Chapter 257: Mr. Lou, Is That All You’ve Got?

Lou Yan handed the bloodstained blade to a nearby Silver Armor Guard. He took a handkerchief to wipe his hands, growing irritated that the sheer amount of blood made it impossible to get them clean. Just then, he felt Xiao Li’s gaze on him.

Looking up, he saw Xiao Li standing by a white jade railing, her hands resting on it as she watched him with a smile in her eyes.

Her eyes were only on him.

And it was a look Lou Yan knew very well.

His heart skipped a beat. He was about to say something when he saw Xiao Li’s lips move, silently mouthing a single word—"Granted."

Lou Yan’s pupils trembled, and his heart immediately lost its rhythm.

The recent fight had scattered broken blossoms all over the ground. A breeze blew past, sending the petals swirling into the air.

In the brightly lit garden, the two of them simply stared at each other.

Xiao Li’s gaze was fixed on the man who had just captivated her: his perfect physique, his unrivaled martial arts, the merciless blade he wielded, and that handsome, wicked face.

’A bad boy like that... it’s really hard not to like him.’

Lou Yan looked at the Empress, the one whose heart he had stirred. It was because he was so bad, so vicious, that she had taken a special interest in him in the first place. She had been willing to tease him, even knowing he was a eunuch.

What she liked wasn’t his deliberate attempts to please her, nor his clinging devotion, but the truest, most vicious version of him—the one the world could not accept.

It wasn’t that he had been so enchanted by the Empress that he’d lost his mind. In the very beginning, it was the Empress who was captivated by him, whose heart was moved by him, and who had made the first move.

Lou Yan had finally made it into the Dragon Bed he had dreamed of, but right now, he couldn’t care less about having his ’long-cherished wish fulfilled.’ His heart and eyes were filled with nothing but his Empress.

In a sudden moment of clarity, he understood. He should fight for her, but not in the same way he had before. It was obvious the Empress disliked those petty, jealous squabbles for her attention.

What he needed to do was be himself and let the Empress be captivated by him.

Just like now, it was no longer him craving the Empress’s favor, but the Empress who was burning him up, devouring him inch by inch.

What he craved most was this very moment: being intensely controlled and possessed by the Empress, the ultimate pleasure.

The storm of passion subsided.

Xiao Li snuggled lazily under the covers, a languid, charmingly satisfied smile on her face.

The fleeting charm in the shift of her gaze was utterly bewitching.

She slowly lowered her eyes, her gaze reminiscent of a dragon from the most avaricious and insatiable of clans—full of pressure, provocation, and contempt.

"Mr. Lou, is that all you’ve got?"

Still recovering his breath from the peak of ecstasy, Lou Yan shot her a helpless look. No man would ever admit he couldn’t perform, but he couldn’t argue the point with Her Majesty.

He grabbed her hand and kissed it firmly, his long, wicked eyes shimmering with a smile. "If Your Majesty isn’t tired, then this servant can certainly endure more."

Xiao Li scoffed. "Give you an inch and you’ll take a mile."

------

An assassin had appeared in the palace and had been summarily executed. Although only fragments of the news got out, most of the courtiers were now convinced the Empress had awakened.

With everyone eagerly awaiting, the Empress was forced to get back to work.

For her first court session since waking from her coma, Xiao Li had, for a change, dressed in full regalia.

Her personal Dragon Robe was finally ready. On a black background, it was woven with golden thread, depicting mountains, seas, and lakes, auspicious clouds and mythical beasts, with a coiled, five-clawed golden dragon at its center.

This Dragon Robe was undoubtedly the finest garment in the world. Its quality was beyond mere beauty; it was the power it represented that made it unique. Whoever wore it would inevitably command all attention.

The Dragon Robe had wide sleeves, and on her head, she wore a ceremonial crown with hanging beads.

Xiao Li already had an intimidating presence, and in this attire, her aura was unleashed in full, practically overflowing with domineering power.

Lou Yan meticulously attended to every inch of Xiao Li’s attire. Watching her put on this outfit, his heart swelled not just with love, but with many other emotions he couldn’t quite name.

He had served three Emperors, but only with Xiao Li did he feel he was serving a true Emperor.

It wasn’t because of his feelings for her, but because of the majesty and spirit she possessed.

Xiao Li, bored with standing still, let her gaze follow Lou Yan. He was also wearing purple today, but it was a new outfit.

It wasn’t the purple robe of a eunuch, but a dark purple, so deep it was almost black.

It was made of Cloud Brocade with golden thread piping and featured Qilin silk insets.

His powerful waist was cinched, giving him a strong look, and a striking, crimson ruby button adorned his belt.

’That whole outfit is so understatedly noble. Paired with that Golden Jade Crown, anyone who didn’t know better would think he was some Prince.’

Xiao Li had been the one to have the outfit prepared. She loved seeing Lou Yan in purple, but not in a eunuch’s uniform, so she had the color deepened and the material and style changed.

’Just as I planned. Now he looks even more like a devious courtier.’

Once he confirmed everything was ready,

Lou Yan looked up at her. "Your Majesty, it is time for court."

’Please stop torturing me with that look.’

"Her Majesty arrives!"

Xiao Li entered and slowly walked up to the Dragon Throne. Once she was standing before it,

Song Junzhan led the entire court of officials in a synchronized bow. "We greet Your Majesty! Long live the Empress, for ten thousand years, and ten thousand more!"

Xiao Li raised her hand. "My loyal subjects, you may rise."

"Our thanks, Your Majesty."

Only after everyone was standing straight did Xiao Li slowly begin to speak. "I have been in a coma for over a year. You have all toiled hard..."

Holding court was just a big meeting, and since this was the first one in a long time, it was natural to start with praise. Xiao Li spent a full thirty minutes just complimenting people.

After enough praise had been dispensed, Xiao Li moved on to business. Of course, she only needed to raise a topic; whoever was responsible for the matter would step forward to report on it.

Plans, preliminary preparations, future goals, required resources, risk assessments.

Such were the benefits of standardized training.

It’s not enough to be well-read to be a good official; administration and academics are two different things.

The first batch of officials to enter the court, who had undergone standardized training at the Princess Mansion’s scholarly banquets, had laid the foundation for everything. Those who followed also went through the training, understood the procedures, and could comprehend the orders from above.

Standardized procedures meant getting twice the results with half the effort.

With court being held for the first time in over a year, this "morning" session for Xiao Li began at 7 a.m. and didn’t end until 7 p.m.

At last, the discussions were over, but they couldn’t disperse just yet.

Xiao Li had arranged for a banquet. How could one reward people without a feast?

Perhaps because they were finally seeing the Empress again, the officials were all incredibly excited, and one by one, they mustered their courage to come forward and offer toasts.

Of course, they were the ones doing the drinking. For the Empress to even raise her cup was a gift from heaven; they wouldn’t dare ask Her Majesty to drink a cup with every single one of them.

Xiao Li knew her own tolerance for alcohol. If she was in a good mood, she would have a couple of extra drinks, but once she’d had enough, she wouldn’t touch another drop.

The music and dancing began, and everyone’s attention was drawn to the performance.

A troupe of Dancing Girls performed, their waists pliant and their movements graceful. Xiao Li watched with open admiration.

’Beautiful girls are always so easy on the eyes.’

But as she watched the dance, she realized something was off.

’Why are the Dancing Girls retreating? And why are two men running up to dance?’

Xiao Li didn’t actually find it strange for men to dance—after all, in her time, dancing was for everyone, regardless of gender. But the way these two men were dancing... no matter how you looked at it, there was something a little risqué about it.

It wasn’t their movements, but their eyes. No matter how they danced, their gazes seemed to hook onto Xiao Li. They were even making flirtatious eyes at her—a blatant seduction.

Xiao Li watched with great interest, but many others present had their faces turn grim.

This was especially true for Lou Yan and Song Junzhan. If not for the fact that the Empress was watching with rapt attention, they would have had the men dragged away long ago.

But even if they weren’t dragged off now, the two dancers would not be spared once the performance was over.