The Tyrant’s Drama Queen Empress

CHAPTER 53: Mutual Desire

　　Shen Ling knew that Xue Mi’er was a hardcore face-con. Back then, she used to trail behind Xue Yunshi all the time, so he was probably pretty good-looking. Still, Shen Ling didn’t care much about his looks. After all, the moment Xue Mi’er met her, that whole face-con obsession instantly shifted onto Shen Ling instead. From that alone, it was easy to conclude that Xue Yunshi wasn’t as good-looking as her. And as for Shen Ling herself, she firmly believed her face couldn’t compare to Xie Yuanxun’s…

　　Thinking of that, Shen Ling almost wanted to throw her head back and howl at the sky.

　　Damn it. She actually looked worse than a man. What kind of injustice was this? So annoying!

　　Xie Yuanxun rested his chin on one hand, watching the constantly shifting expressions on her face. When Shen Ling accidentally met his gaze, she had this strange feeling that he looked… satisfied, like someone who had just binge-watched an entire drama series.

　　Shen Ling quickly pulled her wandering thoughts back and returned to the ridiculous matter of Shen Jinxiu plotting a rebellion.

　　Shen Ling said, “I don’t know about the others, but Xue Mi’er probably has no idea Xue Yunshi is planning a rebellion. Otherwise, she wouldn’t keep showing up in front of me all the time.”

　　—She’s just a face-con. And a silly, sweet one at that.

　　—If she really knew about it, she’d probably be so guilty she’d avoid me like the plague.

　　Shen Ling paused, feeling a little guilty. When she said it sounded familiar just now, it wasn’t only the title “Princess Yuzhen” that rang a bell. The name Xue Yunshi also felt strangely familiar, like she had seen it somewhere before. But where exactly?

　　Forget it. She could think about that later. Right now, the priority was to dig herself out of the massive pit that was the Shen family.

　　What kind of suicidal courage had Shen Jinxiu eaten to dare rebel against Xie Yuanxun?

　　Shen Ling rubbed her hands together and said sincerely, “Your Majesty, can I still request to change my brother and parents now?”

　　Xie Yuanxun slowly shook his head. “Too late.”

　　Shen Ling sighed, her tone full of sorrow. “Time waits for no one!”

　　—If only I had agreed earlier. Then I wouldn’t be counted among the nine clans of the Shen family.

　　Xie Yuanxun glanced at her. “Afraid of being implicated by him?”

　　Shen Ling replied honestly, “Of course I’m afraid.” In any dynasty, a rebellion always meant waves upon waves of executions. How could she not be scared?

　　Shen Ling said, “But I think Your Majesty wouldn’t let me get dragged into this.”

　　Xie Yuanxun asked, “Why not?”

　　Shen Ling answered with complete sincerity, “Because if it really comes to exterminating nine clans, you’d be included in those nine clans too. You’re not going to count yourself in, are you?” Royal privileges, you know? By common folk logic, Xie Yuanxun was technically a son-in-law.

　　Shen Ling continued, “Also, you’ve already told me everything. You’re not the kind of villain from storybooks who rambles on before the protagonist dies and then gets counter-killed. And on top of that, you even wanted me to change my brother. I think… you’re actually looking out for me, so I won’t get dragged down by them. But honestly, you don’t have to worry that I’ll be heartbroken over their self-inflicted doom. I’ve always been strong. I can cut ties with my own kin for the greater good.”

　　Xie Yuanxun looked at her. “Aren’t you afraid people will call you cold-hearted?”

　　Shen Ling met his gaze. “I’ve said this so many times I’m tired of it, but I’ll say it again. Your Majesty and I are the same kind of people.”

　　She didn’t hold back at all.

　　—Pot calling the kettle black. If I’m cold-hearted, then you’re even worse. Honestly, if the two of us didn’t end up together, it’d be an insult to common sense.

　　Xie Yuanxun let out a soft snort. “You really don’t hold back when it comes to telling the truth.”

　　Shen Ling shrugged. “Well, can’t help it. My greatest strength is being honest.”

　　Xie Yuanxun teased, “Honest… especially with me?”

　　Shen Ling, “......If you keep this up, how am I supposed to look at these phrases normally ever again?”

　　—Do you really have to turn everything into something suggestive?!

　　—They were pure and innocent phrases!

　　Xie Yuanxun said lightly, “You’re the one with the dirty mind.”

　　Shen Ling slapped the table. “Nonsense. Someone as pure as me would never think that way!”

　　Xie Yuanxun replied, “Then why were you letting your imagination run wild… and even starting to loosen your clothes?”

　　Hearing Xie Yuanxun’s words, Shen Ling immediately grabbed at the front of her clothes. She was half afraid she had actually done something inappropriate without realizing it. But when she looked down, she found that Xie Yuanxun had been talking nonsense.

　　“You’re spouting rubbish again! My clothes are clearly still on properly! Do you even know you’re falsely accusing someone?!”

　　—Damn it, you scared me to death!

　　—I almost thought I’d been drooling over him so badly that I’d gone as far as baring my chest.

　　Xie Yuanxun laughed. “If I were really framing you, would you have checked your clothes the second I said it? Isn’t that a guilty conscience… or maybe prior experience?”

　　“Who would’ve thought you’ve been secretly fantasizing about me all this time.”

　　Shen Ling suddenly jumped up, her face blazing red as she lunged at Xie Yuanxun. She grabbed at his clothes, fumbling to undo them, her voice both angry and flustered. “Now let’s see who’s really fantasizing about who! You with your half-open shirt, trying to seduce someone! Let me tell you, just because you show a bit of skin doesn’t mean you can charm me! Young men should keep themselves in check and not always chase after lust!”

　　Xie Yuanxun let out a soft chuckle, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

　　Then he asked, “So… do you want to touch a little?”

　　Shen Ling inhaled sharply. “...You shameless!”

　　—What kind of wolfish words are those!

　　Though Shen Ling’s lips spat out disdain, her hands betrayed her, moving on their own to his chest. She poked here, pinched there, inspecting with the seriousness of an old scholar. “A bit more flesh than before, muscle evenly distributed… feels pretty good.” 

　　Xie Yuanxun nibbled at her ear. “The lower part feels even better. Do you want to touch it?”

　　Shen Ling froze. “......”

　　—If I get a nosebleed, it’s definitely not my fault.

　　—You damn fool, trying to push me down the path of a pervert! Do you think I’m scared? Up here, down there, I’ll touch whatever I want!

　　Her mind was all fire and fury, but her actions were timid as ever. For a long while, Shen Ling just hovered around his upper body, and when she caught Xie Yuanxun’s teasing gaze, she gave in.

　　Shen Ling said, “Let’s restrain ourselves a bit, it’s broad daylight after all.”

　　Xie Yuanxun wasn’t pleased. “Nobody’s watching anyway.”

　　Shen Ling fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned her head and yelled toward the door, “Liu Zhu! Liu Zhu, come in here, quick!”

　　Xie Yuanxun burst out laughing. “Hahaha.”

　　After sending Xie Yuanxun off, Shen Ling lazily flopped onto the couch. She wondered if she should get a Buddha statue for the room. With a Buddha there, surely Xie Yuanxun wouldn’t be so unruly. But she quickly gave up on the idea—she feared that if she did, Xie Yuanxun would somehow end up pressing her down in front of the statue and causing chaos. Honestly, Shen Ling had never overestimated his self-control.

　　She covered her face with a round fan and closed her eyes. After a moment, she suddenly sat upright, remembering where she had seen the name Xue Yunshi before!

　　Xue Yunshi was the Emperor of the new dynasty in the book. His role was small, only appearing a few times at the very end. One appearance was after the fall of the Da Liang Dynasty, when Xue Yunshi and other ambitious men rose up in rebellion. At that point, he still used his status as the son of a Princess from the previous dynasty. The male lead, Shen Jinxiu, had told the female lead, Shen Xi, that Xue Yunshi was the most likely to succeed. That was the only time the name appeared. Later, Xue Yunshi showed up again after the new dynasty was established, becoming Emperor. He summoned Shen Jinxiu to discuss matters, and after that, the book described the harmony between Shen Jinxiu and Xue Yunshi as ruler and minister, while the male and female leads enjoyed their love.    

　　Shen Ling hadn’t expected Shen Jinxiu to get involved with Xue Yunshi so early. In the book, they hadn’t even met yet.

　　She didn’t mind the change in the plot. Ever since she, a side character, entered the Palace without interfering in the main couple’s story, the book’s original plot had probably already been mangled beyond recognition.

　　Thinking carefully, it wasn’t entirely surprising that Shen Jinxiu and Xue Yunshi would meet so soon. Xue Yunshi was ambitious by nature. There was the precedent of a former imperial son-in-law stirring chaos and trying to usurp the throne, and then there was Xie Yuanxun’s ruthlessness. Comparing Xie Yuanxun’s lack of an heir only made Xue Yunshi’s ambitions feel bigger.

　　Early on, he’d been wary of Xie Yuanxun, quietly building his strength. Once Xie Yuanxun was gone, he could raise his banner of rebellion. It was a well-planned move—but that was in the book. Now, Shen Ling had already marked Xue Yunshi with a bright, glaring red X. With her around, she would never let anyone ruin her current life. She would make sure Xie Yuanxun lived a long, long time.

　　As for Shen Jinxiu, Shen Ling guessed he might have felt his own brilliance overshadowed by her, so he wanted to pull off a big move to blind the world with his shine.

　　If Shen Jinxiu and Xue Yunshi’s schemes succeeded, he would achieve fame and accomplishment. If they failed, well, he still had her—his younger sister, Shen Ling, who shared the same bloodline, the favored Imperial Consort. Maybe she could even save his life. After all, in this world, a woman rarely survives without her family’s support.   

　　No matter how she looked at it, Shen Jinxiu had a safe haven.

　　Shen Ling let out a sarcastic laugh and flopped back onto the couch, twirling the handle of her round fan between her fingers. “Did you really think when I said I’d put justice above family, it was just for show?”

　　She had never cared much about the Shen family—not because she didn’t want to, but because she had other plans. Shen Ling knew that her favored Imperial Consort position would bring benefits to the Shens. People would fawn over her as the treasured consort, by showering the Shen household with gifts, favors at work, and bribes. She had never openly said she disliked the Shen family. That wasn’t out of gratitude for Shen Kangzheng and Madam Jiang giving her life, since she was a half-transmigrated outsider with no real emotional ties. Even if she wanted to feel grateful, the original Shen Ling in the book had already spent her whole life repaying it.

　　Shen Ling just wanted the Shen family to be flattered and praised by outsiders, lifted up on a pedestal, and then, at the right moment, let those outsiders see her true attitude toward them. This time at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, her treatment of the Shen family had been noticed by officials and noblewomen alike. Eventually, the Shens would fall back to where they started—but they had tasted better treatment. Could they handle the shock of returning to their old status? Shen Ling didn’t believe their relationships could ever be harmonious again. She could already imagine them blaming each other, grumbling that the other hadn’t buttered her up properly.

　　While others were boiling frogs in warm water, Shen Ling was killing with warm water, striking straight at the heart.

　　Standing in a position the likes of Madam Jiang and the others couldn’t even reach, Shen Ling had a natural advantage. 

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter