The Emperor said nothing.
Yun Yi was terrified—she was still lying on top of him!
Her palm lightly cupped his cheek—that sharp jawline, the sensation strikingly clear, like the plaster bust in a sketching class.
She quickly patted Xiao Zhi’s face, her voice barely audible: “Someone’s here…”
Xiao Zhi opened his eyes and met Yun Yi’s gaze.
In the darkness, every sense was amplified.
Yun Yi’s throat moved—she swallowed, guilty as a thief.
The attendant led Imperial Physician Zhou to the side of the dragon bed.
Yun Yi let go, but to her surprise, the Emperor’s arm locked around her back. Heat kept radiating toward her. She kicked wildly, trying to scramble to the other side of the bed.
The imperial pillow was kicked away.
With the barrier between them removed… that certain part became even more conspicuous.
In the information-explosion era of the 21st century, even a “theoretical giant and practical dwarf” like Yun Yi knew exactly what that meant.
She nearly bit her teeth through, whispering: “Pervert. You sick pervert.”
His low voice came by her ear: “There’s something wrong with the hot spring.”
Yun Yi froze.
The spring water had been laced with that kind of drug? She had bathed in it too, but in the form of the imperial seal—perhaps that had spared her?
The Emperor was a different story—every breath he exhaled was scorching, his arms wrapped tightly around her.
The attendant held a candle in one hand and reached out the other, his fingertips parting the bed curtains.
The candlelight pried open a gap.
Yun Yi was about to squint when a thin silk sleeve covered her—the Emperor bent his arm to shield her head.
“Your Majesty.” Imperial Physician Zhou was kneeling, yet his boldness was astonishing—he unashamedly peered through the gap. “This old minister shall now…”
Two fingers extended from the curtains, a silver glint flickering at their tips. In the blink of an eye, something flew out and knocked over a bronze lamp.
The impact was tremendous—the lantern-bearing maid fell to the ground.
Guards seemed to materialize from nowhere, dragging her into the corner.
The imperial guard commander: “This humble officer is late to your defense.”
At the sudden upheaval, Imperial Physician Zhou trembled: “I—Your Majesty—”
The Emperor indeed favored eunuchs.
Just now, when the imperial hand had emerged from the curtains, Zhou had caught the silhouette of a eunuch on the dragon bed.
He couldn’t make out the face—the Emperor had shielded him with his sleeve.
Wang Delan rushed frantically to the Emperor’s side, his legs weak.
“Your Majesty, this servant doesn’t know how he slept through…” Wang Delan’s gaze shifted to the bound attendant. “Dare to attempt regicide? You’re asking for death!”
From afar came the faint sound of three wooden clappers—the third watch of the night.
The Emperor had no intention of conducting an all-night interrogation. His throat burned like fire: “…Take him away.”
Wang Delan: “Is Your Majesty feeling unwell? Perhaps Imperial Physician Zhou could take your pulse.”
Xiao Zhi half-sat up. Yun Yi rolled to the side, stiff as a corpse.
He covered her with the brocade quilt. Like a corpse finding its proper grave, she finally relaxed.
Xiao Zhi: “…”
The curtain was lifted at one corner. By the candlelight, Xiao Zhi clearly saw Imperial Physician Zhou’s face and extended his hand toward him.
Zhou made as if to take the pulse, but his eyes still roamed restlessly toward the dragon bed, trying to make out the dark shape within.
A gust of wind rose from nowhere.
Followed by a miserable shriek.
Imperial Physician Zhou had lost half his face.
The Emperor gripped a dagger, its blade dripping blood.
Yun Yi was startled by the scream and tried to poke her head out from under the quilt.
Smack. The Emperor’s free hand pressed down on the quilt’s edge, refusing to let her out.
She was buried in a soft mass of cloud-pattern brocade, cut off from the old physician’s agonized howls.
Xiao Zhi’s voice grew ethereal: “It hurts, doesn’t it?”
“Ahhh…” Imperial Physician Zhou clutched his face, blood streaming through his fingers. “It hurts… I—Your Majesty, have mercy!”
“Where is Imperial Physician Zhou?” The Emperor leaned half his body out from the curtains. The earlier flush had vanished; his brows and eyes were cold and sharp, his profile rendered starkly sinister by the candlelight.
No one understood what he meant.
Imperial Physician Zhou stammered: “This—this old minister is here!”
“I’ll give you one more chance. If you don’t confess, the face you’re hiding behind… won’t stay intact much longer.”
Yun Yi recalled that Imperial Physician Zhou had treated her before—a kindly old man. Why was Xiao Zhi handling him like this? She dug open the brocade quilt and peeked out.
Good heavens.
Was the tyrant a master roast-duck chef? He had sliced off a clean, square patch of the physician’s face. Looking closer, the remaining skin no longer fit as snugly as before—like a human-skin face mask, barely clinging on.
It was disguise art?!
That wasn’t Imperial Physician Zhou at all?!
The man clutched his face, stumbling backward, but the imperial guard commander restrained him.
Xiao Zhi was dissatisfied and moved to get out of bed, but something tugged at him from behind. He turned—a corner of his nightgown was tightly gripped by a hand.
Was she afraid?
Was she stopping him from using torture?
Come to think of it, her courage was indeed rather small.
The Emperor sat back on the dragon bed and ordered: “Take him away. Interrogate him thoroughly.”
The palace attendants bustled about, and finally the scent of blood was covered by the pleasant aroma of ebony sandalwood.
The bedchamber fell silent once more.
As Xiao Zhi’s strength ebbed, that surging, unrestrained tide assailed him again. The tall man slumped, leaning against the bed with his knees drawn up.
“…You didn’t want me to punish the physician?”
“You’re the Emperor—you call the shots,” Yun Yi replied.
“Then why did you stop me?”
Yun Yi’s tone was straightforward and blunt: “I was afraid you’d… you know, be seen like that. Even an emperor needs to save face.”
Her gaze turned tangible. Xiao Zhi followed her line of sight—down to his own body.
The passion he had barely suppressed was rearing its head once more.
“Stop looking!” He lost his composure and lunged forward.
“Hey—mmph—”
Yun Yi was tightly wrapped in the brocade quilt by Xiao Zhi.
Her round head was embedded in the soft cloud-pattern brocade, only a wisp of black hair spilling over the edge of the quilt—like a sesame-filled tangyuan with its filling leaking out.
“I—” She tried to struggle.
“No talking.” Xiao Zhi lay down on his side.
The person on the bed was like a silkworm cocoon, those little bubbles of romance popping one by one.
The Emperor wrapped his arms around her, quilt and all. When her hands moved, he held tighter. When her legs kicked, he simply hooked one long leg over her.
Head and tail, both firmly pinned—Yun Yi couldn’t move an inch.
“Sleep.”
“…”
The night stretched on.
The person in his arms breathed steadily, sinking into deep sleep.
Only he couldn’t sleep, alone in the darkness fighting off the aphrodisiac poison in his system.
Since childhood, he had always slept alone.
Yet somehow, having her occupy half the bed like a bandit queen seemed acceptable.
The man had used disguise art to pose as the Emperor’s most trusted physician, Imperial Physician Zhou—clearly sent by someone to gather evidence of the Emperor’s preference for men.
He kept away from women, and even normal physical urges could be suppressed with his inner strength.
It seemed he had never truly liked anyone before.
Xiao Zhi restrainedly brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead. Disturbed from her sweet dream, Yun Yi mumbled “go away,” her lips parting slightly and staying that way.
For a moment, Xiao Zhi suspected drool might drip from the corner of her mouth.
So ugly.
How could he possibly like her?
“Hoo… rrr…” Her snores grew heavier.
In this world, with all kinds of people, no one would like a woman who snored.
He certainly wouldn’t.
His mind denied it, but his hand honestly patted her back.
His eyelids grew heavy, his mind hazy—as if slowly sinking into a soft cloud. He murmured: “Pig… stop snoring…”
.
“Thank you, Sister Lian’er, but I can dress myself.”
Yun Yi politely declined Yu Lian’er’s help with her clothes. This life of having clothes put on her and food brought to her mouth—she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to adjust once she returned to the modern era.
Walking into the garden of the retreat palace, she saw Little Bat feeding the rabbit with hay.
Seeing Yun Yi running over with her eunuch sleeves flapping, Little Bat said with disapproval: “Not attending to His Majesty, and still slacking off.”
“You’re slacking off too, aren’t you?” Yun Yi didn’t bother arguing with him.
“His Majesty assigned me specifically to feed Little Round.” Little Bat said with full confidence.
Little Round recognized Yun Yi and bounded toward her.
“Tch, just a rabbit keeper, and you’re acting all high and mighty.” Yun Yi pulled a packet of dried fruit from her sleeve and handed it over. “Want some?”
Little Bat immediately dropped to his knees: “Whatever Lord Yun commands, this servant will do!”
One packet of dried fruit was enough to buy a man’s loyalty.
Loyalty could also be worth ten thousand gold.
In the retreat palace dungeon.
“The Dowager Empress promised you the position of Imperial Hospital Director—is a mere fifth-rank post worth such a risk?”
The physician’s half-face had blood congealed on it. His hands and feet were bound, unable to move.
“This minister wishes to know… how did Your Majesty see through it?”
Xiao Zhi was calm: “Imperial Physician Zhou has a limp when he walks—I naturally know it. Most of those old fellows in the Imperial Hospital are the same, their legs not so steady. Only the most junior, Physician Zhang, walks with a brisk stride.”
Physician Zhang’s supposedly flawless disguise plan had been full of holes before the Emperor.
The Emperor paid him no more attention and walked to the side.
The palace attendant who had led Physician Zhang into the bedchamber last night was bound tightly.
The imperial guard commander, acting out of character, grabbed the man by the hair, forcing him to kneel with his head raised toward the supreme ruler.
“Ahem… favoring eunuchs is a sign of a dying dynasty.”
“That little eunuch who climbed into the dragon bed will die without a burial—”
The Emperor kicked him.
“Administer the poison.”
A bucket of cold water was poured over the attendant, releasing a strange, exotic fragrance.
This poison originated from the Northern Di—used as an aphrodisiac.
An ordinary person struck by this poison, without relief, would suffer from maddening desire, overwhelming lust, forcing them to engage with another.
The attendant’s face flushed rapidly. Beneath his body, it felt as if thousands of ants were crawling—scorching and unbearable.
But he was a eunuch—how could he relieve this poison?
The Emperor waved his hand and left the storeroom casually.
Physician Zhang, locked in the same place, had also been dosed with the same aphrodisiac.
Face flushed, Physician Zhang stumbled two steps and lunged at the attendant.
“Ah…”
“Mmph…”
Screams drifted across Fuyun Ridge, startling a flock of mountain birds into flight.
.
On the official road down the mountain.
The princess looked toward the imposing imperial carriage ahead: “Little Chair, Little Chair~ come ride with me!”
Sure enough, the carriage curtain was lifted, and half a eunuch’s head poked out.
Xiao Qingzhu waved her little handkerchief even more enthusiastically: “Come on, come on!”
In an instant, two slender fingers reached out from the side and hooked that head back inside. The hand curled and made a throat-slitting gesture toward Xiao Qingzhu.
“…” So impressive!
Inside the imperial carriage, Yun Yi smoothed her hair, her eyes darting around before meeting Xiao Zhi’s gaze, which carried immense pressure.
Yun Yi guessed he was upset about the physician incident last night.
When subordinates disobey and stab their boss in the back, no one can smile about that.
“Don’t wear eunuch’s clothes anymore,” Xiao Zhi ordered.
Yun Yi smoothed down her employee uniform and joked casually: “Then what should I wear? Would you let me wear your dragon robe?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the Emperor’s face swiftly turned cold, devoid of expression.
The carriage wheels ground against the official road, repeating their monotonous rhythm.
Inside the imperial carriage, silence reigned.
Yun Yi swallowed hard—this mouth of hers!
Truly, disaster comes from careless words.
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