So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

The weather in Kyoto has been getting warmer these past few days. From yesterday afternoon until dawn, the two of them stayed in the warm pavilion. Just before the morning court session, Ning Yu, with tired eyelids drooping, saw the person beside her get off the bed.

After a night of passion, Xie Xun's temper had noticeably improved. After leaving the bathroom, he walked to the bedside and looked at the woman who had opened her eyes.

"Stay obediently by my side and give birth to my child. If I discover you have any restless thoughts—"

He didn't say anything more, but just looked down at her. Ning Yu felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze, and her sleepiness vanished instantly.

She pulled the blanket up closer to her body and murmured an "Mmm".

Xie Xun bent down, grabbed her neck, lifted her up, and sucked hard on her lips before straightening up to leave.

Ning Yu quickly grabbed his hand, "Then I won't be confined to Changxin Palace anymore, right?"

Seeing the hope in her eyes, Xie Xun's heart skipped a beat. He felt so thirsty that he didn't even want to go to court anymore. He took her slender fingers in his hand and kneaded them, then murmured an "Mmm."

Ning Yu immediately released his hand and said with a smile, "Then Your Majesty should go to court, it's almost dawn."

Xie Xun squinted unhappily. He was a habitual ungrateful person. He yanked off the blanket and scooped up her soft body.

The heated room was warm, not cold at all. Ning Yu, wearing only a small coat, was held in his arms and twisted her waist uncomfortably.

Her fair and smooth skin felt like the finest silk. Xie Xun's throat tightened slightly as he looked at her slender and well-proportioned body. He couldn't help but pull his arms closer and touch her lower abdomen.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Your Majesty has the nerve to say that."

Hearing her coquettish complaint, Xie Xun chuckled softly.

Ning Yu's exposed skin was covered with the ambiguous marks he had left behind. She moved her body, which was half-kneeling on the couch, and clung to his arm, pounding on him, "Go quickly."

Xie Xun touched her face, then her waist, hips, and legs, and covered her with the blanket. "Sleep a little longer."

After all that commotion, she couldn't possibly fall asleep.

Xie Xun left, and Ning Yu, smelling the alluring scent from inside the curtains, turned her head to glance at his departing figure.

Perhaps he did have feelings for her; did liking this body count? She looked away with a self-deprecating smile, but more than that, she felt possessiveness.

She could sense his extremely sharp possessiveness towards her, which had nothing to do with love; it was about ownership. He had slept with her, so she belonged to him, just like a wolf marking its prey. Xie Xun was like that.

Forget it, we're leaving anyway, why bother thinking about this?

The bedding was covered with traces of the two of them, and no maid had come to change it yet. Ning Yu touched her leg, felt uncomfortable, and got up to go to the washroom to wash up.

This bath took most of an incense stick's time. When she came out, sunlight shone through the lattice screen of the door. She rested on the soft couch for a while and slept until Xie Xun finished his court session.

Knowing that she had stayed here overnight, Qingfeng had a table of delicious food prepared and brought in for her. After eating, Ningyu planned to return to Changxin Palace.

As soon as she came out, she saw many ministers going in and out of the council hall. Qingfeng stopped her and said, "His Majesty wants the lady to stay here."

"Stay here?" She gestured to the ministers inside the hall. "His Majesty must be very busy."

"About half an hour."

Not wanting to displease him, Ning Yu nodded slightly, "I understand."

After Xie Xun finished his work, most of the ministers in the hall had left, and Ning Yu entered the Hall of State Affairs.

The incense burning in the censer emitted gentle, calming smoke. She glanced at the man sitting on the dragon throne, then walked up to him without bowing.

As she approached, Xie Xun scooped her up in his arms, placed her on his lap, and nuzzled her affectionately.

"Why are you taking so long to come in?"

Ning Yu glanced at the glittering dragon throne, her slender fingers stroking the dragon head that held a pearl in its mouth. "Seeing that His Majesty is busy, I dared not come in to disturb him."

"The battle report from the Southwest—" She glanced at the memorials he was flipping through, lowered her eyes and murmured softly, "Crown Prince Xie Jingchen, plotting to usurp the throne, a traitor—"

"The late Crown Prince isn't dead?" Ning Yu looked at the words on it, thinking she was seeing things.

If Xie Jingchen isn't dead, then Xie Xun's position is illegitimate. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

Xie Xun noticed and smirked, "What are you looking at?"

She looked away, leaned against him, and shook her head.

He gently lifted her chin, his disdainful gaze carrying a faint smile. "So what if you plot to usurp the throne? The victor is king, the loser is villain."

He was clearly smiling, but Ning Yu felt that the smile on his lips was truly chilling. A chill ran down her spine for no reason. Before she could open her mouth, he leaned down and gently blew a breath into her ear.

"If Xie Jingchen doesn't die, then I will be the one to die. Ning Yu, are you willing to let me die?"

Could she bear to see him die? A beam of light enveloped her, her expression hardening slightly. She immediately tightened her embrace around his waist. "Of course I couldn't bear to see Your Majesty die."

As she spoke, fearing he might pull some trick again, she poked his lean waist and said, "I want to eat the pastries on the table."

Xie Xun looked in the direction she was pointing, glanced at her trembling legs, picked her up and placed her on the dragon throne, then got up and went to get it for her.

Ning Yu breathed a sigh of relief and moved the stack of memorials on the imperial table. As soon as she moved them, she saw a few familiar words.

She glanced at the back of the person carrying the stacked cakes, then quickly flipped through the stacked cakes and glanced at them.

It was a list of women to be appointed to the six palaces, submitted by the elders. It had Xie Xun's approval on it. Besides the daughters of the Xiao family and the Lin family, there were so many beauties.

He's going to sleep with so many women, all of them from major clans in the capital, as well as noble ladies from prominent families in the north and south. They're all waiting for the empress's investiture ceremony to be over before he can officially appoint his consorts.

A fleeting emotion crossed her eyes. The emperor was destined to have three palaces and six courtyards, with countless concubines. She should be glad that she hadn't succumbed to his power and wealth.

She glanced at her flat stomach, snapped the folded document shut, and put it aside.

"What's wrong? Why are you angry?"

Xie Xun walked over carrying stacked cakes and placed the porcelain plate in front of her.

Ning Yu picked up a pretty pastry and took a bite. It tasted really good. "I'm not angry. I'm just worried about His Majesty."

"What are you worried about me for?" He picked her up again and placed her on his lap.

"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and unrest has broken out in the southwest. Your Majesty must be very worried." Her slender fingers stroked his eyebrows.

Xie Xun chuckled, "So how are you going to coax me?"

"Here, it's delicious." She fed him the snack.

Xie Xun didn't like eating these things, but looking at her rosy lips, he grabbed the back of her neck, lifted her up, and kissed her roughly.

Suddenly kissed again, Ning Yu let out a muffled groan, her soft gasps choked back in her throat. He gripped her waist, kissing her fiercely and roughly.

Ning Yu felt that he wanted to eat her.

After Xie Xun had kissed her enough, he finally let her go. "It was quite delicious."

"What were you upset about just now?"

Was she unhappy? Ning Yu's chest trembled as she was kissed. Hearing his question, she lowered her eyes to hide her emotions. "I'm not unhappy. Your Majesty is mistaken."