Chapter 6: You can’t leave.

Xu Changle was stunned.

In a flash, he understood everything.

He finally knew why the candlelight in the Empress’s sleeping palace was so dim today, and why Xiao Linyue, who had an arrogant and explosive personality, had stayed silent under the quilt despite his repeated provocations.

So he was not the only one trying to cause trouble!

This scheming Xiao Linyue with her thick eyebrows and big eyes actually planned to use a substitution trick.

The woman hiding on the bed was clearly Xiao Linyue’s personal inner official. Even if given a hundred times the courage, that maid would never dare to lie on the phoenix bed by herself, nor stay completely silent when the emperor arrived to consummate with the Empress.

This could only have been instructed by Xiao Linyue herself.

Why would Xiao Linyue give such instructions?

Naturally because of Xiao Tan.

The proud noble daughter looked down on the puppet emperor and was unwilling to be intimate with him. But Xiao Tan needed the Empress from the Xiao family to bear the next little puppet with the emperor.

At least on the surface, the next little puppet must come from the belly of the Xiao family’s Empress.

As for whether it was truly born by Xiao Linyue, who cared? If Xiao Tan said it was, then it was.

Thus, Xiao Linyue had her maid take her place on the phoenix bed, hiding silently under the quilt. Xiao Linyue herself hid behind the bed, ready to adapt to any situation.

Unexpectedly, things had gone wrong.

Now the situation had become awkward.

But the only one feeling awkward was Xu Changle. Xiao Linyue showed no awareness of being caught doing something bad at all. Instead, she mercilessly shook off Xu Changle’s hand that was holding her arm.

“Hmph.”

She slightly raised her chin, frowned, and patted the spot where Xu Changle had touched as if it had been stained with something dirty.

Then she suddenly reacted. “…You were secretly spying on me?”

Xu Changle: “?”

Wait, that’s not it! I didn’t! I’m innocent!

But saying that would be no different from self-destructing.

Originally, Xiao Linyue’s anger level was at least 70% and about to explode. But Xu Changle’s inexplicable recognition of her had interrupted her anger bar, making her current attitude somewhat strange.

Based on the personality she had shown before, in that situation she should have said something like “A mere puppet, who gave you the courage to secretly spy on me?”

Yet now, although she still held her chin high, her soft and even somewhat dazed tone meant what exactly?

No!

This is not right! This is completely wrong! The script is not like this!

Xu Changle smoothly followed up with the correct line. “I just… cannot control my gaze from falling on you.”

Xiao Linyue’s action of patting her sleeve paused.

She seemed completely unprepared for Xu Changle to be so direct and so…

“Shameless!” Xiao Linyue’s brows furrowed even tighter, her volume rising uncontrollably. “Do you think you are worthy of me? Did the sword last time not teach you a lesson?”

Xu Changle lowered his head. His voice was low and weak. “…I’m sorry. I just… cannot control it.”

Wait! This development seems a bit off?

No, this is good! This is correct!

As long as he could protect his purity, there was no need to limit himself to only provoking her.

So, use the pure-hearted love-brained attack on Xiao Linyue!

Xu Changle sniffed and looked at his own toes.

“Now that things have come to this, I already understand Your Majesty’s feelings. I will not force you. As for the Prime Minister’s side, you do not need to worry. If the Prime Minister wants to punish anyone… everything is my fault.”

“I will bear it all.”

After speaking, as if he had made some firm decision, he turned to leave.

Saying he would bear it all, how much did that underestimate Xiao Tan?

There were eyes and ears of Regent Prime Minister Xiao Tan all around. Everything that happened tonight could not escape her sight.

But just because Xiao Tan herself was a fox did not mean her eyes and ears were too.

To the servants outside the hall, what had just happened was this:

[His Majesty likes the Empress and took the initiative to go to her sleeping palace to build feelings. However, the Empress used her maid as a substitute to deceive him. In the end, His Majesty recognized the real Empress, learned of her unwillingness, chose to respect her, and left alone with a broken heart.]

Although there were some misunderstandings, who besides Xu Changle would know?

Not to mention these small-eyed servants who did not know the truth, even Xiao Linyue herself probably thought the same.

If that was the case, then what fault did Xu Changle have?

Even if Xiao Tan was overbearing, she could not blame this frail puppet little emperor.

After all, it was the Empress herself who was unwilling. He could only respect that.

Perfect. Now he just needed to walk out in one go! As long as he successfully left here, tonight’s great battle would be a success!

As long as he left here, it would be another day of preserving his youthful purity!

Xu Changle walked toward the sleeping palace door with seemingly heavy but actually quick steps.

Almost there.

He was about to reach it.

As long as he reached that place.

As long as he opened this door…

Suddenly, the sound of rushing wind came from behind, as if some massive object was rapidly approaching.

Xu Changle’s swift steps halted instantly. He instinctively turned his head, only to see a somewhat familiar huge shadow brush past his shoulder and fly forward.

“Bang——!”

It was the Empress’s phoenix bed.

That massive thing that looked at least several hundred or even a thousand jin smashed right at the entrance of the sleeping quarters, blocking Xu Changle’s path.

“Stop right there!”

Xiao Linyue’s voice was fast and urgent. She retracted her right leg that had just kicked the phoenix bed flying, feeling inexplicably extremely irritated.

“Does my Xiao Linyue need a useless person like you to take the blame for me?”

That’s right. One person does the deed, one person takes responsibility. Her Xiao Linyue’s decisions did not need others to bear the consequences.

She was arrogant, not despicable.

“Tonight, you are not allowed to leave.”

If she let this useless puppet leave just like that, wouldn’t she, Xiao Linyue, owe him?

No. Absolutely not.

Xiao Linyue thought she had found the reason for her inexplicable irritation.

She could not owe this useless puppet!

Xiao Linyue slightly raised her chin and stared at the stiffly standing Xu Changle for a moment before suddenly saying:

“I have already promised my sister that I will give her a bloodline of the imperial family and the Xiao family.”

Hiss——

Could it be?

Please, explosive cat, don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind and suddenly think I’m also pleasing to the eye.

Don’t scare me!

Fortunately, this world still followed basic rules. Xiao Linyue did not suddenly go crazy. That sentence was just the preface.

She still insisted on her own thoughts. “But between you and me, it is absolutely impossible.”

Phew—— That’s good, that’s good.

Xu Changle forced the corners of his mouth to curve into a bitter smile. “I understand, Empress. It is me who is unworthy.”

So ancestor, what exactly do you want to do now?

Xiao Linyue gave him a “it’s good that you understand” look and continued:

“…You did not like the woman on the bed earlier?”

Originally, although Xiao Linyue still had her chin slightly raised, her expression had already softened. Now her brows suddenly furrowed high without warning.

She recalled what Xu Changle had said earlier.

‘On the day of the grand wedding, I already felt that Your Majesty’s figure was a bit thinner compared to Noble Consort Shu…’

‘I absolutely do not mean that Your Majesty is too thin and her figure is not as graceful as Noble Consort Shu’s… Noble Consort Shu’s figure is indeed…’

‘Wait, no, no no no! That’s not it! What I mean is, seeing Your Majesty gradually becoming fuller these days makes me very happy!’

Xiao Linyue suddenly slammed a fist into the wall beside her, punching a large hole in the innocent wall. Then, as if she had suddenly realized something, she glared fiercely at Xu Changle.

“You said I am inferior to that slutty big-breasted woman Ji Ruxue!?”

Ji Ruxue was the Noble Consort Shu that Xu Changle had mentioned.