Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C120 pt1

What did it feel like to witness 'himself' exchanging names with a woman?

Emperor Qianwu likely found it difficult to articulate the specific sensation.

But he could sense what 'he' wanted to say, he pondered the words of Song You.

"The emergence of independent will is a harbinger of restored consciousness... like an infant, initially unable to express their desires, gradually growing, beginning to want to speak and act. The more they speak and act, the more they understand, and slowly they mature..."

Emperor Qianwu allowed himself to sink down, falling into a deep slumber.

Outside, Ji Yang and Wushuang played a little game unique to the two of them, which mostly involved him nuzzling against her, and her, thinking he had a headache, gently stroking his head.

After a while, both of them fell asleep.

The next day, Wushuang awoke, as usual, to find herself alone on the dragon bed. She tentatively suggested wanting to return, and this time, she wasn't refused. Soon, someone prepared a palanquin to escort her out of the palace.

And so, in the days that followed, Wushuang went in and out of the palace, entering after dark each time and leaving in the early morning. Wushuang was still mindful of gossip. Knowing she could leave the palace at will, she made a point of waking up early. In short, when Emperor Qianwu rose, she followed suit, and then had someone prepare a palanquin to send her out of the palace.

She thought that by doing so, she could avoid attracting attention as much as possible, little did she know that her comings and goings had already stirred up a storm in the palace.

Even the former dynasty had heard of it, knowing that the Duke Zhao's Mansion had become prominent, actually managing to get their daughter-in-law into the palace and win His Majesty's favor.

The matter of Zhao Jianzhi being cuckolded also spread throughout the capital, causing people to sigh with emotion at how the once-renowned Second Young Master Zhao had fallen to such a state.

Under such circumstances, the plight of Duke Zhao's Mansion was imaginable. For a time, they found themselves in the eye of the storm, and the key was that they didn't dare to complain or refute, only to swallow their anger and remain silent.

In the past, the Zhao family dared to go out, but now they didn't even dare to leave their doors, because there were always those tactless people who would tease them.

One day, Chen shi was suddenly summoned to the palace by Consort Hui.

Upon seeing Chen shi, Consort Hui's expression was not pleasant. In fact, Chen shi's expression was also not good, but circumstances were stronger than people, so she had to force a smile.

Consort Hui didn't say much to her, only telling her to manage her own daughter-in-law, saying that the Zhao family had produced such a shameless daughter-in-law, and wouldn't Chen shi manage her?

Chen shi no longer knew how to react.

It was clearly Consort Hui who had asked her to bring Mei shi into the palace, just to disgust the Empress, but now Consort Hui had actually turned against her and was condemning her for not managing her daughter-in-law?

Chen shi was practically going mad.

So many things had happened recently that she was mentally and physically exhausted. Not only had she become a laughingstock both inside and outside the family, but her household had also become the laughingstock of the entire capital.

"Your Majesty, you cannot do this..."

Chen shi was both angry and aggrieved, yet she had to suppress her fury. A myriad of emotions tangled in her heart, making her feel as if her internal organs were burning. In the end, all those feelings transformed into sobs as they burst from her throat.

It was genuine crying, filled with heartache and grievance, tears and snot streaming down her face, which bewildered Consort Hui.

And with this outburst of tears, Chen shi suddenly understood.

She realized why Consort Hui's words and actions were so inconsistent. Perhaps her 'good daughter-in-law' had unexpectedly gained favor, so much so that Consort Hui felt threatened, hence her loss of composure.

However, Chen shi dared not offend Consort Hui, so she took advantage of her crying to turn it into a lament.

She recounted how Wushuang had become tyrannical after being kept in the palace for three days, and how Little Quanzi's arrogance was also attributed to Wushuang. She also mentioned the numerous rewards from the palace.

She said that the entire Zhao family now dared not offend Wushuang. Disregarding her own dignity, she described her family as being as humble as possible.

After hearing her lament, Consort Hui could no longer lose her temper. Knowing that she could not rely on Chen shi to restrain Mei Wushuang, she could only let her leave.

After Chen shi left, she gritted her teeth and said, "This Majesty refuses to believe there's no way to deal with her!"

***

Wushuang felt as if she had turned into a kitten, being turned over and over again.

She used to play with those kittens in just this way. The little kittens were so adorable, with their pink, plump paw pads, their deep blue eyes, and their soft, delicate meows. They were also more affectionate than adult cats.

After she had fed them a few times, every time she went, they could smell her scent, meowing and walking to her skirt, rubbing their fur against her feet again and again.

Jianjia and Bailu wouldn't let her play with the kittens, saying that their claws were too sharp and would scratch her hands, and that they had fleas that would get into her hair.

But that's how people are; the more they are forbidden, the more they desire. Wushuang recalled the past. Before she was married, she had rarely done anything slightly out of line or disobedient. Yet, after so many years, what she remembered most vividly was that winter when she had raised those kittens.

Every time she went to feed them, she would take the opportunity to squat by the stove and play with one of the kittens, turning it over and over, pinching its little paws, pinching its little ears, and scratching its little belly, just like what he was doing to her now.

Oh, but he wasn't scratching her belly. He was just playing with her hair, pinching her ears, rubbing her fingers, and touching her cheeks and neck.

But she wasn't a kitten; she was a woman, and he was a grown man.

Initially, when Wushuang's hair was being played with, she didn't feel anything amiss. But then he began toying with her ears, his hand wandering over her neck, even touching her cervical vertebrae, tracing those bony segments, one by one, downwards. Wushuang's body immediately tensed.

She felt both fear and nervousness, along with a sense of bewilderment, as if 'it' had finally arrived.

Yet, he didn't continue to move his hand downwards; instead, it returned to her ears.

Her earlobes had already been reddened by his kneading, and the tips of her ears were flushed with warmth from his rubbing. After playing for a while, his hand returned to her hair, and Wushuang finally relaxed a little.

After several repetitions, Wushuang realized that the way he was toying with her was akin to playing with an ornament, much like how she used to play with those kittens. It wasn't what she had initially thought.

"Your Majesty..."

On the ninth time her cheek was pinched, Wushuang couldn't help but mutter a sentence.

Her murmur was actually tinged with guilt and shortness of breath, but his ears were very sharp. He hummed in response.

That 'hmm' was actually quite pleasant to hear, carrying a slightly raised inflection, as if inquiring what was wrong with her.

Wushuang didn't speak, and moved her cheek away from his hand.

He hummed again, this time the upward inflection was more pronounced than the previous one.

"Wushuang?"

She looked at his eyes with slight trepidation, and said softly, "My cheek hurts."

"Your cheek hurts?"

He withdrew his hand, and this time placed it on the back of her neck.

Just before Wushuang fell asleep, she could still feel his hand rubbing the flesh on the back of her neck, with no particular rhythm. She thought that when she woke up tomorrow, that spot would definitely be bruised.

The next day, when the time came, Wushuang woke up on her own.

She realized she had woken up a bit early today, because the person beside her hadn't left yet.

Compared to being held tightly in his embrace last night, she was now sleeping alone, with him about two chi away from her.

In fact, Wushuang had also noticed some differences in Emperor Qianwu. For example, sometimes he was very indifferent to her, but other times he would be very enthusiastic. He was enthusiastic in bed, but after getting out of bed, he was usually very indifferent.

However, even on the bed, there were times of coldness, such as now.

Ever since Mei Wushuang realized she could leave the palace freely, she usually departed as early as possible to avoid attracting attention. Of course, "as early as possible" generally meant after he had left. To know when he would leave, she made a point of waking up early. During this time, there were occasions when she woke up still held in his arms, sometimes she woke up and he was already gone, and sometimes it was like today.

Generally, if he hadn't left, she would feign sleep.

Today, she feigned sleep as usual, calculating in her heart when he would leave, but suddenly discovered something was amiss.

Someone was watching her.

She subconsciously tensed her body.

When a person's eyes are closed, their other senses are usually very acute. Wushuang felt him getting closer and closer, until—

"Awake?"

She opened her eyes with slight trepidation.

"Are you so afraid of this Majesty?"

She didn't dare answer, and softly called out, "Your Majesty."

He glanced at her, gave a cold snort, and got out of bed.

Was he angry?

But even if he was angry, Wushuang didn't plan to face it. She shrank back into the bed, intending to wait for him to leave before getting up, but then she heard him say, "Get up and help this Emperor change clothes."

Wushuang froze for a moment, then hurriedly got up.

By the time she came before him, Fusheng had already led several chamberlains in, carrying trays. On the trays were his clothes, shoes, socks, and coronet.

Wushuang had never helped anyone change clothes before, so she imitated how she usually dressed herself, first picking up the outer robe. But when she brought the outer robe before him, she realized he hadn't taken off his sleeping robe yet.

She paused there, thinking about whether he would take off his sleeping robe himself. Who knew that even when she brought the undergarment over, he showed no intention of taking it off himself.

Truly at a loss, and with a pair of eyes watching from above, she reluctantly put down the undergarment in her hands and returned to him empty-handed.

His sleeping robe was simple, just a set of thin silk clothes and trousers. The upper garment tied under the armpits. She reached for his arm, and he half-raised his arm, revealing the knot for her to untie.

Although they were not strangers, and had shared a bed on numerous occasions, Mei Wushuang was incredibly nervous, her nostrils filled with his familiar scent.

Wushuang was no stranger to this scent; this incense was often burned in the hall. She did not know what it was, but it smelled wonderful.

After removing his sleeping robe, his upper body was bare.

Wushuang lowered her eyelids, not daring to look up, and hurriedly helped him put on his undergarment. When it came time to tie the ribbons, her already red face flushed even more.

She had already lowered her eyes as much as possible, but she still couldn't avoid seeing the firm muscles of his chest and abdomen.

Though it was only a fleeting glance, she clearly counted how many there were.

Was this how all men's bodies were?