Chapter 199: Scheming Puppy, Getting His Way and Still Playing Coy

First impressions are very important, like the one Xiao Yang had of Xu Xingchen.

Xu Xingchen had soft, pale skin and looked like a fluffy steamed bun—well-behaved and adorable. At the time, Xiao Yang was going through a wild phase, so at first sight, she saw him as a fluffy little Samoyed.

She wasn’t a big fan of keeping pets herself—lacking the patience and perseverance for poop-scooping duty—but she loved watching other people raise them.

But this little puppy, Xu Xingchen, required no care or feeding, didn’t shed, was clean, and was obedient. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him.

Because she had cast Xu Xingchen in the roles of "little pervert" and "little pet," Xiao Yang’s doting fondness for him was obvious to all.

Even when his gaze was brazen, tinged with a morbid greed, she was completely accepting of it.

Xu Xingchen wasn’t very expressive, so he simply followed Xiao Yang’s every step. In her eyes, he was just a little puppy trotting along the imperial path.

They hadn’t seen each other in months, and he had traveled through the night just to see her. Even though she had already been preparing for bed, Xiao Yang stayed up with him for two hours.

They drank tea, chatted, and she listened to him report on various matters.

They talked until midnight before Xiao Yang finally sent him back to get some sleep.

"I’m back now. We’ll have plenty of time to see each other in the future. There’s no need to rush."

Xu Xingchen didn’t want to leave. He wanted to remind her of their agreement, but when he saw the fatigue in her eyes, he swallowed his words.

"Your Majesty, please rest well. I shall take my leave."

Xu Xingchen reluctantly left. He washed up and went to rest, though whether he actually slept was anyone’s guess. In any case, he appeared outside Xiao Yang’s door first thing the next morning.

"Your Majesty."

Xiao Yang: "..."

’Is this separation anxiety, pet-style?’

"Come in and eat."

Xu Xingchen obediently sat beside Xiao Yang, eating only from the small portion of food directly in front of him. Unable to watch any longer, Xiao Yang began to place food in his bowl. In response, he ate whatever she gave him.

Xiao Yang was speechless again. ’It really feels like I’m feeding a puppy.’

When Xiao Hong came to see Xiao Yang, he paused for a moment at the sight of Xu Xingchen but didn’t find it particularly strange. However, when it was time to depart, he himself was getting on horseback. Why, then, was Xu Xingchen getting into Her Majesty’s carriage?

After they had been traveling for a while, something finally dawned on Xiao Hong. He leaned toward his father in shock. "I get the Regent King and Mu Yunlian, but on what grounds does this Xu guy get special treatment?"

A male emperor has a vast harem, so it was only natural for a female emperor to take several male consorts.

Xiao Hong and the others had seen enough to tacitly accept that the Regent King and Mu Yunlian were Her Majesty’s men. After all, one had held power for years and given his full support, while the other was wealthy enough to rival a nation, providing funds, people, and supplies.

No matter how you looked at it, this young master, Xu Xingchen, just didn’t seem to be in the same league.

But Prince Jing saw things differently. "Power isn’t the only measure of ability. Xu Xingchen is a master in a different arena. If you look down on him, feel free to try and provoke him."

Xiao Hong recalled Xu Xingchen’s reputation at the Ministry of Justice, and suddenly, his own opinion didn’t seem so important anymore.

Prince Jing continued, "Behind Xu Xingchen stands not just the Xu Family, but all the Civil Servant Families and noble families of Da Wei. The Regent King is politics, Mu Yunlian is wealth, Li Wei is the military, and Xu Xingchen is the civil administration."

As a member of her family and a loyal supporter of the Emperor, Prince Jing was very satisfied with these four men. He had previously despised Mu Yunlian for kidnapping the Emperor, which had caused him to suffer greatly.

But Mu Yunlian had simply given too much. Especially during the campaign against Beimeng, he had single-handedly provided the supplies for an army of 200,000. That sum, converted to gold, would be enough to bury dozens of men like him.

No matter how wronged Prince Jing had felt before, he didn’t think his personal suffering was worth that much. He couldn’t help but be satisfied.

Xiao Hong was confused. ’Doesn’t General Li seem a bit out of place in that group?’

------

Inside the carriage, Xu Xingchen gazed at Xiao Yang with wide, pleading eyes, as if terrified she might disappear.

But he hadn’t slept the previous night. With the swaying of the carriage, his eyelids began to grow heavy as he watched her, until finally, his head started to nod.

Some people are cute without realizing it, which makes them utterly irresistible.

Xiao Yang had been reading memorials, but her gaze was unwittingly drawn to him. She watched him nod off for a while, his head bobbing like a chick pecking at grain, until he finally couldn’t fight it any longer and slumped to the side.

Xiao Yang reached out to steady his head, and he fell soundly asleep against her palm.

She let out a soft, exasperated laugh, shifted closer, and rested his head on her lap before returning to her memorials.

After another hour and a half, they arrived at their resting place for noon.

Xiao Yang set down the memorial and pinched his soft, pale cheek. "If you’re awake, get up. My legs have gone numb."

Only then did a certain someone "drowsily" open his eyes and sit up. "Your Majesty, how did I fall asleep...? Your Majesty, please forgive me."

Xiao Yang watched him with a teasing look. ’So now he remembers to beg for forgiveness? He didn’t seem to feel so guilty when he woke up but decided to keep lounging on my lap, did he?’

There was a faint pink mark on Xu Xingchen’s pale cheek from being pressed, making him look like an adorable peach.

Xiao Yang reached out and poked it. "You little schemer. Got what you wanted and now you’re playing innocent."

Xu Xingchen meekly let her poke his cheek. Beneath his limpid, watery eyes, a paranoid, morbid obsession was breeding wildly. ’He had schemed, yes, but hadn’t Her Majesty indulged him?’

He didn’t know what Her Majesty’s feelings for him were, but he would definitely take advantage of her indulgence and push his luck, taking a mile for every inch she gave.

Since they were on the road, lunch was a simple affair. They would reach the Capital City by evening.

After her meal, Xiao Yang didn’t immediately return to the carriage. Instead, she walked out onto a mountain path, looking down from her high vantage point at the endless green mountains stretching into the distance.

Being so close to the Capital City, there were many homes scattered beyond the mountains. At this hour, smoke from kitchen chimneys curled into the air, painting a picture of lively, everyday life.

Down on the plains, fertile fields were plowed into neat plots. Though they were still bare of crops, the sight was pleasant to the eye.

Prince Jing walked over, a gratified look on his face. "Ever since Your Majesty dealt with the corrupt officials and reduced the land tax, the common people have been able to enjoy a good year."

Xiao Yang saw his expression and didn’t have the heart to tell him that her wistful look wasn’t for the people’s welfare. Rather, she was lamenting that she was about to be locked up in the Imperial Palace again and was just seizing her last chance for a breath of fresh air.

’Being the Emperor feels like being in prison.’

The procession set off again, and by dusk, they finally reached the Capital City.

They saw the city gates from a distance, where a vast sea of people had gathered.

Grand Tutor Xu, Prime Minister Song, and Xiao Lv waited at the gates with all the civil and military officials. The head of the procession parted to either side, allowing the imperial carriage to advance until it stopped about ten meters from the officials.

"We, your humble officials, welcome Your Majesty back to the capital!"

"We, your humble officials, welcome Your Majesty back to the capital!"

Seeing this, the surrounding commoners spontaneously knelt as well.

Xiao Yang did not alight from her carriage. She simply drew aside the curtain and watched the scene from within.

Her gaze swept past the three men at the front to land on the officials behind them. Her languid voice was laced with an unreadable amusement. "While I was away, I hear you all had a very good time."

The crowd lowered their heads, and no one dared to speak.

"Are you all tired of being officials? So much so that you thought you could bully my own uncle?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Jing let out a couple of indignant snorts. Oh, how wronged he had been!

The carriage moved forward, and all the officials rose, parting to form a path.

As the carriage passed, Xiao Yang lifted the curtain to look at Xiao Lv, a faint smile on her face. "Brother, you’ve worked hard."

Her gaze then swept over the other two. "My thanks to you both as well."

Xiao Lv was taken aback. ’A public word of thanks... The Emperor still knew exactly how to win people over.’ Just like that, much of his resentment dissipated.

And although the other two felt like they were included as an afterthought, this special mention from the Emperor, setting them apart from the rest, was still deeply appreciated.

The three men bowed with cupped hands. "It is merely our duty."