Emperor Qianwu listened, his interest growing even stronger.
A peerless appearance, coupled with an intriguing soul—this woman was becoming more and more fascinating.
“What is the truth?”
“And what is the falsehood?”
Seeing that Emperor Qianwu was indeed intrigued, Zhou Mingyi replied, “The falsehood is that I am overjoyed to serve by Your Majesty’s side. Becoming Your Majesty’s woman is my good fortune.”
Emperor Qianwu raised an eyebrow.
“This is your falsehood?”
“You are unwilling to enter the palace and serve me?”
His brows were high, his gaze deep and faintly oppressive.
The woman’s eyes instantly reddened.
The middle-aged emperor’s frown suddenly relaxed. Why was she crying again?
Then he heard the woman continue:
“I have been staying in this temple to pray for my brother’s well-being, but unexpectedly, I encountered Your Majesty…” She glanced up at the dignified and handsome middle-aged emperor.
She continued, “I have lost my chastity, but I do not know Your Majesty, nor do we share any affection.”
“All I know is that my chaste body was given to a stranger, and thus I am filled with despair and fear.”
“My parents passed away early, and I have relied on my brother since childhood.”
“Now that I know I have lost my chastity to Your Majesty, my heart is naturally tied to my brother’s safety. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy to my brother!”
She struggled free from the middle-aged emperor’s embrace and bowed her head in prostration.
“As for me…” The peerless beauty lowered her eyes, appearing gentle and submissive. “Since I have become Your Majesty’s person, I will naturally obey Your Majesty in all matters.”
Emperor Qianwu understood: she had no desire to enter the palace as a consort. It was only because she had lost her chastity that she had no choice.
For some reason, a sense of disappointment welled up in his heart.
I, the Son of Heaven, and she does not rejoice at the prospect of becoming my consort?
He wanted her to love him willingly, to enter the palace and stay by his side of her own accord.
But upon second thought, he and the Empress Dowager were the ones who had wronged her.
He lifted the peerless beauty and drew her into his embrace.
“You are exceptional. I will not allow you, a bright pearl, to be cast into darkness.”
Zhou Mingyi had no intention of disguising her personality before Emperor Qianwu.
Having relied on her brother since childhood and taught herself embroidery, she possessed a resilient temperament.
What kind of person she was would not be difficult for Emperor Qianwu to discover if he ordered an investigation.
Sometimes, mixing seven parts truth with three parts falsehood could better confuse the heart.
As for last night’s seductive demeanor, it was all due to the aphrodisiac administered by the Empress Dowager, not her true nature.
A seductive enchantress with an alluring bone structure, who relied on her beauty to serve others, might win the favor of the middle-aged emperor, but what Zhou Mingyi wanted was submission.
She wanted Emperor Qianwu to fall at her feet, to be captivated by her.
Even if she were exposed in the future, he would believe that she had changed due to her experiences, rather than that she had always been a woman consumed by ambition and desire.
She softly murmured “Mm,” her voice gentle and compliant.
Emperor Qianwu gently pinched the peerless beauty’s chin. Her skin was luminous, her eyes shimmering, and faint tear stains still marked her snow-white cheeks.
She looked utterly pitiful.
He lightly brushed her tear stains with his slightly rough fingertips, his fingers involuntarily moving toward her slightly parted lips. Recalling the intoxicating pleasure of the previous night, Emperor Qianwu’s gaze gradually deepened.
Zhou Mingyi was no naive young girl.
Seeing Emperor Qianwu’s expression, she knew exactly what this man was thinking again.
She inwardly cursed him as a lustful devil, yet her cheeks involuntarily flushed with a faint pink hue.
A peerless beauty, shy and timid, was always endearing.
Emperor Qianwu now truly wished he could immediately take her into the palace and treasure her away.
“After all this talk, my beloved consort still hasn’t told me your name and age.”
“My humble name is Zhou Mingyi, with the childhood name A-Chang. I am sixteen years old.”
Zhou Mingyi answered softly.
“A-Chang?”
“Your beauty is peerless, like a celestial maiden from the moon. A fine name, indeed.”
Emperor Qianwu then shifted the topic with interest, “Sixteen… that happens to be the same age as my Princess Zhaoyang.”
Mentioning Princess Zhaoyang, Zhou Mingyi’s eyes darkened slightly, though her expression remained unchanged.
“Your Majesty’s princess is the same age as me?”
“But Your Majesty looks majestic and not at all old. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have thought you were only a few years older than my elder brother.”
She raised her eyes, looking at Emperor Qianwu with slight surprise.
The woman’s astonished expression pleased Emperor Qianwu.
As a man and the most revered emperor, no one had ever dared to imply he was old.
Yet, gazing at the exquisitely charming beauty before him, Emperor Qianwu felt a slight discomfort in his heart.
His daughter was already as old as her—he truly was getting old.
“I am thirty-seven this year, much older than you.”
“Rest assured, I will protect you and ensure no one bullies you.”
Zhou Mingyi lowered her gaze and said softly, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
At this moment, Emperor Qianwu found himself growing fonder of Zhou Mingyi the more he looked at her.
This fondness stemmed mainly from her peerless beauty and her delicate yet perfectly compatible body, which captivated him and brought him immense satisfaction.
Holding his newly acquired beauty, he gently stroked her slender waist with his large hand, their intimacy evident as he coaxed softly, “Why not accompany me into the palace today?”
Zhou Mingyi, however, shook her head lightly.
She turned her face away, her cheeks flushed, and even her earlobes tinged with a faint pink.
Emperor Qianwu truly adored her shy demeanor.
He had three palaces and six courtyards, and though he had difficulty producing heirs and had ceased selecting consorts in recent years, he had favored many young and beautiful women in his earlier years.
Now, looking back, she was the only one who truly matched him.
In terms of beauty alone, no one could compare to her.
“Why?”
The tall and majestic emperor frowned in confusion.
Zhou Mingyi replied, “Your Majesty, I came to Hanshan Temple to pray for my elder brother’s well-being.”
She raised her eyes and glanced at Emperor Qianwu, “Now that the Buddha has answered my prayers and Your Majesty is wise, my elder brother can return safely. So, I wish to return home first.”
“I have relied on my elder brother since childhood, as he has been both a father and a brother to me.”
“Once I enter the palace, it will be difficult to see him often. I wish to bid him a proper farewell.”
This was a natural sentiment, and Emperor Qianwu granted her request.
“Indeed, you are a thoughtful and kind-hearted young lady.”
He took her hand, “I will accompany you. I cannot bear to be apart from you.”
Zhou Mingyi blushed and did not refuse again.
Emperor Qianwu had ruled the world for twenty years, accumulating immense authority and possessing a domineering nature.
Now, blinded by infatuation, if she refused repeatedly, she might anger him.
The patience of those in power was always limited.
For now, he was merely infatuated with her appearance, not truly in love with her.
Zhou Mingyi knew she had no right to be willful.
…
Zhou Mingchong left the palace in a daze.
Over the past few days, to force him to yield, Princess Zhaoyang had ordered that no food be sent to him.
At first, Zhou Mingchong found it absurd.
He was the Tanhua of the current imperial examination, and this was the palace, where the emperor held authority.
How could a princess act so arbitrarily?
However, Zhou Mingchong had overestimated himself and underestimated the importance of Princess Zhaoyang in the emperor’s heart.
Princess Zhaoyang ordered him to be locked in a palace hall, with palace attendants guarding outside. Unfamiliar with the place and having no connections, he had nowhere to turn for help.
Emperor Qianwu had no empress, and the highest-ranking consort in the palace was Princess Zhaoyang’s birth mother—Noble Consort Chen.
Mother and daughter controlled the rear palace, doing as they pleased.
Princess Zhaoyang declared that if he refused to comply, he would be starved—a few more meals without food.
She wanted to see just how unyielding his will could be!
Zhou Mingchong had already gone hungry for four full days.
Fortunately, there was a well in the rear courtyard of that palace hall.
When the hunger became unbearable, he would quietly fetch a bowl of water and gulp it down.
Only then had he managed to hold on until now.