Zhou Ye bashed the wooden dummy’s arms and broke it into half with a strike of his palm. His body steamed from the intense training he had been doing for the past hour.

That damn Qi Ming prince purposefully made suspicious moves for him to run his tail around only to find nothing. His search for whatever Qian Jin’s weakness Xue Lan had in his hands also didn’t bear any result.

The Emperor had called for him once for injuring his lover and the next time it happened, he would certainly be sent away from the capital.

Tian Chen was becoming more and more hopeless.

He didn’t know how or what Xue Lan seduced him with, but the Emperor would gift him flowers every morning and jewellery every night.

Each flower was fresher than the other and each piece of jewellery was more precious than its prior.

His meal significantly changed to match his lover’s taste. He ordered for Qi Ming palace to be demolished except for Xue Lan’s old residence which would be expanded to be their summer villa.

Any officials who advised him to keep a distance from Xue Lan or spoke ill of his beloved would have their tongues cut off.

Fearing the country would be ruined by his infatuation, the officials begged for him to promote one of the consorts to be an Empress so that he could create an heir. It was agitating that after more than 5 years of his reign, none of the women he slept with in the past bore his children.

Tian Chen’s health was undoubtable, so the problem was with his harem. The eunuchs secretly conducted a fertility test and were frightened to find that none of the women in the harem was capable of bearing children.

Their wombs had been damaged by a deeply embedded poison that could only be the result of consuming said toxic for a long period of time.

Who could do such a thing?

Was the Emperor aware of this?

Was he not planning to create any heir at all?

They were further appalled by Tian Chen’s reply to their report.

“Then there will be no different whether We choose a male or female Empress,” Tian Chen’s adoring laughter sent chills down everyone’s spine.

“Your Majesty, we implore you to reconsider!” the eunuchs and officials desperately kowtowed.

“Reconsider what?” Tian Chen tapped on his armrest, clearly unamused.

“This official would like to suggest holding a selection for an Empress candidate,” one of the officials in the front bravely said.

“The harem has been considerably empty, so we can take this opportunity to refill them as well,” another one chimed in.

“Your Majesty, please do not let your fondness end the dragon bloodline. However deep your love is for the Honorable Prince, he is not capable of bearing descendences of your dragon bloodline.”

Tian Chen’s tapping stopped.

The eerie silence made everyone break into cold sweats. But for the sake of the country, it was their job to risk their life dissuading the Emperor from making any bad decisions.

Tian Chen was about to say something when he noticed the door to the hall seemed to move. A bad feeling bubbled up in his stomach and he rushed away from his seat.

“Y-Your Majesty?” the Head Eunuch was bewildered and chased after him. “The morning court–”

“Dismissed,” Tian Chen stopped and looked at the Head Eunuch with a layer of frost. “And cut off their tongues.”

The Head Eunuch fearfully bowed until Tian Chen’s footsteps were no longer heard.

Tian Chen asked the guards by the door if there was anyone just now and they told him that Xue Lan came by with breakfast a few minutes ago but didn’t want to disturb him.

Afraid that Xue Lan heard the officials’ words, Tian Chen hurriedly searched for Xue Lan. He must’ve come because he took longer than usual.

Without Mo Shen’s assistance, Xue Lan couldn’t have gotten far with his own legs. He had offered several servants for Xue Lan to choose from but none could satisfy his standards.

He searched for more than 10 minutes and finally found the pitiful figure by the stone garden.

It seemed like he tripped on a rock and fell. The breakfast he brought spilt out from their boxes to the ground.

Tian Chen’s heart ached from the sight and quickly knelt by Xue Lan’s side to help him up, “My love, are you hurt?”

Xue Lan brushed his hand away, “I’m fine, Your Majesty.”

Tian Chen wanted to grab Xue Lan’s hands back only to find the cuts and blisters on his previously flawless fingers.

He froze.

Did he…cook this for him himself?

Xue Lan seemed to notice his gaze and hid his hands under his sleeves, “Please do not mind me and return to court, Your Majesty.”

“You are my priority at any time of the day,” Tian Chen carefully held Xue Lan’s wrists. “I cannot leave you like this, can I?”

“Stop confusing my heart, Your Majesty,” Xue Lan tried to retrieve his hands back. “I thought…I…We…”

Tian Chen stopped Xue Lan’s stuttering with a kiss. The more Xue Lan struggled in his arms, the deeper he kissed him until the other stopped resisting.

“You misunderstand. Those officials were only spouting nonsense and I never intend to listen. I have cut off their tongues as a punishment,” Tian Chen explained.

Xue Lan’s erratic breathing gradually calmed down.

“I will completely clear out my harem for you if you wish so. They are worthless to me anyway,” Tian Chen tidied up Xue Lan’s hair. “You are my one and only treasure.”

The two of them stared at each other. Tian Chen couldn’t resist kissing Xue Lan one more time and pulled him into a hug.

“I am overjoyed,” Tian Chen chuckled. “I thought I am the only one who love you enough to feel jealousy.”

“How can I be jealous?” Xue Lan gloomily said. “It is true that I cannot bear your child. I do not have any right to be.”

“Do not say that,” Tian Chen stroked Xue Lan’s back. “We have given our hearts to each other. You have every right to harbour such emotion.”

He let Xue Lan go and looked at the spoiled food next to them. Without any hesitation, he picked a fairly clean, intact eggroll and ate it.

“Your Majesty!” Xue Lan reached out to stop Tian Chen but he was too late.

“It is delicious,” Tian Chen smiled.

“It is dirty,” Xue Lan refuted.

“How can a food created by the lovely hands of my beloved be dirty?” Tian Chen kissed Xue Lan’s hand.

Still, he was stopped by Xue Lan from eating more. He teased him by pretending to get some a few more times and watched in adoration how the man did his best to block his hands.

He appeased Xue Lan when he sulked and carefully picked him up from the ground.

As he was brought back to his residence by Tian Chen, Xue Lan noticed the figure observing him with sharp eyes from behind the trees. Xue Lan smiled crookedly at him.

Zhou Ye gritted his teeth and decided to do his last resort tonight.

At night, Xue Lan entered his sleeping chamber and sat down on his bed. He raised his hand to take off his crown when a blade silently arrived on his neck.

Xue Lan slowly lowered his hand, “General Zhou, I suppose you are a fan of nightly visits?”

“Shut up. Your attendant is not here to protect you and I’ve gotten rid of that little shadow of yours,” Zhou Ye pressed the dagger until blood trickled down Xue Lan’s neck. He tugged back Xue Lan’s hair roughly, “Say it. How do you plan to destroy Qian Jin? Why are you seducing the Emperor?”

“Saying it as a plan is quite inaccurate, General,” Xue Lan’s lips curved mysteriously. “Everything is already done. All that is left to do–”

Xue Lan snapped his fingers.

“–Is for me to break it.”

Zhou Ye narrowed his eyes, “You’re lying, aren’t you? You’re just toying with me while you climb the Emperor’s bed to rule Qian Jin behind the scenes.”

“If you think so, go ahead and kill me,” Xue Lan looked at Zhou Ye challengingly.

“I won’t fall for that,” Zhou Ye threw Xue Lan further up the bed. “Instead, I’ll sober the Emperor’s mind from your bewitchment.”

“So rough. No wonder your wife refuses to make a second child with you,” Xue Lan chuckled.

Zhou Ye’s eyebrows tightened, “You–”

“Don’t worry. I won’t threaten you with your family since I don’t have one for you to threaten me with. You are all going to die before new year anyway,” Xue Lan took off his crown and laid on the bed seductively.

“What do you mean by that?” Zhou Ye was alarmed.

“You talk too much in bed.”

Zhou Ye stabbed his dagger right next to Xue Lan’s face, “Believe me, you’ll want me to keep talking after this.”