chapter 4

"Enough...!!! Did you all come here just to gossip idly instead of doing your work?!"

​The maids' chatter came to an abrupt halt at the cold, sharp reprimand—resembling freezing jade—that suddenly erupted from behind the cherry blossom trees. It was Chui Er, the Empress's personal maid. Standing behind her was Empress Lin Shu herself, her face completely drained of color, her entire body trembling with raging fury.

​"Em... Empress...!"

​Terrified and trembling, the maids fell to their knees, prostrating themselves on the floor and repeatedly banging their heads against the ground, weeping and begging for mercy.

​"We have committed a crime worthy of death, Your Highness...! Please forgive us for our loose tongues, Empress...!"

​Looking down at the kneeling maids, Lin Shu felt a raging fire burning in her chest. Her brows arched in fury, and she bit her lip so hard it almost bled. In her mind, she bitterly cursed the name Xiao Mingyu over and over again.

​'Xiao Mingyu... have you held a place in Ye Han's heart since childhood until now? Even though I loved Ye Han to distraction, and spent years turning him against you to make him hate you... are you still destined to be a constant obstacle in my path?!'

​Unable to contain her burning rage, Lin Shu swept her hand and violently shattered the porcelain teapot on the nearby stone table.

​Crash...!!!

​Though the hot water and porcelain teapot shattered into a thousand pieces, Lin Shu suppressed her emotions as best as she could, let out a long sigh with tear-rimmed eyes, and signaled the kneeling maids to leave. Despite her burning resentment, she spared them only to maintain her public image as a benevolent Empress.

​As the terrified maids scrambled away, Chui Er stepped closer to Lin Shu, anxiously pleading with her to calm down.

​"Your Highness, please calm your anger. These are merely baseless palace rumors and gossip; you shouldn't pay them any mind. It is only natural for palace maids to weave fabricated tales and speak nonsense..."

​Act II: The Emperor's Obsession

​However, as the days went by, the news that reached Lin Shu's ears only grew worse.

​The rumors said that Ye Han had not only released Mingyu from the dungeon to place him in a private pavilion with a full entourage of servants and guards, but he also personally visited Mingyu multiple times a day. Ye Han was reportedly fussing over whether Mingyu was eating properly, taking his medicine, or dressed warmly enough.

​In truth, these days should have been exceptionally busy and exhausting for Ye Han as he had just reclaimed and begun governing the empire.

​'And yet, even now, is he thinking of Mingyu more than state affairs?' Whenever Lin Shu thought of this, her heart ached as if pierced by a thousand needles.

​What was worse was that Ye Han had not visited Lin Shu’s chambers even once since their wedding night. It was said he spent his entire day shut inside his study. Yet, according to palace whispers, Ye Han had Mingyu brought to his study every single day. While he worked, he kept Mingyu sitting before him like a doll, staring at his face all day long.

​"To begin with, Xiao Mingyu is so beautiful that even young ladies would lose to him... Even though he's now a deposed emperor and a sinner, His Majesty cannot bear to kill him and just stares at his face all day. He won't even look at our Empress. I think he might soon become the first male concubine in the imperial harem..."

​Lin Shu caught two palace maids whispering these very words under the shade of a tree outside the study. This time, she could no longer endure it. The jealousy and anger she had bottled up for days finally mutated into an uncontrollable, mad fury.

​"Nonsense rumors...!!! All of you, get in front of me right now!"

​Lin Shu hissed in rage and ordered her guards to seize the palace maids, berating them severely. Her eyes were bloodshot, burning with intense jealousy and wrath.

​"How dare you elevate a deposed prisoner above the Empress in this palace?! It seems your tongues have grown far too talkative!"

​In a fit of absolute rage, Lin Shu commanded the guards to ruthlessly cut off the tongue of the prettier maid with a blade.

​"Mmph... Ahhh...!!! sob"

​Covered in a pool of fresh blood, the maid writhed and wailed on the floor in sheer terror. The other maids nearby shrieked in horror, trembling and weeping uncontrollably.

​Lin Shu looked at the blood splattered on her hands and coldly gestured to Chui Er to give her a cloth. Chui Er, seeing the cold-blooded and ruthless side of the Empress she had always served so obediently for the first time, was paralyzed with fear. Her hands trembled violently as she offered the cloth.

​Wiping her hands clean, Lin Shu glared toward the imperial study and gritted her teeth.

​'Whether these rumors are true or not... I must see it with my own eyes!'

​Act III: The Confrontation in the Study

​Lin Shu placed some nutritious pastries into a delicate box and arrived at the entrance of Ye Han's study, requesting entry. Moments later, the attendants opened the door, and she stepped inside.

​What she saw made her heart stop.

​Sitting quietly and calmly in a corner of the study was Xiao Mingyu. He was dressed in a pristine, elegant ivory-white robe. His long black hair flowed freely over his shoulders. Though his complexion was pale, his lips retained a natural, rosy pink hue. His skin was so fair that a soft flush showed on his cheeks, and his beauty, framed by his disheveled long hair, was so breathtaking that one could not look away.

​Seeing Lin Shu enter, Ye Han was slightly taken aback. He stood up and asked, "Empress? What brings you here..."

​Lin Shu masked her raging jealousy beneath a gentle, forced smile.

​"It has been a long time since Your Majesty visited me... Knowing how exhausted you must be with state affairs, I brought some snacks. These pastries are made from the walnuts presented as a tribute by the Eastern Kingdom a few days ago. Please, try some..."

​Ye Han tasted the pastry, smiled with satisfaction, and said, "Thank you, Empress." He then looked back down at his scrolls. "I still have work to finish, so please return to your quarters and rest first."

​But Lin Shu did not leave. "I will stay by your side and grind the ink for you while I wait," she said, stepping closer to the desk.

​Wanting to spare her the trouble, Ye Han abruptly commanded in a firm tone, "Xiao Mingyu... come and grind the ink!"

​Without a word, Mingyu stood up from his seat and began slowly grinding the inkstone. Watching this, Lin Shu asked suspiciously:

​"Your Majesty... are you keeping Mingyu as a servant now? He is a deposed emperor. Keeping him so close to you... might pose a threat to your throne one day."

​Ye Han cast a cold, quiet glance at Lin Shu, signaling her to stop talking. However, misinterpreting his look, Lin Shu reached out to hold his hand and brought up their past to persuade him further.

​"Ye-gege... do you remember how hard we struggled when we were young, and how we had to run for our lives to escape them? Why haven't you executed him yet...?"

​When Ye Han first heard her mention their childhood struggles, he agreed in his heart. But the moment the words “Why haven't you executed him yet?” escaped her lips, his anger flared. He violently shook off Lin Shu’s hand.

​Slap!

​Embarrassed and hurt by the sudden rejection, tears welled up in Lin Shu's eyes. "Ye-gege... how can you treat me like this...?"

​However, Lin Shu's mention of “running for their lives ten years ago” struck Mingyu like a bolt of lightning. His mind instantly flashed back to that dark night ten years ago when his father, Grand Minister Xiao, had led the rebellion.

​'Wait... on that night, wasn't it me who personally opened the gates and guided them to safety so Ye Han and his family could escape? Why is Lin Shu saying they had to flee from us for their lives? What kind of misunderstanding lies between us?!'

​Mingyu parted his lips to reveal the truth, but when he saw Lin Shu throwing herself into Ye Han's arms, his heart choked with sorrow.

​'His heart belongs only to Lin Shu... what is the point of explaining now? Even if I do, he will only see it as a traitor's trick. What is done cannot be undone...'

​Mingyu suppressed his emotional wounds, averted his eyes, and quietly focused on grinding the ink.

​Ye Han suppressed his anger, let out a sigh, and gently patted Lin Shu's shoulder to soothe her.

​"Empress... we shall speak of this later. Go back to your pavilion and rest for now. I promise I will visit your chambers as soon as I am finished with my work."

​Calmed by Ye Han's gentle words, Lin Shu cast a triumphant, mocking glance at Mingyu as if to say, "I am the ultimate winner," before departing with satisfaction.

​Act IV: Secret Affection and Hidden Scars

​After Lin Shu left, a cold, tense silence settled over the study, accompanied only by the faint scent of ink.

​Ye Han reached for the walnut pastry Lin Shu had brought and gently offered it to Mingyu's lips.

​"Mmph..."

​Mingyu startled and stared at Ye Han. Ye Han gently wiped a crumb from the corner of Mingyu's lips with his finger and murmured, "Does it taste good?"

​Mingyu didn't answer, staring back at Ye Han like a hostile white cat. Amused by this expression, Ye Han smiled. "What is it? Does your Majesty not like it?" Ye Han still called him 'Your Majesty'—not to demean him, but as a playful, affectionate tease.

​The moment Mingyu turned his face away, Ye Han suddenly grabbed his chin, turning him back. He pressed his firm lips against Mingyu's soft, rose-colored lips, kissing him deeply and hungrily.

​"Mmph... let go...!"

​Mingyu struggled to push him away, but Ye Han pinned both of his wrists above his head with a single hand, locking them in a tight grip. He then pushed Mingyu's body flat onto the study desk, overtaking him with even more intense, passionate kisses.

​Ye Han drank in Mingyu's lips, his tongue tangling with Mingyu's in a desperate, breathless embrace.

​After a moment, Mingyu's struggles slowly ceased. To Ye Han's surprise, he began to kiss him back. In truth, Mingyu was acting out of his own quiet jealousy, triggered by the way Lin Shu had held Ye Han and looked at him triumphantly.

​Sensing Mingyu's reciprocation, a fuse blew in Ye Han's chest. He slowly released his grip on Mingyu's hands. Once freed, Mingyu ran his slender fingers through Ye Han's long hair. On the study desk, the two lost themselves in a breathless, chaotic, and deeply passionate kiss, as if the world outside had ceased to exist.

​Ye Han slowly loosened Mingyu's ivory robe, parting the fabric, and began kissing his way down from Mingyu's fair collarbone to his inner thighs.

​"Ah... Ye Han..."

​A soft, sweet whimper escaped Mingyu's lips as he called out Ye Han's name, closing his eyes and gently holding onto Ye Han's hair.

​Inside the study, the heavy scent of woodsy ink mingled with the sound of ragged, passionate breathing. Ye Han held Mingyu's slender shoulders tightly, completely consumed by his touch.

​Act V: Shadows over the Orchid Pavilion

​Meanwhile, inside the Empress’s Lanhua Pavilion...

​The atmosphere was thick with cold tension. Having stormed out of the study, Lin Shu paced back and forth in her room, her hair disheveled from her explosive jealousy. Her slender fingers trembled uncontrollably from anxiety and resentment.

​'The rumors... they were actually true...!'

​Lin Shu gritted her teeth, clutching her aching chest.

​For ten long years, during their times of hardship, wasn't she the only one by Ye Han's side? She had endured the harsh, painful borderlands and survived near-death experiences with him. If she had stood firmly by his side all this time, why did he still harbor such deep, inextinguishable feelings for Mingyu? The thought terrified her to her core.

​She recalled the day she first re-entered the palace. When Mingyu was brought before the throne in disheveled golden robes under Ye Han's blood-stained sword, Lin Shu had clung to Ye Han's arm, looking down at the deposed emperor with a mocking smirk. She was certain Ye Han would execute him on the spot. She had been shocked when Ye Han merely ordered him to be kept under private house arrest.

​But when Ye Han later elevated her to the position of Empress, she felt secure. She believed she had won. After all, Ye Han had relied on her, respected her, and stayed by her side for the last ten years.

​But now, Xiao Mingyu was not only alive, but he had also infiltrated Ye Han's study. Remembering the cold, furious look Ye Han gave her and how he had slapped her hand away when she suggested executing Mingyu, a cold wave of dread washed over her.

​Sensing the Empress's intense jealousy, Chui Er stepped forward quietly and spoke in a hushed, soothing voice:

​"Your Highness, please calm yourself. His Majesty must be keeping that enemy emperor close only to keep him under tight surveillance. Do not believe the palace gossip, Your Highness. You are a woman, and Mingyu is a man. No matter how beautiful he is, or what childhood bond they shared... His Majesty would never involve himself with another man in that way. You are the only one His Majesty truly loves. He is only keeping Mingyu there to torment and watch over him..."

​Chui Er's words made Lin Shu pause. Tears still in her eyes, she began to rationalize.

​'Yes... how could he cast aside a beautiful woman like me to seek intimacy with a man? No matter how beautiful, a man is still a man... Ye Han would never look at him that way. Chui Er must be right... Even if he is keeping him alive, it must be out of lingering childhood sentimentality...'

​She let out a long sigh, forcing down the burning anxiety in her chest. She wanted to be the only Empress in Ye Han's life. She loved him too much, and the fear of losing him made her desperate.

​She had loved him since they were teenagers. As children, Ye Han, Mingyu, and Lin Shu had studied together at the estate of Mingyu's father, Grand Minister Xiao. Because Mingyu was sickly and fragile as a child, Ye Han had always doted on him. Initially, thinking Mingyu was a girl, Ye Han had even promised to marry him when they grew up. Once he learned Mingyu was a boy, he changed his promise, vowing to protect him as his dearest brother and companion for life.

​Lin Shu was the opposite of Mingyu—vibrant, athletic, and skilled in weaponry. Deep down, she had always resented Mingyu because Ye Han favored him over her.

​Then came the night of the rebellion led by Mingyu's father. Lin Shu and her grandfather, Master Lin Changge, had rescued Ye Han from the brink of death. Ye Han had trained under her grandfather and utilized the military forces of her father, Grand Commander Lin Jianhua, to spend ten years preparing to reclaim his throne.

​Lin Shu had used this twist of fate to remain by Ye Han's side as his sole companion. She wanted to be the only Empress he cherished and owed his life to.

​But the peace she sought was about to be shattered by a new storm.

​Act VI: The Approaching Storm

​A few days later, unexpected imperial carriages from the Eastern Kingdom arrived at the capital of the Huang Empire.

​The clever Prince Feng Jirong and his elegant, beautiful sister, Princess Feng Tingting, had arrived on a diplomatic mission with the intent of forming a marriage alliance.

​News of Ye Han’s ascension and his ruthless eradication of the Xiao dynasty had spread far and wide. His reputation as a decisive and formidable ruler made neighboring kingdoms eager to secure alliances.

​During Xiao Mingyu's reign, the empire had prioritized peace and avoided war, which led neighboring states to overlook them. However, with a militarily capable ruler like Ye Han on the throne, they knew they stood no chance if he decided to invade.

​Thus, Prince Feng Jirong and Princess Feng Tingting had arrived with a dual purpose: to secure a treaty, or to have Princess Feng Tingting marry Ye Han to secure a foothold in the imperial court.

​When this news swept through the palace, Empress Lin Shu clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms. Aside from the threat of Mingyu in the study, she now faced a formidable new rival for her throne in Princess Feng Tingting.

​The fire of anxiety and jealousy flared up once more, and the look in Lin Shu's eyes descended fully into madness.

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