Chapter 51 — Stallion ML Meltdown (3) | I, Your Emperor, Do Not Swing That Way!!!
The entire court froze at the whiplash turn of events.
The Ninth Princess had always been the apple of His Majesty’s eye. No matter what trouble she caused, the emperor smoothed it over. With her temper, she should have been torn apart by angry nobles a dozen times by now, yet she always landed softly.
But today she chilled the emperor’s heart. The daughter he carried in his palm was willing to sever ties with her father for a man she had known for only a few months.
“Take the unnamed offender away. He is never to set foot in the imperial city again,” Xing Ge said.
The ministers traded glances. When His Majesty used “unnamed,” he was truly enraged.
“If anyone dares to knowingly break this rule and bring him back,” the emperor added, pausing before the final decree, “even if they are of imperial blood… They will still be executed without exception.”
With that, the guards had no scruples left. They seized the Ninth Princess by the arms and led her from the hall. She had never truly considered that the father who doted on her might actually cut her off. By the time she came to her senses, they had already dragged her a long way.
She suddenly remembered Han Qian, who had been left behind in the hall, and shouted, “Insolence! You dogs, unhand this princess at once!”
The two guards kept marching, heads down. His Majesty’s order had been absolute; they did not dare disobey.
In a panic, the Ninth Princess tried the techniques she had learned, but she was far too weak. The guards subdued her without breaking a sweat.
Injured and furious, she cursed, “Filthy slaves! Believe it or not, I will have Father chop off your hands! How dare you treat me like this, tired of living, are you?”
The older, more seasoned guard on the right had endured her shrieking long enough. He could not help retorting, “What princess? His Majesty stripped you of your title before the entire court. You are nothing but an unnamed commoner now. Once outside, you no longer have the right to bear the surname Yan. What airs are you putting on?”
Truth be told, none of them had much affection for this princess who so often roused His Majesty’s wrath. Not long ago, a man looked at her twice, and she had his eyes gouged out for it, earning the hatred of a master alchemist at the Nascent Soul stage. Instead of apologizing, she insulted the elder.
His Majesty loved his daughter and fought that Nascent Soul alchemist to save her life. He won, but paid the price with lasting injuries that kept him from advancing to Nascent Soul himself.
And this was a man with the most gifted single fire spiritual root, a Golden Core formed in two centuries, his future limitless until that incident. Since then, a hundred years had passed with no progress.
At the root of it all was the Ninth Princess with little ability but loved causing trouble everywhere.
Now that she had lost her title, perhaps the chaos would finally stop.
Leaving her struggle with the guards aside, back in the Taiji Hall, Xing Ge rubbed her chin and studied Han Qian standing below the dais.
Judged by looks alone, this “male lead” could only be considered handsome at best. The Grand Chancellor standing a short distance away, age one hundred and forty, was actually more handsome and far more compelling.
Ahem. That might have revealed a bit too much.
As if sensing the gaze from above, the chancellor lifted his head slightly. Those phoenix eyes, full of languid charm, skimmed the emperor’s face.
Like warm jade catching the light, ripples shimmered.
Holy sh*t, Chancellor! What exactly is that look supposed to mean?
Xing Ge hurriedly lowered her eyes and composed her face into imperial serenity.
Hmph. As a central soul dedicated to world peace, how could she be so shallow as to covet the chancellor’s beauty?
╮(╯_╰)╭
Putting on a stern expression, she fixed her gaze on the male lead.
Han Qian’s eyes were restless, repeatedly darting toward the chests of the female officials.
He thought he was being very secretive, forgetting this was a world of cultivators. The ministers perceived his every twitch with crystal clarity.
Feeling his stare on their bodies, the women flushed with embarrassment and swallowed their disgust. They could not fathom how the Ninth Princess had fallen for such a brazen, shameless hooligan.
Thankfully, His Majesty’s voice spared them further indignity.
“You are the young master from Lin Family Town?”
Han Qian was not surprised the emperor knew his identity. Future son-in-law and all. Of course there would be inquiries.
He puffed out his chest and said arrogantly, “I am. What instruction does Your Majesty have?”
The civil and military officials collectively sucked in a breath. Such insolence.
Han Qian sneered at their reaction.
These slaves oppressed under imperial power could not bear anyone who challenged the throne’s authority. In his view, even the Son of Heaven was just a sack of flesh and blood. Who was truly nobler than whom?
Xing Ge’s eye twitched.
So this male lead came with a “blindingly arrogant” attribute package?
To flaunt such pride before a monarch?
Any one of the ministers in Taiji Hall could crush him like an ant.
Then again, he was the protagonist. A standout personality was required. Otherwise, how would he differ from Passerby A or B? Protagonists also tended to have a near-death immunity halo, which made their courage… unusual.
To Xing Ge, this junior daring to butt heads with her was bold to the point of dripping oil.
Heh. Perfect. Her hands were itching anyway.
Come, little cutie. Let your emperor teach you a valuable life lesson.
She was about to bare her fangs when the chancellor coughed lightly below.
In an instant, she shifted back into the image of a calm, dignified, poised, noble, and aloof sovereign, smoothing a hand over her clean-shaven chin.
“Han Qian, this is the Taiji Hall, the holiest place in Yan. Only court officials may tread here. You are a commoner who forced his way in. Do you realize that alone is a capital crime?”
Before he could speak, Xing Ge continued, “Second. The princess is already betrothed. The wedding was set for early spring next year. All under heaven in Yan know this. You knowingly interfered. It does not matter who initiated it. I will have you executed, to give the Cheng family an account.”
“Third. You just now profaned my female officials with your eyes. Yan is a nation ruled by propriety. Only the worthy know shame and etiquette. You are past twenty, yet you cannot manage the most basic respect for women, and even dared flirt openly in the Taiji Hall. ell me, how should I deal with you?”
Han Qian’s expression changed. “That is not fair. The princess dragged me here. I could not refuse someone of her status. And just now, I did not look—”
“In my presence, who gave you the right to say ‘I’? Your family? Your strength? Or what status of yours?” The emperor leaned lazily against the jade throne. The pearls on the crown fringe swayed gently.
Through the bead curtain, she watched with amusement as the male lead’s face went from green to white.
Oh dear. He had not been particularly good-looking to begin with. This was even worse.
For some reason, she felt she could eat an extra bowl of rice tonight.
Han Qian choked down his pride. “This commoner overstepped. I beg Your Majesty’s pardon.”
“To know a fault and amend it is the greatest good.”
Xing Ge could not resist. Little finger lifted, she picked at her ear. The chancellor’s gaze slid over again.
Xing Ge: “…”
Under those razor-sharp eyes, she felt her majestic emperor persona cracking.
Xing Ge, internally tearing up: This is all the male lead’s fault!
Han Qian: …
He opened his mouth to say more, but Xing Ge cut him off. “However, while you escape the death penalty, you cannot escape punishment. Your offenses are numerous. Even as one of my people, you will not be indulged. Guards, one hundred beatings, then throw him in the heavenly prison.”
She added, “And gag him. Do not frighten the female officials.”
This time the guards were even faster. Without a word they pinned the male lead’s arms, stuffed a white cloth of unknown origin into his mouth, and dragged him away.
The sound of boards striking echoed from outside the hall.
Han Qian’s eyes reddened as he glared at the doorway, as if he could hack the figure on the throne into a thousand pieces by force of will alone. It was his first time being flogged, and with an ordinary mortal’s body no less. It was worse than death.
The source of his torment was that man standing at the pinnacle of Yan.
One day, he swore, that lofty figure would pay a hundredfold.
Xing Ge had no time for the male lead’s rage and despair.
She herself was a clay idol crossing a river, barely staying afloat.
Ahem. Chancellor, about that smoldering gaze you keep aiming at me… have you considered the feelings of the beautiful female officials at your side?
I, your emperor, do not swing that way!!!
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