Looking at that gaze which held almost no warmth, the smile on Zhang Wanrou's face vanished, and her hands could not help but slide down from his knees.
"Emperor, are you angry with your subject? Are you blaming me for acting on my own initiative?"
"Or does the Emperor feel that my actions were done with ulterior motives?"
He remained silent, seemingly tacitly agreeing with her statement, and his gaze was no longer as gentle as before.
She understood. A flash of hurt flickered beneath her crystalline eyes, and then, she gave a self-deprecating smile, "What ulterior motives could your subject possibly have? Did I intentionally get hurt to elicit the Emperor's pity?"
"Or are you saying that I intentionally let my Elder Sister hit me, just to sow discord between you and her?"
"But Emperor, please do not forget, the Noble Consort is my Elder Sister. Even this opportunity for me to attend the Emperor was secured for me by the Noble Consort! For this, I feel only gratitude; why would I want to sow discord between you and her?"
"Most importantly, what benefit would there be for a lowly Consort like me to go against the Noble Consort?"
His eyes flickered, and his heart was slightly moved.
It seemed that it really did not make sense...
Besides, how could she have been certain that he would come here to stand up for her after learning she was injured?
If everything had truly been calculated step by step, then how deep must her schemes be?
And she was only sixteen years old...
Could it be that he had really overthought it?
Zhang Wanrou shed tears, as if she had resigned herself to her fate, and no longer defended herself, "Emperor, if you have determined that Wanrou is such a person, then punish me! Wanrou accepts the penalty!"
She reached out to wipe her tears, and the white gauze was dampened by them, with a faint bloodstain spreading across it.
Xiao Wenyi's pupils shrank slightly, and he shouted toward the outside, "Why hasn't the Imperial Physician arrived yet?"
Cheng Fang heard the commotion and immediately replied, "Emperor, Imperial Physician Hu is already waiting. Shall I summon him?"
"Come in!"
Hu Yong wiped the sweat from his forehead, his legs feeling a bit weak.
He had just walked out of the palace gate when he was called back by Eunuch Sanxi, and it was to see Consort Zhang again!
Eunuch Sanxi was a man by the Emperor's side, which meant the Emperor had already arrived at Consort Zhang's quarters!
To think that the Emperor would attach such importance to a mere minor injury! It showed just how favored Consort Zhang was!
Fortunately, he had chosen not to speak nonsense; otherwise, he feared his head would not stay on his shoulders for much longer!
"Your subject will not see the Imperial Physician!"
"Anyway, since the Emperor is going to punish me, why bother seeing the Imperial Physician?"
Zhang Wanrou's tone was resentful as she turned her face to the side.
Xiao Wenyi pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "Childish!"
"Get up quickly! The Imperial Physician will be in any moment. Are you not ashamed to be sitting on the floor?"
Zhang Wanrou shook her head stubbornly, "Your subject has not grown up yet, so what if I am being childish? If it's shameful, then so be it! Anyway, I am not a person of status, so what does it matter if I lose face?"
Xiao Wenyi was left between laughter and tears. In the end, before the Imperial Physician entered, he stood up and lifted her, as if he were picking up a little chick.
Zhang Wanrou was stunned for a moment, then turned bright red with anger, patting his hand, "Emperor! If you carry me like this, won't I lose even more face?!"
The corners of Xiao Wenyi's mouth curled up, his eyes tinged with craftiness, "Didn't you say you weren't afraid of losing face? I am fulfilling your wish, so why are you getting anxious?"
At this moment, Hu Yong walked in. Seeing the Emperor and the Consort "flirting," he quickly lowered his head.
Cheng Fang remained emotionally stable, acting as if he were blind, and said calmly, "Emperor, the Imperial Physician is here!"
Xiao Wenyi pulled the struggling girl into his arms, using some force to hold her down.
"The Consort's wound has reopened. Take a look at it!"
Hu Yong hurried forward to examine Zhang Wanrou's injury.
Zhang Wanrou stopped struggling and let the Imperial Physician treat the wound.
Sometimes, a woman should not be too dramatic, or it might very well backfire.
However, her expression was not good, indicating that she had not yet calmed her anger.
"Emperor, please rest assured, Lady Jieyu is not in any serious danger. The wound just needs to be re-dressed."
Hu Yong re-dressed Zhang Wanrou's wound.
Xiao Wenyi watched from the side. The wound on her forehead was fine, but the injury on her palm was somewhat deep.
After the Imperial Physician withdrew, he pinched her fingertips with both hands, his brows slightly furrowed, "How did you get hurt so badly?"
Zhang Wanrou immediately rose from his arms, sat on the bed in the inner chamber, and said sullenly, "I fell on purpose, just to compete for favor! If I didn't fall hard, would the Emperor feel heartache for me?"
Feeling the warmth disappear from his arms and hearing these words, Xiao Wenyi could not help but laugh.
"You girl, you aren't very old, but your temper is quite large! I didn't say anything, yet you were the one chattering away, and now you're blaming me?"
Zhang Wanrou widened her eyes, somewhat disbelieving, "Is the Emperor trying to go back on his word? Didn't you think that just now?"
"Hmph, as expected, the words of the storytellers outside cannot be trusted! The Emperor is also a man; he gets angry, he loses his temper, he bullies people, and he even goes back on his word!"
Xiao Wenyi walked over with a smile, "You have only seen me for one day, and you have already counted so many of my shortcomings? And you dare to say them to my face; aren't you being too bold?"
Seeing him lean in, Zhang Wanrou retreated to the inside of the bed and huffed, "Is the Emperor going to punish your subject again? Then go ahead and punish me! Since I'm already going to be cut once, I might as well be cut twice!"
Xiao Wenyi found it amusing to see her retreating, "You talk so tough, so why are you hiding backward?"
Zhang Wanrou's face turned red, "What is the Emperor saying? What did I hide from?"
She shook her head in denial, but unexpectedly, her ankle was suddenly grabbed and pulled outward. She screamed in fright, "No, no, no, don't, Emperor! Please don't punish your subject, I'm afraid of pain!!"
The man ignored her, his eyes deepening with a smile. He continued to pull her ankle, and she could not break free, feeling both fear and terror.
Finally, as if she had given up on everything, she lunged at Xiao Wenyi and tackled him, holding him tightly, "Emperor, your subject is still young, I am still a child. It is normal to make mistakes; you cannot have people hit me!"
Xiao Wenyi held his forehead, helpless and speechless, "Get off!"
"I won't! Unless you promise not to have anyone hit your subject! I don't want to become like Nanny Wang; that would be too ugly!"
Xiao Wenyi applied a little force with his palms, his body turning, and he rolled over, carrying the person on top of him.
Zhang Wanrou was pinned beneath him, a flash of surprise in her eyes. He had such great strength!
He pressed down on her, his eyes flowing with tenderness, his voice becoming low and magnetic, "Why aren't you being sharp-tongued now? I haven't even said how I would punish you, and you're already begging for mercy?"
A blush appeared on Zhang Wanrou's pale face, and her exquisite little face added a touch of charm and allure.
She quickly covered her face and said nothing.
He chuckled, "What, can covering your face hide your lack of resolve?"
She moved her hand away, wrapped her arms around the man's neck, and kissed him.
Xiao Wenyi was startled. Just as he felt the softness and sweetness, that sensation vanished.
He looked down and saw her face flushed, softly and sweetly pleading, "Emperor, don't punish your subject, okay?"
A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, and he put on a stern face, "If you are wrong, you should be punished. You even said so yourself..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the woman's soft lips came forward again, clumsy yet proactive, blocking all his remaining words.
Perhaps because she had just bathed, she carried a faint, fresh scent of jasmine, mixed with the unique fragrance of a woman. In just a moment, his reason vanished, and he turned from passive to active, kissing her deeply.
Her lips were extremely soft, making him unable to stop. Just as he was about to deepen the action, he was suddenly pushed away, and even his hands were restrained by her.
Interrupted while his interest was at its peak, a trace of displeasure appeared in his blurred eyes.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard her say, "Emperor, you still haven't promised not to punish your subject!"
He was both angry and amused, and with a dark face, he scolded lightly, "Interrupting the Emperor's business—that deserves punishment! It cannot be waived!"
She wanted to "argue," but he no longer gave her the chance. He bit down on her tender lips and then wantonly conquered her!
The woman beneath him instantly became as soft as water, her body seemingly without bones, soft to an astonishing degree. No matter how he moved, her body was able to fit perfectly with his, making him feel unparalleled comfort and excitement!
He became increasingly out of control, carrying her off the bed and shifting the battle to the bedpost and the sandalwood desk...
She gasped and moaned in passion, from shallow suppression to finally becoming an uncontrollable moan of plea. Hearing this, his blood boiled, and he sank even deeper, unable to extricate himself...
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