Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 185: The Demon Queen: I am your wife, I will do it at sunset
The fake emperor and the demon queen were busy in the kitchen. Chao Xiaotian watched quietly, his eyes gradually moistening. He had been lonely and helpless since childhood, and deep in his heart he always longed for the warmth of family affection. At this moment, he seemed to have found his own relatives - his master and his mistress.

"Xiao Shuai, is this the right thing to do?" The Demon Queen softly called out the nickname between her and the Pseudo-Emperor, with a hint of tenderness in her voice.

The fake emperor skillfully stir-fried the dishes in the pot while glaring at the demon queen in a stern manner: "Sun Ruowei, can't you just pick a vegetable?"

The Demon Queen approached the Pseudo-Emperor in a playful manner and muttered, "I am useless to begin with. Are you starting to dislike me now?"

The fake emperor lowered his head, kissed her red lips gently, raised his eyebrows and smiled: "How is it? Is my mouth sweet?"

The demon queen bashed him a few times coquettishly, her pretty face flushed like clouds: "Xiaotian is still outside, you better be careful!"

Chao Xiaotian quickly covered his eyes and shouted, "Master and Madam, I didn't see anything! I'll get away from you now, and go set the table first, and then get some wine!"

The demon queen's cheeks turned even redder, and she glared at the false emperor angrily. The two continued to work in tacit understanding. At this time, the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled through the window. The demon queen, who was washing vegetables carefully, looked at the false emperor who was concentrating on stir-frying, and couldn't help but be a little stunned.

This is the life she longs for.

She hummed a melodious tune from her hometown, which she hadn't sung for a long time. The false emperor occasionally raised his head and met her eyes, and they smiled at each other.

As the last dish was finished, the false emperor gently put down the spatula in his hand and turned to look at the demon queen who was carefully placing the tableware. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the half-open window, coating them with a layer of soft gold, stretching their figures long and intertwining them.

The Pseudo-Emperor slowly walked behind the Demon Queen, gently hugged her waist, buried his head in her neck, and whispered: "Ruo Wei, days like this are also very happy."

His voice was low and gentle, with a barely perceptible tremor.

The Demon Queen turned around, put her arms around the pseudo-emperor's neck, and said tenderly, "Xiao Shuai, this is actually the life I long for the most."

The Pseudo-Emperor gently scratched the tip of the Demon Queen's nose and said with a smile, "Look at you, your face is covered with flour, but you are still so beautiful."

As he spoke, he carefully wiped the marks off her face, his movements so gentle as not to disturb the tranquility.

The demon queen blushed slightly, and she dodged with a light laugh, while grabbing the false emperor's hand, and said coquettishly: "You too, your hair is messy, come, let me help you tidy it up."

She gently combed the pseudo-emperor's slightly messy hair, her eyes full of pampering and love.

"Master and Madam, I'm back." Chao Xiaotian's voice came from outside the door, with a bit of joy and expectation, breaking the quiet warmth in the kitchen.

Upon hearing this, the Demon Queen gently patted the false emperor's hand that was playing tricks on her waist, with a look of reproach and shyness in her eyes, and whispered, "It's time to eat, stop making trouble."

After saying this, she quickly straightened her clothes and regained her dignity, but a smile that was difficult to conceal still flashed in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.

The fake emperor also put away his joking attitude, smiled lightly, loosened his hand, and started to serve the dishes.

……

At this moment, the setting sun is hanging in the sky.

The golden light shines through the sparse clouds and falls on the bluestone floor in the yard. The sweet-scented osmanthus tree in the yard sways its branches and leaves gently in the breeze, and the fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus fills the air.

The three of them sat around a wooden table in the yard, which was filled with a variety of dishes, steaming and fragrant. The afterglow of the setting sun fell on them, and everyone seemed to have a layer of soft light on them.

The fake emperor picked up the chopsticks, gently picked up a piece of meat and put it into the bowl of the demon queen, his eyes full of pampering. The demon queen smiled, took a bite, and praised: "Your cooking skills are still good, it tastes good."

Chao Xiaotian ate his food with big mouthfuls while excitedly recounting his recent glorious deeds, occasionally making the Demon Queen and the Pseudo-Emperor laugh heartily.

As the sun gradually sets, the clouds in the sky are dyed orange, which is so beautiful that it makes people intoxicated. Everything in the courtyard is wrapped in this soft light, and time freezes at this moment, leaving only a warm feeling.

As night fell quietly, Chao Xiaotian lit the oil lamp and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. The false emperor and the demon queen lay on the bamboo chairs in the yard, looking at the brilliant starry sky.

"Are you really not going back to the palace tonight?" asked the fake emperor.

"No! I'll come back tomorrow." The Queen Demon's expression softened, "I like it here so much."

The fake emperor spread his hands: "Okay, I'll accompany you."

The Demon Queen turned her head slightly, looked at the fake emperor beside her and asked, "Aren't you afraid that the concubines will worry?"

"If I don't go looking for them, they usually won't take the initiative to go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity." The fake emperor smiled, "Cao Jixiang knows how to deal with it."

The Demon Queen pointed to the sky and said, "Is that the Milky Way?"

The Pseudo-Emperor looked at the clear Milky Way and said, "In fact, the Milky Way is also made up of stars. There are stars that emit light in the universe, and there are planets that do not emit light. The Earth we are on is a planet..."

He began to popularize astronomical knowledge to the Demon Queen.

The Demon Queen listened quietly, wondering how he knew so much. Could he really be from the future?
"How do you know this? I've never heard of it," she asked.

"Of course I learned it from books. Not Chinese books, but Western books." The fake emperor spread his hands. "When I was a child, I read many Western books."

The demon queen looked unconvinced: "Your family is in Dao County, and there are Western merchants going to your place?"

"He is a Western missionary who taught me a lot." The fake emperor said without hesitation.

The two chatted casually, admiring the beautiful night sky. After a while, he walked towards Xiaotian and said, "Master and Madam, I have cleaned up the room for you, you can go and rest now."

The demon queen was stunned: "Just one room?"

"Yeah!" Chao Xiaotian nodded as a matter of course, "You two, do you have two rooms?"

"Of course one room. Besides, you have two rooms." The Pseudo-Emperor waved his hand. "Xiaotian, you've been tired all day. Go and rest."

Chao Xiaotian bowed to them and returned to his room.

……

The false emperor pulled the somewhat shy demon queen up and entered the room.

"You...I..." The Demon Queen was a little panicked.

"Don't worry, I'll sleep on the floor." The pseudo-emperor squeezed her hand and said, "I told you, I won't force you."

The Demon Queen finally breathed a sigh of relief and became bolder. She raised her eyebrows and said, "Go get me some hot water. I need to remove my makeup and take a bath."

The false emperor yawned and said, "No need to take a bath? It's so troublesome."

"No!" The demon queen pulled his hand and began to act coquettishly, "I have to take a bath every day, otherwise, I won't be able to sleep."

The fake emperor had no choice but to prepare hot water, but Chao Xiaotian had already boiled the water. Behind the screen in the room, there was also a clean bathtub ready.

The witch queen first washed her face and removed her makeup. Her face without makeup looked even more delicate, fair, and delicate, with her long and soft hair falling down, making her look even more charming and attractive.

"How do you maintain your appearance?" The fake emperor was really curious.

"I have learned Taoist health-preserving techniques." The Demon Queen smiled in her beautiful eyes, very satisfied with the Pseudo-Emperor's reaction.

The false emperor pinched her cheek and said, "You go take a bath, I'll just go to the yard and rinse it with a bucket."

The two of them went their separate ways, both wanting to take a rest after taking a shower. They were really tired after a day of walking around. The fake emperor came to the yard to admire the starry sky for a while, then he raised the wooden bucket to take a shower.

Chao Xiaotian was well prepared. When he went to buy wine, he also bought two bathrobes. After the fake emperor finished showering, he put on his bathrobe and returned to the room.

At this time, a candle was lit in the room. He pushed open the door and saw a seductive figure. The queen was sitting on the dressing table, gently wiping her hair. She was wrapped in a bathrobe, but her proud figure could not be concealed.

"Why don't you come to help?" The Demon Queen snorted.

The fake emperor walked over, took the towel, and skillfully helped her dry her hair. After a while, the demon queen yawned elegantly: "Go to sleep, you have to get up early to attend the morning court tomorrow."

"How do you sleep?" The false emperor blinked.

The Demon Queen stood up, walked quickly to the couch, got into the bed, and said, "You... said you slept on the floor."

The fake emperor began to act pitiful: "I would like to, but I don't have a quilt. It's late autumn now. Do you want to freeze me to death lying on the floor all night?"

The Demon Queen blinked her eyes, hesitated and said: "Then...you..."

The fake emperor patted his chest and said, "I promise to just sleep well."

The Demon Queen bit her red lips and nodded: "Okay."

She took the initiative to move inside and give up her seat.

……

The false emperor immediately got into the bed, and scared the demon queen so much that she leaned in further. The false emperor put his arm around her waist, pressed against her back, and said, "Just hold me and sleep."

The Queen didn't refuse. Her heart was pounding. She found a topic to ask, "Can you tell me about what happened before you pretended to be the emperor?"

You want to hear a story now?
At your age, when you are as vigorous as a wolf, how can you be so patient?
The fake emperor complained in his heart, buried his head in her neck, and said: "My story, actually my family is quite wealthy, I have been living a life of luxury since I was a child, I love adventure the most, playing extreme sports..."

The Demon Queen listened to the story and turned around, twisting her body. In the darkness, she looked at him with her beautiful eyes full of tenderness.

The fake emperor was secretly happy. You couldn't help it after all, right?

Sure enough, the Demon Queen's soft lips moved closer.

After a long time, the lips opened.

The Demon Queen reached out and gently stroked his cheek, saying softly, "It's late, go to sleep."

She tried her best to control herself. If she continued like this, she would erupt like a volcano. She took the initiative first because she wanted to comfort the false emperor. She knew that young people were the most difficult to tolerate.

"Yeah." The fake emperor was also very honest.

The two faced each other and closed their eyes.

After a while, the Demon Queen was still suppressing her wild thoughts, but she felt that the Pseudo-Emperor was breathing steadily. She slowly opened her eyes and was stunned.

"??"

This guy actually fell asleep? Am I... so unattractive?
The Demon Queen doubted herself once again, with a hint of anger and shame in her eyes, and she glared at him fiercely.

The false emperor suddenly moved, hugged her, gently brushed her soft hair, and said affectionately: "Don't worry and sleep. I promised you that I won't force you. Holding you is the happiest thing."

Such sweet words come out of my mouth easily.

"Me too."

The Demon Queen leaned her head against his arms, breathing in his scent, feeling safe and at ease, even craving for this feeling.

"If we can be an ordinary couple, I will be your wife, working from sunrise to sunset."

"Isn't it done at sunset?"

"Get your dog paws off me."

"Okay, go to sleep."

The false emperor originally felt that this night would be very difficult to endure, but he didn't expect that he would feel calmer and fall asleep quickly when he hugged the demon queen. But the one who had a difficult night was the demon queen.

"What a bad fate." She spat softly.

……

The next day, at daybreak, the Demon Queen woke up first. She looked at the Pseudo Emperor who was holding her with tenderness, a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She leaned forward and kissed the Pseudo Emperor on the face. Then she cursed herself in her heart for being shameless, and her pretty face blushed slightly.

She gently took away the hand of the fake emperor who was holding her and got out of bed carefully.

A pair of white jade feet stepped on the floor, quietly put on the long skirt, without making any sound
After getting dressed, she looked back at the sleeping Pseudo-Emperor and tiptoed to the door. She opened the door gently, came out, and closed it behind her. Hearing the door close, the Pseudo-Emperor opened his eyes, breathed in the fragrance in the quilt, and complained about himself in his heart.

"How come I slept so soundly?"

He smelled the fragrance left by the Demon Queen again, stood up and began to put on his clothes, then walked to the window, pushed it open, and a cool breeze blew in, waking him up instantly.

Not a moment later.

The door was gently pushed open again, and the Demon Queen walked in. She looked at the Pseudo-Emperor by the window with her beautiful eyes and asked, "Are you awake?"

The false emperor opened his mouth and said: "Without you by my side, I woke up immediately."

The Queen gave him a shy look, her cheeks flushed, and she said softly, "Just in time, we can make it to the morning court."

The false emperor looked at the witch queen's hair that had not been combed yet, walked over to hold her hand, looked at her face that was not made up but still beautiful, and said: "Don't worry, I will comb your hair."

"Yes." The Demon Queen nodded and replied, "I will also help you dress up."

Two people sat opposite each other beside the dressing table, reflected in a bronze mirror beside them.

Just like a loving couple, the Demon Queen's heart was filled with ripples. If there was such an ending in the future, she would be willing to spend her life with him.

……

Winter is coming.

The capital was quietly enveloped by a layer of light chill. The north wind cut through the empty streets like a sharp blade, picking up waves of withered yellow leaves, which circled and danced in the air, and finally fell powerlessly on the cold ground. On the city walls, flags fluttered.

People were walking in a hurry, all wrapped in heavy clothes. Smoke rose from the sparse chimneys, blending into the gray sky, adding a bit of warmth to this ancient city. However, even so, it was difficult to completely dispel the bleakness and loneliness that permeated the air.

Inside the palace walls, ancient trees towered to the sky, and the few dead leaves left on the branches were swaying in the wind. A thin layer of ice had formed on the pond, and occasionally a few hardy birds hopped lightly on it, looking for remaining food. Their chirping sounded particularly crisp in this silent winter day, but it also added a sense of loneliness.

Zhu Qizhen stood in front of the Qianqing Palace for a long time, until Cao Jixiang came over with a stack of memorials and said, "Your Majesty, this is sent from the cabinet and needs your approval as soon as possible."

The urgent memorials were all about the Southeast Anti-Japanese War, and the cabinet had drafted them. Zhu Qizhen quickly glanced at them and said, "Take them for your approval. I have to go out for a while."

Some time ago, the Minister of Works visited the Longjiang Shipyard in Yingtian again and confirmed that the first batch of warships had been completely completed and would be launched after the new year.

Strong ship and powerful gun!

Zhu Qizhen believed that fighting against the Japanese pirates would bring about a new situation. However, to completely wipe out the Japanese pirates, it was not enough to rely on strong ships and powerful guns, but also to use some tricks.

After he left the palace, he went directly to the guild hall to find Ning Rongrong. Perhaps because of his occasional nourishment, Ning Rongrong looked much better than before, with a gorgeous look in her coldness.

"After the beginning of next spring, the Quanzhou and Guangzhou Maritime Customs Offices will be completely open." Zhu Qizhen smiled, "Mr. Ning, I still need you to make more money."

"Your Majesty, please don't tease me. If Your Majesty is willing, the money is yours." Ning Rongrong lowered her eyes.

"Then you have to follow the rules. I will not plunder the wealth of you merchants. You just need to pay taxes." Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.

He thought to himself, when I really run out of money, I will confiscate all your money at once.

"Your caravan must have dealt with Japanese pirates and pirates quite a lot, right?" Zhu Qizhen said thoughtfully, "I have an immature idea."

Ning Rongrong raised her beautiful eyes, her face alert: "Your Majesty, what... are you going to do?"

Zhu Qizhen raised his eyebrows: "Have you ever thought about being a queen?"

Ning Rongrong glanced at him speechlessly: "Your Majesty, can you be serious?"

"I am serious!" Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "I want to support a force that can dominate the sea and become the overlord of the seas of Japan and Southeast Asia."

He began to talk about his idea, which was to support Ning Rongrong's fleet and allow her power to grow rapidly. They already had strong strength overseas.

Japan will soon enter the Warring States Period and will need a large amount of arms. He can also support Ning Rongrong in the arms trade, sell them to Japan, and let them kill each other.

As long as the operation is done properly, you can even go to Japan to get a piece of land and become a country within a country. The Japanese daimyo will not care because you can provide them with arms.

Besides, although Japan boasted that there were many heroes in the Warring States Period, in fact, it was just a few counties fighting each other, and anyone with tens of thousands of people under his command was already one of the most powerful princes.

"I can help you gain a foothold in Japan. It won't be difficult to recruit tens of thousands of people. By then, your strength will be comparable to that of the first-class princes in Japan." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "Who dares to mess with you, because he has money and weapons?"

Ning Rongrong's eyes flashed with a divine light, and she frowned and said, "Your Majesty, are you thinking too simply?"

Zhu Qizhen's dream was not impossible to achieve, because during the Jiajing period of later generations, a man did it, the famous Japanese pirate leader Wang Zhi. He occupied a piece of land in Kyushu, Japan, had nearly 10,000 people under his command, and sold arms to the Japanese daimyo.

The refugees from Japan even worked for him, and none of the so-called heroes dared to trouble him. He even gave the territory he occupied a name: Song State.

This guy indulged in the life of an emperor.

At that time, Wang Zhi was very arrogant in Japan, because he had arms and the daimyo had to rely on him. Moreover, he himself was very powerful, with nearly 10,000 personal soldiers, all of whom had the most advanced weapons.

The daimyos of Japan were very polite to Wang Zhi and vied with each other to curry his favor, fearing that they would offend this wealthy and powerful tycoon.

"With your talent and ruthlessness, I believe in you." Zhu Qizhen said with a smile, "With my support, you will surely be even more powerful."

Ning Rongrong was silent for a while, then raised her eyes and asked, "Aren't you afraid that I will betray you?"

Zhu Qizhen shrugged, "We have the same enemy. Before you take revenge, you won't betray me, right? After you take revenge, I will announce to the world that I will pardon the Jianwen clan, and all of you can return to your hometown. I believe that the elders in your clan are looking forward to this day, right?"

Ning Rongrong nodded: "Yes!"

"Besides, we are husband and wife, and we share weal and woe." Zhu Qizhen blinked.

Ning Rongrong's beautiful face flushed, and after thinking for a while, she said, "I am willing to cooperate with Your Majesty."

Zhu Qizhen walked over and picked her up, saying, "Okay, we'll start after the spring. Let's get closer while you're still here. I'll definitely miss you when you leave."

"I will miss Your Majesty too." Ning Rongrong wrapped her arms around his neck.

……

Qianqing Palace.

After Zhu Qizhen returned, he summoned Xu Youzhen and Yang Guifang and told them about his and Ning Rongrong's plan.

"Your Majesty, this is amazing!" Xu Youzhen praised. "In this way, the Ning family can contain the Japanese pirates. With our new fleet and defense along the line, the Japanese pirates should not be a concern. Now, we can completely free our hands to solve the major threat in Mobei."

Zhu Qizhen nodded, his eyes like a knife: "Next time, I will personally conquer the northern desert, just like Emperor Taizong did, and conquer the Wolf's Lair. I will completely destroy the Oirat Yesen."

In his plan, once the danger in the northern border was completely resolved, the Ming Dynasty could truly embark on its overseas expedition. Open the sea, form an invincible fleet to sweep across the ocean, and build the Great Ming Empire on which the sun never sets...

These wishes can be realized one by one.

"Your Majesty, I have a humble question to ask," Yang Guifang said, "What is your relationship with Ning Rongrong?"

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands: "She is my woman!"

Xu Youzhen, Yang Guifang: “!!!”

"I have also heard a lot of legends about the Ning family. This woman is not simple." Yang Guifang frowned. "What if she becomes uncontrollable in the end?"

Zhu Qizhen said indifferently: "No matter how uncontrollable she is, she was in Japan at that time. Even if she became the Japanese empress, I don't care. As long as the Ming Dynasty is always stronger than Japan, she won't dare to attack the Ming Dynasty, right? That would be like hitting a rock with an egg."

"Your Majesty, you are taking advantage of her." Yang Guifang looked strange, "Be careful that she turns love into hatred. When a woman goes crazy, she will do anything. Maybe she really becomes the female emperor of Japan and leads the army to attack the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Qizhen was speechless: "I can't take care of my own woman?"

……

Night falls.

As winter approaches, the daytime hours become shorter and it is dark in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Qizhen arrived at Kunning Palace and smelled the aroma of food as soon as he entered. Shuangxi bowed to him and said, "Your Majesty, you can have your meal now. The Queen Mother is waiting for you."

"Who is waiting for him? I'm not hungry." The Queen Mother stood up and walked over.

She was wearing a purple long dress that reached the ground, looking dignified and elegant. She gently stroked her long black hair with her hand. Against the backdrop of the black hair, her skin looked even whiter and her temperament became even more noble and graceful.

"Are you hungry now? Eat quickly." Zhu Qizhen sat down.

He was really hungry, so he picked up his chopsticks and started eating, saying, "Ning Rongrong left the capital after the New Year, and may never come back."

"Hmm? Why?" The Queen Mother raised her beautiful eyes.

"Well, didn't you forbid me to have any contact with her?" Zhu Qizhen said, "Then I have no choice but to drive her out of the capital and stay away from her."

The Queen Mother snorted and glared, "I don't believe you! You must be plotting something again, right? Aren't you attracted not only to her family, but also to her wealth? Are you just going to give up like that?"

"Don't say that, I really can't bear to do that." Zhu Qizhen sighed lightly.

The Queen Mother curled her lips, drank her soup elegantly, and asked, "Tell me, what conspiracy are you up to? Although I don't like Ning Rongrong, she is just a girl, don't go too far."

"I will support her to be the queen." Zhu Qizhen blinked.

He briefly described his plan, and the Queen Mother listened with wide eyes: "This is a good idea. By the time Japan is too busy to take care of itself, you will have the time and energy to completely resolve the issue of Mobei."

"I will lead the army myself." A gleam of light flashed in Zhu Qizhen's eyes.

He thought of the heroes of all dynasties who had gone on expeditions to Mobei. Only by conquering Mobei could his name be listed alongside those of Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang, and could he be on par with Emperor Taizong.

Naturally, no one would doubt the authenticity of an emperor with such prestige.

"Another personal expedition!" The Queen Mother sighed softly, with a complicated expression.

"Don't worry, I will lead the army in person and I will win!" Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "So, you should take good care of yourself, live well, and see the future of the Ming Dynasty. Of course, don't cause trouble for me."

The Queen Mother raised her head, stared at him and asked, "What if... I end up causing trouble for you? What if I become your enemy?"

Zhu Qizhen laughed out loud: "Didn't we agree on this? Whoever wins will give the other party a quick death. Don't be shy. If you want to die, you have to die in my hands."

"Okay!" The Queen Mother's eyes drooped and tears flashed across her eyes.

(End of this chapter)