Empire and Wu Empire don't have any diplomatic relationship. His presence as the regent of another country at the coronation will cause an uproar.

However, Yu Chenyi sent him a letter, inviting him to witness for himself as he mentioned Yu Zhougong won't regret coming from far. Yu Zhougong who is a distant cousin of Yu Chenyi and they also have a good relationship, came to see what is the thing that Yu Chenyi wanted to show him.

Yu Zhougong accompanied by his confidant, whom his most trusted minister, Zhu Jianmou. They disguised themselves as normal scholars. Yu Zhougong almost turns around to go home as he feels there is nothing special with the coronation. But not until the empress arrived.

After the empress getting off the sedan chair, revealing his stunning appearance, Yu Zhougong's eyes sparkled. His body burned with lust. All he thinks of ...

"I want him... "

"I want him under me... "

"I want him in my arms..."

"I want him to be mine!"

Since the first time he saw Xiu Ying, Yu Zhougong can't forget the beauty. He even asked a painter to paint a portrait of the empress.

Still caressing the portrait, Yu Zhougong said, "He's just too beautiful. I can never get enough looking at this portrait. How I wish I can take the real person with me this second..." He mumbles the last part.

Yu Chenyi chuckles. "Seems like cousin wants him to be one of your concubines?"

Yu Zhougong shakes his head. "No. Not just a concubine. I want him to be my legal wife. Someone like him should be given the highest position and not just concubine."

"What about your legal wife?"

Yu Zhougong has a legal wife and three concubines. Even with two women and two gers around him, he still spends his time at the brothel.

"Don't worry about her. She can just be my concubine. She can never go against me if she wants to live in luxury." He said nonchalantly.

"M- My Lord..." Huo Qubing, who came with Yu Chenyi, interrupts. "But he is the...empress. Not just any ger. H- How can..." He quickly shuts his mouth when Yu Zhougong sent a death glare at him.

"So what if he's the empress?! If I say I want him, then he must be mine! Even if I have to turn this empire upside down, I'm still gonna take him away!"

Huo Qubing shrinks his body. He knows the regent of the South Empire is someone that obsessed with beauty. Once he set a target on someone, that person can never escape. But this time is different. The target is the empress of an empire. Plus, it was wide-known how the emperor loves the empress so much. So how could they take the empress away?!

Zhu Jianmou stares at the guy beside him. He shakes his head. "Your Excellency, no need to be worried. There's nothing impossible for My Lord. You just need to follow what we told you and everything will be fine." He taps on Huo Qubing's shoulder.

Yu Chenyi ignored his scaredy-cat officer, then turn to Yu Zhougong. "So, you have a plan?"

Yu Zhougong brings the portrait closer to his lips.. He smirks.