Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 893: Willing to Do Anything

Lady Taohua gracefully approached Emperor Xizong and curtsied, lifting the hem of her skirt slightly. “Taoyao pays her respects to Your Majesty.”  

“Please, rise quickly!” Emperor Xizong hurriedly reached out to help her up. “Why be so formal between us? Back then—”  

“Propriety between ruler and subject must not be neglected. Now that you are the emperor, Taoyao cannot be as unrestrained as before.” Lady Taohua subtly retreated, leaving Emperor Xizong’s hands grasping at empty air.  

Song Qingshu’s eyes narrowed. That effortless evasion was an extremely refined martial technique—this Lady Taohua was becoming more and more enigmatic.  

Emperor Xizong sighed. “I still wish you could be like before—laughing when happy, even scolding me when displeased…”  

Lady Taohua smiled faintly, listening quietly as he reminisced without interjecting.  

After a while, Emperor Xizong grew weary of his own nostalgia when she showed no interest in responding. He cut short his reminiscing and asked, “There’s something I’ve never understood, and I never had the chance to ask you before. Today, I want an answer.”  

“What question does Your Majesty wish to ask?” Lady Taohua replied.  

Her radiant beauty, dazzling beyond compare, transported Emperor Xizong back to his youth when he first saw her. “Back then, when I was on the verge of ascending the throne, why did you choose Wanyan Yuan instead?”  

Lady Taohua lowered her lashes and answered coolly, “This humble woman prefers devoted love and a husband who belongs to her alone. Your Majesty already has a palace full of consorts—why bring up the past?”  

Emperor Xizong quickly countered, “If I had you, why would I need any other consorts?”  

Hidden in the rafters, Song Qingshu shuddered in disgust. ‘This Emperor Xizong is truly pathetic. You’re the emperor now—what woman couldn’t you have? Why bother with this nonsense? It’s the dead of night, just the two of you alone, and instead of acting like a man, you’re putting on some awkward Korean drama?’  

“Your Majesty must guard your words. This humble woman is now the wife of Prince Changsheng.” 

Song Qingshu noted that Lady Taohua’s voice was neither sorrowful nor joyful, completely devoid of fear—either she had resigned herself to fate, or she had absolute confidence.  

“So what?” Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Emperor Xizong finally regained his imperial arrogance. “You still had to come here tonight to beg me!”  

Lady Taohua took a deep breath and bowed. “Prince Changsheng offended Your Majesty today, but he never intended to defy imperial authority. I implore Your Majesty to be merciful and spare him this once.”  

Emperor Xizong sneered and sat down, gazing at the stunning beauty before him. “Prince Changsheng left the banquet in front of everyone. If I don’t punish him, how will imperial law be upheld?”  

Hearing his bureaucratic tone, Lady Taohua sighed. “Prince Changsheng is, after all, Your Majesty’s own brother.”  

“Did he ever treat me as his brother?” Emperor Xizong slammed the table. “Prince Wei died under suspicious circumstances, and the Laundry Courtyard incident was equally dubious. Over the years, he’s secretly courted officials and even extended his reach into my imperial guard—what exactly is he plotting? Don’t tell me you know nothing of this.”  

Lady Taohua quickly explained, “Prince Wei’s death and the Laundry Courtyard matter truly have nothing to do with our prince…”  

Hearing her say “our prince,” Emperor Xizong’s fury burned hotter. He cut her off. “Enough! Let me be frank—I’ve already drafted an edict to imprison Prince Changsheng in the Imperial Clan Court for life.”  

Lady Taohua’s expression shifted. She immediately knelt. “I beg Your Majesty to revoke this decree!”  

“You want me to revoke it?” Emperor Xizong’s expression turned peculiar. “Why should I listen to you?”  

Lady Taohua bit her lip, hesitating before finally saying, “If Your Majesty spares Prince Changsheng… I am willing to do anything.”  

Song Qingshu, who had been nearly dozing off in the rafters, suddenly perked up. His eyes widened as he peered down—‘the real show is finally starting!’  

“Anything?” Emperor Xizong straightened, his gaze turning suggestive.  

“Anything.” Lady Taohua trembled slightly, as if wrestling with inner turmoil. 

Song Qingshu frowned—had he misjudged her? If not, her acting was impeccable, perfectly capturing a woman torn between morality and shame.  

“You know what I want,” Emperor Xizong said, slowly advancing toward her.  

“This humble woman… knows.” Lady Taohua pressed her lips together. “When the palace maids prepared my bath and change of clothes earlier, I understood.”  

“Yet you still came.” Emperor Xizong stood before her, looking down at the woman he had longed for. Now, she was within reach, and his body trembled with excitement beneath his dragon robes.  

“Only this can save my prince,” Lady Taohua murmured, her head bowed, her expression unreadable.  

“Look up!” Emperor Xizong commanded. When she raised her head, he couldn’t help but marvel once more—such breathtaking beauty. Compared to her, the consorts in his harem were mere common flowers.  

Emperor Xizong gripped her shoulders and pulled her up. Gazing at her flawless jade-like face, his hand trembled as he hooked a finger under her chin. “When you married Prince Changsheng, I swore I would possess you one day. Tonight, that oath will be fulfilled.”  

“A beauty like me brings calamity. Wanyan Yuan suffered because of me,” Lady Taohua sighed softly.  

“A woman like you belongs only to the most powerful man in the world. He was too weak to keep you—his downfall was his own doing!” Emperor Xizong said coldly. “Serve me well tonight, and if you please me, I may spare him—for now.”  

From the rafters, Song Qingshu silently gave a thumbs-up. ‘Now this is the arrogance an emperor should have!’ But the next scene might be too indecent for young audiences—should he stay and observe, or drop down, knock Emperor Xizong out, and take his place? (G: bro…)

His mind raced with wild thoughts, but he dismissed them quickly. Based on his earlier deductions, something unexpected was about to happen. He focused intently on the scene below.  

Emperor Xizong’s throat felt dry. He swallowed hard as his hand slowly reached for the beauty’s collar. Before he even touched it, his mind was already imagining the alluring b0dy beneath those thin robes.  

Just as his fingers were about to brush the fabric, Lady Taohua suddenly lifted her head and smiled enchantingly. 

In his dazed state, a faint pink mist sprayed from her lips onto his face.  

Emperor Xizong’s expression went blank. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the floor like a boneless puppet.