If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

......

Ten breaths.

Ji Yue closed her eyes, quietly awaiting death.

The excruciating pain I had anticipated did not come.

Nothing happened.

She frowned in confusion. Could it be that the poison hidden between her teeth had lost its effectiveness?

wrong.

A strange heat was rising from deep within my lower abdomen, like a small flame, rapidly spreading to my limbs and bones.

My body started to feel hot.

His breathing became somewhat rapid.

Ji Yue suddenly opened her eyes, her pupils contracting sharply.

This is not poison!

The heat surged stronger and stronger, washing away her reason, leaving her parched and weak all over.

She staggered back a step, trying to get away from Zhao Yu, but her legs wouldn't obey her commands, feeling weak and powerless.

"Zhao Yu, how could this be...?"

She instantly realized the reason: Zhao Yu had told her to use her death to slander the beggar so that Zhao Yu would appear and expose everything.

But such an effort was too weak; Zhao Yu had other ideas beyond that.

He wanted a better excuse!

As the effects of the medicine surged, everything before my eyes began to blur, with only the flickering candlelight casting long afterimages in my vision.

She bit her lower lip hard, trying to use the pain to regain a sliver of clarity.

The taste of blood filled her mouth, but instead of bringing her to her senses, it acted as a catalyst, making her lustful fire burn even brighter.

No...

This can't be done...

Ji Yue's remaining rationality screamed as she reached for her collar, trying to catch her breath, but the friction of the fabric brought a strange sensation that made her tremble.

Zhao Yu stood there quietly, watching her go from being determined to die, to panic, and now to her complete breakdown.

He finally understood Zhao Yu's scheme.

That's a really vicious move.

Whether I save her or watch her die, the rumors will spread throughout the entire capital city the next day.

The new emperor was in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. He was cruel and tyrannical, and he forced the Lady of Zhennan to her death in the hall.

Or perhaps, he violated the wife of the Prince of Zhennan.

Either one of them would be enough to ruin his already unstable position as a "fake emperor."

The former overturned the public's impression of him as an emperor.

The latter could sow discord among the court officials and even cause the Prince of Zhennan to turn against them.

What a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone!

Zhao Yu had anticipated that he would find himself in a dilemma.

They also calculated the value of Ji Yue as a chess piece, intending to squeeze every last drop out of her.

At this moment, Ji Yue had been completely consumed by the effects of the medicine.

Her cheeks were flushed, her breath was hot, and her eyes, which had been filled with hatred, were now only misty and watery.

She stumbled and lunged at him, grabbing at Zhao Yu's shirt haphazardly with both hands.

"hot……"

"It's so hot... Help me..."

Her voice was broken, filled with unconscious murmurs and pleading.

Zhao Yu raised his hand and grabbed her slender wrist, stopping her from tearing her clothes any further.

His palms were so warm that Ji Yue sighed comfortably, wanting to press her whole body against them.

"You thought Zhao Yu gave you poison?"

Zhao Yu spoke in a cold voice.

Ji Yue's consciousness paused for a moment.

"What he gave you was an aphrodisiac that made you wish you were dead."

"If I'm not mistaken, without the union of yin and yang, this medicine will cause you to be burned alive by this lustful fire within a certain period of time, until your flesh and blood are dried up and you die."

As for the antidote he promised your brother, I don't think he ever intended to give it to you.

The last sentence was like a bucket of ice water poured over Ji Yue's head, causing her to tremble violently.

With her last remaining shred of sanity, she finally understood everything.

Zhao Yu...

The man who kept saying he would help her save her brother, the man she trusted with everything, was just using her from beginning to end!

He never even considered giving her the antidote!

He just wanted to use her body and her death to frame Zhao Yu!

From beginning to end, she was nothing more than a tool that could be sacrificed at any time.

An overwhelming sense of despair and betrayal overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks, mingling with the flush on her face, making her look both pathetic and breathtakingly alluring.

"Now, I'm giving you two choices."

Zhao Yu's voice was devoid of any emotion as he continued to speak in her ear.

"First, if you die here, Zhao Yu's scheme will succeed, and your brother will never receive the antidote."

Second, submit to me.

He paused briefly, then emphasized his words.

"I will not only save you, but also your brother."

Ji Yue looked at the man so close to her with teary eyes.

His face was dimly lit by the flickering candlelight, making it difficult to see clearly, but his eyes were exceptionally clear, as calm as a bottomless, icy pool.

Surrender?

To submit to this beggar emperor?

The idea was ridiculous; just a few hours earlier, she had scoffed at it.

But now, this is her only way to survive.

She was also her brother's only hope.

The flames inside her body burned ever brighter, as if they were about to incinerate her internal organs.

She knew she was running out of time.

Her lips trembled as she used all her strength to squeeze out a few words.

"I...I..."

"Think of your brother before you answer me."

Ji Yue trembled, and suddenly made a decision.

I promise you.

After saying this, Ji Yue could no longer maintain her rationality. Her chest heaved violently, and her whole body felt hot and steaming.

Her body, like a water snake, coiled around Zhao Yu.

Finding the right spot, her fiery red lips pressed down on his...

Inside the hall, candlelight flickered, and two figures were making love on the wall.

Dry firewood meets a raging fire, and it loses all sense of what the world is like!