A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 405 Draft Photos
"Old fox, come here." Shen Tang sat on the flower bed and beckoned with her finger, "I'll give you an easy job."

When Qiu Yang saw her acting like she was teasing a dog, his face twitched violently, and a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

Why is that wicked woman calling him for no reason? Does she have some new way to torment him?
Qiu Yang snorted coldly, slammed the shovel to the ground, and walked up to her with a livid face. He squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, "Master!...What do you want?"

The way he gritted his teeth made it seem as if he would have pounced on her and torn her to pieces the next second if it weren't for the slave chip controlling him.

"Don't worry, as long as you do your job well, I won't bother you for no reason. I did call you here because I have a good task for you." Shen Tang wasn't annoyed and said with a smile, "I think Lord Qiu Yang is quite homesick. How about I give you a chance to go home?"

Qiu Yang looked surprised. Was she really that kind?
His expression quickly changed, and he shouted, "You want me to go back and become a spy? Absolutely not! I am the late Emperor's loyal servant! Even if you kill me, I will never become a spy!"

"...You are indeed loyal to your Emperor."

Shen Tang sighed and took out a pair of red jade earrings from her spatial storage, which gleamed with a warm luster in the sunlight.

After surviving the volcano, she carefully stored the earrings in her spatial storage.

At that time, she thought Shen Li had perished in the fire. These red jade earrings were a keepsake he had given her, and they became her last memory of him.

Looking back now, it's incredibly ironic.

Now, when I see that glaring red again, I feel no excitement, only an instinctive repulsion.

When her fingertips touched the cool jade, Shen Tang even subconsciously frowned.

She will never wear it again in her life.

Rather than letting it gather dust or throwing it away, it's better to return it to its rightful owner.

“This was a gift from your Emperor years ago.” Shen Tang casually tossed the earring to Qiu Yang. “Return it to him for me.”

The moment Qiu Yang caught the earring, his pupils contracted sharply.

His Majesty actually... gave all of this to her?! He suppressed his shock, stole a glance at Shen Tang's calm expression, and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she didn't seem to know the true meaning of the earring.

"Rest assured, Master." Qiu Yang bowed respectfully, a rare occurrence for him. "I will personally return it to His Majesty."

That very night, the old fox rushed back to the Yiyuan Empire without stopping.

……

As the situation in the empire gradually stabilized, Shen Tang had to face a thorny problem—the long-delayed imperial concubine selection was brought back to the agenda by the ministers.

At the court assembly, the officials took turns trying to persuade her to expand her harem.

Even more outrageous, these ministers also sent piles of "Hideo" picture books and photos, so many that the study was almost overflowing.

Xiao Jin was furious when he saw these photos and considered secretly burning them several times.

Although Xue Yinzhou remained silent, his murderous aura nearly brought the temperature in the study to freezing point. If Shen Tang hadn't been there, these officials who delivered the photos would probably have been beheaded long ago.

Jialan picked up the photo and looked at it, then gave a sarcastic comment: "A bunch of ugly ducklings, they even look decent-looking with a level 10 beauty filter on. Don't they see that the poplar trees in the background have all turned into crooked trees? How could you bring yourself to eat them?"

"..." Shen Tang glanced at the photo. To be fair, the handsome men sent over were all quite good-looking. They wouldn't dare to send the ugly ones to the Emperor!
Lu Xiao was more rational. "The female master can consider it carefully. She doesn't necessarily have to like it, but the marriage must be useful to you."

He paused, then added,
"But everything is still up to your wishes."

Shen Tang rubbed her head, feeling a headache coming on.

She knew perfectly well what these ministers were up to.

What about the country and its people, what about royal offspring? In the end, it's all about stuffing their own children into the harem to secure the status of imperial relatives.

Personally, she didn't want to attract too many men—the few jealous men she already had were enough to give her a headache. From the monarch's perspective, while marriage alliances could quickly win over court officials, they also had endless potential problems.

Once the relationship between ruler and subject becomes one of marriage ties, the bond becomes impure, and those ministers are bound to abuse their power. Dealing with them then becomes a difficult task, requiring considerable caution.

Even more frightening is that this is tantamount to handing a knife to someone with malicious intent. What if someone harbors ill intentions and intentionally plants a spy right next to you in bed?

Thinking of those former officials who formed cliques and wreaked havoc on the court, Shen Tang felt a chill. The reason why the Night Glow Empire later became so corrupt, was easily defeated by the rebel army, and then fell apart was all thanks to these people!
The court, which has been purged with great difficulty, is destined to repeat the same mistakes?
Shen Tang had many concerns and did not agree with the talent show.

However, it's not appropriate to refuse outright; a suitable excuse must be found.

Otherwise, these ministers would definitely not give up and would find new ways to bother her again after a while.

……

The Yiyuan Empire has also been plagued by constant turmoil lately.

In the imperial court, ministers took turns urging the emperor to appoint an empress.

The Wu family is the oldest aristocratic family in the empire, tracing its lineage back to the same era as the royal Ji family!
For thousands of years, the two clans have maintained good relations, and many rulers have married into the Wu family, making them a family of queens.

Inside the Wu family's villa, Wu Qing leaned lazily against a chaise lounge.

Her snow-white hair cascaded down, making her beautiful face even more stunning, truly deserving of the title "the most beautiful woman in the empire".

"Has His Majesty responded?" She casually fiddled with her nails.

"Don't worry, Miss. The ministers we've been bribing have been putting a lot of pressure on His Majesty in court these past few days. This morning, His Majesty finally relented and said he would consider the matter of establishing an empress."

The attendant paused, then lowered his voice, "According to inside sources, His Majesty has already drafted the decree, and it is estimated that it will be issued soon."

Wu Qing's red lips curved slightly, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes. She had finally waited for this day.

Thinking of the foreign female she had seen in the palace last time, her beautiful eyes turned cold. Although she didn't know what entanglement existed between the two, His Majesty's special attention to that person made her feel uneasy and like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat!
If possible, it would be best to take this opportunity to get rid of her.

Fortunately, His Majesty has relented. As long as she can take the throne as Empress, everything will be settled, and she will be completely at ease.

……

Deep within the imperial palace, inside the Zhuqiong Hall.

Shen Li dismissed the palace servants and drank alone in sorrow.

"Come in."

He suddenly spoke, his deep voice tinged with a hint of drunkenness.

The palace door opened softly, and a dark figure flashed in—it was Qiu Yang.

"Your Majesty..." Qiu Yang's voice trembled as he looked at the person seated on the throne with a complicated expression.

Shen Li narrowed his long, narrow eyes, his fingertips lightly tracing the rim of the cup. "Didn't I hand you over to the King of Ye Hui for disposal?"

The man's tone was icy and chilling, sending shivers down one's spine.

Qiu Yang knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily. "This old minister deserves to die! It was I who acted on my own initiative and betrayed Your Majesty, chilling Your Majesty's heart. I know Your Majesty does not wish to see me now, but I did not return here to escape!"

He trembled as he took out a brocade box from his bosom.
"It was the King of Yehui who ordered his ministers... to return this item to His Majesty!"

Adjust your sleep schedule, goodnight~