Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Xie Liuzheng stole a glance at Li Wei and noticed his eyes would always unconsciously drift toward Her Majesty. In those moments, his sharp, murderous gaze would soften with warmth. The phrase "a warrior’s tender heart" was suddenly personified.

Xie Liuzheng hadn’t expected to get a front-row seat to the drama. She grabbed Xiao Yang’s arm and began to gossip openly.

"Ahem, Your Majesty, what kind of men do you like?"

Xiao Yang knew exactly what she was thinking. "Why? Are you going to make an introduction for me?"

Xie Liuzheng shook her head frantically. She still wanted to live, thank you very much.

"My connections are limited. I could never find anyone more outstanding than the Regent King and the Great General. I wouldn’t dare embarrass myself."

Just then, Rong Yin arrived. "Your Majesty."

There happened to be one empty seat, and Rong Yin naturally sat down. "What are you all talking about?"

Xiao Yang poured herself a cup of wine and drank. "Didn’t you hear? Xie Liuzheng wants to introduce handsome men to me."

Xie Liuzheng’s face instantly twisted in fear. "Your Majesty, I would never dare."

’Don’t frame me! These two big shots could tear me apart.’

Xiao Yang shot her a cool, indifferent glance. "If you wouldn’t dare, then why are you running your mouth?"

Xie Liuzheng shut her mouth. ’One can’t just gossip about Her Majesty willy-nilly.’

Neither Rong Yin nor Li Wei dared to touch the subject. Rong Yin was reminded of the incident with the two male consorts that had landed him a trip to the Heavenly Prison.

Li Wei, on the other hand, felt he was in no position to discuss such things with Her Majesty.

The atmosphere between the four of them grew strange. Xiao Yang didn’t want to talk, Rong Yin and Li Wei were even less talkative, and the sole chatterbox in their midst was surrounded by three powerful figures, not daring to speak recklessly.

Xiao Yang’s cup was empty. At the same time, two hands reached for the wine pot, both wanting to pour for her.

One hand gripped the handle, the other pressed down on the lid. The air instantly crackled with tension.

Xie Liuzheng raised her cup to drink, hiding the uncontrollable grin spreading across her face. ’Ah, a chaotic scene, up close and personal...’

Xiao Yang paid no mind to the turbulent undercurrents between them. She glanced at the contested wine pot, then picked up another one and filled her own cup.

Rong Yin released his hand. Li Wei picked up the wine pot and filled his own cup.

"How many days does Your Majesty plan to stay at the manor?"

That was a question Xiao Yang couldn’t answer.

"In any case, I’m not going back tomorrow."

She had been on the verge of breaking down in that palace. Now that she finally had a rare chance to get out, she absolutely refused to go back so soon.

The mere thought of finally escaping Grand Tutor Xu’s clutches made her very soul feel at ease.

’Wait!’

Xiao Yang suddenly snapped back to reality, looking at the two men before her.

’Heh, I almost forgot about these two.’

"Ahem, I plan to rest here for a couple of days. Court matters will be temporarily left to the Regent King."

’You, go on back!’

"Aren’t things busy with the Black Dragon Cavalry? Just have Xiao Cheng and the others come over."

’You, get out of here too!’

Strangely, both men understood the Emperor’s hidden meaning. Her Majesty found them tiresome.

Rong Yin cleared his throat. "This place isn’t far from the Capital City, so messages can travel back and forth easily. It’s not a problem for Your Majesty to stay here for a few days. But since it’s a rare chance for Your Majesty to relax, you should rest well. I will handle these matters myself."

He wanted to stay here and accompany Her Majesty. If she wanted to have fun, she should have fun. He would not interfere in the slightest.

Li Wei’s expression didn’t change. "Your Majesty has been training hard in martial arts recently. The hot springs are good for relieving fatigue. You should take a good long soak and stretch your muscles."

The meaning was obvious: there would be no martial arts practice for the next few days.

Xiao Yang reluctantly tolerated them staying.

Bright Mirror Manor was vast. As its original owner, Rong Yin took Xiao Yang on a tour.

He constantly found opportunities to hold Xiao Yang’s hand along the way. She would pull away, but he would take it back again. This repeated over and over, and even when she glared at him, he seemed to delight in it.

He made no effort to hide it, so Li Wei quickly learned of their interactions. Or perhaps, Rong Yin intentionally wanted Li Wei to know.

SPLASH!

In the dead of night, ripples spread across the surface of the hot spring pool.

Xiao Yang had slept her fill during the day, so she wasn’t very sleepy at night.

A short while into a light sleep, she was startled awake by a nightmare, her body drenched in sweat. After calming down for a bit, she decided to get up and take a bath.

It was a rare trip. It would be a waste not to take a few more soaks.

She had the two martial maids on night watch prepare clothes and fine wine for her, then waved them away.

There were guards all around, so it was safe for the time being. She wanted to enjoy some time alone.

Five or six lanterns were lit by the bank. Their dim, yellow light only illuminated a small patch of water nearby. The area slightly further out was a pitch-black darkness that looked like a man-eating abyss.

Having swum a few laps before, Xiao Yang wasn’t afraid, but she didn’t feel like going into the deeper parts right now.

She was all alone. Just as she was about to undress and enter the water, someone suddenly stood up in the pool with a SPLASH.

"Your Majesty."

Li Wei rose from the water, his upper body exposed. He lowered his head, not daring to look at Xiao Yang. "Forgive me, Your Majesty."

Bright Mirror Manor had two springs. One was small and enclosed for the exclusive use of the master’s family. The other was this large pool, used for guests.

When previous emperors visited, this large pool was always bestowed upon the ministers for their use.

During the late Emperor’s reign, Li Wei had come here twice with him. Tonight, he was too restless to sleep and had thought to come for a soak, never expecting that Her Majesty would also come at such a late hour.

Xiao Yang’s hand paused. "Are you done soaking?"

Li Wei nodded.

"Then why don’t you get out?"

Li Wei stiffened, seeming to hesitate over something, but the next moment he rose from the water.

He was wearing trousers on his lower half, so it wasn’t an entirely indecent sight.

But he was soaked through, and droplets of water traced paths down the clear lines of his muscles.

Li Wei was so nervous he kept his gaze fixed forward, but Xiao Yang didn’t shy away at all, openly appreciating the aesthetics of human strength.

Perfectly proportioned, with fluid lines, not at all exaggerated—every inch radiated genuine explosive power.

Li Wei’s body was covered in scars—on his sides, arms, shoulder blades, and chest.

Li Wei could feel her gaze, so sharp it was almost tangible. He wasn’t afraid of being seen by Her Majesty, but he still felt a little uncomfortable. He was nervous and awkward, and his heart was pounding out of rhythm.

He grabbed his clothes from a nearby rock and quickly put them on.

"This last time on the battlefield, how many wounds did you receive in total?"

"Too many small ones to count. Fifteen major ones."

After he spoke, a long moment passed without a reply. He felt a pang of gloom. "Did I frighten Your Majesty?"

’Is there anyone who fights on the battlefield and doesn’t get injured?’

Li Wei’s legend of invincibility was one he had forged with his own life. Getting injured was a regular occurrence for him. New wounds covered old scars; there was hardly an inch of undamaged skin on his body.

He didn’t care about his own injuries and was used to the scars, but now he hesitated, worrying if they would frighten Her Majesty.

Although Her Majesty was no delicate woman and was as strong as anyone, this body full of scars was indeed not a pretty sight.

He slowly turned around but didn’t see the Emperor. He frantically scanned the area, only to see a white figure swimming freely in the water, its faint curves like those of a beautiful silver fish.

Li Wei knew he should leave, but his feet felt as if they had taken root, unable to move an inch.

He had always considered himself a man without strong desires; otherwise, he wouldn’t have reached his age without a single woman by his side.

But now he understood. It wasn’t that he lacked desire, but that he had never met the right person.

Now that he had, wild fantasies surged, a torment that gnawed at his very bones.

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