The Tyrant’s Drama Queen Empress

CHAPTER 19: Your Majesty, As Expected of You

　　When Xie Yuanxun kissed Shen Ling before, he did not find anything particularly wonderful about matters between men and women. To put it bluntly, his lips hurt just as much as hers did. He simply did not show it, keeping up his cold, tough exterior.

　　But when Shen Ling took the initiative this time, the kiss tasted completely different.

　　Xie Yuanxun no longer felt pain. Instead, it felt good. So good that he flipped the situation around, pushed Shen Ling back onto the ground, pinned her down, and kissed her fiercely. From beginning to end, their lips never parted.

　　At first, Shen Ling was absolutely delighted. Finally, there was at least one thing she was better at than Xie Yuanxun. But she never imagined that after teaching him so nicely, he would not only seize the initiative, but nearly kiss her until she suffocated.

　　“......”

　　She was going to fight back!

　　Shen Ling tried to push him away, but couldn't. She tried to dodge to the side, but still couldn't. She was already pinned to the ground of the Zhaixing Tower by Xie Yuanxun. To avoid being kissed to death by him, Shen Ling kicked Xie Yuanxun's leg, using both hands and feet to separate herself from him. She lay there, panting heavily for fresh air.

　　—Being alive is really nice......

　　That was the only thought in her head. She felt that if she had actually died, she might even have gone down in history, just under a ridiculous title like “the first consort to die from kissing the Emperor,” recorded in both official and unofficial histories.

　　After calming herself, Shen Ling sat up. She coughed lightly and straightened her slightly disheveled clothes. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were vividly red. Though she had nearly suffocated, that, well… it was still quite… stimulating. Ahem.

　　Xie Yuanxun tilted his head to look at her and asked, “Why did you push me away?”

　　Shen Ling said, “Uh.”

　　“Did you not enjoy my kiss?”

　　“......”

　　Shen Ling was completely stuck. It was enjoyable, yes, but she had almost lost her life!

　　If she said that out loud, it would make her sound ridiculously useless. Not only had she been overtaken by a beginner, she had nearly been kissed to death by him. There was no way she could say that. Absolutely no way!

　　She had some pride, okay?!

　　Shen Ling barely came up with an answer. “I was lying on the ground for too long. It was uncomfortable.”

　　Xie Yuanxun stared.

　　Shen Ling smiled faintly.

　　—As long as I do not panic, you will not be able to tell I am bluffing.

　　—Do you expect me to tell the truth, that I almost died from not being able to breathe while kissing you? That is way too embarrassing. I refuse.

　　—Absolutely not!

　　Xie Yuanxun said nothing. He already knew.

　　Raising a brow, he asked again, “Are you really saying you pushed me away because lying on the ground was uncomfortable?”

　　Shen Ling said, “Mhm!”

　　Xie Yuanxun was silent for a moment.

　　Even though he knew her well enough to expect this little contradiction between words and heart, he still wanted to mutter:

　　Little liar.

　　Shen Ling asked, “Your Majesty, can we head back to the palace now?”

　　Xie Yuanxun replied, “Ah, why go back?”

　　Shen Ling pouted. “It’s windy here, and I’m not dressed warmly enough. It’s a bit cold.”

　　Xie Yuanxun fell silent. “You didn’t tell me earlier?”

　　Shen Ling, all proper and serious, said, “I’m telling you now.”

　　Xie Yuanxun raised a brow. “Why not say it before?”

　　Shen Ling pursed her lips and looked at him seriously. “Now that I’ve told you, will you take off your clothes and give me your robe?”

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “Of course not.”

　　He added in that teasing tone of his, “I’m cold too.”

　　Shen Ling was speechless.

　　—Dog man, you’re shameless!

　　—If you won’t take off your clothes to cover me, then why are you still rambling here? Just let me go back to the Chang Le Palace!

　　—I’ll go back and crawl into my own bed! I don’t need you! Remember, it’s me who doesn’t need you!

　　Xie Yuanxun stood up, and Shen Ling followed. But her legs were numb, and she wobbled as if about to fall. Xie Yuanxun reached out and caught her.

　　Now her whole body was trembling, and so was her mouth.

　　—So cliché, this is pure drama!

　　—Why do my legs have to go numb right now? Isn’t this just making me fall into his arms?

　　—If I say it wasn’t on purpose, will he believe me?

　　Xie Yuanxun said nothing.

　　He had just caught her, and she was already putting on this much of a show?

　　He frowned. Didn’t he have eyes in his head? He could see whether she was doing it on purpose or not, he understood her perfectly. She didn’t need to explain, and yet she made it seem like he was imagining things himself.

　　Xie Yuanxun pressed his lips together. Seeing that she really intended to explain herself, he immediately let go of the hand that had been holding her up—

　　Plop!

　　Shen Ling fell to the ground with a crisp, unmistakable thud.

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “Get up. Let’s go. Back to the palace.”

　　Shen Ling froze.

　　—What the actual heck!

　　—What are you even trying to do, ancestor? Throw me on the ground for fun? I don’t want to go back to the palace with you, not one bit!

　　—Here I am, a stunning beauty, and instead of taking advantage of me, you throw me on the ground. Ha! Truly you—so bold!

　　Shen Ling picked herself up, checking herself over as she caught her breath. She was careful—didn’t want to be hurt. Luckily, everything was intact. She even had the twisted thought of picking Xie Yuanxun up and jumping off Zhaixing Tower together.

　　—Not angry, I’m not angry at all…

　　—Ahhhhhh! I! Am! Not! Angry!

　　Xie Yuanxun, feeling amused, asked softly, “What’s wrong? Are you upset?”

　　Shen Ling put on a calm, surprised expression. “I’m not.”

　　—Yeah, I’m totally not upset!

　　—If I’m upset, it’s all your fault.

　　—Wanna know how to make me happy? Hmph, if you were a bit more attentive, I might reluctantly tell you. Like, maybe start by complimenting me? Heh, not a bad idea—ask me, ask, and I’ll tell you.

　　Shen Ling’s eyes sparkled as she stared at him.

　　Xie Yuanxun curled a finger and flicked her forehead. “Oh, really? Never mind, let's go back to the palace.” He turned and started walking.

　　Shen Ling: “???”

　　—That’s it? That’s your reaction? Nothing else?

　　She felt a surge of disbelief as she followed him. Xie Yuanxun, reaching the stairs, didn’t hear her footsteps and turned back. “Why are you still lagging behind? Didn’t you say it was cold?”

　　Shen Ling, feeling numb, replied softly, “Oh, oh….”

　　Xie Yuanxun raised an eyebrow and smirked. He had to admit, he was feeling pretty at ease right now. Bao Fei, Bao Fei—he really hadn’t chosen the wrong title for her.

　　She was a treasure.

　　......

　　Shen Manor.

　　Madam Jiang sat up on the bed, having the maid help her change, when Nanny Zheng came in carrying a porcelain bowl of medicinal soup. Seeing Madam Jiang perched on a stool, flipping through account books, Nanny Zheng said with concern, “Madam, why are you out of bed? Didn’t the physician say you need to rest?”

　　Madam Jiang replied, “How can I lie in bed with all this on my mind? If I don’t keep myself busy, every time I think about that day I went to the Palace, I get so angry I could explode.”

　　“Madam!”

　　Meeting Nanny Zheng’s disapproving gaze, Madam Jiang realized she shouldn’t be talking about Palace matters, but she couldn’t help it anyway.

　　Nanny Zheng knew Madam Jiang well. She sighed and waved for the other maids in the room to leave.

　　Madam Jiang said, “Nanny, I’m so frustrated. What exactly is Shen Ling thinking? I went to so much trouble to see her in the Palace, and what does she do? Not only does she refuse to see me, she even set her dog on me. You know how sick I got the day I returned to the Manor. I wanted to call the physician, but Master said that asking a physician after leaving the Palace would give the wrong impression—that I was unhappy with my visit.”

　　“If you hadn’t secretly sent for the physician that night, I don’t even want to imagine how bad I would have gotten. The physician said it was my anger overwhelming my heart, plus shock leaving my mind unsettled. If I’d waited even a little longer, I could have wasted away, maybe even—”

　　Nanny Zheng stirred the medicinal soup with her spoon, scolding, “Madam, don’t curse yourself like that! Nonsense! You’re going to live a long life, four generations under one roof.”

　　Madam Jiang had only been speaking offhandedly, not seriously cursing herself, and when Nanny Zheng said this, she let it slide.

　　Madam Jiang continued, “What kind of luck is this? Ever since I brought that troublemaker back, not a single day has gone smoothly. Even when she was still in the Manor, I could see she wasn’t one to behave. Now she’s in the Palace, made a Consort, and openly and secretly torments me, her mother.”

　　“My heart… it hurts so much from her. She’s just a troublemaker, a real troublemaker…”

　　Nanny Zheng said gently, “Madam, she is a Consort now. It’s best not to call her a troublemaker.”

　　Madam Jiang snorted, “Why shouldn’t I say it? She set her dog on me without any regard for me as her mother. Am I not allowed to talk about her?”

　　Nanny Zheng replied, “Bao Fei did go too far, but Master, Young Master, and Second Miss all care for you. That physician that day was sent by Second Miss, Young Master brought him here, and Master also prepared medicines for you. They all care about you.”

　　“They are my family. Not like that ungrateful white-eyed wolf in the Palace.”

　　Madam Jiang sneered, “She enjoyed all the benefits of the Shen Manor, and the moment she gained power, she wants to push us aside. Ha, nothing in life is ever that easy.” (T/N: “Benefits”? What kind of benefits? 😑 I didn’t see any, and neither did Shen Ling. Maybe she means the joy of being belittled by everyone in the Manor or constantly slandered. Yeah, truly great benefits, Madam. Hope you stay blind and deaf for life. 😑)

　　Once the medicinal soup cooled, Nanny Zheng helped Madam Jiang sip it spoon by spoon. Madam Jiang frowned after each sip; the medicine was very bitter. If Shen Ling saw this, she would definitely call her pretentious. Couldn't she just drink it all in one gulp? Why did she have to sip it so slowly, making herself suffer?

　　When Madam Jiang finished the soup, Nanny Zheng brought over some candied fruit. Madam Jiang popped one into her mouth and said, “I had thought, if she behaved a little better, I could let go of my prejudices. I wouldn’t treat her as well as I do Xi'er, but I wouldn’t deliberately belittle her either. But now, it seems that’s impossible.”

　　“If it weren’t for Master, I really would let everyone in the Capital know everything I suffered in the Palace. Let them see how unfilial that Bao Fei really is!”

　　Nanny Zheng warned, “Madam, you can’t do that. It would ruin your reputation. Especially with the other Madams who are already at odds with you—they’d gossip behind your back for sure.”

　　Madam Jiang pondered, frowning. “You’re right. I can’t give them a chance to mock me, especially my elder sisters. Before I married, they were both envious and jealous of me. Once I married Master and became the official wife, they were even more resentful. They couldn’t win their husband’s favor, and yet they got jealous over concubines and maidservants. Their behavior was so ridiculous, I hardly dared to mention it.”

　　“Especially since my life is so complete—loving husband, perfect children, well-run household—if they knew I had a daughter like Shen Ling causing trouble, they’d be thrilled.”

　　“If only it had been Shen Xi who entered the Palace as a consort…” Madam Jiang muttered without thinking.

　　If it had been Shen Xi, Madam Jiang thought, she wouldn’t have been embarrassed and made sick like this.

　　Madam Jiang placed the blame for being chased out of the Palace by that dog squarely on Shen Ling. Even though she’d heard palace servants say it was by the Emperor’s order, in Madam Jiang’s eyes, Shen Ling had manipulated the Emperor. The mischief was all her doing. Being chased by that tall, strong black dog had terrified her, and thinking about it now made her heart flutter with anxiety.

　　Nanny Zheng looked up when Madam Jiang mentioned Shen Xi, opening her mouth to speak but closing it again. In the end, she said nothing.

　　Perhaps she was overthinking it.

　　With how Madam Jiang doted on Second Miss, there was no way she would willingly let her enter the dangerous Palace as a Consort.

　　Meanwhile, in the back courtyard’s inner quarters, a maid dressed in pale green entered carrying an invitation. “Miss, Miss Xue sent this invitation for you.”

　　Shen Xi reached out. “Give me the invitation.” She opened it and saw that it was for a flower-viewing gathering.

　　“Mother is still sick. Why would I go out to view flowers right now?” Normally, Shen Xi would have gone without hesitation.

　　The maid hesitated, “Miss, I heard that Miss Xue has some top-grade life-saving ginseng…”

　　Shen Xi let out a light snort. “Ginseng? We have plenty at home.” She knew that Madam Jiang had brought a fine piece of ginseng as part of her dowry. Shen Xi had seen it when she was little, and Madam Jiang had even said she’d pass it to her as part of her wedding gifts. But since Madam Jiang’s recent “illness,” that ginseng had already been used.

　　Shen Xi lowered her gaze, hiding the dark ripple of thoughts beneath.

　　She didn’t know exactly what Madam Jiang had gone through in the Palace. The goings-on in the Emperor’s harem were both difficult and easy to find out, depending on who you asked.

　　Madam Jiang’s visit to the Palace fell into the hard-to-investigate category.

　　All Shen Xi knew was that something had frightened Madam Jiang terribly, which explained why she collapsed in bed as soon as she returned home. It wasn’t really sickness—it was shock.

　　While taking care of Madam Jiang, Shen Xi had heard her express frustration and anger toward Shen Ling. It was clear that this “illness” was inseparable from Shen Ling’s actions.

　　Shen Xi didn’t know exactly what Shen Ling had done, only that Madam Jiang kept calling her unfilial. If Shen Ling was unfilial, then Shen Xi couldn’t afford to look less filial at this moment.

　　Even if she had to pretend, she would pretend to be more filial than Shen Ling.

　　So for this flower-viewing, Shen Xi had to look regretful and stay home.

　　The maid pressed, “But Miss, you've been staying in the Manor lately and haven't gone out at all. Seeing you looking so troubled worries me. If you go to this flower viewing party, firstly, you can get out of the Manor and relax; secondly, you can inquire about ginseng from Miss Xue, since Miss Xue is backed by Princess Yuzhen's Manor, and the Princess's Manor must have many fine items; and thirdly, it will show your filial piety to the ladies and young ladies of the Capital.”

　　Shen Xi’s heart stirred. She realized she couldn’t skip this flower-viewing after all. It was a perfect plan, achieving three goals in one.

　　How wonderful!    

    

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T/N: Small heads-up! I’ve been using pinyin titles (Fei, Guiren, Pin) in previous chapters, but sometimes the English terms (concubine, consort) just hit better. I’ll be mixing both based on vibes and readability. Hope you don’t mind. 😂

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