The Empress remarried, and I retaliated by wiping out the court.

"Ye Wudao, you are hereby ordered to hand over Empress Xiao immediately!"

Feng Yu shouted outside the Qianqing Palace, and hundreds of heavily armed imperial guards stood behind him.

The leader, clad in heavy black armor, was as imposing as a mountain, with a tiger-headed battle sword at his waist. He was none other than Yan Shichang, the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards.

Despite their superior numbers, they stopped three zhang away from the gate of Qianqing Palace, and no one dared to take another step forward.

This is, after all, the emperor's bedroom. If someone were to barge in rashly, they would have to consider whether the emperor could bear the consequences!

Ye Wudao stared at Feng Yu and said coldly, "Qianqing Palace is a forbidden area for the Emperor. Today I want to see who gave you the audacity to bring troops to surround my palace!"

Startled, Feng Yu took a step back and whispered, "It's a misunderstanding! This humble general was merely following orders to welcome Empress Xiao back to the palace."

"Insolence! You're nothing but a watchdog, yet you dare bark at me? Believe me, I'll kill you!"

Feng Yu's face turned red, but he dared not show his anger.

Yan Shichang, standing to the side, said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the Regent is very concerned about Empress Xiao's safety. He humbly requests that Your Majesty allow this humble general to search the area. If Empress Xiao is unharmed, this humble general will withdraw immediately!"

Ye Wudao's eyes were chillingly cold. He said sternly, "This entire empire belongs to the Ye family. I am the Emperor, and you are nothing but a dog kept by the Ye family. Do you even have the right to search your master's residence?"

With a cold laugh, Ye Wudao continued, "I will stand right here today. If any of you dare take a single step into the palace, I will behead you!"

Yan Shichang's forehead was covered in cold sweat; he was actually intimidated by Ye Wudao's imposing aura.

Not a single one of the hundreds of imperial guards dared to step beyond the palace gates!

Yan Shichang clasped his hands in a fist salute and stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. We had no intention of disrespecting you. It is only because the Empress Dowager misses her daughter-in-law that she has ordered us to come and invite Empress Xiao to come and pay our respects."

In short, he both preserved the dignity of the Imperial Guards and shifted the blame onto the Empress Dowager.

A hint of amusement flashed in Ye Wudao's eyes.

As the commander, he was much more tactful in his speech than Feng Yu.

Just then, the beaded curtain of the inner hall rustled softly, and a graceful figure slowly walked out.

Luo Hanyan first bowed gracefully to Ye Wudao before looking at Yan Shichang.

"Commander Yan, it seems that Sister Xiao is currently unable to receive guests."

Yan Shichang frowned. "Why?"

Luo Hanyan blinked, her expression ambiguous:

"Sister Xiao is a completely different person in bed and out of bed. Last night she clung to His Majesty all night long, but now she can't even get out of bed."

"If Commander Yan doesn't believe me, he's welcome to go in. If he sees anything he shouldn't, the Regent will gouge out his eyes..."

A few words extinguished all of Yan Shichang's thoughts.

If he goes in and doesn't see anything, that's fine.

But if he saw something he shouldn't have, given Xiao Luan's fiery temper, she might gouge out his eyes.

"Your subject... takes his leave!"

"Wait!"

Ye Wudao's gaze was icy: "Is my palace a place you can come and go as you please?"

Yan Shichang frowned: "What does Your Majesty wish to do?"

Ye Wudao looked at Feng Yu and said, "This dog of a servant dares to address me by my name; give him two hundred strokes of the cane!"

Upon hearing this order, Feng Yu was utterly horrified.

Two hundred strokes of the cane?

That's not punishment, that's damn death!

The torture rods used by the Great Yan were made of century-old ironwood, as thick as an infant's arm, and extremely heavy, producing a whooshing sound when swung.

Those who wielded the canes were all strongmen in the palace who were in charge of punishments. Every strike required full strength from their arms and no mercy could be shown.

Twenty strokes of the cane can cause the skin to bleed and the flesh to tear.

Fifty strokes of the cane, and the tendons and bones felt like they were about to break.

After being beaten a hundred times, few can still stand up.

As for the two hundred strokes...

Even martial artists who have practiced external martial arts would find it difficult to survive.

Feng Yu's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his legs involuntarily went weak.

He said fiercely, but his tone betrayed his inner weakness: "Ye Wudao, do you dare to kill me? I have the Regent Prince behind me, do you dare?"

Ye Wudao remained unmoved, waving his hand and saying, "Cao Ji, notify Mo Jingyu to make the move! I don't want to say it a second time!"

"yes!"

Cao Ji accepted the order.

Before long, Commander Pei arrived with a large number of Imperial Guards, and two Imperial Guards detained Feng Yu on the left and right.

"Commander Yan, save me!" Feng Yu cried out for mercy.

Yan Shichang gripped the knife handle tightly, hesitated for a long time, but ultimately did not make a move.

Mo Jingyu has sided with Ye Wudao, and he needs to hurry back to report to Xiao Linyuan.

As for the death of a garrison commander?

Such an incompetent lackey should be dead!

"Walk!"

Ignoring Feng Yu's cries of pain, Yan Shichang led his men to retreat.

A moment later, Feng Yu's screams rang out from outside the hall.

Ye Wudao walked into the hall, smiling as he looked at the pale-faced Xiao Luan: "What's wrong, scared?"

Xiao Luan pursed her lips and hunched back in fear.

Ye Wudao lifted Xiao Luan's chin, forcing her to look at him: "Now, do you still think someone can save you?"

Xiao Luan panicked and pleaded in a trembling voice, "Ye Wudao, please let me go! If you're willing to let me go, I'll do anything for you, even serve you like a slave!"

"Just based on that little bit of flesh on your chest?"

Ye Wudao pushed her away in disgust, coldly saying, "Even if you were my dog, I'd still find you filthy!"

He grabbed Luo Hanyan's slender waist and his large hands reached into her ample bosom, startling her into a soft cry.

Ye Wudao laughed, "That's what a woman should be like! She's got curves in all the right places, and she's got that feminine charm. What do you have?"

As he spoke, Ye Wudao buried his face in Luo Hanyan's neck and inhaled her fragrance.

Upon seeing this scene, Xiao Luan stared in shock.

Ye Wudao used to love her to the core; if she told him to go east, he would never go west.

Even if a woman gets close to Ye Wudao, Ye Wudao will give her gifts and apologize to prove his innocence.

But now... Ye Wudao is being intimate with another woman right in front of her!

"No, no, no! You're definitely trying to make me jealous by finding a woman!"

Xiao Luan quickly realized that Ye Wudao's infatuation with her in the past was not an act. The man who only had her in his heart was the same Ye Wudao as now!

In other words, everything Ye Wudao is doing now is very likely an attempt to win her back.

A man will do anything to win back the woman he loves!

Thinking of this, Xiao Luan finally forced a smile and said, "Ye Wudao, stop pretending. You still care about me, don't you? Trying to get my attention this way? How childish!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Wudao smiled.

Wow, there really are people like that.

This kind of ordinary woman is hopeless.

Ye Wudao ripped off Luo Hanyan's clothes, revealing her stunningly white shoulders.

He pinned her to the bed.

Gazing at the beauty so close to him, Ye Wudao's breathing quickened: "My beloved consort, you did a good job just now! I'll reward you handsomely!"

Luo Hanyan was taken aback. You call this a reward?

You should reward yourself!

Her delicate body trembled violently, and she said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please, spare me! I'm not feeling well today..."

"I have always admired generals who fought valiantly on the battlefield!"

"I haven't eaten today, another day, another day..."

"It's okay, just lie there quietly and don't move..."

"Your Majesty, no..."