Chapter 282: No Feelings

Chapter 282: Chapter 281: No Feelings

“Mmm~”

“Your Majesty, be gentle.”

Inside Zichen Palace, red silk covered the floor and candlelight flickered.

On the Dragon Bed, Rong Yin’s hair was a mess as he leaned back against the pillows, letting Her Majesty do as she pleased with him.

His head was tilted back, accepting all the pleasure and torment Her Majesty bestowed upon him.

Today, the moment that rope—the one he no longer dared to hope for—pulled taut, all his anxiety and unease vanished in an instant.

He had been favored by fate once more.

A torrent of joyous surprise surged through him, leaving no room for regret.

“Your Majesty…”

He tilted his head back for a kiss, gazing at the enchanting woman as he pulled her into a fierce embrace.

He waited until her energy was spent before flipping over to take back control.

“Your Majesty, let your husband serve you…”

The red sheets billowed as they reached the pinnacle of mortal pleasure together.

Tonight was different from all the nights before. After tonight, they were truly husband and wife, destined to share a quilt in life and a grave in death.

Although Rong Yin was the only one left for the wedding night, Xiao Yang had worn her wedding robes four times.

Because they hadn’t received that first favor, each of the others used every trick in the book, trying to claim their share of the sweetness.

Male beauty was the sort of thing you craved when you didn’t have it, but grew tired of when you had too much.

Other people had a three-day honeymoon. Xiao Yang had been married for half a year, and the passion had yet to fade.

To be precise, *they* were the passionate ones. Xiao Yang, on the other hand, was gradually becoming celibate and considering life as a nun.

It wasn’t that she’d lost her lustful nature; it was that she’d run into a pack of insatiable wolves. Who could possibly stand up to that?

Xiao Yang was a fickle player, but in a way, she was a *fair* player.

She rotated them on the first and fifteenth of the month, with each man accompanying her for half a month. No cutting in line, no special favorites—just an equal share of her imperial favor for all.

The nation was now stable and developing, and the courtiers were all obedient.

She had money and free time. Life was good!

Xiao Yang lay on the grassy field of the hunting grounds. The sun, the grass, and the gentle breeze made her drowsy.

The sound of footsteps treading slowly on blades of grass drew near, but just as they were about to reach her, someone was suddenly stopped.

A moment later, the person’s deliberately raised voice carried over, explaining, “I just want to have a word with Her Majesty. Can’t you announce me, sir?”

Xiao Qing said, his face impassive, “I cannot. If you don’t leave now, I’ll suspect you of having ulterior motives and send you to the Ministry of Justice to have a talk with Mr. Xu.”

The most famous Mr. Xu at the Ministry of Justice was, of course, none other than the Imperial Consort, Xu Xingchen.

The man clenched his fists to suppress his anger, finally walking away, though unwillingly.

Xiao Qing’s expression remained unchanged from beginning to end. There was no dissatisfaction, not even contempt. He had seen this sort of thing many times over the past six months.

The Capital City was growing more prosperous by the day. Nobles from all over the realm gathered here, and countless young scions came in pursuit of education.

There was no shortage of talented people, and certainly no shortage of young, handsome, talented people.

With more people came greater competition. Many who lacked ability sought to take a crooked path.

But hidden among all the crooked paths was a straight road to the heavens: the Empress.

The Empress had four Imperial Consorts, so the concept of fidelity didn’t really apply to her.

Besides, it was normal for an Emperor’s harem to have three palaces, six courts, and seventy-two concubines.

Their family backgrounds might not compare to the current consorts, but they believed their looks weren’t lacking. They weren’t aiming for the position of Imperial Consort; securing a spot as a mere consort would be enough.

The Empress was young, just twenty years old, and her peerless beauty was known to all.

Those who had never seen her yearned for the chance, and those fortunate enough to catch even a single glimpse were instantly captivated.

Therefore, any of those young men from noble families who were available tried to get close to her, to gamble for that astronomical fortune and glory.

Don’t assume men are all that reserved. When a man decides to use his looks to serve another, he’s in no way inferior to a woman, employing all sorts of tactics like engineering “chance” encounters and striking alluring poses.

Some men even began to study the art of applying powder and makeup, making themselves look even more delicate than a young lady.

In just half a year of guarding the Emperor, Xiao Qing had gone from shock and disgust to complete numbness. He was simply beyond words.

He was just a cold-blooded, heartless guard, devoid of all emotion.