Chapter 3: Flipping the Jade Tablet
2025 Words
Honestly, memories are ultimately illusions, far inferior to firsthand experience.
How could there be so many women, each more alluring than a painting, as radiant as the autumn moon, as beautiful as peach blossoms and plum blossoms, and all of them be concubines in his harem? What a dreamlike life!
For the first time, Xiang Yun understood the kind of enjoyment an emperor should receive.
Their ages were similar to Xiang Yun's, the youngest only sixteen, still quite naive.
According to his memories, not all of them had been favored by Xiang Yun; many were political marriages. In his previous life, Xiang Yun hadn't indulged in wine and women, so naturally, many hadn't shared a bed with him.
Now that Xiang Yun was emperor, the days of sharing a bed were even fewer. It was rare for Xiang Yun to be in such a mood today. Although being summoned and chosen like a commodity was somewhat humiliating, many were still somewhat excited, accepting their
fate. Xiang Yun was also experiencing this for the first time, but with the confidence of being emperor, he became bolder, and his playful nature was aroused.
Approaching the first beauty, Xiang Yun gently pinched her fair chin with his fingers, slightly lifting her head to get a clearer view of her face.
Xiang Yun remembered her name was Wang Jiaojiao, the same age as himself, the youngest daughter of the Prince Teng family, currently holding the rank of Imperial Concubine. She was also one of Xiang Yun's most favored consorts besides Empress Meiru'er.
"Your Majesty, am I pretty?"
Wang Jiaojiao's cold voice startled Xiang Yun from his reverie. Looking at her again, he noticed Wang Jiaojiao's expression was not pleasant, and her eyes seemed filled with contempt.
This look greatly displeased Xiang Yun. Just one of his wives, relying on her family's influence, she dared to be disrespectful to her husband? Although Xiang Yun was annoyed, he
didn't dwell on it. He could simply never favor her again, letting this arrogant woman die an old man in the harem!
"Just average," Xiang Yun smiled faintly, then moved on to the next woman.
Wang Jiaojiao's face turned deathly pale upon hearing this. She couldn't believe Xiang Yun would utter such humiliating words. Enraged, she snorted coldly and ignored Xiang Yun, striding away with her maids and eunuchs.
Xiang Yun paid no heed and continued admiring the next beauty. First, he looked at her face, then her figure, and as for her skin, it was all impeccably smooth and supple. After
looking at seven or eight in a row, Xiang Yun was incredibly excited. These were goddesses he had never dared to dream of before, and now he could choose them at will!
The feeling could be summed up in one word: amazing!
When he saw the last one, Xiang Yun's heart stirred. This person was named Zhen Rou, the third daughter of the eldest son of Zhen Dajin, the wealthiest merchant in the Great Sun Dynasty, and she had just turned sixteen this year.
Zhen Dajin's ancestors had been commoners for three generations, and in terms of social status, they had no right to attach themselves to the imperial power. However, by marrying into the family, she suddenly gained the noble status of a member of the royal family.
However, Zhen Dajin was incredibly capable of making money, single-handedly expanding the Zhen family's wealth to a level comparable to a nation's. Even when Xiang Yun's father was emperor, the Zhen family's wealth and resources were needed to support their wars, which gives you an idea of their immense riches.
Zhen Rou married into the family at the age of fifteen, and two years have passed since then, yet Xiang Yun has never touched her, and they've barely even met.
It was originally a political marriage; the Zhen family needed a noble status, and Zhen Rou was merely a sacrifice.
At the time, although Xiang Yun was a prince with little status, he still held a certain position and looked down on Zhen Rou, a commoner.
He felt even touching her would dirty his hands.
Now, Xiang Yun just wanted to laugh. Status didn't matter to him; he only laughed at his predecessor's mortal eyes for not recognizing her worth. This exceptional woman was now being given to him for free!
Why was Zhen Rou considered exceptional? Because when Xiang Yun lifted her chin and their eyes met, he could clearly feel Zhen Rou's body trembling involuntarily!
Her cheeks flushed visibly, almost to the point of bleeding, and her body temperature rose.
Xiang Yun had never seen such a shy woman before. The other beauties he had seen blushed, but none were as extreme as her.
Zhen Rou's sixteen-year-old figure, just beginning to develop, paired with her rosy cheeks, was utterly captivating.
Xiang Yun was overjoyed and teased Zhen Rou, touching her cheek, "It's you! Get ready tonight!"
"Ah!" Zhen Rou cried out in surprise, which made Xiang Yun like her even more. He asked, "What? You don't want to?"
Zhen Rou quickly waved her hands and said, "No, no, I'm willing!"
"That's good!" Xiang Yun nodded in satisfaction, glancing at the beauties. Suddenly, he frowned and looked at Yuan Ping beside him, asking, "That's not right. Including Consort Wang who left, there are only eleven. I remember there were twelve!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ping immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Qin... doesn't want to come!" Consort
Qin? As soon as Yuan Ping mentioned it, a beautiful figure appeared in Xiang Yun's mind.
In his memory, this Consort Qin was a wild and shrewish woman. Her full name was Qin Su, the eighth daughter of Qin Yu, the Minister of State.
She was not as elegant and gentle as her name suggested. Instead, she had a fiery temper and a fiery personality. Most importantly, she had practiced martial arts like a boy since childhood and was well-versed in military strategy, possessing excellent martial arts skills.
However, her father, Qin Yu, believed that women should learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting in their youth, and then dedicate themselves to being wives and mothers, in accordance with societal norms.
Qin Su, on the other hand, enjoyed martial arts, which Qin Yu disliked. Furthermore, she was two years older than Xiang Yun, which is why he married her to him.
In this world, marrying an older woman was considered a disgrace for a man, but Xiang Yun, to please the powerful minister Qin Yu, had no choice but to agree.
Later, Xiang Yun intended to vent his resentment on Qin Su, but on their wedding night, he didn't even get to consummate the marriage, let alone touch her hand. Instead, he suffered a beating and dared not leave the house for three days.
But all that had happened in the past seemed trivial to Xiang Yun now!
He now knew only that he was an emperor, and no one could bully him, especially not his wife!
Today, Xiang Yun would uphold his husbandly authority!
"She's gone too far! How dare she openly defy the imperial decree! I refuse to believe I can't deal with her!" Xiang Yun cursed and headed towards Qin Su's palace, following the route he remembered.
Yuan Ping quickly led a group of palace maids and eunuchs to follow, fearing something might happen.
Because Qin Su disliked Xiang Yun, she chose to live in the most secluded corner of the palace, the Yikun Palace, after moving in.
It took Xiang Yun more than twenty minutes to reach the gates of the Yikun Palace. He wasn't particularly angry at first, but the more he walked, the angrier he became. He felt increasingly looked down upon by this woman, and the humiliation made him very uncomfortable!
In addition, Qin Su was the daughter of Qin Yu, the Minister of State. Today in court, Qin Yu had no intention of standing up for him, so he transferred his hatred for Qin Yu to Qin Su.
Yuan Ping and the other palace maids and eunuchs arrived slowly, panting heavily, clearly exhausted from the long journey.
Xiang Yun's breathing was also somewhat rapid. This body wasn't particularly strong, and by this point, his legs were already aching and throbbing.
"All of you, wait outside for me. No matter what happens later, no one is to enter without my decree!"
After catching his breath, Xiang Yun violently kicked open the gate of Yikun Palace and strode in.
The palace maids guarding the gate were startled by the kick and were about to erupt in anger, but upon seeing that it was the emperor, they all knelt down to pay their respects. Xiang
Yun ignored them and walked straight into the house. As he walked to the backyard, he saw a beautiful figure with long hair, dressed in a bright red, tight-fitting training uniform, wielding a sword and dancing among the flowers, trees, and shrubs. Her body was covered in fragrant sweat. Every move she
made exuded a heroic aura. Her eyes were sharp, and the force of her sword strikes made the air ripple. It was clear at a glance that this person was a first-rate martial arts master.
But Xiang Yun wasn't afraid. No matter how strong the expert, she was still his wife. Today, he had to establish his authority as emperor. Otherwise, how could he maintain his dignity as emperor if he were constantly dominated by a woman?
Xiang Yun had been inside for quite some time, but Qin Su continued practicing her swordplay, showing no intention of paying him any attention. This was a clear show of force, which infuriated Xiang Yun.
He flicked his sleeves and walked straight towards Qin Su, letting the sword dance before him without any intention of retreating.
Qin Su, who had been practicing her swordplay, suddenly turned cold and swung her sword down at Xiang Yun. However, Xiang Yun didn't even flinch, letting the sword come crashing down on his head.
"Insolence!" At the critical moment, Xiang Yun shouted, and Qin Su instantly stopped, her sword now pressed against Xiang Yun's neck.
Xiang Yun's lips curled slightly as he looked directly at Qin Su and said softly, "In this world, you're the only woman who dares to hold a sword to her husband's throat, especially since her husband is an emperor!"
Despite Xiang Yun's calm and composed demeanor, he was actually terrified. He was terrified; if the sword had missed even the slightest angle, he would have been beyond saving. Cold sweat poured down his body.
Fortunately, Xiang Yun's gamble paid off. No matter how fierce and shrewish Qin Su was, she wouldn't dare kill him! Xiang
Yun believed that if Qin Su truly had such courage, she wouldn't have willingly become his wife, nor would she have wanted to remain in the palace. She would have already rebelled against the Qin family and wandered the world.
From this, Xiang Yun concluded that this seemingly powerful woman was all bark and no bite; her fierce appearance was merely a bluff. She wouldn't dare kill the emperor or her husband!
Qin Su's eyes remained cold, but her heart was filled with complex emotions. Looking at Xiang Yun's confident, smug, and fearless demeanor, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. She tightened her grip on her longsword and coldly asked, "Aren't you afraid of death?"
Xiang Yun, of course, ignored her. His expression turned cold, and he raised his voice slightly, rebuking her, "Outside, I am your sovereign; inside, I am your husband. Is this how you speak to me? Who taught you such manners!"
Qin Su narrowed her eyes, her lips pursed, and she reluctantly lowered her sword, bowing to Xiang Yun, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"
Then, Qin Su returned to her original posture, coldly mocking, "Originally, I didn't believe it when I heard that Your Majesty had single-handedly beheaded Liu Bu. But seeing Your Majesty's courage and majesty tonight, I do have some idea! May I ask what brings Your Majesty to Yikun Palace so late at night?"
- Writer
