Chapter 7: It’s normal to call.

Xu Changle’s heart sank.

This was a deadly question!

No matter what, he could not give a definite answer at this moment, nor could he belittle the other party mentioned just to please Xiao Linyue.

Xu Changle sighed.

“In my heart, the Empress is naturally the best and one of a kind.”

Not giving Xiao Linyue any chance to continue questioning or pursue the loopholes in his words, Xu Changle asked in a tone of sudden realization mixed with disbelief and a trace of lingering expectation:

“Empress… what did you mean by those words just now?”

Plans could not keep up with changes. Xu Changle’s current goal was no longer to provoke Xiao Linyue, but to leave this place safely without letting her notice anything unusual.

Because of the massive mistake in his previous actions, Xu Changle’s current persona had become that of an ultimate love-brained fool who was deeply devoted to the Empress, to the point where he could tell through the quilt that the person on the bed was not her.

This persona was not too bad. For his current situation, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.

The emperor was devoted to the Empress and unwavering in his affection. Even if it was only on the surface, it was already enough for Regent Prime Minister Xiao Tan.

With this, Xiao Tan could easily accomplish some things that would have been slightly troublesome before.

Xu Changle believed that after the regent prime minister felt satisfied, she would not mind letting him feel satisfied too.

On the contrary, if he made her unhappy, then he himself would not be able to be happy either.

In simpler terms, this persona that gave the Xiao family a lot of face would most likely make Xiao Tan relax her control over him. At the very least, it would give him the chance to access books from this world.

He had a guess that needed verification through the books of this world.

Right now, he was too weak. He had no power.

Without power, he would only become their plaything. But he did not want that at all. No matter what, he wanted to obtain power!

Therefore, based on the above reasons, the only thing Xu Changle needed to do next was to safely leave this room while maintaining the persona of “deeply in love with the Empress.”

There was no need to continue provoking Xiao Linyue and create more complications.

He had a better way to escape.

It was a ready-made raft that his dear Empress had personally delivered. It would be a waste not to use it.

Xu Changle skillfully interrupted Xiao Linyue’s anger bar that had risen to the exploding point.

“The Empress will not let me leave, and you even mentioned the woman from earlier…”

His voice trembled as he clutched his chest. “Could it be that the Empress still wants me to be with someone else!?”

Xu Changle had guessed correctly. Xiao Linyue indeed had that intention.

Originally, toward a mere puppet, Xiao Linyue did not need to care about Xu Changle’s wishes at all.

So what if she was exposed?

Hold down his hands, tie up his limbs, force the medicine down, draw the curtains.

She was the Empress. She could openly imprison the nominal emperor in her sleeping palace for several consecutive months, not even letting him off the bed.

After all, he had taken the initiative to come to her sleeping palace!

With such boldness, whatever happened was his own fault!

She should tie him to that bed, send in maids every day, and let the entire palace see the frail figure of the puppet little emperor projected on the curtains, unable to endure.

After a few months like that, when the imperial family’s Propagation Seed bore fruit, the task would be complete.

From beginning to end, when had she ever needed to consider a puppet’s thoughts?

Not a single civil or military official in the court had ever thought that the emperor would have his own ideas.

They did not care.

“So what if I do?”

Xiao Linyue unconsciously raised her chin higher, her voice also a degree louder than normal, as if using an even more arrogant attitude to cover up something.

“Do you think you still have a choice? Allowing you to choose a woman you like is already my mercy toward you.”

That’s right. She had even given him extra choices. What more did a mere puppet want?

Did he not understand that from the very beginning, he had no right to choose at all?

She had already shown great mercy by considering his preferences, so why was he not grateful? Why was he looking at her with such a heartbroken expression instead!

An inexplicable irritation tightly entangled Xiao Linyue. She disliked his current look very much. She hated it!

“You are not allowed to look at me with those eyes!” Xiao Linyue said domineeringly. “I do not like it!”

Xu Changle thought: I’m not listening, I’m not listening. I know you don’t like it, so I’ll do it even more.

“But I only like the Empress alone!” Xu Changle looked as if his heart was in so much pain that he wanted to vomit blood. He almost roared, “I am not as broad-minded in love as the Empress and other women. My heart is too small. It already has one person inside, and in this life I absolutely refuse to make do with anyone else!”

The door was blocked by the phoenix bed that Xiao Linyue had kicked over. There was no way to retreat.

But the atmosphere had reached this point. If he did not slip away now, when would he?

Since he could not open this door with his own strength, he would borrow external force.

Xu Changle did not hesitate to use his old trick again.

With a “thud,” he collapsed straight to the ground.

Sure enough, as soon as his figure fell, chaos erupted outside.

“Your Majesty!”

“His Majesty has fainted! Quick! Save His Majesty!”

A group of servants began ramming the door and clearing the obstructing phoenix bed from the entrance. With many people working together, they quickly moved away the obstacle that Xu Changle had been powerless against.

Xu Changle slowly regained consciousness, waking up before the Holy Physicians dispatched by Xiao Tan could arrive.

“Holy Physicians! Quickly check on His Majesty!”

Servants helped the “awakened” Xu Changle to a chair in the sleeping quarters. A group of Holy Physicians immediately surrounded him.

Xu Changle refused to stretch out his hand for them to take his pulse. His eyes stared blankly into the void with a lifeless expression.

“I am fine… I am just in a bad mood. There is no need for the Holy Physicians to trouble themselves.”

How could he let them check his pulse? That would expose everything.

He simply refused to let them touch his hand. If asked, he would say he fainted from being too emotional due to a bad mood.

Xu Changle indeed looked like there was nothing seriously wrong with him, and he stubbornly refused to let them take his pulse, so the Holy Physicians could not force him.

They exchanged glances. One of the Holy Physicians said, “His Majesty indeed appears to have no major issues, though his body is somewhat weak. It is probably because he has not yet taken today’s nourishing soup.”

Immediately, a quick-witted servant brought over the pre-prepared and kept-warm nourishing soup, blew it to the right temperature, and held it to Xu Changle’s mouth.

“Your Majesty, please drink a sip.”

Xu Changle recognized this as the nourishing soup that Xiao Tan had been sending daily under Xiao Linyue’s name, which Ling Xiao had mentioned earlier.

The soup itself was fine. He drank it every day, and after drinking it, his body would feel warm and much stronger.

Xu Changle drank mouthful after mouthful, finishing the entire bowl as the inner servant fed him.

While drinking, he secretly glanced at Xiao Linyue from the corner of his eye, but the crowd blocked his view, so he could not see what she was doing now.

Perfect opportunity!

Xu Changle planned to slip away after performing the final act.

He suddenly took the empty soup bowl from the servant’s hands as if he had remembered something, and stared at it blankly for a while.

After a moment of silence, seemingly speaking to Xiao Linyue yet also like he was talking to himself:

“This soup… they all say the Empress sends it for me every day, so I have cherished and finished every drop. Yet I did not know that in the Empress’s heart toward me… Never mind, never mind!”

“In the end, it is still me who is unworthy.”

After finishing the last scene, Xu Changle raised his head from his immersive emo state, only to discover that the surrounding servants had quietly disappeared without a sound.

The door to the sleeping quarters had also been quietly closed at some point.

“……?”

Xu Changle’s intuition told him something was wrong. He lunged toward the door, but found it could not be opened. It had been locked from the outside.

From outside came the voice of the Holy Physician who had earlier said Xu Changle was too weak and had not taken his medicine today.

That Holy Physician spoke in a tone of instruction:

“Lord Ling, that medicine has quite a strong effect. Since this is the first time for Her Majesty the Empress and His Majesty, it is normal for things to be a bit intense. You may rest assured. Crying out is normal. No matter how loudly His Majesty shouts later, we will simply listen.”